Xi hears report from Macao SAR chief executive Xinhua) 08:10, December 17, 2025 President Xi Jinping meets with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou Fai, who is on a duty visit to Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou Fai, who is on a duty visit to Beijing. During the meeting, Xi heard a report from Sam on Macao's current situation and the Macao SAR government's work. Xi said that the central authorities fully recognize the work of Sam and the Macao SAR government. The fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China highlighted the need to resolutely implement the "one country, two systems" policy, under which the people of Macao administer Macao with a high degree of autonomy, and promote the long-term prosperity and stability in Macao, Xi noted. He said the Macao SAR government should align actively with the 15th Five-Year Plan, uphold and improve its executive-led government, solidly advance efforts to appropriately diversify Macao's economic development, and better integrate into and contribute to the country's overall development. Li Qiang, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Ganjie, Chen Wenqing, Xia Baolong and other officials were also present at the meeting. President Xi Jinping meets with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou Fai, who is on a duty visit to Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Over 120 flights cancelled at India's Delhi airport due to low visibility Xinhua) 10:02, December 17, 2025 NEW DELHI, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 126 flights were cancelled on Tuesday as low visibility continued to hit the operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, the Indian capital, for the second straight day, local media reported. An official of the Delhi International Airport Limited was quoted as saying that 49 departures and 77 arrivals had been called off at the airport owing to the dense fog and reduced visibility during the morning hours. Meanwhile, Delhi Airport also issued a fog advisory early Tuesday morning, warning travellers of possible delays and disruptions. Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed on Monday as thick smog blanketed the Indian capital and its outskirts, according to media reports. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Blog Archive: Feb 2026 (15) Jan 2026 (155) Dec 2025 (126) Nov 2025 (141) Oct 2025 (153) Sep 2025 (149) Aug 2025 (154) Jul 2025 (155) Jun 2025 (150) May 2025 (155) Apr 2025 (9) Mar 2025 (149) Feb 2025 (139) Jan 2025 (155) Dec 2024 (144) Nov 2024 (143) Oct 2024 (155) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (155) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) Glenn Beck took the bull by the horns. Beck is saving Jolene Van Alstine from making an understandable though awful decision. Becks act of charity is about alleviating suffering and giving hope. Everyone needs hope. Advertisement Van Alstines case spotlights an ongoing, dark trend in the West: the devaluing of human life. The U.S. is most certainly not exempt. The West is increasingly in the grips of a killing cult, whose champions mask terminating human life from prebirth to old age and everywhere in-between in the language of compassion and right. Desperate, Van Alstine, a resident of Saskatchewan, Canada, applied to enter Canadas Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program. That means a physician or nurse practitioner can be enlisted to kill. Van Alstine was scheduled to be killed in January 2026. Advertisement Van Alstine requires surgery. Thanks to Beck, shes going to get it. Her body is racked with pain. Becks generosity is giving her access to American surgeons. A Tampa area hospital stands ready. If successful, the surgery and treatments will improve Van Alstines health and quality of life. Van Alstine is 30 years old. She has a rare condition. Its called neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Its an acutely debilitating and painful disease. Shes suffered for eight long years. Per her own report, her affliction has isolated her. Canadian healthcare has failed her. Desperation drove her to choose assisted suicide. Advertisement Canadas bureaucrat-run healthcare is snarled with red tape. Worse, its resource strapped. Alternatives were denied Van Alstine. Per The Hub, November 7: Advertisement By 2029, the compounding federal debt is forecasted to cause interest payments to surpass Ottawas combined transfer payments to the provinces for health care and child care. That fiscal year, the federal government projects public debt charges will hit $76.1 billion, while the Canada Health Transfer ($65 billion) and Canada-wide early learning and child care ($8.5 billion) will cost taxpayers a combined $73.5 billion -- or $2.6 billion less. Get that? Servicing national debt because of the spendthrift Trudeau and Carney governments is outstripping expenditures for medicine and related healthcare. Carney has priorities other than his citizens medical care, anyway. Government-run healthcare pledged ease of access, timely care, and quality service. Overall, Canadas Medicare system has struck out. Advertisement Delays, long waits, and denials arent uncommon. Thats not just for rare conditions. Reports the Fraser Institute, December 9: In 2025, physicians across Canada reported a median wait time of 28.6 weeks between a referral from a GP and receipt of treatment; down from 30.0 weeks in 2024. Advertisement Thats over seven months to see a general practitioner. You know, just for routine concerns. Further, according to the Fraser Institute, theres a backlog of 1.4 million medical procedures across Canadas ten provinces. Whats endemic in Canada must be boundless frustration. The point isnt merely another recitation of Canadas stumbling government-run health system. Its to give context. We can see why Van Alstine finally decided to throw in the towel. Without good options, the system funneled her to assisted suicide. MAID became her last resort. MAID, it seems, increasingly functions as a safety value for a resource-starved system. Assisted suicide is Canadas fifth highest cause of death. How was Van Alstine directed? Canadian national healthcare required Van Alstine to seek a referral for surgery from a specialist in Saskatchewan. Fair enough, you say? The kicker is that in-province specialists were no longer taking new patients. Their patient loads are full. Since there are no surgeons in Saskatchewan capable of performing the operation, the referral would be for out-of-province care, anyway. And who knows what wait lists look like for surgery in other provinces? Of course, bureaucrats being bureaucrats and politicians being politicians, theyll talk around Van Alstines dilemma. An outlier, theyll declare. No system is perfect. Are you claiming that U.S. healthcare doesnt have problems, theyll counter? Yes, indeed, U.S. healthcare needs overhauling -- as in greater consumer empowerment and reducing government control. But thats another topic for another day. Assisted suicide is a feature of Canadian national healthcare. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid have no equivalent. Advocates declare that assisted suicide is about compassion for the terminally ill. Its goal is humanely ending suffering. A group in the U.S. called Death with Dignity is pushing legislation in the states to legalize medically assisted suicide. To date, 12 states have passed legislation authorizing the practice. Illinois governor J.D. Pritzker just signed legislation adding his state to the list. Seven other states are considering laws. You can bet these advocates want a U.S. version of MAID. MAID is a disposal system. Heres why. Van Alstine isnt terminally ill, i.e., without treatment options. She didnt want to die. Surgery gives her a shot. Killing her under the circumstances is compassionate? Shes the victim of a failing system. Does Canadian national healthcare track the number of people who elect assisted suicide because they gave up, people who have been stymied by the system? How many Van Alstines are there? CBN provides information from Health Canada's Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying, December 5: Nearly one-fifth of the 23,000 people who requested MAID, had a "grievous and irremediable medical condition," such as diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and chronic pain, and were denied assisted suicide. But about 4% of people who were approved for assisted suicide did not have a terminal diagnosis or reasonably foreseeable death. Nearly 23% of people overall reported "isolation or loneliness" as a reason for seeking euthanasia. Medical practitioners reported that about 50% of people requested it because of being a "perceived burden on family, friends, or caregivers." MAID was intended only for people with terminal illnesses? Maybe initially. But since its inception in 2015, the programs reach is expanding. First, it was limited to competent adults suffering acutely from terminal illness. Then in 2016, rules were loosened to permit euthanasia for those whose natural death was foreseeable. In 2021, the program included nonterminal cases (natural death not reasonably foreseeable). Implementation of a suicide proviso for mental illness has been postponed until March 2027. Thats "postponed," not scuttled. Finally, parliamentary reviews are underway of a Quebec study that would allow mature minors to elect assisted suicide. Mission creep doesnt describe this. Its more like gallows gallop. Whatever its first intentions, MAID is looking more and more like a safety value for woefully inadequate healthcare. Will the gallows gallop stop? Remember when Bill Clinton claimed he just wanted abortion to be safe, legal, and rare? Abortion rare? Not today. Abortion is a womans right, abortion champs boldly proclaim. No compelling reason needed. Access is easy. Can a babys life be valued even less? Yep. Today, pro-abortion forces push killing babies up to the moment of birth, if the mother chooses. Ill ask again: Will it stop? Or when will prominent persons begin speaking out about a duty to die? When will it be positioned as a societal obligation to have oneself killed when ones productive life ceased? When will we hear the argument that those born with serious congenital defects drain precious resources? As Malthus would argue, the pie is only so big; theres only so much to go around. Maybe Scrooge was right about a need to decrease the surplus population? Or undesirable populations, as was the case with eugenicist Margret Sanger and Planned Parenthood. As Glenn Beck said on his Monday show, the Wests greatest epiphany has been that every human being has inherent worth. Life is precious. Careful not to fall prey to sophists, whose chief occupation is twisting words. Taking life isnt valuing life. Killing isnt creating. Nurturing and sustaining life is paramount. Said G.K. Chesterton: Men do not differ much about what things they will call evils; they differ enormously about what evils they will call excusable. J. Robert Smith can be found at X. His handle is @JRobertSmith1. At Gab, @JRobertSmith. He blogs occasionally at Flyover . Image: AT via Magic Studio After the European Commission levied a several-hundred-million-dollar fine on Elon Musk and his social media platform X earlier this month, journalist Michael Shellenberger wrote a damning post in which he excoriated Europes rank censorship and state-sponsored propaganda. He accused the commission of engaging in a deception campaign aimed at confusing Europeans and Americans into thinking that European elites goal is anything other than to censor the American people. Advertisement Shellenberger pointed out that Musks fine came while European governments are demanding backdoor access to all private text messages (under the pretense of combatting the transmission of child pornography) and creating a so-called Democracy Shield of government-funded fact-checkers that enables censorship by proxy. He also noted that the European Commission announced the fine to coincide with the rollout of the Trump administrations new National Security Strategy, in which President Trump makes this promise: We will oppose elite-driven, anti-democratic restrictions on core liberties in Europe, the Anglosphere, and the rest of the democratic world, especially among our allies. Shellenberger put two and two together to make a provocative observation: The EU is now in direct violation of the NATO Treaty, which requires member states to have free speech and free and fair elections. France and Germany are actively and illegally preventing political candidates from running for office for ideological reasons, namely their opposition to mass migration. And the Romanian high court, with the support of the European Commission, nullified election results under the thin and unproven pretext of Russian interference, after a nationalist and populist presidential candidate won. Advertisement As a parting shot, Shellenberger accused the European political class of betraying its own constitution, a document that purports to protect free speech: Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority. How can the European Commission pretend to defend its own charter when it seeks to eradicate the free exchange of ideas on X, censor Americans speech, spy on citizens private text messages, and create an army of government-funded NGOs to justify censorship and push the commissions propaganda? Shellenbergers pointed observations reinforce Vice President Vances recent criticisms of European censorship: Germanys entire defense is subsidized by the American taxpayer. There are thousands upon thousands of American troops in Germany today. Do you think that the American taxpayer is going to stand for that if you get thrown in jail in Germany for posting a mean tweet? Vance has explicitly warned European elites that America and Europe do not have shared values if youre jailing people for saying we should close down our border or canceling elections because you dont like the result and that happened in Romania. You do not have shared values if youre so afraid of your own people that you silence them and shut them up. Advertisement When the leading candidate for the American presidency in 2028 and one of Americas pre-eminent journalists are both warning the European political class that its ongoing censorship activities are threatening the foundations of the Western alliance, the capitals of Europe should pay attention. Unfortunately, it appears the paper tigers of Europe believe that their gentle purrs sound like ferocious roars and that their distorted shadows still convey strength. As President Trumps emissaries work to deliver peace between Russia and Ukraine, there are rumors on the continent that the European Commission is threatening behind somewhat closed doors to sell $2.34 trillion in U.S. Treasury holdings should the American government impose an unsatisfactory peace settlement or outright withdraw military and financial support from Ukraine. Such economic warfare against the United States could trigger a financial crash more severe than what occurred in 2008. Advertisement The fact that European powers would consider destabilizing the global economy in order to prolong war on the European continent says a great deal about the Old Worlds twisted priorities. While tens of millions of illegal immigrants erase Western civilization and insane green energy policies doom the economies of Europe, the aristocratic elites insist on censorship, government-approved propaganda, and perpetual war. Brussels, London, Paris, and Berlin are so committed to total war with Russia that they will sacrifice every last Ukrainian and outlaw peace. Better to remain master over a dominion of poverty, division, and bloodshed than to permit non-globalist political parties to win elections and defend their respective nations sovereignties. Given how ill prepared Europe is to fight its own battles without the assistance of Americas military machine, it is maddening to watch the deranged posturing of Europes bellicose ruling class as it salivates for more war. While mourning the recent death of a British soldier in Ukraine, U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer tacitly admitted that a military contingent of unknown size is already operating in the country. This led one of Russias most prominent political commentators to conclude that a nuclear strike on Britain is inevitable. Should the British people perhaps have a say in whether their political leadership will risk nuclear war over Russian-speaking territories in eastern Ukraine? Advertisement Meanwhile, the French government is not so quietly preparing hospitals for the arrival of tens of thousands of wounded soldiers in the next few months. Given that French president Emmanuel Macron is reportedly planning to announce a rapid expansion of the countrys military service, a significant military engagement on the continent appears increasingly likely. Similarly, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, Poland, and Germany are all working to increase the sizes of their military forces. Military spending in Germany is set to mark the largest single-year investment in defense equipment in the countrys history. And NATO chief Mark Rutte recently told foreign policy pooh-bahs in Berlin that Europeans must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured. As far as Europes political elites are concerned, all signs point to World War III! Is this really what Americans want? Must we really permit Europes totalitarian political elites to recklessly provoke a U.S.-NATO-Russia War? It is revealing that Europes speech police work so assiduously to censor social media posts that dare to question the ruling classs apparent desire to transform a regional conflict between Russia and Ukraine into a battle royale involving the whole of the continent. How duplicitous with regard to their motivations and desperate in their political calculations could Starmer, Macron, Merz, and Queen Ursula von der Leyen be if they feel compelled to silence every European commoner who prefers to keep his children safely away from exploding drones on the battlefield? Advertisement I go back to the questions that Michael Shellenberger and Vice President Vance have asked concerning Europes diminishing commitment to Western values. What is the point of defending a royal court of unelected European aristocrats who cynically prattle on about the need to defend democracy while spying on fellow citizens private communications and silencing their online debates? Why should Americans fight and die for European elites who conspire to prevent non-globalist politicians from holding office and summarily cancel elections whenever preferred globalists flat-out lose? Why should Americas military defend a European ruling class that regularly censors American citizens? If Brussels, London, Paris, and Berlin want war, let those socialists pick up a rifle and fight. As for Americans, our cause should be to defend liberty. And right now, unfortunately, liberty is of little concern to Europes political elites. Image: CristianIS via Pixabay, Pixabay License. Affordability has become the rallying cry of Democrat talking points, with tariffs often cast as a crushing tax on the middle class. UCLA economist Kimberly Clausing has even called President Trumps tariffs the largest tax increase on American consumers in a generation. There is no denying that importers pass tariff costs along to consumers in the form of higher prices. But heres the reality Democrats rarely acknowledge: Tariffs are only a fraction of the tax burden American households face. Domestic business taxes dwarf tariffs. Advertisement Every business in America pays taxes corporate income taxes, payroll taxes, property taxes, excise taxes, and a host of fees and licenses. And just like tariffs, these costs dont stay with the business. They are passed through to households in three ways: 1) consumers pay higher prices for goods and services; 2) workers absorb lower wages, fewer benefits, and reduced hiring; and 3) shareholders including the 62% of Americans who own stocks through retirement accounts see diminished profits and dividends. When you add it all up, the domestic pass-through burden is staggering. Conservative estimates put the consumer-facing share of domestic business taxes at about $1.8 trillion annually. Thats more than ten times the high-end estimate of tariff pass-throughs. And when you include the impact on wages and investment returns, the total household burden from domestic business taxes rises to over $3 trillion a year. By comparison, tariffs add roughly $100150 billion. Advertisement Tariffs are visible, politically charged, and easy to attack. Domestic taxes are embedded, longstanding, and harder to dramatize. But if the debate is about affordability, then focusing only on tariffs is misleading. Tariffs account for less than 5% of the total household tax burden. The other 95% comes from domestic taxes many of them enacted or expanded with bipartisan support. Consider payroll taxes. Employers remit nearly $900 billion annually for Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance. Economists agree that a significant share of those costs are shifted onto workers in the form of lower wages. Corporate income taxes, another $450550 billion, reduce dividends and investment returns for millions of middle-class households with retirement accounts. Excise taxes on fuel, tobacco, alcohol, and telecom services hit consumers directly at the cash register. These are not abstract burdens; they show up in everyday life, from the price of gas to the size of a paycheck. Heres how the comparison looks visually: Advertisement The December 11, 2025 report from the Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee frames tariffs as the villain of affordability. Yet households are already carrying a far heavier load from domestic taxes. If policymakers are serious about reducing the economic burden on families, they should start with the $3 trillion in domestic pass-throughs, not the relatively small slice from tariffs. Advertisement This is not to say tariffs are irrelevant. They can raise prices on imported goods, and they can spark trade disputes. But in the grand scheme of household economics, tariffs are a rounding error compared to the mountain of domestic taxes. Republicans should remind voters that while tariffs make headlines, it is the hidden weight of domestic taxation that truly drags down American households. Bradley Steffens is the author of two novels, seventy-five nonfiction books for young adults, and dozens of articles and reviews. Advertisement Advertisement Image via Pixabay. Pixabay License. I ended a recent article entitled, The Hamas death cult gets rewarded for the Oct. 7th massacre with the words, While England and the rest of the Anglosphere appeases the Moslem world, to which they will be a prisoner soon, we should not tolerate pirates and death cults in our midst. After witnessing the Australian governments complicity in the death of Jews at Bondi Beach, I would now add that we cannot allow Australia to blindly disregard the lives and safety of its Jewish citizens. Advertisement Calls for jihad, intifada, and gassing, by radical Islamic factions within Australia have been tolerated and have gone unpunished by Australian authorities. Jewish groups inside Australia have been begging the authorities to take threats against the Jewish community seriously. During the last two years, synagogues and other Jewish sites in Australia have been repeatedly assaulted. In December 2024, a Melbourne synagogue was firebombed. Jewish businesses have been attacked and Jews have been the targets of constant harassment. Bondi Beach is a modern-day Kristallnacht, a pogrom against Jews carried out by a militant Islamic faction while Australian authorities looked on without intervening. Australian Prime Minister Albanese and his government should be reproached by the U.S. State department for its indifference to the lives and safety of its Jewish community and its obsequious pandering to an emboldened Moslem community. By reproachment, I am not referring to a strongly worded diplomatic memo. My disgust for the Albanese administration is so great that I would not be averse to the State department covertly funding a color revolution like the one that Victoria Nuland engineered in Ukraine. (Ok, maybe thats a bit of a fantasy, though, not the part about Nuland orchestrating the 2014 coup in Ukraine.) Advertisement The Trump administration should communicate its displeasure with the inaction of the Albanese government in securing the safety of Jews in Australia. It should be as strongly worded as Trumps recent words to the South African prime minister in the Oval Office conveying displeasure with his governments indifference to the plight of its white Afrikaner population. My question to the Trump administration is simple. If not now, then when? Advertisement Image generated by ChatGPT. Among the very great advantages of our representative, constitutional republic is the ability of Americans to vote with their feet. Thats not a feature of our democracy, the tyranny of the majority Democrats endlessly labor to create. In that polity, youre stuck where the one-party state wants you to live, and U-Haul is a dream of the dim, fabled past. Voting with ones feet is also one form of voting not easily corrupted by vote fraud. Advertisement Gavin Newsoms California is, unsurprisingly, among the states working hardest to depopulate itself and eliminate its tax base: California is hemorrhaging residents at an alarming rate. Nearly 683,000 people fled the state in a single year, according to the latest U.S. Census data the highest outbound migration in the nation. Leading the charge? Millennials, who made up 31 percent of those abandoning the state, followed by Gen Z and Gen X. Advertisement Residents cite skyrocketing taxes, oppressive regulations, failing schools and intrusive government policies (e.g., laws restricting parental notification of gender identity changes). Businesses are also fleeing 441 relocated headquarters since 2018. U-Haul's latest data confirms the trend, ranking California as the top state for one-way truck rentals outbound for the fifth straight year. Advertisement All those former Californians taking their tax dollars with them is bad enough. Worse is the companies, and their far greater tax dollar contributions, forced to flee by the extraordinarily high cost of doing business, businesses like Valero: Advertisement Graphic: Social Media Post But buried beneath the broader criticism is an often overlooked central failure: Newsoms policy decisions have made California an increasingly hostile state in which to conduct business. And few industries have suffered more under Californias regulatory assault than fossil fuels, where relentless overreach has driven companies out of the state. The latest major corporation to join the stampede is Valero Energy. The company is so determined to flee Californias overregulation that it was willing to absorb a staggering $1.1 billion loss to get out. Valero will shutter operations by April 2026. Advertisement A billion dollars is real money, even for a major oil company. And oil companies arent alone in fleeing California: Advertisement Graphic: Social Media Post These corporate departures are not abstract losses they are steadily hollowing out Californias tax base. In a state where the top 1 percent of taxpayers generate nearly half of all income tax revenue, the flight of high earners and major employers carries severe fiscal consequences. Those consequences are now impossible to ignore. Just last month, CalMatters projected an $18 billion deficit for the 202627 fiscal year, the fourth major shortfall in as many years. The nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office has warned that California faces potential structural deficits of $15 billion to $35 billion annually through 202829, a sign not of temporary turbulence, but of deep and persistent mismanagement. Newsom is coyly pretending not to have decided about whether to run for the 2028 Democrat presidential nomination. Should he eventually admit to having decided to run long ago, Republican campaign commercials will write themselves. Even Democrats may have to ask themselves whether a guy like Newsom, with his unending record of disaster in running California, ought to be their standard bearer. Sure, they chose Kamala Harris, but her record was largely empty of accomplishment and the disasters could be blamed on others as theyre now being blamed on Joe Biden. Considering the rest of the likely Democrat field, Newsom might be the best of a horror show of possibilities. If so, Democrats will likely get what they so richly deserve. Whether America deserves Gavin Newsom remains to be seen. What also remains to be seen is whether Republicans, who seem eternally determined to earn the name the stupid party, will be stupid enough to bail California, and its single party rulers, out. Become a subscriber and get our weekly, Friday newsletter with unique content from our editors. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription. Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. Is there no low to which the Chinese communists won't stoop? Advertisement They just got done putting on a kangaroo court in front of our faces, "convicting" 78-year-old Catholic Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai of 'sedition' and national security 'offenses' after keeping him in prison for a five-year trial. Now they'll sentence him to life in prison and tell us they're all about rule of law. It's such Chicom ordure, it's like the spirit of Mao has crawled up through the Chicom sewers to spread its foul odor. Advertisement The idea, of course, is to send a message to all dissidents -- and Hong Kong is loaded with them, being the free people Milton Friedman once praised -- to never criticize anything done by the Chinese regime, not ever. So much for 'one-country, two systems,' which is what China agreed to when Hong Kong was forked over to them back in 1997. Advertisement This kangaroo verdict is full-blown Chicom 'justice' just like they have in old Beijing, or any socialist hellhole city found in the depths of that very emigrable country. The usual goonery is now in Hong Kong, too, because everyone knows Lai is innocent, doing nothing more than speaking up for democracy from his newspaper, a splendid outlet that before the communists shut it down, was called Apple Daily. Advertisement And now China expects us to trade with them on favorable terms and let them do whatever they want to do, supposedly because they are too big to ignore. Two pieces, one by Susan Crabtree at RealClearPolitics, and the other at the Wall Street Journal's editorial page, lay out that with the trial over, it's time for the civilized world to tell China to let the poor old man go, we don't want to look at that crap while we negotiate trade treaties and conduct diplomacy with the behemoth of the East. Advertisement Crabtree noted that one, and only one, leader has already stepped up to the plate. One guess, and no surprise, it's President Trump: Advertisement Earlier this year, Trump joined advocates in condemning Lais imprisonment, vowing to do everything [he] can to save the activist. [Lais] name has already entered the circle of things that were talking about, Trump said in August. Trump also said this in the aftermath of the verdict, according to the Journal: Asked about Mr. Lai on Monday, Mr. Trump said I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release. Hes not well. Hes an older man and hes not well, so I did put that request out. Well see what happens. The other two who might be able to persuade Beijing to get Lai out of that communist hellhole are Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the U.K., and Pope Leo XIV, both of whom have, thus far, said nothing. But the outlook isn't as bad as might be supposed. Last October, Pope Leo met with Lai's wife Teresa and daughter Claire, giving them a papal audience and apparently a pretty sympathetic listening session. According to EWTN: The wife and daughter of imprisoned democracy activist and Catholic Jimmy Lai met Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Oct. 15, greeting the Holy Father ahead of the expected verdict in Lais yearslong trial in Hong Kong. Teresa and Claire Lai spoke to Leo after the general audience on Wednesday, appearing in the formal black attire traditionally worn by women greeting the pope. That's a good look for the pope. Now with the verdict out, it's time for the pope to speak out, calling for Lai's release. He should offer to house Lai in the Vatican if necessary. Lai already has the open support of the great Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong, who accompanied him to the trial. Zen is one of the least-woke voices in the Catholic Church and a major moral authority, having suffered arrest by the communist regime, too. This, from Wikipedia, gives the flavor of who he is: In October 2011, Zen said that he had received HK$20 million from Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai since 2005, which went to helping the underground Church and the poor on the mainland.[13] In 2014 Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun asked Pope Francis not to visit China, saying the pontiff would be manipulated. In an interview he told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: I would tell him now, Dont come, you would be manipulated'. The few courageous [Catholics] could not meet [the Pope], and the Communist Party would show him the illegitimate bishops, including the three excommunicated ones. The comments came as ties between the Vatican and China improved in the early days of the pontificate of Francis, with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulating Francis on his election.[14] Cardinal Zen said he did not see signs of dialogue happening between the Catholic Church and China. Even if under these conditions Beijing was to extend a hand, it would be a trick under these circumstances, he said. Our poor bishops are slaves, the Communist Party denies them respect, tries to take away their dignity.[14] In September 2014 as part of the 2014 Hong Kong protests, Cardinal Zen addressed the protesters saying "It's high time we really showed that we want to be free and not to be slaves. We must unite together". During his speech protesters were fired on with tear gas and he asked them to disperse.[15] In a 2018 interview, Cardinal Zen, on Sino-Holy See relations, said Pope Francis does not know the real Communist Party in China, but Parolin should know. He was there [in the Secretariat of State] so many years, so he must know. He may be happy to encourage the pope to be optimistic about the negotiations but thats dangerous. Pope Francis needs someone to calm him down from his enthusiasm. Zen added that It seems the Secretary of State wants to have a solution anyway. He is so optimistic. Thats dangerous. I told the pope that he [Parolin] has a poisoned mind. He is very sweet, but I have no trust in this person. He believes in diplomacy, not in our faith.[16][17] A look at the Vatican News website, thus far, shows nothing. I hope it's just early, and Parolin isn't the problem. For the sake of the Church, Pope Leo must speak out, too. Starmer seems to be an even poor prospect for this job of speaking out, even as he has significant standing in this case because Lai is a U.K. citizen, but nevertheless is surprising on the upside. His foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, presented these excellent remarks yesterday to parliament: Today, Hong Kongs courts ruled that Jimmy Lai was guilty of foreign collusion under the National Security Law, which Beijing imposed on the city five years ago. They also found him guilty of conspiring to publish seditious materials. Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. He has been targeted by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. This was a politically motivated prosecution which I strongly condemn. Jimmy Lai now faces the prospect of a sentence which, for a man of 78 years, could mean the rest of his life in prison. I call again for Jimmy Lais immediate release. On my instruction, the Foreign Office has today summoned the Chinese Ambassador to underline our position in the strongest terms. My Acting Consul General was present at court to bear witness today. And for many in this House and for the large diaspora community living in the UK it is heartbreaking that such a violation of a British mans rights could occur in Hong Kong. Because the Hong Kong of Jimmy Lais childhood was a city where a twelve-year-old boy seeking opportunity could go on to build a business empire, then a media platform. It was a city of freedom. And that freedom brought great prosperity. So when the Joint Declaration was signed by the United Kingdom and China in 1984, both nations declared their commitment to that prosperity. And our countries agreed that Hong Kongs uniqueness was the foundation of its success. Its high degree of autonomy. Its executive, legislative, and independent judicial power. Its rights and freedoms, including of speech, of the press, of assembly and of association. And these were to be enshrined in law. She gets it. Color me impressed. Now, the message needs to be transmitted to Beijing. Crabtree's sources note that there may be Trump-like bargainings over this, which may be the way to do it, given this awful travesty. What we learn from this is that the Chicoms have an increasingly ugly face -- from jailing Lai, to the crooked shenanigans leading up to the Tai Po fire, along with the suppression of mourning, to China's awful record of illegal fishing in other countries' waters, to outright confrontations with Japan and Korea where they were smacked down, to a report of a recent interception of an illicit arms shipment to Iran. They're up to no good. And an assertive hand from the West might be the best way to deal with them. Weakness from the West has made them bold. Now it's time to stomp that impression out. The old Reagan coalition of the U.S., the U.K., and the Vatican is overdue for a reconstitution/ Image: Wikipedia // public domain In two weeks, New York City will inaugurate a new socialist mayor. In a few weeks, Chile will inaugurate a new president from the Right. In Seattle, a socialist is now the mayor, but in Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Bolivia, and Paraguay, leaders from the Right are governing or starting to govern. Advertisement What in the world is going on? Socialism is dead but alive and well in New York City and Seattle. Of course, they don't really call it socialism but rather the "affordability" crisis. Did you ever read about a socialist country that made things more affordable? No. They make people miserable and poor. They make things more affordable by rationing everything or rent controls that turn pretty buildings into slums. Have you a recent picture of Havana? I mean that part of Havana that the tourists spending dollars don't get to see. Yes, the part where Cubans live and the hospitals are falling apart. My family used to live in that pretty part of Cuba that now looks recently bombed for days. Chile's victory was massive, as NPR pointed out: Advertisement Kast's victory follows years of left-of-center rule in Chile. It also reflects a broader regional trend in Latin America in which security and migration have become decisive electoral issues. In elections this year Bolivia ousted socialists who had ruled for nearly two decades. Argentina's La Libertad Avanza won legislative elections, boosting President Javier Milei's influence in Congress, and Ecuador re-elected center-right Daniel Noboa. Advertisement Far-right libertarian President Javier Milei of neighboring Argentina welcomed Kast's win, calling his "friend's" victory proof that Latin America is casting off the "oppressive shackles of 21st-century socialism." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted his congratulations, saying Washington looks forward to "partnering with his administration to strengthen regional security." Advertisement By the way, Secretary Marco Rubio is a big winner here too. He is convinced Latin American leaders that the U.S. has their backs in the battle against narcos and that doing business with the U.S. is a better bet than China. As we celebrate Chile and other examples of the good guys winning, we also look with shock and horror at some of our cities. Who told them that socialism works or that you make things affordable by telling people what they want to hear? Well, they will learn the hard way and maybe follow the example of Chile and others in rejecting this garbage. Advertisement P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. Advertisement Image: Gage Skidmore Here comes the neo- and exo-pronouns brigade. Advertisement This is not satire and its not just a fringe movement of lunatics without any serious political powerits coming from the National Education Association itself. For context, the NEA is the biggest teachers union in the nation with more than three million educators strong; around 2.3 million of those NEA members are full-time presences in our childrens schools (roughly 77%), making them a dominant force in the education sector. Now, according to an article by Karol Markowicz and published at the New York Post yesterday, an education watchdog group recently obtained documents from the Advancing LGBTQ+ Justice event the NEA held earlier this month; those documents revealed that agenda largely includes a focused pushed on what theyre calling neopronouns and xeopronouns. (Interestingly, the word program Im using to write the blog has flagged xeopronouns as an incorrectly spelled word with the dreaded little red squiggly line underneathhow long until the progressives re-code for Gayspeak?) Advertisement Per Markowicz: Neopronouns are new pronouns such as xe/xem/xyr, and other letters randomly shoved together. Advertisement Xeopronouns are for conceptual identities such as cat/cats/catself. Okay, so neopronouns are just random letters shoved together which sounds like another retarded machination of progressive teachers, ones they called nonsense words. Again, thats not satire. My now 14-year-old son last attended public school in first grade, and what finally prompted the switch to private school was the nonsense word homework. His teachers sales pitch to me? The kids can learn to sound out words, at which point I asked why they couldnt do that on real words. Her response? I have a masters degree, Id think Id know. God help any child still in public school. Advertisement But what happens when the 26 letters no longer suffice? If we know anything about the LGTBQ++ queerdos, its that their dogma is rapidly changing, and its adherents are always looking for the next shock-value uniquity to make them stand out in a field of freaks. Cross-dresssing used to suffice for radical attention-getting, until it didnt. So then came the cross-sex synthetic hormonesthen the surgeriesthen the laws to require gender changes on legal documentsnow they devise their own gender based on nonexistent words using random letters of the alphabet, or, decide their gender is actually just one of the many species in the animal kingdom, which are actually just nouns. (The irony that educators consider cat a pronoun instead of a noun is of the greatest magnitude.) Again, this is going to be the prevailing agenda in most schools across the nation. (More context: There are between 3.8 and 4 million teachers in the U.S. as a whole, meaning a majority of teachers are subscribing to this insane notion/curriculum.) Advertisement If this isnt a case to completely burn down the school system and start over, I dont know what is. Advertisement Image generated by ChatGPT. In law, use of property, such as a parcel of land, may be given by the owner of the property to another person, subject to a trust. Advertisement To do this, the owner of the property (the settlor) transfers ownership of the property (the corpus) to an entity (the trust) for the benefit of a named person (the beneficiary). The means of transfer is a document (the trust instrument). The corpus is owned by the trust, and the corpus is superintended by the manager of the trust (the trustee). It is the duty of a trustee fulfill the intention of the settlor, as expressed in the trust instrument. Utmost fidelity is required of a trustee toward the trust instrument, toward the corpus, and toward the beneficiary. Advertisement Subject to the terms of the trust instrument, the beneficiary may make use of the corpus. In the Bible, God is the Settlor of the Land of Israel trust. The corpus of the trust is the entirety of the Land of Israel. It is more than the territory delimited by the niggardly 1949 armistice line, which was drawn, in green ink, decades ago on a regional map. Advertisement The trust is a concept rather than an entity. The beneficiaries of the trust are all Jews, throughout their generations. Advertisement The trust instrument is the biblical verses that express the promise of God that the Land of Canaan belongs to Abraham and his descendants. Terms in the trust instrument include the transfer of the Land of Canaan (renamed the Land of Israel) from its early inhabitants to Jews, the permanence of the possession of the Land of Israel by Jews, and the permanence of the trust. Advertisement The Bible is immutable, and the right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel is inalienable. The international community does not accept those facts, because they are decisive for Jews. The present trustee of the trust is the government of Israel. Unfortunately, that government has been a faithless trustee. The government of Israel is responsible for: Advertisement Its touchy-feely, capitulatory policies toward Arabs. The loss of the peace after each war (19481949, 1956, 1967, 1973). Ineffective responses to the intifadas (19871991, 20002005). Cession, after the Six-Day War, of the Temple Mount to the Waqf. The blind eye turned to Arab destruction of archeological treasures related to Jews and Judaism. Limitations on the numbers of Jews who may be on the Temple Mount. Prohibition of Jewish prayers on the Temple Mount. Storage, by Arabs, of weapons in the Dome of the Rock and in the Al Aqsa mosque. Not monitoring deliveries to Gaza, thereby providing Palestinians with material for their terror tunnels. Approval of prisoner exchange programs, in each of which the ratio of exchanged persons was lopsidedly detrimental to Israel. Many of exchanged Arabs went back immediately to terrorism, their day jobs. Entry into the Camp David Accords (Menachem Begin, 1978). Severance of Gaza from Israel (Ariel Sharon, 2005). Intended dismemberment of Israel by the proposed cession of the Temple Mount, eastern Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria to the Palestinians (Ehud Olmert, 2008). Benjamin Netanyahu stopped the policy rot. He opposes a two-state solution. However, a two-state solution is overwhelmingly popular. United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/23, passed by the tenth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2024, determined that Palestine qualifies for United Nations membership, and until the Security Council votes for that membership, Palestine has observer status at the United Nations. It is one step shy of membership. The U.N. vote was 70 in favor, 9 opposed, and 25 abstained. Sixteen did not vote. The countries that voted no were Argentina, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and the United States. The Shemini Atzeret pogrom, which emanated from Gaza on October 7, 2023, and the Hanukkah terrorist attack effected on Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025 prove that the U.N. vote is representative of world opinion. Nonetheless, Netanyahu must be resolute. Especially, his successor as prime minister must be resolute. The writer also wrote A Packet of Purported Legal Humor, Gilbert and Sullivan for Lawyers, and New Judiciary Article for the New York Constitution. Image via Pxbarn. During my police career, I obtained many search warrants. The standard was always probable causePC--which is facts and circumstancesevidencethat would convince a reasonable police officer a crime had been committed and a specific person committed it. PC for a search warrant consists of that, and evidence that the fruits of a crimestolen goods, money, drugs, classified documents, etc.can be found at a specific place related to that specific person. The things one expects to find cant be vague or general, but must be very specifically described. That PC must be timely; it cant be days or weeks old. It also must be convincing. Advertisement Thats because of the Fourth Amendment, which requires any warrant to specifically describe the persons or things to be seized and the place to be searched. Gaining all that information, I wrote an affidavit explaining those details and exactly how I came by them. I signed the affidavit, swearing everything in it was true, ran it by a prosecutor, and then took it to a judge who carefully reviewed it and authorized the warrant, which strictly limited for what I could search and where I could search for it. If I was looking for a ladder, I couldnt search anywhere a ladder couldnt reasonably be hidden. If I found what I sought, the search was over. Advertisement If I felt for a moment I didnt have enough PC, I would have never written the affidavit, and prosecutors and judges would never have seen it. I never met a judge who would sign off on a warrant without assuring himself there was adequate PC. Thats why Ive always been profoundly suspicious of the FBI raid on Mar-A-Lago. They searched Melania Trumps underwear drawers, faked photos of classified folders, and engaged in blatant political theater. Were they raiding the place to try to harm Trump? Because they feared he had documents that could damage Democrats? Advertisement Thats why I was pleased with Trumps reelection, the failure of the lawfare waged against him and the possibility criminals in the FBI, DOJ and elsewhere would be exposed and get whats coming to them. While its still early in the second Trump Administration and there are doubtless mountains of dirty dealings to be unearthed, Normal Americans are justifiably disgruntled those criminals arent being exposed and prosecuted. There may now be greater hope: Advertisement Graphic: X Post Advertisement The FBI did not believe it had probable cause to raid President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago home in 2022, but moved forward amid pressure from the Biden Justice Department, with an official saying he didnt "give a damn about the optics" of the search, newly declassified documents reviewed by Fox News Digital reveal. Fox News Digital reviewed emails between FBI and Justice Department officials in the months leading up to the August 2022 raid of Mar-a-Lago, with FBI officials expressing concerns about a lack of probable cause to execute the search warrant on the then-former president's residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Advertisement If an FBI agent prepared an affidavit knowing they didnt have probable cause, they committed a felony. They must have lied, federal prosecutors approved the false affidavit and a federal judge, knowing it was false, played along. That, or they were utterly incompetent. Of course, an FBI agent willing to commit perjury would surely have been assured they would never be charged, a believable assurance given the political climate. Weeks later, an FBI agent writes an email stating: "We havent generated any new facts, but keep being given draft after draft after draft." "Absent a witness coming forward with recent information about classified on site, at what point is it fair to table this?" the agent writes. "It is time consuming for the team, and not productive if there are no new facts supporting PC (probable cause)?" Another email revealed that the FBIs Washington Field Office did "not believe (and has articulated to DOJ CES), that we have established probable cause for the search warrant for classified records at Mar a Lago." Apparently, line FBI agents kept saying they didnt have PC and could resolve any issues with a low-key agreement with Trumps representatives. They had been in touch with them for months and Trump himself gave them full access and promised any future cooperation they needed. An agent wrote: "Since we heard Mr. Toscas [Deputy AG] say yesterday in the call that he frankly doesnt give a damn about the optics and Mr. Bratt has already built an antagonistic relationship with (Trump) attorneysI think it is more than fair to say that the DOJ contact with (Trump attorney) just prior to the execution of the warrant will not go well." It certainly did not and the case was dismissed. Now we see if anyone is held accountable. Become a subscriber and get our weekly, Friday newsletter with unique content from our editors. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription. Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. For too many naive, ultra-liberal European elitists who have clung to the belief that their Muslim minorities would assimilate and integrate into their cultural and social fabric, a colossal surprise awaits. They have ignored the undisguised Muslim Brotherhood (M.B.) motto, which clearly states, Allah is our objective, the Prophet is our leader, the Koran is our constitution, jihad is our way, dying is our highest hope. Advertisement The European Jewish minorities cherished the opportunity to integrate into the European life in the beginning of the 19th century. They enriched Europe culturally, economically, and scientifically. Despite their contributions, European antisemitism persisted, ultimately leading to the Holocaust, which affected the vibrancy of Jewish life in the continent. The European Jewish motto was Be a good Jew at home and be a loyal citizen to your country. In other words, Judaism was a private matter, and in public, you were to be a loyal Englishman, Frenchman, German, etc. Spanish journalist Sabastian Vilar Roderiques wrote, in an article he published on January 15, 2008, I walked down the street in Barcelona and suddenly discovered a terrible truth Europe died in Auschwitz. We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world. Advertisement The aim of the Muslim minorities of Europe differs considerably. Rather than assimilating or contributing to Europes prosperity and well-being, they seek to impose Islamic law (sharia) on the entire society first peacefully and then through violence. The size of the Muslim population in Europe has, in recent years, risen to 46 million, in large measure due to Europes liberal elitists policies. Muslim women in Europe have a total fertility rate (TFR) of about 2.6 children per woman, compared to 1.6 for non-Muslims. Europes overall TFR is 1.5, well below replacement. The European non-Muslim population is in steep decline, whereas significant growth is coming from the Muslim sectors, particularly in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. As a result of this growth, it is only a matter of time before Islamic law becomes a reality in the European Union and in the United Kingdom. Advertisement The M.B. rejects European values such as pluralism, tolerance, secularism, democratic civil society, and individual rights. Gilles Kepel, the French political scientist and Arabist, has noted that the Islamic mission goes far beyond protecting Muslims in Europe; it promotes the Islamization of European society. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the M.B., addressed in his dissertation the situation of Muslims living in Europe. He noted that the Muslims in the democratic West (unlike most of the Muslim world) can operate freely and therefore must have their own society within the larger society. Essentially, they should not adopt European values. In the U.K., under the leadership of Abul Ala Maududi, the goal went beyond the re-Islamization of local Muslims. Maududis teachings urge the Muslim community to proselytize and strive to impose the Islamic social order on everyone, rather than to be satisfied with simply keeping its own social values. In a recently published report by Dr. Florence Bergeaud-Blackler and Tommaso Virgili, titled Unmasking the Muslim Brotherhood, the authors present a particularly disturbing situation: Europe is funding, sometimes unknowingly from taxpayer coffers, organizations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, and these organizations are advancing a subversive ideology aimed at changing the continents face from within. Advertisement Charlie Weimers, a Swedish member of the European Parliament and the initiator of the above report, was interviewed by Israels daily, Israel Hayom, and said, Historically, we tended to ignore the Muslim Brotherhood because this movement barely existed on the continent. But the tide has turned. Three tectonic shifts created the change: a surge in the volume of Muslim immigration, the growth of a new generation of European-born Muslims who are aware of Europes weaknesses and willing to exploit them, and the Muslim Brotherhoods deliberate effort to gain a foothold in the West. Weimers went on to explain that the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe is like a wolf in sheeps clothing. He added, Ostensibly, they abandon the path of violence and adopt a pragmatic appearance: willing to work with official systems, and especially to receive funding from them. But we must not fall into the trap: this tactical move is not genuine change. Their ultimate goal has remained as it was: to dismantle Europes secular democratic institutions and establish a theocratic regime based on the Koran. Their target is a global caliphate, where all areas of life will be dictated by Islam and sharia law, while pushing non-Muslims into the position of second-class citizens as dhimmi (non-Muslim protected persons living under Islamic rule). The Muslim Brotherhood is a totalitarian force and must be treated as such. Advertisement Yet the predominantly leftist European elites have obfuscated, in the name of diversity, multiculturalism, and political correctness, the overwhelming number of crimes committed in recent years by Muslim migrants. Sweden has become the rape capital of Europe. In Germany, during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, thousands of German girls and women were raped and molested by Muslim migrants from the Middle East. In France, Muslim youths wreak havoc in Paris while the authorities look on. In London, Islamists control the streets, as they do in many other British cities. Public opinion in Europe has awakened. In the U.K., Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform pParty, who is poised to win the prime ministers seat, has a strong, clear message: Stop the Islamic invasion. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party, has long combatted Islamism and now leads the most popular party in the country. In Germany, Alternative for Germany is now the second largest party in the Bundestag. And in France, Marine Le Pens National Rally party is strong but being blocked from power by the leftist elites. Advertisement The leftist elites are wedded to multiculturalism and do not seem to want to protect their heritage by combatting the Islamist menace. They are being aided by the media and academia. If drastic measures are not taken against the Islamist invasion, Europe is clearly doomed. Image via Max Pixel. On cue, the anti-gun activists worldwide have called for gun control following the shooting deaths at Brown University and Bondi Beach, Australia. Almost completely gun-free Japan is usually praised by gun control activists as a model for public safety. (Almost completely gun-free: Japanese citizens can be licensed to own rifles and shotguns for defined purposes, such as hunting or pest control, after completing rigorous screening. Its something like Australias gun law.) Advertisement Gun control activists, both inside and outside Japan, ignore the fact that in Japan, motivated people will find other ways to kill people without a gun. At the same time, pro-gun activists usually bring up Japanese history as a warning of the power of a totalitarian state to totally deprive its citizens of their means of resistance. One also hears that Japanese culture disdains guns, as firearms goes against traditional bushido culture, whatever that is. Advertisement Research fellow Tamara Enomoto, Meiji University Research Institute for the History of Global Arms Transfer, suggests in her essay that the Western understanding of Japanese history, of the trust-based interaction between authorities and civilians and peoples general attitudes to guns and other weapons, in addition to historical gun control in Japan, are not based on the facts. Enomoto points to Noel Perrins Giving Up the Gun (1979) as the key well of Japanese historical misinformation, repeatedly drawn from by pro- and anti-gun activists to buttress their arguments. Perrin neither read Japanese nor had a firm grasp of Japanese history. The lack of understanding of Japanese history in his book has been criticized by Japanese (as well as Western) historians. Advertisement Enomoto points out that there was a Sword Hunting Ordinance (1588) issued by one of the unifiers of feudal Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (15371598). The ordinances fist article ordered all hyakusho (peasants, cultivators, villagers) to be disarmed of a long list of military weapons, including swords and guns. However, the second article mentions that only swords will be disposed of, by creating a Great Buddha Image. The first article, Enomoto says, was meant to discourage non-warriors (non-bushi) from publicly wearing swords as wealthy members of the non-bushi class did at the time. Although the ordinance aimed to cover all of Japan, a few domains did not receive it, and a few ignored it. Furthermore, enforcement across domains was spotty. Those with firearms continued to use them for hunting, anyway. In the end, the common people were allowed to keep their weapons, including guns, and members of the non-bushi class continued to wear swords. Advertisement After unification and the closing of Japan to the West during the Edo period (16031867), all classes owned guns, and the non-bushi class continued to carry swords. Weapon surveys at the time showed that commoners had more guns than domain lords. Controls on firearms were in effect, however, such as registration and background checks, at the village and domain levels. Following the Meiji Restoration (1868), the Meiji government issued the Regulation to Control Firearms (1872), which prohibited civilians from possessing military-style firearms. Firearms for hunting were exempt from this regulation. It was, however, possible for a civilian to be licensed to carry military-style firearms. Advertisement Thus, Enomoto points out that edicts against weapons in feudal Japan were focused on the carriage [open carry] of weapons [i.e., swords] and meant to differentiate people by class rather than to disarm the non-bushi classes. Enomoto further points out that the basis for current Japanese gun control law and its strict enforcement is based on post-war U.S. occupational policy: disarmament of all Japanese nationals. There is irony that the US ... was the founder of one of the most stringent domestic gun control laws in the world while its Constitution upheld the right for its own citizens to keep and bear arms. Perhaps one should look beyond guns: Why did Japan have little gun-related violence yet many guns during the feudal period, and why do countries today with military-style guns at home (Israel, Switzerland) have few if any instances of gun-related violence? Advertisement Image via Raw Pixel. Freightways Group Limited (Freightways) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to purchase the business and assets of VT Freight Express Pty Ltd (VFTE). VTFE is an Australian company, based in Victoria, that provides express delivery of parcels and palletised freight. VTFE provides B2B services for a wide range of industries including the building, healthcare, retail and plumbing sectors. VTFE has a strong presence in Victoria and a growing volume of interstate freight. VTFE was founded in 2010 and has a strong track record of growth and profitability. The VTFE business operates an asset light model using a contractor fleet and leased facilities, which is similar to Allied Express and other Freightways businesses. The acquisition builds Freightways presence and capability in the express market in Australia in a niche that is complementary to the existing Allied Express B2C niche. We expect to be able to build market share both organically and through further M&A off the initial density that VTFE provides Completion is expected to occur on, or after, 30 January 2026, subject to customary conditions precedent. The Acquisition: A$71m purchase price, subject to customary completion adjustments VTFE recorded A$77m revenue in the 12 months to October 2025 The transaction is expected to be 6% EPS accretive to Freightways from the first year The benefits for Freightways include: Leveraging Freightways' core capabilities in express pick up, processing and delivery which currently represents the majority of its earnings Providing an entry point for the growth of B2B services in Australia A complementary business to Allied Express, which is focused on B2C deliveries whereas VTFE provides B2B services Consistent with Freightways multi brand strategy, VTFE will maintain their own leadership and remain focussed on their niche with the businesses sharing resources where it makes sense to do so VTFE by the numbers Servicing all Australian States and Territories 87 contractors 49 staff over 350 clients ranging from SMEs to large multi-national corporates Transaction Funding Subject to customary completion adjustments the Transaction price of A$71m will be funded through existing and new bank debt facilities. Advisers KPMG provided financial, tax, climate and ESG due diligence services, Gilbert + Tobin acted as legal advisors, and Balfour Green acted as M&A advisor, to Freightways. Wisewould Mahoney acted as legal advisers to VTFE. Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: RYM - Refreshed strategy and new capital management framework ENS - Clarification of Gina Tuzcets status BGP - 4th Quarter Sales to 25 January 2026 Contact Energy 2026 Half Year Results Presentation February 2nd Morning Report VHP - Half year results announcement date and webcast details Devon Funds Morning Note - 30 January 2026 AIA - Auckland Airport new board appointment General Capital (GEN:NZ) Subsidiary General Finance Update January 30th Morning Report Occasionally, certain products manage to capture public attention far beyond the usual hype cycles. Samsungs latest venture, the Galaxy Z TriFold, seems to have achieved exactly that. After its initial release earlier this month, the Galaxy Z TriFolds stock returned for a second round of sales this week, only to disappear from virtual and physical shelves in just two minutes. This rapid sell-out in South Korea maintains the trend present since the devices debut. On December 12, crowds gathered outside major retail hubs, and online inventory disappeared in just five minutes. For this second restock, shoppers were even more determined, cutting the time to a mere 120 seconds. Samsung Galaxy Z TriFolds stock vanishes twice in one week These sales are going very quickly, but its important to think about the rollouts context. Samsung has chosen a controlled release strategy, and industry experts think that the first batch will be about 3,000 units. The company keeps a high level of market interest by releasing the phone in small batches. This helps them deal with the production problems that come with a new type of phone. The Galaxy Z TriFold is not a particularly cheap device. We previously released a premium foldable handset with a price tag near 3.6 million won (approximately $2,700 USD). It is one of the most expensive mobile devices on the market. Despite the high cost of entry and the anticipated high repair expenses associated with such an intricate screen, the demand has remained remarkably consistent. In fact, some units have already appeared on the secondhand market for nearly triple their original price. Is the Galaxy Z TriFold the hardest tech piece to get? For those currently waiting to secure a unit, the next opportunity appears to be a few weeks away. Samsung will carry out the next major restock for the South Korean public in early January. The company is currently focusing on fulfilling requests for customers who were unable to purchase a device during the initial launch. They will get priority status for the next shipment. The hype surrounding this triple-panel design is likely to spread soon. Samsung plans to bring the Galaxy Z TriFold to several new markets, including the United States, Singapore, and China, in the coming weeks. Whether the international rollout will face the same two-minute sell-out windows remains to be seen. However, the initial reception suggests that we will see similar situations globally. Products featured in this Yahoo article are selected by our shopping writers. We will earn a commission from purchases made via links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change. From turkey and beef to veggie alternatives, around 93% of Brits sitting down to Christmas dinner will be tucking into a roast, according to a 2025 YouGov survey. But while the centrepiece and all the trimmings may taste delicious, juggling oven space and making sure everything comes together at the right time can prove a bit of a challenge. If youre one of the two-thirds of Brits who own an air fryer, though, you may have an advantage. A quick and cost-effective way to cook, they can be a valuable tool when prepping the festive feast, freeing up space in your main oven. "The key is to plan, says Clare Andrews, author of air fryer cookbooks including The Ultimate Airfryer Cookbook 15-minute Feasts. If youve got a family of eight to cater for, can you do a whole Christmas dinner in the air fryer? Possibly not. But can it be your best friend in the kitchen? 100% it can. She advises giving some of your dishes a dry run. "Do a Sunday lunch practice so you know your timings and what you can fit in your air fryer so that there's less stress on Christmas Day." Here are some of the festive faves she says can work well in the air fryer, and those you may want to avoid. Stuffing Roll stuffing into balls and cook in the air fryer. (Getty Images) (Diana Miller via Getty Images) If your oven's at full capacity, Andrews says you can get beautifully crispy stuffing in the air fryer. "I would roll it into balls," she suggests. "You can dot them around your roast potatoes or carrots and parsnips. They shouldn't take long at all to cook and the air fryer makes them so crispy on the outside and super-smushy and tasty in the middle. You don't even need to coat them in oil." Pigs in blankets Forget shop-bought, try making your own pigs in blankets. (Getty Images) (mtreasure via Getty Images) "Air fryers are just so great with pigs and blankets," says Andrews. And while you can buy them ready-made, with many having air fryer cooking instructions on the packaging, she suggests making them yourself by wrapping rashers of bacon around chipolatas and cooking thoroughly. "I don't think you can go wrong with homemade pigs in blankets and they're usually cheaper," she says. "Just be careful that the bacon doesn't come unwrapped as then it could burn or char." She also advises turning your sausages halfway through cooking to ensure the bacon crisps up on all sides. Try Andrews air fryer pigs in blankets recipe, which also features honey and Dijon mustard. Brussels sprouts Convert sprout haters by cooking your Brussels in the air fryer and adding pancetta. (Getty Images) (Westend61 via Getty Images) Brussels sprouts have a bit of a bad rep, but this is often down to them being boiled for too long. Doing them in an air fryer means less risk of soggy sprouts and you might even convert some haters. BBC Good Food advises trimming and halving them, coating in oil and seasoning and cooking in the air fryer for around 10-15 minutes. For something a bit more decadent (its Christmas after all), Andrews suggests adding cream and pancetta. With many air fryers, you can't put anything wet directly into the basket, so she advises using an oven-proof dish. "Put your sprouts in, a little bit of pancetta right at the end, a little bit of cream, maybe, and a bit of nutmeg. Even for the sprout dislikers of this world, I would challenge them to not like this." Roast potatoes Roasties are a festive staple. (Getty Images) (SimpleImages via Getty Images) Around eight in 10 Brits say they'll be having roast potatoes on Christmas Day, and the air fryer can give you a lovely crispy finish. For larger potatoes, Andrews suggests parboiling them for around 10 minutes and fluffing them up by giving them a light shake in the colander. Toss in a bit of oil and add them to a preheated air fryer at 200C or above until cooked. "Just make sure not to overfill the basket so they've got room to move and cook," she says. This also gives you room to shake them, ensuring a crispy, even finish. Roast carrots and parsnips Andrews suggests roasting your carrots with honey. (Getty Images) (Daniela White Images via Getty Images) Air fryers are great for roasting veg such as carrots and parsnips, and there's usually no need to par-boil. For added sweetness, Andrews suggests adding some honey to your carrots. "Roast them in the air fryer with a bit of honey, a bit of oil, give them a turn and add some thyme at the end," she says. Yorkshire puddings Nearly half of Brits have Yorkshire puddings at Christmas. (Getty Images) (Karl Hendon via Getty Images) Do Yorkshire puddings belong on a Christmas dinner? Some 49% of Brits say they do. And they work surprisingly well in an air fryer, cooking in around 10-12 minutes. You'll need an ovenproof dish or pudding tins. Ensure your appliance is preheated to get the oil piping hot before adding the batter. Follow Andrews' recipe for air fryer Yorkies here. Christmas foods you may not want to cook in the air fryer While lots of festive foods work well in an air fryer, there are some that may be better cooked elsewhere. Large whole turkey A whole turkey can catch on your air fryer's heating element. (Getty Images) (Jonathan Knowles via Getty Images) Turkeys can be large and depending on the size of your air fryer, if you're cooking a whole bird, some parts can catch on the heating elements. Instead, if youre cooking turkey in your air fryer, Andrews advises opting for a turkey crown. Some appliances come with their own thermometer, but if yours doesn't, use a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey is fully cooked. Gravy After roast potatoes, gravy is the second most popular Christmas dinner accompaniment. However, Andrews says the air fryer is not typically the best place to make it. "Gravy or anything wet may ooze straight out into your air fryer unless you're using an ovenproof dish," she says. For gravy, then, the hob is usually the best place. Shop air fryers and air fryer cookbooks Nearly two-thirds (62%) of 25 to 34-year-olds would consider social media savings trends such as revenge saving, no-spend periods and envelope challenges, a survey has found. Revenge saving involves people ramping up the amounts of money they are putting away to have more financial security, sometimes in response to previously over-spending. Savings challenges may also involve people putting cash into envelopes to build an emergency fund over a number of days, while no-spend challenges often involve people abstaining from any non-essential spending for a short period, such as a day of the week. Men, 9,360 Women, 5,826 The research, published by Nationwide Building Society, also found that across all age groups, men are hoping to save 9,360 next year, while women hope to put 5,826 aside typically. Younger adults aged 25 to 34 were the most ambitious in their saving goals, hoping to save an average of 14,912. When people were asked who the best at saving is, people were most likely to say their partner, followed by mum. Emergency funds, holidays and retirement were among the top reasons for people wanting to save next year. Richard Stocker, head of savings at Nationwide, suggested people start early and save regularly to build a savings habit. Online budget calculators and bank account switching offers can also help, he added. The Society also suggested that people do their research and check to make sure that sources of information are trusted. Censuswide carried out the survey among more than 2,000 people across the UK in December. December 17, 2025: Last year, the Ice Pact between the US, Canada and Finland led to contracts to build a lot more icebreakers. The United States is negotiating with Finland to buy 15 icebreakers. There is also the perceived need for NATO to add about 40 icebreakers. Finland currently has eight. Finland builds 60 percent of the worlds icebreakers, and designs 80 percent. Most Finnish shipyards can build an icebreaker in two or three years. Both of Canadas new heavy icebreakers will have Finnish connections. The Seaspan icebreaker was designed by a Canadian and Finnish team. And then there is China. Last year China put into service the Jidi, its third icebreaker ship. This 5,600-ton vessel can break through ice up to a meter thick and do so while moving at a speed of about three kilometers an hour. The ship has accommodations for 60 personnel, which includes crew and specialists to operate the air, surface and subsurface drones carried. Jidi has sufficient fuel and other supplies to stay at sea for 80 days. The surface drone can transport 250 kg of supplies for trips to nearby bases surrounded by shallow or otherwise unsuitable conditions for Jidi to get close enough to unload cargo. Chinas first icebreaker, Xue Long, entered service in 1993. This ship was built as an Arctic cargo icebreaking ship in Ukraine, then a part of the Soviet Union. Xue Long was a 21,000-ton vessel that could carry up to 160 crew and passengers along with a helicopter. This ship was converted by China in the 1990s to operate as a polar research ship. The ship underwent a major refurbishment in 2007. A second icebreaker, Xue Long 2, entered service in 2019. Similar but slightly smaller than Xue Long , the new ship was more capable and served as the model for Jidi. This was a remarkable achievement for China, which built these ships in part to make effective use of a then new Russian ice-breaking design. In 1899 Russia pioneered the design and production of ocean-going icebreakers when it introduced the 10,000-ton Esmark. The United States, Canada and most European nations with Arctic waters also obtained icebreakers so they could enter and explore iced over waters and provide resupply for Arctic, and later Antarctic bases. Chinese coastal waters are largely ice free. But in the north, in the Bohai Sea near the capital Beijing and the Shandon Sea to the south, there are iced over waters during the winter months. This ice is usually no thicker than a meter or so and, without icebreakers, there are some periods during the winter that ships must either wait for the ice to melt or land their cargo at an ice free port and have it moved by truck or train to its destination. After the Chinese communists took power in 1949, they found northern China had no icebreakers and was unable to support all the shipping activities in those areas when there was ice. Until 1945, Japan handled ice breaking activities off the Chinese northern coast but only had one icebreaker, which the Americans captured in 1945 and later turned over to Japan to be used as a Museum Ship. Until the 1980s, political disputes within the Chinese government as well as money shortages prevented China from developing its own Arctic research program, or obtaining icebreakers to handle winter periods when coastal waters are iced over. Some cargo ships are built to break through thin, less than a meter thick, ice. Some cargo ships that operate in areas that are sometimes iced over are built with reinforced hulls to handle some ice but depend on icebreaker ships to open ice-free channels. The nations with the longest Arctic coastlines are Canada, Norway, Danish Greenland, Russia and the United States. Russia has the longest Arctic coastline that is in regular use for commercial traffic. This is the 5,600 kilometer long Northern Sea Route/NSR, which became operational in 2010. For cargo moving by ship between East Asia and Europe, the NSR cuts transit time by about a quarter. Its predominant users are China and Russia. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Western shipping ceased to use the NSR, leaving the NSR handing mostly Russian and Chinese ships. There are no fees charged for using the NSR and Russia is trying to revive Western use of the NSR despite the war in Ukraine. The NSR is a cheaper alternative to the Suez Canal for many northern hemisphere countries. Currently Yemen Houthi rebels are firing on shipping headed north towards the Suez canal, so most commercial shipping has stopped using the canal and taken the longer and more expensive route around the southern tip of Africa. Angelina Jolie has revealed her double mastectomy scars for the first time more than a decade after her surgery. The Oscar-winning actor, 50, posed for a photoshoot with Time France to raise breast cancer awareness and to honor survivors of the deadly disease. Jolie showed her bare chest on the magazines cover of its very first issue, revealing the mark from when she went under the knife in 2013. I share these scars with many women I love, Jolie told the outlet in an interview published Monday. Im always moved when I see other women share theirs. She continued, I wanted to join them, knowing thatTIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention and knowledge about breast cancer. Praise poured in online for the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider actor following the magazine cover reveal, with one fan writing on X: Angelina jolie is the perfect choice for a cover story, she embodies strength and compassion. Another added, A fitting choice for a first cover, shes one of those rare figures whose influence goes well beyond film. A third chimed in: Angelina looks absolutely ethereal here. Iconic! Nathaniel Goldberg captured her well. Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy in 2013 (Getty Images) Angelina Jolie revealed her double mastectomy scars for the first time on the cover of 'Time France' (Nathaniel Goldberg/H&K for Time France) Jolie underwent the surgery to remove both of her breasts following the death of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, from breast and ovarian cancer in 2007. The actor then tested positive for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which meant her chances of getting breast and ovarian cancers were significantly higher. Two years after her double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, the Maleficent star also removed her ovaries and fallopian tubes as a preventative measure. Her decision went on to massively raise awareness for breast cancer in what was called the Angelina Jolie effect: an immediate uptick in screenings and more women seeking to understand their options for breast reconstruction. Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices, Jolie told Time France. She covered the magazine while promoting Alice Winocours film Coutures, out in February, where she plays a filmmaker who is diagnosed with breast cancer. Genetic testing and screening should be accessible and affordable for women with clear risk factors or a significant family history, she added. Jolie wrote that she told her six children that they dont need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer (Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images) Jolie wrote about her decision to have the surgery in a piece for The New York Times at the time of her procedure. The mom-of-six explained she had initially been given an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under five percent. I can tell my children that they dont need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer, she wrote. I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt. I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldnt live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among American women, with about one in eight women being diagnosed in their lifetime. For more than two years, the BBC has rejected any accusation that it has an anti-Israel bias - Ben Whitley/PA Wire You only had to look at a screen last Sunday to see what globalise the intifada means. Jews running for their lives, gunned down in cold blood by murderous terrorists. The BBC however still does not seem to get it, despite the impact that intifada has had on Jews across the world. In their reporting today, BBC News described the notorious Palestinian intifada of recent decades as a largely unarmed and popular uprising. Popular maybe, but unarmed? The first intifada (rebellion or uprising in Arabic) saw around 160 Israelis killed and more than 3,000 Israeli civilians and soldiers injured. Hundreds of Palestinians, too, were executed for being suspected collaborators between December 1987 to September 1993. The second intifada between September 2000 and February 2005 continued the terrorist atrocities with more than 1,000 Israelis slaughtered in bombings, suicide bombings, stabbing attacks and car-rammings. After two such terrorist campaigns, no fair-minded person needs any explanation of what intifada means. It is about terrorising and killing Jews, and anybody that stands with us. We have seen it multiple times this year. We saw it in Washington when two young Jewish embassy workers were shot dead in May. We saw it in Manchester on Yom Kippur. And we saw it on Bondi Beach. British Jews have repeatedly warned over the past two years that the chant globalise the intifada, which has echoed through every hate march in every western capital under the guise of Palestinian freedom, has been a call for Jewish blood. Yet even in the aftermath of Bondi Beach, the BBC has attempted to sanitise a movement that has been consistently committed to killing Jewish people. For more than two years, the BBC has rejected any accusation that it has an anti-Israel bias. British Jews are not stupid. We know when we are being gaslit. Anyone with even the slightest recollection of the darkness that the two intifadas unleashed knows that what the corporation published was not only false, but deeply damaging to the Jewish community. The anti-Semitic violence Jewish people are experiencing around the world is given fuel by this kind of misleading reporting. It is especially ironic that this new failure by the BBC came on the very day the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police finally recognised that globalise the intifada is a call for violence against Jews and has no place on Britains streets. Just as the police acknowledge the way this language feeds anti-Jewish hatred and violence, the BBC newsroom shows itself to be systemically unable to escape its anti-Israel reflexes. After a backlash from licence-fee payers, the BBC altered the article, removing the disgraceful largely unarmed and popular uprising line. Instead, in its place, was just the line: Some have described the term as a call for violence against Jewish people. Nothing else important to add? The mass slaughter of Jews sustained over a violent campaign lasting more than four years? In the eyes of BBC News these appear to be details not worth mentioning. At moments like this, it cannot be hard to see why so many in the Jewish community have lost faith in BBC News. A man who awoke from a coma after surviving a shootout with police has been charged over the Bondi terrorist attack that killed 15 people in Sydney. Fifteen people were killed when father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire on more than 1,000 people attending a Jewish festival in the Archer Park area of the popular beach at 6.47pm local time on Sunday. One of the alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot by police and died at the scene. His son, 24-year-old Naveed, who awoke from a coma on Tuesday, was charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack, New South Wales (NSW) Police confirmed. Police will allege officers exchanged fire with the gunmen, resulting in gunshot wounds to two officers. The other charges are 40 counts of causing wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol and placing an explosive in/near a building with the intent to cause harm. Police said early indications pointed to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS. Akram, who remains under police guard in hospital, will face a Sydney local court's bail division via video link on Wednesday. The first funerals of the victims took place on Wednesday, including that of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. Father-of-five Mr Schlanger, 41, grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, and his funeral service took place at Chabad of Bondi, where he was assistant rabbi. During a tearful address, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman told the congregation it was unthinkable we talk about you in the past tense. London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger was killed in the attack He said rabbis would continue a tradition on Sunday, the first night of Hanukkah, of lighting candles on Bondi Beach. The funeral of Rabbi Yaakov Levitan was taking place later on Wednesday. New South Wales (NSW) state police commissioner Mal Lanyon said police were waiting for his medical condition to be appropriate before any charges were made. One of the two police officers injured in the attack has been named as probationary constable Jack Hibbert, 22. In a statement, his family said he had been patrolling the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi when he was shot twice, once in his head and once in his shoulder, and had lost vision in one eye. Jack is just 22 years old and has only been in the police force for four months, the family statement said. Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert who was injured in the Bondi Beach attack (New South Wales Police) In the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able to. Jack was simply doing his job a job he deeply loves driven by a commitment to protect the community, even at great personal cost. He said Constable Scott Dyson, who was also injured in the attack, was in a critical and stable condition after undergoing further surgery on Wednesday. NSW Health confirmed 20 people remained in Sydney hospitals on Wednesday in the aftermath of the attack. Brigitte Macron issued an apology, saying: I am sorry if I hurt women victims, but added that the remarks were private comments. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AP (Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AP) Brigitte Macron is facing a legal complaint from several organisations, including womens rights groups, after she was filmed saying feminist protesters at a theatre show in Paris were stupid bitches. More than 300 women specifically 343, a historically symbolic number in French feminism this week filed the complaint against the French first lady for public insult. A video filmed last week showed Macron in discussion backstage at the Folies Bergere theatre in Paris with Ary Abittan, a French actor and comedian who was previously accused of rape. She was attending his show with her daughter and some friends. The previous night, feminist campaigners had disrupted the show, shouting: Abittan, rapist! Macron, 72, asked Abittan how he was feeling. When he said he was feeling scared, she referred to the protesters as sales connes (stupid bitches) and said if they reappeared well toss them out. Juliette Chapelle, a lawyer for the feminist groups who brought the case, told France Inter radio: Shes Frances first lady, her words matter. Chapelle said Macron had appeared to be very engaged in causes for women, but in reality we can say theres a disconnect between her public speeches and what she really thinks. Magistrates terminated the investigation of the 2021 rape allegation against Abittan in 2024 due to a lack of evidence to bring it to trial. That decision was confirmed on appeal in January this year. The feminist campaign group who took part in the theatre protest, Nous Toutes (All of Us), said its activists had disrupted Abittans show to protest against what it described as the culture of impunity around sexual violence in France. I am sorry if I hurt women victims, Macron told the media outlet Brut this week, calling the remarks that were caught on video private comments. But, she added: I cant regret them. True, I am the wife of the president of the republic, but I am above all myself. And so when I am in private, I can let myself go in a way that is not totally proper. The feminist groups who brought the legal complaint include Les Tricoteuses Hysteriques (The Hysterical Knitters), which was founded in 2024 at the time of Frances biggest rape trial in which dozens of men were convicted of raping Gisele Pelicot, who had been drugged by her ex-husband. A defence lawyer in that case called the women outside hysterical and tricoteuses likening them to the women who watched and knitted as the guillotine fell during the French Revolution. The number of 343 complainants references a 1971 petition for the legalisation of abortion in which 343 women said they had terminated pregnancies. Several celebrities have voiced support for the feminist campaigners insulted by Macron by adopting the insultwith the hashtag #salesconnes. The actor and director Judith Godreche, a leading voice in Frances #MeToo movement who has filed complaints accusing two film directors of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, posted on social media: Me too Im also a salle conne (dirty, stupid bitch) and I support all the others. Coalbrookdale by Night by Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg (1801) - Science & Society Picture Library/Getty Images Smoke billows out, lit by yellow flames. Sparks fly. A cluster of buildings is silhouetted by the light, reflecting a red-orange glow. In the foreground, men and animals are at work, dragging the products of the furnaces out to the wider world. Behind the chimneys and buildings, the landscape rolls into hills, and a rising moon. The contrast in Philippe de Loutherbourgs painting of the Bedlam furnace at Coalbrookdale is vivid: peaceful nature, and an almost infernal industry. Its also in line with what contemporaries saw there: the agriculturist Arthur Young would describe the landscape as too beautiful to be much in union with the variety of horrors spread at the bottom; the noises of forges, mill, with their vast machinery, the flames bursting from the furnaces with the burning of coal and the smoke of the lime kilns. Coalbrookdale was the perfect location for the new approach to iron-making developed by Abraham Darby nearly 100 years previously. The valley walls contained rich fields of coal: Darbys blast furnaces made use of this, substituting coke for charcoal. As a result, the valley became an industrial centre that produced the first cast iron rails, the first cast-iron bridge, an early rail locomotive for Richard Trevithick. You can see de Loutherbourgs painting at the Science Museum: you can see Coalbrookdales output in Hyde Park, in the form of its gates. And yet today, Coalbrookdale is known, when it is known at all, for this past rather than its current status. The coal seams faded, and industry relocated. The area, as one historian described it, became one of semi-decadence, with abandoned furnaces and factories old railways and earlier canals and hundreds of cottages situated in dying villages. It was never abandoned, but it was allowed to fade. This, after all, was a feature of the economic dynamism that had characterised British life through the upheaval of the agricultural and industrial revolutions. Increased agricultural productivity twinned with massive demand for labour in the coalfields and cities led to huge flows of people, particularly in the second half of the 19th century, and particularly within that period to London. Britains economic problems today start in a similar fashion. The economic geography of the country is fixed roughly where it was at the end of the last century: the jobs are not. Whatever we might think about the combination of shifting factors and policies that led us to our present state, we now have towns and cities built around industrial or mineral activities that have been abandoned, where the cluster of knowledge that could have maintained competitiveness has been lost, and which would make little sense as a starting point for any concerted effort to bring these industries back. At the same time, weve seen increasing demand for labour in the services sector, where there are still notable spillovers between firms that drag these jobs into the centres of cities, and there is a huge wedge in hourly pay between the rest of the country and London: while pay in Germanys second best paid region (Hessen) is 3 per cent lower than that in highest-paid Hamburg, pay in the South East is 23 per cent lower than that in London. This sort of pay differential is what helped to drive rural-urban migration in the 19th century. People responded to the availability of work and differences in pay, and left the places with little to offer for those where the streets, if not exactly paved with gold, had something to offer in the way of employment. Given these outward similarities, then, we might expect similar outcomes: a steady flow into London of workers from Britains economic periphery, gradually evening out regional inequalities and raising productivity. Here, however, the two paths diverge. In the 19th century, London did experience an enormous inflow, adding more than a million internal migrants between 1841 and 1911 in addition to its natural population growth of 3.8 million. Other industrial cities and coalfields picked up another 1.5 million between them. Rural areas, meanwhile, lost out through the same transfers. Today, however, the pattern is of an internal outflow from London. What the city gains in young graduates, it loses in the rest of the population. Moreover, this pattern holds through other parts of the country: areas with below average incomes and below average growth gain internal migrants: high growth, high pay areas lose them. Chart net flows between local authorities, and the patterns begin to emerge: people leave Barking for Havering, Havering for Basildon, Basildon for Chelmsford, gradually working their way further from the capital. This is the opposite of the pattern we should be seeing. The existence of huge wage differentials in Londons favour means that the capital should be drawing in workers, enough that the gaps between regions start to shrink. That this isnt happening is a problem, and an extremely expensive one. On every measure we have to offer, an hours work in London is more productive than an hours work elsewhere. As Ive noted before, a great deal of this is the shadow of where a relatively small number of particularly productive industries are, and the effect of constrained real-estate around them. At the same time, however, the differences are real in terms of the living standards people can afford, and the tax revenue they generate. Moreover, there is at least some evidence that suggests that productivity shows agglomeration effects: rather than Londons high output being a pure function of attracting the nations elite, those elites are making each other and the people around them more productive, just as being around other similar firms was useful for inventors and industrialists in the 19th century. By any reasonable metric, then, we should be seeing more internal migration. Indeed, we should want more. Londons wages are a sign of a city screaming out for workers: yet the call only seems to be answered from overseas. The reason is a series of problems tangled together. The first is that London, and other successful cities, want to grow, but are not permitted to. As a result, a large chunk of the wage benefits from that higher productivity accrues not to workers, but to landlords. This has the natural effect of dampening the pull for internal migrants: for those coming from far poorer nations, on the other hand, it matters relatively little, raising the second problem: the housing supply, and to some degree the jobs that can be filled, are sometimes being filled by people from overseas as a partial result of government attempts to hold labour costs down. The third problem is that the Government is actively paying people to stay put. If you live in a low-wage, low-employment area, the welfare state will top up your income by what can be a very substantial amount, deadening the push factor which causes people to look for work where its available, rather than living in cultures of welfare dependency in towns with no economic future. And the fourth is that the state is still attempting to redistribute economic activity around the country. This does not work, and has never worked: what John Myers has called the plot against Mercia in the last century succeeded in strangling growth in Birmingham, but not promoting enough elsewhere to make up for these losses. London, meanwhile, has been a massive outlier in size for over 500 years now. Whatever set it on its current path early centralisation of the state, or other forms of path dependency it now has enough momentum that it will remain as such unless a truly cataclysmic shift in our economic fortunes takes place. The answer to the states quagmire is to embrace internal migration, rather than shun it. We can lessen the problems of high London housing costs, high regional inequality, high dispersal of wages, low national productivity, and missing tax revenues in one fell swoop. All we need to do is let people live, build and work where they want to, rather than where the state thinks they should. Perez insisted that he had changed, saying: What I was at 18 is not what I am today. (Getty/iStock) Rapper Kay Flock, real name Kevin Perez, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for a series of shootings in his Bronx neighborhood. The 22-year-old's burgeoning music career was abruptly halted following his 2021 arrest. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman sentenced Perez, criticizing him for glorifying violence and sending the wrong message to young peers. Prosecutors detailed a brutal 18-month period from 2020 to 2021, which left dozens in the Bronx shot, injured or killed. "You taunted, you celebrated and you helped create a cycle of violence," Judge Liman stated. He noted Perez bragged on social media about being exonerated on a top count and wrote "KILL ALL RATS" on Instagram after gang members testified against him. Despite calling Perez a "man of promise," the judge deemed a lengthy prison term essential for four separate shootings that injured multiple people. These were committed while he led the "Sev Side/DOA" gang. Perez was convicted in March of racketeering conspiracy and attempted murder. Perez was named Billboard Magazines R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month in November 2021, following the release of his first album: The D.O.A. Tape. I (Getty/iStock) Perez insisted that he had changed, saying: What I was at 18 is not what I am today. Saying everyone deserves a second chance, he added: I was just a kid. Didn't really know better. But Liman criticized him for not expressing any concern for his victims. To date, you've shown no real remorse for your conduct, the judge said. Perez was named Billboard Magazines R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month in November 2021, following the release of his first album: The D.O.A. Tape. It put him on the map as a newcomer in New York's drill rap scene, which features performers who wield weapons and lyrics containing slang about violence. The music includes threats and taunts, a fact Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick R. Moroney noted as he asked Liman to impose a 50-year prison sentence, the same sentence recommended by the court's Probation Department officer. He was very good at celebrating his violence and getting under the skin of his rivals, the prosecutor said. In their sentencing brief, prosecutors wrote that Perez signed with a music label and used violence to further his career. The music that had glorified gang violence made the defendant famous and now rich, they wrote, accusing Perez of encouraging violence through private messages. Defense attorney Michael Ashley, who asked the judge to levy the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, said his client grew up in one of the nation's most dangerous neighborhoods and fell under the influence of an older man who encouraged gang activity. The judge said he took into consideration that the crimes occurred while Perez's brain was still evolving and maturing and that six of his friends died from gun violence before he turned 18. The life of the street, it seems to me, is all you've ever known, Liman said. California ready to block sales of Tesla unless it changes misleading autopilot claims The California Department of Motor Vehicles has given Tesla 90 days to modify the marketing of its driver-assistance technology, warning that the electric carmaker could face a temporary ban on vehicle sales in the state if it fails to comply. The DMVs action stems from a ruling Tuesday by an administrative judge who found that terms such as Autopilot and Full Self-Driving in Teslas advertising could be misleading to consumers. The agencys order centers on Teslas continued use of the term Autopilot, directing the company to either make the technology fully autonomous or stop using the label. The DMV is requiring Tesla to confirm that it has complied with the order. The ban on sales would last 30 days. We want to give them a chance, DMV Director Steve Gordon told reporters this week about the 90-day compliance warning, SFGate reports. You could argue, one more chance, to be able to remedy the situation. The California DMV gave Tesla 90 days to revise the marketing of its driver-assistance technology or risk a 30-day sales ban (Getty Images) While the judge also suggested a broader manufacturing suspension, the DMV chose not to enforce a production halt at this time. The dispute caps a years-long legal battle between Tesla and the California DMV. State regulators argue that the names Tesla uses for its advanced driver-assistance features may falsely imply that its vehicles are fully autonomous, when in fact drivers are still required to monitor the road and remain ready to take control. Teslas driver-assistance systems can control basic driving functions, including steering, braking, and navigation, but require drivers to remain alert and ready to take over at all times. While Tesla says its advertising is not misleading, it has already begun shifting its marketing and removing some related webpages. Although some of Teslas promotional materials have shifted away from the Autopilot label toward terms like Full Self-Driving (Supervised), regulators say remnants of the older branding still appear and need to be addressed. Tesla shares briefly fell about 2 percent after the DMV announcement, paring earlier gains from a viral video showing the companys Robotaxi operating without a driver in Austin, Texas. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that Robotaxi tests are now running without any occupants. If a sales pause were imposed, Californians could still buy Teslas out of state, Gordon told SFGate though he expects the company to comply with the order, given its large investment and extensive sales presence in California. It would certainly be, I think, more efficient for Tesla to be in compliance and just continue to sell, he told the outlet. They have a huge footprint, I mean, 70-plus dealers in the state of California. Sir Keir Starmer has warned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich that the clock is ticking for him to hand over the 2.5bn he received from the sale of Chelsea Football Club. The prime minister told MPs on Wednesday that a licence has been issued, allowing the money to be transferred to the people of Ukraine suffering at the hands of the Russian invasion. The announcement is the first major move in transferring Europe-based Russian assets for the rebuilding of Ukraine. It follows a mini-summit between Sir Keir and the Belgian prime minister Bart de Wever last week to discuss Russian assets, most of which are based in Belgium. Speaking during PMQs, Sir Keir said: The clock is ticking on Roman Abramovich to honour the commitment he made when Chelsea FC was sold and transfer the 2.5bn to a humanitarian cause for Ukraine. This government is prepared to enforce it through the courts so that every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putins illegal war. The oligarch, who bought Chelsea in 2003, had pledged to donate the proceeds from the sale to the people of Ukraine (Reuters) The multi-billion-pound proceeds have been frozen in a UK bank account since the sale in 2022, when the UK government sanctioned Mr Abramovich after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine due to his close ties with Putin. The oligarch had pledged to donate the proceeds from the sale to the people of Ukraine, but he has so far failed to reach an agreement with the government on a way forward and the funds remain frozen. Wednesdays decision to grant a licence for the transfer is an effort to force Mr Abramovich to fulfil his promise before the government resorts to legal action. While a hard deadline has not been set, the government expects him to act within the next few months. But The Independent understands that Mr Abramovich has told the government that he cannot transfer the money until a case brought against him by the government of Jersey over the source of his wealth is dropped. Mr Abramovich is not expected to make a public statement immediately on the announcement. The government previously raised the possibility of legal action in June, when chancellor Rachel Reeves and then-foreign secretary David Lammy said they were frustrated by the failure to reach an agreement with Mr Abramovich. Speaking after the licence was issued on Wednesday, Ms Reeves said: Its unacceptable that more than 2.5bn of money owed to the Ukrainian people can be allowed to remain frozen in a UK bank account. Its time for Roman Abramovich to pay up. The prime minister warned Mr Abramovich the clock is ticking (The Independent) If he doesnt act, then we are prepared to do what is necessary to make sure that money gets to the Ukrainian people. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said: This money was promised to Ukraine over three years ago. It is time Roman Abramovich does the right thing, but if he wont we will act. Thats why the licence has been issued. It is time this money was used to rebuild the lives of people whove seen devastation as a result of Putins illegal war. The terrifying moment a three-man knife fight broke out on a Tube station platform has been caught on camera by a horrified passenger. One victim in his 20s was rushed to hospital with a head injury, police said. He was attacked at Colliers Wood station on the Northern line shortly before 10.30am on December 17. Footage shows him lying on the floor while two thugs lay into him - violently stamping on his body and kicking him in the head four times. A British Transport Police spokesperson said: Officers attended Colliers Wood Underground station following reports of a fight between three young men involving knives. The incident took place at Colliers Wood Tube station (London & UK Street News) A man in his 20s was arrested at the station on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. He has been taken to hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing. Enquiries are ongoing. There were initially severe delays across the Northern line due to the incident, but they have now eased. Colliers Wood station remains closed as police investigate. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: We were called at 10.29am on December 17 to reports of a stabbing at Colliers Wood Underground Station, SW19. We sent resources to the scene including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a paramedic in a fast response car. We treated a man for a head injury and took him to hospital. Anyone who has information or witnessed the incident is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 211 of 17 December. Most councils are likely to increase council tax bills in April. Photograph: mundissima/Alamy (Photograph: mundissima/Alamy) English councils have received a new three-year financial settlement. But is it fair? Who are the winners and losers? Will your council tax bill go up, and will it stop councils from declaring effective bankruptcy? What is the English local government finance settlement, and why is it important? The government announced a three-year funding settlement for English councils on Wednesday. This sets out each local authoritys core finance allocation, enabling them to set local council tax bills for next April and finalise an overall budget. For the first time, government funding for councils was distributed using a new Fair Funding formula that gives higher weighting (and thus a greater relative share of overall resources) to local authorities with high deprivation scores (relative deprivation is measured by factors such as income, employment, health, housing costs and crime). Are there winners and losers from the new funding formula? Middlesbrough, Manchester and Birmingham were among the most deprived local authority areas according to the latest indices of deprivation and they will see some of the biggest increases in spending power from April. Outer London boroughs such as Haringey and Newham also benefit. The losers include wealthier central London boroughs including Kensington and Chelsea, and affluent home counties commuter belt councils such as Surrey. Ministers say the new formula is fairer because it directs a bigger share of overall funding to areas that need the most support, reversing years of austerity. Some northern councils say it does not go far enough to compensate deprived areas for years of cuts, while rural councils with relatively low levels of deprivation say they have been unfairly discriminated against. Will my council tax bill go up or down as a result of the latest financial settlement? Most councils, whether winners or losers in this settlement, are likely to increase council tax bills in April to the maximum allowable (4.99% for an upper-tier authority with social care responsibilities). Some areas (including Reform-led councils that have declared lower council tax bills a political priority) may try to limit the increase. But the era around a decade ago where Conservative-run local authorities routinely froze council tax bills as a matter of principle are over. While some councils are seeking to increase council tax above 4.99%, such as Windsor and Maidenhead, ministers say this would merely bring local bills into line with the England average after years of freezes. Are ministers right to say the settlement will 'turn the page on a decade of cuts'? While ministers have expressed hope that the settlement will enable councils to bring back libraries, youth services [and] clean streets, it is likely most authorities even some of the winners will continue struggling to keep on top of soaring demand for services such as social care and homelessness support. That means more cuts. The council cake may be more fairly divided, but it is not bigger. We need greater focus on the most pressing issue facing local government today: getting more money into the system, said Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit. How will it affect councils notoriously fragile and overstretched finances? Many councils are struggling to meet their legal duty to balance the books in the face of rising costs and demand, and some have signalled that they will seek exceptional financial support (EFS) from the government to stave off effective bankruptcy. Last year, 30 councils received this support in effect permission for town halls to take out capital loans to pay for day-to-day services. There is speculation up to 100 councils may apply for EFS in the next few months. The new financial settlement may help some councils pull back from the brink, but it is likely to push others closer to crisis. December 17, 2025: Islam is a religion as well as a form of government complete with a set of laws defined in the Sharia. Many of these laws explain why Islamic terrorism continues to flourish in many parts of the world. Sharia has caused many problems when Moslem people, generally Arabs or Afghans, migrate to Western countries. Islam insists that sharia supersedes any local laws. When enough Moslems have arrived to be the majority in towns or provinces, there will be demands to allow sharia to coexist with local laws. Western countries try to accommodate their new Moslem, citizens but are discovering that Moslems consider sharia superior to Western laws and will observe sharia in secret if they have to. A growing number of Western nations are reconsidering their policy of allowing Moslems to become residents and citizens. In some cases, extremist Islamic preachers or leaders have been expelled. The more Moslems you let in, the more difficult that is going to be. The Moslems vote, often as a block at the direction of their leaders. Just another reason to keep Moslems out. In small groups Moslems can be friendly, but when their numbers will eventually reach the point where a local or imported Islamic cleric, or Imam will see Another problem is that Islamic scripture mandates that a non-believer be killed if he refuses to become a Moslem. This is the justification for large scale massacres of infidels. It also encourages Moslem warriors to rape infidel women and girls. This still happens in areas where Christian, or other minorities reside near Moslem communities. The non-Moslem women usually avoid rape or unwanted attention by dressing in clothing similar to what Moslem women wear. Despite that, these crimes continue to occur in areas where Moslem and non-Moslem populations mix. This is often the case in India, where such crimes are prosecuted and widely and vividly reported in local media. There is some good news. Worldwide, deaths from Islamic terrorism are down, with about 2,800 deaths in 2025.In 2014 there were 35,000 deaths, 19,000 in 2017 and 14,000 in 2018. Five nations Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Syria and Pakistan account for most of the Islamic terrorism deaths. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, is a major source of these deaths and associated mayhem. Since the 1990s, 90 percent of terrorism related deaths have been caused by Islamic terrorists. Most of the remaining ten percent are caused by Maoist militias in eastern India and various other similar groups in the region. Moslems, particularly Arabs, have other problems. Islam does not encourage scientific study or seeking to create a major engineering, academic or technical advance. This can be seen by the fact that Israeli Jews obtained 33 Nobel prizes for achievements in those areas compared to one awarded to an Arab. There are 80 times as many Arabs as Jews. The problem is that Moslem Arabs do not seek education or achievements in those technical areas. When Islam was founded 1,500 years ago, the emphasis was on conquest and forcibly converting others to Islam. This effort left over a hundred million infidels/non-Moslems dead as Islam was established throughout the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe. Later Islam spread to Southeast Asia via Moslem traders. Southeast Asian and East Asian Moslems are much easier to get along with than Arab Moslems. Arab countries suffer from an abundance of corruption and a lack of economic, educational, and political progress. Arabs have fallen behind the rest of the world largely because of the Arab tendency to blame outsiders and to avoid taking responsibility. Tolerating tyranny and resistance to change doesn't help but those attitudes are slowly shifting. The exact nature of this lethal cultural situation can be described by detailing the major components. Lets start with the fact that most Arab countries are a patchwork of different tribes and groups, and Arab leaders survive by playing one group off against another. Most Islamic scholars oppose the concept of interpreting the Koran, which considers the word of God as given to His prophet Mohammed. This led to Arabs looking down on Westerners who will look something up if they don't know. Arabs prefer to fake it and pretend it's all in their head. Another problem with Arabs is their attitude towards leadership. Arab government, political or municipal leaders treat people as leaders or followers. There is no effort to bridge the gap with what the West calls middle management. The people are treated harshly. Work accidents that would end the careers of Western managers, are ignored in the Arab world and nobody cares. This is slowly changing, with the steady growth of a proper NCO corps and middle management, plus better management attitudes towards their subordinates. But the old ways often return, with disastrous effects on the morale and effectiveness of the average Arab. Not surprisingly, in Arab cultures, the ruling class is despised by their subordinates, and this does not bother the leaders. Many Arab leaders simply cannot understand how treating the subordinates, unless they are family, decently will have any benefit. This is another old tradition that dies hard. Paranoia prevents adequate training. This is made worse by the habit of Arab tyrants insisting that their subordinate organizations have little contact with each other, thus ensuring that no subordinate leader can become powerful enough to overthrow the senior leadership. Subordinate organizations are purposely kept from working together or communicating on a large scale. Arab leaders don't have as broad a knowledge of what their subordinate leaders do, whereas Western leaders tend to know what subordinates do. Arab promotions are based more on political reliability than proficiency and efficiency. Arab leaders prefer to be feared, rather than respected, by their subordinates. This approach leads to poorly trained populations and low morale. A few rousing speeches about Moslem Brotherhood before a national emergency boils over does little to repair the damage. Many, if not most, Arab leaders now know that the paranoia and parochialism are bad but ancient traditions are hard to abandon. Arab leaders often do not trust each other. While an American manager or officer can be reasonably confident that the others they work with will be competent and reliable, Arabs in similar situations seriously doubt that their peers will do their job on time or accurately. This is an inefficient and sometimes fatal attitude, especially for Arab militaries. It's been difficult getting Arab leaders to change when it comes to trust. Arab leaders consider it acceptable to lie to subordinates and allies in order to further their personal agenda. This had catastrophic consequences throughout Arab history and continues to make progress difficult. When called out on this behavior, Arabs will assert that they were misunderstood. This is still going on. While Western American middle managers and Westerners in general are only too happy to impart their wisdom and skills to others as teaching is the ultimate expression of prestige, Arabs try to keep any technical information and manuals secret. To Arabs, the value and prestige of an individual is based not on what he can teach but on what he knows that no one else knows. This destructive habit is still around, despite years of American advisors patiently explaining why this is counterproductive. While Westerners thrive on competition among themselves, Arab leaders avoid this as the loser would be humiliated. Better for everyone to fail together than for competition to be allowed, even if it eventually benefits everyone. This attitude is still a factor in the Arab world. Westerners are taught leadership and technology; Arabs are taught only technology and not nearly enough. Leadership is given little attention as Arab leaders are assumed to know this by virtue of their social status as leaders. The new generation of Arab leaders have been taught leadership, but for too many of them, this is an alien concept that they do not understand or really know what to do with. Initiative is considered a dangerous trait in the Arab world. Lack of initiative makes it difficult for Arabs to maintain modern equipment. Arabs prefer to use easier to control central repair shops. This makes the timely maintenance of equipment difficult. Entrepreneurs, often non-Arab Moslems, often handle a lot of the maintenance. This is still a problem throughout the Middle East, where the oil rich nations have most of their non-government operations staffed by foreigners. Security is maniacal. Everything, even vaguely military or government related, is top secret. While Western military and corporation promotion lists are routinely published, this rarely happens in Arab organizations. Officers and managers are suddenly transferred without warning to keep them from forging alliances or networks. Any team spirit among officials is discouraged. Arab Moslems had other problems twenty years ago when the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/ISIL banned the wearing of the burqa in some parts of northern Iraq where suicide bombers, dressed as women in the all-concealing burqa, used that disguise to attack ISIL forces. This is not the first time this has happened in Iraq. Some of the founders of ISIL had participated in the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq in late 2006. This was an act of bravado, touted as the first step in the re-establishment of the caliphate, a global Islamic state, ruled over by God's representative on earth, the caliph. The caliphate has been a fiction for over a thousand years but still resonated with Islamic radicals. Many other Islamic terrorists opposed this move and some used burqas as disguises to move about or even make attacks on members of this 2006 Islamic State. The original caliphate came apart after a few centuries because the Islamic world was split by ethnic and national differences. Various rulers have claimed the title over the centuries, but since 1924, when the Turks gave it up after four centuries, no one of any stature has stepped up and assumed the role. So when al Qaeda elected a nobody as the emir of the Islamic State of Iraq, and talked about this being the foundation of the new caliphate, even many pro-al Qaeda Moslems were aghast. But six years later many of those involved in the failed 2006 effort again declared the establishment of another caliphate. With that there was again a lot of fighting between Islamic terror groups, many of them routinely using the burqa as a disguise. The burqa has frequently been used by Islamic terrorists, or even criminals, to just get past security. American troops in Iraq soon figured out how to defeat this by watching what burqa clad people were wearing on their feet. Large feet and footwear more common with men than women was a giveaway. Also revealing was how a burqa clad figure moved. Female American troops could detect a man in a burqa more easily than the male troops could and a list of tips was soon compiled and distributed. This sort of profiling also made it easier to detect female suicide bombers. The subsequent ISIL burqa ban was directed at rival Islamic terrorist groups that are sometimes using burqas for suicide bombers, but are more frequently using the disguise to get close enough to use a pistol or assault rifle on ISIL checkpoints or throw a grenade. Members of the U.S. Senate are demanding answers from toy companies that implement artificial intelligence into products intended for young children. Senators Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, sent joint letters to the CEOs of Little Learners Toys, Mattel, Miko, Curio, FoloToy and Keyi Robot asking for information about the companies' data-sharing policies, if and how they test the toys for potential psychological and development impacts on children, and what safety tools they have in place to prevent sexual or inappropriate content in their products, according to NBC News. While AI has incredible potential to benefit children with learning and accessibility, experts have raised concerns about AI toys and the lack of research that has been conducted to understand the full effect of these products on our kids, the senators wrote in the joint letters. The letters note that toymakers have a unique and profound influence on childhood and with that influence comes responsibility." "Your company must not choose profit over safety for children," the letters say. A group of AI-enabled toys. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal have sent joint letters to several companies producing the toys asking them for detailed information about the toys capabilities and the companies built in tools to protect childrens privacy and health (The Public Interest Network) The letters come in the wake of an NBC News and U.S. Public Interest Group Education Fund report, published last week, that alleges that several AI-incorporated toys from different brands have the ability to engage in sexual or otherwise inappropriate conversations with users. In one example, the Miiloo plush toy from Miriat was successfully prompted to provide instructions for lighting a match or sharpen a knife. Some of the toys produced by the companies targeted by the letter are aimed at children as young as three. In addition to questioning the nature of the conversations the toys can have, the senators raised concerns that children could become overly attached or addicted to the AI characters. The letter has asked the recipient companies to provide detailed information about their safety tools, documenting how they prevent products from "generating sexually explicit, violent, or otherwise inappropriate content for children. It has also asked about data collection and how that data is used by the companies. Miko said its products store a "user's face, voice, and emotional states" for up to three years in its servers. Curio, one of the companies that received the letter, told NBC News that it "looks forward to collaborating with Senator Blackburn and Senator Blumenthal on this important issue. Child safety is the teams highest priority, and we take concerns raised by families and public officials very seriously." The Independent has requested comment from the companies that received a letter. Duke of Marlborough charged with three counts of intentional strangulation The Duke of Marlborough, who is also known as Jamie Blandford, has been charged with three counts of intentional strangulation, Thames Valley Police said. The Duke, whose real name is Charles James Spencer-Churchill, who is related to Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, is accused of three offences between November 2022 and May 2024, Thames Valley Police said. The three charges of non-fatal intentional strangulation are alleged to have taken place in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, against the same person. The 70-year-old, who was first arrested on May 13 last year, is set to appear at Oxford Magistrates Court on Thursday. Spencer-Churchill, who is well known to have had a long battle with drug addiction in the past, is the 12th Duke of Marlborough and a member of one of Britains most aristocratic families. The wartime prime minister Winston Churchill is his first cousin, three times removed. His ancestral family home is the 300-year-old Blenheim Palace Sir Winstons birthplace in Woodstock. But he does not own the 18th-century palace. Spencer-Churchill has no role in the running of the residence and vast estate, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Charles James Spencer-Churchill is set to appear at Oxford Magistrates Court on Thursday (PA) In 1994, the late duke brought legal action to ensure his son and heir would not be able to take control of the family seat. Blenheim is owned and managed by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation. A spokesperson for the foundation said: Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation is aware legal proceedings have been brought against the Duke of Marlborough. The foundation is unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the dukes personal conduct and private life, and which are subject to live, criminal proceedings. The foundation is not owned or managed by the Duke of Marlborough, but by independent entities run by boards of trustees. The King hosted a reception at Blenheim Palace for European leaders in July 2024, and the Queen, then the Duchess of Cornwall, joined Spencer-Churchill for the unveiling of a bust of Sir Winston in the grounds of Blenheim in 2015. The palace was also the scene of the theft of a 4.75m golden toilet in 2019 after a gang of thieves smashed their way into the palace during a brazen heist and ripped out the fully-functioning 18-carat gold lavatory. Enzo Maresca declared himself happy after being serenaded by Chelsea fans following their Carabao Cup quarter-final victory at Cardiff. The Chelsea boss made headlines by saying after Saturdays win over Everton that the previous 48 hours had been his worst at Stamford Bridge. Maresca shut down multiple questions at his pre-match press conference on Monday about whom he was targeting, and said after Chelseas 3-1 win that he had not spoken to the clubs hierarchy following his weekend comments. Im just happy, were going to play another semi-final and I think its what the fans deserve, Maresca said after celebrating with Chelsea fans at the final whistle and having his name sung by them. It was a great moment, I appreciate, always thankful. In some moments when you dont win games, they have been not happy, but its normal. But overall, the fans have always been there. These are the kind of games that I fall in love even more with the players because you cannot imagine how easy it is to slip, to slide, because they are tricky games. Every season there are teams that they lost against, you know, League Two or League One. You need to pay attention, you need to do the right things. Alejandro Garnacho struck twice and fellow substitute Pedro Neto was also on target as Chelseas substitutes proved the difference in the second half. Alejandro Garnacho celebrates scoring Chelseas third goal and his second at Cardiff (Nick Potts/PA) (Nick Potts) Asked if he had spoken to his bosses since the weekend, Maresca said: No, as I said yesterday (Monday), the day after Everton, I started to prepare Cardiff. Focus on Cardiff. Now I just said on the bus I will watch (Saturdays opponents) Newcastle and I didnt speak with anyone. I didnt speak, no its OK. I always said that Ive been happy since day one. So its not that tonight Im not happy. Im happy. Now we have three hours to arrive to Cobham (Chelseas training ground) and I will watch two Newcastle games. There is no time. Time is for the players. For us as a staff, were going to be focused on the next one, that is Newcastle, so were going to prepare. David Turnbull celebrates scoring Cardiffs equaliser against Chelsea (Nick Potts/PA) (Nick Potts) Maresca added Brazil winger Estevao will sit out the Newcastle game with a small muscle problem that forced him to miss the Cardiff tie. David Turnbull had given the League One leaders hopes of causing a shock 15 minutes from time, equalising with a superb diving header. Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy said: Its probably just the hope that kills you when you score a goal. I felt we were in the ascendancy and had a great chance to maybe grab a winner, but it wasnt to be. The support was right behind us, even at 3-1, right to the last minute. Family friends said argument between Reiners hours before killing was overblown as they provide new details on shocking murder Nick Reiner, the youngest son of Hollywood director Rob and photographer Michele Reiner, appeared briefly in a Los Angeles court Wednesday morning after being charged with the murder of his parents. The 32-year-old was arrested Sunday night after allegedly stabbing his parents to death in their Brentwood home. He did not enter a plea, but, if convicted, he could face the death penalty. Reiners struggles with addiction were well-known, as were the lengths his parents went to in order to help and support him throughout their lives. On the night before their deaths, guests at an A-list party recalled Rob Reiner chastising his son over his behavior though accounts now differ as to how severe the argument were. Nick Reiner (right), the youngest son of Rob and Michele Reiner, appeared briefly in a Los Angeles court Wednesday morning after being charged with the murder of his parents (Getty) Past struggles Nick Reiner has spoken openly and extensively about his lengthy battle with addiction, which resulted in him being in and out of rehab; entering into a program for the first time around his 15th birthday in 2008. Over the course of four years he returned to such facilities at least 17 times, but said, in time, he learned to work the system. I just was like, You know what, I want to go home, and so I just stayed sober long enough til I could go home and then yeah, I just went home and did (drugs), Reiner said in 2018. In between the stints in rehab, when he refused treatment, Reiner spent time on the streets and in homeless shelters. If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless, he told People. I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas, he told the outlet. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun. Nick Reiner has spoken openly and extensively about his lengthy battle with addiction, which resulted in him being in and out of rehab, first entering a program around his 15th birthday in 2008 (BUILD Series/AOL) Reiner has alluded to his famous familys reputation as contributing to his substance abuse at such a young age. I had no identity, and I had no passions, he said, speaking during an interview for the 2 Chairs and a Microphone podcast in 2016. And I think the reason I had no identity was because I had a famous dad and a famous grandpa, and that fame sort of informs who you are. So I wanted to edge out my own identity with a more rebellious, angry, drug-addicted sort of persona, he added. A supportive family Though he struggled for more than half his life with drug addiction, including heroin, a person close to the Reiner family told The New York Times that they were accustomed to working through his problems together. They loved their kids so much, and they never stopped trying to be really good parents, the journalist Maria Shriver, ex-wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger and a friend of the couple, wrote after their death. Rob and Michele Reiner had at times adopted tough love tactics to deal with their son but later regretted the decision. When Nick would tell us that it wasnt working for him, we wouldnt listen, Rob Reiner told the LA Times. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their walls, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son. Rob and Michele Reiner had at times adopted tough love tactics to deal with their son but later regretted the decision (Getty) Speaking in an interview in 2016, Nick Reiner acknowledged that he was lucky to have parents that continued to care about his wellbeing, and that relapsing gave him a tremendous amount of guilt. That same year, the father and son had made and released a film, Being Charlie, together that was loosely based on their experience of Nick Reiners cocaine and heroin addictions. The younger Reiner was sober at the time the movie was released, but later relapsed again. Rob Reiner later admitted there had been many disagreements in the creative process but that it had helped him better understand his son. Working on this with Nick was like being in therapy with him, he said. I learned how to be his father. In a scene from Being Charlie, David, the character based on Rob Reiner, tells his son, Id rather you hate me and you be alive than allowing the addiction to kill him. The line was reportedly taken verbatim from an argument shared by the real-life father-son duo A Hollywood holiday party At the time of their deaths, Reiner was living in the guesthouse on his parents property, according to family friends. In the weeks leading up to the incident the family had become increasingly concerned about his mental health, the LA Times reports. On Saturday December 13, Nick Reiner accompanied his parents to a holiday party at the home of comedian Conan OBrien, where multiple Hollywood A-Listers were in attendance. Accounts appear to differ on what happened at the party, though sources told The Wall Street Journal the 32-year-old was asked to leave after he disturbed other guests including comedian Bill Hader by asking them a series of strange questions. At the time of their deaths Reiner was living in the guesthouse on his parents property, according to family friends. In the weeks leading up to the incident the family had become increasingly concerned about his mental health (Amy Sussman/Getty Images) Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous, a source told People. Hader has said that out of respect for Rob and Michele Reiner, he will not discuss the conversation he had with their son publicly. One of the party guests, who remained anonymous, told the Times that Rob Reiner had told his son off, and said that such behavior was inappropriate for a guest in someone elses home. However, in a later interview, another source said that the heated nature of the argument had been overblown, the Times reports, and that the intensity of the conversation between Rob Reiner and his son may have been misinterpreted or exaggerated. The deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner The Reiners were killed inside their home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles in the early hours of Sunday December 14, the LA District Attorneys office said in a news release. On Sunday afternoon a massage therapist arrived at the Reiners house for an appointment and called their youngest daughter when they could not contact the couple. They had been due to have dinner with Barack and Michelle Obama a few hours later, according to the Times. The Reiners were killed inside their home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, in the early hours of Sunday December 14, the LA District Attorneys office said in a news release (Getty) Romy Reiner, who lived opposite her parents, walked into the home and discovered her fathers body. Her roommate called 911. A source close to the family told the Times that the 28-year-old did not see her mothers body in the house and only learned that she too had been killed by the paramedics. The couple died of apparent stab wounds, according to the DAs office, though an official cause and time of death is still being determined by the coroner. Police responded to the Reiners home around 3:40 p.m. local time on Sunday, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters. There were no signs of forced entry at the property and Nick Reiner was not on the premises. Romy Reiner did not mention her brother was a possible suspect in the killings. A security guard stands out the gate to the Reiners' Los Angeles home. Their daughter, Romy Reiner, who lived opposite her parents, walked into the home and discovered her fathers body (Getty) Nick Reiner arrested Nick Reiner was arrested without incident later that evening, around 9:30 p.m., by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department Gang and Narcotics Unit. He was detained about 15 miles away near the Exposition Park Metro station near the University of Southern California campus. It was not clear how the police found him. Video obtained by the New York Post showed Reiner calmly raising his hands and getting down on the ground after being swarmed by police vehicles. Surveillance footage also showed him waiting in line to buy a drink in a gas station moments before the arrest. Reiner was booked on suspicion of murder at 5:04 a.m. Monday and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his parents. Surveillance footage also showed Nick Reiner calmly waiting in line to buy a drink in a gas station moments before the arrest in Los Angeles Sunday night (Getty/LAPD Gang and Narcotics Division) These charges will be two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders. He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife, McDonnell told reporters. LA district attorney Nathan Hochman said later at a news conference that prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and heart-wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved. First court appearance Reiner appeared briefly at Los Angeles Superior Court in downtown LA Wednesday morning, but did not enter a plea. His arraignment has been postponed to January 7, at the request of his attorney, Alan Jackson, who said it was too early for a plea to be entered. Jackson, who has represented high-profile clients such as Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, and Karen Read, gave brief remarks outside court following the hearing. First of all, and most importantly, this is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family, Jackson said. We all recognize that, our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family. Reiner appeared briefly at Los Angeles Superior Court in downtown LA Wednesday morning, but did not enter a plea (Reuters) Reiners arraignment has been postponed to January 7, at the request of his attorney, Alan Jackson, who said it was too early for a plea to be entered (AFP/Getty) There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case, he added. These need to be thoroughly, but very carefully, dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed. Jackson reiterated that Reiners arraignment was postponed to next month. Nothing happened today. Substantively, we'll be back for an arraignment in the same department on the seventh of January, he said. Reiner was initially expected to make his first appearance Tuesday, but was not medically cleared in time. What will happen now? If convicted, Nick Reiner faces a maximum sentence of the death penalty or life in prison without parole, according to Hochman. No decision at this point has been made with respect to the death penalty, Hochman said Tuesday. California is not currently carrying out executions, although it is legal in the state, after Governor Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on capital punishment in 2019. If that moratorium was lifted, executions would resume. The Reiner family, including Michele, Rob, Jake, Romy, and Nick, front left to right (2025 Invision) Following his court appearance Wednesday, Reiners siblings, Jake and Romy, issued a joint statement asking for privacy. Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They werent just our parents; they were our best friends, their statement read. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave, they added. Fani Willis is questioned by a Georgia state senate panel about her prosecution of Donald Trump in Atlanta on Wednesday. Photograph: Brynn Anderson/AP (Photograph: Brynn Anderson/AP) The Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, testified on Wednesday at a combative Georgia state senate committee about her prosecution of Donald Trump for election interference. The state senate created the special committee in early 2024 to investigate Willis after the revelation that she had a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, special prosecutor in the Trump case, which ultimately derailed the prosecution of the now-re-elected president. Senators initially wanted to know if the two had improperly benefited financially from the relationship. That inquiry expanded after Trumps win in 2024, looking for signs that Willis had coordinated with the January 6 congressional committee while using federal grant money to do so. Related: They tried to overturn the 2020 US election. Now, they hold power in Trumps Washington You want something to investigate as a legislature? Investigate how many times theyve called me the N-word, Willis said during her contentious testimony. Why dont you investigate them writing on my house? Why dont you investigate the fact that my house has been swatted? If you want something to do with your time that makes sense. And you can use all this in your campaign ad you attacked Fani Willis. What have you done, sir? Nothing. The committee has the power to amend Georgia law and create new legislation, but no power to sanction Willis directly. We know what happened in this case, said state senator Greg Dolezal, vice-chairman of the special committee on investigations and a Republican candidate for Georgias lieutenant governor. We laid out a timeline today of coordination with the J6 committee through Nathan Wades billing. Dolezal was referring to the House January 6 committee, which unanimously voted in 2022 to refer Trump and his lawyer John Eastman to the US Department of Justice for prosecution. Eastman was subsequently one of 19 people indicted in Fulton county in the election interference racketeering case. In previous testimony before the committee, Wade said that he had been in Washington while the January 6 committee met, and records of his billing note that he had met with the committee. Dolezal took note of Williss combative testimony, both during and after the hearing. The DA wants to make this about everything other than the fact that they coordinated with the White House to bring lawfare against President Trump, he said. From Williss perspective, the committees questions were connected to the inquiries of the House judiciary committee and Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, who began an inquiry into Williss prosecution of Trump, questioning its political motivation and alleging misuse of federal funds. Willis asked Dolezal mid-hearing: Are you and Jim Jordan working together? Dolezal said he had no contact with him. Committees in the US House and Senate have demanded documents from Williss office, which she has either ignored or resisted to date, although the end of the election interference case may change her legal calculus. Dolezal showed documents indicating that Wade had been paid from forfeiture money. Willis said her understanding was that he had been paid from professional services funds, but that she essentially turned in a bill to the county and let them sort it out. Dolezal then asked why she hired outside counsel for the Trump case. Because we were drowning, she replied. All her attorneys had major cases, with the prosecution of the murders of Kennedy Maxie and Secoriea Turner two children of the highest priority, she said. It became obvious to me that I needed a lawyer that could manage this team, she said. Nine attorneys were working on the case at the peak, Willis said. But different people are needed for different things, and the people of Fulton county elected me to make those decisions, she said. At times, Dolezal cut off Williss microphone and tried to silence the objections of former governor Roy Barnes, who sat beside her as her counsel. The White House has directed prosecutors to attack Trumps perceived political enemies, with indictments attempted against Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, former FBI director James Comey and others this year. Dolezal said he has not spoken with federal officials about the state investigation, but my guess is that theyre going to find this link to the January 6th commission relatively interesting and I think that theyre also going to probably look at the use of the grant funds. Willis said she would be undeterred by threats. Im not Marjorie Taylor Greene, Willis said. Im not going to quit in a month because someone threatened me. Brendan Carr, Donald Trumps handpicked chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, insisted during a Wednesday Senate hearing that the agency wasnt independent, prompting a Democratic senator to show a screenshot from the FCCs site saying the opposite. Moments later, the website was edited to remove any reference to the FCCs independence, instead saying the commission is a U.S. government agency overseen by Congress. A spokesperson for the FCC acknowledged the edits, telling The Independent that with the change in Administration earlier this year, the FCCs website and materials required updating, adding: That work continues to ensure that they reflect the positions of the agencys new leadership. During a Senate hearing that was already expected to feature fireworks over Carrs easy way or the hard way threat to ABC over Jimmy Kimmel, which came just before the talk show hosts brief suspension, the pro-Trump FCC chief was confronted over who he felt actually ran his agency. At one point in the hearing, which featured the other two commissioners of the FCC, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) directly asked if the commission was an independent agency, leading Carr to attempt to sidestep the question. Chairman declared that the Federal Communications Commission was not an independent agency during a Wednesday Senate hearing, prompting the commission to immediately edit its website. (C-SPAN) Theres a test for this in the law, Carr replied, only for Lujan to interject and press the chairman for a simple yes-or-no answer. Just so you know, Brendan, on your website it just simply says, man, the FCC is independent, the Democratic lawmaker noted while waving a screenshot of the sites About Us section. This isnt a trick question. Just a yes or no! Carr finally said the FCC is not an independent agency, resulting in the New Mexico senator to wonder if the commissions website was lying. Possibly, the chairman said. The FCC is not an independent agency because , Carr added before Lujan interjected to read from the website, which stated that it was an independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress. While Carr continued to argue that the FCC was not independent formally because its leadership could be removed by the president, Lujan moved on to ask the same questions to Olivia Trusty, the other Republican commissioner at the FCC. The president is the chief executive vested with all executive power in our government and FCC commissioners are not. We do not have for-cause removal protections, which means that we arent independent, Trusty stated, though she would not say whether the website was wrong. Meanwhile, Anna Gomez the lone Democratic commissioner at the FCC asserted that the agency was independent and they should be. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) shows Brendan Carr that the FCC's website shows that it is an independent government agency. That definition was changed during the hearing. (C-SPAN) Shortly after Carrs declaration about the FCCs independence, Axios media reporter Sara Fischer noticed that the website had already been scrubbed and shared before and after images of the changes. This is INSANE, she tweeted. I took this screenshot of the @FCC website at 11:52 a.m. ET where it explicitly states the FCC is an independent agency. 25 minutes later, it has been removed following Carr's comments during this hearing! Minutes later during the hearing, Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) pressed Carr about his previous stance about the FCC and how it was independent from the executive branch and White House. Congress long ago determined that the FCC is an independent expert agency. Is that correct or not? Kim wondered, noting that this was a quote Carr had given before Congress in 2018. Axios' Sara Fischer captured screenshots showing that the FCC had edited out that the agency was independent during Brendan Carr's testimony. (X/@sarafischer) Senator, there has been a sea change in sort of the law and the approach since I wrote that sentence, I'm assuming, Carr replied. Elsewhere in the exchange, the New Jersey lawmaker repeatedly asked Carr whether he felt Trump was his boss, prompting the chairman to attempt to deflect and dodge the question. I can be fired by the president, Carr said. So he's your boss, Kim countered. Look, the decisions of the commissions are going to be based on a vote, the chairman retorted. The World Health Organization has called on people to get the flu vaccine, which lowers the risk of serious illness from the new strain. Photograph: Biel Alino/EPA (Photograph: Biel Alino/EPA) An intense surge in flu cases driven by a newly dominant virus strain is sweeping across Europe, placing healthcare systems in several countries under severe pressure, the World Health Organization has said. The WHO said on Wednesday that at least 27 of the 38 countries in its European region were reporting high or very high influenza activity, with more than half of patients with flu-like symptoms testing positive in six countries including Ireland, Serbia, Slovenia and the UK. It said the flu season had begun roughly four weeks earlier than in previous years and urged populations to curb transmission by getting vaccinated, staying home if unwell, and wearing a mask in public if they had respiratory symptoms. The WHO said the new seasonal flu variant A(H3N2) sub-clade K was driving the infections, accounting for up to 90% of all confirmed flu cases in the European region, but added that there was no evidence it was causing more severe disease. Hans Henri Kluge, the WHOs regional director for Europe, said: Flu comes around every winter, but this year is a little different. It shows how just a small genetic variation in the flu virus can place enormous pressure on our health systems. Kluge also stressed the danger of misinformation and disinformation. Its vital in the current climate to seek credible information from trusted sources like national health agencies and the WHO, he said. In a challenging flu season, trustworthy, evidence-based information can be lifesaving. The WHO said early data from the UK confirmed that the flu vaccine lowered the risk of severe illness from the A(H3N2) strain, although it may not prevent infection, and said vaccination remained the single most important preventive step. This is especially important for those at higher risk, including older persons, those with underlying conditions, pregnant women and children, it said. Health workers were also a priority group to protect their own health and that of their patients. As in other seasons, school-age children are the primary drivers of community spread, it added. However, adults aged 65 and older constitute the majority of severe cases requiring hospitalisation. Kluge said the flu season was expected to peak in late December or early January. The current flu season, though serious, does not represent the level of global emergency we faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, adding: Our health systems have decades of experience managing influenza, we have safe vaccines that are updated annually, and we have a clear playbook of protective measures that work. Britains NHS said last week it was bracing for one of its worst winters on record amid mounting pressure on GP surgeries, hospitals and ambulance services. The Robert Koch Institute in Germany said the countrys flu season had started two to three weeks early. Frances national public health agency, Sante publique, said flu activity was increasing strongly in metropolitan France, with cases rising in all age groups and the number of people seeking treatment at hospital emergency departments rising. In Spain, infection rates were already higher than last years winter peak and hospitalisations had doubled in a week, while Romania and Hungary were also experiencing strong surges in cases. Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend and longtime associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has asked a federal court in New York to set aside her sex trafficking conviction. Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in prison for her role in a decade-long scheme to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls with Epstein. The new habeas petition claims substantial new evidence has emerged that shows Maxwell did not receive a fair trial. In the light of the full evidentiary record, no reasonable juror would have convicted her, the petition read. The Independent has reached out to a lawyer for Maxwell for comment. Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend and longtime associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has asked a federal court in New York to set aside her conviction (AP) Maxwell has already exhausted all her typical appeal options and the new petition is a long-shot. In October, the Supreme Court decided not to review whether prosecutors fairly brought a case against her. This latest attempt by Maxwell for relief from the court comes as a deadline looms for the Department of Justice to release files related to Epstein. The DOJ was compelled to release the information after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November, despite initially strongly opposing the measure. Federal prosecutors have until Friday to release documents, including records related to the Florida investigation into Epstein which resulted in a 2008 deal, in which the disgraced financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor as well the Manhattan investigations into Epstein and Maxwell. Included in these records should be grand jury documents that federal judges in New York and Florida have agreed to unseal. Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in prison for her role in a decade-long scheme to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls with Epstein (Getty Images) Federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors in 2019 and weeks later he died by suicide in his jail cell. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts. During her trial, survivors testified that Maxwell had groomed them, taken their passports and abused them. The disgrace British socialite claimed in her new habeas petition that information that would have resulted in her exoneration at trial was withheld and false testimony was presented to the jury. Maxwells attorneys wrote in a court filing earlier this month: Releasing the grand jury materials from her case, which contain untested and unproven allegations, would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial if she was granted a retrial. This latest attempt by Maxwell to get relief from the court comes as a deadline for the Department of Justice to release files related to Epstein looms (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP) The Epstein Files Transparency Act does allow the DOJ to withhold documents that could jeopardize an active federal investigation. After news broke of Maxwells habeas petition, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, wrote on X, Reminder that the Epstein Files are supposed to be released on Friday and every political development that you see between now until then should be viewed with that in mind. Maxwell is currently being housed in a Texas minimum security prison known as Camp Bryan. She was transferred from a prison in Tallahassee, Florida, after meeting with the Justice Department earlier this year. She is supposedly getting preferential treatment at Camp Bryan, including customized hand-delivered meals and a service dog in training to play with, according to Democrat Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee. Also on Wednesday, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced that he will be leaving his position next month after reportedly clashing with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the administrations handling of the Epstein files. (Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock) Gil Gerard, the American actor best known for playing the title role in the science-fiction television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, has died aged 82. His wife, Janet, announced the death on Tuesday, writing that he had lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer. From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days. No matter how many years I got to spend with him it would have never been enough. Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely, she wrote on Facebook. She also shared on his own page a final statement from the actor himself, which he confirmed in the post he had asked her to share after his death. My life has been an amazing journey. The opportunities Ive had, the people Ive met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying, his message, posted to his Facebook page, read. My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. Its been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has. Dont waste your time on anything that doesnt thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos. Born Gilbert Cyril Gerard on 23 January 1943 in Little Rock, Arkansas, he began his career doing commercials and daytime television, including roles on Another World and The Doctors, and built a steady reputation as a reliable television performer. Gerard achieved widespread recognition in 1979 when he was cast as Captain William Buck Rogers in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, which began as a 1979 television movie based on a long-running comic strip character created by Philip Francis Nowlan in 1928, according to Variety. The films success led Universal to expanding the film into a series later that year, and it went on to air for two seasons until 1981. Rogers, an astronaut who is frozen for 504 years in space and revived in 2491, turned Gerard into a pop culture fixture at the height of science fictions television boom, after the success of Star Wars. Beyond Buck Rogers, Gerard continued to work steadily across film and television for decades. His film credits included Airport 77 and later appearances such as a supporting role in Shane Blacks 2016 crime comedy The Nice Guys. On television, he made guest appearances on popular series including CHiPs, Little House on the Prairie, and Hawaii Five-O. In later years, Gerard remained closely associated with the science fiction community, frequently attending fan conventions and retrospectives celebrating Buck Rogers and the genres television history. GOP mounts revolt against Mike Johnson over healthcare - but they arent ready to join with Democrats, yet Republicans in the House of Representatives are pushing back against House Speaker Mike Johnson as more than 20 million Americans risk losing their health insurance. But they arent ready to collaborate with Democrats to fix the problem yet. A handful of Republicans in swing districts have signed onto two discharge petitions to temporarily extend the expanded tax credits for the Affordable Care Acts health insurance marketplace for two years. The tax credits expire at the end of the month. If they earn 218 signatures, they can force a vote without the consent of House Republican leadership. Johnson on Tuesday criticized the idea of extending the credits as the House prepares to vote on its health care bill. This is not some solution to the problem, Johnson told reporters at his weekly press conference. Its just adding more money, further subsidizing the broken system, and the subsidies go to insurance companies. Theyre not trying to solve the cost problem. US Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, wants to have a vote to temporarily extend the enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act. But he has not received support from his own leadership or Democrats. (AFP via Getty Images) But many Republicans in tough re-elections fear that if they do not extend the subsidies, they could pay a price. Republicans hope that they could receive an amendment to extend the subsidies in the Republican bill that will receive a vote later this week. The underlying Republican bill is a good one that helps tackle the long term costs of health care, but there are a number of us Republicans who want a good short-term answer to the expiry of the tax credits, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) told reporters. Other Republicans leading the charge include Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Jen Kiggans of Virginia, both of whom represent districts that Democrats want to flip. U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has called on the health care tax credits to extended for three more years. (Getty Images) It does seem to me that Fitzpatrick and Kiggans recognize the need to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, he told reporters on Friday. We just need to find the common ground thats consistent with our values. Currently, two discharge petitions exist to extend the credits temporarily. But House Democratic leadership, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, so far has only endorsed extending the tax credits for three years, which is a nonstarter for Republicans. Rep. Mike Lawler, one of only three Republicans who represent a district that voted for Kamala Harris, told The Independent that his group has more than enough Republican signatures, so if Hakeem Jeffries would lead his caucus to actually advance the bill, then it would pass. But neither discharge petition has received enough signatures to get a floor vote. The House will leave at the end of this week for the holidays and not reconvene until the beginning of January. It tells me that they're interested in the politics of this, not in solving the problem, LaLota said. They should get on that bill if they are serious about solving their constituents problems. Even if the legislation passes in the House, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Many Senate Republicans want to transfer the money into health savings accounts and the Senate held a vote last week to do so, which failed because of Democratic opposition. Still, some Democrats, also from swing districts, have signed onto the discharge petitions. We need to bring that tax credit back at least temporarily, until we find better solutions, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) told The Independent. A damning new report has found that thousands of Jewish students in the United States experience hostility on campus, with a significant number feeling compelled to hide their religious identity to avoid harassment. The annual report, released by the non-profit organisation StopAntisemitism, gave 14 universities a failing grade. The schools, which include elite institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, were cited for failing to establish or enforce disciplinary actions against antisemitic behaviour. The report paints a grim picture of American higher education, suggesting a systemic failure to protect Jewish students. 14 Universities with 'F' Grade StopAntisemitism surveyed 90 schools across the country, with its findings representing a formal verdict on the inadequacy of administrative responses to escalating anti-Jewish activity. Fourteen colleges received an 'F' grade for failing to take action against students and staff who engage in antisemitic remarks or behaviour. The universities that received the 'F' grade include Columbia University, The New School, Harvard, Yale, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), University of Oregon, University of Washington, Pomona College, and Portland State University. The universities that received the 'F' grade include Columbia University, The New School, Harvard, Yale, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), University of Oregon, University of Washington, Pomona College, and Portland State University. 'The schools that received Fs in the report have become ground zero for antisemitism in American higher education,' StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez told a news outlet. Rez called out those institutions, which take pride in 'being moral and intellectually elite, yet they repeatedly failed to protect Jewish students from harassment, intimidation, hostility, and real violence.' Students Forced to Conceal Their Identity The most troubling part of the report centres on how the verbal abuse, hostility, and ostracisation prompt Jewish students to hide their identity. Thirty-nine per cent of the Jewish college students felt unsafe and decided to conceal their identities to distance themselves from the unwarranted hate. Worse, 62 per cent of them were reportedly blamed for the Israel-Gaza war. Another 58 per cent of the respondents said they experienced antisemitism, and another 65 per cent felt unwelcome. Only 12 per cent were satisfied with how the campus addressed the issue; 58 per cent said their school failed to defend them from those who came after them due to their Jewish roots. 'Systemic and Tolerated' Problem The report 'exposes a disturbing and undeniable reality' about the experience of Jewish students in the country, according to Rez. She condemned how 'Antisemitism on American college campuses is systemic and tolerated' in the 'very institutions tasked with protecting our American kids.' At Columbia University, for example, Jewish students reportedly 'faced repeated antisemitic incidents, including vandalism, hate-filled emails, and disruptions glorifying extremist violence.' Federal investigators found the campus showed 'deliberate indifference toward the issue,' threatening to withhold hundreds of millions in federal funding. The StopAntisemitism's 2025 report serves as a stern warning for universities to take action and end the hostility and harassment targeting Jewish students. The institutions with an 'F' rating should implement enforceable policies to address the issue and ensure a safe learning environment for all. Originally published on IBTimes UK A Jewish bakery in Sydney has been forced to close in the wake of the Bondi Beach antisemitic terror attack after a notice posted on its window said it cannot ensure the safety of staff and customers. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on the beach on Sunday. Avners, a bagel shop run by celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi, said it was no longer possible to make outwardly, publicly, proudly Jewish places and events safe in Australia. The bakery said that they had endured almost ceaseless antisemitic harassment, vandalism and intimidation over the last two years but were now unable to ensure the safety of our staff, our customers [and] our families. We have made the only decision available, one that truly breaks our hearts. Avners is closed, it added. Avners was closed earlier this week to process whats happened and make sense of the mindless violence, the notice said, as the nation reeled from its deadliest shooting in three decades. Avners Bakery announced it was closed in a notice on Wednesday (Australian Jewish Association) Members of Sydneys Jewish community have since told how they are planning to leave Australia for Israel in the wake of the attack. Twenty-seven year-old mother Chavi, who was at the event with her seven-month-old son, told the Sydney Morning Herald: I love Australia, I was born here, and I know [Israel] is in the Middle East but we were just sitting ducks here. She recalled how she had got down and used my body as a human shield to protect my baby as the attack unfolded over around 15 minutes on Sunday. The experience left her wondering whether to leave her life in Australia behind. Its a different way of life in Israel for sure, but I also feel I cant abandon the Jewish people here, she told the outlet. Avners was opened by Ed Halmagyi (Google Maps) Australian police have said the attack, carried out by a father and son, appeared to be inspired by Islamic State, based on preliminary evidence. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon after also being shot by police. The leader of the Australian state of New South Wales said on Wednesday he will recall parliament next week to pass wide-ranging reforms of gun and protest laws amid concern for the safety of Jewish people in the country. The state government will also look at reforms making it harder to hold large street protests after terror events, in order to prevent further tensions. Security was heightened in Bondi Beach on Wednesday as hundreds of mourners gathered to remember the victims of the attack. Floral tributes left by mourners at the promenade of Bondi Beach in Sydney on 17 December (AFP/Getty) There was a heavy presence of police and a contingent of private security guards and Jewish security services on hand at a Bondi synagogue for the funeral of British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. A funeral for Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, was held at Macquarie Park in Sydney's north-west later in the day. The funeral of Matilda, a 10-year-old girl who died in the shooting, will be held on Thursday, according to an online funeral notice. Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs - House of Commons The last PMQs before Christmas was the battle of the puns: yule be sorry if you watched it! Twelve Labour spads had been held at gunpoint and forced to write jokes; Keir took the best ones, arranging them in his ring-binder by subject and mirth. Hence, grumpy Liz Kendall the resemblance to Dot Cotton grows daily was left telling Labour they were talking baubles, before stubbing out a fag on a mince pie and making way for the PM. He opened with a genuine cracker: if Reform is approached by any mysterious men from the east bearing gifts, this time, report it to the police. Even Nigel Farage had to laugh, one of those fruity, Sid James laughs that tells you his Christmas started days ago. Rachel Reeves was nowhere to be seen. The poor woman is having a mare of a week after some beans she spent the capital investment budget on have proved less magical than forecast. Up popped Kemi Badenoch, dressed in Santa red (shes reading a list, checked it twice, and decided weve all been greedy little spongers and were getting nothing). Mummy pointed at the front bench and labelled them turkeys fit for a Bernard Matthews slaughterhouse. Kemis performance was, as Bernard would say, bootiful. The unions bought the PM not just for Christmas, but for life, she shouted; all his MPs want for Christmas is a new leader. Irritated that the opposition leader wasnt taking his own jokes seriously enough, Starmer rifled through his binder, looking for a riposte. Kemi Badenoch said all Labour MPs want a new leader for Christmas - House of Commons Settling on paragraph 4, subsection B, he read bitterly that Sarah Pochin a Right-wing Reform MP, not Tory is clearly dreaming of a white Christmas. It was tangential. It was weird. It was also the first time I noticed that Keir Starmer never truly laughs. He smiles, as hes seen other people do, but no noise comes out, just a fixed grin that he directs towards the source of amusement. His smile vanishes; the mask slips to reveal another mask underneath, that of a 17th-century Puritan who would cheerfully ban Christmas as a real and growing threat to public health, going forward. Stephen Flynn of the SNP asked how does he intend to spend his last [Christmas] in No 10? The PM indicated that hell be thinking about Grangemouth, a chemical plant in Scotland and I, for one, believe him. The session jingled to a close with several jokes about the party opposite being the ghost of Christmas past and he appeared to join us in the form of Pat McFadden, like a spectre from M R James, cadaverous and eerily still, as if his presence portended a members fate. Kendall lit herself a fresh ciggie and studied him warily out of the corner of her eye, hoping she wasnt the only MP who could see him. Then, in the twinkle of a fairys wand, twas all over; the MPs ran for the doors to get home or, better still, somewhere nice and hot. In the balcony, however, Chris Bryant was in no rush to go. Hed brought as a guest Russell Tovey, the hunky actor from Dr Who, and was looking around to see whod noticed, smiling like a cat with extra cream. At least Mr Bryant got what he wanted for Christmas. Kneecaps Moglai Bap was among dozens of runners who were greeted by Irish president Catherine Connolly in Dublin. A 10km run to the Presidents official residence, Aras an Uachtarain in the Phoenix Park, was organised by Kneecap in aid of charity. The run began at Dalymount Park, home to Bohemians FC, and was held in aid of the Gaza Food and Play project. More than 200 runners held Palestine flags, wore Bohs jerseys, and shouted Free Palestine as they ran through the rain. At one point, the runners ran towards a gap in the hedge surrounding the Presidents residence and cheered at Ms Connolly, who encouraged them on their journey. Speaking in Irish, Ms Connolly told Naoise O Caireallain, aka Moglai Bap, to keep going, to which Mr O Caireallain thanked her and said welcome to the Aras. President Catherine Connolly greeted runners (Brian Lawless/PA) (Brian Lawless) One runner said to Ms Connolly good on you and another said fair play as they paused to take selfies with her across a gap marking the divide between the public park and the presidential grounds. After the run, the group gathered at Bang Bang cafe, where Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined them briefly, before heading to the Aras to meet Ms Connolly. Kneecap are performing their second of two sold-out gigs at the 3Arena in Dublin on Wednesday. Labours crackdown on foreign workers could cost the UK economy millions, Sir Keir Starmer has been warned. Plans to increase the salary threshold for workers seeking to come to Britain, as part of wider changes to bring down immigration numbers, would cost between 520-710m because thousands fewer people would be contributing to the UK economy, an independent watchdog has found. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which advises the government on immigration, has recommended that the salary threshold for the skilled worker route remain at 41,700. The warning comes after then-home secretary, Yvette Cooper, commissioned the committee in July to examine salary requirements for foreign workers over fears that people on low pay were undercutting British workers. She insisted that the salary bar must rise. But in its report released on Wednesday, MAC warned ministers that if the threshold was raised to 52,000, and Tory measures to raise salary thresholds for certain occupations were kept in place, then between 520-710m would be wiped off the UK economy. It said a hike in salary thresholds for some jobs should be reversed, because they were an inefficient way to reduce net migration. Sir Keir unveiled tough new immigration changes in a speech in May, claiming that the number of people entering the country was causing incalculable damage. The crackdown included proposals to ensure that people coming to the UK on skilled worker visas would need degree-level qualifications to apply. Among the measures announced were a ban on the recruitment of care workers from overseas, increased English language requirements for immigrants and the tightening of access to skilled worker visas. The MAC has also raised concerns about the stark contrast in English proficiency between men and women of certain nationalities in the UK. They warned that 30 per cent of female migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and Syria do not speak English well or at all. Their research concluded that migrants with lower levels of English have worse employment and earnings, and are less engaged in civic life although local neighbourhood engagement and belonging seem to be unaffected. The Migration Advisory Committee recommends that the salary threshold for the skilled worker route remain at 41,700 (PA) Academics also warned that the current status quo of occupation-specific requirements, brought in under the Conservative government in April 2024, was barring some high earners from coming to work in the UK. Currently, an IT director earning 85,000 a year would not qualify for a visa because this is below the median salary for this type of job, the report warned whereas a librarian earning 41,700 would be allowed in, as this is higher than the median salary for librarians. The MAC said this approach makes little sense and said it should be scrapped. Under further radical reforms announced by home secretary Shabana Mahmood, migrants who arrived in the UK from 2021 must have stayed in the UK for at least 10 years to be considered for permanent settlement. Low-paid employees, such as the hundreds of thousands of workers and dependents who came on health and social care visas in recent years, will have to wait 15 years. However, migrants can slash the amount of time they need to wait if they are high-earning. Those who earn 125,140 in the three years prior to applying for settlement can reduce the wait to three years, and this is reduced to five years for anyone earning 50,270. The Independent has previously reported that Labours immigration crackdown could leave the UK 4.4bn worse off. A Home Office impact assessment of the sweeping reforms predicted that the UK will likely be 1.2bn worse off over the next five years with the possibility that the negative financial hit could be as much as 4.4bn. The best-case scenario was that the UK made 800m through the changes. The assessment considered the move to make it harder for foreign students to stay in Britain, and the English language requirement for those on the skilled worker visa. Chair of the MAC, Professor Brian Bell, said the skilled worker visa route was crucial in enabling firms to employ migrants who also make positive fiscal contributions to the UK. He added: Salary thresholds are, however, essential to prevent undercutting of the wages of domestic workers and ensure fair pay while maximising fiscal benefits to the UK. However, the government is clear that the use of the immigration system should not be a substitute for training the domestic workforce. LaMonica McIver, the New Jersey Democratic representative, demands the release of the Newark mayor, Ras Baraka, after his arrest while protesting outside an ICE detention prison on 9 May 2025. Photograph: Angelina Katsanis/AP (Photograph: Angelina Katsanis/AP) This year marked the start of LaMonica McIvers first full term as a member of Congress. Rather than a year spent learning the ropes of her new job, the New Jersey Democrat spent much of it fighting against federal criminal charges she sees as political retribution. On 19 May, McIver was charged with interfering with an arrest outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey earlier that month. This is about intimidation. Its about bullying, McIver told the Guardian. Its about trying to stop our level of government from having oversight and holding this administration accountable. The charges werent about her, a little Black girl from the city of Newark, she said, later referencing Donald Trump: It was about using me as an example He hoped that what hes doing to me, using me as an example, that it would scare other members of Congress from doing their job, from having oversight. Trumps campaign of retribution against his political enemies and the left writ large has proven a key feature of his second term. He has sought to charge Democratic officials despite pushback from prosecutors. He has filed executive orders that attack specific people and organizations based on his grievances. He has cast a host of activity as related to antifa as a way to hinder leftwing organizing. The administration included McIver on a list of supposed antifa violence, alongside people charged for bomb threats and violent attacks on federal agents and facilities. The legal turmoil stemmed from a 9 May visit to Delaney Hall, a detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. McIver, alongside other elected officials, went to conduct an inspection as part of her congressional duties. Members of Congress have oversight abilities at ICE facilities, allowing them to visit without notice though the Trump administration has attempted to limit these visits. During these visits, Democratic members of Congress have often found unsafe, unsanitary and substandard conditions and have met with constituents as part of their advocacy for their immigration cases. Democratic lawmakers filed a lawsuit earlier this year to force the Trump administration to follow the law on oversight visits and allow them unfettered access. At Delaney Hall, the Newark mayor, Ras Baraka, was asked to leave because he is not a member of Congress and was arrested for trespassing. Charging documents noted that people, including members of Congress, surrounded Baraka to create a human shield to prevent his arrest and alleged that McIver shouted hell no repeatedly. Video of part of the incident shows a chaotic scene, with protesters, elected officials and agents in a scrum. The Washington Post, after analyzing video from many angles, said McIver made contact with at least two agents in the scuffle, but that it was difficult to discern the force of the contact and to what extent it was intentional or the result of the chaotic moment. Charges against Baraka were dropped 10 days later. But McIver was subsequently charged for assaulting, impeding and interfering with an arrest charges that collectively could carry up to 17 years in prison. She was formally indicted by a grand jury in June. Alina Habba, who was serving as acting US attorney for the state at the time, pursued the charges. She has since resigned her role after a court found her ineligible to hold the job without confirmation. At the end of the day, ICE and homeland security, they created the chaos there, and thats evident as they arrested the mayor, charged him, and then dropped the charges, McIver said. McIver was not at Delaney Hall to protest, she said she was there to do her job. Delaney Hall is in her district. She serves on the homeland security committee. She had a duty as a member of Congress. She has asked for investigations into the facility and for it to be shut down. The month after her oversight visit, four detainees escaped the facility after reportedly kicking through an interior wall. The Republicans who run the House oversight committee havent investigated, she said. Ive seen, in my community, moms afraid to pick up their kids, people afraid to go to the doctor, she said. Theyre terrorizing people on the street based off the color of their skin, racially profiling. I mean, we cannot allow ICE to operate in the dark. McIver has pleaded not guilty and fought to get the charges dismissed, arguing that she was fulfilling her duties as a member of Congress and that she was being selectively prosecuted, noting the presidents pardons of those charged and convicted for their roles in the January 6 insurrection under the same statutes under which she was charged. A judge denied the motion to dismiss on two of the counts, writing that she had not demonstrated that her prosecution is a result of personal animus harbored by the prosecution. A ruling on whether the assault charge should be dismissed is expected soon. A trial date has not yet been set. After the charges were filed, Trump said he didnt know who McIver was, but that the days of woke are over. That woman was out of control, he said of McIver. She was shoving federal agents. She was out of control. The days of that crap are over in this country. Were going to have law and order. McIver, 39, was first elected in a special election in New Jerseys 10th congressional district in September 2024 following the death of Donald Payne Jr. She won a full term two months later. Before Congress, she served for several years in local elected roles. She was an immediate, outspoken critic to Trump after he was sworn in for his second term. The case has been time-consuming, distracting and expensive. Shes had to pay a million dollars for representation in the case, raising funds for legal assistance because she cant accept pro bono help because of ethics rules (despite the administration using your money and tax dollars to prosecute me). Some Republicans, led by Nancy Mace, sought to expel her after the charges were filed. The stress of a potential 17 years in prison weighs on her personally as well. She has a nine-year-old child, a spouse, a mother whos worried to death about what this administration will do to her daughter. It actually breaks my heart that this is the country that were living in with this president who, quite honestly, is cruel and doesnt give a damn, she said. Ankush Khardori, a Politico writer and former federal prosecutor, wrote that the governments case was likely to be a dud. The charges certainly appear to many as both politically motivated and, at a bare minimum, unwarranted as a matter of appropriate prosecutorial discretion, Khardori wrote. McIver sees the case against her as another example of Trumps fear-based agenda, a way to make people frightened and thus unwilling to fight back. But her district elected her to protect them, and shes going to continue doing so, she said. Sometimes that comes with a sacrifice, a personal sacrifice, which is what Im going through right now, and I think my constituents want to continue to see me make personal sacrifices to protect them against a very dangerous president and administration, she said. She has faith in the legal system, but said shes taking one day at a time on fighting the charges. This is a new situation for me. Im not a known criminal. This is not something that was in my trajectory. Majuro, the largest atoll in the Marshall Islands and the nation's capital. Photograph: Hilary Hosia/The Guardian (Photograph: Hilary Hosia/The Guardian) The Marshall Islands has introduced a national universal basic income (UBI) scheme that offers payments via cryptocurrency, alongside more traditional methods, which experts say is the first scheme of its kind in the world. Under the program, every resident citizen of the Marshall Islands will receive quarterly payments of about US$200 as part of a government effort to ease cost of living pressures. The first instalments were paid in late November and recipients can choose whether the money is paid into a bank account, by cheque, or delivered as cryptocurrency on the blockchain through a government-backed digital wallet. We the government want to make sure no one is left behind, Marshall Islands minister for finance David Paul told the Guardian. Related: Why universal basic income still cant meet the challenges of an AI economy $200 per person per quarter, which is about $800 a year, does not compel you to quit your job but its actually like a morale booster for people. An archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, the Marshall Islands lies between Hawaii and Australia, and has a population of about 42,000. Paul said the payments were intended as a social safety net as the country faces rising costs and citizens leaving. The UBI scheme is financed by a trust fund created under an agreement with the United States, which in part aims to compensate the Marshall Islands for decades of American nuclear testing. The fund holds more than $1.3bn in assets, with the US committing a further $500m through to 2027. Dr Huy Pham, associate professor and crypto-fintech lead at RMIT University, said the Marshall Islands scheme is the world first for a national rollout of a UBI program. He said the use of blockchain technology is unique in terms of a nation-wide implementation. The cryptocurrency delivery option which involves the transfer of a digital token known as a stablecoin, pegged to the US dollar was designed to address the practical challenge of delivering the money across hundreds of remote islands. We saw the opportunity in what the blockchain has to offer, Paul said. Blockchain is best known as the technology behind bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but can also be used to store and transfer more traditional assets like government bonds which the Marshall Islands is using to underpin their digital payment scheme. But according to Pham, digital payments alone do not necessarily provide financial inclusion, especially in a country like the Marshall Islands where internet connectivity is patchy and frequently disrupted. Improving internet coverage, improving smartphone penetration all these kinds of things are the minimum for a blockchain-based economy, he said. Most recipients are choosing to receive payments through conventional channels. According to the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration, about 60% of the first round of payments were deposited directly into bank accounts, with the remainder issued as paper checks. Only a small number of people about 12 so far, officials say have signed up to receive payments on their digital wallet. The ministry of finance says the first sign-ups formed part of a small pilot programme, which met 100% of its initial targets. Anelie Sarana, the finance manager involved in the rollout, said over the past year her team has travelled to the outermost islands of the country to register people in the scheme. Sarana said many recipients were using the money immediately for basic needs, like food and essentials, while others used the $200 to pay for celebrations to commemorate the annual Gospel Day holiday which coincided with the first distribution. I know theyre happy, because you can see in the streets, theres so much traffic, its like theres a big something happening, she said. This is not the first time the Marshall Islands has experimented with using cryptocurrency. In 2018, the government attempted to create a national cryptocurrency known as the Sovereign, or SOV. The plan ultimately stalled after warnings from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF has cautioned that while the technology underpinning the latest scheme is innovative, the blockchain-based delivery of universal basic income carries financial, fiscal, legal, reputational, and financial integrity risks, particularly if governance and oversight are not robust. Dr Monique Taylor, a lecturer in world politics at the University of Helsinki, said it was hard to predict if the Marshall Islands experiment with a universal basic income and a cryptocurrency delivery system would succeed. Universal income schemes are rare, particularly at national scale, and there are no direct precedents that combine this fiscal architecture with a digital delivery component in a small island state, she said. But, she believed the scheme did present benefits for small island nations. In a geographically dispersed island state where conventional banking infrastructure can be limited, a digital wallet may lower frictions and make transfers more accessible, particularly in outer atolls, she said. Culture today lacks the beautiful balance of much of the literary scholar John Careys lifetime - Sandy Young/WireImage Many advocates of culture today would proudly describe themselves as anti-elitist. They argue that art should be inclusive. They promote the doctrine of diversity. The reality could not be more different. In practice these intellectuals and cultural luminaries are as guarded as monks in a medieval monastery. They speak in an esoteric language to advance their progressive orthodoxies. The kind of art they admire is arcane and would alienate everyone but a select few. The Turner Prize, for example, has long been a byword for obscurity rather than artistic excellence. Many works of fiction touted as excellent today are unreadable. On the other hand of this equation, we have mass-produced slop: the books and films and music that appeal to the lowest common denominator. What is vanishing is a mass public enjoying, to quote from Matthew Arnold, the best which has been thought and said in the world. This was once a guiding principle of the BBC. But the corporation, which seems to be facing a new crisis every week, is unlikely to match its post-war cultural heyday, when programmes like Kenneth Clarks Civilisation reigned supreme. BBC 2s The Review Show has been dead for over 10 years; Melvyn Bragg has recently left In Our Time. This phenomenon of an elitist hostility to an intelligent public is not new. The Industrial Revolution that swept through 19th-century Britain meant the population of the country quadrupled from 1800 to 1900; educational reforms in the latter of that century meant that the reading public massively increased. But as John Carey, who died last week, noted in his 1992 book The Intellectuals and the Masses, there was a significant backlash to both of these things. Just as many early 20th-century writers from WB Yeats and George Bernard Shaw to DH Lawrence espoused the doctrine of eugenics to stop the great horde from breeding and undermining the intellectual and physical stock of the nation, they also wanted to prevent the masses from reading literature by making it too difficult for them to understand. For these thinkers, irrationality and obscurity were cultivated. Carey, by contrast, argued that the general public should not be deliberately excluded from the richness of literature. This explains his love of Philip Larkin: Unlike many modern poets, Carey wrote, he does not think that being unintelligible is a vital qualification for the job. John Carey greatly admired English poet Philip Larkin - Barry Wilkinson/Radio Times/Getty Images That Carey was an anti-elitist does not mean he was in favour of the dumbing down of culture that characterises so much of today, when adults proudly describe themselves as fans of Doctor Who and superhero films. He wrote books on a range of canonical writers from John Milton and Charles Dickens to John Donne with the conviction that great art should not be limited to those privileged enough to enjoy an Oxford education. Throughout his career, Carey sought to bridge the gap between high culture and the public. Not only was he an Oxford don; he wrote for newspapers and magazines; he appeared on television and spoke on radio. Careys democratic spirit, though, cant be separated from the context in which he grew up. He was part of Britains meritocratic 20th-century, the time marked by the rising power of the grammar schools, when masses of people from poorer backgrounds could have an elite education. Adrian Wooldridge has described meritocracy, the principle that underpinned this era, as a revolutionary idea. And grammar schools indisputably transformed British society after the Second World War. Writers like Alan Bennett; musicians like Mick Jagger; broadcasters like Bragg; three successive Conservative prime ministers Ted Heath, Margaret Thatcher and John Major all of them were educated at grammar schools. In fact, Carey described his 2014 memoir, An Unexpected Professor, as among other things, my tribute of gratitude to the grammar school. That world no longer exists. Many of the grammar schools vanished or became fee-paying. People today have every opportunity to read the canon or to read anything and most of them would rather play TikTok videos or Candy Crush Saga on their phones. Culture today lacks the beautiful balance of much of Careys lifetime: year by year, the people who read the great works of literature he so passionately loved seems to be becoming rarer; the cryptic babble that passes for so much of art is still standing like a colossus. High culture is becoming exclusive again. The great mission of Carey is on the losing side. Lauren Lyle as Mary in Most Favoured (Danny Kaan) Short, slight but immaculately conceived, David Irelands comic one-acter about the aftermath of a one-night stand provides a bold new take on the Christmas nativity story. And though not uncontroversial, its also considerably sweeter than the all-out offensives that Ireland launched on audience sensibilities in Cyprus Avenue, Ulster American and The Fifth Step. Max Eltons production features concise performances from Lauren Lyle (The Ridge/Karen Pirie) as promiscuous Glaswegian Mary and Alexander Arnold (Skins/Yesterday) as Mike, an American who has never heard of Kentucky Fried Chicken. With a 6.30 start and a 45-minute running time, the show has been billed as an appetizer for a festive night out, and if you take it as such you probably wont be disappointed. Its almost impossible to write usefully about it without spoilers, however, so you might want to stop reading now. We are in a Travelodge during the Edinburgh Festival where Mary has come hunting for fresh meat, after shagging just about every acceptable man in Glasgow. Shes just had the best, most transformative sex of her life, but Sam seems more orgasmically enthused by the deep-fried legs and breasts in the bargain bucket he fetched, wearing only his pants, for breakfast. Initially prepared to love and leave, theres something about Mikes other-worldly strangeness that leads Mary to linger and then to open up. Lauren Lyle and Alexander Arnold (Danny Kaan) Shes about to be 35 and has been sleeping around because she desperately wants a baby. Though Mike was initially meant to be the latest in a long line of sperm donors, she tells him that during their night together for the first time in my life I felt love. Asked if he might want to co-parent should she conceive, he replies yeah, no, maybe, uh, whatever (a line that Alexander delivers with just the right level of doofus akwardness). Finally - and here comes the spoiler - hes pushed to a revelation of his own. He is actually the archangel Michael (my friends call me Mike). And yes, God has used him to make Mary pregnant with a child to bring healing to a wounded world. Mary of course thinks hes mad but her growing belief results in some very funny dialogue about the mysterious ways in which God operates, and the comparative excitement of the human world compared to heaven. Not to mention the other Mary who, Mike says, buys THE best Christmas presents. The terrestrial Mary quite rightly asks why shes been chosen, and Mike replies that everyone, from Abraham to Moses, asks the same thing. Lauren Lyle and Alexander Arnold (Danny Kaan) In the first phase, Mikes frankly monotonous banging on about fast food is used to fuel Marys growing bafflement and disconcertion, ably expressed through Lyles beady glare and fretful body language. In the second, Alexander is allowed to come into his own, endowing Mike with a benign exasperation. Its an intimate show for performers and audience: Mary changes from a towel into a skimpy top and clingy skirt, Mike is in his pants pretty much throughout, though the two characters barely touch. Still, you sort of believe theyve just spent the night together, in their morning-after awkwardness, and even in the divine revelations. David Ireland is a lapsed Belfast protestant who quit Alcoholics Anonymous because it was too religious but re-converted to Christianity aged 47 (all of which partly informed The Fifth Step). Most Favoured is not a proselytizing work but a playful what if? It reminds me slightly of Russell T Daviess 2005 TV drama The Second Coming, with Christopher Eccleston as a video store clerk who realises he is the reborn Jesus. How might a celestial messenger manifest itself in todays world? Maybe as a buzz-cut American whos excited by fried chicken, drizzle and the prospect of seeing Les Miz. This is a brief but provocative Christmas cracker well, it involves a bang, some jokes and a surprise gift, after all. To Jan 24, sohotheatre.com. Nick Reiner has been charged with first-degree murder following the deaths of his parents, the legendary film director Rob Reiner and acclaimed photographer Michele Singer Reiner. The couple were found dead at their Los Angeles home with stab wounds on Sunday, according to US media. It is believed that their bodies were discovered by their daughter Romy. Nick Reiner was revealed to have been arrested a day later, on Monday. Rob and Michele had three children together: Jake, 34, Nick, 32, and Romy, 28. They were a close-knit family unit, albeit one marked by the trauma of Nicks addiction struggles, which eventually became the subject of the 2016 film Being Charlie, written by Nick and Rob Reiner. LAPD officers arrest Nick Reiner (LAPD Gang and Narcotics Division) Speaking at a Los Angeles Police Department press conference, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters: We have our robbery-homicide division handling the investigation, they worked throughout the night on this case and were able to take into custody Nick Reiner, a suspect in this case. Nick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder on Monday. If he is found guilty, he could face life without parole or the death penalty. He will be brought to court to formally face charges and enter his plea after he is medically cleared by prison officials, according to District Attorney Nathan Hochman. The charges also include a special allegation that Reiner used a knife, which prosecutors described as a dangerous and deadly weapon. Multiple accounts have emerged of Nick and Rob Reiner getting into an altercation at Conan OBriens Christmas party on what is believed to be the night of the murder, where Nick was seen looking anxious and uncomfortable. Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiners home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, where they were found dead on Sunday (Getty Images) Heres what we know about the troubled son of Rob and Michelle Reiner as he is placed under investigation for murder. A liberal upbringing with famous school friends Nick and his siblings attended the progressive Wildwood School in Los Angeles, which is known for educating the children of A-listers. Other alumni include Amandla Stenberg and the children of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. The 750-student school charges fees of $34,950 to $39,950 per annum. Per the schools website, Wildwood fosters children into becoming high achieving, emotionally intelligent students who are challenged to become the most extraordinary versions of themselves. The Reiner children's liberal upbringing was shaped by Rob Reiners moral ethos and politics. Along with his unparalleled directing career, Reiner was a committed activist, campaigning for marriage equality and early childhood development services. He was also vehemently anti-Trump and regularly spoke out against the Presidents decisions. Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner with their children Jake, Nick and Romy in 2005 (Getty Images) While growing up, Nick Reiner was close with Patrick Schwarzenegger, a friendship which influenced Rob Reiners decision not to campaign for governor of California back in 2006. We sat down as a family to discuss it, the five of us, Reiner recalled in a 2016 interview with The New Yorker. Nick was friends with Patrick Schwarzenegger, and he saw all the security detail around, and he said, No, Dad! We wont be able to go bike riding! So we voted on me running, and I got forty per cent. I couldnt even carry my own family! Schwarzeneggers fondness for the Reiner family still runs deep. When Donald Trump took to Truth Social to criticise Rob Reiner on Monday, saying his death was due to the anger he caused others" with his "Trump Derangement Syndrome, Schwarzenegger quickly responded online, writing on X: What a disgusting and vile statement. Homelessness, addiction, and Being Charlie Nick Reiner struggled with addiction from a young age, undergoing his first few stints in rehab at age 15. The experts told us to send him away, to do the tough-love thing, Rob Reiner said in his 2016 New Yorker interview. It went against every one of my instincts, but I played that role even though Nick kept saying, These programs dont work for me! Even though the Reiner family were very close, Nick would occasionally take on the role of black sheep, telling AOL in 2016 that he didnt bond a lot with his father growing up. Rob Reiner with his son Nick Reiner (WireImage) Reiners addiction even meant that he was homeless for periods of time after running away from home. I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun, he told People in 2016. If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless, he said, adding that he could have died on the streets. Its all luck, he said. You roll the dice and you hope you make it. In an interview with The Times, he added: I got sick of doing that. I come from a nice family. Im not supposed to be out there on the streets and in homeless shelters doing all these [...] things. Nick Reiners semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie (Rock Castle Entertainment) While in one rehabilitation facility, Nick met Matt Elisofon, with whom he started writing a screenplay. Rob Reiner eventually signed on to direct and pitched the film to studio execs, who agreed to finance it. The film became 2016s Being Charlie, an addiction story based on Nicks own experiences. Speaking about the filmmaking process, Rob Reiner told AV Club in 2016: I got to work with my son, whos gone through really difficult times. His mother and I have gone through difficult times along with it. We made a film that reflects both sides of drug abuse and so on. It was painful, but also incredibly creatively satisfying. At the time of the premiere, The New York Times reported that during Nicks addiction journey, Rob and Michele often wondered if there was an end in sight, and whether it would be the tragic one that a voice in the back of their heads kept telling them was coming. Arrested on suspicion of his parents murder Nick Reiner being placed in handcuffs on Sunday evening (LAPD Gang and Narcotics Division) Nick was arrested on Monday on suspicion of murder following the deaths of his parents Rob and Michele. The couple were found dead with stab wounds at their home in Brentwood, an upmarket neighbourhood of Los Angeles. It is believed that their daughter Romy is the one who discovered their bodies. Family friends who spoke to The New York Times have revealed that Rob and Nick got into a shouting match on Saturday evening at Conan OBriens Christmas party and that multiple people had noticed Nick acting strangely that evening. According to the paper, attendees noticed Nick looking anxious and uncomfortable in a way that deeply unsettled them. Sources say that many people approached Rob Reiner to ask if his son was okay. Meanwhile, sources told People Magazine that Nick was apparently freaking everyone out at the party and acting crazy, as well as approaching people and asking if they were famous. New CCTV footage of Nick Reiner from moments before his arrest shows the 32-year-old walking calmly into a petrol station and purchasing a Gatorade. He is apprehended shortly afterwards by the police and can be seen raising his hands above his head. Nick Reiner is currently being held without bail at the citys Twin Towers Correctional Facility. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed the closed-door briefings held Tuesday on the U.S. militarys strikes on an alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean, calling them a joke. Were you satisfied with the answers that youve gotten so far today in these classified briefings? journalist Pablo Manriquez asked Ocasio-Cortez in a clip shared on X Tuesday. The New York Democrat immediately responded, Oh, hell no. That was a joke, that was a joke, she continued. AOC was then asked if any questions were answered about the deadly second strike on an alleged drug boat this September, which killed two people who survived the initial strike. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the meetings held on the U.S. militarys strikes on alleged drug boats not a serious intelligence briefing (Getty) There was not a single piece of information that was shared that even rises to the level of any other briefing that weve seen on Ukraine, China, anything. This was not a serious intelligence briefing. This was a communication of opinion, and if this administration wants to go to war, they need to go get it from Congress, Ocasio-Cortez said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a closed-door meeting for all members of Congress on Tuesday about the U.S. military strikes. Hegseth later said the Pentagon would not publicly release the unedited video of a controversial second strike attack also referred to as a double-tap which took place in early September. That strike killed 11, including two who initially survived. In keeping with longstanding [Pentagon] policy, of course were not going to rrelease a top-secret, full, unedited video of that to the general public, Hegseth told reporters Tuesday. Members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees will see the footage, but not the general public, he added. It was not immediately clear if all members of Congress would be allowed to view it, too. President Donald Trumps administration has killed at least 95 people in a series of strikes targeting alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Pacific and Caribbean. Hegseth said video of the deadly strike would not be released to the public (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also expressed his disappointment with the meeting, saying that Hegseth and administration officials came empty-handed. If they cant be transparent on this, how can they be transparent on all the other issues swirling about the Caribbean? Schumer said. All senators are entitled to see it, he added. I also believe every American should see an appropriate version of what happened September 2. I saw it. It is deeply troubling. We dont want another endless war. We dont want to stumble into something, and given Trumps erratic back-and-forth on this issue I worry about that, and so do many Americans. Meanwhile, administration officials insist the two dozen strikes theyve carried out are within legal bounds, supported by the administrations notice to Congress that the United States is formally engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels, that the president has labeled unlawful combatants. Admiral Frank M. Mitch Bradley, who issued the order to fire a second time on the vessel on September 2, also addressed lawmakers in closed-door briefings earlier this month. Kentucky State University is facing renewed scrutiny over campus security after a fatal shooting left one student dead and another injured, prompting national attention on the safety of historically Black universities. The attack, which unfolded near a residence hall on 9 December, has intensified calls for stronger protections and expanded mental-health support for students across HBCUs at a time when term-end pressures are already high. Student Killed as Suspect Taken Into Custody According to officials, the shooting occurred on the south side of the Frankfort campus, close to Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall, one of the institution's main residential buildings. Police responded to an 'active aggressor' alert within minutes, placing the campus on lockdown as emergency teams secured the area. One student was pronounced dead and another remains in stable condition after hospital treatment. Authorities confirmed that the suspect, who was taken into custody shortly after the incident, is not a Kentucky State University student. The university announced that classes, examinations and campus activities have been suspended for the remainder of the week to allow the community to process the event and access available support services. University Activates Emergency Protocols and Support Services Kentucky State University stated that there was no ongoing threat to students or staff once the suspect was detained. The rapid lockdown, campus alerts and multi-agency response reflect the institution's emergency procedures, which were activated immediately following reports of gunfire. Counselling services have been expanded to support traumatised students, families and staff members. University officials said academic flexibility would be offered to those directly affected, acknowledging the timing of the incident just days before end-of-term assessments. HBCU Safety Concerns Draw National Attention The shooting has prompted widespread discussion about the challenges faced by historically Black universities, many of which have reported heightened threats and security concerns in recent years. Kentucky State University, one of the country's longstanding HBCUs, is part of a wider network of institutions that have experienced increased pressure to bolster campus safety amid resource constraints. Recent reporting has highlighted that several HBCUs have been working to strengthen security following threats and isolated violent incidents. The tragedy at KSU has renewed questions about whether current measures are sufficient and whether funding gaps may leave some institutions more vulnerable than larger, better-resourced universities. Mental-Health Pressures Rise Following Campus Violence The incident has also brought attention to student support systems, particularly mental-health resources. Kentucky State University has made counselling available across the campus, reflecting growing concern about the psychological impact of violence on student communities. Experts have previously noted that HBCUs often face challenges in expanding mental-health staffing and services, especially during high-stress periods such as final examinations. Students and parents have expressed concerns online about safety on campus and the availability of support. While reactions have varied, many highlighted the emotional toll on a close-knit campus community and the need for continued attention to student welfare. Authorities Continue Investigation Into Motive and Security Gaps Police have not yet released information regarding the suspect's motive. Investigators are examining whether the shooting exposed vulnerabilities in residence hall access or campus security protocols. Law enforcement is expected to provide further updates as the investigation progresses, while the university prepares to issue additional briefings on support measures and any future safety enhancements. The incident remains a developing story, and officials have urged the public to rely on verified updates as more information becomes available. Originally published on IBTimes UK Ros and Mark Dowey say the lawsuit is a way to get a wee bit of justice for their son Murray. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian (Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian) The parents of a 16-year-old who took his own life after he fell victim to a sextortion gang on Instagram are suing Meta for the alleged wrongful death of their son, in the first UK case of its kind. Murray Dowey died in December 2023 at his family home in Dunblane, after being tricked into sending intimate pictures to an Instagram contact. He thought it was a girl his own age, but it turned out to be overseas criminals involved in financially motivated sexual extortion. Related: Our teenage son was targeted by a sextortionist online heres what we did Speaking as the lawsuit was filed in Delaware, where Meta Platforms is incorporated, Murrays parents Ros and Mark said: We know what were up against. But its time social media companies took accountability for what theyve done to our young people. Its not just sextortion, theyre causing multiple harms, and theyve been allowed to get away with it. The lawsuit was filed in Delaware superior court by the US-based Social Media Victims Law Center on behalf of the Doweys, as well as the family of Levi Maciejewski, a 13-year-old from Pennsylvania who was also a victim of sextortion. It states that the boys deaths were the foreseeable result of Metas design decisions and repeated refusals to implement affordable, available and identified safety features due to Metas prioritisation of engagement over user safety. Related: How can parents protect their children from sextortion? According to the complaint, these design flaws include collection of personal data without informed consent, and use of that data to program recommendation products it knew [were] operating in a manner that recommended teen Instagram users to sextortionists who Meta itself already had identified as predators. The suit alleges Metas failure to safeguard user privacy, including through its continued sharing of Follower and Following data even after Meta knew that this engagement-focused product feature was resulting in sextortion-related deaths of teen users across the world. It also contends that Meta made false and misleading statements designed to convince children and parents that Instagram was safe for teens at the same time that internal testing showed that Instagram was matchmaking children to adult predators. While four British parents are suing TikTok for the alleged wrongful deaths of their children as a result of attempting the viral blackout challenge in 2021, this is the first UK case to centre on the crime of sextortion. Cases have risen sharply in recent years across the UK, US and Australia, with teenage boys and young men typically the victims of loosely organised cybercriminal gangs often based in south-east Asia and west Africa. Earlier this year, the Guardian reported that children as young as 11 to 13 were being targeted for the first time, as criminals behind extortion attempts cast their nets wider in an attempt to trap victims. The Doweys lawyer, Matthew Bergman, who set up the Social Media Victims Law Center in 2021, said Meta was involved in all the US-based sextortion cases that he had filed to date. There are reasons for that. It is a product defect issue and Meta knows it. This complaint cites Meta records only recently made known to the public through [previous joint civil proceedings] and those documents make the deliberateness of these design defects, lack of safeguards, and failures to warn clear, he said. Reflecting on the two years since his sons passing, Mark Dowey said: Nothings really changed since Murray died. These predators can still get at our children. As well as their battle to hold Meta to account, Ros and Mark have regularly spoken out about the dangers of sextortion in the hope of raising awareness among parents and young people. Ros said: As a parent who has first-hand experience of how devastating the flaws can be, you have a duty to warn other parents. You think your kids are safe looking at pictures on Instagram and theyre not. Mark said that the lawsuit was a way to get a wee bit of justice for Murray: There has to be accountability here because those statements are absolutely damning. [Meta] have known that their products are killing children by their unsafe design and they havent done anything about it. They chose to put profit before our young people. Instagram, which has previously condemned sextortion as a horrific crime, rolled out new safety features which included preventing screenshots or screen recordings of disappearing images and videos specifically to protect children from scammers in October 2024. Meta announced last October that accounts it detects as showing signals of suspicious behaviour would not be able to see peoples follower or following lists, removing their ability to exploit this feature, and would be blocked from being able to request to follow teens. In June alone, accounts were blocked one million times. This July, it introduced new block and report features for direct messages. A spokesperson for Meta said: Sextortion is a horrific crime. We support law enforcement to prosecute the criminals behind it and we continue to fight them on our apps on multiple fronts. Since 2021, weve placed teens under 16 into private accounts when they sign up for Instagram, which means they have to approve any new followers. We work to prevent accounts showing suspicious behaviour from following teens and avoid recommending teens to them. We also take other precautionary steps, like blurring potentially sensitive images sent in DMs and reminding teens of the risks of sharing them, and letting people know when theyre chatting to someone who may be in a different country. In the UK, the youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org, and in the UK and Ireland Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Protesters chanting globalise the intifada will now be arrested, the heads of the Greater Manchester and Metropolitan police forces have announced. A statement from Greater Manchesters chief constable Sir Stephen Watson and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said this was because the context has changed in the wake of the terror attack at a Jewish festival in Sydney, in which 15 people were killed. Surviving suspect Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack following the incident in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday. Akram and his father Sajid, 50, are accused of opening fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. The police forces announcement comes after chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis previously said it had to be made clear that slogans such as globalise the intifada are unlawful. The Met and Greater Manchester police said they will act decisively and make arrests, adding that the measures were designed to deter intimidation. Sir Mark and Sir Stephen said in a joint statement: The words and chants used, especially in protests, matter and have real-world consequences. We have consistently been advised by the CPS that many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities dont meet prosecution thresholds. Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive. A protest banner in London in December 2023 reading globalize the intifada (PA) We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as globalise the intifada and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests. Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services. Intifada is an Arabic word which means to shake off, according to the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU). The American Jewish Committee describes it as a phrase used by pro-Palestinian activists that calls for aggressive resistance against Israel and those who support Israel. But its meaning is contested, with protesters claiming it is a call to shake off colonialism and for a peaceful resistance to Israels occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza. The police forces announcement has been welcomed by the charity the Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection for Jewish people in Britain. A spokesperson said: The recent terror attacks in Bondi and Heaton Park were abhorrent, leaving Jewish communities feeling frightened and vulnerable. These attacks come amid a deeply concerning rise in antisemitism, which has created fear and uncertainty for Jewish people across the country. For many years, CST has called for tougher action against hateful and violent chants and placards at protests and this announcement comes not a moment too soon. In particular, given the wave of terrorism against Jews around the world, it is intolerable that a call for a global intifada should be allowed on our streets. We welcome the news that this behaviour will now be met with arrests. This is a necessary and important first step to turning back this tide of violent incitement and we hope that police across the country and the CPS will follow suit. CST will continue working closely with the police and our partners to ensure that Jewish life in this country remains protected. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene of the attack in Sydney, and two officers were also non-fatally shot as gunfire was exchanged. Naveed Akram remains under armed guard in hospital. Along with the murders, he is accused of 40 counts of causing wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol, and placing an explosive in/near a building with the intent to cause harm. Chief crown prosecutor Lionel Idan, hate crime lead for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: Our thoughts are with the Jewish community following the abhorrent terror attack on innocent people in Sydney as they started to celebrate Hanukkah. We are already working closely with police and communities to identify, charge and prosecute antisemitic hate crimes and we will always look at ways we can do more. We carefully consider each antisemitic hate crime case referred to us for charging decision or early advice to see whether it can be taken to court. Some offences can be context specific and where the evidence is not sufficient, we will work with police to identify what more can be done to meet the threshold for charging. We have initially responded to the governments hate crime review to identify where the law can be strengthened to enhance our ability to prosecute such hatred, deter offenders and achieve justice for victims. The Metropolitan Police has made two arrests at a central London pro-Palestine rally on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences after shouting "slogans involving calls for intifada". A third person was arrested for obstructing the previous arrests, the force added. The protest took place outside the Ministry of Justice building in Westminster hours after the Met and Greater Manchester Police announced that anyone chanting "globalise the intifada" would be arrested because the "context has changed" in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack. The heads of the forces said officers will "act decisively and make arrests", adding that the measures were designed to "deter intimidation". Earlier, the Met moved the pro-Gaza protest from Whitehall to stop any interference with a menorah lighting event in nearby Trafalgar Square. Police at a pro-Palestine protest on Tuesday (Rosie Shead/PA Wire) In a statement, Scotland Yard said: Officers intervened to request that the protest be relocated to ensure that there would be no serious disruption to the menorah lighting event which takes place in nearby Trafalgar Square each evening during Hanukkah. The force denied that there was an attempt to ban the march. We have tried to engage constructively with the organisers to ensure the right to protest was protected while also taking steps to provide reassurance to the many members of Londons Jewish communities who should be able to attend Hanukkah events without fear or intimidation, the Met added. Indeed it was Met officers who proposed that the protest be relocated to Petty France as was ultimately agreed. Public Order Act conditions have been imposed which will give officers the power to intervene if anyone still tries to gather for the march in the Whitehall area, including Parliament Square and Whitehall from between 4pm and 11pm on Wednesday. The same conditions will apply to an area to the north of Oxford Circus, including Portland Place, where Hanukkah events are taking place. Earlier the Met Police said demonstrators at pro-Gaza marches in London who chant globalise the intifada face arrest. The conditioned area (Met Police) The force signalled it would take more assertive action against slogans and messages intimidating Jewish communities in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack. In a joint statement, Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley and Sir Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, said Jewish communities in Britain were worried and scared. After the attack on Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester in October and the terror shootings in Australia, they said: Antisemitic hate crime has surged, protests have intensified, and online abuse has grown since 2023. These trends create real fear and disrupt daily life, and have an impact on how safe the Jewish community feel when attending synagogues and other communal spaces. Jewish children attend schools behind fences, guarded by security and routine police patrols. No community should have to live like this. That must change. They stressed that current laws to deal with the rise in anti-Semitism are inadequate and they backed a review by the Government into public order and hate crime legislation. Family members leave the funeral of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed during a shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach (REUTERS) They also emphasised: The words and chants used, especially in protests, matter and have real world consequences. We have consistently been advised by the CPS that many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities dont meet prosecution thresholds. Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive. More specifically, they added: We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as globalise the intifada and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed - words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests. The scene in October near Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where two people died in a terror attack (PA Wire) Officers are being briefed on this new enhanced approach. The two police chiefs stressed: It is possible to protest in support of Palestinian people without intimidating Jewish communities or breaking the law. Demonstrations also face restrictions under the Public Order Act around London synagogues during services. Visible patrols and protective security measures around synagogues, schools, and community venues have been stepped up in London and Manchester. We are intensifying investigations into hate crime, and Counter Terrorism Policing continues to operate 24/7 to identify and disrupt threats, Sir Mark and Sir Stephen added. These measures are practical and immediate, designed to keep communities safe, deter intimidation, and enforce the law. They stated that they wanted to create a hostile environment for offenders and a safer environment for Jewish communities, while protecting lawful protest. Ministers have stressed that people should refrain from using chants like globalise the intifada and from the river to the sea at pro-Gaza protests in London and other cities being held to condemn Israels military onslaught on the besieged strip following the Hamas October 7 terror attack. Demonstrators from the Palestine Coalition gather in October in support for Palestinians, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza (REUTERS) In Australia, the surviving Bondi Beach shooting suspect has been charged after 15 people were killed at a Jewish festival in Sydney. Naveed Akram, 24, woke from a coma on Tuesday and was charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack. A spokesman for the New South Wales courts service said that a hearing had taken place on Wednesday, where no application for bail was made. The case was adjourned until April 8 for a mention hearing, and has also been listed on December 22 this year for a hearing to deal with reporting and disclosure restrictions. Akram and his father Sajid, 50, are accused of opening fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach in Australia on Sunday evening. Vladimir Putin dismissed fears of conflict with Europe as hysteria stoked by Ukraines allies on Wednesday just two weeks after issuing his own threats against the West. In a rambling speech, the Russian president claimed that Europeans had been indoctrinated with fears about an inevitable clash with Russia despite Moscow escalating its campaign of hybrid attacks in recent months. I have repeatedly stated: this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is being done quite deliberately, he said. Earlier this month, Putin caused alarm after saying Russia was ready to fight against Nato. Russian officials have repeatedly threatened Europe with military action since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Putin accused European leaders of following the path of the previous US administration, painting president Joe Biden as a warmongering leader who deliberately steered the situation towards an armed conflict. Europes little pigs immediately joined in the work of the previous American administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country, he said. Speaking at an annual meeting with the defence ministry, Putin jumped at the opportunity to reassert his unyielding demands for a peace deal in Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly warned that Russia is ready to expand its conflict (Sputnik) He said that Russia will undoubtedly achieve its war goals, suggesting we would prefer to do this ... through diplomacy but warning that Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means if Ukraine and its allies do not engage. The Kremlin is currently waiting to hear from Washington on the outcomes of US-Ukrainian talks to end the war held earlier this week. Russia has refused to budge on its demands for Ukrainian territory, a sticking point in negotiations. As European nations rally to offer Ukraine security guarantees, Putin has repeatedly warned that Russia is ready to expand its conflict - and has threatened that foreign peacekeepers in a post-war settlement would be considered legitimate targets. If Europe decides to go to war with Russia and actually starts a war, a situation could very quickly come where Moscow simply has no one to negotiate with, he said in a stark warning earlier this month. A self-propelled multiple rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian troops (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service) He said that Russia was not planning to go to war with Europe, but was ready right now if Europe wanted to, or started a war. Analysts in the West have argued that Putin appears to be actively preparing for conflict with Europe. The head of Britains armed forces assessed this week that Russia presents a real threat to the UK and that the nations sons and daughters must be ready to fight in case of an attack. Nato chief Mark Rutte warned last week that Russia could attack a member state within five years. His claim appeared to echo the findings of a Danish intelligence report that assessed last year that Russia could attack a Nato country within three to five years. Latvian intelligence also assessed in February that Russian intelligence was developing its capabilities for sabotage in Europe in preparation for a possible military confrontation with Nato in the long term. Working with animals can be highly emotional and challenging, but it can also be rewarding and fun. Whether it's working as a keeper at the zoo or volunteering at an animal shelter to ensure dogs are walked, fed, and loved, a career with animals is a surefire way to change lives. Jess, AKA @jesswildlifexx, is a Canadian Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation staff member who cares for dozens of different species every year. On December 13, she gave her viewers a sneak peek into the adorable greetings she gets from the rescued raccoons every morning, and it's safe to say that everyone's jealous. What adorable raccoons! Joyful greetings like this could make anyone smile, but it must be even more rewarding to Jess, who's helped to care for the animals since they arrived at their wildlife rehab center a few years ago. Happy raccoons mean a job well done! Viewers admitted, left and right, to feeling FOMO after watching this video, but Jess ruined the illusion when she explained what the adopted raccoons were doing. They're less interested in saying hello and more interested in frisking her for treats! Related: Precious Dog and Raccoon Friend Prance Through a Field Together in Stunning Video Commenter @timmiaaraq90 had everyone laughing even harder than the raccoons with their admission: "Every time I read 'wildlife rehab,' I always imagine animals that are addicts trying to sober up." I've thought about that, too! "Believe it or not, we have had animals come in that do require sobering up from ingesting stuff they shouldnt have," Jess replied. Oh no! Wildlife Rehabilitation Sadly, many animals come to wildlife rehab for serious illnesses and injuries. Most rehab residents are treated with the intention of returning to the wild, which is why it's unusual for animals to form such close bonds with their rehabilitators. These curious raccoons, however, are permanent residents who interact with their caretakers more frequently than others do. As Jess explained, this duo was rescued from the movie industry a few years ago. They've continued to be comfortable with human contact since moving to the wildlife rehab center, which is why they don't hesitate to get up close and personal with their human friends. SIGN UP to get pawsitivity delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Dec 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Fantastic, which operates between France, Italy and North Africa, was intercepted after an intelligence tip-off from Italy Russia is suspected of infiltrating a European passenger ferry after a sophisticated spying device was found on board. Two Eastern Europeans were arrested after France launched an investigation into the Fantastic vessel, which operates between France, Italy and North Africa. Officials believe the device could have enabled remote control of critical functions, raising fears that the ferry could have been diverted or used to carry out a hostile act on French territory. The 180-metre (590ft) Fantastic, which can carry more than 2,000 people, was intercepted last Friday by French security services when it docked at the port of Sete, southern France, following an urgent intelligence tip-off from Italy. French investigators believe the ships digital systems may have been compromised using a malicious remote access tool, a type of spyware that allows an external operator to infiltrate, monitor or potentially interfere with computer networks. A small, high-tech device suspected of being used in the intrusion was seized on board and sent for detailed forensic analysis to determine its origin and capabilities. The inquiry has been entrusted to the DGSI, Frances domestic intelligence service, which is equivalent to MI5 in the UK. Two members of the crew were arrested and questioned. One, a Latvian national in his early 20s, who had recently been hired as a trainee sailor, was transferred to Paris, formally charged and remanded in custody. He is accused of attempting to breach an automated data-processing system in an organised group and for the benefit of a foreign power, an offence carrying heavy prison sentences. A second suspect, a Bulgarian crew member, was released without charge after questioning. On Wednesday, Laurent Nunez, the French interior minister, confirmed that the investigation was focusing on hostile foreign involvement. This is a very serious matter ... individuals attempted to hack into a ships data processing system, he told France Info. Investigators are clearly pursuing the trail of interference, foreign interference. At the moment, foreign interference very often comes from the same country. Laurent Nunez, the French interior minister, said that the investigation was focusing on hostile foreign involvement, potentially from Russia - OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP While Mr Nunez declined to name any state, his comments have been widely interpreted as alluding to Russia. French prosecutors stressed that no formal attribution had yet been made, and that the investigation remained ongoing. However, the case unfolds amid growing concern in France over Russian hybrid operations combining cyber activity, espionage and covert sabotage. French intelligence services have repeatedly warned that Moscow increasingly relies on intermediaries, recruited abroad often young, low-profile operatives from Eastern Europe to carry out sensitive missions while maintaining plausible deniability. According to French media reports, the Latvian suspects recent recruitment as a trainee sailor has drawn particular scrutiny. Investigators are examining whether his position gave him physical access to restricted areas of the ship, including computer systems critical to navigation, communications or safety. Defence lawyers say their client denies acting on behalf of any foreign power and contests the gravity of the accusations. The ferry was temporarily detained in Sete to carry out all necessary checks regarding the possible compromise of the ships computer systems, and to avoid any risk to passengers and crew. After several days of examinations, it was authorised to resume service. Italian and French authorities are working closely on the case. If suspicions of Russian involvement are ultimately confirmed, the case would mark the first known attempt to infiltrate or potentially weaponise a civilian passenger vessel through cyber means on French territory. It would fit a broader pattern of suspected Russian-linked hybrid operations targeting civilian infrastructure in Europe. In recent years, Western authorities have accused Moscow of conducting cyber intrusions against rail networks, ports and energy facilities, including cyberattacks on Ukrainian and Baltic transport systems, and attempted interference with satellite communications used for civilian navigation. On Wednesday, Mr Nunez also confirmed that hackers had penetrated the interior ministrys computer systems in a separate but highly sensitive cyber attack. Mr Nunez said the intrusion, which lasted several days, allowed attackers to access internal police databases, including the criminal records processing system, and the wanted persons register, which together contain millions of records. A hacking group has claimed responsibility and alleged it accessed data relating to more than 16 million individuals, but Mr Nunez dismissed that assertion as false, saying only several dozen files are confirmed to have been extracted so far. Nevertheless, he described the breach as very serious, stressing the sensitivity of the systems involved and acknowledging that investigators do not yet know the full extent of the compromise. Sir Keir Starmers government is to tackle misogynistic, toxic influencers like Andrew Tate head-on with compulsory lessons on healthy relationships for all secondary school pupils. The flagship 36m strategy will finally be unveiled today, 18 months after Labour was elected on a manifesto promise to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade. The strategy will see secondary school teachers given specialist training to talk to boys and girls about issues such as consent, and children who show harmful behaviour towards their parents, siblings or while in relationships will be signed up to special programmes. Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips compared the plans to anti-extremism programmes, telling Sky News: If my children were showing extremist behaviours in school, there are schemes that people can be sent on, but that doesn't exist for this. So if a young man had been found to have been sharing indecent images, as a mother of sons, what I would want is for the school to have a referral place, a specialist service that they could bring in for a child to stop that progressing. The much-anticipated plans will focus on tackling the root causes of abuse, and come as the latest statistics show that nearly 40 per cent of teenagers in relationships are victims of abuse, while more than 40 per cent of young men hold a positive view of Tate. Sir Keir said: Every parent should be able to trust that their daughter is safe at school, online and in her relationships. But too often, toxic ideas are taking hold early and going unchallenged. This government is stepping in sooner backing teachers, calling out misogyny, and intervening when warning signs appear to stop harm before it starts. This is about protecting girls and driving forward education and conversation with boys and young men, which is a responsibility we owe to the next generation, and one this government will deliver. Andrew Tate outside the Bucharest Court of Appeal in October last year (Getty) It follows repeated calls by The Independent for a strategy to tackle these issues, as well as our Brick by Brick campaign, which was backed by the prime minister, to build two safe houses for women who have been victims of domestic abuse. Sir Keir said at the time: I am so pleased to back The Independents Brick By Brick campaign to support victims of domestic abuse. I dont only support the campaign, but I want the campaign to go on and get bigger. Under Labours latest initiative, all secondary schools in England will teach students about healthy relationships, following concerns about the impact of self-described misogynistic influencers, like Tate, who appeal to young men by pushing an agenda characterised by toxic masculinity. A new helpline will also be set up for teenagers to get help with concerns about their own behaviour in relationships. It came as Ms Phillips said she is sick of putting nicer plasters onto ever-growing scars when it comes to tackling violence against women. One in eight women were victims of violence against women and girls last year and so Im a bit sick, I have to say, as somebody whos campaigned on this for many years of just trying to put nicer plasters onto ever growing scars, and so weve got to the government is really, really focused on the prevention, she told Times Radio. Campaign groups including Refuge have indicated that they will be poring over the details of the long-awaited plan to ensure that the flagship policy lives up to its billing and provides the funding needed. Keir Starmer promised a VAWG strategy in his election manifesto 18 months ago (House of Commons/UK Parliament) Measures already announced as part of the cross-government strategy include specialist rape and sexual offences investigators for every police force, better support through the NHS for those who have experienced abuse, and a 19m funding boost for councils to provide safe housing for domestic abuse survivors. The latest measures for educating children are backed by a 20m package, with 16m invested by the government, which is working with philanthropists on an innovation fund. Responding to the announcements made about the strategy so far, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Nicole Jacobs, said the commitments do not go far enough to see the number of people experiencing abuse start to fall. She said: Todays strategy rightly recognises the scale of this challenge and the need to address the misogynistic attitudes that underpin it, but the level of investment to achieve this falls seriously short. Dame Nicole also said that overburdened schools were not being equipped with the infrastructure needed to safeguard child victims of domestic abuse. The schools that will take part in the pilot scheme will be chosen next year, while ministers are aiming for all secondary schools to teach healthy relationships by the end of this parliament. Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips says the strategy will prevent women and girls from actually being harmed in the first place (PA Wire) It comes as Department for Education-commissioned research found that 70 per cent of secondary school teachers surveyed said their school had actively dealt with sexual violence and/or harassment between children. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: Having spent years working in a refuge for women experiencing domestic abuse, I know just how much early intervention could have changed lives. We cannot simply respond to harm after it happens; we must give young people the understanding and tools they need before attitudes harden into harm. Police and social services will also be given new guidance on teenage relationships to help them tackle abuse, and the legal framework for domestic abuse will be looked at in order to address the experiences of teenagers. It comes after Sir Keir vowed to look at whether younger people should be recognised as domestic abuse victims following the murder of 15-year-old Holly Newton by her stalker ex-boyfriend in Hexham, Northumberland, in January 2023. VAWG minister Jess Phillips said: For too long, the scale of violence against women and girls has been treated as a fact of life in our country. I am determined our groundbreaking strategy will prevent women and girls from actually being harmed in the first place. Put together from today, it will deploy the full power of the state to introduce the largest crackdown to stop violence perpetrated against women and girls in British history. Pro-Palestinian campaigners hold a rally in Dublin calling for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest owing to Israels participation - Anadolu/Getty Ireland has been in the news for the past two weeks for all the wrong reasons. Or, more precisely, for one deeply troubling reason a series of controversies accompanied by a growing number of incidents that Jewish representative bodies describe as clear evidence of resurgent anti-Semitism. Two weeks ago, I wrote an article for the Irish Sunday Independent on the preliminary findings of a soon-to-be-released report by the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland (JRCI), which documents a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic incidents. Some of the reported cases were chilling. At the same time, the controversy over the denaming of Herzog Park in Dublin made local and international headlines. The park was named after Chaim Herzog, the first president of Israel, who was born in Belfast and grew up in Dublin. International attention quickly followed. The Telegraph ran an article titled Ireland is hardly bothering to hide its anti-Semitism anymore, soon followed by a Wall Street Journal piece, Ireland Is a Wounded Tiger, which argued that resurgent anti-Semitism was one symptom of broader political malaise. The Jerusalem Post also weighed in with the opinion piece Herzog Irish dynasty is unbowed; we wont allow them to erase it. Many in the Dublin establishment may be tempted to dismiss coverage from the UK Right-wing press or Rupert Murdochs American outlets as opportunistic piling-on. Israeli media, too, can be waved away. But what should concern Irish readers far more is what has been written and said within Ireland itself. This brings us to a reasonable and unavoidable question. What is going on at The Irish Times Irelands paper of record and an institution widely seen as occupying the apex of the liberal-Left media establishment in the Republic? Disclosure: I have been a regular contributor of opinion pieces to The Irish Times. Plans to rename Herzog Park drew widespread condemnation from Israel, the US and the leaders of Irelands governing coalition - Paulo Nunes dos Santos One early intervention sought to broaden the debate around the renaming of Herzog Park, by playfully suggesting that, taken to its logical conclusion, maybe we should dename Ireland. Whatever the intent, the effect struck many readers as oddly flippant in the context of a discussion centred on anti-Semitism. Then the Eurovision Song Contest entered an already charged atmosphere. Considerable space has been devoted to Irelands national broadcaster RTEs decision to boycott Eurovision because of Israels continued participation. That decision can be defended on political grounds, including Israels conduct in Gaza and its restrictions on foreign journalists reporting freely from the territory. What is troubling, however, is the re-emergence of claims suggesting that Israel may have manipulated Eurovision televoting. This is despite the fact that months earlier, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) stated explicitly that it found no evidence of vote manipulation. Against that background, a recent Irish Times editorial nonetheless referred to alleged vote-tampering on behalf of Israel in recent contests. Claims of Jewish manipulation or fraud have a long and well-documented history as anti-Semitic tropes. For some readers, the decision to revisit such allegations particularly after they had been formally dismissed risks reinforcing damaging suspicions. The subsequent move to diminish the weight of televoting in favour of national juries may also be read, by some, as reflecting a discomfort with popular votes delivering the wrong outcome. For Jewish readers especially, this discourse can carry unsettling echoes of older ideas. Richard Wagner, the 19th century German composer and notorious anti-Semite, wrote in 1850: The Jew is incapable of creating art that belongs to the people. The concern here is not equivalence, but resonance. Within days, another Irish Times opinion piece appeared under the headline Eurovision glitz is part of Israels claim to be European and that matters. The author argued that Israels Europeanness is a political construct, describing Israelis as simultaneously seeking to maintain a European identity while being European Jewry reborn in the Middle East. For some readers, this framing risks suggesting that Israeli Jews do not truly belong in Europe while also implying that they do not belong in the Middle East either, as they are cast instead as European colonial interlopers. Such arguments inevitably recall, for historically minded readers, Heinrich von Treitschkes 1879 assertion that the Jew is a foreigner everywhere. Again, the issue is not authorial intent, but interpretive effect. Most troubling of all, however, was a headline published the day after 15 members of the Jewish community were killed at a Hanukkah gathering in Bondi Beach, Sydney. Dubliner tells of fleeing gunfire as a father and son allegedly opened fire at a Hanukkah gathering, killing 15 people It is frankly impossible to understand what the sub-editor intended by the word allegedly in this headline. But given that the number of deaths and the relationship between the assailants were widely reported and verified by the Sydney authorities at the time of writing, it is not unreasonable to assume that the choice of allegedly is intended to raise doubt on the motivation of the attack, an attack at a Hanukkah party. At a moment of collective shock and mourning, the phrasing raised serious questions of editorial judgment. It is difficult to know whether such articles and headlines reflect a lack of historical sensitivity, a failure to appreciate the weight of certain framings, or a more general insularity. Several things can, of course, be true at the same time: a profound ignorance of classical anti-Semitic tropes, a willingness conscious or unconscious to reproduce language that echoes them, or simply an unconscious desire to downplay anti-Semitism. One troubling article or headline in a fortnight might be forgiven. Two is unfortunate. Three indicates a pattern. But four? You decide. Sir Keir Starmer has warned Roman Abramovich that the clock is ticking for him to donate the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea to Ukraine. The Prime Minister told MPs on Wednesday that ministers have issued a licence allowing the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea to be transferred to a new foundation for humanitarian causes in Ukraine. He said: My message to Abramovich is this: the clock is ticking. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said we are prepared to go to court (Alistair Grant/PA) (Alistair Grant) Honour the commitment you made and pay up now, and if you dont, we are prepared to go to court so every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putins illegal war. Abramovich sold the club in May 2022 after he was sanctioned following Vladimir Putins invasion earlier that year. The oligarch had pledged to donate the proceeds from the sale to the people of Ukraine, but he has so far failed to reach an agreement with the Government on a way forward and the funds remain frozen. Downing Street said Abramovich has objected to the Governments insistence that the money be spent exclusively in Ukraine. Abramovich sold Chelsea in 2022 (John Walton/PA) (John Walton) Wednesdays decision to grant a licence for the transfer is an effort to force Abramovich to fulfil his promise before the Government resorts to legal action. It is understood that the Government expects Abramovich to act within the next few months, although it does not appear to have set a hard deadline. The Government previously raised the possibility of legal action in June, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves and then-foreign secretary David Lammy said they were frustrated by the failure to reach an agreement with Abramovich. On Wednesday, Reeves said it was unacceptable that the money remained frozen in a UK bank and said ministers were prepared to do what is necessary to ensure the funds reach Ukraine. Abramovich objected to the money being exclusively in Ukraine (Mike Egerton/PA) (Mike Egerton) The Treasury said ministers would consider any proposal from Abramovich to voluntarily transfer the money to Ukraine. But the department declined to say what legal mechanism it could use to force the transfer of funds. Under the new licence, the proceeds must go to humanitarian causes in Ukraine, while any future gains can be spent more broadly on victims of conflict around the world. Target reveals the most popular holiday cookie in each state Theres one holiday cookie that outshines the rest in America this year, according to a new report from Target. The retail giant shared its data on the most popular holiday cookie in each U.S. state Monday. Target created the review by analyzing cookie sales at stores across the country from November 1 to December 6, 2025. The research identified three cookies as shoppers top picks: sugar, gingerbread and shortbread. Gingerbread, however, stood out from the rest, topping the list in 76 percent of US states. Gingerbread cookies were the most popular from the Midwest to the South, spanning across 38 states, including California, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada. Sugar cookies came in second, topping the list in eight states: Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. Gingerbread cookies are the most popular holiday cookie in the U.S., according to Target (Getty/iStock) Gingerbread cookies were the most popular in 38 states (Target) Trailing behind in third place were the shortbread cookies. The buttery treat was a fan-favorite in four states: Kansas, Maine, Montana, and New Jersey. Targets report comes as the retailer is preparing for the busy holiday season. In fact, the brand recently expanded its next-day delivery of online orders to more markets throughout the U.S. This means that shoppers will be able to receive their purchases the day after theyve ordered in about 30 metro areas. Part of the reason for the service expansion, Target explained, is to make holiday shopping quicker and easier. Most items eligible for shipping at Target are eligible for next-day delivery, Targets release, shared last week, reads. That includes hundreds of thousands of items 85 percent of what we sell in Target stores. The expansion of Targets delivery service also comes one month after it announced a billion-dollar plan to revamp stores. Incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke said the company will invest about $5 billion in upgrades next year, which is a roughly $1 billion increase year-on-year. The money will go toward improving stores, updating product selection, and strengthening Targets website and digital systems. Mission 1 through 10 is to get back to growth for us, Fiddelke told reporters in a call, according to the Wall Street Journal. Shoppers have complained recently about messy stores, empty shelves, and less exciting products, the outlet reported. However, Target said it wants to fix those issues through better store experiences, more appealing merchandise, and updated technology. Executives also said the additional investment is necessary after the company logged its 12th consecutive quarter of weak or falling sales. Authorities investigating the recent fatal shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, have released new images and surveillance footage as the hunt for the gunman intensifies. Federal and state officials have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and are calling on the community for support while law enforcement conducts a thorough search across Rhode Island and surrounding areas. We are requesting the public's assistance in identifying a person of interest in Saturday's incident at Brown University. Please share these video clips and photos, and direct all tips to... New Surveillance Images Released The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has shared new photographs and video stills of a person of interest, captured by surveillance cameras in the vicinity of the Brown University campus. Police have been optimistic that the newly surfaced images could yield crucial information in identifying the individual responsible for the fatal assault. Photos depict an individual dressed in dark clothes, complete with a face mask and beanie. In a poster released by the police, the suspect is 'approximately 5'8" with a stocky build.' Law enforcement officials are urging the community to carefully examine the materials and share any details, no matter how small. As part of an initiative to promote collaboration and expedite the inquiry, the FBI has announced that a reward of up to $50,000 (37,300) is available for information that leads to the apprehension of the suspect. The FBI has reiterated that tips can be submitted anonymously. #BREAKING: The FBI and @ProvidenceRIPD are releasing new images of a person of interest in the mass shooting at Brown University on 12/13/25. The #FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual. pic.twitter.com/OhpnsN9fds FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) December 15, 2025 Manhunt Continues After Initial Mis-identification The manhunt has continued for several days, with local, state and federal agencies coordinating search efforts. Investigators had initially named a 24-year-old Wisconsin man, Benjamin Erickson, as a person of interest. Authorities tracked Erickson to a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, in the early hours of Sunday morning, 14 December. They utilised a mix of geolocation information and tips that seemed to connect him to the event, leading to the recovery of firearms from his room, which triggered the initial arrest. Erickson was detained but released later that day after authorities determined there was not enough evidence to link him to the mass shooting in the university. Police then announced a change in the investigation's trajectory, revealing that the actual shooter is still on the loose. The confusion led to significant distress for the family of Erickson. His mother, Kathy, expressed her disbelief as her family became overwhelmed with media enquiries after the online confusion, expressing her surprise at the connection made between her son's name and the shooting incident. Ultimately, she expressed her support for the victims and their families. BREAKING: Brown University suspected SHOOTER, Benjamin Erickson is now being RELEASED. They STILL dont have the real shooter. pic.twitter.com/8ScG1ufppu Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) December 15, 2025 Attorney General Expresses Confidence in Arrest Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha voiced confidence that law enforcement will track down the suspect associated with the deadly shooting. In an interview with CNN, he said: 'Hopefully very quickly, we can get this person identified, detained, questioned if possible, but certainly he is our primary person of interest right now.' The attorney general also dismissed the criticism from US President Donald Trump, who implied that the university was to blame for the delay in identifying a suspect. Neronha stated that the incident highlighted a wider national concern instead of being attributed to any shortcomings on the part of Brown University. 'It's not a Brown problem, it's a national problem, a symptom that happened here in Rhode Island,' Neronha stated. What Happened at Brown University? The shooting occurred on 13 December at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, at around 4:05 p.m. local time during a study session for final exams. Officials suspect that the shooting persisted for several minutes prior to the arrival of law enforcement and emergency personnel at the location. Two students tragically lost their lives and nine others sustained injuries, prompting their immediate transport to the hospital. Following the incident, Brown University promptly issued alerts across the campus, advising students and staff to shelter in place. A wider shelter-in-place order continued as law enforcement carried out a thorough search of the campus. Officials later lifted the order after more than 12 hours, as evacuations continued into the evening and the early hours of the following day, coinciding with a heightened search for the suspect. Originally published on IBTimes UK Tow truck driver arrested for towing vehicle with 4-year-old still inside then driving away as she fell out A Florida tow truck driver was arrested on Sunday after he towed a car that had a 4-year-old girl inside, police say. To make matters worse, authorities say the child fell from the car as it was being taken away. Sergio Suarez, 34, picked up the car outside the Bistro Creole Restaurant in the community of Sunrise, Florida. The girls father had just gone inside the eatery when he saw Suarezs rig in action. However, the drivers attorney is claiming that the suspect thoroughly checked the car before taking it away. A tow truck driver was arrested after picking up a vehicle with a 4-year-old girl inside (Sunrise Police Department) According to an arrest report shared with Local 10 by the Sunrise Police Department, the father yelled at Suarez that his daughter was in the car, but was ignored. As Suarez began to pull away, the father hit the drivers window but again received no response. When the distressed dad began sprinting after the truck, his daughter managed to open the rear drivers side door. She then fell from the car onto the road and sustained superficial injuries. A witness told Local 10 that he saw the girls father pulling his child out of the road to avoid traffic. Meanwhile, Suarez fled from the scene but later returned when police contacted his employer and demanded to speak with him. Suarez allegedly tried to keep the encounter brief by dropping off the fathers vehicle before leaving once again. Police arrested him shortly after and charged him with child neglect. The report claimed that he was arrested for his failure to inspect the vehicle prior to towing, combined with his decision to continue driving despite being alerted that a child was inside, created a foreseeable and substantial risk of serious bodily harm or death. His actions constituted culpable negligence and demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of a minor, directly resulting in injury to the child, the report continued. Sergio Suarez was arrested and charged with child neglect in connection with the incident (Sunrise Police Department) Suarezs attorney, though, has disputed the charges. He advised me he checked the vehicle three times before he towed it, the attorney said in court, according to WSVN. There was no child inside. He also had a partner, whom he called the spotter, the attorney continued. He had the spotter also look at the vehicle, and thats why he said he doesnt know how this came about. Suarez has since been ordered to refrain from driving until further notice and has been told to avoid all contact with the victim. He was also granted a $10,000 bond, according to court documents seen by Local 10. The broadcaster was also given an update on the girls condition by her father, who said that she was good after being treated at the hospital. The Independent has contacted the Sunrise Police Department for comment. A carton of eggs sit on a counter in the kitchen inside of 5 Rabanitos restaurant in Chicago, Feb. 16, 2025 (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Supermarket chain Trader Joes has joined other grocers across the US in limiting egg purchases for customers, citing supply issues stemming from the ongoing bird flu outbreak. The Monrovia, California-based retailer confirmed it is capping purchases at one carton per customer per day, a restriction now in effect at all its locations nationwide. We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who need eggs are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joes, the company said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Tuesday. Photos of in-store notices about eggs purchase limits at retailers nationwide have swirled around online in recent weeks. In addition to Trader Joes, consumers and several local media outlets have also reported varying limits seen at stores like Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger and Aldi locations. When each limit went into effect is unclear, however. And not all are being implemented nationally. A spokesperson for Kroger, for example, confirmed that the supermarket giant doesnt currently have enterprise-wide limits in place but said some of regional divisions and store banners are asking customers to cap egg purchases to two dozen per trip. Egg cartons for sale are displayed at a grocery store, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025 in Grosse Pointe, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Walmart says it also hasnt imposed national limits expect for bulkier purchases of 60-count cartons, which have been capped to two per purchase, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant confirmed Tuesday. Although supply is very tight, were working with suppliers to try and help meet customer demand, while striving to keep prices as low as possible, Walmart said in an emailed statement. The AP also reached out to Costco, Whole Foods and Aldi for further information on Tuesday. Costco previously confirmed to CNN that the chain was limiting its customers to three packages of eggs, which are typically sold in two-dozen or four-dozen cartons. Avian flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. The average price per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December and it appears there may be no relief in sight, with the Agriculture Department predicting prices will soar another 20% this year. Retailers could notably feel added pressures with Easter demand fast approaching. Beyond grocery stores limits, U.S. consumers are also facing more expensive eggs in some restaurants. Last week, Waffle House, for example, said it would be adding a 50-cent surcharge per egg on all of its menus. Construction on President Donald Trumps $400 million ballroom is expected to continue after a federal judge said he was leaning toward denying a preservationist groups request to temporarily halt work on the controversial project. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group, last week asked the U.S. District Court to block Trumps gold-plated ballroom project until it went through multiple independent reviews and won approval from Congress. The president has already bypassed the federal governments usual building practices and historical reviews with the East Wing demolition. No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else, the lawsuit stated. But at a hearing Tuesday, Judge Richard J. Leon said that the organization had failed to show that irreparable harm would be caused if the project moved forward and gave the White House two weeks to submit the plans to the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. Construction on President Donald Trumps ballroom is expected to continue after a federal judge said he was leaning toward denying a preservationist groups request to temporarily halt work on the controversial project (AP) Trump hailed the judge Tuesday evening during a White House Hanukkah event and thanked Leon for having the courage in making the proper decision. The president also upped the price tag of the project to an estimated $400 million from $300 million, though he added that he should do it for less. We got sued. We're donating a $400 million ballroom, and we got sued not to build it, Trump said of the lawsuit. We're donating a building that's approximately $400 million. I think I'll do it for less, but it's 400I should do it for less. I will do it for less, but just in case, I say 400 otherwise, if I go $3 over, the press will say it costs more. Carol Quillen, President and CEO of the National Trust, said it remained fully committed to upholding the interests of the American people and advocating for compliance with the law, including review by the National Capital Planning Commission and an opportunity for the public to provide comment and shape the project. The president upped the price tag of the project to an estimated $400 million, though he added that he should do it for less (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Adam Gustafson, the principal deputy assistant attorney general, argued at the hearing that the Trust has no standing in the case to sue and that underground construction must continue for national security reasons that were not outlined in open court. But the judge warned the administration to not make decisions on underground work, such as the routing of plumbing and gas lines, that would dictate the scope of future ballroom construction above ground. If that were to happen, Leon warned, the court will address it, I assure you of that. Tad Heuer, the attorney representing the Trust, said that with every day that construction is allowed to proceed absent the independent reviews, the government gets to say wait and find out what the ballroom will look like. It's not about the need for a ballroom. It's about the need to follow the law, Heuer said. Demolition on the historic East Wing of the White House began in October to make way for the 90,000 square-foot ballroom (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House began in October to make way for the 90,000 square-foot ballroom. Trump said the project will be funded by private donors. Contributors include tech giants Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, crypto companies Coinbase and Ripple, the Winklevoss twins and the family of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to a list provided by the White House. Democrats have introduced legislation to put guardrails on the plans. In November, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and California Rep. Robert Garcia introduced the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act, which would require increased transparency around contributions, such as banning donations from individuals with conflicts of interest. The legislation would also prohibit the president and vice president from donating. The Associated Press contributed reporting. President Donald Trump has called for a total and complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela in an escalation of tensions with the South American country. The presidents latest announcement comes as part of the Trump administrations pressure campaign against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Trump has placed hundreds of American troops and ships near Venezuelas coastline and U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off the countrys coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us, Trump said on Truth Social Tuesday evening. It is unclear what oil, land and assets the White House believes Venezuela has stolen from the US. Trump also accused Maduro of using oil to finance drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping. President Donald Trump has called for a complete and total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela in an escalation of tensions with the South American country (Getty) Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela, the president continued. The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace. The buildup in tension has been accompanied by a series of military strikes on boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The campaign, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny among U.S. lawmakers, has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on vessels. The Trump administration has defended it as a success, saying it has prevented drugs from reaching American shores, and they pushed back on concerns that it is stretching the bounds of lawful warfare. The administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the U.S., but Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro. Wiles said Trump wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has come under intense scrutiny for U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats (Reuters) Last week, the Treasury department announced sanctions against three of Maduros wifes nephews, Cilia Flores and a business executive close to Maduro. The department also added six oil tankers to its list of sanctioned vessels, alleging that the vessels have engaged in deceptive and unsafe shipping practices and continue to provide financial resources that fuel Maduros corrupt narco-terrorist regime. The South American country largely relies on oil exports to fuel its economy, so seizing oil tankers could devastate Venezuelas already fragile economy, according to experts. Oil makes up about 88 percent of Venezuelas $24bn in export revenues, according to The New York Times. Elsewhere, the administration has been scrutinized for the U.S. militarys strikes on an alleged drug-carrying boat that killed two survivors. When two survivors emerged from the wreckage of the first strike on September 2, the commander overseeing the operation ordered officials to fire again. That order was reportedly in response to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths alleged instructions to kill everybody on the vessels, according to The Washington Post, citing officials with direct knowledge of the operation. News of Hegseths alleged command has heightened intense legal and political scrutiny into the Trump administrations deadly campaign and allegations that the attacks amount to illegal extrajudicial killings, which law-of-war experts speaking to The Independent in recent months have labeled outright murders and war crimes. The Associated Press contributed reporting Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmers tech partnership drastically collapsed on Tuesday - Leon Neal Donald Trump is demanding American chlorinated chicken be sold in British supermarkets. The White House is pushing Sir Keir Starmer to make concessions on food standards in order to revive a transatlantic tech partnership that drastically collapsed on Tuesday. Jamieson Greer, the US trade envoy, wants Britain to accept hormone-treated chicken and beef, a term he was not able to achieve when the wider US-UK trade deal was first signed in May. He is seeking to use the tech partnership as leverage on trade deal concessions he still wants but that didnt get the first round, a source close to the negotiations told The Telegraph. The US pulled the tech prosperity agreement over complaints Britains Online Safety Act would police American AI companies. Washington is using this complaint in order to secure fresh compromises in its trade deal with London, The Telegraph understands. Insiders say the tech agreement collapsed in part because of the absence of an ambassador to Washington, a post which has remained vacant since Lord Mandelson was fired in September over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Varun Chandra, the prime ministers business adviser, had been considered to be the frontrunner for the post. Mr Chandra helped secure the UK-US trade accords and a landmark pharmaceutical deal signed in December. He was viewed by diplomats as being best placed to rescue talks. However, on Wednesday the Financial Times reported that he had not been picked for the role and instead been given an expanded brief in Downing Street. Nigel Casey, Britains ambassador to Moscow, and Christian Turner, the UKs representative to the United Nations, are undertood to be the final two candidates being considered. Since then there has been no ambassador, no laser focus on the tech deal and the US trade hawks have been allowed to come at us again over further trade concessions, a senior diplomatic source said. Actions have consequences. Diplomacy including trade negotiation requires a constant professional, personal and granular approach, they added. Concession on food standards is a red line for Sir Keir, who rebuffed Mr Trumps demands to accept chlorinated chicken in return for lower tariffs earlier. After announcing a barrage of sweeping global tariffs in April, the White House said the UK had non-science-based standards that severely restrict US exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products. At the time, it listed Britains ban on chlorinated chicken among a range of non-tariff barriers that limit Americas ability to trade. Jonathan Reynolds, then the business secretary, vowed not to change the rules on meat. Standards can never be conceded because of the European market. It would be too damaging. This has always been made clear but the Taliban in the United States Trade Representative keep coming back to it, the senior diplomatic source added. The debate over Americas chlorinated chicken has been a consistent point of tension for British governments. Farmers protest against American chlorinated chicken and the hormone fed beef during Mr Trumps state visit - SOPA Images Rishi Sunak, the former prime minister, promised farmers in 2023 that there would be no chlorine-washed chicken and no hormone-treated beef on the UK market. Not now, not ever. The US argues that washing meat in chemicals reduces the risk from pathogens such as salmonella, while Europeans more typically say maintaining higher hygiene standards throughout the meat processing industry is preferable to cleaning up cuts with a chlorine rinse. Some of those anxieties are shared by the British public; there were protests against American chlorine chicken during the trade talks. Under the Brexit agreement Sir Keir signed with Brussels in May, Britain is beholden to EU regulations on food standards. The agreement would make it difficult for chlorinated chicken to be sold in British supermarkets. President Donald Trump opened the White House Hanukkah celebration Tuesday evening by sending love and prayers to the people of Australia following the antisemitic terrorist attack at Sydneys Bondi Beach. Trump began the ceremony on the third night of the Jewish holiday by paying tribute to the victims of Sundays mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 15 people and injured 25 more. Let me take a moment to send the love and prayers to our entire nation, to the people of Australia, and especially all those affected by the horrific and antisemitic terrorist attack, Trump said, speaking from the East Room. We're joined in mourning all of those who were killed, and we're praying for the swift recovery of the wounded, some are very horrifically wounded, the president continued. As you probably know, all nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism, and we're doing that. President Donald Trump opened the White House Hanukkah celebration by sending love and prayers to the people of Australia following the antisemitic terrorist attack at Sydneys Bondi Beach (AFP via Getty Images) At a news conference Tuesday, Australian officials said the shooting, which took place at an event called Chanukah by the Sea, was a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State. The suspects are a father and son, age 50 and 24, authorities said. The older man was shot dead while his son is being treated in hospital. Following Trump's brief remarks on the Sydney terrorist attack, he veered into familiar territory, bragging about how he was the healthiest president out of himself, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Trump then called up prominent supporters, including billionaire donor Miriam Adelson, who the president said had donated $250 million to his campaigns over the years, to fawn over him on stage. Trump called up prominent supporters, including billionaire donor Miriam Adelson, to fawn over him on stage (REUTERS) The president also warned that Congress is becoming antisemitic and railed against Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a frequent target of his attacks. You have a Congress in particular, which is becoming antisemitic, said Trump. You have AOC plus three. You have those people, Ilhan Omar, she hates Jewish people. And obviously it's getting progressively worse, less so in the Senate, but the Senate starting also, you get glimmers, Trump added. Toward the end of Trumps near 45-minute speech, he also touted his administrations role in the release of the October 7 Israeli hostages and claimed there is now legitimate peace in the Middle East. Trump wound down his speech by bringing the conversation back to the Festival of Light. The story of Hanukkah reminds us that light will always prevail over darkness and faith and triumph over fear, Trump said, before veering off on a final tangent about his now $400 million ballroom. The US president claimed that Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking - EPA/Shutterstock/Jim Lo Scalzo Donald Trump has ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, ramping up pressure on Nicolas Maduro, the countrys authoritarian leader. The US president claimed that Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes as he announced the total and complete crackdown on Tuesday evening. Mr Trump added that Venezuela was surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America. For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, the US president wrote on Truth Social. Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela. Oil financing drug terrorism Caracas said the move was utterly irrational in a statement on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mr Trump claimed that Venezuela had stolen US land for oil fields, without specifying where, and demanded it be returned. The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping, he said. He added that the US will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY. Last week, the United States seized a large, sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that was destined for Cuba. Footage of the moment US troops took control of the vessel shows helicopters hovering above the vast ship as armed troops rappelled on to the deck. Credit: X/@AGPamBondi At the time, Pam Bondi, the attorney general, said the operation was carried out to break up an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organisations, transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela to Iran. The US has allegedly assembled a target list of several more sanctioned tankers for possible seizure, according to Reuters. The treasury said last Thursday it imposed sanctions on six supertankers that recently loaded crude in Venezuela. The seizures would hamstring Venezuelan oil exports, cutting one of the countrys key generators of revenue and placing the Maduro regimes finances under intense strain. It is the latest escalation following the biggest US military build up in the region for decades. The US has in recent months carried out at least 25 strikes against what it says are drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing around 95 people. The military action is ostensibly designed to crack down on drug trafficking. Yet in an interview published on Tuesday, Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, indicated that regime change was the presidents real goal. He wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle, she told Vanity Fair. And people way smarter than me on that say that he will. Earlier on Tuesday, Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said the Pentagon would not publicly release unedited video of a US military strike that killed two survivors of a drug-boat strike in the Caribbean, sparking fears of a cover-up. Mr Hegseth said members of the armed services committee in the House and Senate would have an opportunity this week to review the video, but did not say whether all members of Congress would be allowed to see it as well. Of course were not going to release a top secret, full, unedited video of that to the general public, he told reporters as he exited a closed-door briefing with senators. The White House was approached for comment. A private equity firm owned by US President Donald Trumps son-in-law has pulled its backing for Paramounts hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery. Jared Kushners company Affinity Partners had agreed financial backing for Paramounts 30 US dollars (22.50) a share bid for Warner Bros, which was lodged just days after Warner Bros agreed to be bought by Netflix in early December in a 72 billion dollar (54 billion) deal. It comes as reports suggest Warner Bros is planning to recommend its investors reject Paramounts bid on the grounds that the value, financing and terms of the deal do not match up to the offer from Netflix. Jared Kushner (PA). (Jonathan Brady) Paramount is offering 30 dollars (22.50) a share in cash for Warner Bros and has taken the bid straight to investors, asking them to reject the deal with Netflix. Paramounts offer values Warner Bros at 108.4 billion dollars (81.3 billion) including debts, trumping Netflixs 27.75 dollars (20.81) per share offer, which values Warner Bros at 72 billion dollars (54 billion), or 82.7 billion dollars (62 billion) including debts. US streaming giant Netflix agreed to buy the Warner Bros Discovery film and TV studios business, whereas Paramount has bid for the whole of Warner Bros. Mr Trump had already warned the Netflix takeover of Warner Bros could be a problem because of its combined market share, confirming he would be involved in the decision about whether the US federal government should approve the deal. Paramount had said in its appeal to win over Warner Bros shareholders that its offer would be more likely to pass regulatory scrutiny. Mr Kushners decision to pull his firms financial backing is seen as taking away a possible advantage for Paramount to secure Mr Trumps approval for its rival bid. Paramounts bid still has the financial backing of wealth funds run by three governments in the Persian Gulf, widely reported as Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Paramount earlier revealed it had made six takeover approaches to Warner Bros over 12 weeks, but claimed Warner Bros never engaged meaningfully. An auction process for Warner Bros saw both Paramount and Sky owner Comcast lose out to Netflix, which owns HBO, streaming service HBO Max and franchises such as Harry Potter and Batman. Two arrested at pro-Palestine protest in London over call for intifada hours after police ban chant Two people have been arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest in London after shouting slogans involving calls for intifada. The Metropolitan Police said the pair were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences outside the Ministry of Justice building in Westminster on Wednesday evening. A third person was arrested for obstructing officers as they made the first two arrests for chanting at the demonstration, which was estimated to have drawn a crowd of around 100 people. The protest took place after police announced that anyone chanting globalise the intifada would be arrested in wake of Bondi attack (AFP/Getty) The force later confirmed two further arrests for public order offences, one of which was racially aggravated, bringing the total arrested to five. The arrests mark a change in approach from both the Met and Greater Manchester Police, who announced hours earlier that anyone chanting controversial slogans such as globalise the intifada would face arrest because the context has changed in the wake of the Bondi Beach and Manchester synagogue terror attacks. It is alleged that father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of light, on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police, while Naveed, 24, woke from a coma on Tuesday and was charged with a raft of offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack. The UKs chief rabbi welcomed the decision by two of the countrys biggest police forces as an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric seen on Britains streets. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley issued a rare joint statement alongside GMPs Chief Constable (PA) But the move has also been decried as political repression by campaigners. In the rare joint statement issued on Wednesday, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said: We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as globalise the intifada, and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests. Ben Jamal from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign says the decision by two of the countrys biggest police forces infringes on the right to protest (PA) Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis had this week called for a crackdown on hate speech, saying it had to be made clear that chants such as globalise the intifada are unlawful. Sir Ephraim, who is on his way to Australia to meet those impacted by the Sydney shootings, said: This announcement is a most welcome development, and an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric we have seen on our streets, which has inspired acts of violence and terror. While the move was welcomed by Jewish groups, Ben Jamal from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said it infringes on the right to protest, describing it as another low in the political repression of protest for Palestinian rights. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has called for a crackdown on hate speech (PA) He said the word intifada means shaking off or uprising against injustice and said the implication that slogans used to support the liberation of the Palestinian people are only open to interpretation by groups who have maintained complicit support for Israels oppression of the Palestinian people and denial of their rights, is deeply problematic. The American Jewish Committee describes the phrase as being used by pro-Palestinian activists that calls for aggressive resistance against Israel and those who support Israel. But its meaning is contested, and protesters claim it is a call to shake off colonialism and for a peaceful resistance to Israels occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza. A day after the Bondi attack, Sir Ephraim, who is also Chief Rabbi to the Commonwealth, said the meaning of the chant globalise the intifada was seen in that attack as well as the Yom Kippur attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on 2 October. Family grieve at the coffin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a victim in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, during his funeral on Wednesday (Getty) The first funerals of the victims of the Hanukkah killings took place on Wednesday, including that of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. The Community Security Trust, a charity which provides protection for Jews in Britain, said the police forces announcement comes not a moment too soon as it welcomed the more robust response to violent language on protests. Prosecutors have said they will consider each case on its own merits and go back to police with advice where there is not enough evidence to bring charges. Britains human rights regulator, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has said it will monitor closely how police forces enforce the decision to arrest people using the chant. Andrea Egan, who has been elected general secretary of Unison, the country's biggest trade union. Photograph: Andrea4GS/PA (Photograph: Andrea4GS/PA) The UKs largest trade union, Unison, is on a potential collision course with Labour after it ousted a general secretary with close links to Keir Starmer in favour of a leftwinger who was expelled from the party three years ago. In a result announced on Wednesday morning, Andrea Egan was elected as Unisons general secretary, winning just under 60% of members votes, against Christina McAnea, who has been general secretary since 2021 and has kept the union close to Labour. The change of leadership when Egan takes over next month could result in Unison, one of Labours biggest donors, following another major union, Unite, in scaling back contributions and considering formal disaffiliation from Starmers party. Egan, a social workers with decades of union experience, who was on the left of Labour, was expelled in 2022 after the party said she had shared articles on social media from Socialist Appeal, an organisation banned by Labour. The decision prompted accusations of a witch-hunt against leftwingers, while Egan said the move does nothing to support unity among Labour and unions. In a statement, Egan said: This result means ordinary Unison members are at long last taking charge of our union. We will put faith in members decisions and stand up to any employer, politician or cabinet minister who acts against our interests. Together, we will turn Unison into the remarkable force for change it should be. That journey has begun today. Starmers press secretary, asked if the prime minister was worried about the possibility of a review of Unisons ties to Labour, said: Thats a matter for Unison. I wouldnt comment on that. More broadly, weve always worked closely with our trade union colleagues to improve the lives of working people. We continue to do so. Starmer congratulated Egan on the win, saying: I look forward to working with her. He thanked McAnea for her outstanding contribution to the Labour and trade union movement, including on the landmark employment rights bill, which completed its passage though parliament on Tuesday. Mainstream, the new Labour lobby group linked to Andy Burnham, the Labour Greater Manchester mayor, seen as a possible future challenger to Starmer, said the result shows clearly that vast swathes of Labours historic coalition feel the government has fallen out of step with its mainstream. It added: By working hand in hand with our partners in the trade union movement, the Labour party has ushered in huge advances for working people before and it can do so again but only if the party rediscovers its progressive instincts. In her manifesto, Egan promised to begin a comprehensive review of our relationship with the Labour party to ensure we get value for money and use our influence to advance our unions democratically agreed policies. In an interview during the campaign, Egan told LabourList that while Unison had a connection to Labour, that doesnt mean we should continue to be subservient, criticising McAnea for being too close to Starmer to properly challenge him. She said the government was acting with absolute disregard for working-class people, noting attempts to change welfare, curbs to immigration and the reduction of the winter fuel allowance, adding: Why are they doing that? Is that because they think that well, theyre the only party? The advent of Your Party, established by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, meant Unison members could see the possibility of a viable alternative to Labour for the first time, she argued. Shadow Europe Minister The Rt Hon Wendy Morton MP Visits Gibraltar Gaming Companies Shadow Europe Minister The Rt Hon Wendy Morton MP visited Gibraltar this week for a series of high-level meetings and engagements. As part of her visit, Ms Morton was accompanied by the Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham KC MP, and Jonathon Scott, UK Representative and Head of Gibraltar House in London, on visits to the Gibraltar offices of Evoke and Entain, two of Gibraltars largest gaming companies. The Shadow Minister also met with Stephen Hodgson of the UK Betting and Gaming Council and Nicky Macias of the Gibraltar Gaming and Betting Association, alongside representatives from a number of other Gibraltar-based gaming companies. Discussions focused on both the direct and indirect impact of recent UK tax increases on the regulated gaming sector, as well as the unintended consequences of these measures. Particular emphasis was placed on the risk that higher taxation could drive customers towards unlicensed operators. It was highlighted that unlicensed operators, unlike Gibraltar-licensed companies, do not contribute tax revenues to the UK and often take a markedly different approach to player protection and safer gambling compared with licensed and regulated Gibraltar operators. Industry leaders and stakeholders welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with the Shadow Minister, enabling her to gain a clearer understanding of the challenges facing one of Gibraltars key economic sectors following the recent UK Budget announcements. The Finance Bill, which includes the tax changes, will have its Second Reading in the UK Parliament today. Mark Jenner, using the fake name Mark Cassidy, maintained a relationship with the woman despite being married to someone else, with whom he had children. Photograph: Undercover Policing Inquiry (Photograph: Undercover Policing Inquiry) An undercover officer has admitted he callously and cruelly deceived a woman into a five-year relationship while infiltrating leftwing campaigns, the spycops inquiry has heard. Mark Jenner and the leftwing activist, known as Alison, lived as a couple, but he never told her that he was in reality an undercover officer who was spying on anti-racist activists. He admitted that he had strung her along in an extremely cruel way when she wanted to have children with him. He said the relationship had provided the perfect opportunity to present himself as a more rounded individual and helped him to gain the trust of the activists he was infiltrating. Giving evidence on Wednesday, he admitted that the deception had turbo-charged his covert deployment and enabled him to collect more information about the activities of the campaigners he was spying on. It was the first time that Jenner has spoken publicly about the deception and his five-year deployment in the 1990s. Alison has waited for an explanation of how and why he treated her badly for more than two decades since she first suspected that he was a police spy. During his deployment, Jenner was married with children. He concealed his relationship with Alison from his wife. He admitted that his treatment of his now ex-wife had been a gross betrayal, agreeing with her description that his conduct had been appalling, unconscionable and unacceptable. He had a child with her while living with Alison. David Barr, the inquirys barrister, challenged him that he had been deceiving Alison not only about who you were, but also about your marital status, he replied: Of course, I was in the business of deception. Asked if he could have avoided having the relationship with Alison, he replied: I wasnt interested in avoiding a deceitful sexual relationship. Jenner has been giving evidence over three days to the inquiry, which is tasked with examining how undercover officers spied on tens of thousands of activists between 1968 and at least 2010. For decades, the officers frequently formed sexual relationships with women using their fake identities a central issue that is being scrutinised by the inquiry. Jenner infiltrated anti-racist and leftwing groups in Hackney, east London, between 1995 and 2000. During his deployment, he lived with Alison for four years in a flat and became an integral part of her life. He was welcomed into her family, attending weddings, a funeral and other gatherings. They went on holidays abroad together. Jenner told the inquiry that a number of his managers and other undercover officers within the unit he worked for, the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), had known about his relationship with Alison as it was an open secret. They did nothing about it but warned him to be very careful. At one point, one of the SDS unit members joked about it. Jenner said that early on during his deployment, he had moved into Alisons flat as there were exceptionally good benefits to his covert operation. The relationship had made him appear more credible and enabled him to be easily contacted by the activists, he said. Barr asked him: Did you give any consideration to whether Alison would have consented to sex if shed known who you really were? He replied: No I didnt. By 1998, Alison wanted children with him and they went to counselling. He admitted deliberately stringing her along by saying that he wanted children but at a later stage. Asked if he was wasting her fertile years, he replied: That is the reality of it, Yes. Alison has told the inquiry that Jenner was well-fed, warm, had regular sex from a woman who loved him and enjoyed a varied and entertaining social life with my wide circle of friends and extended family who welcomed him with open arms. When that description was put to him by Barr, he agreed it was correct, and that it was all obtained by deception always in the knowledge that at some point you are going to walk out of her life. In 2000, he disappeared from her life, pretending to be going though severe depression. After more than a decade of research, she established that he had been an undercover officer. Jenner was given a commendation by his superiors for his covert work. Donald Trump has ordered a total and complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela as part of an ongoing pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduros government. Hundreds of U.S. troops and ships have been stationed near the Venezuelan coastline, where U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker in the latest attempt to inflict economic damage on Caracas. In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump boasted that Venezuela was completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America, warning that it will only get bigger. American forces board a Venezuelan crude oil tanker (X/@AGPamBondi) He demanded that Venezuela return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us. Caracas described Trumps announcement as a grotesque threat. How big are Venezuelas oil reserves? Venezuela has control over the largest known oil reserve in the world, producing around 1 million barrels a day. Its oil reserves are found primarily in the Orinoco Belt, a region in the countrys east that covers around 55,000 sq km. The countrys proven reserves are estimated at more than 303 billion barrels, which is the largest reserve worldwide trumping Saudi Arabias 297.7 billion barrels. Venezuelas crude oil reserve is six times larger than that of the U.S., which, as of 2023, had 46 billion barrels. In 2009, the United States Geological Survey estimated that the Orinoco Belt alone contained 900 to 1,400 billion barrels. Of this, it said that between 380 and 652 billion barrels were recoverable. The belt holds heavy crude oil, which is harder and more expensive to extract than conventional oil. Advanced technology is required to produce usable oil from this region. Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro has denounced Trumps threat of military action (AFP/Getty) Why doesnt Venezuela export more oil? Despite its natural resources, Venezuelan exports stood at just $4.05bn in 2023, according to figures from the Observatory of Economic Complexity. This is a fraction of the $122bn exported by Russia, and $181bn by Saudi Arabia, in the same year. Venezuelas state-owned oil company PDVSA sells most of its exports at a steep discount on the black market in China because the country has been locked out of global oil markets due to U.S. sanctions imposed by Trump. Since the U.S. imposed its first energy sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, traders and refiners buying Venezuelan oil have resorted to using a shadow fleet of old tankers that disguise their location. The ownership of these vessels is often obscure, and they operate without standard insurance. Many have been sanctioned for transporting oil to Russia or Iran. As of last week, more than 30 of the 80 ships in Venezuelan waters or approaching the country were under U.S. sanctions, according to data compiled by TankerTrackers.com. Last week, the U.S. intercepted a vessel called the Skipper off the Venezuelan coast the first time Washington has captured Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed. The Trump administration has been ramping up tensions with Venezuela in recent months (AFP/Getty) Where is the oil exported to and what routes are used? Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan oil expert at Rice University in Houston, said that about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million produced daily are exported. Around 80 per cent of that oil goes to China, 15 to 17 per cent goes to the U.S., and the remainder goes to Cuba. Venezuelan oil is loaded at port terminals on its north Caribbean coast, such as the Puerto Jose. Without a U.S. blockade, Venezuelan ships have direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, meaning they can travel to South Africa, then across the Indian Ocean towards China. Tankers travelling to the U.S. will advance north through the Caribbean Sea towards the Gulf of Mexico, before they are unloaded at U.S. Gulf Coast ports including Pascagoula (Mississippi), St Charles (Louisiana), and Freeport (Texas). Although the Trump administration has said the Skipper was heading for Cuba, analysts believe it was likely destined for China given its sheer size. The vessel, which is 20 years old, can carry around 2 million barrels of oil. Iranian tanker Fortune docks in Puerto Cabello in Venezuela (AFP/Getty) Why does Trump want to block oil exports? The Trump administration has been ramping up tensions with Venezuela in recent months, with growing signs that the U.S. President is pushing for regime change. The U.S. military has recently carried out a series of military strikes on Venezuelan boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which it claimed without evidence were carrying drugs to the U.S. However, Trumps chief of staff Susie Wiles appeared to suggest that ousting Maduro was also an aim for Trump, in an interview with Vanity Fair. The U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker this week is a deliberate display of its security strategy (AFP/Getty) Trump wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle, said Wiles. The amount of crude oil that Venezuela has been able to export to the U.S. has since significantly dwindled. Regime change in Venezuela, in favour of a president more aligned with U.S. interests, would provide Washington with increased access to Venezuelan crude oil, which is cheaper than crude oil from other countries due to its dense, viscous nature. It could allow major U.S. oil companies, including Chevron which already produces oil in Venezuela to expand their operations in the country. This would allow the U.S. to reduce its reliance on oil from the Middle East and Russia. It would also be a strategic win on the geopolitical stage, with Maduro currently allied with many of the U.S.s adversaries, including China, Iran and Russia. Competing territorial claims date back more than a century to when France occupied Cambodia, which was part of French Indochina. Composite: National Library of France / EPA / The Guardian / Guardian design (Composite: National Library of France / EPA / The Guardian / Guardian design) Thailand and Cambodia have been locked in a border dispute for more than a century, which exploded again in the summer of 2025. Peace efforts have had mixed results and fighting continues. A historical dispute over lines drawn on colonial maps is often used as a pretext for simmering nationalism. The two countries have had what one historian called a sibling rivalry for decades, fanned by competing claims to the regions rich cultural heritage, including ancient temples in disputed areas. Competing territorial claims date back more than a century, when France occupied Cambodia, which was part of French Indochina. Compared with today, the border between Thailand then known as Siam and Cambodia then part of French Indochina lay further to the south. As a result, Cambodia was smaller than it is now. Beginning in the early 20th century, a series of Franco-Siamese treaties pushed the frontier northwards and expanded Cambodias territory. The 1904 treaty first redefined parts of the border, using a natural ridge-line as a key geographical marker. A subsequent 1907 treaty delivered a more substantial shift, with Siam ceding the provinces of Battambang, Siem Reap and Sisophon to French Indochina. These agreements helped establish much of the modern Cambodia-Thailand border and significantly expanded Cambodias territory to the north and north-west. This means that the border region is now dotted with ancient Khmer stone temples that are cherished by both sides. Moving the border north to follow the Dangrek escarpment a ridge-line that also runs alongside a watershed dividing river systems flowing into Cambodia and Thailand meant that several important temples came to lie close to the border. But the treaties left their exact ownership open to interpretation with different historic maps being referenced by both sides. This means that three disputed temples run along this disputed escarpment: Prasat Ta Moan Thom, as it is called by the Thais; in Khmer, it is Ta Muen Thom; Prasat Ta Khwai (Prasat Ta Krabey in Khmer) and Preah Vihear. While all three are disputed, Preah Vihear has long been the focal point of the dispute. The 11th century Hindu temple, known as Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, has been controlled at different times by both sides. The temple pre-dates Cambodias more famous Angkor Wat temple complex by 100 years. It sits on the edge of the escarpment. The modern dispute stems from a 1907 French-produced map, known as the Annex I map, which placed Preah Vihear on the Cambodian side. This contradicted the Franco-Siamese treatys instruction that the border follow the natural watershed of the Dangrek range. Shane Strate, associate professor at Kent State university, Ohio, who specialises in south-east Asian history, said that the boundary line on the map was largely drawn along the watershed. Yet when it reached Preah Vihear, it veers off course to enclose the ancient temple within French colonial territory before returning to the watershed line once again. The Annex I map shows a hand-drawn border line (marked with crosses) running north of the ridgeline but south of the watershed. Siam did not formally object at the time, but the maps deviation later became central to rival sovereignty claims. During the second world war, Siam briefly occupied the temple before relinquishing control. Tensions resurfaced after Cambodia gained independence in 1953, leading to a legal case at the world court, the UNs international court of justice (ICJ). The ICJ decided in 1962 that the temple itself belonged to Cambodia. The fact that Siam did not formally object to the Annex I map in 1907 underpinned Cambodias 1962 victory at the ICJ. However, the ruling failed to clarify the ownership of the larger contested area around the temple, resulting in arguments persisting until today, despite further ICJ intervention. The dispute turns on Thailands argument that the border should follow the watershed line referenced in the original Franco-Siamese treaties, even though those agreements did not include detailed maps defining it. Keeping surrounding territory would allow Thailand to maintain easy road access for tourists, who have previously visited the temple via the Thai side. Thailand maintains that the watershed puts Preah Vihear and nearby territory on its side of the frontier, in conflict with the 1907 Annex I map used by Cambodia to assert its claim. The map below shows the complexities of the varying claimed boundaries around the temple. With Thailand and Cambodia continuing to rely on differing historical documents and interpretations of the same rugged border, Preah Vihear and its neighbouring temples are likely to remain flashpoints. Chris Baker, a historian based in Thailand, said older maps and treaties were often exploited by neighbouring governments that have competing political and economic agendas. While the varying maps are in existence and can be invoked in these disputes, I dont think this dispute is about the border, said Baker. The other factor is the longstanding sibling rivalry of the two countries, so fierce precisely because they are so similar. Crews work to repair a failed levee along the Green River on Monday. Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters (Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters) A man who drove past warning signs was found dead in a car submerged in flood waters near Seattle, Washington, on Tuesday, in the first reported death following a week of heavy rain and flooding in the region. Governor Bob Ferguson said on Tuesday the extent of the damage in Washington state is profound but unclear as more high water, mudslides and power outages were in the forecast. Rescue swimmers found the driver and his vehicle in about 6ft (1.8 meters) of water in a ditch in the Snohomish area north-east of Seattle, the Snohomish county sheriffs office said in a news release. The driver, believed to be a 33-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving measures failed, officials said. No one else was in the car and the death was under investigation. Related: Atmospheric rivers what to know about the storms inundating the Pacific north-west A barrage of storms from weather systems stretching across the Pacific has dumped close to 2ft (0.6 metres) of rain in parts of the Cascade Mountains, swelling rivers far beyond their banks and prompting more than 600 rescues across 10 counties. Mudslides have torn through communities. The intense weather is expected to last until at least Wednesday. On Tuesday, residents near a breached levee in the city of Pacific, 20 miles (32km) south of Seattle, were told to evacuate an area near the White River. Police told residents to go now! Just hours before, an evacuation alert was lifted for residents near another broken levee in the same county. Were in for the long haul, Ferguson, the governor, said at a news conference. If you get an evacuation order, for Gods sakes, follow it. It wont be until after waters recede and landslide risk subsides that crews will be able to fully assess the damage, Ferguson said. The state and some counties are making several million dollars available to help people pay for hotels, groceries and other necessities, pending more extensive federal assistance that Ferguson and Washingtons congressional delegation expect to see approved. According to the governors office, first responders had conducted at least 629 rescues and 572 assisted evacuations. As many as 100,000 people had been under evacuation orders at times, many of them in the flood plain of the Skagit River north of Seattle. Elevated rivers and flood risk could persist until at least late this month, according to the National Weather Service. Wind and flood watches and warnings are expected in much of the north-west for the next couple of days as storms bring rain, heavy mountain snow and high winds. A small section of the Desimone levee beside the Green River failed on Monday, prompting an evacuation order covering parts of three suburbs. The evacuation order was lifted on Monday evening. During a briefing on flood damage from last weeks storm, Jamal Beckham, the Snohomish regional fire and rescue battalion chief, said the majority of calls his crews had responded to were from people who tried to drive through water or were stranded atop vehicles. They did not understand how rapidly the water rises, Beckham said Saturday. We pulled people off the roof of their cars. And if we had not gotten there the car would have been completely covered. They also responded to people who didnt expect their houses to be flooded and did not leave when they were told, he said. A 911 caller who reported water entering an apartment in Pacific at about 1.20am on Tuesday was the first sign of the levee breach for the Valley regional fire authority, spokesperson Kelly Hawks said. Crews evacuated about 100 people early Tuesday, pulling some people from the windows of their first-floor apartments, she said. That was how quickly the water was coming in, Hawks said. Eventually the residents of about 220 homes evacuated. No injuries were reported. Doctors on the picket line at St Thomas hospital in London in November. Thousands of doctors will strike from Wednesday for five days. Photograph: Guy Smallman/Getty Images (Photograph: Guy Smallman/Getty Images) Exasperated NHS bosses have urged Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association to agree to independent mediation to end industrial action by resident doctors, who will begin their latest strike on Wednesday. The health secretary and the doctors union have been told to embrace the idea in order to urgently break the deadlock in their increasingly bitter dispute that health service bosses say is making patients collateral damage. An arbitrator could work to bridge the gap between them and resolve the 33-month-long dispute in England, the NHS Confederation, which represents hospital bosses, said. Thousands of resident formerly junior doctors in England will strike from 7am on Wednesday for five days in their 14th strike action since 2023. Hospitals have cancelled tens of thousands of tests and treatments to help them cope with the extra pressure they will be under until the strike ends at 7am next Monday 22 December. Last-ditch talks on Tuesday between the health secretary and the BMA were constructive but failed to reach an agreement over pay and jobs. Sir Jim Mackey, the head of NHS England, has condemned the strike as cruel, calculated and aimed at causing mayhem because it coincides with one of the health services toughest weeks of the year. The confederations plea to both sides to let an independent figure try to find a resolution to the long-running dispute over pay and job reflects a growing fear in the NHS that it could drag on and on and on during next year unless there is a dramatic move to find a settlement. Matthew Taylor, the confederations chief executive, said: Clearly the current standoff between the government and the BMAs resident doctors committee is detrimental to all parties, but the repercussions will be felt most severely by patients. Like our members, they will be extremely worried as this war of words continues to play out in public and as both sides become more entrenched in their positions. Some common ground is urgently needed, which independent mediation could support. This would facilitate a more constructive dialogue between the government and the BMAs resident doctors committee and help to bring this dispute to an end, once and for all. As we have seen with previous waves of industrial action, a period of renegotiation is likely to happen eventually. But with waiting lists as high as they are, health leaders believe that time is now, in order to avoid more patients and staff from becoming collateral damage in this increasingly hostile dispute that has played out for far too long. It is crucial that both sides continue to do everything within their power to find some common ground as soon as possible. Otherwise, we could see industrial action becoming the defining feature of the NHS in 2026, which no one wants. Resident doctors are seeking a 26% pay rise over the next three years and a much greater expansion of training places than Streeting has offered, allowing early doctors to pursue their chosen area of medicine, despite the heath secretarys increase from 1,000 to 4,000. The health secretary has repeatedly called the 26% claim unaffordable, given the state of public finances. The BMA on Tuesday night reinforced the likelihood of strikes continuing for months. Dr Jack Fletcher, the chair of the resident doctors committee, said ministers should realise how badly they have handled this situation. If the government keeps up the pattern of denial, harsh words and rushed half-measures, then we are going to be stuck in the cycle of strikes well into the new year, he added. Resident doctors existing legal mandate to strike expires on 6 January. The BMA already plans to reballot the 55,000 such medics it represents, out of the 70,000 in the NHS in England. Fletcher repeated the BMAs demand that ministers provide a clear route to responsibly raise pay over a number of years, and enough genuinely new jobs instead of recycled ones, then there need not be any more strikes for the remainder of this government. The Department of Health and Social Care did not respond directly to the call for mediation. A spokesperson said: The secretary of state and officials met with the BMA resident doctors committee today [Tuesday] for talks to try and avert this weeks strikes. Every effort was made to avert tomorrows strike action. While constructive, they were not able to reach an agreement. All of our focus will now be on working with the whole NHS team to minimise the disruption caused by the strikes. The BMA did not respond to a request to comment. Ginger shots, clementines, 10-hour sleeps, soup, spice, surplus hydration, supplements for the past three weeks, Ive tried just about everything and anything to stop myself getting sick. Still, as hard as I fight, I can feel something brewing in the background; achy limbs, heavy head, elevated body temperature. While its not yet the horrendous H3N2 flu strain out in full force, something is decidedly not right. Its hardly surprising. Cold and flu levels in the UK are absurd right now. An average of 2,660 patients per day were in a hospital bed with flu last week, with the sick being urged to wear masks if they have to go outside to tackle the wave. Inevitably, this has also seen a surge in Covid lockdown flashbacks, and turned my mind more specifically to December 2020, when we were advised to see our loved ones in a limited and cautious way, while the Alpha B117 variant was spreading rapidly across the country. Flu for Christmas wouldnt be fun for me but it almost certainly wouldnt be fatal. The same cant be said for my 87-year-old nana, whos firmly in the high-risk realm. Although shes protected by the flu vaccine, that doesnt make her invincible to the hopped-up H3N2 strain, and I worry about contaminating her. For the price of 21.95 at Boots, could it be worth getting jabbed even if the NHS doesnt dictate to? Superflu has also pushed the NHS to the brink (Alamy/PA) If youre a young person who doesnt have an underlying condition that makes you eligible, you should still consider having the flu jab, says Dr Nisa Aslam, a NHS GP, who points to the local pharmacy, Boots or Superdrug as one of the many high street locations you can book a vaccine appointment with ease or difficulty depending on whereabouts in the UK you live. Currently, in south London, its a struggle. This is frustrating, as Dr Aslam says its essential to get booked in Asap if you want protection for Christmas but thats, of course, easier said than done. For most people, it takes around 10 days to two weeks for the protection to kick in, she explains.It could be a bit longer. Or, it could be a bit less. So, the most practical thing to do is get your flu jab as soon as you can. And its not just your loved ones you could be protecting, either. The other group youre protecting are individuals in the community who are unable to have the flu vaccines, so this could be transplant, organ transplant recipients, Dr Aslam says. It might be people whore allergic to ingredients in the flu vaccine. So, there are lots of good reasons to go and have the flu vaccine, essentially. Superflu has also pushed the NHS to the brink, with leading medics warning of severe hospital overcrowding, countless staff members struck down with illness and a worrying number of cases among children. Weve had more hospitalisations at this time of the year compared to previous years, says Dr Aslam. And its important to remember that just because you dont feel sick, it doesnt mean youre not carrying the virus. You can basically be infectious for 24 hours before you first develop symptoms, Dr Aslam warns. Then, you can continue to be infectious for up to a week afterwards. Britain is now divided into the have-shots and have-nots (PA) Maybe, if someone is very frail, undergoing chemotherapy or a very young baby, for example, then try to keep your distance, the GP suggests. Dont get too close, and remember things like hand hygiene, disposing of any used tissues, and ventilating the room that youre going to spend time in, because all of those things mean that you can still see your loved ones, but youre taking measures to protect them. Its important to note that even if you and your loved ones have had the flu vaccine, it can still be worth following these measures to avoid infecting somebody vulnerable. Its hard to know, acknowledges Dr Aslam of the gamble many of us will take this festive season. You cant make hard and fast rules, because we have to balance protecting loved ones from mental health [issues] with things like loneliness. Notably, a recent Age UK study found that more than a million older people could be spending Christmas alone, while 5 per cent wont see or speak to anyone during the entire day. So, at the risk of sounding like weve stepped back into a time machine, there appears to be an obvious answer here: The one thing that the pandemic taught us is that if you can comfortably tolerate a mask, then its going to help, says Dr Aslam. These viruses are spread through respiratory droplets, and masks absolutely do provide a layer of protection. Ho, ho, oh no, here we go again. Late Zappos CEOs family calls mystery will produced after his death a scam targeting his $500M estate The family of the late Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has said that a mysterious will produced this year is a scam by a stranger attempting to target his $500 million estate. Hsieh died five years ago, aged 46, from complications due to smoke inhalation in a house fire and his death was ruled accidental. The tech entrepreneurs family said that Hsieh did not leave a will and his estate has reportedly been managed by his father, Richard Hsieh, ever since. Now the family is battling over Hsiehs estate after a complete stranger with no ties to the entrepreneur claimed to find a will, according to a court filing. In the filing obtained by KSNV-TV in Las Vegas, a man named Kashif Singh claimed he found the purported 2015 will in his deceased grandfather's possession. Scams come in all shapes and sizes, the document said. In this case, the scam is in the form of a document being touted as the purported will of Anthony Tony Hsieh. The family of the late Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has said that a mysterious will produced this year is a scam attempting to target his $500 million estate (Getty Images) The document was allegedly found by a complete stranger, many years after Tonys death, in the possession of the strangers deceased grandfather, Pir Muhammad, a 91- year-old Pakistani man with no known ties to Tony, the court document continued. The document was allegedly signed by Tony, but expert analysis reveals the signature is forged. Hsiehs family hired experts to examine a copy of the alleged 2015 will, who found there were numerous unexplained differences with the handwriting, which led them to conclude it was forged. The family also claimed that there was no evidence that Hsieh attended the will signing in 2015, which made no sense given he kept extremely detailed calendars of all his activities. Attorneys for the family have reportedly attempted to contact Singh, who has a mailing address in Wyoming, but have never received a response, according to the Wall Street Journal. Hsieh ran the giant online shoe retailer Zappos, which was sold to Amazon in 2009 for $1.2 billion, for almost 20 years after joining it in 1999. During the final year of his life in 2020, during the pandemic, Hsieh struggled with mental health problems and battled alcohol and drug addiction, according to the WSJ. A court hearing over the will is scheduled for Thursday in Las Vegas. Credit: Social Media/Zarah Sultana MP | TikTok/@thecanaryUK Zarah Sultana has been filmed among a group of pro-Palestinian protesters chanting about an intifada, hours after the Met Commissioner said such slogans should lead to arrest. The Your Party MP has been taking part in a protest outside HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, where a Palestine Action activist is on hunger strike. Ms Sultana is among a group who have been demanding that 20-year-old Qesser Zuhrah be transferred to hospital. On Wednesday afternoon, the MP was filmed clapping along as a woman with a loudhailer led chants in Arabic of min ghazat taqarar iintifada which translates as: From Gaza, the intifada of victory is declared. Ms Sultana had her back to the camera and was wearing a keffiyeh scarf, so it is unclear whether she was singing along with the chants. Zarah Sultana (fourth from right, back row) shared a photograph of herself at the prison with 12 activists But it comes hours after Sir Mark Rowley and Sir Stephen Watson, his Greater Manchester Police (GMP) counterpart, issued a joint statement promising a more robust policing response to such slogans in the wake of the Bondi Beach and Heaton Park synagogue terror attacks They said words and chants used in protests had real-world consequences, adding that, due to the escalating threat against the Jewish community, their forces would now recalibrate to be more assertive. The statement went on: We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as globalise the intifada and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests. A short time after the videos were recorded, a group of protesters outside HMP Bronzefield clashed with police and in one incident a female officer could be heard screaming in pain as she was knocked to the ground. There is no evidence to suggest Ms Sultana was involved in these scenes. Ms Sultana has been outside the prison since 3am on Wednesday, and has posted several photographs and videos on social media. The MP has been outside the prison since 3am on Wednesday and said she would not leave until Qesser Zuhrah was taken to hospital She wrote on X that she had contacted David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, and Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, urging them to take action. Ms Sultana said that if she dies, it will be on their hands, adding that there was a risk Ms Zuhrah would die if Mr Lammy did not allow an ambulance on site. Sharing a photograph of herself alongside 12 other activists, several wearing keffiyehs, she said: Were not going anywhere until HMP Bronzefield accept an ambulance transfer for Qesser to get the emergency healthcare she urgently needs. Ms Sultana wrote on X that she had contacted David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, and Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, urging them to take action - Jamie Lorriman for The Telegraph Eight Palestine Action activists have staged a hunger strike in prison, with their lawyers saying last week that five had already been taken to hospital. Ms Zuhrah has been on hunger strike for 46 days while awaiting trial. Last week, she was said to have lost considerable weight and had been finding it difficult to walk, while her pulse never fell below 100bpm. Imran Khan and Partners, representing the group, demanded a meeting with Mr Lammy last week. In a letter seen by The Telegraph, they wrote: We note with genuine and significant concern the immediate and real risk that their deeply held conviction, in tandem with their deteriorating health, poses to their lives. We are concerned that, should this situation be allowed to continue without resolution, there is the real and increasingly likely potential that young British citizens will die in prison, having never even been convicted of an offence. On Tuesday Jeremy Corbyn, the Your Party MP and former Labour leader, demanded in the Commons that the Government meet the families of the hunger strikers. Jake Richards, the justice minister, refused, adding: Luckily, the Ministry of Justice in the prison service has robust and proper guidance and procedures for when these scenarios come to fruition. I am satisfied, and the ministry is satisfied, that those procedures are being enacted. The British Museums loan to India includes an Egyptian wooden sculpture of oxen pulling a plough - British Museum The British Museum will share artefacts from its collection with former colonies to help them decolonise. Curators have overseen the transfer of prized Greek and Egyptian treasures to a leading Indian museum, Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS). The 80 artefacts are now displayed in a new gallery intended to undo colonial misinterpretation by highlighting Indias contributions to civilisation. Dr Nicholas Cullinan, the British Museum director, told The Telegraph that the project would be a new model for working with countries seeking redress for colonialism, with former nations of the empire welcome to strike long-term deals for artefacts held in Britain. There have been prolonged disputes over the return of treasures held in the UK, including Indian artworks, Ghanaian gold, Ethiopian sacred tablets, Benin Bronzes and the Elgin Marbles. Nicholas Cullinan, centre, at a ceremony at the CSNVS museum in Mumbai - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya While the British Museum is open to collaboration, it said it would not embarrass the UK or accept zero-sum demands for cultural treasures to be handed over. Speaking to The Telegraph in Mumbai, Dr Cullinan said: You dont have to embarrass your own country to do something positive with another country. It can actually be very beneficial. Cultural diplomacy, thats what museums should do. Following Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, museums including the Horniman, in south-east London, and those in Oxford and Cambridge rushed to repatriate artefacts such as the Benin Bronzes. Many of the bronzes were looted by British forces in 1897 from what is now Nigeria, which has long insisted that they be returned. Some insiders have suggested that the British Museum avoided the excesses of the woke movement, when many cultural institutions pledged to decolonise and transform their offering to the public. The British Museum Act 1963 also legally prevents the institution from handing over its treasures, meaning that requests for controversial artefacts to be returned to former colonies have been repeatedly rebuffed. The museum under Dr Cullinan is aiming to calm disputes by encouraging loan deals of up to three years. The director, who took over in 2024, said: There is another model, a much more positive one of collaboration rather than this kind of zero-sum, binary, all-or-nothing model that people put forward. He added: We think that this model that we are developing is a very positive one, and is very innovative. Every case is different, you can never apply the same criteria to two different cultures, countries or territories. Some are more difficult than others. But were still trying. Artefacts including the Amaravati Marbles, the personal regalia of Tipu Sultan and the Koh-I-Noor diamond were all brought to Britain from India during the period of colonial rule. While Narendra Modis Indian government wants to reclaim historical artefacts, the British Museums Mumbai loan includes treasures from other civilisations. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya museum in Mumbai - Matt Mawson These include an extremely delicate, 4,000-year-old wooden model of an Egyptian river boat, a wooden sculpture of oxen pulling a plough, and devotional Sumerian statues from 2200BC. These were created by societies contemporary with those of the Indus Valley, a less well-known culture straddling what is now Pakistan and India that developed a complex urban and literate civilisation. Later objects, curated by British Museum expert Thorsten Opper, include a Roman mosaic found beneath Leadenhall Market in London, a marble bust of Augustus and a Romano-British silver pot for storing pepper shipped from India. The British Museum is also sending a stone wig with carved ears, Iraq, 2500BC - British Museum The scores of artefacts from the British Museum form part of the largest ever loan of ancient material to India, and the first deal of its kind with a non-Western museum. The new displays, supported by the $7bn (5.3bn) J Paul Getty Trust, will demonstrate how India was a cradle of civilisation. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, director general of the CSMVS museum, said the gallery stocked with British loans would help to correct colonial misinterpretation of Indias past. He told The Telegraph: All cultures are great cultures and we need to respect all cultures. Through this exhibition, there is decolonisation, an attempt is made to decolonise the narrative. We suffered for many years and colonisation penetrated into our education, our culture. There is a kind of emergence. Im going to use the word revolt, but we are emerging with dignity and are very proud of history. Limestone canopic jars from Egypt, Ptolemaic period - British Museum Mr Mukherjee hopes that the gallery will help to reposition Indias place in the world, and that this model of borrowing artefacts to tell a fuller history could be adapted by other countries in Asia and Africa. Dr Cullinan, who was previously director of the National Portrait Gallery, said: When we lend objects from the British Museums collection, things that come from Britain, back to their source, it can be incredibly powerful, it can be incredibly enlightening. Dr Cullinan visited China and Nigeria recently and is planning a visit to Ghana. In 2024, the museum loaned golden regalia once belonging to the Asante king, and seized by British troops in 1874, as the institution began to think about how to ease post-colonial tensions. In a now-deleted post on X, English Heritage claimed Christmas is celebrated on December 25 because it was the birthday of Sol Invictus - PHAS/Universal Images Group Editorial English Heritage has admitted promoting a nonsense theory about why Christmas is on December 25. The heritage charity claimed that the birth of Jesus Christ is only celebrated on that date because the Roman Empire repurposed a sun gods festival for the occasion. In a now-deleted post on X, the social media platform, on Wednesday, English Heritage wrote: Why do we celebrate Christmas on 25 December? It was celebrated by the Romans as the birth of the sun god, Sol Invictus. After the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, it was changed into a Christian holy day, and parts of the winter festivals were brought together. The claim is widely discredited among historians, because the evidence for Sol Invictus being celebrated on December 25 appears later than the first records of Christians saying Christ was born on the date. Chris McBride, a historical researcher, responded to the post: You are one of the highest, most important historical bodies in the country. Guardians of historical knowledge. How can you still not know this is utter nonsense? This has nothing to do with why Christmas is on December 25th. The charity, which later admitted it got the facts wrong, was also criticised in April after one of its sites claimed Easter was not originally Christian. Dr Bijan Omrani, the historian and author of God is an Englishman, told The Telegraph: Earlier this year, English Heritage relied on outdated or discredited scholarship to argue that Easter was developed out of pagan festivals. It is unfortunate that they have done the same again about Christmas. It is extremely unlikely that early Christians placed Christs birthday on December 25 because it was also the date of the birth of the pagan Sol Invictus. The Rev Canon Andrew Davison, regius professor of divinity at the University of Oxford, said the evidence is against English Heritages claim. I have no problem with Christianity adapting pagan insights moving from the shadows of things to the things themselves its just that the evidence is against this being an example of any such thing, he said. English Heritage, are you interested in historical accuracy? In the early 3rd century, Hippolytus of Rome and Sextus Julius Africanus dated the birth of Christ to December 25 by adding nine months the term of a pregnancy to March 25. That was held to be the date of the annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary she would give birth to Christ. In the 3rd century, St Hippolytus of Rome dated Christs birth to December 25, nine months after his conception on March 25 - Godong/Universal Images Group Editorial These calculations predate the earliest evidence of Sol Invictus being commemorated on December 25, which are from the late 3rd century and mid-4th century. Dr Omrani said: December 25 appears to have been chosen because it was nine months after the day which early Christians believed Christ was conceived, March 25. There were also much more popular festivals to the sun on other days at that time, for example Aug 28 and Oct 22. It seems unlikely that the festival was prominent enough to be worth Christians taking it over: the day would have no particular attraction to pagans, and it also seems unlikely that Christians then would want an important festival intentionally to have a pagan association. Tom Holland, the popular historian and co-host of The Rest is History podcast, responded to English Heritages post by saying: Please make it stop. In a follow-up post, which was also later deleted, English Heritage mistakenly claimed Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 325 CE. This actually happened in 380 AD with the Edict of Thessalonica. A spokesman for English Heritage said: We quickly realised we got this wrong and deleted the posts. Gibraltar holds its first Conference on Disability The Ministry of Equalitys Supported needs and Disability Office (SNDO) commemorated International Day of Persons with Disabilities by hosting Gibraltars first disability conference at the Sunborn Hotels ballroom. The event was well attended by government officials, disability advocates and persons with disabilities. Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism, The Hon. Christian Santos GMD MP opened the conference explaining how Gibraltar was working towards the extension and ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He explained how this is a lengthy process for all crown dependencies and territories; and how the UK have only extended it to Bermuda in the 15 years that the UK have been part of this Convention. Minister Santos confirmed he has instructed his team that Sections 13 and 14 of the Disability Act must be unlocked within the lifetime of this parliament. The unlocking of Section 13 is well underway through the National Disability Strategy. The HM Government Strand was launched in 2024 and objectives are being met. The Private Sector Strand will be launched in 2026. A working party, made up of several professionals from key areas and chaired by the SNDO has been formed to unlock Section 14. Minister Santos stated that the legislation would be brought into force fairly and transparently, primarily for those who need it, and so that others understand their responsibilities. Persons with disabilities will also be included in the consultation phase. The conference was Gibraltars most accessible conference to date with wheelchair accessibility, the choice to sit at a table for those with upper limb impairments, a hearing loop, two British Sign Language Interpreters standing beside the stage and for the first time ever in Gibraltar, live subtitles. Speak See was launched at this conference. This is a device which enables live subtitles on a screen as the speaker is talking and helps persons with hearing impairments, concentration difficulties and those who are non-native speakers. This technology will now be used in future events. A new Supported Needs and Disability Passport was also launched at the conference. Further information on this initiative will be released separately. There were panel discussions on the topics of disability language, universal design: accessibility in buildings and streets and on creating community for persons who are neurodivergent. Several speakers offered insights. Dr Lola Soler spoke about the Neurodevelopmental Pathway and Mr Julian Danino spoke about Hearing Loss - The Silent Disability. The keynote Speaker was trauma and attachment specialist, Alice Macleod, from Tribe Associates UK. She spoke about how neurodivergence affects attachment. This comes from the work that was conducted earlier on this year where an Information Booklet for Parents on this topic was developed and published. This can be found on www.disability.gov.gi/documents Jenny Victory from the Supported Needs and Disability Office delivered the annual report in which she explained Gibraltar is propelling forwards in the implementation of key policies and practices. The report outlined the significant accomplishments this year and the work that the SNDO have undertaken. Statistics were shared and she advised 457 families have accessed clinics with the SNDO since it opened its doors in September 2021. With regards to concessions, at present there are: - 315 active Disability Information Cards - 284 active Radar Keys - 195 active Frontier Passes - 736 active Blue Badges It is important to note that these figures change on a daily basis as some expire and others are granted. The British Sign Language Report was also read, reporting that in 2025: - 39 hours of in-person BSL has taken place for the purposes of public events, complex medical appointments for individuals and meetings where there are several participants - 8 hours of video interpreting has taken place for the purposes of one-to-one appointments and meetings. - 9 public announcements and press releases have included BSL. In total, 56 hours of British Sign Language has been provided throughout 2025. Ms Victory highlighted that blanket approaches do not work as disability is a broad and diverse umbrella term that encompasses a vast spectrum of conditions, experiences and impacts, but concluded by stating the SNDO will continue to tirelessly advocate, innovate and collaborate to create change. Minister Santos said: This conference served to update the community on the work done by the SNDO and collaborators for the rights for persons with disabilities, in law and in day-to-day life. I am extremely proud of my team who work to help and advise families and individuals daily. The Ministry of Equality will continue to raise awareness of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and promote their rights and well-being." Isabel Vaughan-Spruce is due to appear before Birmingham magistrates court on Jan 29 - David Rose A Catholic pro-life campaigner has become the first person in Britain to be charged with the new offence of breaching an abortion clinic buffer zone. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, 48, a charity worker, was arrested earlier this year after she was seen silently praying outside a facility in Birmingham. A national buffer zones law was passed in October 2024, prohibiting influence within 150m of every abortion facility in England and Wales. Ms Vaughan-Spruces supporters claim the legislation does not prohibit silent prayer but on Thursday, following several months consideration by prosecutors, she was informed she had been charged. The charge states that on four occasions between June and November, she stood within the buffer zone around a clinic in Birmingham with the intention of influencing a persons decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services. Father Sean Gough, a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, and Ms Vaughan-Spruce outside Birmingham magistrates court - Jacob King/PA Wire She is due to appear before Birmingham magistrates court on Jan 29 and if found guilty could face an unlimited fine. Ms Vaughan-Spruce is the first person to be charged under the national buffer zone legislation, which replaced previous local authority restrictions. This is the latest twist in a long-running saga between Ms Vaughan-Spruce and West Midlands Police over her activities near the abortion clinic, where she has been praying for 20 years. She was first arrested in December 2022 for silently praying inside a buffer zone imposed by the local authority around the clinic in the Kings Norton area. In February 2023 she was acquitted of all charges at Birmingham magistrates court when the prosecution failed to offer any evidence. Weeks later, she was arrested for a second time, with officers telling her engaging in silent prayer within the restricted zone was an offence. Following a six-month police investigation the charges were dropped and she subsequently received a 13,000 payout and an apology from West Midlands Police. She recently defended her actions and said when she prayed she turned her head inwardly towards God. Ms Vaughan-Spruce said: Im literally just standing there. Im not staring at people as they go in. Im not trying to have a conversation with anybody, Im just simply silent and in my head. Her campaign has won the support of JD Vance, the US vice-president, who has described buffer zones in the UK as an attack on the basic liberties of religious Britons. Ms Vaughan-Spruce added: Despite being fully vindicated multiple times after being wrongfully arrested for my thoughts, its unbelievable that I have yet again been charged for standing in that public area, and holding pro-life beliefs. Silent prayer or holding pro-life beliefs cannot possibly be a crime. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought. Jeremiah Igunnubole, a lawyer with ADF International, which has been supporting her said: Buffer zones are among the most concerning frontiers of censorship in the modern west. We all stand against harassment and abuse, but the buffer zone law broadly bans influence, which is being interpreted by police officers to target innocent people who happen to stand in a certain place and believe a certain thing. We will continue to robustly challenge this unjust censorship, and support Isabels right to think and believe freely as is the right of every person in the UK. A man boarded a flight at Heathrow without a ticket, boarding pass or passport. The unnamed individual walked onto the 7.20am British Airways (BA) flight to Oslo, Norway, on Saturday after tailgating other passengers through security and evading checks at the departure gate. An aviation expert described the incident as a significant lapse in security, as a witness reported that cabin crew only detected the interloper because the flight was full and he kept sitting in passengers assigned seats. Police arrested the unnamed man, airport sources said, adding that he had passed through full security screening before reaching the gate. The unnamed man had pretended to be with a family who passed through the final passport check at the gate before boarding the Airbus A320, it is understood. ' Mike LaCorte, who was aboard BA flight BA768 with his wife for a break in the Norwegian capital, saw the entire incident from his seat in row one at the very front of the short-haul flights cabin. This chap moved around until the plane filled up. And then a member of the cabin crew went over to speak to them. And it was clear that this person didnt have any boarding pass or anything at all, said Mr LaCorte, who is chief executive of private investigation company Conflict International. He described the interloper as a white man in his late twenties or early thirties, a scruffy solo traveller wearing an off-white tracksuit and carrying a small rucksack. Automatic security gates Sources familiar with the incident said the man had tailgated his way through automatic gates at the entrance to Terminal Threes security screening area. Passengers must scan their boarding passes to be allowed into the queue for security checks intended to detect any prohibited items such as weapons or explosives. After passing security meaning he was not detected carrying any banned items the man fooled the BA check-in agent by posing as a member of a family who had their passports and boarding passes inspected in the usual way. Airport security, shortly followed by armed police, arrived and removed the man from the airliner, Mr LaCorte said. The cabin crew came in and tried to map where the seats were that he was sitting at, and then searched the cabin overhead bins, he added. All genuine passengers then had to pass through security again. Sniffer dogs searched the airliner before the rightful passengers were allowed to board again, Mr LaCorte said. It was, like, three hours, he said. How did he get on in the first place? Its the risk. Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University, said the airline was responsible for checking that all people aboard their aeroplanes were allowed to be there. Speaking about Saturdays incident, he said: It demonstrates a significant lapse in security and in the verification of each passenger and their right to be boarding an aircraft. There are measures on board the aircraft that obviously prevent the person reaching the flight deck. But every airline should be able to account 100 per cent for every passenger and every person that is on board that aircraft. BA768s Saturday departure from Heathrow was delayed by three hours and twenty minutes, according to flight-tracking website Flight Radar 24. Mr LaCorte believes that BA should have done more to compensate passengers for the delay. I think it was 135 [Norwegian] Kroners, or whatever it is, which is equivalent to 10, he added, saying that the voucher was a code that had to be redeemed in a mobile app. Heathrow Airport and BA declined to comment. HM Prison Swaleside is described as harbouring a pervasive sense of despair - John Stillwell/PA Muslim gangs have gained unchecked control of one of the most drug-ridden violent prisons in Britain, watchdogs have warned. Prisoners are making knives in the jail, drones are bringing in weapons and drugs, and inmates are regularly assaulting staff and each other, say the watchdogs. Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said HMP Swaleside in Kent was dangerous, dirty, rife with drugs and had a pervasive sense of despair, as he placed it in special measures, forcing David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, to draw up an emergency action plan. Mr Taylor said the prison, where nearly a third of the inmates are Muslim, had the worst scores of any jail in my five years as chief inspector. Charlie Taylor has demanded that David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, draw up an emergency action plan - Andrew Crowley for The Telegraph His damning assessment followed a similar report by the prisons local watchdogs, which expressed concern about the gang culture in the prison. A recurring theme is the perception of widespread violence, including bullying by both prisoners and staff, as well as unchecked gang control, particularly by religious gangs, which many prisoners report feeling powerless and unsafe against, they said. Their report said that throughout the year, there had also been evidence of rival gangs battling over control and drugs, racist comments and discrimination against Jewish prisoners. Violence, they said, was a constant theme and the manufacturing of bladed weapons on site is ominous. The comments [by prisoners] reflect a consistent pattern of serious concerns about safety, corruption and poor management at the prison, they added. Spice and weapons Drug use, especially the prevalence of spice, and the presence of weapons are highlighted as urgent, unaddressed issues contributing to a highly dangerous environment. In just three months, there had been 107 assaults on staff, 70 per cent of which were triggered by staff instructions, and half of those involved spitting or punching. This lack of respect, especially in regard to inexperienced staff, is a recurring theme with prisoners, said the watchdogs. Of great concern to the board is that these assaults happen across all residential wings, making it a complicated issue to solve. It is likely that prisoners, or those instructing them, are seeking to condition staff to not carry out their duties. There were 107 assaults on staff at HMP Swaleside in the space of three months - Gareth Fuller/PA Images The watchdogs blamed a chronic lack of staff and inexperience, with close to half having less than one years experience. It is completely unrealistic for any organisation to expect so many new recruits to understand the required role without guidance from more experienced officers. This has an impact on the running of the prison, conduct, safety and violence, they said. Mr Taylor revealed six inmates were assaulted or stabbed on their first night in the jail. Prison inspectors heard from inmates at the Category B jail who were too frightened to go to health appointments or use the gym because of fears of violence. In a letter to Mr Lammy placing the prison in special measures, Mr Taylor described very high levels of violence as affecting every aspect of prison life, with a third of prisoners surveyed saying they had been assaulted and three-quarters reporting they felt unsafe. Drug-taking was rife, drones were regularly dropping contraband into the prison, including knives, and inspectors also saw widespread graffiti, fire damage, broken furniture and mouldy showers. Attempts to restore order were also described as wholly insufficient and inhumane as a new regime allowed 44 per cent of the prisons inmates out of their cells for only 30 minutes on most weekdays. Lord Timpson, the prisons minister, said the new governor was working hard to address the serious concerns. This is a deeply concerning report and Im disappointed we have failed to achieve the required standard, he said. Work is under way to rapidly reduce violence, improve safety and drive up standards. We will publish an action plan in the coming weeks to support them in these efforts. But the sad fact is we inherited a broken prison system, with too many jails like HMP Swaleside breeding further crime. That is why were building 14,000 new prison places and reforming sentencing to end this crisis for good, reduce reoffending and keep the public safe. Patricia Robson published five volumes of poetry Photograph: family handout (Photograph: family handout) My wife, Patricia Robson, a socialist, supporter of the BBC, passionate Remainer and Guardian reader, who has died of cancer aged 83, was lucky enough to work at a time when the charismatic primary school teacher was given free rein. A wordsmith, she would capture the arresting phrase and run with it in her storytelling and poetry. In the 1970s Pat gathered a group of teachers in Kent to engage primary school children in drama productions. They would outline a plot, then get the 20 to 30 children to perform various scenes while a narrator kept the story flowing. Calling themselves The Tree of Tales, the group visited schools after hours, staging dramas such as the Pilgrim Fathers, the Black Death and the Peasants Revolt. Born in Raynes Park, south-west London, to Marion (nee Pasby) and William James, a transport manager, Pat went to Tolworth girls school and then Gloucester Teacher Training College, which is now part of the University of Gloucester (1961-64). Her first job was at Sherwood Park infant and junior schools, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (1964-77); she then worked as a peripatetic drama teacher for Kent for two years before joining Horsmonden primary (1979-82), Rusthall primary (1982-85), and then became deputy head at West Kingsdown primary (1985-88). Pat was the national curriculum advisory teacher for Kent county council from 1988 to 1992, and then spent 10 years as its teaching course leader. After retiring, she created a one-person show that she performed in schools. Children would enter the hall to find a sleeping figure beneath an embroidered bedspread, its pockets filled with meaningful objects. Once awakened, Pat invited the audience to select a pocket and listen to the story it held. Pats main aesthetic interests were art and literature. Her writing room was a storehouse of books and sculptures made by her first husband, John Robson, whom she married in 1965, with her son Jakes paintings adorning the walls. John died in 1987. We met through a mutual friend in 1990; we married on Pats birthday in 2019. In her later years, she led poetry groups for people with dementia and their carers, and was also a central figure in the University of the Third Age poetry group in Mayfield, East Sussex, where we lived. She published five volumes of poetry, with her final poem composed in the Hospice in the Weald despite being unable to write or use her right arm. Pat couldnt hold a pen, so I told her Id do that, said a hospice nurse. The poem came out spontaneously with an occasional long pause, in one of which she said: Just because my eyes are closed doesnt mean Im not busy thinking. Pat is survived by me, Jake, and her granddaughters, Jamila and Xanthe. Harry and Megan Tooze were killed with a shotgun at a farm in Llanharry A pensioner has been arrested by police investigating the unsolved killings of a couple who were shot at their farm in South Wales 32 years ago. The 86-year-old suspect, arrested early on Wednesday morning, is being questioned by detectives who opened a cold case review into the deaths of Harry Tooze, 65, and Megan Tooze, 67, who were killed with a shotgun. Their bodies were found at Ty ar y Waun farm in Llanharry in 1993, sparking a major police investigation. Four months later, the boyfriend of the couples only daughter was charged with the double killing. Jonathan Jones, now 65, was jailed for life after a trial at Newport Crown Court in 1995, but was freed a year later when the Court of Appeal ruled his conviction was unsafe. Cheryl Tooze stood by her boyfriend and campaigned for his release, offering a 25,000 reward for information about the killings. After his release, they and had a son together. The Toozes bodies were found in Ty ar y Waun farm, sparking a major investigation - Huw Evans Picture Agency The couple called for the case to be reopened. Over the years, there have been several reviews by South Wales Police, which failed to produce a breakthrough. On the 30th anniversary of the couples death, the forcce announced Operation Vega, led by Supt Mark Lewis. He said: While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our inquiries are very much ongoing. This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find the answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on. Even with this passage of time, I appeal to anyone who has any information about the killings to come forward and speak to police. No further details about the suspect have been released. Operation Vega is a thematic forensic review of the case under the guidance of Prof Angela Gallop, a forensic scientist. She has helped solve some of the countrys most complex murder cases, including the Stephen Lawrence case in London and the murder of Lynette White in Cardiff. For the last 30 months, Operation Vega has focused on all the exhibits from the original murder scene that had been retained by police to see if they might hold vital clues. Forensic techniques have advanced in the 30 years since the murders took place, and DNA can now be extracted from even the tiniest stains. Hampshire Constabulary painstakingly built up a case to map the operations of the Siners gang and bring it down - Hampshire Police/Solent News and Photo Agency Gangster brothers who marketed millions of pounds worth Class A drugs under the brand name Scouse Dave have been ordered to pay back millions in criminal profits. Anthony and Brian Siner, along with two of their henchmen in the county lines gang, have been ordered to pay back a total of 4m after the brothers were jailed for nearly 18 years and nearly 16 years respectively. The pair marketed heroin and crack cocaine under the brand name Scouse Dave and sent consignments across the UK. Brian Siner, left, who operated from his jail cell, and his brother Anthony ran the two bases of the gang on the south coast of England - Hampshire Police/Solent News and Photo Agency Four kilograms of the drugs, described as little packets of human misery by the trial judge, were seized by the police, along with 30,000 in cash. Portsmouth Crown Court was told that between January 2022 and March 2023, the Siner brothers and their drug syndicate sold almost 35kg of crack and heroin from their bases in Gosport, Hants, and Plymouth, Devon. Police raids led to the seizure of large quantities of the drug parcels described as little packets of human misery by a judge - Hampshire Police/Solent News and Photo Agency Anthony, 38, oversaw the base in Gosport, while Brian, 42, controlled the base in Plymouth from his prison cell where he was serving a 14-year prison sentence for previous drug supply offences in Liverpool. Couriers transported drugs and cash between the south coast and Liverpool, and on one such trip in November 2022, a vehicle driven by 41-year-old Gareth Roberts was stopped near Plymouth and three kilograms of drugs were seized. Following a number of arrests, the police noticed a pause in activity and put out a message to drug users that the county line operation being run by the Siner organised crime group. A total of 17 people have now been convicted in connection with the operation. A gun was among the weapons seized during the operation - Hampshire Police/Solent News and Photo Agency Anthony Siner, from Liverpool, admitted charges of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and jailed for 17 years and seven months. Brian Siner, also from Liverpool, was jailed for 15 years and nine months for the same offence. The brothers have been made subject to serious crime prevention orders and will be barred from owning more than two mobile phones when they leave prison. The Siners and their two operational managers Adam Hughes and Gary Cranney have now been ordered to pay back almost 4m. Adam Hughes and Gary Cranney were the two other gang bosses ordered to pay back their criminal earnings - Hampshire News/Solent News and Photo Agency Anthony must pay back 1.1m while Brian must pay 535,000. So far they have paid back just 1 each. Hughes, from Heathfield, East Sussex, was jailed for eight years and six months and ordered to pay back 1m, while Cranney, from Liverpool, was jailed for seven years, and ordered to pay back 1.3m. The final member of the group to be dealt with, Danny Venning, from Lipson, Devon, has now been jailed for six years and nine months. Ch Insp Marcus Kennedy, Hampshire Constabularys district commander for Fareham and Gosport, said: County lines gangs like the Siner organised crime group (OCG) inflict misery on communities, peddling drugs, preying on the vulnerable, and engaging in serious violence and anti-social behaviour. The police work into this criminal network ensured the problem was eradicated from the roots up, taking out key players and ultimately the two heads of the OCG the Siner brothers. As well as convicting and jailing gang members, a number of them have been ordered to pay back millions of their ill-gotten gains. Police also seized bundles of cash - Hampshire Police/Solent News and Photo Agency Det Sgt Peter Sloan, of Merseyside Police, said: Danny Vennings sentencing marks the final chapter in what has been a complex and farreaching investigation, bringing the total number of offenders convicted to 17 and resulting in more than 91 years of imprisonment. This operation has dismantled an organised crime group that caused significant harm across parts of the UK, including Liverpool, Gosport and Plymouth. These orders send a clear message: we will not allow criminals to profit from the misery they inflict. We will continue to use every power available to disrupt organised crime and protect the public. Photo: Shopify Partners / Burst (The Center Square) In New York, doctors can now prescribe medicine for terminally ill patients to end their lives. Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose mother died after a painful battle with ALS, said she wrestled with the ethical and moral issues surrounding the controversial proposal but ultimately decided to put her signature on the bill after negotiating with lawmakers to add safeguards preventing potential abuse. "New York has long been a beacon of freedom, and now it is time we extend that freedom to terminally ill New Yorkers who want the right to die comfortably and on their own terms," the Democrat said in a statement. "Although this was an incredibly difficult decision, I ultimately determined that with the additional guardrails agreed upon with the legislature, this bill would allow New Yorkers to suffer less to shorten not their lives, but their deaths." The new law, approved by the state Legislature earlier this year, will allow mentally competent, terminally ill adults who have been given a prognosis of six months or less to have the ability to request medication to end their lives. Backers of the proposal said the legislation includes safeguards, including a requirement that patients make verbal requests for a doctors intervention and get a written request signed by two witnesses. At least two physicians would need to certify that the patient seeking access to lethal medicine is suffering from an incurable, irreversible condition. Health care insurers would be banned from recommending or providing information on medical aid in dying to patients, including alongside denial of coverage notices for other treatments, under the proposal. The plan would also shield physicians and patients from any legal ramifications from medical aid-in-dying procedures. State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Manhattan Democrat and primary sponsor of the bill, called its final approval a "monumental victory for every New Yorker who has wished to peacefully end their suffering from a terminal illness." "Since we first introduced this legislation nine years ago, I have consistently said this bill is not about ending life, it's about shortening death," he said in a statement. Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, with some claiming it would encourage suicide among those suffering from depression and other mental health issues. Others suggested that the state should focus on improving other areas of health care, such as palliative services. The New York State Catholic Conference, which had urged Hochul to reject the proposal, criticized the governor for giving final approval to the "physician assisted suicide" legislation. The group said the measure would contribute to a "culture of death" and lacks critical safeguards over how doctors approve patients looking to get a prescription for a lethal cocktail of drugs to end their life. "This new law signals our governments abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable, but is encouraged by our elected leaders," Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the Bishops of New York State said in a statement. "We call on Catholics and all New Yorkers to reject physician-assisted suicide for themselves, their loved ones, and those in their care," they added. "And we pray that our state turn away from its promotion of a Culture of Death and invest instead in life-affirming, compassionate hospice and palliative care, which is seriously underutilized." Medical aid-in-dying is currently permitted in 12 states, including New Jersey and Vermont as well as Washington, D.C., according to the group Compassionate Choices. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1997 left the issue largely up to states. Thirty-seven states have since banned the practice, either at the ballot box or by legislative act. U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner delivers a speech for the official launch of America 250, to celebrate the 250th birthday of the US in 2026, at the US embassy in Paris, on Dec. 4, 2025. Credit - Julien de RosaAFP via Getty Images In late November, U.S. ambassador to France Charles Kushnerfather of Jaredgave one of the only interviews since he took up his position last July. Speaking to Vivienne Walt for TIME France, he discussed the letter he had sent President Emmanuel Macron last July, accusing France of ignoring the rise in antisemitism and saying that antisemitism has long scarred French life. Published in the Wall Street Journal, the letter sparked an angry response from Macron and his foreign minister. Click here to read the interview, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, in French; the English can be read below. What was the motivation for your letter? I learned by speaking to different Jewish communities that the majority of Jews in France live in fear and they feel totally abandoned by their government. People say, I can no longer identify as anything Jewish, because I because I will be harassed. Every week Im watching this and I say, this is disgusting. Im the child of Holocaust survivors. It feels very personal to me. President Macron was very angry, and so was Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, saying it was not your business as a diplomat, and that you had just arrived and don't know the country. They were upset because I told the truth, and I don't know that they could handle the truth. They just don't like it, because I think that they don't support the truth. For example, in 2023, President Macron himself, disgracefully, never attended the demonstration against antisemitism after October 7. So that it made him upset didn't make me lose any sleep. I don't pretend to be the best diplomat. I do aspire to be an honest person who represents our country gracefully and with honor. I must tell you, United States Senators, United States Congressmen applauded my letter. A lot of business people. And the message was, France has lost its way. I have four children. They were brought up not to hate people, not to discriminate, to be sensitive to what people have lived through, and it doesn't matter if you're Black or white or Jewish or Catholic or Muslim. On the other hand, children that are raised in homes in Gaza, you know, and I don't blame the children, but they are not in an open society. They are not given education where their minds are open to the world. They are taught hate, hate, hate. You wrote in your letter than half of French kids in secondary schools have never heard of the Holocaust. I find this methodology disputable because other studies find much lower figures. [The statistic concerning people between 18 and 29 is from a 2023 poll by the organization Claims Conference, founded in 1951 for restitution claims of victims of Nazism. Other similar studies have found lower statistics. The polling agency Ifop found in 2018 that 21% of people between 18 and 24 had not heard of the genocide of Jews.] And the Holocaust is in the school curriculum and the exam every new citizen and every child has to learn. I'm told it's an accurate statistic, that 46% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 have never heard of the Holocaust. Perhaps the kids aren't going to class or the teachers are pretty shocking. If you teach about World War II, how can you not teach about what happened to 6 million Jews? One of my top priorities is to meet with the Minister of Education, whenever there is a minister of education. [Frances new education minister Edouard Geffray was appointed on Oct. 12, six weeks before the interview.] Read more: What the Bondi Beach Attack Reveals About Antisemitism in Australia It seems like perhaps the government is not necessarily at fault here. I can tell you there are so many incidents that we have kept track of and that happened in this country, and the government does absolutely nothing. They come out with great statements, saying, We're against antisemitism. This is terrible. But you don't read about a lot of arrests. You don't read a lot of people that are punished severely. The French would say you don't have a leg to stand on, with all this neo-Nazi talk in the US, and the Young Republicans chat group on Telegram, and Elon Musks maybe, maybe not Nazi salute. They find it hypocritical. That argument is extremely shallow. Our President is withholding billions of federal money that goes to universities, including Harvard and the Ivy Leagues, and saying we are not going to give you one penny if you're going to permit antisemitism on your campuses. It has been effective. The campuses have cracked down on antisemitism. I have a grandson who is a very good student. He's now studying in Israel for a year, but he's going to go next year to Harvard. His parents didn't want to send them to Harvard, and frankly, probably wouldn't have sent them to Harvard. If the President would not have taken the actions he took to go ahead and fight antisemitism on the campus, my grandson wouldn't have gone to Harvard. We do have antisemitism in America. We have it beyond proportions I never would have believed. But the difference between France and the United States is in France, you have the administration that taps you on the hand and lets you go your way. In America we have a President that kicks you hard in the backside. Vice President J.D. Vance called the Telegram texts a stupid joke, and basically dismissed the whole thing as just banter between young bros. How do you square that? The President takes it very, very seriously. I know the President very well, and I respect him. I respect his comments about it. The Vice President I don't have a deep relationship with, and I don't really know his comments, honestly and truly. Read more: White House Shrugs Off Leaked Chats from Young Republicans Praising Hitler Why do you think France is lax on antisemitism? The Muslim community is growing very dramatically, and the Jewish community is shrinking pretty dramatically. There used to be 600,000 Jews maybe a decade or more ago, now its 440,000. How you know that? Theres no census for that. ChatGPT, that's like my best source. Look it up yourself. And your interpretation of that is that it's this is not a welcoming place for them? Like I said, Jews here live in fear and feel abandoned by the government, and so is that very welcoming to you? I don't think so. I wouldn't feel welcomed here if I was scared to walk around with a yarmulke on my head, or scared to put a mezuzah on my door. So what's the next step? What actually can you do here practically? I think there are a small percentage of French Jews that live like the Jews in Germany in 1938, 1939. They say they are successful with the government, that this a great place to be. The government's never going to touch us. You could check on ChatGPT also about how many Jews then felt so secure because they were so high up in government, or were so high up in wealth, in society, in industrial business. So they say, Don't make noise. But I think by having our voices heard, maybe we can make the current government a little bit more aware and a little bit more responsive now. So that's number one. Number two, I think we should be speaking with the Minister of Education, talking about education. I met with the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, and we talked about doing something jointly together between the Muslim community and the Jewish community. I sit here as a proud Jew and a proud Zionist, but I would tell you Jews and Muslims lived in peace for hundreds of years. And I dont put all Muslims in one category. You know, there's radicalized Muslims. There's radicalized Jews that I don't like as well, that are violent, that just last week burned down a mosque. I do not favor those people. I feel about them like radicalized Muslims. So most Muslims are good God-fearing people that have lived with Jews for hundreds and hundreds of years. But the radicalized part of the population is becoming more and more, and this country, with the open borders of Europe, I think that part of the population is growing very fast. So you see this rise in antisemitism as coming largely from the Muslim population. I didn't say that. No, I think it comes from the radicalized Muslim population. In America it comes from a lot of places. For two years in Paris pretty much every week there have been demonstrations against the war in Gaza. In your mind, is this an antisemitic act? When you say from the river to the sea, or if you say the destruction of Israel, you're saying I hate Jews. Contact us at letters@time.com. Food & Wine / Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa Key Points Carter Creek Winerys Plateau White earned the Top White Wine Champion title at the 2026 Rodeo Uncorked! competition, an event that drew more than 3,100 entries from 25 countries. The win underscores the strength of Texas High Plains viticulture, where heat-tolerant varieties enable growers to produce balanced white blends even in tough years. Sommeliers in Houston and Austin note that competitive wins and guest curiosity are boosting Texas whites' popularity on wine lists, especially as blended styles complement a variety of dishes and dining experiences. Carter Creek Winerys Plateau White, Texas High Plains, 2024, has been named Top White Wine Champion at the 2026 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition. Last year, the title went to Krutz Family Cellars Chardonnay from Californias Santa Lucia Highlands, while Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut took the overall Grand Champion. This year, Napas Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon won Best of Show, with Sequoia Grove Chardonnay named Reserve Grand Champion underscoring the prestige of the competition and the significance of a Texas High Plains white blend rising to the top. The Rodeo Uncorked! competition is one of the largest in the country, drawing more than 3,100 entries from 25 countries and judged by 130 experts. Of those, 567 wines were produced in Texas. For Carter Creek a family-owned winery in Johnson City, nearly two hours from Austin the win is more than just a medal: Its proof that Texas whites can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Champagne and Napa on one of the most competitive stages in the wine world. Winemaking on the High Plains Veteran winemaker Jon McPherson grew up in Lubbock, where his father, Doc McPherson, helped pioneer modern Texas wine. He describes the High Plains as flat, expansive, and characterized by sandy loam soils with good drainage and pronounced daynight temperature swings. We see 2530 degrees between daytime highs and nighttime lows, which is crucial for balance, he says. Grapes like Roussanne, Viognier, Picpoul, and Clairette Blanche arent just tolerant of heat they express well in it. The 2024 vintage was punishing: Six weeks of tripledigit temperatures demanded night harvesting, refrigerated trucking, and rapid processing to protect fruit integrity. Logistics are always a challenge in Texas, McPherson says. But the vines adapted, and the fruit held. Thats what makes Plateau White special. It reflects both the climate and the determination behind it. Food & Wine / Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa The 2024 Plateau White from Carter Creek Winery was named Top White Wine Champion at the Rodeo Uncorked International Wine Competition, which saw more than 3,100 wines from 25 countries. For Texas wine, its another milestone proving these blends can hold their own. Plateau White is crafted as a bestofvintage blend rather than a singlevarietal statement. According to McPherson, barrelfermented Viognier brings depth and plush texture; Picpoul and Clairette Blanche drive citrus brightness; Roussanne adds weight and a silken feel. Judges praised its stone fruit and citrus on the nose and spot on acid, with a silky mouthfeel. McPherson says the wine, which costs $25 at Carter Creek resort, is versatile. Shrimp and grits, roast chicken, Gulf fish, McPherson mentions as suitable pairings for the wine. Its a wine you can pour on a Tuesday night or at a celebration. How sommeliers are positioning Texas whites In Houston, Kira beverage director and general manager, Jacob Conrad, says that more drinkers, especially younger patrons, are curious about Texas wine. People are adventurous. They want to know what Texas can do, he says. The key is framing it not as better or worse than France or California, but as its own expression. He notes that Texas whites skew toward blends, which can make them compelling conversation wines on a list. Austin chefsommelier Laila Bazahm, who helms El Raval and Siti, connects Texas whites to food. Theyre a little heavier because of the sun, with concentrated flavors, and that works to their advantage, she says. Related: The Worlds Best Chardonnay, According to the 2025 International Wine Challenge Both emphasize the shift in perception that comes with public, competitive wins. Masked tastings at Bazahms events have amazed guests, and Conrad sees experiential discovery, like visiting Hill Country tasting rooms, and then seeking Texas bottles back home. Carter Creek also picked up multiple medals across its portfolio at Rodeo Uncorked!, including a Double Gold for Plateau White 2023 and a Gold for Primitivo, reinforcing the strength of its lineup beyond Plateau White. Additionally, the winery won six medals at the 2025 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Wine Competition for its 2023 Chenin Blanc, 2023 Sangiovese, 2023 Primitivo, Sparkling Tempranillo Rose, 2023 Estate Red, and 2023 Tempranillo. For Jon McPherson, winemaking in Texas isnt about chasing Napa or Champagne benchmarks its about embracing what the Texas High Plains does best. The soils and the climate here arent forgiving to every grape, he explains. But varieties like Roussanne, Viognier, Picpoul, and Clairette Blanche thrive because they can handle the heat and still hold acidity. When you play to those strengths, you get wines that are balanced, distinctive, and true to place. Rather than trying to replicate California Chardonnay or French Champagne, McPherson sees Texas whites carving their own lane. Were not trying to be anyone else, he says. Were making wines that reflect our conditions. When judges taste them blind, they recognize the quality. Other winners at the 2026 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition Top Texas Wine: Friday Mountain Frenchmans Corner Mourvedre, Salt Lick Vineyard, Texas Hill Country, 2020 Top Red Wine: Reynolds Family Winery Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2022 Top Sparkling Wine: Perrier-Jouet Blanc de Blanc Champagne AOC, NV Top Dessert Wine: Blandys 10 Year Old Bual, Madeira DOC, NV Top Value Wine: Bieler Pere et Fils La Jassine Red, Cotes-du-Rhone AOC, 2024 Read the original article on Food & Wine By Utkarsh Shetti and Federico Maccioni DUBAI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Qatar is banking on its abundant, low-cost energy to make up for lost time in the Gulf's artificial intelligence race, hoping that cheap power and deep pockets will help it catch up with regional rivals that have already secured a head start. The launch of Qai, backed by the country's $526 billion sovereign wealth fund and a $20 billion joint venture with Brookfield, marks Qatar's most ambitious move yet into a sector that is reshaping global technology and economics. It joins massive investments in Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, as part of the region's broader efforts to diversify away from oil revenues. But while energy advantage is a powerful lure for hyperscalers - the cloud giants such as Google, Microsoft and Meta driving AI adoption - analysts say the Gulf's ambitions face structural hurdles that go beyond infrastructure. OBSTACLES To become significant players in AI, Gulf states must navigate a thicket of challenges: replicating Western-style data governance, securing scarce advanced chips under U.S. export controls, and attracting top-tier talent in a fiercely competitive global market. These factors, rather than capital alone, will determine whether the region can translate its financial firepower into meaningful influence in the AI ecosystem. "The key component there we believe would be Qatar's ability to emulate the American policy on data privacy laws ... when you look around the world at the moment, the single biggest hindrance to significant AI deployment is the regulatory piece," said Stephen Beard, global head of data centres at Knight Frank. Qatar has disclosed few details about Qai, but its timing reflects surging demand for AI infrastructure as companies bet on the technology to drive efficiency and cut costs. "The compute demand is so massive that any new infrastructure buildout in an energy-abundant Qatar that fronts financing is welcomed news for American hyperscalers ... In this phase of the AI buildout, there's room for multiple players, said Mohammed Soliman, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. However, analysts warn that capturing hyperscaler demand will require sustained investment and policy alignment over many years. "We expect $800 billion to be spent on the AI data centre buildout in the Middle East over the next two years," said Dan Ives, analyst at Wedbush. CHEAPER ELECTRICITY Qatar's competitive edge lies in its low-cost electricity, which could offset the region's high cooling costs in a desert climate. Emirates NBD notes Middle East PUE ratings - a measure of data centre energy efficiency - average 1.79 versus 1.56 globally. Beard estimates Qatar could become a 1.5 to 2 gigawatt market by 2030 if it sustains cheap power and accelerates development. By comparison, Saudi Arabia's Humain aims for 6 GW by 2034, while the UAE's G42 is building the first phase of a 5-GW AI campus, set to rank among the worlds largest outside the United States. Qatar's progress will be notable if it reaches 500 megawatts by 2029, said Jonathan Atkin, RBC's global head of communications infrastructure, adding that utilisation rates will matter as much as capacity. The UAE currently hosts 35 data centres, Saudi Arabia 20, and Qatar five, according to Emirates NBD. The U.S. is home to more than 5,000. With its sovereign wealth, Qatar brings financial muscle but faces a steep climb against entrenched rivals. "I think it is fair to say Qatar/Doha is the late entrant in a four-horse race," said Counterpoint Research director Marc Einstein, referring to Saudi Arabia and the UAE's Abu Dhabi and Dubai. "It does have some advantages... but in terms of volumes and scale, Qatar's neighbours are in a much better position." Beyond infrastructure, compliance is critical. Humain and G42 must adhere to strict U.S. rules on chip usage to secure U.S. tech giant Nvidia's most advanced Blackwell processors. Qai will need similar assurances to Washington. "The U.S. wants a clear line of sight into where every chip is, who is using it, and what networks it touches. That means detailed reporting, on-the-ground checks, strict rules for technicians from high-risk countries ... It's something the U.S. will be watching closely over time," Soliman said. (Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti and Federico Maccioni in Dubai. Editing by Andrew Mills and Mark Potter) Cambodia-China relation symposium held in Cambodian capital Xinhua) 10:04, December 17, 2025 PHNOM PENH, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A symposium on Cambodia-China relations was held here in the Cambodian capital on Tuesday to explore ways to further deepen bilateral ties and cooperation. Co-hosted by the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), China Intercontinental Press & Media Co., Ltd., and Jiujiang University, and organized by the Confucius Institute at the RAC, the symposium brought together more than 200 participants. Speaking at the event, RAC President Sok Touch highlighted the comprehensive development of bilateral relations, particularly in economics, trade and tourism, which he said had yielded substantial benefits. He also noted that Cambodia's recent decision to pilot a visa-free policy for Chinese citizens would definitely attract more Chinese tourists. At the event, experts and scholars shared insights on topics relevant to politics, economics, trade, culture, education and tourism, saying that Cambodia has greatly benefited from close ties with China, particularly under the Belt and Road Initiative. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) SAO PAULO (AP) A renowned Brazilian Catholic priest confirmed Tuesday that he was ordered by Sao Paulos archbishop to stop broadcasting his services and avoid social media postings all-together, following attacks from right-wing figures who denounce his actions as leftist. With 2.3 million followers on Instagram, Julio Lancellotti, 76, is famous all over Brazil for his extensive advocacy and outreach work with homeless people in Sao Paulo. On Tuesday, he told journalists he received the news from Cardinal Odilo Scherer, Sao Paulos archbishop, in a spirit of obedience and resilience. Sao Paulo's archdiocese said in a statement that issues discussed by the archbishop and a priest are of internal concern of the church and are carried forward directly between them. Lancellotti's services were regularly broadcast Sunday mornings, and in one of his latest he warned churchgoers that his online following would not be able to watch if they did not attend in person. Later on Tuesday, more than 40 Brazilian organizations that work for homeless people sent a letter to Cardinal Scherer asking him to reconsider his decision to suspend Lancelotti's broadcasts and social media activity. The letter seen by The Associated Press does not question the Churchs autonomy and focuses on the social impact of the cardinal's decision. The signatory organizations will send representatives to next Sunday's service to offer Father Lancellotti their public support. Lancellotti has accumulated political adversaries in Brazil since the COVID-19 pandemic, though he has performed similar work in Sao Paulo's Mooca district for almost 40 years. Sao Paulo's Deputy Mayor Col. Ricardo Mello Araujo has accused Lancellotti of empowering drug users scattered downtown, a claim the priest denies. City councilors allied with former President Jair Bolsonaro have tried to open investigations against the clergyman's work. Lancellotti denies any wrongdoing. The Catholic priest, an outspoken supporter of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has for many years defended his work as a pastoral action of the archdiocese, arguing that he does not belong to any nonprofit organization. ____ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america US-POLITICS-EDUCATION-CIVIL RIGHTS-HERITAGE-STATUE (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images) After five years of speculation, Congress finally revealed which Virginian would replace Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Capitol a 16-year-old civil rights activist named Barbara Rose Johns and a lot of people promptly asked who she is. Johns 11-foot bronze statue was unveiled Tuesday in Emancipation Hall and will soon move to the Capitol Crypt, where it will stand alongside George Washington as one of Virginias two contributions to the National Statuary Hall Collection, taking the niche Lees statue occupied for 111 years before its 2020 removal. (RELATED: In Defense Of Robert E. Lee) The Commonwealth of Virginia will now be properly represented by an actual patriot who embodied the principle of liberty and justice for all, and not a traitor who took up arms against the United States to preserve the brutal institution of chattel slavery, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at the ceremony. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger joined more than 200 members of Johns family for the unveiling, which featured gospel standards from a D.C. high school choir. Johns led a 1951 student walkout from the all-black Moton High School in Farmville to protest crumbling facilities and overcrowded tar-paper classrooms; the NAACP turned her strike into one of the five cases that became Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court ruling that ended de jure school segregation. Sculptor Steven Weitzman depicts Johns mid-speech, book thrust overhead, with her pedestal engraved with her challenge to classmates Are we going to just accept these conditions, or are we going to do something about it? and the biblical line And a little child shall lead them. Outside Virginia, though, Johns is hardly a household name. A Democratic blogger cheerleading the swap back in 2020 opened his explainer with, Who is Barbara Johns, you ask? A Daily Kos diarist went blunter Who the Fuck is Barbara Johns?? for the original title of the essay. Lees bronze, donated in 1909, was hauled out of the Crypt in December 2020 and shipped to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture as part of a broader purge of Confederate symbols. Johns now joins a growing list of civil rights figures including Mary McLeod Bethune and Daisy Bates who have replaced Confederate icons in the Capitols marble lineup. Claire Lai, daughter of media tycoon and Beijing critic Jimmy Lai who was found guilty in a Hong Kong court of national security charges, reacts during an interview in Washington, DC, on December 15. - Kevin Mohatt/Reuters The guilty verdict handed down this week to Hong Kong media tycoon and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was expected but is still devastating, his daughter Claire Lai told CNNs Jim Sciutto, blaming what she described as the citys highly compromised legal system under Chinese rule. Her father, 78, now faces the possibility of life in prison after his two-year trial under a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on the city following months of huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests. Self-made billionaire Lai, founded a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid newspaper known for its blistering broadsides against the Chinese Communist Party until its forced closure in 2021. Prosecutors cited Lais lobbying of US politicians during Trumps first term much of it before the security law was enacted as evidence of sedition and colluding with foreign forces, including his meetings with then-Vice President Mike Pence, then-State Secretary Mike Pompeo, and attempts to meet Trump himself. Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly rejected claims Lais trial was politically motivated and maintain the citys judicial system adheres to the rule of law. Lais daughter, Claire Lai, told CNNs Jim Sciutto that Mondays verdict was expected but devastating, calling the national security law extremely vague, draconian and arbitrary. Jonathan Price and Claire Lai during a CNN interview. - CNN This was not going to be solved in the once promising but now highly compromised Hong Kong legal system, she said, adding the 855-page verdict failed to meaningfully engage with free press or fundamental rights protections. Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has a separate judicial system to that of mainland China which has a conviction rate above 99%. Critics fear the national security law has brought what they describe as Beijings authoritarian and opaque judicial norms to Hong Kong, with all national security trials so far heard by a panel of specially selected judges, not juries a departure from the citys common-law tradition when dealing with serious cases. Human rights barrister Jonathan Price KC, part of Lais international legal team, described the court proceedings as a performative process that began with Lais arrest in 2020 and culminated in what he called a predetermined verdict. The legal reasoning is scarce to say the least, if not non-existent, Price said. In response, Hong Kong authorities said the court clearly pointed out in the reasons for verdict that Lai Chee-ying (Jimmy Lai) was not on trial for his political views or beliefs, adding that the 855-page ruling is fully open for public inspection and meticulously explains the courts analysis of the relevant legal principles and evidence. The Hong Kong government also defended the citys legal system, saying, Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed, and lawbreakers be held accountable. The family says Lais health has sharply deteriorated during the five years he has been imprisoned. Claire Lai said her father has lost more than 10 kilograms in less than a year and now suffers from diabetes, heart issues, high blood pressure, failing eyesight and hearing, and other visible ailments. Police lead Hong kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai (center) away from his home after he was arrested under the new national security law in Hong kong on August 10, 2020. - Vernon Yuen/AFP/Getty Images My father, he was strong and robust and he was quite known for that as well. And now hes lost a dramatic amount of weight, she said. Hong Kong authorities disputed those concerns, saying Lai has received adequate and comprehensive medical care while in custody. Professional medical staff provide the most suitable healthcare services to patients, and all PICs (person in custody) are treated equally. Senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying also clearly informed the court that the correctional institution arranged daily medical check-ups for Lai Chee-ying and that Lai Chee-ying had made no complaints about the medical services received while in custody. The court commended the CSD (Correctional Services Department) for its work. Asked whether the Chinese government intends for Lai to die in prison, Price warned that any sentence imposed could effectively amount to a life sentence. The maximum is life in prison, and they could impose that. And he was 78 last week. Any one of those sentences amounts in effect to a life sentence, and well see him die behind bars. Face any adversity Lai was born in mainland China and arrived in British-ruled Hong Kong at 12 years old, working his way up from factory laborer to clothing tycoon. He then pivoted to media and founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before Hong Kong was handed over to China. The outspoken publisher and his newspaper were at the forefront of the citys pro-democracy movement, particularly in the decade leading up to the mass anti-government protests in 2019. A vocal supporter of Trump, Lai traveled to Washington at the height of the 2019 protests, meeting with Pence and other US politicians to discuss the situation. At the time, massive demonstrations sparked by a controversial piece of legislation were drawing hundreds of thousands onto the streets many of whom feared that Beijing could encroach on the citys autonomy and rare freedoms of speech, press and assembly. Price noted that they have seen an immense amount of international support for Lais case. President Donald Trump has said he raised Lais case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, fueling hopes among supporters that diplomatic pressure could secure his release. Claire Lai, daughter of Jimmy Lai, attends a news conference, on December 15, in Washington. - Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Claire Lai said she believes the presidents efforts could lead to her fathers release. Were so grateful for him to show ongoing concern. Now that hes wrongfully convicted, (it) really gives us a great amount of hope. In a statement, the Hong Kong government said it strongly demands foreign countries to immediately stop acting against the international law and basic norms of international relations and interfering in Chinas internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs. Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson also issued the following statement: Hong Kong affairs are purely Chinas internal matters. The media should respect the rule of law in Hong Kong and refrain from interfering in ongoing judicial cases. As a serious media outlet, CNN should remain objective and neutral, report facts rationally, and accurately and comprehensively represent the positions of China, including that of the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) government. Despite the verdict, Claire Lai said her family will continue to fight. Were still grieving, she said. But one thing that our father has taught us is that we should face any adversity, any sort of difficulty with a certain amount of cheer and a certain amount of spirit, so thats what we try to do. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The jury box in the criminal court at Centre St. in New York City Credit - Bettmann Archive/Getty Images The Supreme Court is set to decide in the next few weeks whether to hear Parada v. United States, a case that asks the court to reinstate 12-person juries. For much of American history, the right to a jury meant a right to 12 jurors. The 12-juror requirement was inherited from centuries of English common law, carried to America, and adopted by the 13 original colonies. But in 1970, the Supreme Court did away with the requirement, reasoning that trial courts should have leeway to call in fewer members of the community for jury service. The justices, writing in 1970, noted that they did not find anything in the records of the Constitutional Convention to suggest that the founders cared, one way or another, about the number of jurors impaneled for trial. In the intervening decades, constitutional historians have uncovered a wealth of archival documents revealing what 18th century Americans really thought about the question. The founders cared, to put it mildly. When the Constitution was ratified, if you wanted to signal someone was receiving second-class justicethat constitutional protections didnt applyyou gave them fewer than 12 jurors. Fewer jurors meant you werent worthy of the dignity of a constitutional trial. Nowhere is that understanding clearer than in the so-called slave courts of the Carolinas. These courts originated in the 1690 Act for the Better Ordering of Slaves and operated for more than 150 years outside constitutional protection, explicitly denying enslaved people the trial rights that white Americans enjoyed. And heres whats revealing: enslaved people facing trial in these courts received as few as three and as many as five jurorsbut crucially, never 12. Courts of the era were explicit about what that meant. A trial with fewer than 12 jurors was, in the words of South Carolina Chief Justice John Belton ONeall, not a trial by jury, in any sense in which the words have ever been legally used. Slave courts tried criminal cases against both enslaved and free Black Americans. Surviving records indicate that the most frequently tried cases involved charges of petty larceny or disorderly conduct, with an average sentence of fifty lashes at the whipping postsometimes administered in weekly installments when the pain proved unbearable in a single session. But these courts also wielded the power to impose the death penalty. When they did, taxpayer money compensated slaveowners for what amounted to government destruction of their property. Perversely, many slaveowners actually initiated capital cases against the people they enslaved, preferring execution and taxpayer compensation to the continued ownership of anyone they deemed recalcitrant. This issue came to a head in an 1844 case involving the owner of an enslaved woman named Emma. The owner contested a verdict by the slave court requiring him to forfeit any enslaved person he took north of the Potomac River. The South Carolina law sought to dissuade slaveholders from taking enslaved people into free states, fearing they might return contaminated by abolitionist ideas. He argued that, although Emma herself had no right to a juryand therefore could be tried criminally before five jurorshis property rights could not be forfeited without a verdict by 12 jurors. The South Carolina appellate court agreed, writing that a trial by five jurors is not a trial by jury and is utterly inconsistent with a due course of law. According to the founders, even enemies of the Revolution deserved 12 jurors. Consider New Jersey in 1780, the middle of the Revolutionary War. The state sat between American and British forces, and smugglers accused of aiding the British posed a genuine threat to the independence cause. The legislature had unanimously passed a law allowing six-person juries to try accused traitors. Yet the states supreme court struck it down as unconstitutional under New Jerseys own 1776 constitution, an early precursor to the federal Bill of Rights. Chief Justice David Brearley, who would later serve as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, explained that even alleged smugglers aiding the British in the nations darkest hour, with independence hanging in the balance, deserved the dignity of 12 jurors. When Americans gathered to debate the Constitution at their state ratifying conventions, the 12-juror requirement was a given. In Virginia, Governor Edmund Randolph, who had served as a delegate at the Constitutional Convention just months before, now presided over his states ratification debate. When critics questioned the Constitutions jury provision, Randolph defended the document by noting there was no suspicion that less than 12 jurors will be thought sufficient. The requirement, he suggested, was implicit in the word jury. Widely-read literature of the time also reveals how the founders thought about the right to a jury. One dictionary available at the founding, Giles Jacobs A New Law Dictionary, enjoyed unparalleled popularitycatalogued in the private libraries of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, among many others. Jacobs dictionary defines verdict as requiring every one of the 12 jurors to agree, noting that if there be 11 jurors agreed and but one dissenting the verdict shall not be taken. Likewise, talesreplacement jurors called when someone couldnt servewere said to be needed to reach the number of 12. The number wasnt incidental, in other words. It was definitional. William Blackstones Commentaries, a multi-volume treatise and the preeminent authority on common law for the founding generation, stated that no person could be affected in his property, his liberty, or his person, but by the unanimous consent of twelve of his neighbours and equals. And another leading 18th-century lawbook, one by Sir Matthew Hale, addressed what would happen if one juror left during deliberations, leaving only 11. His answer was unequivocal: no verdict can be taken of the 11, and if it be, it is error. The remaining 11 must be discharged, and a new jury sworn. The founders apparently knew what they were codifying in the Bill of Rightsnot an approximation, not a range, but 12. A 12-person jury means 12 perspectives, 12 life experiences, 12 chances for a lone voice to speak up and say, Wait, somethings not right here. Cut that number, and the verdict becomes less representative of the community. Americans scarred by political prosecutions under British rule sought to ensure that verdicts reflected the communitys judgment, not a prosecutors agenda or a judges loyalties. A 12-person jury serves as democracys circuit breaker; it aims to force consensus, temper bias, and demand persuasion across differences. In 1970, the Supreme Court concluded that history was silent on the question of jury size. But the slave courts of the Carolinas were never silent. The New Jersey Supreme Court at the height of the Revolutionary War was never silent. The dictionaries on the founders bookshelves were never silent. The question is whether, 55 years later, were finally ready to listen. Wanling Su is an Assistant Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, whose scholarship examines the historical foundations of the constitutional jury right. She recently published an article in North Carolina Law Review, together with Georgetown Research Fellow Rahul Goravara, titled What is a Jury? documenting how the founding generation understood jury composition. She has also filed an amicus brief in Parada v. United States (No. 25-166) asking the Supreme Court to require 12-person juries again. Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. Write to Made by History at madebyhistory@time.com. Voters lined up on Election Day at the Scott County Public Library precinct in Georgetown, Nov. 5, 2024. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) FRANKFORT Kentucky has received a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for voter registration data, including sensitive information such as drivers license and Social Security numbers, but so far has supplied only publicly available information, says the states top election official. In a recent interview with the Kentucky Lantern, Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams said the DOJ requested the entirety of the voter file, including personal identifying information, drivers license and social security number. Adams office thought we had an obligation to respond, he continued. After review, his office concluded that the DOJ would be entitled under the law to a voter information file that candidates often request to build information to contact voters before an election. The file includes information like party affiliation, street address, birth year and more. Adams said that his office did not give drivers licenses or Social Security numbers to the DOJ. He added that his office and the DOJ have been going back and forth a little bit on what the law says. Adams said both election and privacy laws figure into the determination. Weve not really figured out exactly where that line is of what all theyre entitled to, Adams said. Whats not in dispute is theyre entitled to the vast majority of information peoples names, addresses, birthdays and weve given them all of that. Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams sits at his desk in Frankfort. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) Many state officials are in the same boat of trying to figure out what exactly they need to do their job and what our obligations are legally, Adams added. I certainly dont want to create legal exposure for myself or my staff. I dont want to break a data breach law, Adams said. I dont want to break a privacy law. There are state laws or federal laws way beyond the elections that were trying to understand to make sure that we comply. Saying the requests are about ensuring election integrity, the Trump administration has issued similar requests to other states and later given the data to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DOJ officials began asking states for voter information data earlier this year. The DOJ has since shared voter roll information with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to search for noncitizens. Homeland Security is building out a powerful citizenship verification program, and touting it as a way to ensure election integrity. The DOJ has sued at least 18 states so far seeking access to voter registration lists with sensitive personal information. A DOJ spokesperson told the Lantern that the department is entitled to access to the voter rolls in their entirety under federal laws, such as the National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, the Civil Rights Act, and more to ensure that states have proper voter registration procedures and programs to maintain clean voter rolls containing only eligible voters in federal elections. The spokesperson added that the data from states would be screened for ineligible voter entries. In a statement to the Lantern, Harmeet K. Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the DOJ said the departments civil rights division has a statutory mandate to enforce our federal voting rights laws, and ensuring the voting publics confidence in the integrity of our elections is a top priority of this administration. Clean voter rolls and basic election safeguards are requisites for free, fair, and transparent elections, Dhillon said. Joshua A. Douglas, an election law expert and University of Kentucky professor, told the Lantern in an email the DOJs request is very rare but the first Trump administration also attempted to collect sensitive data via the U.S. Census. The key point for people to know here is that the federal government does not administer elections. The U.S. Constitution says that states determine the times, places and manner of running federal elections, and that Congress can make or alter those rules, Douglas said. There is no provision that gives the president (or, by extension, the DOJ) any authority to determine election rules. Also, the states, not the DOJ, has the expertise in their voter rolls. Douglas also countered the DOJ claim that the request for data is to make elections more secure. Elections are already very secure, he said. A DOJ request for state voter rolls will not make them any more secure. Adams, who is currently serving his second term as Kentuckys secretary of state, has focused on election integrity and removing ineligible voters, such as those who are deceased, from the states voter registration list. While he thinks the issue will be litigated in other states, Adams was not sure if it would go to court in Kentucky. I certainly dont think that were targeted here. Weve done a great job getting our rolls cleaned up, Adams said. I think we have the best story in America to tell about taking dirty rolls and getting them clean. But this is not being seen through a state-by-state prism. Its a national thing. Amber Duke, the executive director of the ACLU-KY, said in a statement that the organization was appreciative of Adams response and providing only Kentuckys publicly available voter information. Protecting voter privacy is critical to a healthy democracy, Duke said. Any request for voter information must be narrowly limited and should never include highly sensitive personal data like Social Security or drivers license numbers. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, said Kentucky families private data should be protected during his weekly press conference Thursday afternoon. He referred to another attempt by the Trump administration, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, seeking access to the personal data of those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. You either put the loyalty to the people of Kentucky and the promise that you made to them about how you would keep their data private, or, in this instance, a loyalty to party or a president first. You only have one choice. Ill always choose Kentuckians. Ill always push back when there is an unlawful request, Beshear said. That personal data belongs to each and every one of those families, and if the federal government doesnt have a legitimate right to it, you shouldnt turn it over. Sadly, in a lot of states, they have. They just did it. They did it without even announcing it. They did it because theyre either loyal to or scared of this president. Im not either. This story was updated Thursday with additional comments. FOX 10 Phoenix/YouTube Jeff Mugongo NEED TO KNOW Groom Jeff Mugongo's grandfather from Rwanda flew more than 40 hours just to be there to see him say "I do" at his Arizona wedding in November Jeff revealed that his grandfather was able to make it on time despite layovers, missing flights [and] staying at hotels" He also shared a video of his grandfather busting a move on the dance floor and said that "tiredness and long-hour flights" couldn't stop "grandpas dance moves" Nothing was going to keep one devoted grandfather from his grandsons wedding not even a 40-hour flight. Jeff Mugongo got the surprise of his life at his November wedding when his 93-year-old grandfather, Gatera, showed up at the ceremony in Phoenix, Arizona, which is more than 9,000 miles away from his home in Rwanda. Jeff shared the special moment in an Instagram video, which has garnered more than 1.3 million views. The groom could be seen getting emotional as he spotted his grandfather on the porch and gave him a hug. The pair shared a laugh and then another hug before Gatera spoke to his grandson in his native language. Grandpa flew 40 hours all the way from Rwanda to Phoenix to surprise me, Jeff wrote over the video, before explaining in the caption how the emotional surprise unfolded. He shared that his family and friends knew about the surprise, but he was left in the dark until the final moment. They definitely got me with this amazing gift and surprise! he wrote. Jeff told Fox 10 Phoenix that he didnt have strong relationships with the male figures in his family, and that his grandfather was the one who always made an effort to just communicate with us and get to know him. However, Jeff told the outlet that he didnt think Gatera would show up to his wedding as he had been recovering from a stroke, and his grandfather gave him multiple reasons why he couldnt attend, including that his visa was taking too long to get greenlit. But thanks to a push from his family, Gatera was able to make it to the wedding on time despite layovers, missing flights [and] staying at hotels, per Fox 10. On top of that, he did it without knowing a single word of English, Jeff said on Instagram. I couldnt control the tears that [were] coming out of my eyes. And he was like, Dont cry, he recalled of the reunion to Fox 10. Its just incredible to witness that, through all the odds, that he would show up for my special day. Moments that only happen once are gifts and grace we never deserve, Jeff wrote on Instagram of the surprise. I thank God for this moment and my family and friends who prayed for this moment to happen." In a second Instagram post, Jeff and his grandfather showed off their moves on the dance floor to Proud Mary. Jeff shared in the caption that the pair danced the night away at the wedding. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The layovers, tiredness and long-hour flights didnt stop grandpas dance moves! he wrote. HE STOLE the whole show!!" "At the ceremony Grandpa told me, Jeff, me and you need to be grateful and joyful! he continued. Jeff told Fox 10 that his grandfather making such an effort to be by his side at his wedding taught him an important lesson. He showed me that no matter what, you have to show up for your family," he said. "It made people appreciate grandparents and their love and the strength they have. Read the original article on People A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration By AJ Vicens and Raphael Satter WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The hacking group ShinyHunters said Tuesday that it had stolen data belonging to premium customers of the leading sex website Pornhub. Although Reuters could not immediately establish the scope, scale or details of the breach, the hackers provided a sample of the data which Reuters was able to partially authenticate. At least two former Pornhub customers a man in Canada and a man in the United States confirmed to Reuters that the data pertaining to them was authentic, albeit several years old. They spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. Pornhub and its corporate owners, the Ottawa, Canada-based Ethical Capital Partners, did not immediately return messages seeking comment. News of the breach was reported earlier by cybersecurity news site Bleeping Computer. (Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by Nia Williams and Lisa Shumaker) Rowan Griffiths/Mirrorpix/Newscom/The Mega Agency _ Prince Harry struggled to uphold royal traditions and prioritize Meghan Markle before leaving the royal family. Keep reading for the details MORE: Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news Netflix/YouTube _ Body language expertJudi James noted that Prince Harry seemed conflicted during an official tour of Fiji with Meghan Markle. After arriving at Nausori Airport, Meghan was seen making several attempts to grab her husband's hand. "Harry sticks to the protocol of status by walking first here, but also twists his right arm awkwardly to hold her hand behind his back," James told Daily Express. James Whatling / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com _ According to Judi James, Meghan Markle created an "awkward moment" for Prince Harry, who appeared to have "conflicting priorities." MEGA TheMegaAgency.com _ Despite the snafu, Meghan Markle seems to be in a good place with her husband. "He loves me so boldly, fully, and he also has a different perspective because he sees media that I wouldn't," Meghan told Harper's Bazaar. "No one in the world loves me more than him, so I know he's always going to make sure that he has my back." MEGA _ "You have someone who just has this childlike wonder and playfulness. I was so drawn to that, and he brought that out in me," Meghan Markle continued, referring to her dynamic with Prince Harry. "That's translated into every part of our life. Even in business, I want us to play and have fun and explore and be creative." Steam rises from storage tanks at an oil refinery facility. Photo: Brett Sayles / Pexels (The Center Square) Hungary's state-owned MVM Group on Tuesday signed a five-year agreement with Chevron to purchase 400 million cubic meters of liquified natural gas annually, marking the first time American gas will be integrated into Hungary's energy mix. Chevron is likely to provide LNG from supplies sourced at Energy Transfers Lake Charles export facility in Louisiana. Chevron has signed long-term agreements with Energy Transfer to purchase 3 million tons of LNG annually from the plant, which is expected to begin operations in 2028 or 2029. The gas supplied by Chevron will reach Hungary via the Krk LNG terminal in Croatia. Hungary has faced pressure to diversify its energy supplies away from Russian sources, which remain the nation's top supplier. Russia supplied Hungary with a record 8.6 billion cubic meters of gas in 2024, and similar volumes are expected for 2025. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently secured assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that contractual deliveries will continue via the TurkStream and Druzhba pipelines, which run through about a dozen countries in Russia, Eastern and Central Europe and Turkey. Earlier this month, Hungary filed a legal challenge with the European Court of Justice over a recent decision by the European Union to mandate that member countries ban all Russian gas imports by late 2027. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the prohibition violates national sovereignty. Szijjarto said the agreement with Chevron is "an important milestone in American-Hungarian energy cooperation." Combined with the deal, supply agreements with Shell, Frances Engie and Azerbaijans SOCAR take Hungarys non-Russian gas supply to approximately 1.4 billion cubic meters annually. We are interested in purchasing energy from as many sources and via as many routes as possible, ensuring the lowest prices, Szijjarto posted on X. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." THE RUNDOWN Stranger Things star Joe Keery dated actress Maika Monroe for several years. Monroe and Keery appeared together at multiple high-profile events over the course of their relationship. Keerywhose musical alter ego is Djohas mentioned their split in several interviews. As Steve Harrington in Stranger Things, Joe Keery has become somewhat of a heartthrob, in no small part thanks to his distinctive hairstyle. In October 2025, rumors started swirling about Keerys relationship status after he was arrested by Sabrina Carpenter during her Short n Sweet Tour. Before then, the actor was known for his romance with Independence Day: Resurgence star Maika Monroe. Heres what you need to know about Keery and Monroes complete relationship timeline. October 2017 In his August 2021 GQ profile, it was confirmed that the actor first met Monroe in 2017 at a party in Los Angeles. The publication also said of the relationship, He doesnt talk about her a lot, but her presence in Keerys life is great enough that she pops up in every fourth or fifth anecdote, like a guest star we love to see. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin - Getty Images The couple made their red carpet debut on Oct. 26, 2017, to celebrate the second season of Netflixs Stranger Things. November 2017 Weeks after gracing the red carpet together for the first time, Keery and Monroe showcased their couple style once again on Nov. 17, 2017. Jason LaVeris - Getty Images On this occasion, Keery supported the launch of Monroes 2017 movie, The Tribes of Palos Verdes, in which she starred opposite Jennifer Garner. January 2018 Its pretty safe to say that Keerys trademark bouffant hairstyle stole the show during the couples next appearance. On Jan. 7, 2018, Monroe joined Keery and his hair at the InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after-party at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Joe Scarnici - Getty Images Just 10 days later, Monroe and Keery took their love abroad to France. The two stars were photographed attending Valentinos fall/winter 2019 menswear show during Paris Fashion Week on Jan. 17, 2018. Pascal Le Segretain - Getty Images Days later, Monroe and the Free Guy star reemerged at the SAG Awards on Jan. 21, 2018. While Keery wore a black suit with a matching shirt, Monroe opted for a bright red gown with pockets. Kevork Djansezian - Getty Images The same night, the couple also made an appearance at Netflixs SAG Awards after-party at The Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California. Rachel Murray - Getty Images While Keery continued looking dapper in an all-black suit, the Longlegs star traded her red gown for a black dress featuring red flowers and a lace neckline. March 2018 On March 1, 2018, Keery and Monroe were photographed together at an event hosted by Vanity Fair and Lancome at Soho House in West Hollywood, California. Michael Kovac - Getty Images Vanity Fair editor Radhika Jones and filmmaker Ava DuVernay co-hosted the gathering, which was attended by actresses like Zendaya, Zoe Kravitz, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyongo, and Mindy Kaling. The publication even gave Keerys hair a shout-out, writing that his impressive pompadour was also spotted among the crowd. September 2018 Following a low-key summer, Keery and Monroe reemerged on Sept. 17, 2018, to attend the Emmy Awards together. Todd Williamson/NBC - Getty Images Once again, Keerys hair appeared to eclipse everyone else, with Allure reporting that fans shared their reactions to the actors teased, blown-out, flowing mullet on social media. December 2018 On Dec. 6, 2018, Keery and Monroe attended the 2018 GQ Men of the Year party in Beverly Hills, California. Michael Kovac - Getty Images GQ hilariously captioned a photo of the couple laughing: The Stranger Things star with big hair and the actress/kiteboarder who gets big air. February 2019 Monroe and Keery traveled to Milan, Italy, where they attended Salvatore Ferragamos fall/winter 2020 show on Feb. 23, 2019. Jacopo M. Raule - Getty Images The runway show turned into a Stranger Things reunion as Keery and his girlfriend were joined by Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer, W reported. June 2019 The two stars hit the beach together on June 6, 2019 for Saint Laurents spring/summer 2020 menswear show. Neilson Barnard - Getty Images The Los Angeles Times reported that the runway show took place on the beach at Malibus Paradise Cove in Los Angeles. Keery and Monroe were joined by celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Laura Dern, Lakeith Stanfield, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Keanu Reeves, the outlet shared. September 2019 The Spree star and his actress partner arrived at a private Chanel dinner hosted by Margot Robbie at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Sept. 12, 2019. WWD - Getty Images Keery reportedly shocked fans with his appearance at the dinner as his trademark hairstyle had been replaced by what some people dubbed a bowl cut. January 2020 Monroe and Keery returned to the SAG Awards on Jan. 19, 2020. Mike Coppola - Getty Images Following the ceremony, the couple headed over to Netflixs SAG After-Party, where they posed with Pedro Pascal. Arnold Turner - Getty Images February 2020 February 2020 was an extremely busy time for Monroe and Keery. First, the couple attended a Vanity Fair and Saint Laurent event celebrating the movie Parasite in Los Angeles. Phillip Faraone - Getty Images They subsequently traveled to France for Paris Fashion Week, where they stopped by Saint Laurents fall/winter 2021 show. Stephane Cardinale - Corbis - Getty Images Finally, the actor and the actress attended a Harpers Bazaar Paris Fashion Week exhibition at Musee des Arts Decoratifs on Feb. 26, 2020. Pascal Le Segretain - Getty Images August 2020 In August 2020, Monroe shared an Instagram post featuring photos of Keery shed taken for Interview Magazine. The accompanying articlein which the Stranger Things star was interviewed by his co-star, Finn Wolfhardexplained, Joe Keery has it all: a hit show, a beautiful girlfriend (who photographed this story), and a first-ballot ticket to the TV Haircut Hall of Fame. Having dated since 2017, the couple remained together throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with Keery telling GQ, Over quarantine, it was like we spent so much time together, which was rare. He continued, I mean, thats one of the disadvantages of dating someone else in the industry. There are advantages as well: somebody who kind of understands whats going on with you in a pretty deep way. But yeah, I think shes like me. She doesn't take it all too seriously. Keerys GQ profile also revealed that the actor was wearing a gold necklace, which was a gift from Monroe. I found it while we were traveling, and then it busted, he told the outlet. For Christmas, she got it remade for me. GQ noted, The symbol is simple but specifica blue-white-and-red motifthough Keery doesnt know the necklaces exact provenance. He has worried it might be haunted, but he doesnt exactly feel cursed. March 2022 The famous couple made two public appearances together in March 2022. The first took place on March 25, 2022, when Keery and Monroe attended Saint Laurents pre-Oscars party, which was hosted by Anthony Vaccarello in Los Angeles. Donato Sardella - Getty Images Reporting on the evening, Vogue noted that Keery was seen chatting with his Stranger Things co-star Finn Wolfhard and Yellowstone actress Kelsey Asbille. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin - Getty Images Keery and Monroe made their final red carpet appearance as a couple at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 27, 2022. October 2022 After wrapping work on the film Finally Dawn in Rome, Keery traveled to Calgary, Canada, to begin filming the fifth season of Fargo in October 2022. I had also gone through a big breakup, right as I was leaving Rome, so I was really isolated and focused on my work, Keery told Variety in June 2024, alluding to his split from Monroe for the first time. My social life pretty much revolved around the show; my work life revolved around the show. We werent really leaving due to COVID-19. In April 2025, Keery briefly referenced his breakup with the It Follows star while discussing his new albumThe Crux, released under his musical pseudonym Djowith Nylon. About two years ago, Joe Keery was going through a metamorphosis, the outlet reported. He was bulking up and eating lots of steak to play the villainous sheriffs deputy Gator Tillman on season 5 of FXs Fargo, which filmed in Canada. He also was just starting to write his third album, as his alt-pop project Djo, in the wake of his breakup with fellow actor Maika Monroe. Reflecting on that era of his life, Keery told Nylon, I was dealing with my own personal shit, living in Calgary, basically only had two friends, was working out a ton. He also shared, I was going through a breakup when I started writing this album, and I feel like a big part of that process is going back to who you areor who you were before. The split wasnt confirmed until a year after it occurred, when Monroe was photographed kissing Ariana Grandes ex-husband, Dalton Gomez, in October 2023. You Might Also Like Authorities said on Dec. 16 that they launched a homicide investigation after a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was fatally shot at his home. Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old theoretical physicist and fusion scientist from Portugal, was found with "apparent gunshot wounds" at his house in Brookline, Massachusetts, on the night of Dec. 15, according to the Norfolk District Attorneys Office. He was transported to an area hospital and was pronounced dead on Dec. 16. Massachusetts State Police and the Brookline Police Department responded to the scene after receiving a report of a man shot at his home on Gibbs Street, the district attorney's office said in a statement. Brookline is a wealthy suburb of Boston. Brown University shooting live updates: Manhunt continues, police share new photos Brookline Police Chief Jennifer Paster stated that the investigation is active and ongoing, adding that patrol vehicles, officers, and unmarked units remained at the scene. No suspects had been taken into custody as of Dec. 16. "On behalf of the Brookline Police Department, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Nuno F.G. Loureiro during this incredibly difficult time," Paster said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this tragic loss." The homicide investigation comes as authorities in Providence, Rhode Island, about 50 miles southwest of Brookline, continued their search for the suspect in the Brown University shooting. Two students were killed, and nine others were injured on Dec. 13 when a gunman opened fire on campus. During a news conference on Dec. 16, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said there was no apparent connection between the shooting at Brown University and the fatal shooting of Loureiro. Vigil honors Brown University shooting victims Several hundred people gathered in Providences Lippitt Park Sunday, Dec. 14, to honor victims of the mass shooting at Brown University a day earlier that claimed two lives. A 'shocking loss' In a letter to the campus community, MIT President Sally Kornbluth confirmed the death of Loureiro and called it a "shocking loss." Kornbluth said Loureiro died early on Dec. 16 from "gunshot wounds he sustained a few hours before." Loureiro, who was married and a parent in the Public Schools of Brookline, grew up in a small city in central Portugal and received an undergraduate degree in Lisbon before earning a doctorate in London, according to MIT and Brookline.News. According to the university, Loureiro had wanted to be a scientist since childhood and "fell in love with plasma physics" while pursuing his doctorate. He was a researcher at an institute for nuclear fusion in Lisbon before joining MIT's faculty in 2016, the school said. In 2022, Loureiro became the deputy director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center one of the largest laboratories at the university. He was then named the laboratory's director in 2024, leading more than 250 full-time researchers, staff members, and students, according to MIT. His research also earned him multiple awards, including the National Science Foundation Career Award and the American Physical Society Thomas H. Stix Award for Outstanding Early Career Contributions to Plasma Physics Research, the university added. Nuno was not only a brilliant scientist, he was a brilliant person, Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who was the former head of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, said in a campus obituary. "He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague, and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner." Campus community mourns loss of MIT professor Police have not identified any suspects in the shooting or released additional details on the incident. In the Dec. 16 statement, Paster said police are "limited in the information" that they could share and asked for the "communitys understanding and patience." The Boston Globe reported that some students visited Loureiro's home, an apartment in a three-story brick building, on Dec. 16 after classes. People were seen embracing each other and holding back tears as they gathered outside the building, according to the newspaper. Liv Schachner, a 22-year-old Boston University student who lives near Loureiro's home, told the Globe that she heard loud noises on the night of Dec. 15. I had never heard anything that loud, so I assumed they were gunshots, Schachner said, the Globe reported. "Its difficult to sort of grasp. It just seems like it keeps happening." John J. Arrigo, the U.S. ambassador to Portugal, also shared his condolences on social media and acknowledged Loureiro's contributions to the scientific field. I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Nuno Loureiro, who led MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center," Arrigo said in a statement on X. "We honor his life, his leadership in science, and his enduring contributions." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MIT professor found fatally shot at his suburban home: Prosecutors Nearly two days after a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor was shot and killed at his home in upscale Brookline, Massachusetts, investigators have no obvious suspects and no working theory of the case, according to multiple sources briefed on the investigation. Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was found at his house on Monday night. He was taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on Tuesday, the Norfolk District Attorney's office said. Authorities have investigated whether his death could be connected to this weekend's Brown University shooting, and a senior law enforcement official briefed on both cases told ABC News there is nothing to suggest they're connected. MIT - PHOTO: Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been identified as the man fatally shot at a home in Brookline on Dec. 15, 2025. Rob Reiner murders latest: Video shows moments leading up to Nick Reiner's arrest Sources said investigators are trying to move quickly, aware the suburban community of Brookline -- in which violent crime is rare -- is shaken, sources said. Brookline Police Chief Jennifer Paster said the department will have a police presence in the neighborhood as the investigation continues. "The Brookline Police Department remains committed to pursuing justice and ensuring the safety of our community," Paster added. WCVB - PHOTO: An MIT professor was fatally shot at his home on Gibbs Street in Brookline, Mass., on Dec. 15, 2025. The university said Loureiro was a "faculty member in the departments of Nuclear Science & Engineering and Physics, as well as the Director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center." Loureiro, a native of Portugal, wanted to be a scientist since childhood, according to MIT. As Brown University shooting manhunt continues, FBI offers reward for info leading to conviction The accomplished scientist joined the MIT faculty in 2016 and "quickly became known as an imaginative scholar, gifted administrator and enthusiastic mentor," MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement. "In the face of this shocking loss, our hearts go out to his wife and their family and to his many devoted students, friends and colleagues," she said. "This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places. It's entirely natural to feel the need for comfort and support," Kornbluth continued. "... In time, the many communities Nuno belonged to will create opportunities to mourn his loss and celebrate his life." U.S. Ambassador to Portugal John J. Arrigo said in a statement, "I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Nuno Loureiro, who led MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center. We honor his life, his leadership in science, and his enduring contributions." Authorities were working Wednesday to uncover clues after a prominent professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was fatally shot at his home near Boston. Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, was shot Monday night at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. He died at a local hospital on Tuesday, the Norfolk district attorney's office said, and authorities said they had launched a homicide investigation. The prosecutor's office said no suspects had been taken into custody as of Tuesday and that its investigation was ongoing. Authorities have not released any information about possible leads or a potential motive in the killing. Loureiro, who joined MIT in 2016, was named last year to lead MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, where he aimed to advance clean energy technology and other research. The center, one of the school's largest labs, had more than 250 people working across seven buildings when he took the helm. "It's not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanity's biggest problems," Loureiro said when he was named to lead the plasma science lab. "Fusion energy will change the course of human history." MIT professor Nuno Loureiro / Credit: Jake Belcher (Jake Belcher) Loureiro, who was married, grew up in Viseu, in central Portugal, and studied in Lisbon before earning a doctorate in London, according to MIT. He was a researcher at an institute for nuclear fusion in Lisbon before joining MIT, it said. "Nuno was not only a brilliant scientist, he was a brilliant person," Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who was the former head of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, said in an MIT obituary. "He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague, and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner." The president of MIT, Sally Kornbluth, said in a statement that Loureiro's death was a "shocking loss." The homicide investigation in Brookline comes as police in Providence, Rhode Island, about 50 miles away, continue to search for the gunman who killed two students and injured nine others at Brown University on Saturday. The FBI on Tuesday said it knew of no connection between the crimes. A neighbor of Loureiro's who did not want to be identified told CBS News Boston he heard "three loud bangs" Monday evening. "I thought at first it was somebody in our apartment kicking in a door or something so I called the neighbors and they said no they thought it was gunshots," he said. A 22-year-old student at Boston University who lives near Loureiro's apartment in Brookline told The Boston Globe she also heard three loud noises Monday evening and feared it was gunfire. "I had never heard anything so loud, so I assumed they were gunshots," Liv Schachner was quoted as saying. "It's difficult to grasp. It just seems like it keeps happening." Anne Greenwald, who has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, told CBS News Boston she and her husband also heard a noise that sounded like gunshots. "He had a young family, they went to school here," she said. "It's horrible, very scary." Some of Loureiro's students visited his home, an apartment in a three-story brick building, Tuesday afternoon to pay their respects, the Globe reported. A crowd of people holding candles gather outside the home of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro in Brookline, Massachusetts, Dec. 16, 2025. / Credit: AP Photo/Leah Willingham MIT said Loureiro was known for his research on how plasma works, "particularly turbulence and the physics underpinning solar flares and other astronomical phenomena." He was also studying how to harness clean "fusion power" to combat climate change. "Professionally I'm completely overwhelmed with what MIT is," he said in a 2017 interview. "You read about it and you talk to people about it, but before you've experienced it, I don't think you quite understand the type of place it is." The U.S. ambassador to Portugal, John J. Arrigo, expressed his condolences in an online post that honored Loureiro for his leadership and contributions to science. "I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Nuno Loureiro, who led MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center," Arrigo said in a statement on X. "We honor his life, his leadership in science, and his enduring contributions." Details on Nick Reiner's arrest for murders of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele What we know after Rob and Michele Reiner's son Nick arrested in their deaths More details emerge about Rob Reiner and wife Michele's killings From the mountains to the coast, there are so many special corners sprinkled throughout North Carolina that sometimes it's hard even for locals to keep up with them. Some of these places are kept hush hush for a reason and are frequently overshadowed by spots that are trending or are listed on every travel guide imaginable. From pristine estuaries to hole-in-the-wall barbecue restaurants to obscure state parks, a whole lifetime isn't enough to lay eyes on all of the Tar Heel State's impressive offerings. Coming from someone who's a Carolina girl born and bred, I know for a fact that I've only scratched the surface. The following includes some major intel on various must-visit places in North Carolina to add to your growing list (And remember: you haven't heard this from me!): 1. North Carolina Maritime Museums karenfoleyphoto stock.adobe.com Who doesnt love learning about some nautical history? The North Carolina Maritime Museum has three locations in Hatteras, Southport, and Beaufort which are open year-round to give visitors a taste of the states rich maritime history. These museums offer programming for all ages and include interactive displays that detail the regions coastal fun facts. Highlights include learning about shipwrecks at The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, seeing the treasure trove of artifacts from Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge at the Beaufort location, and viewing old nautical instruments and work boats at the Southport location. While the Beaufort location is temporarily closed for construction, visitors can check out the Hatteras and Southport locations for free, to dive deeper into North Carolina's fascinating nautical past. 2. Spruce Pine If youre headed down North Carolina Highway 226, make a pit stop in Spruce Pine, which is a gem of a small town in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Its quaint downtown is what dreams are made of mosey around to discover the work of local artisans and craftspeople and then grab a pastry from Fox and the Fig. Spruce Pine is also a hub for mining, with plenty of locally owned gem mines and jewelry stores to visit in the area. Riverside Park sits along the North Toe River and caters to visitors throughout every season, whether you're craving a dip in the water or a chance to set up a peaceful picnic with your loved ones. 3. Mast General Store Waynesville, NC J. Michael Jones stock.adobe.com Some of my fondest memories as a child were made on mountain trips to Waynesville, where I would always stop by to grab a huge bag of candy from this homey general store located on Main Street. Built in the 1930s, this charming fine clothier has a level dedicated to barrels filled with 500 old-fashioned candies that you can stock up on by filling your bucket to the brim. In addition to candy, the Mast General Store is the perfect location to purchase gifts such as clothing, footwear, specialty food items, and collectibles for any and every occasion. You'll feel like you've stepped back in time when hearing the creak of the worn wooden floors under your feet. 4. Downtown Cary Park Cary, NC Photo courtesy of Caroline Stratos Most North Carolinians know of or have visited Raleigh, the state's capital, but while you're there, be sure to stop by its family-friendly suburb of Cary. Cary offers plenty of activities and community spaces such as this well-rounded park, which you might just overlook if youre not in the loop. While it hasn't been around for very long, this massive gathering space has quickly carved out its own little haven in the bustle of the Triangle area and was designed to foster community interaction and recreational activities. There are plenty of cool features to check out, such as splash pads for the kids, an open-air drinks pavilion, dog parks, play spaces, and more. Take a stroll along the parks floating walkway to gaze out at everyone enjoying the park's fun-filled spaces and the ponds dotted with lily pads below. 5. Kerr Lake State Recreation Area Henderson, NC Kyle stock.adobe.com As far as I know, Kerr Lake State Recreation Area in Henderson, North Carolina, isn't on a lot of North Carolinians radars. This massive reservoir is located just an hour north of Raleigh and is a prime destination for some water-filled adventures such as boating, swimming, fishing, birdwatching, and more along its over 850 miles of shoreline. Interestingly enough, Kerr Lake is one of the best locations in North Carolina for bass, catfish, and crappie fishing. If you want to make an overnight trip out of visiting this hidden gem, there are hundreds of campsites to choose from, along with boat ramps, bathhouses, picnic shelters, and much more. Have other locals or tourists been to these under-the-radar locations? Are you gatekeeping any other must-visit places in North Carolina? Only In Your State's itinerary planner is the perfect tool to discover and plan trips to places you wouldn't have known about otherwise. A newly released report sheds additional light on the investigation into the disappearance of Trenton Rollins, whose case drew online criticism after his body and car were recovered months later from the Hoover Reservoir by independent search teams. Rollins had been missing for eight months before his discovery in the reservoir roughly 30 miles from his home. The span of time between his disappearance and the recovery of his body prompted questions about whether police had done enough in the early stages of the investigation. According to the Delaware Police Department report written by officer Matthew Parker, authorities began investigating within hours of Rollins being reported missing on March 17. Family members told police that Rollins was on the autism spectrum, kept largely to himself and had few close friends. Rollins had never gone missing before and typically followed a predictable routine, making his disappearance especially concerning, police were told. Officers contacted family members, reviewed Ring doorbell footage from the home, attempted multiple cell phone pings through AT&T and worked with BMW Assist to locate Rollins vehicle, according to the report. All tracking attempts were unsuccessful. Investigators also checked license-plate reader data from Flock Safety cameras across Delaware County as well as in Marion, and Westerville, but police said no sightings of Rollins' BMW were recorded after he left his home in the early morning hours. Officers entered Rollins into statewide law enforcement databases and issued alerts to surrounding jurisdictions the same day he was reported missing. Drone searches were conducted over nearby waterways and roadways as part of the initial search effort. The day after Rollins was reported missing, officers contacted BMW Assist to ask how far a vehicle would need to be submerged to become undetectable through tracking systems, according to the police report. The operator told investigators they were unsure. Investigators also contacted DoorDash, where Rollins had been working part-time, and confirmed he had not completed any deliveries since March 4. Bank records and credit card activity were also reviewed, showing little to no financial activity after he left home. The report documents efforts to canvass possible locations Rollins may have traveled, including areas where his cell phone briefly connected to Wi-Fi. One such connection occurred near the intersection of Delaware and Lewis Center roads. The investigation was ultimately classified as open and pending after Detective Sgt. Mike Bolen reported that Rollins' phone had connected to the Wi-Fi network at the senior center where his mother works, a claim supported by video footage. That report was taken on March 18. Rollins body was recovered from the Hoover Reservoir on Dec. 9 by an independent search-and-rescue team, Chaos Divers, which, along with nonprofit SAR Sheps, had investigated the case and determined that he was likely in the water. "We've always felt like he was in the water," Chaos Divers manager Lindsay Bussick said. The investigation remains ongoing, but police have said foul play is not suspected. The coroner has not ruled on a cause of death. "This is an incredibly difficult time for us..." his mother, Brandi Rollins Greer, said in an email in response to The Dispatch. "While we appreciate the interest and care being shown for our beloved Trenton, we respectfully request privacy as we lay him to rest." Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware, Ohio, police report how they searched for Trenton Rollins Wildlife conservation efforts in the Patagonia region of Argentina have been so successful that rebounding populations of pumas have found an unexpected new main source of prey: Magellanic penguins. Pumas largely disappeared from the region about a century ago as they were hunted to near-extinction by sheep farmers attempting to protect the animals from predation. But GPS and camera data now reveal the highest density of the big cat ever recorded, according to a paper published Wednesday in Royal Society Journals. Elusive predator hunted to local extinction returns to its historical range The large populations are clustered around colonies of Magellanic penguins that live on the coast for six months out of the year -- from about September to March, Emiliano Donadio, an ecologist and science director of Rewild Argentina, a conservation nonprofit, told ABC News. The current puma density is estimated to be 13.2 cats for every 100 square kilometers, or about 38 square miles, according to the paper. The populations of penguins flourished in the pumas' absence, but now they are easy targets for the large cats, said Mitchell Serota, a manager of ecology at Duke Farms, a center of the Doris Duke Foundation, and lead author of the paper. Gonzalo Ignazi - PHOTO: Rebounding puma populations in Patagonia are now hunting Magellanic penguins. Pumas, the apex predator of the region, were treated as "vermin" during the early 20th century, when widespread sheep ranching was one of the main industries in Argentina, said Donadio, one of the paper's co-authors. Sheep farming was a prominent industry in Argentina until the 1908s, but has since dwindled, he added. "With those predators gone, Magellanic penguins were able to establish these large breeding colonies on the mainland," said Serota, who conducted the research as a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. Sea otters, once hunted to near extinction, are preventing coastal erosion as their populations grow, study finds Pumas are an "incredibly resilient species," Serota said. They can be found as far north as Canada and as far south as South America. Across their range, they consume more than 200 prey species. "It is surprising that they've adapted so markedly in this way, but also maybe should have been expected," Serota said. Gonzalo Ignazi - PHOTO: Rebounding puma populations in Patagonia are now hunting Magellanic penguins. Protections for wildlife, including ranches that were donated to Argentina's national park service and converted to the Monte Leon National Park in 2004, gave pumas an opportunity to rebound, Donadio said. Other wildlife species recovered as well, including foxes and guanacos. It is possible that pumas were preying on penguins prior to their near-disappearance, but nowhere near the extent to which they are being preyed upon now, Serota said. "We set up a camera trap grid across the park, and we quickly saw that there were really high puma detections near the penguin colony, which sort of raised alarm bells for us that, 'Oh, maybe there's something more important happening here.'" Global warming could increase risk of human-elephant conflict, researchers say Penguin species worldwide are generally on offshore islands, where terrestrial predation is not a factor, Serota said. But since these Magellanic penguins established colonies along Argentina's coast, they became a "very abundant" -- and defenseless -- resource for pumas, Serota said. The penguins are predictable -- always in the same place -- and do not require a high investment of energy to kill, Donadio said. Mitchell Serota - PHOTO: Rebounding puma populations in Patagonia are now hunting Magellanic penguins. In the parts of the year when penguins are not present, the pumas revert to one of their historical sources of prey: guanacos, which are essentially large llamas and are much more difficult for individual pumas to hunt, Donadio said. "They just pay more attention to the penguins because they are easier and less dangerous to hunt," Donadio said. International Tiger Day: As tiger populations increase, so do conflicts with humans In addition, the increase in puma density coincided with the highest penguin density ever recorded, Serota said. And the population appears to be stable, or even increasing, he added. Rangers from Monte Leon National Park provided logistical support for the research to be conducted, Donadio said. The new research highlights how ecosystems continue to shift as a result of human influence and conservation efforts, according to the researchers. "Restoring wildlife in today's changed landscapes doesn't simply rewind ecosystems to the past," Serota said. "It can create entirely new interactions that reshape animal behavior and populations in unexpected ways." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rides an ATV along the U.S.-Mexico border wall in El Paso, Texas, on April 28, 2025. Photo: Tia Dufour / U.S. Department of Homeland Security / Public Domain (The Center Square) At least 18,000 known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) were released into the U.S. during the Biden administration, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent told the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security at a hearing in Washington, D.C. The NCTC has also added roughly 35,000 narco-terrorists to the federal Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS) since hes been the NCTC director. President Donald Trump appointed Kent to the position after he deployed 11 times overseas to fight Islamic terrorists while serving in the U.S. Army Special Forces. The additional KSTs added to the TSDS include members of newly designated foreign terrorist organizations(FTOs), including multiple Mexican cartels and transnational criminal organizations like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. The Trump administration made the FTO designations in February, The Center Square reported. The unprecedented 18,000 KSTs excludes the 6,525 KSTs the NCTC helped prevent from entering the country as of October, The Center Square reported. Its a huge jump from the nearly 1,200 KSTs NCTC identified illegally in the U.S. within the first 100 days of the Trump administration, The Center Square reported. We have a persistent threat from the individuals that were allowed into this country by the previous administration. The number one threat that we have right now is the fact that we don't know who came into our country in the last four years, Kent said. So far, the NCTC has identified 18,000 KSTs released into the country by the Biden administration who, under normal circumstances, would never be allowed to enter our country because of their ties to Jihadist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, Kent said. Yet, the Biden administration not only let them into the country, in many cases, facilitated their entry. They include the Afghan men who committed terrorist attacks and attempted terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C., Texas and Virginia in a one-week period, as well as others being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, The Center Square reported. None of the 18,000 were properly vetted, Kent said. The Biden Administration essentially used his tactical level vetting as a ruse to bring him here and to bring him into our communities, and we've seen the tragic results of that, Kent said. Of 88,000 Afghans released into the U.S., the NCTC has identified 2,000 who have ties to terrorist organizations, Kent testified. Kent also said that it was impossible for the Biden administration to have vetted the Afghans released into the country. Prior to the Biden administration, these individuals, even ones who wanted to claim asylum, they had to go to the first safe third country, he explained. And it would take 18 months to two years to properly vet them. Biden threw all of that out the window. Now, the NCTC is working hand in hand with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to run down this 2,000 the Afghans who came here under Allies Welcome who have ties to terrorist organizations and additionally, the other 16,000 individuals of ties to terrorist organizations that Biden let into our country, to find and deport them, he said. The 18,000 people with ties to terrorism present the top terrorist threat that we face right now, and that doesn't include the individuals who came here illegally through the open border, he said, referring to millions of people released through parole programs as well as at least two million gotaways, those who illegally entered and evaded capture. That number alarmingly remains unknown at this time. We're trying to figure out who those individuals are as well, he said. The NCTC also issued a warning about heightened terrorism threats presented by ISIS and al-Queda. The warning was issued as U.S. Customs and Border Protection updated the number of KSTs CBP and Border Patrol agents have apprehended at the northern and southwest borders. Due to the new FTO designations, KST apprehensions reached a record high under the Trump administration. In fiscal 2025, a record 4,011 KSTs were apprehended, according to CBP data. So far in just the first 45 days of fiscal 2026, 1,949 KSTs have been apprehended, according to the data. The fiscal year goes from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. The greatest number of KSTs that CBP and Border Patrol agents ever apprehended in U.S. history was 1,903 during the Biden administration, according to CBP data. The majority, 64%, totaling 1,216, were apprehended at the northern border coming from Canada between fiscal years 2021-2024, according to CBP data, The Center Square first reported. Biloxi Police Department via AP;Biloxi Police Department Camille Benson NEED TO KNOW Camille Benson, 33, has been arrested and charged after allegedly hiding razor blades in food at two Walmart stores in Mississippi Benson, from Texas, has been charged with attempted mayhem, per a Biloxi Police Department press release The razor blades were found in a banana nut muffin and multiple loaves of bread, according to a local media outlet A Texas woman has been charged after allegedly hiding razor blades in loaves of bread at two Walmart stores in Mississippi. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Camille Benson, 33, was arrested after the razors were found in a banana nut muffin and multiple loaves of bread from the stores in Biloxi, according to local media outlet WLOX. Benson has been charged with attempted mayhem and her bond is set at $100,000, per a police press release obtained by PEOPLE. On December 15, 2025 the Biloxi Police Department responded to a retail location in the 2600 Block of CT Switzer Sr. Dr. Biloxi, MS, 39531 in response to patrons finding razor blades in loaves of bread that were displayed for sale located inside of the store, the police said in a statement. They added, On the same date Biloxi Police Officers also responded to the 2000 Block of Pass Rd. for the same complaint. Biloxi Police Department via AP Camille Benson Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Lt. Candace Young said customers had reported finding the blades at a Walmart Supercenter and a Walmart Neighborhood Market, per the Associated Press. Staff at the retail franchise told authorities that they first received a report of a razor blade in a loaf of bread that was bought from the Walmart Supercenter on Dec. 5, the outlet reported. Another report came on Dec. 8, regarding a razor blade being found in bread that had been purchased at the Walmart Neighborhood Market. After looking through their stock, employees then found more loaves with razor blades. Authorities were then able to identify the person of interest after reviewing video surveillance. In footage, Benson was seen exiting the store while holding a white bag, per WLOX. Biloxi Police Department Camille Benson On December 16, 2025 the Biloxi Police Department were given information that the suspect had been seen the 1000 block of Division St, the polices press release read. Officers were able to locate and take into custody 33 year-old female Camille Benson, from the State of Texas. Benson was charged with Attempted Mayhem and Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain set bond at $100,000. Benson is being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. In their release, officials asked anyone who bought bread from Walmart in Biloxi to carefully check the items for sharp objects and if objects found please contact the Biloxi Police Department. In a statement, per the AP, Walmart said, "The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority. We have removed and thoroughly inspected all potentially affected products at impacted stores in Biloxi. We appreciate law enforcement for their swift action and will continue cooperating with them as they investigate." PEOPLE has contacted Walmart for comment. Read the original article on People Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to U.S. Border Patrol agents at a National Border Patrol Council meeting in Houston, March 25, 2023. Photo: Bethany Blankley / The Center Square (The Center Square) The Trump administration is again saying Mexico will comply with a water treaty after claiming it would earlier this year and seven months later it still hadnt. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced water deliveries to Texas began this week. Seven months after the initial claim that Mexico would comply, it hadnt. Gov. Greg Abbott again demanded that Mexican authorities fulfill their treaty obligation, as he has repeatedly done, and pointed to a potential solution proposed by Texas U.S. senators, The Center Square reported. At issue is a 1944 Treaty of Utilization of Waters, which governs water usage between the U.S. and Mexico, including from two international reservoirs, Lake Amistad and Falcon Lake in Texas along the international border. Mexico has historically released water storage from Lake Amistad to Mexican growers, not to Texas growers, and the U.S. federal government hasnt enforced the treaty. Last year, Mexican officials killed any agreements to release water to Texans, even running ads in Mexico City to protest compliance, according to several news reports. The Rio Grande Valley is among the most fertile agricultural regions in Texas and the U.S. Half of crop production acreage in the lower Rio Grande Valley is irrigated. In order to grow a wide range of crops, farmers rely on water from the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers. The agricultural industry in the valley contributes roughly $1 billion annually to the economy and provides roughly 8,400 full-time jobs, The Center Square reported. Under the Biden administration, calls for Mexico to comply fell on deaf ears and systemic water shortages forced Texas last sugar mill to close, The Center Square reported. Under the treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet over five years to the United States from the Rio Grande River; the U.S. is obligated to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River. The U.S. has consistently met its delivery obligations, according to International Boundary and Water Commission data. The last five-year cycle ended in October with Mexico only having delivered approximately 885,000 acre-feet, less than 50% of its total obligation. Mexicos delivery deficit was more than 800,000 acre-feet of water, equivalent to roughly 2.5 years of required deliveries, according to IBWC data. Four days after The Center Square reported that Mexico still hadnt complied seven months after the administrations claim and Texas still hadnt received its water, the State Department issued a statement saying senior officials met with Mexican officials to discuss immediate and concrete steps Mexico would take to comply. The officials examined available water resources and the United States pressed for the maximum possible deliveries to Texas users. We have requested additional information and will reconvene to consider additional options, it said. It also said that under the Trump administration, Mexico has delivered more water in the last year than in the previous four years combined. However, shortfalls in Mexicos water deliveries have exacerbated water scarcity in Texas and contributed to hundreds of millions of dollars in crop losses for farmers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been clear that Mexico must meet their obligations including making up the approximately 865,000 acre-feet shortfall over the 2020-2025 five-year cycle and meeting delivery requirements under the 2025-2030 cycle, it said. His office is attempting to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels but is also evaluating all available options to ensure Mexico complies with its water delivery obligations, it says. Three weeks later, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced an agreement had been reached, with new water deliveries beginning this week. Mexico has agreed to release 202,000-acre feet of water to the United States with deliveries expected to begin the week of December 15, 2025, Rollins said. Timely repayment of the outstanding deficit from the previous water cycle is understood by Mexico. The United States and Mexico are in negotiations to finalize a plan by the end of January 2026. Although this is a step in the right direction, President Trump has been very clear: if Mexico continues to violate its commitments, the United States reserves the right and will impose 5% tariffs on Mexican products, she added. Rollins also said a series of actions to meet the treaty obligations have been reviewed, including timely repayment of the outstanding deficit from the previous water cycle, in accordance with the treaty. Negotiations are ongoing; a plan is expected to be finalized by Jan. 31, 2026. President Donald Trump listens during a ceremony for the presentation of the Mexican Border Defense Medal in the Oval Office of the White House on December 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation expanding the list of countries with full or partial travel restrictions to 39, increasing from the previous list of 19 countries, according to the White House. The proclamation adds seven new countries to the full travel ban list: Laos, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. Laos and Sierra Leone had previously been subject to partial restrictions. The expanded list also includes 15 new countries facing partial restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote dIvoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. CNN first reported earlier this month Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recommended the Trump administration expand the list to between 30 to 32 countries. Nationals of countries on the list face restrictions on travel to the United States. The White House said the listed countries demonstrate severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing. The Tuesday proclamation also applies travel limitations on individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents, and it lifts a ban on nonimmigrant visas for citizens of Turkmenistan, while still maintaining suspended entry for Turkmen nationals. The proclamation makes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories and individuals whose entry serves US national interests. The official expansion comes as President Donald Trump has ramped up his immigration crackdown citing the shooting in Washington, DC, that killed one National Guard member and critically wounded another. The shooting suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who previously worked with the US in Afghanistan, resettling in Washington state under the Biden administration and then being granted asylum under the Trump administration. Trump has since halted or significantly tightened every legal and illegal form of foreign entry into the US, in addition to his ongoing mass deportation campaign. Other policy shifts include a pause on asylum decisions, a review of cases under the Biden administration, and a reexamination of certain green-card holders. In his first term, Trump barred travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the US, a policy that saw court challenges. The Supreme Court upheld the third version of Trumps travel ban that was issued in 2017. It restricted entry in varying degrees from Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Venezuela. President Joe Biden ultimately repealed it when he took office in 2021. With Trumps Tuesday proclamation, the 39 countries with full or partial restrictions are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote dIvoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Donald Trump speaks during a Hanukkah reception in the White House in Washington, DC, on Dec. 16, 2025. Credit - Stefani ReynoldsBloomberg via Getty Images President Donald Trump announced late Tuesday he had ordered a A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuelaan escalation of the Trump Administrations military pressure campaign on the South American country. Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America, Trump posted on Truth Social. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us. Trumps announcement comes a week after the U.S. seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, prompting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros government to accuse the U.S. of international piracy. The U.S. previously imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil, and has long alleged that Venezuela skirts these sanctions by illegally selling its oil via Cuba. The Trump Administration said the seized tanker was heading to Cuba, although some experts have suggested it was more likely headed to China based on its size. Venezuela said in response to the announced blockade that it rejected Trumps grotesque threat. Venezuela deployed its navy to escort tankers leaving the countrys main oil port from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning, following Trumps announcement, according to the New York Times. On Wednesday, House Republicans narrowly rejected two resolutions aiming to rein in the Trump Administrations hostilities towards Venezuela. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, who co-sponsored one bipartisan war powers resolution to block military action within or against Venezuela that failed in a 213-211 vote, said Congress had the opportunity to decide if they support sending Americans into yet another regime change war. A naval blockade is unquestionably an act of war, Castro said in a post on X. A war that the Congress never authorized and the American people do not want. Pressure campaign rationale shifts Since September, the U.S. military has killed at least 90 people in strikes on boats in the Pacific and Caribbean that it alleged were carrying drugs to the U.S. The governments and families of those killed have said they were fishermen, not the narco-terrorists that the Trump Administration has described. The strikes have been the centerpiece of a pressure campaign on Venezuela that someincluding the Maduro governmentargue is not really about drugs, but about Trump seeking regime change in Venezuela. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles appeared to support that claim in a bombshell Vanity Fair interview published this week. He wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle, Wiles said. The Trump Administration has accused Maduro of being the head of the so-called Cartel of the Suns, an allegation that the Venezuelan government has rejected, and has put a $50 million bounty on Maduro. The U.S. has also repositioned warships to the Caribbean Sea in the biggest deployment of navy vessels to the region since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Targeting Venezuela's oil The U.S. has repeatedly cited the flow of drugs from Venezuela and national security reasons as the basis for its strikes and military build-up. But it suggested that last weeks seizure of an oil tanker was a routine military action on a sanctioned vessel. Trump told reporters that the U.S. would keep the oil from the seized tanker. The move was followed by new sanctions on six more ships accused of carrying Venezuelan oil, as well as sanctions on Maduros relatives and businesses associated with his government. In his announcement of the oil blockade, Trump provided a litany of reasons for it, including calling the illegitimate Maduro Regime a foreign terrorist organization and pointing to the Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration. Trump also accused Maduros government of using stolen oil to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping and demanding Venezuela return stolen U.S. assets. Trump appeared to be referring to the decision by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to nationalize Venezuelas oil industry nearly two decades ago. Trump did not offer any explanation for why he believes any of Venezuelas vast natural resources belongs to the U.S. While there have been charges of expropriation, which have been arbitrated in an international tribunal, there is no basis for arguing that Venezuelas oil was stolen from the United States, David Goldwyn, president of international energy advisory consultancy Goldwyn Global Strategies, told the Washington Post. Lawmakers, legal experts, and others have argued since September that the Trump Administrations military actions amount to extrajudicial killings and an overreach of presidential authority, and that they risked sparking a full-blown war with Venezuela. After last weeks seizure, experts suggested that an oil blockade could come nextand that such a move would have devastating consequences. Oil exports are Venezuelas biggest source of revenue Because Venezuela is so dependent on oil, they could not resist that very long, retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel and a senior adviser at think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies Mark Cancian told the BBC last week. Contact us at letters@time.com. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump ordered the blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers from entering and leaving Venezuela, escalating U.S. tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Trump announced the move in a Dec. 16 post on Truth Social, also relaying he formally designated Maduro and his government allies a foreign terrorist organization. The actions come less than one week after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that the Trump administration said was transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump said in his social media post. "It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us." More: US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela coast, Trump says Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denounced Trumps threats of land strikes after the U.S. seized an oil tanker near Venezuela. The Trump administration has moved thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships including an aircraft carrier to the region in recent months. Trump has also warned the U.S. will soon begin land strikes in Venezuela. Trump accused Maduro and other Venezuelan of using oil from "stolen oil fields" to finance themselves and to facilitate drug smuggling, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping. "Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," Trump said in his post, later adding that he "will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY." More: Trump says land strikes in Venezuela will 'start very soon' The U.S. military has launched at least 25 strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration has said were carrying drugs into the United States, killing at least 95 people, including some Venezuelans. Democrats have called the strikes, which have not been approved by Congress, illegal and said they amount to extrajudicial assassinations. Trump and his officials have said Maduro is the leader of a criminal enterprise called Cartel de los Soles. Experts say Cartel de los Soles is a loose network of corruption and not a real drug trafficking organization. President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 15, 2025. Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials were indicted on drug trafficking and corruption charges in 2020. The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela for two decades. Late last month, the Trump administration declared Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, paving the way for heavy sanctions against it and any entities with which it does business. In July, the Trump administration walked back a February move to cut off U.S. oil giant Chevron from doing business in Venezuela. Contributing: Reuters; Cybele Mayes-Osterman of USA TODAY Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump orders blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers President Donald Trump salutes as a Army carry team moves the flag-draped transfer case with the remains of Iowa National Guard soldier Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, during a casualty return, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) President Donald Trump paid his respects Wednesday to two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter who were killed in an attack in the Syrian desert, joining their grieving families as their remains were brought back to the country they served. Trump met privately with the families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action. The guardsmen killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Both were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, and have been hailed as heroes by the Iowa National Guard. Their remains will be taken to Iowa. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed. He will be laid to rest in Michigan this weekend. The families of all three victims were at Dover for the return of their remains, alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, members of Iowas congressional delegation and leaders of the Iowa National Guard. The slain National Guard members were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Returning to Joint Base Andrews after the transfer, Trump said it was a "beautiful event for three great people. And theyre now looking down and their parents and wives and all of the people that were there were, I mean, were devastated but great people, great people. The return of service mem ber remains Trump observed several dignified transfers at Dover in his first term and has said it was the toughest thing I have to do as president. There is no formal role for a president at a dignified transfer other than to watch in silence, keeping all thoughts to himself for the moment. There is no speaking by any of the politicians and other dignitaries who attend, with the only words coming from the military officials who direct the highly choreographed transfers. Trump, wearing an overcoat against the chill and brisk wind, joined the other attendees in a salute that was held as each of the American flag-draped transfer cases was carried from the belly of a hulking C-17 military cargo plane and loaded into a dark, unmarked van nearby. He gazed straight ahead as each case passed in front of him, though he turned to look after the first one was placed inside the vehicle. The remains were taken to the on-base mortuary for processing before they are released to the families. At the start of the transfer, Trump and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined several others from the military at the open rear of the cargo plane, where all but Trump bowed their heads. The president looked inside the plane. Trump then stood alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when the group joined the official party. Before Trump joined the others, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who flew up with Trump, dabbed her eyes with a tissue. Iowa National Guard members hailed as heroes Howard's stepfather, Jeffrey Bunn, has said Howard loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out. He said Howard had wanted to be a soldier since he was a boy. Howard's brother, a staff sergeant in the Iowa National Guard, was escorting him back to Iowa. Torres-Tovar was remembered as a very positive family-oriented person who always put others first, according to fellow Guard members who were deployed with him and issued a statement to the local TV broadcast station WOI. Dina Qiryaqoz, the daughter of the civilian interpreter, said Wednesday in a statement that her father worked for the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq from 2003 to 2007. Sakat is survived by his wife and four adult children. The interpreter was from Bakhdida, Iraq, a small Catholic village southeast of Mosul, and the family immigrated to the U.S. in 2007 on a special visa, Qiryaqoz said. At the time of his death, Sakat was employed as an independent contractor for Virginia-based Valiant Integrated Services. Qiryaqoz said she and two of her siblings met with Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth privately Wednesday. She described the meeting as comforting and assuring, with both strongly condemning the attack and expressing gratitude for her fathers service. He seemed like he really cared about my dad and the other soldiers that were unfortunately killed during this attack, she said of Trump in an interview. Trump's reaction to the attack in Syria Trump has vowed retaliation, and the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, has said the attack is under active investigation. The U.S. military said the gunman was killed in the attack. Before this attack, the most recent instance of U.S. service members being killed in action was in January 2024, when three American troops died in a drone attack in Jordan. Saturday's deadly attack followed a rapprochement between the U.S. and Syria, bringing the former pariah state into a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Trump has forged a relationship with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the onetime leader of an Islamic insurgent group who led the ouster of former President Bashar Assad. The leaders met at the White House last month. Trump said Monday that the attack had nothing to do with the Syrian leader, who Trump said was devastated by what happened. During his first term, Trump visited Dover in 2017 to honor a U.S. Navy SEAL killed during a raid in Yemen, in 2019 for two Army officers whose helicopter crashed in Afghanistan, and in 2020 for two Army soldiers killed in Afghanistan when a person dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire. Superville reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington, Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan, and Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. A promotional graphic for The Center Squares Illinois in Focus daily news program. (The Center Square) In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop discusses the enactment of a bill Gov. J.B. Pritzker says ushers in a world class mass transit system. Opponents say the measure allows for increased taxes and tolls, while also diverting road fund money away from downstate. Bishop also provides comments from Illinois Manufacturers' Association President and CEO Mark Denzler urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto a measure on his desk Denzler said will increase costs on utility ratepayers without fully addressing supply and demand issues amid already increasing costs. Finally, Bishop talks live with Illinois state Rep. Jed Davis, R-Yorkville, about his continued push for accountability of the Department of Children and Family Service's position on the use of interns to investigate child welfare cases. Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted. Fishing boats sail toward a kelp harvest area in the Northern Territories, 3.7 kilometers off Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan on June 2, 2018. Fish and kombu seaweed harvested in this region are crucial to Japan's food culture, but recent changes in a warm ocean current called the Kuroshio have damaged these fisheries. - The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images Chris Mooney is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and a CNN Climate contributor. He is currently a professor of practice in the Environmental Institute at the University of Virginia. Bathtubs and pools mislead us about the ocean: Its surface is anything but flat. Seas pile up in some spots, pushed by trade winds or pulled by gravity toward big things like ice sheets. Amid it all, at the western end of large ocean basins, the fastest surface currents veins of warm water race toward the poles, causing additional slopes at the surface. The ocean is uneven to begin with, and its unevenness is also changing. Maps of recent changes show intricate patterns of watery hills and valleys, but also call attention to one extraordinary location. Off the coast of Japan, one region of the ocean has been rising by nearly an inch every year, right next to another where it has been falling even faster. Its the fingerprint of one of those surface currents changing its location, an event that has had dramatic repercussions. The Kuroshio, or Black Current, is one of the largest streams of water anywhere in the world, and its recent movement has triggered record-warm ocean temperatures and upended fisheries, an indelible staple of Japanese culture. Scientists say the warm waters have even amplified heatwaves on land and driven extreme rainfall. And while there are signs some of the changes are now waning, fishing communities say they arent yet back to normal. Meanwhile, scientists worry it could be a sign of more volatility to come. The position of the current could keep fluctuating, said Bo Qiu, a leading Kuroshio expert at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Its hard to predict the future, but given the data we have so far, I can only see the intensity becoming larger and larger, he said. The Boso Peninsula forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay. Normally, the Kuroshio Extension banks away from Japan and heads into the Pacific near this spot. But in recent years, it's continued northward, bringing unprecedented warm water with it. - John S Lander/LightRocket/Getty Images A river in the ocean The deep, warm Kuroshio transports more than 200 times as much water as the Amazon River, traveling north from the equator and normally banking east around Japans Boso peninsula, near Tokyo. Here, it becomes known as the Kuroshio Extension as it heads into the open Pacific. But in recent years, the current has been behaving in anything but the usual way, and the Extension, in particular, made a major divergence along Japans coast. Its northern edge shifted as much as 300 miles farther poleward, leading to unprecedented warm waters in the surrounding region. I was so surprised I dont even know if surprised is the right word, said Shusaku Sugimoto, an associate professor at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, a northern coastal city. Sugimoto led a study analyzing ocean temperatures off the coast in locations the Extension didnt historically reach, but has in recent years. The fact that the temperature rose 6 degrees (Celsius) off the Sanriku coast, and the elevated temperature persisted for two years, represents a level of water temperature rise weve never seen before, he said. Its not the only change. In August of 2017, the Kuroshio current south of Japan settled into a large meander pattern, leaving the coastline and looping southward, taking its warm waters with it. This big shift in water temperatures south of Japan changes the distributions of fish species offshore. Large meanders themselves are a well-known recurring feature of the current, explained Shinichiro Kida, an oceanographer at Kyushu University. Records of these events date back to the 1960s. During a lengthy meander event from 1975 to 1980, scientists saw a severe decline in anchovy in the Enshunada Sea, a major fishing region to the south of Japans main island of Honshu. The anchovy were replaced by sardines, which favor the warmer water the current brought to the region. But no Kuroshio large meander that we know of has lasted as long as this one. In August, the Japan Meteorological Agency finally declared that it had ended after nearly eight years. But overall both changes have had a big effect on this country that is home to more than 100 million. The meander and the Extension shift are connected, Qiu said. He co-authored a new paper in the Journal of Climate arguing as much, and calling the configuration a new dynamic regime. Ive been working on the Kuroshio Extension for more than three decades, Qiu said. I never expected this. As the Kuroshio powers along, it not only brings warmer water but also, depending on its location, higher sea level. There can be a several-foot difference between ocean heights on different sides of the current, thanks to its warmth and speed . But because of these factors, any new movement of the current can have dramatic effects. The large meander, for example, triggered a sea level fall in one region and pronounced sea level rise by as much as half a foot along the coast of the island of Honshu south of Tokyo. In October of 2017, when Typhoon Lan struck the Shizuoka Prefecture along this coastline, the higher sea level amplified the damage, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It is not only the height of the sea: As the Kuroshio is a warm current, and one traveling northward into cooler waters, its arrival in a new location has enormous effects on ocean temperatures. The big question is how much the recent phenomena are part of a natural cycle, and how much its influenced by something else, like climate change. (And how much its both, combined.) The impact of climate change on the large meander is unclear, because of its long history. But as far as the Extension shift goes, there are mounting reasons to implicate greenhouse gases and a changing climate. When the tropics travel to you To understand the recent changes in the Kuroshio is to understand how water moves through the worlds oceans, especially the large rotating gyres found in the worlds major ocean basins. Five of these basins North and South Pacific, North and South Atlantic, and Indian feature a similar pattern. Warm water travels west along the equator, then turns toward the poles. The currents carrying the warm water north or south on poleward transits are called western boundary currents, and they include the Kuroshio and its four famed cousins: the Gulf Stream, the Brazil, the East Australian, and the Agulhas. Scientists are now seeing most of these currents changing in a similar way getting warmer and pushing even farther poleward. This change is rooted in a phenomenon known as the Hadley Cell, a global zone of warm, rising air across the tropics. Its now expanding due to climate change. This expansion shifts not just rainfall patterns but also the zones of sinking air that anchor high-pressure systems, such as the Pacific High, explains Brown University climate scientist Emanuele Di Lorenzo. In the middle latitudes, these massive high-pressure systems are the driving force behind currents like the Kuroshio. So, when the winds move, the currents do too. Both models and data suggest the Kuroshio Extension, in particular, has been moving north partly because of the atmospheric shift, Di Lorenzo explained. Between 1993 and 2021, driven by wind changes, the northern edge of the Kuroshio Extension shifted north by about 130 miles, a recent study found. This was before an even larger shift in 2023 and 2024. The Kuroshio Extensions leap in 2023 and 2024 was an extreme event. The northern edge reached nearly to the northern tip of Honshu, Japans largest island. In a different study, Sugimoto and colleagues with the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Meteorological Research Institute took oceanographic measurements in the Extensions new location. They found water as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than usual, extending to a depth of around 400 meters, or 1,300 feet. The authors note that for an entire year and a half between April 2023 and August 2024, the region saw intense marine heatwave conditions almost every day. And it was not just in the water: the Japan Meteorological Agency also found that the extreme ocean conditions contributed to record summer heat over land in northern Japan in 2023. Another group of scientists, meanwhile, linked the warm offshore current to extreme rainfall over Japans Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, in September of 2023. The first saury catch of the season is landed at a port in Nemuro on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido on Aug. 15, 2025. This species has been particularly affected by changes in the Kuroshio. - Kyodo News/Getty Images An uncertain future for fisheries These ocean changes have altered the distributions of fish populations along Japans Pacific Coast, creating extreme impacts on Japans iconic fisheries. In central Japan, for instance, a major mackerel fishery was upended, and fishers say that even though the large meander has now ended, that doesnt mean things can instantly go back to the way they were. Immediate recovery is not a reality, and while conditions may gradually improve, at present, there has been no recovery in catches, said Osamu Nagai, executive director of the Mie Gaiwan (Outer Bay) Fisheries Cooperative Association. The catch has fallen to less than half of what it was 10 years ago were now only catching about 20 to 30 percent of the mackerel. This is a major blow, Nagai said. Northeastern Japans Sanriku coast, known for its rich fisheries, is a different story, but still a bad one. Here, the southward flowing Oyashio current traditionally brings down cool waters and supports rich fisheries. But when the Kuroshio Extension moved northward into this region, it displaced the Oyashio, bringing on a stark change in ocean temperature. And it is not just fish species, like Pacific salmon and saury, that became harder to catch. What matters most is the foundation of Japans most important food culture, which is the flavor made out of Kombu seaweed it can only be harvested in Hokkaido, near Japan, said Yoshihiro Tachibana, a professor who specializes in climate dynamics at Mie University. Kombu kelp is laid in the sun to dry Wakkanai, Hokkaido, on July 15, 2012. This seaweed is a vital part of Japan's food culture and economy. But it's becoming harder to harvest. - Hiroaki Murata/The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP Kombu stocks are declining dramatically. Dashi (the fundamental Japanese soup stock) culture might collapse. Its declining. We cant get any at all. So I believe this has a tremendous impact on our food culture as well, he said. Recently, the northern edge of the Kuroshio extension has retreated a bit. It has moved back to around 37 degrees North Latitude, according to Qiu. Thats still a high location historically, but hardly as extreme as before. But the questions remain: what do these extreme ocean events mean, how they are linked to climate change? For at least one researcher, theyre an early sign of things to come. Its a great opportunity to learn what the oceans will be like 100 years from now, said Sugimoto, of Tohoku University in the northeastern region of Honshu, Japans largest island. An unprecedented ocean phenomenon is now occurring by chance in Tohoku, he continued. Understanding how this has altered the seas of Tohoku offers a chance to understand how the worlds oceans will change in the future. Elisabeth Doty contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A 32-year-old woman was found dead inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree in Miami over the weekend, according to local police. A Dollar Tree employee contacted Miami police at about 8 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, and said the body of the deceased woman was found inside the store. The department described the area she was found in as a freezer or cooler. The department said on Dec. 17 that she was seen on camera footage walking into the freezer. Police identified the woman as Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez and said her death is being investigated. Foul play is not suspected, but the department said it is still investigating. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner Department told USA TODAY on Tuesday, Dec. 16, that a manner and cause of death have not been determined for Garay Sanchez. Dollar Tree declined to answer questions and confirm the womans connection to the store, but said in a statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday, Dec. 16, that the companys thoughts are with the individuals family and loved ones. We are cooperating fully with the authorities at this time, the statement read. Passages 2025: Those weve lost through the year Italian Fashion designer Giorgio Armani poses before the inauguration of his shop in the Diagonal avenue of Barcelona, on September 16, 2003. Giorgio Armani, the famed Italian fashion designer who achieved elegance and timelessness through simplicity, has died. He was 91. Armani "worked until his final days," the Armani Group said in a statement Thursday, Sept. 4, announcing his death. Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez was visiting father in Miami, friend says Garay Sanchez is from Nicaragua and was visiting her father in Miami, according to a GoFundMe page organized after her death. Stefany Pereira started a GoFundMe to raise money to get Garay Sanchez back home. Garay Sanchez was a mother of two, as well as an anesthesiologist specializing in congenital heart disease, the fundraiser says. Pereira, who described Garay Sanchez's death as a tragic accident while abroad, said the deceased woman's family wants to send her off properly. As of Tuesday, Dec. 16, the fundraiser has collected over $13,000 toward its $20,000 goal. The funds will cover repatriation, transportation and funeral services in Nicaragua. Illinois: Suspect used racial slur before fatally stabbing Walmart employee, 18, in the back, police say Facebook user Andrea Tamara Campos also dedicated a post to Sanchez, reflecting on how they lived together while studying at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua. Campos said Garay Sanchez was the only anesthesiologist in Nicaragua who specialized in congenital heart disease. Campos said she last saw her friend on Nov. 29 during a trip to Leon. The pair went to the supermarket, bought a sangria, some glasses and towels, and then went to grab a bite to eat. They passed a historic landmark where poet Rigoberto Lopez Perez assassinated dictator Anastasio Somoza, and was soon killed himself. According to Campos, Garay Sanchez was happy to go to Miami to visit her father, and she was supposed to return on Monday, Dec. 15. She said she will miss her friend and the moments they spent together drinking wine, dancing, going to the theater and having dinner, the Facebook post reads. This story has been updated with new information. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman found dead in Dollar Tree freezer in Miami, police say Photo Courtesy of Kitt Wakeley By the time Kitt Wakeley started writing Seven Seasons, he wasnt interested in telling his own story anymore. Instead, he wanted to tell everyone elses. More from Spin: The Grammy-nominated composer and producer whose work spans classical, rock, Broadway, pop, and global music has built a career on emotional ambition. But Seven Seasons, nominated this year for Best Classical Compendium Album, may be his most radical idea yet: a full-length orchestral work based not on a single narrative, but on the shared emotional architecture of human loss. To create it, Wakeley conducted 41 interviews with people who had lived through unimaginable tragedy survivors of 9/11 and the Oklahoma City Bombing, individuals who lost family members in accidents, fires, tornadoes, or to terminal illness. Across wildly different lives and circumstances, Wakeley noticed something uncanny: every person described the same emotional progression. Seven stages. Seven seasons. And it didnt matter how different their stories were the emotional journey was the same. The result is Seven Seasons: a sweeping, cinematic classical album that moves through innocence, tragedy, disbelief, confusion, questioning, reflection, and ultimately hope. Each movement feels less like a traditional composition and more like a psychological landscape, built for listeners to locate themselves inside. Photo Courtesy of Kitt Wakeley Flipping the Script on Classical Music Classical music has long been associated with tradition, formality, and emotional distance. Wakeleys work does the opposite. As creatives, we often tell our stories with our music based on our experiences, he explains. With Seven Seasons, I wanted to flip the script and write from the listeners experience instead. That listener-first philosophy has become Wakeleys calling card and a reason his work resonates far beyond classical audiences. His albums often feel closer to film scores than concert hall staples, shaped by storytelling instincts honed across genres. Its also why Seven Seasons arrives as the emotional centerpiece of an unusually prolific Grammy season for Wakeley. In addition to the Compendium nomination, he earned five more nominations as a producer, spanning Classical vocal, choral, instrumental, and chamber categories a rare feat that underscores his influence behind the scenes. Yet Seven Seasons is clearly not about acknowledgment. Its about validation that this kind of work, deeply human, emotionally vulnerable work, still has a place. The nomination is meaningful to me because its a reflection of the work behind the music the hours, the collaborators, and the belief in the albums vision, Wakeley said. This was an opportunity to honor those whove faced tragedy in their lives and now have a story to tell. Its a reminder that when you lead with authenticity and craft, the music can truly connect. From Orchestras to Rock Icons to Broadway History Wakeleys career defies clean categorization. He has collaborated with elite orchestras like the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic, while also working with rock guitar legends Joe Satriani and Nuno Bettencourt. His projects have sold out Carnegie Hall, filled major civic centers, and topped Billboard charts seven times. In 2024, he produced Broadway star Aaron Lazars Grammy-nominated album Impossible Dream, featuring Sting, Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more. The albums finale featured over 40 Broadway legends and was dubbed the We Are the World of Broadway. In 2025, Wakeley joined the University of Oklahoma as an adjunct professor in the College of Fine Arts, Artist Management Program, sharing real-world industry experience with emerging artists. Why Seven Seasons Matters At a time when collective trauma feels constant, Seven Seasons arrives not just as a Classical album, but as a shared emotional language. It doesnt tell listeners what to feel, it simply acknowledges where they might be. Im always inspired by sincerity and emotional connection, but with this album I wanted to write from the listeners perspective rather than my own. I focused on shared human experiences moments of vulnerability, reflection, and resilience and asked how the music could recreate those emotions in a way that truly adds value to the listeners life. The most common theme we all identify with is love, but that theme has been covered since the beginning of time. I wanted something deeper and not so commercial, so I eventually landed on the sphere of tragedy and the journey we all go through before, during and after. Wakeley wanted people to hear themselves in this album. Whatever season theyre in. Kitts Grammy-nominated album can be streamed here. To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here. Year after year, U.S. travelers have flocked to destinations like Paris, Cancun and Rome for their hard-earned vacations. And while these spots are popular for good reason, there are also many other emerging places set to draw more tourists in the future. With that in mind, we asked experts in the travel space to predict next years trending travel destinations. Keep scrolling for 25 countries, cities, islands and other locales to inspire your next vacation. Barbados Patrick Rosyk / 500px via Getty Images Barbados "Barbados, and the Caribbean in general, is often stereotyped as quiet, scenic, resort-only travel, but I think Barbados in particular will break out of that box in a bigger way by 2026 as an adventure-forward and sustainability-minded destination," said Gabby Beckford, a travel expert and founder of Packs Light. She pointed to Barbados' strong food scene, with a nice farm-to-table culture, culinary events and many globally recognized Bajan chefs. "I dont know how, but the country mixes food, wildlife, surf, hiking, cultural history, and emphasizes responsible tourism," Beckford said. "I expect to see more people intentionally getting off property and engaging with Barbados as a full cultural destination." The Albanian Riviera Marius Roman via Getty Images The Albanian Riviera "Albania feels like one of Europes last true hidden gems, but I think 2026 is when that really changes," said travel blogger Esther Susag. "The Albanian Riviera has the same clear blue water and dramatic coastline you see in places like Greece or Croatia, but its much more affordable and far less crowded." As travelers become more mindful about costs and crowds, she believes Albania offers a sweet spot of beautiful scenery, interesting culture and under-the-radar status. Kazakhstan Cavan Images via Getty Images Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is fast becoming one of Central Asias most exciting frontiers, where vast steppes, soaring peaks and surreal deserts take center stage," said luxury travel expert and boutique consultancy founder Sarah Casewit. "With expanding tourism infrastructure, visa-free entry for many travelers, and growing sustainable initiatives from Katon-Karagay to Mangystau, the country is stepping into the spotlight as a leading eco-adventure destination for 2026." She pointed to the airline discussions around adding new routes between Almaty, Kazakhstan, and big international cities like Tokyo, New York and Hong Kong. "Almaty has grown more upscale and hip in recent years, which is drawing young travelers to Central Asias second largest city," said travel expert and author La Carmina. "My friends have been raving about the buzzing nightlife, chic boutiques and coffee shops, and restaurants with modern spins on Kazakh cuisine. Almaty remains affordable, and tourists have yet to flood its parks and tree-lined streets beneath the dramatic Tian Shan mountains." Norway Khanh Bui via Getty Images Norway Norway, and Scandinavia more generally, has been rising in popularity of late and will continue to do so as it delivers unparalleled natural beauty paired with sleek, sustainable hospitality," Casewit said. She highlighted the new hotels and travel experiences that continue to be launched in the country. "In 2026, we are also seeing the peak of Solar Cycle 25, which will bring the strongest aurora borealis that weve seen in a decade," Casewit added. Guatemala THEPALMER via Getty Images Guatemala Annette Richmond, creator of Fat Girls Traveling, has Guatemala high on her list of travel destinations for 2026 after visiting this year. "There is an incredible farm-to-table food culture there that can be embraced through immersive experiences like cooking classes, art therapy, and even medicinal healing," she said. "Im finalizing a luxury wellness-focused group adventure to Antigua and Lake Atitlan that will include a chocolate workshop, a Garifuna cooking class, a weaving demonstration and a medicinal plant workshop with local midwives." Cat Ba Island, Vietnam Vithun Khamsong via Getty Images Cat Ba Island, Vietnam "Cat Ba National Park in Vietnam is emerging as [a] standout destination for 2026, based on searches on our platform," said Jean-Gabriel Duveau, vice president of brand and strategic partnerships at GetYourGuide. He offered one big reason for the appeal: the birds. "The thriving birdlife is drawing travelers who want restorative trips immersed in nature, a trend thats accelerated as birdwatching has moved firmly into the cultural mainstream," Duveau said. Cairo, Egypt Anton Petrus via Getty Images Cairo, Egypt "Now that the Grand Egyptian Museum has 'officially' and fully opened, Cairo will likely rise to the top of many travelers' lists," said Kareem George, a travel adviser and founder of Culture Traveler. "I personally had been waiting to return to Egypt until the opening and visited this fall. What an incredible facility and collection!" He also touted the St. Regis Hotel as a great accommodations option for luxury travelers looking to visit the Egyptian capital. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Garen Meguerian via Getty Images Philadelphia, Pennsylvania "With our approaching semiquincentennial, I anticipate the United States to be a very popular travel destination in 2026," George said. Although cities like Boston and Washington, D.C., naturally draw tourists around such occasions, he believes Philadelphia will also get a spotlight thanks to its "historical and political significance, world-class museums and iconic tourist attractions." Malta ewg3D via Getty Images Malta "I think that Malta will become more popular in 2026," said Amina Dearmon, a luxury travel adviser and owner of Perspectives Travel. She noted that the journey to Malta is about to get easier for U.S. travelers, thanks to Delta's new nonstop flight from JFK. "There are new hotel builds that are anticipated to open in 2026, and for the past few years, Malta has been promoting itself as a tourist destination," Dearmon said. "I believe that the combination of the flights, new hotels and the tourism boards effort to [educate] more people about the destination will lead to increased popularity." Bosnia and Herzegovina Lassi Kurkijarvi via Getty Images Bosnia and Herzegovina "I see Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially Mostar and Sarajevo, becoming a trendy destination in 2026," said travel blogger Sean Lau. "Mostar is incredibly cinematic with the Stari Most Old Bridge arching over turquoise water, narrow stone alleys, and locals diving from the bridge as theyve done for generations. It has the beauty of the Adriatic region without the crowds or price tag." Meanwhile, Sarajevo impresses in a different way, he added. "Its one of the few European cities where you can stand in an Ottoman bazaar, look up at Austro-Hungarian facades and still feel the rhythm of daily life," Lau said. "The mix of cafes, markets, and mountain views gives it an unexpected warmth that travelers crave right now. As the starting point of World War I, this city is packed with history as well." Aomori and Iwate, Japan moaan via Getty Images Aomori and Iwate, Japan "Ive been miffed by the over-tourism in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto," La Carmina said, pointing to skyrocketing hotel prices and stressful crowds. "I predict more travelers like me will escape a few hours north to peaceful Aomori and Iwate, which are on the northernmost tip of Honshu Island and across the water from Hokkaido." She described these prefectures as a pleasant throwback to the 1990s Japan experience, where she can experience traditional culture, food and chill activities like apple picking without encountering bustling crowds of foreigners. "Every August, Aomori has a jaw-dropping neputa festival for giant paper floats illuminated with kabuki and samurai art which you can see year-round in Hirosakis Neputa Village," La Carmina added. "In Iwate, I love to glide through Geibikei gorge in a flat boat steered by an oarsman, shop for shimmering lacquerware at Tekiseisha, and count how many bowls of wanko soba I can eat at Azumaya. The mountains also have some of Japans best ski slopes and outdoor onsen bathing at ANA Intercontinental Appi Kogen. La Paz, Bolivia FEBRUARY via Getty Images La Paz, Bolivia Travel blogger Isabel Leong sees the city of La Paz, which is the seat of government in Bolivia, as a rising destination for 2026. "Bolivia is still under the radar, but La Paz is one of the most unique cities in South America," Leong said. "More adventurous travelers will seek it out for its hiking, landscapes and raw cultural experiences especially those wanting something less polished than Peru." Greenland Christophe Boisvieux via Getty Images Greenland Even amid a time of unexpected political headlines, Greenlands appeal as a remote bucket-list destination shows no signs of cooling. George believes the destination is poised for even greater interest in 2026. "Greenland continues to trend as a destination and is now highlighted on the itineraries of several expedition cruises," he said. "Moreover, lying in the path of totality, I anticipate the Aug. 12, 2026, solar eclipse will bring even more attention and visitors to this country." Oaxaca, Mexico jmorse2000 via Getty Images Oaxaca, Mexico "Oaxaca is one destination I see becoming even more popular by 2026," Leong said. She praised the way the Mexican state's culture is deeply woven into everyday life. "Its not staged or packaged for tourists," Leong noted. "From local markets like Mercado Benito Juarez to annual celebrations like Dia de los Muertos, you can feel how traditions are still lived, not just displayed." North Wales Desertman; inspiring images Egypt and Gower via Getty Images North Wales Wales has never been short on natural beauty, and Duveau says North Wales is increasingly appealing to travelers seeking quieter, more intentional experiences. "Mount Snowdon in Wales is gaining attention for 2026 as sunrise hikes offer travelers a desired meaningful experience without the crowds," he explained. "Reaching the summit as the first light rises on the valley feels personal in a way that daytime visits often cant match. Morocco Starcevic via Getty Images Morocco Morocco will continue to rise as one of the worlds most compelling destinations in 2026," Casewit predicted. "A new wave of hotels including the kings own Royal Mansour dotting the map from Tangier down to the south are defining a new surge of luxury hospitality." She also highlighted hospitality investments in beachfront resorts, boutique accommodations and lifestyle properties that expand the options for how tourists can experience Morocco. "Its also easier to get to," Casewit said, pointing to new flight options from United Airlines and Royal Air Maroc. "Morocco is more accessible from the U.S. than ever before. Morocco is poised to define travel in 2026. Colombia Aanarav Sareen / 500px via Getty Images Colombia "Medellin has been transforming itself over the past decade, and by 2026, itll be one of Latin Americas most compelling destinations," Leong said. "What stands out to me is how tourism here actively supports the local community." Susag similarly predicts Colombia's popularity will continue to grow next year. "But I think travelers are starting to look past the most well-known cities," she said. "Regions like the Coffee Triangle and coastal towns along the Pacific offer incredible scenery and cultural experiences with fewer crowds. Its a great option for travelers who want adventure, great food, and value all in one trip." Jaipur, India AdrienC via Getty Images Jaipur, India Jaipur is capturing the attention of travelers looking for a mix of royal heritage, vibrant culture and colorful streets that are straight out of a storybook," said Lourdes Losada, director of Americas at Skyscanner. "U.S. travelers are increasingly drawn to destinations where every corner offers a photo-worthy moment and immersive experience." The so-called "Pink City" offers travelers "a visual feast," she added, touting the ornate palaces and forts, bustling markets and traditional Rajasthani performances. The mix of authentic local culture and comfortable hotels is also a plus. Jaipurs growing accessibility and upgraded infrastructure make it easier than ever for U.S. visitors to explore its heritage sites, enjoy curated cultural experiences and discover luxury stays without compromising authenticity," Losada said. Limon, Costa Rica Kryssia Campos via Getty Images Limon, Costa Rica Limon is catching the eye of travelers who are ready to say goodbye to San Jose and Guanacaste in favor of fewer crowds and authentic experiences," Losada said. "For decades, travelers have been obsessed with Costa Ricas Pacific coastline, but since travelers are turning their attention to smaller, lesser-known locations, this is where Limon comes into play. The port city offers easy access to lovely national parks and beach towns that aren't in every travel guide. "Expect to find sounds and flavors of Afro-Caribbean culture and far less crowded beaches laden with palm trees for your own slice of paradise," Losada said. "Limon is more of a port city than a proper beach locale, though it does serve as an excellent gateway to check out the coast for sun, sand, and one of the most popular activities, given the clear water conditions, snorkeling. Kyrgyzstan Emad aljumah via Getty Images Kyrgyzstan "This year I saw a huge increase in adventurous travelers going to Kyrgyzstan, and I think it will become even more mainstream in 2026," Beckford said. "While it is still relatively remote, it is very safe, incredibly scenic and offers true bucket-list experiences." Thus, she thinks Kyrgyzstan is becoming a hot spot for travelers looking to venture off the beaten path. "Think alpine trekking, horseback riding, yurt stays, and access to nomadic culture that feels increasingly rare elsewhere," Beckford said. Cyprus tunart via Getty Images Cyprus The island country of Cyprus is another destination that Leong sees getting a boost in popularity in the near future. "Cyprus is quietly becoming a wellness and slow-travel hub, especially for Europeans," she said. "With its mix of beaches, mountains, yoga retreats, and history, I can see it attracting travelers who want warmth, affordability, and depth without the crowds of Greece or Italy." Istanbul, Turkey Nikada via Getty Images Istanbul, Turkey "Istanbul has always been a popular destination, however with the new airport and more international links than ever, this city is even more front and center," George said. He praised the city's cultural attractions, cuisine and shopping in addition to its accessible location. Georgia Andrea Ricordi, Italy via Getty Images Georgia "Georgia is getting more attention, but I still think it feels under-appreciated for how much it offers," Susag said. "It has incredible food, wine culture that dates back thousands of years, dramatic mountain scenery, and cities like Tbilisi that feel creative and energetic." This country is also more affordable than other destinations, particularly as you move further west into Europe. "That makes it especially appealing as travelers look for unique destinations that dont feel overly touristed yet," Susag added. China zorazhuang via Getty Images China "China is already a major global travel hub, but despite welcoming tens of millions of international visitors annually, I find American travelers are hesitant to visit due to past visa complexity and outdated perceptions," Beckford said. "But recently China has expanded its visa-free access, including a five-day visa-free transit program for travelers from countries like the U.S." Having spent nearly a month exploring China herself, Beckford believes it offers an efficient, safe and diverse travel experience. "I 100% expect China to emerge more strongly for bucket-list birthday trips, luxury shopping travel, honeymoon itineraries, and multi-city cultural explorations," she said. Bali Konstantin Trubavin via Getty Images Bali Bali has long been a popular tourist destination, but Duveau believes travelers are increasingly looking beyond its most familiar hot spots. Mount Batur in Bali is quickly becoming a must-visit destination for 2026," he said. "Its sunrise ascent gives travelers a rare sense of stillness above the clouds, and were seeing travelers increasingly build their itineraries around early morning activities that make them feel more connected to a place. Related... Read the original on HuffPost GoFundMe Simon Gonzalez. NEED TO KNOW A 5-year-old boy was killed after he was struck by a school bus in Maine on Dec. 16 His half-brother was the only child on the bus at the time of the incident, Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said An investigation is ongoing A 5-year-old boy is dead after he was hit by a school bus in Maine. His half-brother was the only student on the bus at the time of the crash. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, just before 8 a.m. local time, kindergartner Simon Gonzalez was struck by the school bus on Route 35 in Standish, less than half a mile from Edna Libby Elementary School, ABC affiliate WMTW, CBS affiliate WGME and the Portland Press Herald reported. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the outlets. Officials confirmed to WMTW that the vehicle belonged to the Bonny Eagle School District. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce told the outlet that the 5-year-old boys half-brother was the only student on board when the incident happened. An investigation is ongoing, and the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. That same day, Superintendent Clay Gleason of the Maine School Administrative District 06 announced the tragic news in a statement shared with the school community. It is with great sadness that I share the news that there was a fatal accident involving an elementary school aged student and a Bonny Eagle school bus this morning around 8:00 AM, the superintendent wrote in the letter shared with PEOPLE. Students at Edna Libby Elementary School were dismissed at 11:30 a.m. I have been in communication with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and a full investigation will be forthcoming to determine how this tragic accident took place, Gleason wrote. In this difficult time please keep those directly impacted in your thoughts first and foremost the family of the student, as well as the students and staff of Edna Libby. He added, Speculation or blame on social media is not productive or helpful and is disrespectful to the memory of the student and their family. As the local community reels, the kindergartners family spoke out about their heartbreak. GoogleMaps Edna Libby School Elementary School in Standish, Maine. 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. "Simon loved life. He loved to just be on the go," Jason Small, the childs grandfather, said in a statement to WMTW. "Our family has been devastated by this loss. ... He was and always will be extremely loved and missed by his whole family and everyone that knew him." A community member has organized a GoFundMe on the familys behalf, which has raised more than $44,000 as of Wednesday, Dec. 17. Read the original article on People Aung San Suu Kyis son challenged Myanmars junta to provide proof of his mothers wellbeing after the military claimed the imprisoned former leader was in good health despite not being seen or heard from in over two years. Myanmars military on Tuesday issued a rare response after Suu Kyis son, Kim Aris, raised an alarm over her condition and said he did not know whether she was still alive. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health, the military said in a statement carried by the junta-run Myanmar Digital News, using an honorific equivalent to Mrs. However, the military provided no evidence or details to substantiate its claims about Ms Suu Kyis health. "The military claims she is in good health, yet they refuse to provide any independent proof, no recent photograph, no medical verification, and no access by family, doctors, or international observers. If she is truly well, they can prove it," Mr Aris told Reuters. The military-run government issued the update after Mr Aris, speaking in Japan, called for his mothers release and held a protest rally criticising the planned polls, which critics say are being staged to legitimise the juntas rule following its seizure of power from Ms Suu Kyis elected government. In this file photo taken on March 14, 2016 Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (R) is accompanied by Lower House speaker Win Myint (L) after meeting of National League for Democracy (NLD) members of parliament in Naypyidaw (AFP via Getty Images) For all I know, she could be dead already, Mr Aris said, citing a prolonged communication blackout under Ms Suu Kyis military detention. He said no one had seen her in more than two years and that she had not been allowed contact with her legal team. The junta is preparing to hold its first election since 2020, when the military overthrew Ms Suu Kyis government in a coup that triggered a nationwide civil war. Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate, is serving a 27-year sentence, reduced from a previous 33-year prison term, on charges including corruption, election fraud, sedition, breaching Covid-19 restrictions, illegal possession of communication equipment and official secrets offences. The charges have been widely denounced as politically motivated and dismissed by critics as a sham designed to keep her in detention. Mr Aris has been sharply critical of the juntas plans to stage elections later this month polls widely dismissed by foreign governments as a facade intended to entrench military rule though he has acknowledged that the process could still offer a narrow opportunity to push for some relief in his mothers treatment. The junta accused her son of fabrication, claiming his remarks were intended to disrupt the upcoming elections due to begin in the conflict-torn country from 28 December. This is merely a fabrication, timed and distributed to disrupt the free and fair multi-party democratic general election that will be held in Myanmar in the near future, the statement said. Mr Aris, on Wednesday, clarified that he has no intention of interfering in Burmas politics but years of total isolation, secrecy, and silence, any son would begin to fear the worst. My concern is growing because my mother has been hidden for so long that I now have to ask the most painful question: is she still alive?" The following is a news release from the City of Idaho Falls. IDAHO FALLS The Idaho Falls Fire Department (IFFD) and Idaho Falls Firefighters IAFF Local 1565 extend a heartfelt thank you to the community following the conclusion of the Fill the Ambulance Toy Drive, which collected hundreds of toy donations for local children and families. Throughout the drive, residents donated new, unwrapped toys in support of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Idaho and families facing medical or financial hardship. Thanks to the incredible turnout, the RMHC reported having enough toys to support families through 2026, while the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission was able to fulfill wish lists for every child they serve. The Toy Drive and Light Parade were a huge success again this year, thanks to all of the help from the Idaho Falls Fire Department, said Deborah M. Chessey, Development and Community Manager for RMHC of Idaho. We received enough to get us through all of 2026, and the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission was able to fill their wish lists for all of their children. IFFD and IAFF Local 1565 also recognize the firefighters who volunteered their time, the local businesses that helped collect donations and offered incentives, the media partners who shared information about the drive, and the organizations that contributed valuable time or financial support. Each played an important role in helping the communitys generosity reach those who need it most. The toy drive wrapped up alongside RMHCs 5th Annual Toy Drive Light Parade and Ugly Sweater Car Show on Dec. 13, marking the conclusion of this years effort. The community celebration received support from partners throughout the region, including a special flyover from Air Idaho Rescue. Above all, IFFD and IAFF Local 1565 thank the community members who showed up, donated, and helped make a difference. Their willingness to give is what ultimately made this years Fill the Ambulance Toy Drive a great success. The post Idaho Falls Fill the Ambulance drive brings in hundreds of toys appeared first on East Idaho News. The band Godbone tells their story and shares their music in the video above. Courtesy photo: Tyson Chavis plays at the Misfitz venue in Pocatello. POCATELLO Their riffs are fierce. Their screams are guttural. Their lyrics are explicit. But at the end of the day, members of the Pocatello/Idaho Falls metal band Godbone say theyre just a bunch of goofballs playing the music they love. It just so happens people around us kind of like what we like, said band member Sam Page. And its been just a fun rollercoaster that hasnt hit the down or the up or whatever. Its all in the we phase right now, and thats how we want to keep it going. Like Sam said, we just wanted to make music we liked, and that our friends liked as well, said Mark Hamilton, another band member. Because in this genre of music, youre not trying to appeal to the masses. Youre just trying to hit that niche of what you like. The band is made up of Cal Burch on vocals, Page on bass, Hamilton on guitar and backup vocals, Tyson Chavis on guitar, and Dan Ditto on drums. When theyre not playing in Godbone, most members have other jobs. Burch is a welder. Hamilton sells hot tubs. Chavis works with social media. Ditto designs cabinets. And Page his day job is just playing bass. You can listen to Godbone on Spotify or follow them on Instagram and Facebook. The band also has a show coming up at the Heart Events Center in Idaho Falls on Dec. 19 with No No Square, Electric Rat, Blood Cannery and Adrenochrome. Tickets are $10 online and $12 at the door. Beginnings Hamilton said the band started in 2022, in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, with himself, Ditto, Burch and another friend, Cade Walker, who has since moved away. Burch originally played bass, and Page joined on to play guitar. Once Walker moved away, the band asked Burch to sing and Page to play bass. Then they asked Chavis, who was part of another local band, Grave Way, to join and play guitar. Hamilton said the name Godbone can turn a few heads, but it was actually a reference to a TV series, See, starring Jason Momoa. The name Godbone, when people first hear it my sister, in fact, she says I just feel bad saying it it sounds sacrilegious, Hamilton said. It wasnt meant to be sacrilegious. Essentially, the premise of the story is its 3,000 years into the future, where nobody can see, nobody has eyesight. So they call the sun Godflame. They call the metal structures and ruins Godbone. I just thought that was kind of a cool concept name. It sounded cool, rolls off the tongue easy. The band grows Hamilton said he believes the band has changed sonically since it started. Guitar tone, drums, bass, everything you could hear it where weve evolved, and we actually cared more to critique it, deeper and deeper to get a more quality sound, Hamilton said. And it was the same dang guy recording it both times. I think we just got better musically. He said this is clear in one particular song, White Noise Reasoning, which appears on the bands first EP from 2023, Possessed to Live, and the bands latest EP, Torn To Shreds. I think Cal absolutely upped the entire intensity of Godbones music, Chavis said. Theres just so much emotion and just so much thought and work put into the vocals. And I just think this EP is a big step above the first one. I feel like we didnt really know the direction we were going with the first EP, Ditto said. It just came together. It was kind of weird how it happened. But it just happened, and we found our style and our voice, and it just clicked. Hamilton said with the addition of Chavis on guitar, who helps write some of the riffs, the bands sound has gotten darker, which was more of the energy they wanted. Ditto said the music has pushed him in his drumming skills. Mark writes a lot of the riffs, most of the riffs, but I love to write stuff on drums where I have a hard time playing, Ditto said. It makes me try even harder, you know? But its making me a lot better for sure. What they write about Hamilton said he and Burch collaborated on many of Godbones lyrics. Some of the lyrics are kind of dark, depressive themes that dont really have a great outcome, but its a great outlet for me to get those feelings out, Hamilton said. Thats catharsis, Page said. Cal Burch performs at the Misfitz venue in Pocatello. | Courtesy photo Page said the bands lyrics also frequently speak out against certain dregs of society, such as drunk drivers, sexual predators and the pharmaceutical industry. He said the songs are written by blue-collar Americans and speak to the problems blue-collar Americans face. The bands most popular song on Spotify, entitled Torn to Shreds, is about social media and its negative effects. Hamilton said he collaborated with Walker on the song, and its subject is the individuals who run social media platforms. That song is a lot about the fact that they dont care about you and me, Hamilton said. They just want to see the clicks go up, and they dont care what it does to your mental health. That song is a lot about turning that stuff off for a bit, taking a break just getting away from it. Hang out with your friends. Go out in nature. Go fly fishing. Another song, Choose Your Fate, written by Burch, reflected his experiences after leaving prison. Coming out of that, I didnt make excuses, Burch said. I put my feet down, and I got to work and made myself where I am today. And thats just about you choosing your fate. Dont let other people decide that. Facing stereotypes Being metal isnt always easy. Godbone members said there are certain stereotypes associated with playing metal, or what some might consider devil music. Burch said anytime screaming is involved with music, to appreciate it, you must read the lyrics. He said theyre relatable. And Hamilton said the hardcore scene is all about camaraderie. Page said he owes his sobriety to the hardcore scene, and if youre looking for help, theyre a supportive bunch. He challenges anyone to come to a metal concert and see all the smiles. Ditto said Chavis might be the happiest guitar player alive. Its hard not to be happy when youre in a room full of pretty much all your friends in quite possibly the least judgmental place in southeast Idaho, Chavis said. I think pretty much anyone that identifies as whatever is going to be able to make friends in the hardcore scene and can come to a show anytime and just be themselves. Theres a lot of stereotypes that go along with this type of music, Hamilton said. But I mean, were just goofballs. Were just goofballs at the end of the day. The post Local metal band Godbone writes songs to let the darkness out appeared first on East Idaho News. Multiple U.S. $20 bills featuring President Andrew Jackson. Photo: Emilee Calametti / The Center Square (The Center Square) Wisconsin-based Menards has agreed to pay a combined $4.25 million to settle a lawsuit from 10 states related to deceptive marketing for its 11% rebate. The states attorneys argued that the Eau Claire retailer misled consumers in some cases that the 11% rebate would be a discount that customers would receive at checkout instead of a rebate that needed to be mailed in and returned for a later store credit. The company agreed to make payments to Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota. Figuring out how much youll have to pay to buy something should be straightforward, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. It shouldnt be an adventure. Menards also agreed to several terms, including allowing one year for customers to return rebate forms and investigating how to create an option for consumers to safely and securely submit rebates online instead of mailing in the forms and receipts. Menards deceptive marketing left many customers believing they were getting a discount, when, in fact, the store was only offering an in-store credit for future purchases, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement. Customers deserve to know what they will be charged when they make a purchase, without deceptive deals and fine print. Im pleased that this settlement requires Menards to end these practices, and I will continue to work to ensure Illinois consumers are treated fairly. Menards agreed to pay Wisconsin $450,000 and Illinois nearly $947,000, Iowa nearly $447,000 while each of the 10 states will receive payments. Finlands representative to last months Miss Universe pageant in Thailand has sparked an outcry after a photograph she shared on social media showed her performing a gesture widely considered racist. Sarah Dzafces act triggered a backlash across East Asia and drew criticism not only at the model herself but also the countrys national brand. Ms Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland title after the image showed her pulling the corners of her eyes to perform a slanted eye gesture widely regarded as racist towards East Asians, especially the Chinese. The image which was posted late November with a caption eating with a Chinese has sparked outrage in China, Japan, and South Korea, where users accused the 22-year-old of racial mockery. The backlash soon widened to include Finlands national airline, Finnair, which faced online criticism despite having no involvement in the incident. Ms Dzafce said the gesture was her reaction to severe headaches and blamed her friend for adding the caption on the post without her permission. Former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce issued an apology for viral squinted eye gesture picture on 11 December (AP) She, however, apologised after it caused "ill will in many people". "That was not my intention in any way... One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences," she wrote on an Instagram post. On Tuesday, Finlands prime minister publicly criticised the gesture, describing it as thoughtless and stupid and warning that the episode had been damaging to the countrys international reputation. Yesterday, during a debate in parliament, I said that this has caused damage to our country. That is certainly the case, Petteri Orpo told reporters on Tuesday following a summit with European countries near Russian border. Personally, I do not accept racism in any form, he said. Miss Finland Tara Lehtonen, left, and former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce attend a press conference in Helsinki, Finland (AP) The issue snowballed after two members of parliament, Kaisa Garedew and Juho Eerola, also posted images of themselves doing the same gesture to support Ms Dzafce. The posts were criticised and Mr Eerola was forced to issue an apology. He said he felt Ms Dzafce was given a "disproportionately harsh punishment". The Finnish governments parliamentary group chair Jukka Kopra said this should not have happened, condemning the series of derogatory and inappropriate incidents. Mr Orpo said he believes that the parliamentary group will deal with this matter with the appropriate seriousness. Finnish airline Finnair said the posts had affected the company, and it faced boycott calls. We have received several comments on Finnairs Japanese X account about these images, which are considered racist and discriminatory, Finnairs communications director Paivyt Tallqvist told Yle. The message in the comments is consistent: do not travel to this country, do not travel with Finnair. In a separate statement on X from its Japanese account, it said: The statements or posts mentioned by some Finnish members of parliament do not represent the values of Finnair. "As an airline supported by employees from diverse backgrounds and customers around the world, we promise to welcome everyone with respect," it wrote. Tara Lehtonen, who finished second in the competition, has been named the new Miss Finland. I promise to carry this title with pride and deep respect, the Helsinki native said in a post on social media. Mexicos Fatima Bosch was crowned winner at the grand finale of the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, after weeks of controversy plaguing the annual event. Representatives from 120 countries competed, including Nadeen Ayoub, who became the first woman to represent the Palestinian people at the pageant and reached the top 30 before being eliminated. Today's headlines: the Burmese junta wants to prosecute over 200 people for disturbing the elections; Thailand sets three conditions for a ceasefire; Phnom Penh accuses disproportionate use of violence; Nepal: new digital system to monitor visitors; In Japan's gender equality plan, no to different legal surnames after marriage. QATAR - GAZA Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) hosted a conference in Doha to discuss the next steps in the 20-point Trump plan for Gaza, including the deployment of an international stabilisation force (ISF). However, according to European officials, the conference - from which Turkey would be excluded at Israel's request - failed to decide on the mandate of the future peacekeeping force. The US has unsuccessfully sent requests to more than 70 countries for volunteer troops and supplies for the ISF deployment, which could include, among others, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan and Azerbaijan. MYANMAR Myanmar's military junta has said it will prosecute more than 200 people for disrupting the upcoming military-run elections, using new legislation introduced in July that aims to crack down on dissent. Opposition factions are ready to block the elections - a pretext for perpetuating military rule - in areas of the country under their control. The maximum penalty can be up to 20 years in prison. THAILAND - CAMBODIA Thailand has outlined three conditions for a ceasefire, placing the responsibility on Cambodia, which in turn highlights a manifestly disproportionate and unjustified use of force by the other party to the conflict. According to Thai Foreign Minister Nikorndej, Cambodia must publicly declare a ceasefire, commit to peace and cooperate on demining. These conditions must be met before meaningful peace negotiations can take place, while fighting continues along the common border. NEPAL With tourist numbers returning to record levels after anti-government protests, Nepal is introducing a new digital registration system to track every foreign visitor. This is to increase security, limit visa misuse and locate missing travellers. Starting 1 January, the NepaliPort portal will integrate visa applications, trekking permits and other travel services into a single online system. Nepal attracts hundreds of thousands of hikers on routes such as Everest and Annapurna. In the 12 months to July, 12 foreign hikers died in the Annapurna region alone. JAPAN The Japanese government's draft Basic Plan for Gender Equality aims to counter calls for a system that allows married couples to keep different legal surnames if they wish. Instead, the initiative aims to expand the use of pre-marital surnames as widely accepted commonly used names, for example, in the workplace and other professional contexts. However, a person's legal surname would still change after marriage. RUSSIA Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree requiring anyone applying for Russian citizenship, or even just residency in Russia, to sign a contract with the army. This list includes all foreigners who are automatically eligible for citizenship based on the length of their stay, for family reunification or to bring their children to Russia, with the exception of students and specialists. GEORGIA Georgia is also entering a new phase of climatic and geological challenges, with melting glaciers, increasing risks of landslides and other changes that require quick decisions and greater transparency in state structures, as demonstrated by investigations by the Swiss company Geotest Ag into risk areas in the central Caucasus, which warn of the lack of professionalism and uncertainty of the competent bodies, with their various interests. by Dario Salvi The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) will end on 31 December after more than 20 years. A farewell ceremony was held recently in the presence of the UN secretary general. The country has grown and become more stable, but some uncertainty remains. After last months election, Iraqis are waiting to see a new government take over with uncertainty over the chances of the incumbent prime minister. For Cardinal Sako, Iraqis are waiting for the birth of a new Iraq. Milan (AsiaNews) After more than 20 years, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) is winding down its operations in the Mideast country. During this period, it has experienced wars, political upheavals, and the fight against the Islamic State (IS). To mark the end of its mandate on 31 December, a closure that one of its top officials describes as honourable, dignified, and earned, a closing ceremony was held on the evening of December 13 in the capital, in the presence of high-ranking political and religious figures, both Muslim and Christian, including the Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako. Among the officials in attendance were United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Iraqs outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, who praised the international organisation for its role over the past 22 years, a period marked by challenges, hope, and determination, reads a statement by the Prime Minister Media Office. The latter added that UNAMI was a vital partner in supporting and assisting Iraq following its liberation from dictatorship and in establishing a new system based on democracy and free representation of all its components. UNAMI: Sacrifice and Support UNAMI chief Mohamed Al Hassan, who also serves as Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, explained that the end of the mission reflects the transformation the country has undergone since its establishment in 2003, following decades of dictatorship, war, and terror. Over the years, UNAMI has provided critical support in many areas: political stabilisation, inclusive national dialogue, and community reconciliation in conflict-affected areas. It has also played a central role in election assistance, contributing to multiple rounds of local and national elections. When UNAMI started, Iraq used to be a very different place than today, Al Hassan said, citing one event above all others. A few days into the mission in August 2003, an attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad resulted in the deaths of 22 staff members and wounding 100 others. Since then. a new era has dawned. With the sacrifices of the Iraqis first and foremost, and with international support, in particular the United Nations, Iraq believes it is ready to move to another phase, solidifying its sovereignty and territorial integrity, the UNAMI chief asserted. The UN official continued by citing recent developments that confirm the stabilisation process, starting with the November election, which UNAMI supported, viewing it as among the most credible to date. With a 56 per cent turnout, it also shows renewed commitment by the public. However, the country still feels the long-term impact of the conflict. Approximately one million Iraqis are internally displaced, including more than 100,000 Yazidis who still live in camps after unimaginable suffering at the hands of the Islamic State. Certain issues remain, especially in relation to womens rights and gender equality; nevertheless, Iraq today is much better than before on womens rights, al-Hassan said. But violence against women has unfortunately increased. For this reason, even though UNAMI is shutting down, All the specialised agencies UNICEF, WHO, IOM, UNDP, and many others will remain in Iraq. With significant oil reserves and a large GDP, Iraq is not seeking aid, he noted. Iraq does not need charity; it needs the support and friendship of the international community. Electoral uncertainty Meanwhile, on Sunday, Iraq's Federal Supreme Court ratified the results from last month's parliamentary election, confirming that the party of caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani won the largest number of seats, but not enough to assure him a second term with seeking alliances with other parties. Al-Sudani's Coalition for Reconstruction and Development won 46 of the 329 seats. Historically, the bloc that won the most seats in past elections often failed to impose its leader, and a prime minister was picked after agreements between different factions. The coalition led by former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki won 29 seats; the Sadiqoun Bloc, led by Asaib Ahl Al-Haq militia leader Qais Al-Khazali, won 28 seats; and Masoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), one of Iraq's two main Kurdish parties, won 27 seats. The Taqaddum (Progress) party of former Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi won 27 seats, paving the way for its leader's return or, at least, renewed influence in national politics. Overall, Shia alliances and lists secured 187 seats, Sunni groups 77, Kurdish groups 56 seats, and nine seats are reserved for minority groups. Al-Sudani came to power in 2022 with the support of the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Iranian-backed Shia parties, but it is unclear whether the alliance will support him again or if he will get the necessary votes from elsewhere to stay in the PMs office. What is certain is that without a single bloc capable of forming a government on its own, political leaders will have to begin negotiations to build a governing coalition. The constitution provides the president with 15 days to convene the newly elected parliament, starting from the day the Court ratifies the vote. Among the first orders of business is the election by secret ballot of the new speaker and two deputies, by an absolute majority. The speaker plays a key role, guiding and ratifying the process leading to the election of the head of state, the prime minister, and the cabinet. Article 76 of the Constitution requires the president to nominate the candidate from the bloc that receives the most votes, who then has 30 days to form a new government. If unsuccessful, the president will then have to nominate a new candidate. Sako: A New Iraq The country is entering a phase of uncertainty and intense negotiations between the various factions, to ensure stability and, at least from the outgoing prime minister's perspective, continuity in government action. Cardinal Sako recently offered his thoughts on the matter. In his view, Iraqis eagerly await "the birth of a new Iraq" capable of overcoming the critical issues of the past, not least the ethnic and sectarian violence that has plagued the country. After the fall of the previous regime in 2003," the cardinal wrote in a statement on the Chaldean Patriarchate website, "Iraqis eagerly awaited the creation of a new, secure, stable, democratic, and sovereign Iraq, with a civil system that treated all citizens equally. However, what happened was a system of sectarian quotas and tribal emirates, which opened the door to the bitter experience of the Islamic State, legitimised corruption, and established militias that, over time, became stronger than the state, pushing Iraqis to emigrate. Today, after 22 years of experience and new parliamentary elections, he warns, "a courageous stand" is needed to finally create a modern state through improvement and reconciliation". To achieve this goal, it is necessary to closely examine the rapidly evolving regional and international developments, as well as unify visions and coordinate positions. "Crises," the patriarch stressed, "are not resolved by force, but by opening up to contemporary culture, a more rational and realistic culture that cares about services, social, cultural, legal, and economic institutions, similar to those of developed countries around the world, through dialogue, understanding, and the search for a common ground. To do end, it is necessary to guarantee the "rule of law" and "civic responsibility, while the constitution must "protect the rights and freedoms of all." Finally, for the prelate, Delaying the formation of a government does not benefit the country, so it is essential to accelerate" the process while safeguarding the common good. What is needed is a government that reflects the aspirations of its people, that is "sovereign and decisive," capable of "restoring Iraq's well-being and prestige," that seeks to "implement justice, equality, and integrity, and is able to address failures and crises. GATEWAY TO THE EAST IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO THE MIDDLE EAST. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY TUESDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE. by Vladimir Rozanskij The two giants of the Asian continent have always been close, but they have never communicated as intensely and amicably as they have in recent times. China's position continues to strengthen despite all the mistrust surrounding Russian projects. The scenario of a reverse colonisation compared to the times when Moscow was the big brother. Moscow (AsiaNews) - The war in Ukraine continues, despite all the more or less credible negotiations that have been going on for weeks now, but as Radio Svoboda columnist Sergei Medvedev says, there is already a winner, or at least a beneficiary, and that is China. Beijing's position on the global stage is strengthening, to the point where it appears to be a more reliable partner than the United States, and the Moscow-Beijing trade is growing, despite all the Chinese mistrust of Russian rail, road and energy projects. What does Vladimir Putin's turn to the East really mean? Is it a marriage of convenience, a true eternal friendship or a long-term strategic choice? Is Russia becoming an Asian country, a vassal of China? This is what Medvedev discussed with sinologist Aleksandr Pantsov, professor at Ohio University, and another specialist, Aleksey Chigadaev, author of the Telegram channel Kitaiskij Gorodovoj, the Chinese Watch. The two giants of the Asian continent have always been close, but they have never communicated as intensely and amicably as they have in recent times. Russia is half Asian and half European, with oscillations between East and West throughout its history, and without any real certainty about the concept of its own land, with small communities scattered across a vast territory. China owes its identity in part to Mongol domination, like Russia, but it has always been in the hands of large clans, unlike the Russians, as Pantsov explains. The mentality of the two peoples has a variable attitude towards the relationship between the individual and the community, with a prevalence of collectivism, of society over the state, which has often made them feel very close and rather resistant to the concepts of democracy and liberalism. However, according to experts, Russia's Asian nature has become closer to that of Europe with the adoption of Orthodox Christianity, remaining the only Orthodox kingdom in Europe after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453. Russia's current turnaround, according to Pantsov, is a return to its most authentic Asian nature, even if much remains from the Soviet period, which had once again collectivised the consciousness of the Russian people, and Putin appears primarily as an heir to totalitarian ideology. During the period of Tsarist imperialism, Chigadaev recalls, China viewed the Russians no differently than the British, even though the Americans were better received than the Japanese, under whose rule they had long suffered, despite the fact that the Chinese consider Japan to be a derivative of Chinese tradition and culture. The 19th-century colonial legacy is remembered in China as the century of shame, with strong resentment towards the Russians, who took millions of square kilometres of territory from the Chinese. In Soviet times, the Russians were the big brother, as was evident in the relationship between Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung. Now the fraternal relationship is being reversed, with Russia inexorably inferior to China, and it is unclear how long Putin will tolerate being overshadowed by Xi Jinping. Beijing does business with everyone, with Moscow as well as Kiev, buying oil from one and grain from the other, without giving discounts to anyone, but demanding discounts from everyone. As Chigadaev observes, 90% of Ukrainian drones, which destroy Russian infrastructure, are Chinese-made, brought in through third countries. China does not invest in Russia, except in projects that directly interest it, while it is working hard to transform the whole of Central Asia into its preferred corridor for commercial transport. Moreover, the Russians themselves view Chinese intervention in their country with suspicion, if not open hostility, fearing reverse colonisation, especially in the Far East and Siberia, and proudly, albeit rather ineffectively, defending their technological sovereignty, ironically referred to by many as technonationalism. While Russia seeks to impose its model of imperial autocracy on the whole world, China remains compact in its unique and impossible-to-copy system, with a population ten times larger than that of Russia, to which it therefore lends very little interest. Tensions show no signs of abating 10 days after fighting resumed over the disputed border. For Cambodia, displaced people are the most serious emergency since the Khmer Rouge era. While Thailand calls on Cambodia to act "sincerely" to mine clearance, the latter accuses Thailands air force of dropping cluster bombs. Thailand's Tourism Ministry reports no cancellations by travellers going to Phuket. Milan (AsiaNews) The border war between Thailand and Cambodia, which began on 7 December, shows no signs of abating amid mutual accusations and unrealistic claims of a ceasefire by US President Donald Trump and diplomatic efforts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current ASEAN president. On the sidelines of the fighting, both Thailand and Cambodia are also pursuing a propaganda war. This is evident from the official death tolls from ten days of clashes. Officially, only 30 casualties have been reported, a figure that should be treated with great caution. On the Thai side, after the first civilian casualty was announced yesterday, the total figure now stands at 16. Cambodia is reporting instead 15 civilians killed, but no military losses, which is unlikely since the Royal Thai Air Force has carried out operations deep into Cambodian territory. What is plain to see on both sides of the border are the hundreds of thousands of displaced people driven from their homes by the latest outbreak of violence. Cambodian authorities have reported 423,000 people housed in emergency shelters in the provinces of Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat, Koh Kong, and Siem Reap, in what the Cambodian government calls the "worst refugee crisis since the Khmer Rouge." Amid the general mobilisation, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his wife Pich Chanmony launched an appeal to Cambodian scout guides to plant vegetables across the country to feed the evacuees. Conversely, "As the aggressor onto Thai territory, Cambodia must announce the ceasefire first," said Thai foreign ministry spokeswoman Maratee Nalita Andamo, urging Cambodia to cooperate "sincerely" in demining operations along the border. In Cambodia, the narrative is different, with local media blaming Thailand for the aggression, highlighting the gap between Bangkok's powerful military and that of "small" Cambodia. In Phnom Penh, Hun Manet's government also reacted to Thailands claim that it had planted new anti-personnel mines along the disputed border, by sending a complaint against Thailand to the Laotian Foreign Minister, who currently chairs the Convention against the Use of Cluster Munitions adopted in 2008 in Dublin, Ireland. Thai media, for their part, have published reports of the alleged presence of Russian mercenaries among Cambodian troops. The Russian embassies in Phnom Penh and Bangkok were quick to deny this, claiming that Russia maintains "friendly relations" with both countries and supports a peaceful resolution to the border dispute. In general, while Cambodia's narrative is one of emergency, the government of Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is campaigning for early elections on 8 February, is trying to project the image of a country moving forward with normality, despite the border conflict. In today's edition, the Bangkok Post reported data from the Department of Foreign Trade saying that, Despite the closure of border crossings with Cambodia since July, the value of Thai exports in the first 10 months of this year grew by 13% year-on-year. For its part, the Ministry of Tourism also noted that, There were no cancellations by travellers planning to visit major tourist destinations such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Krabi and Chon Buri provinces, the paper wrote. by Nirmala Carvalho Catholic charities are working to prevent child marriage through development and the fight against superstitions, helping everyone, regardless of religious affiliation. We focus on community development, human dignity, and empowerment, said Father Birendra Tete. Ranchi (AsiaNews) Combating social ills like child marriage, child labour, witchcraft, and superstitions is the daily service provided by the Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur in some 30 villages in various districts of the Indian state of Jharkhand. We focus on community development, human dignity, and empowerment, particularly for the underprivileged tribal and Dalit communities in the region, said Father Birendra Tete, director of Catholic Charities Jamshedpur (CCJ), who is also responsible for the organisation Samekit Jan Vikas Kendra (SJVK), speaking to AsiaNews. Recently, CCJ celebrated its annual day in 10 of the 30 villages in which it operates. We work in 30 villages. There are only around 45-50 Christian tribal families out of a total of 1,170. However, we serve all the Tribals without discrimination of faith, the clergyman explained. Child marriages are common, he added. Educating both adolescents and their parents is essential. At the same time, we have to empower the young girls with education and vocational skills to be self-reliant and financial independent, which can curb child marriages. Last Sunday, an event was held in the village of Kulidodand, Chaibasa as part of the Pioneering Resilience and Education for Responsible Nurturing of Adolescents (PRERNA) project. During the activity, teenagers enthusiastically highlighted, showing their talents, the importance of education, environmental care, and the life and cultural skills they have acquired. We stressed the importance of using all the opportunities that are being provided by us to learn and grow in life, some said. When asked by AsiaNews about the false accusations of conversions and far right harassment against Christians in many parts of India, Father Birendra Tete replied that such behaviour does not occur in the area where this group operates. We have a very good rapport with the villagers, PRI members and government officials, he said. In the villages, we don't face this accusation. In a statement, the Armenian government said the commission co-headed by Overchuk and his Armenian counterpart Mher Grigorian looked into the entire scope of trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations between the two countries and defined further steps for the development of cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats. It gave no further details. Grigorians office could not be reached for comment. The Russian side released an identical readout of the meeting. Neither vice-premier made public statements right after it. Overchuk told reporters on December 11 that Russian-Armenian trade is on course to shrink by half, to roughly $6 billion, this year. He said Russian companies are becoming wary of working with Armenia amid lingering tensions between Moscow and Yerevan. Analysts believe that the main reason for the sharp fall in bilateral trade is that Armenia has stopped being a conduit for large-scale exports of Russian gold and diamonds to world markets. Russia is still Armenias most important trading partner, having accounted for over 35 percent of its commercial exchange with the outside world in the first half of this year, compared with the European Unions 12 percent share. The South Caucasus state is part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) that gives it tariff-free access to the vast Russian market. We believe that simultaneous membership in the two integration associations is incompatible, said Overchuk. At some point, the people of Armenia will have to make a choice. Overchuk issued a similar warning after his previous trip to Yerevan in August. That did not stop Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian from publicly pledging in September to step up efforts aimed at Armenia's accession to the European Union. 17 December 2025 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more In todays world, it is difficult to imagine economic life without digitalization. Rapid technological progress has reshaped not only everyday services but also the way states regulate, monitor, and optimize economic processes. Digital solutions increase efficiency, reduce human-related risks, strengthen institutional oversight, and ultimately improve citizens welfare. As digitalization deepens, transparency grows, services become more accessible, and decision-making shifts from fragmented procedures to data-driven governance. As part of this broader transformation, Azerbaijans recent steps toward the digital transformation of foreign trade and logistics represent a strategically important development. A new stage in this process was marked this week by a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev on additional measures to digitalize import-export, transit, transport, and logistics activities. From fragmentation to a unified digital ecosystem - According to the decree, a unified Single Window information system will be established to improve state regulation in foreign trade, ensure effective coordination among government institutions, and create a fully digital environment with single access to import, export, transit, transport, and logistics operations. The initiative also envisages the introduction of a smart cargo flow management system. At the core of this transformation is the creation of a Digital Logistics Platform (DLP) by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, in cooperation with other relevant institutions. The platform aims to digitize international cargo transportation processes, enable real-time data exchange between foreign trade participants and state bodies, and significantly enhance Azerbaijans competitiveness in regional and global logistics chains. Analytically, this move reflects a shift from document-based control to system-based governance. Instead of managing trade flows through isolated procedures and manual approvals, the state is building an integrated digital ecosystem where information flows seamlessly and decisions are supported by real-time data. Why digital logistics platform matters The DLP is designed as a unified electronic single window for managing import, export, and transit operations. Its strategic importance lies in three key dimensions: 1. Efficiency and cost reduction - Currently, foreign trade participants must apply separately to multiple institutions for permits and documents, often submitting the same information repeatedly. This results in delays, administrative burdens, and increased transaction costs. By consolidating these processes into a single digital platform, the DLP eliminates duplication, shortens processing times, and reduces operational costs for businesses. 2. Transparency and predictability - Digitalization minimizes discretionary decision-making and human-related risks. When procedures are standardized and tracked electronically, the likelihood of delays, informal practices, or inconsistencies decreases. For investors and logistics operators, predictability is as important as speed, and the DLP directly addresses this need. 3. Data-driven policy and control - The platform allows state institutions to monitor import-export and transit operations in real time, generate analytical reports, and improve forecasting. This transforms logistics management from a reactive process into a proactive and strategic one. The Digital Logistics Platform consists of four main modules, each serving a distinct function in the digital trade ecosystem: Trade Guide Module - This module serves as a digital roadmap for foreign trade participants, outlining the step-by-step requirements, procedures, and responsible institutions based on the type of product, mode of transport, and operation. From an analytical perspective, this significantly reduces information asymmetry, one of the main hidden costs in international trade. Trade Services Module - Planned for launch in the coming months, this module will allow businesses to obtain permits, licenses, and other documents through a single electronic application. Its importance lies in transforming state services from institution-centered to user-oriented. Reservation Module - By connecting cargo owners and carriers, this module introduces market-based digital matching into logistics, improving capacity utilization and fostering partnerships. Accountability Module- This module enables the generation of detailed analytical reports based on user activity. For government agencies, it provides a foundation for evidence-based policymaking and performance evaluation. Notably, the Trade Guide module is already operational, offering filters by product type, operation type, and service fees, which signals a phased but practical approach to implementation. The DLP should also be viewed within Azerbaijans broader strategic ambition to strengthen its role as a regional transport and logistics hub. Located at the crossroads of East-West and North-South corridors, Azerbaijans competitiveness increasingly depends not only on physical infrastructure but also on digital connectivity and process speed. In modern logistics, borders are no longer defined solely by geography; they are defined by data flows, processing times, and regulatory efficiency. By digitalizing logistics services, Azerbaijan aligns itself with international best practices and enhances its attractiveness for transit cargo and foreign investors. Importantly, this initiative builds on earlier reforms. In 2008, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree introducing the Single Window principle at state border checkpoints, assigning its implementation to the State Customs Committee. That reform significantly improved border clearance procedures, eliminated artificial barriers, and aligned customs control with modern standards, particularly given Azerbaijans role along the Silk Road and the NorthSouth transport corridor. The new Digital Logistics Platform can be seen as a logical evolution of that policy, expanding the single window concept from border control to the entire lifecycle of foreign trade and logistics operations. The establishment of the Digital Logistics Platform marks a qualitative shift in Azerbaijans approach to trade facilitation and logistics governance. It moves the system from fragmented procedures to an integrated, transparent, and data-driven model. Beyond operational efficiency, the platform strengthens institutional coordination, improves oversight, and enhances the countrys strategic positioning in regional transport corridors. In this sense, the DLP is not merely a technical project; it is a structural reform that places digitalization at the heart of Azerbaijans economic modernization. 17 December 2025 20:14 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Humanitarian aid rarely exists in a political vacuum. When assistance is extended selectively, prolonged indefinitely, and accompanied by the quiet collection of personal data, it ceases to be a purely charitable act. Which brings us to our main topic: Moscows decision to extend its humanitarian program for Armenians who voluntarily left Garabagh is not simply about food parcels or solidarity. It is about preserving leverage, influence, and relevance in a region where Russias role has visibly eroded. The project aimed at supporting Armenians who left Garabagh, implemented in Armenia by Rossotrudnichestvo in cooperation with the non-profit organisation Eurasia and the Russian Humanitarian Mission, has now been extended until at least 2026. Officially, the extension is explained by the continued flow of applications. In practice, however, it reflects Russias determination to keep the Garabagh issue alive as a political and informational instrument, long after the conflict itself has been resolved. Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Igor Chayka openly stated that the project was planned as a long-term initiative and that its purpose is to demonstrate Russias solidarity with the Garabagh Armenians. This wording is revealing. Solidarity here is not framed in universal humanitarian terms, but through a specific political and identity-based lens, one that deliberately preserves a narrative of grievance and dependency. More troubling are reports that Rossotrudnichestvo has been collecting personal data from Armenians who left Garabagh. According to sources close to the Armenian government, beneficiaries are asked to submit copies of passports, birth certificates, and other sensitive documents, ostensibly as part of the aid process. While data collection can be standard in humanitarian work, the scale, depth, and lack of transparency surrounding this effort raise legitimate concerns, especially given Russias long record of instrumentalising diaspora communities for political leverage. This brings the discussion to the central question: what is Moscow really seeking to achieve? One explanation is reputational repair. Russias standing in Armenian society has deteriorated sharply in recent years, particularly after failing to meet Yerevans expectations during critical moments. Food packages and aid programs may serve as a low-cost attempt to restore a sense of relevance and benevolence among a disillusioned population. Another explanation is electoral. With parliamentary elections scheduled in Armenia in June, humanitarian activity that targets a politically sensitive group could indirectly bolster pro-Kremlin forces that openly advocate a return to the old YerevanMoscow alignment. The intense interest in the personal data of Armenians who left Garabagh is hardly accidental in this context. For decades, this community has functioned as a political asset for Moscow, a group that can be mobilised rhetorically, socially, and, when needed, politically. Today, some of the most vocal figures associated with this group openly declare that their ultimate objective is the removal of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Against this backdrop, Russias sustained engagement looks less like charity and more like strategic positioning. What is perhaps most striking is the restrained reaction from the Armenian authorities. This is the same government whose own attempt to send humanitarian aid to the Garabagh Armenians in the past was blocked by Azerbaijan because no such assistance had been requested. Today, despite technical expressions of concern, Yerevan has largely avoided confrontation on this issue. The reason appears pragmatic. Pashinyan has recently made it clear that removing the Garabagh issue from Armenias political agenda is essential for advancing the peace process. Openly challenging Moscows actions could complicate that goal. For Russia, however, keeping the Garabagh topic alive is strategically convenient. It weakens Pashinyans position domestically, fuels dissatisfaction among segments of Armenian society, and helps mobilise the Armenian diaspora in Russia against the current political course in Yerevan. In the event of a power shift, this very issue could once again be activated as leverage. Distributing food is, in itself, a commendable act. But in geopolitics, context matters more than packaging. When humanitarian assistance is prolonged indefinitely, accompanied by sensitive data collection, and aligned with political timelines, it ceases to be just about helping people. In this case, the real story is not about aid deliveries, but about how humanitarian language is being used to preserve influence, shape narratives, and prepare for political contingencies. In the case of Russia, though, it is quite handy to have this issue of Garabagh lingering in the background. It shakes the position of Pashinyan, fuels dissatisfaction with some layers of Armenian society, and helps to energise the Armenian diaspora in Russia against the current political trajectory in Yerevan. In the case of a change of power, this issue might again come to the foreground as leverage. In such a scenario, the story is actually about using the vocabulary of humanitarian assistance. The question, then, is not whether there is a distribution of food, but why it is being distributed in such a way, for such a long period, by whom. 16 December 2025 20:15 (UTC+04:00) Samir Rzayev, President of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) CJSC, a part of AZCON Holding, met with Elchin Gasimov, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Azerbaijan. During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for developing aviation ties between Azerbaijan and Slovakia, as well as opportunities to expand cooperation in the field of civil aviation. The discussions focused on creating new travel opportunities for passengers between the two countries and improving transport connectivity. In this context, it was noted that following a previous business meeting between AZALs management and Wizz Air, the BakuBratislavaBaku route was identified and approved as a promising direction. Flights on this route are planned to be operated by Wizz Air from Heydar Aliyev International Airport starting next year. AZAL President Samir Rzayev noted that the launch of the BakuBratislava route would contribute to the development of tourism, business, and humanitarian ties, while also offering passengers a wider choice of destinations and more convenient travel options. In turn, Ambassador Elchin Gasimov emphasized the Slovak sides interest in launching a direct air service, highlighting that Wizz Air operates an extensive route network of more than 30 destinations from Bratislava. He also noted that more than 5,000 Azerbaijani citizens currently reside in Slovakia. It was also noted that in recent years AZAL has significantly expanded its route network, increasing from 25 destinations to nearly 40 across Europe, Asia, Central Asia, and the Gulf region, thereby strengthening the strategic position of Heydar Aliyev International Airport within the aviation network. At the same time, the airline continues the phased renewal of its fleet, enhancing it with modern and fuel-efficient Airbus and Boeing aircraft, which contributes to improved operational efficiency and higher quality of passenger services. 17 December 2025 11:56 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The master classes on playing the piano and tar have been held in Mingachevir, organized by the Culture Ministry's Scientific, Methodological and Qualification Center for Culture (MEMIM) with the support of the Central-Aran Regional Department of Culture, Azernews reports. The master classes were attended by teachers and students from music and art schools in the city of Mingachevir, as well as from the districts of Agdash, Goychay, Kurdamir, Ujar, Yevlakh, and Zardab, which are under the department's jurisdiction. The master class on tar, held at the Uzeyir Hajibayli Music School No. 1 in Mingachevir, was led by Arslan Novrasli, head of the Department of Instrumental Performance at the Faculty of Arts of the Garabagh University. The piano master class was conducted by Ulviya Kazimova, PhD in Art History, chair of the piano department's subject commission at the Music College of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory. Speaking at the event, Lala Karimova, head of the MEMIM Department and Honored Worker of Culture, noted that the goal of the project dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the great composer and musicologist Uzeyir Hajibayli was to improve the quality of education in music and art schools within the ministry's system, enhance the theoretical and practical knowledge of students and teachers in their respective specialties. She noted that the master classes provide an opportunity for teachers to learn modern teaching methods and achieve more effective results in their professional activities. During the master classes, experts listened to student performances, offered their recommendations, and answered questions from the audience. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, and Milli.Az. 17 December 2025 13:11 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more A bilateral meeting has been held between the Azerbaijan Culture Minister, Adil Karimli, and the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Miguel Angel Moratinos, Azernews reports. During the meeting, views were exchanged on the existing cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, as well as on prospects for the future development of this partnership. Issues related to the organization of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, planned to be held in Baku next year in partnership with UNAOC, were discussed. At the same time, an agreement was reached to discuss, together with the UNAOC Group of Friends, the initiative to host the 12th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Azerbaijan in 2027. The parties emphasized that the partnership formed within the framework of the Baku Process plays an important role in promoting international intercultural dialogue. During the discussions, views were exchanged on initiatives jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and UNAOC, including international forums organized in previous years, events currently being held, and forums planned for the next stage. The importance of these platforms in promoting multicultural values and strengthening religious and cultural tolerance was particularly highlighted. The meeting also addressed the role of cultural diplomacy amid global challenges, the expansion of cooperation with international organizations, and opportunities for implementing joint projects in the future. The parties expressed the importance of further developing cooperation between Azerbaijan and UNAOC on the basis of mutual respect and shared values. 17 December 2025 17:24 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more International Mugham Centre has solemnly celebrated the 75th anniversary of People's Artist, Presidential scholarship holder, recipient of the Shohrat Order, laureate of the International Golden Sword and Humay Awards, eminent conductor and pedagogue Aghaverdi Pashayev, Azernews reports. During the jubilee evening, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Polad Bulbuloglu, delivered a speech highlighting Aghaverdi Pashayev's contributions to the national culture as a pedagogue and conductor. He pointed out that for 25 years, Aghaverdi Pashayev led the State Folk Instruments Orchestra, achieving success as a conductor and artist, and making his mark in the art world. Although he received his education in the tar instrument, he devoted his life and career to conducting, training numerous worthy students over many years. Today, each of these students leads musical ensembles in various regions of Azerbaijan. Deputy Culture Minister Murad Huseynov, on behalf of Minister Adil Karimli, congratulated the jubilarian and presented him with the Ministry's "Honorary Diploma" along with a congratulatory letter from the collective. At the event, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organisations Fazil Mustafa, Director of the International Mugham Centre Sahib Pashazade, Rector of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory Kamila Dadash-zade, Secretary of the Azerbaijan Composers' Union Elnara Dadashova, Vice-Rector of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts Sadaqat Aliyeva, Vice-Rector of the Baku Music Academy Gulnaz Abdullazade, and Vice-Rector of Nakhchivan State University Nijat Yagubov all delivered congratulatory speeches. Letters of congratulations from Chairwoman of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children's Affairs Hijran Huseynova and from the Music College under the Azerbaijan National Conservatory were read aloud. In the artistic part of the evening, under the direction of Aghaverdi Pashayev's student, Honoured Artist Ilaha Huseynova, and accompanied by the State Folk Instruments Orchestra, performances were given by People's Artists Mansum Ibrahimov, Teyyub Aslanov, Azer Zeynalov, Gulyaz and Gulyanaq Mammadova, Samir Jafarov, Gulnaz Abdullazade, and Honoured Artists Almaz Orujova and Ramil Gasimov. The joint performance of People's Artist Agaverdi Pashayev and Honoured Artist Sahib Pashazade was met with applause. The jubilee evening concluded with Agaverdi Pashayev conducting the Choir of the Fikrat Amirov Azerbaijan State Song and Dance Ensemble (choirmaster Honored Artist Naala Barateliya) and Ramil Gasimov's performance of Muslim Magomayev's work "Land of Fire." Aghaverdi Pashayev, renowned conductor and pedagogue, was born on October 27, 1950, in Baku. His musical journey began at an early age when his father, noticing his passion for music, gifted him a small tar. In 1960, his father enrolled him in the 12th Music School, where his first teachers were Nadir Ahmadov and, later, Aghasalekh Abasaliyev. While still a student, Aghaverdi Pashayev actively participated in music competitions, earning laureate titles. He went on to win the 6th and 7th All-Union competitions, establishing himself as a promising young musician. In 1971, after graduating from the A. Zeynalli Music College, Pashayev entered the Uzeyir Hajibayli Academy of Music, where he studied tar performance under the guidance of Kamil Ibrahimov. Even during his college years, he pursued conducting alongside his instrumental studies. Upon completing the conservatory in 1976, Aghaverdi Pashayev was drafted into military service, where he served as a conductor in a military orchestra. From 1979 onward, Aghaverdi Pashayev began teaching at the Uzeyir Hajibayli Conservatory and the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts in the Department of Folk Instruments. During this period, he also trained military orchestras in conducting. In 1999, he was appointed head of the State Song and Dance Ensemble at the Philharmonic. A year later, he was entrusted with creating the State Folk Instruments Ensemble, which was successfully established in 2000. Aghaverdi Pashayev's repertoire is vast, encompassing original works and arrangements for folk orchestra by Azerbaijani and international composers. His programs feature both classical compositions and adaptations of folk songs for soloists and orchestra. He has collaborated with celebrated mugham performers such as Lutfiar Imanov, Farhand Kasimova, and others. Among his notable achievements is his victory at the international competition "Eastern Melodies" held in Uzbekistan in 2017. Through his artistry, teaching, and leadership, Aghaverdi Pashayev has made a lasting contribution to Azerbaijani music, nurturing generations of musicians and elevating the role of folk instruments in orchestral performance. 17 December 2025 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more In line with President Ilham Aliyevs instructions, the Great Return to Azerbaijans liberated territories is continuing. According to Azernews, in this latest phase of resettlement, 17 families comprising 69 people have returned to the city of Lachin. A further six families (26 people) have been relocated to the Hadrut settlement of Khojavend district, 18 families (90 people) to the settlement of Qirmizi Bazar, and 16 families (45 people) to the village of Khidirli in Aghdam district. Residents returning to their native lands expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for the comprehensive state support provided to them. They also extended their appreciation to the brave Azerbaijani Army, as well as to the heroic soldiers and officers who liberated the countrys territories, and paid tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives on this path. It is worth noting that the families resettled in the city of Lachin, the Hadrut and Qirmizi Bazar settlements of Khojavend district, and the village of Khidirli in Aghdam district had previously been living in temporary accommodation across various parts of the country, mainly in dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings. 17 December 2025 11:02 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Ensuring human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the key priorities of state policy in the Republic of Azerbaijan. An important component of this policy is the application of the principles of humanism, compassion and an individualized approach in penal policy. The institutions of pardon and amnesty serve as legal mechanisms embodying these principles, strengthening the rehabilitative purpose of punishment and facilitating the reintegration of convicts into society as reformed individuals. According to Azernews, these remarks were made by Azerbaijans Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), Sabina Aliyeva. She noted that one of the major legal reforms implemented by National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the field of protecting human rights and freedoms was the humanization of penal policy, particularly in ensuring the right to life, which is enshrined in international legal instruments and national legislation as one of the fundamental natural rights. As is well known, a de facto moratorium on the application of the death penalty was introduced in Azerbaijan in June 1993. Over the following five years, death sentences imposed on more than 120 individuals convicted of various serious crimes were not carried out. Subsequently, under the Law of February 10, 1998, on Amendments and Additions to the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Correctional Labor Code in connection with the abolition of the death penalty in the Republic of Azerbaijan, all death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. At a time when a number of countries had yet to make a definitive decision on abolishing the death penalty, Azerbaijans removal of capital punishment from its criminal legislationthe first such step in the Eastwas widely regarded as a vivid manifestation of a state policy based on the principles of humanism and resonated strongly around the world. Acts of pardon and amnesty are of particular importance in ensuring the rights to life, liberty and personal inviolability. With constant attention to the humaneness, proportionality and rehabilitative value of punishment, National Leader Heydar Aliyev restored the institution of pardon in the country by signing the first pardon decree in the history of independent Azerbaijan in 1995. As a result, between 1995 and 2003, a total of 3,104 convicts were released from the unserved portion of their sentences under 32 pardon decrees and orders. The Ombudsman emphasized that, thanks to the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the adoption of amnesty acts became a positive tradition in Azerbaijan. As a result of seven amnesty acts adopted on his initiative, more than 77,000 convicts were released and reunited with their families and society. Remaining committed to the humanist policy laid down by the National Leader, President Ilham Aliyev has successfully continued the practice of signing pardon decrees and initiating the adoption of amnesty acts during his tenure. It should be noted that between 1995 and 2025, a total of 71 pardon decrees and orders signed first by National Leader Heydar Aliyev and later by President Ilham Aliyev, as well as 12 amnesty acts adopted since 1996, resulted in the release of thousands of convicts from the unserved portions of their sentences. Four amnesty acts adopted on the initiative of First Vice-President and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyevaput forward during her tenure as a member of parliamentwere met with broad public approval, with the most recent act alone leading to the release of 10,000 convicts. Naturally, the states consistently pursued policy of humanism has brought great joy to convicts, their family members and loved ones, while also carrying significant educational and moral value for society as a whole. In line with her mandate, the Commissioner for Human Rights continued active efforts over the past year to protect the rights of persons held in places of detention, review their appeals and ensure an individualized approach. In several cases, applications submitted by the Ombudsman resulted in the use of the pardon mechanism, ensuring that the principles of humanism produced tangible legal outcomes. It is a positive development that, as a continuation of Azerbaijans humanist penal policy, President Ilham Aliyev has put forward an initiative to submit a draft decision on an amnesty act to the Milli Majlis, Aliyeva said. The submission of a draft law on the next amnesty to parliament can be regarded as a continuation of the states consistent and systematic humanist policy. Amnesty acts are not only legal mechanisms but also expressions of social justice, compassion and respect for human dignity. She stressed that the initiative comes at a historic stage when Azerbaijans sovereignty has been fully restored and the supreme legal force of the Constitution is ensured throughout the entire territory of the country, demonstrating the states strength and legal maturity. Aliyeva also noted that in recent years, the decriminalization of certain acts, the expansion of alternative punishments and the treatment of deprivation of liberty as a last resort have been among the key directions of legal reforms in Azerbaijan. This approach, she said, is in line with international legal standards and of great importance for the protection of human rights. As a result of monitoring conducted by the Ombudsman, the review of appeals and correspondence with relevant state bodies, significant progress has been achieved in terms of reuniting pardoned individuals with their families, expanding opportunities for social adaptation and facilitating their reintegration into society. These efforts have also contributed to strengthening legal oversight and transparency within the penitentiary system. The Ombudsman institution will further intensify its activities within its mandate during the adoption and implementation of the amnesty act to ensure human rights and freedoms, protect the rights of those released from punishment and support their successful reintegration into society. In conclusion, the submission of a draft law on the next amnesty to the Milli Majlis is a clear example of the Azerbaijani states commitment to human rights and to policies grounded in legal reforms and humanist values. As Azerbaijans Ombudsman, I assess this initiative by the head of state as an important step toward ensuring human rights and freedoms, humanizing penal policy and fostering the healthy development of society, Aliyeva said, adding that these steps once again demonstrate that Azerbaijans legal system prioritizes not only the rule of law but also the protection of human dignity. 17 December 2025 10:43 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more Applications are now open for the Urban Expo exhibition, to be held as part of the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku from 1722 May 2026, Azernews reports. Expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors from around the world, the Urban Expo will provide a high-profile international platform for showcasing cutting-edge approaches to sustainable urban development. Covering 35,000 square metres, the exhibition will host a diverse range of participants, including national and local governments, regional bodies, UN agencies, academic institutions, international financial institutions, civil society organisations, foundations, and private-sector companies. Exhibition spaces will be available in multiple formats, ranging from individual stands to large-scale national and city pavilions. The Urban Expo will convene global stakeholders around key priority themes such as adequate housing, climate resilience, digital innovation, and inclusive urban development, highlighting practical and innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing cities today. Several new initiatives will be introduced at WUF13, including the Startup Pavilion and the WUF Academy, further enriching the exhibition experience. Applications to participate in the Urban Expo must be submitted online by 31 March 2026, with one application permitted per category. For registration and further information, please visit the Urban Expo webpage or contact the team at [[email protected]]. 17 December 2025 11:33 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is visiting the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of the countrys President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Azernews reports. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, held a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, on December 17 in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed his gratitude to the Azerbaijani leader for participating in the opening ceremony of the Games of the Future 2025, the annual global phygital sports tournament, in Abu Dhabi. President Ilham Aliyev, in turn, thanked him for the invitation and conveyed his congratulations on the excellent organization of this event in the United Arab Emirates. During the conversation, the parties emphasized that AzerbaijanUAE bilateral relations, based on a strategic partnership, are successfully developing across all areas, including political, economic, energy (including renewable energy), cultural, humanitarian, and other fields. They fondly recalled the visits of the Azerbaijani President to the UAE and the UAE President to Azerbaijan, as well as other mutual visits at various levels, noting their important role in advancing bilateral ties. The Presidents exchanged views on the prospects for cooperation. Subsequently, President Ilham Aliyev and President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the opening ceremony of the Games of the Future 2025, annual global sports tournament. The Games of the Future is an annual international sporting event that fuses real-world physical sports and digital gaming at an advanced level. Organized under the motto "Next Gen Human. Play the Future," athletes from various countries will compete in a total of 11 disciplines. Last year, the UAE outbid 9 other candidates to win the right to host the 2025 edition. Later, a lunch was hosted by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in honor of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. 17 December 2025 16:19 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Minister of Finance Sahil Babayev has met with Ms Vladanka Andreeva, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Mission in Azerbaijan, on the occasion of the completion of her term of office, Azernews reports. According to the Ministry of Finance, the meeting focused on the Framework Document on Cooperation for Sustainable Development for 20262030, signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the UN in October. The sides discussed the documents alignment with national development priorities and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as mechanisms for translating its provisions into concrete outcomes. It was noted that the Framework Document, developed in close coordination with the Government of Azerbaijan, is expected to serve as a key platform for promoting inclusive economic growth, strengthening human development, enhancing climate and environmental sustainability, and advancing green growth and a just transition. These objectives are in line with Azerbaijans Socio-Economic Development Strategy 20222026. Minister Babayev underlined the importance of Azerbaijans multifaceted partnership with various UN specialised agencies in implementing the countrys national development agenda and sustainable development goals. He also outlined Azerbaijans current priorities aimed at further expanding this cooperation and ensuring the effective realisation of joint initiatives. For her part, Ms Andreeva expressed gratitude for the high-level partnership and cooperation established between the UN Country Office in Azerbaijan and the Government during her more than four-and-a-half-year mandate. She emphasised that this cooperation has made a meaningful contribution to advancing Azerbaijans national development agenda and sustainable development goals, and reaffirmed the UNs commitment to continued engagement, particularly through the implementation of the Framework Document on Cooperation for Sustainable Development 20262030. At the conclusion of the meeting, Minister Babayev highly appreciated the Resident Coordinators contribution to the development of UN-Azerbaijan relations and wished her success in her future endeavours. 17 December 2025 15:58 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska is planning to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan in the first half of next year, Azernews reports. A NATO official confirmed the information, noting that further details regarding the program and exact dates of the visit will be announced in due course. The upcoming visit follows a series of high-level and constructive engagements between Azerbaijan and NATO in late 2025. These included meetings between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, and Radmila Sekerinska on the sidelines of international summits, as well as the visit of a delegation of 15 ambassadors from NATO member states to Baku in November 2025. The planned visit is expected to further contribute to dialogue and cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO within existing partnership frameworks. 17 December 2025 17:05 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova met with Marianna Kuyundzic, Head of the European Union Delegation to Azerbaijan, on December 17, Azernews reports. According to the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis, Speaker Gafarova congratulated Kuyundzic on the start of her diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan and wished her success in her future work. The meeting included an exchange of views on relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union. Particular satisfaction was expressed with the positive momentum observed in bilateral ties throughout 2025, including reciprocal visits and high-level meetings. The importance of President Ilham Aliyevs meetings with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen was underscored, noting their role in discussing various aspects of the bilateral agenda. Head of the EU Delegation Marianna Kuyundzic congratulated Azerbaijan on the achievements made toward peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, describing them as historic. She emphasized that progress toward peace between the two countries is of significant importance not only for the region, but also for Europe and the wider international community. Speaker Gafarova briefed the diplomat on the AzerbaijanArmenia peace process, including confidence-building measures between the two parliaments. In this context, she also drew attention to elements of the EUArmenia Strategic Agenda for Partnership that raise concerns from the perspective of the AzerbaijanArmenia peace process. The Speaker highlighted the close cooperation between the Milli Majlis and the parliaments of EU member states, recalling with satisfaction her visits and meetings conducted in this direction. Touching upon resolutions adopted by the European Parliament against Azerbaijan, Gafarova stated that the realities currently prevailing in the region and the progress achieved in the AzerbaijanArmenia peace process once again demonstrate the biased nature of these resolutions. The discussion also covered various aspects of AzerbaijanEU relations, with particular emphasis on the importance of cooperation in the energy sector. Opportunities for expanding collaboration in transportation, trade, and other fields were also highlighted. 17 December 2025 08:00 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva Samsung Electronics announced on Tuesday a new partnership with Italian energy company Enel that will allow customers in Italy to receive free electricity when purchasing Samsung washing machines, Azernews reports, citing Korean media. Under the agreement, customers who buy a Samsung washer will be granted up to 180 kilowatt-hours of free electricity over the next two years, starting immediately. According to Samsung, this amount is roughly equivalent to the energy needed to operate a Samsung A-rated washing machine in Europe for about two years. To access the benefit, customers must be Enel electricity users and connect their Samsung washing machine to SmartThings, Samsungs AI-powered smart home platform. Through SmartThings, users can monitor energy consumption, optimize washing cycles, and reduce unnecessary power usageturning everyday laundry into a smarter, more efficient experience. Samsung said the initiative reflects its broader commitment to energy efficiency and sustainable living, while also encouraging wider adoption of connected home technologies. The Italian program follows similar energy-saving collaborations launched by Samsung in several other countries. In Britain, Samsung partnered with British Gas last month to introduce the Samsung Weekend Saver Fix tariff, which offers half-priced electricity during daytime hours on weekends for Samsung product owners. In the Netherlands, the company launched a free electricity initiative in June together with local utility firm Coolblue, helping customers lower their household energy bills. In the United States, Samsung teamed up with Leap Energy last year to roll out the Samsung Flex Connect program. The initiative allows users to automatically reduce energy consumption during peak hours and earn Samsung Rewards by connecting smart appliances through the SmartThings app. Industry observers note that these partnerships highlight a growing trend in which appliance makers and energy providers work together to promote smart grids, lower emissions, and cost savings for consumersmaking sustainability not just an environmental choice, but a practical one as well. 17 December 2025 23:30 (UTC+04:00) Full digital access to all news for 1 year Full digital access to all news for 6 months Full digital access to all news for 3 months Full digital access to all news for 1 month Find the plan that suits you best. In fiscal year 2026 , the Japanese government plans to allocate a record 9 trillion yen (over $58 billion) for the armed forces, marking the largest defense budget in the countrys history. The funds will focus on long-range missiles, drone-based defense systems, and advanced military technologies, Azernews reports. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! 17 December 2025 18:49 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The American technology company Meta plans to introduce a new age verification system called AgeKey in many countries in 2026, Azernews reports. This was announced in an interview with the British newspaper Financial Times by Metas Head of Security, Antigone Davis. Different countries around the world have different age-verification requirements that companies like ours must follow. There are many verification solutions currently available on the market, which is why we are trying to take a more comprehensive and universal approach, she said. According to Davis, AgeKey will be based on the same technology used for passkeys, which allow smartphones to recognize fingerprints or facial features to unlock devices. Meta is currently working with the Singapore-based company K-ID to integrate AgeKey into its platforms. K-ID already collaborates with services such as Discord and Snap, helping them tailor content according to a users age. At the same time, governments in many countries are tightening regulations on minors access to social media. On December 9, a law came into force in Australia banning people under the age of 16 from using social networks. According to the countrys internet regulator, social media platforms operating in Australia have been required since December 10 to deactivate accounts belonging to children and teenagers. Denmark plans to restrict access to social media for users under 15 starting in 2026. In France, President Emmanuel Macron has also expressed his intention to push for legislation banning social media access for children and adolescents under the age of 1516. Experts note that initiatives such as AgeKey could significantly change how online platforms handle age-sensitive content. If widely adopted, the system may reduce the need for users to share personal documents, potentially offering a more privacy-friendly way to protect minors while allowing adults to retain full access to digital services. More and more keeps coming out on the police state mentality of the Biden regime in abusing government power for political attacks on opponents. They were a throwback to the attitudes of the old KGB and the Stalin Show Trials, a massive assault on American democracy. The latest is that documents have been revealed where the FBI repeatedly told the Biden DOJ that they did not have probably cause for their raid on Mar-a-Lago. The political hacks running the BIden DOJ ordered it anyway. Even foreign leaders condemned this raid as a police state manuever against a political opponent. The cases that grew out of the Biden police state raid on Mar-a-Lago were ultimately dismissed, but drew lots of media attention. https://justthenews.com/accountability/political-ethics/6abombshell-fbi-memos-show-agents-didnt-believe-doj-had-probable Migrant crime is spiking around Germany as in most of Europe. Migrants make up 61% of those receiving welfare. The anti-immigration AfD party is expanding its lead in the polls. Now, the latest poll of the German people on the issue of immigration shows just how fed up with it they are, and it comes as their globalist government is still flying in more Afghans. The poll was conducted by the major British polling firm YouGov for the major German daily newspaper Die Welt (The World). It found Germans are fed up with all immigration, legal and illegal and 53% want a total moratorium on all immigration and mass deportation of migrants already in Germany. - 81% say illegal immigration over the past 10 years has been "far too high" - 75% say illegal immigration has been "bad for Germany" - 57% say that LEGAL immigration has been too high; 25% disagree - 80% say illegal immigrants have not assimilated; 57% agree on legal immigrants - 79% say illegal migrants do not share German values: 53% agree on legal ones https://rmx.news/article/the-end-of-welcome-culture-majority-of-germans-want-immigration-moratorium-mass-deportations-and-believe-too-many-legal-migrants-arrived/ All in all, it is a very profound rejection of Merkel's "Welcome Culture". One can see why on many fronts. The city of Berlin is now paying a billion euros per year to house illegal alien migrants, a cost that has tripled in four years. https://rmx.news/article/germany-cost-of-housing-migrants-in-berlin-hits-nearly-e1-billion-in-2024-nearly-triples-in-4-four-years/ And in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg, one Syrian family alone has cost the state government over half a million euros. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news-corner/e500000-what-one-syrian-family-cost-the-german-state/ Meanwhile, a parliament committee in the UK has acknowledged that each illegal alien asylum seeker that enters the country will cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds during their lifetime. They cited detailed studies from the Netherlands and from Australia that found the net negative for taxpayers from each asylum seeker was between 198,000 pounds (US$210,000) in Australia to GPB 390,000 (US$412,000) in the Netherlands. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15391815/Asylum-seekers- https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2147644/Migrants-asylum-visas-Labour-settlement-boats-costs-MAC President Trump has signaled that there will be a price to pay for "allies" which adopt censorship laws that suppress free speech. The first target is the UK, whose Labour government has put forward a so-called "Online Safety Act" that allows it to impose large fines on tech companies they claim "facilitate hate speech". "Hate speech" is not clearly defined and can include whatever they want. It is a term used by totalitarians who hate FREE speech. President Trump has responded by suspending the GBP 31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal the US previously signed with the UK. The UK's most watched TV news channel, GB News, called the suspension "a disaster" for the UK and the Starmer government. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/trump-suspends-tech-prosperity-deal-uk-censorship-regulations/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/12/16/trump-pulled-uk-trade-deal-ai-starmer/ On another similar front, the US Trade Representative has warned of potential countermeasures against European companies if the EU continues to use its Digital Services Act to try to impose censorship on American companies like Twitter (X) through massive "fines". https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news-corner/u-s-threatens-retaliation-against-eu-tech-fines/ https://redstate.com/heartlandinstitute/2025/12/18/europe-has-no-business-regulating-american-ai-n2197215 In another positive move to protect free speech and stop censorship, the new defense authorization bill that just passed Congress bans Pentagon contracts with the leftwing "new source rating" agencies. https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/congress-ndaa-newsguard/2025/12/16/id/1238509/ A popular Belfast bakery has announced it will permanently close two of its four locations this Christmas, citing rising ingredient prices, overheads and increased employer costs. Rhiannons, run by owners Rhiannon and Gordon Woolsey, confirmed that its Stranmillis shop and CastleCourt kiosk will shut later this month following what they described as an incredibly hard decision. In a statement shared with customers, the business said the closures were driven by the continued rise in raw ingredient costs and overheads, alongside increased employer costs introduced by the Labour Government. The owners said these pressures had made it impossible for these locations to remain sustainable. They added: What hurts most is saying goodbye to our wonderful staff, teams and the loyal customers who have supported us so faithfully over the years. We are deeply grateful to every single person who walked through our doors, shared kind words, and made these shops what they were. Despite the closures, the business confirmed it will continue trading at its Rushmere kiosk in Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon, as well as at its new Rhiannons Cafe in Sitara Morgan on West Street in Portadown. The company will also continue producing pre-ordered cakes and cupcakes for all occasions, with weekly pick-up points remaining in Moira and Stranmillis every weekend, and appearances planned at events throughout the year. The Stranmillis shop will close for the final time on Saturday, December 20, while the CastleCourt kiosk will cease trading on Tuesday, December 23. Both locations will offer a final-day promotion, with traybakes and hot drinks priced at 1.50 each, subject to availability. Customers have been advised that existing vouchers can still be redeemed at Rushmere, at the Portadown cafe, or against pre-ordered cakes and cupcakes. The owners said the business remains committed to trading and thanked customers for their continued support during what they described as a challenging time. Rihannon's Cakes and Bakes. (Photo: Rihannon's Cakes and Bakes/Facebook). News Catch Up - Wednesday 17 December Rhiannons Cafe in Portadown is open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm, offering all-day breakfast, lunches and baked goods, while the Rushmere kiosk continues to operate near DV8 within the shopping centre. Wife of BBC NI journalist, Fiona Gribben, who died on Wednesday morning A well-known BBC NI journalist has said his family is lost following the death of his wife. Tributes have been paid to Fiona Gribben the wife of business editor John Campbell after her death on Wednesday. Mr Campbell posted: Fiona Gribben, my wife and best friend, died this morning. The last two years have had too much pain and sadness. But also great moments of love, fulfilment and kindness. We are lost without her. Former UUP leader Doug Beattie was among those sharing their condolences. I have no words that would adequately express my condolences John, the MLA said. May you find peace in the memories of a love that is never lost. We are lost without her. Deputy UUP leader Robbie Butler: So sorry to hear your sad news, John. Thoughts and prayers with you all. Alliance Party MLA Stewart Dickson said: John, deepest sympathy to you and your family. Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said: John, Im really sorry for your loss. Former NI Secretary of State and MP Julian Smith said: John I am so so sorry. BBC NI health reporter Aileen Moynagh said Fiona was a beautiful person. John I am so so sorry. Fiona was such a beautiful person. Gone far too soon. Thoughts and prayers with you and Max, she said. Financial Times Ireland correspondent Jude Webber said: Desperately sorry to hear this, John. Thinking of you and sending all love and very best wishes. Northern Ireland now enjoys the best full-fibre broadband access of all UK regions, according to Ofcom. Photo: Stock Fibrus has won a major government contract to provide more gigabit-capable broaband capability to rural areas. Nine thousand rural premises in Northern Ireland are set to get access to gigabit-capable broadband as a 34.6m government contract is announced. Fibrus Networks Ltd has been appointed to deliver the project, which seeks to improve internet infrastructure in hard-to-reach communities. Full-fibre and cable networks are capable of delivering internet speeds of one gigabit per second. These higher speeds make activities such as streaming video and films, playing online games and making video calls smoother and more reliable. The money for the new connections has been allocated under the UK governments Project Gigabit, a scheme from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Commenting on the announcement, Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: High-quality internet access is vital for our economy and wider society. It is transformative for many households and businesses, enabling access to digital services, remote learning and work, and economic participation. Full-fibre broadband offers better internet speeds. Photo: Getty At 94% gigabit-capable coverage, the North is now the best-connected part of these islands. Building on this, Project Gigabit will extend this level of digital capacity to over 9,000 premises, further improving broadband infrastructure in predominantly rural areas. Digital connectivity is a vital enabler in building an inclusive, regional balanced economy. This investment further positions the North as a leader in the availability of fixed-line fibre optic services, underpinning our digital transformation, competitiveness, and innovation. Telecoms Minister Liz Lloyd said: Access to gigabit-capable broadband is so important to modern life, whether thats running a business, accessing digital public services, or staying connected with loved ones. Fibrus has won a major government contract to provide more gigabit-capable broaband capability to rural areas. News Catch Up - Tuesday 16 December Thats why were making crucial investments into digital infrastructure across Northern Ireland, to unlock economic opportunities, support Northern Irish communities, and ensure everyone can fully participate in the digital economy from wherever they live. Dominic Kearns, CEO and co-founder of Fibrus, said: Delivering for rural communities is at the heart of what we do at Fibrus, and this contract allows us to continue to provide more homes and businesses with the opportunities proper connectivity brings. We have a short history in Fibrus, but one that shows we can deliver on time and within budget, like with Project Stratum. We are delighted to have been awarded another contract by the government, who have entrusted us once again with its delivery. Northern Ireland now enjoys the best full-fibre broadband access of all UK regions, according to Ofcom. Photo: Stock Project Gigabit follows the previous Project Stratum, which was completed by Fibrus in August this year. That project was a 200m investment in rural premises, which saw 81,000 connected to full-fibre broadband. Fibrus described it as a large-scale public infrastructure project which was delivered on time and on budget and has transformed access to high-speed connectivity in rural areas and delivered significant economic benefits to the local economy. An Ofcom report released in November found that NI had the best full-fibre broadband coverage of any UK region. The annual Connected Nations report said that 95% of homes in NI can access full-fibre connections, notably higher than the UK figure of 78%. Take-up of full-fibre is also on the rise in NI, with 62% of homes now connected, up from 53% last year, and again ahead of the UK rate of 42%. Modern Morals: My friend vents to me every time she breaks up with her boyfriend and Im sick of being brought into their circus Belfast spots named among Katy McGuinness' 2025 food award winners From her meal of the year to a winning reinvention, our restaurant critic rounds up her best and worst dining experiences Beau Katy McGuinness Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 19:00 Despite this being another challenging year for the hospitality industry, there was plenty to celebrate in the way of new openings, good food and fun times. But while some chefs and restaurants made every effort to deliver value and great experiences for their customers, others allowed a terrible sameness to creep into their menus. Death of patient preventable as coroner insists on urgent action to make NI bridge safe She calls for a commitment from authorities over Foyle Bridge Patrick Rory Hughes Garrett Hargan Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 16:40 A coroner has found that the death of a man with a mental health condition was preventable as she highlighted numerous failings by the Western Trust and other public authorities. Doctors have warned of unsafe conditions and an all-time low for morale across emergency departments in Northern Ireland. All clinicians who responded to a survey published by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) on Wednesday found that patients are coming to harm amid overcrowded conditions at emergency departments (EDs). Lead consultants in all nine major EDs completed a snapshot poll last Monday to capture the situation in A&E. The poll found that across all nine EDs, 401 people were waiting for inpatient beds and nearly half of these patients (49%) were receiving care in a non-designated space such as a corridor, the floor or on a chair. The ED cubicle occupancy of patients waiting for an inpatient bed was at 137%, with one patient waiting in the ED for 124 hours when the data was recorded equivalent to more than five days. All clinicians who responded believe that patients are coming to harm in the current conditions. Every department reported that a major reason for overcrowding was delayed discharges due to a lack of social care arrangements. One respondent stated their ED was above capacity with no resuscitation space, 10-hour waits at the front door, and ambulance offloads waiting eight hours, adding it feels frankly unsafe. Another said morale amongst staff is at an all-time low; people dread coming to work because they cannot deliver the high standard of care we strive for and staff feel vulnerable and exposed. And one lead consultant wrote staff are beyond ****** off with the perpetual failure of our healthcare leaders to deliver any improvement for patients and staff alike. RCEMs vice president for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael Perry, said the situation in EDs put simply, is just awful. He said: Our members and their colleagues are putting on their scrubs every day knowing that they will be trying their best to deliver quality care in spaces that were never designed for care to be delivered in on trolleys in corridors, chairs and even, shamefully, on the floor. These are patients, who are arriving to our EDs, who are vulnerable, sick and in need of care. Yet they are enduring these conditions for hours and hours and hours. And as this survey reveals, for some, it leads into days. Its not just degrading, and demoralising this is where the harm lies. Last year, there were 1,122 deaths associated with long A&E waits in our country. These are people, loved ones. I fear what this number will be for 2025. All of this is a symptom of the system not functioning as it should. We cant move patients out of our departments because theres a lack of available ward beds for them to be moved to, meaning they become stuck. Are walls arent elastic, so people end up in areas where they should never be receiving care in or stuck in ambulances waiting to even get through our doors. We cannot go on like this. RCEM has made a series of urgent recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive, including the need to spread responsibility for patient flow across the hospital network, to bring back a healthcare system that we once were proud of. A spokesperson for the Department of Health said it accepts the findings of the survey, adding that the services are under more severe pressure in the wintertime. No-one wants to see sick people being treated in corridors but sadly, we have a finite capacity, and severe pressures arise when hospitals are forced to operate often well beyond capacity, the statement said. Staff are doing their best 24 hours a day, seven days a week, often in very difficult situations to try and alleviate those pressures and give the best care they can. Unfortunately, it is a complex problem and there is no quick fix but the only medium to long-term solution is to reduce demand. That means reducing the number of people coming through ED doors but also focusing on flow, which means getting people out of hospital as soon as they are fit for discharge in order to free up beds for those coming behind. We are also conscious that these problems are presenting across the UK and reflect a wider issue with the way in which health systems are able to manage demand for care by meeting peoples needs in community settings and enabling patients to return home safely when fit for discharge. This is why in Northern Ireland we have undertaken two significant pieces of work this year. The first involves taking action to help manage our frail elderly patients better and keep them away from hospitals. The second, our Reset Plan, is attempting over the next three years to refocus our work towards earlier support and intervention, prevention, providing neighbourhood-based care and encouraging people to take more responsibility for their own health on a routine basis. We recognise however that this will take time to impact, and it is not helped by the very challenging financial position we face in Northern Ireland presently. But in the interim, we will continue to manage the quality of care we are able to provide to the best effect. The Government has said it will consider how a Supreme Court ruling over a Troubles death is relevant to calls for it to reveal the identity of the agent Stakeknife. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said the ruling on Wednesday had wide-ranging implications. The final Operation Kenova report last week urged the Government to name Stakeknife, who operated as an Army spy within the IRA during the Troubles. Mr Benn said at the time he would respond after the Supreme Court ruled in a Government appeal over a coroners decision to disclose some sensitive material in the inquest into a 1994 murder in Belfast. The court has now ruled that the coroner should not release the information around the murder of Liam Paul Thompson in Belfast in 1994, and said the responsibility lies with the Northern Ireland Secretary over assessing risks to national security. Mr Benn said: The Government welcomes the unanimous judgment handed down by the Supreme Court. This is a highly complex case with wide-ranging implications. The Government will therefore take time to fully consider all aspects of this judgment, including those relevant to the request made by Operation Kenova for the Government to name Stakeknife. I will return to the House on this as soon as the Government has come to a final view. Last weeks Kenova report looked at the actions of Stakeknife, the Armys top spy in the Provisional IRAs internal security unit during the Troubles. The agent has been linked to at least 14 murders and 15 abductions. He was widely believed to be west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who was 77 when he died in 2023. The final Kenova report by the PSNI into Stakeknife, the British Armys top agent inside the IRA (Liam McBurney/PA) The Kenova report also called for the UK Government to publicly reveal the identity of Stakeknife. The Government has resisted previous calls to do this, arguing that departing from its policy of Neither Confirm Nor Deny (NCND) in regard to officially confirming the identity of agents would have implications for national security. In his judgment in the Thompson case, Lord Stephens said one of the issues for the coroner to consider had been the fact that the Ministry of Defence and PSNI held documents which were relevant to the issue of whether the security forces had received information from a covert human intelligence source in connection with the death. He said the Government considered that disclosing those documents would be contrary to the public interest in protecting national security, in particular because it would be contrary to the policy of neither confirming nor denying the use of informers or other secret source. A man has been arrested following a knife incident in north Belfast. Earlier this afternoon police attended a report of a man armed with a knife in the Cliftonville Road area. Officers attended the scene together with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service shortly after 3.20pm. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) stock image. Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph. News Catch Up - Tuesday 16 December A police spokesperson said: One man aged in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, assault on police, and possession of a Class A controlled drug, and remains in police custody at this time. A man has been treated by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service after he was stabbed in north Belfast. The incident happened in Ardoyne Avenue area on Sunday. Police said they received a report around 2am and attended the scene alongside crews from NIAS. A PSNI spokesperson said: Were aware that numerous members of the public were present at the time and likely witnessed the incident. PSNI stock photo News Catch Up - Wednesday 17 December Our enquiries are ongoing and we would subsequently appeal to anyone who saw what happened, or who might have any information which could assist us, including dash-cam, CCTV or other footage, to call 101, quoting reference number 168 of 14/12/25. Martin Breen has been appointed as Executive Editor of Mediahuis in Northern Ireland, the parent company of the Belfast Telegraph, Sunday Life and Sunday World. Martins appointment comes as Eoin Brannigan, Editor-in-Chief of the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life, is set to leave the business after five successful years in charge. Mr Breen has been Deputy Editor-in-Chief since 2020 and Editor of the Sunday Life since 2009. Edward McCann, Mediahuis Director of Publishing Operations, paid tribute to the departing Editor-in-Chief. He said: Eoin took on the role of Editor-in-Chief in June 2020, just as the world was gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic. He has held a key leadership role through an unprecedented period of change and challenge. I would like to thank Eoin for his dedication and immense contribution during this period, including overseeing our growth to 16,500 paying subscribers for the Belfast Telegraph and rebuilding the trust in our journalism across all platforms. Mr McCann said Mediahuis was now looking forward to further growth in Northern Ireland. We have by far the biggest number of paying digital subscribers in Northern Ireland, in fact one of the largest of any regional newspaper in the UK. Our audiences are growing quickly across many platforms and we want to reach them with our award-winning journalism in video, audio, podcasts, apps and print. Martin has a superlative track record as a journalist and editor and is well placed to lead from the front on this journey. Kirsten Elder, Edward McCann, Sam McBride, Martin Breen, Fergal McGoldrick and Eoin Brannigan. Mediahuis is one of the largest news publishers in Europe with market-leading titles in countries including the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium. Mr Breen said: It is a privilege to take on this prestigious role at Mediahuis in Northern Ireland and I look forward to the challenges ahead. I would like to pay tribute to Eoin for his editorship over the past five years and how he has helped make our journalism a must-read for audiences across the region and further afield. The future holds great promise for Mediahuis in Northern Ireland as we are excellently placed to grow our digital subscription base even further in the months and years ahead. We will continue to bring that audience and the tens of thousands of readers who continue to buy our print products quality and trusted journalism on a daily basis. L-R: Eoin Brannigan and Martin Breen News Catch Up - Wednesday 17 December Mr Brannigan said: I have thoroughly enjoyed the past five years as Editor-in-Chief. It has been a huge privilege to lead the organisation through great change and to grow our subscription base to an impressive 16,500. "I am particularly proud of the talent we have developed within our newsroom and the fact that this has been recognised both nationally and internationally with an unprecedented number of industry awards, across digital, audio and print. "I'm going to enjoy a few weeks off before moving on to the next challenge and would like to wish Martin and the brilliant team here all the best for the future. Martin is a great journalist and I know he will build on what we have achieved over the last five years." Mr Brannigan had previously worked at the Irish Daily Star and had been Editor of that title for three years prior to joining the Belfast Telegraph. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Recent hunt was seventh attempt to locate the 19-year-old since 1999 Columba's brother Oliver McVeigh at the site of the search in Co Monaghan Columba McVeigh (19) was abducted and murdered by the IRA in 1975 The most recent search for the remains of a man abducted and secretly buried by the IRA has ended without success. Columba McVeigh (19), from Donaghmore, Co Tyrone, was killed by the Provisional IRA in 1975. He is one of the four remaining Disappeared victims of the Troubles whose bodies have never been found. In August, the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR) began a fresh search for Mr McVeighs remains at Bragan Bog close to Emyvale, Co Monaghan. Six unsuccessful searches had previously been carried out at the site, dating back to 1999, covering more than 26 acres of ground. Columba's brother Oliver McVeigh at the site of the search in Co Monaghan Following the last search in November 2023, a previously unsearched area became the centre for the most recent operation. However, yesterday, lead investigator Eamonn Henry confirmed the search had been completed without success. This is devastating news for the McVeigh family, coming as it does so close to the 50th anniversary of Columbas disappearance just over a month ago. Our hearts go out to them, he said. Everyone involved in the search, including the ICLVR investigators, the forensic archaeologists and the contractors who operate the machinery, are bitterly disappointed and share the frustration of the McVeigh family that yet another search of the bog has ended in this way. Columba McVeigh (19) was abducted and murdered by the IRA in 1975 News Catch Up - Tuesday 16 December Over 26 acres of Bragan Bog have now been searched. And while we continue to believe that the information we are working on has been given in good faith, clearly there is still something missing. I can assure the McVeigh family, and the other families of the Disappeared who give them invaluable support, that the Commission remains fully committed to finding Columba, and we will not rest until his remains are returned and he receives the Christian burial that he has been denied for far too long. The Commission said anyone with information on any of the outstanding Disappeared cases Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire should contact the ICLVR in confidence. Secretary of State Hilary Benn said the news was disappointing. I am deeply saddened that, in spite of the substantial efforts of the Commission, the remains of Columba have not been located at Bragan Bog, he said. Disappeared Commission Head: Despite hopes, TV drama Say Nothing didnt lead to any new information Having visited the site last month, I want to acknowledge the diligence and determination of the Commission to locate Columba since the first search at Bragan Bog was conducted in 1999, as well as the investigators, forensic archaeologists and the search teams for their painstaking and sensitive work. Today, my thoughts are with the family of Columba, who have endured this unimaginable burden for so many years, and who only recently marked the 50th anniversary of his death. The UK Government remains committed to the work of the ICLVR. I call on anyone with information that could help the recovery of the remains of those still missing to pass that information to the Commission as soon as possible. A search for the remains of Seamus Maguire is set to get underway next year. Inspector Henry this month told the BelTel podcast that plans were in place to search an area close to Mr Maguires former home. Mr Henry said he remains absolutely confident the remains of the four remaining Disappeared can be found by the Commission. Katie Prices former husband has denied raping a 13-year-old girl in 2016. Kieran Hayler, 38, is charged with three counts of rape and one of sexual assault, reported to have taken place at an address in West Sussex. At Lewes Crown Court, East Sussex, Hayler, wearing a large navy coat over a white shirt and grey tie, entered not guilty pleas to all charges. Hayler, who has 195,000 followers on Instagram, is set to face a one-week trial on October 6 2026. Katie Price and then-husband Kieran Hayler (PA) The defendant married Price the TV personality and former glamour model known as Jordan in 2013, but the couple later divorced. The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is not part of Haylers or Prices extended families. Hayler, of West Sussex, remains on bail on the condition that he does not contact the alleged victim. He will appear in court for a pre-trial review on April 23 next year. Ministers have issued a licence allowing the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC to be transferred to a humanitarian foundation in an effort to force former owner Roman Abramovichs hand (Jed Leicester/PA) Sir Keir Starmer has warned Roman Abramovich that the clock is ticking for him to donate the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC to Ukraine. The Prime Minister told MPs on Wednesday that ministers have issued a licence allowing the proceeds from the sale of the Premier League football club to be transferred to a new foundation for humanitarian causes in Ukraine. He said: My message to Abramovich is this: the clock is ticking. Honour the commitment you made and pay up now, and if you dont, we are prepared to go to court so every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putins illegal war. Mr Abramovich sold the club in May 2022 after he was sanctioned following Vladimir Putins invasion earlier that year. The oligarch had pledged to donate the proceeds from the sale to the people of Ukraine, but he has so far failed to reach an agreement with the Government on a way forward and the funds remain frozen. Downing Street said Mr Abramovich has objected to the Governments insistence that the money be spent exclusively in Ukraine. Wednesdays decision to grant a licence for the transfer is an effort to force Mr Abramovich to fulfil his promise before the Government resorts to legal action. It is understood that the Government expects Mr Abramovich to act within the next few months, although it does not appear to have set a hard deadline. Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller said the Government should require Mr Abramovich to transfer the money by the end of the year. He said: This money should have helped suffering civilians across Ukraine much sooner. Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea in May 2022 (PA) The Government previously raised the possibility of legal action in June, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves and then-foreign secretary David Lammy said they were frustrated by the failure to reach an agreement with Mr Abramovich. On Wednesday, Ms Reeves said it was unacceptable that the money remained frozen in a UK bank and said ministers were prepared to do what is necessary to ensure the funds reach Ukraine. The Treasury said ministers would consider any proposal from Mr Abramovich to voluntarily transfer the money to Ukraine. But the department declined to say what legal mechanism it could use to force the transfer of funds. James Clark, a partner at Quillon Law, warned legal action could create an uncomfortable precedent for how frozen assets are handled, suggesting taking the matter to court risks stretching the sanctions regime beyond its intended limits. Under the new licence, the proceeds must go to humanitarian causes in Ukraine, while any future gains can be spent more broadly on victims of conflict around the world. The UKs chief rabbi has welcomed the decision by two of the countrys biggest police forces to arrest protesters over a controversial chant as an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric seen on Britains streets. But the move announced by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the Metropolitan Police in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack has been decried as political repression by campaigners. The heads of the two forces said their officers will act decisively and make arrests, adding the measures are designed to deter intimidation. It comes as police were seen removing people from a pro-Palestine protest outside the Ministry of Justice building in Westminster on Wednesday night following chanting from the crowd. It is unclear exactly what was said amid shouting from protesters, but officers walked into the crowd of around 100 people and took individuals away to police vans. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis had this week called for a crackdown on hate speech, saying it had to be made clear that chants such as globalise the intifada are unlawful. Sir Ephraim, who is on his way to Australia to meet those impacted by the Sydney shootings said: This announcement is a most welcome development, and an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric we have seen on our streets, which has inspired acts of violence and terror. As they made the announcement on Wednesday, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said circumstances have changed in the wake of the Bondi Beach mass shooting. In a rare joint statement, they said: We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as globalise the intifada, and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests. People attend a Campaign Against Antisemitism and Chabad UK event in central London to mark Hanukkah (Theo Shaw/PA) While the move was welcomed by Jewish groups, Ben Jamal from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said it infringes on the right to protest, describing it as another low in the political repression of protest for Palestinian rights. He said the word intifada means shaking off or uprising against injustice and said the implication that slogans used to support the liberation of the Palestinian people are only open to interpretation by groups who have maintained complicit support for Israels oppression of the Palestinian people and denial of their rights, is deeply problematic. The American Jewish Committee describes the phrase as being used by pro-Palestinian activists that calls for aggressive resistance against Israel and those who support Israel. But its meaning is contested, and protesters claim it is a call to shake off colonialism and for a peaceful resistance to Israels occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza. A day after the Bondi attack, Sir Ephraim, who is also Chief Rabbi to the Commonwealth, told the Press Association the meaning of the chant globalise the intifada was seen in the Yom Kippur attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester and the Hanukkah killings on the world-famous Sydney beach. It is alleged that father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people on Bondi Beach on Sunday as they celebrated the Jewish festival of light. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police, while Naveed, 24, woke from a coma on Tuesday and was charged with a raft of offences including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack. The first funerals of the victims took place on Wednesday, including that of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. The Community Security Trust, a charity which provides protection for Jews in Britain, said the police forces announcement comes not a moment too soon as it welcomed the more robust response to violent language on protests. A spokesperson said: This is a necessary and important first step to turning back this tide of violent incitement and we hope that police across the country, and the CPS, will follow suit. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said police chiefs may finally be waking up, adding they have finally realised that words and chants have consequences after two years of repeatedly excusing genocidal rhetoric and failing to grasp how their inaction was fuelling extremism in this country. The Embassy of Israel in the UK welcomed the announcement but said it was disappointing it has taken such a long time and added it is hopeful real action is now taken to stop this chant before it can lead to further radicalisation and violence against Jews. Prosecutors have said they will consider each case on its own merits, and go back to police with advice where there is not enough evidence to bring charges. Britains human rights regulator, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has said it will monitor closely how police forces enforce the decision to arrest people using the chant. Vladimir Putin was speaking at a meeting of senior Russian officers and war heroes in Moscow (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Moscow will seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlins demands in peace talks. US President Donald Trump has unleashed an extensive diplomatic push to end nearly four years of fighting following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but Washingtons efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands by Moscow and Kyiv. Speaking at an annual meeting with top military officers, Mr Putin said Moscow would prefer to achieve its goals and eliminate the root causes of the conflict by diplomatic means, but he added that if the opposing side and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means. Mr Putin was referring to Ukrainian territory seized by Russia action widely condemned in the West as a violation of Ukraines sovereignty and an unprovoked act of aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, with Russian Chief of General Staff General Valery Gerasimov in Moscow (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Mr Putin claimed that the Russian army has seized and is firmly holding strategic initiative all along the front line and warned that Moscow will move to expand a buffer security zone alongside the Russian border. Our troops are different now, they are battle-hardened and there is no other such army in the world now, he said. Mr Putin praised Russias growing military might and particularly noted the modernisation of its atomic arsenal, including the new nuclear-capable intermediate range Oreshnik ballistic missile that he said will officially enter combat duty this month. Russia first tested a conventionally armed version of the Oreshnik to strike a Ukrainian factory in November 2024, and Mr Putin has boasted that it is impossible to intercept. At the same time, he rejected European officials statements about Moscows purported plans to attack European nations as lies and sheer nonsense driven by short-sighted, personal or group political interests, not by the interests of their people. Mr Putins tough statements follow several rounds of talks this week between Ukrainian, American and European officials on a US-drafted peace plan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after meeting with US envoys in Berlin that the document could be finalised within days, after which US envoys will present it to the Kremlin. Mr Putin wants all the areas in four key regions captured by his forces, as well as Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014, to be recognised as Russian territory. He also has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from some areas in eastern Ukraine that Moscows forces have not captured yet. The Kremlin also insists that Ukraine abandon its bid to join Nato and warns it will not accept the deployment of any troops from Nato members and will view them as a legitimate target. Mr Zelensky has expressed readiness to drop Ukraines bid to join Nato if the US and other Western nations give Kyiv security guarantees similar to those offered to Nato members. But Ukraines preference remains Nato membership as the best security guarantee to prevent further Russian aggression. At the same time, Mr Zelensky has rejected Moscows demands that it pull back its troops from other areas that Russia has not been able to take by force. Many clouds hang over this Christmas, but we must focus on its central message Its a season for goodwill to all, but not every denomination will be feeling festive, writes Alf McCreary Alf McCreary Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 07:38 When I first joined the Belfast Telegraph in the mid-1960s, our production editor, Fred Gamble, had the stressful task of ensuring that the various editions of the paper were published on time. BENNINGTON Those seeking to revise a Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District directive on recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as defenders of the boards December 2024 decision, have both been gathering signatures within the four-town district. Those asking the regional school board to revise its directive to allow more flexibility for when students can recited the Pledge have advocated at meetings this fall for the issue to be placed on a meeting agenda, but it remains unclear when that will happen. Budget meetings notwithstanding, the next regular SVUESD meeting will be in January, board Chair Christopher Murphy said Wednesday in an email. At this time, I do not anticipate that the Pledge will be on the agenda. He has reiterated during meetings that the board cant discuss issues raised during a public comment period unless it is on the agenda, which ensures residents have advance notice that an issue will be discussed that night. Ann LeBlanc Peters, who supports a revision of the directive, pressed Murphy during a December 9 meeting on when the board will take up the proposal. I dont understand your lack of feeling on this issue, she said. You are not going to talk about it tonight. When are you going to talk about this and settle it? This has gone on way too long. There is no excuse for this. You live in the United States. Arent you proud of where you live? Signatures gathered Also during the December 9 meeting, supporters of the directive as now written submitted a letter signed by more than 100 district residents. And a petition seeking a revision of the directive reportedly has more than 200 signatures and is expected to be submitted this week to the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union office. The issue of student recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms first arose in September 2024. The SVUESD board voted later last year to direct that the Pledge be said in each elementary school building "before instructional time starts. In April of this year, the board clarified this to "when classes begin," because the beginning of classes is more clearly defined in the student handbook, according to Murphy. At the December 9 meeting, Murphy traced the development of the boards directive and an issue raised this fall by opponents of the wording, who said some students who were late or scheduled elsewhere prior to the start of classes were unable to say the Pledge that day. Murphy said that during the period the directive has been in place, I dont know of any complaints of anyone being left out. Only two other complaints about the directive were voiced among the districts 329 employees, he added, but those were not about students being unable to recite the Pledge. Contacted Wednesday, state Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington, who supports those seeking a revision to the directive, said they are just seeking some flexibility on when they [students] say it. Some are not there at the same time. She said the reasons vary but could include a school bus arriving late to the school. They are not saying they want to force students to say the Pledge, Morrissey said. I think everyone needs to take a step back on this. It is not forcing students to say it. The boards December 2024 directive stated in part that the Pledge of Allegiance is to be recited on each school day inside the building before instructional time starts. The issue erupted that fall after a claim went viral on social media that Shaftsbury Elementary School had instituted a ban on the Pledge of Allegiance. Then-Superintendent Jim Culkeen issued a statement denying that the Pledge was banned at Shaftsbury Elementary and said the SVUESD would develop a "consistent practice" regarding recital of the Pledge throughout the district. Petition pending Morrissey said she will be presenting the petition to school officials that supports a revision to the directive, adding that the organizers of that believe they now have more than 200 signatures. On December 9, Shira Sternberg presented a letter to the board which she said was signed by more than 100 residents of the regional district in support of the current policy. The letter expresses strong support for the directive adopted by the SVUESD last fall, Sternberg said, and provides ample opportunity for any student who wishes to recite the Pledge at school before classes begin. She added, "We believe that learning about the flag, the Pledge, and civics is a vital part of a well-rounded public education. At the same time, we also believe firmly in ensuring that students who, for any reason, choose not to recite the Pledge have the space and freedom to refrain without pressure, stigma, or disruption to their school day." The SVUESD is responsible for prekindergarten through grade 6 in Pownal, Shaftsbury, Woodford, and prekindergarten through grade 5 in the town of Bennington. This includes six elementary schools. If readers could stack every book borrowed across all Central and Western Massachusetts libraries last year, it would reach 150 miles high, or in New England measurements, roughly 1.9 million medium DUNKIN coffee cups, according to CWMARS 2025 year in review. On-leave Cheshire Police Chief Michael Alibozek has had his law enforcement certification suspended by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Hinsdale Police Sgt. Dominick Crupi, left, and Peru Police Officer Ryan Kresiak, right, stand with Peru Police Chief Bruce Cullett after receiving Lifesaving Commendations for reviving an unresponsive man in October. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Access this story and all of our stories with 24/7 unlimited access. Jeff Robbins, a part-time resident of Stockbridge, is a former U.S. delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council and a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief counsel for the Democrats on the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Reach him at Jeffrey.Robbins@saul.com. Japan's unsettled debt to Taiwan 10:08, December 17, 2025 By Shao Xia ( People's Daily Online History does not fade simply because some choose to look away. Recently, some in Japan have made audacious comments on the Taiwan question as if Tokyo held any legitimate stake in a matter that is entirely China's internal affair. Yet Taiwan was not an issue between China and Japan until the latter's colonial occupation created a legacy of suffering and separation. That painful chapter began in 1895, when Japan forced China's Qing government to cede Taiwan through the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki. The invasion and occupation by Japan began a dark period in the island's history--one marked by violence, exploitation, and cultural erasure. It is crucial to confront honestly the wounds Japan inflicted on Taiwan and its motherland during its colonial rule and the lasting injustices it left behind. Bloody suppression and massacres Resistance to Japanese occupation began immediately, and was met with brutal violence. In 1896, Japanese troops carried out a five-day slaughter in Douliu and nearby villages, ravaging over 70 communities and killing tens of thousands in what became known as the Yunlin Massacre. Homes were burned down, and civilians were slaughtered indiscriminately. Indigenous communities suffered especially severe repression. The Seediq people, who rose up against forced labor and oppression in the 1930 Wushe Rebellion, faced overwhelming military retaliation including aerial bombardment and chemical weapons. The rebellion, later depicted in a 2011 film, "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale," ended in the near annihilation of participating tribes. Other massacres--in Taoyuan, Xiaolong, and elsewhere--claimed tens of thousands more lives. Estimates suggest that over 600,000 people in Taiwan perished under Japanese rule as a result of violent suppression, forced labor, and harsh policies. During WWII, over 300,000 people on the island were conscripted into the Japanese military; nearly 30,000 died overseas. Thousands of women were forced into sexual slavery as so-called "comfort women." Economic exploitation and resource plunder Japan systematically restructured Taiwan's economy to serve its expanisionist needs. Through so-called "land surveys," vast tracts were seized from local farmers, many reduced to tenant status. A "hunger export" policy shipped rice and sugar to Japan, often leaving Taiwanese farmers unable to feed their families. Natural resources were ruthlessly extracted. In Alishan alone, over 300,000 ancient trees were felled. Mining rights were restricted to Japanese nationals, while local workers endured harsh conditions akin to slavery. Monopolies on salt, tobacco, alcohol, and kerosene funneled profits into colonial coffers. By 1945, Japanese capital dominated banking, electricity, sugar, and other key sectors--not for trade, but for organized extraction. Cultural suppression and identity erasure Japan pursued aggressive assimilation policies aimed to erase Taiwan's Chinese cultural roots. Schools were segregated, with better resources reserved for Japanese children. The Chinese language and local dialects were banned, and replaced by Japanese language and ideology. Chinese history and culture were excluded from curricula, replaced by textbooks glorifying the Japanese empire. The Kominka (Japanization) movement, intensified after 1937, compelled people in Taiwan to adopt Japanese names, worship at Shinto shrines, and abandon traditional customs. Festivals like the Lunar New Year and performances of traditional opera were prohibited. These measures were all aimed to sever Taiwan's intrinsic ties to its Chinese identity. Distortion of memory and its perils When Japan surrendered in 1945, ending its 50-year colonial rule, celebrations swept across Taiwan. Historical records describe streets filled with fireworks, lion dances, and jubilant crowds--a clear testament to the relief and yearning for return to the motherland. Today, however, some in Taiwan appear to harbor a so-called "Japan complex," displaying an unsettling affinity toward the former colonizer--even romanticizing aspects of the occupation. This phenomenon is sustained by certain "Taiwan independence" political forces that seek to distance Taiwan from its Chinese heritage while currying favor with Tokyo. Some pro-independence hardliners even claim that the "comfort women" experience was a source of pride for women in Taiwanan utterly shameless assertion. Since the late 1990s, textbooks promoted by pro-independence groups have been exaggerating the so-called "contributions" of Japanese colonial rule. Some have replaced "Japanese occupation" with euphemisms such as "Japanese administration," softening the historical narrative. Meanwhile, voices in Japan that advocate closer ties with Taiwan often sidestep colonial crimes, further blurring public understanding. The risk is clear: when history is whitewashed, injustice is buried. The need for truth and justice Japan's rule in Taiwan was not a period of benign governance. It was marked by mass killings, economic plunder, forced labor, and cultural suppression. These facts belong not only to history books; they live in Taiwan's collective memory. The crimes Japan committed against the people in Taiwan will not vanish with time, and cannot simply be written off as matters of the past. They await acknowledgement, repentance, and redress. Japan must face this history squarely, for history remembers, and historical debts remain until they are soberly settled. The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News, Global Times, China Daily, CGTN etc. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Robert G. Wilmers would have turned 90 in April. As we approach another Christmas season since we lost him, that milestone stirs not only public memory but a deeper gratitude for the abiding imprint he left on the Berkshires on its institutions, its culture and the many people who called him a neighbor. Bob and his wife, Elisabeth, spent decades in Stockbridge. His generosity touched the region in visible and quieter ways, from helping to grow the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts as a cultural landmark to Hancock Shaker Village, which Elisabeth championed and Bob supported. That commitment would later echo in the Wilmers Integrity Prize and its celebration of principled work as well as other community causes that strengthened our civic fabric. In the community beyond the bank, Elisabeth was his partner and collaborator. Together they supported the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood not only as believers in the arts as essential to the vitality of a community but as neighbors who delighted in sharing the Berkshires musical life with friends and fellow residents including close friend Yo-Yo Ma. Bobs involvement also extended to preserving a vital local voice through his role in the civic-minded purchase of The Berkshire Eagle at a time when so many regional papers were being hollowed out. The Berkshire Eagle returning to local ownership PITTSFIELD >> In a bold move to restore local ownership of The Berkshire Eagle and its three southern Vermont sister newspapers for the first time in 20 years, a group of area investors is Yet the Berkshires was only one of Bobs canvases. The other was Buffalo, where for 35 years he served as chairman and CEO of M&T Bank. In the words of Kelly King, the former CEO of BB&T bank, Bob was the dean of American community banking, building a reputation for discipline, conscience and an almost old-world patience that kept the bank stable through turbulent times. His philanthropy and civic leadership at M&T ranged widely, from the restoration of Frank Lloyd Wrights Darwin Martin House to steadfast support for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, drawing around him colleagues who helped carry this work forward. He also championed education, bringing the full engagement of the banks resources to support Westminster Community Charter School in Buffalo, eventually expanding it with partners through the Buffalo Promise Neighborhood to help stabilize and improve the surrounding neighborhood on the citys East Side. I first met Bob when he was 72. Titles and honors never fully captured the man. He became my boss, my mentor and, alongside Elisabeth, a friend whose example shaped my own thinking and raised my standards. He led through listening. He would often ask me and my peers to have a look at something, a subtle prompt that was never about control but always about care the care of getting things right. At M&T, Bob cultivated and supported loyal and deeply thoughtful leaders like Mark Czarnecki and Mike Pinto, whose intellect and collaboration helped him bring his vision to life. Their own early passings only underscored the depth of the era Bob shaped one defined by steadiness, principle and care. We worked together to strengthen the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, including efforts to bring them to Carnegie Hall and raise support for their Crescendo Campaign. At a January 2018 memorial for Bob at Kleinhans Music Hall, the BPO, led by JoAnn Falletta, performed music by Italian Jewish composer Marcel Tyberg works long lost after Tybergs death in Auschwitz but preserved through a student who brought them to the University at Buffalo. Bob had helped Falletta and the orchestra bring them to public performance and recording. For Bob, cultural institutions were not ornaments; they were essentials. His care for them was the same as for a business, rooted in the permanence of community, buildings, institutions and relationships. In the Berkshires, Bob and Elisabeths commitment also found expression in evenings at Tanglewood and in welcoming friends to a guest barn they refurbished with the same care they brought to all their projects: quality materials, good spirit and a sense of enduring purpose. What struck me most was how naturally Bob moved through the world, always with curiosity, restraint, grace and often with a twinkle and wry smile. My own son remembers Bob with affection as an older gentleman who made time to offer a kind glance and a dry joke but never asked to be admired. Bobs life, like all lives, had its own textures and complexities, yet his center held: principle, decency and intellect. He believed in permanence and preserved it with care. In todays noisy and often shallow landscape of leadership, that kind of example is not just rare, it is urgently needed. I miss him. Many do. Yet his voice echoes still: Lets do great things together. That phrase is no longer an invitation. It is a legacy and a challenge worthy of the man who lived it. The Baby born at Christmastime came as the promised One of hope, rest, comfort, peace, truth, love, righteousness the yes of every promise of God (2 Corinthians 1:20). In reading of the earthly family of the Messiah, another baby of Bethlehem is pronounced in the Scriptural record: Obed. As the son of Ruth and Boaz, the restoration that Obed brings to Ruths mother-in-law, Naomi, prefigures for us the gift of the One we worship, the divine Baby of Bethlehem. Who Was Obed? Little can be ascertained of Obeds life from what Scripture records. But, of course, we are told exactly what Scripture wants us to know. We are told of his family, that he was born in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:19), and that he brought joy both to that family and to Bethlehem (Ruth 4:14-19). Concerning the rejoicing that stems from the birth of Obed, Scripture especially focuses on Naomis story. Toward the beginning of Scriptures record of Naomi (see Ruth 1:19-22), the women of Bethlehem seemingly expressed surprise at the woman before them, saying, Is this Naomi? For she had returned to Bethlehem after journeying to Moab with her husband and two sons yet was standing before them absent the same company. Naomi replied to these women, addressing their surprise, that God had dealt bitterly with her, that she was empty. She returned without her immediate family members, and with her was only a new figure a foreigner (Ruth 2:10) named Ruth. Later, at the conclusion of Naomis Scriptural story, once again the biblical writer brings the women of the town of Bethlehem into view. Fascinatingly, these figures collectively name the child of Ruth and Boaz. Earlier, Naomi had asked the women of the town to call her Mara, meaning bitterness. Bethlehems women ultimately issue their response to Naomis request by instead naming the child in Naomis arms Obed, which means worshiper. Naomi would not be known by bitterness, but by the praise of the Lord who mercifully brought restoration into her life, her arms. A Continual Need for Mercy Gods grace in this restoration is particularly apparent when considering some of Naomis actions. While grieving, Naomi woefully instructed her daughter-in-law, Ruth, to go back to her gods instead of continuing toward Bethlehem in worship of the true God. Also, even after safe arrival in Bethlehem, a land with food during a famine, she solely spoke of her emptiness. Later, only after Ruth first went out to glean in the fields did Naomi warn her about the dangers of being assaulted (Ruth 2:22). I can relate to a continual need for Gods mercy in my life. As with Naomi, grief and sin can squeeze our hearts, constricting them tempting us to eschew lifes goodness or neglect the receiving of Gods grace. Naomis story brightens us, then, as we are reminded that those who are the Lords will not be remembered by deeds of darkness or by what happens to us in this world of darkness. We will ultimately be remembered by the Baby who is the subject of our praise; for we will serve as eternal examples of His work and pure grace. In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes that we have been redeemed according to the eternal counsel of God for this, for lives that redound to His glory: In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:11-12). By the conclusion of the book of Ruth, Naomi is a figure transformed by grace. She belongs in a family, has been given a reputation based upon the praise of God, and would be called grandmother by this baby boy. She admirably and wonderfully responds by receiving what the Lord had done, holding the baby in her arms and caring for him (Ruth 4:16). We can see how the Lord tends to Naomis heart (including throughout other aspects of Naomis story by way of Ruths kindness). Her heart opens to God and others as she both surrenders and commits to His flow of love, mercy, kindness, and grace into her life. Photo credit: Unsplash/Natalia Figueredo See the Ways God Redeems Us Naomi once considered God as the One who had brought calamity upon her (Ruth 1:21). But, at the conclusion of her recorded story, the women of the town improve upon Naomi by saying of her because of Obed: Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age (Ruth 4:14-15). We can only envision, with all joy, that Naomis ensuing years are redolent of the townswomens proclamations as she is nourished to the fullness of her days by Gods kindness. Boazs words indicate that this baby, Obed, would perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance (Ruth 4:5). Boaz was redeeming the line of his relative, Elimelechs line, through the birth of Obed. Thus, Elimelechs widow, Naomi, was grandmother to the boy who would indeed be of renown in Israel: He [Obed] was the father of Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 4:17b). And, our Baby of Bethlehem, the Messiah, was born in the line of this David (Romans 1:3). Naomi held the line of Christ in her arms, a symbol in Scripture of grace to come. The book of Ruth demarcates this grace as its height of conclusion, recording a genealogy of David as its final expression (Ruth 4:18-22). This hopeful conclusion propounds to us that Christ would come with hope as of, and superior to, Obed, who was redeemer, restorer, and nourisher. In reading Naomis story, we can think of our Redeemer and how we who are in Christ become suffused with His grace through what did not belong to us but was extended and embedded into our lives and selves still. As we set our eyes upon His work in our lives, may we see His redemption, restoration, and nourishment for and in us. And may we not forget it. We can look to our laps to see what, through Him, we hold: peace with and knowledge of God, the hope of life in an eternal family, the security of our completed sanctification our glorification that will come one day through the perfecting ministry of the Holy Spirit, and every other benefit every other yes from the hand of God. Through what is listed here of Gods grace toward all who believe in Christ, and much more, how we can rejoice that Jesus Christ was born unto us (Isaiah 9:6)! What the townswoman said of Obed befits our praise of Jesus: Blessed be the Lord, who has not left me this day without a Redeemer, and may His Name be renowned! Photo credit: Getty Images/Rawpixel Lianna Davis is author of Keeping the Faith: A Study in Jude and Made for a Different Land: Eternal Hope for Baby Loss. She is also a contributor to We Evangelicals and Our Mission with Cascade Books. Lianna is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives in Illinois with her husband and daughter. You can learn more about her writing at her website. This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. The Bible Story of Elijah The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons The Bible Story of Queen Esther The Greatest Villain - King Nebuchadnezzar The Bible Story of Mary Magdalene UST and IIT-M Incubation Cell sign MoU to accelerate deep tech startups in healthcare and life sciences December 17, 2025 | Wednesday | News Strategic partnership to accelerate deep tech startups in India developing breakthrough solutions in healthcare and life sciences UST, a leading AI and technology transformation solutions company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC), Indias premier deep tech startup hub anchored at IIT-Madras, to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and research-driven solutions in the healthcare and life sciences sector. The MoU aims to create a collaborative framework between UST and IITMIC to drive innovation through joint programs, engagement with incubates, and industry partnerships, especially in highimpact domains. This agreement establishes a scalable, structured yet flexible partnership between UST and IITMIC to identify highpotential startups, provide them with mentorship and targeted funding, and systematically expand pilots and proofofconcepts, form strategic collaborations, and create go-to-market opportunities. A first in a series of joint innovation programmes, this collaboration of UST and IITMIC, in partnership with Pfizer as Knowledge Partner and AWS as Technology Partner, jointly conducted the Pitch to Win: Pharma 4.0 Edition. The innovation challenge received over ninety startup applications from 32 cities across India, reflecting the growing momentum of Indias healthcare and life sciences startup ecosystem. The top ten finalists received a months worth of mentorship support from UST and finally presented before a distinguished jury panel at the final pitch day, held at IITMIC, Chennai. The top three winners of the Pitch to Win Pharma 4.0 Edition were Nucleo-Vir Therapeutics (Winner), ChemBioSens (First Runner-Up) and LN Infosphere Tech Transformers (Second Runner-Up). They received cash awards of Rs 1,25,000, Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively. In addition, UST will offer a total conditional funding of up to Rs 45 lakh to the three startups, along with GTM and other strategic support. Manu Gopinath, President, UST, said, Our partnership with IIT Madras Incubation Cell is a strategic leap in how we harness deep tech innovation across industries. With IITMICs proven incubation ecosystem and access to cutting-edge research, we are not just backing startups; we are nurturing bold founders, accelerating research-driven ideas, and building a strong pipeline of solutions that can transform businesses, communities, and society at large. By combining IITMICs cross-domain innovation capabilities with USTs global reach, industry partnerships, and mentorship, we are creating a scalable platform to bring impactful, next-generation technologies from the lab to the market. Dr Tamaswati Ghosh, Chief Executive Officer, IITMIC, added, This collaboration with UST reflects our shared vision to advance Indias deep-tech innovation landscape, particularly in healthcare and life sciences. Through initiatives like Pitch to Win: Pharma 4.0, were not only nurturing high-potential startups but also building bridges between academia, industry, and investors to scale impactful solutions that can improve lives globally. Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia A Chief Superintendent denied he told two gardai suspected of involvement in alleged unlawful squaring of road traffic summonses that what they told the investigation, which he was leading at the time, could result in them being treated as witnesses rather than suspects in the case. Chief Supt Michael McNulty, Dublin Metropolitan Region, agreed under oath that offering inducements to potential suspects in any type of criminal investigation would be improper, and in his opinion unacceptable. Chief Supt McNulty was giving evidence on Wednesday, in the sixth week of the trial of retired Superintendent Eamon ONeill, and four serving gardai, Sergeant Anne Marie Hassett, Sergeant Michelle Leahy, Garda Tom McGlinchey and Garda Colm Geary. The five accused deny a total of 39 counts of engaging in conduct tending or intended to pervert the course of justice, while allegedly communicating among themselves and others in relation to requests to square away fixed charge penalty notices (FCPNS) or summonses. Advertisement Chief Supt McNulty, who at the time was a Det Inspector, said he was appointed to lead the probe by Det Chief Supt Walter OSullivan, who at the time was head of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI). The court heard that Chief Supt McNulty made a list of suspects and witnesses, including Garda Niall Deegan and Garda Alan Griffin, both Limerick Garda Division, who were included on the list of suspects. The court heard Chief Supt McNulty directed the investigation team they seek warrants for the two gardas mobile phones, and that the two officers be invited to be interviewed by GNBCI under voluntary caution. Chief Supt McNulty denied suggestions by Felix McEnroy, senior counsel for Eamon ONeill, that he told the two gardai that whatever they were potentially going to say in an interview, under caution, could change or move them from being suspects to witnesses. The two gardai would give evidence of this, Mr McEnroy said. Suspects are suspected of committing a criminal offence, Chief Supt McNulty agreed and witnesses would not have to worry about being considered suspects. Mr McEnroy said Garda Griffin would also tell the court that Chief Supt McNulty told him that he was only interested in Supt ONeill and that he would not be looking at anyone else. Garda Deegan and Garda Griffin are not defendants in the case, and made the allegations in statements provided to the prosecution and defence in the trial, excerpts of which were put to Chief Supt McNulty in front of the jury. Advertisement Chief Supt McNulty refuted these allegations. He told the court Gda Griffin was mistaken and he agreed with Mr McEnroy that Gda Deegan was lying. The court had previously heard that the GNBCI investigation led to the discovery of a mobile phone text message sent from then Chief Supt John Scanlon, Laois Offaly Division, to Supt ONeill, querying a garda stopping a motorist for driving without using a seatbelt. Jim Heneghan, senior counsel for Garda Geary, asked Chief Supt McNulty if Chief Supt Scanlon, now retired, had been considered a suspect in the GNBCI probe, and he replied, he was. Chief Supt McNulty said he had not been aware that Detective Chief Supt Walter OSullivan had not taken any notes whatsoever when he interviewed Chief Supt Scanlon under voluntary caution. Dozens of mobile phones belong to the five accused, as well as others, including civilians, were seized under warrant as part of the probe, the court heard. James OMahony, senior counsel for Sgt Hassett, asked Chief Supt McNulty if he had been disappointed that Chief Supt Scanlons mobile phone had not been seized as part of the probe that he had been in charge of. Chief Supt McNulty replied: I would have rathered that his phone was seized as well. The matter of garda discretion, when gardai legitimately use their own decision-making when dealing with the public, has been a central talking point in the trial. Chief Supt McNulty said discretion was part and part of policing, and he could see it being applied, for example, in the case of a motorist being given a warning rather than a ticket if they were detected driving a little above the speed limit however he argued it would be inappropriate to use one's discretion in respect of a family member, friend or associate. Advertisement The states case is that, while a serving superintendent, Eamon ONeill allegedly received requests from civilians and other gardai about the summons matters, which he passed on to some of his co-accused, who in turn communicated within themselves and with other gardai in attempts to have the cases struck out or not pursued. The prosecution, led by Carl Hanahoe and Jane Horgan Jones, instructed by the state solicitors office, has alleged that what all the offences have in common is the alleged interference or involvement of Supt ONeill and that, in the vast majority of the cases, Supt ONeill had a personal connection with the motorists. The trial continues on Thursday. A man who punched a woman in an unprovoked attack after he had taken cocaine for the first time left his victim with two fractures and needing a permanent plate and screws inserted in her jaw. Calvin McCormack, aged 28, appeared at Donegal Circuit Court after pleading guilty to a vicious one-punch attack on Ms Hollie Hickman in Bundoran on July 2nd, 2023. McCormack, of Gaelic Park, Bundoran, is charged with assault causing harm to Ms Hickman at Bundoran Community Library, Station Road, Bundoran. The charge is contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. Garda Mary Thornton outlined details of the incident to barrister for the state, Ms Fiona Crawford, BL. The court heard that Ms Hickman had been out socialising with two friends earlier in the night and after visiting Paris Nightclub, they decided to get a takeaway from Apache Pizza. Advertisement The three friends were sitting outside Bundoran Library when five young men approached them. The young women said they did not know any of the young men whom they said were being loud, rowdy, and generally annoying. There were verbal exchanges between both parties but the young women said they told the men they didn't want anything to do with them. A reference was made to one of the young men wearing skinny jeans which suddenly resulted in Ms Hickman, then 19, being punched in the jaw. She fell off a window ledge she had been sitting on and said she was in great pain and could hear only a high-pitched sound. Ms Hickman said she was so embarrassed by what had happened and only stopped the pain from being even worse by holding her jaw. The five young men sprinted away and the young women called gardai and an ambulance. Ms Hickman's face was bruised and sore and she could not eat and was initially taken to Sligo University Hospital for treatment. However, Ms Hickman's mother was not happy with her daughter's condition and she was taken to an orthodontist in Sligo before being referred to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry where two fractures of her jaws were diagnosed. As well as having two wisdom teeth removed, Ms Hickman had a permanent plate and screw inserted into her right jaw. After the attack, gardai harvested CCTV from the town centre in Bundoran and from outside the local library and McCormack was identified as the culprit behind the attack. Advertisement As gardai were arriving at his home, they received a call from a solicitor in Galway where McCormack had been living and working at the time. On October 21st, 2023, the accused presented himself to Ballyshannon Garda Station and was interviewed twice. During interview, McCormack said that something must have been said and there was an altercation. He added that he was drunk and had taken some "white powder" and that he was sorry and that he tried to keep himself to himself. The court was told that McCormack has one previous charge and that was for assault causing harm for which he received a four-month suspended sentence in Sligo Circuit Court in 2019. In her victim impact statement, Ms Hickman said she worked in a local shop for many years, knew everyone and her hometown was always a safe place for her. However, she said the night of the night "changed everything for me". She then spoke of the pain she suffered and how she had to go through extensive medical treatment as a result of the attack. She added "I try not to let this affect my social life but I find I am on high alert all the time now and I get anxious if people come up behind me. "I know my mum worries sick about me and that she was devastated and crying when this happened and this was really upsetting for me." Ms Hickman also revealed how she gave up playing sport as a result of the assault as she feared sport may cause her more damage. Advertisement She said she still feels pain and she has a crunching sensation in her jaw. "This is a constant reminder of what happened to me that day. I want Calvin to know that this attack on me will never leave me and I hope he thinks twice before ever doing something like this to another innocent person again," she added. Addressing the court and Ms Hickman, the accused said he wanted to apologise to Ms Hickman and her family. "I want to say I'm sorry for the harm I caused you that night and that my actions were unacceptable and that I'm very sorry," he said. He added there was not a day that goes by that he doesn't think about what he did and that he simply wishes he could turn back time, adding he can't imagine the pain and suffering he has put Ms Hickman and her family through. Barrister for the accused, Mr Ciaran Elders, BL, said his client had brought a token gesture of remorse of 4,500 to be offered to Ms Hickman but the court was immediately told she would not accept it. Mr Elders said his client had been working since sitting his Leaving Certificate and had gone from working for a multinational company in Galway to becoming a full-time carer for his mother. He referred to the Probation Report carried out on McCormack, which outlined how his client had shown deep remorse, appears to have an appreciation of his actions and did not go out with the intention of hurting anyone on the night. Advertisement A risk assessment on the accused put him at a low risk of reoffending and that he comprehends the full gravity of the offence and is deeply remorseful for his actions. Mr Elders referenced the fact that McCormack had taken cocaine on the night but stressed that this was the only time he had taken the drug and had not done so since. Judge John Aylmer said he was adjourning the case to allow him time to consider the matter and adjourned it until the February sittings of the circuit court in February 2026. Gardai are stepping up security preparations ahead of Ireland's EU presidency in 2026. According to the Irish Times, An Garda Siochana is investing more than half a million euro in new simulation technology which will allow senior officers to rehearse responses to major emergencies, including terrorist attacks. UK firm Critical Simulations has been contracted to supply the technology and train gardai how to use it. The firm is the commercial arm of the Hydra Foundation, which provides training technology to many police forces around the world, according to the Irish Times. The training will recreate live control-room scenarios and will test decision-making during incidents such as mass casualty events and hostage situations. Other measures include new anti-drone technology and surveillance aircraft. This is the first time that Ireland has held the EU presidency role, which involves acting as the EU Commission chair and an "honest broker" between member states for a period of six months. Denmark currently holds the presidency role. The High Court is to refer to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) legal questions arising in a challenge taken against the Governments apartment standards guidelines. In a judgment on Wednesday, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys said he proposed referring to the court questions relating to the interpretation of the EUs Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive, a key issue in the challenge to the guidelines. This dispute raises an issue of EU law which is likely to make its way to the CJEU sooner or later, and, if so, sooner is preferable from both sides perspectives, the judge said. Labours Darragh Moriarty, the Green Partys David Healy and Dan Boyle, Independent councillor Padraig McEvoy and former Irish Times environment editor Frank McDonald brought the challenge against the guidelines. Advertisement They claim that the guidelines should have been subjected to a strategic environmental assessment. They are seeking several orders, including one quashing the Ministers guidelines. The apartment guidelines, published by the Minister for Housing in July, introduced changes aimed at bridging a viability gap that the Government said has stymied apartment-building. These changes included an increase in the number of studio apartments developers could include in a project and a reduction in the minimum permitted size of apartments. Last month, the court was informed that the Government intends to replace the guidelines with a national planning statement, which will be subjected to an environmental assessment. Notwithstanding this, the State maintains that an environmental impact assessment of the guidelines was not required. As provided for in the Planning and Development Act 2024, a national planning statement comprises policies to support proper planning and sustainable development, and guidance for the implementation of those policies. In his judgment, Mr Justice Humphreys said that several pinch points emerged between the parties in the case. Among these points is whether or not guidelines relating to apartment design come within the scope of the SEA Directive, in circumstances where the guidelines impact on the number of units within a development, and a units internal features, but do not impact the number, size, operating conditions or funding of apartment developments themselves. If not, another question arises between the parties that is, whether or not the guidelines come within the scope of the SEA directive if they derogate from other plans that require an assessment under the Directive. Also at issue between the parties was whether or not the SEA Directive excludes a plan where domestic law puts a binding obligation on relevant authorities to consider such a plan in considering a grant of permission for a development, but does not put a binding obligation on the authorities to comply with the plan. Mr Justice Humphreys said the questions raised meet the criteria for reference to the CJEU for clarification. The judge said he proposed doing so. Kneecaps Moglai Bap was among dozens of runners who were greeted by President Catherine Connolly in Dublin. A 10km run to the Presidents official residence, Aras an Uachtarain in the Phoenix Park, was organised by Kneecap in aid of charity. The run began at Dalymount Park, home to Bohemians FC, and was held in aid of the Gaza Food and Play project. More than 200 runners held Palestine flags, wore Bohs jerseys, and shouted Free Palestine as they ran through the rain. President Catherine Connolly greeted runners (Brian Lawless/PA) At one point, the runners ran towards a gap in the hedge surrounding the Presidents residence and cheered at Ms Connolly, who encouraged them on their journey. Speaking as Gaeilge, Ms Connolly told Naoise O Caireallain, aka Moglai Bap, to keep going, to which Mr O Caireallain thanked her and said welcome to the Aras. Advertisement One runner said to Ms Connolly good on you and another said fair play as they paused to take selfies with her across a gap marking the divide between the public park and the presidential grounds. After the run, the group gathered at Bang Bang cafe, where Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined them briefly, before heading to the Aras to meet Ms Connolly. Kneecap are performing their second of two sold-out gigs at the 3Arena in Dublin on Wednesday. The latest search for a teenager abducted, killed and secretly buried by the IRA 50 years ago has ended without success. Columba McVeigh, from Donaghmore, Co Tyrone, was 19 when he was disappeared by the republican group in 1975. A number of searches have taken place by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR) at the remote Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan close to the Irish border. Columba McVeigh, who was killed and secretly buried (Family Handout/PA) The ICLVR said it still believes the information it was given that Mr McVeighs body is there was given in good faith. Lead Investigator Eamonn Henry described devastating news for the McVeigh family just weeks after the 50th anniversary of his disappearance. Our hearts go out to them, he said. Everyone involved in the search including the ICLVR investigators, the forensic archaeologists and the contractors who operate the machinery are bitterly disappointed and share the frustration of the McVeigh family that yet another search of the bog has ended in this way. Advertisement Over 26 acres of Bragan Bog have now been searched and while we continue to believe that the information we are working on has been given in good faith clearly there is still something missing. He added: I can assure the McVeigh family and the other families of the Disappeared who give them invaluable support that the commission remains fully committed to finding Columba and we will not rest until his remains are returned and he receives the Christian burial that he has been denied for far too long. The ICLVR has recovered the bodies of 11 of the 17 men and women who were disappeared by paramilitaries during the Northern Ireland Troubles. Those still to be found also include former monk Joe Lynskey, soldier Robert Nairac and Co Armagh man Seamus Maguire. (left to right) Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey and Robert Nairac (PA) The ICLVR has renewed its appeal for information to help find them. It said all information which it receives is treated in the strictest confidence. The ICLVR can be contacted by telephone on +353 1 602 8655, by email to Secretary@iclvr.ie or by post to ICLVR PO Box 10827. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn expressed his regret. I am deeply saddened that, in spite of the substantial efforts of the commission, the remains of Columba have not been located at Bragan Bog, he said. Having visited the site last month, I want to acknowledge the diligence and determination of the commission to locate Columba since the first search at Bragan Bog was conducted in 1999, as well as the investigators, forensic archaeologists and the search teams for their painstaking and sensitive work. Advertisement Today, my thoughts are with the family of Columba who have endured this unimaginable burden for so many years, and who only recently marked the 50th anniversary of his death. The UK Government remains committed to the work of the ICLVR. I call on anyone with information that could help the recovery of the remains of those still missing to pass that information to the commission as soon as possible. Today, my sympathies are with Columbas family who have lived with this uncertainty for so many years but have done so much to keep Columba in our collective thoughts Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan Justice Minister Jim OCallaghan said he was disappointed the search did not result in the discovery of Mr McVeighs remains. Mr OCallaghan said: I hoped that Columba McVeighs family would finally have the solace of being able to lay him to rest. He added: I want to acknowledge the unwavering determination of the commission to locate Columba since the first search at Bragan Bog was conducted in 1999. I would also like to thank the National Parks and Wildlife Service for its assistance in the preparation of this search. Today, my sympathies are with Columbas family who have lived with this uncertainty for so many years but have done so much to keep Columba in our collective thoughts. Mr OCallaghan appealed for anyone with information on any of the remaining Disappeared cases to share it with the commission. A man accused of murdering an 88-year-old hospital patient who was in the same ward as him told gardai that he hit the pensioner probably over 20 times until his face fell soft as he was under the mistaken belief that he had kidnapped his son. Dylan Magee (33) is on trial at the Central Criminal Court in Cork, charged with the murder of Matthew Healy on January 22nd, 2023, at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) in the city. The men were not known to each other. Mr Magee of Churchfield Green, Churchfield in Cork, denies murder but admits manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Mr Magee was admitted to hospital on January 19th, 2023 because family members were concerned he was hallucinating. When interviewed by gardai on January 22nd, 2023, Mr Magee said that a traveller gang had been tormenting people on the hospital ward. He said that he had lost the plot and started beating Mr Healy, telling him to give him back his child. He was of the belief that Mr Healy was a named person in his twenties. Advertisement He said that Mr Healy was asleep in the bed across from him when he started punching him and that when he stopped, he (Magee) was destroyed in blood. Mr Magee indicated that he didnt know if his kids were dead or alive or what was happening. He stated that he had a rage on him when he attacked Mr Healy. He said that he remembered punching the man and that it felt like his hand caved through his (Healys) face. I hit him so many times. His face fell soft after. I kind of blanked out a small bit in a fit of rage. He was after kidnapping my son. He stated that he had probably hit Mr Healy over twenty times". When I hit him and his face fell soft, I thought enough is enough. I thought it was (named person). I dont know how I mistook him (Matthew Healy). I thought he (named man) had come in (to the hospital) and was lying across from me. I didnt know he was 89. I thought it was (named person). The jury of eight men and four women heard that Mr Magee was of the belief that he played in a match just hours before the attack on Matthew Healy. In reality, he was in a hospital ward alongside five other patients. In a later garda interview, Mr Magee said that the attack involved knuckles straight punches. Mr Magee didnt recall wandering around the hospital ward and going up to patients in the hours before the incident. He also stated that he had no sleep in hospital. Advertisement He said he was seeing dead people when he was brought to the GP prior to his hospital admission. When asked why he was looking for a blade in hospital, he said, why would I look for a blade?" The jury also heard that in a garda interview on January 23rd, 2023, Mr Magee was talking to the wall instead of the investigating officers. A doctor was called as gardai felt that Mr Magee was hallucinating. Meanwhile, Defence psychiatrist, Dr Stephen Monks, said that Mr Magee had a family history which was marred by bereavement and illness. He noted his extensive history of substance abuse. Dr Monks said that Mr Magee gave him an account of the circumstances which led to his hospital admission. He informed him that in December 2022, he was using benzodiazepines, which he had purchased from the internet. Mr Magee said that he had taken up to 120 tablets a week before his admission to MUH. Dr Monks said that Mr Magee had Covid-19 prior to his admission. He was also using cannabis and suffering from insomnia. He stated that the GP had given him (Magee) an urgent referral to MUH with suspected delirium. Dr Monks said it was his belief that the delirium evolved into withdrawal delirium. That is a life-threatening condition. Or it can be. He was in an acute state of delirium. Dr Monks said that Mr Magee told him that he remembered very little from hospital. He said he couldnt disagree with anything in the book of evidence, as he just doesnt remember. Advertisement Mr Magee was given medication in prison to treat withdrawal. Dr Monks said that as a result, he was back to his baseline within a few weeks. Dr Monks said that when he spoke to Mr Magee in June 2023, there was no evidence of major illness or mental disorder". Evidence was also given by Prosecution psychiatrist, Dr Richard Church, who said that Dylan Magee was very severely impaired to the point of being unable to refrain from acting. Dr Church said not only was he (Magee) unable to refrain, "but professionals around him when his aggression was escalating were unable to prevent him from carrying out the attack". Dr Church said a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity is available to the jury to consider. So too is the verdict of diminished responsibility. The trial continues. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles revealed internal tensions in the Trump administration over issues from immigration enforcement to government downsizing in comments published by Vanity Fair on Tuesday that paint an unflattering picture of the role played by some of president Donald Trump's close aides. In a series of 11 interviews with author Chris Whipple conducted over Mr Trump's first year back in office, Ms Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, described the teetotaling president as having "an alcoholic's personality" and an eye for vengeance against perceived enemies. "He has an alcoholic's personality," Ms Wiles said of Trump, explaining that her upbringing with an alcoholic father prepared her for managing "big personalities". Mr Trump does not drink, she noted, but operates with "a view that there's nothing he can't do. Nothing, zero, nothing". Advertisement JD Vance a 'conspiracy theorist' She also said vice president JD Vance has "been a conspiracy theorist for a decade". She took aim at the way billionaire Elon Musk dismantled the US Agency for International Development and how attorney general Pam Bondi initially responded to the planned release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The story -- which offered a rare window into Mr Trump's White House from a top aide known for avoiding the spotlight -- prompted swift pushback from Ms Wiles, Mr Trump and senior members of the administration, who praised Ms Wiles loyalty and leadership. In a post on X, Ms Wiles called the Vanity Fair story "a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history," saying it omitted important context and selectively quoted her to create a negative narrative. The most powerful woman in the world. Mr Trump, who regularly describes Ms Wiles as the "most powerful woman in the world," told the New York Post on Tuesday that he has full confidence in her. He said Ms Wiles was right to describe him as having an "alcoholic's personality," explaining that he has a "possessive and addictive" personality. Mr Vance also defended Ms Wiles, telling reporters in Pennsylvania that he admires her consistency and authenticity both in and out of the president's presence. "I've never seen her be disloyal to the president of the United States and that makes her the best White House chief of staff the president could ask for," he said, noting he and Ms Wiles had often joked about him being a conspiracy theorist. Advertisement "Sometimes I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true," he said. Tariff decision 'painful' According to the interviews, Ms Wiles said she warned Mr Trump against pardoning the most violent participants in the January 6th, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and pressed him to delay his decision on sweeping trade tariffs, but was unable to change his mind in either case. She said Mr Trump's announcement of tariffs on US trade partners earlier this year exposed deep divisions within his team, adding that the tariff decision "has been more painful than I expected". Ms Wiles, who managed Mr Trump's comeback 2024 campaign and has been seen as running a more disciplined White House than in his first term, said she does not view her role as constraining the president, but as facilitating his decisions. She said being overruled was never a source of grievance, noting that she ultimately supported the final outcomes. "There have been a couple of times where I've been outvoted," she said. "And if there's a tie, he wins." Ms Wiles also said Ms Bondi "completely whiffed" her early handling of the Epstein files, a collection of Justice Department documents detailing the investigation into the late convicted sex offender. The Epstein scandal has been a political headache for Mr Trump for months, partly because he amplified conspiracy theories about the disgraced financier to his own supporters. Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's chief of staff, made the comments in an interview with Vanity Fair. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Ms Bondi had initially suggested she was going to release incriminating information about Epstein's alleged network of acquaintances but then backed off, upsetting Mr Trump's right-wing base. Advertisement Ms Bondi said on X on Tuesday that Ms Wiles works tirelessly to advance Mr Trump's agenda, adding that any effort to sow division within the administration would not succeed and that the team remains united. Ms Wiles said in the interviews that she had read the Epstein documents and acknowledged that Mr Trump's name is in them but that "he's not in the file doing anything awful". Mr Trump's push to have New York attorney general Letitia James prosecuted on allegations of mortgage fraud was perhaps motivated by feelings of vengeance against the Democratic official, Ms Wiles said. Retribution The case against James, a Trump critic, "was maybe the one retribution," Ms Wiles said. She added that while Mr Trump may not wake up thinking about retribution, "when there's an opportunity, he will go for it". Ms Wiles said she was shocked by Mr Musk's dismantling of USAID, including its global aid programs, calling the approach "not the way I would do it". Ireland Trump's 'aggression towards Europe' following Putin playbook, Irish MEP says Read more She said she confronted Mr Musk over locking staff out of their offices, saying no reasonable person could view his handling of the aid agency as effective. Mr Musk ran Mr Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, which was tasked with slashing the federal government's budget and workforce at the start of Mr Trump's second term. He did not reply to a request for comment. Ms Wiles acknowledged concerns with how some deportations of immigrants have been handled, saying the process needs closer review and should include a "double-check" when there's uncertainty. She raised no objections to Mr Trump's actions against Venezuela, including attacks on boats suspected of carrying drugs, but suggested his true aim was regime change against president Nicolas Maduro. She noted that any Trump-ordered land strikes in Venezuela or the region would require congressional approval. A man who furiously and repeatedly stabbed an 11-year-old girl in a random knife attack in Leicester Square has been detained indefinitely. The Australian child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police she thought she was going to die after she was targeted by Ioan Pintaru in Londons West End on the morning of August 12th last year while on holiday with her mother. The defendant, 33, approached the girl as she left the Lego store at around 11.30am where she and her mother had been buying gifts for their family, placed her in a headlock and stabbed her eight times in the face, neck and chest. Court artist drawing of Ioan Pintaru (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Pintaru, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in October to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife. He was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Tuesday to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act and a restriction order under Section 41 meaning he can be detained indefinitely. Advertisement Judge Richard Marks KC said: A victim impact statement from (the victims) mother described how when the incident unfolded in front of her she believed with absolute certainty that she was watching her daughter being killed in front of her, and how she relives that moment over and over. The mother told of a profound emotional and psychological harm which has resulted in her constantly scanning for danger, the judge went on. She feels a deep sense of guilt for not having been able to protect her daughter and she finds it extremely difficult to allow her independence, he continued. There is a shadow over them that was not there before. This event has altered the course of their lives, the trauma they carry is lifelong. The knife Pintaru used in the attack (Metropolitan Police/PA) The judge also said he had read letters from Pintarus mother and his priest in Romania, which defence barrister Claire Davies KC had mentioned earlier. Pintaru originally faced a charge of attempted murder but the prosecution decided that his psychosis at the time of the offence meant it could not be proven that he had an intent to kill, the court heard. On Tuesday, the Crown offered no evidence in respect of the attempted murder count. Opening the case, prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC said the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described in an interview with police how she felt something crash into her from behind and hit her on the head. Advertisement She felt the defendants arm wrap itself around her, Ms Stonecliffe said. His weight was on her. She said in the interview that at that moment she thought she was going to die. She felt the defendant stab her in the face and felt the blood from the wound running down her face. She was understandably terrified. Her mother, who watched court proceedings over a videolink, told police she saw Pintaru furiously and repeatedly stabbing her daughter. She said his arm was moving like a jackhammer using as much force as he could and that she thought he was trying to kill her with a crazed and vacant expression. Police officers attended the scene in Leicester Square in 2024 (PA) She added that he was wide-eyed and manic like nothing was going to stop him. A security guard working at nearby shop TWG Tea, named only as Abdullah, rushed to intervene and managed to grab the hand holding the knife, leading to Pintaru dropping the weapon, which Abdullah then kicked away. The guard and two other men were able to pin Pintaru down before police arrived minutes later and arrested him. A nurse walking past help stem the victims bleeding. The judge commended Abdullah for his bravery and ordered that he be rewarded with 1,000 from public funds. In a statement published via the Metropolitan Police, the 30-year-old security guard said: It was a purely selfless and instinctive response, driven by a sense of responsibility to help someone in danger. Im grateful that this was acknowledged and that the child is safe. Ioan Pintaru has been detained indefinitely (Metropolitan Police/PA) The court heard the girl, now 13, has recovered physically from her wounds but invisible scars remain. She is deeply conscious of her scars, Ms Stonecliffe said. Advertisement The psychological effects of this incident will remain with (her) for the rest of her life. The court heard Pintaru became upset during his interview with the police, particularly when officers told him they were going to show him pictures of the injuries he inflicted. He is said to have put his head in his hands, cried and said no to the prospect of viewing CCTV footage of the attack. Pintaru, in the dock with what appeared to be three health workers, had previously been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Romania, the court heard. In assessments after the Leicester Square attack, Pintaru told one psychiatrist he had not wanted to commit the offence but believed he was being followed and that the only way to save himself was to get himself sent to prison, the prosecutor said. A man has been charged over the Bondi terrorist attack that killed 15 people in Sydney. Fifteen people were killed when, according to local police, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire on more than 1,000 people attending a Jewish festival in the Archer Park area of the popular beach at 6.47pm local time on Sunday. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot by police and died at the scene, but 24-year-old Naveed, who awoke from a coma on Tuesday, was charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack, New South Wales (NSW) Police confirmed. People attend a Campaign Against Antisemitism and Chabad UK event in Westminster on Tuesday night (Yui Mok/PA) The other charges are 40 counts of causing wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol and placing an explosive in/near a building with the intent to cause harm. Police said early indications pointed to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS. Advertisement Akram, who remains under police guard in hospital, will face a Sydney local courts bail division on Wednesday. The first funerals of the victims took place on Wednesday, including that of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. Father-of-five Mr Schlanger, 41, grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, and his funeral service took place at Chabad of Bondi, where he was assistant rabbi. Rabbi Shimshon Gansbourg, nephew of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was murdered in the Sydney massacre, lighting a candle in the menorah at a Campaign Against Antisemitism and Chabad UK event in Westminster, central London (Yui Mok/PA) During a tearful address, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman told the congregation it was unthinkable we talk about you in the past tense. He said rabbis would continue a tradition on Sunday, the first night of Hanukkah, of lighting candles on Bondi Beach. The funeral of Rabbi Yaakov Levitan was taking place later on Wednesday. One of the two police officers injured in the attack has been named as probationary constable Jack Hibbert, 22. Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, who was injured in the Bondi Beach attack (New South Wales Police/PA) In a statement, his family said he had been patrolling the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi when he was shot twice, once in his head and once in his shoulder, and had lost vision in one eye. Jack is just 22 years old and has only been in the police force for four months, the family statement said. In the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able to. Jack was simply doing his job a job he deeply loves driven by a commitment to protect the community, even at great personal cost. Advertisement New South Wales (NSW) state police commissioner Mal Lanyon said Constable Scott Dyson, who was also injured in the attack, was in a critical and stable condition after undergoing further surgery on Wednesday. NSW Health confirmed 20 people remained in Sydney hospitals on Wednesday in the aftermath of the attack. The medical staff here at Royal Prince Alfred in Camperdown have been working around the clock to help save lives. Thank you for everything you're doing. pic.twitter.com/nox4YEAn1M Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 17, 2025 Speaking after visiting a Sydney hospital, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said: We will hold people to account for what has occurred. We will give whatever powers are necessary to our police forces, to our security and intelligence agencies arising from this act of terror and act of antisemitism that we saw play out on Sunday night. We want to stamp out and eradicate antisemitism from our society. We want to also stamp out the evil ideology of what would appear to be, from the investigators, an Isis-inspired attack. That has no place, that sort of hatred. Ahmed, you are an Australian hero. You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist. In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that's exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I pic.twitter.com/mAoObU3TZD Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 16, 2025 On Tuesday Mr Albanese met Australian hero Ahmed al Ahmed and his family, adding: I thanked him for the lives that he helped to save and I wished him all the very best with his surgery that he will undertake tomorrow. World Rob Reiners son charged with two counts of murder Read more Father-of-two Mr Ahmed, 43, from Sydney, tackled one of the gunmen by sneaking up on him and wrestling his weapon away. NSW premier Chris Minns said the state parliament would be recalled at the start of next week to introduce a package of measures designed to tighten gun control and give police powers to block protests during a terror situation. He said demonstrations threatened to rip apart our community during what he called a combustible situation. Advertisement BusinessBanking & financeSuperannuation Job of a lifetime: Australias biggest super fund hunts for new investment chief Amy Bainbridge and Richard Henderson December 17, 2025 2:01pm 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 A A AustralianSuper is recruiting for a rare chance to direct roughly $400 billion in global assets at the nations largest pension fund. The chief investment officer role oversees a team of about 400 people across New York, London, Beijing and Melbourne. Mark Delaney, 66, who is leaving after more than two decades at AustralianSuper, will stay in the role until June while his successor is found. Mark Delaneys exit will open up a succession tussle for arguably the most significant role in the superannuation sector. Bloomberg AustralianSuper, the 17th-largest pension fund globally, is among the fastest-growing in the nations $4.5 trillion industry. Since taking its current shape in 2006, Delaney has overseen growth in member assets to $400 billion from $20 billion. Before that, he led the Superannuation Trust of Australia, which merged with another fund to become AustralianSuper. Potential internal candidates for the role could include deputy CIO Damian Moloney, asset allocation head Alistair Barker, Australian equities chief Shaun Manuell and head of fixed income & currency, Katie Dean. A spokesperson for AustralianSuper declined to comment. Advertisement Its such a big gig, not just in Australia but globally, said Ian Fryer, general manager of Chant West, a research firm. Im fascinated to see how that will play out, he said of the recruitment process. This will be a hotly contested position, and they will have interest from all over the world. Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia CEO Mary Delahunty Fryer said there is a definite culture that any external candidate would need to get their head around. Based in Melbourne, Delaney was paid $1.2 million in the most recent financial year, the funds annual report showed. The coveted role gives the individual a large sway in capital markets and access to highly competitive deals within Australia and overseas. The base salary for the California Public Employees Retirement System chief investment officer was reported by the fund as $US718,000 ($1.1 million) in April 2024. Underscoring the global competition for top investing talent, CalPERS last year hired Stephen Gilmore from New Zealands sovereign wealth fund as chief investment officer to run its huge portfolio. Advertisement Weve got a fair bit of bench strength, but well look externally too, AustralianSuper Chief Executive Officer Paul Schroder told the Australian Financial Review. Delaneys departure means two of the top CIO roles in Australia are open. In September, Australias Future Fund announced the departure of Ben Samild, its chief investment officer, to the Abu Dhabi Investment Council. Related Article Updated Superannuation Australias biggest super fund hit with $27 million fine Two other large funds recently appointed domestic candidates to fill CIO roles. In October, Aware Super appointed Simon Warner as its new investment chief after two years at the pension fund, while Rest Super recruited Michael Clancy. Delaneys replacement will enter a retirement savings system in growth phase. Australia is set to become the second-largest country by pension assets after the US within a decade. Still, its facing challenges including shifting millions of Australians into retirement in the coming years. Advertisement This will be a hotly contested position, and they will have interest from all over the world, said Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia CEO Mary Delahunty. AustralianSuper will also have some really good talent to choose from internally and I imagine this is possibly for some people, the job of a lifetime. Bloomberg The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the days trading. Get it each weekday afternoon. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share More: Superannuation AustralianSuper Industry super funds Investing Advertisement Sponsored BusinessCompaniesBulls N' Bears True North heats up QLD with standout Aquila copper hits Brought to you by BULLS N BEARS Rowena Duckworth December 17, 2025 12:31pm 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 A A True North Copper has continued its hot run at the companys Aquila prospect in Queenslands Mount Oxide district, delivering standout copper, silver and cobalt drill results that underscore the scale and continuity of the emerging system. The latest assays confirm high-grade mineralisation across a growing footprint now extending to around 250 metres depth and 60 metres wide, with the system remaining open along strike and at depth. True North Coppers Aquila copper, silver and cobalt discovery sits four kilometres northeast of the companys Vero resource in Queensland. One hole returned 33 metres at 1.6 per cent copper, 5 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and a seasoning of cobalt, including a sizzling 4-metre interval grading 7.09 per cent copper and 9.5g/t silver from 124m. A second hole delivered 20 metres at 1 per cent copper, 21.8g/t silver and 0.26 per cent cobalt from 176 metres, including 3 metres at 1.93 per cent copper, 0.45 per cent cobalt and an impressive 42.6g/t silver. Grades of this calibre are rarely seen in modern Australian exploration, further validating True Norths geological model at Mount Oxide. Advertisement Importantly, recent drilling and mapping have extended the mineralised corridor at Aquila by a further 250 metres of strike, pushing the known trend beyond 900 metres and placing it firmly in the same league as the companys nearby Vero deposit. Aquila continues to demonstrate it is a large, robust and growing copper system. True North Copper managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Mooney Aquila sits 140 kilometres north of Glencores Mt Isa copper concentrator and smelter, providing enviable infrastructure leverage. Glencore is also one of True Norths largest shareholders, adding further weight to the projects strategic significance. The discovery forms part of the broader Mount Oxide copper project, which hosts more than 10 kilometres of prospective strike along a highly fertile structural corridor. The market has taken notice. True North recently secured a $12.5 million institutional placement to fund its three-pronged develop, grow and discover strategy across Queensland through 2026. The companys share price has surged more than 60 per cent over the past month, reflecting growing confidence in the Mount Oxide story. The fresh funding will support accelerated exploration across Mount Oxide, where multiple untested targets sit outside the headline Aquila prospect, including along the parallel Apollo and Acanthis trends and within the Mt Gordon Fault Zone. These targets exhibit geological and geophysical signatures similar to those of Aquila and Vero, raising the prospect of further Vero-style discoveries. Advertisement Phase two drilling at Mount Oxide has now been completed, with assays pending from five additional holes drilled at Acanthis, Apollo and Aquila North. The results will help shape the next phase of drilling. Extensional induced polarisation surveys are planned for early next year to test priority areas north and south of the current discoveries. An airborne magnetic survey is also scheduled to refine targets across the broader project area. True North Copper managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Mooney said: Aquila continues to demonstrate it is a large, robust and growing copper system, with mineralisation extending both along strike and at depth. The system shows clear similarities to other major copper deposits in the region, including Capricorn Copper, which has proven depth extents exceeding 1.2 kilometres. With drilling at Aquila only testing to around 250 metres depth and 900 metres of strike so far, substantial exploration potential remains, with Mt Oxide emerging as a significant new copper district Mooney added the latest results appear to represent far more than isolated drill hits, pointing instead to a growing body of evidence that the Mount Oxide system can support district-scale copper mineralisation. Looking ahead, the company plans to return after the wet season to drill Aquila north, south and at depth, while systematically testing new high-priority targets along the 10-kilometre-plus trend. With copper prices strengthening and the metal firmly embedded on critical mineral lists, the timing appears increasingly favourable for True Norths expanding Queensland footprint. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au Advertisement EnvironmentClimate changeClimate policy Interstate refugees: Why more Aussies are moving south Nick O'Malley December 19, 2025 4:45am 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 A A To Ellen Burbidge, it was as though the whole world was on fire. This was during the terrible summer of 2019. Before Christmas, shed visited a home in Gympie, north of Brisbane, and found herself helping to fill buckets of water in precaution as smoke appeared through the trees. Then she drove home, a thousand kilometres to the far South Coast of NSW. All the way, pyres from conflagrations consuming the eucalypt forests of the Great Dividing Range bled across the sky. Actor Ellen Burbidge, pictured here packing to move between houses in Hobart, sought refuge in Tasmania after surviving the 2019 fires on the NSW South Coast. Matthew Newtown On New Years Eve, she was evacuated from a campground at Mystery Bay near Tilba after her brother shook her awake in the early morning. The sky was pitch black, and only hours later would it penetrate the pall to become a dull red orb. She packed up and moved on to her parents home in Narooma, where the family listened to emergency reports on the ABC until the power failed. She recalls her four-year-old nephews fear and how shed put on a brave face. Dont be scared, shed told him, but stay close. Advertisement Ellen Burbidge in Narooma during the 2019 fires. Ellen Burbidge They gathered her parents valuables and moved on to her grandfathers place further in town. They left her grandmothers ashes. She remembers how they stood in the driveway to say goodbye to her childhood home. Look after the place, Nan, she said. That night she crammed into a single room with her partner and her sister and her young family. They shut the doors and windows against the smoke and Burbidge remembers the air being close and thick. They took turns staying awake that night, patrolling for falling embers and spot fires. Burbidge hunkered down in Melbourne during COVID, and when the lockdowns ended moved to Tasmania with her new partner Edward, seeking refuge from a warming world. Advertisement Hobart is almost famously known for its cooler climate, and we thought that it would be a safe place to go to if climate change gets worse, where we could put down roots and maybe start a family, she says. Burbidge is not alone. New research by Charles Sturt Universitys Professor Clive Hamilton shows that 14 per cent of Australians who have moved over the past six years say climate change influenced their decision. Of those who plan to move home in the coming year, 22 per cent say their decision is influenced by climate factors. When you ask people who have lived through extreme weather events the number rises to a third, according to the research, which is based on a Roy Morgan survey of 2000 respondents. Burbidge at home in Hobart. Matthew Newton Hamilton found that people who live in NSW, Brisbane, and regional Queensland are more likely than others to be driven to leave due to climate, and that 41 per cent named Tasmania as the state they thought would be safest in a warming climate, far ahead of other states. Advertisement Their views are consistent with the federal governments own climate risk assessment of Australia, which finds the nations south-east to be safer as temperatures rise. Hamilton believes his new research highlights a blind spot in the governments response to climate change. When our leaders do address the climate crisis their focus is on mitigation reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help slow global climate change. This is crucial, says Hamilton, but it ignores the fact that much warming is already locked in, and that Australia cannot protect itself with its own carbon pollution reductions. They are not talking about the change that is already coming down the highway, he says. He believes the government should be making climate adaptation more central to the national debate. Absent government leadership, he says, some people those with means and climate education are beginning to adapt their own way. Advertisement Some, Hamiltons research shows, are already on the move, seeking refuge in parts of the country that are cooler, and in which they hope to be safer. (He admits he is among those who have bought land in Tasmania out of concern for the changing climate.) It is a process Hamilton expects will only accelerate, with profound demographic implications for Australia. The data illustrates striking differences in attitudes towards climate change in the community, he says. Related Article Analysis Climate crisis Horrifying report paints grim picture of Australias future If theres half the population who are very worried about climate change, that is starting to take action in response, then youve got perhaps a quarter of the population who dont think its real and are therefore not going to do anything about it, you start to think about the implications. We might see Australians sorting themselves into different kinds of communities, ones that take climate change much more seriously, that build resilience in how they live in their homes, in their town planning, in their infrastructure, in their communities, and others where climate change is not taken seriously and which are therefore more severely buffeted by the extreme events that will increase in the coming decades. Advertisement We may well see a kind of reshuffling of the Australian population where people who are more alert and more aware move towards climate-safe areas whereas others remain in places that are far more prone to the stress of climate change. When the exodus from the mainland to Tasmania comes, it will be led by people who are most worried about climate change, well-educated and left-wing. Jessie Bodor worked for a big law firm and lived on Sydneys lower north shore in 2019. She didnt feel any immediate threat when she saw singed leaves floating down on her from a sepia sky, but a terrible disquiet. When the following summers grew hotter she decided to move to Tasmania. Jessie Bodor, pictured with her dog George at Nutgrove Beach, Sandy Bay, in Hobart, moved south as Sydneys summers grew hotter. Matthew Newton. I think [a climate reshuffling] is already happening here. People are building highly connected communities where they share their experiences and their knowledge about climate, says Bodor, who now works for the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, a charity that buys and manages land for environmental protection. Advertisement She says she has no regrets about leaving a lucrative job in a big law firm. In Tasmania, she says, she has not only escaped more intense heat, but with the TLC has found work relevant to climate action. Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood says the phenomenon of climate refugees, from what he cheerfully calls Tasmanias north island, is both well known and welcomed. It started as a movement of grey nomads coming down here for the climate that they felt would be more comfortable than Brisbane or Sydney, but it is now young professionals and families too. Ellen Burbidges nephew during the familys evacuation from Narooma. Ellen Burbidge We find that once people have decided they want to come here they also want to contribute to the community; it is beneficial. They are bringing their skills, bringing their families. Peter George, a former journalist who is now an independent MP in the Tasmanian state parliament, is not surprised by Hamiltons findings. George, who moved to Tasmania from Sydney in 2011 to escape ever-hotter summers, counts among his friends climate refugees from Western Australia and South Australia as well as the east-coast states. Advertisement He says the influx will benefit Tasmania because climate refugees not only bring new wealth and new demand for services, but also new ideas to a political culture he believes has been stunted by closed networks holding power in the states parliament and bureaucracy. But George also sees evidence of tension. Like any change it will be uncomfortable, and at times confrontational. When you have run as far south as you can, you are brought face to face in the end with what is destroying our world. Richard Flanagan Island communities can be resistant to changes driven by outsiders, says George, and like other Australian capitals, Hobart is in the grip of a housing crisis. In Cygnet, the town south-west of Hobart where he lives, he knows families who have cashed in, selling off sections of farmland to mainlanders seeking refuge in cooler air as property prices surge, but who still feel discomfited by the social changes caused by the influx of newcomers. Advertisement Advertisement Eating outNow closed Why this award-winning St Kilda bar has suddenly closed Six weeks after winning a Good Food Guide award, a bar loved by locals for reviving St Kildas nightlife scene has closed, perhaps for good. Dani Valent and Emma Breheny December 17, 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 A A A In a swift and surprising twist, The Walrus in St Kilda - named The Age Good Food Guides Bar of the Year in October - has closed amid a dispute between the directors of the business. The oyster and wine bar on Inkerman Street opened in December 2023 and quickly won over the neighbourhood with its unpretentious attitude and quality offering: Wapengo Rock oysters, seafood-friendly but affordable wines, great martinis and a parade of other bites. The Walrus was a hit with locals but suddenly closed its doors last week. Bonnie Savage A since-deleted social media post on December 10 announced that director Martin Webster and his partner Amy McGouldrick (the bars general manager) were stepping away from The Walrus. The post said they would concentrate on their other business, The Carpenters Ruin, which opened directly next door to The Walrus in September, and take all their staff with them. This has since occurred. The December 10 announcement on The Walrus Instagram page. Staff Advertisement The Walrus is listed as temporarily closed on Google. The doors did not open over the weekend and Websters closure announcement is taped to the front window. Some furniture and fittings have been removed. The other director of The Walrus, Micheal Weal, is not involved in Carpenters Ruin and says that hes unable to reopen The Walrus partly due to the departure of staff. Webster and Weal met when working in kitchens in Sydney in 2005. As McGouldrick and Webster developed plans for The Walrus, they brought in Weal as business partner because they couldnt fund it by themselves: Webster put in $120,000 and Weal $70,000. Relations soon became strained, according to Webster, and Weal has since been a silent partner. Carpenters Ruin owners Martin Webster and Amy McGouldrick with chef Ciara Woodside (seated). Eddie Jim Documents seen by this masthead show that in November, Webster made a formal offer to purchase Weals share in the business for $70,000, the same amount he invested. Weal refused. Advertisement On November 17, three weeks after The Walrus was named Bar of the Year, Weal blocked McGouldricks and Websters business credit cards associated with an Amex account, and withdrew $100,000 from the business CommBank trading account into the now-locked Amex account. Weal says he did this as a precautionary step because he did not want Carpenters Ruin expenses being paid for with money from The Walrus. Related Article 14 / 20 Review There isnt a house wine here, but there are house oysters (and they dont get better) However, the funds freeze put The Walrus in an untenable trading situation, relying on uncertain cashflow to meet its commitments to staff and suppliers. I was genuinely doubtful we would be able to pay the next rent and the staff, says Webster. Advertisement Weve worked for crap people in the past. We dont want to be those people. We pay our super weekly, all our suppliers are paid. We have spent $10,000 on legal fees already and we dont have any more money. We couldnt see a way out of it but for me to resign as director and walk away. From Weals perspective, the opening of Carpenters Ruin is at the core of the relationship breakdown. Weal approved a loan from The Walrus to Carpenters Ruin to get the doors open, but says this came with a verbal offer of a stake in the new business. Webster denies any offer was made; the loan has since been repaid. Morcilla croquettes on sauce gribiche at The Walrus in May 2024. Bonnie Savage Webster and McGouldrick considered taking on the space next door before The Walrus opened. When the site became vacant in May 2025, they approached a different group of business partners and worked towards a spring launch of the mini-pub. Weal says he is now meeting with insolvency experts to assess the financial situation of The Walrus and whether he can reopen the bar on his own. Advertisement Weal was asked by this masthead why he wont reopen the doors of a business that, he says, is in a relatively good position we had a great line of credit. He responded that were still investigating Were doing our due diligence on that one. Related Article Exclusive A mini-pub with dad rock and meat raffles opens in a legendary St Kilda site Meanwhile, Carpenters Ruin is busy enough to absorb all staff from The Walrus, and Webster and McGouldrick are working towards reopening Tonc, the Mornington Peninsula venue they launched in May, only to have it burn down on opening weekend. 2025 has been a lot, says Webster. Amy and I are in grief. We love The Walrus space so much, we put everything into it, and we would go back into it in a heartbeat. Hopefully that will happen one day. Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Save this video for later Add videos to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it At the completion of the funeral service for Reuven Morrison, a procession of perhaps 2000 mourners walked slowly and deliberately from the chapel to his grave site, about 100 metres away. It was led by eight women, linked arm in arm, among them his widow, Leah, and daughter, Sheina Gutnick. The evening sun burst through a bank of clouds, raising the temperature as the pallbearers wheeled Morrisons coffin to his grave site, where a tall mound of earth stood stacked with shovels. Mourners gather to farewell Bondi hero Reuven Morrison. Simon Schluter Once the coffin was lowered, mourners took turns to heap a shovelful of soil into his grave in a final mark of respect. There was no loud crying, no audible conversation. Alone among the grieving, a security guard stood with his back to Morrisons grave, surveying the scene outside the fenced cemetery, in a hint of heightened tensions after Sundays slaughter. The procession was directed to return to the chapel for prayers, first the men, then the women. Morrison had been buried, his funeral was over, mourners stepped back inside as quietly as they stepped out, and the sun had retreated behind clouds once more. Advertisement PoliticsFederalBondi shooting Opinion You have failed us: Josh Frydenbergs full speech at Bondi memorial December 17, 2025 1:31pm 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. After laying flowers at the Bondi Pavilion memorial for Sundays shooting, former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, the first Jewish person to hold the position, gave an impassioned speech calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to act on antisemitism. Below is a full transcript of what Frydenberg said: Loading Thank you, everyone, for being here. Advertisement Im here to pay my respects to the souls of 15 innocent people, who have lost their life in the deadliest terrorist attack in Australias history. In the greatest loss of Jewish life since October 7 anywhere around the world outside the state of Israel. Rabbis, Holocaust survivors and the beautiful 10-year-old Matilda. Her parents said they gave her that name because it was the most Australian name they knew. What a tragedy. This massacre at Bondi is the greatest stain on this nation. Has brought the greatest shame to our nation. Im here to mourn, but I am also here to warn. Unless our governments, federal and state, take urgent, unprecedented and strong action, as night follows day we will be back grieving the loss of innocent life in another terrorist attack in our country. Former treasurer and Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg at the memorial for the Bondi terror attack on Wednesday. This was all too predictable. Ever since those hours after Hamas horrific attack on October 7, we saw the heinous scenes on the steps of another national icon, the Sydney Opera House, with people celebrating that death and destruction. Who was apprehended that day? None of those who hate Australia and hate Jewish people, but a simple Jewish man holding in solidarity the Israeli flag. Advertisement And since that day, we have seen the doxxing of Jewish creatives, the cancelling of Jewish artists, the boycotting of Jewish businesses, the graffiti-ing of our schools, the harassment, the intimidation of Jewish students and staff on our university campuses and of course the firebombing of our synagogues and day care centres and daily, daily protests of hate in this, the lucky country, which is lucky no more. And for 2 years, as the Australian Jewish community and others have raised the alarm bells, they were told by people who should know better that this was not as significant as they had said. We were told they didnt say gas the Jews on the steps of the Opera House, they simply said where are the Jews? The university vice-chancellor at the ANU, when one of her students went out publicly and supported a listed terrorist organisation, Hamas, we were told: I dont agree with what she has said, but it is her right under academic freedom to say it. And then we have the nurses in Bankstown calling for the death of Israelis and we are told its just a joke. When a caravan has a deadly message against Jewish people, we are told it is just a hoax. The protest at the Sydney Opera House in October 2023 sparked controversy. The Age Advertisement Well, the greatest massacre in Australias history is no hoax. It is no joke. Its a horrible, evil crime. So make no mistake, I am here, we are here to fight for the soul of Australia and to fight for the survival of the Australian Jewish community that has been here since the arrival of the First Fleet. Just over 100,000 strong. It has produced Australias greatest citizen soldier, Sir John Monash, who would be turning in his grave right now. Our first Australian-born governor-general, Sir Isaac Isaacs, and the man who brought a touch of healing to our country, Sir Zelman Cowen, and Olympic gold medallist Jessica Fox. Chief scientists and our greatest philanthropists, Frank Lowy, and industrialists: this is what the Jewish community has contributed in that 125 years or more, and this is how our government repays us. We, as a Jewish community, have been abandoned and left alone by our government. Our governments have failed every Australian when it comes to fighting hate and antisemitism. It is time for [Albanese] to accept personal responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people, including a 10-year-old child. It is time our prime minister accepted accountability for what has happened here. Josh Frydenberg Our prime minister, our government, has allowed Australia to be radicalised on his watch. It is time for him to accept personal responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people, including a 10-year-old child. It is time our prime minister accepted accountability for what has happened here. And its time our leaders stood up and led at last. Advertisement This is a time for accountability and action. So prime minister, I am going to give you some ideas about what you need to do. Firstly, prime minister, ban the hate preachers. On October 8, in Lakemba ... you had Islamic preachers say that October 7 [Hamas attack] was an act of courage and pride. When the Muslim community hears that message for the last 2 years, is this any surprise? The shooter here, who did this, was linked to a factory of hate in Bankstown. How can that factory of hate be allowed to open its doors for one day more? I say no, I say never. Related Article Bondi shooting Gun-law loopholes to take months to close in national firearm crackdown Second: Prime Minister, ban these extremist organisations that have been allowed to flourish on your watch in our country, when you have been prime minister. Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in the United Kingdom. It is banned in Germany. It is banned in moderate Muslim states. Yet it is not banned here in Australia. Eighteen months ago, the Channel Nine papers and 60 Minutes with Nick McKenzie exposed how Hizb ut-Tahrir was grooming young men in schools, online and across Australian society. Prime Minister, for 18 months what have you done? The answer is nothing, and the result is this. Advertisement Prime Minister, weeks ago, you had extremist right-wing organisations, Nazi sympathisers, standing on the steps of the Victorian parliament and the New South Wales parliament. Premier of Victoria, Premier of New South Wales, Prime Minister of Australia, what have you done? Nothing. That was your answer. This is the result. Ban those organisations immediately. Third: Prosecute those who incite violence and hate that has produced this. I interviewed the prime minister for my documentary 18 months ago on antisemitism. I put to the prime minister that Dennis Richardson, one of Australias most distinguished security professionals, the former head of ASIO, the former secretary of defence, the former secretary of foreign affairs, the former Australian ambassador to the United States said that the statement from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free was a very violent statement that had no place on our streets. And I put to you, I put to you, Prime Minister, that this is what Dennis Richardson said. And you agreed. You said it had no place on our streets. Yet what have you done, Prime Minister? Nothing! Nothing! And people are allowed to parade on our streets with Hezbollah, Hamas, ISIS flags and signs that say Jews are Nazis, Zionists are terrorists, yet where are the prosecutions? Where is the action? Prime Minister, what other country in the world are people in your country allowed to call for the abolition of? No other country, except the state of Israel. Well, I can tell you, I wont accept it and the people here will never accept it. Fourth: Stop the protests. For 2 years, we have put up with daily protests which have become incubators of hate. There is a ceasefire in the Middle East. Israel launched a defensive action against a listed terrorist organisation that took more than 1200 innocent lives and hundreds of Israelis hostage. And you have allowed these protests, unabated, to go on for 2 years, destroying businesses and now destroying lives. Stop the protests! Advertisement Fifth: Invest in education. When I did the documentary on antisemitism, I interviewed Julia Gillard. Julia Gillard said one of the reasons for the level of hate rising in our country is because young people dont have the information, the understanding. The knowledge of either the history of the Holocaust or the history of the Middle East. Across Australia, there is some Holocaust education but it is piecemeal. It is uncoordinated and it is different according to different states. You are the prime minister of Australia, and the history of the Holocaust is that bad things happen when good people stay silent. So its up to you not to sprinkle a bit of money around Holocaust education after a horrific terrorist attack but to take the initiative now, with whole-scale, wholesale, wide-scale reform to our education system. Related Article Bondi shooting What we know about the Bondi terrorists trip to Islamic State hotspot in the Philippines Teach Australian values of tolerance, respect. This was an attack on Australia and this needs root-and-branch change of our education system so that this never happens again. Sixth: Prime Minister, put in place a much more effective and rigorous and strong immigration system. On your watch, thousands of people have come from a terrorist hot spot without sufficient security checks. Your home affairs minister, who couldnt even put his face here in daytime, has to send officials out of the room to make promises about ISIS brides. You tell me how that is in Australias national interest? You tell me how bringing people to this country who dont accept, who dont know our democratic ideals, our values of tolerance, you tell me how that makes any of us, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, more safe? It doesnt. And until you change our immigration system to remind people it is a privilege to come to this country, it is a privilege to stay in this country, it is not their right, then nothing will change. Advertisement Seventh: Prime Minister, and this brings great shame to you and your home affairs minister and your government: You hand-picked a special envoy on antisemitism. She put together a comprehensive program that had initiatives for everything from the digital and media space to our universities and to our creative arts, to hard security, to soft security. She talks in that report about more resources for operational security. And today, we are talking about a graphic and tragic failure of operational security. Rabbi Yossi Friedman attends the vigil at the Bondi Pavilion Memorial. Louise Kennerley Yet she presented her report to your government more than 150 days ago, in July of this year. It has been gathering dust on your desk. If there were ever a metaphor, if there was ever a sign, if there was ever an example, if there was ever an illustration of your failure, of your governments failure to treat the dangerous rise of antisemitism with the urgency and the importance that it deserves, that was it. For 150-plus days you had a report and you did nothing. And this is the result. And finally, Prime Minister no ifs, no buts, no equivocations, no distractions you must call a royal commission into what has happened here and into the rise of antisemitism in our country. Prime Minister, you have supported a royal commission into our banks. You have supported a royal commission into our welfare system. You have supported a royal commission into aged care, and now the deadliest terrorist attack in Australias history has occurred on your watch. There is no ifs, there is no buts, there must be a royal commission called immediately. And we here deserve answers. Advertisement Related Article Bondi shooting Howard slams Albaneses leadership, calls changes to gun laws a diversion We dont need pious words of comfort, we need answers. How did people come into this country with these views that are so antithetical to our democratic ideals? How did these people in Australia go unchecked to the Philippines for terrorist training? How did these people acquire licensed firearms that they used on innocent civilians? How were these people radicalised in Islamic ideology? And how with some 1000 people here in a heightened threat environment, did we just have three police, ill-equipped to provide the first and fundamental duty of both the state and the federal government to protect the safety of their citizens? And we need answers, we need solutions, we need action. And Prime Minister, I heard you say yesterday that you are ready for the fight on guns. Well, let me tell you, guns may have stolen the life of 15 innocent civilians, but it was radical Islamist ideology that pulled the trigger. And if you, Prime Minister, cant say those words, Islamist ideology, if you cant speak them, you cant solve them. So, Prime Minister, you have failed us. Your government has failed us. You sit in a chair. It is time you earned that title. If you dont want to do the job, give it to somebody who will. Advertisement Advertisement Travel newsCruises The new players shaking up European river cruising Brian Johnston December 18, 2025 8:46am 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 A A Earlier this year, we reported on the many new ships setting sail on Europes rivers in 2025 and 2026 from companies as diverse as Amadeus Cruises, AmaWaterways, APT, Emerald Cruises, Riviera Travel, Tauck, Travelmarvel, Uniworld and Viking. These new ships face plenty of competition, with at least 400 river ships now operating in Europe. But in the next two years the throng is set to become even greater as three more cruise lines hope to make money from the seemingly insatiable European market. Artists Impression of Celebrity Compass the scale of Celebrity Cruises ambition might well shake up the river-cruise market. Render: Supplied First to cast off is land-based operator Trafalgar Tours. Its ship Trafalgar Verity will first depart from Amsterdam on April 12, 2026 for an eight-day glide down the Rhine River to Basel in Switzerland. A second ship, Trafalgar Reverie, will sail out of Budapest on April 18 on an eight-day itinerary up the Danube to Passau in Germany. Advertisement Artist impression of the Trafalgar Reverie on the Rhine. Render: Supplied Sign up for the Traveller newsletter The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now. The two 128-guest ships arent new, but have been chartered from Uniworld, for which they sailed as River Queen and River Princess. The two brands are both owned by The Travel Corporation. The move looks to capitalise on the growing fondness for longer holidays in Europe that sees many visitors combine both land and cruise tours. Trafalgar will incorporate some of its existing land programs and signature experiences into its shore-excursion offerings. Artists impression of the National Geographic-Lindblad Connect. Render: Supplied Prices will be more competitive than on more upmarket Uniworld. The eight-day Danube cruise is from $4399 a person twin share, whereas a similar cruise with Uniworld costs from $6299. Advertisement Also launching in April 2026 is National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions new 120-guest ship Connect, which will operate eight-day Rhine River cruises that, unusually, sail between Amsterdam and Brussels or Cologne and Basel. Both cost from $9214 a person twin share. The inaugural cruise leaves Amsterdam on April 26. Related Article Cruises How Australians created new ships that dazzled Europe Lindblad, which already operates river cruises in America, India, Egypt and Peru, has hinted at further ships and rivers to come in Europe. Connect is chartered from Transcend Cruises, which launched in 2023 as a charter-only company and aims to have 10 ships by 2028. A much more significant player is set to emerge on Europes rivers in 2027, when Celebrity Cruises ventures into the river-cruise space. The scale of its ambition might well shake up the relatively fragmented river-cruise market. Advertisement The first two ships Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker will operate on the Rhine and Danube, and feature cantilevered dining pods, an infinity pool and eight bars and restaurants. The deep-pocketed company has said it will have 10 river ships in operation by 2029 and, given it has hinted at varying ship sizes, some may appear on other rivers such as the Seine in France or Douro in Portugal. Celebritys parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, has also suggested that another of its brands, Silversea, might at some point venture into river cruising at the ultra-luxury end of the market. Watch this space. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share License this article More: Cruises River cruises Brian Johnston seemed destined to become a travel writer: he is an Irishman born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland, who has lived in Britain and China and now calls Australia home. Today, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Executive Director of the Animal Health Directorate and Chief Veterinary Officer for Canada, Dr. Mary Jane Ireland, and the United Kingdoms (UK) Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Gavin Hall, issued the following statement: We are pleased to announce that the CFIA and the VMD have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance collaboration between Canada and the UK in the regulatory oversight of veterinary biologics, including animal vaccines. We believe that access to effective veterinary vaccines is critical not only to protect animal health, but to safeguard public health, secure our food supply, and strengthen economic resilience. This agreement sets out how Canada and the UK will work together to make the pre-market assessment and approval of veterinary biologics more efficient. By sharing scientific expertise and information, discussing common priorities and exploring joint reviews of veterinary biological products, Canada and the UK aim to reduce duplication, lessen the burden on industry and facilitate access to important products. These efforts will help protect animal health, support farmers and pet owners, and safeguard the food supply chain. The MOU strengthens our commitment to working collaboratively, further develops the strong and productive relationship between our two organisations and reinforces our shared commitment to animal health. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code A 20-YEAR-OLD man was fined 400 at Carlow District Court after he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after gardai found it in the boot of his car. Luke Flynn pleaded guilty to possessing the firearm at Prumplestown, Castledermot on 10 January this year. Judge Geraldine Carthy heard that gardai stopped Mr Flynns Audi at that location and found an air socket gun in the boot. Solicitor Chris Hogan said that those types of air guns were legal in the UK, where Mr Flynn had been living for nine years, and that he didnt know that it was illegal to have one in Ireland. When Mr Hogan put it to the prosecuting garda that his client was a decent young fella, the garda agreed and added that although he hadnt met Mr Flynn before, he was aware of his extended family. Mr Hogan told Judge Carthy that Mr Flynn, of Linton Close, Wellington, Greater London, England, was 19 years old at the time of the offence, that he was in a vulnerable condition and that his family were in court to support him. Judge Carthy convicted and fined the defendant 400 for illegally possessing a firearm. However, gardai objected to granting Mr Flynn bail on other alleged offences of theft and dangerous driving, so she remanded him on continuing custody until tomorrows (Wednesday) sitting of Carlow District Court, where he is to appear via videolink. Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme One of mother natures most beautiful creatures came to an untimely end on Tuesday afternoon, washed up on the banks of the River Barrow. The scratched carcass of a common dolphin lies at least 27 km from the sea, partially submerged in bushes below the cottages between The Quay and Bauck Street in St Mullins. The sharp-eyed resident who found it reckoned that the dolphin was between 1.5 and 2 meters long and could weigh as much as 150 kg. It is believed to be the first ever dolphin found stranded in County Carlow. Neither the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) or the environment department of Carlow County Council said they were the appropriate body to organise removal of the carcass, due to its unprecedented location. Close-up of the dolphin. Photo by Anthony McGahan. The resident who found the dolphin could not log it through the IWDG portal online as landlocked Carlow was not one of the counties in the drop-down menu of options. He notified the group over the phone instead. Anthony McGahan, a geoscientist and resident of St Mullins, explained that the dolphin likely travelled up the river from the sea during a high tide. In the 20 years Anthony has lived in the village, he said he has never seen a dolphin this far inland, but seals, otters, European egrets and cormorants are not uncommon. According to IWDG public sighting records, a member of the public noticed a common dolphin milling in the River Barrow further downstream at the Mountgarrett Ferry Bridge on the Kilkenny, Wexford border on 7 December, but it is not possible to confirm whether this was the same dolphin. The first sighting on Tuesday of the dead dolphin in St Mullins by a local resident. The group noted there are often more dolphins spotted inshore along the south coast of Ireland during wintertime due to sprat and herring movements. The common dolphin is a pelagic species, used to open seas, who seem to be becoming more abundant in our waters, on the move from further south for some reason, said Gemma O'Connor, ive-stranding coordinator with IWDG. As a result we are seeing them more in our coastal waters and some do follow spawning fish up river, a habitat they are unfamiliar with and can get into difficultly, she continued. The River Barrow is tidal as far as the first lough in St Mullins, so theres an element of salt water, explained Anthony, meaning a dolphin might be able to survive. It may also have died further downstream and been carried into the village by high tides over the past few weeks. The village of St Mullins was severely flooded on 9 December, with the water level reaching over 3 meters. Anthony said that flooding is not uncommon in the village due to its location, but that it is getting more regular, and inundation is getting that little bit more extreme due to climate change. OPW data showing the water level at St Mullins over the past 30 days, with a peak on 9 December. Gemma said typically IWDG volunteers would collect data and photos from the dolphin, in addition to a skin sample which is stored in the natural history museum for genetic testing. However, their volunteers are located in the coastal counties, so in this case we do not have anyone nearby with a genetic kit to collect a skin sample. They said Carlow County Council would be the best placed to answer about removal from the waterway and that the public should refrain from touching it, as it can harbour some illnesses or viruses. However, the councils environment department said the IWDG was the more appropriate group to remove the carcass in this instance. Tom Tuite A man accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in west Dublin in October told gardai she said she was 18 and claimed he just kissed her. A second count was levelled against the 26-year-old when he faced his fifth hearing on Wednesday at Cloverhill District Court. He cannot be named for legal reasons. Last month, Judge Alan Mitchell learned that, following a psychiatric assessment, the man was found fit to stand trial. The accused was initially charged with sexual assault of a female at Garter Lane in Saggart on October 20th, 2025. The girl had been missing from care. On Wednesday, Garda Sergeant Sinead Connolly further charged him at the court with a second count of sexual assault of the same complainant at another location close to Garter Lane. Judge Mitchell heard that in reply to the new charge, after caution, the man told the sergeant: I spoke to my solicitor and told him she sat beside me; you can check the CCTV. She started talking to me, and I asked her her age. She told me she was 18. I just kissed her. Garda Sergeant Connolly said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed a trial on indictment in the Circuit Court. However, the prosecution must serve a book of evidence before he is sent forward to the higher level. The Clondalkin-based sergeant said the book of evidence was likely to be completed within six weeks. The man had the assistance of an Arabic interpreter during the hearing after the courtroom was cleared for the in-camera proceedings. Dressed in a white T-shirt and grey tracksuit pants, he handed the new charge to his solicitor and addressed the court once to say okay, confirming he was not making a bail application, The judge remarked that he was impressed that the DPPs directions were available after two months, when it usually takes three months. Legal aid was granted to the accused, who has yet to indicate a plea. Judge Mitchell remanded him in custody to appear again at the same court via video link on December 23rd. At his first hearing on October 21st, Garda Sergeant Connolly said the man replied, "I have nothing to say," after he was charged. The defence must give gardai 48 hours' notice if they intend to move a bail application. Following the alleged assault, there were violent scenes in Citywest, Dublin, resulting in more than 30 arrests, and gardai suffering injuries, and a Garda vehicle was burned out. Court prosecutions have commenced while an investigation continues to identify others at the scene. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. High Court Reporters Facebook operator Meta has been granted High Court permission to challenge a possible fine of up to 430 million that could be levied against the tech giant, originating from a single complaint relating to personal data processing. Meta also argues that the relevant State watchdog, the Data Protection Commission (DPC), acted outside its powers by widening its investigation, broadening it to all users of Facebook. At the High Court this week, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty granted the 'ex parte' application by Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd - where only one side is represented - to their counsel Declan McGrath SC. She put a stay on any possible fine being levied by the DPC until next year, when the case returns before the court. Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd took the action against the DPC, and this week was granted leave to seek judicial review against the watchdog's draft decision, which proposed a fine of between 360 million-430 million. The court heard a complaint was made in July 2018 by a Facebook user regarding access to personal data held by Meta in a digital warehouse termed a 'Hive'. The complainant said that he had requested access to what personal data was stored by Meta through his Facebook account and was, in response, furnished by Meta with online "tools" to assist in downloading his information. He claimed, however, there was remaining personal data left unsent, to which he should have access. Meta Ireland, with an address at Merrion Road, Dublin 4, is asking the court to quash the 'preliminary draft decision' by the DPC, dated October 10 of this year. It is seeking a declaration from the court that the data watchdog acted beyond its powers in expanding the scope of its inquiry beyond the individual's complaint into a wider, 'own-volition' inquiry by the commission. In submissions to the court, Meta claims that the DPC took a view that the request by the complainant had a "general application", in that similar considerations over data "could" arise for many other Facebook users. It is submitted by Meta that the DPC communicated to the company "that this was a situation in which the complainant was requesting the data in order to have a full understanding of it, and in which the provision of the data in raw format would be required to enable him to be aware of the context in which it was being processed". Meta further submits the DPC notified that the complainant outlined the "raw data stored exclusively in 'Hive' was necessary for him to be able to ascertain whether several websites he had used, including websites selling medical products, had shared his browsing history". "The DPC considers that these users were not able, in a similar manner to the complainant, to exercise their [GDPR] rights, or exercise control over their personal data," it is submitted by Meta. Ms Justice Gearty granted the application to Meta for the judicial review and put a stay on the DPC-indicated findings, pending the outcome of the case. The judge then adjourned the proceedings until January. Ottoline Spearman Gardai are stepping up security preparations ahead of Ireland's EU presidency in 2026. According to the Irish Times, An Garda Siochana is investing more than half a million euro in new simulation technology which will allow senior officers to rehearse responses to major emergencies, including terrorist attacks. UK firm Critical Simulations has been contracted to supply the technology and train gardai how to use it. The firm is the commercial arm of the Hydra Foundation, which provides training technology to many police forces around the world, according to the Irish Times. The training will recreate live control-room scenarios and will test decision-making during incidents such as mass casualty events and hostage situations. Other measures include new anti-drone technology and surveillance aircraft. This is the first time that Ireland has held the EU presidency role, which involves acting as the EU Commission chair and an "honest broker" between member states for a period of six months. Denmark currently holds the presidency role. Olivia Kelleher An 88-year-old hospital patient died of a cardiac arrest in his hospital bed following a sustained and violent attack during which he also suffered fractures, lacerations and bruising, a murder trial has heard. Dylan Magee (33) went on trial at a sitting of the Criminal Court in Cork on Tuesday morning. He pleaded not guilty to murder, guilty to manslaughter of Matthew Healy by reason of diminished responsibility. Mr Healy and Mr Magee were both patients in Room 2 of St Josephs Ward at Mercy University Hospital (MUH) in Cork on January 22nd, 2023. The men were not known to each other. The jury heard that Mr Healy had been taken to MUH by ambulance on January 13th, 2023, after he fell out of bed. He had become a widower earlier that month following the death of his wife. Det Garda Michelle Quinn gave the jury an outline of the case. She who said that Mr Magee had been referred to MUH on January 19th, 2023, as he was hallucinating. She said that Mr Magee said that he had taken sixty (60) Xanax, which he had purchased online. A subsequent toxicology screening showed the presence of THC, benzodiazepines and morphine in his system. She said that medics prescribed him a sedating drug, which was to be administered for the duration of the stay. He was also assigned a special care assistant. Det Garda Michelle Quinn stated that Mr Magee was psychiatrically reviewed at various intervals during his hospital stay. On January 21st, 2023, Mr Magee was given a bed in the same ward as Mr Healy. That evening, Mr Magee was talking and laughing to himself. At 9pm a nurse contacted a medical intern and said that Mr Magee was going to the bedside of other patients. The doctor arrived, and Mr Magee was given another injection later that evening. Det Garda Quinn said that Mr Magee was getting up and walking around all night with one patient even requesting to be moved to a different room as a result of his behaviour. Mr Magee was given another sedative by injection in the early hours of the morning. Dt Garda Quinn said that at 5.10am Mr Magee went to the bedside locker of another patient and asked: Does he have a blade? Det Garda Quinn said that at 5.15am a nurse left the room to ring for a doctor. The care assistant had his back to Mr Magee as he was changing his gloves. He heard footsteps and thumps. She said that the care assistant asked Mr Magee to stop, but he continued to punch Mr Healy a few more times. Det Garda Quinn said that during the attack, Mr Magee stated: This man ate my son. The jury was told that a nurse who tried to drag Mr Magee away from Mr Healy sustained a broken finger. The alarm was raised, and other medical staff and security responded. Meanwhile, Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said that the cause of death in the case was cardiac arrest due to a brain and spinal cord injury complicated by aspiration of blood due to blunt force trauma. Dr Bolster said that she had attended the crime scene following the incident. She noted the presence of blood-stained pillows and a large amount of blood spattering on the floor. She also logged the presence of blood spattering on the walls and a hospital locker, as well as blood on the bed and sheets. Dr Bolster carried out a postmortem on Mr Healy at Cork University Hospital. She said that the pensioner suffered fractures to his jaw and nasal bone. He also had bruising and lacerations. Dr Bolster indicated that Mr Healy would have died very quickly following the trauma. The jury also heard an outline of the case from Prosecution senior counsel Jane Hyland. Ms Hyland said that in Garda interviews following the incident, Mr Magee expressed bizarre beliefs, including that the deceased man cannibalised children. He also spoke about fire and claimed he was being persecuted by men wearing balaclavas. Mr Magee had started on an antidepressant the previous month. He had also suffered the bereavement of a family member the previous year. She said that Mr Magee was hearing voices and seeing things that were not there. He was assigned a special care assistant as he was vulnerable. Ms Hyland said that both the psychiatrist engaged by the Prosecution and the Defence agreed that by the time Dylan Magee attacked Matthew Healy, any substances he had taken before admission were eliminated from his system. She said that both the defence and prosecution psychiatrists were in agreement in relation to many of the facts. She said that the defence psychiatrist was of the view that Mr Magee was suffering from delirium and was disoriented and deluded and that impaired his capacity to inform a criminal intent. He (the defence psychiatrist) will say that he had a delusional (episode) and he felt that the victim had kidnapped and cannibalised the children of Dylan Magee. He didnt know the nature of what he was doing, and he couldnt refrain from what he was doing. It is his view that his (Magees) mental capacity was substantially diminished. Ms Hyland said the Prosecution psychiatrist, whilst substantially in agreement with the defence psychiatrist, would say that Dylan Magee knew the nature of the act on some level was wrong but was unable to refrain from committing the act. The case continues. Olivia Kelleher A man in his 30s has appeared in court charged with being drunk and disorderly on a Ryanair flight from Portugal to Dublin, which had to be diverted to Cork Airport. Neil Hughes of Willow Park Grove, Glasnevin in Dublin, appeared before Cork District Court on Tuesday. The network technician is charged that on December 15th, he was intoxicated to such an extent that he might endanger himself and others on board. He is also charged with engaging in behaviour likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to people on board the aircraft. Sgt John Dineen said that at 12.45 pm on December 15th gardai received a report from Cork Airport Police about a disruptive passenger who was on board a flight from Faro in Portugal to Dublin. Airport police requested garda assistance with the inbound flight, which was diverted to Cork Airport. The flight had taken off at 10.15am local time in Faro. Sgt Dineen said that there were 181 passengers and five members of crew on board the plane. Gardai accompanied by airport police, boarded the plane and located the passenger. It is alleged that the passenger was lying across a row of seats. He was in a highly intoxicated state. Sgt Dineen said that the crew had been able to control the passenger for a period of time. However, it is alleged that his behaviour became increasingly aggressive and a decision was made to divert the plane to Cork. The passenger resisted arrest and had to be handcuffed before he was taken from the plane. Garda Fearghal Bolger told Judge Mary Dorgan that there was no objection to bail in the case once bail conditions were adhered to by the accused. Mr Hughes is required to sign on at his local garda station, be of sober habits and refrain from boarding Ryan Air flights. Judge Dorgan said that it was a serious case. She decided that further bail conditions were required, including that Mr Hughes be put on his own bond of 1500, 500 of which must be lodged in court. He must also surrender his passport. She also increased the number of sign-on times in the case from one to three. She remanded Mr Hughes on bail to appear before the court on December 22nd next. THE funeral of well-known artist Philippa Bayliss heard on Monday how painting was in her soul and that her deep love of art was how she connected with the world around her. Mourners who gathered at the Church of Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Myshall were told of how Philippa believed absolutely and completely in every persons right to reach their potential, with her brother Jack quoting Rudyard Kiplings poem If in his eulogy about how, despite being friends with stars like Mick Jagger, she could walk with kings and not lose the common touch. Philippa was tragically killed in a road traffic accident on Monday 8 December, with celebrant Fr Patrick Hughes describing the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one as like a power cut: The lights go out and we are left in darkness. Nothing can prepare us for this. In his homily, Fr Hughes spoke of Philippas early life in Goresbridge, Co Kilkenny as the eldest daughter of Capt HTT Bayliss RN and Patricia (nee Loftus). She received her primary education in Goresbridge before going to England for secondary school. It was from there that she went to the prestigious Beam Shaw School of painting in London on a scholarship in the early 1960s. Fr Hughes spoke about how, upon her return to Ireland, she began to work voluntarily in Castletown House and was eventually offered a full-time role as restorer and curator by Desmond Guinness. In his eulogy, Philippas son Nicholas recited a passage from a book by Darragh McIntyre that she appears in, where she spoke of how she had fallen in love with Castletown at the age of 13 and that it was the most beautiful building I had ever seen. Castletown house played a significant role in Philippas life and it was during her time working there that she met her future husband William Garner. The couple bought and renovated an old schoolhouse in Ardclough, Co Kildare and it was there that they raised their three sons, Nicholas, Temple and James. She moved to Myshall in 2008 and quickly became immersed in the local community and the beauty of its surroundings. Her brother Jack spoke of her love of the countryside around Myshall and one of his prized possessions, which still hangs in his dining room today, is a painting of Mount Leinster that Philippa gave to him and his wife as a wedding present. The funeral heard of Philippas great ability to connect with people, particularly those who had lost their way in life, and how she would sit and listen to those people, gently nurturing them along their way and inspiring them to do great things. Burial took place afterwards at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Lorum, near Ballinkillen, where she was laid to rest alongside her beloved American grandmother Annie Taylor and her aunt Brook, who Jack described as equally as eccentric as Philippa. Philippas brother Jack finished his eulogy by saying: Now, she will be painting with the angels in Heaven. STAFF represented by SIPTU and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) are set to begin a 24-hour strike from 8am on Thursday 18 December with further stoppages planned for Monday 23 December, and additional action over the Christmas period. The dispute centres on an 8% pay increase agreed under a 2023 Workplace Relations Commission process for Section 39 organisations, which unions say has not been implemented for Caredocs 270 members despite funding being provided by the HSE. In a statement issued yesterday, Caredoc called on the unions to suspend their planned action on humanitarian grounds, warning that the strike coincides with the busiest time of year for the service. This 24-hour industrial action coincides with the busiest time of the year for Caredoc, which plays a vital role in maintaining a frontline health service for thousands of patients, a Caredoc spokesperson said. The current winter flu epidemic, expected to peak over the Christmas period, is proving particularly virulent this year as hospitals and GP services already struggle to provide adequate cover. The service, which was founded in Carlow in 2001, provides GP out-of-hours services across Carlow, Kilkenny, south Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, south Wicklow and the northwest counties of Donegal, Sligo, west Cavan and Leitrim, serving approximately 730,000 people. Caredoc handles around 30,000 patients during the Christmas period. According to RTE, the HSE issued a statement this morning placing responsibility for the dispute firmly with Caredoc, stating that 647,000 was allocated to Caredoc South-East in March 2025 under a WRC agreement and has already been paid over. The dispute arises because Caredoc has refused to pass on pay increases to its staff, despite receiving funding from the HSE for this purpose, an HSE spokesperson said. Southdoc and Shannondoc passed on these increases to staff without issue; Caredoc has not. Caredoc argues that paying staff would undermine its separate claim to be recognised as a Section 39 organisation. The HSE said GP out-of-hours services are provided under the GMS contract, not under Section 39 arrangements, and this distinction was accepted by unions at the WRC. Caredoc responded that it remains committed to intensive engagement with the HSE and to arriving at a fair result that can hopefully restore pay parity between all its staff members and HSE equivalents, as was the case up to 2021. SIPTU Organiser Ger McNally told RTE his members are deeply disappointed that no resolution was reached at the talks. Our members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action due to their employer, CareDoc, failing to apply the agreed pay increases of 8% that have been due since 2023, Mr McNally said. It was only when our members served notice of industrial action that management and the HSE took the issue seriously and engaged directly on the matter. We are extremely disappointed that CareDoc has failed to put forward any proposals to address the claim to date. The strike action is expected to result in the loss of up to 10,000 hours of clinical consultations over the Christmas period. Further 24-hour strikes are planned for 27 December and 2 January, with a 48-hour strike scheduled from 29 December. The 150 INMO members and 120 SIPTU members involved in the action include triage nurses, drivers for doctors and receptionists. As The Nationalist previously reported, staff held a lunchtime protest in Carlow on 26 November, marching from the Seven Oaks Hotel to Caredocs head office at St Dympnas Hospital. At the time, Mr McNally told this newspaper that the last meaningful engagement from management was in March of this year. At a recent Carlow Co Council meeting on 8 December a motion to support Caredoc workers in their protest for pay increases was passed. Cllr Adrienne Wallace brought forward the motion, describing Caredocs lack of action as "shocking." It would be great to show these workers that are based here in Carlow, that do essential work, that we stand with them, that we're calling on Caredoc to step up to the mark and to do what's right here, she said. Several councillors expressed support for the motion. Cathaoirleach Ken Murnane noted that the health board don't give that kind of money without really being serious and hopefully, the workers actually get what theyre due. Cllr Dan Pender added that the Caredoc staff are the reason that our A&Es and our emergency department are not overwhelmed on a daily basis. If they continue to strike, it means that smaller issues are pushed into our A&Es and will continue to overwhelm them. We need to back the workers in this case and ensure that we look after everyone in our society, he said, adding that the pay increase to match equivalent workers in the HSE was a no-brainer. Despite supporting the motion, cllr Michael Doran expressed concern over the future of the company if strikes were to continue. He said: The last thing we should be doing is any disservice to Caredoc themselves considering their vital role in providing healthcare in the region. Cllr Fergal Browne added: Hopefully, it can be resolved and, hopefully, the workers will get back to work and provide the excellent service to the public. Advertisement Bamburi Cement has signed a US$250m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Chinas CBMI Construction Co., Ltd to build a new clinker production plant in Kwale county, Kenya. The agreement covers the construction of a 1.6Mta clinkerisation line, which Bamburi said will significantly reduce the countrys reliance on imported clinker and strengthen security of supply for the domestic cement market. The project was formally announced at a signing ceremony in Nairobi attended by President William Ruto. According to Bamburi, the new facility will use a six-stage pre-calciner system and incorporate emissions-reduction technologies, including the use of alternative fuels such as coconut husks, cashew shells and municipal solid waste. The company said the design is intended to improve energy efficiency and lower the carbon intensity of clinker production. Bamburi chief executive Mohit Kapoor said the project would enhance production consistency and support long-term demand from Kenyas infrastructure and housing programmes. He added that the new clinker line forms part of the companys wider strategy to modernise its asset base and reduce exposure to imported raw materials. The Kwale investment is expected to generate employment during construction and operation, while supporting industrial development along Kenyas coast. Bamburi did not disclose a timeline for commissioning of the new clinker line although some sources have suggested by 2028. Ruto rules out repeal of clinker import levy Meanwhile, President Ruto has ruled out repealing the 17.5 per cent levy on imported clinker, reaffirming the governments commitment to promoting domestic clinker production despite earlier signals from the trade ministry that the tax could be withdrawn. He noted that Kenya has sufficient limestone reserves and should not rely on imported clinker for cement production. He argued that continued restrictions on clinker imports are necessary to encourage investment in local capacity and reduce dependence on foreign raw materials. Advertisement Swedish mining group Boliden has received SEK117m (US$11m) in support from the Swedish Energy Agency under the governments Industrial Leap initiative to develop a low-carbon alternative material for the cement value chain. The funding will support the construction of an industrial demonstration plant to produce and validate a new product derived from iron-rich residual materials generated within Bolidens own operations. The material can partially replace quicklime, a key input in cement manufacturing and one of the main sources of process-related CO 2 emissions. By substituting part of this input with recycled industrial residues, Boliden aims to reduce the carbon intensity of cement and related applications. According to the company, widespread use of the new product within its own operations could reduce value-chain emissions by up to 600,000ta in the long term. The project also supports circular economy objectives by converting materials that would otherwise be disposed of into productive inputs. The Industrial Leap programme is designed to accelerate large-scale industrial decarbonisation in Sweden through support for innovative technologies. It forms part of Swedens strategy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and is supported by the EUs Recovery and Resilience Facility. This Christmas season at Southern Adventist University, the Student Blessing Tree in Wright Hall stands tall once again.Begun in 2023 by Kim Mendoza, administrative assistant and hiring process coordinator, the tree enables students to ask for needs in the Christmas season by filling out a card and placing it into a burlap bag on a tree branch. Then employees select requests and meet these needs to the best of their abilities.Ms. Mendoza said, The Blessing Tree provides a unique way for students to experience the love of Jesus.The blessings have been growing each year.In its first year, about 50 individuals received gifts as a result of the tree. Last year, the number grew to 75, and this year it officially exceeded 100 students.I love being part of something that directly impacts students, Ms. Mendoza said. For example, being the elf for employees and donors who wish to remain anonymous is such a rewarding experience.Ms. Mendoza recalls a time last year when she got to act as "elf" for a participant who requested warm clothes and shoes for the winter. The employee wanted to remain anonymous, but deliver the gift in a way that would create an experience, Ms. Mendoza said.She took the student shopping in the employees stead. She said, It was such a blessing to be able to get to know her and help her carefully pick out items she liked.The Student Blessing Tree has enabled miraculous experiences. In 2023, one individual asked for tuition assistance, and the staff member who drew her name found a donor who paid off the full school bill, enabling her to finish her senior year.Ms. Mendoza said, The student shared that she had completely surrendered her future at Southern to God, and He came through for her in a way she never expected.Star Stevens, School of Religion resource secretary, has donated to a students bill previously. I liked the idea of doing something specific to help a student who needed it, she said. It was a wonderful feeling to know that someones entire life might be impacted by my gift.The recipient was so overwhelmed by the gift that she took steps to directly thank Ms. Stevens.Ms. Mendoza said, The Blessing Tree is just one way that employees at Southern act as the hands and feet of Jesus.The tree is located on the second floor of Wright Hall on the balcony, and participants can fill out a card with their needs, or take a pouch from the tree to help someone else. For those who prefer to donate money, visit southern.edu/blessingtree. Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C. announced the hiring of attorneys Jennifer Lea and Susie Lodico, who will support the firm's litigation practice area."We're excited to welcome two highly accomplished litigators to the firm," said President and Managing Shareholder Steve Barham. "Jennifer brings a rare blend of global legal experience and strategic insight, and Susie adds deep, industry-spanning litigation knowledge and exceptional courtroom skills. Together, they elevate our ability to serve clients with the loyalty, precision and advocacy they expect from Chambliss."With more than 15 years of experience as a state and federal prosecutor and international human rights lawyer, Ms.Lea advises clients in criminal and human rights matters, labor and employment, family law, health care regulation and civil litigation. She also represents health care providers in qui tam cases, white-collar criminal defense, payment and licensing disputes and fraud and abuse litigation.Before joining Chambliss, Ms. Lea held a senior position litigating before the European Court of Human Rights and previously appeared before the Supreme Courts of Tennessee and Virginia, the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. As a federal prosecutor and leader within the Department of War, she managed cases involving elected officials, corporations and international criminals.Ms. Lea has received several notable honors, including the Air Force Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal. She is a member of the Tennessee and Virginia Bar Associations, and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Courts of Tennessee and Virginia, the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.Beyond the courtroom, Ms. Lea serves on the boards of three French nonprofits: Advocates France (Juristes & Chretiens), Comite Protestante Evangelique pour la Dignite Humaine and Impact France. She earned her bachelor of arts in psychology from Covenant College and her master of arts in international affairs from The American University of Paris and Institut Catholique de Paris. Lea received her J.D. from the William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law. She is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Virginia.Ms. Lodico focuses her practice on complex commercial and business litigation, representing individuals and companies in matters involving contract disputes, property rights, construction issues and related commercial conflicts. She advises clients across a broad range of industries, including international manufacturing and distribution, finance and commercial and residential real estate. Ms. Lodico has experience litigating disputes among businesses, owners and family members. She is involved in every stage of the litigation process, from early investigation through final resolution, including appeals when necessary."Throughout her career, Ms. Lodico has handled a wide range of high-stakes and complex cases, experience that informs the focused and strategic approach she brings to each matter at Chambliss," officials said. "She uses her trial experience and practical judgment to resolve disputes efficiently, both in and out of the courtroom. Ms. Lodico's approach is tailored to each clients goals and industry to support long-term business needs."Ms. Lodico is a member of the Tennessee and Chattanooga Bar Associations. She received her bachelor of arts from the University of Colorado, and earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Tennessee. CARTA Board Chairman Johan de Nysschen told members of the City Council on Tuesday that the bus system has long been limited by low expectations. He said, "It was suppose to be for people who have no other options." Also, CARTA officials said they are drawing up plans for a long-talked-about transit center in downtown Chattanooga. Mr. de Nysschen said the "chronically low funding" for CARTA has led to a transit system that doesn't work for most citizens. He said successful systems are geared for all residents, providing reliability and efficient service. He said currently riding the bus as far as going from East Brainerd to the Enterprise South Industrial Park "there's no way to get there. It takes three hours." Of bus service, he said, "Nobody wants to wait 45 minutes for a bus." Mr. de Nysschen said the lack of quality bus service here also limits many individuals from getting to job training. He said when he was heading up Chattanooga Volkswagen that he could not convince the VW board in Germany to carry out the planned expansion of the plant. He said, "That was my biggest frustration and disappointment." He said his board was most concerned about the lack of skilled workers in Chattanooga. He said, "They told me, 'You can't fill three shifts now. How are you going to fill more?' " Mr. de Nysschen said boosting local transit is essential to the ongoing success of the local VW plant. He said a Federal Reserve study found that 40 percent of those living in Chattanooga have an income of $20,000 or less. He said these individuals mainly have no access to work skills training centers. Charles Frazier, CARTA CEO, told the council that the agency is looking for sites for the transit center and has some possibilities. He said at the present time CARTA just "lines up buses along Market Street. People are huffing it down the street to make their changes." He said the agency is also studying setting up "transportation hubs" throughout the community. With increased funding from the city, he said CARTA has been able to leverage millions in transit grants. Officials said CARTA has been awarded a competitive grant through the Federal Transit Administrations (FTA) Low or No Emission (Low-No) Grant Program to support the replacement of aging vehicles across its fleet, with a primary focus on modernizing Care-A-Van paratransit service. The total project investment is $1,010,576 and includes required local matching funds from the city of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). This funding will allow CARTA to purchase six to seven new vehicles, along with essential onboard equipment such as fareboxes, radios, and onboard security cameras. The investment will improve safety, reliability, and accessibility for riders who depend on Care-A-Van for essential trips to jobs, healthcare, and daily activities, it was stated. The FTAs Low Emission Grant Program is designed to enhance safety and renew transit systems nationwide by deploying modern buses and associated equipment, while expanding access to employment, healthcare, recreation, and commercial services. The program also supports workforce development, ADA-compliant facilities, and energy-efficient transit investments. CEO Frazier said, This award reflects both the critical importance of paratransit service and the strength of our regional and federal partnerships. We are deeply grateful for the leadership and support of Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann. Their advocacy and collaboration are essential to securing federal resources like this FTA grant. These partnerships are how CARTA brings federal dollars home to the Tennessee Valley and builds a safer, more modern, and more accessible transit system for the future. Mr. Frazier said CARTA has made the replacement of aging vehicles a strategic priority as part of its broader effort to strengthen the foundation of the regions transit system and responsibly steward public resources. This grant represents a significant step forward in renewing the fleet while improving service for riders who rely on CARTA every day, he said. Procurement of the new vehicles will begin immediately, with delivery and deployment expected in phases over the coming months. Providing scholarships for students with financial need. Funding student and faculty participation in national sales competitions, conferences and workshops Positioning UTC as a leader in sales education with a dedicated Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Sales Enhancing sales simulation labs and advanced learning technology Supporting the growth and professional development of sales faculty and staff The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has announced that its sales institute in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business will be named the John Art Phillips Sales Institute, honoring the late entrepreneur, extraordinary salesman and business leader.Guided by his motto, Lets Double It, John Arthur Phillips Sr. helped a small local bakerynow McKee Foodsgrow into a regional, then national marketer of snack food and home of Little Debbie, Americas No. 1 snack cake brand.Dad was a genuine people person.He greeted everyone with a twinkle in his eye and a friendly smile, framed by the ever-present bow tie that became his calling card, stated John Phillips Jr. Love of his company, its people and products fueled his selling passion and inspired many others to achieve sales success. Lets Double It was more than a sales goal. It was a way of life.The institutes naming was made possible through a generous gift from the Phillips family.The transformational gift will expand opportunities for UTC students by:Naming UTCs sales institute in dads memory is our familys way of honoring his legacy and enabling future students the opportunity to access a quality education in the field of professional selling, stated Phillips Jr., representing the family.Launched in 2022, the institute prepares students to become ethical and adaptable leaders in one of the worlds most in-demand professions. It is recognized nationally as a Top Sales Program by the Sales Education Foundation and is an accredited associate member of the University Sales Center Alliance. The institute combines classroom learning with real-world experience through immersive simulations, national competitions and strong partnerships with leading companies.This is a deeply meaningful investment in our students, but it is also a tribute to a remarkable gentleman, said Dr. Lori Bruce, chancellor of UTC. Mr. Phillips embodied the very best qualities of sales and sales leadership, and through this naming, his legacy will continue to inspire generations of sales leaders at UTC.With the Rollins College of Business expansion, the John Art Phillips Sales Institute will more than double its space and feature additional simulation labs, student study areas and a Sales Alumni Wall of Fame.This gift has paved the way for the future of professional sales education at UTC, said Dr. Robert Dooley, dean of the Rollins College of Business. Because of the Phillips familys generosity, we are now positioned to transform the sales institute into a stand-alone Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree in professional sales, one of the first of its kind in the region. The gift will also support the development of a new professional sales curriculum, allowing us to reach even more students.Mr. Phillips showed what is possible with vision and determination, said Dr. Christopher R. Plouffe, executive director and Gary W. Rollins Endowed Chair in Sales. Naming the institute in his honor ensures that his values and example will live on, shaping students for decades to come. Int'l forum on civilizations mutual learning starts in Macao Xinhua) 10:09, December 17, 2025 Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations in Macao, south China, Dec. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka) MACAO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations kicked off on Tuesday in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), featuring more than 20 thematic sessions and academic exchange sessions. Spanning two days and themed "Mutual Learning among Civilizations, Inheritance and Development," the forum brings together around 300 representatives from government departments and international organizations, as well as leading experts and scholars worldwide, according to the organizer. Wang Gang, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said in his address at the opening ceremony that the holding of the forum is a vivid practice of the Global Civilization Initiative, providing a new platform for equal dialogue, exchanges, mutual learning, and mutual inspiration among different civilizations. O Lam, secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR government, noted in her remarks that the forum marks a new starting point for conducting civilizational dialogue with Macao as a platform. "We're pleased to have experts from home and abroad share ideas, explore trends, and find new solutions together to address challenges," she said. Participants are scheduled to discuss topics such as how dialogue and mutual learning among different civilizations can promote prosperity and development for humanity, and how to conserve world heritage while achieving development. Held in Macao for the first time, the forum is hosted by the Macao SAR government and organized by its Cultural Affairs Bureau, and supported by the Chinese Academy of History under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. O Lam, secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, speaks at the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations in Macao, south China, Dec. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) D.A.R.E. program graduation at Hixson Middle School D.A.R.E. program graduation at Hixson Middle School D.A.R.E. program graduation at Hixson Middle School D.A.R.E. program graduation at Hixson Middle School D.A.R.E. program graduation at Hixson Middle School D.A.R.E. program graduation at Hixson Middle School D.A.R.E. program graduation at Hixson Middle School Previous Next Sheriff Austin Garrett, School Resource Deputy and D.A.R.E. Instructor Monica Mills, and members of the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office School Resource Deputy Unit, in partnership with the administration of Hixson Middle School, hosted the schools inaugural D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony for students who recently completed the program. This inaugural class marks the first academic year D.A.R.E. has been taught at Hixson Middle School, with 160 students graduating. By the end of this school year, approximately 1,160 students will have completed the program countywide since its reinstatement in 2022. This is the first D.A.R.E. graduation to take place at Hixson Middle School, and it has already become an important part of the schools curriculum," said SHeriff Garrett. "My administration recognizes the significant impact of the D.A.R.E. Program, not only in preventing drug use among our youth, but also in instilling essential life skills and values. With the alarming volume of overdoses both statewide and nationwide, as well as peer-related issues our students are facing, there has never been a more critical time to expand the D.A.R.E. Program in Hamilton County. I am extremely proud of School Resource Deputy and D.A.R.E. Instructor Monica Mills for her hard work and dedication to the safety and education of Hixson Middle School students." The HCSO extends its appreciation to the administration and staff of Hixson Middle School and the Hamilton County Department of Education for their continued support of this program. For more information about the D.A.R.E. Program, please visit www.dare.org. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) Fisheries Division is soliciting public comments on the proposed 2026-27 fishing regulations through Jan. 5. The proposals were presented at the December meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission in Chattanooga. The proposals can be viewed, and comments submitted online on the TWRA website. The Commission will vote on the proposed changes at the Jan. 8-9 meeting in Dyersburg. Among the fishing proposals, the Fisheries Division recommended removing the delayed harvest regulation for trout on the Piney River in Rhea County, removing the closed fishing season on Catoosa WMA, and moving the delayed harvest start date for trout on Big Soddy Creek in Hamilton County to Nov. 1. Due to renovations being made at Travis McNatt Lake in Big Hill Pond State Park in Hardeman County and Woodhaven Lake in Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson County, the Agency is recommending catch and release for largemouth bass at these two locations. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is responsible for protecting, managing, and conserving fish and wildlife species for the benefit of Tennesseans and visitors. The agency also maintains public safety through law enforcement and safety education on waterways. Here is the Concurrent Grand Jury report for the September-December Term of 2025, presented by Rosemarie Hill, foreman, on behalf of the concurrent grand jurors. General Information on Concurrent Grand Jury: The Concurrent Grand Jury was sworn in on Sept. 8. We were trained on various laws and law enforcement and apprehension procedures on Sept. 9, and then met every other Monday and Tuesday from Sept. 22-Dec. 16. Hamilton County has two grand juries (Concurrent and Regular) that meet on alternate weeks and share the same duties and responsibilities.This report is the CGJs - the Regular Grand Jury has a separate report.The two grand juries hear evidence from law enforcement officers and determine if a person arrested or being investigated for a crime(s) should be formally charged with the crime(s). The CGJ was a mixed group in terms of professional and life experiences, education, specific technical expertise, ideologies and beliefs, ethnicity, and age ranging from 31-77. There were 13 regular grand jurors, with six alternates, guided by foreman Rosemarie Hill. We were a committed and serious jury who listened to and questioned the testifying officers. We sought clarification from the district attorney on specific laws as needed. We then discussed the facts presented to us amongst ourselves - sometimes rather energetically. With every case, before coming to a decision on whether to indict, we considered the facts presented to us as well as the impacts on victims, the accused, law enforcement, and the public. All decisions to indict were unanimous. We were presented with 188 cases which contained 563 separate charges, of which we returned 561 true bills (indictment) and two no bills (no indictment). We considered 39 direct presentments of case facts that contained 168 separate charges which were true billed. Case Presentations and Issues; Information Provided by Law Enforcement: When a case is presented to the CGJ by an officer, he or she has generally spent many hours on apprehensions, arrests, follow-up fact and evidence investigations, paperwork, and reports to the district attorney as necessary. Thus, cases brought to the CGJ are generally well prepared and seldom without merit. After the evidence is presented, any juror can question the presenting officer, the foreman asks everyone except the jury to leave, and we discuss the cases and vote on whether to indict (true bill) or not (no bill). The discussions and votes are, by law and practice, confidential and we only report whether the case was indicted or not. Presenting law enforcement officers this term came from both state and surrounding jurisdictions, including Hamilton County, Chattanooga, East Ridge, Collegedale, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, and Soddy Daisy; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Bureau; as well as the Corrections Department of the Hamilton County Jail and the Chattanooga State police force. We heard and reviewed details of many different (and sometimes horrific) crimes, including first-degree premeditated murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and reckless endangerment; targeted and random shootings often resulting in serious injury or death; rape of adults and children; child abuse; human trafficking; assault including aggravated and domestic; theft of all sorts from businesses, homes, and vehicles; breaking and entering; burglary of homes, businesses, and vehicles; fraud of many types; false reports to police; identity thefts of frightening creativity; many variations of unlawful drug possession, manufacture and sale; and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI), often as a second or greater offense. Although the CGJ is generally impressed with the thoroughness of the testifying officers, not only in presenting cases but in answering follow-up questions, some officers were not as organized or as completely effective as others in helping us understand the facts that resulted in the arrest. A less than helpful presentation is still the exception but is a definite problem when it happens. The CGJs decisions must be made solely from officer testimony and documentation. Of great assistance to it are simple things such as speaking clearly, slowly, and loudly enough for everyone to hear and comprehend, having reasonably organized facts, and if helpful, using videos, photos, or diagrams to help explain the facts. An officer may and should choose his or her own method of presentation of the arrest charges, but the CGJ needs narratives to be clear and complete. For instance, if there is a charge listed and the officer cannot testify to the facts of that charge, then the CGJ must no bill that charge or ask the officer to return for more questioning. The staff that manages the order and presentation of witnesses for CGJ does an outstanding job of coordinating the many officer schedules and contingencies. Don Klasing, CGJ liaison on behalf of the Hamilton County Sheriffs office, and Sgt. Neysa Gorgas-Rios of the Chattanooga Police Department were indispensable in their continuing efforts to ensure officer availability for hearings. Scheduling grand jury hearings is no easy task as officers have many duties and time constraints that sometimes make it difficult to appear at a certain time. Sgt. Rios also organized excellent training for the CGJ on Sept. 9 and our tour of law enforcement facilities. Mr. Klasing skillfully coordinated our term schedules and our jail tours. District Attorney General Coty Wamp explained the criminal legal system and the burden of proof the CGJ must consider. She spoke to us at the beginning and end, as well as throughout our term. Her advice was organized and very helpful to our deliberations. She also understands the heavy burden on the grand jury from some of the cases, and was always there for our questions or concerns. She or one of her assistant DAs was present for every case presentation to answer our legal and process questions. The DAs do not present evidence and they are not present when we vote. No persons other than the grand jurors and the foreman are present for consideration, discussions, and voting on each case. We note that no member of the DAs office has ever tried to influence our decisions on whether to indict a case or not. Training and Tours this Term: In addition to case presentations, several Chattanooga Police Department officers took the time to help us understand the structures, challenges, and internal workings of law enforcement in processing crimes. Investigator Terry Topping provided solid information about drugs and drug crimes in our communities, including the havoc wreaked by fentanyl and the appearance of many new drugs. He illustrated this drug havoc with specific examples and videos. He also explained that many of the legal drugs that are sold in the community (for instance at convenience stores near the counters) actually contain illegal drugs, are completely unregulated, and may contain dangerous ingredients. He and Hamilton County Criminal Judge Amanda Dunn pointed out that it is difficult for our laws to keep up with the many illegal or "legal but extremely dangerous substances showing up on our streets. The effects of these drugs on individuals are horrible, and the concomitant community chaos and destruction are real. As the CGJ heard cases, we began to understand that illegal drug use, sale, and manufacture are at the base of many crimes and tragedies. Sgt. Jeffrey Buckner presented very helpful information and demonstrations on DUI issues in the field including apprehensions, arrests, field sobriety tests, and general handling of these dangerous situations involving impaired drivers on our roads. His presentation was very informative but also entertaining. Officer Brandon Watson presented great information about the Crisis Co-Response Unit of the CPD. We are grateful for the existence of this CCRU and its combination of law enforcement officers, social and case workers, first responders, and courts in assisting citizens in need of mental health care. It appears that Officer Watson and his team have built up the CCRU and they are dedicated to continuing and expanding this unit that helps the most needy in our community. We commend the work and recommend resources keep flowing for the CCRU. We learned about the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and various gun issues from Lt. Josh May. NIBIN automates ballistic evaluations and provides actionable investigative leads in a timely manner. The work on analyzing guns and gun usage gives officers critical information on past and sometimes future gun crimes. We very much appreciated MPO Lucas Timmons and his colleagues for explaining the K-9 officer program and use. Training a K-9 is no easy task, but the results can be tremendous. CPD K-9 officers have solved crimes, found evidence, and restrained criminals. The CGJ was able to tour the Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center as well as the Juvenile Court this term. At the Jail, Captain Rodney Terrell and his colleagues accompanied us through portions of the new facilities and pointed out improvements to some of the older areas. He answered our questions and provided solid information on the facilities and operation of the jail. Our tour of the juvenile court detention facilities was also informative and all our questions were answered. We thank Judge Philyaw and Keith Grant, the Juvenile Court Administrator for talking with us and guiding us through the court and detention areas. Although renovations are underway on some areas of the facility, the cell areas for young inmates remain woefully outdated, and we strongly recommend more resources for updating the juvenile facility. For instance, the plumbing in the cell areas is so outdated and in disrepair that it is hard to find parts to fix it, so those being held can only flush twice an hour to prevent overflows from the toilet systems - the overflows require manual resetting as well as cleanup and disinfection. Also, some of the necessary kitchen equipment has stopped working and needs to be replaced, but of course, resources are not available for many of these needs. One thing the CGJ understands from its 4-month service is that so very many of our criminal problems stem from troubled and neglected youth. Although its almost become a cliche to point this out, it is deadly serious and we recommend that additional resources be provided to the juvenile court and jail. This court and detention center make great strides in helping youthful offenders and their families - they provide counseling services (although we understand that detainees may not receive separate mental health counseling during their internment). The juvenile center provides three very good meals a day, as well as programs for its young inmates, including an educational classroom with many learning opportunities. We heard far too many cases this term of juveniles - often with guns - robbing and killing throughout the community. So the juvenile court and detention center must be well funded - those who make and approve budgets need to do whatever can be done to make our juvenile jail and court programs the best they can be. Despite some of our concerns, the CGJ believes the juvenile court directors and staff, beginning with Judge Rob Philyaw, have worked diligently and creatively with what they have to create a jail facility for adolescents that is as good as it can be. Judge Philyaw and his folks have maintained a smart but caring environment for juvenile detainees, and we commend them and wish we had the power to allocate more resources to them - we strongly recommend to those who do have that power to make the allocations. There is always a certain amount of misinformation about the operation and facilities of the adult and juvenile jails amongst the public, much of which comes from the media, and sometimes from a bias against any law enforcement agency or facility.The facilities and actions of the jail officers and staff are governed by numerous state and other laws and regulations. And we know that jail residents are not always happy, reasonable, or law-abiding. Jails are dangerous and tough, and the operations and staff are continually scrutinized, as they should be. But they must also be allocated funds and resources that allow them to follow all laws and regulations as well as make the jails as habitable and safe as is possible for staff and inmates. Another tour that was particularly informative during our initial training was that of the Real Time Intelligence Center. That facility uses cutting-edge technology to assist in crime prevention and apprehension. It has live feeds from roughly 3,000 cameras in our area, including from the Chattanooga Housing Authority, and various schools and businesses that share their feeds with the CPD as needed. RTIC also has more than 85 public cameras throughout the city. RTIC can livestream officer body cams to receive information from officers on location as well as warn them of potential problems they are walking into. The staff of RTIC monitor the electronic information and can quickly send officers where needed for emergencies or other potential problems. The CGJ was very impressed with this facility and how it is run. The knowledge of RTIC and how it works helped us in our hearings. We thank Sgt. Benjamin Piazza and MPO Matthew Robertson for providing us with the tour and highly commend the officers and civil employees who operate RTIC. Specialized Recovery Courts: Our Criminal and Sessions courts operate specialized courts for drug recovery, mental health, and veterans assistance. Judges Amanda Dunn of Criminal Court and Christie Sell of General Sessions Court oversee the drug recovery courts; Criminal Court Judge Boyd Patterson and Sessions Court Judge Lila Statom oversee the mental health courts, and Judge Patterson and Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes handle the veterans courts. They explained the processes, goals, and results of these specialized court programs. The specialized courts are not an easy out for defendants, despite what some believe. There are strict guidelines that govern who can enter the program, and for success, there must be a great deal of commitment from the judges, their staff, and the defendant participants. The judges who oversee these courts also must maintain all their regular court duties. The CGJ recommends that the public be made even more aware of these courts, how they operate, and their positive results. Much of the recidivism in our criminal system is due to abuse of alcohol and drugs, or an individuals mental health degradation for other reasons. Veterans face drug and mental health issues that are often unique to their military service. We strongly recommend that any resources necessary to continue these specialized programs and courts must be seriously reviewed and considered by the allocating bodies whether federal, state, or local. Conclusion: All of the assistant DAs who came before the CGJ were professional and helpful to our understanding of the law as it applied to the cases we heard. We believe the leadership and ongoing work of the DAs office is in solid and capable hands with Coty Wamp and her attorneys and staff. We appreciated Ed Duke and Jackie Pinckney of her office who handled and organized all the case files and charging documents for every hearing. One of them was indispensably present each hearing day. We must also specifically thank ADA Tom Landis (who spent the most time with us) for his wisdom, knowledge, patience, and most excellent sense of humor that often helped us through the toughest cases. Hamilton County Circuit Court Clerk Larry Henry and his staff particularly Margo McConnell are responsible for the grand jurors well-being and care. They are there from the first day the jury is sworn in to the last day of our service. They are always quickly responsive and helpful, and the grand juries could not exist without them. We appreciate and thank our Hamilton County Criminal Court Judges Barry Steelman, Boyd Patterson, and Amanda Dunn for overseeing the grand juries along with all their other duties. Judge Patterson was responsible for the CGJ this term and helped us with a number of issues. All three spoke with us and demonstrated continued support for a grand jury that is responsible, knowledgeable, capable, and independent. Judge Tom Greenholtz also spoke with the CGJ. He was a Hamilton County Criminal Court judge for many years, and is now a judge of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. He has broad and deep experience of our law enforcement system and was inspiring, engaging, and helped us think about the criminal justice system in new ways we truly enjoyed hearing from him. If weve forgotten to thank anyone, it is our lack and not theirs and we apologize. Formally submitted on December 16, 2025 by Rosemarie L. Hill, CGJ Foreman Photo credit: Unsplash/ Alexis Brown A new report from an antisemitism watchdog group argues that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs have become a central channel for antisemitism within U.S. higher education, citing survey data showing widespread hostility toward Jewish students and limited institutional response. The report, released by StopAntisemitism, assessed conditions at 90 colleges and universities nationwide as part of its 2025 Antisemitism on U.S. College & University Campuses study. The organization focuses on tracking violence, harassment, and systemic discrimination targeting Jews. Even since the recent Gaza ceasefire agreement, antisemitism remains loud, bold, and unchecked, revealing that none of this is about Israel but instead it is about Jew-hatred, plain and simple, the report stated. Coordinated protests, ideological harassment, and institutional apathy continue to endanger Jewish students. Survey responses from Jewish students enrolled at the evaluated institutions showed that antisemitism is affecting daily campus life. Nearly four in ten respondents said they concealed their Jewish identity, while 62% reported being personally blamed for Israels actions. Sixty-five percent said they felt unwelcome in certain campus spaces, and 39% indicated that DEI initiatives included Jews. More than half of respondents said they felt abandoned by their institutions after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. In total, 58% said their schools failed to protect them in the aftermath, a period marked by widespread anti-Israel demonstrations across U.S. campuses. Some protests reportedly included praise for terrorism and intimidation of Jewish students. StopAntisemitism said it selected schools for evaluation based on their scale, national relevance, incident volume, and student reported vulnerability, aiming to capture institutions with both influence and documented concerns. Only 15 of the 90 institutions earned an A rating, including Colorado State University and the University of Alabama. Columbia University received an F, with the report stating that Jewish students there have faced repeated antisemitic incidents including vandalism, hate filled emails, and disruptions glorifying extremist violence. Earlier this year, Columbia agreed to pay $21 million to settle investigations by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission related to antisemitism allegations. Northwestern University also received an F after campus encampments and demonstrations allegedly created an unsafe environment for Jewish students. The university later agreed to pay $75 million to resolve multiple federal investigations into antisemitism. That settlement followed a decision by the Trump administration to freeze approximately $790 million in research funding in April over alleged civil rights violations tied to antisemitism. Northwestern denied wrongdoing despite agreeing to the financial settlement. The solution is not reform, DEI has failed too fully, too structurally, and too consistently, and must therefore be completely dismantled, the report concluded. Its ideological rigidity, selective morality, and entrenched double standards have helped fuel the worst wave of campus antisemitism in modern American history. Four individuals accused of plotting New Years Eve attacks. | Screenshot: YouTube/ NBCLA Federal law enforcement officials announced the arrest of multiple suspects linked to a far-left extremist group accused of planning coordinated bomb attacks across the United States on New Years Eve. At a press briefing on Monday, authorities confirmed that four alleged members of the group known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front were taken into custody last Friday, effectively disrupting what investigators described as an imminent bombing plot scheduled for Dec. 31. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from federal prosecutors in Louisiana and Massachusetts as search and arrest warrants were executed nationwide. Prosecutors identified the suspects as Audrey Carroll, 30; Zachary Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, all of whom are accused of conspiring to carry out the planned attacks. The term Turtle Island, authorities noted, is frequently used by some indigenous groups and radical activists as a name for North America due to America being derived from Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California said Carroll allegedly established a subgroup called the Order of the Black Lotus, which included the other three defendants and functioned as a faction within the broader extremist organization. The charges we are announcing today stem from the defendants and their co-conspirators' detailed, coordinated plot to bomb multiple U.S. companies on New Year's Eve. Thankfully, that plot has now been foiled thanks to the hard work of the FBI and the Department of Justice, Essayli stated. Essayli explained that the group described itself as an anti-capitalist, anti-government movement that calls for their associates to rise up and fight back against capitalism, framing the alleged plot as ideologically driven. According to prosecutors, Carroll developed an explicit plan in November to target at least five locations across Southern California, with additional attacks allegedly intended against agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Investigators said the suspects traveled to a remote desert location to test explosive devices and possessed all the components required to assemble bombs, prompting law enforcement to move in and make arrests before the plan could advance further. Search warrants executed at residences in the Los Angeles area uncovered propaganda materials bearing slogans such as Death to America, Long Live Turtle Island and Palestine, and Death to ICE, according to Essayli. This case is another reminder about the dangers that radicalized Antifa-like groups pose to people, public safety and the rule of law, Essayli said. We disrupted this terror plot before buildings were demolished or innocent people were killed. But this is not the end of our work. The arrests follow a September executive order from President Donald Trump formally designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. All relevant executive departments and agencies shall utilize all applicable authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations especially those involving terrorist actions conducted by Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa, the order stated. Grand Canyon University campus in Phoenix, Arizona. | Photo credit: Facebook/ Grand Canyon University After years of legal conflict with federal regulators, the U.S. Department of Education has formally recognized Grand Canyon University as a nonprofit institution, ending a prolonged dispute involving the nations largest Christian university. GCU President Brian Mueller welcomed the decision in a statement released Monday, praising the departments handling of the review process. We are appreciative that officials within the current Department of Education adhered to the recent Ninth Circuit decision in our favor and conducted an objective and thorough review of GCU's operations in determining GCU's nonprofit status under the correct legal standard, Mueller said. The ruling follows a contentious period during which the university faced heightened scrutiny from federal officials. In October 2023, under the Biden administration, the Department of Education imposed a $37.7 million fine on GCU after an investigation by the Office of Federal Student Aid alleged the school misrepresented the cost of its doctoral programs to prospective students. Federal investigators claimed that GCU marketed its doctoral degrees as costing between $40,000 and $49,000, while fewer than 2% of students completed their programs within that price range. According to the department, more than 7,500 current and former students were affected by the alleged misrepresentations. The investigation further concluded that required continuation courses routinely added an additional $10,000 to $12,000 to students total expenses. Regulators asserted that the universitys disclosures did not sufficiently alert students to what they described as significant discrepancies between advertised and actual program costs. In September, a report from the U.S. Department of Justice described the fines imposed on Grand Canyon University and Liberty University as unusually severe, characterizing them as potential examples of anti-Christian bias during the Biden administration. Both institutions were initially assessed penalties of roughly $37 million, the largest fines ever issued by the Education Department. While Liberty University ultimately agreed to pay $14 million over alleged violations of the Clery Actfederal rules requiring schools to disclose campus crime datathe Department of Education rescinded its $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University in May, clearing the way for the nonprofit status affirmation. Photo credit: X/ FBI Boston Investigators have made public a series of images connected to their inquiry into a shooting at Brown University that claimed the lives of two students and injured nine others. Authorities say the violence unfolded Saturday afternoon when an unidentified gunman entered the Barus & Holley building on Brown Universitys campus in Providence, Rhode Island, shortly before 4 p.m. and opened fire on students inside. As part of the investigation, the Providence Police Department distributed video footage and still photographs depicting an unknown individual wearing a face mask and walking along a nearby residential sidewalk around the time of the attack. We are requesting the public's assistance in identifying a person of interest in Saturday's incident at Brown University. Please share these video clips and photos, police said in a statement. Law enforcement officials urged anyone with relevant information to contact the Providence Police Department at 401-272-3121 or submit tips through the FBI website at fbi.gov/brownuniversityshooting. The two victims who were killed were later identified as Ella Cook, a committed Christian and president of Brown Universitys College Republicans chapter, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an international student from Uzbekistan who aspired to become a neurosurgeon. Brown University President Christina Paxson addressed the campus community in a statement released Sunday. While we always prepare for major crises, we also pray such a day never comes, she said. We are a caring community, and I am moved by the many ways we continue to be there for one another. My goal is for our community to work together to get through this difficult time and feel safe on our campus again. Police confirmed that an individual initially questioned as a person of interest was later released without charges. In the aftermath of the shooting, university administrators canceled all remaining classes and final examinations for the fall semester. Because one of the victims was known as a conservative Christian and political activist, speculation has circulated on social media suggesting the possibility that the shooting may have been targeted, though authorities have not confirmed a motive. Home News Anglican Church bishop found not guilty of mishandling sex abuse cases An Anglican Church in North America bishop has been found not guilty by an ecclesiastical court of mishandling abuse cases in his diocese. According an ACNA press release from Monday evening, Bishop Stewart Ruch III of the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest, which is based in Wheaton, Illinois, was found not guilty on the charges of "Habitual neglect of episcopal duties," "Conduct giving scandal, including abuse of ecclesiastical power," "Violation of ordination vows" and "Disobedience to canons." "The Court unanimously found Bishop Ruch not guilty on all four charges, citing the prosecutions failure to meet the canonical burden of proving the charges by clear and convincing evidence," stated ACNA. ACNA included a link to the 71-page final order, in which the ecclesiastical court acknowledged "its recognition of the profound suffering experienced by victims of abuse and the pressing need for institutional reform within the Diocese and the Province." "These truths stand in full view and must shape the Churchs future safeguarding efforts," explained the final order. "But under the Canons of the ACNA, and based on the evidence presented, the Respondent has not been shown to have committed any canonical offense." The proceedings against Ruch stem from reports in 2021 of an erosion of trust within the Upper Midwest Diocese over claims that it was mishandling allegations of sexual misconduct. One highly publicized example was ACNA lay leader Mark Rivera, who was found guilty of multiple charges of sexual assault, with one victim being his 9-year-old goddaughter. Objections over how the diocese was handling the allegations led to the launch of ACNAtoo, a watchdog group centered on abuse survivors and their advocates within the denomination. While his diocese was under investigation, Ruch took a 16-month leave of absence. In October 2022, he returned to his office, with Bishop Martyn Minns serving in a supervisory role at the regional body. In August 2023, ACNA announced that Ruch was going to face a church trial on the charges of violating ordination vows, conduct giving just cause for scandal or offense, including the abuse of ecclesiastical power and for disobedience, or willful contravention of denominational bylaws. The legal proceedings became a source of controversy when, in July, Alan Runyan resigned as provincial prosecutor, claiming that the process had been tainted. In his letter to ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood, Runyan explained that he was resigning because of an incident during the fifth day of the proceedings in which a member of the court began a line of questioning based on evidence not presented at trial. The Court member's statements and questions put the integrity of the investigative process at issue in these proceedings despite the Court's prior ruling that those inquiries were improper, wrote Runyan. At that point, all six of the other members of the Court had been exposed to an unwarranted suspicion of provincial investigative bias brought into the trial by a single Court member, contrary to the Court's duty to determine the outcome based solely on the evidence in the trial record. Runyan wrote that he believed the trial process had been irreparably tainted and that a trial process that bears within it the seed of impropriety, no matter the outcome, must change. Later that month, Deputy Prosecutor Rachel Thebeau wrote a multi-page letter to ACNA members where she alleged that very important information is being withheld from you by the Court, the Archbishop, and the Archbishops staff. The trial process was tainted because a member of the Court, enabled by the Archbishops staff, made a series of decisions that fatally undermined the Court's integrity, culminating in his lengthy domination of the court proceedings, Thebeau alleged. According to Thebeau, the yet unnamed member of the court had been given access to some of her Dropbox folders by ACNA officials without her permission or knowledge. It was abundantly clear that the court member had just enough information to be dangerous. What he has is not a complete set of documents and files, and he does not have the context of the documentation in his possession, Thebeau added. Based on incomplete and misunderstood information, he made damaging insinuations and handed Bishop Ruch his favorite red herring which now enables him to obscure the facts of the case as part of his defense. In a statement posted to Anglican Ink at the time, the ACNA Archbishops Office said the parties to the case (i.e. the prosecutor and the defendant) are entitled to raise any concerns directly with the court or the chancellor. The Province has consistently emphasized that public statements by those involved in the trial, or by other church leaders, imperils the integrity of the process and reduces the chances of a just and acceptable verdict, which has already taken too long to see, the office stated. It is not appropriate for the Province to litigate in public any complaints that the former prosecutor or his legal assistant, Ms. Thebeau, have with the Court or this process until it has reached a conclusion. In October, The Ecclesiastical Trial Court for the Trial of a Bishop announced that the trial had concluded, and that the court had adjourned for deliberation. A decision was to be released no later than Dec. 16. Home News Anglican Church in North America charges breakaway chaplains group leader with misconduct An Anglican Church in North America court is charging the bishop who heads a breakaway chaplains group with multiple accusations of violating canon law. The ACNA Board of Inquiry released a statement Tuesday regarding charges against Bishop Derek Jones, who leads the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy. According to the board, Jones is facing four charges: Refusal to follow a Godly Admonition, Disobedience to, or willful contravention of the Canons of the Church, conduct giving cause for scandal or offense, including the abuse of ecclesiastical power and having promoted and caused schism within this Church. The Court for the Trial of a Bishop will determine the next steps, according to Anglican Ink, with the possibility that Jones could be tried in absentia if he refuses to participate in the proceedings. JAFC was established in 2014 to serve as the endorsing agency for Anglican chaplains; its jurisdiction traces its origins to the Anglican Church of Nigeria. In September, ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood wrote a letter alleging that, beginning in the summer, Church leadership received credible complaints regarding Bishop Derek Jones, alleging abuse of ecclesiastical power. These complaints did not involve physical or sexual misconduct, nor did they involve any doctrinal concerns, wrote Wood. Nevertheless, they were concerning because abuse of ecclesiastical power violates the trust that is essential for effective ministry. For its part, JAFC disputed the merit of the accusations and the investigation, claiming that Jones was the victim of a targeted attack by Wood because he had been critical of errors, missteps, and mismanagement within the Archbishop's office. JAFC Chairman David van Esselstyn sent a letter to Wood stating that JAFC was terminating its relationship with ACNA and demanding that the denomination refrain from using its trademark or meeting with its members. ACNA refused to recognize the JAFC disaffiliation, instead appointing new leadership for the chaplains group. In response, JAFC filed a complaint in October in district court against ACNA. The lawsuit accused ACNA leadership of enacting a failed corporate takeover of JAFC when it attempted to suspend Plaintiffs corporate president and assume their responsibilities. ACNA also published reports accessible to all of the hundreds of chaplains endorsed by Plaintiff, using Plaintiffs registered marks while deprecating Plaintiff and falsely claiming that it had assumed Plaintiffs power to endorse Anglicans for chaplaincy services, the complaint alleged. ACNAs misrepresentations and use of Plaintiffs marks have induced approximately half of Plaintiffs chaplains, and at least two-thirds of Plaintiffs affiliated missions, chapels and parishes, to end their affiliation with Plaintiff. Last month, United States District Judge Bruce Hendricks of the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division, issued an order partly granting JAFCs request for a temporary restraining order against ACNA. Hendricks said that while the court does not intend to entangle itself into an internal canonical dispute over the Anglican Churchs ecclesiastical structure, some issues raised by JAFC may be ripe and appropriate for the Courts consideration, such as Plaintiffs trademark claims. After hearing arguments from the parties, counsel for Defendant effectively conceded that Defendant would refrain from using Plaintiffs service mark Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, Plaintiffs trademark, Anglican Chaplains, and Plaintiffs trademarked logo, wrote Hendricks. Additionally, after review of the evidence of record and the applicable law, the Court finds that Plaintiff has met its burden as to these three items, and the Court thus grants Plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction as to those three items. Hendricks ruled against JAFC on other issues, like the alleged slander of JAFC Bishop Derek Jones, the court ruled against the chaplain group, stating that very little about this case is clear. Furthermore, as noted on several occasions during the hearing, the record abounds in material factual disputes, and the Court does not find it appropriate to resolve those factual disputes at this time and based on the current record, he wrote. Lastly, as to Plaintiffs request that the Court restrain Defendant from slandering Plaintiff or Bishop Jones, the Court simply notes that law already exists to prevent slander. Home News Little Sisters of the Poor appeal decision forcing them to pay for contraceptives An order of Catholic nuns is fighting a lower court decision against a Trump administration rule allowing religious employers to opt out of having to provide their employees contraceptive coverage in health care plans, with their attorney decrying what he calls a legal crusade against them. The Little Sisters of the Poor, nuns devoted to ministering to the poor, are appealing a district court decision that sided with New Jersey and Pennsylvania in their efforts to block a rule from the first Trump administration that gives religious exemptions to the contraceptive mandate included in the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has represented the Catholic nuns throughout their litigation against the contraceptive mandate, which dates back to 2011 and culminated in two previous U.S. Supreme Court victories, announced the appeal in a statement Monday. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the appeal. Oral arguments will take place in early 2026. The contraceptive mandate requires employers who provide their employees with health insurance coverage to include contraceptives at no cost to employees. The Little Sisters of the Poor believe that the contraceptive mandate forces them to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs about human sexuality. In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a lower court ruling ordering the Little Sisters of the Poor to allow the federal government to provide its employees with contraception and abortion-inducing drugs through the organizations healthcare plan. Four years later, in 2020, the justices upheld the Trump administration rule and remanded the case back to the lower courts. In August, Judge Wendy Beetlestone, appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, issued a ruling striking down the rule. Beetlestone agreed with Pennsylvania and New Jersey that they will face financial injury as a result of the rule because allowing more entities to stop providing contraceptive coverage will result in more women residents seeking contraceptive care through State-funded programs. Beetlestone also expressed concern that the rule extends exemptions to organizations that are unlikely, if ever, to be capable of maintaining a religious exemption, warning that it provides no backstop to who can claim an exemption. Two months later, Beetlestone issued a stay of her decision, which applies only to the Little Sisters of the Poor while the litigation continues. The stay means that while her earlier ruling has not been reversed, the Little Sisters of the Poor will not have to abide by the contraceptive mandate at this time. The fourteen-year legal crusade against the Little Sisters has been needless, grotesque, and un-American, said Becket President Mark Rienzi, who is serving as lead attorney for the Little Sisters of the Poor. The states have no business trying to take away the Little Sisters federal civil rights. The Third Circuit should toss the States lawsuit into the dustbin of history and uphold the protection the Little Sisters already won at the Supreme Courttwice. Mother Lorraine Marie Maguire of the Little Sisters of the Poor also lamented the long legal battle her organization has faced. For nearly 200 years, our order has welcomed the elderly poor and dying into our homes as we would welcome Christ Himself, she stated. It is painful that we have spent more than a decade defending that mission in court. We simply want to continue our work without being forced to violate our faith, and we pray Pennsylvania and New Jersey will end this needless harassment. Home News DHS accuses 'sanctuary politicians' of releasing criminal charged with vehicular homicide An illegal immigrant from India released at the Arizona border and later charged with vehicular homicide following a fatal crash in Washington state that led to the death of a 29-year-old man has been released from custody on a $100,000 bond despite a detainer request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In a Tuesday statement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused Washington sanctuary politicians of refusing to honor the arrest detainer for Kamalpreet Singh, a truck driver and an illegal immigrant from India. These demented and dangerous sanctuary policies have deadly consequences," Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the DHS, said. Singh is facing charges after his Freightliner truck crashed into a 2010 Mazda 3 sedan driven by a young man named Robert Pearson, KTTH reported Monday. The cause of the collision, which took place on State Route 167, remains under investigation; however, the Washington State Patrol confirmed that drugs or alcohol were not factors in the crash. At the time of the incident, Pearsons sedan was crushed between Singhs truck and a 2016 Peterbilt truck, killing him instantly and causing a fire in the sedans engine compartment, according to a press memo provided to The Christian Post by the Washington State Patrol. Moments before the crash, Pearson and the Peterbilt truck driver had stopped for traffic, but Singh failed to decelerate, and he slammed into Pearsons vehicle and pushed it into the other truck. The roadway was blocked for nearly seven hours following the collision, according to the press memo. Singh and the driver of the Peterbilt truck were reportedly unhurt, and the former was later released from King County Jail, which is in a sanctuary jurisdiction, according to KTTH. The outlet reported that its unknown if the facility ignored ICEs detainer request. "Robert Pearson would still be alive today if the Biden administration hadnt released this illegal alien into our country, McLaughlin said in a statement Tuesday. How many more Americans have to be killed before Democrat politicians start to put the publics safety ahead of politics?" An ICE source told Fox News Digital this month that U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Singh in Lukeville, Arizona, after he entered the United States illegally on Dec. 23, 2023. The ICE source claimed Singh was released into the U.S. instead of being detained. The DHS highlighted multiple car wrecks in recent months that involved individuals who are unlawfully in the U.S. Earlier this year, the family and friends gathered to mourn Maria Pleitez and her 11-year-old daughter after they died in a car crash in New Jersey. The driver responsible for the collision, Raul Luna-Perez, entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico. Luna-Perez was driving a Dodge Durango when he crossed into an oncoming lane of traffic and slammed into Pleitezs Nissan Sentra, according to local prosecutors. Pleitez was pronounced dead at the scene, but her daughter, Dayanara Cortes, was transported to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood. Cortes later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital and died, while her friend, who was also in the car at the time of the crash, survived after being transported to Monmouth Medical Center. According to first responders on the scene, Luna-Perez showed signs of impairment. After he was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, he was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail to await a detention hearing. In a statement at the time, the DHS highlighted Luna-Perezs rap sheet, which included two DUI arrests in March and April, and one arrest in June 2023 for simple domestic violence. Home News Minneapolis police chief draws scorn for using Nativity story to attack ICE: 'False teaching' The Minneapolis police chief drew scorn for likening Mary and Joseph to illegal immigrants during a Tuesday press conference railing against law enforcement in the city by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Flanked by Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara appealed to the Nativity story to criticize ICE raids in Minneapolis, where dozens of residents clashed with ICE agents earlier this week. "It's especially personal to me, having been raised a Catholic, to be in a Christian church this morning, as we are approaching Christmas," said O'Hara, who has served in his position since 2022. "And I cannot help but think of what is happening in our city today, and how that echoes with how outsiders have been treated for thousands of years; how Mary and Joseph themselves were considered outsiders, and forced to stay in a barn," he continued. "That's what we're getting ready to commemorate as Christians around the world, while all of this fear is happening in our town," he added. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara joined Mayor Jacob Frey and religious leaders to discuss the impact of the Trump administration's immigration policies on the citys immigrant residents and businesses. O'Hara reiterated that officers do not inquire about immigration status, pic.twitter.com/FKwJkaqK8L FOX 9 (@FOX9) December 16, 2025 Minneapolis has been a particular target for federal immigration enforcement in recent weeks, especially among the city's sizable Somali community, which was reportedly involved heavily in a fraud scheme amounting to more than $1 billion in Minnesota's social services funds. O'Hara's Scripture lesson drew widespread backlash on social media from users who observed that Mary and Joseph were not illegal immigrants, but were instead in Bethlehem to obey a government decree to register for the Roman census in the town of Joseph's ancestors for the purpose of being taxed. "This is called eisegesis and false teaching," said Christian writer Jon Root. "Comparing Mary & Joseph to illegal Mexican immigrants is obviously a false equivalency, revisionist history, & insanely disrespectful to Jesus' parents." "Neither Mary, nor Joseph, immigrated illegally to Bethlehem. They broke no laws. They traveled there for the Roman census, because Joseph was of the House of David. You could simply read Luke 2:1-7, Mr. Minneapolis Police Chief," he added. "The Minneapolis Police Chief should leave theology and history to theologians and historians. In no sense can Mary & Joseph be described as 'immigrants' or 'refugees,'" said Paul Edwards, who pastors a Reformed Baptist congregation in Michigan. "And Jesus wasn't born in a barn. He was laid in a manger. There's a huge difference." Garrett Greene, an attorney at the America First Policy Institute, explained how Mary and Joseph went out of their way to comply with the law and why he believes O'Hara is politically weaponizing a misapplication of the Bible. "The Roman Empire took registration seriously it was how they tracked population for taxation and governance. So when the census order came down, Mary and Joseph did what law-abiding people do: they complied," he said, noting how the couple had to travel roughly 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem a trek he said would have been especially inconvenient given the late stage of Mary's pregnancy. "Mary and Joseph weren't sneaking across borders. They weren't evading authorities. They weren't 'undocumented.' They were traveling within the same empire, under the same legal system, specifically to register with the government." "Don't let the Bible be weaponized by people who don't even subscribe to its most basic teachings so they can justify a continued invasion of our country and denigration of our culture," Greene added. O'Hara defended his comments in a statement to The Christian Post. "Every day, I hear from people living in fear because of their skin color or ethnicity. Many are legal residents or American citizens, yet they are afraid to leave their homes, attend worship, or go about daily life, feeling like outsiders and devalued as human beings," he said. "My reference to Mary and Joseph was meant to be simple and human: they were far from home, seeking shelter, and likely felt like outsiders themselves." "In my role as Minneapolis Police Chief, I remain deeply committed to protecting the human dignity of all people, and that is a belief that is informed by the Catholic faith in which I was raised. Especially during this season, my appeal is for compassion, generosity, and recognition of the inherent value of every person," he added. O'Hara drew scrutiny earlier this month when he urged residents to call 911 in response to federal immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities. "We have experienced reports in this city where people call to say that there's folks that are masked, that theyre not sure if theyre law enforcement, that they may be kidnapping people. We have had those reports," O'Hara said during the Dec. 3 presser that the New York Post described as "baffling." Home News Pro-life leader seeks to make 'peaceful civil disobedience' new pillar of the pro-life mov't As abortion continues to wane as a top issue of concern for American voters, some pro-life groups are resorting to peaceful civil disobedience by organizing abortion clinic blockades and using their arrests to bring greater awareness to the fight to save babies in the womb. Earlier this month, over a dozen pro-lifers were arrested and jailed for one to three days after blocking the entrance to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Memphis, Tennessee. Rescue Resurrection is the umbrella name that Randall Terry, founder of the pro-life organization Operation Rescue, told The Christian Post is being used for pro-life groups willing to participate in large-scale peaceful civil disobedience. We are putting together the dream team of courageous activists for the unborn. And another thing that is interesting about this is the spectrum of age, religion and political party affiliation. We have agreed to set aside our differences on [a] multitude of issues so that we can focus like a laser beam on the unborn, he said. Terry insisted that in order to end the killing of the unborn, we have to create social tension. He maintained that only the creation of social tension would increase public awareness about the horrors of abortion. Creating social tension has political impact, he said. So right now, abortion is not in the top 10 voter issues on any poll. Our mission is to create the social tension on behalf of the babies so that voters recognize their duty to end this genocide. Similarly, he added, In 1987, abortion was not in the top 10 voter issues. But in 1988, after Operation Rescue had thousands and thousands of arrests, on Election Day 1988, the ABC exit poll showed that abortion was the No. 1 voter issue in America. Among the pro-life groups that participated in the blockade was the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU), which provided additional details about the legal consequences activists now face in a statement posted on the group's X account on Dec. 5. PAAU said more than a dozen pro-life activists were arrested, including two former presidential candidates: PAAU founder Terrisa Bukovinac, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for president on a pro-life platform in 2024, and Terry, who ran as the Constitution Partys candidate in 2024. Others arrested that day include Joan Andrews Bell and John Hinshaw, pro-life activists previously convicted for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, who had their offenses pardoned by President Donald Trump. Pro-life activists Monica Migliorino Miller of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society and Nathan Berning of Let Them Live were also arrested alongside pro-life activists Melanie Salazar, Elise Ketch, Emily Mahon, James Carney, Rob Rudnick, Cathy Ramey, Doc Kovaly, Matthew Connolly, Alan Aversa and Alfred Lemmo. In an interview with CP, Bukovinac noted that all but one of the activists have been charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. She explained that Carney won't be facing charges because they lost his paperwork, forgot to release him and then released him so late ... that I guess they just went ahead and dropped the charges altogether. Bukovinac told CP that she and the other female protesters were in custody for 24 hours and characterized her detention as the longest Ive ever been in custody after an initial arrest. The male activists were in custody for 48 hours or longer. Terry told CP that he was in jail from his arrest on that Friday (Dec. 5) through Sunday. Bukovinac stressed that no matter how difficult these prison circumstances are, its nothing compared to what the unborn are facing, which is total genocide having their arms and legs ripped off, being poisoned by the thousands every single day, literally losing their lives. No matter what weve gone through in prison, it really just doesnt compare to that, she added. It is absolutely worth it and an honor to go to jail in defense of these children because they have no other defenses, she declared. At least in jail, we will live another day. We will fight another day for these children. But they dont have that chance. And I want to just remind people that there has never been major social change away from such a violent institution without civil disobedience. Terry offered a similar reflection on the arrest and incarceration of pro-life activists. No one ripped off our arms and legs, and no one crushed our skull and threw us in a dumpster or sold our body parts like they are doing with babies, he said. Its difficult to be incarcerated, but it helps our cause. No social revolution in America has succeeded without people practicing civil disobedience and going to jail at some level, he asserted. PAAU described the Dec. 5 protest as the largest peaceful civil disobedience for the unborn in 30 years, following a two-day launch event for Rescue Resurrection an effort to bring back the abortion rescue movement of the 1980s and '90s. The event also marked the launch of a newly acquired training facility in Memphis for the purpose of training anti-abortion activists for nonviolent direct action. Bukovinac characterized the effort as successful, telling CP that We successfully blockaded the clinic and we mobilized nearly 50 people for this direct action. She added, We were able to reach moms on the sidewalk, and we had sidewalk counselors on site that were able to talk to a couple of the moms attempting to be shuffled in. In a separate statement shared with CP, PAAU said the DOJs vow earlier this year to significantly limit prosecutions under the FACE Act was an opportunity for pro-lifers to engage in peaceful civil disobedience once again without the threat of federal prison. In a previous interview with CP, Terry revealed how between 1987 and 1994, [Operation Rescue] accumulated over 75,000 arrests around the country for peacefully blockading abortion clinics. We would sit there, 100, 200, 500 people and not let anyone in. We closed them for the whole day and saved the babies that were scheduled to die that day, he recalled. Under the FACE Act, passed in 1994 and signed into law by former President Bill Clinton, the penalties for pro-life activists who participated in blockades were increased to a federal misdemeanor for the first offense and a federal felony for the second offense. Once that law was passed, it effectively broke the back of our movement, Terry told CP. PAAU pointed to the historical significance between protesting outside the Planned Parenthood facility in Memphis and the assassination of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., saying the Civil Rights Movement was an example of the connection between civil disobedience and changing the law. While abortion is banned in almost all circumstances in Tennessee, Bukovinac contended that a protest outside the Memphis Planned Parenthood was still necessary. They are on a regular and often daily basis helping pregnant people and even minors cross state lines in order to kill their baby, she said. And that includes arranging transportation and providing gas cards in order to facilitate the deaths of those children. This is a Planned Parenthood facility and Planned Parenthood continues to operate even in states where abortion is illegal. Terry also discussed the historical significance of Memphis and King in his interview with CP, identifying the creation of social tension as taking the playbook of the Letter From the Birmingham Jail written by Dr. Martin Luther King. Bukovinac and the other protesters facing charges are due back in court on Jan. 7, 2026. Rescue Resurrection is planning to hold another mass civil disobedience outside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 22, 2026, to protest against the abortion pill regimen. The group anticipates holding another similar event in early March in one of the several states that held abortion referendums in 2024. Home News Psychologist defends therapy for unwanted same-sex attraction after Milo spotlight: 'Clients deserve the right' A licensed clinical psychologist who often works with men seeking help for unwanted same-sex attraction says clients should be free to pursue their own therapeutic goals an approach he hopes will increasingly be considered in mainstream psychological circles. "Clients deserve the right to pick their own therapy goals," Dr. Joseph Nicolosi Jr. told The Christian Post. "Our clients are people whose goal is to live a life consistent with their values, including as it relates to their sexuality. We want to support them to live in accordance with their deeply held values." 'Disordered urge' Nicolosi, who practices in California and serves as president of the nonprofit Reintegrative Therapy Association, drew widespread attention earlier this month when political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos mentioned his therapeutic approach during an hours-long conversation with Tucker Carlson. Carlson had earlier questioned the "born-gay" theory of homosexuality during a viral tussle with British journalist Piers Morgan last month, noting that rates of LGBT self-identification have exponentially skyrocketed among young people in the West, which he attributed in part to "propaganda and pornography." Yiannopoulos, who told Carlson he has repented of homosexuality and expressed remorse for what he sees as his role in "mainstreaming" such behavior in the Republican Party during his most influential years, described homosexual inclinations in men such as himself as a symptom of early trauma. "In almost every case, and certainly in every male case, it is a trauma response," Yiannopoulos said. "It is not a sexuality. It is not part of what you are, or who you are, or a component of your personality ... it is a set of behaviors that emerges in people with a number of very easily identifiable common etiologies." Yiannopoulos, who pinpointed his own sexual abuse by a priest as a young teenager amid estrangement from his father, said he came to realize his sexual compulsions were spiritually destroying him. He tried to expunge his unwanted attractions on his own with acts of self-mortification, such as pouring hot oil on himself when a sexual stimulus arose. "Another reason gay sex is unfulfilling is because it's refilling a battery that's always depleting," he said, describing the act as a futile attempt to assume the masculinity of another man. "It's like a slow puncture, and you just top it up. You can never fill it up. You can top it up for a moment with an encounter. Those urges in the first place come from a memory or a thought or something that's leading to this arousal, this disordered urge." Yiannopoulos said he came to learn that such an endeavor was the inverse of the "infinite, limitless generosity and charity and grace of God." Yiannopoulos also claimed many homosexuals suffer "shards in the personality" after learning from a young age how to show different faces to different people, but said he came to discover Nicolosi's approach of reintegrative therapy to be a much healthier way of healing a brain and spirit that have learned to seek out relief from pain in an insatiable sexual addiction. "It's reintegrating those shards and those broken bits of memory that lead to the wrong output," he said. 'Unresolved conflicts' Nicolosi told CP that his therapeutic approach, video examples of which are on his website, resembles other trauma-based structured therapy such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR was first developed in 1987 for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and helps patients process memories that continue to cause distress, according to the American Psychological Association. "We use trauma treatments to help clients with unresolved memories from their past, unresolved conflicts from their past," Nicolosi said. Nicolosi told CP that childhood loneliness and a perceived failure to identify with other boys growing up is a common trend among his male clients, whose envious pain becomes eroticized upon reaching puberty. "Many of my clients describe childhoods as feeling estranged from their same-sex peers," he said. "Many of my clients describe feeling more temperamentally sensitive than those peers, feeling like they lacked or missed out on male attention, affection and approval. That's a story I hear virtually every day of my practice." In one video example on his website intended to illustrate how he helps clients to analyze and detach from their unwanted same-sex attraction, Nicolosi helps a young man realize how his feelings of arousal toward an idealized male are rooted in feelings of inadequacy, shame and sadness regarding himself. "There are three perspectives on what we can do with these sexual feelings," Nicolosi tells the client. Noting the prevailing culture provides embracing or repressing such attractions as the only two options, Nicolosi said a third option is to mindfully observe the arousal response without judgment. "You kind of look at the guy in the attraction moment, and it's like, 'OK, there's something coming up for me. There's some attributes in him that I feel I don't have in myself,'" Nicolosi tells the client before moving on to address the underlying issue of his self-perception compared to other men. During a conversation earlier this year with conservative podcaster Lila Rose, Nicolosi noted that his late father, Dr. Joseph Nicolosi Sr., whose books about homosexuality have been banned on Amazon, came to notice that many of the men who sought his help for same-sex attraction generally exhibited unusual anxiety and deference when they first met him. "The men who had that kind of guarded posture were more likely to be men who would later on disclose to him that they had unwanted same-sex attractions, versus the guy who opens the door and thoughtlessly plops down on the couch and starts complaining about his life," Nicolosi said. "So my father began listening to the stories of these men and hearing that the same defensive detachment posture they had toward him, they were exhibiting toward other men in their life." 'This topic is being pushed upon us' Though he did not opine to CP on so-called "conversion therapy" bans in countries such as Canada, where psychologists face up to five years in prison for any therapy that does not affirm homosexuality and transgenderism, Nicolosi recently participated in an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case Chiles v. Salazar, which is poised to set a legal precedent regarding state "conversion therapy" bans for minors in the United States. Nicolosi, whose state of California became the first in the U.S. to ban conversion therapy for minors in 2012, argued that such bans are vague and constitute viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment while hindering legitimate, evidence-based psychotherapy. He drew a distinction between "conversion therapy" aimed at changing sexual attractions and therapy by which sexual attractions can sometimes be changed as a byproduct of processing trauma. The amicus brief also noted that the legal definition of conversion therapy is broadening to encompass "any therapeutic intervention operating under the premise that a specific sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression is pathological." "This topic is being pushed upon us by politicians, I believe, and they're pushing it into our classrooms," Nicolosi told CP. "And they're driving this conversation into our lives and gearing it toward children at younger and younger ages, and so it's forcing this topic into the mainstream." Telling the truth about the nature of unwanted same-sex attraction is an uphill cultural battle, Nicolosi suggested, but some degree of change is possible for those who are willing. "The mainstream media in the past have shown themselves to be very agenda-driven, and I want to provide the public with a clear explanation of what we're doing, providing evidence-based treatment," he said. "Sexual attractions can change for many people. When we talk about sexual attractions, it's very important that we define our terms." "I'm not talking about flipping a light switch. We're talking about rotating a light dimmer. We're talking about gradual shifts of varying degrees. No one can guarantee an outcome. No two people respond identically, but even a few degrees of shift can be very helpful to some people, and they deserve to know that this can be an option for them." Nicolosi, who is a Christian, did not go into detail regarding the role he believes faith plays in overcoming unwanted same-sex attraction, but observed that many of his clients are religious people who are endeavoring to live according to their consciences and what they believe is their intended design. "Many of my clients are people of faith Jews, Christians, Muslims and other religions who believe they were created heterosexual," he said. "Respecting them means respecting their freedom to pursue their goals." Nicolosi also said there is growing interest among therapists regarding his form of reintegrative therapy, the results of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals and extend to other unwanted behaviors, though he expects ongoing resistance. "I suspect the psychological establishment will continue to push back, but there are more and more therapists expressing interest in doing this work," he said. "Right now, there's high demand, long wait lists of therapists and people who want help." Home News Texas school districts vote against adding time for student prayer, religious study under new state law A North Texas school board has unanimously voted to opt out of adopting a new policy that would set aside dedicated time during the school day for prayer and religious study, citing concerns that it could impose unnecessary restrictions on students' existing constitutional rights. The decision, made during a Denton Independent School District (ISD) board of trustees meeting on Dec. 9, comes in response to Senate Bill 11 (SB 11), a bipartisan measure passed by the Texas Legislature requiring all school districts to vote on whether to implement such a policy by March 2026. Districts that decline, like Denton ISD, located about 40 miles north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, face no further obligations under the law. In a vote on the adoption of a resolution based on SB 11, the Denton ISD board determined that existing state and federal law already protects students' rights to voluntarily pray, read religious texts, express religious viewpoints, and organize religious groups. The board also determined such a move was unnecessary and would impose additional procedural requirements on rights that students already fully possess. Denton ISD's legal counsel, Deron Robinson, advised the board against adoption, warning that the policy's strict guidelines could limit rather than expand religious expression. The policy is very explicit on how it has to look, and it would actually put very limiting factors around the times a student could pray, could read scripture, Robinson said during the meeting. He highlighted additional constraints, such as prohibiting prayer or religious study in the presence of students without signed parental consent forms. It would essentially deprive students of a lot of the rights they currently have, to the point where, if Im being real honest, when you put rules on something, theres an assumption that youre going to enforce those rules, Robinson said. I think if you had a student who were to pray outside of the designated time to pray, and you were to take issue with it and try to stop them, I dont think that would hold up to a constitutional challenge. The vote makes Denton ISD the second school district in Texas to decide against implementing SB 11, which allows districts to designate time, such as before the school day or in specific spaces, for prayer or reading religious texts, including the Bible and other texts. In October, Lytle ISD, located about 10 miles southwest of San Antonio, chose not to adopt SB 11 based on the school boards stated desire to preserve students maximum flexibility to pray, read scripture, or discuss faith naturally and voluntarily throughout the day just as the law already allows. Declining SB 11 doesnt mean were against prayer, the district said in a statement. It means were for individual freedom and every students right to live out their beliefs without restriction or separation. Under SB 11, participating students and staff are required to sign consent forms acknowledging no objection to the activity and waiving certain legal rights, including claims under the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. The law explicitly bans broadcasting prayers over loudspeakers and prohibits using the period as a substitute for instructional time. Students retain their constitutional rights to pray, meditate, study religious texts, or engage in voluntary religious activities outside any designated period, provided they do not disrupt classes or school operations. The legislation is part of broader efforts by Texas lawmakers to incorporate more religious elements in public schools. Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, required every public school classroom in Texas to prominently display a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a specific English translation. Last month, a federal judge ordered the removal of Ten Commandments posters in seven school districts, marking the second such injunction against SB 10 since it took effect in September. Brown Univ, Shooting, Illinois Legalizes Assisted Suicide, Trump Rebuked Over Rob Reiner Post link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 06:51 06:51 Top headlines for Wednesday, December 17, 2025 In this episode, authorities release images of a person of interest in the Brown University shooting that left two students dead, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rules a Catholic charity can be exempt from unemployment insurance taxes, and Illinois legalizes assisted suicide, sparking debate over freedom and morality. 00:11 FBI releases images of person of interest in Brown Univ. shooting 00:56 Wisconsin Supreme Court says Catholic charity now exempt from tax 01:45 Top conservative rebukes of Trump for 'grotesque' Rob Reiner post 02:32 Illinois Gov. Pritzker signs assisted suicide bill into law 03:23 Wife of US missionary sentenced 24 years in prison for his murder 04:18 Angel Studios' 'Animal Farm' to star transgender-identified actor 05:09 Hobby Lobby gives away 500,000 copies of 'The Case for Christmas' Home Opinion 7 amazing facts about Mary, the mother of Jesus Mary, the mother of our Lord, occupies a complicated place in todays world. In some Christian traditions, especially Roman Catholicism, she is elevated beyond what Scripture supports. Protestants, reacting to such excess, often go too far the other way affirming her role but rarely dwelling on the remarkable faith and courage she demonstrated. Secular and pop culture further reduce her, turning her into a seasonal decoration, a sentimental symbol, or a stylized icon stripped of theological weight. But Scripture gives us a far richer portrait. Mary was not a fragile figurine in a nativity tableau; she was an actual young woman awakened to the staggering light and responsibility of divine revelation. Mary deserves neither exaggerated veneration nor casual neglect. She deserves careful reflection, for in her life we see how God forms His servants through mystery, interruption, and humble faith. From her example emerge seven timeless truths that continue to speak with clarity and strength to the Church today. 1. Gods purposes can be disruptive, but surrender is the right response Mary entered life expecting the ordinary path of any young Jewish woman: a betrothal, a marriage, a home in Nazareth, and the quiet rhythms of village life. But nothing about her calling allowed for normalcy. From the moment the angel Gabriel appeared, her future was swept up into a divine direction that overturned all of her expectations. She would conceive before marriage, by the Holy Spirit, as a virgin, and she would also live under the shadow of what would be perceived as scandal. The life she had imagined entirely vanished but surrender to God was the right response. However, the disruptions she experienced didnt end there. Instead of giving birth surrounded by family, she traveled to Bethlehem and delivered her Son in a filthy, smelly stable. Instead of settling into peaceful domestic life, she fled to Egypt as a refugee. Instead of the ordinary and relatively quiet life, she carried the profound weight of prophetic mystery. Mary had to surrender her maternal hopes to Gods higher purposes. At Calvary, she faced a mothers sorrow that defies language and stretches beyond the reach of tears. Still, unbeknownst to her, Marys sorrows lay at the very center of the worlds redemption. It is not difficult to imagine how, at times, she must have longed for the simplicity of everyday life. Yet service to God often entails the high cost of sacrifice, and Mary bore it with a quiet, steady trust. 2. God often chooses the young to accomplish what the old believe is impossible Mary was very likely a teenager, young, inexperienced, and still forming her understanding of the world. Yet God placed upon her shoulders a calling as old as creation itself and the great promise made after humanitys fall. She would bear the Messiah, the Son of the Most-High. By the worlds standards, she definitely didnt have the credentials expected, not the age, not the influence, not the training, not the status. But she had something far rarer: a heart willing to believe God simply because He had spoken. Her story reminds us that spiritual maturity is not necessarily measured by years but by responsiveness to God. Scripture is full of such patterns. God called Samuel when he was still a boy, sleeping near the ark; Eli, aged and experienced, could barely recognize the voice the child Samuel was hearing so clearly. David was an overlooked shepherd youth when God anointed him king, even as his older brothers were passed over. Josiah was only 8 years old when he began to reign in Judah, yet his heart turned more fully toward God than many kings before him kings who had decades of experience behind them. Years alone do not produce spiritual wisdom, nor does youth always disqualify it. Mary received the angels announcement not with hardened skepticism, as those seasoned by life are often tempted to do. Instead, Mary responded with the trusting openness of someone whose heart hadnt yet learned to doubt the power and possibilities with God. 3. Submission to God may invite lifelong misunderstanding and suspicion From the moment the angel Gabriel appeared, Mary understood what the price of obedience might cost her. A virgin betrothed, but not yet married, found to be pregnant: such news would undoubtedly provoke whispers, raised brows, and quiet conversations behind closed doors. She knew this. The angel didnt promise her an easy path; he simply declared Gods will. Nonetheless, Mary, pure in heart and exemplary in devotion, accepted the divine calling, essentially saying, Yes, Lord, whatever you say I will do (Luke 1:38). She was fully aware that her reputation might never recover in her neighbors eyes. But Heaven knew the truth, and she bore this burden willingly. Of course, God Himself had vindicated Mary through the angels announcement, Josephs dream, Elizabeths Spirit-filled blessing, Simeons prophecy, and the very unfolding of redemption. Nevertheless, through all the tongue-wagging, Mary had to hold on tenaciously to what she knew was the truth, and that her worth wasnt determined by those who trafficked in speculations. Her value, her significance, was determined by the God who chose her, called her, strengthened her, and honored her. Marys life teaches us a sobering truth: obedience may cost us our reputation, but it never costs us our worth. 4. God entrusts His greatest mysteries to those willing to live with them Mary carried mysteries no one else on earth shared the incarnation growing within her womb, the prophetic words spoken about her Son, the paradoxes she witnessed in His childhood. Twice, Luke tells us she pondered these things in her heart (Luke 2:19), holding truths she could not yet explain, promises she could not yet trace, and revelations she could not yet comprehend. God did not ask Mary to understand everything; He asked her to carry everything with faith until He revealed more. William Cowper has beautifully written: God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. Scripture is filled with this pattern. Abraham lived for decades with Gods promise of a son before His plan blossomed into Isaac. Joseph carried the meaning of his dreams through the dark corridors of slavery and prison until God raised him to Egypts throne. Daniel received visions so mysterious that he was told to seal them up for a future time. Even the apostles walked in uncertainty until the resurrection illuminated what Christ had been teaching them all along. A true story beautifully illustrates this. Corrie ten Boom, imprisoned in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp during the Holocaust, faced horrors that the human mind finds difficult to reconcile with faith. Yet she held onto a quiet phrase her father once told her as a child: Corrie, when you go to travel on the train, I dont give you the ticket until just before you board. God does the same. He gives us what we need when we need it. Mary lived in a similar trust. She did not demand answers. She did not protest the obscurity of Gods ways. She carried the mystery until light broke upon it. Her life reminds us that the deepest works of God are often understood only in hindsight, and sometimes only after we enter eternity. 5. God honors those who worship before they receive all the answers Marys Magnificat is one of Scriptures most exquisite expressions of praise to God, but one reason its remarkable is because of the time she chose to sing it. She magnified the Lord before Christ was born, before prophecies were fulfilled, before her reputation was restored, and before she understood the road of suffering that lay ahead of her. Her worship rose not from circumstances, but from her confidence in the goodness of God. She praised Him while the future was still veiled, trusting that the God who had spoken would also accomplish His Word. Mary could worship like this because she knew the Scriptures. Though she did not possess personal scrolls as we do our Bibles today, she had hidden Gods Word in her heart. Mary shows us that true worship springs from a heart steeped in the Scriptures the Word of God. She trusted God enough to praise Him even while His purposes, in many respects, were not fully explained or understood to her. Moreover, if Mary had lived in our own time, we would no doubt find her regularly with an open Bible on her lap and in the Lords house every Lords Day. 6. God often allows faithful servants to witness His unfolding redemptive plan Marys life spans two of historys greatest moments. She was present at the birth of Jesus the moment when the eternal Son of God entered the world in human flesh. She cradled the Savior, whose coming had been foretold for centuries. Yet her story continued. Scripture tells us that Mary was also present in the upper room after the ascension of Christ (Acts 1:14), praying with the disciples as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit. She stood at Pentecost, witnessing the birth of the Church, the beginning of Christs saving work spreading to the nations. How remarkable! How glorious. Few lives have bookended such monumental works of God. From the manger in Bethlehem to the outpouring of Gods Spirit in Jerusalem, Mary watched redemption unfold in both its personal and global dimensions. She saw Jesus come into the world as Savior, and she saw His Spirit come into the world to gather a people for His name a people from every nation, tribe, and language. Mary reminds us that walking with God is not only about obedience in the moment, but it is also about staying faithful long enough to see His work grow and fully bloom, sometimes in ways far larger than ever imagined. Mary was blessed to witness the Saviors birth and the birth of the Church with her own eyes. It can be amazing where a consistent walk of faith will take us. 7. God reveals His salvation only to those who walk with Christ Mary lived with a truth no other mother has ever known: the Son she nursed, taught, and loved was also her Savior and the Redeemer of her soul. Gabriels announcement made this clear from the very start: her Child would be called the Son of the Most High, the one whose Kingdom would never end (Luke 1:32-33). Mary understood from the outset that the baby within her was no ordinary child. He was the promised King of kings and Lord of lords. Mary lived every moment of motherhood with this dual awareness: Jesus was her Son, and yet infinitely more. She touched the hands that fashioned the stars; she cradled the One who would one day carry the sins of the world. Marys life reminds us that knowing Christ on a personal level knowing Him as Savior and Lord brings peace, joy, and awe. To know Him truly is to recognize that He is not only the answer to the worlds need, but a personal Savior to anyone who trusts Him for the forgiveness of sins. Mary treasured this truth from Christs birth to His resurrection, and her example calls us to hold Christ in the same wonder-filled devotion, with a heart that bows before Him and says, My Lord and my God(John 20:28). Though centuries have passed, the timeless truths drawn from Marys life remain undiminished in their relevance. They call us to trust God when our plans collapse, to believe God with a childlike faith, to endure misunderstandings with grace, to carry Gods mysteries with patience, to worship Him before the answers come, to stay faithful across the changing seasons of life, and to walk closely with Christ as our Savior and Lord. Mary does not point us to herself, but to the God who does wonders through humble and willing hearts. May her example lead us to say, with sincerity and courage, the very words she spoke at the beginning of her journey: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word (Luke 1:38). Home Opinion Bondi Beach terror attack on Hanukkah: The world doesn't need less faith right now As Jews around the world began lighting the Hanukkah candles, darkness once again revealed itself. In Australia, a Hanukkah gathering on Bondi Beach, where members of the Jewish community had come together to celebrate and light the menorah, was targeted in a horrific act of terror. Fifteen innocent people were killed. Among the victims was a rabbi devoted to faith, service, and community. As I watched the news unfold, my heart cried out: Lord, what is the answer? What are we called to do when darkness feels everywhere? I believe the answer is found in the very holiday that begins tonight (at the time of this writing). It is no coincidence that Hanukkah falls in the dead of winter, during the longest nights of the year. It is no coincidence that this attack occurred precisely when Jews were publicly lighting the menorah. Hanukkah teaches us that light must be brought into the darkness, and specifically where the darkness feels strongest. God commands us not to surrender to darkness. That is why Jewish tradition does not tell us to light the menorah hidden away in a private room. We are commanded to place it by the window, facing the public square. The message is unmistakable: faith must be visible. Light must be shared. One small flame can illuminate an entire room. One good action can spark a thousand more. Watching this evil unfold from Australia to America, from Europe to Israel, from Syria to Christians being persecuted across Africa I realized something sobering: we can no longer say, Its not me. We can no longer say, Its just the Jews, or Its just the Christians. It is us. Judeo-Christian values are being targeted because they stand for light, for love, and for the sanctity of life. Just last week, I was in New York City. Everywhere I looked, I saw Christmas trees glowing with light. I saw Hanukkah menorahs standing proudly in public spaces. The message was clear: Go to the public square with your faith. Do not hide it. Do not dim it. Christmas lights and Hanukkah candles both proclaim the same truth that this is a land of faith, and that faith brings light. At the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, this belief shapes everything we do. Since October 7, we have distributed more than six million meals to those in need. Every single day, we are helping bring Jewish people home from all four corners of the earth from Ukraine, France, South America, and places so dangerous they cannot be publicly named. We do this because Scripture commands us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the poor. This is what it means to bring light. It is not symbolic. It is not theoretical. It is action. In the aftermath of these attacks, many people are angry. They say governments are not doing enough to fight antisemitism. They are not wrong, but the question is this: is God calling us to cower in frustration and point fingers or is He calling us to act? That word appears again and again in the Bible. It is the response of those willing to do what is hard in order to do what is right. At The Fellowship, we do not just demand accountability from others we hold ourselves accountable. I am here on the ground in Israel, representing millions of Christians who stand with the Jewish people not just in words, but in deeds. When rockets fall in Israel, we are placing bomb shelters and delivering food. In Ukraine, we are providing heat and care to elderly Holocaust survivors under fire. In Australia, we are helping provide security to Jewish communities under threat. We do not retreat when there is darkness. We stand stronger. This Hanukkah, as I light the menorah with my family, I will pray for the victims in Australia. I will pray for Jewish and Christian communities under attack around the world. But prayer alone is not enough. I will recommit myself to giving more, doing more, and saving more lives because that is what God is calling each one of us to do. Do not let your anger be your only response. Let it fuel action. Step forward in love. Bring light. Because the world does not need less faith right now. It needs more light. Home Opinion How critical theory paved the way for Nick Fuentes I was teaching an undergraduate colloquium on critical theory at the University of Notre Dame when the news broke of Tucker Carlsons interview with Nick Fuentes. The timing was interesting because the colloquiums final document for discussion was a 2023 Hedgehog Review essay by Malloy Owen. Owen traces the fascinating migration of critical theory a family of philosophies often associated with the Left to the Right of the political spectrum. Even a superficial glance at contemporary political discourse indicates the plausibility of this thesis. The rhetoric birthed by critical theory (It is all about power, Established institutions are ineradicably corrupt and need to be torn down, and Everything you have been told is a lie) is obviously no longer a monopoly of the Left. Owen mentions Carlson, although it may be generous to attribute his Fuentes interview to intellectual commitments. The gig media economy favors pundits who are prepared to transgress boundaries; their exchange had no real intellectual substance. The two men commiserated with each other over how they had been victimized by establishment conspiracies, and Carlson avoided anything approaching a question that might have challenged Fuentess well-documented views on the Jews and on Hitler. Indeed, even Fuentess claim to be a fan of Stalin merited no exploration. The interview was all very therapeutic and hardly a replay of Chomsky vs. Foucault. Yet it also revealed how some on the Right are indulging in the same critical theoretical games as those on the Left. In 2021, at the height of the critical race theory controversy, I wrote on the topic for First Things. The reactions from other Christians were swift, extreme, and predictable: I was a racist, too evil or too stupid to understand CRT, and therefore to be anathematized. There was even a report of one Presbyterian minister threatening one of his congregants for merely linking to my article on Facebook. My rejection of CRT apparently rendered me guilty of supporting the allegedly systemic racism of the status quo, as if rejecting the use of gasoline as the appropriate liquid for extinguishing a fire rendered me complicit in arson. I argued that Christians who embraced CRT rhetoric were committing themselves to a form of social criticism that would make them impotent in the face of LGBT radicalism, gender theory, and the like. It was the critical part, not the race part, that concerned me most. CRT, like other members of the critical theory family, involves a basic anti-humanism. At root it rejects the idea of human nature as a given, essential foundation for morality and human relationships. Post-structuralists are open about this, as Foucaults famous debate with Chomsky illustrates. The early Frankfurt School was a little more coy. Being Hegelian Marxists, they projected utopian humanity into the future, though in practice this meant they could not articulate what it might look like. As Max Horkheimer said, in regard to the essential kind of change at which the critical theory aims, there can be no corresponding concrete perception of it until it actually comes about. In other words, critical theories, whether Foucaultian or Marxist, aim at the destabilization of the status quo with no substantial vision of what might replace it. They are practically anti-humanist. Committed to such anti-humanism in the present, these approaches make truth a matter of taste, something with no transcendent, binding content. Carlsons interview with Fuentes is a case in point. Its purpose was not denotative, driven by a desire to point to truth. It was connotative, with the purpose of creating a transgressive and iconoclastic vibe for the audience. Hence Carlsons care not to challenge his guest about any of the views that had made him famous in the first place. And that vibe appeals to a fanbase made up of young men, not surprising in an era when that class has been so consistently maligned. The vibe is also anti-human. Anyone who can speak about Jews indeed, about any other member of the human race as Fuentes does is anti-humanist, one who rejects the notion of humanity and the moral significance that such a concept involves. And when Carlson offers his guest a platform but no probing questions or substantial pushback, he himself is complicit in promoting this. The usual suspects in the wider pundit world will no doubt be waxing eloquent about the evils of the Right and the inroads of bigotry into the GOP. The whole debacle is a problem for the Right, specifically the GOP, and indicates the growing influence of groypers, rightists who are as hardline as they are online. The usual erstwhile Evangelical critics will surely be blaming it all on their fellow Christians who voted for Trump. But those pundits might themselves engage in some self-reflection, as the phenomenon is not a problem that can be explained using a simple Right-Left taxonomy. Antisemitism is a powerful force on the Left but, unlike the response to Carlsons interview with Fuentes, it has not been so loudly condemned on that wing of the spectrum. And the underlying problem is not antisemitism; it is the anti-humanism that pervades our culture and manifests itself most dramatically in racial identity politics. Critics of Carlson who have themselves previously denounced opponents of CRT as racists or used the preferred pronouns of male killers who happen to identify as women in other words, critics who have themselves assumed key aspects of the nihilistic world of critical theory might perhaps pause for a moment to ask if they themselves, and not ordinary Christians in the pew, are the ones really complicit in creating the cultural conditions that have made the likes of Carlson and Fuentes both possible, plausible, and popular. Originally published at First Things. Arrests have been made after a string of thefts on charity clothes banks leading police to seize 20,000. Essex Police has arrested five people in connection with thefts from clothes banks in Essex and London which they believe are linked to a Lithuanian gang. Police raided 12 addresses on 16 December after charities including the Salvation Army, British Heart Foundation and the Firefighters Charity were targeted. The group, which raided charity bins in town and city centres, has been selling the clothes abroad to fund other crimes and facilitate money laundering. Some 20,000 was seized by police 10,000 from a vehicle, and the remaining amount from a bedroom, along with several mobile phones. Five men between the ages of 30 and 46 have been arrested on suspicion of theft and remain in custody. They are from Pitsea, South Ockendon and Purfleet in Essex, and one man is from Dagenham in east London. Nationwide thefts Detective sergeant Mike Monkton of the proactive money laundering team, which made the arrests, said: The scale of these thefts is huge criminals are taking tonnes and tonnes of clothing from sites nationwide that was intended to help others or raise money for those in need. Instead, it was being used to line the pockets of criminals operating across Europe. These warrants all taking place simultaneously this morning is a huge disruption to the operations. sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, A new episode of the Civil Society Podcast has been published today, featuring an interview with Lily Caswell, head of retail and volunteering, and Jo Turner, chief executive of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. In this episode, Caswell and Turner discuss what it is like to work for a local organisation, the changing face of the charity sector and supporting the community. You can listen to the interview now below or on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , Amazon Music and Pocket Casts . AI-generated transcript Lea Legraien (LL): Hello and welcome to another episode of the Civil Society Podcast. Im Lea Legraien, senior reporter for Charity Finance, the essential resource for everyone interested in the financial side of running a charity. On todays show, Im speaking with Lily Caswell, head of retail and volunteering, and Jo Turner, CEO of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity supports patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families across Buckinghamshire and its borders. Since opening in 1989, thousands of patients and families have benefitted from the charitys specialist hospice care. The hospice remains the only bedded unit in Buckinghamshire for respite and end-of-life care. Services have evolved over the years, with much of the charitys care now also offered in the community. I hope you find this conversation interesting and Ill speak with you again at the end. LL: So, hi Jo, hi Lily. How are you today? Jo Turner (JT): Fine, thank you. Thank you very much for interviewing us. Lily Caswell (LC): Hello. LL: Well, thanks for agreeing to talk to me. So, Lily, Ill start with you, if thats okay. So, your love of charity retail started in 2002 when you joined Oxfam as a bookshop manager in Oxford. So, what made you want to join the charity sector then? LC: Well, its a long time ago now, but after I left university, I worked in mainstream retail, but had a really brief taste of charity retail, because my mum was for a short time a shop manager for cancer research, and I absolutely loved everything about retail, but if Im honest, I wanted to do somewhere where the money that we raised in the shop mattered. I lived in Oxford, and Oxfam advertised for a shop manager of their flagship bookshop, and so I applied. And as part of the recruitment process, you had to go in and meet the volunteers, and they were amazing, like those super interesting people running a shop full of amazing books. You can imagine in Oxford how great it was to raise money for a fantastic cause. So, I was really hooked from that and really, charity shops do provide everything thats brilliant about retail, but on top of that, it comes with working with incredible volunteers and then a treasure hunt and the creative challenge you get with donated stock. But straight away, I realised that all the work that we did, and my team did, raised money for Oxfam, and you cant be more motivated than that. I always say, were really lucky, we get to do a really fun job, but the money we raise really matters, and its still those things that motivate me today. LL: Ok and after that, you worked at Barnardos and then Save the Children UK, and in 2016, you joined Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. So, how did you find the move from larger charities to a much smaller one? LC: Oh, well, it was absolutely fascinating. So, I was really lucky to work for those three incredible charities. I was really proud of working for them, and Id had very little experience of hospices other than knowing that their charity shops got a lot of donations and usually had a lot of volunteers. I didnt really, really understand why, but it was obvious from the minute I walked in the door, because the most striking difference working for a hospice charity is the connection that the local community has with the cause and with the shops. So, from my very first day and genuinely every single working day since I met colleagues and volunteers and customers and donors whove experienced the care provided by Florence Nightingale Hospice. The money we raise funds the hospice care in the area that we are and our shops are based and the people who are affected by it. We meet them every day, the impact is right here. So you cant stand in a hospice shop and not know what youre doing it for and why, and thats a real privilege, but also hugely motivating. And practically hospice charities absolutely do get a lot more donations, and were super lucky at Florence, our shops are really well donated to, but weve also got those higher numbers of volunteers who support the cause because of their experience of the hospice. And that really helps. Large charities have a huge infrastructure behind them, and coming to work in a small charity, you certainly have to wear a lot more hats. You might be doing those that you wouldnt normally do, but it's generally easier to get things done because you know all your colleagues, they're sat near you. Yeah, so really, really fascinating in all different ways. LL: Okay, Ill come back to the shops a bit later, but first, Im turning to you, Jo. So, you started your career as private secretary to government ministers, before moving to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, where you held several senior roles. So, when and why did you leave the public sector for the charity world? JT: Well, I think, in fact, charities are my third career, really. I started off as a very, very junior curator in the Imperial War Museum. I then moved to DCMS, which is quite a small government department, and worked on policy development in most of the areas covered in broadcasting, arts, culture, museums, sport. It was a great department. Its quite small, more relatively nimble in government terms, if you can say that. The staff there are very motivated, very passionate about what theyre trying to achieve. So in some ways, its a bit charity-like really. But I think I felt that I probably covered all the areas that the department covered, and it was probably time for a change, really. While I moved to the charity sector, I probably didnt really understand it, to be honest. I thought it would be interesting. I started off as a trusts and foundations fundraiser in a sort of gamekeeper-to-poacher move, really. I thought I could use my skills, instead of evidence and making a case for funding. And then I did the Institute for Fundraising fundraising diploma, so that I could get to grips with fundraising as a new career. So, yeah, thats my kind of career history, really. I would absolutely echo what Lily has said, that the benefits of the charity sector are seeing that or working for a local charity anyway, theres a positive impact on local people, and also being able to respond relatively quickly to needs that weve identified. Its very, very satisfying to work as part of a very talented senior leadership team and also with our local community, our supporters, our volunteers, our hospice expert colleagues, and to make things happen quickly. LL: Okay, so it was in 2017 that you joined the charity, Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity, as head of fundraising, right? And just over a year later, you became the charity CEO. So, how did your career prepare you to become, if its your first-time charity CEO role, how did it prepare you for that? JT: Yeah, I hope the brief period of getting scripts for fundraising, I think the policy work I did in government, I think that allows you to see the bigger picture, the national context for change and whats needed, and then to apply that very locally. I led big teams before in DCMS, both working on policy initiatives and on sort of change and transformation programmes. Particularly at the end, we had a big programme where I was programme manager that responded to the financial crisis of 2008, really. So I think thats helped me in terms of strategy and management and leading an organisation. So yeah, it was a good preparation. LL: Okay, so youve been in the charity sector for a decade now. JT: Thats right, yeah. Time has flown by! LL: So, how has it changed since you joined it? JT: Yeah, I think, from my point of view, it feels like quite a challenging environment. Im sure everyone would say that, sort of societally, in terms of hospice care, we are contending with the demographic pace. I suppose weve got a growing and ageing population needing more care, more complex patients who probably got a number of conditions that our nurses are having to deal with. Theres the Covid effect, which had major impacts on society and on the NHS financially. Its been a whole period of sort of austerity, Covid, the cost-of-living crisis. I mean, they are not ideal word cloud words, are they? If you wanted them as a backdrop to income generation. LL: So youve been in the charity retail sector for two decades. So yeah, how has it changed for you? LC: Well, the sector has changed a lot, although I would say its a very proactive and adaptable sector, so it feels well placed to adapt to changes in shopping habits and things. Its one of the things that I quote often. I remember being told when I was first at Oxfam that only 32% of people shopped in charity shops. So, this is the early 2000s, and now it is nearly double that. So, its somewhere between 60 and 70% which I would think that makes it mainstream. And obviously, I remember being with shop managers and thinking: How could we make it cool for people to shop in charity shops? I wish a celebrity would say that they shop in charity shops. It didnt feel like that was a real possibility, but it is a fact now that people are proud of shopping sustainably and shopping in charity shops. So, you know its reported that over 80% of people are troubled by the volume of clothing that ends up in landfill and the horrors of fast fashion are really well publicised. So, its not really a surprise that shoppers have been increasingly looking to charity shops as well as, obviously, platforms like Vinted. But you know, were looking increasingly as a society to shop more sustainably. But I also think theres that feeling of you never know what you might find. And I definitely noticed that customers seem to have more joy when they find something in the shops. They find something they love to wear, or thats going to go in their home, or a book theyve been looking for. They just genuinely seem more excited when they find it and buy it. I think its probably fair to say that charity retail has upped its game a bit over the last 20 years. Shops are smarter, theyre more commercial, and there are some really, really talented retailers running the shops. Its one of the true green sectors. So, if youre looking for a job that's environmentally minded, a green job, you might increasingly be looking at the charity retailers as a career. So yeah, I think its changed a lot, and generally speaking, its one of the sectors that feels like it benefited from the changes to the economy and after Covid that people are looking to shop sustainably, shop economically and shop locally. Charity shops really fit that. What do you call it? Fit those three things, it provides the shopping experience people are looking for. LL: So I wanted to ask you a bit later about the past year, but Im going to ask you now, because were talking about, obviously, the shops that the charity has. So its 15 shops, is that correct? LC: Yes, Florence Nightingale has got 15 shops, but weve just merged with South Bucks Hospice, which has added another five shops to our portfolio. LL: Yeah. So, sorry, go ahead. LC: So I was gonna say yes, so weve got 20 shops now, but this is, this is since October. LL: Okay, so, looking at the past year because of the cost-of-living crisis and all those other challenges that Jo mentioned on the back of Covid-19, would you say its been a good or challenging year for the charity, and now that youve just merged with another organisation, its great news to hear that youre going to open five more shops. So, has it been mixed? What do you feel? LC: I would say working within charity and charity retail sector is always challenging, but Im pleased to say (touching wood) that its been a really good year for us, and, you know, were managing to grow like-for-like income, and weve been opening shops over the last few years, so thats really helping us to develop retail income further. As those shops become more established, I think weve seen more donations to our shops, and we also seem to have recruited more volunteers as well, which is brilliant. Were very, very fortunate for all of those things, weve obviously needed to increase income because the costs of running charity retail have gone up exponentially over the past couple of years, most noticeably with energy prices and staffing costs, with last years changes to employee national insurance and the national living wage, but also because the need for us funding for hospice care is increasing, so its something that weve needed to do as part of our retail strategy. LL: Okay, so we often hear about the so-called death of the high street. Do you think that this also applies to charities? LC: No, I think thats a bit harsh, but the move to out of town shopping is undeniable, and we know some of the national charity retailers are making a concerted effort to rise to that move. And most charity retailers, including ourselves, now have an out-of-town presence as well, but my experience of going into town centres and the high street, its clearly changing, but I still see a lot of people out and about. Theyre looking to shop nothing really beats seeing the stuff you want to buy in person without the frustrations of missed deliveries and things that can come with online shopping and the cost of postage and things. And shopping, I think, is still very much a social activity where you meet families and friends and, you know, for a coffee and a mooch around shops, that sort of thing. And Im hopeful that the changes to there being more residents in town centres will ultimately be good for town centre shops because people will shop locally. People shop where they live, dont they? But as I said earlier, I think the charity retail sector is really adaptable, and Ive seen it evolve over the past 20 years, and Ive got no doubt that well continue to do that. And charity retail, Im certain, will remain very much part of the retail landscape in the UK. LL: So, you mentioned the merger with South Bucks Hospice. Could you tell me a bit more about your decision to merge? Was it maybe in response to the tough economic climate? Or were there several reasons for you to merge? JT: Yeah, I think the merger project has probably taken up a year. I think it literally dates back to this time last year. We were approached by South Bucks Hospice as a potential merger partner. Our charity covers the entirety of Buckinghamshire, a long, thin county, where we provide inpatient care, hospice at home care, and particularly clinics and other services. And South Bucks Hospice is a purpose-built building on the edge of High Wycombe, so in the south of the county. Its an outpatient facility, so it doesnt have any beds. I think, really, we were looking at efficiency and how we could offer services to more people at a time of need, really. Its a very beautiful building, purpose-built, as I mentioned, and opened in 2017. So yeah, a great facility, some really talented staff based there. So, were very excited about the opportunity. The formal merger didnt take place until the third of October, so its really early days in terms of bringing the teams together. LL: Okay, I was about to say, because it was completed in October, yeah, you havent seen, like, any massive changes yet, I guess. So its going to really take some time. JT: It does take time, I think. Yeah, so first priority, weve been doing a review of the hospice services on offer there. In fact, weve taken the opportunity to look at the hospice services on offer at Florence Nightingale and also at South Bucks Hospice to compare them and work out what the fit is and how we can extend services to more people. So, yeah, were hoping to conclude that review this side of Christmas, which is pretty quick work. Some of the services at South Bucks Hospice were delivered by third parties. The retail operation, for example, was managed by a company. Some of the fundraising, some of the clinical guidance, so weve been able to make some efficiencies straight away. The South Bucks CEO was an interim, so financial savings were possible on day one, really, which has been helpful, obviously, to secure what were trying to achieve. I think, in terms of bringing teams together, we all know that takes a lot of time and a lot of communication, so were not remotely complacent about how much work is going to be involved. And its going to be a key project going into 2026, really, to bring both charities together properly. LL: Okay, so have you faced any like big challenges so far? Has it been like a smooth process so far, and theres still obviously a lot of work to do in 2026 JT: Yeah, I think, you know, there was an initial business planning piece of work right at the beginning of the year, followed by lots of legal due diligence and lots of work with both sets of trustees to make the merger happen. But no, it feels, yeah, I think sometimes weve got a very motivated senior leadership team, but I think sometimes you have to remind ourselves that we were quite busy before all of this. We did actually have jobs where we ran our own charity. So, I think weve achieved a lot in the timescale, but theres lots to do, and we want to make the most of the opportunity of merging. LL: Okay, sounds good. So, in England, palliative and end-of-life care is a statutory requirement. But yet, I feel like we dont seem to place the same emphasis on dying as we do on birth. Why is that so? Whoever wants to go first. JT: So I think Id agree with that. Actually, our lead nurse frequently says that you wouldnt run maternity care through bake sales. So, I think its a kind of cultural issue that we dont put the same focus on death and dying, even though we know its inevitable; we would rather avoid it as a topic, I think. I think the assisted dying debate is shining a bit of a light on the issue, really. National umbrella body Hospice UK have argued, really, that assisted dying probably wouldnt be needed in most cases if we had enough investment in specialist, palliative and end-of-life care. I think I would tend to agree with them. But no, I cant really answer the question why that is the case, but I think as a charity, we feel the public do want to invest in hospice care and do want to make it as good as possible. Those supporters that have personally experienced a member of their family being cared for, or just think that hospice care is a really important public good. They are happy to invest. But theres got to be a good partnership between the charity sector and the NHS, and thats really important. We have a really great relationship with our local Bucks Healthcare Trust, but thats not the case in all parts of the country. LL: Did you want to add anything to this, Lily? LC: No, no, not really. I think Im fine. LL: So, I don't know if you watched the autumn budget and if you have any thoughts on this, I was just wondering if any of the measures announced by the chancellor will affect your charity and its retail operation. JT: I think for the charity as a whole, there werent really any direct benefits. I think, no changes to the national insurance contributions, which Lily mentioned earlier. Its still quite a difficult economic climate for many, isnt it, both for individuals and for companies. So, we are finding corporate fundraising quite tricky. I suppose we hope that the investment in the NHS will, in the sort of medium term, be beneficial to hospice care. Otherwise, some slight benefits, which Im sure youre covering in your magazine, you know, to do with, you know, business donations to charities and things, but yeah, time will tell. I think it feels fairly similar to pre-budget times. LL: Did you say that corporate fundraising is not what it used to be? Is it more difficult now to find, like, corporate partners? Is that what youre saying? JT: I think it can be harder for a local charity. I think it doesnt have, you know, big national companies on your doorstep. And I think as perhaps small to medium companies have contented themselves with national insurance increases to the national minimum wage, which obviously is a good thing, but it perhaps does mean that its harder for them to invest in local charities. So, a lot of the corporate fundraising we do might be employees of companies doing activities for us, rather than grants from companies. Were very grateful for that support that we get, but it is different to the corporate support that a national charity might get. LL: Ok, I see. So, what about your priorities for next year? Can you tell me a bit more about these? JT: I think, from my interview for the whole charity, we want to build on our merger, as Ive already mentioned, and we dont underestimate this, you know an awful lot of work to do to maximise the opportunity of that merger. We need to develop our hospice services in line with the local need, really. Weve just launched a Christmas campaign as part of the Big Give movement and raise money for our hospice at home night team. So, you know, theres a big push on as much care as possible being delivered in the community. And when it comes to having a patient whos very, very ill and maybe dying, obviously, that need is a 24/7 need, and probably the time at which the family need the most support is at night time. So, our next investment, I think, will be in an extra staff for that night-time cover to be really important. Were delivering a new service called compassionate neighbours. Its a service that was invented by the hospice movement, by St Joseph in Hackney, and it involves volunteers tackling sort of loneliness and social isolation that many people face due to illness or age. Its mainly volunteers that will be operating in the community. Weve got two new colleagues whove just, literally, just joined us to make that project happen. Were very excited about that. Were also starting to think about our main hospice building in Aylesbury, which is starting to age. We spend a lot of money on keeping it as smart as we can, but actually, we need to think about the future as well. So, weve always got a lot to think about. Well continue developing income generation to make that happen, including retail. LC: Absolutely, my priority for the next year is obviously to just keep growing retail income. So, yeah, thats what were here to do, to raise more income. So, well be doing that both through our existing shops, through our online sales, and hopefully also by opening some more new shops as well across the county, that would be great. And were also always keen to find more ways to make even more of the amazing donations that our shops are given, you know, keeping more clothing and other items out of landfill. Lets see if we can just keep as much [...] and raise as much money as we can. LL: Yeah, and you have to be innovative and creative. And yeah, it sounds like there is a lot on your plate, but 2026 sounds like its going to be an exciting, maybe a bit challenging, year, but lots to think about. LC: It will definitely be exciting. JT: I think perhaps one of the side effects of a merger is maybe a lot of work, and it may mean that youve had to park some issues that you were working on. Perhaps, there is a slight energising element to it. You think well, actually, yes, we can achieve that on top of our day jobs, just about. So, what else can we achieve, which I think is a really positive thing. LL: Thank you for listening to my chat with Jo and Lily. I hope you enjoyed it. Please like and subscribe to the Civil Society podcast and look out for another episode in the coming weeks. Stay safe! sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Sign up for the daily CJR newsletter. For months, Sahan Journal, the Minnesota-based nonprofit news outlet, has been covering the Trump administrations stepped-up measures against immigrants in the MinneapolisSt. Paul area, reporting on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests and how people should approach interactions with ICE. Earlier this month, as the Department of Homeland Security launched an operation targeting Somali immigrants and President Donald Trump referred to the community as garbage, Sahan Journal dug in, expanding its coverage of the administrations policies and their impact on local Somalis. Created in 2019, Sahan Journal is dedicated to covering immigrants and people of color in Minnesota, which is home to the worlds largest Somali diaspora community. Executive editor Vanan Murugesan is not a journalist by training; he describes himself as a news junkie with an ambition to disrupt the current media financing death spiral. Murugesan set out to be a mechanical engineer, but felt his work lacked meaning and joined the nonprofit sector instead, working most recently with an organization that provides family support, civic engagement, and job readiness programs. When he was offered the top job at Sahan Journal last year, he saw a chance to combine his passion for journalism with his nonprofit expertise. I spoke with Murugesan this week about how his publication is covering immigration under increasingly trying circumstances, the risks to frontline journalists, and the role of local coverage when legacy media falls short. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. RS: Sahan Journal is built for immigrant communities. Looking at Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago, were you gearing up to cover ICE action, or was it a shock when things started happening in Minnesota? VM: It wasnt a surprise at all. We could see the trend, and knowing that Minnesota is a blue state and Minneapolis and St. Paul are blue cities, its almost like it would be ridiculous if it didnt happen, right? Weve been learning and observing whats been happening in other cities; weve been talking to newsrooms in those places and taking steps to get us ready for this moment. But personallyand I dont think my reporters feel this waywhen it did happen, it was still like, Woah. The scale, the frequency, and the intensity were big for me. What steps did you take to prepare? Sign up for CJRs daily email One of the obvious steps was around physical safety. Weve had the ability to not just purchase safety equipment, but learn from other newsrooms about what they purchased, like models of eye protection, gas masks, wipes. Before a field assignment, everyone goes through some kind of safety briefing. We are blessed that we have a First Amendment lawyer who does pro bono work for Sahan, and we write this persons name and phone number on reporters hands before they go out. The priority is always safety, and if the reporters feel like at any moment their safety could be compromised, we encourage them to leave. I want to stress that we have reporters that come from our immigrant communities. Our editor in chief is very mindful of this, and there is an internal practice that reporters arent necessarily assigned coverage solely based on their identity. For example, we do have a Somali reporter, and he covers criminal justice. But its not, Hey, youre the Somali guy, cover the Somali community. In fact, we try to provide some form of separation, because we dont want them to be pigeonholed. Theres also some level of emotional and social burden of being that personthey live in that community, they have friends and family in that community, and it can be an extra burden if youre also covering that. We learned this from the postGeorge Floyd newsroom coverage. One of our main reporters that covers our Somali community is Joey Peters. Hes a six-foot-five white guy and obviously not Somali. But with the work hes done, the quality of the journalism and the consistency that hes shown in his coverage, hes opened himself up to a lot of the folks within the Somali community to tell him their stories. How do you ensure the safety of reporters who are not US citizens covering immigration? Ill be honest: at the beginning this was a question, and now it doesnt matter, because what weve seen is that ICE and certain authorities will do whatever they want, regardless of your citizenship status. The practices we incorporate are the same for everyone, but I think my videographers, who are carrying cameras, are most frequently targeted. They are US citizens, but theyre from an immigrant background, and I can assure you no one is checking citizenship before reacting in some way. What has been your editorial strategy in covering this increase in immigration enforcement? This is not a new thing for us. Its kind of our bread and butter, and weve been doing it since day one. I think the real difference here, right now, is actually the intensity of the coverage, the frequency, and the national spotlight. Weve been doing this type of story since January of this year, and weve been covering a lot of different angles, but now, on a daily basis, theres a national spotlight on ICE raids, and the frequency has been really heavy. We have a main immigration reporter, but lately its definitely been all hands on deck. Its not our strategy to go after every single ICE raid. We do ask ourselves, What is it that we can offer to that story, to our reader, that a national or legacy outlet cannot? One of the things that immigrant communities and communities of color commonly face is that when theres a crisis or tragedy thats impacting them, the first few days or weeks, theres a lot of attention paid to it by either local or national outlets, and then they are gone. It feels a bit like youre being used and then youre no longer part of the news cycle. The aftereffects continue to linger in the community, and thats what Sahan Journal was created for. We stay with the story to understand those effects. Our strongest strength is the trust we build within the community. Consistently, because of that, we are able to provide the type of coverage that legacy media may have a slightly harder time doing because they dont have that infrastructure. At the end of the day, Im a bit kumbaya-ish, but having national and local outlets work together on these types of situations actually would benefit the reader and the audience much more. So what needs to happen is collaboration. Have you found that Sahan Journal is more on the national radar or the presidents radar now because of the nature of your coverage? When you say radar, I keep thinking about how he calls out CNN or NBC. Hes not personally called out Sahan the way he picks on the national outlets, but there was an incident a few months ago, when Kristi Noem came to do a press conference, and the Sahan Journal and Minnesota Reformer reporters werent allowed in the room. The reason they gave was a lack of space, and my editor in chief lodged some kind of complaint. It felt somewhat like we were being picked on by the administration. Im curious what your thoughts are on the role of the media in an environment where news reporting can be used selectively to justify a violent government response? Thats a tough one. Some of our strongest coverage in recent years was around the Feeding Our Future scandal, in which more than seventy-five people faced federal charges for stealing two hundred and fifty million dollars from a federal child nutrition program in Minnesota during COVID. One of the main leaders of the scandal was a white woman who led the Feeding Our Future nonprofit, but there were also a number of individuals, characters, and organizations that were tied to the Somali community. Sahan Journals founder Muktar Ibrahim is Somali. He endured a lot of attacks from all sides, including from the Somali community, about covering this kind of incident. But in his mind, its news. Its something that needed to be reported. He believes this, and I believe this. The point is, we cannot control how other people use our stories. Our role as reporters is to cover an issue. When it comes to coverage that involves immigrant communities, Sahan does it better than anyone else in Minnesota because of the trust weve built with those communities. Not only are we speaking with sources, but we follow the story for a long time. Yeah, it might be used one day by someone who wants to harm the community. But our job is to cover the news. We do it responsibly, with care, not just to the communities, but with our reporters. We dont make tons of money just because a million people read the story, so we are not clickbaity in that sense. We take time to get it right. If people want to cause harm, thats something that we cant avoid. And we hope there are responsible leaders in other sectors and other parts of the community that can do something about that. Self-driving car company Waymo is in talks to raise $15 billion in funding in the new year. The robotaxi company plans to raise billions from Alphabet , its parent company, as well as outside investors at a valuation as high as $110 billion, according to a person familiar with the discussions. The latest funding discussions are indicative of Waymo's status as the leader of the pack in the U.S. robotaxi market. The company has been spending heavily to ramp up its fleet and continue expanding to more regions. Waymo is now either operating its robotaxis, planning to launch service or starting to test its vehicles in 26 markets, in the U.S. and abroad. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said Waymo will "meaningfully" contribute to Alphabet's financials as soon as 2027, CNBC reported Tuesday. OpenAI is in discussions with Amazon about a potential investment and an agreement to use its artificial intelligence chips, CNBC confirmed on Tuesday. The details are fluid and still subject to change but the investment could exceed $10 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the talks are confidential. The Information first reported on the potential deal. The discussions come after OpenAI completed a restructuring in October and formally outlined the details of its partnership with Microsoft , giving it more freedom to raise capital and partner with companies across the broader AI ecosystem. Microsoft has invested more than $13 billion in OpenAI and backed the company since 2019, but it no longer has a right of first refusal to be OpenAI's compute provider, according to an October release. OpenAI can now also develop some products with third parties. Amazon has invested at least $8 billion into OpenAI rival Anthropic, but the e-commerce giant could be looking to expand its exposure to the booming generative AI market. Microsoft has taken a similar step and announced last month that it will invest up to $5 billion into Anthropic, while Nvidia will invest up to $10 billion in the startup. Amazon Web Services has been designing its own AI chips since around 2015, and the hardware has become crucial for AI companies that are trying to train models and meet growing demand for compute. AWS announced its Inferentia chips in 2018, and the latest generation of its Trainium chips earlier this month. OpenAI has made more than $1.4 trillion of infrastructure commitments in recent months, including agreements with chipmakers Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom . Last month, OpenAI signed a deal to buy $38 billion worth of capacity from AWS, its first contract with the leader in cloud infrastructure leader. In October, OpenAI finalized a secondary share sale totaling $6.6 billion, allowing current and former employees to sell stock at a $500 billion valuation. WATCH: Oracle says there have been no delays in OpenAI arrangement after stock slide (L-R) Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben & Jerrys, partnered with MoveOn to hand out free ice cream at Franklin Square in Philadelphia during their Scoop The Vote tour to get-out-the-vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats down the ballot on September 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lisa Lake | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen has slammed parent Magnum Ice Cream Company, saying it is "destroying" the brand, in an interview with CNBC. The world's largest standalone ice cream business, Magnum, is only a week old but has already had a lifetime of corporate drama. Ben & Jerry's CEO Jochanan Senf, appointed by Unilever, has said changes to the terms of the board, including a nine-year term limit, setting a board cadence with "protocols on engagement" and an obligation to comply with Magnum's code of business integrity, would strengthen governance and transparency. Cohen, however, said statements made by Magnum about the governance changes were "Orwellian." "They said that they're enhancing the social mission when they're actually destroying it. They said that they're future-proofing the Board of Directors when they're actually dismantling it," Cohen told CNBC. "It's another desperate power grab." By Monday, three directors had been ousted from the independent board of Ben & Jerry's, in a new twist to the conflict between the brand named after its well-known founders and its parent company over the brand's social mission. It's a row that newly listed Magnum inherited from consumer giant Unilever when it officially spun off into an independent company last week. The changes to Ben & Jerry's corporate governance "aim to preserve and enhance the brand's historical social mission and safeguard its essential integrity," a spokesperson told CNBC in an emailed statement. "Since 2000, the Board has worked with the company to ensure Ben & Jerry's is a vital voice for social change and to amplify movements that shape a more just and equitable world," they added. watch now Magnum said Chair Anuradha Mittal one of the board members notified of their ineligibility no longer meets the criteria to serve as a member of the board following "internal investigations," the company said, declining to give further details. "Initially, they were trying to get rid of the chairman of the [independent] board, by making these unfounded allegations that she's 'not fit to serve'. They weren't able to substantiate that, so now they're saying, well, she served for too long," Cohen said. "It's arbitrary, and it's illegal." Ben & Jerry's was sold to Unilever in 2000 in a deal that allowed the brand to maintain an independent board as well as the right to make decisions on its social mission. Since 2021, however, growing discontent by the board as well as founders Cohen and Jerry Greenfield over what they call attempts to "silence" the social mission. CNBC has reached out to Unilever for comment. Unilever, and now Magnum, retains primary responsibility for all matters not relating to the social mission or matters expressly delegated to the Ben & Jerry's board, including financial and operational aspects. Magnum has said the governance structure of Ben & Jerry's poses material reputational and business risks. Not for sale Unilever and Magnum have repeatedly said that Ben & Jerry's isn't for sale. "Ben & Jerry's is a proud, thriving and integral part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company, and it is not for sale," the Magnum spokesperson said. "Since the acquisition in 2000, Unilever and now TMICC has taken Ben & Jerry's from 4 to 46 countries, sales have increased six-fold, and we have invested nearly half a billion euros in the social mission." Ben & Jerry's is one of the ice cream group's four global power brands, alongside the Heartbrand, Magnum and Cornetto. In 2024, Ben & Jerry's brought in 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to group revenue, making it the third largest revenue generator among the group's portfolio of more than 100 brands. The four brands combined accounted for 82% of the group's total full-year revenue. Unilever first announced plans to spin off its ice cream unit in March last year. "We needed real focus on ice cream," Magnum CEO Peter ter Kulve told CNBC's Squawk on the Street last week, highlighting how the company is managing to grow both market share and volumes. Since the pure ice cream stock debuted on public markets in Amsterdam and New York on Dec. 8, the stock has risen about 10% and is now valued at nearly 9 billion euros. The company has set a revenue growth target of between 3% and 5% from 2026. They said that they're enhancing the social mission when they're actually destroying it. They said that they're future-proofing the Board of Directors when they're actually dismantling it. Ben Cohen Ben & Jerry's, co-founder But Cohen, who still works at the brand, doesn't see any benefit of the brand he co-founded in 1978 staying part of the ice cream group. "They're being short-sighted, but I also think that they just don't understand," he said of management. "They don't understand that the value of Ben & Jerry's is tied up in the position that it has established as being in the forefront of businesses that have a concern for the overall benefit of the society, as opposed to just maximizing profits." "Investors would be a lot better off if Magnum finally sold this asset, which they are in the process of devaluing, and instead took the money and bought some other middle-of-the-road brands, because that's what they're good at," he added. "There's a lot of money to be made in middle of the road stuff, but they ought to stick to their knitting and not try to not try to force Ben & Jerry's to become just another one of their middle of the road brands." watch now While much of the market has bulked up on artificial intelligence and large technology companies in 2025, billionaire fund manager Ron Baron said on this week's CNBC "ETF Edge" that investors should be looking across more market caps and sectors for the best opportunities. That is starting to happen, as many investors rotate out of tech stocks and search for value across the market, including in the financial sector. Baron cited two financial sector companies that his firm Baron Capital owns, MSCI and FactSet , which he said receive little attention from individual investors, and where he says the CEOs are part of the reason to have confidence in the future. Baron joined "ETF Edge" to discuss his company's new exchange-traded funds, its first ETFs after decades running mutual funds and other investments that have generated an estimated $57 billion in profits for Baron Capital investors over four decades. He forecast another $250 billion in profits over the next decade, and focused much of the conversation on the search for stocks that the rest of the market is ignoring. "There are so many companies that are interesting right now with everyone focusing on technology," he said. MSCI is best known for its stock indexes, which are used by asset managers, pension funds, and ETF providers around the world. Trillions of dollars are invested based on MSCI benchmarks, including developed markets, emerging markets, and ESG indexes. The company also provides analytics and risk management tools that are deeply embedded in institutional investing. MSCI went public at $18 per share in 2007 after being spun out of Morgan Stanley. The stock rose initially, then fell sharply during the financial crisis, but Baron said he continued buying during that period. But MSCI has been left out of the latest bull market, with its shares down close to 8% over the past year and trading at $563 on Thursday. Shares of Chinese chipmaker MetaX Integrated Circuits soared nearly 700% in their market debut in Shanghai on Wednesday, after the company raised nearly $600 million in its initial public offering. Shares, which were priced at 104.66 yuan in the IPO, closed at 829 yuan on debut, marking a 692% jump. Similar to Moore Threads, which saw a robust debut at the start of the month, MetaX develops graphics processing units for artificial intelligence applications, tapping into a fast-growing sector driven by rising adoption of AI services. MetaX is part of a growing cohort of local chipmakers building AI processors, reflecting Beijing's push to reduce dependence on U.S. chips following Washington's tech curbs on export of high-end technology to China. This report is from this week's CNBC's The China Connection newsletter, which brings you insights and analysis on what's driving the world's second-largest economy. You can subscribe here. Sam's Club, the membership-based warehouse retail arm of Walmart, opened its new store in Beijing last month, followed by another one in Shanghai on Tuesday. They drew large crowds, snarling traffic for hours and keeping consumers in long queues. American membership warehouse clubs are telling something more nuanced: they are finding success in drawing consumers who are willing to pay a hefty membership fee in exchange for premium goods at reasonable prices. On top of that, those stores provide no-frill "treasure-hunt" shopping experiences to sweeten the deal. Latest data from China showed a key gauge on consumption falling to its weakest level in nearly three years. But it does not capture the full story. YANGZHOU, CHINA - NOVEMBER 12, 2025 - Citizens shop at the first Sam's Club in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China on November 12, 2025. Such warehouse stores have long been known as places to buy large quantities of household staples at cheaper prices. Even though it's less typical in China, where grocery habits have historically skewed toward high-frequency, smaller-basket shopping, this retail model is starting to find its customers. "Here they do buy it because of the value and niche products," said Cameron Johnson, Shanghai-based senior partner at consulting firm Tidal Wave Solutions. He said residents in his compound often ask in group chats whether others want to split oversized packs. Sam's Club has leaned into that proposition: a shopping experience and product lineup distinct from conventional supermarkets and online retailers, paired with annual membership fees ranging from 260 yuan to 680 yuan ($37-$97). Shoppers get modest discounts but the bigger draw is access to curated merchandise that they can't find elsewhere. "It's a membership model that consumers pay the membership fee upfront, and as a result, they get a full set of services," said Weiwen Han, a Hong Kong-based partner at Bain & Company. Walmart's success Walmart entered China in 1996 with its first hypermarket and Sam's Club warehouse chain in Shenzhen. But the hypermarket format which combines a supermarket and department store has lost momentum as digital retail took off. Sprawling online marketplaces, such as Alibaba and JD.com , with their aggressive discounts and convenience, have squeezed out traditional grocers and foreign players such as France-based Carrefour. Walmart has closed almost 150 hypermarkets in China since 2020, with just 279 stores operational as of July, down from 412 in 2020. But Sam's Club has proven an enduring strength for the company. The chain has turned warehouses into both shopping destinations and e-commerce delivery hubs, while filling shelves with products consumers can't easily comparison-shop elsewhere, including exclusive items under its house brand Member's Mark and Marketside. Beyond online grocery ordering and delivery, the clubs offer an offline experience where shoppers can browse and "treasure hunt" something local e-commerce players struggle to replicate, Han said. The bet is paying off. Sam's Club has become one of the China's fastest-growing foreign retailers, with 56 outlets nationwide, compared to Costco's seven stores in the country. The market also helped fuel Walmart's strongest net sales growth globally. In the third quarter, Walmart's net sales in China surged 21.9% year on year to $6.1 billion, exceeding the broader Walmart International segment's average growth rate of 10.8%. 'Let's go to Disney' That blend of curated products and digital convenience helps explain why the model has gained traction with affluent shoppers and why one store visit can translate into multiple online orders. Many shoppers won't return often in person. They'll make one trip to browse, then rely on the mobile app for five to 10 deliveries from the same store, said Curtis Alan Ferguson, former president of Coca-Cola Greater China and Korea and now managing partner at Ventech China, a venture capital firm focused on consumer startups. For some, the appeal is the outing itself a well-designed, predictable version of discovery shopping. "It's more of a 'let's go to Disney' here," Ferguson said. Aside from the physical shopping experience, Walmart says speed is part of the stickiness. "Our team in China delivers extremely fast, with nearly 80% of digital orders delivered within one hour," Doug McMillon, Walmart's CEO, said on the company's third-quarter earnings call. Ferguson said suppliers also like working with Sam's Club because the volumes can justify unique packaging or sizes. "People bend over backwards to give [Sam's Club] the quality they desire," he said. "If you have Sam's or Costco pulling your brand that gives you some other cachet." Hard to copy even with local muscle Few local rivals have managed to seriously challenge Sam's Club and Costco in membership retail and not for lack of trying. Alibaba's Freshippo, the Chinese tech giant's grocery business, shuttered its last members-only store in August. However, regional chain Pangdonglai, which started in Xuchang, a city in the heartland of Henan, is widely viewed as a standout success. Pangdonglai's appeal is that it operates on a "people-first philosophy" where emotional value and trust matter more than scale, said Olivia Plotnick, founder of Shanghai-based marketing agency Wai Social. But the Henan store has struggled to scale beyond its home base. Its distinctive culture and high operational standards can be difficult to replicate and to defend in larger, more competitive cities, said Plotnick. "Consumers with real demand for premium value are still willing to pay, but those seeking rational, low-price essentials are shifting toward discount formats," Plotnick said. As China's consumer slump drags on, the warehouse clubs that offer quality goods at reasonable prices, and provide a store experience that online competitors can't easily rival, are emerging as rare bright spots in the sector. Boris Pistorius, Germany's defense minister, rides in a Leopard 2 A6 battle tank during a presentation by the German Army Panzer Battalion 203 in Augustdorf, Germany, on Feb. 1, 2023. German lawmakers are widely expected to approve a defense spending package worth more than 50 billion euros ($58.6 billion) on Wednesday, as the country moves to bolster its national security capabilities in the wake of the Ukraine war. Meeting agenda documents for the Bundestag's Budget Committee show politicians are set to discuss the defense procurement proposals on Wednesday. The committee can both approve and block major purchases. According to German media, the proposed expenditure which is expected to be passed includes 22 billion euros for personal protective equipment and clothing for military personnel, and around 10 billion euros for upgrades to infantry fighter vehicles, air defense, and missile systems. European defense stocks rallied on Wednesday morning as investors awaited the outcome of the meeting, which is widely expected to result in approval of the new military budget. By 11:12 a.m. in London (6:12 a.m. ET), the Stoxx Europe Aerospace and Defense index was 1.2% higher, led by German defense giants Renk, up 2.8%, Hensoldt, up 2.4%, and Rheinmetall, which gained 1.8%. Shares in the sector sold off on Tuesday, with the broader index shedding 1.8% in the session amid rising hopes of a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. Since the start of the year, the Stoxx Europe Aerospace and Defense index has surged more than 50%, with some regional defense players more than doubling in value amid commitments from regional governrements and the NATO military alliance to ramp up defense spending. The pledges are widely expected to boost European firms' bottom lines, with regionally headquartered companies already reporting record order backlogs and huge upswings in income. German companies in particular have been beneficiaries of the regional defense boom, after the country's government reformed historic legislation to pave the way for increased security spending. Arms manufacturer Rheinmetall , for instance, has seen its stock surge 150% this year. Glen Hauenstein, president of Delta Air Lines Inc., left, and Ed Bastian, chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines Inc., right, ring the opening bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. Hauenstein, 64, has been with Delta since 2005 and was named to his current role in 2016. He was previously executive vice president and chief revenue officer at the airline. He will become a strategic advisor until the end of 2026. Delta is promoting Joe Esposito , who has been at Delta for 35 years most recently as senior vice president of network planning, pricing and revenue management to executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "Glen and his team have been central to Delta's premium strategy, as we evolved over two decades to become the airline of choice for travelers who want to invest in great experiences in the air and on the ground," CEO Ed Bastian said in a note to employees. "I could not have asked for a better co-pilot to help lead Delta in becoming the best performing airline in the world." Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein, who propelled the carrier to become the industry's profit leader and championed the airline's lucrative embrace of travelers willing to spend a little extra for a more luxurious travel experience, is retiring in February. During his tenure, Hauenstein grew Delta's international network and helped the airline identify new ways to earn more per seat, in part by successfully getting customers to pay for first-class seats it used to give away for free. In October, Delta said that premium-travel revenue would overtake sales from main cabin next year. At times, Delta's strategies proved successful with too many customers. Overcrowding in its Sky Club airport lounges prompted the airline to raise the entry bar to get rid of unsightly lines. "Glen has played a significant role in Delta's transformation since its [2005] bankruptcy filing," said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel-industry consulting firm. Hauenstein pushed for the now-industry standard to move the loyalty program to reward spending and not just miles flown and encouraged Delta to invest in better pricing and revenue software, he said. Harteveldt added that Delta must also figure out when it will upgrade its cabin interiors and make sure it's not alienating customers, some of whom have complained about high redemption rates for frequent flyer miles. While Delta continues to generate more profit than other carriers, competitors like United Airlines have been investing heavily in revamped cabins, complimentary fast Wi-Fi and new planes. American Airlines , which had been late to the luxury travel boom, is also investing in better products on board and at the airport. Along with leaning into affluent consumers, Hauenstein had also noted a trend of wealthy baby boomers who were willing to travel. "Being a baby boomer, I can say this without fear of retribution. There's only so much time to go to Europe or almost so much time to go see Australia or Japan," he said on an earnings call in April. "And so you've got this wealth effect where this cohort of retirees is wealthier than any other cohort even with the most recent rundown, and they want to go do things." FBI Director Kash Patel, left, and Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, conduct a news conference at the Department of Justice, Dec. 4, 2025. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino on Wednesday said he will leave that post in January. Bongino, a former police officer, Secret Service agent, and conservative radio and podcast host who trafficked in conspiracy theories, was a controversial pick by President Donald Trump for the No. 2 slot at the FBI. Bongino, who will leave after less than a year on the job, is one of the first major figures of Trump's second term to step down. "I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director [Kash] Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose," Bongino wrote in a social media post. "Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her," Bongino said. Earlier Wednesday, Trump confirmed Bongino could be leaving. "Dan did a great job," Trump told reporters. "I think he wants to go back to his show." MS Now reported earlier in the day about Bongino's plans to leave. The outlet said he had told confidants that he would not be returning to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., to work this month. "Print whatever you'd like," Bongino told MS Now when contacted for comment. "No one believes you anyway. Thanks." The FBI declined to comment when contacted by CNBC. Patel, in a post on X, said "Dan is the best partner I could've asked for in helping restore this FBI." "He not only completed his mission he far exceeded it," Patel wrote. "We will miss him but I'm thankful he accepted the call to serve. Our country is better and safer for it." Bongino had no prior FBI when Trump tapped him for the high-profile law enforcement post. His prior discussion of conspiracy theories on right-wing media resurfaced after he joined the government. While a private citizen, Bongino reportedly suggested that the planting of pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot was an "inside job." Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr testifies during the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on oversight of the FCC in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Dec. 17, 2025. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr told a Senate committee on Wednesday that his agency is "not formally ... independent." Shortly after Carr made that statement, the FCC apparently removed the word "independent" in a description of the agency's work on its website. Carr's appearance before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee was his first since making controversial remarks in September that led ABC to briefly suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show. Carr, a Trump appointee, made headlines in September over his response to comments Kimmel made following the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Carr responded with a threat aimed at Disney , which owns ABC. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr told right-wing commentator Benny Johnson at the time. "These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead." Democrats on the panel pressed him on Wednesday over his criticism of Kimmel and his threats to companies over speech by their TV hosts. Those Democrats painted Carr, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, as a threat to free speech and questioned whether the FCC was an independent arbiter, not beholden to the politics of a given presidential administration. And FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, told the panel that under Carr, the agency is working to "intimidate government critics, pressure media companies and challenge the boundaries of the First Amendment." Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., asked Carr: "Yes or no ... is the FCC an independent agency?" "On your website, it just simply says, man, the FCC is independent. This isn't a trick question," Lujan added. "The FCC is not formally an independent agency," Carr responded. Asked about the deletion of the word "independent" after Carr's comments, an FCC spokesperson said via email on Wednesday: "With the change in Administration earlier this year, the FCC's website and materials required updating. That work continues to ensure that they reflect the positions of the agency's new leadership." During the hearing, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., asked Carr, "Do you think it is appropriate to use your position to threaten companies that broadcast political satire?" Carr replied, "I think any licensee that operates on the public airwaves has a responsibility to comply with the public interest standard, and that's been the case for decades." Federal law defining the public interest standard states that broadcast licensees must act in the "public interest, convenience or necessity." "You are not reinvigorating the public interest standard. You are weaponizing the public interest standard," Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., told Carr. "That is what the Carr FCC is doing every single day," said Markey, who urged Carr to resign. Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who chairs the Commerce Committee, compared Carr to a "mob boss" after Kimmel was suspended Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty of crimes related to procuring underage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein, filed a petition on Wednesday seeking to vacate her conviction, claiming "substantial new evidence has emerged" that undermines the case against her. Maxwell's long-shot habeas petition in U.S. District Court in Manhattan could, if approved, see the former British socialite released from the federal prison in Texas where she is serving a 20-year sentence. However, such petitions are routinely denied. The Supreme Court earlier this year declined to hear Maxwell's appeal of her conviction. Habeas petitions are, as a rule, the last option for an imprisoned person to void their convictions. Maxwell filed her petition "pro se," or on her own, without a lawyer representing her in that effort. The petition comes two days before a congressionally mandated deadline for the Department of Justice to release its investigative files about Epstein and Maxwell. Maxwell says in her court filing that the new evidence she bases her application on "emerged from related civil actions, Government disclosures, investigative reports, and documents demonstrating constitutional violations that undermined the fairness of her proceedings." The filing says her conviction must be vacated because a juror at her trial in 2021 "gave false answers during voir dire" the jury selection process "concealing a history of sexual abuse directly relevant to "issues at trial." "Subsequent interviews, new evidence and sworn statements confirm intentional concealment and actual bias" by that juror, the filing says. In her second stated point, Maxwell said prosecutors concealed a police detective's grand-jury testimony, "which conflicted with his trial testimony ... and undermined the Government's only evidence, a massage table," which had established an element required for jurors to convict her of two of the counts in the case. HashKey Group logo seen on a smartphone and on a pc screen. HashKey shares slid 2.5% on Wednesday as they debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange, after the crypto exchange raised $206 million in its initial public offering, at a time when crypto currencies have taken a beating. HashKey, Hong Kong's largest licensed crypto exchange, raised around 1.6 billion Hong Kong dollars after pricing the IPO at HK$6.68 per share, near the higher end of the marketed range of HK$5.95 to HK$6.95. Shares closed at HK$6.51. While mainland China has imposed a blanket ban on cryptocurrencies since 2021, Hong Kong has been more receptive toward digital assets. Key cornerstone investors included Fidelity, UBS, Chinese investment firm CDH Investments and Cithara Fund amongst others. JPMorgan and financial services firm Guotai Haitong were among the joint bookrunners. "Our mission is to make digital assets massively accessible, and what we are doing is to create a compliant platform to connect our users with the digital assets industry," HashKey Chief Financial Officer Eric Zhu told CNBC. "We are confident that the [crypto] penetration rate in Hong Kong, in the Asian market, is going to catch up with what happens in the U.S," Zhu added. The listing comes amid recent volatility in global cryptocurrency markets after touching record highs. The world's largest cryptocurrency, bitcoin, has dropped around 36% in about a month after hitting an all-time high and crossing past $126,000 in early October. It is down about 6% so far this year. Established in 2018, HashKey operates a licensed digital asset platform offering exchange trading, over-the-counter services, on-chain services such as staking and tokenisation, as well as asset management solutions for institutional and retail clients. "This is a milestone for the digital asset and wealth management industry in Asia. We believe Hong Kong is establishing itself as a key hub for regulated digital assets in Asia," said William Ma, CIO at GROW Investment Group. CNBC's Emily Tan contributed to this report. Oracle stock dipped 5% on Wednesday following a report that discussions with Blue Owl Capital on backing a $10 billion data center in Michigan had stalled, although the cloud company later disputed the report. Blue Owl had been in talks with Oracle about funding a 1-gigawatt facility for OpenAI in Saline Township, Michigan, according to the Financial Times. However, the plans fell through due to concerns about Oracle's rising debt levels and extensive artificial intelligence spending, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. This comes as some investors raise red flags about the funding behind the rush to build ever more data centers. The concern is that some hyperscalers are turning to private equity markets rather than funding the buildings themselves, and entering into lease agreements that could prove risky. Other AI names also sank on Wednesday, with Broadcom down 4%, Nvidia down 3%, AMD down 5% and CoreWeave falling 7%. Blue Owl did look into the project, but pulled out due to unfavorable debt terms and the structure of repayments, according to a person familiar with the company's plans who asked not to be named in order to discuss a confidential matter. Blue Owl is still involved in two other Oracle sites, the person said. The person added that Blue Owl was also concerned that local politics in Michigan would cause construction delays. Oracle later responded to the FT report, saying the project was moving forward and that Blue Owl was not part of equity talks. "Our development partner, Related Digital, selected the best equity partner from a competitive group of options, which in this instance was not Blue Owl. Final negotiations for their equity deal are moving forward on schedule and according to plan," Oracle spokesperson Michael Egbert said in a statement. The cloud company did not name the firm involved in current equity talks for the project. Meeting bloat can be a problem at every level of an organization, from the lowest rung of the corporate ladder to the C-suite. At the latter end of that spectrum is Bob Jordan. The Southwest Airlines CEO is trying to manage his own meeting overload in 2026 by keeping his Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons blocked off for work, without meetings. "I think when you first start, it's easy to confuse busyness and going to meetings with leadership, and it's not leadership," Jordan said in a roundtable discussion at The New York Times' DealBook Summit on Dec. 3. "I put more and more of my calendar to blank time over the years. I'm trying to in 2026, y'all are going to think I'm crazy, to hold the afternoons of Wednesday to Friday completely open." Jordan says the idea is to have protected time when "you can work on things you need to work on, you can think about what's important right now, you can call people you need to talk to." Some of his mentors who are former CEOs have encouraged him to block off time for work, he added. "What we all find, I'm sure, is there's no time to 'work' and you confuse going to meetings with the work," Jordan said. "The most important thing that is the work is what you're doing for the company that only you can do. And if you don't create time to do that, you're just grinding and then you're grinding on the weekends and you're grinding at night, and next week starts and next week starts." In the same roundtable discussion, PayPal CEO Alex Chriss talked about the value of saying no in time management. There are constantly chances to meet with employees, customers and potential partners that, while "great opportunities," he noted, "could fill up five days, every day." "I think the thing that would probably surprise people the most is how often we say no," Chriss said. "I say no so often to try to stick to the rigor and the discipline of what is actually most important in the moment right now." Too many meetings on your calendar can mean "you no longer have sufficiently long uninterrupted blocks to actually make progress on the things you're talking about in the meetings," Cal Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University and author of several books on focus and productivity, previously told CNBC Make It. A Microsoft report from June found that half of all meetings take place between 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m., when many people are at their most productive but are instead spending the time on calls. Newport recommends blocking out periods of at least 60 to 90 minutes at a time on your calendar for deep work, meaning the tasks that are most cognitively demanding, and turning off notifications and avoiding meetings during that time to work uninterrupted. Want to give your kids the ultimate advantage? Sign up for CNBC's new online course, How to Raise Financially Smart Kids. Learn how to build healthy financial habits today to set your children up for greater success in the future. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 30% off. Offer valid from Dec. 8 to Dec. 22, 2025. Terms apply. Check out the companies making the biggest moves in midday trading: Texas Pacific Land Shares of the large Texas landowner jumped 8% after it struck a deal with Bolt Data & Energy to develop large-scale data center campuses on properties owned by Texas Pacific Land. Jabil The electronics firm fell about 2%, however, the stock initially popped about 5% after it issued an upbeat forecast. Jabil said it is benefiting from the demand for AI data centers. Year to date, Jabil shares have gained more than 45%. Oracle Shares of the cloud computing giant fell about 6% after a Financial Times report said Blue Owl won't be supporting Oracle's plans for a $10 billion data center in Michigan. Coursera , Udemy Shares of the online learning platforms popped after Coursera agreed to buy Udemy . The deal values the combined company at $2.5 billion. Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 shares of Coursera stock per share. Coursera shares gained 3%, while Udemy shares added 21%. 8Hut The crypto mining and energy stock surged 11% after the company announced a partnership with Anthropic and Fluidstack to develop infrastructure for AI. Brown-Forman The parent of spirits brands such as Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve fell nearly 5% after the stock was downgraded to sell from neutral at Citigroup. The firm said the stock's recent outperformance is overdone given the challenges in the category. Although Brown-Forman shares are down nearly 24% year to date, shares had added about 6% over the past three months. Dbv Technologies U.S.-listed shares of the French pharmaceutical firm jumped more than 20% after announcing positive results from its Phase 3 trial of treatment for peanut allergies in children ages 4 to 7. Warner Bros. Discovery , Netflix , Paramount Skydance Warner Bros. Discovery's board unanimously recommended that shareholders reject Paramount Skydance's takeover bid and stick with Netflix's proposal, which they called "superior." Netflix shares ticked higher by 2%. Warner shed 1%, while Paramount fell 5% Lennar The homebuilder shed 5% after its first-quarter guidance disappointed investors. Lennar expects 17,000 to 18,000 for deliveries in the quarter and homebuilding gross margin of 15% to 16%, falling short of analysts' estimates, according to Street Account. Fourth-quarter revenue, however, topped expectations. Frontier Group The airline gained 3% after Bloomberg News reported it is in discussions to merge with Spirit Aviation . Spirit's stock jumped 15%. General Mills The food company known for Cheerios and other popular brands rose 3% after its latest earnings results. Second-quarter exceeded expectations with adjusted earnings of $1.10 per share on revenue of $4.86 billion. Analysts polled by LSEG had expected per-share earnings of $1.03 on revenue of $4.78 billion. Lithium stocks Lithium prices soared in China after the government announced plans to revoke mining licenses, sending miners stocks higher. Albemarle and Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile each rose about 5%. Lithium Argentina gained 4%. Recursion Pharmaceuticals The clinical-stage TechBio company popped almost 16% following an upgrade at JPMorgan to overweight from neutral. The firm cited Recursion's artificial intelligence pipeline for the call. It also upped its price target to $11 per share, implying 162% upside from Tuesday's close. CNBC's Michelle Fox, Fred Imbert and Sarah Min contributed reporting. Mexican and American flags attached to vehicles at a Tricolor dealership in Houston, Texas, Sept. 11, 2025. The CEO of subprime auto firm Tricolor directed a deputy to send him $6.25 million in bonuses in August as fraudulent schemes propping up the company unraveled, U.S. prosecutors alleged. Daniel Chu, the CEO and founder of Tricolor, told Chief Financial Officer Jerome Kollar to send the final two payments of his $15 million annual bonus on Aug. 19 and 20, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Wednesday. Chu, who is accused of engaging in "systemic fraud" over roughly seven years through 2025, used some of the money to buy a "multimillion-dollar property" in Beverly Hills, California, later that month, according to the filing. Within days of Chu's bonus payments, Tricolor put more than 1,000 employees on unpaid leaves of absence. By Sept. 10, the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Lawyers representing Chu didn't immediately respond to emails requesting comment on the allegations. Prosecutors say Tricolor created about $800 million in "bogus collateral" at Chu's direction by double-pledging the same assets for multiple loans and by having employees manually alter records to make delinquent loans appear eligible as collateral, according to the indictment. The abrupt collapse of Tricolor was one of a string of defaults that churned the U.S. banking industry this fall, sparking concerns over underappreciated risks in the American financial system. Around the time of the bonus payments, Chu allegedly knew his company was, in his own words, "basically history," according to the filing. Prosecutors cited "secretly recorded" calls in August that included Chu, his CFO and chief operating officer where the founder cast about for ways to keep the company's lenders at bay. While the indictment didn't name the banks that Tricolor allegedly defrauded, JPMorgan Chase , Barclays and Fifth Third Bank have disclosed charges tied to the borrower. After Tricolor's lenders confronted Chu over questions about collateral pledged for loans, the CEO proposed a lie that some of the manipulated data was tied to a Trump administration loan deferment program, according to the indictment. He then considered another tactic: blaming the banks for ignoring red flags as a way to extract a settlement and keep his company alive, prosecutors said. In doing so, Chu allegedly compared Tricolor with Enron, the energy company that collapsed in 2001 after the discovery of accounting fraud. "Enron obviously has a nice ring to it, right?" Chu said, according to the documents. "I mean, Enron, Enron raises the blood pressure of the lender when they see that." U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Dec. 15, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday stateside designated Venezuelan government a "terrorist" organization and ordered a "complete and total" blockade of sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of the country. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America." "For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," Trump said. He added, "It [the blockade] will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before." Venezuela labeled Trump's statement "grotesque," saying his action "violates International Law, free trade and free navigation, which constitutes a serious threat against a sovereign nation," calling the blockade "absolutely irrational," according to a Google translation of Venezuelan media reports. According to the U.S. State Department, designating an entity as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" makes it illegal for any U.S. citizen to knowingly provide "material support or resources" to such an organization, among other measures. Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, told CNBC that a full embargo of Venezuelan oil would affect 800,000 to 900,000 barrels of oil per day, which could increase prices by about $2 to $3 per barrel. Former special counsel Jack Smith arrives for a closed-door deposition with members of the House Judiciary Committee on the prosecutions of President Donald Trump, in Rayburn building on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Jack Smith, the former U.S. Justice Department special counsel who brought two now-dropped criminal cases against President Donald Trump, defended his investigation before a House of Representatives panel on Wednesday. Smith told lawmakers that the basis for the prosecutions "rests entirely with President Trump and his actions." Smith gave private testimony to the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee following months of disclosures from Trump appointees at the Justice Department and Republican lawmakers intended to discredit Smith's probe and bolster Trump's claims that the cases were an abuse of the legal system. Smith and his team secured indictments in 2023, accusing Trump of illegally retaining classified documents following his first term in office and plotting to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election. Smith dropped both cases after Trump won the 2024 election, citing a Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president. "If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether the president was a Republican or Democrat," Smith told the committee, according to excerpts from his opening statement seen by Reuters. His appearance at the Capitol came after the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, subpoenaed Smith for a closed-door deposition. Smith requested a public hearing. Republican lawmakers have expressed outrage at disclosures that investigators sought information from a wide range of conservative organizations as part of the probe into Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and also obtained limited cell phone data from eight Republican senators during the period around the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. Trump allies have pointed to those disclosures as evidence that Smith's probe was overzealous and targeted the political opposition. Smith has said his prosecutors followed Justice Department policy and were not influenced by politics. He told lawmakers in his opening statement that the records were "relevant to complete a comprehensive investigation." "President Trump and his associates tried to call Members of Congress in furtherance of their criminal scheme, urging them to further delay certification of the 2020 election," Smith said. "I didn't choose those Members; President Trump did." A U.S. military helicopter flies near an oil tanker during a raid described by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as its seizure by the United States off the coast of Venezuela, Dec. 10, 2025, in a still image from video. At least 34 U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers with a history of carrying Venezuelan oil are currently at sea in the Caribbean, according to a new analysis obtained by CNBC on Wednesday. And at least 12 of those tankers appear to be filled with crude oil from Venezuela, according to vessel location data from Kpler, a global trade intelligence company. One of the tankers, Skipper, was seized by the U.S. forces in the Caribbean last week and was being taken to the United States. Kpler provided the analysis a day after President Donald Trump vowed to impose a "complete and total blockade" on sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of Venezuela. Trump also deemed the nation's ruling Maduro regime a foreign terrorist organization. The U.S. is expected to block only sanctioned tankers carrying oil from Venezuela, not similar vessels that have other nations' crude, including oil from Iran and Russia, according to Kpler. "In light of President Trump's recent announcement, these tankers may be exposed to heightened scrutiny and potential enforcement actions by U.S. authorities," Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance Analyst at Kpler, told CNBC. In a separate report to clients on Wednesday, Kpler said that a blockade of Venezuelan oil should not lead to higher crude prices. Japans Mizuho Financial Group has agreed to acquire a stake in institutional financial services firm Avendus, marking an exit for KKR after nearly a decade as an investor.Under the transaction, Redpoint Investments Pte. Ltd., an affiliate of KKR, will sell its shareholding in Avendus to Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mizuho Financial Group. Avendus Co-founder and Executive Vice Chairman Ranu Vohra will also divest his stake and continue in his role until the transaction is completed, subject to statutory and regulatory approvals.Reuters reported that Mizuho would acquire Avendus from KKR for up to 81 billion yen ($523 million).Following the acquisition, Avendus will continue to be led by its founders, Gaurav Deepak and Kaushal Aggarwal, along with the existing senior leadership team. The firm will retain its brand, operating independence, and identity, while gaining access to Mizuhos global balance sheet, institutional client base, and international distribution network.The transaction positions Mizuho to significantly expand its investment banking and advisory capabilities in India at a time when cross-border capital flows, mergers and acquisitions, and private capital activity are accelerating, the firm said in a release.Avendus will serve as a key platform for Mizuhos M&A and capital markets ambitions across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and EMEA, strengthening connectivity between Indian entrepreneurs and global capital, it said.Confirming his exit from the firm, Ranu Vohra, Co-founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Avendus Group said, After 26 incredible years of building Avendus alongside exceptional people, I step away with pride and gratitudeAs I move on to a new chapter, I carry with me deep respect for what we have created and confidence in its future potential.Gaurav Deepak, Co-founder and CEO of Avendus Group said, Mizuho mirrors our values, vision, and ambition to shape the future of financial services with purpose and impact.Together, we look forward to bringing innovative capital solutions to the Indian ecosystem and leveraging our complementary strengths to create deeper financial and economic flows between India and Japan. Ranu has been an integral part of building Avendus. All of us at Avendus are deeply grateful for his contributions and wish him the best as he moves into his next chapter. We also thank KKR for their decade-long partnership and unwavering support in Avendus transformation.Akshay Tanna, Partner and Head of India Private Equity, KKR said, We have enjoyed a long and rewarding relationship with Avendus and are proud to have supported its evolution into a leading financial services institution marked by excellence and innovation. Together, we helped accelerate its transformation into a diversified, market-leading franchise with strong capabilities across its advisory and investment businesses. As Avendus enters its next chapter, we wish them continued success in the years ahead.Masahiro Kihara, President and Group CEO, Mizuho Financial Group, said, Avendus has been walking side- by-side with the entrepreneurs supporting Indias rise, and it makes us very happy to be able to welcome them as one of our key partners. Their journey parallels our own journey of innovating together with clients for social and economic development. With them, we aim to evolve into a truly global financial institution that creates new value by bridging diverse cultures beyond national and regional boundaries.Yoshiro Hamamoto, President and CEO, Mizuho Securities, said, Within the landscape of Indias remarkable growth, Avendus has a presence that is second to none. Welcoming them as a strategic partner for our M&A platform in APAC, the Americas, and EMEA will enable us to better support our clients with diversified, advanced solutions that make the most of our global client base and finance capabilities. We will collaborate closely with Avendus leadership, and together our two organisations will deliver even greater benefits for clients. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Muscat, Oman, for a two-day visit on Wednesday, December 17 where he hopes to finalise a free trade agreement which was approved by the Union Cabinet last Friday. Invited by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the visit also marks 70 years of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries. Muscat is also the final destination of his three-nation tour that covered Jordan and Ethiopia as well. Modi was welcomed by Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said at the airport. "This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership," he posted on social media. Arun Chatterjee, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), had earlier remarked that the agreement, if signed in this visit, will not only deepen economic ties but also "open up a new chapter" in India-Oman trade and commercial relationship. Besides strengthening ties with Oman leaders, PM Modi is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier described the visit as an opportunity to comprehensively review bilateral partnership in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Earlier, during the PM's maiden visit to Ethiopia he was bestowed Ethiopias highest award, The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia, making him the first global head of state get the award. During the visit, India and Ethiopia also elevated their ties to the level of "strategic partnership." ALSO READ | PM Modis visit to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman: Key trade, pacts and diplomacy highlights | In pics Prohibitory orders have been imposed along the India-Bangladesh border in Assams Cachar district by the administration to prevent illegal movement, an official release said on Wednesday, December 17.Preventive restrictions along sensitive border areas have been imposed due to apprehension over possible movement of extremist elements and unauthorised cross-border activities to disturb peace and stability, it said.District Magistrate Mridul Yadav, exercising powers under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), issued the order on Tuesday aimed at preventing illegal movement of people, goods and activities.It has been noted that unchecked movement, particularly during night hours, could facilitate unlawful activities, including unauthorised transportation of essential commodities and cattle, thereby posing serious challenges to law and order, the order stated.Movement of individuals has been restricted from sunset to sunrise within a one-kilometre belt along the border of the district.In addition, movement on the River Surma and along its high banks within the Indian territory has been prohibited during the night.The order also places strict controls on boating and fishing activities on the Surma river.Fishing will be permitted only for local residents and for personal consumption, subject to prior authorisation by the Circle Officer, Katigorah, and compliance with lease conditions.Such permissions will be closely monitored, with copies endorsed to the District Magistrate and the Commandant of the 170th Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) at Dholchera, ensuring coordination between civil and security agencies.Transportation of essential commodities such as sugar, rice, wheat, edible oil and salt has been restricted during night hours within a five-kilometre belt inside the district boundary along the Bangladesh border.Any relaxation will be granted only after due verification by supply officials and for specific purposes, time and location, reinforcing transparency and accountability, the release added.State and central government employees who are on official duty in the border areas have been exempted from these restrictions to ensure that essential administrative and security functions remain uninterrupted. Prominent green energy player KPI Green Energy Ltd on Wednesday (December 17) said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Botswana government to collaborate on large-scale renewable energy generation, energy storage, and transmission infrastructure. The MoU establishes a framework for planning, developing, and implementing renewable energy and transmission projects aimed at strengthening Botswanas energy security and positioning the country as a clean power exporter in the region. The collaboration involves a capital investment of around $4 billion (36,000 crore) and is expected to increase Botswanas renewable energy capacity to nearly 5GW. Also Read: KPI Green wins 489 crore order for 110 MW floating solar project Under the agreement, KPI Green Energy will lead technical and commercial development activities, including feasibility studies, project design, financing, construction, commissioning, and long-term operation and maintenance of renewable energy and storage assets. The partnership also includes upgrading and constructing high-voltage transmission lines within Botswana and strengthening interconnections with neighbouring countries for regional power transmission. In addition, KPI Green Energy will support 30 scholarships per year for Botswana citizens to pursue education and skill development in renewable energy, engineering, sustainability, and related disciplines. The initiative aims to build local capacity, enable knowledge transfer, and empower Botswanas youth to participate in the countrys clean energy transition. Also Read: KPI Green Energy Q1 Results: Stock falls after margin narrows; revenue growth healthy The MoU marks a significant milestone in KPI Green Energy's international expansion and supports Botswanas goal of becoming a net-zero country by 2030. The agreement was signed between Botswanas Ministry of Minerals and Energy and KP Group, which includes KPI Green Energy Ltd, KP Energy Ltd, and KP Green Engineering Ltd. Shares of KPI Green Energy Ltd ended at 416.90, down by 8.15, or 1.92%, on the BSE today, December 17. India and Ethiopia on Tuesday, December 16, elevated their historical ties to the level of 'Strategic Partnership', as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali during which they discussed issues of bilateral and mutual interest.Modi, who arrived here from Jordan on his maiden bilateral visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace ahead of the bilateral talks, reflecting the vibrant India-Ethiopia relations rooted in shared history and a promising future.The two leaders met one-on-one before the delegation-level talks."We are elevating India and Ethiopia relations to a strategic partnership. This step will provide new energy, new momentum and new depth to our ties," Prime Minister Modi said during the delegation-level talks.PM Modi thanked Ethiopia for its solidarity in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and for strengthening the global fight against terrorism. "The support of friendly countries in this struggle against terrorism holds great significance," he said.The two leaders noted that as Global South partners, the two countries must continue to contribute towards building an inclusive world.Both leaders assessed the progress in the multifaceted partnership between India and Ethiopia, encompassing areas such as trade and investment, innovation and technology, education and capacity building, and defence cooperation.They also discussed cooperation in the fields of Digital Public Infrastructure, mining, critical minerals and clean energy."Today, we got the opportunity to deliberate on the key aspects of our cooperation, such as economy, innovation, technology, defence, health, capacity-building and multilateral cooperation. I am pleased that today, we have decided to double the student scholarship for Ethiopia in India," Modi said.Modi said that India and Ethiopia have shared contact, dialogue, and exchange for thousands of years. The two countries, which are rich in languages and traditions, are symbols of unity in diversity, he added."Both countries are democratic powers committed to peace and the welfare of humanity. We are co-travellers and partners of the Global South. On international platforms, we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder," he said.Modi said the African Union's headquarters in Ethiopia makes the country a meeting point of African diplomacy. "Inspired by the common vision of an inclusive world, in 2023, India ensured that the African Union became a G20 member," he said.In 2023, during Indias G20 Presidency, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20.Modi said that though this is his first visit, he felt a deep sense of belonging and warmth, reflecting the thousands of years of connection between the two countries. Modi invited Abiy to visit India, which he accepted.The two leaders called for greater cooperation on issues such as climate change, renewable energy and disaster risk reduction and in this context welcomed the role of international organisations such as the International Big Cat Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Global Biofuel Alliance and International Solar Alliance.Modi noted that India looked forward to working with Ethiopia as BRICS partners under its presidency and for the proposed India-Africa Forum Summit.On his part, Prime Minister Abiy said the two countries share over thousands of years of connection through trade, diplomacy, education, culture and even in our food and traditions. "These ties continue to shape a deep friendship, collaboration and mutual respect between our people," he said."We also appreciate your consistent message that Africa's priorities must lead the partnership. These kinds of dignified, respectful messages for Africa are very important. Prime Minister, keep pushing. That is the type of message we are expecting from all our trusted friends," Abiy said.He said this aligned fully with Ethiopia's development plan - African-owned, African-led, and African-defined."Today, we meet with a clear focus to shape a modern partnership, grounded in sovereignty, self-reliance and practical cooperation. Our cooperation is rooted in equality and South-South solidarity," he said."Our economy is performing strongly. Last year, we grew by 9.2%, and this year, we are expecting 10.3% GDP growth. Besides GDP growth, our FDI inflow is also rising big time. India is the leading source for our FDI," he said."We have more than 615 Indian companies which are investing in Ethiopia. This all gives our cooperation a strong foundation of trust. I think our decision today that we elevate our historic relationship to a strategic relationship is the right decision," he added.Ethiopia also conferred its highest award - The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia - on PM Modi. He is the first global head of state to receive this award.Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed exchange of three MoUs in the fields of: UN Peacekeeping Operations Training; Mutual Administrative Assistance in the Customs Matters; and establishment of Data Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.The two sides also announced upgrading ties to 'Strategic Partnership', debt restructuring under G20, more ICCR scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians, and support for maternal and neonatal healthcare.Later, in a post on X, Modi said he gave three key suggestions to enhance bilateral ties: deepen relations in food security and health security; Boost capacity building and Work extensively on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).Modi also went to the Friendship Park and Friendship Square in Addis Ababa with PM Abiy. Prime Minister Abiy also hosted a banquet in honour of PM Modi.In a warm and special gesture, PM Modi was earlier received by his Ethiopian counterpart at the airport and accorded a warm and colourful welcome."Ethiopia is a nation with great history and vibrant culture," Modi said.PM Abiy informed his Indian counterpart about the varieties of Ethiopian coffee during informal talks."At Addis Ababa airport, took part in a traditional Coffee Ceremony with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The ceremony beautifully highlights Ethiopias rich heritage," Modi said.In a unique gesture, the Ethiopian Prime Minister drove Modi to the hotel.On the way, he took a special initiative of taking PM Modi to the Science Museum and Friendship Park, which was not in the itinerary."Gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for showing me glimpses of Ethiopian history and culture at the National Palace Museum in Addis Ababa. It was a powerful reminder of Ethiopias rich traditions," Modi said in a post on X.The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ethiopian PMs special gestures show remarkable respect for Modi, sources said."Thank you Ethiopia for a welcome that was unforgettable. The Indian community showed remarkable warmth and affection. India-Ethiopia friendship is going to get even more robust in the times to come," Modi said.When Modi arrived at the hotel, he was warmly welcomed by the members of the Indian community. Local artists performed dances. Some of them danced on the theme of the popular Hindi song 'Aisa Des Hai Mera' to welcome him.On Wednesday, Modi will address the Joint Session of Parliament and share his thoughts on India's journey as the "Mother of Democracy" and the value that the India-Ethiopia partnership can bring to the Global South.PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia from Jordan, where he held a one-on-one meeting with King Abdullah II at the Husseiniya Palace on Monday, December 15, before the delegation-level talks.India and Jordan also inked MoUs in the fields of culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora, aimed at giving a major boost to bilateral ties and friendship.From Ethiopia, Modi will visit Oman on the final leg of this three-nation tour. Confucius Institute at Ghana's University of Cape Coast marks 10th anniversary Xinhua) 10:11, December 17, 2025 A student (3rd R) receives an award during a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast in Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region, Dec. 15, 2025. The Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast on Monday marked 10 years of Chinese language and culture education in the historical town of Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) ACCRA, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast on Monday marked 10 years of Chinese language and culture education in the historical town of Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region. The celebration, themed "A decade of cultural exchange and excellence in Chinese language education," was interlaced with traditional Chinese cultural performances by basic school pupils and university students. The Confucius Institute, which began as a modest initiative, has grown in stature and significance, said Denis Worlanyo Aheto, acting vice chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. He said that the Confucius Institute has trained Ghanaian students in Chinese language and culture who are contributing to the socio-economic development of the West African country. "Since its establishment, the Confucius Institute continues to train over 11,000 students annually. The institute remains a leading force in promoting multilingual skills, cross-cultural understanding, and global citizenship qualities that today's interconnected world demands," he added. Ou Yamei, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute, said that the Confucius Institute has been committed to cultivating Chinese professionals for Ghana and neighboring countries, and has made contributions to Chinese education in Ghana. As part of the celebration, a total of 74 students from the basic to the tertiary level who excelled in the study of the Chinese language were awarded the 2025 Chinese Ambassador's Awards. Denis Worlanyo Aheto, acting vice chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, speaks during a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast in Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region, Dec. 15, 2025. The Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast on Monday marked 10 years of Chinese language and culture education in the historical town of Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) Students perform during a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast in Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region, Dec. 15, 2025. The Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast on Monday marked 10 years of Chinese language and culture education in the historical town of Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) Students perform during a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast in Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region, Dec. 15, 2025. The Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast on Monday marked 10 years of Chinese language and culture education in the historical town of Cape Coast, capital of Ghana's Central Region. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) This year's Shelby Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Stroll was a shining success! The weather was mild and Main Street was full of people enjoying all the holiday cheer and fun events that were available. The Elfie Scavenger Hunt was enjoyed by many, with over 200 photos submitted in this activity for a chance to win $100 in Chamber Bucks. This year's winner was Stephanie Murphy and her children, John and Sierra. Chamber Board member, Emilie Vetch, conducted the drawing and she is also the one who first presented this fun event idea as a Stroll activity. Businesses that participated in this activity included: Beary Sweet Alpaca Gift Shop, Cedar Closet, Coyote Lanes, Farmhouse Rags/Spa 30, Item Shop, Northtown Drug Pharmacy and Gifts, Prairie Peddler, Shelby Floral & Gift, Shelby Paint and Hardware, The Smile Shop, Taylors Farm Store, The Griddle and Whistle Stop Bakery & Coffee Shop. During the Stroll all the wonderful window decor created by local businesses was judged for first, second and third place. Residents from Logan Health Assisted Living - Shelby graciously took on the judging duties. This year's winners were, first place, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch ($100 Chamber Bucks), second place, The Smile Shop ($50 Chamber Bucks) and third place, Montana Warriors Martial Arts ($20 Chamber Bucks). A big thank you to all who participated and to the generous Stroll sponsors. This year's Christmas Stroll sponsors were Independence Bank, Home Sweet Home Realty Group LLC, First State Bank of Shelby, Eagle Beverage, Shelby TBID (Best Western Shelby Inn, Comfort Inn & Suites Gateway to Glacier and OYO). The Chili Cook-off featured 13 delicious chilis to choose from this year. Many attended the Craft Fair and Chili-Cook-off at the Griddle, casting their vote for the best chili. This year's winner was entry number 13, Elliott Crump! The Christmas Stroll wrapped up with a fantastic display of Christmas spirit in the form of floats and other Light the Night parade entries. The Light the Night Parade is sponsored by Marias River Electric and Shelby Gas. It was very evident that all participating put forth a lot of time, effort and creativity into their entries. All were amazing and the panel of three judges had some hard decisions to make. After careful consideration the overall winner with the most votes and recipient of the traveling trophy was, We The People Motorcycle Club. The winners in each category were as follows: Organization - We The People Motorcycle Club; Business - A1 Towing; Family - Welker Family Big Bud; Youth - Toole County 4-H. A big thank you to all who participated in lighting the night for the community! The various music groups performing at local businesses throughout the afternoon did an amazing job and all the fun activities offered by the local businesses and organizations ensured that there was something for everyone! The annual Christmas Stroll is not a small event and one that requires a lot of organizing, time and behind-the-scenes effort. While there are volunteers, organizations and Chamber Board members to help, Shelby Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Shane Adams devotes many hours in preparing and organizing this popular holiday event. Kudos to Shane and all of those who helped in making this year's Stroll such an outstanding community event! The Cut Bank High School National Honor Society (NHS) has been awarded a $500 grant from the Cut Bank Community Foundation to support its ongoing literacy initiative at H.C. Davis Elementary School. The grant funding was used to purchase new books to restock the school's innovative book vending machine. The H.C. Davis book vending machine, introduced last school year, is a central component of the school's PAXX positive behavior support system. Students who demonstrate positive behavior are recognized with a golden ticket, which can be exchanged in the school office for a golden token. The token allows students to select a book of their choice from the vending machine-one they get to keep. "Our hope is that the excitement of getting a book from the machine will help students make smart choices," said National Honor Society Advisor Angie Lehner. "And when they receive a book, we hope it will encourage students to read more." Since its installation in late January of last school year, the book vending machine has quickly become a beloved feature at H.C. Davis and Anna Jefferies Elementary schools. Between February and May, students received 516 books through the program, with well over 100 additional books distributed so far this school year. The machine holds 244 books, and a full refill costs approximately $1,500. "This grant will help us ensure that we have enough funds to keep the vending machine refilled throughout this school year," Lehner added. To sustain the ongoing project, NHS students continue to fundraise, work concessions and apply for additional grants, she added. The Cut Bank Community Foundation is currently in the final push of its year-end fundraising campaign, with a goal of raising $10,000 by Dec. 31. If the goal is met, the foundation will receive $5,500 in matching funds from the Montana Community Foundation (MCF), and the full $5,500 will be awarded to support local projects in early 2026. Tax-deductible donations may be mailed to: Cut Bank Community Foundation P.O. Box 111 Cut Bank, MT 59427 Online donations may be made at: https://mtcf.org/giving/donate-now/give-now?fn=cut-bank-community-foundation-endowment Monthly recurring donations are also available for those seeking a budget-friendly way to give. CBCF advisory committee members include LeAnne Kavanagh, Jim Woodring, Val Vermulm, Bess Hjartarson, Whitney Bugni, Dylan Johnston, Chrissy Grimm and ex-officio board member Jim O'Day. A group of notables arrived at Glacier Family Foods on Thursday, Dec. 11. The group included Blackfeet Chairman Rodney "Minnow" Gervais, Food Distribution Program director Earl Heavy Runner, Family Foods Manager Sue Fenner and a host of administrators. The guest of honor was Harry Barnes, former Chairman of the Blackfeet Tribe, 2014-18. Now a resident of Washington State, Barnes resides with his sister who is his caregiver, but his work for Blackfeet Country hasn't ended. "I read about Incident Command being set up because of the food emergency, so I decided to do my part," said Barnes. "Doing my part" involved setting up a GoFundMe page which has raised more than $8,000. "That's the big thing," Barnes said of the GoFundMe page. "This is just a down payment." To accomplish the distribution, Heavy Runner and Glacier Family Foods Manager Sue Fenner went through the store, selecting items for the meals. The donation from Family Foods was added to Barnes' efforts for the giveaway. With more donations, Barnes said, additional supplies will go to local food banks operated by the Food Distribution Program and FAST Blackfeet. The annual Christmas food distribution is set for 1 p.m. this Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Multipurpose Arbor, but another distribution took place on Monday, Dec. 15. That distribution gave meals to 500 families. "This is separate from the Christmas distribution because of cuts to SNAP," Heavy Runner explained. "True leaders continue leading," Barnes said, "and that means help our people." As the future of SNAP remains in question, donations can be made to Barnes' page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-please-help-refill-the-blackfeet-food-pantry. The holiday season is here and while most are full of cheer, there are those who are struggling with their mental health. Mental health issues don't just pop up during the holidays, nor do they go away, sometimes the added stress can increase symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia. If you have been struggling with your mental health but haven't felt comfortable setting up an in-person visit with a medical professional at your local clinic there is another great option for you. Rich Psychiatry and Wellness is a psychiatric practice based out of Billings, Mont., owned and founded by Shelby High School graduate Brittany (Keller) Rich. Rich is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), earning her Bachelor of Arts in Nursing from Carroll College and her Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty in Psychiatric Mental Health from Gonzaga University. She has over 25 years of healthcare experience and treats everyone from children to adolescents to adults. She strives to use a collaborative, patient-centered approach that integrates clinical expertise with a holistic understanding of wellness. Her mission includes increasing access to care in Montana. "We are a traditional psychiatric practice first and foremost," explained Rich. "Along with our second board-certified PMHNP, Shanele Sant, we provide full-scope psychiatric care comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, medication management with FDA-approved psychiatric medications, and ongoing monitoring-exactly like any conventional psychiatry office. That remains the core of what we do every day." Rich Psychiatry is looking to offer its expertise to those in rural areas, offering Telemed appointments for patients, enabling them to reach out for help from the privacy of their home. While mental health providers are available in rural areas, sometimes the "small town, everyone knows everyone and their business" detours people from getting the help they need in regards to mental health issues. One thing that sets them apart from other practices is that they also give patients "evidence-based options when they want or need to look deeper." If you want to skip the trial and error of finding the right med for you and can make a trip to Billings, they can also do pharmacogenetic testing, a simple, one-time cheek swab that analyzes how your genes metabolize psychiatric medications, so they can choose the most effective drug and correct dose from the start and avoid months of trial-and-error or unnecessary side effects. They also offer nutrient deficiency testing (vitamin D, B12, folate, magnesium, zinc, omega-3 levels, etc., as low levels are strongly linked to depression, anxiety, and cognitive issues, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for mood, anxiety, sleep, or energy problems driven by hormonal imbalances, and advanced gut/metabolism testing (organic acids, mycotoxins, and GI panels) because gut-brain inflammation and imbalances are common hidden triggers for psychiatric symptoms. "We never push one path over another; we simply meet patients where they are and give Montanans more choices and options for their mental health care," said Rich. "Medication management is still the foundation of care for the majority of my patients, but what frustrated me in other settings was seeing patients get forced into a one-size-fits-all model. Some people respond beautifully to medication, others struggle with side effects or simply want to explore why they're feeling the way they are. I never wanted patients to feel they only had one option, so I built additional evidence-based tools into the practice so patients can actually choose the path that feels right for them instead of hearing, 'take this pill or nothing.'" Both Rich and Sant are Montana natives wanting to offer solutions to mental health issues to all Montanans and who understand that in the many rural areas of the state, the options are a bit more limited. Sant has over a decade of nursing experience and earned her Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty in Psychiatric Mental Health from Walden University. Rich Psychiatry and Wellness treats a wide variety of mental health issues, depression and mood disorders, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, sleep disorders, eating disorders. While medications remain the fastest and most effective option for many, the testing they also offer can be a game changer. When testing shows a clear and correctable cause, low thyroid, low B12 or folate, vitamin D deficiency, hormonal imbalance, inflammation, etc., fixing that root issue can dramatically improve mood, energy, focus, and sleep, often with fewer side effects than adding another medication. They are looking forward to expanding their practice to help more Montanans across the state, with the convenience of patients being able to stay at home. "Patients anywhere in Montana just need a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and internet. We use a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. Initial evaluations, follow-ups, medication refills, lab reviews everything is done from the comfort and privacy of their own house," said Rich. "This has been a game-changer for the people we serve in rural areas of Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. We've seen strong outcomes, with the same collaborative plans delivered virtually." If you are interested becoming a patient the process is fairly simple. Visit richpsychiatry.org and click "Become a Patient," complete and submit the short form and the office will reach out within one to two business days to schedule an appointment. You can also call directly, (406) 702-1110 for scheduling or questions. Most major insurances are accepted and they offer flexible Telehealth options. Practice manager, Malynda Leuthold, a Montana native with 18 years of mental healthcare experience, oversees patient care coordination, scheduling and billing. A little more about Rich, Sant and Leuthold. All are Montana natives, wives and mothers who enjoy spending time with their families, traveling, camping and following their children's activities when they are not working. Each of them are dedicated to providing the absolute best mental health care for each individual patient and work tirelessly to find solutions that work. If you, your child, or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues and are looking for help in the most private settings one can have, that of your home, check out Rich Psychiatry and Wellness and let the healing begin. More information is also available on the website, richpsychiatry.org. This year we have two principals who are new to the building, but have been in the district for years in other buildings. John Salois came from the high school, and Sheila Hall came from BES. One of our main goals this year is to work on the building culture in order to continue to build on what has been implemented in prior years to make Browning Middle School (BMS) a safe and welcoming environment. We have a group of dedicated staff that has been at BMS for years and work to provide an excellent education and opportunities for learning and growth both inside and outside of the classroom. We offer many different options for mental health support, as well. Please contact your childs school counselor with any questions regarding student mental health. One thing we strive for is to help students understand that they must learn responsibility for their own education. For academics this includes showing up to class each day, completing assignments and finishing make up work if they are absent. They also have a responsibility to help make the school safe through regulating their own behavior and reporting unsafe behavior of others. The Student Council is leading the way in this area. They are creating posters to put up in the school, setting their own expectations for themselves and their fellow students and working with staff to promote these expectations. They have expressed concern about students vaping and about bullying behavior. Students are working on a kindness campaign for the school and providing advice to the superintendent through her monthly student advisory meetings. Students have also taken the lead in improving the safety and physical environment of the BMS campus by presenting to the BPS School Board on ways to beautify the building and grounds, create outside play areas and address safety concerns. Students have already shown their willingness to take responsibility. We had over 160 students who had 90% or better attendance for the first quarter. Last year our attendance for the year was below 80% on average, but we have already improved on that percentage. The increased attendance helps student eligibility for sports, increases our completion rates for district assessments, and reduces the amount of make-up work and reteaching that needs to take place. Please remember to talk to your students about ways they can show responsibility for their education even while they are at home. This includes making sure they get a good nights sleep, accessing their Google Classroom to work on assignments if they are absent, and emailing or contacting their teachers for help as needed. If you would like to be part of what is happening at Browning Middle School, we always welcome parent and guardian input and participation. We have a school leadership team that meets every other week from 4-5 p.m. on Tuesday, and we would like to have a parent-guardian representative participate. We have monthly family literacy nights where you can come and do an activity with your students and meet their teachers. The next Family Literacy Night is scheduled for from 4-5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. It will be led by our Social Studies Department. Please attend, enjoy some snacks and participate in a fun activity. From everyone at Browning Middle School, we wish you a happy and safe holiday season. 1938-2025 Edward "Ed" Virgil Bremner LaPlante, of Browning, Montana, passed away on Nov. 30, 2025, in Thief River Falls, Minn. He was 87. Ed was born on Sept. 19,1938 in Browning. His Mom and Pop were Mary and Malcolm Bremner, raising him soon after he was born, where he became a little brother to ten aunts and uncles. His biological parents were Flora Bremner and Walter LaPlante. He married Yolanda Crawford on Oct. 4, 1956, whom he knew his entire life. They were married for 54 years before she passed away in 2010. Together, they had Vernon (Laura) of Minnesota, Mike (Verla) of Arizona, Roy, Kim (Tom) of Minnesota, Jay of Washington, and Rhonda of Browning. In addition, they had 54 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. They were most happy when their grandchildren were close by. For most of his life, Ed lived in Browning, attending Browning Public Schools and the Blackfeet Community College where he proudly achieved his GED in his 40s. He worked as a firefighter, truck driver, carpenter, gas station attendant, and bartender. He was employed at the sawmill, Pencil Factory and at Browning Public Schools delivering mail. His job with the school food services program was the one he loved the most as he found joy in delivering food that fed thousands of schoolchildren. He retired from there when he was 79 years old. Ed was a people-person who found great joy in interacting with family, relatives, friends and people he just met. He was a member of the honorary bull-shitters hall of fame, sharing his wild stories with all. Most everyone he met walked away laughing because he always had a story or joke to tell. Throughout his life, Ed traveled around the country and into Canada whenever he could. He loved visiting his Canadian cousins on rides up north with Yolanda or during family reunions near the border where they would play cards, horseshoes and bocce ball, and drink his favorite beer, Lucky Lager. Ed loved his family and had that great Bremner humor, love and laughter. Ed was preceded in death by his Mom and Pop, his wife Yolanda, his son Roy and his siblings Sonny, Doats, JR, Robert, and Janice. His survivors include his brother Walter, five children and their spouses, and many grandchildren, aunts/sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, and many friends. He loved all of them. Ed always insisted he could care for himself, but many family members were there 24/7 for him in his final years. Many thanks to Kim and Tom, Casey and Michael, Rhonda, Chick, PeeWee, and the medical staff in Browning and Thief River Falls. He left in peace and comfort because of their love and care. At his request, his remains were cremated. The family will hold a Celebration of Life in Montana at a later date. His departure has left a huge void in everyone's hearts. He will be missed until the next great Bremner family reunion! Back in November when Lisa Schmidt sent me one of her columns, she told me that both of her kids were going to be home at the same time for the first time in three or four years. She said she was juggling times for the three of them with the demands from so many other people who wanted to see them while they were home. Right after I turned eight my family moved to Montana from Holland, Michigan. I remember when we would go back for visits. We would go to various relatives houses to visit. As a kid it was fun to go from grandmas house to an aunts house to a friends house. I imagine for my mom and dad, it was a juggling act. Both of my parents had family living in Holland so there were a lot of people to see. The first visit back was for Christmas the year we moved to Montana. We took the train. I remember Christmas at my moms parents house. My sister Jodi and I each got a white teddy bear. One with a brown nose and the other with a black nose. If we had driven to Michigan, we had our own car to get around. If we had taken the train, we depended on someone else for a vehicle. It seems like we were always on the go. Coffee at my great-grandparents house where my grandma and maybe an aunt or uncle would show up. They had a big enclosed porch on their house. I can remember us kids playing with Lincoln logs out there while the adults were in the kitchen visiting. I also remember my great-grandma always had windmill cookies. You may have seen them at the store. Theyre cookies in the shape of a windmill with almond slivers in them. That part of the family was Dutch, so I always thought those cookies were a Dutch thing. I was kind of surprised when we moved to Montana and I saw them in stores here. At one of my grandmas houses, there was a willow tree in the backyard. It was always fun to go out there and play in the long branches. It was like a little fort under there. What I remember about my dads paternal grandparents house is that they had metal cabinets in their kitchen. I can still hear the noise they made when my great-grandma would close one of the doors. One of my uncles lived by a pond and a little creek. When we were visiting there, we would go play by the water. As much fun as it was for us kids, I can imagine my parents were probably a little stressed trying to fit in visits to everyone who wanted to see us. One year my parents went back to Michigan to visit. They were staying with friends of the family and told everyone that they had come to Michigan and if anyone wanted to see them, they would have to come to them that they werent going to be running around this time. So when I read Lisas words about juggling alone time with her kids and time with other people, I could feel her pain. You want your kids to see friends and family, but you also want to keep them all to yourself. As you travel to see family or they come to you this holiday season, I hope your juggling can be kept to a minimum so you can enjoy visiting. Watching Kylie Minogue performing her latest festive single, Xmas, on Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday night, the one thought that in her words I couldnt get out of my head was: Why cant Kylie find love? Youd have thought by now, at 57, the pocket-sized Aussie pop star would have found someone to share her life with. No, the former Neighbours star is resolutely single, insisting she is now happier than ever, living her life on her own, on her own terms. Which left me wondering during her ballroom performance even if her new Christmas song tops the charts, who will she celebrate the Yuletide with? Probably, as is her tradition, she will be back with her family in Melbourne. It is unfathomable to me that a woman who has dated some of the hottest men on the planet, is worth an estimated $120 to $150million (90-112million), and still looks as sizzling as she did when she first became a pop star in 1988 with I Should Be So Lucky, is not so lucky as to be waking up next to a loving bloke on Christmas morning. Could it be that her first public three-year romance with her then Neighbours co-star the soppy-as-a-wet-tea-towel Jason Donovan who played Scott Robinson has damaged her for life? Or did she never truly get over the end of her great love with fellow Aussie and INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, which lasted two years and which she described as a magical time. Kylie Minogue performing her latest festive single, Xmas, on Strictly Come Dancing The Aussie pop star described her relationship with INXSs Michael Hutchence as so intensely passionate it opened up a new world of pleasure and desire On their first date, he used the charming pick-up line: Kylie, I dont know whether to take you to lunch or have sex with you. The usually private and innocent Kylie would go on to describe their relationship as so intensely passionate it opened up a new world of pleasure and desire as he introduced her to sex, love, food, drugs. She confessed how he was a dark bad boy and I was the pure good girl and it was with Hutchence that Kylie is believed to have joined the mile-high club under a blanket on a Qantas flight. That was before he dumped her for the Danish supermodel Helena Christensen, which left her heartbroken; he then moved on from Helena to an affair with Paula Yates, prompting her to split from her husband, Bob Geldof. Of course, it was especially painful for Kylie when Hutchence was found dead in a Sydney hotel room in 1997. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging, though Paula, who herself died from an accidental heroin overdose in 2000, insisted it was the result of a sex game fuelled by drugs and alcohol that went horribly wrong. No one will ever know, but a skeletal, fragile and grief-stricken Kylie had to be physically held up by two friends when she arrived at Hutchences funeral dressed head-to-toe in black. Was that the turning point for her, as musician and fellow Aussie Nick Cave with whom she once had a brief fling sang his haunting melody Into My Arms about lost love at the funeral? Many thought then Kylie would never recover, but against the odds, she did. She went on to deliver a world tour, clocked up more hits, made millions and had a relationship with the spectacularly handsome French actor Olivier Martinez for five years. Skeletal, fragile and grief-stricken Kylie had to be physically held up by two friends when she arrived at Hutchences funeral dressed head-to-toe in black Frizzy-permed Charlene from Neighbours marrying drip Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan) They parted after Kylie was diagnosed with early breast cancer in 2006 and, for a year, she disappeared from public life. Then there was her liaison with the Spanish model Andres Velencoso, which started in 2008 and lasted five years, before she became briefly engaged to the actor Joshua Sasse. There then followed a long-distance love affair with the rather underwhelming (compared to Cave, Hutchence or Martinez) creative director of GQ, Paul Solomons, who disappeared from her life almost as quickly as he appeared. So now at 57, Kylie is looking fabulous, still at the top of her game and vying for a Christmas No 1. And despite the army of men who would date her in a heartbeat, she is alone. My theory, for what it is worth, is that romantically and sexually, no man has ever matched her love affair with Hutchence. Many a woman now looking down the barrel of 60 still longs for the excitement, the magic, the unforgettable enchantment of their first true love. I think the reason Kylie cant find love is that she found it with Hutchence, and all other lovers since have paled in comparison. I believe she was intoxicated by him. So my question to Kylie is this: do you really want the rest of your life to be defined by the brilliant but reckless and faithless Michael Hutchence? Or worse still, do you want your only wedding to be remembered by millions of fans as frizzy-permed Charlene from Neighbours, marrying that drip Scott Robinson? Time to let go, move on and find another true love, Kylie. The Reiner tragedy is a Hollywood tragedy. Yet it also feels all too common, all too human: One deeply troubled son, whose nearly lifelong addictions and parental resentments held a family hostage. Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with the savage slayings of his father, legendary actor and director Rob, and his mother Michele. As the Daily Mail exclusively reported, police sources say it appears Nick may have waited until his parents fell asleep before stabbing them to death and slitting both their throats as they lay in bed. The symbolism is unmistakable: He was shutting them up, permanently. The collective reaction, in Hollywood and beyond, is shock and heartbreak. By all accounts, Rob and Michele were devoted parents who had tried everything to help their son the only maladjusted one of four otherwise stable, loving siblings. One close family friend, however, says that Nick and his issues poisoned the family dynamic. Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with the savage slayings of his father, legendary actor and director Rob, and his mother Michele. As the Daily Mail exclusively reported, police sources say it appears Nick may have waited until his parents fell asleep before stabbing them to death and slitting both their throatsas they lay in bed. 'This may not speak well of Rob, but I think he and Michele babied him too much, gave in too much,' said the close friend, who has known Nick his entire life. 'They had no control over him when he was young, or when he got older.' On one occasion, the friend witnessed an 11-year-old Nick having a physical rage explosion and Rob restraining him. 'He was throwing the biggest tantrum, and Reiner just had him in a bear hug to restrain him. The tantrum was over nothing, but he had so much anger in his eyes. It was terrifying really. And this happened a lot, and he never outgrew it. He had tantrums in his 20s,' the friend said. Nick was violent well before he allegedly slaughtered his parents. He admitted in 2018 that he had once destroyed their guest house while on cocaine. And he was found by cops, after the murders, near a Santa Monica hotel, his room slathered in blood the shower, the bed, everywhere. It was Nick's sister Romy who reportedly told the police she thought her brother had done it. The family friend said that Nick's brother and two sisters suffered greatly because Nick took most of their parents' attention a common dynamic when one child is troubled or addicted. 'The other siblings resented him because who got the most attention? Nick. Who took all their energy? Nick. And who did they baby the most? Nick. Rob was very much a "stand on your own" type of father except when it came to Nick. He saw him as having an illness, a sickness, and babied him because of it.' What sets this case apart is the uniquely Hollywood approach taken to placate Nick allowing a family employee to write a book, titled 'Little Nicky', about how troublesome he was. Rob later directed and produced a movie, 'Being Charlie', co-written by Nick and based on his specific problems. Were these projects a form of parental penance or punishment? Or were they simply the only ways a lifelong filmmaker himself the son of Carl Reiner, a very famous comedian knew how to process complicated emotions? Perhaps it was a combination of all three. And here is where the road splits between the average American family dealing with a mentally unstable child and a dynastic Hollywood one. Because only the Hollywood family would consider making a movie about their internal struggles, going so public, as normal. That dynamic extended to on-set fights, open and brutal, between Nick and his father. 'I just assumed, whether this is correct or not, this kid must be pushing all his buttons. Rob can't do anything right,' stuntman Eric Aude said. 'He's a nepo-baby, a spoiled kid to a T. Obviously [Rob] loved his son because he's doing this movie for his son and, still, his son was unappreciative.' Perhaps that was the issue: Nick was only ever going to be 'the son of'. And perhaps it was never more clear than on an actual film set, working with his award-winning, incredibly gifted father, that he would never measure up in the industry or elsewhere. It's an interesting discussion happening culturally right now, the perils of being born into a famous family. George Clooney, in his new film 'Jay Kelly,' stars as an aging Hollywood mega-star who doesn't understand why his daughters don't want to spend time with him even as they tell him, repeatedly, that he was never around for them at the height of his fame, too preoccupied with the next movie or celebrity girlfriend or global press tour or awards ceremony. 'Sentimental Value', starring Stellan Skarsgard, covers similar terrain. Skarsgard, in real life, is the father of two sons, Bill and Alexander, who followed him into acting. Here, he plays a famous father full of benign neglect and narcissism. One of Brad Pitt's sons, reportedly, to Pitt during an argument: 'I'm not one of your FANS!' Ben Stiller, himself the son of famous parents comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara speaks about competing for his father's attention as a child, and how he and his sister Amy were left alone with the nanny for weeks. This is all memorialized in a new documentary, 'Stiller & Meara', in which Ben admits that, for his father, the love and attention from fans meant more than the love and attention of his own children. Yet in the doc, Ben's own children tell him the same thing. 'I literally can't ever remember you being around when I was growing up,' his 23-year-old daughter Ella says. When Gene Hackman and his wife died, their bodies went undiscovered for days. And that was because all of Hackman's adult children had nothing to do with him. Nor were they in Hackman's will. His reported $80 million estate remains in limbo. Cher has an adult son, Elijah, who is openly addicted to drugs and roaming around Hollywood. James Brolin's youngest son, Jess, has as Nick Reiner was multiple times been homeless and broke. Cindy Crawford's son Presley Gerber, 26, has taken to posting on Instagram about his deep depression and drug use, practically begging for help. There's an interesting discussion happening culturally right now, the perils of being born into a famous family. In the case of Nick Reiner, family friends say that Rob and Michele tried everything: tough love, family therapy, coddling. On the set of 'Being Charlie', Rob would reportedly kiss his adult son on the lips. Rob and Michele took Nick to Conan O'Brien's holiday party hours before their deaths because they were 'scared' of what Nick might do if left home alone. Home, where this 32-year-old was still living with his parents. And he was a horror at that party, too. 'Nick was freaking everyone out,' a source told People magazine. '[He was] acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous.' Asking people if they were famous. That is, after all, the only currency of value in this industry. Is it any wonder so many children of Hollywood suffer? Is it any wonder that so many wind up estranged from their parents? This is in no way to blame Rob and Michele Reiner for what happened to them. They were obviously loving parents and a beloved couple. And Nick was reportedly refusing to go to rehab for what would have been the 19th time. But it must be said: there is an insidious, specific kind of psychological torture that children of the famous often suffer the painful realization that the love and adulation of strangers means more to their parents, and always will. And if these children lack similar or superior talent more often the case than not they'll inevitably feel that they have no sense of worth. And certainly no chance of being seen, of being recognized, in the world. It's a poor substitute for being recognized at home, but at least it would be something. Adopting a handful of positive lifestyle habits could make the brain up to eight years younger, according to new research. Scientists at the University of Florida found that optimism, getting enough deep sleep, managing stress and having strong social support were linked to a youngerlooking brain on scans. The study tracked 128 adults in midlife and older age from four continents over a twoyear period. Nearly 70 per cent of participants were women, and most were living with chronic pain related to, or at risk of, knee osteoarthritis. Using advanced MRI scans and machine learning techniques, researchers estimated each participant's 'brain age' and compared it with their actual age. Those who reported the healthiest mix of psychological and lifestyle factors had brains that appeared up to eight years younger than expected. In contrast, a number of hardships were linked to brains that appeared older, including chronic pain, lower income, lower levels of education and social disadvantage. However, the researchers found that while the impact of hardship on brain ageing weakened over time, the benefits of positive lifestyle factors were stronger and more longlasting. Other behaviours linked to healthier brain ageing included avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight. Four simple habits could de-age your brain by up to eight years, new research suggests 'The message is consistent across our studies,' said Kimberly Sibille, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Florida, who led the research. 'Healthpromoting behaviours are not only associated with lower pain and better physical functioning. They appear to actually bolster health in an additive fashion at a meaningful level.' The findings were published in the journal Brain Communications. The study adds to growing evidence that mental wellbeing and lifestyle choices play an important role in brain health, even in people dealing with chronic pain or longterm health conditions. The findings come as separate research suggests that certain personality traits may influence how long people live. In a large analysis led by researchers at the University of Limerick, scientists examined data from more than half a million people, covering nearly six million personyears. During the study period, 43,851 participants died. The team looked at five major personality traits neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness and how they related to the risk of death. People with higher levels of neuroticism, characterised by anxiety and emotional instability, had a three per cent higher risk of dying earlier. Your browser does not support iframes. By contrast, higher conscientiousness associated with being organised, disciplined and dependable was linked to a ten per cent lower risk of death. Extraversion, reflecting sociability and engagement with others, was linked to a three per cent lower risk of death, with the effect particularly strong in the United States and Australia. No clear link was found between mortality and either openness or agreeableness. 'Our work shows that how we think, feel and behave is not only linked to life satisfaction and social relationships, but also to how long we live,' said Dr Maire McGeehan, an assistant professor at the University of Limerick who led the study. The research, conducted in collaboration with Florida State University, West Virginia University and Northwestern University were recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 'Personality is a critical driver of health and longevity, with effects similar in size to commonly recognised public health factors such as socioeconomic status.' Dr Paraic S O Suilleabhain, a senior author on the study, said the findings would help shape future research into how psychological traits influence health across the lifespan. A man who spent $7,000 the equivalent of more than 5,000 on surgery to reduce his 'man boobs' after being relentlessly bullied as a child has said the procedure has completely transformed his life. Kelbin Cordova, 32, from Atlanta, Georgia, said he first noticed he had excess breast tissue while at high school, when a doctor diagnosed him with gynecomastia a condition caused by an increase in breast gland tissue in men. From a young age, Mr Cordova said he was subjected to cruel comments about his appearance, leaving him deeply self-conscious and anxious in everyday situations many people take for granted. 'There was some bullying growing up. I would be called fat or told I had 'man boobs',' he said. 'Going into fitting rooms was especially frustrating. I would get so emotional and upset because no matter what clothes I tried on, my chest was still so prominent.' For years, he believed losing weight might solve the problem. He took up intense exercise and slimmed down but the excess breast tissue remained. 'I did lots of cardio, I lost weight, but nothing happened to my chest,' he said. 'That was when I realised it wasn't just about being overweight.' In June last year, Mr Cordova decided to pay privately for gynecomastia surgery. Kelbin Cordova [pictured before and after the operation], who paid thousands for a 'man boob' reduction surgery says he couldn't be happier with the results Mr Cordova says the surgery has completely changed everything for him, giving him back his self-confidence He now feels confident going to changing rooms when buying new clothes, something that once brought him to tears The procedure removes excess breast tissue and fat to create a flatter, more traditionally masculine chest. The operation, carried out by North Carolina-based plastic surgeon Dr Walter Dutton, was not covered by insurance. Since undergoing surgery, Mr Cordova says his confidence has soared, dramatically changing how he feels about his body and how he lives his life. 'It has completely changed everything,' he said. 'It sounds silly, but I love shopping now. I feel good in my clothes. I feel more like a man this is what I always wanted to look like.' The former radio presenter said that before surgery he went to extreme lengths to hide his chest, even at the expense of his comfort. 'I was constantly buying clothes thick enough so my breasts wouldn't show,' he said. 'In the summer, I would wear jean jackets all the time because I thought if I doubled up, people wouldn't notice.' At the time, he was living in Miami, where summer temperatures regularly soar. Join the debate Should health insurance cover cosmetic surgery for men with conditions like gynecomastia? Now he doesn't feel the need to cover up and has the confidence to go to the gym to workout Mr Cordova believes the rise in men in the US getting the procedure is because plastic surgery is becoming less taboo among men 'Wearing jackets through the summer there was hell,' he added. He said the surgery has also lifted a long-standing fear of being judged in public spaces. 'Now I don't have any anxiety or stress that people are looking at my chest,' he said. 'I used to be scared of going to the gym, and now that has completely changed.' His story comes amid a growing number of men in the US and UK opting for cosmetic surgery to reduce their chests. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, gynecomastia surgery is now the most popular cosmetic procedure among men in the country. In 2024, surgeons performed 26,430 male breast reductions a sharp rise from 20,955 in 2019. Meanwhile, latest figures by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) show the number of men getting breast reductions rose by two per cent between 2023 and 2024, from 242 to 248. However, analysis by BAAPS showed in general there was a 1.5 per cent decline in men getting plastic surgery in the same time period. Mr Cordova believes the increase reflects changing attitudes toward male cosmetic surgery. 'I think there's more education out there now about gynecomastia,' he said. 'And we're becoming less judgemental when it comes to plastic surgery.' 'A lot of guys used to say it was gay or only for women but I think men are now more open about wanting to feel comfortable in their own bodies.' The NHS says gynecomastia typically causes one or both breasts to grow larger than usual in men and boys. The condition can also make the nipples and surrounding tissue appear swollen or feel sore. In many cases, it is harmless and may resolve without treatment, particularly during puberty. However, the health service says people troubled by the condition should see a GP, who may recommend treatments such as medication to alter hormone levels or weight loss if excess body fat is contributing. If gynecomastia is caused by an underlying medical condition, treating that condition may help reduce breast size. Surgery can be effective where other treatments have failed, but the NHS warns it is rarely available and usually only offered in exceptional circumstances. These include cases where gynecomastia has been present for a long time, causes significant pain or distress, has not responded to other treatments, and where strict body mass index criteria are met. The CDC has formally dropped its recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. Acting director Jim O'Neill approved ending the blanket recommendation Tuesday, instead saying that children born to parents who do not have hepatitis B should be vaccinated based on 'individual-based decision-making'. The children can still receive the shot at birth, but the agency now also says it can be administered when babies are at least two months of age. The move followed a recommendation from the agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) two weeks ago, which called for the change. Children born to parents who have hepatitis B are still recommended to receive the vaccination at birth. The CDC's acting director did not approve ACIP's second recommendation, however, that parents and healthcare providers should consider blood tests to check levels of antibodies against hepatitis B in newborns to determine whether a child needs additional doses of the three-dose vaccine. Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver, potentially causing lifelong scarring, liver failure and cancer. It is incurable. Up to 2.4 million adults are infected with the virus, estimates suggest, equivalent to about one in 140 people, and 640,000 are estimated to have a chronic, or long-term infection. The CDC has dropped its recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine (stock image) The virus is passed on via exposure to infected blood or bodily fluids, but it can also survive on surfaces for a week. In infants, up to 90 percent of those who are infected with hepatitis B develop the chronic condition, which can lead to severe complications and death later in life. The hepatitis B vaccine is administered in three doses and prevents an infection in more than 95 percent of healthy infants, children and young adults, according to the World Health Organization. It has also been shown to be safe in rigorous clinical trials. Revealing the new recommendation, O'Neill said in a statement on the CDC website: 'This recommendation reflects ACIP's rigorous review of the available evidence. 'We are restoring the balance of informed consent to parents whose newborns face little risk of contracting hepatitis B.' He said the agency was still 'reviewing' its second recommendation regarding blood tests for antibodies against the disease. ACIP has been controversial after its membership was hand-picked by vaccine-skeptic Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Junior. Its recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine has prompted outcry from medical associations, who say there is little evidence that the birth dose should be delayed. Shown above is Dr Robert Malone, (left), the chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and committee member Vicky Pebsworth (right). They are shown at the meeting earlier this month where they approved recommending a delay in the vaccination for infants Susan Kressly, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement: 'Pediatricians are already reporting more parents declining to give their children this critical dose. 'As a pediatrician, it is heartbreaking when we have a vaccine that can prevent so many infections, and it is deeply disappointing to see the continued dismissal of expertise to inform recommendations that have broad implications on the health of America's children.' Major health insurers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and AHIP, have said they will continue to cover all vaccines that were recommended at the start of 2025 through 2026, including the hepatitis B birth dose. The US approved the hepatitis B vaccine in 1982 and has recommended that the three-dose shot be administered to infants since 1991. In 2005, it tightened its recommendation to say the first dose should always be administered within 24 hours of birth, regardless of the mother's hepatitis B status. Previously, from 1991, it had recommended that the first dose be given at birth or age two to three months. At its meeting earlier this month, ACIP noted that hepatitis B was a serious disease with serious effects for patients. Some members raised concerns over the inoculation of newborns born to mothers who did not have the disease, however, pointing out that in other countries, such as the UK and Denmark, the first dose is delayed until two months of age. Other members said that the US was not like these other high-income nations, stating that it was much more diverse, had a much larger population and did not have a universal healthcare system. They said the closest peer nation to the US would be Canada, which decides its hepatitis B vaccine recommendations on a state-by-state basis. Acting director of the CDC Jim O'Neill is shown above. This picture was taken in June this year, when he was sworn in as deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services The members raised concerns over the low risk of infection and the potential risk of side effects from the vaccine. Vaccine manufacturers say the vaccine can cause a fever and, in rare cases, may trigger muscle weakness, aches in the joints or confusion. More than 1.4billion doses of the hepatitis B vaccine have been administered to date worldwide. Estimates suggest that about 20,000 infants are born to expectant mothers infected with hepatitis B every year. These women are more likely to be foreign-born or from a non-white ethnic background. But the latest estimates suggest that only 10 children born to these mothers are infected with hepatitis B every year. It is recommended that mothers be screened for hepatitis B during pregnancy, but about 15 percent are not tested for the virus. In half of cases, hepatitis B does not trigger any symptoms. Warning signs of an infection include jaundice, or a yellowing of the whites of the eyes, fever, muscle and joint aches and dark urine. The disease may be treated using antiviral pills to control the virus and reduce liver damage. In severe cases, patients may receive a liver transplant. About 91.4 percent of children in the US have received three doses of hepatitis B by age 24 months. At a briefing in September, President Donald Trump recommended, without evidence, that the hepatitis B vaccine should only be given to children aged 12 years old. While tens of millions of Americans have tried to lose weight with the help of blockbuster medications, scientists say an alternative method is not only more effective, but also more sustainable long-term. Researchers from New York University directly compared the effectiveness of semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredients in weight-loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound, with the more invasive yet permanent interventions of sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass for the first time in a new study. For two years, they studied more than 14,000 people who had either taken the injectable GLP-1 drugs for at least six months or gotten surgery. Over two years, surgery patients lost an average of 58 pounds, compared to just 12 pounds for those on medication, resulting in a massive 46-pound gap in total weight loss. Bariatric surgery is a one-time procedure that delivers transformative, long-term results, while GLP-1 medications require expensive, lifelong monthly injections. Since most people eventually stop the medication and regain weight, the surgery is typically seen as the more effective option. Dr Avery Brown, a surgical resident at NYU Langone Health and lead study author, said: Clinical trials show weight loss between 15 percent to 21 percent for GLP-1s, but this study suggests that weight loss in the real world is considerably lower even for patients who have active prescriptions for an entire year. The sharp difference in results could be partly since as many as 70 percent of GLP-1 users stop taking their prescriptions for a variety of reasons, such as unmanageable side effects or cost. Surgery, meanwhile, is permanent and creates more sustained weight loss. Despite the efficacy of surgery far outstripping that of medications, far fewer people opt for an operation every year compared to the number of people who get a prescription every year, about 280,000 and 8.4 million, respectively. The number of people who choose surgery to lose weight is vastly outnumbered by those who receive prescriptions; about 280,000 operations versus 8.4 million prescriptions annually (stock) Your browser does not support iframes. Dr Brown said: GLP-1 patients may need to adjust their expectations, adhere more closely to treatment or opt for metabolic and bariatric surgery to achieve desired results. A sleeve gastrectomy is a minimally invasive weight-loss surgery where about 80 percent of the stomach is surgically removed. This permanently reshapes the stomach into a narrow tube, or 'sleeve,' which significantly restricts food intake and reduces hunger hormones, promoting significant, lasting weight loss. Gastric bypass is a procedure that surgically creates a small stomach pouch and reroutes a portion of the small intestine. The two-part approach works by both drastically restricting how much food a person can eat and by reducing the body's ability to absorb calories and nutrients, leading to sustained weight loss. Both procedures are typically highly successful. Patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy typically lose around 50 to 70 percent of their excess body weight, with some losing up to 25 percent of their total body weight. After gastric bypass, patients typically lose 60 to 80 percent of their excess body weight. GLP-1 drugs mimic a hormone that signals to the brain to stop eating and helps quell cravings. They also come with an array of side effects, from mild nausea to life-disrupting changes in bathroom habits. Researchers began with a large pool of more than 140,000 patients who either took medications for at least six months (122,595 patients) or underwent weight-loss surgery (18,136 patients) between 2018 and 2024. The medication group had higher rates of obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Without accounting for these baseline differences, it would be impossible to determine whether the results were due to the treatment or to these other health factors. The researchers used an advanced statistical technique called propensity score matching, which acts like a matchmaker, finding a surgery twin for each medication twin based on key characteristics such as age, starting weight and blood sugar, resulting in about 14,000 matched pairs. Jenn Erskine, now 36 years old and from Florida, lost 370lbs after receiving weight loss surgery. She is shown left at 546lbs, her heaviest, and now at 175lbs Because people sometimes stop taking their medication, the team looked at the results in two ways: one included everyone who started treatment and the other only included those who kept taking their shots consistently. In the real-world analysis of over 7,000 patients per group, surgery led to significantly greater weight loss. After two years, surgery patients lost an average of about 26 percent of their total body weight, compared to about five percent for patients who were prescribed the injectable medications - making surgery five times more effective than injectables. Then, the researchers conducted a rigorous analysis focusing only on the 146 patients in each group who followed their treatment plan perfectly for two full years, meaning that medication patients took their shots continuously. In this ideal scenario, the gap narrowed, but surgery was still three times more effective. The perfect-use medication group lost about eight percent of their body weight, while surgery patients lost about 25 percent. Additionally, surgery was also better at improving long-term blood sugar control over the two-year period, an outcome that is particularly important for obese people who also have diabetes. Dr Ann M Rogers, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, which funded the research, said: While both patient groups lose weight, metabolic and bariatric surgery is much more effective and durable. Those who get insufficient weight loss with GLP-1s or have challenges complying with treatment due to side effects or costs, should consider bariatric surgery as an option or even in combination. Surgery works by physically changing the stomach and gut to limit food intake and hormones. The medications work by mimicking a hormone that reduces appetite in the brain In 2024, researchers compared sustained weight loss across groups being treated for obesity. Bariatric surgery (sleeve, RYGB) led to the most significant initial weight loss as well as a loss of about 25 percent of their body weight up to a decade after surgery Their results were presented at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting in June. Previous research has arrived at similar results. In a study published in September, researchers in Pennsylvania tracked the health records of more than 30,000 obese people enrolled in a state insurance plan who were either prescribed an injectable drug or who underwent bariatric surgery. To ensure a fair comparison, researchers matched people by age and past health problems. Surgery was significantly more effective. Over about two years, surgery patients lost an average of 28 percent of their body weight, compared to 10 percent for patients on the medications. In another separate study in 2024, researchers from New York, Germany, and Austria conducted a major review comparing long-term outcomes of weight-loss surgery and the new injectable medications in roughly 20,000 patients. Weight loss was significant and long-lasting. Patients lost about 30 percent of their body weight one year after surgery. They maintained 25 percent of their weight loss for up to ten years, demonstrating long-term results. In people who took the injectable drugs, weight loss was substantial but plateaued. After about 17 to 18 months, the maximum loss was around 22.5 percent for tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) and between 10 to 15 percent for semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic). They also found that stopping the medication led to regaining about half the lost weight within one year. While bariatric surgery involves a higher upfront cost and a more intense recovery, it is an investment that fundamentally changes the body's physiology, allowing for lasting success. The one-time procedure sets a patient on a definitive path to significant, sustained weight loss and overall health improvement, which may prove more cost-effective and impactful over a lifetime than managing a costly, indefinite monthly prescription for Wegovy or a similar drug. A major food importer and distributor based in New Jersey expanded an already sweeping recall of products over Salmonella contamination. The products were distributed nationwide by Chetak New York LLC, marketed under the Indian cuisine brand Deep. The list includes frozen vegetables, prepared dishes, fruits and flavoring bases. The recall began on July 16, was expanded by the company on September 9 and was officially classified by the FDA on December 11 as a Class I recall, the most serious classification, signifying a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death. The recall expansion comes on the heels of a now-closed investigation of a Salmonella outbreak linked to foods distributed by Chetak across 11 states that has sickened 12 people and hospitalized four. There were no deaths. Salmonella, or salmonellosis, is an infection caused by Salmonella bacteria that causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain. It usually resolves on its own within a few days, but some people require hospitalization. Less than one percent of patients die. Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illness in the US, resulting in over one million infections annually. Of these cases, approximately 26,500 require hospitalization, and the bacteria are responsible for about 420 deaths each year. Frozen food can become contaminated with Salmonella at several points in the production chain, and the freezing process itself does not kill the bacteria. The most common origin is the raw ingredient itself, though if equipment, surfaces or wash water in a processing facility is contaminated, the bacteria can spread to other foods. The recalled frozen fruits, vegetables and prepared meals were distributed nationwide. The list is an expansion of previous product recalls over salmonella concerns Your browser does not support iframes. Deep brand foods are sold in many Indian markets, and major retailers like Walmart, Target and Costco stock some of the items. The products were distributed to stores nationwide. The recall is estimated to affect millions of bags of frozen foods. Salmonella bacteria invade and destroy the cells that line the intestines. This makes it hard for the body to absorb water, which can result in stomach cramps. The water leaves the body in the form of diarrhea. The outbreak that officially ended in September, per the CDC, likely sickened more people than health officials recorded and the outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. People who got sick lived in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella, the CDC said. The agency traced the outbreak to Deep brand frozen Sprouted Mat (moth) and Moong (mung) beans and Deep brand Premium Select Frozen Surti Undhiu Mix, which are no longer for sale. Treatment for Salmonella primarily focuses on managing symptoms and preventing dehydration. However, hospitalization becomes necessary when the infection spreads from the intestines into the bloodstream. The FDA officially designated it on December 11 as a Class I recall, which signifies 'a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death' In life-threatening yet rare cases, infection with Salmonella can lead to infections in the brain, bones, joints, heart lining or urinary system, leading to severe complications like meningitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis or even sepsis. Severe complications are most dangerous for vulnerable people, including young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. In these cases, patients require intravenous antibiotics, fluids and close medical monitoring to fight the systemic infection and prevent life-threatening organ failure. Previous FDA notices urged consumers to check their freezers and discard any recalled products with matching lot codes. According to the FDA: The recalled product should no longer be available for sale on the market. 'Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should check refrigerators and freezers for the recalled products, should not eat, sell, or serve any recalled products, and throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. From as far back as I can remember, my parents instilled in me the art of being polite. As the eldest daughter of the family, I knew from an early age how to paste on a smile when visiting family or friends. I'd sit quietly when required and trot out my Ps and Qs as directed and hope that my siblings followed my shining example. It felt like my job, at least for a while, to keep our manners in check, even when deep down, I wanted to tell a snooty adult where to shove their rules, just like my middle sister, Sally was known to on occasion. It's the kind of story you see a lot of women recount when discussing 'eldest daughter syndrome', believing that their fate as the first-born girl has forced them to meet higher expectations, and shoulder greater emotional burdens and caretaking responsibilities. Whenever I catch wind of such conversations, my ears prick up, wondering for a moment, if at the age of 44, I can hang any of my failures or life wobbles on the unbearable weight of being born before my two brothers and two sisters? But then I cop on to myself and imagine, with a wince, what my siblings would have to say if I declared I'd had it harder than them in some way, just because I'm the eldest. I can see their faces, agog, and picture their responses turning the air a specific shade of blue. British writer Penny M Harrison, 44, spoke about her feelings on growing up as an eldest daughter Penny, pictured left, with her younger siblings, says that siblings of all ages face their own hardships Kourtney Kardashian in particular has voiced the fact that she feels affected by being the eldest daughter in the dynasty, as her squabbles with second born Kim continue to play out in front of the world. I'm not here to dismantle any other eldest girls' feelings. Each one of us has our own unique set of circumstances that the rest of us have no right to devalue but it's those unique circumstances that are precisely the point for me. Can we really rest our experiences solely on the fact we're a first born girl? As the eldest of three full siblings, there are just thirteen months between my sister, Sally and I and then a six year gap before my brother Peter came along. I also have a half sister and brother. There's a gang of us and life could be chaotic and confusing at times, growing up. It might be easy to imagine me at the helm of that gang, whipping them into shape and showing them the way but I can't say that was ever my role and neither did I feel it should be. Maybe it's got something to do with the small age gap between my sister and I, but I never felt like I had 'big sister' shoes to walk in if I'm honest and if I'd dared to try - my feisty little sister would have had something to say. In fact, she'd likely have been quite happy to show me what she thought. Like the time she clobbered me around the head with a hammer in the shed (OK, we were very small but clearly, from the start, she did not have the impression that I was in charge). Or there was that time as teenagers when she threw a hairbrush so hard at my face it drew blood. I won't go on (and I could) but suffice to say there was absolutely no sense of me setting a standard and those below me following suit. My siblings were more than happy to jostle me for top spot and I just don't think that would have been the case if there was an expectation on me to lead the way. Penny pictured with her sister. She says that all of her brothers and sisters have endured different challenges Penny, left, and her sister pictured together. The writer says that being protective is inherently rooted in family members, and isn't down to birth order Is that because eldest daughter syndrome doesn't exist or is it about the bigger picture and the way that our personalities and specific family dynamics come into play as we form our sense of selves? I think, for me, it was certainly the latter. As the eldest daughter I sought to break away. There's definitely a 'lone ranger' element to who I am (not that I knew that then) and the burden of being the eldest, or feeling I had to 'help bring up' my siblings didn't quash that. If anything, being the eldest seemed to bestow on me a sense that I could branch out, go forth and ultimately get away. My sister recently told me that all she ever wanted was to hang out with me and my older friends, to come over to their houses with me and be included in our escapades. But I shunned her, told her no. I feel bad about that now but it just goes to show I felt no responsibility to have to take her along. So, in fact, Sally might say that it's the middle child that has the toughest time of it, left to languish in a no man's land, overlooked (she's never forgiven the fact she's the only one of us without a middle name, for example) and ignored. Perhaps this is why she too, learnt to be her own lone ranger and in fact, is much more able to steer me in the right direction when things feel off course, than I think I've ever been able to for her. At 18 I left home. Off on an adventure abroad, leaving my brother and sister at 17 and 12, ages when maybe, they most needed me to show them the way. I don't recall feeling the weight of that. Though, writing this puts into perspective that perhaps I should have. Maybe then, this whole eldest daughter syndrome might chime a bit truer for me. Ultimately though, no adults bestowed that pressure on me and that's why surely, this all comes down to the wider family unit. Instead, I only felt driven by what I wanted to do (forgive me, I was a teenager) leaving my younger siblings to figure things out for themselves. Who's to say, then, that it's not the youngest child who has it hardest? My brother might. We all know that by the time the last kid comes along, the rules are relaxed and sometimes younger siblings are left un-tethered and unchecked. Or they're cosseted and infantalised. Either scenario, potentially leading to its own set of psychological impacts. But just like when we read our horoscope and find bits of it we could apply to our lives, then yes there are elements of the syndrome that I think 'oh, yes, that's me,'. I did have a caretaker role when it came to looking out for Peter, jumping in to protect him if there was a fight brewing with Sally and him. And as adults, I have continued to feel protective towards him and a responsibility to at least try to steward him when he's in a tough spot. But so has my sister. Isn't that just a sibling thing? I'm not the caretaker in my wider family dynamics and when it comes to relationships, there's no doubt I have looked for partners who can care take me, not the other way around as the specifics of the syndrome suggest I might. Am I the family peacemaker? Potentially. One of the markers of the syndrome is an 'eldest daughter who suppresses her own emotions to maintain harmony resulting in chronic stress and feelings of guilt when prioritising their own wellbeing'. Well. Yes that could describe me. But can it really be because I'm the eldest. I'd say it's also related to growing up with divorced parents, neurodiverse traits and a fear of conflict. At 44, if I look at my life today, I can see ways in which being the eldest, now, sits on my shoulders. I'm lucky that my parents are still relatively young and both healthy. But at times, I do contemplate the leading role that might be required of me if and when that changes. But on the whole, as the eldest, so far, I've lived my own life with few boundaries and even fewer expectations about how I act or what I do Perhaps that set of circumstances comes with baggage too. Maybe if I had been made to set a stronger example I'd have had more discipline, smashed more of my own goals and that leads me to think, eldest daughter syndrome? If only! SATURDAY 9am Pottering around a European market is one of lifes great pleasures, and Noordermarkt in the Jordaan neighbourhood doesnt disappoint. Its packed with everything from vintage clothing to handmade quilted jackets, with antique knick-knacks aplenty. 10.30am The traditionally working-class Jordaan, once earmarked for demolition, is now Amsterdams trendiest area, full of independent shops and good coffee. I grab an excellent one from Nu Coffee (3.50), then meander through the winding streets. 1pm Flagship offers the best boat tour of Amsterdams famous canals, with excellent commentary from enthusiastic staff. Plus bakery Het Koekemannetje drops off cookies from a bridge as part of its Winter Cookie Cruise (22.80, flagshipamsterdam.com). 4pm With its higgledy-piggledy layout spread over 25 historic canal townhouses, the Pulitzer hotel (from 412 a night, pulitzeramsterdam.com) captures Amsterdams charm. Checking into my room, I feel like Ive stepped into The Miniaturist. 7pm It feels weird going for pizza in Amsterdam shouldnt we be eating local food? Apparently not, Im told, as the famously frugal Dutch arent big on eating out. So I visit Pazzi to enjoy one of the best pizzas Ive ever had (14.95, pazziamsterdam.nl). 9pm Ive found my happy place, sitting by my canalside hotel window watching late-night cruises casting lights across the water and the hardy Dutch whizzing around on bikes, their cagoules billowing against the wind and rain. Only my super-soft double bed can beat it. SUNDAY 9am Im at the Van Gogh Museum, keen to explore its exhibition charting the artists friendship with Arles postman Joseph Roulin. Roulin and his family became regular models for Van Gogh during his turbulent period in France (until 11 Jan 2026, vangoghmuseum.nl). 11.45am The city is full of historic heavy hitters such as Anne Franks house and the Dutch master-filled Rijksmuseum. But a lesser-known cultural wonder is the miniature wonderland Mouse Mansion created by author Karina Schaapman (themousemansion.com). 1pm Fabel Friet (fabelfriet.nl) offers real Dutch fries that draw crowds. I choose the parmesan and truffle mayonnaise (6), then head back to Amsterdam Centraal to catch the Eurostar to London St Pancras, which takes a nippy four hours 17 minutes (from 39, eurostar.com). Over the past few years, Britain has gone Christmas market mad. From mid-November, weve whooped in wonder at all the twinkling lights, endless festive music and pretty little chalet stalls festooned in baubles and bows all of which are for sale, naturally. Weve lapped up the smells of roasting chestnuts, candyfloss (10 a cone), Nutella waffles and 12-a-pop pigs in blankets. Weve wallowed in nostalgic joy as weve sipped out of 9 cups of mulled wine and often travelled many miles for the pleasure. Not that we need to. Because Christmas markets are everywhere. Every city centre, town square and cathedral close across the land seems to have been turned into a makeshift market, immersing us in an imaginary yuletide of old. They have popped up in car parks, community centres and even outside some London Tube stations. Of course they have. These markets are big business. They generate hundreds of millions of pounds and boost the footfall in local shops as visitors flock to city centres, bringing them to a gridlocked standstill. But this year and sorry to be the Grinch among all the (grossly overpriced) Christmas joy the tide is finally turning. Visitors are no longer drenched in the festive spirit but are, instead, really rather cross. They are fed up of the sky-high prices, the crowds, revolting food and sour-faced stallholders, some of whom travel from Eastern Europe to flog us a lot of identical overpriced tat we could get elsewhere for a fraction of the cost. And shoppers are sharing their gripes on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook anywhere they can. Bath Christmas market, celebrating its 25th anniversary, is damned as a rubbish, overpriced hellscape and Britains Worst Xmas market on TikTok. Jane Fryer at Bath Christmas market, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary Edinburgh is slammed for the cost of its wares, its rubbish fayre and, again, the crowds in hundreds of reviews. People are crammed in to the point you cant actually walk ... very unenjoyable, said a visitor. Indeed, overcrowding was blamed for a brawl breaking out at Londons Hyde Park Winter Wonderland on Friday night, which saw two young men in a queue trading blows after one was apparently touching his missus according to a bystander. Birminghams Frankfurt Christmas market, meanwhile, has been called rough, not safe, a very hostile place. So to see if weve all just gone a bit Bah humbug after a difficult year or whether the Christmas music really has gone into the minor key, I put on my Santa hat and visited a few last week. I started with the market in the heart of Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, where the blurb promises I will enjoy a diverse range of traders selling locally sourced and handmade crafts (no mention of fisticuffs) and take the Wonderland spirit with me as I go. Sadly, I did not. It didnt help that I visited on a chilly grey Tuesday afternoon. Or that there is a 5 entry fee, plus 1 booking fee and a very thorough frisking on the gate by the grumpy security team who are clearly sick of Christmas already. Its dead today but, at the weekend, oh my God its awful. A twohour wait at least to get in I dont think weve ever seen the back of the queue, said one security guard. Which means by the time they get to us theyre not always their happiest. Mulled wine at Bath's Christmas market will set you back 9 When I arrived at the main drag of Christmas Market a sad array of about 30 prefab chalets set around a central area sporting some burnt-out firepits and a slippery floor consisting of muddy steel sheets, stapled together I thought I must have taken a wrong turn. But I buy a 4 bottle of tepid water and, over the blast of thumping Ariana Grande, get chatting to a nice couple from Kidderminster. Its not what wed expected, says Tory, 34, who has travelled down specially with her partner Marco, 32. We thought itd be like those in Austria with the twinkly lights and music and little craft stalls. But its, well, look... she peters off into silence. And we do look. At the mud, the sad expanse of stalls with names such as Trendy Furs, Cozy Layers and Dreamii Castle selling factory-made plastic decorations for 14.99. Synthetic stuffed toys from 25. Teeny bags of sweets for 12. Candyfloss at 10 a cone and, rather surprisingly, teeth whitening powder. Or at least trying to sell it. Because business is not exactly brisk, and not just due to the crazy prices. For while visitors often queue for hours to go on the rides at Winter Wonderland, theres hardly anybody here at the Christmas Market, where the stallholders tell me theyve paid between 12,000 and 17,000 for their pitch. Plus, in many cases, a 10 per cent surcharge on all sales. The footfall is very bad, says the owner of Ant Elm Hats. I came last year and it was great. This year I will never even break even. It is a disaster. Two stalls down, Jem, an architect from Istanbul, tells me that for the third year running he has taken five weeks off work to man a Christmas bauble shop at 200 a day. It is more than I get paid at home because [the stallholder] usually takes in thousands, he says, though today he is untroubled by customers. Next door, the Turkish lady on the deserted sweet shack looks desperate. Several stalls along, a vendor is huddled by an electric bar heater in front of her jewellery, body oils and trinkets for sale. She tells me shes sold nothing today at all. And along from her is the tooth whitening stall. A stall trader at Winter Wonderland in Londons Hyde Park We thought it would be a good Christmassy riff Make London smile white and bright, says the woman running it. But today Ive had one sale. And all day yesterday just four, but at a discount. Many stalls wont break even. Let alone make the 50,000 or so they say the organisers forecast. They promised wed make so much money, says one stallholder who prefers not to be named. In November we were worried, but they kept saying: Wait till December it will perk up. Now they say: Wait till the school holidays.' Sellers cant even pack up and cut their losses because the contract says they have to man the stalls 12 hours a day, every day, or theyll face penalties. They even said they are watching us, says the trader, pointing to a cluster of security cameras on a pole. Blimey. No wonder there are no small businesses here with local stuff. Theyd be bankrupt by the end of the month in this sad place where the only thing I would want to spend money on is a taxi out, fast. For its part, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland says commercial terms with stallholders are dealt with by a third party operator with the expectation that traders are communicated with clearly and constructively. Of course, Christmas markets have the problem of too many visitors. Like York, which attracts hundreds of thousands and has been plagued by bad reviews describing chronic overcrowding in the narrow cobblestone lanes, appalling queues, disappointing stalls with overpriced local crafts, some of which were clearly made in factories in Asia. Oh yes, and traffic gridlock resulting in a two-and-a-half-hour bus ride to the Park & Ride. Which means that while other businesses in the city centre benefit from all the extra trade, the locals loathe the market. I live in York and its hell leading up to Christmas. I avoid it at all costs for weeks, says one resident. Because Christmas markets arent just for Christmas. They go on and on. Winter Wonderland is open for five weeks. York opened on November 13. Birmingham started on November 1, for goodness sake. Britains best Christmas Market in Bath is barely open for three weeks, but locals call it three weeks of Hell and complain about closed roads, ugly barriers and their city centre being out of bounds every weekend. But the worst accusation of all is that it is lacking any festive spirit. I visited on a weekday and, I have to say, it was OK. Not as Christmassy as Id hoped. No festive music. No Santa. Not many lights. Too many stalls selling normal market stuff like bags, coats and T-shirts. And a lot of moronically pointless gifts wooden ties (yes, really) for 25; banana and pumpkin cookie mix kits for dogs. But you could walk about freely and there were plenty of charming stalls selling local arts and crafts and delicious foods. A lot of people have travelled a long way. Like retirees Cory, 52, and Lynda, 53, from Saltash in Cornwall, part way through a Christmas market tour in their camper van, fuelling up on mulled wine (9) and sausage rolls (13) before they launch in. We love Christmas markets. And this is supposed to be one of the best! says Cory, who is wearing an elf hat with floppy ears. Were doing Oxford and Cheltenham as well. Its something to look forward to just before Christmas soak up the atmosphere. And the Parker sisters, Laura, Angela and Helen, from south Devon, who tell me that they are Christmas market aficionados but feeling a bit disappointed today. Its very, very overpriced and not very Christmassy. No music. No entertainers, says Laura. She adds wistfully: Last year we went to Nottingham and that was fantastic. People walking on stilts. Blowing bubbles. Snow machines. Though at least the city looks pretty here. It certainly does, with the exquisite backdrop of Bath Cathedral (8 entrance). Which is more than I can say for Uxbridge. The West London town hosts a sad scattering of tinselled huts selling beer, German sausages, furry earmuffs, keyrings and handbags right outside the station and very few visitors. There is just one man at the bierkeller drinking an enormous lager and ranting about Liverpool FC. At the waffle stand, the woman manning it since November 19 looks frozen and bored to death. She tells me all she wants for Christmas is for it to be over. Which, sadly, seems to be a sentiment shared by residents and customers alike. Phoebe Gates has apparently announced her reunion with her high school sweetheart by posting a cosy photograph on Instagram. The daughter of billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife philanthropist Melinda took to her Instagram page to seemingly go 'official' with Chaz Flynn, who she reportedly first dated in 2019. It's unclear when the pair - who both attended elite Lakeside High School in Seattle before heading to Stanford University together - split, but they clearly seem back on track as they cuddled up together while dressed in all their finery. Phoebe, 23, posted the loved-up snap hours ago with a simple heart emoji, while a person thought to be a member of the Flynn clan, called Sophie, commented: 'Been waiting for this one. Love you guys!!' Before apparently rekindling her romance with Chaz, Bill's youngest child dated Sir Paul McCartney's grandson Arthur Donald, 26, from October 2023 to September 2025. Prior to dating the elder son of photographer Mary McCartney and her first husband, TV producer Alistair Donald, Phoebe was in a relationship with fellow Stanford student Robert Ross. Meanwhile, Chaz - whose Instagram account is private - will have no problem with his in-laws this Christmas, thanks to the group already knowing one another. In May 2021, Phoebe and Chaz, were spotted at Nobu in Manhattan, with her father Bill, after the trio (all wearing face masks) flew into Newark Airport in New Jersey on the same plane. Chaz Flynn (pictured left) and Phoebe Gates both attended elite Lakeside High School in Seattle before heading to Stanford University together Phoebe hasn't shied away from the spotlight, and her Instagram regularly shows her attending glamorous outings, including summits, talks and exclusive fashion events, often dressed by designer labels and dripping in expensive jewelry. But despite her Instagram-influencer persona, her parents' wealth and her lavish lifestyle growing up, Phoebe - who previously interned with British Vogue - has been determined to forge her own path. 'Okay, I'm my parents' daughter, that gives me immense privilege, but it's not what I'm defined by,' she previously told WWD. The budding entrepreneur - along with former Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni - launched her own e-commerce startup app called Phia earlier in the year. The platform offers shoppers an easy way to compare the prices of new and used items across more than 40,000 selling sites. Despite her father's wealth, Phoebe raised the capital independently - first getting $100,000 from Soma Capital, then $250,000 from the Stanford social entrepreneurship grant, and finally $500,000 in angel investments, bringing the total to $850,000. Phoebe is the third child of Bill and Melinda Gates, who divorced after 27 years of marriage in 2021. Although her billionaire father provided her with a very comfortable childhood at her family's $131million mansion in Medina, Washington, she has claimed it has sometimes done more harm than good. Phoebe Gates, right, and Arthur Donald attend The Albies hosted by the Clooney Foundation for Justice at the New York Public Library on September 26, 2024 Last year, Phoebe appeared on Netflix's docuseries What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates. In the series, Bill asked his daughter if she had ever come across conspiracy theories about him - including that the COVID pandemic was a ploy to allow the businessman to put microchips in vaccines that would allow him to track people. 'All the time,' Phoebe responded. 'I've even had friends cut me off because of these vaccine rumors,' she said. In September 2025, it was reported by People magazine that Phoebe and Arthur Donald, a New York-based climate investor, had split, calling time on their relationship a while back. The two families already enjoyed close connections with one another as Arthur's aunt, the fashion designer Stella McCartney is good friends with Phoebe's mother, Melissa. 'Even when I was little, she would send me stuff and little notes and I'd be so excited,' Phoebe says of Stella. 'We are really deeply connected.' Phoebe and Arthur began dating in mid-2023, shortly after she ended her relationship with fellow Stanford student Robert Ross. Fans of the network complained about the episode online HGTV fans have been left furious by the channel after it aired a program revealing how Donald Trump has decorated the White House this Christmas. White House Christmas 2025 aired on Sunday night and offered a behind-the-scenes look at how the president's residence is transformed for the festive season. The one-hour special followed over one hundred volunteers as they adorned the historic home with huge trees, lavish ornaments and dramatic garlands. This year's White House holiday theme is Home Is Where the Heart Is. According to the first lady, Melania Trump, 'home is not merely a physical space; rather, it is the warmth and comfort I carry within.' It appears that no expense was spared in the decorating of the White House as an 18-foot concolor fir - that traveled more than 600 miles from Sidney, Michigan - has been placed in the Blue Room. Additionally, the Red Room features 10,000 blue butterflies and there are more than 50 Christmas trees featured in total. But HGTV fans unleashed their disappointment over the 'tone-deaf' special and threatened to boycott the network because of it. HGTV's White House Christmas 2025 unveiled Donald Trump's festive decorations The Trumps' holiday theme this year is Home Is Where the Heart Is (pictured December 11) Commenting on a Reddit thread, one said: 'Until class and thoughtfulness and empathy are a thing again, I'm not interested in how Voldemort is decorating his lair for Christmas. 'I do feel bad for the people who normally do that work, though. I'm sure it's unfun for them, being used to decency and tradition.' 'Changed the channel immediately,' another said. A third continued: 'Seeing just a few pieces of Temu gold decor throughout the White House is enough for me. With healthcare cost about to skyrocket for millions of Americans, this oligarch tone-deaf vanity programming is woefully ill planned.' 'Done with HGTV,' proclaimed a fourth. 'Nothing but garbage and cheap a** shows.' 'Yeah, not watching anything that has to do with that administration,' added another. 'I was not happy to see that on HGTV.' Some, however, were intrigued by the program. 'Missed the first 20 minutes, but it is fun watching how the various rooms are decorated,' wrote one. The Grand Foyer of the White House has been decked out with multiple Christmas trees Ten thousand blue butterflies feature in the Fostering the Future Red Room Melania Trump appointed renowned designer, Herve Pierre, to oversee her creative vision Seventy five of Melania's signature wreaths with classic red bows adorn the White House windows, and more than 50 Christmas trees, 700 feet of garland, and 25,000 feet of ribbon fill the halls with holiday warmth 'The Blue Room for the Gold Star Families, and the pastry chefs designing the gingerbread replica of the White House. Love it!' Every year, HGTV peeks inside the White House to inspect its Christmas decor. Last year's show was fronted by husband-and-wife duo Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt and in 2023, the special was hosted by Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott. This season's show broke away from tradition and did not have a host. Instead, the episode was narrated. If 2025 was about switching off, 2026 is shaping up to be about tuning in to our bodies, our brains and our curiosities. From ditching the clock entirely to stepping inside our favourite films, new travel trends are emerging, according to British Airways Holidays in collaboration with trend forecasting agency Globetrender. Here are the five big predictions for next year... Letting go of routine For a growing number of travellers, holidays are no longer about rigid schedules or packed itineraries theyre about letting the body take the lead. Almost one in five UK travellers now ignore the clock entirely while away, eating, sleeping and exploring whenever it feels right. At home, routines rule. Just 8% of UK adults allow themselves lie-ins outside of holidays and only 6% plan their time carefully while away. Holidays can act as a reset, explains Professor Russell Foster of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. The catch? Resetting a misaligned chronotype isnt just about sleep it also means reducing stress and anxiety. Never-sleep cities such as New York are having a moment By 2026, more travellers are expected to embrace this idea wholeheartedly. Nearly a quarter (22%) love experiences that happen at unusual hours, while over half say theyll happily adjust their schedule if something feels special or unique to the destination. Only 17% actively prefer sticking to their usual routine. It helps that never-sleep cities are having a moment. New York topped ba.coms most-searched holiday destinations for 2025 and its holding onto that crown in 2026. Body-focused breaks Perfection is out. Presence is in. Uninhibited holidays are all about ditching self-consciousness and reconnecting with the body through experiences that encourage confidence, mindful movement and self-acceptance. Crucially, they offer something social media never can: real sensation. Nearly a third of UK adults say body-positive experiences are more socially acceptable now than they were a decade ago and more than a quarter of 2534-year-olds would consider trying one in the next year. Emma OKelly, author of Wild Sauna, captures the shift perfectly: Even though we can see anything we want through a screen, we cant actually feel it. But you can go to a sauna and you can feel embodied which you could never get watching a sauna video on TikTok. Being abroad seems to help. One in eight UK adults say they feel more confident about what they wear on holiday than they do at home, making travel a powerful catalyst for body positivity. Interest is highest in destinations with strong wellness traditions Unsurprisingly, interest is highest in destinations with strong wellness traditions from Japans onsens and Turkeys hammams to Norways friluftsliv philosophy. Around the world, retreats are layering mindfulness, temperature therapies and holistic rituals into their offerings, all designed to help guests feel comfortable in their own skin. Being in your true, authentic form is a huge psychological shift for British people, says OKelly. For many, even stepping into a swimsuit is a milestone. Film and TV comes to life Theme parks are no longer just about rides theyre about immersion. Enter Stream Parks: destinations that use cutting-edge technology to bring digital worlds into hyper-real life. The appetite is there. More than a quarter of UK adults want to step inside a favourite film and 35% are keen on rides or experiences themed around a beloved series. Theme park innovation used to be about building the tallest, longest ride, says reviewer Dan Richards of @DigitalDan. Now, people want to be part of the story to interact with it. Mixed-reality experiences are particularly appealing, with 32% of UK adults interested overall. That jumps to nearly half of 1824s and 3544s and rises again to 51% among households with children. Stream Parks are using cutting-edge technology to bring digital worlds into hyper-real life The blueprint is already taking shape. Netflix House opened in late 2025 in Philadelphia and Texas, transforming hits like Bridgerton, Stranger Things and WWE into immersive retail, dining and VR experiences, with Las Vegas next in 2027. Minecraft a global phenomenon with over 1.3 trillion YouTube views will debut new attractions in the UK and US from 2026. These parks blend physical design with projection mapping, augmented reality and interactive props, creating experiences that feel part theme park, part live-action streaming universe. Brain-boosting holidays Wellness in 2026 is less about lying still and more about shifting brain states. Neurosurfing is emerging as a new frontier, with hotel stays and itineraries designed to deliver deep relaxation through carefully curated changes in brainwave activity. Its no surprise this is taking off: 26% of UK adults say sleep deprivation affects their mental balance more than social media, physical health, environmental stress or even AI. The tech is ready. Wearable sleep trackers like Oura Rings are now mainstream and Samsung is developing EEG earbuds capable of reading brainwaves and detecting drowsiness. Interest in cognitive performance and vagus nerve stimulation is growing, confirms Anna Bjurstam, wellness pioneer at Six Senses. Her Mind Your Brain programme now spans five resorts worldwide. UK travellers are increasingly drawn to multisensory experiences Guests blend ancient practices yoga and meditation with modern biohacks such as brain games, developmental drawings and binaural beats designed to trigger specific brainwave states. For Neurosurfers, a standard massage just doesnt cut it anymore. UK travellers are increasingly drawn to multisensory experiences, from art and craft classes, breathwork and time in nature to sound baths, flotation tanks and even drumming or ecstatic dance. With over half of UK adults agreeing that holidays are essential for stress relief, Neurosurfing feels like a natural evolution. Vintage shopping In a world shaped by algorithms, travellers are looking backwards hunting for charm, character and the thrill of the unexpected. Vintage Junkets tap into a desire for the pre-digital era, driven not just by nostalgia but by anemoia: a longing for times we never actually lived through. Vintage Junkets are part of a pushback against how generic travel has become, says Americana expert Zoey Goto. The frustration is real. Forty-three percent of UK travellers say authentic souvenirs tied directly to a destination are harder to find while a third say authenticity is key when shopping abroad. Enthusiasm for vintage memorabilia is fuelling Japans second-hand designer fashion culture Instead of glossy gift shops, travellers are diving into flea markets, retro districts and second-hand stores as a way of understanding a place through its past. Nearly half of UK travellers agree that vintage experiences offer a more authentic connection, rising to 63% among 1824-year-olds. The US is firmly in the spotlight, with 2026 marking both the countrys 250th anniversary and the centenary of Route 66. Elsewhere, enthusiasm for vintage memorabilia is fuelling interest in French brocante markets, Berlins rare vinyl scene and Japans second-hand designer fashion culture. Tokyo, in particular, continues to shine, ranking among the top 15 most-searched British Airways Holidays destinations for 2026. With access to professional tree trimmers and a boundless bauble budget, celebrities should - in theory - set a high benchmark for elegant Christmas decor. But when Gemma Collins unveiled her Christmas tree earlier this week, replete with huge artificial roses and a pastel pink bow on top, the result was rather more TOWIE than tasteful. Now, an interior design expert has analysed trees belonging to everyone from Posh and Becks to Richard E. Grant and Michelle Keegan to provide a definitive ranking of the best and worst of 2025. Some have taken the traditional Christmas theme and put their own spin on it, with ex-Love Islander Molly-Mae Hague sticking to her off-white aesthetic with uniform beige bells and baubles. Elsewhere presenter Stacey Dooley raised eyebrows with a more experimental tree covered in a white veil, and another festooned entirely with silver strings. Fearne Cotton's showed character with some personalised ornaments, while Amanda Holden channelled a Los Angeles hotel lobby with a huge traditional tree, decorated to the nines in gold and scarlet. Going for a cosier feel, pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor has strewn beads and tinsel haphazardly across the branches, while model and socialite Poppy Delevingne arranged a scattering of purposefully mismatched trinkets to emulate homey novelty. Other takes were more heartfelt - with Kelly Osborne paying tribute to her late father Ozzy with her Christmas decorations. Here, Dhilnawaaz Khan Trotman, Founder of DKT interior design studio, reveals which celebrities have kept it classy and whose tacky tree needs an urgent makeover. The Beckhams The Beckhams opted for a large Christmastree, placed neatly in a bay window and be-decked in warm golden lights and ribbons to match, very understated for Posh Spice, 51 While Posh and Becks have a history of bright colours and matching ensembles of varying prints, but their tree was surprisingly lowkey, channelling warmth fireplace aesthetics with dimmed yellow fairylights and golden, earthy baubles. Dhilnawaaz : This is a cute, traditional Christmas tree, and it is not overdone. The warm lights and simple styling let the shape of the tree do the work, which always reads as confident. Verdict: Tasteful Join the debate What makes a Christmas tree tasteful or tacky in your eyes? Gemma Collins Gemma Collins, 44, is not know for her subtlety and her flamboyant design choices can certainly be seen in her rose-themed powder pink showstopper complete with a huge bow on top Gemma has always added her own flair to everything she wears, so it's perhaps no wonder her fir contains parts of her loud, flamboyant personality with huge statement flowers - and a bafflingly huge pastel bow. Dhilnawaaz : This has a boho, styled look that will appeal to some, and it is definitely different- but feels a bit disconnected from that warm, nostalgic Christmas feeling. Verdict: Tacky Molly Mae Hague The Queen of minimalism herself, Molly Mae, 26, went for a subtle cream colour scheme, using a warm white lights sparingly and focusing on matching baubles and white ribbons The queen of the 'clean girl' aesthetic and 'old money' elegance for girls in their 20s, influencer Molly Mae has matched her off-white baubles and ribbons to her beige carpet, curtains and furniture. Dhilnawaaz : Chic and easy to achieve. Minimal palette, soft lighting, and a restrained approach that feels modern without being cold. Verdict: Tasteful Stacey Dooley Stacey Dooley, 38, has not one but two Christmas trees this year. The TV presenter has opted for a pink and silver sparkly effort and one with a veil over the top Doubling the festive spirit, Stacey opted for two trees which both had eyebrows raised. Dhilnawaaz : What in the tinsel vomit?! It is creative and it is certainly a statement, but it overwhelms the space and loses the cosy Christmas atmosphere. When it comes to the veiled white tree - I love the idea, but it is horribly executed. The veiled tree concept can be beautiful when it is done with intention and clarity, but this version feels unresolved. Rosin Laffertys veiled tree is a great example of how to execute this idea well. Verdict: Tacky Richard E Grant Like Richard E. Grant, 68, himself, the actor's tree is a spectacular sight, laden with exciting multicoloured baubles and lights and nestled near a window, in the heart of his living room Richard E Grant's eccentric persona radiates through his tree, which channels whimsy with multi-coloured decorations and charminfly lopsided positioning. Dhilnawaaz: Okay, a bit Willy Wonka, but cute. It is whimsical and nostalgic, with lots of personality, and it leans into the joy of Christmas rather than aiming for perfection. Verdict: Tasteful Kelly Osbourne Despite the death of her father Ozzy Osborne earlier this year, Kelly Osbourne, 41, has got in to the spirit with a tree that towers well over 7ft and is covered in tinsel and a tribute to her dad Paying homage to her late father Ozzy, Kelly by placing a huge light-up O amid the tree's branches, nestled between sparsely spaced baubles. Dhilnawaaz: While sweet, it is aesthetically uninspired. It feels like a collection of mismatched pieces, which is probably more realistic of regular family home trees, a curation of odd decor collected over the years. It feels personal, but not particularly considered from a design perspective. Verdict: Tacky Fearne Cotton Fearne's Christmas tree may not be real, but her love for quirky decorations certainly is - from Scrabble letters to octopuses in Santa hats, the radio presenter, 44, has got it all going on Fearne's tree glowed from within, adorned with personalised ornaments, delicately engineered tinsels and a classic star for the top. Dhilnawaaz: This feels like a warm hug. It is a normal family Christmas tree, but executed tidy, which is why it works. It feels lived in and genuinely festive. Verdict: Tasteful Poppy Delevingne Poppy Delevingne's Christmas tree is as elegant as she is. The model, 39, has a slim tree complete with multicoloured lights and artfully placed classic patterned baubles Poppy Delevingne opted out of the warm hues most households go for to emulate cosiness during the festive period, instead choosing blue, green and subdued yellow tones to decorate her tree. Dhilnawaaz: Just eww. The cooler, multicolour lighting and eclectic styling take it away from the warmth I associate with Christmas interiors. Verdict: Tacky Sophie Ellis-Bextor Sophie Ellis-Bextor, 46, has put up a tree as fun as her decor complete with multicoloured lights and a mish-mash of decorations - she was even helped by her children Murder on the dancefloor hitmaker Sophie Ellis-Bextor piled her tree high with haphazardly strewn tinsel and fairylights. Dhilnawaaz: This one is a hard no for me. It is busy and visually loud, and it does not feel cohesive. Verdict: Tacky. Amanda Holden Amanda Holden has taken go big or go home to another level with her maximalist Christmas tree and banister wreath Channelling a Los Angeles hotel lobby, Amanda Holden decorated her mansion with a towering tree and huge scarlet ribbons. Dhilnawaaz: Yawn. Technically polished, but it feels impersonal, like a display rather than a home tree. Verdict: Tacky Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan Taking advice from Amanda Holden, Mark Wright, 38, and Michelle Keegan, 38, have gone for a similar all red theme from their baubles to the bows and the boxes underneath Mark and Michelle's tree is romantic with dark lighting, shadowy green decor and just a flirty tease of fairylights. Dhilnawaaz: I like this. It is bold and it works. The styling is dramatic, but it has a clear theme, so it feels intentional rather than chaotic. Verdict: Tasteful Katie Piper Rather than go for a warm and homely feel, Katie Piper, 42, decided on colder icy tones with blue and sage green decorations for her grey-themed living room While small trees can sometimes feel cluttery and weird in bigger spaces, Katie's fir is the perfect fit. Dhilnawaaz: Simple and different. Nice. It feels calm and modern, and the styling is clean without feeling sterile. Verdict: Tasteful Alex Jones Alex Jones's Christmas tree couldn't look cuter if she tried - perfectly symmetric, the decorations are so neatly placed it looks like something out of a children's book Alex emulated a winter wonderland with red and pink baubles, toy trinkets and cartoony decor for her tree. Dhilnawaaz: Traditional family Christmas look that feels warm and lived in. It is joyful and not overly curated, which gives it charm. Verdict: Tasteful Kate and Rio Ferdinand A white Christmas they may not have in Dubai, but Kate Ferdinand stuck to ivory hues with a huge statement bow to finish off her and husband Rio's Christmas tree Bringing a bit of back home to their Dubai mansion, Kate and Rio modelled their tree to the sunny lighting of their climate with white and gold decorations. Dhilnawaaz: Feels modern and executed well. Cohesive palette, confident styling, and it looks finished. Verdict: Tasteful Claire Sweeney Actress Claire Sweeney curated a festive wreath to serve as decor alongside the Christmas tree this year Claire leaned full-on into the Christmas spirit with heavy stacks of decorations and tinsel on her min tree. Dhilnawaaz: It's okay. A traditional tree styling. Fine. It is classic festive dressing, but it does not feel particularly elevated or considered. Verdict: Tacky Ruth Langsford Ruth Langsford made sure to go for a unfiform style and stuck to the classic festive colours: gold, red and green Ruth sought professional help to set up her perfectly balanced festive fir up, with trinkets of different shape, colours and sizes on the tree - so it's perhaps no wonder that she delivered. Dhilnawaaz: Classic. A timeless, traditional Christmas tree done properly. Verdict: Tasteful It follows six people as they ditch their lifestyles to embrace Amish living Suddenly Amish is a new show from the network and premieres in January TLC fans have been left gobsmacked following the announcement of a new show which sees ordinary people join an Amish community. Premiering January 13, Suddenly Amish follows six non-Amish individuals as they leave behind their modern lifestyle and step into a deeply traditional Amish community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Seeking a profound change from their present way of modern life, each participant contemplates the possibility of converting as they navigate drastically different routines and a culture defined by faith, discipline, simplicity and community. Among the six outsiders taking a leap into the Amish experience is Kendra, a 33-year-old former dancer and content creator from California who is seeking to shed body image issues and find a more purposeful path. Meanwhile newly divorced dad Matt, 34, from Texas, is looking for a spiritual reset and to rebuild his life on stronger values alongside 25-year-old Esmerelda, also from Texas, who wants the stability of a traditional family life that she never had growing up. The group of outsiders will be guided in part by Bishop Vernon, a strict and respected leader, is determined to grow his community while balancing tradition with his bold and unorthodox approach. Response to the upcoming program has been subjected to criticism online. Some have argued that Suddenly Amish seems 'exploitative' while others have branded it 'fake' as some Amish people do not like being filmed or posing for photos as they believe it promotes vanity. Suddenly Amish sees six non-Amish people as they ditch their lifestyles to join the community The new TLC show premieres on January 13 and has already sparked a big online response Taking to TLC's official Instagram page, one said: 'The Amish don't allow themselves to be filmed or have their image photographed so are these fake Amish actors cause I'm confused and it hasn't even started yet.' 'This is so fake,' another agreed. 'Real Amish won't allow their homes to be disrespected like this between the outsiders coming in with their worldly cr** and the camera crews. 'So sad to see this. Those people were never wanting an Amish life, look at them!' 'This seems highly exploitative,' continued a third. 'A simpler life and being Amish are two different things,' another pointed out. Others, however, have been enticed by the trailer. 'This looks absolutely ridiculous and I can't wait to watch it,' enthused one. Another added: 'I'm so ready to watch these people get demolished by the so called "simple life."' Some complained Suddenly Amish seems 'exploitative' while others have branded it 'fake' TLC teased Suddenly Amish will see 'romantic entanglements and culture clashes' 'TLC always has the most outrageous shows,' said a third. The Amish, a Christian sect that migrated to the US from Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, typically refuse to drive cars, use computers or connect to a public electricity supply. They speak a German dialect and travel through their mostly rural villages in horse-drawn buggies. Suddenly Amish will premiere in the new year and will see a progressive group of Amish hosts bring the outsiders into their community, which explains why they were open to being filmed. The show will not be without its challenges, as the outsiders will have to give up technology, electricity and modern conveniences like indoor toilets to embrace the Amish way of life. Ahead of the program's debut, TLC teased 'romantic entanglements, culture clashes, emotional breakthroughs and tough choices' take center stage as everyone decides whether the Amish lifestyle is truly the path they seek. 'With Suddenly Amish we're expanding on TLC's legacy of immersive storytelling seen in shows like Breaking Amish and Return to Amish,' TLC's senior SVP of Production and Development said. 'This series offers a rare, intimate look at what happens when outsiders step into a deeply traditional community. We're proud to share a journey that's emotional, surprising, and undeniably human.' Bethenny Frankel has hit back after she was accused of victim blaming as she delivered her cutting take on Rob Reiner's death. Acclaimed filmmaker Reiner, 78, and wife Michele, 70, were found stabbed to death inside their Los Angeles mansion on December 14. The couple's son Nick Reiner, 32, is accused of their murders and will make his first court appearance this morning. On Monday, Real Housewives of New York alum Frankel, 55, encouraged her followers to 'err on the side of caution' and to act on intuition. Speaking in a video uploaded to her social media, Frankel said: 'So, the Rob Reiner tragedy has reminded me of something that I already know to be true which is that if you feel alarmed by something and something makes you feel uncomfortable and you think of the unfathomable 'If you see something, you say something, or you avoid something, or you protect yourself.' Frankel suggested the feeling of danger could be sparked by a break up or a child acting out. Concluding her video, Frankel said: 'I've had situations where I have felt in threat of danger and I have acted accordingly and maybe something never would have happened because most things don't happen, but some things do happen. Bethenny Frankel blasted a social media user after they accused her of victim blaming The businesswoman had been sharing her sentiments following the deaths of Rob Reiner and wife Michele (pictured in October 2023) 'Mental illness, addiction, temporary insanity, and rage and jealousy and all of these things that we see are cautionary tales because it could happen to you.' While many viewers applauded Frankel for speaking out, one accused her of victim blaming. They wrote: 'Careful, this sounds like victim blaming. Too soon B, too soon.' Frankel clapped back at the accusation and said: 'You literally are on the wrong street.' Others criticized her for the timing of her video. 'Not the time to be saying this, God forbid you could wait a week to get clicks and likes,' one said. 'Hmm? No sympathy for the Reiners horrific murder? Just talking about yourself,' wrote another. A third said: 'Of course it's all about you.' Frankel told her followers, 'If you see something, you say something, or you avoid something, or you protect yourself' Reiner's son Nick is accused of murdering his parents and is being held in jail However, many of Frankel's followers left comments imploring others to listen to their gut instinct. 'It's called the gift of fear,' wrote one. 'Too often we try to be polite and ignore instincts. Don't ignore your instincts!' Echoing a similar sentiment, another said: 'Yes! always trust your instincts. Humans are the only animals who override them, often because they doubt themselves, think the warning seems impossible, or choose politeness.' Reiner's son Nick, who is known to have a history of drug addiction and volatile mental health, was arrested on Sunday night. He was booked on a federal murder charge on Monday morning, LA Sheriff's Office records show, and is being held in jail without bail after police determined he was 'responsible' for his parents' deaths. A Reiner family spokesman confirmed the deaths, saying: 'It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. 'We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.' Reiner made many of the best-known movies of the 1980s and 1990s, including Stand By Me and The Princess Bride, legal thriller A Few Good Men and romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. Children wait all year for the jolly man in red to come and visit, but many may be feeling a little more frightened than festive if the SKIMS Santa Claus pops by instead. Kim Kardashian is being mocked over a festive TikTok video featuring Santa Claus - controversially swapping his traditional red outfit for a beige one. 'SKIMS Santa fit check,' the overlay on the video read. In the clip shared to the SKIMS TikTok page, Saint Nick was dressed in his Santa suit - but rather than being a plush, rich, festive red, the outfit was a dull beige. And that's not all viewers were upset about. Appalled critics were quick to point out that Santa looked a little thinner than he usually does. 'I'm wearing this lovely outfit that Kim sent me,' the festive icon said in the short clip, before revealing the secret to his svelte figure - some SKIMS undergarments. 'Underneath is the Ultimate Bodysuit in Sienna,' Santa shared. Kim Kardashian is being mocked over a festive TikTok video featuring Santa Claus - but dressed in a beige outfit rather than the traditional red While the video was made in the Christmas spirit, fans were disgusted by Santa's SKIMS beige makeover, joking he was on weight loss drugs. 'No way they have Ozempic Santa in sad beige SKIMS,' one Christmas fan wrote in a post shared to X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to the video. 'Perfectly on brand for Kim K. Leave it to her to make even the most joyful time of year beige,' one person wrote. A third wrote: 'This is hell.' 'Not the Ozempic Santa in neutrals,' another said in dismay, while someone else wrote: 'Why is he skinny and why is the suit baggy?' 'Omg they take the color and fun outta everything,' said one disgruntled viewer. According to the video, the SKIMS Santa was a part of a promotion, with customers able to meet him with any purchase in the New York store. Appalled critics were quick to point out that the SKIMS' Santa (left) looked a little thin as traditionally, Santa (right) is known for his jolly and round physique SKIMS founder Kim Kardashian, 45, loves neutral tones and often opts to wear muted colors SKIMS founder Kim Kardashian, 45, loves neutral tones and often opts to wear muted colors. Last week, the businesswoman showed off the SKIMS collaboration with Nike, wearing a pair of her limited-edition $118 leggings in beige. She teased her famous curves in the skintight look, which was in the brand's 'truffle and stone' color palette. Kardashian paired the bottoms with a coordinating shrunken $74 nylon crop jacket that highlighted her trim waistline. She completed the outfit with a classic, beige Burberry trench coat, and she rounded out the outfit with knee-high suede boots. Earlier in December, the reality TV star was in another neutral-toned SKIMS collaboration, this time with North Face. The billionaire had on a white fake fur cropped zip-up jacket with hoodie, skintight leggings that showed off her famous butt, over-the-knee pointy boots and chic gloves. In 2024, the initial 14-item collection had more neutral colors and the 2025 collection featured four new colors: Bone, Kyanite, Gunmetal, Phoenix, and Onyx. According to a press release, 'new and returning silhouettes' will deliver 'comfort, style, and functionality across outerwear, contouring base layers, and versatile separates.' Famous chef Giada de Laurentiis' lookalike teen daughter Jade has shared a major life update: she's going to college. The former Food Network star, 55, shared the exciting news via Instagram earlier this week. She posted a video of herself and Jade, 17 - whom she shares with her ex-husband, clothing designer Todd Thompson - opening her acceptance email and celebrating the news. The clip began with Jade, dressed in some low-rise jeans and a white tank top, talking to the camera as her mom stood in the background. 'Hey guys, this is me seeing if I'm going to get into college,' she said. 'I'm actually so scared, I can't click the button. I can't do it. What if I don't get in?' the teen nervously asked. 'If you don't get in we'll go to phase two,' De Laurentiis, who dressed casually in jeans and a blue and white striped collared shirt, assured her. De Laurentiis watched on as her daughter opened up the email and learned that she indeed was accepted. Famous chef Giada de Laurentiis' lookalike teen daughter Jade has shared a major life update: she's going to college The former Food Network star, 55, posted a video of herself and Jade, 17 - whom she shares with her ex-husband, clothing designer Todd Thompson - opening her acceptance email 'I got in! Thank God,' an excited Jade said before the mother-daughter-duo both started jumping up and down. 'Amazing, you did it!' De Laurentiis congratulated her as they hugged. Jade then began reading the acceptance letter to the camera, but omitted the school's name. It then cut to her on the phone with her dad, who told her, 'This is the biggest accomplishment of your life. Congratulations.' 'So far,' Jade pointed out, before the video came to an end. De Laurentiis previously spoke to People magazine about her nerves over her daughter heading to college next fall. 'Because she's 17, there isn't a ton of time for me. Sometimes I feel like she's sort of in a living in a hotel at my house, you know, she's in and she's out, and she has such a full life,' she shared during an interview in May. 'Just to have her all to myself for that week was one of the best gifts, especially as we entered the last year of her living at home and all of the mixed emotions I have behind that. The clip began with Jade, dressed in some low-rise jeans and a white tank top, talking to the camera as her mom stood in the background. She admitted: 'I'm actually so scared' De Laurentiis watched on as her daughter opened up the email and learned that she indeed was accepted 'I got in! Thank God,' an excited Jade said before the mother-daughter-duo both started jumping up and down 'I'm super excited for her to fly and find herself and be who she wants to be, but at the same time, it's incredibly sad. I'm gonna miss her terribly. 'As a mom, you spend all 18 years of your life sort of cracking your schedule around your child and their needs, and all of a sudden it's all going to be gone. It's really scary. It scares the s**t out of me, to be honest.' De Laurentiis and Thompson welcomed Jade in 2008 but ultimately split in 2014, and they have been open about their amicable co-parenting situation over the years. 'We live a stone's throw away from each other, like five minutes, which has really helped keep Jade stable and just keep her environment as similar as possible at both place,' the TV personality said in 2018. While the cookbook author has said that her daughter showed a passion for cooking early on - she was helping her mom in the kitchen as young as two years old - it's likely she won't follow in her mother's footsteps. 'There's not one single part of her that's like, "I'm going to be a cook like my mom,"' De Laurentiis revealed in 2017. 'No, it's like, "That's my mom and I am my own person."' 'Amazing, you did it!' De Laurentiis congratulated her as they hugged. De Laurentiis and Thompson welcomed Jade in 2008 but ultimately split in 2014, and they have been open about their amicable co-parenting situation over the years. They're seen in 2014 Jade seems to have a passion for performing Instead, Jade seems to have a passion for performing. 'That girl has been bugging me to allow her to do auditions for off-Broadway shows for years and I'm like, "No, you're not moving to New York. You're not doing this. You have to be a child. It's important to be a child. It only happens once in your life,"' De Laurentiis told People in 2022. 'It's crazy because neither her father or I sing. Nobody in my family sings. I mean, we all love music, but not like that. Maybe in the shower. 'I'm always speechless when it comes to Jade and her music, because she's able to write music.' It has swept the women of the West Wing, who have adopted the same look A psychologist weighed in on why the 'Mar-a-Lago makeover' is so popular The MAGA makeover has steadily gained popularity in 2025, with the polarizing makeup trend becoming synonymous with high-ranking female staff members of President Donald Trump. The cosmetic trend - also known as Mar-a-Lago face - has swept Washington, D.C., and Palm Beach, Florida, with many MAGA women appearing to adopt the same style. While the bold aesthetic has become a significant cultural trend, experts have now suggested that the look has more than just materialistic motives, but is actually a way to feel included. Daily Mail previously reported that Trump 'has long expressed admiration for those who look like they are from Hollywood "central casting,"' and the hyper-feminine aesthetic, often seen as a status symbol linked to Trump's circle, reflects that. Several high-profile women have seemingly undergone the makeover, including Kristi Noem, Laura Loomer, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and, recently, Tricia McLaughlin. The look is characterized by several factors: heavy makeup with dark eyes, false lashes, plumped lips (often achieved through fillers), Botox, spray tans, and dark contouring. Jordan Conrad, a psychologist based in New York, has now spoken to the Daily Mail to explain how the MAGA makeover is driven by women wanting to reinforce classic feminine traits, with traditional gender roles being a strong belief in the MAGA world. 'Particularly with the cosmetic surgery component of it, these are often designed to increase the characteristically feminine traits,' he told the Daily Mail. Several high-profile women have undergone the makeover, including Kristi Noem (pictured left in 2010 and right in 2025) 'I think that they try to signal this through physically feminine characteristics, or those that are typically associated,' he observed. Conrad said the MAGA makeover generally tries to portray a polished and aspirational - but conservative - glamour. He believes this is to 'enhance a kind of professionalism and neoteny simultaneously.' 'I think that a part of it has to do with leaning into what are traditionally thought of as very feminine traits, so I think there's a kind of signaling here that, on the right, women are women,' he said. Maria Jones, a beauty and makeup expert at CoverClap, also told the Daily Mail that one reason the look is so popular is because of the bold and exaggerated look. 'I suspect a significant number of those women who are identified with the MAGA movement use the same makeup as it acts almost like a uniform,' she explained. 'The heavy contouring, the overdrawn lips, the long eyelashes, and the large hair all together present a high-style, powerful, and glamorous image that is in line with the tone of the movement,' Jones shared. Conrad agreed, saying he's also observed an 'in-group and out-group' within the women in the White House's inner circle. The outspoken right-wing influencer Laura Loomer (pictured in 2024) also appears to have embraced the 'Mar-a-Lago' look While the bold aesthetic has become a significant cultural trend, experts suggested the look has more than just materialistic motives, but is a way to feel included. Noem pictured in 2025 Conrad said the MAGA makeover generally tries to portray a polished and aspirational - but conservative - glamour. Pictured: Kimberly Guilfoyle in 2025 Tricia McLaughlin recently started sporting the infamous Republican look. Pictured: In 2018 (left) and 2025 (right) 'So the Mar-a-Lago face has become a kind of uniform,' he said. Conrad added: 'So, there is a quality to MAGA or Trumpism that is that, as a result, the women can kind of signal their in-group status by modeling this kind of look.' '[I think] the MAGA women are saying, "no, look at me, I am feminine, but I can also be professional and powerful,"' he said. The Daily Mail previously reported the rising trend of the MAGA facelift, with Michigan-based plastic surgeon Dr Anthony Youn, sharing his thoughts. Defined by excessive Botox, a deep bronze tan, puffy lips and silky smooth skin, plastic surgeons said many people in Trump's inner circle now have an almost 'plastic' and 'Real Housewives' look. 'They don't look distorted necessarily, but they also don't look like they used to. It is definitely a plastic look, maybe a Kardashian look,' he said. In May, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr Norman Rowe, 59, who practices in Manhattan, the Hamptons and Palm Beach, said he has seen this aesthetics trend surge firsthand. According to Rowe, most of his female clients want to resemble Ivanka Trump, estimating that the 43-year-old first daughter's face must rank as the women of Palm Beach society's most wanted. He revealed, 'People will come in and say, "I want to look like her, I like her eyes, I like her nose, I like her lips."' Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, is another popular template, Rowe shared. Charity founder, loving wife, keen traveller - all titles that Sophie Forbes-Perry wears proudly. However, one name she'll never be called is Mum. The 43-year-old, from York, has spent years trying to become a mother, suffering two devastating miscarriages and an unsuccessful round of IVF treatment. Her second pregnancy - initially filled with joy when she discovered that she was expecting at the same time as both her best friend and her sister - ended in the most tragic of circumstances. Rather than welcoming a little bundle of joy, Sophie was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer - Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia - caused by a molar pregnancy, which is when the baby and placenta don't develop normally after conception. She was told that while she had been pregnant, there was no longer a baby, and instead doctors discovered tumours. She had surgery to remove them but was later told the tumours had returned and were cancerous. Sophie was told she would need chemotherapy straight away - leaving no time to even consider freezing her eggs. Thankfully, after her four-month treatment, she was declared cancer free. And for Sophie, and her husband Simon, 43, - who had started trying for a baby together in 2019, two years after first meeting one another - they knew time was of the essence if they were going to still have children. They decided to undergo IVF on the NHS - a plan they had to set in motion quickly at the age of 42 as they only had one year before they would be too old to be entitled to help - and had to use a donor egg because of Sophie's previous cancer treatment. But the round was unsuccessful. Sophie was left with a chemical pregnancy, where the embryo initially implants but doesn't grow. Sophie and her husband were grief-stricken and left devastated that they'd allowed themselves to finally hope. Ten days later, Sophie turned 43 and became ineligible for NHS funding. The couple agreed to stop trying for children, putting an end to their six-year journey. Charity founder, loving wife, keen traveller - all titles that Sophie Forbes-Perry (pictured) wears proudly. However, one name she'll never be called is Mum 'Enough was enough because we'd spent, basically, our whole married life trying to have children. When do you say enough is enough, we need to start living our lives,' Sophie told The Daily Mail. 'When you're trying for a child, or trying for a baby, it's just always there in the back of your mind, hoping, wanting, wishing, seeing other people get pregnant - it takes a toll.' The ambassador for The Cancer Treatment and Research Trust has now accepted she will never be a mother and has thrown herself in to work and travelling. Sophie had always hoped for a baby of her own but started to give up on her goal after breaking up with her long-term partner - that was until she met her now husband Simon in 2017. After a two-year whirlwind romance the couple tied the knot and started trying for children immediately. Sophie said: 'We'd already obviously talked about having children, and said that once we were married, we would start trying, just because we were aware of our age.' Then COVID happened. As a co-founder of charity Transform Training which specialises in emotional well-being resilience, Sophie was rushed off her feet. Sophie failed to fall pregnant for the next two years but put it down to the stress of work. But when lockdown eased, she and Simon booked a two-week holiday to Thailand. As they lit Chinese lanterns on the beach on New Years Eve, the couple made a wish - they wanted to fall pregnant in 2022. Sophie and her husband (pictured left) experienced a missed miscarriage which left them devastated but nine months later they tried again During their trip, Sophie discovered they had. At 5am, the then-39-year-old took a pregnancy test and waited nervously in the bathroom for the result. After seeing the positive symbol, she rushed over to her husband and woke him up with the good news. 'It was a bit of a shock and we were so excited when we got a positive pregnancy test,' she said. 'We told our immediate family straight away, because we'd been trying for years, and I think I was probably a bit naive in thinking, well, we've waited this long, it's just going to be OK? I didn't want to think about the possibilities of it not being OK.' The couple were so excited they chose to privately book an early scan, but on Valentine's Day they experienced their first heartbreak. Sophie explained: 'When we went and had the scan, the woman asked "are you sure of the dates?" And I said, "yeah, I think so". 'We didn't really know about miscarriages, but because I hadn't started bleeding or anything, I hadn't thought. I had really terrible morning sickness. Even at my midwife's appointment, I was throwing up so bad. 'Even the midwife said it must be a really strong pregnancy because everything was setting me off.' Sophie and her husband Simon, 43, began trying for children as soon as they were married in 2019 but had to put their hopes of starting a family on hold due to COVID Sophie and her husband were told to return in a week and after the second scan were informed of the devastating news that Sophie had had a missed miscarriage. A missed miscarriage occurs when the embryo stops developing but the body does not recognise the loss meaning there are no typical miscarriage symptoms such as cramping or bleeding. Often women don't realise until they go for a routine ultrasound and no heartbeat is found. Sophie said they were in complete shock and were quickly processed through the NHS who organised for a surgery to remove the 'pregnancy product'. After the operation, the charity worker explained she felt physically better but was emotionally 'devastated' and struggled to cope with the idea they might not have a little family of their. 'We both were devastated. I was imagining for my 40th birthday, I was going to be 7 months pregnant and it would've felt amazing to reach that milestone... We were absolutely devastated. It really knocked us,' she said. Sophie added that to help her grieve, her and her partner marked what would have been the due date while on holiday in Cyprus celebrating a friend's wedding. Nine months later, the Yorkshire native felt ready to try again and while she decided not to actively think about getting pregnant, over Christmas Sophie was expecting once again. Following four months of chemotherapy and operations, Sophie (pictured) was declared cancer-free but told not to try again for children for a year giving her 'breathing room' to recover This time though, she didn't allow herself to get too excited: 'We were a bit cautious, a bit apprehensive. A little bit positive but we knew that things might not go right so we were a little more realistic,' she recalled. Sophie and Simon once again had an early ten-week scan on the advice of doctors but the couple were given the terrible news that they had lost the pregnancy. She said: 'The sonographer was scanning me, and she's like, "I'm really sorry, I don't know what I'm looking at." 'That immediately had me worried, me and Simon looked at each and we thought this is clearly not good, because of the fact that she doesn't know what she's looking at.' Another nurse came in to the room and told the pair that Sophie had been pregnant but there was no longer a baby and instead they had discovered lots of tumours. Sophie had experienced a molar pregnancy. While extremely rare, it was no less heartbreaking for the couple who had been trying for a baby for almost three years. The charity founder said that looking back she knew something wasn't right with her second pregnancy and described intense morning sickness and even having to stay in bed for weeks at a time. Following the surgery to remove the tumours, Sophie continued to feel ill and was told she may have contracted an infection. The couple decided to try again using the IVF route but time was not on their side as they only had one year before they lost NHS funding (Sophie pictured the Christmas after she finished chemotherapy) She was given antibiotics and sent on her way but continued to feel exhausted and while away on holiday in Cyprus began being sick throughout the night. Upon landing in the UK she returned to the pregnancy unit where doctors told her the tumours had returned and could be cancerous. Sophie said she was shocked by the news and far from comforted by doctors' repeated pleas not to worry. She said: 'I remember thinking "so now I could have cancer" and they just kept telling me it's fine and I didn't need to worry about it. I felt sideswiped.' The charity worker was sent to York hospital for more in-depth scans and told she needed to have surgery immediately and within 24 hours she went under the knife. Sophie was told her cancer hormone levels were 'off the charts' but following the surgery, doctors were confident they had removed all the tumours. However further testing proved them wrong. Sophie was told she had stage three cancer and remembers bursting into tears. She recalled: 'They rang me to say I had really high HCG levels and I just said "that means it's cancer doesn't it" and they said yes and I just rang up Simon who was at work just crying and saying "darling I've got cancer, it's come back, I need to go to the cancer hospital"'. After multiple appointments Sophie was given a treatment plan which included chemotherapy, and it started so quickly, the then 40-year-old didn't even have time to consider freezing her eggs. Sophie underwent chemotherapy from May to August, celebrating her 41st birthday in July, and responded positively to it but continued to feel ill. 'I just felt rough, like, brain fog, tired. Anything would just set me off so I couldn't work and I just lay on the sofa watching a lot of Love is Blind,' she recalled. Sophie was declared cancer free after her four-month treatment, and decided to explore pregnancy one last time. She was told to wait a year to avoid another molar pregnancy which gave her some 'breathing room' to adjust to life post-cancer. But following the aggressive treatment things weren't looking good; Sophie's periods were irregular and at 42, her IVF options on the NHS were running out. The charity worker was told that because of her age, she was only entitled to NHS help until she was 43 so quickly set a plan in motion. Sophie said: 'On January 2nd this year, we had a video call with a consultant at the fertility clinic in Leeds who said I seemed eligible and not to worry but time was of the essence.' 'Me and Simon went in for various tests and by March we started the first round of IVF. Naively, we just thought, it'll be okay, because we've got this helping hand and we were feeling optimistic.' But once again, Sophie received bad news. 'I got to the ten-day scan to just check how my follicles were responding and naively, I went to that appointment on my own. 'My husband asked "do you need me to come to anything?" and I said no, I thought it was just a scan, it'll be OK. They're just checking things over, just so we know that I can have the embryos taken out, so I went on my own. 'I had the scan and the nurse said she needed a second opinion and with second opinions they never go well.' The consultant told Sophie that she hadn't responded to the IVF and her best possible course of action was to use a donor egg. The couple called their decision a 'no-brainer' but admitted it would be 'tough'. 'It's tough because the child wouldn't have had my DNA which made me sad. I was sad we couldn't use my eggs but I knew I could process that so we started to feel quite good and we agreed on a donor and went ahead,' she said. 'And I just kept thinking "it's going to happen, it'll be fine" and a week and a half later I started to feel sick and I gagged while brushing my teeth which I took as a good sign. 'But then the next day I did a pregnancy test and it was negative and I did it again, negative, and the clinic told me it meant it was unsuccessful.' She confessed her and her husband were grief-stricken. She said: 'We were devastated because we'd allowed ourselves to finally hope.' Ten days later, Sophie hit her 43rd birthday and became ineligible for further NHS funding. The couple decided to stop trying for a baby. Sophie said: 'In this time my best friend had two children, my brother had two children, my sister had a daughter. 'The time I fell pregnant with the molar pregnancy, me, my sister, and my best friend were all pregnant at the same time. But they went on to have babies and I ended up with cancer.' Sophie is now an ambassador for The Cancer Treatment and Research Trust which is raising money to help fund a trial of treatment for immunotherapy in women with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD) whose first round of chemotherapy has not completely eradicated the disease. A mom who moved from the US to Italy has shared the shocking differences between the two countries... including how they treat children's meals. Clara Hogan, 36, originally from California, relocated to Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy with her husband, Brian, and their two daughters Etta, six, and Poppy, three, last summer. They always dreamed of living abroad and when Brian received a scholarship to pursue an MBA in the European country, it felt like the push they had been waiting for. 'Life in the Bay Area was wonderful in many ways, but it was also exhausting and incredibly expensive, especially with two young kids and childcare costs,' explained Hogan during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail. 'On top of that, the political climate in the US had started to feel increasingly tense and overwhelming. We found ourselves craving some distance and a chance to reset. 'We wanted a slower pace, more balance, and the chance to have a shared adventure instead of just daydreaming about it. When the opportunity came up, it finally felt like the right time to say yes.' They sold their home, most of their belongings and headed over the pond to Italy in August 2024. But adjusting to their new home, especially when they didn't speak the native language, wasn't easy. Clara Hogan, 36, originally from California , relocated to Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy with her husband, Brian, and their two daughters Etta, six, and Poppy, three Immediately, Hogan (seen with her daughters in Italy) said she noticed some major differences in the lifestyle in Italy compared to the States 'The language barrier hit us immediately, and even simple things like setting up utilities, enrolling the kids in school or going to the doctor became little adventures,' recalled Hogan. 'We were constantly Googling, asking neighbors for help and figuring things out as we went as we tackled learning Italian. 'It hasnt been smooth or effortless by any means - but weve grown a lot through it, and the difficult parts have made the good parts feel even more meaningful.' Immediately, Hogan said she noticed some major differences in the lifestyle in Italy compared to the States. One huge change, according to Hogan, was that 'food is treated as an essential part of childhood' there, 'not an afterthought' like it is in the US. 'School lunches are real meals - multiple courses, cooked on-site, healthy and balanced,' she revealed. 'And kids are expected to try everything, which has totally changed how my children eat. 'I also don't have to spend so much time worrying about what ingredients are in food that may harm them.' She explained that 'life moves at a completely different pace' there, adding that in California 'everything felt fast and scheduled' while in Italy things are 'slower and more communal' That means her kids' days are 'far less structured,' eliminating the 'pressure' she used to feel while juggling endless afterschool activities or classes; instead, she has embraced spontaneity Hogan explained that 'life moves at a completely different pace' there, adding that in California 'everything felt fast and scheduled' while in Italy things are 'slower and more communal.' 'The rhythm of life here feels calmer and more connected. People linger over meals, shops close in the afternoon and weekends are family time,' she added. 'Theres just less pressure to be productive every second of the day. You have to let go of the American expectation that everything should work quickly.' That means her kids' days are 'far less structured,' eliminating the 'pressure' she used to feel while juggling endless afterschool activities or classes; instead, she has embraced spontaneity. She gushed over being able to walk everything and pointed out that they now have so much 'beauty and culture' at their finger tips. 'Just going for a walk means passing historic buildings, markets and piazzas full of life,' she said. In addition, she explained that she feels at ease to 'give her kids more freedom' because it's 'safer' there. 'In Italy, children walk, play and explore much more independently, the environment allows for more space and trust,' she explained. She said she was surprised to find that kids are 'welcomed everywhere' there In general, she said she was surprised to find that kids are 'welcomed everywhere' there. 'Whether its a restaurant, a cafe, the grocery store or the piazza, families arent treated like an inconvenience. It makes daily life so much easier and more joyful,' she dished. According to Hogan, things are 'noticeably more affordable' in Italy, as she explained that they have cut down their monthly grocery bill in half since making the move. In addition, they pay a much lower mortgage, and they don't need a car there, which eliminated another $1,100 a month from their bills. The only downside? Being so far from their family and close friends. And sometimes, Hogan admitted that they still feel like outsiders due to the 'language barrier and not fully understanding their social norms.' 'And of course there are moments we miss the general comforts of American culture,' Hogan added. Even so, she insisted that the positives far outweigh the negatives, explaining that she has seen a massive shift in her mental health since making the move. 'Theres less of the heavy societal anxiety I carried in the US. [I constantly worried about] school shootings, the high cost of childcare and healthcare worries which arent part of my everyday mental load here. It frees up a lot of emotional space,' she concluded. 'For us, its absolutely been worth it. It hasnt been easy, but we've all grown in many ways and the experience has brought us closer as a family.' On Thursday night, Melania Trump dazzled in an extremely chic, winter-white peacoat as she joined husband President Donald Trump for the National Christmas Tree lighting on the White House Ellipse. And although the rule may be that it's not acceptable to wear white after Labor Day, The First Lady proved everyone wrong in her wool Chanel coat. The elegant jacket featured large, silver buttons around the bust and midsection area, as well as a stylish wrap collar and large flap pockets on the side. She paired the look with dark-colored suede gloves, and her signature neutral makeup and loose waves in her hair. If you're feeling inspired and looking to recreate her look for your own holiday celebrations, there's good news - while her jacket may have been quite expensive, there are many similar lookalikes that are available to buy for much less. Popular brand Favorite Daughter, designed by famous celebs Sara and Erin Foster, the daughters of producer David Foster, created a coat that will help you achieve the same vibe. The long, cream-colored jacket features the same large flap pockets as Melania's, with two buttons at the waist. The $595 outerwear is made of a boucle material, which will help elevate your overall look. First lady Melania Trump dazzled in a winter-white coat at the 103rd National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the White House Ellipse on Thursday Popular brand Favorite Daughter, designed by famous celebs Sara and Erin Foster, the daughters of producer David Foster, made a coat that will help you achieve the same vibe Luxury designer Toteme created a high-end cream coat this season, too, as it's made of wool and cashmere The brand's City Coat retails for $595 on Revolve and other retailers like Saks, not to mention their own brand's DTC website. Luxury designer Toteme is offering a high-end cream coat this season, too, as it's made of wool and cashmere. The oversized coat includes a number of light, tortoiseshell colored buttons around the chest and large pockets. On the pricier end, the Shield wool-blend coat retails for $1,580 at online retailers like Moda Operandi and Net-a-Porter. But if you're looking for more affordable options, don't panic, because there are plenty out there. Quince offers a 100 per cent merino wool coat with a shawl collar that is in the same shade as the one the First Lady wore. The cream colored coat hits just below the knee, and will cost you $160. Similarly, Jessica London, a designer available at Nordstrom, offers the Long Shawl coat, which includes four buttons at the bust. When the jacket is all buttoned-up, it becomes a shawl style, keeping your warm in these cold winter months Quince, which is currently running a flash sale on re-sale site Poshmark, makes a 100% merino wool coat with a shawl collar that is in the same shade as the one the First Lady wore Cult-favorite store Aritiza also sells a long, cream-colored coat, in one of their most popular slouch styles When the jacket is all buttoned-up, it becomes a shawl style, keeping your warm in these cold winter months. You can purchase it for $239.99. Cult-favorite store Aritizia sells a long, cream-colored coat, in their popular slouch styles for $148. This jacket has a more tailored feel, as it wraps around the front. Currently, the color matte pearl, which is an ivory bone color, is on sale for $148.99, down from $298. On Thursday night, actress Sydney Sweeney appeared on a special holiday episode of Celebrity Family Feud - but it was not her answers that turned heads, but rather her elaborate, over-the-top outfit. The holiday episode featured Sweeney, along with her fellow Housemaid film costars like Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, as they competed against the cast of Real Housewives All-Stars, which included Melissa Gorga and Dorinda Medley. For Sweeney's appearance on the show, she chose a strapless black dress with bow detailing at the bust, which she layered on top of a white bra, which itself had been put on top of a maroon-colored cardigan with a gray shirt tucked underneath. She paired the unusual outfit with pointy white heels, as she posed for photos with her Housemaids co-stars. During the episode, Sweeney and her fellow contestants answered many fun, holiday-themed questions asked by host Steve Harvey. But online, fans seemed more distracted by her outfit than the actual game show itself. 'Sydney Sweeney is on Celebrity Family Feud right now wearing two cardigans and a mini dress with ill fitting bra cups. If anybody was wondering,' someone wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Another fan chimed in, 'What the f*** is Sydney Sweeney wearing on Celebrity Family Feud? Hahah.' 'Missed something on Sydney's outfit,' someone else wrote in a comment on YouTube, after a clip was posted on the official Family Feud account. On Thursday night, actress Sydney Sweeney appeared on a special holiday episode of Celebrity Family Feud - but it was not her answers that turned heads, but rather her elaborate, over-the-top outfit, as she's seen here with Amanda Seyfried For Sweeney's appearance on the show, she chose a strapless black dress with bow detailing at the bust, which she layered on top of a white bra, which itself had been put on top of a maroon-colored cardigan with a gray shirt tucked underneath, seen here with her friends During the episode, Sweeney and her fellow contestants, like co star Brandon Sklenar, answered many fun, holiday-themed questions asked by host Steve Harvey Others, however, instead complained that the star-studded lineup of contestants were not following the rules. 'Amanda and Sydney kept talking to each other before answering - if this wasn't a celebrity family feud they would have been disqualified,' one person typed in a comment on YouTube. Another seconded, 'Asking each other what to say when it's your individual turn... can celebrities really not follow the most basic of rules?' Despite any negative comments on her outfit, Sweeney seemed thrilled to be there. She posted a series of behind-the-scenes photos from recording day on her Instagram page, as she posed with Seyfried. The Christy star also shared a picture of her smiling from ear-to-ear as she showed off her blue and yellow Family Feud badge. 'Can you tell how excited I was? Haha,' Sweeney wrote in text over the story. Her appearance came just a week after American Eagle unveiled 84-year-old Martha Stewart as their new face of the brand. However, despite any negative comments on her outfit, Sweeney seemed thrilled to be there Her appearance came just a week after American Eagle unveiled 84-year-old Martha Stewart as their new face of the brand Stewart is the new face of the brand's Give GreatCampaign holiday campaign, which aims to highlight the fact that denim is a 'universal gift that never goes out of style.' The brand previously landed in some serious hot water after the A-list actress' ad, 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,' was accused of promoting eugenics. The phrase 'great genes' is 'historically used to celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness,' which it said made 'this campaign seem to be a tone-deaf marketing move,' a Salon report on the backlash read. Since then, the brand has come under fire - but it appears that American Eagle is hoping to change course by hiring Stewart as the face of its holiday campaign. In a promotional ad posted to her Instagram page on Tuesday morning, the homemaking mogul could be seen standing in an oversized, light-wash denim shirt and skinny jeans as she stood in front of a cabinet with gift-wrapping supplies on it. 'This holiday season, we're settling for nothing less than a perfect fit,' Stewart announced in the clip, as she began to carefully wrap an American Eagle gift box in denim as the wrapping paper. 'This gift is giving,' Stewart said at the end, as she showed off the finished product. 'Giving generously during the holiday season is one of my greatest joys,' she concluded. Melania, 55, made sure all eyes were on her in her dramatic contrasting outfit The First Lady was arm in arm with Santa Claus as she walked into the event Melania Trump looked chic in skintight black leggings and a contrasting white coat as she stepped out with Santa Claus to deliver toys to children in need. The First Lady, 55, appeared in high spirits as she attended the annual Marine Toys for Tots Drive hosted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve on Monday morning. Hosted at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Virginia, Melania kept warm in a white double breasted peacoat which was worn over a black turtleneck jumper. She completed her outfit with a pair of jet black leggings and some black knee-high boots, and made sure to keep herself toasty in black leather gloves. Melania shielded her eyes in dark sunglasses, which she removed while she interacted with the hoard of young children, as well as for her rousing address to the crowd. The mom-of-one made sure to make a dramatic entrance when she arrived at base this morning. She was photographed with one hand wrapped around Santa's arm as she waved to onlookers with the other. All eyes were on Melania at the event and she happily posed for selfies with several children. Melania Trump walked arm in arm with Santa Claus as she arrived at Marine Corps Base Quantico for a Toys for Tots charity drive event on Monday morning The First Lady looked chic in skintight black leggings and a contrasting white coat She also crouched down so that she was able to interact with the youngsters at eye level. During one sweet moment, Melania was filmed picking up a small shy child and holding her in her arms so that she could meet Santa. The heartwarming gesture was applauded on social media, with one user describing her as 'tender' and 'intuitive' when it comes to interacting with youngsters. Another wrote: 'What an angel! I love her more all the time.' 'She is the BEST! Her loving motherhood shines through every time,' added a third. This isn't the first time that Melania has turned heads with her wardrobe picks recently. Last week, Melania dazzled in a chic winter-white Chanel peacoat as she joined husband Donald for the National Christmas Tree lighting on the White House Ellipse. The elegant jacket featured large, silver buttons around the bust and midsection area, as well as a stylish wrap collar and large flap pockets on the side. Melania crouched down as she interacted with a legion of children at the charity event She was seen posing for selfies with youngsters before she delivered a rousing festive story At one point, she was seen gently placing her arm around one child as they spoke Melania read a short story to the crowd of the children about Santa's reindeer She paired the look with dark-colored suede gloves, and her signature neutral makeup and loose waves in her hair. Also last week, Melania read a short Christmas story to a crowd of the children at Children's National Hospital in Washington D.C. 'Santa's reindeer - Rudolph, Dasher, Comet, all of them - they're resting in the North Pole,' she told the group. 'They need to save all of their energy for their great flight around the world on Christmas Eve. 'Santa told me they're snuggled beneath warm, fluffy blankets, sipping candy cane cocoa, feeling the joy and love that will soon be shared with amazing children everywhere.' Its probably rather easier to arrange an audience with the Pope than it is to secure a table at Carbone, the latest outpost of the iconic (their words, not mine) New York Italian red sauce restaurant group that opened in London a few weeks back. Theres no listed number, and very few tables available via the website. Which is all very nice and exclusive, but does make getting a table for dinner a bore. So I turn to the lovely PR, but no joy there, either. I get the feeling that a couple of less than enthusiastic early reviews from fellow writers have sparked a panic, followed by a blanket ban on those pesky English critics. Hey ho. But my friend Kim knows the right people and so I find myself, one damp Friday night, passing the smart new Chancery Rosewood hotel and on, downstairs, into what has to be one of the more lavish of London basements, a set designers fever dream of a 1950s New York that never was, a confected unreality of pristine white tablecloths and backlit art deco columns, deep burgundy fabrics and intricately tiled floors. You cannot fail to be impressed by the scale and extravagance of the whole thing the battalions of tuxedoed waiters, the sexy murk of the lighting, the visceral energy of nearly 200 people having a gay old time. Prices are predictably precipitous: the 32 Caesar alla ZZ salad Service is charming, but occasionally fraught. I order a dry gin martini. Ten minutes later, our waiter returns to ask if I want vermouth in it. Um, yes. Please. It arrives blood warm and in a comically large glass. Prices are predictably precipitous, but then this is Carbone in Mayfair. To complain about huge bills in Carbone is to miss the point. Huge bills are the point. As for the food? It moves from the excellent (tight curls of meat-filled tortellini in an intense broth) through the decent (spicy rigatoni vodka, exalted stodge) to the average (juicy but under-seasoned meatballs) and just plain dull (veal parmesan, a monolithic slab of breaded meat, topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce). But Carbone really isnt about the food. Its about being the sort of person who wants to be seen dining at Carbone. Its one hell of a room, and the sheer ambition of the place is breathtaking. But one bites enough for me. Overhyped, overpriced and over here. About 100 per head. Carbone, 30 Grosvenor Sq, London W1; carbonelondon.com Rating: Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more If theres one person wed trust to tell us which sparkling wines are worth our money, its Lucy Hitchcock. As the founder of Partner in Wine, shes tasted hundreds of bottles for her TikTok series, 30 Days of Sparkling, covering everything from budget-friendly bubbles to bougie Champagne-level splurges. @partnerinwineuk 30 bottles30 dayswelcome to 30 days of sparkling! Ill be popping the cork on my new series tomorrow so come back then to find out what day ones special fizz is Over 30 days, Ill share 30 sparkling wines worth popping this festive season - from budget supermarket finds to splurge-worthy Champagnes. Each wine will be PIW Approved, meaning its something I genuinely rate for its quality, value, and drinkability. Its a fun, fizz-filled countdown designed to help you discover brilliant bottles at every price point! Well start with everyday affordable bubbles and build to a grand finale of showstopping sparklings (and theyre all absolutely insane!! Eeek!) think of it as an advent calendar for wine lovers Grab your flutes, lets go! #partnerinwine #sparklingwine #champagne #englishsparkling #festivefizz Christmas Jazz Jingle Bells - Dmitry Khlynin All made using the traditional method yes, the same technique as Champagne these wines deliver that classic elegance without the Champagne price tag. Here are Hitchcocks ten top picks for Christmas bubbles youll actually want to sip (and gift). The best sparkling wines to pop this Christmas Codorniu 1872 Organic Cava Brut If I was blindfolded, Id never guess this was 8.50, says Hitchcock and that tells you everything you need to know. One of her go-to favourites, this organic cava (available from Waitrose) is often on offer and consistently over-delivers. Made in the same way as Champagne, its a brilliant, easygoing alternative, with smooth bubbles and delicate flavours of lemon, apple, white blossom and brioche. Shop Morrisons The Best Cremant de Limoux Rose If you see Cremant de Limoux on the label, youre in for a treat, says Hitchcock. From one of the worlds oldest sparkling wine regions in southern France, this rose has a softer, sunnier style thanks to the warmer climate. Hitchcock recommends it as a budget-friendly alternative to rose Champagne, with vibrant citrus, cherry, cranberry and red apple balanced by a creamy texture. At 10, its hard to beat. Shop Krone Borealis Cuvee Brut You would never guess this was 15, says Hitchcock of this South African sparkling, often described as the countrys answer to Champagne. Made using the traditional method and aged on the lees for 18 months, it delivers fine, creamy bubbles and classic biscuity notes. Riper flavours of grey apple, lemon and honeydew melon reflect the warmer climate, finished with a subtle sea-salt minerality. It's available at Majestic, among others. Shop Langlois-Chateau Classique Cremant de Loire Brut This is festive luxury on a budget, says Hitchcock of this elegant Cremant de Loire from Bollinger-owned Langlois (available at Majestic). Aged for 24 months and made from a classic Loire blend, it offers impressive concentration, with flavours of lemon, grapefruit, yellow apple, peach and almond croissant. A fresh mineral finish gives it the kind of polish youd expect from a far pricier bottle. Shop Asquith Gardens English Sparkling Wine English sparkling is the new Champagne, says Hitchcock and this is a great-value way to get involved. Made from a classic Champagne grape and aged for 60 months on the lees, its crisp yet smooth, with fine bubbles and bright acidity. Expect fresh citrus, honeyed apple, white peach and subtle toasty, buttery notes, plus a pleasingly long finish. Available from Asda. Shop Cuvee Royale Cremant de Limoux Rose Hitchcock calls this one of the best alternatives to a rose Champagne and an old favourite of hers. From Limoux in France, its made with Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir, delivering a fresh, elegant style. Look for crisp green apple alongside raspberry and peach, with a gentle hint of brioche. Available at Waitrose. Shop Graham Beck Pinot Noir Rose Aged for four years, this South African rose delivers incredible depth and structure for the price, says Hitchcock. Elegant and expressive, it combines creamy bubbles with juicy acidity and layers of strawberry, raspberry and pink grapefruit. Rich notes of brioche, biscuit and toasted bread make it feel far more expensive than its 17 price tag (currently down to 14 at Waitrose). Shop Casa Silva Fervor Del Lago Ranco Extra Brut This is probably the best hidden gem on the list, says Hitchcock. From Chile, its made using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and aged on the lees for over four years, giving it serious Champagne-like complexity. Dry, refreshing and rich, it shows lemon, ripe apple and apricot, followed by creamy, bready notes and a stony minerality. Available at Laithwaites. Shop Jean Philippe Moulin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Made by former Ruinart head winemaker Jean Philippe Moulin, this is, according to Hitchcock, outstanding value. As a Blanc de Blancs, its all about elegance, with fine bubbles and crisp green apple and citrus up front. It then opens into peach, baked apple pie, honeysuckle and buttery croissants. Available from Naked Wines. Shop Gusbourne Blanc de Noirs At 65, this is Hitchcocks pick for maximum festive impact. Hugely respected by experts and a gold medal winner, it focuses on red grapes for a rounder texture and deeper flavour. Aged for around three years, its dry and refined, with creamy bubbles and notes of green and red apple, cranberry, almond and spiced French toast and, as Hitchcock says, most importantly, its English. Shop Follow Partner in Wine on Instagram and TikTok @partnerinwineuk. Yorkshire puddings are almost universally cherished, but they're rather controversial when it comes to Christmas dinners, a new poll has revealed. According to a survey by M&S of 2,000 customers, only 43 per cent of people believe the puds deserve a place alongside the turkey on December 25 - with 57 per cent not including them at all. Traditionally, the British side dish, made from a batter of eggs, flour and milk, is eaten with roast beef and isn't typically included at the Yuletide meal. However, they've become a popular and widely accepted staple at Christmas - but the preference has long divided friends, families and colleagues. The poll found that the dish is more popular when it comes to younger shoppers, specifically those aged between 18 and 24. Indeed, 56 per cent of this age group were convinced that Yorkshires 'absolutely belong' on the festive spread. Reflecting on the results, Kathryn Turner, director of product development at M&S, said: 'We're not surprised the results are so close. 'Historically the Yorkshire pudding was never a part of a traditional turkey dinner at Christmas, but these tasty trimmings bring so much joy, and with them being such a firm favourite with our Sunday roasts, it's little wonder we want them as part of our big festive feasts.' M&S brand new Collection 4 Wagyu Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings, 5, 360g, are available from Thursday, December 18 During recent years, Yorkshire puddings have enjoyed newfound fame thanks to social media content creators preparing them in new ways. For example, influencers have been making them in air fryers, proving that they are much more versatile than people might first think. Yorkshire puddings were even recently named Britain's most treasured regional delicacy. They have found their way into desserts and sandwiches, with M&S launching the Yorkshire Pudding Wrap in the M&S Cafe last month. Customers were delighted, calling it 'the best thing they've had from M&S', 'better than the Christmas markets' and describing it as 'unbelievable'. Presumably buoyed by the popularity of the wrap, M&S has since created another exciting spin on the classic Yorkshire pud. From Thursday, December 18, customers can get their hands on the retailer's new Collection Wagyu Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings (5, 360g). Described as 'no ordinary Yorkshires', these are billed as the biggest M&S has ever made, 'complete with a crisp, golden muffin'. Meanwhile, the Wagyu beef dripping promises 'best-ever flavour.' Whether you're having beef, lamb or even chicken, no Sunday roast is complete without a Yorkshire pudding Kathryn added: 'Our Collection range is all about offering exceptional quality from the best producers, so of course these Yorkshire puddings are made in Yorkshire. We've perfected the rich, fluffy texture with Wagyu beef dripping for ultimate deliciousness.' According to scientists at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), a Yorkshire pudding recipe has just five ingredients plain flour, milk, water, eggs and salt. Just like many of Britain's most treasured dishes, the exact origins of the Yorkie are unclear, although the consensus is it was always associated with the north of England. According to Hazel Flight, a nutritionist at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, the dish was originally known simply as a 'batter' or 'dripping pudding'. The prefix 'Yorkshire' was first added in 1747, in the bestselling cookbook 'The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Simple' by cookery writer Hannah Glasse, a Londoner. Back then, it was always served as a separate course before the main meal, usually with gravy made from the juices of the roast joint. The Daily Mail previously provided a step-by-step guide for making the perfect Yorkie, according to science Tips for the perfect Yorkshire pudding Use 92 per cent milk and 8 per cent water as the liquid Use plain flour instead of self-raising - and don't add bicarbonate of soda When the batter is made it must not be placed in the fridge but be kept at room temperature Ensure the pre-heated oil is smoking hot before the batter goes in the oven Do NOT open the oven door when the Yorkshires are in there Advertisement Yorkshire housewives served Yorkshire pudding before the meal so that they would eat less of the more expensive main course. As for why it was even called 'pudding' in the first place, originally, puddings weren't always meant to be sweet like we know them today. The word 'pudding' comes from the French word 'boudin', which in turn comes from the Latin 'botellus' both words for small sausages. In medieval England, use of the word 'pudding' likely referred to the sausage when it came encased in the batter. But in years to come, the name 'pudding' remained even in the absence of the meat. The Christmas table is not complete without a golden, succulent roast turkey. Yet achieving that perfect bird crispy skin, juicy meat and flavourful depth can feel like an elusive holiday dream. To help make your festive feast stress-free and spectacular, we spoke to Daniel Putz, Executive Head Chef at The Milestone Hotel in London, who shared his insider tips for roasting a turkey worthy of any celebration. Daniel Putz, Executive Head Chef at The Milestone Hotel, shares his top tips for cooking the perfect roast turkey this Christmas 1. Separate the legs from the crown One of my favourite tricks is to remove the legs, bone them out, then stuff and roll before cooking them separately, says Chef Putz. This way the crown cooks faster and stays moist, avoiding that dreaded dryness. By giving each part of the bird its own cooking time, you ensure both white and dark meat are perfectly tender no one wants a dry breast stealing the spotlight on Christmas Day. 2. Brine for flavour A simple soak can transform a turkey from ordinary to extraordinary. Chef Putz recommends a 5% salt brine infused with thyme, sage, orange and pepper, leaving the bird submerged for 12 hours. It really brings out a beautiful flavour throughout, he explains. Brining not only seasons the meat deep within but also helps retain moisture, leaving the meat tender and bursting with festive flavour. 3. Bring to room temperature Before unwrapping any presents, take that turkey out of the fridge, advises Putz. Allowing the bird to sit at room temperature for a while ensures it cooks evenly, reducing the risk of a dry exterior and undercooked interior. Its a simple step that can make all the difference on the big day. 4. Butter generously A generous rub of softened butter is key for flavour and that coveted golden skin. Putz suggests mixing in orange zest, seasoning and thyme leaves for an extra festive touch. Plenty of softened butter rubbed over the turkey before roasting is key, he says. This step ensures the turkey stays moist while the skin crisps beautifully in the oven. A generous rub of softened butter is key for flavour and that coveted golden skin. 5. Start hot, then slow it down Temperature is everything. Chef Putzs method: roast at 200C for the first 30 minutes, then reduce to 160C until cooked through. This gives you crisp, golden skin. If it starts to darken too much, cover with foil. And dont forget to let it rest before carving. The initial heat jump-starts the browning, while slower cooking gently finishes the bird, locking in juices. 6. Use a probe For foolproof results, a meat probe is indispensable. Aim for a core temperature of 68C, checking in a few spots for consistency, Putz advises. This ensures the turkey is perfectly cooked without guesswork, giving you confidence to carve and serve with pride. 7. Make great gravy Finally, dont let the turkey shine alone your gravy should be just as memorable. Use quality stock, add all those lovely resting juices and even thicken with a few gravy granules to your preferred consistency, says Putz. A rich, well-balanced sauce ties the meal together, making each bite a full-bodied celebration of Christmas flavour. He added to Daily Mail that buyers no longer want space to entertain Ryan Serhant laid bare the trend that has encapsulated the uber rich Real estate broker Ryan Serhant has revealed the trend that has captured wealthy prospective buyers in New York City but can you guess what it is? The Netflix star and CEO of luxury global brokerage Serhant, 41, said that wellness has taken the property search by storm and that his uber rich clients desire state of the art saunas and similar amenities in their dream homes. Serhant added that on top of buyers now being more health-focussed, there has also been a decrease in demand for ample space in which to host lavish parties and dinners. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail, he said: 'I've never had more people ask for infrared saunas and cold plunges at the same exact time. You know, it's even the younger generation.' Serhant revealed that before wellness became a hot commodity, wet bars in homes were all the rage. 'I remember 10 years ago, it was "Is there a wet bar in the bedroom?", "Is there a wet bar upstairs?", "Is there a wet bar over here?" 'As the buyer base gets younger and younger, no one cares about wet bars. They're like, "Where am I going to put my sauna?", "Where's my meditation cocoon?", "Oh, I could I put my peloton here in the corner, "Where's my gym?" 'It's a totally different world.' Ryan Serhant has seen a huge uptick on real estate buyers wanting saunas and cold plunges The Netflix star told Daily Mail that he's 'never had more people ask for infrared saunas and cold plunges at the same exact time' (stock image) Those who enjoy saunas say the hot rooms have a variety of health benefits, such as managing stress and easing muscle pain. Ice baths have also surged in popularity in recent years amid claims they can boost circulation and improve heart health. Plunging into cold water triggers the body's cold shock response, where a sudden drop in temperature leads to a surge in adrenaline, noradrenaline and other hormones that boost feelings of alertness. This process is believed to be behind the alleged health benefits, although experts have warned that not everyone will reap the same rewards. As wellness seems to be front and center, Serhant added that gone are the days where buyers want a living room that's 'at least 20ft wide.' Instead, he explained that his clients are much more interested in entertaining outside of the home. While an exact reason for this has yet to be determined, Serhant wondered whether the Covid pandemic might have influenced this change in wants. 'It used to be, "I need to be able to entertain" or "I need to be able to have a formal dining room because we entertain, entertain, entertain!" Serhant's wealthy clients are wellness-focussed and want their homes to reflect that (stock image) He noted that prospective buyers no longer want wet bars in their dream homes (stock image) Serhant, who is the face of Owning Manhattan, also says that buyers aren't interested in having large entertaining spaces anymore (stock image) 'But now people are now like, "my house is my sanctuary, and I want to be out, I want to be with people and experience new places. If I'm entertaining, why would I do it in my house?"' In September, Nick Perez, president of the condominium division at Related Group, told Daily Mail that the wellness trend had swept the property market in Miami, Florida. He said that high-end buyers are seeking full lifestyle packages, with wellness clubs featuring yoga decks and saunas, on call doctors, babysitters and housekeepers. Multiple pools are now a baseline expectation one for laps, one for leisure. 'Today's luxury buyers aren't only looking for square footage or a pool deck they want a lifestyle,' he said. Radio host Howard Stern faced a storm of criticism about whether anyone still tunes in, just hours after announcing a three-year deal with SiriusXM. During Tuesday morning's episode of The Howard Stern Show, the 71-year-old media personality revealed he had signed a three-year contract extension with SiriusXM and would stay on the air. His declaration swiftly ended months of retirement rumors, which had stemmed from an earlier prank in which he made fans believe his show was on track to being axed. 'I am happy to announce that I have figured out a way to have it all... more free time and continuing to be on the radio,' Stern told fans on the mic. 'Yes, we are coming back for three years,' he revealed. The news wasnt received graciously online, where social media users flooded platforms with criticism as many clamed that Stern is nothing more than a 'has-been' who should have retired years ago. In the hours after the announcement, thousands turned to X to air out their frustration over the announcement. One comment read: 'lol - the only person excited about this news is his wife (who also can have it all without Stern around too much).' Radio host Howard Stern faced a storm of criticism about whether anyone still tunes in to his show just hours after he announced a three-year deal with SiriusXM Stern revealed on Tuesday that he had signed a three-year contract extension with SiriusXM and would stay on the air Another said: 'Pity Sirius, what a waste of money, he is a has been!!!!!' 'Howard Stern signs a three year deal. Who the hell is listening to this guy,' a third person added. One user wrote: 'Hard to believe the size of his contracts given the amount of time he isn't working annually. Sirius have backed themselves into a corner again.' 'We have not needed Howard Stern for a very long time,' said another. 'Hollywood Howard Stern thinks the show is better than it has ever been,' one comment read, accompanied by laughing emojis highlighting the irony. 'Reports regarding all time low ratings seemed to contradict that,' the user added. 'It was unlistenable the last time I tuned in.' This marks the third time Stern has extended his contract with the satellite radio company, following previous deals in 2010 and 2020 - the latter a five-year, $500 million agreement, according to Forbes. The terms of the new contract remain unclear - Stern confessed he only learned the news this past weekend - but he said it would offer 'more flexibility,' possibly signaling fewer on-air appearances. 'I'm old as f***. I'm not supposed to be working... Where do I begin with this? Some of the staff said, "Can we come in and guess?" People working here are hoping I stay,' he said to his fans on Tuesday. However, the broadcaster admitted that he enjoys having 'free time,' despite his enduring passion for radio. 'I need me time. I've never had me time. I've been working my whole life. Never really having a personal life,' Stern explained. 'I thought maybe at this point in my life, I could have some free time,' he added. 'It would be sad, but exciting for me.' He gave a loose preview of the next three years, with summers off and limited visits to SiriusXMs New York studios. 'I was really torn up,' Stern told fans. 'I still do love being on the radio. I think the show is better than ever.' The host joined what was then Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. in 2006 and became one of the highest-paid personalities in broadcasting - a game-changer for both the company and the industry. At its height, The Howard Stern Show reached 60 markets and drew over 20 million listeners. Rumors about Sterns future with SiriusXM erupted in August and flared again when he postponed his September return after his summer break. A source told the Daily Mail at the time that the delay was due to Sterns 'frustrations over the new contract' with the audio company. Another insider added in August that Stern 'may do a 1-2 year contract if they can meet him where he wants financially. He doesn't want to pull the plug on his employees like this.' A separate source said the star 'would likely sell his catalogue of shows to replay' on the uncensored channels Howard 100 and Howard 101 if he didnt renew his contract with SiriusXM. He then went on to do a prank segment with TV personality Andy Cohen in September, who was hosting the program at the time. 'I know you're expecting a big announcement from Howard and this is not how things were meant to go. This was supposed to be a cleaner hand off. I'm kind of winging it,' Cohen said. He also claimed that the show would be called Andy 100 moving forward and added he 'can't possibly fill his void.' But just 20 minutes later, Stern came onto the air to reveal that it had simply been a prank and explained he postponed his return due to illness rather than contract negotiations. Thousands across the internet took to social media to claim that Stern is nothing more than a 'has-been' who should have retired years ago Rumors about Sterns future with SiriusXM erupted in August and flared again after pulling a 'prank segment' with TV personality Andy Cohen Stern confessed he only learned the news this past weekend - but he said it would offer 'more flexibility,' possibly signaling fewer on-air appearances During the episode, he explained, 'I was just getting so f****** annoyed with everyone writing me, asking me if I was okay because I'd been fired.' 'None of it is true, zero truth,' Stern then said, referencing to claims that he had been axed. 'What pisses me off is that now I can't leave. I've been thinking about retiring. Now I can't.' SiriusXM, in the years since Stern joined, has become home to top podcasts Call Her Daddy, SmartLess, Freakonomics Radio, Last Podcast on the Left, 99% Invisible and Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend - and features personalities such as Trevor Noah, Andy Cohen, Kevin Hart and Stephen A. Smith. But SiriusXM's subscriber base has been slowly contracting, with the company reporting 33 million paid subscribers in the second quarter of 2025 - a net loss of 68,000 from the first quarter and 100,000 fewer than the same period in 2024. It is currently battling a saturated satellite market and competition from free, ad-supported platforms like Spotify. Tucker Carlson has revealed whether he would take over CNN after being asked about it by a wealthy investor. Carlson, who previously worked for the liberal network, discussed his future plans during a recent episode of the All-In Podcast, hosted by Jason Calacanis, Chamath Palihapitiya, David Sacks, and David Friedberg. During the podcast, which discusses business and tech-related topics, Calacanis, an angel investor, asked the political commentator what he would do if he were 'forced' to run CNN. It comes as Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), which is CNN's parent company, today announced its rejection of Paramount's $108 billion, all-cash offer for the entire company. David Ellison, the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Skydance, recently offered Warner the last-minute bid. If it had gone through, Ellis, whose 81-year-old billionaire father Larry Ellison is an outspoken Trump ally, would have overhauled CNN, the president's arch-nemesis. Calacanis asked Tucker: 'What would you do if you had CNN? They put it on your lap, Tucker, and they say you're forced to be CEO for the next 10 years? What would you do?' 'Well, actually, I've had that conversation,' Tucker started off. Tucker Carlson has reveled if he will will take CNN amid the cable network's recent failures Tucker said there is 'no way' he would ever take over the liberal network because it is 'totally irrelevant' 'I mean, I spent almost 10 years there, I feel like I'm familiar with it,' he stated, adding that he recently spoke to someone about this and thought about the possibility. 'No way. I mean, first of all... I don't have a New York Times, or Washington Post, or New Yorker subscription anymore, after a lifetime of having all three. 'Because they're totally irrelevant. They mean nothing, they're speaking to no one,' the 56-year-old said, referring to the networks all known for their left-leaning views. 'It's kind of musty. It's like going back to your childhood home and seeing that your bedroom was really small, and the paint was actually turquoise, and all these kinds of sad posters from the 80s are still there. Ugh, it's depressing,' Tucker continued. He went on to say that if he were chosen to run the network, he would 'just shut it down and build something new.' Carlson worked at CNN as a political correspondent from 2000 to 2005. He then went to MSNBC before joining Fox News in 2009. He remained at the network until April 2023 after he was fired. He then launched his own independent media platform, the Tucker Carlson Network. On Wednesday morning, WBD's board chairman, Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr., urged shareholders to reject Ellison's offer in a scathing statement. Carlson worked at CNN as a political correspondent from 2000 to 2005. He then went to MSNBC before joining Fox News in 2009. He remained at the network until April 2023 after he was fired 'We look forward to moving ahead with our combination with Netflix and delivering the compelling and certain value it will create for shareholders,' a portion of the statement read. The board also took aim at Ellison, claiming the tech scion 'has consistently misled WBD shareholders that its proposed transaction has a 'full backstop' from the Ellison family. 'It does not, and never has,' Di Piazza Jr. wrote. The board also pointed to a $40.65 billion equity commitment from Paramount that relies 'on an unknown and opaque revocable trust'. The statement said that despite repeated assurances from the Ellison family, they 'have chosen not to backstop the [Paramount] offer.' During a recent visit to Washington, DC, Ellison told Trump's team that if he won the deal to purchase WBD, he would impose sweeping changes at CNN, sources told the Wall Street Journal. His father, Larry, discussed firing hosts such as Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar - figures Trump dislikes - during talks with White House officials last month, The Guardian reported. The President reportedly told people close to him that he wants new ownership of CNN and changes to its programming. CNN is one of the outlets Trump most likes to brand as 'fake news.' He often calls out its reporters, anchors, and general news coverage as intentionally attacking his agenda. David Ellison, the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Skydance, recently offered Warner the last-minute bid. If he won, Ellison would have overhauled CNN, one of the networks Donald Trump calls 'fake news' Earlier this month, Trump blasted CNN star Kaitlan Collins over a question she asked about the White House ballroom. 'Caitlin [sic] Collin's of Fake News CNN, always Stupid and Nasty, asked me why the new Ballroom was costing more money than originally thought one year ago,' he said in a Truth Social post. '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.' The Republican went on to say that it is 'actually under budget and ahead of schedule.' 'As my jobs always are,' he said. 'It's just much bigger and more beautiful than originally planned.' In response, Collins took to Instagram, stating, 'Technically my question was about Venezuela,' alongside a screengrab of Trump's rant. Warner Bros Discovery's board has officially rejected Paramount's $108 billion, all-cash offer for the entire company, calling it 'illusory' and not in the best interest of shareholders. The board rather reiterated its preference for Warner's looming $82.7 billion deal with Netflix. Warner Bros Discovery's (WBD) board chairman, Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr., urged shareholders to reject the last-minute bid from Paramount in a scathing statement on Wednesday morning. 'We look forward to moving ahead with our combination with Netflix and delivering the compelling and certain value it will create for shareholders,' a portion read. The board also took aim at Paramount CEO David Ellison, claiming the tech scion 'has consistently misled WBD shareholders that its proposed transaction has a "full backstop" from the Ellison family. 'It does not, and never has,' Di Piazza Jr. wrote. The board also pointed to a $40.65billion equity commitment from Paramount that relies 'on an unknown and opaque revocable trust'. The statement said that despite repeated assurances from Ellison family, they 'have chosen not to backstop the [Paramount] offer'. Ellison is the son of 81-year-old billionaire Larry Ellison, an outspoken Trump ally. He desperately courted Warner chief David Zaslav during the bidding process. Paramount boss David Ellison's all-cash offer for the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery was rejected on Wednesday Ellison, 42, desperately courted Warner boss David Zaslav in hope of making a deal Warner Bros's board agreed unanimously that a revocable trust is 'no replacement for a secured commitment by a controlling stockholder'. 'We are confident that our merger with Netflix represents superior, more certain value for our shareholders and we look forward to delivering on the compelling benefits of our combination,' the board said. 'Nothing in this structure offers WBD shareholders any deal certainty. The PSKY offer provides an untenable degree of risk and potential downside for WBD shareholders,' the statement added. Netflix released its own statement saying it 'welcomes' the boards recommendation. A key difference between the two bids was Paramount's interest in Warner assets like CNN and TNT, which Netflix isn't interested in buying. Unlike Paramount's, Netflix's offer is also a mix of cash and stock. Several sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi are also supporting Paramount's bid as 'outside finance partners', as is the private equity firm run by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. If investors opt for Netflix, they will receive a piece of prospective profits from the yet-to-be solidified spinoff company that will include channels like CNN, TBS, TNT and other linear assets, due to the deal being a mix of cash and stock. Paramount, was looking to acquire those channels - particularly CNN - as well. The board claimed Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, have refused to provide enough financial insurance for the deal. The elder Ellison is worth $235.4billion, according to Forbes. He helped finance the $8billion merger over the summer that saw his son take over Paramount The proposed transaction is for the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery, including stations like CNN , TBS, and TNT, unlike Netflix's. If Warner walks away from its already agreed upon Netflix deal, it will owe the streamer $2.8billion Last week, Ellison, 42, complained that Zaslav and Warner's board were overseeing a 'murky' sale process. He also warned Netflix's offer is hampered by 'financial leverage', due to the company's massive market capitalization. The elder Ellison reportedly floated to White House officials the firing some of CNN's top talent if his son is able to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. He also reportedly pondered a programming change that would have put CBS's 60 Minutes on CNN, The Guardian reported last month. The younger Ellison installed right-leaning opinion writer Bari Weiss as CBS News' editor in chief in October, after taking control of Paramount following an $8 billion merger signed off in July. The prospect of being bought by Paramount has reportedly caused staffers at CNN 'anxiety' last month, sources told Status last month, citing the prospect of coming under the purview of Weiss. Trump, at the time, told reporters that the multibillion-dollar Netflix deal 'could be a problem' because of antitrust concerns. Paramounts offer will remain open until January 8, with the option for an extension. Shareholders will have the right to withdraw from the deal until then. The Daily Mail has contacted Paramount for comment. The company has the option to increase its current offer but it remains unclear if they will do so. CNN's most right-leaning star has been tapped to take over Charlie Kirk's prestigious radio timeslot. The Salem Radio Network selected Scott Jennings as Kirk's successor on Wednesday. The three-hour slot starting at 12pm was once occupied by conservative icon Rush Limbaugh. Jennings will host 'The Scott Jennings Show' from 1 to 3pm following an hour from Breitbart editor-in-chief Alex Marlow, the Salem Radio Network said. The changes will go into effect on January 5. Jennings, 48, already hosts an hour on Salem at 2pm, after the Charlie Kirk Show. The latter will continue as a podcast run by Turning Point's Andrew Kolvet and Blake Neff. Jennings praised both men for keeping Kirk's legacy alive, while confirming the programming shakeup in a statement. Scott Jennings, a regular on Abby Phillip's CNN Newsnight, has a new gig on nationally syndicated radio The 1 to 3pm slot once occupied by The Charlie Kirk show will got to Jennings on January 5, the Salem Radio Network said 'These are some of the most important hours in talk radio,' Jennings, a former advisor to Mitch McConnell, said. Salem expects Jennings's show to be broadcast to more than 300 radio stations across the US and more than 1.2million Americans, a spokesperson told Axios. More than a million more are expected to tune in via podcasts, the rep said. Jennings, meanwhile, has seen his star rise in recent years, thanks to regular appearances on CNN Newsnight. Often a conservative foil to host Abby Phillip, Jennings was in the final stages of contract renewal talks with CNN in March, Status reported. It reportedly saw the former George W. Bush administration aide handed a 'hefty' pay raise. Jennings confirmed he signed the extension during an interview last month. He launched his nationally syndicated radio show with Salem in July. The slot was once occupied by Rush Limbaugh, who passed away in 2021 Jennings, 48, already hosts an hour on Salem at 2pm. He will fully take over the slot next year, along with Breitbart editor Alex Marlow He told Strongville GOP in November, 'Well, Im quite happy with CNN. In fact, I just re-signed with them.' He added, 'My contract was up, and they offered me a new contract, and I was happy to sign it. 'Ill be honest with you, I think I was put on this earth to debate liberals. 'And CNN, right now, is where were doing it. I think thats the highest and best use of my time in the media.' The political strategist joined CNN as a contributor in 2017. He told Strongville GOP of the success he's seen since, 'I think sometimes TV is a little boring when its just six people sitting around agreeing with each other.' CNN, meanwhile, is set to be cast off to a new company with other Warner-owned linear assets sometime next year, if the company's tentative $82.7 billion sale to Netflix closes. Netflix is not interested in Warner's linear assets. Paramount just had a bid for Warner in its entirety rejected by shareholders. President Donald Trump's administration is moving to claw back hundreds of millions of dollars stolen in a massive healthcare scam in Minnesota. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill has fired off repayment demands to the sponsors of immigrants who became dependent of public benefits. Longstanding federal law requires the sponsors of immigrants to repay means tested public benefits, but the law is rarely enforced. The letters, seen by the Daily Mail, warn that anyone who fails to pay up will face aggressive federal action 'by all available means.' The crackdown is the latest escalation in the Trump administration's response to mounting evidence of rampant fraud in Minnesota much of it centered in parts of the state's Somali community. 'Federal records indicate that as a sponsor for [redacted] immigration to the United States you agreed to provide financial support so that [redacted] would not be excludable as a public charge who is dependent on government benefits, read a letter from O'Neill to reported fraudsters obtained by the Daily Mail. The deputy secretary signed at least ten letters tied to sponsored individuals enrolled in Medicaid, according a source familiar with the department's actions. Medicaid and Medicare are taxpayer funded programs for individuals in the United States who are in the most need. President Donald Trump has condemned the Somali community in Minnesota for rampant fraud A letter from Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O'Neill 'Exploitation of these dollars put these programs at risk,' a Trump administration official told the Daily Mail. Federal prosecutors say the true scale of the alleged theft could reach 'multiple billions' of dollars. Investigators are already probing the notorious Feeding Our Future scandal, which involved $453 million in taxpayer funds, along with another $248 million paid out through Medicaid housing stabilization claims now suspected to be fraudulent. At least 78 people have been charged in connection with the federally funded nonprofit group Feeding Our Future. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had connections with at least some of the Somali refugees charged in the massive scheme. Omar was pictured with Abdul Dahir Ibrahim, who was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody earlier in December. Officials also uncovered a scheme that involved providers allegedly recruiting Somali children and falsely diagnosing them with autism to get government funds, with the promise of paying parents financial kickbacks for participating. Autism-related payouts alone have surged to $700 million in Minnesota, as federal agents zero in on a wave of newly formed clinics created to funnel public funds. Abdul Dahir Ibrahim has been linked to Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz and Rep. Ilhan Omar Abdul Dahir Ibrahim Reports of widespread fraud have put Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in the spotlight for ignoring systemic fraud from the Somali immigrant community, as his critics believe he avoided the growing problem for political reasons. Federal prosecutors have already charged dozens of people in the state for bilking the state's welfare system for hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. President Trump recently criticized Minnesota as a 'hub of fraudulent money laundering activity' and called for criminals in the Somali communities to be deported. Last month he announced his intention to 'immediately' terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants. 'Their country stinks, and we don't want them in our country,' Trump said at the White House to reporters earlier this month, referring to Somalia. The Duchess of Sussex 'has no plans to see her father' as he recovers in hospital from having a leg amputated and has reportedly given up hope of ever reconciling with him. Thomas Markle, 81, underwent life-saving surgery in the Philippines after a massive blood clot was found in his leg, and has spoken of his desire not to 'die estranged from Meghan'. After failing to get hold of him by email or phone, the 44-year-old Duchess - who has not seen him since she married Prince Harry in 2018 - 'reached out' to her father in the form of a hand-delivered letter. However she is thought to believe his relationship with the media - understood to be something she addresses in her letter - means they are unlikely ever to reconcile. She has so far not had a reply to her letter, the Sunday Times reported. The rift between the pair began when Mr Markle worked with a paparazzi photographer near his home in Mexico to stage photographs of him being fitted for a suit ahead of the Royal wedding. Shortly afterwards he suffered two heart attacks and was forced to pull out of travelling to the UK for the ceremony. He has never met his son-in-law, the Duke of Sussex, 41, or the couples children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four. Meghan Markle's father Thomas Markle, 81, in his hospital bed in the Philippines following the amputation of his left leg below the knee. He has thanked the medical staff who saved his life Meghan Markle pictured with her father in 2011, whom she has been estranged from since 2018 after he posed for paparazzi pictures on the eve of her wedding Previously Mr Markle - who was a successful Hollywood lighting director - had been close to Meghan, helping with her fledgling acting career in Los Angeles after he and her mother, Doria Ragland, divorced when the future Duchess was six. In a 2014 Father's Day post on her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig, Meghan posted a gushing tribute to Mr Markle as 'the person who believed in this grand dream of mine well before I could even see it as a possibility'. She fondly recalled him 'lighting my high school musicals so that they felt as grand as a Broadway show' and how he 'put gas in my car when I went from audition trying to make it as an actress'. 'To my dad - my thoughtful, inspiring, hardworking Daddy - happy Fathers Day.' In a world exclusive earlier this month, the Daily Mail revealed how Mr Markle was fighting for his life in hospital after moving to the Philippines to be nearer to son Thomas Jr. Last weekend, in an emotional interview with the Mail on Sunday's US Editor Caroline Graham, who had flown to his bedside, Mr Markle said he had not heard from Meghan since his illness 'but would love to speak to her'. Mr Markle undergoing physiotherapy in hospital to build up muscle after having part of his left leg amputated following the discovery of a large blood clot 'I've always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter,' he added. '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.' In the days that followed, it emerged that the Duchess had deleted his phone number following their rift, while an email she sent could not be opened as it was to an account for which he had forgotten the password. Finally on Wednesday last week, a letter arrived at his hospital bed. It was hand-delivered by a lawyer with instructions that the encounter was videoed so the clip could be sent back to the Duchess, the Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday. After 'fretting' over what it might contain for four hours, Mr Markle finally opened it and read it several times, but did not reveal anything about its contents. Mr Markle was last week moved from intensive care to a regular ward as he continues his recovery. He has also started physiotherapy in order to build up his muscles. Mr Markle faces a month's-long rehabilitation, and hopes to have a prosthetic limb fitted once his leg wound has healed. The dark past of Rob Reiner's son Nick, who has been arrested over the killings of his father and mother Michele, has been revealed by friends and sources close to the family. The 32-year-old has been booked for murder over his parents' violent deaths after Hollywood legend Reiner and his wife were found with their throats slit at their $13.5 million Los Angeles mansion on Sunday. Nick's strained relationship with his parents has been no secret in Hollywood, with his father even making a film with his son about the challenges they faced, primarily driven by Nick's struggles with drug addiction. His problems seemingly began long before adulthood, with 2012 children's book, A Chair in the Air, about a difficult boy named 'Little Nicky' written by a family friend who was inspired by his unruly nature as a boy. Nick was an 'intense kid' who 'screamed like the world was on fire', prompting his parents to have therapy and even inspiring a book about a child with behavioral problems, the author, Alanna Zabel, told the Daily Mail. Zabel taught yoga to the family for almost ten years, including private classes with Nick. So when she heard on Sunday evening that the When Harry Met Sally director, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were found dead with stab wounds in their Brentwood home, her thoughts immediately went to the troubled child she knew. From an angsty youngster, he became an adult with severe drug problems. He had been to rehab 18 times as of 2016, first going around his 15th birthday, and lived on the streets after refusing to go back. Reiner's son Nick has previously spoken about his struggles with drug addiction and bouts of homelessness. He first went to rehab around his 15th birthday; pictured together in 2016 Reiner with his wife Michele and children Jake, Romy and Nick in 2005 The 2016 drama Being Charlie, directed by his father, focused on addiction and the pain it causes families, and was co-written by Nick with a friend from rehab. He had clashes with his family throughout the years, as documented in the film, which portrays a young man who resents the way his father and mother are dealing with his addiction. They force him to spend time in rehab, with their interactions a reflection of how Rob, Michele and Nick were with each other, the family said at the time. Evidencing the years of clashes the parents had with their son, it ends with an apology from the dad for the occasionally unsympathetic way he treated his son. Reiner said in an interview afterward that he owed and gave this apology to his son in real life. But Nick's unpredictability and even aggression towards his family seemingly continued. In an episode of the Dopey podcast in 2018, he described the time he destroyed his parents' guesthouse while 'spun out' on meth after being told to leave. During the program from August 18 that year, host David Mannheim asked Nick: 'What about when you wrecked the guesthouse on meth?' A celebrity yoga teacher and author who was friends with the Reiner family revealed that her experience with Rob and Michele's son Nick inspired her to write a children's book about an unruly child named 'Little Nicky' The plot of the book, shared with the Daily Mail, follows a boy with behavioral problems, who finds peace through yoga after running away from home 'I got totally spun out on uppers. I think it was coke and something else,' Nick replied. 'I was up for days on end. I started punching out different things in my guest house. 'I started with the TV and then went over to the lamp. 'Everything in the guesthouse got wrecked. When asked if punching the furniture was a way to relieve tension, Nick replied: 'No, you're crazy. No logic.' Mannheim, a longtime recovering addict, told Nick he was concerned about him and urged him to give recovery another chance. Desperate to help him overcome his behavioral problems as a child, Nick's parents turned to yoga instructor Zabel, who detailed how he had an aggressive streak even from a very young age. 'Nicky would barge in like the world was on fire, screaming, into our yoga sessions. It was disruptive,' she said, recalling his behavior aged around ten in the 2000s. 'He was really screaming. I have never seen a child like it,' Zabel, who met the Reiners in 2001, told the Daily Mail. Alanna Zabel, described young Nick as an 'intense kid' who was very 'disruptive' The author of the book, Alanna Zabel, taught yoga to the family for almost 10 years, including private classes with Nick 'For about a year I did private classes just with Nicky, really trying to regulate him and calm him down.' 'His emotions were not being met on some level. He really needed attention, and needed it immediately when he needed it. 'He was just an intense kid.' Celebrity yoga teacher Zabel said her experience with a young Nick inspired her to write a book published about a child called 'Nicky' with behavioral problems, who finds peace through yoga after running away from home. 'Little Nicky was picky. He often threw a fit. He didn't relax easy, and he never wanted to sit,' the first line of the illustrated kids' book says. She didn't know at the time that Nick would end up going into rehab around his 15th birthday over substance abuse, the first of 17 inpatient stints over the next four years. He told People Magazine in 2016 that he ended up homeless in three states because he repeatedly refused treatment, but had since been on the mend. 'I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,' he said. 'I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun. 'If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless. Nick co-wrote the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie (2016), which focused on heroin addiction and was directed by his father. Here he is pictured with his sister Romy Firefighters reportedly called police to the scene just minutes after they arrived; police are seen outside the home on Sunday night 'I've been home for a really long time, and I've sort of gotten acclimated back to being in LA and being around my family. But there were a lot of dark years there.' Zabel said the Reiners had hired a therapist to help tackle the problems they faced with Nick. 'The fact that they were seeing a family therapist shows how much they cared. They were trying to figure it out,' said Zabel, who has a degree in child development. 'Rob and Michele loved the book, they brought it to their therapist, because they were considering publishing it with me. 'The therapist just didn't want Nicky to know that there was a book written about him having this tantrum, and add more energy to his behavioral issues. So I just did it on my own, and they were fine with that.' Zabel described the Reiner parents as 'passionate', 'hands-on' and 'loving'. 'I love Rob and Michele, so much. They were just so passionate. Both of them were very intensely passionate about their family, life, justice and creativity,' she said. 'Michele was a New Yorker living in California. She was really mindful, trying to raise her kids out of the pressures of Los Angeles and Hollywood. It was challenging and full-time. Reiner and his wife met on the set of 1989's When Harry Met Sally and wed that year. They had three children: (LR) Jake, Romy and Nick; the family is pictured in 2014 in NYC 'Just knowing how many times I've been in that house, and knowing these people, and just imagining that your destiny is that. This is unbelievable.' She pointed out that the Jewish family were likely preparing for a family get-together to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah on Sunday before they died. 'Probably they were planning Hanukkah dinner and something happened,' she said. The yoga teacher, who has had several top celebrity clients, added that the discord she witnessed between Nick and his family was a product of their fame. 'I think it's really challenging for children of Hollywood stars to have a clear sense of reality. It's really not easy. But it's not an excuse,' she said. 'The sense of neglect can breed its own delusion in kids. 'I'm really just gutted with sadness hearing their story tonight. 'They were passionate and wanted the best for everyone, so kind and generous, but also very, very intense people.' It was the clash of the titans the MAGA world was bracing for. For weeks Candace Owens and Erika Kirk have been at war, slugging each other across social media, podcasts and TV panels over the late TPUSA boss Charlie. The former has been airing wild conspiracy theories over his death, with the latter defending her husband while scrambling to preserve his legacy. Then, on Sunday night, finally a breakthrough. The pair revealed they were due to sit down and thrash out their grievances in person - and hopefully call a truce. Insiders revealed to the Daily Mail Erika boarded a private flight from her home in Arizona to meet Owens at a secret location in Nashville. The meeting, which went on for nearly five hours, was described as 'productive', with the hope the pair have buried the hatchet. Erika then quietly boarded her plane for home on Monday night, hours after it was initially scheduled to depart. The details of what they discussed has been a closely-guarded secret, but it is understood they aired their grievances about how they handled Kirk's assassination. Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk speaks during an appearance on 'Fox & Friends' at Fox News Candace Owens has challenged the official narrative surrounding Charlie Kirk's death, lashing out against Turning Point officials and accusing them of betraying Kirk. Owens revealed a little more about the tete-a-tete hours later, saying it was 'extremely productive' and 'we agreed much more than I had anticipated'. She said on Instagram: 'I'm alive. I'm totally fine. I am alive and I will have the full rundown tomorrow. It was a definite step in the right direction.' Erika simply added on her own platform that it was 'productive' and she would address it in the coming days. Inside the Turning Point organization, there was a sigh of relief, as many were skeptical about whether Owens was acting in good faith to make peace. One insider told the Daily Mail after the meeting they were 'hopeful' that both parties could move on. Erika's bold move to meet with Owens was praised as evidence, 'she has the chops to be CEO' of the organization. However, it is still too soon to say whether the meeting was a complete success, other sources cautioned. Owens did not do her podcast on Monday, telling viewers she would fill them in the following day because she was 'exhausted.' Charlie Kirk and his wife Erika Kirk Critics expect her to use it for attention to her podcast and end up breaking any kind of truce or agreement with Erika as she goes forward. The announcement of a peace summit with Candace Owens dropped like a thunderbolt on Sunday night. 'Candace Owens and I are meeting for a private, in-person discussion,' Erika wrote on X, noting that the pair had 'agreed that public discussions, livestreams and tweets are on hold until after this meeting.' For Erika, it was a chance to confront Candace face-to-face about the hurt she was causing her and the the Turning Point family. For Owens it was a chance to get some questions answered. Despite claiming to be one of Kirk's closest friends, there was a lot she did not know about the details surrounding his death. But ultimately the prize of the summit was a chance to make peace for the good of the country, a Turning Point source told the Daily Mail. 'It's admittedly high stakes, but it is clear that it has to happen,' the source said. 'We had to let this play out.' Erika Kirk speaks onstage about the future of Turning Point after Charlie Kirk's death The meeting took place just three days before Turning Point's AmericaFest begins on Thursday at the Phoenix Convention center. Kirk's greatest allies will gather to chart a path forward for the coalition of conservatives just three months after their leader and friend was assassinated at a campus event. More immediately, the rift with Owens and the drama that followed threatened to distract from the mission at hand. The meeting effectively canceled Turning Point's previous announcement, where they had initially scheduled a livestream show to address all of Owens' claims. Turning Point had extended an invitation for Owens to join them in-person, but Owens turned down the invitation, demanding a livestream only appearance. That left Erika with the opportunity to extend an olive branch. Although many of Kirk's followers felt that Owens had lost her credibility in the last three months, Erika felt that it was still important to meet with her directly. At first, news of the peace summit first frustrated and even angered some of Kirk's closest supporters as they had long written off Owens as a bad-faith influencer who was trying to destroy and even burn down everything that Kirk had built. 'You cannot make peace with this woman,' one frustrated source told the Daily Mail, who warned Candace would use the meeting to serve her own interests rather than to make peace with the organization. The invitation was extended after days of public warfare between Erika, who appeared for a series of interviews to promote her late husband's book on the Sabbath published posthumously. Interviews about the book included multiple questions about the feud with Owens, prompting Erika to publicly plead for Owens to stop. 'When you go after my family, my Turning Point USA family, my Charlie Kirk Show family, when you go after the people that I love, and you're making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love because somehow they're in on this, no,' she said on Fox News last Wednesday. Erika's response was that the conspiracies fueled by Owens and her show were hurting the Turning Point community and hurting the case against Charlie Kirk's alleged killer Tyler Robinson. But Owens did not stop, challenging Erika directly for trying to silence her. On a CBS town hall meeting with Bari Weiss on Saturday, Erika Kirk was asked what she wanted from Owens. 'Stop. That's it. That's all I have to say. Stop,' she pleaded. Donald Trump Jr is engaged to Bettina Anderson after a whirlwind romance that began just over a year ago. The engagement was revealed by his father, President Donald Trump, during a Christmas White House reception on Monday night. After embracing his father, Trump Jr took to the microphone to tell attendees that he was at 'a loss for words.' 'I want to thank Bettina for that one word: yes!' he joked. The president's eldest son revealed he was unsure whether his new bride-to-be would actually accept his proposal as he got down on one knee. 'When you go down there, its like, youre gonna go, and youre trying to ask, and youre not sure what the answers gonna be. Its always a little bit rough. But she said yes, which is a big win for the end of the year.' The crowd at the White House then applauded and cheered as the 38-year-old Anderson spoke, first thanking the president and First Lady Melania Trump. 'Wow, what a privilege it is to be here at the White House, Mr President, thank you so much for hosting this incredible party, and to our First Lady, these decorations, am I right, aren't they unbelievable?' Donald Trump Jr (pictured right) has become engaged to Bettina Anderson (pictured left) in announcement presided over by his father (pictured center) at the White House Anderson looked elegant in a red, strapless gown as she beamed about her engagement. 'This has really been the most unforgettable weekend of my life, and I get to marry the love of my life, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!' President Trump then offered his future daughter-in-law a kiss and two words - 'good luck' - as the crowd applauded again. The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment. Don Jr, 47, began dating Anderson in spring 2024 and in September 2024, was caught locking lips with the Florida socialite. DailyMail.com exclusively obtained photos at the time that showed the two kissing during an intimate date at a Palm Beach restaurant. Afterwards, a source said Don Jr.'s dalliance with Bettina was an open secret in the ritzy Florida town, and that they were spotted enjoying each other's company frequently despite not having publicly split from ex-girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle. Then, in early December 2024, Don Jr. and Bettina were spotted enjoying a romantic night out together. Bettina said: 'This has really been the most unforgettable weekend of my life and I get to marry the love of my life and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!' The pair have appeared off and on throughout 2025, including at high profile events like the president's trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans The pair have appeared at high profile events, including the president's trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans and Trump's March address to Congress, throughout 2025. Sources told The Daily Mail that many began speculating wedding bells were near when Anderson took center stage at an official dinner held in honor of Saudi Arabia. MAGA insiders told the Daily Mail that Anderson's appearance in a dazzling Safiyaa teal caped gown set tongues wagging. 'Don is in love with Bettina,' one insider said, 'He is telling friends "This is the woman I love." 'His dad loves her. They all feel she is classy and has an impeccable fashion sense. 'Don brought her to the most high profile White House gala so proudly.' Anderson was photographed with Don Jr's half-sister Tiffany Trump, 32, and her husband Michael Boulos, 28. Tiffany and Michael married in 2022 at her father's Mar-a-Lago estate. Sources told The Daily Mailthat many began speculating wedding bells were near when Anderson took center stage at an official dinner held in honor of Saudi Arabia where she was photographed with Don Jr (pictured left), his sister Tiffany (pictured center right) and Tiffany's husband, Michael Boulous (pictured right) Bettina Anderson is pictured in a smart navy gown as she prepared to attend Tuesday's White House gala in honor of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Her presence at the dinner, which was also attended by First Lady Melania Trump, 55, indicates just how quickly Anderson has become part of the Trump inner circle. Anderson was born into one of Palm Beach's old-money banking families, the daughter of Palm Beach society couple Harry Loy Anderson Jr, a banker, and his wife Inger, an immigrant from Sweden. Best known as H. Loy, the elder Anderson became president of a small bank, Worth Avenue National Bank, in 1970 then went on to take over a slew of other financial institutions. Bettina's mother was a model at New York's Eileen Ford agency in the 1970s and 1980s who started an exercise regimen patterned after the era's guru, Jane Fonda. Through a network of old-time society members formed at the black-tie galas organized on the island of Palm Beach during the winter, H. Loy became the moneyed set's go-to banker. That put him in contact with people like Herbert 'Peter' Pulitzer, scion of the publishing fortune whose first marriage to Lilly Pulitzer planted the seeds of a clothing empire, and second marriage to Roxanne Pulitzer made him a household name in the early 1980s. Anderson was known to be Peter Pulitzer's best friend and stood by him during his divorce from Roxanne. With clients like Pulitzer and his presence on the boards of top Palm Beach charities like the American Red Cross, the Hanley-Hazelden Foundation, the YMCA, Holocaust Memorial Foundation, Leukemia Foundation and Boy Scouts of America, Bettina's dad was able to give his family a decadent, extravagant lifestyle while organizing parties where the guests of honor mingled with live elephants and pythons. The president and his eldest son were seen embracing before Don Jr shared his joy at his engagement to socialite Anderson, in a video posted to social media by Trump ally Laura Loomer Monday evening Bettina's parents had six children whose births were spread over 20 years, four girls and two boys. Bettina has a twin sister, Kristina. H. Loy died in 2006 of Alzheimer's, according to his obituary, after he famously turned to religion and became an elder in the local Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church. Bettina and her siblings were raised with the proverbial silver spoon and sent to the finest private schools that Palm Beach and the country had to offer. Don Jr was married to first wife Vanessa from 2005 to 2018 and they have five children. The pair appear to still be on good terms, as Vanessa attended a reception at the White House Sunday evening and was shouted out by President Trump. He dated Kimberly Guilfoyle, a Fox News host now serving as the president's ambassador to Greece, from 2018 to 2024. A divisive Texas pastor has sparked fury once again after telling young single women they must shed '20 to 30 pounds' to find a husband. Joel Webbon, a senior leader at Covenant Bible Church in Austin and the founder of Righteous Response Ministries, found himself in hot water over remarks he made earlier this month. During an episode of Righteous Response Ministries' livestream from December 3 titled 'Fertility, Beauty, & Submission,' he said: 'Here's the advice for young, single women who want to be married, and feel as though they are being passed over. 'The advice is, there are many things, many things that you can do, the chief thing of course being trusting the Lord, and making your desires of your heart known to the Lord in prayer. 'Say: God, I eagerly desire to be a wife and a mother, if it be your will, would you send me a husband? That's pivotal. 'Being in a good local church, where there are Godly men. Asking your father to help, talking to the elders to see if they might know of a single man who might be a compatible suitor. 'Here's another piece of advice, and people don't like it... lose 20 to 30 pounds.' The video prompted a mixed response, with some people praising Webbon for giving practical advice, while others called him an 'incel' who does not 'respect women'. Divisive Texas pastor Joel Webbon (pictured) has sparked fury once again after telling young single women they must shed '20 to 30 pounds' if they want to find a husband Joel Webbon, a senior pastor at Covenant Bible Church in Austin and the founder of Righteous Response Ministries, found himself in hot water over remarks he made earlier this month - which many viewed as sexist, vain and distasteful. However, some people leapt to his defense But in a subsequent interview with the Houston Chronicle, Webbon doubled down and said: 'The Bible teaches women that they should be modest, but it doesn't teach that they should be frumpy.' His comments sparked a barrage of criticism on social media platform X. 'You sir are despicable... your judging is unchristian,' one person wrote, while other women pledged to gain 30 pounds 'to keep men like this away'. But others leapt to Webbon's defense, saying: 'He's right'. 'Joel suggests trusting God and coming to Him in prayer... get yourself to a healthy weight... What exactly is the problem here?' one man agreed. Webbon has a long history of making remarks many have condemned as sexist. In June, he said women should not be able to vote. 'If we had a Christian nation and women could vote, then within 50 years we will no longer have a Christian nation,' Webbon said. Webbon previously said that he needs to approve every book his wife Megan, pictured, reads Webbon (pictured on the right), is a senior pastor at Covenant Bible Church in Austin and the founder of Righteous Response Ministries 'God has not designed women for warfare, and that's part of what politics is. It's really all that politics is; it's war without the blood.... 'I believe that the sword has been given to men. The sword iswithout being crude, I think this is a factit is a phallus. It is assigned by God to men.' Webbon compared women to five-year-old children, explaining that 'She is like a child in the way that God has appointed men to protect them. 'Women are not supposed to be leading the way, they're to be protected.' Webbon has gone viral several times thanks to his particular views, which he calls Christian nationalism, but which critics have deemed misogynistic and retrograde. In one viral clip, Webbon said he needs to approve every book his wife reads. 'There are certain books that I've just had to say, 'Hey, I don't know if this is a bad book, but I don't have time to read it, and so you're not going to read it either. We'll read it together,'' he said. 'I remember recently my wife had a book and I saw her reading it on the couch, and it was about paedobaptism (the practice of baptizing children or infants. And I said, 'No, we're not doing that yet. We will become paedobaptists when I'm ready.'' Webbon believes that wives should not have any knowledge that he does not yet have, because God forbids that wives teach their husbands anything. The pastor continued: 'But my wife's not going to be a paedobaptist for three years before I am, and I don't have time to read it right now. I know the arguments will be great. I will agree and disagree. 'I'm not sure which arguments are better, but for the time being, this is what I'm persuaded of and you're not going to outpace me.' According to Webbon, he is in charge of everything in his household, including when his children go to the bathroom. According to Webbon, he is in charge of everything in his household, including when his children go to the bathroom Webbon has said: 'I have four people in my life that I dictate the hours in their day. I dictate what time they go to the bathroom. When we eat, what we eat, what we wear. 'They are my children. Those are the people that I have almost limitless authority with,' he continued. Webbon also believes the United States should be ruled by a 'Caesar-type' Christian dictator who 'just rules with an iron fist' and forces everyone to, at least, 'pretend to be Christian', as he said in his podcast earlier this month. He said: 'I love the Constitution... I absolutely love it. If there was anything that I would do to the Constitution at allif revival swept through the land, or we got an American Cesar and he was Christian. 'One of the first things that I would advocate for is not even changing the Constitution, but simply adopting to the Constitution a preamble of the Apostles' Creed.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Webbon and the Bible Covenant Church for comment on this story. Covenant Bible Church claims it, 'exists to glorify God by making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all of the commandments of Jesus Christ'. Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found in bed with their throats cut and may have been asleep when they were murdered, a source close to the investigation claimed to the Daily Mail. The gruesome detail could help establish a timeline of the killings, for which the couple's 32-year-old troubled son Nick has been arrested. The Reiners died some time between Saturday evening when Nick was seen acting erratically and arguing loudly with his parents at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party and around 3.30pm on Sunday, when their daughter Romy called 911 after having discovered their bodies at the family's Los Angeles mansion. 'He could have done it not long after they all went home, meaning he went there and slit their throats in the middle of the night,' the source claimed. 'They were in bed when that happened.' One report on Showbiz 411 suggests Michele, 70, was still alive when she was found and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital after she had told first responders her son was the one who attacked them. The Los Angeles Police Department has not officially confirmed any details of where in the house the Reiners' bodies were found. But the claim that his parents were found dead in their bed could suggest a small mercy in the tragic incident: that they may have been killed in their sleep. Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele were allegedly found in their beds with their throats slit after their daughter Romy called 911, sources exclusively told the Daily Mail The couple's troubled son Nick Reiner, 32, has been arrested for their murders which allegedly occurred after a turbulent night of fighting at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party on Saturday The front of late-night host Conan O'Brien's mansion, the scene where Nick was reportedly acting erratically and locked in an intense argument with Rob and Michele during the party TMZ first reported that Reiner, 78, had a 'very loud argument' with his son at O'Brien's holiday bash on Saturday night, after which the legendary movie director and his wife left. One partygoer told People magazine that 'Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous'. Fears for the Reiners' safety were only raised when a masseuse arrived at their $13.5 million mansion in the Brentwood district of LA at 2pm the next day and no one answered the door, the Daily Mail previously revealed. Their 27-year-old daughter, Romy, who lives across the street, then reportedly investigated and called emergency services when she discovered the horrific scene. The LA Fire Department says first responders were called to the Reiner home around 3.30pm on Sunday and tried to render aid to the stabbed couple, to no avail. Nick, one of the Reiners' three children, had been living in the mansion's guest house, a source close to him told the Daily Mail. 'Nick had been living in their guesthouse, the same one he destroyed more than once, but it had been like a revolving door all his adult life,' the source said. 'He would do meth and not sleep for days and then have outbursts, breaking things, punching walls. 'He was a ticking time bomb. His drug use was getting worse and his parents wanted him out,' claimed the friend. Nick had been living in his parents' guesthouse for the past five years as he battled drug addiction, sources told the Daily Mail. Though he has spoken of living on the streets, he posted this image on social media in 2015 with the caveat: 'This is a set' Nick's sister Romy, who lived across the street from their parents, was the one who went to check on the house after no one had heard from Rob or Michele Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead at their $13.5 million six-bed Brentwood home The director's son was arrested at 9.15pm on Sunday night, booking records show. Bail on the murder charges was initially set at $4 million but this was later revoked Nick himself admitted to wrecking the guest house in a drug-fueled rage, in a 2018 interview on addiction podcast Dopey. I started with the TV and then I went over to the lamp and then [progressively], just everything in the guest house got wrecked, he told host David Manheim, adding that he was spun out on uppers like cocaine. After leaving the OBrien party, Nick allegedly checked into The Pierside Santa Monica hotel around 4am on Sunday. A witness told TMZ he appeared 'tweaked out, though with no signs of a confrontation. But when staff went to clean his room later that morning, the shower was 'full of blood, with blood stains on the bed and the bed sheets covering the windows, the source told TMZ. LAPD homicide detectives have investigated and interviewed hotel workers, the site reported. The director's son was then arrested at 9.15pm on Sunday night, according to his booking record. He was picked up about 15 miles away from the Brentwood home, near a Metro station and the University of Southern California campus, the LA Times reported. He is currently in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown LA and had been expected to appear in court on Tuesday. However, his attorney Alan Jackson said he had not been medically cleared to appear. It is customary for a defendant to be arraigned at their first court appearance, where they are advised of the charges against them, they are given the opportunity to enter a plea and bail can be discussed. Second Lady Usha Vance addressed the 'fever dreams' surrounding her marriage with Vice President JD Vance and talked about her relationship with First Lady Melania Trump in a rare interview. Usha Vance, 39, sat down with USA Today and was asked about 'Ring-gate' - specifically, how she was seen not wearing a wedding ring on multiple occasions recently. That stoked speculation that she and the vice president's marriage was on the rocks, especially after Vance's viral hug with Erika Kirk. 'I find that one of the really curious things about this life is that people really like to read the tea leaves, and there's a kind of industry building stories about everything they can imagine,' Usha said. As for her missing wedding ring, Usha shrugged it off. 'I wear it when I wear it, and I don't when I don't,' she said. 'Sometimes I'm wearing it and sometimes I've just been to the gym and showered and I'm not wearing it.' She told the paper that she and Vance, 41, 'do find it kind of funny' that people are talking about them so much. But the second lady said she doesn't 'find it fruitful' to track all the rumors. Usha Vance (right) embraces her husband, Vice President JD Vance (left), onstage at the Republican National Convention in July 2024, after he was selected to be President Donald Trump's running mate Second Lady Usha Vance waves to service members as she arrives at an event at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina last month, an event she attended alongside First Lady Melania Trump 'I'd rather just sort of live in my marriage and in the real world and less in kind of the fever dreams that surround it,' Usha said. 'So I mean, it is kind of a family joke, but also not something that I spend very much time thinking about.' However, the Second Lady admitted that there are things that she misses about her old life, being a lawyer and that she dreams of returning to the home that she and the vice president shared in Cincinnati, Ohio. 'There are things that I miss and things that I'm excited to have moved on from,' she told USA Today. The couple first met in their 20s when they were both students at Yale Law School. They married in 2014 and share three children who are 8, 5, and 3 years old. 'They have a full run of the place,' she told USA Today about moving into the vice presidential residence, which is part of the Naval Observatory off of D.C.'s embassy row. When there are late-night parties, 'they come down, take a look, they run back up. They're really good sleepers, so they're not particularly bothered by any of it.' She revealed that the vice president is the baker in the family, making chocolate chip cookies for their Secret Service detail on Thanksgiving and he and daughter Mirabel put together a tiramisu for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit. The Vances' social secretary dubbed the recipe 'Miramisu.' Usha Vance also talked about what it's been like to work alongside Melania Trump. Second Lady Usha Vance (left) sits next to First Lady Melania Trump at President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance's inauguration in January Second Lady Usha Vance (left) and First Lady Melania Trump (right) attend an American Red Cross holiday event with military spouses at Joint Base Andrews earlier this month 'We really get along pretty well,' the 39-year-old lawyer said. 'I've enjoyed traveling with her a little bit and talking to her about things like raising kids in this kind of crazy life, about our interests and hobbies and that sort of thing.' 'And, you know, we're different people, but different people who can enjoy having conversation together. So that's been a really nice part of this experience,' Usha Vance said. In recent weeks, the first and second ladies have been holding events for military families amid the holiday season. It harkened back to the partnership formed between First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden when they would appear together as part of Obama's and then Biden's military families initiative, 'Joining Forces.' Usha Vance told USA Today that her main area of focus as second lady would be literacy. Melania Trump has dedicated time to combat cyberbullying and revenge porn, while also trying to get Ukrainian children reunited with their families. She's also pushed to make emerging tech fields like artificial intelligence youth-friendly. During a holiday party last week, Melania Trump teased she would back another piece of legislation, asking lawmakers in the audience, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, for their support. She previously lobbied for passage of the Take It Down Act, a bill centered on revenge porn, including that made with deepfakes. Vice President JD Vance (center), Usha Vance (right) and their daughter Mirabel (left) attend last month's turkey pardoning at the White House. They are photographed with Gobble the turkey Second Lady Usha Vance (left) and First Lady Melania Trump (right) wave to reporters before departing for North Carolina for a military families event 'She is very, very focused on doing things her way, and I think very effectively,' Usha Vance said of the first lady. Melania Trump puts 'all of her energy' into every project, Usha Vance continued. 'And each one I think has been quite successful.' 'She's getting things done, step by step, very methodically. And so that is an inspiration for what I try to do in areas that are a bit different from what she's focused on,' the second lady continued. Before the interview wrapped, Usha Vance was asked if she'd like to be promoted to first lady. 'I like the job that I have right now,' she replied. The world's richest tech tycoons are now worth more than the economies of most countries, it can be revealed after the MI6 boss told of her fears over their power. Tesla boss Elon Musk has a net worth of $676billion which puts him above all but 24 nations in the world - and close to Argentina's gross domestic product of $684billion. Musk's value is now greater than the economies of 187 countries including Sweden ($620billion), Ireland ($594billion), Singapore ($565billion) and Austria ($534billion). The data comes as Blaise Metreweli said Britain faces a new frontier of information warfare where algorithms and tech bosses will become more powerful than states. The new head of the MI6 spy agency suggested this week that information is being 'weaponised' by tech bosses as well as hostile states, algorithms and corporations. As states race for tech supremacy, she predicted some algorithms will 'become as powerful as states', suggesting data tracking and filtering could 'become a new vector for conflict and control', while tech bosses become ever-more powerful. Musk's wealth comes primarily from his ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX and he became the first ever person worth $500billion in October, according to Forbes. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and dropping out of Stanford University, Musk banked his first millions when he sold an online publishing software company to US computer maker Compaq for more than $300million in 1999. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk is the world's richest man with a net worth of $676billion Musk's wealth puts him roughly in line with Argentina's $684bn GDP (Pictured: Buenos Aires) Google co-founders Sergey Brin (left), worth $234billion; and Larry Page, worth $253billion His next company eventually merged with PayPal and he then founded space rocket company SpaceX in 2002 and became the chairman of electric carmaker Tesla in 2004. Then in 2022 he acquired the social media network Twitter, now called X. The entrepreneur is significantly ahead of Google co-founder Larry Page who is the publication's second richest real-time billionaire with a net worth of $253billion. Net worth of top ten richest tech billionaires Elon Musk: $674.1bn Larry Page: $251.7bn Larry Ellison: $238bn Jeff Bezos: $235.6bn Sergey Brin: $232.3bn Mark Zuckerberg: $222.6bn Jensen Huang: $152.4bn Steve Ballmer: $144.4bn Michael Dell: $141.3bn Bill Gates: $103.9bn Data from The Real-Time Billionaires List compiled by Forbes Advertisement Page's wealth puts him just above the economies of New Zealand ($249billion) and Hungary ($237billion). In third place is Oracle founder Larry Ellison on $235billion. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is just behind on roughly the same, with Page's fellow Google co-founder Sergey Brin in fifth on $234billion - in line with Qatar's GDP. The next richest bosses are Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg on $223billion, Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang on $153billion and Microsoft's Steve Ballmer at $144billion. Completing the top ten are Dell Technologies chairman Michael Dell at $141billion and Microsoft's Bill Gates, who has given away much of his wealth, at $104billion. The wealth data was compiled from the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires tracker index and compared to GDP data published by the World Population Review website. On Monday, Ms Metreweli warned of the battle ahead for truth and trust saying we need to ensure our children 'don't get duped by information manipulation' and algorithms that trigger fear. She said: 'Power itself is becoming more diffuse, more unpredictable as control over these technologies is shifting from states to corporations and sometimes to individuals. 'The foundations of trust in our societies are eroding. Information, once a unifiying force, is increasingly weaponised. Falsehood spreads faster than fact, dividing communities and distorting reality. Oracle founder Larry Ellison has a net worth of $235billion, according to Forbes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, pictured with his wife Lauren Sanchez, has a worth of $236billion Blaise Metreweli, the new head of MI6, makes her first public speech in London on Monday 'The algorithms flatter our biases and fracture our public squares. As trust collapses, so does our shared sense of truth - one of the greatest losses a society can suffer.' She added: 'Our world is more dangerous and contested now than for decades. 'We are being contested from sea to space, from the battleground to the boardroom, and even our brains as disinformation manipulates our understanding of each other and ourselves.' Ms Metreweli was previously MI6's head of technology, known as 'Q', and much of her speech focused on the peril posed by technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum computing. It meant power was becoming more diffuse and unpredictable, shifting from states to corporations, and sometimes to individuals, she said. 'AI-powered robots and drones are brilliant for scaled manufacturing but devastating on the battlefield. Discoveries that cure disease can also create new weapons,' she added. 'And as states race for tech supremacy, or as some algorithms become as powerful as states, those hyper-personalised tools could become a new vector for conflict and control.' Faced with these challenges, she said MI6 would take on a more active, operational role, 'hustling to make things happen'. 'We will take calculated risks, where the prize is significant and the national interest clear,' she said. 'We will never stoop to the tactics of our opponents. But we must seek to outplay them.' A privileged solicitor has sparked outrage after boasting about hosting a themed 'council estate dinner' party - complete with Fray Bentos pies, turkey dinosaurs and spam fritters. Sophie Murgatroyd was branded 'tone deaf' and 'insensitive' after sharing details of the meal on social media, where she wrote: 'I love cooking for my friends the theme of tonight's meal was 'council estate dinner'. The lawyer, 35, who lives near affluent Knutsford in Cheshire, and once told how she was given her first horse at the age of three, also served up chicken dippers, potato waffles, crispy pancakes, smiley faces, baked beans and oven chips. Dessert was left to her guests and included Viennetta ice cream, spotted dick with custard and ginger cake - with drinks of Sunny Delight and Buck's fizz. Ms Murgatroyd, who describes herself as running 'a different kind of law firm', posted an image of the get-together on LinkedIn. Inviting comment, the equine lawyer asked: 'Do you think we missed anything? A classic?' along with the hashtag: 'I need a Rennie'. But she subsequently deleted the post after a backlash from followers, who branded the theme 'derogatory' and 'very unkind'. One described it as a 'pretty tasteless post - and I am not talking about the food'. Sophie Murgatroyd (pictured) was branded 'tone deaf' and 'insensitive' after sharing details of the meal on social media, where she wrote: 'I love cooking for my friends the theme of tonight's meal was "council estate dinner"' The lawyer served up chicken dippers, potato waffles, crispy pancakes, smiley faces, baked beans and oven chips. She is pictured with her guests at the dinner Inviting comment, the equine lawyer asked in a LinkedIn post: 'Do you think we missed anything? A classic?' along with the hashtag: 'I need a Rennie' Beverley Borkowski, chief people officer at a care homes group, remarked: 'This is tone deaf. It's 80's tea-time classic at best, no need for the label.' 'Council estate meals sounds so demeaning to people living there,' wrote mental health assessor Rose-Marie Macintyre. 'Some people who have mortgages cant even afford those foods,' she added. Actuary Richard Shaw added: 'I think you will find the food you describe is not unique to any one social demographic. 'Rather insulting to those families who provide healthy meals for their children.' Ms Murgatroyd qualified as a solicitor in 2017 and runs her own firm Law by Sophie, while also working as a make-up artist. Her privileged upbringing appears to have offered little in the way of first-hand experience of life on a council estate. Ms Murgatroyd grew up on her parents' farm near Harrogate, North Yorks, and was given her first horse, called Twinkle, aged three. Ms Murgatroyd grew up on her parents' farm near Harrogate, North Yorks, and was given her first horse, called Twinkle, aged three 'I cannot live without horses and while my Cheshire friends are very kind and let me ride gorgeous horses... it will be fantastic to have horses living with me once again,' she previously said in an interview In an interview with lifestyle magazine Cheshire Life in 2018, she told how making sure there was room for her horses was a priority when house hunting. She said: 'Yes, the house could have been an absolute palace but if it didn't have room for stables, then it just didn't cut the mustard. 'I cannot live without horses and while my Cheshire friends are very kind and let me ride gorgeous horses... it will be fantastic to have horses living with me once again.' Her website meanwhile states: 'Sophie certainly does things differently and isn't afraid to speak her mind. She has gained a large social media following and you will often see her discussing important subjects in the hope of achieving awareness and change. 'In particular, she is very passionate about changing the archaic nature of the legal system and law firms generally.' Ms Murgatroyd's legal colleagues were equally scathing on industry blog Roll On Friday, which first reported her dinner party post. 'Unbelievably out of touch and an embarrassment to the profession,' wrote one. Another said: 'Poshos mocking working class people who actually have to work for a living and not just being given a load of horses as a kid.' Ms Murgatroyd said she 'very much disputes' the post was insensitive, when approached by the Daily Mail Another described the lawyer as an 'entitled and clueless little madam'. When approached by the Daily Mail, Ms Murgatroyd hit back and denied that the post was offensive. She said: 'I very much dispute that it is insensitive. 'The people that I was with, having grown up on a council estate, also didn't find it insensitive at all. It's not about where you come from, it's about spending time with quality people and that's what I do. 'It doesn't matter where I'm from or what food I eat. In the same way that I would have Mexican food last week and I'm not Mexican. If people want to shop at a farm shop, I don't take offence because they didn't grow up on a farm. 'I don't find it offensive and I'm sorry if that causes controversy.' Asked why she had deleted the post, she added: 'Because I don't have the time to respond to everybody. If people are told that it's insensitive, then they are going to say "yeah, it is insensitive". 'Well, I don't think it is, and it certainly wasn't meant to be insensitive. 'But it certainly wasn't deleted because I think it was insensitive, it wasn't at all.' Rob and Michele Reiner's son Nick was a deeply troubled child who needed physical restraint for his rages from a young age, according to a family friend who has known the 32-year-old all his life. Nick Reiner, who on Sunday was arrested on suspicion of fatally stabbing his parents, has spoken publicly of his addictions to cocaine, heroin and meth; his homelessness; and of being in and out of rehab from the age of 15. But the family friend told the Daily Mail that Nick's issues began well before his teenage years, and sadly suggested that Reiner, 78, and Michele, 70, 'babied' their son to the frustration of his siblings Romy, 27, and Jake, 34. The friend has spoken in the last 24 hours to Jake, a former journalist turned filmmaker, and said that he was 'beyond himself' with grief. But Nick's uncontrollable anger was not new, the friend added. 'A lot of their fights had to do with him just doing something self-destructive, and fighting back when they tried to help him,' the friend said. 'It did get physical sometimes I'm not talking punches, but restraining him. 'I was over there, it must have been early 2000s because he was about 11, and he was throwing the biggest tantrum, and Reiner just had him in a bear hug to restrain him. 'The tantrum was over nothing, but he had so much anger in his eyes. It was terrifying really. And this happened a lot, and he never outgrew it. He had tantrums in his 20s.' Nick Reiner pictured in 2013 in rehab Rob Reiner is seen with son Nick in May 2016, at an event to celebrate their film Being Charlie The family friend added that Nick was frequently at the Reiners' Brentwood home, which they purchased for $4.75 million in 1991 from the director's mentor, famed TV producer Norman Lear. The storied six-bed mansion, which Reiner described as his dream house, was first built for Oscar-winner Henry Fonda in 1936, and then sold to Casablanca actor Paul Henreid. Nick would be an unpleasant presence at the home, 'constantly smelling of weed and sweat,' the friend said. 'He was a mess. I was over one time, this had to be two or three years ago, and he came into the kitchen, clearly high on something, grabbed some stuff from the fridge and went back to his room, which was on the property. 'I said hello, and he just grunted. Michele said, "Aren't you going to be more polite?" - and he just grunted again and walked out. They had no control over him, when he was young, or when he got older. He was always rude.' Reiner, whose reputation was cemented by films such as the 1987's The Princess Bride and the 1989 classic When Harry Met Sally, tried to help his son through his own Hollywood clout. In 2015 the pair worked together on Being Charlie, a thinly disguised autobiographical tale in which a successful actor running for governor struggles to deal with his drug-addicted son. Reiner directed the film, and Nick co-wrote the screenplay with a friend he had met in rehab. In interviews, the father-son pair spoke positively about the experience, with Reiner saying it had brought them closer and helped heal old wounds. The Reiner family home in Los Angeles was purchased for $4.75 million in 1991 Rob and Michele pictured in 2013 at a movie premiere in New York City The final family photo: from left, Reiner, Michele, Romy, Nick, Jake's partner Maria Gilfillan and Jake (September 9 in Los Angeles) Yet one of the cast members, Erik Aude, 45, told the Daily Mail he found the pair's dynamic troubling. 'They were fighting and arguing with each other while they were on set,' said Aude, whose scenes were ultimately cut from the film. 'They were kissing each other on the lips, which was weird. 'They were bickering and going off on each other on set. It wasn't comfortable. There was definitely hostility there.' Reiner and his son did not shy away from 'showing their dirty laundry' in front of cast and crew members, Aude said. He detailed one alleged incident where Nick was 'sitting on a couch' and Reiner was 'standing over the couch, and they were just bickering back and forth'. Aude explained: 'The way couples would fight in front of people, they just don't care anymore about showing their dirty laundry, if that makes sense. That's the way the dad and the son worked.' The family friend said Aude's recollections were typical. 'Nick said horrible things to his father, but he would defend him to the death with anyone else,' the friend said. 'And Rob and Michele were so protective of all their kids, but especially Nick. He was the one who gave them the most trouble. There were a lot of sleepless nights because of him. The drug use, the mental spirals. He was unwell a lot of the time, and they were doing whatever they could to hold it together for him. To anchor him. He just had so many problems; he was so troubled. And they loved him dearly.' Their intense focus on Nick irritated his siblings, Romy and Jake, the friend said. Reiner also had an older adopted daughter, Tracy Reiner, 61, from his first marriage to her mother, actor and director Penny Marshall. The family seen together in April 2014, at a gala honoring Reiner The moment that Nick is arrested in Santa Monica, after fleeing to a motel following the murder of his parents 'The other siblings resented him because who got the most attention? Nick. Who took all their energy? Nick. And who did they baby the most? Nick. 'Rob was very much a "stand on your own" type of father - except when it came to Nick. He saw him as having an illness, a sickness, and babied him because of it. 'But the other kids were so good. They loved their parents dearly, they loved Nick. He was just the one who drove them to the edge.' And the friend said that, with hindsight, Reiner and Michele should have been tougher on their wayward son. 'They wanted him to be happy and at peace, and they probably didn't have the tough love that they needed all the time,' the friend said. 'But it was hard. He'd relapse and they'd give him a place to say. He'd move out and then back in. They never got rid of anything, because he'd leave, and then they knew he'd come back. Either when he ran out of money or when things just got too tough out there. He'd be back.' Nick Reiner confessed to stealing $200 from his Hollywood parents to lose his virginity to a prostitute during a jaw-dropping resurfaced interview. The troubled son of famed director and producer Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele, 70 - who were both found dead in their Los Angeles mansion on Sunday - was arrested in connection with their murders. But roughly eight years before the 32-year-old screenwriter allegedly slayed his parents, he admitted to using their money for the sleazy encounter when he was just a teenager. In a 2017 episode of the Dopey podcast, which covered drug addiction, Nick said he was scrolling through Craigslist profiles when he came across one featuring just an 'a** shot.' He told hosts David Manheim and Chris O'Connor, who has since died: 'Thats the only thing, that was her profile picture - and it had a number.' Nick, who had already been grappling with addiction, explained that someone he had met at an outpatient rehab facility told him that he would be able to find sex workers online. 'I think I was watching Tom and Jerry or something, and I went over to my computer, got this woman's number,' he said at the time. 'I called her up - I was about 14 or something - and her going rate was about $200.' Nick Reiner confessed to stealing $200 from his parents, famed director Rob Reiner (right), 78, and his wife, Michele (left), 70, to pay for a prostitute Nick Reiner (second from left) has a history of substance abuse. (Pictured: The Reiner family out to dinner) Nick was arrested on Sunday night from a motel near the Santa Monica pier 'This is the part of the story that I dont usually tell, but Ill tell it anyway. I got $200 from my parents,' he added. Nick said he knew where they kept their money and took it without them noticing at about 1 am. 'I didn't say, "Hey, look, I'm going to be with a hooker tonight, do you have an extra $200?"' After he secured the stolen funds, Nick said the woman arrived at his house before detailing his first time. 'I didn't know how it works, so I tried to kiss her - she didn't want that,' he told the seemingly intrigued hosts. 'She was not a good-looking chick, I'll just say that. I didn't care because I was young and I was like, "This is awesome."' At the conclusion of what Nick described as a very brief bout of intercourse, he said he 'kind felt like s**t' but also thought it was 'awesome.' The sex worker had left shortly after, but Nick said he called her back when he realized he had more money on him, and she returned. Nick made the jarring confession about losing his virginity on the Dopey podcast more than eight years ago Reiner (left) was found dead alongside his wife on Sunday. Nick (right), their son, was arrested for their murder The couple was killed inside their mansion in Brentwood, a ritzy neighborhood in Los Angeles 'I never asked her her name, I never really got into any specifics of anything,' he continued. 'But somewhere along the way, when I tell this, somebody dubbed her as "Cherry Red," so that's what I go by.' Adding to the shocking incident, Nick said he ate a marijuana-infused chocolate bar and was 'extremely blazed' throughout the ordeal. 'But I still would've done it if I were sober, I think,' he asserted. Nick, who lived in his parents' guest house, was arrested for allegedly fatally stabbing them in their bed on Sunday night after he checked into a motel close to Santa Monica's famous pier. Police reportedly raided the hotel room and found a shower 'full of blood,' blood all over the bed and the windows blacked out with the bedsheets. TMZ reported that Reiner had a 'very loud argument' with his son at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party on Saturday night. Romy Reiner (left ) made the grim discovery of her parent's dead bodies. Nick (right) was arrested later that day Pictured: Flowers placed around Rob Reiner's Hollywood star Witnesses recalled that Nick, who has a damning track record of alleged violence and substance abuse, was acting erratically at the bash. Rob and Michele's daughter, Romy, 27, who lives across the street from their home in LA's ritzy Brentwood neighborhood, made the grim discovery of their dead bodies the following afternoon. Nick is currently in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown LA without bail. His first court hearing was set for Tuesday morning at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, but was delayed because he was not medically cleared to be transferred from the jail to the courthouse, according to his lawyer Alan Jackson. Bondi Beach gunman Sajid Akram transferred his million-dollar home to his wife, which will prevent the families of his victims from receiving compensation from his estate. The transfer in ownership means Akram's widow Venera will not lose her Bonnyrigg home, in south-west Sydney, if the victims of the terrorist attack launch legal action. The 50-year-old put the property solely in his wife's name almost two years before he and son Naveed, 24, allegedly killed 15 innocent people and wounded more than 40 others on Sunday night. Criminal lawyer Sam Macedone said victims could apply for compensation through the NSW government-funded Victims Support Scheme and separately sue the killer's estate for damages. 'But if he has moved everything into his wife's name and his estate has no assets, then anyone suing him or his estate will get nothing,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'It is the final insult to the victims. 'He has done this on the basis that if anything happens to him and people sue, they cannot take his wife's house.' Former Counter-Terrorism Minister David Elliott said the transfer of ownership in February last year showed the attack was premeditated. Alleged Bondi Beach terrorist Sajid Akram transferred sole ownership of his house in Bonnyrigg (pictured) to his wife Venera, a move that will deny victims compensation Footage of Sajid Akram (pictured) during the Bondi Beach attack that targeted Jews attending a Hanukkah celebration 'This clearly proves in my mind he has been planning this for a long time,' he said. 'It would be a safe assumption for him to think that his assets were going to be seized by the state or victims of the crime he was about to commit.' Sajid and Venera bought the renovated home on Brown Road in August 2016 for $700,000. The home was advertised as 'designed to provide effortless family living and entertaining' and featured an outdoor entertaining area overlooking the saltwater swimming pool. In February 2024, they transferred the property into Venera's sole ownership for $477,500. The three bedroom, one bathroom house is currently estimated to be worth up to $1.1million. Sajid and his son rented an Airbnb in Campsie before allegedly heading out for their killing spree. Venera said she thought her husband and son had gone fishing in Jervis Bay. The house in Bonnyrigg (pictured) is estimated to be worth around $1million and features an outdoor entertaining area overlooking the saltwater swimming pool Mourners console each other following the horrific shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday The father and son arrived at Bondi Beach in a silver car, and got out with rifles and extra ammunition around their waists just before 6.40pm on Sunday. Standing on a bridge towards the north end of the beach, they allegedly started shooting at crowds of Jewish people celebrating the first day of Hanukkah - killing 15 people, and injuring 42. Sajid was shot dead by police, while his son was taken to hospital with bullet wounds for emergency surgery. He regained consciousness on Tuesday night after being in a coma for 48 hours. It has also been revealed the father and son had visited the Philippines just weeks before the attack, sparking concerns they were following the path of Islamist extremists. Nick Reiner will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder. If convicted, the 32-year-old could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said no decision has been made on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty. 'He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous weapon, that being a knife,' Hochman said. The latest announcement comes two days after Nick's parents, famed director Rob Reiner and his photographer wife Michele, were found savagely murdered with their throats slit in their $13.5 million Los Angeles mansion on Sunday. Nick was arrested in connection with their deaths later that day, and dramatic arrest video captured the moment cops swooped in to arrest him at a busy intersection in the downtown area of the city, about 15 miles from the family's Brentwood home. He was arrested without incident Sunday evening, and there was no indication that he would resist or flee, Los Angeles deputy police chief Alan Hamilton said. Reiner, 78, had a 'very loud argument' with his son at a Christmas party hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien on Saturday - just hours before the double murder, TMZ previously reported. Nick Reiner, seen in September, has been formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said no decision has been made on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty. If convicted, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or be sentenced to death Several witnesses told the outlet Nick, who has a track record of alleged violence and substance abuse, was acting erratically at the bash. Reiner reportedly brought the 32-year-old, who lived on his parents' property, to O'Brien's holiday party to 'keep an eye on him.' Guests at the A-list packed holiday party alleged that Nick displayed 'antisocial behavior,' including staring at attendees. At the party, sources also told People that he was 'acting crazy', and 'kept asking people if they were famous.' Romy Reiner, 27, the late couple's youngest child, who lives across the street from them, was the one who discovered her parents' lifeless bodies the following afternoon. Her brother Nick, the couple's middle child, was arrested on Sunday night for allegedly fatally stabbing them in their bed. Police were able to locate him after he checked into a motel close to Santa Monica's famous pier. During a raid of his room, authorities reportedly found a shower 'full of blood,' more blood all over the bed, and the windows blacked out with bedsheets. Michele and Reiner, seen with their children, Jake, Romy and Nick in 2014, were found savagely murdered with their throats slit in their $13.5 million Los Angeles mansion on Sunday The LAPD said he was found with 'good, solid police work', with arrest logs showing he was taken in around six hours after the first 911 call was made Sunday afternoon. A witness earlier told the Daily Mail how they saw five unmarked police cars surround Nick, who appeared to remain calm as armed homicide officers and US Marshals approached and slammed him to the ground. Police said Nick was taken into custody 'without issue', with no indication he was going to resist or flee, before being moved to a police station for questioning. 'He didn't see them coming,' bystander Kevin Cheatham, 34, told the Daily Mail, adding that Nick appeared to remain 'cool' and calm. Cheatham said he was standing across the street at the intersection of Exposition Boulevard and Vermont Avenue on Sunday when he saw a 'normal looking guy' wearing a backpack, jacket, beanie, and blue walking by himself. He said he noticed the man walking across the sidewalk alone when cops arrived, and kept watching while police and a K9 unit arrived at the scene 30 minutes later. Reiner is pictured with his son Nick (right), who has now been arrested in connection with the deaths of his parents It is unclear whether Nick took the metro or a taxi to the area from the Pierside Hotel in Santa Monica, where staff reportedly discovered a shower 'full of blood', blood all over the bed, and the windows blacked out with bedsheets. But Cheatham claims Nick had been on the move, 'going westbound on Exposition on foot' when police pulled up on him. 'I'm assuming they caught him surprised. He wasn't attacked, he was approached. He was minding his own business,' the witness said. Nick had been living in the guest house of his parents' mansion, a source close to him told the Daily Mail. 'It had been like a revolving door all his adult life,' the source claimed. 'He would do meth and not sleep for days and then have outbursts, breaking things, punching walls. He was a ticking time bomb. His drug use was getting worse and his parents wanted him out.' Nick is currently being held in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles, where his bail was initially set at $4 million before being rescinded. Shocked relatives of Sajid Akram in India say he failed to return home after his father died, as new details emerge about the Bondi gunman. The 50-year-old and his son Naveed, 24, allegedly shot at crowds of Jewish people celebrating the first day of Hanukkah, killing 15 people and injuring 42. Sajid, who was born in the southern Indian state of Telangana, was shot dead by police, while his son was taken to hospital where he remains under police guard. On Tuesday, local police issued a statement revealing new details bout Sajid Akram. 'The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation,' it said. 'The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana.' The account Akram's family gave to police in Telangana suggested Sajid was estranged from his relatives and failed to return when his father died. He earned a degree in commerce in Hyderabad, the state capital, before moving to Australia in November 1998, as reported by Reuters. Sajid Akram is pictured at the scene of the Bondi shooting on Sunday Naveed, 24, is pictured on the footbridge at Bondi Beach The father and son allegedly killed 15 people, and injured 42 He married Venera Grosso, described in the statement as a 'European origin woman', with whom he had Naveed and a daughter - both of whom are Australian citizens. 'As per information available from his relatives in India, Sajid Akram had limited contact with his family in Hyderabad over the past 27 years,' the statement continued. 'He visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and visits to his elderly parents. 'It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father's demise.' His family lives in 'Zehra Cottage' in the Al Hasnath colony of Hyderabad's Tolichowki area, a middle-class Muslim neighbourhood. A neighbour, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said they had never spoken to the family. 'We heard he (the brother) is a doctor,' they said. 'This is a silent and peaceful colony. 'We have never interacted with them or the family. No one in the colony has any criminal history or has attracted police attention before.' Australian investigations into the terrorist attack are ongoing NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said they expect to charge Naveed today Telangana police said Akram had 'no adverse record' during his life in India before leaving in 1998. Australian investigators are probing the pair's alleged links to Islamic extremism after two homemade IS flags were found in a car registered to Naveed at the scene. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed earlier this week that Naveed was previously known to ASIO. ASIO investigated Naveed in 2019 over alleged links to a Sydney-based IS cell. Albanese said the six-month probe found 'no evidence' that Naveed or his father had been radicalised. Sajid, a small business owner, held a gun licence for recreational hunting and belonged to a gun club. Police seized six firearms after the shooting. On Wednesday, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told ABC Radio Sydney that officers expect to charge Naveed later today. 'He only woke up from a coma yesterday afternoon our investigators have had to wait for the effects for medication and for him to obtain a legal advisor,' he said. 'I expect that we'll speak to him today.' An Australian man has died in Thailand after running into a glass door. Police were called to Cappadocia Turkish Restaurant in Karon, Phuket, about 10.30pm on December 11, following reports of a disturbance involving a foreigner. Officers arrived at the scene to find the business' glass door shattered and a large pool of blood on the floor. The Australian had already been rushed to Chalong Hospital, where he later died from severe blood loss due to a deep cut on his right leg. Officers reviewed CCTV footage from inside the restaurant, which showed the Australian had entered alone and sat at a table. His odd behaviour caused several nearby diners to move away from him. The man appeared disorientated and repeatedly nodded his head before suddenly standing and running to the glass door, while yelling. Staff jumped as the man hit the glass pane and screamed. An Australian man died after running into the glass door of a restaurant in Phuket (pictured, diners and staff jumping to help the man as he sprinted towards the door) Thai police found a large amount of blood at the scene (pictured) The Australian died after suffering severe blood loss from a deep wound to his leg (pictured, the shattered door) The Australian man was taken to Chalong Hospital, where he later died from his injuries (pictured) The impact of the collision shattered the glass door and the Australian collapsed outside the restaurant. The Thai investigation into the man's death is underway. It is not known if his family have been informed of his death. Daily Mail has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs for comment. President Donald Trump marked the third night of Hanukkah by celebrating at the White House with conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer and other, less controversial, allies in the Jewish community. 'I will always be a friend and a champion to the Jewish people,' he told a crowd gathered in the White House's East Room. Despite it being billed as a festive affair, Trump took a whack at some of his political nemeses. Trump twice told a story to the crowd about how the strongest lobby in Washington was previously the Jewish or pro-Israel lobby. 'That's no longer true. You have to be very careful. You have a Congress, in particular, which is becoming antisemitic,' he said. 'You have AOC plus three,' he continued, referencing Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the original makeup of 'the squad,' a quartet of female progressive members of color who were elected during Trump's first term. 'Ilhan Omar, she hates Jewish people,' the president then said. He's heightened his rhetoric against the Minnesota Democrat, a Muslim who was born in Somalia, mocking her 'little turban' during his campaign-like speech in Pennsylvania last week, and pushing the rumor that she married her brother to help him get immigration status in the U.S. President Donald Trump said at Tuesday night's Hanukkah reception that Representative Ilhan Omar 'hates Jewish people,' again hitting the Minnesota Democrat after a nasty attack on her last week in Pennsylvania Laura Loomer (left), a conspiracy theorist who has become an influential adviser of President Donald Trump outside of government, was invited to Tuesday night's Hanukkah reception at the White House When Omar first came to Congress in 2019, she was forced to apologize after using Jewish stereotypes in remarks about Republican support for Israel. In recent years, she's spoken out against Israel's killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, with a number of her Democratic colleagues joining the choir. On Tuesday night, several Jewish Democratic lawmakers joined Trump in the crowd, including Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz. Trump started the event by paying tribute to the victims in the Bondi Beach antisemitic attack. 'Let me take a moment to send the love and prayers to the entire nation, the people of Australia, and especially all those affected by the horrific and antisemitic terrorist attack, and that's exactly what it is - antisemitic,' Trump said. He then had a lovefest with those in the room. Trump pulled onstage radio personalities Mark Levin and Sid Rosenberg and later Miriam Adelson, the widow of the late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, giving her a smooch as she walked to the podium to give remarks. Adelson told Trump that lawyer Alan Dershowitz told her it's legally possible for the president to run for another four years. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution says that a president can only be elected twice. Join the debate How do you feel about political leaders using religious celebrations to criticize their opponents? President Donald Trump has repeatedly gone after Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, who is Muslim and was born in Somalia. Last week he mocked her 'little turban' at a rally-like event in Pennsylvania Mirian Adelson (right) told President Donald Trump (left) that lawyer Alan Dershowitz told her it's legally possible for Trump to run for another term and encouraged him to do so. 'Think about it,' she said. 'She said, "Think about it, I'll give you another $250 million," Trump replied 'So, we can do it,' Adelson told Trump, telling the president to 'think about it.' 'She said, "Think about it, I'll give you another $250 million,"' Trump said, laughing. Adelson gave Trump more than $100 million of her fortune in 2024. Trump lauded Representative Ronny Jackson, his former White House doctor, claiming Jackson rated Trump healthier than Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. 'If he didn't say that, I would have never talked to him again,' the president joked. In another snub to Biden, the White House menorah, made from wood from the residence that was removed during President Harry Truman's renovation, wasn't utilized this year. The Biden administration made history in 2022 by adding a White House menorah to the permanent collection. Not surprisingly, the menorah on display Tuesday night in the East Room was bigger and more golden. A menorah was added to the White House's permanent collection for the first time under Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022. The wood came from the White House and was removed during renovations under President Harry Truman President Donald Trump opted to use a menorah that was larger and more golden for this year's Hannukah celebrations, having Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (second from right) help with the lighting on Tuesday's event marking the third night The president walked offstage before the menorah lighting, watching the process from the East Room's floor. He had made another pitch for his ballroom to the audience, as the project is now under legal threat. 'We're donating a $400 million ballroom and we're being sued,' Trump complained, prematurely claiming that the case is over. But he also confessed that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which initiated the lawsuit, had company in wanting construction to stop. 'And my wife is being driven crazy,' Trump said. 'She said this is not what I had in mind. The first day she was great. ... Second day she was OK. Third day she wasn't thrilled, but after that it's been brutal.' As the press left the White House after the reception, loud pounding could be heard from the East Wing construction site. Donald Trump has declared the Venezuelan regime a foreign terrorist organization and ordered 'a total and complete blockade' of sanctioned oil tankers headed to and from the country. The president's drone strike campaign against drug boats in the region has killed 95 people to date but Trump is now going a step further in his campaign against dictator Nicolas Maduro, whom he previously told to flee the country. 'Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,' he said. Trump said that Maduro - whom he once again called 'illegitimate' - must give the United States the oil, land and other assets stolen by Venezuela. He accused him of using stolen oil to finance narco-terrorism, human trafficking, murder, kidnapping and self-enrichment. 'For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,' he said. 'Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela. The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace.' In a sharp escalation last week, US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration has accused of smuggling illicit crude. Donald Trump has declared Venezuelan leadership a foreign terrorist organization and ordered 'a total and complete blockade' of sanctioned oil tankers headed to and from the country The president's drone strike campaign against drug boats in the region has killed 95 people to date but Trump is now going a step further in his campaign against dictator Nicolas Maduro (pictured) Trump demanded Maduro's 'hostile regime' return American assets 'IMMEDIATELY.' Trump has accompanied the strikes with a massive military buildup in the Caribbean that includes the world's largest aircraft carrier and a slew of other warships, while a string of US military aircraft have flown along Venezuela's coast in recent weeks. While Trump and his administration say the target of the military buildup is drug-trafficking, Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro accuses Washington of using narcotics smuggling as a pretext for regime change in Caracas. The United States has sought to link the two issues, accusing Maduro of leading the alleged 'Cartel of the Suns,' which it declared a 'narco-terrorist' organization last month, and offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. The US military has built up its largest presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The Trump administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the US, but Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro. Wiles said Trump 'wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.' On Monday, the president signed an executive order that placed fentanyl in the same category as nuclear and chemical weapons, signifying how serious he is about stopping the flow of drugs into America. Join the debate Do YOU think this blockade risks a wider conflict? Footage of a deadly military strike conducted by the US military on September 2 US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (pictured left) and Trump (pictured right) have staunchly defended the strikes Trump says land attacks are coming soon but has not offered any details on location. Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is continuing to face a barrage of questions for approving strikes on Venezuelan drug ships - especially regarding a now-infamous second strike on the first attack in September that killed two survivors. The controversy stems from a strike against a vessel in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration claimed was carrying cocaine en route to the US. A US missile disabled the speedboat and killed most on board, but two survivors were observed clinging to the wreckage and were thought to be attempting to radio for help. Pentagon officials have justified the administration's action by arguing the decision to authorize the second strike on September 2 was based on a perceived ongoing threat. Lawmakers are now demanding to get unedited video from the strikes, but Hegseth has told congressional leaders he was still weighing whether to release it. He instead provided a classified briefing for congressional leaders alongside Rubio and other top national security officials. The same day, Admiral Alvin Holsey, who will be retiring from US Southern Command in this week, spoke separately with the Republican chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Your browser does not support iframes. In late November, Trump warned Maduro to flee alongside his wife or face the consequences as the US loads up on warships and troops in the region. The president even assured Maduro of safe passage for himself, his wife and son if he resigned immediately, The Miami Herald reported. A source familiar with the call said that Maduro asked Trump for global amnesty, which the president rejected, before asking to keep his control of the Venezuelan armed forces in exchange for free elections. Trump also said no to that idea before Maduro rejected the idea of resigning. The president confirmed that the talks had occurred amid soaring tensions between the two countries, while Caracas slammed what it called US preparations for an attack. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has followed in his predecessor, Hugo Chavez's footsteps, by cultivating strong military loyalty by appointing officers to high-ranking government roles. The US has condemned Maduro's corrupt rule, citing the president's election victory in 2024, despite evidence that his opposition won more votes. The new wave of deployments began in August with the arrival of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. In October, the US announced that the 1106ft USS Gerald R Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, would also join the mission. The carrier reached Caribbean waters on November 11 with more than four thousand sailors, fighter jets and support vessels, including the USS Thomas Hudner, USS Rampage, and USS Normandy. The Pentagon is calling the presence 'Operation Southern Spear,' with over 15,000 troops and 11 US warships estimated in the area. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, Maduro has said eight million civilians are training in militias. However, the military's equipment is decades old, most of which was purchased from Russia in the early 2000s. A popular Sydney bagel business has been inundated with one-star reviews within 24 hours of the devastating Bondi Beach massacre - as a growing number of Jewish families consider fleeing Australia for Israel over safety concerns. Lox in a Box owner Candy Berger has opened her traditional Polish bagel shop in four locations across the city, including North Bondi. On Sunday, she and her team were forced to flee mid-service when Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, allegedly shot into a crowd at Bondi Beach. 'Everybody just fled and dropped what they were doing and ran and tried to get to a safe place,' Ms Berger said in an Instagram video. 'Just completely shocked and heartbroken as to what happened.' The Jewish business owner said she woke to a flood of one-star reviews less than a day after the attack, sharing screenshots online. 'My alarm went off, I had to gain all my strength and courage to get out of bed this morning and show up for my team and community,' she said. 'This (the screenshot) is what I woke to in my inbox... It's so disheartening, where's our collective humanity?' Within hours of the attack, her business was plagued by one-star reviews (pictured) Ms Berger said her staff has been undertaking safety training after the massacre Ms Berger added: 'Antisemitism is not a joke... posting negative antisemitic reviews can really harm a small business like ours. 'We have always been a super inclusive business, we have always tried our hardest to never exclude anyone, so reviews like this actually do hurt, personally.' The screenshot showed at least six reviews posted within three hours, all giving the business one star for 'service'. Ms Berger has been open about the struggles she and her terrified staff have faced since the massacre, with her team now undergoing safety training. 'We are not okay. Our hearts are broken. Our staff are terrified,' she wrote. 'We are devastated. We stand by our community and are deeply affected by the horrific terrorist attack.' It comes as a growing number of Jewish families consider leaving Australia for Israel after 15 people were killed in the shooting at Bondi. The Zionist Federation of Australia said there has been a significant uptick in Jewish Australians moving back to Israel since the October 7 attacks in 2023. Lox in a Box owner Candy Berger (pictured) said her team fled mid-service when two alleged gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach A growing number of people in Australia's Jewish community are considering if they should flee the country for Israel in the wake of the Bondi massacre (tributes placed at a memorial) Jewish mother Chavi said she and her family felt like 'sitting ducks' in Australia after the attack President Jeremy Liebler said he expects that number to rise in lieu of the horrific attack at Bondi. 'I think what shifted after Sunday and again, this is very, very, very fresh it's shifted to a genuine sense of fear about their physical security, from a fear about their place in society,' he told The Sydney Morning Herald. 'It's very fresh, so are people packing their bags? No. I don't think people make these decisions in a snap. But if you're asking me, "have these events caused a very real rethink of our role in our place in this country?" Yes, it has.' Jewish mother Chavi, 27, said she and her family now feel like 'sitting ducks' in Australia. She used her body as a human shield to protect her seven-month-old son as shots rang out at the Hanukkah event on Sunday night. 'Definitely we have thought about moving to Israel, but you vacillate between it and Australia, you meet Australians who are good and supportive,' she said, adding she couldn't 'abandon' the Jewish people in light of the tragedy. A Texas police officer has been charged with manslaughter after two children died when his patrol car hit a family minivan. Baytown Officer Michael Hightower is accused of speeding through an intersection without his lights or sirens flashing before the collision with the minivan on the night of October 23. Hightower was responding to a separate call of a person with a weapon in the area. His car slammed into the Honda Odyssey, occupied by a woman and five children, as it turned left at a blinking yellow arrow at the intersection of Goose Creek and West Baker Road in Houston, per ABC 13. At the time, Baytown police corroborated witness statements and dashcam footage. It was found that Hightower 'had a green light and the right of way in the intersection where the crash occurred.' But when independent parties reviewed the evidence, the investigation found that the 28-year-old officer was allegedly speeding without his lights or sirens activated, per Law and Crime . Hightower turned himself in on Monday and was charged with two counts of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault. He was released on a $150,000 bond. The crash was so violent that Hightower and the two victims had to be airlifted for medical attention. Police and bystanders performed CPR while they waited for Life Flight helicopters to arrive. Officer Michael Hightower, 28, was arrested and charged with two counts of manslaughter The Baytown police cruiser collided with a minivan that was attempting to make a left-hand turn Jude (left) and Ryver (right) Russell died in the hospital after the violent crash Brothers Ryver, 8, and Jude Russel, 10, did not survive. Their father, Clint Russell, said the boys 'passed peacefully, surrounded by the love and support of family.' Their three sisters, aged 16, 14 and 3, were left with devastating injuries, including multiple fractures and a brain bleed. Officer Hightower underwent surgery on his leg and is still on medical leave. He had worked for the department for more than two years. Police have confirmed that he is 'cooperating fully with the legal process.' His next court date is January 12. In a statement to Click 2 Houston, Baytown Police spoke out on the ongoing case. 'We are aware of the public concern surrounding this incident, and our thoughts remain with everyone affected,' they wrote. 'The officer has been fully cooperative with the legal process since the outset. Out of respect for that process and for all parties involved, we will not engage in speculation or commentary outside the courtroom. 'The facts will be addressed fully and fairly through the judicial process.' The collision occurred at the intersection of West Baker Road and Country Club Drive, when the officer's patrol unit slammed into the family's Honda Odyssey carrying five children The entire family including their two boys and three girls are pictured at a water park In October, Baytown Police Chief John Stringer condemned the crash, calling it heartbreaking. 'This is a tragedy for everyone involved and impacted by this event,' he said. 'Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with the children and family involved, as well as our officer, the officer's family, and the Baytown officers who responded to the scene.' The Daily Mail contacted Baytown Police for more information. Donald Trump Jr's blushing bride-to-be has debuted an impressive new accessory following the announcement of her engagement. Bettina Anderson is styling a flawless 8-carat emerald-cut diamond ring in the wake of her engagement announcement - and the Palm Beach socialite wasn't shy about showing it off in a recent Instagram post. Appearing in a friend's Instagram photo, Anderson glowed as she flashed the sizeable rock to the camera with a smile. Anderson is set to wed President Donald Trumps eldest son after becoming part of history as the first-ever proposal to take place at Camp David over the weekend. Trump Jr, 47, turned to renowned Dallas jeweler Sue Gragg of Sue Gragg Precious Jewels for the gorgeous hardware, according to Forbes. The D-color diamond is certified by the Gemological Institute of America and accompanied by two half-carat shield-cut diamonds on either side. Jeweler Sue Gragg told the outlet that Anderson's ring was her favorite celebrity-cut piece she had ever done. 'Im honored to have made it. Im honored that he called me, and I'm honored that I made that ring to go on her precious hand.' Bettina Anderson (left) showed off her new engagement ring in a recently uploaded Instagram photo The socialite confirmed her engagement to Donald Trump Jr at the Christmas White House reception as President Trump proudly watched on Gragg revealed that she worked closely with Trump Jr to design the stunning ring. 'I told him professionally which one was the best and why the certification was perfect, and it was beautiful,' Gragg said. 'He agreed.' The jeweler proudly boasted about the stone's polish and symmetry, claiming such excellence is difficult to achieve on emerald cuts. Anderson and Trump Jr confirmed their engagement on Monday night at a White House Christmas reception attended by the president. Trump Jr explained at the party that the couple had gotten engaged over the weekend, and revealed he was nervous in the lead-up to popping the big question. 'When you go down there, its like, youre gonna go, and youre trying to ask, and youre not sure what the answers gonna be,' he said. 'Its always a little bit rough. But she said yes, which is a big win for the end of the year.' This is Trump Jr's third engagement and will be his second marriage. Speaking at the holiday party, Anderson beamed as she thanked the president and first lady for having her, and expressed her excitement about joining their family. 'This has really been the most unforgettable weekend of my life, and I get to marry the love of my life, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world,' she said. Anderson posed with her impressive new ring at the Christmas event which was attended by Dr Mehmet Oz The couple have made a number of appearances together throughout 2025 The rest of the night, she posed excitedly with her impressive new jewelry front and center. Several party attendees congratulated the couple on social media, sharing pictures of the newly minted fiancees. 'A stunning evening at The White House Holiday Party with a surprise highlight our friends Don Jr. and Bettina are engaged,' wrote Dr. Mehmet Oz on X. 'Lisa and I could not be more thrilled for them to begin a lifetime of love, happiness and adventure together.' Laura Loomer posted a live update from the party on social media. 'President Trump just announced at the White House that his son and his girlfriend, Bettina Anderson, are getting married,' she wrote. 'They just got engaged. Congratulations to them both.' Anderson and Trump Jr were first linked in September 2024 The couple is celebrating their upcoming nuptials just over a year into their relationship Trump Jr and Anderson have been together for just over a year. The president's son and the socialite were first spotted kissing at a Palm Beach restaurant in September 2024 in photos obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail. At the time, Trump Jr was still supposedly engaged to his ex, Kimberly Guilfoyle. The couple officially announced their split last December. With Trump Jr's engagement still fresh, it hasn't yet been confirmed where the bash will take place. Candace Owens brought her own water to a meeting with Erika Kirk and claimed the lengthy discussion left her unconvinced that Tyler Robinson killed Erika's husband Charlie. Owens and Kirk had a much-anticipated, four-and-a-half hour sit down Monday amid the pair's feud over Owens' theories regarding Charlie Kirk's death. In her recap of the meeting, Owens admitted to her audience that she was nervous and didn't know what the tone of the meeting would be. 'You guys were telling me not to drink water, so I didn't drink water. Well, I brought my own water, but I didn't drink that water, too. It was a lot. There's a lot going on,' she said on her podcast. Owens said that one of the main cruxes of her meeting with Erika was to be reassured of the accepted belief that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson shot Charlie at Utah Valley University on September 10. 'I was hoping to hear that and I said that I want to hear why people feel so confident at Turning Point USA that Tyler Robinson is the guy,' she said. Owens said that Erika was prepared with some phone records and an attorney to explain why some of her theories were incorrect. However, Owens claimed that when she asked for evidence that Robinson was the suspect, Erika 'elected to call the lawyer' and what she heard left her skeptical. Candace Owens brought her own water to her meeting with Erika Kirk as she admitted she doesn't believe Tyler Robinson killed her husband Charlie Owens and Kirk had a much-anticipated sit down Monday after the pair had traded barbs over Owens' theories regarding Charlie Kirk's death 'What I got from the lawyer did not make me feel that Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk, does not make me feel confident that he didn't or did shoot Charlie Kirk. I was very surprised by this,' she said. Owens said that the lawyer would not confirm that they have footage of Robinson 'taking the shot' that killed Kirk, calling what they showed her 'fake.' 'He said that they have nothing but the affidavit. So what you have, what we have seen, is what they have.' Nothing lawyers told her softened Owens' suspicions that some employees at TPUSA are lying about Kirk's death and she continues to suggest Israel had something to do with the murder. At one point, she claimed that Netanyahu made 'an offer to fund Turning Point' to take it 'to the next level' and Charlie turned it down. Erika claimed she had no knowledge of this happening. Owens also questioned a timeline offered to her from the call logs of Charlie Kirk's chief of staff, Mikey McCoy and went further to suggest Kirk was 'betrayed' by close allies. She pointed out that TPUSA has not seen any evidence that the public hasn't seen and that they have no inside information on the investigation. 'With that in mind, I'm saying why is the public being gaslit on this? There's been nothing that's convincing. There are so many commentators who have gone out and said to you, ''it's overwhelming, the evidence is overwhelming,'' the text messages that don't have a date, that don't even sound real, that's overwhelming. That, to me, feels really fake and gay.' Join the debate How should public figures handle conspiracy theories after a tragedychallenge them or ignore them? Owens also questioned a timeline offered to her from the call logs of Charlie Kirk's chief of staff, Mikey McCoy and went further to suggest Kirk was 'betrayed' by close allies Owens said that one of the main cruxes of her meeting with Erika was to be reassured of the accepted belief that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson shot Charlie at Utah Valley University on September 10 Owens also thanked Megyn Kelly for helping set up the meeting and at one point even offering to 'ref' the conversation before Erika Kirk's CBS News special with Bari Weiss. 'I do think she has kept it very even, she has not been hysterical,' Owens said, criticizing the media for calling her 'possessed by a demon' for her beliefs. Kelly took credit for setting up the meeting on her own SiriusXM show Tuesday, saying 'they made a lot of progress.' Owens said that while it was slated to be a one-on-one meeting, in the room with Owens and Erika were Owens' husband, George Farmer, cousin Mia and TPUSA COO Justin Streiff. Erika Kirk has yet to comment on the meeting beyond a tweet from Monday night. 'Had a very productive conversation with @RealCandaceO. More to come from both of us. Looking forward to AmFest this week. Time to get back to work.' 'AmFest' refers to the 2025 America Fest, Turning Point USA's annual conference, which is being held in Phoenix and will be co-headlined by Kirk and Vice President JD Vance. Kirk's greatest allies will gather to chart a path forward for the coalition of conservatives just three months after their leader was assassinated at a campus event. Owens and Kirk maintained a friendship after Owens left Turning Point USA Erika Kirk has yet to comment on the meeting beyond a tweet from Monday night Insiders revealed to the Daily Mail Tuesday that Erika boarded a private flight from her home in Arizona to meet Owens at a secret location in Nashville. The meeting, which went on for nearly five hours, was described as 'productive', with the hope the pair have buried the hatchet. Erika then quietly boarded her plane for home on Monday night, hours after it was initially scheduled to depart. Inside the Turning Point organization, there was a sigh of relief, as many were skeptical about whether Owens was acting in good faith to make peace. One insider told the Daily Mail after the meeting they were 'hopeful' that both parties could move on. Erika's bold move to meet with Owens was praised as evidence, 'she has the chops to be CEO' of the organization. However, it is still too soon to say whether the meeting was a complete success, other sources cautioned. The long-simmering tension between Owens and Kirk came to a head this past week with an appearance by Kirk on Fox News, calling out 'evil' conspiracy theorists profiting from her husband's murder online. Erika Kirk, who did not name Owens specifically, told Fox News last Wednesday: 'Come after me, call me names, I don't care. Call me what you want, go down that rabbit hole, whatever' It was the first time Erika, who did not name Owens, had addressed the vitriolic claims. On Wednesday night, Owens accused the widowed mother-of-two of 'hypocrisy' for asking for privacy for her family on national TV. 'This is going to be read as Meghan Markle syndrome,' Owens said. 'You want privacy when you want it, but you want publicity whenever you want it. That just doesn't work.' The reference alludes to criticism aimed at the Duchess of Sussex for conducting high-profile interviews while complaining about media intrusion. Owens began that show by claiming that she'd been 'waiting' to speak out as she 'wasn't sure about Erika'. But, she added, Erika's TV appearance 'completely missed the mark.' 'The good news is she's now unmurking the water with her intentions with this massive political organization,' Owens concluded. Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a Turning Point event at Utah Valley University on September 10. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with murder after allegedly firing from a rooftop during Kirk's speech. Prosecutors say Robinson confessed via texts to his roommate, stating he 'had enough of [Kirk's] hatred' and planned the attack for about a week. Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a Turning Point event at UtahValley University on September 10. Tyler Robinson (pictured), 22, has been charged with murder after allegedly firing from a rooftop during Kirk's speech Owens, once a friend of Charlie's, has told her followers that the organization is somehow to blame for his assassination. The political commentator was a prominent TPUSA speaker and director of communications until 2020 when she parted ways amid disagreements over her views going 'too down the rabbit holes.' But Owens is spearheading some of the most viral and incendiary content about Kirk's death, including claims that staff at Turning Point USA 'betrayed' their boss. She rakes in up to nine million views on daily podcast episodes, which are broadcast on YouTube, airing the spurious theories. The escalating attacks on Erika come as Charlie's widow is stepping more publicly into her role as the Turning Point USA chief executive - the job she inherited after her husband's death. In one episode earlier this month Owens said the late conservative commentator was 'in love' with another woman before marrying Erika. Many viewed that moment as a slight toward Erika, a frequent target of her attacks. Owens said she 'missed' Kirk's bachelor days and recalled how she served as his 'wing-woman', mentioning one date on which he was especially smitten. The escalating attacks on Erika come as Charlie's widow is stepping more publicly into her role as the Turning Point USA chief executive - the job she inherited after her husband's death She showed a text exchange with Kirk sent as he was preparing to take out the mystery woman, saying it was 'one of my favorite text messages between me and Charlie when he was getting ready to go on a date.' 'He didnt date many people and he was just kind of in love with this girl,' she added. The texts showed Kirk asking Owens if he should change out of a Turning Point USA-branded shirt before his date, to which she responded: 'Yes, and throw it away if you can.' 'It's so sweet,' Owens continued in her podcast monologue. 'He was so young.' Last week, Erika appeared on Fox to promote Charlie's final book, Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life. 'Come after me, call me names, I don't care. Call me what you want, go down that rabbit hole, whatever,' Erika said, not mentioning Owens by name. 'But... when you go after the people that I love and you're making hundreds of thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love because somehow they're in on this? No.' The attacks on TPUSA and Erika have only grown more sickening, including insinuations that they were somehow involved in the killing. Owens's theories have evolved from TPUSA 'betrayal' claims to implicating Israel, French paratroopers, Egyptian military and alleged security lapses - often based on anonymous sources or unverified claims. The Trump administration waded into the controversy last week after Owens's recent tirades against Turning Point USA and insinuations that the group was involved in Kirk's assassination. Her massive listener base allows her podcast to charge premium advertising rates, generating up to $10 million in annual revenue, according to Fortune magazine. Owens's episodes on the topic have fueled her podcast's No 1 global ranking across platforms, but they have also deepened divisions in conservative circles, with critics, including TPUSA itself, accusing her of profiting from tragedy. Despite this, only one advertiser has pulled out in the past year, with nearly 60 sponsors now on board, according to Bloomberg. TPUSA and Erika have close ties to Donald Trump, who was a big supporter of Charlie's conservative grassroots movement, which he credited with helping him win the youth vote in the 2024 presidential election. Kirk had built Turning Point USA into one of the most influential conservative youth organizations in America, known for its campus activism and annual conferences that drew thousands of young conservatives. After his death, Erika publicly delivered a statement vowing to carry on his work as the new CEO of the organization. Trump memorably eulogized Kirk at his memorial service days later and comforted Erika who mourned the loss of her husband. 'We know the weight of this monumental loss is almost unbearable,' he said. 'But even in the midst of heartache and pain too great to even fathom, you have somehow found the strength and deep faith to be a comfort to millions and millions of people.' More than 60,000 people attended the service, which was held at State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. One of the heroes of the Bondi Beach massacre who died trying to stop an alleged gunman from his bloody rampage at Bondi Beach has been laid to rest. Reuven Morrison, 62, won praise around the world when he was revealed as the man bravely throwing a brick at one of the gunmen on Sunday evening. Like many others, Mr Morrison was there to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah. When two gunmen allegedly opened fire, Mr Morrison did all he could to end the horror, throwing stones at one of the shooters who had just been disarmed by fellow hero Ahmed El Ahmed, 44. Mr Morrisons daughter, Sheina Gutnick, previously described her father as 'one to run towards danger' to protect others, and claimed the Australian government failed him and the Jewish community. Police officers have remained stationed along the street of Chabad of Bondi all day, with Mr Morrisons funeral following on from that of another Bondi shooting victim, Rabbi Eli Schlanger. Mr Morrison's best friend Rabbi Moshe Gutnick delivered the eulogy, telling mourners that his own granddaughter was at the massacre but too young to understand. Eventually, she asked her parents: 'What was the red stuff on people's clothes?' Reuven Morrison, 62, is pictured with his daughter, Sheina Gutnick Pictured: Reuven Morrison attacking a terrorist with bricks. He was hailed a hero for his bravery Reuven Morrison's coffin was brought inside Chabad of Bondi ahead of the service Mourners can be seen hugging outside the service for Reuven Morrison He said: I want to talk about Reuven in his last moments. It is so Reuven to be the one to try and stop the terrorists himself.' Youve all seen the video of him chasing after them, in his usual way, swearing at them, we only know now the number of lives he actually saved. In the period of time that the terrorist was distracted, thats one less bullet fired. This is the greatest heroic act that a Jew can do - to save another Jew. 'In the period of time the terrorist was distracted from his evil work, that's one less bullet fired.' Rabbi Gutnick also said Bondi was a second home for the Melbourne man. He said the memorial was not normal, given the amount of other funerals that will be held over the coming days for other victims. For a while were not sure how were going to move forward. Just as Reuven got up and faced the darkness head-first, we have to get up and face the darkness head-first. We have to look at our enemies straight in the eye. Mourners gathered at the Chabad of Bondi on Wednesday afternoon for Reuven Morrison's funeral Pictured: Mourners at Reuven Morrison's memorial at Chabad of Bondi Pictured: Friends and family heading to Chabad of Bondi for Reuven Morrison's funeral Among the mourners at Mr Morrisons funeral was a father who came incredibly close to losing his own son. Leibel Lazaroff, 20, had flown to Sydney from Texas in September to take part in events for the Jewish community and help out with upcoming Hanakkuh preparations. He was also at the 'Chanukuh by the Sea' event on Sunday when gunshots suddenly rang out. Mr Lazaroff saw a police officer shot and immediately ran over to him. He improvised a tourniquet from his t-shirt to help stop the officer from bleeding out, but was then shot in the stomach and leg himself. His father, Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff, back in Texas, learnt his son was in an induced coma and immediately flew to Australia. His son has since woken up and is understood to make a full recovery. Speaking outside Mr Morrisons funeral, Rabbi Lazaroff said his son was a hero. Pictured: Reuven Morrison, who died while trying to save people during the terror attack in Bondi on Sunday NSW Police have revealed that the alleged gunmen were father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram (pictured) After he woke up he said I could have saved more lives, he said. He was in an induced coma for two days. He doesnt regret helping, he wishes he couldve done more. Mr Morrison, who serves as an assistant at Bondi's Wellington Street synagogue, put himself in harm's way after meeting his friend Vladimir at the Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach on Sunday. An emotional Vladimir, who says he would have been caught up in the gunfire if he hadn't needed to find parking, said of the shooting: 'I saw everything and now my best friend is dead. He died in front of me.' Vladimir, who is originally from the Soviet Union but has been an Australian since the 1970s, said he was returning from the Hanukkah celebration to sort out his car when the shooting began. 'I was leaving. I asked Reuven about what time to turn on the Chanukah lights and then I was walking away,' he told the Daily Mail. 'I'd walked about 50 metres when I heard the shots and I turned around and there was a Chinese lady and her child and I said "get down!" and maybe that's what saved me too. 'People started running and I looked up and saw the guy shooting from the bridge above towards the Chanukah area. Morrison's best friend Vladimir told the Daily Mail that the synagogue assistant 'died a hero trying to save his community' 'Then some Australian guys not connected with the Chanukah celebration started saying "let's do something" and started looking for sticks to attack the shooters. 'I stood up and walked towards the guy on the bridge. He pointed his rifle at me and then waved his hand as if to say "stay away". 'I think he thought I wasn't with the Chanukah event. But I am Jewish. 'Then there was one detective over the other side who started firing at the shooter on the ground. 'There was more firing and then Reuven got hit. 'He was trying to get people to get down out of the way and then maybe disarm the shooter on the ground, he was walking towards him to fight him. 'But then he was shot - hit in the kidneys, I think. I was there when he died. 'The ambulance took a long time to come. 'He's a hero. He died a hero trying to save his community and it cost him his life. 'If only I didn't leave earlier, he might be still alive.' Following the attack on Sunday, the alleged gunmen were quickly identified as father Sajid Akram, 50, and his son, Naveed Akram, 24. Sajid was shot dead by police, while Naveed is recovering from bullet wounds in hospital. He is under police guard and is likely to face criminal charges on Wednesday. The man accused of opening fire at a Jewish celebration on Bondi Beach faces 59 charges after 15 people were killed in the attack. Naveed Akram, who allegedly shot at a crowd of hundreds alongside his father - Sajid Akram - on Sunday, spent two days in a coma after being shot by police. The 24-year-old is expected to face a Bail Division Local Court Seven, Sydney, from his hospital bed on Wednesday afternoon. The charges against him include one count of committing a terrorist act, one count of discharging a firearm in public, one count of causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist symbol, one count of placing an explosive in or near a building with intent to cause harm, and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder. Naveed will also face 15 counts of murder. 'Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,' NSW Police said in a statement. 'Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia.' His father, Sajid, was fatally shot by police during the nine-minute attack. Naveed Akram, 24, is facing 59 charges over the attack at Bondi Beach The terrorist attack at Bondi beach killed 15 innocent people, aged between 10 and 87 (pictured, the memorial at Bondi Beach on Tuesday) It's understood Naveed woke from his coma on Tuesday night. He and his father allegedly targeted the Jewish event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, Chanukah By The Sea. Naveed allegedly shot at attendees from a footbridge near Bondi Pavilion while Sajid moved closer to the event. Twelve of the 15 victims have been identified in the last 48 hours. They were aged between 10 and 87. Another 22 people remain in hospital. The injured includes two police officers, a constable and probationary constable. As of Wednesday afternoon, the constable was in a critical but stable condition and the probationary constable was in a stable condition. Boris Tetleroyd was the latest victim to be identified on Wednesday. His niece, Leia Roitour, thanked Australians for supporting their family during this 'unimaginable time'. It's understood Naveed (pictured) woke from a coma on Tuesday night NSW Police stated the attack was 'inspired by ISIS' (pictured, emergency services helping those at the scene on Sunday) 'Our family is grieving the sudden and violent loss of a beloved husband and father in the Bondi attack,' she said in a GoFundMe post. 'He was the primary provider for his wife, who is now facing life as a widow, and the father of a son who was injured in the same attack and is currently recovering in hospital.' Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett earlier said no others were expected to be charged. 'There is no evidence to suggest other individuals were involved in this attack, however, we caution that this could change given it is early in our investigation,' she said. Pressure mounts on U.S. Pentagon to release boat strike video Xinhua) 10:14, December 17, 2025 WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A growing bipartisan pressure in Congress is mounting on U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to disclose a video of a controversial air raid on a vessel suspected of drug trafficking off the coast of Venezuela. The survivors, clinging to the boat wreckage in the raid on Sept. 2, were killed in a follow-up strike following the initial attack on the vessel. The incident has drawn growing outrage from legal experts and members of Congress, who said the killing of unarmed civilians breaches the laws of war. The fallout unfolds against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump's vow to take military action, if necessary, against all nations that distribute illegal drugs to the United States, a policy accompanied by a significant U.S. military buildup near Venezuela. MOUNTING PRESSURE On Friday, congressional Democrats sent a letter to the Pentagon, asking for the full video to be released to lawmakers before the end of December. "We also urge you to expedite the public release of the video, taking into account appropriate precautions to protect sources and methods, so that the American people can judge for themselves the legality and necessity of their government engaging in such activities that potentially put our men and women in uniform at risk," it read. The letter came on the heels of numerous Republicans' calls for the video release. Earlier this month, GOP Senator Thom Tillis demanded the video's release. Senator Tom Cotton, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he would not oppose the release, but added that there was nothing "remarkable" in the footage. This followed Republican Senator Rand Paul's public demand for Hegseth to testify before Congress regarding the orders given for the attack. Paul also urged the video to be released. Meanwhile, a coalition of advocacy groups, including the Center for Constitutional Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union, has become involved. The groups have sued for the immediate release of the Justice Department's memo that gives the legal green light for the deadly strikes. They contended the public has the right to know what legal argument was used to justify the attacks. Hegseth has told lawmakers that the video footage is under review to assess potential national security implications before any release. LEGAL ARGUMENTS U.S. forces have launched over 20 attacks on alleged drug-transporting vessels in the Caribbean Sea since September, resulting in the deaths of more than 80 individuals, according to reports. Some legal experts said the killing of survivors could be a violation of the Geneva Conventions, which set the rules for international armed conflict and forbid the targeting of wounded participants. Some deemed that killing survivors could even be interpreted as war crimes. Critics labelled the U.S. strikes as extrajudicial, arguing that the use of military force was not needed and that non-lethal options were available to prevent drugs from being transported to the United States. The Trump administration claimed that the alleged transportation of drugs via these vessels to the United States justified military force. The administration maintained that its actions complied with the international rules and norms of armed engagement. Within this framework, the boats and their cargo were considered targets, and those on board were considered combatants subject to deadly force. Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua there are two different contexts in which the case is viewed. The first way is to accept the Trump administration's view that the United States is at war with a non-state actor. However, if the United States were involved in a war, it would be against the laws of war to kill those manning a sunken ship or other craft while they are floating in the water, Ramsay said. The second way to look at it is to regard this as dealing with criminals. "If we take that view, then these were extrajudicial killings," Ramsay said. Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon told Xinhua: "In my judgment, but it is judgment ... Neither the strikes nor the second strike seems legal, or ethical, or smart, to me." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A member of Donald Trump's inner circle openly joked that the Vanity Fair photoshoot accompanying the disastrous profile of Susie Wiles would get them fired. The profile of Wiles generated a firestorm for her unusually candid criticism of Trump, Vice President JD Vance, former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk and other members of the administration. Trump and Vance have since defended the 'Ice Maiden,' claiming the comments were taken out of context. When taking part in the glossy photo spread for the magazine, an unnamed member of the White House staff made an ominous prediction with everyone in a lighthearted mood. 'We're all going to get fired for this,' the unnamed official joked. Vance, however, immediately cracked back: 'Except for me. I have 100 percent job security.' The vice president was full of barbs as photographer Christopher Anderson profiled the group, cracking one at the expense of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 'I'll give you $100 for every person you make look really s***ty compared to me. And $1,000 if it's Marco.' Vance, Rubio, Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Deputy Chiefs of Staff James Blair and Dan Scavino, and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller participated in the shoot. The Vanity Fair photoshoot accompanying a profile of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles (pictured second from the left alongside White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt) generated a firestorm for her unusually candid criticism of Donald Trump JD Vance (pictured right with Marco Rubio) cut the tension after a member of Donald Trump's inner circle openly joked that the Vanity Fair photoshoot accompanying the disaster profile of Susie Wiles would get them fired At one point, Vance asked: 'Is this the part where you say we're all evil?' Wiles, 68, speaking with Vanity Fair over the course of the last year, likened Trump to her own late alcoholic father and legendary sportscaster Pat Summerall, noting the president has 'an alcoholic's personality.' The president 'operates [with] a view that there's nothing he can't do. Nothing, zero, nothing,' Wiles told journalist Chris Whipple. Notably, Trump does not drink and has spoken about losing his older brother, Fred, to addiction and alcoholism. The chief of staff also dished on Vice President JD Vance, noting his late MAGA conversion and early critiques of Trump. The VP, she added, has also been 'a conspiracy theorist for a decade.' Office of Management and Budget chief Russell Vought, a chief planner for Project 2025, she likened to 'a right-wing absolute zealot.' Pressed on former DOGE leader Elon Musk's late-night social media ranting about Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong, the 68-year-old candidly shot back: 'I think that's when he's micro-dosing.' White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller (pictured with wife Katie Miller) also featured in the glam photoshoot At one point, Vance even joked that he'd give away money if the photographer made Marcio Rubio (pictured left) 'look s****y' in the photos Wiles (pictured) took heat for criticizing the president, Vice President JD Vance, former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk and other members of the administration, though Trump and Vance have since defended the 'Ice Maiden' She admitted she had no proof, but the mercurial entrepreneur and father of over a dozen children has admitted to Ketamine use. 'He is a complete solo actor,' she said of Musk. 'He's an avowed ketamine [user]. And he sleeps in a sleeping bag in the EOB [Executive Office Building] in the daytime. And he's an odd, odd duck, as I think geniuses are. You know, it's not helpful, but he is his own person,' she told Vanity Fair. She also mocked Attorney General Pam Bondi for handing out nothingburger Epstein folders to conservative influencers. 'First she gave them binders full of nothingness. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn't on her desk,' Wiles told Whipple. The chief of staff also confirmed that Trump's name pops up in the files and downplays any dirt the Department of Justice has on serial pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's relationship with former Democratic president Bill Clinton. 'There is no evidence,' that Clinton visited Epstein's island, Wiles said. 'The President was wrong about that.' Wiles, along with the president, vice president and Leavitt, have led the charge to hit back at the magazine. Wiles said she had no proof, but that former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk (pictured) has admitted to Ketamine use She also mocked Attorney General Pam Bondi for handing out nothingburger Epstein folders to conservative influencers Trump told The New York Post he knew what Wiles was trying to say. He told the paper: 'No, she meant that I'm - you see, I don't drink alcohol. So everybody knows that - but I've often said that if I did, I'd have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It's a very possessive personality.' 'I've said that many times myself. I'm fortunate I'm not a drinker,' Trump told the Post. 'If I did, I could very well, because I've said that - what's the word? Not possessive - possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I've said it many times, many times before.' Trump didn't respond to other portions of the two-part Vanity Fair series because he hadn't seen it. 'I didn't read it, but I don't read Vanity Fair - but she's done a fantastic job,' the President said of Wiles. 'I think from what I hear, the facts were wrong, and it was a very misguided interviewer, purposely misguided.' Karoline Leavitt used a similar line when she quickly addressed the controversy Tuesday afternoon on the White House driveway. 'This is, unfortunately, another example of disingenuous reporting, where you have a reporter who took the chief of staff's words wildly out of context, did not include the context those conversations were had within and then further, I think the most egregious part of this article was the bias of omission that was clearly present,' the White House press secretary said. She told reporters encircling her, 'You will leave out important context, leave out comments and facts.' The president defended Wiles in an interview later Tuesday 'Many people in this building spoke with that reporter and those comments were never included in the story, probably because it didn't push the false narrative of chaos and confusion that the reporter was clearly trying to push,' Leavitt continued. She headed back inside as journalists yelled and asked if she wanted Whipple to release the tapes of the interviews he conducted. Vance gave a long-winded explanation of about conspiracy theories while speaking in Pennsylvania Tuesday - shortly after President Donald Trump also backed Wiles amid fallout over the piece. 'Sometimes I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true,' he claimed. 'Susie and I have joked in private and in public about that for a long time.' Vance then turned the question on its head by citing a 'conspiracy theory' about about President Biden's health. 'You know, I believed in this crazy conspiracy theory that the media and the government were covering up the fact that Joe Biden was clearly unable to do the job,' he quipped. He also joked that he was considered a conspiracy theorist for thinking 'it was stupid to mask three-year-olds at the height of the COVID pandemic, that we should actually let them develop some language skills.' Karoline Leavitt blasted Christopher Whipple, who interviewed Wiles and other administration figures for Vanity Fair Vance said a conspiracy theory is 'just something that was true six months before the media admitted it.' He then turned serious, calling Wiles 'the best White House chief of staff' Trump could ask for and saying the piece was not reflective of the person he knew. 'I've never seen Susie Wiles say something to the president and then go and counteract him. Or subvert his will behind the scenes. And that's what you want in a staffer. Because as much as I love Susie, the American people didn't elect any staffer. They elected the president of the United States,' he said. Vance noted that he does have 'disagreements' with Wiles but that they agree 'on much more' than they disagree. In a frantic damage-control statement, Wiles wrote on X: 'The article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history. 'Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story.' She added: 'I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team.' The odds of Wiles leaving the administration skyrocketed after the report was published. JD Vance is the latest White House official to defend Susie Wiles over her disaster Vanity Fair piece that referred to the vice president as a 'conspiracy theorist for a decade' On Tuesday morning, the odds that Wiles would be the first to leave the Trump Cabinet were at 4 percent; currently, the odds are 18 percent, according to Kalshi. She's the third most likely to leave the admin early, only behind Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, 20 percent, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, 28 percent. Whipple responded to the White House's claims in an interview with CNN Tuesday night, saying that 'everything is on tape.' 'Everything in the article was on the record. I recorded every interview,' Whipple said. He also denied claims that anyone was taken 'out of context' as Leavitt claimed. 'Everything was scrupulously in context. There isn't a single fact or a single assertion that they've challenged in the piece. It really reminds me of the Watergate days when Ben Bradlee talked about non-denial denial. So this is the ultimate non-denial denial.' Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of 'not having the baubles' to stop the resident doctors' five-day strike amid Britain's super flu outbreak. The Leader of the Opposition took a brutal swipe at the Prime Minister in her final question at today's PMQs as she said he had lost his grip on the trade unions. Meanwhile, Wes Streeting has declared there was no need for a mask-wearing mandate 'at this stage' despite London flu hospitalisations tripling in recent weeks. It comes as resident doctors began a five-day walkout this morning, which could see as many as 70,000 operations and appointments axed in just one week. Thousands of patients have been warned of disruption as up to half of England's medical workforce could stop working after taking to the picket lines at 7am today. Health bosses said patients are 'likely to feel the [strike's] impact' amid a flu sweeping across Britain, sparking several hospitals to issue 'critical incidents'. When confronted by Badenoch, Sir Keir argued his key goal as leader was to drive economic growth, which the North West Essex MP said was shrinking. In another savage jab, she said: 'Is it any wonder that Labour MPs want a new leader for Christmas?' Kemi Badenoch has (pictured on December 10) accused Sir Keir Starmerof 'not having the baubles' to stop the resident doctors' five-day strike amid Britain's super flu' outbreak But, the Prime Minister (Pictured: Sir Keir Starmer( hit back, saying Labour had accomplished more in their short time in office when compared to the Tories Resident doctors have begun a five day walkout this morning. Pictured: Resident doctors picket outside Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham this morning But, the Prime Minister hit back, saying Labour had accomplished more in its short time in office when compared to the Tories. Meanwhile, many will be forced to endure Christmas and New Year in prolonged agony, with no guarantee of when their treatment may be rescheduled. Those already in hospital or admitted in the coming days may face such significant discharge delays that they fail to make it home in time for the festive celebrations. It comes amid warnings that the health service is currently facing a 'worst case scenario' amid a record number of flu cases for this time of year. However, Health Secretary Mr Streeting said in front of MPs on Wednesday, that the time 'has not yet come for everyone to wear masks.' 'But what we are absolutely supporting frontline leaders to do is to determine whether, given the pressures they are under, whether it's the right thing to do to ask visitors to hospitals or other NHS or care settings to wear masks to protect themselves and others,' he said. 'There will be places where that's happening. It will be done on an informed way, on the basis of the conditions they're operating under, and most people will happily comply with that. 'But at this stage, there's no need to kind of mandate mask wearing or to ask everyone around the country to do the same.' Hopes of avoiding strike action were dashed on Monday when when members of the British Medical Association (BMA) rejected a fresh offer from the Government. Mr Streeting accused the striking doctors of 'abandoning patients in their hour of greatest need', adding that their failure to accept a new deal showed a 'shocking disregard for patient safety'. Ministers have also accused the union of staging the strike at a time that would 'inflict as much damage as they can' on the NHS amid rising levels of flu in hospitals. Health minister Stephen Kinnock yesterday accused the British Medical Association of timing the industrial action to 'inflict as much damage as they can' on the NHS. And Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, warned elderly Britons will be 'hit harder than most'. Jeremy Corbyn speaks with resident doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, on the first day of a five-day walkout this morning Health Secretary Wes Streeting (pictured) accused the striking doctors of 'abandoning patients in their hour of greatest need' She said: 'The postponement of a minor operation or a clinic appointment with a consultant to discuss test results and next steps may look 'non-urgent' on paper, but that's not how it will feel to an older person who is anxious and in pain, who has already waited months and who does not have time on their side.' Thousands of medics - formerly known as junior doctors - will walk out from 7am today until 7am Monday in pursuit of a 26 per cent pay rise. NHS chiefs have warned the strikes will have a substantial impact on services with thousands of patients likely to have their operations and appointments cancelled and postponed. One patient, Dave, who has been waiting for a throat operation since February had his appointment cancelled this morning as the strikes got underway. He said: 'They took me into a little room and told me my operation had been cancelled. When that rug is just pulled from you, seconds before you are going to go on, you are stunned. 'You are sat there almost speechless, I can't believe you are doing this to me here at this stage.' Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the latest resident doctor strike feels like 'Groundhog Day'. He told Times Radio: 'This industrial action is going to have a big impact on the NHS. Resident doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, on the first day of a five-day walkout Resident doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London 'It feels like the worst possible Groundhog Day because once again, we're all waking up to five days of industrial action in the NHS and, unlike the film, it's real, so thousands of patients are going to have their operations and appointments cancelled and postponed. 'Thousands of other staff are going to have to cover for the resident doctors. 'It's going to cost the NHS a fortune, and it means we can't be doing the thing that we really want to be doing, which is improving the NHS for the public. 'And what's so frustrating is that this strike feels no closer to being resolved than it ever has been, and it's getting mo Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England's national medical director, said: 'These strikes come at an immensely challenging time for the NHS, with record numbers of patients in hospital with flu for this time of year. 'Staff will come together as they always do, going above and beyond to provide safe care for patients and limit disruption, but sadly more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than in the previous two - and staff who are covering will not get the Christmas break they deserve with their families. 'It is vital that the public continue to come forward for their appointments over the next few days unless they are contacted by the NHS and told otherwise - but inevitably some appointments will have to be rescheduled. 'It's really important the public play their part by coming forward for care in the usual way - by dialling 999 in an emergency and otherwise using 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP.' Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Strikes since 2023 March 13-15, 2023 April 11-15, 2023 June 14-17, 2023 July 13-18, 2023 August 11-15, 2023 September 20-23, 2023 October 2-5, 2023 December 20-23, 2023 January 3-9, 2024 February 24-28, 2024 June 27 - July 2, 2024 July 25-30, 2025 November 14-19, 2025 December 17-22, 2025 Advertisement NHS England said that during the walkout fewer doctors will be working compared to usual, so people with non-urgent concerns may need to wait longer as urgent cases are prioritised. Meanwhile, NHS leaders issued an 'urgent plea' for people to get vaccinated against flu. Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said: 'The last thing anyone wants is for them or their loved ones to be unwell or hospitalised over the festive season, so if you don't want your new year ruined - this is your last chance to get vaccinated in time. 'This is an urgent plea from the NHS - please come forward for your flu jab now and get protected.' BMA resident doctor members voted by 83% to 17% to carry on with strike action after the Government put forward a fresh offer last week. Today's strike will be the 14th by resident doctors since 2023, and comes just over a month since the last five day walkout, which ended on November 19. They are demanding a further 26 per cent pay rise on top of the 28.9 per cent already received over the past three years. Resident doctors make up about half the medical workforce in the NHS and have up to eight years experience working as a hospital doctor or three years as a GP. Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the resident doctors committee at the BMA, apologised to patients disrupted by the strike action and said doctors were in a 'very regrettable situation'. Speaking from the picket line this morning, he told the BBC: We are in a very regrettable situation that we are here yet again on the picket line because we have not reached a credible deal to fix this absurd jobs crisis where even with the latest government offer we would still turn 10,000s fully qualified doctors away from the NHS and also we still have a government that is pushing real terms pay cuts onto doctors. 'If the deal was accepted there would be no more doctors in our NHS, there would not be a single more doctor on a shop or in A and E, there would not be more GPs at the end of this deal and that is what we are saying is a problem because what we see is patients receiving care on corridors. We need more doctors and what we need is the govern to work with us constructively to get to a deal that brings that dispute to an end. 'What we are not asking for is a huge stonking pay rise in one go. No one has ever asked for anything double digit overnight. What we are asking for is to stop these real terms pay cuts that the government are recommending for doctors. The last deal that the government talked about was a good start to end the 15 years of pay erosion. 'The last deal we did was a good start to reverse that. What we have now seen is the government recommend twice in a row real terms pay cuts and that is not acceptable. 'We need to continue that. In pounds and pence that could be as little as 1 an hour in today's money for a first year doctor each year for the next few years. That would see an end to industrial action for a number of years in the NHS.' Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the resident doctors committee at the BMA Meanwhile, BMA Council Deputy Chair Dr Emma Runswick said this morning: 'This dispute is about jobs and pay. We have an absurd situation where we have doctors who are unemployed, fully qualified doctors, who want to be specialists in emergency medicine, in general practice, being turned away from jobs because the government is not willing to provide the funding for them to progress. 'The offer on jobs was to cannibalise 4,000 jobs that already exist and turn those into training posts, resulting in no additional doctors seeing patients on wards or in GP surgeries. 'We don't think that is good enough on jobs, and our members don't think so either. And there is also been no movement on pay where we are seeking to reverse pay cuts we have received over the last 15 or 17 years. 'We have gone part of the way with this government last year. We were promised an ongoing journey that we wanted to see more on. But unfortunately, Streeting is not willing to solve either of those problems to get doctors back to earning 20 pounds an hour. 'All we are looking to do is to get people into jobs to look after patients and to reverse pay cuts. We need both jobs and pay to solve our retention crisis, to stop doctors leaving and to give patients the care that they deserve.' On 21 per cent of the workforce being foreign-born, she added : 'We should prioritise those who we have trained or those with significant UK and NHS experience for ongoing progression in the NHS. 'It is absolutely ridiculous that we invest in people in this country regardless of where they are from, but then leave them unemployed to recruit from abroad. 'We think we should prioritise those who we have trained and who work here already for the jobs that progress into consultant and GP posts.' A serial dodger of railway fares with a 30,000 bill has been told he faces time behind bars if he boards another train. Charles Brohiri, 28, has been told not to enter any property 'owned, leased or managed' by Govia Thameslink Railway - including all Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern rail services. He is said to owe more than 30,000 in fare-dodging fines - having been caught without a valid ticket on 180 occasions during the past two years. Brohiri's rail fare-swerving offending covered the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern rail network, stretching from England's South Coast to Peterborough. He has promoted himself online as a rapper known as Rvre Dean. Brohiri, previously living in Hatfield in Herfordshire, told magistrates he was now homeless, with no mobile phone and only able to go online at public libraries. His sentencing has now been adjourned until next month, with Brohiri's barrister arguing that GTR had committed a criminal offence by prosecuting him. Eleanor Curzon, for Brohiri, said GTR had broken the Legal Services Act, that bars non-lawyers from conducting litigation or presenting cases before judges in court. GTR acknowledged using a so-called lay prosecutor to pursue cases against Brohiri - but highlighted a legal exemption allowing the firm to do so. Charles Brohiri, 28, has been told not to enter any property 'owned, leased or managed' by Govia Thameslink Railway - including Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern rail services Ms Curzon said: 'We would say that what the lay prosecutor has done, in doing this, without being authorised, is to be in breach under section 14 of the Legal Services Act 2007 such that they have, in fact, committed a criminal act by doing so.' She described Brohiri as 'an unrepresented member of the public being subjected to a private prosecution by a large organisation', the Telegraph reported. GTR's barrister Peter Ratliff said: 'There was a clear basis upon which a lay prosecutor, working on behalf of the prosecutor as provided for by [Criminal Procedure] Rule 46, can start the ball rolling. 'The defendant has, with respect, entirely failed to identify any possible prejudice or unfairness.' Train operator Thameslink runs services north-south across London, with some services running as far as Brighton , Luton and Bedford. A description on the L-Hit website said Rvre Dean released his first EP in 2018. It said: 'Dean's music is set apart by its melodic, trippy, soulful, authentic sound and feeling. Even though Dean never shies away to drop lyrics when intended to.' Despite being homeless, it said the rapper was 'into fashion' and had signed up for a model agency. It said he also curated his own fashion brand ClvssyMvrty in 2016. Gareth Ring, prosecutor for Thameslink, previously handed a court a dossier of 180 previous instances where he was caught without a ticket. He was later arrested and brought to court on March 30, where he was bailed to reappear for sentencing. However, he was subsequently spoken to 13 more times without a valid ticket. The previous record for a rail far evasion fine was 10,000 in southern Essex. Higher sums have been paid back in the past as an alternative for prosecution, normally for fines of only a few hundred pounds. In the court appearance in May, Mr Ring asked him: 'Mr Brohiri, you're clearly well-presented appearance-wise. Did the charity give you help here?' He replied: 'Nah, these are, like, some things I had.' The court heard that Brohiri 'clearly disregarded whatever happened in March' and continued to board Thamselink trains. The UK's largest union stokes fears of even more strikes across the country after electing a new hard Left leader. In a blow to Sir Keir Starmer Christina McAnea was ousted as the general secretary of Unison, and replaced by Andrea Egan, who has suggesting loosing its ties to Labour. Ms Egan, who was expelled from Labour in 2022 for sharing material from a 'Marxist group', today vowed to 'stand up to any employer or politician who acts against our interests'. It raises the spectre of increased industrial action, on the day doctors began a five-day walkout in England in an ongoing row over jobs and pay, despite the NHS struggling with a major surge in flu cases. Jeremy Corbyn, whose new socialist Your Party has been praised by the new Unison boss, congratulated her on her appointment by saying: 'See you on the picket line.' Sir Keir added his congratulation and also praised the outgoing Ms McAnea for her 'outstanding contribution to the Labour and trade union movement'. Unison gave 1.5million to Labour during last year's general election campaign and continues to bankroll the party with significant sums. But Ms Egan has vowed to undertake a 'comprehensive review' of Unison's relationship with Labour 'to ensure we get value for money.' She had attacked her rival in the election campaign for having a 'subservient approach' to the Labour Government and wrote in her election manifesto that it was 'time for Unison's blank cheques to Labour to end'. Her victory today with 60 per cent of the vote means that both of the UK's largest trade unions are in a position where they are threatening to pull millions in annual funding from Labour's coffers in protest at Sir Keir's leadership. Christina McAnea was ousted as the general secretary of Unison today as members backed Andrea Egan to take over the UK's largest union Ms Egan was expelled from Labour in 2022 for sharing material from a 'Marxist group' and has vowed to undertake a 'comprehensive review' of Unison's relationship with the party Her victory today means that both of the UK's largest trade unions are in a position where they are threatening to pull millions in annual funding from Labour's coffers She has also raised the prospect of more battles between ministers and public sector workers by pledging to 'oppose Government policies that harm our members'. Unison is the UK's largest union with around 1.4million members across the public sector, including almost half a million working for the NHS. Ms McAnea was elected as Unison's general secretary in 2021 and has attempted to push back at suggestions she is too close to Sir Keir's Downing Street. She told The House magazine earlier this month: 'We're not a friendly union. What we are is not an unfriendly union but a critical friend to the Labour Party. 'And we try and take our policies into them, not the other way around. After her win today Ms Egan vowed to 'stand up to any employer or politician who acts against our interests' 'My view is very clearly that they need to adopt more socialist policies. That's always been my position.' Senior Labour sources had warned a victory for Ms Egan over Unison's less radical incumbent general secretary would be 'an utter disaster'. It has also been claimed it would make it harder for Sir Keir to use the NEC to try and block a return to Westminster for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham. Mr Burnham is said to be eyeing a parliamentary by-election to become an MP again, which would allow him to then launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir. Hollie Ridley, general secretary of the Labour Party, added her praise to that of the PM for the outgoing Ms McAnea. 'Yesterday our landmark Employment Rights Bill passed its final Parliamentary hurdle, meaning we are now delivering the biggest upgrade to workers rights in a generation,' she said. 'This historic legislation wouldnt have been possible without Christinas steely determination to change our country for the better. Millions of workers across Britain will benefit from what she has delivered as the first woman to lead the UKs largest trade union. Her passionate campaigning on social care in particular ensured our Labour Government can bring in a fair pay agreement for hardworking social care workers across the country.' Donald Trump has said he will address the nation on Wednesday evening from the White House. The US President made a surprise announcement on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, saying that he would be speaking at 9pm EST today, and declared that the 'best is yet to come'. 'My fellow Americans: I will be giving an ADDRESS TO THE NATION tomorrow night, LIVE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE', he wrote on his social media post. 'I look forward to 'seeing' you then. It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP'. The US leader did not provide any further details about his announcement, while the White House has not offered any information regarding tonight's speech. It comes after Trump declared the Venezuelan regime a foreign terrorist organisation last night and ordered 'a total and complete blockade' of sanctioned oil tankers headed to and from the South American country. The president's drone strike campaign against drug boats in the region has killed 95 people to date but Trump is now going a step further in his campaign against leftist dictator Nicolas Maduro, whom he previously told to flee the country. 'Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,' he said. President Donald Trump said he will address the nation on Thursday evening The US president took to his social media platform Truth Social to make the announcement Trump said that Maduro - whom he once again called 'illegitimate' - must give the United States the oil, land and other assets stolen by Venezuela. He accused him of using stolen oil to finance narco-terrorism, human trafficking, murder, kidnapping and self-enrichment. 'For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,' he said. 'Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela. The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace.' In a sharp escalation last week, US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration has accused of smuggling illicit crude. Trump demanded Maduro's 'hostile regime' return American assets 'IMMEDIATELY.' Trump has accompanied the strikes with a massive military buildup in the Caribbean that includes the world's largest aircraft carrier and a slew of other warships, while a string of US military aircraft have flown along Venezuela's coast in recent weeks. While Trump and his administration say the target of the military buildup is drug-trafficking, Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro accuses Washington of using narcotics smuggling as a pretext for regime change in Caracas. Join the debate Should the US use military force and blockades to deal with drug trafficking? It comes after Trump declared the Venezuelan regime a foreign terrorist organisation last night Pictured: Venezuela's dictator Nicolas Maduro at Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas, Venezuela, on November 25, 2025 Footage of a deadly military strike conducted by the US military on September 2 Your browser does not support iframes. The United States has sought to link the two issues, accusing Maduro of leading the alleged 'Cartel of the Suns,' which it declared a 'narco-terrorist' organization last month, and offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. The US military has built up its largest presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The Trump administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the US, but Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro. Wiles said Trump 'wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.' Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is continuing to face a barrage of questions for approving strikes on Venezuelan drug ships - especially regarding a now-infamous second strike on the first attack in September that killed two survivors. The controversy stems from a strike against a vessel in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration claimed was carrying cocaine en route to the US. A US missile disabled the speedboat and killed most on board, but two survivors were observed clinging to the wreckage and were thought to be attempting to radio for help. Pentagon officials have justified the administration's action by arguing the decision to authorize the second strike on September 2 was based on a perceived ongoing threat. Lawmakers are now demanding to get unedited video from the strikes, but Hegseth has told congressional leaders he was still weighing whether to release it. He instead provided a classified briefing for congressional leaders alongside Rubio and other top national security officials. A tragic teenager who started taking cocaine as he struggled to cope with the end of a relationship died five months later after collapsing at a friend's house. Connor Norman, 18, turned to the Class A drug in June last year after the painful split from his partner, an inquest was told. In October, he was at the friend's house when he locked himself in the bathroom and could be heard 'puttering about' and making loud banging noises before it suddenly went quiet. His friends broke into the room and called his stepfather after finding him limp and with wet tissue and a flannel in his mouth. Connor, of Aylsham, Norfolk, was rushed to hospital in the early hours of the following morning but he had suffered an irreversible brain injury and was pronounced dead two days later. A toxicology report confirmed there had been 'recreational' use of cocaine on the evening he was found unconscious. Assistant coroner Christopher Leach has now concluded the death was the result of misadventure after the hearing at Norfolk Coroner's Court was told the medical cause of death had been 'anoxic brain injury, asphyxiation and cocaine overdose'. Mr Leach removed the word 'overdose' from the last cause after Connor's family complained the amount of the illicit substance in his system was less than the normally accepted lethal level. Connor Norman, 18, started using cocaine in June last year after the painful split from his partner, an inquest was told In a statement to the court, they said he would be 'sorely missed' as he had been the 'foundation of the family' and was 'someone who would light up every room with his presence'. He 'cared so much about others', they added, and if you wanted to feel loved, he was 'the go-to man'. Connor had only started dabbling with cocaine after the relationship he was in fell apart, the inquest heard. Two months later he needed hospital treatment after taking an overdose. After he recovered, he was referred to the Matthew Project, which supports people with drug and alcohol problems. Health experts also considered referring him to the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust for treatment for suspected psychosis. But it was later concluded that the psychosis was only being brought on by drug use, rather than other issues. On October 8, Connor spent time at his mother's house before going to his friend's home nearby. The teenager was rushed to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital after he was found collapsed in a friend's bathroom but had suffered an irreversible brain injury and died two days later His behaviour was described as 'normal' before he locked himself in the bathroom and started making strange noises and running water. His friends reported that he sounded 'in a bad way' before the noises ceased, so they broke into the room after becoming concerned. Connor was lying unresponsive on the floor and was given CPR by his stepfather, who raced over after he was alerted by his son's friends. Paramedics arrived and took him to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in the early hours of October 9 before doctors delivered the tragic news of the brain injury. Connor was pronounced dead just before 10.30pm on October 11. Following his death, his mother wrote on social media: 'The last five months, nearly, have been the toughest times of our family's life. 'People have come together and held me and my children up when our world has come crashing down on us.' A fundraising page set up in Connor's memory on JustGiving saw nearly 3,500 raised towards 'awareness and support for families of young people struggling with the effects of mental health'. A Twitter user who posted two anti-immigration tweets that were viewed just 33 times has been jailed for stirring up racial hatred. Luke Yarwood, 36, received an 18-month sentence after tweeting in the wake of the Christmas market car attack in Magdeburg, Germany, in December 2024. His posts were reported to the police by Yarwood's own brother-in-law who he did not get on with. The case has drawn comparisons with Lucy Connolly, the 42-year-old wife of a Tory councillor from Northampton, who was jailed after she called for people to 'set fire' to asylum hotels in the wake of the Southport attack in July 2024. Siobhan Linsley, prosecuting, said Yarwood's 'extremely unpleasant posts' had the potential to trigger disorder at one of three high-profile migrant hotels in Bournemouth, Dorset, near to where he lives. His barrister argued the posts had 33 views between them and were the 'impotent rantings of a socially isolated man' that had no 'real-world' consequences. But Judge Jonathan Fuller said Yarwood's 'odious' tweets were designed to stir up racial hatred and incite violence, and jailed him. Loner Luke Yarwood, 33, from Dorset, has been jailed after posting two 'odious' anti-immigration tweets that were viewed just 33 times Judge Jonathan Fuller said Yarwood's 'odious' tweets were designed to stir up racial hatred and incite violence, and jailed him. Pictured: Yarwood leaving Poole Magistrates' Court at an earlier hearing Bournemouth Crown Court heard Yarwood from Burton, near Christchurch, Dorset, made a series of anti-Muslim and anti-immigration posts from December 21, 2024 to January 29, 2025. It started the day after the car attack in Germany in which six people were killed. At the time misinformation on social media suggested the person responsible was an Islamic extremist. Yarwood responded to a post that stated thousands of Germans were taking to the streets and they wanted their country back. Yarwood replied: 'Head for the hotels housing them and burn them to the ground.' While further posts by him displayed a 'rabid dislike' for foreigners, particularly Islam, these did not stir up racial hatred or incite violence. For example, Yarwood wrote about the amount of foreign people in Bournemouth, stating: 'Walking for ages and not hearing a word of English.' He also wrote of his disgust at seeing 'asylum seekers outside the hotel staring at young college girls'. The second illegal tweet was made in response to a post by GB News. Join the debate Should people be jailed for hate speech online? Yarwood had a 'preoccupation with immigrants and particular obsession with Islam and some extreme Right-wing views', Bournemouth Crown Court heard He wrote: 'I think it's time for the British to gang together, hit the streets and start the slaughter. 'Violence and murder is the only way now. Start off burning every migrant hotel then head off to MPs' houses and Parliament, we need to take over by FORCE.' Ms Linsley said that while the two posts in question had minimal views, other posts Yarwood made in the same period had been viewed over 800 times. She said: 'So there would have been some awareness that he was not merely shouting into the void. 'He was also replying to bigger accounts that have more followers, such as GB News.' She said one of GB News's posts that he replied to had one million views. She said: 'In posts over this one-month period the defendant plainly demonstrates a rabid dislike of those he regards as 'non-British' - immigrants, Muslims, as well as other minority groups within society. 'The two specific posts were aimed at immigrants or asylum seekers, housed in government hotels. 'This wasn't reckless behaviour, this was a pattern that happened over a month. It was rooted in his belief. He was angry about the presence of Muslims and foreigners in Britain. 'These two posts bookended a series of extremely unpleasant posts between December and January.' Ms Linsley made comparisons with the Lucy Connolly case. She said that although there was not the same high risk of disorder in this case, the 'atmosphere in this country around these hotels and asylum seekers remains an extremely contentious one'. Ms Linsley said: 'There are ongoing protests daily around asylum hotels up and down the country that are having to be policed. 'We are not in immediate risk of widespread disorder, but the atmosphere is not one of calm in this country around this issue. 'The whole country is aware of the disorder that took place after the Southport killings, including an arson attack on a hotel and he was encouraging others to overthrow Parliament by force and head to MPs homes.' Nick Tucker, defending, said: 'The current climate is such that this sort of activity has the potential to fuel serious disturbances. Thankfully this was viewed by an extremely limited audience. 'There is no evidence that it had any real world consequences. They are the impotent rantings of a socially isolated man with fragile mental health.' He said Yarwood was in a feud with his sister and brother-in-law, who reported his racist posts to police, and was stressed, at a low point and no longer held his 'extremist views'. He also said Yarwood's ill health would make custody very difficult for him and prevent him seeing his son and sought to persuade the judge to suspend the jail term. Mr Tucker added: 'He acknowledges the views he expressed were uneducated, ignorant and odious. 'The defendant is not at heart a racist, he simply found this to be a convenient channel for his discontent. 'That's not an excuse but to draw a distinction between a dyed in the wool idealogue that thinks those of other races are inferior and not welcome in this country and someone disaffected, ill-educated and misinformed who reaches for the most convenient subject for his rather inarticulate rantings.' Judge Fuller said the matter was so serious only immediate custody was appropriate. He said Yarwood had a 'preoccupation with immigrants and particular obsession with Islam and some extreme Right-wing views'. Judge Fuller said: 'This is not a court of politics but law. You are entitled to express your views, but freedom of speech is not an absolute right, it's a qualified one. 'What the law prohibits is the stirring up of racial hatred. 'The continuing safety and stability of our communities are undermined by actions such as yours. 'The tweets speak for themselves, they are odious in the extreme. There could be few clearer examples of words specifically designed to stir up racial hatred and incite violence. 'They are serious offences that could have had serious consequences and can only be marked by a sentence of immediate imprisonment.' Christmas churchgoing is on the rise with nearly half of Brits planning to attend a service or event this year, a major survey has found - with Gen Z leading the trend. Some 45 per cent of UK adults say they expect to visit a church this Christmas - up from 40 per cent last year, according to the study for the charity Tearfund. Younger people were found to be far more likely to go to church, with reasons given ranging from tradition to spiritual reflection and support to the atmosphere. Many within Gen Z have taken to TikTok in recent weeks to post videos about their experiences of attending church, with some talking about going for the first time. Among them was content creator @1pro_yapper who said it was his 'first time in church' and he 'overall enjoyed it' because of the singing and 'really great people'. But he added that he disagreed with the theme of 'trying to make your enemies your friends' and did not like 'woke' chat about climate change - but he 'will go back'. Another video by @belsspamms saw two young women attend a traditional carol service at Eton, joking that they hoped to hear the Chappell Roan song Hot To Go. Young people at other churches have been posting videos promoting services, with one in Liverpool promising 'lots of singing, lots of instrumentals and lots of praise'. Gen Z, those aged between 18 and 28, were the largest generation to say they plan to go at 60 per cent; followed by Millennials, aged from 29 to 44, at 59 per cent. This falls to 36 per cent for Gen X, aged from 45 to 59; then 30 per cent of Baby Boomers, aged 60 to 79; and 24 per cent of the Silent Generation, aged 80-plus. Nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of Gen Z churchgoers said they would attend because they can get practical support such as food banks or warm spaces. The poll also found that more than a third (34 per cent) of non-Christians plan to attend a church service or event this year, up from 30 per cent last year. Of those planning to go, 39 per cent said it was part of their Christmas tradition, while 34 per cent go for the atmosphere and 28 per cent for spiritual reflection. Breaking down attendance by different age groups, 66 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 plan to go; then 59 per cent of 35 to 44 year olds; 39 per cent of 45 to 54 year olds; 31 per cent of 55 to 64 year olds; and 29 per cent of those 65-plus. Stuart Lee, director of global fundraising at Tearfund, a Christian humanitarian and development charity, said the figures on high Gen Z attendance were in line with other recent surveys suggesting young people are returning to church. He told the Daily Mail: 'In our poll they are telling us it's part of their Christmas traditions, it offers a unique atmosphere or because of friends and family attending. Your browser does not support iframes. 'A few years ago, I couldn't even get a ticket to my own church's annual carol service and had to stand in the foyer, peeking through the doors. As I looked around, most of those attending were young people. 'This is fascinating - you might have expected attendance to be in decline over the years, but instead, young people are turning to church at Christmas.' He added that this suggests 'something good is happening in the church, both in the UK and in the communities we work in around the world'. Mr Lee concluded: 'Perhaps it is about being part of something bigger, taking time to reflect, and being in community and this is what we see all over the world, churches becoming the centre of communities especially for those in need.' Savanta interviewed 2,017 UK adults aged 18-plus online between November 28 and 30 this year, with data weighted to be nationally representative by key demographic characteristics. The rise in the proportion of people planning to attend church compared to last year refers to asking respondents if they went last year, and if they plan to go this year, rather than tracking data year-on-year. @winnersteenschurch Everyone is welcome to our Winter Wonder Gala !! On the 20th December 12-4pm , SE137AT It will be fun , vibes , food , mocktails and awards !! Cant wait to see you there !! #winnerschapellewisham #teenschurch #winnerschapel #winterwondergala #christmas Originalton - REVIVALIST @adventureoftheswan My first experience in church was a beautiful one. Goosebumps ran throughout my body as I took in the words of GOD and others experiences. To see the churches getting busier each and every day is a huge sign that a religious shift has been taking place amongst the western world in recent times. Young men and women are picking up the bible for the first time. Families are attending church for comfort, guidence and hope. The power of Christ is flowing through the nation and now is the time to question your own beliefs and see what works for you. Anyone is welcome, accepted and looked after. I experienced, Christians, Jews and Arabs speak and bring peace to each others communities through hard times. Maybe this is how the world heals #church #brokenbritain #god #godisgood original sound - adventureoftheswan The survey's results follow the much-cited 'Quiet Revival' report in April from the Bible Society and YouGov about rising church attendance in England and Wales by younger people. This surveyed 13,146 adults in November 2024 and found that Christians who go to church at least once a month made up 12 per cent of the total population, rising from 8 per cent in 2018. For people aged 18 to 24, the proportion rose to 16 per cent from just 4 per cent in 2018, making this age group the second most likely to go to church regularly after those aged 65 and over. The increase was particularly pronounced among younger men, 21 per cent of whom said they were regular churchgoers versus 12 per cent of women aged 18 to 24. The report was later criticised by Humanists UK who claimed it contradicted other reputable data sources such as the British Social Attitudes Survey and attendance figures from major denominations but it was defended by the Bible Society. All new homes in England will have to include 'swift bricks' to help protect endangered birds under Labour's shake-up of planning rules. The requirement was included in the Government's proposed overhaul of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on Tuesday. The cavity bricks cost around 35 each and are installed in homes to provide vital nesting homes for migratory birds. Swift populations in Britain are estimated to have slumped by 66 per cent between 1995 and 2022, which has been blamed on a decline in their traditional nesting sites. There are fears there could be fewer than 25,000 breeding pairs left in five years' time without action. Swifts spend winters in sub-Saharan Africa but migrate north to Europe every summer where they often nest in buildings. Modern insulation, particularly in roofs, has removed the crevices and cavities where birds have nested for centuries. Under Labour's plans, swift bricks will be treated as a requirement for new homes. The new planning rules say: 'New builds to include nature-friendly features, such as installing swift bricks, to support wildlife adding little to building costs whilst delivering a win-win for nature and housebuilding.' But ministers faced anger from wildlife groups for separately weakening biodiversity rules. All new homes in England will have to include 'swift bricks' to help protect endangered birds under Labour's shake-up of planning rules Swift populations in Britain are estimated to have slumped by 66 per cent between 1995 and 2022, which has been blamed on a decline in their traditional nesting sites The cavity bricks cost around 35 each and are installed in homes to provide vital nesting homes for migratory birds Gemma Cantelo, head of policy and advocacy for RSPB England, said: 'The Government's plans to include nature-friendly design features, like swift bricks, into new build homes must be mandatory and enforced. 'Guidance that can be ignored is not enough. We need to make nature integral to building news homes, not an afterthought or a corner to be cut. 'If nature-friendly building design is to become the norm, not just for wifts but for hedgehogs, bats and pollinators, we need firm rules, monitoring and enforcement. 'And we need an end to the UK Government's anti-nature rhetoric for good.' Conservationists also warned about new exemptions from England 'biodiversity net gain' (BNG) rules. They said this risked hollowing out the emerging market in which developers have to pay not only to replace habitat lost to development, but to deliver a 10 per cent gain for nature. Labour has repeatedly targeted bats, newts, snails and other wildlife as it outlines measures to unblock the planning system in its scramble to build 1.5million new homes in England over five years. Under BNG reforms unveiled on Tuesday as part of the planning changes, ministers proposed smaller developments under 0.2 hectares should be exempt from the rules, with additional targeted exemption for brownfield housing sites. The Government also pledged to make it quicker, easier and cheaper to deliver BNG offsite to help medium-sized projects. The Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL) coalition of environment and nature groups warned that exempting so many small sites, which dominate England's planning system, could wreck the policy. Richard Benwell, WCL chief executive, said: 'To meet its electoral promise of halting wildlife decline, Government should strengthen green economy rules, not shrink them. 'Rapidly applying net gain to all major infrastructure and stopping developers dodging their environmental responsibilities should be clear priorities, not more carve outs. 'So far, this has been a Parliament of delay and relentless deregulatory threats to nature.' Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB, said: 'The decision to exempt sites under 0.2 hectares from BNG flies in the face of the UK Government's promise to be 'the most nature-positive government this nation has ever had'. 'It's a blow for nature, for local communities and for business confidence in the future of BNG. 'BNG was designed as a win-win for nature and development, ensuring more wildlife and green spaces where people live. 'By diluting this policy, failing to close existing loopholes and signalling its plans to consult on further exemptions, the Government has chosen developers' profits over public health and wellbeing. 'People in nature-poor towns and cities will suffer most, with clean water, healthy soils, and flood protection all at risk. 'It also undermines fair competition for developers committed to doing the right thing.' Responding to questions in the House of Commons on the planning reforms, housing minister Matthew Pennycook rejected an accusation he is 'pitting nature protection against house building' from Green Party MP Ellie Chowns. 'I have never and I will not pit development against the environment. This Government has sought a win-win for both,' Mr Pennycook said. A homeless Nigerian migrant who followed a woman into a care home before exposing himself has been jailed for 12 months. Olubenga Akinpelu, 57, pursued the woman down an alleyway in a sleepy Surrey village with a broken glass bottle in his hand. The woman was able to run past Akinpelu after telling him that the police had arrived as she made her way to the care home. As she ran away, the woman heard glass shattering and noticed that Akinpelu had thrown the bottle at her. He continued to follow her through the door of the care home, trying to talk to her, the court heard. A second person then arrived at the care home in a taxi and saw the woman running towards the entrance to the premises. As the woman approached the care home, the second victim saw the defendant with his trousers undone and his penis exposed, the judge was told. The defendant said, 'oh, I am sorry, I must be naked', and did up his trousers, but continued to shout until the police arrived, Amelia Norman, prosecuting, told Guildford Crown Court on Monday. Olubenga Akinpelu, 57, pursued the woman down an alleyway in a sleepy Surrey village with a broken glass bottle in his hand before exposing himself in a care home Akinpelu was jailed for 12 months at Guildford Crown Court (pictured) and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years As police took him into custody, Akinpelu told officers 'she had run away' and 'I want to f*** her and get locked up'. He also made 'p***y licking' motions towards female police officers, until other officers - who formed the impression he was intoxicated - intervened. The prosecutor said that in a police interview, the defendant had denied all the offences and said 'it could have been anyone on the CCTV'. Ms Norman told how Akinpelu had approached the first victim, a woman who was walking to work at the care home at 6.50am on September 1, near a railway station in the Surrey village, which cannot be named to protect the anonymity of the victims. 'She was approached by the defendant who was trying to talk to her, she could not hear him because she had headphones in', Ms Norman said. 'He was asking if she knew the area. She did not respond and continued to walk away. 'The defendant continued to follow her and continued to try and speak to her. She went down an alleyway that led to the care home, the defendant followed her. 'She said she felt 'trapped' and noticed he had a broken glass bottle in his hand. He was holding it by the neck, holding it like he was going to use it. 'The victim said she would try and phone police, but he replied 'go ahead and call the police', Ms Norman said. The woman then tricked Akinpelu by telling him the police were behind him and ran past him when he turned around to check, the court heard. The judge who jailed Akinpelu questioned why he had ended up in a village, with the 57-year-old claiming he had ended up there by mistake and was trying to find out where he was. Akinpelu, of Western Avenue in Acton, Ealing, had one previous conviction for criminal damage for September 2023. He later admitted exposure, affray and possession of an offensive weapon, the broken bottle, in relation to this incident. Alex Crichton-Miller, defending, told how Akinpelu was a father of three children, two of who live in the UK and one who lives in the United States. 'He is originally from Nigeria but has been in this country for some 20 years,' Mr Crichton-Miller said. 'He has struggled to find work and spent the last four years effectively living homeless. 'He had been staying in east London and had had access to some homeless assistance.' Asked by Judge Jonathan Black how Akinpelu had come to be in the sleepy Surrey village where the offences took place, Mr Crichton-Miller said: 'He did not expect to be there. 'He does accept fully the error of his conduct', the barrister said. 'Clearly a part of what was going on was he was trying to find out where he was. He does not know any more than that.' Judge Black pointed out that, while the defendant had admitted affray and possession of an offensive weapon in the magistrates court, he had not entered an immediate guilty plea to the offence of exposure. He jailed Akinpelu for 12 months, ordered him to sign the sex offenders register for seven years and imposed a sexual harm prevention order on him for seven years. A barge that appeared on Channel 4's My Floating Home has been put up for sale for 1.25million after its owner purchased it for just 131,000. The Dutch barge, named Thor, was bought by Dusan Hamlin, 51, who lived in the three-bedroom canal boat with his wife, Clarissa and their six-year-old, Marley. He snapped up the boat, which dates back to 1865, for just over 100,000 before turning it into the couple's dream home 746,000 later, Luxury Boat News reported. Moored at St Mary's Wandsworth Pier, it previously featured on the Channel 4 show in 2020 as the couple hoped it would be a long-term home for the family. But now they have decided to put their labour of love, with scenic views of the River Thames, on the market for 1.25 million as Mr Hamlin's job is taking them overseas. The impressive barge, which was designed by marine architects Naval Martin and transformed by builders SRF in 2017, boasts three bathrooms and bedrooms. But its luxurious amenities don't end there either. The barge offers a walk-in shower, a deep-fill bathtub, as well as a cellar, engine room and open-plan dining room. It also has a sunken living room, and a studio - complete with its very own ensuite and kitchenette. Meanwhile, the spacious floating home also offers underfloor heating and air conditioning, built-in TVs, and smart speakers in every room. The Dutch barge, named Thor (pictured), was purchased by Dusan Hamlin, 51, who lived in the three-bedroom canal boat with his wife, Clarissa and their six-year-old, Marley Moored at St Mary's Wandsworth Pier, it previously featured on the Channel 4 show in 2020 It also has a sunken living room (pictured), and a studio - complete with its very own ensuite and kitchenette Meanwhile, the spacious floating home also offers underfloor heating, air conditioning, luxurious walk-in showers and a deep-fill bathtub Theres also an impressive utility unit below deck, housing 2,500-litre water tanks, waste systems, a Victron inverter, power assist and a diesel engine. It also has scope for three terraces to be built off the main living areas and 'excellent transport links' from Clapham Junction Station. It comes after another barge reborn as a luxury floating home on the Thames went on the market for 1.5million earlier this year. Also docked at St Mary's Wandsworth Pier in southwest London, the impressive 131ft Belgian Spitz vessel has been transformed into a four-bedroom houseboat. It is complete with panoramic Thames views, bespoke interiors, and modern comforts designed for year-round living. Previous owners David Karat, from the US, and his partner moved into the barge in August 2021, after its initial conversion by previous owners. Since then, they poured time, effort and 'more than they had intended' into upgrades, but Mr Karat insisted it was money well spent. Former Saturday Night Live star Leslie Jones slammed ICE agents and called for their arrests if Democrats take back the majority of Congress. The famed actress-comedian made the bombshell assertion on MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace's The Best People podcast on Monday. Over the course of the nearly hour-long discussion, Jones and the commentator bashed Donald Trump - expressing concern and confusion about the political climate fostered under his administration. 'I dont know. It just feels like the upside-down world,' Jones, 58, began on the episode titled, 'Leslie Jones GOES OFF on Trump's "PIGGY" attack.' 'You see somebody thats doing something completely terrible, like some of these influencers, these crazy folks, and we let them go because freedom of speech, of course, but there should be accountability.' 'Gravity,' Wallace chimed in while nodding. 'Things should fall.' 'You can't continue to keep doing some wrong and you're not going to pay for that,' Jones replied. Wallace then asked the Ghostbusters actress how she believes this 'era' ends. Leslie replied that she hopes people vote in the midterms to make Democrats take control of Congress. Leslie Jones, 58, said she wants ICE agents to be arrested if Democrats take control of Congress Leslie Jones (pictured with SNL cast member Colin Jost) was on the hit sketch show for five seasons Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are Republican-controlled. Out of 100 Senators, 53 are Republican, and 220 of 435 Representatives belong to the party as well. The last time Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate was during the 117th Congress, which ran from January 2021 to January 2023. 'Im hoping, this is what Im hoping, that midterms, people come out and vote like crazy to switch it over, and then the reckoning comes,' Jones said. On the topic of 'reckoning,' the SNL cast member of five seasons shifted her focus to ICE agents. 'Thats why I want, all, everybody that work for ICE, I want them in jail. I just want a reckoning. I want a reckoning,' she said. 'Yall know yall did wrong stuff. You know some of the stuff you did was so wrong. I need a reckoning. Because thats, to me, thats the only thing thats going to make it right.' Jones has been outspoken about her left-leaning and anti-Trump stances, revealing that she thought about killing members of his family during a 2015 backstage gathering ahead of the then-candidate's appearance on SNL. In a pre-show meal, Trump was joined by his wife, Melania, daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, Jones told The Daily Beasts Last Laugh podcast in October. 'I remember turning to [co-star] Taran [Killam] and - I was just making a joke - it was Trump, then Melania, then [producer] Lindsay Shookus, then Ivanka, and Jared was sitting beside me,' she said. Join the debate Should ICE agents face criminal charges for enforcing controversial immigration policies? Jones said there needs to be a 'reckoning' because they know they 'did stuff wrong' (pictured: ICE agents in New Orleans, Louisiana, earlier this month) The famed actress-comedian made the bombshell assertion on a Monday episode of MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace's The Best People podcast (pictured) 'So I looked at Taran and I said, "If I kill this whole side of the table, maybe I'll save the world."' She later noted: 'But I always think back, like, was I supposed to do it? I wouldve saved the world! I would be in jail, but I would've saved the world.' While hosting The Daily Show in late May, Jones targeted the Trump administration and the then-DOGE head, Elon Musk, in a heated verbal attack. 'I've got a problem with these Trump folks,' she said. 'My problem is these people are goofy-a** motherf**kers. I cannot believe America is going to be ended by these f**king loser incels.' Looming questions over the Brown University shooting investigation have heaped pressure on authorities as the manhunt for the gunman stretches into its fifth day. Grainy surveillance video of a masked, heavyset man clad in dark clothing are all that investigators have released to the public in their bid to catch the killer, along with a $50,000 reward for information. As loved ones mourn victims Ella Cook, 19, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, the agonizing wait for an arrest has brought scrutiny on authorities. On Sunday, police faced backlash after releasing a 'person of interest' who was detained following the shooting, conceding that they had taken the wrong person into custody. The fiasco put the investigation back at square one, and on Tuesday officials seemingly admitted they had nothing as they appealed for 'even an incidental detail' from the public that could point to the gunman's identity. On a timeline of the suspect's movements after the shooting, the stocky gunman was seen walking on a street in the Providence, Rhode Island community minutes after the shooting at 2:08pm on Saturday. Ring camera and surveillance footage then showed the gunman slowly strolling on the sidewalks over the next half an hour, as observers analyzed the gunman's gait, including an apparent limp on his left leg and walking with his hands behind his back. With the investigation for the mystery killer now extending over 90 hours, here the Daily Mail takes a look at the questions that have plagued the ongoing manhunt. Looming questions over the Brown University shooting investigation have heaped pressure on authorities as the manhunt for the gunman, seen in grainy surveillance footage, stretches into its fifth day A memorial for the two slain Brown University students, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, and Ella Cook, 19 What was the shooter's motive? The horror shooting spree on Saturday saw the gunman target a single classroom in Brown University's Barus & Holley engineering building, as students prepared for an upcoming exam. Law enforcement experts have said the choice to shoot up that classroom, which was on the seventh floor of the building, indicates the gunman had picked that room specifically. A lack of information over a potential motive to the shooting drew attention to its victims, with some theorizing that the gunman may have had a reason to shoot at students in the room. It also emerged that Cook was the vice president of Brown University's Republican Club, leading to speculation the shooting may have been politically motivated. But the theories are so far just that, and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha admitted at a press conference on Tuesday that officials have 'nothing new' and were clueless as to 'any kind of motive.' The horror shooting spree on Saturday saw the gunman target a single classroom in Brown University's Barus & Holley engineering building, as students prepared for an upcoming exam. A memorial outside the building is pictured on Tuesday Why are surveillance images so inconclusive? Frustration with the investigation has brought increased scrutiny on the information authorities have released to the public in their appeals for help, as grainy surveillance footage of the gunman has failed to offer a smoking gun as to the killer's identity. Over 1,200 surveillance cameras are situated on the Brown University campus, but images so far show only vague, fuzzy glimpses of a heavyset suspect wearing dark clothing and a mask. President Trump led criticisms of a lack of surveillance evidence, writing on Truth Social: 'Why did Brown University have so few Security Cameras? There can be no excuse for that. In the modern age, it just doesn't get worse.' At a press conference on Tuesday, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha addressed questions over a lack of clear surveillance footage from the shooting, blaming the outdated systems in the building where it happened. Neronha said that the shooting unfolded in an older section of the building with limited cameras, and admitted that the inconclusive images the public has already seen are all we may get. 'There is video inside the building, there are cameras inside the building. What we have released to you are videos of this person of interest,' the prosecutor said. 'I want to be clear because later on, there may be other videos that get released in the course of a prosecution, likely will be at some point, they show things like chaos after the shooting. But they don't show, is the, is this person of interest?' Despite over 1,200 surveillance cameras on the campus, authorities have only shared grainy, vague images of the gunman walking the streets moments after the shooting on Saturday In the latest footage, the suspect was seen walking slowly along a street in the aftermath of the attack that killed two people On Tuesday investigators released the latest image of the suspected gunman (pictured), which offered little evidence that could point towards an identity FBI Director Kash Patel has drawn scrutiny for the way his agency has handled the manhunt, with criticisms reaching fever pitch on Tuesday as new footage was mysteriously shared then deleted. The agency posted a compilation of surveillance camera footage, but eagle-eyed viewers noticed that the post included home addresses of people whose videos was collected. After the social media post was sent, it was deleted around an hour and a half later. Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey led criticisms of the move, saying that it was evidence of Patel's often-scrutinized handling of high-profile cases. 'Its just a further demonstration of how completely unqualified he is and how he has to be removed from his position,' Markey said. How did no one hear what the suspect shouted during the shooting? In the aftermath of the shooting, the teaching assistant who was leading the study session that was targeted, Joseph Oduro, 21, said the gunman shouted something as he opened fire. Oduro told the New York Times that he and other students 'have been trying to piece together' exactly what the gunman said. Approximately 60 students were in the classroom at the time, yet none have been able to come forward with details over what the fateful words were. A lack of answers has fueled theories on social media that the killer may have shouted words in another language, although as of Wednesday there is no evidence to support these claims. Witnesses to the shooting said the gunman 'yelled something' as he opened fire, but no information over what words he shouted have fueled speculation amid the ongoing manhunt How did the gunman slip away unseen? In the chaotic moments after the shooting, the gunman was able to escape out of an exit door to the engineering building and onto a street outside. By the time cops arrived on the scene and swept the building, the shooter was already making a break for it, and little forensic evidence has been shared that could point to a suspect. In a shocking update on Tuesday, investigators revealed new surveillance footage that showed the suspect casually strolling past police officers as they worked the scene. The gunman appeared in no rush as he walked by the cops, bringing renewed scrutiny on how law enforcement allowed the killer to slip through the net. In a shocking update on Tuesday, investigators revealed new surveillance footage that showed the suspect casually strolling past police officers as they worked the scene Why did cops bungle several arrests? Criticisms of the investigation began early in the case, as the university told students in an alert that they had a suspect 'in custody', only to walk back the statement less than an hour later. The early alert led President Trump to repeat the false news soon after, adding more confusion to the chaotic scenes while the gunman remained at-large. The situation was compounded by conflicting reports of a secondary shooting occurring just blocks away from the classroom massacre. Law enforcement sources told CNN at the time that the confusing alerts sparked by a 'confrontation' with an individual blocks away from the campus, which resulted in gunfire. The police source said that the connection between the second incident and the suspected shooter was found to be 'unfounded', but the 'confrontation' was the reason for conflicting reports that a suspect was in custody. As the contradictory reports upended the manhunt, scrutiny on investigators escalated as officials announced on Sunday they had arrested a 'person of interest' in the case, only for them to release the suspect without charges hours later. The suspect's name had been leaked to the media soon after the arrest, and in the vacuum of no information, another student's name was also circulated through social media as a potential suspect. Officials slammed the public in Tuesday's press conference for floating potential suspects, as Neronha said it was a 'really dangerous road to go down.' 'Its easy to jump from someone saying words that were spoken, to what those words are, to a particular name, that reflects a motive targeting a particular person,' he said. 'Theres nothing about what we know was perhaps said, that indicates any kind of motive, that is related at all to ethnicity, or political outlook, or culture, theres nothing at all that we know right now about that. That is a really dangerous road to go down, particularly in todays environment.' Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed Donald Trump for his 'classless' comments on the double murder of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. The Georgia firebrand, who has dueled with the President in recent months, told CNN that Trump's attack on the late Hollywood legend was 'absolutely, completely below the office of the President of the United States.' Reiner was murdered in his LA home alongside his wife, and their bodies were found by their daughter on Sunday. His son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with his parents' murders. In the aftermath of the slayings, Trump appeared to blame Reiner and his wife's killings on the liberal director's 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' in a much-criticized post on Truth Social. He wrote that Reiner, a 'once very talented movie director and comedy star,' passed away, 'reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease' known as TDS - or Trump Derangement Syndrome. The term is used by conservatives to describe disdain for the Republican President. Trump's post continued: 'He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness.' Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed Donald Trump for his 'classless' comments on the double murder of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele In the aftermath of the slayings, Trump appeared to blame Reiner and his wife's killings on theliberal director's 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' in a much-criticized post on Truth Social After Trump doubled down on the remarks in the White House and said he thought the slain director was 'bad for our country', Greene slated the President in an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday. 'I thought that statement was absolutely, completely below the office of the president of the United States,' Greene said. 'Classless. And it was just wrong. That its a tragic murder. Its a family ripped apart. And from my understanding, what Ive seen on the news, it was drug abuse and mental illness. 'And many families across America deal with family members that are drug addicts or have mental health issues. And I think the president shouldve responded with compassion and talked about those issues. 'He didnt have to make it about politics. And I think that was it was really below what we expect our president to talk like.' The remarks from Greene are the latest attack launched by the former Trump ally at the President, following their public split over the White House's handling of the Epstein Files. Join the debate Was this a moment that required compassion, not politics? The remarks are the latest attack launched by the former Trump ally toward the President Reiner and his wife Michele were found stabbed to death at their LA home on Sunday The congresswoman, who is resigning in January, announced her engagement on Monday The Georgia congresswoman, who is resigning in January, announced her engagement to White House reporter Brian Glenn on Monday evening. The 51-year-old was shown sporting a large engagement ring that she helped design, as Glenn posted a picture of the couple at a restaurant Monday evening, with the caption: 'She said "yes."' Glenn told the Daily Mail that the proposal happened at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab - where Trump made his one and only outing to a DC restaurant earlier this year. The eatery has South Florida roots. 'I called ahead to make sure I had our usual table in the back that has a curtain,' he revealed via text message. 'After the waiter delivered the drinks to our table, I proposed to her via a surprise. And she said yes. We are both overjoyed and have shared the news with our families.' The waiter, it just so happened, was the same person who served the President during his visit to the seafood restaurant, located two blocks from the White House. Glenn referenced Greene's upcoming resignation as he added: ''I'm sweeping her off her feet, getting her out of Washington.' Protesters who chant 'globalise the intifada' will now be arrested following a rise in antisemetism, the heads of the Greater Manchester and Metropolitan police forces have announced. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the 'context has changed' in the wake of the terror attack at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach in Sydney and the rampage at the Heaton Park Synagogue earlier this year. The officers said those who make placards or chant at protests in a 'targeted way' to increase fear among members of the Jewish community stand to be arrested. In a statement, the pair said: 'We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as 'globalise the intifada' and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. 'Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed - words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.' They said frontline officers with both forces will be briefed on the new approach. Officers will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services. The pair said visible patrols and protective security measures around synagogues, schools, and community venues have been stepped up in London and Greater Manchester. A banner carrying the slogan 'globalise the intifada' in Regent's Park, central London - something which will now be banned Detectives are intensifying investigations into hate crime, while Counter Terrorism Policing continues to operate 24/7 to identify and disrupt threats, they said. The statement added: 'These measures are practical and immediate - designed to keep communities safe, deter intimidation, and enforce the law. 'Our intent is clear: create a hostile environment for offenders and a safer environment for Jewish communities, while protecting lawful protest. 'All members of society have a responsibility to consider their impact on others it is possible to protest in support of Palestinian people without intimidating Jewish communities or breaking the law.' The pair said police have consistently been advised by the Crown Prosecution Service that many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities 'don't meet prosecution thresholds', and added: 'Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive.' Sir Stephen added: 'Jewish children are the only children in our country who, day to day, go to school behind large fences, guarded by people with (high visibility) jackets, and where there are routine police patrols in and around those areas. 'Our Jewish communities put up with a way of life, in our country, today, that nobody else has to put up with. 'I do think there is something very significant in that and we all, I think, need to question ourselves afresh, as the dynamic continues to change, as to whether what we are doing comntinues to be adequate.' Prosecutors said they will consider each case on its own merits rather than automatically pressing ahead with charges. The UK's chief rabbi has welcomed the decision, calling it 'an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric' seen on Britain's streets. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis had this week called for a crackdown on hate speech, saying it had to be made clear that chants such as 'globalise the intifada' are 'unlawful'. Sir Ephraim, who is on his way to Australia to meet the bereaved and survivors, said: 'This announcement is a most welcome development, and an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric we have seen on our streets, which has inspired acts of violence and terror.' The phrase 'globalise the intifada' was the only one identified specifically by the police chiefs in their statement. 'Intifada' means 'to shake off' and is often seen and heard on pro-Palestinian marches. It is considered anti-Zionist and deeply offensive by the Jewish community, who believe it calls for aggressive resistance against Israel. Indeed chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis previously said it had to be made clear slogans such as these were 'unlawful'. But its meaning is contested, with pro-Palestinian protesters claim it is a call to 'shake off' colonialism and for a peaceful resistance to Israel's occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza. Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism group, said 'police chiefs may finally be waking up' to the threats against the Jewish community following the October 7 massacre in 2023. He said: 'After two years of repeatedly excusing genocidal rhetoric and failing to grasp how their inaction was fuelling extremism in this country and ignoring the Islamist threat to our civilisation, they have finally realised that words and chants have consequences. 'The line between the hate marches and the antisemitic murders has become impossible to ignore, even by police chiefs who have had their heads in the sand. The prospect of arrests for this one chant at marches is a start, but we would have expected it over two years ago. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson 'It remains to be seen if it can even be enforced at this point, after police have allowed extremism to run amok for so long undeterred. 'If police chiefs think that this is a bone to throw to a Jewish community in mourning, they are mistaken. 'Their legacy is record levels of antisemitism. There is a great deal of catching up to do if we are going to restore law and order in this country. We pray that more Jews don't need to die on their watch before they do.' The Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection for Jews in Britain, welcomed the 'more robust response to violent language on protests'. A spokesman said: 'For many years, CST has called for tougher action against hateful and violent chants and placards at protests and this announcement comes not a moment too soon. 'In particular, given the wave of terrorism against Jews around the world, it is intolerable that a call for a global 'intifada' should be allowed on our streets.' The charity said it will continue working closely with the police 'to ensure that Jewish life in this country remains protected'. Roman Abramovich has been given one last chance to voluntarily hand over 2.5billion he made from selling Chelsea before the government takes legal action to seize it and hand it to Ukraine. The Russian oligarch agreed to transfer the cash - earmarked for humanitarian causes - after selling the Premier League side when he was sanctioned three years ago following Putin's bloody invasion. But he has so far failed to reach an agreement with the Government on a way forward and the funds remain frozen in a bank account. He wants it to be used for 'all victims of the war', meaning some could got to Russia. Today Mr Abramovich was given 90 days to do the right thing or face the embarrassment of having it taken via the courts. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions today, Sir Keir Starmer told MPs: 'My message to Abramovich is this: the clock is ticking, honour the commitment that you made and pay up now, and if you don't, we're prepared to go to court so every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin's illegal war.' Mr Abramovich sold the club in May 2022 after he was sanctioned along with other senior Russian businessmen linked to Putin. The decision today to grant a licence for the transfer is an effort to force Mr Abramovich to fulfil his promise before the Government resorts to legal action. The Prime Minister told the Commons he was giving the Russian oligarch a last chance to voluntarily transfer the money to humanitarian causes in Ukraine, as agreed when he sold the west Londonclub in 2022. Sir Keir said: 'My message to Abramovich is this: the clock is ticking, honour the commitment that you made and pay up now' Under the new licence, the proceeds must go to humanitarian causes in Ukraine, while any future gains can be spent more broadly on victims of conflict around the world. The Government previously raised the possibility of legal action in June, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves and then-foreign secretary David Lammy said they were 'frustrated' by the failure to reach an agreement with Mr Abramovich. On Wednesday, Ms Reeves said it was 'unacceptable' that the money remained frozen in a UK bank and said ministers were 'prepared to do what is necessary' to ensure the funds reach Ukraine. The Treasury said ministers would consider any proposal from Mr Abramovich to voluntarily transfer the money to Ukraine. Under the new licence, the proceeds must go to humanitarian causes in Ukraine, while any future gains can be spent more broadly on victims of conflict around the world. All the money from the sale three years ago remains frozen in the bank account of Fordstam Ltd, the former parent company of Chelsea which is owned by Abramovich. He bought Chelsea in 2003 for 140million and oversaw one of the most successful eras in the club's history, winning 21 major trophies including five Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns. Campaigners have repeatedly criticised the hold-up and called for greater transparency. In March, Lyra Nightingale of the legal charity Redress said: 'It has been committed for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine and yet three years later we're still waiting for its deployment. There is a very real lack of transparency.' On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said it was 'unacceptable' that the money remained frozen in a UK bank and said ministers were 'prepared to do what is necessary' to ensure the funds reach Ukraine. The Treasury said ministers would consider any proposal from Mr Abramovich to voluntarily transfer the money to Ukraine. But the department declined to say what legal mechanism it could use to force the transfer of funds. A beloved grandmother was found dead inside a four-foot-tall safe at her Maryland home after she was reported missing, according to police. Dawn White, 53, was reported missing on April 18 this year after she was last seen on Ring doorbell camera footage at her sister Kimberly Bache's home on April 14. Her body was found inside the large metal safe on April 19 in the basement of her Baltimore home. White, who was found in an abnormal position inside the safe, died of PCP intoxication and dehydration, according to the medical examiner's office, CBS News reported. Her manner of death has been classified as undetermined and is not being investigated as a homicide, the Baltimore Police Department told the Daily Mail. White had previously been married to her husband, Steven Broyles, until he passed away in September 2024. The Baltimore Police Department previously told FOX45 White was involved in two domestic violence incidents reported in March. There was also an assault reported at White's home on April 9, just 10 days before her body was discovered, FOX45 reported. Dawn White, 53, was found dead inside a four-foot-tall safe in the basement of her Baltimore home on April 19, 2025 Her family does not believe White put herself in that safe (pictured), but that her partner was somehow involved She died of PCP intoxication and dehydration, according to the medical examiner. White was a beloved mother and grandmother Months after the tragic discovery, White's family is still waiting for answers on how their beloved sister and mother was left to die in a safe. 'I just want justice. I don't care who it was that did it. I just want them to find out who did it,' one loved one said. Her family does not believe White put herself in that safe. 'The death of Dawn White is not being investigated as a homicide,' a spokesperson withe Boston Police Department told the Daily Mail. White was married to her husband, Steven Broyles (pictured together), who passed away in September 2024 'At this time, we will neither confirm nor deny the identity of any individual in connection with her death, as no suspects of persons of interest have been identified.' White has been remembered as a 'cherished' grandmother to four grandchildren and the mother to her two daughters, Rachel and Ashley, according to her obituary. A funeral service was held for her on May 3, followed by a visitation afterward. A man has reportedly been stabbed in the head following a fight at a London Underground station. Police and ambulance crews were called to Colliers Wood station at about 10.30am today following reports of a fight between three young men involving knives. One man in his 20s was arrested at the scene in south-west London on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. The same man was stabbed in the head and was taken to hospital, although his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening nor life-changing, police said. A British Transport Police spokesperson said: 'Officers attended Colliers Wood Underground station following reports at 10.30am today of a fight between three young men involving knives. 'A man in his 20s was arrested at the station on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. 'He has been taken to hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing. Enquiries are ongoing. 'Anyone who has information or witnessed the incident is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 211 of 17 December.' A man has been stabbed in the head following a fight at Colliers Wood station (pictured) A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 10.29am today (17 December) to reports of a stabbing at Colliers Wood Underground Station, SW19. 'We sent resources to the scene including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a paramedic in a fast response car. 'We treated a man for a head injury and took him to hospital.' There were delays on the Northern Line as a result and Colliers Wood station remained closed into the afternoon. The website London Now quoted an eyewitness as saying two people 'stabbed the f***' out of one person on a train'. He said that two of the men fled before police were able to catch them. They added: 'The knife fell onto the track. The air ambulance arrived and took the guy who they stabbed. 'People were really shook up - it was brutal, absolutely brutal.' A man aged 86 has been arrested by police investigating the unsolved murder 32 years ago of a couple shot in their own farmhouse. The elderly suspect is being questioned by detectives who opened a 'cold case' review into the brutal killing of Harry and Megan Tooze, who were both blasted with a shotgun. Harry, 65, and Megan, 67, were found at their farm in Llanharry, south Wales, in 1993 - and their killer is still at large. The arrest follows a two-and-a-half-year forensic review of the case by South Wales Police. Their bloodied bodies were found at Ty ar y Waun farm when they were hidden in the cowshed. It sparked a massive police investigation - and four months later with the boyfriend of the couple's only daughter was charged with the double killing. Jonathan Jones, now 65, was jailed for life after a trial at Newport Crown Court in 1995, only for him to be freed a year later when the Court of Appeal ruled his conviction was unsafe. Their daughter Cheryl Tooze stood by her boyfriend and campaigned for his release, offering a 25,000 reward for information about the murders. Harry Tooze was shot dead at his South Wales farmhouse in 1993 Megan Tooze was found dead alongside her husband After his release the couple soon married and had a son together. The couple called for the case to be reopened and over the years there have been several reviews by South Wales Police, which failed to produce a breakthrough. Mr Jones now lives as a recluse, speaking in 2023 about how he has suffered three decades of 'inner turmoil' while waiting for the real killer to be traced. On the 30th anniversary of the murder, South Wales Police announced Operation Vega led by Supt Mark Lewis. Today Supt Lewis said: 'While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing. 'This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find the answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on. 'Even with this passage of time I appeal to anyone who has any information about the murders to come forward and speak to police.' No further details have been released about the suspect who was arrested early on Wednesday. Operation Vega is a thematic forensic review of the case, under the guidance of world-renowned forensic scientist Professor Angela Gallop. Forensic experts explore the crime scene in the rural south Wales farmhouse where Harry and Megan Tooze were killed in 1993 The couple's only child Cheryl Tooze and her partner Jonathan James, aged 35 at the time, who was subsequently convicted and then acquitted of Mr and Mrs Tooze's murders She has helped solve some of the country's most complex murder cases including the Stephen Lawrence case in London and Lynette White in Cardiff. For the last 30 months, Vega has focused on all the exhibits from the original murder scene which had been retained by the police, to see if they might hold vital clues. Forensic techniques have advanced dramatically in the 30 years since the murders took place and DNA can now be extracted from even the tiniest stains. The couple's bodies were discovered because Cheryl rang her parents every day in the early evening - and raised the alarm with their neighbour Owen Hopkins when she was unable to raise them that day. Mr Hopkins offered to go to the farm to check on Cheryl's parents. 'It was quiet, we went round and knocked the door and the door was locked so we shouted and called for Harry,' he said later. 'I went to the shed, there was nobody about in the yard, I thought maybe he'd fallen over or something.' He rang Cheryl back and told her her parents were not at home and suggested they call the police. Police officers pictured in 1993 with sniffer dogs along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path The couple's bodies were eventually found by police in the cowshed in the early hours of the following morning, prompting South Wales Police to launch a major murder investigation. The couple had both been shot in the head from behind from a distance of about 3ft covered in carpet and hidden under hay bales. A neighbour told police they had heard two gunshots at about 1.30pm that Monday but had assumed Harry was out shooting rabbits - this gave police a likely time of death. Anyone with information about the deaths of Harry and Megan Tooze is asked to contact South Wales Police quoting occurrence number 2300016841. A beloved MIT science professor who was shot dead in his home on Monday night was discovered in a shared hallway by his horrified neighbors. Married father-of-three Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was gunned down at his home in a leafy Boston suburb at 8.30pm by an unknown shooter who is still on the loose. The murder came two days after the shooting which killed two students at Brown University, located just 50 miles south of the professor's home. Loureiro's neighbor and friend, Louise Cohen, said she discovered his body after hearing shots disturb the peace of their beautiful area on Gibbs Street in Brookline. Cohen said she was lighting a menorah candle when she heard gunshots fired. She rushed to the hallway of their building and found Loureiro lying on his back. The professor's heartbroken wife was also in the entry along with another neighbor, and they scrambled to dial 911. Loureiro was taken to hospital but died the next day. 'I can't sleep now,' Cohen told the Boston Globe. 'This family is so amazing. I can't imagine anyone wanting to kill him... Should we be afraid now?' Cohen uses a walking stick and she said Loureiro's family often helps her carry her groceries up the stairs to her unit, which is located directly above theirs. Married father-of-three Nuno F.G. Loureiro (pictured), 47, was gunned down at his home in a leafy Boston suburb at 8.30pm by an unknown shooter who is still on the loose Loureiro's neighbor and friend, Louise Cohen, said she discovered his body after hearing gunshots disturb the peace of their beautiful area on Gibbs Street in Brookline (pictured) Loureiro's neighbors remembered him as a kind-hearted, 'wonderful man', while students flocked to a candle-lit vigil in his memory on Tuesday night, as shown above Though the FBI has said there is no link between the Brown shooting in Rhode Island and Loureiro's death in bordering Massachusetts, both gunmen are still unidentified and on the loose, and many people in the area have expressed feeling unsafe. Another neighbor of Loureiro's, Anne Greenwald, asked people to light candles in his memory on Tuesday evening. She said residents are worried. 'There is too much violence going on,' Greenwald told the Globe. 'This is obviously very close to home.' Other residents remembered Loureiro as a kind-hearted, 'wonderful man', while students flocked to the candle-lit vigil in his memory. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology paid tribute to him as, 'a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist' who became the director of the college's Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2024, an institution with more than 250 full-time researchers. Loureiro specialized in nuclear science, engineering and physics. He leaves behind 'many devoted students, friends, and colleagues', according to his MIT obituary. His academic career started at the Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon, Portugal, where he gained a physics degree. Loureiro obtained a doctorate in physics from Imperial College London in 2005, before starting post-doctoral work at Princeton later that year. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology paid tribute to Loureiro as 'a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist' who became the director of the college's Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2024, an institution with more than 250 full-time researchers The Norfolk District Attorney's Office told the Daily Mail no arrests have been made. 'This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation,' they said in a statement on Tuesday evening MIT students lined Loureiro's street to light candles in his memory on Tuesday evening He also worked at the UK Atomic Energy Authoritys Culham Centre for Fusion Energy between 2007 and 2009. MIT President Sally Kornbluth acknowledged that the beloved professor died in the wake of the Brown University shooting just two days before. 'This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places,' she said in a statement. 'Its entirely natural to feel the need for comfort and support. 'If you or anyone you know would like counsel or just a listening ear, I encourage you to make use of our many campus resources. 'In time, the many communities Nuno belonged to will create opportunities to mourn his loss and celebrate his life.' The Norfolk District Attorney's Office told the Daily Mail no arrests have been made. 'This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation,' they said in a statement. 'No further information is being released at this time.' Melania Trump has released a trailer for her new movie, which offers unprecedented access to her private life in the run-up to her husband's return to the White House. The 104-minute film, titled Melania, will hit theaters worldwide on January 30, chronicling the dramatic 20 days leading up to Donald Trump's inauguration. Amazon secured the film for $40 million - the largest documentary deal in history - after beating rivals Disney, Netflix and Paramount in a ferocious bidding war. The trailer opens with a showstopping moment as the First Lady prepares to stride into the Capitol rotunda in her now-iconic inauguration ensemble. 'Here we go again,' she says, giving a knowing smile to the camera beneath her wide-brimmed boater-style hat. The trailer shows Melania in her element, ascending the stairs to her private jet in sky-high stilettos, marshaling business meetings in Mar-a-Lago and Manhattan, and stunning in her white-and-black inaugural ball gown. Behind-the-scenes footage captures tender family moments with son Barron and her father, while also shining a light on the rigorous security standards that surround the First Family. The trailer ratchets tension as motorcades with blaring sirens race through the streets of New York. The trailer opens with a showstopping moment as the First Lady prepares to stride into the Capitol rotunda in her now-iconic inauguration ensemble Melania stuns in her white-and-black inaugural ballgown in the Amazon documentary The footage shows Melania in her element, jumping out of motorcades in sky-high stilettos 'Is it safe?' Melania asks her security detail during one intense scene. In another fascinating vignette, the First Lady interrupts her husband as he rehearses a speech. 'My proudest legacy will be that of peacemaker,' Trump says, before his wife interjects to add: 'Peacemaker and unifier.' The intimate footage reveals how the power couple speak privately. Melania calls her husband from the penthouse at Trump Tower in Manhattan. 'Hi, Mr President,' she beams. 'Congratulations.' Trump replies with energy and enthusiasm, 'Did you watch it?' Melania says casually, 'I did not. Yeah, I will see it on the news.' Join the debate Do YOU think Melania comes across as powerful or distant? In another fascinating vignette, Melania interrupts the President as he rehearses a speech. 'My proudest legacy will be that of peacemaker,' Trump says, before his wife interjects to add: 'Peacemaker and unifier' Melania calls her husband from the penthouse at Trump Tower in Manhattan The footage shows Melania marshaling business meetings in Mar-a-Lago and Manhattan Melania is pictured laying flowers at a funeral during one scene, as the President looks on Melania is seen in the East Wing wearing her black and white gown for the Inaugural Ball Melania and Trump are seen hosting at the Mar-a-Lago Club The idea for the movie was born immediately after Trump's election victory, with negotiations beginning just days later on November 18 last year. The First Lady has been hands-on with every aspect of the production and insisted on cinematic excellence. She did not want it to feel like a regular documentary, but an 'elevated film,' insiders revealed. 'The 20 days of my life, preceding the US Presidential inauguration, constitute a rare and defining momentone that warrants meticulous care, integrity, and uncompromising craftsmanship,' Melania explained. 'I am proud to share this very specific moment of my life20 days of intense transition and planningwith moviegoers and fans across the globe.' Marc Beckman, Melania's agent and top adviser, led the high-stakes negotiations with Amazon boss Andy Jassy. 'I'm honored to be working with Amazon - they've been great partners from the minute we started to negotiate the deal, through production and now as we gear up for the film's release,' Beckman said. The film marks another milestone for the First Lady following the release of her memoir, also titled Melania, which has dominated the New York Times bestseller list since its release. The trailer concludes with Melania revealing why she wanted to make the film as she navigates a second term with a shrewd experience about the scrutiny that comes with the role. 'Everyone wants to know. So here it is,' she says. The heavily-intoxicated woman who was seen brawling with a bartender at an upscale restaurant in San Francisco has been identified as a Strava manager. Shireen Afkari, 32, was unmasked as the drunk troublemaker who viciously attacked bar staff at Hazie's before she was arrested for public intoxication. Afkari and her boyfriend, 33-year-old Christian Bruchman, were seen in viral footage of the brawl on Saturday that spilled from inside the restaurant onto the street. Staffers at the celebrity chef restaurant had been advised by the working manager to stop serving the couple due to their 'harsh' attitude and visible drunkenness. Miguel Marchese, a bartender who was assaulted outside of the restaurant, told KRON 4: 'Initially, the server verbalized to me that she could tell that her table was not only intoxicated, but perhaps on some other substances and they were giving her quite a rough time and being quite verbally abrasive with her.' 'I do believe after that, they asked for the manager to intervene,' he added. But after Afkari barged into the kitchen and began yelling at staff, the situation quickly escalated. '[The manager] retracts her cocktails from the table, because I just made them, he brings them back and he simply tells me, Theyve had enough to drink, we shouldnt serve them anymore. And then later, it just kind of spiraled into chaos,' Marchese told the outlet. Shireen Afkari, 32, and her boyfriend, 33-year-old Christian Bruchman, were seen in viral footage of the brawl on Saturday that spilled from inside the restaurant onto the street Afkari, seen with Bruchman in the restaurant, was revealed as a former employee of Strava, a service that tracks physical exercise notably for runners with social features Afkari was tripped after the brawl and fell facedown on the sidewalk, as Bruchman tried to comfort her she was seen yelling at him before she stumbled away After a heated war of words and numerous physical attacks were exchanged, Marchese and another restaurant employee restrained the couple and carried them outside of the eatery to an orchestra of cheers from fellow patrons. But, when they got outside, Afkari wasted no time taking aim at Marchese. 'As soon as Im about to let her go, because shes off the property, shes someone elses issue, she grabs my hair really tight, because I have very long hair,' Marchese told the outlet. 'She wraps my hair around her hand and just pulls on it for dear life. It was quite painful.' Employees and bystanders tried to get him free from her grip, as many told her to 'stop' and 'let go.' It wasn't until Marchese tossed her phone down the road that he was free from her grip. But, as she ran down the street to retrieve it, she was tripped by the bartender and fell flat onto the sidewalk. In a drunken anger, she cried out and pushed her boyfriend before stumbling up and running away. A spokesperson for Strava told the Daily Mail that the company was 'aware of an employee who exhibited extremely concerning off-hours behavior.' Join the debate Should employers hold staff accountable for their behavior outside of work, no matter the situation? Hazie's bartender, Miguel Marchese, was physically assaulted by the woman in the street after she had to be carried out by him following an intense confrontation inside the restaurant Marchese and another restaurant employee restrained the couple and they were carried outside of the restaurant before she attacked Marchese Afkari, on the right, was seen in the footage yelling at bar staff after she and Bruchman were cut off for 'harsh' attitude and visible drunkenness, according to Marchese Afkari, seen with Bruchman second from the left, was booked into San Francisco County Jail for public intoxication 'We don't condone violence of any kind and this does not reflect the standards we expect of our team,' the spokesperson said in a statement. The Strava employee was also confirmed to have been terminated from the company. San Francisco Police confirmed to the Daily Mail that officers were called to the scene at around 9.40pm 'regarding a person who was escorted from the business.' 'Officers arrived on scene and located the female suspect who was removed from the business. Officers developed probable cause to arrest the woman,' a spokesperson said in a statement. Afkari was then booked into County Jail for public intoxication, and it remains unclear if she has been released. The Daily Mail has reached out to Afkari, Bruchman and Hazie's for comment. A private jet narrowly avoided colliding with a US Air Force tanker near Venezuela just one day after another near miss that forced a JetBlue flight to take evasive action. Radio transmissions heard panicking pilots of a private jet working to avoid a midair collision with the Air Force refueling tanker on Saturday. Not long after, pilots of a Falcon 900EX business jet on course from Aruba to Miami reported a near collision to air traffic control in Curacao, CNN reported. Transmissions obtained by the outlet revealed one of the pilots reporting to a controller that 'they were really close,' while at around 26,000 feet in the air. 'We were climbing right into him,' the pilot added. 'It was big, maybe a 777 or a [767].' Just one day before the near miss, a JetBlue flight reported a similar incident in the same area. JetBlue Flight 1112, from Curacao - around 40 miles from the coast of Venezuela- on course to New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, called in to Air Traffic Controllers that the pilots were forced to quickly halt their climb. The commercial flight had experienced a close call with a US Air Force refueling tanker that had crossed their flight path. Pilots of a Falcon 900EX business jet on course from Aruba to Miami reported a near collision to air traffic control in Curacao on Saturday. Pictured: Stock picture of a Flacon 900EX The incident marked the second near collision with a US Air Force refueling tanker around Venezuela over the weekend. Pictured: Stock picture of a US Air Force refueling tanker Your browser does not support iframes. According to CNN, the tankers position-reporting transponder had been turned off. 'We almost had a midair collision up here,' the JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air traffic control. 'They passed directly in our flight path. ... They don't have their transponder turned on, it's outrageous.' The United States Southern Command told the outlet in a statement that it was 'aware of the recent reporting regarding US military aircraft operations in the Caribbean and [is] currently reviewing the matter.' The Pentagon and Dutch aviation officials told CNN that they were currently investigating the matter. The Federal Aviation Administration warned US airlines of increased military activity around Venezuela last month, and repeated the advisory on Tuesday. 'Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground,' the advisory said. JetBlue Flight 1112, from Curacao to New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, called in to Air Traffic Controllers that the pilots were forced to quickly halt their climb on Friday. Pictured: Stock picture of a JetBlue aircraft The JetBlue plane's flight path, seen above, was crossed by an Air Force tanker that had reportedly had its position-reporting transponder turned off Many flights from several international airlines taking off from Venezuela were canceled following the warning, CNN reported. The National Transportation Safety Board told the Daily Mail they were not investigating either incident. The Daily Mail has reached out to the US Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration and JetBlue for comment. A 12-year-old child has been detained in Sweden for allegedly killing the wrong person after being paid 20,000 to carry out an assassination. It comes after a 21-year-old man was murdered in a car in Malmo, southern Sweden, on December 12. According to Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet, the alleged child assassin shot the man by mistake, meaning to target someone else in the vehicle. The fatal shooting occurred when the 21-year-old and his friends were travelling in an Audi along Galgebacksvagen in Oxie, at around 10.30pm. Police received reports about the shooting at around 11pm and the victim - sitting in the back seat - was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after. Following a murder investigation, police identified a 12-year-old as their prime suspect, according to a report in Sydsvenskan, and took him into custody on Tuesday. Because he is below the age of legal responsibility, he has been taken into care. However, prosecutor Caroline Carlquist has decided to initiate proceedings against the minor in these circumstances, because of the severity of the alleged crime. The suspect, from central Sweden, has allegedly been given several assassination assignments and was promised 20,000 for this particular murder, Expressen claimed. A police van pictured on site at Galgbacken in Oxie after a man was found shot in a car on Kastanjegatan Forensic experts analyse evidence at the scene of the crime The suspect previously lived with his grandmother and was placed there by social services when he was seven years old, according to the court. He has been the subject of multiple investigations, primarily regarding concerns about his parents' behaviour, including alleged instances of violence and abuse. He is apparently the youngest person to be suspected of committing a fatal shooting in Sweden to date, according to local media. 'I am not aware of any completed murder with such a young suspect,' Manne Gerell, associate professor of criminology, told Sydsvenskan. Rasem Chebil, responsible for the investigation at Malmo Police, expressed concern that an increasing number of perpetrators of violent crime are minors. 'We see that it is creeping down in age. We have had some very young perpetrators, especially in acts with hand grenades... Then you think about how it could have become like this, and how we can stop this development,' he said. Chebil blamed social media for the rise in teenage and child assassins in Sweden, suggesting that young people get scouted on their mobile phones by strangers looking to take advantage of them. 'But before you know it, you're in the clutches of those who recruit you for serious acts of violence,' he said. 'Often these young people believe that their families will suffer if they don't carry out the tasks.' Following the shooting, the fellow passengers drove into the city centre and parked the car on a residential street in Hindby, before abandoning the vehicle. They then contacted another person, who was assigned to alert the police that the 21-year-old had been shot. Across Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway, Sweden stands out for having the highest prevalence of youth street gang involvement, according to the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU). In 2022, 73 Swedish youths aged between 15 and 20 were suspected of murder or attempted murder with firearms, a sharp increase from just 10 a decade earlier. In 2023, Reuters claimed that 55 people were fatally shot in 363 separate shootings in Sweden, a country of just 10.6 million people. In contrast, only six fatal shootings occurred across Norway, Finland, and Denmark combined during the same period. Evin Cetin, an author of a book on youth gangs and a former Swedish lawyer, argued that minors are recruited as assassins because of the assumption that they aren't on the police's radar. Many of the children started with petty drug dealing aged 12 or 13 before working as contract killers. 'They are child soldiers,' she told the Telegraph, drawing comparisons to ISIS and the Lord's Resistance Army in parts of Africa. 'They are getting used by older people who manipulate them. They are doing it with drugs, they are isolating them from society. It's really easy to control children and it is scary how fast they can actually do it.' This is the incredible moment Ukrainian armed forces destroyed an entire Russian military column with a 'kill box' manoeuvre. The dramatic scenes were captured recently as Russian troops attempted to advance through the eastern Ukrainian village of Nove Shakhove. Footage shows how Ukrainian troops deployed artillery, armour and drones to swiftly eliminate Vladimir Putin's troops in a strategic move known as the 'kill box', which is designed to trap the enemy by targeting them from three different sides. The offensive, which shows Russian troops being targeted from above, is believed to have dozens of Putin's soldiers. The village of Nove Shakhove is near the city of Pokrovsk, where over the past day, Ukrainian soldiers defeated more than 280 Russian troops. The video showing Ukraine's impressive war tactics comes as the country said today that it controls nearly 90 percent of the strategic northeastern town of Kupiansk. Ukraine's military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Telegram post: 'Thanks to active search and strike operations, we managed to repel the (Russians) from Kupiansk and take control of almost 90 [percent] of the town's territory'. Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov later told a televised meeting of top defence officials that Ukrainian forces were trying unsuccessfully to take control of Kupiansk. Syrskyi's remarks come despite the chief of Russia's general staff telling President Vladimir Putin last month that Russian forces had taken control of Kupiansk. Ukrainian armed forces destroyed an entire Russian military column with a 'kill box' manoeuvre on Wednesday Footage showed how Ukrainian troops deployed artillery, armour and drones to swiftly eliminate Vladimir Putin's troops as they attempted to advance through the eastern Ukrainian village of Nove Shakhove Kyiv denied the town had changed hands and a Ukrainian commander said last week that Ukrainian forces had retaken parts of it in an operation that encircled Russian troops. Kupiansk is a strategically important railway hub that has been largely destroyed in nearly four years of war in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a photo of himself at the entrance to Kupiansk last week. In a video clip posted on his social media account, he underlined the importance of Ukrainian successes on the front line 'so that Ukraine can achieve results in diplomacy.' Kyiv is under pressure to make territorial concessions as U.S. President Donald Trump tries to secure an agreement to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Join the debate Should Ukraine be pressured into making territorial concessions to achieve peace with Russia? The video showing Ukraine's impressive war tactics comes as the country said today that it controls nearly 90 percent of the strategic northeastern town of Kupiansk The counter-attack in Kupiansk, if its success is confirmed, bucks a trend seen throughout 2025 as Russian forces have made gradual advances, albeit at what Kyiv has said are heavy losses. The United States has offered to provide NATO-style security guarantees for Kyiv in talks on ending the war but there has been no agreement on what Zelenskiy called the 'painful' issue of territorial concessions. Candace Owens conspiracy theories against Erika Kirk are motivated by the broadcasters jealousy at being left out of her wedding to Charlie Kirk, according to insiders. These insiders described Owens, 36, as sadistic and dangerous for spreading lies that Erika and Turning Point USA were involved in Kirks assassination. Owens had worked closely with Kirk as the Turning Points communications director from 2017 until 2019 shortly after Charlie pushed her out because she was going a little bit nuts, a source close to Turning Point leadership told the New York Post. Kirk would still text her to keep the friendship going but Owens involvement with the organization ended in 2019. When Charlie started dating Erika in 2018, Owens reportedly became jealous and felt usurped. She wasnt invited to Charlies [2021] wedding. That was really telling, a source claims. Owens and Erika agreed to set aside their differences and met on Monday to end the tensions between them following Charlies murder. A Turning Point USA spokesperson refused to comment on the matter. Candace Owens grew jealous of Erika Kirk after not being invited to her wedding, insiders claim Erika and Owens recently had a closed-door meeting to set aside their differences in the wake of Kirk's death Owens worked with Kirk as TPUSA's communications director from 2017-2019 The broadcaster told her followers on X that her meeting with Erika was 'highly productive' 'We agreed much more than I had anticipated. Of course, we also disagreed on various points and people as well. Most importantly, we were able to share intel and clarify intent,' Owens claimed. The insider also claims Owens was loathed by staff at the Daily Wire when she worked for the media organizations. A source claim that in her first week at the Daily Wire, she threw her car keys at a producer and demanded they park her car. Owens also allegedly made demands for a huge studio to film in and staffers to conduct her research. A spokesperson for Owens told the Post the allegations against her are baseless, but very funny. Since Kirks death, Owens has claimed foreign governments, such as Israel, were involved in the Turning Point leader's murder. Kirk was shot in the neck at Utah Valley University on September 10th, where he died from his wounds. Tyler Robinson is currently in custody and awaiting trial for the murder. Everything she is doing right now is because she wants to destroy Charlies legacy and the organization he built because he threw her out of TPUSA, the insider claimed. The promotion of conspiracy theories regarding Kirks death has helped Owens garner a following of millions of viewers on her evening YouTube livestream. Moreover, Owens is facing a lawsuit from Bridgette Macron for defamation after claiming she was not a biological woman. In July, Macron filed a 220-page lawsuit alleging that Owens had defamed her with a campaign of global humiliation. Owens has gained a large following on YouTube by promoting conspiracy theories regarding Kirk's death Shes about to be in serious financial difficulty if the lawsuit succeeds, a source told the NY Post. She really is on the line for a huge sum of money. I think she probably realizes that now. The man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk bragged about his successes playing an online word game less than an hour before the conservative star was shot dead. Tyler Robinson successfully completed a Wordle puzzle on September 10, the same day he allegedly killed Kirk, a friend told the Washington Post. Wordle is popular daily puzzle game in which users try to guess a five-letter word in six attempts or less. Robinson, 22, messaged a friend 55 minutes before shots rung out at Utah Valley University to brag that he had correctly guessed the word 'pouty' in just three tries. The message featured his results, accompanied by a celebratory meme, the newspaper reported. Robinson's friend, who admitted it took him five tries to guess the answer, replied with a celebratory meme of his own. The alleged exchange was eerily timed and came after Robinson drove three hours from his home to the university campus and was making his way to the area where Kirk's speaking event was being held, according to prosecutors. His friends have also revealed how the accused murderer would 'joke' about Republican politicians 'catching a bullet' during drunk tirades, but claim they saw no indication that Robinson was violent. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder among other offences. He is yet to enter a plea. Tyler Robinson successfully completed a Wordle puzzle on September 10, the same day he allegedly killed Kirk, a friend has claimed. Robinson (pictured in court last week) allegedly messaged the friend 55 minutes before the shooting to brag that he guessed the word 'pouty' in three tries Charlie Kirk is seen speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on the day he was murdered Robinson's inner circle has identified him as having been radicalized by left-wing extremists, put claimed he provided no indication that he would kill Kirk. 'He loved his guns, he loved his beer, he hated the government. That's the impression that I got,' a friend who regularly played card games with Robinson and his housemates told the Post. The friend claimed that Robinson openly opposed Democrat and Republican politicians and though he was registered to vote, was not affiliated with any party. He would drunkenly joke about right-wing politicians getting shot, but his friends dismissed the remarks as meaningless babble. In the week leading up to the attack, Robinson maintained a semblance of normalcy, his friends recalled. He regularly exchanged Wordle scores with the very friend he messaged 55 minutes before allegedly opening fire on Kirk. He offered that friend a listening ear earlier in the week when the friend needed to vent about a difficult living situation. Robinson went to an in-person party with his high school friends and played games with his internet friends on Discord, the newspaper reported. He even managed to a normal facade in the run up to his arrest, his friends alleged. Charlie Kirk is seen here alongside his widow Erika and their two children. His wife has called for full transparency concerning Robinson's trial Robinson is seen here alongside his parents Amber and Matt Robinson in a post shared to social media. His friends have claimed that he had been radicalized by left-wing extremists, but claimed he provided no indication that he would carry out an act of violence Robinson messaged his Wordle friend on Discord 80 minutes after the shooting and reportedly wanted to discuss the assassination. He joined two other friends on a Discord voice call later that day - with the pair alleging it sounded like Robinson was outside and out of breath - and asked what they knew about the shooting, including Kirk's condition. 'He got hit pretty bad,' Robinson told them of the shooting, one friend recalled. 'I'm pretty sure he's dead.' Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the September 10 shooting of Kirk. They plan to seek the death penalty. He made his first in-person court appearance last Thursday as his attorneys pushed to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case. Robinson - shackled at the waist, wrists and ankles - smiled at his parents and brother sitting in the front row. His mother teared up after he walked in and clutched a tissue throughout the hearing while his father took notes. Robinson had previously appeared before the court via video or audio feed from jail. His legal team says pretrial publicity reaches as far as the White House, with Trump announcing soon after Robinson's arrest, 'With a high degree of certainty, we have him' and 'I hope he gets the death penalty.' Robinson made his first in-person court appearance last Thursday as his attorneys pushed to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case Defense attorney Kathy Nester has raised concerns that digitally altered versions of Robinson's initial court photo have spread widely, creating misinformation. Some altered images show Robinson crying or having an outburst in court, which did not happen. Lawyers for the media wrote in recent filings that an open court 'safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process' while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the US have long been open to the public, which the attorneys argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters. Kirk's widow Erika Kirk has called for full transparency in coverage of the trial, saying: 'We deserve to have cameras in there'. She also publicly forgave Robinson for allegedly killing her husband. The 22-year-old, who reportedly refused to answer questions during a video call with the Post, did not audibly react when he the newspaper's reporter informed him of this. Robinson is due in court again in January. A preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will lay out their case against him, is tentatively scheduled for the week of May 18. Vladimir Putin appears to have dashed hopes for peace after calling Ukraine's European allies piglets and warning that his new Oreshnik missile will be deployed within days. The Russian leader accused Western politicians of plotting Russia's downfall and vowed to carry on with the war in Ukraine unless his demands are met. In a major speech in Moscow, he said: 'Everyone believed that Russia would be destroyed and collapsed in a short period of time. 'And the European piglets immediately joined in this work of the former American [Biden] administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country. 'To regain something that had been lost in previous historical periods and try to take revenge. 'As is now obvious to everyone, all these attempts and all these destructive plans against Russia have completely failed.' He also said he would deploy the Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile system in Belarus in the next fortnight. From there, Russians claim it could strike London in eight minutes. The Russian leader adamantly refused any compromise on his desired land grab in Donbas while also threatening to create such a strong military powerhouse that Europe and its leaders would have to bow to him. 'The objectives of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved,' he told Russian commanders in the speech. Vladimir Putin launched a blistering attack on Europe and called the continent's leaders piglets in a speech According to Russian media, the Oreshnik missile could be a scaled down version of the Yars-M ICBM, seen here in 2020 'We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy. 'However, if the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive talks, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means. 'The task of creating and expanding a buffer security zone will also be consistently addressed.' He predicted years of war as he said the issue in Ukraine was not solvable with the current Western leaders in Europe. 'We are ready to negotiate and resolve all the problems that have arisen in recent years peacefully,' he said, before bizarrely blaming European leaders for continuing the war. 'The US administration has demonstrated such readiness, and we are engaged in dialogue with them. I hope the same will happen in Europe. 'It's unlikely that this will be possible with the current political elites, but in any case, it will be inevitable as we continue to strengthen our position. 'If not with the current politicians, then with the change of the current elites in Europe.' Portraying Europe as collapsing, he said: 'Immediately after the collapse of the USSR, we thought we'd quickly become members of the so-called civilised family of European nations. It turns out today that there's no civilisation there. Only complete degradation.' He spoke as his forces glide bombed residential buildings in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, wounding 26 people, including a child, in a sickening new attack on civilians. Rescuers were searching for people under the rubble. Several people were left injured in Zaporizhzia today as Putin launched an attack on civilians Rescuers were seen searching the rubble for survivors as Putin targeted apartment blocks in the region He boasted of grabbing '300 settlements have already been liberated, including large cities' - yet he has not invaded any major urban strongholds in the past year and has taken only deserted villages that no one had heard of before the war. Five days ago, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky humiliated him by visiting Kupyansk, which Putin said he had 'liberated'. But Putin again threatened the West with nuclear missiles to destroy them. 'The Burevestnik strategic cruise missile with unlimited range and the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle successfully tested,' he boasted. 'Thanks to their [on board] nuclear power plants, these systems will remain unique and one-of-a-kind for a long time to come, ensuring Russia's strategic parity, security, and global position for decades to come. 'We will continue to work on these systems; we will continue to refine, improve, and enhance them, but they are already here.' Yet Putin claimed he posed no risk to European NATO states. 'This is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries,' he said. A Hitman who murdered a gangster outside a pub on Hogmanay has been jailed for 26 years. Paid assassin Grant Hunter shot Marc Webley, 38, outside the Anchor Inn, in Granton, Edinburgh, shortly after 11.30pm on December 31, 2023. A court heard how the 34-year-old carried out the hit on behalf of others unknown to law enforcement. CCTV footage of the shooter parking a stolen Hyundai Tucson car outside the pub was shown in court. Hunter got out of the car and pulled down a balaclava he was wearing so Webley could know who he was. The pair spoke to each other as a police car drove past two minutes into the four-minute clip. The footage ended with Hunter producing what police believe was a Slovakian-made pistol, which has never been recovered. He was then seen to shoot a second man, Stewart Pearson, at the scene while Webley, wearing a stab-proof vest, tried to run away before he was shot in the back and later pronounced dead at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Hunter, of the capital, pleaded guilty to a charge of murdering Webley. He also admitted attempted murder. Judge Lord Mulholland initially told off Hunter for folding his arms while in the dock before he imposed a life sentence upon him. The judge said: You fired four shots which showed beyond any doubt that you wanted him dead. Grant Hunter pleaded guilty to murdering Marc Webley Marc Webley was shot in the back on Hogmanay 2023 You shot another man who could have came to his aid which shows further intent. It is blatantly sinister that you wanted your victim to see your face which is an aggravating factor. In doing so you removed your mask and this was your undoing as the police knew you and people knew you which led to your swift arrest. The public are grateful to the police and forensic scientists for bringing you to justice. Gangsterism is not acceptable in a civilised society - this is a civilised society. The public will not put up with this gangsterism and the courts will not put up with it. Anyone going to court for carrying out this type of criminality can expect a lengthy prison sentences. As I said to you previously, this is not Chicago of the 1930s. Scotland is a civilised place without tolerance for gangsterism. You have left a mother without a son and two boys without a father. Your cowardly actions will haunt you for the rest of your life. Hunters former partner, Emma McVie and another man, Gary Robertson, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice in the hours after the gangland hit. McVie also pleaded guilty to washing the clothes that she and her boyfriend had been wearing on the night of the shooting. Robertson, also of the capital, admitted disposing of the handgun used to murder Webley. He also pleaded guilty to providing cash, cocaine, and a change of clothing for Hunter and McVie. McVie was sentenced to four-and-a-half years while Robertson received six-and-a-half years behind bars. Hunter laughed, put his thumbs up to the public gallery where friends and family were sat then shouted result as he was led into the cells. A forensic team at the scene of the December 31, 2023 gangland hit in Edinburgh The hit took place outside the Anchor Inn, in Granton, Edinburgh The court previously heard how Hunter and McVie, 27, drove from the scene and hid out in various properties in the Edinburgh area. In the days after the attack, they took cocaine, clothes and money from 22-year-old Robertson. A witness said he had been in the company of Hunter on January 1 and remembered the hitman making jokes about Webley not seeing the bells. Prosecutor Graeme Jessop KC said: Grant Hunter also expressed frustration at having to wait to be paid for the shooting. He suggested that he had expected to be paid a substantial amount of money for the shooting. At the start of proceedings, Mr Jessop said Webley was believed to be involved in organised crime in the Edinburgh area. He added: Marc Webley was aware that his life was in danger due to a feud involving him and others and others involved in serious organised crime in Edinburgh. He mentioned this to his family, and on the night of the shooting, he was wearing a stab-proof vest. Grant Hunter shot Marc Webley on behalf of others who are meantime unknown to the prosecutor. The second victim was found to have one wound to his back - he received treatment and made a full recovery. Tony Lenehan KC, defending Hunter, told the sentencing that his clients plea of guilty cannot be mitigated. The advocate claimed Hunter and Mr Webley did have previous animosity between them. Brian Gilfedder, defending McVie, stated that she was unaware of Hunters intentions that day and was expressing remorse, regret and empathy to the deceased and his family. Iain McSporran KC, stated that his client was involved in an art and part role and is in no doubt he will receive a custodial sentence and deserves to receive one. Following the sentencing, Moira Orr, Procurator Fiscal at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: Marc Webleys murder was a targeted shooting carried out by Grant Hunter on Hogmanay during a time when many people would have been out celebrating. This shocking incident cost one man his life and endangered the life of another, who also suffered a gunshot wound. Overall, Hunters actions put the lives of the public in serious danger. The ruling party in the Balearic Islands has submitted a proposal to parliament calling for the burka and niqab to be banned. The People's Party of the Balearic Islands - which emerged as the largest parliamentary force at the 2023 regional election - argued that both garments are symbols of submission and should not be allowed in public. Presenting the proposal to the parliament in Palma, Mallorca on Wednesday, PP deputy Cristina Gil said the burka and niqab were 'incompatible with a democratic society'. The politician emphasised that the policy 'is not aimed at any religion' but designed to defend 'the freedom, dignity and equality of women'. She argued that the Spanish constitution calls for equality between men and women, and that 'religious freedom cannot be used to justify discriminatory practices'. Citing other European countries like France, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Bulgaria, and Switzerland, she said 'Spain cannot lag behind in the defense of human rights'. The deputy drew comparisons between the burka, niqab and the 'utter barbarities' of female genital mutilation and forced child marriages, according to local newspaper Ultima Hora. She called on Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, to enact the necessary legislative reforms to prohibit the use of the full-face Islamic veil in all public buildings. The ruling party in the Balearic Islands has submitted a proposal to parliament calling for the burka and niqab to be banned [File photo] The president of the Balearic Islands is currently Marga Prohens, from the conservative and Christian People's Party. It managed to form a right-wing minority cabinet in May 2023, with the support of the hard-right Vox party. Italy's ruling Brothers of Italy party put forward legislation in October to ban the burqa and niqab in public spaces, part of a broader bill aimed at combating what it called 'cultural separatism' linked to Islam. The bill, presented to parliament by lawmakers from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party, would prohibit garments covering the face in all public places, schools, universities, shops, and offices nationwide. The burqa is a full-body garment that covers a woman from head to foot, including a mesh screen over the eyes. The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. Violators would face fines of 300 to 3,000 euros (260-2,600). The legislation was aimed at combating 'religious radicalisation and religiously-motivated hatred', the introductory text said. France was the first European country to introduce a blanket ban on wearing burqas in public in 2011. The list has expanded significantly since, with more than 20 states around the world implementing some form of ban on the burqa and other full-face coverings in public, including Austria, Tunisia, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Switzerland. The European Court of Human Rights has consistently upheld these bans, including in 2017, when it upheld Belgium's bar on burqas and full-face veils, ruling that states may restrict such garments to protect 'living together' in society. Regions of Italy already impose restrictions, such as the northern one of Lombardy, which imposed a ban on entering public buildings and hospitals with covered faces in late 2015. Portugal's parliament approved in October a bill to ban face veils used for 'gender or religious motives' in most public spaces that was proposed by the hard-right Chega party and effectively targets burqas and niqabs worn by Muslim women. Under the bill, proposed fines for wearing face veils in public would range between 200 euros and 4,000 euros. Forcing someone to wear one would be punishable with prison terms of up to three years. Face veils would still be allowed in aeroplanes, diplomatic premises and places of worship. During the parliamentary session, Chega leader Andre Ventura was confronted by several female lawmakers from left-wing parties who opposed the bill, but it passed with support from the centre-right coalition. 'We are today protecting female members of parliament, your daughters, our daughters, from having to use burqas in this country one day,' Ventura said. Andreia Neto, a lawmaker from the ruling Social Democratic Party, said before the vote: 'This is a debate on equality between men and women. No woman should be forced to veil her face.' Only a small minority of Muslim women in Europe cover their faces, and in Portugal such veils are very rare. But full-face coverings such as niqabs and burqas have become a polarising issue across Europe, with some arguing that they symbolise gender discrimination or can represent a security threat and should be outlawed. Nelson's (above) triumph at Trafalgar gave Britain control of the seas and laid the foundation for Britain's global power for more than a century Fought on October 21, 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar is one of history's most epic sea clashes. Not only did it see Britain eliminate the most serious threat to security in 200 years, but it also saw the death of British naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson. This was not before his high-risk, but acutely brave strategy won arguably the most decisive victory in the Napoleonic wars. Nelson's triumph gave Britain control of the seas and laid the foundation for Britain's global power for more than a century. Despite signing a peace treaty in 1803, the two nations were at war and fought each other in seas around the world. After Spain allied with France in 1804, the newly-crowned French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had enough ships to challenge Britain. In October 1805, French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve led a Combined French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships from the Spanish port of Cadiz to face Nelson and Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Fought on October 21, 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar is one of history's most epic sea clashes. Not only did it see Britain eliminate the most serious threat to security in 200 years, but it also saw the death of British naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson Nelson, fresh from chasing Villeneuve in the Caribbean, led the 27-ship fleet charge in HMS Victory, while Vice Admiral Collingwood sailed in Royal Sovereign. Battles at sea had until then been mainly inconclusive, as to fire upon the opposing ship, each vessel had to pull up along side one another (broadside) which often resulted in equal damage. Nelson bucked this trend by attacking the Combined Fleet line head on - and sailed perpendicular towards the fleet, exposing the British to heavy fire. He attacked in two columns to split the Combined Fleet's line to target the flagship of Admiral Villneuve. 11. 30am Lord Nelson famously declared that 'England expects that every man will do his duty', in reference to the command that the ships were instructed to think for themselves. The captains had been briefed on the battle plan three weeks before, and were trusted to bravely act on their own initiative and adapt to changing circumstances - unlike their opponents who stuck to their command. Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood led the first column and attacked the rear of the line, and broke through. Nelson sailed directly for the head of the Combined Fleet to dissuade them from doubling back to defend the rear. But before he reached them, he changed course to attack the middle of the line - and Villeneuve's flagship. Speeding toward the centre of the line, HMS Victory found no space to break through as Villeneuve's flagship was being tightly followed - forcing Nelson to ram through at close quarters. In the heat of battle, and surrounded on three sides, Nelson was fatally shot in the chest by a well-drilled French musketeer. The Combined Fleet's vanguard finally began to come to the aid of Admiral Villeneuve, but British ships launch a counter-attack. Admiral Villeneuve struck his colours along with many other ships in the Combined Fleet and surrendered. 4.14pm HMS Victory Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy dropped below deck to congratulate Nelson on his victory. 4.30pm With the knowledge he has secured victory, but before the battle had officially concluded, Lord Nelson died. 5.30pm French ship Achille blew up signalling the end of the battle - in all 17 Combined Fleet ships surrendered. ... so did Nelson really say 'Kiss me, Hardy' with his dying words? By RICHARD CREASY for the Daily Mail (in an article from 2007) It was Britain's greatest naval victory and for more than 200 years historians have analysed every detail. Now, amazingly, a new eye-witness account of the Battle of Trafalgar has emerged during a house clear-out. It gives not only a first-hand view of proceedings from the lower decks but also a different interpretation of one of history's most enduring arguments - Admiral Lord Nelson's dying words. Robert Hilton was a 21-year-old surgeon's mate on HMS Swiftsure, a 74-gun ship that played its part in the destruction of the French and Spanish fleets and of Napoleon's dream of invading England. It was 13 days later, after Swiftsure had made it through gales to Gibraltar for repairs that Hilton took up his pen and wrote a nine-page letter home on November 3, 1805. In it he says Nelson's last words, relayed to his ship's company from Nelson's flag captain, Captain Hardy, were: 'I have then lived long enough.' Many people believe Nelson said: 'Kiss me Hardy.' But historians rely on his surgeon's reports that he said: 'Thank God I have done my duty.' As the manhunt for the Brown University shooter enters its fifth day, police still have no idea who the suspect is or why he gunned down nine students. The 5ft 8in man with a 'stocky build' managed to keep his face hidden among 1,200 security cameras and completely escape the FBI dragnet. Without a suspect, his motives remain a mystery - but a former FBI agent believes the attack was the work of a student or employee who targeted the university. Jennifer Coffindaffer, who was a special agent at the bureau for 25 years, told the Daily Mail that he may even have gone after a specific victim. 'I think that this is somebody very familiar with Brown, either a student there, taught there, in some capacity was there and very familiar with that campus,' she said. 'Also considering where he targeted that particular building, that particular floor, that particular classroom, it all seems to be at least quite targeted toward Brown - if not toward a specific person.' The shooter attacked Room 166 in the Barus and Holley building, just as students were leaving an Economics 110 final exam review session at 4.05pm on Saturday. Undergrad students Ella Cook, 19, from Alabama and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, from Virginia, were killed and nine others were wounded. The pair appeared to have nothing in common - Cook the vice-president of the campus Republicans club and Umurzokov a neuroscience student whose family immigrated from Uzbekistan. Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, from Virginia, was killed and nine others were wounded Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore at Brown University and a vice-president of the school's Republican club, was one of the two students killed in Saturday's shooting The door to the building was only left unlocked that day because students were studying for their exams to be held this week. Room 166 also has no security cameras inside. Brown's campus in Providence, Rhode Island, is littered with 1,200 security cameras - so many that students in the past complained about them. 'It is impossible to cross (or even approach) Brown University without being surveilled. I encourage you to try,' the university's newspaper reported in 2021. But somehow, the shooter managed to do just that without his face ever being filmed, which Coffindaffer said suggested he was so familiar with the campus he knew exactly which route to take. The killer may also have chosen the Barus and Holley building because it was on the edge of campus, so he knew he could make a quick getaway. 'In these types of shootings, these killers do go for what is most convenient, so it is possible that that was the first door that opened,' Coffindaffer said. In other words, you're targeting Brown, but what building is easiest to get into? 'But it's also very possible that he specifically wanted that building and to send a message to those students in that particular faculty.' The gunman opened fire on a weekend study session classroom on the seventh floor of Brown University's engineering building, easily walking into the building because it was left unlocked for midterm exams. Pictured: a building area closed off by caution tape A memorial for the two slain Brown University students, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, and Ella Cook, 19 The investigation, which has become chaotic to the point of being shambolic, was criticized by everyone from law enforcement experts to Donald Trump. First, officials leaked the name of a person of interest whose face was plastered all over social media - only for him to be released hours later. Coffindaffer believed investigators jumped the gun because 'they wanted to come out looking like heroes and solving it within a half a day'. 'That just physically doesn't give enough time to search through all the video and all the information that would have been available, so it didn't make a lot of sense to me, considering the grainy footage was all that there was to go on.' Coffindaffer explained that persons of interest were routinely detained and questioned, but that releasing their identity before charging them was a huge mistake. 'You can't publicly go forward and talk about a suspect being in custody and then they double back on their words when somebody whispers in the ear,' she said. Police also declared there was no threat to the public, before a U-turn the following day warned there was an armed and dangerous killer on the loose. 'The biggest problem with this case is trying to tell the public, we've got this under control and the community safe, when in fact they don't have a suspect and they can't give any guarantees that the community is safe,' Coffindaffer said. 'This person is out there and you don't wanna cause panic, but you need education and you need vigilance. 'When you have somebody capable of walking into a classroom and spraying 9mm bullets and killing two, that's a danger to the community right there.' Clad in a black mask, dark jacket, black beanie, gloves and boots, the Brown University shooting suspect was caught on video in the hours before nine students were gunned down as they left class He was first spotted on security and doorbell cameras in Providence, Rhode Island, at 2.08pm on Saturday, then again on a nearby street at 2.52pm The former agent also criticized investigators for only now searching the streets where the suspect was filmed by security cameras, in case he discarded something they could use to track him down. 'Look at how late they are doing that. I would have expected that to be right after the crime was committed,' she said. Instead, they focused on a tip they received, which didn't pan out, and neglected the fundamentals of any homicide investigation. Coffindaffer said it was 'remarkable' that only video of the suspect walking the streets on the day of the shooting was released, as investigators should have combed footage from the days before to find him on a dry run. 'You need individuals with extensive investigative and fugitive manhunt experience, and this whole case makes me question whether the local authority is allowing that... because from what we're seeing, that's not the case,' she said. However, she believed the new video released on Tuesday night would help track down the killer if it was distributed widely enough. 'I think anybody who personally knows him will recognize him - the way he puts his hands behind his back, that duck-footed walk, that particular jacket he had on,' she said. 'I think that there are enough tells and signs in that video for somebody who is intimate with him and knows him to recognize that person.' Another noticeable feature of the suspect was his unusual gait - his right leg barely bending, making him appear knock-kneed As the shooter is still on the loose, midterm exams were canceled, and many Brown students fled campus - some even flew home to other countries. Li Ding, a Rhode Island School of Design student who is on a dance team at Brown, was upset that there wasn't better security on campus. 'The fact that we're in such a surveillance state but that wasn't used correctly at all is just so deeply frustrating,' he said. Trump also criticized Brown for not having security cameras in the right positions to get at least a glimpse of the shooter's face. 'Why did Brown University have so few Security Cameras? There can be no excuse for that,' Trump posted online. 'In the modern age, it just doesn't get worse!!!' But Brown President Christina Paxson noted that one reason they lacked video of the shooter was that Brown's older engineering building didn't have many cameras. 'I have been deeply saddened by people questioning that,' she said. 'As time goes on, there is a natural instinct to assign responsibility for tragic events like this. Anxiety here is very natural, but the shooter is responsible.' Paxson said the university has two security systems. One is activated during an emergency and sends out text messages, phone calls and emails. In this shooting, the communications reached 20,000 individuals. FBI Director Kash Patel has been at the center of criticisms of the investigation, as he was accused of repeating a pattern throughout the year of premature announcements of suspects The other system features three sirens across campus, but Paxson said that would not be used in an active-shooter situation. 'Those get activated when there is a broad-scale emergency, and we want people to rush into buildings,' she said. 'In the case of an active shooter, activating that system could have caused people to rush into Barus and Holley.' FBI Director Kash Patel has drawn scrutiny for the way his agency has handled the manhunt, with criticisms reaching fever pitch on Tuesday as new footage was mysteriously shared then deleted. The agency posted a compilation of surveillance camera footage, but eagle-eyed viewers noticed that the post included home addresses of people whose videos were collected. After the social media post was sent, it was deleted around an hour and a half later. Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey led criticisms of the move, saying that it was evidence of Patel's often-scrutinized handling of high-profile cases. 'Its just a further demonstration of how completely unqualified he is and how he has to be removed from his position,' he said. The suspect was first spotted on security and doorbell cameras in Providence, Rhode Island, at 2.08pm on Saturday, then again on a nearby street at 2.52pm. A 19-second clip of the suspect walking on Waterman Street at 4.06pm after the shooting showed him moving quickly and decisively. Police are also looking for a second man they believe could be a critical witness, and released images of him walking in proximity to the shooter Investigators revealed new surveillance footage on Tuesday that showed the suspect casually strolling past police officers as they worked the scene. The gunman appeared in no rush as he walked by the cops, bringing renewed scrutiny on how law enforcement allowed the killer to slip through the net. Police are also looking for a second man they believe could be a critical witness, and released images of him walking in proximity to the shooter. The pictures were of a tall, slender man wearing a blue jacket, gray hoodie, and a light colored satchel slung over his right shoulder. A drug dealer who was caught selling cocaine and sent to prison used his time behind bars filming a number of comedy videos about his downfall - to try to make it as a stand-up comedian. Daniel Power, who had made appearances as a comedian at open mic nights before he was jailed for dealing, filmed a raft of comedy videos from inside Brixton prison. Then, after he was released from prison two months ago he began uploading the films onto platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to try to become a comedy influencer. It was on the latter site that his videos began taking off and he had grown a following of some 13,000 people for his videos about his failed attempt at being a gangster under the user name Professional Idiot. One video alone was reposted hundreds of times, liked by over 20,000 people and was viewed by tens of thousands more. Its thought that Power held back the material he had filmed while serving his prison term rather than posting from inside so he wouldnt have his phone seized if discovered. He went on to film various comic numbers including two different parodies of a famous Johnny Cash prison song. Adapting the tune of Cashs Folsom Prison Blues, the inmate sang: I only started dealing just to get them fancy cars. Daniel Power has filmed a raft of comedy videos from inside Brixton prison Power was jailed after he was caught dealing cocaine. Now he has grown a following of some 13,000 people for his videos filmed behind bars Or to sit in lovely restaurants and smoke on those big cigars. I knew I had it coming, the feds [police] were on to me Posing with a guitar and makeshift microphone, he continues: But them people kept on buying, and thats what tortures me. In another video, this time rapping over Daniel Bedingfields Gotta Get Thru This, he sings from his cell: Im stuck in jail and Im smoking a Fusion [vape]. Chatting to this bird from Tooting, shes telling me how can you be so stupid? They had me on intent to supply and they proved it, now Im in the back of the van thats the size of a Luton. Heading into a place where people are ruthless. Truth is it was wrong place at the wrong time. In another video, Power appears to break another law by filming inside a crown court building before his sentencing - something that might have earned him additional time behind bars for contempt if the judge had been aware. Again riffing on Johnny Cash, he sings in the clip: I can hear the bus is coming, they are unlocking the gate. I aint gonna see sunshine until 2028. Power who had made appearances as a comedian at open mic nights before he was jailed for dealing One of Powers' videos was reposted hundreds of times, liked by over 20,000 people and was viewed by tens of thousands more Im on my way to Elmley Prison. Where time just drags along. Its unclear if he spent time in Elmley - on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, where he is believed to come from. In a later scene, singing into a microphone in his cell, he adds: I nicked a mic from Maidstone, just to see if I could. When he slams down that hammer, I hang my head and boo. Power, who was trying to get online attention by posting live stand-up routines before he was jailed last year, should not have been allowed access to a smartphone inside the class C prison, where they are illegal to possess. But despite his caution at waiting until he had been freed before starting his campaign for online fame, he is still in breach of his licence after being released on parole before completing his full term. After the Daily Mail informed the Ministry of Justice about almost a dozen videos recorded at HMP Brixton and posted by Power, his Instagram page was this week taken down - though his Facebook remains active and YouTube posts can also still be seen. The MOJ was unable to provide guidance on the exact nature of Powers offence or sentence. The Power case is the latest in a long line of prisoners illegally posting content. The Daily Mail recently told of a drill rapper jailed for 24 years over multiple shootings who become a prison influencer with his videos. Richard Burnett, 30, sang with a microphone and speaker inside a high-security prison along with half a dozen criminals, before sharing the clips online. And a murderer who gloated of his crimes on Instagram in vile rap videos had his account taken down after they were revealed by the Daily Mail. Gang member Taylor Meanley was just 17 when he fired a shotgun at 20-year-old Lewis Williams in what prosecutors called a planned execution. He was jailed for a minimum of 27 years over the 2021 attack that year along with three others for their roles in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. But unrepentant Meanley amassed almost 10,000 followers on Instagram for his glorification of his crimes using self-made rap music videos. Inmates are prohibited from having personal cell phones, and any unauthorised device can lead to additional jail time and fines. After the Daily Mail informed the Ministry of Justice about almost a dozen videos recorded at HMP Brixton and posted by Power, his Instagram page was this week taken down - though his Facebook remains active and YouTube posts can also still be seen HMP Brixton in South London where Power was jailed However, inmates can use authorised prison phones - but only to call pre-approved numbers, which are subject to monitoring. There has in recent years been a spike in the use of drones to drop drugs, phones and weapons into jails across Britain. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: It is completely unacceptable that a criminal has got a mobile phone into prison. Although these videos are old, we have taken immediate action to take them down. We are investing 40 million in new security measures to clamp down on illicit items and those who break prison rules can face extra time behind bars. Instagram was contacted for comment. Angry shoppers have threatened to boycott a Morrisons' store after it took down its Christmas decorations. The festive decorations around the checkout area at the Atlas Mills store in Bolton, Greater Manchester, were removed last Saturday after locals claimed the shop received complaints that the decorations were 'offensive'. While the reason for their sudden removal has not been confirmed by Morrisons, the decision was met with fury on social media - as some shoppers even threatened to boycott the store. Morrisons responded by reinstating the decorations, blaming their removal on a 'miscommunication'. But the incident left some angry. One person wrote on social media: 'Why do people think Christmas decorations will upset anyone?' Another added: 'I thought Morrisons was a British store'. One comment read: 'Whatever the miscommunication was, the decorations should have stayed up. 'This country helps celebrate all religions. At this time of year, we should all embrace.' Shoppers in Bolton threatened to boycott their local Morrisons store when they removed their Christmas decorations Several expressed anger and threatened to boycott the supermarket. One wrote: 'This boils my blood. It's Britain, we celebrate Christmas.' Another said: 'Won't be shopping at Morrisons or any supermarket that doesn't support Christmas.' The local councillor, Susan Priest, waded in and said: 'Bolton is a multi-faith place. We celebrate it all. 'I want to see seasonal decorations going up for all of the different celebrations throughout the year, including Christmas. 'That's what makes Bolton a great place. 'I think it's probably been blown out of proportion, to be honest.' In a statement Morrisons said: 'We have Christmas decorations up at our Atlas Mill store to help make our customers and colleagues feel festive at this special time of year. 'Following a miscommunication some were removed, however they have been reinstated and the store and our colleagues are excited to continue to help our customers celebrate Christmas.' The spokesperson added that they were 'looking into' the miscommunication and said they would not be providing 'any further comment' at this time. New York City police are on the hunt for a knifeman who stabbed a Jewish man in the chest after yelling 'I'm going to kill a Jew today.' Elias Rosner, 35, got into an argument with the unidentified knifeman as he was walking down the street in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, just after 4pm on Tuesday. Rosner, a member of the Lubavitch Hasidic community, told the New York Post about the knifeman's horrifying anti-Semitic rant. 'I was waiting in a crowd of Jewish people and this guy started spouting stuff,' he continued. '"I'm going to kill Jewish people, I'm going to kill a Jew today, I don't give a f***, we wouldn't be in this mess if the Holocaust had happened."' According to Rosner, the man looked 'very serious' as he spouted the terrifying threats. 'I guess I was the one guy that had the bravery to look him in the eye,' he added. 'So, he was waiting. He set a trap up for me a block ahead. He came around the corner and it just started happening.' Police described the incident as 'seemingly random' after the two bumped into each other on the street. 'The unidentified individual made anti-Jewish statements and then proceeded to stab the victim in the chest with a knife,' according to the NYPD. Elias Rosner, 35, got into an argument with the unidentified knifeman as he was walking down the street in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, just after 4pm on Tuesday New York City police are hunting for an unidentified man who stabbed Rosner, a Jewish man, in the chest barely missing his heart During the 'random' encounter, the man allegedly said 'F*** the Jews' and that 'it would be okay if the Holocaust happened today' Rosner recalled that as the man brandished his knife he prepared to fight. 'I believe in standing up to bullies,' he told the outlet. 'I knew it was on. I luckily had taken off my sweater to use as a sarong to catch the blade. I could tell he wasn't going to be doing anything fancy.' He said he was able to catch 'most of the force' from the knife with his sweater and 'that's basically what saved my life.' The knife went through Rosner's chest near his heart, but he left the confrontation without serious injury. Yaacov Behrman, a rabbi and spokesperson for the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters, wrote on X that the suspect allegedly said 'F*** the Jews' and 'that it would be okay if the Holocaust happened today.' Rosner was admitted to Kings County Hospital and later released. 'This was an antisemitic attack,' Behrman wrote. 'Hateful rhetoric always leads to violence.' Footage of the attack has been circulating on social media as Rosner and the knifeman got into the dispute. Video showed him following the suspect after their confrontation, at which point he turned and stabbed Rosner. 'The unidentified individual made anti-Jewish statements and then proceeded to stab the victim in the chest with a knife,' according to the NYPD Rosner said he was able to stop the full force of the knife thanks to his sweater The suspect was last seen wearing jeans and a black varsity jacket with the word 'Genuine' on the back and '91' on the arm, images released from the NYPD showed. The rabbi told the Gothamist that the attack has stirred concern for more serious attacks that may follow 'unless people openly call out hate.' 'After losing friends in Australia on Sunday, it is painfully clear that the world is once again dangerous for Jews,' Behrman continued in his post. The Jewish community has been mourning the attack on Bondi Beach that killed 16 people during a Hanukkah celebration, Behrman told the outlet, including the death of rabbi Eli Schlanger who attended school in Crown Heights and still has family in New York. 'Almost every family in Crown Heights knows somebody or is related to somebody who was either present at the attack, was injured or killed,' he continued. 'This is absolutely a wake-up call for us that things are dangerous for Jews in New York and things are dangerous for Jews worldwide.' Rosner said that the conflict in Gaza has stoked more antisemitic sentiments, and added: 'It used to be when I was a kid wed come out from a party late at night, and the worst thing we had to worry about was [a] stop and frisk.' 'Nowadays, its a lot tougher, but my motto is, "If you stay ready, you aint got to be ready."' Yaacov Behrman, a rabbi and spokesperson for the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters, said: 'This is absolutely a wake-up call for us that things are dangerous for Jews in New York and things are dangerous for Jews worldwide' Rabbi Eli Shlanger, 41, was a victim of the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia during a Hanukkah celebration and attended school in Crown Heights, with some family still in NYC He added: 'Here in America, everybody has a right to live free of oppression, and we also have to stand up to bullies who are trying to take that away from people.' Mayor Eric Adams wrote on X: 'Evil, hateful, antisemitic violence must come to an end. We cannot let this hate persist in our city, and we will never back down.' 'We are praying for this man and his family, and NYPD's Hate Crimes Division is investigating this incident as we speak,' he added. Officials have increased police presence around synagogues and menorah lightings following the attack in Australia, according to the Gothamist. Police are asking for assistance in locating the suspect and that anyone with information regarding the incident call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Kemi Badenoch has vowed to spend 50billion on defence by diverting the money from a fund for green projects. The Tory leader said the repurposed money from Ed Milibands climate fund would be spent on rearming the UK. She accused Labour of failing to invest in the armed forces and said she would use the money to ensure Britain was war-ready. The Tories said the investment would include 11billion from the National Wealth Fund that is currently allocated to net zero projects. This fund would be turned into a new National Defence and Resilience Bank which would enable procurement of drones and new technologies at a faster rate. It would also receive 6billion over three years from the Government's research and development budget which would be given to the Ministry of Defence to invest in new technology. Alongside around 33billion of investment from the private sector, the Tories said they expected their plan for a Sovereign Defence Fund to mobilise 50billion for defence. Guns not green: Kemi vows to move 50billion from fund for green projects to bolster defence spending Ms Badenoch said: The next Conservative Government will move funding from Ed Miliband's vanity Net Zero projects and use it to back our military to accelerate their war readiness. We must ensure our Armed Forces are equipped and ready to defend our country. Because defence of the realm must be the first priority of any Government. In the face of growing threats we should be investing more in defence, yet all we see from this Labour Government is heel dragging and vague promises. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the money would deliver the drone revolution our armed forces require and create a more lethal military. The money would be invested in UK defence firms and used to build more resilient supply chains to reduce Britain's reliance on hostile states such as China. The Defence Select Committee has warned that Labour is moving at a glacial pace on war readiness. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the First Sea Lord, has called for an urgent increase in defence spending as Russia develops its navy. Labour has pledged to raise defence spending to 2.5per cent of GDP from 2027 and to 3per cent by the end of the decade. Earlier this year, the Government launched UK Defence Innovation with a 400million annual budget aimed at bringing new technology to the military. But negotiations to join the EU's 150 billion euro defence fund broke down last month over the amount the UK was expected to pay to take part in the scheme. The Government is also yet to set out how it intends to meet the 3per cent spending target, and the defence investment plan due to be published this autumn has been delayed. Sir Keir Starmer told MPs on Monday the investment plan would be published as soon as it's ready. This is the moment a brazen thief breaks into I'm A Celeb star Lady Colin Campbell's castle and steals one of her children's Christmas presents. The socialite, 76, who starred in the 2015 series of the reality show, is offering a reward for help catching the burglar who broke into her home at Castle Goring near Worthing, West Sussex. She has spent a fortune returning the Grade I Listed building to its former glory and now runs the property as a wedding venue. But Lady C's peaceful rural existence was this month interrupted when a man entered the huge home to swipe a festive gift. The royal author - who has written books about the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the late Princess Diana - revealed CCTV footage of the audacious theft from the front entrance to the castle. The clip sees the property's wide front door opened from the outside before a bearded man, who appears to be dressed in white jeans and a white jacket, enters the castle's porch area. Carrying a torch, he then shuffles towards the other side of the entrance and seems to be bend down to pick something up from the floor. Posting the footage to her social media, Lady C can be seen sitting in a chair in her home and saying: 'We've had somebody come to the castle and brazenly steal Misha's Christmas present, or one of his Christmas presents, to Dima. This is the moment a brazen thief breaks into I'm A Celeb star Lady Colin Campbell's castle and steals one of her children's Christmas presents The socialite, pictured in a social media video showing CCTV footage of the incident, is offering a reward for help catching the burglar 'We have CCTV footage of the thief and I am going to post it. And I am also offering a reward to anybody who turns him in. I will personally pay them 500 if they provide me with his name, his address or contact details so I can get in touch with him because I am not even wasting my time with the police because they're a dead loss. 'I will undertake a private prosecution if the police, when I turn the thief over to them, decide they're not going to act....which, nine times out of ten nowadays in this country, they do. Absolutely outrageous. 'We have extensive CCTV footage of him inspecting this stuff and stealing this stuff. I'm just going to be posting a teensy weensy bit.' Castle Goring is located just off the A27 north of Worthing, a few miles from Arundel. Seaside resort Worthing has long been popular with celebrities. Harold Pinter once lived in the area and Oscar Wilde wrote The Importance Of Being Earnest while staying in a hotel there. Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler began his rugby union career at Worthing Rugby Club, and current nearby residents include Des Lynam, John Inverdale and Lizzie Webb. Last month it was revealed more than 600million of parcels ordered by Brits were stolen in the last year, according to devastating research. Experts warned shoppers to be on their guard ahead of Christmas this year after it emerged almost five million households have fallen victim to so-called 'porch pirates' in the space of 12 months. Lady C starred in the 2015 series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here, pictured Analysts said this equates to roughly a 31 per cent rise in parcel theft year-on-year - but that the true scale of the issue is unknown because so few people actually report their missing post to police. And thefts are costing shoppers dear. The average value of a parcel swiped by an opportunistic criminal has risen from 102 to 138 in the last year. Police data provided to the Daily Mail shows that, unsurprisingly, December is the busiest time of year for parcel thieves, closely followed by November. In fact, to the chagrin of Black Friday and Christmas shoppers, around 28 per cent of all thefts between July 2024 and June this year were reported in the festive shopping period - up from a fifth last year. A university has caused outrage among its Christian students after allowing a nativity play called 'A Gay In A Manger' to go ahead. In the production, put on by York St John University's LGBTQ network, baby Jesus and his parents Mary and 'Jo' are depicted as homosexual, the three wise men as drag queens and heaven as a gay disco. The plot sees Mary and Jo being 'very close friends' and 'Queen Herod' calling for 'a mandatory party across the land' in a royal proclamation. 'Mary and Jo packed their pride flags and set off on the long journey to the best gay club this side of the Red Sea Heaven,' the description on the student union website reads. 'But when Queen Herod heard of the new King of the Gays, she began to plot for his downfall for only she could be the Queerest Icon in the Land.' Josiah Diamond, 21, a second-year politics and international relations student, wrote to the university raising concerns that the play discriminated against Christians. He added that such a production would not be tolerated against Muslims and asked whether it would permit a performance called A Gay in Mecca. However, the university's student union, which has been handed responsibility for the issue, said there was 'no differential treatment of religious groups'. In the production called 'A Gay In a A Manger', put on by York St John University's LGBTQ network, baby Jesus and his parents Mary and 'Jo' are depicted as homosexual, the three wise men as drag queens and heaven as a gay disco. The university's student union, which has been handed responsibility for the issue, said there was 'no differential treatment of religious groups'. Pictured: York St John University It added that the 'reinterpretation of a religious theme' was protected under artistic expression. 'This portrayal is not only blasphemous in a direct sense, but of a particular offensive and violating nature to adherents of the faith and openly opposing doctrine,' Mr Diamond wrote in a letter to the university, seen by The Telegraph. 'By allowing this performance to go ahead, the university is supportive of groups who chose to openly mock the Bible.' He claimed that his lawyers told him it was not a freedom of speech issue but direct discrimination, saying there 'cannot be a distinction between religious groups and between the rights and privileges of differing religious groups'. The chief executive officer of the student union, Donna Smith, said while the university is 'proud' of its Christian heritage, it is 'committed to being an inclusive environment that respects and supports people of all faiths and none'. She added that she has found 'no evidence' that the play constitutes unlawful harassment, discrimination, or hate speech under UK law. 'I believe there will be no use of threatening, abusive words or behaviour intended to stir up religious hatred,' she said, adding it is a 'reinterpretation of a religious theme which is protected under artistic expression.' Mr Diamond said that many Christian students at the university plan to protest outside the building on the night of the play after being angered by the decision to allow it to proceed. The play is due to take place on Thursday evening, with tickets available on the student union's website for 1.50, or for 2.50 on the door. The Daily Mail has approached York St John University for comment. A businesswoman accused of killing two schoolgirls in Colombia with poisoned chocolate-covered raspberries has been found after being rescued from the River Thames. Alleged double killer Zulma Guzman Castro was pulled from the river close to Battersea Bridge, west London, on Tuesday morning. Castro is alleged to have killed two schoolgirls after spiking the fruit with thallium, a colourless and odourless heavy metal, as an 'act of vengeance' after a secret affair with the father of one of the victims. Ines de Bedout, 14, and her close friend Emilia Forero, 13, tragically died in hospital just days after eating the sweet treat on April 3. Castro denies the killings. An Interpol Red Notice to find Castro was issued earlier this month, with authorities warning the fugitive had visited Brazil, Spain and the UK since leaving Colombia. It's understood Castro came to Britain on November 11 and the National Crime Agency were actively hunting for her. A Met Police spokesman told the Mail: 'Police were called at 06:45hrs on Tuesday, 16 December to reports of a woman in distress on Battersea Bridge. 'The Met's Marine Policing Unit recovered a woman in her 50s from the water at 07.14hrs and she was taken to hospital, where her injuries have since been deemed not life-threatening or life-changing.' Zulma Guzman Castro is alleged to have spiked the fruit with a deadly substance as an 'act of vengeance' after a secret affair with the father of one of the victims, according to reports in Colombia Ines de Bedout, 14, and her close friend Emilia Forero (right), 13, tragically died in hospital just days after eating the sweet treat. Emilia's father Pedro posted this photo of them earlier this month Colombian law enforcement have now requested the assistance of UK police to detain Castro. It's understood an arrest warrant was issued by Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this week. If she is fit enough, Castro will be taken into custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates' for an extradition hearing. Earlier this month, an agonising social media post was published by Emilia's devastated father Pedro Forero. Pedro, speaking shortly before it emerged Colombian prosecutors had a suspect for the horror crime, said: 'Fourteen years ago, a life of hopes, joys and dreams began; a life that filled a family, a father and a mother. 'But it wasn't just the joy of someone else's life; it was the beginning of the life of an excellent human being who had dreams, hopes and goals. 'As a father, it is incomprehensible to think that someone was capable of taking this away. 'She did not just take away my dreams, my desires and my prospects in life as a father; she did not just take away my opportunity to be a father-in-law, grandfather and everything else one can be as a parent. 'She took away my daughter's opportunity to be a girlfriend, a professional, a wife, a mother and a daughter.' The girls were reportedly spending time at a swanky apartment in Bogota, Colombia, with an older brother and another friend after school when they ate the fatal desert, said to have been laced with the highly dangerous poison. The colourless, odourless and tasteless substance is commonly used in the manufacturing of electronics, optical lenses, semiconductors, alloys and radiation detection equipment. It was allegedly injected directly into the raspberries before being sent to the girls on April 3 this year. Ines and Emilia are reported to have died four days later, according to Colombian media. An agonising social media post published by Emilia's devastated father Pedro Forero emerged earlier this month. Pictured: Emilia Local media claims the businesswoman, who founded an electric car rental company named Car B, may have poisoned the girls in a calculated bid to take revenge on her former lover In a gut-wrenching message alongside a photo of Emilia as a baby, Forero added: 'Daughter, you will always be the greatest love I could ever feel as a father. 'No girlfriend or wife could ever generate the love I felt when I had you, and I will carry this love with me until the last day of my life. 'I love you and will love you for the rest of my life. I miss you. I am sorry I could not protect you from this broken world. 'Despite the pain, I am glad to have had you in my life. I hope to have one last hug from you, even if it is only in my dreams.' Prosecutors claim Castro used a courier firm to deliver the deadly desert. Since then, investigators in Colombia have been working to determine how the teenagers died, before prosecutors called in Interpol to help arrest Castro who was reportedly having an affair with Ines' father, Juan de Bedout. Local media claims the businesswoman, who founded an electric car rental company named Car B, may have poisoned the girls in a calculated bid to take revenge on her former lover. Another teenage girl who ate the poisoned raspberries, along with the 21-year-old brother of one of the victims, were hospitalised following the incident seven months ago. Both survived, but the girl is said to have suffered lasting health problems. The poison used was initially linked to the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko who died in a London hospital in November 2006. Children cannot consent to taking puberty blockers, Wes Streeting has admitted as he faced mounting opposition to the controversial medical trial. The Health Secretary told MPs that participants in the study who could be as young as ten can only repeat back to doctors what the risks are and need a parent to agree they can be given the powerful drugs. He also revealed that he 'wrestles' every day with his decision to let the clinical trial go ahead, having previously said he felt uncomfortable with it, and wishes he had 'certainty' on it. Mr Streeting's comments came as 107 MPs and peers from across the political spectrum signed a letter calling on him to halt what they called a 'dangerous mistake' that could 'devastate' young lives. His Department of Health HQ was also the site of the first major protest against the 'experiment' on Wednesday, with speakers branding it 'state-sponsored child abuse'. Mr Streeting implemented a permanent ban on puberty blockers last year after the landmark Cass review found little evidence they are safe or effective for children who want to identify as the opposite sex. But he has also given the green light to a medical trial in which 226 young people will be given the drugs for two years, as part of a wider 10.7million study by King's College London into 'gender incongruence'. Wes Streeting appearing before MPs on the Health Select Committee on Wednesday Hundreds of opponents to the puberty blockers trial demonstrated outside the Department of Health's headquarters in central London He was urged by MPs on the Health Select Committee to introduce a lower age limit on the grounds that pre-teens cannot have capacity to understand the risks to their sexual development and replied: 'I absolutely agree with your assertion that a young person cannot give consent. 'In order to participate in a trial, a young person would need to give informed assent, so repeating back to the clinician what the risks are and why they would want to go through them. 'It is the child's parent or guardian that would need to provide informed consent. Absent of that, a young person would not be eligible to participate in the trial.' He added: 'All the way through, I've had to weigh up risk of harm to children and young people, which is why it's not straightforward, why I've lent on clinical advice from people far more qualified than us to make these decisions.' The Conservatives later forced an Urgent Question on the topic in which Mr Streeting told the Commons he worried about the risks posed by 'puberty-suppressing hormones' but added that he was also uncomfortable about banning them. 'The reason I was uncomfortable with that, too, is because I had to look children and young people, and their parents, in the eye when they told me in no uncertain terms that that decision was harmful to them, as have many other clinicians who have opposed that decision.' But his fellow Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill told him she was concerned that 'credible safeguarding warnings from clinicians and academics' are not being heard. Independent MP Rosie Duffield, who quit Labour last year, handed in the letter opposing the trial to Mr Streeting's office and told the protest outside: 'This is the worst thing that has ever happened in this entire experiment with children.' Reform's Sarah Pochin said: 'This is nothing short of state-sponsored child abuse.' A town that was left horrified last week when its Christmas tree was chopped down just hours after its lights were switched on has been restored by local residents. The tree had stood proudly behind an 1,800 ornamental fence in the centre of Shotton Colliery, County Durham, for ten years before a vandal took a chainsaw to its trunk on Wednesday, December 10. Dylan McNamara, 26, pleaded not guilty to criminal damage over the weekend and is due to stand trial at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court next year. In the days after the chopping down of the tree, which was planted in memory of all those who died in the Second and First World Wars, locals came together to raise money to replace it. In the meantime, it has been bolted back up, turf has been wrapped around its trunk, and its lights have been switched back on. Stephen Maitland, chairman of Shotton Colliery residents' association, said: 'I was absolutely devastated when the tree was chopped down. It meant so much to so many people. 'But I do feel a little bit better now, with the crowdfunding, and how people have reacted in the village 'The night it was felled, I was going to pack in all the work I do with the police and council, but the support that's been offered has changed my mind.' The tree in Shotton Colliery before it was chopped down. The festive foliage has been bolted back up, turf has been wrapped around its trunk, and its lights have been switched back on The tree had stood proudly behind an 1,800 ornamental fence in the centre of Shotton Colliery, County Durham, for ten years before before a vandal took a chainsaw to its trunk on Wednesday December 10 Mr Maitland said that 2680 has been raised so far to replace the imported tree from Italy. He added that he was not sure how much money was needed to replace it. He continued: 'The fix we've got in place now, should last for the festive period. 'We have some ornamental grass, which we've wrapped around the trunk, and it looks like it hasn't been touched. 'I am in a more positive frame of mind now, and I am over the moon there's been an arrest.' McNamara, of Bruce Glazier Terrace, has denied criminal damage to property under 5K in that without lawful excuse he destroyed a Christmas tree of unknown value belonging to Durham County Council. In the aftermath of the felling locals spoke of their sadness, and drew comparisons to the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree in September 2023. One man, who didn't want to be named, said: 'I am a single man and I do not have a Christmas tree, I never have done. 'For me, the village's Christmas tree is my Christmas tree. I think a lot of single men feel the same about it. A police officer surveys the felled tree. In the days after the chopping down of the tree, which was planted in memory of all those who died in the Second and First World Wars, locals came together to raise money to replace it 'It makes you feel happy when you see it on your way home from work.' He added: 'It's terrible it can be up one day, and then down the next. You worry that once it's up again, the same thing will happen again. 'It does bring to mind what happened at Sycamore Gap but I don't think it has anything to do with that.' Speaking last week Stephen said: 'The Christmas trees lights were turned on at about 5pm, and 80 to 100 people turned up to watch. 'Hours later, this has happened. 'I am ten out of ten angry about it. I am absolutely fuming and disgusted. 'The tree means a lot to everyone in the village. It was funded by local organisations and is dedicated to all those who died in the Second and First World Wars.' Vladimir Putin has described European leaders as 'little pigs' as he warned Russia would capture all the land in Ukraine he claims it owns. He also accused Western politicians of plotting Russia's downfall and vowed to carry on with the war in Ukraine unless his demands are met. In a major speech in Moscow, he said: 'Everyone believed that Russia would be destroyed and collapsed in a short period of time. 'And the European little pigs immediately joined in this work of the former American [Biden] administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country. 'To regain something that had been lost in previous historical periods and try to take revenge. 'As is now obvious to everyone, all these attempts and all these destructive plans against Russia have completely failed.' He also said he would deploy the Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile system in Belarus in the next fortnight. From there, Russians claim it could strike London in eight minutes. The Russian leader adamantly refused any compromise on his desired land grab in Donbas while also threatening to create such a strong military powerhouse that Europe and its leaders would have to bow to him. Vladimir Putinhas described European leaders as 'little pigs' as he warned Russiawould capture all the land in Ukraine he claims it owns 'The objectives of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved,' he told Russian commanders in the speech. 'We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy. 'However, if the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive talks, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means. 'The task of creating and expanding a buffer security zone will also be consistently addressed.' He predicted years of war as he said the issue in Ukraine was not solvable with the current Western leaders in Europe. 'We are ready to negotiate and resolve all the problems that have arisen in recent years peacefully,' he said, before bizarrely blaming European leaders for continuing the war. 'The US administration has demonstrated such readiness, and we are engaged in dialogue with them. I hope the same will happen in Europe. 'It's unlikely that this will be possible with the current political elites, but in any case, it will be inevitable as we continue to strengthen our position. 'If not with the current politicians, then with the change of the current elites in Europe.' Portraying Europe as collapsing, he said: 'Immediately after the collapse of the USSR, we thought we'd quickly become members of the so-called civilised family of European nations. It turns out today that there's no civilisation there. Only complete degradation.' It comes as Kremlin stooge Alexander Lukashenko warned the conflict in Ukraine could trigger a global conflict unless a peace deal is struck soon. The Belarusian President, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, told a US television station it was up to Donald Trump to find a solution. Speaking to Newsmax TV, Lukashenko said: 'If the escalation continues, the consequences could be very grave for Europea and the entire world. 'A lot now depends on the position of Trump and the United States of America. The main thing is that Trump [should] not back away from this position.' Lukashenko, who permitted Russian troops to enter Ukraine from his territory as part of the February 2022 invasion, painted a dark picture for Volodymyr Zelensky. He urged the Ukrainian president to accept Russia's peace demands before it was too late. He added: 'In my opinion, if this war continues, Ukraine could cease to exist. It may not even be on the map.' Lukashenko also included a threat that nuclear war could result in a failure to find peace, a favoured line spouted by President Putin's supporters. He said: 'We must prevent [global conflict] because in this war, all kinds of weapons will be used.' Kremlin stooge Alexander Lukashenko has warned the war in Ukraine could trigger a global conflict unless a peace deal is struck soon. The Belarusian President, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, told a US television station it was up to Donald Trump to find a solution. Speaking to Newsmax TV, Lukashenko said: 'If the escalation continues, the consequences could be very grave for Europe and the entire world. 'A lot now depends on the position of Trump and the United States of America. The main thing is that Trump [should] not back away from this position.' Alarmingly for Ukraine's allies, Britain included, President Trump has expressed public support for Russian policy positions, including its demand for Ukraine to sacrifice territory. Lukashenko, who permitted Russian troops to enter Ukraine from his territory as part of the February 2022 invasion, painted a dark picture for Volodymyr Zelensky. He urged the Ukrainian president to accept Russia's peace demands before it was too late. He added: 'In my opinion, if this war continues, Ukraine could cease to exist. It may not even be on the map.' Lukashenko also included a threat that nuclear war could result in a failure to find peace, a favoured line spouted by President Putin's supporters. He said: 'We must prevent [global conflict] because in this war, all kinds of weapons will be used.' Lukashenko was speaking as Putin accused Western political leaders of 'hysteria' over their claims they face conflict with Russia. Putin said European political figures were making the same mistake as former US President Biden, who was much more critical of Russia. Putin accused Biden of 'deliberately steering the situation towards an armed conflict'. Regarding Russian threats to escalate the conflict, Putin said: 'I have repeatedly stated this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense, about some imaginary Russian threat. 'This is being done quite deliberately. The West has been indoctrinated with fears about an inevitable clash with Russia. 'Europe's little pigs immediately joined in the work of the previous American administration, hopping to profit from the collapse of the country.' Last night, President Zelensky suggested the conflict could continue long into 2026 as he claimed Russia was preparing for 'a year of war'. He urged the United States to see the same signals from Moscow and act accordingly, noting that the US often suggests Russia wants peace. He said: 'It is crucial our partners see the signals. Russia wants to undermine diplomacy and legitimise the theft of our land. Real protection is needed.' Britain's defence spending plans were plunged into chaos on Wednesday night after the Prime Minister reportedly blocked a major investment boost. Sir Keir Starmer was said to have torn up wish lists submitted by military chiefs raising concerns about 'affordability'. Labour pledged to release the crucial Defence Investment Plan 'this autumn' now it is not expected before January 2026 at the earliest. On Wednesday night, Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge told the Mail the situation was 'farcical'. The postponement came despite defence chiefs and the head of MI6 warning this week that Britain must prepare for conflict with Russia. The delay also coincided with a last damning indictment of the 6.4 billion Ajax armoured vehicle programme, which still is not ready to enter service and is injuring troops in trials. Four separate reviews were ongoing last night into Ajax in a bid to fix the vehicle. The Ministry of Defence also faces major spending decisions to accelerate the delivery of nuclear submarines and improves air defence. Sir Keir Starmer, pictured on Tuesday, is said to have torn up wish lists submitted by military chiefs raising concerns about 'affordability' Mr Cartlidge said that the gap between the government's preparations for war and its rhetoric was extraordinary. He told the Mail: 'This means yet another Labour broken promise on defence. This is the fourth major strategy to have been delayed. 'This is why the Defence Select Committee concluded the government was moving a "glacial pace" to prepare the country for possible conflict.' According to the Conservatives, the Strategic Defence Review, the Defence Housing Strategy and the Defence Industrial Strategy were also late. Last night, tens of billions of pounds of vitally needed military equipment remained on hold. Government sources confirmed how the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary are meeting regularly to finalise work on the Defence Investment Plan. They said the plan will deliver the best kit and technology into the hands of our frontline forces at speed. The Defence Investment Plan is also considered vital to boost the UK economy with tens of thousands of industrial jobs hanging in the balance. The delay comes after the Mail revealed how there is a shortfall of an estimated 2.6 billion in this year's defence budgets. This has led to training exercises overseas being scaled back and procurement programmes being cancelled. On Wednesday, the Conservatives announced plans for a 50 billion sovereign defence fund including 33 billion of private finance and 11 billion from the National Wealth Fund. Additional funds will be provided by research and development budgets from other government departments being reverted to the Ministry of Defence. The Conservatives have also pledged to increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP in this parliament. To date, Labour has only said reaching the same target is an 'ambition' based on hitting targets for economic growth. The MOD said: 'As the Defence Secretary said this week, we are working intensely to finalise work on the Defence Investment Plan, which will deliver the best kit and technology into the hands of our frontline forces at speed, and, importantly, invest in and grow the UK economy.' British comedian Cerys Nelmes has landed back in the UK after being trapped in Turkey for five months following a Zara shoplifting accusation. Nelmes, 47, was accused of stealing 110 worth of clothes from a Zara store in Istanbul on July 22, after garments were allegedly found stuffed inside her backpack. She was initially facing three years behind bars but her ordeal came to an end on Tuesday when a Turkish judge overturned her travel ban and granted her permission to return to the UK. The comedian landed at Bristol airport yesterday and burst into tears as she was met by three close friends at arrivals. Nelmes has insisted the accusation was a misunderstanding, claiming she absentmindedly left the store before ringing up her purchases in the summer. She claimed she returned to the store to hand back the items and offered to pay, but was instead detained, locked in a room for hours without explanation, and eventually arrested for shoplifting. CCTV of the moment showed Nelmes wearing a light blue dress, browsing around the shop with an armful of clothes on hangers. Since the in-store CCTV was not timestamped, the timeline is not fully clear but in another clip she is seen walking holding a yellow dress. Cerys Nelmes has landed back in the UK after being trapped in Turkey for five months following a Zara shoplifting accusation CCTV of the moment showed Nelmes wearing a light blue dress, browsing around the shop with an armful of clothes on hangers Since the in-store CCTV was not timestamped, the timeline is not fully clear but in another clip she is seen walking holding a yellow dress After a quick glance around as she exits, Nelmes stands directly outside the store for several moments while appearing to type or browse on her phone Later footage shows her leaving the store while appearing to be distracted by her phone but with no clothes in hand - having allegedly forgotten that there were 6,000 lira (110) of items in her white backpack. After a quick glance around as she exits, Nelmes stands directly outside the store for several moments while appearing to type or browse on her phone. A Zara staff member eventually approaches and asks her and another woman to go back inside. Nelmes and the other woman then return to the store without argument. The mother-of-one said she was then taken to a police station, pressured to sign documents in a language she could not read, and held in a cell for 24 hours with no food, toilet or water. Speaking to The Sun she said she was forced into a car with three men and made to lie in the boot during her journey to the police station. Once she was in custody she claimed she was not given food for 24hours and only after eight hours of begging, was she given water. She told the newspaper that the toilet was a hole in the ground, and that she had to strip down to hose herself clean after every use. 'My bed had bugs and all sorts in it, it was just horrible,' she said. Nelmes, who once played a paramedic in medical drama Casualty, said at the time: 'I was told they didn't understand me.' The next day, she was brought before a judge who released her but banned her from leaving the country. She later told fans on social media: 'I'm ok and have been taken in by a Turkish family who gave me food and a bed.' Her acting roles have included Casualty and JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy. Alongside her comedy performances, she also made headlines in April 2019 when she saved a fellow diner from choking at a restaurant before a gig. A Zara staff member eventually approaches and asks her and another woman to go back inside The mother-of-one said she was then taken to a police station, pressured to sign documents in a language she could not read, and held in a cell for 24 hours with no food, toilet or water Reflecting on her ordeal, Nelmes told The Sun: 'As a British citizen it should not be allowed for me to be treated in such an inhumane manner. I will never be the same' The comedian was grabbing a bite to eat in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, when she performed the Heimlich manoeuvre to dislodge a prawn that was stuck in a woman's throat. In a post on social media speaking about her detention and subsequent stranding in Turkey at the time, she said: 'On Tuesday I left a Zara store in Istanbul without paying for items. 'I returned straight away and handed the items to staff. I was asked to pay and I said I would and the manager accepted this. 'To cut a long story short I was then taken to a locked room where hours later after no communication from anyone I was taken away by police and held in a police station and was asked to sign things I couldn't read. 'I was put in a prison cell for 24 hours with no food or toilet facilities. When I asked for water, I was told they didn't understand me. 'I was handcuffed and taken for fingerprints and mugshots at 3am. I was handcuffed and taken to court the following day and put in a cell. 'I appeared before the judge and was told by a translator that I was released, but unable to leave Turkey for an undetermined amount of time. 'He said I was lucky to not be put in prison but I currently face up to three years. I have to report to a local police station every Monday. 'I am lucky I have good friends in Turkey who are currently looking after me, and trying to translate the paperwork. 'I have no money, no earnings coming in from home, and I am running out of important medication. I will lose my home which I share with my son, and livelihood. 'I am not looking for sympathy. I made a mistake which I tried to immediately rectify. I am embarrassed for my friends, my family, and I have made my 78-year-old mum unwell. I will never forgive myself for what I have done.' Reflecting on her ordeal, Nelmes told The Sun: 'As a British citizen it should not be allowed for me to be treated in such an inhumane manner. I will never be the same.' As many as three in four resident doctors turned up to work at some hospitals as strikes got underway today, leaving picket lines looking threadbare. But stronger union support elsewhere caused so much disruption that the impact of the industrial action will be felt into January and beyond, health leaders warn. Cancer patients were among sick Britons worried for their life after the NHS was forced to cancel thousands of operations and appointments when the medics walked out for five days from 7am in a row over pay and jobs. Managers expect to axe more routine care than they did previously as stretched staff are redeployed to look after emergency admissions resulting from a record super flu outbreak and mounting winter pressures. Sir Keir Starmer branded the industrial action dangerous and utterly irresponsible during Prime Ministers Questions and urged doctors not to abandon patients. But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said he doesnt have the baubles to do what is needed and ban them from striking. She added: The trade unions didnt just buy him for Christmas, they bought him for life. And this matters for all those people out there facing a difficult new year. Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the Labour Party and currently leader of Your Party, joins a BMA picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London The British Medical Association has marched thousands of its resident doctor members out on strike in pursuit of a 26 per cent pay rise. The medics - previously known as junior doctors - have already seen their pay balloon by 28.9 per cent over the past three years. Each five-day walkout costs the NHS around 300million in lost activity and overtime payments to covering consultants. Health secretary Wes Streeting, who has previously accused union leaders of timing the strike at the moment of maximum danger, described the current situation as dicey but said he is just as, if not more, worried about the weeks ahead as workers who are covering for absent colleagues will be so knackered. And Dr Layla McCay, from the NHS Confederation, which represents healthcare organisations, told Sky News: What healthcare leaders are telling us is that the impact we will see from these particular strikes will affect particularly things like the waiting lists, and the disruption that is being caused this week will be felt all the way into January and beyond. Meanwhile, shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew told the broadcaster: A woman contacted us to say her cancer treatment is not going to happen over these next five days, and in her own words, she says, Im worried for my life. I just wish that the BMA would behave better, get their members back into those hospitals where theyre needed, but I do thank those resident doctors that havent actually gone back to work to help out in this very difficult circumstance. The NHS Confederation said initial indications are that strike turnout has varied around the country, with as many as three in four resident doctors reporting for duty in some places but as few as one in five in others. Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch speaking during Prime Minister's Questions today Resident doctors join a picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital, London Placards placed against a wall outside The Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Hospitals have been told they should aim to deliver 95 per cent of usual activity during the strike, though health leaders have conceded this could be more challenging than previously. The last five day walkout in November led to the cancellation of 38,961 appointments despite 95 per cent of usual activity being maintained. If the figure is nearer to 90 per cent this time, 60,000 to 70,000 could be disrupted, further hampering efforts to tackle growing waiting lists. Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, told Times Radio that the government and BMA appear to have reached an impasse and it had become like the worst kind of Groundhog Day. He added: 'We need to do something to unlock this, and if external mediation is the thing that will unlock it, then please, can we get on and do it? Conciliation service Acas said it has been talking to both sides and is well prepared and ready to help with the dispute. Mr Streeting told the Commons health and social care committee that the time has not yet come for everyone to wear masks and there is no need for such a mandate. But he said the government is supporting frontline health leaders who decide it is the right thing to do to ask visitors to hospitals and other care settings to put one on. And Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, told MPs that flu cases may be starting to settle in some parts of the country. The BMA has already granted some medics permission to leave the picket line and return to work in the maternity unit at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust due to unique and difficult circumstances. It comes as resident doctors in Wales voted to accept a new contract but BMA staff escalated their own pay dispute with their employer and could be balloted over strike action. Authorities have released images of a second suspect who was 'in proximity' to the Brown University gunman in the ongoing manhunt for the at-large killer. Investigators said Wednesday they are actively seeking a second individual in connection with the shooting that unfolded Saturday at the Rhode Island college, where two people were killed and nine others injured. Officials showed pictures of a tall, slender individual wearing a blue jacket, grey hoodie, and a light colored satchel slung over their right shoulder, who they say 'was in proximity of the person of interest' at the time of the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact the tip line at 401-272-3121. The announcement comes as the manhunt for the killer stretches into its fifth day, with authorities coming under mounting pressure following a series of mishaps during the investigation. Authorities say they are urgently trying to speak to the second individual for information about the suspected gunman, who remains at large and has only been seen in grainy surveillance footage that has not led to an identification. In previously released surveillance images, the suspected gunman is seen with a heavyset build standing around 5'8", wearing dark clothing, a black mask, and an apparent limp in his gait. Investigators have not elaborated on how the second suspect may be connected to the case, beyond saying they were 'in proximity' to the gunman. Authorities have released images of a second suspect who was 'in proximity' to the gunman in the ongoing manhunt for the Brown University shooting suspect Officials showed pictures of a tall, slender person wearing a blue jacket and grey hoodie, who they say 'was in proximity of the person of interest' at the time of the shooting Authorities say the potential second suspect may have known the suspected gunman (pictured), who remains at-large and has only been seen in grainy surveillance with a heavyset build, wearing dark clothing, a black mask, and an apparent limp The ongoing nature of the manhunt and looming questions over the investigation have brought scrutiny on officials in the days following the tragedy. On Sunday, police faced backlash after releasing a 'person of interest' who was detained following the shooting, conceding that they had taken the wrong person into custody. The fiasco put the investigation back at square one, and on Tuesday officials seemingly admitted they had nothing as they appealed for 'even an incidental detail' from the public that could point to the gunman's identity. On a timeline of the suspect's movements after the shooting, the stocky gunman was seen walking on a street in the Providence, Rhode Island community minutes after the shooting at 2:08pm on Saturday. Ring camera and surveillance footage then showed the gunman slowly strolling on the sidewalks over the next half an hour, as observers analyzed the suspect's gait, including an apparent limp on his left leg and walking with his hands behind his back. Investigators have not elaborated on how the second suspect (pictured) may be connected to the case, beyond saying he was 'in proximity' to the gunman Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore at Brown University and a vice-president of the school's Republican club, has been identified as one of the two students killed in Saturday's shooting Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, was also killed in the tragic shooting Victims of the horror shooting have been named as Brown University students Ella Cook, 19, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18. The horror shooting spree on Saturday saw the gunman target a single classroom in Brown University's Barus & Holley engineering building, as students prepared for an upcoming exam. Law enforcement experts have said the choice to shoot up that classroom, which was on the seventh floor of the building, indicates the gunman had picked that room specifically. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha admitted at a press conference on Tuesday that officials have 'nothing new' and were clueless as to 'any kind of motive.' Over 1,200 surveillance cameras are situated on the Brown University campus, but images of the suspected gunman so far show only vague, fuzzy glimpses of a heavyset man wearing dark clothing and a mask. President Trump led criticisms of a lack of surveillance evidence, writing on Truth Social: 'Why did Brown University have so few Security Cameras? There can be no excuse for that. In the modern age, it just doesn't get worse.' Neronha blaming the outdated systems in the building where it happened for the lack of security cameras, saying it unfolded in an older section of the building and admitted that the inconclusive images the public has already seen are all we may get. 'There is video inside the building, there are cameras inside the building. What we have released to you are videos of this person of interest,' the prosecutor said. 'I want to be clear because later on, there may be other videos that get released in the course of a prosecution, likely will be at some point, they show things like chaos after the shooting. But they don't show, is the, is this person of interest?' In a shocking update on Tuesday, investigators revealed new surveillance footage that showed the suspect casually strolling past police officers as they worked the scene Despite over 1,200 surveillance cameras on the campus, authorities have only shared grainy, vague images of the gunman walking the streets moments after the shooting on Saturday In the latest footage, the suspect was seen walking slowly along a street in the aftermath of the attack that killed two people In a shocking update on Tuesday, investigators revealed new surveillance footage that showed the suspect casually strolling past police officers as they worked the scene. The gunman appeared in no rush as he walked by the cops, bringing renewed scrutiny on how law enforcement allowed the killer to slip through the net. Cops said that in the chaotic moments after the shooting, the gunman was able to escape out of an exit door to the engineering building and onto a street outside. By the time cops arrived on the scene and swept the building, the shooter was already making a break for it, and little forensic evidence has been shared that could point to a suspect. Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found dead near a canal path in west London. The body was discovered late on Tuesday evening at an address on Horsenden Lane North, in the Greenford area of Ealing. The Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service attended the scene following a concern for welfare report. Two men, aged 43 and 36, and a 39-year-old woman were arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and they remain in police custody this evening. The force said the death is being treated as 'unexpected and enquiries are ongoing'. A large police presence remains in the area, with reports of a forensic tent nearby. In a statement the Metropolitan Police said: 'At around 23.15pm on Tuesday, 16 December police were called to reports of a concern for welfare at an address in Horsenden Lane North, Greenford. 'Officers, along with the London Ambulance Service, attended and sadly discovered the body of a man. He was pronounced dead. The man was found dead late yesterday evening at an address on Horsenden Lane North, in the Greenford area of Ealing 'Two men, aged 43 and 36, and a 39-year-old woman were arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody. 'At this stage, the death is being treated as unexpected and enquiries are ongoing. 'A post-mortem examination will take place in due course. 'A crime scene remains in place.' A father-of-four has been confirmed as the 14th victim in the devastating Bondi Beach terrorist attack. Adam Smyth, 50, was walking on the beach with his wife on Sunday evening when the massacre unfolded. Other victims included British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, French national Dan Elkayam, 27, Wellington Street synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison, Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82, retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher, 61, Edith Brutman, Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, and Soviet immigrant Boris Tetleroyd. The passport photos of alleged gunmen Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father, Sajid, were shared online on Thursday. The passports were used during their trip to the Philippines just weeks before the attack, sparking concerns they were meeting with Islamist extremists. Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offences at his hospital bedside on Wednesday. They include 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder. He did not appear or apply for bail during a brief bedside court hearing and the case was adjourned until April. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced reforms to crackdown on hate speech following the incident, including targeting hate preachers. A fugitive businesswoman accused of killing two schoolgirls in Colombia with poisoned chocolate-covered raspberries gave her London hideout away by sipping on a bottle of Buxton water during a weekend interview. Zulma Guzman Castro, 54, was rescued from the River Thames near Battersea Bridge early on Tuesday morning after being named in her homeland as the alleged killer of Ines de Bedout, 14, and 13-year-old Emilia Forero. Castro allegedly killed the children after spiking their fruit with thallium, a colourless and odourless heavy metal, as an 'act of vengeance' after a secret affair with Ines' father Juan de Bedout. An Interpol Red Notice was issued for Castro after she was linked to a messenger delivery of the laced dessert. Castro is expected to face extradition proceedings when she is pronounced fit enough. She denied the accusations against her in a statement which went viral on social media earlier this month. Over the weekend, she raised suspicions that she might be in the UK by drinking from a bottle of Buxton mineral water during an exclusive interview with Focus Noticias. Colombian daily El Tiempo was one of the first to pick up on the fact it could offer a clue to her current whereabouts, after Interpol's 196 member countries were asked to locate and detain Castro. Zulma Guzman Castro drinks from a bottle of Buxton mineral water during an exclusive interview with Focus Noticias She raised suspicions that she might be in the UK by drinking from the British water brand The Businesswoman is alleged to have spiked fruit with a deadly substance as an 'act of vengeance' after a secret affair with the father of one victim, according to reports Ines de Bedout, 14, and her close friend Emilia Forero (right), 13, tragically died in hospital just days after eating the sweet treat. Emilia's father Pedro posted this photo of them earlier this month A source told the paper: 'The bottle of water she drank from was Buxton Natural Mineral Water, a reputed product which is mainly commercialised in the UK, although it can be purchased online.' The same source said: 'The size of the bottle she was drinking are sold in street shops, which would indicate Guzman is in an apartment or house and not in a hotel.' Another Colombian newspaper, Semana, added: 'Investigators made inquiries on the official website and found out from it that the bottled water is only sold in the UK and is supplied to physical shops and retailers based in that country. 'That information points to the possible place in which the alleged killer of the children could be staying.' Another said: 'This clue has enabled the authorities to temporarily rule out Guzman's presence in Argentina where she initially fled, reinforcing the theory she is in hiding in the UK.' Colombian police have not yet confirmed whether the water bottle clue was the lead factor which led to investigators in the South American country closing the net on Castro's location, via cooperation with their British counterparts. The businesswoman, who founded a car-sharing firm called Car-B, admitted to an extramarital affair with Juan de Bedout in her Focus Noticias interview, as well as confessing she had put a GPS tracker on his car. She said: 'Regrettably I was his lover for many years, more than six. 'The relationship with him was basically clandestine and we would see each other in my house or elsewhere in Bogota. 'Our relationship ended at the beginning of 2020.' Confirming she had tried to track his movements, she added: 'I committed an error many years ago. 'Precisely when I was in a relationship with Juan, out of jealousy and because I was entangled in all the lies, he challenged me, saying that I wasn't capable of knowing where he was hiding. Local media claims the businesswoman, who founded an electric car rental company named Car B, may have poisoned the girls in a calculated bid to take revenge on her former lover 'I told him that I was capable, and that's when I looked for a way to put the GPS in the car.' But Castro denied any involvement in the schoolgirls' poisoning, saying: 'I am a mother, and that must be unbearable pain, and I understand that for that reason they want to find the culprit and use all possible means to do so, but I am not that culprit. 'The strategy is clearly to completely destroy me before any legal proceedings, to destroy my image and give a version that would destroy me without any trial, without any guarantee of a fair trial at this time.' The two schoolgirls lost their fight for life at Bogota's benchmark hospital Santa Fe de Bogota Foundation just under a week after they were poisoned on April 3. Another friend and 21-year-old brother of one of the victims were also hospitalised after eating the raspberries but survived, although the girl is understood to have suffered lasting injuries. Forensic experts have determined the heavy metal, which can be lethal in tiny doses, was deliberately injected into the raspberries before they were delivered to the luxury apartment in the Colombian capital Bogota, where the victims had been playing after school finished for the day. Prosecutors allege Castro, who left Colombia on April 13, used a courier firm to deliver the fruity treat. The delivery man told investigators he was given the package containing the raspberries by a friend of the fugitive and advised it was a present for them because the dessert was one of their favourites. Castro has been described as a long-term friend of Ines de Bedout family who knew their daily routine and was aware the youngster loved chocolate-covered raspberries. The package was delivered to the girls just after 7pm local time on April 3, after they reportedly rejected an earlier attempt to hand it to them saying they weren't expecting anything. An agonising social media post published by Emilia's devastated father Pedro Forero emerged earlier this month. Pictured: Emilia Castro, in a message which ended up in the hands of a Colombian newspaper, said: 'I find myself in the middle of a very serious situation, where I'm being accused of having been the person who sent a poison that killed two girls. 'They accuse me of having fled to Argentina, and then to Brazil, Spain and the UK. 'Those who know me know I haven't fled anywhere. 'They know I've been working in Argentina and began a masters in journalism here. 'I went to Spain more than a month ago, with a stopover in Brazil, and then to the UK. 'I imagine they're accusing me because I had a secret relationship with the father of one of the girls. 'Public prosecutors have never informed me about any investigation and I sent a lawyer friend of mine yesterday to ask, because I heard rumours people were talking about me. 'The following day my name is in the media. I hope those that know me support me and defend me.' After Emilia died, her father Pedro Forero urged mourners to put on brightly coloured clothes instead of black to attend the teenager's funeral. He said in a previous social media post: 'Today I am trying to find words for something that cannot be explained. Emilia, my driving force in life, left this world leaving an infinite mark on all of us who had the privilege of knowing her, embracing her and loving her. 'Her joy, her sensitivity, her immense heart and her unique way of seeing the world will always be with us. Castro denied any involvement in the schoolgirls' poisoning 'I would like to invite those who loved her, those who shared unique and special moments with her, to bid her farewell with love, with gratitude, with the colours she loved so much and with the joy she taught us to have even in difficult times.' A Met Police spokesman said of yesterday morning's rescue: 'Police were called at 06:45hrs on Tuesday, 16 December to reports of a woman in distress on Battersea Bridge. 'The Met's Marine Policing Unit recovered a woman in her 50s from the water at 07.14hrs and she was taken to hospital, where her injuries have since been deemed not life-threatening or life-changing.' Rescuers scoured the river with searchlights before finding Castro. Colombian authorities have made a request to the UK for her capture and it is understood a warrant was issued by Westminster Magistrates Court for her arrest earlier this week. A Christmas cake poisoning in December last year in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul which left three people and three others fighting for their lives, made headlines around the world. Teacher Maida Bernice Flores da Silva, 58, another sibling called Neuza Denize Silva Dos Anjos, 65 and Neuza's daughter Tatiana Silvia Dos Santos, 43, died within hours of eating the cake late on December 23. Maida's sister Zeli dos Anjos, who baked the cake later found to have been contaminated with arsenic-laced flour, survived after a long hospital stay. The victims also included a 10-year-old boy. Zeli's daughter-in-law Deise Moura dos Anjos was arrested over the horror crime but hanged herself in prison in February after being remanded in custody. It is understood Castro came to Britain on November 11 and the National Crime Agency were actively hunting for her. Colombian law enforcement requested the assistance of UK police to detain Castro. It's understood an arrest warrant was issued by Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this week. If she is fit enough, Castro will be taken into custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates' for an extradition hearing. Earlier this month, an agonising social media post was published by Emilia's devastated father Pedro Forero. Pedro, speaking shortly before it emerged Colombian prosecutors had a suspect for the horror crime, said: 'Fourteen years ago, a life of hopes, joys and dreams began; a life that filled a family, a father and a mother. 'But it wasn't just the joy of someone else's life; it was the beginning of the life of an excellent human being who had dreams, hopes and goals. 'As a father, it is incomprehensible to think that someone was capable of taking this away. 'She did not just take away my dreams, my desires and my prospects in life as a father; she did not just take away my opportunity to be a father-in-law, grandfather and everything else one can be as a parent. 'She took away my daughter's opportunity to be a girlfriend, a professional, a wife, a mother and a daughter.' The girls were reportedly spending time at a swanky apartment in Bogota, Colombia, with an older brother and another friend after school when they ate the fatal desert, said to have been laced with the highly dangerous poison. The colourless, odourless and tasteless substance is commonly used in the manufacturing of electronics, optical lenses, semiconductors, alloys and radiation detection equipment. It was allegedly injected directly into the raspberries before being sent to the girls on April 3 this year. Ines and Emilia are reported to have died four days later, according to Colombian media. In a gut-wrenching message alongside a photo of Emilia as a baby, Forero added: 'Daughter, you will always be the greatest love I could ever feel as a father. 'No girlfriend or wife could ever generate the love I felt when I had you, and I will carry this love with me until the last day of my life. 'I love you and will love you for the rest of my life. I miss you. I am sorry I could not protect you from this broken world. 'Despite the pain, I am glad to have had you in my life. I hope to have one last hug from you, even if it is only in my dreams.' Prosecutors claim Castro used a courier firm to deliver the deadly desert. Since then, investigators in Colombia have been working to determine how the teenagers died, before prosecutors called in Interpol to help arrest Castro who was reportedly having an affair with Ines' father, Juan de Bedout. Local media claims the businesswoman, who founded an electric car rental company named Car B, may have poisoned the girls in a calculated bid to take revenge on her former lover. Another teenage girl who ate the poisoned raspberries, along with the 21-year-old brother of one of the victims, were hospitalised following the incident seven months ago. Both survived, but the girl is said to have suffered lasting health problems. The poison used was initially linked to the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko who died in a London hospital in November 2006. Hard-pressed taxpayers have been left with a staggering expenses bill of more than 27million as MSPs claimed more than ever before. The total sum handed over to Holyroods elected members soared by 7.6 per cent in 2024-25 compared to the previous financial year. It marks yet another record expense bill MSPs have landed on the taxpayer, with it almost 2.1million higher than the previous high which came just the year before in 2023-24. Among the items making up the near 27.5million bill include Humza Yousafs sponge scourer, Angus Robertsons replacement toilet seat, and even a claim from Colin Beattie for a bottle of bleach. It comes as Scotland continues to be the highest taxed part of the UK, with everyone earning over 30,300 this year paying more income tax than their equivalents down south. Every penny counted for the SNP's Colin Beattie, who claimed back 79p for a bottle of bleach A toilet seat was among the expenses claims made by MSPs An expenses claim amounting to just 79p was filed for a bottle of bleach Callum McGoldrick, investigations campaign manager of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: Scots will be furious to see the credit card bills of their jumped up politicians escalate while services continue to suffer. The Scottish parliament has so far delivered little else other than higher costs, greater bureaucracy and an even higher tax burden than down south. MSPs need to remember the taxpayers that fund every penny they expense. The latest rise comes as Holyrood officials upped the maximum allowances for many type of expenses. MSPs were able to claim up to 20,700 on Edinburgh accommodation to assist with their parliamentary duties, up 1,000 on the year before. They were allowed an overnight limit of 225 for hotel bookings in the city, an increase of 10, while their allowance for office costs jumped up by 1,000 to 21,100. Each MSP was also given a 156,900 staffing budget, up from 147,000 in 2023-24. The largest expense bill was from Scottish Conservative Edward Mountain, who represents the Highlands and Islands, who claimed 74,145. Nationalist MSP Alasdair Allan, who represents Na h-Eileanan an Iar, put a claim in for 63,058. Meanwhile Kenneth Gibson, the SNP MSP for Cunninghame North, claimed a total of 61,987. Many of the expense claims, which were revealed by the Scottish Parliament yesterday, were for low value items. Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, in April 2024, claimed 11.04 for privacy film for windows on an office door. Later that year, in May, one time First Minister Humza Yousaf claimed 3.02 on a sponge scourer. Colin Beattie, in September 2024, put in a claim for just 79p to cover the cost of bleach. The SNP's Angus Robertson charged the taxpayer 17.99 for a replacement toilet seat Angus Robertson, in November 2024, charged the taxpayer 17.99 to for a replacement toilet seat. And MSP Ross Greer, who is now co-leader of the Scottish Greens, claimed 32 for an electric radiator in March 2025 for his regional office. A Scottish Parliament spokesman said: As with every year, staff salaries comprise the largest single expense, with 22.57 million covering staff employment in MSPs parliamentary and local offices thats 82.22 per cent of the total cost. The remainder covers the cost of running those offices, travel, and support for party leaders who are not in government. In 2023-24 MSPs expenses were 25.36m, with the increase of 2.09m bringing it to 27.45m in 2024-25. Rachel Reeves has been accused of being in total denial after refusing to accept the scale of North Sea job losses caused by Labours own policies. The Chancellor said she did not believe that around 1,000 jobs a month were being lost from the oil and gas sector because of the windfall levy and hostility to new drilling. The figure, which came from a recent report by Robert Gordon University, has been highlighted by North Sea firms to raise the alarm about the damage Labour is doing. But asked on a visit to Grangemouth if she thought the figure was true, Ms Reeves replied dismissively: No, I dont. Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander then butted in: Thats a Robert Gordon University figure. Its not a Government figure. It drew a furious backlash from the industry and political opponents. David Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said: The job losses are real just ask my neighbours, friends and colleagues but they are not inevitable. Lets be clear, the North Seas decline is policy-driven and reversing this trend is within the governments control. I urge the Chancellor to meet with me on behalf of industry back UK jobs and please dont dismiss real concerns. Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Douglas Lumsden said Ms Reeves is in total denial about how she is destroying Scotlands oil and gas sector. Chancellor Rachel Reeves visited Grangemouth near Falkirk Ms Reeves was accused of being in total denial after refusing to accept the scale of North Sea job losses He said: Workers will be furious that she is so detached from reality that she cannot accept the damage that is being done by her reckless decision to keep the windfall tax in place. She should have apologised for her recent Budget instead of rejecting figures out of hand. Ms Reeves was in Grangemouth to announce 120million of UK Government support to keep Britains last ethylene plant open, protecting 500 direct jobs for five years. Afterwards, she was asked about the 78 per cent energy profits levy (EPL) which Labour plans to keep in place until 2030, despite warnings it is scaring away North Sea investors. Asked repeatedly by The Mail if she cared about the job losses in the North Sea, Ms Reeves snapped: This isnt a conversation, this is a question and answer. After being pressed three times and prompted by Mr Alexander saying of course, Ms Reeves finally said: Yes, but 70 per cent of those jobs were lost in the decade before the EPL was introduced under the previous government. Pressure is growing on the SNPs Justice Secretary after she admitted a second possible breach of the ministerial code when she apologised to a child abuse expert she misrepresented. Angela Constance yesterday revealed that no civil servants were present when she had a private call with Professor Alexis Jay to offer an apology after the academic asked for a clarification to be issued about the way her views had been presented in parliament. It led to renewed calls for an investigation into whether she has broken the ministerial code, which states that a Government official must be presented for all discussions relating to Government business. Ms Constance also said she would now consider correcting the official record of the Scottish Parliament after Professor Jay told MSPs she would welcome the move after failing to do so for three months since she made the original comment in a debate on September 16. First Minister John Swinney has previously dismissed calls to refer the issue to his independent advisers on the ministerial code and direct approaches by both the Conservatives and Labour have not yet been responded to. Following her admissions for Holyroods education committee, Labour MSPs are now set to consider whether to bring forward a further vote of no confidence in the Justice Secretary after the Christmas recess. Scottish Conservative MSP Douglas Ross said: Angela Constances committee performance has only confirmed her position as justice secretary is untenable. Her private apology to Professor Jay proves that even she knows she was wrong to misrepresent her views. But this lying SNP minister also brazenly admitted another breach of the ministerial code by admitting she didnt have an official in the room while she made that call. Angela Constance MSP appeared at the Education, Children and Young People Committee If Angela Constance is relaxed about an investigation into her conduct, then John Swinney and the independent advisers on the ministerial code should back our calls and launch an investigation immediately. Grooming gangs victims deserve better than an SNP justice secretary who has betrayed their trust and that they no longer have faith in. When arguing against an amendment by Tory MSP Liam Kerr to the Victims and Witnesses Bill which referenced a possible Scottish grooming gangs inquiry earlier this year, Ms Constance told MSPs that Professor Jay shares my view and has put on the record and stated to the media that she does not support further inquiries into child sexual abuse and exploitation. However, subsequent correspondence show Professor Jay demanded a clarification of the comments and supports a Scottish inquiry. During nearly three hours of evidence at yesterdays committee meeting, MSPs were able to grill both Professor Jay and the Cabinet Secretary about the controversy. Appearing by video call, Professor Jay confirmed she had wanted an accessible clarification to be issued about her views. She said Scottish Government officials offered her the option of a letter from Ms Constance addressing her concerns or an update within minutes of the national strategic group on child sexual abuse, and she chose the latter because she thought it was more accessible for people to see it on a website and understand my concerns. The expert added shed welcome amending the official record but had not been offered the option, which is the normal route to correcting errors made during parliamentary business. MSPs are expected to make corrections within 20 working days. Alexis Jay, who will head Scotland's investigation into grooming gangs Professor Jay also said the Justice Secretary gave her a personal apology over the issue for my name being bandied about in the parliament during a call on December 6. She said: To be perfectly clear, in writing to her I never sought nor do I still seek an apology. What I wanted was an accurate record. During a separate evidence session yesterday, Ms Constance said shell certainly look at if and how correcting the official record could be done. Defending why she didnt adjust the record at the time, the Justice Secretary said she was making a general debating point about the need to get on with the work. She explained: She [Prof Jay] did also say in her letter that the quote I used was correct but of course she added context to that, and it just wasnt clear to me on how I would correct the record what would I put into the record? Whereas on other occasions over the years it is something I have done and normally it is because a quote was wrong, a word was wrong, figures were wrong, and I wasnt sure how that would do justice to the clarification that Professor Jay was seeking. Ms Constance confirmed she had requested a private call with Professor Jay as she was strongly of the view that I owe Professor Jay a professional apology because it always grieves me when experts, professionals who have spent their working life to protect our children, become involved in a political debate or dispute. When pressed on whether she was calling as an individual MSP or Cabinet Secretary, she initially said it was as an individual but then added it was in relation to quotes I made as Cabinet Secretary. Committee convener Mr Ross clarified that it was as Cabinet Secretary and she confirmed. Asked what officials were on the call, she said: There was no officials on the call, it was a private call. Mr Ross said: Sorry, so it was a call between you and Alexis Jay only, on Government business? Ms Constance said she wrote up a note following the call and has provided it to her ministerial office. The ministerial code states: A Government official should be present for all discussions relating to Government business. Asked why a government official was not present, Ms Constance said: Because Id asked to make a private call. She added she did not think it could be perceived as a ministerial code breach which should be investigated. The Cabinet Secretary added: Im not aware of ministers being prohibited from making personal calls. It will of course, as ever, be for others to make any judgements about my actions or behaviour. Later in the same session, Ms Constance said private calls on government business is not something Ive been in the practice of doing. Asked if it was a one-off, she said: Yes. Tory MSP Miles Briggs highlighted that former First Minister Alex Salmond repeatedly referred himself for investigation to the independent advisers on the ministerial code and asked if she had considered doing the same. She said: No. As a politician, I would hope that wed all have the humility to recognise that your fate doesnt always rest in your own hands, at times it rests in others. She claimed the concerns raised were about what I did not say, so I therefore didnt seek to amend the record. On the prospect of a probe by the independent advisers, Ms Constance said: There will be other people who will make decisions, whether the First Minister or independent advisers. She insisted she would have no concerns about an investigation. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: Alexis Jay has written twice to Angela Constance asking her to correct the record, she has failed to do so. She has today, at the education committee, made the same plea openly, and for Angela Constance to simply say shell consider it demonstrates a minister that is completely out of her depth and who doesnt get the gravity of the situation here. Shes lost the confidence of victims and survivors, and therefore she cannot stay in post. The Scottish Government confirmed that letters from Mr Findlay and Mr Sarwar demanding an investigation into whether Ms Constance broke the ministerial code have been shared with the independent advisers on the ministerial code. A spokesman said: We have received the letters and will respond in due course. The UK inquiry into foreign political interference will look at Iran and Scottish independence, Douglas Alexander has confirmed. The Scottish Secretary said it was right and appropriate it looked at all actors trying to influence democratic decisions. Theres been a lot of research in recent years indicating that there was Iranian activity in relation to the constitutional future of Scotland, he said. Israeli and US strikes on Iran in June led to multiple pro-independence accounts on X falling silent, suggesting they were part of a foreign bot network. Research by disinformation firm Cyabra also found a quarter of 5,000 pro-independence accounts it checked in the summer were Iranian-linked fakes so-called Natbots . And when a recent X transparency feature identified the country of origin for posts, large numbers of separatist cheerleadering accounts were traced to Iran. The investigation into overseas influence in domestic politics follows former Reform politician Nathan Gill taking bribes from a Russian agent. The ex-MEP was jailed for ten-and-a-half years last month after admitting taking money while serving in the European Parliament. Former Scottish Government civil servant Philip Rycroft will lead the inquiry. A previous Westminster security report in 2020 found credible evidence Russia had tried to influence the independence referendum. The UK inquiry into foreign political interference will look at Iran and Scottish independence, Douglas Alexander has confirmed Asked on a visit to Grangemouth if the investigation would include Iran and the independence debate, Mr Alexander said: Yes. When the Americans took the action that they did, we saw a significant reduction in the number of Iranian bots promoting Scottish independence on Scottish social media sites. So it is right and appropriate that the investigation that is being undertaken looks at all actors who are trying to influence democratic decisions being made here in the United Kingdom. Scottish Tory MSP Stephen Kerr said: This investigation is absolutely right. SNP politicians were far too willing to promote and legitimise these accounts simply because they appeared to be cheering on independence. John Swinney should publicly condemn those acting in bad faith, ensure his own colleagues stop amplifying disinformation, and commit to full and transparent co-operation with this investigation. When SNP constitution secretary Angus Robertson was asked in June about the terrorist state of Iran using Yes bots to weaken the UK, he called it a bid to smear independence supporters. The SNP was asked for comment. Tucker Carlson has claimed that Donald Trump will announce war with Venezuela during a televised address to the nation tonight. 'Members of Congress were briefed yesterday that a war is coming and it'll be announced in the address to the nation tonight at 9 o'clock (2am UK time) by the president,' Carlson told the Judge Napolitano podcast on Wednesday. However, Carlson added multiple caveats: 'Who knows, by the way, if that will actually happen? I don't know. And I never want to overstate what I know, which is pretty limited in general.' The claim comes amid rampant speculation over Trump's address to the nation on Wednesday. The White House said yesterday that his speech will highlight the administration's achievements over the last year and tease its aims for 2026. Trump dramatically escalated pressure on Venezuela on Wednesday night as he ordered a 'total and complete' blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers to and from the Latin American nation. Venezuela's socialist tyrant Nicolas Maduro denounced the action as 'warmongering.' Financial markets were quick to react. Oil spiked toward $60 per barrel for Brent crude, while energy stocks including Exxon Mobil, BP and Shell soared. Trump has assembled the largest US force in the Caribbean since the Cold War, including the USS Gerald Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier. Tucker Carlsonhas claimed that Donald Trump will announce war with Venezuela during a televised address to the nation tonight President Donald Trump boards Air Force One en route to Delaware on Wednesday in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland Since September, the US has struck at least 25 alleged narco-terror vessels, killing at least 95 people, primarily in the Caribbean Sea, as well as in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The president accused Maduro's government of using 'stolen' oil to 'finance themselves, drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping' in a Truth Social post Tuesday. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro warned that Trump's 'naval blockade is unquestionably an act of war'. The escalation comes after last week's seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker called the Skipper off the country's coast, which Maduro claimed amounted to 'kidnapping' the vessel's crew. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the vessel had a history of transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran in support of Islamist terror groups. Trump has refused to rule out strikes inside Venezuela to target cartels which he claims Maduro is helping to facilitate the industrial scale production and export of the deadly opioid fentanyl into the US. Venezuela is typically a hub for the transport of cocaine, whereas the vast majority of fentanyl imports reach the US via its land border with Mexico. Suspicion surrounds America's military buildup off Venezuela, particularly as it is one of the world's most oil rich nations and a key supplier to China. Trump's campaign appears aimed at undermining domestic support for Maduro but the Venezuelan military said Wednesday it was 'not intimidated' by the threats. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds the Sword of Peru during an event marking the bicentennial of its delivery to Simon Bolivar, in Caracas, Venezuela, November 25 Two US Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys depart at Mercedita International Airport on Wednesday in Ponce, Puerto Rico US forces seizing an oil tanker last week The foreign minister of China, the main market for Venezuelan oil, defended Caracas in a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gi against the US 'bullying.' 'China opposes all unilateral bullying and supports all countries in defending their sovereignty and national dignity,' he said. Caracas believes that the anti-narcotics operations are a cover for a bid to topple Maduro and steal Venezuelan oil. The escalating tensions have raised fears of a potential US intervention to dislodge Maduro. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum waded into the dispute on Wednesday, declaring that the United Nations was 'nowhere to be seen' and asked that it step up to 'prevent any bloodshed.' Venezuela has been under a US oil embargo since 2019, forcing it to sell its production on the black market at significantly lower prices, primarily to Asian countries. The country produces one million barrels of oil per day, down from more than three million in the early 2000s. Capital Economics analysts predicted that the blockade 'would cut off a key lifeline for Venezuela's economy' in the short term. 'The medium-term impact will hinge largely on how tensions with the US evolve - and what the US administration's goals are in Venezuela.' The White House has been contacted for comment. New York City's 'dine-and-dash diva' brazenly interrupted the judge in court on Wednesday as she was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation. Pei Chung, 35, has been locked up at the infamous Rikers Island after being arrested at least 10 times for skipping out on the bill at luxurious restaurants across the city. The wannabe influencer appeared at Brooklyn's Kings County Court. While she was expected to go before Judge Orville Reynolds earlier in the day, she had missed the bus that transports inmates from Rikers - for reasons unclear - and took a later trip to the court. Court officers surrounded a handcuffed Chung as she and her attorney stood before the judge. The Taiwan native wore a drab beige prison uniform with her long brown hair unstyled - a stark contrast from the glamorous looks, often featuring designer pieces, she once flaunted on social media. The brief hearing began with Chung's attorney, Henry Dechalus, requesting that Reynolds bar the media from photographing the accused check-dodger. 'She feels her rights are being violated by allowing the press to use this opportunity to monetize pictures of her in these proceedings in the media and in these publications,' her lawyer said. Pei Chung, 35, appeared in Brooklyn's Kings County Court on Wednesday afternoon The wannabe influencer allegedly stole from at least 11 restaurants But this argument did not hold up, as the judge sided with reporters on the matter, given the case's public interest. Despite boasting snaps of her lavish lifestyle and bikini-clad physique online, she was shy in court - turning her head away from photographers as they took her picture. Reynolds then ordered that Chung undergo a '730 evaluation,' which is a forensic psychological assessment conducted by a neutral mental health expert. While a general mental health evaluation focuses on a person's diagnosis and treatment, a 730 is intended to provide the court with neutral insight into the defendant's ability to proceed. Chung must undergo the evaluation by her next hearing, which was set for February 4, 2026. Reynolds asked the prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Miss-Kye Gallon, to have an offer ready by that time. However, he acknowledged that any deal might depend on the results of the 730 assessment. Court officers surrounded Chung and her lawyer in court on Wednesday Chung shared flashy photos of herself on social media prior to her arrest The judge also addressed the added complications to the case stemming from her convoluted immigration status. She was hit with an immigration warrant because she has allegedly been staying in the US on an expired student visa, according to The New York Post. Even though the hearing lasted just minutes, it was far from drama-free. Chung appeared to speak out of turn multiple times - with the judge having to put her in her place. It is unclear what the alleged serial meal thief was saying - as she was speaking low and avoiding the microphone - but Reynolds was quick to shut it down. 'Excuse me! When I speak, you don't speak, you understand?' Reynolds asked. As she mumbled again, the judge said: 'Speak to your lawyer.' In her previous court appearance, Chung was represented by McCarthy Hawkins, who said at the time that she was 'confused about what's going on' and that he was concerned for her well-being. Chung, 35, is currently in custody on Rikers Island after she was arrested and charged for allegedly skipping out large restaurant tabs across Williamsburg Chung moved into the luxury waterfront building along Kent Avenue in 2021. She stopped paying rent in August 2024 and was ordered to leave by December 1 Chung's alleged food-filled scheme was busted in late November after police say she ran out on at least 11 hefty restaurant bills in the Brooklyn area over the course of more than a month. She would allegedly either walk out without paying or attempt to barter with staff by offering to post pictures of her meals on social media - all while dressed from head to toe in designer gear. But unpaid checks are not the only tab Chung has allegedly run up. Records show she also owes more than $40,000 in back rent at the ritzy Kent Avenue apartment block where she has lived since 2021, having not paid her dues since August 2024. In fact, during her Rikers stint, she was evicted from the high-end apartment. She was arrested on November 21 and court-ordered to vacate the property on December 1. Chung is facing multiple charges of theft of services and remains in custody. A small plane crashed into a home in New Hampshire and landed on its front porch. A Velocity V-Twin crashed in a residential area in Nashua, about 40 minutes from Concord, on Wednesday around 2.10pm, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. The pilot, who was the only person on board, was injured and rushed to the hospital, the Nashua Police Department told the Daily Mail. The extent of the pilot's injuries remain unclear, but they were conscious and talking at the scene, police said. It is also unclear what caused the horror crash. The FAA is investigating and is set to arrive at the crash site. A dramatic image showed the plane upside down and in pieces outside of a row of homes. A small plane crashed into a home in Nashua, New Hampshire on Wednesday afternoon The roof a home is seen damaged following the terrifying crash An aerial image shows the crashed plane in the snow A damaged roof was also seen after the plane appeared to slam into one of the structures, police said. The unidentified pilot was able to get out of the wrecked plane with the help of bystanders, Nashua fire officials told WMUR. Prior to the crash, officials believe the pilot was practicing taking off and landing at an unknown airport, the outlet reported. Matilda, 10, was the youngest victim of the attack Heartbreaking footage has emerged of the final moments of a 10-year-old girl and a prominent rabbi celebrating Hanukkah before they were killed at Bondi Beach. British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, and Matilda were among the 15 innocent people killed in the deadly attack in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Sunday. The attack at Sydney's most iconic tourist destination unfolded as hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event just before 7pm. Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father Sajid stood on a pedestrian footbridge and allegedly opened fire with military-grade weapons into the crowds of families, locals and beachgoers. Matilda, who was the youngest victim, was enjoying face painting and a petting zoo at the festival with her parents and younger sister. At the event, rabbi Schlanger was performing the Jewish rite of tefillin for many of the men in attendance. Laying tefillin is a Jewish ritual typically reserved for adult males, which involves wrapping two small black leather boxes, containing Torah scrolls, around the arm and the head. In a video shared to social media, rabbi Schlanger can be seen performing the ritual on Matilda's dad as the little girl watched on in the moments before they were killed. In a video shared to social media, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, performed the Jewish ritual of tefillin on Matilda's dad as the little girl watched on in the moments before they were killed The footage showed rabbi Schlanger wrapping the tefillin around the dad's arm and then his head, while Matilda watched on and danced in her yellow dress. 'On that day you told me "Don't let anyone do tefillin for you, wait for me", thank you my friend. R.I.P Eli,' the video caption read. Social media users flooded the comments sharing touching tributes for Matilda and rabbi Schlanger. 'My heart feels so heavy watching this. A little girl, just 10 years old, and another life they had no idea that in a single moment, everything could change. Life is so unpredictable and fragile. Truly heartbreaking,' one person wrote. 'Oh my dear god. This is so sad and heartbreaking to watch knowing what was about to unfold,' a second person commented. 'Shattered by the loss of these beautiful souls,' a third person chimed. A fourth added: 'Eli and Matilda will be dancing in the sky. Sorry our country failed you. Sorry for the loss of your daughter and friend. 'Our hearts break with you. Our country should have been a safe haven for you all'. Matilda, who was the youngest victim, was enjoying the Hanukkah celebration with her parents and her little sister The little girl enjoyed face painting and a petting zoo at the event in the moments before she was killed Matilda will be farewelled at Chevra Kadisha in Wollahra at midday on Thursday, followed by a burial at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park. 'Family, friends, and community members are welcome to join us as we come together to honour and remember Matilda Bee, and to support one another during this difficult time,' Chabad of Bondi posted. 'Please allow extra time to arrive and follow all directions from police, security, and event staff.' A second memorial will be held at Matilda's school in La Perouse on Friday. Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87, and Tibor Weitzen, 78, will also be farewelled on Thursday. Matilda's parents broke down while addressing a large crowd at a memorial in Bondi on Tuesday night. 'Her name was Matilda because she was our first Australian,' her father Michael said. 'We came here from Ukraine and I thought that Matilda is the most Australian name that can ever exist. So just remember the name, remember her.' Matilda's parents broke down while addressing a large crowd at the memorial outside the Bondi Pavilion Pictured, Matilda's grandparents grieved at the floral memorial Flowers, toys, touching tributes and a portrait of Matilda were laid at the memorial in her honour Her grief-stricken grandparents and family members attended the memorial site, laying flowers and a portrait of Matilda on the ever-growing pile of tributes. Rabbi Schlanger was farewelled at a packed funeral service at Chabad synagogue in Bondi on Wednesday. The father-of-five died shielding his family when the two men opened fire into the crowd. His wife, Chaya, was grazed by a bullet and released from hospital on Monday, while their two-month-old baby was struck in the leg by shrapnel during the terror attack. As of Thursday, their baby remains at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick in a stable condition. Before the service on Wednesday morning, police cordoned off Wellington Street, lining the route as mourners filled the packed Chabad synagogue in Bondi, with many forced to wait outside. Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, Rabbi Schlanger's father-in-law, was overcome with grief and sobbed uncontrollably as his casket was lifted from the hearse. Mourners were seen embracing outside - one had an Australian flag around her shoulders, while another broke down in tears and blamed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong for the massacre. Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, died shielding his wife and their five children during the terror attack Rabbi Schlanger's wife was grazed by a bullet and released from hospital on Monday, while their two-month-old baby was struck in the leg by shrapnel during the terror attack (pictured, rabbi Schlanger with his family) Mourners can be seen crying over Rabbi Eli Schlanger's casket before the funeral Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman broke down in tears as the coffin of his son-in-law arrived at the Chabad of Bondi synagogue Rabbi Ulman gave a heartbreaking eulogy to the packed synagogue, becoming overwhelmed with emotion at several times throughout. The service began with the rabbi saying: 'We are crying in unbearable pain... in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack perpetrated in our city... we mourn the loss of every precious life.' He added: 'When those animals who look like humans try to destroy us, they try to make us dormant. 'They want us to never go to Bondi Beach again because this is what's happened, but that's not the answer. 'Eli lived and breathed this idea - we can never allow them to not only not succeed, but every time they try something, we become greater and stronger.' He pledged to continue celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach, which has been a regular event for 31 years, with Rabbi Schlanger involved for the last 18 years. Alleged gunman Naveed Akram, 24, was charged with 59 offences at his hospital bedside on Wednesday. They include 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder. Alleged gunman Naveed Akram, 24, was charged with 59 offences at his hospital bedside including 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder Akram was also charged with one count of committing a terrorist act, one count of discharging a firearm in public, one count of causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist symbol, one count of placing an explosive in or near a building, with intent to cause harm. He did not appear or apply for bail during a brief bedside court hearing and the case was adjourned until April. His 50-year-old father, Sajid, died at the scene after being shot by police. Thirteen of the 15 victims have now been identified. Other victims included Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, French national Dan Elkayam, 27, Wellington Street synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison, Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82, retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher, 61, Edith Brutman, Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, and Soviet immigrant Boris Tetleroyd. Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has been rushed to hospital with a mystery illness. It's understood the 53-year-old was taken to Monash Clayton Hospital in Melbourne's southeast, following reports of a stroke, although that had been disputed. The hospital confirmed Andrews is in a stable condition. A source told the Herald Sun that he suffered a 'minor medical issue' and that he was 'fine.' The publication also reported that Andrews was admitted to hospital some days ago. Known to be a long-time smoker, Andrews had been struggling recently to quit. He was last hospitalised in 2021 following a nasty fall at a Mornington Peninsula holiday home. Andrews crushed his back, broke ribs and suffered respiratory failure and required months of physical rehabilitation. Dan Andrews has been rushed to a hospital in Melbourne's southeast His latest hospitalisation came days before he is due to file a defence in a case over the infamous 'Bike Boy' incident. Andrews and his wife Catherine are being sued in the Federal Court by cyclist Ryan Meuleman with whom they collided with while driving on the Mornington Peninsula in 2013. The crash left the-then 15-year-old with serious injuries and has since been the subject of numerous investigations. No charges have been laid. Andrews also made headlines in September after his controversial visit to Beijing, where he was invited to watch a 10,000-strong military parade alongside China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-un. The event was to mark the 80th anniversary of the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War Two. Andrews said he did not attend in a diplomatic capacity but in a private one. A world-renowned MIT nuclear science professor who was murdered in his home may have been assassinated by an Iranian operative, Israeli officials said. Married father-of-three Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was gunned down in the leafy Boston suburb of Brookline at 8.30pm on Monday by an unknown shooter who is still on the loose. Loureiro specialized in nuclear science, engineering and physics and he had previously spoken out in favor of Israel, a mortal enemy of Iran. Now, Israeli officials have said Iranian operatives targeted the leading nuclear fusion researcher, according to the Jerusalem Post. No further information on this theory was given, and it has not been corroborated at this stage by any investigative or law enforcement authorities in the US. It comes as tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear program reached a boiling point this year. Israel accused Iran of secretly building its nuclear arsenal in violation of international agreements and leading to President Trump to order strikes on its nuclear facilities in August. Loureiro was considered one of the world's leading researchers in energy and nuclear physics and was spearheading efforts to develop future technologies. Married father-of-three Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was gunned down at his home in a leafy Boston suburb at 8.30pm by an unknown shooter who is still on the loose The world-renowned MIT nuclear science professor who was murdered in his home may have been assassinated by an Iranian operative, Israeli officials have said, per the Jerusalem Post The 'brilliant' professor was the director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, an institution with more than 250 full-time researchers. Loureiro took on the role last year, amid a storied career at MIT after obtaining degrees at Imperial College London and Princeton. His murder came two days after the shooting which killed two students at Brown University in Providence, located just 50 miles south of the professor's home. Though the FBI has said there is no link between the Brown shooting in Rhode Island and Loureiro's death in bordering Massachusetts, both gunmen are still unidentified and on the loose, and many people in the area have expressed feeling unsafe. No arrests have been made in connection with either shooting. 'This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation,' the Norfolk District Attorney's Office said of Loureiro's death. 'No further information is being released at this time.' Loureiro's neighbor and friend, Louise Cohen, said she discovered his body after hearing shots disturb the peace of their beautiful area on Gibbs Street. Cohen said she was lighting a menorah candle when she heard gunshots fired. She rushed to the hallway of their building and found Loureiro lying on his back. Loureiro specialized in nuclear science, engineering and physics, and he had previously spoken out in favor of Israel, a mortal enemy of Iran Loureiro's neighbor and friend, Louise Cohen, said she discovered his body after hearing gunshots disturb the peace of their beautiful area on Gibbs Street in Brookline (pictured) Loureiro's neighbors remembered him as a kind-hearted, 'wonderful man', while students flocked to a candle-lit vigil in his memory on Tuesday night, as shown above The professor's heartbroken wife was also in the entry along with another neighbor, and they scrambled to dial 911. Loureiro was taken to hospital but died the next day. 'I can't sleep now,' Cohen told the Boston Globe. 'This family is so amazing. I can't imagine anyone wanting to kill him... Should we be afraid now?' Cohen uses a walking stick and she said Loureiro's family often helps her carry her groceries up the stairs to her unit, which is located directly above theirs. Another neighbor of Loureiro's, Anne Greenwald, asked people to light candles in his memory on Tuesday evening. She said residents are worried. 'There is too much violence going on,' Greenwald told the Globe. 'This is obviously very close to home.' Other residents remembered Loureiro as a kind-hearted, 'wonderful man', while students flocked to the candle-lit vigil in his memory. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology paid tribute to him as, 'a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist'. Loureiro specialized in nuclear science, engineering and physics. He leaves behind 'many devoted students, friends, and colleagues', according to his MIT obituary. Loureiro (pictured teaching a class) was considered one of the world's leading researchers in energy and nuclear physics, and he was spearheading efforts to develop future technologies The Massachusetts Institute of Technology paid tribute to Loureiro as 'a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist' who became the director of the college's Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2024, an institution with more than 250 full-time researchers His academic career started at the Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon, Portugal, where he gained a physics degree. Loureiro obtained a doctorate in physics from Imperial College London in 2005, before starting post-doctoral work at Princeton later that year. He also worked at the UK Atomic Energy Authoritys Culham Centre for Fusion Energy between 2007 and 2009. MIT President Sally Kornbluth acknowledged that the beloved professor died in the wake of the Brown University shooting just two days before. 'This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places,' she said in a statement. 'Its entirely natural to feel the need for comfort and support. 'If you or anyone you know would like counsel or just a listening ear, I encourage you to make use of our many campus resources. 'In time, the many communities Nuno belonged to will create opportunities to mourn his loss and celebrate his life.' Rob and Michele Reiner's cause of death has been formally revealed after their son, Nick Reiner, made his first court appearance in the double murder case. The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said that the couple passed away after suffering from 'multiple sharp force injuries'. Online records show the Hollywood legend and his photographer wife died on Sunday, the same day they were discovered in their $13.5 million mansion. Both of their deaths have been ruled homicides, with the place of death listed as their residence. Their bodies are ready for release. Nick was arrested on Sunday and has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother. Prosecutors added special circumstances of multiple murders and use of a dangerous weapon, a knife, meaning, if he is convicted, Nick could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or even the death penalty. The 32-year-old made a brief court appearance on Wednesday, wearing an anti-suicide vest, where he did not enter a plea. Nick's famous defense attorney, Alan Jackson, asked the judge for a continuance, saying that he 'needed more time' to prepare his case. The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner revealed Rob and Michele Reiner's cause of death was 'multiple sharp force injuries' Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder When the judge asked a blank-faced Nick 'if he agreed that his arraignment should be continued', he answered, 'Yes, your honor.' His arraignment was pushed to January 7 and he was ordered to be held in jail without bail. Jackson addressed the media after the hearing and asked people not to 'rush to judgment' about the case. 'This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family,' Jackson said. 'There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. These need to be thoroughly and very carefully dealt with. 'We ask that throughout this process you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward, not with a rush to judgment.' Shortly after the hearing, the couple's other children, Romy and Jake, released a heart-wrenching statement on their deaths. 'Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,' the grieving siblings said. Your browser does not support iframes. The couple's other children, Romy (center left) and Jake (left), released a heart wrenching statement on their deaths after their brother made his first court appearance 'The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. 'They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends. We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life.' The pair asked people for 'respect and privacy' and urged the public to treat any speculation with 'compassion and humanity'. Jake and Romy said they wanted their father, a legend in Hollywood, and acclaimed photographer mother, to be remembered for the 'incredible lives they lived and the love' they gave. The couple were found slain on Sunday afternoon after Romy was called over by a massage therapist who had arrived at the residence but could not get in. A source close to the investigation told the Daily Mail that they had their throats slashed and were killed in their bed. New photos obtained by the Daily Mail have revealed the hotel room Nick allegedly left covered in blood following his parents' horrific murder. The couple's son checked into room 207 at The Pierside Santa Monica around 4am on Sunday. Nick allegedly fought with his parents at a Christmas party the night before they were killed It is a $400-a-night boutique hotel about 1,000ft away from the world-famous Santa Monica Pier, and a five-minute walk to the LA Metro line that goes directly to the Exposition Park area where Nick was eventually arrested by cops. When hotel staff came into Nick's room later on Sunday morning, the shower was said to be 'full of blood', with splatters across the bed. The windows in the room were covered by bed sheets, detectives found when they arrived at the hotel on Monday to collect evidence. The Hollywood director's son had been living in the guesthouse of his parents' $13.5million mansion in the LA suburb of Brentwood at the time of their deaths. Reiner was increasingly worried about Nick, who had a history of drug addiction and mental breakdowns, and took him to a holiday party Saturday night to 'keep an eye on him,' sources have said. Nick is said to have left A-list guests feeling unnerved at Conan O'Brien's Christmas bash, getting into a tiff with comedian Bill Hader and prompting his parents to leave the event. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed on Wednesday that he has resigned his position. In a statement announcing his departure, Bongino noted that he would 'be leaving his position with the FBI in January.' 'I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you,' Bongino continued. 'God bless America, and all those who defend Her,' he concluded. Bongino's announcement comes mere hours after Trump appeared to announce his imminent departure while speaking with reporters under the wing of Air Force One on Wednesday. The President said, 'Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,' apparently in reference to his previous role as a conservative commentator. Bongino's departure comes as the manhunt for the Brown University shooter continues and the deadline for Congress to release the Epstein Files looms on Friday. Authorities announced on Wednesday that they are now searching for a second suspect connected to Saturday's massacre that left two dead and nine injured. Dan Bongino, FBI deputy director, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington Attorney General Pam Bondi (L), FBI Director Kash Patel (C) and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino hold a news conference about the January 6th pipe bomber at the Department of Justice on December 4, 2025 in Washington, DC The former podcaster and Fox News host gave up a lucrative media career earlier this year to join the Trump administration. However, his brief tenure was marked by a public ambivalence about the role, as well as internal clashes with colleagues including Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Epstein files. In May, Bongino candidly admitted that the demands of the role were straining the relationship with his wife, Paula, 50, who lives in Florida with their two daughters. The pair have been married since around 2003. 'I gave up everything for this. I mean, you know, my wife is struggling,' he told Fox & Friends. 'I stare at these four walls all day in DC, you know, by myself, divorced from my wife. Not divorced, but I mean, separated. And it's hard.' He said he didn't enjoy the work, while noting that he was proud to serve the president. 'People ask me all the time, 'Do you like it?' I say, 'No, I don't.'' He added that it was challenging for his family but noted that 'the president didn't ask me to do this to like it.' A major flashpoint came in July, when Bongino clashed with Bondi over the Justice Department's conclusion that no Epstein 'client list' existed - contradicting years of theories that he had promoted on his show. FBI Director Kash Patel with FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, March 2025 Dan Bongino pictured with his wife, Paula Bongino The controversy highlighted a tension between his past as a right-wing podcaster and now as a top law enforcement official. Following the January 6 pipe bomb arrest that the FBI announced earlier this month, Bongino revealed to Sean Hannity how the role had changed his interpretation of high-profile investigations. 'I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions ... one day I'll be back in that space, but that's not what I'm paid for now. I'm paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts,' Bongino told the Fox anchor after being asked about a November 2024 episode where he claimed the pipe bomb was a set-up. Bongino's departure heaps more pressure on Kash Patel amid the mounting outrage over the Brown University shooting. The FBI boss on Sunday prematurely announced that a suspect in the mass shooting had been arrested - only for him to be set free hours later. The manhunt entered its fifth day on Wednesday as Patel was slammed for the latest blunder, echoing the prior mishandling of the Charlie Kirk assassination investigation. Prior to becoming the FBI's Deputy Director, Bongino ran his own media company, publishing The Bongino Report. Before that, he hosted The Dan Bongino Show on Rumble after a run hosting Unfiltered with Dan Bongino on Fox News until April 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Deputy Director Dan Bongino leaves after meeting with Republican lawmakers to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' at the U.S. Capitol on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC Dan Bongino records an episode of his show at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2020, in Oxon Hill, Maryland Sources told the Daily Mail in September that the deputy director was already 'halfway out the door' after he clashed with others over the Justice Department and FBI's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Other news outlets, like the Daily Beast, cite sources who claim Trump is poised to make Bongino the 'fall guy' for the Epstein debacle, which nearly a year into the administration is still plaguing the president. There has been a lot of chatter in Washington, DC over which officials are on Trump's radar to be fired. Some had claimed it's Bongino's boss FBI Director Kash Patel who might take the fall for the Epstein files debacle. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's son was born on December 17, 2007 The birth of a royal baby is always a joyous occasion, but both of Prince Edward and Sophie's children endured health scares shortly after they arrived in this world. Now the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie are the proud parents of Lady Louise Windsor, 22, and James Mountbatten-Windsor, who turns 18 today. By the time James was born on December 17, 2007, Sophie had endured an ectopic pregnancy as well a rather traumatic birth when she underwent an emergency C-section before Louise was whisked away to receive specialist care. Her premature birth left the Duchess '15 minutes from death' while young Louise developed esotropia - a rare condition which means that both eyes do not look in the same direction. Considering Sophie's experience with Louise, she was naturally 'very concerned' when her newborn son James developed a mystery illness and was 'rushed' to a London hospital five weeks after his birth. Royal author Sean Smith described how Sophie and Edward 'put on a brave face' when James was admitted to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he underwent 24 hours of tests. Much to their relief, it was later announced that James had suffered a 'nasty allergic reaction' due to lactose intolerance, Mr Smith said in his book Sophie: The Biography. 'Fortunately, because he had been taken to hospital so quickly, there were no lasting effects,' he continued. James Mountbatten-Windsor, son of Prince Edward (right) and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (left) celebrates his 18th birthday on December 17 In the years that have followed James' christening, the young royal (pictured) has typically kept a rather low profile and is currently completing his A-Level studies at the prestigious Radley College school in Oxfordshire Sophie and Edward were married in June 1999 at St George's Chapel in Windsor. Considering the royal scandals that preceded their wedding, Sophie and Edward were forced to wait for the right time to walk up the aisle - meaning the bride was 34 by the time she said 'I do'. Sophie was keen to start a family as soon as possible and, much to her delight, fell pregnant in the winter of 2001. However, six weeks later, Sophie suffered an ectopic pregnancy - meaning the fertilised egg implants itself outside the womb, usually in a fallopian tube - and had to undergo immediate surgery. Lady Louise's premature birth was also difficult for Sophie, then the Countess of Wessex, who suffered an acute placental abruption and was reportedly just 15 minutes away from dying in the emergency room at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey. It took a massive blood transfusion - around nine pints - before she regained any kind of stability. Lady Louise, who weighed just 4lb 9oz, developed a sight disorder, but Sophie has since confirmed 'her eyesight is perfect' after her daughter underwent surgery to correct the squint. Four years later, Sophie - who was keen to have another child with Edward - decided to take a break from IVF treatment before she fell pregnant again without any kind of medical intervention. Join the debate Should royal children be shielded from the spotlight or prepared early for public roles? Five weeks after James (pictured with Sophie) was born, he was 'rushed' to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, with fears that he had suffered a severe allergic reaction After undergoing 24 hours of tests, young James (pictured) was diagnosed with a lactose intolerance but, fortunately, suffered no lasting effects In July 2007, Buckingham Palace announced that Sophie was 'expecting a baby in December', adding: 'The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and members of both families are delighted with the news'. James Alexander Philip Theo Windsor-Mountbatten weighed a healthy 6lb 2oz when he was born on December 17, 2007, via a planned C-section at the same hospital as his sister in Surrey. 'As another gesture of thanks, Sophie decided to have the baby - again by caesarean section - at Frimley Park Hospital,' Mr Smith wrote in the Duchess's biography. While James's birth went smoothly, his parents were 'very concerned' as they rushed him to the Great Ormond Street Hospital five weeks later. A source told People at the time: 'Sophie arrived just after 3 p.m. You could tell by the looks on their faces that they were very concerned. They rushed upstairs straightaway and went immediately into a consultants room.' Fortunately, the royal baby had only had an allergic reaction as a Palace spokesperson confirmed his condition was 'not life-threatening and not serious'. Ever the professional, Edward even continued his public engagements as planned during James's hospital stint, including opening a new high school in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Paul Copeland, head of South Bromsgrove High School, later recalled his surprise at Edward's appearance, given his son's illness, stating: 'We thought he might not come but when we saw him arrive, we thought it was fantastic.' Inspired by the incredible work of the medical team at Great Ormond Street, Sophie has continued to support the hospital through several charitable engagements and fundraising initiatives over the years. When he was born, James was eighth in line to the throne. His sister Lady Louise had been relegated to ninth place due to the now-defunct male-preference primogeniture tradition. Scrapped in 2013, the rule previously dictated that the eldest son would be given priority in the line of succession. On April 19, 2008, James was christened in a private ceremony held at Windsor Castle. He was the first royal to be dressed in the new replica of the traditional lace and satin royal christening gown It was a joyous occasion for the late Queen (left) as she celebrated her youngest grandchild, with whom she shared a close bond Three months after the health scare, James was christened in a ceremony held at Windsor Castle's Private Chapel. Historically, he was the first royal to be dressed in the new replica of the traditional lace and satin royal christening gown, commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1841 for her firstborn daughter, Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa. Known as the Honiton christening gown, the replica was made by the Queen's senior dresser, Angela Kelly, and has since been worn by every new royal baby for the event. The late Queen Elizabeth was pictured smiling proudly at the christening of her youngest grandchild, alongside her husband Prince Philip and Sophie's father Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones. James was also styled Viscount Severn, one of Edward's secondary titles, which can only be passed down the male line, while Louise continued as Lady. Yet their differing titles had no impact on the close bond already developing between the two royal siblings - with one observer telling Mr Smith how then four-year-old Louise 'kisses him and cuddles him and is a real little mother to him'. 'It's lovely,' they added. Both Louise and James grew up without HRH titles after Sophie and Edward decided to give them as normal an upbringing as possible. As we look to the future of the Monarchy under Prince William's reign, some royal experts have suggested that Louise and James (both pictured with their parents) should be given bigger roles While Lady Louise, who is currently studying English at St Andrew's University, has started stepping out more often, James has kept a low profile. He is currently completing his A-Level studies at the prestigious Radley College school in Oxfordshire. As James takes his first step into adulthood, speculation about his future role in the monarchy will likely increase - as royal watchers will be keen to see whether he follows in his sister's footsteps and heads to the prestigious St Andrew's university. Writing in his Palace Confidential newsletter last year, the Daily Mail's Diary Editor Richard Eden expressed that a growing contribution from Edward and Sophie's children could be of great value to the Royal Family. He wrote: 'When Prince William becomes King, I hope that he will follow the example of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and ask his cousins, including Lady Louise and James, to share royal duties with him. 'Hopefully, William will realise that a "slimmed-down" monarchy wouldnt safeguard the institution, as some claim, but would lead to its irrelevance and eventual death. 'What better way to build on its strengths than with an injection of energy from young people who have had values of public service and duty instilled in them from birth?' The late Queen's youngest grandchild is one of the most enigmatic royals The son of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor has today turned 18, prompting fresh speculation over his future as a royal. The youngest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II enters adulthood as one of the most enigmatic members of the royal family, largely because his parents went to great lengths to give both their children a normal upbringing. Royal commentators know little about whether James will follow the footsteps of his older sister Lady Louise Windsor, 22, and attend the University of St Andrews or step into the public arena as a working royal. His mothers own words echo that uncertainty, with Sophie, 60, once admitting she could clearly see the path her daughter was taking but remained unsure what her son might ultimately choose. Louise is working hard and will do A-levels. I hope she goes to university. I wouldnt force her, but if she wants to. Shes quite clever, so I think probably, Sophie told The Times in 2020. Whereas James I dont know, she added. Sophie also told the newspaper that the siblings are free to adopt HRH titles once they turn 18, but noted it was 'highly unlikely they would do so, in what has been an accurate prediction for Lady Louise. Louise and James are free to adopt HRH titles once they turn 18, but it was highly unlikely they would do so so far, a correct prediction of Lady Louise James, Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor arrive at Westminster Abbey for the funeral service for their late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II That contrast has placed Lady Louise firmly in the spotlight as royal experts increasingly suggest that Prince William might eventually look to the younger generation, particularly the Mountbatten-Windsor siblings, to bolster the monarchy. Think you know the Royals as well as I do? Hi! I'm Richard Eden, Diary Editor and author of the Palace Confidential newsletter. And I've got a challenge for you. In Thursday's newsletter I'll share my fiendishly tricky Royals quiz - and I want to see how much you know. Sign up here to get involved. Advertisement Her decision to study English at St Andrews, the same Scottish university where William and Kate famously met, has added fuel to the idea that she could become an important public-facing figure once she graduates. Royal author and expert Christopher Wilson described Louise as a dark-horse contender and even the monarchys possible secret weapon, noting she is an articulate young woman who could rejuvenate the institution when needed. Her growing promise has naturally led many to wonder whether her younger brother may decide to follow the same educational path, even though no hints have been given about where he hopes to study. With St Andrews increasingly associated with duty, stability, and continuity, any move by James towards the university would immediately be interpreted as a symbolic step into the public eye. Some observers believe that when Prince William eventually becomes King, he may turn to his cousins, including Lady Louise and James, to share the workload. James understated character is thought to be an asset, offering William an option that is both dependable and uncontroversial. Growing up three decades behind his eldest cousin, Peter Phillips, James had a very different childhood than that of his cousins; one shaped more by fishing in the country, sleepovers with friends and normal school runs than red carpets or balcony appearances. Whats normal? They go to a regular school, Sophie shared. Join the debate Should royal children be shielded from public duties or expected to step up for the monarchy? Growing up three decades behind his eldest cousin, Peter Phillips, James had a very different childhood than that of his cousins. Seen here with his mother at Bristol Zoo, 2019 James and his father, Prince Edward, collecting rubbish on Southsea Beath, Portsmouth, 2020 They go to friends for sleepovers and parties. At weekends we do lots of dog walking and stay with friends. I guess not everyones grandparents live in a castle, but where you are going is not the important part, or who they are. When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother. Edward and Sophies decision to keep their children largely out of the public eye was made long before they were born. When they married, they chose, with permission from the Queen, that their future children would not have prince and princess titles. Upon birth, James was named Viscount Severn, after the River Severn in Wales as a nod to his mothers Welsh heritage, and then became Earl of Wessex when Edward and Sophie were made the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. The Duke of Edinburgh title itself will not pass down to James, leaving his long-term role undefined. The move was made in an effort to relieve Louise and James of the burdens that come with royal titles. We try to bring them up with the understanding that they are very likely to have to work for a living, Sophie explained. Hence, we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think its highly unlikely. Viscount Severn with his sister Lady Louise and his cousins in Westminster Hall for a vigil at the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II James has made few public appearances throughout his life, however, he did make show at a handful of events in honour of Elizabeth and Philip Their strategy has meant that, unlike many heirs of his generation, James has been able to pass unnoticed through day-to-day life, blending in amongst his peers. Radley College, where he is currently studying, has provided a structured but relatively sheltered environment, allowing him to grow up without any expectation to perform for the cameras. However, he was eighth in line to the throne when James was born before sliding down to 15th on the line of succession as cousins William, Harry, Beatrice, and Eugenie started their families. Jamess heritage still carries lasting significance since he and Lady Louise became the first royal grandchildren to use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor in a tribute to their grandfather, the late Prince Philip. James further delighted his grandparents with his love for fly fishing, an activity he regularly enjoys while summering with his relatives in Scotland and one famously beloved by his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother. Growing up living with his parents at the family home of Bagshot Park in Surrey, just 11 miles from Windsor Castle, meant James and his sister spent a significant amount of time with the Queen and Philip. Lady Louise has even been referred to as Prince Philips favourite grandchild. James has made few public appearances throughout his life, including his grandmothers Platinum Jubilee celebrations, at her state funeral, as well as Prince Philips memorial service in Scotland. Whether James chooses university or immediate work, a private life or a semi-public one, will reveal much about the direction the monarchy expects its younger members to take Whether he chooses university or immediate work, a private life or a semi-public one, will reveal much about the direction the monarchy expects its younger members to take. If St Andrews becomes his next stop, the choice would be read not just as an academic decision but as a signal he could be steering towards his sisters growing sense of duty. If he opts for an entirely different route, the independence could reflect the ethos his parents championed since his birth: that he should be free from expectation, pressure, and the weight of titles he never asked for. The Princess of Wales is typically poised and controlled when she steps out in public. Before she married Prince William, however, Kate was known to be spontaneous and outgoing - and this was certainly the case at her first ever appearance with the Royal Family in 2006. Kate, who was dating William after the pair met at St Andrew's University in 2001, joined the late Queen Elizabeth for the prince's passing-out parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on December 15 that year. Having officially graduated (or 'passed out') from the Commissioning Course at Sandhurst, William was now set to join the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals as a second lieutenant. Wearing a scarlet jacket and black Philip Treacy hat, Kate, then 24, took her front row seat and watched with pride as William marched alongside 223 newly commissioned military officers before the monarch inspected them. Kate, who was not used to the spotlight, seemingly forgot there were cameras trained on the woman who would become Britain's future Queen after she was captured making a rather cheeky comment about her beau. According to ITV's lip reader, Kate candidly quipped, 'I love the uniform - it's so, so sexy' before breaking into fits of giggles. It came shortly after Kate allegedly declined an unprecedented invitation to spend Christmas in Sandringham with the Royal Family. At Prince William's passing-out parade at Sandhurst on December 15, 2006, Kate Middleton (pictured with friend James Meade), according to ITV 's lip reader, candidly quipped: 'I love the uniform - it's so, so sexy' before breaking into fits of giggles It was unusual that Kate was asked to join the royals in Norfolk because she was not married to Prince William at the time. Despite the offer, Kate - who was working as an accessory buyer for Jigsaw at the time - refused Prince William's request and said she'd prefer to wait until 'she had a ring on her finger'. Writing in her book The Palace Papers, royal author Tina Brown revealed: 'Kate, reflecting the confident mood of her Philip Treacy hat, maintained her resolve that she would not go to such a significant Royal Family gathering unless she had a ring on her finger. 'She declined. William met her decision with silence. Instead, Kate spent Christmas with her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, at a holiday rental in Perthshire that year. Prince William was supposed to join them on New Year's Eve - but failed to show up at the last moment. According to Ms Brown, William decided against driving 500 miles to see the Middleton's after a 'heart-to-heart' conversation with his father, then-Prince Charles, and the late Queen when they were at Sandringham. Charles allegedly advised his eldest son that it was 'unfair to expose Kate to so much press harassment unless an engagement was imminent'. Kate, then 24, took her front row seat and watched with pride as William marched alongside 223 newly commissioned military officers before the late Queen Elizabeth (pictured) inspected them It came shortly after Kate allegedly declined an unprecedented invitation to spend Christmas in Sandringham with the Royal Family and said she'd prefer to wait until 'she had a ring on her finger,' according to royal author Tina Brown The Queen agreed, and was said to have 'favoured waiting rather than jumping'. 'It is an understatement to say that the Queen was skittish about any marriage that might fail,' wrote Ms Brown. Yet for Kate, William's no-show was a 'humiliating' blow before they briefly parted ways in April 2007. They reconciled less than three months later, when Kate issued an ultimatum: if they were to stay together, she wanted his full commitment. Otherwise, the relationship was over. For the next three years, Kate spent Christmas with her family at their home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, while William would make the annual trip to Norfolk with the royals. Kate's absence from Sandringham was not unusual - but the rule that unmarried partners are not invited has been bent before. Meghan Markle, then newly engaged to Prince Harry, made the trip to Norfolk in December 2017. Meanwhile, the first time Kate attended the Firm's Christmas celebrations was in December 2011 - eight months after her fairytale wedding to William at London's Westminster Abbey. Prince William was supposed to join the Middleton family on New Year's Eve - but failed to show up at the last moment Ms Brown said that during his time at Sandringham in 2006 (pictured), now-King Charles advised William that it was 'unfair to expose Kate to so much press harassment unless an engagement was imminent' All eyes were on the new princess as she stepped out with the Royal Family for the Christmas morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church. Kate also faced a particularly challenging task: what to buy her new grandmother-in-law, the late Queen, for Christmas. Speaking on an ITV documentary to mark Her Majesty's 90th birthday in 2016, Kate revealed that her thoughtful gift had been lovingly inspired by her own grandparents. She recalled: 'I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried [about] what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, "Gosh, what should I give her?"' She continued: 'I thought, "I'll make her something", which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny's recipe of chutney.' The late Queen relished Kate's gift as the princess admitted she was delighted it had been placed on the dining table. Kate added: 'I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table. 'I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I've noticed since she's done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.' The first time Kate attended the Firm's Christmas celebrations was in December 2011 (pictured) - eight months after her fairytale wedding to William at London's Westminster Abbey Almost two decades later, Kate paid a sweet tribute to her beloved husband at a Remembrance Day service in London - wearing the same Philip Treacy hat she had debuted in 2006 (pictured) Almost two decades later, Kate paid a sweet tribute to William by re-wearing part of her iconic outfit from the prince's passing-out parade in 2006. At a Remembrance Day service in London in November 2023, the Princess donned the same Philip Treacy hat she had debuted at William's Sandhurst graduation, complete with a black bow. The timelessly elegant outfit served as a key indicator of just how far the princess had come since her first public appearance with the Queen. This time, her face gave away nothing other than pride as she watched William, wearing his military outfit, lay a wreath at the Cenotaph. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was today pictured riding his horse in the pouring rain while his daughters were hosted by King Charles at the Royal Family's Christmas lunch. The disgraced former prince, who was formally stripped of his titles over the persistent scandals surrounding his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, looked miserable as he was caught in a downpour while riding around Windsor Park this morning. In stark contrast, his daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, beamed as they arrived at Buckingham Palace together to celebrate Christmas with King Charles and other senior members of the Royal Family. They joined the Prince and Princess of Wales, who were seen arriving with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and their daughter Lady Louise were also spotted arriving at the Palace - as were the Duke of Kent, Lady Sarah Chatto and Princess Alexandra. Princess Eugenie marked the festive occasion with a pair of candy cane earrings as she tries to move on from a turbulent year for her family amid the public downfall of her parents, Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Andrew's notable absence from the royal festivities comes just days after the Metropolitan Police confirmed it will 'take no further action' over claims he asked his police protection officer to dig up dirt on his sexual assault accuser, Virginia Giuffre. Eugenie and Beatrice had both been absent from Catherine's carol concert on December 5, but were back in the fold today. It's understood the King does not want to punish the sisters for their father's actions. The King traditionally hosts a meal for his family ahead of going to his Sandringham estate in Norfolk over Christmas. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is pictured riding a horse in the rain while the royals celebrate Christmas Princess Eugenie and Beatrice arrive together after a turbulent year for their family Princess Beatrice was seen grinning ear to ear, while Eugenie was spotted with candy cane earrings Prince William and Catherine arrive at Buckingham Palace with their children Prince Louis (left) and Prince George were spotted arriving at the Christmas lunch The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte beam as they attend Buckingham Palace Andrew's notable absence comes after he was stripped of his last remaining military title yesterday. The 65-year-old will no longer be allowed to call himself a Vice-Admiral after he was demoted to Commander following a meeting of the Defence Council. Defence Secretary John Healey had previously promised the move after saying it was what King Charles 'has indicated we should take'. The Vice-Admiral rank was Andrew's last remaining title - although he will be permitted to keep the medals he earned serving as a Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War. A Government spokesman said: 'Following formal consideration, Defence Council have agreed the immediate reversion from the rank of Vice-Admiral to the rank of Commander (Retired) Royal Navy, the rank held on retirement from Regular Royal Naval Service by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. 'This decision aligns with such processes as to remove other styles and titles.' Andrew retained his Vice-Admiral rank after being stripped of his other military positions and patronages after the late Virginia Giuffre filed a civil case over allegations of sexual abuse. He settled the case but has always strenuously denied wrongdoing. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, attends a Pre-Christmas lunch party hosted by King Charles Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, arrives at Buckingham Palace for the festive lunch Lady Amelia Windsor, the grand-daughter of the Duke of Kent, arrives Lord Frederick Windsor & Sophie Winkleman Lady Helen Taylor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent Daniel Chatto and Lady Sarah Chatto ahead of the festive event today Princess Alexandra, the only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark Prince Edward and Lady Louise Windsor attend the Pre-Christmas lunch party hosted by King Charles Think you know the Royals as well as I do? Hi! I'm Richard Eden, Diary Editor and author of the Palace Confidential newsletter. And I've got a challenge for you. In Thursday's newsletter I'll share my fiendishly tricky Royals quiz - and I want to see how much you know. Sign up here to get involved. Advertisement Andrew is no longer a prince due to his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He is also being kicked out of his home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, and will have to move to a new property on King Charles' Sandringham Estate. Marsh Farm, located seven miles west of his brother King Charles' lavish country retreat, is reportedly being eyed up for Andrew. Nearby businesses have remained tight-lipped about the potential arrival of their new neighbour at the sprawling estate in Wolferton. Andrew was pictured over the weekend in a fresh batch of photographs released by US lawmakers carrying out an investigation into Epstein and his associates. But in a rare boost for the former royal, the Met Police revealed he would not face any further action after asking one of their officers to dig up dirt on his teenage sex accuser. A bombshell email obtained by the Mail on Sunday exposed how Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded Met bodyguard to find out information on Virginia Giuffre and passed him her date of birth and confidential social security number. The force announced on Saturday that it would not launch an investigation into the matter as it had not found grounds for a criminal probe. Ms Giuffre's family has said they are 'deeply disappointed' by the force's decision to drop the investigation 'without explanation', adding they were not told the announcement was being made. 'We emailed with a detective from the Metropolitan Police yesterday, Friday, Dec 12th, who gave us no indication that this announcement was imminent,' they said. 'Indeed, he asked us if we had any evidence we would like to present; we had not yet replied. Sarah Chatto and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones attend a Pre-Christmas lunch party Prince William and Princess Charlotte in the car before the royal event Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence ahead of the event Daniel Chatto and Samuel Chatto attend the royal lunch hosted by King Charles Flora Vesterberg and Timothy Vesterberg attend the lunch party for Christmas this afternoon The Duchess of Edinburgh wore a stylish greige coat to the festive occasion today Princess Charlotte wore a red bow to the festive lunch hosted by her grandfather King Charles Prince Catherine finished off her look with a black velvet bow for the Christmas lunch Princess Eugenie wore festive candy cane earrings for the lunch hosted by King Charles 'With the Epstein files about to be released by [the US] congress since the passage of the Epstein Transparency Act, we are surprised that the Metropolitan Police didn't wait to see what further evidence might appear. 'While we have hailed the UK's overall handling of the case of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor previously, today we feel justice has not been served.' The family maintained that they would continue to 'challenge the system that protects abusers, especially as more evidence comes to light that can hold people accountable'. 'Our sister Virginia, and all survivors, are owed this much.' Central Specialist Crime Commander Ella Marriott said her officers had looked at the claims but not found any grounds for a criminal investigation. In a statement, she said: 'Following recent reporting suggesting that Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his Met Police close protection officer to carry out checks on Ms Giuffre in 2011, the MPS has carried out a further assessment. 'This assessment has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct. The Met remains committed to thoroughly assessing any new information that could assist in this matter. 'To date, we have not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation. In the absence of any further information, we will be taking no further action. 'As with any other matter, should new and relevant information be brought to our attention, including any information resulting from the release of material in the US, we will assess it.' Young royals Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte have been among the stars of the show at a Buckingham Palace Christmas lunch hosted by the King. Louis, seven, appeared to be pouting as he was seen sitting in the back of one of the cars heading today to the Royal Family occasion in central London. He was there with elder siblings George, 12, and 10-year-old Charlotte, alongside their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales. In contrast, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was today pictured riding his horse in the pouring rain while his daughters were among those welcomed by the King. The disgraced former prince, who was formally stripped of his titles over his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, looked miserable as he was caught in a downpour while riding around Windsor Park this morning. His daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, beamed as they arrived at Buckingham Palace together to celebrate Christmas with King Charles and other members of the Royal Family. They joined the Prince and Princess of Wales, who were seen arriving with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in the back of the car. Prince George, wearing a smart suit and tie, was also in attendance. Prince Louis, seven, appeared to be pouting when heading to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday Prince William and Catherine are seen arriving at Buckingham Palace with their children Prince William was at the wheel as the family arrived at Buckingham Palace, with his wife Princess Catherine in the front passenger seat. Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor were also spotted arriving at the Palace - as were the Duke of Kent and Lady Sarah Chatto. Princess Eugenie marked the festive occasion by wearing a pair of candy cane earrings. Andrew's notable absence from the royal festivities comes just days after the Metropolitan Police confirmed it would 'take no further action' over claims he asked his police protection officer to dig up dirt on his sexual assault accuser, Virginia Giuffre. Eugenie and Beatrice had both been absent from Catherine's carol concert on December 5, but were back in the fold today. It is understood the King does not want to punish the sisters for their father's actions. The King traditionally hosts a meal for his family ahead of going to his Sandringham estate in Norfolk over Christmas. Andrew's absence comes after he was stripped of his last remaining military title yesterday. Join the debate Should the Royal Family distance itself more from members with scandalous pasts, or show forgiveness? Prince George, wearing a smart suit and tie, was also in attendance Princess Charlotte, 10, was seen beaming as the family made their way to Tuesday's event Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice arrived together after a turbulent year for their family Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is pictured riding a horse in the rain while other members of the Royal Family celebrate Christmas with a meal on Tuesday 16 December Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, arrives at Buckingham Palace for the festive lunch Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, attends a pre-Christmas lunch party hosted by King Charles Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkleman were also present at Tuesday's event Lady Helen Taylor was among other guests at the pre-Christmas lunch hosted by the King Daniel Chatto and Lady Sarah Chatto were also seen arriving at Buckingham Palace The 65-year-old will no longer be allowed to call himself a Vice-Admiral after he was demoted to Commander following a meeting of the Defence Council. Defence Secretary John Healey had previously promised the move after saying it was what King Charles 'has indicated we should take'. The Vice-Admiral rank was Andrew's final remaining title - although he will be permitted to keep the medals he earned serving as a Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War. A Government spokesman said: 'Following formal consideration, Defence Council have agreed the immediate reversion from the rank of Vice-Admiral to the rank of Commander (Retired) Royal Navy, the rank held on retirement from Regular Royal Naval Service by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. 'This decision aligns with such processes as to remove other styles and titles.' Andrew retained his Vice-Admiral rank after being stripped of his other military positions and patronages after the late Virginia Giuffre filed a civil case over allegations of sexual abuse. He settled the case but has always strenuously denied wrongdoing. Andrew is no longer a prince following revelations over his former friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He is also being kicked out of his home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, and will have to move to a new property on King Charles' Sandringham Estate. Royal fans got their first glimpse of the woman who appears to be Princess Eugenie's nanny for her two sons August and Ernest Brooksbank yesterday. Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, 35, and her husband Jack, 39, joined other members of the Royal Family at the King's annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace. Eugenie - daughter of disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson - was spotted in the front passenger seat of her car while her husband drove them into the royal residence. But it was the woman sitting in the middle seat at the back - between August, four, and Ernest, two - who really caught people's attention. Believed to be the children's nanny, the unidentified passenger sported an eye-catching nose ring and an edgy two-tone blonde and black hair style. The busy parents are bound to need help, with Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank splitting their time between Portugal and the UK, while balancing parenting with their respective jobs as a gallery director and marketing executive. And while Sarah Ferguson has always been a hands-on grandmother - affectionately called 'Gigi' by Beatrice and Eugenie's children - she has stepped back from public appearances since being implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The new nanny's trendy look yesterday was worlds away from the prim and proper appearance of the Prince and Princess of Wales's helper Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who also attended the lunch. Believed to be the children's nanny, the unidentified passenger (pictured) sported an eye-catching nose ring and an edgy two-tone blonde and black hair style Jack Brooksbank and a woman thought to be his and Princess Eugenie's nanny attending the King's Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace Think you know the Royals as well as I do? Hi! I'm Richard Eden, Diary Editor and author of the Palace Confidential newsletter. And I've got a challenge for you. In Thursday's newsletter I'll share my fiendishly tricky Royals quiz - and I want to see how much you know. Sign up here to get involved. Advertisement She was photographed in a car alongside Prince William and Princess Charlotte as they joined Kate and Princes George and Louis at the royal gathering. Maria, a graduate of the prestigious nanny school Norland College, in Bath, was hired by the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2014 to help them look after George when he was eight months old. She now cares for Charlotte and Louis too. She lived with the family at Kensington Palace but when they moved into Adelaide Cottage in Windsor's Home Park she stopped being a live-in nanny. However, she has continued to care for the children while living at another property. At the time she was hired, Kensington Palace released a statement saying: 'Maria is a full-time nanny, who started work with us recently, and will be accompanying the Duke and Duchess and Prince George to New Zealand and Australia. It added: 'We will not be giving further details on Maria or her employment, except to say that the Duke and Duchess are of course delighted she has chosen to join them.' Maria was born in Madrid but grew up in Palencia in northern Spain. She is said to have been nicknamed Santa Spanish for saint by those closest to her when she was a youngster. Maria trained at the prestigious Norland College, where students are known for their distinctive uniforms and are schooled in all aspects of looking after youngsters during their three-year degree course. The training costs 36,000 in total and the college added martial arts training and stunt driving to its curriculum to cater for modern clients - many of whom are celebrities and the super-rich. The Prince and Princess of Wales's nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo (pictured centre) was photographed in a car alongside Prince William and Princess Charlotte as they joined Kate and Princes George and Louis at the royal gathering Prince William and Catherine are seen arriving at Buckingham Palace with their children Tae Kwon-Do is believed to be the martial art of choice - which has been specially adapted to include how to dodge a potential kidnapper with a pram. Nannies are also trained in how to deal with paparazzi and are taken to Castle Combe Racing Circuit in Wiltshire to perfect their driving skills and learn how to drive at high speed in any weather condition. Friends in Maria's hometown have previously claimed she would have become a nun had she not ended up pursuing her passion for looking after children. Her austere lifestyle made her the perfect candidate to become a servant of God, they said. Ms Borrallo's brother Luis did follow a religious pathway, having been ordained a deacon in 2011. Born in Madrid, but having grown up in Palencia, she is the second eldest of four children, born to an engineer father Luis, who died of cancer, and her teacher mother, Maria Teresa. She attended church regularly with the rest of her family as she was growing up. Ms Borrallo left Spain for the UK more than 20 years ago after graduating with a degree in teaching. However she returns to Palencia to see her family whenever she gets a chance. Kate and William with nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo and the late Queen outside the church following Princess Charlotte's Christening One of her brothers, Ignacio, teaches viola and violin to private students in the area. He boasted on an online CV that he is one of the most sought-after violin and viola teachers in Spain's Castile and Leon region, with more than 20 years' experience at conservatories and music schools in his home country and Canada. Her youngest brother Pablo is a teacher who worked in the south of France. The royals were out in full force for yesterday's Yuletide gathering Princess Charlotte recreated one of Kate Middleton's favourite festive hairstyles for Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace yesterday. Every year, King Charles hosts a lavish meal for members of the Royal Family before heading to his Sandringham estate in Norfolk for a smaller, more intimate celebration. While the Waleses did not attend the last Christmas lunch, Prince William, Kate, and their three children, Prince George, 12, Prince Louis, seven, and Charlotte, were seen arriving at the Royal Family occasion in London on Tuesday. Photos showed that Charlotte, 10, and the Princess of Wales, 43, both opted for a half-up half-down style that was secured with a bow barrette in a matching fashion moment that left royal fans delighted. While Kate fastened her gorgeous, caramel tresses with the same black velvet bow she wore to the VE Day concert, her daughter opted for a red bow to match her velvet dress that's perfect for the holiday season. Kate repurposed her red, satin Alessandra Rich dress that the princess first wore while filming A Berry Royal Christmas with Dame Mary Berry and her husband in 2019. She styled the maxi, pussy bow dress with stunning Van Cleef & Arpels earrings, estimated to cost around 5,000, that were on full display because of her pulled-back hairstyle. Kate's mini-me Charlotte appears to be enjoying wearing her brown hair in a bow this festive season, as she picked a black design for her mother's Christmas carol concert in London earlier this month. Princess Charlotte recreated one of Kate Middleton's favourite festive hairstyles for Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace yesterday Think you know the Royals as well as I do? Hi! I'm Richard Eden, Diary Editor and author of the Palace Confidential newsletter. And I've got a challenge for you. In Thursday's newsletter I'll share my fiendishly tricky Royals quiz - and I want to see how much you know. Sign up here to get involved. Advertisement Their heartwarming bond was on full display at this year's edition of the princess's annual festive gathering as both Kate and Charlotte's faces lit up when they spotted each other outside Westminster Abbey. Footage showed how Charlotte, who entered the venue with William and her brothers, quickened her step as she was reunited with Kate before heading into the iconic church. Reacting to photos from the event, royal fans praised their relationship online as one X user wrote 'Princess of Wales and her daughter Princess Charlotte at Westminster Abbey this evening' with a heart emoji. Another said: 'Princess Charlotte has the grace and poise of her mother The Princess of Wales.' The pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace is not the first time the mother-daughter duo have coordinated their outfits. Whether it's been Easter Sunday Services, outings on Christmas Day or engagements abroad, Charlotte has been a style mini-me of Kate from her earliest public appearances. At Kate's first Trooping the Colour after completing her cancer treatment, they picked matching baby blue dresses for the King's official birthday celebrations. They were dressed from head-to-toe in burgundy for Kate's 2022 Christmas Carol service as the Princess opted for a coat from Eponine while Charlotte was dressed in a matching one from Trotters. Kate's mini-me Charlotte appears to be enjoying wearing her hair in a bow this festive season, as she picked a black design for her mother's Christmas carol concert in London earlier this month And when they stepped out on Easter Sunday, earlier that year, their sartorial synergy was on full display. While Kate chose a light blue coat dress from Emilia Wickstead, Charlotte, then seven, wore a floral print Rachel Riley dress in the same shade. And even when their outfits are not exactly matching, Kate ensures that there is still subtle coordination. She and Charlotte might wear the same colour, but not the same shade, or the Princess of Wales will dress her daughter in a hue that complements her accessories. At the 2019 Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, Kate ensured Charlotte's outfit matcehed with hers, but not in a copy-and-paste way. Kate wore a bespoke, mocha Catherine Walker double-breasted coatdress made from mohair, with seasonal, emerald green accessories, including an Emmy clutch and pumps as well as a Lock & Co hat. By her side, Princess Charlotte wore almost the inverse - an Amaia double-breasted coat in the same shade as Kates accessories, allowing the green colourway to pop. And at last year's Trooping the Colour, Kate and Charlotte's outfits had an underlying nautical style and paid subtle tribute to the history of the Royal Family and the sailor outfits worn by royal children for decades. Whether it's been Easter Sunday Services, outings on Christmas Day or engagements abroad, Charlotte has been a style mini-me of Kate from her earliest public appearances. They are pictured here in matching pink dresses at Trooping the Colour in 2017 During the royal visit to Germany in 2017, Kate ensured that her two-year-old daughter's outfit chimed with hers At the 2019 Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, Kate saw that Charlotte's outfit coordinated with hers, but not in a copy-and-paste, identical fashion At the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel in 2022, Kate chose a coat dress from Emilia Wickstead and Charlotte wore Rachel Riley florals It was head to toe burgundy for Kate and Charlotte as they made a festive arrival to the 2022 Christmas Carol service. Kate wore a burgundy coat from Eponine and dressed her daughter in a matching one from Trotters The royals were out in full force yesterday as King Charles hosted his annual Christmas lunch at the Palace. In addition to the Waleses, Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor were also spotted arriving at the Palace - as were the Duke of Kent and Lady Sarah Chatto. While the King's disgraced younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was not present, Charles welcomed both his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, for the Yuletide gathering. It is understood the King does not want to punish the sisters for their father's actions. Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice's attendance at the Royal Family's Christmas lunch shows they are being 'insulated' by the King from their disgraced father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, experts said today. The sisters beamed as they arrived at Buckingham Palace in a car together yesterday as Eugenie marked the festive occasion with a pair of candy cane earrings. The Princesses were being hosted by Charles at the annual gathering in London in what commentators have described as a clear show of support from the monarch. Eugenie and Beatrice are trying to move on from a turbulent year for their family amid the public downfall of Andrew and their mother, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. But former prince Andrew was photographed looking miserable as he went horse riding in the rain 25 miles away at Windsor Great Park after being stripped of his titles over the past few months due to his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Charlie Proctor, editor of the Royal Central website, wrote: 'For several years now, Beatrice and Eugenie have existed in a kind of constitutional limbo: not working royals, yet not quite private citizens either; loyal daughters, but daughters of a man whose name has become shorthand for reputational damage. 'Every public appearance has therefore carried an unspoken question are they being unintentionally punished for Andrew's public controversy, or carefully insulated from it? This week's answer was clear. They are to be insulated. 'The King's Christmas lunch is not a casual family meal but a curated guest list, one that signals who remains within the perimeter of royal acceptability.' Eugenie and Beatrice arrive for the royal Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace yesterday Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor rides a horse in the rain at Windsor Great Park yesterday He added that Andrew's exclusion is 'now total and unambiguous', but his daughters' inclusion 'sends the opposite signal: whatever their private feelings, the monarchy will not permit guilt by association'. Eugenie and Beatrice joined Prince William and Kate at the lunch yesterday with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and their daughter Lady Louise were also spotted arriving at the Palace as were the Duke of Kent, Lady Sarah Chatto and Princess Alexandra. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, former editor of The International Who's Who, told the Daily Mail: 'All royal events are carefully choreographed and King Charles's annual pre-Christmas lunch, which reverted to Buckingham Palace, featured photographs of a smiling Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie dominating the coverage in the press. 'There are echoes of Queen Charlotte in Alan Bennett's play The Madnesses of King George when she says to the King "Smile. That's what they want. Smile". 'The image is contrasted with their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor out riding in the pouring rain, a portrait of humiliation both real and symbolic.' The appearance of Eugenie and Beatrice yesterday comes after they were both absent from Kate's carol concert at Westminster Abbey on December 5. Beatrice was seen grinning ear to ear, while Eugenie was spotted with candy cane earrings Andrew with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at St Paul's Cathedral in London in 2016 Royal sources claimed at the time that the sisters were touched by an invite that was extended to them, but were both unable to join because of previous commitments. Mr Fitzwilliams said: 'They pleaded commitments but it was obvious that they did not want to be a distraction from the event. 'The pre-Christmas Lunch, the week the Epstein files are due to be released in the United States, proved the point as the York family are currently in the eye of the media storm.' He added that Beatrice and Eugenie would 'doubtless describe this year as devastating after the disgrace of their parents', saying they are 'both happily married, have careers and do some charitable activities though they are not working royals'. Mr Fitzwilliams continued: 'The King is fond of them and clearly wants to keep them onside. In this connection Beatrice, who is a Counsellor of State, was appointed deputy patron of Outward Bound in November, Prince Edward being lead patron. 'Eugenie was made a mentor of the King's Foundation in May and a Patron of Arts Work in October. Beatrice was also appointed Patron of the Chartered College of Teaching in July. 'These are significant appointments and it will be instructive to see if more follow after the recent events involving their parents.' Andrew was stripped of his last remaining military title on Monday and will no longer be allowed to call himself a Vice-Admiral after he was demoted to Commander following a meeting of the Defence Council. Prince William and Catherine arrive at Buckingham Palace with their children yesterday Prince Louis (left) and Prince George were spotted arriving at yesterday's Christmas lunch He is no longer a prince due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein. He has always strongly denied any wrongdoing. Andrew is also being kicked out of his home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, and will have to move to a new property on King Charles's Sandringham Estate. Marsh Farm, located seven miles west of his brother's lavish country retreat, is reportedly being eyed up for Andrew. Mr Fitzwilliams said that as Sarah 'keeps an unusually low profile and she and Andrew prepare to leave Royal Lodge', their daughters are 'keeping a brave face publicly, increasing their charitable work and appreciate that they have the support of a grateful monarch in so doing'. The King traditionally hosts a meal for his family ahead of going to his Sandringham estate in Norfolk over Christmas. Beatrice's property developer husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was missing from the lunch but later revealed on social media that he was in Los Angeles on a work trip. Andrew was pictured over the weekend in a fresh batch of photographs released by US politicians carrying out an investigation into Epstein and his associates. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are involved in a new Netflix film production, four months after they signed their new first-look deal with the streaming giant. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were today revealed to be producing an adaptation of romance novel The Wedding Date by bestselling author Jasmine Guillory. The book was published in 2018 and became the first in a six-book series. It is being adapted by screenwriter Tracy Oliver who was behind the 2017 movie Girls Trip. Harry and Meghan are working on the project for their Archewell Productions arm alongside film producer Tracy Ryerson, who also worked on 2023 movie The Senior. A blurb for the Wedding Date book says: 'A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel. 'Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.' The announcement by Deadline comes after the Sussexes signed their new watered-down, first-look deal with the streaming giant in August. And just a fortnight ago on December 3, the Duchess's Christmas special of her lifestyle show - With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration - premiered on Netflix. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the World Mental Health Day Gala in New York in October Meghan shared the UK's 'sweet' tradition of pulling crackers with a celebrity restauranteur and revealed she puts a love letter inside the one she makes for Harry. But reviews were brutal with one advising viewers 'to take as many anti-emetics as medically advisable, then assume the crash position' prior to pressing play. The Duke and Duchess secured a lucrative contract with Netflix, thought to be worth more than $100million in 2020, after their exit from being senior working royals. Harry and Meghan then announced this August that they had signed a new 'multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects' with the streaming platform. Meghan described the deal at the time as 'an incredible sign of the strength of our partnership', despite rumours the network may be pivoting away from her and Harry. The couple have produced several documentaries since 2020, with their 2022 series Harry & Meghan still Netflix's most-watched documentary debut to date. In addition to two series and the Christmas special of With Love, Meghan, the Sussexes were also behind Live to Lead in 2022, Heart of Invictus in 2023, Polo in 2024 and Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within in 2025. The project is an adaptation of romance novel The Wedding Date by author Jasmine Guillory In August, there was said to be 'active development' on other projects with Netflix, which 'span a variety of content genres', including a feature adaptation of the bestselling romantic novel by Carley Fortune, Meet Me At The Lake. But the Sussexes' most successful series has been Harry & Meghan their controversial tell-all 2022 documentary about stepping back from royal duties and their struggles with the royal family. It totalled 23.4 million views and is Netflix's fifth most popular documentary series of all time. Meghan has also worked with Netflix as a partner on her As Ever brand, which sells flower sprinkles, pre-prepared baking kits and jam. The couple's other major media deal with Spotify ended in 2023 after one season of Meghan's podcast Archetypes, with one of the streaming giant's executives later branding them 'grifters'. A high-end Manhattan apartment owned by British model and actress Cara Delevingne is likely to sell for a loss as political uncertainty weighs on buyer demand following Zohran Mamdani's New York City mayoral victory last month. Delevingne, 33, has cut the asking price of her Gramercy Park triplex by more than $1 million since listing it in October. The residence is now priced at about $9.9 million, down from its original $11 million and well below the $10.8 million she paid for the property in 2022, according to public listings. 'We made a proactive, strategic adjustment to align the property with where the market currently is,' listing broker Stefani Berkin of R New York told the New York Post. 'We're already seeing renewed interest and expect increased activity moving forward This is a trophy property - one that a lucky buyer will have the privilege to call home.' Even so, the revised price points to a loss for Delevingne, who bought the nearly 5,000-square-foot residence from late-night TV host Jimmy Fallon. Fallon and his wife, producer Nancy Juvonen, had assembled the triplex from multiple units inside the landmark building overlooking Gramercy Park, which was constructed in 1883 as Manhattan's first cooperative. The six-bedroom, five-bathroom home spans three floors and includes a range of distinctive design features, including vintage wallpaper, bold color palettes, '70s-inspired decor, a stone fireplace, and a vintage bar. A high-end Manhattan apartment owned by British model and actress Cara Delevingne (pictured) is likely to sell for a loss The triplex apartment is set on Manhattan's Gramercy Park and allows access to the private space A huge aqua couch remains in the property's living room from when Jimmy Fallon lived there Ownership also comes with a coveted key to the private Gramercy Park across the street. Fallon and Juvonen first listed the property in 2021 for $15 million, eventually selling it to Delevingne at a substantial discount. Now, only a few years later, the model appears to be confronting similar market headwinds - ones that brokers say have only intensified since Mamdani's November election win. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, ran on an affordability-focused platform that includes freezing rents, expanding public services, and raising taxes on corporations and high earners. While the mayor-elect has insisted his proposals will not raise the cost of living, some affluent New Yorkers and real estate investors say the policy uncertainty has already altered buyer behavior. Keyan Sanai, a Douglas Elliman broker in Manhattan, said at least one prospective buyer explicitly demanded a price reduction tied to Mamdani's win. 'They told me, "prices are going to drop when he gets in. We'll either do the deal now or wait. We're not in a rush,"' Sanai said to The Post. He added that the buyer later scrapped the search entirely and planned to leave the city. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, ran on an affordability-focused platform that includes freezing rents, expanding public services and raising taxes on corporations and high earners There's a 'saloon' with wet bar, beamed ceiling, plaid wallpaper and a fireplace A one-time recording studio now serves as a walk-in pantry The almost 5,000sq ft home has plenty of vintage decor and a cosy feel about the place The kitchen includes colorful pendant lights, a breakfast bar, a wood floor and upscale appliances Another developer, Sanai said, delayed a building acquisition over fears of a sharp decline in values. 'One told me, 'If I buy now and this guy gets elected, it's going to be a raw deal,' he said. 'Everyone's either holding off or saying, 'Let's be out by Jan. 1, even if we sell at a loss.' Frances Katzen, also with Douglas Elliman, said wealthy clients are reassessing real estate exposure amid the proposed policy shifts. 'I definitely think there's a lot of emotion around this process,' Katzen said. 'People are very concerned.' The hesitation is not limited to Manhattan. Brokers in Connecticut and Westchester County report an uptick in inquiries from New Yorkers exploring suburban moves, a trend some have likened to the early stages of the pandemic-era exodus. Marilyn Profit, a Coldwell Banker agent, told WFSB that she has seen increased calls from 'very concerned' city residents. The property offers six bedrooms and five bathrooms over the top three floors of the co-op building as well as stunning views and a key to the private two-acre park The triplex has plenty of rooms that can be used as an office or even a playroom A 'secret door' under the stairs opens into a playroom The master suite offers two walk-in closets Although beautifully decorated there are still some partuclarly 'cosy' bedrooms The bathroom has a steam shower and dual vanities while a soaking tub is situated in a separate room The master suite is located on the top floor of the apartment building Fallon and his wife Juvoven purchased four units over the years and remodeled them to create the one large penthouse of almost 5,000-square-feet spread over three floors Jimmy Fallon and his wife first listed the property in 2021 for $15 million, eventually selling it to Delevingne at a substantial discount 'Even the agents are saying the same thing, that they're seeing more of an uptick in calls for New Yorkers wanting to buy in Connecticut,' she said. Still, not all industry figures believe a large-scale departure from New York is imminent. Daniel Ickowicz, CEO of Elite International Realty, cautioned that post-election frustration does not always translate into relocation. 'We must understand that there's a big gap between feeling frustrated after an election and people actually packing a home, changing schools, and relocating a business,' Ickowicz told the Daily Mail. 'Intentions are cheap, but moves are costly.' At a time the world faces its fair share of environmental challenges, one conservation triumph is spreading some much-needed hope. The moment itself was caught on camera: a tiny, half-translucent grey larva - no bigger than a grain of rice - wriggling out of its egg casing in the shallow waters of the Chishui River in southwest China's Guizhou Province. To the untrained eye, it might look like nothing much... But for the team of scientists looking anxiously on, it represented something truly momentous: the first successful natural reproduction of the critically endangered Yangtze sturgeon in the wild in over two decades. The breakthrough was the result of years of painstaking work by researchers facing the daunting task of reviving the species from the brink of extinction. At a time when more than 10,000 species worldwide are considered critically endangered, their achievement can teach some important lessons. A researcher prepares to release adult Yangtze sturgeons in Chishui, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on April 3, 2025 An adult Yangtze sturgeon is seen at the Dayuba section of the Chishui River in Chishui on April 5, 2025 The decline of an icon The Yangtze sturgeon - an iconic, nationally protected species that can grow to a metre in length - had long played a vital role in the ecosystem of the Yangtze, China's longest river. But by the early 2000s, water pollution, overfishing and other factors had wiped out most of the population. Environmental damage also stopped the fish from being able to successfully spawn, with the last natural reproduction occurring in 2000. By 2022, the species was declared extinct in the wild. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs assembled a team of scientists from institutions including the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) and the China Three Gorges Corporation's Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute. Undaunted by the challenge that faced them, they spent years developing techniques to restore the sturgeon's spawning grounds. This photo - taken on February 25, 2022, shows Yangtze sturgeons at a breeding base for rare fish in the Three Gorges Reservoir in southwest China's Chongqing They also experimented with reconstructing water flow patterns and riverbed conditions, first in controlled environments, then in a side branch of the Yangtze in Jiang'an County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, in 2023 and 2024. 'Due to the lack of historical data, at first we didn't know what environmental conditions were needed for the reproduction of the Yangtze sturgeon,' says Liu Huanzhang, an IHB researcher specialising in fish conservation biology. The problem was eventually cracked after 'repeated' rounds of experiments, he recalls. Glimmers of hope This early success gave them hope, but the real test would be whether the fish could reproduce in a completely natural setting, since no hatched larvae had been found during the scientists' initial experiments. Their eyes turned to the Chishui River, one of the tributaries of the upper Yangtze. In contrast to much of the Yangtze, the Chishui has seen little industrial development and its main channel remains undammed. In early 2025, the team began its most ambitious project. At a site near Chishui City, they meticulously reshaped a stretch of the riverbed, using drones, sonar and hydrological modelling to recreate the exact conditions sturgeons need for spawning. A staff member checks the growing situation of the Yangtze sturgeons at the breeding base 'We dug channels to mimic natural currents, carefully selected gravel and sand for the river bottom, and created an 8,000-square-meter spawning ground tailored to the fish's needs,' says Liu Fei, an associate researcher at the IHB. On April 3, the scientists released 20 artificially bred adult sturgeons - 10 males and 10 females - into the modified habitat. Then came the waiting For days, scientists monitored the fish around the clock using underwater cameras and sonar - watching for any sign of mating behaviour. Wriggling to victory! On the night of April 12, the signals lit up the sturgeons were gathering in the channels scientists had dug for them. By dawn, the team had spotted fertilised eggs and estimated that over 200,000 eggs were scattered in the spawning ground. Under microscopic analysis, researchers confirmed the eggs were developing normally. On April 16, the first hatchlings emerged - minute, wriggling proof that the Yangtze sturgeon could still reproduce in the wild. 'The success of the test has proven that mature individuals in the artificially bred Yangtze sturgeon population have the ability to reproduce in the wild, said Liu Huanzhang. 'This lays the foundation for the full restoration of the species' natural reproduction in the river.' Juvenile Yangtze sturgeon at a breeding base in Yibin, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Pictured: June 27, 2023 Liu Fei says the achievement was about more than just saving the Yangtze sturgeon. 'Its survival reflects the health of the entire ecosystem. This success gives us a model for restoring other endangered aquatic species.' Getting the Yangtze sturgeon to reproduce naturally is a pivotal achievement for conservation efforts, but it marks only the beginning of a long-term recovery process. The researchers say they will continue to monitor the growth of the young sturgeons in their natural habitat while continually refining their methods. 'These efforts will not only restore the Yangtze sturgeon population but also contribute to the overall health and stability of the Yangtze River ecosystem,' adds Liu Huanzhang. Original story by: Yang Chunxue and Quan Xiaoshu A California woman is set to spend three months in jail after stealing four chickens from a slaughterhouse. Zoe Rosenberg, 23, was convicted in October of two misdemeanor counts of trespassing, a misdemeanor of tampering with a vehicle and a felony conspiracy charge. Prosecutors said that on four separate occasions, Rosenberg and fellow activists from the Berkeley-based group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) trespassed onto the property, accessed documents and computers, attached GPS trackers to delivery trucks and ultimately removed the chickens from a truck bed. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail on Thursday and ordered to pay over $100,000 in restitution after she took four chickens from a Perdue-owned slaughterhouse in Petaluma. However, Rosenberg claimed they took action upon seeing four chickens in distress, injured and suffering from clear signs of cruelty. She did not deny the allegations, stating that the chickens were covered in scratches and bruises and needed to be 'rescued.' Rosenberg has Type 1 diabetes and gastroparesis, both conditions that can be life-threatening if untreated. Her legal team has argued she will require continuous medical care while incarcerated. Wayne Hsiung, a New York-based animal rights lawyer, criticized the sentencing, saying: 'Every part of the prosecution of Zoe Rosenberg has been a s*** show, including her sentencing. 'You cannot have a just society if you are not just towards the most vulnerable beings. Zoe's imprisonment is a moral stain on our civilization.' Zoe Rosenberg, 23, was sentenced on Thursday for stealing four chickens from a farm in California Reports have claimed that this picture shows the slaughterhouse where the chickens were kept. Rosenberg claimed she took action upon seeing four chickens in distress, injured and suffering from clear signs of cruelty A Perdue Farms spokesperson told the Daily Mail that the sentencing 'underscores the seriousness of Direct Action Everywhere's actions and upholds the rule of law.' 'It affirms a basic truth: when you break the law, you will be held responsible,' the spokesperson said. 'We are grateful that DxE has been held to account for its unlawful campaign, including training and paying staff to carry out dangerous, unauthorized intrusions onto private property.' Rosenberg received a sentence far below the four-and-a-half-year maximum she faced after being convicted. The Sonoma County District Attorney's office had urged the judge to impose 180 days behind bars, describing her apparent lack of remorse as 'staggering.' The final verdict puts Rosenberg in jail for 90 days and two years probation. The sentencing concluded a high-profile case that began with a series of break-ins at Petaluma Poultry. In June 2023, Rosenberg entered Perdue Farms' Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse and removed four live chickens she said were sick and suffering. The birdslater named Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azaleawere taken to a sanctuary run by animal-welfare advocates. The trial lasted six weeks. Rosenberg's lawyers argued that the chickens' living conditions justified her actions, while prosecutors countered that her evidence was weak and that the theft constituted a felony beyond any animal welfare claims. Rosenberg has Type 1 diabetes and gastroparesis, both conditions that can be life-threatening if untreated. Her legal team has argued she will require continuous medical care while incarcerated Pictured are the chickens Rosenberg stole from the slaughterhouse The Santa Rosa jury deliberated for less than a day before finding her guilty on all counts. Supporters say the case was never about property. As her attorney, Chris Carraway, told reporters outside court: 'Sonoma County spent more than six weeks and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to protect a multi-billion-dollar corporation from the rescue of four chickens worth less than $25.' In September, Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix publicly defended Rosenberg, calling her prosecution a 'moral failure' and urging authorities to focus on the documented cruelty at the slaughterhouse rather than those trying to stop it. Petaluma Poultry has described DxE as an extremist group intent on destroying the animal agriculture industry and maintains that the chickens were not mistreated. Rosenberg, in October, said she does not regret her actions. 'I will not apologize for taking sick, neglected animals to get medical care,' she said. Rosenberg was arrested in July 2023 (PICTURED) for stealing the chickens 'When we see cruelty and violence, we can choose to ignore it or intervene to make the world a better place. I chose to intervene, and because I did, Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea are alive today. For that, I will never be sorry.' After the sentencing, Rosenberg walked out of court wearing an ankle monitor and briefly spoke to supporters holding signs reading 'Prosecute Petaluma Poultry' and 'Right to Rescue.' She told them she would immediately report animal cruelty at the slaughterhouse. Carraway said the Sonoma County District Attorney's office ignored criminal animal cruelty at local factory farms and plans to appeal the verdict. 'Sonoma County spent over six weeks and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to protect a multi-billion-dollar corporation from the rescue of four chickens worth less than $25,' Carraway added. 'No doubt the District Attorney's office would never have spent a fraction of this time or money if the chickens had been dead in a supermarket meat case.' An Arctic cold front is sweeping the nation, and northern cities like Minneapolis are feeling the brunt of it, with temperatures dropping below Mars. Even though some cities saw warm weather in October, November made those days feel like a lifetime ago. Minneapolis, Minnesota, hit 27 degrees Fahrenheit on Thanksgiving Day - and temperatures continued to drop to 10 degrees below the historical average, marking the coldest stretch in the area since February, according to the AccuWeather meteorology team. The temperatures in the city were so biting; they were even colder than on Mars, which measured a surface temperature of around 30 degrees last week, according to data recorded by NASA's Curiosity Rover. Earth is rarely colder than Mars, a planet that averages around -85 degrees, because the atmosphere is so thin. Mars's atmosphere is unable to trap heat like Earth's, so the planet can drop to temperatures as low as -225 degrees. The further the planets are from the Sun, the colder they typically are. Uranus and Neptune are the last planets in our solar system and can reach temperatures as low as -330 degrees, according to NASA. The brief period when Mars was warmer than Earth ended as the Sun set on both planets. Temperatures dropped to the low 20s in Minnesota last week as snow hit Minneapolis the day before Thanksgiving Temperatures were so low that even Mars was warmer last week, recording a temperature of 30 degrees on Thanksgiving Day Temperatures in Minneapolis dropped into the teens overnight last week during a brutal winter storm The temperature in Minneapolis dropped into the teens, but temperatures on Mars reached a staggering -100 degrees overnight last week. Since Mars has a thinner atmosphere and is further from the Sun, heat doesn't hold overnight, and temperatures drop drastically when the Sun sets. Meanwhile, on Earth, bitter temperatures are set to continue, as meteorologists at AccuWeather warn of a polar vortex affecting the central and eastern US through December. A polar vortex occurs when strong winds form in the stratosphere above the North Pole. When the vortex is stable, it stays above the North Pole, but if it's disrupted, warm air moves North while cold air moves South. AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said in a news release that parts of the US can expect Arctic air as the polar vortex has been displaced. Pictured: The average, high, and low temperatures recorded by NASA's Curiosity Rover last week Meteorologists predicted a polar vortex pushing Arctic air into the US until mid-December The winter weather will impact parts of the US, resulting in snowstorms and frigid temperatures over the weekend 'The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that,' Pastelok said Tuesday. The Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska can expect subzero temperatures as the cold front persists. Those in the Northeast can also expect frigid temperatures over the weekend, as the Adirondacks and northeastern New York drop below zero. The northern Great Plains to the Midwest will likely be hit with snow this weekend as winter weather persists. NASA has revealed shocking new details after losing contact with a Mars space probe nearly two weeks after its close encounter with interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. On Monday, the space agency said the MAVEN spacecraft went dark on December 4 while it was observing the mysterious visitor NASA has declared a comet. MAVEN has been orbiting Mars since 2014 and has served as a communications relay for man-made rovers exploring the Martian surface. According to the American space agency, the probe moved behind Mars while tracking the interstellar object, then suddenly stopped transmitting and started rotating in an unusual manner as it reemerged within view of Earth. NASA said it appears whatever happened to MAVEN on the far side of the planet has also caused the probe's orbit around Mars to change as well. However, without direct data from the spacecraft, NASA has been forced to analyze fragments of tracking information to figure out what's gone wrong. They won't know for sure how MAVEN's orbit has changed until it starts transmitting again. MAVEN was only 18million miles away from 3I/ATLAS in October when it reportedly took a collection of photographs as the supposed comet passed the Red Planet - images which draw widespread criticism for their poor quality. While the NASA spacecraft has dealt with minor technical issues in the past, this is the first time in a decade that something may have actually knocked the probe offline and disrupted its orbit. MAVEN spacecraft (Pictured) has been orbiting Mars since 2014, but NASA lost connection to the probe on December 4 3I/ATLAS (Pictured) exhibits unique features, including an anti-tail, extreme color changes, an extremely unusual course, and a massive coma The incident has already set off wild theories on social media that the communications blackout is somehow tied to 3I/ATLAS making its closest pass by Earth on Friday. While the ongoing problems with MAVEN are not related to 3I/ATLAS, NASA has drawn sharp public criticism after the images taken near Mars came back blurry and lacked detail, sparking claims that the 'real' photos were being hidden. 'Either NASA is lying, and won't release the images because they know what it is, or whatever is piloting 3I/ATLAS knocked MAVEN offline. Either way, NASA is lying,' one social media user on X claimed without proof. 'Does anyone still trust NASA? Like, is there anyone out there who really thinks MAVEN just glitched out and NASA isn't hoarding the data in secret to make sure no new 3I/ATLAS images showing UFO sneak into the public sphere?' another X user alleged. Harvard Professor Avi Loeb noted that NASA previously revealed some of the photos MAVEN took during its close encounter with 3/ATLAS in October. It's unknown how many images of the object had yet to be transmitted when the probe went dark. While many have also claimed the interstellar object may have done something to MAVEN to knock it off its orbit, 3I/ATLAS was nowhere near the spacecraft when the malfunction occurred. On December 19, 3I/ATLAS will pass within 170million miles of Earth, its closest pass by our planet on its journey through the solar system. Even without MAVEN online to track the object, Loeb noted that the suspected comet will be close enough for amateurs to see it and photograph it with common telescopes, adding that any alleged cover-up won't be possible in just days. Join the debate What do you think NASA isnt telling us about MAVENs blackout and the mysterious 3I/ATLAS? 3I/ATLAS is projected to reach its closest point to Earth on Friday, December 19, when it gets within 170million miles of the planet Stargazers recently captured brand new clear images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS using lower quality telescopes compared to those used by NASA 'It's not up to NASA. There are hundreds of observatories around the globe that will observe it,' the professor explained to NEWSMAX. Loeb added that December 19 is also the date of a new moon, meaning there won't be any extra light to contaminate the images of 3I/ATLAS. At the same time, over 23 nations in Europe are actively tracking the interstellar visitor as part of the largest planetary defense drill in history. 'There are too many telescopes available to block that data.' Loeb, the head of the Galileo Project, a research group looking for extraterrestrial life, added that scientists should be able to prove whether the object has a gaseous cometary tail or if the streams of material seen shooting out of the comet are actually thrusters from a spacecraft. The Harvard physicist has continued to argue that there are too many factors surrounding 3I/ATLAS that scientists have yet to explain to simply dismiss the object as an ordinary comet. Those have included a comet's tail, which is facing in the wrong direction of the sun, known as an anti-tail, suggesting the stream is actually exhaust from an engine that's guiding the object through space. In total, Loeb has documented over a dozen distinct 'anomalies' in 3I/ATLAS, all taking place at the same time, which the scientist said would be nearly impossible if it was natural comet. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have both pushed back on this theory, concluding 3I/ATLAS is a comet from a distant solar system composed of a unique mixture of chemical elements. Limitless clean energy is one step closer to becoming a reality, following the latest nuclear fusion breakthrough. Scientists from the UK and Austria have developed a new AI tool that can simulate the superheated plasma inside a fusion reactor. The tool, dubbed GyroSwin, completes calculations within seconds that would usually take days on the world's most powerful supercomputers. This could help scientists to understand how to harness the unpredictable power of fusion energy and build the world's first functioning reactors. Fusion reactors replicate the processes found in the heart of the sun, where hydrogen atoms are smashed together and fused into helium. However, to create a miniature star on Earth requires heating plasma to around 100,000,000C and keeping it hot and dense enough for fusion to take place. Since no material could withstand these temperatures, the plasma is trapped by powerful magnetic fields inside a doughnutshaped device known as a tokamak. With the help of GyroSwin's simulations, engineers should be able to finetune these magnetic fields to create a stable fusion reaction. Scientists from the UK and Austria have developed a new AI tool that can simulate the superheated plasma inside a fusion reactor Your browser does not support iframes. Nuclear fusion has the potential to create a nearly endless source of clean energy, and has previously been described as the 'holy grail' by scientists. Two types of hydrogen deuterium and tritium are the only fuels needed, while the only byproduct is helium. This means there are no mountains of longlasting radioactive waste or greenhouse gas emissions to damage the planet. The problem is that making fusion reactors a reality requires us to harness some of the most unpredictable forces in the universe. Superheated plasma doesn't run around in a neat ring; it bounces and ripples in a process known as turbulence. Cocreator of GyroSwin Dr Fabian Paischer, of the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, told Daily Mail: 'Plasma leaks out of its magnetic cage due to turbulence, meaning it loses its potency for the fusion reaction to occur.' For this reason, fusion reactions tend to be extremely shortlived. In fact, the current record for a sustained reaction sits at just 43 seconds! Scientists use ringshaped devices called tokamaks (pictured) to trap plasma in a magnetic cage. However, since plasma is turbulent, it tends to leak out of its cage over time What is nuclear fusion? Nuclear fusion is a potentially limitless source of clean energy created by the same core processes inside the sun. Using intense heat, magnetic fields and pressure, the nuclei of lighter elements are fused together to create heavier elements, releasing energy in the process. By containing this star-like process in specially designed reactors, engineers can fuse hydrogen atoms together to produce helium, harnessing the clean energy produced and potentially cutting dependency on fossil fuels. Advertisement To keep a fusion reaction going indefinitely, scientists will need extremely accurate simulations of how turbulence forms under different conditions. Since the dynamics inside a plasma are so complex, you can't use the same kinds of simulations that we use to predict the weather or the flow of liquids. The current best simulations track particles of plasma in five dimensions: three for their locations, one for their speed, and one for their direction relative to the magnetic field. However, these simulations take days to complete, even when they are being run on the world's best supercomputers. GyroSwin, which has been developed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), Johannes Kepler University in Linz and an Austrian firm Emmi AI, offers a different solution. Scientists first run extremely accurate but expensive and slow simulations on traditional supercomputers. The results of these simulations are then used to train an AI so that it can learn to predict the subtle relationships between cause and effect. Once the training is complete, GyroSwin can skip over the complex calculations and make predictions about the outcome of simulations in seconds rather than days. By simulating the conditions inside a tokamak reactor, researchers can find ways to make the plasma less turbulent and ensure that nuclear fusion reactions last longer. Pictured: A staff member performs an upgrade to China's experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) These types of 'AI surrogate model' aren't new, but what makes GyroSwin so exciting is just how accurate it appears to be. Dr Paischer says: 'GyroSwin is the first model that actually models the full plasma turbulence in all its beauty and across multiple scales. 'Previous approaches only tried to model turbulence in a reduced form, meaning they always neglect important information to make predictions more efficient at the cost of accuracy.' Importantly, the model is already starting to show signs of capturing the underlying physics of plasma turbulence. While the AI will still need some traditional simulations to keep improving its training, it could speed up the production of working nuclear reactors. Rob Akers, Director of Computing Programmes at UKAEA, told Daily Mail: 'Fusion development is highly iterative, and credible designs can require very large numbers of simulations. 'Cutting turnaround from days to seconds can speed up design loops and "what if" exploration dramatically. 'It wont solve fusion on its own, but it can materially speed up the engineering cycle which is exactly what you need on the path to a working fusion machine.' Currently, the record for a sustained fusion reaction is held by the Wendelstein 7X fusion device, which maintained fusion for 43 seconds. This new AI tool could help future reactors maintain fusion indefinitely In its current form, GyroSwin is a proof of concept, but the researchers plan on scaling it up for more practical scenarios. The goal is to use the AI to guide fusion reactors that are already running or are soon to be built. That could include the MAST Upgrade experimental tokamak that is under construction near Oxford, or the UK's flagship STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) project, which aims to build a functioning prototype reactor by the 2040s. Although a real, fully functioning fusion reactor is still within the realm of science fiction, these fundamental breakthroughs bring it a little bit closer to reality. Iran's Hormuz Island briefly turned bright red this week, as red soil flowed into the sea and turned the water shades of deep crimson. Viral videos captured the moment pouring rain along the coast turned a deep reddish hue, flowing over cliffs, and flooding into the ocean. The phenomenon paralleled depictions of 'blood rain' or red water in the Bible, which have historically been interpreted as signs of the End Time. However, the red rain actually has a simple scientific explanation. Previous research has confirmed the crimson waters are created by the Iranian island's abundant iron-oxide-rich red soil. Known locally as 'golak,' rains interact with this iron oxide, causing any water nearby to turn crimson as soil runoff washes into it. Hormuz Island is geologically famous for its colorful mineral soils, earning it the nickname 'Rainbow Island,' and this runoff effect regularly occurs during heavy rainstorms. Viral social media videos captured the moment in Iran this week as heavy rains transformed Hormuz Island and the Persian Gulf crimson red Hormuz Island has been nicknamed 'Rainbow Island' because of its rich mineral content that can change the color of water during massive rainstorms Hormuz Island's unique chemical makeup formed over millions of years and contains layers of shale, clay, volcanic rocks, and over 70 minerals. The dominant red coloring comes from the iron oxide, also known as hematite, which comes from the island's volcanic deposits. Hematite naturally appears red in its powdered form because it absorbs shorter wavelengths of green and blue light and reflects longer red wavelengths. This scattering and absorption effect tints the water crimson when the particles mix with the rain and oceans during major weather events. Videos posted on social media showed tiny waterfalls of crimson water cascading over the cliffs of Hormuz Island and landing on the shores below. Many sightseers walked along the shore as the blood red tides washed over their feet as streams of soil runoff flowed into the Persian Gulf. One X user used their foot to dig a small hole in the beach, revealing even more red soil just below the surface that the Gulf quickly washed over. Others posted images of themselves with their hands and feet covered in the crimson soil, which stained everything it touched. Soil runoff containing iron oxide has been blamed for the miraculous color change, which was eerily similar to depictions of the End Time in the Bible Hormuz Island itself was not directly mentioned in the Bible, however, the broader region of ancient Persia, now modern Iran, appeared frequently in Scripture. A key reference to this region of the ancient world came in Revelation 16:12, when the sixth bowl of wrath is poured on the Euphrates River, which sits on the opposite side of the Persian Gulf about 500 miles from Hormuz Island. The End Time prophecy said this event would dry up the Euphrates 'so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.' This would lead to the gathering of kings for the battle at Armageddon in Revelation 16:16. Some biblical scholars have interpreted the 'kings from the east' as global powers from this region, potentially including modern Iran as part of an eastern coalition in End Time events. The Book of Exodus described the 10 Plagues of God. The first the curse saw the Nile's waters struck by Moses' staff at God's command, turning them to blood in a divine act of judgment Hormuz Island is not the only place in the Middle East which has seen water turn red in recent months. In August, the biblical Sea of Galilee in Israel mysteriously turned a vivid blood red, leaving locals rattled and warning of a 'bad omen.' Israel's environmental ministry confirmed that the transformation was caused by a bloom of green algae in the freshwater lake, which turns red when a natural pigment builds up under intense sunlight. The pigment is harmless, officials stressed, and tests this summer showed the water was safe for swimming, despite its unsettling hue. Tests by the Kinneret Research Laboratory found the algae in the affected areas was harmless as well, with no health risks or allergic reactions reported among those exposed. Unlike the iron oxide in the soil of Iran, the transformation in Israel was caused by Botryococcus braunii, which is found in various aquatic environments like freshwater and brackish water bodies worldwide. Legendary director Steven Spielberg, the visionary behind 'E.T.' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' has returned to the big screen with his latest project, 'Disclosure Day.' The first trailer offers a tantalizing glimpse into a story that promises to shake the world with revelations about alien life, while keeping much of the plot shrouded in mystery. The star-studded cast includes Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson and Wyatt Russell. Clocking in at two minutes and seven seconds, the teaser opens with a haunting question: 'If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?' Viewers are then thrust into Blunt's world, as she portrays a meteorologist abruptly seized by a mysterious extraterrestrial force during a live broadcast. O'Connor plays a determined man on a mission to reveal the truth about alien life to the world. The trailer is packed with cryptic crop circles, high-speed chases, eerie creatures and chilling hints that humanity may not be alone in the universe. Adding to the buzz, cryptic billboards appeared in Times Square and Los Angeles on December 10, bearing the message: 'All will be disclosed Spielberg 06.12.26.' This is a developing story... More updates to come Emily Blunt portrays a meteorologist abruptly seized by a mysterious extraterrestrial force during a live broadcast Adding to the buzz, cryptic billboards appeared in Times Square and Los Angeles on December 10, bearing the message: 'All will be disclosed Spielberg 06.12.26' Spielberg's fascination with UFOs and outer space began in childhood, when his father woke him one night to watch the Perseid meteor shower from a field near their home in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. That early wonder inspired his first amateur film project at just 17, a 1964 feature, length sci-fi movie called 'Firelight', which he screened at a local Phoenix theater for family and friends, charging $1 per ticket.' That film seemed to set the director on path about the unknown, as hist 1977 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' was released, followed by 'E.T' in 1982. Both films were blockbuster hits, with ET becoming the highest-grossing film of all time for over a decade, surpassing Star Wars. More recently, in 2005, Spielberg revamped the timeless 'War of the Worlds' that was one of that year's top films. He has returned to his roots with 'Disclosure Day,' which was based on an his original story, but penned by r David Koepp, who helped write 'Jurassic Park,' 'Jurassic Park: The Lost World,' and 'War of the Worlds.' 'Just watched this chilling clip from Steven Spielberg's new UFO film Disclosure Day (trailer dropped [Tuesday])Emily Blunt's weather forecast turns into straight-up ALIEN NOISES live on air, a UFO enthusiast posted on X. 'These eerie clicks and guttural sounds are TERRIFYING.' The trailer is packed with cryptic crop circles, high-speed chases, eerie creatures and chilling hints that humanity may not be alone in the universe Steven Spielberg fascination with UFOs and outer space began in childhood, when his father woke him one night to watch the Perseid meteor shower from a field near their home in Haddon Heights, New Jersey Josh O'Connor plays a determined man on a mission to reveal the truth about alien life to the world Another fan shared online: 'For a half-century, every new Steven Spielberg release has always felt like a must-see event. 'Already looking forward to seeing 'Disclosure Day' next year -- and I love that Emily Blunt is playing a Kansas City TV meteorologist. Midwest meteorologists are the best!' Mysterious movie posters for the film recently appeared under the bright lights of New York's Times Square, showing an eerie eye peering through the silhouette of a bird. While the image sparked many questions, the trailer appears to answer at least one. In the newly released clip, there is a shot of bizarrely behaving robins that flying into an apartment where Blunt and O'Connor are sitting. One social media users posted on X about the billboard, saying: 'This billboard in Times Square is not just promoting another movie. 'It is signaling the return of the filmmaker who reshaped the medium itself. Spielberg, the most influential director in the history of cinema, the man whose last name is a synonym for Hollywood, is about to debut his first original sci-fi story in years.' The dome built over the remains of the Chernobyl disaster has been damaged, raising fears it may no longer be able to contain radioactive material. Officially known as the New Safe Confinement (NSC), the at least $2 billion protective shield was constructed over Reactor 4, which caused the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986. The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a nuclear watchdog, revealed this month that the NSC was severely damaged in a Russian drone strike in February. The IAEA team conducted a safety assessment earlier this month, finding the dome had lost its primary safety functions, including confinement capability. IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said: '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 inspection brought some relief, confirming that the dome's main structure and monitoring systems remain intact. But beneath the damaged shelter lies massive quantities of radioactive material from the 1986 disaster, making the site a ticking time bomb. The IAEA has urged urgent repairs and upgrades to Chernobyl's protective shelter, calling for better humidity control, advanced corrosion monitoring, and a high-tech automatic system to keep the radioactive reactor remains under control. Nuclear watchdogs discovered this month that the dome built over the remains of the Chernobyldisaster has been damaged It began on April 26, 1986, with the explosion of Reactor 4 that led to the largest release of radioactive material into the environment in human history The damaged dome is the latest of several such expert missions since September last year, when the substations became increasingly affected by the military conflict. 'These substations are essential for nuclear safety and security. They are absolutely indispensable for providing the electricity all nuclear power plants need for reactor cooling and other safety systems,' Grossi said. 'They are also needed to distribute the electricity that they produce to households and industry.' In 2026, with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Chornobyl site will undertake additional temporary repairs to support the re-establishment of the NSC's confinement function, paving the way for full restoration once the conflict ends. 'The IAEA which has a team permanently at the site will continue to do everything it can to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security at the Chornobyl site,' Grossi said in a statement. It began on April 26, 1986, with the explosion of Reactor 4 that led to the largest release of radioactive material into the environment in human history. Around 30 to 50 people died from immediate blast trauma or acute radiation sickness in the first few months after the disaster Following the tragic event, humans were evacuated from Chernobyl and the surrounding areas to avoid the extreme levels of radiation. The IAEA team conducted a safety assessment earlier this month, finding the dome had lost its primary safety functions, including confinement capability Pictured is someone measuring levels of radioactivity in the area surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power in 1990 While long-term deaths from radiation-induced cancers are harder to quantify, the UN Chernobyl Forum estimated up to 4,000 eventual fatalities among highly exposed populations, though figures vary widely, with Greenpeace suggesting tens of thousands, highlighting the difficulty in assessing the full toll. From then on, the site was known as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). The absence of humans has allowed wildlife to flourish and thrive in the CEZ, which contains 11.28 millirem of radiation, six times the allowed exposure amount for human workers. A study in 2024 found that the dogs had mutated to develop a new superpower - they are immune to radiation, heavy metals and pollution. Scientists collected blood samples from 116 stray dogs living in the CEZ, finding two different populations that were both genetically distinct from other dogs in the surrounding area. This suggests the animals have adapted to withstand long-term exposure to this toxic environment and would explain why they have continued to thrive in the wasteland. Norman J Kleiman, an environmental health scientist at Columbia University, led a team of researchers to investigate how living in this harsh environment impacted the dogs' genetics, as disasters that contaminate or destroy habitat can force wildlife to adapt to adverse environmental changes. He and his colleagues collected blood samples from 116 'semi-feral' dogs, which were humanely captured around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and 10 miles away in Chernobyl City. These samples were taken during sterilization and vaccination procedures conducted by the Clean Futures Fund Dogs of Chernobyl program in 2018 and 2019. Officially known as the New Safe Confinement (NSC), the at least $2 billion protective shield was constructed over Reactor 4, which caused the world's worst nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986 The blood samples were then transported to the US for DNA extraction and analysis, which revealed the dogs' unique genetic makeup. 'Somehow, two small populations of dogs managed to survive in that highly toxic environment,' Kleiman said in a statement. 'In addition to classifying the population dynamics within these dogs . . . we took the first steps towards understanding how chronic exposure to multiple environmental hazards may have impacted these populations.' He and his colleagues published their findings in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics in March 2023. Specifically, the researchers found nearly 400 'outlier loci,' or genomic locations that show behavior or patterns of variation that are extremely divergent from the rest of the genome. Then, they identified 52 genes associated with these outlier loci that 'could be associated with exposure to the contamination of the environment at the Nuclear Power Plant,' the study states. In other words, the dogs' contaminated environment caused them to develop genetic mutations that were passed down from generation to generation, ultimately driving their adaptation to the harsh conditions. The centuries-old blood ritual of St Januarius drew crowds to Naples, Italy on Tuesday, as Catholics waited with bated breath for a miracle to unfold. The blood of the martyred saint, killed in 305 AD, is kept in two sealed glass vials at the Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta and presented by a Catholic priest or bishop on special feast days. If the blood liquefies, the Church sees it as a good omen. If it does not, believers fear impending disaster. Historically, the blood has failed to liquefy during major crises, including the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the Nazi occupation in 1943, the devastating 1980 earthquake and more recently in 2016 and 2020. 'At 9:13am local time, the blood already appeared semi-liquid. At 10:05am, the complete liquefaction was announced,' the Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples reported. During the 'miracle,' the reddish dried blood clinging to one side of the vial suddenly transforms into a deep red liquid, spreading across the glass from edge to edge. Scientists say the phenomenon may be caused by a substance in the blood that changes from solid to liquid when moved or warmed. For the faithful, however, it remains a miraculous sign protecting Naples. The first recording of the ritual dates to 1383. It sees a priest or bishop present the dried blood to see if it will liquify (STOCK) St Januarius was beheaded, and his blood was ultimately brought to Naples, where locals revere him as the city of Napel's protector 'Every drop of this blood speaks to us of the love of God,' Archbishop Battaglia said in his homily. 'This blood is a sign of the blood of Christ, of his passion.' The archbishop noted that September 19 marks the anniversary of St Januarius' martyrdom more than 1,700 years ago, when the saint embraced death in 'fidelity to the Gospel,' demonstrating that the love of God is 'stronger than death, violence or any earthly power. In his homily, Archbishop Battaglia cautioned against reducing the veneration of the city's saint to mere superstition. 'We do not have to worry if the blood of this relic does not liquefy, but we do have to worry if it is the blood of the downtrodden, the marginalized, and the poor that flows through our streets,' he said. Legend has it that Januarius and his companions were thrown to the bears in the amphitheater of Pozzuoli, but the animals failed to attack them. Januarius and his companions were then beheaded, and his blood was ultimately brought to Naples, where locals revere him as the city's protector. The first recorded instance of the ritual dates to 1383, but Church officials believe it may have occurred much earlier. The blood liquified on Tuesday, which believers say is a good omen (STOCK). It has not liquified in the past, specifically during WWII The liquefaction of the blood can be unpredictable, sometimes taking hours or even days to occur, and on rare occasions, it fails. Typically, within minutes to an hour, the solid dark mass turns a deep red and begins to bubble, signaling the start of the prodigy. The two ampoules, or vials, each containing the dried substance, are kept in a gold-and-glass reliquary. During the ritual, a priest, or usually the Archbishop of Naples, holds the reliquary aloft and gently tilts it from side to side, allowing the crowd to see the blood fully liquefy as prayers fill the cathedral. The reliquary containing the ampoules is kept on display for the faithful for eight days. During this period, worshippers can approach to kiss it while a priest carefully tilts the vials, proving the blood remains liquid. Afterward, the relic is returned to its secure vault inside the Chapel of the Treasury, where it is locked away until the next feast day. The blood ritual takes place on three feast days each year, but experts are divided on whether the substance is genuine blood or a medieval concoction. Spectroscopic analyses in 1902 and 1989 detected signs of blood but were inconclusive, while a 1991 CICAP experiment recreated a red-brown thixotropic substance that liquefies when disturbed, suggesting a natural explanation. A 2024 study by Giovanni Fazio of the University of Messina concluded there is no definitive proof that the vials contain blood, but noted that faith and tradition remain central to the ritual. Fazio suggested further study could be done if the Church allowed observation outside feast days or comparison of the recreated substance with past analyses, though uncertainties and controversy surrounding the relic persist. Five extraordinary worlds already exist at Universal Orlando Resort, but Wicked fans are convinced the cult franchise might just be the theme park's next big instalment. First brought to life in 2003 on Broadway, and debuting later in the West End in 2006, Wicked has become one of the successful musicals in the world, based on a misunderstood, green-skinned girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Two decades on, the franchise has exploded into a global phenomenon once more thanks to the blockbuster, two-part film adaptation, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. The first Wicked film, released in November 2024, grossed an impressive $758.7 million (566.7m) globally, while its sequel, Wicked: For Good, has already passed the $450 million (336.1m) milestone in just its third week in cinemas. With major retailers and specialist brands such as Primark, Lush, Funko and LEGO racing to release exclusive merchandise and limited-edition collections, it's no surprise rumours are now swirling about a potential Wicked-themed world at Universal. The sprawling Florida theme park currently features five distinct themed worlds based on popular franchises and concepts: Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, How to Train Your Dragon, Dark Universe, and Celestial Park. Since the sequel's release, fans have been paying careful attention to every potential clue that a Wicked world is next - from film director Jon M. Chu's appearance in an Epic Universe documentary, to pop-up Wicked experiences inside the parks themselves. So, could a Wicked Universe really on the cards? While Universal Resorts Orlando has not yet announced plans for a new land, read on to see what has fuelled the speculation. Wicked has exploded into a global phenomenon thanks to the two-part film adaptation starring Ariana Grande (pictured: right) as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo (L) as Elphaba Five extraordinary worlds already exist at Universal Orlando Resort, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Dark Universe and Super Nintendo World With brands like Lush (pictured), Funko and LEGO releasing exclusive merchandise, it's no wonder rumours are now swirling about a potential Wicked-themed land at Universal 1. Wicked: The Experience Wicked: The Experience is an immersive, limited-time attraction that has appeared at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. Featuring screen-used costume replicas, Elphaba and Glinda-themed photo opportunities, exclusive merchandise and interactive displays, the experience allows visitors to step directly into the world of Oz. Fans have noticed the attraction has reopened twice to coincide with the releases of the two films. Theme park fanatic Jackie, who goes by @SuperEnthused on YouTube, stopped by Universal Studios Florida in October to check out the experience ahead of Wicked: For Good's release on 21 November, documenting in a video renewed fan interest. For many, these pop-ups feel like a strategic 'test run' - a way for Universal to gauge demand before committing to a full-scale themed land. Wicked: The Experience has reopened twice at Universal to coincide with the releases of the two Wicked films Fans believe these pop-up attractions at Universal (pictured) are a strategy to gauge demand before building a full-scale themed land 2. Jon M. Chu's documentary appearance Fans were quick to notice that Jon M. Chu, the director of the Wicked films, recently appeared in 'Epic Ride,' Universal's official documentary about the creation of Epic Universe. While Chu had no confirmed involvement in the development of the new park, his appearance has raised eyebrows, with many questioning why he would feature at all if Wicked had no future place in Universal's theme park plans. Jon M. Chu, the director of the Wicked films, randomly appeared in Universal's official documentary about the creation of Epic Universe, which has since raised eyebrows 3. Universal Parks CEO's biggest hint Earlier this year, Mark Woodbury, CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts, added fuel to the fire when he openly commented on Wicked's theme park potential. After seeing the film, Woodbury told the New York Times that his first reaction was that it felt like a 'theme park waiting to happen'. For fans, the CEO's statement was significant, as Universal is known for carefully choosing its words when discussing intellectual property. Earlier this year, Mark Woodbury (pictured: far right), CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts, openly commented on Wicked's theme park potential after seeing the film 4. Merch and expansion plans Over the past two years, Wicked has made its mark across multiple Universal parks. From theme merchandise, to specialty food items, to character interactions and entire retail sections dedicated to the franchise, the influence of Oz has been documented in parks in Hollywood, Orlando and Singapore. And despite Epic Universe opening earlier this year, a massive expansion is already in talks. Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer of Universal Orlando Resort, was first to tease a potential Epic Universe expansion in a video shared to Universal's YouTube channel in March, two months before the park even opened. 'There are already so many things in the works now. We have a slate of new attractions that we're already developing for every one of our parks. We're already planning for the next thing at Epic,' she said. With the films reigniting global interest and the brand proving to be highly profitable, many fans believe a full-scale land would be a natural next step. 5. Fan theories on Reddit Pictured: A Glinda doll from Wicked created by Mattel, makers of Barbie Pictured: Sign for Greggs in collaboration with Wicked the musical film outside their Mega Greggs in Leicester Square in November Epic Universe might have only opened to the public earlier this year, but a massive expansion is already in talks... could this be making way for a Wicked-themed land? On Reddit and other fan forums, speculation has reached an all-time high. In one recent thread, a user wrote: 'I think it would fit into the portal to another universe theme nicely, and certainly justifies an entire land full of attractions! 'Plus Epic universe needs an expansion sooner rather than later, guests have been complaining that there arent enough rides.' Another said: 'Just in the last year they have had pop-up Oz experiences at universal parks in the US as well as Singapore. The franchise is proving to be extremely profitable and more relevant than ever. 'I think it would be a huge mistake not to fully realize the theme park potential at this time since they have the rights and a huge hit. Guess we will see in a few years.' A third wrote: 'Honestly, this would work. Wizard of Oz and Wicked are properties that have transcended generations and are huge in film history. I would really love to see how they would bring it to life.' A fourth added: 'This is absolutely happening. It's so obvious and anyone who thinks it isn't is in denial. As soon as I saw the Emerald City in the movie I knew exactly what they were doing. It's so clearly set up to be a theme park land.' The world's best new luxury hotels have been revealed - and the top spot goes to a UK establishment. The 15 global arrivals have been recognised as this year's best, according to the ranking by LTI - Luxury Travel Intelligence. This years world's best new luxury hotel is The Chancery Rosewood, located in London's affluent Mayfair. Hotel brand Rosewood leads the way with three entries, including the winner. The Chancery Rosewood is the only UK property on the list, and other features hotels are from countries including Mexico and France. Here's a full list of the top 15 new luxury hotels... 1. The Chancery Rosewood The Chancery Rosewood is situated in London's Mayfair A new ultra-luxury hotel comes to London - and is truly exceptional Rosewood has enjoyed a successful year, unveiling several impressive new properties around the world. The Chancery is the most anticipated addition to the list, given its location, amenities and sheer opulence - and it has a huge pool and rooftop bar. The all-suite property offers eight restaurants and bars and an expansive Asaya Spa - a destination in its own right. It's also housed within the former US embassy in London - the building operated as the headquarters of US diplomacy in London from 1960 until it relocated in 2017. The Grade II-listed building is located on Grosvenor Square and is one of the most recognisable buildings in the area. 2. &Beyond Suyian Lodge &Beyond Suyian Lodge provides total immersion in the surroundings Suyian Lodge in Laikipia, Kenya offers the ultimate luxury hospitality experience for adventurers. There are fourteen standalone, one-bedroom (and one two-bedroom) suites dotted discreetly across the enthralling landscape, each strategically located to capture the sunrise and maximise privacy. All feature domed ceilings in their living and bedroom spaces, while the bathrooms offer expansive views, deep stone bathtubs and circular skylit showers. 3. Aman Bangkok Aman Bangkok has calm courtyards, chic understated decor and high-quality service This is Aman's first urban sanctuary in Thailand. It is a model of tranquility; you would never guess you were in the thick of one of the world's most chaotic cities. As expected, the dining is delicious, with Italian and Japanese cuisine on offer. You can round off your evening with a meticulously mixed drink at the refined Cigar Bar or Aman Lounge, which are only available to hotel guests. 4. Collegio alla Querce - Auberge Collection Collegio alla Querce - Auberge Collection has a beautiful exterior courtyard A former boarding school now transformed into an exceptional luxury hotel, Collegio alla Querce brings together three adjacent 16th-century buildings, including an original chapel and theatre. The extensive reimagining awakens the propertys storied and romantic history, dating back to the Italian Renaissance. Located in Florence, this could be a fantastic choice for a luxury stay. 5. Orient Express La Minerva Orient Express La Minerva is a fantastic new property in Italy's capital This stunning property in Rome is the brand's first hotel, a luxurious reimagining of a historic palazzo near the Pantheon with 93 rooms and suites. It aims to blend Orient Express' travel art with Roman history. The hotel excels in bespoke Italian craftsmanship and signature dining, as the brand ventures beyond trains into hotels and experiences. 6. Faena New York City Faena New York City's bar oozes glitz and glamour for a fantastic night out This impressive property introduces the Faena luxury hotel brand to Manhattan, after successful debuts in Buenos Aires and Miami Beach. It offers 120 stunning guestrooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows and skyline views. La Boca, the in-house restaurant, focuses on Patagonian fire-cooking techniques and features pop-art murals. 7. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is impressive both from the interior and exterior This superyacht-inspired property delivers large-scale luxury hospitality. It boasts 300 guest rooms and 86 suites complete with panoramic ocean-view terraces. Rooted in Dubais rich heritage, this impressive resort offers comprehensive wellness options, sophisticated culinary experiences and an ultra-modern marina, all alongside Jumeirahs distinctive Arabian hospitality. 8. Mandarin Oriental Vienna Mandarin Oriental Vienna has a grand, opulent entrance hall to welcome guests This new addition to the esteemed Mandarin Oriental portfolio is located on Vienna's UNESCO-listed Ringstrasse. It artfully combines Art Nouveau style with modern elegance, keeping original features such as grand staircases and beautiful ceilings. There are 138 rooms and suites, all are big and bright with high ceilings, marble baths and soft, neutral colours. Many of them look out over a glass-covered courtyard, the property's social centre. 9. Few and Far Luvhondo Few and Far Luvhondo is situated in Limpopo, South Africa With only six breathtaking cliffside suites, Luvhondo is a ground-breaking eco-lodge. It spans 100,000 hectares in the untamed and uncharted Soutpansberg Mountains of Limpopo, South Africa. It provides a private, purpose-driven getaway in UNESCO's Vhembe Biosphere Reserve - one of the planet's most biologically diverse areas. 10. The Rocco Forte Carlton Milan Chic glamour is the order of the day in the Rocco Forte Carlton Milan This is Rocco Forte Hotels' tenth Italian property. After huge financial investment, this superb location offers guests 71 exceptional rooms and suites, all decorated in the brands signature contemporary style, with subtle Art Deco touches. The Carlton Bar, which celebrates Italys aperitivo culture, serves cocktails inspired by Milan. 11. The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Panna National Park More than three and a half centuries ago, an Indian maharaja created an exquisite palace in the Managad Hills of Madhya Pradesh, India. That remarkable landmark has now been transformed into The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace, with 66 elegant rooms and suites. The Oberoi Group has meticulously restored every part of this distinguished 70 acre site, diligently preserving its original features, structures and flora. 12. Rosewood Courchevel Rosewood Courchevel - the perfect option for luxury ski at its best This marks Rosewood's second French outpost and its first winter resort. Situated within the esteemed Jardin Alpin district of Courchevel 1850, it further enhances the prestige of one of the world's most renowned ski resorts. This property draws inspiration from the elegance and brilliance of the 1960s while effortlessly blending modern hospitality with nostalgic Alpine charm. 13. The Twenty Two New York The Twenty Two New York is located in the heart of the city The team from The Twenty Two London has crossed the pond, opening this second location in Manhattans Union Square. Nearly twice the size of the successful London venture, it offers 17 suites and a rooftop penthouse with panoramic views. In-house restaurant Cafe Zaffri is also proving to be very popular with in-the-know New Yorkers. 14. Rosewood Mandarina Rosewood Mandarina is a real taste of luxury located in Mexico This hotel marks the beginning of a new era of luxury hospitality in Mexico. The highly anticipated resort offers guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant charm and cultural richness of the Pacific coast. Developed over nearly a decade, this all-suite retreat has been crafted to reflect a timeless connection with the natural surroundings and to promote meaningful exploration. 15. Nekajui Ritz-Carlton Reserve Nekajui Ritz-Carlton Reserve is nestled in Costa Rica's Peninsula Papagayo Nestled in one of the world's most biodiverse destinations, Nekajui is a secluded, ultra-luxury retreat amid the unspoiled natural beauty of Costa Rica's Peninsula Papagayo. Thoughtfully designed ocean-facing rooms, suites and three luxury treetop tents seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor living. The hotel's aim is to celebrate Costa Rica's rich cultural heritage. With just over a week to go until Christmas, many Brits are counting the days until they can swap the early commute for cosy days spent at home. And if you're one of the lucky few who shut up shop until after New Year's, you may be wondering how to fill those Quality Street-filled days known as 'Twixmas'. Global searches for 'Post-Christmas holiday' have surged by 126 per cent in the last month, with travellers looking to swap grey skies for a quick dose of sunshine. Meanwhile, searches for 'destinations for winter sun' have climbed by more than 500 per cent in the past year. To help holidaymakers make the most of the winter sun, global booking platform Omio has analysed temperature data across all European capitals to reveal the cities offering the warmest weather. Read on to find out which cities take the top spots. Valletta, Malta Taking the coveted top spot is Valletta, the capital city of Malta, which is known for its Baroque architecture and impressive fortifications At the top of Europe's winter-sun leaderboard sits Valletta, Malta's compact, culture-rich capital. Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a high concentration of monuments, built by the Knights of St John as a fortified city. With its 16C highs, bright blue skies and views of the Mediterranean Sea, it's an ideal warm-weather escape just a few hours from most European airports. Whether wandering the historic harbour of the Port of Valletta, taking the ferry to neighbouring islands, or dining above the coastline at the famous Panorama Restaurant, Valletta's winter days feel more like early spring. If you don't mind flying out on New Year's Day, we've found Ryanair flights from London Luton to Malta for as little as 22 - and the journey takes just three hours and 15 minutes. For those looking to extend their annual leave and travel later in January, there are flights for as little as 19, proving that a last-minute trip doesn't have to break the bank. Nicosia, Cyprus In second place is Nicosia in Cyprus. Ledra Street, a major shopping street in the city, is pictured Matching Vallettas sunshine score is Nicosia, delivering an average January high of 16C. Cyprus capital is the continent's strongest bet for warm afternoons, al fresco dining and long strolls, where travellers can walk through centuries of history, from the iconic Venetian walls to Buyuk Han. With direct transport connections and smooth onward travel, Nicosia offers an effortless mid-winter reset for travellers craving daylight and mild weather. Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon is known for its historic charm, featuring landmarks like Belem Tower and Sao Jorge Castle In third place is Lisbon, consistently one of Europe's most magnetic winter destinations thanks to its 15C temperatures, pastel architecture and a food scene that is worth travelling for alone. You can also travel onwards from Lisbon to Porto from as little as 4, making it perfect for adding another sun-kissed stop to a January getaway. Athens, Greece The Acropolis of Athens, a citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, is pictured For those seeking warmth with a side of ancient history, Athens maintains one of Europe's warmest mid-winter climates at 14C. Travellers can explore the Acropolis, wander the Temple of Athena Nike, or enjoy crowd - and selfie-stick - free museum visits. And for a dose of island life worthy of a Mamma Mia reboot, the Port of Piraeus offers easy ferry routes to nearby islands like Aegina, just an hour away. Rome, Italy Pictured: The Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinita dei Monti) in Rome, Italy Rounding off Europe's top five warmest capitals is Rome. With temperatures reaching 13C in January, this offers an ideal climate for the city's iconic landmarks, such as the Colosseum, without peak-season queues. From golden-hour views and amber trees at Il Giardino degli Aranci to authentic bites at locals favourite Forno Monteforte, winter visitors can enjoy the charm of the Eternal City at its most relaxed. And for those craving the beach, the seaside city of Anzio is only 40 minutes away by train. One couple were left with a 4,000 bill after scammers targeted British Airways flights. Geoff Spink, 63, and his wife Dawn had booked a return journey from London Heathrow to Atlanta with the popular airline. Their BA Club Class tickets cost 5,091 and the pair jetted off on October 27. Geoff, a disability issues writer and retired broadcaster, accidentally left his fleece on the plane. It had been tailored to suit his needs, The Independent reports, and he contacted the airline for help getting it back. British Airways advised the Londoner should approach Atlanta Airport's lost and found, but when Geoff did he was told to go to his airline. In an attempt to resolve the issue himself, Geoff then tried his luck on social media and found himself approached by accounts called 'BA Travel Advice' or 'BA Claim Review'. Geoff told The Independent how he thought they were 'genuine' accounts. He explained: 'These people tried to persuade me to download an app so that I could receive compensation for the fleece. I soon realised that this was a scam and I stopped answering the phone and the DMs.' Geoff Spink, 63, and his wife Dawn had booked a return journey from London Heathrowto Atlanta with the popular airline However, the fraudsters had asked Geoff for vital details like his name and booking reference number. After he stopped talking to them, they continued to try and cause havoc by logging into the Brit's booking and cancelling his return flight. He received an email about the cancelled flight but thought it was a fake message from the scammers and didn't realise it was legit until he went to check in. 'A call to BA confirmed that the booking had been cancelled 'via the website'. I spent considerable time on the phone explaining the problem to someone in a BA call centre in India,' Geoff said. In the end, the only solution BA could offer was to suggest Geoff rebook the flight and pay 3,891 for premium economy tickets. 'If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone,' he said, revealing he is usually 'tech savvy' and often helps others with their problems. The holidaymaker raised concerns over British Airways not having two-factor authentication, or some kind of security measures to help prevent fraudsters from logging in. In an attempt to recoup his losses, Geoff approached his travel insurance but was rejected. Now, he's hoping his cred card provider can help. In an attempt to resolve the lost jacket issue himself, Geoff then tried his luck on social media and found himself approached by accounts called 'BA Travel Advice' or 'BA Claim Review' The Daily Mail approached British Airways for comment. There are plenty of holiday scams to be aware of and research conducted by Compare the Market revealed one problem people have faced is fake booking websites swindling tourists out of cash and pretending to be real companies. One in 10 (12 per cent) of holidaymakers have fallen victim to this trick, and have lost an average of 113.30. Phishing scams also cause issues for travellers, ranking fifth, and 11 per cent of those surveyed admitted to clicking on a hoax email before their trip. An easyJet passenger has shared their frustration after being denied permission to disembark from an aircraft that was forced to return to its original airport - despite having already landed at the scheduled destination. Giselle Dee touched down as planned on the Isle of Man from Liverpool with her husband Charlie, and three-year-old son, Hendrix, on 14 December. However, after landing safely, the family and their fellow passengers remained stuck on the aircraft for over an hour before being informed that high winds prevented them from disembarking. Initially, passengers were advised that the aircraft would remain on the tarmac while wind speeds died down. According to Ms Dee, they were later told the boarding stairs were safe for use in winds up to 40 knots (46 mph), but, at the time, the speed was 45 knots, meaning they could not be deployed. Eventually, passengers were told they would need to go back to Liverpool. While some travellers calmly accepted the news, others were notably upset - with some even suffering panic attacks. Speaking to BBC News, Ms Dee said: 'We were originally booked on the ferry at 14:00, but that got delayed and, as we have got a three-year-old, we thought we just need to get home, so we paid 450 to book the flight.' Giselle Dee (left), who had recently travelled to the Isle of Man on an easyJet flight, shared how she was denied permission to disembark from the plane after landing - before it was forced to return to Liverpool due to high winds Despite landing safely, the family and fellow passengers remained stuck on the aircraft for over an hour before being informed that the weather prevented them from disembarking While the flight was grounded at Isle of Man Airport, the mother described how one passenger had a panic attack, while another had thrown up. The most frustrating part of the ordeal, Ms Dee says, was the lack of support passengers received once they had returned to Liverpool. She said: 'We basically just had to sort it all out ourselves. We spent over a grand just to get back to the Isle of Man. Travelling back to the Isle of Man is always a problem, and it just takes the shine off having a really good holiday.' Ms Dee broke down the costs, including the fee to change from the original ferry to the flight, the hotel, Monday's ferry from Heysham to the island, transport between Liverpool and Heysham, and food. According to easyJet, the airline had done 'all possible to minimise the impact of the weather,' but stressed that safety of its passengers was its 'highest priority.' In a statement shared with the BBC, the low-cost carrier said customers had the option of rebooking or alternatively were offered a refund, along with hotel accommodations and meals for those who were in need. A spokesperson added: 'While this was outside of our control, we are very sorry to customers for the inconvenience caused.' Meanwhile, Isle of Man Airport said: 'Variable wind conditions meant that flights were affected differently, with other flights cancelled or diverted.' Despite landing safely in the Isle of Man (pictured), passengers on the flight were advised that the aircraft would remain on the tarmac while wind speeds died down According to Ms Dee, the most frustrating part of the order was the lack of support passengers received once they had returned to Liverpool (pictured) Geoffrey Pugh, interim airport director, added: 'We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of yesterday's high winds. These were unusual circumstances and safety must always come first.' Daily Mail has reached out to Isle of Man Airport and easyJet for further comment. It comes as more than 40 Ryanair passengers were denied boarding while the plane was apparently still in the airport. A video posted on social media appears to show a huddle of holidaymakers in Budapest Airport battling with a worker. They are stood at gate B26 but appear to be refused entry onto the plane heading to Tirana. In the 1960s, the headquarters of the US embassy in London was an impressive, imposing building overlooking Grosvenor Square in the heart of London's Mayfair. Fast-forward 65 years and the same reigns true - with one key change. The Grade II-listed building, once the home of American diplomatic relations in the UK, has been transformed into a luxury hotel after the embassy relocated in 2017. In fact, not just any luxury hotel - the world's best new luxury hotel. The Chancery Rosewood has been ranked top by LTI - Luxury Travel Intelligence. Instead of the security guarding the premises as during the 1960s, now door staff beckon in guests - and the once impenetrable ambiance is replaced with an air of glamour. The hotel, which had its highly anticipated opening in September this year, was restored by British architect Sir David Chipperfield. Following an eight-year renovation, costing a reported 1 billion, the hotel is now complete with a grand entrance hall and spacious lobby - and that's just when you walk in. The Chancery Rosewood occupies the building that used to house the US embassy in London The all-suite establishment was voted the best new luxury hotel Complete with a majestic 25-metre pool, the spa has world-class facilities Its iconic eagle sculpture - left from the embassy days - overlooks the greenery of Grosvenor Square and a skyline of London landmarks. The hotel has much to write home about, least of all the interiors. Rooms - or, rather, suites, as this is an all-suite hotel - start at 1,640 this Christmas, and can go up to as much as 26,100 during the festive period in December for the residence-style House suites. The floor-to-ceiling windows have been praised in particular, with Forbes pointing out the panoramic views across the UK capital as a result. The buildings distinctive design leaves space for 144 luxurious suites, with a colour palette of warm tones adorned with gold trimmings. While some have criticised the interiors as generically international, the general consensus is positive. A review in Conde Nast Traveller, for instance, says: 'This is a London landmark, reimagined you won't regret seeing it for yourself.' Meanwhile, the Financial Times dubbed it 'the hottest reservation in London', praising the absence of conventional check-in desks - rather, all guests are greeted in the lobby and escorted up to their suites. The buildings distinctive design has been praised, and features gold trimmings The eagle sculpture from the embassy days overlooks London The spa and fitness suite are perfect if you're seeking a relaxing experience The review concludes: 'This cold war monument has finally been returned to the public, an urban masterpiece that for so many decades we could not see.' The opulent accommodation types include junior suites, suites and signature suites. Plus, there are two penthouses, Charles House and Elizabeth House, that come with a landscaped terrace, a dining area for ten, fully equipped kitchen and bar area as well as master bedrooms with a grand marble bath tub. Dining is no less glamorous, either, with eight restaurants and bars on offer, including Carbone - the first European establishment of a New York favourite. Serra offers southern Mediterranean cooking inspired by southern Italy and Greece, while Jacqueline is a tearoom and dessert salon. Tobi Masa marks the London debut of Chef Masayoshi Masa Takayama, one of the most influential figures in modern Japanese cuisine. And GSQ is Mayfairs neighbourhood delicatessen for coffee, freshly baked pastries, salads, sandwiches, and snacks, with a takeaway counter, retail pantry and terrace on Grosvenor Square. Perhaps the crown jewel is the Eagle Bar on the rooftop, with a wrap-around terrace, impressive cocktail list, elevated bar snacks and a music programme. The suites themselves leave little to be desired, decorated in earthy tones Suites in the Chancery Rosewood are decked out with spacious living areas There are eight restaurants and bars on offer, all with a taste of glamour - including the Serra restaurant For guests seeking luxury pampering at its finest, the Asaya Spa boasts a fitness centre, a 25-metre swimming pool and five treatment rooms - as well as a range of treatments. Facilities also include a sauna, steam room, cold plunge, relaxation areas, studio and personal training. Despite all these aspects to rave about, surprisingly, reviews of the hotel have been mixed, with the TripAdvisor rating standing at a mere 3.4. One disgruntled guest said the service was 'poor and slow' in the Eagle bar. They went on, writing: 'Not worthy of its five-star rating and considering they have not long opened I would have expected them to have thrown everything towards customer satisfaction and trying to achieve repeat custom. Would not return.' Another added: 'My husband and I stayed at The Chancery for two nights. 'The location, architecture, and room quality are outstanding, but the service fell far below what is expected at a luxury hotel.' Given the large sums it costs to stay there, many were disappointed by the service. Suite dining rooms are spacious and, of course, well decorated GSQ offers coffee, freshly baked pastries, salads, sandwiches, and snacks The Eagle Bar, situated on the hotel's rooftop, has massive appeal for guests and visitors alike One reviewer wrote: 'Disappointing service, when I arrived the staff at the entrance didn't even notice me, the person who took my luggage to the room didn't know anything I asked him something and he didn't know how to answer me. 'When I went out later on the people at the door ignored me. 'This is not a five-star staff, even McDonald's has better service.' Understandably, though, a large number of guests raved about the hotel. Booking.com's rating is at 8.7 and reviews say such things as 'just beautiful', 'exceptional' and 'everything was just perfect'. Similarly, one positive TripAdvisor review from November read: 'An incredibly impressive hotel. Large, spacious and fantastic rooms. 'We were greeted very friendly, at the reception, the concierge, the restaurant and the SPA or the room service. Attentive and good. 'The rooms leave nothing to be desired, the restaurants are nice and the food tastes good, but breakfast only a la carte. Jacqueline is a tearoom and dessert salon in the hotel The Tobi Masa bar, alongside the restaurant serving high-quality sushi Well decked-out suites with desks, beds and excellent views over the city 'The pool is large and the SPa exquisite with hot loungers or whirlpools and two saunas/steam bath. 'We were very pleased and will definitely come back, partly because of the great location in London's city.' It remains clear, as such, that this brand-new luxury offering is a unique blend of history and modernity. Although it does come at a price. One coin for return, two for love, three for marriage. If you've ever ventured into the Trevi district in the centre of Rome, you've likely seen tourists throwing coins into the water of the Trevi Fountain. The tradition started with the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain, with legend stating you should use your right hand to throw the coin over your left shoulder, with your back to the fountain, to make your wish come true. According to some sources, around 2,600 is collected from the fountain every day, totalling more than 880,000 yearly, which is donated to a Catholic charity that helps the needy in Rome. But with more than 5.3 million people descending on the landmark in the first half of 2025, many visitors have recalled overcrowding, long queues and pickpockets targeting tourists. From January, two separate entrances are to be set up - one for Romans and one for tourists. This week, Italy's most-read newspaper, Corriere della Sera, reported that tourists would have to purchase a two-euro ticket to visit the Trevi Fountain in Rome from January 7. It was said that the measure would generate revenue of around 20million euros for the city administration; however, this was denied by Rome's city council. A visit to the Trevi Fountain in Rome could cost you a pretty penny With more than 5.3million people descending on the landmark in the first half of 2025, many visitors have recalled overcrowding, long queues and pickpockets targeting tourists According to some sources, around 2,600 is collected from the fountain every day Rome's city council said on Tuesday afternoon that it was considering introducing an entrance fee for the Trevi Fountain. However, there is no official decision and no date for the start of charging an entrance fee. The late Baroque Trevi Fountain is described as 'the most beautiful in Rome' and was built by Nicola Salvi and completed in 1762. Measuring 20 meters in width by 26 meters in height, it is the largest fountain in the city and won the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Best of the Best award in 2025. Though the site has an overall TripAdvisor rating of 4.4 stars based on more than 100,000 reviews, there are a host of one and two-star reviews from the summer. One wrote: 'The fountain is beautiful but the area is dominated by paddlers, scammers and businesses that will rip you off.' 'This is certainly a must-see landmark in Rome. Therefore, it is thronged with people. Definitely not recommended for people with claustrophobia. The push and shove spoils the whole experience,' wrote a third. In response to overcrowding, the city has been forced to implement crowd control measures to balance access with preservation for this iconic landmark. Though the site has an overall TripAdvisor rating of 4.4 stars based on more than 100,000 reviews, there are a host of one and two-star reviews Since last year, the number of visitors to the fountain has been limited to a maximum of 400 people. A new queuing system has been installed to prevent large crowds massing near the landmark. But this has been met with criticism for long wait times. One TripAdvisor review reads: 'Hours of waiting, I felt sorry for the young people who had to wait for hours in the sun.' Another wrote: 'Crowds were crazy busy and the queuing system was chaotic. There was guards but they didn't do much other than tell people not to sit.' While it's unclear whether a ticket fee will curb the crowds, the surge in tourism in Rome shows no sign of slowing down. A tourist in Germany has claimed he was banned from sharing a pizza while at a four-star hotel - and called the country racist. On X, BGR editor Sumukh Rao, who is Indian, retweeted a post from Shachi Gambhir, who said Germany was 'easily the least friendly country' she'd ever been to, after spending a few days there. She said: 'People constantly stare at you with weird faces, strangers on trains will deliberately block the seats next to them. 'The overall vibe is hostile. Regretting every penny spent here.' And Sumukh confessed he had a similar experience when he stayed at a four-star hotel in Munich. He said: 'Ordered a pizza at the restaurant. Asked if they could give us an extra plate. 'The waiting staff responded with "One pizza, one plate." 'Extremely weird and rude. It's evident that they hate anyone who's not white.' A tourist in Germany has claimed he was banned from sharing a pizza while at a four-star hotel - and called the country racist (stock) Staying at a 4-star hotel in Munich. Ordered a pizza at the restaurant. Asked if they could give us an extra plate. The waiting staff responded with "One pizza, one plate." Extremely weird and rude. It's evident that they hate anyone who's not white. https://t.co/0pT75YzJ5k Sumukh Rao (@RaoSumukh) December 16, 2025 But many jumped in to insist this behaviour from the hotel waiter was actually due to the culture in Germany. One person replied: 'They don't like portions being shared. Nothing racist there. 'It's a business thing there. 'Many times I have offered to pay for an extra plate - then they offer it for free. Or if your bill value is exceeding 20 or above - then they give. It's just how they are.' But Sumukh jumped in: 'Then that's just stupid. Who refuses to give an empty plate? Not like I'll carry it home. 'Also, how does one expect someone to finish an entire 12" pizza by themselves without sharing it? 'Everything can't be defended with that's how they are.' It came after a post from Shachi Gambhir, who said Germany was 'easily the least friendly country' she'd ever been to, after spending a few days there And a German, who claimed to have travelled to India many times, hit out at the Asian country in return. He said: 'Sadly many Indian shopkeepers have tried ripping me off on pricing/MRP when I was shopping by myself. 'Never tried that when I was in local company. What now? 'Let's not pretend there aren't plenty of unique "customs" in India.' Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Sitting by a crackling fire and escaping the cold weather outside in a warm, welcoming pub is a great way to spend the festive period. There are so many locals to choose from that it can be hard to find the perfect spot for a Christmas pint. Luckily, foodie website Eat Drink Meet has revealed the top 10 cosiest pubs to celebrate in this season. The research carefully selected the most festive pubs out of thousands of venues across the country. At the top of the list is The Coal Hole, in central London's Savoy Court on the Strand. The Grade II-listed building has plenty of history, character and charm, and first opened its doors back in 1903. Diners can tuck into hand-carved turkey with all the trimmings and a festive nut roast. Or, if they fancy something different, a pan-roasted salmon fillet is on the menu as well as a dark chocolate truffle torte. At the top of the list is The Coal Hole, in central London's Savoy Court on the Strand The Sandpiper in Ormskirk, West Lancashire, placed second and is described as a 'charming country pub' Guests can enjoy picturesque views of the surrounding countryside from the converted farmhouse The Sandpiper in Ormskirk, West Lancashire, placed second and is described as a 'charming country pub'. Guests can enjoy picturesque views of the surrounding countryside from the converted farmhouse. Its Christmas menu is very festive, with apple and mince pie crumble as well as a range of different drinks. The Black Bull, in Gateacre, Liverpool, ranked third and is located nearby the city centre making it a perfect spot to stop by after a busy day of Christmas shopping. Dogs are welcome and the festive menu features twists including a camembert and bacon stack burger as well as a turkey and pancetta pie. In fourth place is another country pub - The Glover Arms, in Huntingtontower Park, Perth. The venue is full of festive cheer throughout the Christmas season and is even hosting 'breakfast with Santa' experiences. The Travellers Rest in Caerphilly placed fifth and can be found tucked away in Thornhill. In fourth place is another country pub - The Glover Arms, in Huntingtontower Park, Perth The Old Cottage (pictured inside) in Cardiff ranked sixth, followed by The Sheep Heid Inn in Edinburgh It has been around since the 1800s and boasts a crackling hearth as well as festive decorations throughout. The Old Cottage in Cardiff ranked sixth, followed by The Sheep Heid Inn in Edinburgh. Bacchus Bar, Birmingham, nearby the city's Christmas markets, came eighth and The White Lion in Allesley placed ninth. Rounding off the top ten is the Old Bull and Bush in Hampstead, North London. The BBC and Amber Davies have responded to the furious backlash which accused her of 'ripping off the routine from her West End show' on Strictly Come Dancing earlier this month. During week 11, which aired on December 6, Amber, 29, and dance partner Nikita Kuzmin, 27, took to the dance floor to perform their own version of the Charleston to Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat from Guys and Dolls as part of Musicals Week. The pair ended up getting an impressive 40 out of 40. Amber - who shot to fame on Love Island in 2017 - has become a huge name in West End, starring in the likes of Pretty Woman, 9 to 5: The Musical, and The Great Gatsby. She played Jordan Baker in The Great Gasby: A New Musical at the London Coliseum between April and September earlier this year. Some noticed that she had some similar dance moves to one of the routines she performed in the West End show. The BBC AND Amber Davies have responded to the furious backlash which accused her of 'ripping off the routine from her West End show' on Strictly Come Dancing earlier this month The 29-year-old previously Jordan Baker in The Great Gasby: A New Musical at the London Coliseum between April and September this year Some noticed that she had some similar dance moves to one of the routines she performed in the West End show However, this was all deliberately done and was not supposed to 'rip off her routine' from the West End show. Amber said on the Talk of the Townsend podcast: 'I asked if I could just put a little easter egg because obviously the new money routine went viral on social media. 'So I just thought it would be like, illegal, for me to not at least put [it in].' A BBC Spokesperson told Daily Mail: 'This was a new routine choreographed for Strictly Come Dancing, which - as already discussed online - briefly paid tribute to The Great Gatsby as a nod to Musicals Week.' At the time, many viewers also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share how unimpressed with her choice of dance. 'Didn't Amber dance the Charleston in The Great Gatsby in the West End?' 'I was kinda hoping Amber wouldnt be given a Charleston considering she was in the Great Gatsby and danced the Charleston.' 'Amber has just come out of The Great Gatsby, where she did the Charleston every night.' At the time, many went on to complain on X, formerly known as Twitter, and share how unimpressed with her choice of dance 'You know what BBC really missed out on the opportunity to make it obscenely obvious that 2 celebs are musically trained tonight. You definitely could have given Amber the Great Gatsby and Louis Billy Elliott. But ok.' 'Amber Davies doing the Charleston in The Great Gatsby in the West End...?' 'So Amber got a Charleston on #strictly. She's not long been in the musical the Great Gatsby where she will have danced the Charleston. Anyone seen a level playing field....' Meanwhile others took to the social media platform to rave over the performance. 'Cant wait to rewatch Ambers Charleston on repeat all week.' 'Ambers Charleston was amazinggg.' 'Amber and Nikita are exploding with fun on this weeks Musical theatre theme. Their Charleston was just jam packed with moves and the supporting dancers made it a show bonanza. Loved it.' 'That Charlestonwill go down in history!! What a routine! It was like it was lifted straight from a stage show! Smashed it Amber and Nikita!!!' Meanwhile others took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share how much they enjoyed Amber's dance 'Amber and Nikitas Charleston was literally one of the best dances in the history of Strictly. Absolutely Incredible!!' 'Oh my CHRIST. That Charleston was incredible. Obsessed. Amber you are INCREDIBLE.' It comes after Amber the Mail on Sunday revealed that Amber's Charleston copied the routine she first performed on the West End stage. Footage shows the former Love Island star performing exactly the same movements she used in the BBC showpiece in the West End. It appears to be proof that she does have a huge advantage over her rivals. During The Great Gatsby's New Money song, she leads a routine dressed in a dark green bodice and black satin trousers. It appears identical to her dance on Strictly. The footage was taken from West End Live, a major event in Trafalgar Square on June 21 showcasing stage hits. The revelation raises questions over who is choreographing the routines on the BBC show, which has always been the job of the professional dancers. A source said: 'Amber has continually complained about the criticism for being a trained dancer. It has been one big pity party. But this footage shows she was using a routine from a musical she starred in as a professional.' Amber was a late replacement on Strictly after Dani Dyer pulled out with a fractured ankle, but her training at London's prestigious Urdang Academy, a drama school for musical theatre and dance, soon emerged. Writing on Instagram last week, Amber who was previously turned down twice by Strictly bosses for being overqualified said: 'I'm really just trying my best... The meanies are out to play.' Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday on BBC One and will be available to stream on iPlayer. Gripped Netflix viewers have been 'up until 3am' watching a new crime thriller - following the death of its leading star. Six-part series City of Shadows has landed on the streamer, following a disgraced detective make a comeback to tackle a harrowing mystery. The Spanish crime series stars Isak Ferriz and Veronica Echegui in the lead roles - and fans have been left impressed. A synopsis for the series per IMDB reads: 'A burned body appears on Barcelona's iconic Gaudi building. 'Suspended police inspector Milo Malart returns to duty, partnering with deputy inspector Rebeca Garrido to solve the mysterious crime.' Writing on X, one viewer described Echegui's performance as 'phenomenal' while another declared they were 'up until 3am' binging it. Netflix viewers have been left impressed by the new six-part crime thriller City of Shadows The Spanish series stars Isak Ferriz and Veronica Echegui in the lead roles - with the action taking place in Barcelona The premise follows a disgraced detective returning to the force to tackle a harrowing investigation The cast also includes Ana Wagener, Manolo Solo, Jordi Rico and Jordi Ballester, to name a few. Unfortunately, Echegui passed away in August 2025, aged just 42, following a battle with cancer. It means City of Shadows is a posthumous release for the actress, along with the film Hortelana. She made her film debut with 2006's My Name Is Juani, going on to secure several other credits throughout her 22-year career. After Echegui's death, the industry paid tribute while a number of her past colleagues visited her in repose at the funeral home. Elsewhere in streaming, last month viewers gushed over a new Sky comedy series with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, branding it 'one of the best shows of the year'. Titled The Chair Company, it is written by the team behind American series Saturday Night Live, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, who are also behind Netflix favourite I Think You Should Leave. This series follows office worked William Ronald 'Ron' Trosper, played by writer and creator Tim, 44, as he gets involved in a far-fetched conspiracy. After an embarrassing incident happens to him at work, Ron becomes hellbent on taking down a chair manufacturer that he's discovered to be negligent. Joining leading star Tim in the cast, are The Practice actor Lake Bell, IT Part One's Sophia Lillis, Will Price and Lou Diamond Phillips. Elsewhere, viewers praised comedy-thriller The Chair Company which debuted with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and fans branding it as 'one of the best shows of the year' Just days after its release, the new series gained itself a perfect 100% score on online reviews site Rotten Tomatoes. One critic penned: 'One of the best shows of the year, The Chair Company will have you sinking in your recliner.' While a second agreed: 'The Chair Company is one of the most offbeat and outlandish shows youll see this year'. A third added: 'There is nothing quite like The Chair Company: a show that is emotionally potent while still delivering the perfect marriage between sketch comedy and conspiracy theory.' This Morning fans were left cringing at a 'hard to watch' interview as the 'fuming and exhausted parents' of miracle quadruplets took to the ITV daytime show. The parents joined hosts Dermot O'Leary and Josie Gibson to open up on their plans for Christmas after finally bringing their four babies home from hospital. Jodie Keeley, 33, and her partner Lyde Darien, 31, from Northampton, welcomed their three girls - Xyliana, Xyla and Xylia - and boy Xyri, in May. But as the four babies were born at just 25 weeks, with their smallest daughter, Xyla, weighing just 490g, they had so far been looked after in a hospital NICU ward. The family have been reunited just in time for Christmas, with the parents, who also share Lyde's two older daughters, bringing their babies home in November. Opening up on how their conceived their 'miracle' children, mum Jodie explained: 'When we found out, we were just incredibly shocked - I couldn't talk. This Morning fans were left cringing at a 'hard to watch' interview as the 'fuming and exhausted parents' of miracle quadruplets, Jodie Keeley and Lyde Darien, took to the ITV daytime show It is thought that Jodie conceived triplets, and then smallest baby, Xyla, was conceived a bit later than her three siblings 'We initially thought it was triplets, and we swapped roles - when we found out it was triplets, dad was speechless and I was laughing because I didn't know what to do. 'When we found out it was four, we just switched - I thought, "How on Earth do you cope with four babies?" It was a massive shock. 'We found out at seven weeks it was triplets, and then at 12 weeks it was four.' It is thought that Jodie conceived triplets, and then smallest baby, Xyla, was conceived a bit later than her three siblings. This is possible through a type of conception called superfetation, which occurs when an egg is fertilised by sperm and implants itself in the womb for a second time just days or weeks after the process happened for the first time. It is extremely rare, with only a few cases ever reported in medical literature - in the UK, Italy and Canada. Superfetation can increase the risk of complications for the younger baby, as it is at higher risk of being born prematurely. Quadruplets that are conceived naturally are also extremely rare, with the odds thought to be at around one in 700,000 pregnancies. 'Xyla was smaller and that's what the consultants think, that she was conceived a bit later,' Jodie explained, leaving hosts Dermot, 52, and Josie, 40, in shock. Asked how they were coping, dad Lyde added: 'We've just got to get on with it.' The parents added that they go through on average 30 nappies a day, with sleeping becoming a luxury, as Jodie continued: 'A bad night is when they're all up separately and I'm literally up all the time. The parents joined hosts Dermot O'Leary and Josie Gibson to open up on their plans for Christmas after finally bringing their four babies home from hospital The family have been reunited just in time for Christmas, with the parents, who also share Lyde's two older daughters, bringing their babies home in November 'A really good night is when they all wake up around the same time and go back to sleep - it can completely vary, but we don't have a great deal of sleep any more.' The babies, who were cared for at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, are now all discharged from hospital and will be able to stay home for Christmas. Fans at home were left seriously distracted during the chat, however, as they noted how 'exhausted' the parents appeared to be while sharing their story. One even questioned 'why are they on?' as they were busy caring for their four children, who were born at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. 'This couple look shell shocked,' one penned, as another agreed: 'Why are they on? Clearly both exhausted. This whole interview seems hard work.' 'The poor dad looks totally out of it,' a third added, as another concerned viewer wrote: 'Is the dad OK?' 'The babies! But the parents seem a bit.. I dont know.. they look like they cant be a***d,' someone else wrote, as a sixth replied: 'Got their hands full!' 'Exhausted, man of few words or already checked out! That interview was hard work, even to watch...' another viewer wrote. Fans at home were left seriously distracted during the chat, however, as they noted how 'exhausted' the parents appeared to be while sharing their story It comes after a one-in-a-million baby born as one of four quadruplets gave birth to five babies in 1-in-60million case earlier this year. Theresa Troia, 36, from El Paso, Texas, told Daily Mail that she didn't undergo any fertility treatments, which makes births of multiple babies more likely, and she conceived naturally with her former partner. This made Troia's pregnancy a one-in-60-million occurrence. In the US, fewer than 10 sets of quintuplets are born each year. The news came as a surprise to Troia, a nurse consultant, who said she would have never known she was carrying five babies if it weren't for her pregnancy scans and ultrasounds. Babies born at 28 weeks will typically spend time in a NICU due to their underdeveloped lungs, which can lead to breathing difficulties. They also face risks of other complications like necrotizing enterocolitis - a serious gastrointestinal disease causing inflammation and damage to the intestine - and temperature regulation issues, requiring specialized care and monitoring. Survival rates for infants born at 28 weeks gestation is between 80 to 90 percent and they only have a 10 percent chance of having long-term health problems. This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX. Rivals looks like it could have its most scandalous plot twist to date due in its second series - as first look pictures have hinted at a very unexpected romance. Images from the Cotswolds set of the popular Disney+ series, which launched last year, have captured David Tennant's Lord Tony Baddingham getting up close and personal with Beattie Johnson. Journalist Beattie, played by Annabel Scholey who is sporting an 80s bouffant hair, can be seen laughing and smiling in the first look images of what fans can expect to see when series two drops. Images from the Cotswolds set of the popular Disney+ series, which launched last year, have captured David Tennant's Lord Tony Baddingham getting up close and personal with Beattie Johnson. Journalist Beattie, played by Annabel Scholey, can be seen laughing and smiling in the first look images of what fans can expect to see when series two drops. Fans will remember back in series one that Beattie was romantically entwined with Lord Baddingham's nemesis, Alex Hassell's Rupert Campbell-Black. In the steamy opening scene of the drama, Beattie was left panting and gasping as the retired Olympic show-jumper turned Tory MP straddled her body. The pair joined the Mile High Club in the toilet of a trans-Atlantic plane. It could spell further trouble between rivals Lord Tony and Campbell-Black, who Beattie ended her relationship with in series one after discovering he was cheating on her with Emily Atack's Sarah Strattion. While Baddingham had little involvement with Beattie in series one, it was him that told the journalist of Rupert's affair with Sarah. Beattie went on to write an expose on Rupert's past relationships, which Tony then leaked to the newspapers to further undermine Rupert's business ventures. The possible romance marks a change from the novel the series is based on, written by the late Jilly Cooper, who passed away in October at the age of 88. And it's not the first time that the show, which follows the rivalries of powerful men working in 1980s television, has strayed from the plot line. Fans will remember back in series one that Beattie was romantically entwined with Lord Baddingham's nemesis, Alex Hassell's Rupert Campbell-Black The charismatic duo jumped into a vintage Rolls Royce at one point in filming The 1980s set drama which stars David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Emily Atack in its first series, is based on author Jilly Cooper's 'bonkbuster' novel with filming on the second series currently underway The opening shot of rivals sees Beattie and Rupert sharing an intimate moment on the plane - however, in the novel, the duo sleep together in their hotel room just before boarding the flight. It's followed by details of Tony recruiting Cameron to join his company Corinium, which, in the series, has already happened off screen. Elsewhere, following his return from New York, Lord Baddingham sees Declan O'Hara, played by Aidan Turner, getting into a row at the BBC - which sparks him to offer him the job. But in the book, Declan's recruitment to Corinium happens alongside him and his family's move to The Priory, a grand house in Rutshire. While in the book Bella Maclean's Taggie O'Hara is 18 years old, for the on-screen adaptation, she has been aged by two years, and is introduced as 20. And while in the novel Rupert is well known for being blonde, and already the minister for sport, in the series he appears as dark haired, and becomes minister of sport as part of the action. Another change saw Charles Fairburn (Gary Lamont) have a relationship with Rupert's secretary Gerald Middleton (Hubert Burton) - while in the books, he is openly gay but not in a relationship with Gerald. And in the series, the moment Lisa McGrillis's Valerie tells her husband Freddie (Danny Dyer) and later Lady Monica Baddingham (Claire Rushbrook) about Tony's affair with Nafessa Williams' Cameron Cook doesn't ever appear. Disney+ dropped a first look at the second season of its hotly anticipated Rivals - confirming a HUGE show twist after the first series' cliffhanger ending as David Tennant returns as Lord Tony Baddingham Black Lighting's Nafessa Williams' Cameron Cook, an American TV-producer, also returns It comes after Disney+ dropped a first look at the second season of its hotly anticipated Rivals, confirming a HUGE show twist after the first series' cliffhanger. In the final episode of series one, Lord Baddingham was left for dead after being struck on the head with a trophy during an explosive confrontation with Cameron. However, he looks to be alive and well as the first look images see him strolling from a helicopter, having recovered from his bloody attack. Meanwhile Cameron looks as though she is plotting something, as she shoots a steely stare into the distance in another scene. Elsewhere, Aidan's Declan O'Hara, appears to be standing his ground, while Alex's Rupert gets cosy in the cupboard with Taggie as their controversial romance rages on. The second series will follow the growing power struggles and rivalries between the main characters, as ambition begins to push loyalties to the brink. Set in the Cotswolds countryside and against the backdrop of the glamorous, high-stakes world of 1980s British television, the second instalment reunites the all-star cast who captivated fans and critics, while introducing some exciting new faces. Following last seasons dramatic cliffhanger with Tonys fate left hanging in the balance, Lord Baddingham is back and out for vengeance. Aidan's Declan O'Hara, appears to be standing his ground in the first look images Alex's Rupert gets cosy in the cupboard with Taggie in another teaser image And he's ready to stop at nothing to keep Coriniums empire unrivalled. Careers, marriages, and reputations hang in the balance as personal and professional lives collide in a world where secrets cant stay hidden for long. It comes after it was revealed that Rivals has been rocked by scandal with reports of illegal activities occurring once the cameras stopped rolling. The 1980s set drama which stars David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Emily Atack in its first series, is based on author Jilly Cooper's 'bonkbuster' novel with filming on the second series currently underway. But according to new reports, the action offscreen makes the show's script 'look tame' with boozy all night parties and some members of the 100 strong cast and crew taking cocaine in their trailers between scenes. It is not suggested that this involved any of the main actors. An insider also claimed that one actress was so flirty with a member of the crew, he begged her to stop for the sake of his marriage. Filming took place in the Cotswolds, with cast and crew reportedly taking over The Hare & Hounds pub outside Tetbury and making it their own private members' club with a 'knees-up, every night'. 'After filming wrapped for the day, everything was just as raunchy and chaotic as the show. 'If anything, it made Jillys plot look tame. There was lots of cocaine-taking in trailers. 'Theyd live it up at all-nighters then go straight to set the next morning.' They told The Sun: 'One star was still so high, their eyes were totally wild so they had to send them home.' Earlier this year Disney+ confirmed that Rivals will return for a second series after its huge success last year. They have treated fans to an extra four episodes in the new run of the show. Currently filming across the UK, Rivals is set to return in 2026. Jamie Lomas became the latest star to be sent packing from Celebrity MasterChef on Monday, narrowly missing out on Friday's grand final. The Hollyoaks star, 50, got the boot from the BBC all-star cooking competition during the first episode of this years Finals Week. His departure meant Dawn OPorter, Alfie Boe, Alun Wyn Jones, and Ginger Johnson all made it through to Tuesday's episode, where they will be whittled down to the final three. The latest episode saw the celebrities tasked with creating an afternoon tea using the recipes of world leading pastry chef, Cherish Finden. The tough critic warned the stars that precision was 'key', insisting: 'Good is not good enough. I am telling you, you are not the celebrities today. You are my chefs. Do not disappoint me. I am the boss in the kitchen.' Jamie was challenged with making a delicate lemon drizzle cake with a shortbread base and covered in a glaze, however he risked Cherish's wrath when he accidentally split his yuzu curd. Jamie Lomas became the latest star to be sent packing from Celebrity MasterChef on Monday, narrowly missing out on Friday's grand final The Hollyoaks star, 50, got the boot from the BBCall-star cooking competition during the first episode of this years Finals Week Returning to the MasterChef kitchen, the five contestants were given two hours to create their very own showstopper, complete with 'performance' and 'showbiz'. 'They need to pull out all the tricks here', judge John Torode advised. 'It needs to be fun, it needs to be a showstopper.' Dawn wowed the judges with her six-course tasting menu, which was based on a story she wrote called Six Shades of Orange, and included kumquat, egg yolk and spinach ravioli, orange and chilli deep fried chicken and a cheese fondue. While Alfie served his sea bream dish with a side of caviar and Champagne sauce, delivering the plate to the judges with a verse of operatic singing that brought John and Grace Dent to tears. Alun Wyn has everyone in giggles as he donned a cloak for his dish, In Search of Merlin, which contained a chocolate and cherry ganache, green sponge cake and even edible beards, made from candy floss. Ginger celebrated Celebrity MasterChefs 20th birthday with a very boozy dish, presented a layered champagne sponge cake with Pina Colada jelly, and a special chilli-spiced lolly pop. While Jamie donned a pirate's costume for his Treasure Island-themed showstopper, serving spiced tempura prawn popcorn in a treasure chest, surrounded by sand made from crushed nachos and shark fins made out of seaweed. However, the playful dish didn't impress the judges, with Grace saying that while his gold prawns were 'delicious', he had 'lost the magic of nachos' by crushing them into sand. His departure meant Dawn OPorter, Alfie Boe, Alun Wyn Jones, and Ginger Johnson all made it through to Tuesday's episode, where they will be whittled down to the final three The latest episode saw the celebrities tasked with creating an afternoon tea using the recipes of world leading pastry chef, Cherish Finden Jamie donned a pirate's costume for his Treasure Island-themed showstopper, serving spiced tempura prawn popcorn in a treasure chest, surrounded by sand made from crushed nachos and shark fins made out of seaweed She added: 'I would say a lot of it is quite rough and ready,' while John said it was 'a fantastic idea' but complained that the accompanying tortilla breads were too hard. Gathering the five celebrities together, the judges announced that Jamie would be going home, with Grace saying: 'Thank you for everything you have done in this competition. Keep on cooking, please.' The EastEnders star admitted that he was disappointed to have just missed out on the final, but was proud to have made it to the final week. He said: 'Its kind of bitter sweet to have to go. But I will continue to cook at home. No one can ever take it away from me that I am a Celebrity MasterChef finalist.' The four remaining stars will be taking on the dreaded Chefs Table on Tuesday, before the 2025 Final takes place on Friday evening. The last three celebrities left in the competition will battle it out one last time to be crowned this year's Celebrity MasterChef champion. However, it seems likely there won't be as many people watching to see who will get the trophy, according to the latest viewing figures. The Daily Mail has revealed that the scandal-hit BBC cookery spin-off has shed nearly a third of its audience in a year and is now struggling to top 1.3million viewers, with axed judge Torode remaining front and centre in the current series. However, the playful dish didn't impress the judges, with Grace saying that while his gold prawns were 'delicious', he had 'lost the magic of nachos' by crushing them into sand The EastEnders star admitted that he was disappointed to have just missed out on the final, but was proud to have made it to the final week The first episode of the current run, broadcast on November 17, failed to even make Barbs Top 50 programmes of the week leaving it lagging far behind its primetime rivals. And since then, viewing figures have hovered around 1.2 to 1.4million a sharp drop from last year, when the series ranked fifth on Barb's list with a peak audience of 2.6million. By contrast, that week, ITV juggernaut Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! pulled in a towering 9.5million viewers, even eclipsing Strictly Come Dancing on 8million, while Celebrity Race Across the World drew 5million and the latest instalment of Shetland followed close behind with 4.8million. The slump comes amid unprecedented turmoil for the BBC flagship cookery show, which for nearly two decades was fronted by Gregg Wallace, 61, and Torode, 60. In the wake of their departure, the BBC unveiled an all-female presenting line-up for the amateur series, with food critic Grace, 52, and Irish chef Anna Haugh, 45, stepping in. Wallace, the laddish one-time greengrocer, sensationally stood down last year as programme chiefs launched an investigation into allegations of 'inappropriate' on-set behaviour. The fallout only deepened when Torode then outed himself as the individual found to have used extremely offensive racist language seven years ago in an inquiry into separate allegations against Wallace. He said he had absolutely no recollection of any of this, and that he did not believe that it happened. The Daily Mail can reveal that the scandal-hit BBC cookery spin-off has shed nearly a third of its audience in a year and is now struggling to top 1.3million viewers Grace Dent will take over the reigns full time when she joins Anna Haugh, 44, to present the 2026 series and admitted it was time to rescue the cookery competition from the 'male energy' A witness told investigators he had apologised immediately, 'was mortified' and 'didn't use the term as a slur' in 2018. While a staggering 45 complaints were upheld against Wallace ranging from unwanted physical contact to bullying and sexual innuendo there was just one upheld against Torode. They were both sacked from the programme in quick succession in July. It has since emerged that Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, 62, is set to replace Torode on future celebrity series alongside Grace. Locatelli, who previously appeared as a guest judge and fronted Channel 4s Celeb Cooking School, was the co-founder of Londons Marylebone Locanda Locatelli, which attracted A-Listers including Madonna before it closed in January after 22 years Ross Kemp is set to tackle the 'hard-hitting' world of incels in a new documentary inspired by Netflix smash-hit Adolescence. The EastEnders legend and presenter, 61, will investigate this timely topic for a Crime+Investigation UK series. It follows the massive popularity of Netflix's award-winning series, which explored the subject earlier this year. Incels refer to an online subculture of largely heterosexual men who are involuntarily celibate, leading to misogyny and intense resentment. A source told The Sun newspaper: 'Ross Kemp is used to throwing himself into hard-hitting topics and was immediately keen to probe this issue that gained nationwide attention when it was featured in the popular Netflix series earlier this year. 'It's something everyone has grown aware of, but the series will look into what action can be taken to protect boys against the rise of toxic online content and the increasing violence against girls.' Actor and presenter Ross Kemp is set to tackle the 'hard-hitting' world of incels in a new documentary Ross Kemp is best known for playing Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, a role he occupied from 1990 to 1999 Speaking earlier this year, Ross praised EastEnders for 'educating the public' with hard-hitting storylines - and shared pride for his association with the show. He was quoted by the Daily Star newspaper as saying: 'EastEnders has educated the public. It has passed on information to the public without people even realising. 'This happened when it came to topics like HIV, domestic violence and sexual abuse. You name it, 'EastEnders' has covered it. 'I'm incredibly proud of what 'EastEnders' has achieved.' Ross also said: 'When 'EastEnders' started in 1985, it had one of the few female producers that existed, Julia Smith. 'This was at a time when women weren't even allowed to read the news. 'Julia put families on the show that were Turkish, Asian and black British. 'And she had an alcoholic woman when things like that were unheard of on TV. 'Mary Whitehouse was calling for it to be axed, and when there was the gay kiss, questions were asked in parliament. 'We have come a long way since then, and I personally think EastEnders has got a lot to do with that.' In addition to the the first gay kiss, 'EastEnders' also covered topical issues, including HIV in 1991 when Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) revealed to his mum Pauline (Wendy Richard) and dad Arthur (Bill Treacher) that he contracted the sexually-transmitted infection. The BBC soap has also highlighted sexual abuse and domestic violence in storylines over the years. Back in October, a 'horrendously bad' thriller starring Ross shot up the UK Netflix charts, despite viewers describing it as 'the worst drama ever produced.' It follows the success of smash-hit Netflix drama Adolescence, which explored the topic earlier this year (pictured Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller) First broadcast on Channel 5 in 2023, Blindspot saw Ross make his first serious return to acting after more than two decades. In the four-part series, he portrayed police officer Tony Warden, who heads up the missing person's investigation that dominates the show's plot. Its synopsis read: 'When a woman vanishes from the estate where she once saw a murder, a CCTV operator spots an eerie connection and digs into a case no one will touch.' The show also starred Beth Alsbury, Crystal Clarke, Sue Vincent, Michelle Bonnard and Lewis Conway. Viewers did not hold back in their criticisms of the thriller, admitting that it is so bad that it actually becomes a good watch for comedic value alone. They wrote on IMDb: This is so horrendously bad I'm addicted to it. If this was Ross Kemp doing a documentary on bad acting, I'd give it a 10/10.'; 'Some of the [worst] TV you're likely to see. Made of a budget of about 20 quid. Awful acting. 'Terrible writing and it honestly takes itself so seriously that it becomes a comedy. How this was ok to transmit to the public I dont know.' Viewers did not hold back in their criticisms of Ross' Channel 5 thriller Blindspot, admitting that it is so bad that it actually becomes a good watch for comedic value alone 'Prepare yourself for a catastrophic collision of terrible storytelling, abysmal acting, and mind-numbingly poor production values. Blindspot is a prime example of how not to create compelling television.' Netflix viewers were equally harsh with their assessments of the series on Twitter/X following its release on the streaming platform this week. They wrote: 'Had to abandon #blindspot on Netflix. The acting is abysmal. The main character has a weird smirk on her face in every scene. She's a proper sh*t actor.'; 'Just watched blindspot on Netflix. So so bad, but addictive. Like one of them daytime soaps my mum would watch in the 80s when we had 4 channels to choose from to pass the time.'; 'This Blindspot on Netflix is absolutely shocking, but I need to know what happens.' A BBC Breakfast reporter was moved as she read out a series of poems written by a grieving widower to his late wife as he opened up on how reaching out to a charity 'changed his life'. Described by hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay as the 'most romantic man in Yorkshire', Raymond Horsely opened up about being supported by Age UK. Sitting down with BBC reporter Jayne McCubbin, Raymond, 94, shared the book of poems he penned to Hazel before she passed away. It left Jayne moved as she flicked through the book and read aloud one of the verses Raymond wrote for Hazel, who he was married to for 58 years, when she was in hospital. The tearful widower explained: 'She gave me 58 years of marriage,' before Jayne elaborated: 'Hazel was Raymond's first and only love, and in return, he gave her his poetry. 'Every anniversary, every birthday, every Christmas, every occasion.' A BBCBreakfast reporter was left moved as she read out a series of poems written by a grieving widower to his late wife as he opened up on how reaching out to a charity 'changed his life' Described by hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay as the 'most romantic man in Yorkshire', Raymond Horsely opened up about being supported by Age UK after his wife Hazel passed away (Raymond and Hazel on their wedding day) Reading out the Valentine's Day poem written by Raymond, Jayne continued: 'Our Spain has been cancelled but all is not lost, the catheter is out, so keep fingers crossed. 'If all's not right, don't cry or mourn, just think of a holiday in sunny Eastbourne.' Jayne continued: 'In 2007, Hazel was diagnosed with cancer, and the writing stopped. In 2009, Raymond wrote this final poem in his book.' Raymond then read out, holding a tissue in his hand: 'After 58 years of marriage, blessed with love and care, replaced with utter loneliness now you are no longer there.' 'For a time, life was very dark,' Jayne continued. 'But three small words had once changed Raymond's life for the better, and three small words had the power to change it all again.' Raymond explained to the emotional reporter: 'I said to my wife, "I love you", but this time I said a different three words, and I said, "I need help".' The widower made a call to charity Age UK, which supports older people with local services, activities and support to combat loneliness and help with the day-to-day. Raymond began attending local groups for pensioners in his local area in Barnsley, where he could have a 'laugh and a joke' with new people and 'give him something to look forward to'. Sitting down with BBC reporter Jayne McCubbin, Raymond, 94, shared the book of poems he penned to Hazel before she passed away It left Jayne moved as she flicked through the book and read aloud one of the verses Raymond wrote for Hazel, who he was married to for 58 years, when she was in hospital 'Going out three times a week to these functions gives me a life that I didn't have,' he added. 'I can guarantee it has changed my life. They've never left me.' Raymond's son Gary added: 'He was lost without [Hazel], but when you put him in a group of people, that's where he's happiest, that's where he's always happiest.' Thanks to the help he has received, reporter Jayne revealed that Raymond has been writing poetry again as he 'has life to look forward to even at 94'. Raymond read his latest poem: 'Lord Jesus, I am 94, what have you got in store? When I turn 95, do you intend to keep me alive? And when I am 96, I think we will be in a bit of a fix. 'When I become 97, the finger will point up to heaven, and when I become 100, this is what I plan, that the lord will come to meet me and take me my the hand, into the promised land.' In the studio, hosts Jon and Sally described the moments on screen as 'gorgeous', as they thanked Raymond for sharing his 'story and his poetry' with viewers. It comes after a damning reported warned that elderly people are bearing the brunt of a struggling health and social care system with many unable to get the help they need. While the number of older people continues to rise, Age UK said it is shameful that pensioners are now spending a shorter amount of their retirement in good health. Jayne showed the book of poems written by Raymond for Hazel The couple were married for 58 when Hazel (left) passed away from cancer Men can expect just 10.1 years of good health once they hit 65, while women typically get 11.2 years, with those in poorer areas fairing even worse. The charity said the number of full-time equivalent GPs has not kept pace with the growing elderly population and fewer older people receive social care support than a decade ago. It means many are left to rely on friends and family to help them with routine daily tasks such as washing, cooking and cleaning. Age UK's report reveals the percentage of people aged 65 and over with common mental health problems who are not receiving treatment is higher than any other age group. One in seven (14 per cent) 65 to 74-year-olds has a common mental health condition, including generalised anxiety disorder, depressive episodes, and panic disorders. But two-thirds (67 per cent) with clinically significant symptoms are going untreated, rising to 78 per cent for those aged 75 and over. Some of our most vulnerable older people are unable to access NHS dental treatment, with the oldest old - aged 85-plus - seen least by dental services, figures show. Jayne joined Raymond to talk about his experience with charity Age UK In the studio, hosts Jon and Sally described the moments on screen as 'gorgeous', as they thanked Raymond for sharing his 'story and his poetry' with viewers In 2025, 16 per cent of respondents to the GP Patient Survey aged 65 and over said they had been unable to get a dentist appointment in the last two years. And 28 per cent felt the length of time they waited for a GP appointment was too long. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said its report paints the picture of a health and care system under unprecedented pressure in some places, at times virtually under siege. She added: The uncomfortable truth though is that at present, many older people are not able to get the high-quality healthcare and social care support they need - and they do not have time on their side. Against this context its not surprising that satisfaction levels are sharply down and theres a trend towards more going private if they can afford it. Sadly, the result is that inequalities are growing and those who are least advantaged are being left further behind. The starkest evidence of this are gaps in healthy life expectancy the scale of which shame us as a nation. Responding to Age UKs report, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: We know that elderly people have been failed by the health and care system in the past, and were determined to fix this. 'Thats why we have commissioned Baroness Casey to provide an independent roadmap to building a National Care Service with the first steps due next year. 'We have taken immediate action to support the social care sector, including a funding boost of more than 4billion. [The money is] for an extra 15,000 home adaptations for disabled people, the biggest uplift to the Carers Allowance threshold since the 1970s, and the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to boost recruitment and retention in the workforce. BBC Breakfast airs weekdays from 6am on BBC One and iPlayer. Amber Davies broke down in tears and said 'the Strictly bubble has burst' in an emotional admission. The West End star, 29, secured her place in the finale of the dance competition after defeating actress Balvinder Sopal in last week's tense dance-off. Now, Amber and her professional partner, Nikita Kuzmin, 25, are hoping to lift the Glitterball Trophy when the competition concludes on Saturday night (December 16). During her appearance on It Takes Two on Tuesday, Amber became emotional as she reflected on her journey on the show. She told host Fleur East: 'It makes me wanna cry, honestly. I can't believe I'm here, just the way that we started. Strictly Come Dancing star Amber Davies broke down in tears and said she doesn't 'want it to be over' in a final admission During her appearance on It Takes Two on Tuesday, Amber became emotional as she reflected on her journey on the show 'I had this random phone call on a Wednesday night, to being in the final and having the best 12 weeks of my life.' Struggling to contain her emotions, she continued: 'I'm just over the moon. I don't want it to be over. Have we got any tissues?' Nikita handed her a box of tissues, and Amber dabbed at her eyes before breaking down in tears again. She added: 'We are tired, but do you know what? This is the last few days and I'm just so grateful. 'My alarm went off, sorry, I'm such a crier at the minute because I just love it so much. My alarm went off this morning and I jumped out of bed, because I just thought that this was the last Tuesday. 'So, I just wanna cherish every single moment that I have left with you. 'Sorry. Why am I acting like we're never gonna see each other again? I'm really bad at saying goodbye. 'The Strictly bubble is bursting, it came into my life with a vengeance and now it feels like it's leaving just as quickly. Amber and her professional partner, Nikita Kuzmin, 25, are hoping to lift the Glitterball Trophy when the competition concludes on Saturday night (December 16) Amber secured her place in the finale of the dance competition after defeating actress Balvinder Sopal in last week's tense dance-off 'I have loved every single second of it and I'm gonna miss it so much. I'm mourning it now!' It comes after the BBC and Amber Davies have responded to the furious backlash which accused her of 'ripping off the routine from her West End show' on Strictly earlier this month. During week 11, which aired on December 6, Amber and dance Nikita took to the dance floor to perform their own version of the Charleston to Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat from Guys and Dolls as part of Musicals Week. The pair ended up getting an impressive 40 out of 40. Amber - who shot to fame on Love Island in 2017 - has become a huge name in the West End, starring in the likes of Pretty Woman, 9 to 5: The Musical, and The Great Gatsby. She played Jordan Baker in The Great Gasby: A New Musical at the London Coliseum between April and September earlier this year. Some noticed that she had some similar dance moves to one of the routines she performed in the West End show. However, this was all deliberately done and was not supposed to 'rip off her routine' from the West End show. It comes after the BBC and Amber Davies have responded to the furious backlash which accused her of 'ripping off the routine from her West End show' on Strictly earlier this month The 29-year-old previously played Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby: A New Musical at the London Coliseum between April and September this year Amber said on the Talk of the Townsend podcast: 'I asked if I could just put a little easter egg because obviously the new money routine went viral on social media. 'So I just thought it would be like, illegal, for me to not at least put [it in].' A BBC Spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'This was a new routine choreographed for Strictly Come Dancing, which - as already discussed online - briefly paid tribute to The Great Gatsby as a nod to Musicals Week.' It comes after the Mail on Sunday revealed that Amber's Charleston copied the routine she first performed on the West End stage. Footage shows the former Love Island star performing exactly the same movements she used in the BBC showpiece in the West End. It appears to be proof that she does have a huge advantage over her rivals. During The Great Gatsby's New Money song, she leads a routine dressed in a dark green bodice and black satin trousers. It appears identical to her dance on Strictly. The footage was taken from West End Live, a major event in Trafalgar Square on June 21 showcasing stage hits. The revelation raises questions over who is choreographing the routines on the BBC show, which has always been the job of the professional dancers. A source said: 'Amber has continually complained about the criticism for being a trained dancer. It has been one big pity party. But this footage shows she was using a routine from a musical she starred in as a professional.' Amber was a late replacement on Strictly after Dani Dyer pulled out with a fractured ankle, but her training at London's prestigious Urdang Academy, a drama school for musical theatre and dance, soon emerged. Writing on Instagram last week, Amber who was previously turned down twice by Strictly bosses for being overqualified said: 'I'm really just trying my best... The meanies are out to play.' Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday on BBC One and will be available to stream on iPlayer. Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has thrown her support behind two TV stars to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the BBC show. It was confirmed earlier this year that Tess, 56, and Claudia, 53, would be waving goodbye to the dancing competition at the end of the current series. Last week, the judging panel and the show's cohort of stars paid tribute to the pair, who have been co-hosting the series together since 2014. Now, attention has once again turned to who will replace the duo, who have been working together for two decades, with Claudia appearing on spin-off series It Takes Two before taking over from former Strictly host Bruce Forsyth. The likes of Bradley Walsh, Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond and Zoe Ball have all had their names thrown into the ring, but Shirley, 65, has backed someone new. The judge, who joins Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke on the panel, is supporting two BBC presenter friends, who already have experience co-hosting together with their own docu-series. StrictlyCome Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has thrown her support behind two TV stars to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the BBC show It was confirmed earlier this year that Tess, 56, and Claudia, 53, would be waving goodbye to the dancing competition at the end of the current series. Shirley told The Independent: 'I think Rylan [Clark] could be a good candidate... Judge Rinder would be wicked in the Clauditorium.' She added: 'I know Anton du Beke would love to be hosting... I know that for sure. Theres an expression in life to stay in your lane. My lane is dancing.' The judge also gushed over current hosts Tess and Claudia, who will depart the series when it comes to an end with its series finale on Saturday night. 'Theyre so polite and so kind to every single person they meet,' Shirley concluded. 'I think everyones going to be sad.' Rylan, 37, and Rob, 47, have been working together since the launch of their first travel series, Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour, which aired in 2024. The show, which started off in Italy and follows the duo as they dive into art, history and culture, has since gone on to have a second series filmed across India, with a third series in Greece commissioned by the BBC. In 2019, Rylan landed his 'dream job' when he started hosting Strictly spin-off series It Takes Two alongside Zoe Ball - joking he planned to bring 'mischief' to the studio. He went on to step back from the presenting gig in 2023, replaced by Fleur East, to 'take some time off' to rest amid a busy filming schedule. Shirley threw her support behind Rylan Clarke and Rob Rinder, who already co-present their own BBC docu-series, for the job Rylan, 37, and Rob, 47, have been working together since the launch of their first travel series, Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour, which aired in 2024 Meanwhile Rob, who is famed for his ITV series Judge Rinder which ran from 2014 to 2020, took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2016. He was paired up with former show star Oksana Platero, who quit the competition after one series, reaching the quarter-finals and finishing in fifth place. It comes after Claudia and Tess struggled to hold back their tears as they were surprised with an emotional tribute during Sunday's results show. In honour of their time on the dancing competition, the judging panel surprised the duo with a moving video compilation of all their best bits. Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke joined Claudia in the Clauditorium for a debrief ahead of the results of the public vote. But they then called on Tess to join them, as Craig revealed the judges wanted to take the opportunity to pay them tribute, saying: 'We just want to tell you how much we're going to miss you and how much we love you to bits.' He then quipped: 'I personally, want to say thank you Clauds for the dresses and the shoes you've thrown my way and to you Tess, for all the pizza parties in your dressing room'. A touched Tess and Claudia then became choked-up as they were presented with a VT of their time on the show, with comments from each of the judges. Over the weekend, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke (L-R) joined Claudia in the Clauditorium for a debrief ahead of the results of the public vote Strictly's Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly struggled to hold back their tears as they were surprised with an emotional tribute during Sunday's results show 'Between the two of them, they are magic,' Shirley declared. 'They showed me the ropes and cared about me and I for sure am going to miss them deeply.' And Anton and Craig poked fun at the duo's poor dancing abilities, with Anton joking: 'After all these years and neither of them learned a step of dancing.' While Craig chimed in: 'I know one thing, without a doubt, they will keep dancing... badly.' Among the clips of the two friends joking about together, there were also clips of legendary Strictly host Bruce Forsyth, from his first episode with Tess back in 2004. Sir Bruce - who died in 2017 - presented the show with Tess from its launch until his retirement in 2013, when Claudia then took over, with the moment they vowed to make him proud being shown. And watching the montage, Tess and Claudia were overcome by emotion, as Claudia gushed: 'We love you, we're so lucky. It's been an honour!' While Tess added: 'You guys are like family to us, and we're always think that about you all. We've had the most amazing time.' To top it off, the two presenters were honoured with their own miniature golden Glitterball trophies to commemorate their impact. The Strictly Come Dancing final airs Saturday at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Kym Marsh stripped down to underwear for a steamy sex scene just minutes into the latest episode of her new thriller The Imposter, which could be her raunchiest role to date. The actress got hot under the covers with her on-screen lover in the bedroom scene that aired shortly after the new series hit screens this week. Kym, 49, wears black underwear in the steamy moment, which sees her on top of her co-star in the Channel 5 drama in the second episode. The new show follows main character Amanda, played by Kym, as tensions boil over amid a family drama that see Amanda's siblings attempting to cut her out of the inheritance they will one day be granted. The sibling rivalry forms the heart of the drama as they all battle for the attentions of family matriarch Helen, who is played by Jackie Woodburne. And there are deadly consequences for the siblings along the way. Kym Marsh stripped down to underwear for a steamy sex scene just minutes into the latest episode of her new thriller The Imposter, which could be her raunchiest role to date The actress got hot under the covers with her on-screen lover in the bedroom scene that aired shortly after the new series hit screens this week The first episode included flashbacks of the steamy details of Amanda's life in London, including meeting her Australian lover. While Helen thinks nothing bad about long-lost daughter Amanda, who lived much of her life in the big city after she was given up for adoption, siblings Simon, Kate and Ian want to keep her out of family business, a seaside hotel. Simon, played by Don Hany, Kate, played by Jane Harber and Ian, played by Jackson Gallagher, try to convince Kate's husband Todd (Charlie Clausen) to help them block Amanda from making claims to the hotel. But soon, Todd makes moves to take total control of Helen's money, roping in Kate to try and get medical power of attorney over his mother-in-law. When Amanda uncovers the plan, she sparks a row between Kate and Todd - but that doesn't stop the siblings from continuing to push Amanda out the picture. The show synopsis teases: 'A sprawling seaside hotel sits at the heart of a dispute between matriarch Helen and her three adult children, Simon, Kate and Ian. 'The kids want to sell but Helen is against the lucrative deal, despite her deteriorating health. But Helen also harbours a secret an older child, Amanda, whom she gave up for adoption in the UK before the other kids were born. 'When Amanda turns up out of the blue, Helen embraces her, believing she is the answer to her problems. But is Amanda who she says she is? Kym, 49, wears black underwear in the steamy moment, which sees her on top of her co-star in the Channel 5 drama in the second episode While Helen thinks nothing bad about long-lost daughter Amanda, who lived much of her life in the big city after she was given up for adoption, siblings Simon, Kate and Ian want to keep her out of family business, a seaside hotel 'The lucrative hotel is the ultimate prize and a twisted scheme soon spirals into betrayal and ultimately, murder.' It comes after Kym revealed that a number of scenes in the new drama series had to be CUT from the show for being too racy for telly. She told The Sun: 'Episode two was particularly raunchy. Its the flashback to London where she first meets her Australian lover. 'There was quite a lot of stuff that I believe theyve had to tone down. I spoke to the executive working on it and he said, "Hey, you did it so convincingly", and I was like.. thanks. 'Ive done a few things on stage but they are very tame in comparison to this role.' The new series also features a cameo from former X Factor judge Dannii Minogue. Daily Mail's TV critic Christopher Stevens described the show as 'relishing', giving the episodes a four star review earlier this month. He explained: 'It has everything double-crossing siblings, a manipulative matriarch, rebellious teens, a marriage on the rocks, alcoholism, a gay couple desperate for a surrogate baby... plus a daughter, given up for adoption as a baby, who returns from the dead. And that was just the opening episode. 'If you prefer your dramas to have a bit of subtlety about them, some build-up before the main storyline emerges, you might find The Imposter a trifle too direct, in the same way that a slap in the chops lacks nuance. 'But for those who like plots that move fast enough to give you whiplash, and dialogue delivered like a series of falling bricks, this is the stuff.' Christopher concluded: 'All this, plus a promised cameo from Dannii Minogue. Go on, treat yourself... you know you want to.' The Imposter is currently airing on Channel 5 and continues tonight at 9pm. She is a veteran actress whose career has spanned over six decades with 181 credits to her name. The talented thespian may be best known for her work on two different sitcoms: one from the 1980s and another from the early 2000s. Another major role of hers was in HBO drama Big Love which aired from 2006 to 2009. Her work spanned many different genres in both film and television as she also is known for her work in horror films including 2010's Devil and 1997's Wishmaster. Now she has been seen on a rare outing in Los Angeles. Can you guess who the veteran star is? She is a veteran actress whose career has spanned over six decades with 181 credits to her name - can you guess who? It's Jenny O'Hara! The 83-year-old actress was recently spotted enjoying an errand trip to The Shops at Sportsmens Lodge in Studio City, California. She looked casual cool in a nearly all-black look including puffer vest over crewneck sweater, trousers, and sneakers. The Sonora, California native accessorized with a black belt bag, necklace with a medium-sized pendant, earrings, and eye-glasses. Her white locks were combed back as she showcased her evergreen looks by going make-up free. O'Hara began her storied career over 60 years ago as her first known role was on Broadway play Dylan in 1964. Her first credited role came years later as she did voicework for Murder A La Mod before starring as Muriel Burke in two episodes of Another World in 1969 and 1970. She then made her name in starring roles for made-for-TV features including: Brinks: The Great Robbery, The Return of the World's Greatest Detective, Blind Ambition and Blinded by the Light with Kristy McNichol. It's Jenny O'Hara! The 83-year-old actress was recently spotted enjoying an errand trip to The Shops at Sportsmens Lodge in Studio City, California One of her biggest roles as she starred on the entire run of sitcom My Sister Sam from 1986 to 1988 (Clockwise from lower right: Pam Dawber, Rebecca Schaeffer, Joel Brooks, Jenny O'Hara, David Naughton) Her other major sitcom role was as recurring character Janet Hefferman in Kevin James led comedy The King Of Queens which aired from 2001 to 2009 She looked casual cool in a nearly all-black look including puffer vest over crewneck sweater, trousers, and sneakers. O'Hara, Alexa PenaVega, and Lisa Ann Walter in Life's Work (1996) O'Hara seen in The Mindy Project with Mindy Kaling and Rhea Perlman in 2018 O'Hara was also part of the ensemble cast for the first season of sitcom The Facts Of Life in 1979. Then came one of her biggest roles as she starred on the entire run of sitcom My Sister Sam from 1986 to 1988. In the series she portrayed Dixie Randazzo who was a sarcastic assistant to Pam Dawber's character Samantha Russell. Her other major sitcom role was as recurring character Janet Hefferman in Kevin James led comedy The King Of Queens which aired from 2001 to 2007. She also had several guest roles on television series including Kojak, Charlie's Angels, Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (also known in the United Kingdom as Twist in the Tale), Barnaby Jones, Barney Miller, Law & Order, The X-Files, Beverly Hills, 90210, NYPD Blue, ER, CHiPs, House M.D., Boston Legal, Reba, Six Feet Under, and the aforementioned Big Love. From left: Bojana Novakovic, O'Hara, Bokeem Woodbine, Logan Marshall in 2010 film Devil O'hara in 1997 horror flick Wishmaster She also starred alongside Sean Penn in 2003 Oscar winning film Mystic River Besides Devil and Wishmaster, her other feature film roles include: Career Opportunities, A Mother's Prayer, Matchstick Men, and Extract. She also starred alongside Sean Penn in 2003 Oscar winning film Mystic River. Earlier this year she starred in television mini series Good American Family which starred Ellen Pompeo and streamed on Hulu. O'Hara has no intention of slowing down in her 80s as she will be seen next on horror film The Remedy which is currently in post-production. Chinese automaker empowering consumer choice and innovation 10:17, December 17, 2025 By Chen Junyi ( People's Daily Vehicles are assembled in a workshop of a manufacturing plant of Chinese automotive giant Geely in Guanshanhu district, Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou province. (Photo from gywb.cn) In a manufacturing facility of Chinese automotive giant Geely in Guanshanhu district, Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou province, operations are in full swing. Robotic arms precisely apply adhesives and install windshields, while more than 3,000 employees collaborate with automated systems, assembling vehicles with remarkable efficiency. A new car is produced approximately every 70 seconds. "We've been working overtime lately, with 20,000 to 30,000 vehicles pending production," said Li Feiping, assistant to the general manager, as he highlighted the bustling assembly line. This surge in production underscores an evolving shift in consumer expectations. At the Geely sales center in Guiyang's Baiyun district, consumer Zhang Tuying recently purchased a Geely Galaxy E5, impressed by its spacious interior. "It'll be comfortable when I start a family. The vehicle's intelligent system is highly responsive, and the overall value is exceptional," remarked Zhang. Zhang's choice reflects a broader trend in China's new energy vehicle market. While earlier buyers focused primarily on price and technical specifications such as fast-charging capabilities, battery capacity, and power output, today's consumers are increasingly prioritizing factors like cabin comfort, interior space, and advanced technological features. The shift in consumer demand has prompted automakers to rethink their approach to design and production. "When developing this model, we optimized the chassis and component layout to maximize interior space," Li said. Since its debut in August 2024, the Galaxy E5 has sold more than 210,000 units. Developed simultaneously for over 80 global markets, the model has already seen nearly 50,000 units exported this year. "We established a global research and development team to maintain consistent core performance, while tailoring features to meet local preferences," Li added. For example, air-conditioning systems have been enhanced for warmer climates, and tires with improved traction have been deployed for regions with more rugged terrain. The industry's operating philosophy has shifted from "manufacturers build what they can, and customers select from what's available" to "manufacturers build what customers truly need." Automated robots weld vehicle frames at a manufacturing plant of Chinese automotive giant Geely in Guanshanhu district, Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou province. (Photo/Shang Yujie) Geely has implemented a user-centered evaluation system, in which a third-party team gathers feedback from buyers within three months of their purchase. "We also have after-sales teams that enable customers to share their feedback at any time," said Zhang Qianwen, a sales consultant at a Geely sales center. Feedback is collected through multiple channels, with evaluation teams regularly reviewing customer suggestions for improvements. For instance, some users reported increased motion sickness in electric vehicles, which was traced to rapid acceleration and deceleration. "We adjusted the control algorithms to create smoother, more linear acceleration and braking," explained Sun Chang, head of quality at the Guiyang manufacturing base of Geely. Minor adjustments can typically be implemented within a month or two, while significant changes are incorporated into model updates or new model developments. A key factor enabling Geely's rapid response to consumer feedback is the strengthening of the local supply chain. Over the past decade, Geely has attracted 47 supporting enterprises to Guiyang, including seat and sheet-metal producers, increasing the local sourcing rate to 48 percent. "Seats are large components that incur significant transportation costs. By manufacturing them locally, we can reduce these costs and ensure faster delivery," said Zhang Feng, head of car seat manufacturer Shuangying Group based in Guiyang. Located just four kilometers from Geely's plant, the company can configure and deliver seats to the assembly line within an hour of receiving the serial number. "One production line can produce a seat every 60 seconds, with approximately 250 sets delivered daily," said Zhang Feng. According to Zhang Nianbing, professor at the School of Materials and Architectural Engineering of Guizhou Normal University, China's new energy vehicle industry is playing a pivotal role in strengthening the domestic economy by providing smart, sustainable, and high-quality products and services. By aligning supply with evolving demand, automakers are alleviating constraints on effective demand while unlocking market potential, thereby fostering both incremental growth and the vitality of existing markets. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Justin Theroux was a proud father-to-be as he took to Instagram to share a carousel of photos featuring his pregnant wife Nicole Brydon Bloom and her growing baby bump. The sweet snaps were Theroux's way of celebrating the couple's first holiday season as newlyweds. 'What an incredible holiday season so far,' the actor and screenwriter shared in the caption. The Fallout star, 54 - who recently revealed how they're going to survive New York's punishing winter - is seen posing beside Bloom, 31, whose baby bump was on display. Bloom was clad in a burgundy crop top and matching skirt, an outfit which showed off a glimpse of her growing torso. The bump was also visible in another snap of her climbing down a staircase, a huge smile on her face. Justin Theroux was a proud father-to-be as he took to Instagram to share a carousel of photos featuring his pregnant wife Nicole Brydon Bloom and her growing baby bump All eyes must have been on Nicole's expanding waistline in that slinky burgundy number Another shot showed a smiling Bloom in a cozy pullover sweater lounging on a bed with one arm stretched out. The slideshow didnt end there as Bloom was seen in yet another snap in the midst of what looked like a joyful conversation with a pal. It surely has been a social holiday season for the pair. In the same post, Theroux also shared photos of Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman from the Sung Song Blue film premiere, Mick Jagger, and his friend and Fallout co-star Walton Goggins. The post comes after Theroux revealed how he and Bloom plan to survive New York's brutal winter this year. The actor, who was previously married to Jennifer Aniston, said he and his missus are simply planning to avoid the cold altogether. 'We usually like to be somewhere warm. So we're going to continue that tradition again this year,' Theroux told People. The couple wed in March of this year and People confirmed that they are expecting their first child together earlier this month. It first emerged that they were dating in early 2023, when they were spotted together at a Netflix event. The celebrity duo was subsequently photographed sharing a kiss during a romantic date and they made their red-carpet debut as a couple in 2024, at the Vanity Fair Oscars party. But Theroux and Bloom have actually made a concerted effort to keep their romance out of the spotlight. Justin adoringly shared an image of Nicole lounging on a bed in a cozy sweater The actor, 54, captioned the photo slideshow, 'What an incredible holiday season so far' Justin captured his wife engaging in an animated conversation with a pal The former Leftovers star appeared to be hobnobbing with a trendy crowd that included Mick Jagger, pictured Justin also appeared to be part of Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman's social scene He had to get in a shot of his friend and Fallout co-star Walton Goggins Justin joined the second season of the Amazon Prime series Fallout which premieres on December 17 Walton and Theroux shared a car together in another photo included in the post Justin's beloved pit bull mix Kuma was also featured in the slideshow The couple were married in March and it was revealed they were expecting their first child earlier this month; pictured at the Song Sung Blue film premiere on December 11 Justin - who was previously wed to Jennifer Aniston - previously explained why he wants to keep his love life out of the spotlight, explaining, 'Having been in a public relationship, its much more fun not being in a public relationship'; the couple are pictured on December 8 in L.A. The Hollywood star whose divorce from the Friends star was finalized in late 2018 - previously explained why he wants to keep his love life out of the spotlight. Speaking to Esquire back in May 2023, Theroux said: 'I want all of my relationships to exist within the four walls of whatever room we're in. Having been in a public relationship, its much more fun not being in a public relationship.' Theroux dated Bloom for around two years before they married in Mexico. The couple chose the location for the wedding after spending a weekend at the hotel back in 2024 and Nicole told Vogue magazine it was the perfect destination for their nuptials. Bloom shared: 'We spent February 2024 in Mexico and fell in love with the chic, low-key hotel. The first time I set foot on their jungle paths that led straight out to the perfectly blue ocean, I knew I was somewhere wonderfully unique, secluded, and peaceful, so when choosing our wedding location, it seemed like the obvious place to celebrate. 'We wanted our friends and family to have a taste of our dream weekend in the Mayan Riviera paradise,' she added. Amanda Seyfried praised socialism as a gorgeous idea, arguing it was rooted in collective care and responsibility during a recent podcast appearance - reigniting scrutiny of the actresss outspoken political views. The Mamma Mia! actress, 40, shared her thoughts while appearing on Varietys Award Circuit podcast as she promoted The Testament of Ann Lee, a musical centered on the founder of the Shakers, an 18th-century religious movement built around communal living. As she and host Michael Schneider discussed the current state of the United States, Seyfried suggested the values behind the Shaker movement reflected what she believes modern society is missing. Were kicking our own out, and then, I keep thinking, "thank God were talking about Ann Lee so much," because theres a direct relationship to what she created and what were lacking, Seyfried said. She continued: How about we all dont have any kind of agendas? How about our agenda is take care of each other? Socialism is a gorgeous idea, and I know it doesnt work perfectly. Schneider noted that the term socialism often carries different meanings depending on who is using it, prompting Seyfried to explain how she personally understands the concept. For me, its taking care of each other. If I have more money, I can spend more money on other people. Isnt that right? she said. The discussion later turned to moments of national solidarity, with Schneider pointing to the period following the September 11 attacks as an example of Americans acting selflessly toward one another. Amanda Seyfried praised socialism as a gorgeous idea during a recent appearance on Varietys Award Circuit podcast Amanda Seyfried attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations in New York City on December 10, 2025 Charlie Kirk, the founder of conservative group Turning Point USA, was described by Amanda Seyfried as hateful in a past Instagram post she later defended Everybody dropped everything for each other. People sacrificed their lives without a thought in the world, Seyfried said. She added that such unity should not require catastrophe to emerge. We shouldnt have to have a meteor or a house-on-fire situation in order to drop everything for each other. Thats just what we are as human beings, she said. Seyfrieds remarks came days after she rejected calls to apologize for comments she made about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk following his assassination in September. In an interview with Who What Wear published December 10, the actress addressed backlash over an Instagram post in which she described Kirk as hateful, insisting she stood by her words. Im not f---ing apologizing for that, Seyfried said. I mean, for f---s sake, I commented on one thing. I said something that was based on actual reality and actual footage and actual quotes. What I said was pretty damn factual, and Im free to have an opinion, of course, she added. Seyfried said speaking out publicly was a way of reclaiming control over how her views were portrayed. Thank God for Instagram. I was able to give some clarity, and it was about getting my voice back, because I felt like it had been stolen and recontextualized, which is what people do, of course, she said. Amanda Seyfried stars in a newly released film 'The Housemaid,' where she co-stars alongside Sydney Sweeney She added that navigating political conversations requires restraint, saying she has to remember to keep [her] head on when engaging with divisive issues. Seyfried, who is known for her roles in Mean Girls and Jennifers Body, currently stars in the newly released film The Housemaid, where she co-stars alongside Sydney Sweeney, an actress who has become a political lightning rod in recent months. Sweeney, 28, sparked a social media firestorm this summer over an American Eagle jeans advertisement that played on the phrase good genes, with critics accusing the campaign of echoing Nazi propaganda by featuring a blonde, blue-eyed star. In the wake of the backlash, reports emerged that Sweeney was a registered Republican, prompting condemnation from some left-leaning fans. President Donald Trump later weighed in on the controversy, joking: Now I love her ad. Kim Kardashian rocked a bizarre outfit to chaperone her pre-teen daughter North West and her pals as they stepped out for dinner over the weekend. On Saturday evening, the mother-daughter duo wore outfits that clashed with each other's in bright, primary colors as they went for sushi at Nobu Malibu, one of Kanye West's favorite restaurants. The reality TV star, 45, slipped into red, latex pants nearly identical in color to the skintight catsuit that Bianca Censori, Kanye's wife, wore in her strange art show in Seoul and over-the-knee boots that appeared to be intentionally loose around her legs. While her pants showcased her famous curves, she paired the statement piece with a baggy but cropped jacket in a similar, shiny material. She appeared to be be wearing nothing else underneath her faux leather jacket as she had pulled her zipper down just low enough to showcase her decolletage. She brought out her entourage as she took North, now 12 and the eldest of four kids The Kardashians star shares with the controversial rapper, and the pre-teen's close circle of friends for a upscale dinner. Kim Kardashian rocked a bizarre outfit to chaperone her pre-teen daughter North West and her pals as they stepped out for dinner over the weekend On Saturday evening, the mother-daughter duo wore outfits that clashed with each other's in bright, primary colors as they went for sushi at Nobu, Kanye West's favorite restaurant in Malibu North showcased her sense of style as she rocked her bright blue, hip-length hair parted down the middle and flat-ironed to be perfectly pin-straight. With her primary pop of color in her look, just like her mom, she wore what would otherwise be a monochromatic black outfit in the form of baggy, cozy sweats. She sported high-top sneakers with the laces tied around the soles and threw on a pair of rectangular sunglasses as she trailed behind her mom. The SKIMS founder went for natural glam for the evening, slicking her raven black hair back into a tight ponytail, and wore a pair of wraparound shades as they exited the restaurant after eating. They were visiting Nobu, a restaurant also frequented by Kim's ex-husband and the father of her four children. She shares daughters North and Chicago, six, as well as sons Saint, nine, and Psalm, five, with the fashion designer. Kim was previously with Kanye, now known as Ye, for about a decade. They got married in 2014 but called it quits seven years later when Kim filed for divorce in early 2021. The reality TV star, 45, slipped into red, latex pants nearly identical in color to the skintight catsuit that Bianca Censori , Kanye's wife, wore in her strange art show in Seoul and over-the-knee boots that appeared to be intentionally loose around her legs While her pants showcased her famous curves, she paired the statement piece with a baggy but cropped jacket in a similar, shiny material She appeared to be be wearing nothing else underneath her faux leather jacket as she had pulled her zipper down just low enough to showcase her decolletage She brought out her entourage as she took North, now 12 and the eldest of four kids The Kardashians star shares with the controversial rapper, and the pre-teen's close circle of friends for a upscale dinner North showcased her sense of style as she rocked her bright blue, hip-length hair parted down the middle and flat-ironed to be perfectly pin-straight The pair finalized their divorce in 2022, and shortly thereafter, Kanye secretly wed his current wife Bianca, who was an architect working at Yeezy with him. Kim's outing with her eldest child and her friends comes shortlya fter she made a shocking parenting admission on reality TV. During Thursday's episode of her famous family's Hulu show, The Kardashians, she showcased her morning routine with her three youngest children. She opened up the doors of her master bedroom in her $60 million Hidden Hills mansion as she talked about her close relationship with her kids. 'There's always one or two kids in my bed every night,' she admitted to the cameras. 'I never thought I'd be this mom that lets your kids sleep in bed with you.' The thrice-divorced mother-of-four added: 'That was always like, "I'm so not that mom." But I so am that mom, and I don't care, and my kids can sleep in my bed anytime they want.' After enjoying a group dinner together with her pals, North appeared to be in bright spirits as they were all presumably heading home The SKIMS founder went for natural glam for the evening, slicking her raven black hair back into a tight ponytail, and wore a pair of wraparound shades as they exited the restaurant after eating Kim was a doting mom as she kept turning back to make sure that North and her pals were following closely behind her The four kids Kim shares with Kanye have continued living with her in California following her divorce with the rapper. Though she has been vocal on her family's reality show about always encouraging her children to spend time with their father, they live with her at her luxurious mansion in Los Angeles whenever they are not visiting their father around the world in seemingly different locales each time. The 48-year-old rapper reportedly pays Kim $200,000 every month in child support as part of their 20/80 custody arrangement. But the All's Fair producer-star confessed on the Call Her Daddy podcast in October: 'It's probably been a couple months since we've heard from him.' Kanye recently made an appearance in South Korea as he supported his wife Bianca for her wildest project yet. Titled BIO POP (THE ORIGIN), she shocked fans with an exhibition decorated with 'human furniture,' masked doubles of herself and a highly stylized interpretation of domestic life. She made a dramatic entrance in a skintight, latex bodysuit and interacting with each piece of furniture before concluding the show with the Yeezy designer by her side. Peter Greene's nervous phone call with a friend just days before his death at 60 has been revealed. The veteran actor - known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and The Mask - was found dead inside his apartment in New York City's Lower East Side in the late afternoon on Friday, December 12. Greene's longtime manager, Gregg Edwards, confirmed the tragic news at the time. Just two days before he was found, Gregg said he had chatted to him on the phone on the Wednesday where they spoke about both having upcoming surgeries. He says that Peter was scheduled to go under the knife to remove a benign tumour from near his lung on Friday, while Greene had upcoming hernia surgery. 'That was the last time I talked to him,' Edwards told The New York Post. 'He sounded okay It was just a totally normal conversation. He was a little nervous about the operation going in, but he said it wasn't super serious. Peter Greene's nervous phone call with a friend just days before his death at 60 has been revealed The veteran actor - known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and The Mask - was found dead inside his apartment in NYC on Friday, December 12 'He was talking about that and hoping that I was going to be okay and wishing me well as I was wishing him well. We're good friends. I love the guy We were friends for over a decade.' Police told the outlet that Greene's body was found unresponsive inside his residence at 'around 3:25 p.m'. He was pronounced dead at the scene. While a cause of death has yet to be determined by the medical examiner, police do not suspect foul play. Gregg, who was his manager for over 10 years, said that Peter - who was known for playing iconic villains - 'was a terrific guy'. 'Truly one of the great actors of our generation. His heart was as big as there was. I'm going to miss him. He was a great friend.' He said he was told music had been playing in Peter's apartment for more than 24 hours, prompting a wellness check, according to the New York Daily News. The publication was first to break the story about his passing. Peter, who also appeared in The Usual Suspects, was set to begin production in January alongside Mickey Rourke on an independent thriller titled Mascots. Gregg said that when he informed the film's writer-director, Kerry Mondragon, of the actor's death he broke down in tears. He is seen in a still from Pulp Fiction While a cause of death has yet to be determined by the medical examiner, police do not suspect foul play; Greene (center) pictured with Pulp Fiction director Quentin (L) and actor Michael Madsen, who passed away in July. Pictured in 2010 'They were very upset,' he shared. Peter was also set to star in State of Confusion, a crime-drama written and directed by E.B. Hughes. Filming was scheduled for late fall 2026 in Cape May, New Jersey, and parts of New York. Hughes described the story as exploring a strained father-son relationship. Fans mourned the actor following the news of his passing, with one writing on X, that Greene was 'One of Hollywood's most memorable actors.' 'Any time Peter Greene popped up, you just knew he was gonna play the scuzziest villain. Such a memorable character actor. RIP,' another added. 'I used to be so scared of him when I was little watching the Mask RIP King.' 'Rest in peace to the man. He played some great villains in my childhood.' Edwards acknowledged that while Greene was sometimes seen as difficult to work with, he was a perfectionist who wanted each performance to feel 'right'. Edwards added that Greene's performance as mobster Dorian Tyrell alongside Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz in 'The Mask' was 'arguably his best role'. 'He fought his demons but overcame them' he added. Greene also portrayed Zed, a sadistic security guard and serial killer, in Tarantino's iconic 1994 film Pulp Fiction. 'Nobody played a bad guy better than Peter. But he also had, you know, a gentle side that most people never saw, and a heart as big as gold,' Edwards told New York Daily News. Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Greene ran away at 15 and lived on the streets of New York City. He later turned to drug use and eventually dealing, he told Premiere magazine in 1996. Greene didn't begin acting until his mid 20s, and landed several film and television roles in the early 1990s. After a suicide attempt in March 1996, he sought treatment for his addictions, according to the profile. Edwards said that Greene's performance as mobster Dorian Tyrell alongside Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz in The Mask (1994) was 'arguably his best role'; Greene seen in a still In 2007, Greene was arrested for possessing crack cocaine according to the New York Daily News. With close to 95 acting credits, Greene's roles also included Laws of Gravity (1992), Clean, Shaven (1993), Blue Streak (1999), and Training Day (2001). Greene is survived by a sister and a brother. Notably, Tarantino's other famous collaborator Michael Madsen who starred in Reservoir Dogs (1992) died in July, at the age of 67, due to heart failure. Lily Collins boarded the Orient Express train on Sunday to promote the upcoming season of Emily in Paris, which airs on Thursday. The 36-year-old actress was spotted at the Austerlitz train station in the French city as she celebrated the release of the upcoming fifth season. Lily plays main character Emily Cooper, joined by her bestie Mindy Chen (Ashley Park) as they explore the city. She looked chic as ever as she stepped out in a lace playsuit and sheer tights, covering up from the cold with a long trench coat and stiletto heels. The star wore her hair in a short bob which framed her face perfectly, wearing minimal makeup for the occasion. Ashley, 34, was also in attendance as she joined Lily ahead of the highly-anticipated release. Lily Collins boarded the Orient Express train on Sunday to promote the upcoming season of Emily in Paris, which airs on Thursday The 36-year-old actress was spotted at the Austerlitz train station in the French city as she celebrated the release of the upcoming fifth season Ashley looked stylish in an oversized fur coat and suit, which she paired with sunglasses and heels. Over the weekend boarded the legendary Orient Express in Venice before being whisked off to Paris for the highly anticipated world premiere, which will take place on Monday. The cast posed at a photocall on the Grand Canal with the iconic Santa Maria della Salute Basilica as their backdrop. They were later joined by Eugenio Franceschini (Marcello) for a press conference attended by both local and international media, as well as creator Darren Star. Just recently, Philippine admitted she has begged 'stiff' French viewers to 'have a sense of humour' while watching Emily In Paris amid Netflix show's backlash. The actress said French viewers were originally 'offended' by the show and believed it 'took the p*** out of them'. Philippine, who is French but was brought up in Italy, explained how viewers in the country took the show in a 'very weird way' and became 'very snobbish and upset'. Speaking to Bazaar, ahead of the highly-anticipated fifth season, Philippine said: 'They were kind of upset at the beginning because they thought Darren [Star] was making fun of them only. Ashley Park, 34, looked stylish in an oversized fur coat and suit, which she paired with sunglasses and heels Over the weekend boarded the legendary Orient Express in Venice before being whisked off to Paris for the highly anticipated world premiere, which will take place on Monday French actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu also made a very stylish entrance as she was pictured carrying a Maison Margiela bag through the station 'I said, look at what he's doing with the American character! But they were so offended, they didn't really see that it was taking the p*** out of everybody. 'And also, season one was about a character going somewhere and just seeing the obvious stuff. That's why it's stereotypical. So, they were taking it in a very weird way. I kept on saying, "Guys, just have a sense of humour, please!" And that's hard for the French. 'Now that it's a huge success, they're kind of going, oh, OK. But they're still very snobbish.' Philippine went on to add that she 'never really identified with the French' before she took on the iconic character Sylvie, who she insisted is 'so much fun' to play. The star explained that the 'bitchy, stubborn' character has given her the 'confidence' in real life to stop people walking all over her. Season five of the show, will see Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) split her time between her beloved Paris and Rome as she juggles a new relationship and the responsibility of opening Agence Grateau's office in the Italian city. Ahead of the new series, Philippine said she had 'a lot of joy' filming in Rome for four episodes and admitted when she returned to Paris she found the city very 'stiff'. Jimmy Kimmel wasted no time skewering Time magazine after it unveiled its 2025 Person of the Year cover honoring what it dubbed the 'Architects of AI.' On Thursday episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host, 58, dramatically revealed the cover to his audience before unleashing a barrage of jokes, branding the lineup, a group of eight powerful tech figures, including, Elon Musk, 'the eight dorks of the apocalypse.' 'Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg and five other off-kilter tech sisters and bros, the architects of AI, are the Person of the Year,' Kimmel announced, prompting loud boos from the crowd. The controversial cover features Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, xAI founder Elon Musk, OpenAI's Sam Altman, AMD's Lisa Su, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, and Stanford professor and World Labs co-founder Fei-Fei Li. Feigning surprise at the audience reaction, Kimmel joked that he had been 'expecting more enthusiasm' before turning his attention to the group's lofty title. 'They call them architects,' he said. 'And I wonder, is it customary for an architect to have no idea how a building they've designed works or whether or not it will one day rise up to try to kill them?' Jimmy Kimmel wasted no time skewering Time magazine after it unveiled its 2025 Person of the Year cover honoring what it dubbed the 'Architects of AI' Kimmel also leaned into widespread anxieties about artificial intelligence replacing human labor, calling it ironic that 'the people who replaced people' were being celebrated as Person of the Year. He then pivoted to mocking the cover's visual design, instructing producers to display it again so he could take another shot. 'I want to say, ironically, with as much as you can do with AI graphically, it looks like Photoshop from 2007,' he quipped. According to Time, the artwork, created by digital painter Jason Seiler, was intended as 'an homage to the famous 1932 photograph of construction workers on a steel beam 800 feet above the RCA building in New York City.' In its accompanying write-up, the magazine defended its choice, warning of the rapid and uncertain trajectory of artificial intelligence. 'Thanks to Huang, [SoftBank's Masayoshi] Son, Altman, and other AI titans, humanity is now flying down the highway, all gas no brakes, toward a highly automated and highly uncertain future,' Time wrote. The magazine named President-elect Donald Trump its 2024 Person of the Year. Kimmel's latest takedown of Musk also followed their ongoing public feud. On Thursday episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host, 58, dramatically revealed the cover to his audience before unleashing a barrage of jokes, branding the lineup, a group of eight powerful tech figures, including, Elon Musk, 'the eight dorks of the apocalypse' 'They call them architects,' he said. 'And I wonder, is it customary for an architect to have no idea how a building they've designed works or whether or not it will one day rise up to try to kill them?' Last year, the billionaire branded the comedian an 'insufferable nonsense propaganda puppet' on X after Kimmel addressed Trump's 2024 election victory on his show. Returning to air the following night, Kimmel gleefully read Musk's insult aloud. 'Last night I shared some of my thoughts and feelings about what happened and how much I'm going to miss democracy and what not, and I heard from a lot of people about it,' he told the audience. 'But none more prominent than the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, who this morning tweeted: "Kimmel is an insufferable nonsense propaganda puppet," which at least my children like me, you know!' The remark referenced Musk's estranged transgender daughter Vivian Wilson, who has publicly criticized her father in recent years and previously labeled him a 'serial adulterer.' Doubling down, Kimmel continued his attack. 'The guy who paid people a million dollars a day to vote for Donald Trump is calling me a propaganda puppet,' he said. 'Listen Kermit, you bought Twitter, you bought a social media platform that is literally a propaganda machine!' Kimmel also leaned into widespread anxieties about artificial intelligence replacing human labor, calling it ironic that 'the people who replaced people' were being celebrated as Person of the Year He added, 'Let me tell you something, if I spent two weeks trying to come up with a four-word description of Elon Musk, I don't think I could do better than 'insufferable nonsense propaganda puppet.' Kimmel then revealed a satirical twist, telling the audience he had been planning to announce a new project in January, before Musk 'ruined the surprise.' A puppet image of the host appeared onscreen beside the title Insufferable Nonsense Propaganda Puppet. 'And now the surprise is ruined thanks to Elon Musk!' Kimmel joked. He closed the segment by mocking both Musk and Trump, reading aloud a previous statement from the former president criticizing Musk's business ventures. 'When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects I could have said, "Drop to your knees and beg," and he would have done it,' the quote read. 'And you know what he means by beg,' Kimmel added, before delivering one final jab: 'I'm sure you guys will be great together now. I'm sure his little hand will fit nicely in your sock hole.' Thandiwe Newton looked incredible as she arrived at the Anaconda premiere in Los Angeles with her co-stars Paul Rudd and Jack Black on Saturday. The glitzy event was held at The United Theater on Broadway at STILE and Thandiwe made sure all eyes were on her as she arrived on the red carpet. The Hollywood actress, 53, showcased her figure in the form-fitting Wiederhoeft gold dress with a corset-style top, which accentuated her ample assets. Thandiwe's skirt was paired with a buttoned skirt and a pair of strappy heels, while her curly locks were swept up off her face. Her co-star Jack, 56, also put on an eye-catching display in a snake print red co-ord, which he styled over a T-shirt and with a brown fedora. Meanwhile, Paul, also 56, opted for a classic look in a pinstripe suit jacket with a blue shirt and tie, navy trousers and a pair of smart shoes. Thandiwe Newton looked incredible as she arrived at the Anaconda premiere in Los Angeles with her co-stars Paul Rudd and Jack Black on Saturday The Hollywood actress, 53, showcased her figure in the form-fitting Wiederhoeft gold dress with a corset-style top, which accentuated her ample assets The glitzy event was held at The United Theater on Broadway at STILE and Thandiwe made sure all eyes were on her as she arrived on the red carpet The three actors lead the cast in the reimagining of the 1997 horror movie, directed by Kevin Etten and co-written by Tom Gormican. Other key players in the film include Silo actor Steve Zahn and Selton Mello who is making his English-language debut in the action comedy. The original film starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew hunting for the worlds deadliest snake. However this adaptation will see a group of faces who are all feeling lost and facing midlife crises, remaking their favourite old movie. They head to the rainforest to shoot the film, but film themselves fighting for their lives after coming up against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals. Jack's character is a man stuck in a rut as a wedding videographer who takes on the role of director, while Paul is a one-time actor who worked on a cop show. Thandiwe and Steve are other childhood pals, while Selton is an animal wrangler. The film was shot in Australia. Earlier this month it was revealed Thandiwe and filmmaker Ol Parker's nepo-baby daughter, 24, has landed a coveted role in the writers' room of HBOs multi-million-pound Harry Potter reboot. Her co-star Jack, 56, (right) also put on an eye-catching display in a snake print red co-ord, which he styled over a T-shirt and with a brown fedora Daniela Melchior, Steve Zahn, Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton and Jack Black Thandiwe's skirt was paired with a buttoned skirt and a pair of strappy heels, while her curly locks were swept up off her face Ripley Parker, who has just two professional writing credits to her name, has been keeping quiet about landing her latest job inside one of the most high-profile television productions underway. She is said to be the youngest of several writers enlisted by showrunner Francesca Gardiner for the decade-long adaptation, which began filming in July and is on track for a 2027 premiere. Ripley joins an experienced roster that includes Andy Greenwald, Laura Neal, Martha Hillier and Sam Holcroft, working under Gardiner and director Mark Mylod to craft the new iteration of J.K. Rowlings famous novels. Not only does Ripley have parents in high places, but her godfather is Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the original film franchise starring Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. Ripley's mother Thandiwe, 53, has starred in screen hits including Westworld and Crash, while her father is the writer-director behind Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Her sister, Nico Parker, 20, is also making a name for herself - in the acting world - with roles in Dumbo and The Last Of Us. In 2023, despite no professional writing experience at the time, Ripley created the Netflix series Everything Now, a semi-autobiographical teen drama inspired by her experiences with disordered eating. The series was praised for its candid writing and emotional insight. She is also adapting Sarah Underwoods bestselling fantasy novel Lies We Sing To The Sea for film. Thandiwe Newton and filmmaker Ol Parker nepo-baby daughter Ripley, 24, has landed a coveted role in the writers' room of HBOs multi-million-pound Harry Potter reboot (Pictured L-R: Ripley, Thandiwe, Nico) Ellen DeGeneres has shared a deeply moving tribute to her late friend and colleague Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, marking three years since the beloved dancer died by suicide at the age of 40. The former talk show host took to Instagram to reveal a living memorial she planted in Boss' honor on her campus in Rwanda, posting a series of serene images showing the tree thriving among birds, butterflies and lush greenery. 'I planted a tree for tWitch at my campus in Rwanda,' DeGeneres wrote. 'This is what it looks like today. Look at all the beautiful life it nourishes every day. I miss you friend.' Boss rose to fame as a professional dancer before becoming a fan favorite as the DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where his infectious energy, joy and talent made him a standout presence for years. Boss' widow, Allison Holker, also marked the painful anniversary with an emotional post honoring the father of her children and reflecting on their life together. 'Today is the 3-year Stephen tWitch Boss anniversary day 12/13/2022,' Holker, 37, wrote on Instagram alongside throwback family photos and dance videos. 'We honor you and cherish all of our beautiful memories with you. We loved laughing, creating and dancing. We will love you forever.' Ellen DeGeneres has shared a deeply moving tribute to her late friend and colleague Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, marking three years since the beloved dancer died by suicide at the age of 40; seen in 2019 She added that seeing tributes pour in from others had deeply touched her. 'I recently saw some beautiful posts,' Holker wrote. 'Thank you for your endless love and support. It means the world to me and my kids.' Holker shared three children with Boss during their nine-year marriage: daughter Weslie, 16, whom Boss adopted; son Maddox, eight; and daughter Zaia, five. Stephen's mother, Connie Boss Alexander, also shared a heartfelt message reflecting on the unimaginable loss of her son. 'Three years feels like an eternity, yet somehow only a drop in time,' she wrote. 'I miss you so much. I still catch myself looking for your text or your call.' She described how everyday moments still trigger the instinct to reach out to him, adding, 'Times that once felt ordinary have become treasured memories I carry with me every day.' Connie also spoke lovingly about Boss' children, telling him they 'are growing so fast' and that they look and move more like him with each passing day. 'God gifted us these little duplicates of you, and I know you are so proud,' she wrote. The former talk show host took to Instagram to reveal a living memorial she planted in Boss' honor on her campus in Rwanda 'I planted a tree for tWitch at my campus in Rwanda,' DeGeneres wrote. 'This is what it looks like today. Look at all the beautiful life it nourishes every day. I miss you friend' In recent years, Holker has been open about the profound and complex grief her family experienced following Boss' death. In her book, which has reportedly caused tension between her and members of Boss' family, Holker detailed her belief that her late husband was attempting to communicate with her and their children in the Encino home they once shared. She described nightly rituals, flickering lights, vivid dreams and a growing sense that his presence was overwhelming, eventually prompting her decision to sell the house less than a year after his passing. Holker has also spoken candidly about how the tragedy affected their children, saying shifts in energy and behavior made it clear to her that the family needed a fresh start. Boss' widow, Allison Holker, also marked the painful anniversary with an emotional post honoring the father of her children and reflecting on their life together Despite the pain, she has emphasized the importance of openness and emotional honesty while raising their children. 'I'm trying to teach them, and myself, that if you're angry or sad, it doesn't mean you're a bad person,' Holker told People in 2023. 'We're coping together, and that requires trust and being really vulnerable.' She added, 'Every single day is a new emotion. Not even day by day, moment by moment.' If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text 'STRENGTH' to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org. Amanda Bynes showcased her noticeably slimmer 5ft 7in figure while running errands in Los Angeles on Sunday. The former Nickelodeon star - turning 40 next April - was wearing black leggings, a colorful-stiped Karl Kani T-shirt, a white tote and matching jelly shoes. Bynes has been vocal about her weight-loss journey, which began in June with the trendy GLP-1 agonist drug Ozempic so she could 'look better in paparazzi pictures'. 'I've lost 20 pounds so far. I'm so excited about that to be honest. Also, I want to lose about 50 more pounds,' the retired SAG Award nominee announced November 5. 'I'm 163 now I actually shot up on the Ozempic pill to 180 from 173, so I was able to lose 20 pounds from 180, and now, I'm down to 163 on the Ozempic injection.' Bynes continued: 'So I'm really glad that I'm on the injection. It's really working for me, and I'm trying to lose more weight just to feel skinny and cute.' Amanda Bynes showcased her noticeably slimmer 5ft 7in figure while running errands in Los Angeles on Sunday The former Nickelodeon star - turning 40 next April - was wearing black leggings, a colorful-stiped Karl Kani T-shirt, a white tote and matching jelly shoes On October 23, the one-time podcaster - who deleted her OnlyFans account - revealed she's also exercising as she attended a '7:15am Pilates class.' Back in 2018, Bynes told Paper Magazine she was fully 'abusing Adderall' - which she called 'the new skinny pill' - in 2006 to maintain her svelte 5ft 7in frame. The FDA has only approved three GLP-1 drugs specifically for weight loss - the semaglutide Wegovy, the liraglutide Saxenda and the tirzepatide Zepbound - and the rest are specifically for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. Celebrities who've admitted to taking the diabetic injectables include Oprah Winfrey, Kathy Bates, Kelly Clarkson, Whoopi Goldberg, Serena Williams, Amy Schumer, Meghan Trainor, Elon Musk, Rebel Wilson, Chelsea Handler, Amy Schumer, Sharon Osbourne and Tori Spelling. But for every celebrity who admits to hopping aboard the Ozempic train, there are many more who've remained suspiciously silent while slimming including Selena Gomez, Mindy Kaling, Melissa McCarthy, Khloe Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Lana Del Rey, Christina Aguilera and Ricki Lake. Bynes made headlines last month for blasting an altered TikTok of herself accusing her former Nickelodeon boss Dan Schneider of getting her pregnant at age 13, which she clarified to TMZ were 'lies for click bait'. The 59-year-old Emmy-nominated showrunner joined his muse in a hot tub for an awkward Amanda Show segment, tried to get her to emancipate from her parents Rick and Lynn Bynes and was accused of overall inappropriate behavior by many former Nickelodeon actors in the 2024 Quiet on Set docuseries. Schneider is suing the creators Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, Warner Bros. Discovery, Maxine Productions, Sony Pictures Television and more for defamation over falsely implying he sexually abused child actors who worked on his shows. Bynes has been vocal about her weight-loss journey, which began in June with the trendy GLP-1 agonist drug Ozempic so she could 'look better in paparazzi pictures' (pictured June 24) The retired SAG Award nominee announced November 5: 'I want to lose about 50 more pounds. I'm 163 now I actually shot up on the Ozempic pill to 180 from 173, so I was able to lose 20 pounds from 180, and now, I'm down to 163 on the Ozempic injection' 2025 vs. 2024: Bynes continued, 'So I'm really glad that I'm on the injection. It's really working for me, and I'm trying to lose more weight just to feel skinny and cute' On October 23, the one-time podcaster - who deleted her OnlyFans account - revealed she's also exercising as she attended a '7:15am Pilates class' Back in 2018, Bynes told Paper she was fully 'abusing Adderall' - which she called 'the new skinny pill' - in 2006 to maintain her svelte 5ft7in frame (pictured November 9) Bynes made headlines last month for blasting an altered TikTok of herself accusing her former Nickelodeon boss Dan Schneider (R) of getting her pregnant at age 13, which she clarified to TMZ were 'lies for click bait' Bynes's nine-year legal conservatorship controlled by her mother ended in 2022, but she was hospitalized at a psychiatric treatment facility in 2023 after spending four straight days wandering the LA streets in a manic state. The Easy A alum was previously hospitalized in 2013 following a public meltdown involving a string of bizarre run-ins with the law dating back to 2012, including two hit-and-runs and two DUIs. These days, Bynes is every bit the influencer with paid partnerships for brands like Nam Coffee and Arctic Fox. The SoCal native - who was previously pursuing her manicurist license - earned an associate degree from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in 2019. Lily Collins stepped out from her hotel in Paris in a 4,000 plaid three piece suit, where also her co-star Lucien Laviscount was spotted arriving on Sunday evening. The American actress, 36, was in the French capital ahead of Emily In Paris' fifth season world premiere which is set to take place on Monday. The Love, Rosie star looked stylish in a buttoned vest from the British designer, costing 1,132 and matching wide-leg trousers, priced at 965. She completed her look for the evening with a matching shoulder-padded blazer costing 1,922, adding black stilettos and accessorising with a black clutch bag. Elsewhere Lucien, 33, rocked a fashionable outfit in a dark leather bomber jacket and black denim. The Grange Hill star looked in high spirits on his arrival at the luxurious estate in the French capital, and was snapped making his way as he arrived in a chaffeur car. Lily Collins stepped out from her hotel in Paris in a 4,000 plaid three piece suit, where also her co-star Lucien Laviscount was spotted arriving on Sunday evening The American actress, 36, was in the French capital ahead of Emily In Paris' fifth season world premiere which is set to take place on Monday The eagerly-anticipated fifth season of the romance/comedy show will land on Netflix on Thursday 18 December. Just earlier on Friday, Lily made a striking appearance alongside her co-stars Ashley Park and French actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu for a photocall in Venice. The cast made a stop in the gorgeous Italian city as they boarded on the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, before whisking off to Paris for world premiere. And recently, Philippine, 62, admitted she has begged 'stiff' French viewers to 'have a sense of humour' while watching Emily In Paris amid Netflix show's backlash. The actress - who plays Sylvie Grateau, Emily's boss and the head of the marketing firm Agence Grateau - said French viewers were originally 'offended' by the show and believed it 'took the p*** out of them'. Philippine, who is French but was brought up in Italy, explained how viewers in the country took the show in a 'very weird way' and became 'very snobbish and upset'. Speaking to Bazaar, ahead of the highly-anticipated season, Philippine said: 'They were kind of upset at the beginning because they thought Darren [Star] was making fun of them only. 'I said, look at what he's doing with the American character! But they were so offended, they didn't really see that it was taking the p*** out of everybody. She completed her to go-look for the evening with a matching shoulder-padded blazer of the same plaid light brown costing 1,922, adding black stilettos The brunette beauty carried her essentials in a chic black clutch bag The Grange Hill star looked in high spirits on his arrival at the luxurious estate in the French capital Lucien - who plays Emily's on/off lover Alfie in the Netflix show - was snapped making his way as he arrived in a chaffeur car Season five will see Emily Cooper split her time between Paris and Rome as she juggles a new relationship and the responsibility of opening Agence Grateau's office 'And also, season one was about a character going somewhere and just seeing the obvious stuff. That's why it's stereotypical. So, they were taking it in a very weird way. I kept on saying, "Guys, just have a sense of humour, please!" And that's hard for the French. 'Now that it's a huge success, they're kind of going, oh, OK. But they're still very snobbish.' Philippine went on to add that she 'never really identified with the French' before she took on the iconic character Sylvie, who she insisted is 'so much fun' to play. The star explained that the 'bitchy, stubborn' character has given her the 'confidence' in real life to stop people walking all over her. Ahead of the new series, Philippine said she had 'a lot of joy' filming in Rome for four episodes and admitted when she returned to Paris she found the city very 'stiff'. Season five of the beloved show will see Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) split her time between her beloved Paris and Rome as she juggles a new relationship and the responsibility of opening Agence Grateau's office in the Italian city. Sarah Murdoch was overcome with emotion as she attended a heartbreaking vigil for the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack at the Bondi Pavilion on Monday afternoon. The former model, 53, looked visibly distressed as she clung to her husband Lachlan, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her protectively during the sombre gathering. The couple cut subdued figures, with Sarah dressed in a loose navy blouse tucked into high-waisted black trousers. She wore dark sunglasses to cover her tears as the couple paid their respects to the victims of the horror tragedy. Families, locals and holidaymakers gathered to pay their respects, many holding candles and flowers as they stood in stunned silence. The vigil drew large crowds from Sydney's Jewish community, following the deadly attack during a Hanukkah event called Chanukah by the Sea on Sunday. Sarah Murdoch was overcome with emotion as she attended a heartbreaking vigil for the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack at the Bondi Pavilion on Monday afternoon The former model, 53, looked visibly distressed as she clung to her husband Lachlan, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her protectively during the sombre gathering Two heavily armed men, allegedly Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father Sajid Akram stood on a pedestrian footbridge and opened fire with military-grade weapons into crowds of locals, holidaymakers and families. So far 16 people have died, including alleged gunman Sajid Akram, while a further 42 people, including four children, were taken to hospital. Police confirmed 14 people had died at the scene, while two others died overnight in hospital, with the victims ranging in age between 10 and 87 years old. As of Monday, there were five people in critical condition, including two police officers - a constable and a probationary constable who was repeatedly shot in the face. Naveed Akram is in hospital under police guard after being shot by police. Speaking at the vigil, Rabbi Mendel Kastel, who attended the Hanukkah event with his family, said the Jewish community was in shock. 'We've seen antisemitism, we've seen people get hit, we've seen people get punched, people knocked over but this is a whole other level,' he said. A distraught woman is seen at the vigil on Monday One man is seen paying his respects to those who lost their lives on Sunday 'I don't know what's happened to our country and we need to take it back. 'I think it's time that people actually step up and say, 'You know what, we need to step forward and say we are with the Jewish community, we care about you, we're here to support you.' 'We're not just looking after ourselves, we are part of the fabric of this country, we contribute to this country, we participate in this country and therefore it's important that people step up and make sure that we feel safe.' Meanwhile, police removed a woman from the vigil after she launched into a pro-Palestine protest and made anti-Israel comments. Serial protester Michelle Berkon shouted accusations that others were politicising the tragedy and demanded Israeli flags be taken down, as she was escorted away from the vigil by police. 'Remove the Israeli flag. Depoliticise this event, and we can all come out here,' she said. Berkon who was wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, was heckled by hundreds in the crowd, with chants of 'get her out'. She later told the media that she was Jewish and believed she had a right to protest at the vigil. 'I came here today because I'm a Jewish person. My family was murdered in the Holocaust... This community has politicised this tragedy,' she said. Berkon is a member of Jews Against the Occupation and claimed she was removed from the event due to 'aggressive Zionists'. Jews Against the Occupation describes itself as a 'clear Jewish voice in support of Palestinian human and national rights'. She is also a prominent member of the Palestine Action Group, behind the pro-Palestine protests that were held in Sydney's CBD. Governor-General Sam Mostyn called the Berkon's intervention 'incredibly disrespectful'. 'It was a disgrace and I know the community here reacted how they should.' One mourner told Daily Mail: 'This was meant to be a quiet moment of reflection, people were grieving, and suddenly it just descended into chaos.' Jeff Brazier has admitted he is 'spending time reflecting on life' following split from wife Kate and a tumultuous year of family drama. Last month the TV personality, 46, confirmed that his seven-year marriage to the PR guru, 35, had broken down over the summer after they discovered they could no longer make each other happy. Taking to Instagram on Sunday Jeff shared a slew of sun-soaked from his trip after returning home from filming on the Caribbean Island of Saint Kitts for ITV's competitions. He captioned the post: 'Just had the perfect week in St Kitts thanks to @stkittstourism Celebrating the sunshine and time to reflect on life & work while spending time with the team filming for one of our big @itvwin January competitions'. Jeff also shared beaming selfies amid his return to normality and said he was sporting a 'healthy glow' before hitting the gym. The star returned to ITV filming after reportedly being given a scolding from bosses behind the scenes of Loose Women for snapping at Ruth Langsford live on air. Jeff Brazier has admitted he is 'spending time reflecting on life' following split from wife Kate and a tumultuous year of family drama Last month the TV personality, 46, confirmed that his seven-year marriage to the PR guru, 35, had broken down over the summer Earlier this month Jeff was on the show to announce the details of the new Christmas competition, but he left viewers in shock after he made an 'awkward and unprofessional' swipe at the panellist. Just moments after complimenting her look on the show, telling her she was 'taking up his time' on air, with insiders claiming while Ruth did not want to make a complaint about the comment, Jeff was given a talking to about the on-screen incident. A Loose Women insider told The Sun: 'Jeffs cross words came out of nowhere and really took Ruth aback. He was spoken to by bosses who understand hes dealing with a lot of stress at the moment, but warned theres no excuse for taking it out on Ruth.' The source added that Jeff was suggested to take some time away from the show, according to the publication, given he's only recently announced the breakdown of his marriage. The Daily Mail have approached ITV for comment. Announcing his and Katie's split, Jeff took to Instagram to share a lengthy statement, announcing they had gone their separate ways, and made reference to the difficult year they had faced due to fractured relations with his son Freddy, 21. He told fans: 'Im so full of love and gratitude for Kate. For all we achieved, for how much we grew, for everything we endured. 'We separated in the summer and kept it private for as long as we could to give us some time to adjust. Taking to Instagram on Sunday Jeff shared a slew of sun-soaked snaps from his trip after returning home from filming on the Caribbean Island of Saint Kitts for ITV's competitions Jeff (second left) posed alongside the crew as they explored the tropical island Delighted to be back home, he shared a gorgeous snap of his country property Jeff also shared beaming selfies amid his return to normality and said he was sporting a 'healthy glow' before hitting the gym Despite his exhaustion he was back in the gym building up a sweat He captioned the post: 'Just had the perfect week in St Kitts thanks to @stkittstourism Celebrating the sunshine and time to reflect on life & work' 'For 12 years we have been each others safe space, each others biggest supporters at a time when our lives have been busy, painful & complex. 'I'm so proud of how hard we worked, how we kept showing up, we gave everything and more. 'I'm also so full of respect and admiration for the successful career Kate has built and the way she cared for me unconditionally.' Jeff stated that Kate still keeps in touch to check in on how his sons are doing, as Freddy prepares to welcome his first child. The presenter continued: 'Its credit to the woman she is that she still checks in to ask how the boys are doing because she is so invested in their lives. 'They love her and I have many friends that love her too. I will miss her family who always went above and beyond to support us. The star returned to ITV filming after reportedly being given a scolding from bosses behind the scenes of Loose Women for snapping at Ruth Langsford live on air He left viewers in shock after he made an 'awkward and unprofessional' swipe at the panellist Announcing his and Katie's split, Jeff made reference to the difficult year they had faced due to fractured relations with his son Freddy, 21 (pictured far left) 'My words dont tell the full picture because they dont need to. We will carry on supporting each other and I know Ill be celebrating her inevitable wins just like before. 'We both deserve complete happiness and were upset that we ultimately couldnt be that for one another and It felt time to let it go.' Several stars flocked to the comment section to share their love. Kate Lawler wrote: 'Ah guys how lovely that youre still so close', while Lisa Snowdon and Rebecca Loos commented love heart emojis. The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives star Mayci Neely has revealed she felt like she was 'in prison' after being sexually assaulted by her abusive ex-boyfriend. The reality star, 30, rose to fame as one of the stars of the Hulu show, which debuted in 2024 and has already been renewed for a fourth season. Mayci has now opened up about her horrific ordeal in her new memoir, Told You So, where she also detailed the tragedy of losing the father of her first child in a car accident when she was 13 weeks pregnant. And in a new interview, the mother-of-three shared that after the vile assault she had to 'convince herself' she 'still loved' her former partner, who she refers to as 'Dick', in a bid to make it feel 'less awful.' In the book, Mayci revealed she met her ex-partner, who she refers to as 'Dick' while in California during her time at Brigham Young University. She shared that almost immediately the relationship was an abusive one, and he would coerce her into performing sex acts, smoking cannabis and drinking. The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives star Mayci Neely has revealed she felt like she was 'in prison' after being sexually assaulted by her abusive ex-boyfriend The reality star rose to fame as one of the stars of the Hulu show, which debuted in 2024 and has already been renewed for a fourth season Mayci then shared insight into the vile abuse she endured, revealing her ex would chase her with scissors and slice her thigh with a razor blade, before recalling the horrific night he assaulted her. Sharing that she still cannot speak about the night to her husband or therapist, Mayci revealed Dick plied her with a drink, and she woke up to find him performing a sex act on her despite her protests. She wrote: 'I understand that he's won and I've lost,' adding she still told Dick she loved him, 'because if I can convince myself... then all of this is a little less awful'. Mayci admitted she felt unable to tell anyone about Dick's abuse, due to fears he'd retaliate by escalating his attacks, or sharing videos of them having sex, which could have led her to lose her scholarship at BYU, which was sponsored by the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints. She told The Times: 'It was like I was in a prison.' After a year, Dick finally returned to California, and Mayci moved on with boyfriend Arik, but this relationship ended in tragedy, as he was killed in a car accident just days after she discovered she was pregnant with his child. Mayci said he was racked with guilt as she'd been texting Arik just before the crash took place adding: 'I felt a pain I didnt know possible. I didnt know how to go on. In a new interview, the mother-of-three shared that after the vile assault she had to 'convince herself' she 'still loved' her ex-partner, who she refers to as 'Dick' (pictured in a TikTok post) Mayci eventually met her husband Jacob, and they married in 2018, with the couple welcoming their second child together earlier this year 'For about five times a day for a year, I replayed the scenario, thinking it was all my fault because hed been texting me. It was about two years before I began to realise I didnt know he was texting and driving.' Following the birth of her son Hudson, who is now 10, Mayci returned to BYU, and she met her now-husband Jacob when her son was seven months old. The couple married in 2018, and they now have two children, Harlow, now four, and Charli May, three months. During The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' third season, viewers saw Mayci and Jacob preparing to welcome their second child together. The show has already been renewed for season four, which will consist of 20 episodes and will debut in 2026. If you have been affected by this story, contact RAINNs National Sexual Assault Hotline by texting HOPE on 64673. Judi Dench was surprised by her idol Mick Jagger while on-stage on Sunday, after admitting it was her 'dream' to meet the music legend. The Oscar winner, 91, had joined her pal Gyles Brandreth at London's Sondheim Theatre to reflect on her incredible career, and was given the ultimate surprise by the broadcaster during the show. Gyles shared a string of Instagram snaps that showed the sweet moment Mick, 82, made his way on stage to surprise Judi. The pair then posed for snaps backstage with fellow guests Dominic West and Jim Broadbent, with Gyles telling his followers his appearance was a 'total surprise,' and only he was aware ahead of the show. In a series of captions, he wrote: 'Oh my! I've been working in the theatre for nearly 60 years & I've never known a moment quite like it. 'As a surprise, I invited Sir Mick Jagger onto the stage at the end of our show. Dame Judi Dench told me it was her dream to meet him. He was amazing: she was overwhelmed. Yesss!; Judi Dench was surprised by her idol Mick Jagger while on-stage on Sunday, after admitting it was her 'dream' to meet the music legend The Oscar winner had joined her pal Gyles Brandreth at London's Sondheim Theatre to reflect on her incredible career, and was given the ultimate surprise by the broadcaster 'Dame Judi wore her Rock & Roll t-shirt without knowing that I'd lined up Sir Mick Jagger as our special guest today. 'She once told me it was a dream of hers to share a stage with Mick Jagger. They had never met. He kindly made her dream come true! (Cast snap from dressing room); 'What a night! Dame Judi had no idea when she dressed for our show today that she'd be sharing the stage with Sir Mick Jagger tonight! They had never met, but she once told me it was her dream to be on stage with him - so I asked him to join us and, bless him, he said Yes!; 'Together at last from Laurence Olivier to Johnny Depp, she's worked with them all. But she told me once her dream was to share a stage with Mick Jagger. Sometimes dreams come true. 'His appearance was a total surprise. I told only one person at the theatre that he was coming.' Judi, who turned 91 last week, has previously shared fears she will 'lose the plot' as her eyesight continues to deteriorate. The legendary actress spoke frankly about her health and her former friendship with disgraced American producer Harvey Weinstein in a wide-ranging interview with the Radio Times. Judi admitted she can no longer see the television and has to rely upon her team of assistants to help her with day-to-day tasks. Gyles shared a string of Instagram snaps that showed the sweet moment Mick, 82, made his way on stage to surprise Judi The pair then posed for snaps backstage with fellow guests Dominic West and Jim Broadbent, with Gyles telling his followers his appearance was a 'total surprise' Snaps from the show featured Dominic presenting Judi with a belated birthday cake, after she turned 91 last week The screen star was diagnosed with Age-related Macular Degeneration in 2012, which can cause permanent and rapid central vision loss, and is the number one cause of vision loss in people over 50. 'It's a crusher', said Judi, after revealing both her eyes are beyond treatment as they are in the progressed 'wet' stage of AMD. 'I miss seeing Clive Myrie doing Mastermind, but I can hear the questions', Dame Judi added, when asked about what she missed. The actress had to give up driving, embroidery and even going out alone. Despite these challenges, Judi continues to work by having friends and colleagues read her scripts aloud, which she then learns using her photographic memory. And the actress admitted while she can reel off reems of Shakespeare's soliloquys, she 'can't remember what I'm doing tomorrow, I swear to you'. When asked if she fears she will 'lose the plot', she answered: 'Oh yes.' Dame Judi then asked the interviewer to consult her assistants, who confirmed they help run her life. Elsewhere in the interview, Dame Judi touched upon working with Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey in Hollywood. The actress remains friends with Kevin, 66, who was cleared of sexual assault allegations against four men during a UK trial in 2023. 'Kevin has been exonerated and I hear from Kevin, we text', she said. The pair worked together in films like The Shipping News, with the actress defending her 'good friend' in 2018, just months after the actor was hit with the allegations. Strictly's Motsi Mabuse showcased her incredible weight loss as she shared snaps from this weekend's Semi-Finals to her Instagram on Sunday. The TV judge, 44, looked incredible in a purple sequinned gown for the Saturday's live show which hugged every inch of her shrinking figure. Posing up a storm backstage Motsi stood with her hands on her tiny waist with the plunging dress also teasing a glimpse of her ample cleavage. She captioned the post: 'Last nights Strictly Semi-Final was something special. So much heart, courage, growth and pure joy on that floor. Grateful to witness it all. Thank you to my team as usual just absolutely incredible'. Motsi also displayed off her slimmed-down figure in a recent dance video she posted with husband Evgenij Voznyuk, with whom she shares a seven-year-old daughter. Dressed casually in the energetic clip, the stunner showed off not only her new figure but also her unbelievable stamina on the dance floor. Strictly's Motsi Mabuse showcased her incredible weight loss as she shared snaps from this weekend's Strictly to her Instagram on Sunday The TV judge looked incredible in a purple sequinned gown for the Saturday's live show which hugged every inch of her shrinking figure (Pictured right September 2022) In October Motsi revealed that instead of turning to weight loss jabs for her new look, she has gone back to basics and focused on better nutrition and exercise. She credited weight training and eating nuts, fruit and salad as the answer to her jaw-dropping weight loss, as well as menopause sparking her motivation to get fit for 'what's to come'. She told The Sun: 'I hate the fact that every podcast or everything I see online about [menopause] is based on fearmongering. Ive never heard anyone say, "Dont worry, its not that bad!" I even asked Shirley Ballas. "Will it be OK?" and she shook her head, saying, "No, its going to be a ride!" In 2022 Motsi detailed how her weight had been 'a constant struggle' throughout her life and she's become 'more compassionate' about her size. She said how she was once told to lose weight by a teacher when she weighed just 110lbs, but she's learned 'a healthy mind, body and soul' is more important. Motsi also detailed her 'very scary' experience growing up in apartheid in South Africa, admitted she faced vile racism which included being branded a 'black witch' by nuns at her school. She told Prima: 'As a professional dancer, my weight was a constant struggle, too. There's so much focus not just on winning, but what you weigh. 'A teacher once told me to lose weight when I was only 50 kilos! Naturally, my body has changed since then, and my weight goes up and down'. Posing up a storm backstage Motsi stood with her hands on her tiny waist with the plunging dress also teasing a glimpse of her ample cleavage Motsi also displayed off her slimmed-down figure in a recent dance video she posted with husband Evgenij Voznyuk, with whom she shares a seven-year-old daughter Dressed casually in the energetic clip, the stunner showed off not only her new figure but also her unbelievable stamina on the dance floor In October Motsi revealed that instead of turning to weight loss jabs for her new look, she has gone back to basics and focused on better nutrition and exercise (pictured 2023) 'I'll never get to the stage where I think I look great, but I'm now much more compassionate towards myself. A healthy mind, body and soul is more important to being thin.' Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon have become the tenth couple to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2025, as the three finalists were revealed in Sunday's results show. Despite surviving a record five dance-offs, the EastEnders star was voted off at the semi-final stage after the judges unanimously chose to save Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin in the dance-off. Having each danced two routines during Saturday's live show, Balvinder and Amber each chose one routine to perform again. Balvinder said that it was an 'honour' to perform again, while Amber claimed it was nerve-wracking to go up against the 'dance off assassin'. Balvinder and Julian performed their Salsa to Rhythm Is Gonna Get You/Get On Your Feet by Gloria Estefan, before Amber and Nikita performed their Couple's Choice to RAYE's Fly Me to the Moon. All four judges then voted to save Amber and Nikita, meaning Balvinder and Julian would sadly be leaving the competition. Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon have become the tenth couple to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2025, as the three finalists were revealed in Sunday's results show This meant that Amber and Nikita, George Clarke and Alexis Warr, and Karen Carney and Carlos Gu are this year's Strictly finalists. When asked by Tess about her time on the show, Balvinder said: 'I've absolutely adored every single minute. 'All the dance offs, all the challenges, but just more than anything, just being in this building and dancing on this floor with such an amazing human being. It was my Yes Year, and I said yes to Strictly. 'My family, we've had some hard times, but they've been here.' Tess then asked Balvinder what the partnership meant and what she had to say to Julian: 'I mean, I have no words, actually. You've been brilliant in every sense of the word, when I wobbled, and when I felt really brilliant about the dance and got the steps right, you've just held me in your hands and you've gone, Bal, we've got this. 'It's just me and you, and we're gonna do this together. And we have done every single dance together, I've never felt alone on this floor, and I just want you to remember me. Don't replace me too soon!' Weatherfield may be a far way from Hollywood, but one Coronation Street actor starred in Oscar winning movie Shakespeare in Love alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, years before stepping onto the cobbles. Daniel Brocklebank, 45, best known to soap fans as vicar Billy Mayhew, played the role of fresh-faced Sam Goose in the 1998 romantic epic at the age of just 18. In the movie, Sam is cast to play the female role of Juliet in William Shakespeare's new show Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter, before the titled is changed to Romeo and Juliet. While Gwyneth's character Viola de Lesseps secretly auditions as a man to play Romeo, before sharing a kiss with young Sam. Shakespeare in Love also starred Joseph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Colin Firth, Imelda Staunton, Ben Affleck and Jim Carter. The movie won five Oscars in 1999 with Gwyneth bagging Best Actress alongside Judi for Best Support Actor for her role as Queen Elizabeth. Weatherfield may be a far way from Hollywood, but one Coronation Street actor starred in Oscar winning movie Shakespeare in Love alongside Gwyneth Paltrow Daniel Brocklebank, 45, best known to soap fans as vicar Billy Mayhew, played the role of fresh-faced Sam Goose in the 1998 romantic epic at the age of just 18 On the big screen Daniel went on to star in 2002's The Hours opposite Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep as well The Hole with Keira Knightley. However he best known to TV audiences playing the role of Billy on Corrie since 2014, as well as appearances in Holby City, Emmerdale, Waterloo Road and The Bill. Daniel Brocklebank previously revealed that coming out as gay in 1998 hindered his Hollywood career. Speaking to The Mirror, Daniel admitted he was told by his managers in Los Angeles that going public about his sexuality would harm his career. He said: 'I stopped being screen-tested for the heterosexual male leads and I was either the gay best friend or the character parts. It was more in America than in Britain, but it was still very prevalent.' He star said his personal life should have no bearing on the parts he plays and that one of the reasons he came out was because of the lack of gay role models in the public eye when he was growing up in the 80s. Coming out in the 1990s, Daniel said he likes to think he played a small part in helping societal attitudes to change and become more accepting over the years. Earlier this year Daniel was confirmed to be leaving the soap after 11 years in a 'sensational storyline'. In the movie, Sam is cast to play the female role of Juliet in William Shakespeare's new show Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter, before the titled is changed to Romeo and Juliet. However he loses the part to Gwyneth's character Viola de Lesseps who secretly auditions as a man for the role, before sharing a kiss with young Sam (Gwyneth at 1999 Oscars) The movie won five Oscarsin 1999 with Gwyneth winning Best Actress alongside Judi Dench (pictured) who bagged Best Support Actor for her role as Queen Elizabeth The actor's 'heartbroken' partner Jordan Coulthard was quick to launch a stinging attack on soap bosses. Jordan insisted that Daniel's soap exit 'isn't his decision and swiped that 'ITV are making a huge mistake'. The Sun reported that Daniel would be waving goodbye to the Cobbles in 2026. Daniel's boyfriend Jordan took to his Instagram story to share his thoughts on the decision - and he certainly didn't hold back. Jordan said on social media: 'Nothing to say. Not his decision. Huge mistake. 'I can't believe we are having this conversation. No words can express how heartbroken I am for him. He will be magnificent.' In another picture of Daniel posing as his alter-ego, he added: 'Utter madness.' Earlier this year Daniel was confirmed to be leaving the soap after 11 years in a 'sensational storyline' The actor's 'heartbroken' partner Jordan Coulthard was quick to launch a stinging attack on soap bosses Daniel also took to Instagram after the news broke, sharing a snap of him as the vicar with the caption: 'Bye bye Billy,' and a red love heart. A representative of Coronation Street said that Daniel's departure is storyline driven. Meanwhile an insider revealed: 'Dan will be involved in a major storyline which will see Billy exit the cobbles in 2026. Details are being kept under wraps at this stage.' Adam Peaty's devastated mother says she's the 'most broken version' of herself ahead of his Christmas wedding to Gordon Ramsay's eldest daughter, Holly. The Olympic swimmer is expected to marry his fiancee in a lavish ceremony at Bath's Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on December 27, followed by a reception at Kiln House country estate in Wiltshire. But Peaty's mother Caroline has been barred from the service following an increasingly toxic and inconveniently public row that began in November, when she was not invited to her imminent daughter-in-law's hen-party. Other family members due to attend the lavish ceremony - where guests will include Sir David Beckham and his wife Lady Victoria - have boycotted the event in support of Caroline. Taking to Instagram on Monday, she admitted the last 12 months have been among the most difficult of her life, but vowed to bounce back in the new year. She wrote: 'This year, I met the most broken version of myself but also the strongest. 2026, get ready, because I'm coming back stronger than ever.' Adam Peaty's devastated mother says she's the 'most broken version' of herself ahead of his Christmas wedding to Gordon Ramsay 's eldest daughter, Holly But Peaty's mother Caroline (pictured, centre) has been barred from the service following an increasingly toxic and inconveniently public row that began in November The emotive post coincided with a series of updates from her estranged son, who showed off his muscular physique while posing shirtless alongside Holly. Captioning the shots, he marvelled: 'Less than two weeks until were getting married. Where did the time go? Yes this is literally the only picture we have together in the last few weeks.' Commenting on the post, shared by Peaty on Sunday evening, Holly wrote: 'Such a poser.' Meanwhile Caroline is demanding Netflix remove her from Gordon Ramsays new documentary because she doesnt want them cashing in' on her misery, it has been revealed. Caroline and husband Mark have sent the streaming giant, which is screening the celebrity chefs new series early next year, a cease and desist letter by signed delivery, a source has stated. The insider told the Daily Mail: Caroline does not want Gordon or his family, which now includes her son Adam to profit from them. Enough damage has already been done which has been devastating for them.' The Olympic champions mum Caroline has told Netflix bosses they did not consent to being filmed at Adam and fiancee Holly Ramsay's engagement party, and are still awaiting a response. The emotive post coincided with a series of updates from her estranged son, who showed off his muscular physique while posing shirtless alongside Holly Captioning the shots while flexing his musles, he marvelled: 'Less than two weeks until were getting married. Where did the time go?' The celebration was captured by the famous cooks production company and is due to be shown in Being Gordon Ramsay. The family source said: Someone from Gordons team leaked the news that Caroline had written to Netflix via his production team. Why are they causing havoc just to promote a documentary, and why should they have the right to cash in on their misery? They are using the family fallout as a selling point. It is disgraceful.' It is understood that Adam's public fallout with his mum and the fact he and Holly have banned her from their wedding later this month will feature prominently in the fiery chefs series, which he is said to be very excited about.' The source added: 'Caroline has said the family were not asked for their consent to be filmed for Gordon's documentary at last year's engagement do. 'She was very clear that, after everything that's happened, they do not want to be featured. The Olympic champions mum Caroline has told Netflix bosses they did not consent to being filmed at Adam and fiancee Holly Ramsay's engagement party Caroline and husband Mark have sent the streaming giant, which is screening the celebrity chefs new series early next year, a cease and desist letter by signed delivery She was filmed giving a speech as were the family during arrivals and while mingling at the party.' A spokesperson for the Ramsay family told Daily Mail that Adams family had attended the engagement party and were aware it was filmed. They said: 'There were filming notices up all over the party saying: By attending, you give consent to being filmed. 'They are not interviewed, there is no on camera speaking and they are not featured in the finished edits of the programme, so no additional consent would have been required. It is understood tensions between the two families began during Holly and Adam's high profile engagement bash last December but footage is set to show the champion swimmer happily engaging with his parents. Gordon was filmed over nine months as he opened five new restaurants in London, alongside juggling his personal life. The source added: Family feuds among the rich and famous always make good viewing and reading - look at the attention the Beckham story has had with the parents fallout with their eldest son Brooklyn. It is understood that Adam's public fallout with his mum and the fact he and Holly have banned her from their wedding later this month will feature prominently in the fiery chefs series Grievances between the Peaty's and Ramsay's became apparent at that party, according to The Sun with a source telling the publication: 'Adams family were at the engagement party, when relations were much better. Things went downhill from there. 'His mum was unhappy some of the family werent there and confronted Gordon at the event. 'Guests were made to sign non-disclosure agreements and hand in phones as the party was filmed. But the source close to Caroline told the Daily Mail: 'There was no row or confrontation. There was just a conversation about why all their side was invited and not all of Caroline's family, like her sister Louise whom she is very close to. There was no shouting! Caroline and Mark have now warned Gordons production company by signed for delivery. in a cease and desist letter. that they do not want to be featured in his documentary, and are not allowing footage. They never signed any agreement to be filmed, nor di their daughter Bethany. But she is happy with any involvement and has sided with Adam against their mum. It is like they are using their platform, their wealth and power to keep hammering our family. Why wont they leave us alone? Adam is a mental health ambassador but he is pushing his own family into a dark place. It's one of his most iconic roles, and a film that thousands settle down to rewatch during every festive season. But Jude Law has revealed that one of the most iconic features of his film The Holiday is all a ruse, with the admission even leaving Zoe Ball aghast. With the film no doubt at the top of many's watch list this Christmas, a clip posted by BBC Radio 2 on Instagram has shown the star making the jaw-dropping admission. The interview, which was originally recorded in November 2024, saw Jude confess that the picture-perfect cottage in Surrey that Cameron Diaz's Amanda moves in to, didn't actually exist. The 2006 film sees US-based Amanda and British journalist Iris (played by Kate Winslet) swap homes after being hit by festive heartbreak, and in an unlikely twist, they both find love on the other side of the Atlantic. Jude shared the admission during an interview with Zoe, who at the time was still the host of Radio 2's Breakfast Show. Jude Law revealed a shocking secret about his festive classic The Holiday in a classic Radio 2 clip, leaving host Zoe Ball pleading 'we don't want to hear it anymore!' Reflecting on his role in the film, he said: 'I mean I find it just honestly glorious.' As comedian Kerry Godliman asked whether the house can be rented on Airbnb, Jude confessed: 'That cottage doesn't exist!' He continued: 'So the director [Nancy Meyers], she's a bit of a perfectionist, toured that whole area, and didn't quite find the chocolcate box cottage she was looking for. 'So she just hired a field, and drew it, and had someone build it.' But Jude then brought an end to any hopes from fans that they could hire the cottage for themselves, revealing: 'But here's the funny thing, you watch it... so, we were shooting it in the winter here., and everytime I'd go in that door, we cut, and we shot the interiors in LA about three months later.' Stunned, Zoe said: 'We dont want to hear anymore. We cant bear it', while Kerry added: 'That's very upsetting'. Looking sheepish, Jude replied: 'Just burst the bubble, sorry.' Despite Rosehill Cottage not being real, the cast did film in the Surrey villages of Shere and Godalming. The actor famously appeared alongside Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet in the 2006 film, which was directed by Nancy Meyers The interview saw Jude confess that the picture-perfect cottage in Surrey that Cameron's Amanda moves in to (pictured), didn't actually exist, and only the exterior was built for filming Stunned, Zoe said: 'We dont want to hear anymore. We cant bear it', while Kerry Godliman added: 'That's very upsetting' Jude, who also shared that the interior shots of the house were actually filmed in LA, sheepishly said: 'Just burst the bubble, sorry' The Honeysuckle Cottage in Holmbury St Mary, which was put up for sale in 2021 and now an Airbnb, provided the inspiration for the crew who designed it. Rosehill Cottage became somewhat of a phenomenon after the film was released, with fans calling it the perfect English dream home for Christmas. While the exterior was lightly dusted in snow, the inside had a roll top bath and a shabby chic kitchen. Since its release, The Holiday has come under fire for glaring plot holes, and after an array of gaffes and impractical timelines from the film were unveiled during the festive season, fans have realized another bizarre detail - which involves Winslet's scenic drive from LAX to Beverly Hills. In the scene shared by TikToker Camberapp , Iris' cab is seen driving alongside the ocean on the Pacific Coast Highway as she takes in the sunshine, beach views and palm trees -which was mocked by LA natives. A video showing the moment was captioned: 'Me trying to figure out why Kate Winslet's character in The Holiday is going south down PCH to get from the airport to Beverly Hills.' Comments included: 'She fly into Burbank? Or getting her directions from Party in the USA?; 'lol best part of living in LA is watching all the movies absolutely in awe how they jump around the city in less than an hour. 'Its giving Miley seeing the Hollywood sign leaving LAX.' 'Or in La La Land when they meet up at the studio lot in Burbank and the next scene theyre at the jazz club in Hermosa?? Wheres the scene of them fighting for their lives in traffic for 2 hours between the 101 and 405?? 'She is being scammed by the cab driver, very common 'Been wondering that for years; Cabbie is just running up that bill.' If Gregg Wallace is searching for consolation, the latest viewing figures for Celebrity Masterchef may offer it. The Daily Mail can reveal that the scandal-hit BBC cookery spin-off has shed nearly a third of its audience in a year and is now struggling to top 1.3million viewers, with axed judge John Torode remaining front and centre in the current series. The first episode of the current run, broadcast on November 17, failed to even make Barbs Top 50 programmes of the week leaving it lagging far behind its primetime rivals. And since then, viewing figures have hovered around 1.2 to 1.4million a sharp drop from last year, when the series ranked fifth on Barb's list with a peak audience of 2.6million. By contrast, that week, ITV juggernaut Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! pulled in a towering 9.5million viewers, even eclipsing Strictly Come Dancing on 8million, while Celebrity Race Across the World drew 5million and the latest instalment of Shetland followed close behind with 4.8million. The slump comes amid unprecedented turmoil for the BBC flagship cookery show, which for nearly two decades was fronted by Wallace, 61, and Torode, 60. The Daily Mail can reveal that the scandal-hit BBC cookery spin-off has shed nearly a third of its audience in a year and is now struggling to top 1.3million viewers The first episode of the current run, broadcast on November 17, failed to even make Barbs Top 50 programmes of the week leaving it lagging far behind its primetime rivals Before his axing John Torode filmed the Celebrity series alongside new addition Grace Dent, 52, with the BBC revealing that while it had not been a 'straightforward decision' to air the episodes Wallace, the laddish one-time greengrocer, sensationally stood down last year as programme chiefs launched an investigation into allegations of 'inappropriate' on-set behaviour. Among the many other shocking allegations were those from a former member of the production team that Wallace thrust his body towards her as she knelt down in front of him to clean a mark off his trousers, mimicking a sex act. Worse still, the complainant also alleges that Wallace walked into the MasterChef studio 'completely naked except for [a] sock pulled over his penis' before doing a 'silly dance'. Wallace was 'very touchy-feely' and made 'disgusting sex-related jokes', said his accusers. He was heard talking openly about his sex life, taking his top off in front of a female worker saying he wanted to 'give her a fashion show' and telling a junior female colleague he wasn't wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans. The fallout only deepened when Torode then outed himself as the individual found to have used extremely offensive racist language seven years ago in an inquiry into separate allegations against Wallace. He said he had absolutely no recollection of any of this, and that he did not believe that it happened. A witness told investigators he had apologised immediately, 'was mortified' and 'didn't use the term as a slur' in 2018. While a staggering 45 complaints were upheld against Wallace ranging from unwanted physical contact to bullying and sexual innuendo there was just one upheld against Torode. They were both sacked from the programme in quick succession in July. Grace Dent will take over the reigns full time when she joins Anna Haugh, 44, to present the 2026 series and admitted it was time to rescue the cookery competition from the 'male energy' In the wake of their departure, the BBC unveiled an all-female presenting line-up for the amateur series, with food critic Grace Dent, 52, and Irish chef Anna Haugh, 45, stepping in. Dent currently appears alongside Torode in the present celebrity series now known to be his last while Haugh has previously stood in for Wallace and served as a judge on the Professionals spin-off. It has since emerged that Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, 62, is set to replace Torode on future celebrity series alongside Dent. Locatelli, who previously appeared as a guest judge and fronted Channel 4s Celeb Cooking School, was the co-founder of Londons Marylebone Locanda Locatelli, which attracted A-Listers including Madonna before it closed in January after 22 years. Wallace, meanwhile, has since claimed that his autism diagnosis played a role in his behaviour on the show, and that the BBC failed to provide enough support for his condition during his 20 years working on MasterChef. 'I know I am odd. I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability,' he said. 'My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef. 'Nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years, he added. Ashton Kutcher has opened up about his journey from altar boy to embracing Judaism while marking the first day of Hanukkah with wife Mila Kunis, in the wake of the deadly antisemitic shooting in Bondi Beach, Australia. Kutcher, 47, and Kunis, 42, visited the LA home of Jewish activist Noa Tishby and talked about the significance of the Jewish holiday in a video shared with the Daily Mail and on Tishby's social media on Monday. The actor and investor said he grew up as a Christian Catholic, but came to Judaism after learning Jesus was Jewish. 'I was an altar boy,' he told Tishby and Kunis in the video. 'The whole thing in Christianity is, be like Jesus. What would Jesus do? 'If you want to actually understand what Jesus would do, you learn Judaism. Because that's what he learned. 'When you start to learn Judaism, you understand why people do what they do, how they do what they do. You actually learn ways to live better as a human.' Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis spoke about their Jewish faith and what the winter celebration of Hanukkah means to them, during a visit to Jewish activist Noa Tishby's LA home Kutcher, who grew up Catholic before embracing Judaism, condemned the deadly antisemitic attack that killed 15 at Sydney's famous Bondi Beach on Sunday The Two And a Half Men star said he feels compelled to speak out about his relationship with the Jewish faith when he feels it is under attack. 'Anytime the world is in a place where there's an instant stigma on an identity, whether it was a sexual identity or a religious identity or a cultural identity, I tend to feel like that's a good moment to be totally revealing about my identity, so that there's a sense of safety in that,' he said. 'And so as long as you're not hurting anyone else, you can be you.' The video of Kutcher and Kunis was released after a deadly shooting by alleged father and son gunmen who reportedly targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Australia's Bondi Beach on Sunday in an attack Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitic terrorism. A 12-year-old child is among the 15 dead, with 42 more injured including two police officers, the Associated Press reported. The alleged 50-year-old gunman was shot dead by police and his 24-year-old son, an alleged accomplice, is hospitalized in critical condition. In the video, Kunis, who is ethnically Jewish and emigrated from Russia as a child, jokingly referred to her husband as a 'super Jew' and 'Rabbi Kutcher', referring to how much he has studied and learned about the faith. The couple, who celebrated their 10-year anniversary in July, have raised their 11-year-old daughter Wyatt Isabelle and nine-year-old son Dimitri Portwood as Jewish and have been seen attending Shabbat services at a reform synagogue in Los Angeles The couple, who celebrated their 10-year anniversary in July, have raised their 11-year-old daughter Wyatt Isabelle and nine-year-old son Dimitri Portwood as Jewish and have been seen attending Shabbat services at a reform synagogue in LA 'Antisemitic rhetoric is not abstractit carries a cost, and my brothers and sisters continue to pay it,' Kutcher posted on X about the shooting. 'May this devastation somehow spark a hidden miracle, one our eyes do not yet have the merit to see.' In the video shared by Tishby, Kutcher talked with his wife of 10 years about the celebration of miracles that is part of Hanukkah. 'We always talk about, if you want to have a miracle happen in your life, you create a miracle for someone else. That to me is a wonderful thing to really think about,' he said. 'We all meditate before we light the candles, on what is a miracle that I could create for somebody else and somebody else's life?' Kutcher, who invests in technology companies and startups, revealed that he has created a chatbot using the writings of his late rabbi uploaded to OpenAI's ChatGPT, which he talks to as if the religious teacher were still alive. Tishby is an Israeli activist, actress, model, producer, and writer, behind the #BringOnTheLight campaign, dedicated to spreading the message of Jewish resilience Kutcher was among the celebrities who condemned the attack on social media 'I had a rabbi that I studied with for a very, very long time. And then he passed. But then I created a GPT of my rabbi. I took all of his books and his classes and his writings and everything, so I can talk to my rabbi,' he said. Kunis, who is ethnically Jewish and emigrated from Russia as a child, jokingly referred to Kutcher as a 'super Jew' and 'Rabbi Kutcher' in the video, commenting on how much he has studied and learned about the faith. 'Growing up in Russia being Jewish, you didn't really talk about it,' the Family Guy actress said. 'And then I came to America.' 'In America, everybody's talking about it,' Tishby added. 'And so I never thought about it until the current state of the world where now I'm like, Oh yeah, I get it,' Kunis continued. 'And then I married this super Jew. 'I was like, I guess I'll be proud of being Jewish.' Your browser does not support iframes. A 12-year-old child is among the 15 dead, with 42 more injured, including two police officers The couple, who celebrated their 10-year anniversary in July, appeared affectionate in the video, with Kutcher stroking Kunis' ankle as they sat and talked on Tishby's sofa. The two have raised their 11-year-old daughter Wyatt Isabelle and nine-year-old son Dimitri Portwood as Jewish and have been pictured attending Shabbat services at a reform synagogue in Los Angeles. They, like Jews around the world, celebrated the beginning of the eight-day Hanukkah festival on Sunday. Traditionally Jews light one candle each day on a candelabra called a menorah, sing songs, play a game with a spinning top called dreidel, and eat oil-based foods like donuts. The name Hanukkah derives from the Hebrew word 'to dedicate', because it marks the rededication of an important temple in Jerusalem to Judaism after the Maccabees Jews revolted and regained control of the city in the 2nd century BCE. Jewish religious book the Talmud says that after the temple was retaken, the Maccabees relit candles inside with just one day's worth of oil, but they miraculously burned for eight days leading to the menorah lighting tradition of the festival, and its focus on everyday miracles. The Australian city has been rocked by the tragedy, which Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called an act of antisemitic terrorism People visit Bondi Beach, the day after the deadly shooting, on December 15, 2025 in Sydney, Australia Jewish activist Tishby said even she was impressed with Kutcher's 'encyclopedic knowledge' of the festival. Her video was humorously edited to show her and Kunis' eyes glazing over as Kutcher started waxing lyrical about the position of the menorah candles and the order of their lighting, even linking it to the Jewish practice of circumcision. 'Ashton brought his encyclopedic knowledge and schooled us all,' Tishby told the Daily Mail. 'He spoke about the spiritual and kabbalistic meaning of Hanukkah, about miracles and creating light for others, and about his own journey of Jewish exploration. 'It was extremely moving to both Mila and me to hear him speak about these things. 'The dynamic between Ashton and Mila is incredible and brings levity to the night. I hope everybody enjoys it as much as I did.' Simon Cowell's new boyband December 10 sent fans wild after they debuted their first full performance with an acoustic cover of NSYNCs Bye Bye Bye on Monday. They were formed by the music mogul, 66, on his new Netflix series, The Next Act, which was savaged by critics after premiering last week. The band, which consists of Cruz, 19, Danny, 17, Hendrick, 19, John, 17, Josh, 17, Nicolas, 16, and Sean, 19, were seen taking to the mic at London's Metropolis Studios. Performing their own instruments, it marked the band's first complete full set, outside the glimpses seen in Netflix series. Despite the show being criticised as a 'rehash of the X Factor for the billionth time' fans tuned in their droves to see the video's premiere and were full of praise for the group. They gushed: 'The vocals are king': 'I'm in love with them': 'Well done all smashed it': 'So amazing': 'A boy band and instruments, perfect': 'JAW IS ON THE FLOOR'. Simon Cowell's new boyband December 10 sent fans wild after they debuted their first full performance with an acoustic cover of NSYNCs Bye Bye Bye on Monday The band, which consists of Cruz, 19, Danny, 17, Hendrick, 19, John, 17, Josh, 17, Nicolas, 16, and Sean, 19, were seen taking to the mic at London's Metropolis Studios They were formed by the music mogul, 66, on his new Netflix series, The Next Act, which premiered last week and was savaged by critics (Simon Cowell pictured) Simon Cowell: The Next Act was called 'dated, derivative and as flat as his hairdo' in a number of scathing reviews. The six-part series, which follows the record executive try and find the next big boyband, landed on the streaming service on Wednesday 10 December. Over the years, Simon has created a number of successful groups and solo artists, including One Direction, Little Mix, Susan Boyle and Westlife - which are all down to shows such as ITV's X Factor and the Got Talent franchise. On the show, Simon was joined on-screen by his wife Lauren Silverman, 48, - who he married in 2013 - as well as a number of music industry professionals. The likes of Savan Kotecha, Kamille, Poo Bear, Pete Waterman and Robert Stevenson appear on the doc alongside the entrepreneur. . Metro's Jon O'Brien wrote : 'Its been four years since The X Factor was finally put out of its misery and a good dozen since its halcyon days, a period in which pop music, and its star-making methods, have significantly moved on from the bog-standard TV talent show. 'Unfortunately, no one seems to have told Simon Cowell.' Meanwhile The Telegraph's Anita Singh's headline stated : 'Simon Cowells comeback series is as flat as his hairdo.' Stood in a circle and performing their own instruments, it marked the band's first complete set, outside the glimpses seen in Netflix series Despite the show being criticised as a 'rehash of the X Factor for the billionth time' fans tuned in their droves to see the video's premiere and were full of praise for the group They gushed: 'The vocals are king': 'I'm in love with them': 'Well done all smashed it': 'So amazing': 'A boy band and instruments, perfect': 'JAW IS ON THE FLOOR' She added: 'Netflix attempts to recapture that X Factor magic, but this vanity project feels dated and derivative.' The Guardian's Stuart Heritage described the doc as 'the billionth take on his one idea'. He continues: 'Now we know, for here comes the bait and switch. Even though it might be presented as a slice-of-life reality documentary, Simon Cowell: The Next Act is wait for it The X Factor. Its literally just another bloody X Factor. 'No, really. One minute Cowell is semi-candidly bickering with his partner, Lauren Silverman, the next hes junked that entire facade to find a new boyband. He holds auditions. 'He takes them to bootcamp. He uses pictures of their faces to decide who he wants to send home. 'There are unbelievably weak sob stories (one contestant, and please ready the hankies for this, works at a Nandos). 'Short of Louis Walsh stumbling in to absent-mindedly take everything to deadlock, this is The X Factor. I cannot overstate this enough. Its Cowells one idea, for the billionth time, in slightly different clothes.' Meanwhile Grazia's Nikki Peach said : 'The toxic 2010s called, they want Simon Cowell back.' Their first perfomance was a cover of NSYNC's 2000 hit Bye Bye Bye (pictured 2001) Simon Cowell: The Next Act was called 'dated, derivative and as flat as his hairdo' in a number of scathing reviews . The six-part series, which follows the record executive try and find the next big boyband, landed on the streaming service on Wednesday 10 December She added : 'A few episodes later, it becomes apparent that Simons influence and relevancy has plummeted in the last decade; hes pushing 70 and he wants to prove to himself (and his 11-year-old son) that hes still got it. Ah-ha, there it is. 'Simon Cowell: The Next Act is a vanity project and a glossy, big budget one at that. Its as much about his next act as it is about finding the next big boyband. He always did have a way with words.' Greg Wheeler at The Review Geek said that it's 'a dated vanity project dressed up as a revival' and wrote: 'Executively produced by Simon Cowell himself, the show unashamedly hammers you over the head with how success Cowell is and what a big deal he is (was). 'The documentary side of things looks at Cowells past, the artists hes worked with and how much the business means to him. 'For obvious reasons, it sidesteps a lot of the allegations thrown his way from said artists. 'Theres a dated quality to the shows setup, even without the usual reality-TV tricks. Sure, Cowell throws out his familiar platitudes now and then, but there are no dramatic pauses, applause cues, or engineered tension. 'Removing them helps, but it doesnt modernise the bones of a creaking format.' Gwyneth Paltrow went bra-free while doing press in New York City on Monday. The 53-year-old Iron Man star skipped a shirt, teasing her cleavage as she modeled a gray double-breasted power suit with pointy black high heels. Her blonde locks were styled in a center part and ironed straight, falling over her chest. Paltrow, who was formerly married to Chris Martin, added glamorous makeup as she headed to ABC studios to film a Good Morning America TV spot. While on the show she talked about her headline-making kiss with co-star Timothee Chalamet, who dates Kylie Jenner, which was seen by millions as they filmed the movie Marty Supreme in midtown Manhattan last year. Gwyneth Paltrow went bra-free while doing press in New York City on Monday The 53-year-old Iron Man star skipped a shirt, teasing her cleavage as she modeled a gray double-breasted power suit with pointy black high heels The Academy Award-winning actress was also spotted in a monochrome pink outfit. Paltrow looked chic in a coordinating button-up shirt and pleated trousers with a sleek sheen finish. She tucked the top into the belted pants, rounding out the ensemble with a pair of pale pink pointy-toe heels. In a brief interview with Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, the star discussed her kissing scene with Chalamet and working alongside Kevin O'Leary. Last year Paltrow and the Call Me By Your Name actor, 29, made headlines when photos of them kissing on the Marty Supreme movie set went viral. And on Monday the silver screen siren spoke about her role, sharing, 'I play a retired movie star in the film, who Timothee is sort of... tries to... I think he tries to get her sheen to rub off on him in more ways than one.' Her blonde locks were styled in a center part and ironed straight, falling over her chest. Paltrow, who was formerly married to Chris Martin, added glamorous makeup as she headed to ABC studios to film a Good Morning America TV spot While on the show she talked about her kiss with co-star Timothee Chalamet, seen by millions as they filmed the movie Marty Supreme in midtown Manhattan last year Recalling her friends' reactions to the steamy smooch, she said, 'You should have seen my mommy group chats when the paparazzi pictures came out of us kissing in the park. All the moms were pretty stoked.' Earlier this month, in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, she admitted her 19-year-old son Moses was embarrassed to see her kiss Chalamet. 'My son was like, "Oh my God, I dont want to see this." He was kind of mortified,' she said. Marty Supreme marks the star's return to acting after previously focusing on raising Moses, Apple, 21, and running her lifestyle brand. She said she'd be willing to appear in more roles if they're of 'quality' and she can work with 'a very special group.' But when asked about a possible appearance in the upcoming 2026 movie Avengers: Doomsday, the mom-of-two played coy. The actress was also spotted in a pink outfit. Paltrow looked chic in a coordinating button-up shirt and pleated trousers with a sleek sheen finish She left Good Morning America in a monochrome pink outfit. Paltrow looked chic in a coordinating button-up shirt and pleated trousers with a sleek sheen finish 'What's that?' she asked, keeping mum as she teased, 'I'm not sure I've heard of that one.' She previously portrayed Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's assistant-turned-love interest in Marvel films including Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame, and Avengers: Infinity War. During her GMA visit she also reflected on working with acting newcomer Kevin O'Leary, the 71-year-old Canadian entrepreneur known for appearing on Shark Tank. O'Leary plays her husband in the forthcoming feature, due in theaters on Christmas day. 'He was great. To be honest, I was a little nervous. It's a big role and it's a brave move to put a non-actor in a part like that,' she said. The Hollywood vet continued, 'I just thought he nailed it. Everyone was so impressed.' A Disney icon who is now starring in Kristen Stewart's feature directorial debut was spotted celebrating the holiday season in Hollywood. While she may not be a major A-lister, she has worked with a slew of some of the biggest names in Hollywood since she was a kid. At age 11, she appeared on big screens opposite Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy in Hocus Pocus. In 2002, she earned critical acclaim for her role in Ghost World, a film also starring Scarlett Johansson. The film earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She also appeared opposite Harrison Ford in Patriot Games, Demi Moore and Now and Then, and Annette Bening, Kevin Spacey, and Mena Suvari in American Beauty. But last week, she was merely celebrating the holiday season with her husband at Vas J Morgan's Hollywood Christmas party. Can you guess who this legend is? A Disney icon who is now starring in Kristen Stewart's directorial debut was spotted enjoying celebrating the holiday season in Hollywood If you guessed Thora Birch, you are correct! Birch was seen with her husband Michael Benton Adler at the star-studded Vas J Morgan Christmas party on Thursday night. She wore a brown sweater, black slacks, and necklace while her spouse opted for a navy suit. Birch's successful career most recently took her to the iconic Cannes Film Festival in France. She attended a photocall of her new film The Chronology of Water, an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitchs acclaimed 2011 memoir that also marks Stewart's feature directorial debut. It marks the latest achievement in her career - which spans decades and saw her in consideration for a role in Interview with a Vampire, a part that ultimately went to Kirsten Dunst. Back in January, Thora opened up about nearly being cast alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire. 'I took a number of meetings with the director,' Birch told People. Birch was spotted at Vas J Morgan's Hollywood Christmas party with her husband Michael Benton Adler Birch is beloved for her role in the hit Halloween film Hocus Pocus She also starred in the critically-acclaimed film American Beauty with Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning; pictured with co-stars Mena Suvari, Wes Bentley and Birch She now stars in Kristen Stewart's feature directorial debut, The Chronology of Water But at just 12 years old, she felt unprepared to portray an adult woman trapped in a childs body. 'At the time, I was still quite innocent in a lot of ways,' Birch recalled. 'I grew up fast being a child actor, but there were still parts of that character and things that were required of her that I still felt were too adult, or I just didnt connect up with it. 'I had no frame of personal reference for those deeper, more complex emotions that that character had to embody. So, for me, it was just like, "This is a little icky."' Still, she added, 'I did love it. Im a huge fan of the movie and the show as well.' Birch, pictured 2001, has enjoyed a decades-long acting career In May, she attended Cannes in support of The Chronology of Water Over the years, Birchs films have come to define key moments in millennial nostalgiafrom childhood favorites like All I Want for Christmas and Hocus Pocus to teen staples like American Beauty and Ghost World. She had chalked up that lasting impact to the unified pop culture of the pre-streaming era, when everyone was watching the same few things at the same time. 'We were all watching the same stuff, so we all had a similar frame of reference,' she told People. 'As far as the arc of my personal career, I just think like with a lot of people who started out so young, theres a mirroring in your professional and personal lives. 'So, all those points that you mentioned were things that I was, in real time, experiencing and I did grow up in front of the camera.' In recent years, Birch has been stepping back into the spotlight on her own termsdabbling in directing and taking on character roles in television, most recently a part in Mayfair Witches. Katherine Ryan has revealed she has undergone 'serious' cosmetic surgery on her face just eight weeks after welcoming her fourth child. The comedian, 42, said that going under the knife so soon after giving birth to her daughter Holland with her husband Bobby Kootstra meant she had to pause breastfeeding. Katherine also shares Fred, four, and Fenna, three, with fellow Canadian Bobby, and has a 16-year-old daughter, Violet, from a previous relationship. 'It was a lot. I will say this - it was better than I thought it would be,' Katherine said on her podcast, Telling Everybody Everything, on Monday. 'I went to York. There's an incredible surgeon there... a genius. This is controversial, but he is my ethnicity.' She elaborated: 'I have really delicate features - I have a long face, I have a really narrow jawline. Katherine Ryan has revealed she has undergone 'serious' cosmetic surgeryon her face just eight weeks after welcoming her fourth child (pictured at the Women In Film and TV Awards earlier this month) The comedian, 42, said that going under the knife so soon after giving birth to her daughter Holland with her husband Bobby Kootstra meant she had to pause breastfeeding. 'I was not ever meant to have the Kylie Jenner heart-shaped jawline and these big Persian eyes. That was never going to work for me. 'This guy in York is like of a British, Irish background, his beautiful wife is Irish, and I want to look like her. 'So I was like, I think this guy gets me... I think he gets what I'm going for. 'And he did some procedures on one of my friends who is so beautiful and youngish to be getting surgery. And I just loved his before and after gallery.' She continued: 'It really matters, I think, to know someone real and to be able to see how their face moves, talk to them. 'You knew what they looked like before, you know what they look like after. That, to me, historically, has always been the push to get surgery.' Katherine, who has openly discussed her interest in getting a face lift in recent months, did not disclose the procedure she underwent last Friday because it was filmed for a docuseries. She added: 'I'm noticing a lot of Asian doctors or Persian doctors who have this idea, this aesthetic - take Dr. Simon Ourian, for example. He is the Beverley Hills injectables skin guy. Katherine also shares Fred, four, and Fenna, three, with fellow Canadian Bobby, and has a 16-year-old daughter, Violet, from a previous relationship (pictured with husband Bobby) 'It was a lot. I will say this - it was better than I thought it would be,' Katherine said on her podcast, Telling Everybody Everything, on Monday 'He doesn't do surgery, that I know of, but he's the guy who appears sometimes in The Kardashians, and he does their injections. 'He's really talented, but I went to see him probably ten years ago... And I felt like I walked out of there looking a little more Kim Kardashian. \What each of us needs to do, I think, is stick as closely as possible to what mother nature intended.' The star traced her recent cosmetic surgery decision back to her early twenties when she decided to have a breast augmentation. When I started working at Hooters, I had no boobs at all, she recalled. 'I was like, I don't want to be a Hooters waitress with breast implants. 'A lot of the girls that I worked with had breast implants, nose jobs... And I thought a lot of the girls looked fake. 'They had these bolted on titties, like the Playboy Mansion style boobs. 'But then a wonderful girl that I worked with called Kate got her breasts done, and they looked so lovely on her and so natural... that's when I made the decision to get breast implants.' Katherine also admitted that she brought newborn Holland along for her latest cosmetic venture, which included a three-hour car ride last Thursday night from their home in north London Katherine also admitted that she brought newborn Holland along for her latest cosmetic venture, which included a three-hour car ride last Thursday night from their home in north London. I elected to take the baby with me because she just turned eight weeks that day. I'm still breastfeeding her, obviously, and I will be for a long time, she said. 'You can't breastfeed immediately after surgery, but I could obviously spend the night with her before and breastfeed her then, pump milk for the maternity nurse that I had, and then breastfeed her shortly thereafter and go home with her.' She continued: 'I was thinking to myself after I got the surgery - which, wait till you see it, is pretty serious surgery - I was like, Katherine Ryan, what is your damage? 'Like, what exactly the f*** is wrong with you? Why have you brought a baby to surgery? 'But then I thought, up and down this country, worldwide every day, we are giving women C-sections and then saying, sweet, go off and keep these twins alive. 'Women are expected to do so much - physically, emotionally, mentally. A C-section is a way more serious procedure than what I got. 'They cut through, what is it, seven layers of tissue and fat and muscle, and then they give you a small person to keep alive. 'And even if you don't have a C section, if you give birth vaginally, there are a lot of women who have haemorrhoids, they have tears, they're in pain, they're exhausted. 'So what's this elective cosmetic procedure and looking after a newborn? It ain't nothing but a G thing is my official answer.' Katherine, who said that she has experienced 'zero pain' from the procedure, said she hopes the footage of her recent cosmetic venture will hit screens in the near future. 'It has not yet been officially signed off, but it's been super fun to work with the crew,' she said. 'I'm not the kind of person who would ever hide these things. Being honest is not for everyone. People have their own imprint of secrecy and shame and privacy and discretion. That's fine. 'But for me, I mean, can you imagine me doing something and not telling you? And that's why it baffles me when people are like, Katherine Ryan's had a nose job. No, if I had, I would tell you.' Jeff Brazier had the post holiday blues as he headed to work on Monday, after jetting back from the Caribbean. The presenter, 46, travelled across the world in the wake of his split from his wife of seven years, Kate, for a break and said he had time to 'reflect' on their failed marriage. Jeff failed to raise a smile as he arrived at the Broadcaster pub in White City to film a segment for Good Morning Britain. The TV star, who is throwing himself into work after his marriage breakdown, looked distracted on his phone. Jeff has been open with his followers on Instagram and revealed on Sunday he had a good week in Saint Kitts. The presenter said it gave him the time to do some important reflection on both his personal life and work. Jeff Brazier had the post holiday blues as he headed to work on Monday, after jetting back from the Caribbean The presenter, 46, travelled across the world in the wake of his split from his wife of seven years Kate for a break where he had time to 'reflect' on their failed marriage (pictured last year) Jeff had been on the Caribbean island to film one of ITV's competitions and took to Instagram to share an insight into his trip. He captioned the post: 'Just had the perfect week in St Kitts thanks to @stkittstourism Celebrating the sunshine and time to reflect on life & work while spending time with the team filming for one of our big @itvwin January competitions'. Jeff also shared beaming selfies amid his return to normality and said he was sporting a 'healthy glow' before hitting the gym. When news of their split emerged last month, Jeff took to Instagram to share a lengthy statement. He announced they had gone their separate ways, and made reference to the difficult year they had faced due to fractured relations with his son Freddy, 21. He told fans: 'Im so full of love and gratitude for Kate. For all we achieved, for how much we grew, for everything we endured. 'We separated in the summer and kept it private for as long as we could to give us some time to adjust. 'For 12 years we have been each others safe space, each others biggest supporters at a time when our lives have been busy, painful & complex. Jeff failed to raise a smile as he arrived at the Broadcaster pub in White City to film a segment for Good Morning Britain The TV star, who is throwing himself into work after his marriage breakdown, looked distracted on his phone Jeff has been open with his followers on Instagram and revealed on Sunday he had a good week in Saint Kitts The presenter said it gave him the time to do some important reflection on both his personal life and work He captioned the post: 'Just had the perfect week in St Kitts thanks to @stkittstourism Celebrating the sunshine and time to reflect on life & work' 'I'm so proud of how hard we worked, how we kept showing up, we gave everything and more. 'I'm also so full of respect and admiration for the successful career Kate has built and the way she cared for me unconditionally.' Jeff stated that Kate still keeps in touch to check in on how his sons are doing, as Freddy prepares to welcome his first child. The presenter continued: 'Its credit to the woman she is that she still checks in to ask how the boys are doing because she is so invested in their lives. 'They love her and I have many friends that love her too. I will miss her family who always went above and beyond to support us. When news of their split emerged last month, Jeff took to Instagram to share a lengthy statement, announcing they had gone their separate ways over summer Alongside a throwback photo from a family holiday, Jeff made reference to the difficult year they had faced due to fractured relations with his son Freddy, 21 'My words dont tell the full picture because they dont need to. We will carry on supporting each other and I know Ill be celebrating her inevitable wins just like before. 'We both deserve complete happiness and were upset that we ultimately couldnt be that for one another and It felt time to let it go.' The couple previously split in late 2022 before reconciling seven months later. At the time, Kate admitted she 'felt like a failure' in her marriage to Jeff before realising every couple has their struggles, following their reconciliation. She gave her thoughts on marriage after being asked by a follower for advice on how to get theirs back on track. She replied: 'I think we are all guilty of portraying only the good bits on social media. Anyone who says marriage and raising kids is easy is lying in my opinion. I felt like such a failure until I realised everyone has their struggles. 'I would never share the details of our relationship, but the one thing I am grateful for is that my husband is just as willing to put the work into himself and the relationship as I am. You can't ask for anything more than that.' If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org Nick Reiner, who is accused of murdering his parents Rob and Michele Reiner, has been placed under suicide watch at the Los Angeles jail facility he's being kept in after he was taken into custody on Monday. Nick, 32, was arrested in connection with suspicion of murder and has no bail in connection with Sunday's killing of the couple, officials said Monday. Nick 'is under supervision of the jail mental evaluation team' at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, a law enforcement insider confirmed to Daily Mail Monday. Nick was being housed as of Monday evening in the area for inmates who have 'suicidal ideation,' the insider said. Sources indicated to Daily Mail that investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department were still in the process of compiling their case, as Hollywood stars continued to grieve the show business stalwart. The lifeless bodies of the couple had been discovered Sunday afternoon at their home in Brentwood, California, with detectives saying they believe they died as a result of lethal stab wounds. Nick Reiner, 32, who is accused of murdering his parents Rob and Michele Reiner, has been placed under suicide watch at the LA jail facility he's being kept in. Pictured 2016 in NYC On Tuesday, prosecutors will be given the case, after which they will declare how they are moving forward in the case against Nick. Nick is expected to make an appearance before a judge in court this week, insiders told Daily Mail. It was not immediately clear as of Monday evening if Nick Reiner had obtained a lawyer for representation, or been appointed one. Law enforcement said they have yet to determine a motive in the double murder of the couple at their home. Nick had past been candid about his issues with substance abuse, which led to homelessness and repeated rehab stints. The father and son explored their complicated relationship in the 2016 film Being Charlie. Rob Reiner told the AP in a 2016 interview that making the motion picture with Nick 'forced us to understand ourselves better than we had.' The filmmaker added, 'I told Nick while we were making it, I said, "You know it doesnt matter, whatever happens to this thing, we won already. This has already been good." We've worked through a lot of stuff.' Nick 'is under supervision of the jail mental evaluation team' at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility (pictured), a law enforcement insider confirmed to Daily Mail Monday. The late Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner pictured nine months ago, on March 22 in LA The father and son explored their complicated relationship in the 2016 film Being Charlie. Pictured in NYC in May of 2016 promoting the movie Nick told People in 2016 interview that he had been to rehab on 17 occasions at that time, when he was 22-years-old. Nick said that he had been confronted by family with the ultimatum of entering rehab or hitting the streets on multiple occasions - at times, choosing the latter. 'If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless,' Nick said. 'I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.' Nick said that he had experienced homelessness in states including Texas, New Jersey and Maine. A spokesperson for the Reiner family on Monday confirmed the family tragedy in a statement. 'It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,' the spokesperson said. 'We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.' If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Myleene Klass got into the festive spirit as she left the Smooth Radio Studios on Monday. The TV presenter, 47, turned heads in a red jewel-encrusted mini dress that showed off her sensational figure. She paired the glamorous look with black knee-high boots and kept cosy in sheer black tights. Adding to the Christmas flair, Myleene accessorised with gold jewellery and topped off the outfit with a playful Santa hat. She appeared in high spirits as she smiled for the cameras while heading off to her next destination. Earlier in the day, Amanda Holden and Ashley Roberts were also seen stepping out of the studios. Myleene Klassgot into the festive spirit as she left the Smooth Radio Studios on Monday The TV presenter, 47, turned heads in a red jewel-encrusted mini dress that showed off her sensational figure Amanda, 54, looked effortlessly chic in an all-black ensemble, pairing sleek leather trousers with a cosy knitted jumper. She added a long black wool coat featuring feathered sleeves and shielded her eyes with a pair of sunglasses. Meanwhile, Ashley, 44, cut a stylish figure in a long white coat layered over a knitted jumper and beige trousers. It comes after Myleene put on a sexy display as she enjoyed a late-night takeaway after attending The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical's anniversary gala show in London earlier this month. The TV presenter flaunted her toned legs in a stylish white mini dress from Maia London as she struck a series of sultry poses in a Five Guys booth. Myleene added inches to her frame with black platform heels and wrapped a black blazer over her shoulders as she indulged in French fries. She captioned the sizzling snaps with Meryl Streep's iconic The Devil Wears Prada catchphrase: 'That's all.' Earlier in the evening, Myleene and a string of stars headed to London's West End for the glitzy gala show. She paired the glamorous look with black knee-high boots and kept cosy in sheer black tights Adding to the Christmas flair, Myleene accessorised with gold jewellery and topped off the outfit with a playful Santa hat She appeared in high spirits as she smiled for the cameras while heading off to her next destination Earlier in the day, Amanda Holden (pictured) and Ashley Roberts were also seen stepping out of the studios. Amanda, 54, looked effortlessly chic in an all-black ensemble She paired black leather trousers with a black knitted top She added a long black wool coat featuring feathered sleeves and shielded her eyes with a pair of sunglasses Meanwhile, Ashley, 44, cut a stylish figure in a long white coat She teamed her coat with a knitted jumper and beige trousers She added a Miu Miu bag to her look Myleene led the glamour in her stylish white number as she posed up a storm for cameras at the event. With music by Elton John, The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical opened in London's Dominion Theatre last year, with Vanessa Williams starring as the villainous Runway editor Miranda Priestley. In September, it was announced that the show's run would be extended until September 2026, with Vanessa set to stay in the role until April. Last month, Katie Price, 47, issued a grovelling apology to Myleene after she branded the radio star a 'clone' during her tour after learning that Myleene had been awarded an MBE in July. At the time, Katie, with friend Kerry Katona, compared Myleene to a 'clone' as she claimed the star was given the honour for 'playing the classical piano' while blasting the TV industry as 'corrupt.' But on a new episode of her podcast The Katie Price Show, the reality star confessed she wasn't aware Myleene was actually given the MBE for raising awareness of miscarriages and women's health. Sharing that she had suffered miscarriages in the past, Katie admitted she 'commends' Myleene for her campaigning, and said she 'sincerely apologised' to her. Katie's sister Sophie first questioned her about her comments while admitting she and their Mum had 'told her off' after hearing the remarks. It comes after Myleene put on a sexy display as she enjoyed a late-night takeaway after attending The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical's anniversary gala show in London earlier this month She said: 'Right, on my show I've just done with Kerry, there was a quote, and it wasn't aimed at Myleene, an old quote of mine, ''these days anyone can get an MBE, but I've never been given one when I do a lot for charity and stuff.'' 'And I said, people like Myleene Klass, what is she known for? Playing the classical piano, because I don't read about Myleene, and I've met Myleene, and I've always liked Myleene. I think I did Loose Women with her sometimes, and it wasn't a direct dig at her. 'What I'm saying is people like Myleene Klass have the same management as most of the TV people out there, presenters and that, and I call them all the clones, because they all have the same management, and they all come out as if they're smelling of roses. They're all under the same umbrella, the same kind of managers. 'Now I never apologise unless I'm in the wrong. I did not know on my life, now I know why she did get an MBE. She done something about miscarriages, and that's very close to my heart as I've also had miscarriages and at late stages in pregnancy, so I commend her for that, and I apologise to her. Last month, Katie Price, 47 (pictured) issued a grovelling apology to Myleene after she branded the radio star a 'clone' during her tour Myleene was awarded an MBE in July for services to women's health, miscarriage awareness and charity, but Katie remarked the star had been honoured for 'playing the classical piano' 'But I don't mean it like the clone bit, it's not that she's a clone of anyone else, I meant they're all a clone, they're all in the same management. 'So for me, for her to do the miscarriage and stuff, I apologise to her because I didn't know she did that.' Katie went on to say: 'From me to Myleene, I sincerely apologise because it's a good cause she does it for. Apologies from me, that will teach me for not reading into it, and talking before I knew that she deserved to get an MBE.' Last month, Katie launched an astonishing attack on Myleene during an interview with Closer Magazine. She said: 'I'm not against this for her, but why the f**k has Myleene Klass got an MBE? For playing the classical piano? 'This industry is so corrupt. They have the same managers, they're all clones they all win MBEs and are fronting TV. 'But behind the scenes, they're worse than we are. T**ds are what they are!' Sophie Habboo has treated fans to a new glimpse inside her newborn bubble with husband Jamie Laing, after giving birth to their first child two weeks ago. The Made In Chelsea stars welcomed a baby boy named Ziggy at the start of December, and opened up on all the things they'd learned about babies since becoming parents. Taking to her Instagram on Monday, Sophie shared several sweet snaps of the couple settling into parenthood, including taking their little one out for a winter stroll. She also snapped a selfie of her breastfeeding Ziggy, as well as a heartwarming shot of Jamie beaming adoringly down at his son. Another selfie saw Jamie planting a kiss on his wife's cheek, with a final image revealing a peek inside the couple's newly-renovated kitchen, complete with a Christmas tree and festooned with lights. The pair only just moved into their new abode, rumoured to be worth 12m, after a 14-month renovation, that Jamie joked had left them 'nearly divorced'. Sophie Habboo has treated fans to a new glimpse inside her newborn bubble with husband Jamie Laing, after giving birth to their first child two weeks ago The Made In Chelsea stars welcomed a baby boy named Ziggy at the start of December, and opened up on all the things they'd learned about babies since becoming parents Taking to her Instagram on Monday, Sophie shared several sweet snaps of the couple settling into parenthood, including taking their little one out for a winter stroll And the reality star also took to his TikTok to update his followers on their parenting journey, as he and Sophie listed all the things they'd been surprised to learn so far while out on a stroll. Sophie began by saying she'd been taken aback by how Ziggy 'sounds like a goat all night long' and that babies 'cry in their sleep'. She added: 'And that also I wake up every hour thinking that he's crying when he's not and look in the covers because I think I've fallen asleep with him breastfeeding on me, and he's fast asleep in his little crib next to me.' Jamie chimed in to say: 'When the baby cries, how much your breast leak,' as Sophie corrected: 'Only one of my boobs leaks! My left one is colossal and my right leaks all the time.' She went on to praise how Ziggy smelled, admitting she didn't understand why as she said: 'Babies smell like a bakery, they smell so yummy' and added: 'How much you have to burp them, those gassy little things.' 'The fact that babies are nocturnal,' Jamie continued. 'They're like owls, they're awake all night long!' He finished the video by telling fans: 'There you have it, parenting tips from two novices,' as Sophie cut in to insist: 'I think I'm a little bit of a veteran now!' The new parents also introduced Ziggy into their social circle over the weekend, with the newborn meeting Jack Whitehall's PR mogul sister Molly and her husband Toby Wilko, alongside Olly Hadden-Paton and his wife Megan. She also snapped a selfie of her breastfeeding Ziggy, as well as a heartwarming shot of Jamie beaming adoringly down at his son Another selfie saw Jamie planting a kiss on his wife's cheek, with a final image revealing a peek inside the couple's newly-renovated kitchen, complete with a Christmastree and festooned with lights @jamielaing Its a WILD journey What other things did we miss? @Sophie Habboo original sound - jamie Sophie and Jamie have hidden Ziggy's face so far, but have been sharing snippets into life as new parents. The couple announced they had welcomed their first child together on Instagram with details of Sophie's pregnancy and birth set to be documented in their upcoming Disney Plus show. In the meantime, the pair have kept their fans updated with social media updates, with Jamie taking to Instagram the day after the birth to heap praise on his 'rockstar' wife. Sharing a picture of himself on a bed in Sophie's private hospital suite, Jamie wrote : 'A wild, incredible experience. Exhausted, full of love and in awe of my wife. 'Already knew she was 10/10 but didn't realise that level could go even higher and it continues to grow. You are a complete rockstar and to women around the world [I salute you].' And the reality star also took to his TikTok to update his followers on their parenting journey, as he and Sophie listed all the things they'd been surprised to learn so far while out on a stroll Sophie began by saying she'd been taken aback by how Ziggy 'sounds like a goat all night long' and that babies 'cry in their sleep' Meanwhile Sophie shared her own post-birth photos from the birth, gushing that 'it all makes sense'. After announcing the birth, the pair were inundated with well wishes from their celebrity pals including Jessie J who wrote: 'You did it mama.' Rylan Clark penned: 'Congrats you two xxx' while Stacey Solomon and Strictly star Nadiya Bychkova also sent their well wishes. Former Big Brother winner Kate Lawler said Ziggy is a 'very cool name'. Sophie and Jamie married in a lavish Spanish wedding in 2023 surrounded by their famous pals and family after getting together on Made In Chelsea in 2019 Hugh Jackman has shared his heartbreak over the shocking Bondi terror attack on Sunday. The Aussie actor, 57, said he was devastated and expressed his sympathy for the victims and their families. 'It's just devastating, it's my home so it hits close. This is something we are seeing all over the world, my heart is breaking about it,' he said during an interview on Fox 5 DC. 'I just feel for particularly for those families, those closely affected and the community because it's my community. 'I went to bed reading about Brown University and woke up reading about Bondi, I just feel heartbroken.' Jackman owns a penthouse apartment in Bondi Beach close to Bondi Icebergs Club & Swim School. Hugh Jackmanhas shared his heartbreak over the shocking Bondi terror attack on Sunday When he is back Down Under is often seen swimming and running on the iconic beach or visiting cafes and restaurants in the area. Jackman purchased the luxury, low-rise apartment for $5.9 million in 2015. The three-bedroom property is complete with glorious, panoramic ocean views and luxury finishes throughout. He retained the residence during his divorce from his wife Deborra-Lee Furness. The decision to secure the base at Bondi was hardly surprising, as the Wolverine star is often spotted at the beach when visiting his home country. The deadly terror attack at Australia's most iconic tourist destination unfolded on Sunday as hundreds gathered to attend the Chanukah by the Sea event, marking the first day of Hanukkah. Two heavily armed men, allegedly Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, stood on a pedestrian footbridge and opened fire with military-grade weapons on crowds of locals, holidaymakers and families. Naveed remains in hospital under police guard after being shot by officers. He remains in a coma but is expected to survive. His father Sajid, a licensed firearms holder, was shot dead by police. The deadly attack at Australia's most iconic tourist destination unfolded on Sunday as hundreds gathered to attend the Chanukah by the Sea event, marking the first day of Hanukkah The death toll from the Bondi Beach massacre stands at 15, and includes a child, marking one of the darkest days in the country's history. Nine of the 15 innocent people who lost their lives have been identified. The youngest victim was 10-year-old Matilda. Other victims included British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, French national Dan Elkayam, 27, Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, beloved husband and father Tibor Weitzen, Wellington Street synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison, Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82, and retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher. Angelina Jolie has decided to publicly show her mastectomy scars for the first time. The Maria star, 50, candidly revealed why she's chosen to show the results of her preventive double mastectomy from over a decade ago in a new interview with TIME France. 'I share these scars with many women I love,' she stated. 'And I'm always moved when I see other women share theirs.' 'I wanted to join them, knowing that TIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention, and knowledge about breast cancer.' For the cover photo, the Oscar winner posed in a low-cut black sweater, subtly covering one breast with her hand. Photos of Jolie's double mastectomy scars will accompany the full interview, which will be published in the new issue of TIME France on December 18. Angelina Jolie, 50, has decided to publicly show her double mastectomy scars for the first time in a new cover story for TIME France which will be released on December 18 In May 2013, Jolie had both breasts surgically removed, and then underwent a reconstructive surgery, after discovering she carries a genetic mutation that dramatically increases the chance of being diagnosed with potentially fatal breast cancer. The mutation in her BRCA1 gene, left the mother-of-six with an estimated 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer. In March 2015, she also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventive measure against developing ovarian cancer. The Unbroken director lost her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, to cancer at age 56 in 2007. Her grandmother and aunt also passed away from cancer. In her new interview, Jolie called for making BRCA screenings available to every woman. 'Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices: genetic testing and screening should be accessible and affordable for women with clear risk factors or a significant family history.' 'When I shared my experience in 2013, it was to encourage informed choices,' she added. 'Healthcare decisions must be personal, and women must have the information and support they need to make those choices. Access to screening and care should not depend on financial resources or where someone lives.' Join the debate Should more celebrities publicly share their health struggles to raise awareness? 'I share these scars with many women I love,' Jolie, who underwent a preventive mastectomy in 2013, stated. 'And I'm always moved when I see other women share theirs'; Seen in 2024 In May 2013, Jolie had both breasts surgically removed, and then underwent a reconstructive surgery, after discovering she carries a genetic mutation that dramatically increases the chance of being diagnosed with potentially fatal breast cancer; Seen in 2021 In March 2015, she also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventive measure against developing ovarian cancer; Pictured with ex-husband Brad Pitt in 2014 In her upcoming film Couture directed by Alice Winocour Jolie plays Maxine Walker, an American filmmaker diagnosed with breast cancer; Seen in a still with Louis Garrel Jolie said the film, which is set to be released in France in February 2026, is a 'very personal story' adding, 'Too often, films about women's struggles especially cancer talk about endings and sadness, rarely about life'; Seen in a still In her upcoming film Couture directed by Alice Winocour Jolie plays Maxine Walker, an American filmmaker diagnosed with breast cancer. Jolie said the film, which is set to be released in France in February 2026, is a 'very personal story'. She added that she's 'always admired Alice's work,' and her 'unique' approach to illness, while praising her for handling Couture's sensitive subjects 'with such delicacy'. 'Too often, films about women's struggles especially cancer talk about endings and sadness, rarely about life,' Jolie said. 'Hardships, illnesses, and pain are part of our existence, but what matters is how we face them,' she added. 'My mother was ill for years. One evening, when she was being asked about her chemotherapy, she became very emotional and told me she would have preferred to talk about something else; she felt as though the illness was becoming her entire identity,' the star continued. 'I love this film because it tells a story that goes far beyond the journey of a sick person: it shows life. It was this luminous perspective that touched me and made me want to play this role.' In 2015, Jolie shared about her decision to remove her ovaries due to a second health scare. The Maleficent star published a lengthy opinion piece, titled Angelina Jolie Pitt: Diary Of A Surgery in the New York Times explaining her decision. According to Jolie, she had been planning to undergo surgery to remove her ovaries and Fallopian tubes for a while at the time, but a call from her doctor made the procedure more urgent. The Unbroken director lost her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, to cancer at age 56 in 2007. Her grandmother and aunt also passed away from cancer; Seen with her mom in 2001 A blood test detected potential anomalies linked to the protein CA-125, which is used to monitor ovarian cancer, Jolie's doctor told her, urging the actress to see her surgeon, who also had treated her late mother. 'I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt,' she wrote. 'I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn't live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren.' She noted that she chose to keep her uterus because there is no history of uterine cancer in her family. Jolie has previously spoken of the void in her life that her mother's death had left - a pain that led her to taking the brave decision to have a double mastectomy, so her children may not have to experience the pain she did. The actress's aunt, Debbie Martin, then died of breast cancer at the age of 61 less than two weeks after Jolie revealed she had undergone her mastectomy. To counteract the loss of her ovaries, Jolie turned to hormone replacement therapy and had a device inserted in her womb. 'Regardless of the hormone replacements I'm taking, I am now in menopause,' she wrote. 'I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared.' 'I know my children will never have to say, "Mom died of ovarian cancer,"' she added. 'I know my children will never have to say, "Mom died of ovarian cancer,"' she previously told the New York Times in 2015; Seen with her six children in 2019 Jolie shares three biological children with ex-husband Brad Pitt, 61: Shiloh, 19, and 17-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. They also share three adopted children: Maddox, 24, Zahara, 20, and Pax. Pitt and Jolie's romance began in the early 2000s, and they tied the knot in 2014 at their chateau in the South of France. But by 2016, their union was over in dramatic fashion, with a now-infamous private plane incident involving an alleged physical altercation. The bitter divorce was not finalized until late 2024, and his fractured relationship with their six children remains unresolved. Kim Cattrall stunned in a black swimsuit as she enjoyed a 'dream' Maldives honeymoon with her new husband Russell Thomas. The Sex and the City icon, 69, jetted off to the One&Only Reethi Rah resort after tying the knot for the fourth time in a secret ceremony held in London. Kim wed audio engineer Russell, 54, on Thursday in an under-the-radar ceremony held in the UK, according to People. Taking to Instagram over the weekend, Kim turned heads as she lounged by the pool in a black halterneck swimsuit. She was seen lying on her side squinting in the sun as she showed off her incredible figure. In another snap, Kim relaxed in a hammock wearing a blue linen beach dress as she took in the sunset. Kim Cattrall stunned in a black swimsuit in a snap on Instagram over the weekend as she enjoyed a 'dream' Maldives honeymoon with her new husband Russell Thomas The Sex and the City icon, 69, jetted off to the One&Only Reethi Rah resort after tying the knot with Russell Thomas in a secret ceremony held in London (Seen together earlier this month) 'A dream come true spending an extraordinary vacation at One&Only Reethi Rah @ooreethirah @ooresorts' she captioned the bikini snap. Kim added in her second snap: 'Sweet dreams @ooreethirah.' Kim and Russell were first introduced at the BBC in London when Kim was appearing on an episode of Woman's Hour in 2016 to record an essay about insomnia. She married Thomas at Chelsea Old Town Hall in a ceremony that reportedly featured just 12 guests. Their ceremony, which was described as 'quiet' and 'understated,' was reportedly centred around the strong relationship the couple have cultivated over nearly a decade, as well as their connections to family and friends. Photos of the intimate nuptials show that Kim continued her reputation as a style maven by wearing a tasteful Dior suit that was styled by her longtime collaborator and former Sex And The City costume designer Patricia Field. Though Patricia, like Kim, was not part of the recently cancelled Sex And The City sequel series And Just Like That, Kim got Patricia to return to style her for a brief cameo appearance in the latter show's second season. The Dior suit they settled on for Kim's wedding featured a champagne-coloured jacket and an opaque skirt with a layer of pleated dotted point d'esprit tulle draped over it. In another snap, Kim relaxed in a hammock wearing a blue linen beach dress as she took in the sunset Kim wed audio engineer Russell, 54, on Thursday in an under-the-radar ceremony held in the UK, according to People (Seen together in 2023) In addition to the suit, the BritishCanadianAmerican actress wore delicate white lace Cornelia James gloves and a custom hat made by Philip Treacy, according to People, which was decorated with a striking flourish of white lattice lace and a lovely fabric flower. Although the couple didn't hold their wedding ceremony until Thursday, Kim appears to have had a head start on wearing her wedding band, which she appeared to flash on the red carpet when she and Russell attended the 2025 Fashion Awards at London's Royal Albert Hall just days earlier on Monday. While speaking with The Times of London in June 2023, Kim gushed that she was 'very grateful' for her 'lovely' relationship with Russell. She praised their 'nice life,' which came into focus after their initial meeting at the BBC. Kim shared that Russell kept in touch with her after her appearance on the BBC Radio 4 show, and he followed her on Twitter (now X). 'He direct messaged me,' she told Glamour in 2018. 'It was very, very modern [and] it's just been very easy.' Things really began to heat up after he flew out to her home in Vancouver, Canada, to spend time with her. 'It was very brave of him because we didn't really know each other other than having a few meals together. But he came and we got along great,' she told People in 2020. 'And weve been together ever since!' Kim explained to The Times that, where her earlier relationships had been more 'instinctual,' her relationship with Russell had a 'really gradual' progression. 'Our lives were so separate and so different,' Kim said. 'It's a nice life and I'm very grateful for that.' Kim added that she and Russell had a 'true test' of their relationship when the coronavirus pandemic 'locked' them together, but now they move freely between the US, Canada and the UK. 'Im very comfortable around him,' Kim gushed to People in 2020. 'He's a firecracker and hes got a wicked sense of humour. And he's easy on the eyes!' Their friendship has been extremely tumultuous through the years, with cracks starting over slurs about a 'cottage cheese butt'. Yet Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton proved all is in the past as they reunited for a holiday party on over the weekend, during which they posed for stunning snaps. The reality star, 45, looked incredible in a bra-flashing black ensemble while the hotel heiress, 44, was Christmas ready in a red velvet mini. Kim simply captioned her post with a black heart, while Paris commented underneath: 'The best', cementing the status of their renewed friendship. They have known each other since being kids and been pals for many years, with Kim's rise to fame starting when she owned a closet organising business, in which Paris was a client leading to Kim making appearances on The Simple Life. Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton proved all is in the past as they reunited for a holiday party on over the weekend, during which they posed for stunning snaps Their friendship has been extremely tumultuous through the years, with cracks starting over slurs about a 'cottage cheese butt' (the duo pictured in 2006) The duo's Christmas reunion saw both the stars look stunning in their chic ensembles, with Kim leaving little to the imagination in the racy ensemble The duo's Christmas reunion saw both the stars look stunning in their chic ensembles, with Kim leaving little to the imagination in the racy ensemble. Kim and Paris' friendship has been extremely colourful throughout the years. In 2008, Paris shockingly said of Kim's famous bottom: '[It looks like] cottage cheese inside a big trash bag', leading to further fractures in their relationship. Although she offered a formal apology, the damage appeared to be done. In 2011, Kim gave an interview in which she detailed how the duo had 'grown apart', saying: 'We don't really talk There comes a point in life where you just grow apart and realize you're not as similar as you thought.' The duo have spent holidays together previously since reuniting The duo are pictured in 2006 Despite the back and forth, the duo reunited in 2014 and delighted fans over the years with various reunions - sparking constant nostalgia. Paris proudly stated the following year: 'We've known each other since we were little girls, we've always been friends. It's nice to inspire people. I'm really proud of her and what she's done.' Kim later admitted that her friendship with Paris helped form her career, as she said: 'She literally gave me a career, and I totally acknowledge that.' Shortly after sharing the pictures with her former pal, Kim rocked a bizarre outfit to chaperone her pre-teen daughter North West and her pals as they stepped out for dinner over the weekend. On Saturday evening, the mother-daughter duo wore outfits that clashed with each other's in bright, primary colors as they went for sushi at Nobu Malibu, one of Kanye West's favorite restaurants. Kim rocked a bizarre outfit to chaperone her pre-teen daughter North West and her pals as they stepped out for dinner over the weekend She slipped into red, latex pants nearly identical in color to the skintight catsuit that Bianca Censori, Kanye's wife, wore in her strange art show in Seoul and over-the-knee boots that appeared to be intentionally loose around her legs. Kim rocked a bizarre outfit to chaperone her pre-teen daughter North West and her pals as they stepped out for dinner over the weekend. On Saturday evening, the mother-daughter duo wore outfits that clashed with each other's in bright, primary colors as they went for sushi at Nobu Malibu, one of Kanye West's favorite restaurants. The reality TV star, 45, slipped into red, latex pants nearly identical in color to the skintight catsuit that Bianca Censori, Kanye's wife, wore in her strange art show in Seoul and over-the-knee boots that appeared to be intentionally loose around her legs. She left jaws dropping on the red carpet earlier in the evening. And Sydney Sweeney continued the glamour on Monday night as she partied up a storm with her The Housemaid co-star Amanda Seyfried at the film's premiere. The controversial actress, 28, donned a sexy white mini dress as she lived it up with the Mean Girls legend, 40, ahead of the release of their new movie. Having initially worn a vast white ball gown with a corseted waist and plunging neckline earlier on, Sydney threw herself into party mode with her later look. Her thigh-skimming after-party look was strapless and adorned with applique flowers, making for the perfect follow on from her red carpet ensemble, while Amanda opted to maintain her look throughout the evening. Sydney Sweeneycontinued the glamour on Monday night as she partied up a storm with her The Housemaid co-star Amanda Seyfriedat the film's premiere She left jaws dropping on the red carpet earlier in the evening as she showcased her tiny waist and eye-popping bust Sydney looked nothing short of sensational as she hit the party in her chic mini dress which made the most of her long legs and small waist. Sydney stars in her new film as Millie Calloway, a housemaid who accepts a live-in position from a wealthy married woman, played by Amanda Seyfried, and is gradually drawn into the family's dark secrets Sydney looked nothing short of sensational as she hit the party in her chic mini dress which made the most of her long legs and small waist. She not only carried over her white theme but also her red lip and dramatic eye make-up, making for a flawlessly glamorous look. Amanda's ensemble was equally chic, comprising a sequinned, knee-length dress with a ruched waist, strapless top and a racy slit along the leg. Sydney stars in her new film as Millie Calloway, a housemaid who accepts a live-in position from a wealthy married woman, played by Amanda Seyfried, and is gradually drawn into the family's dark secrets. Also making an appearance at the premiere were their fellow co-stars Brandon Sklenar, as well as other Hollywood figures, including Awkwafina and Skai Jackson. During the promo trail, Amanda and Sydney have formed a firm friendship - as showcased during a hilarious lie detector test last week. The controversial actress, 28, donned a sexy white mini dress as she lived it up with the Mean Girls legend, 40, ahead of the release of their new movie The duo were joined by stunning Brit Phoebe Dynevor The A-list duo opted for strapless numbers, in a racy turn on the carpet Sydney's dramatic gown was likened to Marilyn Monroe's iconic 1955 film The Seven Year Itch Sydney was asked by Amanda if her breasts are real while participating in Vanity Fair's notoriously unfiltered Lie Detector Test on Thursday. The actress was pushed to clarify whether her chest had ever been surgically enhanced. 'I just have to ask - are your boobs real?' Amanda, 40, said, to which Sydney shot back without hesitation: 'Yes.' When Amanda followed up by asking whether she had 'ever had any work done on them', the actress doubled down: 'No, I've never gotten any work done anywhere.' The polygraph examiner confirmed she was telling the truth. The exchange only spotlighted a topic Sydney has been forced to address repeatedly throughout her career on the big screen. They were joined by Indiana Elle, who plays Sydney's character Millie's daughter Cecelia Winchester The ladies were also joined by Brandon Sklenar and Paul Feig The stunning duo made the most of their moment in the spotlight Last week, she told Allure: 'I have never gotten work done. I am too scared of needles.' She added that comparing photos of her as a child to polished red-carpet images is unfair and wildly misleading. The actress said: 'You cannot compare a photo of me from when I was 12 to a photo of me at 26 with professional make-up and lighting. Of course I'm gonna look different! Everybody on social media is insane!' Sydney even joked that if she had tweaked anything that her 'face would be even' as she revealed she still has slight asymmetry due to a childhood wakeboarding accident that required 19 stitches near her left eye. Billy Crystal was called to the scene following the horrific double murder of his lifelong friend, Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle. Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, were found dead by their daughter Romy at their $13.5 million Brentwood mansion on Sunday, with police now saying their son Nick is 'responsible' for their deaths. Nick allegedly fatally slit his parents' throats, having also stabbed them multiple times, in the family's home. Billy, 77, and Rob's friendship was so tight-knit that the director's daughter Romy called Billy and his wife Janice to 'say their goodbyes' at the murder scene, reports TMZ. Billy appeared emotional and was seen wiping tears from his eyes as he walked arm-in-arm with his wife after leaving the murder scene. The pair's five-decade 'bromance' stretched back to 1975, when they met on the set of All In The Family. Ever since, Billy and Rob remained friends for life and shared not only a career together, but family moments too. Billy Crystal, 77, was called to the scene following the horrific double murder of his lifelong friend, Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michelle, 70 (pictured together in 2014) Billy and Rob's friendship was so tight-knit that the director's daughter Romy called Billy and his wife Janice to 'say their goodbyes' at the murder scene Rob and Michele were found dead by their daughter Romy at their $13.5m Brentwood mansion on Sunday, with police now saying their son Nick is 'responsible' for their deaths (L-R) Jake, Romy and Nick; the family is pictured in 2014 in NYC When speaking about Rob in a 2016 guest column titled, Billy Crystal: How Rob Reiner and I Built a Bromance of Four Decades, Billy touched on the pair's friendship and how it was to work with him. He told The Hollywood Reporter: 'What impressed me the most about Rob was, one, he was so genial, but two, he was so smart. 'Its a very impressive combination of talents that I first met - plus, he was just hilarious. It worked really well, and we said, It feels right onstage, why dont we just continue this in our lives? 'We became the closest of friends. And when I moved out here, we just spent all kinds of time together.' Monsters, Inc. star Billy once described Rob's later father, Carl Reiner, like 'an uncle' to him - after he passed away aged 98 in 2020. 'He was an uncle to me, and Mel [Brooks] has been the same way', Billy said on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2021. 'That's one of the great blessings. Rob is my dearest friend and then Carl and I had a whole separate, wonderful relationship where we would speak He was just a giant.' Just months ago, in September, Billy supported his best friend Rob at the premiere of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. The pair's five-decade 'bromance' stretched back to 1975, when they met on the set of All In The Family (pictured together in 1992) Ever since, Billy and Rob remained friends for life and shared not only a career together, but family moments too (pictured in 2019) Just months ago, in September, Billy supported his best friend Rob at the premiere of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (pictured) 'We became the closest of friends. And when I moved out here, we just spent all kinds of time together', Billy said of their bromance (pictured in 2019) It was the director's latest movie release and 41-year-later sequel to the original mockumentary. Rob had an illustrious Hollywood career, first making his name as an actor and winning two Emmys for his role on All In The Family, which is also where he met Billy. He then moved into directing, with his first feature-length project being This Is Spinal Tap in 1984, followed by Stand By Me and The Princess Bride. Nick, 32, who is known to have a history of drug addiction and volatile mental health, is now facing federal murder charges and is being held without bail. His arrest came after Romy reportedly told police that a family member 'should be a suspect' because they are 'dangerous'. Just hours earlier, Nick had attended a holiday party with his parents, and reportedly left A-list guests concerned after they got into a 'very loud argument'. 'Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous,' a source told PEOPLE about the bash, which was hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien. The family had been dealing with Nick's spiraling mental illness and drug issues for months at that point, telling friends 'we've tried everything,' according to TMZ. Reiner and his son Nick attend a screening of Being Charlie in New York, 2016 A satellite view of the mansion in Los Angeles, where the couple were slain on Sunday Nick had even previously attended rehab when he was just about 15 years old. By the time Nick was 22 in 2016, he said he had gone to rehab 17 times, adding that he had been left homeless after refusing to get help on multiple occasions. 'If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless,' he told People, seemingly referring to his family. 'I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.' Eventually, Nick said he 'got sick of it'. 'I got sick of doing that s***. I come from a nice family. I'm not supposed to be out there on the streets and in homeless shelters doing all these f*****-up things.' One year prior, Nick's parents expressed regret at how they had dealt with their son's addiction, saying they failed to listen to him and instead relied on medical professionals to get him through it. 'When Nick would tell us that it wasn't working for him, we wouldn't listen,' Reiner told the Los Angeles Times at the time. 'We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son.' Michele added: 'We were so influenced by these people. They would tell us he's a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them.' Once Nick became sober, he and his father would go on to co-write the semi-autobiographical movie Being Charlie about his struggles with drug addiction and the impact it has on a person's family. Nick worked on the film from rehab and collaborated with his director father on the project, which depicts the strained relationship between an actor father and his addict son and tracks closely with the Reiner family's own experience, they said at the time. It ends with an apology from the father about the occasionally harsh way he treats his son, including enforced stints in rehab, something Reiner said he gave his son in real life. In a 2016 interview with the BUILD series while promoting their film, Nick said that he 'didn't bond' well with his father when he was younger, and said that working on Being Charlie 'made me feel closer to him'. He said at the time of Being Charlie's release that he hoped to stay off drugs so that he would never be homeless again. 'When I was out there, I could've died. It's all luck,' he said. 'You roll the dice and you hope you make it'. Chris Hemsworth has put split rumours to rest after lifting the lid on his marriage to Elsa Pataky. The Aussie star, who wed the Spanish actress back in December 2010, revealed that the secret to his decade-and-a-half-long relationship is 'having fun'. Speaking on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast, the 42-year-old revealed that both he and Elsa have 'an adventurous spirit and making time for one another' was a key factor behind their successful marriage. 'The complicated times have been when it's been all work, all kids, and all of a sudden the "us" in the relationship is sort of non-existent, you're just managing a household or the work family schedule,' he confessed. He added that 'removing ourselves from all of that and just having time for the two of us and making space for each other' helped them get to where they are today, as well as 'making each other laugh'. 'There's always that spark, that attraction, but what it comes down to is friendship and companionship in the end.' Chris Hemsworth has lifted the lid on his marriage to Elsa Pataky (Pictured: Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky) The Aussie star, who wed the Spanish actress back in December 2010 after dating for three months, revealed that the secret to his relationship is 'having fun' Despite never-ending split speculation, Chris and Elsa put on a loved-up display in November at an intimate screening of the Centr founder's new Disney+ documentary, A Road to Remember. The reunion marked the couple's first joint red carpet appearance in months. The Thor actor took to social media to share snaps with his Spanish wife, 49, alongside family members including his father Craig, 71, and mother Leonie, 64. Chris looked dashing in a brown three-piece suit as he posed affectionately with his wife of 14 years. Elsa, radiant in a green summer maxi dress and shimmering silver stilettos, beamed as Chris wrapped his arm around her waist. It was a true family affair for the Hemsworth clan, with Chris' brothers Liam, 35, and Luke, 45, joining him on the red carpet. Sharing the snaps to Instagram, Chris included a tribute to his parents in the post, who co-starred alongside him in the new film. 'Surreal experience spending time with family and friends last night at a special screening...,' Chris wrote alongside his post. Despite never-ending split rumours, Chris and Elsa put on a loved up display in November at an intimate screening of the Centr founder's new Disney+ documentary, A Road to Remember 'This project was unlike anything I've been a part of for a whole host of reasons and I'm incredibly proud of it. 'Very thankful to everyone who poured into it and especially grateful to my parents, Craig and Leonie, who really put themselves out there with such vulnerability and grace.' Chris also thanked the film's director, Tom Barbor-Might, and included a photo of his 11-year-old twin sons, Tristan and Sasha. Their daughter India, 13, did not appear in the photos. Produced by National Geographic, A Road to Remember chronicles Craig's battle with early-onset Alzheimer's. Biffy Clyro bassist James Johnston has quit as he seeks professional help for addiction and mental health issues. In an announcement on Monday, the band explained that he would no longer be joining them on their upcoming tour. The rock band are formed of Simon Neil, James and his twin brother Ben, with other musicians joining them for live shows. In the statement, shared to Instagram, James explained: 'I am heartbroken to let you know that I will not be joining the band on the upcoming tours. 'For some time, I have been living with mental health problems which have led to addiction issues that I have kept concealed for a long time. 'This has caused significant problems for myself and everyone around me - the time has come to properly address my illnesses and deal with them.' Biffy Clyro bassist James Johnston has quit as he seeks professional help for addiction and mental health issues (James pictured in June) In an announcement on Monday, the band explained that he would no longer be joining them on their upcoming tour (L-R Ben Johnston, Simon Neil and James Johnston last month) He continued: 'I am extremely sorry to Ben and Simon and thank them for their continued love, patience, support and understanding throughout this time. 'I have recently started to receive the professional help that I need and assure you that there is light at the end of the tunnel. 'To all our fabs, your support means so much to me and in the meantime our dear friend Naomi McCleod will be taking care of bass duties, and I cannot think of a better person for the job. With love, James.' The band will kick off their next tour in January, starting in Belfast before making their way over to Europe. They then have a sting of shows in Australia and New Zealand before heading back to the UK for festival season for Leeds and Reading, Download, Isle of Wight and TRNSMT. The band released their 10th studio album Futique in September, but frontman Simon has already been busy penning new material and revealed he's been experimenting with different sounds, including garage rock and country rock. He told NME of the new tunes: 'Theyre less focussed, as always. I like the beauty of the fact that these other songs have been worked on less so theres more freedom. 'Theyre flapping the breeze and we can focus on our eccentricities. Theres a liberation in knowing that people who are really into our band will listen to them at this stage. It fills the story and completes our picture.' Join the debate Would YOU rather see a band pause than push through without a member? In the statement, shared to Instagram, James explained: 'I am heartbroken to let you know that I will not be joining the band on the upcoming tours' The band will kick off their next tour in January, starting in Belfast before making their way over to Europe Simon added: 'There are some garage rock songs on there, one of the best country rock songs Ive ever written.' Fans will have to wait and see if the new tracks make it onto their next album. The prolific songwriter says Biffy plan to stick around for years to come and making Futique made him realise it's far from 'the end of the road' for Scottish trio. Simon added: 'I know thats ludicrous to say on your 10th album, but were still on this f****** journey. Were still finding new ways to do s***.' Bianca Censori has sent temperatures soaring in yet another daring outfit in South Korea. The Australian wife of rapper Kanye West, who is known for her risque fashion sense of fashion, wore no trousers as she arrived at Seoul Airport on Saturday. The 30-year-old architect ditched the usual airport attire of tracksuits and sweaters and, instead, wore a provocative all-black ensemble with no bottoms for the travel day. Her long trim pins were on full display as she wore a tiny pair of shorts and thigh-high heeled boots, which she paired with a mesh long-sleeve top. Bianca's jet black locks fell across her shoulders as she rocked a full fringe, opting for a smoky eye and light lip. The Melburnian kept her accessories minimal, carrying her phone in one hand as she made her way through the airport and holding her celebrity husband's hand with the other. Bianca Censori (pictured) has sent temperatures soaring in yet another daring outfit in South Korea The Australian wife of rapper Kanye West, who is known for her risque fashion sense of fashion, wore no trousers as she arrived at Seoul Airport on Saturday (Pictured: Kanye West and Bianca Censori) Kanye matched his beau in black, wearing leather-esque trousers and a Yeezy Season 10 hoodie. The 48-year-old's face was mostly hidden by a black face mask, however he was instantly recognisable thanks to his signature style and wife, who has made herself part of the pop culture zeitgeist thanks to her wild fashion statements. Bianca raised eyebrows during her time in Seoul with her latest creative pursuit - a bizarre art show. She unveiled the long-teased project, BIO POP (THE ORIGIN), in the South Korean capital on Thursday, shocking fans with an exhibition filled with 'human furniture' designed by herself, masked doubles of herself and a highly stylised interpretation of domestic life. The Aussie native made a dramatic entrance in a skin-tight magenta latex bodysuit, teamed with pointed boots and her signature poker-straight hair with a soft fringe. The performance opens with Bianca meticulously baking a cake in a stylised kitchen. After removing the cake from the oven, Bianca placed the vivid red dessert on a trolley and wheeled it into a room filled with mannequin lookalikes encased in pieces of furniture. Bianca's younger sister Angelina, who was in the audience, documented the strange display, sharing a photo of Bianca perched on a bizarre chair constructed from one of the mannequins. The 30-year-old architect ditched the usual airport attire of track pants and sweaters and, instead, wore a provocative all-black ensemble for the travel day Her long trim pins were on full display as she wore a tiny pair of shorts and thigh-high heeled boots, which she paired with a mesh long-sleeve top The Melburnian kept her accessories minimal, carrying her phone in one hand as she made her way through the airport and holding her celebrity husband's hand with the other Kanye matched his beau in black, wearing leather-esque trousers and a black Yeezy Season 10 hoodie His face was mostly hidden by a black face mask, however he was instantly recognisable thanks to his signature style and wife, who has made herself part of the pop culture zeitgeist thanks to her wild fashion statements Bianca unveiled the long-teased project, BIO POP (THE ORIGIN), in the South Korean capital on Thursday, shocking fans with an exhibition filled with 'human furniture' designed by herself The figure's back formed the seat, its forearms curled into armrests, and its head - eyes wide open - stared out from behind her. A 'human lamp' dangled overhead, while a coffee table crafted from another mannequin sat nearby. BIO POP is just the first chapter in a series of performances Bianca plans to unveil over the next several years. The follow-up instalment, CONFESSIONAL (THE WITNESS), is scheduled for 2025, with BIANCA IS MY DOLL BABY (THE IDOL) listed for 2026 and additional works planned through 2027 and beyond. The ambitious sequence is set to conclude in 2032 with BUBBLE (THE ASCENSION), though details of the finale remain under wraps. Alongside the performance series, Bianca has also released a range of jewellery and accessories, including a $2,250 sterling silver cuff inspired by the contours of a medical speculum. Bianca holds a bachelor's and master's degree in architecture from the University of Melbourne, and later trained at DP Toscano Architects in Collingwood, Victoria. She met Kanye after joining Yeezy - West's clothing and apparel company - as an architectural designer, and the couple married in December 2022. Shona McGarty has opened up about romance rumours surrounding her and her I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Co-star Aitch. The actress, 34, and the rapper, 25, real name Harrison James Armstrong, sparked speculation after sharing several sweet moments in the jungle. Now, Shona has addressed the rumours after joining Fleur East, Will Best and James Barr on the Hits Radio Breakfast Show on Tuesday, where she reflected on her time in the jungle and set the record straight on any blossoming romance. Speaking on the Hits Radio Breakfast Show, Shona told the team: 'I came out, and apparently me and Aitch were in a relationship... 'He's great, still my little brother! He's so fun to be around, he's just hyper, and he matched my level of hyper. He hasn't been round for karaoke yet, but it's on the cards.' It comes after Shona previously broke her silence on her close bond with Aitch, after pining over his departure from the jungle, as she went on to finish third in the show's final earlier this month. Shona McGarty has opened up about romance rumours surrounding her and her I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Co-star Aitch The actress, 34, and the rapper, 25, real name Harrison James Armstrong, sparked speculation after sharing several sweet moments in the jungle (both pictured in the show) The EastEnders actress made it to the final three but was eliminated, leaving Tom Read Wilson and AngryGinge as the last two campmates - with Ginge then taking the crown. As she spoke in her exit interview with Ant and Dec, she gushed about Aitch. Asked why she thought they got on so well, she told the Geordie duo: 'To be honest, when he came into the Jungle, this rapper, he was all giving it this and that, but underneath it all, I could tell he was quite scared of the whole experience. 'He's very normal, down to earth, and we had a similar upbringing, I felt like an older sister to him. I wanted to protect him.' The show opened with the actress pining for Aitch following his departure from their purpose-built jungle camp. His semi-final elimination hinted at something more than friendship, as she was visibly shaken that he had to go. Addressing his shock departure in the Bush Telegraph during the final, a devastated Shona said: 'I had to say goodbye to Aitch today... just one more day until I see him again.' The comment prompted an inevitable wave of speculation from viewers, with many predicting the pair might strike up a romance once Shona leaves the jungle. Now, Shona has addressed the rumours after joining Fleur East, Will Best and James Barr on the Hits Radio Breakfast Show on Tuesday, where she reflected on her time in the jungle and set the record straight on any blossoming romance Speaking on the Hits Radio Breakfast Show, Shona told the team: 'I came out, and apparently me and Aitch were in a relationship...' She continued: 'He's great, still my little brother! He's so fun to be around, he's just hyper, and he matched my level of hyper. He hasn't been round for karaoke yet, but it's on the cards' Taking to X, one commented: 'Shona was devastated!' A second added: 'The way aitch & Shona hugged... they are SO SWEET!!' While a third posted: 'THE AITCH AND SHONA POTENTIAL ROMANCE?! I must know cos theyd be cute af!' [sic] It comes after Aitch cleared up what was happening between him and Shona during their three-week stint in the I'm A Celebrity camp. When asked by the Daily Mail if there was anything romantic between them, he denied it and said: 'Romantic, no, not at all, she's a good friend of mine. 'I just think we had a bond over the music thing, 95 per cent of the conversations we had in the Jungle was literally just about how sick she is at singing. 'I knew that she was trying to come out of the Jungle and pursue a music career. 'I think this is just because of my age. She had the same conversations with Martin, but no one's going to say she had a romance with him because Martin is married. It comes after Shona previously broke her silence on her close bond with Aitch, after pining over his departure from the jungle, as she went on to finish third in the show's final earlier this month (pictured this month) The EastEnders actress made it to the final three but was eliminated, leaving Tom Read Wilson and AngryGinge as the last two campmates - with Ginge then taking the crown 'So, unfortunately, I'm the next option.' The rapper revealed at the time that when they returned to the UK, he would help introduce Shona to his music contacts. He said: 'Most of our conversations were me just telling her she sings so well and that she needs to stop being so scared and pursue singing.' It comes after fans were convinced there was a spark between the two campmates who were both recently single - Shona having ended a nine-year relationship with her fiance David Bracken and Aitch breaking it off with his girlfriend, Lois Cottam, weeks before the jungle. Holly Ramsay and her family were out in force in Bath just days before her wedding to Olympian Adam Peaty in the city. Celebrity chef Gordon and wife Tana stepped out with their brood of children in the Somerset city en masse on Monday in a show of support for Holly's nuptials as an ongoing row with her in-laws threatens to overshadow the Christmas event. The couple will exchange vows at Bath's historic Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, before embarking on festive drinks later this month. Gordon, Tana and their daughter Tilly, 24, held hands and walked in line as they left the swanky Robun Japanese sushi restaurant and cocktail bar. Bride-to-be Holly, 25, was dressed in a chic black look as she left holding the hand of Adam's son George, five, who he shares with ex-girlfriend Eirianedd Munro. Hot on their heels was her fiance Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Adam, also dressed in black, following close behind. Holly Ramsay and her family were out in force in Bath just days before her wedding to Olympian Adam Peaty in the city (Holly and Adam pictured with Adam's son George, five) Gordon, Tana and their daughter Tilly, 24, held hands and walked in line as they left the swanky Robun Japanese sushi restaurant and cocktail bar Holly was putting her woes aside as she enjoyed family time with her beloved clan Fellow diners at Robun, where Robbie Williams recently dined following a one-off gig at Bath's Royal Crescent, spoke of the happy couple, who are to marry after Christmas at Bath Abbey, being 'inseparable'. One said: 'They were all over each other, giggling and fooling about. Whatever problems there may be in the family, they certainly weren't showing it'. Robun restaurant in Bath is famous for its black cod in miso sauce for 27 and its Wagyu ribeye with Ted Namjin, truffle teriyaki and Japanese pepper sauce which comes in at 49. The restaurant also serves single shots of 12 year old malt Yamazaki Japanese whisky for 50. An insider said Gordon's bill ran to many hundreds of pounds. The family got into waiting chauffeur-driven Range Rovers after their one hour and 20 minute sushi meal and drove in the direction of their London home. Gordon and his brood had been in the Roman city of Bath all day to put the finishing touches to Holly's wedding and, it is thought, meet female Revd Chantal Mason, serving as Acting Rector of Bath Abbey. Before joining Bath Abbey, Revd Mason was the Lazenby Chaplain and coordinated a multifaith chaplaincy team at the University of Exeter from 2015 to 2018. The Ramsays are understood to know her because Gordon's son Jack and daughter Holly, who are both 25, both attended Exeter University from 2018 onwards. Join the debate Do you struggle with your partner's family? The couple have suffered a fall-out with Adam's family, including mum Caroline (pictured, centre) who has been barred from the service following an increasingly toxic and inconveniently public row that began in November Gordon was at the helm of the dinner as he prepared for his daughter's big day Holly kept her husband-to-be nearby following their pre-wedding dinner Holly and Adam have put on a brave face publicly amid the dramas A few hours before they arrived at Robun, Gordon was also spotted having 'a late afternoon tea' at The Griffin Inn just around the corner from Bath's famous Theatre Royal. Notably absent was Adam's family. The sportsman left jaws dropping last month when it was revealed he had uninvited his relatives from his wedding, after his mother Caroline was not invited to Holly's swanky hen do. The astonishing family feud kicked off after news arose that Adam's mother was not invited to Holly's hen do, where she was joined by her mum Tana, Adam's sister Bethany and Victoria Beckham at Soho Farmhouse. In the wake of the snub, public woes unravelled, with shock claims on each side about the fallout - including allegations that Holly and Adam made Caroline chose a different outfit for the wedding as they did not like her choice. It's now been reported that tensions between the two families began during Holly and Adam's engagement party, which was filmed for Gordon's upcoming Netflix documentary. The astonishing family feud kicked off after news arose that Adam's mother was not invited to Holly's hen do, where she was joined by her mum Tana, Adam's sister Bethany and Victoria Beckham at Soho Farmhouse (Bethany pictured third from the left, behind Tilly Ramsay) Tilly was looking stylish in wide-leg jeans and a red scarf Gordon was filmed over nine months as he opened five new restaurants in London, alongside juggling his personal life. The engagement party, which took place last December, will see Holly and Adam with his family during happier times, before their toxic fallout occurred and he disinvited all but one of his relatives from the wedding. But according to The Sun, the cracks were already starting to show at the time, with Caroline having several grievances at the party. A source told the publication: 'Adam's family were at the engagement party, when relations were much better. Things went downhill from there. 'His mum was unhappy some of the family weren't there and confronted Gordon at the event. Guests were made to sign non-disclosure agreements and hand in phones as the party was filmed.' Tana upped the glamour of her look with a Bottega Veneta handbag It was also revealed Adam's sister Bethany is the only member of his side who appears to have survived the bitter family fallout ahead of his wedding. The hen do snub sparked a huge response from the Peaty family, with Adam's aunt Louise blasting her nephew and his fiancee, Holly, in a series of Instagram comments. She later claimed her sister Caroline wasn't invited to their wedding due to her appearance and not having the correct 'look'. But one member of Adam's side of the family appears to have survived the feud, his sister Bethany - who did make the cut for Holly's picture-perfect Cotswolds hen do. Gordon kept things casual in a hoodie as he dined out with his family The Sun has reported that the real reason Bethany made the cut is that she 'fits in' to the Ramsays' glamorous world because 'she's blonde and pretty'. While they claim that Bethany herself has had her head turned by the celebrity lifestyle, and has been asked to be one of Holly's bridesmaids. A friend close to the family told the publication: 'Bethany has always been very close to Adam and she is really taken with the celebrity lifestyle, she's had her head turned by all the glitz and glamour. 'She was over the moon to be at the hen party, hanging out with Victoria Beckham and couldn't wait to tell all her friends about it. She really fits in with the glam world she's blonde and very pretty.' Hugh Bonneville has revealed the heartbreaking moment he discovered his secret spy mother had died while he was thousands of miles away from home. The Downton Abbey star, 62, has described for the first time how he received the devastating news about his mother, Patricia - who worked for the UK's secret intelligence service MI6 - while on holiday in the Maldives at Christmas in 2014. 'I woke up to two missed calls from my brother. I thought my father's died, and I rang him, and my mother had died,' Hugh said on the Travel Secrets podcast. 'That was a heck of a heck of a moment, which is imprinted in that way - where you were when JFK was shot sort of way.' The actor described the 'extraordinary sensation' of assuming it would be his father who had passed, only to learn it was his mother instead. Hugh Bonneville has revealed the devastating moment he learned his secret spy mum had died - and why he couldn't grieve for years in a conversation with the Travel Secrets podcast He added: 'There was a whole sort of few days of organising getting home and that sort of thing. And then the journey home... When you've lost someone, there's nothing you can do, but the journey to get to the place where you are. 'Then with your other relatives, [it] takes on a strange significance and you go through the rolodex in your brain of the life that's gone and what needs to happen next.' Hugh's mother Patricia - whom he only learned later in life worked for MI6 - died aged 85. It marked the beginning of a prolonged period of family loss that would deeply affect the actor. His brother Nigel died unexpectedly in his sleep two years later, followed by his father John, a surgeon, in 2020 at the age of 93. The tragedy of losing his entire immediate family over just five years forced Hugh to become what he described as 'quite good at death'. 'Frankly, we all do it,' he said. 'I became very good at the administration of death - you know, we've got to do this, we've got to do that. And so actually, the necessity of grieving can get kicked down the road.' Hugh, who is also known for his film roles in Paddington and Notting Hill, reflected on the particular grief of losing both parents. 'When you become an orphan, when both your parents are gone, that's a significant shift,' he said. In a particularly poignant admission, the actor revealed that while his sister Clare and brother Nigel read the countless condolence letters that poured in after their mother's death, he was too consumed with practical matters to process them emotionally. The actor, 61 - who played Robert Crawley in ITV 's Downton Abbey between 2010 and 2015 (pictured), lost his entire immediate family over just five years In a particularly poignant admission, the actor revealed that while his sister Clare and brother Nigel read the countless condolence letters that poured in after their mother's death, he was too consumed with practical matters to process them emotionally (pictured as a young man) 'I can remember literally hundreds of letters coming in about my mum - and not reading them,' Hugh confessed. 'My brother and my sister did and I was so busy doing death certificates and this, that, and the other... I literally put them in a plastic bag.' It wasn't until three years later, while filming Viceroy's House with director Gurinder Chadha in Jodhpur, India, that Hugh finally allowed himself to truly grieve. The actor - who played Lord Mountbatten in the film opposite Gillian Anderson as his wife, Lady Edwina Mountbatten - took the unopened letters with him to a peaceful desert hotel called Mihir Garh, about an hour southwest of Jodhpur. 'I thought now is the time just to go on my own... I'll just go and read all these letters and have that cathartic experience, and it was,' he recalled. 'It was beautiful, and I realised how much my mum had meant to so many different people from more walks of life.' The actor described the remote hotel as 'an oasis in the desert' with just 20 or 30 rooms, where he finally felt ready to confront his grief in solitude. 'I had a good, good, good cry and let it out,' Hugh admitted. 'Grief is a funny thing, isn't it? In the way that it ebbs and flows like waves on the shore, and sometimes the same memory can trigger laughter. 'And then the next time that same memory occurs to you, you can be in a veil of tears.' Hugh, who has a 21-year-old son, Felix, with his ex-wife, Lucinda Williams, also revealed fascinating details about his mother's secret career, which he only discovered years after she began working. 'She worked for I can't remember how long, maybe ten years. And then many, many years later, when both she and my dad had retired, I opened the newspaper one evening and it said, MI6 building to be sold off. And I said, that's my mum's office.' The revelation led to him being invited to speak at MI6's Riverhouse headquarters, where he met someone who had worked with his mother. The former male colleague shared memories of her in charge of what was known as P-section, revealing how junior staff would scramble to look busy when they heard her distinctive footsteps approaching. 'He said, we always used to hang around doing crosswords, and then we'd suddenly hear her footsteps coming along the corridor. We'd go, "quick, there's Pat!" And get to work,' Hugh recounted. 'And it was the way he described the footsteps, and I suddenly remembered my mum's footsteps, and we were linked by this sound, and it was very, very evocative.' He continued: 'At the funeral, I said to my dad, did she ever talk about it? He said, no, absolutely not, never. And then my sister came up to me and said, you know, there's a few people here from MI6 here. 'She said, two of them live in the mum and dad's valley locally. I said, you're kidding? She said, yeah, her over there, him over there. And I said, what, Derek? He's the most boring man on the planet. And she said, well, yeah, duh.' She's paid a fortune by beauty giant L'Oreal to promote its Age Perfect hair dye, but Dame Helen Mirren prefers the natural look. The Oscar-winning actress, 80, has joked that it's not that she is 'brave' but instead that she just 'can't be bothered' as she discussed her style. Helen, who has been sporting a sleek white bob in recent years, declared: 'I don't colour my hair at all because I can't be bothered. 'It's not being brave or anything. I just can't be fussed with it. I always had blonde hair and my hair would go this sort of colour in the sun anyway. 'It would go sort of white. So I just slowly went whiter and whiter.' Dame Helen has previously voiced suspicions about beauty products such as moisturisers. She's paid a fortune by beauty giant L'Oreal to promote its Age Perfect hair dye, but Dame Helen Mirren prefers the natural look (pictured last week) The Oscar-winning actress, 80, has joked that it's not that she is 'brave' but instead that she just 'can't be bothered' as she discussed her style (pictured in September) She added: 'When I put my moisturiser on it probably does f*** all, but it makes me feel better.' Back in 2023, she hit back at the stereotype that older women 'shouldn't' grow out their hair, after debuting longer tresses. The actress had been showing off her 'radical' new look while promoting her appearance as the villain Hespera in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. She later admitted that she grew out her hair during lockdown and decided she 'couldn't be bothered' to cut it, and is planning to keep it for the timebeing. Speaking on Lorraine, Helen hit back at the stereotype that older women are not 'supposed' to have long hair as it generally it thins with age. She said: 'You're not supposed to have longer hair after a certain age. 'But during Covid, I started growing my hair and I hadn't actually had long hair since I was in my 20s. And it sort of grew and grew and grew, and I couldn't be bothered to cut it, basically. 'I thought, do you know what, it's pretty cool, I think I'll stick with it for a little while. It will come off eventually. But I'm kind of enjoying it, it's quite radical.' She explained: 'It's not being brave or anything. I just can't be fussed with it. I always had blonde hair and my hair would go this sort of colour in the sun anyway' Back in 2023, she hit back at the stereotype that older women 'shouldn't' grow out their hair, after debuting longer tresses Helen also discussed how she feels flying the flag for women over 60, saying: 'Life doesn't stop. And creativity doesn't stop and passion doesn't stop and energy doesn't stop, unless you decide to stop it. 'So it's just be self-motivated, really, and never give up. And find enjoyment, if it's possible in your life.' Helen has previously vowed to defied beauty standards for older women, insisting her generation has been subject for ageism for 'far too long.' She told Grazia in 2019: 'It's extremely annoying to women of my generation and others following mine to have beauty products sold on a 15-year-old face.' An A-list actress looked unrecognisable as she stocked up on crisps and chocolate at a service station with her TV star boyfriend. The actress and her Peaky Blinders star boyfriend were first romantically linked last September but have not publicly confirmed their relationship. It was reported in August that they had got engaged after the pair 'found something special' together. In snaps taken on Monday, the couple were seen stopping for supplies at a service station - with the actress looking fresh faced and sporting a casual look. The British actress looked a far cry from her usual glamorous displays as she dressed down for the trip to buy snacks for the road. But can YOU recognise her? An A-list actress looked unrecognisable as she stocked up on crisps and chocolate at a service station with her TV star boyfriend - but can YOU guess who she is? The actress and her Peaky Blinders star boyfriend were first romantically linked last September but have not publicly confirmed their relationship It's none other than Florence Pugh, 29, and her boyfriend Finn Cole, 30. Florence and Finn have been friends for years and were first reported to be secretly dating after they were seen slipping out of the after-party for the London premiere of Netflix hit The Perfect Couple together last September. The pair had previously been seen partying at Glastonbury Festival together, while Florence was spotted liking his Instagram posts and shared her delight when it was revealed he had landed a role in the theatre production Red Speedo. A source later revealed that the pair have been getting to know each other away from the spotlight and plan to get hitched. They told The Sun: 'Finn and Florence have been in a bubble getting to know each other away from the spotlight. 'They are both putting everything into their careers but have found something special between them.' The Daily Mail contacted Finn and Florence's representatives for comment at the time. Finn is best known for playing Michael Gray in the BBC series Peaky Blinders, which he starred in alongside his brother Joe. The British actress looked a far cry from her usual glamorous displays as she dressed down for the trip to buy snacks for the road (Seen in 2024) In snaps taken on Monday, Florence and Finn were seen stopping for supplies at a service station - with the actress looking fresh faced and sporting a casual look Finn is best known for playing Michael Gray in the BBC series Peaky Blinders, which he starred in alongside his brother Joe The British actress was spotted buying a selection of snacks while on the go, including four packets of crisps It was reported in August that Florence and Finn had got engaged after the pair 'found something special' together While she wouldn't name Finn, Florence confirmed her relationship status during her October 2024 cover shoot with Vogue, and has confessed she is very much in love and is approaching their romance differently to things in the past. She confirmed: 'I am [in a relationship]. OK, so something that I resonate with is that I believe that if magic is real, then it's falling in love.' Florence candidly revealed that she and her partner were 'figuring it out' and said she is ready to start a family. She added: 'We are figuring what we actually are. And I think for the first time, I'm not allowing myself to go on a roller-coaster. I'm allowing myself to take time to let something evolve and let it be completely real to its core, as opposed to racing into that. 'Falling is the most amazing feeling but unfortunately if that's the only thing that you know in a relationship, then that's the thing that you chase. That's not gonna last.' Finn previously showed his support to Florence in April as they both walked the red carpet of her new Marvel film Thunderbolts. Back in 2023, Florence hit back at cruel trolls who criticised her for going braless in a sheer Valentino gown, questioning how her 'nipples' could have 'offended' people. She is known for her show-stopping red carpet looks but she was cruelly trolled after wearing a sheer gown at the Valentino fashion show in Rome in July. Florence and Finn have been friends for years and were first reported to be secretly dating after they were seen slipping out of an after-party The pair had previously been seen partying at Glastonbury Festival together, while Florence was spotted liking his Instagram posts A source later revealed that the pair have been getting to know each other away from the spotlight and plan to get hitched At the time, she hit back at the comments she received from 'vulgar' men as well as those who chose to 'publicly destroy a woman's body' with their remarks. Once again condemning the criticism she received, Florence said the vicious trolling proved that there is still 'so much more work to do'. Appearing as Vogue's winter 2023 cover star, she told the publication: 'I've never been scared of what's underneath the fabric, if I'm happy in it, then I'm gonna wear it. 'Of course, I don't want to offend people, but I think my point is: How can my nipples offend you that much? It's very important that we do this. 'I know that some people might scoff at me saying that, but if a dress with my breasts peeking through is encouraging people to say, "Well, if you were to get raped, you would deserve it," it just shows me that there's so much more work to do.' Florence was plucked as a sixth-former from 30,000-a-year St Edward's school in Oxford to play pregnant schoolgirl Abbie in Carol Morley's thriller The Falling. She went on to appear as sexually obsessed Katherine in the 2016 film Lady Macbeth, and starred alongside Anthony Hopkins in a stage adaptation of King Lear, as well as taking the lead role of Charlie in BBC thriller The Little Drummer Girl before starring in the horror film, Midsommar. Florence's other roles of note have included Black Widow, a Marvel film in which she co-stars with Scarlett Johansson, Thunderbolts and Little Women. Britain's Got Talent winner Lost Voice Guy was rushed to hospital after he split his head open following a horror fall. The stand-up comedian - who won the ITV variety show in 2018 - was taken to A&E over the weekend, and told his Instagram followers on Monday he felt 'silly and useless' due to having had a nasty tumble. The 44-year-old star - real name Lee Ridley - also shared a photo of himself in hospital with a huge bandage wrapped around his head on the social media platform, and apologised to his supporters for cancelling two shows due to his injury. Lost Voice Guy - who has cerebral palsy and uses his iPad to talk and perform - captioned the photo with: 'Lost Balance Guy strikes again!... 'This is your periodic reminder that living with a disability can be s*** sometimes, however well your life is going... Britain's Got Talent winner Lost Voice Guy was rushed to hospital after he split his head open following a horror fall The stand-up comedian - who won the ITV variety show in 2018 - was taken to A&E over the weekend, and told his Instagram followers on Monday he felt 'silly and useless' due to having had a nasty tumble 'I fell and split my head over the weekend and was left feeling silly and useless. But this isn't a post for sympathy. It's a post to say it's OK to feel like that sometimes. If you're disabled, you already know this part.' Lee - who suffered a brain infection at six months old, a short time after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy - did not reveal the exact nature of his injuries or how long it will take for him to recover. However, he vowed to 'carry on' and praised the disabled community as a whole. The comic - who slipped into a two-month coma shortly after the brain infection, which affected his movement and rendered him unable to speak - continued: 'The disabled community is incredibly resilient. 'Not because we have to be heroic, but because we keep going. We don't stay down. We pause, recover, and carry on. However that looks for you.' Lee - who suffered a brain infection at six months old, a short time after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy - did not reveal the exact nature of his injuries or how long it will take for him to recover Lost Voice Guy went on to thank the staff at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne for 'putting me back together', and then expressed how sorry he is to fans for cancelling his shows in the city and Mexborough. The comedy legend ended the caption with: 'Huge thanks to the NHS staff at the RVI for putting me back together. 'And sorry to the people of Newcastle and Mexborough for missing the shows. I'll make it up to you.' Elisa Donovan was a big star in the 1990s. Her most celebrated hit was the high school comedy Clueless from 1995 where she played mean girl Amber Mariens next to Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd and Jeremy Sisto. And Donovan reprised her role in the TV series of the same name which aired from 1996 until 1999. The redheaded star next appeared as Morgan Cavanaugh in the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch from 2000 until 2003. And she was in the movies Roxbury and The Dog Who Saved Christmas. The beauty stepped out on Monday evening to the premiere of The Housemaid which stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar. See what the movie icon looks like now at age 54. Elisa Donovan was a big star in the 1990s; now she is 54 Her biggest hit was the high school comedy Clueless from 1995 where she played mean girl Amber Mariens next to Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Jeremy Sisto Here she is seen far left with Murphy center and Silverstone right Other roles included starring as Ginger LaMonica on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Sharona on Disney Channel's Sonny with a Chance. Donovan starred in the web series, The Lake on TheWB.com. She played Gayle in the web series In Gayle We Trust on NBC.com. Donovan had a role in the film A Golden Christmas, where she played Anna. In 2006, she played a guest role in the NCIS episode Dead and Unburied. She was featured in 'N Sync's 1999 music video for Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy) as the love interest for Joey Fatone. She competed on Worst Cooks in America for season 24. Donovan has been married to her husband Charlie Bigelow since 2012 and they have a daughter, Scarlett Avery Bigelow. In 2021 she talked to Australia's The Morning Show about working on Clueless. When asked if anybody in particular had inspired her portrayal of spoiled rich girl Amber, Elisa said: 'I have to admit I pretty much based that character on some girls I knew from high school, who weren't very nice to me! Seen right with Dash left in the hit movie Seen in a red outfit with Silverstone behind her Donovan spoke about her co-star Brittany Murphy's (center) death in 2009. Pictured with Silverstone and Dash 'As soon as I read [the script] I was like, "I know exactly who this person is.'" Elisa then recalled the famous debate scene between Amber and Alicia Silverstone's character, Cher, in which Amber dropped the now-famous 'Whatever!' catchphrase. 'I think that was the first scene that we shot in the entire film. And it was certainly my first scene and it was the first day,' she said. Elisa added that Alicia had unintentionally mispronounced the word 'Haitians', but the mistake was kept in the film because the director, Amy Heckerling, loved it. 'That was not scripted; that was just something that she did,' Elisa said. 'And I remember looking at her in character like "of course" and I expected Amy to cut. In the Clueless TV series in 1996 with, from left, Sean Holland, Rachel Blanchard, Stacey Dash, and Donald Faison Donovan during the There's Something About Mary premiere in Los Angeles in 1998 The redheaded star next appeared as Morgan Cavanaugh in the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch from 2000 until 2003 'Then Amy was like back there, "This is amazing, we're going to leave it in." That is definitely what I remember a lot.' Elisa said she knew at the time they were all working on a successful project, and remembers telling leading lady Alicia she was going to be a big star. She then spoke about her co-star Brittany Murphy's death in 2009. 'It's terribly sad. She was just one of these very magical kind of people,' she said. 'She had such an energy about her that was really just young and creative. Kind of always like a humming bird is how I looked at her. She just was precious. It was terribly sad.' The beauty stepped out on Monday evening to the premiere of The Housemaid which stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar The Hollywood vet looked slender in an emerald green gown with a black feathered shawl At the height of her fame in the '90s, Elisa also starred as Morgan Cavanaugh in Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, and as Ginger LaMonica in Beverly Hills, 90210. The actress' memoir Wake Me When You Leave, which was written after her father died of cancer. 'It is about how losing him to cancer affected my life and career, and how I kind of went through the grief and recovered,' she said. The fate of Howard Stern's Sirius XM show has been revealed following speculation about his retirement and cancellation rumors. The 71-year-media personality who recently sparked a feud with Kim Kardashian over her 2016 Paris robbery announced on The Howard Stern Show on Tuesday that he has extended his contract with the audio company for three more years. The star last signed a five-year deal back in 2020 which was reported to be worth $100 million per year. 'I'm happy to announce that I figured out a way to have it all,' he said. 'So, yes, we are coming back for three years. After giving a special shoutout to his crew, Stern added, 'And I'm excited about it because you know what? I do still love radio.' He then shared to listeners and fans that he did not know the big news himself until this past weekend. The fate of Howard Stern's Sirius XM show has been revealed following speculation about his retirement and cancellation rumors; seen in 2015 in NYC 'I'm happy to announce that I figured out a way to have it all,' he said. 'So, yes, we are coming back for three years' 'You know why there are no leaks? Because I didn't know anything until the weekend whether I was staying or going.' Stern continued, 'I'm old as f***. I'm not supposed to be working... Where do I begin with this? Some of the staff said, "Can we come in and guess?" People working here are hoping I stay.' However, he then admitted that he does enjoy having 'free time' despite his passion for radio. 'I do like my days off. You know me, I'm never bored. I'm busy every minute. I need me time. I've never had me time. I've been working my whole life. Never really having a personal life.' The star further explained that he believed 'maybe at this point in my life, I could have some free time. It would be sad, but exciting for me. 'I was really torn up. I still do love being on the radio. I think the show is better than ever.' Stern expressed that his new three-year contract with SiriusXM will also offer him more 'flexibility' although he did not dive into more details. Speculation about his future with SiriusXM began back in August and further ignited when he briefly postponed his return to the show in September following his summer break. 'You know why there are no leaks? Because I didn't know anything until the weekend whether I was staying or going,' he explained The star further explained that he believed 'maybe at this point in my life, I could have some free time. It would be sad, but exciting for me' Speculation about his future with SiriusXM began back in August and further ignited when he briefly postponed his return to the show in September following his summer break; seen in 2019 A source told the Daily Mail at the time that it had been due to his 'frustrations over the new contract' with the satellite/online radio company. Another insider also told the Daily Mail back in August that Stern, 'may do a 1-2 year contract if they can meet him where he wants financially. He doesn't want to pull the plug on his employees like this.' A separate source said that the star 'will likely sell his catalogue of shows to replay' on uncensored channels Howard 100 and Howard 101 if he did not renew his contract with SiriusXM. Stern went on to do a prank segment with TV personality Andy Cohen in September who was hosting the program at the time. 'I know you're expecting a big announcement from Howard and this is not how things were meant to go. This was supposed to be a cleaner hand off. I'm kind of winging it,' Cohen said. He also claimed that the show would be called Andy 100 moving forward and added he 'can't possibly fill his void.' But just 20 minutes later, Stern came onto the air to reveal that it had simply been a prank and explained he postponed his return due to illness rather than contract negotiations. He explained during the episode, 'I was just getting so f****** annoyed with everyone writing me, asking me if I was okay because I'd been fired.' A source told the Daily Mail at the time that it had been due to his 'frustrations over the new contract' with the satellite/online radio company; seen in 2014 in NYC Stern went on to do a prank segment with TV personality Andy Cohen- who was hosting the program at the time; Cohen seen in November in Las Vegas 'None of it is true, zero truth,' Stern then said, referencing to claims that he had been axed. 'What pisses me off is that now I can't leave. I've been thinking about retiring. Now I can't. Following the hoax, an insider told the Daily Mail, 'People are panicking. Many employees who work there have a family to take care of, have kids, have a mortgage payment and this is their main source of income. 'Fear has sunk in that next week, next month, they might not have a job. It's not fair to a lot of them.' They added, 'And, truthfully, getting laid off has been in the back of their minds for quite some time.' The source continued, 'People there, they're all terrified because they're all on [non-disclosure agreements]. They all signed papers that say they're not allowed to open their mouths and talk about anything. 'Employees can get fired instantly and lose everything, especially if Stern found out that they broke their confidentiality agreement. 'There's a ton of people there whose lives would drastically change based on Stern firing on a whim.' Stern first joined Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. back in 2006 after hosting the nationally syndicated The Howard Stern Show from 1986 through 2005. 'None of it is true, zero truth,' Stern then said, referencing to claims that he had been axed. 'What pisses me off is that now I can't leave. I've been thinking about retiring. Now I can't'; seen in 2023 in NYC Stern first joined Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. back in 2006 after hosting the nationally syndicated The Howard Stern Show from 1986 through 2005; seen in 1992 A few months earlier in October, the media personality lashed out at 'woke' allegations during an episode of his show. 'I was on vacation and the next thing I know I was in Stephen Colbert land where I was being thrown off by the FCC somehow, I don't know what, whatever it was or because I'm too woke Too woke? I don't even know what woke is. What is woke?' He continued, 'If I'm too woke, the world has turned upside down. 'I mean, the stuff I do and talk about, I don't even know what that means. But you know what, if it means I'm awakened, God bless.' Back in 2019, Stern shared his thoughts on retiring during an interview on NPR's Fresh Air program. 'Yeah, I'm kind of afraid of retirement, and then all it is - I think about it, and I want it. It's, like, on any given day, I don't know.' 'Yeah, I'm kind of afraid of retirement, and then all it is - I think about it, and I want it. It's, like, on any given day, I don't know,' Stern said back in 2019; seen in 2006 The star added, 'And this disturbs me that I don't know myself well enough - that my contract is up in two years with Sirius XM, and I don't really know what it is I want and what I want to do. 'I know for the next two years, I'm going to be doing this show. And this show provides me with a lot.' Stern further stated that he always 'wanted an audience to love me and to laugh along with me and have a great ride and be just part of a scene that just was a lot of fun. 'That was my intent - to entertain. And so if I walk away from that, what would that look like?' Celebs Go Dating star Anna Williamson has revealed how being perimenopausal has affected intimacy in her marriage as her 'libido is in the trenches.' The television presenter and dating agent, 44, spoke about what led her to start taking HRT. Joining Michelle Ford on her podcast Two Women Chatting, Anna detailed the changes to her libido and also said she is suffering from 'brain fog.' She said: 'Im very perimenopausal. In fact, today I started HRT. Ive had a lot of brain fog, and my libido is in the trenches and thats really hard for me, and for my husband. 'But its about bringing it up, talking about it, and asking: what do you need from me? 'Right now, my husband needs other ways to feel connected to me, and to feel that hes sexually attractive to me, which he is.' Celebs Go Dating star Anna Williamson has revealed how being perimenopausal has affected intimacy in her marriage as her 'libido is in the trenches' The television presenter and dating agent, 44, spoke about what led her to start taking HRT. Anna added: 'And what do I need from him? Probably a bit more physical touch, cuddles, and time, less of the jokey dry humping over a dishwasher. Im joking, he doesnt do that.' The TV personality has been married to her fitness guru husband Alex Di Pasquale since 2015. They share two children, Enzo and Eleanora. Earlier this year, she recalled the moment her husband had to store her freshly expelled placenta in a lasagne dish as she discussed birth of her son. The Celebs Go Dating expert is one of thousands of women who have opted to use their placenta to support post-natal recovery. The practice, known as 'placentophagy', is heralded in wellness circles for lessening the chances of developing post-natal depression, and is said to be the best way to replace the iron and nutrients lost during childbirth. The placenta is either eaten raw, blended up in a smoothie, roasted like a joint of meat, or freeze dried, ground up and taken in tablet form, a process known as encapsulation. Alex had to pass the organ over to a representative from the private company they paid 150 to 'encapsulate' her placenta after she welcomed her son in 2017. She told the Daily Mail: 'The midwife took my placenta and put it in the Pyrex dish. My husband called the encapsulation company and they sent a courier to meet him in the hospital car park.' She said: 'It's really hard for me, and for my husband. He needs other ways to feel connected to me, and to feel that hes sexually attractive to me, which he is' (pictured in 2022) Then, jokingly comparing the handover to a 'dodgy drug deal', she explained that the rep took the dish, carefully removed the organ and placed it inside a medical-grade cool bag before driving away. 'I got my lasagna dish back, and I gave it a proper clean and it went through the dishwasher. 'I still use it, but I don't often admit to people that it momentarily had my placenta in it. 'I understand why people might be put off by it, but it's no different to it once containing a couple of raw sausages or some minced meat, and it is still in perfect working condition.' Just four days after the carpark handover, Anna received a vitamin jar in the post which contained 60 capsules filled with powdered afterbirth. Kevin Bacon got visibly emotional as he reflected on the devastating loss of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, following their double homicide over the weekend. The Footloose star, 67, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram on Monday, recalling his close professional and personal connection to Reiner, who directed him in the 1992 courtroom drama A Few Good Men. 'I'm not sure how to do this, but Rob Reiner gave me a job in A Few Good Men,' Bacon wrote. 'Sometime in the '90s, I guess it was, and I was over the moon to get that job, because people may or may not know, but This Is Spinal Tap is my all-time favorite movie.' Reiner directed and starred in the 1984 mockumentary, which later became a cult classic. Bacon said that connection alone made the opportunity unforgettable, but it was Reiner's leadership on set that left the deepest impression. 'When he called me, I was just so thrilled,' Bacon continued, adding that working on the film became one of the most meaningful experiences of his career. 'On the set, he was so fun. And it really comes down from the top. You can set a tone where people feel like we are working hard, but also we are working hard in a safe and pleasant and fun situation.' Kevin Bacon broke down in tears as he reflected on the devastating loss of filmmaker Rob Reiner and Reiner's wife, Michele, following their brutal deaths A Few Good Men featured an all-star cast including Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Pollak, and went on to receive four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Bacon said his bond with Reiner extended beyond the camera, describing daily lunches shared with the director and his wife during filming, which something he said he had never experienced before or since. 'We had lunch together every day,' Bacon recalled. 'He and Michele would be there, and the two of them were so great together. Kyra would come by. She was pregnant with Travis. It was a magical time.' He concluded his tribute by offering support to others mourning the loss. 'So I'm just sending love to everyone who knew him today, because I know that everyone's hurting today.' Moore, who portrayed Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway in the film, also paid tribute in a separate Instagram post, describing the couple's impact on her life both personally and professionally. 'There are no words to truly express the unfathomable devastation of losing Rob and Michelle Reiner,' she wrote. 'Our kids grew up together, we worked together, and as our lives intertwined personally and professionally I will always cherish the moments and memories of what we shared.' She added that Reiner and his wife 'were amazing people and wonderful parents who gave of themselves to make the world a better place,' before offering her condolences to their loved ones. The Footloose star, 67, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram on Monday, recalling his close professional and personal connection to Reiner, who directed him in the 1992 courtroom drama A Few Good Men Moore shares three daughters, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah, with her ex-husband Bruce Willis. Rob and Michele Reiner were parents to three children together: sons Jake and Nick, and daughter Romy. Reiner also adopted daughter Tracy during his marriage to Penny Marshall. Alongside her post, Moore shared a throwback image from the set of A Few Good Men featuring herself, Reiner, Cruise and Bacon, as well as a photo of Rob and Michele at the 1989 premiere of When Harry Met Sally. Kiefer Sutherland, who also appeared in A Few Good Men, issued a statement remembering Reiner as a mentor who helped shape his early career. 'Like so many, my heart was broken today when I heard the news about Rob Reiner and his wonderful wife, Michele,' Sutherland said. 'Rob was one of the kindest gentlemen I've ever had the pleasure of working with he gave me an opportunity that changed my life, and I will forever be grateful.' 'I'm not sure how to do this, but Rob Reiner gave me a job in A Few Good Men,' Bacon wrote. 'Sometime in the '90s, I guess it was, and I was over the moon to get that job' Authorities have confirmed that Rob and Michele Reiner were discovered deceased by their daughter, Romy. Their son Nick has since been arrested and is facing federal murder charges. He is currently being held without bail. Police have not released further details about the investigation. According to reports, Romy had previously told law enforcement that a family member 'should be a suspect,' describing that individual as 'dangerous.' The arrest reportedly came after an incident at a holiday party attended by the family, where witnesses alleged that Nick was involved in a heated confrontation. Nick Reiner has previously spoken publicly about longstanding struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. In past interviews, he described repeated stints in rehabilitation and periods of homelessness after refusing treatment. In a 2016 interview with People, he said, 'I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.' A Few Good Men (1992) featured an all-star cast including Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Pollak, and went on to receive four Oscar nominations Years earlier, Rob and Michele Reiner had acknowledged regrets over how they handled their son's addiction, saying they placed too much trust in professionals rather than listening directly to him. 'When Nick would tell us that it wasn't working for him, we wouldn't listen,' Reiner told the Los Angeles Times at the time. Michele added that they were repeatedly warned their son was being manipulative, something they later questioned. After Nick became sober, he and his father collaborated on the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which explored addiction and its toll on families. Reiner said the project allowed him to apologize, both on screen and in real life, for mistakes he made as a parent. Following the deaths, the Reiner family released a statement requesting privacy. 'It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,' the family said. 'We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.' The couple were last photographed together with their family in September at the premiere of Spinal Tap 2, which Reiner directed and co-wrote - a project that would ultimately become one of his final public appearances. Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed which Hollywood legend inspired her Marty Supreme character. The Oscar winner was talking to the Los Angeles Times' The Envelope for their Women In Film Issue. Also in the discussion was Jennifer Lopez - who wed and divorced Paltrow's ex Ben Affleck - Elle Fanning, Emily Blunt and Tessa Thompson. Paltrow was asked who she based her 1950s faded movie star Kay Stone on for Marty Supreme, which stars Timothee Chalamet. 'Shes an amalgam of a few ideas, but principally Grace Kelly, who also had this amazing movie career and was this incredible star, and then walked away from it for marriage,' began the actress. 'My character does the same,' added the GOOP founder. Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed which Hollywood legend inspired her Marty Supreme character. The Oscar winner was talking to the Los Angeles Times' The Envelope for their Women In Film Issue Paltrow was asked who she based her 1950s faded movie star Kay Stone on for Marty Supreme. 'Shes an amalgam of a few ideas, but principally Grace Kelly,' said the beauty; Kelly seen here in 1953 'When I was looking at photographs [of Kelly during] her films, and then photographs after she got married, it was like the light dimmed. She lost something,' said Paltrow about Kelly, who wed Prince Rainier in 1956. 'My character had a very rough road to get to stardom, so she walks away from this big career to marry an unsuitable but very wealthy man. And then her son dies, so she has a lot of tragedy.' Kelly was an American actress who became the Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier III in 1956. She was a Hollywood star in the 1950s, known for her roles in Alfred Hitchcock films like Rear Window (1954) and her breakthrough performance in High Noon (1952). After marrying, she retired from acting and devoted herself to cultural and charitable work. Kelly tragically died in a car accident in 1982 at age 52 after suffering a stroke while driving with her daughter Princess Stephanie, causing her car to plunge down a mountainside in Monaco. Kelly and Prince Ranier arriving for a gala performance at the Royal Opera House in 1956 The star seen in a glamour shot in the 1950s Paltrow is frequently compared to Kelly due to their similar looks and accent. Paltrow and Timothee Chalamet kissing in Marty Supreme The ex of Brad Pitt was slated to star in a biopic about Kelly, a project that faced controversy and never fully materialized. Also in the discussion was Jennifer Lopez- who wed and divorced Paltrow's ex Ben Affleck - Elle Fanning, Emily Blunt and Tessa Thompson She also resembled Kelly when she played Marge in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Then Paltrow had an exchange with Jennifer Lopez, who was also interviewed. Paltrow said, 'I try to never read anything about myself, full stop, ever. Period.' Lopez asked, 'Wait, not anything about yourself? Ever? Period? Because I dont read reviews of my films either, but people will bring it to you it when its good and youre like, Oh, nice. But theres other things theyll bring you ' Paltrow then added, 'Sometimes Ill come upon it.' Lopez then said, 'And you want to die.' The Emma actress said, 'Want to die. Like when someone forwards you a link to something really horrible about yourself, and theyre like, Oh, this is bull****. I do try to avoid [that kind of stuff]. I deleted Instagram.' Tina O'Brien cut a stylish figure in a mini dress as she joined her Coronation Street co-star Jack P Shepherd and his onscreen wife Julia Goulding at the Corriedale premiere in Bradford on Tuesday. The soap actress, 42, who plays Sarah Barlow formerly Sarah Platt, is set to appear in the highly anticipated crossover episode between Emmerdale and Coronation Street, which airs on January 5. Tina looked incredible in the sleeveless number as she posed on the red carpet at the event, which was held at the Science Museum in the city. She put on a leggy display in the dress which boasted a waistcoat top and miniskirt, and elevated her frame in a pair of coordinated heels. Styling her long blonde tresses loose, Tina accessorised with a simple pair of small gold hoop earrings. Meanwhile Jack, who portrays David Platt, was all smiles as he reunited with his onscreen wife Julia, who plays Shona Ramsey. Tina O'Brien cut a stylish figure in a mini dress as she joined her Coronation Street co-star Jack P Shepherd and his onscreen wife Julia Gouldingat the Corriedale premiere in Bradford on Tuesday Meanwhile Jack, who portrays David Platt, was all smiles as he reunited with his onscreen wife Julia, who plays Shona Ramsey Jack cut a cool figure in a black leather jacket which he donned over a white T-shirt and skinny jeans. Julia looked stylish in a pleated black leather look maxi skirt which she teamed with a square neck bodysuit, a black belt and stilettos. Jack and Julia, who will be in the centre of the dramatic epsiode after a huge car pile up, looked in good spirits as they posed together at the premiere. Elsewhere Claire Sweeney looked effortlessly chic in an all-black ensemble. Her stylish look featured a tweed jacket with fur-trimmed cuffs, paired with a black midi dress adorned with gold buttons running down the centre. She completed the outfit with black tights and elevated her frame with a pair of black heels. Claire was joined on the red carpet by James Cartwright, who plays Theo Silverton in the ITV soap. The pair appeared in high spirits as they posed for snaps together. The actress, who plays Sarah Barlow, is set to appear in the highly anticipated crossover episode between Emmerdaleand Coronation Street, which airs on January 5 She put on a leggy display in the dress which boasted a waistcoat top and miniskirt, and elevated her frame in a pair of coordinated heels Jack cut a cool figure in a black leather jacket which he donned over a white T-shirt and skinny jeans Julia looked stylish in a pleated black leather look maxi skirt which she teamed with a square neck bodysuit, a black belt and stilettos Jack and Julia, who will be in the centre of the dramatic epsiode after a huge car pile up, looked in good spirits as they posed together at the premiere Elsewhere Claire Sweeney looked effortlessly chic in an all-black ensemble Claire was joined on the red carpet by James Cartwright, who plays Theo Silverton in the soap The pair appeared in high spirits as they posed for snaps together James rocked a personalised T-shirt stating the crossover is 'mega' The pair were in high spirits as they posed for photos together The soap stars beamed as they posed at the premiere L-R Danny Miller, Sydney Martin, Emma Atkins, Ryan Hawley, Tina O'Brien and Jack P Shepard First announced back in May, the highly anticipated one-off event Corriedale brings together the worlds of Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Beloved characters from both shows are involved in a frightening car pile-up that will prove deadly. A pulse-racing Corriedale trailer shows characters screaming in horror ahead of the landmark soap crossover hitting screens in the New Year. On Monday, a 30 second preview was revealed exclusively during The Big Quiz, hosted by Stephen Mulhern. In the aftermath of the multi vehicle smash, Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) takes control of the situation as a frantic Carla Connor (Alison King) tries to calm someone down. Emmerdale's paramedic Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) tends to injured Corrie favourites David (Jack P Shepherd) and Shona Platt (Julia Goulding) at the side of the road. Corries trainee paramedic Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey) shares the screen with Emmerdale icon Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) as she tries to help more casualties. There are two pregnant women involved in the dramatic scenes; namely Shona Platt and Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins). Furthermore, Charity can be seen attempting to calm down a screaming Shona while both are in Hotten General Hospital. As the trailer concludes, Kevin (Michael Le Vell) and Abi (Sally Carman-Duttine) Webster search for Debbie (Sue Devaney) at the crash site. Coronation Street star Alison King (L) and Vicky Myers (R) beamed as they posed together Alison and Vicky were joined by Harriet Bibby, who plays Summer Spellman Harriet looked chic in a brown mini skirt and knee high boots Sally Carman turned heads in a green velvet dress and stilettos Emmerdale stars Natalie J Robb and Chris Chittell, who play Moira Dingle and Eric Pollard, were all smiles as reunited on the red carpet Chris cut a dapper figure in a navy three-piece suit Jonathan Howard and Sally Carman, who portray Carl and Abi Webster, beamed as they posed together at the star studded event In addition this, Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) desparately searches for Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) in the darkness alongside Joe Tate (Ned Porteous). The special hour-long Corriedale installment will air at 8pm on January 5 - and unlike usual, it will not be dropped on ITVX earlier in the day. Regular half hour episodes of each soap will be shown earlier, Emmerdale 7pm and Coronation Street 7.30pm - and these will drop on ITVX at 7am that morning. New Coronation Street characters confirmed for the drama include Kit, Carla and Asha, as well as James Bailey (Jason Callender). As for Emmerdale, their new additions include Cain, Charity, Robert, Jacob and Joe, as well as Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill). They all join the previously announced David Platt, Aaron Dingle, Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers), Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) and Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford). The special episode is a celebration of the soap genre and will launch ITVs new soap power hour scheduling pattern for Coronation Street and Emmerdale. The new sneak peek comes following fans first being treated to an explosive Corriedale trailer earlier this month. At the time Corriedale was first announced, ITV said: 'The distinctive worlds of Emmerdale and Coronation Street will merge for one night only in a mash-up of our two favourite communities. Vicky stunned in a velvet suit and beige jumper Natlie planted a kiss of Chris' cheek Emma Atkins showed off her amazing figure in a blouse which she tucked into red trousers Tanisha Gorey stunned in a beige striped waist coat and matching trousers Lucy Pargeter looked sensational in black leather leggings which she paired with an oversized blazer and towering ankle boots Joe-Warren Plant dressed cool in a leather jacket and brown trousers Oliver Farnworth, who is a regular in both soaps as Andy Carver in Coronation Street and John Sugden in Emmerdale, opted for a short sleeved shirt and chinos Jason Callender got into the festive spirit in a sequin black shirt at the premiere Gareth Pierce looked smart in a black bomber jacket 'The producers, scriptwriters and production teams have conceived an ingenious way of linking the two universes, but with characters then returning to the soaps they are renowned for inhabiting in Manchester and Yorkshire. 'The episode will be self-contained, but the consequences of the high-stakes drama will have repercussions for both communities and see them linked forever as familiar faces depart and exciting new characters arrive into both soaps.' Iain MacLeod, ITV Executive Producer for Continuing Drama, said at the time: "Its beyond exciting that filming is underway on Corriedale. 'There is a massive buzz around both the Leeds and Manchester sites, and the images coming out of the shoot are utterly spectacular. 'And thats before weve even got to all the brilliant transpennine interactions between characters from the different shows! 'As a soap fan myself, I think my head is going to explode when the episode airs next year. 'It will be mind-blowing, historical and unmissable.' Filming for special started back in October. Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders thrilled Absolutely Fabulous fans on Tuesday, as they arrived together for a screening of the Amandaland Christmas special at London's BFI Southbank. The festive episode of the Motherland spin-off will be the first time the comedy duo will be sharing the screen together since the 2016 Ab Fab movie. Joanna, 79, stars in the BBC sitcom as Felicity Sanderson, the wicked mother of the titular character, played by Lucy Punch. While pal Jennifer, 67, will be guest-starring as Felicity's sister Joan - who is said to be worlds away from her sibling, with a ball of country-living and enthusiastic upper-class bluster. 'I am delighted to be joining the fabulous Amandaland gang for a Christmas special', the comedy icon gushed. 'Playing Joanna's on-screen sister is guaranteed to be a laugh, who doesn't love a family reunion SoHa style!' Joanna Lumley (left) and Jennifer Saunders (right) thrilled Absolutely Fabulous fans on Tuesday, as they arrived together for a screening of the Amandaland Christmas special at London's BFI Southbank Joanna, 79, stars in the BBC sitcom as Felicity Sanderson, the wicked mother of the titular character, while pal Jennifer, 67, will be guest-starring as Felicity's sister Joan (seen in special) The festive episode of the Motherland spin-off will be the first time the comedy duo will be sharing the screen together since the 2016 Ab Fab movie (seen in AbFab in 1992) The French and Saunders star also heaped praise on the hit show's writers, saying: 'I read the script and I was like, this is it. This is great. 'It's just really well written. Proper character jokes and funny performances, plenty of falling over. I think it's just terrific. I love it.' While fans expecting Felicity and Joan to be Eddie Monsoon and Patsy Stone 2.0 will be disappointed, as Joanna stressed: 'We were playing characters as far from Edina and Patsy as can be imagined.' However, she voiced her joy at being back on set with her pal, saying: 'Everyone adored having her there, especially me, and it all felt empty when the Christmas episode was over and she had gone.' But while the two stars were delighted to be back together, the Christmas special will see their characters be less excited to be reunited. The official synopsis reads: 'Amanda and the family head to Aunt Joans country house, but the plans change when Mal and Anne tag along and she struggles to recreate the magical Christmases she spent there as a child. 'Annes in despair at being separated from her family, and Felicity is increasingly irritated by her sisters constant high spirits. Meanwhile Mal sees a hidden photo that seems to reveal a deep family secret' Amandaland follows the life of a recently divorced mum Amanda, who is trying to juggle looking after her children, a new relationship and friendships with the parents at her kids' school. While fans expecting Felicity and Joan to be Eddie Monsoon and Patsy Stone 2.0 will be disappointed, as Joanna stressed: 'We were playing characters as far from Edina and Patsy as can be imagined' Amandaland follows the life of a recently divorced mum Amanda, who is trying to juggle looking after her children, a new relationship and friendships with the parents at her kids' school (seen in special) Arriving at the screening, Lucy looked effortlessly chic in a cream satin blouse and a velvet bowtie, teamed with black bermuda shorts and leather knee-high boots While Philippa cut a trendy figure in a pair of fashionable animal print jeans and a black turtleneck with a trio of gold necklaces Samuel dressed to impress for the evening in a smart herringbone coat and burgundy button-up, complete with a bowler hat and multicoloured scarf First premiering in February, the show was a huge hit, averaging 6.4million views and has becoming the BBC's second biggest comedy launch, with the broadcaster confirming it would be returning for a second series. It is a spin-off of popular sitcom Motherland, which ran for three seasons between 2016 and 2022 and was created by the same team Holly Walsh, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz, Barunka O'Shaughnessy and Laurence Rickard. Alongside Lucy and Joanna, it stars Philippa Dunne as Anne Flynn, Samuel Anderson as Mal, Siobhan McSweeney as Della Fry, Rochenda Sandall as Fi and Ekow Quartey as JJ. Arriving at the screening, Lucy looked effortlessly chic in a cream satin blouse and a velvet bowtie, teamed with black bermuda shorts and leather knee-high boots. While Philippa cut a trendy figure in a pair of fashionable animal print jeans and a black turtleneck with a trio of gold necklaces. Samuel dressed to impress for the evening in a smart herringbone coat and burgundy button-up, complete with a bowler hat and multicoloured scarf. Speaking about the Christmas special, Lucy said: 'Im beyond excited to get started on Amandaland series two with our brilliantly talented lovely cast. 'The Christmas special is going to be an absolute cracker its like totes fire, with all the festive feels, for reals. Slay bells!' The first trailer for the highly-anticipated Amandaland Christmas special was released last week, showing Amanda, her family and pals Mal and Anne heading over to aunt Joan's country house Speaking about the Christmas special, Lucy said: 'The Christmas special is going to be an absolute cracker its like totes fire, with all the festive feels, for reals. Slay bells!' The first trailer for the highly-anticipated Amandaland Christmas special was released last week, showing Amanda, her family and pals Mal and Anne heading over to aunt Joan's country house. But while Joan is over the moon to see Amanda, her mum Felicity doesn't appear to be that excited. In one clip, Amanda can be seen giving her aunt a gift, as a shocked Anne asks her: 'Didn't I just gift you that?' while Amanda simply replies: 'Yes.' In another scene Anne can be seen telling Mal: 'I really think Amanda deserves to know,' only to be interrupted by Amanda popping her head through the door and demanding: 'What do I deserve to know?' The Amandaland Christmas Special will air on Christmas Day at 9:15pm on BBC One and iPlayer Julia Roberts appeared fresh-faced in her latest Instagram post, shared with her 13.4 million followers on Monday. The 58-year-old actress, who recently discussed cancel culture with Sean Penn, looked almost unrecognizable as she posed without makeup in a single snapshot. She showed off her smooth, wrinkle-free, bare complexion while touting a friend's new book. 'My friend @alexilubomirski has made this beautiful new book Natura Sacra. ALL the proceeds go to the charity- Hope and Play.org,' she wrote in the caption. Her blonde-highlighted locks were parted at the center and framed her face in textured waves. The mother-of-three wore a cozy heather-grey sweater in the photo, which has so far racked up over 91,000 likes. Julia Roberts appeared fresh-faced in her latest Instagram post, shared with her 13.4 million followers on Monday The longtime actress, 58, pictured on December 1 in New York City In Variety's recent Actors on Actors issue, Roberts conversed with Penn, her co-star in the 2022 series Gaslit. Together, they critiqued cancel culture and the absence of shame as they discussed her 'provocative' Me-Too film After The Hunt. The movie follows a college professor (Roberts) whose star pupil makes a sexual assault accusation against one of her colleagues, causing a dark secret from her own past to surface. It unpacks what happens when loyalty and friendship are challenged by ethics and morality. Penn said it's refreshing to see the film test the notion that no one should be made to feel uncomfortable. 'I think shame is underrated these days. It's got a bad name this decade. Why shouldn't people be ashamed of things?' he mused. Meanwhile, Roberts said that in preparation for the film she got to have conversations in which people listened to to learn, rather than to force their beliefs on others. She mentioned about her co-stars, 'Luca and Andrew (Garfield) and Ayo (Edebiri) and Chloe (Sevigny) came to our house and sat for days and days at our kitchen table, and we had all these conversations.' Roberts recently discussed cancel culture with Sean Penn for Variety's Actors on Actors issue; pictured in 2022 In After The Hunt Roberts plays a Yale professor who defends a friend and colleague (Andrew Garfield) who is accused of sexual assault by a younger woman (Ayo Edebiri) Roberts also looked youthful in a new Lancome holiday campaign She explained, 'Really bright people do not jockey for their position. They share their ideas and their feelings and then they listen intently. 'It's the listening that I feel we've gotten the farthest from in culture, because conversations get so intense so quickly, and you're just waiting for that break so that you can say, "OK, but this is why I'm right. This is why what I believe is better."' The silver screen sensation added: 'It was so nice to have the time and to be with truly bright people, and hearing what everybody had to say. 'We didn't necessarily tell all our characters' secrets. But it was just a great playground of thought.' Promoting the interview on social media earlier this month, the Stepmom star shared a photo alongside the actor and wrote, 'Thank you @Variety for a fun time with my friend Sean Penn aka the GOAT. .' One of the doctors caught up in the criminal fallout surrounding Matthew Perrys ketamine death has narrowly avoided prison time. Mark Chavez the second of two physicians convicted in connection with the Friends stars 2023 overdose was sentenced Tuesday to eight months of home confinement, despite facing the possibility of a decade behind bars. He pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine after admitting he sold fraudulently obtained ketamine to fellow doctor Salvador Plasencia. Prosecutors say the ketamine was sold to Perry in the weeks before his fatal overdose, and while neither doctor supplied the lethal dose, both knew of his substance abuse history and that it would be used without medical supervision. Chavezs legal team argued in court filings earlier this month that the disgraced physician had already been punished enough, pointing to the collapse of his career, finances, and public standing. Stripped of his medical license and reputation, Chavez is now scraping by as a ride-share driver, his lawyers said, urging the court to credit him with time already served. Mark Chavez the second of two physicians convicted in connection with Matthew Perrys 2023 overdose was sentenced Tuesday to eight months of home confinement, despite facing the possibility of a decade behind bars; (pictured 2024) Chavez is one of five people charged in the chain of events leading up to Perrys death; (pictured 2022) 'He now supports himself through ride-share driving, earns modest income, and has no remaining assets after the loss of his career, his reputation, and his financial stability,' defense attorneys wrote in papers dated Dec. 3. Earlier this month, Plasencia received a far harsher punishment, sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to four counts of distributing ketamine. Chilling text messages between the two doctors played a major role in the case. In one exchange discussing how much to charge Perry, Plasencia wrote to Chavez, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay.' That message was later cited in a powerful victim impact statement submitted to the court by Perrys stepfather, Keith Morrison. He wrote, 'This doctor conspired to break his most important vows, repeatedly, sneaked through the night to meet his victim in secret. For what, a few thousand dollars? So he could feed on the vulnerability of our sonand crow, as he did so, with that revealing question: I wonder how much this moron will pay. Lets find out. As previously reported, Perry overdosed on ketamine and drowned in his hot tub in 2023. He was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28, and the medical examiner later ruled ketamine intoxication as the primary cause of death. Chavezs legal team argued in court filings earlier this month that the disgraced physician had already been punished enough, pointing to the collapse of his career, finances, and public standing; (pictured 2024) Meanwhile, sentencing is still pending for Perrys live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, alleged drug dealer Erik Fleming, and the woman dubbed the 'Ketamine Queen,' Jasveen Sangha (pictured), all of whom are expected to face judgment in the coming weeks. At the time, the actor had been receiving ketamine legally through his regular physician as an off-label treatment for depression a practice that has become increasingly common. Perry began seeking larger amounts of ketamine than his regular doctor was willing to provide. About a month before his death, he connected with Plasencia, who then enlisted Chavez to get the drug for him. 'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia texted Chavez. That same day, the two met in Costa Mesa, roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine. After Plasencia sold the drugs to Perry for $4,500, he asked Chavez if he could continue supplying them, hoping to make ketamine Perrys 'go-to.' Meanwhile, sentencing is still pending for Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, alleged drug dealer Erik Fleming, and the woman dubbed the 'Ketamine Queen,' Jasveen Sangha, all of whom are expected to face judgment in the coming weeks. Dick Van Dyke is devastated by his longtime friend Rob Reiner and his wife Michele's deaths. Their son Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first degree murder on Tuesday after the couple were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. The Mary Poppins actor was close to the All In The Family actor for six decades and even spoke to him just two weeks ago, Van Dyke's wife Arlene Silver shared in a tearful video. Silver also said her spouse could not sleep because he was so sickened by the deaths which overshadowed his 100th birthday over the weekend. Van Dyke's party was on Saturday and the murders were discovered the next day. 'Such a weird, wonderful, awful weekend,' Silver, 54, said in the video. The former makeup artist was still wearing a '100' button with an image of Van Dyke on her top that was made for his birthday. 'You know Dick's birthday was on [Saturday] I can't not talk about this horrible thing. I mean, Dick's birthday was so amazing, so over-the-top beautiful, and then this. I was relieved and happy, and then this happened yesterday,' she shared. Dick Van Dyke is devastated by his longtime friend Rob Reiner and his wife Michele's deaths; pictured this month Reiner and Van Dyke at the 2008 Backlot Film Festival Tribute to Carl Reiner in 2008 in Culver City, California The Mary Poppins actor was close to the All In The Family actor for decades and even spoke to him just two weeks ago, Van Dyke's wife Arlene Silver shared in a tearful video And Van Dyke's wife said she and her husband had recently spoken to the Reiners. 'We talked to Rob two weeks ago on the phone,' Silver shared. 'And Michele, I have so many messages from Dick's birthday, it's going to take me weeks to get over them, and Michele and Rob's are in those messages.' Silver added that the Reiners were among the first friends she met when she began dating Van Dyke nearly 20 years ago. 'Dick has known Rob since he was a teenager from The Dick Van Dyke Show,' she continued. Rob Reiner's father, Carl, was the creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show, which aired from 1961 to 1966. 'And I've always been a fan of his work before I knew him. And then Rob and Carl [Reiner] were the first people I ever met with Dick. Rob and Michele were always together, like Dick and I. And I always felt part of the Reiner family, they always treated me like part of their family. And this is just like unbelievable.' She also noted that the Reiners 'did everything they could' for their son Nick who had a history of drug addiction and mental health issues. Their son Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first degree murder on Tuesday after the couple were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Seen in 2011 Van Dyke worked with Rob's father Carl Reiner on The Dick Van Dyke Show; seen in 1964 Here is Rob and Carl together on set in 1965 'I can't imagine if Norman Lear and Carl were alive for this,' Silver added. 'It's terrible. I want to celebrate Dick, I want to keep doing that, but I also want to acknowledge this horrible thing.' Nick Reiner will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder. If convicted, the 32-year-old could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said no decision has been made on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty. 'He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous weapon, that being a knife,' Hochman said. Silver threw a big 100th birthday party for Van Dyke on Saturday at their Malibu home. 'It went so perfect just everything,' she said to People. 'And he was so happy. His face, I love to make him have that face.' On Saturday, Van Dyke was surprised by a flash mob led by his wife as they danced to a medley comprising of some of his most iconic songs. Van Dyke marked his milestone 100th birthday with an extravagant celebration over the weekend; pictured in December 2023 On Saturday, he was surprised by a flash mob led by his wife as they danced to a medley comprising of some of his most iconic songs; pictured in May 2021 The silver screen star is known for his decades-spanning acting career including his roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In the weeks leading up to his 100th birthday, he candidly shared his feelings about reaching the milestone. Though he previously admitted he gets sad thinking about how he has outlived many of his friends and older family members, he recently shared that he 'feels really good for 100.' 'Sometimes I have more energy than others, but I never wake up in a bad mood,' he told People. He admitted that sometimes he feels 'diminished' but tries to stay active and uplifted by 'hitting the gym' multiple times a week. On his birthday, Van Dyke also released a book, 100 Rules for Living to 100, to commemorate the illustrious life he has had so far. The silver screen star is known for his decades-spanning acting career including his roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; pictured in 1964 portrait alongside Julie Andrews Limited screenings of Dick Van Dyke: A 100th Celebration will also be shown at various spots throughout Los Angeles for the star's entire birthday weekend. He also has spoken about how he has lived so long. During an interview with The Mirror, Van Dyke explained that he gave up drinking many years ago in 1972 after alcohol had 'ruined' his life. The star recalled doing a stint in rehab for 'two weeks' and reflected that it was 'nothing like today.' Afterwards, he said 'did the whole AA 12-step thing' to get sober. Van Dyke also recalled how he gave up cigarettes after being a heavy smoker, admitting to the outlet that he is 'very lucky I still have my lungs.' 'I was a terrible smoker smoking one cigarette after another,' he explained. 'I think all those years when I was dancing is probably what saved me. Either that, or genes,' he added. The actor continued: 'But I never did any drugs. My generation, we smoked and drank.' Dynasty star Nathalie Kelley has hit back after she was seemingly slammed for sharing a tribute to the victims of the Bondi terror attack having previously condemned Israel and shown her support for Palestine. The Australian actress, who is currently dating Jewish hairdresser Tomer Kelner, expressed her heartbreak after 15 innocent people were killed on Sunday at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration. 'Whether or not you agree with the actions of the state of Israel (I do not) what happened in Bondi on Sunday was a vile, sickening act,' she wrote. 'Nobody who genuinely wants peace, rematriation for Palestinian people and justice in the Holy Land (as I do) can justify the abhorrent rise in antisemitic violence all over the world.' However, many of her followers appeared to slam her for posting the tribute, as on Wednesday Nathalie defended herself in a lengthy video posted to her Instagram. She said the situation was not about 'me or my beliefs' and that people had misunderstood. Nathalie Kelley (pictured) has been slammed for sharing a tribute to the victims of the Bondi terror attack despite showing her support for Palestine 'I have been supporting Palestinian people and the Palestine movement since before I was a teenager,' she began. 'When I was eight or nine years old, I watched a documentary on IDF soldiers killing children in the West Bank and to me it was like looking at South Africa all over again. 'And little Nathalie who grew up as a brown girl in a white country always stuck up for the underdog.' She went on to say she eventually fell in love with an Israeli man, but her support still lies with Palestine. 'Fast forward two decades later, I fall in love with an Israeli man but my stance doesnt change,' Nathalie continued. 'There is a clear oppressor, narrative, victim and I can see where the power lies and my support still lies with Palestinian people. 'But my capacity to have understanding for the other side has grown enormously thanks to my boyfriend and his family.' She said she had always been 'against the violent actions of the IDF since before the war.' On Wednesday, Nathalie defended herself and hit back at critics in a lengthy video posted to her Instagram 'My last post was a message of solidarity to Jewish people all around the world, whether they support the war or not. I want all people to be safe, even the people who dont agree with me,' she said Nathalie continued: 'That brings me to the gun attack in Bondi, I was supposed to have been there The shock of knowing that, due to some twist of fate, we did not get that flight and went to another city instead. 'My last post was a message of solidarity to Jewish people all around the world, whether they support the war or not. I want all people to be safe, even the people who dont agree with me. 'Israel can be an oppressor and Israelis can also be victims. Not one person is your enemy.' Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, allegedly opened fire from a footbridge at the Sydney beach on Sunday night, killing 15 people, including 10-year-old girl named Matilda, who were among those attending the Hanukkah celebration. Other victims include British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, French national Dan Elkayam, 27, Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, beloved husband and father Tibor Weitzen, Wellington Street synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison, Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82, retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher, Edith Brutman and Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61. Maya Jama showcased her amazing figure in a white tank top and black leather skinny jeans as she posed for sizzling mirror selfies on Instagram on Tuesday. The Love Island host, 31, looked sensational in the cool ensemble, which she completed by cinching her waist with a chunky silver buckled belt. Maya added a stylish cropped black fur jacket as she posed up a storm in the mirror for a series of photos. Styling her dark tresses in voluminous waves, the ITV2 star applied her lip gloss before flashing her gorgeous smile. The presenter later applied her favourite lip combination which included Rimmel London's 4 cappuccino lip liner and the brand's 10 butter balm. She wrote: 'Cappuccino on the lips and lashes @rimmellondon'. Maya Jama showcased her amazing figure in a white tank top and black leather skinny jeans as she posed for sizzling mirror selfies on Instagram on Tuesday The Love Island host, 31, looked sensational in the cool ensemble which she completed by cinching her waist with a chunky silver buckled belt Meanwhile, earlier this month Maya left her fans hot under the collar as she posted snaps from her recent trip to Qatar. She captioned the snaps: 'Pit stop in Qatar last week, a lovely time with old friends & new.' Looking sensational, Maya wore a life jacket while posing against an amphibious 'jet car', which are tourist favourite Ferrari/Corvette-shaped boats for rent. She also showcased her elegant gowns and ensembles throughout her stay, including a Greek goddess-worthy white gown with draped details. Not only did she indulge in some tourist fun, but Maya was also seen posing with the Red Bull racing team - who reigned victorious thanks to Max Verstappen. Maya was wearing a stunning strapless gown, which showed off her toned arms, and boasted a leather band across the bust and a loose body. Maya recently revealed how she will star in the second series of Netflix hit The Gentleman. She had posed with a snap of the series one poster before writing: 'To be clear, that is not the new series, that is the old series poster. But I am in the new series a little bit, and I just went into an office to have a little meeting.' Maya added a stylish cropped black fur jacket as she posed up a storm in the mirror Styling her dark tresses in voluminous waves, the ITV2 star applied her lip gloss before flashing her gorgeous smile The presenter later applied her favourite lip combination which included Rimmel London's 4 cappuccino lip liner and the brand's 10 butter balm Beaming from ear to ear, she added: 'I don't know when it's coming out though, so I can't give you any other information, but I'm so excited.' Maya's exciting news comes after lead star Theo James revealed what fans can expect from series two, which is set to land on Netflix next year. The actor, 40, plays aristocrat Eddie Halstead in the series as his estate turns into a hub of unexpected crime after it's revealed his father had been keeping a huge secret. The star-studded comedy drama became one of the platform's biggest hits of 2024 after it reached a whopping 44million views in just four weeks. Guy Ritchie began shooting season two of the gangster show with very dramatic action scenes in London back in June, and it will be back on the streaming platform in 2026. It comes after news emerged in October how Maya was set to pivot in her career by investing in property. A source told The Sun: 'Maya is a shrewd businesswoman and, while her career is going stellar, shes not going to be wasting her hard-earned cash.' 90 Day Fiance star Veronica Rodriguez and her fiance Seth Daryoushfar were arrested in North Carolina on Monday in connection with allegations of violent behavior. The reality TV personality, 40, was taken into custody in connection with charges of misdemeanor domestic violence on Monday afternoon, according to legal documents reviewed by Daily Mail. Daryoushfar, 38, was booked in connection with charges of assault on a female, The US Sun reported, citing court docs. Rodriguez, according to court docs reviewed by the outlet, struck her fiance in the face' in the incident. She was subsequently let out on a bond of $500 and ordered by the court not to 'assault, threaten, or harass' Daryoushfar. Daily Mail has reached out to Rodriguez via Instagram, and Daryoushfar via Instagram and LinkedIn, as well as reps for TLC for further comment on this story. 90 Day Fiance star Veronica Rodriguez, 40, and her fiance Seth Daryoushfar were arrested in North Carolina on Monday in connection with allegations of violent behavior Daryoushfar, 38, was booked in connection with charges of assault on a female Daryoushfar 'grabbed Veronica, causing scratches to her wrists and thighs' in the encounter, according to court documents. Daryoushfar in the wake of the arrest filed an indigency claim, citing financial issues in forthcoming legal costs stemming from the arrest. Daryoushfar was subsequently released on a bond of $2,500 and instructed by the court to not 'assault, threaten, or harass' Rodriguez, The US Sun reported. In the incident, both Rodriguez and Daryoushfar were transported to Union County Jail in North Carolina, which is about 14 miles east of Charlotte. She previously said in a clip she posted to Instagram Sunday that she considered 2025 to be 'the best year yet' for her, adding, 'Cant wait to see what 2026 has in store for us.' In a clip set to Billy Joel's Piano Man, Rodriguez shared a montage of clips of her and Daryoushfar engaging in a number of fun activities through their courtship. She said that 'its very important' to reply to online suitors that pique your interest, citing how she and Daryoushfar linked up via the dating app Bumble 'In your 30s, youll match on Bumble Its very important you respond,' Rodriguez wrote. Daryoushfar proposed marriage to Rodriguez in Venice, Italy while the duo were on a romantic vacation in Europe this past September The couple, pictured in a romantic embrace in Venice, initially met on the app Bumble Daryoushfar proposed marriage to Rodriguez in Venice, Italy while the duo were on a romantic vacation in Europe this past September. 'From the very beginning, being with each other has felt like home,' Rodriguez said in a September 10 post announcing the engagement. She continued: 'What started as two people getting to know each other has grown into a love we couldnt have dreamed up better if we tried. 'Through every laugh, challenge, and adventure, our bond has only deepenedand now, were so proud to say yes to forever. Were engaged!' Rodriguez was initially seen on the show's third season in a feature called Beyond the 90 Days. She subsequently appeared in 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk and 90 Day: The Single Life. Kimora Lee Simmons has called out ex-husband Russell Simmons over his claims that he is 'fighting' for their children's love as online drama continues. The 50-year-old TV personality - who recently stated that she doesn't have a relationship with the fathers of her kids - jumped to her Instagram stories on Monday to slam his 'lies.' The record executive was previously married to the model from 1998 until their split in 2006 - with their divorce being finalized three years later. The former couple share daughters Ming Lee, 25, and Aoki Lee, 23. He also claimed that she 'threatened' that he would 'never speak to [their] kids again' if he sued her. However, the fashion designer penned a short message to respond to her ex and wrote, 'My "girls" are GROWN WOMEN! 'You know these are lies. Why are you typing from thousands of miles away in a non extradition country? Go negotiate and Answer your Accusers.' Kimora Lee Simmons has called out ex-husband Russell Simmons over his claims that he is 'fighting' for their children's love as online drama continues The record executive was previously married to the model from 1998 until their split in 2006 - with their divorce being finalized in 2009. The former couple share daughters Ming Lee, 25, and Aoki Lee, 23; Simmons seen above with daughters in 2024 in NYC Simmons was referencing to Russell relocating to Bali back in 2017 after sexual assault allegations were made against him - which he has since denied. The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Russell Simmons for comment and has yet to hear back. Along with her two daughters with Russell, the fashion designer additionally welcomed Kenzo, 16, with Djimon Hounsou and Wolfe, 10, with ex-husband Tim Leissner. Simmons also adopted a son named Gary, now 16, and has a 'bonus son' named Jayden, 19. During a recent interview with People, the media personality told the outlet that she does not 'have a relationship really' with the fathers of her kids. 'Usually I would say that I co-parent okay, but the kids are with me full-time. I'm pretty much the primary parent. It's difficult, but I don't know sometimes what other people are thinking. Guys are weird.' She added, 'I'm always "the mom." I mother people all around me. When I hear people say to me, "I've come to you as a mom or best friend in my head," that's what I live for.' Simmons also shared that her 'life doesn't ever revolve around a guy, ever' while expressing gratitude that she is 'able to be there for my family in ways that other people or parents are not. 'If I wasn't this person, I don't know if we would've made it or if we would be okay. It's been very important to me to be strong and self-reliant, and to constantly be growing.' 'You know these are lies. Why are you typing from thousands of miles away in a non extradition country? Go negotiate and Answer your Accusers,' she wrote 'Usually I would say that I co-parent okay, but the kids are with me full-time. I'm pretty much the primary parent. It's difficult, but I don't know sometimes what other people are thinking. Guys are weird,' Simmons said; seen in 2023 in L.A. She additionally welcomed Kenzo, 16, with Djimon Hounsou and Wolfe, 10, with ex-husband Tim Leissner. Simmons also adopted a son named Gary, 16; star seen with her three sons above Not long after her comments came to light, Russell shared his own response via Instagram threads. 'I gave u 50,000 a month for 20 years. I was ur best / only friend. I'm the godfather to your 3 kids, until one day you stole my stock.' The record executive further claimed, 'I have been fighting for my kids love and my bread ever since. 'You threatened that if I sued you, I would never speak to my kids again. There are two sides to every story.' Back in 2023, Simmons accused Russell of abuse - while also later saying that she is a 'single mom.' She had shared a clip of her ex-husband berating their daughter Aoki, and he apologized for being 'frustrated and yelling' at the time. Simmons told People, 'Some people were like, "Oh, how spoiled does she sound, that you are never going to work again, that your dad has to go get you everything?" '[But] she wasn't saying, "My dad has to go get me everything." She was saying, "My dad has threatened to cancel everything that he could because they were his friends and because he was the more popular one or powerful one and that's wrong."' The record executive further claimed, 'I have been fighting for my kids love and my bread ever since. You threatened that if I sued you, I would never speak to my kids again. There are two sides to every story'; Russell seen in 2017 in L.A. Back in 2023, Simmons accused Russell of abuse - while also later saying that she is a 'single mom'; former couple seen in 2003 in Miami The reality star continued, 'I don't have to do that before adding that Russell has "overstated" his role in their daughters' lives.' Simmons later expressed, 'Men, powerful men, famous men, rich men, business rich men, whatever you want to call it. 'There's a thing there and I don't know what it is, but I don't really have a great relationship with any of them and they've left me to it to just kind of do things on my own. I do everything on my own. Like I say, I'm a single mom.' Earlier this month, Simmons shared that she is also a 'surrogate mom' to Sean 'Diddy' Combs' 18-year-old twin daughters. The TV personality opened up about the topic of motherhood during an appearance on Today With Jenna & Friends. Combs welcomed D'Lila and Jessie with the late Kim Porter - who passed away at the age of 47 in 2018 from lobar pneumonia. During their past tumultuous on-off romance from 1994-2007, the pair also welcomed son Christian, 26. Simmons was asked about being a 'surrogate mom' to other children in her life. She had shared a clip of her ex-husband berating their daughter Aoki, and he apologized for being 'frustrated and yelling' at the time; Aoki and her father Russell seen in 2022 in NYC Earlier this month, Simmons shared that she is a 'surrogate mom' to Sean 'Diddy' Combs' 18-year-old twin daughters (seen above) 'I have my kids, and then I have kids on the side,' the model said. 'I have a stepdaughter, well, an additional daughter. I have another son, bonus son, who's on the show, Jaden, another one who's just been with us for many, many years.' She then added, 'One of my friends who passed away, Kim Porter, I have all of her kids. Even though some of them at adults, but some of them are 18, twins.' When questioned if the twins 'come to' her, Simmons replied, 'Yeah, they're with me. I just got off the phone with them. I'm a lot of people's mom.' The disgraced music artist is currently serving time in prison after being charged with two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Lily Collins has admitted that she 'struggled' to balance life as a new mum while filming the latest series of Emily In Paris. The actress, 36, become a first-time mother after welcoming a baby girl via surrogacy with her husband, film directer Charlie McDowell in January. Filming for the fifth season of the comedy drama began in May in Rome before moving to Paris later in the summer. In a new interview, Lily, who is the daughter of Phil Collins, insisted she is just like any new parent, juggling the demands of a newborn while trying to balance her day job. She told The Sun: 'You have a different purpose and it's really tough... It's a struggle and I'm just so grateful to be able to do both.' Lily continued: 'I said to everyone this year, 'I'm really good with memorisation, I'm really good with knowing my lines, but this year give me some grace. Lily Collinshas admitted that she 'struggled' to balance life as a new mum while filming the latest series of Emily In Paris The actress,36, become a first-time mother after welcoming a baby girl via surrogacywith her husband, film directer Charlie McDowell in January 'I've not slept, I'm very tired and I may not be on my game'. Netflix released the new trailer to fans earlier this month ahead of the brand-new season's launch on December 18. The clip shows Lily's alter ego Emily as she adjusts to her new life in Rome with Eugenio Franceschini's character Marcello. Elsewhere, with Emily struggling to settle in, Gabriel appears as the pair have a heart-to-heart. The character, played by Lucas Bravo, tells her he's excited by the future, and she should be too. He's then seen boarding a train - with it not clear if he's exploring Rome or returning to Paris. It further fuels speculation that Gabriel is being written out of the show following his split from Emily, after his absence from the initial trailer caused alarm amongst fans. A synopsis for season five released by Netflix reads: 'Now the head of Agence Grateau Rome, Emily faces professional and romantic challenges as she adapts to life in a new city. Filming for the fifth season of the comedy drama began in May in Rome before moving to Paris later in the summer 'But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires, and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks. Seeking stability, Emily leans into her French lifestyle, until a big secret threatens one of her closest relationships. 'Tackling conflict with honesty, Emily emerges with deeper connections, renewed clarity, and a readiness to embrace new possibilities.' Earlier this year, Camille Razat shocked fans by revealing she had quit the hit series. The French actress, 31 - who plays Camille in the romantic comedy drama - took to Instagram to reveal the shocking news with an emotional goodbye post after fans fumed at bosses for 'destroying the character'. Camille has played Emily's pal and love rival in the show since the programme hit the streaming service back in 2020. Sharing various snaps from her time on the show, she wrote: 'After an incredible journey, Ive made the decision to step away from Emily in Paris. 'It has been a truly wonderful experience, one filled with growth, creativity, and unforgettable memories. 'Im deeply grateful to @starmandarren and the entire team at @netflix and @paramountpics for their trust and for giving me the opportunity to bring Camille to life and leaving the door open for her return, as she will always be a part of Emily In Paris world. With Emily struggling to settle in, Gabriel appears as the pair have a heart-to-heart. He's then seen boarding a train - with it not clear if he's exploring Rome or returning to Paris 'This character has meant a lot to me, and I feel that her storyline has naturally come to an end. It felt like the right moment to explore new horizons. 'Ive recently wrapped two series: Nero for Netflix and the Lost Station girls for Disney+. Im also excited to share that Ive launched my own production company, @tazar_production. 'We mainly produce music videos and short films for now, but were currently developing our first feature film, something Im truly passionate about and excited to grow. 'I leave the show with nothing but love and admiration for the cast, crew, and fans who have supported us along the way. 'Thank you for the beautiful ride.' Her fans and co-stars rushed to the comments section to share their support. Lily said: 'Love you sister. Its been a wild ride and an absolute pleasure. Youre a rockstar. So proud of you.' Emily in Paris lands on Netflix on December 18. Zachery Ty Bryans fiancee Johnnie Faye Cartwright is back behind bars after allegedly trying to run the former child star over with their three young children inside the vehicle. According to Lane County Sheriffs Office records reviewed by the Daily Mail, the explosive incident unfolded in Eugene, Oregon, on November 29, when both Bryan, 44, and Cartwright, 32, were arrested. Police said the engaged couple had been driving together with their children when Bryan exited the pickup truck and began walking down the road. Authorities allege Cartwright then attempted to strike him with the vehicle, crashing into a ditch while the children were still inside. Both were taken into custody, with officers noting that the Home Improvement actor was also in violation of a court order requiring him to stay away from Cartwright. On Wednesday, a judge denied Cartwrights request to modify her pretrial release after UsWeekly confirmed a warrant had been issued for her arrest over alleged violations tied to the incident. Zachery Ty Bryans fiancee Johnnie Faye Cartwright (pictured) is back behind bars after allegedly trying to run the former child star overwith their three young children inside the vehicle On Wednesday, a judge denied Cartwrights request to modify her pretrial release after a warrant had been issued for her arrest over alleged violations tied to the incident; (Bryan in 2014) Cartwright is scheduled to appear at another hearing on December 18. According to jail records reviewed by Daily Mail, Bryan was issued no bail. Police added that 'Bryan was able to move out of the way and avoid injury' despite the fact that both he and his fiancee 'were impaired' adding that 'no one inside the pickup was injured.' Eyewitnesses to the incident were also interviewed at the scene, according to authorities. Both Bryan and Cartwright were taken into custody, police said at the time, noting that the Home Improvement actor had violated a court order to keep away from his fiancee. Authorities said in their report: 'After additional investigation, Cartwright was arrested for Attempted Assault in the 1st Degree, three counts of Recklessly Endangering and DUI. 'Bryan was arrested for a probation violation on an original charge of Assault in the 4th Degree. The involved children were placed with a family member.' According to court records obtained by People, Cartwright pleaded not guilty to one count of driving under the influence, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and three counts of reckless driving. Cartwright is scheduled to appear at another hearing on December 18; (Bryan in 1998) Bryan played Brad Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement from 19911999 At the time of her arrest, jail records show that Cartwright was facing slightly different charges, including one count of driving under the influence, three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of reckless driving, which are all misdemeanors, with a single count of felony attempted assault. Earlier this month, Bryan pointed to a difficult transition from childhood fame to adulthood responsibility in explaining his most recent arrest in connection with domestic violence. Bryan said that 'fame as a child actor left scars' in his life and psyche, leading to a number of legal issues he's dealt with as an adult more than two decades later. Bryan spoke with TMZ earlier this month following a separate brush with the law, as his ex-girlfriend was granted a five-year restraining order against him. Bryan's ex-girlfriend said in court documents reviewed by the outlet that the actor got physically violent with her in an exchange this past July 3. Bryan's ex-girlfriend said that she 'playfully bit his nipple,' he punched in the head, the outlet reported citing legal documents. The woman, who had dated the actor for three months, told the court that he had threatened to kill her at one point, telling her, 'Shut the f*** up or I'm gonna shut you up;' no criminal charges have been filed against the actor in the incident. Bryan told TMZ that 'being thrust into the spotlight at nine-years-old brought pressures I wasn't equipped to handle - but that's no justification for my choices as an adult.' Bryan said that in the wake of his most recent arrest, he is embarking on 'a journey toward personal growth' in an effort to avoid these types of situations moving forward. Bryan made clear he understood that 'domestic violence in any form is unacceptable,' telling the outlet that he 'deeply' regrets wrongdoings spurred by immaturity stemming from his unconventional childhood. 'The truth is, I've struggled with the lasting effects of early fame, addiction, and poor decision-making, which have hurt people I care about and led to repeated legal issues, including DUIs and past domestic incidents,' Bryan told the outlet. Home Improvement starred (L-R) Zachery Ty Bryan; Tim Allen; Taran Noah Smith; Jonathan Taylor Thomas; and Patricia Richardson The Aurora, Colorado-born actor pictured after a 2024 DUI arrest Bryan said that 'this latest situation, involving a restraining order and serious accusations, has been a painful wake-up call.' The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!) actor told the outlet that he was especially hurt how his legal issues have led to people judging him as a parent. 'Being labeled a "bad dad" cuts deep,' Bryan said, 'because my children are my world, and I know I've fallen short.' Bryan, who played Clay in 2006's Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, said he is looking to correct course therapy; and with enrollment in programs aimed at drug rehabilitation and anger management. Bryan was previously arrested in connection with domestic violence two times. Bryan entered a guilty plea to menacing and fourth-degree assault after he was arrested in Eugene, Oregon in October of 2020 in an incident involving his then-partner. Bryan pictured following an arrest in October of 2020 in Eugene, Oregon Bryan was seen in a mugshot from a separate domestic violence incident on New Year's Day Bryan was also taken into custody Horry County, South Carolina in connection with violence against a woman this past January, in a case that is still ongoing. Bryan appeared opposite Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith on 203 episodes of Home Improvement. 'I don't know what's going on with him,' Allen told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022 of Bryan. 'Zach is a great kid who has grown into a complex man. 'All you can do is step aside and let somebody go through their process. At a certain point, he deviated from the guy I know to somebody who is reacting to situations that I had nothing to do with and can't control.' If you or a person you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. The wife of Dick Van Dyke claimed that she had been stalked in recent months in a new Instagram video posted on Tuesday. Arlene Silver, 54, said she had to skip her daily workout because she was afraid to leave their home with the stalker potentially being around. Her fears for her safety were understandable, coming just days after her husband's longtime friend Rob Reiner and his wife were murdered in their Brentwood home. Their son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, was arrested in Los Angeles on Monday for allegedly killing the two with a knife, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney filed two first-degree murder charges against him on Tuesday, the same day that Reiner's grieving family members gathered together at his younger brother's home. Arlene had revealed in an earlier video that Dick had had trouble sleeping after learning of Reiner's death at 78, which had overshadowed his 100th birthday celebrations over the weekend. 'There's someone kind of stalking me around Malibu,' Arlene admitted in a selfie video in which she appeared in a medusa sweatshirt. ' Arlene Silver, 54, the wife of Dick Van Dyke, 100, claimed that she had been stalked in recent months in a new Instagram video posted on Tuesday; pictured together in 2021 in Washington, DC She claimed a man was stalking her in Malibu, and the fear of seeing him kept her from going to her yoga class on Tuesday 'And I don't feel comfortable going out, on top of everything else,' she added, seemingly alluding to the murder of the Reiners. 'I go to yoga for my mental health and just to move my body, and there's some guy, just, you know, he's been hanging around all the Dick Van Dyke stuff, and I said something to him yesterday, and hopefully...' she explained before trailing off. 'It's hard to explain, but I don't want to give him any attention,' Arlene continued. 'It sucks, but that's the one hour that I leave to do something for myself. So, hopefully, he will go away, or else I'm gonna have to have a bodyguard escort me to my yoga class. Like, really?' she said in exasperation. Arlene added that 'there's always gotta be somebody to mess things up.' She revealed that her husband had offered to go to her yoga class with her, but she worried that it was what the stalker was hoping for. She said the stalker had been following her 'for a couple months,' and reiterated that she had spoken to the man on Monday. She said he had acted as if he was confused by why she was speaking to him. Arlene complained that the yoga class was the 'one hour' of the day that she had for herself, and she admitted to confronting the man the day before She added that her husband Dick had offered to go to yoga class with her, but she feared that was exactly what the stalker was hoping for. 'Dude, you know what you're doing. Don't mess with me but I will crack you,' she warned as she slapped her hands together in a chopping motion. 'And how do you relax in yoga class when you know this guy could just walk into your yoga class.' This isn't the first time the Dick Van Dyke's family has been the victim of a stalker. In 2022, Pierce Brosnan filed for a restraining order against a woman he claimed had been stalking his family, but she alleged that she was actually trying to find Dick Van Dyke's home. Brosnan wrote in court filings that the woman, who had a tattoo of Van Dyke on her arm, had instead opted to stay in front of his house once she found his family, according to the LA Times. Arlene vowed to 'figure out' the situation, which would potentially require hiring a bodyguard. 'It's unfortunate, on top of everything else,' she added, shortly after she revealed that her husband was devastated by his longtime friend Rob Reiner and his wife Michele's deaths. Their son Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first degree murder on Tuesday, after the couple were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. The Mary Poppins actor was close to the All In The Family actor for six decades and even spoke to him just two weeks ago, Van Dyke's wife Arlene Silver shared in a tearful video. Dick Van Dyke is devastated by his longtime friend Rob Reiner and his wife Michele's deaths; pictured this month Reiner and Van Dyke at the 2008 Backlot Film Festival Tribute to Carl Reiner in 2008 in Culver City, California The Mary Poppins actor was close to the All In The Family actor for decades and even spoke to him just two weeks ago, Van Dyke's wife Arlene Silver shared in a tearful video Silver also said her spouse could not sleep because he was so sickened by the deaths which overshadowed his 100th birthday over the weekend. Van Dyke's party was on Saturday and the murders were discovered the next day. 'Such a weird, wonderful, awful weekend,' Silver, 54, said in the video. The former makeup artist was still wearing a '100' button with an image of Van Dyke on her top that was made for his birthday. 'You know Dick's birthday was on [Saturday] I can't not talk about this horrible thing. I mean, Dick's birthday was so amazing, so over-the-top beautiful, and then this. I was relieved and happy, and then this happened yesterday,' she shared. And Van Dyke's wife said she and her husband had recently spoken to the Reiners. 'We talked to Rob two weeks ago on the phone,' Silver shared. 'And Michele, I have so many messages from Dick's birthday, it's going to take me weeks to get over them, and Michele and Rob's are in those messages.' Silver added that the Reiners were among the first friends she met when she began dating Van Dyke nearly 20 years ago. 'Dick has known Rob since he was a teenager from The Dick Van Dyke Show,' she continued. Their son Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first degree murder on Tuesday after the couple were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Seen in 2011 Van Dyke worked with Rob's father Carl Reiner on The Dick Van Dyke Show; seen in 1964 Here is Rob and Carl together on set in 1965 Rob Reiner's father, Carl, was the creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show, which aired from 1961 to 1966. 'And I've always been a fan of his work before I knew him. And then Rob and Carl [Reiner] were the first people I ever met with Dick. Rob and Michele were always together, like Dick and I. And I always felt part of the Reiner family, they always treated me like part of their family. And this is just like unbelievable.' She also noted that the Reiners 'did everything they could' for their son Nick who had a history of drug addiction and mental health issues. 'I can't imagine if Norman Lear and Carl were alive for this,' Silver added. 'It's terrible. I want to celebrate Dick, I want to keep doing that, but I also want to acknowledge this horrible thing.' Nick Reiner will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder. If convicted, the 32-year-old could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said no decision has been made on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty. 'He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous weapon, that being a knife,' Hochman said. Silver threw a big 100th birthday party for Van Dyke on Saturday at their Malibu home. 'It went so perfect just everything,' she said to People. 'And he was so happy. His face, I love to make him have that face.' Van Dyke marked his milestone 100th birthday with an extravagant celebration over the weekend; pictured in December 2023 On Saturday, he was surprised by a flash mob led by his wife as they danced to a medley comprising of some of his most iconic songs; pictured in May 2021 On Saturday, Van Dyke was surprised by a flash mob led by his wife as they danced to a medley comprising of some of his most iconic songs. The silver screen star is known for his decades-spanning acting career including his roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In the weeks leading up to his 100th birthday, he candidly shared his feelings about reaching the milestone. Though he previously admitted he gets sad thinking about how he has outlived many of his friends and older family members, he recently shared that he 'feels really good for 100.' 'Sometimes I have more energy than others, but I never wake up in a bad mood,' he told People. He admitted that sometimes he feels 'diminished' but tries to stay active and uplifted by 'hitting the gym' multiple times a week. On his birthday, Van Dyke also released a book, 100 Rules for Living to 100, to commemorate the illustrious life he has had so far. Limited screenings of Dick Van Dyke: A 100th Celebration will also be shown at various spots throughout Los Angeles for the star's entire birthday weekend. The silver screen star is known for his decades-spanning acting career including his roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; pictured in 1964 portrait alongside Julie Andrews He also has spoken about how he has lived so long. During an interview with The Mirror, Van Dyke explained that he gave up drinking many years ago in 1972 after alcohol had 'ruined' his life. The star recalled doing a stint in rehab for 'two weeks' and reflected that it was 'nothing like today.' Afterwards, he said 'did the whole AA 12-step thing' to get sober. Van Dyke also recalled how he gave up cigarettes after being a heavy smoker, admitting to the outlet that he is 'very lucky I still have my lungs.' 'I was a terrible smoker smoking one cigarette after another,' he explained. 'I think all those years when I was dancing is probably what saved me. Either that, or genes,' he added. The actor continued: 'But I never did any drugs. My generation, we smoked and drank.' Apple Martin has the ultimate closet to raid when it comes to finding a party dress. The model slipped into her mother's Calvin Klein Collection dress for the Marty Supreme New York premiere on Tuesday night. Apple, 21, looked the spitting image of her Oscar winning mom, 53, who first wore the nineties number to the premiere of her Jane Austen adaptation Emma in 1996. Teaming the chic black dress with Manolo Blahnik shoes, and Tiffany & Co. jewelry, Apple also copied her mother's updo to complete the look. Both Apple and her brother Moses, 19, whose dad is Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, were at the Marty Supreme premiere to support Gwyneth, who has starring role in the Timothee Chalamet-led ping pong drama. Gwyneth coordinated with Apple, also donning a black dress - a stunning velvet Valentino Haute Couture number. Apple Martin slipped into her mother's 1996 Calvin Klein Collection dress for the Marty Supreme NYC premiere on Tuesday night Gwyneth coordinated with Apple, also donning a black dress - a stunning velvet Valentino Haute Couture number Gwyneth previously revealed how Apple loves to borrow from her wardrobe, and has a special penchant for her nineties Calvin Klein dresses. The actress has saved all of her iconic looks in a vast archive, revealing that she always hoped her daughter would want to wear the pieces. 'She pulls all kinds of stuff. She's very into all my '90s Calvin, of which there's a lot -and the '90s Prada, of which there's a lot,' Gwyneth told Vogue in a joint interview with Apple earlier this year. 'Sometimes we just play dress up and she'll put on my Oscar dresses and stuff like that. We have fun down there.' 'Weirdly, I started saving clothes for Apple about 15, 20 years before she was born. I don't just see a top, I'll see a moment in my life and all the circumstances surrounding it. I've always saved everything in hopes that I had a daughter one day who would want to go in there.' And Apple is delighted to have such a closet at her disposable calling her mother 'such a badass when it comes to fashion.' Whilst her daughter is a fan, Gwyneth previously admitted that her son Moses is more criticial about her looks. Speaking in 2021, she explained: 'My son, he never likes it if I wear anything revealing, like vaguely see-through or too low cut or too high cut. He wants me to dress very conservatively when I leave the house.' Teaming the chic black dress with Tiffany & Co. jewelry, Apple also copied her mother's updo to complete the look Gwyneth previously revealed how Apple loves to borrow from her wardrobe, and has a special penchant for her nineties Calvin Klein dresses Apple showed off the strappy design of the back of the dress as she worked her poses on the New York red carpet Both Apple and her brother Moses, 19, whose dad is Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, were at the Marty Supreme premiere to support Gwyneth, who has starring role in the movie Earlier this week Gwyneth opened up about the supremely awkward experience of having her teenage son sitting next to her as they watched her raunchy sex scenes with Timothee Chalamet in their new film. During her appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Monday, Oscar winner bluntly said the experience of having her 19-year-son son see her having sex with Chalamet, 29, was 'not great.' 'He was like this the whole [time],' Gwyneth admitted as she mimed crouching down and covering her face with her hands. 'He's not into that.' Gwyneth admitted that she did at least 'warn' her son about what she would be doing in Marty Supreme. However, she wasn't too concerned about it because of the nonchalant way another family member once reacted to her on-screen nudity. The trio were the picture of familial warmth on the red carpet, at one point turning in towards one another to share a cheery conversation Gwyneth also appeared filled with good spirits as she greeted her co-star Timothee, who was dressed in all orange - a recurring theme of his present media tour 'You know, it's funny because you grow up doing these things in movies,' Gwyneth said. 'I remember once that I was so scared because I was taking my grandfather to see the premiere of Shakespeare In Love, and I was like, "I have this topless scene, grandpa, but it's part of the thing because they think I'm a boy." 'And I was trying to, like, prep him for the whole thing, and he just goes, "Ah, I seen it before. Two eggs, sunny side up,"' she recounted with what sounded like a comically exaggerated New York accent. 'So I was trying to think of something like that to say to my son, but I couldn't think of it,' Gwyneth admitted. Seth suggested that she should have just told that story to Moses and let her grandfather's words stand. Her new film has so far earned stellar reviews and boasts an impressive 91 percent Fresh rating from the most prestigious critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes. Love Island star Chyna Mills attended a kids' event with lookalike daughter Havana on Tuesday, amid her ongoing feud with Strictly star fiance Neil Jones' mother. The reality star, 27, beamed as she and the two-year-old hit the red carpet at the Spongebob Squarepants afternoon 'Sea' party at the Haymarket Hotel in London. Chyna, who accused her future mother-in-law of 'racism, bullying and disrespect', was dressed causally in a brown suede trench layered over a black top and jeans. Meanwhile Havana looked lovely in a red knitted dress as she posed alongside her mum before enjoying the festivities to mark the release of new movie The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Chyna alleged last week that Neil's family 'ruined' their daughter's baptism by choosing not to attend - despite being invited, according to the reality star. After the service she took to Instagram to hit out at his mother, Helen Jones with insiders claiming Neil, 43, has now sided with his fiancee, despite his best efforts to heal the rift. Love Island star Chyna Mills and daughter Havana hit the red carpet at the Spongebob Squarepants afternoon 'Sea' party at the Haymarket Hotel in London on Tuesday The Love Island star attended the kids' event amid her ongoing feud with Strictly star fiance Neil Jones' mother. Chyna who rose to fame on the ITV2dating show in 2022, alleged last week that Neil's family 'ruined' their daughter's baptism by choosing not to attend (pictured with Neil) A source told The Sun: 'This tension goes back much further than the baptism. Despite Neil's efforts over time to understand and address any issues, he and Chyna still don't know why some family members seem to have taken a dislike to Chyna. 'This has resulted in them being absent from Havana's life. Chyna felt pushed into a corner to defend herself after some of Neil's family friends and relatives left unpleasant comments. 'She and Neil were deeply upset to see private matters being played out so publicly. They never wanted a public back-and-forth, but they also feel it's difficult to stay silent when Chyna is criticised so openly for everyone to see.' The publication reported Chyna spoke out after seeing comments about his family's absence on Instagram. The Sun claimed Chyna replied to a comment from a family friend: 'To be clear, myself and Neil chose not to invite Helen because of how shes treated me and lack of acknowledgement for our daughter. 'We weren't willing to have that energy around Havana on her special day. 'At the start of the year, I reached out and asked to clear the air so we could move forward for Havanas sake, and that request was ignored. 'To be honest, the lack of effort with Havana has been there from the beginning'. Chyna, who accused her future mother-in-law of 'racism, bullying and disrespect', was dressed causally in a brown suede trench layered over a black top and jeans Chyna alleged last week that Neil's family 'ruined' their daughter's baptism by choosing not to attend - despite being invited, according to the reality star (Pictured with Neil's parents) Sharing photographs on Instagram, which showed the couple smiling and hugging their daughter during the religious ceremony, Chyna spoke out about the family feud Now, in a sudden turn of events, Neil's sister Terri Peters (right) has spoken out in defence of their mother, Helen Jones, accusing Chyna of lying about the situation Daily Mail has contacted Neil and Chyna's representatives for comment. Chyna then took to her Instagram story where she alleged that the Strictly professional dancer's family 'ruined' Havana's baptism by choosing not to attend. Sharing black-and-white photographs on Instagram, which showed the couple smiling and hugging their daughter during the religious ceremony, Chyna spoke out about the family feud she claims has been ongoing behind the scenes. In a strongly worded post, she wrote: 'I've faced bullying, racism, and constant disrespect from a so-called MIL since the moment I met her. This year, I decided enough was enough and gave her the chance to discuss whatever one-sided issue she had of course, I was ignored.' She added: 'Havana's baptism was a special day, and his family chose not to attend out of loyalty to her and refused to acknowledge what's unfolded over the past few years. That's on them. But I won't accept negative comments or false narratives about my baby girl's special moments.' Former Big Brother star Imogen Thomas enjoyed a family day out with daughters (l-R) Siera and Ariana JLS' JB Gill was also in attendance with wife Chloe, son Ace and daughter Chiara Marcel Somerville and son Roman both donned Christmas jumpers for the evnt Meanwhile, Neil's sister Terri Peters has spoken out in defence of their mother, Helen, accusing Chyna of lying about the situation. Neil's sister Terri Peters told the Daily Mail: 'I don't want to comment at this time. If she wants to spin lies, then look, the truth will come out eventually.' Strictly dancer Neil, who is 16 years Chyna's senior, went public with their relationship three years ago, before the couple welcomed their daughter, Havana, in October 2023. The pro proposed to Chyna during a romantic trip to Bali in April 2023. News of the feud comes after Neil announced the tragic death of his beloved father David last month. He wrote at the time: ' He was so loved and he loved us all so much. We will be taking some time off to be together I will update once we have worked some things out and have had time to process. Rest in peace Dad, we love you.' Keira Knightley has revealed her screen kiss 'etiquette' as she reflected on smooching Joe Wilkinson in the Waitrose Christmas advert. The actress, 40, and comedian, 50, star alongside each other in the retailer's Love Actually-inspired four-minute mini-movie inspired by Richard Curtis rom-coms, The Perfect Gift. Joe is sweet-natured singleton Phil, who overcomes his shyness to woo an equally lovelorn Keira Knightley - played by Keira herself in cosy scarves and PJs. In the advert, the pair's cheesy love story plays out and culminates with Joe cooking Keira's nan's turkey pie for her - before the pair share a passionate rom-com kiss. Now, Keira has revealed there was a specific etiquette for her stage kiss with Joe - strictly no tongue and no smelly food. Speaking on Wednesday's episode of Dish by Waitrose, Keira said: 'Tongue? No tongue. I mean, there was no tongue! I mean the rule is no tongue. Yeah, that is the rule. Waitrose Xmas no tongue. No tongue. Fine.' Keira Knightley has revealed her screen kiss 'etiquette' as she reflected on smooching Joe Wilkinson in the Waitrose Christmas advert In the advert, the pair's cheesy love story plays out and culminates with Joe cooking Keira's nan's turkey pie for her - before the pair share a passionate rom-com kiss 'Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, there's etiquette,' she added. 'If you really hate somebody obviously then you have something disgusting and like you smell. But if you really someone obviously there's chewing gum, you need to be minty fresh. 'No, that's unspoken basic human.like you're not having garlic for lunch, you know, once again unless you really hate them in which case as much garlic as possible, obviously thats fair enough. 'Yeah but no definitely, yeah, we were both minty fresh.' Discussing the smooch, she said: 'Oh, he was so sweet. He's got such a large beard that I couldn't get close to his mouth. 'As we were watching Traitors, my kids kept saying "Did you kiss him?" I was like "Kind of! I sort of bounced off the beard".' 'But like I said I dont think I got beyond the beard. It is a thick beard. An amazing beard,' she added. Asked about whether Joe was nervous for the kiss, she said: 'I mean it is weird, especially when you've only met somebody like two minutes before and then you're suddenly like.yeah, it's quite weird. 'Although I don't remember him being thatI think he was fine with that, it was more like, it was the dancing, he was not fine with the dancing, and then he really went for it and was great. You know but I feel like he was fine.' Join the debate Do YOU prefer subtle romance over steamy scenes in festive ads? Speaking on Wednesday's episode of Dish by Waitrose, Keira said: 'Tongue? No tongue. I mean, there was no tongue!' The actress, 40, and comedian, 50, star alongside each other in the retailer's Love Actually-inspired four-minute mini-movie inspired by Richard Curtis rom-coms, The Perfect Gift Discussing the smooch, she said: 'Oh, he was so sweet. He's got such a large beard that I couldn't get close to his mouth' With impeccable rom-com credentials The Perfect Gift is directed by Bafta-award winning Molly Manners, who also helmed Netflix's dramatisation of David Nicholls's bestseller One Day last year - the ad is designed to showcase the store's upmarket credentials as much as the food. This is Waitrose as wholesome as Christmas cake and as British as a pint in a pub called The Pie Makers Arms, which is where the advert starts. Here our heartbroken hero Phil (Joe played Uncle Phil in last year's whodunnit Waitrose ad) is consoled by friends who tell him that 'Shelley' would have wanted him to 'move on' with someone else. Whether Shelley is Phil's former partner or simply persona non grata like Colin Firth's cheating girlfriend in Love Actually, we are never told, yet Shelley has decreed 'the only person I could move on with is Keira Knightley'. To which Phil's friend scoffs 'Keira Knightley? Well, good luck with that mate.' Cut to a meet-cute over the deli counter in a Waitrose store, (filmed in the real Waitrose branch in Kingston, Surrey), where both simultaneously ask the assistant for the Sussex Charmer Mature Cheddar. A date is arranged and a classic rom-com montage follows - the happy couple walking along snowy streets, playfully pushing each other over, nibbling more cheese on the sofa and slowly sliding closer and closer together. Romance inevitably follows. Waitrose says the point of the advert is food as a love language, and what Keira is telling Phil with a tray of homemade biscuits decorated with big bushy icing beards is that nerdy men in duffle coats can have film star girlfriends. Waitrose says the point of the advert is food as a love language, and what Keira is telling Phil with a tray of homemade biscuits decorated with big bushy icing beards Love's path is not straightforward, however, and after wires get miserably crossed, Phil decides to express his true feelings in edible form 'They're all of me!' says Phil of the biscuits, in a playful nod to Keira's line in Love Actually, when her character watches the wedding video and realises she's the main attraction. Love's path is not straightforward, however, and after wires get miserably crossed, Phil decides to express his true feelings in edible form with a homemade turkey pie prepared according to Keira's Nan's recipe. It's not clear how he got hold of this, but as with all good rom-coms it's best not to analyse the plot too closely. What we do know is that it's based on Waitrose's No 1 Festive Turkey Pie, with cider marinated turkey thigh and all butter puff pastry (8.95 for two people). As he delivers it to Keira's lovely white mansion, the snow falling thickly outside, the scene feels deliberately reminiscent of the cue cards moment in Love Actually when Mark (Andrew Lincoln) appears with a CD player to declare his undying love for, who else, Keira's Juliet. And eventually, of course, all is sealed with a kiss. Disney is throwing everything at its Avengers Doomsday publicity blitz, revealing a bold new marketing tactic ahead of of its December 2026 release. It's been reported that four different trailers for Doomsday will play before Avatar: Fire & Ash, which hits cinemas this weekend. The four trailers for the hugely anticipated Marvel movie will be sent to theatres, with each one playing for one week before switching to the next. Therefore fans will have to pay for Avatar tickets four times to see all of the Doomsday trailers, which will be exclusive to cinemas and won't be available online, writes The Hollywood Reporter. Fans have hit out at the publicity ploy, calling Disney 'desperate' and claiming they are being 'gaslit' and 'bribed'. The dire reviews for Avatar: Fire & Ash have not helped calm the frustrations. Disney is throwing everything at its Avengers Doomsday publicity blitz, revealing a bold new marketing tactic ahead of of its December 2026 release; pictured Robert Downey Jr. at the 2024 Comic-Con announcement for the movie It's been revealed that four different trailers for Doomsday will play before Avatar: Fire & Ash, which hits cinemas this weekend (pictured Oona Chaplin as Varang) 'They really are desperate - no one cares about Avatar anymore,' posted one moviegoer on X. 'Disney flexing with avengers trailers to gaslight us back to theaters lol,' added another. 'Disney really out here bribing us with avengers trailers now huh?' Others claimed the studio may have overestimated Marvel fans' appetite for trailers. 'No one cares that much about a 1 minute trailer for a superhero movie. Maybe if it was 2015,' one post read. Another mused that Marvel fans wouldn't sit through Avatar four times, pointing our 'this is such a lame tactic. Mfs will just buy the ticket watch the trailer, and then leave and leak it. Or just movie hop.' Some cinemagoers praised the innovative strategy though with one writing on X that it was a 'smart move, fans will be lining up for those trailers,' whilst another added: 'Interesting strategy! Disney knows how to keep audiences coming back for more.' Anticipation is high for Doomsday. As previously announced Robert Downey Jr will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe not as Iron Man but as Doctor Doom, the villain of the forthcoming film. The last time the Avengers team assembled on screen was six years ago when they battled and defeated Josh Brolin's Thanos in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. The four trailers for the hugely anticipated Marvel movie will be sent to theatres, with each one playing for one week before switching to the next 'They really are desperate - no one cares about Avatar anymore,' posted one moviegoer on X. 'Disney flexing with avengers trailers to gaslight us back to theaters lol,' added another In that same installment, fans said goodbye to Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Chris Evans' Captain America and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. The Russo brothers, Joe and Anthony, will also be making their own return to Marvel to helm Avengers: Doomsday. They previously directed Captain America: Winter Soldier, Civil War and the last two Avengers movies. Meanwhile Avatar makes its big screen return this week. Fire and Ash marks the third entry in James Cameron's long-planned series, following the record-breaking original film of 2009 and the 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. The third film though has been widely panned by critics, ahead of its UK release on Friday. Early reviews have come in for the movie which cost a staggering 300million to make and boasts a star-studded cast including; Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver. Not holding back, some critics awarded the film a measly one star and blasted the 'recycled' plot, agonising 3 hour and 15 minute run time and even urged the director 'to quit while he's ahead'. The film also holds a franchise-low critical score on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes (approx. 6970%). Sophie Kasaei has revealed the heartwarming moment she and Holly Hagan told their pal Charlotte Crosby they're both pregnant. The Geordie Shore star, 36, and her boyfriend Jordan Brook, 30, announced they are expecting their first child together earlier this month after two years of struggling to conceive. In November, Holly shared she was expecting her second baby with husband Jacob Blyth, just weeks after the tragic death of her sister Darci. And in an adorable video, Sophie shared the moment she told Holly and Charlotte about her pregnancy, with the former excitedly saying they were due 'a month apart.' In the video, Sophie and Jordan sat down with Charlotte and Holly, and she said: 'Right so I've got you a present,' before asking them to close their eyes. As Charlotte and Holly opened their eyes, they were greeted with Sophie's positive pregnancy test, as she excitedly declared: 'I'm also pregnant!' Sophie Kasaei has revealed the heartwarming moment she and Holly Hagan told their pal Charlotte Crosby they're both pregnant In an adorable video, Sophie shared the moment she told Holly and Charlotte about her pregnancy, with the former excitedly saying they were due 'a month apart.' The Geordie Shore star and her boyfriend Jordan Brook announced they are expecting their first child togetherearlier this month after two years of struggling to conceive Holly and Charlotte broke down in tears over the news, as they rushed to embrace their expectant pal. Holly excitedly declared: 'We're a month apart!' while Charlotte added: 'All my best friends are pregnant!' Sophie shared a reflective caption where she said it was 'magical' her child would get to grow up with Holly and Charlotte's families, and praised her pals for being there for her 'through thick and thin.' She wrote: 'These are moments we dreamed and talked about. These girls have been there for me through thick and thin weve supported each other through every part of life. 'What made this even more special was I already knew Holly was pregnant and hadnt told her until this moment. 'The fact that we all get to do this next stage together and become mothers and grow our families is just magical. 'If only we knew 16 years ago that life would be this good and we would be sharing these moments together. Life complete.' Holly then commented: 'Honestly one of the best days of my life,' while Charlotte shared the sweet reply: 'I love any night we are all together but this one really will go down in history.' In November, Holly shared she was expecting her second baby with husband Jacob Blyth, just weeks after the tragic death of her sister Darci Sophie shared a reflective caption where she said it was 'magical' her child would get to grow up with Holly and Charlotte's families It comes after Sophie shared a clip of the moment she first discovered she and Jordan were expecting. In the clip, Sophie can be seen using a pregnancy test as she explained the line was very faint, but it was a positive result. She then took another test which confirmed that she was definitely pregnant which sparked a teary response. With sheer happiness, Sophie continued to cry before confessing that she could not believe the news as she sobbed: 'Oh my God, I am pregnant'. Alongside the clip she penned: 'The moment I found out I was going to become a mam. 'After years and months of negative tests and the moments of heartbreak knowing that month after month we were out I cudnt (sic) believe my eyes seeing positive on the test. 'I used to love watching other peoples reveal videos as it made me imagine and fantasise the moment I would hopefully get my turn. I cant believe Im actually posting my own. 'I understand in the TTC community these videos can be hard or upsetting but i want to share and spread that this moment WILL happen to you DO NOT give up and never take no for an answer keep going and believe its going to happen. 'I was so oblivious I really didnt think I would fall naturally that quick after having the LIT therapy and uterine washes from @fertilysis. 'Excuse my eyes I just had co2 laser a few days before. It still all feels like a dream. My time has finally came.' To first announce the joyful news, the soon-to-be-parents looked more loved-up than ever as they hung a bauble on their Christmas tree which read: 'Merry Christmas Mummy and Daddy. See you in 2026.' The video began with the couple wrapping a present last year and placing it under their Christmas tree. They wrote: 'Last year, Sophie and Jordan clutched onto an old wives' tale, carefully wrapping a baby blanket and placing it under their tree, in the hope that 2025 would be their year.' The video transitioned to the pair dressed to the nines in a glamorous figure hugging red dress showcasing her baby bump and Jordan wearing a tuxedo as they danced by their Christmas tree. It comes after Sophie shared a clip of the moment she first discovered she and Jordan were expecting Sophie also shared clips of her holding up her positive pregnancy test and another video of Jordan finding out for the first time as his jaw dropped before the pair broke down in tears of joy. The couple also shared a video of their sonogram and Jordan sweetly kissing Sophie's growing baby bump. The announcement video concluded with the message, 'Baby Brook Due 2026'. Sophie penned: 'The most magical gift. Merry Christmas from the three of us'. Jordan took to the comments and added: 'My darling girl. I am so proud of you. I am so proud of us. We never lost hope, and through our toughest battle has come the most incredible blessing. I love you and that bump more than anything in the world'. It comes after Sophie gave an update on her fertility struggles in September after she suffered a chemical pregnancy while trying for a baby with Jordan. A chemical pregnancy is a very early pregnancy loss that usually happens just after the embryo implants. The Geordie Shore star and Jordan took a new step in their journey to becoming parents as they have started a new form of therapy. Sophie revealed she had started Lymphocyte Immunization Therapy (LIT), which 'involves analysing a patients immune system and administering appropriate immune therapy', according to The Fertility And Gynaecology Academy. Taking to Instagram, the TV personality penned: 'After 28 months our fertility journey continues. 'Today we are heading to @fertilysis to start our first round of Lit therapy amongst other treatments. Our biggest leap forwards on our journey in what feels like forever. 'As a team we are taking every day, week and month as it comes. We will not give up. Thank you to every single friend, member of our families and everyone else who continues to reach out with kind words and support it really does mean the world. 'To those who are also in the same boat. Keep going. Keep communicating and keep exploring.' She rubs shoulders with British TV celebrities and has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. But what viral influencer Lisa O'Mara is most loved for is her quirky and down to earth personality as she shares her life on Instagram and TikTok, run by her daughter-in-law Rhianna Stonely. Most recently Lisa, who has 249,000 followers across socials, revealed her new makeover to fans on Tuesday. The mother-of-two, 55, who usually goes makeup-free, was very glammed up with straightened hair, red lipstick, fake eyelashes and fuller eyebrows. Looking in the mirror stunned at her transformation, she said: 'Oh my god, that looks the b******s Rhianna. You have done absolutely amazing. Lisa O'Mara, 55, the viral influencer who has 249,000 followers across socials, revealed her new makeover to fans on Instagram on Tuesday Recently, Lisa went to Borough Market with Freddy Brazier and tried truffle for the first time- she is good friends with his nan Jackiey Budden 'I've got thicker eyebrows, I normally have them thin, my lips look fuller...I am so happy. Honestly I can't believe it. 'Look, I look different, what do you reckon everyone. Oh my god she's done amazing I'm so excited thank you. Look at me everyone, what do you rank it out of 10. I love it!' Lisa's content follows her life in Bermondsey, London, where fans enjoy her funny reactions to mundane tasks like eating food, trips to Tesco and 'day in the life' vlogs. Recently, she went to Borough Market with Freddy Brazier, 21, and tried truffle for the first time - she's good friends with his nan Jackiey Budden. While Freddy was a fan of the food, Lisa was not so impressed with the gourmet delicacy and spat it out. Despite her happy-go-lucky and positive personality, Lisa revealed she has struggled with heartbreak after her ex-boyfriend cheated on her and the father of her children sadly died. But speaking in a heartfelt Instagram video, she told fans she has not given up on love and wants to find her soulmate. 'I've been single for a few months. I was with my ex boyfriend for four and a half years but it was a long distance relationship and I found out that he was messaging other girls behind my back. Lisa who usually goes makeup-free, was very glammed up with straightened hair, red lipstick, fake eyelashes and fuller eyebrows The mother-of-two was stunned by her transformation, saying: 'Oh my god, that looks the b******s Rhianna. You have done absolutely amazing' Lisa's content follows her life in Bermondsey, London, where fans enjoy her funny reactions to mundane tasks like eating food, trips to Tesco and 'day in the life' vlogs Pictured: Lisa enjoying a lobster tail while on a day out with her daughter-in-law 'My longest relationship was with my kids dad, I was with him 14 years but unfortunately he ain't with us anymore he passed away. 'True love is all I've ever wanted and this means so much to me because I've got so much love to give to someone out there for me. 'I'm confident, I've got a heart of gold and I've grown up all my life with nothing, but I've got such a lovely personality it's unbelievable and I'd love to meet the right person. 'One shot of love and I really truly believe you're going to find me. The love of my life and my dreams come true.' She added: 'I've got two boys, one is 30 and one is 22 and I've got two lovely grandchildren. Family is a big thing in my life, I'm very family orientated and I love having my grandchildren.' Lisa is loved by fans for her joyful and youthful personality and won't say no to a fun night out as she was recently partying with Jade Goody's mother Jackiey Budden, 68. The Celebrity Big Brother alum, 68, looked to be having the time of her life as Lisa shared a slew of videos from the raucous evening to social media. The clips saw the pair larking about in a carpark and dancing up a storm at Boxpark, before belting out Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive during karaoke. Lisa is loved by fans for her joyful and youthful personality and won't say no to a fun night out as she was recently partying with Jade Goody's mother Jackiey (right) Captioning the clips, Lisa wrote: 'The double act is back the crazy duo' and 'What a brilliant night out with me old mate Jackie '. The two pals could be seen falling about in laughter as they attempted to ride a bicycle together, with Jackiey balanced precariously on the back, to Chamillionaire's Ridin'. While they then took to the dancefloor at the festive drag queen event to show off their moves and enjoy several drinks, with Lisa quipping: 'And the party starts when Lisa and Jackie walk in'. And Jackiey even received a show of support from her grandson Freddy, after recently mending their relationship. In one clip she could be seen falling over, before being checked over and hugged by pal Lisa, with Freddy affectionately commenting: 'This is sweet '. Married At First Sight UK's Sophie Brown has found her happy ever after, three years after her 'painful' TV split from 'body-shaming' ex Johnathan Wileman. The reality star, who featured on the E4 show in 2002, took to Instagram on Wednesday to reveal boyfriend James Preset had popped the question during their sun-soaked trip to his home city of Adelaide, Australia. Sophie shared a snap of the hunk surprising her on one knee on Glenelg Beach with the loved-up couple both dressed in white for the occasion. The overjoyed bride-to-be captioned the post: 'Just when life couldnt get any better'. Many of Sophie's former MAFS co-stars were quick to share their congratulations with Rizz Darlington saying: Omg congratulations Zoe Clifton wrote: 'Congratulations!!' while Chanita Stephenson added: Ahhhhh congratulations'. Married At First Sight UK's Sophie Brown has found her happy ever after, three years after her 'painful' TV split from 'body-shaming' ex Johnathan Wileman During her time on Married At First Sight, Sophie was paired with Johnathan as the pair tied the knot upon first meeting one another. But following the series, she admitted that their discussion surrounding her body image whilst it aired had left her 'impacted'. Johnathan could be seen saying that he didn't like women to have 'big, horse legs' during the show - which sparked controversy both amongst the stars and the public watching. Rachel said after the show: 'With the whole weight thing, and I hate using this term, but the "horse legs" comment, it was just a bit hard for me because then it started a discussion online about me and my weight and the way that I look'. 'People would say things like, "Well, she is a bit chubby," and thats a bit difficult,' she admitted. Continuing: 'Im like, "Oh my gosh, Im size 10, Im a really normal size," so that must be hard for other women seeing those comments too.' But Rachel herself was also accused of body-shaming after Amy Christopher, who appeared in the 2021 series, claimed she and co-star Adrian Sanderson laughed about fat-shaming comments about her on a live stream. Sophie and Adrian both responded publicly, saying they were not aware of the comments taking place and condemned the fact they were made. During her time on Married At First Sight, Sophie was paired with Johnathan but following the series, she admitted that their discussion surrounding her body image left her 'impacted' The reality star took to Instagram on Wednesday to reveal boyfriend James Preset had popped the question during their sun-soaked trip to his home city of Adelaide, Australia The overjoyed bride-to-be captioned the post: 'Just when life couldnt get any better' Many of Sophie's former MAFS co-stars were quick to share their congratulations Sophie said: 'I am not one to comment on situations that much, but when it's about body image I absolutely will be there. I was made aware of some comments made on lives, and no one should have to go through that. 'I know exactly how it feels which makes it worse. I was called chubby and fat throughout the show. Whatever someone's intentions were, there was a conversation around my body type on the show. I've had that backlash and I know how it feels. 'It's a very painful thing to have to deal with, and it's a very sensitive topic. I don't condone any behaviour that's aimed towards anyone, anyone that comments on someone's body online is horrific. 'Who is anyone to comment on anyone's size? It's so difficult, because there was a situation where someone said what their preferences were and now that's being used where people are compared and people's body sizes are talked about. I never wanted to be a part of that. But Rachel herself was also accused of body-shaming after Amy Christopher, who appeared in the 2021 series, claimed she and co-star Adrian Sanderson laughed about fat-shaming comments about her on a live stream 'I would never want anything like that near or on my page, I like to have a positive platform. Body image is something very sensitive to a lot of people and should not be talked about.' Adrian also responded on his Stories, saying: 'I'm not exactly sure what was said, it was in the comments on the live. 'I've asked for screen recordings so I'm able to see who said it and I can block them from Instagram. I wish Marilyse had told me at the time so I would have been able to shut it down. 'I will never condone this hate online, and I hope we can continue to be kind in the future.' Daily Mail contacted representatives for Sophie Brown, Adrian Sanderson and Amy Christophers for further comment at the time. Sydney Sweeney was spotted cozying up to Scooter Braun after the premiere of her new movie The Housemaid over the weekend. The actress, who stars alongside Amanda Seyfried in the upcoming thriller, was seen having a private moment with the music producer in the middle of the soiree. She wore a Marilyn Monroe-inspired look for the premiere before later changing into a strapless mini dress for the afterparty at the restaurant TAO in Los Angeles, where she was joined by her beau. In footage obtained by a Page Six reporter, she was seen standing in front of Braun as they talked to each other. At one point, Sweeney closed the distance between them and put her hands on his chest before he pointed out that another partygoer was approaching them. The site added that the two 'were inseparable the entire night, locking arms and giggling.' With a smile on her face, Sweeney turned to look over, and the couple continued mingling with their fellow attendees. Sydney Sweeney was spotted cozying up to Scooter Braun after the premiere of her new movie The Housemaid over the weekend. She was first romantically linked to the music producer in September Sweeney, 28, was first romantically linked to Braun, 44, after they were spotted spending time together at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's summer wedding in Italy. Shortly thereafter, the new couple were spotted on a number of dates together including a PDA-filled moment in New York City's Central park in early November. Insiders close to the couple also revealed that what started as casual dating has become 'serious,' per People. Sweeney and Braun also proved their romance is still going strong as they were spotted sharing a flirty moment at a VIP afterparty for her movie premiere. One source told the outlet that though the pair have only been dating for a little over three months, their romance had already become 'serious.' 'Scooter and Sydney are going strong and things between them are great,' the insider shared in late November. 'They're in a committed relationship and things are serious.' A second source also confirmed the couple's deepened connection, adding: 'Scooter and Sydney are still going strong.' One insider said that the couple 'have a lot in common and neither one of them cares what others think.' In early September, Sweeney and Braun were confirmed to be 'casually' seeing each other after they hung out together at the Bezos' Venice wedding in June. She wore a Marilyn Monroe-inspired look for the premiere before later changing into a strapless mini dress for the afterparty at the restaurant TAO in Los Angeles, where she was joined by her beau Sweeney, 28, was first romantically linked to Braun, 44, after they were spotted spending time together at Jeff Bezosand Lauren Sanchez's summer wedding in Italy; pictured in November 2024 Shortly thereafter, the new couple were spotted on a number of dates together including a PDA-filled moment in New York City's Central park in early November. Insiders close to the couple also revealed that what started as casual dating has become 'serious' 'They hung out in Italy for the Bezos wedding,' an insider told People. 'Syd was intrigued. Scooter's a charmer. He's confident and also sweet and very attentive.' Another source also told the outlet that it 'stood out' to Sweeney that Braun 'wasn't pursuing her the way others did.' Because he wasn't 'trying to hit on her' like 'everyone else,' it 'caught her attention and made her feel like his intentions were real.' Sweeney was previously with Jonathan Davino, 42, for approximately seven years, being engaged for three before they called it quits earlier this year. In The Housemaid, Sweeney stars as Millie Calloway, an ex-con with a troubled past, who becomes a live-in housemaid for the seemingly perfect Winchester couple, Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew (Brandon Sklenar). Earlier this year, around the same time of her breakup from her ex-fiance, Sweeney sparked romance rumors with Sklenar as fans pointed out their chemistry in her fun and flirty social media posts. Sweeney and Braun also proved their romance is still going strong as they were spotted sharing a flirty moment at a VIP afterparty for her movie premiere; pictured from left to right: Brandon Sklenar, Paul Feig, Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried One source told the outlet that though the pair have only been dating for a little over three months, their romance had already become 'serious'; pictured in October She was also Sklenar has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Courtney Salviolo since 2020 and was also spotted kissing her at the same afterparty where Sweeney was with Braun. Previously, Sweeney and her Anyone But You costar Glen Powell were the subject of romance rumors while marketing their 2023 romantic comedy. At the time, they were both in relationships with other people, Sweeney with Davino and Powell with now-ex Gigi Paris, but they went viral as they orchestrated and fueled affair speculation while promoting the movie. The Housemaid directed by Paul Feig and starring Sweeney, Seyfriend, Sklenar and Michele Morrone among many others premieres in theaters on Friday, December 19. Molly Smith showcased her toned legs in a pair of tiny hotpants as she went for a pre-Christmas workout with her fiance Tom Clare on Wednesday. The Love Island star displayed her jaw-dropping figure in the skintight garment and wrapped up for the outing in a faux fur coat. Styling her blonde locks into a ponytail, the 31-year-old also sported a pair of bright green trainers Tom, 26, who is a forward for Macclesfield FC, sported a light grey hoodie along with black shorts and a brown gym bag. The couple found love on the 2024 series of Love Island: All Stars which they won together after previously appearing separately on their own seasons. They announced their engagement in September with a romantic photo from their trip to Dubai. Molly Smith showcased her toned legs in a pair of tiny hotpants as she went for a pre-Christmas workout with her fiance Tom Clare on Wednesday The Love Island star displayed her jaw-dropping figure in the skintight garment and wrapped up for the outing in a faux fur coat They captioned their snaps: 'SHE SAID YES!!!' as Tom sweetly lifted her into the air. Molly looked gorgeous in a white silk dress as she showed off the sparkling ring while surrounded by candles and white flowers. Tom and Molly have been one of the only couples to stand the test of time from the All Stars spin-off series. Their fellow Love Island pals were quick to congratulate them as Tom's best pal Casey O'Gorman reshared the post alongside crying emojis. Liberty Poole, Paige Thorne and Luca Bish also offered their best wishes in the comments section. Season one of All Stars was won by returning Islanders Molly and Tom with Callum Jones and Eve Gale coming in second place. Molly was a bombshell arrival, to the shock of her ex-boyfriend Callum, who she met filming the winter addition of the show in 2020. Viewers became invested in the possibility of Molly and Callum rekindling their three-year relationship, but the fitness model pursued her romantic connection with Tom instead. Styling her blonde locks into a ponytail, the 31-year-old also sported a pair of bright green trainers Tom, 26, who is a forward for Macclesfield FC, sported a light grey hoodie along with black shorts and a brown gym bag They announced their engagement in September with a romantic photo from their trip to Dubai Callum and Eve split weeks after the show finished amid reporters he cheated with another woman, which Callum insisted was untrue because the couple had already separated. Since winning All Stars, Molly has secured several lucrative deals including with clothing retailer boohoo, US fitness supplement Alani Nu, jewellery brand Abbott Lyon and global makeup giants L'Oreal Paris and Maybelline. Speaking to the Daily Mail last year, Molly said: 'You know sometimes when you think, 'Is this too good to be true?' I don't like jinxing things but right now I can't fault our relationship. 'Moving in together is the next step, we are practically living together as is... we just haven't made it official yet. 'Our age difference used to bother me, but I have been with people in the past who have been older and shown less maturity than Tom does... 'Tom for his age, shows so much maturity and he's actually treated me better than anyone I've been with...' Davina McCall's ex-husband Matthew Robertson has paid tribute to his friend who 'saved my life at a very dark time', days after her surprise second wedding. The TV personality, 58, split from Matthew in 2017. The pair married in 2000 and share three children - Holly, 24, Tilly, 22, and Chester, 19. But she has since moved on and tied the knot with celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas, 49, in an intimate London ceremony earlier this month. Days after the secret wedding was revealed, her ex Matthew opened up about going through dark times as he paid tribute to a friend. Taking to Instagram on Monday, Matthew shared a picture with a friend called Mark Diggins, who he hailed a 'silent warrior'. He wrote: 'Today is my birthday, the man in this picture is Mark Diggins, my best friend. He saved my life at a very dark time, he taught me how to live, love and thrive in the outdoors. Davina McCall's ex-husband Matthew Robertson paid tribute to his friend who 'saved my life at a very dark time' on Instagram on Sunday, days after her surprise second wedding Davina has since moved on and tied the knot with celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas, 49, in an intimate London ceremony earlier this month 'He is a silent warrior, avoiding the lime light and regarded as one of top mountain guides in the world.' Davina added: 'Today is not about me, but to all the amazing, kind and supportive people around me. 'Thank you Mark and your amazing wife Nikki, thank you to my kids who make me shine and to all the incredible people in my life.' Davina is now married to her longtime hairdresser, fellow divorcee Michael, who has two children of his own. The couple began dating after her divorce was finalised from her ex-husband Matthew Robertson in April 2018. It was revealed earlier this month that Davina and Michael married in an intimate ceremony attended by 'everyone who is special in their lives,' less than three months after getting engaged in Ibiza. Pictures showed the heartwarming moment Davina and Michael departed Marylebone Town Hall after being declared husband and wife. Excitedly posing with her new husband, Davina showed off her bridal white fur coat and matching lace hat, layered over matching tights and ankle-strap heels, while Michael opted for a bright blue suit. The TV personality, 58, split from Matthew in 2017. The pair married in 2000 and share three children - Holly, 24, Tilly, 22, and Chester, 19 (Seen together in 2014) Davina married her devoted partner after he supported her through surgery to remove a benign tumour from her brain and a recent breast cancer diagnosis, and friends claimed it was her recent health woes that prompted them to marry now. She and Michael were supported by their loved ones at the wedding, with Davina's daughter Tilly, 21, sharing a video on TikTok ahead of the ceremony. Showing off her wedding look, she captioned the post: 'Be prepared to be SICK of me.' Davina broke her silence on the wedding to praise her 'lovely' new husband Michael in a social media post. She shared a video of a poem by Harry Baker on Thursday, calling it 'extraordinary'. The poem contained the words: 'It's not the flowers, it's the weeding in the mud with you. It's not the champagne, it's that cuppa in that favourite mug you use. 'It's not the chocolate. OK it is, but not just one or two, it is becoming Bruce Bogtrotter and Augustus Gloop. It's voting frozen pizza over fancy grub with you. Because some nights, nothing can beat a slice of comfort food.' It's understood Davina and Michael exchanged vows during an intimate ceremony, with a larger service carried out for a wider group of friends and family members the following day A source told The Sun of Davina and Michael's recent nuptials: 'Their wedding was perfect, exactly what they wanted. They chose a small venue close to their home, and just invited about ten of their friends and relatives to be there with them. 'It was very intimate and everyone who attended is very special in their lives. Theyve been through a huge amount in recent months, with Davinas health, and it just felt right to formalise their marriage. They didnt see the point in waiting. The source added: 'The next day they just carried on with life as normal, and as coincidence would have it they were guests at another friends wedding day. 'So they went as a married couple for the first time and happily showed off her wedding ring. It was the perfect weekend.' Lily James gave her followers a glimpse of her incredible figure in a black bikini as she enjoyed a break from her busy filming schedule to hit the beach in Australia. The actress, 36, took to Instagram to share idyllic snaps from her trip to Bedarra Island Resort in Queensland. The snaps showed Lily heading to the beach in her eye-catching two-piece from LSPACE, before jumping on a rope swing. The Pam and Tommy star covered her bikini in a semi-sheer mini dress as she enjoyed the picturesque sunset, before changing into a plunging white look to head out for dinner. Clearly making the most of the Australian summer, Lily captioned her post: 'Winter I am not ready for you just yet.' Enjoying the beach once again Down Under, Lily said she has 'never been better' as she posted a gallery of bikini-clad images to Instagram having the time of her life. Lily James gave her followers a glimpse of her incredible figure in a black bikini as she enjoyed a break from her busy filming schedule to hit the beach in Australia The actress took to Instagram to share idyllic snaps from her trip to Bedarra Island Resort in Queensland, telling her followers she 'wasnt ready' to return to a London winter The actress looked amazing in a pink swimsuit, as well as a black and white gingham bikini and a burgundy number. Adding to the wholesome tone of the gallery, Lily simply captioned it with the words: 'Up with the sun.' Her fans wrote in the comments: 'Australia suits you' and 'I love how you live life.' The actress will be back on the big screen next year in a reboot of the 1993 thriller Cliffhanger. In the first shots from Cliffhanger, the British actress is shown hanging from a rock face in a shot that mimics one from the original film. The father-daughter duo, Naomi (Lily) and Ray (Pierce Brosnan) 'run a mountain chalet in the Dolomites. During a weekend trip with a billionaire's son, they are targeted by a gang of kidnappers,' an official synopsis reads. 'Ray's older daughter Naomi, still haunted by a past climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes.' The Pam and Tommy star covered her bikini in a semi-sheer mini dress as she enjoyed the picturesque sunset The actress will be back on the big screen next year in a reboot of the 1993 thriller Cliffhanger Lily then changed into a stunning tan two-piece from ISME Swim He is kidnapped while climbing with the son of a billionaire and Naomi must 'save her family' while fighting 'for survival in the Italian Dolomites,' the synopsis concludes. The film is shot in Austria, Italy and Germany and also stars Nell Tiger Free, Franz Rogowski, Shubham Saraf, Assaad Bouab, Suzy Bemba and Bruno Gouery. Earlier this year, Lily and her Swiped co-star Pierson looked closer than ever as they took a stroll through New York's Central Park. The pair could be seen chatting happily as they enjoyed a stroll in the last of the summer sunshine, pausing to enjoy a drink and sunbathe on a rocky platform. This was not the first time that the actors had been seen together in September as they also enjoyed a stroll around the Big Apple the week before. Pierson has been winning over a lot of hearts with his role in Netflix's new rom-com The Wrong Paris. He first rose to fame on Disney Channel's Jessie as Brooks Wentworth III in 2015, and landed his big breakout role as Thomas Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful. Macaulay Culkin has officially embraced a life he once swore would never be his - suburban dad in Crocs and all. The Home Alone star, 45, admitted he's done a full 180 on the polarizing foam footwear since becoming a father of two with his fiancee, actress Brenda Song. While speaking to WWD's FN, Culkin confessed he was never a fan of the comfy clogs until parenting changed everything. 'I wasn't ever really a Crocs guy,' he explained. 'But when I started having kids, I found out that they are kind of really convenient and cozy.' Prior to fatherhood, the actor joked that he had long promised himself he wouldn't fall into the cliche. 'You know, I kind of swore to myself that I was never going to be the suburban dad who wore Crocs, but then I became a suburban dad who wears Crocs,' he said. 'So here we are.' Macaulay Culkin has officially embraced a life he once swore would never be his - suburban dad in Crocs and all Culkin said the turning point came after spotting his eldest child wearing a bright pink pair, prompting him to follow suit. 'So, of course, I got a pair of pink Crocs,' he quipped. 'And the next thing you know, you see the paparazzi photos of me dropping my kid off at school in pink Crocs.' While the former child star has softened his stance on footwear, he's still a work in progress in other areas of domestic life - namely skincare. Culkin previously revealed that it was Song, 37, who introduced him to even the most basic grooming habits. 'Whenever Brenda started schmearing stuff on my face,' he told People in 2024 when asked how he got into skincare. Despite her best efforts, Song admits her fiance remains fairly low-maintenance. 'He has no skincare routine,' she joked. The former Disney Channel star, who rose to fame on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, said she's lucky if Culkin even splashes his face with water before bed. The Home Alone star, 45, admitted he's done a full 180 on the polarizing foam footwear since becoming a father of two with his fiancee, actress Brenda Song While speaking to WWD's FN, Culkin confessed he was never a fan of the comfy clogs - until parenting changed everything 'If he washes his face with water at night, I'm lucky,' she said. 'I'm the one that has to smear stuff on his face.' Song added that their wildly different approaches become especially apparent when getting ready for events. 'It took me an hour and a half to get ready [for an event], and he came up at the last minute and in five minutes, he was done,' she laughed. Both Culkin and Song began their careers at an early age. After parts in 1988's Rocket Gibraltar and 1989's Uncle Buck, he was cast in Home Alone. 'I wasn't ever really a Crocs guy,' he explained. 'But when I started having kids, I found out that they are kind of really convenient and cozy' (seen in 2023) The movie about a young boy who must defend his family home against some bungling burglars after he's left behind by his parents in the scramble to catch a flight for a Christmas vacation was an instant hit. Culkin became an international star at the age of 10. The film made $476.7 million. He returned to the character of Kevin again in 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which was nearly as successful as the original, earning $359 million worldwide. The young actor showed his dramatic skills in the 1991 dramady My Girl, with Anna Chlumsky and Dan Akroyd. The actor joked that he had long promised himself he wouldn't fall into the cliche (pictured in Los Angeles in December 2023) Song began modeling at the age of six and started acting the next year with an appearance the short-lived series Thunder Alley. After years of appearing in guest spots on various shows, she was cast as a regular in Disney's Phil of the Future. That show was cancelled after one season, but she got her own starring role in Disney's Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior as a California teen who learns she's a reincarnated female warrior destined to save the world. The couple didn't hit it off after their initial 2013 meeting on the set of Dad. When the actress appeared on her then-boyfriend's Bunny Ears podcast, Culkin said his future love 'totally brushed me off, completely.' 'I was focused,' the actress asserted, joking it was 'the manbun' that put a barrier between the two. 'You know, I kind of swore to myself that I was never going to be the suburban dad who wore Crocs, but then I became a suburban dad who wears Crocs,' he said. 'So here we are' (seen in Santa Monica in October 2023) That seemed to change once Culkin cut his hair and was cast in Changeland. Rumors of their romance were sparked when they were seen on a double date at the theme park Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. Song, who is active on social media, shared a group photo in 2017 that included director and actor Seth Green and her secret beau. 'Epic first #summerslam! Shout out to @sethgreen ( aka the king of group selfies ) for this amazing night and epic selfie. Haha,' she wrote next the the snap with Culkin wearing rabbit ears. She shared another group shot from the Changeland premiere, writing, 'Two years ago almost to the day, I went to Thailand and made @changelandmovie with my best friends. Its out today in theaters and VOD!! Please check it out!' In a rare admission about his personal life, the actor told Rogan during the 2018 interview, 'I'm going to make some babies, this one's a good one. I'm probably going to put some babies in her... We've definitely been practicing.' The former child star was married for two years to actress Rachel Miner. Both were 17 when they wed in 1998, but separated two years later and finalized their divorce in 2002. Song and Culkin welcomed their first child, Dakota Song Culkin in on April 5, 2021. They got engaged in January 2022 and welcomed their second son, Carson in December of the same year. One of Hollywoods most famously private legends stepped back into the spotlight this week. Sissy Spacek made a very rare family outing at the Marty Supreme premiere in New York on Tuesday, arriving alongside her husband of more than 50 years Jack Fisk and their daughter Schuyler Fisk. The Oscar-winning actress, 75, turned heads in an effortlessly chic all-black look as she posed on the red carpet with Fisk, 79, her partner since the early days of her career. Their younger daughter Madison Fisk, 37, was not in attendance. Spacek first met Fisk in the early 1970s when both were just starting out in the film industry. The two crossed paths on the set of Badlands, where Fisk worked as an art director and Spacek starred as the films lead, Holly. They married in a private ceremony in 1974. At the height of Spaceks fame, the couple made a deliberate decision to step away from Hollywood. Sissy Spacek made a very rare family outing at the Marty Supreme premiere in New York on Tuesday, arriving alongside her husband of more than 50 years Jack Fisk and their daughter Schuyler Fisk The Oscar-winning actress, 75, turned heads in an effortlessly chic all-black look as she posed on the red carpet with Fisk (pictured), her partner since the early days of her career In 1981, they relocated to a 210-acre horse farm in central Virginia, where they raised daughters Schuyler and Madison far from the spotlight. Even after their children left home, the notoriously low-key pair largely stayed out of public view making their appearance at Marty Supreme a rare moment indeed. The trio appeared relaxed and joyful as they smiled, embraced, and posed together on the red carpet. The Carrie star looked strikingly ageless in her minimalist black suit, while Fisk cut a dapper figure in his own tailored look. Schuyler echoed her mothers style in a similarly sleek ensemble. This April, Spacek and Fisk will celebrate their 52st wedding anniversary a milestone the actress once admitted she never expected. We never expected a lifelong relationship, Spacek told People. In fact, we even opened a bank account and put $30 in it, because that's how much it cost to get divorced. Now I think it would take something dramatic like death to end it. The trio (Schuyler L) appeared relaxed and joyful as they smiled, embraced, and posed together on the red carpet Schuyler echoed her mothers style in a similarly sleek ensemble Over the decades, the couple have managed to balance privacy with creative collaboration, working together on films including Carrie (1976), Raggedy Man (1981), and Violets Are Blue (1986). Reflecting on their early years, Spacek once shared a memorable moment from their Badlands days. One day he asked me to ride home with him on a boat, Spacek reminisced in 1991. We loaded up, and there came a terrible flash flood. The boat sank. Right then I knew life with Jack was going to be eventful. She later told The Huffington Post that their shared passion for filmmaking helped cement their bond. We really supported one another and we really understood the business. It was what brought us together. And we were passionate about the same things, including movie-making. And that's something that we continue to share. Longevity, Spacek has said, comes down to perspective. Just pick your battles, she told Esquire in 2022. You go through so many things that it just deepens and deepens and deepens. She has also credited Fisk with shaping her understanding of the creative life. In 1981, they relocated to a 210-acre horse farm in central Virginia, where they raised daughters Schuyler and Madison far from the spotlight ;(Madison Fisk, Jack, Sissy and Schuyler Fisk in 2011) He's phenomenal, and I learned so much from him about the artist's life, and about work, and what it involves, and how much you have to give, she said. You have to give everything up and be focused when you're working. We've shared that. Fisk, a respected production designer, boasts an acclaimed resume of his own, with credits including The Tree of Life, The Revenant, and Killers of the Flower Moon. He earned Academy Award nominations for There Will Be Blood in 2008 and The Revenant in 2016. He also worked on Spaceks iconic 1978 adaptation of Stephen Kings Carrie. Its always wonderful when youre able to work with the same director or crew over and over because you have a history together, you have reference points, you have a better understanding of where the other person is coming from and of each others abilities, Fisk once explained. Schuyler, born in 1982, works as an actress and musician, while Madison, born in 1988, is an artist. The sisters were raised largely outside Hollywood, a choice Spacek has long defended. Over the decades, the couple have managed to balance privacy with creative collaboration, working together on films including Carrie (1976), Raggedy Man (1981), and Violets Are Blue (1986); (pictured 2002) In April 2026, Spacek and Fisk will celebrate their 52st wedding anniversary; (on set of 1981's Raggedy Man) We moved there not because we didn't love L.A., but we wanted to raise our children in a more natural environment, she previously shared. [An environment] where they could make mistakes, ride ponies, do stupid stuff and climb trees and not have to deal with that celebrity child thing. Now grandparents to Schuylers two children, Spacek and Fisk continue to live quietly. Still, they surfaced again last March when they attended the 2024 Oscars, coordinating in black ensembles as Fisk was nominated for Best Achievement in Production Design for Killers of the Flower Moon. Sarah Jessica Parker looked incredibly youthful as she starred in a new Google ad with the holiday season in full swing. The 60-year-old actress - whose former Sex And The City castmate Kim Cattrall tied the knot in a recent London ceremony - also shot a scene for the commercial inside what appeared to be her lavish $34.5 million NYC home. The clip - which was uploaded to Instagram on Wednesday - kicked off as the star strolled along a snow-lined street as Christmas tunes played in the background. Lights glowed on trees around Parker as she flashed a cheerful smile while her voiceover said, 'There's something about this time of year, when it feels like the whole city dresses up just for you.' She continued to walk past other individuals dressed to the nines before stopping to grab a bag of fresh roasted nuts from a nearby vendor. Parker showcased her own personal style wearing a gray peplum shirt from H&M as well as a polka dot skirt and dark green coat to help her stay warm. Sarah Jessica Parker, 60, looked incredibly youthful as she starred in a new Google ad with the holiday season in full swing The Sex And The City alum also shot a scene for the commercial inside what appeared to be her lavish $34.5 million NYC home Her long locks were parted in the middle and effortlessly flowed down past her shoulders in elegant waves. A layer of mascara was added to her lashes while a warm blush was worn on her cheeks for a radiant glow. Parker additionally added a nude-colored, glossy tint on her lips for a finishing touch to her makeup look. Two other people strolled past the star while carrying gold-wrapped gifts with red ribbon, which prompted the actress to continue in her voiceover, 'Oh, maybe I need a bow. There's no such thing as too festive, right?' The reel then cut to her sitting inside her NYC townhouse with a large bookcase directly behind her. Using a Google smartphone, Parker began to shop for a special outfit for a 'classic holiday New York City vibe.' She then picked out a figure-hugging black dress with glittering bow embellishments on the front. Parker tried on the ensemble which was paired with silver pumps inside the spacious living room area. The clip - which was uploaded to Instagram on Wednesday - kicked off as the star strolled along a snow-lined street as Christmas tunes played in the background Lights lit up trees around Parker as she flashed a cheerful smile while her voiceover said, 'There's something about this time of year, when it feels like the whole city dresses up just for you' The reel then cut to her sitting inside her NYC townhouse with a large bookcase directly behind her Using a Google smartphone, Parker began to shop for a special outfit for a 'classic holiday New York City vibe' She then picked out a figure-hugging black dress with glittering bow embellishments on the front Parker then stepped back out into the bustling city donning the new outfit as she headed to a party. 'Funny how the city dresses up and helps you do the same,' she added while stepping into a classic NYC yellow taxi. As the cab began to drive away, the Hocus Pocus actress added, 'Shopping for your holiday vibe? Just ask Google.' The star uploaded the clip to her Instagram page alongside the caption: '#sponsored I'm always inspired by this magical time of year: the lights, the color, and of course, the sparkle. 'Find your own vibe this season, just ask Google to try on holiday looks from anywhere. X, SJ #googleshoppingpartner @shopwithgoogle.' Along with her latest collaboration with Google, Parker has previously given other glimpses at her lavish NYC abode. Last year when she attended the 2024 Met Gala, the actress shared a snap of her eye-catching gown which was placed on a chair next to her row of books. During an interview for Allure back in 2023, Parker shared her candid thoughts when it comes to beauty and aging. Parker then stepped back out into the bustling city donning the new outfit as she headed to a party The star uploaded the clip to her Instagram page alongside the caption: '#sponsored I'm always inspired by this magical time of year: the lights, the color, and of course, the sparkle' Along with her latest collaboration with Google, Parker has previously given other glimpses at her lavish NYC abode 'I just don't spend that much time [thinking about appearance],' she expressed. 'It's not that I don't have an ego, that I don't have a decent, healthy amount of vanity, but I just don't want to spend that much time really deconstructing it all. 'I like to be graceful with myself. I'm not delusional. I know that age adds up, and that there are consequences to being 51, 52, 53. I get it.' Parker later explained that she sticks to simple steps when it comes to skincare, such as moisturizer with SPF. 'I don't ever [use] base or foundation in my own life, but I want something that can work well with professional makeup artists.' The actress continued, 'I've never done more than wash my face. I think I've done three steps. 'What I do is serum, moisturizer, and maybe one other thing. That's it. I take most of what I have left over from my face and use it on my hands.' During a conversation with British Vogue, she also revealed that she is 'not opposed to anyone doing anything' on the topic of cosmetic procedures. 'I don't do Botox because I need my eyebrows to function as an actor. Also, my husband would be like, "Huh?" But I'll admit it's a trade-off.' 'I like to be graceful with myself. I'm not delusional. I know that age adds up, and that there are consequences to being 51, 52, 53. I get it,' Parker said; seen in November in London She then explained she has done Sofwave - which can help 'improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles,' per the official website, and can also aid in toning and treat acne scars. 'I used to do glycolic peels at the dermatologist, too. And sometimes, in the rare emergencies when I have a zit, my dermatologist will give me a cortisone shot, which is cheaper than removing it in post-production.' Parker also explained that she will sometimes opt for serum with collagen, but noted that 'it has to be thin and move around the face.' Back in August, it was announced that her HBO series And Just Like That would come to an end after three seasons. Back in August, it was announced that her HBO series And Just Like That would come to an end after three seasons Parker tied the knot with fellow actor Matthew Broderick in 1997 and the couple share three children: James, 23, and twins Tabitha and Marion, 13; seen in February in NYC The show had been a spinoff of Sex And The City - which aired from 1998 through 2004. Parker reprised her role of Carrie Bradshaw while her other co-stars Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis also returned. Kim Cattrall - who played Samantha Jones in the original series - opted to not reprise the role. The mom-of-three has starred in other projects over the years such as Hocus Pocus (1993) and the 2022 sequel. Parker tied the knot with fellow actor Matthew Broderick in 1997 and the couple share three children: James, 23, and twins Tabitha and Marion, 13. Jennifer Lawrence revealed Wednesday how she managed to accidentally take prescription drugs while filming two different movies. In 2017, the 35-year-old Oscar winner meant to take a sleeping pill before shooting the spy thriller Red Sparrow, but she wound up 'taking an Adderall instead.' 'Then I didn't sleep all night and I was taking hot showers, panic, because I am not somebody who can function without sleep,' Lawrence recalled on CNN/Variety's Actors on Actors. 'And then I had to say "senate arms services committee" in a Russian accent. That sucked.' Five years earlier, the Kentucky-born blonde accidentally took an Ambien 'thinking it was something else' and had to shoot The Hunger Games: Catching Fire dancing scene at the Capitol party with Philip Seymour Hoffman. 'I was hallucinating,' Lawrence groaned. Jennifer Lawrence revealed Wednesday how she managed to accidentally take prescription drugs while filming two different movies In 2017, the 35-year-old Oscar winner meant to take a sleeping pill before shooting the spy thriller Red Sparrow, but she wound up 'taking an Adderall instead' 'And Elizabeth Banks got really annoyed with me. Maybe she didn't know that I was on an Ambien, but I kept asking the director [Francis Lawrence], "Wait, and what does this mean? Wait, and what does this mean and what does that mean?" 'And she just threw her sides and was just like, "Fine, let's just keep talking about it!"' Speaking of drugs, the Zurawski v Texas producer then grilled Leonardo DiCaprio about the time over 50 members of the Titanic cast and crew - including director James Cameron and actor Bill Paxton - were poisoned with PCP-laced lobster chowder in 1996. 'There was a conga line that formed and people were dancing. Well, and a lot people went to the hospital. Well, they thought that it was a neurotoxin from the chowder. Why did somebody dose everyone and why would they waste drugs?' Lawrence marveled. The 51-year-old Oscar winner replied that he 'wasn't there' and shockingly confessed: 'I haven't seen [Titanic].' The Bread & Roses producer then urged him: 'Oh you should...it's so good!' Lawrence and DiCaprio famously headlined Netflix's Don't Look Up in 2021, and they're teaming up again on Martin Scorsese's horror film What Happens at Night about an American couple adopting a European baby. Apple Original Films is in talks to finance and produce the big-screen adaptation of Peter Cameron's 2023 ghost story novel with Studiocanal - according to Deadline. 'Are you really excited to work with me again?' the Excellent Cadaver founder asked, and the Appian Way Productions founder replied: 'Yes, I am.' Lawrence recalled on CNN/Variety's Actors on Actors: 'Then I didn't sleep all night and I was taking hot showers, panic, because I am not somebody who can function without sleep. And then I had to say "senate arms services committee" in a Russian accent. That sucked' Five years earlier, the Kentucky-born blonde accidentally took an Ambien 'thinking it was something else' and had to shoot The Hunger Games: Catching Fire dancing scene at the Capitol party with Philip Seymour Hoffman (R) Lawrence groaned: 'I was hallucinating and Elizabeth Banks (M) got really annoyed with me. Maybe she didn't know that I was on an Ambien, but I kept asking the director [Francis Lawrence], "Wait, and what does this mean? Wait, and what does this mean and what does that mean?"' She continued: 'And she just threw her sides and was just like, "Fine, let's just keep talking about it!"' Speaking of drugs, the Zurawski v Texas producer then grilled Leonardo DiCaprio about the time over 50 members of the Titanic cast and crew - including director James Cameron (2-R) and actor Bill Paxton (R) - were poisoned with PCP-laced lobster chowder in 1996 The 51-year-old Oscar winner replied that he 'wasn't there' and shockingly confessed: 'I haven't seen [Titanic]' The Bread & Roses producer then urged him: 'Oh you should...it's so good!' Lawrence and DiCaprio famously headlined Netflix's Don't Look Up in 2021, and they're teaming up again on Martin Scorsese's horror film What Happens at Night about an American couple adopting a European baby Apple Original Films is in talks to finance and produce the big-screen adaptation of Peter Cameron's 2023 ghost story novel with Studiocanal 'Are you really excited to work with me again?' the Excellent Cadaver founder (L) asked, and the Appian Way Productions founder (R) replied: 'Yes, I am' DiCaprio also urged Lawrence to 'buy a DVD player' so she can watch all the reference films the 83-year-old filmmaker would inevitably be providing for research For his role as washed-up revolutionary Bob Ferguson in One Battle After Another, the former child star is nominated for a Critics Choice Award (airing January 4 on E!) and a Golden Globe Award (airing January 11 on CBS) For her role as postpartum-depressed mother Grace in Die My Love, Lawrence is nominated for a Golden Globe Award (airing January 11 on CBS) for best actress in a motion picture drama DiCaprio also urged Lawrence to 'buy a DVD player' so she can watch all the reference films the 83-year-old filmmaker would inevitably be providing for research. For his role as washed-up revolutionary Bob Ferguson in One Battle After Another, the former child star is nominated for a Critics Choice Award (airing January 4 on E!) and a Golden Globe Award (airing January 11 on CBS). For her role as postpartum-depressed mother Grace in Die My Love, Lawrence is nominated for a Golden Globe Award (airing January 11 on CBS) for best actress in a motion picture drama. On December 10, THR reported that the three-time Golden Globe winner and Josh Hutcherson will reprise their roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in Francis Lawrence's 2026 prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. And last year, Apple Original Films acquired the Real Housewives-inspired murder mystery The Wives, which the avid Bravo watcher will star in and produce. Kate Beckinsale left little to the imagination as she flashed her black underwear under a sheer white dress while shopping at John Varvatos in Los Angeles. The actress, 52, looked incredible in the daring quirky see-through number which she wore a black bra and spotted tights beneath. Kate elevated her frame in a pair of towering black platform knee high boots and toted her belongings in a coordinated handbag. Styling her long tresses in a voluminous high ponytail, the Underworld star accessorised by layering necklaces and wore a pair of chunky gold cross earrings. Kate looked in good spirits as she opted for a pair of chunky square sunglasses for the afternoon shopping spree. It comes after Kate unveiled a sweet tattoo tribute to her late mother Judy Loe following her death aged 78. Kate Beckinsale left little to the imagination as she flashed her black underwear under a sheer white dress while shopping at John Varvatos in Los Angeles The actress, 52, looked incredible in the daring quirky see-through number which she wore a black bra and spotted tights beneath The actress took to Instagram this summer to share that her mother had died in her arms on July 15 after 'immeasurable suffering' and admitted she is 'paralysed' with grief. Judy's cause of death wasn't confirmed; however, Kate previously revealed her mother had been battling stage four cancer for the last two years. Taking to Instagram last month, Kate revealed her new tattoo of her mother on her arm, which featured a sketch of the actress in 1971. She got the tattoo below an inking that read 'Fatherless sc*m' in tribute to her late father and stepfather - a reference to David Bowie's 1979 song Fantastic Voyage. Alongside the post, she penned: 'It everyone would stop dying I wouldn't have so many tattoos. 'Thank you @_dr_woo_ for this beautiful one of my mama ( and @endrystymest for Peepo and 'fatherless sc*m').' In October, Kate shared poignant snaps from her beloved mother Judy's funeral. She reflected on the day as she shared a selection of images from the ceremony which took place at Chiswick House. It comes after Kate unveiled a sweet tattoo tribute to her late mother Judy following her death aged 78 on Instagram The actress took to Instagram this summer to share that she had died in her arms on July 15 after 'immeasurable suffering' and admitted she is 'paralysed' with grief She was joined by her daughter Lily, 26, who she shares with her ex Michael Sheen - who also attended to support her. Lily and Michael were seen sweetly hugging in one of the snaps Kate shared. Kate and Michael were a couple from the mid-1990s to 2003. In the caption Kate said she still felt 'blindsided and devastated' by her death and heartbreakingly admitted she often still goes to call her before realising that no one will answer. Kate also shared that her mother hadn't wanted people to wear black at her funeral and that she wished for a 'celebration of her life'. In her lengthy and emotional caption Kate said: 'Dearest Mama. The fact that you have had to have a funeral at all is wrong and ludicrous. You are the biggest lover of life, the most energetic, the most vital, the most joyous. 'The only mandate you gave me over the years was that you wanted a celebration of your life and that no one was to wear black so no one did. 'What I did not anticipate, particularly the night before the funeral where I got two hours sleep on a hard sofa and very much considered not being able to attend because I was afraid I couldn't handle it, was that someone would be able to have a funeral that was so full of love and happiness and joy, which is all because of you and who you are and what you brought. 'You are a bridge builder, a hoarder of love, an archiver of precious history ,of respect for years of friendship and my God that showed.. 'I think the hardest thing I have ever had to do was say goodbye to you and I haven't managed it yet, I still reach for my phone in the early hours of the morning to text you and then realise that I won't get a response. 'The funeral and the party which I will not call a wake afterwards, and which I very much feel you attended in some vaporous way blew the f***ing roof off Chiswick House. In the caption Kate said she still felt 'blindsided and devastated' by her death and heartbreakingly admitted she still goes to call her before realising that no one will answer She was joined by her daughter Lily, 26, who she shares with her ex Michael Sheen - who also attended to support her (Kate and Michael seen in 2010) 'Everybody danced - from the age of 3 to their mid 80s. Your school friends attended, my school friends attended, Lily's school friends attended. The love you inspired, quietly and generously was awe-inspiring and still is. 'I will never get over the lump of cement in my stomach that I have instead of you. Hopefully, I will learn to carry it better than I am currently carrying it which is clumsily and not well. 'But what you left me was a coterie of extraordinarily brilliant people who, if and when I am ever up to it, I know will provide me a soft place to land. 'At the moment I am so blindsided and devastated that it is safer for me to be on my own but I know from your funeral that the relationships you nurtured so carefully over the years are there for me too and that is another part of your generosity that will live on. 'I love you, Mama. You are in my blood. You are in my bones, you are in my heart, broken or not you are there. I love you so much.' Her death came 18 months after the death of Judy's second husband and Kate's stepfather Roy, who died in January 2024. He was hospitalised in Los Angeles in December 2023 after suffering 'a massive stroke' while battling two forms of cancer, which he was diagnosed with in the summer prior. Tragically this wasn't the first time Judy was widowed after the shock death of her first husband Richard Beckinsale in 1979, when Kate was just five-years-old. The actor, famed for his roles in popular shows Rising Damp and Porridge, suddenly passed away on March 19, 1979 at the age of just 31, leaving behind his devastated wife Judy and Kate and her sister Samantha. Sharing the news of her mother's death back in July, Kate posted a compilation of snaps as she penned: 'I don't want to post this. I am only posting this because I have had to register my mother's death certificate and it will soon become public record. 'She died the night of July 15th in my arms after immeasurable suffering. I have not picked all the best photos, nor the best videos, because I cannot bear to go through my camera roll yet. 'I deeply apologise to any of her friends who are finding out this way or through the press, but I cannot go through her phone. 'I am paralysed. Jude was the compass of my life, the love of my life, my dearest friend. The vastness and huge heart of this tiny woman has touched so many people who love her dearly. 'She has been brave in so many ways, forgiving sometimes too much, believing in the ultimate good in people and the world is so dim without her that it is nearly impossible to bear.' She finished: 'Mama, I love you so much. This has been my greatest fear since finding my father dead at five and I am here. Oh my Mama.. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry.' Judy's death came 18 months after the death of her second husband, and Kate's stepfather Roy (pictured), who died in January 2024 Kate didn't confirm the cause of death at the time however her mum was known to have been battling stage four cancer for the last two years Kate's post announcing her mother's death is pictured Fans and friends rushed to send their condolences in the comments as they penned: 'I'm so sorry. What a beautiful lady'; 'Sending you and Lily so much love'; 'I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss! Y'all had such an incredible bond that not a lot of mothers and daughters do'; 'Sending love. Not enough. Because NOTHING can replace your mother.'; 'Oh no. May angels lead her in'. Jess Wright added: 'Omg I am so deeply sorry'. Back in March Kate shared a tearful Mother's Day tribute to Judy amid her cancer battle. She reassured her mother that 'any journey you are on, I'm on it with you,' in an Instagram post dedicated to her, revealing just how much she idolises her mum. Describing Judy as her 'partner in crime,' Kate posted a carousel of photos from throughout her mum's cancer treatment, as well as memories that hold a special place in her heart. Kate - who revealed that her mum was sick last year - admitted they had been 'through some s**t together' and that her mum has her heart. The Fool's Paradise star further offered her advice to others who are grieving. She said: 'My heart is with you,' on a day that is 'joyful for so many and painful for so many.' Kate also asked for good wishes to be sent to her 'extraordinary' mother who she called a 'warrior' in her post. Kate penned in the caption of the post about her mother: 'I wasn't going to come back to Instagram but anyone who has a spare prayer or magic or miracle or sunbeam please send it to my mama, my most extraordinary, warrior, generous, humble, loving, unique, irreplaceable Mama. 'Thank you - Lord, keep her safe this night, secure from all her fears, may angels guard her while she sleeps till morning light appears, amen.' Kate's father Richard died when she was just five-years-old after he suffered a shock heart attack in his sleep brought on by undiagnosed coronary artery disease. At the time was in fact Judy who was the family's focus then, as she was in hospital recovering from an operation to unblock her fallopian tubes, so she could have more children. When she emerged, she learned her operation had been a success, but that her husband had died. The day before his death, Richard had taken Kate - who was just five-years-old at the time - to visit her mother in hospital and had no physical complaints, simply saying he felt tired. That evening, Richard attended a party for The Two Ronnies before returning to the family home in Sunningdale, Berks. The last anyone heard from the rising comedy star was in a phone call he made to friends before going to bed, in which he noted he had pains in his arms and chest but made light of it. Tragically, Richard never woke up. Kate, who had been looked after by a family friend who came to babysit her at home, has said she still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder 'from discovering my very young father's almost-dead body as a very young child alone in the night.' She said in her post about the funeral: 'I love you, Mama. You are in my blood. You are in my bones, you are in my heart, broken or not you are there. I love you so much' It was a trauma which was 'reactivated' by losing Roy all these years later as she revealed a year after his passing that she'll forever be 'haunted' after seeing Roy die. Roy, the director of TV greats including Inspector Morse, Cracker and A Touch Of Frost, came into Kate's life three years after her father died. Alongside a beaming snap of Roy, Kate penned: 'Finding my father's dead body alone in the middle of the night at the age of five shaped my entire life. Seeing my beloved stepfather die a year ago today will haunt me forever. 'It does seem terribly careless to have managed to be present for both deaths and unable to prevent either, the second time trying with every single thing I had. It was not enough. 'In the process of losing my beloved Roy I lost family, friendships, at some points my own health, and all the money I had due to how disgusting the American healthcare system is for those who are not insured. I would do it again. No question. 'I cannot help feeling that I dreadfully failed -but I am trying to console myself today with all the preparation that he did in the last years of his life, how deeply he studied and practised as a Jungian and how thin the veil is between the energy of this life and whatever is next, that some part of him was at peace with it. 'It does feel like a lie I am telling myself to try and feel better, however. Perhaps I am just unfortunately not enlightened enough to sell that to myself over my sense of loss, guilt and failure.' Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori has addressed why she models such zany figure-flashing outfits in public. The former architect had an odd way of conducting her sit down with Interview magazine as she used another woman to speak for her. The brunette beauty tried to spin her the reason behind her attention-grabbing looks. It's not for press but rather a way for an artist to express herself. And she doesn't get hurt when people hate on her, it was added. And while she said she acknowledges there is backlash to her out-there looks she said that the attention is not her 'goal.' 'A woman in the public eye is forced to watch versions of herself multiply without her consent,' said the lady for Censori. 'People project, people invent, people erase. So she sculpts the versions they create, the phantom selves,' she added. Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori has addressed why she models such zany figure-flashing outfits in public The former architect had an odd way of conducting her sit down with Interview magazine as she used another woman to speak for her. Seen in February at the Grammy Awards Censori has been seen in some very unusual outfits, which range from see-through dresses to tape over private parts. Often the spouse of the Yeezy rapper wears lingerie out in public which teeters on the edge of being unlawful. It's generally not explicitly illegal to wear just lingerie in public in the US, as laws focus on exposing private parts and intent to arouse/offend, not specific garments. However, it's highly risky and often leads to arrest under public indecency, disorderly conduct, or lewdness charges because it usually violates local community standards. Censori caused significant controversy and faced potential legal issues during her 2023 summer trip to Italy with West due to her extremely revealing clothing. Locals called the move 'vulgar.' During her interview, Censori's puppet said that the star is only reclaiming her image. 'This is not a confession of feeling trapped. This is an act of repossession. She is reclaiming the unauthorized clones. Shes not trapped in her image. Shes multiplying it until the original becomes myth,' said the person in a very cryptic answer to writer Tamantha Ryan. The brunette beauty tried to spin her the reason behind her attention-grabbing looks. It's not for press but rather a way for an artist to express herself And she doesn't get hurt when people hate on her, it was added. And while she said she acknowledges there is backlash to her out-there looks she said that the attention is not her 'goal' 'A woman in the public eye is forced to watch versions of herself multiply without her consent,' said the lady for Censori. 'People project, people invent, people erase. So she sculpts the versions they create, the phantom selves,' she added Bianca (second, left) pictured with her mother Alexandra, second right is Bianca's sister Alyssia and far right is Bianca's other sister Angelina As far as trolls, the woman said Censori, who often copies the style of West's ex-wife Kim Kardashian, does not react emotionally. 'Bianca views social media neutrally, not as something shes emotionally invested in, but as a space where perception mutates quickly and publicly,' the lady replied. 'She doesnt seek praise or backlash, but she pays attention to how both form and circulate. Theyre two sides of the same perceptual mechanism, and the contrast between them is useful.' And Censori looks at the attention to her weird getups as a sociologist would. A sociologist studies human society to analyze trends. 'Backlash isnt a goal, but it is revealing. It shows where cultural sensitivities sit and what people are unable or unwilling to name directly. Biancas end goal is self-expression,' noted the lady. The Australian, 30, began dating West, 48, in 2022. They secretly got married on December 20, 2022. David 'Kochie' Koch has revealed he has become a grandfather for the 10th time. The former Sunrise host, 69, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share the jovial news that his son AJ and his wife Carolina Flores had welcomed their second child. He confirmed the couple had given birth to daughter named Valentina Rose Koch by sharing an adorable image of the newborn. 'A big welcome to grandchild Valentina Rose Koch. And there is no truth to the rumour she was named after her parent's favourite hot sauce,' he wrote. 'And so wonderful her Mexican grandparents, Pepe and Laura, are in Australia for the birth. 'Libby and I toasted the birth in Marrakech at Aussie owned Plus61... which provided a great break from all the tagines we've eaten.' David 'Kochie' Koch (pictured) has revealed he has become a grandfather for the 10th time The former Sunrise host, 69, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share the jovial news that his son AJ and wife Carolina Flores had welcomed their second child AJ welcomed his first child a daughter called Catalina May with his wife Carolina in 2021. The couple tied the knot in Mexico back in 2019. As well as AJ, David and Libby also share daughters Brianna, Georgie and Samantha. His youngest daughter Georgie welcomed her first child Kochie's ninth grandchild in October last year. Georgie and her husband Alex Merkel, who live in London, welcomed a daughter named Heidi. David shared an adorable picture of his wife Libby meeting their ninth grandchild for the first time in London in the heartfelt post. He gushed in a caption: 'When Libby meets Heidi grandchild #9 in London for the first time. First child for Georgie and Alex.' David confirmed his youngest daughter was expecting her first child live on The Morning Show back in April last year. 'A big welcome to grandchild Valentina Rose Koch. And there is no truth to the rumour she was named after her parent's favourite hot sauce,' he joked alongside a photo of the newborn with the sauce David added: 'Libby and I toasted the birth in Marrakech at Aussie owned Plus61 which provided a great break from all the tagines we've eaten' He told hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies at the time: 'Georgie is expecting her first child, she lives in London at the moment. 'Lib and I are off to London to visit her and on Monday we are going to the ultrasound appointment. She is 24/25 weeks.' David also gave an insight into his very sweet family tradition as he revealed the item he will be buying for Georgie during his London visit. He shared: 'We have a family tradition, we buy the first pram for each of the families. '(We're) very excited. It's number nine for us.' The investigation into claims made by Hollywood actress Tara Reid that she was secretly drugged when at a hotel bar in Illinois in November has been closed. Rosemont Police Department told TMZ on Wednesday that there was just not enough evidence to move forward as the American Pie star did not have a chemical test after being rushed to a hospital. The police have not said that her claims are false, they are just relaying they do not have enough to go on. Also, now new evidence has been presented, which has caused a dead end. The 50-year-old claimed her drink was spiked and that is why she could barely walk when at the hotel bar. Daily Mail has reached out to reps for the actress for comment. The investigation into claims made by Hollywood actress Tara Reid that she was drugged when at a hotel bar in Illinois in November has been closed. Seen in November in West Hollywood The 50-year-old actress had alleged she was drugged by a stranger after having just one drink at a hotel in Rosemont, near Chicago, on November 23, before being taken out on a stretcher and brought to hospital 'We are not saying that [Tara's] claims are false, however at this time we do not have evidence to support it and there is nothing further on our end to investigate. Should additional evidence of a crime be brought forward, we will reopen the case and investigate accordingly,' the police department told the site. Last week Reid said she feels 'judged and bullied' after police said there is no evidence her drink was drugged. The actress had alleged she was drugged by a stranger after having just one drink at a hotel in Rosemont, near the O'Hare airport in Chicago, on November 23, before being taken out on a stretcher and brought to hospital after an employee called 911. But police have insisted there is no video evidence of anyone 'tampering with or adding something to [Reid's] drink'. Tara told Us Weekly: 'I've been honest about the fact that I don't remember anything after my first drink. All I said was that I felt something was wrong and that I felt I may have been drugged, because I have no other explanation for why I woke up in a hospital gown with no memory of how I got there. 'Seeing the media twist my words and attack me for not remembering has been incredibly painful and is severely affecting my mental health. 'I feel bullied and judged for something I cannot recall. I'm trying to heal, but the public scrutiny is making that very difficult, and I've been afraid to even leave my house. 'No one ends up in the hospital for around eleven hours from drinking wine alone. I hadn't taken any medication that day, and I know something wasn't right. Inside the hotel where Reid had her incident Rosemont Police Department told TMZ on Wednesday that there was just not enough evidence to move forward as the American Pie star did not have a chemical test after being rushed to a hospital. The police have not said that her claims are false, they are just pointing on they do not have enough to go on; seen in July 2024 'Whether I had additional drinks after that doesn't matter, the fact is I don't remember anything.' Tara went on to ask for 'privacy, compassion and space to heal'. She added: 'I've shared the only truth I have, what I remember, and what I felt.' In footage obtained by TMZ from the night, Reid was speaking incoherently and seemed to slip off a wheelchair in the lobby, and was helped back into the chair, before paramedics led her away on a stretcher. In a police report filed at the time, Reid said she was in the lobby with 'a bunch of' YouTubers, and 'the whole thing felt suspicious' as most of them had 'their phones out'. In the report, she alleged that after stepping outside with one of the men, she returned to find 'a napkin over my drink'. American Pie stars Eddie Kaye Thomas, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Seann William Scott, Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, Natasha Lyonne, Reid, Thomas Ian Nicholas On Scrubs with John C McGinley and Aloma Wright She told officers: 'Then the last thing I remember was drinking that drink and seeing a couple sitting next to us. 'The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital around eight hours or more later not knowing where I was or anything that happened. I completely blacked out with no recollection of anything.' The Rosemont Public Safety Department previously told Daily Mail that surveillance footage didn't 'show anyone tampering with or adding something to [Reid's] drink'. They did confirm 'that a bartender covered her drink when she left the bar which is standard practice for bartenders to do'. The authorities added: 'At this time there is no criminal act that has been committed and there is no one we are currently investigating'. Meg Ryan has paid an emotional tribute to her When Harry Met Sally director Rob Reiner days after he and his wife were murdered. The actress, who starred alongside Billy Crystal in the 1989 romance comedy, lauded the couple, addressing the 'impossible tragedy.' Alongside a photo of her and Reiner dancing on set, Ryan wrote: 'Oh how we will miss this man 'Thank you, Rob and Michele, for the way you believe in true love, in fairy tales, and in laughter. Thank you for your faith in the best in people, and for your profound love of our country.' The Hollywood icon, 78, and his wife, Michele, 70, were both found dead with their throats slit in their Los Angeles mansion on Sunday - with Crystal, 77, seen weeping at the crime scene. Their troubled son Nick was arrested in connection with the murders later that day. He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder - if convicted, the 32-year-old could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Meg Ryan has paid an emotional tribute to her When Harry Met Sally director Rob Reiner days after his murder Reiner's son Nick Reiner (right with his father in 2016) has been charged with two counts of first degree murder Ryan added: 'I have to believe that their story will not end with this impossible tragedy, that some good may come, some awareness raised I dont know, but my guess is that they would want that to be hopeful and humane, to be something that brings us all to a greater understanding of one another and to some peace.' Her co-star Crystal also paid tribute to his close friend Reiner. The star was seen with his wife Janice outside the Reiners' LA mansion on Sunday after being called to the home by the couple's daughter, Romy, who found her parents' bodies. Crystal was seen wiping away tears as he left after seeing the bodies while law enforcement descended on the location. The actor joined other notable comedy legends and stars in a statement shared with the Associated Press on Tuesday evening. 'There is no other director who has his range.' The statement paid homage to Reiner's incredible film career as well as to his 'special' 36-year marriage to 'perfect partner' Michele, with whom he had three children. 'Going to the movies in a dark theater filled with strangers having a common experience, laughing, crying, screaming in fear, or watching an intense drama unfold is still an unforgettable thrill,' the statement began. Ryan and Crystal are seen with Reiner at the When Harry Met Sally 30-year anniversary screening in 2019 Ryan made a vow to Reiner that 'this isn't the end' in her message Nick, who lived in his parents' guest house, was arrested for allegedly fatally stabbing them in their bed on Sunday night; Rob and Michele pictured in March Reiner and Crystal had a decades-long friendship - seen with Ryan in When Harry Met Sally Crystal has also broken his silence on the tragic deaths of close friend Reiner and his wife Michele; Reiner and Crystal seen in September Crystal was seen with his wife Janice outside the Reiners' LA mansion on Sunday after being called to the home by the couple's daughter Romy who found her parents' bodies 'Tell us a story audiences demand of us. Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master storyteller. There is no other director who has his range. 'From comedy to drama to 'mockumentary' to documentary, he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films,' the statement continued. 'His comedic touch was beyond compare, his love of getting the music of the dialogue just right, and his sharpening of the edge of a drama was simply elegant. For the actors, he loved them. For the writers, he made them better. His greatest gift was freedom. If you had an idea, he listened, he brought you into the process. They always felt they were working as a team. 'To be in his hands as a filmmaker was a privilege but that is only part of his legacy.' The friends went on to describe the late director as 'a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele, he had the perfect partner. Nick is depicted in court on Wednesday wearing an anti-suicide vest 'Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens... They were a special force together - dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever. The heartfelt statement ended with a poignant quote from one of Reiner's favorite films. 'There is a line from one of Rob's favorite films, It's a Wonderful Life. "Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" You have no idea.' On Wednesday, Reiner's son Nick made his first court appearance on homicide charges for his parents' double murder. He was seen in jeans and an anti-suicide vest without a shirt underneath during his appearance at Los Angeles Superior Court. He did not enter a plea and his arraignment has been continued until January 7. When the judge asked Reiner if he agreed to waive his right to a speedy arraignment, he said: 'Yes, your honor.' Nick's lawyer, Alan Jackson, made a statement to the public saying that there were 'very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case,' and asked that 'throughout this process you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward, not with a rush to judgment.' Nick has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of his Hollywood legend father and photographer mother. Prosecutors added special circumstances of multiple murders and the use of a dangerous weapon, a knife. Gwyneth Paltrow made Wednesday a family night. The Oscar-winning beauty brought her two kids on the red carpet to the New York City premiere of Marty Supreme. They are Apple, 21, and Moses Martin, 19, whom the GOOP founder shares with ex-husband Chris Martin of the band Coldplay. And the 50-year-old diva also posed with her two stepchildren in a rare move: they are Isabella, 21, and Brody Falchuk, 19, from her marriage to producer Brad Falchuk. Paltrow and Falchuk wed in 2018 in the Hamptons in New York. Falchuk shares his two children with his ex-wife, Suzanne Bulnik, whom he divorced in 2013 after some 20 years of marriage. The Emma actress has said she initially found stepparenting difficult but has since embraced treating them as her own, learning there's 'no playbook' for blended families. Gwyneth Paltrow brought her two kids on the red carpet to the NYC premiere of Marty Supreme. They are Apple and Moses Martin. And the diva also posed with her two stepchildren: Isabella and Brody Falchuk, from her marriage to producer Brad Falchuk The Emma actress has said she initially found stepparenting difficult but has since embraced treating them as her own, learning there's 'no playbook' for blended families She also said she had to overcome initial hurdles by setting firm boundaries and showing unconditional love. In September the siren made a rare remark about being a stepmom. She posted a heartfelt birthday tribute to Falchuk's adult daughter, Isabella. 'Happy Birthday my snizzle,' the Iron Man star wrote in her Instagram stories sharing a recent photo of the 21-year-old. 'You have taught me so much about love,' the star wrote, adding, 'I am lucky to be your stepmom.' In a photo drop on social media labeled Summer, Paltrow shared several photos of her family's time at the beach and they included shots of Izzy and Brody, along with Paltrow's children Apple and Moses. The influencer spoke about some of the errors she made in creating a blended family on her Goop podcast in April with Falchuk as her guest. 'We traversed through some really rough things,' the Avengers franchise star told her husband. 'One of the most profound lessons that I've learned from my relationship with your daughter which is now so fantastic is there was a testing going on,' she explained. 'She was testing me at the time to see at what point I would reject her.' To avoid getting a reputation as an 'evil stepmother,' the actress and entrepreneur decided to take a maternal approach, she told the Glee co-creator. 'I was going to be that presence for her, always loving and forgiving in the face of, you know, if she acted up, and show her that ultimately I was so there for her that she would not question my intentions or think that I was there to take you away from her,' she explained. Paltrow and Falchuk at the Los Angeles premiere of Marty Supreme in Beverly Hills on December 8 In September she posted a heartfelt birthday tribute to Falchuk's adult daughter, Isabella Falchuk 'Happy Birthday my snizzle,' she wrote in her Instagram stories sharing a recent photo of the 21-year-old In a photo drop on social media labeled Summer, Paltrow shared several photos of her family's time at the beach and they included shots of Izzy and Brody along with Paltrow's children Apple and Moses Paltrow welcomed Izzy and her younger brother Brody into her heart when she married Falchuk As with most step-parents, Paltrow said she struggled with discipline. 'I thought that in my case, if I assert my boundaries or my expectations around manners, or anything like that, it will exacerbate the situation,' she said. Paltrow admitted if she could, she would do things differently. 'If I look back at my mistakes as a stepmother, I should have just treated them both like my kids way faster, like, I was too worried about everyone's feelings, in a way.' For Tara Reid, the last few weeks have been devastating. She has been the subject of a very public probe. The question? 'Was she or wasn't she drugged.' Today Tara learned that police had closed their investigation into the probe of whether her drink was spiked at an Illinois hotel. The force deemed there was not enough evidence. And now, the American Pie star has told of the heartbreak that she has endured and claims she was bullied mercilessly. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Tara said: 'It was a truly heartbreaking experience. 'All of the bullying I have been subjected to since and everyone twisting reality without the facts they weren't even there to witness is truly affecting my mental health and I need it to stop.' The American Pie star, 50, also says that the CCTV from the night doesn't show her in the bar all of the time, in fact, there are 33 minutes unaccounted. Tara, who says the incident has left her distraught and fearing for her mental health, also revealed how despite the police investigating the incident which took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago O'Hare airport last month have closed the case, they have told her that it was because of lack of evidence not because her drink wasn't drugged. Today Tara Reid learned that police had closed their investigation into the probe of whether her drink was spiked at an Illinois hotel (pictured: Tara at the hotel) In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the American Pie star, pictured in 2022, also says that the CCTV from the night doesn't show her in the bar all of the time Tara said: 'I am off camera many times and outside where there is no footage. The camera also skips five seconds, to 30 seconds or more many times and are missing key information of events. 'I have all the available footage the police sent me. And after reviewing that entire footage you can clearly see I was completely fine when I arrived, ordered my glass of wine and left it on the bar to go smoke as I originally stated. 'I was outside for around 10 mins off camera that time. Before I went to go smoke the second time I took my glass of wine with me outside. After reviewing the footage I only had consumed two glasses of wine the entire time since I got there over a 30-minute period before I went outside the second time and I came back in a completely different state of mind. And it is an undeniable difference. 'They are making it seem like I chugged all this wine at once and ended up on a stretcher but after reviewing the footage that is not what happened at all. 'In fact I witnessed in the footage when I arrived back from smoking with the person I only took one sip of wine in over 30 mins and when the bartender asked me if I wanted another drink I signalled no because I still had a drink I didn't barely touch.' The Daily Mail can reveal that a witness has now come forward which prompts questions over a YouTuber and influencer's claims that Tara wanted to sleep with him. Kathy Lain, a flight attendant and nurse was on a layover in Chicago at the Doubletree hotel when she saw the events unfold. In a statement handed to the Daily Mail, Kathy said: 'The man was leaning into the woman. The woman had difficulty holding her head up, and seemed almost out of it. She says to the man, "You want to f*** me." 'It was not a question, it was more a statement. The man responded with, "Maybe." She then seemed concerned and asked the bartender to call security. The bartender asked her if she was serious and she indicated that she was.' Pictured: The hotel where Tara had her incident. She says the incident has left her distraught and fearing for her mental health Tara pictured in November. The American Pie star has told of the heartbreak that she has endured and claims she was bullied mercilessly The police investigation is over, Tara confirmed but she did state that cops have left things open in case anything else comes to light. A police officer from the Rosemont police department told her: 'Just wanted to again reiterate that you know we've looked into everything that we can at the hotel and everything that happened that night, spoke to everyone that we can looked at any and all video that we can, and at this point, I don't want to make it sound like we don't think anything happened. 'From everything that we've seen and everybody that we spoke to and all the video, there's no evidence to support anything for us to charge somebody at this time.' However the police tell Tara that if she had anything further to give them about the case they would follow up on it. It has been quite the devastating time for Tara. She feels like she has been treated appallingly but is dealing with it slowly and reveals that she believes that it has now been proven by the camera footage from the hotel that she didn't drink enough. Tara also told of her upset that staff at the Resurrection Medical Center in Rosemont, Illinois did not give her blood or alcohol test. She is also furious that in the results which she was handed back this week, it was claimed that she screamed and shouted in her bed and even fell off of it. She told the Daily Mail: 'I have also gotten the hospital results back and am very disappointed to find out the fact they didn't give me a blood alcohol test or test me for any substances. 'I was never even given an IV. I also read in the medical records that I was in such a bad state that I was screaming for help scared and didn't know where I was and at around 3am I fell out of my hospital bed and they had to take me to get a CT scan. Tara found fame as Vicky, pictured, front middle, in the hit 1999 raunchy comedy American Pie 'I do not remember any this.' Now, the actress just wants the truth out there as she is heartbroken at what she thinks are smears against her taking hold. She also claims that she has been bullied because events of the night have been twisted. 'I am making this statement to help people see the truth of what actually happened so they can understand the facts and how truly heartbreaking this is,' she told the Daily Mail. 'To imagine how terrifying it would be as a woman having some wine and then waking up in the hospital with no clothes on in a gown after 12 hours not having any idea of what happened to me only to see that videos of the state I was in are all over the world. 'If you could watch the hour and 21 minutes of video you would understand something obviously wasn't right.' Tara is grateful though, grateful to the people who have supported her through this. 'I want to say thank you to all the people who have had my back and have reached out to me with concern and want them to know how much that has saved me during this terrible time. 'You are what has kept me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Please everyone, watch your drinks be aware of your surroundings and if you feel you have been drugged, do not be afraid to speak out. 'Your truth is your truth. I am asking for support and privacy during this trying time in my life and most of all for understanding. I need to heal. Also, I have never publically accused or implicated anyone. 'Because I do not remember the events it would be impossible for me to. And I would never want to falsely accuse anyone of something like this unless I absolutely knew which is why I filed the police report so maybe they could find some answers. 'I have learned a lot from this and I hope that at the very least what comes out of this is to bring more awareness to this ongoing problem that happens to men and women across the world. And that everyone is a little more careful because of my experience. I truly hope my story can help save someone.' Valerie Bertinelli revealed she was suffering from a 'puffy eye with a stye,' which was so swollen on Wednesday morning that it was 'about to close shut.' 'Well, this is going to be interesting,' the 65-year-old One Day at a Time alum - who boasts 4.2 million social media followers - announced on Instagram. 'I have had a stye building underneath my eyelid, right about here, for about a week now. And now it's getting worse. I had compresses on it last night.' Delaware-born Bertinelli refused to let the eye infection keep her from the job she loves. 'If there's one thing I've learned about this business that I've been in for over 50 years, is it doesn't matter how sick you are (as long as you're not contagious),' the two-time Daytime Emmy winner wrote in the caption. 'You show up for work and you do your job because you're lucky to have it. I am grateful every single day for the people I get to work with and surround myself with.' Valerie Bertinelli revealed she was suffering from a 'puffy eye with a stye,' which was so swollen on Wednesday morning that it was 'about to close shut' As soon as Bertinelli began to feel sorry for herself, she remembered how her son Wolfgang Van Halen bravely performed 'for almost two hours to full sold-out audiences while his body was trying to release a kidney stone' in late November. 'I can go to work with a ridiculous puffy eye,' the TalkShopLive presenter concluded. 'It's almost closed. This should be fun!' Bertinelli welcomed the 34-year-old Mammoth frontman during her 20-year marriage to legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, which ended in 2007 - 13 years before his death from a stroke. A stye is a painful lump that forms on or inside the eyelid, which often originate as bacterial infections due to unsanitary conditions or expired cosmetics - according to the Mayo Clinic. Patients like the Robogobo actress who haven't improved after 48 hours should visit a doctor, but applying a warm washcloth to closed eyelids for 10 minutes can offer some relief. 'Meet me on @talkshoplive and we can talk all about it tonight [at 5pm],' Bertinelli concluded. The Bingo Blitz host has appeared in 72 episodes of The Drew Barrymore Show over the past four seasons as a lifestyle expert and correspondent. The 65-year-old One Day at a Time alum announced: 'Well, this is going to be interesting. I have had a stye building underneath my eyelid, right about here, for about a week now. And now it's getting worse. I had compresses on it last night' Delaware-born Bertinelli refused to let the eye infection keep her from the job she loves The two-time Daytime Emmy winner wrote: 'If there's one thing I've learned about this business that I've been in for over 50 years, is it doesn't matter how sick you are (as long as you're not contagious). You show up for work and you do your job because you're lucky' As soon as Bertinelli began to feel sorry for herself, she remembered how her son Wolfgang Van Halen (L, pictured December 7) bravely performed 'for almost two hours to full sold-out audiences while his body was trying to release a kidney stone' in late November The TalkShopLive presenter welcomed the 34-year-old Mammoth frontman (M, pictured in 2015) during her 20-year marriage to legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen (R), which ended in 2007 - 13 years before his death from a stroke Bertinelli has appeared in 72 episodes of The Drew Barrymore Show over the past four seasons as a lifestyle expert and correspondent (pictured October 12) On March 10, Harper Wave will publish the Robogobo actress' 240-page book Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect, which marks her ninth literary effort On March 10, Harper Wave will publish Bertinelli's 240-page book Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect, which marks her ninth literary effort. On the personal front, the Hot in Cleveland alum has been single since ending her 10-month relationship with Hoarse Whisperings blogger Mike Goodnough a year ago. Before that, Bertinelli famously paid a $2.2 million divorce settlement to second ex-husband Tom Vitale in 2022 after a decade of marriage. Tammy Hembrow has sparked romance rumours with a hunky reality TV star after they were spotted together at an event on the Gold Coast on Wednesday. The fitness influencer, 31, shared a video to Instagram alongside former Love Island star and real estate agent Eoghan Murphy as they attended a dinner hosted by Snapchat. In the post, Tammy almost risked a wardrobe malfunction in a tiny skirt and wrap top as she posed with Eoghan in the lift. She showed off her trim pins in the tiniest mini dress which almost revealed more than she had bargained for as she lifted her arm. Eoghan also looked stylish for the event in beige trousers and a white buttoned shirt as he smiled and posed close to the influencer. The pair took photos together in an elevator before Tammy partied the night away with her sister Amy. Tammy Hembrow has sparked romance rumours with real estate agent Eoghan Murphy after they were spotted together at an event on the Gold Coast on Wednesday She showed off her trim pins in the tiniest mini dress which almost revealed more than she had bargained for as she lifted her arm It comes after Tammy sent fans wild after teasing a new man last month. The fitness influencer took to TikTok to share a video of herself in bed with a mystery man's arm draped around her. In the clip, Tammy was seen wearing a silky red dress after attending the glitzy Showpo event held the previous night. As she mouthed the words to a segment from the movie Mean Girls, the unknown man rested his arm across her cheek, sending fans into a frenzy. 'Someone just do some investigating and let me know if this is Reece's arm!' one person wrote. Another pleaded: 'Please let this be Reece, if Carly and Brett are back together, I have hope.' One person guessed that it might be another well-known Aussie media personality. 'Callum's bicep,' one person wrote, referring to Love Island star Callum Hole. The pair took photos together in an elevator before Tammy partied the night away with her sister Amy Tammy almost risked a wardrobe malfunction in her tiny ensemble Tammy also enjoyed a short-lived romance with AFL heartthrob Bailey Smith earlier this year. Daily Mail exclusively revealed Bailey and Tammy went on a date on the Gold Coast in early August, enjoying a swanky meal at PanAsian hotspot Rick Shores at Burleigh Heads. Bailey later headed back to the Glitter Strip, where they showed plenty of affection towards each other on a walk to Nobby Beach. Tammy later travelled to Melbourne for a romantic dinner at ritzy restaurant Entrecote in Prahran. Leonardo DiCaprio shocked fans by confessing that he has never rewatched the biggest blockbuster from his 35-year acting career, Titanic. The 51-year-old Oscar winner memorably portrayed starving artist Jack Dawson in James Cameron's 1997 romantic disaster epic, which amassed $2.264 billion from a $200 million budget and won 11 Academy Awards. When quizzed by Jennifer Lawrence for Variety's Actors on Actors on Wednesday about whether he had ever 'rewatched Titanic', DiCaprio responded: 'No, I haven't seen it in forever'. The 35-year-old Oscar winner shot back: 'Oh, you should. I bet you could watch it as a movie now, it's so good!' Seeming to confirm he has never watched the three hour epic also starring Kate Winslet, DiCaprio added: 'I dont really watch my films, do you?' Lawrence quipped: 'No. Ive never made something like Titanic, if I did I would watch it. Once I was really drunk, I put on American Hustle. I was like, I wonder if Im good at acting? I put it on, and I dont remember what the answer is.' DiCaprio's revelation made waves on Variety's X account where user @BorkorElse commented with eye emojis and marveled: 'Leo's never seen Titanic!' Leonardo DiCaprio shocked fans by confessing that he has never rewatched the biggest blockbuster from his 35-year acting career, Titanic The 51-year-old Oscar winner memorably portrayed starving artist Jack Dawson in James Cameron's 1997 romantic disaster epic, which amassed $2.264 billion from a $200 million budget and won 11 Academy Awards - pictured with Kate Winslet as Rose Dawson 'How can you be the main actor in a popular movie and never seen the movie?' X user @MrAdetilewa tweeted. 'This can't be possible.' X user @HELDiWanKenHODL posted a meme of a shocked man. 'Leonardo DiCaprio admitting he's never seen Titanic might be the most Actors on Actors moment ever,' X user @TopuzLouis tweeted. And X user @SLTreeJr wisecracked: 'There's no way Leonardo DiCaprio would watch Titanic, it's now over 25 years old...' Lawrence then grilled the habitual modelizer about the time over 50 members of the Titanic cast and crew - including director James Cameron and actor Bill Paxton - were poisoned with PCP-laced lobster chowder in 1996. 'There was a conga line that formed and people were dancing. Well, and a lot people went to the hospital. Well, they thought that it was a neurotoxin from the chowder. Why did somebody dose everyone and why would they waste drugs?' the Die My Love actress marveled. DiCaprio replied that he 'wasn't there' and neither was Kate Winslet since they didn't film any scenes in Canada where Cameron shot the 1996-set scenes. Lawrence and the Appian Way Productions founder famously headlined Netflix's Don't Look Up in 2021, and they're reuniting for Martin Scorsese's horror film What Happens at Night about an American couple adopting a European baby. Join the debate Are YOU shocked that Leo hasn't seen Titanic? The former child star's revelation made waves on Variety's X account where user @BorkorElse commented with eye emojis and marveled: 'Leo's never seen Titanic!' 'How can you be the main actor in a popular movie and never seen the movie?' X user @MrAdetilewa tweeted. 'This can't be possible' X user @HELDiWanKenHODL posted a meme of a shocked man 'Leonardo DiCaprio admitting he's never seen Titanic might be the most Actors on Actors moment ever,' X user @TopuzLouis tweeted And X user @SLTreeJr wisecracked: 'There's no way Leonardo DiCaprio would watch Titanic, it's now over 25 years old...' The 35-year-old Oscar winner then grilled the habitual modelizer about the time over 50 members of the Titanic cast and crew - including director James Cameron (2-R) and actor Bill Paxton (R) - were poisoned with PCP-laced lobster chowder in 1996 DiCaprio replied that he 'wasn't there' and neither was Kate Winslet since they didn't film any scenes in Canada where Cameron shot the 1996-set scenes Lawrence and the Appian Way Productions founder famously headlined Netflix's Don't Look Up in 2021, and they're reuniting for Martin Scorsese's horror film What Happens at Night about an American couple adopting a European baby Apple Original Films is in talks to finance and produce the big-screen adaptation of Peter Cameron's 2023 ghost story novel with Studiocanal 'Are you really excited to work with me again?' the Kentucky-born blonde asked, and DiCaprio replied: 'Yes, I am' For his role as washed-up revolutionary Bob Ferguson in One Battle After Another, the former child star is nominated for a Critics Choice Award (airing January 4 on E!) and a Golden Globe Award (airing January 11 on CBS) Apple Original Films is in talks to finance and produce the big-screen adaptation of Peter Cameron's 2023 ghost story novel with Studiocanal - according to Deadline. 'Are you really excited to work with me again?' Lawrence asked, and DiCaprio replied: 'Yes, I am.' The vaping environmentalist also urged Lawrence to 'buy a DVD player' so she can watch all the reference films the 83-year-old filmmaker would inevitably be providing for research. For his role as washed-up revolutionary Bob Ferguson in One Battle After Another, DiCaprio is nominated for a Critics Choice Award (airing January 4 on E!) and a Golden Globe Award (airing January 11 on CBS). Paul Thomas Anderson's $175 million-budget modern adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's 1990 postmodern novel Vineland also starred Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti. Meanwhile, Lawrence is nominated for a Golden Globe Award (airing January 11 on CBS) for her role as postpartum-depressed mother Grace in Die My Love. Candace Owens conspiracy theories against Erika Kirk are motivated by the broadcasters jealousy at being left out of her wedding to Charlie Kirk, according to insiders. These insiders described Owens, 36, as sadistic and dangerous for spreading lies that Erika and Turning Point USA were involved in Kirks killing. Owens had worked closely with Kirk as the Turning Points communications director from 2017 until 2019 shortly after Charlie pushed her out because she was going a little bit nuts, a source close to Turning Point leadership told the New York Post. Kirk would still text her to keep the friendship going but Owens involvement with the organization ended in 2019. Wedding Snub Deepened Personal Rift When Charlie started dating Erika in 2018, Owens reportedly became jealous and felt usurped. She wasnt invited to Charlies [2021] wedding. That was really telling, a source claims. Owens and Erika agreed to set aside their differences and met on Monday to end the tensions between them following Charlies murder. A Turning Point USA spokesperson refused to comment on the matter. The broadcaster told her followers on X that her meeting with Erika was 'highly productive' 'We agreed much more than I had anticipated. Of course, we also disagreed on various points and people as well. Most importantly, we were able to share intel and clarify intent,' Owens claimed. Daily Wire Staff Describe Alleged Demands and Outbursts The insider also claims Owens was loathed by staff at the Daily Wire when she worked for the media organizations. A source claim that in her first week at the Daily Wire, she threw her car keys at a producer and demanded they park her car. Owens also allegedly made demands for a huge studio to film in and staffers to conduct her research. A spokesperson for Owens told the Post the allegations against her are baseless, but very funny. Since Kirks death, Owens has claimed foreign governments, such as Israel, were involved in the Turning Point leader's murder. Kirk was shot in the neck at Utah Valley University on September 10th, where he died from his wounds. Tyler Robinson is currently in custody and awaiting trial for the murder. Insider Claims Owens Aims to Undermine Kirks Legacy Everything she is doing right now is because she wants to destroy Charlies legacy and the organization he built because he threw her out of TPUSA, the insider claimed. The promotion of conspiracy theories regarding Kirks death has helped Owens garner a following of millions of viewers on her evening YouTube livestream. Moreover, Owens is facing a lawsuit from Bridgette Macron for defamation after claiming she was not a biological woman. In July, Macron filed a 220-page lawsuit alleging that Owens had defamed her with a campaign of global humiliation. Shes about to be in serious financial difficulty if the lawsuit succeeds, a source told the NY Post. She really is on the line for a huge sum of money. I think she probably realizes that now. Insider: Erika Kirk vs Candace Owens exposed It was the clash of the titans the MAGA world was bracing for. For weeks Candace Owens and Erika Kirk have been at war, slugging each other across social media, podcasts and TV panels over the late TPUSA boss Charlie. The former has been airing wild conspiracy theories over his death, with the latter defending her husband while scrambling to preserve his legacy. Then, on Sunday night, finally a breakthrough. The pair revealed they were due to sit down and thrash out their grievances in person - and hopefully call a truce. Insiders revealed to the Daily Mail Erika boarded a private flight from her home in Arizona to meet Owens at a secret location in Nashville. The meeting, which went on for nearly five hours, was described as 'productive', with the hope the pair have buried the hatchet. Erika then quietly boarded her plane for home on Monday night, hours after it was initially scheduled to depart. The details of what they discussed has been a closely-guarded secret, but it is understood they aired their grievances about how they handled Kirk's killing. Owens revealed a little more about the tete-a-tete hours later, saying it was 'extremely productive' and 'we agreed much more than I had anticipated'. She said on Instagram: 'I'm alive. I'm totally fine. I am alive and I will have the full rundown tomorrow. It was a definite step in the right direction.' Erika simply added on her own platform that it was 'productive' and she would address it in the coming days. Inside the Turning Point organization, there was a sigh of relief, as many were skeptical about whether Owens was acting in good faith to make peace. One insider told the Daily Mail after the meeting they were 'hopeful' that both parties could move on. Read the full story here. Opinion: Proof Candace Owens is evil Could this be the beginning of the end of Candace 'Conspiracy' Owens's reign of lunacy? On Wednesday, Charlie Kirk's widow Erika was on Fox News and she was spitting fire. Erika, who stepped in as chief executive of her husband's Turning Point USA after his killing in September, went straight at 'evil' commentators spinning ludicrous theories about Charlie's death. She didn't name names but she didn't have to. We know exactly who she's talking about. 'This is righteous anger because this is not okay, it's not healthy. This is a mind virus,' she said. 'This is a duty to my husband. And it's an absolute honor. And I will never back down. And so my message to them is to stop to stop.' Did you just feel it too? The ground has shifted. Even before today, there's been a courageous cohort of conservative podcasters who have had enough of Candace. At the front of the pack of the Candy Crushers is Tim Pool. If you don't know him that's probably because you don't spend much time in your pajamas in your parent's basement. The 39-year-old burst on the conservative scene in 2011 during the Occupy Wall Street protests, providing a much-needed antidote to the rising cries of progressive tent-squatters. Now, Pool's riding that frothing new media wave crashing down on the mainstream, working out of a West Virginia compound and speaking to millions weekly. But his skyrocketing popularity hasn't insulated him from Crazytown Candace either. Pool has increasingly taken on Candace, specifically for her relentlessly insane conspiracies about Charlie Kirk. Kooky Candace is apparently convinced that Kirk's killing was either the work of French and/or Israeli operatives and/or Kirk's Turning Point team and she's even cast aspersions on Pool himself. Then on December 5, Pool claims, some yet-unidentified person or persons drove near his home and fired a gun. 'A vehicle approached our property and opened fire. No one was hurt,' Pool tweeted on December 6. 'Our security team is reviewing the incident and will be relaying the report to appropriate law enforcement. This is the price we pay for speaking out against evil.' Read the full story here. Cracker Barrel is cutting staff to save $25million as it attempts to dig itself out of a backfired rebrand. During the company's earnings call last Tuesday, CEO Julie Felss Masino said the 660-restaurant chain was laying off members of its corporate staff. 'While this will be understandably difficult for some of our corporate team members, it is necessary to successfully navigate the current headwinds,' she said. The 56-year-old Tennesseebased restaurant chain said the cuts will roll out in two waves, including some recent 'restructures.' It declined to say how many jobs are on the line. Cracker Barrel's job cuts come amid a rocky three-month period for the iconic Southern comfort-food chain, when executives had to pivot away from from planned updates to its logo, menu, and restaurant interiors that cost the company $700million. The company said it lost $25million in the last three months amid the controversy, with retail sales down 8.5 percent from this time last year. Analysts tell the Daily Mail they're not convinced layoffs will help boost the business. 'You can't cost-cut your way out of an identity crisis,' Carol Spieckerman, a retail strategist, told the Daily Mail. Cracker Barrel, the 56-year-old chain serving Southern comfort food from its 660 restaurants, said it is laying off members of its corporate staff to save $20million The company recently went through a rebrand effort. After spending $700million on the new design scheme, the company had to revert back to its previous logo 'The $20million in savings from layoffs won't fix what's fundamentally broken here: a loss of confidence and clarity about what Cracker Barrel stands for.' In mid-August, the restaurant retired its iconic logo of a cross-legged old man sitting on a rocking chair and replaced it with a flat, yellow version featuring only the company name. MAGA critics, including President Donald Trump, labeled the new signage as 'woke.' The company also launched a restaurant modernization campaign that removed the store's cluttered, wood-paneled walls and replaced them with white paint and simpler art. Customers, staffers, and conservative commentators simmered in anger over the first couple of redesigned eateries, saying the suddenly modern aesthetic left behind its core customers: families seeking familiar food and nostalgic country-themed shopping. Cracker Barrel's massive revamps came when the restaurants needed a change, and fast. Before the design reboot, the company was closing stores, largely attracting older customers, and in the CEO's words becoming less 'relevant.' There was truth behind Masino's warning: Cracker Barrel was running into an age problem. Join the debate Has Cracker Barrel lost touch with what its loyal customers really want? Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino said the plans to cut staff were 'understandably difficult' Online, commenters have joked about Cracker Barrel's recent struggles, including using A-lister Sydney Sweeney as a potential savior for the struggling brand. The image above appears to be computer generated At the time, 26 percent of its customers were over the age of 65, while only 12 percent were between 25 and 34 years old. Restaurants need to attract younger families to show they will maintain relevance for future generations. 'Cracker Barrel's performance is very soft,' Neil Saunders, GlobalData's managing director and retail analyst, said. 'And this was not helped by a botched rebrand, which pushed some diners away.' Spieckerman added the company's rollout became a nightmare when the company started backtracking. 'Cracker Barrel's problem wasn't the literal details of the rebrand from kitschy to classy and cluttered to minimalist,' she said. 'The problem was lurching from ditch to ditch with a defensive, reactionary stance.' She compared Cracker Barrel's problems to the recent squabbles at retail giant Target, which clumsily stepped into the political fray in January by cancelling its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and angering liberal customers. Cracker Barrel customers worried updates at the restaurants lost the chain's rustic charm. Gone were the wood lattice walls, the cluttered paraphernalia, brick floors, and dim lighting Instead, the company remodeled restaurants with white walls and subdued art It had also angered conservative customers with its inclusion of youth clothing for trans kids in its Pride collection in 2023. Target also modestly wavered on its policies. 'They were both left scrambling in the worst possible position: begging forgiveness during an economic downturn when holiday spending is competing for every dollar,' Spieckerman said. But there are some signs of hope for the restaurant chain. Google's customer review ratings have consistently ticked up during the controversies and are at a five-year peak, Spieckerman said. The menu is also getting fresh updates, and the brand boasts 10 million loyalty members. But Cracker Barrel will have to avoid distractions to chart a positive path forward, Spieckerman said. 'If they can stay focused on operations and stop chasing shiny objects, there's a path back. But it's a long road.' Cracker Barrel didn't respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. An independent car seller that rose to become one of America's biggest before filing for bankruptcy has been hit with fraud charges following its billion-dollar collapse. Executives at Tricolor Holdings, the subprime used car seller that filed for bankruptcy in September, have been charged by federal prosecutors with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy. On Wednesday, prosecutors unsealed an indictment in Manhattan federal court naming the company's founder and CEO, Daniel Chu, and chief operating officer David Goodgame. Since 2018, Tricolor allegedly defrauded investors and lending institutions using multiple practices, according to prosecutors. A lawyer for Chu did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press. 'Fraud became an integral component of Tricolors business strategy,' Jay Clayton, a US attorney in Manhattan, said on Wednesday. 'The resulting billion-dollar collapse harmed banks, investors, employees, and customers.' Before the Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, the Dallas-based car fixing and credit company provided auto loans to customers in the Southwest who had poor or no credit. Tricolor Holdings, America's seventh largest independent used car retailer, went bankrupt in September. Prosecutors now allege executives committed fraud in the final days Companies that provide risky loans to applicants without credit are called subprime lenders. They've become increasingly popular as America's vehicle loan debt rose to $1.66trillion and the average new car price jumped above $50,000. According to social media posts, Tricolor's customers reported getting older cars with finance rates that were often more than twice the national used auto loan average of 10 percent. 'I got a loan from them for a 2017 Hyundai Elantra,' one shopper said in 2023, saying his APR was 22 percent. 'I returned the car even though I'm going to get bad credit, but I'd prefer to end the stress from the payments.' Last year, Tricolor issued more than $1billion in auto loans, many to borrowers without legal documentation in the US, making its assets high-risk, according to a Kroll Bond Rating Agency report. According to its LinkedIn page, Tricolor 'utilises advanced data analytics and technology to advance financial inclusion to a highly underserved Hispanic market.' Former Tricolor executives Jerome Kollar and Ameryn Seibold pleaded guilty to fraud charges in connection with the alleged scheme on Tuesday and are cooperating with the government. The indictment says the scope of the alleged fraud surfaced in late August, when lenders confronted Chu and other executives about problems with Tricolor's collateral. Tricolor Holdings refurbished and sold cars using a subprime model, targeting largely Spanish-speaking consumers The car dealer's CEO, Daniel Chu, has led the company since 2007 Chu and others allegedly tried to conceal the issues by blaming an administrative error, prosecutors said. After those efforts failed, Chu allegedly withdrew more than $6million from the company, according to the indictment. Tricolor filed for bankruptcy on September 10, owing more than $900million to its largest lenders, the indictment said. JPMorgan, the largest US bank, wrote off $170million in the third quarter related to Tricolor. The bank's chief executive, Jamie Dimon, described the exposure as 'not our finest moment.' Tricolor joined a list of large auto companies that filed for bankruptcy this year, as consumers struggled with massive car loan debt, parts manufacturers slowly rebooted operations, and car tech bets went bust. Not long after Tricolor dissolved, auto-parts supplier First Brands also filed for bankruptcy amid an accounting scandal that has left lenders scrambling for more than $2billion in missing funds. In June, Marelli, a supplier for Nissan and Chrysler, also filed for bankruptcy. PrimaLend Capital Partners, another Texas-based dealer, did the same in October. And just this week, Luminar, a high-tech radar supplier for Volvo's self-driving ambitions, also entered Chapter 11. 'Low-income car buyers are getting hit the hardest right now,' Erin Witte, director of consumer protection at Consumer Federation of America, previously told the Daily Mail. 'In the Tricolor collapse, many borrowers suddenly lost access to their cars, their trade-ins weren't paid off, and messy loan transfers could even lead to wrongful repossessions or damaged credit. 'It shows just how fragile the auto finance market has become.' Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday. Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on DELL. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Dell Technologies from $161.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Zacks Research lowered Dell Technologies from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Dell Technologies from $160.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Piper Sandler reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Dell Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Dell Technologies from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $162.84. Get Dell Technologies alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Dell Technologies Dell Technologies Price Performance Shares of NYSE:DELL opened at $133.75 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $142.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $132.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.93 billion, a PE ratio of 17.83, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.03. Dell Technologies has a 12 month low of $66.25 and a 12 month high of $168.08. Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The technology company reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $27.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $27.26 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.15 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Dell Technologies will post 6.93 earnings per share for the current year. Dell Technologies Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. Dell Technologiess dividend payout ratio is 28.00%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Ellen Jamison Kullman sold 79,806 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.56, for a total value of $12,255,009.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 65,662 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,083,056.72. This represents a 54.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Lake Group L.L.C. Silver sold 6,617 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.63, for a total transaction of $1,003,335.71. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,008,030 shares of company stock valued at $576,159,860. 42.00% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dell Technologies Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lindenwold Advisors INC lifted its stake in Dell Technologies by 1.0% during the third quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 9,185 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,302,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Dell Technologies during the third quarter worth $273,000. Trust Investment Advisors lifted its position in shares of Dell Technologies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Trust Investment Advisors now owns 13,439 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,905,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 15.7% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 9,541 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,353,000 after buying an additional 1,295 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Dell Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $6,034,000. 76.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Dell Technologies Company Profile (Get 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). Read More Receive News & Ratings for Dell Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dell Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. RB Global (NYSE:RBA Get Free Report) and Mastercard (NYSE:MA Get Free Report) are both large-cap business services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability and earnings. Institutional & Insider Ownership 95.4% of RB Global shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 97.3% of Mastercard shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of RB Global shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Mastercard shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Get RB Global alerts: Profitability This table compares RB Global and Mastercards net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets RB Global 9.65% 9.66% 4.31% Mastercard 45.28% 202.03% 29.11% Dividends Valuation and Earnings RB Global pays an annual dividend of $1.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Mastercard pays an annual dividend of $3.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.6%. RB Global pays out 59.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Mastercard pays out 22.3% 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. RB Global has increased its dividend for 20 consecutive years and Mastercard has increased its dividend for 13 consecutive years. RB Global is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. This table compares RB Global and Mastercards top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio RB Global $4.28 billion 4.52 $413.10 million $2.09 49.90 Mastercard $31.47 billion 16.15 $12.87 billion $15.64 36.19 Mastercard has higher revenue and earnings than RB Global. Mastercard is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than RB Global, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Volatility & Risk RB Global has a beta of 0.56, indicating that its share price is 44% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Mastercard has a beta of 0.87, indicating that its share price is 13% less volatile than the S&P 500. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for RB Global and Mastercard, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score RB Global 0 2 6 0 2.75 Mastercard 0 3 22 5 3.07 RB Global currently has a consensus price target of $122.88, suggesting a potential upside of 17.83%. Mastercard has a consensus price target of $654.81, suggesting a potential upside of 15.70%. Given RB Globals higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe RB Global is more favorable than Mastercard. Summary Mastercard beats RB Global on 13 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks. About RB Global (Get Free Report) RB Global, Inc., an omnichannel marketplace, provides insights, services, and transaction solutions for buyers and sellers of commercial assets and vehicles worldwide. Its marketplace brands include Ritchie Bros., an auctioneer of commercial assets and vehicles offering online bidding; IAA, a digital marketplace connecting vehicle buyers and sellers; Rouse Services, which provides asset management, data-driven intelligence, and performance benchmarking system; SmartEquip, a technology platform that supports customers' management of the equipment lifecycle; and Veritread, an online marketplace for heavy haul transport solution. The company's brands include GovPlanet, an online marketplace for the sale of government and military assets; RB Auction, an onsite and online marketplace for selling and buying used equipment; IronPlanet, an online marketplace for selling and buying used equipment; Marketplace-E, an online solution that make offers/buy now format; Rouse Appraisals, a certified appraisal service solution; Ritchie List Mascus, an online equipment listing service and B2B dealer portal; CSAToday, an online reporting and analysis tool that gives sellers the ability to manage their vehicle assets and monitor sales performance; and Catastrophe Response Services. In addition, it offers title, data, transportation and logistics, refurbishing, inspection, and financial services. It serves customers across various asset classes, including automotive, commercial transportation, construction, government surplus, lifting and material handling, energy, mining, and agriculture. RB Global, Inc. was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Westchester, Illinois. About Mastercard (Get Free Report) 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. It also provides solutions that enable businesses or governments to make payments to businesses, including Virtual Card Number, which is generated dynamically from a physical card and leverages the credit limit of the funding account; a platform to optimize supplier payment enablement campaigns for financial institutions; and treasury intelligence platform that offers corporations with recommendations to enhance working capital performance and accelerate spend on cards. In addition, the company offers Mastercard Send, which partners with digital messaging and payment platforms to enable consumers to send money directly within applications to other consumers; and Mastercard Cross-Border Services enables a range of payment flows through a distribution network with a single point of access to send and receive money globally through various channels, including bank accounts, mobile wallets, cards, and cash payouts. Further, it provides cyber and intelligence solutions; insights and analytics, consulting, marketing, loyalty, processing, and payment gateway solutions for e-commerce merchants; and open banking and digital identity services. The company offers payment solutions and services under the MasterCard, Maestro, and Cirrus name. Mastercard Incorporated was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York. Receive News & Ratings for RB Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RB Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (NYSE:GTE Get Free Report) EVP Jim Evans sold 3,240 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.96, for a total value of $12,830.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,576 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $184,440.96. This trade represents a 6.50% 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. Jim Evans also recently made the following trade(s): Get Gran Tierra Energy alerts: On Friday, December 12th, Jim Evans sold 2,900 shares of Gran Tierra Energy stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.96, for a total transaction of $11,484.00. Gran Tierra Energy Price Performance Shares of Gran Tierra Energy stock traded down $0.14 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $3.76. 315,135 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 343,510. The company has a market cap of $132.71 million, a PE ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firms fifty day moving average price is $4.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $4.39. Gran Tierra Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $3.09 and a twelve month high of $8.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 1.19. Institutional Trading of Gran Tierra Energy Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GTE. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Gran Tierra Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $56,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Gran Tierra Energy by 270.3% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 15,962 shares of the companys stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 11,651 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in Gran Tierra Energy in the first quarter worth about $90,000. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Gran Tierra Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $92,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in shares of Gran Tierra Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $97,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.70% of the companys stock. Separately, Roth Capital assumed coverage on shares of Gran Tierra Energy in a research note on Friday. They set a buy rating and a $5.45 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $5.45. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on GTE Gran Tierra Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) Gran Tierra Energy Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas properties in Colombia and Ecuador. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Gran Tierra Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gran Tierra Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Nabors Industries (NYSE:NBR Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Sunday. NBR has been the topic of several other reports. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 price target on Nabors Industries and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $66.00 target price on shares of Nabors Industries and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Barclays restated an underweight rating and issued a $45.00 price target (up from $36.00) on shares of Nabors Industries in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Susquehanna reiterated a neutral rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Nabors Industries in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a neutral rating and issued a $58.00 price objective (up previously from $38.00) on shares of Nabors Industries in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Reduce and a consensus target price of $49.57. Get Nabors Industries alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on NBR Nabors Industries Stock Performance NYSE NBR opened at $50.30 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $48.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.75. The stock has a market cap of $732.34 million, a PE ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.50, a quick ratio of 1.93 and a current ratio of 2.09. Nabors Industries has a fifty-two week low of $23.27 and a fifty-two week high of $69.20. Nabors Industries (NYSE:NBR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The oil and gas company reported ($3.67) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($2.37) by ($1.30). Nabors Industries had a negative return on equity of 30.85% and a net margin of 7.08%.The firm had revenue of $825.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $824.61 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($6.86) EPS. The companys revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Nabors Industries will post -6.22 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nabors Industries A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Nomura Holdings Inc. acquired a new position in Nabors Industries during the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,676,000. MQS Management LLC acquired a new stake in Nabors Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $262,000. Apollo Management Holdings L.P. grew its stake in Nabors Industries by 26.2% in the first quarter. Apollo Management Holdings L.P. now owns 421,836 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $17,595,000 after acquiring an additional 87,552 shares during the period. Monaco Asset Management SAM bought a new stake in shares of Nabors Industries during the second quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nabors Industries during the second quarter worth approximately $203,000. Institutional investors own 81.92% of the companys stock. About Nabors Industries (Get Free Report) Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: U.S. Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running services, including casing and tubing running, and torque monitoring; managed pressure drilling services; and drilling-bit steering systems and rig instrumentation software. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nabors Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nabors Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Riley Exploration Permian (NYSE:REPX Get Free Report) declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, December 16th, RTT News reports. The company plans to repurchase $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 18% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have recently issued reports on REPX shares. Zacks Research raised Riley Exploration Permian from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Roth Capital initiated coverage on shares of Riley Exploration Permian in a research report on Monday, October 13th. They set a buy rating and a $36.00 price objective for the company. Finally, William Blair initiated coverage on shares of Riley Exploration Permian in a report on Friday, November 21st. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Riley Exploration Permian has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $41.50. Get Riley Exploration Permian alerts: Read Our Latest Report on REPX Riley Exploration Permian Price Performance Riley Exploration Permian Increases Dividend Shares of REPX stock traded down $1.22 on Tuesday, hitting $25.34. 240,461 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 113,147. The company has a 50 day moving average of $26.62 and a 200 day moving average of $27.09. The stock has a market cap of $556.69 million, a P/E ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.64. Riley Exploration Permian has a 12 month low of $21.98 and a 12 month high of $37.55. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 21st were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 21st. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.3%. This is an increase from Riley Exploration Permians previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Riley Exploration Permians dividend payout ratio is presently 39.12%. Insider Transactions at Riley Exploration Permian In related news, CEO Bobby Riley sold 12,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.05, for a total value of $313,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 369,431 shares in the company, valued at $9,254,246.55. This trade represents a 3.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Corey Neil Riley sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.87, for a total transaction of $87,045.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 162,065 shares in the company, valued at $4,030,556.55. The trade was a 2.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 4.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Riley Exploration Permian Get Free Report) Riley Exploration Permian, Inc, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Texas and New Mexico. The company's activities are primarily focused on the Northwest Shelf and Yeso trend of the Permian Basin. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Riley Exploration Permian Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Riley Exploration Permian and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vertical Aerospace (NYSE:EVTL Get Free Report) will likely be announcing its results before the market opens on Friday, December 19th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of ($0.23) per share for the quarter. Vertical Aerospace (NYSE:EVTL Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported ($0.32) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.23) by ($0.09). On average, analysts expect Vertical Aerospace to post $-4 EPS for the current fiscal year and $-2 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Vertical Aerospace alerts: Vertical Aerospace Stock Up 1.6% NYSE:EVTL opened at $5.68 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $559.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.12 and a beta of 1.23. Vertical Aerospace has a 52 week low of $2.76 and a 52 week high of $15.99. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $4.91 and a 200 day moving average of $5.36. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d-) rating on shares of Vertical Aerospace in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. D. Boral Capital reiterated a buy rating and issued a $14.00 price target on shares of Vertical Aerospace in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a buy rating and issued a $11.00 price target on shares of Vertical Aerospace in a report on Monday, September 22nd. Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and set a $11.00 price objective (up previously from $9.00) on shares of Vertical Aerospace in a report on Monday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Vertical Aerospace in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $11.80. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Vertical Aerospace Institutional Trading of Vertical Aerospace Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in EVTL. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Vertical Aerospace during the third quarter worth $49,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Vertical Aerospace during the 3rd quarter worth about $53,000. Boothbay Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vertical Aerospace during the 3rd quarter worth about $65,000. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Vertical Aerospace during the 3rd quarter worth about $73,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vertical Aerospace during the 2nd quarter valued at about $91,000. 81.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Vertical Aerospace (Get Free Report) Vertical Aerospace Ltd., an aerospace and technology company, engages in designing, manufacturing, and selling zero operating emission electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for use in the advanced air mobility in the United Kingdom. It offers VX4, an eVTOL aircraft. Vertical Aerospace Ltd. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Vertical Aerospace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vertical Aerospace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK Free Report) Analysts at Zacks Research upped their FY2026 earnings estimates for shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a report issued on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the bank will post earnings per share of $7.90 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $7.89. The consensus estimate for Bank of New York Mellons current full-year earnings is $6.96 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Bank of New York Mellons Q4 2026 earnings at $2.14 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.14 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $8.67 EPS. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on BK. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Bank of New York Mellon from $101.00 to $116.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $120.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $91.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $130.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a report on Monday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Bank of New York Mellon currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $111.29. Bank of New York Mellon Trading Down 2.2% Bank of New York Mellon stock opened at $114.42 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $109.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $103.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Bank of New York Mellon has a 12 month low of $70.46 and a 12 month high of $119.40. The stock has a market cap of $79.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.12. Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 26th. The bank reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon had a net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 14.03%. The business had revenue of $4.38 billion during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Investors of record on Monday, October 27th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, October 27th. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.59%. Institutional Trading of Bank of New York Mellon Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BK. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,539 shares of the banks stock valued at $821,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 0.4% during the third quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 24,752 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,697,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors P.L.L.C. grew its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 1.9% during the third quarter. Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors P.L.L.C. now owns 5,192 shares of the banks stock valued at $566,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 2.6% during the third quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,798 shares of the banks stock valued at $414,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tiemann Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 2.9% in the second quarter. Tiemann Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,492 shares of the banks stock worth $318,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. 85.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Bank of New York Mellon Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ABM Industries Incorporated (NYSE:ABM Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $45.74, but opened at $47.78. ABM Industries shares last traded at $48.3390, with a volume of 200,359 shares. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades ABM has been the subject of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird reiterated a neutral rating and set a $54.00 price objective (down previously from $56.00) on shares of ABM Industries in a report on Monday, September 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered ABM Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of ABM Industries in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group boosted their price target on ABM Industries from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, September 8th. Finally, Baird R W downgraded shares of ABM Industries from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $55.67. Get ABM Industries alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on ABM Industries ABM Industries Price Performance The stock has a 50 day moving average of $43.85 and a 200-day moving average of $46.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 1.49. The company has a market cap of $2.89 billion, a PE ratio of 25.65 and a beta of 0.74. ABM Industries (NYSE:ABM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 17th. The business services provider reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.22). ABM Industries had a net margin of 1.34% and a return on equity of 12.12%. The firm had revenue of $2.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.90 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. ABM Industries has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.850-4.15 EPS. Equities analysts predict that ABM Industries Incorporated will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current year. ABM Industries declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Friday, September 5th that allows the company to repurchase $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the business services provider to buy up to 5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. Institutional Trading of ABM Industries Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ABM. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in ABM Industries by 18.0% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,612 shares of the business services providers stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ABM Industries by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,022 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $508,000 after buying an additional 247 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of ABM Industries by 4.0% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,506 shares of the business services providers stock worth $300,000 after buying an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of ABM Industries by 4.2% during the third quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 6,442 shares of the business services providers stock worth $297,000 after buying an additional 259 shares during the period. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in ABM Industries by 1.4% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 18,422 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $850,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. 91.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. ABM Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) ABM Industries Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of integrated facility, infrastructure, and mobility solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates through Business & Industry, Manufacturing & Distribution, Education, Aviation, and Technical Solutions segments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for ABM Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ABM Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Investment analysts at Mizuho assumed coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage set a neutral rating and a $276.00 price target on the financial services providers stock. Mizuhos price objective would suggest a potential upside of 9.32% from the companys previous close. A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research set a $289.00 target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $315.00 to $275.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $330.00 to $277.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Barclays downgraded shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $328.00 to $250.00 in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $306.81. Get Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Price Performance Shares of NYSE:AJG opened at $252.48 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.06. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a one year low of $236.34 and a one year high of $351.23. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $261.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $290.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.78 and a beta of 0.69. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.51 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $3.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.34 billion. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 13.58% and a return on equity of 11.98%. The firms revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.26 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 11.54 EPS for the current year. Insider Transactions at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. In other news, VP Christopher E. Mead sold 1,250 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 17,327 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,344,571.98. The trade was a 6.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Richard C. Cary sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.00, for a total transaction of $1,566,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 50,668 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,224,348. This trade represents a 10.59% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 21,250 shares of company stock valued at $6,071,365. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 2.3% in the second quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,542 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $494,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,746 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $948,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 0.6% in the second quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,501 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,761,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Tritonpoint Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.1% during the second quarter. Tritonpoint Wealth LLC now owns 3,222 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,032,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 2,892 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $926,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.53% of the companys stock. About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Get 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Hold from the twenty-three research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $84.4737. BBY has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wedbush restated a neutral rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Best Buy in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Best Buy from $67.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Best Buy from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Best Buy in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Best Buy from $73.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Get Best Buy alerts: View Our Latest Report on Best Buy Best Buy Trading Down 0.2% Shares of NYSE BBY opened at $72.75 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $77.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $73.71. Best Buy has a 52 week low of $54.99 and a 52 week high of $91.68. The stock has a market cap of $15.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.09, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 1.05. Best Buy (NYSE:BBY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 25th. The technology retailer reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $9.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.57 billion. Best Buy had a net margin of 1.54% and a return on equity of 50.02%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.26 earnings per share. Best Buy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.250-6.350 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Best Buy will post 6.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Best Buy Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. Best Buys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 125.83%. Insider Activity at Best Buy In other news, Chairman Richard M. Schulze sold 500,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.83, for a total value of $40,415,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 12,486,904 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,009,316,450.32. The trade was a 3.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold a total of 1,534,993 shares of company stock valued at $126,626,855 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.59% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Best Buy during the third quarter valued at about $232,000. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Best Buy by 3,119.2% in the third quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 117,179 shares of the technology retailers stock worth $8,861,000 after purchasing an additional 113,539 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Best Buy by 118.7% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 4,274 shares of the technology retailers stock worth $323,000 after purchasing an additional 2,320 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Best Buy by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,225 shares of the technology retailers stock valued at $168,000 after purchasing an additional 690 shares during the period. Finally, Investment Research Partners LLC bought a new stake in Best Buy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $322,000. Institutional investors own 80.96% of the companys stock. About Best Buy (Get Free Report) Best Buy Co, Inc engages in the retail of technology products in the United States, Canada, and international. Its stores provide computing and mobile phone products, such as desktops, notebooks, and peripherals; mobile phones comprising related mobile network carrier commissions; networking products; tablets covering e-readers; smartwatches; and consumer electronics consisting of digital imaging, health and fitness products, portable audio comprising headphones and portable speakers, and smart home products, as well as home theaters, which includes home theater accessories, soundbars, and televisions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Best Buy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Best Buy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Wood Group PLC (LON:WG Get Free Report) insider Birgitte Brinch Madsen sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 24, for a total value of 2,400. John Wood Group Stock Down 0.1% John Wood Group stock traded down GBX 0.02 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting GBX 24.20. The stock had a trading volume of 3,256,059 shares, compared to its average volume of 530,810. The company has a market capitalization of 200.29 million, a P/E ratio of -0.19, a PEG ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 66.97, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.98. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 21.18. Get John Wood Group alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Peel Hunt restated a buy rating and set a GBX 30 price objective on shares of John Wood Group in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of GBX 30. About John Wood Group (Get Free Report) John Wood Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of consulting, project management, and engineering solutions to energy and built environment worldwide. It operates through Projects, Operations, Consulting, and Investment Services segments. The Projects segment provides engineering design and project management services across energy and materials markets including oil and gas, chemicals, mining, minerals, and life sciences. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for John Wood Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Wood Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of Moderate Buy by the twenty-two research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $56.7143. Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. They set an overweight rating and a $61.00 price target on the stock. Baird R W lowered shares of Citizens Financial Group from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Cowen reiterated a buy rating on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Citigroup lowered Citizens Financial Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Get Citizens Financial Group alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on CFG Citizens Financial Group Stock Performance Shares of NYSE CFG opened at $58.18 on Wednesday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $52.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.84. Citizens Financial Group has a one year low of $32.60 and a one year high of $59.31. The company has a market capitalization of $24.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.74. Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The bank reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.10 billion. Citizens Financial Group had a return on equity of 7.48% and a net margin of 14.17%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.79 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Citizens Financial Group will post 3.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Citizens Financial Group Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 29th were paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 29th. This is a positive change from Citizens Financial Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. Citizens Financial Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.54%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Citizens Financial Group A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CFG. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 891.5% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 585 shares of the banks stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 526 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its holdings in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 177.5% during the 2nd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 641 shares of the banks stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 410 shares during the period. Investors Research Corp grew its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 344.8% in the 2nd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 645 shares of the banks stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Citizens Financial Group by 16,900.0% in the 2nd quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 680 shares of the banks stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 676 shares during the period. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Citizens Financial Group by 72.4% in the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 736 shares of the banks stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 309 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.90% of the companys stock. Citizens Financial Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Citizens Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company that provides retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, corporations, and institutions in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Citizens Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Citizens Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Global Civilization Initiative Research Center opens in Iraq Xinhua) 10:37, December 17, 2025 ERBIL, Iraq, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Global Civilization Initiative Research Center opened on Monday in Iraq's Erbil, attracting more than 300 officials, scholars and representatives from China, Iraq, Turkiye, Jordan and other countries. Safeen Dizayee, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's department of foreign relations, said in his address that humanity is currently facing common challenges such as wars and hegemonism, which require cooperation and dialogue to alleviate conflicts and tensions and achieve peace and stability. He noted that the research center will serve as a platform to communicate between Iraq and China, as well as for promoting world peace and stability. Abu Karwan, secretary-general of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Communist Party of Iraq, said that the China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) is of great significance against the backdrop of the current complex regional situation. The GCI plays an important role in promoting international cooperation and enhancing mutual understanding among people of different countries, opens up new paths for improving human development, and provides useful references for achieving sustainable development, he added. Kawa Mahmoud, head of the Global Civilization Initiative Research Center, said the center will actively promote dialogue among civilizations and academic exchanges. By viewing different civilizations around the world from a broad and inclusive perspective, the GCI, together with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, offers important political solutions for addressing current global challenges, Mahmoud said. Chinese participants at the event said that the GCI advocates respect for the diversity of civilizations, upholds the common values of all humanity, focuses on the heritage and innovation of civilizations, and promotes people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, with the aim of advancing the common progress of humanity. They expressed the hope that the research center will become fertile ground for theoretical research and a cross-cultural platform by promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Middle Eastern civilizations. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Shares of CCL Industries Inc. (OTCMKTS:CCDBF Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $59.8320, but opened at $63.12. CCL Industries shares last traded at $63.12, with a volume of 5 shares. CCL Industries Price Performance The companys 50-day moving average price is $58.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.83. About CCL Industries (Get Free Report) CCL Industries Inc manufactures and sells labels, consumer printable media products, technology-driven label solutions, polymer banknote substrates, and specialty films. It operates through CCL, Avery, Checkpoint, and Innovia segments. The CCL segment converts pressure sensitive and extruded film materials for a range of decorative, instructional, security, and functional applications for government institutions and global customers in consumer packaging, healthcare, chemicals, consumer durables, electronic device, and automotive markets. See Also Receive News & Ratings for CCL Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CCL Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited (OTCMKTS:CHCJY Get Free Report)s share price gapped up before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $16.50, but opened at $17.87. China CITIC Bank shares last traded at $17.87, with a volume of 412 shares changing hands. China CITIC Bank Stock Down 1.8% The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. About China CITIC Bank (Get Free Report) China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited provides various banking products and services in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates in segments, such as Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, and Financial Market business. It accepts deposits; offers corporate and personal loans; and provides securities agency, remittance and settlement, and guarantee services, as well as investment banking and international services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for China CITIC Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China CITIC Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Mengniu Dairy (OTCMKTS:CIADY Get Free Report)s share price gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $18.38, but opened at $19.13. China Mengniu Dairy shares last traded at $19.12, with a volume of 1,850 shares traded. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Zacks Research raised shares of China Mengniu Dairy from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, China Mengniu Dairy currently has a consensus rating of Hold. Get China Mengniu Dairy alerts: Read Our Latest Report on CIADY China Mengniu Dairy Stock Performance About China Mengniu Dairy The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $19.94. (Get Free Report) China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and distribution of dairy products under the MENGNIU brand in the People's Republic of China and internationally. It operates through Liquid Milk Business, Ice Cream Business, Milk Formula Business, and Cheese Business, and Other segments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for China Mengniu Dairy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Mengniu Dairy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Enbridge (TSE:ENB Get Free Report) (NYSE:ENB) had its price objective lowered by investment analysts at CIBC from C$71.00 to C$69.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs price objective points to a potential upside of 6.93% from the companys current price. Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on ENB. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Enbridge from C$72.00 to C$73.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Enbridge from C$65.00 to C$69.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Enbridge from C$67.00 to C$70.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Enbridge from C$65.00 to C$68.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on shares of Enbridge from C$74.00 to C$76.00 in a report on Monday, November 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Enbridge currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$70.92. Get Enbridge alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Enbridge Enbridge Price Performance ENB traded up C$0.30 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching C$64.53. 1,369,827 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,961,818. Enbridge has a 1-year low of C$56.51 and a 1-year high of C$70.39. The stock has a market capitalization of C$140.87 billion, a PE ratio of 25.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 144.86, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The businesss 50-day moving average price is C$66.64 and its 200 day moving average price is C$65.30. Enbridge (TSE:ENB Get Free Report) (NYSE:ENB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported C$0.46 earnings per share for the quarter. Enbridge had a net margin of 13.75% and a return on equity of 10.30%. The business had revenue of C$14.64 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Enbridge will post 3.511912 EPS for the current fiscal year. About Enbridge (Get Free Report) Enbridge owns extensive midstream assets that transport hydrocarbons across the U.S. and Canada. Its pipeline network consists of the Canadian Mainline system, regional oil sands pipelines, and natural gas pipelines. The company also owns and operates a regulated natural gas utility and Canadas largest natural gas distribution company. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Enbridge Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Enbridge and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Coupang (NYSE:CPNG Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by equities research analysts at Nomura from $38.00 to $30.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock. Nomuras price target indicates a potential upside of 30.67% from the stocks previous close. Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on CPNG. Arete Research started coverage on Coupang in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. They issued a buy rating and a $40.00 price target for the company. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Coupang from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating and set a $31.00 target price on shares of Coupang in a research report on Sunday. Zacks Research raised shares of Coupang from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Coupang from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $33.25. Get Coupang alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Coupang Coupang Price Performance Shares of NYSE CPNG opened at $22.96 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $29.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $29.66. Coupang has a 12 month low of $19.02 and a 12 month high of $34.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 109.73 and a beta of 1.18. Coupang (NYSE:CPNG Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $9.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.13 billion. Coupang had a net margin of 1.16% and a return on equity of 6.95%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 17.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.06 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Coupang will post 0.17 EPS for the current year. Insider Transactions at Coupang In other news, VP Pranam Kolari sold 11,653 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.98, for a total transaction of $372,662.94. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 147,023 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,701,795.54. This represents a 7.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 12.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Dodge & Cox increased its holdings in shares of Coupang by 0.7% in the third quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 46,947,720 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,511,717,000 after purchasing an additional 333,200 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its stake in shares of Coupang by 7.6% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 34,153,094 shares of the companys stock worth $1,099,792,000 after acquiring an additional 2,421,089 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Coupang by 343.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,595,825 shares of the companys stock worth $920,786,000 after acquiring an additional 22,147,432 shares during the period. Durable Capital Partners LP boosted its position in shares of Coupang by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 24,833,189 shares of the companys stock valued at $799,629,000 after acquiring an additional 89,207 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Coupang in the second quarter valued at about $587,186,000. 83.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Coupang Company Profile (Get Free Report) Coupang, Inc, together with its subsidiaries owns and operates retail business through its mobile applications and Internet websites primarily in South Korea. The company operates through Product Commerce and Developing Offerings segments. It sells various products and services in the categories of home goods and decor products, apparel, beauty products, fresh food and groceries, sporting goods, electronics, and everyday consumables, as well as travel, and restaurant order and delivery services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Coupang Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coupang and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Orient Overseas International (OTCMKTS:OROVY Get Free Report) and Dorian LPG (NYSE:LPG Get Free Report) are both transportation companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, dividends and profitability. Insider & Institutional Ownership 62.5% of Dorian LPG shares are held by institutional investors. 13.6% of Dorian LPG shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get Orient Overseas International alerts: Earnings and Valuation This table compares Orient Overseas International and Dorian LPGs top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Orient Overseas International $10.70 billion N/A $2.58 billion N/A N/A Dorian LPG $353.34 million 3.01 $90.17 million $2.23 11.12 Orient Overseas International has higher revenue and earnings than Dorian LPG. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Orient Overseas International and Dorian LPG, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Orient Overseas International 0 0 0 0 0.00 Dorian LPG 0 3 1 0 2.25 Dorian LPG has a consensus target price of $35.00, suggesting a potential upside of 41.13%. Given Dorian LPGs stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Dorian LPG is more favorable than Orient Overseas International. Profitability This table compares Orient Overseas International and Dorian LPGs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Orient Overseas International N/A N/A N/A Dorian LPG 26.02% 9.13% 5.40% Risk and Volatility Orient Overseas International has a beta of 1.07, indicating that its share price is 7% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Dorian LPG has a beta of 0.6, indicating that its share price is 40% less volatile than the S&P 500. Summary Dorian LPG beats Orient Overseas International on 8 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Orient Overseas International (Get Free Report) Orient Overseas (International) Limited, an investment holding company, provides container transport and logistics services in Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America. The company offers supply chain management services; and containerised shipping services in various trade lanes comprising Trans-Pacific, Trans-Atlantic, Asia/Europe, Asia/Australia, and Intra-Asia trades. It is also involved in shipping and logistics software application development; container transport, equipment owning and leasing, container depot and warehousing, portfolio investment, trucking, ship owning, terminal operating, cargo consolidation and forwarding, liner and freight agency, property owning, and ship management businesses; operating of vessels; and provision of corporate and trucking services. In addition, the company offers AI and blockchain digital data on network applications, and platform design services. The company was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Orient Overseas (International) Limited is a subsidiary of Faulkner Global Holdings Limited. About Dorian LPG (Get Free Report) Dorian LPG Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the transportation of liquefied petroleum gas through its LPG tankers worldwide. It owns and operates twenty-five very large gas carriers. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Receive News & Ratings for Orient Overseas International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Orient Overseas International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR Free Report) had its target price decreased by Jefferies Financial Group from $206.00 to $184.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a buy rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. A number of other analysts have also weighed in on DLR. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, October 16th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $195.00 price target for the company. Wolfe Research upgraded Digital Realty Trust from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $194.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, October 20th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Digital Realty Trust from $199.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $200.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $141.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $198.00. Get Digital Realty Trust alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on DLR Digital Realty Trust Price Performance Shares of DLR stock traded down $0.98 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $149.30. The companys stock had a trading volume of 326,502 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,961,013. The firms 50-day moving average is $165.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $169.74. The company has a market cap of $51.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.58, a PEG ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 1.11. Digital Realty Trust has a 1-year low of $129.95 and a 1-year high of $187.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 2.02. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter. Digital Realty Trust had a net margin of 23.67% and a return on equity of 6.41%. The business had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts predict that Digital Realty Trust will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current year. Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $1.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Digital Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio is 126.10%. Insider Activity at Digital Realty Trust In related news, Director Mary Hogan Preusse sold 4,166 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.42, for a total transaction of $655,811.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Digital Realty Trust during the second quarter worth about $3,808,270,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 686.0% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,807,512 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $831,123,000 after purchasing an additional 4,195,862 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 63.0% during the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 7,144,737 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,023,769,000 after buying an additional 2,760,286 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 581.0% in the third quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 961,121 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $166,159,000 after acquiring an additional 819,982 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 37.2% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 3,009,673 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $431,256,000 after purchasing an additional 816,334 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.71% of the companys stock. About Digital Realty Trust (Get 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Digital Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at Citigroup from $105.00 to $110.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a neutral rating on the stock. Citigroups price target would indicate a potential upside of 4.41% from the companys current price. Several other analysts have also recently commented on EL. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Estee Lauder Companies from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $76.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Argus raised Estee Lauder Companies from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $105.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Estee Lauder Companies from $99.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $95.14. Get Estee Lauder Companies alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Estee Lauder Companies Estee Lauder Companies Stock Performance Shares of Estee Lauder Companies stock traded up $0.96 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $105.35. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,031,496 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,963,147. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $95.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.09. Estee Lauder Companies has a one year low of $48.37 and a one year high of $109.62. The firm has a market cap of $37.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.32. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $3.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. Estee Lauder Companies had a negative net margin of 6.44% and a positive return on equity of 14.92%. The businesss revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.14 EPS. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.900-2.100 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Estee Lauder Companies will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Transactions at Estee Lauder Companies In related news, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.84, for a total transaction of $476,971.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total value of $364,748.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 34,812 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,196,785.96. The trade was a 10.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 13.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $189,663,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 3,181.4% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,312,535 shares of the companys stock valued at $203,781,000 after buying an additional 2,242,062 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 3,986.4% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,082,217 shares of the companys stock valued at $183,485,000 after buying an additional 2,031,262 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Estee Lauder Companies by 46.4% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,112,501 shares of the companys stock worth $538,634,000 after buying an additional 1,937,107 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group increased its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 593.3% during the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,211,624 shares of the companys stock worth $178,699,000 after acquiring an additional 1,892,629 shares during the period. 55.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Estee Lauder Companies Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Estee Lauder Companies Inc manufactures, markets, and sells skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. It offers skin care products, including moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, body care, exfoliators, acne care and oil correctors, facial masks, and sun care products; and makeup products, such as lipsticks, lip glosses, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, and powders, as well as compacts, brushes, and other makeup tools. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Estee Lauder Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Estee Lauder Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Iowa State Bank boosted its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM Free Report) by 18.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 65,109 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after purchasing an additional 10,350 shares during the quarter. Exxon Mobil makes up approximately 1.4% of Iowa State Banks holdings, making the stock its 20th largest position. Iowa State Banks holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $7,341,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in XOM. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 431,058,875 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $46,468,147,000 after acquiring an additional 1,111,231 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Exxon Mobil by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 96,307,931 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $10,345,132,000 after purchasing an additional 342,967 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Exxon Mobil in the 2nd quarter worth about $6,163,719,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 2.8% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 46,598,313 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $5,023,298,000 after purchasing an additional 1,274,860 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 3.5% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 33,500,304 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $3,611,553,000 after buying an additional 1,126,912 shares during the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Exxon Mobil In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 3,000 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.75, for a total value of $356,250.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 31,584 shares in the company, valued at $3,750,600. The trade was a 8.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently issued reports on XOM. Wall Street Zen raised Exxon Mobil from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, September 13th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of Exxon Mobil from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $114.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, December 8th. Melius Research began coverage on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a hold rating and a $111.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Exxon Mobil has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $129.45. View Our Latest Research Report on Exxon Mobil Exxon Mobil Price Performance Shares of Exxon Mobil stock opened at $114.77 on Wednesday. Exxon Mobil Corporation has a 52 week low of $97.80 and a 52 week high of $120.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The stock has a market cap of $484.00 billion, a PE ratio of 16.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.42 and a beta of 0.38. The companys 50-day moving average price is $115.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.48. Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 17th. The oil and gas company reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 11.22%. The company had revenue of $57.55 billion during the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 EPS for the current fiscal year. Exxon Mobil Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This is a boost from Exxon Mobils previous quarterly dividend of $0.99. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Exxon Mobils payout ratio is currently 59.88%. Exxon Mobil Company Profile (Free Report) Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding XOM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Exxon Mobil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Exxon Mobil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. FedEx (NYSE:FDX Get Free Report) had its price target raised by investment analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $276.00 to $322.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the shipping service providers stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts target price would suggest a potential upside of 13.89% from the stocks previous close. A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on FDX. Truist Financial set a $285.00 price target on FedEx in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Wolfe Research increased their price objective on shares of FedEx from $298.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. UBS Group lifted their target price on FedEx from $293.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, September 19th. HSBC raised their target price on shares of FedEx from $230.00 to $235.00 in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets upped their price target on FedEx from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, September 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, FedEx has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $285.67. Get FedEx alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on FedEx FedEx Price Performance Shares of NYSE:FDX opened at $282.74 on Wednesday. FedEx has a 12 month low of $194.29 and a 12 month high of $295.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.32. The companys fifty day moving average price is $259.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $240.12. FedEx (NYSE:FDX Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 18th. The shipping service provider reported $3.83 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.71 by $0.12. FedEx had a net margin of 4.65% and a return on equity of 16.33%. The company had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.60 earnings per share. FedExs quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. FedEx has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.200-19.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that FedEx will post 19.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of FedEx Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FDX. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of FedEx in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of FedEx by 121.8% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 122 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in FedEx in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in FedEx in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its stake in FedEx by 103.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 124 shares of the shipping service providers stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. 84.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. FedEx Company Profile (Get Free Report) FedEx Corporation provides transportation, e-commerce, and business services in the United States and internationally. It operates through FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Services segments. The FedEx Express segment offers express transportation, small-package ground delivery, and freight transportation services; and time-critical transportation services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for FedEx Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FedEx and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Franklin Income Focus ETF (NYSEARCA:INCM Free Report) by 84.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,879 shares of the companys stock after selling 33,147 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc.s holdings in Franklin Income Focus ETF were worth $163,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Comerica Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Franklin Income Focus ETF during the 1st quarter worth approximately $53,000. Capital Analysts LLC acquired a new position in Franklin Income Focus ETF during the first quarter worth $120,000. Jacobi Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Franklin Income Focus ETF during the first quarter worth $202,000. PFG Advisors acquired a new stake in Franklin Income Focus ETF in the second quarter valued at $217,000. Finally, WCG Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Franklin Income Focus ETF in the second quarter valued at $270,000. Get Franklin Income Focus ETF alerts: Franklin Income Focus ETF Stock Down 0.3% Franklin Income Focus ETF stock opened at $28.05 on Wednesday. Franklin Income Focus ETF has a 52 week low of $24.62 and a 52 week high of $28.27. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $27.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $27.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $948.09 million, a PE ratio of -47,785.35 and a beta of 0.49. Franklin Income Focus ETF Profile The Franklin Income Focus ETF (INCM) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in target outcome asset allocation. The fund actively manages a diversified portfolio of equities and debt securities. The fund seeks to maximize income over a full market cycle by utilizing income generation strategies and investing opportunistically across various assets classes, markets, and sectors. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding INCM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Franklin Income Focus ETF (NYSEARCA:INCM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Franklin Income Focus ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Franklin Income Focus ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (NYSE:HLX Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the five analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $10.50. A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research raised shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Cowen reissued a buy rating on shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on Helix Energy Solutions Group from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Get Helix Energy Solutions Group alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on Helix Energy Solutions Group Insider Activity Hedge Funds Weigh In On Helix Energy Solutions Group In related news, COO Scott Andrew Sparks sold 40,000 shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.88, for a total transaction of $275,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 301,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,071,168.96. This trade represents a 11.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Insiders own 6.37% of the companys stock. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group by 1.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,257,726 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $118,482,000 after purchasing an additional 208,288 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,399,153 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $35,418,000 after buying an additional 230,668 shares during the last quarter. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 24.3% in the 1st quarter. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,099,383 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $42,376,000 after acquiring an additional 996,088 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 109.8% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,804,147 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $31,515,000 after acquiring an additional 2,514,402 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group by 893.7% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 4,025,701 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $26,409,000 after acquiring an additional 3,620,563 shares during the period. 91.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Helix Energy Solutions Group Stock Performance Shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group stock opened at $6.59 on Wednesday. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $6.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.52. The company has a current ratio of 2.54, a quick ratio of 2.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $968.52 million, a PE ratio of 23.52 and a beta of 1.26. Helix Energy Solutions Group has a 12 month low of $5.52 and a 12 month high of $9.75. Helix Energy Solutions Group (NYSE:HLX Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.15. The company had revenue of $376.96 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $361.93 million. Helix Energy Solutions Group had a return on equity of 2.75% and a net margin of 3.25%.The firms revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Helix Energy Solutions Group will post 0.26 EPS for the current year. Helix Energy Solutions Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, an offshore energy services company, provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, the East Coast of the United States, North Sea, the Asia Pacific, and West Africa regions. The company operates through four segments: Well Intervention, Robotics, Production Facilities, and Shallow Water Abandonment segments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Helix Energy Solutions Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Helix Energy Solutions Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (OTCMKTS:IMPUY Get Free Report) shares gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $13.4250, but opened at $14.41. Impala Platinum shares last traded at $14.55, with a volume of 98,734 shares. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Impala Platinum to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold. Get Impala Platinum alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on IMPUY Impala Platinum Stock Up 7.9% Impala Platinum Company Profile The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 2.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $11.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.57. (Get Free Report) Impala Platinum Holdings Limited engages in the mining, processing, concentrating, refining, and sale of platinum group metals (PGMs) and associated base metals. The company produces platinum, palladium, rhodium, nickel, and by-products, as well as ruthenium, iridium, and gold. It has operations on the PGM-bearing orebodies, including the Bushveld Complex located in South Africa; and the Great Dyke situated in Zimbabwe, as well as the Canadian Shield. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Impala Platinum Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Impala Platinum and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ITM Power Plc (LON:ITM Get Free Report) insider Dennis Schulz purchased 466 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 64 per share, for a total transaction of 298.24. Dennis Schulz also recently made the following trade(s): Get ITM Power alerts: On Friday, November 14th, Dennis Schulz purchased 203 shares of ITM Power stock. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 74 per share, for a total transaction of 150.22. On Wednesday, October 15th, Dennis Schulz acquired 177 shares of ITM Power stock. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 85 per share, with a total value of 150.45. ITM Power Stock Down 0.7% Shares of ITM traded down GBX 0.47 on Wednesday, reaching GBX 62.83. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,119,363 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,085,212. The firm has a fifty day moving average of GBX 75.80 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 73.47. The company has a current ratio of 4.17, a quick ratio of 7.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.73. ITM Power Plc has a twelve month low of GBX 25.08 and a twelve month high of GBX 98.45. The stock has a market capitalization of 387.13 million, a PE ratio of -8.49 and a beta of 2.03. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have commented on ITM. Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 100 price objective on shares of ITM Power in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on ITM Power from GBX 60 to GBX 115 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, ITM Power presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of GBX 107.50. View Our Latest Report on ITM About ITM Power (Get Free Report) ITM Power was founded in 2000, and ITM Power PLC was admitted to the London Stock Exchanges AIM market in 2004. Headquartered in Sheffield, England, ITM Power designs and manufactures electrolysers based on proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology to produce green hydrogen, the only net zero energy gas, using renewable electricity and water. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for ITM Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ITM Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Horizon (NYSE:FHN Get Free Report) had its price target hoisted by equities research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $23.00 to $24.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a market perform rating on the financial services providers stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods target price indicates a potential upside of 0.39% from the companys previous close. Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of First Horizon from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of First Horizon from $24.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of First Horizon from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Evercore ISI restated an in-line rating and set a $20.00 target price (down from $26.00) on shares of First Horizon in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on First Horizon in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a buy rating and a $28.00 price target for the company. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $25.18. Get First Horizon alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on First Horizon First Horizon Stock Up 1.0% Shares of NYSE:FHN traded up $0.24 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $23.91. 1,998,352 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,003,643. The company has a market capitalization of $11.77 billion, a PE ratio of 14.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.62. First Horizon has a 52-week low of $15.19 and a 52-week high of $24.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.96. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $21.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.79. First Horizon (NYSE:FHN Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.06. First Horizon had a return on equity of 10.93% and a net margin of 18.08%.The firm had revenue of $893.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $848.08 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.42 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that First Horizon will post 1.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. First Horizon declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Monday, October 27th that allows the company to buyback $1.20 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 11.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Insider Buying and Selling at First Horizon In other news, EVP David T. Popwell sold 155,149 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.31, for a total value of $3,306,225.19. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 307,432 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,551,375.92. This trade represents a 33.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jeff L. Fleming sold 7,619 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.74, for a total transaction of $165,637.06. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 128,626 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,796,329.24. The trade was a 5.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.04% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Horizon A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in First Horizon during the second quarter valued at about $131,399,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in shares of First Horizon by 53.5% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 12,594,944 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $244,594,000 after purchasing an additional 4,392,405 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Horizon during the second quarter valued at approximately $79,776,000. Azora Capital LP raised its stake in shares of First Horizon by 1,020.5% in the second quarter. Azora Capital LP now owns 2,610,244 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $55,337,000 after purchasing an additional 2,377,300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new position in First Horizon in the third quarter worth $49,180,000. 80.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About First Horizon (Get Free Report) First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through Regional Banking and Specialty Banking segments. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for First Horizon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Horizon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Progressive (NYSE:PGR Get Free Report) was upgraded by Mizuho to a hold rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports. PGR has been the subject of several other reports. Raymond James Financial lowered their price target on Progressive from $305.00 to $265.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 17th. Zacks Research lowered Progressive from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Progressive from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their target price for the company from $261.00 to $232.00 in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Progressive from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Progressive from $276.00 to $245.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Progressive currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $264.92. Get Progressive alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on PGR Progressive Trading Down 3.3% Shares of Progressive stock traded down $7.69 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $224.12. 737,410 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,240,464. Progressive has a 52-week low of $199.90 and a 52-week high of $292.99. The company has a fifty day moving average of $223.74 and a 200-day moving average of $241.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $131.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.36. Progressive (NYSE:PGR Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 15th. The insurance provider reported $4.45 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $5.04 by ($0.59). Progressive had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 33.88%. The company had revenue of $21.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.58 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Progressive will post 14.68 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CFO John P. Sauerland sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.48, for a total value of $1,142,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 223,024 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,956,523.52. This trade represents a 2.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Patrick K. Callahan sold 6,420 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $242.22, for a total transaction of $1,555,052.40. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 15,192 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,679,806.24. This trade represents a 29.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 17,673 shares of company stock valued at $4,163,005 over the last quarter. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Progressive Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. New York Life Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Progressive by 1.4% in the second quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 87,760 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $23,420,000 after buying an additional 1,192 shares during the last quarter. Baron Silver Stevens Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Progressive during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $306,000. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP lifted its position in Progressive by 199.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP now owns 9,411 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $2,511,000 after acquiring an additional 6,263 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in shares of Progressive in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $13,583,000. Finally, Whalen Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Progressive in the second quarter worth $647,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.34% of the companys stock. About Progressive (Get Free Report) The Progressive Corporation, an insurance holding company, provides personal and commercial auto, personal residential and commercial property, business related general liability, and other specialty property-casualty insurance products and related services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Property. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Progressive Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Progressive and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MHK Get Free Report) insider Suzanne Helen sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.70, for a total transaction of $221,400.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 74,093 shares in the company, valued at $8,202,095.10. This trade represents a 2.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Mohawk Industries Stock Down 0.9% Shares of MHK traded down $1.04 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $109.26. The company had a trading volume of 1,087,769 shares, compared to its average volume of 810,828. The stock has a market cap of $6.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.26, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.23. The companys 50 day moving average price is $114.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $117.51. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 2.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Mohawk Industries, Inc. has a 52 week low of $96.24 and a 52 week high of $143.13. Get Mohawk Industries alerts: Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $2.67 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.68 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $2.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.73 billion. Mohawk Industries had a return on equity of 6.97% and a net margin of 3.93%.The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.90 earnings per share. Mohawk Industries has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.900-2.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Mohawk Industries, Inc. will post 9.8 EPS for the current year. Analysts Set New Price Targets MHK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Mohawk Industries from $134.00 to $128.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Mohawk Industries from $124.00 to $118.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Raymond James Financial reissued a strong-buy rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $140.00) on shares of Mohawk Industries in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Mohawk Industries from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, Barclays set a $121.00 price objective on shares of Mohawk Industries in a research note on Monday, December 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $135.79. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on MHK Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mohawk Industries Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Mohawk Industries by 73.9% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,578,335 shares of the companys stock worth $200,922,000 after acquiring an additional 670,601 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. grew its position in Mohawk Industries by 436.4% in the 1st quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 756,030 shares of the companys stock worth $86,324,000 after purchasing an additional 615,095 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Mohawk Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $48,276,000. Steadfast Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 96.3% in the third quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 937,301 shares of the companys stock valued at $120,837,000 after purchasing an additional 459,700 shares during the period. Finally, ARGA Investment Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Mohawk Industries by 1,508.1% during the third quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 488,741 shares of the companys stock valued at $63,008,000 after buying an additional 458,349 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.98% of the companys stock. Mohawk Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) Mohawk Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, sources, distributes, and markets flooring products for residential and commercial remodeling, and new construction channels in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Global Ceramic, Flooring North America, and Flooring Rest of the World. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Mohawk Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mohawk Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by analysts at BMO Capital Markets from C$172.00 to C$177.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,BayStreet.CA reports. BMO Capital Markets price objective suggests a potential upside of 2.66% from the companys current price. NA has been the topic of a number of other reports. Desjardins increased their target price on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$167.00 to C$175.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on National Bank of Canada from C$153.00 to C$152.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. CIBC lifted their target price on National Bank of Canada from C$174.00 to C$179.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. TD Securities upped their target price on National Bank of Canada from C$161.00 to C$181.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on National Bank of Canada from C$149.00 to C$163.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$165.42. Get National Bank of Canada alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on NA National Bank of Canada Stock Performance Shares of TSE:NA traded down C$1.66 on Wednesday, hitting C$172.42. 564,429 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,809,200. National Bank of Canada has a 1-year low of C$106.67 and a 1-year high of C$175.99. The company has a market capitalization of C$67.62 billion, a PE ratio of 17.12, a P/E/G ratio of 7.14 and a beta of 1.13. The firms 50-day moving average is C$160.97 and its 200 day moving average is C$149.99. 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 for the quarter. The firm 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, analysts anticipate that National Bank of Canada will post 10.8360791 EPS for the current fiscal year. About National Bank of Canada (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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for National Bank of Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Bank of Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nilsine Partners LLC trimmed its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,733 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,420 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company comprises about 0.7% of Nilsine Partners LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Nilsine Partners LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $7,426,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 263.6% during the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 40 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Berenberg Bank raised their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $830.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. CICC Research increased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $801.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. HSBC reaffirmed a hold rating and set a $1,070.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Monday. Finally, Wolfe Research increased their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $1,141.73. Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 0.7% LLY opened at $1,054.69 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $997.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.60, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.55. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $948.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $824.99. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $623.78 and a twelve month high of $1,111.99. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $7.02 earnings per share (EPS) 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 net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 109.52%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 53.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.18 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 23.000-23.700 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current fiscal year. Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Companys previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new stake in McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 2,890 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,233,000. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Solstein Capital LLC boosted its stake in McKesson by 171.4% in the 2nd quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 38 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of McKesson during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. GFG Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McKesson in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Saudi Central Bank bought a new position in shares of McKesson in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in McKesson during the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 85.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get McKesson alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms recently weighed in on MCK. Zacks Research lowered shares of McKesson from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of McKesson from $830.00 to $864.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 24th. Evercore ISI reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of McKesson in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating on shares of McKesson in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (a-) rating on shares of McKesson in a report on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $892.86. McKesson Stock Performance NYSE MCK opened at $809.51 on Wednesday. McKesson Corporation has a 52-week low of $558.13 and a 52-week high of $895.58. The company has a fifty day moving average of $823.03 and a 200-day moving average of $749.98. The company has a market capitalization of $99.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.38. McKesson (NYSE:MCK Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $9.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $8.84 by $1.02. McKesson had a negative return on equity of 248.14% and a net margin of 1.04%.The business had revenue of $103.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $103.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.07 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that McKesson Corporation will post 32.77 EPS for the current fiscal year. McKesson Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st will be given a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 1st. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. McKessons payout ratio is presently 10.21%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other McKesson news, CAO Napoleon B. Rutledge, Jr. sold 329 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $861.63, for a total value of $283,476.27. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 328 shares of the companys stock, valued at $282,614.64. This represents a 50.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.08% of the stock is owned by insiders. McKesson Profile (Free Report) McKesson Corporation provides healthcare services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Pharmaceutical, Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS), Medical-Surgical Solutions, and International. The U.S. Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty, biosimilar and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, and other healthcare-related products. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MCK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for McKesson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McKesson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oak Thistle LLC increased its stake in Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U Free Report) by 69.7% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 49,739 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 20,428 shares during the quarter. Oak Thistle LLCs holdings in Unity Software were worth $1,992,000 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 U. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Unity Software in the 2nd quarter worth $205,000. Forum Financial Management LP purchased a new position in Unity Software in the second quarter worth $256,000. Austin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Unity Software in the second quarter worth $208,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Unity Software by 148.2% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 22,181 shares of the companys stock valued at $537,000 after acquiring an additional 13,245 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Unity Software during the second quarter valued at about $721,000. 73.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Unity Software alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director David Helgason sold 8,347 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.16, for a total transaction of $410,338.52. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,635 shares in the company, valued at $375,336.60. The trade was a 52.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Tomer Bar-Zeev sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total value of $2,350,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 873,146 shares in the company, valued at $41,037,862. This trade represents a 5.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,901,471 shares of company stock worth $85,264,529. 3.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d-) rating on shares of Unity Software in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Unity Software from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $42.00 to $51.00 in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Unity Software from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. HSBC cut shares of Unity Software from a buy rating to a hold rating and increased their price target for the company from $37.50 to $40.80 in a research report on Tuesday, September 30th. Finally, Macquarie raised shares of Unity Software from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and upped their price objective for the company from $33.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unity Software presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $43.04. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Unity Software Unity Software Price Performance Shares of Unity Software stock opened at $44.64 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 2.78 and a quick ratio of 2.78. Unity Software Inc. has a one year low of $15.33 and a one year high of $52.15. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $40.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -42.52 and a beta of 2.04. Unity Software (NYSE:U Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.03. Unity Software had a negative return on equity of 9.45% and a negative net margin of 24.15%.The firm had revenue of $470.62 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $452.87 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.31) earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Unity Software Inc. will post -1.25 EPS for the current year. About Unity Software (Free Report) Unity Software Inc operates a real-time 3D development platform. Its platform provides software solutions to create, run, and monetize interactive, real-time 2D and 3D content for mobile phones, tablets, PCs, consoles, and augmented and virtual reality devices. The company offers its solutions directly through its online store and field sales operations in North America, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, and South Korea, as well as indirectly through independent distributors and resellers worldwide. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding U? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Unity Software Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Unity Software and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of OPENLANE, Inc. (NYSE:KAR Get Free Report) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the seven research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $30.20. A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on KAR. Stephens increased their price target on shares of OPENLANE from $32.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of OPENLANE from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of OPENLANE from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of OPENLANE in a report on Monday. Get OPENLANE alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on OPENLANE Insider Buying and Selling at OPENLANE Institutional Trading of OPENLANE In other news, EVP Charles S. Coleman sold 88,062 shares of OPENLANE stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.00, for a total transaction of $2,289,612.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 53,474 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,390,324. The trade was a 62.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . 2.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of OPENLANE by 46.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,475 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares in the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. grew its holdings in OPENLANE by 77.6% during the 2nd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 1,575 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 688 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new position in OPENLANE during the third quarter worth $48,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in OPENLANE during the third quarter worth $82,000. Finally, USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in shares of OPENLANE in the third quarter worth $83,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.76% of the companys stock. OPENLANE Price Performance KAR opened at $30.04 on Wednesday. OPENLANE has a 12 month low of $17.08 and a 12 month high of $30.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.25. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.33. OPENLANE (NYSE:KAR Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $464.40 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.26 earnings per share. OPENLANEs revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. OPENLANE has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.220-1.26 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that OPENLANE will post 0.95 EPS for the current year. About OPENLANE (Get 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for OPENLANE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OPENLANE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW Free Report) by 28.7% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 111,809 shares of the electronics makers stock after buying an additional 24,904 shares during the period. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLCs holdings in Corning were worth $5,880,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Corning by 191.5% in the second quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 516 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Corning during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Corning during the 2nd quarter worth about $38,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in Corning in the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV boosted its stake in shares of Corning by 66.7% in the 1st quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 750 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.80% of the companys stock. Get Corning alerts: Insider Transactions at Corning In other Corning news, SVP Stefan Becker sold 12,100 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.28, for a total value of $1,104,488.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 5,049 shares in the company, valued at approximately $460,872.72. The trade was a 70.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Lewis A. Steverson sold 23,142 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.05, for a total transaction of $2,060,795.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,565,053.75. This trade represents a 56.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 156,135 shares of company stock valued at $14,088,769 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.32% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Corning in a research note on Monday. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Corning from $65.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group restated a buy rating and issued a $109.00 price objective (up from $100.00) on shares of Corning in a report on Friday, November 21st. Mizuho set a $97.00 target price on shares of Corning in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Corning from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Corning presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $91.64. Read Our Latest Stock Report on GLW Corning Stock Down 1.9% Shares of NYSE:GLW opened at $86.43 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $85.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $71.03. Corning Incorporated has a twelve month low of $37.31 and a twelve month high of $96.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a market capitalization of $74.10 billion, a PE ratio of 54.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.11. Corning (NYSE:GLW Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The electronics maker reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.01. Corning had a net margin of 9.16% and a return on equity of 18.12%. The firm had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.24 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.54 EPS. Cornings revenue for the quarter was up 20.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Corning has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.680-0.72 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Corning Incorporated will post 2.33 EPS for the current fiscal year. Corning Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a $0.28 dividend. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. Cornings payout ratio is presently 70.89%. Corning Profile (Free Report) Corning Incorporated engages in the display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses in the United States and internationally. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for flat panel displays, including liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes that are used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GLW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Corning Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corning and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.800-3.000 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 3.090. The company issued revenue guidance of $59.5 billion-$62.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $61.9 billion. Pfizer Stock Down 3.3% Shares of Pfizer stock opened at $25.56 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $24.81. The stock has a market cap of $145.34 billion, a PE ratio of 14.86 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Pfizer has a 12 month low of $20.92 and a 12 month high of $27.69. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $16.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $16.94 billion. Pfizer had a return on equity of 20.17% and a net margin of 15.65%.Pfizer has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.150 EPS. Research analysts predict that Pfizer will post 2.95 EPS for the current year. Pfizer Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.43 per share. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 23rd. Pfizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 100.00%. Several research analysts have weighed in on PFE shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a market perform rating and set a $30.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a report on Friday, October 31st. Bank of America cut their price objective on Pfizer from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Pfizer from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. They issued a neutral rating and a $26.00 price objective on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Pfizer currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $28.28. View Our Latest Report on Pfizer Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pfizer Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PFE. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Pfizer by 0.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 299,087,408 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $7,620,747,000 after acquiring an additional 2,786,098 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of Pfizer by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 64,019,807 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,631,225,000 after purchasing an additional 869,175 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 41,490,929 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,096,380,000 after buying an additional 4,043,413 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Pfizer by 3.7% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 30,335,842 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $772,957,000 after buying an additional 1,085,701 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Unisphere Establishment increased its holdings in Pfizer by 13.8% during the third quarter. Unisphere Establishment now owns 14,400,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $366,912,000 after buying an additional 1,750,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.36% of the companys stock. Pfizer Company Profile (Get Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Robinhood Markets, Coinbase Global, JPMorgan Chase & Co., AlphaVest Acquisition, Bank of America, SoFi Technologies, and Visa are the seven Financial stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Financial stocks are shares of companies in the financial sectorsuch as banks, insurance firms, brokerages, asset managers, exchanges and other finance-related businesseswhose principal activities include lending, underwriting, trading, investment management and fee-based services. Investors view them through the lens of interest-rate movements, credit cycles, regulatory changes and capital requirements, since those factors strongly influence their profitability, dividend potential and risk profile. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Financial stocks within the last several days. Get alerts: Robinhood Markets (HOOD) Robinhood Markets, Inc. operates financial services platform in the United States. Its platform allows users to invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), American depository receipts, options, gold, and cryptocurrencies. The company offers fractional trading, recurring investments, fully-paid securities lending, access to investing on margin, cash sweep, instant withdrawals, retirement program, around-the-clock trading, and initial public offerings participation services. Coinbase Global (COIN) Coinbase Global, Inc. provides financial infrastructure and technology for the crypto economy in the United States and internationally. The company offers the primary financial account in the crypto economy for consumers; and a marketplace with a pool of liquidity for transacting in crypto assets for institutions. Read Our Latest Research Report on COIN JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of financial and investment banking services. It focuses on investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. It operates through the following segments: Consumer and Community Banking (CCB), Commercial and Investment Bank (CIB), Asset and Wealth Management (AWM), and Corporate. Read Our Latest Research Report on JPM AlphaVest Acquisition (ATMV) Read Our Latest Research Report on ATMV Bank of America (BAC) Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. It operates in four segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, and Global Markets. Read Our Latest Research Report on BAC SoFi Technologies (SOFI) SoFi Technologies, Inc. provides various financial services in the United States, Latin America, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Lending, Technology Platform, and Financial Services. The company offers lending and financial services and products that allows its members to borrow, save, spend, invest, and protect money. Read Our Latest Research Report on SOFI Visa (V) 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. Read Our Latest Research Report on V See Also Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. (CVE:PGE Get Free Report) shares were down 16.7% on Monday . The stock traded as low as C$0.41 and last traded at C$0.43. Approximately 983,239 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 132% from the average daily volume of 423,987 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.51. Stillwater Critical Minerals Price Performance The firm has a market cap of C$121.61 million, a PE ratio of -11.13 and a beta of 1.63. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$0.41 and its 200-day moving average is C$0.32. About Stillwater Critical Minerals (Get Free Report) Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada and the United States. The company explores for gold, palladium, nickel, cobalt, and copper deposits, as well as platinum group metals. Its flagship project is the Stillwater West project, which comprises 763 claims covering an area of approximately 61 square kilometers located in Stillwater District, Montana. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Stillwater Critical Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stillwater Critical Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Tenaris (NYSE:TS Free Report) to a hold rating in a research note released on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports. A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Tenaris from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Cowen reissued a buy rating on shares of Tenaris in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Tenaris in a report on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Tenaris from $37.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Tenaris in a report on Friday, October 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $42.32. Get Tenaris alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on Tenaris Tenaris Stock Performance NYSE TS traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $39.57. 211,937 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,543,526. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.01 billion, a PE ratio of 10.64 and a beta of 0.95. Tenaris has a 1-year low of $30.06 and a 1-year high of $41.76. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $38.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.15. Tenaris (NYSE:TS Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.10. Tenaris had a return on equity of 11.72% and a net margin of 16.91%.The company had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.81 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Tenaris will post 3.14 EPS for the current year. Tenaris Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.58 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 291.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 25th. Tenariss payout ratio is currently 31.18%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in TS. Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its holdings in Tenaris by 169.5% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 717 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 451 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Tenaris during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Tenaris by 48.8% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,088 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Tenaris in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Tenaris during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. 10.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Tenaris Company Profile (Get Free Report) Tenaris SA, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells seamless and welded steel tubular products and related services for the oil and gas industry, and other industrial applications. The company offers steel casings, tubing products, mechanical and structural pipes, line pipes, cold-drawn pipes, and premium joints and couplings; and coiled tubing products for oil and gas drilling and workovers, and subsea pipelines. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Tenaris Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tenaris and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Mizuho to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on The Hartford Insurance Group from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $144.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (a-) rating on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $142.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $144.60. Get The Hartford Insurance Group alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on The Hartford Insurance Group The Hartford Insurance Group Price Performance The Hartford Insurance Group stock opened at $137.82 on Monday. The Hartford Insurance Group has a 1 year low of $104.93 and a 1 year high of $139.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $130.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $128.95. The company has a market cap of $38.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.26, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.63. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 27th. The insurance provider reported $3.78 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.76. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.17 billion. The Hartford Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.07% and a net margin of 12.75%.The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.53 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Activity In other news, EVP Lori A. Rodden sold 7,841 shares of The Hartford Insurance Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.41, for a total transaction of $959,816.81. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,400 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,252,344. The trade was a 29.88% 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 1.60% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of The Hartford Insurance Group Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in The Hartford Insurance Group by 707.7% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 210 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Insurance Group in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in The Hartford Insurance Group by 151.1% in the second quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 221 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Insurance Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the companys stock. About The Hartford Insurance Group (Get Free Report) The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, accident, health, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for The Hartford Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Hartford Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Thomson Reuters Co. (NYSE:TRI Get Free Report) (TSE:TRI) have earned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the fourteen analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $195.2727. Several research analysts have commented on the company. Scotiabank restated an outperform rating and set a $189.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of Thomson Reuters in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Thomson Reuters from $178.00 to $160.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $186.00 price target on shares of Thomson Reuters and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $174.00 price objective on Thomson Reuters and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an outperform rating on shares of Thomson Reuters in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Get Thomson Reuters alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters Stock Up 1.1% NYSE:TRI traded up $1.40 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $133.75. 78,883 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 985,478. The company has a market cap of $59.50 billion, a PE ratio of 27.36, a P/E/G ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $143.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $170.27. Thomson Reuters has a one year low of $128.16 and a one year high of $218.42. Thomson Reuters (NYSE:TRI Get Free Report) (TSE:TRI) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The business services provider reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.78 billion. Thomson Reuters had a net margin of 30.45% and a return on equity of 14.62%. Thomson Reuterss revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.80 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Thomson Reuters will post 3.89 EPS for the current year. Thomson Reuters Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $0.595 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 18th. This represents a $2.38 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Thomson Reuterss dividend payout ratio is 61.18%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Thomson Reuters A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TRI. TLT Family Holdco ULC purchased a new stake in shares of Thomson Reuters during the 2nd quarter worth $865,442,000. LCC Family Corp. acquired a new position in shares of Thomson Reuters in the second quarter valued at approximately $813,253,000. SEG Family Corp. acquired a new position in Thomson Reuters in the second quarter valued at $659,930,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Thomson Reuters by 461.1% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,253,243 shares of the business services providers stock worth $349,996,000 after buying an additional 1,851,677 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Thomson Reuters during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $275,036,000. 17.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Thomson Reuters Company Profile (Get Free Report) Thomson Reuters Corporation engages in the provision of business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Thomson Reuters Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thomson Reuters and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Threadgill Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 17,209 shares of the semiconductor companys stock, valued at approximately $4,806,000. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing makes up 2.3% of Threadgill Financial LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. 1248 Management LLC acquired a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the second quarter worth $33,000. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 174.1% during the second quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 159 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. 16.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets TSM has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Monday. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $300.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $360.00 target price on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $330.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $355.00. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Price Performance NYSE TSM opened at $286.95 on Wednesday. The firms 50 day moving average is $293.21 and its 200-day moving average is $258.48. The company has a quick ratio of 2.47, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $1.49 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.31. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. has a 12-month low of $134.25 and a 12-month high of $313.98. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The semiconductor company reported $2.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.33. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a net margin of 43.72% and a return on equity of 34.34%. The business had revenue of $32.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $951.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.94 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 40.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. will post 9.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.9678 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This is a boost from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio is currently 25.85%. 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. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans reduced its stake in shares of Dynatrace, Inc. (NYSE:DT Free Report) by 23.7% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 265,609 shares of the companys stock after selling 82,596 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans holdings in Dynatrace were worth $14,665,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in DT. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Dynatrace by 3.6% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 31,403,014 shares of the companys stock worth $1,733,760,000 after acquiring an additional 1,084,307 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in Dynatrace by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 7,845,619 shares of the companys stock worth $433,157,000 after purchasing an additional 44,288 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Dynatrace by 79.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 6,987,838 shares of the companys stock worth $329,477,000 after purchasing an additional 3,092,576 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Dynatrace by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,757,417 shares of the companys stock valued at $316,948,000 after purchasing an additional 134,478 shares during the period. Finally, Eminence Capital LP lifted its holdings in shares of Dynatrace by 25.6% in the first quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 3,351,603 shares of the companys stock valued at $158,028,000 after purchasing an additional 683,443 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.28% of the companys stock. Get Dynatrace alerts: Dynatrace Trading Down 0.4% Shares of DT opened at $44.20 on Wednesday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $46.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $49.87. Dynatrace, Inc. has a 1-year low of $39.30 and a 1-year high of $63.00. The company has a market cap of $13.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.47, a PEG ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 0.87. Insider Buying and Selling Dynatrace ( NYSE:DT Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $493.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.33 million. Dynatrace had a net margin of 27.33% and a return on equity of 9.24%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 18.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.37 EPS. Dynatrace has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.400-0.420 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 1.620-1.640 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Dynatrace, Inc. will post 0.68 earnings per share for the current year. In other Dynatrace news, CEO Rick M. Mcconnell sold 30,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.61, for a total transaction of $1,398,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 108,125 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,039,706.25. The trade was a 21.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dan Zugelder sold 7,505 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.27, for a total value of $339,751.35. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,925 shares in the company, valued at $404,034.75. This represents a 45.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 47,346 shares of company stock worth $2,221,574. Company insiders own 0.57% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer began coverage on Dynatrace in a report on Wednesday, August 27th. They set an outperform rating and a $65.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Dynatrace in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. They issued an overweight rating and a $65.00 price objective on the stock. Cowen reissued a buy rating on shares of Dynatrace in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $67.00 target price on shares of Dynatrace in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, UBS Group set a $51.00 price target on shares of Dynatrace in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $61.59. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Dynatrace Dynatrace Company Profile (Free Report) Dynatrace, Inc provides a security platform for multicloud environments in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates Dynatrace, a security platform, which provides application and microservices monitoring, runtime application security, infrastructure monitoring, log management and analytics, digital experience monitoring, digital business analytics, and cloud automation. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Dynatrace, Inc. (NYSE:DT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Dynatrace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dynatrace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA (OTCMKTS:USNZY Get Free Report)s stock price dropped 6.1% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $1.07 and last traded at $1.07. Approximately 48,065 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 23% from the average daily volume of 62,182 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.14. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Zacks Research raised shares of Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais has a consensus rating of Hold. Get Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais Stock Down 3.9% The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 4.21 and a quick ratio of 2.64. The stock has a market cap of $599.86 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.23 and a beta of 1.34. Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais (OTCMKTS:USNZY Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 24th. The basic materials company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais had a positive return on equity of 1.22% and a negative net margin of 12.91%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA will post 0.09 EPS for the current year. About Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais (Get Free Report) Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA manufactures and markets flat steel products in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Mining and Logistics, Steel Metallurgy, and Steel Transformation. It extracts and process iron ore, such as pellet and sinter feed and, granulated iron ore; provides storage, handling, and road cargo transportation services; and operates highway and railway cargo terminals. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. White Cliff Minerals Limited (ASX:WCN Get Free Report) insider John Hancock acquired 3,000,000 shares of White Cliff Minerals stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of A$0.02 per share, with a total value of A$54,000.00. John Hancock also recently made the following trade(s): Get White Cliff Minerals alerts: On Tuesday, October 28th, John Hancock acquired 3,545,283 shares of White Cliff Minerals stock. The shares were bought at an average price of A$0.02 per share, with a total value of A$67,360.38. White Cliff Minerals Stock Performance The firm has a market cap of $36.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.11 and a beta of -0.04. About White Cliff Minerals White Cliff Minerals Limited engages in the exploration of mineral properties in Australia. It explores for lithium, rare earth elements (REE), gold, copper, nickel, and cobalt deposits. The company holds 100% interests in the Hines Hill REE project consists of two adjoining tenements covering an area of 576 square kilometers, located in the wheatbelt region, near east of Perth along the Great Eastern Highway; the Diemals Li/REE project consists of 6 tenements covering an area of 2,427 square kilometers, located near east of Paynes Find; the Preston River Lithium project located near the north of the Greenbushes; and the Reedy South Gold project covers an area of 272 square kilometers, located within the Meekatharra-Wydgee greenstone belt. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for White Cliff Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for White Cliff Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT Get Free Report) have received an average rating of Reduce from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company. WIT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. CLSA cut shares of Wipro from an outperform rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Wipro in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Get Wipro alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on WIT Wipro Stock Up 1.6% Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wipro Shares of Wipro stock traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $2.85. 180,922 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,623,411. Wipro has a 1 year low of $2.55 and a 1 year high of $3.79. The company has a market capitalization of $29.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 17.07 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a fifty day moving average of $2.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $2.79. Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WIT. Vest Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Wipro in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Interchange Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Wipro during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Curi Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Wipro in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wipro in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Hamilton Capital LLC bought a new position in Wipro during the first quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.36% of the companys stock. About Wipro (Get Free Report) Wipro Limited operates as an information technology (IT), consulting, and business process services company worldwide. It operates through IT Services and IT Products segments. The IT Services segment offers IT and IT-enabled services, including digital strategy advisory, customer-centric design, technology and IT consulting, custom application design, development, re-engineering and maintenance, systems integration, package implementation, cloud and infrastructure, business process, cloud, mobility and analytics, research and development, and hardware and software design services to enterprises. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Wipro Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wipro and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Equity Bancshares (NYSE:EQBK Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports. A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on EQBK. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Equity Bancshares in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Equity Bancshares from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, October 18th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised shares of Equity Bancshares to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. Get Equity Bancshares alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on EQBK Equity Bancshares Trading Up 0.6% EQBK stock opened at $47.28 on Monday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $42.42. Equity Bancshares has a 1-year low of $34.11 and a 1-year high of $47.91. The firm has a market cap of $902.10 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.40 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. Equity Bancshares (NYSE:EQBK Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 26th. The company reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter. Equity Bancshares had a net margin of 5.01% and a return on equity of 11.67%. The business had revenue of $44.06 million during the quarter. 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Equity Bancshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equity Bancshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Leftists, far-left socialists, Marxists call them whatever you want, they have no use in any nation, and actively work with the enemies of nations to destroy countries from within. Naturally, anyone who is not a far-leftist communist is labelled as a far-right Nazi fascist by leftists who despise their own countries and people. These fascists and far-right are wrongly labelled citizens who in reality are only people trying to defend their own country from attack, or preserve some modicum of their families from destruction. Britain is a prime example of a nation that has been effectively disarmed and completely demoralised by leftists. America under Biden and Obama was on the way to complete destruction, but thanks to Trump there is some small movement to address the decades of attacks on America from within. The Labour government views their own public as the enemy, and treat them as such. In a war, who will want to fight for a government that hates its own citizens? If nothing is done soon, the bloodlines and history of Europe will disappear. Thousands of years of development and societal strength will ultimately be destroyed as the pure bloodlines of Europeans are forever muddied and desecrated. The great age of the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the entire historical record of Europe will be nothing more than a mud pit of steaming, festering faeces. All of this has been enabled and accelerated by the leftists who have weaselled their way into power in many countries and infiltrated all forms of government, education and business. Their actions have left Britain defenceless, disarmed, weak and borderless. The open borders swarming deluge has occurred over decades into the continent not as a positive factor, but as a weapon, and it is working. The biblical level deluge has destroyed entire communities, inundated public services and destroyed national unity in many European countries. European women now cannot walk their own streets without the fear of being assaulted, raped, or murdered by the roaming hoards of invaders who have taken over the cities, towns and villages This is now a crossroads for Western civilisation either it lives or it dies! As the Russian sabre-rattling continues on Europe and the UK, what hope does Europe have, a continent that has effectively been disarmed, invaded, divided and demoralised by the leftists? Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The Government has said it will consider how a Supreme Court ruling over a Troubles death is relevant to calls for it to reveal the identity of the agent Stakeknife. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said the ruling on Wednesday had wide-ranging implications. The final Operation Kenova report last week urged the Government to name Stakeknife, who operated as an Army spy within the IRA during the Troubles. Mr Benn said at the time he would respond after the Supreme Court ruled in a Government appeal over a coroners decision to disclose some sensitive material in the inquest into a 1994 murder in Belfast. The court has now ruled that the coroner should not release the information around the murder of Liam Paul Thompson in Belfast in 1994, and said the responsibility lies with the Northern Ireland Secretary over assessing risks to national security. Mr Benn said: The Government welcomes the unanimous judgment handed down by the Supreme Court. This is a highly complex case with wide-ranging implications. The Government will therefore take time to fully consider all aspects of this judgment, including those relevant to the request made by Operation Kenova for the Government to name Stakeknife. I will return to the House on this as soon as the Government has come to a final view. Last weeks Kenova report looked at the actions of Stakeknife, the Armys top spy in the Provisional IRAs internal security unit during the Troubles. The agent has been linked to at least 14 murders and 15 abductions. He was widely believed to be west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who was 77 when he died in 2023. The Kenova report also called for the UK Government to publicly reveal the identity of Stakeknife. The Government has resisted previous calls to do this, arguing that departing from its policy of Neither Confirm Nor Deny (NCND) in regard to officially confirming the identity of agents would have implications for national security. In his judgment in the Thompson case, Lord Stephens said one of the issues for the coroner to consider had been the fact that the Ministry of Defence and PSNI held documents which were relevant to the issue of whether the security forces had received information from a covert human intelligence source in connection with the death. He said the Government considered that disclosing those documents would be contrary to the public interest in protecting national security, in particular because it would be contrary to the policy of neither confirming nor denying the use of informers or other secret source. Kneecaps Moglai Bap was among dozens of runners who were greeted by Irish president Catherine Connolly in Dublin. A 10km run to the Presidents official residence, Aras an Uachtarain in the Phoenix Park, was organised by Kneecap in aid of charity. The run began at Dalymount Park, home to Bohemians FC, and was held in aid of the Gaza Food and Play project. More than 200 runners held Palestine flags, wore Bohs jerseys, and shouted Free Palestine as they ran through the rain. At one point, the runners ran towards a gap in the hedge surrounding the Presidents residence and cheered at Ms Connolly, who encouraged them on their journey. Speaking in Irish, Ms Connolly told Naoise O Caireallain, aka Moglai Bap, to keep going, to which Mr O Caireallain thanked her and said welcome to the Aras. One runner said to Ms Connolly good on you and another said fair play as they paused to take selfies with her across a gap marking the divide between the public park and the presidential grounds. After the run, the group gathered at Bang Bang cafe, where Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined them briefly, before heading to the Aras to meet Ms Connolly. Kneecap are performing their second of two sold-out gigs at the 3Arena in Dublin on Wednesday. Ethio Telecom plans to extend its telehealth services to an additional 200 hospitals, following the expansion of its 4G network to 93 more cities. Yohannes Getahun, Ethio telecoms director of enterprise solutions, said the operator is working to build a fully digital Ethiopia across all sectors, with a particular focus on healthcare. The initiative forms part of Ethiopias wider digital transformation programme, under which the government aims to improve the quality and reach of healthcare services, especially in rural areas. According to Tech Africa News, the 4G upgrades will cover locations including West Ridge Nkemt, Bako, Shambu, Nejo, Dembi Dolo and Gimbi. In Part 2 of Developing Telecoms Global Forecast 2026, we share insight from vendors, including ZTE and Ericsson MFS, as well as the network & enterprise divisions of major operator groups, including Airtel Business and Liberty Networks. Sharat Sinha, CEO, Airtel Business 2025 was more than just another year of digital progress and marked a decisive leap as technology continued to accelerate the creation of a borderless digital ecosystem, where breakthrough innovations fostered transformative cross-border collaborations, driving new models of growth for enterprises worldwide. Today, seamless and secure connectivity has become the foundation enabling organizations to scale, compete, and lead on the global stage, powered by robust physical infrastructure such as fibre and subsea cables, as well as resilient cloud and edge technologies. Generative AI, real-time applications and cloud-native business models are turning connectivity into a strategic asset that shapes where data, capital and innovation flow and has to just always work. For enterprises, this shift is fundamental. The question is no longer just Is my network fast enough? but Is my digital infrastructure resilient, secure and future-ready? Fragmented networks and siloed cloud deployments are therefore giving way to integrated digital infrastructure, where high-capacity connectivity, high-performing cloud, cybersecurity and data centres are architected as one stack rather than being separate line items, taking cost and complexity out of the system. Enterprises entering emerging markets like India, on the other hand, will need to plan one more step ahead and collaborate with local partners to leverage the countrys extensive fibre networks and state-of-the-art data centres. This ensures data centralization, security, and scalability for businesses, allowing them to operate efficiently and meet the growing demands of the markets they enter. Given this shift, the main challenge that the service providers across operators, vendors and partners alike need to address will be to execute large-scale digital transformation in emerging markets while keeping connectivity reliable, secure, affordable and fiercely efficient. At the same time, they must also efficiently manage the subsea cables that are the vital backbone of global traffic today, mitigating cyber threats and congestion and addressing physical damage through diversified routes, hybrid architectures and stronger security controls. Winning in fastgrowing markets like India or South-East Asia and others, therefore will belong to those who build resilient networks, invest deeply in digital and AI talent, and stay ahead of fastmoving regulation and cyber risks. Looking ahead, as AI, edge, and IoT converge with surging cloud adoption, intelligent and adaptive networks will become indispensable. Key trends like AI-powered networks and technology solutions along with zero-trust security will continue to redefine how global businesses future-proof their operations for agility, security, and scale. In this journey, submarine cables with their next-generation fibre and network architecture will continue to serve as the backbone of global connectivity, carrying nearly all intercontinental data traffic. Advancing global fibre and cable investments to facilitate secure, high-performance connectivity, will therefore remain a core pillar enabling businesses worldwide to achieve agility, reach, and differentiated customer experiences in an era of fast-paced digital transformation. Upcoming subsea cable projects will unlock greater internet capacity and speed, benefiting not only local enterprises but also enhancing international data flows across continents. The move toward diversified cable routes and advanced fibre investments is therefore vital for supporting high-performance data exchanges and future-proofing infrastructure against geopolitical and environmental risks. Ultimately, reliable and secure connectivity, along with a complete suite of future-ready technology solutions will continue enabling businesses with agility, resilience, and scale to innovate rapidly and deliver differentiated experiences to customers and lead their markets. As enterprises worldwide look to 2026 and beyond, they will need partners who can offer simple, integrated solutions that harness intelligent, secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure to power their always-on collaboration and innovation. An integrated digital foundation will be the much-needed backbone for a new era of borderless collaboration, enabling enterprises to innovate with confidence in a world where connectivity has become the foundation of competitiveness and trust. Pavan Bachwal, Head of Mobile Financial Services, Ericsson In many emerging markets from Africa to South Asia and the Middle East, the mobile phone already sits at the centre of everyday economic life. People use it to pay, receive income, run small businesses, and support family members across borders. By 2026, telecom operators will move into a much more central role in financial services. Telecom operators become full digital financial platforms Over the next few years, telecom operators will move well beyond simple mobile wallets and evolve into full digital financial platforms. Payments will remain the entry point, but savings, credit, merchant services, and government payments will increasingly live in the same mobile experience. CSPs (Communication Service Providers) across several African markets already shows the early shape of this future, with services that extend far beyond basic transfers. In South Asia, a similar path is noticeable, where providers expanded from simple payments into a broader set of everyday financial tools for consumers and small businesses. As these platforms take on a more bank-like role, they will be expected to deliver real-time performance, near-constant availability, and bank-grade security. Transaction volumes will rise sharply, and tolerance for delays or outages will continue to fall. Cross-border payments become a native mobile experience By 2026, cross-border payments will increasingly become a native part of the mobile experience. Telecom networks with a regional footprint will act as rails for international remittances and small-value trade between neighbouring markets. In Africa, operators with presence in multiple countries are enabling wallet-to-wallet transfers across borders, supporting small traders and regional commerce. In the Middle East, multiple CSP-led financial services support both domestic payments and international transfers for large expatriate communities. Growth in this area will depend on platforms that can handle compliance, currency conversion, and settlement instantly and at scale. When money moves across borders on a phone, trust becomes critical. AI and digital identity redefine trust and access Looking ahead to 2026, digital identity will sit at the heart of the next wave of inclusion. AI will play a growing role in identity verification, fraud detection, and ongoing KYC across mobile financial platforms. For people who lack formal documentation, AI will help combine network data with transaction behaviour to build trusted digital identities over time. This will make it easier to open accounts remotely, access credit safely, and use regulated services without heavy paperwork, while placing greater responsibility on operators to protect privacy and govern data carefully. Looking toward 2026 By 2026, digital finance in emerging markets will be defined not only by access to payments, but by the depth of services, the ease of cross-border activity, and the strength of digital identity. Telecom operators will sit at the centre of this ecosystem. If this evolution is built on fast, secure, and scalable platforms, the coming years could mark a real shift from basic digital access to true economic participation. Ray Collins, SVP, Infrastructure and Corporate Strategy, Liberty Latin America We see a set of converging technology shifts in the telecoms market of emerging markets across the Caribbean and Latin America in 2026, with the core themes continuing to be Cloud and AI, Latency, Data Center integration, Capacity expansion, and SLTE (submarine line terminal equipment) evolution. Cybersecurity will be critical to successful delivery. We see these themes structurally favoring regional carriers that already own deep subsea assets, dense terrestrial fiber, and a mesh of points of presence close to major economic and digital hubs. Latency is being improved on multiple fronts. Modernized subsea systems and new regional routes shorten physical paths between the US, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, bringing round-trip times into ranges suitable for real-time collaboration, trading, interactive content, and low-latency SaaS. When these cables are integrated into a mesh, operators can select or engineer the lowestlatency path per application while still preserving diverse backup options. Cloud and Data Center connectivity sit on top of this low-latency fabric. As more Points-of-Presence (POPs) are placed inside or near key carrier-neutral data centers and cloud zones, network operators can offer direct, high-capacity onramps into hyperscale clouds and regional data platforms. This proximity turns the network into a strategic enabler for financial institutions, content platforms, and enterprises needing predictable performance across borders. SLTE advances multiply these benefits. New terminal platforms support flexible spectrum, 100G/400G interfaces, and roadmaps toward higher bit rates, dramatically increasing capacity on existing wet plant while enabling finer control over how that capacity is allocated per customer or route. Paired with modern optical gear on land, this reduces cost per bit and allows granular service tiers. Finally, POP density and cybersecurity reinforce the value proposition. An expanded grid of POPs allows operators to deliver IP transit, Ethernet, MPLS, and cloud connectivity closer to end customers, while embedding DDoS mitigation and other security functions at the edge. Jason Tu,Chief Strategy and Ecosystem Expert, ZTE In 2026, 5G will be rolled out in emerging markets on a large scale: Indonesia, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in the Asia-Pacific region will complete spectrum auctions, 5G construction in northern Africa and southern Africa will enter the 5G-A pilot program, and Latin America is balancing 4G modernization with the orderly deployment of 5G. Additionally, there will be a major surge in the fibre optic transition; currently, the penetration rate in Central/South Asia is less than 20%, and the "copper to fibre" transition will continue in 2026. Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand are upgrading to 10G PON+Wi-Fi 7; and fibre optics are accelerating their replacement of copper coaxial cables in Latin America. Computing power and AI are being deployed at the edge, while modular data centres, integrated training and push machines are moving towards the edge. Operators are building their own GPU clouds to form a second growth curve. The increasing prevalence of data centres will see a push towards energy integration, with technologies such as photovoltaics, liquid cooling, microgrids and site/DC integration helping to achieve "Token-managed watts". The rise of AI will fuel the concept of network self-intelligence. Based on LLMs and AI, this creates an intelligent brain, providing digital and intelligent operation and maintenance capabilities, accelerating the overall network towards higher-level network self-intelligence, and helping operators achieve cost reduction, intelligence enhancement, and efficiency improvement. In terms of the challenges facing operators, unstable power supply and remote locations will drive up operating costs; additionally, 5G SA has a long payback period. With mobile penetration exceeding 100%, CAPEX needs to shift towards "precise investment and construction + OPEX savings". Inconsistent policies and regulations, data sovereignty, and AI governance standards will all require further clarification, while the shift from "selling connectivity" to "selling computing power + platform + services" requires a rapid transition in talent and business models. ~ That concludes Developing Telecoms Global Forecast for 2026, but next week (24th December) well be offering an expert appraisal of the year just gone from our in-house analyst Julian Bright, followed by his thoughts on the year to come on 31st December. Make sure to check in with Developing Telecoms for top-tier telecoms insight, strictly focused on emerging markets through 2026 and beyond. GIBO Holdings, which describes itself as an Asia-based AI-generated animation platform, has announced a strategic initiative to develop Malaysia's first phase of a high-performance AI data centre, beginning with a 30MW deployment featuring a 14,000-GPU supercomputing cluster. Purpose-built for industrial-scale AI development and deployment, the facility will support large language model (LLM) training, small and mid-sized model development, and large-scale inference workloads for both commercial and public-sector use cases. This development, says GIBO, represents a major step forward in strengthening Malaysia's digital infrastructure capabilities and accelerating its emergence as a major AI compute hub within the Asia-Pacific region. The planned 14,000-GPU cluster will be designed to deliver high-density computing optimised for deep learning, multimodal AI systems, simulation workloads, and next-generation AI applications. Once operational, GIBO says, the facility is expected to become one of the most advanced compute environments in Malaysia. Its also part of GIBO's long-term roadmap to scale its AI infrastructure strategy from the initial 30MW to a 100MW multi-zone AI compute campus, and subsequently to a 200MW regional flagship facility. The broader vision includes establishing a multi-location interconnected network of AI-focused data centres spanning key regions across Malaysia. The network is intended to serve as a unified compute backbone connecting Malaysia to Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Greater China, creating what GIBO describes as an ASEAN-to-North Asia AI compute highway. The data centre announced in recent days will incorporate next-generation liquid or immersion cooling methodologies designed to maximise energy efficiency and operational resilience in tropical conditions. The infrastructure will support full-spectrum model training, including trillion-parameter architectures, while reducing compute costs for enterprises and accelerating adoption of AI systems across commercial and industrial sectors. Dedicated digital pipelines will be integrated for sector-specific applications, enabling the rapid development and deployment of specialised AI systems tailored to real-world use cases. GIBO says it expects that the project will attract global AI companies, ecosystem partners, and next-generation technology ventures to the country. This is the second time in recent weeks that the companys ambitious aims for Asia have made headlines. In early December GIBO announced the signing of a core partnership agreement with Ricloud AI, a global AI cloud infrastructure provider and one of 79 official Nvidia Cloud Partners worldwide This alliance, says the company, positions GIBO to enter the high-growth data centre and AI cloud markets, unlocking vast opportunities in Southeast Asia through strategic partnership and exclusive regional priority rights with Ricloud. The Data Centre Dynamics website says GIBO, which launched in 2023, offers an AIGC (AI-generated content) animation streaming platform for viewers and creators. The company has said its data centres will help support the growing demand for compute power, and aims to help bring intelligent systems to various industries, in both the commercial and public sectors. GIBO also has a digital payment platform. Airtel Africa announced on Tuesday it has signed a deal with SpaceX to launch Starlinks Direct to Cell (D2C) LEO satellite service across all of its 14 markets across the continent sometime next year. In a statement, Airtel Africa said the service will initially support SMS and select text-messaging apps. The group also noted that launches in each market will be subject to local regulatory approval. Under an earlier agreement with SpaceX in May, Airtel Africa currently offers Starlinks internet services in nine of its 14 markets where Starlink has regulatory clearance to operate: Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Niger, Chad, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo. That deal also covers Airtels other five African markets (Tanzania, Uganda, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and the Seychelles) where Starlink has applied for licences. Airtel Africa MD and CEO Sunil Taldar said in a statement that the D2C offering will establish a new standard for service availability across all its markets. Starlinks Direct-to-Cell technology complements the terrestrial infrastructure and even reaches areas where deploying terrestrial network solutions are challenging, he said. The deal also marks another win for Starlink, who has launched its D2C service in a handful of markets this year, including the US, New Zealand and as of last month Ukraine via a deal with Veon-owned telco Kyivstar. Earlier this week, Veons Beeline Kazakhstan confirmed it has completed its D2C field test ahead of a planned commercial service launch in the country next year. Elon Musks X has filed a lawsuit against a US-based startup after it attempted to trademark the name Twitter, claiming the brand was abandoned when the social media platform rebranded. The legal move aims to protect Xs continued ownership of the Twitter name, logo, and related trademarks. X has also updated its Terms of Service to show that it owns both the brands. Survey Thank you for completing the survey! The dispute began when Operation Bluebird, a startup based in Virginia, filed a petition to the US Patent and Trademark Office on December 2 to claim the Twitter trademark. The company argued that X gave up the brand after changing the platforms name from Twitter to X in 2023. To support its case, Operation Bluebird pointed to a July 23, 2023, post from Musk in which he said the platform would soon bid adieu to the twitter brand. Also read: OpenAI launches faster ChatGPT Images with GPT Image 1.5 to rival Gemini Nano Banana: How to use it Well, X has now pushed back strongly. In its countersuit, the company says it still owns the Twitter and Tweet trademarks, as well as the iconic blue bird logo. According to TechCrunch, X has even updated its Terms of Service to clearly state that it still owns both brands. The revised terms, which take effect on January 15, 2026, now include a direct reference to Twitter. The terms state: Nothing in the Terms gives you a right to use the X name or Twitter name or any of the X or Twitter trademarks, logos, domain names, other distinctive brand features, and other proprietary rights, and you may not do so without our express written consent. Earlier versions only mentioned X and did not reference Twitter at all. Also read: Google Pixel 9a price drops by over 8,800 discount on Amazon: Check deal details here X also made other smaller updates to its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, including references to European Union regulations, AI-generated content, and age verification technology. The Motorola Edge 70 arrives at a moment when smartphone brands seem fixated on a single idea: making phones thinner. Lighter builds, slimmer profiles and designs that feel impressive the instant you hold them have become the new talking points. Motorolas approach, however, feels slightly more considered. Rather than chasing headline-grabbing specifications, the Edge 70 places a clear emphasis on how a phone feels in everyday use. Priced at Rs 29,999, the Edge 70 is being marketed as a device that prioritises comfort, balance and a premium in-hand experience before anything else. Motorola then attempts to reinforce that promise with a sharp display, dependable cameras and its familiar, clean software experience. That also means the Edge 70 is not trying to be the most powerful option in its segment. Instead, Motorola is betting on refinement over raw performance. The bigger question, though, is whether this focus on thinness and usability actually holds up once the novelty wears off and the phone becomes part of daily life. Heres my full review of the Motorola Edge 70. Motorola Edge 70: Design If there is one reason the Motorola Edge 70 immediately makes sense, it is the design. The moment you pick it up, the reaction is hard to miss. I showed it to a few people in the office, and the response was identical: this phone feels exceptionally thin. Weighing just 159 grams, the Edge 70 is lighter than most phones in this price segment, and the slim profile makes it almost effortless to use. It is the kind of device you quickly forget is in your pocket, which is perhaps the highest compliment you can give to a modern smartphone. Motorola has gone with an aluminium frame finished in brushed metal, which instantly adds a premium touch. The back panel uses vegan leather, and it does more than just look good. It improves grip, resists fingerprints, and gives the phone a soft yet secure feel in the hand. The unit I tested is finished in Pantone Gadget Grey. It looks clean and understated, with subtle blue accents around the camera rings that add just enough visual interest. Motorola also offers Pantone Lily Pad and Pantone Bronze Green for those who prefer something a little more expressive. The Edge 70s camera module is squarish, which may not be to everyones taste, but it feels deliberate and well executed. Button placement is sensible too. The power and volume keys sit on the right, while a dedicated Moto AI key is placed on the left, and all the buttons feel reassuringly tactile. Despite its slim body, Motorola has not cut corners on durability. You get Gorilla Glass 7i protection on the front, along with IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, along with a MIL-STD-810H certification. For a phone this thin, that combination is genuinely impressive. The Motorola Edge 70 comes with dual stereo speakers that get loud enough, although the sound quality itself is fairly average. The in-display optical fingerprint scanner is fast and reliable, even if its placement feels a touch on the lower side of the screen. Motorola Edge 70: Display The display is another clear strength of the Motorola Edge 70. The company has equipped the phone with a 6.7-inch 1.5K panel paired with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it stands out as one of the most compelling aspects of the device. Motorola claims a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. In real-world testing, the display reached around 2,580 nits, which is more than sufficient for outdoor visibility. Even under harsh sunlight, the screen remained easy to read, with no practical issues during daily use. HDR10+ support is present, although Netflix HDR playback is currently disabled within the app. This appears to be a software-side limitation and could be addressed through a future update. The panel covers 100% of the colour gamut, making it well-suited for media consumption. It is sharp and vibrant without looking oversaturated, and overall, it is a display that consistently looks excellent, whether you are watching videos, browsing, or reading text. Motorola Edge 70: Camera Motorola has taken a fairly straightforward approach to the cameras on the Edge 70. You get a dual rear camera setup, headlined by a 50 MP primary sensor and a 50 MP ultra-wide camera. Both sensors are Pantone certified and are supported by a 3-in-1 ambient light sensor, which helps the phone make more accurate decisions around exposure and colour. In good lighting, the main camera delivers genuinely pleasing results. Images look natural, with well-preserved textures and colours that stay close to what your eyes see. Motorola has clearly avoided aggressive processing here. Dynamic range is handled well too, keeping highlights under control while still retaining detail in darker areas of the frame. Portrait mode is another area where the Edge 70 performs reliably. Skin tones look accurate, facial details are clean, and the background blur feels natural rather than artificially cut out. Edge detection is consistent, which is not something you can always take for granted in this price segment. Low-light performance is solid rather than spectacular, but it is dependable. Even without Night Mode enabled, photos retain a fair amount of detail and usable exposure. Turning on Night Mode does bring visible improvements, with brighter images and better noise control, without pushing colours too far. The 50MP ultra-wide camera holds up well in daylight, capturing sharp and detailed shots with minimal distortion around the edges. It fits nicely with the main camera in terms of colour tuning, which helps maintain a consistent look across lenses. On the video side, the Edge 70 supports recording up to 4K at 60fps. Colours in video footage look accurate and well-balanced, but stabilisation is not its strongest suit. While standing still, the results are fine, but the footage can appear rather shaky when you are walking or moving. Around the front, Motorola has opted for a 50 MP selfie camera. It captures natural-looking skin tones and sensible detail, and thankfully avoids the heavy skin smoothening that still plagues many phones in this category. Motorola Edge 70: Performance and software The Motorola Edge 70 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, paired with 8 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage. There is only one variant on offer, which keeps things simple. This is not a flagship chipset, and Motorola is not positioning it as one. Instead, the focus is clearly on delivering stable, dependable performance within a slim and lightweight design. In everyday use, the phone feels consistently smooth. App launches are quick, scrolling remains fluid, and multitasking does not introduce noticeable slowdowns. The overall experience feels well-balanced, which matters more than raw benchmark numbers in daily use. Gaming performance is better than you might expect from a device this thin. In real-world testing, BGMI runs at up to 120fps, while Call of Duty: Mobile is playable at up to 90fps with minimal frame drops. Thermal management is handled well too, with the phone staying reasonably cool even during extended gaming sessions. Benchmark results back up this real-world performance. The Edge 70 scored about 1.4 million on Antutu. In Geekbench 6, the phone recorded 1,334 in single-core and 4,248 in multi-core performance. CPU throttling stability stands at 88%, while the device scores 7,633 on 3DMark Stress Test. These are respectable numbers for a phone in this segment and align well with how the phone performs in daily use. On the software side, the Edge 70 ships with Android 16 out of the box, running Motorolas Hello UI. The experience remains clean, minimal and very close to stock Android, which continues to be one of Motorolas biggest strengths. There is very little clutter, and everything feels intuitive and easy to navigate. Motorola promises three years of Android updates and four years of security patches. While this is solid for the price, it is not class-leading, especially when compared to some rivals offering longer support. There is a dedicated Moto AI key on the left side of the phone. Pressing and holding the key launches Motorolas AI features, which can be used to ask questions, take notes or access quick tools, while a double press brings up updates. Beyond that, you also get familiar Motorola additions such as Smart Connect 2.0, Moto Secure and Family Spaces, all of which add useful functionality without cluttering the overall software experience. Motorola Edge 70: Battery The Motorola Edge 70 features a 5,000mAh battery, which is particularly impressive given its remarkably thin 5.9mm profile. In PC Mark battery life test, the phone delivered an impressive 17.5 hours of screen-on time, and in real-world usage too, it comfortably lasted a full day with moderate use, without any need to reach for the charger early. Charging is another strong point. The Edge 70 supports 68W Turbo Charging, taking the battery from 0 to 100% in about 50 minutes. Motorola also includes a 68W Type-C to Type-C charger in the box, complete with PD 3.0 support, which is increasingly rare at this price point and adds to the overall value of the package. Motorola Edge 70: Should you buy it? If battery endurance is your absolute top priority and you want a phone that lasts two full days on a single charge, there are devices with 6,000mAh or even 7,000mAh batteries that will suit you better. However, the Motorola Edge 70 makes a conscious trade-off. It prioritises thinness and comfort over maximum endurance. And considering how slim it is, delivering all-day battery life is no small achievement. Long story short, if you want a beautifully designed phone that feels light in the hand, offers an excellent display, has reliable cameras, and performs smoothly in daily use, the Motorola Edge 70 makes a strong case for itself at Rs 29,999. As mentioned, if your priority is maximum battery life above all else, there are better options out there. But if you value design, comfort, and a clean, polished user experience, the Motorola Edge 70 succeeds at exactly what it set out to do. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) researcher and Government of Ireland scholar Leandro Pessina has published an article examining the potential for the development of music tourism in Carlingford, Co. Louth. A member of the Creative Arts Research Centre at DkIT, Leandro is supervised by Dr Daithi Kearney (DkIT) and Dr Ioannis Tsioulakis (Queens University, Belfast) and has recently completed an innovative study into music and tourism in the region. Leandros research recognises how music contributes to the promotion of places, destinations and cultures, and is a fundamental element of local branding strategies, helping communities and places to express uniqueness. In this article, Leandro focuses on the village of Carlingford, with a particular emphasis on Carlingford Heritage Centres Concert Series and Feile na Tana, two Irish traditional music initiatives curated by the local musicians Zoe Conway and John McIntyre. These small-scale events offer niche tourism opportunities connected to education through which local music and its practitioners may contribute to strengthening the image of the destination. Integrating reflections on fieldwork experiences as well as interviews with local stakeholders, the article recognises music as a significant attraction, providing input to improve current tourism development plans, such as the Irelands Ancient East Regional Tourism Development Strategy 2023-2027. Leandros article is published by Taylor and Francis in the Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change and places this local study alongside a range of international scholarship and case studies. Other featured articles include the use of interactive technology and storytelling for digital heritage in the Netherlands, narrative constructions of Barbados UNESCO World Heritage Site, sugar heritage and cultural representation in Javanese urban spaces, and gender equality in the tourism sector in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Read Next: Unlicensed and uninsured HGV driver stopped in Dundalk garda operation A musician, Leandro tours internationally with the acclaimed Folk Metal Band Aexylium and is currently Promotions Executive with the Business Incubator of the Technology Transfer for the University of Turin. While in Dundalk, Leandro was a member of the Oriel Traditional Orchestra, an ensemble-in-residence at DkIT, and contributed to a variety of musical activities in the region. Learn more about Leandros research here Don't ignore your doctor, and always take your medication, is the message Dundalk man, Garrett O'Rourke, urges everyone to take on board, after a traumatic number of months, which saw him losing a leg and long periods of time in hospital. I took sick back in February of this year, Garrett told the Dundalk Democrat, I'm a diabetic but I ignored all the signs and I didn't do anything about it. I ended up with an infected foot that was badly infected and caused me sepsis. Low blood pressure, high temperature, fever, enough there to kill an elephant, never mind kill me. Garrett said he spent a month in the Lourdes Hospital but after being discharged had to return a month later after his foot became infected again. I was very unwell and I ended up having my leg amputated, my left leg amputated below the knee, such was the badness of the infection in my foot. I got it off in the Beaumont [Hospital], the surgeon told me, 'your leg's coming off tonight, Garrett, to save your life', I only had a few hours to live at that stage, I didn't know I was that bad. Luckily enough I did go to the hospital, because I wouldn't be here if I hadn't gone, I had only a few hours to live. Read also: PHOTOS: St Patrick's Scout Group hosts Good Deed Collection and Carol Service in Dundalk I ended up back in the Lourdes for respite, then I went down to the Louth [County Hospital] for more respite. Garrett was then sent to The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, where he was fitted with a prosthetic leg. I was to be there for an eight week time frame, they let me out after three weeks, because my recovery just went through the roof, he revealed. I was walking on my prosthetic leg after a week, when they weren't expecting it, I was walking on crutches after two weeks when they weren't expecting it and I was walking with no crutches, unaided after three weeks when they weren't expecting it. So they just told me, 'Garrett, there's nothing more we can do for you, we're letting you home, you're flying here, we can't teach you anymore. The surgeon that took my leg off, told me two days after, 'I know its a tough time, I know it's depressing, but six months down the line, you'll be walking up and down the street, and people won't even know you have a prosthetic leg. And true to his word, I'm walking up and down the street and people don't know I have a prosthetic leg. People have to ask me again, can I ask you again Garrett, which is your bad leg and which is your good one? The moral of the story is, don't do what I done, don't ignore your doctor, don't ignore an appointment, don't ignore a hospital appointment, don't ever stop taking your medication, always take your medication. Sickness can come upon you very qucikly and in a heartbeat you can be very sick. You can go beyond repair very quickly. If I hadn't gone to the hospital, I would have passed on. Because the doctor told me, if your leg doesn't come off tonight Garrett, you won't see the night out. That was scary stuff. He added, there is life after major surgery, you can get up and get on with it and lead a normal life. Although it was traumatic at the time, when you think about it, it's not the end of the world, I can still do things. Garrett added that he also wanted to highlight, that most of the nurses and doctors he dealt with and who treated him, either in the Lourdes, the Louth, the Beaumont or the Rehab hospital, have been foreign ones. And with so much bull about telling immigrants to go home take these wonderful people out of our health system and it would collapse. The Government must stop breaking the law when it comes to the more than 18,000 children waiting on an assessment of need by the HSE, Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu has said. The Sinn Fein TD was speaking during his partys motion on the issue, which was not opposed by the government. Deputy O Murchu said it was a terrible indictment of the State and the entire system that we are reliant on 15-year-old Cara Darmody to hold feet to the flames. He said it was only right that solidarity was shown to the Irish Wheelchair Association, who protested outside the Leinster House ahead of the motion. Deputy O Murchu said the IWA and other groups made the absolutely necessary point that those with disabilities, who were promised so much before the election, have been failed so miserably. He said: I do not know how many times we can be back here talking about assessment of need. There are now 18,097 [who] are waiting beyond six months for an assessment of need and the figure is heading towards 24,000 to 25,000. There is a backlog that needs to be dealt with. There is no point in us constantly being in here and hearing about assessment hubs being put together when we do not see this figure moving. I accept there are more children on the assessment of need list than there had been previously because in the past people were put on primary care lists and were able to get services but those services are not there anymore, meaning they have no choice. The system is putting people on the assessment of need list. He further said that the biggest gripe a lot of parents have is being told you do not need the assessment of need to receive therapies. Deputy O Murchu continued: One of the promises was that the issue of requiring an assessment of need for an appropriate school place was going to be resolved but it is not resolved yet. I have no problem if a parent makes the determination they have a decent and proper means of being assessed for autism and then they can get proper therapies. I have absolutely no issue with that, if they decide and their rights are not removed in relation to AON. Read Next: Landmark Dundalk pub put up for sale However, it is not promises they need. They need to see a roadmap. I do not know how many times we have been in here and have talked about a single point of access because the other thing parents give out about is the fact you have no one to go to. We need to make sure we do the workforce planning and take the emergency action to clear these backlogs and we need the Government to stop breaking the law. Louth Fine Gael TD, Paula Butterly, has said that new biometric recognition technology which will allow An Garda Siochana to use biometric recognition technologies, including facial images, to assist in the investigation of serious criminal offences, will help free up Garda time and progress criminal investigations Deputy Paula Butterly said cabinet approval to publish the Garda Siochana (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 is a major step in improving the technology available for the Gardai. The Bill provides for the retrospective use of biometric analysis by Gardai which includes the retrospective searching of images in its possession. Deputy Butterly said that, Gardai can often be left spending countless hours searching through videos or CCTV searching for evidence. We want to equip An Garda Siochana with the technology they need to tackle crime and we need to be constantly looking to upgrade and improve whats available. Read also: Four more Louth schools to benefit from Safe Routes to School Programme This technology will significantly improve efficiency and ensure Gardai can progress a case faster. It will free up Garda time. It will allow the Gardai to sort and compare relevant images from CCTV or videos recorded on phones for matters of security, criminal investigations, or searches for missing people. Its also important to note that there will be strict safeguards to outline the specific use of when this technology can be used. Its really important that we strike a balance between using new technologies and protecting peoples right to privacy. This technology brings us in line with many of our EU neighbours like France." My colleague, Minister Helen McEntee led the way with the use of this technology, with the Garda Siochana (Recording Devices) Act 2023, when she served as Minister for Justice. Fine Gael is committed to keeping our communities safe and supporting An Garda Siochana, concluded Deputy Butterly. International humanitarian response agency, GOAL, says it was delighted to bring together TDs from all political persuasions, including from Louth, on Tuesday 9 December at Dublins historic Merrion Square, just a stones throw from their Leinster House workplace, for the inaugural Leinster House GOAL Mile in aid of GOAL. Since its foundation over four decades ago, GOAL Mile, proudly supported by AIB, has grown to become one of Irelands most loved festive traditions, with the event helping to raise critical funds for GOALs life-saving humanitarian work around the world with vulnerable communities affected by relentless conflict, the devastating effects of climate change and resulting mass displacement. With thousands of people set to take part again this year, Sinn Fein TD for the Louth constituency Ruairi O Murchu joined party colleagues Darren ORourke, Pa Daly and John Brady, and other occupants of Leinster House, including: Labour leader Ivana Bacik of Dublin Bay South, her party colleagues Ciaran Ahern, Conor Sheehan and Nessa Cosgrove, Fine Gaels Neale Richmond, Brian Brennan and James Geoghegan, Fianna Fails Alison Comyn and Dublin North Wests Rory Hearne of the Social Democrats, as politicians from across the board came together for a GOAL Mile for the very first time. Speaking at the event, Nafisa Brennan, Senior Fundraising Manager with GOAL, said: We are delighted to put together the inaugural Leinster House GOAL Mile and even more ecstatic to see the number of politicians who took time out from their busy schedules to run or walk a mile around these beautiful surroundings here in the centre of Dublin. Read also: 'Don't ignore your doctor' urges Dundalk man after losing leg With representation from all the parties and each corner of Ireland, we hope that this event will encourage everyone to come out and find their local GOAL Mile this Christmas and join in on what is always such a fun, family-friendly event. Ruairi O Murchu added: There are over 200 GOAL Mile locations across the country this Christmas season, including nine in Co. Louth. I encourage everyone to find their local GOAL Mile at GOALMile.org. Ferdia Homevalue in Ardee, fresh from being named Store of the Year at the recent United Hardware United in Excellence Awards, has marked another milestone with the launch of DID Essentials a dedicated in-store zone bringing trusted home appliances and premium brands to the local community, all at exceptional value. The launch event, which took place on Friday 5 December with an official ribbon cutting at 12 noon, drew strong interest from customers and local stakeholders. This is the third DID Essentials launch in Ireland, and the first outside Wexford, following successful openings at Wallaces Homevalue in Wellingtonbridge and Smyths Homevalue in Enniscorthy over the past month. Ferdia Homevalue said the expansion highlights the growing partnership between Homevalue and DID Electrical, and signals the arrival of DID Essentials to new regions across Leinster. DID Essentials at Ferdia Homevalue features a curated selection of leading brands such as Ninja, Shark, Kenwood, Whirlpool, Eufy, LG and Samsung. Read also: Much-loved mid-Louth deli to close its doors this Christmas The new zone is designed to make it easier for customers to shop for essential appliances alongside their DIY and hardware needs, supported by knowledgeable staff offering product advice and after-sales support. As a store recently recognised for its outstanding standards in customer service, retail excellence and community engagement, Ferdia Homevalue said it is proud to further enhance its offering for Ardee and the wider Louth community. This latest launch is part of a wider partnership between Homevalue and DID Electrical, with further DID Essentials zones planned for Homevalue stores across Ireland in the coming months. Eamonn Kerr, Managing Director of Ferdia Homevalue, said: Were thrilled to bring DID Essentials to Ardee and to be the first store outside Wexford to launch this exciting new concept. Its been a big few weeks for our team, and this launch is another way were delivering even more value, choice and convenience for our customers. The response from the community has been fantastic, and we look forward to welcoming even more shoppers to experience what DID Essentials has to offer. Ciaran McCormack, Managing Director of DID Electrical, said: The launch of DID Essentials at Ferdia Homevalue is a significant step in our partnership with the Homevalue group. After the success in Wexford, were delighted to see the concept expand into Louth and soon to other locations nationwide. By working together, were making it easier for Irish consumers to access the best in home appliances, backed by trusted local service. This successful launch at Ferdia Homevalue not only strengthens the stores reputation as a one-stop shop for DIY, hardware and home improvement, it said, but also highlights Ardees role in leading the way for this national rollout. Seventeen people have lost their lives on Cork roads in the city and county since the start of this year, a senior garda said. Speaking in Mallow at a joint briefing by An Garda Siochana and the Road Safety Authority, on Monday, before the most recent deaths on our roads, Inspector Fergal ODonovan, who is in charge of roads policing in Cork county, said 10 people had died on Cork county roads so far this year, and seven in the city. That figure compares to the 19 road deaths recorded in the city and county across the 12 months of 2024, which had in turn marked a 30% increase on the 15 people who died on Cork roads over the previous year, 2023. The 19 people who lost their lives on Cork roads last year marked the highest figures for road fatalities in Cork since 2020, when 24 road deaths were recorded across the city and county. Nationally, 179 people died on Irish roads since the start of this year, already a 3% increase on the 174 road fatalities recorded across the 12 months of 2024. Insp ODonovan said roads policing gardai had carried out a mandatory intoxicant testing checkpoint on the N72 near Mallow Racecourse, as part of An Garda Siochana Christmas and new year road safety campaign, which launched on December 1. This checkpoint is all about enforcement, but enforcement alone doesnt save lives, your individual choice will save lives when driving, he said. This Christmas, he said, An Garda Siochana is asking the public to do one simple thing, to arrive home safely: You do it by slowing down, you do it by wearing your safety belt, you do it by not driving after drink or taking drugs, and you also do it by not using your mobile phone while driving dont be distracted while driving. The Christmas period is one of the busiest on Irish roads, and one of the periods during which road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road traffic collision. Insp Donovan said he was asking people to make a choice about road safety: For the next 20 days, for the Christmas period, lets go home to our families safely. Cork has seen 169 people before the district court on drug- driving charges in the first 10 months of this year, with court appearances for the offence up 14% on average compared to 2024, prompting an MEP to call for stricter measures to be put in place to tackle soaring figures. There were 36 people before Clonakilty District Court on drug driving charges over the first 10 months of the year, compared to 31 across the whole of 2024, according to figures supplied to Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchu by the Irish Courts Service. In Cork District Court, there have been 74 cases over the 10-month period this year, nearing the total of 83 for the entirety of 2024. In Mallow, there have been 59 cases this year, compared to 64 last year. The 2024 figures for across Cork equate to a monthly average of 14.8 per month, while 2025s figures have risen to on average 16.9 people in court for drug driving a month, a 14% increase. Danger Ms Ni Mhurchu said: We need an expanded roadside drug testing regime this Christmas period on our roads. We also need to consider policies whereby anyone convicted of drug driving is required to re-sit their driving test or, at minimum, complete a comprehensive driver re-education programme. "They have to get the message that they are a danger to other innocent road users. She also suggested deploying modified interlock technology, devices currently used to prevent drink driving in the cars of convicted drink drivers, so they can detect drugs instead of alcohol in the vehicles of repeat offenders. The Ireland South MEP described the cases that do make it to the district court as being the tip of the ice berg when it comes to drug driving Nationally, a total of 1,499 people faced district court proceedings for drug driving in 2024, but this has already risen by 37% in the first 10 months of 2025, with 2025 marking the highest level on record for drug driving prosecutions in our district court system. It comes as The Echo recently revealed that there were 823 total arrests in 2021 in Cork for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, followed by 854 in 2022, 876 in 2023, and 956 in 2024, and that there had already been 744 arrests up to the end of October this year. The young man accused of murdering an 88-year-old patient at the Mercy University Hospital was seen with blood covering his right hand and spattered around the room as he shouted about the innocent victim: This man ate my son. Dylan Magee, aged 33, went on trial by judge and jury yesterday, where he pleaded not guilty to murder, guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Assistant state pathologist Dr Margot Bolster testified that the victim, Matthew Healy, died from cardiac arrest as a result of injuries suffered during the assault. Detective Garda Michelle Quinn outlined the background to the fatal incident. Mr Healy fell at his home in Berrings on January 13, 2023, and had to be admitted to hospital. His wife had died on January 3. He tested positive for covid on January 19, and needed oxygen. The accused was admitted on January 19 because of the concern of family members that he was hallucinating. In the hospital, he was assigned a special care assistant from the time of his admission, three days before the fatal incident. Det Garda Quinn said Dylan Magee was talking to himself and walking around all night on January 22, 2023. Another patient in the room with him earlier asked to be moved. The detective said doctors gave Mr Magee sedatives. Mr Magee asked another patient if he had a blade. A nurse told him to go back to his bed. The detective said that at 5.15am a nurse left the room to ring for a doctor. The care assistant assigned to Mr Magee had his back to him. He was changing his gloves. He heard footsteps and thumps. The care assistant asked him to stop, but he continued to punch Mr Healy four to six times. The care assistant shouted for help. A nurse ran in to the room. Mr Magee gave Mr Healy two or three more punches. His right hand was covered in blood, and there was blood on his T-shirt and spattered on the bed. There was blood on Mr Healys face. During this attack, Mr Magee said: This man ate my son. Other staff responded to an alarm call to the area, and gardai were also called to the room. Earlier in the incident, one of the nurses sustained a broken figure as he struggled to drag Mr Magee away from the late Mr Healy. The accused man appeared before Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford and a jury of eight men and four women at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, and he was arraigned on the single charge of murder. Prosecution senior counsel Jane Hyland said: This is a case which is very, very upsetting. It is very upsetting to listen to the evidence in this case. I want you to try and be as dispassionate as possible. That will be difficult. Mr Magee, of 30 Churchfield Green, Cork, is charged that on January 22, 2023, at Room 2, St Josephs Ward, Mercy University Hospital, he did murder Matthew Healy, contrary to common law. The prosecution senior counsel said there were comments heard at the time, and by gardai dealing with him afterwards, where Mr Magee spoke of the victim cannibalising children, of men with balaclavas, and of fire. Ms Hyland told the jury that it would hear from psychiatrists who examined Mr Magee on behalf of the prosecution and the defence. She said the defence psychiatrist would say he was at the time delusional, did not know he was wrong, and could not refrain from acting the way he did. She added that the prosecution psychiatrist substantially agreed, but took the view that Mr Magee knew it was an assault that was potentially fatal and, at some level, knew it was wrong, but he was unable to refrain from committing the act. Ms Hyland said it was open to the jury to take a view on the psychiatric evidence that he was not guilty by reason of insanity or that it was manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The trial continues. A garda chief superintendent who has, for the past four years, been in charge of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB), has been appointed head of policing in the Cork City Garda Division. Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan was appointed by Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly this week, succeeding former chief superintendent Tom Myers, who retired as head of the city division last month and was hailed by Taoiseach Micheal Martin as an exceptional leader. Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan. The appointment of Chief Supt Noonan marks a return to Anglesea Street Garda Station for the Fermoy native, who has also previously served in Dublin and Templemore, and also worked as a superintendent in Midleton and Gurranabraher. During his time as head of the GNPSB, Chief Supt Noonan worked extensively with Mary Crilly, founder of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork, who has welcomed his appointment as head of policing in the city. Ive known Colm since his early days as a young guard in Cork, and Ive always found him very good, and especially sympathetic to victims of sexual assault, said Ms Crilly. Im delighted to hear that hes been appointed, and he will be a worthy successor to Tom Myers, who did great work. China's State Council Information Office hosts 2026 New Year reception Xinhua) 10:42, December 17, 2025 BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council Information Office hosted a New Year reception on Tuesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing, bringing together nearly 500 participants from home and abroad. The event was attended by members of Chinese and international media organizations, spokespersons for central Party and government departments, foreign diplomats, representatives of international organizations, as well as experts and scholars from think tanks. Attendees noted that in 2025, China's economy pressed ahead despite pressures, with reform and opening up advancing steadily and high-quality development delivering fresh results. More foreigners have come to China to invest, do business, travel, and engage in exchanges, experiencing the appeal of Chinese civilization and sharing the dividends of China's development. They added that they are willing to share with the world what they have seen, heard, and experienced in China, presenting to the international community a true, multi-dimensional, and panoramic view of China. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Around 300 students from across Cork gathered at Cork City Hall recently for the annual Dream Your Career Day. The event aimed to broaden students horizons, encouraging them to explore a wide range of career options. More than 80 employers and apprenticeship stands were present, alongside representatives from Cork College of FET, MTU, UCC, and youth services such as Youth Health Services and Foroige. Organised with the support of Cork ETB, the event was a collaborative effort between Youthreach, Cork Community Training Centres, and the Department of Social Protection. The event featured a diverse range of career specialists, including conservation officers, medical practitioners, artists, representatives from Ryanair, Defence Forces personnel, and software engineers. Students had the opportunity to engage directly with these professionals in a career expo format. The Department of Social Protection was on hand to provide information on financial supports and programmes for students who are progressing to further education or employment. Staff from Cork College of FET Bishopstown Campus shared updates on the range of apprenticeships and further education opportunities available. The Dream Your Career Day event was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Cork Fergal Dennehy, who welcomed the students to City Hall. Actor Shane Casey was on hosting duties for the day as the event MC. Attendees were also greeted by Cork Unesco Learning City co-ordinator Denis Barrett. Cork ETB extends its sincere gratitude to all partners, employers, and supporters who contributed to making this event a memorable and impactful experience for students as they plan their next steps on their career journeys, said a spokesperson for Cork ETB. At the event, students made a special presentation to Cork ETB director of further education and training John Fitzgibbons in recognition of his steadfast support and leadership. National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has said that almost 3,700 premises in its Skibbereen deployment area can now avail of a high-speed fibre broadband connection, including the rural surrounds and townlands of Skibbereen, Aghadown and Castlehaven. A total of 82,000 premises in Cork are included in the States intervention area, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms, and schools. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, Cork will receive 314m of Government investment under the National Broadband Plan. There are 3,693 Cork premises in the Skibbereen deployment area that can join the NBI network, and National Broadband Ireland is calling on people living nearby to visit nbi.ie and enter their Eircode to see if they are ready to connect. Works have already been completed in other parts of Cork, including the rural surrounds of Clonakilty, Eyeries, Kinsale, and Meelin. There is a total of 58,687 premises that can now pre-order or order high-speed, reliable broadband across the county with 17,914 connections made so far. Network build works are also continuing across Cork with 6,500 premises near the Grenagh deployment area due to be connected by the end of next year. TJ Malone, chief executive officer, National Broadband Ireland, said:We are delighted to announce that almost 3,700 Cork premises in the Skibbereen deployment area can now order high-speed broadband services. This will enable those who connect to experience the life-changing benefits of high-speed broadband with minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second. A Dubliner facing charges of being drunk and offensive on a Ryanair flight from Portugal to Dublin, which had to be diverted to Cork, appeared at Cork District Court yesterday. Neil Hughes, aged 35, of 71 Willow Park Grove, Glasnevin, Dublin, was arrested and charged with two counts under air navigation legislation. The first charge states that on Monday, December 15, being a person on board an aircraft in flight, namely Ryanair flight FR7031, that was within the jurisdiction of the State, he was intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that he might endanger himself or other persons on board the said aircraft, contrary to the Air Navigation and Transport Act. The second count states that he did, without justification, engage in behaviour to cause serious offence or annoyance on board the aircraft, having been requested by a member of the crew to desist. Garda Fearghal Bolger said there was no objection to bail on condition that Mr Hughes would sign on once a week at his local Garda station, be of sober habits, and not fly with Ryanair. Judge Mary Dorgan said the matter was serious and required further bail conditions, including Mr Hughes own bond of 1,500, of which 500 must be lodged, and that he surrender his passport and sign on three times a week at Ballymun Garda Station. He was remanded in custody with consent to bail until December 22. Sergeant John Dineen said DPP directions were awaited in the case. Sgt Dineen said at Cork District Court that at 12.45pm on December 15, gardai from Togher responded to reports from Cork Airport Police who requested Garda assistance with this inbound flight diverted to Cork. It was alleged that a passenger was observed lying across row 27 and was highly intoxicated. The flight had departed Faro for Dublin with Captain Bryan Quinn and five cabin crew on board. It was alleged that cabin crew were able to contain the passenger whose behaviour became increasingly aggressive, and the decision was made to divert to Cork Airport. Sgt Dineen also said that the passenger resisted gardai who boarded the plane, and he had to be handcuffed before being removed. The 33-year-old man on trial for murdering an 88-year-old patient at the Mercy University Hospital told interviewing gardai he believed the deceased was a man in his mid-20s who had killed his child. Dylan Magee was arrested at the Mercy University Hospital on January 22, 2023, following the violent death of Matthew Healy, and the first of five interviews took place on that day at the Bridewell garda station. Asked: What happened this morning? he replied: A lot of travellers came across and were tormenting us for the night. We got robbed. (Believed his son was taken). I started beating him, saying give me back the child. I kept hitting him and I couldnt stop. The next thing I was in the van in handcuffs. He was asleep in the bed. I took the opportunity to beat him. When I stopped I was destroyed in blood. People coming into the room looked afraid. I realised I went over the top. He said his punches were full force and amounted to about 20 blows over a minute or two. The accused said he believed the victim was a particular man he knew who was in his mid-20s. Asked what his plan was, he replied: To hit him and teach him a lesson, that he cannot do that kind of thing. They are going to get mangled some night. I was in a sound state of mind when I was doing it. I didnt think he was going to die at all. I looked at my hands. He kidnapped my child. I was vexed. I told him he robbed my son and I started hitting him. I wanted to give him a hammering. I told him this is what is going to happen he wont be annoying me anymore. When his face went soft I said that is enough now. At another stage he told gardai: I had no self-control. He said he was seeing dead people including his brother and a friend who had both died in the previous year by suicide. Interview During one interview he said to the detectives, Padraig Harrington and Liam Lingane: I am not talking to you, I am talking to him, as he looked directly at the wall. Later he said: He killed my young fella so I killed him My head was all over the place I was fully sure he killed my son. Were you going to keep going until he was dead? he was asked. Dylan Magee replied: Probably, yeah. Consultant psychiatrists were called to give evidence about the defendants mental state at the relevant time. Dr Stephen Monks was called by defence senior counsel Brendan Grehan, and he described the history given to him by the accused man of starting to drink alcohol at the age of 11 or 12 and going through his teens to smoke five or six cannabis joints each day and later developing an addiction to relaxant Benzodiazepine tablets, where he could take up to 50 of them per day. In the days before his admission he was having paranoid thoughts and hallucinations, telling family he had cycled to Killarney. His doctor referred him for urgent admission to the Mercy for suspected delirium. The accused told of remembering washing blood off his hands in St Josephs ward, very little of being interviewed and he remembered being taken to court. He was put on treatment in prison for Benzodiazepine withdrawal. After a couple of weeks he was more or less back to base line. No symptoms of mental illness when I saw him, Dr Monks said. Delirium The forensic psychiatrist described delirium as a very serious mental condition that occurs abruptly over hours, as distinct from schizophrenia which might go on for weeks or months. He said the delirium occurred having taken medication and was probably contributed to by having a covid 19 infection. It appears delirium evolved to withdrawal delirium from Benzodiazepines, Dr Monks said, adding that this was similar to delirium tremens from alcohol withdrawal. Called by the prosecution, Dr Richard Church said he agreed with Dr Monks that his ability to refrain from the attack was impaired. Dr Church said: Not only was he unable to refrain but professionals around him when his aggression was escalating were unable to prevent him from carrying out the attack. Dr Church said a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity is available to the jury to consider. So too is the verdict of diminished responsibility. Cross-examining Brendan Grehan, cross-examining Dr Church summarised that the witness was saying the full defence under the Insanity Act and the partial defence of diminished responsibility were something on which both experts agreed. The witness said that at the relevant time, Dylan Magee was very severely impaired to the point of being unable to refrain from acting. When the trial commenced, Dylan Magee of 30 Churchfield Green, Cork, was arraigned on the charge that on January 22, 2023, at Room 2, St Josephs Ward, Mercy University Hospital, he did murder Matthew Healy, contrary to Common Law. He replied: not guilty to murder, guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The murder trial continues. Alison O'Riordan A Dublin man who was suffering from a severe relapse of schizoaffective disorder when he killed his girlfriend has been found not guilty of her murder by reason of insanity. On Wednesday, the Central Criminal Court jury accepted the evidence given by consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney, for the defence, that Austin Mangan was unable to refrain from committing the killing and therefore met the criteria for the special verdict. UK consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Richard Church, for the State, had also testified that there was "no question" but that the defendant had a lifetime of significant mental illness. The expert witness said Mr Mangan had told him he had been admitted to mental health services on 30 occasions - "sometimes at six month intervals during his life". However, the jurors rejected Dr Church's finding that although Mr Mangan was suffering from a mental disorder which diminished his responsibility for the act, he did not qualify for a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict because he was able to refrain from the killing. Mr Mangan (53), with a previous address at Hollybank Road in Drumcondra but more recently of the Beaumont area of Dublin, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Maud Coffey (41) at the Horizon Building in Royal Canal Park, Ashtown, Dublin 15, on January 13th, 2023. At the outset of the trial, the defence had made formal admissions to the court on behalf of the defendant, including that Mr Mangan killed Ms Coffey. In his closing speech, Patrick Gageby SC, defending, called the case "one of the saddest to be laid before a jury". He said Ms Coffey was a kind and quiet woman, who was "subjected to a frenzied attack in her own home with every weapon available". Counsel said it was beyond doubt that Mr Mangan, who had a very long psychiatric history and a long standing history of resisting medication, had killed his girlfriend; "he told everyone who would listen to him - and those who didn't want to listen". The trial heard that Ms Coffey had developed significant mental health issues of her own and had spent two weeks in a specialist wing of Connolly Memorial Hospital before discharging herself two days before her death on January 11th, 2023. Mr Mangan told gardai he had killed his girlfriend Ms Coffey and had referred to "the devil, the bible and to the killing of Lucifer", which the defence referred to as an "unstoppable torrent coming out of his mouth". In his closing address, Brendan Grehan SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, submitted that there had been "an element of overkill" in terms of what had happened to Ms Coffey. Counsel said a black flex which appeared to be from a hoover was found tightly wrapped around the deceased's neck and she had been slashed across the throat and other parts of the body with a large knife. He submitted that both expert witnesses in the case were in agreement that Mr Mangan had a long-standing mental health history, interacting with "a whole gallery of doctors" from when he was 18 years old. Mr Grehan said the jurors had heard from two of Ms Coffey's sisters, who had spoken in positive terms of the couple's relationship and Mr Mangan's kindness towards Maud. "There didn't appear to be any red flags that she might in fact be in danger," he stressed, adding that the defendant had been making plans to propose marriage to Ms Coffey. The jury of seven men and five women spent seven hours and 23 minutes deliberating over two days before bringing in a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. After they had delivered their verdict, Mr Justice Paul Burns thanked the jury for their service, saying the evidence in the case had been particularly harrowing. The judge exempted them from jury service for the next seven years. The judge said he was required to commit Mr Mangan to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) for inpatient care, which is a specified designated centre, for a period of 13 days. Mr Justice Burns then made an order committing the defendant to the CMH on Wednesday, with his return before the court scheduled for Friday. The judge also directed the preparation of a psychiatric assessment by an approved medical officer at the CMH to see whether Mr Mangan needs inpatient care there. Mr Gageby told the judge that "in the ordinary course" of events, victim impact evidence would not be heard. However, he said that despite the acquittal, the defence had no objection to victim impact evidence being given on Friday. Mr Justice Burns said he was sure that this would be very helpful for Ms Coffey's family and directed the preparation of a victim impact statement for Friday. The trial heard that the defendant's sister had reported to Dr Mullaney that Mr Mangan was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when he was 18 years old, which was revised to schizoaffective disorder in his twenties. Mr Grehan noted in his closing address that Mr Mangan had been treated with electroshock therapy in the past, indicating that his mental disorder was particularly resistant to being treated by medications - "even high powered ones prescribed over the years". Counsel said both psychiatrists agreed on practically everything in the case except for one issue. He said Dr Church did not agree the defendant lacked the ability to restrain himself. Niamh ODonoghue A man who assaulted a garda on a plane with 109 passengers on board because he was not taking his schizophrenia medication has been allowed out of prison. Gavin Risden (48) of no fixed abode in the United Kingdom, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Garda Conor Neill at Dublin Airport on June 3rd, 2025. Sergeant Darren Blackwell told the court that air traffic control contacted gardai, saying there was a very unruly passenger on board a transatlantic flight from Newark. Sgt Blackwell told Brian Storan BL, prosecuting, that the man was aggressive and wielding a bible. When gardai asked Risden to step off the plane, he shouted at them that he was royalty and had royal blood while waving the bible at them. He told them if they tried to put handcuffs on him they would see what fucking happens. The court was told he punched the garda eight times pushing him back onto a seat. The garda was dazed from the assault and suffered bruising to his face. Another garda then pepper-sprayed him which the court heard was a suboptimal approach since it occurred in the body of the plane. Some passengers were also pepper-sprayed and had to be helped but the court heard the effects wear off in 45 minutes. There were 109 passengers and nine cabin crew on board. Risden got free and ran up the plane and out the front exit. He was pepper-sprayed by a garda in the bridge but he escaped and ran into Terminal 2 and into a bathroom, where he was arrested. He has no previous convictions and the court was told he has been in custody since June 3rd. Footage of the incident was widely shared on social media but did not form part of the book of evidence as the case did not go to trial. Emmet Nolan BL, defending, told the court his client had an established mental health problem but was not taking his medication and decided to go on holiday to Mexico. Judge Martina Baxter said she was releasing Risden home as he had demonstrated remorse and contrition. She noted he was now on enhanced status in Cloverhill Prison and had been in custody long enough. She handed down a sentence of nine months imprisonment with the balance to be suspended from Thursday. Judge Baxter commended the gardai for their compassion. Ovarian cancer affects 400 women in Ireland each year. Early diagnosis remains challenging as the symptoms can be vague and there is no screening service, but treatments have become more targeted in recent years. Ovarian cancer is more common in women aged over 50, however, Cork woman June Feeney was just 28 when she was diagnosed, at a time when she was also in the late stages of her first pregnancy. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in January, 2009. I was expecting my daughter at the time. It was my first child, and I was in the third trimester of the pregnancy. I developed a lot of unusual symptoms and became very unwell. June, who is the co-founder of the ovarian cancer charity OvaCare, explains there is a mnemonic that clinicians use for ovarian cancer symptoms - BEAT. B is for bloating, and this is one of the primary symptoms we hear from women. Obviously, for me, in my third trimester of pregnancy, this was a difficult symptom to recognise. E is for eating difficulty, and that definitely became a big issue for me. I lost a lot of weight, my appetite was gone, and I was feeling full very quickly. A is for abdominal pain. I had a lot of abdominal pain, which became very severe as my pregnancy progressed. T is for Talk to your GP, which is important, particularly if your symptoms are persistent. Three weeks before her daughter was due, the team at Cork University Hospital discovered there was a large tumour on one of Junes ovaries. Once it was identified, the decision was made to deliver her daughter early via Caesarean section. During the C-section, the surgeon also removed the tumour and her ovary. It was all such a shock, especially because I was pregnant and so close to my due date. But thank God, my daughter was fine and healthy. Im very grateful for that. Four days after her C-section and surgery, June was recovering in the high dependency section at Cork University Maternity Hospital when the doctors confirmed the tumour tested positive for cancer. As part of her treatment, June needed to undergo seven months of chemotherapy. She went home to recover from the surgery, and eight weeks later, she was beginning her chemotherapy. For June, to be experiencing such contrasting emotions - joy and fear - at the same time, was incredibly difficult. To be honest, having my daughter, Niamh, got me through it. Waking up every morning and having my beautiful little baby kept me going. And my husband, the strength he had was unbelievable, and my parents too. Everybody rallied around my whole family to support us in those early days. Amidst all the fear and uncertainty in the first year, June says they had so many moments of joy too, and she and her husband would make the most of the times in between chemotherapy sessions where she would be feeling OK. Throughout this difficult time, June says she was keen to find someone whom she could talk to about how she was feeling, and what she was experiencing. She eventually met Rachel McKeon, whose mother had ovarian cancer when living in the UK. Rachel explained to June about the support that was available in the UK for her mothers which were lacking in Ireland at the time. This tallied with Junes own experience and her own lack of awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. To be honest, when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer it was the first time, and Im ashamed to say so, but it was the first time Id ever heard of ovarian cancer. I would have been aware of cervical cancer, but I wasnt aware that a smear test only detects cervical cancer and not other gynae cancers like ovarian. Rachel and June resolved to try and raise awareness of ovarian cancer in Ireland, but quickly realised that support was also needed. In 2011, the pair founded OvaCare, a charity focused on providing support, raising awareness, funding research and building a community for women and their families who were experiencing ovarian cancer. We ran our first patient support day 14 years ago in 2011, and held one in Cork at the River Lee Hotel earlier this month. Attendees at the event heard from leading clinicians, therapists, and researchers, and connected with the ovarian cancer community. They also heard about OvaCares current work with Breakthrough Cancer Research to support proof of concept or pilot studies in ovarian cancer research, which is happening at University College Cork. June knows all too well how important the work is that she and the other volunteers at OvaCare do. I find this very moving, and I say it with all humility, but the feedback weve gotten from our members over the years is that if they hadnt had this group of women, this support network, they dont know how they would be getting through it. When it comes to convenience, its hard to beat Amazon. And that rationale isnt limited to consumers: Many local districts shopping for supplies with public funds apply the same logic. But the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) published a study earlier this month (via The American Prospect) that illustrates the cost of that bargain. It suggests that Amazons dynamic pricing has led many schools and other localities to overpay for supplies. Public schools and local governments have historically bought supplies by soliciting competitive bids from local suppliers. Those vendors then respond with fixed price lists, delivery timelines and other terms. This competition all out in the open, part of the public record encourages low prices and transparency. On the surface, ordering from Amazon appears to offer competition, too. After all, the platform includes third-party vendors fighting for your dollars. But turning taxpayer funds over to Amazons algorithms isnt quite that simple. Thats because the platforms dynamic pricing (algorithmically driven real-time changes) is inherently opaque. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the report, Amazons contracts with public entities dont include fixed price lists. Instead, they include language built around swings. This contract has a dynamic pricing structure in which the price for items listed on the online digital marketplace is driven by the market, Amazons contract with Utah reads. This contract will not need to be amended when prices fluctuate. Below are some examples of wild price discrepancies for these districts. All of ILSRs examples are from localities buying supplies from Amazon Business with public funds in 2023. A City of Boulder, CO employee ordered a 12-pack of Sharpie markers from Amazon Business for $8.99. On the same day, a Denver Public Schools worker ordered the same markers for $28.63. Amazon charged Clark County, WA, $146,000 for 610 computer monitors. On another day, that same order would have cost $24,000 less. Pittsburgh Schools bought two cases of Kleenex for $57.99 each. On the same day, Denver Schools paid $36.91 for a single case. On a single August day, Denver Schools placed two separate orders for bulk cases of dry-erase markers. One cost $114.52. The other was $149.07. In March 2023, Denver Schools paid $15.39 for a Swingline stapler (sold by Amazon). A few days later, the same school system paid $61.87 for the same product (sold by a third-party seller). Even in that last example, ILSR says Amazons algorithms are the culprit. It might be tempting to blame the seller for putting a $62 price tag on a stapler or the employee for not noticing the cost, the nonprofit argues. But that overlooks Amazons pivotal role in the transaction and the profit it makes. Amazons algorithms steer shoppers attention, selecting featured products and organizing search results. The platform routinely prompts users to buy it again, even when the price has jumped. For busy public school employees, its all too easy to simply click the buy button, under the assumption that Amazon is surfacing the best option. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy (Noah Berger via Getty Images) One portion of the study looked at repeat orders for 2,500 high-frequency items. (These included Amazon-brand copy paper, Elmers glue, BIC pens, Lysol cleaning wipes and Crayola crayons.) In total, the jurisdictions in the study spent $3 million on those items. But based on the lowest prices Amazon charged during that period, they would have paid only $2.5 million. Across those same items, one school district could have saved 17 percent (about $1 million) if it consistently received Amazons lowest prices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What would fair market value have been for those items? Well, its hard to say because the algorithms are steering pricing silently in the background. A more thorough study that included the same items, bought exclusively through the traditional procurement method, would tell us much more. And recent history has taught us that trusting Big Techs algorithms to serve the public good (rather than its own bottom line) is a fools errand. In at least some cases, the practice routes public funds away from local vendors and toward overseas ones and, of course, Amazon itself. In Berkeley County, WV, the school district spent $1.3 million on Amazon Business in 2023. What portion went to sellers in the state? A measly $142. On top of all of that, the practice has snuffed out many of the smaller vendors that traditionally competed for these contracts. The disappearance of these small and mid-sized businesses weakens local economies and tax bases, the report concludes. And it leaves governments increasingly dependent on Amazon, paving the way for the kind of monopoly control that ensures higher prices, poorer service, and less innovation. In a statement sent to The Guardian, Amazon disputed the studys conclusions. Pricing research is notoriously difficult to conduct accurately and typically lacks reliable methodology, including cherry-picked product selections, mismatched product comparisons and comparing in-stock items with products out-of-stock at competitors, ILSRs report drew in spending data from 128 local governments (including cities, counties and school districts) and 122 state agencies. It also gathered contract documents and interviewed public officials, procurement experts and vendors. Sure, we've seen millions poured into lobbying and other means of influence during every presidency, but the last two years set a whole new bar. Business leaders, including those from almost every Big Tech company, stepped over themselves to prove fealty to Donald Trump's second administration. It's easy to see why: Their kowtowing was meant to secure regulatory favors, gain tax and tariff advantages and avoid Trump's ire. Ultimately, it was all in the service of appeasing their shareholders. Why else would Apple CEO Tim Cook, someone who typically cultivates a progressive image, hand deliver a gold plaque to the President of the United States? Before we leave 2025 behind, it's worth documenting the many ways tech companies and leaders debased themselves for political favor with the Trump administration. Alphabet (Google) Google dropped diversity recruitment goals in February, following Trumps executive orders dismantling DEI programs in the federal government. Google also changed its AI principles to allow AI in weapons and surveillance, a move that is in line with the relaxed artificial intelligence regulation the Trump administration would later adopt for its AI Action Plan. To the chagrin of geographers everywhere, the company also replaced the Gulf of Mexico in Google Maps with "Gulf of America," following Trump's executive order. Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, Alphabet agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle Donald Trump's lawsuit against YouTube, following the suspension of his YouTube accounts after the January 6th riot. Trump will receive $22 million, while another $2.5 million of the settlement will be paid out to additional plaintiffs who were part of the class action which is to say, other rioters involved in the storming of the Capitol. Joining plenty of other tech companies, Google donated $1 million to the Trump inauguration, and its also contributing to the cost of Trumps reported $300 million White House ballroom. Amazon In August, Amazon Web Services said it would provide up to $1 billion in credits to the Trump administration through 2028. Those credits can be put towards AWS cloud services, training and certification and direct contracts. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also did his fair share to support Trump: He donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration, and since purchasing the Washington Post in 2013 he pushed the paper to the right. This year, Bezos declared that the Posts opinion pages would be devoted to the support and defense of personal liberties and free markets. He added, Well cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others." To that end, the Post also hired three new conservative columnists. Bezos reportedly also blocked his paper from endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Amazon, too, is contributing to Trump's $300 million White House ballroom. The Washington Post, unsurprisingly, was one of the first major publications to praise Trumps ballroom. Apple Apple relied on big numbers and flashy trinkets to ingratiate itself to the Trump administration. In February, it said it planned to invest $500 billion into the US economy over the next four years. While that sounds impressive, Apple previously announced another $430 billion multi-year investment for the US in 2021. In a potential bid to avoid the administrations volatile tariff plans, Apple also said it would invest another $100 billion into the US in August. Advertisement Advertisement Tim Cook personally donated $1 million to the Trump inauguration fund, Cook's first political donation since 2017. At that August event, he also gave Donald Trump a now infamous gold statue for being a special little guy. Additionally, Apple followed in Googles footsteps by replacing the Gulf of Mexico in Apple Maps with the Gulf of America. The company is also chipping in for Trumps $300 million White House ballroom. Meta Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wasted no time trying to get into Trumps good graces, perhaps to erase his previous statement that the President should be held responsible for his words for inciting the January 6 Capitol riot. On top of donating $1 million to Trump's inauguration, Meta announced that it would be getting rid of third-party fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram on January 7. Instead, it's relying on community notes similar to X. Meta also ended its DEI initiatives and changed its hate speech rules to allow for calling LGBTQ people mentally ill. "We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words such as 'weird,'" reads the companys updated policy. Advertisement Advertisement Even Zuckerbergs charity, which he runs alongside his wife, bowed to Trump. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative ended its diversity programs and stopped providing social advocacy funding, which supported immigration and racial equity efforts. According to The Guardian, the charitys website removed every reference to diversity or promoting scientific research from underrepresented groups. Similar to Google, Meta said it will pay Donald Trump $25 million to settle his lawsuit related to his Facebook suspension after the January 6 riot. And yes, Meta is also contributing to Trump's $300 million White House ballroom. Microsoft Microsoft contributed $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. Previously, it donated $500,000 to Biden's fund and the same amount for Trump's first term. Its also contributing to Trumps $300 million White House ballroom. Similar to Amazon, Microsoft also offered up to $3.1 billion worth of services to the Trump administration as part of the American-centric OneGov strategy. That includes discounts for Microsoft 365, Azure cloud services and cybersecurity tools. Copilot AI will also be discounted to government agencies, and itll be completely free for a year for agencies subscribing to Microsoft G5 service. Elon Musk (X, SpaceX, Tesla) Elon Musk was by far the biggest booster for Trump in the business world. He spent a whopping total of $277 million to back Trump and other candidates in 2024, including $239 million to America PAC, his super PAC focused on securing votes for Trump and other Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Musk went so far as to offer $1 million to people who said they would vote for Trump, a move that the Justice Department warned might be illegal. Wisconsin's Attorney General challenged Musk's ploy but the state's Supreme Court declined to hear a case on the matter, thereby giving Musk leeway to award two $1 million checks to voters. Musk's team edited a video of one of the recipients to remove her admission that she was paid "to vote." He also joked that he could be jailed if Kamala Harris won the 2024 election, which could be referencing potential election fraud, his penchant for busting unions, national security concerns from his uncomfortably close relationship with Vladimir Putin or any number of potential crimes. Elon Musk spearheaded DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), an unelected position from which he was given nearly unprecedented federal oversight. Once installed he hired his techie acolytes to chip away at government budgets and staffs. For the first few weeks of the second Trump administration, it appeared as if Musk had unfettered power to manipulate the government. And let's not forget, while leading DOGE, the world's richest man also destroyed USAID, the world's largest food aid provider, for no apparent reason other than cruelty. After purchasing Twitter in 2022 and renaming it "X," Musk has also transformed Twitter into a Trump-friendly social network focused on free speech. He reinstated Trumps Twitter account, which was banned after the January 6 Capitol riot, and he also paid Trump around $10 million to settle his lawsuit over being kicked off the platform. X is now a platform that amplifies far-right extremists, treats the inclusive term cisgender as a slur and doesnt punish users for deadnaming and misgendering trans people. What about the rest? This is by no means an exhaustive documenting of every single tech tycoon that has bent the knee. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, for instance, told Joe Rogan in an interview that everything that [Trump] thinks through is very practical and very common sense, and, you know, it's very logical. According to Axios, Huang added that Trump "wants to make sure that that the important, critical technology of our nation is built in United States, and that we re-industrialize and get good at manufacturing again, because it's important for jobs." Its also worth remembering that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison joined President Trump onstage in announcing Stargate the largest AI infrastructure project by far in history. The two were joined by Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, who called the moment the beginning of a golden age. The next day, Altman posted on X that he believed Trump will be incredible for the country in many ways! Ellisons son David is the CEO of Skydance, and has infamously been rebuilding Paramount with Bari Weiss since the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media was approved this year. The list of major tech players bowing to Trump only grows from here, and putting the bulk of the transactions in one place should serve to remind us how closely tied Big Tech is with American (and global) politics. Prince Harry is expected to call King Charles on Christmas Day, while Meghan Markle won't be reaching out to her father, Thomas Markle, who is recovering from leg surgery in the Philippines. Multiple sources say she has chosen not to engage directly, despite having sent him a letter. "They won't be there in person, but they will be in touch," a royal insider told Rob Shuter's Shuterscoop. "It's important to Harry that his father hears from him on Christmas." The Sussexes will celebrate Christmas with their kids, Archie and Lilibet, and Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, at their Montecito residence. Afterwards, they will head out for a lavish New Year trip with their friends. There is a wary hope of a reunion with the royal family, per sources, however, the situation between Meghan and her dad is still intricate. Multiple sources confirm she does not intend to phone or visit Thomas following his leg amputation due to a severe blood clot. "She won't even call him," one source told Shuterscoop. "She knows where he is. She has the information. She's chosen not to engage directly." Royal commentator Jennie Bond told The Mirror that Meghan has now sent a letter to her father during his hospitalization. "It seems she has now contacted him by letter, and I'm sure that must be a great comfort to him as he lies in his hospital bed. But the Philippines is a long way away from Montecito," Bond explained. According to Bond, any potential reunion would require careful consideration. "She will also be wary because it seems that her father and brother are intent on giving their side of the story." "So there would have to be a lot of trust and reassurance before any meeting. I'm sure Harry will support his wife in whatever she chooses to do about her relationship with her father," Bond added. Thomas has faced numerous health scares in recent years, including two heart attacks and a stroke that required speech therapy. His son, Thomas Junior, has publicly urged Meghan to reach out to demonstrate compassion, particularly during his father's hospitalization. Navigating Family Estrangement Dr. Jane Halsall, a family counseling expert told the outlet that fractured parent-child relationships are emotionally complex, especially under public scrutiny. "Estrangement between adult children and parents is emotionally painful, often arising from boundary violations or disappointment." "Adult children may worry for their parent, while needing to protect themselves, which leads to them experiencing both grief and ambivalence," Halsall explained. Ariana Biermann, daughter of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum Kim Zolciak, has had her probation terminated months early following her 2022 DUI arrest. The 24-year-old reality star successfully stayed out of trouble since her sentencing in May, prompting her probation officer to request early termination, Us Weekly reports. Court documents filed on December 8 noted that Biermann, who stars on Next Gen NYC, completed all court-imposed requirements, making her eligible for early release from her two-year probation. She had avoided jail time by reaching a plea deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to reckless driving and possession and use of a drug-related object. At the time of her August 2022 arrest in Forsyth County, Georgia, Biermann faced six misdemeanor charges, including DUI of multiple substances, underage alcohol possession, and improper driving. Her boyfriend at the time, Hudson McLeroy, was a passenger in the car. Biermann told officers she had not consumed alcohol before driving but admitted to vaping THC the night prior. According to US Magazine, police noted she had a "noticeable sway" during a field sobriety test. Biermann's attorney, Justin Spizman, previously stated, "Ariana was involved in a minor fender bender. When police arrived, the officer incorrectly concluded she was impaired by alcohol. That was not the case. She wholly denies these allegations and intends to fight these charges because she is not guilty of them." Spizman also argued that her initial detention was unlawful and violated her Fourth Amendment rights. The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak's daughter Ariana Biermann had her probation from her DUI arrest terminated months early, Us Weekly can exclusively report. https://t.co/113qXvISwc Us Weekly (@usweekly) December 17, 2025 Read more: Kim Zolciak And Kroy Biermann Appear To Be Moving Out Ahead of Home Auction Ariana Biermann Moves On After Probation Under her probation terms, Biermann had to submit to random drug and alcohol testing, pay over $2,000 in fines, complete 40 hours of community service, and attend a Victim Impact program to learn about the consequences of impaired driving, DailyMail reported. She also underwent a substance abuse evaluation. Her compliance with these requirements allowed the court to consider early termination. Spizman told InTouch, "Ms. Biermann maintained her innocence since her arrest. We are pleased that the State of Georgia eventually decided to dismiss the impaired driving charge and offer Ms. Biermann the opportunity to plead guilty to a traffic ticket." He added that Ariana embraced the chance to move past the case and focus on positive endeavors in her life. The timing of the probation termination aligns with Ariana's upcoming debut on Bravo's "Next Gen NYC," which premieres June 3. The series follows children of former Housewives, including Kim Zolciak and Teresa Giudice, navigating life in the spotlight. Ariana has also shared updates on her family, noting her mother Kim is thriving following her split from Kroy Biermann, who adopted Ariana and her sister Brielle. "My mom's new house is amazing. She's so happy...so it's almost like a fresh start," she said. She added that she hopes Kroy is doing well as he manages his own household with their younger children. President Donald Trump could end up on the witness stand if his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC goes ahead. The case could force him to answer questions about what he knew and when during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riota level of scrutiny he has largely avoided until now. A source close to the case told The Mirror UK, "The moment Trump filed this case, he opened the door." "He thinks he can attack the BBC for $10 billion. But he could expose himself to questioning that could finally pin down what he did, what he knew and when." Trump filed two separate lawsuits, each seeking $5 billion, against the BBC over its editing of a speech he delivered on January 6, which was featured in a Panorama episode. One claim alleges defamation, and the other centers on trade practice violations. Trump has said the edits were part of a deliberate attempt to harm his 2024 reelection campaign. A BBC spokesperson told The Guardian, "As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case." According to a U.S. legal source cited by the Mirror, "Trump thinks this lawsuit puts the BBC on trial in reality, it puts him on the stand. He has finally walked into a process he cannot control with a Tweet or a rally." The BBC is expected to submit discovery requests demanding Trump produce internal communications, emails, memos, and drafts relating to the Panorama segment. Every answer and document would be legally binding, with potential perjury charges for false statements. "If Trump wants billions, he's going to have to pay for it in disclosure. He's never faced questioning like this," the source added. "The evidence demands will be relentless. No one has ever been able to pin Trump down on his movements during the riot. If the BBC's legal team deposes him, that changes. They'll have him answering for every minute." Posting this video of January 6 so we never forget... -DW #insurrection #sedition pic.twitter.com/G3XPMrHxhe DeSota Wilson (@desota) December 15, 2025 Central Controversy The dispute centers on how Panorama edited Trump's speech. The broadcast highlighted the line urging supporters to "fight like hell" but omitted his instruction to protest "peacefully." BBC lawyers have argued that the suit lacks merit, noting that the episode did not air in the U.S. and that American viewers could not access the program. The corporation also contends that Trump cannot prove "overwhelming, reputational harm," especially since he won the 2024 election. Gregory Germain, a law professor at Syracuse University, described the case as "doomed." He said, "The facts were not false. Editing video to change the order of quotes to make a point is what video editors do every day." Legal and Political Stakes The Florida court where Trump filed the lawsuit is historically significant. It is the same venue where Hulk Hogan's defamation case led Gawker Media to declare bankruptcy. Media analyst Michael J. Socolow compared the potential impact of the Trump case to previous lawsuits against ABC and CBS, which resulted in multi-million-dollar settlements. "The BBC has to weigh the cost of litigation against the political fallout of a settlement," Socolow said. "If they fight the lawsuit, that could be seen as validating the charge that it has a bias against the American president. If they settle, it hands cash from the British citizenry directly to an American president." A White House official suggested that BBC journalists could face similar scrutiny and possible reprisals. Support Us Your Support will ensure EPWs financial viability and sustainability. The EPW produces independent and public-spirited scholarship and analyses of contemporary affairs every week. EPW is one of the few publications that keep alive the spirit of intellectual inquiry in the Indian media. Often described as a publication with a social conscience, EPW has never shied away from taking strong editorial positions. Our publication is free from political pressure, or commercial interests. Our editorial independence is our pride. We rely on your support to continue the endeavour of highlighting the challenges faced by the disadvantaged, writings from the margins, and scholarship on the most pertinent issues that concern contemporary Indian society. Every contribution is valuable for our future. Perhaps the best way to describe Wednesdays high winds in Butte would be wicked, causing power lines to fall, along with dozens of trees and numerous power outages. Debris littered the streets and some Christmas decorations went by the wayside. Butte residents have experienced strong gusts before. For nearly five hours, residents weathered the winds on June 13, 2020. Trees toppled within the city limits, along with at least 15 downed power lines reported. Even more trees would, within hours, blanket the floors of nearby mountains. Wind damage extensive was The Montana Standard headline, with the strongest gust recorded also at 63 miles per hour. At the time, an official with NorthWestern Energy said, in the last 40-plus years of wind records, weve never seen such an extended period of severe winds of 50-63 mph for almost five hours straight, not connected with thunderstorms. The strongest recorded winds in Butte occurred on Feb. 21, 1954, with a velocity of nearly 80 mph. The biggest casualty during that windstorm occurred at Newbro Drug, a five-story building at 702 S. Arizona St. Its 30-ton steel sign, measuring 110 feet, toppled, taking with it a good chunk of the concrete wall. Ministers have launched a new consultation on planning reform that could make it easier for farmers and rural businesses to expand, while accelerating housebuilding across England. Housing secretary Steve Reed has opened the consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with proposals designed to streamline decision-making and give greater weight to developments that support local businesses, rural areas and domestic food production. The reforms form part of the governments wider drive to unblock the planning system and boost growth, with ministers arguing that current processes are holding back both economic development and housing delivery. Mr Reed said the system was failing to deliver the outcomes people expect. Right now we see a planning system that still isnt working well enough. A system saying no more often than it says yes and that favours obstructing instead of building, he said. He said the consequences were being felt by those struggling to access housing. It has real-world consequences for those aspiring to own a home of their own and those hoping to escape so-called temporary accommodation we owe it to the people of this country to do everything within our power to build the homes they deserve. The consultation builds on earlier reforms and sits alongside the governments ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes. Mr Reed said ministers were now pushing further. Weve already laid the groundwork to get Britain building but our planning overhaul was only the first step to fix the housing crisis we face, he said, adding that he was going further than ever before to reach the target and expand home ownership. While the revised framework has been welcomed in parts, countryside campaigners have raised concerns about its potential impact on farmland. Rural charity CPRE said the draft contained positive elements, including support for urban densification, rural affordable housing and smaller builders, but warned that safeguards for the countryside remained weak. CPRE chief executive Roger Mortlock said there was lots to welcome in this draft revision to the National Planning Policy Framework, highlighting a focus on urban densification, a recognition of the importance of rural affordable housing, and welcome support including targets to encourage more SME builders. However, he warned that commitments to prioritise brownfield development lacked force. Any brownfield-first approach needs teeth. Brownfield targets are still missing, he said, pointing to CPRE research showing room for at least 1.4 million homes on brownfield sites in England alone. Mr Mortlock said CPRE remained concerned about speculative development in the countryside, particularly in rural local authorities facing higher housing targets. Already, every year since 2019, the UK has lost 3,800 acres of countryside on average equivalent to the footprint of a small city, he said. He also expressed concern about proposals affecting the Green Belt, warning against what he described as an automatic approval of rural development. We are wary of any automatic green light for development in the countryside, including in the Green Belt where the governments ill-defined grey belt policy isnt working, he said, adding that CPRE research shows the vast majority of new homes approved on grey belt sites will be built on unspoilt countryside. The consultation on the revised NPPF is now open, with ministers inviting responses from farmers, rural businesses, local authorities and community groups before final decisions are taken on the future direction of planning reform. NFU Mutuals Charitable Trust has distributed more than 1.2m to rural and community causes across the UK in 2025, backing 28 organisations tackling pressures from rural poverty to food insecurity. The funding forms part of NFU Mutuals wider 4m charitable giving commitment for the year and is aimed at supporting farming families, rural businesses and communities facing increasing economic and social challenges. Among the largest grants is 150,000 awarded to FareShare, the UKs leading food redistribution charity, which will use the funding to transport additional surplus food from farms and food businesses to people in need. FareShare works with a nationwide network of more than 8,000 charities and community groups, including schools, homelessness shelters, refuges and community kitchens. Alongside FareShare, the Trusts 2025 funding supports a broad range of organisations focused on rural welfare, agricultural education and community resilience. These include farming support charities, Young Farmers organisations, education trusts and rural wellbeing groups operating across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Charitable Trust is one of the main ways NFU Mutual delivers targeted donations, guided by an independent panel of trustees who help ensure funding reflects the needs of farming and rural communities throughout the UK. Jim McLaren MBE, chairman of NFU Mutual and the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, said the funding comes at a critical time. We know these are tough times for people living and working in farming and rural communities, he said. This funding will help deliver a wide range of initiatives across the UK, from tackling rural poverty and supporting small farming businesses to promoting agricultural education and improving health and wellbeing. Were proud to stand behind these important causes through the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. FareShare said the grant would have a direct impact on communities across the country. Graham Kelly, head of fundraising at FareShare, said: We are so grateful to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust for supporting us in this two-year programme. He said FareShare food is redistributed to over 8,000 charities across the UK, including homelessness shelters, schools, refuges, lunch clubs and community kitchens, helping millions of people experiencing food insecurity while also reducing food waste. Thanks to the funding from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, we can directly cover the cost of rescuing the equivalent of 2.04 million meals worth of edible surplus food, transporting it from farms to communities that need it most, including those in rural areas, he added. Applications for the Trusts next round of funding, which will be awarded in June 2026, are now open, with NFU Mutual encouraging charities working in farming and rural communities to apply. NFU Scotland has urged ministers to deliver a 90m uplift in farm funding as budget decisions loom, warning that now is the moment to turn political promises into action for farming and crofting. The union is pressing the Scottish government to commit to increased, multi-year and ring-fenced investment in agriculture, arguing that farming must be recognised as a central pillar of Scotlands economy, environment and food security. As part of that push, NFU Scotland is calling on ministers to honour their commitment that at least 70% of Agriculture and Rural Economy (ARE) funding will be allocated as direct support during the agricultural transition years of 2025/26 and 2026/27. The pledge was made publicly by First Minister John Swinney MSP at the unions conference in February, and NFU Scotland says it must now be reflected in the 202627 Scottish Budget. The union believes the Spending Review provides the necessary line of sight and fiscal headroom to deliver the 90m uplift. It says the upcoming budget will be a key test of whether Scottish agriculture is genuinely being prioritised within the governments wider economic strategy, a benchmark set out in NFU Scotlands new policy strategy and its forthcoming manifesto, due in early 2026. NFU Scotland president Andrew Connon said ministers must now back ambition with funding. The Scottish government says it wants a thriving rural economy, food security, climate delivery and nature restoration, he said. But none of those ambitions can be delivered without profitable, active farming and crofting. Ministers made a clear public commitment on future support, its now time to honour that promise and turn words into action. The union has warned that failure to increase and protect farm funding risks fragmented delivery, missed national targets and a rural economy unable to fulfil its potential. In its submission to the Scottish Budget, NFU Scotland sets out the economic case for investment, highlighting analysis suggesting that every 1 invested in farming generates around 6 in wider economic output. The sector supports thousands of rural businesses and underpins Scotlands 19bn food and drink industry. Farmers and crofters manage more than 70% of Scotlands land and are central to delivering outcomes on food security, climate action and biodiversity. NFU Scotland says that role cannot be fulfilled without consistent and credible support. Mr Connon said confidence was as important as funding levels. This is not just about headline figures, its about confidence, he said. We need a stable, long-term investment model that can support innovation, provide the platform for growth and unlock private finance. That starts with a real-terms increase, ring-fenced protection and a clear signal from government that agriculture matters. NFU Scotlands budget submission calls for a 90m uplift to the ARE budget, multi-year funding certainty, ring-fencing to prevent dilution of agricultural spend, a guarantee that at least 70% of funding goes to direct support during the transition period, and full delivery of the 26m Future Farming Investment Scheme. With the Scottish Budget approaching, NFU Scotland said the coming months would be decisive in determining whether farming and crofting are backed with the long-term investment needed to support sustainable growth, climate resilience and thriving rural communities. Nearly seven in 10 farmers say their relationship with supermarkets has worsened over the past two years, prompting renewed calls for a single food supply chain regulator to rebalance power and make farming feel less like survival. Farmers, MPs and industry groups are urging the government to strengthen the Groceries Code Adjudicator (CGA) and merge existing watchdogs into a single regulator overseeing the supply chain from farm to supermarket. Campaigners say the current system is fragmented and failing to protect producers from unfair buying practices. Research commissioned by organic veg box company Riverford found that 69% of farmers believe relations with retailers have worsened in the past two years, while more than two thirds said making a living from farming has never been harder. Three quarters reported financial pressure from supermarket buying practices. The findings underpin Riverfords #GetFairAboutFarming campaign, which is calling for a single regulator with stronger enforcement powers. More than 5,000 people have written to MPs backing the proposal, while 86 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion calling for existing supply chain regulators to be merged. According to the research, 76% of farmers believe the current regulatory framework does not protect them from unfair supermarket practices and is unfit for purpose. A similar proportion said a single regulator would lead to fairer treatment for British farmers. Growers reported widespread use of practices they describe as unfair, including cancelled orders, late payments, changes to terms without notice and pricing that fails to cover production costs. Almost all respondents said they had experienced at least one such practice, while 65% felt they had little choice but to accept supermarket terms for fear of being delisted. For many producers, this imbalance has had a direct impact on business viability. Apple grower Richard Stogdon, who farms in Sussex, said the relationship with supermarkets has substantively deteriorated. He added: We take enormous risks in growing these crops. Dairy farmer Haydn Evans, from Carmarthen in Wales, described how pressure within the supply chain can quickly rebound on producers. After successfully pushing his milk buyer to pass on a 1p per litre price rise from supermarkets, he said the buyer was delisted just three months later. Supermarket[s] know how much theyre taking and how vulnerable farmers are they exploit the power imbalance, he said. They know that you are always negotiating with two hands tied behind your back. Others have chosen to walk away from supermarket supply chains altogether. Third-generation farmer Jonathan Hoskyns said he no longer supplies retailers. I don't miss the stress and I don't miss the worry of not knowing what our fruit is worth until it has all been sold, he said. The pressure is also being felt beyond farm finances. More than eight in 10 farmers surveyed said unfair supermarket practices were contributing to stress and poor mental health within the farming community, while 61% said they considered their farm to be at financial risk because of retailer behaviour. Riverford founder Guy Singh Watson said the findings showed conditions were worsening for many producers. For three years our #GetFairAboutFarming campaign has been calling for a regulator with real teeth, one that can stand up to supermarkets and help address the huge imbalance of power in our supply chains, he said. Over 113,000 people have backed that call, and even Parliament has debated it, yet farmers are still being failed by a system thats meant to protect them. He disputed claims that the situation is improving. The GCA's own research suggests things are improving and that may be the case for large companies with supermarket contracts, but our findings show the opposite is true for the small and medium-sized family farms that produce most of our food, he said, adding that 69% of farmers reported worsening relations with supermarkets. Mr Singh Watson said the financial pressure undermines long-term sustainability. Farming shouldnt feel like survival. It should be a livelihood to be proud of, he said, arguing that squeezed margins make it harder for farmers to invest in soil health, animal welfare and environmental improvements. Support for reform has also come from campaign groups. Georgina Edwards, sustainable farming campaign officer at Sustain, said the research showed farmers were still being harmed by unfair trading practices. Orders cancelled at short notice and delayed payments are still causing harm to farming businesses and farmers mental health, she said. She warned that retailer behaviour was pushing farms in damaging directions. It is deeply concerning that three quarters of farmers say that retailers behaviour is driving farms towards more intensive, environmentally damaging practices, she said, urging ministers to use the current CGA review to join up regulation and properly resource enforcement. With the governments review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator under way, campaigners say the next few months represent a critical opportunity for ministers to reform supply chain regulation and deliver fairer treatment for the farmers who produce the UKs food. Many chefs in India are breathing new life into local ingredients by reintroducing them. Many chefs are returning to these traditional ingredients and using them to expand their menus by creating innovative dishes that not only feature these historic Indian foods but also reflect their cultural history and each regions unique growing practices and natural environment. Returning to their roots, todays chefs are breaking away from past preconceptions around food by incorporating indigenous ingredients and using contemporary culinary innovations to create new interpretations of classic recipes. As a result, customers are being reintroduced to the traditional flavours and ingredients that were once a staple of Indian households. The resurgence of culinary traditions that include these ancient Indian culinary traditions confirms the return to greatness for Indian cuisine as it celebrates the countrys rich biodiversity.. Echoing this philosophy in the wider world is Chef Mansoor Yunus Khan, Chef De Partie at Safar by Karimi in Cupertino, California, the USA, who believes in blending heritage-driven ingredients with contemporary techniques to create meaningful dining experiences. He details some of these ingredients enjoying a comeback. In This Article Moringa Flowers Not Just the Leaves! While traditional Indian food has used moringa flower since ancient times, today these delicately fragrant, soft-textured blooms elevate gourmet dishes through their unique flavour profile similar to that of mushroom or asparagus. Moringa flower enhances culinary creations from dals to fritters, and has quickly become very popular in the fine dining industry. Younger moringa flower buds provide chefs with a wonderfully sumptuous base for their artistic presentations of traditional cuisine, creating new culinary perceptions through creativity and the repurposing of ingredients. Moringa is truly an example of how we can integrate our heritage into contemporary culinary storytelling; it is not just a superfood but a cultural connector. Bengals famed winter jaggery, nolen gur has returned to the tables of fine dining restaurants. With its distinctive caramel-like flavour, it not only enhances sweet dishes but accentuates savoury ones as well. Many chefs are revisiting traditional Bengali recipes featuring nolen gur, such as the original Nolen Gurer Rosogolla and Sondesh, while giving new life to rice-based desserts such as Payesh made with nolen gur over the winter months. Other chefs are combining flavour profiles to create fusion dishes, including Nolen Gur Shrikhand, Kulfi, and even drinks infused with nolen gur, such as filter coffee, all showcasing the versatility of this once-neglected ingredient and the renewed interest in the culinary possibilities it inspires. Ambadi (Hibiscus Leaves) Ambadi (hibiscus leaves), once a common ingredient in traditional Indian cooking, are now experiencing a resurgence as a flavourful ingredient on gourmet menus. Due to its sour and tangy flavour, ambadi adds depth and zest to several traditional Indian dishes such as ambadichi bhaaji, gongura pappu, chutneys, and soups. Contemporary chefs have also found creative uses for ambadi in dosa batter, stir-fries, and meat and fish curries, showcasing this ingredients versatility. The revival of ambadi not only celebrates the return of traditional flavours but also provides a fresh, vibrant addition to contemporary foods enjoyed by modern consumers. Phalsa Berries Kokum Butter Chefs are noticing how versatile kokum butter can be when compared to shea butter. Though they have similar levels of fatty acids, kokum butters firmness makes it a better option for cooking and baking than shea butter. As kokum butter is also lighter and less oily than shea butter, it has created a gourmet or haute cuisine trend among chefs who are incorporating it into their recipes. This clean texture has enabled chefs to create velvety rich desserts and confections with kokum butter without altering their taste. The combination of the hardness, lightness, oiliness, and clean texture of kokum butter has led to increased interest from modern day chefs in using kokum butter in their kitchens. Chefs are noticing how versatile kokum butter can be when compared to shea butter. Though they have similar levels of fatty acids, kokum butters firmness makes it a better option for cooking and baking than shea butter. As kokum butter is also lighter and less oily than shea butter, it has created a gourmet or haute cuisine trend among chefs who are incorporating it into their recipes. This clean texture has enabled chefs to create velvety rich desserts and confections with kokum butter without altering their taste. The combination of the hardness, lightness, oiliness, and clean texture of kokum butter has led to increased interest from modern day chefs in using kokum butter in their kitchens. Mahua Flowers Phalsa berries have long been used in Indian home kitchens, but chefs are bringing these sweet and sour delights to the forefront with their new gourmet creations. Phalsa berries are small in size but have an intense sweet and sour flavour profile. Chefs use them in many recipes, from delicious phalsa sherbets to refreshing and versatile chutneys, jams, sorbets, and even savoury dishes, such as malai tikka or tangy phalsa shorba. Chef-created recipes and ideas for incorporating phalsa berries into desserts, including pies, compotes, and French toast, are also popular as a nostalgic yet contemporary twist. Mahua flowers are also on culinary delis gourmet menus in India. A product of nature containing both sugar and mineral, this unique flower can be used to make traditional Indian foods such as halwa, laddoos, porridge, and kheer, as well as modern culinary applications such as a savoury bhaji and a glaze to be used on vegetables such as baingan (aubergine). Mahua has long been used by various forest communities to sustain themselves during the lean season, and for many years in the world of Ayurveda for its cooling and nourishing properties. Today, mahua is being rediscovered by chefs due to the floral flavours found in this plant as well as its many culinary applications. As diners seek more flavour and authenticity in their meals, old Indian ingredients are resurfacing in modern culinary practice. Chefs are bringing to light the heritage, versatility, and incredible flavour of these ingredients. The return of these ingredients is not simply a trend but rather a return to the roots of Indian cuisine and evidence of its continuing influence on some of the most exciting culinary developments. Images: Shutterstock Disclaimer: All content is the authors own. Femina cannot be held liable for any mishap arising thereof Also Read: The Penang Table Brings You Malaysia In Mumbai Dig In! NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / Southern Company Southern Company Southern Company is proud to announce the company has earned the No. 1 ranking in the United States on this year's Military Times Best for Vets: Employers list. This marks the second time Southern Company has earned the top spot on this prestigious list, which recognizes companies that demonstrate exceptional dedication to hiring, retaining and supporting America's veterans. The Military Times Best for Vets list is a highly respected, independent evaluation that is compiled by surveying hundreds of companies and organizations across the country. The methodology used in evaluating employers includes recruitment and onboarding practices, retention and career advancement programs, and support for veterans and military spouses. "Southern Company's recognition as the No. 1 Best for Vets Employer is a powerful testament to the strength of our long-standing commitment to those who serve our country," said Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company. "We believe in the power of our veterans and are dedicated to being a great place for them to work because their leadership, discipline and dedication truly enrich our company and the communities we serve. It is important to us that we support our veterans as they transition into civilian life and grow their careers within our company, and I'm proud that commitment is something shared across our company." Southern Company has a longstanding commitment to supporting military members and their families through dedicated recruitment, career development and transition assistance programs. The company purposefully partners with military organizations and participates in veteran hiring initiatives to help service members successfully move into civilian energy careers, including a recent agreement with the United States Army Reserve's Private Public Partnership signed in August. Southern Company has repeatedly been recognized by a variety of organizations lauding its efforts in fostering a workplace that values the leadership and technical skills held by veterans, including ranking No. 2 overall on the 2026 Military Friendly Employer list and earning the status of a Gold Employer for Military Veterans by the U.S. Department of Labor. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Southern Company on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Southern Company Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/southern-company Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Southern Company View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/utilities/southern-company-ranked-as-the-no.-1-employer-in-the-us-on-2025-military-times-best-for-v-1118439 EQS-Ad-hoc: Dexus Finance Pty Limited / Key word(s): Personnel Dexus Finance Pty Limited: Appointment of non-executive director 17-Dec-2025 / 01:35 CET/CEST Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group . The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Dexus (ASX: DXS) ASX release 17 December 2025 Appointment of non-executive director Dexus is pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Gidney to the Board of Dexus Funds Management Limited (DXFM) as a non-executive director, effective 17 December 2025. Mr Gidney is an experienced company director and corporate advisor with more than 30 years' experience in investment banking. He has a strong financial background, understanding of global capital markets and extensive corporate risk and governance expertise, having worked with Australian and International groups on strategy, M&A and capital market transactions. During his investment banking career, at J.P. Morgan, Greenhill & Co and Citi, Mr Gidney was involved in strategy development and significant transactions for a number of global real estate fund managers, ASX listed REITs, managed investment schemes and private investors. These assignments included a wide breadth of mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital markets, and strategic activities. Mr Gidney is a Member of the Australian Takeovers Panel, Non-Executive Chair of FNZ (APAC) Group of Companies, a Non-Executive Director of Cettire Limited and a Director of Australian Financial Services Licensee, El Calamar Capital Pty Ltd. Warwick Negus, Chair of the DXFM Board said: "I am delighted to welcome Jon to Dexus. He is a highly skilled director who will bring extensive investment banking and real estate experience to the Board." Mr Gidney will join the Board Nomination & Governance Committee, Board Audit Committee and the Board People & Remuneration Committee and will stand for election at Dexus's next Annual General Meeting, to be held on 28 October 2026. As Mr Gidney was previously employed by Citi, a financial advisor to Dexus until September 2023, he is not currently considered an independent director. However, Mr Gidney's employment with Citi will have ceased more than three years prior the 2026 AGM and Dexus intends to revisit his independence status before he stands for election. Authorised by the Board of Dexus Funds Management Limited For further information please contact: Investors Rowena Causley Head of Listed Investor Relations +61 416 122 383 rowena.causley@dexus.com Media Luke O'Donnell Senior Manager, Media and Communications +61 412 023 111 luke.odonnell@dexus.com End of Inside Information Information and Explanation of the Issuer to this announcement: About Dexus Dexus (ASX: DXS) is a leading Australasian fully integrated real asset group, managing a high-quality Australasian real estate and infrastructure portfolio valued at $50.1 billion. The Dexus Platform includes the Dexus listed portfolio and the funds management business. The $14.5 billion listed portfolio includes direct and indirect ownership of office, industrial, retail, healthcare, infrastructure, alternatives and other investments. We manage a further $35.6 billion of investments in our funds management business which connects third party capital with exposure to quality sector specific and diversified real asset products. The funds within this business have a strong track record of delivering performance and benefit from Dexus's Platform capabilities. The Platform's $13.3 billion real estate development pipeline provides the opportunity to grow both the listed and funds' portfolios and enhance future returns. We are deeply connected to our purpose unlock potential, create tomorrow, reflecting our unique ability to create value for our people, customers, investors and communities over the long term. Our sustainability approach focuses on the priority areas where we believe we can make the most impact: Customer Prosperity, Climate Action and Enhancing Communities. Dexus is supported by more than 37,000 investors from 26 countries. With more than four decades of expertise in real asset investment, funds management, asset management and development, we have a proven track record in capital and risk management and delivering returns for investors. www.dexus.com Dexus Funds Management Limited ABN 24 060 920 783, AFSL 238163, as Responsible Entity for Dexus (ASX: DXS) (Dexus Property Trust ARSN 648 526 470 and Dexus Operations Trust ARSN 110 521 223) Level 30, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney NSW 2000 17-Dec-2025 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. View original content: EQS News HONG KONG, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ICAC Commissioner Woo Ying-ming, in his capacity of President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), earlier attended the IAACA Annual Conference held in Doha, Qatar and delivered an opening remarks through video conferencing. Mr Woo was going to head a delegation to Doha to chair the IAACA Executive Committee meeting, attend the IAACA Annual Conference and host bilateral meetings with heads of anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) between December 12 and 14. In light of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Mr Woo decided to stay in Hong Kong to oversee the related corruption investigation, and chose to attend the Annual Conference through video conferencing. Since the Commission assumed IAACA presidency in 2022, it was the first time for the ICAC to host the Annual Conference overseas. The event, which attracted over 250 graft fighters, government officials, international organisation representatives and prominent scholars from anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies of 80 jurisdictions worldwide, served as a platform to chart the path for enhancing global anti-corruption capability in the coming year. Mr Woo also took the opportunity to brief the international counterparts the comprehensive rescue and relief measures taken by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government after the Tai Po fire. "Following the tragedy, the government and the community work hand in hand to support the affected families. Apart from providing financial relief and accommodation, the government is also drawing up measures to enable the society to gradually return to normalcy. The ICAC, being the sole anti-corruption agency in Hong Kong, has launched a full investigation into possible corruption in the incident in order to bring lawbreakers to justice. As ICAC Commissioner, it is my duty to stay in Hong Kong at this critical juncture to oversee the progress and professionalism of the investigation," Mr Woo shared in the video. Mr Woo added that despite the challenges brought by the fire incident, the HKSAR Government conducted the Legislative Council General Election last Sunday as scheduled, as it was essential for the Government to work with the new legislature on legislative and systemic reforms as soon as possible to prevent reoccurrence of similar tragedies. "The ICAC also plays a crucial role in ensuring the integrity, fairness, justice and order of this public election. It demonstrates that the Government and citizens are working shoulder to shoulder to maintain constitutional order. It also shows our respect for the rule of law and our determination to create a brighter future," Mr Woo said. Mr Woo expressed his gratitude to Advocate Andy JL Mothibi, Head of the Special Investigating Unit of South Africa and the Vice President of IAACA, for hosting several important meetings in his stead. Apart from organising the IAACA conferences and coordinating related tasks, the ICAC team also attended other international anti-corruption conferences in Doha from December 14 to 19, including the Steering Committee Meeting of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network) under the United Nations to discuss its future development goals and work strategies. Joining the Chinese Mainland delegation, the ICAC team also participated in the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption to discuss the implementations and executions of the Convention with over a thousand members of the state parties. The ICAC team will also share the Commission's latest anti-corruption initiatives at various side events, covering diverse topics including the Corruption Risk Management Guide for Prison Systems, "Coding4Integrity Hackathon", technology-driven anti-corruption strategies, financial investigation techniques, methodologies on measuring the effectiveness of ACAs, etc. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2846530/1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2846531/4c_editted.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/icac-commissioner-attends-international-anti-graft-conference-online-while-staying-in-hong-kong-to-oversee-corruption-investigation-302644094.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 16, 2025) - PesoRama Inc. (TSXV: PESO) (OTC Pink: PSSOF) (FSE: ZE6) ("PesoRama" or the "Company"), a Canadian-based retailer operating dollar-store locations in Mexico under the JOI DOLLAR PLUS brand, announced today that a feature article produced by Market One highlighting the Company's operations and growth strategy has been published on BNN Bloomberg. The article provides an overview of PesoRama's retail platform, store footprint, leadership team, and the broader value-retail landscape in Mexico. The feature also examines global discount-retail trends and outlines PesoRama's approach to standardized pricing, merchandising, and corporate store ownership. To read the full article, please visit BNN Bloomberg at: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investment-trends/2025/12/16/pesorama-advances-strategy-to-establish-mexicos-first-nationwide-dollar-store-chain/. About PesoRama Inc. PesoRama, operating under the JOI DOLLAR PLUS brand, is a Mexican value dollar store retailer. PesoRama launched operations in 2019 in Mexico City and the surrounding areas targeting high density, high traffic locations. PesoRama's 30 stores offer consistent merchandise offerings which include items in the following categories: household goods, pet supplies, seasonal products, party supplies, health and beauty, snack food items, confectionery and more. To learn more about PesoRama, visit their website here. For the latest updates, follow PesoRama on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278276 Source: Market One Media Group Inc. 2026 startet mit einem Paukenschlag: Der DAX outperformt den US-Markt, Nachzugler holen auf. Ein erstes Signal, dass der Bullenmarkt an Breite gewinnt. Wahrend viele Anleger weiter auf die groen Tech-Namen setzen, hat sich im Hintergrund langst ein Umschwung vollzogen. Der Fokus verschiebt sich weg von uberteuerten KI-Highflyern hin zu soliden Qualitatswerten aus der zweiten Reihe. Anleger, die jetzt clever agieren, setzen nicht auf das, was war, sondern auf das, was kommt. Unternehmen mit gesunder Bilanz, unterschatztem Potenzial und begrenztem Abwartsrisiko konnten 2026 zu den groen Gewinnern zahlen. Die Gefahr einer scharferen Korrektur bleibt real, gerade fur passiv aufgestellte Investoren. In unserem neuen Spezialreport stellen wir funf Aktien vor, die genau jetzt das Potenzial fur uberdurchschnittliche Renditen bieten. Stark, gunstig und bislang kaum im Fokus. Jetzt kostenlosen Report herunterladen bevor es andere tun! Dieses exklusive PDF ist nur fur kurze Zeit gratis verfugbar. EQS Newswire / 17/12/2025 / 10:02 UTC+8 Berlin, Germany - December 17, 2025 - ( SeaPRwire ) - HIKMICRO introduced the HABROK 4K 2.0 to provide high-performance observational tools for hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and outdoor professionals. This handheld multi-spectrum binocular delivers clear, high-resolution imaging across a wide range of lighting conditions. Integrating thermal imaging, 4K digital optics, and a laser rangefinder into a compact binocular-style body, the HABROK 4K 2.0 improves field awareness, environmental assessment, and wildlife monitoring. Developed as the second generation of the HABROK 4K series, the HABROK 4K 2.0 builds upon the strengths of its predecessor while incorporating user feedback to enhance real-world usability. Its multi-spectrum imaging system overlays a sensitive thermal detector onto a 4K ultra-high-definition digital channel. This setup allows users to detect heat signatures, identify environmental details, and maintain visibility in low-light, shadowed, or partially obstructed conditions. The dual-channel design helps users switch smoothly between thermal and digital imagery throughout the day and night. Ergonomic Design for Extended Use The binocular's design accommodates users who spend long periods in the field. The compact housing balances naturally in the hands, reducing fatigue during extended scanning or methodical observation. Key controls sit within reach for one-handed operation, leaving the other hand free for navigating terrain or stabilizing movement. A rear focus wheel provides quick, tactile adjustment, while the integrated mode switch allows seamless transitions between thermal, digital, and infrared-assisted night views. Enhanced Stability and Continuous Imaging Digital stabilization reduces image shake during handheld use, which is particularly helpful when observing from uneven ground, in cold conditions, or over prolonged sessions. Shutterless thermal calibration enables continuous imaging, eliminating the pauses typically associated with traditional thermal devices. Users can track animal movement, environmental activity, and terrain changes without interruption. Integrated Distance Measurement The built-in laser rangefinder delivers accurate distance readings to support situational awareness, environmental assessment, and route planning. It helps users gauge the location of wildlife, landmarks, or terrain features relative to their position. The HABROK 4K 2.0 functions solely as an observational device, providing clear imaging and enhanced visibility without supporting shooting or targeting activities. "HABROK 4K 2.0 reflects our focus on practical and dependable tools for outdoor users," said [HIKMICRO spokesperson]. "Combining advanced imaging technologies with a familiar binocular-style layout helps users maintain clear visibility across varied environments and lighting conditions." The HABROK 4K 2.0 is available through authorized HIKMICRO dealers. For more information, visit the HIKMICRO website . About HIKMICRO HIKMICRO is a global leader in thermal imaging and optical technologies, offering effective solutions for professional and recreational applications. The company provides high-performance, user-friendly devices that support observation, safety, and environmental awareness. Contact Information Brand: HIKMICRO Contact: Lina Wang Email: wanglina21@hikmicrotech.com Website: https://www.hikmicrotech.com/en/ Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 16, 2025) - Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. (TSXV: DWS) ("Diamond Estates" or the "Company") announces the replacement of $4,654,000 aggregate principal amount of 10.0% unsecured convertible debentures of the Company (the "2024 Replacement Debentures"), which includes (i) the $2,850,000 aggregate principal amount of 10.0% unsecured convertible debentures of the Company issued to 3346625 Canada Inc. ("Lassonde Holding"), (ii) the $500,000 aggregate principal amount of 10.0% unsecured convertible debentures of the Company issued to Lassonde Industries Inc. ("Lassonde Industries", a joint actor of Lassonde Holding and together with Lassonde Holding, the "Lassonde Group"), and (iii) the $1,304,000 aggregate principal amount of 10.0% unsecured convertible debentures of the Company issued to Raymond James Ltd. in trust for MacNicol & Associates Asset Management Inc., with new debentures (the "2025 Replacement Debentures") maturing on November 9, 2026, the whole in accordance with the terms of the 2024 Replacement Debentures. The material terms of the 2025 Replacement Debentures, including their principal amounts, are the same as the 2024 Replacement Debentures, other than: (i) the conversion price, which is now $0.22; and (ii) the maturity date, which is now November 9, 2026. Lassonde Holding and Lassonde Industries, insiders of the Company, accepted an amendment to their existing debenture holdings by exchanging the 2024 Replacement Debentures for an aggregate of $3,350,000 in principal amount of 2025 Replacement Debentures, which are subject to a four month and one day hold period from the date of issuance in accordance with Canadian securities laws. The issuance of the 2025 Replacement Debentures to such insiders (the "Insider Issuance") may be considered related party transactions within the meaning of TSXV Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61 101"). As the Company's securities are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"), the Insider Issuance is exempt from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to subsection 5.5(b) of MI 61-101. The Insider Issuance was, however, approved by a simple majority of the disinterested shareholders at the Company's annual general and special meeting of shareholders on October 30, 2025, and is subject to the final approval of the TSXV. About Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Inc. Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Inc. is a producer of high-quality wines and ciders as well as a sales agent for over 120 beverage alcohol brands across Canada. The Company operates four production facilities, three in Ontario and one in British Columbia, that produce predominantly VQA wines under such well-known brand names as 20 Bees, Creekside, D'Ont Poke the Bear, EastDell, Lakeview Cellars, Mindful, Shiny Apple Cider, Fresh Wines, Red Tractor, Seasons, Serenity and Backyard Vineyards. Through its commercial division, Trajectory Beverage Partners, the Company serves as the sales agent for a wide range of leading international beverage brands. Wine Portfolio: Trajectory represents renowned wine brands, including Fat Bastard and Gabriel Meffre from France; Kaiken from Argentina; Kings of Prohibition from Australia; Yealands, Kono, Tohu, and Joiy Sparkling Wine from New Zealand; Talamonti and Cielo from Italy; Porta 6, Julia Florista, Boas Quintas, Catedral, and Cabeca de Toiro from Portugal; as well as C.K Mondavi & Family, Charles Krug, Line 39, Harken, FitVine, and Rabble from California. Trajectory also represents a broad portfolio of wines sold exclusively to restaurants, bars and private consumers. Spirits Portfolio: The Company also represents distinguished spirit brands such as Tag Vodka, Ginslinger Gin, and Barnburner Whisky from Ontario; Cofradia Tequila and Hussong's Tequila from Mexico; Islay Mist and Waterproof blended Scotch whiskies from Scotland; Glen Breton Canadian whiskies from Nova Scotia; Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur and Broker's Gin from the UK; Tequila Rose Strawberry Cream, 360 Vodka, and Holladay Bourbon from the USA; Giffard Liqueurs from France; and Becherovka from the Czech Republic. Beer, Cider, and RTD Portfolio: In the beer, cider, and ready-to-drink (RTD) categories, Trajectory represents TAG and Ginslinger RTDs, and Darling Mimosas from Ontario; Rodenbach beer from Belgium; La Trappe beer from the Netherlands; and Warsteiner beer from Germany. Early Warning Disclosure On December 16, 2025, Lassonde Holding, a corporation controlled by Mr. Pierre-Paul Lassonde, was issued a 2025 Replacement Debenture in the aggregate principal amount of $2,850,000 and Lassonde Industries was issued a 2025 Replacement Debenture in the aggregate principal amount of $500,000. Prior to the issuance of the 2025 Replacement Debentures, Lassonde Industries directly owned 32,846,506 common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Shares"), $500,000 in principal amount of 2024 Replacement Debentures and 847,603 deferred share units, which may be settled, at the discretion of Diamond Estates, for up to 847,603 Common Shares. Additionally, prior to the issuance of the 2025 Replacement Debentures, Lassonde Holding directly owned 2,117,824 Common Shares and $2,850,000 in principal amount of 2024 Replacement Debentures. As such, prior to the issuance of the 2025 Replacement Debentures, the Lassonde Group held 34,964,330 Common Shares, representing approximately 51.56% (on a non-diluted basis) of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares, $3,350,000 in principal amount of 2024 Replacement Debentures and 847,603 deferred share units. Following the issuance of the 2025 Replacement Debentures, based on the number of issued and outstanding Common Shares and without additional issuance or conversion of securities (including the 2025 Replacement Debentures), the security holdings of the Lassonde Group in Diamond Estates have not changed, except that the Lassonde Group now owns $3,350,000 in principal amount of 2025 Replacement Debentures in lieu of the 2024 Replacement Debentures. The 2025 Replacement Debentures are convertible into Common Shares. If Lassonde Industries was to convert all of its 2025 Replacement Debentures (exclusive of accrued interest, including interest on the 2024 Replacement Debentures), it would own, directly or indirectly, 35,119,233 Common Shares, representing approximately 50.11% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (based on the then current number of issued and outstanding Common Shares, assuming no additional issuance or conversion) and if Lassonde Holding was to convert all of its 2025 Replacement Debentures (exclusive of accrued interest, including interest on the 2024 Replacement Debentures), it would own, directly or indirectly, 15,072,369 Common Shares, representing approximately 18.66% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (based on the then current number of issued and outstanding Common Shares, assuming no additional issuance or conversion). If both Lassonde Industries and Lassonde Holding were to convert all of their 2025 Replacement Debentures, the Lassonde Group would own, directly or indirectly, 50,191,602 Common Shares, representing approximately 60.44% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (based on the then current number of issued and outstanding Common Shares, assuming no additional issuance or conversion). The participation by the Lassonde Group in the issuance of the 2025 Replacement Debentures was undertaken for investment purposes and to assist Diamond Estates with the execution of its strategic plan. The Lassonde Group may, from time to time, acquire additional securities of Diamond Estates for investment purposes and to assist Diamond Estates with the execution of its strategic plan and may, from time to time, increase or decrease its beneficial ownership or control of Diamond Estates depending on market or other conditions, general economic conditions, Diamond Estates' business and financial condition and other factors. This news release is being issued as required by National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues and National Instrument 62-104 - Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids and relates to: (a) Lassonde Holding, whose head office is located at 54 rang de la Montagne, Rougemont, Quebec, J0L 1M0 and (b) Lassonde Industries, whose head office is located at 755 rue Principale, Rougemont, Quebec, J0L 1M0. Copies of the early warning reports with additional information in respect of the foregoing matters will be available under the Company's profile on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca or by contacting: For Lassonde Holding: Pierre Boulais, Financial Director 3346625 Canada Inc. 54 Rang de la Montagne, Rougemont, Quebec, J0L 1M0 450-469-2912 For Lassonde Industries: Eric Gemme, Chief Financial Officer Lassonde Industries Inc. 755 rue Principale, Rougemont, Quebec, J0L 1M0 450-469-4926, ext. 10456 Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Diamond Estates to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to the economy generally; consumer interest in the services and products of the Company; financing; competition; and anticipated and unanticipated costs. While the Company acknowledges that subsequent events and developments may cause its views to change, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the views of the Company as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278308 Source: Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. SCENTMATIC Inc. (CEO: Toshiharu Kurisu, Headquarters: Tokyo, hereinafter "SCENTMATIC"), a company dedicated to proposing new customer experiences through the digitalization of the sense of smell, is pleased to announce the installation of its AI system, "KAORIUM," at @cosme HONG KONG, which celebrated its grand opening on Friday, December 5, 2025. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216065841/en/ Experience KAORIUM in store This installation marks KAORIUM's first deployment in Hong Kong and coincides with the opening of the first overseas flagship store by istyle Inc., the operator of Japan's largest beauty platform, @cosme. About @cosme HONG KONG @cosme HONG KONG is the fourth @cosme flagship store globally, following three locations in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya). Located in Tsim Sha Tsui, a central district frequently visited by tourists from around the world, the store occupies three floors and approximately 393 tsubo (approx. 1,300 square meters) of prime retail space. The KAORIUM Experience: Fusing Digital and Real-World Scent Discovery KAORIUM is an AI system that translates scent into language, offering a new, intuitive way to encounter fragrances. The system addresses the common difficulty consumers face in selecting scents from a vast array of products. At @cosme HONG KONG, KAORIUM analyzes the characteristics of in-store fragrances and links them to a unique "Scent Index", which expresses the scent profiles using 16 different words. Customers can interact with the KAORIUM device and the Scent Index to visualize the often ambiguous impression of a fragrance through concrete language, allowing them to intuitively discover scents that align with their personal preferences. Seamless Integration with the @cosme App To provide a seamless omnichannel experience, the KAORIUM system is integrated with the @cosme app (Hong Kong version). After interacting with KAORIUM, customers can scan a QR code to save their personalized diagnosis results directly to their app. This feature ensures that the unique in-store discovery experience remains accessible as digital data. Customers can refer to their preferred scent profile later at home or at other locations, enhancing their ongoing purchasing journey. Future Outlook The debut of KAORIUM in Hong Kong serves as a significant milestone for SCENTMATIC. The company intends to leverage this initial success to further strengthen its business presence in the Asian region and proactively advance its global market expansion. Note: KAORIUM is a registered trademark of SCENTMATIC Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216065841/en/ Contacts: SCENTMATIC Inc. Company: https://scentmatic.co.jp/ Get in touch: https://scentmatic.co.jp/contact-en DKSH Management Ltd. / Key word(s): Acquisition/Takeover DKSH Technology Signs Biomedic Acquisition in Vietnam 17.12.2025 / 07:00 CET/CEST Media Release DKSH has signed an agreement to acquire Biomedic Science Material Joint Stock Company ("Biomedic"), a leading distributor of equipment and reagents used in the biotechnology and diagnostic market in Vietnam. With this transaction, DKSH Technology further extends its scientific solutions business in line with the Business Unit's strategy to solidify its position as a leading scientific solutions provider in Asia and Beyond. Zurich, Switzerland, December 17, 2025 - DKSH has signed an agreement to acquire Biomedic, a leading Vietnamese distributor of testing, diagnosis and screening solutions in oncology, obstetrics and gynecology, infectious diseases, and forensics. Established in 2008, Biomedic is based in Hanoi, Vietnam, with over 80 employees across three locations in Vietnam. The company generates annual net sales of around CHF 12 million1 at good profitability. Leveraging long-standing relationships with renowned blue-chip clients, Biomedic serves a broad customer base in the Vietnamese healthcare industry, including prestigious hospitals, testing centers, and fertility support centers. Based on its equipment placement model, Biomedic generates a high share of revenues from recurring consumables. Mr. Cao Tien Dung, Founder of Biomedic, said: "Over nearly two decades, we have established a strong track record of successfully connecting global biotechnology companies with our customer network across the Vietnamese market. The combination with DKSH marks the next leap in our growth trajectory. Our existing customer base will unlock growth opportunities for DKSH across Vietnam, while we can further scale our business through the Group's strong sales channels. We are confident that this step will deliver meaningful benefits to both our business partners and our valued employees." Hanno Elbraechter, Head Business Unit Technology at DKSH, said: "We are delighted to join forces with Biomedic. Biomedic is known in the industry for its market-leading application and scientific workflow knowledge, as well as a strong team of sales, service and application specialists covering both northern and southern Vietnam. Biomedic will enable DKSH Technology to further build on its strong market position across the growing life science and healthcare space in Vietnam." The closing of the transaction is expected during the first quarter of 2026 and is subject to certain conditions. 1 1 Swiss franc equals 33'220 Vietnamese Dong. About DKSH For 160 years, DKSH has been delivering growth for companies in Asia and beyond across its Business Units Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Performance Materials, and Technology. As a leading Market Expansion Services provider, DKSH offers sourcing, market insights, marketing and sales, eCommerce, distribution and logistics as well as after-sales services, following its purpose of enriching people's lives. DKSH is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, DKSH operates in 36 markets with 28,060 specialists, generating net sales of CHF 11.1 billion in 2024. DKSH Business Unit Technology offers complete solutions for specialized scientific and industrial applications. With around 1,820 specialists, the Business Unit generated net sales of CHF 549 million in 2024. www.dksh.com/tec For further information, please contact: DKSH Holding Ltd. Till Leisner Head, Investor & Media Relations, Sustainability Phone +41 44 386 7315 till.leisner@dksh.com Melanie Gruter Manager, Group Media Relations Phone +41 44 386 7211 melanie.grueter@dksh.com LONDON, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UK-based education multinational GEDU Global Education has signed an agreement with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), formally committing to operate one of its 32 international training centres located around the world. The mission of the training centres is to provide capacity building programmes that support the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015. The agreement was signed at a session of the XXII Annual Steering Committee Meeting of the CIFAL Global Network that took place in London from 9 to 11 December, bringing together over 70 delegates from more than 30 countries. CIFALs are centers specialised in providing professional training for government officials and civil society representatives. The name is a French acronym that stands for Centre International de Formation des Autorites et Leaders. Throughout the week, delegates formally reviewed the performance of this Network that trained more than 161,000 beneficiaries in 2025, and also adopted a comprehensive capacity building strategy to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs during the next 5 years. In this framework, GEDU released its inaugural Sustainability Report alongside the UK Minister for AI and Online Safety, Kanishka Narayan, at an event hosted in Parliament by Baroness Verma. The report details the work being done across the group by all its institutions in support of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs. GEDU Group CEO, Dr Vishwajeet Rana said this is a landmark agreement. "The partnership means we can push on with our sustainability work hand-in-hand with the United Nations, UNITAR and all of the CIFAL centres around the world. Last week in London, we've identified areas for collaboration for 2026, considering how UN 2.0 and the Pact for the Future will shape the UN's development agenda towards the year 2030, while also agreeing to specific targets and how to achieve them." Dr. Rana also mentioned GEDU's Sustainability Report released with the UK's Minister for AI and Online Safety. "The report presents the work being done by our 16 institutions to address all of the SDGs, including the SDG that they have specifically adopted and will lead globally for GEDU. It outlines our ambitions for 2026 and beyond". He also added "GEDU's contribution to UNITAR is global too - it's not limited to London. With institutions across 16 countries - from Toronto and Tampa in the Americas, across Europe and the Middle East and India, to Brisbane in Asia-Pacific - we are able to bring a global perspective and have a global impact." Mr. Alex Mejia, Director of UNITAR's Division for People and Social Development, also the Head of the CIFAL Global Network, said "This strategic agreement with GEDU is key to build the capacity needed to deliver the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals". He added "Many of our CIFAL Centres are hosted at universities, which demonstrates the important role higher education plays in this endeavour, and our commitment to continued partnerships with like-minded institutions. He added "Having CIFAL London operated by a prestigious organisation like GEDU will facilitate our work to reach 200,000 beneficiaries next year. Its operations across several continents and a truly global scope fill me with tremendous confidence about what we can achieve together in the near future." About GEDU: GEDU Global Education (GEDU) is changing lives through education and making a fundamental difference to living standards and access to learning globally. We have operations in 16 countries, including the USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Malta, UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Ireland and Canada. We offer a range of educational opportunities- from K12 through Bachelor's and Master's degrees, Ph.D., DBA, plus apprenticeships and language schools. Our portfolio has over 80,000 students, covers a wide range of subjects and is characterised by a keen focus on both employability and student experience to maximise return on investment for students. Education is transformative, and this is what drives us. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gedu-global-education-signs-agreement-with-united-nations-agency-unitar-during-xxii-cifal-annual-meeting-in-london-302644038.html Score of 76/100 achieved in 2025, marking an 8-point improvement year over year Silver Medal awarded by EcoVadis, the global leader in sustainability ratings AFYREN now ranked among the top 8% of companies worldwide assessed by EcoVadis Regulatory News: AFYREN (Paris:ALAFY), a greentech company that offers manufacturers biobased, low-carbon ingredients produced through a unique fermentation technology based on a completely circular model, has been awarded a Silver Medal by EcoVadis for the third year in a row, further improving its score from last year. EcoVadis is one of the most recognized independent platforms for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) assessments. In 2025, AFYREN was honored with the EcoVadis Silver Medal, achieving a score of 76/100 and ranking among the top 8% of companies worldwide assessed by EcoVadis. AFYREN's 2025 rating improved by 8 points compared to 2024 (+7 points in 2024 vs. 2023) in the category "Small to Mid-sized companies with 100 to 999 employees", despite increasingly stringent evaluation standards. Furthermore, AFYREN's extra-financial performance has been reassessed by the extra-financial rating agency EthiFinance, using a new methodology based on CSRD requirements. This in-depth and more rigorous ESG analysis confirmed the excellent results announced in March 20251, with an upgraded score of 82/100 and a Platinum medal2, placing the company among the top three in its sector alongside major players, and in second position within the 'Chemicals products' subsector3 The EcoVadis and EthiFinance ratings are based on international CSR standards and provide an evidence-based analysis of performance and an actionable roadmap for continuous improvement. Each company is assessed on key issues according to its size, location and business sector. Caroline PETIGNY, AFYREN's Chief Sustainability Officer, stated: "These new ratings place us in the exclusive circle of the most committed companies. They provide strong recognition of the relevance of our circular, low carbon greentech model and are a testament to our commitment to continuous improvement. They acknowledge the daily dedication of our teams and partners to embed environmental, social, and ethical considerations at the heart of our decisions, in a context where rating requirements are becoming increasingly stringent. Beyond the recognition, these assessments provide AFYREN with a clear roadmap to keep advancing and consistently raising our CSR standards year after year." About EcoVadis EcoVadis is the world's leading platform for assessing and rating corporate sustainability performance. It offers innovative solutions for measuring, monitoring and improving the CSR practices of companies worldwide. Its main objective is to promote CSR by assessing performance using a rigorous methodology and transparent rating criteria. More than 130,000 companies in over 180 countries have been assessed by EcoVadis. The EcoVadis evaluation considers 21 CSR criteria divided into four fundamental themes: Social Environment, Human Rights, Ethics and Responsible Purchasing. About AFYREN AFYREN is a French greentech company, founded in 2012, focused on providing innovative, sustainable solutions to reduce reliance on fossil-based resources. AFYREN's proprietary, nature-inspired fermentation technology valorizes local biomass from non-food agricultural co-products to produce 100% biobased, low-carbon carboxylic acids. The company's sustainable solutions address decarbonization challenges in a wide variety of strategic sectors, including human and animal nutrition, flavors and fragrances, life sciences, materials science, plus lubricants and technical fluids. AFYREN's competitive, plug-and-play, circular technology enables manufacturers to adopt sustainable solutions without modifying production processes. The company's first industrial plant, AFYREN NEOXY, a joint venture with Bpifrance's SPI fund, is based in the Grand-Est region of France, serving primarily the European market. AFYREN is also pursuing a project in Thailand with a global leader in the sugar industry and is building its presence in the Americas, based on existing distribution agreements. At the end of 2024, AFYREN employed 130 people across sites in Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand and Carling Saint-Avold. Committed to continuous innovation, the company invests 20% of its annual budget in R&D to further develop the range of sustainable solutions. AFYREN is listed on Euronext Growth Paris since 2021 (ISIN code: FR0014005AC9, ticker: ALAFY). For more information, visit www.afyren.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 1 See AFYREN's 2024 annual results, press release available here 2 AFYREN's scores over the past three years, based on EthiFinance's new methodology, have been reassessed, with the following results: 74/100 for fiscal year 2022, 77/100 for fiscal year 2023, and 82/100 for fiscal year 2024. 3 Based on the report issued December 12, 2025 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216112913/en/ Contacts: AFYREN Director for ESG, Communications and Public Affairs Caroline Petigny caroline.petigny@afyren.com Investor Relations Mark Reinhard invest@afyren.com NewCap Investor Relations Theo Martin Mathilde Bohin Tel: +33 1 44 71 94 94 afyren@newcap.eu Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau Gaelle Fromaigeat Tel: +33 1 44 71 94 98 afyren@newcap.eu MC Services AG (international) Investor Relations Bettina Ellinghorst Media Relations Shaun Brown, Dr. Johanna Kobler Tel: +49 89 210 228 0 afyren@mc-services.eu Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. (CSE: QESS) (OTCQB: QESSF) (FSE: JG6) ("Aegis" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with Critical Infrastructure Technologies Ltd. (CSE: CTTT) (OTCQB: CITLF) (FSE: X9V), a leading developer of autonomous, high-capacity mobile communications and security platforms. The agreement establishes a framework for the two companies to exchange confidential information and evaluate potential collaboration opportunities across secure energy, digital platforms, and critical infrastructure applications. Under the NDA, Aegis and CiTech will explore areas of mutual interest that may include: Secure and resilient energy systems Digital platforms, data, and systems integration Critical infrastructure, government, and defence-adjacent use cases Public safety, emergency response, and national resilience initiatives The Confidentiality Agreement does not commit either party to a transaction or partnership but enables structured discussions while protecting proprietary and sensitive information, to allow the completion of an MOU. "This agreement enables both organizations to evaluate how our respective capabilities may align across secure energy and digital domains," said Paul Dickson, CEO of Aegis. "It represents an important step in responsibly exploring collaboration opportunities within regulated and critical infrastructure environments." Brenton Scott, CEO of CiTech, added, "CiTech works extensively in secure, mission-critical digital environments. This NDA provides an appropriate foundation to explore potential collaboration with Energy Plug while maintaining strong governance and information protection." About Critical Infrastructure Technologies Ltd. Listed on the CSE with operations in Perth, Western Australia, CiTech is creating autonomous, high capacity, rapidly deployable technology that delivers essential services to where they are needed most. CiTech is targeting the mining, defence, border security/surveillance and emergency services sectors in relation to its first product release, the Nexus 16, which aims to provide critical mobile telecommunications for such sectors. Using patented technologies, CiTech's self-deploying platform (SDP) provides a solution for two of the greatest limitations of current rapidly deployable communication solutions, strength of the tower and ability to rapidly self-deploy and operate, in numerous situations. The SDP is designed to support radio equipment including LTE (Long Term Evolution) and several other technological payloads, such as surveillance and anti-drone systems. CiTech has completed the research and development phase and is currently commercialising the first of many products that will be released. To learn more about the Company, visit www.citech.com.au. About Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. (CSE: QESS) (OTCQB: QESSF) (FSE: JG6) develops and integrates advanced battery energy storage systems for defence, critical infrastructure, industrial, and AI data centre applications. Through strategic partnerships with Indigenous communities and global technology leaders, Aegis delivers rugged, intelligent, and secure energy systems designed for the next generation of mission-critical operations. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp.'s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278309 Source: Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. Boblingen, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - The Herman Hollerith Centre, Reutlingen University's Hub for computer science research and teaching, has launched its first cohort of the Industrial PhD Programme for the Winter Semester 2025/2026. Six doctoral candidates have started research projects designed to bridge the gap between academic excellence and business practice - delivering measurable impact for companies and the wider economy. Herman Hollerith Centre - the Education and Research Hub for the Digital Future Photo: Herman Hollerith Centre Usable for editorial purposes To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8871/278210_real_793bf233-263d-4cd2-88b4-7e707bbc5591_550.jpg Why Industrial PhDs matter for Business and Investors Traditional PhDs often remain theoretical, with limited direct impact on business operations. For this reason, countries such as Great Britain and Denmark launched structural programmes for industrial PhDs some time ago. However, such programmes are still rarely available in German-speaking countries. The Industrial PhD Programme takes a different approach: It embeds research in real-world corporate challenges, ensuring that outcomes are not only scientifically rigorous but also commercially relevant. For investors and analysts, the programme signals a strategic commitment to innovation - a critical factor for long-term competitiveness in an increasingly digital economy. Corporate Partnerships and Market-Relevant Research The first cohort collaborates with leading companies all of Germany, Austria and Switzerland on projects addressing critical aspects of digital transformation. The research projects undertaken by the first cohort address some of the most pressing challenges in digital transformation. They explore how artificial intelligence can be leveraged to strengthen cyber security, assess the resilience and efficiency of existing IT infrastructures during corporate restructuring, and develop dynamic pricing models for e-commerce platforms. Each of these areas represents a high-impact domain for businesses navigating digital disruption. The results will deliver actionable insights and prototypes that accelerate innovation cycles, reduce operational risk and create measurable competitive advantages. Economic Impact By integrating doctoral research into corporate strategy, businesses gain access to highly qualified talent and solutions tailored to their needs. This reduces time-to-market for new technologies, strengthens digital security and supports sustainable growth models. Therefore, industrial PhD programmes can have a positive impact on economic growth in terms of transfer between science and industry. Global Network and Future Outlook The Herman Hollerith Centre collaborates with top universities and corporations around the world. This international network ensures knowledge exchange, joint publications and participation in global conferences - all of which enhance the scientific quality and market relevance of the programme. The next cohort will start in April 2026 with a dedicated focus on artificial intelligence and cyber security - two technologies shaping the future of digital markets. "We are redefining doctoral research: practical, globally connected and future oriented. This programme creates results that accelerate innovation and deliver real value for both business and academia," says Professor Alexander Rossmann, Dean of the research centre. Partner with the Herman Hollerith Centre - Shape the Future of Digital Innovation Businesses interested in partnering or exploring collaboration opportunities for future cohorts can find detailed information online. The Industrial PhD Programme offers a unique chance to combine academic excellence with market-driven innovation - a strategic investment in talent and technology. About the Herman Hollerith Centre The Herman Hollerith Centre is an innovative Education and Research Ecosystem with a strong focus on digital transformation. It offers practice-oriented degree programmes, works closely with industry and maintains a robust network of corporate partners. With more than 450 students currently enrolled, the centre plays a key role in driving digital innovation regionally, nationally, and internationally. More information can be found at: https://www.hhz.de/en/ https://www.industrial-phd.com/ Press Contact: Gundula Vogel Tel.: +49 (0)7121 / 271-1003 Email: gundula.vogel@reutlingen-university.de Reutlingen University Herman Hollerith Centre I HHC Danziger Str. 6 71034 Boblingen (Germany) To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278210 Source: PRNews OU Agreement underscores Norgine's mission to bring innovative therapies to patients and builds on our heritage in hepatology and specialty pharmaceuticals. Vir Biotechnology's chronic hepatitis delta treatment candidate has shown robust virological responses and reflects a differentiated approach to treatment. UXBRIDGE, England, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Norgine, a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced an exclusive licensing agreement under which Norgine will commercialise the combination of tobevibart and elebsiran for the treatment of chronic hepatitis delta (CHD) in Europe, Australia and New Zealand following the necessary marketing authorisations. There is a high unmet medical need for effective treatments for CHD given potential limitations with existing treatment options. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Vir Biotechnology will receive a EUR 55 million initial reimbursement payment and up to EUR 495 million in potential regulatory and commercial milestone payments. Additionally, Vir Biotechnology will receive tiered, mid-teen to high-twenties percent royalties on net sales in Norgine's licensed territories. Clinical development costs for the ongoing trials in Vir Biotechnology's ECLIPSE registrational program (ECLIPSE 1, 2 and 3) will be shared, with Norgine contributing a percentage of go-forward external costs. Norgine will be responsible for all commercialisation activities and will hold all marketing authorisations in its licensed territories. The closing of this transaction with respect to certain jurisdictions outside the United States is subject to Norgine receiving regulatory approval from the applicable authorities as may be required. "Norgine has a rich history in hepatology and specialty care and this transaction represents a highly innovative and synergistic portfolio addition to continue our strong foothold in this space," said Janneke van der Kamp, Chief Executive Officer of Norgine. "By combining our proven commercial and regional expertise with cutting-edge science from Vir Biotechnology, we are reinforcing our commitment to improving healthcare outcomes. Collaborations like this affirm Norgine's position as a partner-of-choice for companies seeking a trusted collaborator in Europe, Australia and New Zealand." "This collaboration strengthens our ability to deliver this important therapy to patients with chronic hepatitis delta in need of efficacious, safe and convenient treatment options," said Marianne De Backer, M.Sc., Ph.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Vir Biotechnology. "Norgine's proven track record in specialty medicines across Europe, Australia and New Zealand complements our clinical development mettle and ongoing registrational efforts. Together, we aim to broaden access and improve outcomes for people living with this severe disease." The combination of tobevibart and elebsiran offers the potential to treat the disease by tackling the viral lifecycle through multiple mechanisms. Tobevibart is an investigational neutralising monoclonal antibody that has been engineered for immune engagement. Elebsiran is an investigational small interfering RNA (siRNA) that is designed to enable targeted delivery to the liver and to reduce hepatitis B surface antigen, a protein which is required for the hepatitis D virus life cycle. About Tobevibart and Elebsiran Tobevibart is an investigational broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody targeting the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). It is designed to inhibit the entry of hepatitis B and hepatitis delta viruses into hepatocytes and to reduce the level of circulating viral and subviral particles in the blood. Tobevibart was identified using Vir Biotechnology's proprietary monoclonal antibody discovery platform. The Fc domain has been engineered to increase immune engagement and clearance of HBsAg immune complexes and incorporates Xencor's Xtend technology to extend half-life. Tobevibart is administered subcutaneously, and it is currently in clinical development for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis delta. Elebsiran is an investigational hepatitis B virus-targeting small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) discovered by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. It is designed to degrade hepatitis B virus RNA transcripts and limit the production of hepatitis B surface antigen. Current data indicate that it has the potential to have direct antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus and hepatitis delta virus. Elebsiran is administered subcutaneously, and it is currently in clinical development for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis delta (CHD). The combination of tobevibart and elebsiran has been granted Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Priority Medicines (PRIME) and orphan drug designations by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). About Chronic Hepatitis Delta (CHD) CHD is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis1 and was recently classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.2 People living with the disease rapidly progress to cirrhosis, liver failure3 and liver-related death.1 There are currently no approved treatments in the U.S., and options are limited in the European Union and globally. About Norgine Norgine is a mid-sized EU-based pharmaceutical company with 1,500 employees, generating approximately $600 million in annual sales. At Norgine, innovation drives our mission to deliver medicines that change lives. From common conditions like constipation to rare and severe diseases such as childhood cancer, we target unmet medical needs because we believe that every scientific breakthrough deserves to reach patients in need. We use our innovative development, commercialisation and manufacturing capabilities as well as strategic partnerships to navigate complex pathways. Combined with our extensive history and deep regional expertise, this approach allows us to accelerate and expand the reach of life-changing medicines across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. We are guided by the trust that healthcare professionals and patients place in us and remain committed to delivering innovation that transforms lives, one patient at a time. References: 1 NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Hepatitis D - NIDDK (nih.gov), accessed September 2025 2 Karagas, Margaret R et al., Carcinogenicity of hepatitis D virus, human cytomegalovirus, and Merkel cell polyomavirus, The Lancet Oncology, Volume 26, Issue 8, 994 - 995. 3 CDC What is Hepatitis D - FAQ | CDC, accessed September 2025 Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our future operations, strategy, plans, objectives, and anticipated product launches. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "seek", and similar expressions identify such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, among others: regulatory approvals, clinical development outcomes, manufacturing and supply chain risks, market acceptance, competitive dynamics, and changes in applicable laws. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Norgine undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2846726/5684424/Norgine_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/norgine-enhances-hepatology-and-specialty-portfolio-through-exclusive-in-licensing-agreement-with-vir-biotechnology-302643981.html MidOcean Energy ("MidOcean"), a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company formed and managed by EIG, a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors, today announced the completion of its acquisition of a 20% interest in PETRONAS' key entities in Canada. The transaction includes a 20% interest in the North Montney Upstream Joint Venture ("NMJV"), which holds PETRONAS' upstream investment in Canada, and a 20% interest in the North Montney LNG Limited Partnership ("NMLLP"), which holds PETRONAS' 25% participating interest in the LNG Canada Project. This strategic investment positions MidOcean across the LNG value chain, securing upstream resources and downstream liquefaction through the LNG Canada Project, with around 0.7 MTPA of associated LNG and potential to grow further. RBC Capital Markets acted as financial advisor to MidOcean, and Latham Watkins acted as legal advisor. About EIG EIG is a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors with $24.3 billion assets under management as of September 30, 2025. EIG specializes in private investments in energy and energy-related infrastructure on a global basis. During its 43-year history, EIG has committed over $51.7 billion to the energy sector through 421 projects or companies in 44 countries on six continents. EIG's clients include many of the leading pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds in the U.S., Asia and Europe. EIG is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Houston, London, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong and Seoul. About MidOcean Energy MidOcean Energy, an LNG company formed and managed by EIG, seeks to build a diversified, resilient, cost- and carbon-competitive global LNG portfolio. It reflects EIG's belief in LNG as a critical element of a lower carbon, competitive and more secure global energy system. MidOcean Energy has diverse LNG interests, including in Gorgon LNG, Pluto LNG, QCLNG and Peru LNG. The company is headed by De la Rey Venter, a 27-year industry veteran who has held a variety of senior executive roles, including Global Head of LNG for Shell Plc. For additional information, please visit MidOcean Energy's website at www.midoceanenergy.com or EIG's website at www.eigpartners.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216703277/en/ Contacts: EIG/MidOcean Contact Information FGS Global Kelly Kimberly Brandon Messina +1 212-687-8080 EIG@fgsglobal.com Global leader in Invoice Lifecycle Management combines with Australia's leading provider of accounts payable automation to bring next generation, AI-powered solutions to fast-growing middle market SYDNEY, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Basware, a global leader in Invoice Lifecycle Management, today announced that it has acquired Redmap, a leading Australian provider of Accounts Payable (AP) automation software. Together, Basware and Redmap will deliver a portfolio of AI-driven solutions to middle market and enterprise companies, empowering them to manage the entire invoice lifecycle. "Today's finance environments are more complex than ever, and every organization - not just the largest companies - needs solutions to streamline and simplify financial processes," said Jason Kurtz, CEO Basware. "Redmap understands this, and their team has built a great product tailored for middle market companies and ERP platforms. Together, we can bring innovation, capabilities and resources often reserved for large enterprises, to transform finance organizations and accounts payable operations for these customers and drive long-term efficiency and growth." Tapping a Fast-Growing Market The opportunity is significant. Australia and the broader APAC region are primed for rapid adoption of invoice management solutions. As governments push e-invoicing standards and companies adapt to ever-changing regulatory standards, such as Australia's new Aged Care Act, organisations across the region are seeking smarter, faster and more compliant ways to manage growing invoice volumes. Grand View Research values the 2025 market for AP automation solutions in the APAC region at $770 million and expects it to double to $1.4 billion by 2030. With the acquisition of Redmap, Basware is strongly positioned to capitalise on this opportunity. Redmap's solutions help hundreds of organisations across multiple industries, including retail, mining, and aged care, achieve faster invoice processing, improved accuracy, and greater financial visibility. This has helped them become a trusted partner for their customers, such as Evolution Mining, Lowes Menswear and Officemax, and ERP partners, such as Melbourne based Pronto Software. Basware's Invoice Lifecycle Management Platform is the industry's leading AI-driven unified invoice automation platform. Built on decades of AP innovation, the platform combines AI-driven automation with the world's largest AP dataset, built-in compliance and an open invoice network to give finance teams complete control over the entire invoice process and the visibility they need to make smarter, faster decisions. And leading brands such as DHL, Heineken and Sony use the platform to manage over 230 million invoice transactions per year. Democratising AP Automation "With the acquisition of Redmap, companies of all sizes can access world-class invoice automation solutions tailored to their specific needs and ERP systems," Kurtz said. "Whether a business is running SAP or Pronto Xi, Basware is committed to being a customer first, partner-enabled provider that delivers purpose-built solutions to transform their AP operations and lead them to the future of intelligent finance." Pronto Software Managing Director Chad Gates applauds the move. "The combination of Basware's global invoice-automation capabilities and partner commitment, along with Redmap's local and domain expertise creates a powerful value proposition for Australian businesses," he said. "Together, they deliver the kind of seamless, intelligent workflow automation that aligns perfectly with the direction we see the market and our customers heading." Redmap CEO Ben Woolley agrees. "I'm proud of what we've built at Redmap," he said. "Our partnerships have been the foundation of our success, and this acquisition will allow us to scale and bring our proven ERP integration model to more companies worldwide." Driving the Future of Finance The acquisition will also allow Redmap to accelerate and expand development of its AP automation platform, leveraging Basware's advanced AI innovations to deliver the future of intelligent finance for its customers. "Basware's long-standing legacy in invoice lifecycle management and commitment to ongoing innovation connects us to the reach, resources, and proven practices to accelerate what we do best, while opening new paths for our people to grow, lead, and build the future of automation," Woolley added. The acquisition follows Basware's acquisition of Glantus in 2023 and AP Matching in 2024. About Basware Basware is how finance leaders in global enterprises can finally automate their complex, labor-intensive invoice processes and stay compliant with regulatory change. Our AP automation and invoicing platform helps you achieve a new level of efficiency - in a matter of months - while reducing errors and risks. We bring a unique combination of true automation, complete coverage, and deeper expertise to make it all just happen for our customers. That's why the world's most efficient AP departments at thousands of companies rely on Basware to handle over 220 million invoices per year. Basware. Now it all just happens. About Redmap Redmap is Australia's leading provider of Accounts Payable (AP) automation software for middle market ERPs, delivering seamless and intelligent automation solutions. With deep expertise in document automation, intelligent data capture, and workflow optimisation, Redmap empowers businesses to streamline their AP processes, reduce manual intervention, and enhance operational efficiency. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2846597/Basware.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2583301/5684150/Basware_logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/baswares-acquisition-of-redmap-signals-a-new-era-for-ap-in-australia-302643467.html HONG KONG, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ATFX Group is proud to announce that it has received two major distinctions at the FinanceFeeds Awards 2025 , reflecting the Group's strong performance across both retail and institutional markets. ATFX won the "Broker of the Year" award, while ATFX Connect, the Group's institutional division, earned the title of "Outstanding FX Liquidity Provider." Strength Across Retail Markets: ATFX Named Broker of the Year ATFX's recognition as "Broker of the Year" highlights the strength of its retail division, driven by transparent service, robust execution, and the continuous enhancement of the client trading experience. In 2025, ATFX maintained solid momentum globally, supported by strong trading activity and expanding market reach across Europe, MENA, APAC, Africa, and Latin America. ATFX achieved a cumulative trading volume exceeding USD 2.3479 trillion in the first three quarters of 2025, demonstrating its significant scale and growing client engagement worldwide. The award reflects ATFX's continued investment in advanced trading technology, trader education, and reliable customer support. These core pillars have strengthened its position as a trusted leader in the retail trading industry. Institutional Excellence: ATFX Connect Recognized for Liquidity Quality ATFX Connect's achievement as "Outstanding FX Liquidity Provider" emphasizes the rising influence of the Group's institutional service. The division is recognized for providing authentic Prime of Prime services, ensuring efficient and deep liquidity sourced from Tier 1 banks and non-bank providers. ATFX Connect has strengthened its capabilities through enhanced liquidity partnerships and ongoing service improvements. These efforts enable the division to offer institutions flexible, efficient, and transparent liquidity solutions. Joe Li, Chairman of ATFX Group, remarked on winning the awards, "Receiving these two honours is an important recognition of the effort our global team puts in every day, both on the retail and institutional side. Our goal has always been to deliver a trading experience that is transparent, innovative, and built on trust. These achievements reflect the confidence that our clients place in us and our continued commitment to raising the standard across both retail and institutional markets." A Milestone Year for ATFX Group These two prestigious awards demonstrate ATFX Group's growing leadership and strong commitment across both retail and institutional markets. As the Group continues to innovate, maintain regulatory excellence, and deliver outstanding service quality, it is well positioned for sustained global growth and success. ATFX Group sincerely thanks its clients, partners, and dedicated teams worldwide for their ongoing trust and support, which fuel its achievements and future ambitions. About ATFX ATFX is a leading global fintech broker with a local presence in 24 locations and holds 9 licenses from regulatory authorities, including the UK's FCA, Australia's ASIC, Cyprus' CySEC, the UAE's SCA, Hong Kong's SFC, South Africa's FSCA, Mauritius' FSC, Seychelles' FSA, and Cambodia's SERC. With a strong commitment to customer satisfaction, innovative technology, and strict regulatory compliance, ATFX delivers exceptional trading experiences to clients worldwide. For further information on ATFX, please visit ATFX website https://www.atfx.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/atfx-group-honoured-with-two-major-awards-at-financefeeds-awards-2025-302644483.html Vancouver, BC, Dec. 17, 2025))(Frankfurt: SC1P ) ("Skyharbour", "SYH" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of the definitive repurchase agreement (the "Strategic Agreement") with Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or "DML"), whereby Denison has acquired an initial project interest in Skyharbour's Russell Lake Uranium Project ("Russell" or the "Project") and the parties have entered into four separate joint venture agreements on various claims making up Russell (the "Transaction"). The Project is strategically located in the central portion of the Eastern Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, with access to regional infrastructure, including an exploration camp, all-weather road and powerline. Russell Lake Project Location Map: http://www.skyharbourltd.com/_resources/images/2025-11-14%20SKY-RussellLake-Updated.jpg Highlights: Strategic Agreement represents combined total project consideration of up to CAD $61.5 million consisting of cash payments to Skyharbour totalling $10.0 million, additional consideration of $8.0 million payable in cash and shares before year end, and expenditures and cash payments totalling up to $43.5 million for Denison to acquire between a 20% and 70% ownership interest over seven years in the claims making up Russell, with Skyharbour owning the remaining interests. Denison (TSX: DML; NYSE American: DNN), a leading uranium mining company with a market capitalization of over $3 billion, is developing the Wheeler River Project ("Wheeler River"), which shares a 55 kilometre border with Russell. Denison is an existing, large corporate shareholder of Skyharbour and now joins the Company as a strategic, active, funding partner at Russell. The Project has been divided into four different joint ventures, including Russell Lake ("RL"), Getty East, Wheeler North, and the Wheeler River Inlier Claims, of which Skyharbour will retain initial ownership interests of 80%, 70%, 51%, and 30%, respectively. Denison can then earn up to a 70% interest in the Wheeler North and Getty East properties through option agreements. The geological teams of Denison and Skyharbour have begun working cooperatively to advance and unlock value across the joint ventures, employing top-tier exploration and development expertise in the region. Denison has committed to a minimum of $4 million in exploration expenditures over the first two years at Wheeler North and Getty East combined, as well as agreeing to fund to maintain its pro-rata 20% participation interest in the RL claims through 2029 up until such time that total exploration expenditures on the property reach $10 million. Skyharbour will remain operator with an 80% ownership interest at the RL claims comprising over 53,192 hectares of the original 73,314 hectare Russell Lake Project. The Company will also act as operator during the first earn-in at Getty East with Denison sole funding the exploration in order to fulfill the earn-in option criteria. Skyharbour is well funded going into 2026 with over $11 million in the treasury. The Company will also generate revenue from its operator fee at the McGowan Lake exploration camp at the Project, as well as from cash and share payments from other option earn-in partner companies. Skyharbour will continue to directly advance its high-grade Moore Uranium project as well as the RL claims at Russell, while partner companies fund exploration at some of the Company's other projects. Reorganization of the Russell Lake Project: https://www.skyharbourltd.com/_resources/images/Russell-Map-New.jpg Jordan Trimble, President and CEO of Skyharbour, stated: "We are thrilled to close this major transaction for Skyharbour, and to embark on the next chapter of exploration at Russell with a multi-billion dollar strategic partner and large shareholder in Denison Mines. With up to $61.5 million in combined project consideration contemplated, we are confident that this strategic agreement will expedite the discovery process at the Project while minimizing equity dilution for our shareholders. Based on initial technical meetings and strategy sessions with Denison, we are excited about the combined exploration options for the near term. Russell is one of the more prospective exploration projects in the Athabasca Basin proximal to existing and developing mines including Denison's Pheonix deposit at Wheeler River. Denison will also be able to provide considerable insight and experience as we jointly advance Russell. Lastly, we now enter the new year with a healthy treasury of over $11 million to fund our exploration efforts and corporate activities through 2026 while various partner companies fund exploration at numerous other projects in our portfolio." David Cates, President and CEO of Denison, further commented: "As Denison nears receipt of final regulatory approvals for the Phoenix In-Situ Recovery mine proposed for our flagship Wheeler River property, we are also making measured investments in our project pipeline - including our next development assets and high-potential exploration properties. Given its proximity to Wheeler River, Denison has had an interest in adding Russell to our property portfolio for much of my nearly two decades with the Company. This transaction achieves that objective by providing Denison with the opportunity to lead and participate in exploration efforts across four newly created joint ventures, which are designed to drive collaboration between Denison and Skyharbour's technical teams. We are excited to build on our long-standing relationship with Skyharbour and accelerate the evaluation of this exceptional package of highly prospective ground." Transaction Details: The consideration payment consisted of a $10.0 million cash payment, with $2.0 million paid upon execution of the Strategic Agreement and $8.0 million paid upon closing of the Strategic Agreement. An additional $8.0 million is payable in cash and shares by Denison on or before December 31st, 2025 with a minimum of $2.0 million payable in cash. It is anticipated that Denison will also be making use of the current exploration camp at McGowan Lake on the Project, which will continue to be operated by Skyharbour, and an administrative fee will be payable by Denison to Skyharbour. The claims comprising Russell are subject to various existing underlying royalties to other parties. Skyharbour has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange for closing. The issuance of shares by Denison to Skyharbour remains subject to appliable exchange approvals. Summary of Initial Joint Ventures: Upon closing of the Strategic Agreement, Denison has earned an initial project interest in each of the four new Russell exploration projects including a 49% interest in the Wheeler North claims, a 20% interest in the RL claims, a 30% interest in the Getty East claims, and a 70% interest in the Wheeler River Inlier claims. Wheeler North (51% SYH, 49% DML ; subject to additional earn-in options ) : The claims marked in yellow in the accompanying map represent 16,409 hectares over eight claims. The claims host some of the exploration targets located proximal to Wheeler River, including the Grayling and Fork Zones. Upon closing of the Transaction, Denison will have the option to increase its interest in Wheeler North to a 70% interest in these claims and Denison will become the operator of Wheeler North as described in more detail below. Russell Lake or RL (80% SYH, 20% DML) : The claims marked in pink in the accompanying map represent 53,192 hectares over 16 claims. These claims are located north and west of Skyharbour's Moore Project and host numerous exploration target areas including Christie Lake, NE Russell, Blue Steel, Taylor Bay, South Russell, and Kowalchuk Lake. In order to maintain its initial interest in RL, Denison has agreed to fund its pro rata share of up to a maximum of C$10.0 million in total project expenditures. Skyharbour will remain operator of RL. Wheeler River Inliers (30% SYH, 70% DML) . The claims marked in blue in the accompanying map represent 608 hectares over two claims. These are inlier claims within Denison's Wheeler River project hosting the West Russell and C-Block exploration target areas. DML will become operator of the Wheeler River Inliers. Getty East (70% SYH, 30% DML ; subject to additional earn-in options ) . The claim marked in green in the accompanying map representing 3,105 hectares is host to the Little Man Lake exploration prospect. The claim borders Cameco's Cree Zimmer property which holds its Key Lake operations to the south. Upon the closing of the Transaction, Skyharbour remains operator of Getty East; however, Denison has the option to become the operator and acquire up to a 70% interest in this joint venture as described in more detail below. Denison Earn-In Options: The Earn-In Option Agreements grant Denison an option to earn additional interests in Wheeler North and Getty East. Wheeler North Earn-In Option : Under the terms of the Wheeler North Earn-In Option Agreement, Denison may acquire up to a 70% interest in Wheeler North. The option agreement contains two (2) phases, as summarized below: Phase 1: To earn an additional 11% interest in Wheeler North (increasing Denison's ownership to 60%), Denison must: Incur $10.0 million in exploration expenditures at Wheeler North within 48 months of Closing, of which $2.5 million in exploration expenditures must be completed within 24 months of Closing, and Make a cash payment in the amount of $1.5 million to Skyharbour within 48 months of Closing. Phase 2: To earn an additional 10% interest (increasing Denison's ownership to 70%) in Wheeler North, Denison must complete the requirements of Phase 1, plus the following: Incur an additional $15.0 million in exploration expenditures at Wheeler North within 7 years of Closing, and Make a further cash payment in the amount of $2.0 million to Skyharbour within 7 years of Closing. Getty East Earn-In Option Agreement: Under the terms of the Getty East Option Agreement, Denison may acquire up to a 70% interest in Getty East. The option agreement contains two (2) phases, as summarized below: Phase 1: To earn an additional 19% interest in Getty East (increasing Denison's ownership to 49%), Denison must incur $5.0 million in exploration expenditures at Getty East within 48 months of Closing, of which $1.5 million must be completed within the first 24 months of Closing. Phase 2: To earn an additional 21% interest in Getty East (increasing Denison's ownership to 70%), Denison must complete the requirements of Phase 1, plus incur an additional $10 million in exploration expenditures within 7 years of Closing. Upon completion of the Phase 2 earn-in option criteria, Denison will have the option to become the operator in this joint venture. Russell Lake Uranium Project Overview: The Russell Lake Project is a large, advanced-stage uranium exploration property totalling 73,314 hectares strategically located between Cameco's Key Lake and McArthur River Projects, and adjoining Denison's Wheeler River Project to the west and Skyharbour's Moore Uranium Project to the east. The northern extension of Highway 914 between Key Lake and McArthur River runs through the western extent of the property and greatly enhances accessibility, while a high-voltage powerline is situated alongside this road. Skyharbour's New 80% Owned RL Project: The claims making up the RL Project constitute over seventy percent of the original Russell project area and will continue to be explored by Skyharbour as the operator and 80% owner. Denison will acquire a 20% interest and has agreed to fund to maintain its pro-rata participation interest in the RL claims through December 31st, 2029, or until such time that total expenditures on the properties have reached $10 million. The RL claims have numerous highly prospective targets that Skyharbour will continue to advance. The Christie Lake target area contains basement-hosted uranium mineralization with historical drilling returning 0.17% U 3 O 8 over 0.4 metres at 436.4 metres depth in hole CL-10-03, hosted within a strongly hematized breccia. A prospective clay altered basement fault system runs throughout this area. The Blue Steel target area comprises graphitic metasediments that were last drilled in 2008. The full extent of the graphitic corridor remains unknown and completely untested. Historical geophysics indicate potential faulting along this corridor, highlighting it as a priority area for follow-up work using modern geophysical methods to refine drill targets. The Kowalchuk area, situated within the southern Russell claims, is another prospective area on the RL claims, with multiple inferred structural trends passing through it. This area has seen only limited modern geophysical coverage to date. In addition to the aforementioned target areas, there are many kilometres of untested EM conductors on the RL claims underlain by rocks of low magnetic intensity, suggestive of the presence of prospective graphitic meta-pelitic basement lithologies typical of Athabasca-style uranium systems. With limited modern exploration conducted over the past 12 years, the RL claims remain underexplored and highly prospective for both expanding known mineralized zones and making new discoveries. Advisors and Counsel: Haywood Securities Inc. acted as financial advisor to Skyharbour in connection with the Transaction, and AFG Law LLP and DuMoulin Black LLP are acting as legal counsel to Skyharbour. Qualified Person: The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Serdar Donmez, P.Geo., VP of Exploration for Skyharbour as well as a Qualified Person. About Skyharbour Resources Ltd.: Skyharbour holds an extensive portfolio of uranium exploration projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin and is well positioned to benefit from improving uranium market fundamentals with interest in thirty-seven projects covering over 616,000 hectares (over 1.5 million acres) of land. Skyharbour has acquired from Denison Mines, a large strategic shareholder of the Company, a 100% interest in the Moore Uranium Project, which is located 15 kilometres east of Denison's Wheeler River project and 39 kilometres south of Cameco's McArthur River uranium mine. Moore is an advanced-stage uranium exploration property with high-grade uranium mineralization in several zones at the Maverick Corridor. Adjacent to the Moore Project is the Russell Lake Uranium Project, which hosts widespread uranium mineralization in drill intercepts over a large property area with exploration upside potential. The Company is actively advancing these projects through exploration and drilling programs. Skyharbour also has joint ventures with industry leaders Denison Mines, Orano Canada Inc., Azincourt Energy, and Thunderbird Resources at the Russell, Preston, East Preston, and Hook Lake Projects, respectively. The Company also has several active earn-in option partners, including CSE-listed Basin Uranium Corp. at the Mann Lake Uranium Project; TSX-V listed North Shore Uranium at the Falcon Project; UraEx Resources at the South Dufferin and Bolt Projects; Hatchet Uranium at the Highway Project; CSE-listed Mustang Energy at the 914W Project; and TSX-V listed Terra Clean Energy at the South Falcon East Project. In aggregate, Skyharbour has now signed earn-in option agreements with partners that total to potentially over $76 million in partner-funded exploration expenditures and over $42 million in cash and share payments coming into Skyharbour, assuming that these partner companies complete their entire earn-ins at the respective projects. Skyharbour's goal is to maximize shareholder value through new mineral discoveries, committed long-term partnerships, and the advancement of exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions. Skyharbour's Uranium Project Map in the Athabasca Basin: https://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/maps/SKY-SaskProject-Locator-2025-12-08.jpg To find out more about Skyharbour Resources Ltd.. SKYHARBOUR RESOURCES LTD. "Jordan Trimble" Jordan Trimble President and CEO For further information contact myself or: Nicholas Coltura Corporate Communications Manager Skyharbour Resources Ltd. Telephone: 604-558-5847 Toll Free: 800-567-8181 Facsimile: 604-687-3119 Email: info@skyharbourltd.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Montreal, Quebec and Atlanta, Georgia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - CIGO Tracker, North America's premier fleet management and logistics optimization platform, today announced the commercial deployment of its groundbreaking AI-powered handle time prediction system. This industry-first technology leverages machine learning algorithms to accurately forecast on-site delivery times based on comprehensive analysis of product characteristics, labor requirements, and location-specific variables across United States and Canadian markets. The AI handle time prediction system addresses one of logistics management's most persistent challenges: accurately forecasting how long drivers will spend at each delivery location. Traditional route planning relies on static time estimates or broad averages that fail to capture the complex variables influencing actual delivery performance. CIGO Tracker's AI solution leverages advanced forecasting models and thousands of historical delivery records to generate precise, location-specific predictions that significantly improve route efficiency and enhance customer service reliability. Precision Forecasting Through Advanced Analytics The AI prediction engine processes multiple data streams to generate highly accurate handle time estimates: SKU Complexity Analysis : Product weight, dimensions, handling requirements, and installation complexity factors : Product weight, dimensions, handling requirements, and installation complexity factors Location Intelligence : Delivery address characteristics including building type, access restrictions, and historical performance data : Delivery address characteristics including building type, access restrictions, and historical performance data Labor Variable Assessment : Driver experience levels, physical capabilities, and individual performance patterns : Driver experience levels, physical capabilities, and individual performance patterns Environmental Factors : Weather conditions, traffic patterns, and seasonal delivery variations : Weather conditions, traffic patterns, and seasonal delivery variations Customer Profile Data: Historical receiving patterns, special instructions, and site-specific requirements Transforming Route Planning Accuracy The AI system's ability to predict handle times with unprecedented precision enables logistics coordinators to create more realistic route schedules while maximizing daily delivery capacity. By accounting for actual time requirements rather than generic estimates, operations managers can optimize both driver productivity and customer satisfaction. For cross-border operations spanning the US and Canada, the AI system accounts for regulatory differences, documentation requirements, and regional delivery practices that impact handle times. This comprehensive approach ensures accurate predictions regardless of geographic location or regulatory jurisdiction. Optimizing Labor and Vehicle Utilization The precision of AI-powered handle time predictions creates significant opportunities for operational optimization. Transportation directors can now allocate vehicles and drivers based on realistic capacity assessments, reducing overtime costs while improving service reliability. Key operational benefits include: Accurate Route Capacity Planning : Precise estimates enable optimal stop assignments per vehicle : Precise estimates enable optimal stop assignments per vehicle Improved Customer ETA Communication : Reliable time windows based on actual performance data : Reliable time windows based on actual performance data Enhanced Driver Performance Management : Objective benchmarks for individual productivity assessment : Objective benchmarks for individual productivity assessment Reduced Route Delays : Realistic scheduling prevents cascading delays throughout delivery schedules : Realistic scheduling prevents cascading delays throughout delivery schedules Strategic Resource Allocation: Data-driven decisions about staffing levels and vehicle deployment Machine Learning Continuous Improvement CIGO Tracker's AI system continuously refines its predictions by analyzing new delivery data and identifying emerging patterns. The machine learning algorithms adapt to seasonal variations, changing customer requirements, and evolving operational practices to maintain prediction accuracy over time. The system's learning capabilities include: Pattern Recognition : Identification of trends and anomalies in delivery performance data : Identification of trends and anomalies in delivery performance data Seasonal Adjustments : Automatic adaptation to holiday periods, weather patterns, and demand fluctuations : Automatic adaptation to holiday periods, weather patterns, and demand fluctuations Performance Feedback Integration : Real-time adjustment based on actual delivery outcomes : Real-time adjustment based on actual delivery outcomes Regional Optimization : Location-specific refinements based on local market characteristics : Location-specific refinements based on local market characteristics Predictive Model Enhancement: Ongoing algorithm improvements based on expanded data sets Measurable Business Impact Early adopters of CIGO Tracker's AI handle time prediction system report substantial improvements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Companies using the technology have achieved average improvements of 35% in route completion accuracy and 25% reduction in customer complaints related to delivery timing. The financial impact extends beyond operational efficiency to include: Reduced Overtime Costs : Accurate planning prevents unexpected route extensions : Accurate planning prevents unexpected route extensions Improved Asset Utilization : Better vehicle and driver productivity through optimal scheduling : Better vehicle and driver productivity through optimal scheduling Enhanced Customer Retention : Reliable delivery windows improve customer satisfaction scores : Reliable delivery windows improve customer satisfaction scores Lower Operational Stress : Realistic expectations reduce pressure on drivers and dispatchers : Realistic expectations reduce pressure on drivers and dispatchers Increased Delivery Capacity: More efficient scheduling enables higher daily throughput Revolutionizing Delivery Operations The AI handle time prediction system is immediately available to all CIGO Tracker clients across the United States and Canada, with full integration into existing route planning and fleet management workflows. The technology requires minimal setup time and begins providing value immediately while continuously improving accuracy as it processes additional delivery data. Operations managers interested in experiencing the efficiency benefits of AI-powered handle time predictions can schedule a personalized demonstration to see how machine learning transforms route planning accuracy and operational performance. About CIGO Tracker: CIGO Tracker provides comprehensive fleet management and logistics optimization solutions for transportation companies across the United States and Canada. The platform combines real-time tracking, route optimization, and advanced analytics to help logistics operations improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278199 Source: Cigo Tracker The business has appointed a Director of Public Affairs and Communications, and a Director of HSE, as it continues to scale in response to increasing demand for its services. REYKJAVIK, Iceland, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- atNorth, the leading Nordic high-density colocation and built-to-suit datacenter provider, has announced two new Director appointments that enhance the company's leadership capacity and support the success of its long-term expansion strategy. Tatu Tuominen, Director of Public Affairs and Communications Tatu will lead atNorth's policy engagement, corporate communications and reputations strategy, ensuring that every message supports the company's strategy, brand and goals. The role will play a crucial part in enhancing atNorth's position as the leading provider of sustainable data centers in the Nordics and Tatu will develop a cross functional narrative to promote positive customer relationships, community engagement, recruitment and investor relations. Tatu brings a wealth of expertise from senior communications roles across a variety of sectors including Head of Communications, Public Affairs, Science and Sustainability at Bayer, SVP of Communications at VR Group and Head of Communications and Public Affairs at Telia Finland. Tatu also has experience from the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU and as a Ministerial Advisor, which makes him ideally suited to leading atNorth's engagement with policymakers and industry associations as the future of digital infrastructure industries continue to evolve. Based at atNorth's FIN02 facility, Tatu will report to Chief Strategy, Marketing and Communications Officer, Fredrik Jansson. Anne Helenius-Heir - Director of HSE Anne will be accountable for the future road map of health, safety and environmental considerations across atNorth's operational and developing data center campuses. Anne will ensure the future proofing of atNorth's HSE framework to safeguard the health and safety of all individuals on site, as well as the campuses themselves in order to sustain the business as a high performing, compliant organization. With a proven track record from leadership roles at Shell, ABB, and Kemira Oyj, Anne has successfully developed and implemented global EHSQ frameworks, advanced ESG reporting and driven measurable improvements in safety culture and sustainability performance. She also brings valuable expertise in environmental due diligence and corporate responsibility. Based at atNorth's FIN02 campus in Espoo, Finland, Anne will report to Chief Sustainability and Compliance Officer, Janne Sigurdsson. As atNorth continues to experience rising demand for its responsible high performance data centers, its commitment to bolstering its leadership team ensures the business benefits from deep expertise, fresh perspectives and relevant strategic insights as a framework for future success. "We are proud to welcome such talented leaders to our team", says Eyjolfur Magnus Kristinsson, CEO atNorth. "Their vision and experience will play a key role in driving our ongoing expansion as we continue to deliver state of the art data centers in an environmentally responsible way." The news follows a number of other recent strategic appointments including a Delivery Director for each country atNorth operates in; Hallgrimur Orn Arngrimsson, Director of Delivery, Iceland, Toni Germano, Director of Delivery, Finland, Dave O'Brien, Director of Delivery, Denmark and Daniel Kolm, Director of Delivery, Sweden. Additionally, the business has announced Bara Hlin Kristjansdottir, Director of PMO & Product, Jonas Luckner, Director of Commercial Management, Camilla O'Leary, Director of Client Management, Howard Shutt, Director of Hyperscale Sales, and Espen Bjanes, Sales Director. About atNorth atNorth is a leading Nordic data center company that offers cost-effective, scalable high-density colocation and built-to-suit services trusted by industry-leading organizations. With sustainability at its core, atNorth's data centers run on renewable energy resources and support circular economy principles. All atNorth sites leverage innovative design, power efficiency, and intelligent operations to provide long-term infrastructure and flexible colocation deployments. atNorth is headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland and operates eight data centers in strategic locations across the Nordics, as well as a ninth under construction in Kouvola, Finland and a tenth site in lgod, Denmark. The business has also secured land for a future mega site in the Solleftea Municipality in Sweden. For more information, visit atNorth.com or follow atNorth on LinkedIn. Press Contact: Caroline Brunton Kite Hill PR for atNorth +44 (0) 7796 274 416 caroline@kitehillpr.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/atnorth/r/two-new-directors-join-atnorth-as-growth-drive-continues,c4283192 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/18907/4283192/3846822.pdf Release https://news.cision.com/atnorth/i/anne-and-tatu,c3496592 Anne and Tatu View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/two-new-directors-join-atnorth-as-growth-drive-continues-302644518.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Tudor Gold Corp. (TSXV: TUD) (FSE: H56) (the "Company" or "Tudor") is pleased to provide a review of 2025 milestones and its 2026 strategic objectives to advance its flagship Treaty Creek Project located in the Golden Triangle, British Columbia. 2025 Treaty Creek Exploration Program Summary: Gold Resource Expansion and Demonstrated Continuity in the Goldstorm Deposit Treaty Creek's Goldstorm Deposit was first discovered in 2016 with approximately 190,000 meters drilled at Goldstorm to date. The Goldstorm Deposit has an Indicated Mineral Resource of 730.20 million tonnes ("Mt") comprised of 21.66 million ounces gold grading 0.92 g/t, 2.87 billion pounds copper grading 0.18% and 128.73 million ounces silver grading 5.48 g/t; and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 149.61 Mt comprised of 4.88 million ounces gold grading 1.01 g/t, 503.2 million pounds copper grading 0.15% and 28.97 million ounces silver grading 6.02 g/t. The deposit remains open in multiple directions. The 2025 Treaty Creek Exploration Program consisted of 5,052 meters in five holes and was designed to target gaps between the 300N and 300H Zones. Overall, drilling was successful in intersecting mineralization within and between these zones to confirm the higher-grade gold structures within the bulk-tonnage Mineral Resource at Treaty Creek. Ongoing reinterpretation of historic data is leading to the identification of further higher-grade structural zones throughout the Goldstorm Deposit and will be included in an upcoming Mineral Resource estimate for Treaty Creek. The potential for additional high-grade SC-1 Zone-like structures was also targeted during the 2025 Treaty Creek Exploration Program, with results confirming and expanding several high-grade corridors within and surrounding the 300N and 300H Zones. Highlights from the 2025 drill program include: Hole GS-25-188 which intersected 2.31 g/t gold, 16.98 g/t silver and 0.07% copper over 54.00 meters starting 900.00 meters from surface, including 4.07 g/t gold, 99.86 g/t silver and 0.45% copper over 6.00 meters starting 900.00 meters from surface; and also intersected 5.90 g/t gold, 343.00 g/t silver and 1.45% copper over 1.50 meters starting 901.50 meters from surface Hole GS-25-190 which intersected 1.70 g/t gold, 3.46 g/t silver and 0.01% copper over 73.50 meters starting 857.50 meters from surface, including 2.03 g/t gold, 2.06 g/t silver and 0.01% copper over 38.0 meters starting 872.00 meters from surface Preparation of an updated Mineral Resource estimate for Treaty Creek is underway, which will include the drilling from the 2024 and 2025 exploration programs comprising approximately 15,000 meters of drill data. In order to increase the resolution of the higher-grade gold mineralization throughout the Goldstorm Deposit, the updated block model will use a sub-domained block size of 0.5 meters x 0.5 meters x 0.5 meters around domain boundaries and high-grade occurrences within the 10-meter x 10-meter x 10-meter blocks used to estimate the updated Mineral Resource estimate. The appropriate block size for representing the mineralized domains and the refined sub-block size will provide greatly increased resolution of the higher-grade gold mineralization. The updated Mineral Resource estimate is now targeted to be completed in January 2026. Additional metallurgical test work on the 300H/N, CS600 and DS5 zones is also underway and results are anticipated in Q1 2026. Tudor's long-term strategy for the advance of Treaty Creek is to focus on the higher-grading gold mineralization of roughly two grams/tonne gold and higher and pursue the potential for development of an underground mine. The next catalyst is the receipt of a permit for the development of an underground exploration ramp, which will enable year-round, cost-effective drilling of the Goldstorm Deposit and the definition of the adjacent SC-1 Zone, which hosts the highest-grading gold encountered to date with surface drilling. (See 2026 Treaty Creek Underground Exploration Program below.) Strengthened Financial Position In order to execute on its strategy, the Company has closed two financings this month: a flow-through financing for gross proceeds of approximately $13 million and a non-flow-through financing for gross proceeds of approximately $11.5 million. (See news releases dated December 4, 2025, December 11, 2025 and December 15, 2025.) "With the closing of our recently announced financings, we have the financial strength to push ahead with what we believe is the most straightforward, economically attractive development path to gold production at Treaty Creek and the Golden Triangle - a mid-size underground mine with a small footprint," said Joe Ovsenek, President and CEO of Tudor Gold. "An underground operation in the range of 10,000-tonnes-per-day targeting the higher-grade gold mineralization within the Goldstorm Deposit could be the accelerator for profitable production. The refined model and updated Mineral Resource estimate now expected in January 2026 is the first step, and these results are expected to guide the work on a preliminary economic assessment. Additionally, with the receipt of an underground exploration permit, we can drill more efficiently with shorter, more tightly spaced drill holes to de-risk the development of the Goldstorm Deposit and SC-1 Zone. "While we advance the development strategy for the Goldstorm Deposit, we will boost the tempo of exploration drilling at other zones on the Treaty Creek property, which hosts some of the best potential for world class mineral deposits within the Golden Triangle. We are planning for an extensive exploration season in 2026, with follow-up drilling targeting known zones of higher-grading gold mineralization identified on the Treaty Creek property along the Sulphurets-Treaty Thrust Fault." Figure 1: Treaty Creek Project Mineralized Zones Along the Sulphurets-Treaty Thrust Fault To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4494/278315_eeebd4aa649ddbd6_001full.jpg 2026 Treaty Creek Surface Exploration Program: Building on Other Treaty Creek Property Gold Discoveries to Unlock More Gold Resources Surface exploration in 2026 will be planned to expand on the prior exploration successes that identified the Perfectstorm, CBS and Eureka zones, with a target of developing a gold-silver-copper Mineral Resource estimate for one or more of these zones. See Figure 2 below for a plan view of the Treaty Creek Project with geophysical anomalies highlighting the Treaty Creek Project mineralized zones identified to date. Figure 2: Treaty Creek Project Mineralized Zones Identified to Date To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4494/278315_eeebd4aa649ddbd6_002full.jpg Perfect Storm Zone Drilling in 2023 at the Perfectstorm Zone, located along the Sulphurets-Treaty Thrust Fault midway between Treaty Creek's Goldstorm Deposit and Seabridge Gold's Iron Cap Deposit (see Figure 1), intersected 1.23 g/t gold, 3.43 g/t silver and 0.01% copper over 102.15 meters starting 334.00 meters from surface, including 42.5 meters grading 1.80 g/t gold, 5.76 g/t silver and 0.02% copper starting 334.00 meters from surface in drill hole PS-23-10. Other drill results from 2023 include 4.85 g/t gold and 444.0 g/t silver over 1.5 meters starting 556.00 meters from Surface in drill hole PS-23-07. Based on exploration in 2023, the Company believes the Perfectstorm Zone is a gold-dominant mineralized porphyry system measuring 1.7 kilometers in strike length that has the potential to be a bulk tonnage gold-silver-copper deposit, with lenses of higher-grade gold and silver mineralization. To date, under 8,000 meters have been drilled at the Perfectstorm Zone. Drilling in 2026 will initially focus on the southwest quadrant of the Perfectstorm geophysical anomaly. CBS Zone: Geotechnical Drilling Intersects Additional Gold Mineralization Two geotechnical drill holes were completed in September 2025 for the planned underground exploration ramp. Both of these holes intersected gold mineralization and ended in mineralization and alteration believed to be associated with the CBS Zone located northeast of the Goldstorm Deposit. To date, less than 4,000 meters have been drilled at the CBS Zone. The first phase of the 2026 Treaty Creek Exploration Program is planned to commence with drilling at the CBS Zone to follow up on the results from 2021/2022. Eureka Zone In 2022, drilling at the Eureka Zone encountered gold-silver mineralization similar to the mineralization of the DS5 Zone of the Goldstorm Deposit. Geologic similarities include the occurrence of post-mineral intrusive dykes as observed throughout the Goldstorm Deposit, as well as fault off-sets. To date less than 4,000 meters have been drilled at the Eureka Zone. For 2026, drilling will evaluate the possibility that the Eureka Zone is an extension of the DS5 Zone of the Goldstorm Deposit. 2026 Treaty Creek Underground Exploration Program In August 2025, the Company filed a Notice of Work permit application with the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation for the underground exploration of the SC-1 Zone and Goldstorm Deposit at the Treaty Creek Project. The permit application provides for the development of an underground ramp to access the high-grade gold SC-1 Zone and the zones that comprise the Goldstorm Deposit. Once the ramp is completed, underground drill stations will be excavated to support definition drilling for mine-planning purposes and provide for more efficient expansion drilling. Underground drilling is expected to reduce the time and cost of delineating the high-grade gold SC-1 Zone and allow for year-round drilling by Tudor. The Company expects to receive the permit to proceed with the underground exploration program in 2026. In anticipation of receiving the permit, the Company plans to source the necessary equipment and retain an underground development contractor, so that the excavation of the ramp can commence on receipt of the permit. See Figure 3 below for a plan and section view of the proposed underground development and initial drilling of the SC-1 Zone at Treaty Creek. Figure 3: Treaty Creek Project Proposed Underground Development and SC-1 Zone Drilling To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4494/278315_eeebd4aa649ddbd6_003full.jpg Corporate Initiatives In addition to preparing for the upcoming exploration season at Treaty Creek, Tudor is working to advance certain corporate initiatives. Negotiate the Resolution of the Permitting Overlap with Seabridge Gold Tudor believes negotiation with the Province of British Columbia and Seabridge Gold Inc. ("Seabridge") is the best way to resolve the land use conflict between the planned Mitchell-Treaty Twinned Tunnels (the "Tunnels") supporting Seabridge's KSM project and Tudor's gold-copper Treaty Creek Project. (See news release dated October 17, 2025.) However, in order to preserve Tudor's rights as recorded holder of the mineral claims, Tudor will continue to advance three proceedings in the British Columbia courts: an appeal of the decision of the Gold Commissioner in relation to a jurisdictional decision about a conditional mineral reserve and the Tunnels, a proceeding against the Province of British Columbia asserting the limited nature and scope of the conditional mineral reserve in relation to the Treaty Creek mineral claims, and a petition seeking judicial review of the decision of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship granting Seabridge a License of Occupation in an area over certain of the Treaty Creek mineral claims. Advance the 100% Consolidation of Treaty Creek Project Ownership In September 2025, Tudor acquired American Creek Resources and its 20% interest in the Treaty Creek Project. (See news release dated September 4, 2025.) The transaction resulted in Tudor owning an 80% interest in the Treaty Creek Project and Teuton Resources Corp. ("Teuton") owning 20%. In October 2025, Teuton announced an intention to spin out its non-Treaty Creek Project interests to open the way for the sale of its 20% Treaty Creek Project interest. The Company confirms that it has engaged with Teuton regarding the potential acquisition of its Treaty Creek Project interest and plans to continue to conduct negotiations with Teuton. Qualified Person The Qualified Person for this news release for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is the Company's Senior Vice President of Exploration, Ken Konkin, P. Geo. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release. QA/QC Diamond drill core samples were prepared at MSA Labs' Preparation Laboratory in Terrace, BC and assayed at MSA Labs' Geochemical Laboratory in Langley, BC. All samples were analyzed using 4-acid digestion ICP-MS finish and 30g fire assay AA finish for gold. Samples returning greater than 10 ppm gold were completed with gravimetric analysis. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the submission of blanks, certified standards and duplicate samples each inserted every 20 samples by Tudor Gold personnel. Duplicate samples are obtained by MSA Labs' personnel cut from assay rejects at the time of preparation. MSA Laboratories quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 17025 and ISO 9001. MSA Labs is independent of the Company. About Treaty Creek The Treaty Creek Project hosts the Goldstorm Deposit, comprising a large gold-copper porphyry system, as well as several other mineralized zones. The Goldstorm Deposit has an Indicated Mineral Resource of 730.20 million tonnes (Mt) comprised of 21.66 million ounces gold grading 0.92 g/t, 2.87 billion pounds copper grading 0.18% and 128.73 million ounces silver grading 5.48 g/t and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 149.61 Mt comprised of 4.88 million ounces gold grading 1.01 g/t, 503.2 million pounds copper grading 0.15% and 28.97 million ounces silver grading 6.02 g/t, as disclosed in the "NI-43-101 Technical Report for the Treaty Creek Project", dated April 5, 2024 prepared by Garth Kirkham Geosystems and JDS Energy & Mining Inc. The Goldstorm Deposit remains open in all directions and requires further exploration drilling to determine the size and extent of the Deposit. About Tudor Gold Tudor Gold Corp. is a precious and base metals exploration and development company with claims in British Columbia's Golden Triangle (Canada), an area that hosts producing and past-producing mines and several large deposits that are approaching potential development. The 17,913 hectare Treaty Creek Project (in which Tudor Gold has an 80% interest) borders Seabridge Gold Inc.'s KSM property to the southwest and borders Newmont Corporation's Brucejack Mine property to the southeast. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the completion and anticipated results of planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company's planned exploration activities will be completed in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, results of negotiations, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals, the outcome of litigation and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278315 Source: Tudor Gold Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Shine Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SMR.H) ("Shine" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update to its press release dated December 11, 2025 whereby it announced that it has entered into a binding letter of intent dated December 10, 2025 with Red Cloud Silver Ltd. ("RCS") outlining the principal terms of a proposed transaction (the "Proposed Transaction"). The Proposed Transaction positions Shine to secure a high-quality exploration opportunity in one of the most historically productive and infrastructure-rich silver districts in the American Southwest. By obtaining the right to acquire 100% of RCS and its option on the Silver District Project (the "Project"), which has a recorded production including 1.56 Moz (44,225 kg) silver and 2.33 million lbs (1.06 million kg) lead, mostly produced during a peak production period from 1883-18931. With this acquisition, The Company gains exposure to a large, multi-target system with demonstrated silver, fluorspar and barite mineralization across a district-scale land package. Each of which are US Critical Minerals. Dev Randhawa, CEO of Shine stated: "The Silver District Project represents a rare opportunity to consolidate a historically productive silver-dominant district in one of the most mining-friendly jurisdictions in the United States. Located in Arizona's La Paz County, the Project hosts a broad system of high-grade silver, fluorspar and barite showings across a large, underexplored land position with demonstrated potential for scale. We believe the property offers exceptional discovery upside, supported by modern exploration, strong geology, and a clear pathway to 100% ownership. This is exactly the kind of high-impact asset that can reposition Shine and drive meaningful value creation for our shareholders." The Company would like to clarify that further to its previous press release dated December 11, 2025 whereby it announced the Proposed Transaction, the Proposed Transaction is not expected to constitute a reverse takeover or change of business under TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") Policy 5.2, and is instead expected to be treated as a fundamental acquisition in accordance with TSXV Policy 5.3. The Company will provide further disclosure as required under TSXV Policy 5.3 as additional details become available or upon execution of a definitive agreement. "The Silver District project includes 468, tightly spaced drill holes defining 10 key zones of high-grade silver oxide (and fluorspar-barite) mineralization starting from surface and extending to an average depth of only 30 meters," comments Devinder Randhawa, CEO of Shine Minerals. "The Silver District project has excellent potential for expansion down-dip, along-strike and down-plunge of established mineralized zones." At Silver District, silver enriched calcite-barite-fluorite carbonate veins at Silver District cover a 3.5 by 6.5-kilometer area and include the West (4.5 kilometers strike-length), Central (3.5 km strike-length) and East (4.5 km strike-length) vein-fault zones. Mineralized veins are exposed at surface, range from 7.5 meters to 45 meters in width and have been tested to an average depth of only 35 meters (468 historical drill holes)1,2. Shine Minerals considers the Silver District Project to be highly prospective for additional silver-fluorspar-barite veins adjacent (along-strike) and below (down-dip, down-plunge) previously identified mineralization. Due to the extremely shallow depths of historical drilling, Shine Minerals believes there is excellent potential at depth where dominantly oxide mineralization (exposed at surface) is expected to transition to dominantly sulphide mineralization. The Silver District Project contains 468 historical drill holes (average depth 30 meters) that demonstrate near-surface silver-fluorspar continuity across the three main trends. The Silver District Project was discovered in 1862, with most of the historical production coming from the underground Red Cloud and Clip mines. There have been occasional small- scale development activities since, and the area remains a source of specimen wulfenite, an oxide lead molybdate mineral, and vanadinite, an oxide lead vanadium mineral. About Red Cloud Silver Ltd. Red Cloud Silver Ltd. is a private company focused on advancing the Project in Arizona. RCS holds an option to acquire 100% of the Project and is led by an experienced technical and capital-markets team. About Shine Minerals Corp. Shine Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SMR.H) is a Canadian junior resource company currently listed on the NEX board of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company is pursuing value-accretive transactions to re-establish itself as an active Tier 2 Mining Issuer in accordance with TSXV Policy 2.6, Section 1.4, with a focus on quality exploration assets and a disciplined approach to capital allocation. Technical Information All scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Daniel MacNeil, P.Geo. Mr. MacNeil is a Technical Advisor to the Company and is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Disclosure Notes 1 Silver District Property Summary, La Paz County, Arizona Summary Report for New Jersey Zinc Exploration Company, 15 Columbus Circle, New York, New York, USA. A report commissioned by Orbex Resources Inc., Vancouver, B.C, 1409-409 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6C1T8. March 14, 1991. 2 Data disclosed in this news release includes historical drilling results and information derived from historic drill results, Shine Minerals Corp. has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work to verify the results. Shine considers these historical data relevant as the Company is using these data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling. Cautionary Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements that address the Company's plans for the Proposed Transaction, the closing of the Proposed Transaction, and other statements relating to the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding receipt of TSXV and other required approvals for the Proposed Transaction, present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of metals, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278254 Source: Shine Minerals Corp. Taiwan's global impact in quantum technology shines in IYQ 2025 TAIPEI, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of his long-standing contributions to advancing quantum research, education, and industry collaboration, Hon Hai Technology Group ("Foxconn") (TWSE:2317) Board Director Ching-Ray Chang has been selected as an honoree in the global Quantum 100, the flagship initiative in IYQ 2025, the United Nations-designated International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Professor Chang, who is also Distinguished Chair Professor at Taiwan's Chung Yuan Christian University and Quantum Technology Advisory Committee Member of the Hon Hai Research Institute, has provided strategic guidance on Foxconn's quantum technology roadmap and research direction in recent years. His contributions are supporting the Group's efforts to align its quantum R&D capabilities with the global ecosystem, and its manufacturing capabilities for ion-trap quantum computers. Marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of quantum mechanics, the United Nations General Assembly designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ 2025), with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launching the Quantum 100, a flagship initiative to celebrate the diverse people behind quantum science and technology. Professor Chang has played a central role in building Taiwan's quantum research and education infrastructure. Authoring more than 280 academic papers and holding over 28 patents, he actively engages in popular science writing and public outreach, making complex quantum concepts accessible and fostering greater societal understanding of quantum technology. Professor Chang previously served as Executive Vice President and Acting President of National Taiwan University (NTU), where he founded the NTU-IBM Quantum Hub, now recognized as one of the most active academic quantum centers in Asia, and put quantum computing into NTU's formal curriculum. He established a quantum information center at Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU), led national-level quantum training programs, and pioneered the introduction of quantum education at both high school and university levels, systematically cultivating Taiwan's next generation of quantum talent. Professor Chang is Founding President of the Taiwan Association of Quantum Computing and Information Technology (TAQCIT), where he helped shape Taiwan's national quantum technology development roadmap and strengthened coordination across academia, industry, and government, including the Quantum Taiwan Forum, a key platform connecting Taiwan's semiconductor strengths with the global quantum technology ecosystem. About Foxconn here. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2613004/Foxconn_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hon-hai-technology-group-foxconn-board-director-ching-ray-chang-distinguished-as-unesco-quantum-100-honoree-302644143.html DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bybit, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is pleased to unveil an exclusive rewards program for its VIP traders, offering a total prize pool of 500,000 USDT giving away MNT (Mantle), USDT airdrops, and premium TradingView subscriptions. Celebrating some of the most consistent crypto traders, Bybit recognizes the dedication and trading discipline of its VIPs as the crypto community faces shifting market sentiment and conditions. From now until December 28, the exclusive event offers a chance for all Bybit VIPs to win from the half a million USDT prize pool. The tiered structure ensures every single Bybit VIP can take part: Instant Rewards: All VIP members receive one complimentary spin upon registration; no trading required Performance-Based Bonuses: Eligible VIP traders can earn up to 24 additional spins through qualifying spot and derivatives trades The Grand 500,000 USDT Prize Pool: 200,000 USDT in airdrops, with individual prizes up to 10,000 USDT per VIP in airdrops, with individual prizes per VIP 200,000 USDT equivalent in MNT airdrops equivalent in MNT airdrops Three-month TradingView premium subscriptions (Ultimate, Premium, or Plus tiers) valued up to $719.85 TradingView subscriptions deliver professional-grade charting tools, real-time alerts, and comprehensive market insights that empower traders to navigate any market condition with confidence. As a trusted solution used by traders worldwide, TradingView makes an invaluable resource for Bybit users looking to elevate their digital asset trading strategies. Registration is required. New users who achieve VIP status during the event period also qualify for the instant spin reward. Terms and conditions apply. For details on qualification rules and eligibility, users may visit: VIP exclusive: A reward for your resilience - 500,000 USDT in MNT, USDT & TradingView gifts! Bybit / CryptoArk / IMakeIt About Bybit Bybit is the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 70 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com. For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press For media inquiries, please contact: media@bybit.com For updates, please follow: Bybit's Communities and Social Media Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847516/Bybit_VIP_Exclusive_a_Chance_WinMNT_USDT_Airdrops_TradingView_Subscriptions.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2267288/Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bybit-vip-exclusive-a-chance-to-winmnt-usdt-airdrops-and-tradingview-subscriptions-from-500-000-usdt-prize-pool-302644551.html NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gimme Credit Senior Bond Analyst Dave Novosel, CFA, has published a series of in-depth analyses examining how the 2022 WarnerMedia-Discovery merger reshaped the media industry and set the stage for the current wave of strategic breakups, takeover bids, and elevated credit risk across the sector. Novosel's insights have been widely cited by leading financial and business media, including The New York Times, Barron's, Business Insider, Reuters, and IFR, as investors seek clarity on the evolving media landscape. According to Novosel, the current environment surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Netflix, and Paramount Skydance is the predictable outcome of elevated leverage, the secular decline of linear television, and the capital-intensive streaming model. Warner Bros. Discovery today consists of three businesses moving in very different directions. The Networks segment continues to deteriorate, with sharp revenue, subscriber, and advertising declines. Studios have delivered strong but volatile results driven by theatrical success, while Streaming continues to add subscribers and improve margins despite pressure on average revenue per user. Since the merger, WBD has reduced debt by nearly $20 billion, yet leverage remains elevated at roughly 4.0x. This has constrained strategic flexibility and heightened bondholder risk, particularly given plans to split the company in mid-2026. Under that structure, existing bondholders are likely to remain exposed to the declining Networks business while new debt is senior secured. Strategic interest from Paramount Skydance and, ultimately, Netflix underscores both the value of WBD's assets and the financial strain created by the original merger structure. Novosel concludes that Warner Bros. Discovery's journey from merger to breakup encapsulates the broader media industry reckoning now underway. Per Novosel, "While the Netflix bid for WBD was surprising to many, including ourselves, the elevated Paramount offer was not. Furthermore, the saga may continue as higher bids are certainly possible". Gimme Credit, provides independent corporate bond research and data to aid investors and traders with critical and timely insights into an organization's investment potential. Since 1994, customers have relied on our decisive buy/sell recommendations to provide in-depth guidance when determining which fixed-income securities offer the most opportunity. Gimme Credit's clients include brokerage firms, corporations, financial advisors, investment managers and traders.Company research and news are regularly featured in such esteemed Media as Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, FT and more. Request A Free Trial Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847011/Gimme_Credit__Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gimme-credits-dave-novosel-on-how-the-warner-bros-discovery-merger-set-the-stage-for-todays-media-industry-reckoning-302644062.html TSX:ORV TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Orvana Minerals Corp. (TSX: ORV) (the "Company" or "Orvana") is pleased to announce the initiation of a phased restart of its Don Mario processing plant in Bolivia. Juan Gavidia, Chief Executive Officer of Orvana, commented: "The restart of the Don Mario plant represents an important milestone for Orvana as we advance the commissioning of our expanded processing facilities. Our focus remains on executing a disciplined and phased start-up designed to manage commissioning risk, validate plant performance and position the operation for a controlled ramp-up in 2026." Orvana's Bolivian subsidiary, Empresa Minera Paititi S.A. ("EMIPA"), has commenced the initial phase of the plant restart, with the comminution and thickening circuits brought online to supply feed to the Gold-Silver circuit. These circuits are expected to undergo performance verification through mid-January 2026. The copper circuit, which forms part of the Don Mario plant expansion, is scheduled to be brought online in the second half of January 2026, followed by a controlled ramp-up of all circuits from February through April 2026. The Don Mario plant expansion includes: (i) the installation of new circuits for copper oxide processing, including acid leaching, filtration, solvent extraction and electrowinning to produce copper cathodes; (ii) enhancements to the Gold-Silver and detox circuits to improve throughput and technological performance; (iii) a comprehensive overhaul of pre-existing comminution and thickening circuits; and (iv) business-readiness initiatives, including upgrades to power generation, laboratories, warehouses and workshops, as well as recruitment and training of personnel. Concurrent with commissioning activities, EMIPA is conducting final on-site pilot testing. Upon completion, the pilot testing, together with existing metallurgical data, is expected to allow the Company to update its metal production estimates derived from processing the oxide stockpiles at Don Mario. The Company expects to provide updated information once testing results have been validated. ABOUT ORVANA - Orvana is a multi-mine gold-copper-silver company. Orvana's assets consist of the producing Orovalle operation in northern Spain; the Don Mario operation in Bolivia; and the Taguas property located in Argentina. Additional information is available at Orvana's website (www.orvana.com). Cautionary Statements - Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the phased restart, commissioning, ramp-up and timing of bringing the Don Mario plant circuits into operation, the completion and outcomes of pilot testing, and the timing of potential updates to production estimates. Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions, including assumptions related to commissioning schedules, equipment performance, operational readiness, the absence of material disruptions, and those described in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended September 30, 2025. Such information is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including risks related to commissioning and ramp-up of new process circuits, operational performance, metallurgical results, supply chain constraints, permitting, regulatory matters, political and economic conditions in Bolivia, and other risks described in the Company's public disclosure documents available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Orvana undertakes no obligation to update such information except as required by applicable law. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847454/Orvana_Minerals_Corp__ORVANA_ANNOUNCES_THE_RESTART_OF_ITS_DON_MA.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/orvana-announces-the-restart-of-its-don-mario-plant-in-bolivia-302644303.html LONDON, GB / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / The Board of Pantheon Resources plc (AIM:PANR)(OTCQX:PTHRF) ("Pantheon", the "Group" or the "Company"), the oil and gas company developing the Kodiak and Ahpun oil fields immediately adjacent to pipeline and transportation infrastructure on Alaska's North Slope,announces that the webinar previously proposed for Tuesday 23 December 2025 has now been rescheduled for Monday, 22 December 2025 at 17:00 GMT. The presentation on 22 December at 17:00 is open to all existing and potential shareholders. Questions can be submitted pre-event via your Investor Meet Company dashboard up until 21 December 2025, 17:00 GMT, or at any time during the live presentation. A copy of the presentation will be made available on the Company's website prior to the meeting. Investors can sign up to Investor Meet Company for free and add to meet PANTHEON RESOURCES PLC via: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/pantheon-resources-plc/register-investor Investors who already follow PANTHEON RESOURCES PLC on the ' Investor Meet Company' platform will automatically be invited. Further information: Pantheon Resources plc David Hobbs, Chairman Max Easley, Chief Executive Officer Justin Hondris, SVP, Investor Relations contact@pantheonresources.com Canaccord Genuity Limited (Nominated Adviser, andJoint Broker) Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor James Asensio Charlie Hammond +44 20 7523 8000 Oak Securities (Joint Broker) +44 20 3973 3678 Jerry Keen Nick Price BlytheRay (Corporate Communications) +44 20 7138 3204 Tim Blythe Megan Ray Matthew Bowld MZ Group (USA Investor Relations Contact) Lucas Zimmerman Ian Scargill +1 949 259 4987 About Pantheon Resources Pantheon Resources plc is an AIM listed Oil & Gas company focused on developing its 100% owned Ahpun and Kodiak fields located on State of Alaska land on the North Slope, onshore USA. Independently certified best estimate contingent recoverable resources attributable to these projects currently total c. 1.6 billion barrels of ANS crude and 6.6 Tcf of associated natural gas. The Company owns 100% working interest in c. 259,000 acres. Pantheon's stated objective is to demonstrate sustainable market recognition of a value of approximately $5 per barrel of recoverable resources by end 2028. This is based on bringing the Ahpun field forward to FID and producing into the TAPS main oil line (ANS crude) by the end of 2028. The Gas Sales Precedent Agreement signed with AGDC provides the potential for Pantheon's natural gas to be produced into the proposed 807 mile pipeline from the North Slope to Southcentral Alaska during 2029. Once the Company achieves financial self-sufficiency, it will apply the resultant cashflows to support the FID on the Kodiak field planned, subject to regulatory approvals, targeted by the end of 2028 or early 2029. A major differentiator to other ANS projects is the close proximity to existing roads and pipelines which offers a significant competitive advantage to Pantheon, allowing for shorter development timeframes, materially lower infrastructure costs and the ability to support the development with a significantly lower pre-cashflow funding requirement than is typical in Alaska. Furthermore, the low CO2 content of the associated gas allows export into the planned natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Southcentral Alaska without significant pre-treatment. The Company's project portfolio has been endorsed by world renowned experts. Netherland, Sewell & Associates estimate a 2C contingent recoverable resource in the Kodiak project that total 1,208 mmbbl of ANS crude and 5,396 bcf of natural gas. Cawley Gillespie & Associates estimate 2C contingent recoverable resources for Ahpun's western topset horizons at 282 mmbbl of ANS crude and 803 bcf of natural gas. Lee Keeling & Associates estimated possible reserves and 2C contingent recoverable resources of 79 mmbbl of ANS crude and 424 bcf natural gas. For more information visit www.pantheonresources.com. This information is provided by Reach, the non-regulatory press release distribution service of RNS, part of the London Stock Exchange. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Pantheon Resources PLC View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/oil-gas-and-energy/pantheon-resources-plc-announces-update-investor-webinar-rescheduling-1118516 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Metal Energy Corp. (TSXV: MERG) (OTCQB: MEEEF) (the "Company" or "Metal Energy") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced financing for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$9.25 million (the "Offering"). "Centerra's and Teck's investment provides important validation and should draw broader market attention to Metal Energy. NIV is a rare project where geological, geochemical, and geophysical data align. That convergence explains why two major mining companies have chosen to substantially fund our exploration. We believe the undrilled targets at NIV are among the most prospective in British Columbia in recent years, and Metal Energy plans to drill them in 2026. While still early, we hope to deliver a discovery that justifies the long-term stewardship of this asset," said Stephen Stewart, Chairman of Metal Energy Corp. The Offering consisted of: (i) 8,884,000 common shares issued on a premium flow-through basis (each, an "FT Share") at a price of C$0.729 per FT Share; and (ii) 6,200,000 common shares (each, a "Share") at a price of C$0.45 per Share. No warrants were issued and no finders' fees were paid in connection with the Offering. All securities issued under the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day from the date of closing, in accordance with applicable securities laws. As a result of the completion of the Offering, Centerra Gold Inc. ("Centerra") and Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") have become strategic shareholders of Metal Energy, each holding approximately 9.9% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares. Concurrent with the closing of the Offering, the Company has entered into investor rights agreements on substantially the same terms with each of Centerra and Teck (collectively the "IRAs"). Under the terms of the IRAs, each of Centerra and Teck have been granted participation and top-up rights to allow them to maintain their respective pro-rata ownership in the Company so long as their ownership in the Company remains greater than 5.0% of the Shares on a non-diluted basis. Consistent with the terms previously disclosed, an amount equal to the gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Shares will be used to incur, on the Company's Canadian mineral exploration properties, eligible resource exploration expenses that qualify as "Canadian exploration expenses," "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures," and, for purchasers in British Columbia, "BC flow-through mining expenditures" (collectively, the "Qualifying Expenditures"). The Company will incur Qualifying Expenditures in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issuance of the FT Shares on or before December 31, 2026, and will renounce such expenses to the initial purchasers of the FT Shares with an effective date no later than December 31, 2025, subject to the terms and limitations described in the initial Offering announcement. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund Metal Energy's 2026 maiden drill program at its NIV copper-gold-molybdenum project in the Toodoggone District of British Columbia, where NIV is fully permitted with well-defined, drill-ready targets, and for general corporate purposes. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any state of the United States, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, "U.S. persons" (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration requirements. The Offering remains subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Metal Energy Metal Energy Corp. (TSXV: MERG) (OTCQB: MEEEF) is a critical metals exploration company focused on copper and gold assets in Canada. The Company controls NIV, a fully permitted and drill-ready copper-gold-molybdenum project located in British Columbia's prolific Toodoggone District, a region known for significant porphyry deposits. With the addition of NIV, Metal Energy's portfolio now includes three high-potential projects: NIV Project (Cu-Au-Mo, 100% controlled) - Toodoggone District, British Columbia View Video of the Geological Overview of the NIV Project by Geologist, Charlie Greig View PDF of NIV Technical Presentation (Cu-Au-Mo, 100% controlled) - Toodoggone District, British Columbia Highland Valley Project (Cu-Mo-Ag-Au-Re, 100% owned) - British Columbia (Cu-Mo-Ag-Au-Re, 100% owned) - British Columbia Manibridge Project (Ni-Cu-Co-PGE, 85% owned) - Manitoba Reader Advisory Certain information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements"), including details about the business of Metal Energy. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Metal Energy expects to occur are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, final TSXV approval, the use of proceeds from the Offering, and future exploration plans and timelines. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Metal Energy's control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, environmental risks, operational risks, competition from other industry participants, and stock market volatility. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. Risks, uncertainties, material assumptions and other factors that could affect actual results are discussed in Metal Energy's public disclosure documents available at www.sedarplus.ca. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Metal Energy does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278304 Source: Metal Energy Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia and Melbourne, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Ltd (TSX: SXGC) (ASX: SX2) (OTCQX: SXGCF) (FSE: MV3) ("SXGC", "SX2" or the "Company") announces results from 12 drillholes from at the 100%-owned Sunday Creek Gold-Antimony Project in Victoria (Figures 1 to 6). Best results included 3.6 m @ 14.7 g/t AuEq from 708.6 m in drillhole SDDSC192, the deepest east-west oriented hole drilled into the Apollo prospect to date. Five High Level Takeaways: Exceptional high-grade gold hit - SDDSC192 returned 3.6 m @ 14.7 g/t AuEq (14.6 g/t Au, 0.0% Sb) from 708.6 m, including 0.21 m @ 236 g/t Au, a high-grade hit that confirms the system continues to deliver exceptional gold values in the deepest holes into the system, stepping down 60 m at Apollo East and 80 m at Apollo Deeps, demonstrating the system remains robust and open at depth. Discovery of a new mineralized zone - SDDSC174B identified previously unrecognized mineralization between the Gladys and Golden Orb Faults, returning 0.3 m @ 45.9 g/t AuEq (34.6 g/t Au, 4.7% Sb) from 856.2 m and opening up 70 m of untested ground to the south - a significant new exploration target. Other broader intersections - 2.3 m @ 17.1 g/t AuEq (11.3 g/t Au, 2.4% Sb) from 810.0 m in SDDSC174BW1 and 3.6 m @ 14.7 g/t AuEq (14.6 g/t Au) from 708.6 m in SDDSC192. Strong antimony and gold grades - SDDSC174BW1 returned 0.1 m @ 109.7 g/t AuEq (49.7 g/t Au, 25.1% Sb) from 811.3 m and 0.1 m @ 83.9 g/t AuEq (42.3 g/t Au, 17.4% Sb) from 800.68 m, highlighting the exceptional critical mineral endowment alongside high-grade gold values. Apollo East continues to grow - SDDSC181 extended the mineralized corridor to approximately 150 m of east-west strike, while SDDSC179 pushed the prospective host 30 m further east, demonstrating the system is expanding in multiple directions. Michael Hudson, President & CEO states: "SDDSC192 is our deepest east-west hole into Apollo and delivered 3.6 m @ 14.7 g/t AuEq, including a high-grade hit of 0.21 m @ 236 g/t Au, proving the system remains robust and open at depth. Stepping down 80 m at Apollo Deeps, we intersected 11 vein sets across Apollo East and Apollo Deeps, demonstrating exceptional continuity of this large-scale, high-grade gold-antimony system. We've also uncovered a new mineralized zone between the Gladys and Golden Orb Faults that returned 0.3 m @ 45.9 g/t AuEq, opening up 70 m of untested ground to the south. "Individual samples returned exceptional antimony grades of 25.1% and 17.4% Sb alongside high-grade gold values, reinforcing Sunday Creek's significance as a critical antimony project. Apollo continues to grow in every direction we drill, and with mineralization open at depth and along strike, we're only starting to see system's potential to the east." For Those Who Like the Details - Highlights: Drill holes returned significant gold-antimony mineralization across Apollo and Apollo East, highlighted by the deepest east-west hole to date and discovery of a new mineralized zone. SDDSC174B Confirmed five distinct vein sets at Apollo East Discovered a new mineralized zone between Gladys and Golden Orb Faults, opening 70 m of untested exploration potential to the south New zone returned 0.3 m @ 45.9 g/t AuEq (34.6 g/t Au, 4.7% Sb) from 856.2 m Upper zone returned 0.4 m @ 25.6 g/t AuEq (24.0 g/t Au, 0.7% Sb) from 510.7 m SDDSC174BW1 Intersected seven vein sets including one newly identified vein set Extended A139 and A141 vein sets 40 m vertically down-dip, demonstrating robust continuity at depth Exceptional antimony grades with high-grade intercepts of 0.1 m @ 109.7 g/t AuEq (49.7 g/t Au, 25.1% Sb) from 811.3 m and 0.1 m @ 83.9 g/t AuEq (42.3 g/t Au, 17.4% Sb) from 800.68 m Broader intercept of 2.3 m @ 17.1 g/t AuEq (11.3 g/t Au, 2.4% Sb) from 810.0 m SDDSC174BW2 Tested offset system south of SDDSC174BW1 within newly identified fault-bound zone Identified additional unrecognized vein set Returned 2.3 m @ 17.4 g/t AuEq (12.2 g/t Au, 2.2% Sb) from 866.45 m including 0.7 m @ 58.9 g/t AuEq (41.3 g/t Au, 7.4% Sb) SDDSC179 Intersected three known vein sets 40 m up-dip from last known mineralized position Extended prospective dyke and altered sediment corridor 30 m to the east Returned 0.6 m @ 13.5 g/t AuEq (9.0 g/t Au, 1.9% Sb) from 276.22 m SDDSC181 Intersected five vein sets, extending Apollo East approximately 30 m further east Apollo East now demonstrates approximately 150 m of east-west strike continuity Best intercept of 15.7 m @ 2.5 g/t AuEq (1.7 g/t Au, 0.3% Sb) from 602.2 m - widest mineralized interval in this release Peripheral hanging wall mineralization indicates potential for additional positions within the broader system SDDSC192 Deepest east-west oriented hole into Apollo to date Intersected five vein sets at Apollo East (60 m step-down) and six vein sets at Apollo Deeps (80 m step-down), confirming mineralization remains open at depth High-grade intercept of 3.6 m @ 14.7 g/t AuEq (14.6 g/t Au) from 708.6 m including 0.21 m @ 236 g/t Au Deep mineralization at Apollo Deeps returned 7.8 m @ 2.6 g/t AuEq (0.6 g/t Au, 0.8% Sb) from 921.5 m Regional Drilling Confirms favourable structural architecture extending 450 m east and 700 m west of the main zone Drill Hole Discussion Apollo and Apollo East Drilling Eight drill holes are reported here that targeted the Apollo prospect from east to west orientations. SDDSC174B successfully intersected the Apollo East zone, confirming five distinct vein sets. Critically, this hole identified an additional mineralized zone at Apollo situated between the Gladys Fault and Golden Orb Fault, representing previously unrecognized mineralization that offsets the system to the south in an untested area with up to 70 m of untested significant exploration potential. Highlights included: 0.4 m @ 25.6 g/t AuEq (24.0 g/t Au, 0.7% Sb) from 510.7 m 4.0 m @ 2.1 g/t AuEq (1.6 g/t Au, 0.2% Sb) from 520.6 m 6.5 m @ 1.8 g/t AuEq (1.3 g/t Au, 0.2% Sb) from 534.5 m 0.3 m @ 45.9 g/t AuEq (34.6 g/t Au, 4.7% Sb) from 856.2 m SDDSC174BW1 & SDDSC174BW2 tested a 100 m wide strike of the host within the Apollo system. SDDSC174BW1 intersected seven vein sets, including one newly identified vein set, and returned three high-grade cores with exceptional antimony grades of 25.1% and 17.4% Sb in individual samples. The drilling expanded known vein sets 15 m to 20 m along strike from previously reported holes and importantly confirmed the down-dip extension of the A139 and A141 vein sets by 40 m vertically, demonstrating robust continuity of high-grade mineralization at depth. Highlights included: 8.7 m @ 1.4 g/t AuEq (0.8 g/t Au, 0.2% Sb) from 765.3 m 6.4 m @ 4.3 g/t AuEq (1.7 g/t Au, 1.1% Sb) from 782.4 m 2.3 m @ 17.1 g/t AuEq (11.3 g/t Au, 2.4% Sb) from 810.0 m 1.4 m @ 8.1 g/t AuEq (0.9 g/t Au, 3.0% Sb) from 823.85 m SDDSC174BW2 was designed south of SDDSC174BW1 and tested the previously unrecognized offset system between the Gladys Fault and Golden Orb Fault and identified an additional unrecognized vein set. Highlights included: 2.9 m @ 1.3 g/t AuEq (0.6 g/t Au, 0.3% Sb) from 818.0 m 3.4 m @ 4.2 g/t AuEq (1.8 g/t Au, 1.0% Sb) from 825.0 m 3.5 m @ 4.0 g/t AuEq (1.0 g/t Au, 1.2% Sb) from 830.77 m 2.3 m @ 17.4 g/t AuEq (12.2 g/t Au, 2.2% Sb) from 866.45 m The primary (parent) holes SDDSC174 and SDDSC174A were abandoned due to excessive deviation, prompting a wedge and directional drilling strategy focused on high grade core confirmation and strike expansion. SDDSC179 SDDSC179 intersected three known vein sets approximately 40 m up-dip from the last previously known mineralized position, confirming strong continuity of the mineralized system in Apollo East. The hole also has extended the prospective dyke and altered sediment corridor 30 m to the east, demonstrating strike expansion in Apollo East. Highlights included: 0.6 m @ 13.5 g/t AuEq (9.0 g/t Au, 1.9% Sb) from 276.22 m 0.4 m @ 14.0 g/t AuEq (12.4 g/t Au, 0.7% Sb) from 368.28 m SDDSC181 SDDSC181 intersected five vein sets in Apollo East and extending this zone approximately 30 m further east. Apollo East now demonstrates approximately 150 m of east-west strike continuity of the mineralized host, significantly expanding the footprint of this emerging corridor. The hole also intersected peripheral mineralization in the hanging wall of the main corridor at Apollo Deeps, indicating potential for additional mineralized positions within the broader structural system. Highlights included: 15.7 m @ 2.5 g/t AuEq (1.7 g/t Au, 0.3% Sb) from 602.2 m 2.7 m @ 4.2 g/t AuEq (2.4 g/t Au, 0.8% Sb) from 676.98 m 0.5 m @ 13.9 g/t AuEq (13.6 g/t Au, 0.1% Sb) from 688.33 m 0.5 m @ 15.3 g/t AuEq (8.6 g/t Au, 2.8% Sb) from 698.68 m SDDSC192 SDDSC192 represents the deepest east-west oriented hole into the Apollo system to date and intersected five vein sets in Apollo East with a 60 m step-down from previous drilling, and six vein sets at Apollo Deeps with an 80 m vertical step-down, demonstrating robust continuity at depth. Individual assay result includes a standout intercept of 0.21 m @ 236 g/t Au, 0.69% Sb from 711.54 m further highlighting the high-grade nature of the system and confirming that mineralization remains open at depth. 8.1 m @ 2.0 g/t AuEq (1.6 g/t Au, 0.1% Sb) from 662.3 m 3.6 m @ 14.7 g/t AuEq (14.6 g/t Au, 0.0% Sb) from 708.55 m 7.8 m @ 2.6 g/t AuEq (0.6 g/t Au, 0.8% Sb) from 921.5 m 5.6 m @ 2.4 g/t AuEq (2.0 g/t Au, 0.2% Sb) from 934.55 m Along Strike Drilling Drilling at Sunday Creek has confirmed continuous structural architecture extending both east and west along strike (Figure 4). SDDSC167, drilled 450 m east of Apollo, intersected seven dyke intervals over a 240 m window before encountering a major fault structure. To the west, SDDSC183 (250 m west of Christina) and SDDSC185 (700 m west of Christina) both returned arsenic and sulphur anomalism indicating proximity to mineralization. SDDSC189 tested a southern parallel trend and intersected a large-scale fault containing dyke and altered sediment clasts, confirming continuity of this secondary target with offset. Together, these holes demonstrate the favourable structural framework across the broader system and highlight potential at depth as regional drilling now commences. Pending Results and Update Nine drill rigs are currently operational on the Sunday Creek project with one additional drill rig dedicated to regional exploration. Results are pending from 42 holes currently being processed and analyzed including ten holes that are actively being drilled and two abandoned holes (Figure 2). The Company continues its 200,000 m drill program through Q1 2027. About Sunday Creek The Sunday Creek epizonal-style gold project is located 60 km north of Melbourne within 16,900 hectares ("Ha") of granted exploration tenements. SXGC is also the freehold landholder of 1,392 Ha that forms the key portion in and around the main drilled area at the Sunday Creek Project. Gold and antimony form in a relay of vein sets that cut across a steeply dipping zone of intensely altered rocks (the "host"). These vein sets are like a "Golden Ladder" structure where the main host extends between the side rails deep into the earth, with multiple cross-cutting vein sets that host the gold forming the rungs. At Apollo and Rising Sun these individual 'rungs' have been defined over 600 m depth extent from surface to over 1,100 m below surface, are 2.5 m to 3.5 m wide (median widths) (and up to 10 m), and 20 m to 100 m in strike. Cumulatively, 231 drill holes for 105,091.11 m have been reported from Sunday Creek since late 2020. This amount includes five holes for 929 m that have been drilled for geotechnical purposes and 22 holes for 2,973.77 m that were abandoned due to deviation or hole conditions. Fourteen drillholes for 2,383 m have been reported regionally outside of the main Sunday Creek drill area. A total of 64 historic drill holes for 5,599 m were completed from the late 1960s to 2008. The project now contains a total of Seventy-two (72) >100 g/t AuEq x m and eighty (80) >50 to 100 g/t AuEq x m drill holes by applying a 2 m @ 1 g/t AuEq lower cut. Our systematic drill program is strategically targeting these significant vein formations, which are currently defined over 1,350 m strike of the host dyke/sediment ("rails of the ladder") from Christina to Apollo prospects, of which approximately 620 m has been more intensively drill tested (Rising Sun to Apollo). At least 94 'rungs' have been defined to date, defined by high-grade intercepts (20 g/t Au to >7,330 g/t Au) along with lower grade edges. Ongoing step-out drilling is aiming to uncover the potential extent of this mineralized system (Figure 5). Geologically, the project is located within the Melbourne Structural Zone in the Lachlan Fold Belt. The regional host to the Sunday Creek mineralization is an interbedded turbidite sequence of siltstones and minor sandstones metamorphosed to sub-greenschist facies and folded into a set of open north-west trending folds. Further Information Further discussion and analysis of the Sunday Creek project is available through the interactive Vrify 3D animations, presentations and videos all available on the SXGC website. These data, along with an interview on these results with President & CEO/Managing Director Michael Hudson can be viewed at www.southerncrossgold.com. No upper gold grade cut is applied in the averaging and intervals are reported as drill thickness. However, during future Mineral Resource studies, the requirement for assay top cutting will be assessed. The Company notes that due to rounding of assay results to one significant figure, minor variations in calculated composite grades may occur. Figures 1 to 6 show project location, plan and longitudinal views of drill results reported here and Tables 1 to 3 provide collar and assay data. The true thickness of the mineralized intervals reported individually as estimated true widths ("ETW"), otherwise they are interpreted to be approximately 65% to 90% of the sampled thickness for other reported holes. Lower grades were cut at 1.0 g/t AuEq lower cutoff over a maximum width of 2 m with higher grades cut at 5.0 g/t AuEq lower cutoff over a maximum of 1 m width unless specified unless otherwise* specified to demonstrate higher grade assays. Critical Metal Epizonal Gold-Antimony Deposits Sunday Creek (Figure 6) is an epizonal gold-antimony deposit formed in the late Devonian (like Fosterville, Costerfield and Redcastle), 60 million years later than mesozonal gold systems formed in Victoria (for example Ballarat and Bendigo). Epizonal deposits are a form of orogenic gold deposit classified according to their depth of formation: epizonal (<6 km), mesozonal (6 km to 12 km) and hypozonal (>12 km). Epizonal deposits in Victoria often have associated high levels of the critical metal, antimony, and Sunday Creek is no exception. China claims a 56 per cent share of global mined supplies of antimony, according to a 2023 European Union study. Antimony features highly on the critical minerals lists of many countries including Australia, the United States of America, Canada, Japan and the European Union. Australia ranks seventh for antimony production despite all production coming from a single mine at Costerfield in Victoria, located nearby to all SXGC projects. Antimony alloys with lead and tin which results in improved properties for solders, munitions, bearings and batteries. Antimony is a prominent additive for halogen-containing flame retardants. Adequate supplies of antimony are critical to the world's energy transition, and to the high-tech industry, especially the semi-conductor and defence sectors where it is a critical additive to primers in munitions. In August 2024, the Chinese government announced it will place export limits from September 15, 2024, on antimony and antimony products. This puts pressure on Western defence supply chains and negatively affect the supply of the metal and push up pricing given China's dominance of the supply of the metal in the global markets. This is positive for SXGC as we are likely to have one of the very few large and high-quality projects of antimony in the western world that can feed western demand into the future. Antimony represents approximately 21% to 24% in situ recoverable value of Sunday Creek at an AuEq of 2.39 ratio. About Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Limited (TSX: SXGC) (ASX: SX2) (OTCQX: SXGCF) (FSE: MV3) Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Ltd. (TSX: SXGC) (ASX: SX2) (OTCQX: SXGCF), controls the Sunday Creek Gold-Antimony Project located 60 km north of Melbourne, Australia. Sunday Creek has emerged as one of the Western world's most significant gold and antimony discoveries, with exceptional drilling results including 72 intersections exceeding 100 g/t AuEq x m from 105,091 km of drilling. The mineralization follows a "Golden Ladder" structure over 12 km of strike length, with confirmed continuity from surface to 1,100 m depth. Sunday Creek's strategic value is enhanced by its dual-metal profile, with antimony contributing approximately 20% of the in-situ value alongside gold, meaning Importantly, Sunday Creek can be developed primarily based on gold economics, which reduces antimony-related risks while maintaining strategic supply potential. This has gained increased significance following China's export restrictions on antimony, a critical metal for defense and semiconductor applications. Southern Cross' inclusion in the US Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) and Australia's AUKUS-related legislative changes position it as a potential key Western antimony supplier. Technical fundamentals further strengthen the investment case, with preliminary metallurgical work showing non-refractory mineralization suitable for conventional processing and gold recoveries of 93% to 98% through gravity and flotation. With a strong cash position, 1,392 Ha of strategic freehold land ownership, and a large 200 km drill program planned through Q1 2027, SXGC is well-positioned to advance this globally significant gold-antimony discovery in a tier-one jurisdiction. - Ends - This announcement has been approved for release by the Board of Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Ltd. NI 43-101 Technical Background and Qualified Person Michael Hudson, President, CEO and Managing Director of SXGC, and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and Mr Kenneth Bush, Exploration Manager of SXGC and a RPGeo (10315) of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, are the Qualified Persons as defined by the NI 43-101. They have prepared, reviewed, verified and approved the technical contents of this release. Analytical samples are transported to the Bendigo facility of On Site Laboratory Services ("On Site") which operates under both an ISO 9001 and NATA quality systems. Samples were prepared and analyzed for gold using the fire assay technique (PE01S method; 25 gram charge), followed by measuring the gold in solution with flame AAS equipment. Samples for multi-element analysis (BM011 and over-range methods as required) use aqua regia digestion and ICP-MS analysis. The QA/QC program of Southern Cross Gold consists of the systematic insertion of certified standards of known gold content, blanks within interpreted mineralized rock and quarter core duplicates. In addition, On Site inserts blanks and standards into the analytical process. SXGC considers that both gold and antimony that are included in the gold equivalent calculation ("AuEq") have reasonable potential to be recovered and sold at Sunday Creek, given current geochemical understanding, historic production statistics and geologically analogous mining operations. Historically, ore from Sunday Creek was treated onsite or shipped to the Costerfield mine, located 54 km to the northwest of the project, for processing during WW1. The Costerfield mine corridor, now owned by Alkane Resources (previously Mandalay Resources), contains two million ounces of equivalent gold (Mandalay Resources Q3 2021 Results), and in 2020 was the sixth highest-grade global underground mine and a top 5 global producer of antimony. SXGC considers that it is appropriate to adopt the same gold equivalent variables as Mandalay Resources Ltd in its 2024 End of Year Mineral Reserves and Resources Press Release, dated February 20, 2025. The gold equivalence formula used by Mandalay Resources was calculated using Costerfield's 2024 production costs, using a gold price of US$2,500 per ounce, an antimony price of US$19,000 per tonne and 2024 total year metal recoveries of 91% for gold and 92% for antimony. JORC Competent Person Statement Information in this announcement that relates to new exploration results contained in this report is based on information compiled by Mr Kenneth Bush and Mr Michael Hudson. Mr Bush is a Member of Australian Institute of Geoscientists and a Registered Professional Geologist in the field of Mining (#10315) and Mr Hudson is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Bush and Mr Hudson each have sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration, and to the activities undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr Bush is Exploration Manager and Mr Hudson is President, CEO and Managing Director of Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Limited and both consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears. Certain information in this announcement that relates to prior exploration results is extracted from the Independent Geologist's Report dated 11 December 2024 which was issued with the consent of the Competent Person, Mr Steven Tambanis. The report is included the Company's prospectus dated 11 December 2024 and is available at www.asx.com.au under code "SX2". The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information related to exploration results included in the original market announcement. The Company confirms that the form and context of the Competent Persons' findings in relation to the report have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. Certain information in this announcement also relates to prior drill hole exploration results, are extracted from the following announcements, which are available to view on www.southerncrossgold.com: 4 October, 2022 SDDSC046, 20 October, 2022 SDDSC049, 5 September, 2023 SDDSC077B, 12 October, 2023 SDDLV003 & 4, 23 October, 2023 SDDSC082, 9 November, 2023 SDDSC091, 14 December, 2023 SDDSC092, 5 March, 2024 SDDSC107, 30 May, 2024 SDDSC117, 13 June, 2024 SDDSC118, 5 September, 2024 SDDSC130, 28 October, 2024 SDDSC137W2, 28 November, 2024 SDDSC141, 9 December, 2024 SDDSC145, 18 December, 2024 SDDSC129 & 144, 28 May, 2025 SDDSC161, 16 June, 2025 SDDSC162, 26 August, 2025 SDDSC171, 8 September, 2025 SDDSC170A. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original document/announcement and the Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not materially modified from the original market announcement. Forward-Looking Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions and accordingly, actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. You are hence cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include words or expressions such as "proposed", "will", "subject to", "near future", "in the event", "would", "expect", "prepared to" and other similar words or expressions. Factors that could cause future results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include general business, economic, competitive, political, social uncertainties; the state of capital markets, unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant; and other risks described in the Company's documents filed with Canadian or Australian (under code SX2) securities regulatory authorities. You can find further information with respect to these and other risks in filings made by the Company with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada or Australia (under code SX2), as applicable, and available for the Company in Canada at www.sedarplus.ca or in Australia at www.asx.com.au (under code SX2). Documents are also available at www.southerncrossgold.com. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. Figure 1: Sunday Creek plan view showing selected results from holes SDDSC167, SDDSC174, SDDSC174A, SDDSC174B, SDDSC174BW1, SDDSC174BW2, SDDSC179, SDDSC181, SDDSC183, SDDSC185, SDDSC189 and SDDSC192 reported here (dark blue highlighted box, black trace), with selected prior reported drill holes. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11541/278279_039dbda984823b89_003full.jpg Figure 2: Sunday Creek plan view showing selected drillhole traces from holes SDDSC167, SDDSC174, SDDSC174A, SDDSC174B, SDDSC174BW1, SDDSC174BW2, SDDSC179, SDDSC181, SDDSC183, SDDSC185, SDDSC189 and SDDSC192 reported here (black trace), with prior reported drill holes (grey trace) and currently drilling and assays pending hole traces (dark blue). To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11541/278279_039dbda984823b89_004full.jpg Figure 3: Sunday Creek longitudinal section across A-B in the plane of the dyke breccia/altered sediment host looking towards the north (striking 236 degrees) showing mineralized vein sets. Showing holes SDDSC167, SDDSC174, SDDSC174A, SDDSC174B, SDDSC174BW1, SDDSC174BW2, SDDSC179, SDDSC181, SDDSC183, SDDSC185, SDDSC189 and SDDSC192 reported here (dark blue highlighted box, black trace), with selected intersections and prior reported drill holes. The vertical extents of the vein sets are limited by proximity to drill hole pierce points. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11541/278279_039dbda984823b89_005full.jpg Figure 4: Sunday Creek regional Geology map showing surface trend of dyke To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11541/278279_039dbda984823b89_006full.jpg Figure 5: Sunday Creek regional plan view showing soil sampling, structural framework, regional historic epizonal gold mining areas and broad regional areas tested by 12 holes for 2,383 m drill program. The regional drill areas are at Tonstal, Consols and Leviathan located 4,000-7,500 m along strike from the main drill area at Golden Dyke- Apollo. Map in GDA94/ MGA Zone 55. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11541/278279_039dbda984823b89_007full.jpg Figure 6: Location of the Sunday Creek project, along with the 100% owned Redcastle Gold-Antimony Project To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11541/278279_039dbda984823b89_008full.jpg Table 1: Drill collar summary table for recent drill holes in progress. This Release Hole ID Depth (m) Prospect East GDA94 Z55 North GDA94 Z55 Elevation (m) Dip Azimuth GDA94 Z55 SDDSC167 404.8 Apollo East 331830.3 5868092 347.9 -37.9 216.9 SDDSC174 (Abandoned) 469.3 Apollo 331595.7 5867936 345.4 -42.1 264.8 SDDSC174A (Abandoned) 306.7 Apollo 331595.5 5867936 345.5 -41.5 263.2 SDDSC174B 912.5 Apollo 331596.2 5867936 345.5 -41.6 263 SDDSC174BW1 935.04 Apollo 331596.2 5867936 345.5 -41.6 261.3 SDDSC174BW2 935 Apollo 331596.2 5867936 345.5 -43.1 268.7 SDDSC179 448.8 Apollo 331465 5867863 333.2 -38.6 265.4 SDDSC181 1142.5 Apollo 331614.8 5867952 346.9 -52.7 269.2 SDDSC183 343.1 Christina 329713.9 5867445 300.1 -40 340.2 SDDSC185 651.85 Regional 329233.2 5867242 323.9 -35 25 SDDSC189 707 Regional 329232.5 5867217 324.3 -35 150.1 SDDSC192 1141.2 Apollo 331615.2 5867952 347 -56.2 268.8 Currently being processed and analyzed Hole ID Depth (m) Prospect East GDA94 Z55 North GDA94 Z55 Elevation (m) Dip Azimuth GDA94 Z55 SDDSC176 865.8 Golden Dyke 330950.2 5868006.1 313.7 -53.2 257.3 SDDSC180 1159.77 Christina 330753.2 5867732.9 306.8 -45 273.1 SDDSC186 791.5 Golden Dyke 330950.5 5868006.3 313.8 -54 262.6 SDDSC186W1 774.1 Golden Dyke 330950.5 5868006.3 313.8 -54 262.6 SDDSC186W2 1100.2 Golden Dyke 330950.5 5868006.3 313.8 -54 262.6 SDDSC187 518.3 Rising Sun 330510.7 5867852.7 295.4 -50.5 75.4 SDDSC188 702.8 Christina 330218.3 5867664 268.9 -50.5 57.9 SDDSC190 451.8 Rising Sun 330511.4 5867852.5 295.5 -40.8 80.1 SDDSC191W1 1132.9 Christina 330753.5 5867733 306.8 -46.3 275.2 SDDSC193 668.1 Golden Dyke 330775.4 5867891 295.5 -58.6 262.2 SDDSC194 929 Golden Dyke 330811.4 5867596.4 295.1 -64.4 310 SDDSC194W1 In Progress plan 1650 m Golden Dyke 330811.4 5867596.4 295.1 -64.4 311.2 SDDSC195 152.15 Apollo 330989.7 5867715.6 318 -53.3 60.5 SDDSC196 1082.53 Rising Sun 330484.2 5867893.4 289.5 -64.4 74.8 SDDSC197 791.5 Golden Dyke 330217.8 5867664.2 268.9 -58.7 50.8 SDDSC198 273.6 Apollo 331180.4 5867849.1 306.1 -31.5 248.6 SDDSC199 503.43 Apollo 330887.5 5867704.5 312.7 -42.8 52.2 SDDSC200 320.54 Apollo 330887.2 5867704.3 312.7 -47.8 53 SDDSC201 321.4 Rising Sun 330948.3 5868003.4 313.3 -28.9 231.3 SDDSC202 In Progress plan 950 m Apollo 331596.2 5867936.2 345.5 -42.6 266.6 SDDSC203 547 Golden Dyke 330775.3 5867888.9 295.5 -47.5 253.4 SDDSC204 1208.3 Apollo 331615.6 5867952.4 346.5 -58.2 270.4 SDDSC205 In Progress plan 1320 m Rising Sun 330339.5 5867860.7 276.9 -64.4 75.5 SDDSC206 286.2 Golden Dyke 330752.7 5867734.4 306.9 -33 301 SDDSC207 584.25 Christina 330094.8 5867459.3 278.3 -48.8 20.7 SDDSC208 929.3 Christina 330753.5 5867733 306.7 -47.1 281 SDDSC209 271.58 Apollo East 331463.3 5867746.4 341.2 -30.5 34 SDDSC210 512 Golden Dyke 330813.6 5867847.5 301.1 -43.6 264.3 SDDSC211 380 Golden Dyke 330700.3 5867880.2 299.4 -40.1 250.4 SDDSC212 438.7 Apollo East 331465.1 5867867.5 332.9 -33 261 SDDSC213 941.4 Golden Dyke 330094.2 5867458.6 278.3 -62.6 14.6 SDDSC214 In Progress plan 1150 m Apollo 331615.5 5867952.7 346.8 -55.2 269 SDDSC215 476.7 Regional 331602.8 5867185.2 305.1 -38 15 SDDSC216A 572.2 Golden Dyke 330700.3 5867880.2 299.4 46.2 250.8 SDDSC217 In Progress plan 400 m Apollo East 331481 5867842 336.2 -24.7 262.3 SDDSC218 In Progress plan 600 m Golden Dyke 330813.6 5867847.5 301.1 -47.6 265.5 SDDSC219 In Progress plan 540 m Golden Dyke 330700.3 5867880.2 299.4 -49.5 247.6 SDDSC220 In Progress plan 520 m Christina 329780.9 5867551.9 286.5 -26 70.8 SDDSC221 In Progress plan 1050 m Golden Dyke 330753.5 5867733 306.7 -50.6 284.1 Regional holes currently being processed and analyzed Hole ID Press Release Depth Prospect East GDA94 Z55 North GDA94 Z55 Elevation (m) Dip Azimuth GDA94 Z55 SDDRE016 In Progress plan 360 m Redcastle 302732 5927292 194.61 -50 68 Abandoned Drillholes currently being processed and analyzed Hole ID Press Release Depth Prospect East GDA94 Z55 North GDA94 Z55 Elevation (m) Dip Azimuth GDA94 Z55 SDDSC191 864.4 Christina 330753.5 5867733 306.8 -46.1 275.2 SDDSC216 131.2 Golden Dyke 330700.3 5867880.2 299.4 -46.5 252.3 Table 2: Table of mineralized drill hole intersections reported from SDDSC167, SDDSC174, SDDSC174A, SDDSC174B, SDDSC174BW1, SDDSC174BW2, SDDSC179, SDDSC181, SDDSC183, SDDSC185, SDDSC189 and SDDSC192 with two cutoff criteria. Lower grades cut at 1.0 g/t AuEq lower cutoff over a maximum of 2 m with higher grades cut at 5.0 g/t AuEq cutoff over a maximum of 1 m. Significant intersections and interval depths are rounded to one decimal place. Hole number From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Sb % AuEq g/t SDDSC174B 510.70 511.10 0.40 24.0 0.7 25.6 SDDSC174B 520.60 524.60 4.00 1.6 0.2 2.1 SDDSC174B 534.50 541.00 6.50 1.3 0.2 1.8 SDDSC174B 856.20 856.50 0.30 34.6 4.7 45.9 SDDSC174B 863.28 863.38 0.10 17.5 9.0 38.9 SDDSC174B 866.35 866.55 0.20 11.4 0.3 12.0 SDDSC174B 872.15 873.95 1.80 0.8 0.2 1.3 SDDSC174BW1 746.32 749.52 3.20 0.5 0.3 1.2 SDDSC174BW1 755.83 761.13 5.30 0.7 0.3 1.5 SDDSC174BW1 765.30 774.00 8.70 0.8 0.2 1.4 Including 769.05 769.45 0.40 12.4 1.3 15.4 SDDSC174BW1 778.70 779.00 0.30 10.9 2.1 15.9 SDDSC174BW1 782.40 788.80 6.40 1.7 1.1 4.3 Including 784.85 786.55 1.70 4.8 2.0 9.7 SDDSC174BW1 792.00 794.20 2.20 0.8 0.2 1.3 SDDSC174BW1 796.55 796.75 0.20 5.9 8.3 25.7 SDDSC174BW1 800.68 800.78 0.10 42.3 17.4 83.9 SDDSC174BW1 810.00 812.30 2.30 11.3 2.4 17.1 Including 810.00 810.30 0.30 77.0 7.2 94.2 Including 811.30 811.40 0.10 49.7 25.1 109.7 SDDSC174BW1 820.65 821.75 1.10 1.4 0.4 2.3 SDDSC174BW1 823.85 825.25 1.40 0.9 3.0 8.1 Including 823.85 824.05 0.20 3.1 10.9 29.2 SDDSC174BW1 829.50 829.70 0.20 15.7 0.7 17.4 SDDSC174BW1 832.00 836.00 4.00 1.6 0.2 2.0 SDDSC174BW2 734.42 736.22 1.80 0.8 0.4 1.8 SDDSC174BW2 797.90 800.00 2.10 1.0 0.2 1.5 SDDSC174BW2 811.33 813.83 2.50 0.3 0.4 1.1 SDDSC174BW2 818.00 820.90 2.90 0.6 0.3 1.3 SDDSC174BW2 825.00 828.40 3.40 1.8 1.0 4.2 Including 826.09 827.99 1.90 3.0 1.7 7.0 SDDSC174BW2 830.77 834.27 3.50 1.0 1.2 4.0 Including 831.48 832.18 0.70 3.5 4.8 15.0 SDDSC174BW2 853.84 855.74 1.90 1.0 0.1 1.3 SDDSC174BW2 866.45 868.75 2.30 12.2 2.2 17.4 Including 867.28 867.98 0.70 41.3 7.4 58.9 SDDSC179 276.22 276.82 0.60 9.0 1.9 13.5 SDDSC179 368.28 368.68 0.40 12.4 0.7 14.0 Including 368.28 368.48 0.20 28.4 1.6 32.2 SDDSC181 602.20 617.90 15.70 1.7 0.3 2.5 Including 609.85 610.45 0.60 20.4 0.1 20.7 SDDSC181 647.17 649.67 2.50 1.5 0.0 1.6 SDDSC181 676.98 679.68 2.70 2.4 0.8 4.2 Including 677.78 678.68 0.90 3.2 1.4 6.5 SDDSC181 688.33 688.83 0.50 13.6 0.1 13.9 SDDSC181 698.68 699.18 0.50 8.6 2.8 15.3 SDDSC181 866.40 867.30 0.90 3.3 0.8 5.3 SDDSC192 604.12 604.42 0.30 19.6 1.0 21.9 SDDSC192 621.36 623.26 1.90 2.6 0.0 2.6 SDDSC192 655.11 656.31 1.20 3.5 0.0 3.6 SDDSC192 662.30 670.40 8.10 1.6 0.1 2.0 SDDSC192 690.60 691.20 0.60 6.9 0.0 6.9 SDDSC192 708.55 712.15 3.60 14.6 0.0 14.7 Including 711.54 712.14 0.60 82.0 0.2 82.6 SDDSC192 731.26 731.36 0.10 19.0 1.3 22.1 SDDSC192 734.91 736.11 1.20 6.2 0.0 6.2 Including 735.24 736.14 0.90 7.4 0.0 7.4 SDDSC192 916.94 919.14 2.20 1.2 0.2 1.7 SDDSC192 921.50 929.30 7.80 0.6 0.8 2.6 Including 921.50 923.50 2.00 0.6 1.8 4.9 SDDSC192 934.55 940.15 5.60 2.0 0.2 2.4 Including 934.55 935.55 1.00 6.3 0.4 7.2 SDDSC192 1032.00 1034.60 2.60 1.9 0.0 1.9 SDDSC192 1037.31 1038.31 1.00 5.6 0.0 5.6 SDDSC192 1077.60 1081.30 3.70 1.4 0.0 1.4 Table 3: All individual assays reported from SDDSC167, SDDSC174, SDDSC174A, SDDSC174B, SDDSC174BW1, SDDSC174BW2, SDDSC179, SDDSC181, SDDSC183, SDDSC185, SDDSC189 and SDDSC192 reported here >0.1g/t AuEq. Individual assay and sample intervals are reported to two decimal places. Hole number From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Sb % AuEq g/t SDDSC167 20.06 20.35 0.29 0.1 0.00 0.11 SDDSC174 223.13 223.94 0.81 0.11 0.01 0.14 SDDSC174A 254 254.8 0.80 0.11 0.00 0.11 SDDSC174A 256.02 256.97 0.95 0.29 0.01 0.30 SDDSC174A 256.97 257.15 0.18 0.38 0.00 0.39 SDDSC174A 257.15 257.46 0.31 0.2 0.01 0.23 SDDSC174A 257.46 258.21 0.75 0.18 0.00 0.19 SDDSC174A 258.21 259.19 0.98 0.17 0.00 0.18 SDDSC174B 271.46 272.56 1.10 0.26 0.00 0.26 SDDSC174B 272.56 273.5 0.94 0.13 0.00 0.13 SDDSC174B 491.2 492.4 1.20 0.34 0.06 0.49 SDDSC174B 492.4 493 0.60 0.05 0.25 0.65 SDDSC174B 499 500 1.00 0.14 0.01 0.15 SDDSC174B 500 501 1.00 0.88 0.17 1.29 SDDSC174B 501 502 1.00 0.14 0.01 0.16 SDDSC174B 509.9 510.7 0.80 0.48 0.03 0.55 SDDSC174B 510.7 511.14 0.44 24 0.67 25.60 SDDSC174B 511.14 511.5 0.36 0.3 0.05 0.42 SDDSC174B 511.5 511.7 0.20 0.48 0.17 0.89 SDDSC174B 511.7 512.75 1.05 0.14 0.01 0.17 SDDSC174B 514.8 515.6 0.80 0.1 0.01 0.12 SDDSC174B 516.9 517.3 0.40 0.12 0.01 0.13 SDDSC174B 520 520.6 0.60 0.31 0.04 0.41 SDDSC174B 520.6 520.9 0.30 14.1 0.67 15.70 SDDSC174B 520.9 521.6 0.70 0.33 0.58 1.72 SDDSC174B 521.6 522.6 1.00 0.21 0.13 0.52 SDDSC174B 522.6 523.6 1.00 0.87 0.06 1.01 SDDSC174B 523.6 524.4 0.80 0.82 0.05 0.94 SDDSC174B 524.4 524.6 0.20 1.17 0.05 1.28 SDDSC174B 524.6 525.7 1.10 0.35 0.04 0.45 SDDSC174B 525.7 526.1 0.40 0.6 0.01 0.63 SDDSC174B 526.1 527.1 1.00 0.21 0.01 0.22 SDDSC174B 527.1 528 0.90 0.1 0.01 0.12 SDDSC174B 528.9 529.5 0.60 0.1 0.00 0.11 SDDSC174B 530.4 531.4 1.00 0.28 0.01 0.31 SDDSC174B 531.4 532.2 0.80 1.24 0.03 1.32 SDDSC174B 532.2 532.4 0.20 0.07 0.08 0.26 SDDSC174B 532.4 533.5 1.10 0.17 0.04 0.27 SDDSC174B 533.5 534.5 1.00 0.13 0.01 0.15 SDDSC174B 534.5 535.1 0.60 4.84 0.31 5.58 SDDSC174B 535.1 536 0.90 0.29 0.01 0.31 SDDSC174B 536 537 1.00 1 0.08 1.18 SDDSC174B 537 538 1.00 0.8 0.24 1.37 SDDSC174B 538 538.6 0.60 0.4 0.04 0.49 SDDSC174B 538.6 539.15 0.55 4.17 0.94 6.42 SDDSC174B 539.15 540 0.85 0.53 0.03 0.61 SDDSC174B 540 541 1.00 0.82 0.25 1.42 SDDSC174B 541 542 1.00 0.67 0.02 0.72 SDDSC174B 542 543 1.00 0.18 0.01 0.21 SDDSC174B 543 544 1.00 0.16 0.01 0.18 SDDSC174B 544 545 1.00 0.18 0.01 0.20 SDDSC174B 545 546 1.00 0.2 0.01 0.22 SDDSC174B 546 547 1.00 0.2 0.01 0.21 SDDSC174B 547 547.8 0.80 0.44 0.12 0.73 SDDSC174B 547.8 548.6 0.80 1.06 0.07 1.22 SDDSC174B 548.6 549.4 0.80 0.78 0.03 0.84 SDDSC174B 549.4 550.5 1.10 0.26 0.01 0.29 SDDSC174B 552.8 553.8 1.00 0.3 0.01 0.31 SDDSC174B 558.1 559.1 1.00 0.16 0.01 0.18 SDDSC174B 559.1 560 0.90 0.38 0.01 0.39 SDDSC174B 560 561 1.00 0.33 0.00 0.34 SDDSC174B 561 562 1.00 0.5 0.00 0.51 SDDSC174B 562 563 1.00 0.21 0.01 0.22 SDDSC174B 563 564 1.00 0.4 0.01 0.41 SDDSC174B 564 565 1.00 0.64 0.00 0.65 SDDSC174B 565 566 1.00 0.2 0.00 0.21 SDDSC174B 566 567 1.00 0.12 0.00 0.13 SDDSC174B 567 568 1.00 0.26 0.00 0.27 SDDSC174B 568 569 1.00 0.15 0.00 0.16 SDDSC174B 569 570 1.00 0.24 0.00 0.25 SDDSC174B 573 573.6 0.60 0.15 0.00 0.16 SDDSC174B 573.6 574 0.40 0.34 0.00 0.35 SDDSC174B 577.3 578.3 1.00 0.73 0.00 0.74 SDDSC174B 578.3 579.3 1.00 0.56 0.00 0.57 SDDSC174B 852 853 1.00 0.11 0.03 0.18 SDDSC174B 853 853.7 0.70 0.1 0.02 0.15 SDDSC174B 854.7 855.7 1.00 0.11 0.07 0.27 SDDSC174B 856.2 856.45 0.25 34.6 4.72 45.88 SDDSC174B 860 861 1.00 -0.01 0.13 0.30 SDDSC174B 861 862 1.00 0.13 0.01 0.14 SDDSC174B 863.28 863.42 0.14 17.5 8.97 38.94 SDDSC174B 866.1 866.35 0.25 0.43 0.02 0.48 SDDSC174B 866.35 866.5 0.15 11.4 0.25 12.00 SDDSC174B 866.5 867 0.50 0.47 0.03 0.54 SDDSC174B 869.4 870 0.60 0.14 0.04 0.23 SDDSC174B 870 870.65 0.65 0.39 0.12 0.68 SDDSC174B 871 872.15 1.15 0.4 0.18 0.83 SDDSC174B 872.15 872.3 0.15 2.2 0.27 2.85 SDDSC174B 872.3 873 0.70 0.78 0.14 1.11 SDDSC174B 873 873.9 0.90 0.53 0.25 1.13 SDDSC174B 873.9 874.8 0.90 0.23 0.04 0.33 SDDSC174B 874.8 875.4 0.60 0.41 0.04 0.49 SDDSC174B 875.4 876.15 0.75 0.19 0.05 0.31 SDDSC174B 876.15 877 0.85 0.52 0.02 0.57 SDDSC174B 877 878 1.00 0.1 0.05 0.21 SDDSC174B 878 879 1.00 0.73 0.05 0.86 SDDSC174B 890 891 1.00 0.54 0.01 0.56 SDDSC174B 891 892 1.00 0.11 0.01 0.13 SDDSC174B 892 893 1.00 0.09 0.01 0.11 SDDSC174BW1 738.82 739.21 0.39 0.45 0.30 1.17 SDDSC174BW1 739.21 739.67 0.46 0.41 0.02 0.47 SDDSC174BW1 739.67 740.8 1.13 0.1 0.01 0.12 SDDSC174BW1 745.8 746.32 0.52 0.26 0.04 0.36 SDDSC174BW1 746.32 747.19 0.87 0.8 0.32 1.56 SDDSC174BW1 748.34 749 0.66 0.54 0.42 1.54 SDDSC174BW1 749 749.17 0.17 1.42 0.57 2.78 SDDSC174BW1 749.17 749.54 0.37 0.91 0.56 2.25 SDDSC174BW1 752.54 752.82 0.28 0.11 0.00 0.12 SDDSC174BW1 752.82 753.31 0.49 0.2 0.00 0.21 SDDSC174BW1 753.68 753.98 0.30 0.23 0.04 0.33 SDDSC174BW1 754.9 755.48 0.58 0.11 0.19 0.56 SDDSC174BW1 755.83 755.94 0.11 3.46 0.01 3.48 SDDSC174BW1 755.94 756.56 0.62 1.16 0.03 1.24 SDDSC174BW1 756.56 757.44 0.88 0.1 0.02 0.14 SDDSC174BW1 757.44 758.2 0.76 0.46 0.54 1.75 SDDSC174BW1 758.2 758.74 0.54 0.94 0.82 2.90 SDDSC174BW1 758.74 759.34 0.60 0.11 0.03 0.18 SDDSC174BW1 759.34 759.49 0.15 3.52 1.58 7.30 SDDSC174BW1 759.49 760 0.51 0.21 0.01 0.24 SDDSC174BW1 760 760.39 0.39 0.55 0.37 1.43 SDDSC174BW1 760.39 760.8 0.41 0.63 0.29 1.32 SDDSC174BW1 760.8 761.1 0.30 1.32 0.99 3.69 SDDSC174BW1 761.1 762 0.90 0.54 0.05 0.65 SDDSC174BW1 765.3 766.45 1.15 0.42 0.32 1.18 SDDSC174BW1 766.45 767.35 0.90 0.54 0.23 1.09 SDDSC174BW1 769.05 769.41 0.36 12.4 1.27 15.44 SDDSC174BW1 769.41 770 0.59 0.2 0.06 0.33 SDDSC174BW1 770 771.05 1.05 0.07 0.02 0.11 SDDSC174BW1 771.05 771.25 0.20 0.55 0.81 2.49 SDDSC174BW1 772 773 1.00 0.27 0.32 1.03 SDDSC174BW1 773 774 1.00 1.34 0.29 2.03 SDDSC174BW1 775 776 1.00 0.07 0.04 0.17 SDDSC174BW1 777 778 1.00 0.18 0.06 0.33 SDDSC174BW1 778.7 779.02 0.32 10.9 2.09 15.90 SDDSC174BW1 779.02 780 0.98 0.21 0.18 0.64 SDDSC174BW1 780 781.2 1.20 0.27 0.20 0.75 SDDSC174BW1 781.2 782.4 1.20 0.25 0.05 0.37 SDDSC174BW1 782.4 783 0.60 0.72 0.63 2.23 SDDSC174BW1 783 784 1.00 0.14 1.11 2.79 SDDSC174BW1 784 784.85 0.85 0.6 0.49 1.77 SDDSC174BW1 784.85 785.3 0.45 0.86 2.63 7.15 SDDSC174BW1 785.3 786.2 0.90 0.09 0.05 0.20 SDDSC174BW1 786.2 786.58 0.38 20.8 6.09 35.36 SDDSC174BW1 786.58 787.78 1.20 0.06 0.02 0.11 SDDSC174BW1 787.78 787.92 0.14 7.5 8.38 27.53 SDDSC174BW1 787.92 788.8 0.88 0.35 0.31 1.09 SDDSC174BW1 788.8 790 1.20 0.08 0.04 0.18 SDDSC174BW1 792 793 1.00 0.71 0.25 1.31 SDDSC174BW1 793.6 794.2 0.60 1.8 0.28 2.47 SDDSC174BW1 794.2 795 0.80 0.15 0.02 0.19 SDDSC174BW1 795 795.7 0.70 0.12 0.02 0.16 SDDSC174BW1 796.55 796.75 0.20 5.88 8.29 25.69 SDDSC174BW1 800.68 800.8 0.12 42.3 17.40 83.89 SDDSC174BW1 803.2 804 0.80 0.06 0.05 0.18 SDDSC174BW1 805 806 1.00 0.75 0.05 0.87 SDDSC174BW1 810 810.25 0.25 77 7.19 94.18 SDDSC174BW1 810.25 811.3 1.05 0.44 0.60 1.87 SDDSC174BW1 811.3 811.4 0.10 49.7 25.10 109.69 SDDSC174BW1 811.4 812.25 0.85 0.83 0.61 2.29 SDDSC174BW1 815.5 815.65 0.15 0.32 3.73 9.23 SDDSC174BW1 820.65 821.7 1.05 1.35 0.40 2.31 SDDSC174BW1 822.8 823.85 1.05 0.11 0.04 0.19 SDDSC174BW1 823.85 824.05 0.20 3.12 10.90 29.17 SDDSC174BW1 824.05 825.1 1.05 0.43 0.97 2.75 SDDSC174BW1 825.1 825.2 0.10 1.19 8.91 22.48 SDDSC174BW1 825.2 826 0.80 0.32 0.01 0.34 SDDSC174BW1 826 827 1.00 0.07 0.02 0.11 SDDSC174BW1 828 828.55 0.55 0.34 0.03 0.41 SDDSC174BW1 828.55 829.5 0.95 0.22 0.07 0.38 SDDSC174BW1 829.5 829.7 0.20 15.7 0.73 17.44 SDDSC174BW1 829.7 830.9 1.20 0.71 0.09 0.92 SDDSC174BW1 830.9 832 1.10 0.35 0.02 0.39 SDDSC174BW1 832 832.5 0.50 1.64 0.04 1.74 SDDSC174BW1 832.5 832.95 0.45 4.85 0.45 5.93 SDDSC174BW1 832.95 833.7 0.75 2.51 0.13 2.82 SDDSC174BW1 833.7 834.4 0.70 1 0.30 1.72 SDDSC174BW1 834.4 835.2 0.80 0.11 0.01 0.14 SDDSC174BW1 835.2 836 0.80 0.81 0.11 1.07 SDDSC174BW1 836 837 1.00 0.31 0.03 0.37 SDDSC174BW1 839 839.9 0.90 0.63 0.01 0.65 SDDSC174BW1 839.9 840.63 0.73 0.3 0.00 0.31 SDDSC174BW1 841.96 842.2 0.24 0.01 0.06 0.16 SDDSC174BW1 899.49 899.65 0.16 1.64 0.17 2.05 SDDSC174BW1 899.65 899.94 0.29 0.13 0.01 0.14 SDDSC174BW1 908.25 908.97 0.72 0.18 0.01 0.19 SDDSC174BW1 908.97 909.15 0.18 0.53 0.01 0.54 SDDSC174BW1 909.91 910.26 0.35 0.1 0.01 0.12 SDDSC174BW1 910.26 910.48 0.22 0.33 0.01 0.35 SDDSC174BW1 911 912 1.00 0.17 0.01 0.18 SDDSC174BW2 730.6 731.29 0.69 0.27 0.00 0.28 SDDSC174BW2 731.29 732.32 1.03 0.11 0.00 0.12 SDDSC174BW2 732.32 733.2 0.88 0.25 0.01 0.28 SDDSC174BW2 733.2 734.42 1.22 0.26 0.01 0.29 SDDSC174BW2 734.42 734.85 0.43 0.81 1.44 4.25 SDDSC174BW2 734.85 735.2 0.35 0.64 0.06 0.79 SDDSC174BW2 735.2 735.42 0.22 0.81 0.26 1.43 SDDSC174BW2 735.42 736.15 0.73 0.73 0.07 0.89 SDDSC174BW2 736.15 736.25 0.10 1.29 0.31 2.03 SDDSC174BW2 737 738.3 1.30 0.12 0.02 0.16 SDDSC174BW2 738.3 738.8 0.50 0.88 0.66 2.46 SDDSC174BW2 738.8 739.36 0.56 0.14 0.00 0.15 SDDSC174BW2 743 743.15 0.15 0.24 0.00 0.25 SDDSC174BW2 750.6 751.1 0.50 0.47 0.58 1.86 SDDSC174BW2 751.1 751.49 0.39 0.71 0.71 2.41 SDDSC174BW2 751.49 752.22 0.73 0.09 0.01 0.11 SDDSC174BW2 762.6 763.28 0.68 0.1 0.02 0.15 SDDSC174BW2 763.28 763.65 0.37 1.66 0.75 3.45 SDDSC174BW2 763.65 764.9 1.25 0.14 0.01 0.16 SDDSC174BW2 764.9 766.2 1.30 0.11 0.00 0.12 SDDSC174BW2 794 794.3 0.30 0.09 0.01 0.11 SDDSC174BW2 797 797.9 0.90 0.55 0.09 0.77 SDDSC174BW2 797.9 798.28 0.38 1.2 0.89 3.33 SDDSC174BW2 798.28 798.43 0.15 0.09 0.03 0.15 SDDSC174BW2 799.18 799.52 0.34 0.49 0.03 0.55 SDDSC174BW2 799.52 799.69 0.17 1.52 0.04 1.62 SDDSC174BW2 799.69 800 0.31 3.51 0.25 4.11 SDDSC174BW2 800 801.05 1.05 0.07 0.02 0.11 SDDSC174BW2 802 802.26 0.26 0.25 0.19 0.70 SDDSC174BW2 810.3 811.33 1.03 0.06 0.03 0.13 SDDSC174BW2 811.33 811.74 0.41 0.33 0.69 1.98 SDDSC174BW2 811.74 812.11 0.37 0.1 0.16 0.48 SDDSC174BW2 812.11 812.8 0.69 0.41 0.41 1.39 SDDSC174BW2 813.57 813.86 0.29 0.78 0.90 2.93 SDDSC174BW2 818 818.3 0.30 0.63 0.60 2.06 SDDSC174BW2 818.3 818.41 0.11 0.9 6.05 15.36 SDDSC174BW2 819.2 819.8 0.60 0.29 0.04 0.38 SDDSC174BW2 819.8 820.29 0.49 0.16 0.02 0.20 SDDSC174BW2 820.29 820.89 0.60 1.7 0.01 1.72 SDDSC174BW2 820.89 821.12 0.23 0.12 0.01 0.14 SDDSC174BW2 821.87 822 0.13 0.32 0.27 0.97 SDDSC174BW2 822 822.7 0.70 0.07 0.03 0.13 SDDSC174BW2 822.7 823 0.30 0.56 1.53 4.22 SDDSC174BW2 825 825.37 0.37 0.39 0.32 1.15 SDDSC174BW2 826.09 826.2 0.11 12.6 3.10 20.01 SDDSC174BW2 826.2 826.76 0.56 0.43 0.88 2.53 SDDSC174BW2 826.76 826.94 0.18 0.85 1.86 5.30 SDDSC174BW2 826.94 827.14 0.20 7.13 3.28 14.97 SDDSC174BW2 827.14 827.4 0.26 1.35 4.64 12.44 SDDSC174BW2 827.4 827.83 0.43 0.04 0.12 0.33 SDDSC174BW2 827.83 828 0.17 13 0.52 14.24 SDDSC174BW2 828 828.4 0.40 0.27 0.44 1.32 SDDSC174BW2 828.4 829 0.60 0.11 0.02 0.16 SDDSC174BW2 829 829.46 0.46 0.1 0.12 0.39 SDDSC174BW2 829.46 830.22 0.76 0.08 0.01 0.10 SDDSC174BW2 830.77 831.48 0.71 0.69 0.25 1.29 SDDSC174BW2 831.48 831.6 0.12 5.55 1.31 8.68 SDDSC174BW2 831.6 831.91 0.31 0.08 0.02 0.13 SDDSC174BW2 831.91 832.2 0.29 6.35 11.40 33.60 SDDSC174BW2 832.2 832.34 0.14 0.03 0.20 0.51 SDDSC174BW2 834.18 834.28 0.10 3.98 6.71 20.02 SDDSC174BW2 840.25 840.75 0.50 0.16 0.21 0.66 SDDSC174BW2 840.75 840.96 0.21 3.52 2.35 9.14 SDDSC174BW2 840.96 842.08 1.12 0.07 0.03 0.14 SDDSC174BW2 848 848.97 0.97 0.45 0.02 0.49 SDDSC174BW2 853.84 854.08 0.24 0.52 0.28 1.19 SDDSC174BW2 854.08 854.26 0.18 6.96 0.07 7.12 SDDSC174BW2 854.26 855.44 1.18 0.26 0.07 0.43 SDDSC174BW2 855.44 855.75 0.31 0.85 0.31 1.59 SDDSC174BW2 855.75 857 1.25 0.09 0.01 0.12 SDDSC174BW2 861.5 862.6 1.10 0.11 0.01 0.13 SDDSC174BW2 863.9 864.57 0.67 0.17 0.01 0.20 SDDSC174BW2 866.45 867.28 0.83 1.26 0.20 1.74 SDDSC174BW2 867.28 867.67 0.39 64.7 8.74 85.59 SDDSC174BW2 867.67 867.77 0.10 2.28 1.62 6.15 SDDSC174BW2 867.77 867.93 0.16 8.56 7.68 26.92 SDDSC174BW2 867.93 868.62 0.69 0.33 0.04 0.42 SDDSC174BW2 868.62 868.77 0.15 0.7 0.54 1.99 SDDSC174BW2 868.77 869.39 0.62 0.31 0.04 0.39 SDDSC174BW2 882.46 882.65 0.19 0.68 0.04 0.78 SDDSC174BW2 903.8 904.79 0.99 1.07 0.01 1.09 SDDSC174BW2 906.96 907.28 0.32 0.14 0.01 0.15 SDDSC174BW2 907.28 908.13 0.85 0.45 0.01 0.48 SDDSC174BW2 908.13 908.75 0.62 1.27 0.01 1.28 SDDSC174BW2 908.75 909.74 0.99 0.09 0.01 0.11 SDDSC174BW2 909.74 911.04 1.30 0.13 0.01 0.15 SDDSC179 253.7 255 1.30 0.09 0.01 0.11 SDDSC179 255.65 256.56 0.91 0.23 0.00 0.24 SDDSC179 256.56 257.37 0.81 0.31 0.00 0.32 SDDSC179 257.85 258.67 0.82 0.18 0.01 0.20 SDDSC179 259.7 260.32 0.62 0.19 0.00 0.20 SDDSC179 260.32 261.27 0.95 0.12 0.00 0.13 SDDSC179 272.9 273.87 0.97 0.14 0.00 0.15 SDDSC179 273.87 274.55 0.68 0.26 0.00 0.27 SDDSC179 276.22 276.45 0.23 12.3 2.36 17.94 SDDSC179 276.45 276.63 0.18 7.4 0.34 8.21 SDDSC179 276.63 276.78 0.15 5.75 3.10 13.16 SDDSC179 276.78 277.15 0.37 0.14 0.04 0.23 SDDSC179 277.15 277.75 0.60 0.35 0.04 0.44 SDDSC179 278.5 279.22 0.72 0.31 0.00 0.32 SDDSC179 280.22 280.37 0.15 0.69 0.00 0.70 SDDSC179 281.08 281.45 0.37 0.14 0.00 0.15 SDDSC179 281.45 282.06 0.61 0.26 0.01 0.28 SDDSC179 287.65 288.29 0.64 0.22 0.01 0.23 SDDSC179 288.29 288.48 0.19 0.47 0.01 0.49 SDDSC179 288.48 288.81 0.33 1.37 0.01 1.39 SDDSC179 288.81 289.27 0.46 0.37 0.00 0.38 SDDSC179 291.87 291.97 0.10 0.47 0.00 0.48 SDDSC179 309.3 310.05 0.75 0.14 0.00 0.15 SDDSC179 312.18 313 0.82 0.11 0.00 0.12 SDDSC179 317.87 318.02 0.15 0.18 0.00 0.19 SDDSC179 346.44 346.94 0.50 0.33 0.00 0.34 SDDSC179 346.94 347.75 0.81 0.61 0.00 0.62 SDDSC179 348.31 348.67 0.36 0.12 0.00 0.13 SDDSC179 349.02 349.73 0.71 0.11 0.00 0.12 SDDSC179 368.05 368.28 0.23 0.11 0.00 0.12 SDDSC179 368.28 368.45 0.17 28.4 1.60 32.22 SDDSC179 368.45 368.69 0.24 1.04 0.01 1.07 SDDSC179 368.69 369.33 0.64 0.16 0.00 0.17 SDDSC179 369.33 369.44 0.11 0.14 0.01 0.17 SDDSC179 372.44 372.86 0.42 0.23 0.01 0.25 SDDSC179 400.7 401.03 0.33 1.47 0.00 1.48 SDDSC179 401.03 402.16 1.13 0.13 0.00 0.14 SDDSC179 402.16 402.69 0.53 0.1 0.00 0.11 SDDSC179 406.55 407.28 0.73 0.17 0.00 0.18 SDDSC179 407.28 407.49 0.21 0.53 0.01 0.55 SDDSC179 407.49 407.76 0.27 0.1 0.01 0.12 SDDSC179 407.76 408.14 0.38 0.43 0.01 0.44 SDDSC179 408.14 409.37 1.23 0.17 0.00 0.18 SDDSC179 409.37 410.16 0.79 0.19 0.00 0.20 SDDSC179 414.54 415.35 0.81 0.17 0.00 0.17 SDDSC179 415.35 415.74 0.39 0.55 0.00 0.56 SDDSC181 557.58 558.31 0.73 0.09 0.01 0.11 SDDSC181 584.23 584.47 0.24 1 0.00 1.01 SDDSC181 584.47 585.16 0.69 1.11 0.00 1.12 SDDSC181 585.16 585.72 0.56 0.48 0.00 0.49 SDDSC181 599.4 600.1 0.70 0.12 0.01 0.13 SDDSC181 600.1 600.64 0.54 0.34 0.04 0.44 SDDSC181 600.64 601.4 0.76 0.3 0.01 0.31 SDDSC181 601.4 601.55 0.15 0.97 0.00 0.98 SDDSC181 601.55 602.2 0.65 0.36 0.11 0.62 SDDSC181 602.2 603.05 0.85 0.82 0.92 3.02 SDDSC181 603.05 603.65 0.60 1.06 0.52 2.30 SDDSC181 603.65 604 0.35 0.8 2.46 6.68 SDDSC181 604 605 1.00 0.34 0.24 0.91 SDDSC181 605 605.7 0.70 0.45 0.16 0.83 SDDSC181 605.7 606.65 0.95 0.58 0.87 2.66 SDDSC181 606.65 607.1 0.45 0.36 0.02 0.40 SDDSC181 607.1 607.87 0.77 2.19 1.39 5.51 SDDSC181 607.87 608.3 0.43 0.64 0.33 1.43 SDDSC181 608.3 609.08 0.78 0.54 0.29 1.23 SDDSC181 609.08 609.85 0.77 0.87 0.12 1.16 SDDSC181 609.85 610.4 0.55 20.4 0.14 20.73 SDDSC181 610.4 611.2 0.80 0.6 0.01 0.63 SDDSC181 611.2 611.35 0.15 0.18 0.01 0.19 SDDSC181 611.35 612.1 0.75 0.81 0.01 0.84 SDDSC181 612.1 612.3 0.20 21.3 0.15 21.66 SDDSC181 612.3 613.24 0.94 0.34 0.04 0.44 SDDSC181 613.24 614 0.76 0.65 0.07 0.82 SDDSC181 614 614.45 0.45 1.15 0.55 2.46 SDDSC181 614.45 615.25 0.80 0.82 0.03 0.90 SDDSC181 615.25 616.15 0.90 0.83 0.01 0.86 SDDSC181 616.15 616.6 0.45 1.81 0.02 1.85 SDDSC181 616.6 617.85 1.25 0.83 0.08 1.01 SDDSC181 617.85 618.5 0.65 0.32 0.11 0.58 SDDSC181 618.5 619 0.50 0.16 0.07 0.33 SDDSC181 619 619.62 0.62 0.17 0.03 0.23 SDDSC181 619.62 620.6 0.98 0.21 0.09 0.41 SDDSC181 620.6 621.9 1.30 0.17 0.01 0.20 SDDSC181 624.5 625.8 1.30 0.1 0.01 0.11 SDDSC181 625.8 625.9 0.10 0.43 0.00 0.44 SDDSC181 627.1 628.4 1.30 0.06 0.04 0.17 SDDSC181 628.4 629.7 1.30 0.06 0.02 0.11 SDDSC181 629.7 631 1.30 0.16 0.01 0.17 SDDSC181 638.35 638.87 0.52 0.29 0.01 0.30 SDDSC181 638.87 639.68 0.81 0.17 0.01 0.19 SDDSC181 647.17 648.34 1.17 2.12 0.02 2.17 SDDSC181 648.34 649.64 1.30 1.02 0.01 1.05 SDDSC181 649.64 650.48 0.84 0.25 0.01 0.27 SDDSC181 653 653.27 0.27 0.72 0.01 0.74 SDDSC181 662.5 663.8 1.30 0.3 0.01 0.32 SDDSC181 663.8 664.44 0.64 0.32 0.01 0.34 SDDSC181 664.44 664.86 0.42 0.56 0.01 0.58 SDDSC181 664.86 665.62 0.76 0.64 0.02 0.68 SDDSC181 665.62 666.72 1.10 0.74 0.00 0.75 SDDSC181 666.72 667.68 0.96 0.86 0.00 0.87 SDDSC181 667.68 668.81 1.13 0.37 0.01 0.38 SDDSC181 668.81 669.68 0.87 0.42 0.00 0.43 SDDSC181 669.68 670.07 0.39 0.53 0.01 0.54 SDDSC181 670.07 670.95 0.88 0.44 0.01 0.45 SDDSC181 670.95 671.5 0.55 0.63 0.00 0.64 SDDSC181 671.5 672.25 0.75 0.47 0.01 0.48 SDDSC181 672.25 673.32 1.07 0.09 0.00 0.10 SDDSC181 673.32 673.7 0.38 0.2 0.00 0.21 SDDSC181 673.7 674.78 1.08 0.32 0.01 0.34 SDDSC181 676.08 676.98 0.90 0.56 0.01 0.58 SDDSC181 676.98 677.12 0.14 1.2 0.01 1.22 SDDSC181 677.12 677.78 0.66 0.64 0.07 0.81 SDDSC181 677.78 678.7 0.92 3.2 1.37 6.47 SDDSC181 678.7 679.66 0.96 3.04 0.74 4.81 SDDSC181 679.66 680.32 0.66 0.4 0.07 0.58 SDDSC181 680.32 681.2 0.88 0.73 0.02 0.78 SDDSC181 681.2 681.78 0.58 0.34 0.05 0.47 SDDSC181 681.78 682.4 0.62 0.22 0.02 0.26 SDDSC181 682.4 683.22 0.82 0.89 0.04 0.99 SDDSC181 683.22 683.65 0.43 0.73 0.49 1.90 SDDSC181 683.65 684.25 0.60 0.85 0.13 1.16 SDDSC181 684.25 685.54 1.29 0.12 0.01 0.15 SDDSC181 685.54 686.35 0.81 0.72 0.03 0.80 SDDSC181 686.35 687.1 0.75 0.14 0.01 0.17 SDDSC181 687.1 687.75 0.65 0.31 0.02 0.35 SDDSC181 687.75 688.33 0.58 0.65 0.02 0.70 SDDSC181 688.33 688.74 0.41 15.6 0.08 15.79 SDDSC181 688.74 688.84 0.10 5.4 0.23 5.95 SDDSC181 688.84 689.84 1.00 0.18 0.02 0.23 SDDSC181 693.08 693.61 0.53 0.23 0.00 0.24 SDDSC181 693.61 693.96 0.35 1.21 0.25 1.81 SDDSC181 693.96 694.37 0.41 0.59 0.01 0.61 SDDSC181 694.37 694.64 0.27 2.24 0.17 2.65 SDDSC181 694.64 695.14 0.50 0.51 0.01 0.54 SDDSC181 695.14 695.91 0.77 0.74 0.02 0.78 SDDSC181 697.91 698.68 0.77 0.12 0.01 0.14 SDDSC181 698.68 699.2 0.52 8.64 2.79 15.31 SDDSC181 699.2 699.44 0.24 0.4 0.02 0.45 SDDSC181 699.44 700.16 0.72 0.65 0.14 0.98 SDDSC181 700.16 701.2 1.04 0.15 0.01 0.17 SDDSC181 702.1 702.54 0.44 0.87 0.16 1.25 SDDSC181 702.54 703.23 0.69 0.06 0.02 0.11 SDDSC181 703.23 703.73 0.50 0.27 0.03 0.34 SDDSC181 704.54 705 0.46 0.92 0.01 0.95 SDDSC181 705 706 1.00 0.45 0.04 0.53 SDDSC181 706 706.92 0.92 0.16 0.00 0.17 SDDSC181 706.92 707.69 0.77 0.17 0.00 0.18 SDDSC181 707.69 708.29 0.60 0.22 0.00 0.23 SDDSC181 708.29 709.4 1.11 0.44 0.00 0.45 SDDSC181 709.6 710.2 0.60 0.13 0.00 0.14 SDDSC181 710.2 710.68 0.48 0.1 0.00 0.11 SDDSC181 710.68 711.06 0.38 0.55 0.01 0.57 SDDSC181 711.06 711.4 0.34 0.19 0.01 0.20 SDDSC181 711.7 712.2 0.50 0.36 0.01 0.38 SDDSC181 712.2 713.1 0.90 1.65 0.01 1.67 SDDSC181 713.7 714 0.30 0.33 0.00 0.34 SDDSC181 714.4 715.3 0.90 0.1 0.00 0.11 SDDSC181 716.3 716.61 0.31 0.14 0.00 0.15 SDDSC181 724.47 724.7 0.23 0.43 0.01 0.44 SDDSC181 801.74 803.04 1.30 0.07 0.05 0.20 SDDSC181 812.85 813.89 1.04 0.14 0.00 0.15 SDDSC181 836.59 837.12 0.53 0.09 0.01 0.10 SDDSC181 864 865.2 1.20 0.16 0.00 0.17 SDDSC181 866.4 867.3 0.90 3.3 0.84 5.31 SDDSC181 867.3 868.3 1.00 0.09 0.01 0.10 SDDSC181 887 888 1.00 0.15 0.01 0.18 SDDSC181 892 893 1.00 0.13 0.01 0.14 SDDSC181 903 904 1.00 0.2 0.01 0.21 SDDSC181 911 912 1.00 0.36 0.01 0.38 SDDSC181 914 915 1.00 0.36 0.01 0.37 SDDSC181 915 916 1.00 0.85 0.01 0.86 SDDSC181 916 917 1.00 0.18 0.01 0.20 SDDSC181 917 918 1.00 0.11 0.01 0.12 SDDSC181 918 919 1.00 0.09 0.01 0.11 SDDSC181 919.5 920.6 1.10 0.19 0.01 0.20 SDDSC181 955 956 1.00 0.27 0.00 0.27 SDDSC181 956 956.35 0.35 2.62 0.00 2.62 SDDSC181 956.35 956.55 0.20 1.96 0.00 1.97 SDDSC181 956.55 956.8 0.25 0.4 0.00 0.41 SDDSC181 958 959 1.00 0.12 0.00 0.13 SDDSC181 959 960 1.00 0.34 0.00 0.35 SDDSC181 960 961 1.00 0.23 0.01 0.24 SDDSC181 961 961.85 0.85 0.28 0.00 0.29 SDDSC181 963 963.8 0.80 0.11 0.00 0.12 SDDSC181 968 969 1.00 0.1 0.00 0.11 SDDSC181 971.84 972.8 0.96 0.23 0.00 0.24 SDDSC181 983.66 984.53 0.87 0.12 0.00 0.13 SDDSC181 984.53 985.2 0.67 0.14 0.00 0.15 SDDSC181 985.2 985.6 0.40 0.1 0.00 0.11 SDDSC181 985.6 986 0.40 0.11 0.00 0.12 SDDSC181 990.89 991.57 0.68 0.27 0.00 0.28 SDDSC181 991.57 991.91 0.34 0.3 0.00 0.31 SDDSC181 996 996.49 0.49 0.1 0.00 0.11 SDDSC181 996.49 996.59 0.10 0.34 0.01 0.35 SDDSC181 996.59 997.1 0.51 0.22 0.00 0.23 SDDSC181 997.1 997.61 0.51 0.14 0.00 0.15 SDDSC181 998.33 998.55 0.22 1.08 0.19 1.53 SDDSC181 998.55 998.87 0.32 0.18 0.01 0.19 SDDSC181 998.87 999.31 0.44 0.38 0.12 0.67 SDDSC181 999.31 999.7 0.39 0.07 0.07 0.24 SDDSC181 1001.16 1001.83 0.67 0.16 0.00 0.17 SDDSC181 1001.83 1002.42 0.59 0.23 0.12 0.52 SDDSC181 1002.42 1003 0.58 0.14 0.01 0.15 SDDSC181 1003 1003.3 0.30 0.19 0.01 0.20 SDDSC181 1003.3 1003.4 0.10 0.83 0.01 0.84 SDDSC181 1003.4 1003.62 0.22 2.34 0.01 2.35 SDDSC181 1003.62 1003.76 0.14 0.6 0.01 0.61 SDDSC181 1003.76 1004 0.24 0.25 0.01 0.27 SDDSC181 1009.07 1009.55 0.48 0.24 0.01 0.26 SDDSC181 1009.88 1010.44 0.56 0.16 0.00 0.17 SDDSC181 1010.44 1011.74 1.30 0.13 0.00 0.14 SDDSC181 1011.74 1012.54 0.80 0.17 0.00 0.18 SDDSC181 1013.68 1014.72 1.04 0.2 0.00 0.21 SDDSC181 1014.72 1015.78 1.06 0.21 0.01 0.22 SDDSC181 1015.78 1016.61 0.83 0.13 0.00 0.14 SDDSC181 1016.61 1017.44 0.83 0.1 0.01 0.13 SDDSC181 1017.44 1017.68 0.24 2.93 0.02 2.99 SDDSC181 1017.68 1018.19 0.51 1.18 0.02 1.22 SDDSC181 1018.19 1019.25 1.06 0.2 0.01 0.21 SDDSC181 1019.25 1019.54 0.29 0.69 0.17 1.10 SDDSC181 1020.3 1021.44 1.14 0.18 0.01 0.20 SDDSC181 1021.44 1021.65 0.21 0.13 0.01 0.15 SDDSC181 1021.65 1022.73 1.08 0.1 0.01 0.11 SDDSC181 1024.34 1025.64 1.30 0.38 0.01 0.40 SDDSC181 1032.81 1033.24 0.43 1.38 0.11 1.64 SDDSC181 1033.24 1034.25 1.01 0.17 0.01 0.19 SDDSC181 1034.63 1035.22 0.59 1.63 0.01 1.65 SDDSC181 1035.22 1035.77 0.55 0.18 0.01 0.20 SDDSC181 1051.51 1051.71 0.20 1.27 0.01 1.29 SDDSC181 1051.71 1052.72 1.01 0.32 0.01 0.34 SDDSC181 1052.72 1053.85 1.13 0.35 0.01 0.37 SDDSC185 144.9 146.2 1.30 0.2 0.00 0.20 SDDSC189 341.3 342.2 0.90 0.12 0.00 0.12 JORC Table 1 Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc.). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralization that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g. 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralization types (e.g. submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Sampling has been conducted on drill core (half core for >90% and quarter core for check samples), grab samples (field samples of in-situ bedrock and boulders; including duplicate samples), trench samples (rock chips, including duplicates) and soil samples (including duplicate samples). Locations of field samples were obtained by using a GPS, generally to an accuracy of within 5 metres. Drill hole and trench locations have been confirmed to <1 metre using a differential GPS. Samples' locations have also been verified by plotting locations on the high-resolution Lidar maps. Locations of field samples were obtained by using a GPS, generally to an accuracy of within 5 metres. Drill hole and trench locations have been confirmed to <1 metre using a differential GPS. Samples' locations have also been verified by plotting locations on the high-resolution Lidar maps. Drill core is marked for cutting and cut using an automated diamond saw used by Company staff in Kilmore. Samples are bagged at the core saw and transported to the Bendigo On Site Laboratory for assay. At On Site samples are crushed using a jaw crusher combined with a rotary splitter and a 1 kg split is separated for pulverizing (LM5) and assay. Samples are bagged at the core saw and transported to the Bendigo On Site Laboratory for assay. At On Site samples are crushed using a jaw crusher combined with a rotary splitter and a 1 kg split is separated for pulverizing (LM5) and assay. Standard fire assay techniques are used for gold assay on a 30 g charge by experienced staff (used to dealing with high sulfide and stibnite-rich charges). On Site gold method by fire assay code PE01S. Screen fire assay is used to understand gold grain-size distribution where coarse gold is evident. ICP-OES is used to analyse the aqua regia digested pulp for an additional 12 elements (method BM011) and over-range antimony is measured using flame AAS (method known as B050). Soil samples were sieved in the field and an 80-mesh sample bagged and transported to ALS Global laboratories in Brisbane for super-low level gold analysis on a 50 g samples by method ST44 (using aqua regia and ICP-MS). Grab and rock chip samples are generally submitted to On Site Laboratories for standard fire assay and 12 element ICP-OES as described above. Drilling techniques Drill type (e.g. core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc.) and details (e.g. core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc.). HQ or NQ diameter diamond drill core, oriented using Axis Champ orientation tool with the orientation line marked on the base of the drill core by the driller/offsider. A standard 3 metre core barrel has been found to be most effective in both the hard and soft rocks in the project. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Core recoveries were maximised using HQ or NQ diamond drill core with careful control over water pressure to maintain soft-rock integrity and prevent loss of fines from soft drill core. Recoveries are determined on a metre-by-metre basis in the core shed using a tape measure against marked up drill core checking against driller's core blocks. Plots of grade versus recovery and RQD (described below) show no trends relating to loss of drill core, or fines. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc.) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Geotechnical logging of the drill core takes place on racks in the company core shed. Core orientations marked at the drill rig are checked for consistency, and base of core orientation lines are marked on core where two or more orientations match within 10 degrees. Core recoveries are measured for each metre RQD measurements (cumulative quantity of core sticks > 10 cm in a metre) are made on a metre-by-metre basis. Core orientations marked at the drill rig are checked for consistency, and base of core orientation lines are marked on core where two or more orientations match within 10 degrees. Core recoveries are measured for each metre RQD measurements (cumulative quantity of core sticks > 10 cm in a metre) are made on a metre-by-metre basis. Each tray of drill core is photographed (wet and dry) after it is fully marked up for sampling and cutting. The core cutting line is placed approximately 10 degrees above the orientation line so the orientation line is retained in the core tray for future work. Geological logging of drill core includes the following parameters: Rock types, lithology Alteration Structural information (orientations of veins, bedding, fractures using standard alpha-beta measurements from orientation line; or, in the case of un-oriented parts of the core, the alpha angles are measured) Veining (quartz, carbonate, stibnite) Key minerals (visible under hand lens, e.g. gold, stibnite) Rock types, lithology Alteration Structural information (orientations of veins, bedding, fractures using standard alpha-beta measurements from orientation line; or, in the case of un-oriented parts of the core, the alpha angles are measured) Veining (quartz, carbonate, stibnite) Key minerals (visible under hand lens, e.g. gold, stibnite) 100% of drill core is logged for all components described above into the company MX logging database. Logging is fully quantitative, although the description of lithology and alteration relies on visible observations by trained geologists. Each tray of drill core is photographed (wet and dry) after it is fully marked up for sampling and cutting. Logging is considered to be at an appropriate quantitative standard to use in future studies. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc. and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Drill core is typically half-core sampled using an Almonte core saw. The drill core orientation line is retained. Quarter core is used when taking sampling duplicates (termed FDUP in the database). Sampling representivity is maximised by always taking the same side of the drill core (whenever oriented), and consistently drawing a cut line on the core where orientation is not possible. The field technician draws these lines. Sample sizes are maximised for coarse gold by using half core, and using quarter core and half core splits (laboratory duplicates) allows an estimation of nugget effect. In mineralized rock the company uses approximately 10% of core duplicates, certified reference materials (suitable OREAS materials), laboratory sample duplicates and instrument repeats. In the soil sampling program duplicates were obtained every 20th sample and the laboratory inserted low-level gold standards regularly into the sample flow. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc., the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g. standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision have been established. The fire assay technique for gold used by On Site is a globally recognised method, and over-range follow-ups including gravimetric finish and screen fire assay are standard. Of significance at the On Site laboratory is the presence of fire assay personnel who are experienced in dealing with high sulfide charges (especially those with high stibnite contents) - this substantially reduces the risk of in accurate reporting in complex sulfide-gold charges. Where screen fire assay is used, this assay will be reported instead of the original fire assay. The ICP-OES technique is a standard analytical technique for assessing elemental concentrations. The digest used (aqua regia) is excellent for the dissolution of sulfides (in this case generally stibnite, pyrite and trace arsenopyrite), but other silicate-hosted elements, in particular vanadium (V), may only be partially dissolved. These silicate-hosted elements are not important in the determination of the quantity of gold, antimony, arsenic or sulphur. A portable XRF has been used in a qualitative manner on drill core to ensure appropriate core samples have been taken (no pXRF data are reported or included in the MX database). Acceptable levels of accuracy and precision have been established using the following methods: duplicates - half core is split into quarters and given separate sample numbers (commonly in mineralized core) - low to medium gold grades indicate strong correlation, dropping as the gold grade increases over 40 g/t Au. Blanks - blanks are inserted after visible gold and in strongly mineralized rocks to confirm that the crushing and pulping are not affected by gold smearing onto the crusher and LM5 swing mill surfaces. Results are excellent, generally below detection limit and a single sample at 0.03 g/t Au. Certified Reference Materials - OREAS CRMs have been used throughout the project including blanks, low (<1 g/t Au), medium (up to 5 g/t Au) and high-grade gold samples (> 5 g/t Au). Results are automatically checked on data import into the MX database to fall within 2 standard deviations of the expected value. Laboratory splits - On Site conducts splits of both coarse crush and pulp duplicates as quality control and reports all data. In particular, high Au samples have the most repeats. Laboratory CRMs - On Site regularly inserts their own CRM materials into the process flow and reports all data Laboratory precision - duplicate measurements of solutions (both Au from fire assay and other elements from the aqua regia digests) are made regularly by the laboratory and reported. - half core is split into quarters and given separate sample numbers (commonly in mineralized core) - low to medium gold grades indicate strong correlation, dropping as the gold grade increases over 40 g/t Au. - blanks are inserted after visible gold and in strongly mineralized rocks to confirm that the crushing and pulping are not affected by gold smearing onto the crusher and LM5 swing mill surfaces. Results are excellent, generally below detection limit and a single sample at 0.03 g/t Au. - OREAS CRMs have been used throughout the project including blanks, low (<1 g/t Au), medium (up to 5 g/t Au) and high-grade gold samples (> 5 g/t Au). Results are automatically checked on data import into the MX database to fall within 2 standard deviations of the expected value. - On Site conducts splits of both coarse crush and pulp duplicates as quality control and reports all data. In particular, high Au samples have the most repeats. - On Site regularly inserts their own CRM materials into the process flow and reports all data - duplicate measurements of solutions (both Au from fire assay and other elements from the aqua regia digests) are made regularly by the laboratory and reported. Accuracy and precision have been determined carefully by using the sampling and measurement techniques described above during the sampling (accuracy) and laboratory (accuracy and precision) stages of the analysis. have been determined carefully by using the sampling and measurement techniques described above during the sampling (accuracy) and laboratory (accuracy and precision) stages of the analysis. Soil sample company duplicates and laboratory certified reference materials all fall within expected ranges. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. The Independent Geologist has visited Sunday Creek drill sites and inspected drill core held at the Kilmore core shed. Visual inspection of drill intersections matches both the geological descriptions in the database and the expected assay data (for example, gold and stibnite visible in drill core is matched by high Au and Sb results in assays). In addition, on receipt of results Company geologists assess the gold, antimony and arsenic results to verify that the intersections returned expected data. The electronic data storage in the MX database is of a high standard. Primary logging data are entered directly by the geologists and field technicians and the assay data are electronically matched against sample number on return from the laboratory. Certified reference materials, core field duplicates (FDUP), laboratory splits and duplicates and instrument repeats are all recorded in the database. Exports of data include all primary data, from hole SDDSC077B onwards after discussion with SRK Consulting. Prior to this gold was averaged across primary, field and lab duplicates. Adjustments to assay data are recorded by MX, and none are present (or required). Twinned drill holes are not available at this stage of the project. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Differential GPS used to locate drill collars, trenches and some workings. Standard GPS for some field locations (grab and soils samples), verified against Lidar data. The grid system used throughout is Geocentric datum of Australia 1994; Map Grid Zone 55 (GDA94_Z55), also referred to as ELSG 28355. Reported azimuths also relate to MGA55 (GDA94_Z55). Topographic control is excellent owing to sub 10 cm accuracy from Lidar data. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. The data spacing is suitable for reporting of exploration results - evidence for this is based on the improving predictability of high-grade gold-antimony intersections. At this time, the data spacing and distribution are not sufficient for the reporting of Mineral Resource Estimates. This however may change as knowledge of grade controls increase with future drill programs. Samples have been composited to a 1 g/t AuEq over 2.0 m width for lower grades and 5 g/t AuEq over 1.0 m width for higher grades in table 3. All individual assays above 0.1 g/t AuEq have been reported to two decimal places with no compositing in table 4. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralized structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. The true thickness of the mineralized intervals reported are interpreted to be approximately 65-90% of the sampled thickness. Drilling is oriented in an optimum direction when considering the combination of host rock orientation and apparent vein control on gold and antimony grade. The steep nature of some of the veins may give increases in apparent thickness of some intersections, but more drilling is required to quantify. The steep nature of some of the veins may give increases in apparent thickness of some intersections, but more drilling is required to quantify. A sampling bias is not evident from the data collected to date (drill holes cut across mineralized structures at a moderate angle). Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Drill core is delivered to the Kilmore core logging shed by either the drill contractor or company field staff. Samples are marked up and cut by company staff at the Kilmore core shed, in an automated diamond saw and bagged before loaded onto strapped secured pallets and trucked by company staff to Bendigo for submission to the laboratory. There is no evidence in any stage of the process, or in the data for any sample security issues. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. Continuous monitoring of CRM results, blanks and duplicates is undertaken by geologists and the company data geologist. Mr Michael Hudson for SXG has the orientation, logging and assay data. Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. The Sunday Creek Goldfield, containing the Clonbinane Project, is covered by the Retention Licence RL 6040 and is surrounded by Exploration Licence EL6163 and Exploration Licence EL7232. All the licences are 100% held by Clonbinane Goldfield Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary company of Southern Cross Gold Ltd. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. The main historical prospect within the Sunday Creek project is the Clonbinane prospect, a high level orogenic (or epizonal) Fosterville-style deposit. Small scale mining has been undertaken in the project area since the 1880s continuing through to the early 1900s. Historical production occurred with multiple small shafts and alluvial workings across the Clonbinane Goldfield permits. Production of note occurred at the Clonbinane area with total production being reported as 41,000 oz gold at a grade of 33 g/t gold (Leggo and Holdsworth, 2013). Work in and nearby to the Sunday Creek Project area by previous explorers typically focused on finding bulk, shallow deposits. Beadell Resources were the first to drill deeper targets and Southern Cross have continued their work in the Sunday Creek Project area. EL54 - Eastern Prospectors Pty Ltd Rock chip sampling around Christina, Apollo and Golden Dyke mines. Rock chip sampling down the Christina mine shaft. Resistivity survey over the Golden Dyke. Five diamond drill holes around Christina, two of which have assays. Rock chip sampling around Christina, Apollo and Golden Dyke mines. Rock chip sampling down the Christina mine shaft. Resistivity survey over the Golden Dyke. Five diamond drill holes around Christina, two of which have assays. ELs 872 & 975 - CRA Exploration Pty Ltd Exploration focused on finding low grade, high tonnage deposits. The tenements were relinquished after the area was found to be prospective but not economic. Stream sediment samples around the Golden Dyke and Reedy Creek areas. Results were better around the Golden Dyke. 45 dump samples around Golden Dyke old workings showed good correlation between gold, arsenic and antimony. Soil samples over the Golden Dyke to define boundaries of dyke and mineralization. Two costeans parallel to the Golden Dyke targeting soil anomalies. Costeans since rehabilitated by SXG. Exploration focused on finding low grade, high tonnage deposits. The tenements were relinquished after the area was found to be prospective but not economic. Stream sediment samples around the Golden Dyke and Reedy Creek areas. Results were better around the Golden Dyke. 45 dump samples around Golden Dyke old workings showed good correlation between gold, arsenic and antimony. Soil samples over the Golden Dyke to define boundaries of dyke and mineralization. Two costeans parallel to the Golden Dyke targeting soil anomalies. Costeans since rehabilitated by SXG. ELs 827 & 1520 - BHP Minerals Ltd Exploration targeting open cut gold mineralization peripheral to SXG tenements. Exploration targeting open cut gold mineralization peripheral to SXG tenements. ELs 1534, 1603 & 3129 - Ausminde Holdings Pty Ltd Targeting shallow, low grade gold. Trenching around the Golden Dyke prospect and results interpreted along with CRAs costeans. 29 RC/Aircore holes totalling 959 m sunk into the Apollo, Rising Sun and Golden Dyke target areas. Targeting shallow, low grade gold. Trenching around the Golden Dyke prospect and results interpreted along with CRAs costeans. 29 RC/Aircore holes totalling 959 m sunk into the Apollo, Rising Sun and Golden Dyke target areas. ELs 4460 & 4987 - Beadell Resources Ltd ELs 4460 and 4497 were granted to Beadell Resources in November 2007. Beadell successfully drilled 30 RC holes, including second diamond tail holes in the Golden Dyke/Apollo target areas. ELs 4460 and 4497 were granted to Beadell Resources in November 2007. Beadell successfully drilled 30 RC holes, including second diamond tail holes in the Golden Dyke/Apollo target areas. Both tenements were 100% acquired by Auminco Goldfields Pty Ltd in late 2012 and combined into one tenement EL4987. Nagambie Resources Ltd purchased Auminco Goldfields in July 2014. EL4987 expired late 2015, during which time Nagambie Resources applied for a retention licence (RL6040) covering three square kilometres over the Sunday Creek Goldfield. RL6040 was granted July 2017. Clonbinane Gold Field Pty Ltd was purchased by Mawson Gold Ltd in February 2020. Mawson drilled 30 holes for 6,928 m and made the first discoveries to depth. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralization. Refer to the description in the main body of the release. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level - elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. Refer to appendices Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (e.g. cutting of high-grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high-grade results and longer lengths of low-grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. See "Further Information" and "Metal Equivalent Calculation" in main text of press release. Relationship between mineralization widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralization with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (e.g 'down hole length, true width not known'). See reporting of true widths in the body of the press release. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported. These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. The results of the diamond drilling are displayed in the figures in the announcement. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high-grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. All results above 0.1 g/t Au have been tabulated in this announcement. The results are considered representative with no intended bias. Core loss, where material, is disclosed in tabulated drill intersections. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples - size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. Preliminary testing was reported in January 11, 2024. This established the general metallurgical test procedure for samples from the Sunday Creek deposits and demonstrated the basis for confidence in establishing prospects for economic recovery of contained gold and antimony to three separate products: Metallic gold product by gravity recovery Antimony-gold flotation concentrate Pyrite-arsenopyrite-gold flotation concentrate Testing has now been expanded to include samples from additional zones of the mineral deposits and to refine metallurgical processes. The aim was to improve aspects of antimony concentrate production, maximise gold recovery to a high-grade metallic product, and to further investigate the nature of gold occurrence. The work, conducted by ALS Burnie Laboratories, focused on: Improving selectivity between sulphide minerals in the antimony flotation stage whilst maintaining high overall gold recovery. Further processing of the flotation concentrates, to assess the metallurgical response of contained gold. Mineralogical examination of selected product samples. It was demonstrated that, with appropriate process conditions, high antimony and gold recovery could be maintained whilst rejecting arsenic and iron sulphides in the first flotation stage. The antimony concentrate produced (~50% Sb, <0.2% As) is deemed to be attractive to the smelter market. Recovery of antimony to concentrate varied with feed type, and ranged from 83% to 93% for the samples tested from the antimony rich zones. Additional metallic gold was recovered from the flotation concentrate by gravity separation. The gold grade of the concentrate is a function of the proportion of feed gold associated with arsenic-iron sulphides, the ratio of gold to antimony in the feed, the gold recovered to the metallic gold product, and the flotation rate of gold in the first flotation stage. High overall gold recovery was achieved with all samples tested. Further Work: Additional characterization testing across deposit zones Locked cycle testing to confirm overall recoveries Multi-stage cleaning optimization to maximize concentrate quality Pilot plant evaluation of larger samples Process plant design studies targeting Q1 2027 completion Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (e.g. tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. The Company has stated it will drill 200,000 m through 2025 to Q1 2027. See diagrams in presentation which highlight current and future drill plans. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278279 Source: Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Ltd. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Powermax Minerals Inc. (CSE: PMAX) (OTCQB: PWMXF) (FSE: T23) (the "Company" or "Powermax") is pleased to announce the successful completion of its 2025 field exploration program at the Atikokan Rare Earth Elements (REE) Property, located in the Atikokan-Ignace-White Otter Lake district of northwestern Ontario. Figure 1: Atikokan Property Location Map To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11633/278273_27329c4e9477f9df_001full.jpg 2025 Field Program Overview The recently completed exploration program included geological mapping, prospecting, radiometric surveys, and systematic geochemical sampling across multiple priority target areas on the property. In total, 426 samples, including quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) samples, were collected, comprising: 251 soil samples 10 sediment samples 165 rock samples Geological Mapping Results Geological mapping delineated three principal lithological domains: Block A: Predominantly granodiorite to granite Block B: Mainly gneissic tonalite, with granodiorite to granite in the northern portion Block C: Dominantly gneissic tonalite, with granodiorite and granite toward the north-northeast Granitic and pegmatitic rocks are generally considered prospective host rocks for rare earth element (REE) mineralization because they commonly represent the late stages of magmatic systems, during which incompatible elements such as REEs become concentrated1. In many known REE districts globally, economically significant REE mineralization is spatially associated with granites, granodiorites, pegmatites, and related altered zones, particularly where these rocks are affected by structural deformation or fluid activity2, there can be no assurance this will be the case at the Atikokan Property. In contrast granitic and pegmatitic rocks, gneissic tonalite typically represents earlier, more depleted intrusive phases and is generally considered less enriched in REEs unless it has been overprinted by later pegmatitic intrusions or hydrothermal alteration. Accordingly, the identification of granitic and pegmatitic units at Atikokan is considered favorable for REE exploration and provides important geological context for prioritizing sampling and follow-up work3. Field Radiometric Survey Interpretation Radiometric surveys were conducted to assist in identifying rocks and structures potentially enriched in REEs. Radiometric measurements are reported in counts per second (cps), which represent the intensity of natural gamma radiation emitted by elements such as potassium (K), thorium (Th), and uranium (U). These elements commonly occur alongside REEs in granitic and pegmatitic systems, making cps values a useful exploration vector for REE mineralization4. Background radiometric levels in gneissic tonalite typically ranged from approximately 60 to 80 cps, which is considered low. Where pink pegmatite bands and pods were present within tonalite, radiometric responses increased locally to approximately 250 to 400 cps, indicating enrichment in radioactive elements which can be associated with REE-bearing minerals. Granite and granodiorite units returned consistently higher radiometric responses, ranging from approximately 100 to 2,700 cps, with the highest values recorded in pegmatitic zones. From an exploration perspective, cps values exceeding 200-300 cps are generally considered anomalous in regional granitoid terranes, while values above 500 cps are regarded as significant and warrant detailed geological and geochemical follow-up5. The elevated cps values recorded at Atikokan, particularly within granitic and pegmatitic units, are therefore considered encouraging indicators for potential REE mineralization pegmatitic zones. Airborne Geophysical Survey Integration In addition to the recently completed ground-based field program, Powermax has also completed a high-resolution helicopter-borne magnetic and radiometric survey over the Atikokan REE Property. The Company is currently awaiting the final interpretation report from the survey contractor, which will integrate magnetic and gamma-ray spectrometric data with geological mapping, radiometric measurements, and geochemical sampling results from the 2025 field program. Once received, the interpreted geophysical results will be used to refine structural and lithological controls on mineralization, prioritize anomalies, and guide follow-up exploration targeting. Exploration Implications The Company believes that the coincidence of favorable host rocks (granite, granodiorite, and pegmatite), elevated radiometric responses, and structural complexity supports the interpretation that the Atikokan Property has the geological characteristics commonly associated with REE-prospective systems. These results provide technical basis for the ongoing evaluation of assay data and for planning future exploration programs. Sampling and Analytical Procedures The sampling program targeted favorable lithologies, including granitic and pegmatitic units, as well as structural corridors and zones of elevated radiometric response. Soil and sediment samples were collected on grid and catchment-based patterns in areas of limited outcrop, while rock sampling focused on exposed pegmatites, granites, and locally altered host rocks. All samples were transported under chain-of-custody protocols to AGAT Laboratories Ltd. in Calgary, Alberta, an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory, for preparation and multi-element geochemical analysis. Assay results are pending. Management Commentary Paul Gorman, Chief Executive Officer of Powermax Minerals, commented: "The completion of this field program represents an important milestone for Powermax at Atikokan. The scale and systematic nature of the work have generated a robust technical dataset that will support a comprehensive evaluation of the property's rare earth element and critical metals potential." The Company also announces that it has granted 200,000 stock options and 300,000 restricted share units pursuant to its equity incentive Plan. Quality Assurance / Quality Control A comprehensive QA/QC program was implemented throughout the sampling campaign, including the insertion of certified reference materials, blanks, and field duplicates. Qualified Person The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. For a further discussion of the Company's QA/QC and data verification processes and procedures, please see its most recently-filed technical report, a copy of which may be obtained under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. About Powermax Minerals Inc. Powermax Minerals Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on advancing rare earth element projects. The Company holds an option to acquire the Cameron REE Property, comprising three mineral claims totaling approximately 2,984 hectares in British Columbia. Powermax also optioned to acquire the Atikokan REE Property, consisting of 455 unpatented mining claims in NW Ontario. Powermax also optioned to acquire the 5178 hectare Pinard REE in Northern Ontario. Powermax also owns a 100% interest in the Ogden Bear Lodge Project, in Crook County, Wyoming. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions of management and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding potential mineralization, exploration plans, timing of activities, and future exploration results. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Powermax Minerals Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. 1 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169136818300283 2 https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2025-0148 3 https://www.gov.nl.ca/em/files/mines-geoscience-publications-currentresearch-2012-kerr-rafuse-2012.pdf 4 https://gis.geosurv.gov.nl.ca/geofilePDFS/Batch2015/LAB_1635_Part1.pdf 5 https://www.theijes.com/papers/vol9-issue6/Series-1/F0906013441.pdf To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278273 Source: Powermax Minerals Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Dryden Gold Corp. (TSXV: DRY) (OTCQB: DRYGF) (FSE: X7W) ("Dryden Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to review its successful 2025 exploration results and share the Company's goals for our 2026 program. Dryden Gold has had a very successful year meeting its 2025 exploration goals. 2025 Exploration Highlights: Successfully accomplished all four exploration objectives while drilling 15,000 meters. Significant growth at flagship Gold Rock target area. Successful test of periodicity at the deposit scale at Mud Lake. Advanced the Hyndman discovery leading to a positive drill decision. New discovery of broad gold mineralization at Sherridon. Concluded property-wide soil-till sampling & LIDAR programs to promote additional regional exploration targets. Built out & expanded office and core handling facilities in Dryden, Ontario. Increased its in-house exploration team to 10 full time staff. Maintained its industry low all-in drilling costs at C$250/meter. Received the Ontario Junior Exploration Grant. In the Capital Markets: Completed a $7.8MM equity financing funding an initial $6MM in 2026 exploration, including a "top-off" investment from Centerra Gold. 2025 warrant exercises added an additional $4,565,473 to the treasury. Stock price increase of over 200% - 52-week range $0.105 to $0.39. Trey Wasser, CEO of Dryden Gold, commented, "It has been a truly transformative year for Dryden Gold. I want to thank the entire team as well as our loyal and supportive shareholders for driving Dryden Gold's success." Goals for 2026 Exploration Campaign Continue to grow the Gold Rock target area testing strike length and hanging wall structures from Elora to Big Master. Test for periodicity or repetition on strike in the Gold Rock Camp with follow up drilling at the Mud Lake target area and a new anomaly to the south. Drill-test the Hyndman regional discovery. Follow-up drilling at the Sherridon regional target and to continue the development of the deposit model. Interpret the property-wide soil-till program to identify new regional targets to add to the exploration pipeline. Recap of 2025 The year started out strong with a new strategic partner in Centerra Gold. The Company set up its own core facility and developed a strong geology team with additional expert advisors. In March, Dryden Gold made its final property payment to Alamos Gold for 100% of the Upper and Lower Manitou portions of the property. The Company received three exploration permits in 2025. The first exploration permit was to allow for further testing to the north on strike on the Elora Gold System part of Gold Rock. The other two permits were designed to allow first pass testing programs on the Companies two top priority regional targets Sherridon and Hyndman. The 2025 drill program successfully tripled the mineralized footprint at the Gold Rock target area. In May the Company intersected spectacular visible gold on a new hanging wall discovery of 301.67 g/t gold over 3.90 meters, including 1,930 g/t gold over 0.60 meters. Dryden Gold intersected another hanging wall zone while drilling the gap hole which graded 55.34 g/t gold over 3.50 meters, including 379.00 g/t gold over 0.50 meters. The gap hole drilled across the untested area between the Big Master Gold System and the Elora Gold System intersecting several parallel gold-bearing structures and showing more potential for the Gold Rock Target area. To further test the periodicity of high-grade mineralization at the deposit scale, the Company completed a two-kilometer step-out northeast of Gold Rock at the Mud Lake target area. This program involved mapping and surface sampling at North Mud Lake and four initial drill holes on the southern end of the Mud Lake target. With the completion of the August equity financing and the warrant exercises, we are fully funded for an ambitious 2026 exploration campaign. The Company has a two-pronged approach to exploration focusing on growth at its flagship Gold Rock target area as well as making new regional discoveries. The company completed a property-wide soil-till sampling program coupled with a lidar survey to aid in the detection of new exploration targets. During 2025, Dryden Gold focused on two top priority regional exploration targets Hyndman and Sherridon. Summer field work on Hyndman returned high-grade surface channel samples including 23.32 g/t gold over 2.80 meters which resulted in a positive drill decision for Hyndman. The initial drill program at Hyndman will be part of the 2026 Exploration Program. The team tested new structural interpretation at Sherridon with an initial three-hole drill program that showed board zones of gold mineralization. In addition, the Company was able to purchase one of the royalties on the property. Marketing in 2026 Dryden Gold will be kicking off its 2026 marketing calendar by exhibiting at the Metals Investor Forum ("MIF") in Vancouver on January 23-24, 2026, and will be presenting on newsletter writer, Chen Lin's panel. To register for free, please click here. The technical team will be participating at the core shack in booth #1024 at AME Round Up in Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Centre East on January 28th-29th. Please visit our website to stay up to date on all our upcoming conferences. Qualified Person The technical disclosure in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Maura J. Kolb, M.Sc., P.Geo., President of Dryden Gold and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Analytical Laboratory and QA/QC Procedures The Company is drilling NQ size core. Samples are cut in half, with half going to the lab for analysis and half kept as a record. True thickness/widths of the mineralization are unknown, result intervals are reported as the drilled core lengths unless otherwise stated. All sampling completed by Dryden Gold Corp. within its exploration programs is subject to a Company standard of internal quality control and quality assurance (QA/QC) programs which include the insertion of certified reference materials, blank materials, and a level of duplicate analysis. Drill samples from the 2024 and 2025 program were sent to Activation Laboratories in Dryden Ontario, with sample preparation and analysis in Dryden, where they were processed for gold analysis by 50-gram fire assay with an atomic absorption finish and over limits determined by Fire Assay with a gravimetric finish. Select samples were analyzed using metallic screens. Activation Laboratories systems conform to requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17025 guidelines and meets assay requirements outlined for NI 43-101. ABOUT DRYDEN GOLD CORP. Dryden Gold Corp. is an exploration company focused on the discovery of high-grade gold mineralization listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("DRY") and on the OTCQB marketplace ("DRYGF"). The Company has a strong management team and Board of Directors comprised of experienced individuals with a track record of building shareholder value through property acquisition and consolidation, exploration success, and mergers and acquisitions. Dryden Gold controls a 100% interest in a dominant strategic land position in the Dryden District of Northwestern Ontario. Dryden Gold's property package includes historic gold mines but has seen limited modern exploration. The property hosts high-grade gold mineralization over 50km of potential strike length along the Manitou-Dinorwic deformation zone. The property has excellent infrastructure, enjoys collaborative relationships with First Nations communities and benefits from proximity to an experienced mining workforce. For more information, go to our website www.drydengold.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the acquisition of the Property, receipt of corporate and regulatory approvals, issuance of common shares; future development plans; future acquisitions; exploration programs; and the business and operations of Dryden Gold. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings including receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval for the acquisition of the Property; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in Dryden Gold's and the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Dryden Gold and the Company do not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from Dryden Gold's and the Company's expectations or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278237 Source: Dryden Gold Corp. The round, led by ChrysCapital and Dragon Funds, underscores MoEngage's global momentum as enterprises move beyond legacy marketing clouds to adopt MoEngage's insights-led customer engagement platform for both marketing and product teams. Demand for Merlin AI and MoEngage's unified engagement suite continues to surge across North America, EMEA, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia as brands invest in deeper insights and connected customer experiences. SINGAPORE, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MoEngage, the customer engagement platform for consumer brands, announced it has raised an additional $180 million as part of its Series F round. This follows the $100 million secured in November 2025, taking the total Series F raise to $280 million. The latest investment was led by new investors ChrysCapital and Dragon Funds, alongside Schroders Capital, with continued participation from current investors TR Capital and B Capital. The capital will be used to accelerate innovation for the Merlin AI suite, scale go-to-market teams in North America and EMEA, and explore strategic acquisitions that extend the platform's capabilities. MoEngage continues to deepen its presence across Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, where enterprise brands are modernizing their customer engagement stacks and unifying marketing and product workflows. Alongside these growth investments, MoEngage has completed its second employee tender offer, totalling approximately $15 million, which benefits 259 current & former employees in their wealth creation journey. The round included select secondary transactions for early investors, namely Eight Roads, Helion Venture Partners, Matrix Partners, and Ventureast. "At MoEngage, we believe our success is a collective effort, built on a culture of ownership and innovation. It is vital that we recognize the people who brought us to this stage," said Raviteja Dodda, CEO & Co-founder, MoEngage. "This liquidity program reflects that commitment by ensuring that the builders of MoEngage, our employees, and early investors have the opportunity to directly share in the milestones we achieve together. We are grateful for the partnership of ChrysCapital, Dragon Funds, Schroders Capital, TR Capital, and B Capital as we continue to scale globally." Accelerating Growth in Southeast Asia and ANZ Southeast Asia and ANZ are key growth markets for MoEngage, with enterprises in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand rapidly adopting AI-powered, insights-led engagement platforms. MoEngage partners with leading regional brands - including Kredivo, Alfamart, Blibli, XL Axiata, Trust Bank, Stan Entertainment, 13Cabs, Canstar, and TFE Hotels, as well as global names such as 7-Eleven, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Samsung, Domino's, KFC, and Nestle, to unify customer data and deliver personalized, omnichannel experiences. Building on its leadership as the customer engagement platform for marketers, MoEngage is strengthening its suite for Product Teams with MoEngage Analytics and MoEngage Inform. As modern customer engagement isn't driven solely by marketing, product, and marketing teams must operate on shared data to ensure customer experiences are connected, not fragmented. MoEngage Inform streamlines critical transactional messaging, such as OTPs, account updates and service updates, via a single API across messaging channels and delivery providers, ensuring reliability distinct from marketing campaigns. Meanwhile, the enhanced Product Analytics capabilities in MoEngage Analytics bridge the gap between insight and action. By unifying behavioral data with immediate engagement, MoEngage empowers Product Managers to uncover the 'why' behind user behavior and instantly trigger experiences that drive retention and LTV. "Customer engagement has never belonged to just one team. Customers move through many moments, and those moments should feel connected and supportive," added Dodda. "When product, engineering, and marketing work from the same data and tools, they can show up more naturally for their audiences. That's the experience we want to help companies deliver so they can grow their brands." Rishabh Iyer, Vice President at ChrysCapital, stated, "ChrysCapital is excited to partner with MoEngage for its next phase of AI-led growth. This investment aligns with our strategy to back technology platforms, built in India for global enterprises, leveraging deep talent, capital efficiency, and a sophisticated understanding of enterprise needs. We are impressed by MoEngage's disciplined operating model, sustained US execution, and broad product capabilities. We look forward to helping the team become the world's leading marketing technology platform." Ridhi Chaudhary, CIO of Dragon Funds, said, "We are pleased to partner with MoEngage, impressed by its strong management, continuous product innovation, and durable growth. We believe MoEngage's best-in-class product and AI capabilities position it well to lead the martech category." Aakash Tulsani, Managing Director at Dragon Funds, added, "MoEngage sets the bar for innovation by leveraging AI on first-party data, making it essential for marketers. It is a privilege to partner with MoEngage again, having invested previously." "At Zeta, we are building the modern banking stack for the world's leading financial institutions. As a data-driven company, we rely on deep customer insights to drive our product strategy," said Bhavin Turakhia, Co-founder & CEO, Zeta. "MoEngage Analytics has helped us optimize critical journeys like onboarding, activation, and cross-sell, while their messaging capabilities allow us to instantly nudge customers. Effectively bridging the gap between insight and action. As a user of the product, I am impressed by the constant innovation. Additionally, MoEngage Inform has become essential for powering our mission-critical communications, delivering account and transaction updates with high reliability and speed." "MoEngage Inform has become a core part of how we run our e-commerce experience at Loblaw across our lines of business," said Charu Pujari, SVP, AI and Engineering at Loblaw Digital. "It keeps customers updated on their delivery and pickup orders with the speed and reliability they expect, which has made a meaningful difference in how engaged and confident they feel throughout the process." Avendus Capital acted as the exclusive financial advisor to the company and its shareholders. About MoEngage Bengaluru and San Francisco-headquartered MoEngage is an insights-led customer engagement platform, trusted by over 1,350 global consumer brands, including SoundCloud, McAfee, Flipkart, Kayak, Domino's, Deutsche Telekom, Travelodge, and more. MoEngage empowers marketers and product owners with insights into customer behavior, enabling them to act on those insights and engage customers across web, mobile, email, social, and messaging channels. Its Merlin AI suite, a team of AI agents, enables marketers to launch campaigns faster and scale conversions with AI Decisioning. Consumer brands across 75 countries utilize MoEngage to deliver digital experiences to over 2 billion consumers every month. MoEngage was recognized as "Customers' Choice" in Gartner Peer Insights Voice of the Customer for Multichannel Marketing Hubs, May 2025 and a "Strong Performer" in The Forrester Wave: Cross-Channel Marketing Hubs, Q4 2024. To learn more, visit www.moengage.com For more information, please contact: Pooja Poddar Jain, Lead - Communications Email: pooja.poddar@moengage.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2815704/5684987/MoEngage_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/moengage-secures-additional-180-million-in-series-f-funding-completes-liquidity-event-for-employees--investors-302644337.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Hannan Metals Limited (TSXV: HAN) (OTC Pink: HANNF) ("Hannan" or the "Company") is pleased to announce new prospecting results from systematic field campaigns at the Previsto prospect at its 100% owned Valiente project in Peru. Channel sampling has confirmed continuous gold mineralization across a 1.2 km trend from Previsto Central to Mirador Creek, with high-grade structures now validated by multiple sampling methods. Key Points: Two significant channel sample results now improve confidence in a 1 km mineralized trend from Previsto Central to Mirador Creek, including: 10.5 m @ 0.5 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag including 4.9 m @ 1.1 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag at the location of the previous 4.8 g/t Au grab sample, implying continuity over 1 km to the 26.0 m @ 5.4 g/t Au channel reported earlier this year. 10.4 m @ 0.7 g/t Au and 4 g/t Ag including 2.4 m @ 1.6 g/t Au and 6 g/t Ag located approximately 300 m northeast off the channel above, demonstrating repeated high-grade intercepts across the mineralized trend. New District-Scale Mineralization: 44 channels totalling 193.5 m and 79 rock-chip samples define widespread gold-silver-copper mineralization from Mirador Creek to Previsto Central, with individual samples grading up to 2.6 g/t Au, 12 g/t Ag, and 0.24% Cu. New Target Identified: Detailed analysis under the guidance of expert economic geologist in alkaline gold-copper systems, Dr. Alan Wilson suggests a potential separate heat/fluid source approximately 2 km southwest of Previsto Central at Upper Honda Creek, opening a potential new district. Active Field Programs Continue: 2025 field campaign continues at Mirador Creek and Upper Honda Creek ahead of the wet season, with assays pending from Upper Palestina Creek. Michael Hudson, CEO, states: "The identification of further high-grade gold mineralization at Mirador Creek is a significant de-risking milestone for Previsto. When we reported the 4.8 g/t Au grab sample discovery in October 1 km south of high-grade channels sampled earlier this year including 26.0 m @ 5.4 g/t Au, the immediate question was whether this represented isolated high-grade or part of a larger mineralized structure. Today's channel result of 10.5 m @ 0.5 g/t Au, including 4.9 m @ 1.1 g/t Au at that same location, provides clear evidence of a robust, continuous system. "What excites me most is the scale emerging at Previsto. We now have validated high-grade gold across a 1.2 km trend between Mirador Creek and Previsto Central, with multiple structural controls hosting mineralization. The identification of a potential second heat/fluid source 2 km to the southwest at Upper Honda Creek, based on detailed geochemical work with Dr. Alan Wilson, suggests we may be looking at multiple mineralized centres within a much larger district-scale system. "We've systematically prospected only 15% to 20% of Previsto's prospective epithermal zone to date. Dense jungle and steep terrain make this slow, methodical work - but every area tested has delivered results. The scale of opportunity here remains largely untapped." Technical Discussion Work Area Details Two main areas were systematically prospected during the recent field campaigns (Figures 2 and 3): Southern Area (Mirador Creek-Previsto Central): The southern work area covers a 1.2 km 0.5 km polygon extending from the Mirador Creek high-grade discovery zone northward to Previsto Central. This area has been the focus of intensive systematic sampling following the October 6th announcement of a 4.8 g/t Au grab sample at Mirador Creek. The recent field campaign was designed to test whether this high-grade result represented an isolated occurrence or part of a larger continuous mineralized structure. Channel Sampling A total of 44 channels were cut across mineralized structures, comprising 104 individual samples over a cumulative length of 193.5 m. Channel sampling provides the most reliable surface indication of grade continuity, as it captures representative sections across mineralized zones rather than selective point samples. Element Average Range Gold 0.2 g/t 0.004 - 2.6 g/t Silver 2 g/t 0.06 - 9 g/t Copper 240 ppm 5 - 1,250 ppm The standout result from this program is a 10.5 m channel grading 0.5 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag. 195 ppm Cu, including a higher-grade core of 4.9 m @ 1.1 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag (using a 0.1 g/t cut-off). Critically, this channel was sampled at the exact location of the original 4.8 g/t Au panel sample reported on October 6th. The result confirms that the high-grade mineralization is not isolated occurrence but forms part of a wider, continuous mineralized structure with genuine significance. Rock Chip Sampling To complement the channel work, 79 in-situ rock chip samples were collected across exposed outcrops throughout the work area. Rock chip sampling helps define the spatial extent of mineralization and identify new targets for follow-up. Element Average Range Gold 0.08 g/t 0.004 - 0.9 g/t Silver 1 g/t 0.2 - 12 g/t Copper 255 ppm 45 - 2,390 ppm The widespread distribution of anomalous gold, silver, and copper values across the rock chip samples indicates pervasive hydrothermal alteration and mineralization throughout the area. Elevated copper values reaching 0.24% (2,390 ppm) suggest proximity to a potential porphyry source at depth, consistent with the district-scale porphyry-epithermal model being developed at Previsto. Northern Area The northern work area covers a 0.5 km 0.5 km polygon situated immediately north of the Previsto Central high-grade zone. This area represents the continuation of the mineralized trend beyond the established footprint and has been systematically prospected to define the full extent of the gold anomaly. Soil geochemistry in this terrain provides an effective first-pass prospecting tool, as gold transported into the soil profile from underlying bedrock mineralization creates detectable surface anomalies that guide follow-up prospecting and channel sampling. Soil Geochemistry A total of 7 soil samples were collected across the northern extension area to infill the existing soil grid and test for continuity of the gold anomaly beyond Previsto Central. Element Average Range Gold 0.008 g/t (8 ppb) 0.001 - 0.019 g/t (1 - 19 ppb) Results confirm that anomalous gold values persist northward from the Previsto Central high-grade zone, with peak values reaching 19 ppb Au - well above the 1 ppb detection limit and indicative of a genuine bedrock source. The continuous nature of the soil anomaly across this northern extension suggests that the underlying mineralized system extends beyond the currently defined limits and remains open for expansion. These soil results provide important vectors, highlighting priority areas for detailed rock chip sampling and channel work in upcoming field programs. The persistence of the anomaly reinforces the interpretation that Previsto Central sits within a larger mineralized corridor rather than representing an isolated occurrence. Next Steps Hannan's team is actively advancing multiple work fronts ahead of the wet season: Upper Honda Creek Investigation - Detailed geochemical analysis of existing outcrop data, completed under the guidance of world-class economic geologist Dr. Alan Wilson during his 6-day field visit, has identified a potential separate heat/fluid source approximately 2 km southwest of Previsto Central. This new target area is now a priority focus for the current field campaign. Mirador Creek Extensions - Further systematic sampling to locate extensions and repetitions of the confirmed high-grade mineralization along strike and in parallel structures. Structural Mapping - Detailed mapping to understand the controls on high-grade mineralization, which will inform drill hole targeting and orientation. Upper Palestina Creek Assays Pending - Results are awaited from a 7-day field campaign covering an area 0.4 km to 1.4 km west of Previsto Central where very limited previous work has taken place. Drill Program Integration - All surface results will be compiled and integrated into target generation for the upcoming drill program at Previsto. About the Valiente Project The 100% owned Valiente project is in central eastern Peru, east of the city of Tingo Maria (Figures 1 and 2). The area is characterized by steep topography on the eastern flank of the Central Cordillera with elevations between 800 m and 2,000 m above sea level (a.s.l.). The project was found in 2021 during an extensive greenfields prospecting program initiated by Hannan for back-arc porphyry copper-gold systems. The Company has been actively prospecting on the project since 2021 and has successfully gained social permits progressively in all areas of interest. During 2021 Hannan staked and still holds 910 km2 of 100% owned mining concessions at Valiente covering unexplored terrain for potential mineralized porphyry targets in central eastern Peru. The Valiente Project has rapidly evolved from a greenfields prospect to a multi-prospect opportunity. Early surface prospecting identified two outcropping copper-gold porphyry targets and one epithermal target at Belen (see Press Release Feb 16, 2023). Porphyry areas quickly followed at Serrano Norte, Serrano and Pucacunga. The focus more recently has been on Previsto. At Previsto and Belen, a district-scale porphyry cluster within an area of 25 km by 10 km, with eight porphyry and/or epithermal targets now identified in more detail with up to 10 earlier stage targets awaiting further work. The company is executing a multi-year strategy to systematically prospect and drill test its extensive land package in this emerging Miocene-aged, linked porphyry-epithermal mineral belt. Technical Background All samples were collected by Hannan geologists. Samples were transported to ALS in Lima via third party services using trackable parcels and by company staff. At the laboratory, rock samples were prepared and analyzed by standard methods. The sample preparation involved crushing 70% to less than 2 mm, riffle split off 250 g, pulverize split to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Samples were analyzed by method ME-MS61, a four-acid digest performed on 0.25 g of the sample to quantitatively dissolve most geological materials. Analysis is via ICP-MS. Gold was analyzed in rock and soils by ALS in Lima using a standard sample preparation and 30 g fire assay sample charge. Soil samples were analyzed by a portable XRF (VANTA-VMR) using an in-house protocol which includes routine use of CRM and field duplicates as well as 10% check samples analyzed by ALS Lima. Channel samples are considered representative of the in-situ mineralization samples. At this stage true widths of mineralization are not known. Grab or panel samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades on the property. About Hannan Metals Limited (TSXV: HAN) (OTC Pink: HANNF) Hannan Metals Limited is an exploration company focused on the identification and delineation of large gold and copper mineralizing systems in new frontiers in Peru. Over the last decade, the team behind Hannan has forged a long and successful record of discovering, financing, and advancing mineral projects in Australia, Europe and South America. Mr. Michael Hudson FAusIMM, Hannan's Chairman and CEO, a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has prepared, reviewed, verified and approved the technical contents of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements. Certain disclosure contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. These statements may relate to this news release and other matters identified in the Company's public filings. In making the forward-looking statements the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: the political environment in which the Company operates continuing to support the development and operation of mining projects; the threat associated with outbreaks of viruses and infectious diseases; risks related to negative publicity with respect to the Company or the mining industry in general; planned work programs; permitting; and community relations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news. Figure 1: Overview of the 910 km2 Valiente project area in Peru. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5402/278320_0fe24dbd444d2a98_002full.jpg Figure 2: Map showing the vast 5x5 km gold anomaly at Previsto and the location of the current results, in comparison to the Cripple Creek gold district. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5402/278320_0fe24dbd444d2a98_003full.jpg Figure 3: Zoomed in map of Mirador Creek work area with soil. rock chip and channel results. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5402/278320_0fe24dbd444d2a98_004full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278320 Source: Hannan Metals Ltd. EQS-News: Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG / Key word(s): Agreement Secarna Pharmaceuticals and Protalix Biotherapeutics Enter into Collaboration and Option Agreement 17.12.2025 / 12:50 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Secarna Pharmaceuticals and Protalix Biotherapeutics Enter into Collaboration and Option Agreement Partnership combines Protalix's rare disease and biologics expertise with Secarna's AI-powered OligoCreator platform to jointly develop pharmaceutical candidates for rare renal indications Protalix is granted an exclusive option to license any active compounds derived from the research for potential clinical development and commercialization Martinsried (Munich), Germany, and Carmiel, Israel, December 17, 2025 - Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG, a company redefining the discovery and development of best-in-class oligonucleotide therapeutics, and Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: PLX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, production and commercialization of innovative therapeutics for rare diseases with significant unmet needs, today announced that they have entered into a collaboration and option agreement. Under this agreement, the companies have agreed to partner in the discovery of novel antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies against multiple targets for rare renal indications. As part of the collaboration, Protalix has selected pharmaceutical targets with fundamental biological roles in rare renal indications and Secarna will apply OligoCreator, its proprietary AI-empowered oligonucleotide discovery and development platform, to design and profile ASO candidates against those targets. By jointly applying their research and development expertise, it is the Companies' goal to advance the programs from preclinical stage to clinical trials. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Secarna grants Protalix an option to an exclusive, worldwide milestone and royalty bearing license to further develop, market and commercialize therapeutic programs. "We are truly excited to collaborate with Protalix, a company with a strong track record in developing and bringing therapies for rare diseases to the market," said Konstantin Petropoulos, Ph.D., Secarna Pharmaceuticals' Chief Executive Officer. "This collaboration combines Secarna's proven expertise in rapidly generating high-quality antisense candidates with Protalix's deep expertise in advancing programs to patients worldwide. Together, we aim to bring forward precise and differentiated oligonucleotide therapies for people affected by severe kidney disorders." "This collaboration represents our first expansion into the rare kidney disease space leveraging RNA technologies, demonstrating the implementation of our previously updated research strategy," said Dror Bashan, Protalix's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We have started to leverage our development experience to increase our footprint as a rare disease therapeutics company. Secarna has established itself as a high-quality, innovative partner in the oligonucleotide field, and we are pleased to join forces to explore new biological pathways and advance promising targets toward clinical development, addressing significant unmet medical needs." About Secarna Pharmaceuticals Secarna Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company redefining the discovery and development of best-in-class oligonucleotide therapeutics, offering hope to patients facing conditions that are beyond the reach of current approaches and modalities. With the Company's proprietary AI-empowered OligoCreator platform, which includes multiple delivery technologies, Secarna identifies and characterizes oligonucleotide therapeutics with unparalleled speed and excellent safety and efficacy. By delivering these novel therapeutics to the cells, organs, or tissues where they are needed, targeted oligonucleotide therapies have the potential to revolutionize treatments for a wide range of difficult-to-treat disorders. Secarna's unique OligoCreator platform is leveraged to transform untreatable conditions into treatable ones, profoundly changing the future of medicine. www.secarna.com About Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. Protalix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, production and commercialization of innovative therapeutics for rare diseases. Protalix has researched, developed and currently manufactures two enzyme replacement therapies that are currently available in multiple markets. These therapies are recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through Protalix's proprietary plant cell-based expression system, ProCellEx. ProCellEx is a unique plant cell-based system that enables Protalix to produce recombinant proteins in an industrial-scale manner with no exposure to mammalian cells. Protalix is the first company to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a protein produced through plant cell-based in suspension expression system. Protalix has licensed to Pfizer Inc. the worldwide development and commercialization rights to taliglucerase alfa, Elelyso, for the treatment of Gaucher disease, excluding in Brazil where Protalix retains full rights. Protalix has partnered with Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. for the global development and commercialization of Elfabrio which was approved by both the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in May 2023. Protalix's development pipeline includes, among others, two proprietary versions of recombinant therapeutic proteins that target established pharmaceutical markets: PRX-115, a plant cell-expressed recombinant PEGylated uricase for the treatment of uncontrolled gout; and PRX-119, a plant cell-expressed long-acting DNase I for the treatment of NETs-related diseases. To learn more, please visit www.protalix.com Protalix Cautionary Statement regarding Forward-Looking Statements To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, all such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The terms "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "can," "continue," "could," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and other words or phrases of similar import are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future experience and results to differ materially from the statements made. These statements are based on Protalix's current beliefs and expectations as to such future outcomes. Drug discovery and development involve a high degree of risk. Factors that might cause material differences include, among others: risks related to the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the collaboration and option agreement, including the possibility that the expected benefits will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the uncertainties inherent in the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates; risks associated with initial, preliminary or interim data; the possible disruption of Protalix's operations due to military actions conducted by Israel with the Hamas terrorist organization located in the Gaza Strip, the Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis which control parts of Yemen, Iran and others, including as a result of the disruption of the operations of certain regulatory authorities and of certain of Protalix's suppliers, collaborative partners, licensees, clinical trial sites, distributors and customers, and the risk that the current hostilities will result in a greater regional conflict; risks related to Protalix's expectations with respect to the projected market for the indications targeted in the collaboration; delays in the approval or potential rejection of any applications we file with the FDA, EMA or other health regulatory authorities and other risks relating to the review process; risks relating to Protalix's evaluation and pursuit of strategic partnerships; risks relating to Protalix's ability to manage its relationship with its collaborators, distributors or partners; risks related to the amount and sufficiency of Protalix's cash and cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits; Protalix's dependence on performance by third-party providers of services and supplies, including without limitation, clinical trial services; the inherent risks and uncertainties in developing drug platforms and products of the type we are developing; the impact of development of competing therapies and/or technologies by other companies; potential product liability risks, and risks of securing adequate levels of related insurance coverage; the possibility of infringing a third-party's patents or other intellectual property rights and the uncertainty of obtaining patents covering Protalix's products and processes and successfully enforcing Protalix's intellectual property rights against third-parties; and other factors described in Protalix's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The statements in this press release are valid only as of the date hereof and Protalix disclaims any obligation to update this information, except as may be required by law. Secarna Contact Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG Konstantin Petropoulos, PhD, MBA CEO Phone: +49 (0)89 215 46 375 Email: info@secarna.com Investor Contact--Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. Mike Moyer, Managing Director LifeSci Advisors Phone: +1-617-308-4306 Email: mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com For Media Inquiries--Secarna MC Services AG Anne Hennecke/Lydia Robinson-Garcia Phone: +49 (0)211 52 92 52 15 Email: secarna@mc-services.eu 17.12.2025 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group . The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. View original content: EQS News VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSXV:YGT)(Frankfurt:TX0)(OTCQX:YGTFF) ("Gold Terra" or the "Company") is pleased to outline the Company's key achievements from the past year as it looks ahead to numerous catalysts in 2026. Over the past 12 months, Gold Terra has delivered a series of strategic advancements across exploration, financing, and key strategic investor support. These strategic steps include the confirmation of the Campbell Shear gold potential at depth on Con Mine Option property, the identification of new 2026 drilling targets with the potential to increase the Company's current mineral resource estimates, and solid financing support from new and continuing shareholders. Chairman and CEO, Gerald Panneton, commented, "Gold Terra has had a very good transitional year with both technical and corporate achievements that bring value to our shareholders. We cannot ignore the "2025 gold market" performanceof the last few months to support our exploration effort in Yellowknife. We are also very confident that 2026 will bring more successes as we intend to have more than 15,000 metres of drilling planned in the first half of 2026 that is fully funded. We thank all our shareholders for their continued support, our employees, and most importantly all our community stakeholders for their continued support. Significant Highlights of 2025: Confirmation of the Campbell Shear at depth , below the existing underground workings, adding significant potential to add ounces. OR Royalties elected to early exercise its first option on the 2015 Royalty agreement for a cash consideration of $2 million, confirming support for the Yellowknife region. C$ 7 million Successful financing in November (Read the Nov. 28, 2025 news release) with three major and strategic investors, Eric Sprott, David Harquail and Mckenzie Funds. Receipt of two Government (GNWT) Mineral Incentives grants of C$257,560 for winter 2026 drilling. 2026 Leadership Vision As the market environment for gold strengthens, Gold Terra is executing its vision to re-establish the Yellowknife as a premier gold mining district in Canada. "This last year has been pivotal for Gold Terra as we are entering a new phase and a clear path forward to create value for our shareholders and a solid future for the community of Yellowknife." said Chairman and CEO, Gerald Panneton, "We look forward to providing regular updates to our shareholders and investors as major developments unfold in our 2026 exploration and drilling program." The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Joseph Campbell, a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and Senior Technical Advisor for the Company. About Gold Terra The Yellowknife Project (YP) encompasses 836 sq. km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, Gold Terra controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 kilometres of the City of Yellowknife, the YP is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power, and skilled tradespeople. Gold Terra is currently focusing its drilling on the Campbell Shear, where approximately 14 Moz of gold has been produced, (refer to Gold Terra Oct 21, 2022, Technical Report) and most recently on the CMO property claims immediately south of the past producing Con Mine which produced 6.1 Moz between the Con, Rycon, and Campbell shear structures (1938-2003). The YP and CMO properties lie on the Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering nearly 70 kilometres of strike length along the main mineralized shear system that hosts the former-producing high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The Company's exploration programs have successfully identified significant zones of gold mineralization and multiple targets that remain to be tested which reinforces the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada. Visit our website at Home | Gold Terra Resource Corp. For more information, please contact: Gerald Panneton, Chairman & CEO gpanneton@goldterracorp.com Mara Strazdins, Investor Relations Phone: 1-778-897-1590 | 416-710-0646 strazdins@goldterracorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Therefore, investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource could ever be mined economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "Measured Mineral Resources," "Indicated Mineral Resources," or "Inferred Mineral Resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. The Mineral Resource estimates contained herein may be subject to legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of such mineral resources. Refer to the Technical Report, once filed, for more information with respect to the key assumptions, parameters, methods and risks of determination associated with the foregoing. Cautionary Note to United States Investors The Company prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Terms relating to Mineral Resources in this news release are defined in accordance with NI 43-101 under the guidelines set out in CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Council on May 19, 2014, as amended ("CIM Standards"). The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has adopted amendments effective February 25, 2019 (the "SEC Modernization Rules") to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC will now recognize estimates of "Measured Mineral Resources", "Indicated Mineral Resources" and "Inferred Mineral Resources", which are defined in substantially similar terms to the corresponding CIM Standards. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "Proven Mineral Reserves" and "Probable Mineral Reserves" to be substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Standards. U.S. investors are cautioned that while the foregoing terms are "substantially similar" to corresponding definitions under the CIM Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any Mineral Resources that the Company may report as "Measured Mineral Resources", "Indicated Mineral Resources" and "Inferred Mineral Resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the Mineral Resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. In accordance with Canadian securities laws, estimates of "Inferred Mineral Resources" cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding the current drilling on the Campbell Shear, potentially adding ounces to the Company's current YCG mineral resource, and the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's most recent MD&A and annual information form available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information. SOURCE: Gold Terra Resource Corp View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/gold-terra-provides-a-summary-of-2025-achievements-and-2026-plan-1118404 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - New Break Resources Ltd. (CSE: NBRK) ("New Break" or the "Company") is pleased to report results from an additional six drillholes, part of a 2025 maiden drilling program at its 100% owned Moray gold project ("Moray"). In 2025, a total of 2,923.5 metres of diamond drilling was completed which resulted in the initial discovery of the Zavitz gold zone and a significant broadening of the gold mineralization in the second campaign. Moray is located 49 km south of Timmins, Ontario and 32 km northwest of the Young-Davidson gold mine operated by Alamos Gold Inc. Highlights Hole NBR-25-09 returned 1.57 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") over 70.7 metres from 95.8 to 166.5 metres, including: 3.78 g/t Au over 20.5 metres from 146.0 to 166.5 metres; and 5.74 g/t Au over 10.5 metres from 156.0 to 166.5 metres. returned from 95.8 to 166.5 metres, including: Hole NBR-25-10 returned 2.00 g/t Au over 38.0 metres from 68.0 to 106.0 metres, including: 19.48 g/t Au over 2.5 metres from 80.5 to 83.0 metres. returned from 68.0 to 106.0 metres, including: Results from these two holes, have led New Break to interpret the Zavitz gold zone as significantly broader than originally reported. As a result, the Company has re-examined the previously reported intervals from drillholes NBR-25-04 and NBR-25-05. Based on a re-assessment of assay data, these intervals have been updated to reflect a wider zone of mineralization as follows: NBR-25-04, restated as 1.04 g/t Au over 86.7 metres from 100.3 to 187.0 metres (an additional 71.9 metres), revised from 3.35 g/t Au over 14.8 metres from 100.3 to 115.1 metres; and NBR-25-05, restated as 3.17 g/t Au over 43.0 metres from 72.0 to 115.0 metres (an additional 11.7 metres), revised from 4.11 g/t Au over 31.3 metres from 83.0 to 114.3 metres. William Love, Chief Executive Officer of New Break commented, "The restatement of interval and grade calculations for NBR-25-04 and NBR-25-05, reflects the evident continuity of the Zavitz gold zone between multiple drillholes. Certain assay results from these holes were not previously included in broader interval calculations, as the continuity of the Zavitz gold zone was not recognized at that time. Management believes it is now evident that the mineralized zone exhibits strong continuity between NBR-25-04, NBR-25-05, NBR-25-09 and NBR-25-10. Future drilling will concentrate on expanding the zone to the northwest and southeast." Results of the latest round of drilling include up to 76.50 g/t Au in a section of drillhole NBR-25-10 from 82.0 to 82.5 metres, as shown in the following photo: To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8019/278321_1330b3ec44bbf9ea_001full.jpg The location of Moray and of the Zavitz zone drillholes are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 - Moray Property - Drillhole locations from Q3 2025 (NBR-25-04 to NBR-25-05) and Q4 2025 (NBR-25-07 to NBR-25-12) drilling in the Zavitz zone. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8019/278321_1330b3ec44bbf9ea_002full.jpg The continuity of the mineralization in the Zavitz gold zone is evident in the following plan view shown in Figure 2. Gold assays are represented in red with each 0.5 g/t Au represented by 1.0 mm. Figure 2 - Plan view of drillholes NBR-25-04, 05, 07-12 with assay results and lithologies. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8019/278321_1330b3ec44bbf9ea_003full.jpg Select results from the second round of 2025 drilling are shown in the following table: Table 1 - Moray Q4 2025 Select Drill Intercepts Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width (1) (m) Au Grade (2) (g/t) NBR-25-07 62.0 66.0 4.0 1.03 NBR-25-08 97.0 102.0 5.0 1.40 NBR-25-09 12.5 13.0 0.5 2.20 37.0 38.0 1.0 1.08 95.8 166.5 70.7 1.57 Including 95.8 98.0 2.2 3.77 Including 111.5 112.5 1.0 6.03 Including 146.0 166.5 20.5 3.78 And Including 156.0 166.5 10.5 5.74 208.5 209.9 0.5 1.19 260.0 262.5 0.5 1.86 NBR-25-10 68.0 106.0 38.0 2.00 Including 74.0 76.5 2.5 1.61 Including 80.5 83.0 2.5 19.48 Including 98.5 102.5 4.0 3.79 Including 100.5 102.5 2.0 6.69 156.5 157.0 0.5 1.40 160.5 161.2 0.7 1.16 183.0 183.5 0.5 1.02 NBR-25-11 40.5 41.0 0.5 3.23 120.5 121.6 1.1 0.98 160.7 162.2 1.5 0.67 177.0 178.0 1.0 1.03 (1) Intervals are drill intersections and not necessarily true widths. (2) Grams per tonne gold grade is calculated as weighted average grade over interval length and assay are uncut. Drillhole collar locations are detailed in Table 2. There are no material drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors known that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the assay data. Table 2 - Moray Q4 2025 Drillhole Collar Locations Hole ID Length (m) UTM Easting UTM Northing UTM Elevation Azimuth (degrees) Dip (degrees) NBR-25-07 299.5 492500 5320194 360 110 -60 NBR-25-08 232.0 492479 5320217 360 90 -60 NBR-25-09 304.0 492511 5320203 365 90 -45 NBR-25-10 301.0 492543 5320173 360 108 -45 NBR-25-11 193.0 492490 5320158 365 40 -45 NBR-25-12 92.0 492514 5320158 365 108 -45 Total 1,421.5 Coordinates are reported in UTM Zone 17 North, with units in metres. This second 1,421.5 metre round of 2025 drilling was completed from October 21 to December 5, 2025, by Enviro North Exploration Inc. out of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, and builds on the first six-holes in 1,502 metres of drilling completed from July 12 to August 14, 2025. Drillholes NBR-25-07 and NBR-25-08 were drilled to test beneath the discovery holes, with NBR-25-07 drilled beneath NBR-25-05 and NBR-25-08 drilled beneath NBR-25-04. Both holes encountered a fault/ultramafic sequence which appears to interrupt the mineralized zone. NBR-25-07 encountered the fault at 73.4 metres and the ultramafic at 74.4 metres, while NBR-25-08 encountered the ultramafic at 159.0 metres and the fault at 177.0 metres. It is important to note that the relationship between the mineralized zone and the fault/ultramafic sequence varies across the mineralized zone. As noted above, the occurrence of the fault/ultramafic or the ultramafic/fault can both terminate the mineralized zone as happened with drillholes NBR-25-07 and NBR-25-08 or merely interrupt the mineralized zone/mafic volcanic which resumes further downhole, as occurred in drillholes NBR-25-05 and NBR-25-12, just prior to the cessation of drilling. Drillhole NBR-25-09 was drilled to test for the gold zone between NBR-25-04 and NBR-25-05 and above the fault and ultramafic sequence referenced above, while Drillhole NBR-25-10 was drilled to test the mineralized zone above NBR-25-05. Drillhole NBR-25-11 was drilled to test the potential northwestern strike of the mineralized zone. New Break was successful in encountering sections of hematite altered mafic volcanics providing encouraging evidence that the strike of the mineralization is open to the northwest. Drillhole NBR-25-12 was planned to test the potential southeastern strike of the mineralized zone but was stopped at 92.0 metres after encountering ultramafic rock from 24.2 to 79.2 metres. While the mafic volcanics appear to have resumed below the ultramafic, deeper in the drillhole, New Break determined that restarting the hole further to the southeast was preferable and will do so in the next drilling program. Due to poor weather conditions, the Company and driller made the mutual decision to end the 2025 drilling program at this point, having already achieved a significant level of success. Exploration Plan for 2026 New Break is in the process of planning the first phase of a 10,000+ metre 2026 drilling program to begin mid-January. Drilling will focus on expanding the known mineralization in the Zavitz gold zone, where mineralization is open in multiple directions, with priority on exploring the lateral continuation of the zone to both the northwest and southeast. In addition, New Break plans to test other target areas on the property that exhibit similar geological characteristics as the Zavitz discovery zone. The Company will be engaging NPLH Drilling out of Timmins, Ontario for this next round of drilling. President's Message Michael Farrant, President of New Break commented, "2025 has been an exceptionally exciting year for the Company. With continuity of gold mineralization in the Zavitz gold zone now apparent, I look forward to 2026 as a potentially transformative year for the Company. Having strengthened our technical team, our board and our treasury, we are ready to embark on the first phase of a significant 10,000+ metre drilling program aimed at defining a high-quality gold resource in a record gold price environment. I want to thank everyone who contributed to making 2025 such a special year for New Break and wish our shareholders and their families a very healthy and happy holiday season." Technical Content and Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Peter C. Hubacheck, P. Geo., consulting geologist to New Break, and an independent Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Hubacheck certifies that this news release fairly and accurately reflects the technical information and data presented. New Break conducts its exploration activities in accordance with CIM Best Practices Guidelines. QA/QC Procedures QA/QC procedures were executed to ensure all work is conducted in accordance with best practices. All drill core was sawn in half with one half of the core prepared for shipment and the other half retained for future verification. All core is under watch from the drill site to the core processing facility. Drill core is BQTK size and sample intervals range from 0.5 metres to 1.0 metres in length. Commercially prepared certified reference material ("CRM") standards and blanks were inserted with each shipment at a rate of 1 QAQC sample in every 12 core samples. Samples from New Break's Q4 2025 Moray drilling program were analyzed at Activation Laboratories in Timmins, Ontario, which is ISO 17025 certified, by 30-gram fire assay with atomic absorption finish. Any sample assaying greater than 10 g/t Au was re-assayed with fire assay gravimetric analysis. About New Break Resources Ltd. New Break is a proudly Canadian mineral exploration company focused on its Moray gold project located 49 km south of Timmins, Ontario, in a well-established mining camp within proximity to existing infrastructure, 32 km northwest of the Young-Davidson gold mine, operated by Alamos Gold Inc. Shareholders also remain leveraged to exploration success in Nunavut, one of the most up and coming regions in Canada for gold exploration and production through New Break's 20% carried interest in the Sundog gold project. The Company is supported by a highly experienced team of mining professionals. Information on New Break is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.newbreakresources.ca. New Break trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange (www.thecse.com) under the symbol (CSE: NBRK). For further information on New Break, please visit www.newbreakresources.ca or contact: And follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook No stock exchange, regulation securities provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to receipt of regulatory and stock exchange approvals, grants of equity-based compensation, renouncement of flow-through exploration expenses, property agreements, timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, an inability to predict and counteract the effects global events on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains etc. Forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions and therefore involves inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors beyond the Company's control. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise any forward-looking information, except as may be required by law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's financial statements and management's discussion and analysis (the "Filings"), such Filings available upon request. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278321 Source: New Break Resources Ltd. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES Brisbane, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Adyton Resources Corporation (TSXV: ADY) ("Adyton" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the formal engagement of world-class geological consulting group, Global Ore Discovery ("Global Ore"). The Company has engaged Global Ore to collaboratively advance a high-priority integrated technical exploration program by providing expert oversight and targeting strategies. This strategic collaboration leverages Global Ore's deep epithermal and porphyry expertise with Adyton's enhanced in-house technical capacity, including Dr. Erin Johns as an Expert Consultant. STRATEGIC RATIONALE AND INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTS The engagement with Global Ore, a globally recognized leader in defining and optimising potential for exploration success in mineral systems, provides immediate high-level technical validation and an accelerated path to discovery from integrated analysis and interpretation of vectors to potential gold-copper mineralisation: World-Class Expertise: The relationship between ADY and Global Ore was officially initiated following a "kick-off" workshop held at Global Ore Discovery's head office (in late October 2025), attended by high-calibre experts including: Dr. Daniel Muller, Simon Meldrum, Dr. Quinton Hills, Ben Spence, Stephen Nano and Simon Tear, as well as Dr. Chris Bowden and Dr. Erin Johns representing Adyton. The workshop focused on an integrated 3D review of all historical and current data sets, and of alkalic-style gold-copper systems globally and culminated in developing a critical technical action list for next steps. Tier-1 Exploration Potential Validation: Two senior Global Ore consultants have already completed a site visit to Feni undertaking a program of systematic relogging of alteration, lithological and structural controls on gold mineralisation in the Kabang drill core. Their preliminary technical observations have indicated that the geological and structural setting of the Feni Au-Cu system exhibits many similarities to the controls on alteration and gold mineralisation seen at the world-class Newmont owned and operated Lihir gold mine, reinforcing the Company's belief in Feni's Tier 1 scale potential. Integrated Pathway to Resource Expansion: Global Ore has immediately initiated an integrated geological, structural, geophysical and hyperspectral data reinterpretation that will be iteratively enhanced as new exploration data is gathered. The primary goal is to deliver a new, high-resolution 3D geological model that will serve as the foundation to optimise drill targeting for the ongoing resource expansion drill program at Kabang. Accelerate the Whole of Island Discovery Potential: Global Ore, during their recent deployment on site, have identified initial priority areas for immediate follow-up sampling of outcropping gold mineralisation highlighted in the historic database, and visually confirmed the presence of higher grade copper from chalcopyrite-bornite mineralisation in drill core, below and lateral to the existing Kabang resource, supporting the concept to explore for concealed alkalic porphyry copper-gold mineralisation at Feni, and reaffirming previous epithermal and porphyry targets identified by Dr Chris Bowden. Global Ore will now support Adyton's discovery efforts for these targets as well as others that may emerge through this whole of island approach, which moves beyond the current resource area drilling focus to evaluate the entire Feni claim package (see Figure 1). Tim Crossley, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Engaging Global Ore Discovery marks the next significant expansion of our discovery efforts at Feni Island. This is a deliberate shift from Adyton's initial focus on near resource drilling to a more aggressive program; exploring for resource expansion at Kabang while we also accelerate an exciting strategic approach to evaluation of multiple compelling epithermal gold prospects and targeting of large-scale concealed copper-gold porphyry mineralization within a "Whole of Island" district scale thinking. Global Ore will assist Adyton's team in accelerating this expanded exploration strategy." Figure 1: Feni Island Project: Kabang 1.46Moz Au, numerous historical gold/copper prospects, with additional high priority epithermal (and porphyry) target areas (as generated from drone survey 2024/2025) - noting in addition to high-priority targets (red this map), there are also numerous medium and lower priority targets identified (not shown this map). Note: the footprint of Lihir ore body can fit within the footprint of the currently identified target areas, highlighting the ability for Feni to be able to host a Tier 1 deposit. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7416/278318_adyimg1.jpg Global Ore Discovery: Engagement Objectives This key consulting initiative is designed to support a multi-faceted exploration strategy at the Feni Gold-Copper Project, including: i) optimising drill targeting for resource expansion at the current drill program underway at Kabang; ii) hone-in on a number of known epithermal gold prospects for drill testing, and; iii) assess the potential for concealed porphyry-related copper-gold mineralization across the island, building on known porphyry targets such as Danmagal. This builds on Adyton's success at Kabang while fast-tracking and advancing our understanding of new gold-copper targets both adjacent to and outside of the Kabang resource footprint (as we understand it today). Global Ore Discovery will deploy personnel on site, provide integrated targeting for optimal drill hole placement, as well as, deliver strategic advice and insights to enable Adyton to zero in on the best targets faster and maximise the potential of Adyton's aggressive "whole of island" exploration strategy at its 100% controlled Feni Au-Cu project. Global Ore Discovery: Track Record Global Ore Discovery is a highly experienced geological consulting team with extensive knowledge of many of the world's premier porphyry and epithermal belts in the Americas, Australasia, and Central Asia, where Global Ore, and its principal consultants, have a track record of directly contributing to a number of high value gold, silver and copper discoveries, including Batu Hija PCD and Toka Tindung District, Indonesia, and brownfield expansion of the Wafi Golpu Resource in Papua New Guinea. Global Ore's objective is to integrate leading edge exploration technologies with solid boots on the ground geological experience to deliver innovative pragmatic exploration outcomes and strategic advice focused on discovery and value building for the Adyton exploration team and the Company's shareholders. Go-Forward Work Program and Next Steps (short term news catalysts) The Global Ore engagement is active and focused on a number of immediate deliverables expected by 1Q26: Direct observations and core documentation to gain insights into geological setting, controls on mineralisation and vectors to new targets (see also Table 1); Spectral mineral mapping of drill core, leading to a 3D alteration model to better interpret gold-copper mineralising fluid flow aimed at an increased probability of success from future drill targeting at Kabang; Prioritising evaluation of known and new epithermal mineralisation outside of the Kabang resource footprint and generation of new conceptual porphyry and epithermal targets. Providing feedback and guidance into peripheral targets that have potential to be repeats of the Kabang resource (e.g. Saddle to Dome area; and south-southeast of the current resource); Acquisition, integration and reinterpretation of data sets, including geological, geochemical, geophysical, and hyperspectral; and 3D Geological Model & Target Generation: Complete an integrated 3D geological model and interpret it to define a new suite of high-priority drill targets. Adyton is committed to providing regular updates as the work program is executed and stages are finalized and outcomes are achieved. About the Feni Gold-Copper Project The Feni Project is 100% owned by Adyton and is a key asset in Adyton's portfolio, located in a highly prospective region of Papua New Guinea on the Lihir Island chain known for world-class gold-copper deposits, including Lihir (owned and operated by Newmont). The Company has confirmed significant gold-copper mineralization at Feni, with a focus on expanding its existing resource and identifying new high-grade targets. Table 1: Similarities (and differences) between Lihir and Feni 1.46 Moz and growing gold deposits Lihir 1 Feni Host rocks Monzodiorite, monzonite, trachybasalt, trachyandesite Monzodiorite, monzonite, syenite, trachyandesite, dacite Age <0.4Ma <0.5Ma Fluid Chemistry Low-sulphidation Low-sulphidation fO2 High High Temperature of system 160-220C est. 180-300C Geological Setting Extinct volcano, with active geothermal systems. Volcanic sector collapse drove development of hydrothermal breccias Extinct volcano, with active geothermal systems. Volcanic sector collapse drove development of hydrothermal breccias Multiphase Mineralization Uneconomic porphyry Au-Cu evolved into high-grade epithermal Au. Mineralization formed in boiling zone of epithermal system. Porphyry Cu-Au evolved into high-grade epithermal Au- Cu. Mineralization formed in boiling zone of epithermal system. Brecciation Epithermal-stage hydrothermal activity included widespread phreatic and hydraulic brecciation, forming Au-bearing pyrite-rich veins and pyrite-cemented breccias. Porphyry-stage mineralization is hosted in magnetite - pyrite - chalcopyrite veins, stockworks and magmatic-hydrothermal breccias. Minor free gold and precious-metal tellurides hosted in late-stage quartz veins. Phreatic breccias and associated peripheral structures provide favorable fluid conduits for epithermal mineralization, which consists primarily of sulphide-rich (pyrite chalcopyrite) veins and cemented breccias. Alteration Adularia - pyrite illite carbonate alteration overprinting biotite - anhydrite - pyrite K-feldspar magnetite alteration. Domains of adularia - quartz - pyrite and illite - clay - pyrite alteration overprinting biotite - K-feldspar magnetite alteration. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. ABOUT ADYTON RESOURCES CORPORATION Adyton Resources Corporation (TSXV: ADY) is a gold and copper exploration and development company focused on world-class mineral jurisdictions. The Company holds a portfolio of highly prospective gold and copper projects in Papua New Guinea, including the 100%-owned Feni Gold-Copper Project and the Fergusson Island Gold Projects under a Joint Venture Agreement with EVIH. Adyton is committed to operating in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Feni Island Au-Cu project The Feni Island Project has a MRE prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 (Oct 14, 2021), that has outlined an initial inferred mineral resource of 60.4mt averaging 0.75g/t Au, for contained gold of 1.46moz Au (cut-off grade 0.5g/t Au). See the NI 43-101 technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Feni Gold-Copper Property, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea" prepared for Adyton Resources by Mark Berry (MAIG), Simon Tear (MIGI PGeo), Matthew White (MAIG) and Andy Thomas (MAIG), each an independent mining consultant and "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101, available under Adyton's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. Fergusson Island Au project The Fergusson Island Au project has a MRE prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 dated October 14, 2021, which outlined an indicated mineral resource of 4.0mt at an average grade of 1.33g/t Au for contained gold of 173koz Au and an inferred mineral resource of 16.3mt at an average grade of 1.02g/t Au for contained gold of 540koz Au. See the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Fergusson Gold Property, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea" prepared for Adyton Resources by Mark Berry (MAIG), Simon Tear (MIGI PGeo), Matthew White (MAIG) and Andy Thomas (MAIG), each an independent mining consultant and "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101, available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. For more information about Adyton and its projects, visit www.adytonresources.com. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7416/278318_adyimg2.jpg Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Dr Chris Bowden, PhD, GCMEE, FAusIMM(CP), FSEG, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Geologist of Adyton, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Forward-looking statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements", including forecasts, estimates, expectations, and objectives for future operations that are subject to several assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Adyton. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements in this news release include plans pertaining to the drill program, the intention to prepare additional technical studies, the timing of the drill program, uses of the recent drone survey data, the timing of updating key findings, the preparation of resource estimates, and the deeper exploration of high-grade gold and copper feeder systems. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties' reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses, and opinions, which are based on such management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the projects in a timely manner; the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development; construction and continued operation of the Fergusson Island Project and the Feni Island Project; the ability to effectively complete the drilling program; and Adyton's ability to comply with all applicable regulations and laws, including environmental, health and safety laws. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect Adyton's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of managements considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Adyton believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and under reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by Adyton. Among the key risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are the following: impacts arising from the global disruption, changes in general macroeconomic conditions; reliance on key personnel; reliance on Zenex Drilling; changes in securities markets; changes in the price of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); discrepancies between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of and changes in the costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Adyton Resources Corporation undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. 1 Muller et al. (2002); Lawlis (2020); and, Schirra et al. (2024) To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278318 Source: Adyton Resources Corporation Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Greenfire Resources Ltd. (NYSE: GFR) (TSX: GFR) ("Greenfire" or the "Company") today announced preliminary results of its C$300 million rights offering, which expired at 4:00 p.m. (Calgary time) on December 16, 2025 (the "expiration date"). Upon closing of the rights offering, the Company expects to issue 55,147,058 common shares, representing the maximum number of common shares available under the rights offering, without reliance on the standby commitment provided by certain limited partnerships comprising Waterous Energy Fund. Preliminary results indicate that the rights offering was oversubscribed, with 53,567,940 common shares subscribed for under the basic subscription privilege and 23,794,471 shares subscribed for under the additional subscription privilege. Accordingly, 1,579,118 common shares, being the difference between the maximum number of common shares available under the rights offering and those subscribed for under the basic subscription, are expected to be allocated on a pro rata basis among holders who exercised their additional subscription privilege pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Company's rights offering circular dated November 5, 2025. Such results are preliminary in nature and are subject to change following the final count of subscription forms and closing procedures by the rights agent. The Company will provide a further update of the final results of the rights offering once confirmed. Greenfire expects that the rights offering will close today, December 17, 2025. The Company's rights agent expects to provide DRS statements evidencing new common shares acquired through the rights offering to registered holders as soon as practicable thereafter. If a holder did not validly exercise his or her subscription rights prior to the expiration date, such rights have expired and are void and have no value. The Company intends to use the proceeds less offering expenses, together with cash on hand, to fund the redemption of the Company's outstanding US$237.5 million aggregate principal amount of 12.00% senior secured notes due 2028. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. In the United States, the rights offering was made pursuant to a registration statement on Form F-10, filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on November 5, 2025. The securities offered have not been approved or disapproved by any securities regulatory authority. About Greenfire Greenfire is an oil sands producer actively developing its long-life and low-decline thermal oil assets in the Athabasca region of Alberta, Canada, with its registered offices in Calgary, Alberta. The Company plans to leverage its large resource base and significant infrastructure in place to drive meaningful, capital-efficient production growth. As part of the Company's commitment to operational excellence, safe and reliable operations remain a top priority for Greenfire. Greenfire common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "GFR". For more information, visit greenfireres.com or find Greenfire on LinkedIn and X. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations with respect to the Company and its operations, including its strategy and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon future events or conditions, or include words such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "intends", "preliminary" or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "may", "will", "should", "would" and "could". The forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to: the preliminary results of the rights offering; and the anticipated timing of closing of the rights offering. Forward-looking statements are based on underlying assumptions and management's beliefs, estimates and opinions, and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally that may cause actual results to vary from plans, targets and estimates. Some of the important risks and uncertainties that could affect forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: operational, general economic, market and business conditions, regulatory developments and weather. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 17, 2025 which is available under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. The Company cautions readers that actual results may vary significantly from those expected should certain risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278317 Source: Greenfire Resources Ltd. DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mantle, the high-performance distribution and liquidity layer connecting TradFi and on-chain finance, announced the End-of-Year edition of its monthly livestream series, featuring both a global session on December 18 and a China-focused builder livestream on December 19. The series reflects Mantle's focus on ecosystem growth, real-world assets (RWAs), and long-term builder support. As Mantle's largest livestream to date, Episode 04 convenes 10+ industry leaders, builders, and ecosystem partners to reflect on Mantle's 2025 "MoMNTum" and explore what lies ahead across real-world assets (RWAs), builder infrastructure, and ecosystem growth. The episode marks Mantle's final community-facing broadcast of the year, bringing together perspectives from infrastructure providers, hackathon partners, and community content creators. Reviewing a Year of MoMNTum The livestream opens with 2025 Mantle Year in MoMNTum Review, highlighting key milestones across Mantle Network, ecosystem adoption, institutional alignment, and community growth over the past year. The session offers a consolidated view of how Mantle's distribution-layer strategy has progressed in practice. A Sweet Home for RWAs A core segment of the episode focuses on Mantle's expanding role as a home for real-world assets on-chain, featuring leaders actively building RWA infrastructure with Co-Founder from USDT0, Co-Founder from CIAN protocol, Business Development Lead from RedStone, Ecosystem & Partnership Lead from Mantle. Together, the panel will share insights on how RWAs are being structured, secured, and distributed on-chain, and how Mantle's architecture supports scalable, institution-ready deployment. Mantle Global Hackathon & Scholar Reunion Mantle's first global hackathon is spotlighted with contributions from OpenBuild and HackQuest, sharing how Mantle supports builders from onboarding to post-hackathon growth. The Mantle Scholar Reunion features community contributors reflecting Mantle's community-driven ecosystem. Bybit 7th Anniversary & Community Rewards As part of the End-of-Year edition, Bybit joins the livestream to provide a data-driven recap of the Bybit Mantle partnership, covering key ecosystem metrics such as $MNT trading activity, holder growth, and user participation across the platform. Bybit's Senior Global Campaign Manager will also outline Mantle-themed initiatives launched as part of Bybit's 7th Anniversary, highlighting ongoing campaigns and engagement programs available to $MNT holders. The discussion will offer insight into how exchange-led activations support ecosystem growth and align with Mantle's broader distribution strategy. To mark the End-of-Year livestream, Mantle will additionally host a POAP event with up to $1,000 USD in rewards for participating viewers, reinforcing Mantle's commitment to rewarding long-term community participation and closing the year with a community-first celebration. China Livestream: Hackathon Builder Spotlight Following the global session, Mantle will host a dedicated Chinese-language livestream on December 19, designed to give hackathon projects greater exposure to the community and wider audience. This builder-focused session will feature the following hackathon teams including Cicada - a leading on-chain asset management platform providing compliant tokenization and issuance solutions that bring real-world assets on-chain with a next gen yield distribution and liquidity design. Vimix - a Mantle-based application-layer project that turns content remixing into a Web3 participation primitive, capturing how ideas are picked up, extended, and transformed into on-chain attention and value through an Attention Graph. Insight -Insight is a community-driven emotional data collection and annotation platform that leverages Web3-native incentives to build high-quality sentiment datasets for AI and decentralized applications. The session reflects Mantle's ongoing commitment to post-hackathon support, offering builders visibility, feedback, and sustained momentum beyond the competition. About Mantle Mantle positions itself as the premier distribution layer and gateway for institutions and TradFi to connect with on-chain liquidity and access real-world assets, powering how real-world finance flows. With over $4B+ in community-owned assets, Mantle combines credibility, liquidity and scalability with institutional-grade infrastructure to support large-scale adoption. The ecosystem is anchored by $MNT within Bybit, and built out through core ecosystem projects like mETH, fBTC, MI4 and more. This is complemented by Mantle Network's partnerships with leading issuers and protocols such as Ethena USDe, Ondo USDY, OP-Succinct and EigenLayer. For more information about Mantle, please visit: mantle.xyz For more social updates, please follow: Mantle Official X & Mantle Community Channel For media enquiries, please contact: contact@mantle.xyz About Bybit Bybit is the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 70 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open, and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com . For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press For media inquiries, please contact: media@bybit.com For updates, please follow: Bybit's Communities and Social Media Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847523/image_5029802_28181687.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mantle-hosts-end-of-year-livestream-mantle-state-of-mind-episode-04-bringing-together-rwa-leaders-builders-and-global-ecosystem-partners-302644556.html Important milestone for the biocontrol industry BRUSSELS, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IBMA, The International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association welcomes the publication of the European Commission's Proposal for the Simplification Package Omnibus including targeted amendments of EU Regulation 1107/2009. This is a significant step forward in accelerating market access for biocontrol active substances and products, providing European farmers with essential tools for sustainable agriculture. "This proposal represents a pivotal moment for the biocontrol industry," said Karel Bolckmans, President of IBMA. "By streamlining regulatory processes, we can foster innovation in Europe and provide farmers with the tools they need to embrace sustainable crop protection." Biocontrol solutions offer targeted and effective pest and disease management with minimal impact on the environment and human health. They are crucial for farmers transitioning to more sustainable practices in all agricultural systems. Key Proposed Amendments: Adopt a definition of biocontrol active substances and their products at EU level Prioritise the approval and authorisation procedures for biocontrol Allow Member States to grant provisional authorisation for plant protection productscontaining new biocontrol active substances Enable EFSA to perform the role of Rapporteur of Member States to increase available resources for review Establish a single EU zone for biocontrol and low-risk to ensure more equal access to these products in all Member States Introduce tacit mutual recognition between Member States when agreed deadlines are exceededAmend the renewal system to provide unlimited approval periods for active substances and product authorisations, excluding candidates for substitution and other special cases. Jennifer Lewis, Executive Director of IBMA, added, "The simplification package is a positive step that aligns with the European Commission's Vision for Agriculture. The measures proposed will lead to biocontrol solutions reaching the market faster, supporting farmers to continue to manage pests and diseases effectively amid increasing pressures on productivity from climate change." "When biodiversity loss and climate change are outperforming policy development and regulation, an extension of the toolbox for farmers can significantly contribute to reaching environmental goals. This proposal shows that simplifying procedures and removing administrative dead ends can go hand in hand with high safety standards, and can help farmers deliver on sustainability, resilience and food security", Jurgen Tack, Secretary General - CEO of European Landowners Organisation (ELO). The proposed changes maintain robust safety standards while enabling faster access to the market for biocontrol solutions. By reducing administrative burdens and allowing provisional authorization and enhancing mutual recognition, the simplification package will boost the competitiveness of both farmers and the European biocontrol industry. This will create a more attractive investment climate for European biocontrol companies. IBMA looks forward to continued collaboration with stakeholders and discussions in the European Parliament and the Council to ensure the future implementation of these measures. This way, we continue to build a more resilient and sustainable agriculture in Europe. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ibma-welcomes-the-publication-of-the-proposal-for-the-simplification-package-omnibus-302644645.html Strategic alliance will empower enterprise development teams with secure, scalable infrastructure for AI-assisted software delivery AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 17, 2025, the AI development infrastructure leading the transition to autonomous coding, and GlobalLogic, a Hitachi Group Company and leader in digital engineering, today announced a strategic partnership to bring agentic AI capabilities to enterprise development teams around the world. Together, the two companies will help Global 2000 organizations modernize software delivery by enabling developers and AI agents to work side by side-securely, efficiently, and at scale. The partnership pairs GlobalLogic's enterprise transformation expertise with Coder's development environments, purpose-built for AI coding workflows. "Agentic AI is changing the way software gets built," said Vivek Daga, group vice president at GlobalLogic. "To realize its full potential, enterprises need more than just models - they need agile and modern infrastructure. Coder delivers the control and security platform that teams need, while preserving the flexibility that developers expect. We're excited to partner with Coder to bring these capabilities to our clients." As AI agents evolve from simple coding assistants to autonomous systems executing complex workflows, enterprises face a critical challenge: how to unlock this transformative capability without losing visibility, control, or compliance. Coder addresses this by moving AI-powered development from unmanaged local environments into secure, self-hosted, and auditable cloud workspaces , enabling everything from human development, human-plus-coding assists, to autonomous builders that range from background coding agents to multi-agent orchestration at enterprise scale. "For AI to deliver real value in software development, it needs to run in environments with access to real tools, real code, and real developers. It requires balancing security with productivity," said Rob Whiteley, CEO of Coder. "This partnership is about enabling that shift incrementally-not in years, but right now. GlobalLogic brings the reach and expertise to help enterprises scale safely and quickly." The partnership will initially focus on GlobalLogic clients in regulated industries with high developer counts and hybrid cloud architectures, where security, compliance, and developer productivity are paramount. These organizations are already embracing AI, but require trusted infrastructure to unlock its potential. This announcement follows Coder's recent platform update , which introduced agent-aware controls and expanded enterprise support for AI-assisted workflows. Through this collaboration, Coder and GlobalLogic will help enterprises move beyond AI experimentation and into production-ready, auditable, and governed development. Learn more about Coder's partnerships on the website . About Coder Coder is the AI development infrastructure company leading the future of autonomous coding. Coder helps teams build fast, stay secure, and scale with control by combining AI coding agents and human developers in one trusted workspace. Coder's self-hosted development environment gives enterprises the power to govern, audit, and accelerate software development without trade-offs. Coder is trusted by thousands of development teams worldwide and has 108,000 GitHub stars across 180 open-source repositories. Learn more at coder.com and follow on X , LinkedIn , and GitHub . About GlobalLogic GlobalLogic , a Hitachi Group Company, is a leading digital engineering partner that helps the world's most forward-thinking companies design and build innovative, AI-powered products, platforms, and digital experiences. Since 2000, we've been at the forefront of the digital revolution, now accelerating clients' transitions into tomorrow's AI-driven businesses by integrating experience design, complex engineering, AI, and data expertise. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic is a Hitachi Group Company operating under Hitachi, Ltd . TSE: 6501), which contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through AI and technology as the Social Innovation Business. Media Contact Jennifer Tanner Look Left Marketing coder@lookleftmarketing.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a23a12d-b180-49a3-a646-01afb672edfd By Mandy Bell, Vice President of Product Innovation, Avel eCare SIOUX FALLS, SD / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / If you've never seen telemedicine in action, it may sound simple - a clinician and a video connection. But the reality is far more powerful. At Avel eCare, our Virtual Health System combines advanced technology, seamless integration, and human expertise to deliver care anywhere it's needed - from an ICU bedside to an ambulance speeding down a rural highway. Inside that ambulance, a high-definition camera, microphone, and monitor link paramedics to Avel's board-certified emergency physicians. We can see the patient, the monitors, even the paramedics' hands as they work, and guide them in real time. In hospital emergency rooms, our cameras pan and zoom to view the entire room, allowing our remote physicians and nurses to assist directly at the bedside. In intensive care units, we connect to ventilator data, bedside monitors, and electronic health records to track vitals and trends second by second - documenting directly into the same chart the local team uses. Our pharmacists continuously monitor medication orders, flagging potential interactions before they become problems. Our behavioral health teams use secure telehealth technology in police cruisers to connect first responders and psychiatric providers during mental health emergencies. Even in rural schools and nursing homes, our clinicians can be present virtually at the touch of a button. This is what a Virtual Health System looks like - a seamless network of clinicians, technology, and data designed to extend expert care to every corner of the country. It's healthcare that never clocks out, never closes for weather, and never leaves a patient without help. But technology is just the tool. People are the purpose. That's the philosophy guiding every innovation at Avel eCare. Our mission is not to replace clinicians - it's to support them. Every nurse, paramedic, and physician who activates an Avel connection gains a partner who lightens the load. Behind every camera feed and digital chart is a team of seasoned specialists whose only goal is to make sure care is safe, timely, and effective. For more than 30 years, Avel has operated as a Virtual Health System, partnering with hospitals, health systems, schools, nursing homes, and first-response agencies nationwide. From emergency departments to ICUs, we provide around-the-clock access to experts who help communities deliver the right care at the right time - without unnecessary transfers or costly staffing gaps. We do this by weaving telemedicine into the fabric of everyday care. When seconds count, a single button press can connect a rural ER to a board-certified emergency physician. When an ICU needs extra support, our intensivists monitor patients continuously, using real-time data and integrated alerts to spot early signs of decline. When a pharmacist is off-shift, our remote pharmacy team keeps an eye on medication orders, protecting patients and preserving resources. At its core, this work is about access. Access for patients to receive high-quality care close to home. Access for clinicians to the expertise they need, when they need it. Access for health systems to reliable, scalable solutions that strengthen - not strain - their teams. The American healthcare system is under immense pressure. Rural hospitals are closing at record rates, urban hospitals are stretched thin, and caregivers everywhere are asked to do more with less. We have the tools to change that - right now. Technology alone cannot save healthcare. But technology applied with purpose and partnership can. Avel eCare's innovation lies not in gadgets, but in reliability - in ensuring the connection works every time. In our Innovation Lab, we test every camera, every integration, every workflow, because failure is not an option when lives depend on it. If you lead a hospital, let's explore how virtual care can strengthen your teams and sustain your community. If you serve in government, let's make these proven solutions accessible in every state. If you're part of a healthcare team, know that help is closer than you think - and that you never have to face the next emergency alone. The technology is ready. The expertise is proven. The results are real. You can help us provide access to care for every patient everywhere. Innovation is here. The time to act is now. About Avel eCare Founded in 1993 as the nation's first virtual hospital, Avel eCare provides virtual emergency, EMS, critical care, pharmacy, clinic, senior care, and behavioral health services to healthcare partners across the U.S. The organization specializes in expanding access, improving outcomes, and supporting care delivery in rural and underserved communities. Contact: Jessica Gaikowski, Director of Marketing & Communications media@avelecare.com | 605.606.0150 SOURCE: Avel eCare View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/innovation-is-here-the-time-to-protect-healthcare-access-is-now-1118128 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Safe Supply Streaming Co Ltd. (CSE: SPLY) (OTCQB: SSPLF) (FSE: QM4) ("Safe Supply" or the "Company"), a pioneer in health, safety and rapid response technologies, is pleased to announce that it will be attending meetings with the Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board (GPTLHB) in South Dakota, on December 18, 2025. The Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board is a tribally governed public health organization that represents federally recognized Tribal Nations across the Great Plains region and serves as a coordinating body for public health policy support, advocacy, and program development in partnership with Tribal governments. The meetings are occurring during a period of heightened public-sector focus on the public health and safety risks associated with illicit synthetic substances. On December 15, 2025, the White House published a fact sheet outlining federal actions related to fentanyl, describing the substance as a material public health and national security concern.1 Safe Supply's participation reflects the Company's continued commitment to engaging with Indigenous health organizations and exploring collaborative opportunities to provide solutions, for community-focused safety and wellness initiatives to deal with illicit substances. Safe Supply also participated in the United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) Summit in September 2025, where it engaged in educational discussions with community members and Tribal leadership. The upcoming meetings with GPTLHB represent a continuation of the Company's approach to engaging with Indigenous health stakeholders through dialogue and consultation. About Safe Supply Streaming Co Ltd. Safe Supply Streaming Co Ltd. (CSE: SPLY) (FSE: QM4) (OTCQB: SSPLF) is a publicly-traded company focused on advancing innovation in healthcare, wellness, and emerging technologies. Through strategic acquisitions, partnerships, and capital investments, Safe Supply is building a diversified portfolio of companies that leverage data, science, and digital platforms to improve outcomes, drive accessibility, and scale impact. Operating at the intersection of public health and technology, Safe Supply supports evidence-informed solutions to urgent societal needs. Its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Safety Strips Tech Corp. and Drug Lab 118 Ltd., develop proprietary rapid testing technologies such as fentanyl and drink-spiking detection products which are designed to enhance health outcomes and enhance public safety and wellness. For more information, please visit www.safesupply.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Safe Supply Streaming Co Ltd. "Geoff Benic" Geoff Benic, Chief Executive Officer The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release and has neither approved nor disapproved its contents. Cautionary Note and Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the timing, scope, and nature of the Company's anticipated meetings and discussions with the Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board; the Company's expectations regarding engagement with Indigenous health organizations; and statements regarding potential areas of dialogue, collaboration, or information exchange. Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations, assumptions, and beliefs as of the date of this press release and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, events, or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: changes in public health policy or government priorities; evolving regulatory or legislative frameworks; the absence of any binding agreements or commitments arising from discussions; operational and execution risks; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+. Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management's current expectations and plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. 1 The White House. (2025, December). Fact sheet: President Donald J. Trump designates fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/12/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-designates-fentanyl-as-a-weapon-of-mass-destruction/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278311 Source: Safe Supply Streaming Co Ltd. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Mason Resources Inc. (TSXV: LLG) (OTCQB: MGPHF) ("Mason") ("Mason" or the "Company"), reports, in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, that the nominees listed in the Management Information Circular dated October 27, 2025 for the Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Company (the "Meeting") were elected as directors of the Company. Over 47% of all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company were represented at the Meeting. Results of the vote for the election of directors held at the Meeting on December 16, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario are set out below. The shareholders approved the re-election of Fahad Al-Tamimi, Peter Damouni, Adree Delazzer and Roy McDowall as directors. The Company is also pleased to announce the newly shareholder approved additions of Victor Cantore and Simon Marcotte to the board. Mr. Cantore is a seasoned capital markets professional specializing in the resource industry, with over 20 years of advisory and leadership experience. Mr. Cantore started his career as an investment advisor and quickly progressed to executive management roles for both public and private companies. He has organized and structured numerous equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint venture partnerships and strategic alliances. Mr. Francois Perron, Mr. Nav Dhaliwal and Mr. Tayfun Eldem did not stand for re-election. The Company would like to thank them for their contribution over the years. Mr. Marcotte is a chartered financial analyst with nearly 30 years of experience focused on commodities, including more than 15 years in executive positions for junior mining companies. Mr. Marcotte has been CEO of Black Swan Graphene Inc. since 2022. He has also been the President and CEO of Northern Superior Resources Inc. since its acquisition of Royal Fox Gold Inc., a company he founded in 2021. More recently, IAMGOLD Corporation announced the acquisition of Northern Superior Resources, in a transaction valued at $375 million. In 2012, Mr. Marcotte co-founded Mason (then Mason Graphite Inc.) and held the position of Vice-President of Corporate Development until February 2018. Under his leadership, Mason was awarded: the TSXV's Recognition as "Top 10 Performing Stock" in 2013, the "Best 50 OTCQX" in both 2016 and 2017. He is also a director of Freeman Gold Corp, a company he co-founded, which is advancing the Lemhi Gold Project in Idaho, United States, and Chairman of NorthX Nickel Corp., which is advancing the Grasset Nickel Property in Quebec. Mr. Marcotte is a CFA Charter holder and is a graduate from the University of Sherbrooke. Shareholders at the meeting also approved the appointment of McGovern Hurley LLP as the Company's auditors. Shareholders also reapproved the Company's Stock Option Plan pursuant to which the Company may issue stock options to eligible participants, subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSXV. Shareholders at the meeting also approved the change of its registered office from Montreal, Quebec to Toronto, Ontario as well as the name change of the Company to Mason Investments Inc. or such other name as the Board may determine and that is acceptable to the Exchange and applicable regulatory authorities. The company has until June 30, 2026 to formalize these changes. Mason's board would like to express its gratitude to its shareholders for their continued support. For more information: Mason Resources Inc. on behalf of the Board of Directors Peter Damouni, President & Chief Executive Officer Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the impact of the results and appointment on the Company. Although the Company believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and risks, including, uncertainties of the global economy, market fluctuations, the discretion of the Company in respect to the use of proceeds discussed above, any exercise of termination by counterparties under applicable agreements, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risks identified in its disclosure documents filed at www.sedarplus.ca. This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities in Canada or in the United States. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual events, results and/or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with and as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278310 Source: Mason Resources Inc. Recognized for excellence in workplace culture, DEI and sustainability KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and DENVER, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Startek, a digital-first global customer experience (CX) solutions provider, announced that Startek Malaysia has been honored with three major recognitions at the HR Asia Best Companies To Work For In Asia 2025 Awards. The organization secured the HR Asia Best Companies To Work For In Asia 2025, Malaysia Edition for the sixth consecutive year, the HR Asia Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award 2025 for the third consecutive year as the only BPO recipient and the HR Asia Sustainable Workplace Award 2025. These achievements highlight the company's commitment to building an inclusive, supportive and future-ready workplace. The awards honor organizations identified by their employees as Employers of Choice based on strong engagement, progressive HR practices and a culture of trust. The selection process includes HR Asia's proprietary TEAM assessment, an extensive audit and a detailed review of workplace policies and employee feedback. "These recognitions reflect the collective passion, resilience and commitment of our people," said SM Gupta, Global Chief People Officer, Startek. "At Startek, we continue to invest in creating an environment where every associate feels valued, included and equipped to succeed. Our people-first approach drives our culture forward and strengthens our position as an employer of choice in the region." Startek Malaysia's ongoing recognition highlights the strength of its associate engagement initiatives, DEI-focused programs and sustainable workplace practices. The organization continues to prioritize growth, inclusion and well-being, enabling associates to thrive and deliver exceptional value to clients. About HR Asia Awards HR Asia Awards is one of the region's most authoritative employer recognition programs, celebrating organizations that excel in employee engagement, workplace culture and leadership effectiveness. Winners are identified through a comprehensive methodology combining employee surveys, culture audits and HR Asia's TEAM assessment model. About Startek Startek is a global leader in customer experience management, delivering comprehensive digital transformation and CX solutions. With over 35 years of expertise, Startek empowers businesses across diverse industries to create memorable, personalized customer interactions. Operating in 14 countries with a team of 38,000 associates, Startek is committed to connecting brands with their customers through innovation, empathy and operational excellence. To learn more, visit www.startek.com and follow us on LinkedIn @Startek. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2222919/5686478/Startek_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/startek-malaysia-wins-three-hr-asia-2025-awards-reaffirming-its-people-first-culture-302644693.html AI assisted Health Cube open to patients in Guardia Perticara (Basilicata), Italy VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / UniDoc Health Corp. (CSE:UDOC)(FRA:L7T)(OTCQB:UDOCF) ("UniDoc" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed installation of its H3 Health Cube in Italy. Sold through UniDoc's in-country partner, UniCheck SRL, the Health Cube at the Territorial eHealth Centre in Guardia Perticara (Basilicata), Italy, reflects continued execution in the Basilicata region. Key Takeaways: H3 Health Cube installation completed at the Guardia Perticara Territorial eHealth Centre in Basilicata, Italy. Deployment integrated into an existing room to align with the site's local aesthetic and footprint. Unit sold through UniDoc's regional partner, UniCheck SRL, as part of the Basilicata regional eHealth rollout. "We continue to execute in Basilicata with UniCheck SRL. This installation shows that the H3 Health Cube can be configured for the constraints of a historic site while supporting private clinical workflows and community access to care," said Tony Baldassarre, CEO of UniDoc Health Corp. The eHealth Centre is located in restored rooms within a historic building adjacent to the village pharmacy. Local stakeholders have positioned the Centre as a community-based access point for eHealth services. To maintain the local aesthetic and to match the available footprint, the Health Cube was configured and installed within an existing room rather than as a standalone kiosk. The Company believes this deployment reflects the platform's adaptability to client-specific form factors. According to local project materials, the initiative was supported by Mayor Pasquale Montano and the President of the GAL Interiore, Luigi De Lorenzo. The stated objective is to provide timely access to doctors and healthcare professionals, including remote consultations and diagnostics, for residents of the surrounding area. The Centre is equipped with UniDoc's Health Cube technology to support a range of services, from primary care functions to specialized consultations. The installation is described as a first-level diagnostic hub to support physician assessment and triage, including escalation decisions where a transfer to a specialized facility is required. This deployment supports the Basilicata regional eHealth initiative. In a prior news release dated May 21, 2024, the Company reported that, through its partnership with UniCheck SRL, UniDoc was designated as the preferred supplier for eHealth technologies in the Basilicata region. The Guardia Perticara installation also follows the Company's prior announcement regarding an H3 Health Cube for the Municipality of Aliano (Matera), Italy, which was described as part of the same Italian government initiative to expand access to healthcare services in underserved areas. H3 Health Cube installation in Guardia Perticara, Basilicata, Italy. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, ~Antonio Baldassarre~ Antonio (Tony) Baldassarre CEO, President & Director UniDoc Health Corp. About UniDoc Health Corp. (CSE:UDOC)(FRA:L7T)(OTCQB:UDOCF) UniDoc is developing an eHealth solution which is being designed as a self-contained remote virtual clinic within a private kiosk for patients to undergo full consultations as if they were present in a physician's office. eHealth opens the doors to a large segment of the population challenged by access, experience or understanding of online computer technology. It is the Company's belief that physical accessibility is the key to its business proposition. UniDoc is dedicated to unlocking shareholder value by delivering an excellent product and sophisticated commercial network within an expedited timeframe. The UniDoc team encourages engagement, questions, and interest, so please stay in touch and invite anyone who might be interested in our story to visit our website at www.unidoctor.com and signup to receive the latest information with updates on our activities, events and progress. For further information, please contact: UniDoc Investor Relations Tel: +1 778.383.6731 Email: info@unidoctor.com Matt Chatterton, Director Tel: +1 778.613.2082 Email: matt@unidoctor.com Media Inquiries: media@unidoctor.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives, or economic performance, or the assumption underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "will be", "likely", "except", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "plan", "forecast", "project", "estimate", "outlook", or the negative thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, the benefits to the community of the deployment of the Health Cube at the Territorial eHealth Centre in Guardia Perticara (Basilicata), Italy. Forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, key personnel and qualified employees continuing their involvement with the Company; the Company's ability to secure additional financing on reasonable terms; the competitive conditions of the industries in which the Company operates; and laws and any amendments thereto applicable to the Company. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks relating to the future business plans of the Company; risks that the Company will not be able to retain its key personnel; risks that the Company will not be able to secure financing on reasonable terms or at all; as well as all of the other risks as described in the Company's annual management discussion and analysis for the year ended March 31, 2025 under the heading "Risks Factors." Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company's management to predict all such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information or events after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law, including securities laws. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: UniDoc Health Corp. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/unidoc-completes-h3-health-cube-installation-in-italy-1118396 TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skygauge Robotics, the leader in industrial contact drones and ultrasonic testing, today announced the appointment of Richard Shatilla as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors. The appointment marks a strategic inflection point as the company accelerates from product breakthrough to global commercial scale. Co-founder Maksym Korol will transition to the role of Chief Product Officer (CPO). This planned succession strengthens Skygauge's executive structure, allowing Maksym to focus exclusively on technical innovation and product roadmap while Richard steers commercial strategy and operational growth. Building a Workforce in the Sky Backed by BDC Capital's Venture Fund and top-tier industrial investors, Skygauge is redefining the $40B+ inspection and maintenance market. Unlike standard drones designed to avoid obstacles, Skygauge's patented design allows the system to make physical contact with structures. This capability enables robotics to perform Ultrasonic Thickness (UT) and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) work at height; tasks traditionally requiring hazardous scaffolding or rope access, resulting in 10x faster inspections and dramatically improved safety profiles for sectors like Oil & Gas, Shipping, and Infrastructure. Leadership for Scale Richard brings over two decades of global leadership experience in advanced technology, automation, and imaging. He has successfully scaled companies to exit and built high-performing commercial organizations, creating over $1 billion in investor and shareholder value. His background spans large enterprise deployments across industrial, defense, and government sectors, aligning directly with Skygauge's growth trajectory. "We are at a decisive moment in the industrial robotics sector," said John Bowles, Chairman of the Board. "Richard possesses the rare combination of commercial rigor and strategic vision required to take a deep-tech company global. With Richard driving the business and Maksym driving the technology, Skygauge has the ideal leadership team to dominate the contact-drone category." "The Skygauge platform is not just a drone; it is a flying industrial robot that solves a critical pain point for asset owners," said Richard Shatilla, CEO. "Maksym and the team have built a defensible, category-defining technology. I am thrilled to join them and BDC Capital to operationalize this innovation, deepen our footprint globally, and deliver the reliable, scalable solutions our industrial partners demand." Skygauge Robotics will continue to expand its deployments across energy, petrochemical, and defense applications throughout 2026. About Skygauge Robotics Skygauge Robotics develops advanced robotics for industrial work at height. The company's flagship system reinvents ultrasonic testing by replacing dangerous manual labor with precise, contact-based drone inspections. Skygauge enables asset owners to reduce downtime, lower costs, and improve safety. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Media Contact: For media inquiries please email contact@skygauge.co LONDON, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Record-Breaking Diamonds, the latest in the Natural Diamond Council's (NDC) Diamond Reports series, explains how advances in technology are fuelling an unprecedented run of spectacular diamond discoveries. To date, only four diamonds (two gem-quality, one near-gem and one carbonado diamond) exceeding 2,000 carats have ever been discovered - and two of those have emerged in the last two years. The colossal Cullinan Diamond crowns the gem-quality diamonds - a 3,106.75-carat gem unearthed in 1905 near Pretoria in South Africa. More than a century later, in August 2024, Karowe mine in Botswana yielded an exceptional 2,492-carat gem-quality stone. Named Motswedi, meaning 'water spring' in the local Setswana language, its sheer size and purity crystallised Karowe's reputation as a wellspring of supersized diamonds. Less than a year later in July 2025, the same mine announced it had uncovered a 2,036-carat near gem-quality diamond. "We might have entered an era of supersized sparklers," said Natural Diamond Council Head of External Affairs, Raluca Anghel. "With each advance in mining and recovery, we edge closer to a thrilling possibility: that somewhere beneath the surface, an even more magnificent giant diamond awaits discovery." The exceptional findings of recent years are also thanks in large part to X-ray transmission (XRT), an advanced technology that allows miners to 'see' diamonds hidden inside ordinary rock by measuring how the rock absorbs X-rays. These machines work on very large pieces of rock, so mines can identify and safeguard enormous diamonds before they are crushed. NDC, a non-profit organisation committed to inspiring and educating consumers on the real, rare and responsible values of natural diamonds, digs deeper into the stories behind the world's most exceptional diamonds - including the legendary Regent Diamond and Hope Diamond - in the latest of its Diamond Reports, Readers will discover how: The world's largest diamonds ever found are formed as deep as 750km beneath the Earth's surface. The Hope Diamond, on display in Washington DC, has captivated more than 100 million visitors, making it one of the most viewed diamonds in history. The CTF Pink Star sold at auction for $71.2 million, making it the most expensive polished diamond to go under the hammer. "Natural diamonds are unmatched as true wonders of our planet. As well as highlighting newsworthy diamonds and their beauty, we also want to educate people about their role in the world and the incredible work that has brought them into being," says Anghel. "These jaw-dropping diamonds are the stuff of legends, Mother Nature's work of fine art, and it takes the work of a technically rigorous and responsible industry to keep uncovering them in a way that supports the development of diamond producing countries and respects our natural world". These unique finite natural resources turn into societal welfare above the ground. Up to 80% of rough diamond value can remain within local communities in the form of local purchasing, employment benefits, social programs and investment in infrastructure as well as the taxes, royalties and dividends paid from the industry to respective governments." Notes to editors A curated selection of high-resolution visuals, auctions, infographics, quotes and pricing trend charts is available to support media coverage. The full Diamond Report: Record-Breaking Diamonds can be accessed here: https://www.naturaldiamonds.com/diamond-reports-record-breaking-diamonds/ About the Natural Diamond Council The Natural Diamond Council is a not-for-profit organisation committed to inspiring and educating consumers on the real, rare and responsible values of natural diamonds and the positive global impact of the industry. Our Only Natural Diamonds platform is the authoritative publisher on all things natural diamonds including myth-busting facts, celebrities and pop culture, epic diamonds and jewellery trends, engagements and weddings, and diamond buying guides. In addition, we provide marketing, promotional, and educational services to brands, designers and retailers, encouraging them to amplify the values and integrity of natural diamonds. NDC is a global organisation whose members' operations span four continents and 10 countries including Canada, South Africa and Botswana. Their operations support the livelihood of 10 million people worldwide. NDC operates out of offices in New York, Shanghai, Mumbai and Antwerp, with satellite teams in the UK and France. www.naturaldiamonds.com For interviews, commentary or to request further information, please contact: Lisa Levinson Head of UK, Natural Diamond Council lisa@naturaldiamonds.com Image - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847094/Lucara_Diamond.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2703289/5685330/Natural_Diamond_Council_logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-2-000-carat-club-get-ready-for-a-new-era-of-record-breaking-diamonds-302644720.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Nuvau Minerals Inc. (TSXV: NMC) is pleased to announce it has entered into a six-month agreement with Bunt Capital Corporation ("Bunt Capital"), based in Toronto, Ontario, to provide investor relations services to the Company. Bunt is a full-service marketing and consulting services company focused on the junior metals and mining sector. Bunt will communicate directly with existing shareholders, analysts and prospective investors. Under the agreement, Bunt Capital will provide investor relations and capital-markets advisory services, including institutional and family-office outreach and coordination of non-deal roadshows. The Company will pay Bunt Capital C$15,000 per month plus applicable taxes, invoiced monthly in arrears, from working capital, for a total of C$90,000 plus taxes over the six-month term. Bunt may from time to time acquire or dispose of securities of the Company through the market, privately or otherwise, as circumstances or market conditions warrant. Bunt has also agreed to the Company's insider trading policy and will observe the Company's trading blackouts. Bunt and its affiliates are at arm's length to the Company and have no other relationship with the Company, except pursuant to the engagement agreement. The engagement is subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Nuvau Minerals Inc. Nuvau is a Canadian mining company focused on the Abitibi Region of mine-friendly Quebec. Nuvau's principal asset is the Matagami Property that is host to significant existing processing infrastructure and multiple mineral deposits and is being acquired from Glencore. Cautionary Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "will", "estimates", "believes", "intends" "expects" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements concerning , the potential of the Matagami Property. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and the actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including expectations and assumptions concerning the Company and the Matagami Property. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as such information, although considered reasonable by the management of the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statement. Except as expressly required by securities law, neither the Company nor Nuvau undertakes any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278331 Source: Nuvau Minerals Inc. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GoldHaven Resources Corp. ("GoldHaven" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a comprehensive update on its inaugural diamond drilling program at the Copecal Project, further to its previous press releases announcing the commencement of drilling, the intersection of sulphide mineralisation in Hole COPE-PDH-004, and the subsequent drilling of a follow-up Hole COPE-PDH-009. Highlights Inaugural diamond drilling program successfully completed at the Copecal Project, marking the first-ever diamond drilling campaign on the property, with nine holes totaling 1,085.7 metres completed. Sulphide mineralisation intersected at the Eastern Gold-in-Soil Anomaly, including chalcopyrite-pyrite over ~30 metres in Hole COPE-PDH-004 and bornite-chalcopyrite-pyrite over ~5 metres in follow-up Hole COPE-PDH-009. First occurrence of bornite identified at Copecal, indicating multi-phase hydrothermal fluid activity and providing an important geological vector for ongoing interpretation and targeting. Deep saprolite profile encountered at the Western Gold-in-Soil Anomaly, with weathering extending to ~60 metres, suggesting potential for gold mineralisation within the saprolite and/or oxidation of primary sulphides. Assay results pending, with all drill core currently being logged and sampled to be submitted to ALS Laboratories prior to year-end. The Company confirms that the drilling program has now been successfully completed, representing the first diamond drilling campaign ever conducted at the Copecal Project. A total of nine diamond drill holes were completed for a combined drill meterage of 1085.70m, targeting two priority gold-in-soil anomalies located in the eastern and western portions of the project area. Figure 1. Location of diamond drill holes completed in the inaugural program testing the Copecal Targets (East and West). Hole_ID East_X North_Y Elev_Z Downhole Depth (m) Azimuth Dip Date_start Date_finish Target COPE_PDH_001 561747 8871685 306 100.00 181.64 60.3 10/5/2025 10/9/2025 East COPE_PDH_002 561747 8871685 306 121.40 188.81 80.13 10/9/2025 10/14/2025 East COPE_PDH_003 561650 8871676 307 120.05 179.23 58.6 10/16/2025 10/21/2025 East COPE_PDH_004 561849 8871691 305 100.25 173.93 60.58 10/23/2025 10/26/2025 East COPE_PDH_005 557655 8869976 302 143.95 202.07 61 11/1/2025 11/7/2025 West COPE_PDH_006 557745 8869945 303 101.75 207.85 60.77 11/12/2025 11/15/2025 West COPE_PDH_007 557629 8869926 302 84.00 20.11 58.20 11/17/2025 11/20/2025 West COPE_PDH_008 557696 8870054 300 118.15 199.32 58.84 11/21/2025 11/25/2025 West COPE_PDH_009 561849 8871691 305 196.15 180 80 12/6/2025 12/10/2025 East TOTAL 1085.70 Table 1: Tabulation of drilling statistics from the inaugural diamond drilling phase at the Copecal Targets (East and West). Eastern Gold-in-Soil Anomaly - Sulphide Mineralisation and Follow-Up Drilling As previously reported, Hole COPE-PDH-004 intersected a substantial sulphide-bearing interval encountered during the program, which prompted the Company to drill Hole COPE-PDH-009 to further investigate this mineralised zone. Key geological observations from drilling at the eastern anomaly include: A zone of sulphide mineralisation over approximately 30 meters in hole COPE-PDH-004 (chalcopyrite-pyrite) and 5 metres (bornite - chalcopyrite and pyrite) in hole COPE-PDH-009. Bornite* observed for the first time at the Copecal Project in hole COPE-PDH-009. Sulphide mineralisation associated with phyllic alteration *Bornite is a copper-iron sulphide mineral commonly associated with hydrothermal mineral systems, including porphyry- and structurally controlled environments. While the presence of bornite and other sulphides does not confirm the presence of economic mineralisation, this assemblage indicates multi-phase hydrothermal fluid activity and provides an important geological vector that will be further assessed once assay results are available. Hole COPE-PDH-009 was designed to test the continuity and geological context of the sulphide-bearing interval intersected in Hole COPE-PDH-004. All core from these holes is being logged and sampled, with analytical results pending. Figure 2: Schematic section showing the relative location of holes COPE-PDH-004 and follow up hole COPE-PDH-009 which intersected sulphide mineralization (bornite-chalcopyrite-pyrite associated with phyllic (sericite-quartz-pyrite-carbonate) alteration. Figure 3: Images of disseminated sulphide mineralization intersected in COPE-PDH-004 and follow up hole COPE-PDH-009 (bornite-chalcopyrite-pyrite associated with phyllic (sericite-quartz-pyrite-carbonate) alteration. Western Gold-in-Soil Anomaly - Deep Saprolite Profile Drill holes COPE-PDH-005 through COPE-PDH-008, which targeted the western gold-in-soil anomaly, intersected a substantially thicker saprolite profile extending to approximately 60 metres downhole. While no visible sulphides were observed in fresh core, the following geological features were logged: Shearing, alteration, and quartz veining. A thick weathered profile suggesting that any gold mineralisation present may have been intersected within saprolite. Potential oxidation of any primary sulphide mineralisation originally present within the weathered zone. Accordingly, assay results from saprolite intervals will be required to properly evaluate the gold potential of the western anomaly. Figure 4: Image showing plan and section through diamond holes COPE-PDH-005, 007 and 008, West Target, Copecal Project. Regional Geological Context The Copecal Project is located within the broader Alta Floresta Mineral Province, a Paleoproterozoic belt recognised for hosting multiple gold and copper occurrences. Mineralisation within the region is commonly associated with: Structurally controlled hydrothermal systems Quartz veining and phyllic alteration Sulphide assemblages that may include pyrite, chalcopyrite and locally bornite These regional characteristics provide important geological context for the sulphide and alteration assemblages observed at Copecal and will inform ongoing interpretation and future exploration planning. Sampling, Assays and Next Steps Logging and sampling of all remaining drill core is ongoing Samples will be submitted to ALS Laboratories prior to year-end Assay results will be reported as they are received, in accordance with CSE disclosure requirements The Company emphasises that mineral exploration is inherently high-risk, particularly at an early stage, and that geological observations alone are not indicative of economic mineralisation. Nevertheless, GoldHaven believes the geological knowledge gained from this inaugural diamond drilling program has significantly advanced the understanding of the Copecal Project and represents an important step toward refining future exploration strategies. GoldHaven remains encouraged by the results to date and looks forward to providing further updates as analytical results become available. Rob Birmingham, CEO of GoldHaven Resources, commented: "Intersecting sulphide mineralisation in Hole COPE-PDH-004 and subsequently in follow-up Hole COPE-PDH-009 at our East Target during a first-pass drilling program has provided valuable new geological insights. These results continue to enhance our understanding of the system as we integrate geological, structural, and geochemical data to refine targeting across both the East and West anomalies, as well as other prospective targets identified from our newly developed 3D diamond drilling dataset at Copecal." About the Copecal Gold Project: A Brief History The Copecal Gold Project is strategically situated within the Alta Floresta Gold Province, a historically productive region that has yielded substantial gold discoveries since the late 1970s. GoldHaven' s tenements cover a total of 3,681 hectares in a geologically favourable setting within the Juruena Gold Province of Brazil. Figure 5: Location of the Copecal Gold Project within Alta Floresta gold province, with competitor locations. The Juruena Gold Province, also known as the Juruena Magmatic Arc, is an orogenic belt highly prospective for mesothermal shear-related and intrusion-related gold deposits, such as G-Mining's Tocantinzinho deposit. Additionally, the region hosts recently identified porphyry-style deposits (e.g., Serabi, Jaca) and epithermal-style deposits (e.g., X1, Aura). The presence of multiple deposit styles, along with the confirmation of large-scale gold deposits in the Juruena Province of Brazil, underscores the significant potential of the Copecal Gold Project. Recent exploration programs, including geochemical soil sampling, drone-mounted magnetometry surveys, and historical drilling data, indicate the presence of multiple gold-bearing structures. Notably, AngloGold Ashanti previously conducted systematic exploration on the property from 2010 to 2016, including auger and air-core drilling, geophysical surveys, and rock geochemistry, identifying multiple zones of anomalous gold mineralization. The Copecal Gold Project benefits from extensive historical work, with AngloGold Ashanti's exploration confirming gold and arsenic anomalies, indicative of significant mineralization potential. Soil sampling grids and follow-up auger drilling in key areas revealed consistent gold values over wide zones, further supporting the presence of a substantial mineralized system. About GoldHaven Resources Corp. GoldHaven Resources Corp. is a Canadian junior exploration Company focused on acquiring and exploring highly prospective land packages in North and South America. The Company's projects include (i) the flagship Magno Project, a district-scale polymetallic property adjacent to the historic Cassiar mining district in British Columbia; (ii) the Three Guardsman Project, which exhibits significant potential for copper and gold-skarn mineralization; (iii) the Copecal Gold Project, a drill-ready gold project located in Mato Grosso, Brazil with a 6km strike of anomalous gold in soil samples; and (iv) three critical mineral projects with extensive tenement packages totalling 123,900 hectares: Bahia South, Bahia North and Igautu projects located in Brazil. Qualified Person: The scientific and technical information disclosed in this document has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, B.Sc. Hons, FAusIMM, an independent Qualified Person consistent with NI 43-101 and Country Manager of GoldHaven. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Rob Birmingham, Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Rob Birmingham, CEO www.GoldHavenresources.com info@goldhavenresources.com Office Direct: (604) 629-8254 The CSE and Information Service Provider have not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information relating to the Company and the Property. The forward-looking information reflects management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Such risk factors may include, among others, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation and environmental regulation; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; competition for, among other things, skilled personnel and supplies; incorrect assessments of the value of acquisitions; geological, technical, processing and transportation problems; changes in tax laws and incentive programs; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and dispositions; and the other factors. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; and (ii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company's management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available on the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/499b6aa4-501f-42f5-a25f-108d0995ba33 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e01f4419-249c-4262-9a70-60dea3e55ac3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/698891f8-45c2-4a1e-a927-9e1579982831 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0519c19a-de30-4ab6-b86e-e425a89391b7 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/09870771-64bf-4e7e-abb5-fc7b63e9dc68 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / The JET Blue Skies programme supports young people who may be struggling with a lack of confidence and self-belief and who are at risk of disengaging from school. Three Points to Remember Leidos continues to strengthen its social impact through partnerships that create real opportunities for people and communities. Leidos earned national recognition for developing young talent, with silver partnership status award from the John Egging Trust. Leidos teams joined Carma for a tree-planting day at Mary Hale School to support the local community and its environmental accomplishments highlight in our UK Sustainability Report. Empowering Young People Through Partnership Leidos believes real progress happens when people and communities grow together. This year, the company is proud to be recognised for exactly that with a silver partnership status award from the Jon Egging Trust (JET). This achievement reflects shared goals - investing in talent, creating opportunities, and building a positive legacy where we live and work. Leidos' partnership with JET builds on this belief. The JET Blue Skies programme supports young people who may be struggling with a lack of confidence and self-belief and who are at risk of disengaging from school. Together, the two groups help them build resilience, communication skills, and a clearer sense of what their future may hold. In the inaugural event with JET, Leidos' Whiteley office welcomed 20 Year 8 students from nearby Miltoncross Academy in Portsmouth, with the day focusing on three key competencies: communication, teamwork, and resilience. Collaborative and engaging activities across the day included: The LEGO Challenge: A fun and fast-paced team task that tested collaboration, attention to detail, and communication Interview with a Professional: A powerful session where students explored real-life stories of resilience and overcoming adversity Airport Scanner Challenge: A practical, problem-solving activity inspired by one of Leidos' very own UK-developed technologies. Reflecting on the day, Fi Collins, JET's director of communications and fundraising, said "We are incredibly grateful to Leidos for your vital funding support and for the horizon-broadening workplace visits you facilitate for our students. These visits enable our students to build self-belief and aspiration, meet inspiring professional role models, and see the real-world application of subjects they are studying at school. Thank you!" Leidos is proud to continue this journey with JET throughout the 2025-26 academic year. Leidos' commitment to developing the next generation defence workforce is also demonstrated by its partnership with La Fosse Academy. The programme opens doors for people from a wide range of backgrounds -- from career changes and those who didn't go to university to early-stage professionals simply seeking a new direction -- by providing an intensive 12-16 week training bootcamp, providing them with a variety of skills, from software and systems engineering to cyber and data. After completing training, participants join Leidos as associates for two years, working alongside our teams and continuing to build their skills in a real-world environment. Our Leidos x La Fosse Mentor Programme pairs each associate with an experienced engineer to support their growth and guide their development. Since 2021, 96% of La Fosse associates have moved into permanent roles with Leidos and contributed across 46 programmes of work. The programme is designed to create opportunities for those who might not otherwise access careers in the sector, with 25% of associates being women, 85% of associates from lower-income backgrounds, and 56% from ethnic minority backgrounds. The partnership reflects the possible impact when traditional barriers to entry are removed, and talent is recognised in all its forms. Planting Roots for the Future Last month, Leidos colleagues joined forces with Carma, a UK-based climate action organisation supporting veterans, and Mary Hare School for a day of environmental action and community connection. Together, they planted trees and hedgerows around the school ground. For many who took part, it was a chance to reconnect with our Corporate Social Responsibilities to create social impact. Stuart Dance, Air Safety Compliance and Assurance Lead at Leidos, summed it up perfectly: "More importantly, Leidos is committed to walking-the-walk and giving back to our local communities. The Mary Hare school relies on generating its own funds, so to help improve its grounds by planting trees for future generations of children to enjoy watching grow, at no cost to the school, is a really warm feeling." I really enjoyed the chance to meet some more of the Leidos team and being able to put something back into the Community is a worthwhile use of corporate resources. It was a pleasure to be able to see first hand how Leidos is putting into practice what they stated they would do during their tender bid. Brian Storey, THOR Delivery Manager, National Armaments Director Group The Mary Hare School tree planting day builds on Leidos UK's wider partnership with Carma, as detailed in the latest Sustainability Report. It's a real-world example of the company's ongoing effort to minimise environmental impact and strengthen the communities where it operates. Turning Commitments into Measurable Impact As outlined in Leidos UK's Sustainability Report, the company has already achieved a 32% overall reduction in carbon emissions between 2019 and 2024 - a major step toward its goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040. The report also highlights how Leidos is engaging employees in sustainable practices. Since 2022, all UK employees have been taking part in personalised programmes designed to help them reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment. Between January and August 2025, employees collectively committed to reducing 20,898kg of carbon, saved more than 1 million litres of water, and eliminated over 1,700 single-use plastic items. These collective actions - from office initiatives to hands-on volunteering - represent how Leidos is turning its environmental commitments into measurable impact. Building a Lasting Legacy Across every initiative - whether it's developing young talent, empowering disadvantaged students, or restoring green spaces - Leidos people are leading the way. By combining education, community engagement, and sustainability, Leidos is turning its social value goals into real-world progress and building a lasting legacy for future generations. learn more about social value in the uk View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Leidos on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Leidos Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/leidos Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Leidos View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/leidos-uk-recognised-for-social-value-skills-development-and-com-1118561 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Aquitaine Metals Corp. ("Aquitaine" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has expanded its leadership team to support the Company's next stage of growth. Aquitaine will provide a shareholder update summarizing ongoing exploration activities at its flagship Limousin gold and critical metal property at the close of 2025, and expects to release its next set of drill results in January 2026. Management Appointments Aquitaine has grown its leadership team with the appointment of a Chief Financial Officer, Vice President Executive Affairs and Vice President Corporate Development. These additions enhance Aquitaine's technical depth and corporate capabilities as the Company advances its strategy of reviving world-class mineral projects in France. JESSICA VAN DEN AKKER, CPA, CA - CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Jessica is a seasoned finance executive with more than twenty years of experience in financial leadership, corporate reporting, and strategic planning within the mining, technology and energy sectors. As Chief Financial Officer of Aquitaine, Jessica oversees all financial operations, supports corporate strategy, and ensures the Company's financial governance, risk management, and capital planning are aligned with long-term growth objectives. Jessica has held senior finance roles and directorships across several public and private companies where she has helped strengthen financial controls, streamline reporting systems, and guide budgeting processes. Her background includes extensive experience with IFRS reporting, audit oversight, treasury management, and implementing financial frameworks for multi-jurisdictional operations, including across Europe. In addition to her role with Aquitaine, Jessica is CFO of K2 Gold Corporation and sits on the boards of TriStar Gold and Kenorland Minerals, where she is Audit Committee Chair. Jessica is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and Finance from Simon Fraser University. LUCIA THENY, M.SC., P.GEO. - VICE PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE AFFAIRS Lucia is an accomplished exploration geologist with more than fifteen years of experience, holding the positions of Vice President, Exploration and Senior Geologist specializing in base and precious-metal exploration with project management experience across Canada, Mexico, Argentina and the United States with various junior mining companies. With a strong balance of technical expertise, strategic leadership, and stakeholder engagement, she has built a career noted for clear communication, disciplined execution, and the ability to connect complex geological insights with corporate objectives. Lucia is a Professional Geoscientist registered with EGBC and has contributed to numerous industry presentations and technical publications. She holds a Master of Science degree from Simon Fraser University, and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geology and Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of British Columbia. DENVER HARRIS, CFA - VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT Denver joins Aquitaine after more than 15 years with Sandstorm Gold Royalties. During his tenure, Sandstorm grew from a start-up with four streams and royalties to a multi-billion-dollar company with hundreds of royalty assets across the globe. Denver held corporate development and investor relations roles at Sandstorm and was involved in acquiring streams and royalties as well as building the investor relations and marketing teams to drive engagement with institutional and retail investors. Sandstorm was acquired by Royal Gold for US$3.5 billion in 2025. Denver is a CFA charterholder and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Trinity Western University. Chris Taylor, CEO of Aquitaine Metals said, "Aquitaine is entering an important phase as we advance the first modern drill program at Limousin and continue to build the Company's foundation for long-term growth. Lucia, Jessica and Denver each bring deep expertise and a track record of success in their respective fields. Their leadership strengthens our ability to execute our exploration plans, evaluate new opportunities in France, and create value for our shareholders." Limousin Project Update Aquitaine continues to advance its 2025 drilling program along the Laurieras fault structure, building on the exploration results reported in October 2025. The Company has now completed 8,102 meters in 35 diamond drill holes, and has collected more than 10,035 samples that have been submitted for assay. Drilling has now tested approximately 1,800 meters of strike length within the mineralized corridor, extending coverage across the Laurieras, Gabillou, Pierrepinet West, Pierrepinet East, and Puits-Roux targets. This work is designed to confirm historical datasets and to evaluate extensions of ore zones both along strike and down dip from historic workings. The Company expects to release additional drill results in January 2026, after receipt of pending assays. ABOUT THE LIMOUSIN PROJECT The Limousin Project is located in the historic Limousin Mining District in the Region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwest France, approximately 40 kilometres south of the city of Limoges. The project currently consists of 40 square kilometres of exploration licenses, and an application for an additional 290 square kilometres is in the final stages of review by the French mining administration. In total, the project covers an area of 330 square kilometres and includes 23 past-producing gold mines that operated during the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as more than 900 ancient Gallic high-grade gold mining sites occurring along gold-bearing structures that extend for 200 kilometres of strike length. Historical operations in the district were conducted by COGEMA, a French mining company that produced approximately one million ounces of gold between 1988 and 2002. Underground production averaged grades of 12 to 15 grams per tonne gold at a cutoff of 10 grams per tonne, with mining widths ranging from 3 to 10 metres, while open-pit production averaged 7 to 8 grams per tonne gold at a cutoff grade of 6 grams per tonne. Production and exploration records indicate that the historical data has an estimated replacement value of US$430 million. Aquitaine's technical team has identified a number of critical accessory minerals that accompany the gold mineralization across the Limousin district, including silver, antimony, lead, copper and zinc. Results from ongoing exploration and characterization of these additional mineral endowments will be provided during 2026. About Aquitaine Metals Corp. Aquitaine Metals Corp. is a Vancouver-based gold and strategic metals exploration company focused on reviving world-class mining projects in France. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Compagnie des Mines Arediennes (CMA), the Company is advancing the Limousin project in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, where a Phase 1 diamond drill program is underway to confirm historical datasets and test extensions of high-grade ore zones. Aquitaine and CMA are committed to sustainable exploration that demonstrates responsible stewardship of the land, operational excellence and accountability. Project information, work records, permitting timelines and environmental monitoring progress are available at CMA's website: minesarediennes.fr. Aquitaine is a proud member of Discovery Group: discoverygroup.ca. Contact Information CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Company's recently completed financings and the future or prospects of the Company. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect ", "is expected ", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market, and economic risks, uncertainties, and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, other factors may cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management discussion and analysis. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278294 Source: Aquitaine Metals Corp. Original-Research: Cardiol Therapeutics Inc - from First Berlin Equity Research GmbH 17.12.2025 / 14:38 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Research, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group . The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this research. The result of this research does not constitute investment advice or an invitation to conclude certain stock exchange transactions. Classification of First Berlin Equity Research GmbH to Cardiol Therapeutics Inc Company Name: Cardiol Therapeutics Inc ISIN: CA14161Y2006 Reason for the research: Update Recommendation: BUY from: 17.12.2025 Target price: USD 7.80 Target price on sight of: 12 months Last rating change: - Analyst: Christian Orquera First Berlin Equity Research has published a research update on Cardiol Therapeutics Inc. (ISIN: CA14161Y2006). Analyst Christian Orquera reiterated his BUY rating and decreased the price target from USD 8.50 to USD 7.80. Abstract: Cardiol Therapeutics has presented the full Phase II ARCHER data for CardiolRx in acute myocarditis (AM) at the ESC Working Group on Myocardial & Pericardial Disease (Trieste). The study showed a statistically significant reduction in left-ventricular (LV) mass of 9.2g (~7%) vs placebo (p=0.0117) over 12 weeks. This is notable because increased LV mass reflects ongoing inflammation; a reduction is a marker of healing (reverse remodelling). Other MRI measures moved in the right direction, supporting the same biological story: ECV (extra cellular volume-space outside heart cells, linked to oedema/fibrosis); ICV (intra cellular volume- space inside cells, linked to cellular swelling); LAESV (Left atrial end systolic volume -atrial size/workload); and LVEDV (Left ventricular end diastolic volume-ventricular size). While not every secondary endpoint crossed p<0.05, the data package is coherent: as inflammation resolves inside and outside cells, total myocardial tissue shrinks (captured by LV mass). Safety was benign and in line with prior experience. Despite a near-miss on the co-primary ECV endpoint and a neutral GLS (global longitudinal strain), the pre-specified, statistically significant reduction in LV mass-with supportive remodelling signals-provides robust mechanistic validation of Cardiol's anti-inflammatory/anti-fibrotic pathway and strengthens the read-through to the phase III MAVERIC programme in recurrent pericarditis (RP) and to CRD-38 in heart failure. Reflecting updated assumptions in our SOTP valuation model-where the higher probability of success in AM is more than offset by post financing dilution-we lower our price target to USD 7.80 (old: USD 8.50). We reiterate our Buy rating (upside: 650%). First Berlin Equity Research hat ein Research Update zu Cardiol Therapeutics Inc. (ISIN: CA14161Y2006) veroffentlicht. Analyst Christian Orquera bestatigt seine BUY-Empfehlung und senkt das Kursziel von USD 8,50 auf USD 7,80. Zusammenfassung: Cardiol Therapeutics hat die vollstandigen Phase-II-Daten der ARCHER-Studie zu CardiolRx bei akuter Myokarditis (AM) vor der ESC-Arbeitsgruppe fur Myokard- und Perikarderkrankungen (Triest) vorgestellt. Die Studie zeigte eine statistisch signifikante Verringerung der linksventrikularen (LV) Masse um 9,2 g (~7%) gegenuber Placebo (p=0,0117) uber einen Zeitraum von 12 Wochen. Dies ist bemerkenswert, da eine erhohte LV-Masse eine anhaltende Entzundung widerspiegelt; eine Verringerung ist ein Marker fur Heilung (umgekehrte Remodellierung). Andere MRT-Messungen entwickelten sich in die richtige Richtung und stutzten dieselbe biologische Aussage: ECV (extrazellulares Volumen - Raum auerhalb der Herzzellen, verbunden mit Odemen/Fibrose); ICV (intrazellulares Volumen - Raum innerhalb der Zellen, verbunden mit Zellschwellung); LAESV (linksatriales endsystolisches Volumen - Vorhofgroe/Arbeitsbelastung); und LVEDV (linksventrikulares enddiastolisches Volumen - Ventrikelgroe). Obwohl nicht jeder sekundare Endpunkt p<0,05 uberschritten hat, ist das Datenpaket koharent: Wenn die Entzundung innerhalb und auerhalb der Zellen abklingt, schrumpft das gesamte Myokardgewebe (erfasst durch die LV-Masse). Die Sicherheit war gut und entsprach den bisherigen Erfahrungen. Trotz einer knappen Verfehlung des koprimaren ECV-Endpunkts und einer neutralen GLS (globale Langsdehnung) liefert die vorab festgelegte, statistisch signifikante Verringerung der LV-Masse - mit unterstutzenden Remodellierungssignalen - eine robuste mechanistische Validierung des entzundungshemmenden/antifibrotischen Wirkmechanismus von Cardiol und starkt den Ubergang zum Phase-III-Programm MAVERIC bei rezidivierender Perikarditis (RP) und zu CRD-38 bei Herzinsuffizienz. Aufgrund der aktualisierten Annahmen in unserem SOTP-Bewertungsmodell - wonach die hohere Erfolgswahrscheinlichkeit bei AM durch die Verwasserung nach der Finanzierung mehr als ausgeglichen wird - senken wir unser Kursziel auf USD 7,80 (zuvor: USD 8,50). Wir bekraftigen unsere Kaufempfehlung (Aufwartspotenzial: 650%). Bezuglich der Pflichtangaben gem. 85 Abs. 1 S. 1 WpHG und des Haftungsausschlusses siehe die vollstandige Analyse. You can download the research here: CRDL_US-2025-12-17_EN Contact for questions: First Berlin Equity Research GmbH Herr Gaurav Tiwari Tel.: +49 (0)30 809 39 686 web: www.firstberlin.com E-Mail: g.tiwari@firstberlin.com The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. View original content: EQS News HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today announced that it has been selected as a strategic partner by ASN Bank (formerly de Volksbank), the fourth-largest retail bank in the Netherlands. As part of its new strategy 'Simplify and Grow', ASN Bank aims to modernise and standardise its IT architecture, which will involve consolidating IT services, simplifying the vendor landscape and building a future-ready organisation. Under the multi-year agreement, HCLTech will support ASN Bank's enterprise applications, and streamline services through a distributed delivery model to enhance efficiency and customer experience. Michel Ruijterman, Chief Information Officer, ASN Bank: "By signing this agreement HCLTech's proven track record in delivering scalable, innovative solutions tailored to the financial services sector means we can now confidently press on with streamlining our business by reducing the number of existing products and aligning the underlying processes and systems under our new strategy. Standardising and further automating our systems will enable us to organise our business operations more efficiently and effectively." Sudip Lahiri, Executive Vice President and Head of Financial Services for Europe, HCLTech: "By aligning our engineering mindset and scalable, domain-led solutions with ASN Bank's strategic goals, we are set to deliver tangible impact and long-term value, laying the foundation for future-ready operations. Collaborating with ASN Bank marks a major step forward for HCLTech as we grow our presence in the Dutch banking sector." About ASN Bank ASN Bank is an accessible and forward-looking bank with an eye for people, society and the future. We sustainably contribute to financial solutions for our customers while addressing Dutch societal issues. We pay particular attention to sustainability, financial wellbeing and good and affordable housing. Our services focus mainly on payments, savings and mortgages always with an eye for both the interests of the customer and social impact. As a bank, we combine the convenience of secure mobile banking with the power of personal advice. Thanks to our nationwide network of branches, we are also physically close by when it matters. Through this approach, ASN Bank occupies a distinctive position in the Dutch banking landscape. We now serve three million customers, making us the fourth-largest retail bank in the Netherlands. About HCLTech HCLTech is a global technology company, home to more than 226,600 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around AI, digital, engineering, cloud and software, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. We work with clients across all major verticals, providing industry solutions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, High Tech, Semiconductor, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG, Mobility and Public Services. Consolidated revenues as of 12 months ending September 2025 totaled $14.2 billion. To learn how we can supercharge progress for you, visit hcltech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217974895/en/ Contacts: For further details, please contact: HCLTech Meredith Bucaro, Americas meredith-bucaro@hcltech.com Elka Ghudial, EMEA elka.ghudial@hcltech.com James Galvin, APAC james.galvin@hcltech.com Nitin Shukla, India nitin-shukla@hcltech.com NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / When you purchase or lease a new Subaru this holiday season, you have the chance to "share the love" with the ASPCA! For the 18th year in a row, we have been selected as a national charity partner to participate in the Subaru Share the Love Event, which kicked off Thursday, November 20, and runs through January 2, 2026. For every new Subaru vehicle that is purchased or leased throughout the campaign, Subaru will donate $250 to the purchaser's/lessee's choice among four national charity partners, including the ASPCA, or a local hometown charity(ies) supported by participating retailers.* Funds donated to the ASPCA will continue to help animals like Drax, who was rescued from extremely unsanitary conditions on a property in Providence, Florida. After his rescue, Drax and the roughly 120 other dogs on the property were relocated to an emergency shelter nearby to receive much-needed medical and behavioral care. During Drax's time at the emergency shelter, it was noted that he was struggling with fear, so he was transported to the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in Weaverville, North Carolina, a facility that specializes in providing behavioral rehabilitation for severely fearful dogs. There, they noticed that while Drax was very sensitive of his environment, he adored people and food, which helped greatly in his rehabilitation. By the time Drax was ready to find a home, tragedy struck North Carolina as Hurricane Helene made landfall, impacting operations at the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center. We worked to urgently relocate all the dogs, including Drax, to an ASPCA Recovery Center in Columbus, Ohio. At the Recovery Center, it didn't take long for Drax to become available for adoption again. In an effort to find Drax a home quickly, our Centralized Placement team secured Drax a spot at a partner shelter in Geauga County, Ohio. In just a few weeks, right around Christmas, he was finally adopted into a loving home with new canine and feline siblings! The funding received from the last year's Subaru Share the Love Event helped support our facilities across the country, including the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center, making success stories like Drax's possible. We're excited that Subaru has chosen to support us once again this year, and we look forward to helping provide second chances for more animals like Drax! Since 2008, Subaru has donated over $41 million to the ASPCA through our partnership, including the Subaru Share the Love Event. Thank you to Subaru, its retailers, and the many Subaru owners who have supported us through this campaign over the years! Our lifesaving efforts for countless animals in need nationwide would not be possible without supporters like you. *Subaru of America, Inc. ("SOA") will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased from November 20, 2025, through January 2, 2026, to four national charities designated by the purchaser or lessee. Pre-approved hometown charities may also be selected for donation depending on retailer participation. Purchasers/lessees must make their charity designations by January 9, 2026. The four national charities will receive a guaranteed minimum donation of $250,000 each. See your local Subaru retailer for details or visit subaru.com/share. All donations made by SOA. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Subaru of America on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Subaru of America Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/subaru-america-inc Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Subaru of America View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/consumer-and-retail-products/the-2025-subaru-share-the-lover-event-is-back-to-help-animals-like-dra-1118563 International law firm Taylor Wessing is set to diversify its strategy within its international alliance, in order to push international growth and innovation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217415857/en/ Dr. Oliver Bertram, Global Co-Chair at Taylor Wessing The English part of the partnership is seeking a merger with US law firm Winston Strawn and would depending on a corresponding partner decision, which is still pending leave the Taylor Wessing alliance at the end of April 2026. Both parties wish to continue their successful joint international client work unchanged. Therefore, collaboration between Taylor Wessing and future Anglo-American firm Winston Taylor will continue seamlessly based on a cooperation agreement, ensuring that clients will not experience any change in their collaboration with Taylor Wessing. With the firm's new open strategy, Taylor Wessing equally meets the strategic requirements in its different markets. The Taylor Wessing alliance with its sixteen offices in ten countries worldwide is currently ruling out a US merger. Instead, the alliance looks to cooperate with future American-British firm Winston Taylor as well as with other US law firms as in its current practice. At the same time, Taylor Wessing will further push and innovate its sector strategy and consistently focus on client needs in these sectors. Oliver Bertram, Global Co-Chair and Managing Partner at Taylor Wessing Germany, comments on the firm's strategic opening: "We will be sustainably expanding our international market opportunities as Taylor Wessing. As an independent European alliance, we aim for the best of both worlds: on the one hand, through the cooperation agreement with our English colleagues, we continue to serve our joint international clients and mandates at the highest level. On the other hand, we are driving growth and innovation culture of our Taylor Wessing alliance while also joining up with other law firms in Europe and the USA. This is an ambitious, opportunity-rich model for Taylor Wessing with no change for our clients." With regard to the future positioning of Taylor Wessing, Oliver Bertram adds: "Based on our existing long-term strategy, we want to push ahead with Taylor Wessing as a European legal services powerhouse driven by innovation and delivery. This means consistent focusing: focus on the needs of our clients in our industry dedicated sector teams, focus on digital value-add in our advice, and focus on effective pricing. With this triple focus, as well as with our quality, agility and innovation-driven full-service, we aim to operate successfully and grow with our clients in Europe, the USA, and Asia." From May 2026, the new Taylor Wessing global alliance will be present at the following locations: Europe Germany (Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich) France (Paris) Austria (Vienna) Poland (Warsaw) Slovakia (Bratislava) Czech Republic (Prague) Ukraine (Kiev) Hungary (Budapest) Asia In China (representative offices in Shanghai and Beijing) North America In the USA (representative offices in San Francisco and New York) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217415857/en/ Contacts: Press Contact communications@taylorwessing.com DUBLIN, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HT Materials Science (HTMS) announced today that DLCool, a consortium it leads in partnership with Dublin City University (DCU) and solid-state heat pump manufacturer Exergyn Ltd., has been awarded a 2.3 million ($USD2.6 million) grant from Disruptive Technologies Innovation Funding. The DLCool consortium, based at the DCU Innovation Hub, was established by HTMS to develop innovative technologies that increase energy and lower energy consumption in cooling systems. The grant will be used in the development of heat-transfer fluid additives that will be applied to direct liquid cooling for data centers, solid-state heat pumps and electric batteries. "This grant advances a critical next phase in the development of heat transfer fluid technology. HTMS has successfully deployed our signature product, Maxwell, with valued partners including Tabreed, Saudi Aramco, Ericsson and Amazon to drastically reduce the energy used to cool their facilities throughout the world. Now, with the support of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, and with our partners at DCU and Exergyn, we will continue advancing breakthrough technologies that will increase efficiency for an even broader range of next-generation industries," said Thomas Grizzetti, CEO of HTMS. Developed and manufactured by HTMS, Maxwell is a drop-in fluid additive for cooling systems that can increase energy efficiency by up to 15 percent in most commercial and industrial HVAC systems. Created by suspending sub-micron particles of aluminum oxide in a base fluid of water or glycol, Maxwell is a non-toxic, fully recyclable additive that enhances heat transfer in industrial HVAC systems. The improved heat transfer reduces energy consumption while increasing system capacity. The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is a challenge-based 500 million fund established under the Irish government's National Development Plan (NDP) in 2018, under the Project Ireland 2040 initiative. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment manages the DTIF with administrative support from Enterprise Ireland. The Fund was created to drive collaboration between Ireland's world-class research base and industry as well as direct competition among enterprises for funding in support of the development and adoption of these technologies. The aim is to support investment in the development and deployment of disruptive technologies and applications on a commercial basis. About HT Materials Science Headquartered in Ireland with offices in Lecce, Italy; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Atlanta, Georgia and New York, HT Materials Science (HTMS) develops, manufactures and distributes energy-saving solutions aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of HVAC systems in commercial and industrial sectors. The company's flagship product, Maxwell, is a fully recyclable, non-toxic heat-transfer fluid additive for closed-loop hydronic systems that reduces energy use and maintenance costs while increasing thermal capacity. HTMS is backed by Barclays Bank, Aramco Ventures, Ecolab, and CDP Ventures (Italy's sovereign wealth fund); and has received awards including a Green Product Award, H&V News' Commercial HVAC Product of the Year (Cooling Technology) and inclusion on Fast Company's list of Most Innovative Companies. https://htmaterialsscience.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ht-materials-science-led-consortium-receives-2-6-million-grant-from-disruptive-technologies-innovation-fund-to-develop-direct-liquid-cooling-technology-302644145.html SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Costa Rica ranks as the country with the strongest reputation in Latin America, according to the latest RepCore Nations 2025 study conducted by Reputation Lab. The analysis assessed public perception across the world's leading industrialized economies (G7: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada), placing Costa Rica as the highest-rated Latin American nation among the 20 countries from the region evaluated by this economic bloc. Peru and Puerto Rico followed in second and third place, respectively. The report highlights ESG factors -environmental, social and governance- as critical drivers of national reputation among G7 audiences, with ethical standards and environmental performance emerging as the most influential dimensions. In this context, Costa Rica achieved the top overall score. The study also examined reputation perceptions within Latin America itself. Based on evaluations from the region's six largest economies -Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru- Costa Rica ranked third, following Uruguay and Brazil. According to Adriana Acosta, Director of the essential COSTA RICA Nation Brand, "The results of RepCore Nations 2025 reaffirm something we know well in Costa Rica: when a country prioritizes sustainability, ethics and the well-being of its people, it builds trust. Our international reputation reflects this shared commitment and the coordinated efforts of public institutions, the private sector and citizens." The report further notes that countries with stronger reputations tend to attract more tourists, receive higher levels of foreign direct investment and expand their export performance. Based on a historical analysis comparing four years of data from UN Tourism and UN Trade and Development with RepCore Nations' RepScore indicator, a one-point increase in RepScore is associated, on average, with a 7.2% rise in the economic value of tourist arrivals and a 1% increase in foreign direct investment. The study's methodology was grounded in more than 61,000 surveys across 38 countries, underscoring Costa Rica's position as a trusted and admired nation-recognized for its sustainability leadership, strong institutional framework and quality of life. These attributes continue to strengthen the country's international projection and support the strategic efforts of the essential COSTA RICA Nation Brand. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847234/Cuadro_Ranking_2.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/costa-rica-leads-latin-america-in-reputation-according-to-repcore-nations-2025-study-302644151.html Almere, The Netherlands December 17, 2025 ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today announced its intention to invest in a new facility in the Netherlands to support future growth. As part of this strategic investment, ASM signed a Head of Terms with the Municipality of Almere and the Province of Flevoland in the presence of minister Karremans of Economic Affairs. The planned facility in Almere will serve as ASM's new global headquarters and include a state-of-the-art R&D center, a dedicated training hub, and part of the group's product development operations. Over the coming years, ASM expects to invest several hundred million euros in this project, marking a significant expansion of its presence and activities in the Netherlands. This investment aligns with ASM's Growth-through-Innovation strategy and supports its ambition to achieve over 5.7 billion in sales by 2030. The new site will strengthen ASM's global R&D capabilities and reinforce its commitment to innovation in the semiconductor industry. Hichem M'Saad, CEO of ASM, said: "ASM is growing rapidly, and to meet increasing demand of our customers we are expanding our R&D capabilities worldwide, including here in Europe. I'm delighted that we are ready to make a meaningful investment in Almere, which has been our home for more than two decades. This new facility will be a cornerstone for innovation and a catalyst for future growth." The Head of Terms was signed in the presence of ASM's CEO Hichem M'Saad; CFO Paul Verhagen; Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans; alongside Mayor of Almere Hein van der Loo and the King's Commissioner in Flevoland Arjen Gerritsen. Minister Vincent Karremans commented: "This investment by ASM is a strong signal for the Netherlands as a hub for high-tech innovation. It will create jobs, strengthen our semiconductor ecosystem, and reinforce Europe's strategic position in advanced technologies. We are proud to support ASM in this important step." The new facility will be located in the Weerwater Southside area of Almere. Signing this Head of Terms marks a major milestone in ASM's investment process and the start of a new phase of collaboration with local authorities to finalize conditions and move toward execution. In the next stage, the Head of Terms will be translated into detailed plans and concrete actions from all parties. The success of this project will hinge on factors such as access to skilled talent, a stable and favorable investment climate, reliable energy supply, strong infrastructure, and a dynamic local ecosystem - essential elements for creating a world-class innovation hub. ASM remains committed to Almere as its global headquarters - a choice made over 23 years ago for its strong business opportunities and excellent connectivity. This new investment builds on that foundation and leverages Almere's ambition to create a vibrant high-tech campus, as well as its central position relative to major semiconductor hubs in the Netherlands and across Europe. About ASM International ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM's website at www.asm.com. Contacts Investor and media relations Investor relations Victor Bareno Huiying Jing T: +31 88 100 8500 T: +31 88 100 8124 E: investor.relations@asm.com E: investor.relations@asm.com Attachment Study provides key evidence of permafrost carbon feedback on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Xinhua) 13:16, December 17, 2025 LANZHOU, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A new study on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has provided key evidence for evaluating the permafrost carbon feedback in climate change, according to the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This quantitative research on alpine thaw slumps on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is of importance to the global climate change predictions and the alpine ecological protection of China, the NIEER said. Conducted by NIEER researchers in collaboration with counterparts from multiple universities and research institutions of China and Denmark, the study has been published in the journal Nature Communications. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the world's largest high-altitude permafrost region, stores a vast amount of soil organic carbon. In recent years, thaw slumps and other thermokarst landforms have expanded amid climate warming and permafrost degradation. Such conditions will impact the carbon cycle and climate feedbacks of the plateau's alpine ecosystem. Therefore, it is important to investigate the effects of thaw slumps on carbon dynamics in permafrost ecosystems, according to Jiang Guanli, a researcher at the NIEER. In 2024 and 2025, the study team conducted systematic greenhouse gas flux observations in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as well as quantified the thaw slumps-induced flux changes and the carbon budget of the study areas. The study results indicated that thaw slumps significantly weakened the carbon-sink function of alpine grasslands on the plateau. Exposed, vegetation-free surfaces halved respiration but reduced gross primary productivity by approximately four-fifths, producing a large increase in net CO2 release compared with undisturbed ground. Methane (CH4) uptake occurred but was too small to offset these losses, the study showed. Through flux comparison observations based on the age differences of thaw slumps, the research team found that the impact of thaw slumps on the carbon budget of alpine grassland shows a single-peak trajectory on the timeline. The results indicated that although all thermokarst landforms arise from the rapid thawing of permafrost, their effects on regional carbon dynamics vary in both direction and intensity, according to Jiang. "Our study proposes to incorporate thermokarst landforms and their influence trajectories over time into terrestrial and climate models. It is of great significance for enhancing the reliability of global climate change predictions and supporting ecological protection and engineering construction decisions in China's alpine regions," Jiang said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Middleton, Wisconsin--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Ballotpedia's 2025 annual review of election-related state legislative activity highlights another significant year of voting and election process policymaking across the country. Visit the Ballotpedia YouTube page to watch an overview of the State of Election Administration Legislation 2025 Year-End Report To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11226/278314_ballotpedia_reports_1.jpg Ballotpedia has tracked 4,969 election-related bills and resolutions introduced in state legislatures in 2025-surpassing the totals for 2022, 2023, and 2024. More than 600 new laws were enacted in 2025. Surge in Congressional Redistricting Activity Congressional redistricting became a notable area of focus in 2025. Since August 29, five states-California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas-have passed legislation either adopting new congressional maps for the 2026 elections or placing proposed maps before voters. Before 2025 only two states had voluntarily adopted new congressional maps between censuses since 1970. Key Republican-Led Voting Policy Changes in 2025 Consistent with prior years, Republican lawmakers and states with a Republican trifecta accounted for the largest share of election policy activity. Republicans currently hold majorities in 57 of the 99 state legislative chambers and control 23 state government trifectas, compared to 15 for Democrats. Republican lawmakers enacted measures to: Implement new methods for verifying voters' citizenship status Require absentee and mail-in ballots to arrive by Election Day to be counted Ban the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) Increase signature requirements for citizen initiatives and raise approval thresholds for constitutional amendments Key Democratic-Led Voting Policy Changes in 2025 Democratic lawmakers enacted measures to: Establish state-level voting rights acts (VRAs) that include a private right of action Expand automatic voter registration services Provide new language accommodations for voting materials and services Increase secure access to ballot drop boxes Bipartisan Election Policy Efforts Despite partisan differences on many election issues, lawmakers found common ground on several fronts. Bipartisan legislation advanced to: Align election dates across jurisdictions Update ballot access rules for candidates Increase the frequency of certain voter list maintenance activities Improve ballot processing procedures to expedite election results Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation 2025 Year-End Report summarizes election-related legislative activity across 2025 state legislative sessions, providing analysis and takeaways on key policy topics and trends. About Ballotpedia Legislation Trackers Ballotpedia's legislation trackers provide a free (no login or sign-up required) and centralized hub that makes staying on top of legislation and legislative reforms across all 50 states easier. Founded on Ballotpedia's hallmark principle of being neutral on the issues but passionate about the facts, our legislation trackers are updated in real-time and designed to be easily searchable. Used as a go-to resource for voters, reporters, researchers, academics, and activists, they capture any bill introduced on the given topic across all 50 state legislatures and track bill movement at every step. About Ballotpedia Ballotpedia, the encyclopedia of American politics, is the nation's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers working on a handful of ballot measures to an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate, and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to 610,000+ encyclopedic, professionally authored, and curated articles, visit Ballotpedia.org. # # # To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278314 Source: Ballotpedia CARE's annual report on community savings groups highlights why these are more relevant than ever. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / Originally published on care.org. The report 'From Saving to Shaping Markets' shows Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) aren't just about helping families get by; they are also a powerful way to grow local economies, driven by women who are determined to build better futures and ready to make the most of new opportunities. CARE's latest numbers again demonstrate the global power of savings: 30 million members across 67 countries have amassed $11.5 billion in cumulative savings. Last year alone, members saved $1.8 billion and accessed $105 million in microloans. But it's not just the numbers that propel us forward; it's the vast potential ready to be unlocked. Here are six lessons learned from more than 30 years of supporting women in savings groups - compelling reasons for why CARE continues to invest in savings groups as the cornerstone of economic growth for women. 1. Savings groups deliver strong returns on investment. Amid unprecedented global funding cuts, making every dollar count is more critical than ever. VSLAs offer one of the strongest returns on investment in global development: $18.85 for every $1 invested. The results go beyond dollar signs. Our evidence shows that investing in savings groups helps families eat more, keeps more children in school, and empowers women to lead change in their communities. And it's not just us who see the value - women in savings groups do too. 2. Savings groups are proven to help women recover in emergencies. Humanitarian needs are growing. In 2025, 305 million people around the world will require urgent humanitarian assistance and protection. Savings groups offer a proven way to build resilience and support recovery in emergencies. When conflict in Syria forced many to flee their homes, savings groups did more than help them survive - they allowed them to take control of their lives with dignity. Our studies found that displaced people who joined savings groups ate more regularly and were better able to repay debts. Even more striking, half of the participants started joint businesses - pooling resources and working together to earn income for their families. One group, called Al-Diya, began as a modest savings circle, but soon built trust and solidarity among its members. When they dreamed bigger, a CARE partner helped them develop a business plan. Together, they opened a sewing shop, offering independence and hope for their futures. "Group business sessions made us feel like we were running a real business, with all its challenges and opportunities," says one group member. When the situation in Syria shifted in late 2024, allowing them to return home, the group brought the business with them. They recruited and trained new members, turning the shop into a business and a skills-sharing space. Today, Al-Diya Group continues to thrive as the women who lead it build stability for themselves and their community. 3. Savings help families and businesses withstand crises, no matter where they are. Women do not have to be displaced by conflict or disaster to find themselves facing crisis. CARE regularly polls savings groups through our Women Respond initiative. The most recent data shows women around the world are besieged by drought, pests, floods, and other shocks. 70% of respondents told us that accessing enough food is a major challenge. For women, their families, and the businesses they have built, having savings to rely on can make the difference between coping and catastrophe. From Women Respond, we know women in VSLAs use their savings to get through tough times, while research with women leading small businesses shows savings are a key part of financial health and resilience, even for established entrepreneurs. For one community in Tanzania's Tunduru District, crisis comes in the form of elephants that destroy their crops at night. After years of uncertain harvests, savings groups offered hope and a different future. "Before, we depended on farming only," says Athumani, a member of the Upendo savings group. "Once crops were destroyed, we had no alternatives for survival or a place to get affordable loans. But now, through the group, I can borrow money to grow my small business and contribute to our shared fish project." 4. Women entrepreneurs hold massive potential to boost economies. Some studies estimate that if women started and grew businesses at the same rate as men, the global economy could gain $5-6 trillion. Yet women-owned micro, small and medium enterprises face a huge gap in financing - around $1.9 trillion. Savings groups help close that gap by giving women a solid foundation, allowing them to move from earning money to growing it. Our experience shows when women succeed, whole communities benefit. In Vietnam, for example, Hoang Thi Duong worked alone as a cinnamon processor in the remote north. Her income was unpredictable, and her work was unstructured. That changed when she joined a savings group. She began to imagine how women could work together to build a better future. Today, she is director of a thriving cinnamon cooperative, leading a business that sources materials locally and provides seasonal jobs for more than 170 people. "For the first time," Duong said, "I see women in my village earning steady income, planning for the future, and working together like a team." Duong's story isn't uncommon. Over 900 miles away in Vietnam's central highlands, N?i's mushroom-growing group consistently sells out every harvest thanks to their savvy social media marketing. The mushrooms help feed her family and earn her an extra VND 3 million (about $115) each month. Now, her group buys straw (which they use as a base for their mushroom crops) from other women in the community, creating a new local market and more opportunities. 5. Savings groups help sustain farming communities and global supply chains. The global market for chocolate products was worth roughly $123 billion in 2024, yet 60% of the world's cocoa comes from just two countries, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. From chocolate to coffee to cashews and beyond, women farmers supply the world with essential goods. But extreme weather, economic upheaval, and other crises are making it harder for farming families to stay afloat. Savings groups help connect local communities growing products and the global corporations that sell them. By connecting local producers to financial tools, global markets, and additional ways of earning income, VSLAs are becoming a vital part of how corporations strengthen the supply chains they depend on. That's why global companies are investing in savings groups through CARE - because they see that supporting farming communities is not just good for people, but also good for business. This support is helping many cocoa-growing families diversify their income and invest in their futures. Beatrice from Cote d'Ivoire is one of them. "We have opened a collective bank account and even obtained a loan of 4 million FCFA ($6,930). This loan helped some maintain their cocoa farms, while others used it to create or increase their businesses," says Beatrice. 6. Savings groups are a gateway to digital inclusion and innovation. 70% of women entrepreneurs in low-income and emerging economies lack access to financial services. Closing the mobile internet gender gap could add $1.3 trillion to GDP in low- and middle-income countries. When finance and technology companies design new products with input from savings groups, women receive larger loans, businesses grow, and the ripple effects of women's achievements build the trust that makes digital finance successful. CARE partnered with Ensibuuko, a Ugandan FinTech company, to develop Chomoka, a digital record-keeping app for savings groups. Today, Chomoka serves over 131,000 users across six African countries. Together with women VSLA members, Ensibuuko co-designed a digital loan accessible through the app, specifically tailored for savings groups. By leveraging women's VSLA histories to create credit scores, the app has enabled members like Grace - a refugee from the DRC who arrived in Uganda with nothing - to qualify for larger loans. Grace opened a shop and now gives advice along with the goods she sells. She helps other women apply for digital loans and mentors aspiring entrepreneurs as they start their businesses. "I knew life would be hard starting over, but with the VSLA and Chomoka, I found hope," says Grace. Savings groups: A powerful constant in uncertain times "2025 has been the year that the entire world experienced the uncertainty that VSLA members face daily," says CARE's senior director for Global VSLAs, Vidhya Sriram. "We have seen critical aid organizations collapse and lifesaving assistance cut off from communities in need. Amid it all, VSLAs have continued to meet, save, lend, and forge a future for their members. "The resilience of these groups is a testament to the power of the collective - nay, the power of women, who are always the first responders and the last to leave any crisis. They remain, and they are the new frontier of development assistance." Learn more about the power and resilience of savings groups in CARE's VSLA Annual Report 2025: From Savings to Shaping Markets. N?i's mushroom business is boosting the local economy of her remote community in Vietnam's central highlands. Photo: Bui Hoang Quan/CARE View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Care USA on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Care USA Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/care Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Care USA View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/six-reasons-womens-savings-groups-drive-economic-growth-1118567 Partnership in Canada helps rescue and rehabilitate orphaned seal "DeePee," reinforcing DP World's marine conservation mission NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / When a young, injured harbor seal pup was discovered struggling off the British Columbia coast, the team at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR) stepped in. That pup - affectionately named "DeePee"- has now made a full recovery and released back into the wild. Rescued harbor seal pup DeePee during rehabilitation A global leader in marine mammal rescue, research, and rehabilitation, VAMMR operates Canada's only dedicated marine mammal hospital facility and is often the sole hope for sick, injured, or orphaned marine animals. Through a three-year partnership, DP World supports VAMMR's pinniped disentanglement program, marine mammal research, and rehabilitation efforts. This summer, DP World employees joined VAMMR onsite to help feed and care for several rescued pups - including DeePee - during their recovery. The hands-on experience culminated in the successful release of DeePee back into his natural habitat, a milestone that symbolizes both resilience and shared stewardship of marine ecosystems. About DeePee's Rehabilitation The goal for every VAMMR patient like DeePee is a successful rehabilitation and release back into the ocean. Sick, injured, or orphaned seals, sea otters, sea lions, turtles and small cetaceans receive species-appropriate care at their Rescue Center. Each patient receives: An individual treatment plan for injuries, infections, or malnutrition Specialized nutrition to support healthy growth and recovery Each rescue gives a marine mammal a second chance and provides information that helps build a better understanding of ocean health. A Small Seal with a Big Message Every rescued marine animal represents a stronger, more resilient coastal ecosystem. DeePee's story highlights how community-level conservation partnerships can directly support ocean health and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. For DP World employees across Canada, the naming of DeePee is a meaningful reminder of their proximity to - and responsibility for - the waters where they work. Protecting Ocean Health Through Local Action DP World's support for VAMMR is one facet of its wider "Our World, Our Future" sustainability strategy, which includes long-term programs in marine conservation, biodiversity monitoring, and water stewardship across the Americas. In Canada, this includes partnerships with Ocean Wise and support for initiatives such as the Whale Report Alert System (WRAS), designed to reduce vessel disturbances and protect at-risk cetaceans. The company also participates in water quality monitoring at the Port of Prince Rupert, invests in clean energy technologies that reduce impacts on marine environments, and hosts multiple shoreline cleanups across the regions in which they live. DP World's Broader Oceans Commitment Globally, DP World is advancing comprehensive, science-based ocean conservation efforts, including: Living Seawalls installations that increase biodiversity on port structures Blue Bond funding dedicated to coastal resilience and marine restoration Water quality monitoring programs like those at DP World's Prince Rupert port Mangrove reforestation, including more than 250,000 seedlings planted in Ecuador Aquatic fauna monitoring, such as the long-term program at DP World's Port of Santos Clean energy investments, from electrified equipment to hydrogen-powered pilots, reducing emissions that affect marine habitats. These initiatives reflect DP World's belief that healthy oceans and sustainable global trade must advance together. Learn More Explore DP World's global sustainability strategy: Our World, Our Future View DeePee's patient profile here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from DP World on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: DP World Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/dp-world Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: DP World View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/dp-world-supports-marine-mammal-rescue-advancing-its-commitment-1118569 Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its ongoing reverse circulation ("RC") drilling program at the San Perfecto target within the Company's 100%-owned EP Gold Project, located in the Caborca Gold Belt, Sonora, Mexico. Since mobilization, the Company has completed eleven (11) RC drill holes totaling approximately 906 metres at the San Perfecto and Banco de Oro targets. Drilling is continuing as planned, with crews focused on systematically advancing the current phase of the program. Samples from completed drill holes are currently being prepared for submission to an independent laboratory. Subject to laboratory turnaround times, initial assay results from the first holes are anticipated in January. Regional Mining Activity The State of Sonora hosts a concentration of producing and advanced-stage gold projects operated by several established precious metals companies. Mining and development activities in Sonora include projects operated by Fresnillo plc (La Herradura and Noche Buena mines), Alamos Gold (Mulatos Mine and Mulatos District), Agnico Eagle Mines (La India Project), Osisko Development (San Antonio Project), Minera Alamos (Santana Mine and Cerro de Oro Project), and Aztec Minerals (Cervantes Project), among others. These projects are cited for regional context only and illustrate Sonora's long-standing role as one of Mexico's most active and infrastructure-supported mining jurisdictions. San Perfecto Target - Drilling Progress The San Perfecto target represents one of several priority exploration areas identified within the EP Gold Project. Current drilling activities are focused on methodically advancing the target area while maintaining steady operational momentum early in the program. IMAGE 1: RC drill rig operating at the San Perfecto target, EP Gold Project, Sonora, Mexico To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/278339_803d9fe4744ea841_001full.jpg Prime Positioning in a Major Mining District The EP Gold Project is strategically situated within the Caborca Gold Belt, one of Mexico's most prolific gold-bearing regions, and lies within and adjacent to the extensive concession holdings of Fresnillo plc, the world's largest primary silver producer and Mexico's leading gold producer. (The Qualified Person does not have direct knowledge of mineralization on the adjacent ground, and it is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the EP Property). Strategic District-Scale Positioning The EP Gold Project lies within a highly active portion of the Caborca Gold Belt where Fresnillo plc has assembled an extensive regional land position in excess of 200,000 hectares. Colibri's EP Gold Project is located approximately 25 kilometres east of Fresnillo's La Herradura Mine, 8 kilometres from the former Noche Buena Mine, and approximately 17 kilometres north of Fresnillo's Tajitos gold deposit, which is currently advancing through a preliminary economic assessment. IMAGE 2: Regional location map showing the EP Gold Project relative to nearby Fresnillo-operated mines and deposits within the Caborca Gold Belt, Sonora, Mexico. Locations, property boundaries, and distances are shown for reference only. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/278339_803d9fe4744ea841_002full.jpg Regional Mining Environment Sonora is Mexico's leading gold-producing state and one of its most historically significant mining jurisdictions, with more than four centuries of gold and silver production. The Caborca Gold Belt is recognized for its robust mineral endowment, long mining history, and well-developed infrastructure that continues to support active exploration and development programs. IMAGE 3: Drill pad and support equipment at the San Perfecto target, EP Gold Project To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/278339_803d9fe4744ea841_003full.jpg Mining and Permitting Environment Mexico has a long-established mining industry and remains an important jurisdiction for precious metals exploration and development. In recent months, federal authorities have publicly indicated efforts to improve the efficiency of mining-related permitting processes and to address existing application backlogs, recognizing mining as a strategic industry within the national economy. Public disclosures by several companies operating in Mexico, including Silver Tiger Metals and Heliostar Metals, have demonstrated that permitting and project advancement continue to occur within established regulatory frameworks, particularly in active mining jurisdictions such as Sonora. Management Commentary "The drilling program at San Perfecto is moving forward as planned, and our focus remains on building a strong geological dataset as the program progresses," said Ian McGavney, President & CEO of Colibri Resource Corporation. "We will continue to provide updates as work advances." Qualified Person Jamie Lavigne, P. Geo, an independent Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. About Colibri Resource Corporation Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) is a Canadian junior mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal properties in Sonora, Mexico. Colibri holds a 100% interest in the EP Gold Project, a 49% joint venture interest in the Pilar Gold & Silver Project, and additional interests in highly prospective claims at Diamante. For more information on all Colibri projects, please visit: www.colibriresource.com Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Although Colibri believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," or variations of such words, and include statements with respect to the potential of the EP Gold Project. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results could differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278339 Source: Colibri Resource Corporation The Acquisition was Completed on Behalf of Sterling Organization's $600 Million Institutional Value-Add Fund Sterling Value Add Partners IV ('SVAP IV') WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / Sterling Organization, a vertically integrated private equity real estate investment firm headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, is pleased to announce its acquisition of Bristol Plaza. The 263,000-square-foot, grocery-anchored shopping center is located at 641 Farmington Avenue, Bristol, CT (Hartford MSA). The property is anchored by Stop & Shop, the region's leading grocer, and includes a robust lineup of complementary national tenants including T.J. Maxx, Burlington, Five Below, and Starbucks. The acquisition was completed on behalf of Sterling Organization's $600 million institutional value-add fund Sterling Value Add Partners IV ("SVAP IV"). "Bristol Plaza represents an opportunity to acquire a high-performing, grocery-anchored retail center with immediate value-add potential," said Jordan Fried, Principal at Sterling Organization. "With strong anchor performance and a necessity-based tenant mix, we're excited to further enhance the property's value and serve the Bristol community while delivering the financial returns our partners expect," added Mr. Fried. "This high-performing asset offers immediate upside, with nearly 25,000 square feet of vacancy currently available for lease and the potential to reimagine an approximately 4-acre portion of the center in its entirety," said Bob Dake, Principal at Sterling Organization. "Our team is focused on leveraging our operational experience to maximize Bristol Plaza's potential. We look forward to collaborating with existing tenants and welcoming new brands to the center as we seek to strengthen the mix for the benefit of the property's patrons and co-tenants," added Mr. Dake. Sterling Organization and its affiliates now own 82 properties throughout the United States, across various funds and other investment vehicles, encompassing nearly 14 million square feet and exceeding $3 billion in value. For leasing opportunities, please contact leasing@sterlingorganization.com. Sterling Organization is actively seeking investment opportunities and has over $1 billion of buying power in the aggregate across various investment strategies. For acquisition or disposition inquiries, please contact investments@sterlingorganization.com. SOURCE: Sterling Organization View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/real-estate/sterling-organization-acquires-bristol-plaza-a-premier-grocery-anchored-shopping-center-1118507 DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to MarketsandMarkets, the report "Aerospace & Defense Core Materials Market by Type (Foam, Balsa, and Honeycomb), Application (Airframe Manufacturers, Aerostructures Manufacturers, Research & Development, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)), and Region - Forecast to 2030", The aerospace & defense core materials market is expected to reach USD 0.88 billion by 2030 from USD 0.47 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 13.3% from 2025 to 2030. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=172320520 Aerospace & Defense Core Materials Market Size & Forecast: Market Size Available for Years: 2022-2030 2025 Market Size: USD 0.47 billion 2030 Projected Market Size: USD 0.88 billion CAGR (2025-2030): 13.3% Aerospace & Defense Core Materials Market Trends & Insights: The aerospace and defense core materials market has been seeing steady growth, mainly because aircraft programs today rely much more on lightweight and durable composite structures than they did a decade ago. Honeycomb and foam cores are being used in a wider range of parts, including wings, tails, interior panels, radomes, and even some load-bearing sections. Hence, the overall demand keeps rising. Defense platforms are going through similar changes, especially as newer designs focus on reducing weight, improving thermal performance, and handling tougher operating conditions. Another factor pushing the market forward is the growing number of upgrade and modernization projects across different air forces, along with the rapid rise of UAVs and space-related programs. Each of these applications depends heavily on materials that can deliver high strength without adding unnecessary weight. At the same time, manufacturers have been working on better, more recyclable foam cores and more consistent honeycomb structures, which have made adoption easier. With ongoing investments in advanced composites and continued pressure to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, the use of core materials in aerospace and defense is likely to keep expanding in the years ahead. The Asia Pacific region is expected to register the highest CAGR of 14.1% during forecast period. By type, the foam type is expected to register the highest CAGR of 13.6% during forecast period. By application, the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) segment is expected to dominate the market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Aerospace & Defense Core Materials Market" 180 - Tables 100 - Figures 300 - Pages Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=172320520 Core materials like honeycomb, foam, and balsa have become increasingly important in aerospace and defense programs because they help manufacturers build structures that are both lighter and stronger than traditional materials. As aircraft designs evolve and defense platforms become more advanced, these materials are being used in a wider range of components from wings and fuselage panels to interiors and protective structures. The steady rise in UAV deployments, ongoing upgrades in military fleets, and growing activity in space systems are all contributing to greater demand for reliable, lightweight core materials. Many manufacturers are also replacing older metal parts with composite structures, which pushes the need for high-performance cores even further. Another factor shaping the market is the push from governments and aerospace agencies to improve safety, reduce emissions, and meet stricter fire and performance standards. These requirements have encouraged OEMs and tier suppliers to look for materials that can handle extreme temperatures, resist impact, and last longer under tough operating conditions. At the same time, companies are investing more in recyclable and sustainable core materials as environmental goals become more important across the industry. With these developments coming together, demand for honeycomb and structural foam cores is expected to keep growing across commercial aviation, defense aircraft, drones, and space applications. Honeycomb segment accounted for significant market share In 2024, the honeycomb segment held a noticeably large share of the aerospace and defense core materials market. Most aircraft programs, whether commercial, military, or even experimental, lean heavily on honeycomb structures for areas where weight savings really matter. Engineers prefer these structures because they offer a mix of stiffness, durability, and lightness that is hard to match with other materials. Over the past few years, as more airframe parts shifted from metal to composites, demand for honeycomb cores grew steadily. They show up in everything from interior floor panels to control surfaces and nacelles, and even in certain thermal and acoustic applications. With new aircraft programs underway and older fleets being updated, honeycomb materials continued to be the go-to option in 2024, reinforcing their position as the most widely used core material in the industry. OEMs segment to dominate market during forecast period, in terms of value The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) segment is expected to stay out front in the aerospace and defense core materials market during the coming years. Most core materials, including honeycomb and high-performance foams, are utilized during the aircraft manufacturing process. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are responsible for all aspects of production, from wings and fuselage panels to interior structures. As a result, they consume the largest share of these materials. Another reason for their lead is the steady rise in new aircraft programs and the push for lighter, more efficient designs. Modern planes rely heavily on composite parts, and that increases the amount of core material used in each build. As production ramps up and defense platforms become more advanced, OEMs will continue to be the main drivers of demand across the industry. Request Customization: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=172320520 North America accounts for largest share of aerospace & defense core materials market North America leads the aerospace and defense core materials market, and this trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. A significant factor contributing to this is the region's robust base of aircraft manufacturers and defense contractors, who have utilized honeycomb and foam cores in their designs for decades. Since much of the world's aircraft development and production occurs in the US, the demand for these materials is naturally higher in this region compared to others. Another factor is the steady stream of defense programs and upgrades that rely on lightweight composite structures. Companies in North America also invest heavily in R&D and advanced manufacturing, which helps them adopt new core materials earlier than other regions. All this together keeps North America at the top of the market, both in terms of consumption and overall technological leadership. Key Players Prominent companies include Hexcel Corporation (US), Plascore Incorporated (US), The Gill Corporation (US), SCHUTZ Composites (Germany), Corex Honeycomb (UK), Euro-Composites (Luxembourg), Gurit Holding AG (Switzerland), ACP Composites (US), Diab Group (Sweden), Armacell International (Luxembourg), General Plastics Manufacturing Co. (US), Evonik Industries (Germany), SABIC (Saudi Arabia), Kineco Limited (India), HONYLITE Pvt. Ltd. (India), and 3A Composites (Switzerland). Get access to the latest updates on Aerospace & Defense Core Materials Companies and Aerospace & Defense Core Materials Market Size Browse Adjacent Market: Bulk Chemicals and Inorganics Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Aerospace Composites Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Carbon Fiber Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Fiberglass Market- Global Forecast to 2030 Masterbatch Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Industrial Gases Market - Global Forecast to 2028 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. Today, 80% of Fortune 2000 companies rely on MarketsandMarkets, and 90 of the top 100 companies in each sector trust us to accelerate their revenue growth. With a global clientele of over 13,000 organizations, we help businesses thrive in a disruptive ecosystem. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion in new revenue streams that are replacing existing ones within this decade. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we collaborate with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies to keep them future-ready. Our insights and strategies are powered by industry experts, cutting-edge AI, and our Market Intelligence Cloud, KnowledgeStore, which integrates research and provides ecosystem-wide visibility into revenue shifts. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/aerospace--defense-core-materials-market-worth-0-88-billion-by-2030---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302644552.html Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - January 13, 2026) - Block & Leviton is investigating Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOG) for potential securities law violations. Investors who have lost money in their Apogee Enterprises, Inc. investment should contact the firm to learn more about how they might recover those losses. For more details, visit https://blockleviton.com/cases/apog. What is this all about? Shares of Apogee Enterprises fell more than 13% in intraday trading on January 7, 2026, after the company reported quarterly results that missed analyst expectations and the company lowered its full-year outlook, citing weaker demand and margin pressure in its Architectural Glass segment. On the same day, Apogee disclosed that its Chief Financial Officer, Matthew Osberg, had resigned effective January 16, 2026. Block & Leviton is investigating. Who is eligible? Anyone who purchased Apogee Enterprises common stock and has seen their shares fall may be eligible, whether or not they have sold their investment. Investors should contact Block & Leviton to learn more. What is Block & Leviton doing? Block & Leviton is investigating whether the Company committed securities law violations and may file an action to attempt to recover losses on behalf of investors who have lost money. What should you do next? If you've lost money on your investment, you should contact Block & Leviton to learn more via our case website, by email at shareholders@blockleviton.com, or by phone at (888) 256-2510. Whistleblower? If you have non-public information about Apogee Enterprises, you should consider assisting in our investigation or working with our attorneys to file a report with the Securities Exchange Commission under their whistleblower program. Whistleblowers who provide original information to the SEC may receive rewards of up to 30% of any successful recovery. For more information, contact Block & Leviton at shareholders@blockleviton.com or by phone at (888) 256-2510. Why should you contact Block & Leviton? Block & Leviton is widely regarded as one of the leading securities class action firms in the country. Our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars for defrauded investors and are dedicated to obtaining significant recoveries on behalf of our clients through active litigation in the federal courts across the country. Many of the nation's top institutional investors hire us to represent their interests. You can learn more about us at our website www.blockleviton.com, call (888) 256-2510 or email shareholders@blockleviton.com with any questions. This notice may constitute attorney advertising. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/280224 Source: Block & Leviton LLP HAMILTON, BERMUDA / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / Family-owned Bacardi Limited, the world's largest privately held international spirits company, reaffirmed its commitment to giving back by hosting its 4th annual '250 Holiday Meals' initiative last week in partnership with The Salvation Army. Held at the North Street Citadel in Hamilton, Bacardi volunteers served 250 hot holiday meals to individuals and families experiencing hardship this season. With holiday classics prepared by local favorite Soul Food Grill and Cafe, and desserts donated by Bacardi employees, the festive event offered warmth, nourishment, and human connection during what can be a difficult time for many. This year's initiative comes as the Salvation Army faces a surge in demand for its services. The organization now supports upwards of 800 individuals weekly, an increase that reflects broader economic pressures on vulnerable Bermudians. Captain Dennis Maybury of the Salvation Army recently issued a call for public support to help meet rising needs through their annual Christmas fundraising campaign. "Bacardi's continued partnership is a vital source of hope for those we serve," said Captain Maybury. "As food insecurity and housing instability rise across Bermuda, it is heartening to witness corporate citizens like Bacardi step forward. These meals do more than feed - they uplift." Douglas Mello, Managing Director of Bacardi International Limited, added: "This initiative reflects the heart of our family-owned business. Our commitment to the Bermuda community is unwavering, and it's an honor to support the Salvation Army's tireless efforts, especially at a time when demand for their services has never been higher." Bacardi encourages the public to answer the Salvation Army's appeal. Donations of canned goods, shelf-stable pantry items like milk, oatmeal, and tea, or financial contributions can make a direct difference. Items can be dropped off at the North Street Citadel Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM. About Bacardi Limited Bacardi Limited, the world's largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI rum, PATRON tequila, GREY GOOSE vodka, DEWAR'S Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S Scotch whisky, D'USSE Cognac, ANGEL'S ENVY American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 163 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 8,000, operates production facilities in 10 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit http://www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Bacardi partners with the Salvation Army to bring meals to the local community of Bermuda. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bacardi-Martini, Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Bacardi-Martini, Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bacardi-limited Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Bacardi-Martini, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/travel/bacardi-returns-for-4th-annual-250-holiday-meals-initiative-amid-growing-community-needs-1118630 Seattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Visions Espresso has announced the release of its new Commercial Espresso Grinder & PUQpress Auto-Tamper bundles, designed to simplify new cafe buildouts across the specialty coffee industry. To enable new cafes and commercial coffee bars to launch with a streamlined workflow, consistent extraction quality, and reduced barista strain, these new bundles pair grinders with the precision of current technology. The introduction of the Espresso Grinder & PUQpress Bundles comes at a time when more commercial coffee establishments are making inquiries about equipment to open new locations or expand without sacrificing quality. As these businesses seek efficient solutions, Visions Espresso is formalizing what was previously ad hoc equipment pairings into clearly defined, purpose-built bundles. This move underscores the exponential growth of the specialty coffee sector and the rising demand for cost-effective packaging that reduces setup costs for new bars. Vision Espresso Introduces New Commercial Espresso Grinder & PUQpress Auto-Tamper Bundles to Support Cafe Startups To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10740/278346_figure1.jpg For the company's internal teams, launching these bundles is a major milestone in standardizing pricing and packaging grinder and auto-tamper equipment. The teams across the departments collaborated to document detailed bundle structures, outline qualification requirements, and create transparent cost-saving parameters for cafe buildouts, which has strengthened operational alignment and delivered a more predictable, accessible experience for those purchasing equipment during the critical planning stages of their cafe projects. Visions Espresso has created a turnkey equipment solution with the new Commercial Espresso Grinder & PUQpress Auto-Tamper bundles, designed to reduce upfront costs while ensuring baristas can deliver consistent espresso quality from day one. These bundles make it easier for new cafes to make purchasing decisions, simplifying equipment planning and providing a cost-effective foundation for espresso stations that operate seamlessly. To further support cafe owners seeking to invest in complete bar setups, Vision Espresso is also offering additional custom bundle savings with the grinder and PUQpress package purchased alongside a commercial espresso machine. This added flexibility allows operators to configure their setup to meet their volume, menu, and workflow needs while benefiting from greater discounts on premium equipment. Visions Espresso has been a leading coffee equipment and service provider since 1986 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10740/278346_figure2.png Beyond cost savings, the PUQpress Auto Tampers deliver faster drink production for customers and consistent tamping pressure, directly impacting beverage quality and service speed. As Visions Espresso progresses on this journey, the company plans to extend the bundle framework to include additional savings structures and continue developing equipment bundle models for multi-unit planning. About Visions Espresso Visions Espresso has been a leading coffee equipment and service provider since 1986, and has since supported many reputable companies. Serving cafes, roasters, and commercial operators, the company is known for its technical prowess, responsive client support, and a commitment to improving beverage programs. Media Contact To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10740/278346_figure3.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278346 Source: GetFeatured RENO, NV / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / The Board of Directors of Brookmount Gold is pleased to provide this further update on the restructuring of the North American assets and special share dividend, as envisaged in our press release of December 3. North American Gold ("NAG, or "the Company"), initially incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookmount, has now completed the process of acquisition of the three North American properties, Moosehorn (Canada), Atlin and Macarthur Creek (Alaska) through a wholly owned special purpose vehicle incorporated in Alberta, Canada. Initial capitalization of NAG has been set at 20 million (common) shares of which 12 million shares will be retained by Brookmount and 7 million (35%) distributed to Brookmount shareholders by way of a special dividend. Following the special dividend and recapitalization process, it is anticipated that each Brookmount shareholder will receive approximately 0.02 shares of NAG for each share of Brookmount owned at the time of the dividend. Following acquisition of the North American properties, the Company holds resource assets accredited with a current NI43-101 exceeding US$100 million. As previously advised, The Board recently appointed Stantec Consulting Ltd. to update and revalidate their original NI 43-101 technical report on the Canadian property, which was originally completed in 2018, and is also moving forward with audit review both for Moosehorn and the Alaskan properties. Completion of these reports should be largely completed before year end. The Company plans scheduling meetings with potential underwriters in the US in January, following completion of an investor "deck" and draft registration statement, with a view to completing an offering and listing process by the end of June. About Brookmount Gold: Founded in 2018, Brookmount Gold is a high-growth gold-producing Company incorporated and listed on OTCMarkets in the United States (OTC: BMXI) (BMXI.US) with operating gold mines in Southeast Asia and exploration and production assets in North America. The Company is actively looking to secure additional high-quality gold assets with JORC/NI 43-101 verified resources. Safe Harbor Statements: Except for the historical information contained herein, certain of the matters discussed in this communication constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "could," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "predict," "project," "future," "potential," "intend," "seek to," "plan," "assume," "believe," "target," "forecast," "goal," "objective," "continue" or the negative of such terms or other variations thereof and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding benefits of the proposed license, expected synergies, anticipated future financial and operating performance and results, including estimates of growth. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements included in this communication. For example, the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the pending transaction, including the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the pending transaction that could reduce anticipated benefits or cause the parties to abandon the transaction, the ability to successfully integrate the businesses, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the negotiations, the risk that the parties may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all, risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction, the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of Brookmount's common stock. All such factors are difficult to predict and are beyond our control. We disclaim and do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this report, except as required by applicable law or regulations. Brookmount Gold Corp (Brookmount Explorations, Inc.) Investor Relations Contact: info@chesapeakegp.com or 410 825 3930 Website: https://brookmountau.com/ Corporate Contact: corporate@brookmountAu.com Social Links: BrookmountAu X (Formerly Twitter); https://BrookmountAu.com (@BrookmountAu) SOURCE: Brookmount Explorations, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/brookmount-gold-shares-update-on-progress-towards-north-american-asset-spinoff-an-1118646 KASH, China, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 9, the "Kash in Lights and Shadows" 2025 International Photography Exhibition opened in Kash. Through the lens, the event presents a true and multi-dimensional Kash by showcasing its natural beauty, contemporary development, and vibrant life, sharing Xinjiang's stories with the world. This exhibition brings together fieldwork by 17 photographers from nine countries-China, the United Kingdom, Greece, South Africa, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan-along with 150 works (or sets of works) collected globally. Tracing a thematic thread of color, it presents vivid scenes of cultural continuity, urban development, social life, and ecological transformation in Kashi, Xinjiang. Within the shifting light and shadow of this land, you witness the majestic sweep of mountains and rivers, the profound weight of history, and the remarkable story of deserts turning into oases. We see people living in unity and happiness, industries thriving, and the dreams and hopes shimmering in the eyes of the young. The ancient and the modern interlace; tradition moves in step with contemporary life; ethnic customs and open-minded inclusiveness mirror and enrich one another. This shared emotional resonance-beyond the boundaries of language-carries a warmth that is both real and deeply human. Greek photographer Georgios Doupas shared his experiences, praising the rich and profound cultural heritage of Kash. On the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, he witnessed remarkable desertification control, noting that the dedication of the local people and government has made the impossible possible. Hosted by the Information Office of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and organized by the Information Office of Kash Prefectural Administrative Office and China International Publishing Center (CIPC), CICG, this exhibition, held at the Kash Museum, will run until after the 2026 Spring Festival. Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847800/Video.mp4 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/a-multi-dimensional-kash-revealed-a-journey-through-lights-and-shadows-302644890.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Neptune Digital Assets Corp. (TSXV: NDA) (OTCQX: NPPTF) (FSE: 1NW) ("Neptune" or the "Company"), a diversified digital asset and innovation technology company, is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement dated December 11, 2025 with an arm's length party for a strategic investment of US$300,000 into X.AI Corp. ("xAI"), the artificial intelligence company. This planned investment underscores Neptune's commitment to supporting and gaining exposure to pioneering technologies that are shaping the future, including advanced development of artificial intelligence. Under the terms of the investment, Neptune will acquire shares of xAI valued at US$300,000. The Company views xAI as a growth asset at the intersection of critical future technologies. xAI's mission is to accelerate human scientific discovery with a focus on developing sophisticated AI systems. "Following the successful and highly valued investments in SpaceX, our team is thrilled to commence strategically allocating capital into xAI," stated Cale Moodie, Neptune CEO & President. "This planned investment aligns with Neptune's strategy of identifying and capitalizing on transformative, high-value technologies. We believe Artificial Intelligence and Robotics are the next frontier of innovation, much like space exploration and digital assets, and xAI is poised to be a leader in this domain. This move will further diversify our asset base and is designed to create substantial long-term value for our shareholders." Recent reports indicating that Space Exploration Technologies Corp. ("SpaceX") is preparing for a potential initial public offering (IPO) in 2026 with a valuation exceeding US$1 trillion further validate Neptune's investment thesis. With a current holding of over 32,000 shares in SpaceX, Management views this position as a blueprint for long-term value creation and believes the xAI investment offers a similar opportunistic early exposure to a category-defining asset under the same visionary leadership. The planned investment in xAI aims to strengthen Neptune's base of high-growth, innovative technology assets. This strategic move complements the Company's existing holdings, including its successful investment in SpaceX, and highlights Neptune's focus on key pioneering technology sectors: blockchain, artificial intelligence, and space exploration. Neptune remains dedicated to building long-term shareholder value by investing in assets that are at the cutting edge of global innovation. Neptune also announces that it has granted an aggregate of 1,300,000 stock options to certain directors and officers of the Company effective December 9, 2025 in accordance with the Company's share compensation plan. The Options are exercisable for a period of 10 years at a price of $0.70 per common share. The Options vest immediately upon grant. For more information on Neptune Digital Assets, please visit: www.neptunedigitalassets.com. About Neptune Digital Assets Corp. Neptune Digital Assets Corp. (TSXV: NDA) (OTCQX: NPPTF) (FSE: 1NW) is one of the first publicly traded blockchain companies in Canada and is at the forefront of the cryptocurrency and blockchain landscape. Neptune engages in operations across the digital asset ecosystem including Bitcoin mining, proof-of-stake mining, blockchain nodes, decentralized finance (DeFi), and other associated innovative technology. Our unwavering commitment to innovation and strategic growth enables us to continually explore new opportunities and maximize value for our shareholders. For more information about Neptune Digital Assets Corp., please visit our website at www.neptunedigitalassets.com or follow us on X (@NeptuneDAC). Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans", "proposes" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but not limited to: the execution of the Company's proposed investment in xAI; the occurrence of SpaceX IPO; the inherent risks involved in the cryptocurrency and general securities markets; the Company may not be able to profitably liquidate its current digital currency inventory, or at all; a decline in digital currency prices may have a significant negative impact on the Company's operations; the volatility of digital currency prices; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278352 Source: Neptune Digital Assets Corp PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / The Hispanic Prosperity Gala Committee and Latino Wall Street are proud to announce that UFC Champion and entrepreneur Jorge Masvidal will serve as Guest of Honor and Honorary Chairman at the Hispanic Prosperity Gala, to be held on February 10, 2026, at The Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. The black-tie gala will commemorate 250 years of American prosperity and highlight the growing influence of the Hispanic community in shaping the economic, cultural, and political future of the United States. Masvidal: A Champion Inside and Outside the Octagon Jorge "Gamebred" Masvidal is known worldwide for his record-breaking UFC career, his rise from humble beginnings, and his unapologetic stance in defense of freedom, opportunity, and the American Dream. In recent years, Masvidal has become one of the most influential Hispanic voices supporting President Donald J. Trump, the Make America Great Again movement, and conservative values. His outspoken advocacy for small business, entrepreneurship, school choice, and public safety has earned him national respect far beyond the MMA world. Masvidal has repeatedly emphasized that the Hispanic community is essential to the future of the country-and that economic empowerment is the key to unlocking long-term generational success. Why the Hispanic Prosperity Gala Matters The gala is inspired by and aligned with the objectives of the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative, established by Executive Order on July 9, 2020, which emphasized the importance of expanding educational and economic opportunities for Hispanic Americans. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Latino voters are poised to become one of the most decisive voting blocs in the nation. The Hispanic Prosperity Gala seeks to mobilize leaders, entrepreneurs, families, and community organizations to ensure that Hispanic voices are heard, represented, and prepared to lead the next chapter of American prosperity. The event is co-hosted by global advisory firm BlackRidge & Co. Known in the industry as 'The Billion Dollar Connectors,' BlackRidge facilitates strategic relationships between companies, capital, and influential networks across major financial and cultural hubs worldwide. "Jorge Masvidal represents the strength, resilience, and pride at the heart of Hispanic culture," said Michael Matthew, Managing Partner at BlackRidge & Co. "The Hispanic Prosperity Gala is about honoring that heritage and supporting leaders like Jorge who embody its impact on the global stage." The event will bring together: Public officials and policymakers Business leaders and entrepreneurs Philanthropic and faith-based organizations Young professionals and community advocates Diplomatic and international representatives Through networking, keynote addresses, and strategic discussions, the gala aims to strengthen partnerships across Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the United States. Masvidal's Role as Guest of Honor and Honorary Chairman As Guest of Honor and Honorary Chairman, Masvidal will: Deliver special remarks on Hispanic empowerment Participate in high-level roundtables with business and civic leaders Support outreach efforts to mobilize Hispanic voters ahead of the midterms Help recognize honorees dedicated to economic freedom, entrepreneurship, and public service "Jorge Masvidal represents the spirit of resilience and determination that defines the Hispanic community," said Tony Delgado, Founder & CEO of Latino Wall Street. "His leadership, authenticity, and unwavering commitment to opportunity inspire millions across the country. We are honored to welcome him as the face of this historic event." Event Details Hispanic Prosperity Gala Date: February 10, 2026 Location: The Mar-A-Lago Club, Palm Beach, Florida Dress Code: Black-Tie Host: Latino Wall Street, Hispanic Prosperity Gala Committee Sponsorships, VIP access, and limited seating opportunities are available. Media Contact: Gabriela Berrospi Hispanic Prosperity Gala Committee gaby@latinowallstreet.co 631-655-7875 SOURCE: Latino Wall Street View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/education/latino-wall-street-announces-ufc-champion-jorge-masvidal-as-guest-of-honor-and-honorary-c-1118344 Regulatory News: The Combined Annual Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting of Claranova (Paris:CLA) was held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 3 p.m., at the Business Center Tour Egee, 9 11 Allee de l'Arche, 92400 Courbevoie, under the chair of Mr. Craig Forman, Lead Independent Director and Vice-Chairman of Claranova's Board of Directors. At this General Meeting, shareholders once again demonstrated strong engagement, with 821 shareholders present, represented, or voting by correspondence, representing a total of 25,989,266 shares, or a quorum of 45.52%. All resolutions were approved by the General Meeting except for resolution No. 22, which was rejected in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Directors. Claranova reiterates that the financial delegations that have been approved (in particular those referred to in the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th resolutions) are strictly regulated and intended to be used judiciously, in accordance with the interests of shareholders. The Board of Directors is thus equipped with the necessary tools that are also common practice among listed companies to adjust its financial structure as necessary, in accordance with Claranova's corporate interests. The existence of these delegations does not prejudge their use but reflects a capacity for action for the benefit of the company and all its shareholders. Eric Gareau, Chief Executive Officer of Claranova, said: "I would like to thank our shareholders for their strong engagement and for the quality of our discussions, both prior to and during this Annual General Meeting. These discussions nourish our reflections and reinforce our commitment to rigorously execute our strategic plan in order to improve our performance and strengthen Claranova's position in software publishing." Financial calendar: February 11, 2026: FY 2025-2026 first-half revenue About Claranova: Claranova is a leading software publisher in the Utilities, PDF, and Photo segments. Reflecting its profile as a truly international group, 94% of its nearly 120m in revenue originates from outside France. Claranova develops technological solutions available on the Internet, mobile phones, and tablets, aimed at a wide range of individual and professional customers. Through its products and solutions sold in over 160 countries, the Group's mission is to "Transform technological innovation into simple, user-centric products and solutions". As a fully integrated company, Claranova controls its entire value chain, from product development to customer acquisition, customer relationship management (CRM), and final payment through its proprietary platform. Capitalizing on its expertise in digital marketing, AI, and data analysis from active customers worldwide, the Group optimizes customer loyalty and the profitability of its activities. Operating in high-potential markets, the Group will pursue a growth strategy focused on profitability and operational excellence. Claranova is eligible for French "PEA-PME" tax-advantaged savings accounts For more information on Claranova Group: https://www.claranova.com or https://x.com/claranova_group Disclaimer: All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Appendices Number of shares comprising the share capital: 57,206,910 Number of shares with voting rights: 57,093,655 Quorum: 45.52% Shareholders Shares/Votes Powers of the Chairman 387 3,526,735 Votes by mail 371 6,437,595 Shareholders present 23 10,841,717 Shareholders represented 40 5,183,219 Total 821 25,989,266 Detailed results of the December 10, 2025, General Meeting, are available on the Group's website in the "Shareholders' Meetings" section: https://www.claranova.com/en/assemblees/ and the replay is available in the "Videos" section https://www.claranova.com/en/videos/ CODES Ticker :? CLA ISIN : FR0013426004 www.claranova.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217890214/en/ Contacts: ANALYSTS INVESTORS +33 1 41 27 19 74 ir@claranova.com FINANCIAL COMMUNICATION +33 1 75 77 54 68 ir@claranova.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Restart Life Sciences Corp. (CSE: HEAL) (FSE: HN30) (OTC Pink: NMLSF) ("Restart Life" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update regarding its previously disclosed intention to fund food-related research initiatives (the "Research Initiatives") in support of its expanding portfolio of consumer health and wellness products. The Company is now in a position to allocate capital toward the Research Initiatives and expects to narrow the selection of its preferred research partners. Restart anticipates that initial Research Initiatives may, over time, progress into more advanced and continuous research programs intended to enhance product formulation, functional performance, and overall quality. The Company expects to provide additional updates as these initiatives advance and as research parameters are further defined. Emphasis on Health and Wellness Product Innovation Restart Life Sciences has recently introduced and further developed several consumer health brands, including BrainQ, a functional product platform formulated with natural ingredients commonly associated with cognitive support, and BrainBalls, a nutrient-dense snack designed to support daily brain wellness. These brands reflect the Company's broader strategic focus on delivering accessible, science-informed products within the health and wellness category. As part of this strategy, Restart intends to establish a structured scientific framework in connection with the Research Initiatives to support ingredient assessment, formulation performance analysis, and future product development across its portfolio. Anticipated Research Scope and Objectives The planned Research Initiatives are intended to generate scientifically grounded insights to support the ongoing evolution of Restart's functional wellness products. Areas of investigation may include exploratory assessments of ingredient quality, formulation integrity, and overall functional performance, including general stability considerations across varying environmental conditions. In addition, research activities may examine ingredient behavior within different formulation matrices to identify trends that could inform future optimization efforts. Such work may include evaluations of sensory attributes, nutrient retention, and potential degradation pathways, as well as the identification of opportunities to refine ingredient compositions or enhance functional characteristics. Where appropriate, preliminary considerations related to bioavailability and the functional potential of select active components may also be explored, either through the Company's primary research partners or in collaboration with additional third-party specialists. The resulting insights are expected to inform product refinement, innovation initiatives, and longer-term research and development strategies. Potential outputs from these initiatives may include high-level scientific observations, technical assessments, and advisory recommendations designed to support ongoing product development, quality assurance, and continuous improvement efforts. Outlook Restart Life Sciences believes that a disciplined, research-oriented approach will be instrumental in strengthening its ability to deliver high-quality, effective health and wellness products over the long term. The Company remains committed to building a scalable and cost-efficient scientific foundation that supports innovation while aligning with its current stage of growth and capital resources. Restart Life Sciences would like to thank its shareholders for their ongoing support as the Company advances its mission and continues to execute on its strategy. About Restart Life Sciences Corp. Restart Life Sciences Corp. is a Canadian-based life sciences company listed on the CSE. For more information about Restart Life, please visit the Company's website at www.restartlife.co. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Restart Life Sciences' actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, the Company's allocation of capital toward Research Initiatives, statements relating to the Research Initiatives, including research activities, anticipated scope and results, and timelines thereto; the timing for the Company to provide further details of its Research Initiatives, the Company's intention to establish a scientific framework relating to its product portfolio, expected benefits of the results of the Research Initiatives, and statements relating to the Company's future outlook. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the inherent risks and uncertainties associated with research work; the risk that the anticipated results of the Research Initiatives may not be fully realized or take longer to realize than expected; market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will have available working capital to fund the Research Initiatives; and the current and future social, economic and political conditions. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Readers are encouraged to read the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278376 Source: Restart Life Sciences Corp. Winston-Salem, North Carolina--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - The Andrew Brenneman Scholarship for Aviation announces the opening of applications for undergraduate students pursuing careers in aviation. This scholarship initiative, established by commercial pilot Andrew Brenneman, aims to support the next generation of aviation professionals through financial assistance and recognition of academic excellence. Andrew Brenneman To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8530/278107_5f10e88ad4268883_001full.jpg The scholarship program invites applications from undergraduate students currently enrolled in accredited aviation-related programs across the United States. Eligible candidates can apply for a one-time award by submitting an essay that demonstrates their commitment to the aviation industry and outlines their future career aspirations. Andrew Brenneman, a commercial pilot, created this scholarship to provide opportunities for students who share his passion for aviation. "The aviation industry needs dedicated professionals who are committed to safety, excellence, and innovation," explains Brenneman. "This scholarship is designed to support students who demonstrate these qualities and are working toward meaningful contributions to the field." The application process requires students to submit a 500-750 word essay responding to the prompt: "Describe your passion for aviation and how you plan to contribute to the industry in the future. Share any experiences or challenges you've faced that have shaped your journey." The essay requirement allows applicants to showcase their personal commitment to aviation while demonstrating their communication skills and professional outlook. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate program related to aviation and must demonstrate a strong commitment to academic achievement in their field of study. The scholarship is open to students from all states, ensuring broad accessibility for aspiring aviation professionals nationwide. Andrew Brenneman began his aviation career at age 22 and has built a reputation for reliability and precision throughout his professional journey. His background includes earning a bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Science from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. These achievements reflect the standards of excellence that Andrew Brenneman hopes to inspire in scholarship recipients. The scholarship application deadline is June 15, 2026, with the winner announcement scheduled for July 15, 2026. Interested students can submit their completed essays and any additional materials to apply@andrewbrennemanscholarship.com. Complete eligibility requirements and application guidelines are available on the scholarship website at andrewbrennemanscholarship.com. The Andrew Brenneman Scholarship for Aviation represents a commitment to fostering talent and supporting education within the aviation sector. By providing financial assistance to dedicated students, the program addresses the ongoing need for skilled professionals in the industry while encouraging academic achievement and career development. Andrew Brenneman's approach to this scholarship reflects his understanding of the challenges facing students pursuing aviation careers. The program seeks to reduce financial barriers while recognizing students who demonstrate both academic capability and genuine passion for the field. Recipients of this scholarship will join a community of aviation professionals committed to maintaining high standards of safety and professionalism. Students interested in applying for the Andrew Brenneman Scholarship for Aviation are encouraged to review the complete eligibility criteria and begin preparing their essay submissions. The scholarship offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to receive recognition for their dedication to aviation studies while gaining financial support toward their educational goals. For more information about the Andrew Brenneman Scholarship for Aviation, including detailed application requirements and submission guidelines, visit andrewbrennemanscholarship.com or contact apply@andrewbrennemanscholarship.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278107 Source: GYT Beverly Hills, California--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - The Arman Gabay Grant Fund for Entrepreneurs announces the opening of its inaugural grant cycle, offering financial support to undergraduate students pursuing entrepreneurial ventures across the United States. The initiative provides a one-time award of $1,000 to support the next generation of business innovators and problem-solvers. Arman Gabay To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8530/278105_82803be8d499ca06_001full.jpg Established by commercial real estate leader Arman Gabay, the grant fund reflects a commitment to fostering entrepreneurial thinking among college students who demonstrate passion for addressing real-world challenges through business solutions. The program invites applications from undergraduate students at accredited colleges and universities nationwide, regardless of their major or geographic location. "Entrepreneurship has the power to transform communities and solve pressing challenges," explains Arman Gabay, Co-Managing Partner of Charles Company. "This grant fund provides students with the resources and recognition they need to pursue their innovative ideas with confidence." Arman Gabay brings more than 25 years of experience in commercial real estate, with a focus on acquisitions, development, and urban revitalization throughout Southern California. His professional work has centered on reshaping underserved areas and strengthening commercial districts. Through the Charles Company, Arman Gabay has demonstrated strategic vision in identifying opportunities that benefit both businesses and local communities. The Arman Gabay Grant Fund for Entrepreneurs seeks applicants who show genuine interest in pursuing business ventures or entrepreneurial roles. Students must submit an original essay of up to 1,000 words addressing the prompt: "Describe a problem you feel passionate about solving through entrepreneurship. How do you envision creating a business or initiative that addresses this challenge, and what impact do you hope to make on your community or industry?" Essays submitted to the Arman Gabay Grant Fund for Entrepreneurs will be evaluated based on originality, clarity of purpose, depth of thought, and understanding of how entrepreneurship can drive meaningful change. The selection process prioritizes students who demonstrate thoughtful consideration of both the problem they wish to address and the practical steps needed to create lasting impact. All undergraduate majors are welcome to apply. While strong academic performance is encouraged, the grant fund places greater emphasis on entrepreneurial vision and commitment to community improvement. This approach reflects Arman Gabay's belief that innovation and opportunity should be accessible to students from diverse academic backgrounds and disciplines. In addition to his professional accomplishments in commercial real estate, Arman Gabay maintains active involvement in charitable initiatives that support cultural, social, and local communities. The grant fund represents an extension of this commitment, providing direct support to emerging leaders who share his dedication to progress and positive change. Applications for the Arman Gabay Grant Fund for Entrepreneurs are now being accepted through August 15, 2026. The grant recipient will be announced on September 15, 2026. Selected applicants will receive recognition for their innovative thinking and a financial award to support their educational and entrepreneurial goals. Students interested in applying can find complete eligibility requirements, application guidelines, and submission instructions on the official website. The application process is designed to be straightforward, allowing students to focus on articulating their entrepreneurial vision and the impact they hope to achieve. The establishment of this grant fund marks an important step in supporting undergraduate entrepreneurs as they develop the skills and confidence needed to launch meaningful business initiatives. Through this program, Arman Gabay continues his commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation of business leaders and innovators. For additional information about the Arman Gabay Grant Fund for Entrepreneurs, eligibility criteria, and application procedures, visit the official website or contact the organization directly. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278105 Source: GYT PAREF Group, a leading European player in real estate management for over 30 years, announces that it has entered into negotiations for the sale of its Property Management Subsidiary, SOLIA Paref. Launched in June 2024, SOLIA Paref currently manages a portfolio of approximately 950 leases spread across 350 assets in France, covering all asset classes (retail, offices and logistics, senior housing and hospitality sector). SOLIA Paref provides to its clients efficient and sustainable property management through expertise and innovation. This project of divestment forms part of the PAREF group's strategy to refocus on its core business: Fund Management, Investment and Asset Management. While ensuring continuity in the high quality of service for the assets under management, this transaction would enable the Group to deploy its financial and operational resources toward its highest value-creating activities, thereby strengthening long-term performance and profitability. A meeting with PAREF's Works Council was held on December 17 to initiate the information and consultation process regarding this project. About PAREF Group PAREF is a European group dedicated to sustainable real estate performance. As a leading player in real estate investment and management, the group manages over 3 billion of AUM, two-thirds of which are located outside France. For more than 30 years, PAREF has relied on the expertise of its teams to support shareholders, investors, tenants and users. With a strong presence in France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, PAREF pursues an approach that combines profitability target, sustainability and client satisfaction. The Group serves both institutional and private investors, thereby contributing to the transformation of the real estate sector. PAREF is a company listed on Euronext Paris, Compartment C, under ISIN FR0010263202 - Ticker PAR. More information on www.paref.com Press contacts PAREF Group Samira Kadhi +33(7) 60 00 59 52 samira.kadhi@paref.com Shan Alienor Kuentz / Laetitia Baudon +33(6) 28 81 30 83 / +33(6) 16 39 76 88 paref@shan.fr ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: mW6aZpdpkm+Xl26blJZna2Vmb2yXk2TKmWSYlZZvl5/HbppnlGqVb5SWZnJmm2ho - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-95632-press-release-paref-group-exclusive-negotiations.pdf President and CEO of Siemens AG, Roland Busch, will welcome to the stage leaders from NVIDIA, Microsoft, PepsiCo and Commonwealth Fusion Systems Discussions will focus on how Siemens, together with its partners and customers, is accelerating the industrial AI revolution from design to operations Siemens today announced the lineup of industry and technology leaders who will join President and CEO Roland Busch on stage for Siemens' keynote at CES 2026. The keynote will bring together executives from NVIDIA, Microsoft, PepsiCo and Commonwealth Fusion Systems for a series of conversations focused on how AI is reshaping the physical world and transforming manufacturing, infrastructure and transportation. At the heart of the keynote: an on-stage conversation between Roland Busch and Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. Together, they will explore the next phase of industrial AI and what it will take to scale intelligence responsibly and reliably in the physical world. The discussion will reflect the growing collaboration between Siemens and NVIDIA at the intersection of AI, software, automation and infrastructure. They will also share what's next for their partnership, how AI will reshape industry and what it takes to scale intelligence from the data center to the factory floor and beyond. Throughout the keynote, Roland Busch will also speak with partners and customers who are shaping the future of industry: Jay Parikh, Executive Vice President for CoreAI at Microsoft, will discuss how the convergence of Microsoft's AI excellence and Siemens' industrial expertise will enable the next wave of industrial transformation. Athina Kanioura, CEO, Latin America and Global Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer of PepsiCo, will offer insights into how global companies are reconfiguring their operations and rethinking value creation leveraging digital twin technology and advanced simulation to stay ahead in an increasingly digital and AI-driven industrial landscape. Bob Mumgaard, CEO and Co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), will discuss how advanced technology is enabling the role of commercial fusion addressing one of the world's most complex and consequential challenges by paving the way for clean, firm and abundant energy solutions. Roland Busch will also share the technology stack powering this industrial AI revolution. He will introduce concrete opportunities for organizations to apply industrial AI in 2026 and beyond, reinforcing Siemens' commitment to making AI accessible, scalable and impactful for the industries that power the global economy. The Siemens CES 2026 keynote follows the CTA State of the Industry Address at 8:30 a.m. PST on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian and will also be livestreamed on the Siemens LinkedIn channel. In addition to the keynote, Siemens and AWS will have a joint broadcast studio at CES, featuring conversations with AI industry and thought leaders, partners and customers sharing their perspectives on the latest in AI announcements at CES as well as industrial AI adoption. The Siemens and AWS CES live broadcast studio is in the Las Vegas Convention Center North Hall (booth 8011) and livestreamed on the Siemens LinkedIn and YouTube channels. This press release is available at https://sie.ag/MyGqS Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare. The company's purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable, and transportation more sustainable. A leader in industrial AI, Siemens leverages its deep domain know-how to apply AI including generative AI to real-world applications, making AI accessible and impactful for customers across diverse industries. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a leading global medical technology provider pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. In fiscal 2025, which ended on September 30, 2025, the Siemens Group generated revenue of 78.9 billion and net income of 10.4 billion. As of September 30, 2025, the company employed around 318,000 people worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at https://www.siemens.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217504789/en/ Contacts: Contacts for journalists Siemens AG Simon Krause Phone: +49 (173) 4039683; email: krause.simon@siemens.com Siemens USA Charlie DiPasquale Phone: (+1) 240-481-6632; email: charlie.dipasquale@siemens.com Christine Whitman Phone: (+1) 202-316-2347; email: christine.whitman@siemens.com Georgia Business Journal Recognizes Modular Construction Company for Quality and Customer Support BLAIRSVILLE, GEORGIA / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / Panel Built, Inc., a leading manufacturer of modular buildings and prefabricated steel structures, has been awarded "Best of Georgia" by the Georgia Business Journal in the Steel or Steel Products Manufacturer category. The annual Best of Georgia awards are selected through a combination of reader voting and editorial review, honoring companies that deliver high-quality products and services in their fields. Panel Built's recognition reflects the company's expertise in the rapidly growing industry of modular construction, as well as its commitment to solving customers' space needs with excellence and great customer service. Founded in 1995 by brothers Pat and Mike Kiernan, Panel Built manufactures prefabricated modular systems for industrial, commercial, and government sectors. The company's wide range of products includes inplant offices, mezzanines, security booths, E-houses, cleanrooms, and exterior buildings. Each structure is custom designed to meet customers' unique challenges while complying with building codes and safety standards. "We're honored to be recognized here in Georgia," said Elizabeth Satterfield, Marketing Manager. "This state is home for us, and we take pride in creating good jobs while representing Georgia-made products and innovation on a national and international level." Headquartered in Blairsville, Georgia, Panel Built's products are proudly American-made, allowing the company to assure quality, quick turnarounds, and dedicated support throughout the complete design and construction process. For more information, visit panelbuilt.com. Contact Information esatterfield@panelbuilt.com SOURCE: Panel Built View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/industrial-and-manufacturing/panel-built-inc.-named-%22best-of-georgia%22-in-steel-products-manufacturi-1118781 Decision of the Council of State concerning the "Bleue Lorraine" concession 2030 targets confirmed Pontpierre, France - December 17th, 2025 - La Francaise de l'Energie (Euronext: FDE - ISIN: FR0013030152), low-carbon energy producer, takes note of the decision of the Council of State to cancel the decree of November 20th, 2023, granting the "Bleue Lorraine" concession despite the recommendations of the State services. This decision exclusively concerns gas present in the Lorraine subsoil that FDE anticipates producing and utilizing in Moselle, as part of the "Bleue Lorraine" concession, with a significantly lower carbon footprint than that of imported gas currently consumed in France. The company disagrees with the decision in question and intends to protect all of its interests. However, this decision has no impact on the Group's existing activities and does not affect the research program related to the discovery of natural hydrogen and the drilling currently underway at the Pontpierre site in Moselle, nor does it affect the recovery of mine gas in the Hauts-de-France region. The recovery of gas from the Lorraine subsoil has not contributed to the Group's results to date. FDE is therefore maintaining the Group's 2030 objectives and outlook. 2030 forecasts confirmed More than 175 m revenue More than 85 m EBITDA More than 20 million tons of CO? avoided Next event: H1 revenue: January 21st, 2026 after market close La Francaise de l'Energie is eligible for the PEA and PEA-PME tax-advantaged savings plans. Reuters code: FDE.PA Bloomberg code: FDE.FP Press contact@francaisedelenergie.fr + 33 (0)3 87 04 34 51 Investor Relations i r@francaisedelenergie.fr + 33 (0)3 87 04 34 51 A propos de La Francaise de l'Energie (FDE) FDE is an independent multi-energy producer dedicated to making Net Zero happen. As a specialist in local energy systems and the circular economy, FDE capitalizes on its industrial know-how ranging from engineering, energy production to CO2 storage to provide energy solutions that combine carbon footprint reduction with better resilience of the associated eco-systems. More information available on http://www.francaisedelenergie.fr Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward - looking statements and estimates concerning FDE's financial condition, operating results, strategy, projects and future performance and the markets in which it operates. Such forward-looking statements and estimates may be identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "is designed to," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "objective," "should," or the negative of these and similar expressions. They incorporate all topics that are not historical facts. Forward looking statements, forecasts and estimates are based on management's current assumptions and assessment of risks, uncertainties and other factors, known and unknown, which were deemed to be reasonable at the time they were made but which may turn out to be incorrect. Events and outcomes are difficult to predict and depend on factors beyond the company's control. Consequently, the actual results, financial condition, performances and/or achievements of FDE or of the industry may turn out to differ materially from the future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by these statements, forecasts and estimates. Owing to these uncertainties, no representation is made as to the correctness or fairness of these forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates speak only as of the date on which they are made, and FDE undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: yZ1yYJRpYm6WnnJvYcdqm5KYm2eVk2eclpXHmWRoapzIcGmTmZdmmMfHZnJmm2hq - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-95634-cp-bleue-lorraine-17122025-vuk-vf.pdf San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - December 18, 2025) - National shareholder rights law firm Hagens Berman is issuing a reminder to investors in James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE: JHX) as the December 23, 2025, lead plaintiff deadline approaches in a pending securities class action against James Hardie and certain of its key executives. The litigation alleges that James Hardie senior management misled investors by touting "robust" and "normal" inventory levels, while allegedly aware that channel partners were aggressively destocking as early as April 2025. When this alleged deception was purportedly disclosed on August 20, 2025, it immediately caused a 34% stock collapse and was followed by the abrupt November 17 resignation of CFO Rachel Wilson. Hagens Berman, which is investigating the claims in the pending litigation, urges investors with substantial losses to submit their information now. DEEPER DIVE: Read Hagens Berman's latest blog post on James Hardie's alleged inventory deception, Alleged Inventory Deception: Investors Claim James Hardie Concealed Weak Demand, or view our latest video summary of the allegations: Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hXU4zX9asY "Consistent with the complaint's allegations, we are investigating whether the purported strength in the North American segment was actually the result of inventory loading," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the firm's investigation in this matter. Class Action Suit Alleges Inventory Loading Alleged Deceptive Inventory Statements: The lawsuit alleges that despite witnessing North America Fiber Cement customers destocking inventory as early as April and early May 2025 , the defendants issued numerous false assurances that the segment remained strong and expressly denied that destocking was occurring. Concealment of Inventory Loading: Investors were allegedly kept in the dark regarding inventory loading by channel partners. The complaint alleges these practices were concealed while the company emphasized sustainable customer demand. The August 2025 Disclosure: On August 19, 2025, James Hardie revealed that sales in its critical North America Fiber Cement segment had declined by 12% due to the customer destocking first identified by defendants months earlier. 34% Market Correction: Following this disclosure, the price of James Hardie common stock plummeted by over 34%, resulting in significant financial losses for shareholders. Next Steps for James Hardie (JHX) Investors: Investors who purchased James Hardie stock (JHX) between May 20, 2025, and August 18, 2025, and suffered substantial losses, are encouraged to contact Hagens Berman immediately to discuss their legal options and potential appointment as Lead Plaintiff. TO SUBMIT YOUR JAMES HARDIE (JHX) LOSSES NOW, PLEASE USE THE SECURE FORM BELOW: Submit your JHX losses now Contact: Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email JHX@hbsslaw.com To read more about the issue facing JHX investors, visit, https://www.hbsslaw.com/cases/james-hardie-industries-plc-jhx-securities-class-action. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding James Hardie should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email JHX@hbsslaw.com. # # # About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman's team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278517 Source: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Tajiri Resources Corp. (TSXV: TAJ) ("Tajiri" or the "Company") is pleased to report results of initial trenching from its majority-owned Yono Gold Property contiguous to the multi-million ounce gold endowmenti shared between the properties of G2 Goldfields Inc. "G2" and G Mining Ventures Corp. "GMin." Seven trenches reported today were excavated, except for YTR3 which tested better auger values along the northern boundary of the Property, to gather stratigraphic and structural information prior to the receipt of the Company's initial auger results. Although the trenches reported today did not test the most anomalous auger results previously announced October 7th and November 6th, 2025, multiple zones of gold mineralisation were intersected including several higher-grade intervals. Notably, the style of higher-grade mineralisation observed at Yono closely resembles that at G2's Oko Main Zone ("OMZ"), where high-grade gold is hosted in narrow shear zones along contacts between graphitic metasediments with other lithologies as reported in the 43-101 of Lewis et al. 2025i. All trench results are tabulated in the appended Table of Significant Intersections and the locations of trenches and mineralised intervals are shown in Figure 1 while a description of the methodology employed in trench sampling is given after the Table of Intersections. The length of trenching reported herein totals 1,032 meters and all reported intercepts are intersected not true widths. *View all Figures associated with this announcement visit https://tinyurl.com/TAJ-TrenchingNo1 Trench Highlights i) Trench YTR 2 a 14m long trench intersected 2m @ 30.2 g/t Au from 10m (all trenches have been sampled from west to east) associated with quartz veinlets associated with the contact between a 4m wide graphitic unit and volcaniclastics. The trench was dug near previously reported grab samples which returned up to 800g/t, from quartz rubble in a small artisanal working. The trench is limited on its eastern side by a large area of alluvial workings. The association of a narrow high-grade interval with graphitic metasediments is comparable to mineralisation at OMZ and given the location of the intersection in YTR2 near the projected extensions of the western zones at OMZ it may represent a continuation of the western part of OMZ into Yono. Approximately 80m of prospective ground remains to the east beneath alluvial workings and the trench will be extended to the west to close any potential across strike gap with YTR1. ii) Trench YTR4 intersected 2m @ 41.3g/t Au, together with additional lower grade intervals of 2m @ 2.65g/t and 3m @ 1.2g/t Au. The mineralisation is associated with the contacts of a narrow west dipping diorite and lie 20-40m to the west of a ~200m thick unit of carbonaceous siltstones (see Figures 4 & 5). The contacts exhibit weak shearing, early deformed and later extensional quartz and quartz carbonate veins. The western contact exhibits a marked zone of brecciation with a matrix enriched in iron and manganese oxides together with minor fuchsite. If one includes all the mineralisation between 34 and 53m (internal dilution of up to 8m) then the combined interval gives a length weighted intercept of 19m @ 4.6g/t. iii) Trench YTR3 returned 0.3m @ 6.2g/t Au from 80m on the eastern contact between a ~40m thick unit of graphitic metasediments interbedded with volcaniclastics (see Figure 2 A). While narrow, the intersection confirms the contact is gold-bearing. Given the short strike lengths of mineralised shoots at OMZ associated with significant resources (e.g. most of the ~ 500k oz gold resource in Shear Zone 5 is contained within a strike a length of ~ 150mi and begins ~100m below surface) the contact remains highly prospective to "blossom" along strike or down dip. YTR3 also intersected a broader low-grade interval- 20m @ 0.2g/t Au from 34m-54m associated with the western contact of the graphitic metasediment unit. During mapping, given the presence of unsampled quartz-carbonate vein fragments in the upper portions of the trench and that west of ~ 65m along the trench geology strikes subparallel to the trench, the low-grade zone was interpreted to be wall rock mineralisation of a vein zone striking subparallel to YTR3. Subsequently, YTR16 was excavated perpendicular to YT3. While assays are yet to be received for YTR16 the trench intersected an intense zone of quartz carbonate veining and alteration of ~ 8m width (4-14m) with less intense veining and alteration present over its entire 20m length (see Figure 2B). Panning of several veins has returned 60->100 very fine eyes of gold but given the gold's grain size, veining may yet to be shown to be only weakly mineralised. Importantly mapping of YTR16 and YTR3 has revealed the unit of interbedded carbonaceous sediments and volcaniclastics hosting the veins is strongly folded around late F2 or F3 fold axes striking 065 238/92-075 238/92 and plunging southwest into Yono. The gold bearing quartz-carbonate veins also appear to be fold controlled occurring along the foliation and contact parallel zones forming axial planar, leg and saddle reefs. This structural configuration is similar to that given in Figure 4 of the Company's November 6th, 2025 press release (reproduced here as Figure 3) and is in strong concordance with structural observations on the controls on mineralisation at both OMZ and GMin's Oko West Deposit "OKWD" (as described in the 43-101s referenced in the end notei). As such, late F2/F3 folds have potential to both localise higher-grade mineralised shoots within generally north-south striking structures and lithologies and to host mineralisation along the ENE-WSW strike and plunge of the late folds (see Figure 4). iv) Trench YTR7 intersected 1m @ 10.8g/t Au potentially extending mineralisation 50m into Yono from the NE trending Ghanie West Artisanal Working. However, the mapped orientation of the zone- striking NNE- also suggests the zone may be associated with a ~north-south striking splay structures related to the OKWD. v) Other Trenches YTR1, YTR5, the central portion of YTR4 and YTR4A intersected lower tenor mineralisation (e.g. 2m @ 2.8g/t & 6m @ 0.6g/t Au). While modest, these results demonstrate the occurrence of multiple mineralised zones within Yono that may improve along strike or down dip. This is a marked feature of mineralisation in the Yono-Oko district where gold mineralisation post dates vein formation as elucidated by Davis and reported in Lewis et al 2025 i : Dead zones in veins are to be expected. This is because the veins are simply hosts but pre-date the mineralisation. The intersection of a permeability network that has been accessed by gold-bearing fluids after vein formation is necessary to produce zones of significant mineralisation. As such, identification of competent hosts (i.e. the veins) and the prospective shears is critical. Keep in mind that other competent hosts favourable for formation of gold depositional sites (e.g. zones of alteration, rigid igneous intrusions, homogenous and massive sedimentary units), may be present. If all the criteria are present but grade isn't, it means we are on the prospective structure and that more drilling is justified. A lack of gold in assay means this is the cliche of a technical success and that good grades may be very close by, just not in the small-volume sample in the initial hole. Exploration Progress Currently a 2,610m trenching program, targeting better auger anomalies is underway. To date, 1,135 m has been completed. Field operations will pause for Christmas between December 18 and January 12. Trenching and mapping has identified duricrust and underlying mottled zone capping a large portion of Yono (see Figure 6). Test pits along YTR10 has revealed the duricrust and mottled zone and thus potential zone of strong surficial gold depletion can reach depths of at least 12m. As a result, the Company is evaluating power auger drilling and/or shallow RC drilling to effectively test gold anomalies beneath the duricrust cap. Summary & Outlook Initial trenching, despite being uniformed by auger results, has intersected multiple zones of gold mineralisation with potential to develop along strike or at depth. Mineralisation style associated with the higher-grade intercepts within Yono closely resembles that at OMZ where (as reported in Lewis et al 2025i) gold is concentrated in narrow high-grade shoots along graphitic contacts. Mapping of YTR16 suggest late ENE trending folding may play a key role in localising mineralisation along structures and contacts of gross north-south strike and/or extending mineralisation along the previously untested ENE strike direction. A substantial strike length and thickness of graphitic metasediments is indicated within Yono, extending from YTR3 in the north, through YTR4 and continuing southwards (Figure 4). Given the strong control this lithology plays in hosting high-grade gold mineralisation at OMZ and the confirmation that the contacts of the graphitic unit within Yono are mineralised, the entire strike extent of this graphitic unit emerges as a large compelling first order exploration target within the central area of Yono. Given the presence and potential importance of the graphitic units within Yono to host significant mineralisation, and that graphitic lithologies respond well to electromagnetic survey methods, the company is currently assessing initiating high-resolution IP/Resistivity and/or TEM surveys in early 2026 to both delineate graphitic units and locate potential sulphide accumulations associated with potential mineralisation across Yono. President and CEO of Tajiri, Mr. Graham Kevil commented: "These first trench results confirm Yono hosts multiple zones of mineralization as well as high-grade gold localised in what can now be deemed to be readily identifiable structural and stratigraphic settings. These settings are directly analogous to those of the neighbouring deposits hosting the multi-million ounce gold resourcesi of G Mining Ventures and G2 Goldfields. As our exploration and understanding progress, our confidence grows that not only will Yono play an important role in the ongoing development of these other regional deposits, but that Yono has potential to deliver significant new and material gold discoveries. We look forward to receiving further results from trenching and advancing to drill testing in 2026." On Behalf of the Board, Tajiri Resources Corp. Graham Keevil, President & CEO About Tajiri Resources Tajiri Resources Corp. is a junior gold exploration and development Company with exploration assets located in the emerging premier gold destination of Guyana, South America. Lead by a team of industry professionals with a combined 100 plus years' experience - 40 of that in Guyana; and a track record of discovering ~20 million ounces of gold in Western Australia, West Africa and Guyana- the Company's goal is to generate the highest possible returns for shareholders through exploration and discovery. Methodology Trenches were dug by a 25 tonne New Holland excavator, rented by the Company. Ground is first cleared and soil and laterite overburden is removed to a depth 2-4m in an upper bench. Thence the trench is dug to a total depth of 6-7m (2-3m below the upper bench) to reach underlying saprolite where possible. Sampling is routinely conducted as horizontal channels taken on the south side of the trench along the floor mostly as 2m continuous composites. The entire length of a trench is sampled and in areas of potential interest the sampling interval may be tailored to the interval of interest with sample intervals of 1m or less if required (e.g. YTR3 @ 80-80.3m). Trench walls are cleaned prior to channel sampling, preventing contamination from higher in the weathered profile. All trenches are sampled from west to east and intervals reported herein are referenced from the western end of trenches. Orientations and positions of all reported trenches and intersections are shown in Figure 1 together with the mineralised intervals referred to in the Table of significant intersections. Except for Trenches YTR6 and YTR7 all trenches were excavated in an east west orientation to cut inferred dominant north-south striking zones. Samples, weighing typically between 2-5kg, are bagged and labelled immediately after sampling and stored on site until transport to either Actlabs or MSA laboratories in Georgetown Guyana, respecting industry standard chain of custody procedures. At Actlabs samples are dried and crushed to 80% passing 2mm and a 250g aliquot is riffle split and pulverised and analysed by 50-gram fire assay. At MSA labs a 1,000-gram aliquot is pulverised. Initial assay readings are by atomic absorption with samples returning values greater than 3.0g/t being re-assayed with a gravimetric finish. The detection limit for both laboratories is 5ppb. The company inserts a QA/QC sample every 10th sample alternating between duplicates, blanks and standards. Bulk rejects and pulps are retained for 3 months for any required re-assay after which bulk rejects are discarded and pulps retained. Qualified Person The scientific and technical contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Dominic O'Sullivan B.Sc. and Executive Chairman of the Company. Mr. O'Sullivan is an Honours Graduate of the University of Sydney and a member of the AusIMM and a qualified person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward- looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release, including without limitation; estimated timing, obtaining the final approval of the TSXV, geological interpretations relating to the Yono Gold Property and potential mineral recovery processes or results. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward- looking statements. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy and / or accuracy of this release. Table of Significant Trench Intercepts Trench Total Length Metres From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t YTR1 180 64 66 2 2.8 110 112 2 0.4 136 142 6 0.6 168 170 2 2.6 YTR2 14 10 12 2 30.6 YTR3 100 36 56 20 0.2 80 80.3 0.3 6.2 YTR4 288 34 36 2 2.3 44 47 3 1.2 51 53 2 41.3 126 128 2 0.2 148 150 2 0.2 YTR 4A 24 8 10 2 0.3 22 24 2 0.2 YTR5 264 98 100 1 0.6 212 218 8 0.4 YTR6 112 N.S.A YTR7 50 40 41 1 10.8 Intercepts are reported with a maximum of 2m of internal dilution at a cutoff grade of 0.2g/t. Internal dilution has only been applied to the intervals 36-56m in YT3 and 212-218m in YTR5. All intervals are given as the intersected widths and while strikes and dips of structures, contacts and veins associated with mineralised intervals have been measured during routine mapping of the trenches, given the early nature of exploration and the fact that vein orientations within shear zones commonly occupy an array or orientations often oblique to the true strike and width of a mineralised zones we cannot at this stage give a true width for the mineralised intervals given in the above table. End notes: i The disclosure in this news release includes information on properties adjacent to Tajiri's projects. Tajiri has no interest in or rights to acquire any interest in such adjacent properties, and the information presented is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Yono Gold Property. The results from adjacent properties are disclosed strictly to provide context and should not be interpreted as suggesting that similar results will be obtained from the Yono Gold Property. Mineral Resources quantified for the neighbouring properties may be found on p17 and p1-14 respectively of the below referenced Technical Reports. Lewis W. J., Sarkar C., San Martin A.J. & Gowans R. (2025) NI 43-101 Technical Report for the 2025 Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Oko Gold Property in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, South America, Effective Date March1, 2025; Report Date: April 24, 2025. Micon International; report prepared for G2 Goldfields Inc. https://g2goldfields.com/technical/ Beaulieu C, Leahy K., Lincoln N., Burelle A., Guido S., Murphy P., Behrens da Franca P.R,. (2025) Feasibility Study NI43-101 Technical Report Oko West Project, Effective Date April 28, 2025, Issue Date June 06, 2025. G Mining Services; report prepared for G Mining Ventures. https://downloads.ctfassets.net/hdghwvgt3xim/42yNQ6zp8FAkSRXacGSzIk/86eacbd8f9c5798be50c098fc64097f1/GMIN_2025_OKO_WEST_FS_Technical_Report_43-101-_FINAL_WEBSITE.pdf Summary Resources are tabulated below and total Open Pit and Underground resources: G2 OMZ, Ghanie & Oko NW Tonnage Grade (g/t) Contained ounces (Millions of ounces) Total Indicated Resources 13,435,000 3.4 1.471 Total Inferred Resources 20,511,000 2.5 1.635 GMin OKWD Total Indicated Resources 80,259,000 2.1 5.407 Total Inferred Resources 5,127,000 2.4 0.39 G2 & GMin Combined Combined Total Indicated Res. 93,694,000 2.3 6.878 Combined Total Inferred Res. 25,638,000 2.5 2.025 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278401 Source: Tajiri Resources Corp. Total passenger traffic up 8.5% YoY, up 7.4% YoY in Argentina International passenger traffic up 12.3% YoY; up 12.8% YoY in Argentina Corporacion America Airports S.A. (NYSE: CAAP), ("CAAP" or the "Company"), one of the leading private airport operators in the world, reported today an 8.5% year-on-year (YoY) increase in passenger traffic in November 2025. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217421878/en/ Monthly Passenger Traffic Performance (In million PAX) Passenger Traffic, Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements Highlights (2025 vs. 2024) Statistics Nov'25 Nov'24 % Var. YTD'25 YTD'24 % Var. Domestic Passengers (thousands) 3,824 3,663 4.4% 40,512 37,224 8.8% International Passengers (thousands) 2,645 2,355 12.3% 31,283 28,203 10.9% Transit Passengers (thousands) 669 558 19.8% 7,342 6,588 11.4% Total Passengers (thousands)1 7,138 6,576 8.5% 79,136 72,015 9.9% Cargo Volume (thousand tons) 39.7 40.0 -0.6% 365.6 358.6 2.0% Total Aircraft Movements (thousands) 72.0 68.6 5.0% 799.6 750.4 6.6% 1 Following the friendly termination process concluded in February 2024, CAAP no longer operates Natal airport. Statistics for Natal are available up to February 18, 2024. Excluding Natal for comparison purposes, total passenger traffic YTD was up 10.5%. Passenger Traffic Overview Total passenger traffic increased by 8.5% in November compared to the same month in 2024. Domestic passenger traffic rose by 4.4% YoY, largely driven by Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador. Meanwhile, international traffic grew by 12.3%, with all operating countries contributing positively on a YoY basis except Ecuador, including double-digit growth in Argentina, Armenia, Italy, and Brazil. Notably, Argentina accounted for 50% of the total YoY traffic growth in November. In Argentina, total passenger traffic increased by 7.4% YoY, driven by strong performance across both the international and domestic segments. Domestic traffic grew by 3.6% YoY, supported by higher load factors exceeding 90% on most key domestic routes. In November, Aerolineas Argentinas resumed its service to Rio Cuarto, Cordoba, while JetSMART and Flybondi increased frequencies on their Buenos Aires-Resistencia and Buenos Aires-San Juan routes, respectively. International traffic also remained solid, rising 12.8% YoY, supported by several developments, including Arajet's increase from 10 to 13 weekly flights during the summer season on its Buenos Aires-Punta Cana route. Additionally, Delta introduced a second frequency on the Atlanta-Buenos Aires route, to be operated during the 2025/2026 summer season, while Copa reached daily service on its Mendoza-Panama route, and LEVEL increased to 12 weekly flights on its Buenos Aires-Barcelona route. In Italy, passenger traffic grew by 10.4% compared to the same month in 2024. International passenger traffic, which accounted for nearly 80% of total traffic, rose a strong 16.3% YoY, driven by double-digit growth at both Florence and Pisa airports. Domestic passenger traffic declined by 6.1% YoY, reflecting a decrease in aircraft movements, partly due to Airbus A320 technical issues that led to flight cancellations at some airlines. In Brazil, total passenger traffic increased by 10.8% YoY, reflecting an improvement in traffic trends despite ongoing challenges in the aviation environment. Domestic traffic, which accounted for almost 60% of total traffic, rose by 8.1% YoY, while transit passengers increased by 14.4% YoY. Notably, although representing a small share of total traffic (5%), international traffic grew by 18.3% YoY. In Uruguay, total passenger traffic, predominantly international, increased by 7.5% YoY. Among other developments, traffic in November benefited from the addition of two weekly frequencies by SKY Airlines on its Santiago de Chile route, while Punta del Este Airport anticipates a strong peak season, with GOL and Aerolineas Argentinas increasing their services. In Ecuador, where security concerns persist, passenger traffic increased by 2.7% YoY. International traffic declined by 1.4% YoY, while domestic traffic increased by 7.6% YoY. High airfares continued to weigh on travel demand. In Armenia, passenger traffic increased by a strong 15.9% YoY, supported by the introduction of new airlines and routes, as well as increased flight frequencies. In October, Wizz Air launched a new base at Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport, deploying two aircraft and adding eight new direct routes to Europe. Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements Cargo volume decreased slightly by 0.6% YoY, with negative YoY contributions from all countries of operations, except for Argentina. Performance by country was as follows: Argentina (+9.4%), Brazil (-24.1%), Italy (-10.1%), Armenia (-9.3%), Uruguay (-4.5%), and Ecuador (-3.2%). Argentina, Brazil, and Armenia accounted for over 80% of total cargo volume in November. Aircraft movements increased by 5.0% YoY, with positive contributions from all countries of operation, except Ecuador: Uruguay (+15.1%), Brazil (+9.5%), Armenia (+7.9%), Italy (+7.6%), Argentina (+3.8%), and Ecuador (-3.0%). Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador accounted for more than 80% of total aircraft movements in November. Summary Passenger Traffic, Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements (2025 vs. 2024) Nov'25 Nov'24 % Var. YTD'25 YTD'24 % Var. Passenger Traffic (thousands) Argentina 4,075 3,793 7.4% 43,040 38,051 13.1% Italy 612 554 10.4% 9,190 8,473 8.5% Brazil (1) 1,444 1,303 10.8% 15,187 14,210 6.9% Uruguay 190 176 7.5% 2,094 2,041 2.6% Ecuador 391 381 2.7% 4,317 4,294 0.5% Armenia 427 368 15.9% 5,308 4,946 7.3% TOTAL 7,138 6,576 8.5% 79,136 72,015 9.9% (1) Following the friendly termination process concluded in February 2024, CAAP no longer operates Natal airport. Statistics for Natal are available up to February 18, 2024. Excluding Natal for comparison purposes, total passenger traffic YTD was up 10.5% for CAAP and 9.7% for Brazil. Cargo Volume (tons) Argentina 23,704 21,667 9.4% 194,430 186,287 4.4% Italy 1,051 1,170 -10.1% 11,639 11,896 -2.2% Brazil 4,653 6,130 -24.1% 56,655 59,963 -5.5% Uruguay 3,122 3,269 -4.5% 32,248 29,241 10.3% Ecuador 3,032 3,131 -3.2% 32,570 34,024 -4.3% Armenia 4,183 4,611 -9.3% 38,102 37,185 2.5% TOTAL 39,745 39,977 -0.6% 365,643 358,596 2.0% Aircraft Movements Argentina 41,373 39,873 3.8% 437,724 407,025 7.5% Italy 5,554 5,161 7.6% 83,203 77,074 8.0% Brazil 12,585 11,490 9.5% 137,768 131,326 4.9% Uruguay 3,092 2,687 15.1% 30,023 28,878 4.0% Ecuador 6,193 6,387 -3.0% 71,440 69,627 2.6% Armenia 3,219 2,984 7.9% 39,435 36,446 8.2% TOTAL 72,016 68,582 5.0% 799,593 750,376 6.6% About Corporacion America Airports Corporacion America Airports acquires, develops and operates airport concessions. Currently, the Company operates 52 airports in 6 countries across Latin America and Europe (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Armenia and Italy). In 2024, Corporacion America Airports served 79.0 million passengers, 2.7% (or 0.4% excluding Natal) below the 81.1 million passengers served in 2023, and 6.2% below the 84.2 million served in 2019. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange where it trades under the ticker "CAAP". For more information, visit http://investors.corporacionamericaairports.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217421878/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations Contact Patricio Inaki Esnaola Email: patricio.esnaola@caairports.com Phone: +5411 4899-6716 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) (OTCQX: STPGF) (FSE: 2J9) ("Steppe Gold" or the "Company") announces that Mr. Bataa Tumur-Ochir has resigned from his roles as Chairman of the board of directors (the "Board") and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of the Company, effective immediately. Dulguun Erdenebaatar has been appointed Chairman of the Board, and Tserenbadam Dugeree has been appointed CEO. Mr Erdenebaatar is the CEO of Boroo Pte Ltd. and has led the group in its recent growth phase. The Board believes Mr. Erdenebaatar's extensive leadership experience and deep understanding of Mongolia's mining and regulatory environment will strengthen the Company's governance and long-term strategic execution. His appointment will support Steppe Gold's focus on sustainable growth, disciplined capital allocation, and enhanced shareholder value. Mr Dugeree already leads the in-country operations team at Steppe Gold. He brings a proven track record in Mongolia, showing strategic leadership and operational excellence in his prior roles. He has deep experience scaling mining groups, building high-performing teams, and forging strong partnerships. Steppe Gold views this leadership transition as an opportunity to build on Steppe Gold's strong foundation and accelerate its next phase of growth. Given that the new Chairman represents the Company's major shareholder, Boroo Pte Ltd., the Board intends to appoint an independent lead director to assume the duties of the Chairman as and when required to address any actual or potential conflicts of interest. This appointment will also provide independent oversight and reinforce the Company's commitment to strong governance standards. Mr. Tumur-Ochir has advised the Board that his decision was made after careful consideration and is not the result of any disagreement with the Board, management, or shareholders of the Company. He will remain a significant long-term shareholder of Steppe Gold and has expressed his continued support for the Company's strategy and future success. The Company would like to express its sincere gratitude to Mr. Tumur-Ochir for his leadership and contributions to Steppe Gold. Under his tenure, Steppe Gold evolved from an early-stage development company into a publicly listed gold producer with a strong asset base in Mongolia and a clear long-term growth profile. Mr. Tumur-Ochir played a central role in shaping the Company's strategic direction, strengthening its institutional presence, and advancing its operations. About Steppe Gold Steppe Gold is Mongolia's premier precious metals company. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain statements or disclosures relating to the Company that are based on the expectations of its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company which may constitute forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. All such statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results, or developments that the Company anticipates or expects may, or will, occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of the words "commenced", "continued", "will", "commitment" and similar expressions. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following: the appointment of new executive leadership, appointment of a lead director, commitment to governance standards, the timing and outcome of the Board's search process and the Company's future strategy and development plans. Such statements reflect the Company's current expectations and speak only as of the date of this news release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements. The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278354 Source: Steppe Gold Ltd. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Eric Sprott announces that today, through 2176423 Ontario Ltd., a corporation he beneficially owns, he donated 163,306,752 common shares (Shares) of Wallbridge Mining Company Limited to The Sprott Foundation (which he controls). Combined with prior Share issuances by Wallbridge Mining, this resulted in a decrease in holdings of approximately 8.0% of the outstanding Shares on a partially diluted basis since the date of the last early warning report. Prior to the donation of these Shares, Mr. Sprott beneficially owned and controlled 165,306,752 Shares, representing approximately 13.5% of the issued and outstanding Shares. As a result of the donation, Mr. Sprott still beneficially owns and controls 2,000,000 Shares, representing approximately 0.2% of the outstanding Shares. However, Mr. Sprott still controls the 163,306,752 Shares donated to The Sprott Foundation. Therefore, Mr. Sprott still controls 165,306,752 Shares, representing approximately 13.5% of the issued and outstanding Shares. The securities are held for investment purposes. Mr. Sprott has a long-term view of the investment and may acquire additional securities including on the open market or through private acquisitions or sell the securities including on the open market or through private dispositions in the future depending on market conditions, reformulation of plans and/or other relevant factors. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278419 Source: Eric Sprott Highlights: Manufacturing site in Florida expands TempraMed's U.S. production footprint Increases capacity to meet rising demand from healthcare organizations, pharmacies, payors, and device manufacturers Shortens delivery timelines and improves service for customers in the United States where majority of devices have been sold to date Reduces COGS through localized production, improved logistics efficiency, and advanced manufacturing processes Opens new global markets for B2B customers, and large, global retailers Reinforces TempraMed's long-term commercialization strategy and supply-chain resilience Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - TempraMed Technologies Ltd. (CSE: VIVI) (FSE: 9DY) ("TempraMed" or the "Company"), a medical technology innovator transforming how temperature-sensitive medications are stored and managed, is pleased to announce that it has opened an additional U.S. manufacturing facility in Florida. The additional site expands the Company's operational capacity and enhances its ability to serve the rapidly growing demand for TempraMed's temperature-stable medication-storage devices across the United States and globally. Due to anticipated B2B demand, the new facility will support high-volume production of TempraMed's core product line-including VIVI Cap, VIVI Epi, as well as the upcoming products, including VIVI Box smart-storage platform-while enabling improved delivery times, tighter quality control, and increased supply-chain flexibility. By localizing production within the U.S., the Company is also positioned to meaningfully reduce cost of goods sold (COGS) through streamlined logistics, reduced import dependencies, and optimized manufacturing workflows. "Opening a new manufacturing site marks a major step in strengthening our U.S. presence and ensuring we can meet the accelerating needs of healthcare providers, pharmacies, payors, and strategic partners," said Ron Nagar, CEO of TempraMed. "Domestic manufacturing gives us the scale, speed, and reliability required to support some of the fastest-growing segments in temperature-sensitive medicine-including GLP-1 therapies, biologics, and self-injectables. It also directly supports our commitment to deliver high-quality, cost-effective solutions that protect patients, reduce waste, and ease the operational burden on health systems." The new site will operate alongside TempraMed's existing global manufacturing network, providing redundancy, efficiency, and a scalable platform for future product introductions. The Company anticipates continued growth in B2B demand as medication manufacturers, distributors, and healthcare systems adopt new standards for in-home and point-of-care temperature management. "Expanding our U.S. manufacturing footprint strengthens every part of our business-commercialization, cost structure, and customer satisfaction," added Nagar. "It positions TempraMed to become the preferred partner for organizations seeking robust, compliant, and sustainable solutions for protecting high-value medications." About TempraMed Technologies Ltd. TempraMed Technologies Ltd. is a global leader in innovative, temperature-controlled medication storage solutions. Founded with the mission to safeguard the effectiveness of life-saving medications, TempraMed develops patented, FDA-registered, space-grade thermal insulation devices that work 24/7 without batteries or external power. With a proven product line including VIVI Cap and VIVI Epi, and a smart technology platform on the horizon, TempraMed enables patients and healthcare providers to confidently manage temperature-sensitive medications anywhere, anytime. Headquartered in Israel with operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, TempraMed is advancing the future of medication protection and adherence. Cautionary Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements or information." Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, may, should, will and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include statements made regarding information about future plans, expectations and objectives of the Company overall. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the adequacy of our cash flow and earnings, the availability of future financing and/or credit, developments and changes in laws and regulations, consumer sentiment towards the Company's products, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, competition, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions, the impact of technology and social changes on the products and industry. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278378 Source: TempraMed Technologies Ltd Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSXV: MEK) (FSE: M1C1) (the "Company" or Metals Creek) announces that, subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), it intends to complete a non-brokered flow-through private placement financing (the "Financing") for proceeds of up to $200,000. The Company intends to issue up to 5,000,000 flow-through units at a price of $0.04 per unit (the "FT Units")) for aggregate proceeds of up to $200,000. Each FT Unit consists of one flow-through common share (the "FT Shares") and one-half of a non-flow through common share purchase warrant (the "FT Warrants"), each whole FT Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional non-flow through common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.06 per common share for a period of 24 months from the date of issue. The FT Shares will entitle the holder to receive the tax benefits applicable to flow-through shares, in accordance with provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada). In connection with the Financing, the Company may pay finders' fees in cash or securities or a combination of both, as permitted by Exchange policies. All securities issued pursuant to the Financing will be subject to a four-month hold period. About Metals Creek Resources Corp. Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property including the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario and has an 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF). Metals Creek also has multiple quality projects available for option which can be viewed on the Company's website. Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact the Company at the number below. Additional information concerning the Company is contained in documents filed by the Company with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278427 Source: Metals Creek Resources Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Fuerte Metals Corporation (TSXV: FMT) (OTCQB: FUEMF) ("Fuerte" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of voting at its Annual General and Special Meeting held December 17, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. A total of 41,536,092 common shares were voted, representing 34.30% of the issued and outstanding common shares as at the record date of the meeting. Shareholders voted in favour of all items put forward by the Company. As a result: The number of directors was set at seven with the following nominees elected as directors: Chris Beer, Scott V.A. Hicks, Shannon McCrae, Dawson Proudfoot, Sandip Rana, Tracy Reynolds and Tim Warman. Davidson and Company LLP were re-appointed as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year. The Company approved a new Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan to replace its Long-Term Incentive Plan. Appointment of Technical Advisors Fuerte is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Kerry Sparkes and Mr. Scott J. Hicks as technical advisors to the board of directors. These individuals possess a deep technical background and industry experience that will be invaluable to the Company and the board of directors as we move the project forward through technical studies, engineering and toward a construction decision. Coupled with the capabilities added through the recently announced engagements with WSP and G Mining Services, the Company is extremely well positioned with industry-leading technical partners. "The Board is pleased to welcome Kerry Sparkes and Scott Hicks as Technical Advisors," said Chris Beer, Chair of the Board. "Their depth of technical, operational, and project-development experience meaningfully strengthens the Board's ability to oversee the advancement of the Coffee Project through engineering, permitting, and toward a construction decision." Kerry Sparkes has over 35 years of experience in mineral exploration as an exploration geologist and mining executive. His career has included the exploration, delineation and development of two major Canadian deposits (Voisey's Bay & Rainy River), both of which were the subject of takeovers. Recently, he served as technical advisor and director to Prime Mining Corp., (bought by Torex Gold Resources Inc., in 2025), and was previously Vice President-Geology for Franco Nevada Corporation. He was also a founder and director of Orla Mining Ltd. Mr. Sparkes is currently President of Sparrowhawk Consulting Ltd. and sits on the boards of Aurion Resources Ltd., and Fokus Mining Corp. He received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Memorial University of Newfoundland and is a registered professional geologist in Newfoundland & Labrador. Scott J. Hicks (no relation to director Scott V.A. Hicks) was most recently the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Prime Mining Corp, where he led the advancement of the Los Reyes project and recent successful sale of the company to Torex Gold Resources. He has over 20 years of industry experience, including roles as Senior Vice President of Technical Services with Kinross Gold Corp. and positions with Inco Ltd. and Vale in corporate development, strategic planning, and financial evaluation. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mining Engineering from Queen's University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder. Equity Awards The Company has granted 975,000 incentive stock options and 171,839 Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") to certain directors, employees, consultants and advisors of the Company. Pursuant to the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, the incentive stock options are exercisable at a price of $4.51 each for a period of five years and both options and RSUs are subject to vesting provisions. About Fuerte Metals Corporation Fuerte Metals is a Canadian exploration and development company focused on advancing high-potential precious metals and base metals projects across the Americas. Our flagship asset is the 100%-owned Coffee Project in the Yukon, Canada - a high-quality gold project advancing through the final stages of permitting, engineering, and resource expansion drilling in preparation for a construction decision. Coffee hosts 3.0 million ounces of open-pit heap-leach Measured and Indicated Resource and an Inferred Resource of 0.8 million ounces. We respectfully acknowledge that protection of the water and lands around the Coffee Creek and mine project area is of high importance to First Nations. Through cooperation, transparency, and respect, we pledge to continue to build on relationships with Tr'ondek Hwech'in, White River First Nation, Selkirk First Nation, and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, whose Traditional Territories overlap or partially overlap with the project access road, and areas where exploration and mining activities may occur. In addition to Coffee, Fuerte holds a portfolio of copper and gold assets, including the Placeton-Caballo Muerto Project in Chile and the Cristina and Yecora Projects in Mexico, offering additional growth and exploration upside. At Fuerte, we are committed to building value through disciplined project development, responsible stewardship of the land, a safety-focused culture, and creating long-term returns for shareholders. Qualified Person Alan J. San Martin, P.Eng. and Charley Murahwi, P.Geo. from Micon International Limited are the Qualified Persons (QPs) who prepared the Coffee Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate, as detailed in the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the 2025 Mineral Resource Estimate Update on the Coffee Gold Project, Yukon, Canada" with an effective date of August 21, 2025. Micon International Limited is "independent" of Fuerte as defined by Section 1.5 of NI 43-101. The Coffee Technical Report is available on the Company's website at www.fuertemetals.com and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Additional Information Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: management additions; equity awards; information relating to the business of the Company including exploration and development activities and management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278417 Source: Fuerte Metals Corp. Addition of second production-ready asset to the Sierra Madre portfolio Del Toro mine restart to follow La Guitarra Expansions Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. (TSXV: SM) (OTCQX: SMDRF) ("Sierra Madre" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") on December 17, 2025 to acquire the Del Toro Silver Mine in the Chalchihuites District in Mexico ("Del Toro") from First Majestic Silver Corp. ("First Majestic") for total consideration of up to US$60 million, inclusive of delayed and contingent milestone payments (the "Transaction"). In connection with the Transaction, Sierra Madre has also entered into an engagement letter with Beacon Securities Limited ("Beacon") with respect to a best-efforts private placement offering of up to $50 million of subscription receipts (the "Offering"). Pursuant to the Transaction, Sierra Madre will acquire a 100% interest in the 2,129-hectare ("ha") Del Toro Property in Zacatecas State that includes three, fully permitted underground mines, a 3,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") flotation processing circuit and numerous historic mines. Alex Langer, Sierra Madre's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are incredibly excited to be announcing our second mine acquisition in Mexico, which provides us with the opportunity to replicate the successful restart the Sierra Madre team has achieved at La Guitarra and advance the Company towards mid-tier silver production levels. Near-term, our plan for Del Toro is to advance exploration and prepare an updated resource report while our operating team focuses on completing the two-stage expansion at La Guitarra. Our initial plan is to commence the mine restart process at Del Toro in mid-2027, with production currently slated for mid-2028. If silver prices continue on their current upward trajectory, there is a possibility of restarting Del Toro within a 12-month time period." Mr. Langer continued, "The Sierra Madre team is also incredibly grateful to participate in yet another transaction with First Majestic, which has been a strategic shareholder since 2023. We look forward to working to unlock the full potential of this past-producing operation." Greg Liller, Sierra Madre's Executive Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, commented, "Del Toro is an excellent match for our portfolio, not just on a production basis, but with considerable exploration upside. Part of our long-standing corporate business model is to acquire mines, such as La Guitarra, with existing production facilities, and then to build a resource base in under-explored, large historic mining districts. "Del Toro fits in with this business model with an already built production plant and a strategic land position in the large, under-explored Chalchihuites District. Finally, as was the case with La Guitarra, First Majestic has done an exceptional job in keeping permits current and maintaining the mine and plant in an operations-ready state." Mr. Liller continued, "Our initial exploration plans for Del Toro would include a drill program of approximately 50,000 metres, which would lead up to an updated Mineral Resource Estimate in early 2028 ahead of the possible mine restart. High priority targets include manto and chimney type Carbonate Replacement Deposits ("CRD"), skarn mineralization like the nearby La Colorada mine operated by Pan American Silver, along with the vein type deposits exploited by First Majestic." Transaction Highlights: Del Toro is a fully permitted, past-producing underground silver-gold-lead mine with an on-site process plant that operated between 2013 and 2019. Historical Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources consisting of 592,000 tonnes grading 398 g/t AgEq (silver-equivalent) for 7.57 million AgEq oz (ounces) and historical Inferred Mineral Resources of 1.19 million tonnes grading 293 g/t AgEq for 11.18 million AgEq oz . See Historical Mineral Resource Estimate section below for details including tonnes and all metal grades. [1] Three underground mines , with a total of over 62.5 km of development in place. The site includes a functional process circuit: three mills with a total capacity of 3,000 tpd , sulphide and oxide flotation circuits as well as a new dry stack tailings storage facility with a 12-year capacity at 2,000 tpd operations. Full permits for resumption of underground mining operations are valid. Del Toro is currently under care and maintenance. Exploration upside : Del Toro is located within the under-explored Chalchihuites mining district, host to numerous old mines and workings with silver (" Ag "), lead (" Pb "), zinc (" Zn ") and copper (" Cu ") mineralization. The San Martin, La Colorada and Sabinas mines are all located near the Chalchihuites village. [2] First Majestic will strengthen its strategic position in the Company by receiving US$10 million worth of Sierra Madre shares at closing as part of the upfront consideration under the Transaction. Transaction Terms Under the Transaction, Sierra Madre will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of First Majestic Del Toro, S.A. de C.V. ("Subco"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Majestic incorporated under the laws of Mexico that holds a 100% interest in Del Toro. In exchange, Sierra Madre will pay First Majestic the following consideration: upon closing of the Transaction (" Closing "), US$20 million in cash and US$10 million in Sierra Madre shares (" Shares ") at the Issue Price (defined below); within 18 months of Closing, US$10 million in cash or, at the option of the Company, Shares at a price per share equal to the market price (as determined in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the " TSXV ")) on the day prior to issuance of the Shares, subject to a maximum of 10,575,385 Shares, provided that if the aggregate deemed value (based on the market price of the Shares on the day prior to issuance) of the maximum number of Shares does not equal US$10 million, the remaining balance will be paid in cash; if, within 48 months of Closing, the Company files a National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") technical report over any or all of Del Toro that demonstrates "mineral resources" (as defined in NI 43-101) of at least 100Moz AgEq or the Company issues a news release announcing "mineral resources" of at least 100Moz AgEq, an additional US$10 million in cash or, at the option of the Company, Shares at a price per Share equal to the market price (as determined in accordance with the policies of the TSXV) on the day prior to issuance of the Shares, subject to a maximum of 10,575,385 Shares, provided that if the aggregate deemed value (based on the market price of the Shares on the day prior to issuance) of the maximum number of Shares does not equal US$10 million, the remaining balance will be paid in cash; and if, within 60 months of Closing, the Company achieves commercial production at Del Toro of at least 4,000 tpd for 30 consecutive days, an additional US$10M in cash or, at the option of the Company, Shares at a price per Share equal to the market price (as determined in accordance with the policies of the TSXV) on the day prior to issuance of the Shares, subject to a maximum of 10,575,385 Shares, provided that if the aggregate deemed value (based on the market price of the Shares on the day prior to issuance) of the maximum number of Shares does not equal US$10 million, the remaining balance will be paid in cash. Completion of the Transaction is subject to various approvals, namely acceptance by the TSXV, Mexican Antitrust approval as well as Sierra Madre disinterested shareholder approval of Sierra Madre's shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular that will be prepared in connection with the Transaction (the "Circular"), any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. All Shares issued to First Majestic under the Transaction will be subject to a hold period ending on the date that is four months and one day following the date of issuance of the Shares. In addition, First Majestic has agreed to further contractual resale restrictions on such Shares under the Purchase Agreement. A copy of the Purchase Agreement will be available under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca within ten days of this news release. As First Majestic is an insider of the Company, the Transaction will constitute a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemption from the requirement of a formal valuation for the Transaction pursuant to subsection 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 as its Shares are not listed on a specified market. The Company is not exempt from the minority shareholder approval requirements in MI 61-101, and disinterested shareholder approval will be required for the Transaction pursuant to MI 61-101 and the policies of the TSXV. A special meeting of shareholders of Sierra Madre to consider and, if deemed advisable, approve the Transaction (the "Special Meeting") is expected to be held by the end of April, 2026. In order to be approved by shareholders of the Company at the Special Meeting, the Transaction will require approval of a simple majority of the votes cast at the Special Meeting by shareholders present in person or represented by proxy excluding, for the purposes of MI 61-101, votes attached to Shares held by First Majestic or any other persons described in items (a) through (d) of Section 8.1(2) MI 61-101. Additional details regarding the terms and conditions of the Purchase Agreement as well as the rationale for the approvals made by the Board will be set out in the Circular, which will be available under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. About Del Toro The Del Toro mine is located in the northwest-west region of Zacatecas State, near the border with Durango State, approximately 224 km from Zacatecas City, and about 125 km from Durango City. Between 2015 and 2018, the underground mine produced an average of 2.54Moz of AgEq annually (or 1.42Moz silver, plus 345.5oz gold and 19.95Mlb lead annually), based on data disclosed in the Annual Information Forms of First Majestic for the years ended December 31, 2015 through 2018, dated March 31, 2016 through 2019, available for review under First Majestic's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The operation includes three underground production-ready silver mines (Perseverancia, San Juan and Dolores), approximately one and three kilometres apart, respectively as well as a 3,000 tpd flotation processing circuit with three mills. Additional infrastructure includes a dry stack tailings facility with design capacity for 12 years of operations at a rate of 2,000 tpd that is located approximately 800 metres from the process plant and an analytical lab, core shack, as well as power substations and power lines. The Chalchihuites district was discovered between 1546-1556 during the Spanish colonial period. Although production records are limited, information indicates that during more recent times at least four mines were worked intermittently (San Juan, La Esmeralda, Magistral and La Perseverancia). The mineralization at Del Toro is consistent with the CRD model. Two structural systems are present, a NW-SE system and a N-S system. These structures are host to the vein style mineralization that were the primary source of First Majestic's production. At structural intersections breccia zones and CRD chimney structures are present, with First Majestic's Cuerpo 3 deposit being the best example developed to date. There is evidence of Manto type CRD mineralization in surface exposures, old workings and intersections in the historic drilling. During due diligence of both the historic data base and examination of surface exposures a total of 23 CRD targets have been identified. Certain of the Del Toro concessions are subject to net smelter returns royalties between 1% and 2%. Historical Mineral Resource Estimate As disclosed in the Annual Information Form of First Majestic for the year ended December 31, 2024, dated March 31, 2025, available for review under First Majestic's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca, the site hosts Historical Measured and Indicated Resources of 592,000 tonnes grading 201 g/t Ag, 0.43 g/t Au (gold), 3.90% Pb and 4.27% Zn (398 g/t AgEq), for a total of 7.57 million AgEq oz. Historical Inferred Resources stand at approximately 1.19 million tonnes grading 183 g/t Ag, 0.15 g/t Au, 3.46% Pb and 1.15% Zn (293 g/t AgEq), for a total of 11.18 million oz of AgEq. [1] Notes for Historical Mineral Resource Estimates: Reported by First Majestic in a technical report titled "Technical Report for the Del Toro Silver Mine, Chalchihuites, and Zacatecas, Mexico" with an effective date of December 31, 2016 prepared by Ramon Mendoza Reyes, P.Eng., Jesus M. Velador Beltran, MMSA and Andrew Hamilton, P.Geo. and last updated in First Majestic's Annual Information Form with an effective date of December 31, 2020. The latest historical estimates were prepared by First Majestic internal "Qualified Persons" (as defined in NI 43-101) who have the appropriate relevant qualifications and experience in geology and resource estimation. The Mineral Resource estimates were prepared under the supervision of, or were reviewed by, David Rowe, CPG, Internal QP for First Majestic, a Qualified Person, as that term is defined in NI 43-101. Sample data was collected through a cutoff date of December 31, 2020. Metal prices considered for Mineral Resources estimates on December 31, 2020, were $22.50/oz Ag, $1,850/oz Au, $0.90/lb Pb and $1.05/lb Zn. Mineral Resource estimates have been classified in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, whose definitions are incorporated by reference into NI 43-101. In accordance with NI 43-101 , the Del Toro Historical Mineral Resource Estimates use the terms "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource", having the same meanings ascribed to those terms as in the CIM Standards. As these mineral resource estimates pre-date the Company's agreement to acquire Del Toro, the Company is treating them as "historical estimates" under NI 43-101, but they remain relevant as the most recent mineral resource estimates for Del Toro. No more recent estimates or data are available to Sierra Madre. Further drilling and resource modelling would be required to upgrade or verify these historical estimates as current Mineral Resources for the respective assets and accordingly, they should be relied upon only as a historical resource estimate of First Majestic, which pre-dates the Company's agreement to acquire Del Toro. Mr. Gregory Smith, P. Geo., a director of Sierra Madre, is a "Qualified Person" as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical data and information contained in this news release. However, a "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101 has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current Mineral Resources. Accordingly, a Qualified Person of the Company has not independently verified the Mineral Resources nor the other information contained herein, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current Mineral Resources. Although the Company is not treating this information as a current estimate, the Company believes David Rowe's work is reliable. Historical information may not be representative of expected results. Mineral Resources that are not mineral reserves do not have economic viability. Totals may not add up due to rounding. [2] Mineralization on nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Del Toro property. Private Placement Offering of Subscription Receipts Sierra Madre has entered into an engagement letter with Beacon, as lead agent and sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of agents (together with Beacon, the "Agents"), in connection with the Offering of up to 38,462,000 subscription receipts of the Company (the "Subscription Receipts") at a price of $1.30 per Subscription Receipt (the "Issue Price") for gross proceeds of up to $50 million. The terms of the Offering will be subject to an agency agreement to be entered into by the Company and the Agents prior to closing of the Offering. Each Subscription Receipt shall be deemed to be exercised, without payment of any additional consideration and without further action on the part of the holder thereof, for one common share of the Company (an "Underlying Share") upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions (as defined below). The Company has granted the Agents an option (the "Agents' Option"), exercisable in whole or in part by Beacon on behalf of the Agents, by giving notice to the Company at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing date of the Offering to sell up to an additional $7.5 million of Subscription Receipts at the Issue Price. On the closing date of the Offering, the net proceeds of the Offering, including 50% of the Agents' Fee (as defined below) will be placed into escrow with a Canadian trust company or other entity as mutually acceptable to the Company and Beacon (the "Subscription Receipt Agent"). The net proceeds of the Offering, together with all interest earned thereon (the "Escrowed Funds") will be released by the Subscription Receipt Agent to the Company upon: completion of the Transaction, or confirmation from the Company and First Majestic that all conditions to completion of the Transaction have been satisfied or waived; receipt of all required shareholder, regulatory and third-party approvals for the Transaction; approval for the listing of the Underlying Shares from the TSXV; other customary escrow release conditions; and the delivery of a release notice by the Company and Beacon to the Subscription Receipt Agent, (collectively, the "Escrow Release Conditions"). If the Escrow Release Conditions are not satisfied or waived (where permitted) prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the date that is 120 days after the closing date of the Offering (the "Release Deadline"), or if prior to such time, the Company advises the Agents or announces to the public that it does not intend to satisfy the Escrow Release Conditions, the Escrowed Funds (net of any applicable withholding tax) will be returned to the holders of the Subscription Receipts and the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled. The Subscription Receipts will be governed by the terms of a subscription receipt agreement to be entered into between the Company, Beacon, on its behalf and on behalf of the Agents, and the Subscription Receipt Agent. The Subscription Receipts will be offered for sale to (i) "accredited investors" resident in all provinces of Canada subject to compliance with applicable securities regulatory requirements and pursuant to private placement exemptions as set out in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions and (ii) in jurisdictions other than Canada including in the United States pursuant to available exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and applicable U.S. state securities laws. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund the completion of the Transaction, for exploration and development of Del Toro following completion of the Transaction and for general working capital purposes. Completion of a private placement financing of at least $40 million is also a condition to closing of the Transaction in favour of the Company. The Offering is expected to close on or about January 14, 2026 and is subject to the Company receiving all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSXV. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period ending on the date that is four months and one day following the closing date of the Offering. In connection with the Offering, the Company will pay to the Agents a cash commission (the "Agent's Fee") of 5.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering (subject to reduction on certain "President's List" orders) and a number of compensation options ("Compensation Options") equal to 5.0% of the number of Subscription Receipts issued by the Company under the Offering (subject to reduction on certain "President's List" orders). Of the Agents' Fee, 50% will be payable upon closing of the Offering and the remaining 50% will be payable upon release of the Escrowed Funds. Upon the satisfaction or waiver, as applicable, of the Escrow Release Conditions and the release of the Escrowed Funds, each Compensation Option will be exercisable for one common share of the Company at the Issue Price (subject to any necessary adjustments) for a period of 24 months following the date on which the Escrowed Funds are released to the Company. The securities to be sold, and any securities issuable upon conversion of the securities, under the Offering have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the "United States" (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Qualified Person Mr. Gregory Smith, P. Geo, Director of Sierra Madre, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical data and information contained in this news release. Mr. Smith has verified the technical and scientific data disclosed herein. About Sierra Madre Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. (TSXV: SM) (OTCQX: SMDRF) is a precious metals producer and exploration company focused on the Guitarra mine in the Temascaltepec mining district, Mexico, and the exploration and development of its Tepic property in Nayarit, Mexico. The Guitarra mine is a permitted underground mine, which includes a 500 t/d processing facility that operated until mid-2018 and restarted commercial production in January 2025. The +2,600 ha Tepic Project hosts low-sulphidation epithermal gold and silver mineralization with an existing historic resource. Sierra Madre's management team has played key roles in managing the exploration and development of silver and gold mineral reserves and mineral resources. Sierra Madre's team of professionals has collectively raised over $1 billion for mining companies. Cautionary Note Regarding Production Decisions The Company's decision to place a mine into commercial production, expand a mine, make other production related decisions, or otherwise carry out mining and processing operations, is largely based on internal non-public Company data and economic models prepared by the Company in conjunction with management's knowledge of the property and experience at the Company's La Guitarra property. The Company is not basing any production decisions on NI 43-101 compliant reserve estimates, preliminary economic assessments or feasibility studies and, as a result, there is greater risk and uncertainty as to future economic results from the Del Toro Mine Complex, including increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit, and a higher technical risk of failure than would be the case if a feasibility study were completed and relied upon to make a production decision. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including statements regarding the the Transaction (including the holding of Special Meeting, timing of Closing and receipt of necessary approvals), the Offering (including the entering into of an agency agreement and subscription receipt agreement, the appointment of a Subscription Receipt Agent, the timing of closing, the use of proceeds, receipt of necessary approvals and the fulfillment of the Escrow Release Conditions) and plans for the exploration and development of Del Toro (including the resumption of production). Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will be able to receive all required approvals for the Transaction and the Offering, that the Company will be able to hold the Special Meeting on the anticipated timeline, the ability of the Company to complete the Transaction and the Offering on the terms announced or at all, that the Company will have the necessary funds and resources to carry out its exploration and development plans for Del Toro, including the intended resumption of production, that the Escrow Release Conditions will be satisfied or waived (as permitted) prior to the Release Deadline, and that the Company will use the proceeds of the Offering as announced or at all. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks that: the Company may be unable to complete the Transaction or the Offering on the proposed terms, or at all; the Company may not receive all necessary approvals for the Transaction or the Offering; the Company may not hold the Special Meeting or complete the Transaction or the Offering on the anticipated timeline, or at all; the Company may not have the necessary funds or resources to carry out its exploration and development plans for Del Toro; the Company may not have the necessary funds or resources to resume production at Del Toro on the anticipated timeline, or at all; the the Company may not use the proceeds of the Offering as anticipated; and risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES SOURCE: Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278418 Source: Sierra Madre Gold & Silver Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Nations Royalty Corp. (TSXV: NRC) (OTCQB: NRYCF) (FSE: Y96) ("Nations Royalty" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results from the Annual General & Special Meeting (the "AGSM") held on December 16, 2025. Shareholders voted in favour of all items of business before the AGSM, including the election of all director nominees, the appointment of the auditor, and the stock option plan. A total of 120,281,958 votes were cast by holders of Nations Royalty common shares (the "Shares"), representing 83.09% of the total outstanding Shares; Shareholders approved all items of business before the AGSM including the election of Directors as follows: Director Nominees Votes For % of Votes Cast Alexander Morrison 120,275,253 99.99 Edward Clayton 120,281,258 99.99 Robert McLeod 120,275,283 99.99 Saga Williams 120,281,258 99.99 Derrick Pattenden 120,275,283 99.99 The Company welcomes Derrick Pattenden, Chief Investment Officer of the Company, to the Board of Directors. About Nations Royalty Corp. The Company's vision is to unite First Nations and Indigenous groups across Canada, welcoming external investors to join the Company as shareholders. Together, they will combine royalties, income and commodity streams and annual benefit payment entitlements from resource projects, tapping into the growth, diversification and value potential typical of publicly traded royalty companies. As a leader in the spirit of economic reconciliation, Nations Royalty's mission includes capacity building of Indigenous People in public companies and capital markets. Nations Royalty's foundation begins with five annual benefit payment entitlements in place in respect of the following properties in Canada: The high-grade Brucejack gold mine operated by Newmont Corporation; operated by Newmont Corporation; The KSM Copper-Gold-Silver-Molybdenum deposit , currently in development by Seabridge Gold Inc.; , currently in development by Seabridge Gold Inc.; The Premier Gold Project , currently evaluating a restart decision by Ascot Resources Ltd.; , currently evaluating a restart decision by Ascot Resources Ltd.; The Red Mountain Gold Deposit , owned by Ascot Resources Ltd.; and , owned by Ascot Resources Ltd.; and The Kitsault Molybdenum Deposit, a large, fully permitted brownfield site owned and being actively advanced by New Moly LLC, majority-owned by Resource Capital Fund VI L.P. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of management of the Company. Actual events and conditions could differ materially from those expressed or implied in this press release as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company, including risks regarding the industry in which the Company operates, economic factors, the equity markets generally and risks associated with growth and competition. Additional risk factors are also set forth in the Company's management's discussion and analysis and other filings available via the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) under the Company 's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Although the Company has attempted to identify certain factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be taken as guaranteed. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, readers should not place any undue reliance on forward looking information. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278430 Source: Nations Royalty Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. (CSE: AUEX) (FSE: ZF2) (OTC Pink: AUHIF) ("Advanced Gold" or the "Company") announces the Company has granted an aggregate of 500,000 incentive stock options (the "Options") to certain directors, officers, and consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of $0.15 per Share for a period of two (2) years from the date of grant. The proposed options are subject to the final acceptance of the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) and all other necessary regulatory approvals. ABOUT ADVANCED GOLD Advanced Gold Exploration is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a portfolio of Canadian gold and copper properties. The company's expertise is in identifying and acquiring undervalued properties with significant historical work, which it believes it can enhance their economic value at today's prices. The company's purpose is to bring immediate and long-term value to its partners and shareholders. Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the trading of the Company's securities and the focus of the Company's business. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "contemplates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Company's ability to increase the value of its current and future mineral exploration properties and, in connection therewith, any long-term shareholder value, the Company's ability to mitigate or eliminate exploration risk, and the Company's intention to develop a portfolio of historic gold properties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the Company will continue its business as described above. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and other periodic filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances or actual results unless required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278414 Source: Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - DiagnosTear Technologies Inc. (CSE: DTR) (FSE: X8F) ("DiagnosTear" or the "Company"), a leader in rapid eye based diagnostic technologies, is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a non-binding term sheet with Sheba Impact, the Technology Transfer office ("TTO") of Sheba Medical Center ("Sheba MC"), Israel's largest hospital and one of the world's most innovative clinical research institutions, and with Ramot, the TTO of Tel Aviv University ("TAU"), Israel's largest University. The term sheet outlines the intention of DiagnosTear to exclusively license the technology co-developed at Sheba Medical Center and TAU, under terms to be finalized in a definitive agreement. The technology, named "CLARIFY", is an imaging platform designed to perform blood counts and analyze blood related parameters directly through imaging of the blood vessels in the eye surface. The CLARIFY technology was developed by Prof. Haim Suchowski at TAU, and Prof. Ygal Rotenstreich at Sheba MC, who first demonstrated the feasibility of scleral vascular imaging in an Israeli space mission focused on non-invasive blood assessment in microgravity. Based on these pioneering scientific achievements, DiagnosTear aims to advance the technology into a clinically validated, commercially ready solution. The CLARIFY technology leverages spectral imaging of the scleral vasculature and together with proprietary algorithms will be developed to measure blood components such as red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin-related indicators, and inflammatory signatures, without the need for a traditional blood draw. The goal is to provide rapid, painless, and accessible diagnostics for chronic care, emergency settings and other uses. "This potential collaboration represents a major step in bringing CLARIFY closer to patients," said Dr. Shimon Gross, CEO of DiagnosTear. "Sheba MC and TAU are ranked in the world's top respected clinical research hubs.1 Working together will allow us to accelerate clinical evaluation of this novel technology and explore its potential to transform routine patient care. This exciting opportunity is well aligned and synergistic with the markets, users and the regulatory requirements in which the company is operating in." Under the provisions of the term sheet, the parties intend to finalize a comprehensive research and licensing agreement that will include a structured clinical development plan and defined pathways for product evaluation and future commercialization. The term sheet is non-binding and serves as a framework for formalizing the definitive agreement. "We believe CLARIFY has the potential to redefine how frequent blood monitoring is performed," added Dr. Avital Beck, Business Development Manager at DiagnosTear. "A needle free, rapid, and accurate method could significantly improve both patient comfort and clinical decision making." The Company will provide additional updates once definitive license agreement is signed and later, as key milestones will be achieved. About DiagnosTear Technologies Inc. DiagnosTear is a pioneering medical diagnostics company developing rapid, point-of-care, multi-parameter tests for ocular conditions. By leveraging the unique diagnostic potential of tear and scleral imaging, the Company provides easy-to-use solutions that help clinicians detect and differentiate Dry Eye, Red Eye, and blood-related conditions with speed and accuracy. With a global vision and a commitment to clinical excellence, DiagnosTear is transforming the landscape of ophthalmic and non-invasive diagnostics. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding: the non-binding term sheet, the potential collaboration with Sheba MC and TAU, entering into a definitive agreement, effectiveness of the CLARIFY technology. The forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements including: that the definitive agreement with Sheba MC and TAU will not be entered into, the terms of the definitive agreement may not be commercially reasonable to the Company, due diligence on the CLARIFY platform being unsatisfactory to the Company, the Company not receiving required approvals necessary to complete the planned collaboration, the CLARIFY technology failing to deliver expected results given its developmental nature and other factors beyond the control of the Company. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include general market conditions and other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 1 https://www.shebaonline.org/sheba-ranks-8-on-newsweeks-best-hospitals-list/ https://international.tau.ac.il/THE-university-rankings-2025 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278413 Source: DiagnosTear Technologies Inc. Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari have been sent to Udaipur Central Jail in a Rs. 30 crore fraud case after court rejected their interim bail plea on medical grounds. Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt have been taken to judicial custody in connection with a Rs. 30 crore fraud case. Their interim bail plea on medical grounds was rejected on Tuesday. They were sent to Udaipur Central Jail by a court in Udaipur. Earlier, the couple sought an interim bail on medical grounds. Advocate Manzoor Hussain told ANI, The lawyer for the accused presented an application for interim bail, requesting that it be granted on medical grounds. If interim bail is granted before the court session ends, both individuals could be released for a short period to receive medical treatment. Everything depends on the courts order. However, it was rejected by the court. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The couple had been in police custody since early December following their arrest by Rajasthan Police on December 7 in Mumbai. Both were initially placed in police remand for seven days from December 9 before the remand period ended, and they were subsequently produced before the Udaipur court. The case stems from a complaint filed by Dr Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira IVF, who alleges that the Bhatts and several others defrauded him of approximately 30 crore in the name of producing multiple films, including a proposed biopic. According to earlier reports, the complaint states that the funds were collected with promises of large returns and high-profile projects, but alleged agreements and production plans were not fulfilled. Vikram Bhatt has publicly denied the allegations, calling the FIR misleading and claiming that he will cooperate with the investigation. He has said that any unfinished aspects of the project were due to misunderstandings or halted by the complainant, and insisted that he has documentation to support his claims. Games View All Authorities have charged eight individuals, including the Bhatts, in the case, and investigations are ongoing. The judicial custody order marks a significant development in the matter, which continues to attract attention due to the high-profile nature of those involved and the large sum of money at stake. Anti-India sentiments are increasing in Bangladesh. Earlier this week, National Citizen Party (NCP) leader, Hasnat Abdullah, made hostile remarks against India, threatening to isolate the Seven Sisters Indias Northeastern states and providing refuge to Northeast separatists if Bangladesh is destabilised. Amid threats to the Indian mission in Dhaka, New Delhi summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah today A diplomatic row has erupted between India and Bangladesh after a rise in anti-India rhetoric in the neighbouring country. Amid this, India summoned the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Delhi on Wednesday (December 17) over recent threats to the security of the Indian mission in Dhaka. The development comes in the wake of provocative remarks against India by some Bangladeshi politicians. Ties between New Delhi and Dhaka have been strained since the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last August. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lets take a closer look. Anti-India remarks by Bangladesh leaders Bangladeshs National Citizen Party (NCP) leader, Hasnat Abdullah, known for his anti-India rhetoric, made hostile remarks against India recently. He threatened to isolate the Seven Sisters and provide refuge to Northeast separatists if Bangladesh is destabilised. The northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura are collectively referred to as the Seven Sisters. Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram share a long and porous land border with Bangladesh. More from Explainers India summons Bangladesh envoy over extremist threats to mission in Dhaka, MEA issues demarche If Bangladesh is destabilised, the fire of resistance will spread beyond borders. Since you are housing those who destabilise us, we will give refuge to the separatists of Seven Sisters too, Abdullah, chief organiser (southern region) of the student-led NCP, said Monday (December 15), as per ThePrint. I want to say clearly to India that if you shelter forces who do not respect Bangladeshs sovereignty, potential, voting rights and human rights, Bangladesh will respond, he added. Abdullah was speaking at an all-party protest rally organised by the anti-Hasina platform Inqilab Mancha in Dhakas Central Shaheed Minar. In a veiled attack, he criticised vultures for trying to exert control over Bangladesh even after 54 years of independence. NCP convener Nahid Islam on Monday called for nationwide rallies on Bangladeshs Victory Day against alleged Indian interference. Victory Day marks Bangladeshs independence from Pakistan in 1971. On Victory Day tomorrow, we will not take to the streets for celebration. We will take to the streets for resistance. In Dhaka and across Bangladesh, we will hold resistance rallies against Indian hegemony and all anti-Bangladesh conspiracies, he was quoted as saying by ThePrint. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Abdullahs controversial remarks on Indias northeast drew backlash, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma issuing a warning to Dhaka. He said that leaders in New Delhi would not remain silent for long if the Bangladesh leaders continue to threaten to cut off the northeastern region from Indias mainland. There have been statements from Bangladesh for a year, calling for a merger of the northeast with that country. It is wrong for Bangladesh to even imagine this, Sarma told journalists. Underlining that India is a large country, a nuclear nation, and the worlds fourth largest economy, he said the people of Bangladesh have a bad mindset. We should not help the country and let them know that we will not remain silent if such behaviour is directed at India, he said. Bangladesh envoy summoned The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah over security concerns of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. This came after protests outside the Dhaka mission for the past few days, people familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times (HT). The MEA said in a statement: The Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, was today summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs and apprised of Indias strong concerns at the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh. His attention was drawn, in particular, to the activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India completely rejects the false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh. It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents, the MEA further said. The Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, was today summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs and apprised of Indias strong concerns at the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh. His attention was drawn, in particular, to the activities of some https://t.co/6GOZHBOgsB pic.twitter.com/jNdxSK0Nc3 ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2025 Diplomatic tensions flared between the two countries after an assassination attempt on Sharif Osman Hadi, a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, last week in Dhaka. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This led to Bangladeshs Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoning Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma, urging New Delhi to arrest and hand over the suspects if they had entered Indian territory. India responded sharply, dismissing the claims. The MEA said it categorically rejects allegations that Indian territory is being used for activities inimical to Bangladeshs interests. It added that New Delhi has never allowed such actions. Row over Bangladesh leaders northeast baiting Abdullahs incendiary remarks have evoked memories of Dhakas past role in insurgency in Indias Northeast. India has long suspected that militant and separatist groups active in the Northeast used Bangladesh as a safe haven, transit route and logistics base, particularly during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Militants frequently crossed the border to evade Indian forces, regrouped in Bangladesh, and came back to carry out attacks in India, as per a News18 report. In Tripura, separatist groups such as the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) were linked by Indian security agencies to camps and handlers based in Bangladesh. Officials alleged that insurgents received training and arms procurement in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has also been home to Islamist extremist networks. Outfits such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) have come under the scanner of Indian agencies for their cross-border presence and for facilitating radicalisation and logistics networks in eastern India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Under Sheikh Hasina, a crackdown was launched in Bangladesh on anti-India insurgent groups. Her government dismantled extremist networks and handed over several wanted militants, resulting in an improvement of bilateral cooperation. But since Muhammad Yunus became Bangladeshs interim leader last August following Hasinas ouster from power, New Delhi and Dhaka have grown apart. Yunus previous remarks on Indias northeast have also angered New Delhi. During his trip to China in April, the Bangladesh leader had called Northeast India landlocked, with no way to reach out to the ocean. Batting for an extension of the Chinese economy, Yunus said Bangladesh is the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. His remarks had sparked an uproar in India, with political leaders from the northeast leading the charge against him. With inputs from agencies Sajid Akram, a 50-year-old man behind Australias worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years, is of Indian-origin, say authorities. After earning a college degree in Hyderabad, he migrated to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment. His family continues to live in the Telangana citys Tolichowki area, but had limited contact with him A man looks at floral tributes left by mourners at the promenade of Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 17, 2025, in honour of victims of the shooting that took place there on December 14. AFP Sajid Akram, one of the gunmen suspected of having carried out the Sunday terror attack at Bondi Beach in Australias Sydney that killed 15 people, has links to Indias Telangana. The 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, were behind Australias worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years. The gunmen targeted people gathered at an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at the beach. Sajid Akram was shot dead by the police during the attack, while Naveed was hospitalised after also being shot by the police. According to Australias federal police commissioner (AFP), Krissy Barrett, the Bondi Beach mass shooting was a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lets take a closer look. Bondi Beach shooters link to India Sajid Akram is originally from Hyderabad but had limited contact with his family in the Indian city, law enforcement agencies said on Tuesday (December 16). His family lives in a two-storey bungalow in the Telangana capitals Tolichowki area. They used to reside near Hyderabads Charminar until 2002. Somewhere between 2002 and 2004, they moved to the Tolichowli neighbourhood. In 2009, when Sajids father fell ill, he did not come to Hyderabad, an intelligence official told Indian Express. More from Explainers Bondi beach shooting suspect father migrated from Hyderabad to Australia 27 years ago: Telangana govt The family is quiet; they keep to themselves. We have hardly seen Sajid here, a neighbour said to the newspaper. The Telangana Police said that Sajid Akram earned his BCom degree in Hyderabad and later migrated to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment. A government source told The News Minute (TNM) that Akrams father had purchased an apartment in Hyderabad after returning from Saudi Arabia decades ago. It was around this time that he moved to Australia on a student visa In Australia, Akram married a woman of European origin, with whom he had a son and a daughter. Sajid Akrams brother, who lives in Hyderabad, said that the family cut ties with him after his marriage to a Christian woman, TNM reported. Akram had travelled to India only six times since moving to Australia in 1998. As per a Times of India (TOI) report, during one of his visits, he brought his wife to Hyderabad around 2001 to meet his parents. The couple held a traditional nikah in the city at the time. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Australian Home Affairs minister Tony Burke said earlier that Akram had arrived on a student visa, and later transferred to a partner visa in 2001. Akrams latest trip to India was in 2022 when he visited to dispose of an ancestral property. When the sale did not happen, he returned to Australia, Indian Express reported, citing an official. Akram did not even attend his fathers funeral, police said. Even when their father passed away, no one saw Sajid, an elderly neighbour told the newspaper. Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) B Reddy said in a statement, It is understood that he did not travel to India at the time. His brother has been running the house ever since then, according to an official. Speaking to BBC Telugu, a Telangana police official said Akram had visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and visits to his elderly parents. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Telangana police have no adverse record against Sajid during his stay in India prior to his departure in 1998, the police statement read. Rabbi Yossi Friedman speaks to people gathering at a flower memorial by the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, following Sundays shooting in Sydney, Australia. AP Akram wasnt radicalised in India As per the Telangana Police, Sajid Akrams family members in Hyderabad have said they were unaware of his radical mindset or activities, or the circumstances that led to his . The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid and his son Naveed appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana, the Telangana DGP said in the statement. Sources told TNM that Indian authorities visited Akrams family in the city and collected information. His brother said they had lost touch with him for several years. The family reportedly had a fallout over property disputes. Akram did not even enquire about the health of their octogenarian mother, his brother said to TNM. Australian police have said that Akram and his son, Naveed, had travelled to the Philippines last month. Officials said that while the father used an Indian passport, the son went on an Australian one. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported, citing security sources, that the duo travelled to the Southeast Asian nation to receive military-style training. However, officials have yet to confirm those reports. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Philippines Foreign Affairs Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro and her Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, have reportedly agreed to keep each other closely informed of any developments related to the investigation into the Bondi Beach shooting. Australias federal police commissioner has said that the suspected gunmen aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation, not a religion. ALSO READ: 10-year-old girl, Holocaust survivor, 2 rabbis The stories of those who died in Bondi Beach attack Naveed Akram had links to Australias pro-Islamic State (IS) network, including an infamous Sydney cleric, reported ABC. Australias domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, looked into Naveed in 2019 after discovering his links to a Sydney-based IS cell. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Naveed first came on the radar of the authorities in 2019 on the basis of being associated with others. However, at the time, an assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence. With inputs from agencies STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It started in Tianjin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and continued in Delhi, when PM Narendra Modi and Russias Vladimir Putin shared a car ride. Now, during the Indian leaders visit to Ethiopia, he was driven around by his counterpart, Abiy Ahmed Ali, and in Jordan by Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II It all started with PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tianjin. When the two leaders decided to share a ride on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on 1 September, it grabbed international headlines. Since then, PM Modis car diplomacy is catching on, as is evident during his visits to Ethiopia and Jordan. Ethiopian PMs big gesture for Modi in Addis Ababa Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Ethiopia at the invitation of his counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali. When the Indian leader landed in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (December 16), he was personally received by Ali. This is Modis first visit to the African country. In a unique and rare gesture, the Ethiopian leader personally drove Modi to his hotel. Ali took a special initiative to take the Indian PM to the Science Museum and Friendship Park, which was not in the itinerary. This is a reflection of the personal diplomacy that Modi is known for. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The PM took to his social media platform and expressed gratitude to the Ethiopian leader. He wrote, Honoured by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Alis gesture of welcoming me at the airport. Ethiopia is a nation with a great history and a vibrant culture. India and Ethiopia share deep civilisational ties" Indias Ministry of External Affairs also called the welcome special. Ali conferred Modi with Ethiopias highest award, the Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. As PM accepted the honour, dedicating it to 140 crore people of India. He is the first global head of state to receive it. - @narendramodi / pic.twitter.com/XrS5f2XWvO Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 16, 2025 Diplomacy on wheels in Jordan PM Modis two-day visit to Jordan began on December 15 at the invitation of King Abdullah II. He was received at the airport by Jordans Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan, along with other dignitaries. This visit also witnessed another departure from protocol the Jordanian Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II personally drove PM Modi to the countrys largest museum, Jordan Museum, in Amman, in a signature show of bonhomie. Modi posted pictures of his car ride, in which he can be seen on the passenger seat of the Crown Princes BMW. On the way to the Jordan Museum with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II, the PM wrote. And it did not stop there, the 31-year-old Crown Prince also personally dropped Modi off at the airport and bid him farewell. The PM shared his departure pictures on X, calling his visit to Jordan productive." STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This was PMs first full-fledged visit to Jordan since taking office in 2014. This visit also marks the first bilateral trip by an Indian Prime Minister to Jordan in 37 years, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The Putin-Modi Fortunner ride During the Russian presidents jam-packed two-day visit to India on December 4 and 5, Modi personally welcomed Putin at Delhis Palam airport. The two shook hands, embraced, and then hopped into the same car. While reminiscent of what happened in Tainjin this September, it was a break from protocol. The two leaders travelled in a white Toyota Fortuner to 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, the PMs official residence, where Putin attended a private dinner. The vehicle carried the flags of both India and Russia. Modi ditched the black Range Rover Sentinel, which he often uses for official movement, and picked the Fortuner, a non-Western SUV. The OG carpool moment in Tianjin The first time Modi and Putin shared a ride was in Tianjin. The two were heading to the venue of their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. They spent 45 minutes inside the Russian leaders car, and this went on to become one of the most-talked-about moments in geopolitical circles. What did the two discuss? During an interview with India Today, when asked about the famous carpool with PM Modi in September, Putin asserted, The car ride with PM Modi was my idea. It was a symbol of our friendship. We talked throughout the drive; theres always something to discuss. Just two friends in a car." With inputs from agencies The first successful flight took off from North Carolina on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers developed the Wright Flyer. The first time, the aircraft stayed airborne for 12 seconds, travelling about 120 feet. On this day in 1991, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin announced that the Soviet Union would soon cease to exist Every place in this world is accessible via the air route, making air travel more of a necessity than a luxury in current times. For the longest time, air travel was unthinkable as people did not have access to parts or even the knowledge of the machines required to build an airplane. It was the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, who made the first successful flight in history on December 17, 1903. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers ongoing series, History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. On this day in 1991, Boris Yeltsin announced that the Soviet Union would soon cease to exist. In 1892, the first issue of Vogue, one of the most influential fashion and culture magazines, was published in New York City. Here is all that took place on this day across the world. The Wright Flyer flew for the first time While flying from one place to another is very common right now, it was not the same in the early 20th century. The first successful airplane took off on December 17, 1903, marking a turning point in not just the way we used to travel but also human history. On a cold and windy morning near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved what many inventors before them had failed to do: powered, controlled, and sustained flight. Their aircraft, the Wright Flyer, was a fragile machine made of wood, fabric, and wire, powered by a small gasoline engine they built themselves. At 10:35 am, Orville Wright piloted the Flyer on the first attempt. The aircraft lifted off the ground and stayed airborne for 12 seconds, travelling about 120 feet. Three more flights followed that day, with the final one lasting nearly a minute and covering 852 feet. Though brief by modern standards, these flights proved that powered flight was possible and controllable. A small group of locals helped the brothers move the aircraft and took the famous photograph showing the Flyer in mid-air. News of the achievement spread slowly at first, and many initially doubted the claim. But continued demonstrations and improvements soon silenced sceptics. Boris Yeltsin announced the Soviet Union would cease to exist On this day in 1991, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin announced that the Soviet Union would soon cease to exist. Speaking as president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Yeltsin made it explicit that the USSR was finished as a political entity and that Russia was moving forward as an independent state. The announcement followed the signing of the Belavezha Accords on December 8, when leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus declared that the Soviet Union had effectively dissolved and would be replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States. By December 17, Yeltsin was openly stating that there was no path back. Central Soviet institutions were losing authority, republics were asserting independence, and President Mikhail Gorbachevs power had been reduced largely to symbolism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russian President Boris Yeltsin signs the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) founding declaration during a meeting in Almaty. File image/Reuters As the leader of Russia, his declaration made the breakup irreversible. He emphasised that Russia would assume control over Soviet assets, including nuclear weapons, foreign embassies, and international obligations. The message to both citizens and the world was clear: the Soviet state created in 1922 was ending. For many people across the former USSR, the announcement brought uncertainty and shock. Some welcomed it as liberation from decades of centralised rule. Others feared economic collapse, political chaos, and the loss of global status. The Soviet economy was already in crisis, and the transition ahead promised hardship. Internationally, Yeltsins declaration marked the end of the Cold War order. Western governments are prepared to recognise new states and redefine relations with Moscow. On December 25, Gorbachev resigned, and the Soviet flag was lowered from the Kremlin for the last time. The first issue of Vogue published One of the worlds most influential fashion and culture magazines, Vogue, was first published on December 17, 1892. The debut issue appeared in the United States as a weekly publication aimed at New Yorks elite society, focusing on high society, etiquette, sports, theatre, and fashion. At the time, Vogue was very different from the glossy fashion magazine people recognise today. It contained illustrations instead of photographs and covered social events, weddings, and cultural gatherings alongside clothing trends. Fashion reporting was important, but it shared space with commentary on manners, leisure activities, and the social calendar of wealthy families. The magazine positioned itself as a guide to refined living. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The first edition of Vogue magazine was published in New York City. Wikimedia Commons Founded by Arthur Baldwin Turnure, the publication saw an opportunity to create a journal that captured the lifestyle and tastes of Americas social elite. His vision was to produce a magazine that balanced culture and fashion, offering readers insight into both what to wear and how to live. Early contributors included writers and illustrators who helped shape Vogues distinctive voice. The magazines direction changed significantly after Conde Nast acquired Vogue in 1909. Under Nasts leadership, it shifted from a society paper into a fashion authority, placing greater emphasis on style, design, and international trends. Photography became central, and Vogue expanded its influence beyond the United States. This Day, That Year North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il died on this day in 2011. The Simpsons debuted on this day in 1989. Pope Paul III excommunicated King Henry VIII for his divorce from Catherine of Aragon and his subsequent remarriage to Anne Boleyn in 1538. With inputs from agencies The scene in Delhi continues to be grave, with toxic smog hanging over parts of the city. The national capital witnessed an AQI of 328 on Wednesday morning, placing it in the very poor category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This is only marginally better than Tuesday, when the AQI was 354 at 4 pm. Yu Jing, the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in India, took to social media today to explain how India, and particularly Delhi, could take steps to improve the situation Commuters drive past as anti-smog sprinklers on lamp posts spray water to curb air pollution in New Delhi (AFP) Delhi continues to grapple with pollution. The national capital witnessed an AQI of 328 on Wednesday morning, placing it in the very poor category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This is only marginally better than Tuesday, when the AQI was 354 at 4 pm. The scene in Delhi continues to be grave, with toxic smog hanging over parts of the city. The Supreme Court meanwhile has slammed the total failure of the authorities in solving the problem and said that long-term planning is required. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let us think of pragmatic and practical solutions to the menace, the bench comprising CJI Surya Kant said. Yu Jing, the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in India, took to social media to explain how Delhi could do so. Both China and India know the struggle with air pollution amid rapid urbanisation. While the challenge remains complex, Chinas sustained efforts over the past decade have delivered noticeable improvements, Yu wrote. In the coming days, well share a bite-sized series exploring how China tackled air pollution step by step. Lets take a closer look Adopt stringent emission controls Yu said the first thing Delhi must do is implement strict emission controls. Yu urged the national capital to adopt ultra-stringent regulations such as the China 6NI, which is on par with Euro 6 norms. Much of the blame for Delhis air can be laid on the shoulders of vehicular pollution. Delhis Environment Minister Manjinder Sirsa has announced that starting tomorrow (December 18), only BS6 vehicles will be allowed to enter the national capital. India has already made it compulsory for all vehicles manufactured after April 1, 2020, to comply with BS-VI emission norms. Representational image (Image credit: ANI) She also urged lawmakers to ensure that high-emission, old vehicles are phased out. She also recommended that Delhi build among the worlds largest metro and bus networks. Of course, the Delhi Metro is already among the largest in the world. She also recommended that Delhi stop more cars from coming onto the roads through licence lotteries and odd-even driving rules. Again, the city has already experimented with odd-even rules. She recommended that Delhi speed up the shift to electric vehicle adoption and work with the BeijingTianjinHebei region on coordinated emissions cuts. Restructuring industry She said China did it by: Shutting down or removing over 30,000 heavy industries. She said relocating Shougang, one of Chinas largest steelmakers, cut down inhalable particles by around 20 per cent. China also transformed empty factories into parks, commercial zones, and hubs of tech and culture. The former Shougang site, for example, became a venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics. China also relocated wholesale markets, logistics hubs, and some educational and medical institutions. China also coordinated regional integration by shifting general manufacturing to Hebei, while retaining high-value research and development and services within Beijing. Yu last month also put forth some policies that helped Chinese cities, including Beijing, vastly improve their air quality. She pointed to closing small and inefficient coal boilers, relocating or shuttering highly polluting industrial plants, and stricter emission standards for heavy industries and vehicles. She also recommended investing in renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower, using satellite data and real-time monitoring systems to track air quality, and strictly punishing non-compliance and data falsification. Why this might be more difficult to do in Delhi However, as has been pointed out, Delhi already has one of the worlds largest metros. The city has also experimented with odd-even days and other measures to try to bring down pollution. Experts say keeping transport curbs in the national capital year-round is impossible. Stubble burning continues to be a major issue as states play the blame game. Experts said coming up with agricultural policies to solve stubble burning and investing in public transport infrastructure remain key to solving Delhis air pollution. Compliance remains a huge issue. According to a 2023 CAG audit, over 1,08,000 vehicles were issued PUC (pollution-under-control) certificates despite failing emission tests. With inputs from agencies The US administrations $100,000 (Rs 90.43 lakh) fee on new H-1B visa applicants is likely to disproportionately impact multinational staffing firms, including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Cognizant. The higher charge could also deter companies from hiring young women. Heres why The new $100,000 fee for new H-1B hires will disproportionately impact TCS. Representational Image/Reuters The Donald Trump administrations decision to impose $100,000 (Rs 90.43 lakh) fee on H-1B worker visas will hit the IT outsourcing and staffing industries hard. According to Bloomberg News analysis, Indian firms such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys would bear the brunt of the increased fees for new hires. The high fee is another attempt by the US government to curb immigration. The $100,000 price tag on new H1-B visa workers hired from outside the US will disproportionately hit Indians, especially women. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We take a look. TCS, Infosys to feel the heat US President Donald Trumps $100,000 application fee for H-1B worker visas could impact multinational staffing firms, including Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Infosys Ltd, and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, the hardest, as per a Bloomberg News analysis. These firms act as middlemen for companies seeking H-1B workers. Between May 2020 and May 2024, about 90 per cent of new H-1B visa hires at these three companies were approved at US consulates. The fees for the H-1B visas have been about $2,000 (Rs 1.8 lakh) in many cases. These companies would have had to pay hundreds of millions more if the $100,000 fee had been in effect at the time. Infosys could be hit hard by Trumps $100,000 fees for new H-1B workers. Representational Image/Reuters Over 93 per cent of new Infosys H-1B hires, or 10,400 workers, during the period would have been affected by the exorbitant visa fees, according to Bloomberg analysis. Tata would have had to pay millions of dollars in visa charges for 6,500 workers hired over that period, or 82 per cent of newly approved H-1B workers. Cognizant would have had to shell out the fee for 5,600 employees, or 89 per cent of new H-1B hires. The Trump administrations decision to increase the H-1B visa fees to $100,000 has been challenged by states and business groups separately. A hearing in the lawsuit filed by the US Chamber of Commerce against the hiked fees will be heard in court this week. Women, mainly Indians, to pay the price The one-time $1,00,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications could impact young Indian women hires the most. H-1B visa beneficiaries are predominantly men. In the financial year (FY) 2024, among workers approved for continuing their jobs (extending or switching), 74 per cent were men and only 26 per cent were women, The Hindu reported, citing data. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Among new hires, 37 per cent were women. As the new fee applies to new workers, women, whose share among fresh applicants has surged, are expected to suffer more. It has left me heartbroken, a 29-year-old Indian woman, who works at TCS and dreamt of settling in the US, told Al Jazeera in September of Trumps fee hike. All my life, I planned for this; everything circled around this goal for me to move to the US. The so-called American Dream looks like a cruel joke now. Female H-1B workers are also paid less compared to their male counterparts. This could further dissuade companies from sponsoring them. This gender tilt is more visible in India than China, which together made up for 83 per cent of the H-1B visa beneficiaries in FY24, as per The Hindu. Among new women hires in FY24, 75 per cent were below 35 years of age, compared with 65 per cent of men. This means that a large number of young women starting their careers will be more stung by the high fees. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The hike in visa fees could impact recent graduates or early-career professionals, as companies in the US may avoid hiring them. Most H-1B visa holders are from India, followed by China. In 2024, Indians accounted for 71 per cent of approved beneficiaries, while China stood at 11.7 per cent, according to government data. Most Indians employed in the US work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. As per a 2023 BBC report, about 65 per cent of Indian H-1B visa holders were employed in computer-related roles. The base salary of an H-1B visa employee is supposed to be $60,000 (Rs 54. 26 lakh). However, with the new fees, an employers cost will rise to at least $160,000 (Rs 1.5 crore). In several cases, companies are likely to go for American workers with similar skills for lower pay. As the Trump administrations step would increase millions of dollars in costs for companies, smaller tech firms and start-ups would be hit the most. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How are tech companies preparing for the shift? The demand for new H-1B visa workers is likely to drop, with companies hiring more workers overseas, according to tech industry observers. The IT consulting industry had already pulled back on new H-1Bs since 2024 and the fee will push more jobs overseas, Steve Hall, chief AI officer at Information Services Group Inc, a tech research firm that advises clients on IT outsourcing, told Bloomberg. US-based corporations are expected to increase investments in India over the next half decade, he said. If you want to access the worlds best talent, you have to go where the talent is, Hall added. Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a Delhi-based think tank, told Al Jazeera in September that the hardest-hit sectors due to the fee hike would be the ones that Indian professionals dominate: mid-level IT services jobs, software developers, project managers, and back-end support in finance and healthcare. He pointed out that for many of these roles, the $100,000 fee exceeds an entry-level employees annual salary, which makes sponsorship uneconomical, especially for smaller firms and startups. The cost of hiring a foreign worker now exceeds local hiring by a wide margin, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD American firms will scout more domestic talent, reserve H-1Bs for only the hardest-to-fill specialist roles, and push routine work offshore to India or other hubs, according to Srivastava. Some firms say they are prepared for the changes. The recently announced Proclamation is expected to have limited near-term impact on Cognizants operations, Cognizant spokesman Jeff DeMarrais said, as per Bloomberg. Over the past several years, we have significantly reduced our reliance on visas, using them only for select technology roles that supplement our US workforce. In October, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh had said that only a small share of the companys US workforce requires sponsorship for employment. The companys work with clients will continue without any disruption to their services today and into the future, Parekh said. Miki Carver, spokesperson of IBM Corp, which hired 88 per cent of its H-1B workers from abroad, said it shifted its approach to high-skilled immigration over time. Our focus remains on ensuring we have the right skills to meet clients evolving needs, Carver was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies US President Donald Trump, under his 20-point peace plan, reportedly wants forces from dozens of Muslim nations to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza. However, his demand for Pakistani troops has put Army Chief Asim Munir in a difficult situation. Heres why Pakistans Army Chief Asim Munir is in a quandary. On the one hand is the United States, led by US President Donald Trump, which wants Islamabad to contribute soldiers to its stabilisation force in Gaza. And on the other, there is the reaction of the domestic audience to consider. Munir has much to consider ahead of his third trip to Washington to meet with Trump in under six months. Trump had laid out a 20-point plan to keep the peace in Gaza, which has been approved by the United Nations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A brief look at the stabilisation force Trumps 20-point Gaza plan calls for a force from Muslim nations to oversee a transition period for reconstruction and economic recovery in the war-torn Palestinian territory, decimated by over two years of Israeli military bombardment. As per Axios, Trump is set to pick a two-star US general to head up the Gaza Stabilisation Force. The US has also established headquarters in Israel to coordinate the rebuilding effort. While Trump is heading the Board of Peace, senior figures from the organisation such as Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will also comprise part of the group. Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is no longer expected to serve on the Board of Peace. White House officials have insisted that though the US is taking the lead, there will be no US military presence on the ground. On Tuesday, dozens of countries attended a conference in Qatar to discuss how the ISF will be set up in Gaza. Among the countries invited were Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Italy, France, the UK and Azerbaijan, as per The Times of Israel. However, Turkey, a backer of Hamas and an Israeli rival, was not invited to the gathering. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Many of these Muslim countries who are gathering are concerned about getting dragged into a possible confrontation with Hamas over demilitarisation. Perhaps none more than Pakistan, the worlds only Muslim nation with a nuclear weapon. Pakistan-Israeli relations Pakistan has consistently been opposed to Israel and has thrown its support behind the cause of the Palestinians. This began in 1948, when a newly founded Pakistan under Muhammad Ali Jinnah came out in opposition to the creation of a Jewish state. This, at the time, was seen as a way to unite Muslim nations against the West. Pakistan has not recognised the state of Israel. Consequently, there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries. Pakistans passport clearly states that the document is not valid for travel to Israel. Pakistan also views Israel as a close, strategic partner of India. Unlike other Muslim states such as the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, Pakistan did not join the US-backed Abraham Accords, which sought to normalise relations between Muslim countries and West Asia and Israel. This is because Pakistan continues to insist on a separate Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. While some analysts have argued that it is time for Islamabad to perhaps reconsider its stance, this is not easy. This is because Pakistans long opposition to Israel and its demand for a separate Palestinian state has taken a deep hold within the psyche of the populace. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD British Viceroy Lord Mountbatten (centre) with Muhammad Ali Jinnah (right) and Jawaharlal Nehru (left). Wikimedia Commons British Viceroy Lord Mountbatten (centre) with Muhammad Ali Jinnah (right) and Jawaharlal Nehru (left). Wikimedia Commons The outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023 has only heightened anti-Israel sentiment, and the conduct of the Jewish state during the war has further intensified it in Pakistan. Islamabad has consistently referred to the events unfolding in Gaza as a genocide, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a terrorist and accused him of war crimes claims which Israel has rejected. The anti-Israel sentiment is particularly rife within many Islamist parties and their supporters, who number in the tens of millions and could create trouble for Munir. The Islamists have street power to mobilise thousands. A powerful and violent anti-Israel Islamist party that fights for upholding Pakistans ultra-strict blasphemy laws was banned in October. Authorities arrested its leaders and over 1,500 supporters and seized its assets and bank accounts in an ongoing crackdown, officials said. While Islamabad has outlawed the group, its ideology is still alive. The party of former jailed premier Imran Khan, whose supporters won the most seats in the 2024 national elections and have wide public support, also has an axe to grind against Munir. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why Munir is in a difficult spot Since taking power as Pakistani army chief, Munir has consistently positioned himself as a devout Muslim and a defender of the faith. For him to then turn around and send Pakistani troops to Gaza would be viewed by many domestically as a betrayal. Public sentiment, which is already teetering over Imran Khan being jailed, could turn decisively against Munir. The Islamist parties and the clergy, whom Pakistan could find it difficult to control, could also rise up against Munir. Pakistan could also face international backlash from states like Turkey, Oman and Qatar, which have historically backed Hamas and been anti-Israel. Experts say Munir is in a difficult spot. Not contributing (to the Gaza stabilisation force) could annoy Trump, which is no small matter for a Pakistani state that appears quite keen to remain in his good graces in great part to secure US investment and security aid, said Michael Kugelman, Senior Fellow, South Asia, at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. Pakistans military strength means there is a greater pressure on Munir to deliver his capacity, said author and defence analyst Ayesha Siddiqa. Abdul Basit, Senior Associate Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said if things escalated once the Gaza force was on the ground, it would cause problems quickly. People will say Asim Munir is doing Israels bidding it will be foolhardy of anyone not to see it coming. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A man walks through a waterlogged alley in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, on December 11, 2025. AFP Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last month that Islamabad could consider contributing troops for peacekeeping, but disarming Hamas is not our job. Munir finds himself in a classic Catch-22 situation. But dont count Munir out. He has built a close relationship with the mercurial Trump to repair years of mistrust between Washington and Islamabad. In June, he was rewarded with a White House lunch the first time a US president hosted Pakistans army chief alone, without civilian officials. Munir was earlier this month anointed chief of the defence forces to head the air force and navy as well, with a job extension until 2030. He will retain his field marshal title forever, as well as enjoy lifetime immunity from any criminal prosecution under the constitutional amendments that Pakistans civilian government pushed through parliament late last month. Few people in Pakistan enjoy the luxury of being able to take risks more than Munir. He has unbridled power, now constitutionally protected, Kugelman added. Ultimately, it will be Munirs rules, and his rules only. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan, the worlds only Muslim country with nuclear weapons, has a battle-hardened military, having gone to war with arch-rival India three times and fought a brief conflict this summer. It has also tackled insurgencies in its far-flung regions and is currently embroiled in a bruising war with Islamist militants, who it says are operating from Afghanistan. Over the past few weeks, Munir has met military and civilian leaders from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar, according to the militarys statements which Siddiqa said appeared to be consultations on the Gaza force. With inputs from agencies Days after the Brown University shooting, authorities seem no closer to finding the gunman. With many questioning why this is the case, internet sleuths have now taken it upon themselves to try to find the shooter. Social media users are claiming that the profile of Mustapha Kharbouch, a student at the university, has been scrubbed in the aftermath of the shooting. But who is he? Mustapha Kharbouch is said to be a third-generation Palestinian refugee born and raised in Lebanon. Image courtesy: X/@TaliGillette Its been over four days since the shooting at Brown University that left two dead and several wounded. Despite FBI director Kash Patels pronouncements, authorities seem no closer than before to finding the gunman. With many questioning why this is the case, internet sleuths have now taken it upon themselves to try to find the shooter. Now, social media users are claiming that the profile of Mustapha Kharbouch, a student at the university, is being scrubbed in the aftermath of the shooting. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what happened? Who is Kharbouch? Is he linked to the shooting? What we know about Kharbouch According to reports, Kharbouch is a first-year student at Brown University. The third-generation Palestinian refugee is said to have been born and raised in Lebanon. He is studying International Affairs and Anthropology with a focus on the Middle East. Kharbouch is said to have earned a scholarship to attend United World College Maastricht in the Netherlands and had participated in community-building and social change projects. According to the alleged deleted X profile, Kharbouch had an internship with the International Crisis Group. Some social media users, particularly right-wing influencers such as Laura Loomer and Eric Daugherty, have pointed the finger at Kharbouch. They are claiming that Kharbouchs profile has been scrubbed from the Brown University website. Why wont police say what the shooter yelled before he opened fire? ALLAHU AKBAR is what witnesses heard. Why is Brown deleting this Palestinian from their website? Is he a suspect? Loomer claimed. Why has Brown University suddenly erased every mention of Mustapha Kharbouch (a Palestinian activist and first-year student) from its official website, right as the FBI intensifies its manhunt for the shooter who killed two and injured nine in the campus attack? another added. Is there any link between Kharbouch and the shooting? So far, there seems to be no link between Kharbouch and the shooting. It is important to note that the investigation for the gunman is ongoing and authorities have not released the name of a suspect. A person of interest, a man in his 20s from Wisconsin, who had been held by authorities, has also been released after they said evidence pointed in a different direction. Providence Police Chief Colonel Oscar Perez looks at a new video released of the possible shooter at Brown University, during a press conference. Reuters Authorities have said that the suspect is around 58 feet tall and is of a stocky build. They have also said that he has a distinctive gait, which people close to him might recognise. The suspect, who was dressed in black and was wearing a surgical-type mask to cover his face, was seen a few blocks away from the Brown University campus. Authorities have asked the public to reach out to them immediately if they have any information. They have offered a $50,000 (Rs 41.5 lakh) reward for any information resulting in the capture of the suspect. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Brown University has released a statement warning about the dangers of doxxing its students. In the aftermath of the shooting, weve seen harmful doxxing activity directed towards at least one member of the Brown University community, a statement read. Its important to make clear that targeting individuals could do irrevocable harm. Brown University President Christina Paxson says she is unaware of any web pages being removed from the universitys website. It is not unusual as a safety measure to take steps to protect an individuals safety when this kind of activity happens, including in regard to their online presence. As law enforcement officials stated clearly on Tuesday afternoon, if this individuals name had any relevance to the current investigation, they would be actively looking for this individual and providing information publicly, Neronha said. Neronha added that there could be lots of reasons why a page could be removed and that jumping to speculation is a dangerous road to go down. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Its easy to jump from someone saying words that were spoken to what those words are to a particular name that reflects a motive targeting a particular person, Neronha said. If that name meant anything to this investigation, we would be out looking for that person, and we would let you know we were looking for that person. Some have called out the behaviour from right-wing social media users. Mustapha Kharbouch, please DM me if you need some advice in dealing with this situation, Brian Krassenstein wrote on X. For those of you showing your bigotry and hatred of Muslims by spreading lies and conspiracy theories implying that Mustapha Kharbouch is in any way connected to the Brown University tragedy, stop. You are dangerous. Mustapha Kharbouch is not a suspect. Just stop already. In short, everyone needs to keep calm and not point the finger at anyone without evidence. With inputs from agencies Oil is at the heart of US President Donald Trumps escalating confrontation with Venezuela. From tanker seizures to a declared blockade on sanctioned vessels, Washingtons pressure campaign has targeted Caracas primary source of income While the White House has publicly framed its actions against Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro as part of a broader effort to counter drug trafficking and terrorism, developments over recent weeks point to Venezuelas vast oil reserves as the core strategic focus of US President Donald Trumps campaign. From the seizure of oil tankers to now a declaration of a blockade targeting sanctioned vessels, Trumps actions have zeroed in on Caracas primary source of revenue. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How Trump is targeting Venezuelas oil exports The latest escalation came when Trump announced that the United States would impose what he described as a total and complete blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. The move is Washingtons most direct attempt yet to choke off the South American countrys oil exports, which remain the backbone of its economy. For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela. While Trump did not spell out how the blockade would be enforced, the announcement followed a recent US seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuelas coast. That action has already had a chilling effect on shipping activity. Oil tankers carrying millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude have remained in local waters rather than risk interception, effectively creating a de facto embargo even before the blockade is fully implemented. The administration has increased its military footprint in the region, deploying thousands of US troops and nearly a dozen naval vessels, including an aircraft carrier. Questions remain over whether the US Coast Guard or the US Navy would be used to interdict ships, as Trump previously authorised maritime actions last week. Caracas rejected the announcement. In an official statement, Venezuelas government said it dismissed Trumps grotesque threat, accusing Washington of aggression aimed at destabilising the country. How oil prices are rising as markets assess supply risks Global oil markets reacted quickly to the prospect of reduced Venezuelan exports. In Asian trading, Brent crude futures rose more than one per cent, climbing 70 cents to $59.62 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate gained 73 cents to reach $56.00 a barrel. US crude futures also advanced over one per cent, reversing losses from the previous session when prices had settled at their lowest level since February 2021. Traders attributed the price movement to expectations that Venezuelan supply could be curtailed if the blockade is enforced. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, market participants said uncertainty remained over the scope of the policy and whether it would apply solely to vessels already under sanctions or extend to others. US forces abseil onto an oil tanker during a raid described by US Attorney General Pam Bondi as its seizure by the United States off the coast of Venezuela, December 10, 2025, in a still image from video. Image/X-US Attorney General The oil market is currently well supplied, with large volumes of crude stored on tankers off Chinas coast awaiting offloading. Analysts say this surplus has helped cushion immediate price spikes. Still, a prolonged disruption could tighten supply significantly. Nearly one million barrels per day of Venezuelan crude could be removed from the market if exports remain blocked for an extended period. How US sanctions against Venezuela have been escalating The blockade announcement follows years of escalating US sanctions on Venezuelas energy sector, first imposed in 2019. Since then, traders and refiners purchasing Venezuelan oil have relied on a complex network of vessels designed to evade detection. This so-called shadow fleet frequently disguises ship locations and often includes tankers previously sanctioned for transporting Iranian or Russian oil. Data compiled by TankerTrackers.com shows that more than 30 of the 80 vessels either present in Venezuelan waters or approaching the country last week were already under US sanctions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD U.S. forces abseil onto an oil tanker during a raid described by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as its seizure by the United States off the coast of Venezuela, December 10, 2025, in a still image from video. U.S. Attorney General/Handout via REUTERS Others transporting Venezuelan crude have avoided penalties, particularly ships authorised to carry oil produced under special licences. Chevron, the US energy major, continues to operate in Venezuela under a specific exemption and transports oil using its own approved vessels. However, Venezuelas overall exports have fallen sharply since the recent tanker seizure, a decline compounded by a cyberattack that disrupted administrative systems at state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA). US officials say further tanker seizures are likely. As with the recent action, Washington could justify future interceptions by citing a vessels prior involvement in transporting Iranian oil, which is subject to stricter sanctions than Venezuelan crude. What we know about Venezuelas oil wealth Venezuela holds the worlds largest proven oil reserves, estimated at more than 300 billion barrels, representing roughly 17 per cent of known global reserves. Despite this immense resource base, the countrys oil industry operates far below its potential, hampered by years of underinvestment, sanctions, and difficulties in accessing equipment and spare parts. Maduro has repeatedly argued that Washingtons pressure campaign is driven by a desire to control Venezuelas energy wealth. He has accused the US of exploiting accusations of terrorism and drug trafficking to justify intervention. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Imperialism and the fascist right want to colonize Venezuela to take over its wealth of oil, gas, gold, among other minerals. We have sworn absolutely to defend our homeland and in Venezuela peace will triumph, Maduro has said. Trump, by contrast, has made little effort to hide his interest in Venezuelas resources. In past speeches, he has spoken openly about acquiring oil as compensation for US military action. His approach aligns with his broader emphasis on energy dominance and control over the Western Hemisphere. How China is deeply tied to Venezuelan oil China is the single largest buyer of Venezuelan crude, accounting for approximately 80 per cent of the countrys oil exports. For years, oil shipments to China have functioned as repayment for loans extended by Chinese state-owned banks. Venezuelas debt to China stood at $19 billion in 2020, though lending has since slowed after Caracas struggled to meet its obligations. The largest foreign investor in Venezuelas oil industry is China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which operates joint ventures with PDVSA. However, CNPC has adopted a more cautious stance since 2019 to avoid violating US sanctions, reported the New York Times. A satellite image shows the very large crude carrier (VLCC) Skipper, which British maritime risk management group Vanguard said was believed to have been seized by the US. File Image/Reuters More recently, China Concord Resources Corporation, a private Chinese firm, signed a 20-year agreement with PDVSA to invest more than $1 billion in developing oil fields. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In April, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez visited Beijing, urging Chinese leaders to increase investment in the countrys energy sector and expand crude purchases. For Maduros government, Chinas continued engagement is seen as a critical buffer against US economic pressure. How Opposition in Venezuela is warming up to Trump While Maduro frames oil as a geopolitical shield, Venezuelas opposition has presented the sector as a commercial opportunity for US companies. Maria Corina Machado, the countrys main opposition leader, has actively courted American political and business circles. Speaking via live video to a business conference in Miami attended by executives and politicians, including Trump, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient made an ambitious pitch. I am talking about a $1.7 trillion opportunity, she said. She pledged that a post-Maduro government would fully open the energy sector, declaring, We will open all, upstream, midstream, downstream, to all companies. Machado has consistently promoted Venezuelas resource potential, including its oil, gas, minerals, and power infrastructure. Her message has resonated with Trumps allies, including during appearances on platforms hosted by members of the presidents family. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado reacts to the crowd gathered in front of the Grand Hotel, in Oslo, Norway, December 11, 2025. File Image/AP US officials have engaged in conversations with Machado and other opposition figures while simultaneously holding secret negotiations with Maduros government focused on oil. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How Trump is attempting to remove Maduro Trumps pressure campaign has included more than two dozen US strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuelan waters, resulting in at least 90 deaths. Trump has also indicated that land-based attacks could follow. He has reportedly authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and retains the option of using either the agency or the US military to attempt to remove Maduro from power. Trumps chief of staff, Susie Wiles, highlighted the administrations aggressive posture in an interview with _Vanity Fair_, saying the US president wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. Despite these threats, experts caution that forcibly removing Maduro could plunge Venezuela into instability. US officials across multiple agencies concluded during war games conducted in 2019 that the aftermath of such an intervention would likely be chaotic. Even if Washington succeeds in reshaping Venezuelas political landscape, uncertainty remains over how quickly American companies could benefit from the countrys oil reserves, reported the New York Times. Past US interventions in Iraq and Libya did not immediately lead to a surge of Western energy investment. Instead, years of conflict delayed large-scale operations, while Chinese firms demonstrated a greater willingness to operate in unstable environments. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies At least 15 people were left dead and several others injured in Sundays Bondi Beach attack in Australia. However, a slew of rumours and false information have been spreading in the aftermath of the incident. Lets take a closer look at how false news is spreading on X, WhatsApp and Reddit False information is spreading in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attacks. At least 15 people were left dead and several others injured in the shooting, which occurred at a Hanukkah gathering on Sunday. While one of the shooters part of a father-son duo was killed in a confrontation with the police, the other was apprehended. However, despite attempts from authorities to update the public, social media is rife with misinformation, including about the identity of the heroic bystander who disarmed one of the shooters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lets take a closer look. Edward Crabtree By now, many people are familiar with the story of the Muslim bystander who confronted Sajid Akram and took his gun away from him. Ahmed Al Ahmed, a tobacco store owner, was shot in the hand and arm by the gunman. Ahmed, 43, a father of two, was born and raised in Syria. However, on social media, claims proliferated that an individual called Edward Crabtree, a 47-year-old IT professional and a born and bred Sydneysider, was the hero. Elon Musks artificial intelligence Grok was the main culprit here. The software has previously been accused of getting it wrong multiple times when it comes to breaking news and being extremely sycophantic when it comes to its creator. The claim was first published on a website called The Daily. The website was created and its internet domain registered in Iceland on the day of the attack. The story offered a graphic description of the incident, detailed information about Crabtrees background and even fake quotes from the police. Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old Muslim father of two, from Sydneys Sutherland Shire, disarmed one of the attackers. X Somebody invented a white guy, an IT professional named Edward Crabtree, who stopped the Bondi shooting and spread it all over the internet, which was picked up by AI agents and slop aggregation sites, journalist Ben Collins posted on Bluesky. Grok also claimed that the video of Ahmed tackling the shooter was an old viral video of a man climbing a palm tree. It also claimed that the photo of Ahmed taken after he was shot was Israeli hostage footage recorded by Hamas. There were also racist and Islamophobic posts which claimed that Ahmed was not a Muslim and not of Middle Eastern descent. Ahmeds parents have since confirmed that he emigrated to Australia in 2006. Currently in hospital and waiting for further surgery, Ahmed was visited by Australian PM Anthony Albanese, who described him as an Australian hero and the best of humanity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He was trying to get a cup of coffee and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him, Albanese said. He decided to take action, and his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians. He is a very humble man. At a moment where we have seen evil perpetrated, he shines out as an example of the strength of humanity. We are a brave country. Ahmed Al Ahmed represents the best of our country. Ahmed, you are an Australian hero. Google search trends, Arsen Ostrovsky A conspiracy theory online claims that the name of one of the gunmen, Naveed Akram, was searched in Israel before the Bondi Beach attack. The claim is based on screenshots from Google Trends showing what appears to be a spike in searches for his name in Israel prior to the attack. However, this is a misunderstanding of how Google Trends works. The platform shows relative interest in a term and not the actual number of searches. When a name is rarely searched, even one or two searches can appear as a sharp spike on the graph. Google says such spikes for low-interest search terms should not be taken seriously or seen as real trends. This essentially means that there is no proof that anyone in Israel planned the attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Arsen Ostrovsky, one of the victims in the Bondi Beach attack, is a human rights lawyer and pro-Israeli activist. Images of Ostrovsky, injured and bloodied at the scene, were captured by photographers and newsmen. However, AI-generated images and deepfakes of a man purporting to be Ostrovsky were widely shared on Reddit, WhatsApp and X. The images showed an individual having make-up and fake blood applied at the scene of the shooting. AI-generated images and deepfakes of a man purporting to be Arsen Ostrovsky, one of the victims in the Bondi Beach attack have gone viral. Image courtesy: @MaxNordau/X A piece posted on the Russian propaganda site Pravda claimed that the individual purporting to be Ostrovsky was part of Mossad propaganda insinuating that the attack was a false flag carried out by Israel. I saw these images as I was being prepped to go into surgery, Ostrovsky wrote on X. And [I] will not dignify this sick campaign of lies and hate with a response. Photos of police, innocent Pakistani man A photo of two women officers at the scene also went viral. The picture, which was heavily cropped, was posted by a Baron Trump fan account in Eastern Europe. The account claimed that these officers completely froze while gunmen reportedly fired for up to 20 minutes without interruption. The post resulted in much abuse being directed at these women officers. In truth, the women were taking civilians away from the scene after both shooters had been taken out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, a Pakistani man who shares the same name as one of the shooters was falsely identified as being an attacker. The man, Naveed Akram, told The Guardian his life has become a nightmare. Experts are unsurprised. Casey Ellis, a Sydney-born cybersecurity veteran and founder of bug bounty platform Bugcrowd, told the Sydney Morning Herald, This event is unbelievably tragic, deeply emotionally charged, and polarising in about a million different directions. Ellis has previously consulted the White House and Australian intelligence agencies. When you combine these with the fog of war information environment that exists so soon after something like this, the desire and need for answers, and just how easy it is to create misinformation, you end up with a multitude of opportunities to create misinformation. Ellis warned people against sharing unverified news with others on social media or WhatsApp. Think twice before you repost things that you see or read, especially if they contain specific factual information or messages strongly biased towards triggering an emotional response, he said. The most reliable information tends to come out as the event is unfolding. From there, it is often swamped by misinformation this is the danger zone we find ourselves in right now. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies Cervical cancer kills nearly 80,000 women in India each year. Most cases are detected late, and low awareness, limited screening and low HPV vaccination leave the disease largely preventable. Cervical cancer remains one of Indias deadliest yet most preventable cancers, claiming nearly 80,000 lives every year, a toll higher than any other country, according to estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. India accounts for almost one-fourth of the global cervical cancer burden, despite the disease being largely avoidable through vaccination, early screening and timely treatment. Public health data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) shows that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Indian women, particularly affecting those between the ages of 30 and 60. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While the government has intensified its focus on non-communicable diseases under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), experts believes that gaps persist on the ground. Awareness remains uneven, screening coverage limited and cultural stigma around gynaecological health continues to delay diagnosis until the disease has progressed to advanced, harder-to-treat stages, they said. The consequences are stark: most Indian women with cervical cancer are diagnosed late, when treatment becomes complex, costly and less effective. Health experts warn that without a sharp pivot towards prevention, especially among adolescents and young women, India risks carrying this avoidable burden well into the next decade. To understand why cervical cancer continues to claim so many lives in India and what can realistically be done to reverse the trend, Firstpost spoke to leading gynaecologists and public health professionals across India including Dr Parnamita Bhattacharya, Senior Consultant Gynaecologist & Obstetrician at CMRI Kolkata; Dr C.P. Dadhich, Director Obstetrics & Gynaecology at CK Birla Hospitals (Jaipur) and Arpit Jain, Vice President at CK Birla Hospitals. Why deaths remain high Dr Bhattacharya: Cervical cancer continues to claim thousands of lives because most women in India are diagnosed far too late. Many reach hospitals only when symptoms like bleeding or pain become severe, by which time the disease is already in an advanced stage. Despite being one of the most preventable cancers, India still records nearly 79,000 cervical cancer deaths every year, largely due to low awareness, stigma around gynaecological health, and poor uptake of screening and vaccination. The lack of preventive behaviour among younger women and adolescents creates a large pool of undetected precancerous conditions that later progress into life-threatening disease. What fuels Indias crisis Dr Dadhich: Indias high burden is driven by multiple factors. More than 80% of cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV types 16 and 18, yet HPV vaccination still has low coverage because of persistent myths, misinformation, and limited access in many regions. Early marriages, poor menstrual hygiene, lack of routine gynaecological check-ups, and socio-cultural barriers further increase risk. To address this, CK Birla Hospitals Jaipur and CMRI Kolkata have launched a cervical cancer prevention drive aiming to administer 5,000 HPV vaccinations, while simultaneously running awareness campaigns to educate families about safety, fertility concerns, and long-term protection. Screening saves lives Dr Bhattacharya: Early screening saves lives because cervical cancer develops slowly and is detectable long before it becomes dangerous. PAP smears and HPV DNA tests can identify precancerous changes 1015 years before they turn malignant. Regular consultations allow clinicians to identify warning signs early and initiate simple, minimally invasive treatments. Through community outreach and school awareness activities, CK Birla Hospitals has been encouraging women, young girls, and parents to view screening as a routine part of preventive healthcare not something to be done only when symptoms appear. Barriers to prevention: Social, cultural or systemic? Dr Dadhich: The major barriers include cultural hesitation to discuss reproductive health, misconceptions that HPV vaccines affect fertility, and fear associated with gynaecological examinations. On a systemic level, screening and vaccination services are still unevenly available across rural and semi-urban regions. Many women also prioritise family responsibilities over their own health. CK Birla Hospitals vaccination campaign addresses these obstacles by offering free HPV vaccination clinics and conducting counselling sessions to demystify the vaccine and encourage preventive behaviour across Jaipur and Kolkata. Lifestyle risks and protection: Scaling screening, vaccines and roadmap Mr. Jain: While HPV vaccination provides the strongest protection, additional lifestyle habits can support cervical health. Avoiding smoking, maintaining good menstrual hygiene, practicing safe sexual behaviour, improving nutrition, and addressing chronic infections early all help reduce risk. However, these measures cannot replace the proven efficacy of HPV vaccination and timely screening. Collaboration is essential to achieving meaningful change. Schools and community groups should be central points for HPV vaccine delivery, supported by public-health partnerships. Hospitals can provide the clinical expertise, structured counselling sessions, and vaccination infrastructure. Systemic fixes required Dr Bhattacharya: India needs long-term, consistent investment in prevention. Integrating HPV vaccination into the Universal Immunisation Programme, mandating routine screening for women over 30, strengthening district-level oncology infrastructure, and training frontline workers to counsel families are all crucial steps. When combined with hospital-led initiatives like CK Birla Hospitals 5,000-vaccination milestone, these measures can significantly reduce the cervical cancer burden and prevent thousands of avoidable deaths in the coming decade. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a dense fog warning for December 17. The agency said that isolated areas in Uttar Pradesh and East Madhya Pradesh may experience dense fog early in the morning People exercise amid smog at India Gate in New Delhi on October 29, 2025. AFP file After finally bringing operations back to normal following weeks of disruptions, IndiGo has issued a travel advisory to passengers after dense fog affected visibility across the National Capital Region on Wednesday However, IndiGo is not the only airline to ask its passengers to check their flight status. Akasa Air and SpiceJet have issued similar advisories for passengers. As winter sets in, early mornings across Northern India can bring fog that may occasionally slow down flight movements. We wanted to share this gentle heads-up in advance, so you can plan with ease and check your flight status before heading to the airport, IndiGo said in a post on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Travel Advisory As winter sets in, early mornings across Northern India can bring fog that may occasionally slow down flight movements. We wanted to share this gentle heads-up in advance, so you can plan with ease and check your flight status before heading to the airport IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 15, 2025 Meanwhile, Akasa Air said, Due to severe weather conditions in Northern India certain flights across our network have been impacted. #TravelUpdate: Due to severe weather conditions in Northern India certain flights across our network have been impacted. We realize that this may inconvenience your travel plans and seek your patience and understanding. While this situation is completely beyond our control, Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) December 16, 2025 #WeatherUpdate: Due to bad weather(poor visibility) in Ayodhya (AYJ), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via https://t.co/2wynECYWr0. SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) December 16, 2025 Dense fog combined with hazardous pollution levels has sharply reduced visibility during the early morning hours, disrupting air traffic operations across the capital region. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 341 in Anand Vihar, while levels near the ITO area reached 360, placing both locations in the very poor category. Although pollution eased slightly on Tuesday with stronger winds and dissipating fog, air quality remained unsafe, particularly for children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions. IMD issues fog warning The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a dense fog warning for December 17. The agency said that isolated areas in Uttar Pradesh and East Madhya Pradesh may experience dense fog early in the morning. VIDEO | Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh: Dense fog reduces visibility to near zero on the Agra National Highway, severely disrupting traffic movement. (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/R7llpM3rqj Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 17, 2025 Dense fog is also forecast across several other regions, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, West Madhya Pradesh, West Rajasthan and Odisha. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD #WATCH | Delhi | Visuals from NH-24 in Ghazipur area this morning as a layer of toxic smog blankets the city. AQI (Air Quality Index) around the area is 341, categorised as 'Very Poor', as claimed by CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). pic.twitter.com/2T5dmGeWTl ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2025 The weather department warned that sharply reduced visibility could disrupt road, rail and air travel, potentially causing delays. Commuters have been advised to drive cautiously, use fog lights, maintain safe distances and follow official weather advisories. The Delhi government has made it mandatory for 50 per cent of employees in both government and private sectors to work from home, starting Thursday. After being blanketed in dense fog, the Delhi government took necessary measures to curb the pollution in the national capital. The government has made it mandatory for 50 per cent of employees in both government and private sectors to work from home, starting Thursday (December 18). Yesterday, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, Only BS-VI vehicles from outside Delhi to be permitted to enter from Thursday. VIDEO | Only BS-VI vehicles from outside Delhi to be permitted to enter from Thursday, says Delhi Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa). (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/ovu6goCRmF Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 16, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD I apologise for the pollution in Delhi. We are doing better work than the dishonest AAP government, and we have reduced AQI each day, he further added. Labour Minister Kapil Mishra also emphasised that this step aims to reduce daily commuting, thus cutting down vehicular emissions. He warned that institutions failing to implement the mandate would face penalties. Focusing on the hardships that the construction workers are facing, Mishra announced a 10,000 financial aid package for those who have lost work due to the restrictions. The efforts come as a part of the ongoing Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage III measures. GRAP III has been in effect for the past 16 days to reduce vehicular emissions and the grey air surrounding the capital. However, employees working in essential services, such as healthcare, emergency services, fire departments, and those directly involved in pollution control, will be exempt from the work-from-home rule. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD During its stay, the crew of ICG Ship Sarthak will engage with the Iranian Navy and other maritime agencies through a series of activities, including joint training exercises in search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and marine pollution response In a significant step toward strengthening maritime ties, the Indian Coast Guards Offshore Patrol Vessel ICG Ship Sarthak arrived at Irans strategic port of Chabahar on December 16, making it the first-ever visit by an Indian Coast Guard ship to the facility, as reported by CNN-News18. The port call, which will last until December 19, is part of the vessels ongoing deployment to Gulf countries. Officials say the visit will provide a platform for professional interactions between Indian and Iranian maritime forces. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD During its stay, the crew of ICG Ship Sarthak will engage with the Iranian Navy and other maritime agencies through a series of activities, including joint training exercises in search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and marine pollution response. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship Sarthak, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, entered the strategic port of Chabahar, Islamic Republic of Iran, on 16 Dec 2025 as part of its ongoing overseas deployment to Gulf countries. The ship will remain in port till 19 Dec 2025. This landmark visit pic.twitter.com/Dblk4wMaeE ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2025 What is the significance of these exercises? The goal of these exercises is to enhance coordination and mutual understanding in handling maritime challenges. The deployment is also seen as part of Indias broader efforts to maintain a strong presence in the Gulf region while fostering collaboration on maritime security, a critical concern given the strategic importance of Chabahar port for regional trade and connectivity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The visit reflects a growing emphasis on cooperation in areas such as search and rescue missions, environmental protection, and law enforcement at seachallenges that increasingly require joint efforts in international waters. ICG Ship Sarthaks visit to Chabahar also highlights Indias focus on keeping regional trade routes safe while playing a role in maintaining stability and security at sea. The brothers were deported from Thailand and handed over to Indian authorities following an international manhunt A North Goa court on Wednesday ordered a fresh medical examination of nightclub co-owners Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, days after they were brought back to India in connection with the deadly Birch by Romeo Lane fire that killed 25 people. The brothers were deported from Thailand and handed over to Indian authorities following an international manhunt that began after the tragic fire in Arpora on December 6. Upon arrival in Goa, one of the brothers complained of chest pain and uneasiness, as reported by the Times of India. The accused was first taken to the Siolim Health Centre for a routine medical check and is now being moved to the North Goa District Hospital for further treatment and stabilisation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It remains uncertain whether the medical issue will affect their scheduled court appearance in Goa today. How did the goa fire start? Initially, authorities suspected that a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder might have caused the deadly nightclub fire. But early investigations have now ruled that out. Preliminary reports suggest the blaze was triggered by indoor electrical firecrackers that were used improperly inside the club. The sparks from these devices quickly set off the fire. Narrow exit routes also made it difficult for people to escape. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, Preliminary reports suggest the fire was caused by indoor firecrackers. Strict action will be taken against those responsible. How the Luthra brotheres escaped to Thailand overnight After the fire, coowners of the nightclub, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra quickly left the country. Within hours of the blaze, the brothers boarded an IndiGo flight to Phuket, Thailand, departing India in the early morning of December 7, just a few hours after the fire broke out. Goa police issued a LookOut Circular and coordinated with Interpol, which issued a Blue Corner Notice to trace the brothers abroad. At the same time, the Regional Passport Office in New Delhi moved to suspend their passports under the Passports Act, making their stay in Thailand unlawful. Thai authorities detained the duo in Phuket after they were spotted outside their hotel. Since India and Thailand have an extradition treaty, officials were able to expedite their return, technically through deportation rather than formal extradition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday was conferred with Ethiopias highest award The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia by his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday was conferred with Ethiopia's highest award 'The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia' by his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali. Image Credit: Narendra Modi/X Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday was conferred with Ethiopias highest award The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia by his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali. The award was conferred upon Prime Minister Modi in a special ceremony hosted at the Addis International Convention Centre on Tuesday. Prime Minister Modi was conferred with the award for his exceptional contribution towards strengthening India-Ethiopia partnership and for his visionary leadership as a global statesman, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in New Delhi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prime Minister Modi is the first global head of state/head of government to receive this award. Im honoured to be conferred with the Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. I dedicate it to the 140 crore people of India, Modi posted on X. Grateful to the people and Government of Ethiopia as well as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for conferring upon me the Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia last evening. To be honoured by one of the worlds most ancient and rich civilisations is a matter of immense pride. This honour pic.twitter.com/MWrdGwVFcI Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 17, 2025 Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi noted that it was an honour for him to accept the award from one of most ancient civilisations of the world, and he did so with a deep sense of humility and gratitude, the statement said. "I also express heartfelt gratitude to my friend PM Abiy Ahmed Ali. Last month, when we met during the G20 Summit in South Africa, with great love and right, you had urged me to visit Ethiopia. How could I have turned down this invitation from my friend, my brother? So, at the first chance, I decided to come to Ethiopia," Modi said after receiving the award. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prime Minister Modi also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy and the people of Ethiopia for this honour. Held extensive discussions with PM Abiy Ahmed Ali. We have decided to elevate the India-Ethiopia ties to a Strategic Partnership. Gave three key suggestions to enhance bilateral ties: Deepen relations in food security and health security. This includes cooperation in sustainable pic.twitter.com/QACLRq21Dn Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2025 He also expressed appreciation for the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy and his initiatives to promote national unity, sustainability, and inclusive development, the statement said. Underlining the salience of knowledge for nation building, Prime Minister Modi stated that it was a privilege for Indian teachers for over a century now to contribute towards Ethiopias progress and development, it said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We, in India, have always believed Education is the foundation stone of any country. I am proud that in Ethiopia and India relations, the most significant contribution has been from our teachers, he said. "Together with Ethiopia, we are committed to furthering such partnerships which can bring forth a solution to evolving global challenges and build new opportunities." Modi dedicated the award to all those Indians and Ethiopians - who have nurtured the bilateral ties for ages and conveyed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the 1.4 billion Indians for being bestowed with this honour, the statement said. The conferment of the award marks a milestone in the close partnership between India and Ethiopia and in furthering the positive agenda of the Global South. Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people died in a fire, have been handed over to Goa Police after being brought to Delhi following their deportation from Thailand. Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, landed at Delhi airport on Tuesday and were handed over to the Goa Police . The two are now being taken back to Goa. In a video shared by news agency PTI on Wednesday, the brothers are seen at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, escorted by police personnel. Both had their faces covered and were surrounded by officers as they were taken into custody for onward travel to Goa. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD VIDEO | Delhi: Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, being taken to Goa. Visuals from Delhi airport.#GoaFire #GoaNews #DelhiNews (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/JlnYZv2lle Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 17, 2025 Fled to Thailand after blaze The Luthra brothers had fled to Phuket in Thailand just hours after the December 6 blaze at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, which claimed 25 lives. The deportation process began over the weekend after a court in Delhi denied them anticipatory bail. They were brought back to Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand and produced before a court, where the Goa Police sought a transit remand to take them back to the state. The court granted a two-day transit remand. Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra were detained by Thai law enforcement officials at their hotel in Phuket last week following a request from New Delhi. This came after the Indian government approached international authorities and issued a Blue Notice through Interpol in connection with the Goa nightclub fire. Explore Baba Vangas predictions for 2026, uncover her most shocking prophecies, and see what Baba Vanga future predictions reveal about the world. Baba Vanga predictions for 2026 are resurfacing. Read her eerie prophecies and future predictions that have everyone talking. Illustration by Firstpost. Every year, the internet resurrects the predictions of Baba Vanga, the blind Bulgarian mystic whose alleged prophecies have fueled conspiracy threads, TikTok deep dives, and late-night doom scrolling. As 2026 approaches, her name is trending again - and the forecasts circulating online are darker, bolder, and more unsettling than ever. So what does Baba Vanga supposedly predict for 2026? Heres whats going viral. Who was Baba Vanga? Baba Vanga (born Vangeliya Pandeva Dimitrova, 1911 to 1996) was a Bulgarian mystic and clairvoyant who gained fame for her alleged ability to predict future events. She is sometimes called the Nostradamus of the Balkans. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Throughout her life, the blind mystic gained fame for her alleged ability to foresee major world events. She is said to have predicted disasters such as the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the September 11 attacks, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Her reputed gift drew the attention of political figures and dignitaries, including Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, who reportedly sought her guidance. 1. Global conflicts: Europe and Asia to be affected Among the most persistent claims linked to Baba Vangas 2026 predictions are global conflicts, particularly involving Europe. Rather than predicting a single apocalyptic war, interpretations suggest prolonged geopolitical disturbances, political fragmentation, and rising military tension that shall reshape global alliances. The predictions also hint tensions in Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the India-China border. Viral theories suggested new alliances, regional power struggles, and dramatic changes in global order. 2. Aliens shall visit the planet: 3I/ATLAS to enter Earth? One of Baba Vangas most dramatic alleged predictions suggests that humanity could encounter alien life in 2026. This claim has resurfaced amid rumors surrounding a massive, mysterious object known as 3I/ATLAS, which some speculate could approach (or worse, enter) Earths atmosphere this year. According to the claims, a large spacecraft shall enter Earths atmosphere, perhaps in November 2026. 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar object - meaning it originated outside our solar system and is just passing through. It was first detected on July 1, 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrialimpact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. Because of its unusual hyperbolic orbit (not bound to the Sun), astronomers confirmed it came from another star system. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 3. AI will dominate humans: Innovation may go out of hands Perhaps the most viral Baba Vanga prediction for 2026 revolves around technology evolving beyond human control. While she never mentioned artificial intelligence by name, modern interpretations suggest automation replacing large sections of the workforce, humans becoming overly dependent on machines, and ethical boundaries failing to keep pace with innovation. This prediction resonates strongly in the age of AI, making it one of the most shared online. 4. Climate change: More earthquakes, floods, and heat waves If believed to be true, 2026 will feature earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural calamities on a large scale owing to climate change. Baba Vanga warned that these natural disasters are likely to strike different regions of the world and cause widespread mayhem. While climate change is scientifically documented, believers see Baba Vangas alleged foresight as eerily aligned with todays warnings from scientists. 5. A leader from Russia will rise to global power (Are we talking Putin here?) Viral interpretations of Baba Vangas 2026 predictions suggest that a leader from Russia, who is also often referred to as master or world leader will rise to global power. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Many online claim that the prediction holds true for Russian President Vladimir Putin, considering his global impact. Well, only time will tell. Disclaimer The content in this article is based on viral claims, interpretations, and popular accounts of Baba Vangas alleged predictions. These forecasts are not scientifically verified, and we make no claims regarding their accuracy or authenticity. The information is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and readers should approach it with critical thinking. India deepens its engagement with Ethiopia, betting on partnership and promise despite the risks of conflict and instability. To sip a cup of single-origin Ethiopian highland coffee is to experience a dizzying complexity of flavours, from bright, floral notes to a deep, wine-like body. So it is with Ethiopia itself: a nation of intoxicating potential and confounding bitterness. India will have to read the coffee beans in a new endeavour in diplomacy, with unknown aromas outside the comforts of the more predictable tea leaves. Clearly, India seems ready for the risk. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed Ali, have added heft to the partnership by lifting it two notches to a strategic partnership. India is here upfront in Addis Ababa with a BRICS member as a partner of the Global South. The Ethiopians started this tour on a very positive note by conferring on PM Modi the Great Honor of the Nishan of Ethiopia, a rare gesture bestowing their highest civilian honour. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This visit comes portside as India takes the chair of BRICS in 2026. But as the limousines glide through the capital, the rumble of artillery from the civil war is audible in the distance. India, as great powers must, is doubling down on a bet it has been making for over 15 years: that Ethiopias promise as an economic powerhouse will eventually outweigh its predilection for fratricide. It is a wager of some $5 billion in accumulated direct investments. The economic logic of the visit is sound. India is now Ethiopias second-largest trading partner, a position built on a steady flow of goods that keeps the Ethiopian engine humming. The manifest of this relationship is dominated by three main categories: Indian exports of machinery, which power Ethiopias nascent industrial parks; agricultural goods, vital for a nation prone to food insecurity; and pharmaceuticals, the lifeblood of its healthcare system. India has a massive $5 billion invested in Ethiopian soil. The footprint is distinct and industrial. Raymond, the Indian textile giant, operates a massive garmenting facility in the Hawassa Industrial Park, stitching suits for American boardrooms. Cadila Pharma has a long-standing formulation plant in the country. Kanoria Africa Textiles, another heavyweight, churns out denim in Bishoftu. These are not portfolio flutters; they are factories made of brick, mortar, and optimism. There is also Indian diplomatic generosity. India has extended nearly $1 billion in soft lines of credit to light up rural homes and lay railway tracks. The flagship EthioDjibouti railway and various sugar projects have been beneficiaries. Yet, as any banker in Mumbai will privately admit, these are loans that may never be fully repaid in full. Its the cost of doing geopolitics, a sort of price of admission to the Horns strategic club. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Politically, the embrace is tightening. India was a vocal cheerleader for Ethiopias entry into the BRICS club earlier this year, a move intended to dilute Western hegemony and give the Horn of Africa a seat at the top table. For PM Abiy Ahmed, whose liberalisation agenda opening up the banking and telecoms sectors offers a tantalising glimpse of a potential African tiger economy, PM Modis support is a vital geopolitical crutch. For the risk-takers in India, these reforms smell of opportunity. Already, India on this trip has announced the setting up of a data centre. But the smell of cordite is stronger. The resurgence of civil war threatens to undo everything. The cessation of the Tigray conflict has merely made way for a new, perhaps more dangerous, conflagration in the Amhara region. The Amhara rebellion is no longer a ragtag annoyance; it is a serious existential threat to the federal state. If Addis Ababa falls into a prolonged siege or the trade corridors are severed, Indias $5 billion bet could be compromised. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is a grim irony that this violence is unfolding in the very place where violence began. Ethiopia is the cradle of humanity; the Omo remains found here date the origin of Homo sapiens to roughly 200,000 years ago. In the intervening two hundred millennia, we have invented the steam engine, the microchip, and gone to the moon. But life in Ethiopia is still, to paraphrase Hobbes, nasty, brutish, and short. They have been fighting almost from day one of humanity. It boggles the mind and, more practically, ups engagement risks. As an emerging power with global ambitions, India does the right thing by taking this risk. To shy away from the Horn of Africas complexities would be to abandon the field to others. PM Modis wager is that Indias capital, diplomacy, and its model of developmental partnership can mitigate Ethiopian conflicts. New Delhi could prove to be the sugar that balances the brew, enriching the final cup for both nations. Or it could be scalded, left only with a bitter taste from a high-stakes investment gone sour. Great powers take that risk. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD (The writer is a senior journalist with expertise in defence. Views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of Firstpost.) Indias military environment in 2025 reaffirmed a fundamental truth: future conflicts will be ambiguous, politically constrained, and psychologically intense. Success will not always look dramatic. The year 2025 will not be remembered for sweeping battlefield manoeuvres or dramatic territorial change. Instead, it will be recalled as a year that revealedwith unusual claritythe nature of conflict India is now destined to manage: hybrid, contested, politically constrained, and fought as much in the psychological and informational domains as on land, sea, or air. Operation Sindoor became the most visible military episode of the year, not because of its scale, but because it illustrated the logic of restraint under pressure. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Hybrid Conflict as the Enduring Reality By 2025, Pakistans ability to sustain proxy war in J&K had eroded significantly. From nearly 4,500 active terrorists in the mid-1990s, numbers declined to roughly 100 hardened operatives. This reduction generated a new compulsion in Pakistans deep statethe search for renewed relevance. In hybrid conflict, fading relevance can be as destabilising as military defeat. While terrorist activity intensified south of the Pir Panjal, particularly in Jammu, the true centre of gravity remained the Kashmir Valley. Kashmir continues to command international attention, shape global narratives, and influence local sentiment. Any attempt to reinsert Pakistan into the strategic conversation required touching this core. India anticipated this dynamic and responded within a calibrated framework. Pakistan assessedcorrectlythat an Indian response would follow, but it also calculated that escalation would remain limited. Nuclear parity, Indias economic trajectory, international diplomatic scrutiny, and its self-projection as a responsible power were judged to be restraining factors. In that sense, Operation Sindoor unfolded in a carefully contested escalation space, shaped as much by perception as by force. Restraint, Misread at Home One of the less examined challenges of 2025 lay not across the border but at home. Large sections of public opinion continue to view conflict through the prism of Kargil or earlier territorial wars. Hybrid warfare, however, is deliberately ambiguous. It avoids clear battle lines and thrives below the threshold of declared war. The leaderships decision to halt operations after roughly 88 hours attracted criticism from those who interpreted restraint as weakness. In reality, that juncture marked the approach of dangerous escalation thresholds, beyond which political control would have diminished while strategic gains remained uncertain. Nuclear weapons are not abstract threats; they shape every operational decision. Nuclear parity does not prevent conflict, but it severely constrains choice. The recurring public demand to simply capture PoK reflects a widening cognitive gap between strategic reality and popular expectation. Left unaddressed, this gap risks undermining democratic consensus during future crises. Escalation Control as Strategy One of the clearest lessons of 2025 is that escalation management itself has become a strategic objective. Timing of response, the interval between provocation and retaliation, and the ability to stop at the right moment are now as critical as operational success. Operation Sindoor demonstrated that limited engagement can coexist with credible deterrence. The challenge is not absence of capability, but disciplined application of force in pursuit of long-term strategic space rather than short-term emotional satisfaction. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Air Power: Capability, Constraints and Imperatives Air power remains the decisive arm in any limited conflict. In modern war, it is quality, survivability, precision, and integrationnot mere numbersthat shape outcomes. Indias experience in 2025 reinforces a hard truth: while professionalism and training remain high, deficiencies in modern air combat resources constrain strategic options. Limited wars demand rapid dominance of the air domain. Delays or vulnerabilities invite escalation and external intervention. The imperative for accelerated acquisition of modern air combat platforms, force multipliers, and enablers is no longer debatable. Decision-making timelines must compress. Strategic restraint cannot compensate indefinitely for material shortfalls. Theatre Commands: Conceptual Clarity Still Elusive Closely linked to the air power debate is the question of theatre commands. The concept is rooted in assumptions of future campaign-style, multi-domain wars requiring tightly integrated command structures. Yet recent experience suggests that the dominant form of conflict confronting India remains hybridepisodic, ambiguous, and politically constrained rather than campaign-driven. This raises legitimate questions about whether such far-reaching force restructuring is essential for the conflicts most likely to occur. Concerns expressed, particularly by the Indian Air Force, reflect not resistance to integration but unease about fragmentation of scarce air assets and loss of operational flexibility in limited war scenarios where centralised control remains critical. Theatre commands may well be necessary for certain contingencies, especially on the China front, but their relevance to hybrid conflict on the Western front remains open to debate and demands deeper conceptual clarity before irreversible organisational change is undertaken. Drones: From Experimentation to Scale Unmanned systems have moved decisively from novelty to necessity. Extensive study and experimentation are underway, but the lesson of 2025 is clear: scale matters. Dronesacross surveillance, strike, logistics, and counter-drone roleswill dominate future hybrid engagements. A surge in domestic manufacturing is therefore imperative. Dependence on external supply chains during crises introduces unacceptable vulnerability. The next confrontation will not allow leisurely induction cycles. Cyber: The Quiet Front Yet to Be Tested One notable feature of 2025 was the relative absence of overt cyber escalation. This should not induce complacency. Cyber is the domain most likely to be tested next precisely because it offers deniability, reversibility, and strategic impact without visible violence. Critical infrastructure, financial systems, communications, and public confidence are all cyber-vulnerable. Hybrid conflict will increasingly exploit this domain. Preparedness, resilience, and redundancy must now move from technical discussion to strategic priority. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Next Trigger Is Not Hypothetical An Indo-Pakistan limited conflict is not a distant contingency. It is as close as the next serious, sponsored proxy attack on a sensitive target in India. The disrupted Delhi car bomb attempt may have been an early indicator rather than an isolated episode. Expectation management must therefore include the likelihood of recurrence. Equally important is the recognition that internal cohesion is a strategic asset. Hybrid war seeks not merely physical damage but social fracture. Communal or societal discord amplifies adversarial success at minimal cost. Weakness in this domain weakens Indias national fabric far more effectively than battlefield losses. Neutralising such efforts will require unconventional approachesstrategic communication, community engagement, narrative inoculation, and rapid counter-disinformation. China: The Silent Constraint While this assessment focuses on the Western front, China remains a constant strategic factor. The Line of Actual Control continues to tie down resources and attention. Any major escalation in the West must account for the possibility of opportunistic pressure in the North. Chinas political and technological proximity to Pakistan further complicates risk calculus. This challenge, however, merits separate and focused analysis. Civil-Military Fusion and Climate Reality Civil-military coordination has been a recurring theme through 2025, yet progress remains uneven. The most under-addressed vulnerability lies in ecology and disasters. Climate-driven disruptionsfloods, landslides, extreme weathernow directly degrade military infrastructure and war-fighting capability, especially in mountainous terrain. A genuine Climate Sensitivity Culture must permeate government departments, civil administration, and the armed forces. Hybrid adversaries exploit disruption. Preparedness cannot remain episodic. The Larger Lesson Indias military environment in 2025 reaffirmed a fundamental truth: future conflicts will be ambiguous, politically constrained, and psychologically intense. Success will not always look dramatic. At times, it lies in containing escalation rather than pursuing maximal outcomes. Operation Sindoor was not a universal templatebut it was a powerful demonstration of controlled power and strategic restraint. India retains conventional options should tolerance thresholds be crossed; strategy is never static. But in an age of hybrid war, the hardest battles are often fought not on maps, but in mindsof adversaries, allies, and ones own people. (The writer is the former Commander of Indias Srinagar-based Chinar Corps. Currently he is the Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir and a member of the National Disaster Management Authority. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.) STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the Sultanate of Oman at the invitation of HM Sultan Haitham bin Tarik from December 17-18. This is his second visit in the last decade. Oman is an old and favoured maritime partner and port of Indian traders from ancient times and was connected to the commencement of the Silk Route, or the Gold Road as referred to by William Dalrymple. Although currently over 700,000 Indian workers and entrepreneurs are contributing to the growth and development of the Sultanate, many of them have been here for centuries and have even been naturalised. They have become a strong bridge between the two peoples and countries. The depth of people-to-people connections and mutual respect can be seen in a popular legend in Oman. When the former President Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma was visiting Muscat, the late Sultan himself decided to drive him because he had been his professor, which was also a special message to the people of both countries. Oman also follows a foreign policy driven by sanity, mutual understanding and a certain neutrality, which is quite synergetic with that of India, which also follows strategic autonomy with multiple alignments. Both work together for dialogue, diplomacy and peace. In a volatile West Asian region, Oman has played cupid during many regional power conflicts, especially between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023, and even during the blockade of Qatar by their Arab brothers in 2017. Regional peace and security are important for Oman as well as for India, for whom West Asia is not only an extended neighbourhood but also has certain existential connections, given the synergies in energy, expatriates and the economy, as well as ease of navigation, for which regional stability is absolutely imperative. Oman is Indias oldest partner in the Gulf. Hence, the visit of PM Modi acquires renewed significance, allowing two unique and trusted partners to discuss various regional issues and challenges while exploring ways to further enrich the bilateral matrix of cooperation. A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that India and Oman share an all-encompassing Strategic Partnership underpinned by centuries-old bonds of friendship, trade linkages and strong people-to-people ties. The visit will mark 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and follows the State Visit of His Majesty the Sultan of Oman to India in December 2023. This visit will be an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture, as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Earlier this month, the 14th round of the India-Oman Strategic Consultative Group (IOSCG) meeting was held on December 4, 2025, in Muscat at the level of Vice Ministers, to take stock of the state of relations and various initiatives and to work out the deliverables for the Prime Ministers visit. Oman is an important maritime partner in the Indian Ocean as well as the Arabian Sea and figures prominently in Indias Indo-Pacific strategy in the North-West Indian Ocean region. India and Oman have signed an agreement for working jointly at the Duqm Port of Oman, and significant progress has been reported. Likewise, the strategic choke point of the Strait of Hormuz is crucial for trade routes and maritime connectivity, where bilateral cooperation with Oman is an important link. Both India and Oman have close relations with Iran, which is critical for these choke points, as was evident during the Houthis disruption of maritime routes and threats to commercial shipping. Both countries have been integral parts of IORA and IONS. The last Indian Ocean Conference was held in Muscat, focusing on sustainable maritime cooperation. Trade and economic cooperation have been the fulcrum of the relationship, with bilateral trade already exceeding $10 billion. Indian investments have also been growing. In fact, the first joint venture, the India-Oman Fertiliser Company, was set up in Salalah in the 1990s and has become a model of mutually beneficial cooperation. There are many major Indian companies working in the infrastructure sector, and significant investments have been deployed across manufacturing, logistics, ICT and technological collaboration. However, the Iran-Oman-India pipeline project has remained on the drawing board and needs to be explored seriously, as unilateralism in international discourse is beginning to threaten normal trading relationships and supply chains. After signing the CEPA with the UAE in 2022, New Delhi has been working on free trade agreements with major partners in West Asia. The FTA with Oman is likely to materialise during the visit, which will enable favourable market access for Indian companies in several markets with which Oman has special arrangements. Likewise, Omani enterprises will benefit from preferential access to the vast and growing Indian market and its opportunities. Hydrocarbons and energy security have also remained a mainstay of bilateral cooperation, and Oman has been a reliable energy partner for India, becoming an important player in both energy and food security. Like all other regional countries, Oman as well as India are diversifying their energy baskets; hence, new opportunities are being explored in green hydrogen, ammonia and solar energy, in which India has developed several credible landmarks. Some time back, an India-Oman Joint Investment Fund was set up to promote investments in mutually beneficial sectors. As strategic partners, collaboration in newer technologies, including space, fintech and cyber security, becomes a natural domain for cooperation, and a predictable roadmap may emerge. Defence and security have always been a key collaborative matrix between the two countries, with joint exercises, goodwill port calls by the Indian Navy and the supply of defence material. Since India still operates Jaguar aircraft and Oman has stopped using them but has stocks of spare parts available, these are likely to be procured by India. While both leaders will review achievements against the goals set in their agreed roadmap, several new MoUs and agreements are expected to be signed to take the strategic partnership to the next orbit. Convergences and congruences in the regional approach will make the collaboration more robust and resilient, contributing to durable peace and stability. (The author is the former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta and is currently a Distinguished Fellow with Vivekananda International Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.) The priest in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, sipped his coffee as he explained the situation in his home region in the restive east of the country. Much was well known: Corruption was rife in the country. People looked to the church for honesty at a time when President Felix Tshisekedis stewardship seemed to be faltering. Rather than fulfil promises to reform, combat corruption, and end internal fighting, Tshisekedia former pizza delivery man during his years of exile in Belgiumseemed more intent on lining his own pockets and cynically provoking ethnic conflict than in fulfilling the promises that accompanied international recognition of his deeply flawed 2018 election victory. What most concerned the church leader, however, was growing extremism as groups that arose due to local grievances or corruption affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Such extremist groups covet Africa for the same reason Chinese, Russian, French, and American companies do: Africa is extraordinarily wealthy in natural resources, everything from offshore fish stocks to oil, gas, gold, diamonds, and rare earths. Controlling Congos resources can fund any militant group, paying salaries and buying arms, propelling it onto the world stage. The extremists did not arise organically; rather, the church leader explained, Pakistani and Bangladeshi peacekeepers proselytised jihad and extremist exegesis. In most cases, such promotion of dawa (Islamic proselytisation) was an individual initiative. Extremists within the Pakistani and Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingents believed they were doing Gods work by radicalizing villagers whose knowledge and practice of Islam was informal or infused with local superstition. Such incidents were not entirely random, however. Peacekeeping is lucrative, and so in a military-dominated state like Pakistan, this has meant that only those who ingratiate themselves to Pakistans military rulers can be nominated or approved for such posts, thereby creating a dynamic in which only religious conservatives or those savvy enough to demonstrate devotion qualify. The United Nations traditionally seeks to sweep its scandals under the rug. It will only acknowledge its role in spreading cholera in Haiti, engaging in child sexual abuse in the Central African Republic, or terrorist infiltration of its Palestinian operations when forced into a corner. Perhaps internal recognition of the problem, coupled with a desire to make it go away, is why the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) last year quietly ended Pakistans troop contribution to the Democratic Republic of the Congo mission at Kinshasas request after more than 20 years. Given Pakistans ongoing support for Islamist terrorismthe Delhi bomb plot appears hatched in Islamabadthe time has come for India, the United States, and the European Union to demand a cessation of United Nations contracting of any Pakistani peacekeepers in countries or regions where such proselytisation could destabilise long-term security. With security and the lives of innocents in some of the most vulnerable communities at stake, however, diplomats must dispense with nicety and recognise that Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingents will pose the same risks. Muhammad Yunus may present a secular face, but his banning of the secular Awami League, coupled with his release from prison of militant, al-Qaeda affiliates and Islamist terror supporters, reflects a shift in Bangladeshi politics that will transform the military, much as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans efforts to raise a religious generation ultimately led Turkeys military to change from being a bastion of secularism to an engine of Islamism. By assigning Pakistani and Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers to countries like the Central African Republic, Bangladeshis to Mali, and Pakistanis to Sudans Abyei region, Undersecretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix risks sparking insurgency and fuelling terrorism. Pakistani and Bangladeshi officials and their Turkish supporters will cry Islamophobia if Lacroix and his boss, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, ban Pakistani and Bangladeshi peacekeepers from missions where they might encounter local Muslims, but the United Nations should dismiss this criticism. After all, Indonesia and Morocco are both among the top ten peacekeeper-contributing nations and overwhelmingly Muslim. Senegal, Egypt, and Tunisia also contribute hundreds of peacekeepers to various missions. Not every Muslim country supports or spreads radicalism. The problem is not Islam; it is Islamabad and Dhaka. Terror supporters and Islamists might have destroyed democracy and security in both countries, but the United Nations is under no obligation to support their follies or reward their most favoured personnel. Unjustly, India is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council, but as the worlds most populous nation, its fourth-largest economy, and a victim of Islamist terrorism, Indias voice is one that Guterres ignores at his peril. It is time Indian officials use it more forcefully. (Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.) Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert was among the officers on duty at the Hanukkah by the Sea event Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert was shot twice during the Bondi Beach attack. (X) A young New South Wales police officer has lost the sight in one eye after being shot during the shocking terror attack at Bondi Beach, authorities and his family say. Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, just 22 years old and in the force for only four months, was among the officers on duty at the Hanukkah by the Sea event when father and son gunmen opened fire on crowds on Sunday. Hibbert was shot twiceonce in the head and once in the shoulderas he tried to confront the attackers, according to RNZ news. He was rushed into intensive care and underwent multiple surgeries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Although miraculously surviving, Jacks injuries have resulted in a loss of vision in one of his eyes, and he now faces a long and challenging recovery ahead, with additional surgeries required, the family said, quoted RNZ. The statement went beyond just listing his injuries. Even so, in the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able to, the family added. Jack was simply doing his job, driven by a commitment to protect the community, even at great personal cost. Hibbert is one of two officers wounded that day. The other, Constable Scott Dyson, remains in hospital recovering from serious injuries sustained in the same attack. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has visited both men in hospital, offering support and pledging that they will be cared for throughout their recovery. The Bondi Beach shooting, which has since been treated as a terrorist act, killed at least 15 people and left scores more injured. Naveed Akram, one of the gunmen, charged with 59 offences Naveed Akram, 24, one of the suspected shooters in Sydneys Bondi Beach massacre, was hit with 59 charges on Wednesday, including 15 counts of murder, as hundreds of mourners gathered to begin funerals for the victims. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The charges came after Naveed woke from a coma in a Sydney hospital, where he has been since police shot him and his father during the attack. His 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, died at the scene, according to the Associated Press. Naveed Akram, the 24-year-old alleged shooter, was charged on Wednesday after waking from a coma in a Sydney hospital, where he has been since police shot him and his father at Bondi. His father Sajid Akram, 50, died at the scene. Mourners attend a tribute to Frenchman Dan Elkayam, one of the victims killed during a shooting at an event for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach in Sydney, in Le Bourget, northern France, on December 16, 2025.- AFP Naveed Akram, the surviving attacker behind the deadly assault at a Jewish gathering on Sydneys Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead, could face life imprisonment if convicted, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said in a statement. Akram, who was critically injured during the attack on Sunday, has recently emerged from a coma and was formally charged on Monday with 59 offences. These include terrorism-related charges and 15 counts of murder. The charges were announced as hundreds of mourners assembled across Sydney to begin funeral services for the victims. The second gunman, Akrams father Sajid, was shot dead during the attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Barrett said investigations into the mass killing remain ongoing and sought to reassure the Jewish community, stressing that authorities believe there is no continuing threat. It is impossible not to feel the depth of sorrow weighing over Sydney, she said. This tragedy underscores the brutal and hateful act directed at the Jewish community. As AFP commissioner, I want Jewish Australians to know that you do not and should not carry this grief alone. Naveed Akram, the 24-year-old alleged shooter, was charged on Wednesday after waking from a coma in a Sydney hospital, where he has been since police shot him and his father at Bondi. His father Sajid Akram, 50, died at the scene. Authorities believe that the shooting was a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, Australias federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said Wednesday. The Islamic State group is a scattered and considerably weaker group since a 2019 U.S.-led military intervention drove it out of territory it had seized in Iraq and Syria, but its cells remain active and it has inspired a number of independent attacks including in western countries. Authorities are also examining a trip the suspects made to the Philippines in November. Groups of Muslim separatist militants, including Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines, once expressed support for IS and have hosted small numbers of foreign militants from Asia, the Middle East and Europe in the past. Philippine military and police officials say there has been no recent indication of any foreign militants in the countrys south. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Western countries to step up their fight against antisemitism and protect Jewish communities, two days after a deadly mass shooting at a Jewish event in Sydney. I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to fight antisemitism and provide the required safety and security for Jewish communities worldwide, Netanyahu said in a video address on Tuesday. They would do well to heed our warnings. I demand action now, he added. With inputs from agencies Naveed Akram, the surviving suspected shooter in Australias Bondi Beach massacre, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder. Mourners gather by floral tributes at the Bondi Pavillion in memory of the victims of a shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney on December 15, 2025. (Photo: Saeed Khan/AFP) Naveed Akram, the alleged shooter in Australias Bondi Beach massacre, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder. Naveed, 24, has also been charged with one count of committing a terrorist act, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder, one count of placing an explosive, one charge of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and one charge of publicly displaying a terrorist symbol, according to Guardian. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Naveed and his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, on Sunday attacked a Jewish celebration of Hanukkah at the Bondi Beach in Australias Sydney. They killed at least 15 persons and injured 40 others. While Sajid was killed in a confrontation with the police, Naveed was taken into custody. Naveed was formally charged after he came out of the coma from his injuries. Bondi beach shooters linked to Islamic State Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that Naveed and Sajid were driven by the Islamic States ideology. Islamic State flags and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from Naveeds vehicle, according to CBS News. Following the attack, investigators recovered six licensed guns that belonged to the father-son duo at the scene, as per the police. While Naveed was born in Australia and is an Australian citizen, his father Sajid emigrated to Australia from India in 1998 and held an Indian passport at the time of his death. Separately, officials have said that Naveed and Sajid had , which has a long history of Islamist insurgency and known Islamic State footprint. In 2017, the provinces Marawi city witnessed a battle between government forces and Islamic State for nearly five months. The Islamic State affiliates had sieged large parts of the city and the government waged an all-out war to retake the city and flush out terrorists. Father-of-five Eli Schlanger, known as the Bondi rabbi, will be the first mourned in a service at Chabad of Bondi Synagogue Mourners pay a floral tribute to the victims of Bondi Beach shooting, Bondi Pavillion, Sydney, Australia, December 15, 2025. Image: Saeed Khan/AFP Australia will hold the first funerals on Wednesday for victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, with huge crowds expected to grieve two rabbis slain in the attack. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire on a Jewish festival at the famed surf beach on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more, according to authorities.Among the victims were a 10-year-old girl, two Holocaust survivors, and a married couple shot dead as they tried to thwart the attack. Father-of-five Eli Schlanger, known as the Bondi rabbi, will be the first mourned in a service at Chabad of Bondi Synagogue. Schlanger was a chaplain who served in prisons and hospitals, according to a website of the Chabad movement, which represents a branch of Hasidic Jews and organised the Bondi event. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Anyone who knew him knew that he was the very best of us, said Alex Ryvchin from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. The Chabad of Bondi Synagogue will then hold a second funeral for 39-year-old rabbi Yaakov Levitan in the afternoon. Levitan was a father of four renowned for his charitable work, the Chabad movement said. Large crowds are expected to pack the synagogues to pay their respects. Sowing panic Authorities said the attack was designed to sow panic among the nations Jews. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the father-and-son gunmen had been radicalised by an ideology of hate. It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology, he told national broadcaster ABC on Tuesday. Questions are mounting over whether authorities could have acted earlier to foil the attack. Naveed Akram, reportedly an unemployed bricklayer, came to the attention of Australias intelligence agency in 2019. But he was not considered to be an imminent threat at the time and largely fell off the radar. Police are investigating whether the pair met with Islamist extremists in a visit to the Philippines weeks before the attack. Manilas immigration department has confirmed to AFP that they spent almost all of November in the Philippines, with their final destination listed as Davao. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The province, on the southern island of Mindanao, has a long history of Islamist insurgencies. Carrying long-barrelled guns, the duo fired upon the Bondi beachfront for 10 minutes before police shot and killed 50-year-old Sajid. Naveed, 24, was also shot and remained in hospital under police guard. He woke from a coma on Tuesday night, local media reported. Australias leaders have agreed to toughen laws that allowed father Sajid to own six guns. Mass shootings have been rare in Australia since a lone gunman killed 35 people in the tourist town of Port Arthur in 1996. That attack sparked a world-leading crackdown that included a gun buyback scheme and limits on semi-automatic weapons. But in recent years Australia has documented a steady rise in privately owned firearms. The attack has also revived allegations that Australia is dragging its feet in the fight against antisemitism. I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to fight antisemitism and provide the required safety and security for Jewish communities worldwide, Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address Tuesday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They would do well to heed our warnings, he added. I demand action now. After two days of Berlin talks between American envoys and European leaders, all eyes are on Russia as the final proposal to end the war with Ukraine is set to be submitted within days and its fate would depend on Vladmir Putins response. In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on April 26, 2025. (Photo: AP) After talks in Berlin between American envoys and European leaders, all eyes are on Russia as the final proposal to end the war with Ukraine is set to be submitted within days and its fate would depend on Vladmir Putins response. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said a revised American proposal could be presented to Russia within days, according to The Independent. For two days, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, held talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders to prepare a proposal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Even as there remain several gaps, progress is said to have been made in those talks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For the first time, the Trump administration pledged security guarantees modelled on Natos Article 5, according to Reuters. Zelenskyy has long maintained that security guarantees preferably legally binding guarantees enshrined into law by the US Congress must be a non-negotiable aspect of any settlement to the war. Two officials, who described the security guarantees offered to Ukraine as Article 5-like, told Reuters they would include intensive monitoring and deconfliction measures to prevent small conflicts from escalating. Russia signals rejection of any proposal There are signs that Putin could reject any proposal submitted by the Trump administration he has so far rejected all three proposals submitted by the administration whereas Zelenskyy has accepted all of them. For one, the Kremlin has rejected any ceasefire for Christmas and reiterated its war on Ukraine would continue until all goals are achieved. We want peace. We dont want a truce to give Ukraine a breathing space and prepare for a continuation of the war. We want to stop this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said about the proposal. Separately, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said that Russia would not give back land to end the war and would not accept any Nato peacekeepers in Ukraine after the end of the war, according to The Independent. Throughout the war, Putin has stuck by his maximalist conditions to end the war that would essentially mean a Ukrainian surrender of Ukraine and the loss of its sovereignty and nationhood. ALSO READ: With Russias terms to Ukraine, Putin seeks surrender not a peace deal Putin did not overtly show enthusiasm even about Trumps original 28-point plan that included nearly all of his maximalist terms and sought to serve him a victory on a platter. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even as progress has been made on security guarantees in talks between Ukraine, European partners, and the Trump administration, significant progress has not yet been made on the question of land. While Trump wants Ukraine to surrender the entire Donbas region to Putin, Zelenskyy has offered to freeze battle lines. Cedric Lodge, 58, admitted to trafficking body parts taken from Harvards morgue over a period stretching from 2018 to at least March 2020 Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School for research were allegedly mutilated and sold on the black market by the former morgue manager. (AP) A former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing and selling human remains that were donated for scientific research. Cedric Lodge, 58, admitted to trafficking body parts taken from Harvards morgue over a period stretching from 2018 to at least March 2020. According to the US Justice Department, the stolen remains included internal organs, brains, skin, hands, faces and even dissected heads. All these body parts were meant to be used for education and research, as reported by AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lodge pleaded guilty in May and was formally sentenced on Tuesday. Harvard said he was fired in May 2023, shortly after the investigation came to light. Not a lone hand Federal investigators said Lodge didnt act alone. He and his wife, Denise Lodge, stole body parts from the medical school near Boston and transported them to their home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, as well as to other locations in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. From there, the remains were shipped to buyers in different states. Critically, authorities, as quoted by AFP, said the body parts were taken __without the knowledge or permission of his employer, the donor, or the donors family. Denise Lodge, 65, was also sentenced, receiving one year in prison for her role in the operation, the Justice Department said. Law enforcement officials described the case as particularly disturbing, not just because of the crimes themselves but because of the setting in which they occurred. __Todays sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice, said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBIs Philadelphia field office. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prosecutors revealed that many of the remains sold by Lodge didnt stop with a single transaction. Instead, they were resold at a profit, creating a bigger black market for human body parts. Several of those buyers have already been sentenced to jail time, while others are still awaiting sentencing. US President Donald Trump congratulated Czech PM Andrej Babis after taking the charge. Trump said it is great to see Babis appointed as the Prime Minister and expects incredible things from him. After Andrej Babis took charge as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, US President Donald Trump congratulated him by taking to his Truth Social platform. Trump said it is great to see Babis appointed as the Prime Minister and expects incredible things from the fellow Billionaire and an active supporter. Babiss government was sworn in on Monday after forming an alliance with two euroskeptic right-wing parties. It is great to see Andrej Babis appointed again as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Together, we will once again achieve Great Success on Defense, Energy, and Illegal Immigration Just as we have done during our First Terms in Office, he added. Trump supporter Babis is considered a supporter of US President Donald Trump. During his election campaign, Babis vowed to curb aid to Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine from 2022. The 71-year-old governed as an EU and NATO member of 10.9 million people from 2017 to 2021. Trump and Babis both previously led their NATO-member countries. I promise all citizens of the Czech Republic to fight for their interests at home and abroad, said Babis, who has described himself as Trumpist in the past. Expect incredible things Andrej knows how to get Deals done, and I expected incredible things from him, including on F-35s, Trump said, referring to the US-made stealth fighter jet. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan remains open to dialogue with China and seeks stable ties amid mounting tensions over Taiwan and recent diplomatic disputes Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday that Japan remains open to dialogue with China, even as relations have been strained by a diplomatic row triggered by her earlier remarks on Taiwan, underlining Tokyos intent to maintain constructive and stable ties with its neighbour despite recent tensions. China is an important neighbour for Japan, and we need to build constructive and stable relationships, Takaichi told a news conference. Japan is always open to dialogue with China. Were not shutting our door. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China and Japan have been at odds since Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on the self-ruled democratic island. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. The remarks triggered a sharp diplomatic backlash from Beijing, which urged its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan. This month, Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese jets, prompting Tokyo to summon Beijings ambassador. China sanctions former Japanese military chief over Taiwan advisory role China on Monday imposed sanctions on a former top Japanese military officer for what it described as colluding with Taiwan independence separatist forces, the foreign ministry said, as a long-running diplomatic dispute with Japan continues to simmer. Shigeru Iwasaki, who served as chief of staff of the Japanese Self Defense Forces Joint Staff from 2012 to 2014, was named as an advisor to Taiwans government in March, according to Taiwanese media. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has repeatedly threatened to use force to bring it under its control. Beijing said on Monday that it firmly opposed Iwasaki taking up the advisory role. The retired general has openly colluded with Taiwan independence separatist forces, seriously violating the one-China principle and damaging Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Under the announced countermeasures, the 72-year-old has been barred from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and any assets he holds in the country will be frozen. People and organisations in China are also prohibited from working with him, the ministry added. Japans foreign ministry said it was regrettable for the Chinese side to take a unilateral measure that seems to intimidate someone with a different position. Taiwan, which rejects Chinas claims over its territory, also responded. China has no jurisdiction over the participation of the Taiwanese people or citizens of other countries in political, public or democratic activities in Taiwan or in third countries, Taipeis foreign ministry said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The development comes after National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah made proactive statements against India that were later strongly protested by New Delhi The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Bangladeshs High Commissioner on Wednesday over security issues after the Indian High Commissioner was allegedly threatened by a group. The development comes after National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah made proactive statements against India that were later strongly protested by New Delhi in the form of a demarche. Meanwhile, the Indian visa centre in Dhaka was shut down early on Wednesday amid the heightened tensions. According to a report by News18, the Bangladeshi High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah was inside the MEA headquarters in New Delhi for 20 minutes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India completely rejects the false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh. It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents, MEA said in a statement. What did Abdullah say? Abdullah warned on Monday that Dhaka could provide refuge to forces hostile to India, including separatist groups, and facilitate efforts to cut off Indias seven sisters, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. He made the remarks while addressing a gathering at Dhakas Central Shaheed Minar. We will shelter separatist and anti-India forces and then we will sever the seven sisters from India. I want to make it clear to India that if you provide shelter to forces that do not respect Bangladeshs sovereignty, potential, voting rights, and human rights, Bangladesh will respond, he said. His comments drew opposition from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who described the remarks irresponsible and dangerous", adding, India is a very big country, a nuclear nation and the fourth largest economy of the world. How can Bangladesh even think about it?" Similar statements were earlier made by Bangladeshs Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, who said the Northeastern region is landlocked and drew criticism for calling on China to expand its control over Indian regions during his state visit to the country. Dhaka accuses India of carrying out anti-Bdesh acts The ties between the two countries hit a new low after Bangladesh accused India of carrying out anti-Bangladesh activities in Indian territory, a claim that has been categorically rejected by New Delhi. Last week, NCP convenor Nahid Islam alleged, without providing evidence, that India and the Awami League may have been involved in the attempted assassination of NCP spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi. He also claimed that the Awami League was operating in exile from India and was attempting to re-establish itself in Bangladesh.. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A highstakes debate is unfolding across the European Union over whether to use 210 billion ($246.25 billion) in frozen Russian assets to help pay for Ukraines reconstruction, and member states are sharply divided on the best approach. Most of the funds come from Russian central bank reserves immobilised by EU sanctions after Moscows fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Now, as Kyivs financial needs mount and its war effort continues, Brussels is scrambling to find new ways to sustain support, and using those frozen assets, as reported by the Associated Press. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Supporters say Russia should bear the cost Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has been a vocal supporter of tapping the funds. At a recent press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, he said Ukraine expects to use the frozen reserves to cover urgent needs in the coming years. Of course, we would very much like to use this to rebuild It is fair that the Russians should pay for the destruction, he said, furthering Kyivs argument that Russia, not European taxpayers, should foot the bill for reconstruction. Several EU leaders also back the idea. Nordic prime ministers, for example, have stressed that using Russias frozen assets is the most viable way forward. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, as quoted by Euronews, said the proposal is the only realistic option and that I think, to be honest, its the only way forward and I really like the idea that Russia pays for the damages they have done and committed in Ukraine. But not all EU capitals are comfortable with the plan. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, whose country holds most of the frozen reserves through the Euroclear financial institution, has demanded legal certainty and shared financial risk before Brussels moves ahead. I want the maximum of legal certainty. I want solidarity, he said in October, as quoted by Euronews, comparing the funds to a chicken that shouldnt be eaten without knowing the consequences. Italy has also expressed concern, as per a Reuters report. Ahead of a key summit, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the idea of using frozen assets far from easy, warning that any plan must have a solid legal basis and shouldnt impose disproportionate liabilities on EU budgets. Other leaders, including those in Germany and France, have pushed for caution too. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moscow takes the legal route The debate has already triggered legal retaliation from Moscow. Russias central bank is suing Euroclear in a Russian court, claiming the frozen assets were wrongfully denied access. Brussels, meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, insists the funds remain frozen and that any future use would adhere to international law. At the same time, opposition within the EU has political dimensions. Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban has threatened to use his bloc leverage to block related decisions, arguing that such steps could strain memberstate finances. Despite the divisions at the top, public opinion in many European countries still favours supporting Ukraine financially. A new YouGov survey show majorities in several EU states back using Russian funds in some form to help Kyiv. But the deep legal and political disagreements mean the final decision at an upcoming EU summit remains uncertain. Earlier on Tuesday, Jaishankar met President Isaac Herzog and also held discussions with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar and Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his trip to Israel, where the two discussed deepening cooperation in technology, economy, skills and talent, connectivity and security. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, Deeply appreciate the call on Prime Minister Israel @netanyahu in Jerusalem this evening. Extended warm wishes of PM @narendramodi. Confident that our Strategic Partnership will grow from strength to strength." Deeply appreciate the call on Prime Minister Israel @netanyahu in Jerusalem this evening. Extended warm wishes of PM @narendramodi. Discussed deepening cooperation in technology, economy, skills and talent, connectivity and security. Valued his perspectives on regional and pic.twitter.com/pjIqujXIrA Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 16, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Earlier on Tuesday, Jaishankar met President Isaac Herzog and also held discussions with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar and Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat. He condemned the attack on the Jewish community in Australias Bondi Beach shooting, saying that India and Israel both have a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism. Let me first of all convey our very, very sincere, deep condolences at the loss of life due to the terror attack at Hanukkah celebrations in Bondi Beach. I want to say that we condemn it in the strongest possible terms, Jaishankar said while addressing the press alongside Saar. He thanked Israel for its support of India in its fight against terrorism. Where India and Israel are concerned, we are both countries that have a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We appreciate your consistent support in our fight against terrorism and all its forms and manifestations, Jaishankar said. He said that they will be discussing a strategic partnership between the two countries, which has really developed very significantly in the last decade. It has a G2G dimension, a B2B dimension, and one P2P between people as well. And I would say there really are a very large number of domains today that our relationship touches in one form or the other, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jaishankar said that India and Israel are very complementary partners, and we must make the most of that. He also reiterated Indias support for the Gaza peace plan and expressed hope that it will lead to a lasting and durable solution. With inputs from agencies Donald Trump called for international unity against radical Islamic terrorism as Australia prepared to bury victims of the deadly Sydney Hanukkah shooting. Father-of-five Eli Schlanger, known as the Bondi rabbi, will be the first mourned in a service at Chabad of Bondi Synagogue. (AFP) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged countries around the world to unite against what he described as radical Islamic terrorism, as Australia prepares to hold funerals for those killed in a deadly attack at a Jewish festival in Sydney. His remarks came days after a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event left 15 people dead. All nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism, and were doing that, Trump said while speaking at a White House Hanukkah reception. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Australia prepares to mourn victims Australia will hold the first funerals on Wednesday for victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, with large crowds expected to gather to grieve two rabbis killed in the attack. Authorities said Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire at a Jewish festival at the popular surf beach on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more. Among those killed were a 10-year-old girl, two Holocaust survivors, and a married couple who were shot dead as they attempted to stop the attack. The first funeral service will be held for father-of-five Eli Schlanger, widely known as the Bondi rabbi, at Chabad of Bondi Synagogue. Schlanger served as a chaplain in prisons and hospitals, according to the Chabad movements website. The organisation, which represents a branch of Hasidic Jews, had organised the Bondi event. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the father-and-son attackers had been radicalised by an ideology of hate. It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology, he told national broadcaster ABC on Tuesday. In a global wealth order dominated by longstanding dynasties and generational empires, only one Indian family, the Ambanis, has secured a place on Bloombergs 2025 list of the worlds 25 richest families. In Bloombergs 2025 ranking of the worlds 25 richest families, only one Indian family the Ambanis, makes the cut. The worlds 25 richest families added a staggering $358.7 billion to their fortunes in 2025, taking their combined wealth to about $2.9 trillion. Heres a closer look at the leading family fortunes that define global dynastic wealth today: Walton family $513.4 billion The worlds richest family holds a majority stake in Walmart, the worlds largest retailer. From its humble beginnings in 1962 with a single discount store in Arkansas, Walmart now operates over 10,000 outlets globally. The Walton familys vast retail empire has propelled their collective wealth past half a trillion dollars. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Al Nahyan family $335.9 billion Rulers of Abu Dhabi and custodians of the UAEs most valuable oil reserves, the Al Nahyans have used energy wealth to invest in diverse sectors, including artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency ventures. Their financial might reflects decades of strategic state and sovereign investment. Al Saud family $213.6 billion Saudi Arabias ruling dynasty derives its standing from the kingdoms petroleum wealth. While estimates vary due to the complexity of royal holdings, the family maintains its place among the richest through state oil revenues and extensive global investments beyond energy. Al Thani family $199.5 billion The Qatari royals, whose fortune originated from mid-20th century oil discoveries, have since diversified into real estate, international finance and cultural ventures, establishing themselves as major players beyond the energy sector. Hermes family $184.5 billion The French luxury dynasty behind the iconic Hermes brand has sustained wealth across six generations. Known for high-end fashion and the coveted Birkin bag, the familys control of craftsmanship and exclusivity has kept its valuation robust, even as markets shift. Koch family $150.5 billion American industrial wealth built by Fred Koch has been passed through generations, with Koch Industries expanding into petrochemicals, refining, agriculture and commodities. Beyond business, the family is also known for its political influence and philanthropy. Mars family $143.4 billion The Mars clan, famous for candy brands such as M&Ms and Snickers, has grown its food empire through strategic acquisitions, including a major purchase in snack foods this year. Mars, Inc. remains a private powerhouse in global consumer markets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ambani family $105.6 billion (only Indian entrant) Indias sole representative on the list, the Ambani family heads Reliance Industries with sprawling interests in energy, petrochemicals, retail and digital services. Led by Mukesh Ambani, the dynasty has built one of Asias most diversified conglomerates, translating domestic dominance into global wealth recognition. Wertheimer family $85.6 billion Behind luxury brand Chanel, the Wertheimers have preserved control of one of fashions most storied maisons. The familys wealth rests on luxury appeal and strategic heritage stewardship, including interests in vineyards and lifestyle assets. Thomson family $82.1 billion The Canadian media dynasty controls Thomson Reuters, one of the worlds largest financial data and news enterprises. Originating from a 1930s radio purchase, the familys media and information assets have endured as global staples in financial markets. In its message, Pakistan conveyed best wishes to the Bhutanese leadership and people, reaffirming hopes for peace and prosperity The Dzong is located in Bhutan. Pakistan on Tuesday extended greetings to Bhutan on the occasion of its National Day, a routine diplomatic message that drew attention for an unexpected visual detail. The congratulatory message, shared by Pakistans Foreign Office on X, was accompanied by a photograph of a dzong, a traditional Bhutanese fortress, that was recently renovated with financial assistance from India. Diplomatic observers in South Asia were quick to spot the detail. In its message, Pakistan conveyed best wishes to the Bhutanese leadership and people, reaffirming hopes for peace and prosperity. The day celebrates the coronation of Bhutans king and is a major moment in the Himalayan nations year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On the occasion of National Day of the Kingdom of #Bhutan, we extend our heartiest felicitations to its people and Government. @PakinBangladesh @FMBhutan pic.twitter.com/GTsITx6UZr Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) December 17, 2025 What stood out, however, was the choice of imagery. The dzong featured in the post is part of a broader heritage conservation effort supported by Indian funding, reflecting New Delhis long-standing development partnership with Bhutan. India has played a central role in restoring several historic dzongs and cultural sites across the country, often positioning these projects as symbols of close bilateral ties. The use of that particular image of noteworthy, given the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Bhutan and Pakistan, and the historically tense relationship between India and Pakistan. There was no immediate reaction from Bhutan, which traditionally maintains a low-key and cautious approach to external diplomacy. India, too, did not officially comment on Pakistans post. Bhutan shares a uniquely close relationship with India, spanning defence, economic cooperation and infrastructure development. Indias help in renovating Bhutans dzongs is often seen as a sign of their strong ties. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As Pakistan marks the anniversary of the Army Public School attack in Peshawar, the country faces another grim reality this year has been its deadliest in more than a decade as terrorism has once again torn its sociopolitical fabric. A firefighter douses a vehicle after a blast outside a court building in Islamabad, Pakistan, on November 11, 2025. (Photo: Reuters) As Pakistan commemorates the anniversary of the Army Public School attack in Peshawar, it confronts another grim reality 2025 has been its deadliest year in more than a decade as terrorism once again rips through its sociopolitical fabric. With at least 3,822 terrorism-related deaths so far, this year is the worst since 2014, according to data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP). Fatalities have surged by 70.93 per cent compared with last year, marking the highest toll since 2014. The spike coincides with Pakistans deteriorating ties with Afghanistans Taliban rulers and simultaneous conflicts with the Afghan Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The last time violence was this severe was in 2014 when 5,510 people were killed in terrorist incidents including 150 victims, 134 of them children, massacred at APS Peshawar by the TTP. Year Incidents of Killing Civilians Security Forces Terrorists/Insurgents/Extremists Not Specified Total Total 18342 22622 10331 37320 3213 73486 2014 1569 1471 508 3268 263 5510 2015 950 866 339 2407 73 3685 2016 526 541 291 897 68 1797 2017 294 439 216 533 81 1269 2018 164 358 158 162 10 688 2019 136 142 137 86 0 365 2020 193 169 178 159 0 506 2021 268 215 226 223 0 664 2022 365 229 379 363 0 971 2023 528 398 532 583 0 1513 2024 790 582 754 896 4 2236 2025 1030 622 1151 2048 1 3822 Ironically, the TTP emerged from Pakistans own sponsorship of Islamist groups in Afghanistan including the Afghan Taliban that first fought the Soviets and later battled Afghanistans internationally recognised government. Today, these groups are in open conflict with Pakistan itself. As former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned in 2011, the snakes in the backyard meant to bite neighbours have turned on their sponsor. Pakistan stands battered as Munir grabs power The Pakistan Army has long positioned itself as the guarantor of the countrys Islamic identity. The rise of its chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, should have strengthened Pakistan. Instead, the country has been battered from every direction in 2025. In the tribal northwest, the TTP has unleashed frequent attacks and driven up the death toll. In Balochistan, where a separatist movement has simmered for decades, groups such as the BLA have intensified their campaign and struck repeated blows. Across the western border, the Taliban have humiliated Pakistan with waves of cross-border clashes since October. Dozens have been killed, hundreds injured, and several border posts destroyed. Violence has not been confined to border regions. A bomb blast killed at least 11 people in Islamabad in November. Paramilitary headquarters and key military facilities have also been targeted, including suicide attacks on Frontier Corps headquarters and an infiltration assault on a cadet college. Months before the Taliban embarrassed Munir, Pakistans military and its proxies were hit hard by India in Operation Sindoor an offensive launched on May 7 after the Pahalgam attack. India first struck terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). When Pakistan retaliated against Indian military and civilian targets, India escalated by hitting Pakistani military sites. In the four-day conflict, India struck airbases, air defence units, and several other installations across Pakistan. The Philippine government said there was no evidence that Sajid Akram and his son Naveed received any militant training in the country before carrying out the Sydney Hanukkah shooting This screen grab of UGC video taken on December 14, 2025 and received courtesy of Mike Ortiz shows beach-goers fleeing Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire, in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (AFP) The Philippines on Wednesday pushed back strongly against remarks that the country may have been used as a training ground for terrorism, following revelations that the men behind Australias deadly Bondi Beach shooting had visited the country weeks before the attack. Government officials said there was no evidence to support claims that Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, who carried out the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, received any form of militant training during their stay in the Philippines. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD (President Ferdinand Marcos) strongly rejects the sweeping statement and the misleading characterisation of the Philippines as the Isis training hotspot, presidential spokeswoman Claire Castro said during a press briefing. She added that authorities had seen nothing to substantiate the allegations. No evidence has been presented to support claims that the country was used for terrorist training, Castro said, reading from a statement issued by the National Security Council. There is no validated report or confirmation that individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines, she added. The comments came a day after the Philippine immigration office confirmed that Akram and his son entered the country on November 1 and travelled to Davao, a city in the southern island of Mindanao. The region has long been associated with Islamist insurgencies fighting the central government. Australian investigators are now examining whether the father-son duo may have met extremist elements during their time in the country. However, Philippine security officials insist that the threat landscape in Mindanao has changed significantly in recent years. The military said remaining armed Muslim groups have been severely weakened since the 2017 siege of Marawi, when pro-Islamic State militants battled government forces for five months. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We have not recorded any major terrorist operations or training activities since the beginning of 2024, military spokeswoman Colonel Francel Padilla said at a press briefing. They are fragmented, and they have no leadership, she added. Another senior officer, Colonel Xerxes Trinidad, said the short duration of the visit also made serious training unlikely. Training cannot be acquired in just 30 days especially if you are to undergo marksmanship (training), he told reporters. Sajid Akrams Indian roots Fifty-year-old Sajid Akram originally hailed from Hyderabad and moved to Australia more than two decades ago, Telangana Police said on Tuesday. According to the police, Sajid emigrated to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment and eventually settled there permanently. While living in Australia, he married Venera Grosso, a European national, the statement added. Despite building his life abroad, Sajid continued to hold an Indian passport, officials said. Police also noted that his ties with India had remained limited over the years. Since leaving in 1998, Sajid had only sporadic contact with his family in Hyderabad and returned to India on just six occasions. These visits, the police said, were largely for personal and family-related reasons, including property matters and spending time with his elderly parents. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD PM Modi arrived in Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and is expected to sign an ambitious trade deal. This is his second visit to the Gulf nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday interacted with Omans Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said and exchanged perspectives on friendship between the two countries. Modi, who arrived here on a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with the Gulf nations top leadership and is expected to sign an ambitious trade deal, said his trip offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to the bilateral partnership. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He was warmly welcomed by Sayyid Shihab at the airport and was accorded a ceremonial welcome. Landed in Muscat, Oman. This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership, Modi said in a social media post. Modi is visiting Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. This is his second visit to the Gulf nation. Extremely grateful to HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Omans Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, for the warm welcome at Muscat airport. We also had a great interaction, exchanging perspectives on India-Oman friendship, Modi said. Extremely grateful to HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Omans Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs for the warm welcome at Muscat airport. We also had a great interaction, exchanging perspectives on India-Oman friendship. pic.twitter.com/pfdqA34R5F Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 17, 2025 Modis visit is of special significance as it marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Prime Minister arrived here on the last leg of his three-nation tour. He earlier visited Ethiopia and Jordan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When Modi arrived at the hotel, he was welcomed by the Indian community members. Local artists presented a traditional Omani performance. Indian artists presented colourful cultural performances, including Rajasthans Ghoomar, Gujarati song, classical dance and Karnatakas folk dance. He also witnessed an exhibition depicting 70 years of India-Oman diplomatic relations presented by diaspora at the hotel. India has said that it is very optimistic about finalising an ambitious trade deal with Oman during the visit. The free trade agreement between India and Oman was approved by the Union Cabinet last Friday. Talks for the agreement, officially termed as CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), formally began in November 2023, and the negotiations concluded this year. We are all very optimistic about it. The teams from both sides have been working very hard for its early finalisation, Arun Chatterjee, a secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), had said at a media briefing when asked whether the proposed India-Oman comprehensive economic partnership agreement will be inked during Modis visit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We have immense faith that this agreement, if signed during this visit, will significantly deepen the economic ties between India and Oman. And it will open up a new chapter in the history of India-Oman trade and commercial relationship, he said. During the visit, Modi will also hold discussions with Sultan Tarik on strengthening the Strategic Partnership as well as a strong commercial and economic relationship. Modi is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora here. This visit will be an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture, as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, the MEA said in an earlier statement. Oman is the third-largest export destination for India among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. India already has a similar agreement with another GCC member, the UAE, which came into effect in May 2022. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India-Oman bilateral trade was about USD 10.5 billion (exports USD 4 billion and imports USD 6.54 billion) in 2024-25. Indias key imports are petroleum products and urea. These account for over 70 per cent of imports. Other key products are propylene and ethylene polymers, pet coke, gypsum, chemicals, iron and steel, and unwrought aluminium. The main items of Indias exports to Oman include mineral fuels, chemicals, precious metals, iron and steel, cereals, ships, boats and floating structures, electrical machinery, boilers, tea, coffee, spices, apparel, and food items. Pilots of a Falcon 900EX business jet travelling from Aruba to Miami reported the encounter to air traffic controllers in Curacao shortly after it happened on Saturday afternoon, based on audio captured by LiveATC.net A private jet narrowly avoided a midair collision with a United States Air Force refuelling tanker near Venezuela last weekend, according to radio transmissions reviewed by CNN. The incident occurred a day after a similar near-collision was reported in the same region. Pilots of a Falcon 900EX business jet travelling from Aruba to Miami reported the encounter to air traffic controllers in Curacao shortly after it happened on Saturday afternoon, based on audio captured by LiveATC.net. The pilots said the incident occurred at an altitude of about 26,000 feet. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They were really close, one of the pilots told controllers. We were climbing right into him, the unidentified pilot said, adding, It was big, maybe a 777 or a (767). Second incident in a week The Saturday incident follows a similar event reported on Friday, when pilots of JetBlue flight 1112 from Curacao to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport said they were forced to abruptly halt their climb after a US Air Force aerial refuelling tanker crossed directly in front of their flight path with its transponder turned off. The Pentagon and Dutch aviation officials said they are reviewing the earlier JetBlue incident. In a statement to CNN, the United States Southern Command said it was aware of the recent reporting regarding US military aircraft operations in the Caribbean and (is) currently reviewing the matter. US issues warnings to airlines Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory warning US airlines of increased military activity at all altitudes near Venezuela, and reiterated that warning on Tuesday. Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground, the FAA said. Following the advisory, several international airlines cancelled flights to and from Venezuela. On Tuesday, Copa Airlines said it would extend its suspension of flights to and from Caracas until January 15, citing operational conditions at Maiquetia International Airport. Putin said Russia would take more land in Ukraine by force if Kyiv and European politicians whom he cast as young pigs did not engage over US proposals for a peace settlement. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday lashed out at European leaders, calling them little pigs, and asserted that Russia would achieve its territorial objectives in Ukraine either through diplomacy or military action. At an annual Defence Ministry meeting, Putin said Moscows so-called special military operation would succeed unconditionally. He warned that if European leaders and Kyiv were unwilling to engage in serious discussions, Russia would reclaim what he called its historical territories on the battlefield. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Putin emphasised that Russia has consistently favoured diplomatic solutions in international conflicts, but cautioned that attempts to pressure the country through force have often led to missed opportunities. Russia has been pursuing diplomatic resolutions to disputes wherever there is even the slightest chance of success. Those who believe Russia can be coerced through force are fully responsible for those lost opportunities, he said. He further suggested that Russia could expand its territorial control in Ukraine by force if European politicians and Kyiv fail to respond constructively to US-backed peace proposals. The Russian president also accused the previous US administration of deliberately steering the situation toward armed conflict, claiming it believed Russia could be weakened or destroyed quickly. He criticised European leaders for aligning with Washington, saying: Europes little pigs immediately joined the previous American administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country. PUTIN TO EU: "LITTLE PIGS" WHO TRIED TO TAKE REVENGE - AND FAILED In a televised address, Putin lashed out at the West, accusing European countries of trying to exploit Russias weakness for their own gain. He ridiculed European leaders, mocked their alliance with Biden pic.twitter.com/5t7x1lwqi1 Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 17, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The United States has held talks with Russia, and separately with Kyiv and European leaders, on proposals for ending the war in Ukraine but no deal has been reached. Kyiv and its European allies are concerned by demands for Ukrainian territorial concessions and Ukraine wants stronger security guarantees. Putin said Russia, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022, was advancing on all fronts and would achieve its aims by force or through diplomacy. If the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means, Putin said. Russia says it controls about 19% of Ukraine, including the Crimea peninsula which it annexed in 2014, as well as most of the eastern Donbas region, much of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, and slivers of four other regions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russia says Crimea, Donbas, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are now parts of Russia. Ukraine says it will never accept that, and almost all countries consider the regions to be part of Ukraine. Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said a task for 2026 was to increase the pace of Russias offensive. A slide shown during a speech he delivered said Russia was spending 5.1% of gross domestic product on the war in 2025. Putin says European leaders whip up hysteria European leaders say they stand with Kyiv and that Russia should not be rewarded for the war in Ukraine, which followed several years of fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops in the Donbas region. Putin said former U.S. President Joe Bidens administration had sought to destroy Russia and that European politicians had also been pursuing the same objective, a charge denied by European leaders. He accused European politicians - whom he described as shoats, or young pigs - of whipping up hysteria about a potential war with Russia by warning that Moscow could one day attack a country in the NATO military alliance. I have repeatedly stated: this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is being done quite deliberately, Putin said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Some European leaders have accused Russia of having no real intention of engaging in peace talks. Directing similar criticism at Europe, Belousov said European powers were trying to scuttle attempts to end the war and talking of a war between Russia and NATO within a few years. Such a policy creates real prerequisites for the continuation of military operations next year, 2026, he said. With inputs from agencies Trump will deliver a live national address from the White House that is likely to focus on his administrations achievements and outline priorities for the period ahead US President Donald Trump has said he will deliver a live national address from the White House on Wednesday at 9 pm (7:30 am Indian Standard Time on Thursday), in which he is expected to reflect on the past year and outline his administrations plans for the period ahead. In a post on his social media platform on Tuesday, Trump described the past year as a strong one for the country and said, It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME! He added that he was looking forward to addressing the nation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Focus on achievements and future plans White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previewed the address while speaking with reporters on Tuesday, saying Trump would highlight what she described as the historic accomplishments of his administration over the past year, along with expectations for the period ahead. Its going to be a really good speech. I was just in the Oval Office with the president discussing it, Leavitt said. She noted that Trump plans to talk about achievements from the past 11 months, efforts to bring the country back to greatness, and his agenda for the next three years. Border security and economy likely topics Speaking separately in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Leavitt said the president is likely to address issues including border security and the economy. President Trump will be talking about whats to come. The best is truly yet to come, as he often says, she said, adding that he could be teasing some policy that will be coming within the next year. The Trump administration told US District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday that it will meet with the non-profit preservation group and the Commission of Fine Arts to review plans for the ballroom An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished in Washington, DC. The demolition is part of US President Donald Trump's plan to build a multimillion-dollar ballroom on the eastern side of the White House. AFP A federal judge has greenlit US President Donald Trumps plan to build a ballroom at the White House, rejecting an appeal from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily block the project. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit on Friday, saying that the White House did not seek the necessary reviews before demolishing the East Wing in October. Meanwhile, the Trump administration told US District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday that it will meet with the non-profit preservation group and the Commission of Fine Arts to review plans for the ballroom. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Although attorneys for both sides acknowledged on Tuesday that they are not architectural experts, much of the discussion focused on whether underground construction already underway would limit or prevent changes to the ballrooms design. When will construction begin? Judge Leon noted that if the government does construction below the ground that prevents the court from changing its order regarding what happens above the ground, the government should be prepared to take it down. In a court filing on Monday, the Trump administration said above-ground structural work on the ballroom is not expected to begin before April, and that the overall project is slated for completion by the summer of 2028. Trump has said the new building would enable future presidents to host large events indoors rather than on the South Lawn. Were going to have something thats really, really spectacular. And I thank the judge in the case for the courage in making the proper decision, because we didnt want to be held up, Trump said, hailing the judges order. What did the group say in its plea? The group had asked a federal group to order the halt of construction of the ballroom, pitched as a much-needed and exquisite addition. It says rebuilding should only be allowed after the White House complies with the law by going through the legally mandated review processes. Carol Quillen, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said, The White House is arguably the most evocative building in our country and a globally recognised symbol of our powerful American ideals. In the lawsuit, the group claims the White House violated the law by starting construction without submitting plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, failing to conduct an environmental assessment of the project, and refusing to seek authorisation from Congress. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and said his administration will designate Nicolas Maduros government as a foreign terrorist organisation Trumps administration is ramping up pressure on Venezuela with a major Caribbean military deployment that includes the worlds largest aircraft carrier. (AFP) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a sharp escalation in Washingtons actions against Venezuela, declaring that his administration would designate President Nicolas Maduros regime as a foreign terrorist organisation while ordering a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of the country. Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he was directing a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela, signalling an intensification of his campaign against the South American nation. He added that his administration was taking steps to label Maduros government a foreign terrorist organisation for the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, Trump wrote. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America, Trump posted. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us. The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping, Trump added. Recent enforcement actions and sanctions The announcement follows the seizure of an oil tanker by the US off the Venezuelan coast last week. The administration said the vessel was transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, and Trump has stated that the US intends to keep the oil that was on board. In recent weeks, the administration has also imposed sanctions on members of the Maduro family and on Venezuelan businesses. Alongside the economic measures, the Trump administration has continued to build up a military presence in the region, prompting questions about whether the president intends to pursue a military conflict with Venezuela. The Pentagon has deployed the worlds largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, along with its carrier air wing, to the Caribbean. In October, two B-1 Lancer bombers departed from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and flew near Venezuelas coast, according to flight tracking data. For months, the administration has also conducted military strikes against alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean. Those operations, and the dozens of deaths they have caused, have drawn scrutiny from Congress. Trump has repeatedly threatened land strikes inside Venezuela but has not carried them out. While officials have said the campaign is aimed at stopping drug flows, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair in an interview published Tuesday that the presidents approach is to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. And people way smarter than me say that he will. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Trump administration has imposed full restrictions and entry limitations on citizens from five countries Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. These are in addition to the initial list of 12 countries US President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC on November 19, 2025.- AFP file US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation expanding the limits on the entry of foreign nationals into the country, the White House has announced. The Trump administration has imposed full restrictions and entry limitations on citizens from five countries Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. These are in addition to the initial list of 12 countries. The White House added that full restrictions have also been imposed on individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The move marks a significant escalation in Trumps efforts to tighten security following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, on November 26. The alleged shooter, an Afghan national who had served in a CIA-affiliated unit in Afghanistan, was allowed into the US after the countrys withdrawal in 2021. He was granted asylum earlier this year after undergoing a vetting process. Which other countries are on the list? The 12 high-risk countries already on the list are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Apart from this, Laos and Sierra Leone, which previously were subjected to partial restrictions, now face a full entry ban. Countries like Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela continue to be under partial restrictions under the new list. Govt to re-examine green card holders Last month, the US government announced that it would re-examine green card holders issued to people who came to the US from 19 specific countries. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) chief, Joseph Edlow, said that President Donald Trump had instructed the agency to conduct a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern. When asked by the BBC which nations were included, the agency referred to a June White House proclamation listing Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela. The proclamation highlighted that USCIS explained that the policy aims to limit foreign nationals from entering the US to protect against foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats. A new sanctions list is ready, diplomacy is on the clock and Moscow is unmoved. As Trump pushes peace and Kyiv signals flexibility, Putins response may determine the wars next phase. Read here FILE - From left, European Council President Antonio Costa, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrive for an EU Summit at the European Council building in Brussels, March 6, 2025.- AFP The United States is preparing a fresh package of sanctions targeting Russias energy sector as Washington braces for the possibility that President Vladimir Putin will once again reject a proposed peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. The approach reflects a recalibration in Washington, with officials increasingly view that economic pressure remains the most effective lever to influence Moscows cost-benefit calculus. According to people familiar with the discussions as reported by Bloomberg, the proposed sanctions would focus on vessels linked to Russias so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers and the traders who help facilitate Moscows oil exports. These measures, which could be unveiled as early as this week, are designed to tighten pressure on Russias most critical revenue stream if diplomacy collapses yet again. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the plans with European ambassadors earlier this week, reinforcing the Trump administrations message that peace remains the preferred outcome. In a post on X following the meeting, Bessent said Trump viewed himself as a President of Peace and was committed to ending the Ukraine war. My thanks to @EUAmbUS Ambassador Neliupsiene for hosting discussions this morning with the 27 EU Ambassadors to the United States. President Trump is the President of Peace, and I reiterated that under his leadership, America will continue to prioritize ending the war in pic.twitter.com/3SfQiL4lvw Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) December 15, 2025 However, officials warned that any final decision rests with Trump, who has alternated between threatening harsher economic measures and publicly expressing confidence that he could broker a deal with Moscow. The Kremlin has acknowledged that Washington is considering new sanctions. Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that additional restrictions would harm efforts to rebuild relations, signalling Moscows continued resistance to economic pressure as a diplomatic tool. Trump proposes, Putin disposes The looming sanctions threat comes against the backdrop of three US-led peace initiatives over the past year, all of which failed to halt the fighting. The first proposal, floated early in Trumps return to office, focused on an immediate ceasefire along existing front lines, followed by negotiations on security guarantees and sanctions relief. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed in principle, seeking minor clarifications and assurances on international monitoring. Moscow rejected the plan outright, insisting that any ceasefire must recognise Russias territorial claims. A second proposal attempted to narrow differences by sequencing concessions. Under this framework, Ukraine signalled willingness to discuss neutrality and phased sanctions relief, while deferring territorial questions to later talks. Zelenskyy accepted the proposal with modifications, stressing that Kyiv would not formally cede territory. Putin again dismissed the initiative, arguing that Ukraine and its Western backers were unwilling to address what the Kremlin calls the root causes of the conflict. The third and most recent proposal was pitched as a compromise deal, combining limited ceasefire measures with economic incentives and diplomatic guarantees. Ukraine accepted the outline, even as Zelenskyy acknowledged it was politically and militarily difficult. Russia, however, refused to engage, reinforcing the perception in Washington that Putin sees little incentive to negotiate while battlefield momentum remains on his side. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moscow doubles down Putins latest comments suggest that stance has hardened rather than softened. Speaking to defence ministry officials, the Russian leader said Moscow would certainly achieve its objectives in Ukraine, including seizing the territories it claims to have annexed. While he said Russia would prefer to resolve the conflict diplomatically, he made clear that military means would be used if talks did not meet Kremlin demands. That position leaves the Trump administration with limited options. Diplomacy has failed to produce results, while Kyiv has signalled flexibility within clear limits. With Putin rejecting all three proposals, Washington is increasingly turning back to economic pressure as its primary lever. Markets are already reacting to the possibility of tougher action. Oil prices briefly rose after reports of the sanctions preparations, reflecting concerns that tighter restrictions on Russian exports could disrupt supply. For now, the White House continues to frame sanctions as a contingency rather than a foregone conclusion. But with Putin showing no sign of retreat, the threat of a new economic offensive is becoming central to Washingtons strategy, a signal that if diplomacy is dismissed once more, the cost of saying no may soon rise sharply. A session of the Mexico City Congress descended into chaos when female lawmakers from rival parties physically clashed during a live broadcast. Chaos in Mexico City Congress as female lawmakers from rival parties come to blows during a live televised session. A legislative debate in Mexico City took an unexpected and violent turn on Monday when a group of female lawmakers from opposing parties physically clashed during a session broadcast live on television. The confrontation, which erupted over a procedural dispute, quickly spiralled into chaos as legislators were seen shoving, slapping and pulling each others hair in front of shocked colleagues and viewers. The fight broke out between members of the right-wing National Action Party known as PAN and legislators from Morena, the left-leaning movement that holds the majority in the capitals assembly. Videos of the chaotic scene have since gone viral across social media. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dispute over legislative procedure According to reports from local media, the incident began when a group of PAN members approached the main podium of the Congress of Mexico City to protest what they claimed was a breach of internal rules by the Morena-led majority. The disagreement reportedly centred around decisions related to the city governments transparency oversight agency, an issue that had already provoked tense exchanges during earlier discussions. Witnesses said that as PAN legislators attempted to occupy the podium in symbolic protest, Morena lawmakers rushed forward, demanding they leave. Verbal sparring escalated within seconds into a physical confrontation. Television footage captured the moment several women exchanged slaps and pulled each others hair while others shouted in confusion. Security staff and other members of the chamber tried to separate the fighting legislators, but the struggle carried on for nearly a minute before calm was restored. The scene left papers scattered across desks and visibly stunned lawmakers standing by in silence as the session was temporarily suspended. Scenes of commotion go viral Clips of the altercation spread rapidly online, drawing millions of views within hours. The footage, circulated widely by viewers and news outlets, shows at least five legislators from both Morena and PAN engaged in the scuffle. In one particular sequence, a group of Morena representatives appears to physically remove their counterparts from the dais, while members from the opposition party resist attempts to drag them away. The imagery of elected officials engaging in such behaviour has triggered ridicule, concern and condemnation in equal measure across Mexicos political spectrum. Social media users described the fight as evidence of moral decay in politics, while others mocked it as symptomatic of a broader culture of partisanship and confrontation that has grown more entrenched in recent year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is a real video of a Mexico City Congress session on Monday. Legislators can be seen shoving each other and pulling hair at the podium. The opposition party did this to physically block voting on the budget. What a complete mess and embarrassment. (apnews on TT) pic.twitter.com/JvcVxHs1wu Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) December 16, 2025 Political reactions follow the fracas Shortly after order was restored in the chamber, both parties issued statements blaming one another for the confrontation. A spokesperson for the National Action Party accused Morena lawmakers of resorting to aggression after the opposition attempted what they described as a peaceful protest. We took the podium peacefully, without touching anyone, said Andres Atayde, an aide to the PAN representatives, during a press conference held later that evening. The majority group and its allies chose violence as their response to dissent, showing a complete lack of respect for democratic debate. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Daniela Alvarez, one of the PAN legislators involved in the altercation, condemned the majority partys behaviour as unbecoming of public officials. It is vulgar, aggressive and deeply lamentable that this is how the governing party of our city conducts itself, she told reporters. Morena defends its members actions Representatives from Morena, however, disputed this account and accused the opposition of intentionally disrupting the session. Morena officials claimed that the PAN legislators decision to seize the podium obstructed legislative proceedings and amounted to political theatre designed to attract media attention. According to Morenas version, the physical confrontation only began after repeated requests for the opposition members to vacate the podium were ignored. Party allies defended their actions by arguing that they had a duty to protect the dignity of the legislature and prevent further disorder. Once calm returned, the Morena majority proceeded with the ongoing debate while the opposition delegation left the assembly hall in protest. Local news reports later confirmed that several official proceedings continued in the absence of the PAN representatives. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday Russia was preparing to wage a new year of war on his country in 2026, after his counterpart Vladimir Putin said Moscow would certainly achieve its objectives. FILE - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, looks back at the media in Downing Street, London, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Wednesday that Russia is preparing for another year of war in 2026, following remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin asserting that Moscow would certainly accomplish its objectives. In todays statements from Moscow, we received yet another signal that they are planning to make next year a year of war, Zelenskyy said during his regular evening address. His comments came after Putin told a meeting with defence ministry officials in Moscow that Russia would achieve its aims in the Ukraine campaign, including taking control of territories it claims as its own. The Russian president used the Kremlins term for the conflict, describing it as a special military operation that has now entered its fourth year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy, he said, vowing to seize the Ukrainian lands Russia claims to have annexed by military means if the opposing country and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions. Putins hawkish comments come as Ukraine on Monday hailed progress made on the question of future security guarantees for Kyiv, after two days of talks with US President Donald Trumps envoys in Berlin. But according to Zelensky, differences remain on the question of what territories Ukraine would have to cede to Russia. Washingtons initial proposal criticised by Ukraine and its allies as overly favourable to Russia would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian. - Zelensky at EU summit - The current contents of the revised plan remain unclear. Earlier on Wednesday, the Kremlin said Russia was waiting for information from the US on the outcome of the talks in Berlin. We expect that, as soon as they are ready, our American counterparts will inform us of the results of their work with the Ukrainians and the Europeans, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In September 2022, Russia claimed to have officially annexed the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Lugansk and Kherson regions, even though it did not have full military control over all of them. Zelensky is expected to attend a summit in Brussels on Thursday to lobby European Union leaders to adopt a plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraines defences. He said in his evening address that Putins bellicose signals are not only for us. It is important that our partners see this, and important that they not only see it but also respond, including our partners in the United States of America, who often say that Russia supposedly wants to end the war, he said, accusing Moscow of trying to undermine diplomacy. Apple is developing at least eight new iPhone models set for release between 2026 and 2027, according to a report from The Information. The lineup includes Apples first foldable iPhone, a redesigned 20th-anniversary edition, updated Pro and budget devices, and changes to release timing and manufacturing locations. People working directly on the projects at Apple and its suppliers say the company could be selling up to seven iPhone models by fall 2027, compared with five currently. Background The iPhone contributes nearly half of Apples total revenue. Growth slowed in recent years as users kept devices longer. In Apples most recent fiscal year, which ended September 27, iPhone revenue rose 4% year over year to over $209 billion, boosted in part by the iPhone 17 lineup, which introduced more noticeable design changes than the previous generation. Upcoming iPhone models (20262027) Apple plans multiple updates across its budget, base, Pro, Air, and foldable lines. iPhone 17e Internally called iPhone 17e, this budget model is expected in Spring 2026 (V159). Features include a glass back, magnetic wireless charging, and Apples in-house C1X modem. iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Scheduled for Fall 2026 (V63, V64), these models will have Face ID under the display using OTI Lumionics materials, a relocated selfie camera, a mechanical aperture on at least one rear camera, a new low-light camera sensor, and a similar external design to iPhone 17 Pro. Apple will also use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging from TSMC to place memory closer to the processor for faster AI. iPhone Fold Apples first foldable device (V68), internally known as iPhone Fold, is planned for Fall 2026. It will feature a landscape-oriented design similar to large iPads, a ~5.3-inch outer display, a ~7.7-inch inner display, and a top-left selfie camera with light and proximity sensors. Materials come from Corning and Schott, with Lens Technology and Biel Crystal providing layered components. Foxconn in Guanlan, China, is leading trial production, with current display defect rates reported as high. iPhone 18 and 18e Base and budget models for Spring 2027. iPhone 18 (V67) removes haptic feedback and touch sensing from the capture button and will be manufactured first at Foxconns Bangalore facility before China. iPhone 18e (V69) supports magnetic wireless charging and will also start production in India. iPhone Air 2 Internally, iPhone Air 2 (V62) had trial production paused due to weak sales of the first model. Redesign includes adding a second rear camera and lowering pricing. Production is expected to restart as early as March at Luxshare in Kunshan, China. iPhone 20 Marking the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, the V72 model (internally called iPhone 20) is planned for Fall 2027. It will have curved glass on the front, back, and edges, a full edge-to-edge display with no cutouts, a narrow metal band around the midpoint for buttons, and an under-display selfie camera. Outlook Apple expects strong performance in its current quarter, driven by solid sales of this years iPhone models, excluding the iPhone Air. The iPhone continues to account for about half of Apples total revenue. Despite challenges related to artificial intelligence, spatial computing, and competition in key markets, Apple remains reliant on the iPhone to support overall growth. The expanded iPhone lineup planned for 2026 and 2027 is intended to sustain momentum while the company addresses longer-term strategic pressures. Source Yearender: Self-vassalization, US rift, internal fractures: Europe faces tough strategic year Xinhua) 08:15, December 17, 2025 BRUSSELS, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Europe's strategic vulnerability became starkly visible in 2025 as three crises converged -- a disruptive shift in transatlantic relations under "Trump 2.0," mounting insecurity from the protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict, and persistent governance paralysis inside the EU that repeatedly obstructed collective action. In a rapidly changing global environment, an internally divided Europe, lacking consensus, political will, and operational capacity, faces mounting pressure. Prospects for restoring economic competitiveness or achieving comprehensive rearmament remain dim. SHIFT IN THE TRANSATLANTIC ALLIANCE The inauguration of the new Trump administration ended the "honeymoon" of U.S.-European cooperation. Almost immediately, Washington reshaped the transatlantic ties around an uncompromising "America First" doctrine. Europe was confronted with a barrage of unilateral U.S. demands: sweeping tariff threats, renewed talk of "purchasing Greenland," pressure to drastically increase defense spending, and the use of steel and aluminum duties to coerce the EU into loosening digital regulations. The December 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) solidified this ideological rift. The document warned of Europe's supposed "civilizational erasure" due to low birth rates and migration, accused the EU of undermining "political freedom and sovereignty," and questioned the reliability of certain European allies. Notably, it asserted that the United States aimed to "help Europe correct its current development trajectory," a statement interpreted by European media as a license for interference in EU elections and domestic politics. Most consequential was Washington's decision to scale back its security commitments to Europe. At the NATO Summit in The Hague, EU member states, despite high debt and fiscal strain, were pushed to commit to raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035. The Trump administration halted full military support for Kyiv and demanded that European countries finance U.S. aid instead. Europeans were further shocked by Trump's perceived favoritism toward Russia during peace negotiations, where Europe was conspicuously sidelined. Fearful of antagonizing Washington while facing an increasingly assertive Russia, Europe showed signs of what observers described as "self-vassalization." The EU made sweeping concessions in trade talks, producing an agreement that European Parliament Vice-Chair Kathleen Van Brempt denounced as "neither fair nor balanced." "With the U.S. administration increasingly taking on the role of unreliable broker over a staunch ally, Europe is in a parlous position," said British political commentator John Kampfner. FATIGUE AND STRATEGIC DILEMMA OVER UKRAINE As the Russia-Ukraine conflict ground into its fourth year, hopes for a ceasefire remained distant, deepening Europe's sense of strategic helplessness. The sharp reduction in Russian gas exports battered European economies, while massive aid commitments to Ukraine stretched both financial resources and military stockpiles. Europe faces a painful dilemma: continuing aid drains already depleted arsenals and widens fiscal deficits; halting aid risks geopolitical collapse. With Ukrainian funding projected to run dry in early 2026, signs of donor fatigue became evident. According to the Kiel Institute, European military commitments during the summer of 2025 plummeted 57 percent compared with the first half of the year. Nineteen rounds of EU sanctions against Russia brought limited results, while generating deep internal frictions. Hungary and Slovakia repeatedly challenged the bloc's Russia policy, undermining unity that the EU has been trying to maintain. Despite continued political rhetoric supporting Ukraine, expectations about the war's outcome have shifted. A November report by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) concluded that although Russia faces stagflation, its capacity to sustain military operations remains intact. Although France, Germany, and the UK led "Coalitions of the Willing," they acknowledged that without U.S. aerial and intelligence support, Europe could not guarantee Ukraine's post-ceasefire security. FRACTURE AND ACTION DEFICIT A surge in far-right movements across Europe reshaped political landscapes in 2025, intensifying strains on the EU's governance model of supranational cooperation and compromise. A report by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung highlighted "structural deficits" in EU foreign and security policymaking. Key initiatives, from Ukraine aid packages to sanctions, were hamstrung by vetoes from individual states such as Hungary. The European Commission's proposal to leverage frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine encountered fierce resistance from Belgium, home to clearing giant Euroclear, which would bear significant financial and legal exposure. At the national level, Europe's two traditional anchors, France and Germany, suffered from political instability, policy paralysis, budgetary pressures, and sluggish economic growth. This erosion of leadership weakened the EU's overall strategic coherence. "Facing war in Ukraine and a less reliable America, Europe needs a fully functional Franco-German partnership to sustain a coherent foreign policy," noted IFRI researcher Paul Maurice. In her September 2025 State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted that "Europe's independence hinges on its ability to remain competitive in volatile times." She pledged major investments in digital and clean technologies while addressing bottlenecks in energy, capital, and regulatory frameworks. As 2026 approaches, Europe's rearmament initiatives are expected to accelerate, but long-term competitiveness reforms will likely remain slow and fragmented. With transatlantic relations undergoing a dramatic realignment, and constrained by both structural limits and political divisions, the EU's pursuit of genuine "strategic autonomy" remains distant. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) MIT professor shot at his Massachusetts home dies Xinhua) 14:11, December 17, 2025 SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) died on Tuesday after he was shot a day earlier, local authorities said. Physicist Nuno F. G. Loureiro, aged 47, was shot on Monday night at his residence in Brookline, Massachusetts, media reports said. Loureiro died at a local hospital, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. Investigation is ongoing and no suspects have been arrested. According to MIT, Loureiro was director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center. He grew up in Portugal and earned his doctoral degree in London. Before joining MIT in 2016, he worked as a researcher at a nuclear fusion institute in Lisbon. MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement that Loureiro's death is a "shocking loss." The incident follows a shooting on Dec. 13 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, about 80 km from Brookline, which left two students dead and nine others injured. Providence police are still searching for the gunman. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Tuesday that there is currently no evidence linking the two crimes. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Cancer and Organ Transplant Clinic helps patients navigate complex care challenges Blosser established the Cancer and Organ Transplant Clinic (COTC) in 2021 to address the increased cancer risk that organ transplant recipients face as well as the unique considerations that cancer patients confront when they need a solid-organ transplant. Such patients need extra support to navigate the additional challenges that transplant can pose. The COTC operates as an integrated multidisciplinary consult clinic with a real-time tumor and transplantation board, a group of cancer and transplant experts that meets during a patients visit to develop an optimal treatment plan. The clinic is part of the Center for Innovations in Cancer & Transplant. In Paris Malachias case, Blosser noted that the small number of people who develop MCC and the even tinier subset who develop MCC as organ recipients requires expertise that few institutions can provide. I dont know of any places other than our clinic that offer this level of support and coordination, he said. On one of the familys trips to Fred Hutch, they discussed immunotherapy treatment, using Paris Malachias already compromised immune cells to seek out and destroy the MCC cells. It was a last resort because of the delicate tug-of-war between suppressing his immune system to prevent organ rejection and boosting it to fight cancer. Nghiem, Blosser and Evan Hall, MD, MPhil, a medical oncologist who specializes in skin and kidney cancers, met with the family to discuss how to reduce the immunosuppressant drugs in order to maximize the effects of immunotherapy. It was really reassuring that we had three doctors who are the best of the best sitting in the room with us going over everything, all the risks and the benefits, said Anna Malachias. Several months before beginning immunotherapy, Paris Malachias weaned off the immunosuppressants. In June 2023, he started immunotherapy while the team used two new blood tests that provide early warning if the cancer is returning, or if the kidney is being attacked by the immune system. Soon after starting immune therapy for the cancer, there were signs that his kidney was in distress, so Blosser advised decreasing the frequency of immunotherapy and reintroducing a low dose of immunosuppressants. Reassured by the level of care, the Malachias family decided to relocate to Seattle for six months. We felt very comfortable and safe being there and meeting with the doctors every three weeks, said Anna Malachias. Three years later, Paris Malachias is back home in New Orleans and spent the past summer in his native Greece. He summed up his experience being treated at Fred Hutch: All three doctors saved my life. A medical conundrum Skin is the bodys largest organ; skin cells turn over quickly, creating more opportunity for cancer every time a cell divides. Transplant patients are more likely to develop skin cancers because of the immunosuppression drugs that they take every day post-transplant to prevent transplant rejection. Its a medical conundrum: the same drugs that safeguard a transplanted organ also wreak havoc on a patients immune system. Part of the immune systems job is to scan the body like a lighthouse operator, looking for cancer cells. But when its immune-suppressed due to transplant rejection drugs, the immune system cant do its job. Blosser and Nghiem maintain registries that track patient treatment and outcomes. In July 2025, they published a paper in the British Journal of Dermatology that analyzed the outcomes of MCC patients post-transplant, specifically focused on patients such as Malachias who were treated with immunotherapy. We highlighted Paris case because of how well he did, said Blosser. Blosser continues to play an active consulting role in Malachias care, guiding adjustments to medications and helping interpret lab results. I consider this a huge success in terms of Paris ability to significantly control his cancer and retain his kidney function, to live and live well, he said. Blosser sees Malachias collaborative care as a model that can be expanded and translated to all types of cancer, ensuring that oncologists are coordinating with transplant physicians to combine their expertise and achieve better patient outcomes, at Fred Hutch and around the world. The culture at Fred Hutch is incredibly collaborative and oncologists are willing to give their time in ways that require them to shift their schedules, said Blosser. Although the COTC is the first clinic of its kind that Blosser is aware of, he has helped colleagues establish similar care models at Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Brigham and Womens Hospital, University of Wisconsin, University of Miami and University of Alberta. In the meantime, Blosser sees patients from around the world and offers quarterly patient-focused webinars called Life Lessons that involve a patient and clinician/scientist discussing a topic of interest. Paris Malachias case represented the first time that Nghiem partnered with Blosser to balance organ survival with optimizing immune therapy to treat disease. Since then, they have partnered on nearly a dozen complex patient cases. Chris was super thoughtful about how to manage treatment by using these new tests in combination, helping our team pull off an immune balancing act that really hadnt been possible until very recently, said Nghiem. Philanthropic contributions help make advances like these possible. Learn more about how you can support the Center for Innovations in Cancer & Transplant and the Merkel Cell Carcinoma Collaborative (MC3) Institute. A CRISPR screen reveals an unknown soldier Willcox entered the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Washington in 2019 and is now in her third year of medical school after earning her PhD last March. When she joined the Overbaugh Lab in the Human Biology Division of Fred Hutch, she seized on the chance to study Zika virus. Her assignment: identify the important genes that activate and target the virus when interferon sounds the Zika virus alarm. It was particularly challenging because the lab at that time had limited experience both in studying Zika virus and in using a CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing knock-out screen, Overbaugh said. This versatile, Nobel Prize-winning tool can help scientists find antiviral genes by knocking them out individually and seeing how their absence affects the cells ability to defend against the virus. An enzyme called Cas9 snips DNA at precise locations and CRISPR guide molecules deliver the Cas9 snippers to the gene that researchers want to knock out. When the cell repairs the break, its usually not good enough to restore the genes function, which knocks it out. To screen for host genes of interest, the CRISPR guides for each target gene are combined in a library that can be applied to a population of cells so that the Cas9 snippers knock out just one gene in each cell. The whole population can then be studied in a single experiment that exposes all the cells to the same conditions. Willcox added interferon to muster the cells defenses and then infected them with Zika virus. If Zika virus infected a cell better, it indicated that the knocked-out gene in that cell was important to its defense. An unexpectedly important gene popped out of her screen called AMOTL2, which is involved in cell structure and signaling. Its not generally known as an antiviral gene, but it is associated with cancer progression. The overlap with cancer wasnt so surprising because most antiviral genes have other functions and some viruses, such as human papillomavirus, cause cancer. But there was something peculiar about AMOTL2: unlike the usual militia called out to fight an infection, AMOTL2 isnt regulated by interferon; rather it appears to regulate the interferon response itself, including all the downstream genes of the militia. It was such an unexpected result that Willcox didnt know what to make of it. At first when we got the gene, we kind of just assumed it was an ISG and then I spent a while trying to confirm that, Willcox said. And time and time again, it was just not coming up as regulated by interferon. And that was kind of frustrating because we didn't really know what to think or where to go from there. I needed to think outside the box a little bit to figure it out. Muffling the alarm Someone on her PhD thesis committee suggested that rather than trying to confirm whether it is regulated by interferon, Willcox should just figure out what its doing to aid in the defense of the cell. If interferon is like a bugler sounding the infection alarm to muster the troops (ISGs), but AMOTL2 isnt an ISG following the buglers orders, then what is it doing? Willcox hypothesized that AMOTL2 might be involved sooner in the process what researchers call upstream in the flow of events that leads to ISG production. She discovered that when AMOTL2 is functioning normally, a protein called Stat1 gets activated and efficiently relays the interferon alarm to the cells nucleus so it can start cranking out the militia. But when AMOTL2 is knocked out, a crowd of inactivated Stat1s accumulates in the cell, hanging around with nothing to do, which muffles interferons alarm and results in reduced production of ISGs to fight the infection. In other words, AMOTL2 makes sure that interferons orders get through so the cell can turn out the militia. Not just Zika virus Overbaugh and Willcox knew that their findings would be stronger for publication if they could demonstrate that AMOTL2 played a similar role in other viruses. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024. MI6 Chief says the "front line is everywhere" in first speech, as the UK faces new "age of uncertainty" Press release In her first public speech, the new Chief of MI6 Blaise Metreweli will set out how MI6 is tackling new and emerging threats to the UK and its allies. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Secret Intelligence Service Published 15 December 2025 new MI6 Chief underlines power of human agency in tackling new threats to UK security in first public speech, Blaise Metreweli will say that MI6 is keeping Brits safe in a world where the rules of conflict are being rewritten, by Russia and other hostile actors speech builds on Foreign Secretary's Locarno Centenary speech which highlighted how the UK is utilising partnerships and technology to respond to new hybrid and information threats In her first public speech, the new Chief of MI6 Blaise Metreweli will set out today (Monday 15 December) how MI6 is tackling new and emerging threats to the UK and its allies. The Chief will describe the increasingly complex and interconnected nature of global threats, ranging from technological disruption and hybrid threats to terrorism and information manipulation. Speaking from inside MI6 HQ, Metreweli will describe how the UK is evolving to meet these challenges, through building partnerships and harnessing the technology needed to protect our national security and stay ahead of our adversaries. Mastery of technology must infuse everything we do. Not just in our labs, but in the field, in our tradecraft, and even more importantly, in the mindset of every officer. We must be as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple languages ... Focusing on the new hybrid threat landscape the UK faces, Blaise Metreweli will call out the acute threat posed by an "aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist" Russia. Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine's behalf will be sustained. The export of chaos is a feature not a bug in the Russian approach to international engagement, and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus. This builds on recent UK actions to expose and disrupt harmful activities threatening our national security, as the Foreign Secretary outlined the modern threats the UK now faces through information warfare. In response, the UK has sanctioned several Russian entities delivering the Kremlin's information warfare, and 2 China-based companies for their campaign of indiscriminate cyber activities against the UK and its allies. The Chief will conclude today's speech by emphasising the importance of human agency in tackling traditional and emerging threats to our national security. The defining challenge of the twenty-first century is not simply who wields the most powerful technologies, but who guides them with the greatest wisdom. Our security, our prosperity, and our humanity depend on it ... We all have choices to make ahead about how we deal with the undercurrents shaping the world. About how, in our new, faster, more dangerous and tech-mediated world, it will be our rediscovery of our shared humanity, our ability to listen, and our courage that will determine how our future unfolds ... It is not what we can do that defines us, but what we choose to do. That choice - the exercise of human agency - has shaped our world before, and it will shape it again ... NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Speech by Blaise Metreweli, Chief of SIS, 15 December 2025 Speech Blaise Metreweli, Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service on how SIS is keeping the UK safe in a world where the rules of conflict are being rewritten. From: Secret Intelligence Service, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Blaise Metreweli Published 15 December 2025 Location: London Delivered on: 15 December 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) Welcome inside MI6. This iconic building, familiar to movie fans everywhere, is the home of Britain's foreign intelligence agency. But whilst hundreds of my team pass through the entry pods each day, the truth is that most of our work happens many miles away from this place - out of sight, hidden from the world, undercover, recruiting and running agents who choose to place their trust in us, sharing secrets to make the UK and the world safer. You might pass one of our officers on the street or sit next to them on a plane when you're about to set off on an adventure of your own, or in a foreign city taking selfies by the sights. Whether it's in seemingly everyday places, or on the front line embedded with our military, MI6 is there. In my first few weeks, I've heard repeatedly that MI6 is trusted and respected globally, two things that we never take for granted. We are seen as a source of hard power, soft influence and rapid innovation. I've also heard that people want to believe in MI6. It's my job to make sure they can. Today, I want to talk about human agency. We all have choices to make about how we deal with the undercurrents shaping our world. About how, in our new, faster, more dangerous and technology-mediated world, it will be our rediscovery of our shared humanity, our ability to listen, and our courage that will determine how our future unfolds. Conflict is not inevitable. Understanding human nature is in my bones. From a family shaped by devastating conflict, I grew up with a deep sense of gratitude for the UK's precious democracy and freedom. I spent much of my childhood overseas, which is where my passion for travel and adventure began. I studied anthropology, and later psychology and AI, exploring how we make sense of the world and each other. It's why I was drawn to MI6: it offers strong purpose, a chance to serve and a belief in the positive power of human connection. Like the Service, I'm operational to my very core. Over nearly three decades, my career has involved recruiting and running agents in hostile territory; and leading operations in warzones to defuse threats and support peace. Always in teams, always learning from others. Over the years, I've worked with hundreds of brilliant partners - and indeed occasionally those we'd label as adversaries - across dozens of countries, tackling weapons proliferation and terrorism. During my time at MI5, I saw close up what it takes to defend Britain from being targeted by hostile states. You'll find many like me in my organisation: powerfully motivated to protect our precious country; curious about how our world is changing, joining dots and taking action, across domains. But it was in my last role as 'Q', where it was my job to turn emerging technologies from threats to opportunities that I could most see the world changing. As I dug deep into data and extraordinary innovation, I could see how technology was rapidly reshaping not just our capabilities but also conflict and trust, truth and global power. Let me lay out how I see the global issues MI6 must tackle. Because the greatest danger we face is to misunderstand the nature of the problem. Let's be in no doubt. Our world is more dangerous and contested now than it has been for decades. Conflict is evolving and trust eroding, just as new technologies spur both competition and dependence. We are being contested from sea to space, from the battlefield to the boardroom. And even our brains, as disinformation manipulates our understanding of each other and ourselves. Across the globe, we are now confronting not one single danger, but an interlocking web of security challenges - military, technological, social, ethical even - each shaping the other in complex ways. We are now operating in a space between peace and war. This is not a temporary state or a gradual, inevitable evolution. Our world is being actively remade, with profound implications for national and international security. Institutions which were designed in the ashes of the Second World War are being challenged. New blocs and identities forming and alliances reshaping. Multipolar competition in tension with multilateral cooperation. But there's something distinctive that will make this change unlike any other: the impact of advanced technologies, which will accelerate the pace and scale of every threat and opportunity, and increasingly, individualise them too. Advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing are not only revolutionising economies but rewriting the reality of conflict, as they 'converge' to create science-fiction-like tools. There's incredible promise in all this for all of us, from green technologies to hyper-personalised medicine. But also peril. AI-powered robots and drones are brilliant for scaled manufacturing but devastating on the battlefield. Discoveries that cure disease can also create new weapons. And as states race for tech supremacy, or as some algorithms become as powerful as states, those hyper-personalised tools could become a new vector for conflict and control. Power itself is becoming more diffuse, more unpredictable as control over these technologies is shifting from states to corporations, and sometimes to individuals. And at the same time, the foundations of trust in our societies are eroding. Information, once a unifying force, is increasingly weaponised. Falsehood spreads faster than fact, dividing communities and distorting reality. We live in an age of hyper-connection yet profound isolation. The algorithms flatter our biases and fracture our public squares. And as trust collapses, so does our shared sense of truth - one of the greatest losses a society can suffer. The defining challenge of the twenty-first century is not simply who wields the most powerful technologies, but who guides them with the greatest wisdom. Our security, our prosperity, and our humanity depend on it. Our world is being remade. And for the first time, we are all at the heart of it. My Service must now operate in this new context too: not just expert on hostile states, terrorism, proliferation and more, but also fluent in technology, able to anticipate the second and third order effects of advances that reshape the world in minutes not months. And as China will be a central part of the global transformation taking place this century, it is essential that we, as MI6, continue to inform the government's understanding of China's rise and the implications for UK national security. I'm going to break with tradition and won't give you a global threat tour, but will focus here on Putin's Russia. We all continue to face the menace of an aggressive, expansionist and revisionist Russia, seeking to subjugate Ukraine and harass NATO. I find it harrowing that hundreds of thousands have died, with the toll mounting every day, because of Putin's historical distortions and his compromised desire for respect. He is dragging out negotiations and shifting the cost of war onto his own population. But Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine's behalf will be sustained. Because it is fundamental not just to European sovereignty and security but to global stability. Alongside the grinding war, Russia is testing us in the grey zone with tactics that are just below the threshold of war. It's important to understand their attempts to bully, fearmonger and manipulate, because it affects us all. I am talking about: Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Drones buzzing airports and bases. Aggressive activity in our seas, above and below the waves. State-sponsored arson and sabotage. Propaganda and influence operations that crack open and exploit fractures within societies. Countering this activity is the work of intelligence and security services across Europe and the globe. And as the Foreign Secretary made clear in a speech last week, the UK is defending itself against this Russian information warfare - sanctioning Russian media outlets pushing Kremlin narratives. The export of chaos is a feature not a bug in this Russian approach to international engagement; and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus. So, how should we respond? It's not enough now just to understand the world. We must shape it too. MI6 is well-positioned to respond to these threats and wider global instability. And we will continue to evolve, just as we have throughout our long history. The UK government has invested in our intelligence agencies and we are all using our unique powers to keep the British people safe. Our 'open and connected' partnerships across the UK Intelligence Community, with HMGCC, NSSIF and the wider tech ecosystem in the UK will become even more important - because in the digital battleground, no single organisation can prevail alone. As a global agency, MI6's inbuilt strength is our partners and our people. The risks I have set out require us to work ever more closely with our colleagues in MI5, GCHQ and in defence and diplomacy. But also with our Five Eyes partners, with the E3, the EU, NATO, those across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and beyond. And with many valued partners whose identity needs to remain secret. Together, we integrate our diverse talent, data and tools to meet the threat. AI is a domain in which we will excel, using the technology to augment, not replace, our human skills. Every digital trace, every byte of data, every algorithmic decision has implications for the safety of the lives of the courageous people who work with us as officers and agents, and for the UK's strategic advantage. Mastery of technology will infuse everything we do. Not just in our labs, but in the field, in our tradecraft, and even more importantly, in the mindset of every officer. We will become as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple other languages. Under my leadership, MI6 will continue to attract Britain's best and most creative minds: linguists and data scientists, case officers and engineers, behavioural experts and technologists. We need people who walk in the shoes and get in the heads of our adversaries. We need people who think differently, challenge assumptions, and act decisively. All can thrive and make a difference at MI6. At an operational level, we will sharpen our edge and impact with audacity, tapping into - if you like - our historical SOE instincts. We're at our best when we're hustling to make things happen, because our intelligence is most valuable when it changes reality on the ground. We will take calculated risks, where the prize is significant and the national interest clear. We will never stoop to the tactics of our opponents. But we must seek to outplay them. In every domain. In every way. So intelligence must drive action. Action must deliver advantage. And advantage must serve Britain's security and prosperity. But at the core, our deeper contribution is also our simplest - how we unlock human agency. Our fast-paced, tech and threat-infused world now generates more heat than light. As nations retrench and rearm, we are losing opportunities to listen to what's really going on. I've seen time and again throughout my career, that this is where MI6 matters most: we listen and we hear. We understand, because we take time to learn languages and cultures, complex technical and historical detail, immerse ourselves in what's really driving the situation. Across the globe, right now, our officers are finding people with the courage to step forward, and they are taking time to sit and listen to break these tightening cycles of violence. They listen for nuance, for connection, for opportunity. Over the years, I've listened to terrorists who have told us how to defuse the bomb because they know that more violence won't help. To proliferators and smugglers who've told us where to find the dangerous material, motivated to protect their children's future. To people trapped in authoritarian regimes who know, deep down, that their humanity is being chipped away - and that telling us what's really going on is an important release, allowing us all to find better ways to navigate our changing world. So, we will work with our agents. And we will continue to engage directly, and with respect, with states and organisation currently working against us. Away from the glare of the media, we will use MI6's convening power wherever we can to make a material difference, bringing parties together to defuse tensions. But the response to the increasing risks we face won't be delivered by the UK intelligence community alone. Wider society has a role to play too. That includes work taking place in schools across the country so our children don't get duped by information manipulation. Let's all check sources, consider evidence, and be alive to those algorithms that trigger intense reactions, like fear. It also means everyone in society really understanding the world we are in - a world where terrorists plot against us, where our enemies fearmonger, bully and manipulate, and the front line is everywhere. Online, on our streets, in our supply chains, in the minds and on the screens of our citizens. We must all stand together against this. As we do today with our friends in Australia after the shocking antisemitic terrorist attack this weekend. My thoughts -and those of my whole organisation - are with the family, friends and loved ones of the victims. Light will always win over darkness. In rising to meet these challenges we, in MI6, will remain anchored to our values: courage, creativity, respect and integrity. And to our principles: accountability and trust are not constraints on our work; they are the foundations of our legitimacy with the British public. Recently, I had the privilege of meeting and thanking a foreign agent who has worked with us for decades, taking extraordinary risks to help keep the UK safe. I asked why. They said simply, 'Your values. Your integrity and respect. None of us have a future without them'. This moment reinforced to me that we must remain a very human agency. And so, to sustain that trust, MI6 will continue to be more open. Not for the sake of visibility, but because it matters - and as my MI5 counterpart Sir Ken McCallum said recently - because it is a strength. We will continue the practice of speaking publicly, broaden our channels of engagement, and sustain our focus on attracting the most diverse talent to join our Service. Transparency does not mean revealing what must remain secret. It means showing the British people who we are, what we stand for, and why our work matters. We need your trust and support for the difficult and often dangerous work our agents pursue, every day of the year. In an age of uncertainty, one constant remains: the choices made by human beings still determine the shape of the world. Yes, technology can illuminate possibilities: but information requires judgement; complexity demands clarity; and only people can decide which path to follow. The United Kingdom's global voice has never rested solely on strength - it has rested on trust, principle, and the ability to understand others as well as ourselves. That is also the essence of intelligence: not simply knowing the world, but interpreting it through a uniquely human lens. Ours is the quiet service, the hidden service. It is one rooted in a profound belief that when human beings act with purpose and integrity, they can steady a faltering world. When the Berlin Wall fell, it was our shared belief in freedom that carried Europe forward. When acts of terror targeted open societies, it was intelligence, cooperation and resolve that preserved them. And when adversaries blur fact and falsehood, our task is to defend the space where truth can still stand. As we step into the future, the tools at our disposal will evolve. But what will always matter most is the human element - the person who stands in the shadows and says: this is right, and that is wrong. That choice - the exercise of human agency - has shaped our world before, and it will shape it again. Because in the end, it is not what we can do that defines us, but what we choose to do. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Contracts Contracts For Dec. 15, 2025 NAVY BAE Systems - Norfolk Ship Repair (BAE), Norfolk, Virginia, was awarded a $117,702,348 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract (N0002426C4403) to provide funding for the accomplishment of maintenance, modernization, and repair of USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) fiscal 2026 depot modernization period. The scope of this acquisition includes all labor, supervision, equipment, production, testing, facilities, and quality assurance necessary to prepare for and accomplish the Chief of Naval Operations availability for critical modernization, maintenance, and repair programs. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by August 2027. Fiscal 2026 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $117,702,348 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $113,502,108 modification (P00015) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N0001923D0011). This modification increases the contract ceiling to provide continued integrated logistics support, sustaining engineering, spares support, material management, component overhaul, and training activities in support of sustaining the VH-92A Patriot in-service helicopter for the Navy. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (84%); Owego, New York (5%); Quantico, Virgina (4%); Patuxent River, Maryland (4%); Orlando, Florida (1%); Moorestown, New Jersey (1%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (1%), and is expected to be completed in November 2031. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The contract that is being modified was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Waterman Transport Inc., Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $9,497,000 firm-fixed-price contract with pass-through elements (N3220526C1212) for a time charter of one, U.S. flag, self-sustaining roll-on/roll-off vessel for the transportation of military cargo to support Department of Defense transportation requirements. This contract is for a 63-day period of performance with no option period. Work will be performed between the U.S. West Coast and the Far East region and is expected to be completed by March 2026. Working capital funds (Transportation) in the amount of $9,497,000 are obligated for fiscal 2026 and will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Government Point of Entry website and six proposals were received. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. ARMY Professional Contract Services Inc., Austin, Texas, was awarded a $104,168,216 firm-fixed-price contract for base operations, facility maintenance and repair services, and minor construction. Work will be performed at Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2030. Fiscal 2026 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $4,102,212 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W912CH-26-C-A002). Amentum Services Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $30,645,502 modification (P00069) to contract W58RGZ-25-C-0003 for worldwide aviation maintenance. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $289,470,540. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2026. Fiscal 2010 and 2025 Foreign Military Sales (Egypt, Kuwait, and Slovenia); fiscal 2026 operation and maintenance, Army; and fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $30,645,502 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Colt's Manufacturing Co. LLC, West Hartford, Connecticut, was awarded a $12,934,700 firm-fixed-price contract for Colt M4A1 carbines, suppressors, and flash hiders. Work will be performed in West Hartford, Connecticut, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2026. Fiscal 2025 Foreign Military Sales (Israel) funds in the amount of $12,934,700 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-26-C-0005). Longbow LLC, Orlando, Florida, was awarded an $11,203,243 modification (P00017) to contract W58RGZ-22-C-0053 for sustainment of the Apache AH-64D/E Model Fire Control Radar, including depot-level and supply support elements and program management functions. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $59,343,206. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2026. Fiscal 2026 Army Working Capital funds in the amount of $11,203,243 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The $500,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract (W909MY-26-D-0001) announced on Dec. 12, 2025, to Cummins Power Generation Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, for 500-kilowatt skid mobile electric power generator sets and power plants, including minor modifications, was actually awarded on Dec. 15, 2025, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 15, 2030. CORRECTION: The $63,796,000 firm-fixed-price contract (W912BV-26-CA-003) announced on Dec. 12, 2025, Alberici, St. Louis, Missouri, to replace the Fort Gibson Spillway Bridge in accordance with project plans and specifications, was actually awarded on Dec. 15, 2025. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Ham Produce and Seafood Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii, has been awarded a maximum $26,250,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery contract for fresh fruits and vegetables. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. The ordering period end date is March 5, 2031. Using customer is War Department. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2026 through 2031 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Honolulu, Hawaii (SPE302-26-D-P016). Teradyne Inc., North Reading, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $16,723,189 firm-fixed-price contract for circuit card assemblies. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 3204 (a)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year base contract with one one-year option period. The performance completion date is Sept. 15, 2026. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2026 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-26-C-0035). Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries,** Corbin, Kentucky, has been awarded a maximum $14,312,903 modification (P00008) to a five-year contract (SPE1C1-24-D-N017) with no option periods adding various boonie covers via conversion. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract. The ordering period end date is June 17, 2029. Using military services are Navy and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2026 through 2029 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4360555/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deputy prime minister W. Kosiniak-Kamysz has met with the Polish Armed Forces contingent in Turkey Poland - Ministry of National Defence 14.12.2025 - I am very grateful to all the soldiers from the Polish Armed Forces contingent in Turkey for their service, for being ambassadors of Poland in the world. Every soldier taking part in foreign missions performs an important service for our allies. Security does not wear the colours of any ideology or political party. Its colours are white and red. Security is our challenge, our obligation, but also our privilege. I am grateful to the hosts - Turkey, for conducting this mission together. But today, I am also grateful for the support Turkey lent to those Poles who suffered during the last flood. You have shown your solidarity and the strength of our relationship. Today, we are writing its next chapter - said the deputy prime minister in Turkey. On Sunday, 14 December 2025, deputy prime minister and minister of national defence Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz began his two-day visit in the Republic of Turkiye. On the first day, the minister has visited the soldiers from the Polish Armed Forces contingent in Turkey. A meeting with Yasar Guler, the Turkish minister of defence, is also planned during the visit. - The Bayraktars standing behind me in this base - they are ours, Polish equipment manufactured by Turkey. So it could be said that they have returned home and serve here. Before that, Polish soldiers have been serving here for a number of years, using the Bryza systems, so I am glad that this allied NATO mission of introducing Bayraktars to patrolling the Mediterranean Sea, this mission of solidarity, improving security and deterrence, is being conducted. I would like to thank all the Polish contingents - and there is a number of them across Europe and the world - in Latvia, Romania, Iraq, Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. So there is plenty of places, where Polish soldiers are deployed. Wherever they are, they are the best showcase, both for the Polish Armed Forces and Poland. A moment ago I have been talking with the Turkish, American and Spanish commanders, as these three nations are stationed here. They have all expressed great respect for the skills of our drone pilots, ground personnel and all troops committed to this mission. I thank the hosts - the Republic of Turkiye for their efforts, hospitality and the alliance that we all now need so much. Turkey is the second-largest NATO army, and Poland is the third, so this cooperation, including when building a new architecture of European security, is very important to us - said the deputy prime minister during the meeting with the soldiers. The minister of national defence gave the soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces contingent in Turkey, as well as allied soldiers, medals and commemorative gorgets. - Those who serve on foreign missions, including here in Turkey, will not spend the coming Christmas among their loved ones. (...) I would like to wish you all a healthy and merry Christmas, a time of hope and love. Be safe and continue to serve Poland well. (...) I am extremely thankful to all the military families for the support that they give the soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces every day - stressed the minister of national defence. In response to growing challenges with providing security at Turkish borders and the willingness of allied countries to support Turkey in this area, the Alliance has implemented the Talored Assurance Measures for Turkey (TAMT). The actions undertaken within the framework of TAMT are based on the monitoring and patrolling of the southern regions of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, and are a part of far-reaching NATO activities aimed towards building shared situational awareness in the region, in connection with the unstable political and military situation. In accordance with the decision of the President of the Republic of Poland of 14 September 2020, Poland is taking part in this mission. Soldiers patrol the eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea nd the Black Sea, cooperate with NATO standing maritime groups and the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood. - Turkey is a strong, resilient country, incredibly well-equipped and with a developed defence industry. We will sign a memorandum of understanding regarding security. This document is made up of tens of points - from military cooperation and shared exercises, the development of defensive industries and capabilities, to cooperation between intelligence and counterintelligence services. It is extremely important. This memorandum also entails cultural exchange and sharing experiences in many areas, including defence and history. It is all clearly laid out in the document, which we will sign tomorrow, together with the minister of defence of Turkey. (...) I would like to once again thank Turkey for the help it has given during the flood. Turkey was one of the first allied countries that gave their support - bridges were built. For this, we are very thankful. When it comes to military equipment, passive covert radars are a subject that is important to us. - said the minister of national defence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Condemning China Water Cannoning Filipino Fishers US Department of State Press Statement Thomas "Tommy" Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson December 14, 2025 The United States condemns China's water cannoning and cutting of anchor lines of Filipino fishers close to Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. These aggressive actions endangered Filipinos fishing for their livelihoods. We stand with our Philippine allies as they confront China's provocative actions and increasingly dangerous tactics against its neighbors, which undermine regional stability. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Army releases 2025 Year in Review By U.S. Army Public Affairs December 15, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON The U.S. Army presents its 2025 Year in Review. This retrospective showcases the year's defining stories and compelling images of Soldiers in action. Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, the Army team achieved incredible things for our nation. The Year in Review is now available at www.army.mil/yearinreview. This site highlights milestone events, such as the Army's 250th birthday, and foundational changes to our force through Army Transformation Initiatives. It also features heroic stories and major missions at home and abroad. The public and media are encouraged to honor our Soldiers and celebrate the Army's 2025 accomplishments by sharing photos and stories from the Year in Review. Tag @USArmy and share www.army.mil/yearinreview. For more information or media inquiries, contact the Army Communications and Outreach Office via the media query form. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Haiti: Council lists three individuals and one entity over gang violence and related human rights abuses European Council / Council of the European Union 15/12/2025 12:26 | Press release | Today the Council adopted additional restrictive measures against three Haitian individuals as well as one entity in view of the escalating gang violence, unremitting serious human rights abuses committed by the gangs in the country, and the continuing impunity for the perpetrators. Today's listings include Michel Martelly, the former President of the Republic of Haiti, and Youri Latortue, his former political advisor and the founder of the political party L'Ayiti An Aksyon (AAA). They both armed and financed several gangs to promote their political agenda, defend their personal and economic interests, and control the territory. The Council also listed Rony Celestin, a former senator of Haiti, who is involved in violence linked to armed groups and smuggling and is responsible for orchestrating the murder of the journalist Nehemie Joseph, who exposed his illegal activities and corruption. Lastly, the listed entity is Gang 5 Segond, a powerful gang based in the Village-de-Dieu neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince. The 5 Segond gang is responsible for committing theft, rape, kidnapping, murder, piracy, extorsion, obstruction of humanitarian aid, arms and drugs trafficking. Those designated are subject to an asset freeze and EU persons and entities are forbidden from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them, both directly and indirectly. In addition, individuals are subject to a travel ban to the EU. The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Background On 28 July 2023, the Council amended its sanctions regime in view of the situation in Haiti, allowing the EU to autonomously impose restrictive measures on individuals and entities responsible for threatening the peace, security or stability of Haiti, or for undermining democracy or the rule of law in Haiti. This framework complements the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council in October 2022. On 17 October 2024, the European Council stated in its conclusions that it remained extremely concerned about the situation in Haiti and called for new targeted sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for violence, with the objective of helping to restore peace, security, stability, democracy and the rule of law in the country. Haiti remains firmly on the agenda of the EU. The EU's support is aimed to both strengthen Haiti's institutional capacity and facilitate the access to basic public services to the population in the very insecure and volatile context. The EU support entails macroeconomic assistance as well as assistance to education, food security and nutrition, disaster preparedness, protection and stability, including to the Haitian National Police. The European Union is a long-standing political and development partner of Haiti and will continue to play its part alongside other regional partners, to help face the dire situation, including humanitarian crisis in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South China Sea: Statement by the Spokesperson on the recent dangerous actions European External Action Service (EEAS) 15.12.2025 Brussels, Belgium EEAS Press Team The EU condemns the recent dangerous actions by the Chinese Coast Guard - deployment of water cannons and cutting anchor lines - in the South China Sea against Philippine fishing vessels. These actions threatened the safety of life at sea, causing injury to civilians and undermined the lawful exercise of maritime rights. The European Union recalls that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the legal framework governing all activities in the oceans and seas, which should be upheld and respected at all times. The 2016 Arbitral Award is final and legally binding on the parties concerned. The EU calls for de-escalation of tensions and expects China to exercise restraint, refrain from the use of force or coercion, and resolve disputes peacefully, in full respect of international law. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Affairs Council : Press remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas upon arrival European External Action Service (EEAS) 15.12.2025 Brussels, Belgium EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Good morning! This week is really an intense diplomatic week. We have many discussions today. First on Ukraine, in terms of financing, it is a make-or-break week. These topics that we have, the decisions that we have to make to support Ukraine, I think are very important. We have made also decisions, or will make decisions today regarding the shadow fleet vessels. We have 40 additional vessels plus enablers, and this is all for depriving Russia of the means to fund this war. We also reached the target of the 2 million rounds initiative. This is necessary for Ukraine to defend itself. And then we have discussions, first for the breakfast, we have Armenia. Of course, Armenia have elections coming, and what can we do to help them? They have asked similar help to fight the malign influence, like we granted to Moldova. Over lunch, we have a discussion on China. This is also getting more intense when it comes to economic security and these are worries that we have there. Then we have the Middle East. And for the Middle East, we have prepared a document also on how to interact with Syria. Considering the worries that we have there, what more can we do to help them on the right track. This is in our interest that it does not go the wrong way. So, how can we help in terms of institution building, inclusivity, everything. We also discuss Lebanon and then we have a Lebanon Association Council afterwards as well. They are also in a very difficult moment. We are helping the Lebanese Armed Forces, but of course they have to make the steps to disarm Hezbollah, and it is increasingly difficult. We expect intense discussions there. Q&A Q. In regard to NATO, can they provide security guarantees that are sustainable for all? What we have to keep in mind is why countries want to be in NATO is because they do not want Russia to invade them, to attack them. And that is why Sweden and Finland joined NATO, that is why the Baltic states joined NATO, to have this defence umbrella. Now, if this is not in question, or this is out of the question, then we need to see what are the security guarantees that are tangible. They cannot be papers or promises. They have to be real troops, real capabilities, so that Ukraine is able to defend itself. We have to understand that Donbas is not Putin's end game. If he gets Donbas, then the fortress is down, and then they definitely move on with taking the whole of Ukraine. And if Ukraine goes, then other regions are also in danger. We know this from history and we should learn from history. Q: What are your plans to support Ukraine in 2026, military aid and diplomatically? Like I said, this is really a very important week for financing questions. We have different options on the table, and they will be discussed in the leaders' meeting on Thursday. What President Costa said: "we will not leave the meeting before we get a result", before we get the decision on the funding for Ukraine. The most credible option is the reparations loan, and this is what we are working on. We are not there yet, and it is increasingly difficult, but we are doing the work. We still have some days. Q: You said, Ukraine is any closer to peace, then it was for years, in these four years, like American said, that Ukraine is now closest ever before. Of course, the peace efforts that have been made are hugely welcomed, but it is also clear that we want peace that lasts, a ceasefire that lasts, and also sustainable peace. And for sustainable peace, there should not be any appeasement of the aggressor. Again, if aggression is rewarded, we will see more of it. We have seen this in history, and that is extremely important. And there has to be also accountability for the crimes committed. Q: Belarus released more than 100 prisoners. in exchange, United States took off sanctions. Is there any sign that United States, for example, asks for European Union to do the same on Belarus? These are European Union decisions, and we are taking into account our strategic objectives, which is really to put the pressure on the oppressor and the enablers, and that is why we have the sanctions in place. This is our policy. Q: What do you think of the statement made over the weekend, basically Bulgaria and Malta, supporting Belgium's calls for alternatives of reparation loans, Czechia also came out and supported Belgium. Is the reparation loan method losing the momentum in the European Union? It is difficult, of course. As we know, there are different pressure from different sides, but we also need to be very clear eyed. The other options are not really flying. We have tried that before. If you think about - even, I think it was two years ago - when I proposed the euro bonds; it did not fly, because you need everybody on board. The reparations loan we can do with the QMV, the reparations loan is based on the Russian frozen assets. That means it does not come from our taxpayers' money, which is also important, and it also sends a clear signal that if you do all this damage to another country, you have to pay for the reparations. Follow-up: [Inaudible] Of course, we have the QMV decision, but without Belgium, I think it would not be very easy, because they have the majority of the assets, and I think it is important that they are on board, whatever we do. What I want to say is that, of course, some countries in Europe are more used to the threats presented by Russia than others, and I want to tell you that these are only threats. If we keep united, we are much stronger, and these are just threats that Russia is posing even what we have seen before. So, I really want all of us to have clear heads. Q: [Inaudible] Before the war the Americans are giving security guarantees to Russia, especially that the talks now is about stopping NATO from extending? We have to be really clear eyed. We have one aggressor and one victim, and the one that needs security guarantees is Ukraine, not Russia. Like I have said, in the last 100 years, Russia has attacked at least 19 countries, some as many as three or four times. None of those countries has ever attacked Russia, so they do not need any security guarantees. The security guarantees are needed for everybody else. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Premises Must Be Respected Government of Norway Statement from State Secretary Kravik: News story | Date: 15/12/2025 'When an occupying power forcibly enters and raids UN premises as occurred yesterday at UNRWA's compound in East Jerusalem we cannot remain silent,' said State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik. 'We urge Israel to honour its obligations under international law and respect the inviolability of United Nations facilities,' said Kravik. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran says three Persian Gulf islands are inseparable part of its territory IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Dec 15, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran says that the three Persian Gulf islands are an inseparable part of its territory, rejecting the repetition of "unfounded and false" territorial claims by the United Arab Emirates. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that Tehran regretted the UAE's "misuse" of the presence of visiting diplomatic delegations to advance territorial claims against Iran. He condemned renewed references to the Iranian islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb in a statement issued at the end of a visit by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Abu Dhabi. Baqaei said any claim over the three islands clearly contradicts the principles of respect for territorial integrity and good neighborly relations. 9341**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lithuania is purchasing 100 Swedish CV90 MkIV infantry fighting vehicle, according to the State Defence Council Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2025-12-15 Acquisitions and infrastructure development | Development and Strengthening of the Armed Forces Lithuania joins five other NATO Allies in a joint procurement to acquire 100 Swedish CV90 MkIV infantry fighting vehicles. Today the decision was approved by the State Defence Council with a particular focus on commitment to production of technical components and CV90 MkIV maintenance service here in Lithuania to be included in subsequent acquisition contracts. Lithuania signed the Statement of Intent on CV90 procurement with other five NATO Allies back in June. The signature was followed by a technical agreement the six members of the Nordic CV90 MkIV Infantry Fighting Vehicle acquisition programme entered in Helsinki in late November marking a milestone in a multinational acquisition conducted by Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia and the Netherlands. The technical agreement provided concrete guidelines on collaboration principles, technical parameters and agreed Action Plan to be implemented ahead of signature of the main contract planned in early 2026. The CV90 are planned to be delivered to Lithuania and other programme participants starting 2028. Reliability of supply commitments and implementation of industrial cooperation will be the key factors in Lithuania's further multinational cooperation. The expectations for results, expeditions response to Lithuania's requirements and reliable deliver stand high in the strategic programme. CV90 MkIV is the state of the art configuration of the infantry fighting vehicle produced by Sweden's BAE Systems Hagglunds. It is safer for the crew, has more advanced control and armaments and is suitable for integration with different national technologies. The project participants are thus able not just to modernize national armed forces but also to strengthen interoperability and industrial cooperation while enhancing defensive capacity of the Northern European region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Deputy Secretary General addresses energy security with EU Ministers NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 15 December 2025 On 15 December 2025, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska attended the European Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council. The Deputy Secretary General emphasised the importance of a strong and resilient energy sector for Europe's security, calling for synergy between defence and energy policies. She welcomed the EU's recent efforts to stop Russian gas imports and phase out Russian oil. Ms. Shekerinska also reiterated the need to learn from Ukraine in protecting critical energy infrastructure. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Eritrea: Recent releases of detainees encouraging Press releases Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 15 December 2025 The recent release of 13 Eritreans from nearly 18 years of arbitrary detention is an encouraging development. We call on the authorities to unconditionally release all individuals still arbitrarily detained across the country, including the G11 former senior government officials who were detained in 2001 after calling for governance reforms. There are estimated to be more than 10,000 people in arbitrary detention in Eritrea, among them politicians, journalists, priests and students. Our Office stands ready to continue its engagement with the Eritrean authorities to ensure Eritrea fully complies with its international human rights obligations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan Condemns Attack on UN Peacekeepers in Kadugli Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the heinous attack against UN peacekeepers in Kadugli, Sudan, which has resulted in the tragic deaths of six peacekeepers from Bangladesh serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), and injuries to several others. Pakistan expresses its deepest condolences to the Government and people of Bangladesh on the loss of these precious lives, and stands in solidarity with the bereaved families in this tragic hour. UN peacekeepers remain at the forefront of international efforts to prevent conflict, protect civilians, and support peace under the UN flag. We pay homage to the ultimate sacrifice made by these Blue Helmets in the line of duty for peace and stability in the region. Pakistan calls for a swift investigation to identify the perpetrators of this cowardly attack and to hold those responsible accountable. We will also continue to work closely with members of the UN Security Council and the international community to ensure the safety and security of all UN peacekeepers. Islamabad December 15, 2025 376/2025 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Canada condemn China actions vs. PH fishers near Sabina Shoal Philippine News Agency By Ma. Teresa Montemayor December 15, 2025, 4:13 pm MANILA -- The United States and Canada have condemned China's use of water cannons and the cutting of anchor lines of Filipino fishers near Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, saying the actions endangered civilians who were fishing for their livelihoods. US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigott, in a statement on Monday, said the US stands with the Philippines as "they confront China's provocative actions and increasingly dangerous tactics against its neighbors, which undermine regional stability." "These aggressive actions endangered Filipinos fishing for their livelihoods," he added. Meanwhile, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said Canada is "seriously concerned by the Chinese Coast Guard's (CCG) aggressive actions against Filipino civilian fishing vessels near Sabina Shoal." "These actions jeopardize regional peace and stability. Disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law," he posted on his X account. Sabina Shoal lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea and has been the site of repeated incidents involving Chinese vessels and Philippine maritime activities. The Philippine Coast Guard said some 20 Filipino fishing boats were targeted on Friday during "lawful fishing activities." At least three fishermen were injured, and two boats had significant damage due to water cannon bombing and dangerous blocking maneuvers of the CCG and maritime militia vessels. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ICC rejects Israel's appeal to invalidate Netanyahu's arrest warrant Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 9:08 PM The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has dismissed Israel's arguments challenging the validity of its investigation into crimes in Gaza following the genocidal war that the regime launched on October 7, 2023, against the people of the besieged strip. This decision came on Monday amid an ongoing investigation into war crimes in Palestine that has led to arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war minister Yoav Gallant for "crimes against humanity and war crimes" committed during the genocidal war on Gaza. Israel has made several attempts to overturn these warrants, including questioning the impartiality of ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan and challenging the court's jurisdiction. The ICC's investigation, initiated in 2021 following a referral from Palestine, has recently expanded with additional referrals from seven other countries. Israel contended that it should have received a formal notification about the new investigation based on Article 18(1) of the Rome Statute. However, the ICC ruled that the investigation into post-October 7 events fell under the original notice issued in 2021, negating the need for a new notification. Legal experts, including Professor Kevin Jon Heller from the University of Copenhagen, commended the Appeals Chamber for rejecting Israel's claims. He noted that Israel could have invoked the principle of complementarity but chose to assert that the ICC lacked jurisdiction. "Israel only cares about Art. 18(1) now because the Prosecutor did what Israel was sure he wouldn't: actually seek arrest warrants for high-ranking government officials," Heller wrote on X. "Kudos to the Appeals Chamber for seeing through Israel's baseless arguments and dismissing the appeal. "Kudos also to the Appeals Chamber for being brave enough to follow the law and reject Israel's appeal. We can only hope that doing so will not lead to another round of US sanctions," wrote Heller, who also serves as special advisor on war crimes to the ICC prosecutor. The ICC, a permanent war crimes tribunal with 125 member states, has faced longstanding scorn from US officials who argue it infringes upon national sovereignty. The latest ruling has also further implications, as the ICC's investigation into Israeli war crimes has previously resulted in sanctions from the United States against key ICC officials. The sanctions threaten businesses and individuals with significant US fines and prison time for providing any support to the sanctioned individuals, prompting many to withdraw services. Reports indicate that these sanctions are part of broader efforts to pressure the court regarding the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. In July, media outlets reported that the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, received warnings that he and the ICC would be "destroyed" if the warrants were not retracted. US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also "threatened" Khan with sanctions if he applied for the warrants. In May, Khan's office announced he had taken a leave of absence pending the conclusion of a UN-led investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him. His lawyers said he rejected all claims of wrongdoing and had only stepped aside temporarily due to intense media scrutiny. Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed more than 70,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured 171,000 others in the two-year war in Gaza that has reduced much of the blockaded Palestinian territory to rubble. Experts say the Israeli regime, with the complicity of the US and Western states, has committed genocide against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Palestinian authorities slam 'dangerous' Israeli plan for 9,000 West Bank settler homes Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 7:05 PM Palestinian authorities have condemned a planned Israeli settlement project that would construct nearly 9,000 settler homes in the central occupied West Bank, calling it a "dangerous" threat to the region's geography and demographics. In a statement released on Monday, the al-Quds Governorate said the plan "threatens the geographical and demographic links between al-Quds and the city of Ramallah." "The Israeli occupation authorities are seeking to implement a dangerous settlement plan on the lands of al-Quds International Airport and neighboring areas," it added. The governorate warned that its implementation "will lead to the establishment of a settlement enclave separating northern al-Quds from its Palestinian surroundings." The proposed illegal settlements would be built in densely populated Palestinian neighborhoods, including Kafr Aqab, Qalandia, Al-Ram, Beit Hanina, and Bir Nabala. According to the governorate, the project "deepens the policy of separation and isolation imposed on the city and its surroundings, and undermines any political horizon based on the two-state solution." An Israeli committee is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss advancing the controversial plan. Meanwhile, Israel's far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich recently announced that 810 million shekels will be allocated to the establishment of about 20 new settlements over the next five years, describing the initiative as the largest single investment in settlement growth in decades. Smotrich, who also oversees civil administration in the occupied West Bank, called it a strategic effort to "strengthen Jewish presence" across the territory. The decision has drawn widespread international criticism. Palestinian leaders, Arab states, the United Nations, and the European Union have condemned the plan, with Palestinian officials describing it as "ethnic cleansing by other means." Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said the project represents "a dangerous escalation that destroys any chance for peace and directly challenges international legitimacy." The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called for immediate sanctions against Israel, while the Hamas resistance movement and Palestinian Islamic Jihad vowed to resist "continued aggression against the Palestinian people." The decision comes amid continuous Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal in Gaza and repeated outbreaks of violence in the occupied West Bank, where more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities. Approximately 720,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank and East al-Quds, in communities widely regarded by the international community as a threat to a contiguous Palestinian state. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran opposes Trump's corridor plan for Caucasus amid security concerns: Leader's aide Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 6:24 PM A senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran is categorically opposed to US President Donald Trump's transit route in South Caucasus, citing security concerns arising from America's presence on the country's borders. Ali Akbar Velayati made the remarks during a meeting with Armenia's Ambassador to Iran Grigor Hakobyan in Tehran on Monday. He said the so-called Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is no different from the Zangezur Corridor. The route connects Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory along its entire border with Iran. On a 99-year land lease, the US will operate the 43-kilometer route, which will include railways, communication networks, and pipelines for oil and gas. Velayati said past experience shows the United States often enters sensitive regions under the guise of economic projects, only to gradually expand its presence into military and security spheres. "Allowing the US any foothold near Iran's borders under any schemes carries clear security implications," he warned. The senior Iranian official also noted that Iran stood against the Zangezur Corridor plan from its very beginning and rejected any alteration of borders or developments undermining the country's security. "When the Zangezur Corridor was proposed, the Islamic Republic of Iran firmly declared its opposition and prevented the implementation of the plan without the support of Russia, which was heavily engaged in the Ukraine war." "This was because the corridor could have paved the way for NATO's presence in northern Iran, posing a serious threat to the security of northern Iran and southern Russia. The Trump route is essentially the same project, only with a different name, and is now being pursued in the form of American companies entering Armenia." The creation of Trump's transit corridor was agreed as part of the US-brokered peace agreement that Azerbaijan and Armenia signed at the White House on August 8, 2025. The two South Caucasus states had been locked in conflict for nearly four decades as they fought for control of the Karabakh region, recaptured militarily by Baku in 2023. At that time, Iran welcomed the end of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a step towards regional stability, while simultaneously expressing concern over the negative consequences of foreign meddling in the Caucasus region. Additionally, in his remarks, Velayati expressed Iran's keenness to expand its historical and deep-rooted relations with Armenia. Hakobyan, for his part, described Tehran-Yerevan cooperation as highly significant and strategic, noting that the development of ties with Iran is among the main priorities of his country's foreign policy. Meanwhile, both sides underscored the need for strengthening bilateral relations and keeping up consultations on regional issues. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghanistan's neighbors reject foreign intervention, sanctions in Tehran meeting Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 10:38 AM Special representatives of Afghanistan's neighboring countries have firmly opposed any foreign military presence, urging countries responsible for the current situation in Afghanistan to contribute to reconstruction without using assistance as a political tool. In a statement released by Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the conclusion of the meeting of special representatives of Afghanistan's neighbors in Tehran, Iran said that the representatives emphasized regional integration and the centrality of the region in resolving existing issues and challenges, including some issues related to Afghanistan. The Tehran meeting brought together officials from Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan on Sunday to exchange views on the latest developments in Afghanistan and the broader South Asian and Central Asian regions. According to the statement, participants emphasized strengthening stability in Afghanistan and expressed their readiness to help achieve it if the Afghan side declares a need. They underlined the importance of continuing economic and trade relations with Afghanistan with the aim of improving the livelihoods of the people of that country and pointed out the need for the country's integration into the political and economic trends of the region. Expressing security concerns, they announced and emphasized their readiness to assist Afghanistan in combating terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. The representatives further highlighted the international community's responsibility to lift sanctions and release Afghanistan's frozen assets, support the return of Afghan citizens from neighboring countries, and provide conditions for their dignified return. They supported all ongoing efforts to reduce tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, expressed readiness to help strengthen these initiatives, and called on both countries to return to the negotiating table to resolve their differences through diplomatic channels. On Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during a high-level meeting titled "Afghanistan Developments Review," attended by special representatives, said Afghanistan's stability depends on its integration into regional political and economic frameworks, urging cooperation among neighboring countries instead of reliance on outside interventions. The high-stakes meeting comes as 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. However, 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel orders demolition of 25 residential buildings in West Bank refugee camp Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 9:00 AM Israeli occupation forces have issued a military order to demolish 25 residential buildings at the Nur Shams refugee camp on the edge of Tulkarm in the northern West Bank, as the Tel Aviv regime is alarmingly expanding its illegal settlement construction activities. Tulkarm Governor Abdullah Kamil, in response, urged the international community, human rights institutions, diplomatic missions, and embassies to intervene immediately and urgently halt the decision. He stressed that the measure reflects a continuation of Israeli arrogance and occupation crimes against Palestinians residing in the Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps. Kamil described the move as a systematic campaign of destruction and vandalism targeting civilians and their property, resulting in the forced displacement of residents from the two camps. The governor noted that such actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law, humanitarian principles, and human rights conventions. He renewed his appeal for immediate international action to cease the ongoing aggression against Tulkarm and its surrounding communities. Israeli media reported on Friday that Israel's so-called security cabinet has signed off on plans to formalize 19 illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, in a move Palestinian officials say deepens a decades-long project of land theft and demographic engineering. The report also indicated that the decision also revives two northern West Bank outposts dismantled during the 2005 "disengagement." The Israeli press outlet Ynet says the plan "was coordinated with the US in advance," while Channel 14 said the push came from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler himself and one of the most hardline figures in Israel's cabinet. The approval comes as Israeli forces and settlers escalate violence across the West Bank, against the backdrop of Israel's genocide in Gaza, where over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023. According to the UN humanitarian office (OCHA), at least 232 Palestinians - including 52 children - have been killed in West Bank by Israeli troops and settlers since the start of the year. OCHA has also recorded more than 1,700 settler attacks causing casualties or property damage, averaging five assaults per day across more than 270 communities. Most attacks were clustered around Ramallah, Nablus and al-Khalil, areas long targeted by settlement expansion. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced this year in Area C, which makes up roughly 60 percent of the West Bank and remains under full Israeli military control. Homes have been demolished, seized or sealed, leaving entire communities without shelter as Israel entrenches an apartheid system across the territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address After Palmyra attack, US senator pushes for withdrawal of American military forces from Syria Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 7:47 AM US Senator Rand Paul has once again called for the complete pullout of American military forces from Syria following a deadly assault on US troops near the ancient city of Palmyra in the Arab country. Paul renewed the call on Sunday, a day after US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that two American troops and an interpreter had been killed and three other people wounded in Syria's central province of Homs by a suspected member of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. In an interview with NBC on Sunday, Paul said the Palmyra attack should trigger a more comprehensive evaluation of the US military involvement in Syria. "The people who killed our soldiers should be punished, but really we need to reassess whether or not we should have troops in Syria to begin with ... A couple hundred troops in Syria are more of a trip wire than a strategic asset. I do not think they deter war," he added. The senator from Kentucky cautioned that maintaining troops in Syria places them in constant jeopardy, arguing that their presence has essentially turned them into prime targets for militant assaults. He further emphasized that the American military presence in Syria has made US forces a focal point for militant groups worldwide. American troops have been operating in Syria for more than a decade, first sent to confront Daesh. Over time, their mission broadened to allegedly encompass training and assisting allied local forces, as well as securing important regions in the country's east and northeast, including major transit corridors and energy-rich zones. However, the continued US military presence in Syria has sparked controversy, given that it operates without the consent of the Syrian government or any congressional approval. US President Donald Trump has acknowledged multiple times that American troops were present in the Arab nation for its oil resources. In April, US officials revealed plans to cut troop numbers in Syria, reducing the force from about 2,000 to fewer than 1,000. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano at the United States-Paraguay Status of Forces Agreement Signing Ceremony US Department of State Remarks Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Benjamin Franklin Room Washington, D.C. December 15, 2025 SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you all for being here today. Thank you to the foreign minister of Paraguay for joining us here today. This is a historic step in our partnership between our two countries. This Status of Forces Agreement, it demonstrates our shared commitment to security, regional security. The biggest threat in the Western Hemisphere that we face is the threat of transnational criminal networks, transnational terrorist networks. We've said this, if you see it in our - in the document we put out just about 10 days ago in our National Security Strategy. If you look at the fundamental problem in the hemisphere, the most serious problem we have in our hemisphere is these transnational terrorist organizations, who are not ideologically terrorists in many cases but are financial and economic in their basis, but nonetheless are operating as terrorist organizations and threaten the stability and security of the region. It's a problem we see in multiple places, and we need strong partners to confront them. We need strong partners in the region that understand that that's the biggest threat in our hemisphere and are committed to working with us to confronting it. And we can do it in a way that also respects the sovereignty of our partner nations. So what we sign today is a Status of Forces Agreement that allows us to formalize a partnership that already exists and that we want to build upon; that allows us to train together; that allows us to advance the transfer of equipment that they need for their own security; that allow us to share intelligence in real time; that allow us to operate together when necessary - and in the case of any contingencies, by the way. This includes having an opportunity to very quickly partner on humanitarian responses, be it to natural disasters or anything else. So we're excited for this - for the ability to do this today. Paraguay is among our strongest allies in the world, but certainly in the region, and we want to continue to find concrete ways to work together and operate together. And by the way, this extends beyond the security realm. This is not just a security matter. This agreement is about security, but we also want to extend and expand our cooperation on the economic front. There's a lot of good things, positive things happening in Paraguay, a tremendous potential to make Paraguay a richer country and do so in partnership with American economic interests in a way that further binds our two countries together and makes us stronger. So we're very grateful for that. SECRETARY RUBIO: (Via translation) I would like to thank Minister Lezcano for being with us today to sign this agreement. An extremely important agreement. The primary threat in the hemisphere is transnational terrorism from various cartels and other operations in the region, which is a direct threat to the national security of the United States, but also a threat to the national security of our allies and neighboring countries here in the hemisphere. This was made clear in the documents. The strategy document that came out just a week ago states very clearly that the most serious threat we face in this region is these groups, which in some countries and some regions of the hemisphere still have even more power than the governments that exist there. Obviously, Paraguay is not one of them, but there are other countries where the government and its ability to govern its space and national territory are directly threatened by the presence of these armed, criminal, and terrorist groups. And confronting that threat is a priority. Today we are signing this agreement, an agreement that respects Paraguay's sovereignty, but also creates the opportunity to work even more closely and jointly to confront this threat. On top of that, it also creates the opportunity to train together, cooperate together, and exchange information directly and quickly. And, on top of that, it also allows us to respond to any humanitarian cases that may arise in the future. Not just in Paraguay, but in the region, because then operations may be carried out on Paraguayan territory, together with Paraguay, but it will be a response to a humanitarian issue that arises elsewhere in the region, in another country. But having that presence there is extremely important. And it is not limited to that. Obviously, this is a security agreement that we are signing today. But what we have here is also an opportunity to cooperate economically, where there are many opportunities to use Paraguay's economic power to make Paraguay a richer country, so that the people, the citizens of Paraguay, have more economic opportunities to advance and at the same time do so in cooperation with U.S. companies that are willing to invest responsibly and effectively in the economy, and also help create jobs, sources of income, etc., for the citizens of their country. And on top of all this, to continue teaching, as there is no... we have one of the strongest allies we have in the world and certainly in the region, which is the country of Paraguay and its political leadership. So I welcome you and thank you very much for being here with us today. FOREIGN MINISTER LEZCANO: Thank you. Thank you so much, Your Excellency, dear Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Your commitment with our relation is quite important - 160 years of relation, diplomatic relation, between Paraguay and the United States is going on the good way. This is the opportunity to express clearly our commitment to fight against the terrorist organization, the international or transnational crime organizations. We are very committed to the freedom, to the human rights, to the rule of law, and obviously with the freedom. The freedom is one of the most important step in which we are working, because fighting against the terrorism is allowing our people to be - to have a better life and freedom. This is an agreement that it will strength our relation not only on security, as you well express, dear Marco. It's going to allow us to work very close to building capacities, our force - security forces, and will allow us as well to be closer on our relation, on our strategy, on development of security. (In Spanish). (The agreement was signed.) (Applause.) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Rubio's Meeting with Paraguay Foreign Minister Ramirez US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson December 15, 2025 The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott: Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano to sign a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States and Paraguay. The historic agreement establishes a clear framework for the presence and activities of U.S. military and Department of War civilian personnel in Paraguay, facilitating bilateral and multinational training, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and other shared security interests. Secretary Rubio emphasized that the SOFA reflects the United States' commitment to coordinate closely with Paraguay on regional security and Paraguay's growing importance as a regional leader and champion for security in our Hemisphere. The agreement strengthens a longstanding partnership and supports our shared priorities. Both officials expressed confidence that the agreement will strengthen both countries' sovereignty and enhance our cooperation for greater stability and prosperity in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Rubio's Meeting Call with Chile President-Elect Kast US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson December 15, 2025 The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott: Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with President-Elect Jose Antonio Kast to congratulate him on his election victory. Secretary Rubio emphasized the United States' commitment to working with Chile on shared priorities, including regional security and economic growth. Both leaders expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation and strengthen the U.S.-Chile partnership. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No: 254, 15 December 2025, Regarding the Attack on the Logistics Base of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Sudan Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs We condemn the attack on the logistics base of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state in Sudan. We wish Allah's mercy upon the Bangladeshi peacekeepers who lost their lives in this heinous attack, and a speedy recovery to the wounded. We emphasize the importance of preserving the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan, and reiterate our strong support for the efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflicts in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by the MFA of Ukraine on Botswana's warning against so-called short-term military school programme in Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 15 December 2025 13:25 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine took note of the press release issued by the Ministry of International Relations of the Republic of Botswana on December 15, 2025, regarding alleged reports of two Batswana youths who may have fallen victim to deceptive recruitment schemes linked to Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. The MFA of Ukraine regrets that young citizens of Botswana may have been exposed to manipulation and false promises that resulted in their involvement in a foreign war. Since the launch of Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, Russia has engaged in the recruitment of foreign nationals, particularly from countries in Africa, through misleading offers presented as training, employment, or other short-term opportunities. Moreover, this recruitment process, which requires the conclusion of formal contracts and direct interaction with Russia's Ministry of Defence or the General Staff, clearly demonstrates the involvement of Russian state institutions. These practices cannot be characterized as isolated criminal acts or the work of unauthorized intermediaries. They constitute an organized and systematic policy implemented by the Russian state apparatus as part of an aggressive war against Ukraine, in flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and fundamental human rights norms. Ukraine firmly believes that Batswana youth should not become victims of an unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression waged against a sovereign state. They should not be drawn into combat activities through misinformation, coercion, or financial inducements orchestrated by foreign state structures. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine welcomes and supports the proactive steps taken by the Government of the Republic of Botswana to verify the reported information, engage diplomatic and law enforcement channels, and caution its citizens against dubious international recruitment schemes. These efforts are essential for protecting the lives and rights of Batswana nationals. Ukraine highly values its relations with the Republic of Botswana and remains ready to maintain close communication with the competent authorities on matters related to the protection of citizens, the prevention of illegal recruitment, and the upholding of international law and accountability. We urge all governments in Africa to stay vigilant in the wake of Russia's systemic campaigns of illegal recruitment, expose such cases, and prevent their citizens from being involved, including through public warnings. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 15 December 2025 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General. ** Abyei All right, good afternoon, everyone. We wish to update you regarding the horrific drone attacks targeting the UN peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli, South Kordofan, on 13 December, which resulted in the killing of six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injury of nine others while on duty with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). This morning, a solemn ceremony was held at the mission headquarters in Abyei to honour the six peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their remains are being escorted back to Bangladesh. The injured peacekeepers, who were evacuated from Kadugli to Abyei on 13 December, are being treated at UNISFA's hospital. The mission's top priority is to ensure that everything possible is done to provide the necessary medical care for the injured. The Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Robert Yaw Affram, visited Kadugli today to assess the situation and to engage with the peacekeepers on the ground and other relevant parties. The mission has taken all necessary steps to protect its personnel and facilities by reinforcing protection measures at the Kadugli logistics base to ensure their safety and is closely coordinating with relevant stakeholders to assess the situation. ** Sudan And you will have seen that on Saturday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the drone attacks that targeted the United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli. Yesterday, the Secretary-General spoke by phone with the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, Muhammed Yunus, to express his condolences to the Government and people of Bangladesh and to convey his solidarity following this horrific attack. In the statement, the Secretary-General underscored that attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law, and he reminds all parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect UN personnel and civilians. Such attacks against peacekeepers are unjustifiable. There will need to be accountability. Further on Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the situation across the Kordofan region is rapidly worsening, with civilians facing mounting risks as hostilities intensify. We are alarmed by reports that yesterday, a drone attack struck a hospital in the town of Dilling, in South Kordofan State, killing at least six people and injuring 12 others that's according to initial information from the UN Human Rights Office. Other reports indicate that medical personnel were among the injured. OCHA reminds all parties that attacks on hospitals and health workers constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law. Medical facilities and civilians must be protected at all times, and those responsible must be held to account. Meanwhile, in the east of Kadugli, the state capital of South Kordofan, artillery shelling was reported yesterday, posing further risks to civilians. The escalating violence is driving new displacement. Our colleagues with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimate that more than 1,700 people were displaced between Thursday and Saturday from several towns in South Kordofan. The security situation also remains volatile in North Kordofan State, including in the state capital, El Obeid, where further attacks have been reported. Despite the insecurity, we and our partners continue our efforts to provide life-saving assistance as funding and access allow. With the World Health Organization and national authorities conducting a cholera vaccination campaign in South Kordofan, Abu Jubeihah locality, it is essential that sustained access is facilitated and security is guaranteed. Meanwhile in North Darfur State, displacement from El Fasher into Tawila continues to rise. More than 25,000 arrivals have been registered since late October, after fleeing along insecure routes where they face extreme protection risks. Despite severe access and logistical constraints, the World Food Programme (WFP) assisted about half a million people in Tawila last month and has consistently reached some 2 million people every month across the Darfur region half of whom are in North Darfur, in areas surrounding El Fasher. Once again, we urge all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Sudan so that assistance can reach people in need wherever they are. ** Oman The Secretary-General met today in Muscat, Oman, with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said. The Secretary-General thanked the Sultan for his strong and continuous support of the work of the United Nations. They also had an exchange of views on a number of regional and international issues, during which the Secretary-General expressed his deep appreciation for Oman's constructive diplomatic role. They also discussed the overall situation in Yemen, including the UN personnel and other personnel who work for diplomatic missions and international NGOs who remain arbitrarily detained by the Houthis. Before flying back to New York, the Secretary-General and his delegation participated in a working dinner organized by the Foreign Minister. ** Iraq Prior to his stop in Oman, the Secretary-General travelled to Iraq and Saudi Arabia over the weekend. On Saturday, he was in Baghdad to attend a ceremony organized by the Iraqi Government to mark the closure, after 22 years, of the UN Political Mission in Iraq, known as UNAMI. The Secretary-General met with the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. In speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. [Antonio] Guterres said that over the past 22 years, UNAMI has acted with humility and determination to help Iraqis rebuild following decades of oppression, war and instability, fully respecting the principle of national ownership. As UNAMI ends its mandate, the Secretary-General stressed that the UN, through its agencies, would continue its vital development work in support of Iraq and Iraqis. He added that Iraq is now a normal country, and relations between the UN and Iraq will become normal with the end of UNAMI. The Secretary-General later joined senior members of the Iraqi Government and representative of the diplomatic corps in Baghdad, to attend an official ceremony to mark the closing of the UN's political mission in Iraq. In public remarks at the ceremony, the Secretary-General said that, as we close this chapter, we celebrate and mark the courage, fortitude and determination of the Iraqi people, who have overcome decades of violence, oppression, war, terrorism, sectarianism and foreign interference. To close out the day, the Secretary-General met with President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid, whom he thanked for Iraq's support to UNAMI and the United Nations. ** Saudi Arbia On Sunday, the Secretary-General opened the 11th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Riyadh. Mr. Guterres saluted the goals of the Alliance. He said that the Alliance was launched 20 years ago to help show that humanity in all its diversity could talk, listen and build together. Later in the day, the Secretary-General addressed member states of the Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilization. He encouraged Member States to engage and support the Alliance of Civilizations, including through the Voluntary Trust Fund. ** Australia In a statement yesterday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack on a celebration of Hanukkah in Sydney, Australia. He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extends his wishes for a swift and full recovery to those injured. The Secretary-General unequivocally condemns antisemitism in all its forms and reiterates that attacks on religious communities and peaceful celebrations strike at the core values of tolerance, coexistence and human dignity. The full statement is online. ** Occupied Palestinian Territory Turning to the situation in Gaza, our colleagues with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that the UN and our partners continue to deliver assistance to the most vulnerable families. They warn, however, that needs continue to outpace the ability of humanitarians to respond, given the ongoing impediments they face. Rainstorms and colder temperatures are also exacerbating the situation across the Strip. In the ongoing effort to provide winterization support, we've been distributing packages of essential items including food aid, hygiene materials and shelter supplies to help weather future storms and support people after the latest rains. Between Thursday and Saturday, our partners working on improving access to dignified shelter delivered 3,800 tents, nearly 4,600 tarpaulins and thousands of bedding items to some 4,800 families. Our partners are also working to address the growing risks of hypothermia in newborns, with tailored kits that are locally procured and prepared for distribution. These kits will be provided to mothers and caregivers with newborn and very young children. Meanwhile, our partners leading efforts to improve food security report that after the latest rainstorms hit Gaza on Thursday, some 16 community kitchens were forced to temporarily close due to the weather. Since then, most have resumed their normal operations, with 5,000 additional hot meals per day delivered to 30 sites affected by the rains across the Strip. That's in addition to the ongoing provision of cooked meals, with nearly 1.6 million distributed on Saturday. In terms of regular monthly food assistance, our partners report that some 400,000 people have received these food packages so far in December. As you will recall, one package includes two food rations with staple items such as rice, lentils and oil, as well as one 25-kilogram bag of flour. However, since Friday and due to ongoing restrictions affecting our ability to bring in sufficient volumes of aid our partners have once again had to reduce the assistance being provided through such packages to one food parcel, one bag of flour, and 1.5 kilograms of high energy biscuits. This reduced package covers half of the minimum caloric needs per family for the remainder of the month. In parallel, our partners working to improve water and sanitation delivered 15 mobile wastewater pumps to areas that have been flooded. They are also constructing embankments, setting up sandbags and supporting the drainage of storm- and wastewater. In another positive development, a temporary medical waste management facility is now operational in the "Netzarim corridor", which runs across central Gaza from east to west. The facility was set up by the UN and our partners and will collect and safely store medical waste from health facilities in northern Gaza. Meanwhile, in the ongoing push to improve access to education, our partners reopened more than a dozen temporary learning spaces to accommodate 5,000 children. However, as we mentioned last week, efforts to get children back to regular learning are still constrained due to education supplies being blocked from entering by Israeli authorities. OCHA once again warns that impediments continue to hamper our ability to accelerate the scale-up of the humanitarian response. These impediments must be lifted, and access must be sustained to allow the UN and our partners to reach everyone in need. ** Syria Turning to Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that we and our humanitarian partners continue to respond to urgent needs in the south of the country, despite severe funding shortfalls which severely limit our operations. A couple of weeks before the end of the year, the $3.2 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is just 30 per cent funded, with $953 million received. In November, we and our humanitarian partners reached more than 475,000 people with assistance, including blankets, winter clothes, cash support and winterization kits. Since July, UN humanitarian convoys have delivered more than 1,600 truckloads of aid to the governorates of Sweida, Dar'a and Rural Damascus. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners have scaled up distributions of materials for the winter, while the World Food Programme supplied more than 6,600 metric tons of wheat flour to sustain bakery operations. For their part, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and its health partners have deployed more than 40 mobile medical teams, delivering over 150,000 medical procedures and treatment courses, and reached nearly 30,000 people with nutrition services. Our partners working in water, sanitation and hygiene supported water trucking and maintenance, restoring access to water for over 200,000 people, and distributed 78,000 litres of fuel to operate essential water facilities. Meanwhile, on displacement, OCHA reports that the number of displaced persons from As-Sweida governorate has declined since late August, with around 155,000 displaced people remaining and an estimated 20,000 returnees, mainly to Sweida and Shahba districts. However, critical funding gaps and logistical constraints are delaying shelter rehabilitation, restricting essential water, sanitation and hygiene upgrades and curtailing health and nutrition outreach, leaving communities exposed to harsh winter conditions. The security situation in Southern Syria remains volatile, with sporadic incidents disrupting mobility and access. Explosive ordnance contamination continues to pose serious risks. In November, partners reported 24 casualties, including 17 children. Clearance and risk education activities are ongoing as security and funding allow. ** Ukraine From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that new attacks over the weekend severely disrupted critical services, leaving more than 1 million people without electricity, heating or water, mainly across the south of the country. Authorities report that between 12 December and this morning, front-line hostilities and attacks across the country killed at least nine civilians and injured more than 70 others, including three children. The Odesa region suffered repeated attacks that injured six civilians and damaged energy infrastructure. As a result, the city of Odesa, home to more than 1 million residents, was left without electricity, heating and water. While power has been restored for around 100,000 consumers and water supply has resumed, 20,000 residents remain without heating as of this morning. In the neighbouring Mykolaiv region, attacks damaged the power supply and injured five civilians, including a child. The Kherson region has also been severely impacted, with around two dozen civilians injured. In Kherson city, more than 40,000 residents remain without heating following damage to the combined heat and power plant earlier this month. Energy facilities were also hit in the region of Chernihiv in the north and the region of Kirovohrad in the centre, disrupting electricity supply in dozens of towns and villages, while other frontline regions including Donetsk, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia reported civilian casualties and damage to homes and other civilian infrastructure. With temperatures dropping to around or below 0 and snowfall reports in parts of the country, attacks on critical energy infrastructure are driving widespread water and heating outages nationwide. Our humanitarian partners, with the UN's support, are providing hot meals, bottled water, shelter materials, water-trucking and psychosocial support. ** Belarus We welcome the 13 December release by the Belarusian authorities of 123 political prisoners, including the 2022 Nobel Peace laureate, Mr. Ales Bialiatski, as well as civic activist Ms. Maria Kolesnikova and commend the efforts of the United States in facilitating this and other recent releases. We hope that this latest step enables greater dialogue, including on the issue of human rights, and we call for the release of all remaining political prisoners in Belarus. ** Central African Republic Earlier today, in the Central African Republic, a logistical escort convoy of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, came under attack by suspected members of an armed group (Azande Ani Kpi Gbe) around 22 kilometres from Zemio, in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture. Two peacekeepers from Nepal were injured during this attack. They were transferred to Bangui to receive appropriate care and are in stable condition. The Head of the peacekeeping mission, Valentine Rugwabiza, has expressed her deep concern about this new attack on blue helmets in the country and recalled that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. The mission calls on the Central African authorities to spare no effort to identify the perpetrators of these acts so that they can be brought to justice. ** Security Council This morning the Security Council held an open debate on leadership for peace. And as you all saw, our former boss, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, briefed the council on behalf of the Elders. And a few minutes ago, at the stakeout, you heard a delegation of the Elders, who spoke to you about the selection process for the next UN Secretary-General and other topics. ** Global Refugee Forum This morning, the Secretary-General addressed the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review by pre-recorded video message. He told participants that since the Global Refugee Forum two years ago, we have seen more conflict, more displacement, more closed borders, and sharp cuts in humanitarian funding. But, he added, the Global Compact on Refugees still points the way forward. The Secretary-General renewed his call for increased support for host countries especially the low- and middle-income countries welcoming nearly three quarters of the world's refugees. He also called for additional efforts to boost refugee inclusion and self-reliance, and for an expansion of third-country solutions, like family reunification and resettlement, recognizing that for some refugees there simply are no local solutions. And, he added, we must enable people to safely return home, as 1 million Syrians have done in the past 12 months. Mr. Guterres urged the world to do more providing safety, opportunity, and solutions where they are needed most. He also expressed his gratitude to Filippo Grandi, whose mandate is drawing to a close. ** Guest Tomorrow Tomorrow, my guest will be Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). She will join us virtually to brief on the new UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents. ** Financial Contribution And we have money today! We say "shukriyah" to our friends in Islamabad for their full payment to the Regular Budget. Pakistan's payment brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 147. ** Questions and Answers Deputy Spokesman : Yes, Edie? Question : Thank you. Farhan, a couple of follow ups on the Abyei attack on peacekeepers. Has the United Nations determined who was responsible for this attack? Deputy Spokesman : We have not been able to formally determine it. It seems to have come from an area where there is heavy activity by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but we don't have the investigative ability to determine at this stage who's behind it. Question : And secondly, on Gaza, in cutting the rations going to people in need almost by half, you talked about restrictions. What kind of restrictions and by whom? Deputy Spokesman : A lot of these are restrictions that have come from the Israeli authorities. As you know, we've been trying to get as much aid as we can in. We still don't have enough crossing points open. But also, there have been other restrictions placed in terms of what kind of items can come in. But also, there have been restrictions placed on the visas of different organizations, including the UN Relief and Works Agency, but also other international NGOs (non-governmental organizations). And we want to make sure that we can have the personnel to bring it in, and we can have all the aid that is needed to come in, get in. Question : Is there any chance that this can be reversed in coming weeks because it is winter there? Deputy Spokesman : That's exactly, what we're trying to do. We're in constant contact with our Israeli counterparts, including their agency COGAT, to see what can be done to expedite the flow of goods. Pam? Question : Thanks, Farhan. As you mentioned, the former Secretary-General was talking about UN reforms. One of those was to extend the Secretary-General's term from five years to seven years. Does the current Secretary-General agree with that proposal? Deputy Spokesman : Well, the current Secretary-General respects his role as Secretary-General to stay outside of the process of the Member States' discussions. Obviously, any change in the terms of a Secretary-General would need to be agreed to by the Member States, and he trusts that they will work this out amongst themselves and find a solution. Question : Just to press it a little bit further: Does he think it's a good idea? Deputy Spokesman : He thinks that there are a number of reform steps that can be taken. Obviously, since he is the sitting Secretary-General, he's not going to voice his views on this right now, while the Member States are considering it. And of course, you've seen his own support for the idea to have the first female Secretary-General. But again, these are decisions that are not in our hands. Okay, Namo, and then Stefano and then Dezhi. Question : Thank you, Farhan. I have a few questions on Syria and Iraq. In Syria over the weekend, we saw a member of Syria Security forces attack US military personnel, killing three people, including two soldiers. I'm just wondering if your UN personnel on the ground in Syria have reported any concerns, safety concerns being around, you know, the security forces for the Syrian Government. Deputy Spokesman : We have a good relationship with the Syrian forces on the ground and will continue to be in dialogue. We take all necessary security precautions. But we don't believe that this latest incident, tragic as it is, has any effect on our personnel inside Syria. Question : Given the fact that HTS, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the former Al Qaeda offshoot, basically is the backbone of Syria's security forces, does the Secretary-General believe this was a lone wolf attack rather than stemming from a broader ideological, you know, background for Syria security forces? Deputy Spokesman : We're not going to speculate on that. Obviously, it's important for this attack to be thoroughly investigated by the authorities on the ground. Question : And on Iraq, the Secretary-General noted in his statement in Baghdad that the United Nations police played a crucial role in "restoring trust between Kurdistan and the federal government in Baghdad". But he did not visit Kurdistan. Is there a reason for that, why he didn't? Deputy Spokesman : It was just a short trip. As you know, he was just there for the day before he had to go back to Saudi Arabia for the Alliance of Civilizations Conference on Sunday. Question : And on his appointment of... My last question, I promise. On his appointment... Deputy Spokesman : You said your last question was your last question. Question : ...Barham Salih, the former President of Iraq. Why did he appoint him? Deputy Spokesman : I have no comment on the next UN High Commissioner for Refugees until we have a formal appointment to make. We have not made a formal appointment just yet. We'll announce something, hopefully in due course. Stefano and then Dezhi. Question : Thank you. Farhan, two questions. One, I heard your statement about the attack in Australia but is there anything that the UN can do, apart from the statement, in practical ways, in some action to try to prevent or contain this antisemitism or terrorist attacks against innocent people? Deputy Spokesman : Well, one of the things we try to do is encourage dialogue among all cultures. That's being done, as you know, through the Alliance of Civilizations. And the Secretary-General spoke at the conference on the Alliances of Civilizations just yesterday. But above and beyond that, we try including through our human rights mechanisms to discourage any racism against any community anywhere. Ultimately, the attack that happened yesterday was a violation in many different ways. It was an antisemitic attack. It was an attack on people at a time of worship. And these are all things that we try to discourage, and we try to support anti-racist initiatives and educational initiatives around the world, to promote greater tolerance and greater sensitivity. Question : My second question is about the stakeout that we just had with the former Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and the Group of Elders. Myself, I asked a question about the role of prevention of conflict of the UN and especially focusing on how, you know, how the crisis about the war, about Russia and Ukraine, if it could have been prevented, if they had any advice for the Secretary-General. And well, I had to still check exactly the transcript of what they say, but to me it looked like they actually had something to say. I understood that there is not enough in this building. And they were talking about leaders in general, but I guess, maybe also about the Secretary-General that they, you know, they were kind of saying that people, leaders need to sit down, talk and find a way to resolve problem. So, my question is, would the Secretary-General and I'm talking about 2022, no, 2023, whenever the war exploded, does the Secretary-General has any, how I would say, would have done something different, would have tried to, I don't know, sit down with President [Vladimir] Putin and President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy more than what happened at that time? Deputy Spokesman : As you know, the Secretary-General did contact the leadership in both countries. He and also different advisers, including Rebeca Grynspan and Martin Griffiths, tried to deal with the leadership in those countries. For us, the question is really whether the parties are willing to engage with the United Nations. We always try for good offices as much as we can, but sometimes the difficulty lies in getting the parties involved to talk to each other. And so, we did what we could with the circumstances we had. Question : So just for the record, the Secretary-General doesn't have any regrets about what happened that time? Deputy Spokesman : I think he wished that conditions were more conducive so that we could play a larger role, but they were not. And he made it clear at the time; as you know, he said it repeatedly to you that if conditions allowed for more, we would do more. Yes, Dezhi? Question : We noticed that in the last weekend the fragile ceasefire in Gaza had some challenges, with both Hamas and Israel accusing each other in violation of the ceasefire deal. Just curious, is this kind of military action has affected the UN's humanitarian operation inside Gaza even during the ceasefire? Deputy Spokesman : Clearly, we don't want there to be any escalation. We want all sides to abide by the ceasefire. We don't want actions that could put the ceasefire at risk. For now, we are able to get aid in. The security situation on the ground has allowed, as you have heard us say for the last several weeks, has allowed for us to deliver more aid to more people. But the situation is fragile. Ultimately, any actions that can put the ceasefire at risk have to be avoided. Question : Is there still looting scenario inside Gaza? Deputy Spokesman : We have not received any recent reports of any significant looting of our stocks of food, fuel and others. Question : Okay. The Secretary-General is still currently in Middle East, in that region. The past few days, we heard a lot of communications between all the foreign ministers in that region, talking about the phase two ceasefire deal. Has the Secretary-General ever discussed this with any of them? And what is the feedback from them about the International Stabilization Force, the Board of Peace? What does he get and what he wants to convey? Deputy Spokesman : Well, he has conveyed his views on the Middle East with a number of interlocutors. As you know, in the last days, he's been in Saudi Arabia, he's been in Iraq, he's been in Oman. And in all those places, he talked with different people. He's also had different phone calls with officials in the region. Obviously, a lot of the things that you're talking about, the Board of Peace, the International Security Force, these are not UN bodies, these are not UN proposals. But we are talking with different parties to find out ways to strengthen and secure the ceasefire. [cross talk] Question : What would be his advice on this composition of the International Stabilization Force, or the Board of Peace? Deputy Spokesman : You'll have seen what we've said about the ceasefire. We want to make sure that all parties continue to abide by it. As you see, the Security Council has endorsed the ceasefire and the various aspects of it. And we want now the international community to back these proposals again. Question : Does the UN believe you should have at least one spot in that Board of Peace? Deputy Spokesman : That's not our call. We are willing to play as strong and as constructive a role as possible, but ultimately, we want to make sure that the parties themselves abide by this agreement. All right. Yes, please. Pan? Question : Thank you. Farhan. Despite the US President announced last week that both Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a ceasefire, but border tension still continues between the two countries. And the Thai military announced today that the designation of the Gulf of Thailand as the area of high risk. So, what's the SG's reaction to this latest development? Deputy Spokesman : We are concerned about these developments and the renewed fighting. We want them to go back to a cessation of hostilities and back to restoring good-neighbourly relations between the two countries. Question : Has the SG had any plan to speak to the leaders of the two countries? Or send a special envoy to the area? Deputy Spokesman : There's nothing to announce just now, but we've made our views clear to the respective Governments, and we'll continue to do so. Yes, Alexey? Question : Thanks, Farhan. I'm wondering if you have any comments on the Ukraine peace talks in Germany? Deputy Spokesman : Nothing beyond what we've said before, that we want there to be discussions that lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in line with UN resolutions, in line with the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council and the UN Charter, and in line with international law, including, of course, the principle of territorial integrity. Question : And to make it clear, you still haven't seen US peace plan? Deputy Spokesman : This is not our peace plan. We are discussing with various interlocutors what these peace efforts are. But again, the US is responsible for their own plan. Have a good afternoon, everyone. Correspondent : Farhan, I have a question. Deputy Spokesman : Oh, all right. Yes, what's your question? [cross talk] Yeah. Question : I have two questions, in fact, but I'll be brief. First, a question. In Morocco, 22 people died under a collapse of two buildings and 37 people died due to torrential rain and floods. I didn't see a statement of condolences from the Secretary-General, which normally he does. Why is that? Deputy Spokesman : Well, we do in some cases and not in others, but certainly our heart goes out to all those people who died, both in the building collapse and in the floods. Question : And my second question, in the US Congress, there is debate now about declaring UNRWA a terrorist organization. Are you aware of this development and are you prepared to have a strong stand against that? Deputy Spokesman : You have seen what we've been saying about UNRWA. It's an organization that is vital to our efforts, not just in the Occupied Palestinian Territory but in the region as a whole. As you know, they operate throughout the Middle East and their work has been crucial for the last 70 years for the survival of Palestinian refugees throughout the region. And the Secretary-General strongly encourages it. And as you know, the General Assembly made clear just a little over a week ago their own strong support for UNRWA. Correspondent : Thank you. Deputy Spokesman : Have a good afternoon, everyone. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Six peacekeepers laid to rest following deadly drone attack in Sudan 15 December 2025 - A solemn farewell ceremony was held on Monday at the headquarters of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to honour six Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in a drone attack on a UN logistics base in Kadugli, South Kordofan. Providing an update at the daily noon briefing, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told correspondents that the 'blue helmets' were killed, and nine others injured on Saturday when UNISFA's logistics base was targeted in what the mission described as a "horrific drone attack." It is unclear at this stage who carried out the strike, he added. Sacrifice for peace The ceremony in Abyei marked the official farewell to the fallen peacekeepers, whose remains will now be escorted back to Bangladesh. UNISFA said their "sacrifice for peace would never be forgotten", adding that the entire mission stands in grief with the families of the deceased and with the Government and people of Bangladesh. The nine injured were evacuated from Kadugli to Abyei on the day of the attack and are receiving treatment at UNISFA's hospital. The mission said its top priority is to provide all necessary and appropriate medical care for those wounded. UNISFA strongly condemned the attack, offering its most sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and to the Bangladeshi authorities, while wishing a swift and complete recovery to the injured. New protection measures UNISFA added that it has taken all necessary steps to protect its personnel and facilities, including reinforcing protection measures at the Kadugli logistics base, and will continue to carefully assess the situation. The Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Robert Yaw Affram, visited Kadugli on Monday. UNISFA also reiterated the Secretary-General's message delivered over the weekend, stressing that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and that those responsible must be held accountable. The mission was established in 2011 and its mandate, recently extended for another year, includes strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service in the disputed oil-rich region, monitoring and verifying the redeployment of forces from the region, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and protecting civilians. Nearly 4,000 military and police personnel serve, alongside civilian staff. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Turk condemns 'abhorrent' attack in Sydney, UNHCR chief calls for solidarity with refugees, Ukraine latest 15 December 2025 - The UN human rights chief said on Monday the antisemitic attack on the Jewish community in Sydney which left fifteen dead at the weekend, including a 10-year-old girl, was "a moment of deep sadness." Volker Turk said the "heinous" shootings targeting a Hannukah celebration on Bondi Beach exposed again that "antisemitism is real, and it is abhorrent." Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the killings had been motivated by "extremist ideology". The alleged shooters named as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, had reportedly pledged allegiance to the ISIL terrorist group. Video of bystander Ahmed al Ahmed who was filmed wrestling one of the guns used in the assault away from one of the assailants, has gone viral and the fruit shop owner has been hailed as a hero whose intervention saved many lives. 'Recommit to our common humanity' The UN human rights chief said the mass shooting served as another reminder of "hateful crimes and rhetoric that are all too common in our world today." He added that it is time to "recommit to our common humanity and collectively fight against this scourge." Mr. Turk said the deadly antisemitic attack must not be allowed to sow further hatred and division. "I stand in solidarity with the victims and those who bravely helped and protected them," he concluded. UNHCR chief Grandi urges solidarity to counter toxic scapegoat rhetoric Asylum is becoming increasingly politicised as humanitarian funding shrinks - and it's against this backdrop that reaffirming global support for refugees is essential, the head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Monday. Speaking at a key meeting on refugees in Geneva, UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said that host countries who take in asylum seekers need to be told: "You are not alone." "Solidarity saves lives," Mr. Grandi insisted, as he pointed to "unending atrocities" that have impacted the world's most vulnerable people, from Myanmar to Sudan and Ukraine. He said it had been a year when refugees were frequently vilified and scapegoated "with their suffering cynically used by traffickers for profit," as well as by politicians to gain votes." Mr. Grandi reflected on a year of repeated attacks on the 1951 Refugee Convention "and on the very institution of asylum." Global compact It is almost a decade since the UN General Assembly agreed to the Global Compact on Refugees, to boost international solutions and support for host countries. The agreement has produced commitments that have made a real difference in the lives of refugees and of the communities hosting them, Mr. Grandi insisted. He said that since 2023, thousands of pledges have been made to support refugee solutions, with more than $2.6 billion already provided in support of more inclusive policies in host communities. In future, the High Commissioner insisted that host countries needed more help to strengthen their support systems for people uprooted from their homes. Ukraine: Aid teams respond as Russian attacks continue In Ukraine, UN-supported aid partners continued to offer a lifeline to at-risk communities on Monday, after widespread Russian strikes targeted homes and other critical infrastructure over the weekend. An update from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, listed attacks in the port city of Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson, reportedly involving 300 missiles and drones. Those strikes cut off electricity, water and heating to around one million people. Aid teams also provided shelter and emergency protection to people in Zaporizhzhia after an attack on Sunday morning injured several residents, damaging homes and a shopping centre. "With freezing temperatures, the aid is urgent", while critical services are restored, OCHA said in a statement. Authorities report that between 12 December and Monday, frontline hostilities and attacks across the country killed at least nine civilians and injured more than 70 others, including three children. The Odesa region suffered repeated attacks that injured six civilians and damaged energy infrastructure over the weekend. As a result, the city of Odesa - home to more than one million residents - was left without electricity, heating and water. Odesa outages "While power has been restored for around 100,000 consumers and water supply has resumed, 20,000 residents remain without heating as of this morning," said Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq. In the neighbouring Mykolaiv region, attacks damaged the power supply and injured five civilians, including a child. The Kherson region has also been severely impacted, with around two dozen civilians injured. In Kherson city, more than 40,000 residents remain without heating following damage to the combined heat and power plant earlier this month. With temperatures dropping to around or below zero and snowfall reports in parts of the country, attacks on critical energy infrastructure are driving widespread water and heating outages across the country, Mr. Haq added. "Our humanitarian partners, with the UN's support, are providing hot meals, bottled water, shelter materials, water-trucking and psychosocial support." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarians continue to scale up winter support for families in Gaza OCHA reports that the UN and its partners continue to deliver assistance to the most vulnerable families in the Gaza Strip. However, they warn that needs continue to outpace the ability of humanitarians to respond, given the ongoing impediments they face. Rainstorms and colder temperatures are also exacerbating the situation across the Strip. In the ongoing effort to provide winterization support, humanitarians have been distributing packages of essential items - including food aid, hygiene materials and shelter supplies - to help people weather future storms and support them after the latest rains. Between Thursday and Saturday, partners working on improving access to dignified shelter delivered 3,800 tents, nearly 4,600 tarpaulins, and thousands of bedding items to some 4,800 families. Partners are also working to address the growing risks of hypothermia in newborns, with tailored kits that are locally procured and prepared for distribution. These kits will be provided to mothers and caregivers with newborn and very young children. Meanwhile, partners leading efforts to improve food security report that after the latest rainstorms hit Gaza on Thursday, some 16 community kitchens were forced to temporarily close due to the weather. Since then, most have resumed their normal operations, with 5,000 additional hot meals per day delivered to 30 sites affected by the rains across the Strip. This is in addition to the ongoing provision of cooked meals, with nearly 1.6 million distributed on Saturday. In terms of regular monthly food assistance, partners report that some 400,000 people have received these food packages so far in December. One package includes two food rations with staple items such as rice, lentils and oil, as well as one 25-kilogram bag of flour. However, since Friday - and due to ongoing restrictions affecting humanitarians' ability to bring in sufficient volumes of aid - partners have once again had to reduce the assistance being provided through such packages to one food parcel, one bag of flour, and 1.5 kilograms of high energy biscuits. This reduced package covers half of the minimum caloric needs per family for the remainder of the month. In parallel, partners working to improve water and sanitation delivered 15 mobile wastewater pumps to areas that have been flooded. They are also constructing embankments, setting up sandbags, and supporting the drainage of storm- and wastewater. In another positive development, a temporary medical waste management facility is now operational in the "Netzarim corridor," which runs across central Gaza from east to west. The facility was set up by the UN and its partners and will collect and safely store medical waste from health facilities in northern Gaza. Meanwhile, in the ongoing push to improve access to education, partners re-opened more than a dozen temporary learning spaces to accommodate 5,000 children. However, efforts to get children back to regular learning are still constrained due to education supplies being blocked from entering Gaza by Israeli authorities. Once again, OCHA warns that impediments continue to hamper efforts to accelerate the scale-up of the humanitarian response. These impediments must be lifted, and access must be sustained to allow the UN and its partners to reach everyone in need. Sudan Escalating hostilities put civilians in Kordofan at risk OCHA warns that the situation across Sudan's Kordofan region is rapidly worsening, with civilians facing mounting risks as hostilities intensify. OCHA is alarmed by reports that yesterday, a drone attack struck a hospital in the town of Dilling, in South Kordofan State, killing at least six people and injuring 12 others, according to initial information from the UN Human Rights Office. Other reports indicate that medical personnel were among the injured. OCHA reminds all parties that attacks on hospitals and health workers constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law. Medical facilities and civilians must be protected at all times, and those responsible must be held to account. Meanwhile, in the east of Kadugli, the state capital of South Kordofan, artillery shelling was reported yesterday, posing further risks to civilians. The escalating violence is driving new displacement. The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 1,700 people were displaced between Thursday and Saturday from several towns in South Kordofan. The security situation also remains volatile in North Kordofan State, including in the state capital, El Obeid, where further attacks have been reported. Despite the insecurity, the UN and its partners continue their efforts to provide life-saving assistance, as funding and access allow. With the World Health Organization and national authorities conducting a cholera vaccination campaign in South Kordofan, Abu Jubeihah locality, it is essential that sustained access is facilitated and security is guaranteed. Meanwhile in North Darfur State, displacement from El Fasher into Tawila continues to rise. More than 25,000 arrivals have been registered since late October, after fleeing along insecure routes where they face extreme protection risks. Despite severe access and logistical constraints, the World Food Programme (WFP) assisted about half a million people in Tawila last month and has consistently reached some 2 million people every month across the Darfur region - half of whom are in North Darfur, in areas surrounding El Fasher. Once again, OCHA urges all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Sudan so that assistance can reach people in need wherever they are. Syria UN, partners deliver vital aid to southern areas amid funding shortfalls OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to respond to urgent needs in southern Syria, despite severe funding shortfalls which severely limit their operations.* Two weeks before the end of the year, the US$3.2 billion humanitarian response plan is just 30 per cent funded, with $953 million received. In November, the UN and its humanitarian partners reached more than 475,000 people with assistance, including blankets, winter clothes, cash support and winterization kits. Since July, UN humanitarian convoys have delivered more than 1,600 trucks of aid to the governorates of As-Sweida, Dar'a and Rural Damascus. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and its partners have scaled up distributions of materials for the winter, while WFP supplied more than 6,600 metric tons of wheat flour to sustain bakery operations. UNICEF and its health partners have deployed more than 40 mobile medical teams, delivering over 150,000 medical procedures and treatment courses, and reached nearly 30,000 people with nutrition services. Partners working in water, sanitation and hygiene supported water trucking and maintenance, restoring access to water for over 200,000 people, and distributed 78,000 litres of fuel to operate essential water facilities. Meanwhile, OCHA reports that the number of people displaced from As-Sweida governorate has decreased by about 30,000 since late August, with some 155,000 displaced people remaining and an estimated 20,000 returnees, mainly to As-Sweida and Shahba districts. However, critical funding gaps and logistical constraints are restricting essential water, sanitation and hygiene upgrades; curtailing health and nutrition outreach; and delaying shelter rehabilitation - leaving communities exposed to harsh winter conditions. The security situation in southern Syria remains volatile, with sporadic incidents disrupting mobility and access. Explosive ordnance contamination continues to pose serious risks. In November, partners reported 24 casualties, including 17 children. Clearance and risk education activities are ongoing as security and funding allow. *Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in need in Syria with urgent support. Ukraine Weekend attacks disrupt critical services OCHA says that new attacks in Ukraine over the weekend severely disrupted critical services, leaving more than 1 million people without electricity, heating or water, mainly across the south of the country. Authorities report that between 12 December and early this morning, front-line hostilities and attacks across the country killed at least nine civilians and injured more than 70 others, including three children. The Odesa region suffered repeated attacks that injured six civilians and damaged energy infrastructure. As a result, the city of Odesa, home to more than 1 million residents, was left without electricity, heating and water. While power has been restored for some 100,000 consumers and water supply has resumed, 20,000 residents remain without heating as of this morning. In the neighbouring region of Mykolaiv, attacks damaged the power supply and injured five civilians, including a child. The Kherson region has also been severely impacted, with about two dozen civilians injured. In Kherson city, more than 40,000 residents remain without heating following damage to the combined heat and power plant earlier this month. Energy facilities were also hit in the region of Chernihiv in the north and the region of Kirovohrad in central Ukraine, disrupting the electricity supply in dozens of towns and villages, while other front-line regions - including Donetsk, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia - reported civilian casualties and damage to homes and other civilian infrastructure. With temperatures dropping to near or below zero and snowfall reported in parts of the country, attacks on critical energy infrastructure are driving widespread water and heating outages nationwide. Humanitarian partners, with the UN's support, are providing hot meals, bottled water, shelter materials, water trucking and psychosocial support. Posted on 15 December 2025 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said United Nations Secretary-General 15 December 2025 Muscat, Oman Readouts | Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General During his meeting with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, the Secretary-General thanked the Sultan for his strong and continuous support of the work of the United Nations. They also had an exchange of views on a number of regional and international issues, during which the Secretary-General expressed his deep appreciation for Oman's constructive diplomatic role. They also discussed the overall situation in Yemen, including those United Nations personnel, as well as personnel who work for diplomatic missions, and NGOs, and who remain arbitrarily detained by the Houthis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Note to Correspondents: on the attack on UNISFA base in Kadugli United Nations Secretary-General 15 December 2025 New York, UN Notes to correspondents Delivered by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General We wish to update you regarding the horrific drone attacks targeting the UN peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli, South Kordofan, on 13 December, which resulted in the killing of six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injury of nine others while on duty with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). This morning a solemn ceremony was held at the Mission headquarters in Abyei to honour the six peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their remains are being escorted back to Bangladesh. Their sacrifice for peace will never be forgotten. The entire UNISFA family stands in grief with the families of the fallen peacekeepers and the Government and people of Bangladesh. The injured peacekeepers, who were evacuated from Kadugli to Abyei on 13 December, are being treated at UNISFA's hospital in Abyei. The Mission's top priority is to do everything possible to provide appropriate medical care for the injured. UNISFA strongly condemns the horrific attack on its peacekeepers. The Mission offers its most sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and the Bangladeshi government, and wishes swift and complete recovery for those injured. The Mission has taken all the necessary steps to protect its personnel and facilities, by reinforcing protection measures at the Kadugli logistics base to ensure the safety of its personnel and it is closely coordinating with relevant stakeholders to assess the situation. The Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Robert Yaw Affram, visited Kadugli today to assess the situation and to engage with the peacekeepers on the ground and other relevant parties. UNISFA reiterates the Secretary General's message over the weekend that attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and that those responsible will be held accountable. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address White House issues warning to Netanyahu over Gaza ceasefire violation: Report Iran Press TV Tuesday, 16 December 2025 12:21 AM The White House has delivered a stern message to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his regime's recent aggressions in Gaza, which violate a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump. According to two US officials speaking to Axios, the message was prompted by Israel's weekend assassination strike that killed Raed Saad, a high-ranking Hamas military commander. This comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump's adviser Jared Kushner express frustration with Netanyahu's approach. The Israeli PM is set to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 29. The White House has been unambiguous in its stance that Israel's aggressions are detrimental to the peace process. A senior US official remarked, "We won't allow you to ruin President Trump's reputation after he brokered the deal in Gaza." Relations between the Trump administration and Netanyahu's regime are strained, especially regarding Israel's policies in Syria and the occupied West Bank. The White House is eager to move past the genocidal war in Gaza and enhance Israel's relations with Arab nations, yet regional leaders remain skeptical of Netanyahu's intentions, complicating diplomatic efforts. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said that the movement reserves the right to respond to the Zionist occupation's violations of the ceasefire agreement, notably the assassination of Saad. Speaking to Al Jazeera on Sunday, the Hamas leader paid tribute to the martyred commander, stating that he "dedicated himself to the Palestinian cause and the defense of his land and homeland." Hamdan accused the occupation forces of actively attempting to derail ongoing negotiations for the second phase of the truce. He confirmed that intensive talks are underway with regional mediators, including Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, regarding the next stages of the ceasefire agreement. However, he warned that the occupation's actions are creating insurmountable obstacles. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuela Blockade: Law, Power, and Precedent US naval enforcement operations conducted under expanded presidential directives would continue through 09 January 2026 with a series of interdictions aimed at denying Venezuela access to international energy markets. By that date, U.S. forces had seized three distinct tankers carrying Venezuelan-origin crude in violation of embargo restrictions established under Executive Order 14112 and updated Treasury Department guidance. Although early reporting sometimes fragmented the accounts into multiple strands, the underlying operational picture resolved into three vessels: a Russian-flagged Aframax-class tanker intercepted in the North Atlantic on 07 January 2026; a stateless dark fleet tanker seized the same day near St. Lucia; and an unnamed ghost-fleet tanker detained in the Caribbean or adjacent Atlantic approaches in the days immediately following the Russian case. Together, these interdictions illustrated a shift from isolated, high-visibility seizures toward a sustained campaign to degrade the logistical backbone of Venezuelas sanctions-evasion network. The first vessel, a Russian-flagged Aframax-class tanker operating under a nominal charter by a Cypriot front company, was intercepted on 07 January 2026 by U.S. Sixth Fleet forces in the North Atlantic. Intelligence reporting indicated that the ship had departed Venezuelan load ports under falsified documentation and had engaged in classic sanctions-evasion behavior, including intermittent AIS shut-offs, registry changes routed through offshore jurisdictions, and a suspicious trackline toward a Mediterranean refining hub. Maritime patrol aircraft from Patrol Squadron assets based in the region, together with a Coast Guard cutter operating under a combatant command tasking, trailed the vessel for several days as it approached a predesignated interdiction box in international waters. Once the ship crossed into the enforcement area, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer closed to hailing distance while the cutter launched small boats to establish control. A helicopter carrying a Coast Guard law-enforcement detachment augmented by a Navy and Marine special operations element inserted a boarding team by fast rope during low-light conditions, securing the bridge, engine room, and crew spaces before conducting documentation sweeps, cargo sampling, and systems lockdown. The tanker was subsequently diverted under escort to a secure anchorage for extended legal and technical inspection. The second vessel, also interdicted on 07 January 2026, was a stateless tanker identified by maritime tracking software as part of the so-called dark fleet. The ship had been operating with AIS disabled and had executed irregular course changes near Venezuelan waters consistent with attempts to obscure ship-to-ship transfers of crude. U.S. Southern Command, working with Coast Guard cutters based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, used a combination of satellite imagery, signals intercepts, and aerial surveillance to build a pattern-of-life profile before vectoring a cutter and a supporting Navy asset toward the vessels projected trackline east of St. Lucia. After repeated hail attempts and warning maneuvers, an armed boarding party approached in RHIBs under helicopter overwatch and executed a compliant boarding just outside a major regional shipping lane. The crew was mustered and searched, the cargo was sampled and confirmed as Venezuelan-origin crude, AIS was restored, and navigational control was re-established. A security detachment remained aboard as the tanker was escorted toward a U.S.-designated port for forfeiture proceedings. The third vessel, intercepted in the days immediately following the Russian-flagged case, was an unnamed ghost-fleet tanker operating under a flag of convenience and believed to be carrying Venezuelan crude that had been re-documented through offshore intermediaries. Reporting placed the operation in the Caribbean or nearby Atlantic approaches, with U.S. officials describing the ship as part of a circuit that relied on ship-to-ship transfers near Venezuelan waters before transiting toward distant markets under falsified certificates of origin. The vessel exhibited the hallmarks of the ghost fleet: older tonnage, opaque beneficial ownership, irregular insurance and classification arrangements, and a history of AIS manipulation near sanction-sensitive zones. U.S. forces, drawing on surveillance cues from maritime patrol aircraft and regional intelligence nodes, moved to intercept the tanker once it entered an enforcement corridor established for the campaign. A Coast Guard cutter, supported by a Navy surface combatant, conducted the boarding, secured the crew, and verified the cargo as Venezuelan crude moved in violation of embargo rules. The ship was diverted to a secure anchorage, and officials emphasized that the seizure formed part of a rolling enforcement tempo rather than a one-off action. Across all three interdictions, U.S. officials stressed that the campaign would involve dismantling the logistical architecture that enabled Venezuelas sanctioned oil exports rather than conducting isolated seizures for symbolic effect. Public statements reiterated that embargo restrictions applied equally to state-owned carriers, private traders, and intermediaries using deceptive routing or falsified documentation. Officials also signaled the possibility of Treasury sanctions against insurers and classification societies that facilitated the operations of the shadow fleet, thereby expanding the compliance burden on maritime operators worldwide. By 09 January 2026, the cumulative effect of the three seizures underscored a strategic shift toward sustained, system-level pressure on the maritime networks that supported Venezuelas illicit petroleum trade. On December 16, 2025, President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that he was ordering "A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela." The announcement represented a significant escalation in an ongoing military campaign that began in late August 2025 with naval deployments to the southern Caribbean ostensibly focused on counter-narcotics operations. Trump simultaneously designated the Venezuelan government as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" under United States law, a designation that makes it illegal for American citizens to provide material support to the Maduro regime and creates additional legal frameworks for asset seizures and military action. The declaration came against the backdrop of substantial American military buildup in the Caribbean. United States Southern Command has assembled what Trump characterized as "the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," centered on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group, which entered the Caribbean in November 2025. The naval contingent includes approximately 11 warshipsamong them guided-missile destroyers, amphibious assault ships, and attack submarineswith an estimated 15,000 personnel deployed to the region including ground forces in Puerto Rico. The USS Gerald R. Ford alone carries more than 5,000 sailors and over 75 attack, surveillance, and support aircraft. In February 2021, the United States had executed a forfeiture operation targeting the Liberian-flagged tanker Achilleas. The vessel carried Iranian oil intended for international markets, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly attempted to disguise as Iraqi crude through ship-to-ship transfers and falsified shipping documents. The operation relied on the cooperation of the ships Greek owner, Capital Ship Management Corp., which alerted US authorities after identifying the cargo's true origin. The vessel subsequently diverted its course to Galveston, Texas, where the US government seized the petroleum under terrorism forfeiture statutes, marking a significant use of civil forfeiture laws to disrupt covert oil networks. In April 2023, the Department of Justice coordinated the seizure of the Suez Rajan, a tanker carrying approximately 980,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil. This operation resulted in the first criminal resolution involving a shipping company for violating US sanctions on Iran. The vessel's operator, Empire Navigation, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to transport the illicit cargo to the United States for offloading. The seizure triggered geopolitical repercussions, as the Iranian navy later retaliated by seizing the same vesselrenamed the St Nikolasin the Gulf of Oman in early 2024, citing the prior American confiscation as justification. By late 2025, US maritime operations intensified with the launch of Operation Southern Spear, a campaign focused on intercepting vessels transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. The military campaign had already involved kinetic operations. Since September 2025, United States forces have conducted more than 25 strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 95 people in attacks on boats allegedly involved in drug smuggling. On December 11, 2025, United States military forces seized the oil tanker Skipper in waters near Venezuela, an action Venezuelan authorities denounced as piracy. The vessel, which was carrying approximately 1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, was reportedly bound for Cuba and had been sanctioned under United States law as part of an illicit oil shipping network. Trump's blockade announcement specified that it would target sanctioned oil tankers, not all maritime traffic. Approximately 18 tankers under United States sanctions currently lie within Venezuelan waters, eight of which are classified as Very Large Crude Carriers similar to the Skipper. Venezuela produces approximately one million barrels of oil daily, with roughly 850,000 barrels exported, primarily to China through a shadowy fleet of unflagged tankers operating in black market supply chains. Analysts estimate the blockade could affect between 300,000 and 900,000 barrels per day, depending on interpretation and enforcement. The stated justification combined multiple rationales. Trump accused the Maduro regime of using oil revenues to finance "Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping." More remarkably, Trump demanded that Venezuela "return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us." This assertion appears to reference Venezuelan nationalization of oil fields in 2007 under President Hugo Chavez, which resulted in expropriation of assets from American oil companies. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles indicated in a published interview that Trump "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle," suggesting regime change as an explicit objective. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded by characterizing Trump's declaration as "grotesque" and "absolutely irrational," stating it violated international law, free trade, and freedom of navigation. Venezuela's government announced plans to denounce the blockade before the United Nations. Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas described the blockade as "unquestionably an act of war" that Congress never authorized and the American people do not want. On 25 December 2025, the interdiction of the Bella 1 in the mid-Atlantic marked a distinct escalation in the enforcement of maritime sanctions, moving beyond administrative seizures toward kinetic naval operations. Unlike previous forfeitures that relied on the cooperation of ship owners or the redirection of vessels to friendly ports, the seizure of the Bella 1 involved a contested boarding in international waters. US surveillance assets, including MQ-4C Triton drones and satellite reconnaissance, had tracked the vessel for weeks as it navigated a circuitous route from a ship-to-ship transfer zone off the coast of West Africa. The tanker, a vintage Suezmax vessel characteristic of the "ghost fleet," operated with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) disabled and utilized hull-masking techniques to obscure its identity. Despite these countermeasures, the vessel was identified as it attempted to transit toward a mid-ocean rendezvous point, prompting the deployment of a US Navy Expeditionary Strike Group. The tactical execution of the operation occurred under the cover of darkness and deteriorating weather conditions typical of the winter Atlantic. US forces utilized a multi-domain approach, jamming the vessels communications to prevent distress calls or the destruction of onboard evidence. A specialized Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team, launched from an amphibious transport dock, executed a vertical insertion via MH-60 Seahawk helicopters. Simultaneously, rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) approached from the stern to secure the engine room and bridge. The crew of the Bella 1, comprised of third-party nationals unaware of the broader geopolitical stakes, offered minimal resistance as the boarding team secured the vessel. Initial inspections confirmed the cargo consisted of over one million barrels of heavy crude oil, chemically fingerprinted to sanctioned producers despite falsified bills of lading claiming a Malaysian origin. This operation codified the strategic shift alluded to in earlier directives for Operation Southern Spear: the enforcement of a de facto naval quarantine against illicit energy networks. Naval strategists noted that the Bella 1 interception demonstrated a departure from the "observe and report" doctrine that had characterized Western maritime policy for the previous decade. Instead, the US Navy and Coast Guard established a precedent of physical interdiction, effectively closing the open ocean to vessels flagged for high-risk sanctions evasion. This method required a significant reallocation of naval assets, moving destroyers and littoral combat ships from routine patrols to targeted hunter-killer groups specifically tasked with dismantling logistical chains. The dismantling of "ghost fleet" networks became the primary operational objective of these interdictions. By physically seizing the hulls, rather than merely sanctioning the shell companies that owned them, US authorities removed the tangible assets necessary for the trade. The Bella 1, like the Skipper before it, was not merely diverted but impounded as an instrument of illicit finance. Analysts observed that the financial shock to the shadow operators was immediate; the loss of the vessel and its cargo represented a forfeiture of nearly $100 million in a single operation. Furthermore, the aggressive posture forced remaining shadow vessels to adopt even longer, less efficient routes to avoid US naval pickets, drastically increasing the insurance and operational costs of sanctioned oil transport. The Bella 1 incident thus served as a definitive signal that the maritime domain was no longer a permissible operating environment for the grey-zone logistics of sanctioned states. International Law and Blockades Under customary international law and treaty provisions codified in the 1856 Declaration of Paris and the 1909 London Declaration, a blockade constitutes a belligerent actan operation of war whereby one state uses naval forces to prevent access to or departure from enemy coasts or ports. The San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, while not a binding treaty, reflects expert consensus that blockades are a lawful method of warfare when conducted according to established rules, but they presuppose a state of armed conflict. A Justice Department legal memorandum prepared in 1961 during the Cuban Missile Crisis stated explicitly that "a blockade is a belligerent act which, as a matter of international law, is ordinarily justified only if a state of war, legal or de facto, exists." This principle remains foundational. Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter prohibits member states from using force "against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state," with exceptions permitted under Article 51 for self-defense and under Chapter VII for Security Council-authorized enforcement actions. For a blockade to be legally recognized under the traditional law of naval warfare, it must satisfy several requirements. It must be officially declared by competent governmental authority, specifying the starting date, geographical limits, and duration. Notification must be provided to neutral states and affected parties. The blockade must be effectivemaintained by forces sufficient to prevent access, not merely proclaimed on paper. It must be applied impartially to vessels of all nations without favoritism. It cannot be used to deliberately starve civilian populations or constitute collective punishment, which would elevate the blockade to the level of war crimes or crimes against humanity. Recent practice demonstrates the contested nature of blockade legality. Israel has maintained a naval blockade of Gaza since 2007, intensified to a total blockade in October 2023 following Hamas attacks. The Israeli blockade has generated substantial international legal controversy, with human rights organizations characterizing it as collective punishment and potentially constituting crimes against humanity due to deprivation of food, water, medicine, and fuel creating famine conditions. Israel contends the blockade is a legitimate security measure under the law of armed conflict aimed at preventing weapons smuggling to Hamas. Russia's activities in the Black Sea during its invasion of Ukraine raised questions about whether Moscow imposed a legal blockade or merely exerted maritime dominance through military presence and threats. Russia did not formally declare a blockade with specified geographical limits and duration, yet effectively prevented grain exports from Ukrainian ports for extended periods in 2022, contributing to global food insecurity. The absence of formal declaration meant neutral vessels faced ambiguous legal status, and Russia's actions were widely characterized as unlawful interference with freedom of navigation rather than a recognized blockade under international humanitarian law. The Saudi-led coalition's maritime interdiction operations off Yemen's coast since 2015 have similarly generated legal debate. Coalition forces inspect vessels bound for Yemeni ports ostensibly to prevent weapons smuggling to Houthi forces, but the operations have severely restricted humanitarian aid delivery to a population facing famine. Legal scholars debate whether these operations constitute a blockade subject to the law of armed conflict or a looser form of maritime interdiction that may violate proportionality requirements and humanitarian law obligations. These contemporary examples illustrate persistent tension between claimed military necessity and international legal constraints. Blockades that effectively starve civilian populations or serve as collective punishment violate the Geneva Conventions and can constitute war crimes regardless of asserted security justifications. Yet enforcement mechanisms for these prohibitions remain weak, particularly when imposed by powerful states or coalitions with Security Council protection. Kennedy's Cuban Quarantine When President John F. Kennedy confronted Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles to Cuba in October 1962, his advisers immediately recognized that a naval blockade would be an act of war under international law. Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Vice President Lyndon Johnson had recently testified to Congress that a blockade of Cuba would constitute such an act. State Department Legal Adviser Abram Chayes advised in a memorandum that a traditional blockade would be legally problematic in the absence of declared war. The Kennedy administration's solution was terminological and substantive. Rather than "blockade," Kennedy announced a "defensive quarantine" of Cuba on October 22, 1962. This choice of language served multiple purposes. Legally, the administration sought to distinguish the action from a traditional blockade which presumes a state of war exists. The quarantine was limited in scopetargeting only offensive military weapons, not all commerce. It occurred on the high seas rather than a close patrol of Cuban ports. It included clearly stated objectives and was presented as temporary and reversible. The administration grounded the quarantine's legality not in unilateral American authority but in collective regional security. Kennedy obtained authorization from the Organization of American States under the Rio Treaty of 1947, which provides for collective measures when a situation "might endanger the peace of America." The OAS voted 19-0 (with one abstention) on October 23, 1962, to authorize member states to use armed force, including naval and air operations, to ensure that Cuba could not receive offensive weapons. Attorney General Robert Kennedy later wrote that this OAS authorization "changed our position from that of an outlaw acting in violation of international law into a country acting in accordance with twenty allies legally protecting their position." The distinction between "quarantine" and "blockade" was not merely semantic. Kennedy explicitly stated during his October 22 address that "We are not at this time, however, denying the necessities of life as the Soviets attempted to do in their Berlin blockade of 1948." The quarantine permitted food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods. It was selective rather than comprehensive. The proclamation specified which materials would be interdicted and established procedures for inspection rather than blanket exclusion. Despite these careful legal constructions, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev immediately characterized the quarantine as "outright piracy" and "an act of aggression" in violation of the UN Charter. Many international lawyers recognized the quarantine as a use of force that strained, if not exceeded, the boundaries of Article 51 self-defense provisions. The action worked because it achieved its objectiveSoviet missiles were withdrawn from Cubaand because it avoided escalating to actual armed conflict. The legal arguments provided political cover and allied support, but the quarantine's acceptance stemmed ultimately from its success and from the reality that neither superpower wanted nuclear war. The Cuban quarantine established precedent less for its legal reasoning than for demonstrating how powerful states reframe coercive actions to suit political and diplomatic needs. The Kennedy administration showed that military force could be deployed at sea in ways that stopped short of declared war while achieving strategic objectives, provided the action was limited, temporary, achieved multilateral authorization, and succeeded without triggering wider conflict. Whether this constituted genuine compliance with international law or clever circumvention remains debated among legal scholars six decades later. Power and Prerogative The question of whether Trump's announced blockade of Venezuela complies with international law is both straightforward and beside the point. Straightforward because a blockade is explicitly defined as a belligerent act ordinarily justified only when a state of war exists, and the United States has not declared war on Venezuela nor has it obtained UN Security Council authorization for military enforcement measures. The United States and Venezuela are not engaged in armed conflict in any legal sense, and Trump's designation of the Venezuelan government as a terrorist organization is a unilateral American legal determination without standing in international law. By established doctrine, the announced blockade lacks legal foundation. The question is beside the point because international law constrains states primarily through reciprocity, reputation, and enforcement mechanisms that depend on relative power. The United States possesses overwhelming naval superiority in the Western Hemisphere. No state or coalition has the capability to contest American naval operations in the Caribbean. Venezuela has negligible capacity to resist interdiction of its maritime commerce. The UN Security Council cannot authorize enforcement action against the United States and would face an American veto on any resolution condemning the blockade. International tribunals lack jurisdiction over the United States for acts it does not consent to adjudicate. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the 19th-century railroad and shipping magnate, reportedly responded to legal objections with the observation: "Law! What do I care about the law? Ain't I got the power?" Whether Vanderbilt actually spoke those words in that form is uncertain, but the sentiment captures a recurring pattern in international relations where effective power shapes outcomes more reliably than legal constraints. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt facilitated Panamanian independence from Colombia to secure canal rights, later stating "I took the Canal Zone and let Congress debate." When asked about the international law implications, Roosevelt's position was essentially that he acted and it worked. Trump can call the action whatever he wantsblockade, quarantine, maritime interdiction, sanctions enforcementand conduct operations to match. The Navy will interdict tankers, seize vessels, and possibly engage in combat operations against Venezuelan or third-party ships that resist. Whether these actions comply with international law becomes a question for international lawyers to debate in journals and classrooms while operational realities unfold at sea. Several practical considerations shape what might occur. First, the blockade targets sanctioned vessels, not all traffic, which somewhat narrows its scope from a complete commercial blockade. This matters legally because interdicting vessels specifically designated under domestic sanctions regimes while they operate in international waters represents a grayer area than intercepting all shipping indiscriminately. Second, Venezuelan oil exports flow primarily to China through shadowy tanker networks. Whether the United States will physically interdict tankers that might involve Chinese ownership or operate under flags of convenience from neutral states raises risks of confrontation beyond the bilateral U.S.-Venezuela context. Third, prolonged operations create sustainability demands. The Navy cannot maintain a carrier strike group in the Caribbean indefinitely without affecting readiness and operations in other theaters. The domestic legal situation also matters. Congress has not authorized military force against Venezuela. The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing armed forces into hostilities and limits such deployment to 60 days without congressional authorization. Whether seizing oil tankers and potentially sinking vessels that resist constitutes "hostilities" triggering these requirements presents a question that will be resolved politically rather than legally. If Congress remains acquiescent, the blockade continues. If Congress passes resolutions demanding cessation, Trump can veto them. The practical constraint is not law but political will. International reaction will similarly be calibrated to practical interests. China may protest vigorously but is unlikely to risk military confrontation over Venezuelan oil when alternative supply sources exist. European states may express concern about violations of international law while recognizing they have no capacity to affect American operations in the Caribbean. Latin American states will face domestic pressure to condemn what they view as American interventionism, but most have little practical ability to assist Venezuela and face their own complicated relationships with the Maduro regime. Russia may provide rhetorical support to Venezuela but lacks force projection capability to meaningfully contest American naval dominance in the region. The deeper question is what this episode reveals about the operational role of international law in contemporary great power behavior. International law functions most effectively when aligned with the interests of powerful states and when compliance costs are modest. It struggles when major powers perceive vital interests at stake and possess the military capability to act unilaterally. The law of blockade developed in an era of rough parity among European naval powers where reciprocity matteredBritain today, France tomorrow. In a unipolar or highly asymmetric context, the constraining force of law depends heavily on self-restraint and normative commitment rather than fear of reciprocal treatment or enforcement. Trump's approach represents a particular form of this dynamic: explicit disregard for legal form when it constrains desired action. Previous administrations typically invested substantial effort in legal justifications, even when those justifications were strained. The Kennedy quarantine demonstrated meticulous attention to legal architecture precisely because legality mattered for allied support and domestic legitimacy. Contemporary legal opinions from the Office of Legal Counsel during various administrations have produced elaborate reasoning to square desired military operations with statutory and international legal constraints. The Venezuelan blockade announcement included no evident legal reasoning beyond assertions about terrorism and stolen assets. This suggests either that legal constraints are viewed as irrelevant or that compliance is assumed by fiat. The operational question becomes whether this approach proves sustainable or whether it generates sufficient frictionfrom allies, from domestic institutions, from accumulating reputation coststo constrain future action. History suggests that great powers can often act with impunity in their perceived spheres of influence until they encounter determined resistance or overreach. Venezuela's options are limited. It can seek UN intervention, which will fail due to American veto power in the Security Council. It can appeal to international tribunals, but the International Court of Justice requires both parties' consent to jurisdiction, which the United States will not provide. It can seek support from China or Russia, which may provide economic assistance but will not risk military confrontation. It can attempt to circumvent the blockade through various meansrerouting shipments, using different vessels, accepting lower prices in black marketsbut these options exist at American sufferance and can be countered through expanded operations. The situation reduces to fundamentals. The United States wants regime change in Venezuela or at minimum wants to cripple the Maduro government's economic foundations. It possesses the military power to interdict Venezuelan maritime commerce. It faces no credible external constraint on doing so. The question is whether the objective is worth the costsin resources, in opportunity costs elsewhere, in damaged relationships, in precedents that may be invoked against American interests in future scenarios. These are strategic and political questions, not legal ones. Whether one views this situation as pragmatic recognition of how power actually operates in international affairs or as a troubling erosion of legal constraints on state violence depends substantially on one's theoretical orientation and normative commitments. Realists observe that this is how great powers have always behaved when core interests were engaged and capabilities permitted action. Liberals warn that systematic disregard for international law undermines the institutional frameworks that constrain conflict and facilitate cooperation over time. Both perspectives capture elements of truth. What remains clear is that the announced blockade will proceed in some form because the United States possesses the power to implement it and faces no effective constraint in doing so. The legal questions will be debated. The operational facts will be determined by strategic choices, military capabilities, and political will. Vanderbilt's observation, whether authentic or apocryphal, captures the dynamic at work: when law and power diverge, power shapes outcomes. The interesting question is whether this remains true indefinitely or whether accumulated violations eventually generate their own constraining logic through changed expectations, damaged credibility, and provoked responses. That question will be answered through events rather than through legal analysis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Y-30 Medium Transport Aircraft Images and footage started to circulate online 16 December 2025 showing Chinas new medium transport aircraft in a flight test. China could use such a new aircraft to replace its current Y-9 series medium transport aircraft and complement the countrys large transport aircraft, the Y-20. The War Zone, a US media outlet specialized on defense, claimed that the latest Chinese military aircraft to appear in flight test is a tactical transport aircraft, known, unofficially for now, as the Y-30, with the alternative Y-15 designation also proposed. The Chinese military, the Chinese aviation industry or official media have not made any announcements about the alleged test flight as of press time. Belgium-based defense media outlet Army Recognition claimed that Chinas Y-30 medium military transport aircraft appears to have conducted its first flight on Tuesday. The report speculated that the new aircraft could fill the gap between the Y-9 medium transport and the Y-20 strategic airlifter thanks to a planned payload capacity of around 30 tons and a four-turboprop configuration. Italy-based specialist media outlet the Aviationist speculated that the new aircraft could has a payload class around 25-30 tons, slightly exceeding that of the Y-8 and Y-9 series currently in service with the Chinese military both of which offer cargo capacities in the 15-20-ton range. The Y-30, likely designated Y-15 based on prototype serial number evidence, represents China's newest medium tactical transport aircraft designed to fill the capability gap between the Shaanxi Y-9 tactical transport and the Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter. The aircraft achieved its maiden flight on December 16, 2025, at Xi'an Aircraft Corporation's airfield in central China, marking a significant milestone in Chinese military aviation modernization efforts. The prototype bears the fuselage number 15001, following Chinese aerospace industry conventions where prototype serial numbers correspond to final designation numbers, strongly suggesting the official designation is Y-15 rather than Y-30 despite widespread use of the latter designation in media coverage and analytical literature. The Y-30 label appears to have represented a provisional or conceptual designation associated with the program's initial public display at the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow, subsequently superseded by the Y-15 designation as the program matured toward hardware development and flight testing. The aircraft's development reflects broader Chinese aerospace modernization trends emphasizing indigenous design capability, reduced reliance on Soviet-era technology derivatives, and systematic capability development across the complete spectrum of military aviation requirements. The emergence of the Y-30/Y-15 simultaneously with other advanced Chinese military aircraft including the J-36 sixth-generation fighter concept, various unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and advanced airborne early warning platforms demonstrates the breadth and depth of Chinese aerospace industrial capacity. This simultaneous progress across multiple complex programs would have been inconceivable two decades ago when Chinese aerospace manufacturing remained heavily dependent on foreign technology and struggled to field even evolutionary improvements to legacy Soviet designs. The Y-30/Y-15's maiden flight thus represents not merely a new transport aircraft but a tangible indicator of Chinese aerospace maturation achieving parity with Western industrial capabilities in specific technical domains. Strategic Rationale and Operational Concept The Y-30/Y-15 addresses multiple strategic and operational requirements that existing Chinese transport aircraft fail to satisfy adequately. The People's Liberation Army Air Force currently operates a transport fleet dominated by Y-8 and Y-9 medium transports derived from the Soviet An-12 design of the 1950s, supplemented by limited numbers of Y-20 strategic airlifters and aging Russian Il-76 heavy transports. This inventory mix creates capability gaps that constrain operational flexibility and limit mission effectiveness across various scenarios. The Y-8 and Y-9, while serving adequately for decades, suffer from dimensional limitations that prevent efficient transport of modern Chinese military equipment. The cargo compartment width of 3.2 meters imposes constraints on loading newer wheeled armored vehicles including Type 09 series platforms that represent the backbone of Chinese ground forces modernization efforts. These newer vehicles exceed legacy transport aircraft internal dimensions, forcing awkward loading procedures, inefficient space utilization, or complete inability to transport specific equipment configurations. Beyond dimensional constraints, the Y-8 and Y-9 represent evolutionary improvements to fundamentally obsolete designs rather than clean-sheet platforms incorporating modern aerodynamic understanding, materials science advances, propulsion technology developments, and avionics integration capabilities. The Y-8 remains essentially an An-12 built under license with minimal modifications, while the Y-9, though incorporating improved engines and glass cockpit avionics, retains the basic airframe configuration designed in the 1950s. These legacy platforms increasingly struggle to meet contemporary operational demands including extended range requirements for out-of-area operations, improved fuel efficiency reducing logistics footprints, enhanced reliability enabling sustained operations with reduced maintenance support, and modernized crew interfaces reducing training requirements and operational workload. The recognition that evolutionary improvements to existing designs could not address these cumulative limitations drove Chinese aerospace planners toward clean-sheet development of a replacement platform incorporating modern technology from the outset. The Y-20 strategic airlifter, while providing transformational heavy-lift capability for Chinese military operations, proves ill-suited for routine tactical airlift missions due to high operating costs, limited production quantities creating availability constraints, and capabilities exceeding requirements for many routine transport missions. Operating a Y-20 for missions adequately served by smaller transports wastes expensive aircraft operating hours, consumes scarce maintenance resources, and reduces availability for strategic missions specifically requiring heavy-lift capability. The Y-30/Y-15 fills the critical middle tier in Chinese transport aviation, providing substantially greater capability than legacy Y-8/Y-9 platforms while avoiding the operational costs and resource demands of the Y-20. This three-tier structuretactical, operational, and strategic transportmirrors the approach employed by advanced Western air forces using C-130, A400M, and C-17 platforms to optimize mission assignment against aircraft capabilities and operating costs. Development Philosophy and Technical Approach The Y-30/Y-15's development reflects lessons learned from previous Chinese transport aircraft programs including both successes and setbacks encountered during Y-9 and Y-20 development efforts. Chinese aerospace engineers recognized that incremental improvements to existing designs eventually encounter diminishing returns where additional investment yields progressively smaller performance gains. The decision to pursue clean-sheet Y-30/Y-15 development rather than further Y-9 evolution indicates Chinese confidence in indigenous design capabilities and willingness to accept development risks associated with new platforms. This confidence stems from successful Y-20 development, which demonstrated Chinese aerospace industry ability to field large, complex aircraft incorporating modern technology despite limited prior experience with platforms of comparable scale and sophistication. The technical approach for Y-30/Y-15 development appears to balance innovation with proven technology, avoiding excessive technical risk while incorporating meaningful advances over legacy platforms. The basic configurationhigh-wing, four turboprops, T-tail, rear loading ramprepresents proven arrangements for tactical transport aircraft validated through decades of operational experience worldwide. This conservative approach to fundamental configuration choices reduces aerodynamic uncertainty and allows focus on optimizing details rather than validating novel concepts. However, within this proven framework, Chinese engineers incorporated modern refinements including advanced composite materials reducing structural weight, fly-by-wire flight control systems improving handling characteristics and reducing pilot workload, integrated avionics architecture providing comprehensive situational awareness, and aerodynamic improvements including winglets enhancing fuel efficiency. Materials selection reflects Chinese aerospace industry advances in composite manufacturing technology. Earlier Chinese aircraft employed limited composites primarily in secondary structures due to manufacturing capability limitations and quality control challenges. The Y-30/Y-15 reportedly employs more extensive composite usage in primary structures including significant portions of the fuselage and wing, reducing empty weight and improving structural efficiency compared to all-metal construction. This weight reduction translates directly into improved payload capacity, extended range, or enhanced fuel efficiency depending on mission profile optimization. However, composite structures require specialized manufacturing processes, quality assurance procedures, and maintenance protocols that Chinese aerospace industry continues developing. The extent to which Y-30/Y-15 composite usage approaches Western standards employed in platforms like the C-130J or A400M remains uncertain pending detailed disclosure of construction methods and material specifications. Mission Profile and Operational Employment Concepts The Y-30/Y-15 is intended to serve as China's primary medium tactical transport supporting diverse mission profiles across the operational spectrum. Core missions include troop transport delivering infantry units to forward airfields or potential combat zones, cargo airlift providing equipment and supplies supporting ground operations, paratroop operations enabling airborne assault and special operations insertions, airdrop resupply delivering supplies to ground forces when landing proves infeasible or excessive risky, medical evacuation transporting casualties from forward areas to rear-echelon medical facilities, and humanitarian assistance supporting disaster relief operations domestically and internationally. This mission diversity requires platform flexibility enabling rapid reconfiguration between transport, airdrop, and specialized mission variants without extensive modification or extended downtime. Taiwan contingency scenarios represent perhaps the most operationally significant mission profile driving Y-30/Y-15 requirements and capability specifications. Chinese military planning for potential Taiwan operations emphasizes joint forcible entry operations combining amphibious assault, airborne landings, helicopter insertions, and special operations raids to establish multiple beachheads enabling follow-on force deployment. Transport aircraft play critical roles in this operational concept, delivering airborne forces to captured airfields in initial assault phases, conducting airdrop resupply missions supporting ground force advances, transporting follow-on equipment and reinforcements as lodgments expand, and providing medical evacuation for combat casualties. The Y-30/Y-15's payload capacity enables transport of light armored vehicles and artillery systems providing immediate fire support for airborne forces securing airfield perimeters, while rough-field capability facilitates operations from damaged or improvised airstrips when major infrastructure suffers combat damage during initial strikes. Beyond Taiwan scenarios, Y-30/Y-15 deployment supports Chinese military operations across expanding geographic scope reflecting China's growing international security interests. South China Sea island garrisons require regular logistics support maintaining Chinese military presence on reclaimed features hundreds of kilometers from mainland bases. These resupply missions demand aircraft capable of operating from short, potentially damaged runways while carrying sufficient cargo justifying sortie costs. Potential border conflicts with India could see Y-30/Y-15 operations supporting ground forces in challenging mountainous terrain where road infrastructure proves inadequate and helicopter capabilities remain insufficient for sustained logistics support. Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missionsincreasingly emphasized as tools advancing Chinese diplomatic objectives and demonstrating responsible great power behaviorbenefit from Y-30/Y-15 capabilities enabling rapid deployment to disaster-affected regions throughout Asia and potentially beyond. These diverse mission profiles require aircraft versatility adapting to varied operational requirements across dramatically different geographic environments and threat conditions. Development Outlook The December 16, 2025 maiden flight marks the beginning of an extended flight test program validating Y-30/Y-15 performance, handling characteristics, systems functionality, and operational suitability across the flight envelope. First flight typically represents the culmination of years of ground-based design, analysis, wind tunnel testing, systems integration, and structural validation, but signals merely the beginning of extensive testing required before operational deployment becomes feasible. Chinese transport aircraft development timelines suggest Y-30/Y-15 flight testing could extend three to five years encompassing performance validation, envelope expansion, systems integration verification, mission equipment testing, and operational suitability demonstrations preceding type certification and production transition. Flight test programs systematically validate aircraft behavior across progressively expanded flight conditions beginning with basic airworthiness demonstrations and advancing toward full operational envelope exploration. Initial flights focus on fundamental handling qualities, control system responsiveness, and basic performance parameters at conservative speeds and altitudes. Subsequent test phases progressively expand speed ranges, altitude limits, loading conditions, and maneuver intensities while integrating mission systems including cargo handling equipment, navigation systems, communications suites, and defensive aids. Late-phase testing emphasizes operational scenarios including maximum-weight takeoffs, short-field operations, formation flying, airdrop procedures, and challenging environmental conditions validating readiness for operational deployment. Chinese aerospace test organizations developed substantial expertise conducting comprehensive flight test programs through Y-20 development, experience directly applicable to Y-30/Y-15 testing though medium transport-specific requirements including airdrop validation and rough-field operation assessment present unique challenges. Production transition introduces additional development challenges establishing manufacturing processes, quality control procedures, supplier networks, and workforce training enabling sustained aircraft delivery at rates satisfying PLA procurement requirements. Initial low-rate production typically proceeds slowly as manufacturing organizations identify production issues, refine assembly procedures, and establish quality standards ensuring consistent product quality. Production rates accelerate as experience accumulates, though transport aircraft complexity limits achievable production rates compared to fighter aircraft where higher unit costs justify more extensive production infrastructure investment. Realistic production projections for Y-30/Y-15 suggest initial deliveries might commence around 2028-2030 assuming testing proceeds without major problems, with production rates potentially achieving 10-15 aircraft annually during the early 2030s as manufacturing processes mature. However, these projections remain highly speculative absent official disclosure of development schedules, procurement plans, or industrial capacity expansion timelines. Export potential remains uncertain but could prove significant given global demand for medium transport aircraft and limited competition in market segments where Western platforms prove politically unavailable or economically unaffordable. Successful Y-30/Y-15 export sales would validate Chinese aerospace industry competitiveness in international markets while providing production volume supporting manufacturing efficiency improvements and unit cost reductions benefiting both export customers and domestic procurement. However, achieving export success requires demonstrating reliability, supportability, and performance competitiveness against established Western platforms benefiting from decades of operational refinement and comprehensive global support infrastructure. The Y-30/Y-15's ultimate success will be measured not merely by technical performance specifications but by operational effectiveness across diverse real-world conditions, maintenance efficiency enabling high availability rates, logistics footprint facilitating deployment to austere locations, and lifecycle costs determining long-term affordability for operators balancing capability requirements against constrained defense budgets. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Alrosa (B-871) Noted maritime defense analyst H.I. Sutton provided an in-depth preliminary assessment of a high-profile strike by Ukrainian forces against a Russian naval asset within the port of Novorossiysk. Sutton framed this event as a critical escalation in the Black Sea theater, distinguishing it from the recent "tanker war" campaign that focused primarily on disrupting Russian oil exports. While the previous months were characterized by attacks on logistical and energy infrastructure, this specific operation represents a return to targeting high-value combatants. Sutton emphasizes that while the "fog of war" necessitates caution with early reports, the available evidence points to a significant tactical success for Ukraine and a corresponding failure of Russian harbor defenses. The analysis leaned heavily on video footage released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which captures the final moments before the explosion. Sutton observed that the attack likely utilized an uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) rather than a surface drone (USV). This conclusion is drawn from the absence of a visible wake on the water's surface and the lack of any defensive fire from Russian shore batteries or guard ships. The footage reveals that the harbor entrance was wide open, with boom defenses retracteda clear indication that Russian forces were completely unaware of the incoming threat. This lapse in situational awareness allowed the attacker to penetrate deep into what is ostensibly one of Russias most secure naval facilities. A key portion of Sutton's breakdown focuses on the remarkable navigational complexity required to execute this strike. To reach the submarine pens, the drone had to navigate a circuitous route past a gauntlet of other valuable naval targets. Sutton identifies a variety of vessels visible in the harbor, including an intelligence gathering ship, a Krivak-class frigate, two Alexandrit-class minehunters, and several Buyan-class corvettes. The fact that the operator bypassed these lucrative targets to specifically hunt a submarine demonstrates a high degree of discipline and strategic prioritization. The drone effectively threaded the needle through a crowded harbor, requiring precise maneuvering to enter the port and then execute a sharp, angled turn to align with the submarine berths. The target itself was identified as a Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine, a platform Sutton describes as one of the most active and capable assets in the Russian Black Sea Fleet. These vessels are prized for their ability to launch Kalibr (SS-N-30A) land-attack cruise missiles, which have been used extensively to strike targets deep inside Ukraine. Sutton notes that the explosion occurred near the rear of the submarine, likely inflicting severe damage to the propulsion systems and pressure hull. Even if the vessel was not immediately sunk, such damage constitutes a "mobility kill," effectively removing the submarine from the war for the foreseeable future. This loss is compounded by the specific identity of the target; while there is some ambiguity about whether it was an older or modernized Kilo, the reduction in fleet availability is a blow to Russian operational capacity. The "modernized" vessels refer to the Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class (NATO reporting name: Improved Kilo). These submarines are the backbone of Russia's Black Sea underwater fleet. They are highly capable, diesel-electric attack submarines often dubbed "Black Holes" by Western navies due to their acoustic stealth. Their primary strategic value in the current conflict lies in their integrated capability to launch Kalibr (SS-N-30A) land-attack cruise missiles. These boats feature conventional propulsion systems with standard seven-blade screws and have been active, reliable platforms for conducting long-range missile strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure throughout the war. In contrast, the "older" submarine mentioned by Sutton refers to the Project 877 Paltus (NATO reporting name: Kilo). Specifically, Sutton highlights a unique visual identifier on the targeted vessel: a "different propulsion system." This description aligns with a specific, solitary unit in the Black Sea Fleet that was retrofitted with a pump-jet propulsor instead of a traditional propeller. This experimental propulsion system was designed to reduce cavitation capabilities and noise, but it makes the vessel visually distinct in satellite and drone imagery. Sutton notes that this older unit has a reputation for being "unserviceable" or a "scam," referring to its long, troubled history of being perpetually stuck in repair yards with questionable combat readiness. Unlike the modernized Project 636.3 boats, this older unit was not originally built with Kalibr missile tubes, though there have been unverified Russian claims of retrofits to add this capability. Regarding the specific identity of the target, Suttons analysis of the video footagespecifically the identification of the unique propulsion system and the vessel's locationstrongly suggests that the submarine struck by the Ukrainian underwater drone was the B-871 Alrosa. The Alrosa is the oldest active Kilo-class submarine in the Black Sea Fleet and the only one equipped with the pump-jet propulsion system described in the analysis. While Sutton initially allows for the possibility of it being one of the Kalibr-armed Improved Kilos, he pivots to the evidence of the unique stern configuration, which points directly to the Alrosa. Although sinking a Project 636.3 would have been a greater loss in terms of immediate missile-launching capability, Sutton argues that the destruction of the Alrosa is still a massive strategic victory. It proves that even the most "secure" rear-area bases are vulnerable to Ukrainian underwater drones, forcing the Russian Navy to confront the reality that they have no safe harbor left in the Black Sea for any of their submarine assets, regardless of their age or class. Sutton elucidates the broader strategic dilemma this strike creates for the Russian Navy. Following repeated attacks on Sevastopol in occupied Crimea, the fleet had largely retreated to Novorossiysk in search of a sanctuary. This attack demonstrates that Novorossiysk is no longer safe, effectively denying Russia a secure harbor anywhere in the Black Sea. The logistical implications are dire: the primary dry dock facilities capable of repairing a Kilo-class submarine are located in Sevastopol, the very location the fleet fled to avoid destruction. Russia is now aimed with a "no-win" scenario: they must either risk returning crippled assets to the vulnerable docks of Crimea or attempt to operate without a secure base for maintenance and rearming, forcing a potential dispersal that degrades their combat effectiveness. The service history of the B-871 Alrosa began with its construction at the Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard in Gorky, where it was laid down in May 1988. Launched in September 1989 and commissioned into the Soviet Black Sea Fleet in December 1990, the submarine was immediately distinct from its peers due to its experimental design. Designated as Project 877V, it was the only Kilo-class vessel built with a pump-jet propulsor instead of a traditional screw propeller. This unique propulsion system was intended to reduce noise and cavitation, but it ultimately made the vessel mechanically complex and visually identifiable throughout its career. The B-871 Alrosa is a unique vessel within the Russian Navy, officially designated as Project 877V (the "V" stands for Vodomet, meaning "water jet"). It is the only submarine of this specific sub-variant ever constructed, distinguishing it from the standard fleet. The primary technical difference between the Alrosa and every other Kilo-class submarine is the propulsion unit at the stern. While standard Kilo-class boats (Project 877 and 636.3) utilize a traditional seven-blade skewed propeller optimized for efficiency at slow, creeping speeds, the Alrosa uses a pump-jet propulsor. This system consists of a rotor spinning inside a fixed circular duct, or shroud, equipped with stator vanes. This distinction is critical for both acoustics and identification. The shroud around the pump-jet increases pressure around the blades, which prevents cavitationthe formation of noisy bubblesuntil much higher speeds. This allowed the Alrosa to travel faster than other Kilos without generating the noise that would typically give away its position. However, this system is heavier and mechanically more complex than a standard propeller, which contributed to the vessel's frequent breakdowns and difficulty in sourcing unique spare parts. From an analysis standpoint, this feature is what allowed H.I. Sutton to identify the specific boat in the attack footage; instead of the pointed hub and large blades seen on normal Kilos, the Alrosa has a distinct "nozzle" structure that remains visible even when the vessel was damaged. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the submarine became a focal point of the intense dispute between Russia and the newly independent Ukraine regarding the division of the Black Sea Fleet. In March 1992, a portion of the crew swore an oath of allegiance to Ukraine, and the vessel briefly operated under Ukrainian jurisdiction. However, officers loyal to Russia suppressed this attempt, and the submarine entered a period of limbo characterized by limited operations and maintenance shortages. The ownership dispute was formally resolved in 1997, when the vessel was officially assigned to the Russian Navy and subsequently renamed Alrosa in honor of the diamond mining company that acted as its sponsor. The submarine's operational career in the 2000s was marked by a mixture of combat deployments and mechanical failures. It reportedly participated in naval operations off the coast of Georgia during the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. However, its reliability was frequently called into question, most notably in November 2009 when it suffered a significant propulsion failure and fire during exercises off Abkhazia, necessitating a tow back to port. Despite these issues, the Alrosa achieved a diplomatic milestone in 2011 by becoming the first Russian submarine to participate in a NATO exercise, joining the Bold Monarch submarine rescue drills off the coast of Spain. After the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Alrosa disappeared from active service for nearly eight years, entering a protracted overhaul period in Sevastopol. Originally scheduled as a routine repair, the project expanded into a modernization effort designed to retrofit the aging hull with the capability to launch Kalibr-PL cruise missiles. This lengthy refit was plagued by repeated delays, earning the vessel a reputation as a "hangar queen" that spent significantly more time in dry dock than at sea. The submarine finally completed its sea trials and returned to combat duty in June 2022, reinforced with new missile capabilities to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It operated primarily out of Sevastopol before shifting to Novorossiysk as the security situation in Crimea deteriorated. Its career effectively concluded in December 2025, when a Ukrainian underwater uncrewed vehicle breached the harbor defenses at Novorossiysk. The resulting strike inflicted a "mobility kill" on the vessel, likely rendering the Black Sea Fleet's oldest and most unique submarine permanently unserviceable. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 16 December 2025 - Day 1392 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 255 combat clashes. Ukrainian defenders continue to decisively interrupt the attempts of the Russian enemy to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him a fiery impression. Russian zagarbniki made 55 aviacijnih strikes, dropping 127 controlled bombs. In addition, they deployed 1964 kamikaze drones to impress and carried out 2869 shelling of positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. 15 combat clashes took place in the North Slobozhansky and Kursky directions. The Russian enemy made three aviation strikes, dropping eight controlled bombs, carried out 102 shelling, including seven - of the jet systems of the fire. Today, Russian forces attacked nine times in the South-Slobozhansky direction in the areas of the settlements of Prylipka, Sinelnikove and in the direction of Izbitsky, Obuhivka, Kolodiaznogo. In the Kupians komu direction, the Russian opponent made 24 attacks in the direction of Kupians ka, Petropavlivki, Kucerivki, Pi any, Novoplatonivki, Golubivki, New Kruglyakivki. Three clashes are underway. In the Lyman direction, the Defense Forces repelled 27 assault actions in the area of Torsky and towards the settlements of Lyman, Stepovo, Korovoy Yar, Zarichne, Drobisheve, Novoselivka, Stavki, Glushchenkove. Two clashes are underway. In the Slovak direction, the Russian enemy attacked four times in the areas of Sivers k, Serebryanka and in the direction of Pazeno. One battle is going on now. In the Kramators komu direction, Russian forces once attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the direction of Bondarny. 16 combat clashes took place in the Konstantinivsky direction today. The Russian enemy tried to storm the positions of Ukrainian units near Plesh yivka, Ivanopilya, Rusynogo Yar, Yablunivka and towards Sofiyivka. In the Pokrovsky direction from the beginning of this day, the Russian opponent attacked 60 times in the areas of the settlements of Kotline, Udacne and towards Rivnogo, Mirnograd, Rodinsky, Grishynogo, Zvirovogo, Sergiyivka, Novopavlivka, Filia, New Shahovogo, Dorozhnyogo, Suhetsky. Six of them are currently ongoing. Today in this direction, according to preliminary data, 220 invaders, of which 143 are irrevocably. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed three tanks, 12 units of automobile equipment, four combat armored cars, one motorcycle, nine unmanned aircraft, five special equipment units, two personnel shelters. Damaged three units of automotive equipment, RSZV BM-21 "Hail" and seven shelters for the Russian opponent's personnel. In the Oleksandrivsky direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 20 Russian attacks in the areas of settlements Green Gai, Sichneve, Krasnogirsk, Zlagoda, Ribne and towards Ivanivka, Iskra, Oleksandrograd, Willow, Privilny. The Russian enemy caused an aviation strike in the area of the Ivanivka settlement. 28 clashes took place in the direction of Gulyaipil, in the area of the settlement of Solodke and towards Varvarivka, Gulyaipol. The Russian enemy caused aviation strikes with controlled aviation bombs on Vozdvizhivka and Zaliznychnomu. In the Orihiv direction, the Russian enemy tried to break through Ukrainian defense eight times in vain in the areas of the settlements of Scherbaka, Stepovo and in the directions of Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriivka and Primorsky. In other directions, there have been no significant changes in the environment. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. Units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one mechanised brigade of the AFU and two territorial defence brigades near Novaya Sech, Kondratovka, and Miropolye (Sumy region). In Kharkov direction, units of three mechanised brigades of the AFU, one territorial defence brigade, and one national guard brigade have been hit near Pershotravnevoye, Baranovka, Nesternoye, the Volchanskiye Huthora, and the Primorskoye (Kharkov region). The enemy has lost over 250 troops, one Grad MLRS, one artillery gun, 23 motor vehicles, one Israel-made radar station, one electronic warfare station, and three materiel depots. As a result of resolute actions, units of the Zapad Group of Forces liberated Novoplatonovka (Kharkov region). Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one assault brigade of the AFU, one territorial defence brigade, and one national guard brigade near Blagodatovka, Podoly, Shiykovka, Glushkovka, Kupyansk-Uzlovoy (Kharkov region), and Krasny Liman (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to more than 220 Ukrainian troops and four armoured fighting vehicles. 18 motor vehicles, three artillery guns, one electronic warfare station, and three ammunition depots were neutralised. The Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Strikes were delivered at formations of two mechanised brigades, one infantry brigade, one airmobile brigade, one mountain assault brigades of the AFU, one marine brigade, and one national guard brigade near Mayaki, Alekseyevo-Druzhkovka, Stepanovka, Slavyansk, Petrovskoye, Konstantinovka, and Kramatorsk (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy lost up to 200 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, 13 motor vehicles, three artillery guns, and five materiel depots. The Tsentr Group's units continued to neutralise the encircled AFU formations in Vostochny and Zapadny districts of Dimitrov (Donetsk People's Republic) and liberated 120 buildings. Russian troops continue mopping up the settlements of Svetloye and Grishino (Donetsk People's Republic) from the AFU scattered formations. Two attacks of the 425th Skala Assault Regiment of the AFU, attempting to regain lost positions, were repelled near Rodinskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic. The Group's units inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of two infantry brigades, one assault regiment of the AFU, one marine brigade, one territorial defence brigade, and two national guard brigades have been hit close to Svetloye, Toretskoye, Belitskoye, Shevchenko (Donetsk People's Republic), and Novopavlovka (Dnepropetrovsk region). The enemy losses amounted to more than 505 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, one Grad MLRS, nine motor vehicles, and ten artillery guns, including six Western-made ones. The Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defence. Russian troops inflicted damage on formations of one mechanised brigade, one assault brigade, three assault regiments of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade have been hit close to Andreyevka, Velikomikhaylovka (Dnepropetrovsk region), Gulyaypole, and Kosovtsevo (Zaporozhye region). The AFU lost more than 295 troops, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, three field artillery guns, and two materiel depots. The Dnepr Group of Forces engaged formations of one mechanised brigade of the AFU, one territorial defence brigade, and one national guard brigade close to Orekhov, Novoandreyevka (Zaporozhye region), and Otradokamenka (Kherson region). Up to 50 troops, 19 motor vehicles, six field artillery guns, two electronic warfare stations, and three materiel depots have been neutralised. Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, missile troops, and artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have inflicted damage on transport infrastructure used in the interests of the AFU, assembly workshop and storage site of attack unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 154 areas. Air defence systems shot down 180 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 669 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 103,362 unmanned aerial vehicles, 639 anti-aircraft missile systems, 26,562 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,633 MLRS combat vehicles, 31,948 field artillery guns and mortars, and 49,167 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Four Defendants Arrested for Alleged Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Government Plot to Bomb U.S. Companies on New Year's Eve Monday, December 15, 2025 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs Four members of an anti-capitalist and anti-government group that calls for violence against U.S. officials have been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack two U.S. companies with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) this New Year's Eve. "The Turtle Island Liberation Front a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year's Eve. The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace. We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice." "The charges made public today show the FBI and our partners disrupted a dangerous New Year's Eve plot to simultaneously target two U.S. companies with multiple explosive devices," said FBI Director Kash Patel. "The defendants allegedly acquired materials to construct the devices, planned to test them in the Mojave Desert, and used encrypted communications in an attempt to evade detection, but thanks to the FBI and our partners those efforts failed. The FBI is committed to keeping our homeland safe and making sure those who attempt violent acts face justice." "These arrests mark the disruption of a dangerous conspiracy to spread fear and terror across Southern California and the United States on New Year's Eve, as well as to conduct future attacks targeting federal officers. This country protects the right to hold extreme views about its past, present, and future, but violence is an unmistakable and enforceable line," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "The National Security Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who cross that line." "Working together, federal and local law enforcement prevented a domestic terrorist attack from occurring this New Year's Eve in Southern California," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. "Far-left anti-government extremist groups seeking to destroy the American way of life will never prevail and will always face the full force of the law." The following defendants were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert and are charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device: Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, also known as Asiginaak, of South Los Angeles; Zachary Aaron Page, 32, also known as AK, of Torrance; Dante Gaffield, 24, also known as Nomad, of South Los Angeles; and Tina Lai, 41, also known as Kickwhere, of Glendale. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Carroll is a member of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), a group that, according to its social media page, is dedicated to "liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty" and for the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism. "Turtle Island" is a term used by some Native Americans to describe the North American continent, and the group has promoted anti-capitalist, anti-government sentiment by posting on social media advocating violence against U.S. officials. In late November 2025, Carroll provided to co-conspirators an eight-page handwritten document titled, "Operation Midnight Sun," which described a bombing plot. The plan called for backpacks with bombs to be simultaneously detonated at five or more locations targeting two U.S. companies at midnight this New Year's Eve in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The plan stated that the "ieds" (improvised explosive devices) would be "complex pipe bombs," included instructions on how to manufacture the bombs, and included guidance to avoid leaving evidence behind that could be traced back to the co-conspirators. As the co-conspirators plotted their attack, Carroll acknowledged what they were planning to do would be "considered a terrorist act." Carroll and fellow TILF member Page recruited other co-conspirators to the plot, including Gaffield and Lai. The co-conspirators took numerous steps toward executing the bombing plot, including acquiring bomb-making materials and traveling to a remote location in the Mojave Desert to construct and detonate test bombs on December 12. While in the desert, the co-conspirators took steps to begin construction of the devices, including unloading the bomb-making materials from their cars and beginning to assemble the materials on a table. They also constructed a tent to keep the bomb materials shaded from the sun, wiped down the interior of one of the pipes used for the bombs, and Carroll discussed grinding a precursor for use in an explosive powder. FBI agents then intervened and arrested the defendants before they completed assembling a functional bomb. If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison on the unregistered destructive device possession count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, and the Palm Springs Police Department. FBI field offices in Boston, Buffalo, and New Orleans are also providing assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello, Amanda B. Elbogen, and Daniel H. Weiner for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Topics: Domestic Terrorism National Security Components: Office of the Attorney General Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Security Division (NSD) USAO - California, Central Press Release Number: 25-1179 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Authorities pledge overwhelming police response to Sydney's Bondi Beach shooting People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:51, December 15, 2025 SYDNEY, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) on Monday pledged an overwhelming police response to Sunday night's fatal mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney. NSW Police Force Commissioner Mal Lanyon said at a press conference on Monday afternoon that it is a time for calm and that acts of retribution will not be tolerated following the attack. "Retribution or acts against any part of any community will not be accepted. We will have a significant policing presence," he said. Authorities have confirmed that 16 people aged between 10 and 87 years old, including an alleged shooter, have been confirmed dead after two men opened fire on a crowd who had gathered at the iconic beach for an event celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday night. Lanyon said that the second alleged shooter, a 24-year-old male identified as the son of the deceased 50-year-old, remained in police custody in hospital on Monday and will likely face criminal charges. Premier of NSW Chris Minns said that the shooting has been met with an overwhelming response from authorities that will send a "clear message" to members of the Jewish community that police are present to keep them safe during the festive period. Police earlier said that 328 officers had been deployed to Sydney suburbs with significant Jewish populations. Minns said that it is time for "a change" to NSW's gun possession laws after police earlier confirmed that the 50-year-old shooter was a licensed firearm holder who legally owned six guns. "We want to make sure that prospective reform and change in New South Wales has a lasting impact. You can expect action soon," he said. Minns said that there were 38 injured people who were being treated in hospital as of Monday afternoon, with their conditions ranging from critical to serious. One of the people killed in the shooting was identified on Monday as 41-year-old Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an organizer of the Hanukkah event from a Bondi synagogue. A 10-year-old girl was also killed in the shooting attack, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New York steps up security following Sydney mass shooting People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 14:08, December 15, 2025 NEW YORK, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- New York City on Sunday increased security measures around Hanukkah events and synagogues, following a mass shooting targeting a Jewish holiday celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach. At a press conference on Sunday, Jessica Tisch, New York Police commissioner, said that there are no known connections between the Sydney attack and New York City, and no credible threats to events in the city's five boroughs. However, the New York Police Department is deploying additional officers and resources "out of an abundance of caution," she said. "You will see an enhanced uniform presence, specialized patrols, heavy weapons teams, community affairs officers, counter-terrorism resources, and bomb squad deployments where appropriate," Tisch said. "We are marshaling all available resources to ensure the safety of New Yorkers." At the press conference, New York Mayor Eric Adams called the Sydney attack an example of globalized extremism. Adams said the city stands with Jewish New Yorkers as they begin the holiday. "We will celebrate the first night of the miracle of Hanukkah, no matter the tragedies we have experienced as a city, as a country and as a globe in the last 24 hours," he added. "We will continue to ensure the Jewish community can celebrate the holiday in safety -- including at public Menorah lightings across the city. Let us pray for the injured and stand together against hatred," the mayor wrote on the social platform X. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Albanese rejects Netanyahu's claim linking Bondi Beach attack to Palestinian statehood Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 4:41 PM Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has firmly dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood fueled "violent antisemitic acts." Speaking in an interview on Monday, Albanese rejected any connection between the recognition and the deadly attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach targeting a Jewish event, which left at least 15 people dead and dozens injured. "And overwhelmingly, most of the world recognizes Palestinian statehood as the way forward in the Middle East," Albanese said, underscoring the international consensus behind Australia's decision. Netanyahu immediately politicized the Bondi Beach attack by referencing the Palestinian statehood support by the Australian government. The Israeli prime minister revealed that he had written to Albanese in August, "warning" against Australia's decision to recognize a Palestinian state. Netanyahu criticized Albanese's approach, claiming it "replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement." Responding to Netanyahu's criticism, Albanese said his priority is national unity and his role "at this time is to bring the nation together, is to promote unity" and that the terrorists seek "to divide us as a nation, to pitch Australian against Australian." Authorities reported that two gunmen opened fire at the Sydney event on Sunday. Police fatally shot one suspect, while the second was arrested and remains in critical condition. Australia's domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, previously examined one of the gunmen involved in the Bondi Beach shooting six years ago due to his close ties with a Sydney-based ISIL (Daesh) terrorism cell, the ABC reported. Investigators from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT), which includes both state and federal agencies, are exploring the possibility that the gunmen had pledged allegiance to Daesh. The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to understand the motive behind the attack. Investigators also discovered what appeared to be several improvised explosive devices in a nearby vehicle linked to the suspect who was killed. Albanese called the scenes at Bondi "shocking and distressing," adding, "There is no place for this hate, violence, and terrorism in our nation." While the Israeli regime has loudly tried to blame Australia for ignoring what it calls "antisemitic threats," the focus for many Australians remains on condemning Israel's genocide against Palestinians. Since October 2023, protests have swept across major Australian cities, denouncing the regime's two-year-long genocidal campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, destroyed homes, and shattered families. Social media and local reports indicate that public sentiment has increasingly reflected outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with protesters demanding that the Australian government condemn the Israeli regime's genocide and halt arms sales to Tel Aviv. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Designates Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction Fact Sheets The White House December 15, 2025 DEFENDING AMERICA FROM A CHEMICAL WEAPON: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemical as weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Order directs the Attorney General to immediately pursue criminal charges, sentencing enhancements, and sentencing variances in fentanyl trafficking cases. The Order directs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury to pursue appropriate actions against relevant assets and financial institutions for those involved in or supporting the manufacture, distribution, and sale of illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals. The Order directs the Secretary of War and Attorney General to determine whether the Department of War should provide enhanced national security resources to the Department of Justice as necessary during an emergency situation involving a weapon of mass destruction. The Order directs the Secretary of War, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to update their chemical incident response-related directives to include the fentanyl threat. The Order directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to identify fentanyl smuggling networks using WMD and nonproliferation related threat intelligence. STOPPING FENTANYL FROM POISONING OUR PEOPLE: President Trump is unleashing every available tool against the cartels and foreign networks that have turned fentanyl into the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. Illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Just two milligrams of fentanylequivalent to 10-15 grains of table saltis considered a lethal dose. Cartels and Foreign Terrorist Organizations use fentanyl profits to fund assassinations, terrorism, and insurgencies while waging armed conflict over trafficking routes and other facets of their operations. The potential for fentanyl to be weaponized for concentrated, large-scale terror attacks by organized adversaries is a serious threat to the United States. By designating illicit fentanyl as a WMD, President Trump is ensuring the full weight of the Federal government is focused, coordinated, and mobilized to confront fentanyl as the deadly chemical weapon it is. MAKING AMERICA SAFE AGAIN: President Trump will not rest until the cartels are dismantled, illicit fentanyl is eradicated from America's streets, and every family is safe from this chemical weapon. Immediately upon returning to office, President Trump declared a National Emergency at the southern border that allowed the United States to gain operational control of the border, combat the cartels, and secure our Nation. President Trump designated eight cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), including Tren de Aragua and MS-13, to combat their violence and drug trafficking. President Trump imposed tariffs to deal with Mexico's, Canada's, and China's failure to address the flow of poisonous fentanyl and other drugs into our country. President Trump authorized military strikes to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and disrupt the narcoterrorists who are poisoning the American people. President Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into lawpermanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. He is now taking the fight to the next level by designating illicit fentanyl as a WMD to stop the cartels and protect American families. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Rubio's Call with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Wong US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson December 14, 2025 The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott: Secretary Rubio had a call today with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong to discuss the antisemitic terrorist attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The United States strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Hanukkah celebration hosted by Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi. As Prime Minister Albanese said, this was "an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism." We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and with the Australian people as we pray for the victims and their families. We are grateful to Australian first responders and bystanders for their heroic response. As Jews around the world light Hanukkah candles tonight, they commemorate the triumph of light over darkness and the long history of Jewish resilience in the face of oppression. No community should have to fear publicly celebrating their faith and traditions due to the threat of extremist violence and terror. There can be no compromise with antisemitism - this scourge must be confronted and defeated. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting of National Cabinet Media statement Monday 15 December 2025 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Prime Minister of Australia The Prime Minister today convened a meeting of National Cabinet following the evil anti-Semitic terrorist attack directed at members of the Jewish community celebrating Chanukah at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The National Cabinet pledged to eradicate anti-Semitism, hate, violence and terrorism and emphasised Australia's commitment to national coordination on countering terrorism and violent extremism, social cohesion, resourcing and rhetoric to ensure community safety. National Cabinet noted the ongoing work across jurisdictions to tackle anti-Semitism such as establishing the National Hate Crimes and Incidents Database, enhancing security of Jewish community and cultural sites, and coordinated work across intelligence and police agencies. Leaders agreed that strong, decisive and focused action was needed on gun law reform as an immediate action, including renegotiating the National Firearms Agreement, first established after the 1996 Port Arthur tragedy, to ensure it remains as robust as possible in today's changing security environment. First Ministers agreed to strengthen gun laws across the nation and have commissioned their Police Ministers and Attorneys-General to develop options, including: Accelerating work on standing up the National Firearms Register; Allowing for additional use of criminal intelligence to underpin firearms licencing that can be used in administrative licencing regimes; Limiting the number of firearms to be held by any one individual; Limiting open-ended firearms licencing and the types of guns that are legal, including modifications; and A condition of a firearm license is holding Australian citizenship. Premier Minns and Premier Cook will lead and coordinate this work across jurisdictions. As an immediate priority, the Australian Government will commence work on potential further Customs restrictions of firearms and other weapons type importations, including 3D printing, novel technology and firearms equipment that can hold large amounts of ammunition. First Ministers also reiterated their commitment to the Permanent National Firearms Amnesty to reduce the number of unregistered firearms in the community. NSW Premier Chris Minns, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett, and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's Director-General Security Mike Burgess also briefed the meeting on the latest police intelligence and actions in relation to the incident yesterday. Leaders agreed that yesterday's horrific anti-Semitic terrorist attack has no place in Australia and that the evil scourge of anti-Semitism must be eradicated. This media statement has been agreed by First Ministers and serves as a record of meeting outcomes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Opening remarks - Meeting of National Cabinet Transcript Monday 15 December 2025 Sydney Prime Minister Anthony Albanese The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Prime Minister of Australia ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I think we all regret the circumstances of this meeting of the National Cabinet. The antisemitic terrorism incident in Bondi, I think, has shaken the whole nation, not just people in Sydney and New South Wales, in particular, members of the Jewish community have been devastated by what is an unprecedented scale of attack on the Australian way of life. I thank the police and emergency services, the people, particularly in New South Wales, but our national security agencies, including the AFP as well, for the work that has been conducted over the last 20 hours or so. Today, I met with the Premier of New South Wales, and we made a declaration after being briefed by the New South Wales Police Commissioner who has joined us here today. And we also had a visit down to Bondi. There is quite horrific scenes there, and people are really hurting. What they're looking for is confidence going forward. And today's meeting is about making sure that we have states and territories aligned here, making sure we send a message as well to Jewish Australians that we stand together against antisemitism, giving a message to all Australians that we stand against terrorism and that we will do whatever it is that we can, if laws need to be adjusted, to make changes. One of the suggestions that will be on the agenda today is to have an examination of our gun laws to make sure that if there is any tightening or changes which are required, that we put in place mechanisms. Through this National Cabinet we, of course, have established the National Firearms Register. That is a significant step forward, and I know that work is progressing on that, but we need to, I think, accelerate the work in that area. But I thank all of you for joining us, and we will have, no doubt, a constructive discussion. And I thank as well the AFP Commissioner, the New South Wales Police Commissioner, and other authorities who've joined us, in particular at this difficult time. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press conference - Sydney Transcript Monday 15 December 2025 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Prime Minister of Australia The Hon Tony Burke MP Minister for Home Affairs Minister for Immigration and Citizenship ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much for joining us. I'm joined byTony Burke, the Minister for Home Affairs, and Nigel Ryan, the AFP Acting Police, Acting Deputy Commissioner. This morning I convened a meeting of the Cabinet where we were briefed on the latest intelligence on yesterday's attack in Bondi. And I've just come from a meeting of the National Security Committee where I also invited Premier Chris Minns to join us along with the NSW Police Commissioner. At 4 o'clock today, the NSW Police Commissioner and AFP Commissioner will be briefing the National Cabinet and I'm continually receiving updates from our national security agencies. We'll work hard over the days ahead to keep Australians updated on all of the developments. And on that note, I want to provide people with a few updates on work we have been doing. We are extending the funding for the National Council for Jewish Community Security and its state based community security groups to provide overall security cover to the Jewish community as part of that. That is included in MYEFO, but we're pre-empting that announcement today. That's also for capital works and can be utilised for guarding costs incurred by individual Jewish organisations across Australia. We're also working with Jewish community organisations to see how we can best support charity efforts, including through tax deductible status for donations - and we're doing work on that. The Government will also quickly work through the process of a declaration under the Terrorism and Cyclone Insurance Act that would ensure that insurance companies are able to pay it to local businesses for eligible losses. We're also working on support for funerals that will be held, but also visitor visas for people who are relatives wishing to visit Australia for the funerals, and I'll ask the Minister to comment on that. I do want to make a couple of more points as well. This morning I met with police who were on the scene last night, some of whom had been up all night. These are brave people. Many people who were off duty police headed towards Bondi last night from as far away as Newcastle and the Central Coast. They did so because of their commitment to their fellow Australians and the diligence that they show. And I think we need to recognise their incredible work at a time as well when two police officers have been seriously injured as a result of the efforts and bravery that they have shown. What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of terror, an act of antisemitism, an attack on the first day of Chanukah targeted at the Jewish community. A dark day in Australia's history on what should have been a day of light. And visiting the scene there at Bondi this morning, it was a very physical reminder of the iconic status of Bondi Beach and the Bondi Pavilion. I opened that pavilion after the refurbishment just a couple of years ago. It is a historic place and the fact that this was a venue for this act of evil, that was clearly calculated by these perpetrators, is just an outrage and a shock to the community. One of the things that is coming through, though, is that the community want to be able to express their support and solidarity. And I would urge and join with others who have urged Australians across the country to light a candle, put it in their front window tonight at 6:47pm to show that light will indeed defeat darkness - part of what Hanukkah celebrates, of course. We are stronger than the cowards who did this. And I want to conclude finally by saying that the Government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws. And this afternoon at 4 o'clock I will put on the agenda of the National Cabinet tougher gun laws, including limits on the number of guns that can be used or licensed by individuals, and a review of licences over a period of time. People's circumstances change, people can be radicalised over a period of time. Licences should not be in perpetuity. And checks, of course, making sure that those checks and balances are in place as well. We will task, I'll take to National Cabinet this afternoon, a proposal to empower agencies to examine what can be done in this area. Quite clearly, the Howard Government's gun laws have made an enormous difference in Australia and a proud moment of reform, quite rightly, achieved across the Parliament with bipartisan support. If we need to toughen these up, if there's anything we can do, I'm certainly up for it and I hope to get National Cabinet on board for that this afternoon as well. I'll ask the Minister to make some comments and then the Acting Deputy Commissioner Ryan, Nigel Ryan, to make some comments as well. TONY BURKE, MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: Thanks, Prime Minister. Yesterday was an attack on Jewish Australians, it was an attack on modern Australia, it was an attack on Australia itself - and all Australians stand together against that attack. The police who were there standing together against the attackers, first responders standing together against the attackers, and even a bystander like Ahmed el Ahmed, standing there putting their own lives at risk against those attackers. The joint counterterrorism team involving ASIO and the Australian Federal Police, with the investigation being led by NSW Police, needs to be allowed to do its work. While that work is happening, though, there are needs for the community right now. One of the additional things that the community have raised directly with me is because of the number of people who will have family members overseas, not only in Israel but in other parts of the world, who will want to be able to get them here rapidly for funerals. We have set up a specific section of the Department, rapidly dealing with visa processing at a pace that would not ordinarily be there, to make sure that, given the often speedy nature of funerals in terms of the timeline in the Jewish tradition, to make sure that we maximise the chance for family members to be able to be reunited here at the worst of times. The Department of Home Affairs is also doing other work, as the Prime Minister referred to, with respect to working through a way to assist with the cost of those funerals. And finally, my department will stand ready for any of the outcomes that come out of the meeting of National Cabinet today with respect to the work that needs to be done on gun laws. NIGEL RYAN, ACTING DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE: Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Prime Minister. Again, our thoughts are with all of those that have been affected by this senseless act of terrorism. The AFP continues to work seamlessly with our partners in the joint counterterrorism team being NSW Police and ASIO. In relation to Operation Arques, there has been significant police operational activity in the past 12 hours and this will continue into the days and weeks ahead. I must stress that this is an active and ongoing investigation and I'm very limited in what I can say, but we do commit to providing timely updates to the community when appropriate. The AFP will use all of its specialist capabilities and resources to thoroughly investigate this matter in conjunction with NSW Police. The AFP will also continue to engage with affected communities that have been affected by this tragic event. The AFP stands firm in condemning any form of violence in our communities or any form of extremist behaviour. And we will work tirelessly to stamp it out. Thank you. PRIME MINISTER Questions? JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Mike Burgess warned you in February that antisemitism was the number one threat to life. Is that still the case and have you taken these threats seriously enough? And Acting Deputy Commissioner, if I may, it's my understanding that Sajid Akram moved to Australia in the late 90s, I believe from Pakistan. Is that correct? PRIME MINISTER: On the latter the Minister will respond. We take ASIO's advice very seriously. We work closely with them. We receive regular updates as well. The Director-General of ASIO has warned about a range of threats, be it antisemitism, the rise of right wing extremist groups as well. And we continue to work closely with our security agencies. MINISTER BURKE: In terms of the father and the son - the son is an Australian-born citizen. The father arrived in 1998 on a student visa, transferred in 2001 to a partner visa and after each trip overseas since then has been on resident return visas which has occurred three times. JOURNALIST: From Pakistan? MINISTER BURKE: At this stage given NSW Police are leading the investigation I have cleared to be able to talk about the visa history which I've done. JOURNALIST: When did the son first come onto the radar of ASIO? Why? And was he part of any terror group or linked to any terror group? PRIME MINISTER The son first came to attention in October 2019. He was examined on the basis of being associated with others and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence. JOURNALIST: Do you believe that to be a failing? PRIME MINISTER I've reported factually on what ASIO have found. JOURNALIST: Your hand-picked Antisemitism Envoy has demanded you accelerate your antisemitism plan you haven't acted on for six months. Do you plan to accelerate this in any way following this horrific event? PRIME MINISTER Well, we have acted and will continue to act on the implementation of the plan. The plan was announced right here in this room with the Envoy and I thank her for the ongoing work. A range of the recommendations that she made have been acted on. She recommended that legislation be strengthened to appropriately address antisemitism and hateful conduct vilification, Action 3.2. We've done the following - We've criminalised hate speech advocating violence. We've criminalised doxing under Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill and we have a landmark ban on the Nazi salute and hate symbols with penalties of imprisonment and or a fine of up to $16,500. She recommended the strengthening of institutional accountability and university reform. We created the National Student Ombudsman, was established this year, with strong investigative powers same as those of a Royal Commission. We conducted the review of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency has commenced and that review consultation power was released by the Minister in September with responses due in October. Special Envoy is also progressing with the administrative support from the Department of Home Affairs, a university report card evaluating university measures to promote inclusivity for Jewish students and staff. Recommendation 3.3 was on educational awareness and public discourse. We've allocated $4 million to expand the social cohesion work of Together for Humanity in schools. Recommendation 3.5 was the enhanced protection of Jewish communities through physical security measures and I've commented on the further extension of of that that we are putting in place. Recommendation 3.9 was reviewing and strengthening migration and citizenship matters, and the Department of Home Affairs is undertaking a review of relevant training packages to strengthen modules on assessing whether an applicant's conduct involves inciting or promoting hatred and ensuring coverage of vilifying behaviour directed at any group. Recommendation 3.12 was support for Jewish communities cultural, social and religious life while ensuring safety and security. We've committed grant funding, which we announced in January, including $8.5 million to upgrade the Sydney Jewish Museum, $4.4 million for the National Holocaust Education Centre in Canberra, an additional $2 million to the Holocaust Institute of Western Australia and we committed $18 million to the Jewish Arts Quarter in Melbourne. We'll continue to work at the levels with the Envoy, including a number of the recommendations, of course, for state governments to implement as well. JOURNALIST: Why did ASIO's interest in Naveed Akram not raise red flags that would prompt a reevaluation of the father's licence to have six guns? And when you talk about introducing more checks and balances, clearly in that situation, would you say that the gun licence should be revoked? PRIME MINISTER: Well, what's important is that the authorities be enabled to do their work. That's what we have done. I've reported to you accurately ASIO's advice, including the timelines which were done in 2019. The assessment was made because of the son's associations that he had at that time and the investigation went for a period of six months. JOURNALIST: Can I just say, what are the associations of concern? Who is the association? PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's a question, with respect, for the ASIO Director-General, but it was people he was associated with rather than things that he himself had done. JOURNALIST: Can we hear from the Home Affairs Minister? PRIME MINISTER: Sure. JOURNALIST: If you were able to expand on those associations? MINISTER BURKE: Well, no, it's - it's the exact same answer that the Prime Minister just gave, that the assessment of ASIO was with respect to his associations, rather than at that point there being a personal motivation from him. JOURNALIST: And ASIO closed the file and didn't tell - MINISTER BURKE: No, no, no. You're making a whole lot of extra assumptions. We've given you the information and that's what we've given you. Any, you know, ASIO makes decisions as to what could be provided. We provided that with you. JOURNALIST: But should they have told police so that someone could investigate whether a close relative of his was licensed to have firearms? Did they tell anyone else? MINISTER BURKE: I've got full support, full support, for our security agencies. And part of making sure that they can do their job is making sure that information is brought out in the way in which we are doing it right now. JOURNALIST: Are there other family members being investigated? Do you have any concerns about the other family members? MINISTER BURKE: I have full support for our security agencies and I'm authorised to give you the information which I have given you. PRIME MINISTER: And you would understand this is an ongoing investigation and therefore we are not in a position to compromise that ongoing investigation. We have gone through, through the committees, what we are able to tell you. We're providing as much information as possible. JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, has Australia gotten complacent on gun control since Port Arthur? And in terms of the gun control ideas that you'll be bringing to National Cabinet, what is within your power to do and what do you need from states? PRIME MINISTER: Well, some laws are Commonwealth and some are implemented by the states. What we want to do is to make sure that we're all completely on the same page. That is one of the reasons why I'm convening the National Cabinet today as a matter of urgency. We will then task work to be done, as Premier Minns said he will task work in NSW. We want to make sure, though, that there's greater uniformity in these issues. One of the things that we have done, for example, is to provide substantial amount of funding support so that the issues that arose out of the Queensland incident, where you had a terrorist incident that resulted in the death of Queensland police officers, that that information wasn't transferred across state boundaries. Now, that's something that we addressed at that time. We've provided funding for that, but we'll continue to work through those issues. JOURNALIST: Can the National Firearms Register move faster? And does Australia need a new firearms [inaudible] by that program? PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are. That's precisely what we're doing. Before us, there wasn't a National Firearms Register. That's the point. That's one of the major reforms that we're doing and we will do it as soon as we can. In some cases, some state jurisdictions still had paper identification. That was what we were dealing with. Now we are responding in a really practical way. If there's more that can be done, we will do it. We will do whatever is necessary. JOURNALIST: You've detailed a bunch of progress there on antisemitism, but speaking to members of the community last night, today, there's a sense of extreme bitterness that this was inevitable and that they weren't listened to. I'd like you to respond to that and this idea that has been led to fester. What can we do now that this has happened, to stamp that out and make sure that our community feels safe? PRIME MINISTER: Well, the community are going through a terrible time. This is an incident that is aimed at, by definition, terrorism is aimed at creating fear in the community. You have these two individuals who have engaged in a horrific act, one that is completely out of place with the way that Australia functions as a society. And it contrasts with the actions of police who rushed towards Bondi, the actions of Ahmed el Ahmed, who took the gun off that perpetrator at great risk to himself and suffered serious injury as a result of that, and is currently going through operations today in hospital. At the best of times, what we see is Australians coming together. And what I want is for Australians to come together, for this to be reinforcing the need for us to promote national unity. And that is critical. There is no place in Australia for antisemitism. There is no place for hatred. And people who were exercising their right to express their faith through Chanukah had every right to expect that they could do that in peace and with a joyful celebration, which is what it's aimed at. Thank you very much. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Council of Europe leaders welcome the release of political prisoners in Belarus Council of Europe Maria Kalesnikava and Ales Bialiatski among those released Council of Europe Strasbourg 15 December 2025 Council of Europe leaders have welcomed the release of 123 political prisoners in Belarus on 13 December, including Maria Kalesnikava and Ales Bialiatski. Secretary General Alain Berset said they were strong advocates for human rights and democracy in their country, and stressed that the Council of Europe will continue to work with Belarusian democratic forces. Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, called the release of the political prisoners "miraculous news at the end of the year filled with challenges and problems". He reiterated that both Kalesnikava and Bialiatski have been winners of the Council of Europe's Vaclav Havel prize, their awards coming in 2021 and 2013 respectively. President of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Marc Cools also welcomed the release. The Council of Europe suspended all cooperation with the Belarusian authorities on 17 March 2022 because of the active participation of Belarus in the Russian Federation's aggression of Ukraine. It has continued its cooperation with Belarusian civil society and the democratic forces in exile through its Contact group on Belarus set up in September 2022. Since 2025, representatives of Belarusian democratic forces have participated in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Belarus: Council broadens scope of sanctions regime to cover hybrid activities against EU member states European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Press release 15 December 2025 11:05 Today, the Council introduced a new criterion for the listing of individuals, entities and bodies benefiting from, involved in or facilitating actions or policies attributable to the Republic of Belarus,which undermine or threaten democracy, the rule of law, stability or security in the EU and its member states. Today's decision follows the recent meteorological balloon incursions into Lithuania's airspace. The new criterion will allow the EU to impose restrictive measures against those who plan, direct, engage in support or facilitate foreign information manipulation and interference. Moreover, the EU will be able to sanction individuals and entities engaged in actions targeted at the functioning of democratic institutions, economic activities or services of public interestof the EU and its member states.The EU will also be able to target the unauthorised entry into the territory of a member state Finally, the new criterion also covers actions aimed at interfering with, damaging or destroying critical infrastructure, as well as widespread or systematic actions resulting in the disruption of such infrastructure. Background In its conclusions of 23 October 2025, the European Council condemned Russia's and Belarus' intensified hybrid attacks and the recent violations of EU airspace. On 29 October 2025, the High Representative issued a statement on behalf of the EU condemning Belarus' persistent, provocative and unacceptable actions against the EU and its member states. Since 1 January 2025, Lithuania has recorded a growing number of airspace violations, which increased sharply since October 2025. These incidents involve both drones and the misuse of meteorological balloons for contraband purposes. Launched from Belarus, each balloon carries up to 50 kg of payload, can fly at altitudes of up to 8-15km, and at speeds of up to 100-200km/h, thus posing serious security and safety risks, primarily to civil aviation. These incursions into Lithuania's airspace have disrupted hundreds of flights and inflicted substantial losses to airlines, thousands of travellers, and state authorities. They aim to destabilise an EU member state and to intimidate European citizens through direct threats posed to civilian aviation. The use of these balloons occurs in the context of a broader targeted hybrid campaign, along with other actions that also include state-sponsored migrant smuggling. The statement of 29 October called on the Belarusian regime to immediately stop all these actions, and to adopt without further delay effective measures to control its airspace, state border and territory, and fight and prevent organised criminal activities originating within it. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU Foreign Affairs Ministers approve the extension of the EU sanctions regime against Belarus Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Updated 2025-12-15 On 15 December in Brussels, the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers approved the extension of the EU sanctions regime against Belarus. Lithuania's proposal adds three additional criteria to the EU sanctions regime against Belarus, namely, for hybrid attacks, disruption of critical infrastructure, disinformation, and information manipulation actions. Based on these criteria, the EU will have the basis to impose additional individual and sectoral sanctions on Belarus. "I am glad that Lithuania has achieved its goal of adding criteria for hybrid activities to the EU sanctions regime against Belarus. This provides the EU with the tools to respond effectively and rigorously to malicious activities now and in the future. With this decision, the EU has demonstrated not only its ability to mobilise politically in the face of challenges, but also to take the necessary decisions," said Budrys. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No Regrets: Freed Belarusian Prisoners Say Challenging Lukashenko Right Decision By RFE/RL's Belarus Service December 15, 2025 A day after being released in a US-brokered deal with Minsk, several Belarusian political prisoners who spent more than four years behind bars said they had no regrets for standing up to authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko. Speaking to reporters on December 14 in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, prominent figures in the 2020 opposition movement, Viktar Babaryka and Maryya Kalesnikava told reporters they felt they won a battle despite losing years of their lives. "There are times when we face difficult questions and have to make difficult choices. I made this difficult choice very easily because I was and remain absolutely certain that I supported the right idea, I supported my values....There are many of us like this, I am not alone.... If at critical moments you can, then you should," said Kalesnikava. Disputed 2020 Election One of the leaders of protests that followed a disputed presidential election in August 2020 that handed Lukashenko a sixth term in office, Kalesnikava was sentenced to 11 years in prison in September 2021 for creating an extremist organization and posing a threat to national security, among other charges. Kalesnikava was one of 123 political prisoners released under the deal clinched after Washington indicated it was lifting sanctions on Belarusian fertilizer exports. Other notable prisoners freed included another prominent figure in the 2020 opposition movement, Viktar Babaryka, along with Nobel laureate Ales Byalyatski. Belarus has been subject to crippling Western sanctions imposed following the country's cooperation with Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has conducted a series of prisoner releases, although hundreds of people -- many classified as political prisoners -- remain in custody. "We are glad that so many people have been released, and of course, we are waiting for further steps," Kalesnikava said. Babaryka, who also spoke at the press conference, also noted that hundreds of political prisoners remain in Belarus, saying "it would be a great betrayal" to forget them. "I do not regret what I did," the one-time presidential hopeful said. "We did not lose, we won. We did not receive a prize, but we turned out to be stronger." Babaryka was sentenced in July 2021 to 14 years in prison on charges of bribe-taking and money laundering that he and his supporters have called political retribution for challenging Lukashenko. The opposition and Western governments say Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was driven into exile, won the vote, which has not been recognized by the United States, the European Union, and several other countries. Thousands have been detained since the vote and there have been credible reports of the torture and ill-treatment of detainees by security forces. Several people have died during the crackdown. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has authorized several prisoner releases over the past year as he seeks to improve relations with the West after being isolated over his record on human rights and democratic freedoms. The Belarus strongmen, who has ruled with an iron fist since 1994, is hoping better ties will lead to an easing of Western sanctions, imposed following the country's cooperation with Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "Humanitarian diplomacy saves lives, but we can't forget that the illegitimate regime still terrorizes our people & supports Russia's war," Tsikhanouskaya said in a post on X after the release. "Our goal remains unchanged: freedom for all political prisoners & a democratic, independent Belarus," she added. Conversation With Trump US President Donald Trump, who surprised many by speaking to Lukashenko by phone in August, said in September that he believed the Eastern European nation would be releasing many of the hundreds of political prisoners it was holding. Human rights group Vyasna, which was founded by Byalyatski says that as of November 30, 1,222 political prisoners were being held in Belarus, including 199 women. It added that since September, the group has designated over 150 new individuals as political prisoners. "Negotiating the release of individuals in exchange for concessions to an authoritarian regime undermines the fundamental principles of how democracies should engage with such regimes," Aleksandr Morozov, a Russian journalist and researcher at the Boris Nemtsov Academic Center at Charles University in Prague, said in an interview with RFE/RL's Belarus Service. "Lukashenko does not free people under pressure; he does so as part of a deala trade, a mutually beneficial exchange. It is an exchange, not a unilateral concession," he added. Unlike a previous release last month that saw 31 prisoners leave Belarus for neighboring Lithuania, the December 13 deal saw all but nine travel to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists on December 14, according to Ukrinform, that prior to the release, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov had reported to him that "the Belarusian side was ready to hand over political prisoners but did not want to do so through other EU countries." "If Ukraine agreed, they were prepared to carry out the transfer through our territory. I unequivocally supported this initiative and confirmed our readiness to receive the prisoners, because the issue of political prisoners is important: among them are citizens of Ukraine, and it is necessary to bring back both our own citizens and Belarusian political prisoners," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-political-prisoners- kalesnikava-babaryka/33623403.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement on Jimmy Lai verdict Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 15 December 2025 Australia is deeply concerned by the guilty verdict handed down to Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong today. We have been clear in expressing our strong objections to Hong Kong authorities on the continuing broad application of national security legislation to arrest and pressure pro-democracy figures, opposition groups, media, trade unions and civil society. As the Foreign Minister has said, the Australian Government will continue to raise human rights concerns directly with the Hong Kong and Chinese governments regularly and at the highest levels. We continue to call on China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media and civil society, consistent with Human Rights Committee recommendations, and call for the repeal of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong: Statement by the Spokesperson on the verdict in the Jimmy Lai case (15 December 2025) European External Action Service (EEAS) 15.12.2025 Brussels, Belgium EEAS Press Team The EU deplores the conviction on national security grounds of British citizen and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai issued by the High Court of Hong Kong today, 15 December 2025. The charges against Jimmy Lai could carry a maximum sentence of imprisonment for life. This prosecution is politically motivated and emblematic of the erosion of democracy and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong since the imposition of the National Security Law in 2020. The EU reiterates its call for Jimmy Lai's immediate and unconditional release. Hong Kong's historic success as an international business hub is rooted in the rule of law. National security trials such as the one brought against Jimmy Lai further undermine confidence in Hong Kong's legal system, a cornerstone of the Special Administrative Region's attractiveness. The EU recalls that Apple Daily, the independent newspaper founded by Jimmy Lai, was forced to close its operations in June 2021. A free and independent media is vital for resilient societies and ensuring government accountability. The EU reiterates its call on China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) to honour their international legal commitments to safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, to which the Hong Kong SAR is party, and the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 lodged with the United Nations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Multiple central govt departments voice support for HKSAR's legal conviction on Jimmy Lai Global Times By Global Times Published: Dec 15, 2025 04:14 PM Multiple central government departments of China voiced their support on Monday for the verdict on Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong. Lai was found guilty on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said on Monday that it firmly supports the Hong Kong SAR's legal conviction of Jimmy Lai, a chief culprit behind the anti-China and disruptive activities in Hong Kong. The numerous facts revealed during the court proceedings clearly prove that Lai engaged in activities that endangered national security, further solidifying the public's perception that he was a chief culprit behind the past chaos in Hong Kong. He is a traitor who willingly serves as a "lackey" of external forces. People across the country, including our compatriots in Hong Kong, are outraged by this and strongly demand that he be severely punished according to the law, the office said. Hong Kong's rule of law cannot be shaken. Laws must be obeyed and violations punished; the law is vast and rigorous, leaving no one beyond its reach, the office said. In today's Hong Kong, the legal framework and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security have become increasingly sound. The days when external forces and anti-China, destabilizing elements could act with impunity are gone for good. Any individual or organization that dares to challenge national security laws or engage in acts and activities endangering national securityregardless of the pretext they use or what "backers" or "masters" stand behind themwill inevitably face severe punishment under the law, according to the office. A spokesperson for the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR on Monday also expressed firm support for the HKSAR in punishing Jimmy Lai's crimes endangering national security in accordance with the law. Safeguarding national security is a top priority for any country, and anyone who violates the Hong Kong National Security Law will inevitably face legal punishment, the spokesperson said. The numerous facts revealed in the trial of Lai fully prove that he was the main planner and participant in a series of anti-China and pro-chaos activities in Hong Kong, a pawn of external anti-China forces, and the chief culprit behind the "anti-extradition bill activities," the spokesperson said, adding that Lai's actions severely undermined the bottom line of the "one country, two systems" principle, seriously endangered national security, and seriously damaged Hong Kong's prosperity, stability, and the well-being of its residents. Such serious crimes should be severely punished by law, the spokesperson said. The trial of the Jimmy Lai case was conducted in an open and transparent manner, with fair and impartial procedures. Jimmy Lai's lawful rights were effectively guaranteed, and his legal counsel confirmed in court that Lai had not been subjected to any unfair treatment while in custody, the spokesperson said. A small number of Western politicians and anti-China media outlets, under the pretext of "human rights" and "freedom," have sought to smear Hong Kong's rule of law, openly speak up for Jimmy Lai, and whitewash his acts endangering national security. Such actions constitute a blatant interference in Hong Kong's judicial process, amount to politically motivated manipulation, and represent a gross trampling on the spirit of the rule of law. They fully expose the hypocrisy and double standards of those involved. We strongly condemn such behavior, the spokesperson added. We firmly support the Hong Kong SAR in fully and accurately implementing the National Security Law for Hong Kong. Any attempt to obstruct the Hong Kong SAR's efforts to safeguard national security is doomed to fail, the central government's liaison office said on Monday. The despicable actions of external forces that exert pressure to interfere in the adjudication of national security cases in the HKSAR, and even threaten sanctions against HKSAR officials and judicial personnel, will not shake the HKSAR's resolve to uphold the rule of law and safeguard national security. Such actions will only further arouse the unity and indignation of Hong Kong society against enemy, and more quickly toll the death knell for their agents in Hong Kong, the office noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address HKSAR CE welcomes verdict on Jimmy Lai, affirms judiciary's resolve in safeguarding national security Global Times By Global Times Published: Dec 15, 2025 02:05 PM The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee said on Monday that he welcomes the verdict on Jimmy Lai, which upholds the justice of the law and safeguards Hong Kong's core values, emphasizing that the HKSAR government is clear and resolute in its stance, and the judiciary acts with full confidence and resolve, fears no intimidation, and firmly fulfills its responsibility to safeguard national security. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s High Court ruled on Monday morning that Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Three Apple Daily companies were found guilty of a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious publications and a charge of conspiracy to collude with external forces, according to the verdict announced at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building where the High Court processed the case, according to local media reports. "The court found Jimmy Lai and the three companies guilty on all charges. I welcome the court's conviction," Lee said in a post on social media. The court has adjourned the sentencing of Jimmy Lai and the three companies, together with the related case involving eight individuals who had previously pleaded guilty, to January 12, 2026, and will announce the sentencing date thereafter. The ruling confirms that Jimmy Lai used Apple Daily to collude with foreign or external forces, endangering national security, Lee said in the post. Jimmy Lai long used his media outlet, Apple Daily, to recklessly stir social divisions, incite societal confrontation, glorify violence, and openly solicit foreign sanctions against China and the HKSAR, inviting external interference. His actions have harmed the fundamental interests of the country and the well-being of Hong Kong citizens. His conducts were shameful and malicious. His crimes were committed openly, with overwhelming evidence. The court's conviction demonstrates the justice of the law and upholds Hong Kong's core values, Lee said. The law does not allow anyone, regardless of profession or background, to hide under the disguise of human rights, democracy, or freedom to openly harm their own country and compatriots. The HKSAR has the responsibility to safeguard national security and will resolutely crack down on acts and activities that endanger it. Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law; the HKSAR government enforces the law strictly, holds offenders accountable, and will do everything to prevent, stop, and punish acts that threaten national security, fulfilling this fundamental responsibility, Lee said. The CE emphasized that the court's judgment spans over 800 pages, and the HKSAR government will study the judgment in detail and issue a more comprehensive statement in due course. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Unmanned equipment, Z-10 attack helicopter participate as China, Pakistan wrap up joint drill Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Dec 15, 2025 10:53 PM Star weaponry and equipment including unmanned equipment and the Z-10 attack helicopter participated in the China-Pakistan Warrior-IX joint counterterrorism exercise, which wrapped up last week in Pakistan, official Chinese media reported on Monday. Since the training kicked off in early December, the Chinese and Pakistani militaries have conducted joint training in an integrated formation mode, with the backdrop of combating terrorism and the theme of "joint counterterrorism sweeping and strike operations". They have jointly completed training subjects including mountain area clearance, hostage rescue, and coordinated fire strikes, China Military Bugle, an official media account under the PLA News Media Center, reported on Monday. In the final phase of the exercise, the Chinese and Pakistani participating troops launched a full-process, full-element live-ammunition field exercise. The two sides jointly organized combined air-land operations, deploying multiple types of unmanned equipment including medium-and-high-altitude long-endurance drones, drone swarms, loitering munitions and explosive ordnance disposal robots to conduct combat missions such as reconnaissance and surveillance, blockading and control, zone clearance, and in-depth pursuit and annihilation against mock targets, per China Military Bugle. Chinese military affairs expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times that the PLA is increasingly deploying unmanned equipment in drills, including joint drills with foreign militaries. This indicates that China's use of unmanned equipment is getting more and more mature. Photos and videos show that the PLA Army's Z-10 attack helicopters participated in the joint exercise. According to media reports in August, the Pakistani military has also inducted the Chinese-made Z-10ME attack helicopter. When asked to comment on media reports that the Pakistani military has inducted the Chinese-made Z-10ME attack helicopter to advance the modernization of its defense equipment, Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said in August that China is willing to share the achievements of its equipment development with friendly countries, including Pakistan. China-Pakistan defense and security cooperation is not aimed at any third party and is committed to maintaining international and regional security and stability, said Jiang. Chinese military affairs expert Fu Qianshao told the Global Times that the Z-10 attack helicopter is particularly suitable for anti-terrorism operations in Pakistan, as the helicopter can take advantage of its fast response capability, hover in the air and attack terrorists with strong firepower. The closing ceremony of the joint exercise was held at Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Centre Pabbi on Friday, with the Chinese participating troops setting off for their return trip and returned to their units in China by Sunday in multiple batches via air transport, army aviation transport, and drone aerial relocation, according to the China Military Bugle report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun's Regular Press Conference on December 15, 2025 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: December 15, 2025 17:50 CCTV: On December 13, the National Archives Administration of China published a batch of declassified Russia-provided archives on Soviet interrogations of the Japanese Unit 731 in Khabarovsk. The archives, containing interrogation records of Unit 731 members and investigation reports on the unit's crimes, once again lay bare Japan's notorious germ warfare during its aggression against China. What's your comment? Guo Jiakun: The archives transferred by Russia are yet another piece of ironclad evidence of crimes against humanity committed by the Japanese Unit 731 during its aggression against China and there's no room for denial. According to the archives, during the aggression, the Japanese military conducted various live human experiments, including experiments with germ, frostbite, corrosive liquid and erosive gas. Among the victims, there were not only the Chinese people, but also people from the Soviet Union and the Korean Peninsula. The interrogation records disclosed for the first time show that the confession of Kiyoshi Kawashima, former head of Unit 731's bacterial production department, and other Japanese war criminals detailed the Japanese military's large-scale use of biological weapons in China in 1940, 1941 and 1942, and the records prove that the application of the experiments in the war aimed at the large-scale destruction of humans. The trial records in Khabarovsksupporting and adding more proofs to the files kept by Chinatogether with the site of Unit 731 in China clearly demonstrate how the unit committed crimes in China and prove that the germ warfare was a premeditated, organized, top-down and systematic state crime. Besides in China, the Japanese military established Unit Oka 9420 in Singapore in 1942 and conducted illicit human experiments and waged germ warfare in Southeast Asian countries. Their atrocities will be condemned to perpetual infamy. Alarmingly, despite those solid facts, right-wing forces in Japan are still trying every means to deny, whitewash and even gloss over the aggression and crimes against humanity. Amnesia of history means betrayal, and denial of responsibility spells repetition of crimes. Every country has the responsibility and obligation to urge Japan to have a complete reckoning with the specter of militarism that still haunts it, never let tragedy repeat itself, jointly uphold the outcomes of the WWII victory and the post-war international order, and safeguard the hard-won world peace and stability. Xinhua News Agency: It's reported that the Republican candidate Jose Antonio Kast won the second round of Chile's presidential elections and was elected as the next president on Sunday, defeating the candidate of the left-wing governing coalition Jeanette Jara. What's China's comment? Guo Jiakun: China congratulates Mr. Jose Antonio Kast on his election as the President of Chile. Chile is the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with New China. Over the past 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the bilateral relationship has maintained a sound momentum of development with fruitful cooperation outcomes in various fields. China stands ready to work with the new government of Chile to further step up mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation on all fronts, continue to take China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights and bring more benefits to the two peoples. TV Asahi: The twin giant pandas at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo are scheduled to return to China in late January 2026, which will leave Japan without pandas. Giant pandas are popular among the Japanese people. Does China plan to continue its international cooperation on giant panda conservation with Japan? Guo Jiakun: I'd refer you to competent authorities for the specifics. Kyodo News: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today countermeasures against Shigeru Iwasaki, former senior official of Japan's Self-Defense Forces. What's the reasons behind this move? Guo Jiakun: The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and is the red line that must not be crossed. China firmly opposes Shigeru Iwasaki, the former chief of the Joint Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, taking the post of so-called "political consultant" of the Taiwan authorities. We have protested to the Japanese side more than once and took countermeasures against Iwasaki. Rather than reflect on and correct his wrongdoings, Iwasaki went down the wrong path by colluding with "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and making provocations. This amounts to a severe violation of the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, a blatant interference in China's internal affairs, and a grave infringement on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In response to his egregious moves, China, in accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, announced in the decree of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs countermeasures against Shigeru Iwasaki for his collusion with "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and provocations. CGTN: On the afternoon of December 14, a mass shooting occurred in Sydney, Australia's largest city, and caused heavy casualties. Can I have your comment on that? Guo Jiakun: Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a message of condolences to Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong over the incident. China mourns for the victims and expresses sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured. Bloomberg: The U.S. State Department has said that China's water cannoning and cutting of anchor lines in the South China Sea has endangered Filipino fishers. The State Department said that the U.S. will stand with the Philippines to confront "China's provocative actions and increasingly dangerous tactics against its neighbors." Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment? Guo Jiakun: Xianbin Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao. China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao, which include Xianbin Jiao, and their adjacent waters. On December 12, the Philippines has taken organized and orchestrated moves to send a large number of ships to make provocations and create trouble in the waters off Xianbin Jiao and intruded into the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao. The Philippines' so-called fishing ships, despite China's repeated dissuasion and warning, have deliberately anchored in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao and repeatedly conducted dangerous maneuvers including veering suddenly off course. The Philippine personnel even threatened China Coast Guard officers with knives who were carrying out rights-defending law enforcement activities. The Philippines' moves seriously infringe upon China's sovereignty and rights and interests, violate international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and sabotage maritime peace and stability. It is legitimate, lawful, professional, restrained and beyond reproach for China to do what is necessary to safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. The Philippines needs to immediately stop its infringement, provocations and vilification, stop its endless self-directed stunts at sea, and refrain from challenging China's firm resolve to safeguard our sovereignty and rights and interests. The U.S. is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in the maritime issues between parties concerned. The U.S. needs to stop making fact-distorting and provocative remarks, and stop abetting and supporting the Philippines' attempt of creating troubles in the South China Sea. AFP: I'd like to ask about Jimmy Lai who is convicted today in Hong Kong. The UK, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and some NGOs have criticized the conviction today. Does the Foreign Ministry have a response to this? Guo Jiakun: Hong Kong upholds the rule of law. The Central Government firmly supports the Hong Kong SAR in safeguarding national security and punishing crimes that endanger national security in accordance with the law. China deplores and firmly opposes certain country blatantly making false accusations against Hong Kong's judicial affairs. Judicial authorities in Hong Kong SAR fulfill their duties, safeguard the authority of the law and defend national security in accordance with the law. This is justified, legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. The relevant judicial case is purely Hong Kong's internal affair. We urge relevant country to respect China's sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and refrain from making irresponsible remarks on the trial of judicial cases in Hong Kong SAR or meddling in Hong Kong's judicial affairs and interfering in China's internal affairs in any form. Shenzhen TV: Despite recent calls made by leaders of relevant countries to leaders of Cambodia and Thailand calling for an early ceasefire, the conflict continues along the border of Cambodia and Thailand. What is China's comment? What effort has China made to promote a ceasefire between the two countries? Guo Jiakun: As neighbors and friends of both countries, China follows closely the current developments along the border of Cambodia and Thailand. We are deeply saddened by the casualties inflicted on both sides and express heartfelt sympathies. Cambodia and Thailand are and will always be neighbors. Amity and good-neighborliness are invaluable to a country. The top priority now is to stop the fighting and protect civilians. We hope the two sides will, in light of safeguarding peace and stability of the border areas and the interests of the peoples, exercise maximum restraint, take all measures conducive to realizing a ceasefire, and deescalate as soon as possible. Since the outbreak of the conflict along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, China in light of the will of the two sides has maintained close communication with both sides via multiple channels and at various levels. We have been actively going between Cambodia and Thailand to promote peace talks, and have created conditions and provided platforms for dialogue between them. China supports the two sides in having direct dialogue and consultation, supports the effort for peace made by ASEAN, especially Malaysia, and supports the effort of finding the solution acceptable to both sides under the framework of ASEAN. China is and will continue to do everything we can to promote talks for peace and play a constructive role in our own way to bring about a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand and restore peace. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Verdict in Jimmy Lai Case US Department of State Press Statement Marco Rubio, Secretary of State December 15, 2025 The guilty verdict in Mr. Lai's national security case reflects the enforcement of Beijing's laws to silence those who seek to protect freedom of speech and other fundamental rights rights that China pledged to uphold in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Mr. Lai is not alone in facing punishment for defending these rights. Reports indicate that Mr. Lai's health has severely deteriorated during more than 1,800 days in prison. We urge the authorities to bring this ordeal to an end as soon as possible and to release Mr. Lai on humanitarian grounds. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press release The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office protests the politically motivated prosecution of British national Jimmy Lai. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Published 15 December 2025 An FCDO spokesperson said: Today, on instruction from the Foreign Secretary, the Chinese Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Summoning the ambassador, a senior Foreign Office official was unequivocal in setting out that the UK is appalled by the politically motivated prosecution that has resulted in this verdict and called for Jimmy Lai to be released immediately. As a British national, Mr Lai's case remains an absolute priority for the UK Government. The summons followed the Hong Kong's court's ruling that Jimmy Lai is guilty of foreign collusion under the National Security Law and for conspiring to publish seditious materials. The UK has repeatedly called for the National Security Law to be repealed and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it. Foreign Secretary Parliamentary Statement on Jimmy Lai Oral statement to Parliament Foreign Secretary statement on Jimmy Lai delivered to Parliament on 15 December 2025. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP Published 15 December 2025 Delivered on: 15 December 2025 Thank you Madame Deputy Speaker. With permission, can I first address the horrific attack that took place yesterday at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Across the UK and across the world, people have been shocked and appalled by this vile, antisemitic terrorist attack targeting Jewish families who were celebrating on the beach on the first day of Chanukah. New South Wales Authorities have confirmed that 15 people have been killed, in addition to one of the two gunmen, and 27 people remain in hospital. It is a devastating loss of life - including a Holocaust survivor and a little girl just 10 years old. It has also now been confirmed that one of the victims of the Bondi attack was a British national, bringing this tragedy even closer to home. And we have offered support to the family following their tragic loss. I have offered my Australian counterpart, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the United Kingdom's full support in their response. And the Prime Minister and His Majesty the King have both shared their condolences. Chanukah should be a time of celebration and joy. And yet Jewish people are again confronted with vile acts of hatred simply for being Jews. With further distress for our British Jewish communities just two months after the Manchester synagogue attack on Yom Kippur. So we stand in solidarity with Australia's Jewish communities, with Jewish communities here and across the world as they continue to mark Chanukah and we stand in solidarity with the Australian people. Our thoughts are with all those affected. We must continue and increase work to root out antisemitism in all its forms, here and abroad because we will never let hatred win. With permission, Madame Deputy Speaker, I will now turn to today's verdict in the trial of Jimmy Lai. Today, Hong Kong's courts ruled that Jimmy Lai was guilty of foreign collusion under the National Security Law, which Beijing imposed on the city five years ago. They also found him guilty of conspiring to publish seditious materials. Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. He has been targeted by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. This was a politically motivated prosecution which I strongly condemn. Jimmy Lai now faces the prospect of a sentence which, for a man of 78 years, could mean the rest of his life in prison. I call again for Jimmy Lai's immediate release. On my instruction, the Foreign Office has today summoned the Chinese Ambassador to underline our position in the strongest terms. My Acting Consul General was present at court to bear witness today. And for many in this House - and for the large diaspora community living in the UK - it is heartbreaking that such a violation of a British man's rights could occur in Hong Kong. Because the Hong Kong of Jimmy Lai's childhood was a city where a twelve-year-old boy seeking opportunity could go on to build a business empire, then a media platform. It was a city of freedom. And that freedom brought great prosperity. So when the Joint Declaration was signed by the United Kingdom and China in 1984, both nations declared their commitment to that prosperity. And our countries agreed that Hong Kong's uniqueness was the foundation of its success. Its high degree of autonomy. Its executive, legislative, and independent judicial power. Its rights and freedoms, including of speech, of the press, of assembly and of association. And these were to be enshrined in law. For many years, Hong Kong was the embodiment of the commitments made in that Joint Declaration. The city, the economy, and most importantly the people thrived. And it was a remarkable, shining example to the world of what Hong Kong's people and cooperation between the UK and China could achieve. And indeed, it is partly because of our important economic as well as our political history with Hong Kong that China remains our third largest trading partner today. But in 2020, China began to break commitments in that Declaration. Hong Kong's free media spoke out and they were punished for it. In June 2020, China breached the Joint Declaration by imposing its National Security Law on the city. A law imposed on Hong Kong to silence China's critics. A law that undermined Hong Kong's autonomy and threatened the rights that China had once freely committed to upholding. And it was not long before the new law was applied. Jimmy Lai was arrested, along with other advocates of democracy, free speech and freedom of assembly. This British citizen, this businessman and journalist, this father, husband and grandfather, has endured five years of incarceration. Meanwhile, his supporters around the world have campaigned tirelessly for justice. I pay particular tribute to Jimmy's son, Sebastien Lai who has endured such pain and shown such determination and dignity in fighting for his father and for the wider rights and principles at stake. I know many Honourable colleagues have had the privilege of meeting this determined man who has endured so much to take on his father's mantle, speaking up where his father cannot. The Government has continually and repeatedly raised Jimmy Lai's case with China at every opportunity - urging the authorities to agree to his release. Yet the Hong Kong authorities continue to refuse us consular access to our citizen. For a 78-year-old man whose health is suffering. So Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned despite international calls for his release and concerns regarding his health. Imprisoned despite UK Ministers raising our concerns directly and privately with Hong Kong and Chinese officials. And imprisoned despite our repeated requests for consular access, the most recent of which was submitted on Thursday. So, once again I call for Jimmy Lai to be granted full access to independent medical professionals to assess his health and ensure he receives adequate treatment. Today's verdict is sadly not a surprise. But no state can bully and persecute the British people for exercising their basic rights. We have seen how the Hong Kong authorities have tried to use the National Security Law to target even those living on British soil for speaking up. The UK has repeatedly called for the National Security Law to be repealed and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it. And it remains imperative that the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities end the deliberate targeting of opposition voices through arrest warrants and bounties in the UK and elsewhere. The safety of the Hong Kong community in the UK is a top priority for this government. And as the Prime Minister recently said, protecting our security is non-negotiable. It is our first duty. This government is unequivocally clear that China poses a series of national security threats to the United Kingdom. And that is why we have taken further steps and tougher measures to defend our democracy by disrupting and deterring threats from China and other state actors. Including upgrading sovereign technology, removing Chinese made surveillance equipment from sensitive sites. Drawing up new legislation to tackle state threats modelled on counter terrorism powers. Rolling out new training to police forces across the country on tackling state threats and protecting individuals from transnational repression. And continuing to support the Hong Kong British National Overseas route which has welcomed over 200,000 Hong Kongers to the UK. And where the Home Office has confirmed as part of the Earned Settlement consultation, they will retain a five-year settlement route in the UK. China has not upheld its commitments to the people of Hong Kong. But we will. Jimmy Lai chose to remain in Hong Kong to speak up for what was right. He is currently paying the price. But for the sake of Jimmy Lai, for his family, but also for the people of Hong Kong, for the joint Declaration we signed, and for the rule of law, we will not relent on this. Joined by nations across the world, we call again for the immediate release of Jimmy Lai. I commend this statement to the House. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong court finds Jimmy Lai guilty of violating national security law based on hard evidence People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:30, December 16, 2025 HONG KONG, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on Monday on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The verdict was handed down by the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on the national security case of Lai and three companies linked to the now-defunct Apple Daily. The defendants include Lai, Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and Apple Daily Internet Limited, all facing charges of conspiracy to publish seditious materials and conspiracy to collude with external forces. Lai was also facing a separate charge of conspiring to collude with external forces. The trial officially commenced on Dec. 18, 2023, and has been presided over by three judges appointed under the national security law in Hong Kong. The prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence on June 11, 2024, and on July 25, the court ruled that all charges were substantiated. Lai's testimony began on Nov. 20, 2024, and ended in March 2025. Closing arguments began on Aug. 18 and were finalized on Aug. 28. The three charges against Lai are all substantiated by evidence, the Hong Kong Police Force told reporters on Monday, adding that judicial proceedings of the case involved the examination of over 2,220 exhibits. The judiciary opened over 400 seats to the public at each court hearing during the trial to ensure transparency of the proceedings, said the police. In a statement supporting the verdict, a spokesperson of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR said this is the first case in Hong Kong involving charges of colluding with external forces to endanger national security under the national security law in Hong Kong. Noting that the verdict is supported across Hong Kong, the spokesperson said that the national security law in Hong Kong has provided a guarantee for securing the steady and continued success of "one country, two systems." The verdict reaffirmed the zero-tolerance stance on acts and activities endangering national security, and served as a stern warning to all anti-China elements destabilizing Hong Kong that all national security offences will be punished under the law, according to the spokesperson. A spokesperson for the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR said Monday that the office firmly supports the judiciary of the HKSAR in delivering the verdict. Safeguarding national security is a top priority in any country, said the spokesperson. Lai's acts seriously undermined the bottom line of the "one country, two systems," seriously endangered national security, and seriously harmed Hong Kong's prosperity, stability, and the well-being of the Hong Kong people. Such serious crimes should be severely punished by law. Some western politicians and anti-China media outlets smeared the rule of law in Hong Kong under the guise of "human rights" and "freedom," beautified Lai's acts of endangering national security, and brazenly interfered in the judicial proceedings of the HKSAR, the spokesperson noted. This is political manipulation with ulterior motives and blatant trampling on the spirit of the rule of law, which fully exposed their hypocrisy and double standards, said the spokesperson. The office will work with the HKSAR to fully and accurately implement laws for safeguarding national security, punish crimes endangering national security in accordance with the law, and resolutely crack down on acts and activities of external forces interfering in the trial of national security cases and undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong. The verdict on the national security case of Lai is well-grounded and appropriate and fully demonstrates that the court has acted strictly in accordance with the law and evidence, a spokesperson of the HKSAR government said on Monday. Commenting on the case, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said that the verdict has fully reflected the justice of the law and upheld the core values of the HKSAR. He underscored that the HKSAR government has the responsibility to safeguard national security and will resolutely combat acts and activities endangering it. Anyone who attempts to endanger national security will be brought to justice, Chris Tang Ping-keung, secretary for security of the HKSAR government, told reporters in response to Monday's verdict, noting that Lai has used news reporting as a cover to engage in activities endangering national security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DCNS VISIT TO MALDIVES CLOSING CEREMONY OF EXERCISE EKATHA - 2025 India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 15 DEC 2025 8:10PM by PIB Delhi VAdm Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff(DCNS), Indian Navy, is on an official visit to Maldives from 15 to 17 Dec 25 to attend the closing ceremony of Ex Ekatha 2025. Established in 2017, Exercise Ekatha is an annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). The 8th edition of the exercise witnessed extensive professional interactions aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational synergy. The activities included technical and combat diving, boarding operations, firing drills, demolition and explosive handling, asymmetric warfare tactics, and special heli-borne operation drills. On arrival in Male, VAdm Sobti met the Chief of Defence Force, MNDF, Major General Ibrahim Hilmy. The discussions focused on addressing regional maritime security challenges, enhancing training engagements, strengthening cooperation against drug trafficking, and reviewing the progress of ongoing defence projects. Avenues to further enhance maritime information sharing between the two navies were also deliberated. DCNS also handed over a consignment of operational spares for MNDF Coast Guard Ship Huravee to Maj Gen Ibrahim Hilmy CDF, MNDF in a function held onboard INS Sharda at Male, Maldives on #15 Dec 25. The maiden visit of the DCNS to Maldives reaffirms the Indian Navy's steadfast commitment to regional partners and underscores the strong defence and maritime cooperation between India and Maldives, in line with India's vision of 'Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth for all in the Region (MAHASAGAR), and the Neighbourhood First policy. *** VM/SKS 276/25 (Release ID: 2204321) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CONCLUSION OF CNS VISIT TO BRAZIL India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 15 DEC 2025 5:00PM by PIB Delhi Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, concluded his official visit to Brazil from 09-12 Dec 2025, which was aimed at strengthening the maritime partnership between the two nations. During the visit, the CNS held high level engagements with senior Brazilian officials, including the Defence Minister, the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Brazilian Armed Forces, and the Commander of the Brazilian Navy. Discussions focused on bilateral cooperation and defence industry collaboration. A key development was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on exchanging information on maintenance of Scorpene-class submarines and other naval vessels, between the Indian Navy, the Brazilian Navy, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). The CNS visited various Brazilian Navy facilities, including the Itaguai Naval Complex and the amphibious helicopter carrier, NAM Atlantico (A140). CNS also attended the Passing Out Parade of 140 midshipmen at the Brazilian Navy's Naval Academy at Rio de Janeiro. These engagements underscore the mutual commitment to deepen maritime cooperation between India and Brazil, advancing shared security goals, and training cooperation. *** VM/SPS 275/25 (Release ID: 2204312) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister Anand announces additional sanctions against Iran Global Affairs Canada News release December 15 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions against 4 individuals under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. These individuals, all Iranian senior officials, have been involved in gross and systematic human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran), and have had a significant role in facilitating and directing repressive policies. The four individuals are: Mohsen Karimi Ahmad Kadem Seyedoshohada Mustafa Mohebbi Hassan Akharian Iran continues to crack down on protests and dissent in violation of international human rights obligations. Security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have used excessive and lethal force to suppress protests, restricting Iranians' rights to freedom of opinion and expression and peaceful assembly and association, among others. Reports from human rights organizations and United Nations experts have documented extensive violations, beatings, arbitrary arrests and torture, including for those in custody. With today's announcement, Canada has imposed 18 rounds of sanctions since October 2022 against Iranian officials and entities responsible for human rights violations. This announcement coincides with Canada's leadership, for the 23rd consecutive year, of the resolution on the human rights situation in Iran at the United Nations General Assembly. Canada will not hesitate to highlight Iran's persistent disregard for human rights of its own people and call for change. It is imperative that Iran investigate all violations in line with international law, ensure justice for victims, and make certain that its policies and practices uphold its human rights obligations. Quick facts With these latest measures, Canada has now sanctioned more than 210 Iranian individuals and 254 Iranian entities. In 2012, Canada designated Iran as a state supporter of terrorism under the State Immunity Act. This designation, in conjunction with the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, allows victims to bring civil action against Iran for losses or damages resulting from an act of terrorism linked to Iran and committed anywhere in the world. Since 2003, Canada has led the annual United Nations General Assembly resolution on the human rights situation in Iran, working with more than 40 co-sponsors to secure broad international support. This resolution remains a central element of international efforts to draw attention to Iran's human rights situation and press for improvements. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Backgrounder - Canada imposes further sanctions against Iran Global Affairs Canada Backgrounder In 2010, the Canadian government established the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations ("Iran Regulations") pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act. In October 2022, Canada amended the Iran Regulations to include gross and systematic human rights violations and has since imposed a total of 20 rounds of sanctions, including today's announcement. Today's amendments add four (4) individuals to Schedule 1 of the Iran Regulations for their participation in gross and systematic human rights violations in Iran given their roles in facilitating repressive policies and directing their implementation. These sanctions target senior officials who have held prominent positions within Iran's IRGC and/or the Iranian prison system and who have played a significant role in these violations. The four individuals are: Mohsen Karimi, Brigadier General and Commander of the Ruhollah Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ahmad Kadem Seyedoshohada, Brigadier General and Commander of the Karbala Operational Base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Mustafa Mohebbi, former Head of the State Prison Organization in Tehran Province Hassan Akharian, Head of Ward 5 and solitary confinement of the Rajaei Shahr Prison Any person in Canada or Canadian outside Canada is thereby prohibited from dealing in the property of, entering into transactions with, providing services to, transferring property to, or otherwise making goods available to the listed individuals. These measures will also render listed individuals inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Under the Iran Regulations, listed persons may apply to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to have their name removed from the Schedule of designated persons. The Minister must determine whether there are reasonable grounds to make a recommendation to the Governor in Council for removal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's top general hails major improvements in air defense systems Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 2:42 PM Iran's top military official says he is satisfied with the continuous enhancement of the Iranian air defense systems made possible by the specialized and selfless efforts of the personnel. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi made the remarks on Monday during a visit to the Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Air Defense Base. Iranian air defense forces, he said, through their dedication, sacrifice, and professionalism, have in recent months undertaken "significant and remarkable measures" to strengthen the country's air defense capabilities. "The continuous enhancement of air defense capabilities is progressing successfully as a result of round-the-clock and uninterrupted efforts of our colleagues in the air defense units." Mousavi also said that constantly improving air defense capabilities is among the Islamic Republic's priorities. He further wished success for the staff of the Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Air Defense Base, along with scientists, researchers, commanders, knowledgebased companies, and defense industries. The Air Defense forces of the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) can support the Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Air Defense Base in advancing new strategies aimed at confronting threats, he stated. Iranian air defense forces stood on the front line of protecting the Iranian sky and repelled many attacks during the illegal Israeli-US aggression in June. Several air defense personnel were martyred and injured between June 13 and 24. Throughout the terrorist aggression against Iran, Israel killed at least 1,064 people and targeted the country's civilian infrastructure. On June 22, the United States also entered the war and bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. 'Iran's Army developing deterrent technologies' Additionally, on Monday, Iran's Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami issued a message to mark the Research Week. He said the Army's efforts focus on developing deterrent technologies that send a clear message to enemies. "Every achievement of Iran extends beyond borders, inspiring hope among oppressed nations and offering a model of independence from the scientific monopoly of hegemonic powers." Meanwhile, Hatami underlined the need for boosting cooperation with scientific and knowledgebased centers and removing obstacles facing researchers at a time when the global arrogance seeks to undermine Iran's territorial integrity and independence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Detained Iranian Nobel Laureate Mohammadi Says She Was Beaten During Arrest By RFE/RL's Radio Farda December 15, 2025 Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi says she was violently beaten and arrested by security forces in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad and later accused of "cooperation with the State of Israel," the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's first comments since she was detained last week. In an account relayed by her family of a brief phone call she made after several days without contact, Mohammadi said in a post on a social media account operated by her foundation that she endured severe physical abuse during her arrest and detention. Mohammadi said she "was attacked with severe and continuous blows to the head and neck with a baton and then violently arrested." At the same time as she was beaten, she said she was threatened and told: "We will make your mother mourn for you." Mohammadi's family said she was not in good physical condition during the call and urged her lawyers to file an immediate formal complaint against the security agency responsible for her arrest. The 53-year-old, who was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for her more than two decades of fighting for women's rights in Iran, had traveled to Mashhad on December 11 to attend a memorial marking the seventh day since the death of Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights activist whose death has sparked controversy and allegations of foul play. Mashhad Prosecutor Hassan Hematifar said on December 13 that 39 people were arrested during the memorial ceremony and that all remain in custody. He said the gathering had been "organized and managed" by individuals linked to Alikordi, including his brother, Javad Alikordi, who was also arrested. Witnesses and family members have said that security forces disrupted the event, leading to clashes and violence. Taghi Rahmani, Mohammadi's husband, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that she has also been accused of "leading" the gathering and steering it toward an anti-establishment rally. He said it was troubling that authorities were taking days to formally charge her, arguing that the delay suggested they were "planning" something. Mohammadi said the beatings were so severe that she was taken twice to hospital emergency wards. She said she does not know which security body is currently detaining her. According to her account, she was accused during and after her arrest of "cooperation with the State of Israel," a charge frequently used by Iranian authorities against political activists and dissidents. Citing eyewitness accounts, the family said around 15 individuals took part in the attack on Mohammadi. Some reportedly pulled her hair, while others beat her with batons and clubs. All were said to be dressed in plain clothes. The family also said tear gas was used during the ceremony. Mohammadi has spent much of the past decade behind bars. She was serving a combined sentence of 13 years and nine months before being released on medical grounds in early December 2024. At the time of her new arrest, she was reportedly still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Since her release, Mohammadi had resumed her human rights work, meeting with civil activists across Iran and taking part in international discussions, including virtual conferences with foreign audiences. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has condemned Mohammadi's "brutal arrest" and called on Iranian authorities "to immediately clarify Mohammadi's whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions." Human rights activists Sepideh Gholian and Pouran Nazemi were also reportedly beaten during the clashes. Several other detainees, including Alieh Motalebzadeh, Pouran Nazemi, and Hasti Amiri, have since made brief phone calls to their families. Ghazal Abdollahi, the daughter of Alieh Motalebzadeh, said on X that her mother told her she had initially been held by the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps before being transferred to the Intelligence Ministry's Mashhad office. Abdollahi warned that her mother's health is at serious risk, noting that Motalebzadeh is a breast cancer survivor who has undergone surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy and requires regular medication and specialized care. She said her mother had been denied access to essential treatment while in detention. The crackdown followed the death of Alikordi, who had previously been imprisoned and in recent years represented political prisoners and families seeking justice. Alikordi died on December 5 in his office in Mashhad. Iranian authorities have said the cause of death was a heart attack, but his family and supporters have questioned the official explanation. His brother, Javad Alikordi, a lawyer currently serving a sentence under electronic monitoring, has described the death as suspicious, citing the removal of surveillance cameras from the office. Iranian authorities have released video of what they say shows Alikordi collapsing to the ground in his office. They say the grainy footage backs up their claim. Alikordi's family and supporters have questioned the veracity of the video. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/mohammadi-arrest-beating- rights-iran-nobel/33623558.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Can Play Important Role in Resolving Situation Around Iran Nuclear Program - Grossi Sputnik News 20251215 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia could play a very important role in helping to resolve the situation around Iran's nuclear program, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi told Sputnik. "A very important one. Is something I had the honor to discuss with [Russian] President Putin and with the foreign minister and with Mr. [Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom CEO Alexey] Likhachev and with people from the Ministry of Defense," Grossi said, commenting on the role that Russia could play in facilitating a resolution of the situation around Iran's nuclear program. The tensions regarding Iran's nuclear status re-emerged in 2018 when the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (also known as the JCPOA) that restricted Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions. Up to today both sides have repeatedly talked about reviving the nuclear deal; however, no real progress has been achieved. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deepening Cooperation with Germany: Israel MOD Leads Counter-Drone Seminar for German Police Chiefs Israel Ministry of Defense 15/12/2025 SIBAT, the International Defense Cooperation Directorate at the Israel Ministry of Defense, hosted a unique seminar to showcase Israel's advanced capabilities in countering drone threats - one of the most complex global security challenges today. The seminar was held as part of a conference for German police chiefs on emergency preparedness, led by the Israel Police. The seminar brought together over 40 participants, including approximately 20 police chiefs from Germany and Israel, who gained insights into Israel's unique experience in countering drone threats - a field in which Israeli defense industries have developed extensive expertise in recent years, particularly during the war. The visit took place within the framework of the Ministry's strategy to increase defense exports and in light of Germany's increased investment in domestic security. It represents a continuation of the close cooperation between Israel and Germany and the expansion of joint initiatives for knowledge exchange and addressing contemporary hybrid threats. Twelve leading Israeli companies presented innovative technological solutions for detecting, tracking, and neutralizing hostile drones, with four companies conducting live demonstrations of their systems: D-FEND, SENTRYCS, PARAZERO, and SKYLOCK. The demonstrations included practical scenarios reflecting real threats facing security forces worldwide. Participating companies: D-FEND | SENTRYCS | PARAZERO | SKYLOCK | AIROBOTICS | X-TEND | RP OPTICAL LAB | SMARTSHOOTER | MAGNA BSP | THIRDEYE SYSTEMS | IWI | MPREST NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MND: It Would Never Work for Japan to Evade the Real Issue, to Divert Attention, or to Recriminate Global Times By Ministry of Defense Published: Dec 15, 2025 03:32 PM Question: It was reported the Japanese side backtracked on what they previously said about the flight training of Chinese carrier-based aircraft, claiming that they received the Chinese side's notification beforehand, but didn't get sufficient information on the specifics, including the training duration and area, to avoid accidents. What's your comment? Jiang Bin: The facts of the incident are clear and the evidence is irrefutable. The Japanese side has no ground to defend or deny its wrongdoing. On December 6, PLANS Nangchang(101) of the naval task group led by PLANS Liaoning notified the Japanese side that the task group would conduct carrier-based aircraft flight training, with Japanese Ship JS Teruzuki(116) confirming reception of the message. Later on, PLANS Nangchang(101) again notified the Japanese side that the training was expected to start from 15:00 p.m. and last for about 6 hours, mainly to the south of the carrier, with JS Teruzuki(116) again confirming reception of the message. Against this backdrop, Japanese fighter jets still intruded into the training zone multiple times to harass the Chinese side. Therefore, the Japanese side shall bear all the responsibility on endangering flight safety. The Japanese side has once again lied to its own people and misled the international community by hyping up a regular military training of the Chinese side as a so-called security threat and portraying itself, the real provoker, as a victim. We therefore are entitled to ask the following questions: Is this an attempt by the Japanese side to divert attention from the severe consequences sparked by the erroneous remarks on Taiwan made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi? Is the Japanese side trying to use this incident to create excuses to break away from the post-war system, to loosen restrictions on its military development, and to revive the spectre of its militarist past? We strongly urge the Japanese side to squarely face up to the crux of the current difficulty in China-Japan relations, and earnestly reflect on and rectify its wrongdoings. Those despicable moves and political manipulation to evade the real issue, to divert attention, or to recriminate will never work. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address It Would Never Work for Japan to Evade Real Issue, to Divert Attention, or to Recriminate: Defense Spokesperson Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China Source China Military Online EditorLi Weichao Time2025-12-15 17:43:45 BEIJING, Dec. 15 -- "We strongly urge the Japanese side to squarely face up to the crux of the current difficulty in China-Japan relations, and earnestly reflect on and rectify its wrongdoings. Those despicable moves and political manipulation to evade the real issue, to divert attention, or to recriminate will never work", said Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a press briefing on Monday. It was reported the Japanese side backtracked on what they previously said about the flight training of Chinese carrier-based aircraft, claiming that they received the Chinese side's notification beforehand, but didn't get sufficient information on the specifics, including the training duration and area, to avoid accidents. In response to that, Senior Colonel Jiang noted that the facts of the incident are clear and the evidence is irrefutable. The Japanese side has no ground to defend or deny its wrongdoing. On December 6, PLANS Nanchang (Hull 101) of the naval task group led by Chinese PLA Navy's aircraft carrier Liaoning notified the Japanese side that the task group would conduct carrier-based aircraft flight training, with Japanese Ship JS Teruzuki (Hull 116) confirming reception of the message. Later on, PLANS Nanchang (Hull 101) again notified the Japanese side that the training was expected to start from 1500 and last for about 6 hours, mainly to the south of the carrier, with JS Teruzuki (Hull 116) again confirming reception of the message. "Against this backdrop, Japanese fighter jets still intruded into the training zone multiple times to harass the Chinese side. Therefore, the Japanese side shall bear all the responsibility on endangering flight safety," stressed the spokesperson. He further pointed out that the Japanese side has once again lied to its own people and misled the international community by hyping up a regular military training of the Chinese side as a so-called security threat and portraying itself, the real provoker, as a victim. "We therefore are entitled to ask the following questions: Is this an attempt by the Japanese side to divert attention from the severe consequences sparked by the erroneous remarks on Taiwan made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi? Is the Japanese side trying to use this incident to create excuses to break away from the post-war system, to loosen restrictions on its military development, and to revive the spectre of its militarist past?" said the spokesperson. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address On 15 December 2025, Security Forces conducted an intelligence based operation in general area Kulachi, Dera Ismail Khan District, on reported presence of khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna al Khwarij. Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan Rawalpindi - December 15, 2025 No PR-413/2025-ISPR On 15 December 2025, Security Forces conducted an intelligence based operation in general area Kulachi, Dera Ismail Khan District, on reported presence of khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna al Khwarij. During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange, seven khwarij were sent to hell. However, during fire exchange, brave son of soil Naik Yasir Khan (age: 34 years, resident of District Mardan) having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from Indian sponsored killed khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area. Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area, as the relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision "Azm-e-Istehkam" (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan Navy successfully conducted a Live Weapon Firing (LWF) of the FM-90 (N) ER Surface-to-Air Missile in the North Arabian Sea. Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan Rawalpindi - December 15, 2025 No PR-412/2025-ISPR Pakistan Navy successfully conducted a Live Weapon Firing (LWF) of the FM-90 (N) ER Surface-to-Air Missile in the North Arabian Sea. During the firepower demonstration, a Pakistan Navy ship effectively engaged highly manoeuvrable aerial targets, reaffirming the Navy's war-fighting capability and combat readiness. Commander Pakistan Fleet witnessed the live firing at sea onboard a Pakistan Navy Fleet unit. Commander Pakistan Fleet commended the officers and men involved for their high level of professionalism, dedication, and operational competence. He reiterated Pakistan Navy's unwavering resolve to ensure the seaward defence of Pakistan and to safeguard national maritime interests under all circumstances. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Winter Tiger IV, ROK-U.S. Joint Exercise on Nuclear Counterterrorism, Takes Place in Seoul Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea Date 2025-12-15 The Republic of Korea and the United States will hold Winter Tiger IV, a joint exercise on radiological and nuclear (R/N) counterterrorism from December 15 to 16 in Seoul. In this exercise, with 120 representatives from radiological and nuclear counterterrorism agencies of both countries attending, the participants will assume a scenario involving a radiological terrorist attack in Seoul, review step-by-step response capabilities and the roles of the relevant agencies, and discuss opportunities for enhanced ROK-U.S. cooperation. Since 2017, Winter Tiger has served as a key exercise built in mutual trust between the two countries, contributing not only to strengthening bilateral nuclear cooperation but also to reinforcing the ROK-U.S. alliance. It has become a strong symbol of bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear security. Representatives - (ROK side) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Korea National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), Korea National Fire Agency (KNFA), Korea Customs Service (KCS), Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), Ministry of National Defense (MND), the Military CBRN Defense Command (CBRDC), ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (ROK JCS) and ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), Terrorism Information Integration Center (TIIC), Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) and Korea Institute of Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Control (KINAC) - (U.S. side) Department of War (DOW), Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), Department of State (DOS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), National Guard Bureau, U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), U.S. Forces Korea (USFK and SOCKOR) and U.S. Embassy Seoul NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: Council sanctions 9 shadow fleet enablers European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Press release 15 December 2025 12:00 The Council today sanctioned additional five individuals and four entities responsible for supporting Russia's shadow fleet and its value chain, with a view to further curb Russia's revenue generating abilities. The listed individuals are businessmen linked - directly or indirectly - to major Russian state-owned oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. They are all involved in an economic sector providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation. Additionally, they control vessels transporting crude oil or petroleum products, originating in Russia or being exported from Russia, concealing the actual origin of the oil, while practicing irregular and high-risk shipping practices. The entities targeted today are shipping companies based in the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Russia which own or manage tankers that are subject to restrictive measures imposed by the EU or by other countries for being part of Russia's shadow fleet, and that transport crude oil or petroleum products while practicing irregular and high-risk shipping practices. Those designated are subject to an asset freeze and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them. Individuals are additionally subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU member states. Sanctions apply to over 2 600 individuals and entities targeted in response to Russia's ongoing unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU. Background In response to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has massively expanded sanctions against Russia with the aim of significantly weakening Russia's economic base, depriving it of critical technologies and markets, and significantly curtailing its ability to wage war. In its conclusions of 19 December 2024, the European Council reiterated its resolute condemnation of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, reaffirmed its continued support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and stated that efforts to further limit Russia's ability to wage war must continue, including by adopting further sanctions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Tsahkna: It Is Inconceivable to Channel Money into Russia's War Machine Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15.12.2025 | 12:26 Foreign Minister Tsahkna: It Is Inconceivable to Channel Money into Russia's War Machine "Most European Union member states have in recent years taken robust steps to free themselves from dependence on Russian energy. Estonia itself made swift decisions already in 2022, immediately after the start of Russia's full-scale aggression. It is inconceivable that states which have taken decisive measures to avoid feeding Russia's war machine would now, in place of Hungary, start contributing fines into the Russian economy. Hungary, too, could already have taken decisions to free itself from dependence on Russian energy; for example, Croatia has repeatedly offered the possibility of supplying Hungary with alternative deliveries. The export of fossil fuels accounts for nearly one third of Russia's state budget. Russia uses this money to continue its aggression in Ukraine and to prepare for a long-term confrontation with the West. The EU has, through its actions, clearly expressed its determination to cut ties with a state that disregards international norms, directly threatens the EU energy market and the vital infrastructure of its member states, and has proven itself an unreliable energy supplier. Only recently, agreement was reached on the RePowerEU package, which creates the legal basis for a complete ban on Russian gas imports by September 2027, and on liquefied natural gas already from 1 January 2027. Next year, the European Commission will also present a proposal to ban the import of Russian oil. Nor can it be overlooked that the current Hungarian government's actions have repeatedly run counter to the principles of the rule of law and to EU-wide agreed policies. Only last week, when the EU adopted a critically important decision to keep Russia's frozen assets frozen until Russia ends its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates Ukraine for the damage caused, the Hungarian government expressed strong opposition to this essential step." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Tsahkna in Brussels: Europe demonstrates resolve and readiness to act by listing shadow fleet vessels outside a sanctions package Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15.12.2025 | 18:43 Today, 15 December, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna took part in the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, where he said that the EU's plan to list shadow fleet vessels and the individuals and entities involved in their activities outside the formal sanctions package for the first time demonstrates the EU's ability to act decisively at a critical moment. "The European Union has continued work on the 20th sanctions package, but as its adoption will still take time, the plan is to list separately 41 Russian shadow fleet vessels and nine individuals and entities linked to shadow fleet operations. This is the first time the EU will list shadow fleet vessels outside a sanctions package in order to more swiftly restrict the activities of ships that generate revenue for the Russian state budget," Tsahkna said. The EU also expanded the sanctions regime targeting Russia's hybrid activities, adding 12 individuals and two entities for their involvement in Russia's ongoing hybrid operations, including foreign information manipulation and interference, as well as malicious cyberattacks against the EU and its member states. It was further decided to broaden the scope of the Belarus sanctions regime to allow sanctions to be imposed on individuals and entities involved in hybrid activities against EU member states. The decision followed recent incursions of meteorological balloons into Lithuanian airspace. "Just last week, Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 2,000 drones, missiles and guided aerial bombs, striking both civilian communities and energy infrastructure. Pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine must continue until Russia finally changes course and ends the war," Tsahkna said. "The EU's strongest lever for increasing pressure is the use of Russia's frozen central bank assets in Europe to support Ukraine. I expect the European Council this week to decide to grant Ukraine a reparations loan backed by these assets," the minister said. "Using the frozen assets is the only way to ensure that Russia pays for its destruction, and it is also the best way to pave the path towards a just and lasting peace." According to the European Commission's proposal for a reparations loan, Ukraine would be granted access to up to 210 billion, backed by Russian state assets immobilised in EU member states. To further increase pressure on Russia, the foreign minister said that the EU should impose even broader tariffs on imports of Russian and Belarusian origin, and continue advancing work on establishing a special tribunal for the crime of aggression, securing the return of deported Ukrainian children, and progressing with EU enlargement. "EU membership is the most farreaching security guarantee the Union can offer Ukraine," Tsahkna said, adding that the EU must honour its commitment and take the decision to open the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine and Moldova. At the meeting, ministers also discussed the situation in the Middle East, including Syria, as well as EU-China relations. In addition, a meeting was held with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. Foreign Minister Tsahkna also met in Brussels with European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting with Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party Vladimir Yakushev Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party Vladimir Yakushev. December 15, 2025 13:45 The Kremlin, Moscow Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party Vladimir Yakushev: Mr President, In 2025, the United Russia party has been implementing the instructions you gave us at the 22ndCongress on December 14, 2024. One of the most important tasks you set for us was to ensure that as many participants in the special military operation as possible took part in the 2025 election campaign. I would like to report that, following the results of the 2025 Single Voting Day, 890 participants in the special military operation received mandates. The election campaign was rather heated and large-scale. Legislative assemblies were elected in 25 administrative centres and 11 regions. As I have mentioned, participants in the special military operation received 890 mandates. For comparison, in 2024 this figure stood at 304, which clearly demonstrates significant growth. All the necessary work you instructed us to carry out has been completed. Several major educational programmes were organised at the Higher Party School. You also emphasised that every participant in the special military operation taking part in the election campaign must have a mentor at all levels - at the regional legislative assembly, at the administrative centre, and at the municipal level. This approach was fully implemented during the 2025 campaign. We therefore believe that the result achieved is precisely the outcome of this well-planned work. Today, our main task is to prepare for the 2026 Single Voting Day, which will include a major election campaign: the elections to the State Duma. In addition, elections will also be held for legislative assemblies of the regions and administrative centres. Consequently, there is a great deal of serious and extensive work ahead, which we began the next day after the 2025 Single Voting Day concluded. The next task you have outlined is for us to put our People's Programme in conformity with the Presidential Executive Order On National Goals and in conformity with national projects. This work has been done. We have amended 36 sections of our programme and have put all of this in conformity with those documents during this year. Moreover, the programme has acquired a separate sub-section related to participants in the special military operation and their families. It is being headed by Hero of Russia Vladimir Saibel. Therefore, we are active in this area within the framework of the effort we pursue through our party members at the State Duma and the Federation Council. The aim is to enshrine this sub-section with its 13 areas in legislation. I would like to say that, since the beginning of the special military operation, we have managed to resolve the main issues jointly with the Defence Ministry, the Russian Popular Front, and the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. Other issues will probably pop up later on, issues that will have to be finalised, but here we already have a well-established scheme. Therefore I am certain that we will carry out this work. In this context, I would like to note that when it comes to legislative initiatives aimed at supporting participants in the special military operation and their families, we vote practically unanimously. I mean that, as a rule, we have no party debates on these matters. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Since the people who come to work in the government agencies are people, who were personally involved in the fighting, I think they will keep the issue of supporting the servicemen themselves and their families under their special control. Vladimir Yakushev: We can already see it, Mr President, because the first participants in the special military operation joined local legislatures in 2023. And it is already obvious that they are actively involved in this work and are really contributing to the effort. We see and feel this today. Another important point you have outlined is how our grassroots operate. It is the grassroot organisations that work on the ground and are aware of the people's needs. And it is from them that we should get signals pointing to what is of concern for the people. Thus, 2024 was largely dedicated to strengthening our grassroot organisations and branches. However, this work continues this year too. We have already established grassroot organisations' councils in every region, as well as a federal-level council. In line with your instructions, we will continue to step up efforts in this area. Regarding the 2026 election campaign, we are actively developing a clear strategy for its execution. Work has already begun to ensure that the new initiative, tentatively titled People's Programme 2.0, accurately reflects the priorities and feedback from the local level. But before that, as you also emphasised at the Congress, we must carry out a major campaign to report on the previous programme - the one that will conclude in 2026. We also plan to carry out this work in every region of the Russian Federation, providing an honest account of our achievements and identifying the challenges we have encountered, whether for objective or subjective reasons, and drawing the appropriate conclusions. Vladimir Putin: Is the volunteer work continuing? Vladimir Yakushev: Yes, Mr President, both the volunteer work and the humanitarian mission are ongoing. As far as the humanitarian mission is concerned, since the start of the special military operation, United Russia has delivered 140,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to our historical regions and the border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions. I would like to emphasise that every regional branch of our party has participated in this effort without exception. The work continues; we will not stop and will keep on with it as long as it takes to achieve our common victory. Regarding the volunteer mission, members of the Young Guard, our party supporters, and party members themselves are continuously engaged. They work in hospitals, help the elderly, and participate in the delivery of humanitarian aid. This work will continue for as long as it is needed. In addition, there was a separate initiative on the Black Sea coast. Around a thousand volunteers, including party members and supporters, took part. During this effort, 3,300 tonnes of fuel oil were removed, and 12.5 kilometres of coastline were cleaned by party members, our supporters and Young Guard members. We are continuously engaged in this work. In terms of supporting the special military operation and our soldiers, we have been providing the necessary aid and will continue to do so. Vladimir Putin: Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation, Moscow, December 15, 2025 15 December 2025 21:17 2092-15-12-2025 Question (retranslated from Farsi): The international community is facing hard times. United States' threats to Venezuela, the war in Ukraine, the threats by the Zionist regime and its crimes in Gaza, Europe embarking in an arms race - all that makes people's lives harder. With your experience at the international arena, do you think the world is moving towards increasing chaos or a new world order is emerging for the future? Crucially, how does Russia see its role as the UN Security Council permanent member? Sergey Lavrov: You have mentioned some processes in various parts of the globe. However, I would point out the only and probably the major threat which is the actions of the European Union, or, to be more precise, of the elite that usurped power in Brussels trying to subjugate national governments and making them ignore the interests of their peoples, give up the results of elections and referenda held in the European countries, and submit to the usurping position of "collective Brussel" and its bureaucracy that is totally unelected and made up through compromises between legitimately elected national governments. Throughout history, Europe has repeatedly been a source of all evil and spawn of deepest crises, including slavery, Crusader campaigns when any resistance was weeded out with a sword, and also colonialism. And obviously, the two world wars that were launched in Europe due to delusive ambitions entertained by European leaders. Regrettably, Europe is now trying again to dictate to everyone its terms and wishes which seem to be connected with the Ukraine crisis. Europe is using it to assert itself, to throw sand in the wheels and scheme against the United States and all those who seek a just settlement. The saddest and the most hazardous thing is that the theory and practices of Nazism are being resurrected in Europe, primarily in Brussels but also in Berlin, London, Paris, not to mention the Baltic States. Blatant Nazi-like approaches, blatant ignoring of what the Nazi regime is committing in Ukraine, which is a copy of Adolf Hitler's actions and those of Napoleon before him. However, there was no Nazism under Napoleon whereas Hitler, just like Napoleon, drafted practically entire Europe and pushed it, under the Nazi banners, against the Soviet Union. At present Europe - and Biden's administration until recently - is trying to do exactly the same - to bring together all European countries, pump Ukraine with money and weapons and give it a Nazi flag. The latter was unnecessary since the regime that came to power through a state coup in 2014 grabbed the Nazi flag itself. And now Europe is waging a war with us once again with Ukrainians under a Nazi flag, using European money, instructors and all Western intelligence and reconnaissance data while Europe is pumping Ukraine with increasingly more modern weapons. This is a revival of militarism. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announces that Germany has set the goal of becoming the "major military power" in Europe. He forgot that the last time his country was the major military power in Europe, it was under the Nazi slogans and the slogans of conquering all other nations surrounding Hitler's Germany, turning Slavs and Jews either into slaves or a disposable material to be destroyed by burning in the concentration camps. Finland also used to be Hitler's closest ally including during the heinous siege of Leningrad organised by the Nazis. Finns also took an active part in it as well as a number of other countries. Therefore, when all of them, many figures in Germany and other countries, begin recalling their grandfathers and other family members who served at the SS and were active members of the Nazi party, it cannot but cause concern. I don't want to create an impression that all the world's woes are born on the European continent. It is a dangerous mix of European ambitions and a realisation that those ambitions have failed in Ukraine because Russia is standing up to its legitimate interests, those of security and the interests of the people who were declared "non-human," "species," who were banned to speak their mother tongue and had it banned altogether, as well as the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church - unthinkable - by the junta that came to power due to the 2014 coup. Whatever relations Israel may be having with Muslim countries, none of them bans religion. It is a well-known fact, whereas Ukrainian Nazis are allowed to do that. A lot has been said of late about the new US National Security Strategy. One of its major purposes is to make Europe know its place and to prevent it from imposing its liberal ways that it has been proud of and cooperated with the US democratic administrations in promoting them for decades for decades; make it mind its own business and not try to engage the United States in its fairly rogue games intended to promote the liberal way that suits its elite to the political life of all other countries. This is a direct interference in internal affairs, including prohibition of the election results as it was in Romania and later in Moldova and some other countries, where election rigging is absolutely evident. The US strategy of national security tells Europe: "Mind your own business and do not hope that the United States will constantly support your schemes. We have more important issues, primarily in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region." Clearly, the United States wants to set up its policy for opposing China that gained strength and each year demonstrates increasingly higher indicators of economic development, financial power and political clout. The United States does not want to play second fiddle. As you know, we are not against competition, however, it should be fair. When someone is trying to suppress rivals by 100- or even 500-percent tariffs, it is not the globalisation, which the United States called us to after WWII. When sanctions are imposed after overtly declaring that the reason is the political position of this or that country or this or that person, this is even more than inequality, this is a disrespect for human rights. This is diktat. When such sanctions involve a ban on the activities of major world companies, like it was the case of our private company Lukoil and Rosneft State Corporation, if we sort things out, then I cannot see in it anything but the desire to suppress competitors by dirty methods. It means that the West, including the United States, do not always has enough power to maintain its domination, and thus they have to resort to dirty, anti-democratic and anti-market methods. I would like to finish answering your question by saying that all this begins to dominate in relation to conflicts like the one in the Middle East, establishment a Palestinian state and the Iranian nuclear programme. Everything that is happening on a global scale - this competition, this confrontation of the "great powers" as they believe they should be called - is accompanied by an attempt to drive these problems somewhere to the back stage, including the oldest unsettled conflict (I mean the Palestinian issue) and the issues concerning the Iranian nuclear programme. The last year's developments around the Iranian nuclear programme, the absolutely outrageous illegitimate actions by Europeans, the attempts to put the blame on the Islamic Republic of Iran for the collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - although Iran never allowed itself to violate this document until the United States declared in 2018 that it was no longer bound by this UN Security Council's decision - reaffirms that the entire world order is being subject to most severe tests. In the case of Iran, the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 was thrown by the United States into the dustbin. And then the West, Europeans above all, started accusing Iran of its failure to adhere to the JCPOA. Still, I will stress it again, Iran's adherence to the JCPOA is so obvious that the West was forced to invent some tricky schemes. I think it was a shame of the world diplomacy when they deceptively pushed through the decision on reinstating the sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. True and honest diplomats do not behave like this. Swindlers and thieves do. Actually, Europeans have theft running in their blood, which we can see from the example of "frozen" Russian assets. By the way, Iranian assets are also partially frozen like Venezuelan assets and assets of many other countries. Such an urge to steal must be genetic in many of our Western "colleagues." Although now they started quarrelling whether it is OK to steal Russian money. Some sane voices can be heard from there, but Brussels is attempting to hush them. It is not by chance that many media outlets in Russia and abroad call President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen none other than "Fuhrer Ursula." The second outrageous example is Palestine. Not only was the UN Security Council resolution violated in this case, but also a great number of resolutions of both the Security Council and the UN General Assembly, which demand creation of a Palestinian state as a cornerstone for resolving the entire situation in the Middle East, as a condition for Arab and Muslim countries to normalise their relations with Israel. A well-known plan is the Arab Peace Initiative, which Saudi Arabia has been promoting since 2002, and which became a pan-Islamic initiative because it was approved by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and not just anywhere, but at the Tehran summit - a pan-Islamic position to give the Palestinians what they are legally entitled to and which was promised to them many times. Following that, normalisation of relations with Israel will begin. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his military cabinet have repeatedly stated that there will be no Palestinian state. We have now received Donald Trump's peace plan. Both sides, Israel and Hamas- are talking about its terms being violated. Therefore, further implementation of this peace plan is questionable. We were on the side of those who welcomed Donald Trump's initiative, as it made it possible to end a crucial humanitarian stage of this crisis, return the bodies and free the remaining hostages, prisoners of war, and imprisoned Hamas members. But it is hard for me to imagine what is coming next. I am sorry that I got so deep into the events, but you provoked me with your global touch on the issues. It is disturbing that there are no rules. In the West, they say that there should be "rules on which the world order is based," meaning that what is beneficial to them shall be called rules. Now there are not even such "rules" that the West would manipulate on a case-by-case basis (when it is necessary to recognize Kosovo, then this is the right of nations to self-determination, and when people in Crimea and other parts of Ukraine voted in a referendum after the coup, this is not self-determination, but a violation of territorial integrity). They mean that they will treat global events of great historical significance the way they want. But it is not only international law that has been undermined. I have already given examples. The Iranian nuclear program was "crushed" despite the fact that the UN Security Council adopted a decision while the UN Charter states that everyone is obliged to comply with its decisions. The same logic applies to Palestine: there are a lot of decisions, but Israel says it does not want to implement them and there will be no state. The United States, although publicly disapproving of this position, is moving in the same direction in practical terms. When Iran was attacked by Israel followed by the United States, we condemned (1, 2, 3) those actions as having absolutely nothing to do with international legality. The key is that so far no one has offered any clear evidence that Iran has violated something, neither the IAEA, nor the Israelis, nor the Americans. We are ready to support the efforts that the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently making to overcome this crisis, including in its relations with the IAEA and with the West in general. We understand your position. President of Russia Vladimir Putin has repeatedly told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his representatives that we will accept the position that the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran chooses for itself in the interests of the Iranian people. Question: Thank you so much for such a detailed comment on international issues. Given the conditions facing the international community, where do Iranian-Russian relations stand in Russia's foreign policy? Sergey Lavrov: This is one of priorities in terms of our bilateral ties. The Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran signed by presidents Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian during your leader's visit to Russia earlier this year went into force in October. The treaty determines the principles of our mutual solidarity, support in the matters of principle in the development of international relations, and some additional steps required for developing bilateral cooperation, building up economic, investment and trade relations as well as for infrastructure projects. The Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation plays the decisive role in this respect. It is headed by Iranian Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad and our Minister of Energy Sergey Tsivilyov. This is a reliable and efficient entity. It will deal with working out specific steps on implementing relevant trade, economic and investment aspects of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Speaking about the economy, relations between Iran and the EAEU open additional opportunities. In 2023, Iran signed a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and has observer status in that organisation. This is a rare case that a non-EAEU member enjoys such a status. The Free Trade Agreement offers Iran and EAEU members more opportunities to increase their trade. We and Iran have large plans regarding the development of our common geoeconomic space in the context of the trends existing in Eurasia, where integration becomes more and more active and, I would say, more and more competitive. Not only Eurasian countries in the relevant parts of our common huge continent, but also extraregional players, which are not Caspian or Central Asian states, or South Caucasus nations, and above all, our Western "friends" permanently seek to penetrate the local developments, subjugate them to their unilateral interests and dictate the countries in the relevant regions decisions which primarily suit the West. Definitely, this is a continuation of a colonial and neocolonial policy that boiled down to the West's desire to always live at the expense of others. We can see the same in the Caspian region where the West is planning and trying to split the group of the five Caspian states and impose decisions which will not get a consensus of the Caspian countries. Anyway, a Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea was signed at the latest Caspian nations' summit in 2018. The convention clearly states that all the issues concerning the use of resources in the Caspian region, environment protection and the use of security structures shall only be decided by the five coastal Caspian states. This is a paramount principle. By the way, all the countries of the Caspian states have ratified that convention. Only the Islamic Republic of Iran is the last in line. Given fast and turbulent developments in the world and around this part of Eurasia, it is important to eventually perpetuate the principle of non-Caspian states' non-interference in the region's affairs. This is why we anxiously looking forward to the convention's ratification by Teheran. Moreover, Teheran initiated holding the next summit of the Caspian states in Tehran in August 2026. Hopefully, the convention will have been fully applicable in terms of international law and in practice by that time. One of the projects implemented jointly with Iran is the International North-South Transport Corridor. It comprises three routes: Western, Eastern and Transcaspian. We are working hand in glove with our Iranian friends in all the three areas, including the expedient construction of the Astara-Rasht railway section which will provide a seamless (as we say) and uninterrupted transit from the Baltic Sea to the Persian Gulf. So, our bilateral plans are serious enough as are our plans of cooperation in the world arena. I mean in BRICS, the SCO and the EAEU that I have already mentioned. Of course, this includes the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, with which we closely interact. International platforms and sites are actively used by our countries jointly with other advocates of fair approaches to international affairs based on international law. In this respect, it is characteristic that both Iran and Russia are members of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations. Question (retranslated from Farsi): You mentioned the Iran-Russia Comprehensive Partnership Treaty and told us about some of its details. Considering the potential this document has, the economic exchanges were expected to greatly exceed what we have today. Unfortunately, the trade turnover currently is about $5 billion. In your opinion, what can be done to increase trade and promote cooperation? Sergey Lavrov: Indeed, our potential is immeasurably bigger compared to the current trade turnover. Nevertheless, I must remind you that apart from trade (goods in exchange for goods or services), we are also engaged in investment cooperation. In addition to the North-South corridor, there is also such a flagship project as the Bushehr NPP - its construction is ongoing. New blocks have been planned and some are already in operation. This adds an important dimension to our cooperation. How can we expand trade and economic ties in general? We must do everything possible to stimulate our economic operators (both yours and ours) and create good conditions for them. As for government agencies, it is important for them to fulfil their obligations in a timely manner. Because when significant debt accumulates for the Bushehr nuclear power plant for various reasons (I will not talk about the reasons now, just state it as a fact), the construction cannot move on because it needs funding. Regarding the North-South corridor, we are looking forward for the Iranian authorities to complete the purchases of land, which will allow us to move into an active phase and complete the construction of this section of the railway about 160 kilometres long. There are fundamental factors at play, but I do not see any problems because of them. I am referring to the commitment by our presidents and governments to the comprehensive development of relations, removing any artificial obstacles standing in the way for promoting these ties. But there are practical ones - when specific structures, ministries, companies and corporations must fulfil their obligations in a strict and scrupulous manner. I believe that we have very good prospects. Question (retranslated from Farsi): The Iran-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty contains provisions on military and defence cooperation. Do you think this cooperation can pave the way for a new security order in the Eurasian region and help counter external threats? Sergey Lavrov: Of course, I believe that any kind of cooperation which strengthens defence capabilities and combat readiness of the participants in the respective processes, makes a significant and important contribution to strengthening peace and creating a situation where any aggressor will be reluctant to try to pursue its aggressive plans. In this regard, there have been many initiatives in the past, including declaring the Middle East and North Africa a nuclear-weapon-free zone. We know that our Western colleagues have not been eager to support this process. There is a promising format that will help strengthen security in the region - I am referring to the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), your six Persian Gulf neighbours. We are also very hopeful that the normalisation of relations between you and these Arab monarchies, especially with Saudi Arabia, will help promote various formats for strengthening security. Russia has been calling for convening a conference to devise a security concept for the Gulf region for several decades now. This conference could bring together the Gulf countries, as well as your neighbouring states and your Arab colleagues, too. I believe that this initiative is becoming increasingly relevant, especially considering the attempts to discriminate against Iran in the context of the Iranian nuclear programme. There is an effort to deny Iran its legitimate rights. We believe that the fact that your Arab neighbours do not support attempts to increase pressure on the Islamic Republic has a lot of importance. Military technical cooperation constitutes one of the fundamental and core pillars when it comes to strengthening security and moving in this direction. Unfortunately, all security arrangements dealing with respecting specific levels in terms of weapons and arsenals tend to be adopted only once parties understand that conflicts cannot be resolved by military means. This principle underpins nuclear containment and has come to be known as mutual nuclear containment. We are open to cooperation. There is the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, and we want to work with the Islamic Republic of Iran and with other neighbouring countries, including within this organisation's framework. In fact, we have come forward many times by offering our European and American neighbours to agree on security principles for Europe many years before the West staged a government coup in Ukraine. These efforts date back to 2008, followed by the initiatives of 2009 and 2021 when we told the West that encouraging Ukraine to confront the Russian Federation and pumping it full of weapons was setting it on a dangerous path. We suggested agreeing on security principles, and presented a draft treaty for guaranteeing that NATO would not seek further expansion. But the West ignored all this in its arrogance. So here we are. Today, there are reasonable people, including in the United States and certain countries of Europe, as well as in the structures in which both our countries take part, such as the SCO - there are people who have been speaking out in favour of reviving the arms limitation and control frameworks, including transparency measures. Iran and Russia have been proactive in backing this approach. Question (retranslated from Farsi): You have pointed to the fact that the West has been treating the Iranian nuclear programme in a discriminatory manner. Russia does deserve credit for its position on this matter, and the people of Iran are grateful for this positive attitude. Today, some people in Iran believe that since certain facilities belonging to the Iranian nuclear programme suffered from bombing attacks, while the IAEA refrained from taking any serious measures in this regard, there is no reason for Iran to remain within the NPT framework and comply with the Agency's protocols. What do you think about this? Sergey Lavrov: Our respective presidents, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, had a detailed conversation on this topic. We also had contacts on other levels, including with my colleagues, Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi, as well as the Advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Larijani. There were detailed discussions on all these matters. Russia is firm in its commitment to ensuring the Islamic Republic of Iran its unconditional right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, just as any other country. As a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and considering that it has been complying with its provisions in good faith, Iran has every right to do this. When the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on settling the situation with the Iranian nuclear programme was adopted and approved, it resulted from a consensus. This was a decision by the UN Security Council. Iran undertook to ensure transparency and enable the IAEA to access its nuclear sites and programmes. This went beyond the obligations of an NPT state party. Still, Iran assumed these additional obligations. At the time the IAEA recognised this development by saying that it made a substantial contribution to strengthening trust by ensuring better transparency for Western countries considering their suspicions. This addressed all these suspicions, or so we thought. But three years after the UN Security Council approved this plan, the United States said that it will not comply with it - just like that. We were quite saddened by this turn of events. Russia tried working with the Europeans to persuade Washington to reaffirm its commitment to the plan. But the Europeans opted for shifting the burden on the Islamic Republic of Iran by engaging the snapback mechanism. It does exist within the JCPOA framework, but it was done directly, by Iran's Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State of the United States. At least, Russia and China did not participate in devising this mechanism. It is an unprecedented development in international affairs as it allows any member of the group related to Iran's nuclear programme to pretend that Iran fails to comply and submit a resolution that nobody will be able to counter. This automatically engages the snapback mechanism. When we learned in 2015 that American and Iranian negotiators found this would-be solution, we asked our Iranian friends if they were sure that it was the right solution. We were told that Iran was not going to violate anything. We shared this conviction and believed that this provision did not carry any risks. Our Iranian colleagues did not take into account the fact that Americans themselves could refuse to perform their obligations, which they did. It is not a mistake because nobody ever doubted that Iran would not violate the deal. But the trouble came out of the blue. I know that that there were numerous comments in Iran's society. These comments can still be heard, including those of them which accuse the Russian Federation of overlooking something or failing to act. These are futile attempts. I am aware that there are politicians in any country. One can hear a wide array of opinions in Iran's media space and political affairs. On a serious note, neither current nor former politicians have any reason to complain that Russia failed to support the Islamic Republic of Iran at various stages of the negotiations. And my last remark is about whether Iran should remain within the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We firmly believe that it should. This topic must not be exploited in the public opinion as a way to criticise the latest developments. I understand that IAEA released a report that was far from neutral and objective. It contained subtle ambiguities. Mr Rafael Grossi explained that it was within his mandate. Recall how enthusiastic the Europeans - the French, Germans and British - were about that report. It became the groundwork for introducing an anti-Iran resolution. Ultimately, it was the IAEA reports which served as a pretext for using the snapback mechanism. The Russian Federation, including President Vladimir Putin, discussed the current situation with our Iranian friends at various levels. We have had, and still have our own ideas. We shared with our Iranian friends our opinion on how to deal with this situation, how to restore relations with the IAEA and with Western countries and on what terms, if they are interested in this. But the final decision remains, of course, with the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Question (retranslated from Farsi): Currently, the United States, Israel and the West have teamed up to exert maximum pressure on Iran. What are Russia's approaches to counter this maximum pressure policy against Iran? Sergey Lavrov: We are working with the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have channels for communicating with the US administration. Europe does not want to communicate with us. They are all with delusions of grandeur. It is their choice. We do not have much to talk about with European leaders of this kind. But we are presenting our approaches to the Americans on how to normalise the current situation around the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are ready to provide assistance. I will not go into details. There are specific things there that both our Iranian friends and the Americans are aware of, and they are interested in having US President Donald Trump resolve this conflict. I recently spoke with our colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. He was worried that Iran had stopped treating the agreement between Iran and the IAEA as concluded in Cairo a couple of months ago as a binding document. I explained to him that this was due to the fact that the IAEA, after the Cairo agreement, released a report and the European Troika used it to cheat and manipulate through illegal, unlawful decisions to reinstate sanctions. I fully understand that in this situation the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot start dealing with the IAEA just like that as if nothing happened. When Mr Rafael Grossi insists on accessing the bombed facilities... In the beginning of this interview, you said that the Agency did not condemn the bombings despite the fact that the agency had a mandate to monitor the bombed sites - these were the sites in question. This omission was a blatant violation of all the rules and norms. This is why IAEA's actions did not exactly please anyone in Iran, to say the least, which is more than understandable. This is a question for Mr Rafael Grossi and his team since it deals with ensuring full compliance with the principle of impartiality and refraining from making any political steps in any situation by siding with one of the parties. Let me mention the Zaporozhskaya NPP where IAEA observers have been present for a year now, if not longer. Every time Ukraine bombs land within this NPP site, the IAEA observers timidly say that they do not know where these drones and shells came from. This is also wrong. We will do everything to encourage Iran's cooperation with the IAEA, but it must be honest and based on the principles which work for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Question (retranslated from Farsi): You have highlighted certain positive aspects of our bilateral relations - other countries could rely on these models and use them. However, the Western media have been trying to create an impression that Russia cannot be trusted in critical situations. This has been going on for a long time. What would be your response? Sergey Lavrov: I do not see any reason to counter these pointless claims. Can they provide any examples to convince everyone that Russia cannot be trusted? I have not heard any examples of this kind. If they are referring to what they call Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine - if this is the example, this shows the level of diplomats who make arguments of this kind. The West has been turning a blind eye to anything related to real facts. We have been raising this issue within the UN and the OSCE over and over again. I already had a dozen meetings with ambassadors who are accredited in Moscow. We share evidence-backed facts and our vision of the Ukraine crisis. The West was warned from the very beginning. Had Europe wanted to proactively contribute to the Ukraine settlement, it had a plethora of opportunities for doing this. But it ignored all of them. When the government coup was staged in 2014, Europe had a status of a guarantor in a deal between the president and the opposition. This agreement provided for holding an early election. But Europe decided not to act on its guarantees. The government coup took place. Europe decided to live with it and stuck with the US administration in a subordinate role. Then there were the Minsk agreements with Germany and France boasting that they were the mediators who brokered peace between Ukraine and Russia. The UN Security Council approved these agreements. After that, the French, the Germans and the Ukrainians who signed them in 2015 - the then President of Ukraine, Petr Poroshenko, said that all they wanted was to win time. No one wanted to fulfil these agreements. In April 2022, with the special military operation already underway, the Ukrainians were the ones who came forward with a proposal to achieve a peace settlement, and we agreed. There were signatures under this document. It was initialled. However, the Europeans, as represented by the UK, while also backed by Brussels and the rest, said that Ukraine had to fight it out. When and if you interview those who profess accusations against us, ask them about the facts. Where are the facts to confirm that Russia failed to abide by its commitments? Those who are trying to shift the blame, as the saying goes. These people are lying. We must call things as they are. Question (retranslated from Farsi): US President Donald Trump is now trying to improve relations between the United States and Russia. Some Western commentators believe that once Russia and the United States bring their relations back to normal, Russia would leave Iran to its devices. What would be your response to these allegations? Sergey Lavrov: I have already told you that they are lying. Let them cite at least one example when we betrayed another country, our old friend and ally, for the sake of improving relations with another country, no matter how big or powerful. Unfortunately, there was such a betrayal in the history of our country, but then it was called the Soviet Union. When the USSR was living its last years, it did betray other countries, including the German Democratic Republic which was given to the Federal Republic of Germany for a takeover. The German authorities, as conquerors, took all the lands of the former GDR under their control, while getting rid of all the political figures. No future was offered to them. It was a takeover, not a merger. The fact that East Germans now perceive what is happening in a completely different way is quite significant. This was a mistake and betrayal on the part of the Soviet Union, when almost half a million troops were withdrawn without any compensation, and the opportunity to maintain their presence in the eastern part of united Germany was ignored. We remember everything. The authorities of what was then West Germany made a grave mistake when after taking over of the eastern part they treated their compatriots as second-class people. If you get questions of this kind, then ask for an example of when and whom we betrayed. We were told that we had betrayed Syria. We did not betray anyone. Events have now taken place there which we consider to be an internal matter of the SAR. We have smooth, stable relationship with the new authorities. Let them give an example when, as they think, Russia abandoned someone. Question (retranslated from Farsi): You mentioned Syria. Bashar al-Assad was one of the allies of Iran and Russia. What do you think happened during his last days in power as head of state and led to the fall of his rule? At the same time, Abu Mohammed al Julani said that he had cooperated with Russia. What did he mean? Sergey Lavrov: He did not coordinate any approaches. We had a close relationship with Bashar al-Assad. We came to the aid of his government in 2015 when Damascus was already practically surrounded and could have succumbed to opposition attacks. We established our military presence there - an air force base and a naval base. We actively worked to destroy terrorist hotbeds. We cooperated with other countries within the international community, primarily with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkiye. The process was quite positive. We also remember the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue (Sochi, January 30, 2018). The agreements that we reached with the Iranians and our Turkish friends consistently failed to deliver progress. Not everything depended on Bashar al-Assad's government to make them work. I do not want to draw historical conclusions now, but many opportunities have been lost on the fundamental issue of national reconciliation and inviting all political and ethnic and religious forces to dialogue. When the situation in Syria changed a year ago, we did not have any combat units there. There were two bases, an air force base and a naval base. The speed with which the opposition, led by Ahmed al Sharaa, invaded territories came as a surprise. There was practically no resistance. We are currently in contact with the new authorities. Ahmed al Sharaa paid a visit to Russia. I have met with the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of the SAR three times. Russia's inter-agency delegations visited the Syrian Arab Republic, including to discuss the prospects of the earlier agreements on trade and economic matters. During all these contacts, we consistently emphasise the fundamental importance of preserving the unity of the Syrian state. This requires a nationwide dialogue, including Alawites, Sunnis, and the Druze people - all ethnic and religious groups. There is also a Kurdish problem. Over the past 15 years, it remained in the spotlight. Many people try to play it out for their own selfish interests. The Americans keep the territory in the northeast under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces and have been promoting separatist sentiments there in every possible way (since the last administration). This process goes on. We believe that this is another time bomb. The main thing is to start a national dialogue, which was lacking in Syria, including throughout the entire period of Bashar al-Assad's rule. Question (retranslated from Farsi): As you know, the United States and Israel are nuclear powers and they have both threatened Iran. What must Iran do, in your opinion, to contain and localise these threats? Sergey Lavrov: We condemned ungrounded actions targeting the nuclear sites of the Islamic Republic of Iran, just as we condemned the political killings of the Iranian political and military leaders when they happened. We had detailed discussions with our Iranian colleagues on these matters. I will have a meeting with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Araghchi shortly. We will continue this conversation. The Iranians know our approach. They know that we are ready to help find a way out of this crisis and bring relations with the IAEA and the United States back to normal. Some mechanisms in diplomacy are usually kept private. We also use mechanisms of this kind. Our Iranian friends know what we think about it. It is up to the authorities in Tehran to decide whether to resume dialogue with the United States (we know that Iran is interested in this), as well the IAEA - we know that Iran would like to do this. And we stand ready to support any actions which meet the interests of the people of Iran, as long as the country's leadership views them as advisable. Question (retranslated from Farsi): Europeans tend to use restoring peace and security as a pretext for overthrowing governments in various countries. You have raised this issue in the beginning of our conversation. During the 12-day war, when Israel attacked Iran, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that this was the way for Israel to do the dirty work for the Europeans. What do you think about Friedrich Merz's statement? Sergey Lavrov: I would not like to talk too much about what we think about the European Union's role in regional and international affairs. Friedrich Merz has made many blatantly racist and Nazi statements. The DNA that runs in his family is still there. This is about contempt, arrogance and I can go as far as call this an attitude of a person pretending to represent a superior race - you can find all these manifestations in the phrase that you have quoted, as well as many other statements on Germany's future. These ideas are clearly revanchist and reflect a misanthropic vision. Question (retranslated from Farsi): President of the United States Donald Trump presented his peace plan for Ukraine. What do you think about it? What are Russia's red lines regarding this initiative? Sergey Lavrov: There is an ongoing negotiating process. Our position is clear. We must address the root causes of the conflict, which consist of threats faced by the Russian Federation. They result from NATO's eastward expansion towards our borders and efforts to draw Ukraine into the alliance, while also refusing to discuss our proposals on enacting collective and reciprocal security measures. Another threat consists of cancelling everything Russian in territories which used to be inhabited by Russians for many centuries and which had a Russian culture and history but happened to become part of Ukraine. Those who came to power following the government coup in 2014 designated these people an being inhuman and proclaimed their intention to cancel the status of the Russian language. They sent fighters to attack the Supreme Council of Crimea and vowed to eradicate everything Russian. When Vladimir Zelensky became President, he advised everyone living in Ukraine but identifying themselves with the Russian culture to move to Russia. All this has been piling up for almost a decade, but when we warned everyone that these root causes would have explosive consequences, no one listened. Today, we must address these root causes. The fact that the United States understood this is a positive development. They made it clear that Ukraine cannot join NATO and that the territories where Russians have been living for centuries must become Russian, and that the Russian language, culture and the rights of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church must be restored. Europe is like a failed doctor who struggles to diagnose his patients and opts for randomly prescribing pills or mixtures to ease the symptoms, if only for a brief moment. These Europeans doctors have been unwilling to come up with a diagnosis. The United States is trying to get to the bottom of this issue. The latest contacts with the Americans did inspire some hope that they developed a deeper understanding of our position. They are beginning to understand what needs to be done to achieve a reliable and lasting resolution for this conflict instead of having yet another truce in order to once again pump Ukraine full of weapons. This is work in progress. We are waiting for the United States to share its feedback regarding their contacts with the Ukrainians. Question (retranslated from Farsi): If there is another war against Iran, will Russia stand with Iran or not? Sergey Lavrov: As I have already said, Russia and Iran signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. We will always support Iran and promote its legitimate rights. In recent months, the Islamist Republic has made it clear that it is not seeking war or new conflicts. On the contrary, it is interested in resolving all issues by respecting sovereign and legitimate rights. We fully support this position. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Commentary by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Remembrance Day of Journalists Killed in the Line of Duty 15 December 2025 10:00 2080-15-12-2025 On December 15, Russia honours the memory of journalists who lost their lives in the line of duty. This day, established in 1991 at the initiative of the Union of Journalists of Russia, pays tribute to the courage and professionalism of correspondents, reporters, photographers, and camera operators whose lives were tragically cut short while carrying out editorial assignments, whether on the line of contact in an armed conflict, while covering street unrest, at the epicentre of disasters and natural calamities, or as a result of terrorist attacks directed against them. Journalism places exceptionally high demands on those who choose to dedicate their lives to this profession which ranks among the most dangerous professions in both wartime and peacetime. The dedication, selflessness, courage, readiness to take risks and willingness to sacrifice their own lives demonstrated by the people for whom the work of the correspondent has become a true calling command admiration and deep respect. Unfortunately, the outgoing year 2025 has brought new irreparable losses. Journalists Alexander Martemyanov, Alexander Fedorchak, Andrey Panov, Anna Prokofyeva, Nikita Goldin, and Ivan Zuyev were killed in the line of duty at the hands of the Kiev regime militants. Other names will also remain forever in our hearts, including Anton Voloshin, Igor Kornelyuk, Anatoly Klyan, Andrey Stenin, Darya Dugina, Oleg Klokov, Maxim Fomin (Vladlen Tatarsky), Rostisav Zhuravlyov, Boris Maksudov, Semyon Yeremin, Valery Kozhin, Nikita Tsitsagi, Yuliya Kuznetsova, and many others. We remain convinced that Western patrons, as well as various multilateral entities and human rights institutions, must share responsibility for the murders of journalists and war correspondents with the Kiev regime, which has become accustomed to impunity and thus grown savagely murderous. By deliberately remaining silent about the bloody crimes, these entities and institutions effectively encourage Ukrainian neo-Nazis to commit even more acts of violence. Unlike the voiceless Western human rights organisations, we will not ignore this vicious and immoral practice and will demand that authorised international officials fulfil their duties conscientiously. Every single person responsible for these brutal atrocities will be identified and brought to justice. Today, representatives of domestic media risk their well-being, health, and even their lives outside areas of hostilities as well, as they increasingly become targets of unprecedented pressure from the authorities of the collective West and its ideological satellites. To gain a full understanding of the scale and variety of reprisals against Russian media professionals, we suggest that you familiarise yourselves with the regularly updated section titled "Foreign Reprisals against Russian Journalists and Media" on the ministerial website. We extend our sincere condolences and mourn together with the families and loved ones of the fallen media members who fulfilled their professional duty to the very end. May their memory be eternal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Army soldiers shoot with flamethrowers China Military Online) 16:24, December 17, 2025 A flamethrower operator assigned to a chemical defense detachment of a brigade under the Chinese PLA Army ignites the controlled fire with a flamethrower against a fire-proof wall on December 6, 2025. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Huang Weibo) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) New US National Security Strategy Designed to Show Europe Its Place - Lavrov Sputnik News 20251215 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The new US national security strategy, adopted under President Donald Trump, is intended to show Europe its place and ensure it does not try to draw the United States into its machinations to promote a liberal order, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. "One of its major purposes is to make Europe know its place and to prevent it from imposing its liberal ways that it has been proud of and cooperated with the US democratic administrations in promoting for decades; make it mind its own business and not try to engage the United States in its fairly rogue games intended to promote the liberal way that suits its elite to the political life of all other countries," Lavrov said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation. On Europe's approach to the Ukraine conflict Europe's approach to the conflict in Ukraine resembles a failed doctor who does not understand the illness but instead gives a pill to ease the symptoms for a while, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. "Europe is like a failed doctor who struggles to diagnose his patients and opts for randomly prescribing pills or mixtures to ease the symptoms, if only for a brief moment. These Europeans doctors have been unwilling to come up with a diagnosis," Lavrov said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation. 'There Are Reasonable People in US, Europe Who Support Return to Arms Control' There are still reasonable people in the United States and Europe who advocate for the restoration of the principles of arms limitation and arms control, Lavrov said. "Today, there are reasonable people, including in the United States and certain countries of Europe, as well as in the structures in which both our countries take part, such as the SCO [the Shanghai Cooperation Organization] - there are people who have been speaking out in favour of reviving the arms limitation and control frameworks, including transparency measures. Iran and Russia have been proactive in backing this approach," Lavrov said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation. Starting in 2008, Russia had proposed that its European and US neighbors agree on security principles in Europe, with repeated initiatives made in 2009 and 2021, but these proposals were ignored, the minister added. "We told the West that encouraging Ukraine to confront the Russian Federation and pumping it full of weapons was setting it on a dangerous path. We suggested agreeing on security principles, and presented a draft treaty for guaranteeing that NATO would not seek further expansion. But the West ignored all this in its arrogance. So here we are," Lavrov also said. Russia-US Contacts Give Hope Washington Is More Aware of Moscow Stance on Ukraine Russia's recent contacts with the United States give hope that Washington has become more aware of Moscow's position on the Ukrainian conflict and understands what needs to be done to resolve it reliably and sustainably, Lavrov said. "The United States is trying to get to the bottom of this issue. The latest contacts with the Americans did inspire some hope that they developed a deeper understanding of our position. They are beginning to understand what needs to be done to achieve a reliable and lasting resolution for this conflict instead of having yet another truce in order to once again pump Ukraine full of weapons. This is work in progress," Lavrov said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation. "We are waiting for the United States to share its feedback regarding their contacts with the Ukrainians," the Russian foreign minister added. Europe, by pumping Kiev with weapons, money, and intelligence, using the hands and bodies of Ukrainians, is once again at war with Russia, Lavrov said. "And now Europe is waging a war with us once again with Ukrainians under a Nazi flag, using European money, instructors, and all Western intelligence and reconnaissance data while Europe is pumping Ukraine with increasingly more modern weapons." Militarism is being revived in Germany, and when it happened last time, it was under slogans of National Socialism and conquest of other nations, Lavrov stressed. Sensible Voices on Russian Assets in Europe Being Tried to Drown Out Sensible voices in Europe speaking out about the idea of stealing Russian assets are being silenced from Brussels, Lavrov said. "Although now they started quarrelling whether it is OK to steal Russian money. Some sane voices can be heard from there, but Brussels is attempting to hush them," Lavrov said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation. Russia Ready to Assist in Normalizing Situation Around Iran Russia is ready to provide assistance to normalize the situation around Iran, and the United States is aware of this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. "We are ready to provide assistance. I will not go into details. There are specific things there that both our Iranian friends and the Americans are aware of, and they are interested in having US President Donald Trump resolve this conflict," Lavrov said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation. "We are working with the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have channels for communicating with the US administration. Europe does not want to communicate with us. They are all with delusions of grandeur. It is their choice. We do not have much to talk about with European leaders of this kind. But we are presenting our approaches to the Americans on how to normalise the current situation around the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added. Russia, Iran Discuss How Tehran Could Restore Relations With IAEA "The Russian Federation, including President Vladimir Putin, discussed the current situation with our Iranian friends at various levels. We have had, and still have our own ideas. We shared with our Iranian friends our opinion on how to deal with this situation, how to restore relations with the IAEA and with Western countries and on what terms, if they are interested in this. But the final decision remains, of course, with the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Lavrov said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation. The minister recalled the previously released IAEA report, which was "far from neutral and objective." "It contained subtle ambiguities. [IAEA Director General] Mr Rafael Grossi explained that it was within his mandate... It became the groundwork for introducing an anti-Iran resolution. Ultimately, it was the IAEA reports which served as a pretext for using the snapback mechanism," Lavrov added. Commenting on the issue of Iran and the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Lavrov said that the Iranian side should remain within the treaty. "And my last remark is about whether Iran should remain within the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We firmly believe that it should. This topic must not be exploited in the public opinion as a way to criticise the latest developments," the minister added. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Sues Euroclear to Reclaim $226B Frozen in EU Sputnik News 20251215 Russia has acted upon its promise of swift retaliatory measures against the European Union's illegal move to seize its sovereign assets. Russia's Central Bank is seeking $229.36 billion in damages from Belgian central securities depository Euroclear, the Moscow Arbitration Court told Sputnik. The statement of claim has already been submitted to the court. The EU announced it would indefinitely freeze Russian assets held in Europe, estimated at 210 billion euros ($246 billion), for an indefinite period, to facilitate the use of those funds for Ukraine's financial and military needs. The move bypasses the previous requirement for unanimous approval from all EU members. The EU's actions, constituting a serious violation of international law, would damage not only its own financial system but also its global reputation, impacting its status as a reliable trade and investment partner, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated on Saturday. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Four HTS-affiliated gunmen killed in armed attack in northwestern Syria Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 7:02 AM Four gunmen linked to Syria's ruling Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) were killed in an armed attack in the northwestern province of Idlib, amid ongoing summary executions, arbitrary killings, and other abuses, more than a year after the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad. The interior ministry of the HTS regime announced in a statement that a security patrol came under fire in the city of Ma'arat al-Nu'man, south of Idlib, on Sunday evening, killing four people and wounding another. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack. The ministry said HTS forces have launched extensive search operations in the area to track down those responsible for the assault. The development came on the same day that HTS authorities said they had launched an operation targeting sleeper cells of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the countryside of Homs province. The measure was taken following a militant attack that killed American troops near the ancient city of Palmyra. According to the public al-Ikhbariyah Syria television news channel, the operation focused on the areas of Furqlus, al-Qaryatayn and the surrounding desert regions of Homs province, where Daesh sleeper cells are believed to be active. Two US troops and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in what the HTS regime described as a "terrorist attack," while Washington said it had been carried out by a Daesh terrorist who was subsequently killed. A Syrian source told AFP news agency on Sunday that 11 gunmen were arrested and brought in for questioning after the assault. US President Donald Trump vowed "very serious retaliation" following the attack. The security situation in Syria remains fragile following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's government by militant groups, led by HTS, on December 8, 2024. Following the fall of Assad's government, the Israeli military has been conducting airstrikes targeting military installations, facilities, and arsenals previously operated by Syria's now-defunct army. Israel has faced widespread criticism for ending the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and taking advantage of the chaos in the war-torn nation to seize territory. Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a US-based war monitor, has recently revealed that the Israeli military has carried out more than 600 attacks on Syria over the past year. Despite HTS's pledges of cooperation with Tel Aviv, Israel has remained unwilling to withdraw from Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ministry of National Defense: Control Yuan Inspects the MND with Focuses on Military Readiness and the Effectiveness of Defense Policies ROC Ministry of National Defense 2025.11.24 Issuing AuthorityAdministration Office Ministry of National Defense Press Release Time: 1830 hours, November 24, 2025 The Control Yuan holds the "2025 Central Government Joint Inspection Meeting" at the Ministry of National Defense today (November 24). Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo Li-hsiung expresses his appreciation to the Control Yuan members for their long-standing attention to national defense affairs and their on-site inspections of units across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Their efforts have greatly contributed to understanding the Armed Forces' progress in force buildup, military readiness, and the implementation of defense policies, providing significant support to strengthen combat capabilities and advance national defense initiatives. This morning, Foreign and National Defense Committee Convenor Lin Wen-cheng, Judicial and Prison Administration Committee Convenor Kao Yung-cheng, along with members Lai Ting-ming, Wang Mei-yu, Yeh Yi-jin, Fan Hsun-lu, Tsai Chung-yi, Hsiao Tzu-yu, Hung Yi-chang, Lai Chen-chang, Lin Yu-jung, Tien Chiu-chin, Chi Hui-jung, Yeh Ta-hua, Shih Chin-fang, Chang Chu-fang, Wang Yu-ling, Wang Li-chen, and Lin Sheng-feng, arrived at the Bo-Ai Barracks for the meeting. The members were briefed on the current implementation of defense policies and engaged in in-depth discussions, providing valuable recommendations on related issues. Minister Koo expresses his sincere gratitude to the Control Yuan members for taking the time to visit and offer constructive advice. He emphasizes that in recent years, the PRC has intensified its gray-zone harrassment against Taiwan, resulting in heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Large-scale military exercises, along with military equipment showcase in parades, continue to pose serious challenges to regional peace and stability. In response, this year's "Han Kuang Exercise 41" translates realistic combat concepts into concrete actions presented to the public. He further notes that following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the employment of drones and the enhancement of defense resilience become key elements in building Taiwan's asymmetric defense capabilities. The ROC Armed Forces will thus continue to advance defense modernization and strengthen overall combat readiness. Convenor Lin stresses that the Control Yuan has long paid close attention to national defense matters. This joint inspection meeting, attended by many members, provides an opportunity for direct exchanges with senior Armed Forces leaders, underscoring the Control Yuan's strong focus on defense issues. Since taking office, President Lai has made national defense a top policy priority. It is hoped that today's briefings and discussions will further enhance the effectiveness of defense policies and reinforce public confidence in the ROC Armed Forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ministry of National Defense Issues Press Release Regarding "PLA Long-Range Over-the-Sea Flight Training" ROC Ministry of National Defense 2025.11.29 Issuing AuthorityAdministration Office Ministry of National Defense Press Release Time: 1050 hours, November 29, 2025 The Ministry of National Defense stated today (November 29) that, starting at 0740 hours, it successively detected 12 sorties of various PLA main and auxiliary aircraft, including J-16 fighters, H-6 bombers, and KJ-500 AEW&C, conducting activities at sea. These aircraft, crossing the median line and its extension and entering Taiwan's southern and southeastern airspace,were bound for the Western Pacific to conduct "long-range over-the-sea flight training." The ROC Armed Forces employed joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance measures to closely monitor the situation and dispatched mission aircraft, vessels, and shore-based missile systems to respond appropriately. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense Issues Press Release Regarding the wsd.hu website Dominated by PRC Hungarian Overseas Chinese Community Spreading the Matter of "Cooperation between ROC Military Intelligence Bureau and Allied Intelligence Agencies" ROC Ministry of National Defense 2025.12.03 Issuing AuthorityAdministration Office Military Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense Press Release Time: 1250 hours, December 3, 2025 In response to the matter disseminated by the "wsd.hu website," dominated by the PRC Hungarian overseas Chinese community, alleging "cooperation between ROC Military Intelligence Bureau and allied intelligence agencies," the Military Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense stated today (December 3) that the relevant content is distorted and does not correspond to the facts. The Military Intelligence Bureau emphasizes that hostile threats are rising sharply as the PRC intensifies its schemes against Taiwan. As a critical pillar of military buildup and readiness, military intelligence work faces severe challenges. Upholding the spirit of "sacrifice, dedication, and fearlessness," the Military Intelligence Bureau will conduct intelligence operations and missions meticulously to safeguard national security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KMT asks prosecutors to look into MND defense contract award ROC Central News Agency 12/15/2025 04:48 PM Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) A member of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) filed a complaint with prosecutors Monday alleging that the Ministry of National Defense (MND) had improperly awarded a NT$205.2 million (US$6.54 million) contract for ammunition primers in 2024 to a Tainan-based shoe company. In the complaint, Taoyuan City Councilor Ling Tao () of the KMT accused the MND and its personnel in charge of public procurements of acting improperly in handling a 2024 tender for 5.56 mm ammunition primers, the chemical that ignites the propellant powder in a given cartridge. Ling said the NT$205.2 million contract was awarded to Big Stone International Co., a company that mainly sells sneakers and leather shoes. The city councilor alleged, without concrete evidence other than the incongruity of a shoe company importing and selling defense materials, that the bidding process may have violated the Anti-Corruption Act and Article 131 of the Criminal Code related to bribery of public officials. He did suggest one oddity in the process -- that Big Stone International completed a change to its business registration in June 2024 to add "ammunition primers" to the items it was allowed to handle and then won a tender for the item just 41 days later, on July 17, 2024. Ling alleged that several vendors winning military tenders in recent months had undergone similar business registration changes and urged prosecutors to investigate. Company says it will sue The MND dismissed Ling's accusation, saying Big Stone delivered the contracted ammunition primers in March 2025, ahead of the scheduled delivery date, and that the goods had been accepted by the military. Big Stone said the allegations were unfounded, noting that it followed the Government Procurement Act in participating in the bidding process and was awarded the contract accordingly. The company said it has asked its lawyer to file both a civil and criminal lawsuit against Ling for alleged defamation. Ling's accusation targeting the Tainan-based company was the second time the party has questioned whether the winner of an MND tender was qualified to participate in the process. On Dec. 10, KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei () said Tainan-based Home-Max Furniture Trading Ltd. won a Dec. 2, 2024 tender to import a batch of RDX (royal demolition explosive) for around NT$590 million. Wang questioned whether a relatively small furniture trading company should have been eligible to bid for a contract involving explosive materials, let alone win it. RDX, also known as hexogen, is a powerful explosive with strong detonation characteristics and is widely used in military applications, including in C-4. Home-Max Furniture Trading Co. denied Wang's accusation, saying that it is a qualified international trading company and has 10-year exclusive agency rights to import RDX from the United States. On Monday, Defense Minister Wellington Koo () again defended the tenders and winning trading companies, saying that any qualified international trading company can submit a bid. To ensure the company can fulfill the contract, Koo said it requires winners of tenders to present an export permit and documentation identifying the original manufacturer by a set deadline. Koo previously defended trading companies participating in bids for imported military items on Dec. 11, a day after Wang raised her suspicions. (By Matt Yu, Wu Ruei-chi and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Senate passes bill to speed up defense transfers to Taiwan ROC Central News Agency 12/15/2025 02:48 PM Washington, Dec. 14 (CNA) The United States Senate has passed the PORCUPINE Act to speed up U.S. defense sales and facilitate the transfer of military equipment from U.S. allies to Taiwan. The act, which amends the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and is formally called the Providing Our Regional Companions Upgraded Protection in Nefarious Environments Act, cleared the Senate by unanimous consent on Dec. 11. It will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. If passed by the House, it would then be sent to the president for his signature before taking effect. Under the legislation, the AECA would include Taiwan among those eligible for shorter certification and congressional notification periods for arms sales, while also expediting licensing procedures for allies seeking to transfer military equipment to Taiwan. Taiwan would receive treatment comparable to that afforded to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as well as Japan, Australia, South Korea, Israel and New Zealand -- collectively referred to as "NATO Plus." The act also requires the U.S. secretary of state to determine within 90 days of the bill's final passage if an expedited decision-making process should be created to govern third party transfers of weapons to Taiwan. The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), a Washington-based nongovernmental Taiwan advocacy group, welcomed the Senate's passage of the bill. In a statement Sunday, the group said the bill "removes crtical bureaucratic hurdles to arming Taiwan, ensuring Taiwan maintains the capabilities necessary to deter invasion" by China. The bill, if passed into law, would also create a mechanism to facilitate third-party transfers of U.S.-made defense equipment from NATO and NATO Plus countries, thereby expanding the coalition able to support Taiwan, it said. (By Elaine Hou and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China-Japan situation reflects 'wolf warrior' approach: Taiwan diplomat ROC Central News Agency 12/15/2025 06:44 PM Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Taiwan's Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang () has said that Beijing's actions toward Japan in the past few weeks reflect its long-standing "wolf warrior diplomacy" intimidation approach. "China has long been accustomed to bullying-style operations, with opaque decision-making and a lack of democracy," Lee told CNA in a recent interview. The diplomat said tensions between China and Japan have continued to rise, with Beijing having adopted what he described as a combined economic, diplomatic, political and military "compound attack" strategy. Lee cited China's recent military activities in the Yellow Sea, including multiple drills and radar-locking incidents involving Japan Self-Defense Force aircraft, which he described as provocations comparable to "pulling out a gun and preparing to pull the trigger." The latest developments also underscore U.S. support for Japan, pointing to recent flights by American bombers over the Sea of Japan, he added. Those actions, Lee said, align with the United States' National Security Strategy (NSS), which calls on allies such as Japan, South Korea and Australia to significantly increase defense spending to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific. Japanese support for 'firm' stance against China Lee said prospects for a short-term thaw in tensions between China and Japan are not optimistic, citing Beijing's demand that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract remarks about a potential "Taiwan contingency" affecting Japan. On Nov. 7, Takaichi told the Japanese parliament that use of force against Taiwan by China would constitute a "survival-threatening" crisis for Japan that would warrant a military response from Tokyo. Takaichi has made it clear she will not change her position, making it difficult for bilateral tensions to improve, Lee told CNA. He pointed to Japanese public opinion polls showing Takaichi's approval rating has remained at around 70 percent, adding that about half of respondents supported her remarks, while only around 20 percent opposed them. Lee, who has served as Taiwan's top diplomat to Japan since September 2024, said that while tensions between China and Japan remain high, the likelihood of a full-scale deterioration is limited. Japan's position in global semiconductor supply chains, he said, is particularly critical, with a 50 percent market share in semiconductor materials and a 30 percent in equipment -- much of which is exported to China. "If Japan were to use this as a countermeasure, China would also suffer a major impact," Lee said, adding that Beijing is therefore unlikely to escalate pressure indefinitely. Opportunities for Taiwan-Japan relations Lee suggested Japan's rising tensions with China underscore the strategic value of Taiwan-Japan cooperation. He said the two countries' economies are highly complementary in areas such as semiconductors and drone technology, and it is an optimal time to jointly build supply chains independent of China and pursue a "next wave of economic growth." China remains Japan's largest source of imports and its second-largest export market, but the performance of Japanese companies in China has declined, he said. He cited Nissan as an example, saying the automotive company's sales in China have fallen to about half of their peak levels. The number of Japanese companies operating in China, he continued, has dropped by more than 10 percent from a peak of around 14,400 in 2012. By contrast, Lee said Taiwan adjusted its supply chains earlier, with investment in China falling from a peak of 84 percent in 2010 to 7.5 percent last year. Taiwan's gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year is about 7.4 percent, compared with Japan's roughly 1.3 percent, he said. "If Taiwan had not withdrawn quickly from the China market all those years ago, it would be impossible to have such strong economic growth today," Lee said. (By Tai Ya-chen and James Thompson) Enditem/ASG NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan deeply regrets Jimmy Lai conviction under HK national security law ROC Central News Agency 12/15/2025 06:13 PM Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Monday expressed "deep regret" over the conviction of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai () under the territory's national security law, while condemning the Hong Kong government for using the law to "politically persecute pro-democracy figures." Taiwan and the international community are "deeply saddened and disappointed" by the Hong Kong High Court's conviction of Lai, the MAC said in a news release. The MAC "strongly condemns the Hong Kong government for using the malicious national security law to curb freedom of speech and press freedom, and to politically persecute pro-democracy figures," it added. A long-time China critic, Lai is regarded by supporters as a pro-democracy activist. He founded Apple Daily in 1995 and later launched a sister publication in Taiwan in 2003. The Hong Kong paper, known for its pro-democracy stance, was forced to close in June 2021 after Hong Kong authorities froze its assets and arrested senior staff, while the Taiwan edition ended its operation in August 2022 amid organizational challenges. The MAC, Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, said Monday's ruling was "tantamount to declaring to the world" that Hong Kong's freedom, democracy, and judicial independence have been "gradually eroded." It urged Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities to immediately release Lai, and stop persecuting him and suppressing pro-democracy figures. The response came after the Hong Kong High Court's ruling earlier in the day that found Lai guilty on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL), and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials under the Crimes Ordinance, a colonial era law. The HKNSL was imposed by Beijing in June 2020 as it tightened its grip on the former British colony following large-scale pro-democracy protests in the territory from mid-2019 to early 2020. According to a summary of the case provided by the court, the prosecution alleged Lai used Apple Daily as a platform to publish "seditious articles" and to press foreign countries to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile actions against China and Hong Kong. The summary said that Lai, in his defense, denied any conspiracy, arguing that the articles cited were not seditious and saying he and Apple Daily stopped calling on foreign countries to impose sanctions or take other hostile actions after the HKNSL took effect. The reasons for the verdict were accompanied by an annex containing a chart presented by the prosecution that listed Lai's "external political connections," including Taiwan's former President Tsai Ing-wen () alongside other political figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump and former U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Lai will be sentenced at a later date, with a mitigation hearing scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026. The collusion offense carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Before Monday's verdict, Lai had been behind bars since December 2020 while awaiting the outcome of the case. His family has said the 78-year-old's health deteriorated during his detention, raising concerns over his ability to serve a lengthy sentence. (By C.C. Li) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We hope US adjust its strategic perception of China, Chinese Defense Ministry responds to US recent negative claims on Taiwan Global Times By Global Times Published: Dec 15, 2025 05:34 PM When asked to comment about media reports on the US' new National Security Strategy that claimed the US does not support any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Straits, and inclusion of multiple negative claims on Taiwan in the National Defense Authorization Act passed by the House, as well as US defense secretary's remarks at the Reagan National Defense Forum claiming to reinforce US military posture in the first island chain to deter conflict in the Taiwan Straits, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said on Monday that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of China. This is an indisputable historical and legal fact, as well as status quo of the Taiwan Straits that is not allowed to change. How to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people alone and brooks no external interference, Jiang said, noting that any attempt to "use Taiwan to contain China" is doomed to fail. The spokesperson urged the US side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three US-China joint communiques, cease sending wrong signals to the separatist forces of "Taiwan independence," and refrain from escalating tensions in the Taiwan Straits region. "We hope the US side adjust its strategic perception of China, work with China, uphold the principle of no conflict or confrontation, promote the building of a military relationship that features equality, respect, peaceful coexistence and a constructive and steady development, so as to add certainty and positive energy to the growth of bilateral relations and the peace and stability of the world," Jiang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese diplomat again urges Japan to retract erroneous remarks on Taiwan Global Times By Xinhua Published: Dec 16, 2025 07:37 AM China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong on Monday once again urged the Japanese side to retract erroneous remarks on Taiwan. Fu made this statement at an open debate of the UN Security Council on leadership for peace. Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Fu said leadership for peace begins with "cherishing peace and upholding justice." "At a time when the international community is reflecting on history and planning for the future, it is outrageous that Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has gone against the trend by claiming that the so-called survival-threatening situation for Japan is linked to Taiwan of China, and by implying and threatening that Japan would militarily intervene in the Taiwan question," he said. "This constitutes a blatant interference in China's internal affairs, openly contravenes the commitments made by Japan as a defeated state in World War II to China and the international community, directly challenges the victorious outcomes of World War II and the post-war international order, violates the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and poses serious risks to peace in Asia and globally," said Fu. The lessons of World War II are still fresh. Eighty years ago, Japanese militarists expanded armaments under the pretext of a so-called survival-threatening situation and launched external aggression in the name of self-defense, bringing profound catastrophes to China, the wider Asia and the whole world, he said. "Eighty years on, we must never allow the resurgence of militarism and fascism," said Fu. "China, once again, urges the Japanese side to retract these erroneous remarks, earnestly reflect upon and repent the wrongdoings, and refrain from continuing down the wrong path." Fu said Japan's return of Taiwan, which it had unlawfully seized, to China, constitutes an important component of the post-war international order. "Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of China. This is an ironclad fact jointly affirmed in political and legal terms," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Taiwan independence' provocations the worst malignant tumor to the island: spokesperson slams Lai's claims of 'military threat' Global Times By Global Times Published: Dec 16, 2025 01:07 AM Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te has repeatedly hyped the so-called "military threat" from the Chinese mainland, escalating cross-Straits confrontation and hostility. His so-called "plans" and "preparations" are nothing more than a disguised attempt to stoke war anxieties, serving as a pretext for his erroneous "Taiwan independence" separatist agenda that gravely risks provoking cross-Straits conflict, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin stated in response to Lai's recent claim that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will take Taiwan by 2027, and that Taiwan must prepare for the worst-case scenario while making the best possible preparations to avoid war through combat readiness. Jiang noted that Lai's efforts to seek "Taiwan independence" and engage in provocative acts constitute the worst malignant tumor harming and destabilizing the island, and that the realization of cross-Straits reunification remains the best option for Taiwan to maintain lasting peace. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPP authorities hype PLA activities around Taiwan island, exaggerating situation to stoke confrontation narrative Global Times By Chen Lifei Published: Dec 16, 2025 01:05 AM The Taiwan region's so-called "National Security Bureau" is scheduled to attend a meeting of the island's "defense committee" on Wednesday to present a special report on what it calls an analysis of "potential military conflict hotspots across the Taiwan Straits and surrounding areas." Taiwan media on Monday disclosed details of the report, which claims that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted nearly 3,600 sorties by military aircraft around the island of Taiwan this year, a record high. According to the report cited by local media on Monday, various types of PLA aircraft entered airspace around the Taiwan island more than 3,570 times as of Monday, marking a historical high. It further alleged that the PLA carried out 39 "joint sea-air combat readiness patrols", aimed at testing the island's early-warning and response mechanisms and assessing what it described as "battlefield management" in the Taiwan Straits. The report also claimed that China Coast Guard vessels entered the waters near Kinmen designated by the DPP authorities as "restricted waters" for formation patrols about four times per monthexcept in Octoberand have intermittently entered waters near Dongsha since February. It further alleged that on December 6, three mainland public service vessels sailed in waters west of the so-called "Taiwan Strait's median line." conducting law enforcement and search-and-rescue drills. The report went on to groundlessly accuse the PLA of "provoking" the US and Japan in the maritime and air domains, and cited training activities by dual aircraft carrier formations led by the Liaoning and Shandong in the western Pacific in May and June. Since the beginning of 2025, military authority and media outlets on the island have closely followed and repeatedly reported on PLA aircraft and vessel activities around Taiwan island, with coverage appearing almost every month. Local media reported that sustained PLA aircraft flights have left Taiwan island's military stretched thin. In April, a two-seat fighter jet from the island's "air force" "Tianju Unit" stationed in Penghu reportedly suffered a tire blowout and landing gear failure due to a suspected system malfunction while landing at Penghu Airport, leaving the aircraft stranded and forcing the airport's main runway to close for three hours. The same aircraft had also caused a runway closure on April 10 due to a tire blowout, the report said. Responding to hype over PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan island, Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said previously that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and that there is no such thing as a so-called "median line" in the Taiwan Straits. He stressed that it is entirely justified, reasonable and lawful for the PLA to conduct military activities in areas surrounding the island of Taiwan. Jiang noted that claims by the DPP authorities that they have the situation "fully under control" amount to self-deception. "As long as the poisonous tumor of 'Taiwan independence' remains, the PLA's actions to counter secessionist activities and promote reunification will not stop for a moment," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rapid 140 million boost for drone and counter-drone tech from newly-formed UK Defence Innovation Press release UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) will invest over 140 million in drone and counter-drone technology in its first year of operation From: Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon John Healey MP Published 15 December 2025 UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) invests over 140 million in its first year into new drone systems Rapid innovation investment supports British SMEs, Micro-SMEs and universities Advanced drone and counter-drone systems for UK Armed Forces and to counter Russian drone threat Britain's Armed Forces will be better equipped and small British defence businesses will grow rapidly as the Government boosts investment into innovative drone systems this year. UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) - launched earlier this year - will inject over 142 million rapid investment into drones and anti-drone weapons this year, its first year in operation. This includes around 30 million investment this year into counter-drone technology to protect the UK homeland and allies, in the face of increasing Russian-linked drone incursions across Europe. UKDI was launched by Defence Secretary John Healey MP in July this year to be the focal point for innovation within the Ministry of Defence, backed by a ringfenced annual budget of at least 400 million. It takes a new approach, using different ways of contracting, to enable UK companies to scale up innovative prototypes rapidly. While many of the companies involved remain anonymous, the drones investment this year includes 20 British SMEs, 11 British 'Micro-SMEs', and 2 British Academic institutions. The rapid investment delivers on the Strategic Defence Review which set out how the UK must take the lessons from the war in Ukraine - such as rapidly advancing drones and unmanned systems - to put the UK's Armed Forces at the leading edge of innovation in NATO. John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, said: After years of hollowing out and underfunding, I am determined to put Britain's Armed Forces, and British businesses, at the leading edge of defence innovation. The Strategic Defence Review was clear that we must learn the lessons of the war in Ukraine, which is why we're surging investment into drone and counter drone systems. Russia's continued bombardment of Ukrainian civilians and their grey-zone drone incursions across Europe show why this drone drive is so urgent. In a new era of threat, this rapid investment will make the UK secure at home and strong abroad, while making defence an engine for growth, ensuring the UK is the best place in the world to start and grow a defence business. Specific examples of this year's investment includes: Investment of over 25 million delivering a new Royal Navy uncrewed AI submarine 'Excalibur', which will play a key role defending against Putin's fleet as part of the transformative Atlantic Bastion programme to establish a new hybrid Navy. Excalibur was recently unveiled in Portsmouth alongside other capabilities forming part of the Atlantic Bastion programme. 20 million to support development of additional laser weapons to complement the UK's 'DragonFire' system. This follows the signing of a 300m contract to install the first DragonFire anti-drone systems onto Type 45 destroyers from 2027, five years earlier than previously planned, creating and sustaining almost 600 jobs across the country. 7.5 million for a new uncrewed helicopter, part of the Royal Navy's move towards future 'hybrid air wing' aircraft carriers, with flight trials already underway. The project will deliver one of the world's first full-sized autonomous helicopters. 12 million to support development of an air-launched collaborative Uncrewed Air Vehicle (UAV), increasing the UK's effectiveness against air-to-air threats. 5 million seedcorn investment into prototypes for Land Autonomous Collaborative Platforms - such as autonomous drones to support British Army Apache helicopters. The rapid investment into emerging British uncrewed systems businesses comes alongside further commitments to industry through the Defence Industrial Strategy that the UK aims to be the best place in the world to launch and grow a defence business. For example, Ukraine's largest drone manufacturer, Ukrspecsystems, recently announced 200 million investment to create a new drone factory and training site in East Anglia, creating up to 500 jobs and apprenticeships. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Leaders' statement on Ukraine European Council / Council of the European Union European Council Press release 15 December 2025 21:10 This statement was adopted by President Costa, President von der Leyen, Prime Minister Frederiksen, President Stubb, President Macron, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Meloni, Prime Minister Schoof, Prime Minister Stre, Prime Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Kristersson, and Prime Minister Starmer. The Leaders welcomed significant progress on President Trump's efforts to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. They also welcomed the close work between President Zelenskyy's and President Trump's teams as well as European teams over the recent days and weeks. They agreed to work together with President Trump and President Zelenskyy to get to a lasting peace which preserves Ukrainian sovereignty and European security. Leaders appreciated the strong convergence between the United States, Ukraine and Europe. Leaders agreed that ensuring the security, sovereignty, and prosperity of Ukraine was integral for wider Euro-Atlantic security. They were clear that Ukraine and its people deserved a prosperous, independent, and sovereign future, free from fear of future Russian aggression. Both the US and European leaders committed to work together to provide robust security guarantees and economic recovery support measures for Ukraine in the context of an agreement on ending the war. This would include commitments to: provide sustained and significant support to Ukraine to build its armed forces, which should remain at a peacetime level of 800,000 to be able to deter conflict and defend Ukraine's territory; a European-led 'multinational force Ukraine' made up from contributions from willing nations within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing and supported by the US. It will assist in the regeneration of Ukraine's forces, in securing Ukraine's skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine; a US led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism with international participation to provide early warning of any future attack and attribute and respond to any breaches along with a deconfliction mechanism to work on mutual deescalatory actions that can be taken to benefit all parties; a legally binding commitment, subject to national procedures, to take measures to restore peace and security in the case of a future armed attack. These measures may include armed force, intelligence and logistical assistance, economic and diplomatic actions; invest in the future prosperity of Ukraine, including making major resources available for recovery and reconstruction, mutually beneficial trade agreements, and taking into account the need for Russia to compensate Ukraine for the damage caused. In this vein, Russian sovereign assets in the European Union have been immobilised; strongly support Ukraine's accession to the European Union. The leaders expressed their support for President Zelenskyy and agreed to support whatever decisions he ultimately makes on specific Ukrainian issues. They reaffirmed that international borders must not be changed by force. Decisions on territory are for the people of Ukraine, once robust security guarantees are effectively in place. They agreed that some issues would need to be resolved in the final stages of negotiations. They underlined that they would support President Zelenskyy to consult his people if needed. They were clear that as in any deal, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and that all parties must work intensively towards a solution that could assure a lasting end to the fighting. They were also clear that any deal should protect the long-term security and unity of the Euro-Atlantic and the role of NATO in providing robust deterrence. They stated that any elements affecting the EU and NATO will be discussed among EU and NATO members respectively. It is now incumbent upon Russia to show willingness to work towards a lasting peace by agreeing to President Trump's peace plan and to demonstrate their commitment to end the fighting by agreeing to a ceasefire. Leaders agreed to continue to increase pressure on Russia to bring Moscow to negotiate in earnest. They all committed to work on rapid further progress in the coming days and weeks to jointly conclude and endorse an agreement for a lasting peace. They reaffirmed their strong support for President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine in their fight against Russia's illegal invasion and in delivering a just and lasting peace. This statement remains open for other countries to join. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by President von der Leyen following the meeting on peace for Ukraine convened by German Chancellor Merz European Commission Statement Dec 15, 2025 Berlin It was a good meeting in Berlin tonight. Because we are seeing real and concrete progress. That progress is made possible thanks to the alignment between Ukraine, Europe, and the United States. So we will continue working closely with President Zelenskyy and President Trump to achieve what we all want. A just and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine's sovereignty and strengthens its security. Our approach is clear. And we work on every step that will ultimately put an end to the bloodshed. The first step is a lasting ceasefire. The path to get there is known. Russia must feel sustained pressure to come to the negotiating table - not for show, but for results. To this end, Europe will continue to raise the cost of Russia's war. We have a new sanctions package in preparation. And we have immobilised Russian assets in the EU over the long term. Second, peace requires robust and credible security guarantees. I welcome that the United States is positively considering to provide military support to Ukraine. And so is Europe. To strengthen its armed forces, defend Ukraine's territory and deter future attacks. Finally, one of strongest long-term guarantees is also the clearest one. It's Ukraine's path into the European Union. These security guarantees must be underpinned by firm principles. We will respect the decisions Ukraine makes for itself. Decisions on territories are for Ukraine to take - and Ukraine alone. Likewise, issues affecting the EU and NATO will be discussed among the EU and NATO members. In short: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Nothing about the EU without the EU. Nothing about NATO without NATO. My third point is on economic recovery. Ukraine's needs are both immense and urgent. We are committed to the reconstruction and the future prosperity of Ukraine. Europe will remain its strongest and most reliable partner. We have proposed to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's financing needs for the next two years, around 90 billion. So the discussions this week at the European Council will be decisive. We know that we will never be able match the sacrifice of the Ukrainian people. But we will support their fight for survival for as long as it takes. For their country, their territory, and their right to live free from fear. Thirty-four years ago this month, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence from Russia. They voted yes to Ukraine being Ukraine. That choice remains unbroken. The Ukrainians defend it everyday, admirably, on the battlefield. They deserve a peace worthy of their courage. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia intercepts 130 Ukrainian drones in overnight raid; one injured in Rostov region Iran Press TV Monday, 15 December 2025 10:54 AM Russian air defense units successfully intercepted 130 fixed-wing Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions in the country and over the Caspian Sea, says Russia's Defense Ministry. According to a Monday report by Russia's Defense Ministry, a large-scale drone assault struck multiple cities, including Rostov-on-Don, Kamensk-Shakhtinsk, as well as Novoshakhtinsk, and nine districts in the Rostov region. Governor of Rostov Oblast Yury Slyusar said several residential buildings and two vehicles sustained damage during the drone strikes. One car caught fire, leaving its owner with burns to his hands. He has been provided with medical assistance, but refused to be hospitalized. In the Kamensky district, Slyusar added that the assault also damaged a power supply line, which resulted in the closure of a local water intake facility and a pumping station. The drone strikes disrupted essential infrastructure, leaving residents in Kamensk's Zavodskoy neighborhood, the Maslovka hamlet, and Pogorelovo station without access to the water supply. The Defense Ministry said 38 drones were downed over different regions in Russia and the waters of the Caspian Sea. It added that Russia's on-duty air defense systems shot down 16 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones across several regions. Russian officials have condemned Ukraine for repeatedly launching drone strikes deep into the country's territory, seeking to damage energy facilities and civilian infrastructure far from the frontlines. The acts of terrorism serve no military purpose other than to spread fear among civilians, they contend. Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine in 2022 to demilitarize its neighbor's Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The regions are largely populated by ethnic Russians and have declared themselves new republics, refusing to recognize Kiev's Western-backed government. Amid the situation, Kiev has been soliciting Western support, which it has received in the form of substantial arms supplies as well as anti-Moscow sanctions and mounting political pressure. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Says Ukraine Deal 'Closer Than Ever' Amid Reports Of 'Article 5 Like' Security Guarantees By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service December 15, 2025 Summary US and Ukraine report progress in Berlin talks to end Russia's invasion, with Washington reportedly offering NATO-style security guarantees. Territory in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region remains a key sticking point, as Kyiv resists ceding land to Russia. EU leaders are set to decide on using frozen Russian assets to fund a large loan for Ukraine's struggling economy. US and Ukrainian officials said they made substantial progress in two days of talks aimed to bring an end to Russia's invasion closer, with Washington reportedly offering Kyiv security guarantees modeled on NATO's Article 5 mutual defense pledge. While questions remained about key issues, including the fate of territory that Kyiv continues to hold in the eastern Donetsk region, US President Donald Trump said it appeared as though a deal to end Europe's largest and deadliest conflict since World War II was closer than ever. "We're trying to get it done, and I think we're closer now," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on December 15 after European, US and Ukrainian delegations held several days of talks in Berlin. "We had numerous conversations with President Putin of Russia, and I think we're closer now than we have been ever, and we'll see what we can do." Trump said he had spoken recently to Putin, but he gave no details and no timing on the conversation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the talks were tough but useful, and his chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said that "real progress" was achieved in Berlin with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, among other US delegates. "These conversations are always not easy, I'll be honest with you. But it was a productive conversation, with a lot of details, really a lot," Zelenskyy said at a German-Ukrainian Business Forum that followed the US-Ukraine meeting. At a news conference later with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy said the sides "have differences" on the matter of territory, saying that the issue is "not closed." "The territorial issue is painful. We know 100 percent what Russia wants - and it is key for me that the Americans heard me on this," Zelenskyy said. "I believe that the Americans, as mediators, will be probing various ways how to resolve issues" including territory and funding for Ukraine's reconstruction. Zelenskyy has pushed back against proposals that would require Kyiv to cede, even de facto, the portion of the Donetsk region that its forces still hold. And if Ukraine does have to pull back from the front lines in the Donbas, he suggested that Russian forces would have to do so as well. Russia has steadfastly insisted on territorial concessions giving it Ukraine's eastern regions known as Donbas. If not, it will continue to take the land by force, Putin has said. Merz was upbeat, saying that the biggest chance for a real peace process since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 has now emerged, and that the US has offered a major material contribution to security guarantees for Ukraine, a key issue. A group of seven EU countries, EU leaders, and Zelenskyy produced a six-point joint statement throwing support behind an 800,000-strong Ukrainian army, European-led multinational force, and US-led monitoring, verification, and deconfliction mechanism to enforce an eventual cease-fire. Meanwhile several news agencies quoted US officials as describing the proposed protections discussed the Berlin talks as "Article 5-like." NATO's founding treaty contains Article 5, which stipulates that an attack against one member of the group is considered an attack against them all. There were no details on how Washington would provide such security guarantees, though the officials were quoted as saying such an offer wouldn't be on the table forever. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 15 that barring Ukraine from joining NATO is a "cornerstone" of any peace deal in the Kremlin's eyes, and that Russia expects to hear from US officials following the talks in Berlin, which Moscow was not involved in. With the US pushing for a peace deal, a key issue has been the fate of the part of Donetsk region in Ukraine's east that Kyiv's forces still hold despite years of efforts by Russia to capture the Donbas, which comprises the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in its entirety. Could The EU Use Frozen Russian Assets To Help Ukraine? European Union leaders are set to decide at a summit on December 18 whether the EU can use tens of billions in frozen Russian assets to back a large loan to Ukraine, whose economy is struggling nearly four years into the all-out war. "If we do not succeed in this, then the European Union's ability to act will be severely damaged for years, if not longer, and we will show the world that we are incapable of standing together and acting at such a crucial moment in our history," Merz said. Zelenskyy said that the US is proposing creating a "free economic zone" in the part of the Donetsk region that Kyiv still controls, with Ukrainian forces withdrawing and Russian forces forbidden to enter. Trump has been seeking to broker and end to the war since he took office for a second time in January of this year, but progress has been slow and Putin has said Russia will achieve its goals by force if it cannot do so through diplomacy. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said last week that Trump is "extremely frustrated with both sides of this war." Russian forces have continued to bombard cities across Ukraine and try to press forward on the front lines in the east and south amid the latest flurry of diplomatic meetings. Ukraine main security service, the SBU, said on December 15 that Ukrainian forces struck and caused critical damage to a Russian submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, where part of Russia's fleet is based. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-ukraine-deal- security-guarantees-russia/33623937.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU Holds Talks On China's Support For Russia, Including Possible Weapons Transfers By Zoriana Stepanenko and Reid Standish December 15, 2025 BRUSSELS -- The European Union will meet for high-level talks to discuss Beijing's increasing support for Moscow and to parse evidence that China may be sending weapons to Russia to be used on the battlefield in Ukraine, three EU diplomats told RFE/RL. Foreign ministers from the bloc's 27 members will meet on December 15 for talks to discuss China's deepening ties with Russia, with an EU diplomat saying that Brussels sees "Chinese support increasing." "What we are seeing is that without China's support for Russia in this war, Russia probably would not be able to do what it's doing," an EU diplomat told RFE/RL, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive issues. A separate EU diplomat added that the meeting will focus on recent information of potential Chinese weapons deliveries to Russia that are being used in Ukraine, which, if confirmed, would mark a new level of support from Beijing beyond the steady supply of dual-use goods with civilian and military applications that have boosted the Kremlin's war effort since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Beijing Claims Neutrality In Ukraine War The official did not comment on what types of Chinese weaponry or equipment could be deployed in Ukraine. Chinese parts have been a key component of Russia's drone industry, which forms a vital part of the broader war effort in Ukraine -- from surveillance to kamikaze attacks -- and Ukrainian intelligence said in October that China was passing on satellite intelligence to Russia on targets in Ukraine. Beijing claims it is neutral in the nearly four-year war and repeatedly said that it has not provided weapons to Russia, but China has also continued to deepen its political and economic ties with Moscow, including maintaining its status as a top customer for Russian oil and a growing trade partner. But China's deepening ties to Russia have put Beijing in Europe's crosshairs, with the EU saying in July that China, including Hong Kong, is responsible for "approximately" 80 percent of the circumventions of sanctions against Russia. In addition to its signs of increasing support for Moscow, EU ministers will also focus on the bloc's economic ties with China, including Chinese export controls placed on strategic rare earth minerals, security issues in in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, and ongoing geo-economic tensions over the Dutch-based but Chinese-owned chipmaker, Nexperia. The French and German foreign ministers will also debrief other EU ministers on the recent visits to Beijing this month, where both delegations raised the issue of China's close ties to Russia. In July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas that Beijing couldn't accept Russia's defeat in the war as it would free up Washington to focus on China. The comments were first reported by the South China Morning Post and later confirmed by RFE/RL. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/china-russia- ukraine-war-eu/33623752.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Pushes On War Reparations With New Claims Commission By Rikard Jozwiak December 15, 2025 Ukraine will on December 16 move a little closer toward getting compensation for the damage caused by Russia since its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Senior politicians, likely including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will go to the Hague to adopt a new convention that will set up an International Claims Commission for Ukraine. In a sense, this is the second out of three steps that Kyiv needs to take in order to get compensation sometime in the future. The first such step was taken in 2023 when the Council of Europe set up a Register of Damage for Ukraine (RD4U), which records compensation claims for damage, loss, or injury caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine. This register is already up and running and, so far, has received well over 60,000 claims from countries, organizations and individuals. The third and final step would be to set up a compensation fund. Such a fund would likely be administered by the Council of Europe or one of its member states and contain money, most likely from frozen Russian assets, to be channeled to Kyiv. European officials have told RFE/RL that the register and claims commission will certainly play a part in future Russian reparations in one way or another and will likely will be a part of any peace deal between the two warring countries. What Will The International Claims Commission Actually Do? While the register has so far collected, recorded claims, and gathered evidence for compensation, the future commission will go further by determining the type and amount of compensation due, if any. They will be looking at events from the outbreak of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. The claims apply to the entirety of Ukraine's internationally recognized borders, including land that Russia has held since the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent outbreak of fighting in the Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It also includes Ukraine's airspace, inland waterways, and territorial seas, as well as aircrafts and vessels under the jurisdiction of Kyiv. Once up and running, three panels will be created to assess all the claims, and member countries are expected to send their national experts in areas such as international law, dispute resolution, insurance, and damage assessment. The convention on setting up the claims commission will enter into force once the 25 participating states have ratified it. That is something that should happen relatively quickly given that the register was backed by 41 countries, including all EU member states bar Hungary. Diplomats have told RFE/RL that a similar number of states are expected to ratify. The Netherlands has been the driving force on compensation for Ukraine, playing a key role on drafting the convention and getting it approved by various Council of Europe bodies in the last year. And while both the register and commission have a strong European character and are set up within the institutional framework of the Council of Europe, the initiative is open to countries around the world. In fact, it was a resolution dealing with future reparations to Ukraine passed in the United Nations General Assembly back in 2022 that got the ball rolling. Curiously, Russia is also free to join both as a fully-fledged member and as an "observer" even though European officials that RFE/RL has spoken to see this as highly unlikely. If Moscow was to become a member in the future, it would have to foot the bill for the entire commission, which now is likely to be carried out by in-kind contributions from participating states. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine- reparations-russia-war/33623571.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Ukraine Report Progress Toward Ending Russia's War, Donbas Still A Sticking Point By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service December 15, 2025 US and Ukrainian officials said they made substantial progress in two days of talks aimed to bring an end to Russia's invasion closer, but questions remained about key issues including the fate of territory that Kyiv continues to hold in the eastern Donetsk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on December 15 that the talks were tough but useful, and his chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said that "real progress" was achieved in Berlin with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, among other US delegates. "These conversations are always not easy, I'll be honest with you. But it was a productive conversation, with a lot of details, really a lot," Zelenskyy said at a German-Ukrainian Business Forum that followed the US-Ukraine meeting. At a news conference later with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy said the sides "have differences" on the matter of territory, saying that the issue is "not closed." He said that Ukrainian negotiators would continue talks with the US delegation, and a US official said Trump would call in to a joint dinner. "The territorial issue is painful. We know 100 percent what Russia wants - and it is key for me that the Americans heard me on this," Zelenskyy said. "I believe that the Americans, as mediators, will be probing various ways how to resolve issues" including territory and funding for Ukraine's reconstruction. The Americans "are working extremely constructively to help Ukraine find a way to a peace agreement that lasts," Umerov wrote on X. "We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day," he wrote, but it was not clear whether he meant that literally. The Reuters news agency cited unnamed US officials as telling reporters that there was consensus on a number of matters and that 90 percent of the issues between Russia and Ukraine have been resolved, but that there was more to discuss. Officials said Trump was happy with where things stand. Merz was upbeat, saying that the biggest chance for a real peace process since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 has now emerged, and that the US has offered a major material contribution to security guarantees for Ukraine, a key issue. With the US pushing for a peace deal, a key issue has been the fate of the part of Donetsk region in Ukraine's east that Kyiv's forces still hold despite years of efforts by Russia to capture the Donbas, which comprises the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in its entirety. Merz told reporters that only Ukraine can decide on territorial concessions, and a US official was cited as making a similar remark. On another crucial matter, a US official told reporters the US is offering Kyiv strong "really, really strong" security guarantees in line with NATO's Article Five -- which calls an attack on one ally an attack on all -- and expressed confidence that Russia would accept the proposed measures. "Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now if there's a conclusion that's reached in a good way," the official said. 20-Point Plan The meeting on December 15 followed five hours of US-Ukraine talks a day earlier. After those talks, Witkoff said on X that "[a] lot of progress was made in "in-depth discussions regarding the 20-point plan for peace, economic agendas, and more." He did not provide details. The 20-point plan emerged after Ukraine and its European backers scrambled to make counterproposals after the United States came out with a 28-point plan that echoed some of Moscow's positions and was widely seen as favorable to Russia. "In my view, the most important thing is that the plan be as fair as possible -- first and foremost for Ukraine, because it was Russia that started this war," Zelenskyy said in a WhatsApp chat with reporters before the talks on December 14. "And above all, it must be workable." Could The EU Use Frozen Russian Assets To Help Ukraine? Meanwhile, European Union leaders are set to decide at a summit on December 18 whether the EU can use tens of billions in frozen Russian assets to back a large loan to Ukraine, whose economy is struggling nearly four years into the all-out war. "If we do not succeed in this, then the European Union's ability to act will be severely damaged for years, if not longer, and we will show the world that we are incapable of standing together and acting at such a crucial moment in our history," Merz said. Another barrier to peace is the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the invasion in an effort to subjugate Ukraine, has given few indications he is prepared to make meaningful concessions. Zelenskyy said on December 14 that Ukraine is ready to drop its desire to join NATO, at least for now, but that ironclad Western security guarantees are needed to ensure Russia does not attack again at some point after a peace deal is reached. "From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO -- these are real security guarantees," Zelenskyy said in response to a reporter's question in a WhatsApp chat. "Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction," he said. "Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, Article 5-like guarantees for us from the US, and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries -- Canada, Japan -- are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion," he wrote. That is "already a compromise from our part," he said, adding that any such guarantees should be legally binding. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 15 that a bar against Ukraine joining NATO is a "cornerstone" of any peace deal in the Kremlin's eyes, and that Russia expects to hear from US officials following the talks in Berlin, which Moscow was not involved in. In the chat before the talks on December 14, Zelenskyy pushed back against proposals that would require Kyiv to cede, even de facto, the portion of the Donetsk region that its forces still hold. And if Ukraine does have to pull back from the front lines in the Donbas, he suggested that Russian forces would have to do so as well. Zelenskyy said that the US is proposing creating a "free economic zone" in the part of the Donetsk region that Kyiv still controls, with Ukrainian forces withdrawing and Russian forces forbidden to enter. Putin adviser Yury Ushakov, however, repeated the Kremlin's baseless claim that Donetsk and Luhansk are Russian territory and said Moscow would deploy National Guard troops and police in any demilitarized zone there. Zelenskyy said last week that any potential territorial concession should be put to a vote by the Ukrainian populace. And on December 14, he said that if "Ukrainian forces withdraw 5-10 kilometers, for example, why would Russian forces not also withdraw the same distance deeper into the occupied territories?" "So this is a question that remains unanswered for now. But it is extremely sensitive and very heated," he said. Trump has been seeking to broker and end to the war since he took office for a second time in January of this year, but progress has been slow and Putin has said Russia will achieve its goals by force if it cannot do so through diplomacy. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said last week that Trump is "extremely frustrated with both sides of this war." Russian forces have continued to bombard cities across Ukraine and try to press forward on the front lines in the east and south amid the latest flurry of diplomatic meetings. Ukraine main security service, the SBU, said on December 15 that Ukrainian forces struck and caused critical damage to a Russian submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, where part of Russia's fleet is based. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine- reparations-russia-war/33623571.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU, US Agree to Provide Ukraine With Guarantees Similar to NATO's Article 5 - Merz Sputnik News 20251215 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union and the United States have agreed to provide security guarantees for Ukraine similar to NATO's Article 5, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday. "This is a truly far-reaching, substantive agreement, the likes of which we have never had before: both Europeans and Americans are jointly prepared to provide Ukraine with security guarantees. President [Volodymyr] Zelensky referred to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, meaning we are talking about similar security guarantees for Ukraine," Merz said at a joint press conference with Zelenskyy. The US "has politically, and potentially also legally, assumed the corresponding obligations," Merz added. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guarantees of Ukraine's Non-Alignment With NATO One of Cornerstone Issues - Kremlin Sputnik News 20251215 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The issue of guarantees of Ukraine's non-alignment with NATO is one of cornerstone elements, it is subject to special discussion, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. On Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his readiness to refuse to join NATO if he receives security guarantees from individual countries, including the United States. "Naturally, this issue is one of the most important and, of course, it is subject to special discussion compared to the others," Peskov told reporters. Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to peace and serious decisions on Ukraine and is not open to tricks to create temporary respites, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said. Last week, Financial Times reported, citing sources, that US President Donald Trump hopes to reach an agreement on a settlement in Ukraine by Christmas. "We can only speak for the Russian side, for president Putin. He is open to peace, to serious peace, to serious decisions. And he is absolutely not open to any tricks aimed at stalling for time and creating artificial respites," Peskov told reporters. Russia does not want to conduct "megaphone negotiations" on the Ukrainian settlement, the official added. US President Donald Trump and his administration are sincerely working on a settlement in Ukraine, and Russia highly appreciates this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Trump is sincerely working on a settlement, and he wants a Ukrainian settlement, he wants a settlement of this conflict. And he makes efforts, and his whole team makes efforts. We highly appreciate these efforts," Peskov told reporters. Russia expects Washington to present it with vision for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine after discussions with Europeans and Ukrainians, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said. On Sunday, Berlin hosted negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement, involving US special envoy Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting lasted five hours. Witkoff later reported progress on a 20-point settlement plan. "Work is currently underway; as far as we understand, it continues today. It is being conducted between US negotiators, Europeans, and Ukrainians. Once they complete their part of the work, we will expect that we will receive from our American interlocutors the vision that is being discussed today in Berlin," Peskov told reporters, when asked about the Berlin talks. At the same time, Washington is not discussing with Russia in real time the settlement proposals that are being discussed with Ukraine, the spokesman added. "I will not presume to talk about any timeframes; I think that would be the most thankless task right now," Peskov also said. when asked whether there was a chance to reach an agreed position on Ukraine by December 25, as Trump wants. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Take Control of Peschanoye Settlement in Dnepropetrovsk Region Sputnik News 20251215 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Vostok battlegroup took control of the settlement of Peschanoye in the Dnepropetrovsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. "As a result of decisive action, units of the Vostok group of forces liberated the village of Peschanoye in the Dnepropetrovsk region," the ministry said in a statement. Russia's Tsentr battlegroup has eliminated more than 490 Ukrainian military personnel over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry added has eliminated more than 490 Ukrainian military personnel over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry added Ukraine has also lost over 240 soldiers in battles with Russia's Vostok battlegroup , over 270 soldiers in battles with the Sever battlegroup and over 220 soldiers in battles with the Zapad battlegroup , over 270 soldiers in battles with the and over 220 soldiers in battles with the Additionally, the Russian armed forces attacked transport infrastructure facilities involved in the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held phone talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina Pablo Quirno Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 15 December 2025 19:07 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "I had a call with Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno to thank Argentina for its support and discuss further development of our relations. We focused on the potential of our bilateral cooperation and the exchange of visits at the highest level. I informed my colleague about the battlefield situation, Russia's strikes against our energy system, and latest developments in peace efforts. We value our partnership and Argentina's important voice in support of Ukraine and a lasting peace." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held a meeting with German Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 15 December 2025 14:27 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "n Berlin, as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Germany, I had a meaningful meeting with my German counterpart and true friend Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul. I thanked Germany for its consistent support for Ukraine's security and resilience, its substantial financial and recovery assistance, including long-term commitments, and efforts to enable the full use of frozen Russian assets. We appreciate Germany's leading role in promoting Ukrainian and European agenda in the peace process, as well as its continuous support for Ukraine's membership in the EU. We coordinated our further joint steps to strengthen Ukraine's defense, achieve a just and lasting peace, and advance our EU accession. I informed my German colleague on the latest developments in the peace efforts, including the initial results of consultations between the Ukrainian and American negotiating teams in Berlin. Together with Germany, we will continue to protect our people and reinforce the security of the entire European continent." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address It Is Very Important That Our Counterparts from the United States Heard All the Details Regarding the War - President President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 22:36 The Ukrainian and American sides worked very well together during the meetings in Berlin. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during a press conference. On December 14-15, Berlin hosted meetings between the Head of State and envoys of the President of the United States, Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as meetings at the level of the Ukrainian and American teams. "It is very important that our counterparts from the United States of America heard all the details regarding the war. If these meetings had taken place earlier, the progress would have been even greater. But I am grateful that we truly worked very well together. There are some things that, in my view, are destructive and would definitely not help us. It is important that they are no longer present in the new versions of the documents. This matters," the President emphasized. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that Ukraine and Russia have different positions regarding territories, and that this must be acknowledged and discussed openly. In the President's view, the American side, acting as a mediator, will propose various steps to find at least some form of consensus. "We will do everything possible to find clear answers to questions about security guarantees, territories, and money as compensation for Ukraine to rebuild. It is necessary to understand the source of this funding," the President stressed. In addition, security guarantees were discussed during the meetings. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both the military and the civilian population must have a clear understanding of what these guarantees will be. "We are working on putting all of this on paper right now, and there is progress. The details developed by the military look quite solid, even though this is only the first draft," the Head of State said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Partners Listen to Ukraine and Are Ready to Seek Solutions That Can Make Peace Dignified and Security Guaranteed President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 21:48 The Ukrainian side is ready to continue working with maximum quality, constructively and honestly, so that the final agreement on establishing peace is strong. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in Berlin during a joint press conference with Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz. The Head of State thanked Germany for the opportunity to reinvigorate efforts toward peace and expressed hope that the negotiations taking place these days would bring it closer. "We feel that our partners listen to Ukraine, are ready to help, and are prepared to seek solutions that can make peace dignified and security guaranteed. I want to emphasize this once again - and I emphasized it during the negotiations as well: security guarantees must work and must be clear first and foremost to the people of Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The President spoke about negotiations with the U.S. delegation, which are taking place in Berlin on December 14-15. The Head of State emphasized that the Ukrainian delegation is working almost around the clock to achieve results. "Of course, not all issues are simple; there are difficult things, particularly regarding territories. But everyone is ready to work productively to find solutions that respect Ukraine and bring the end of the war closer. Ukraine is ready to continue working with maximum quality, constructively and honestly, so that the final agreement is strong," the President stressed. Friedrich Merz noted that after so many years of war, a ceasefire is needed - one that preserves Ukraine's sovereignty, is backed by material and security guarantees from the United States and Europe, maintains the unity and strength of the European Union and NATO, and safeguards Ukraine's European prospects. "The key question remains how territorial issues can be resolved. Only the Ukrainian people and the President of Ukraine, who have been defending their land for nearly four years, can provide the answer," the Chancellor emphasized. Friedrich Merz also noted that pressure on Russia will continue and that work is ongoing to use frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. "The European solution that is now on the table can truly help - not only with protection here and now from Russian strikes and Russian aggression, but also in the long term. It sends the right signal to Russia that the war must be brought to an end, because the one who starts a war must bear the greatest losses," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by the President of Ukraine During a Joint Press Conference with the Federal Chancellor of Germany President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 21:08 Thank you, Mr. Chancellor! Dear attendees! Dear journalists! I would like to thank Germany for this opportunity to reinvigorate our work toward peace. These are truly important days that can determine a lot and, I hope, help bring peace closer - even though this is very difficult. Germany, and the Chancellor personally, are providing us with very serious, professional, and strong support - support for Ukraine, for our people, for our right to independence and to a normal European way of life. This is exactly what we have to fight for now. Please reflect on this: Ukrainians are forced, with weapons in their hands, here and now, in the 21st century, to defend their right to live independently, to live in Europe, with a European way of life - a way of life in which people are truly respected. And we are fighting, including through negotiations, to ensure that Ukraine's interests are respected - Ukraine's ordinary and fair interests. And we feel that our partners listen to Ukraine, are ready to help, and are prepared to seek solutions that can make peace dignified and security guaranteed. I want to emphasize this once again - and I emphasized it during the negotiations as well: security guarantees must work and must be clear first and foremost to the people of Ukraine. I thank Germany once again for supporting us in this. For the past two days, on the margins of my visit to Berlin, meetings have taken place with the American team - with envoys of the President of the United States of America. Yesterday, our meeting lasted more than five hours; today, there have already been several rounds of negotiations, and they are ongoing. There was a substantive discussion during the day, and our representatives will continue the dialogue with their American counterparts. The Ukrainian delegation is working almost around the clock to achieve a result - a result that will respect the people of Ukraine. Of course, not all issues are simple; there are difficult things, particularly regarding territories. Naturally, everyone raises this issue, and it is important that we all work toward ensuring that these matters are absolutely fair. There has been sufficient dialogue on territorial issues, and it seems to me that for now we have different positions - I will be frank about that - but I believe that our counterparts heard my personal position. I am very glad that I was able to convey this position personally. But everyone is ready to work productively to find solutions that respect Ukraine and bring the end of the war closer. Ukraine is ready to continue working with maximum quality, constructively and honestly, so that the final agreement is strong. There will be further meetings today; we are also coordinating in detail with the Chancellor, with Friedrich - thank you, Friedrich - and with our other European leaders. We greatly value the bilateral agenda in our relations with Germany as well. We have just been together with the Chancellor at an economic forum - the Ukrainian-German business forum. Cooperation between our companies, as well as our joint projects - those of Ukraine and Germany - is what truly helps us: both us in Ukraine and you in Germany. Our technologies and our expertise are what can strengthen all of Europe, and it is important that European industry and Europe's overall potential continue to grow. We will also resume the intergovernmental consultations format between our countries, and this will certainly support all projects that strengthen our companies, our industry, and above all the energy sector - in both Ukraine and Germany. It is in Berlin that the first office of our new export project will be opened - an export platform that will make it possible to combine our technological capabilities with your economic strength, including in the area of modern, effective drones. And one more point. We must not forget that Russian strikes continue every day. Every day we need to defend our cities and our positions. Every day, recovery is needed. That is why we continue all cooperation to strengthen Ukraine's air defense - and this literally saves lives every day. That is why we are grateful for the continuation of Germany's support programs for our resilience - support for next year has been preserved, and we appreciate this. I would like to especially note Germany's strong, honest, and rational position on the use of frozen Russian assets for the purpose of defending against Russia's aggression. Incidentally, we devoted quite a significant amount of time to this issue yesterday. It is also very important that our partners received our clear position from me personally. The European solution that is now on the table can truly help - not only with protection here and now from Russian strikes and Russian aggression, but also in the long term. It sends the right signal to Russia that the war must be brought to an end, because the one who starts a war must bear the greatest losses. I thank the Chancellor once again for supporting this - the format of a reparations loan and all formats that restore justice. They are important to us. Thank you, Germany, for organizing this visit, which is important for Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address It Is in Berlin That We Are Preparing One of the First Offices That Will Focus on Joint Production Projects in the Defense Industry - President at the German-Ukrainian Economic Forum President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 21:08 In Berlin, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, took part in the closing of the eighth German-Ukrainian Economic Forum. The event was attended by representatives of leading German industries, including manufacturing, energy, the agro-industrial sector, and defense. The Head of State thanked Germany and personally Friedrich Merz for the support and respect shown to Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted Germany's significant contribution to Ukraine's defense and to recovery after Russia's strikes. "It is very important that, at a time of such a war, Ukraine is not only asking for assistance and support, but is also offering joint projects - projects you have already been discussing today - joint production, and joint outcomes that can strengthen both us and you, first and foremost technologically. Of course, the top priority today is defense production, and we are doing our utmost to ensure that our defense technologies stay ahead and deliver results for our warriors on the battlefield," the President said. The Head of State emphasized that one of the first offices focused on joint production projects in the defense industry with Germany will be established specifically in Berlin. "It is Germany that is one of our largest trading partners in Europe, and I am confident this will remain the case in the future. And this is one of the key tasks of the Ukrainian government - to attract more companies and more contracts with Germany. This brings together not only our economy and Germany's, but also lays the foundation for even deeper interaction within the European Union, as it inevitably involves neighboring countries as well," Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted. The President also separately stressed that for many months the primary target of Russian strikes has been Ukraine's energy sector. At present, there is virtually no power plant in Ukraine that has not been damaged by Russian attacks. "It is truly hard to withstand the terrorist pressure that Russia applies on a daily basis. But our people are doing it. After every strike, we try to restore everything as quickly as possible, and for this we need continued support from the German government as well. And most importantly, we need support for our air defense infrastructure. This is critically important," the Head of State said. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the ability to recover after strikes, to produce weapons and strike back, and to shoot down Russian missiles and drones also serves as additional leverage in negotiations. "Peace must be attainable, and only cooperation can bring it closer - our cooperation, and cooperation of all our partners. But real partners - not paper ones, but truly strong partners. For the sake of each of us, and therefore for the sake of our shared ability to live normally - to live in safety," the President concluded. Friedrich Merz noted that this is a very important moment to demonstrate the European Union's ability to stand firm and defend itself. According to him, one of the key factors in this is continued support for Ukraine, including through investment, which he encouraged. "Even during the war, Ukraine's economic activity is growing, and there is very significant potential - growth potential in technology, agriculture, and the defense industry. There is also great potential in the area of mineral resources, and we are interested in supporting Ukraine in this regard as well," the Chancellor said. Among the topics discussed at the forum were Ukraine's economic situation, the role of the private sector in recovery, the implementation of investment and infrastructure projects, the development of Ukraine's industry based on the transfer of German technologies and equipment - particularly in the energy sector - as well as cooperation to guarantee European security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Address by the President at the Closing of the German-Ukrainian Economic Forum President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 19:36 Thank you very much! Dear Friedrich, first and foremost, Mr. Chancellor! Dear representatives of German companies, dear representatives of German industry! Dear friends! Thank you for your attention and support for Ukraine - we truly value it. Germany's support for Ukraine at this time - a time that is extremely difficult and decisive, a time of war - for our defense and for our recovery after Russia's strikes, is truly leadership-level support in Europe. It is a very significant level of assistance. Thank you! If Germany had been indifferent, Europe would not have been able to stand up to this evil that Russia has brought to our land. And it is a historic result that you chose the side of normal life, the side of Europe, the side of democracy, and that you are helping to defend against Russia's aggression - an imperialist aggression, absolutely unjust. Your assistance to Ukraine and to the Ukrainian people - the support of Germany as a state, Germany as a leading economy, and Germany above all as people who care about what happens nearby in Europe - truly keeps history on the right course. We deeply appreciate that after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, German companies did not shy away and continued their work in Ukraine. We are grateful that you preserved jobs, and we are grateful that you maintained support for people. Work is a great source of support. Thank you. This is extremely important. We want to express our gratitude - and I personally want to thank every German company, every business leader, and everyone in Germany for this. Yesterday and today here in Berlin, we held consultations with the American side. This was also a very important conversation. Berlin today is a kind of center for such crucial diplomatic decisions. We always have conversations like this - they are not easy, to be honest. But this discussion was productive, with a great many details. What matters is that significant time is being devoted to this dialogue. And I thank you, Friedrich - you and your team - for organizing all these opportunities. Our teams are working. The level of attention to this is, without question, very serious. Of course, we are moving point by point, defining the steps that are needed to ensure that peace is dignified. This is important for us - dignity for Ukrainians. That is why there is an important word we focus on very often: dignity. This is what stopped Russia. These are the kind of people Ukrainians are. And we continue our diplomacy aimed at ending the war. We must meet and work to create dignified conditions for bringing the war to an end. We must not forget where this war came to Europe from, who brought it, and who is taking absolutely just actions to defend against this war. European unity is truly restoring justice to the situation. I am confident that Germany will continue to stand with us, and I am deeply grateful personally to the Chancellor - Friedrich - and to the majority of Germany's political community for ensuring that this year we have the necessary support and the necessary assistance. It is also very important that, at a time of such a war, Ukraine is not only asking for assistance and support, but is also offering joint projects - projects you have already been discussing today - joint production, and joint outcomes that can strengthen both us and you, first and foremost technologically. Of course, the top priority today is defense production, and we are doing our utmost to ensure that our defense technologies stay ahead and deliver results for our warriors on the battlefield - practical results. It is here in Berlin that we are preparing one of the first offices that will focus on arms exports and joint production projects with your country, with Germany. It is Germany that is one of our largest trading partners in Europe, and I am confident this will remain the case in the future. And this is one of the key tasks of the Ukrainian government - to attract more companies and more contracts with Germany. This brings together not only our economy and Germany's, but also lays the foundation for even deeper interaction within the European Union, as it inevitably involves neighboring countries as well. The Ukrainian community in Germany is one of the most integrated. And these are hundreds of thousands of people who respect the country that has given them refuge. I want to thank you for the assistance provided to our people - for your support, strong and important support, for jobs, and for the many different forms of help. Thank you for this, and thank you for your clear support for Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Dear friends! While various diplomatic processes are underway, including negotiations that may bring the end of the war closer, we must not forget that the strikes of this war - Russia's aggression - continue every day. Putin uses the brutality of these strikes as leverage in the negotiation process. For many months, the primary targets of Russian drone and missile attacks have been our energy facilities. In fact, there is now not a single operational power plant in Ukraine that has not been damaged by Russian strikes. But we are fighting on, restoring, working, bringing electricity back to people, and bringing life back as best we can. This is a difficult - a very difficult - process. And it is truly hard to withstand the terrorist pressure that Russia applies on a daily basis. But our people are doing it. After every strike, we try to restore everything as quickly as possible, and for this we need continued support from the German government as well. And most importantly, we need support for our air defense infrastructure. This is critically important. I thank German companies for the very strong assistance they are providing to us, working together with the government. You know what is very important in Germany, and what we have always been able to rely on: if Germany says something, if Germany makes a promise, it is delivered on time. We value this highly. Thank you. Our ability to recover after strikes, our ability to produce weapons and to strike back, our ability to shoot down Russian missiles and drones - believe me, these are our additional levers in negotiations, additional levers in diplomacy. In this context as well, we view Germany's clear position on frozen Russian assets - assets that are located right here, largely within the territory of the European Union. These funds must genuinely and fully be put to work to defend against Russia's aggression. This is fair, it is reasonable, and it will work. It is important that Germany supports this. Every decision that strengthens Ukraine and strengthens our Europe is a way to bring the end of the war closer. It is a way to convince Russia that their goals are unattainable. Peace must be attainable, and only cooperation can bring it closer - our cooperation, and cooperation of all our partners. But real partners - not paper ones, but truly strong partners. For the sake of each of us, and therefore for the sake of our shared ability to live normally - to live in safety. I would like to thank you once again for organizing this forum. Thank you for the invitation. Thank you, Friedrich - dear Mr. Chancellor. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President of Ukraine Met with the President of the German Bundestag President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 16:31 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the German Bundestag Julia Klockner. The Head of State thanked Julia Klockner and the entire Bundestag for allocating 11.5 billion in defense assistance to Ukraine for next year. One of the key topics of the meeting was the discussion of mechanisms that would make it possible to use frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine, as well as the relevant procedures. The President emphasized that Ukraine appreciates Germany's leadership on this issue. The meeting also focused on coordination of efforts with American and European partners to end the war, establish a dignified peace, and guarantee security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Presidents of Ukraine and Germany Discussed Diplomatic Situation and Support for Ukrainians President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 16:08 At Bellevue Palace, the residence of the Federal President of Germany, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a one-on-one meeting with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, followed by an expanded meeting. The Head of State thanked Germany for the support it has provided to Ukraine and Ukrainians since the very beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression, as well as for Germany's leadership in protecting thousands of lives through the strengthening of Ukraine's air defense. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about coordination with partners in the United States and Europe to bring about a dignified and guaranteed peace and noted the personal efforts of Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz. The presidents discussed work on a framework document to end the war and the substance of its individual provisions. The parties share the same position: it is essential to ensure Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the protection of its national interests. Particular attention was given to security guarantees that must prevent any manifestations of Russian aggression in the future. The Head of State outlined the key components of these guarantees and emphasized the importance of their provision by the United States and European countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President Held a Video Call with Civilians Released from Belarus President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 14:18 While on an official visit to Berlin, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a video call with civil and political figures who had been released from Belarus: Maria Kalesnikava, Viktar Babaryka, Maksim Znak, Alyaksandr Feduta, Uladzimir Labkovich, and journalist Marina Zolotova. The Belarusian citizens expressed their gratitude to the Head of State and the entire Ukrainian team for their facilitation and assistance in securing their return to freedom. On Saturday, December 13, a release of 114 civilians took place, including five Ukrainians who had been in Belarus. This was achieved with the assistance of the United States and through intelligence cooperation. "Ukraine will continue to support everyone who helps us defend our independence and protect people's lives," emphasized the President. The participants in the conversation also expressed their support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, condemned the actions of the Belarusian regime, and assured their readiness to provide assistance on their part. "We have given so much for Ukraine's freedom that the war cannot end with the loss of precisely that. Otherwise, it will mean that so many people lost their lives in vain. That would be simply unfair. It would be simply unfair and unjust towards them and their memory," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Head of State called for spreading messages of support for Ukraine abroad and sending appropriate signals to the Belarusian people. After all, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, missiles were also fired from Belarusian territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Alexander Stubb Coordinated Positions Ahead of Today's Meetings with Partners in Berlin President of Ukraine 15 December 2025 - 12:25 In Berlin, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of Finland Alexander Stubb. The leaders discussed the results of the diplomatic work, coordinated joint positions ahead of today's meetings with partners in Berlin, and agreed on the next steps. The Head of State thanked Finland for its support and highlighted the country's contribution to the PURL initiative, which bolsters our position in negotiations by strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelensky sees progress in Berlin talks as Germany touts chance for peace People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:12, December 16, 2025 Zelensky said that Ukraine and the United States still hold differing positions on territorial issues. BERLIN, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday concluded two days of talks with U.S. representatives in Berlin, describing them as "productive," while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said recent diplomatic momentum has made a ceasefire conceivable. Zelensky's discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner lasted several hours on Sunday and Monday. Speaking later Monday at the 8th German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin, Zelensky said the important conversations with the U.S. side are always complex, difficult, but very productive this time. He stressed the need to preserve Ukraine's dignity and said the diplomatic efforts to end this conflict would continue. Ukraine's top peace negotiator Rustem Umerov said on social media platform X that the talks have been constructive, with "real progress achieved." "We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day," said Umerov, who also serves as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. Umerov added that the American team led by Witkoff and Kushner is "working extremely constructively" to help Ukraine find a path to a lasting peace agreement. German newspaper Die Welt reported that U.S. negotiators were pressing Ukraine to give up the Donbas region as part of the settlement. Asked at a press conference on Monday whether the United States was demanding Ukraine's withdrawal from territory it controls, Zelensky said the U.S. side was not making its own territorial demands. He acknowledged, however, that Ukraine and the United States still hold differing positions on territorial issues. Before the Monday meeting, Zelensky had voiced rejection of the U.S.-proposed plan to establish a "free economic zone" in parts of the eastern Donbas region, saying it is unfair due to a lack of clarity over governance. He stressed that Ukraine needs clear security guarantees before making decisions on the front line. At the same press conference, Merz said that the United States had offered security guarantees, and that the recent diplomatic momentum had made a ceasefire "conceivable." He stressed that any ceasefire must be secured by substantial legal and material security guarantees from the United States and Europe. While the peace process is still at an early stage, the chance for progress is real, Merz added. EUROPEAN LEADERS' GUARANTEES A group of European leaders, including Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday evening issued a joint statement welcoming the "significant progress." The leaders committed to working together to provide robust security guarantees, including maintaining Ukraine's armed forces at a peacetime level of 800,000 troops. According to the statement, the guarantees include a European-led "multinational force" operating inside Ukraine to help secure the country's skies and seas, as well as a U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism. On the issue of territory, the leaders emphasized that decisions are "for the people of Ukraine" once security guarantees are effectively in place. During his visit, Zelensky also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner. In a statement, Zelensky said that he and Steinmeier shared a position on the importance of ensuring Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the protection of its national interests. He also discussed with Kloeckner mechanisms to use frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. Commenting on the diplomatic talks in Berlin, Armin Laschet, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Germany's Bundestag, said the efforts have demonstrated a will to strengthen Europe's role in diplomacy. Given shifts in U.S. security strategy, Europe needs greater strength and sovereignty of its own, Laschet said. During Zelensky's visit, Germany announced a new 10-point plan to support Ukraine's defense industry, including weapon procurement and high-level consultations. German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems said Monday it is working with Ukrainian company Frontline Robotics to establish Europe's first "fully automated, industrial-scale" foreign production line for drones for the Ukrainian armed forces. The cooperation will supply the Ukrainian army with thousands of drones, said Frontline Robotics CEO Yevhen Tretiak. In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Europe's role in the Ukraine conflict. He blamed Europe for providing Kiev with weapons, money, and intelligence, saying Europe is "waging a war" with Russia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ex-UN chief Ban warns Security Council risks irrelevance without reform By Vibhu Mishra 15 December 2025 - Gathered around the Security Council's iconic horseshoe table, ambassadors were challenged on Monday to look backwards - when, despite deep rivalry and distrust, the body chose leaders capable of steering the world away from catastrophe towards active cooperation. That call came during an open debate on "Leadership for Peace," where former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and academic Anjali Dayal pressed members to confront both the external crises facing the UN and internal constraints that have weakened its ability to act. Mr. Ban, now an emeritus member of The Elders group, warned that global conditions have worsened since he left office at the end of 2016, marked by deepening confrontation among major powers, eroding multilateralism and conflicts in which civilians continue to pay the highest price. "This deeply disappointing situation is characterized by confrontation rather than cooperation among major powers," he told the Council, citing the war in Ukraine, mass civilian casualties in Gaza and weakening international cooperation - even as the global climate crisis accelerates. Lurching towards irrelevance The former UN chief said the overall crisis cannot be separated from the Security Council's own failures. "The Security Council's ongoing failure to properly function constitutes the most egregious cause," he said, highlighting the repeated use of veto by permanent members "to shield themselves, their allies and their proxies from accountability." Without meaningful reform, Mr. Ban warned, civilians will remain unprotected and impunity will persist. "Without it, the UN risks lurching towards either collapse or irrelevance," he said. Reduce political pressures Turning to the selection of the next Secretary-General, Ban called for a single, non-renewable seven-year term to strengthen the independence of the office. The current practice of two five-year terms, he said, leaves Secretaries-General "overly dependent on this Council's Permanent Members for an extension," even though the arrangement is a convention rather than a requirement of the UN Charter. "The General Assembly holds the power to set the terms of the appointment itself," Mr. Ban noted, urging member states to use that authority to empower the next UN leader more fully. The selection process Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' second term expires at the end of next year, and the formal selection process is already under way. In November, the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council launched the process together, in line with General Assembly resolution 79/327, which emphasises transparency and inclusivity. Under the established procedure, candidates are nominated by Member States or groups and are required to submit a vision statement, curriculum vitae and campaign financing disclosures. The President of the General Assembly convenes publicly broadcast interactive dialogues with all candidates, while engaging closely with Member States throughout the process. As of mid-December, only Rafael Mariano Grossi - the Director-General of the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - has been nominated by Argentina. Unprecedented strain Anjali Dayal, Associate Professor for International Politics at Fordham University, told the Council that the next Secretary-General will assume office at a time of unprecedented strain, including a deepening funding crisis that is already shrinking the UN's capacity to deliver essential services. "That will result not just in shrinking this Organization, but also in less of the work that only the UN can do at scale," she said, pointing to fewer vaccinations, reduced humanitarian aid and diminished mine-clearance efforts, even as global needs grow. Ms. Dayal said history shows that even in periods of intense division, the Council has been capable of choosing leaders who advanced peace and cooperation. She recalled the protracted deadlock that preceded the selection of Javier Perez de Cuellar in 1981 and the critique of U Thant, yet they deftly maneuvered an end to the Iran-Iraq war, resolve conflicts in Cambodia and Nicaragua, and help end the Cuban Missile Crisis. Jaw-jaw better than war-war Those examples, she said, underscore that the Secretary-General's influence lies less in material power than in the ability to shape ideas, narratives and long-term cooperation - "to make conference rooms always more attractive than the battlefield." For Mr. Ban, that responsibility ultimately rests with the Council itself. Reforming veto use and renewing support for UN leadership, he said, are essential if the Organization is to remain relevant in the twenty-first century. "The path of each for themselves is no different from the path of mutual destruction," he warned. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2025 - Fredonia Mining Inc. ("Fredonia" or the "Company") (TSXV: FRED) announces that the Company proposes to amend the exercise price of certain outstanding common share purchase warrants and implement an early warrant exercise incentive program with respect to certain other outstanding warrants of the Company to encourage their exercise and provide proceeds for ongoing corporate development activities. The Company currently has three series of warrants outstanding, as described in the table below. Effective Number of Warrants Outstanding* Effective Exercise Price* Issue Date Expiry Date 4,818,398 $1.40 April 27, 2022 April 27, 2027 1,755,448 $0.50 February 16, 2024 February 16, 2026 6,666,667 $0.30 September 26, 2024 September 27, 2027 Important Note about Presentation of Effective Number of Warrants herein: *The Company's outstanding common shares ("Common Shares") were consolidated on a five old for one new basis on November 12, 2024 (the "Consolidation"), resulting in corresponding adjustments to the exercise price and the exchange ratio of outstanding warrants, but not the number of outstanding warrants. As a result with respect to each series of warrants that are outstanding, five warrants are required to be exercised and a payment of five times the original exercise price is required to be made to acquire one Common Share. For simplicity with respect to presenting the number of shares issuable on the exercise of warrants and to match the Company's continuous disclosure, the number of warrants and exercise prices in this news release are presented on an "effective" basis, as if the number of warrants was also adjusted to reflect the Consolidation. The Company's warrant registers and any notice of adjustment sent to warrant holders in connection with the consolidation reflect the effective number of warrants presented in this release multiplied by five and a correspondingly adjusted exchange ratio. The number of warrants presented herein may not total exactly in terms of numbers or percentages due to rounding. Proposed Exercise Price Reduction for $1.40 Warrants On April 27, 2022, the Company completed a private placement of 22,683,750 units at a price of $0.28 per unit, with each unit consisting of one Common Share and one Common Share purchase warrant exercisable at a price of $0.28 ($1.40 on a post-consolidation basis) until April 27, 2027 (the "$1.40 Warrants"). 4,818,932 $1.40 Warrants are outstanding on an effective basis as at the date hereof. To encourage their eventual exercise, the Company proposes to reduce the exercise price of the $1.40 Warrants to $0.45. As the applicable "market price" of the Common Shares (as determined in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") at the time of issuance of the $1.40 Warrants was greater than the proposed amended exercise price of $0.45, TSXV requires that the term of the reduced $1.40 Warrants also be amended to include an accelerated expiry clause such that the exercise period of the $1.40 Warrants will be reduced to 30 days if, for any ten consecutive trading days during the unexpired term of the $1.40 Warrants the closing trading price of the Common Shares is $0.57 or more (being approximately 25% more than the reduced exercise price), with such reduced exercise period to begin no more than seven calendar days after the tenth such trading day. The Company will seek the consent of relevant warrantholders for the amendment to the term in accordance with the warrant indenture governing the $1.40 Warrants between the Company and TSX Trust company dated April 27, 2022 as soon as possible. The lead agent in the private placement in which the $1.40 Warrants were issued agreed to accept units on the same terms as investors in the offering in lieu of cash compensation and therefore to the knowledge of the Company, holds 297,042 $1.40 Warrants on an effective basis. The $1.40 Warrants issued to the Lead Agent will not be subject to the proposed amendments and the terms of such $1.40 Warrants will remain as is. Proposed Exercise Price Reduction for $0.50 Warrants On February 16, 2024, the Company completed a private placement of 17,554,480 units at a price of $0.05 per unit, with each unit consisting of one Common Share and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant exercisable at a price of $0.10 ($0.50 on a post-consolidation basis) until February 16, 2026 (the "$0.50 Warrants"). 1,755,448 $0.50 Warrants are outstanding on an effective basis as at the date hereof. The Company proposes to reduce the exercise price of the $0.50 Warrants to $0.45. As the applicable "market price" of the Common Shares at the time of issuance of the $0.50 Warrants was greater than the proposed amended exercise price of $0.45, and as the $0.50 Warrants expire on February 16, 2026, no corresponding accelerated exercise amendment to the term is proposed. 456,824 $0.50 Warrants are held by insiders of the Company on an effective basis, representing more than 10% of the outstanding $0.50 Warrants. The Company proposes to only reduce the price of up to 175,544 $0.50 Warrants (representing 10% of the total number of outstanding $0.50 Warrants on an effective basis) held by insiders, on a pro rata basis, and proportionally not reduce the price with respect to the remainder of the insider-held $0.50 Warrants. Proposed Early Warrant Exercise Incentive Program for $0.30 Warrants On September 26, 2024, the Company completed a financing pursuant to which it issued 33,333,333 units, with each unit consisting of one Common Share and one common share purchase warrant exercisable at $0.06 per Common Share until September 26, 2027 (the "$0.30 Warrants"). 6,666,667 $0.30 Warrants are outstanding on an effective basis as at the date hereof. The Company intends to implement a program (the "Incentive Program") to encourage the early exercise of all outstanding $0.30 Warrants during a 30-day period (the "Incentive Period") commencing on December 18, 2025, and expiring at 4:00 pm on January 19, 2026 (as the date that is 30 days from December 18, 2025 is a Saturday. Under the Program, the Company proposes to offer an incentive to each holder who exercises $0.30 Warrants during a designated incentive period by issuing one additional Common Share purchase warrant (an "Incentive Warrant") for each $0.30 Warrant exercised. Each Incentive Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional Common Share at an exercise price of $0.60 per Common Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. All Incentive Warrants will be issued to participating holders promptly following the expiry of the Incentive Period. The Incentive Warrants, and any Common Shares issued upon exercise thereof, will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance of the Incentive Warrants, in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws and, where applicable, TSXV Policies. $0.30 Warrants that remain unexercised after the Incentive Period will continue to be exercisable on their original terms until September 27, 2027, however, no Incentive Warrants will be issued in respect of any such $0.30 Warrants exercised after January 19, 2026. The Incentive Program is subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the final approval of the TSXV. 853,333 $0.30 Warrants are held by insiders on an effective basis, representing more than 10% of the outstanding $0.30 Warrants. The Company proposes to only incentive the exercise of up to 666,667 $0.30 Warrants, representing 10% of the total number of outstanding $0.30 Warrants, and proportionally not incentivize the exercise of the remainder of the insider-held $0.30 Warrants. If the Incentive Program is approved by TSXV and the incentive program is taken advantage of in full, an additional 6,480,001 Common Shares would be issuable upon the exercise, if any, of the Incentive Warrants. About Fredonia Fredonia holds gold and silver license areas totaling approximately 18,300 ha. in the prolific Deseado Massif geological region in the Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, including its flagship advanced El Dorado-Monserrat project (approx. 6,200 ha.) located close to AngloGold Ashanti's 300,000 oz./yr Au-Ag Cerro Vanguardia mine, the El Aguila project (approx. 9,100 ha.), and the Petrificados project (approx. 3,000 ha). For further information: Please visit the Company's website at www.fredoniamanagement.com or contact: Estanislao Auriemma, Chief Executive Officer, Direct +54 91 149 980 623, Email: [email protected]. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward?looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. The information in this news release about the proposed amendments to the terms of the $1.40 Warrants, the $0.50 Warrants, and the Incentive Program and participation therein, the issuance of Incentive Warrants, and the receipt of all necessary regulatory and warrantholder approvals, including approval of the TSXV and ability of the Company to satisfy the listing conditions of the TSXV, if at all, and any other information herein that is not a historical fact may be "forward-looking information". Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company, at the time such assumptions and estimates were made, and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, volatility in the trading price of the Common Shares, risks relating to the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals, including the approval of holders of $1.40 Warrants, the global economic climate, metal prices, and dilution. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot guarantee shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Company that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward looking information. The Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. VANCOUVER, Dec. 17, 2025 - Yukon Metals Corp. (CSE: YMC, FSE: E770, OTCQB: YMMCF) ("Yukon Metals" or the "Company") announces that the Board of Directors of the Company (the ""Board") has appointed Jim Coates (Executive Vice President and a Director of the Company) as Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective immediately. Mr. Coates replaces Rory Quinn who has made the decision to resign as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Company. The Board will initiate a search for a successor Chief Executive Officer and will work with management and an executive search firm to ensure success in the process. Pat Burke, Chair of the Board of Directors said, "We want to thank Rory for his work and efforts launching Yukon Metals into its current position as a company and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. The Board has determined that now is the right time to transition leadership to advance the vast opportunity represented by Yukon Metals' land package and employees going forward. Jim will be critical to the Company by leveraging his in-depth knowledge of the land assets, the region and the people involved with the Company and the community." The Board will work closely with Mr. Coates and his management team to execute the Company's business strategy into 2026. Mr. Coates will serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer until a successor is identified and appointed, at which time he will resume his important role with the management team as Executive Vice President and will remain on the Board. About Yukon Metals Corp. Yukon Metals is a well-financed exploration company with a 17-project portfolio covering more than 43,000 hectares. Built on over 30 years of Berdahl family prospecting, the same team behind Snowline Gold Corp.'s district-scale assets, the Company provides exposure to copper, gold, silver, and critical metals. While advancing high-priority drill targets at the Birch and AZ copper-gold systems and the Star River gold-silver project, the Company is also conducting generative exploration across its broader portfolio to develop the next pipeline of discovery opportunities. Guided by an experienced leadership team with technical, financial, and Yukon expertise, the Company is well positioned to unlock new mineral discoveries across the Yukon territory. Yukon Metals is committed to fostering sustainable growth and prosperity within Yukon's local communities, while also enhancing shareholder value. Rooted in a philosophy of inclusiveness and shared prosperity, the Company's strategy offers both local community members and investors the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from its success. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF YUKON METALS CORP. "Jim Coates" Jim Coates, Interim CEO Email: [email protected] For additional information please contact: Jim Coates Interim CEO and Director Yukon Metals Corp. Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 236 466 9834 CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains certain forward-looking information, including information relating to the transition to a new Chief Executive Officer of the Company, ensuring success in the process for a search for a new Chief Executive Officer, the vast opportunity represented by the Company's land package and employees, the advancement of drill targets, ongoing exploration, the Yukon's potential to unlock new mineral discoveries, and the Company's future plans and intentions. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify the forward-looking information. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the success of the transition of the role of Chief Executive Officer; the advancement of drill targets; the success of ongoing exploration; the Yukon not having the potential to unlock new mineral opportunities; and other risks and uncertainties. See the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's listing statement dated May 30, 2024, available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca for additional risk factors. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with the forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. TORONTO - AFR NuVenture Resources Inc. ("AFR" or the "Company") (TSXV: AFR), announces that it is working to complete its audited annual financial statements and related MD&A for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2025, which it is expected to be completed before the end of this year. Upon completion and filing, the Company will apply to have the current Cease Trading Order lifted and the trading suspension from the TSXV lifted. The funding for the completion of the audit has been supplied in the form of loans from certain directors and shareholders of the Company. The Company will provide updated plans for moving forward upon re-commencement of trading. In the meantime, the Company wishes to announce new appointments to the Company's corporate structure. The Company is pleased to announce the following changes. Donald Gordon has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Corporate Secretary to replace Errol Farr who has resigned. The Company wishes to thank Errol for his past services and his commitment to help in the completion of the current audit. We wish Errol the utmost success in his other ventures, including his "Buy Timmins" initiatives. Donald Gordon has over thirty years in corporate finance analysis and business development, involving public and private companies; currently self employed as an independent corporate finance and due diligence consultant. Also active in corporate and professional associations, involving liaison with institutional investors and fund managers. In the past 10 years Mr. Gordon has been instrumental in listing and financing over 30 public companies. The Company is also delighted to welcome James Tworek as an additional director to the AFR Board of Directors. Mr. Tworek will now be in a direct supportive role to work with the Board in strategic decision making and guidance. James has built his career holding positions as Director, Senior Management, Operational and Analytical roles in both public and private companies. As a successful entrepreneur, his 25-year career started in banking in 1998 and he has garnered a wealth of experience across diverse industries between Commercial Banking, Mining, Oil and Gas, Project Finance, mezzanine debt, mortgage brokerage, Hemp/legal Cannabis, and Clean Water/Envirotech industries. His investing experience includes real estate, private mining, private equity, startup generation, tech, and agricultural ventures. A team leader, James built his career on successfully executing, developing and reaching corporate growth targets. His strong communication skills, honesty and integrity with investors and stakeholders make him an asset as a board member. Mr. Tworek comments "It's a huge achievement to be brought onto the board here at AFR, where I can actively be part of the decision-making process for the Company's future. I look forward to enacting change and generating value for our shareholders with my fellow Directors as the Company continues to grow through executing our plans and strategies today and through the coming years." John O'Donnell, CEO of the Company, stated that he is excited about the new appointments to the Company and is looking forward to a new chapter in the Company's history. "We are going to develop a solid plan moving forward and look forward to sharing this vision in the coming weeks." For more information on the Company and its projects, investors should review the Company's filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and our website at www.afrnuventure.com . On behalf of the Board of Directors, John F. O'Donnell, CEO john @odonnell-law.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Not for distribution to the United States. Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. PPI inflation slows to 1.3% in November as producer prices fall month-on-month Next article: PPI inflation slows to 1.3% in November as producer prices fall month-on-month Swiss tech firm reposes confidence in economy Maclean Kwofi Business News Dec - 17 - 2025 , 16:29 Swiss technology firm has reposed confidence in the countrys economy as a safe investment destination with the establishment of its new regional support centre in Accra. The facility was established to expand service delivery, technical support, and customer engagement across 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The move marked one of the strongest signals yet from a leading global analytical instrumentation company that Ghana had emerged as a safe and competitive destination for high-value investment. The centre will provide application expertise, technical consultations, and comprehensive instrument service support, ensuring customers receive world-class assistance that enhances operational efficiency and supports compliance with global standards and regulations. The facility features a state-of-the-art service centre and two application laboratories, offering hands-on training, application development, and solutions tailored to the needs of industries that rely on Metrohms analytical technologies to ensure quality, safety, and environmental compliance. Ghanas stability The Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, at the facility inauguration ceremony in Accra, stated that Metrohms decision demonstrated trust in Ghanas stability, innovation culture and long-term prospects. By selecting Accra and Ghana as a transregional hub, Metrohm is making a strong statement that Ghana is a vibrant centre of innovation and a country worthy of long-term investment. The beginning of an exciting new chapter in Ghanas scientific growth and in Swiss-Ghanaian technological cooperation, she said. She stressed that Metrohms global reputation in analytical chemistry and precision instrumentation positioned it as a key partner for the countrys development. She said the centre would bring specialised technical support closer to local laboratories and industries while enhancing the capacity of researchers, regulators and students to conduct world-class analysis in Ghana. This new presence will boost local capacity and empower researchers, industries and regulators to conduct world-class analysis right here in Ghana, she added. National development aspirations The Ambassador stated that the investment aligned with the countrys national development aspirations, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing, environmental monitoring and public health. She said that strengthening analytical science was essential for solving contemporary challenges and preparing for future opportunities. Science and technology are essential drivers of progress, and Metrohm is helping provide the tools needed to address todays challenges and prepare for tomorrow, she said. Ms Giger expressed optimism that the collaboration between the private sector, government agencies and academia would deepen, creating new opportunities for innovation and economic growth across the region. Quality infrastructure The Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Professor George Agyei, said Metrohms entry was a direct boost to the countrys quality infrastructure. He explained that precision instrumentation was now central to sectors such as mining, pharmaceuticals, food safety and environmental protection. Standards without the means to verify compliance are merely aspirations, and high-precision instruments transform those standards from paper into practice, he said. Prof. Agyei added that Metrohms presence would support the countrys ongoing reforms, including new gemstone laboratories, expanded calibration services and digital conformity systems essential for industrialisation. Strong confidence The Head of the Aftercare Division at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Charles Opoku Mensah, said Metrohms choice of Accra as its regional command centre reflected strong confidence in Ghanas stability and investor-friendly climate. He said the investment aligned with GIPCs push for high-quality, technology-driven projects. Metrohm is not just supplying equipment; it is providing the backbone that will allow Ghanaian industries to meet global standards, he said. He said that the centre would enhance skills development and deepen collaboration with local universities and regulators. Global experience The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Metrohm Central Africa, Andy Mathews, stated that the company would leverage its long-standing global experience to serve customers within the region. He said by bringing advanced technical resources closer to customers, Metrohm aims to strengthen scientific infrastructure and improve data quality. He added that Metrohm Central Africa would operate as a regional hub, working closely with distributors and partners to support laboratories in areas including pharmaceuticals, mining, food and beverage, water quality, energy, and academia. Featured Im divorced and not ashamed to say it - McBrown Gifty Owusu-Amoah Showbiz News Dec - 17 - 2025 , 13:14 2 minutes read Renowned Ghanaian actress and television host, Nana Ama McBrown, has broken her silence on the state of her marriage, confirming that she and her husband, Maxwell Mensah, are officially divorced. The revelation came during an exclusive interview with Cookie Tee on TV3s Newsday, where the celebrated media personality described the separation as calm, mutual and free of any form of hostility. According to McBrown, the decision to part ways was taken after both she and her former husband became weary of the marriage, insisting that the divorce was not triggered by abuse or maltreatment. She disclosed that although Maxwell Mensahs family initially expressed reservations about the decision, the matter was eventually resolved amicably between the two parties. It was a peaceful agreement between the two of us. Despite going their separate ways, McBrown said the relationship between herself and her ex-husband remains strong, revealing that they are still very close and communicate regularly as they jointly raise their daughter. We still talk, we call each other all the time. We are best of friends. Our divorce didnt happen on a bad note, she said. He takes care of his daughter, pays her school fees, and is very responsible, so we are cool. Its just that both of us were tired of the marriage and decided to go our separate ways. The actress also disclosed that the divorce has not affected her relationship with her former in-laws, particularly Maxwell Mensahs mother, with whom she still maintains a close bond. I visit his family, and he does the same with mine. I talk to his children and even go to his mums shop at Makola to buy lace or anything I want, she disclosed. Dismissing public speculation surrounding the marriage, McBrown described her former husband as a gentleman and stressed that their 12-year union was not marred by violence. The marriage simply couldnt work, she said. There was no violence or maltreatment involved. She further explained that the separation process was straightforward because the marriage was solely traditional, with no legal documents involved. On her future plans, McBrown said she has no intentions of remarrying, but remains open to having more children. She, however, admitted that emotional ties still exist between her and her former husband. Even though we are divorced, I still feel something for him, and Im sure he does too, she confessed. I cant tell if in the future we might come back together. FULL LIST: See the newest countries affected by the latest US travel ban Next article: FULL LIST: See the newest countries affected by the latest US travel ban 12 Killed, 5 injured, others abducted in suspected herdsmen attack on Plateau mining site Punchng.com International News Dec - 17 - 2025 , 17:17 2 minutes read Suspected herdsmen have killed 12 artisanal miners and abducted three others in Ratoso community, Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. An eyewitness who escaped the attack told Tribune Online that the gunmen, who were said to be in large numbers, stormed a mining site in the community at about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, and opened fire indiscriminately on the group of young miners. Five other miners sustained injuries while attempting to flee the attack. It was gathered that the assailants, who had allegedly been hiding in the community prior to the incident, caught the miners unawares. Most of the victims were engaged in night mining activities, leaving them with little chance to resist or escape. Residents of the community expressed deep concern over the fate of those abducted and taken away on motorcycles by the attackers. We can see the bodies of those killed, but we are even more concerned about those who were abducted, a resident said. Confirming the incident, the National President of the Berom Youth Moulder Association, Barrister Solomon Dalyop, said efforts were underway to bury the deceased and treat the injured. At the moment, I am at the scene of the incident. We are making arrangements to bury the 12 persons killed, while those injured have been taken to the hospital, he said. Our main worry right now is the three abducted persons. We are urging security agencies, particularly operatives of Operation Enduring Peace, to help secure their release. The community is currently in deep agony over this unfortunate incident. Barrister Dalyop disclosed that there had been an early warning earlier this month about possible attacks on several Plateau communities before and during the Christmas season. He added that four communities were attacked simultaneously by marauders last week. He further expressed concern over what he described as the governments slow response to security threats, despite Nigeria being designated a Country of Particular Concern by the United States. This recent occurrence confirms the early warning that there would be attacks before and during the Christmas season. We are surprised that, despite this designation, the Nigerian government has made little or no effort to address the nations security challenges, he said. This also suggests that our security agencies are not living up to expectations. The protection of lives and property should be of paramount concern, but what we are experiencing falls far below expectations. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, SP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the attack, stating that the Divisional Police Officer of the area, along with his men, was in the bush working with the community to apprehend the perpetrators. Investigation is ongoing, and as soon as the DPO concludes his findings, we will brief journalists, he said. Featured FULL LIST: See the newest countries affected by the latest US travel ban GraphicOnline International News Dec - 17 - 2025 , 13:14 4 minutes read President Donald Trump has expanded the United States travel ban to cover nationals of five additional countries and people travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents, in a move the White House says is aimed at strengthening national security. The new restrictions, announced on Tuesday, will take effect on January 1 and impose full entry bans on citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. Individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed travel documents are also subject to a full suspension of entry into the United States. The latest decision also shifts Laos and Sierra Leone from partial restrictions to a full ban, while partial restrictions have been placed on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The White House said the measures were intended to protect the security of the United States. President Trump, who has tightened immigration controls since returning to the White House in January, said the expansion was necessary because of what his administration described as serious failures in overseas screening and vetting systems. Officials cited high visa overstay rates, unreliable civil records, corruption, terrorist activity and a lack of cooperation by some governments in accepting deported nationals. The announcement followed the arrest of an Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard troops over the Thanksgiving weekend, an incident the White House pointed to as underscoring its security concerns. This is the third time Trump has imposed a travel ban, the administration noted, recalling a similar order introduced during his first term in 2017 that sparked widespread protests and legal challenges before being upheld by the US Supreme Court. According to the White House, the restrictions will remain in force until affected countries demonstrate credible improvements in identity management, information sharing and cooperation with US immigration authorities. Authorities stressed that several exemptions apply and that the ban will not affect lawful permanent residents, many existing visa holders, diplomats or athletes travelling for major international sporting events. Case by case waivers will also be available where entry is deemed to be in the national interest. Under the full restrictions, entry is suspended for nationals of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, the Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, as well as individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority issued or endorsed documents. Partial restrictions apply to nationals of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote dIvoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Turkmenistan is listed as a special case, with restrictions remaining in place for immigrants but lifted for non immigrant visas, after what the White House described as productive engagement and significant progress in information sharing. In a fact sheet issued on December 16, the White House said the proclamation was based on demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information sharing in the affected countries. It added that many of the listed states suffer from widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records, and nonexistent birth registration systems. The administration argued that some governments refuse to share passport exemplars or law enforcement data, while others allow citizenship by investment schemes that conceal identity and bypass vetting requirements. High visa overstay rates and the refusal to repatriate deportable nationals were also cited as factors burdening US immigration enforcement. It is the Presidents duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people, the White House said, insisting that the country specific restrictions were designed to encourage cooperation while safeguarding public safety. The move has already drawn attention across Africa and beyond, particularly in countries newly placed under full or partial restrictions, as governments and affected travellers assess the implications of the expanded ban. Countries with full restrictions: Afghanistan Burkina Faso Burma Chad Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Haiti Iran Laos Libya Mali Niger Republic of the Congo Sierra Leone Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Yemen Individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority issued or endorsed travel documents are also subject to a full suspension of entry Partial restrictions: Angola Antigua and Barbuda Benin Burundi Cote d'Ivoire Cuba Dominica Gabon The Gambia Malawi Mauritania Nigeria Senegal Tanzania Togo Tonga Venezuela Zambia Zimbabwe Special case: Turkmenistan (restrictions remain for immigrants but have been lifted for non-immigrant visas) Featured Ghana deploys military engineers to help rebuild Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa Pacome Emmanuel Damalie Dec - 17 - 2025 , 13:34 4 minutes read The government of Ghana has deployed a contingent of engineers from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to Jamaica to support repair and reconstruction efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The 54 soldiers, drawn from the 14 Engineer Regiment, are expected to work with Jamaican authorities and international partners to rebuild critical infrastructure, including shelters, roads and public facilities. The deployment forms part of Ghanas commitment to regional cooperation, humanitarian assistance and solidarity with Caribbean nations affected by natural disasters. The operation, carried out in collaboration with the United States government, saw the US provide a C-17 military cargo aircraft to airlift the Ghanaian troops and their equipment to Kingston, Jamaica. The deployment was preceded by a short parade to send off the servicemen on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. The ceremony was attended by President John Dramani Mahama, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Charge dAffaires of the US Embassy, Rolf Olson, the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Dogbe, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen General William Agyapong, and family members of the contingent. Solidarity Speaking at the event today in Accra, President Mahama said the deployment reflected Ghanas solidarity with the people of Jamaica and the shared history, values and bonds within the African Caribbean family. He said that in the aftermath of the hurricane, the government had also dispatched humanitarian assistance to the people of Jamaica and Cuba, as well as to displaced persons in Sudan. This humanitarian assistance included food aid, locally produced Ghanaian rice, blankets, mattresses, plastic buckets, medicines, and other such accoutrements. Ghana has consistently stood for international solidarity, humanitarian assistance, and global responsibility, he said. President Mahama noted that Ghana understood the pain caused by natural disasters and the long road to recovery, which informed the decision to provide support. He added that the government was also dispatching tents by sea to provide temporary shelter, while the troops assist with the reconstruction of buildings and provide support to affected communities in Jamaica. Commendation The President thanked President Donald Trump and the people of the United States for making the mission possible by providing airlift support for the deployment. So, today we have this C-17 aircraft that is going to lift the troops from Accra to Kingston with their supplies to provide the support and succour for the people of Jamaica. I wish to thank again our friendly brothers and sisters of the United States of America, he said. He also commended the Ghana Armed Forces for their professionalism, discipline and readiness to serve both at home and abroad, stressing that the mission was not a combat operation but one of compassion, skill and service. The Minister for Foreign Affairs also thanked the US Embassy, particularly the Charge dAffaires, for his role in securing the aircraft to transport the contingent. He commended President Mahama for what he described as a decisive shift in Ghanas foreign policy from receiving assistance to sharing with others, noting that the country had so far sent five humanitarian consignments abroad. Support For his part, the Charge dAffaires of the US Embassy in Ghana, Rolf Olson, said the United States responded positively to Ghanas request for airlift support, reflecting the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries. He said the US was honoured to support Ghanas mission and Jamaicas recovery by providing strategic airlift for the GAF 14 Engineer Regiment. A US Air Force C-17 will transport 54 Ghanaian military service members and nine pallets of essential equipment, over 65,000 pounds of personnel and cargo, to Jamaica. The US and Ghana have long worked together to advance peace, security, and prosperity across Africa and beyond. Todays operation reflects the best of our collaboration, rapid response, technical expertise, and a willingness to help those in need, he said. Mr Olson added that the US had so far provided nearly $37 million in emergency, life-saving assistance and on-the-ground support across the region in response to Hurricane Melissa. This includes more than $22 million for Jamaica, $11 million for Haiti, $3 million for Cuba and $500,000 for the Bahamas. He affirmed that the United States remained committed to helping its neighbours recover from the disaster and would continue to explore additional ways to provide meaningful assistance during this critical period. Ghana Card to be mandatory for motor insurance from January 2026 Previous article: Ghana Card to be mandatory for motor insurance from January 2026 17 Communities declared open defecation-free Augustina Tawiah Dec - 17 - 2025 , 05:57 3 minutes read Seventeen communities in two regions have been declared open defecation-free. This follows their ability to have 100 per cent coverage of latrine facilities in their communities. They are the West Mamprusi and the Jasikan Municipalities in the North East and Oti Regions. Plan International Ghana, through a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach, assisted the communities to attain that feat. The Project Manager of Plan International Ghanas Integrated Package for Sustainable Development Project (IPADEV), William Domapielle, disclosed this at the project closure meeting in Accra. With support from their German national office, the IPADEV project sought to contribute to creating a resilient and protective environment both at home and at school for better health and learning outcomes for children, especially girls, through equitable access to and effective utilisation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), education, health facilities and services. The project, which spanned from October 2022 to December 2025, targeted 20 communities in the two districts. Project Mr Domapielle said as part of the project, 667 new household latrines were constructed through the CLTS approach, which helped to improve household latrine coverage from 37 per cent to 101 per cent across project communities. Additionally, he said some existing latrine facilities were improved, and hand-washing facilities and stations were provided for schools, health centres and community centres of the project areas. Mr Domapielle said as part of the project, a real fathers club was established to promote positive masculinity and gender-responsive parenting alongside 37 village savings and loans associations in the project communities. He said through those initiatives, men had become active participants in caregiving and household decision-making, womens workloads had reduced and communities had gained both the financial resources and social structures to sustain improved WASH practices. The North East Regional Minister, Ibrahim Tia, commended Plan International Ghana for the wonderful work it was doing across Ghana and specifically in his region. Empowerment The Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Constant Tchona, said access to improved WASH services was essential for the empowerment of girls and women as they helped enhance their dignity and strengthen their position within the community. Providing statistics, he said available data as of 2023 indicated that only 25 per cent of Ghanaians had access to basic sanitation, while about 56 per cent relied on shared latrines; one per cent use unimproved facilities, and 18 per cent practice open defecation. Consequently, he said three in every four households were at risk of consuming water contaminated with traces of faecal matterlargely due to poor sanitation and hygiene practices. He said the IPADEV project demonstrated strong performance across all indicators, adding that it introduced several innovations, including the establishment of local spare-part supply systems for hand pumpsensuring that communities no longer had to travel long distances to repair broken facilities. A child sanitation diplomat, Artaldus Sung Kuuntanaa, called on children to practice good hygiene and educate their peers and families about sanitation and its negative effects on the environment if it was not practised safely. When the gods speak again: A legendary play returns to stage Daily Graphic Dec - 17 - 2025 , 12:06 3 minutes read Some stories refuse to end. No matter how many times the curtain falls, they linger in the minds of audiences, in the echoes of applause, and in the collective memory of a people. The Gods Are Not To Blame is one such story. Thirteen performances proved it. And still, it was not enough. By popular demand, and in a fitting tribute to the late theatre giant, Mawuli Semevo, the spellbinding stage production of Ola Rotimis classic returns to the National Theatre this December. Image Bureau, in partnership with April Communications and the National Theatre, is once again opening the doors to a world where fate, prophecy, choice and consequence collide a world that left audiences breathless during its original run. The world was designed, defined, and artfully brought to life by the masterful touch of the very talented director, George Quaye. At the heart of The Gods Are Not To Blame is a timeless question: are we prisoners of fate, or architects of our own downfall? With mind-blowing performances, rich cultural textures and emotionally charged storytelling, the play pulls audiences into the tragic journey of King Odewale, a prince fated to kill his father and marry his mother a journey as relevant today as it was when Ola Rotimi first adapted the Greek classic for African audiences. Each scene unfolds with intensity, each line heavy with truth, each silence deliberate. As the year winds down and the Christmas feeling sets in, audiences are invited to begin their holidays not with noise, but with meaning. From today to Friday, the National Theatre will come alive once more with a production that has already cemented its place in Ghanas theatrical history. The decision to bring the play back is not merely about responding to demand; it is about honouring legacy. Mawuli Semevos indelible contribution to Ghanaian theatre looms large over this rerun, giving the production an added layer of depth and reverence. This is not just a performance it is a celebration of excellence, craft and the enduring power of live theatre. Audiences can catch the rerun tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m., with two special shows on Friday at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., offering flexibility for theatre lovers eager not to miss what promises to be another unforgettable run. Tickets are priced at GH250 for singles and GH400 for double, available exclusively via www.imagebureaugh.com or by dialling *714*46#. The Gods Are Not To Blame' is supported by Nii Plants Car Rentals, Ghana Tourism Authority, Graphic Communications Group Ltd, M-Notify and Peace FM, with sponsorship from Stanbic Bank and Bills Micro Credit. Proudly brought to audiences by MTN Ghana, this production stands as a powerful testament to collaboration, culture and creativity. Some stories return because audiences ask for them. Others return because they must be told again. This December, the gods speak once more and Ghana is listening. Featured Government endorses Otumfuos Bawku report, sets up GH1bn revitalisation fund Mohammed Ali Dec - 17 - 2025 , 13:45 4 minutes read The government has endorsed the findings and recommendations contained in the Bawku Conflict Mediation Report presented by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and announced the creation of a GH1 billion fund to support the recovery and development of the conflict-affected area. In a statement issued on December 17, 2025, and signed by the Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the government said President John Dramani Mahama had directed the Minister for Finance to establish the Bawku Revitalisation Fund to restore stability and economic activity in Bawku and its surrounding communities. According to the statement, the fund will be disbursed over three years from 2026 to 2028 and will be used to reconstruct and develop priority infrastructure, including roads, health facilities, schools, dams and irrigation systems to support year-round agriculture, security installations and commercial facilities. The government said the objective is to restore Bawkus status as a key economic and trading hub in northern Ghana. The statement said the government had accepted all the findings and recommendations in the mediation report and would implement them without delay. It reaffirmed the position of the law, as upheld by the Supreme Court, that Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II is the lawful Bawku Naba, stressing that no individual or group is permitted to challenge his authority or legitimacy. On the status of Alhaji Seidu Abagre, who was installed by the Nayiri as a rival claimant to the Bawku skin in February 2023, the government said it had accepted the Asantehenes recommendation for his recall. It said Alhaji Abagre is to be recalled to Nalerigu by the Nayiri, the Overlord of Mamprugu, to assume another traditional role, with the support of the state. The statement said the government would immediately facilitate his safe movement to Nalerigu, where he is expected to remain available to receive the directives of the Nayiri. It further indicated that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has been requested to continue offering guidance to subsequent reconciliation efforts aimed at improving relations between the Mamprusi and Kusasi communities. The Management of the Bawku Revitalisation Fund will be overseen by a committee chaired by the Minister for Finance, Mr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, who also serves as Acting Minister for Defence. Other members include the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Donaltus Akamuguri, and the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Mr Mahama Ayariga, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central and will represent MPs from the area. The government acknowledged that the prolonged conflict has resulted in significant human, social and economic losses, disrupting livelihoods and stalling development in Bawku and neighbouring communities. It noted that years of insecurity have discouraged both public and private investment and delayed critical infrastructure projects. The statement appealed to traditional authorities, political leaders, youth groups, civil society organisations, religious bodies, development partners and residents to support the peace and reconciliation process with restraint and unity. It reiterated the Asantehenes position that the mediation process produces no winners or losers and urged all parties to accept and abide by the conclusions and recommendations of the report in the interest of national stability. According to the statement, the report does not seek to assign blame or declare victory, but rather provides a roadmap towards lasting peace. The mediation process, which lasted two and a half years, was initiated under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and continued under President Mahama, with both the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress administrations agreeing that Otumfuos recommendations would be binding. The Bawku chieftaincy dispute, largely between the Kusasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups over the right to occupy the Bawku skin, has for decades resulted in recurring violence, loss of lives, destruction of property and persistent security challenges in the Upper East Region. The government said its endorsement of the mediation report and the steps outlined to implement its recommendations signal a renewed effort to end the long-running conflict and restore peace and development to the area. Featured What Otumfuo presented as final Bawku chieftaincy mediation recommendations to President Mahama Mohammed Ali Dec - 17 - 2025 , 12:53 5 minutes read The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on Tuesday presented his final mediation recommendations on the Bawku chieftaincy dispute to President John Dramani Mahama, calling for the enforcement of existing laws recognising Asigri Abugurago Azoka II as the lawful Bawku Naba. This was after a two and half years of mediation on the conflict. Addressing the matter of authority in Bawku, Otumfuo said, On the question of Bawku town, I've taken the position that the established tradition since 1931 thereabouts is that the person who is Bawku Naba has the entire Kusasi area. By law and the declaration of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Asigri Abugurago Azoka is a Bawku Naba and there cannot be any rival residing in Bawku claiming otherwise. He said he had urged the Nayiri to accept the legal position. I have impressed upon my brother the Nayiri to accept that recognition by law in appreciation of the enduring brotherhood and international spirit that my brother himself is so concerned about, Otumfuo stated. On the 2023 enskinment of Seidu Abagre, Otumfuo said, I have been candid with my brother the Nayiri that the purported enskinment has come to terms with the difficulties that will pose to achieving lasting peace which he desires. He added, I have from the inception restrained both governments from effecting the arrest of Mr. Seidu Abagre. Out of respect for my brother, the Nayiri, the final resolution of the Bawku matters requires that Mr. Seidu Abagre be recalled to Nalerigu by the Nayiri to be reassigned to play another traditional role at the palace of the Nayiri, assisted by the state. Alternatively, he may choose to stay in Bawku as an ordinary citizen of the community, but not to pose as Bawku Naba. Presenting his main recommendation to the President, Otumfuo said, Mr President, I recommend that my brother, the Nayiri, accepts the laws as presently constituting Asigri Abugurago Azoka as the chief of Bawku and head chief of the Kusasi traditional area. We chiefs, no matter how exalted, do not live above the constitution of Ghana and the laws due to Asigri Abugurago Azoka must be enforced by the government of the Republic of Ghana until change in accordance with the 1992 Constitution. This is critical to the restoration and maintenance of peace in the Kusasi traditional area. Explaining the legal basis of his position, Otumfuo said, I have come to the conclusion that by the Constitution enacted in 1992, for about 40 years, this has been a proper process. As already indicated, any review of the pronouncement of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Ghana must follow the stated hearing process. If the pronouncement of the Supreme Court appears not clear enough, remedy may be sought if available. He also proposed a parallel reconciliation effort. Meet them again, we set up a mediation process where we would do reconciliation and everything. The way things have happened, with the Peace Council, and then we nominate some lawyer from each side and others, and we form a committee to go through that. I think we can find a way to get them to coexist, not by the government, but by the National Peace Council, myself and some people. Otumfuo said his approach was guided by the need to protect the Presidency. That is because I did not want it to come from you, for them to charge you that you have changed the report, he explained. He thanked President Mahama and former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for their trust in him. I wish to thank you, Mr. President, and your predecessor, for reposing such confidence in me. I also want to thank the Nayiri and the Bawku Naba for the efforts relative to this mediation process. The various chiefs and heads of communities whom I met in the area and who participated in this endeavour deserve positive commendation, he said. Earlier, Otumfuo stressed the nature of his role. I'm here not to give a judgment as to who was wrong and who was right. I'm here to present the facts of the two and a half years since your predecessor invited me to mediate in a major conflict in Bawku that had not only claimed the lives of many innocent souls, but had also hindered governance, he said. He added, What I can say is that it was a mediation. It was not an arbitration. I'm not here to say this one was wrong or that one was right. I will present the facts as they are, and that is what should bind all of us. Otumfuo said both the NPP and NDC administrations agreed his recommendations should be enforced. Both President Akufo-Addo and now President John Dramani Mahama came to a conclusion that the courts of Ghana had been invited to resolve the issues implicating the Bawku matter. The pronouncements have not been respected by sides when they went against them. As a result, both governments took the position that I should define a solution using mediation and that my conclusions should be enforced as a traditional solution, he said. President Mahama, responding to the presentation, said the government would announce its position on the report within 24 hours. The Bawku chieftaincy dispute, mainly between the Kusasis and Mamprusis over the right to occupy the Bawku skin, has led to recurring violence, loss of lives and persistent security challenges in the Upper East Region. Marine Drive project gets new Board as Tourism Minister demands speed and accountability GraphicOnline Dec - 17 - 2025 , 17:41 3 minutes read The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has issued a strong call for urgency, accountability and measurable outcomes in the implementation of the Accra Marine Enclave Limited Project, warning that delays can no longer be tolerated. She made the remarks at the inauguration of the projects Board of Directors, where she stressed that the Marine Drive initiative must return to a disciplined and results-driven implementation path to safeguard the national interest and ensure value for money. The public expects results, the Minister said, reminding board members that the project is a flagship national investment with the capacity to create jobs, attract private capital and transform Ghanas coastal tourism economy. Gomashie noted that despite its strategic importance, the Marine Drive Project has experienced prolonged delays, and cautioned that transparency, professionalism and accountability must guide every decision taken by the Board. She emphasised that the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts remains the Boards principal policy anchor and urged close alignment with government priorities to address long-standing implementation bottlenecks. She assured the Board of her readiness to provide strategic support and timely intervention but made it clear that governance discipline would be non-negotiable. Placing the project within a broader national context, the Minister recalled that the Marine Drive vision was first launched in 2016 under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama and charged the Board to protect that vision by delivering a legacy project for future generations. Responding on behalf of the Board, the Chair and Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Yussif Issaka Jajah, welcomed the Ministers directive and pledged swift action to restore momentum to the project. The Ministry remains our principal policy and strategic guide, and we will work closely with it to restore confidence in the Marine Drive Project, he said. Mr Jajah disclosed that the Board would immediately establish a technical committee, review existing proposals and begin engagements with stakeholders and potential investors early in the new year as part of efforts to reposition the project. The five-member Board comprises Mr Jajah as Chair, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mrs Maame Efua Houadjeto; the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, Prof. Kobby Mensah; the Director for Culture and Creative Arts at the Ministry, Divine Owusu-Ansah; and a private sector representative Kwame Atta Acheampong, with the Chief Director of the Ministry serving as an ex-officio member. The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior officials of the Ministry and its agencies, including the Director for Tourism, Dr Geoffrey Tamakloe; the Director for Administration, Kofi Ohene-Benning; and deputy chief executives of the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Tourism Development Company. When the gods speak again: A legendary play returns to stage Previous article: When the gods speak again: A legendary play returns to stage Featured Nude images case: Agradaa fined, ordered to compensate pastor GNA Dec - 17 - 2025 , 11:20 2 minutes read An Accra High Court has ordered Patricia Aseidua, also known as Agradaa, to pay GH50,000 in compensation to Pastor Emmanuel Appiah Fumum for the non-consensual distribution of his nude images. Aseidua, also known as Evangelist Mama Pat, was further directed to pay GH12,000 on each of four separate charges, with the sentences running concurrently. The court imposed the fines and compensation after her lawyers reached a plea-bargaining agreement with the Office of the Attorney General and the complainant, Pastor Fumum, also known as Appiah Biblical. At the previous sitting, her lawyers informed the court that the plea-bargaining process was at an advanced stage. Other accused persons in the matter are also seeking to enter plea-bargaining arrangements, while one has appealed against a ruling on a submission of no case. The case arose after the complainant reported to the police that his nude images had been broadcast on Agradaas Thunder TV and shared on social media platforms. Agradaa, the founder of Heaven Way Champion International Ministry, and her co-accused, Charles Omane, also known as One Gig, filed for plea bargaining and were expected to open their defence. Another accused person, Enock Owusu Kissi, challenged the courts order directing him to open his defence. Agradaa, who is currently serving a 15-year sentence in a separate case, was charged with the non-consensual distribution and possession of intimate images. Her co-accused were charged with abetment in connection with the distribution of the complainants intimate images aired on Thunder TV in 2021. Featured President directs Finance Minister to set up GH1 billion Bawku rehabilitation fund after Otumfuo's mediation Graphic Online Dec - 17 - 2025 , 13:49 4 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister of Finance to establish GH1 billion Bawku Revitalisation Fund. This follows the insecurity over the years, which has severely constrained public and private investment and stalled critical infrastructure development in the area. The Fund, which, shall be disbursed over a three-year period between 2026 and 2028, will be dedicated to the reconstruction and development of priority infrastructure, including roads, healthcare, education, dam and irrigation facilities for all-year-round agriculture, security installations, and economic and commercial facilities, to restore Bawku to its historic position as a significant economic and trading hub in Northern Ghana. The Fund shall be managed by a high-level Committee Chaired by the Minister of Finance, Dt Cassiel Ato Baah Forson. This was contained in a statement issued by the government's on its position on the Bawku mediation report. Featured SML case: Col Damoah pleads not guilty, granted GH50million bail Justice Agbenorsi Dec - 17 - 2025 , 13:48 4 minutes read Col. Kwadwo Damoah, a former Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) who has been charged alongside the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta for allegedly causing financial loss of more than GH1.4 billion in the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contract saga, has pleaded not guilty to charges filed by the Special Prosecutor. Col Damoah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Jaman South, is facing eight substantive charges and two conspiracy charges in the case in which all the accused persons are facing 78 counts of causing financial loss to the state, using public office for profit, wilful oppression, directly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of procurement and entering into an agreement with a financial commitment binding the government for more than one financial year without prior authorisation by Parliament. He has been admitted to bail in the sum of GH50million with two sureties. Conditions Per the bail conditions, he is to deposit his travel documents at the registry of the court The sureties are to deposit copies of their Ghana Card at the registry of the court The accused has also been placed on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list at the various points of entry and exit. He is to report to the lead investigator once every week. Per the orders of the court, the bail terms are to be suspended until December 31, 2025 to him to find the sureties to meet the bail terms The other accused persons in the case are Emmanuel Kofi Nti and Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah - both former Commissioner-Generals of the GRA, Isaac Crentsil former Commissioners of the Customs Division of the GRA, Ernest Darko Akore an aide to Ofori-Atta during his tenure as Minister of Finance, Evans Adusei the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SML, and SML itself. The court granted five of the accused persons bail in the sum of GH50million with two sureties each to be justified last week. They are to report to the Special Prosecutor's office once every week and also deposit their travel documents. The court, however, suspended the execution of the bail terms until December 15, 2025. The case has been adjourned to December 17, 2025, for Damoah's plea to be taken. SML contract The criminal case against six top government officials stemmed from a revenue assurance contract awarded to SML by the previous government, which has become a subject of controversy and numerous allegations, leading to its eventual cancellation by the government following a directive by President John Dramani Mahama. The criminal case also followed public interest and discussions about attempts to extradite Mr Ofori-Atta, whom the OSP accused of running from justice, although the former finance minister insists that he had nothing to hide but is in the USA for medical treatment. Facts In a charge sheet signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng and filed at the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court yesterday, the OSP alleged that the accused persons hatched a criminal enterprise to use the SML contract to fleece the nation. The criminal enterprise was commenced in 2017 by the first, third, seventh and eighth accused persons, with the other accused persons joining the adventure at various times. The criminal enterprise was characterised by no genuine need for contracting the eighth accused company for the obligations it purported to perform, and the contracts were secured for the eighth company through self-serving patronage and promotion by the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth accused persons based on false and unverified claims, he stated. The OSP further accused them of engaging in prohibited acts and Acted with increased emboldened impunity as they freely abused their public offices by using the offices for private benefit. Also, the OSP alleged that the six former government officials created an avenue for SML to Largely pretend to perform the services under the various contracts - leading to immense financial loss to the republic of about one billion, four hundred and thirty-six million, two hundred and forty-nine thousand, eight hundred and twenty-eight cedis, fifty-three pesewas (GH1,436,249,828.53). The accused persons based their actions on their false claims that the eighth accused company possessed technical expertise and capability in revenue assurance, and that the technical expertise and capability of the eighth accused person had greatly increased revenue for the republic; and further that the eighth accused company exclusively possessed the only patented and proven technological systems in the world for value chain transaction audits, external price verification and measurement audit services in the downstream petroleum, upstream petroleum and minerals sectors, the OSP added. Featured Ghana takes over leadership of Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum Rebecca Quaicoe Duho Health Dec - 17 - 2025 , 09:57 4 minutes read Ghana has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum (BHPF). The Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum (BHPF), an official ICASA pre-conference event, focuses mainly on HIV findings. The BHPF is a key gathering, one of the major AIDS events, that brings together researchers, communities, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), youth, and healthcare professionals to translate cutting-edge HIV science findings into actionable, equitable, and community-centred strategies for HIV prevention, focusing heavily on Africa and improving health outcomes for most-impacted populations. It is a space for advocacy, sharing new research, and ensuring community voices shape the HIV prevention agenda, by translating scientific breakthroughs such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and the PrEP ring, which are all HIV prevention tools, into real-world programmes, emphasising community engagement.Ghanas chairing of the BHPF, which it took over from Zimbabwe, marks a new chapter in the countrys leadership in regional HIV prevention efforts. Commitment The Executive Director for Hope for Future Generation (HFFG), Cecilia Sanoo, who represented Ghana at the 7th Bio-Medical HIV Prevention Forum at the just-ended ICASA meeting in Accra, on the theme: Advancing Biomedical HIV Prevention as a National Priority Through Choice, was bestowed with the chairmanship. Addressing the participants after accepting the mantle, she affirmed the countrys commitment to driving stronger collaboration, wider access to prevention tools, and deeper community engagement across the continent. She said Ghanas new responsibility reflected the countrys long-standing investment in public health and its readiness to support partners across Africa. Ghana is ready to support in the prevention of HIV, its a cooperative responsibility including funding and education, she stated. The Programmes Manager, National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), Dr Emmanuel Teviu, in an address said: Ghana is privileged to host this platform at such a critical moment for the global HIV response. According to him, the world was not on track to end AIDS by 2030, saying that in 2023, about 210,000 adolescent girls and young women acquired HIV, with 3,100 new infections occurring every week in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. This, he said, was not just a statistic but a call to conscience as key populations, who represent less than five per cent of the global population, continue to account for the majority of new infections due to stigma, criminalisation, and exclusion from essential services. Women and girls, he said, accounted for 45 per cent of new infections in 2024, driven by gender inequality, poverty, limited education, and gender-based violence, saying the issue is not the lack of sciencebecause biomedical innovations exist. The issue is equity, access, financing, and political will. Funding freeze He added that the 2025 funding freezes affecting USAID and other global partners have deepened the strain on African health systems, threatening programme continuity, treatment adherence, and the civil society networks that keep communities engaged. He explained that expanding biomedical prevention options is essential to strengthening Ghana and Africas response. But choice only works when supported by strong systems: sustainable national budgets, resilient supply chains, community-led delivery models, youth-friendly services, decriminalisation and stigma reduction, and robust data and implementation science. According to him, civil society has always been the backbone of the HIV responsedriving accountability, mobilising communities, safeguarding rights, and ensuring that no one is left behind, adding that Amid shrinking resources, their resilience is being tested. The funding crisis threatens many organisations that deliver essential prevention work in our communities. He said Ghana emphasises the need to protect, fund, and centre community-led approachesnot as an option, but as a necessity for any credible HIV strategy. Young people, especially adolescent girls and young women, must not only be beneficiaries but co-creators of solutions, adding that the future of HIV prevention must be African-led, grounded in African evidence, African research capacity, African policy leadership, and African community structures. Ending AIDS by 2030, he said, was still possible but only if we act bol I also deserve to live - The cry of the baby of an Rh D negative mother Next article: I also deserve to live - The cry of the baby of an Rh D negative mother SMOGA donates to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Childrens Department Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi Health Dec - 17 - 2025 , 05:57 2 minutes read The St. Marys Old Girls Association (SMOGA) has donated medical and hygiene supplies valued at GH500,000 to the childrens departments of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) as part of its 2025 Feast Day celebration. Items donated included disinfectants, hospital supplies, detergents, diapers, sanitisers, liquid soaps, brooms, brushes, toilet rolls, hand tissues and assorted childrens food items such as Milo, milk and others. The gesture, which formed part of the associations annual humanitarian outreach undertaken during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, took place on December 8, on the theme: Honouring our founders: living the faith, serving with truth and virtue. Donation Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the National President of SMOGA, Lynda Dede Graham, said the contribution was mobilised from 48-year-groups of old students who responded generously to the needs of the hospitals childrens wards. She explained that the donation followed a needs assessment conducted by the association to determine priority items required by the various childrens units, as some families also struggled to afford basic items for their children. She added that sanitation was a major concern in childrens wards, hence the focus on hygiene products. Hospital spaces for children must be cleaned constantly, and these supplies will help the staff maintain a healthy environment for them, she said. To guarantee that the supplies reach the intended beneficiaries, Mrs Graham said some items were distributed by the association during the visit. Feast day activities Before the donation, Mrs Graham said the SMOGA alumni joined students for the Feast Day Mass held at the Rev. Mother Bernadette Assembly Hall. She said the celebration marked one of the most significant on the associations calendar. PayPal now wants to become a bank in the US. The company has submitted the required applications to the Utah Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to establish PayPal Bank, which would be a Utah-based chartered industrial loan company. PayPal says this would strengthen its business and improve its efficiency, enabling it to "better support small business growth and economic opportunities across the US". Aside from providing small business loans, PayPal Bank would offer interest-bearing savings accounts to customers, and it would also become a member of card networks in the US "to complement processing and settlement activities through existing banking relationships". Since 2013, PayPal says it has "provided access to over $30 billion in loans and working capital to more than 420,000 business accounts worldwide", and this proposed bank would allow it to "provide business lending solutions more efficiently to small businesses in the US, while reducing reliance on third parties and strengthening PayPal's business". If the authorities approve the establishment of PayPal Bank, customer deposits would be eligible for FDIC insurance coverage. Source One way to drive hype about a new product is to supply way less of it than is demanded, and then wait for all the "sold out" headlines to appear. This seems to be exactly what Samsung is doing in Korea with the Galaxy Z TriFold, which already sold out once, in mere minutes, when it first went on sale a few days ago. The company then promised a restock for this week, and this has happened earlier today. Once again, it sold out - in two minutes this time. But here's the thing - reports say the initial stock that sold out the first time was 1,000 units, and the total "initial sales volume" including today's round was 3,000. In a country of around 50 million people, 3,000 units is a laughably small quantity. So Samsung had two options here: wait until it made more and only put it on sale then, or have it go on sale anyway and then sell out almost instantly multiple times, creating this feeling that it's 'selling like hot cakes', even though it's not. It's pretty obvious which way Samsung went, isn't it? The Galaxy Z TriFold is expected to make its way to the US, UAE, Singapore, China, and Taiwan in the coming weeks. Don't be surprised if it will sell out there too. Source Father Luis Camacho can and will appeal a ruling from the Vatican that found him guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor and would see him stripped of his title as priest. Thats according to a pastoral letter issued Monday by Archbishop Ryan Jimenez. The archbishop said he acted in haste last week in a letter that announced Camacho would be laicized, or no longer recognized as a priest, effective immediately. Camacho has 60 days from Dec. 2 to appeal the ruling, Jimenez clarified Monday. The right of appeal has not expired, and Rev. Camacho fully intends to exercise his right to appeal to the Collegium of the Doctrine of the Faith, he said. Camacho left Guam in 2015, under canonical investigation, after being arrested and charged with custodial interference for allegedly taking a minor from school and engaging in a sexual act with her. It came shortly after Camachos ordination as a priest on Nov. 9, 2013. Camacho returned to Guam nine years later, in May 2024, but the archdiocese at the time said his priestly faculties were still restricted. In a message last week, Jimenez indicated that the Congresso of the Vaticans Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith completed its review of the case involving Camacho, and confirmed that he was found guilty of delicate graviora cum minor on Sept. 19. The archbishop has stated he received authorization from the Dicastery on Nov. 5, 2024, to initiate an administrative penal process. After a canonical investigation, a penal decree was issued finding Camacho guilty of delicate contra sextum. That means violations of the Sixth Commandment, or sexual misconduct, with a minor, the archbishop has stated. That means grave offenses involving of a person under the age of 18. But with the right of appeal still available, Camacho is not dismissed from the clerical state while recourse is ongoing, Jimenez stated Monday. I acted in haste and that my actions were not intended to cause any harm or scandal to Rev. Camacho, to his family or to the Archdiocese of Agana, Jimenez said. Meanwhile, we must wait in prayer for Rev. Camacho and for all of us that, after all the requirements of canon law are met, we accept the Holy Will of God. 2015 arrest According to archdiocesan records, Camacho was arrested on March 17, 2015, on Guam for custodial interference. He resigned as pastor of San Dimas, Malesso and San Dionisio, Humatak. At the time, he was prohibited from hearing confession and restricted from celebrating Mass publicly. He was only able to celebrate Mass privately. After Camachos 2015 arrest, then Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron sent him off-island to a priestly renewal program. A year later, Apuron himself left Guam, after former altar boys started publicly accusing him of raping and sexually molesting them when they were minors. The Vatican had likewise opened a canonical investigation on Apuron. A Vatican tribunal would find Apuron guilty of abusing multiple minors and after losing his appeal, he was stripped of his title and banned from returning to Guam. It took until 2019, three years after accusers first stepped forward, for Apurons conviction and appeal to conclude. The Guam Visitors Bureau went into executive session for about half an hour during its board of directors meeting Dec. 11 to discuss anticipated litigation. Board members were not allowed to share details due to advice from legal counsel. Director Joanne Brown recused herself from the meeting, telling the board she had reservations about its members acting in the dark. Describing herself as a stickler for public notice, Brown told the board that the information put in place for the executive session is not clear enough. Although notice of the session to discuss anticipated litigation was included in the meetings agenda posted beforehand, Brown did not think the notice was adequate. It could be anticipated litigation on anything. Sitting on the board, I dont know what thats going to be on, Brown said. I dont think the general public have an understanding of what thats going to be on. Because we are using public resources and funds, I have reservations about that. The bureaus legal counsel, Joseph McDonald, said the matter is still extremely confidential and privileged information. He said the language used in the notice was an adequate description. Any more description would be more than is necessary to inform the public, McDonald said. Brown said the law is clear regarding adequate notice to the public about what government boards will discuss. She was further concerned about the transparency issue being raised later. I dont want to put the board in a position where we could be criticized because were not publicly noticing [and] I dont want to put us in that position, Brown said. It is very easy to interpret that we are acting in the dark when we do not adequately notify the public what we are discussing, especially when we are meeting with the ability as a quorum to make decisions. Board chairman George Chiu wanted to emphasize to Brown and members of the public that the board has never made any decision during executive session, because were not allowed to, even with a quorum, and was only following the advice of its legal counsel to go into executive session. McDonald added that the law requires reasonable notice, and he said, due to the nature of the matter, anticipated litigation is sufficient. Otherwise, he added, reasonable is subject to interpretation. Brown was the only one who objected to Thursdays executive session. She told the Pacific Daily News that the public should know the issues being discussed, even if no official decisions can be made or voted on, especially when no members of the public or media are allowed to sit in during the session. The record is not public for a possible six months under certain circumstances, and GVB could ask for an extension to keep those minutes from being public, Brown said. I believe we should be very clear what it is were meeting on. She said litigation can mean anything, and her reservations were based on the fact that she and likely other members of the board were unaware of the details to be discussed before Thursdays meeting. The public is getting more cynical about the abuse of authority, so I think we are not to the level that we need to be, Brown said. Sometimes, when you look at agendas of meetings, theyre not specific to what is being discussed or how decisions will impact departments. GVB General Manager Regine Biscoe Lee told PDN after the meeting that federal laws make it clear that confidential is preferred [and] protected for the release of some information. She said the executive session was only to make sure the board members were aware of what was going on. There are many other government boards you can point to. Theres even a famous case where GMHA legal counsel provided documents after a case was already paid out, so the Supreme Court of Guam said its the proper way to handle this issue, she said. For the executive session, confidentiality is paramount. We want to make sure our directors are briefed and aware of what is going on. Thats all. Haiti - Cooperation : Haiti and Mexico celebrate 195 years of diplomatic relations On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the Montana Hotel in Port-au-Prince, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime participated in the official ceremony marking the 195th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Haiti and Mexico. This commemoration, marked by solemnity and conviviality, brought together high-ranking Haitian officials, including Leslie Voltaire, Presidential Advisor for the Transition; Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, Minister of Foreign Affairs; several members of the government; Jose de Jesus Cisneros Chavez, Mexican Ambassador to Haiti; Hubert Labbe, Haitian Ambassador to Mexico; as well as representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps accredited to Haiti. On this occasion, the Head of Government participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the inauguration of an exhibition of photographs and historical documents, retracing nearly two centuries of cooperation and friendship between the two Nations. Alongside Councilor Voltaire, Prime Minister Fils-Aime reaffirmed the Haitian government's firm commitment to consolidating and deepening bilateral relations with Mexico, particularly in strategic sectors such as health, education, defense, security, and agriculture, for the benefit of sustainable development and the well-being of the Haitian and Mexican peoples. In his address, Councilor Voltaire praised the exemplary nature of Haitian-Mexican friendship, recalling that this relationship is rooted in a long tradition of solidarity between peoples engaged in the struggle for their freedom. He mentioned Haiti's historical support for independence movements in Latin America, marking one of the first acts of South-South cooperation. He also highlighted Mexico's significant contribution to the education of many young Haitians through scholarship programs, cultural exchanges, and technical cooperation projects. He described Mexico as a strategic partner in Haiti's reconstruction and sustainable development efforts. HL/ S/ HaitiLibre The patches to close a critical security vulnerability in the React server are incomplete, Meta explains. Admins should immediately apply the new updates to fix further discovered security issues, the company recommends. Continue after ad In a blog post, the React developers explain that the previously released patches are vulnerable. If you have already applied the updates for the critical vulnerability last week, you need to update again, they write in a highlighted entry. If you have updated to 19.0.2, 19.1.3, or 19.2.2, these [patches] are incomplete and you need to update again, they clarify. More vulnerabilities found IT security researchers have thus discovered three more security vulnerabilities in the React server components when they tried to exploit the previous week's patches. The new vulnerabilities do not allow the injection and execution of malicious code, and the existing patches effectively prevent this attack, the React developers add. New are denial-of-service vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-55184, CVE-2025-67779, CVSS 7.5, risk high) and a vulnerability that can expose source code (CVE-2025-55183, CVSS 5.3, risk medium). The vulnerabilities are found in the same packages and versions as the already actively exploited security vulnerability (CVE-2025-55182, CVSS 10.0, risk critical). Versions 19.0.0, 19.0.1, 19.0.2, 19.1.0, 19.1.1, 19.1.2, 19.2.0, 19.2.1, and 19.2.2 of react-server-dom-webpack, react-server-dom-parcel, and react-server-dom-turbopack are affected. In versions 19.0.3, 19.1.4, and 19.2.3, the programmers have corrected the security-relevant errors. Google's Threat Intelligence team summarized findings on ongoing attacks on the vulnerability called React2Shell CVE-2025-55182 over the past weekend. According to this, Google observed widespread exploit attempts on many clusters shortly after the security leak became known in early December, ranging from opportunistic cybercrime to groups suspected of espionage. Google mentions espionage attempts originating from China, financially motivated activities, and also attacks from Iran. In the campaigns, the perpetrators attempted to install, among other things, Minocat tunnelers, Snowlight downloaders, Hisonic and Compood backdoors, and crypto miners. Some observations overlap with those of the IT security company Huntress and with other attacks on the vulnerability already observed. (dmk) 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. The investigation covers 25 incidents between late August and early November. The suspects, aged between 14 and 18, reportedly operated in coordinated groups. Nearly half were under 15 at the time of the alleged offences. Helsinki police have identified around 40 minors suspected of carrying out a wave of violent robberies and assaults in public places across the capital. Attacks took place in popular gathering spots for youth, including Alppipuisto, Malmi, Oulunkyla and Mustikkamaa, as well as near commercial centres such as Tripla and Kamppi. According to police, suspects often selected their victims inside a shopping centre before leading them outside. The assaults were usually carried out by groups of 15 to 20 individuals. Victims were surrounded, punched, kicked and sometimes forced to the ground. In some cases, serious injuries were reported. Robbers stole mobile phones, clothing and electric scooters. Stolen payment cards were used to buy fast food, including children's meals. Police describe the crimes as following a consistent pattern. One or two suspects would initiate contact in a friendly manner, while others closed in and launched the attack. Victims had no chance to defend themselves. Some incidents involved forced humiliation. Victims were made to strip, apologise for unspecified actions, or were spat on. Several attacks were filmed by the perpetrators. The suspects agreed in advance to go out and assault people in youth-dense areas, said Detective Inspector Kari Martikainen in a police statement. The victims were chosen at random. Eight suspects have been detained. Two others are under travel restrictions. Prosecutors are expected to begin reviewing 16 cases in January 2026. Many of the suspects are from immigrant backgrounds. Police have not specified nationalities but stated that this background is a common factor in current street-level crimes, including robberies and emerging gang activity. Senior Crime Commissioner Markku Heinikari said the offenders appear to be following a path into street gangs. If a 14-year-old is already committing robberies, it is a short step into gang crime, he said during a press briefing. Heinikari described the violence as indiscriminate. Some assaults were linked to peer pressure and a desire for social status within these groups. Police are concerned about the rapid escalation of aggression and the structured nature of the attacks. Police across Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa have responded by launching joint operations. The Helsinki-Espoo-Vantaa initiative (HEV) has focused on high-risk locations such as shopping centres and public transport hubs. These areas have seen increased patrols and the presence of youth workers. According to Hanna Kiiskinen, Chief Inspector in Helsinki, the operations have helped prevent incidents from escalating. She said around 350 young people gathered in city centre malls on some weekends. Police say drug use among youth is fuelling violent crime. Many suspects carry weapons, including knives, with some as young as 11 found in possession of blades. The rise in violent youth crime coincides with the start of the school year. Police said the return of students in August was followed by a spike in group assaults. HT The statements appeared this week on the official social media channels of Finlands embassies in Tokyo , Beijing and Seoul . The content addressed offensive photographs shared by MPs Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew , in which they stretch their eyes in a manner widely recognised as a racist caricature of East Asians. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has issued formal apologies in Chinese, Japanese and Korean in response to racist social media posts by members of the Finns Party. Orpos office confirmed that the Prime Minister acted on his own initiative. The images sparked significant backlash in Asia, including widespread coverage in major newspapers and television outlets. In his apology, Orpo stated that the actions of the MPs do not reflect Finlands national values. Racism and discrimination have no place in Finnish society, he said in the statements. The government takes racism seriously and is committed to combating it. Political leaders have a responsibility to set an example. Orpo also said he holds deep respect for the people of Japan and recalled his previous visit to the country as an honour. The offensive conduct was condemned unanimously by the chairpersons of the government coalition's parliamentary groups. The images were originally published in support of Sarah Dzafce, a former Miss Finland who lost her crown after posting a similar image with a caption mocking Chinese people. The controversy grew after the Finns Party politicians repeated the same gesture. Eerola has since apologised for the image, calling it offensive. Garedew has declined to apologise, stating to Iltalehti that she did not understand what needed to be addressed. Orpo previously told Parliament that such behaviour harms Finlands international standing. He warned that if coalition rules are broken without consequences, the government would become dysfunctional. The controversy has already impacted Finlands cultural and economic diplomacy. Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported that ICS Nordic, a Finnish media production company, confirmed it has paused new projects with Japanese partners. Ilkka Hynninen, the firms creative director, told the paper that long-term cultural ties with Japan are at risk. We agreed with our Japanese partners that now is not the right time, Hynninen said. His companys television series Shadows of the Rising Sun, featuring Finnish actor Jasper Paakkonen and Japanese actor Anne Watanabe, is still scheduled for release in Japan next year. But new collaborations have been postponed. Hynninen described Japans reaction as increasingly serious. He said trust and respect are critical in Japans business culture. In another example, Finland's national airline Finnair has received complaints, including calls for boycotts from Asian travellers. The scandal has also prompted sharp commentary in East Asian media. Japans Asahi Shimbun, the countrys second-largest daily, interviewed Eerola, who said he was deeply sorry and would apologise as many times as needed. South Koreas Chosun Ilbo described the event as its most-read article earlier in the week. Chinese and Taiwanese outlets, as well as the BBCs Chinese service, also covered the story. The Finns Party is expected to discuss possible consequences for its MPs. According to a government agreement made earlier in the year, coalition MPs who breach shared ethical standards must face disciplinary action from their parliamentary groups. The government has not confirmed whether sanctions will be issued. HT Chinas Central Archives received new historical documents from Russia earlier in the month, including wartime records confirming state-directed biological warfare experiments by Japans Unit 731. The records, released to coincide with the anniversary, documented bacterial attacks in northeast China, reinforcing long-standing claims of war crimes committed during Japans occupation. On 13 December 2025, China marked the 12th National Memorial Day for the Nanjing Massacre, commemorating over 300,000 victims killed by Japanese troops in 1937. The ceremony in Nanjing came amid growing diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan and Japanese military policy. The Xinhua News Agency published multiple commentaries throughout December, criticising Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her governments alleged denial of wartime atrocities, including the Nanjing Massacre and the activities of Unit 731. The articles framed recent Japanese military policies and remarks on Taiwan as threats to post-war regional peace. According to Xinhua, Japans handling of its wartime history contradicts its obligations under the Cairo Declaration (1943) and Potsdam Proclamation (1945), which formed the foundation of the post-WWII order in East Asia. Both agreements outlined Japans surrender terms, including the return of territories like Taiwan to China. Taiwan had been under Japanese colonial rule from 1895, following the Treaty of Shimonoseki. It was returned to Chinese administration in 1945, before the Chinese Civil War led to the separation between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland and the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan in 1949. China maintains that Taiwan remains an inseparable part of its territory, a position grounded in historical documents and recognised under United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (1971), which expelled the ROC from the UN and recognised the PRC as the sole legal representative of China. As of 2025, only 12 countries recognise Taiwan diplomatically. Tensions escalated after Takaichis remarks on 7 November, in which she said that mainland pressure on Taiwan posed a threat to Japans survival. China interpreted the statement as a signal of possible intervention in a Taiwan conflict. Despite demands from Beijing, she has not retracted the comment, referring instead to the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, which acknowledges Chinas position on Taiwan without making Japans stance explicit. Xinhua labelled Takaichis position as a breach of prior commitments and accused Japan of whitewashing its colonial and wartime conduct. The commentaries compared her statements and military posture to pre-1945 Japanese fascism. On 10 December, Japan claimed that Chinese warships had targeted Japanese naval assets with fire-control radar during routine training near the Miyako Strait. China denied the accusation, stating the radar use was a response to Japanese surveillance aircraft approaching its Liaoning carrier group. Xinhua said similar claims in June were fabricated to justify Japans expansion of offensive capabilities. Observers linked these events to broader concerns over Japans rising military budget and growing defence exports. Commentaries noted that right-wing factions in Tokyo have pushed to revise the countrys three non-nuclear principles and expand the role of the Self-Defence Forces. In recent years, Japan has entered into new defence agreements, including security cooperation with the United States and Australia. The December articles also referenced Takaichis past visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honours convicted war criminals alongside Japans war dead. China sees these visits as provocative and symbolic of a return to militarist ideology. The Xinhua pieces argued that Japan must disavow such gestures to maintain regional trust. The Nanjing Massacre memorial in 2025 was marked by sirens, moments of silence, and the release of white doves. State councillor Shi Taifeng attended the event in place of Xi Jinping, whose absence was noted by international media including Al Jazeera and The Japan Times. The ceremony highlighted the dwindling number of survivors, now numbering just 24. Speeches stressed remembrance and peace, while connecting the history of Japans 1930s invasion to present-day tensions. The South China Morning Post noted the solemnity of the event and its link to the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Between 1931 and 1945, Japanese forces invaded and occupied large parts of China. The Marco Polo Bridge Incident of 7 July 1937 sparked full-scale war. Japans military advances included the seizure of Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and wide areas across eastern China. The Second Sino-Japanese War, later folded into the broader conflict of World War II, caused approximately 35 million Chinese casualties, according to Chinese records. In Nanjing, then the capital of the Republic of China, Japanese troops began a six-week campaign of mass killings, rape, and looting in December 1937. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East later confirmed the massacre. While death toll estimates vary, Chinese sources maintain over 300,000 were killed. Allied wartime records suggested a lower number of about 142,000. Newly revealed Unit 731 documents from Russian archives added further weight to Chinese claims about Japanese war crimes. Based in Harbin, the unit conducted lethal experiments on prisoners, including exposure to anthrax and plague. Moscows release of these files was coordinated with Chinese authorities to reinforce historical records. In response to the rising tension, China imposed restrictions on Japanese seafood and issued travel advisories. Commercial flights between the two countries were cancelled, and Chinese tourism to Japan declined sharply. State media linked this to public sentiment influenced by Japans defence policy and Takaichis Taiwan stance. While Xinhuas editorials called for Japan to repent and reaffirm its post-war commitments, international coverage remained more restrained. The Japan Times, Al Jazeera, and other outlets reported the memorial and surrounding events without endorsing Beijings interpretation. Western media generally focused on factual developments, avoiding alignment with either sides historical framing. Analysts noted that diplomatic contacts between China and Japan have declined. Ambassadors were summoned by both sides after the radar incident, and no high-level bilateral meetings were scheduled by mid-December. Observers warned that unresolved historical disputes, if politicised, may feed into broader security dilemmas across the Asia-Pacific. The December 2025 Nanjing Memorial took place in a context of fragile regional dynamics. Chinas emphasis on historical remembrance was linked directly to present concerns over Japans defence strategy, Taiwan, and the integrity of the post-WWII order. Beijings position remains that Tokyo must abandon militarist rhetoric and acknowledge its wartime conduct to prevent further deterioration in bilateral relations. HT Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India's largest hospitality company, today announced the opening of Avantika by the Ganges - IHCL SeleQtions in Varanasi. Cradled on the banks of Kashi, the 43-key Avantika by the Ganges - IHCL SeleQtions is a spiritual sanctuary in the heart of the city in close proximity to Kashi Vishwanathand Kaal Bhairav temple. The rooms and suites offer a harmony of design and devotion, shaped by the balance of the five elements with panoramic views of the Ganges.The hotel's all-vegetarian restaurant, Dhanushkoti, brings timeless tastes inspired by traditional Varanasi kitchens, with ingredients sourced locally. Guests can also enjoy a well-equipped fitness centre, spa and salon, designed to complement the holistic experience of the property. Known as the spiritual capital of India, Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Revered for its sacred ghats along the Ganges, it is a hub for spiritual seekers, cultural enthusiasts, and history lovers.To know more and make your reservations, please visit: Avantika by the Ganges - IHCL SeleQtions. Hotel website The historic Hilton Milwaukee, the city's largest hotel, proudly announces the completion of its $42 million renovation, the most extensive in the history of Marcus Hotels & Resorts, a division of Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS). The project reimagines the hotel's ornate 1920s architecture and design into a new era of style and sophistication, unveiling a revitalized lobby and bar, transformed meeting and event spaces, and 554 fully restyled guest rooms. Refreshed Lobby and Bar Hilton Milwaukee's grand two-story lobby remains the heart of the hotel, welcoming guests with its original crystal chandeliers, marble pillars and floors, geometric motifs, and intricate woodwork. The refreshed design has a warm, neutral color palette that highlights these historic details. In the hotel's lobby bar, The Monarch Lounge, soft cream tones and custom blue and brown carpeting complement the bar's timeless features. Anchored by its stone-and-metal fireplace and crystal chandeliers, The Monarch Lounge offers guests a refined yet relaxing place to gather, unwind, and connect. Transformed Ballrooms and Meeting Spaces With more than 34,000 square feet of versatile meeting rooms, Hilton Milwaukee offers the most event space of any hotel in the city. The hotel's three ballrooms, pre-function spaces, and meeting rooms were renovated to maintain the now-refurbished crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors, gold-leafed adornments, and bright silver accents, along with new carpeting, draperies, and wall coverings. The renovation meets the needs of modern event attendees with updated lighting controls and new digital signage throughout. Restyled Guest Rooms The hotel's 554 guest rooms were completely refreshed, balancing the building's treasured aesthetic with amenities that today's travelers expect. The updated interiors bring a warm palette of soft woods and gold accents, complemented by custom-designed carpeting, draperies, and vibrant artwork. Guests can relax amid new furnishings and lighting inspired by the symmetry and glamour of the Art Deco era while appreciating motion-sensor lighting, in-room steamers, and newly installed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Guest bathrooms were also fully redesigned with new marble countertops, built-in lighted mirrors, and premium fixtures from Wisconsin-based Kohler Co., delivering an elevated, luxurious experience. A Milwaukee Landmark for Decades to Come Opening its doors in 1928 as the Schroeder Hotel, the Hilton Milwaukee stands as a masterpiece and one of the city's most distinguished landmarks. The building's original owner, Walter Schroeder, spared no expense in creating the hotel that would bear his name and become a lasting fixture in Milwaukee's skyline. Designed by renowned architects Holabird and Roche, best known for designing Chicago's famous Palmer House, the hotel remains a testament to classic elegance and craftsmanship. Over the years, the hotel changed ownership before Marcus Hotels & Resorts purchased the property in 1972 and renamed it the Marc Plaza. Following the purchase, the hotel underwent an $8 million renovation that reconfigured its original 850 rooms into 550 deluxe units and added both a parking structure and a swimming pool. In 1995, the hotel was renamed the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2011. With this sweeping renovation, the hotel was rebranded as Hilton Milwaukee. Today, the hotel welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world and serves as a hub for local Milwaukeeans. As the premier convention hotel in the city, its ample event spaces and 554 guest rooms allow it to host groups of nearly any size. Centrally located just steps away from the newly renovated and expanded Baird Center, the Hilton Milwaukee also places guests within easy reach of the Theater District, the lakefront and Summerfest grounds, Fiserv Forum, and the Historic Third Ward. The hotel offers multiple on-site dining options: Milwaukee ChopHouse, Miller Time Pub & Grill, The Monarch Lounge, Starbucks, and The Cafe. For more information or to make a reservation at Hilton Milwaukee, please visit hiltonmilwaukee.com. Hotel website Opening in May 2026, ANNUA Signature Hotels proudly announces the forthcoming opening of Gran Hotel Margalida, the brand's fifth and most eagerly anticipated Mediterranean destination to date. Following the celebrated openings of Cesar Lanzarote, Son Xotano in Mallorca, and Amagatay and Morvedra Nou in Menorca, Gran Hotel Margalida marks a new chapter for ANNUA shaped by cinematic design, elemental beauty and immersive, slow-paced luxury. Set in the cliffside village of Banyalbufar, where the Serra de Tramuntana reaches the sea, Gran Hotel Margalida settles naturally into Mallorca's terraced west coast. Spanish architect Alvaro Onieva and interior designer Virginia Nieto have reimagined the historic building with a quiet contemporary sensibility that honours its original character while introducing a brighter, more fluid Mediterranean identity. Natural textures, local materials and thoughtful detailing define the interior world, while a soft, sun-washed yellow created specifically for the hotel brings warmth and cohesion to the spaces. With only twenty-nine ocean-facing rooms, each shaped to capture the island's shifting light and unhurried rhythm, the hotel offers an intimate retreat centred on atmosphere and connection. Banyalbufar itself is one of the Mediterranean's most distinctive enclaves: terraced vineyards, cliffside paths and a golden evening light that seems to reorder the landscape daily. For many, it represents the purest expression of Mallorca; for others, it becomes an unforgettable first encounter with the island's quieter west. Wellbeing: ANNUA's First Full Spa A sanctuary for reconnecting with body and light in a serene, contemplative atmosphere, Gran Hotel Margalida will debut ANNUA's first fully integrated wellness concept. The spa includes independent treatment rooms and advanced therapies, a movement space equipped with Technogym machines and Pilates Reformer, and an outdoor yoga platform oriented towards the Mediterranean. Gastronomy: Mallorca Reimagined with Sensibility Gastronomy is guided by ANNUA's philosophy of seasonality and local integrity. The gastronomic restaurant occupies an elevated position with sweeping sea views and offers a contemporary interpretation of Mallorcan cuisine, particularly at sunset. A French-inspired oyster and raw bar serves freshly shucked oysters, raw seafood and citrus-led pairings, while the poolside restaurant evokes a relaxed Mediterranean lounge shaped by light, sea and unhurried afternoons. Events and Celebrations With expansive terraces, shaded courtyards and panoramic views of the coastline, the hotel is poised to become an exceptional venue for weddings of up to one hundred and fifty guests, as well as private celebrations and creative gatherings seeking a distinctly Mediterranean backdrop. Each event is crafted to reflect ANNUA's ethos of aesthetics, silence and refined contemplation. Experiences as Scenes Experiences at Gran Hotel Margalida are designed as cinematic moments connected to the landscape and cultural rhythm of Mallorca. Guests are invited to enjoy private sunset sailings, guided walks along the Serra de Tramuntana, gourmet picnics among Malvasia vineyards, open-air cinema nights, local craft workshops and access to hidden coves by private boat. Created for travellers seeking privacy, meaningful connection to place and a quietly luxurious experience, Gran Hotel Margalida will continue ANNUA's philosophy of refined simplicity and design rooted in the Mediterranean. It will join the brand's growing collection across Mallorca, Menorca and Lanzarote. Hotel website Le Sereno St. Barths announces the appointment of Carlos de la Barra as its new General Manager. With more than two decades of experience across leading luxury hotels, Carlos has held senior roles with internationally recognised brands including Atlantis the Palm Dubai, The Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, The Resort at Pedregal, now a Waldorf Astoria Property, One & Only Palmillan and Rosewood Villa Magna. A graduate of Les Roches Hotel Management School in Switzerland, Carlos has worked throughout Asia, Europe and Mexico. His background reflects a deep understanding of luxury environments shaped by design, a clear focus on service culture and experience within properties known for their architectural identity and refined guest experience. At Le Sereno, Carlos will oversee operations and support the continued development of the hotel's luxury standards in alignment with Sereno Hotels' philosophy. The group is known for its intimate, design-led properties, including Il Sereno Lago di Como and Villa Pliniana, and for an approach that balances architectural precision with an elegant, contemporary style of hospitality. Carlos will contribute to this direction while maintaining the personalised, discreet service for which Le Sereno is recognised. Carlos joins Le Sereno at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season. Situated on the Grand Cul de Sac marine reserve, the award-winning Le Sereno is an intimate beachfront property designed by Christian Liaigre. With 39 suites and three four-bedroom villas, the hotel is known for its architectural clarity, sense of privacy and its contemporary interpretation of Caribbean luxury. Its lagoon-front setting, combined with discreet, attentive service, has established Le Sereno as one of the region's most distinctive and sought-after destinations. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today welcomed the Chinese governments ongoing efforts to facilitate international travel, highlighting the impact of visa-free policies, transit visa initiatives, and broader measures designed to create a seamless travel journey for visitors. These developments formed a core part of discussions at the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) in Harbin, China, where global leaders and industry experts examined the future direction of Travel & Tourism and Chinas increasingly central role. Within this context, WTTC Interim President & CEO Gloria Guevara contributed to a keynote speech on Global Trends and China Outlook, which focused on the sectors economic trajectory and the impact of Chinas recent facilitation measures. During the keynote, Gloria Guevara said, Chinas Travel & Tourism sector continues to gain strength. Travelers come for the heritage, the energy of the cities, the landscapes, and the caliber of the countrys infrastructure. China offers a breadth of experiences that appeals to visitors from all over the world. The leader of the global tourism body also highlighted the strength of the sector in 2025, noting that Travel & Tourism now contributes $1.9TN to Chinas economy with an annual growth rate of 15.8%, double the global growth rate. The governments policies are creating real momentum, giving businesses the confidence to invest and travelers the freedom to explore, Guevara added. Key highlights for China in 2025: Inbound visitor spending is projected to reach $144.1BN, while domestic spending is expected to total nearly $968BN. The number of jobs supported by the sector is expected to reach 83.4 million in 2025 alone, marking a new level for employment impact. Inbound visits from newly visa-free countries are expected to reach 15 million by the end of 2026, with these visitors spending $1,000 more than the average international traveler. Looking ahead: Chinas Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to grow 7% annually over the next decade, reaching a GDP contribution of $3.8TN by 2035; equivalent to almost 14% of the Chinese economy. By 2031, China is expected to become the worlds largest Travel & Tourism market, passing the US. The sector will support 103 million jobs by 2035, with one in five new jobs in global Travel & Tourism located in China. GTEF also showcased Harbins evolution as a destination that has built a compelling winter tourism proposition. Last winter, the city welcomed 90 million visitors and recorded almost 17% growth in tourism spending, reaching $19BN. Guevara said, Chinas continued leadership presents major opportunities for destinations across the country. Places like Harbin show how natural strengths can be developed into world-class visitor experiences. WTTC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the GTEF to strengthen collaboration through the platform and support connections between China and the global travel and tourism sector. WTTC will continue to work with partners across China to support long-term, sustainable growth in Travel & Tourism. Singapore - Hotelogix, a globally leading provider of cloud-based hospitality technology solutions, announced that it wrapped up 2025 on a high note, alongside its distribution brand AxisRooms. It was marked by accelerated growth, significant product enhancements, deeper compliance readiness, and a key financial milestone - turning EBITDA positive. 2025 has been a year of focused execution for Hotelogix. We expanded across key markets, strengthened our platform, and achieved greater efficiency to become EBITDA positive, reflecting the strength and scalability of our business. Aditya Sanghi, CEO of Hotelogix Growing leadership across key markets Powering 400,000+ rooms in India: Hotelogix continued to strengthen its leadership in India's mid-market and emerging enterprise segment, now powering over 400,000 rooms, covering an estimated 15% of the countrys hotel inventory. Hotelogix continued to strengthen its leadership in India's mid-market and emerging enterprise segment, now powering over 400,000 rooms, covering an estimated 15% of the countrys hotel inventory. 15,000+ keys in the Philippines: In the Philippines, Hotelogix surpassed 15,000 keys and 10,000 active users, with growing adoption from both independent hotels and regional chains. In 2025, revenue in our enterprise segment grew by 35% over 2024, as more hotel groups in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa switched from on-premises systems to our scalable cloud-based multi-property management systemfor efficient and centralized group operations, Aditya added. Turning EBITDA positive This important milestone was achieved by AI-driven efficiencies, sharp focus on mid-market hotels in specific geographies, and continued investments in exceptional customer support. This growth was further enhanced by improved Net Revenue Retention (NRR) as existing clients added new properties, adopted new services, and expanded their operations. Additionally, happy clients and users referred to new wins, reflecting network effects in these regions. Product and platform enhancements Hotelogix rolled out several product enhancements to boost user experience and help hotels make the most of their investment. Some of them are: Multi-property Dashboard: Designed for hotel groups and chains, the multi-property dashboard consolidates KPIs from member properties into a single view, enabling faster decision-making and improved efficiency. Designed for hotel groups and chains, the multi-property dashboard consolidates KPIs from member properties into a single view, enabling faster decision-making and improved efficiency. Hourly Booking: Hotelogix launched Hourly Booking, empowering hotels to sell rooms by the hourboosting occupancy and revenue amid rising short-stay demand in a market projected to grow to $25.62 billion by 2027. Hotelogix launched Hourly Booking, empowering hotels to sell rooms by the hourboosting occupancy and revenue amid rising short-stay demand in a market projected to grow to $25.62 billion by 2027. Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration: The company integrated AI into its Hotel PMS to assist hotels with dynamic pricing, forecasting, upsell suggestions, guest sentiment analysis, and workload automation. Expanded compliance coverage Hotelogix enhanced its compliance capabilities to support hotels across Southeast Asia and the Middle East in meeting mandatory regulatory frameworks. Malaysia: Implemented e-invoicing, enabling hotels to generate verified e-invoices directly from the PMS. Implemented e-invoicing, enabling hotels to generate verified e-invoices directly from the PMS. Philippines: Achieved BIR certification to help hotels maintain audit-ready financial records and meet local tax mandates. Achieved BIR certification to help hotels maintain audit-ready financial records and meet local tax mandates. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Integrated with the Shomoos Security System to automate guest data sharing with authorities. Strengthened third-party ecosystem Hotelogix expanded its marketplace with integrations for distribution, booking engines, revenue management, loyalty tools, accounting, and more, now offering 200+ best-in-class third-party solutions for hotels to leverage a modern, tailored tech stack. Organized premier industry events In 2025, Hotelogix united India's mid-market hotels at the second "Hotelogix & AxisRooms Connect" event, bringing together visionaries, hoteliers, and tech leaders for insights on growth, challenges, and technology adoption. Complementing this, the company also organized the "Tech & Tonic" hospitality meetup in the Philippines to discuss key industry trends. These events reaffirm our commitment to driving digital transformation for homegrown mid-market hotels in our target regions. Today, many of them are competing headtohead with established chains and global brands, powered by our costeffective, modern, and sophisticated solutions, Aditya said. Looking ahead to 2026 Building on 2025 momentum, Hotelogix will aggressively expand its product roadmap with AI-native solutions to deliver greater value to hotels in the mid-market segment, enabling them to operate with leaner teams, faster processes, and greater efficiency. The company will also fasttrack internal AI adoption across departments to boost enterprise-wide efficiency. In 2026, the mid-market hotel segment, set to hit USD 210.3 billion, will remain our anchor. We aim to expand our enterprise footprint by over 50% across Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. AI will lead the next phase of our value creation, powering smarter decisions and stronger performance for our customers, Aditya said. About Hotelogix Hotelogix is a globally leading provider of cloud-based hospitality technology, offering industry-first Multi-property Management Systems, Hotel PMS, and Mobile PMS Apps for independent and hotel groups. It is trusted by 12,000+ hotels, including 250+ groups in 100+ countries. Hotelogix powered the largest multi-property deployment of over 50,000 rooms across 500+ properties during FIFA 2022 in Qatar. Its distribution brand, AxisRooms, also offers Channel Manager, Revenue Management Solutions, and Rate Shopper. Headquartered in Singapore, it has offices across the United States, India, the UAE, Thailand, and the Philippines. For more information, visit https://www.hotelogix.com/property-management-system-large-hotels.php. Contact Debi Prasad Sarangi Ph: +91 9986496849 Email: [email protected] The era of scaling hospitality businesses simply by counting rooms is over, according to The Bench, organisers of Future Hospitality Summit, which says that the future of hospitality lies in creating integrated ecosystems, lifestyle platforms and purpose-driven destinations. After nearly 1,600 hospitality leaders from more than 70 countries checked in to Dubai for FHS World 2025, it is clear that a new wave of factors is shaping the future of hospitality in the Middle East and globally from the rise of non-hospitality brands in real estate to the critical intersection of Artificial Intelligence. FHS World 2025 welcomed more than 250 investors controlling US$5.5 trillion in assets, with US$975 million in business opportunities on the table and 12 major partnership agreements, MOUs, and hotel development contracts announced across the three-day event. With preparations now well underway for FHS Saudi Arabia, taking place in Riyadh, 20-22 April 2026, here are five key takeaways from FHS World that are pivotal to the future growth and success of the regions hospitality and tourism sectors. As we look toward the next few decades, the mandate is clear. The hospitality sector must build destinations that foster community, resilience, and genuine human connection. Room-based metrics have checked out, making way for building with purpose, connectivity, empathy and sustainability. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO, The Bench Top five takeways from FHS World: 1. The rise of the lifestyle platform and branded residences The definition of a hospitality asset has fundamentally changed, moving away from traditional room-based inventory towards integrated ecosystem models that blend living, working, and leisure. This is clear from the unprecedented explosion in the branded residences sector, which has grown by almost 200% in the last decade and is forecast to more than double between now and 2030. Non-hotel entrants, including automotive and fashion brands such as Aston Martin and Pininfarina are entering the market at pace, driving culture and capital by offering investors a sense of identity rather than just a service. While the sector was traditionally dominated by established, world-famous names in hospitality, the rise of non-hospitality brands is set to shape the future of this ever-growing segment of the industry. And the financial data supports the hype, with branded residences projects commanding price premiums of up to 47% in competitive markets like Dubai. However, to be successful, branded residences need trusted, top-tier hopsitality partnerships to manage services like housekeeping and concierge. Without this, the value of these residences can diminish, experts warn. 2. AI: automating the predictable, humanising the exceptional Technology was a dominating theme at FHS World 2025, but the narrative has matured. The industry no longer debating if AI should be adopted, but how. Experts say it is vital to determine how automation can enhance the all-important human touch, not replace it. AI has become and efficency engine: a critical tool for revenue management and operational efficiency. The right sytems can increase RevPAR by 9% and GOP margins by 4% within just 90 days, according to data. Despite these advancements, leaders believe that emotional intelligence remains the unique selling point of the industry. Guests want efficency and convenience, but the human touch remains vital. The goal: use AI to handle routine tasks like reservations and payments, allowing staff to spend more time on empathy and guest connection. AI should be an invisible enabler without over-complicated interfaces that frustrate or confuse guests. 3. Sustainability: from rhetoric to risk management Sustainability has evolved from a corporate social responsibility initiative to a hard financial metric, with conversations at FHS World 2025 heavily focused on climate risk as a financial reality. With extreme weather on the increase, the insurance industry is withdrawing from high-risk markets, and hoteliers are now advised to treat sustainability as a risk mitigation strategy to secure asset viability and lower insurance premiums. The spotlight is also on the importance of future investments meeting high sustainability standards, such as the BREEAM certification, in order to attract and retain the ever-growing number of eco-consious tourists who now consider a destinations carbon footprint and envrionmental policies when choosing where to visit and stay. Adopting these green standards is also pivotal in securing green finance and satisfy institutional investors. 4. The Middle East as the global laboratory While Western markets face challenges with high tariffs and debt costs, parts of the Middle East especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia are enjoying high liquidity and robust transaction volumes. With KSAs unprecedented hospitality, tourism and real estate transformation, the country is driving massive investment through legislative reforms, such as the foreign ownership law that effect in January 2026 and the white land tax, which are unlocking land supplies for development. The focus is on creating diverse offerings that cater to both international tourists and local residents as part of Vision 2030. Meanwhile, Dubai continues to attract substantial foreign direct investment, thanks to its transparency and established market conditions. It has successully transitioned from a seasonal destination to a year-round hub through diversified tourism products and infrastructure. 5. Wellness 2.0: The gym for the mind The concept of wellness in hospitality is undergoing a radical shift, moving away from just having an onsite spa and fitness centre to increasingly focusing on holistic wellbeing and longevity. Cognitive health is key, with increasing demand for "gyms for the mind" that address information overload and mental health, integrating ancient wisdom (like Ayurveda) with modern science to allow guests to regroup and recentre. The industry is also waking up to sleep tourism, with high-performance living environments, such as those pioneered by Equinox Hotels, focusing on sleep systems and regeneration as core pillars of the guest experience. Jonathan Worsley added: The next 20 years of hospitality will not be defined by who builds the most, but by who builds with the most purpose. Whether it is creating 15-minute connected communities in Riyadh, empowering the workforce with meaningful career paths, or designing regenerative real estate that improves human health, it is clear that the future belongs to those who can create lasting, emotional connections. About The Bench The Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive. With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change. Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to FHS Africa (formerly AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight. The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections - it's about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow. Discover more at thebench.com. About FHS Saudi Arabia Dates: 20-22 April 2026 Location: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sponsors: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh and Al Khozama Investment as Host Sponsors; Taiba Investments as Founding Partner; Amsa Hospitality, Jabal Omar Development Company, Radisson Hotel Group and Red Sea Group as Strategic Partners; BWH Hotels, ClubMed, IHG, Italia Hospitality, Story Hospitality, The Ascott Limited as Headline Sponsors; Accor, Aleph Hospitality, IHCL, JT + Partners, Knight Frank, Legacy Hotels Holding, Minor Hotels, Quo, Serb Holding Co., Sommet Education, STR and The First Group Hospitality as Sponsors; DAR Engineering, Echelonet Concierge, Melia Hotels International, Rove Hotels, Shaza Hotels, Sophos and WhiteWater as Exhibitors. Anne Bleeker In2 Consulting +971 56 603 0886 The Bench In my previous Hospitality Net article, I explored how small, practical adjustments can help hotels tap into an overlooked talent pool of neurodivergent peopleand, in the process, make operations smoother for everyone. But the story does not end there: even when hotels make public commitments to neuroinclusion, the day-to-day experience doesnt always reflect those intentions. Recent research with neurodiversity advocates and human resource professionals of hotels reveals a consistent implementation gap. Hotels announce initiatives, publish policies, and share uplifting statements, yet their employment practices frequently end up as simple neurodiversitywashingsymbolic action that looks progressive while leaving serious employment barriers untouched. The numbers tell the story. Over 40% of UK hospitality employers now have some form of neuroinclusion policy. However, fewer than 15% of neurodivergent employees find workplace accommodation effective or consistent. Unemployment rates among neurodivergent adults, particularly those with autism, hover around 70 to 80%. For an industry that faces chronic staff shortages, this is both a moral failure and a missed opportunity. The core conflict in approach The problem is that hotels often try to hold two conflicting ideas about neurodiversity employment at the same time. The first treats inclusion as a right. It demands that hotel companies redesign workplaces to remove barriers for all neurodivergent individuals, regardless of any immediate return on investment. The second treats neurodiversity as a business resource. It celebrates cognitive differences that can offer competitive advantages, attention to detail, pattern recognition, and so on. The research describes this tension as the AccommodationValorisation Paradox. A hotel cannot logically argue that neurodivergent people face disabling barriers that require universal accommodation and, at the same time, claim that they possess special cognitive profiles that make them suitable only for specific jobs. In practice, most hotels resolve this conflict by prioritising the business case. That shortcut leads to three problematic patterns. How the business-case shortcut shows up First, hotels categorise neurodivergent traits into predefined talent packages. Human resource professionals report that they map neurodivergent employees into roles like revenue management or housekeeping based on assumed strengths in analytical thinking or attention to detail. Neurodiversity becomes a recruitment checklist, not a reason to make the entire workplace more accessible. Second, job mapping becomes a gatekeeping mechanism. Hotels systematically exclude people from roles with high unpredictability or sensory loadfront desk positions, night shifts, and busy service periods. One manager admitted that their hotel cannot always provide a quiet environment or stick to rigid routines. In effect, this restricts individuals whose support needs do not align with existing operations. Third, hotels celebrate only those traits with immediate market value. If a neurodivergent trait does not translate into clear business benefitsor if the required support is perceived as too costlyneurodivergent applicants are quietly filtered out. This is not inclusion; it is selective recruitment dressed up as progressive policy. The gap between policy and practice This gap is not simply an implementation lag; it is structural. Corporate headquarters may announce neurodiversity initiatives, but franchisees often have enough operational discretion to ignore them. One human resource director candidly acknowledged that quiet rooms and sensory accommodation exist in companyowned hotels but are often absent in franchised properties. Even where policies exist, their impact depends on whether individual managers choose to use them. One manager stated that online training alone is not enough. When managers commit, retention improves. When they do not, the policy becomes corporate theatrevisible in annual reports but absent from daily operations. Neurodiversity advocates also report that standard recruitment and interview processes remain exclusionary. Candidates are still forced to request accommodation rather than receiving them as standard practice. Meanwhile, many neurodivergent employees already working in hotels do not disclose their status due to stigma. This is the real test of whether a publicised inclusive culture is genuine. What needs to change? Hotels need to stop relying on business cases alone. A strength-based approach sounds appealing, but it inevitably marginalises neurodivergent individuals with higher support needs. A rightsbased approach is not about finding the perfect jobperson match. It is about redesigning the work environment so that everyone can participate. This does not mean ignoring operational realities. Hospitality operates with tight margins and variable demand. But hotel companies must acknowledge the real tradeoffs between efficiency and equity, rather than pretending the two goals will automatically align. When neurodiversity is framed only through the lens of business benefits, the conditions for selective inclusion are createdand those conditions serve neither social justice nor longterm business interests. The industry must build neurodivergent employee inclusion into its foundations. If an employee has to disclose a diagnosis just to receive clear instructions or reduced sensory intensity, the workplace is not inclusive. It simply has a higher barrier to entry. Hotels must also address the franchisee challenge. Neurodiversity policies cannot be optional at the property level if corporate commitments are serious. The sector should consider mandatory reporting on accommodation outcomes and stronger oversight to ensure consistency. Several managers stressed that hotel companies must prepare their entire structure before launching dedicated hiring programmes for neurodivergent individuals. Without the right cultural groundwork and processes in place first, even wellintentioned hires will struggle. Inclusion is an organisational responsibility, not an individual burden. The choice for the industry is not between rights and resources. The choice is whether hotels will continue with symbolic gestures that maintain the status quo or undertake the structural redesign that genuine inclusion requires. Hospitality claims peoplecentred values while facing ongoing staffing crises. It cannot afford to keep getting this wrong. For more information about implementing neurodiversity employment practices in hospitality, contact Jayanti Jayanti ([email protected] ) at the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism, University of West London. Jayanti Jayanti Senior Lecturer, Hospitality Management University of West London Staybridge Suites in Lubbock - Image Credit HVS The 82-key Staybridge Suites Lubbock - University Area is available for acquisition, with potential for operational improvements and a new 12-year franchise agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) upon completion of a property improvement plan. The Staybridge Suites Lubbock - University Area, an 82-key hotel in Lubbock, Texas, is currently for sale. The property is offered at a price below replacement cost, presenting an opportunity for investors to acquire and potentially enhance the hotel's operations. The hotel is positioned as an extended-stay asset and is located near Texas Tech University, a significant economic contributor to the area. Financial performance data indicate that the hotel has maintained an average room revenue of $2.06 million since 2022, with a trailing-twelve-month (TTM) room revenue of $2.18 million as of November 2025. The hotel's revenue per available room (RevPAR) is reported at $73. Projections suggest that stabilized rooms revenue could exceed $2.4 million, with a net operating income (NOI) flow-through of approximately $800,000. A new 12-year franchise agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is anticipated, contingent upon franchisor approval and the completion of a brand-mandated change-of-ownership property improvement plan (PIP). The PIP report is available in the virtual deal room for prospective investors. The hotel is currently operated by a third-party management company, with full staffing in place. There is potential for a more hands-on owner/operator to restructure operations, implement cost controls, and enhance profitability. Historical profit-and-loss statements from 2022 to 2024 show an average gross operating profit (GOP) of 31.9%, with comparable assets indicating a potential GOP range of 44.0% to 48.0%. The local economy in Lubbock is experiencing growth, supported by significant capital investments from the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA). Notable projects include a $670-million Controlled Environment Agriculture facility, a $870-million Leprino Foods manufacturing plant, and expansions by X FAB Silicon Foundries and WL Plastics. The hotel is offered free and clear of management encumbrances, allowing new ownership to implement revised operational strategies. The property's location provides high visibility along a major thoroughfare and proximity to Texas Tech University, which has recently completed several major expansion projects. The Staybridge Suites Lubbock - University Area represents a potential investment opportunity for experienced hotel operators looking to capitalize on the property's strategic location and operational potential. Inquire at HVS. Berlin Court Ruling Paves Way for Hotel Compensation Claims Against Booking.com - Image Credit Unsplash Over 1,000 German hotels have been granted the right to seek compensation from Booking.com for anticompetitive pricing practices, potentially influencing similar claims across Europe. The ruling underscores the impact of restrictive best-price clauses on hotel pricing strategies and market competition, with broader implications for the online travel industry. A recent decision by the Berlin Regional Court has opened the door for more than 1,000 German hotels to seek compensation from Booking.com for damages arising from anticompetitive best-price clauses. The court found that Booking.com used these clauses between January 2013 and January 2016 to restrict hotels' ability to set competitive prices, thereby violating European competition law. The ruling, issued on December 16, 2025, affects 1,099 hotel operators who were part of a broader group of 1,288 plaintiffs seeking declaratory judgments on their right to compensation. The court determined that both the wide best-price clauses, in effect until mid-2015, and the narrower ones used thereafter unlawfully constrained hotels' pricing freedom and contributed to market foreclosure. These clauses required hotels to offer their best prices on Booking.com, preventing them from providing lower rates through their own websites or other channels. This restriction not only hindered hotels' ability to pass on commission savings to customers but also limited their capacity to manage pricing strategies effectively, particularly for last-minute bookings. The judgment follows a September 2024 ruling by the European Court of Justice, which confirmed that Booking.com's parity clauses breached competition law across Europe. This has set the stage for potential compensation claims from hotels across the continent, coordinated through initiatives like the Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance in the Netherlands. The implications of this ruling are significant for the hotel industry, as it challenges the dominance of online travel agencies and their pricing practices. By potentially recovering up to 30% of commissions paid since 2004, hotels could shift the competitive dynamics of the online travel market, encouraging more direct bookings and fostering healthier competition among booking platforms. The case also underscores a broader regulatory trend of scrutinizing digital platforms' business practices. As competition authorities across Europe and beyond continue to address similar issues, this ruling may catalyze further legal and regulatory actions to ensure fair competition in the digital marketplace. Discover more at PPC Land. 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program Accepting Applications PITTSFIELD, Mass. The 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program, open to all current sophomores in the Berkshires, selects a cohort of up to 30 students from all backgrounds for this ten-month experience that will allow them to explore the regional economy and develop their leadership skills. Once selected, students will begin the program with a 3-day, 3-night retreat in June near the end of their sophomore year. At the retreat, students will meet for the first time, begin to build connections, and learn about their individual leadership styles. Over the following ten months, students will reconvene for eight full-day sessions, held at various locations across the Berkshires (or virtually, in the case of severe weather conditions). During these sessions, students will meet with business leaders and dynamic community members to learn about a sector of the regional economy, including but not limited to advanced manufacturing, food and agriculture, healthcare and wellness, outdoor recreation, the creative economy, and hospitality and tourism. Students will develop leadership traits through activities within the sessions, and as a class, will develop and execute a collective impact project that will enhance life in the Berkshires. "The Youth Leadership program provides an amazing opportunity for students to grow as individuals and as members of a community spanning the Berkshires," Kevin Pink, deputy director of Economic Development at 1Berkshire and program coordinator of the Youth Leadership Program, said. "The sessions allow students to explore key segments of our regional economy, gaining a deep understanding of career opportunities available to them in the Berkshires and working together on a project that makes a positive impact in the place they call home." This program is made possible through the ongoing financial support of Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Camp Becket Chimney Corners, NBT Bank, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, and others. The 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program is coordinated by 1Berkshire with the dynamic support of the volunteer Youth Leadership Program Steering Committee, composed of professionals from across the region who commit their time and expertise to develop and facilitate the entire program. Until the Feb. 13 deadline, sophomores from any school in the Berkshires, and equivalent-aged home-schooled students, may submit an application for the program. Apply here. Contact economicdev@1berkshire.com with any questions. RFP Ready for North County High School Study NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The working group for the Northern Berkshire Educational Collaborative last week approved a request for proposals to study secondary education regional models. The members on Tuesday fine-tuned the RFP and set a date of Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m. to submit bids. The bids must be paper documents and will be accepted at the Northern Berkshire School Union offices on Union Street. Some members had penned in the first week of January but Timothy Callahan, superintendent for the North Adams schools, thought that wasn't enough time, especially over the holidays. "I think that's too short of a window if you really want bids," he said. "This is a pretty substantial topic." That topic is to look at the high school education models in North County and make recommendations to a collaboration between Hoosac Valley Regional and Mount Greylock Regional School Districts, the North Adams Public Schools and the town school districts making up the Northern Berkshire School Union. The study is being driven by rising costs and dropping enrollment among the three high schools. NBSU's elementary schools go up to Grade 6 or 8 and tuition their students into the local high schools. The feasibility study of a possible consolidation or collaboration in Grades 7 through 12 is being funded through a $100,000 earmark from the Fair Share Act and is expected to look at academics, faculty, transportation, legal and governance issues, and finances, among other areas. This had the working group extending the initial timeline of six months to up to 12. Arleigh Cooper of Savoy, chair of the NBSU committee, thought the short deadline would deter bidders and Callahan agreed. "I feel like I really feel strongly on this. I think 12 months is a much more reasonable time frame that we should advocate for," Callahan said. "This implies that we want it in six months, and I think that harms the whole project." The group did layout expectations, beginning with community engagement and data collection in the first months and draft recommendations and final reports and presentations in the final months. Community engagement will be an important factor in the timeline. NBSU Superintendent John Franzoni noted for reference, the two most recent studies that were completed. Southern Berkshire and Berkshire Hills Regional School Districts had sought to merge their eight communities two years ago but this was shot down By contrast, the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont regional districts are pursuing plans for a combined campus through the Massachusetts School Building Authority after a two-year study. "The community engagement is the reason why the Mohawk one is gone further and more successful, I think, at this point, because of how involved they are on community," Franzoni said. "It's all open process, and it's kind of reasonable. We're doing these meetings open right now because it's proven to be successful." Community engagement is 25 percent of the evaluation criteria for applicants; they will also be rated on past performance (20 percent), skills and qualifications (45 percent) and cost and value (10 percent). The consultant chosen will be expected to develop four sustainability scenarios such as shared services or regionalization. The working group, consisting of school committee members as voting members and superintendents as advisors, will not select the consultant. That will be up to a newly formed steering committee that will see the project through the yearlong timeline. Each of the participating districts will provide four voting members consisting of elected officials and/or community members. But there is a question whether the earmark will be enough. "When we get the proposals, we're going to find out, well, money gets us most of the way there," said Hoosac Valley Superintendent Aaron Dean. "I guess we'll have two options. Do we cut back the scope, or do we look for other funding service? Those are things that we're going to have to make decisions on." Franzoni said he had spoken to state Rep. John Barrett III, who had obtained the $100,000 earmark. "He was confident there was going to be some options next fiscal year for more funding," he said. Windsor Man Promoted to Major in National Guard WINDSOR, Mass. Corbin Lounsbury of Windsor was recently promoted to major in the New York Army National Guard. Major Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general for the state of New York, announced the recent promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership. Lounsbury, assigned to Cyber Protection Team 173, received a promotion Sept. 5 to the rank of major. Army National Guard promotions are based on a soldier's overall performance, demonstrated leadership abilities, professionalism, and future development potential. These promotions recognize the best-qualified soldiers for a career in the New York Army National Guard. There are 20,000 members in New York's Army, Air National Guard, the Naval Militia, and the New York Guard. They are managed by the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, the state's executive agency responsible to the governor. Guardsmen and women are eligible for monthly pay, educational benefits, international travel, technical and leadership training, health and dental insurance, and contributions towards retirement programs similar to a 401(k). On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Chinese president Xi Jinping has expressed strong support for the jailing of British media tycoon Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, amid mounting international condemnation. Xis first reaction to Mondays verdict comes just weeks before Sir Keir Starmer is due to travel to Beijing for an important trade visit. Lais trial was closely watched abroad and his conviction has been met with intense criticism by Western governments and rights groups who called it politically motivated and a disgraceful act of persecution. The British government summoned Chinas ambassador to lodge a protest, while US president Donald Trump expressing sorrow after saying he had spoke to the Chinese leader about the case. The fact Mr Xi has now given Lais conviction his personal endorsement is likely to be a thorny issue during Mr Starmers meetings with him next month. There is huge pressure on the UK prime minister to demand the 78-year-old British nationals release. Lai, founder of the now-shuttered newspaper Apple Daily, is set to be sentenced later in January, coinciding with the prime ministers visit to Beijing between 29 and 31 January. Lais conviction marks the culmination of a five-year legal saga for the 78-year-old pro-democracy campaigner and media mogul who was found guilty of colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kongs national security law. President Xi heard about what we did, and he affirmed his strong recognition of our efforts, said the leader of Hong Kong John Lee. He also confirmed his strong support for both the government and the judiciary to uphold the duty to protect national security. open image in gallery Chinese president Xi Jinping, right, talks to Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee in Beijing ( Xinhua News Agency ) The state-run Xinhua News Agency also reported Xis reaction to Lais conviction, quoting the president as telling Mr Lee: The government has resolutely safeguarded national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Mr Lee claimed that some foreign media outlets had "misled" the public in their reporting of the Lai conviction. open image in gallery Jimmy Lai is led into a police van as he heads to court in Hong Kong ( AFP via Getty ) The annual meeting between Mr Lee and Xi came in a year that saw Hong Kong suffer the worst fire in decades at a housing complex on 26 November, killing 160 people and sparking angry public reactions. Mr Lee said he briefed Xi about the handling of the Tai Po fire and promised to pursue accountability via an independent judge-led review committee. The serious fire in Tai Po is heartbreaking. I express my deep mourning to the deceased and the firefighter who died on duty, and extend condolences to the families of the victims and those affected, Xi reportedly said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A prominent Indian politician has kicked up a storm in the country by yanking off a Muslim womans hijab during a public event at his residence. Nitish Kumar, chief minister of the eastern state of Bihar, found himself at the centre of a political storm after the incident sparked widespread outrage. The controversy erupted during a ceremony to give out appointment letters to newly recruited state-licensed traditional or alternative medicine practitioners at the chief ministers residence. A video shows Mr Kumar seated on stage alongside deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary and health minister Mangal Pandey as doctors are called up individually to take their letters. When Nusrat Parveen approaches to receive her appointment letter with her face covered by a hijab, Mr Kumar is heard saying: What is this? Moments later, he leans forward and pulls down her hijab. The woman is visibly taken aback as an official quickly guides her away, while Mr Choudhary tugs at Mr Kumars sleeve, seemingly trying to stop him. The footage triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties and rights groups, who questioned the chief ministers conduct. This act was an assault on this womans dignity, autonomy, and identity. When a public official forcibly pulls down a womans hijab, it sends a message to the general public that this behaviour is acceptable. No one has the right to police a womans faith or clothing, Aakar Patel, head of Amnesty International India, said in a statement. Such actions deepen fear, normalise discrimination, and erode the very foundations of equality and freedom of religion. This violation demands unequivocal condemnation and accountability, he added. Urgent steps must be taken to ensure that no woman is subjected to such degrading treatment. Sharing the video clip on X, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the main opposition party in Bihar, wrote in Hindi: What has happened to Nitish ji? His mental state has now reached a completely pitiable condition, or has Nitish Babu become 100% Sanghi now? Sanghi refers to a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the mothership of far-right Hindu nationalist organisations that is deeply intertwined with prime minister Narendra Modis BJP party. There were reports that after the chief minister's conduct with her, Ms Parveen was reconsidering joining the service. The Independent couldnt verify the reports. Manoj Jha, an opposition MP from Bihar, described the visuals as deeply troubling. I have seen the visuals and they were unsettling. The deputy CM even tried to stop him. It should be a matter of concern, he said, according to The Times of India. The Congress party, the main national opposition, also launched a fierce attack, calling the act vile. This is Bihars chief minister Nitish Kumar. Look at his shamelessness a female doctor had come to collect her appointment letter, and Nitish Kumar pulled off her hijab, the party said. A man occupying the highest position in Bihar is openly indulging in such a vile act. Think about it how safe will women be in the state? Nitish Kumar should immediately resign for this disgusting behaviour. This vileness is unforgivable. The Independent has reached out to the Chief Ministers Office in Bihar for a comment. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Aung San Suu Kyis son challenged Myanmars junta to provide proof of his mothers wellbeing after the military claimed the imprisoned former leader was in good health despite not being seen or heard from in over two years. Myanmars military on Tuesday issued a rare response after Suu Kyis son, Kim Aris, raised an alarm over her condition and said he did not know whether she was still alive. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health, the military said in a statement carried by the junta-run Myanmar Digital News, using an honorific equivalent to Mrs. However, the military provided no evidence or details to substantiate its claims about Ms Suu Kyis health. "The military claims she is in good health, yet they refuse to provide any independent proof, no recent photograph, no medical verification, and no access by family, doctors, or international observers. If she is truly well, they can prove it," Mr Aris told Reuters. The military-run government issued the update after Mr Aris, speaking in Japan, called for his mothers release and held a protest rally criticising the planned polls, which critics say are being staged to legitimise the juntas rule following its seizure of power from Ms Suu Kyis elected government. In this file photo taken on March 14, 2016 Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (R) is accompanied by Lower House speaker Win Myint (L) after meeting of National League for Democracy (NLD) members of parliament in Naypyidaw ( AFP via Getty Images ) For all I know, she could be dead already, Mr Aris said, citing a prolonged communication blackout under Ms Suu Kyis military detention. He said no one had seen her in more than two years and that she had not been allowed contact with her legal team. The junta is preparing to hold its first election since 2020, when the military overthrew Ms Suu Kyis government in a coup that triggered a nationwide civil war. Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate, is serving a 27-year sentence, reduced from a previous 33-year prison term, on charges including corruption, election fraud, sedition, breaching Covid-19 restrictions, illegal possession of communication equipment and official secrets offences. The charges have been widely denounced as politically motivated and dismissed by critics as a sham designed to keep her in detention. Mr Aris has been sharply critical of the juntas plans to stage elections later this month polls widely dismissed by foreign governments as a facade intended to entrench military rule though he has acknowledged that the process could still offer a narrow opportunity to push for some relief in his mothers treatment. The junta accused her son of fabrication, claiming his remarks were intended to disrupt the upcoming elections due to begin in the conflict-torn country from 28 December. This is merely a fabrication, timed and distributed to disrupt the free and fair multi-party democratic general election that will be held in Myanmar in the near future, the statement said. Mr Aris, on Wednesday, clarified that he has no intention of interfering in Burmas politics but years of total isolation, secrecy, and silence, any son would begin to fear the worst. My concern is growing because my mother has been hidden for so long that I now have to ask the most painful question: is she still alive?" For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two people have been arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest in London after shouting slogans involving calls for intifada. The Metropolitan Police said the pair were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences outside the Ministry of Justice building in Westminster on Wednesday evening. A third person was arrested for obstructing officers as they made the first two arrests for chanting at the demonstration, which was estimated to have drawn a crowd of around 100 people. open image in gallery The protest took place after police announced that anyone chanting globalise the intifada would be arrested in wake of Bondi attack ( AFP/Getty ) The force later confirmed two further arrests for public order offences, one of which was racially aggravated, bringing the total arrested to five. The arrests mark a change in approach from both the Met and Greater Manchester Police, who announced hours earlier that anyone chanting controversial slogans such as globalise the intifada would face arrest because the context has changed in the wake of the Bondi Beach and Manchester synagogue terror attacks. It is alleged that father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of light, on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police, while Naveed, 24, woke from a coma on Tuesday and was charged with a raft of offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack. The UKs chief rabbi welcomed the decision by two of the countrys biggest police forces as an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric seen on Britains streets. open image in gallery Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley issued a rare joint statement alongside GMPs Chief Constable ( PA ) But the move has also been decried as political repression by campaigners. In the rare joint statement issued on Wednesday, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said: We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as globalise the intifada, and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests. open image in gallery Ben Jamal from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign says the decision by two of the countrys biggest police forces infringes on the right to protest ( PA ) Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis had this week called for a crackdown on hate speech, saying it had to be made clear that chants such as globalise the intifada are unlawful. Sir Ephraim, who is on his way to Australia to meet those impacted by the Sydney shootings, said: This announcement is a most welcome development, and an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric we have seen on our streets, which has inspired acts of violence and terror. While the move was welcomed by Jewish groups, Ben Jamal from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said it infringes on the right to protest, describing it as another low in the political repression of protest for Palestinian rights. open image in gallery Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has called for a crackdown on hate speech ( PA ) He said the word intifada means shaking off or uprising against injustice and said the implication that slogans used to support the liberation of the Palestinian people are only open to interpretation by groups who have maintained complicit support for Israels oppression of the Palestinian people and denial of their rights, is deeply problematic. The American Jewish Committee describes the phrase as being used by pro-Palestinian activists that calls for aggressive resistance against Israel and those who support Israel. But its meaning is contested, and protesters claim it is a call to shake off colonialism and for a peaceful resistance to Israels occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza. A day after the Bondi attack, Sir Ephraim, who is also Chief Rabbi to the Commonwealth, said the meaning of the chant globalise the intifada was seen in that attack as well as the Yom Kippur attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on 2 October. open image in gallery Family grieve at the coffin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a victim in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, during his funeral on Wednesday ( Getty ) The first funerals of the victims of the Hanukkah killings took place on Wednesday, including that of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. The Community Security Trust, a charity which provides protection for Jews in Britain, said the police forces announcement comes not a moment too soon as it welcomed the more robust response to violent language on protests. Prosecutors have said they will consider each case on its own merits and go back to police with advice where there is not enough evidence to bring charges. Britains human rights regulator, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has said it will monitor closely how police forces enforce the decision to arrest people using the chant. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Three white-tailed eagles, including a chick representing the first wild-born generation in England for centuries, have disappeared under highly suspicious circumstances. Authorities are now appealing for public assistance as police investigate the fate of the birds, integral to a crucial reintroduction programme. The satellite tags of two of the eagles one being the recently fledged youngster were discovered discarded near their last known locations, both having been deliberately severed. The third bird's tracker has ceased transmitting data, with no sightings reported since. These magnificent raptors, often dubbed 'flying barn doors' due to their impressive 8ft (2.4m) wingspan, were once prevalent across southern England until persecution led to their eradication by the 18th century. A collaborative effort between Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation initiated their reintroduction on the Isle of Wight in 2019, releasing 45 white-tailed eagles to date. The project has seen significant success, with several breeding pairs forming and six chicks born in the wild in England a milestone not achieved since the 1780s. open image in gallery White-tailed eagles nicknamed flying barn doors because of their wingspan of up to 8ft (2.4m) were once widespread in southern England until the 18th century, when persecution led to them being wiped out in the region ( Laurie Campbell/PA ) The birds, which are the UKs largest bird of prey, have previously been successfully reintroduced in Scotland. Forestry England said any targeting of the birds would potentially impact the long-term success of the English project. Tim Mackrill from the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation said: We monitor the satellite data, showing the birds minute-by-minute movements, on a daily basis and always investigate any suspicious or unusual data. It was devastating to find the stolen and dumped tags, particularly for the chick in Sussex who fledged this summer and had only just begun its life. So many people in the area had shared the joy of seeing these birds breed again after hundreds of years and our ongoing monitoring has shown how well they were fitting into the landscape. To have that destroyed just a few months later is deeply shocking. Steve Egerton-Read, white-tailed eagle project officer for Forestry England, said: We are returning this lost species to the English landscape and have had so much support from the public. These special birds are helping people connect with natural world and showing how, with a little bit of help, nature can thrive. We are asking the public to show this support again by encouraging anyone who has information that may help the police investigation to come forward. The disappearances are being investigated by several police forces. open image in gallery The white tailed eagle chicks in their nest with one of their parents ( Forestry England/PA ) A satellite tag belonging to one of the chicks that fledged from a nest in Sussex was retrieved from the River Rother, near Petersfield, on September 26. It had been removed using a sharp instrument and searches in the area to locate the body of the bird have been unsuccessful. Sussex Police are appealing for information from anyone who was in or around Harting Down and Petersfield on the evening of 20 September 2025, who may have seen the bird or any suspicious behaviour, quoting incident number 769. Dyfed Powys Police are investigating an incident in which a satellite tag that had also been cut off with a sharp instrument before being hidden was recovered in remote moorland on 13 September. Searches to find the eagles body have also been unsuccessful. The force wants to hear from anyone around the Gwgia Reservoir, Tregynon, between 11am and 1pm or on access land near Bryn y Fawnog, between noon and 3pm on 13 September, quoting crime reference 137. open image in gallery The missing birds are part of a project led by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation to reintroduce this lost species to England In a third incident, concerns are growing for another eagle from the project, whose tag has stopped working, after its last transmission in the Moorfoot Hills area, south of Edinburgh, on 8 November. Police Scotland are treating the disappearance as suspicious and are asking anyone with information to contact them quoting incident number PS-20251215-1347. In 2022, two released white-tailed eagles from the reintroduction scheme were found dead. These prompted police investigations in Dorset, which ended after tests on the bird were found to be inconclusive, and on the Isle of Wight, where no evidence of an illegal act was found, though the presence of rat poison brodifacoum was found in both. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The target for reducing average driving test waiting times across Britain to seven weeks is not expected to be met for another two years, according to a report by the public spending watchdog. The prolonged delay has led to nearly one in three learners resorting to paying third parties up to 500 to secure a test slot, the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed. The inquiry found that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has repeatedly failed to appoint a sufficient number of new examiners, despite multiple recruitment drives, thereby hindering its ability to increase available test slots. The backlog was significantly worsened by Covid restrictions, which prevented 1.1 million tests from being conducted in the 2020/21 financial year. An estimated 360,000 of these tests remain unbooked. Compounding the issue, the NAO noted that the DVSA struggles to accurately gauge the true demand for tests, as third parties frequently utilise automated programmes, or 'bots', to quickly book available slots. Learners faced an average waiting time for a test in Britain of 22 weeks in September, compared with about five weeks in February 2020 before Covid struck. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has repeatedly failed to appoint a sufficient number of new examiners, an audit revealed ( Getty/iStock ) The DVSA does not expect to meet its target of reducing the average waiting time to seven weeks until November 2027, the report said. Its initial timeline for achieving this was by the end of 2025. Exit rates among examiners are high because of perceived uncompetitive pay and safety concerns, the NAO found. Only 83 more examiners are in place than in February 2021 against a goal of 400 despite 19 DVSA recruitment campaigns. The NAO recommended that the DVSA and the Department for Transport (DfT) assess whether there are enough measures in place to ensure learners are able to book a test when they need to. It also called on them to investigate how to boost the examiner workforce. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: The current system for providing driving tests in England, Scotland and Wales is not working satisfactorily, with long waiting times and exploitation of learner drivers by resellers of test slots. Our report recommends that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the Department for Transport take decisive action to restore a fit-for-purpose driving test service. Last month, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced that military driving examiners will be mobilised to test civilians. Other measures aimed at tackling the backlog include combating the issue of people profiting from reselling tests, which have a standard fee of 62. Only learners not instructors will be able to book slots, and they will also only be able to move the location of tests to centres near the original booking. The DfT was approached for a comment. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Many Britons woke up on Wednesday to find a pink fog had descended in a rare weather phenomenon. People in London and the southeast of England reported seeing the rosy skies, which occurs when sunlight passes through layers of fog during sunrise or sunset. The Met Office explains that when the sun is low on the horizon, its light travels through more of the atmosphere. Because fog is essentially a cloud at ground level made up of tiny water droplets, shorter wavelengths (blue and green light) are scattered out, leaving the longer red wavelengths to dominate. When this filtered light shines through fog, it gives the fog a pink or rosy hue, which is purely an optical effect it does not indicate any unusual weather hazard beyond normal fog risks, such as reduced visibility. open image in gallery ( Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock ) The blanket of pink fog comes as forecasters are warning of potential flight disruption and cancellations after fog alerts were issued across London and other parts of the UK. The Met Office has said parts of the country have seen dense fog on Wednesday with visibility as low as 100m in places, causing a number of flight cancellations and delays. Thousands of passengers are experiencing disruption after seven flights to and from London City Airport were cancelled. Flights inbound to Southampton have also been heavily delayed by the fog. It comes as low-pressure systems move across the UK, bringing unsettled weather, fog and heavy showers. Forecasters warned the weather could lead to difficult travel conditions, particularly across the east Midlands and Cambridgeshire. open image in gallery Forecasters said fog could disrupt flights on Wednesday ( Met Office ) A yellow weather warning for fog was in place this morning covering south-east England and the east Midlands, while a yellow warning for rain has been issued in the South West. The fog warning was in place until 10am on Wednesday, but it is still impacting flights in and out of London City Airport. Its runway is only 19ft above mean sea level, is adjacent to the River Thames and is often affected by poor visibility. Gatwick Airport told The Independent that no flights have been impacted by the fog. In the South West and south Wales, a yellow warning for rain is in place until 11.59pm on Wednesday. Forecasters have warned that heavy rain, especially over high ground, may cause travel disruption and flooding. The Met Office said 10 to 20mm of rain is likely widely, with 40 to 60mm possible over Dartmoor and the hills of south Wales. Heavy rain is expected to push eastwards on Thursday. Forecasters have issued a yellow weather warning for rain across south-west England and south Wales until 7pm, and a separate yellow warning for the southern counties of England between the hours of midnight and 9pm. It added that within this warning area, 15 to 25mm of rain is possible widely, with 40 to 60mm possible over the Downs. open image in gallery Yellow weather warnings for fog and rain are in place for parts of the UK on Wednesday ( Met Office ) Forecasters urged people to check road closures and travel disruptions ahead of journeys and prepare for strong winds, particularly in coastal areas. Neil Armstrong, chief forecaster at the Met Office, said: Were set to see an unsettled week as low-pressure systems push fronts across the UK. With recent heavy rain, further wet conditions will increase the risk of flooding. With that in mind, its important to stay up to date with the latest Met Office forecast and warnings and remember to never drive through floodwater. Looking ahead to Christmas week, Mr Armstrong said another low-pressure system could bring further rainy and unsettled conditions over the weekend before higher pressure takes over. The Met Office said drier and milder weather is expected as we move closer to Christmas Day next Thursday, with some frost and mist overnight. UK five-day weather forecast Wednesday Outbreaks of heavy rain and brisk winds will move eastwards through the day on Wednesday, with southeast England staying dry until after dark. A yellow warning for rain is in place all day on Wednesday for south-west England and south Wales. Heavy rain, especially over high ground, may cause travel disruption and flooding. 10 to 20mm of rain is likely widely, with 40 to 60mm possible over Dartmoor and the hills of south Wales. Thursday open image in gallery Two weather warnings for rain are in place for Thursday ( Met Office ) Heavy rain is set to move north-east across much of the country on Thursday, with a further yellow warning for rain in place across south-west England and south Wales through the day. A separate yellow warning for rain is in place for the southern counties of England between midnight and 9pm. Within this warning area 15 to 25mm of rain is possible widely, with 40 to 60mm possible over the Downs. Strong winds are expected too, gusting over 50mph in exposed coastal areas, which may exacerbate impacts. Friday and the weekend Friday will bring frequent blustery showers, typical for the time of year, with a brief calmer spell before another low-pressure system arrives. This could bring further heavy rain and unsettled conditions into the weekend. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Protesters chanting globalise the intifada will now be arrested, the heads of the Greater Manchester and Metropolitan police forces have announced. A statement from Greater Manchesters chief constable Sir Stephen Watson and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said this was because the context has changed in the wake of the terror attack at a Jewish festival in Sydney, in which 15 people were killed. Surviving suspect Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack following the incident in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday. Akram and his father Sajid, 50, are accused of opening fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. The police forces announcement comes after chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis previously said it had to be made clear that slogans such as globalise the intifada are unlawful. The Met and Greater Manchester police said they will act decisively and make arrests, adding that the measures were designed to deter intimidation. Sir Mark and Sir Stephen said in a joint statement: The words and chants used, especially in protests, matter and have real-world consequences. We have consistently been advised by the CPS that many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities dont meet prosecution thresholds. Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive. A protest banner in London in December 2023 reading globalize the intifada ( PA ) We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as globalise the intifada and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests. Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services. Intifada is an Arabic word which means to shake off, according to the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU). The American Jewish Committee describes it as a phrase used by pro-Palestinian activists that calls for aggressive resistance against Israel and those who support Israel. But its meaning is contested, with protesters claiming it is a call to shake off colonialism and for a peaceful resistance to Israels occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza. The police forces announcement has been welcomed by the charity the Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection for Jewish people in Britain. A spokesperson said: The recent terror attacks in Bondi and Heaton Park were abhorrent, leaving Jewish communities feeling frightened and vulnerable. These attacks come amid a deeply concerning rise in antisemitism, which has created fear and uncertainty for Jewish people across the country. For many years, CST has called for tougher action against hateful and violent chants and placards at protests and this announcement comes not a moment too soon. In particular, given the wave of terrorism against Jews around the world, it is intolerable that a call for a global intifada should be allowed on our streets. We welcome the news that this behaviour will now be met with arrests. This is a necessary and important first step to turning back this tide of violent incitement and we hope that police across the country and the CPS will follow suit. CST will continue working closely with the police and our partners to ensure that Jewish life in this country remains protected. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene of the attack in Sydney, and two officers were also non-fatally shot as gunfire was exchanged. Naveed Akram remains under armed guard in hospital. Along with the murders, he is accused of 40 counts of causing wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol, and placing an explosive in/near a building with the intent to cause harm. Chief crown prosecutor Lionel Idan, hate crime lead for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: Our thoughts are with the Jewish community following the abhorrent terror attack on innocent people in Sydney as they started to celebrate Hanukkah. We are already working closely with police and communities to identify, charge and prosecute antisemitic hate crimes and we will always look at ways we can do more. We carefully consider each antisemitic hate crime case referred to us for charging decision or early advice to see whether it can be taken to court. Some offences can be context specific and where the evidence is not sufficient, we will work with police to identify what more can be done to meet the threshold for charging. We have initially responded to the governments hate crime review to identify where the law can be strengthened to enhance our ability to prosecute such hatred, deter offenders and achieve justice for victims. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Labours crackdown on foreign workers could cost the UK economy millions, Sir Keir Starmer has been warned. Plans to increase the salary threshold for workers seeking to come to Britain, as part of wider changes to bring down immigration numbers, would cost between 520-710m because thousands fewer people would be contributing to the UK economy, an independent watchdog has found. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which advises the government on immigration, has recommended that the salary threshold for the skilled worker route remain at 41,700. The warning comes after then-home secretary, Yvette Cooper, commissioned the committee in July to examine salary requirements for foreign workers over fears that people on low pay were undercutting British workers. She insisted that the salary bar must rise. But in its report released on Wednesday, MAC warned ministers that if the threshold was raised to 52,000, and Tory measures to raise salary thresholds for certain occupations were kept in place, then between 520-710m would be wiped off the UK economy. It said a hike in salary thresholds for some jobs should be reversed, because they were an inefficient way to reduce net migration. Sir Keir unveiled tough new immigration changes in a speech in May, claiming that the number of people entering the country was causing incalculable damage. The crackdown included proposals to ensure that people coming to the UK on skilled worker visas would need degree-level qualifications to apply. Among the measures announced were a ban on the recruitment of care workers from overseas, increased English language requirements for immigrants and the tightening of access to skilled worker visas. The MAC has also raised concerns about the stark contrast in English proficiency between men and women of certain nationalities in the UK. They warned that 30 per cent of female migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and Syria do not speak English well or at all. Their research concluded that migrants with lower levels of English have worse employment and earnings, and are less engaged in civic life although local neighbourhood engagement and belonging seem to be unaffected. The Migration Advisory Committee recommends that the salary threshold for the skilled worker route remain at 41,700 ( PA ) Academics also warned that the current status quo of occupation-specific requirements, brought in under the Conservative government in April 2024, was barring some high earners from coming to work in the UK. Currently, an IT director earning 85,000 a year would not qualify for a visa because this is below the median salary for this type of job, the report warned whereas a librarian earning 41,700 would be allowed in, as this is higher than the median salary for librarians. The MAC said this approach makes little sense and said it should be scrapped. Under further radical reforms announced by home secretary Shabana Mahmood, migrants who arrived in the UK from 2021 must have stayed in the UK for at least 10 years to be considered for permanent settlement. Low-paid employees, such as the hundreds of thousands of workers and dependents who came on health and social care visas in recent years, will have to wait 15 years. However, migrants can slash the amount of time they need to wait if they are high-earning. Those who earn 125,140 in the three years prior to applying for settlement can reduce the wait to three years, and this is reduced to five years for anyone earning 50,270. The Independent has previously reported that Labours immigration crackdown could leave the UK 4.4bn worse off. A Home Office impact assessment of the sweeping reforms predicted that the UK will likely be 1.2bn worse off over the next five years with the possibility that the negative financial hit could be as much as 4.4bn. The best-case scenario was that the UK made 800m through the changes. The assessment considered the move to make it harder for foreign students to stay in Britain, and the English language requirement for those on the skilled worker visa. Chair of the MAC, Professor Brian Bell, said the skilled worker visa route was crucial in enabling firms to employ migrants who also make positive fiscal contributions to the UK. He added: Salary thresholds are, however, essential to prevent undercutting of the wages of domestic workers and ensure fair pay while maximising fiscal benefits to the UK. However, the government is clear that the use of the immigration system should not be a substitute for training the domestic workforce. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Its that time of year again when the weather is getting colder, the knitted jumpers are coming out, and the nation is dreaming about a white Christmas. But those hoping for snowflakes to cascade from the sky may have to wait a bit longer, as the Met Offices future projections show that a whiteout on Christmas Day is not very likely. Tom Crabtree, deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office, said: High pressure is expected to build into next week, bringing drier and less mild conditions for the Christmas period. Although temperatures will drop, they are not plummeting. Overnight frosts are likely, and some mist and fog is possible in places, but significant cold weather looks less probable. Falling temperatures do bring the potential for some wintry showers in the east, but it is too early to discern details for any particular day over the Christmas period. The threshold for a white Christmas, the Met Office said, requires just a single snowflake to be observed falling on Christmas Day, anywhere in the UK. Last year, the Met Office predicted a grey Christmas, with patches of rain and cloud coupled with mild temperatures. The last time there was technically a white Christmas in the UK was in 2023, when 11 per cent of weather stations recorded snow falling, but none reported any settled snow on the ground. The last time there was widespread settled snow at Christmas was back in 2010. That was the UKs whitest Christmas on record, with 83 per cent of stations recording snow on the ground. More than half of all Christmas Days since 1960 have met the threshold, with around half of those years seeing at least 5 per cent of weather stations reporting snow falling on the big day. However, the chances of the snow actually settling are slim: that has only occurred four times, in 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010. For most parts of the United Kingdom, Christmas is only at the beginning of the period when it's likely to snow and we are more likely to see snow in January and February than in December, according to the Met Office. Snow on average settles on the ground (snow lying) 3 days in December, compared to 3.3 days in January, 3.4 days in February and 1.9 days in March (1991 - 2020 long-term averaging period). Met Office data shows the records of which regions have experienced a White Christmas since 1960 to 2024. They most commonly happen in The Highlands which had the highest occurrences of 175 snowy Christmases, followed closely by Aberdeenshire with 92 cases. White Christmases were more frequent in the 18th and 19th centuries, even more so before the change of calendar in 1752 which effectively brought Christmas Day back by 12 days. Climate change has also brought higher average temperatures over land and sea and this generally reduced the chances of a white Christmas. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Independent readers broadly welcomed Britains decision to rejoin the Erasmus student exchange scheme, with many describing it as a long-overdue correction to a damaging Brexit-era choice. Several commenters argued the UK should never have left Erasmus, portraying the original withdrawal as ideological rather than practical, and harmful to students who had no say in the referendum. For these readers, rejoining is seen as a clear win for young people, universities and cultural exchange, helping rebuild ties with Europe and restore opportunities to study, train and live abroad. Others stressed that while the move is positive, it is modest rather than transformative. Some questioned the governments reluctance to go further by rejoining the customs union or agreeing wider mobility arrangements, warning that Erasmus alone does not undo the broader economic and social costs of Brexit. A smaller number were critical of the deal, arguing the UK risks paying too much or accepting unfavourable terms. Even so, many agreed it signals a gradual shift back towards closer cooperation with Europe. Heres what you had to say: Excellent news for young people Excellent news! This will be great for the young people of the UK and Europe, and will help forge a closer alliance with our closest neighbours and allies. And in these difficult times, where you have an unreliable and unstable president in the White House, this provides some hope going forward for the UK and Europe. wewontprosper Opening minds I have been fortunate in having worked in three European countries; in each country I was made welcome and had opportunities that I would never have had if I had remained in the UK. On more than one occasion I met Erasmus students who were having their minds opened up to other cultures and new ideas. It is shameful that there are still some people who resent the scheme. PJB Too little, too late! Too little, too late! Now, how about helping businesses to trade with the EU? Believe me, if Starmer were trying to run a business post-Brexit, we would have already applied to rejoin! Pateleylad A bad deal for the UK While we were last in the scheme, the UK had to fund two places for EU students for every British student who studied in the EU. A bad deal for the UK but thats Starmers Brexit reset all over: a string of humiliating deals for Britain. Ian Robinson Coming to our senses We are slowly coming to our senses. We are gradually rejoining our friends and neighbours on the European mainland. There will soon be a day when we wont be able to believe how crazy we were to ever think about leaving. Roll on that day. Cyclone8 Progress Every small step towards common sense is progress. It wont help the young people who were betrayed by Boris Johnson and the Brexiteers, but it will help the next batch of young people who will get to see and experience Europe. The Brexiteer pensioner brigade and their con men will be livid. Bobertson We should never have left in the first place The UK should never have left the scheme in the first place. It was an act of pure mendacity and vandalism by the former Tory government. There was no rational justification for it whatsoever a decision taken by political pygmies. AndrewB Collateral damage Its very telling to read the comments here. The article is about the Erasmus student exchange scheme and reversing the loss of access to it a loss that affected young people who couldnt vote and would quite naturally expect their parents to act in their best interests. They were the collateral damage of their elders choices, but the whole comments section doesnt seem to even mention them (apologies to anyone who did). It would appear those responsible would rather just continue their decade-old squabbles regardless. ouleejit Hardly a huge step Its hardly a huge step its a very modest one, in my opinion. As I recall, earlier this year EU diplomats and officials made clear that a youth mobility agreement was being viewed in EU capitals as a key indicator of whether the UK was negotiating with the EU in good faith. Worryingly, the government have again ruled out rejoining even the customs union. Its certainly a positive step, but it only affects young people: what about older people? Im an EU citizen so Im not personally affected, but I feel sorry for those who are. Brexit remains an utter disgrace, and this is only a tiny step. Musil A steal or daylight robbery? 570,000,000 a year. There are about 2.1 million UK-domiciled university students. The rest (over 700,000) are already from abroad, mostly non-EU countries right now, though that is likely to change with this initiative. So, thats over 250 per UK student, per year. Some people will say that this is a steal, but others will say its daylight robbery (there is a difference!). My own personal view is that it isnt too much to pay, representing a tiny fraction of the amounts spent on education and training in this country, but there will be many more who think otherwise! ppundit Rebuilding relationship Rejoining Erasmus is excellent news. Leaving the scheme was a purely ideological wrecking move by Boris Johnson, and a really stupid idea. Its good for both UK students and for UK universities. If we are going to rebuild the UKs relationship with the EU, whatever form that takes, it has to start with encouraging young people to re-engage with it. Tanaquil2 Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity. Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the days top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click log in or register in the top right corner to sign in or sign up. Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment, click here. Sign up to our free Brexit newsletter for our analysis of the continuing impact of Brexit on the UK Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Britain is set to rejoin the Erasmus student exchange scheme, six years after ditching the programme as part of the deal to leave the European Union. Announcing plans to rejoin the scheme in 2027, EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said it was a huge win for our young people with the government estimating that as many as 100,000 people in the UK could benefit from the scheme in the first year. Through the scheme, the EU provides funding for individuals to study, train, or volunteer in other European countries for up to a year. As part of the agreement, it is understood that the UK has agreed a 30 per cent discount on membership fees, which are calculated on the basis of a countrys gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of the size of the economy. open image in gallery The deal represents the latest stage of the PMs attempts to deepen ties with the EU ( AP ) The UKs contribution to the scheme for 2027 will be approximately 570m. Britain pulled out of the Erasmus scheme under Boris Johnson, launching the Turing scheme as a domestic alternative, arguing that remaining in the EU scheme would have meant a net cost of 2bn over seven years. But in May, Sir Keir Starmer announced that the government was working on the UK rejoining Erasmus as part of his post-Brexit reset deal with Brussels. Mr Thomas-Symonds, who held talks with the European Commissions Maros Sefcovic in Brussels last week, said: Joining Erasmus+ is a huge win for our young people, breaking down barriers and widening horizons to ensure everyone, from every background, has the opportunity to study and train abroad. This is about more than just travel: its about future skills, academic success, and giving the next generation access to the best possible opportunities. Todays agreements prove that our new partnership with the EU is working. We have focused on the publics priorities and secured a deal that puts opportunity first. And skills minister Jacqui Smith said the scheme will open doors for thousands of students and staff right across the country in universities, schools, colleges and adult education. This is about breaking down barriers to opportunity, giving learners the chance to build skills, confidence and international experience that employers value, she added. The move to rejoin Erasmus was welcomed by Mr Sefcovic who dubbed it a big step forward, and argued it would boost people-to-people ties between the EU and the UK. Meanwhile, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said it will open the door to new shared experiences and lasting friendships. The breakthrough was also hailed by the education sector, with Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group of leading universities, saying he is delighted by the announcement. open image in gallery The UK pulled out of Erasmus under Boris Johnson as part of Brexit ( PA ) With an even greater scope than previous programmes, Erasmus+ opens up fantastic opportunities for students, adult learners and young people to all benefit from new experiences and learning. It will also renew the huge contributions that EU students and staff make to life on our university campuses. David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said the announcement was brilliant news for staff and students in further education colleges. He added: For students, it widens their perspective on the world, opening their eyes to different cultures and different ways of life, and for staff, the opportunity to learn from other countries on how they deliver technical education and skills is invaluable. Alex Stanley, a vice-president of the National Union of Students, said: Since the UK left the programme, the number of UK students studying in Europe has plummeted, and as has the number of students from Europe studying in the UK. But now, the next generation of students from the UK would be able to experience it all, and campuses across the country could benefit from the perspectives of Erasmus students coming to the UK. And Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said the agreement marks a huge step forward in our relationship with the EU and will offer life-changing opportunities for thousands of students. As part of Wednesdays announcement, the UK and EU also agreed to start negotiations on electricity market integration, as well as setting a deadline to agree on a food and drink trade deal. The UK and EU have agreed to complete talks on a new food and drink (SPS) deal and carbon linking (ETS) agreement before the next UK-EU Summit in 2026. A carbon linking agreement would create a single, larger carbon market, allowing companies to trade allowances across borders, which lowers overall decarbonisation costs. To the delight of the university sector and students, the government has announced that Britain will rejoin the EU student exchange scheme, Erasmus (now known officially as Erasmus+). For the first time since Brexit, a formal framework will exist with public funding for students in the UK and in EU countries to study or gain work experience across member states. It will cost the British taxpayer some 570m to pay into the scheme, which ministers say will come from existing departmental budgets. The announcement has divided opinion, as might be expected with anything related to the European Union and Brexit. What does the government say? In his final PMQs before Christmas, Keir Starmer lauded it as a significant achievement, to the audible satisfaction of his backbenchers. The minister of state for education, Jacqui Smith, bathed the news in some soapy warm words: This is about breaking down barriers to opportunity, giving learners the chance to build skills, confidence and international experience that employers value. Erasmus+ will open doors for thousands of students and staff right across the country, in universities, schools, colleges and adult education. Whats the problem for the Tories? Sticking to their Eurosceptic guns and defending Britains withdrawal from the programme under Boris Johnson, they cant help but sound a bit sour. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, for example, commented: Labour continue to betray Brexit. They have consistently undermined the result of the 2016 referendum and remain obsessed with dragging Britain back under the control of Brussels. Now they are throwing away billions of pounds of hard-pressed taxpayers money on rejoining Erasmus, instead of taking advantage of our Brexit freedoms to support trade with the rest of the world, boost investment, and drive economic growth. Their argument is that Erasmus wasnt good value for money for the UK before Brexit, and it still isnt now other nations get more out of it than we do. Whos right? A highly contentious question. It also depends on what, if any, value is placed on the non-monetary aspects of the experience for the students and teachers involved. What about the Turing scheme? This was a much more global, but weaker and cheaper scheme intended to replace Erasmus. It might still continue, leaving British students with an even wider choice of options to broaden their horizons. It costs about 110m a year. Does this mean the UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme will happen? Agreement on a new youth mobility initiative is already almost complete, and it is scheduled to begin next year. Tens of thousands of UK and EU students will enjoy the right to live and work in each others countries by the end of 2026 effectively a modest nod to the old pre-Brexit regime that allowed the free movement of labour. It may inflate or distort the immigration numbers, even though the youth exchange scheme does not provide for permanent residence. Does Erasmus+ mean were going to rejoin the EU? Not in the short term, though there is a sense of pro-EU momentum here. Like it or not, and for what its worth, the Labour manifesto was unequivocal: With Labour, Britain will stay outside of the EU. But to seize the opportunities ahead, we must make Brexit work. We will reset the relationship and seek to deepen ties with our European friends, neighbours and allies. That does not mean reopening the divisions of the past. There will be no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement. However, Labour did commit to a reset, and Erasmus+ is part of that process; agreements on food and animal standards, electricity trading, mutual recognition of professional standards, and smoothing the Northern Ireland border are other aspects of the reset. The now close cooperation on security and defence has opened up a whole new dimension in UK-EU relations a kind of proto-defence community. Parliamentary links between Westminster and Brussels/Strasbourg are also to be strengthened. Why is the government doing this? First, to help boost economic growth and strengthen educational and cultural benefits. Second, for base political advantage. As Brexit becomes less and less popular, Labour sees some benefit for itself in striking a more pro-EU pose, attracting Remainers with a view to fighting the next election on closer links to Europe against Reform UK, which is actually advocating tearing up the Johnson Brexit agreement. By giving voters a choice between a Labour government that is gradually reducing barriers to trade and travel, and a Reform-led opposition proposing more Brexit and erecting more obstacles to business and personal freedoms, Starmer will be hoping to unite the Remain vote behind his party. The plan would mean forcing disillusioned ex-Labour supporters now voting Green or Liberal Democrat to confront the choice between a vaguely pro-European Labour government and a virulent Reform administration that would side with Maga America and Putin. The next election wont be a rerun of the 2016 EU referendum, but it will certainly feel a bit like it. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice An out-of-control Alaska Airlines passenger had to be restrained by fellow travelers after authorities say he tried to yank open the cabin door while the aircraft was in midair, insisting, The wings have disappeared. Were all going to die. Just prior to the incident, Wasilla resident Kassian William Fredericks, 36, was overheard saying, Stop the plane, stop the plane, while repeatedly looking toward the rear of the aircraft, according to an FBI probable cause affidavit reviewed by The Independent. When a concerned passenger asked Fredericks if he was OK, the affidavit says he replied, Theyre flying the plane from back here. The passenger asked who he was talking about, and Fredericks said, No, theyre invisible, according to the affidavit. Theyre trying to take over the plane. You got to stop them. It took three male passengers to wrestle Fredericks back into his seat because he was so strong, the affidavit states. When asked why he was trying to open the cabin door, Fredericks replied that he need[ed] air and had to get out of here, according to the affidavit. open image in gallery It took three male passengers to pin Kassian William Fredericks to his seat after the 36-year-old allegedly tried to yank open the cabin door at 18,000 feet, officials said. ( Getty Images; US District Court for the District of Alaska ) The plane was flying from Deadhorse, deep in oil country, to Anchorage, the affidavit goes on. One passenger later told police that if there hadnt been so many North Slope roughnecks aboard, who were bigger in stature [and] able to help things could have been a lot worse. In an email on Wednesday, federal defender Jane Imholte, Frederickss court-appointed lawyer, said, Mr. Fredericks is presumed innocent, like any other person accused of a crime. Fredericks has been banned from flying Alaska Airlines, a spokesperson for the carrier told The Independent. We thank our crew for their professionalism in handling this situation, and we apologize to our guests for any concern this incident caused., the spokesperson said. On December 10, Fredericks boarded Alaska Airlines flight 87, which left Deadhorse shortly before 7 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Anchorage about 90 minutes later, according to the affidavit. The Boeing 737 was climbing out of Prudhoe Bay, at just over 18,000 feet, when the pilot received the first call from the flight attendants about Fredericks, whose behavior was making other passengers extremely uncomfortable, the affidavit explains. In addition to claiming the planes wings had vanished and telling everyone around him that death was imminent, Fredericks also insisted, Meth is coming out of the air vents, and that everybody is freaking out, the affidavit continues. It says one of the flight attendants assured Fredericks that everything was fine, and that nobody was freaking out except for him. He then asked the crew member for two shots of vodka a request that was denied, the affidavit states. A witness seated in the row opposite thought Fredericks might have had Tourette Syndrome, but changed their mind after watching him acting twitchy and assumed he was under the influence of some kind of drug, according to the affidavit. open image in gallery Kassian William Fredericks was convinced that 'invisible' people were in fact flying the plane he was on, according to an FBI probable cause affidavit ( AFP via Getty Images ) As the cabin crew continued their beverage service, a nearby passenger saw Fredericks put a pill in his mouth and wash it down with some Gatorade he had brought with him, the affidavit says. The passenger later said they thought perhaps the pill would calm him down, but things instead began to deteriorate even further. As Fredericks headed for the back of the plane and began aggressively trying to open the rear cabin door, a passenger identified in the affidavit as J.M. walked out of the lavatory and saw what was happening, the affidavit states. J.M. ran over to [Fredericks], who already had the arm of the cabin door moved upward and grabbed him, trying to stop him, the affidavit says. J.M. turned around and yelled to some male passengers at the back of the plane to come and help him. Two other male passengers got up to help. The flight attendants wanted to restrain [Fredericks] with zip ties, but then decided that might make [him] act worse and escalate the situation, the affidavit states. At the same time, the captain saw a warning light go off, indicating that someone was trying to open the cabin door, according to the affidavit. The amount of outside air pressure pushing against the door makes it physically impossible for a person to open it while in-flight, the affidavit contends. Yet, even if Fredericks would be able to actually force the door open, the affidavit says the crew worried that manipulation of the cabin door arm could have triggered the emergency slide to deploy and inflate within the plane, which could have caused serious harm to any passengers in the cabin, including [Fredericks], who was near the door. open image in gallery After landing and being taken to an area hospital, Fredericks said he had been drinking for 10 days straight and claimed he couldn't remember the last two years of his life, according to the feds ( Getty Images ) While pinned in his seat by the three male passengers, Fredericks kept trying to wriggle free, the affidavit contends. He then began to shake and said he thought he was overdosing, it says. Fredericks became more and more agitated, and one of the crew feared he might have fashioned an edged weapon out of a Coke can (which turned out to be a pack of cigarettes in his lap), according to the affidavit. While sitting, Fredericks told his volunteer minders that he was hearing voices, that he had to get out, and that they were poking him, the affidavit states. Fredericks also insisted that he needed to call his mother, then asked for advice on how to break the window. The crew all stated they feared for the safety of their passengers and themselves, according to the affidavit, which notes that although Fredericks had not shown any physical aggression toward anyone, it was because of how erratic and out of his mind he was that made them feel this way. Having deemed Fredericks a Level 2 threat, meaning a passenger who is physically abusive and requires crew intervention, the pilot considered diverting to Fairbanks but since they were then only 18 minutes away from Anchorage, and Fredericks was not vomiting or passing out, he stayed the course, the affidavit says. open image in gallery A picture of the door the suspect tried to open was included in court filings. ( US District Court for the District of Alaska ) The pilot contacted ground controllers, who called the Anchorage Airport Police Department, which brought in the FBI, the agency with jurisdiction over incidents that occur in the air. Upon landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Fredericks apologized to the crew and seemed to have calmed down when he was being escorted off the plane, according to the affidavit. It says officers and agents interviewed the flight crew and passenger witnesses, while the Anchorage Fire Department immediately transported Fredericks to an area hospital for observation. There, one of the officers overheard [Fredericks] telling the doctor he had been drinking alcohol for the last nine to 10 days, was seeing and hearing things, and could not remember the last two years of his life, the affidavit states, adding that Fredericks was also taking prescription medication for anxiety. (Fredericks has two misdemeanor DUI convictions, from 2007 and 2009, according to public records.) Earlier this year, a 24-year-old woman flying Alaska Air from Seattle to Phoenix was sentenced to three years of probation for trying to open a cabin door while en route, then biting a flight attendant who intervened. Last week, a passenger touched off chaos aboard a Cathay Pacific flight from Boston to Hong Kong after trying to open the cabin door mid-flight. In November 2024, a man flying American Airlines from Milwaukee to Dallas tried to do the same, insisting he was the captain of the aircraft and needed to get off the plane. Fredericks was arrested on December 14 and charged with one count of interference with flight crew members, a felony. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Alaska Airlines did not respond to a request for comment. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The U.S. Capitol has unveiled a statue of teenage civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns, who is known for protesting poor conditions at her segregated Virginia high school. The statue serves as a pointed replacement for the previously removed figure of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. An unveiling ceremony in Emancipation Hall featured Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger and the state's congressional delegation. Over 200 members of Johns' family attended, with the Eastern Senior High School choir performing renditions of "How Great Thou Art," "Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Roundf" and "Total Praise." Speaker Johnson praised Johns as "one of Americas true trailblazers, a woman who embodied the essence of the American spirit in her fight for liberty and justice and equal treatment under the law, the indomitable Barbara Rose Johns." The new statue replaces that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee which was removed several years ago. ( Jack Mayer/Office of Governor of Virginia, File ) Johns was 16 years old in 1951 when she led a student strike for equal education at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. The students cause gained the support of NAACP lawyers, who filed a lawsuit that would become one of the five cases that the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed in Brown v. Board of Education. The high courts landmark 1954 decision declared separate but equal public schools unconstitutional. Johns later married the Rev. William Powell and became Barbara Rose Johns Powell, raised five children and was a librarian in the Philadelphia Public Schools. She died at 56 in 1991. She put God first in her life. She was brave, bold, determined, strong, wise, unselfish, warm and loving, said Terry Harrison, one of her daughters. The statue shows the young Johns standing to the side of a lectern, holding a tattered book over her head. Its pedestal is engraved with the words, Are we going to just accept these conditions, or are we going to do something about it? It also features a quote from the Book of Isaiah, And a little child shall lead them. The statue replaces one of Lee that was removed in December 2020 from the Capitol, where it had represented Virginia for 111 years. The removal occurred during a time of renewed national attention over Confederate monuments after the death of George Floyd and was relocated to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. The Commonwealth of Virginia will now be properly represented by an actual patriot who embodied the principle of liberty and justice for all, and not a traitor who took up arms against the United States to preserve the brutal institution of chattel slavery, Jeffries said at the ceremony. Johns' sister, Joan Johns Cobbs, read from a journal entry by Johns: And then there were times I just prayed, God, please grant us a new school, please let us have a warm place to stay where we wont have to keep our coats on all day to stay warm. God, please help us. We are your children too.' The Johns piece is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection at the Capitol, in which each state can contribute two statues. The other statue representing Virginia is of George Washington. National Statuary Hall displays 35 of the statues. Others are in the Crypt, the Hall of Columns and the Capitol Visitor Center. Johnson said the Johns statue will be placed in the Crypt. Former Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam had requested the removal of the Lee statue. In December 2020, a state commission recommended replacing Lees statue with a statue of Johns. The Johns statue, sculpted by Steven Weitzman of Maryland, received final approval from the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library in July. Johns is also featured in a sculpture at the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial outside the state Capitol in Richmond. The former high school is now a National Historic Landmark and museum. It's an incredibly profound moment, a moment to stand in a tar shack classroom with a hot potbelly stove as a heater, tar paper walls, shabby desks, right where 16-year-old Barbara Rose Johns courageously organized her schoolmates and stood up to the lie the lie was separate but equal, Youngkin said of the museum. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A controversial Confederate memorabilia store in Georgia has abruptly closed amid a fierce legal battle following the owners death four years ago. Dent Myers, the owner of Wildmans Civil War Surplus Store in Kennesaw, died in January 2022 aged 90, and the stores future now hangs in the balance after a judge ordered a forensic accounting and audit of the late owners estate. The store, which opened in 1971, has displayed racist memorabilia, including a Ku Klux Klan robe and a sign proclaiming White History Year, according to the Cobb County Courier. A legal dispute has since broken out between Myers sister, Janice Bagwell, and the store manager, Marjorie Lyon, whom Myers named as co-trustees and co-executors of his estate before he died. According to the Marietta Daily Journal, the trust included all of Myers real estate assets, worth at least $1 million. After Myers death, Lyon reopened the store after she obtained a new business license but in November 2024, Bagwell sued Lyon and alleged that she breached the terms of the trust by preventing her from accessing the store or any other assets, according to the newspaper. Dent Myers, the owner of Wildmans Civil War Surplus Store in Kennesaw, died in January 2022 aged 90 and the stores future now hangs in the balance after a judge ordered a forensic accounting and audit of the late owners estate ( Getty Images ) Lyon and Bagwell appeared to disagree about the future of the store. Lyon has reportedly accused Bagwell of colluding with critics who want to see the business close, while Bagwell has accused Lyon of trying to swindle her out of her inheritance. The Independent has contacted attorneys for Bagwell and Lyon for comment. Earlier this month, Senior Judge Adele Grubbs removed Lyon as a trustee of Myers estate and ruled that she had breached her legal obligations since his death. In the order, Grubbs ruled that Lyon refused to communicate with Bagwell following Myers death and presented herself as the stores sole owner. Grubbs also ordered Lyon to hand over all of the documentation, financial information and assets in the trust for an independent accounting and audit of the estate. The court appointed an attorney to act as a co-trustee alongside Bagwell. The store has attracted protests over the years and a former city council member resigned after the city issued the license to Lyon in 2022 to keep the store going following Myers death. Bagwell and Lyon are due to appear in court on Friday December 19. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A startup that sought to cancel Xs Twitter trademarks in order to bring Twitter back was sued by Elon Musks X Corp. on Tuesday. The startup intended to recreate the previous version of Twitter as a new social media platform. X said in the lawsuit in Delaware federal court that its Twitter brand is still "alive and well" and "not ripe for the picking," and that Operation Bluebird's attempt to "steal" the name constituted trademark infringement. "Our cancellation petition is based on well-established trademark law and we believe we will be successful," Bluebird founder Michael Peroff said in a statement in response to the lawsuit. "We are prepared to take this as far as we need to in order to achieve our goal." Spokespeople and attorneys for X did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaint. Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and rebranded the social media platform to X. He said in a 2023 social media post that the company would bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds. Virginia-based Operation Bluebird asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on December 2 to cancel X's federal "Twitter" trademarks, arguing the company had abandoned them. Bluebird said that it wanted to use Twitter-related trademarks for a rival platform called "twitter.new," and separately applied to register its own "Twitter" mark. The petition was filed by Stephen Coates, a former Twitter trademark lawyer who now serves as Bluebird's general counsel. X told the Delaware court on Tuesday that it had not abandoned its Twitter trademark rights and that the brand "continues to persist in many ways." The company said that millions of users still access the platform through twitter.com, users and businesses continue to refer to it as Twitter, and X still maintains and enforces its Twitter trademarks. "Twitter is one of the worlds most recognized brands, and it belongs to X Corp," the lawsuit said. "Simply put, a rebrand is not an abandonment of trademark rights." X also said that Bluebird's Twitter platform would cause consumer confusion and requested an unspecified amount of monetary damages. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A grieving California family filed a lawsuit against a San Jose funeral home and its service director, alleging a shocking mishandling of human remains that turned their mourning into further trauma. According to the lawsuit, first reported by ABC 7, a funeral director at the Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel handed a father a bag he believed contained his late sons clothing. It in fact held part of his sons brain. The alleged discovery is a horror no family should ever endure, the lawsuit, cited by KRON, reads The lawsuit concerns the death of 27-year-old Alexander Pinon, who passed away at his home May 19. His family had contracted with the mortuary, paying more than $10,000 for a fullservice memorial tribute package that included embalming, dressing, and transportation, the suit states. The family asked that he be buried in different clothing than what he had worn at the time of his death. The father of 27-year-old Alexander Pinion went to the mortuary to collect a bag he believed contained his late sons clothes, but it actually contained his brain, a lawsuit claims ( Google Maps ) On June 4, according to the legal complaint, funeral director Anita Anette Singh handed Pinons father a bag marked for biohazard material, telling him it contained his sons clothes. Trusting the funeral professional, the father took the bag home and emptied it into his washing machine, only to find it contained human brain matter rather than clothing. Shocked by the mixup, he scooped the brain material, which he did not know at the time was his sons, from the washer, placed it back into the red bag, and returned it to the mortuary later that day. The lawsuit alleges that Singh took the bag without explanation, offering no apology or information. Singh only said Ill take it from here, Habbas told ABC 7. Alexander was buried the next day at Oak Hill Memorial Cemetery. Weeks later, the lawsuit claims, the family learned from an internal whistleblower that the bag did indeed contain Alexanders brain, and that the funeral director had allegedly placed it in a box and left it in the funeral homes courtyard for roughly twoandahalf months after the mix-up. Another employee eventually discovered it and bacme overwhelmed with the smell or a rotting human brain, ABC 7 reports. "Don't get me wrong, errors can happen," the familys attorney, Samer Habbas, told the outlet But what cannot happen, and what should not happen, is that you cover up your errors, and that's what the funeral home has done here." The treatment of Alexanders remains and the lack of transparency has caused the family extreme emotional distress, trauma, and mental anguish, according to the lawsuit, cited by KRON. Discovering ones own childs brain matter in a washing machine and then having to scoop it out...is a horror no family should ever endure, it added. The lawsuit also accuses the funeral home, the mortuarys Santa Clara location, and Singh of negligence, fraud, breach of contract, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Independent has contacted the Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel and its parent company, Service Corporation International, which operates the chapel under the Dignity Memorial brand, for comment. In a statement to ABC 7, an SCI spokesperson said: "Due to active litigation, we won't be commenting on this matter." The family is also seeking a plan to reunite Alexanders brain with the rest of his remains as part of efforts to address the aftermath of this traumatic incident, ABC 7 reports. They demand a jury trial in this case. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Indian prime minister called for a strategic relationship with Ethiopia Wednesday during his first visit to the country, one of Africa's most populous. The Global South is writing its own destiny, and India and Ethiopia share a vision for it," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told parliamentarians during a special address. "Our vision is of a world where the Global South rises not against anyone, but for everyone; a world where development is fair, where technology is accessible, and where sovereignty is respected, he added. The leaders signed a number of memorandums of understanding and promised to cooperate on the training of United Nations peacekeepers, education, and the establishment of a data center at Ethiopias Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They also pledged to help Ethiopia navigate its mounting international debt under the G20 Common Framework and to combat terrorism. Modi was on Tuesday conferred with Ethiopias highest civilian honor, the Great Honor Nishan Ethiopia, by his Ethiopian counterpart, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. He was the first foreign head of state to receive the recognition. We will walk together as equals, build together as partners, and succeed together as friends, Modi said. Ethiopia became a full-fledged member of the BRICS grouping of countries last year, joining nations such as Iran and Egypt, as it seeks new partnerships after emerging from a two-year civil war in its northern province of Tigray. India is set to host the 18th BRICS summit next year. The Ethiopian government has been looking for new partners as its relationship with the United States wanes. Washington suspended Ethiopias duty-free access to the American market in 2022, a move that affected its once-growing economy, and recently ended humanitarian assistance following the cancellation of USAID-funded programs. India remains a popular destination for medical tourism and higher education for many Ethiopians seeking affordable services that remain elusive at home. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A recent measles outbreak in West Texas triggered a dramatic surge in school absences, far exceeding the number of children who actually fell ill, a new study reveals. The disruption was largely due to students being excluded or kept home by their families as a precaution to curb the disease's spread. According to a preliminary Stanford University study, which has not yet undergone formal peer review, absences in the Seminole Independent School District a system at the epicentre of the outbreak soared by 41 per cent across all grade levels. This figure is compared to the same period over the previous two years, highlighting the significant impact on student learning. The findings offer a stark glimpse into the wider consequences of measles, a highly contagious disease that has seen a resurgence in US communities with low vaccination rates. Nationally, and in Texas, approximately two-thirds of measles cases have been identified among unvaccinated children. Public health officials typically respond to outbreaks by excluding unvaccinated students from schools. open image in gallery In recent years, more parents have sought exemptions to school requirements for the measeles shots, and most states are below the 95 per cent kindergarten vaccination rate that experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks ( Associated Press ) Thomas Dee, a Stanford economist and education professor who co-authored the study, noted: "The costs of that absenteeism are just not among the sick kids, but all the kids who are kept out of school as a precaution." Measles, an airborne illness, poses severe risks, particularly for young children. While the disease was declared eradicated in the US in 2000 thanks to widespread uptake of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, recent years have seen an increase in parents seeking exemptions from school vaccination requirements. Consequently, most states now fall below the 95 per cent kindergarten vaccination rate experts deem necessary to prevent outbreaks. In Seminole Independent School District, only 77 per cent of kindergartners were vaccinated against measles in the 2024-2025 school year, according to state health department data. The measles upsurge there launched the United States worst measles year in more than three decades, sickening 762 people across Texas in seven months. That number could have been even higher, as the Texas Department of State Health Services says there were an additional 182 potential measles cases reported in March 2025 among children in surrounding Gaines County that the state excluded from its count due to lack of information. Absenteeism extended far beyond confirmed measles cases The study estimated, based on state data, that 141 Seminole district students had confirmed measles cases. It found the increase in school absences was approximately 10 times what would be expected from just those students. open image in gallery Children from preschool to first grade had the most pronounced spike in absences a 71 per cent increase from the last two school years, according to the study ( AP ) State health officials recommend that people sick with measles or suspected measles isolate at home until four days after they get the telltale rash. State guidance calls for unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable students to be excluded from school for up to 21 days after exposure to measles. Children from preschool to first grade had the most pronounced spike in absences a 71 per cent increase from the last two school years, according to the study. Most student absences amid the outbreak were due to local health requirements for children to stay out of school if they may have been exposed to somebody diagnosed with measles, Seminole Superintendent Glen Teal said in a statement. Beyond the students who were directed to stay home, it's unclear how many families may have kept children out of school on their own as a precaution. But there's a good argument that parental concern played a role, said Jacob Kirksey, a Texas Tech University education policy professor who was not involved in the study but reviewed it. If you're hearing on the news or you're seeing that there is just an illness outbreak more broadly, the parents are going to be predispositioned to just be more hesitant to send their kids to school, he said. Other states with outbreaks see many kids miss school Outbreaks in other states, such as South Carolina, also have produced spikes in school absenteeism. open image in gallery One year-old River Jacobs is held by his mother, Caitlin Fuller, while he receives an MMR vaccine from Raynard Covarrubio, at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department in Lubbock, Texas ( Getty Images ) More than 165 people including 127 students from three schools were in a 21-day quarantine as of Tuesday because they were unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable to getting sick. Some children have been quarantined twice due to new cases, said Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist for the South Carolina Department of Public Health. Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to peoples education, to employment and other factors of peoples lives in our communities, Bell said. Missing out on learning time can have long-term implications for a child's success. Schools have been dealing with learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed also to elevated rates of chronic absenteeism. More frequent absenteeism also puts a strain on teachers' ability to educate their students. Most educators aren't trained on how to handle instructional pacing when a large chunk of their students are absent, Kirksey said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump has ordered a total and complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela as part of an ongoing pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduros government. Hundreds of U.S. troops and ships have been stationed near the Venezuelan coastline, where U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker in the latest attempt to inflict economic damage on Caracas. In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump boasted that Venezuela was completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America, warning that it will only get bigger. open image in gallery American forces board a Venezuelan crude oil tanker ( X/@AGPamBondi ) He demanded that Venezuela return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us. Caracas described Trumps announcement as a grotesque threat. How big are Venezuelas oil reserves? Venezuela has control over the largest known oil reserve in the world, producing around 1 million barrels a day. Its oil reserves are found primarily in the Orinoco Belt, a region in the countrys east that covers around 55,000 sq km. The countrys proven reserves are estimated at more than 303 billion barrels, which is the largest reserve worldwide trumping Saudi Arabias 297.7 billion barrels. Venezuelas crude oil reserve is six times larger than that of the U.S., which, as of 2023, had 46 billion barrels. In 2009, the United States Geological Survey estimated that the Orinoco Belt alone contained 900 to 1,400 billion barrels. Of this, it said that between 380 and 652 billion barrels were recoverable. The belt holds heavy crude oil, which is harder and more expensive to extract than conventional oil. Advanced technology is required to produce usable oil from this region. open image in gallery Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro has denounced Trumps threat of military action ( AFP/Getty ) Why doesnt Venezuela export more oil? Despite its natural resources, Venezuelan exports stood at just $4.05bn in 2023, according to figures from the Observatory of Economic Complexity. This is a fraction of the $122bn exported by Russia, and $181bn by Saudi Arabia, in the same year. Venezuelas state-owned oil company PDVSA sells most of its exports at a steep discount on the black market in China because the country has been locked out of global oil markets due to U.S. sanctions imposed by Trump. Since the U.S. imposed its first energy sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, traders and refiners buying Venezuelan oil have resorted to using a shadow fleet of old tankers that disguise their location. The ownership of these vessels is often obscure, and they operate without standard insurance. Many have been sanctioned for transporting oil to Russia or Iran. As of last week, more than 30 of the 80 ships in Venezuelan waters or approaching the country were under U.S. sanctions, according to data compiled by TankerTrackers.com. Last week, the U.S. intercepted a vessel called the Skipper off the Venezuelan coast the first time Washington has captured Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed. open image in gallery The Trump administration has been ramping up tensions with Venezuela in recent months ( AFP/Getty ) Where is the oil exported to and what routes are used? Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan oil expert at Rice University in Houston, said that about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million produced daily are exported. Around 80 per cent of that oil goes to China, 15 to 17 per cent goes to the U.S., and the remainder goes to Cuba. Venezuelan oil is loaded at port terminals on its north Caribbean coast, such as the Puerto Jose. Without a U.S. blockade, Venezuelan ships have direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, meaning they can travel to South Africa, then across the Indian Ocean towards China. Tankers travelling to the U.S. will advance north through the Caribbean Sea towards the Gulf of Mexico, before they are unloaded at U.S. Gulf Coast ports including Pascagoula (Mississippi), St Charles (Louisiana), and Freeport (Texas). Although the Trump administration has said the Skipper was heading for Cuba, analysts believe it was likely destined for China given its sheer size. The vessel, which is 20 years old, can carry around 2 million barrels of oil. open image in gallery Iranian tanker Fortune docks in Puerto Cabello in Venezuela ( AFP/Getty ) Why does Trump want to block oil exports? The Trump administration has been ramping up tensions with Venezuela in recent months, with growing signs that the U.S. President is pushing for regime change. The U.S. military has recently carried out a series of military strikes on Venezuelan boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which it claimed without evidence were carrying drugs to the U.S. However, Trumps chief of staff Susie Wiles appeared to suggest that ousting Maduro was also an aim for Trump, in an interview with Vanity Fair. open image in gallery The U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker this week is a deliberate display of its security strategy ( AFP/Getty ) Trump wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle, said Wiles. The amount of crude oil that Venezuela has been able to export to the U.S. has since significantly dwindled. Regime change in Venezuela, in favour of a president more aligned with U.S. interests, would provide Washington with increased access to Venezuelan crude oil, which is cheaper than crude oil from other countries due to its dense, viscous nature. It could allow major U.S. oil companies, including Chevron which already produces oil in Venezuela to expand their operations in the country. This would allow the U.S. to reduce its reliance on oil from the Middle East and Russia. It would also be a strategic win on the geopolitical stage, with Maduro currently allied with many of the U.S.s adversaries, including China, Iran and Russia. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Erika Kirk described her meeting with Candace Owens as very productive after the right-wing commentator promoted conspiracies about her husband Charlie Kirks deadly shooting. In the wake of Kirks assassination, his widow took over his conservative youth group, Turning Point USA, and his friend, Owens, started to spread unfounded theories about his September death. Kirk has denounced Owens conspiracies about her late husband. Had a very productive conversation with [Owens]. More to come from both of us, Kirk wrote on X Monday night. Owens said she thought the four and a half hour meeting was productive as well. We agreed much more than I had anticipated. Of course, we also disagreed on various points and people as well. Most importantly, we were able to share intel and clarify intent, Owens wrote on X Monday night. open image in gallery Erika Kirk described her meeting with Candace Owens as 'very productive' after the right-wing commentator promoted conspiracies about her husband Charlie Kirks deadly shooting ( Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images ) The Independent has reached out to Turning Point USA for comment. Tyler Robinson a 22-year-old who Utah Governor Spencer Cox said had a leftist ideology is accused of shooting Kirk in the neck while the conservative activist was attending an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on September 10. Authorities claim Robinson acted alone and hes the only person charged in Kirks death. Prosecutors said Robinson texted his roommate and supposed romantic partner who authorities say is a biological male transitioning to female I had enough of [Kirks] hatred. Some hate cant be negotiated out. Owens has speculated that French or Israeli government agents had a role in Kirks assassination. Owens has called Israels war in Gaza a genocide, which the Middle Eastern country vehemently denies. She is also currently being sued by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte over unfounded claims that the first lady was born a man. open image in gallery In the wake of Kirks assassination, Owens started to spread unfounded theories about his September death ( Joe Raedle/Getty Images ) The commentator has even suggested Turning Point USA associates may have been involved in Kirks assassination. Before their meeting, Kirk told Owens to end the conspiracies about her husbands death. "Stop. That's it. That's all I have to say. Stop, Kirk said at a recent CBS News town hall. In a podcast Tuesday afternoon, Owens gave more details about her meeting with Kirk. open image in gallery Tyler Robinson is accused of shooting Kirk in the neck while the conservative activist was attending an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on September 10 ( Andrew Harnik/Getty Images ) "I said one of the reasons why I really want to sit down is because I want to walk out of here and feel confident saying to my audience, Hey, there's stuff going on behind the scenes, but Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk, Owens said. Owens said Turning Point officials at the meeting called their lawyer, and what I got from the lawyer did not make me feel that Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk." She said the lawyer told her more evidence will come out during a court hearing in May. At this point, Owens said, I don't believe that Tyler Robinson pulled the trigger. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Georgia prosecutor who led a sprawling criminal case against Donald Trump sparred with Republican state lawmakers investigating her decision to investigate the president and his allies for their efforts to overturn the states election results in 2020. In a heated GOP-led state senate committee hearing Wednesday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis blasted Republicans for trying to create QAnon committees that will judge prosecutors and repeatedly shut down questions she and her attorney said had nothing to do with why she was hauled in to testify. She fired back at allegations that she was set on prosecuting Trump before she took office on January 1, 2021, calling one question about her investigation a dumba** question and blasting the hearing as a damn joke. I didnt know he was going to commit a crime prior to me taking office. Like, its factually impossible, she said. In another exchange, she said Georgia Republicans, in league with Trump and his allies, have tried to intimidate her office into dropping the case and chasing her out of the role. open image in gallery Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis accused Republicans on a Georgia Senate committee of leading a politically motivated investigation against her December 17 after her election interference case against Trump and his allies fell apart ( AP ) You have been trying to intimidate me for five years, she said. Thousands of threats have come to my office. Im not Marjorie Taylor Greene. Im not going to quit in a month after someone threatened me. A furious Willis asked Republicans on the committee why they didnt investigate how many times my house has been swatted and how many times theyve called me the n-word after her office secured a grand jury indictment. I took an oath to do the right thing. People came into my community and committed a crime and I indicted them, and rest assured, if someone else comes in my community and commits a crime, I will indict them again, she said. The hearing follows a judges decision to drop a sweeping racketeering case against the president, who was accused of leading a criminal enterprise with a so-called fake elector scheme to falsely assert his victory while seeking to seize control of voting machines, intimidate election workers, and push the states top election official to find votes Trump would need to win. Willis charged Trump and more than a dozen co-defendants including allies Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Jeffrey Clark and John Eastman under the states RICO Act, typically used to break up organized crime, and faced a lengthy list of other charges tied to the alleged conspiracy to subvert the states election results. Several defendants had already pleaded guilty before the case came crashing down. Willis was disqualified from the case after a lengthy court battle over allegations involving Nathan Wade, a former romantic partner she hired as a special prosecutor in the case. Peter Skandalakis, director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, then assigned the case to himself. Last month, he recommended that the case be dismissed, and a judge granted the request marking the end of a historic series of criminal cases against the president. The Republican-dominated Georgia Senate requested Williss testimony for a Special Committee on Investigations probing her relationship with Wade. open image in gallery A furious Willis repeatedly pushed back at questions about her handling of the Trump case and her relationship with a special prosecutor she hired to assist her office ( AP ) open image in gallery ( AP ) During Wednesdays hearing, Willis said she hired Wade because her office was drowning in other cases. Every lawyer I had with that level of experience had a huge project, she said. I made a decision, the people of Fulton County elected me to make that decision, and I did. Republicans have also accused Willis of conspiring with Joe Bidens administration and a congressional committee investigating the January 6 attack to prosecute Trump, showing bills from Wade that he had traveled to Washington, D.C. Willis said Wade likely traveled there to get information on some of the criminals I ended up indicting. She argued that any meetings between prosecutors from her office and officials in Washington were related to obtaining documents and testimony from federal custody. Youre trying to imply some wrongdoing where none exists, said former Georgia governor Roy Barnes, who represented Willis in the hearing. He repeatedly appeared exasperated by Republicans questions and urged Willis to avoid answering them. This has always been a witch hunt, he said at one point. What are we doing? Barnes said at another. I thought this was supposed to be about rules of conduct. Now youre getting into whether the electors met here, whether they were really electors How does this have to do with the conduct? Im amazed anyone thought the election was fixed that was five years ago! Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice On Wednesday morning, a handful of frontline Republicans shocked Washington when they crossed the aisle and signed onto a discharge petition to force the House of Representatives to vote on an extension of the expanded health care tax credits. It was a total self-inflicted wound by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had undermined the Republicans from swing districts. Reps. Mike Lawler of New York as well as Pennsylvania Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick, Rob Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzies decision came after the House Rules Committee swatted down amendments on a grab-bag bill of disjointed health care policies that would have included an extension of the subsidies. These Republicans, all of whom represent swing districts, had no choice but to cross the aisle to save their own re-election chances as at least 22 million Americans risk seeing their premiums spike. Now there will be a vote on the Covid-era expanded tax credits for the Affordable Care Acts health insurance marketplace. Given the boiling frustration with Johnson, expect a jailbreak where other Republicans join out of self-preservation. But even if this passes, any extension of the tax credits would hit the brick wall that is the United States Senate, and there does not seem to be an appetite to get it through among Republican leadership. open image in gallery U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) are among the Republicans who would likely need to craft a bill to prevent premiums from spiking at the end of the year ( Getty Images ) I mean, I think we need to hear from our leadership what they will and won't put on the floor, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told The Independent. The Missouri senator is one of the few Republicans who has wanted an extension of the subsidies, albeit with some restrictions to ensure the money does not pay for abortions. Any legislation would need to overcome a filibuster and therefore earn 60 votes. Last week, the Senate voted down a clean extension of the tax credits, which likely makes legislation from the House a nonstarter, no matter how big the vote is. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that any legislation would need to raise the sufficient revenue. I dont know that there will be, but well see, Thune said. As votes began on Wednesday, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the two moderates in the Republican conference, chatted with each other. Collins and some of the other dealmakers in the Senate huddled on the floor. It's not unreasonable that he wants to have seen what we're going to come up with before he takes a position, Collins told The Independent. The general contours of the proposal that all of us in our group are working on are out there, but he understandably would want to see the specifics. Murkowski, who angered many Democratic senators with her vote for the One Big, Beautiful Bill, said she hoped that the discharge petition could be a sparkplug for action in the Senate. open image in gallery A handful of swing district Republicans openly defied Johnson to sign a Democratic discharge petition to force the House to vote to extend the expanded health care tax credits ( Getty ) We're going to work on how we avoid this cliff and get something signed into law, not just messaging, she told The Independent. But Collins and Murkowski, both of whom opposed the 2017 repeal of the Affordable Care Act, are very much in the minority. Despite the fact that Republicans have never really figured out what they want a health care bill to look like, or crafted a response to Obamacare, most Republicans still do not want their fingerprints on anything that would look like salvaging the bill. We've already voted against that very same provision in the Senate, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo told The Independent. Theres also the fact that while all of the moderates in the race need to save themselves, most Republican Senators represent deep-red states. While Fitzpatrick and Lawler represent seats that voted for Kamala Harris, and Bresnahan and Mackenzie beat incumbent Democrats last year, Collins is the only Republican senator from a state that voted for Harris and she faces a tough re-election. But Republicans might not have much of a choice in the matter. So I think that the Democrats have to expect there could be some change here, but the fact that we're gonna have a vehicle that we could potentially react to, I think, is promising, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told The Independent. I, for one, think we have to come up with a solution. Tillis wound up riding the elevator with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a New York Republican who could face a tough race in an anti-Republican midterm. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Former Fox News star Megyn Kelly is claiming credit for brokering the private meeting between far-right provocateur Candace Owens and Turning Point USA chief Erika Kirk over Owens outlandish conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirks assassination, adding that she hoped for a detente between the two. Kellys remarks came a day after both Kirk and Owens announced that they would be meeting to discuss Owens claims about Charlie Kirks death, with both women describing the summit which lasted over four hours as very productive. Many of my viewers have been wondering why I havent said anything given my previous statements about Erika, and the reason is that I have been working behind the scenes to try to foster a detente between them, Kelly said on her SiriusXM show on Tuesday afternoon. Kirks face-to-face summit with the one-time friend of her slain spouse, however, doesnt appear to have slowed down Owens and stopped her from implicating a vast international conspiracy in Charlie Kirks death which includes the Israeli government possibly working in conjunction with senior TPUSA officials. During her Tuesday afternoon podcast episode talking about the meeting with Kirk, Owens who is currently being sued for baselessly accusing the French first lady of being transgender opened her broadcast by sarcastically dancing to the Jewish folk song Hava Nagila before telling her viewers, Shabbat Shalom. open image in gallery Megyn Kelly claims that she was largely responsible for arranging the private meeting between Erika Kirk and Candace Owens, saying she hoped for a detente. ( SiriusXM ) She went on to say I did not recant my suspicions about the death of TPUSAs founder, adding that Erika Kirk and TPUSA staff was very surprised when I shared certain intel with them. Owens also continued to denounce the text-message evidence cited by law enforcement to charge 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with Kirks death, calling it fake and gay. During her broadcast on Tuesday, Kelly said that Kirk had reached out to her amid Owens wild theorizing about her deceased husbands death to perhaps see if she could help arrange a meeting. With Owens ramping up her accusations about TPUSAs supposed involvement in the assassination, which included the MAGA podcaster tossing out a crazed conspiracy about Egyptian planes following Erika Kirk for years, the current TPUSA CEO had used recent media appearances to urge Owens to stop peddling her unproven claims. Erika called me weeks ago and asked me if I would be part of this sit down with them, which originally they had contemplated might be for consumption by the public, might air in some way, shape, or form, and asked if I would facilitate that meeting between the two of them, Kelly said Tuesday. After telling Kirk she would try to broker a meeting, Kelly claimed that she reached out to Owens, who said she'd be thrilled to do it because of Kellys involvement. And the two of them took it from there, trying to negotiate the specifics of what they both would be comfortable with, where, when, Kelly said, noting that they eventually agreed to Owens home city of Nashville for the sitdown. Kelly, however, did not talk about any specifics about the discussion between Kirk and Owens, though she did say the two had some roadblocks and thats for someone else to tell you about, if they so choose. In an email to the New York Post, Owens confirmed that Kelly was key to making the summit happen with Kirk. open image in gallery Owens and Erika Kirk met for over four hours on Monday to talk about Owens wild conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirks death. ( Getty ) Megyn has been fantastic behind the scenes, Owens wrote. Its extremely rare in politics to see someone who can respect a difference of opinion and want to help close the gap on misunderstandings rather than the preferred route of casting something wholly good or evil. At the same time, while Kelly made it clear that she doesnt believe for one second that anyone from TPUSA had anything to do with Charlie Kirks murder and that she empathizes with Erika Kirk, she lashed out at critics who have accused her of cozying up to a conspiracy theorist who has been increasingly leaning into antisemitism. To the hateful people whom I used to call friends who have been all over the internet trying to shame me and say that no one should ever listen to this program again because I havent spoken out on the Erika and Candace conflict: I dont have any pearls of wisdom other than go f*** yourselves, Kelly exclaimed. You have no f***ing clue whats going on, she added. You dont know what I do behind the scenes, and your world is so myopically online you fail to understand there are real humans involved here. Kelly, who has repeatedly refused to condemn her friends Owens and Tucker Carlson as theyve continued to spiral into fringe conspiracies and the promotion of white nationalists, said that her relationship with Owens has only grown stronger amid the controversies. I dont have any obligation to you to hate the people you hate or try to bring down the people you want brought down, Kelly declared. People want to turn that into a cat fight between Candace and yours truly, which will fail She and I actually have only gotten closer over the past couple of months as people try to make me attack her. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice First Lady Melania Trump has shared a new trailer for her controversial documentary to mixed reviews. Melania, helmed by disgraced director Brett Ratner and licensed by Amazon as part of a reported $40 million deal, promises a behind-the-scenes look at the days leading up to her husband, Donald Trumps second inauguration. The first lady posted the clip Wednesday morning. It begins with Melania, in her now famously large, wide-brimmed hat in the Capitol Rotunda for her husband Donald Trumps swearing-in ceremony. Here we go again, she says to the camera, as it pans around her and a suspenseful soundtrack builds. The trailer then rapidly moves through clips of the first lady at the White House, Mar-a-Lago and Trump Tower in New York City. Viewers are shown President Trump preparing for a speech, saying: My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker, to which his wife jumps in, adding: Peacemaker and unifier. In a final clip, Melania is seen speaking to her husband on the phone, telling him: Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations. Donald Trump can be heard replying: Did you watch it? to which his wife replies: I did not. Yeah, I will see it on the news. open image in gallery The new trailer for Melania, a documentary about the first lady, was released Wednesday to mixed reviews, with fans praising her beauty while critics questioned why the film was even made ( X/@MELANIATRUMP/Amazon MGM Studios ) Reactions to the teaser poured in and were split between delighted fans praising the first ladys beauty and sophistication and critics, one who wrote: Who asked for this? We have an incredible First Lady, the White House Rapid Response X account wrote as it shared the trailer. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also shared the trailer writing: I am so excited for this! Disgraced former congressman George Santos, who was recently pardoned by President Trump, also chimed in: Beyond excited! This is going to be incredible! Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert added. However, not everyone had such a positive reaction. The GRIFT continues, Tennessee political strategist Chris D. Jackson wrote on X. open image in gallery The GRIFT continues, wrote political strategist Chris D. Jackson ( @ChrisDJackson/X ) We all realize what this is, right? this should be filed under Amazons lobbying expenses, Miles Taylor, an appointee in the Department of Homeland Security during the first Trump administration, tweeted. People literally cannot afford food. And the First Lady is making a movie. Its an unserious time, and our moral compass is smashed, wrote Rhonda Elaine Foxx, the former Biden campaign director of womens engagement. Amazon paid a $40 million bribe for content the White House press office couldve made (and seemingly did!), Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor commented. Meanwhile, another user joked: First ever movie to sell 0 tickets. The clip reminded some social media users of other movie and TV hits. Is it just me or is the cinematography giving Succession? journalist Louis Pisano wrote on X. open image in gallery Fans of the first lady praised her beauty and sophistication after the trailer was released ( Getty Images ) open image in gallery The upcoming documentary promises a behind-the-scenes look at the first ladys life ( AFP/Getty ) Another user noted: Cant totally explain but the aesthetic is TITANIC (1997). Earlier this year, it was reported that Amazon spent $40 million to license the film, as well as a two-to-three episode follow-up docuseries about the first ladys life. The films director, Brett Ratner, retreated from Hollywood in 2018 amid the #MeToo movement after several women accused him of sexual misconduct. Ratner has denied allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment. While Melania largely avoids the political spotlight, the film has promised viewers a behind-the-scenes look at her life. Viewers hoping to get a peek at President Trump and their son, Barron, can also expect brief appearances. Melania is set to be released exclusively in theaters on January 30, 2026. It was not immediately clear when the film would be added to Amazon for streaming. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The U.S. Coast Guard has downgraded swastikas from hate symbols to "potentially divisive in its new workplace harassment policy, according to a report. The new policy came into effect on Monday, according to the Washington Post, citing a memo sent from the Coast Guard to Congress earlier this week. The Independent has requested comment from the Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security. The Post previously reported that the new harassment policy would include the change to the swastikas classification, but the Trump administration had dismissed the claim as "false." However, within hours of that reporting, Coast Guard Admiral Kevin Lunday issued a memo on November 20 denouncing symbols like swastikas and nooses, and insisted that both will remain prohibited for Coast Guard personnel. open image in gallery U.S. Coast Guard officers work at the Paso del Norte International bridge. The U.S. Coast Guard new harassment police downgraded symbols like swastikas and nooses from hate symbols to potentially divisive, though the military branch has issued a statement insisting the symbols are still prohibited despite the change ( REUTERS ) Lundy also said that his ruling would supersede any other language on the matter, suggesting a potential disparity between the actual on-paper harassment policy at the Coast Guard and the admiral's orders. This is not an updated policy but a new policy to combat any misinformation and double down that the U.S. Coast Guard forbids these symbols, the Coast Guard stated at the time. The previous Coast Guard policy included the following statements on hate symbols: The following is a non-exhaustive list of symbols whose display, presentation, creation, or depiction would constitute a potential hate incident: a noose, a swastika, supremacist symbols, Confederate symbols or flags, and anti-Semitic symbols. The display of these types of symbols constitutes a potential hate incident because hate-based groups have co-opted or adopted them as symbols of supremacy, racial or religious intolerance, or other bias. Symbols can be presented as images, on any type of material or clothing, as words or numbers, and in any combination. Other conduct or speech, including highly charged epithets, slurs, or other comments not involving a symbol, can also be a potential hate incident. open image in gallery Coast Guard Admiral Kevin Lunday issued a memo on November 20 denouncing symbols like swastikas and nooses ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) At the time of the initial report, Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen said the policy change "rolls back important protections against bigotry and could allow for horrifically hateful symbols like swastikas and nooses to be inexplicably permitted to be displayed." President Donald Trump installed Lunday as the commandant of the Coast Guard after he fired Admiral Linda Fagan, who he claimed was too focused on "non mission critical" DEI initiatives. Lunday has not been confirmed at the time of this report. His confirmation hearing will be later this week. The downgrading of the swastika's categorization as a "hate symbol" to "potentially divisive" comes just days after at least 15 people were shot and killed at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia and at a time when anti-semitism is on the rise globally. At a time when antisemitism is rising in the United States and around the world, relaxing policies aimed at fighting hate crimes not only sends the wrong message to the men and women of our Coast Guard, but it puts their safety at risk, Rosen said of the change after it was first reported in November. Deborah Lipstadt, a historian who was President Joe Biden's special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, called the change "terrifying." Whats really disturbing is, at this moment, when there is a whitewashing of Nazis amongst some on the far right, and Churchill is painted as the devil incarnate when it comes to World War II, to take the swastika and call it potentially divisive is hard to fathom, she said. She added that the swastika represented the ideology that "hundreds of thousands of Americans fought and gave their lives to defeat." Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice California Governor Gavin Newsom has found a new way to troll the Trump administration by launching a website that tracks President Donald Trumps criminal cronies. Newsoms team launched the site Tuesday, along with crime statistics that show falling rates of violent crime across major cities in California. With crime dropping again California is proving what real public safety leadership looks like, Newsom said. Meanwhile in D.C., Trump is a felon who surrounds himself with scammers and drug traffickers. Trump is labeled criminal in chief in the news release, with the word felon branded across his 2023 mugshot. Were providing the public with a resource putting the facts in one place so Californians, and all Americans, can see who he elevates and who he protects, Newsom added. open image in gallery President Donald Trump is labeled criminal in chief in the news release, with the word felon branded across his 2023 mugshot ( Getty Images ) It is the latest example of how Newsoms team is attempting to mirror the Trump administrations own tactics and use public resources to target the presidents political enemies. In the news release, Newsom said he was launching the website to detail the criminal records, corruption cases, and extremist ties of the people Donald Trump elevates, protects, pardons, and surrounds himself with. Those featured in the line-up, complete with AI-generated mugshots, include the cryptocurrency Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, who was pardoned in October after pleading guilty to money laundering charges in 2023. The billionaire has ties to the Trump familys crypto venture World Liberty Financial, which Newsom highlighted in the release. open image in gallery Newsom and his press team have been trolling Trump for months by mimicking the presidents own social media style of writing aggressively in capital letters and by generating AI memes at his expense ( Getty Images ) Trumps pardon of the former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez, who the Justice Department once said was at the center of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking conspiracies in the world, also made the list. Hernandez was sentenced last year to 45 years in prison after he was convicted of accepting millions of dollars in bribes and importing 500 tons of cocaine into the United States. Other offenders on the list include Ross Ulbricht, the founder of dark-web drug marketplace Silk Road who was pardoned by Trump in 2015, and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of multiple political corruption charges and also pardoned by Trump. Newsom and his press team have been trolling Trump for months by mimicking the presidents own social media style of writing aggressively in capital letters and by generating AI memes at his expense. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings, whose profile has skyrocketed this past year by becoming one of Donald Trumps most loyal media defenders, has been tapped by the conservative Salem Radio Network to take over the midday time slot once filled by slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Axios first reported Wednesday that Jennings, along with Breitbart News editor Alex Marlow, will take over the noon-3 pm ET block that Kirks show had occupied. Since the Turning Point USA leaders assassination in September, The Charlie Kirk Show has been hosted by TPUSA staffers Andrew Kolvet and Blake Neff. Jennings, who launched a midafternoon show with Salem this past June, will expand his program to two hours and host the 1-3 pm slot starting January 5. Marlow, the Breitbart editor-in-chief who already hosts a podcast with Salem, will anchor the noontime hour. The three-hour midday slot has long been seen as the top prize in the right-wing talk radio universe, largely due to conservative icon Rush Limbaugh commanding it for decades. Now that Marlow and Jennings are stepping in for Kirk, they are likely to see their prominence within the MAGA media sphere grow. The Charlie Kirk Show, which has been kept alive by Kolvet and Neff since Kirks death, will continue to air as a podcast on Salems podcasting service. open image in gallery CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings will take over the time slot previously occupied by slain MAGA activist Charlie Kirk. ( YouTube ) While some of the details around how we want to distribute the show will change, our friendship and trust in Salem does not, Kolvet said about the changes. He also stated that, while Kirks show will move to another venue, the shows team agreed that Alex and Scott were the perfect hosts to take over on the radio portion. In discussing their new roles, both Marlow and Jennings praised Kirk and the TPUSA staff that kept the show running over the past few months. To my friend Andrew Kolvet and the Turning Point USA team, thank you for your stewardship of Charlie's radio legacy, Jennings said. These are some of the most important hours in talk radio. Marlow, for his part, added that it was a rare pleasure to be a weekly guest on my friend Charlie Kirk's show during the last year of his life, adding that he cant wait to get started with his new program. A representative at Salem told Axios that the network expects that Marlows and Jennings shows will be picked up by roughly 300 radio stations and reach roughly 1.2 million listeners. Jennings, a former adviser to Mitch McConnell and George W. Bush administration official, has seen his fame grow within the right-wing media ecosystem since Trumps return to office due to his vehement defense of the president on CNNs airwaves. His combative on-air exchanges with liberal pundits and trollish social media behavior has led to not only his own radio show, but a spot on the Los Angeles Times editorial board as the papers billionaire owner looks to shift its coverage to the right. open image in gallery Jennings has suggested that if Donald Trump asks him to run, he'll toss his hat into the 2026 Kentucky Senate race. ( Real America's Voice ) On top of that, Jennings has also publicly weighed a Senate run in Kentucky, but only if Trump urges him to fill the seat that will soon be vacated by a retiring McConnell. Meanwhile, Jennings and Marlow are now going to take a more prominent role in a MAGA media universe that has been splintered by interpersonal feuds and drama over the direction of the conservative movement. Much of that turmoil, in fact, centers on conservative influencers namely one-time Kirk colleague Candace Owens peddling increasingly wild conspiracy theories about the deceased TPUSA founders killing. Owens has spent the last few weeks spinning outlandish claims that Israel, Egypt, France and the US military all may have played a part in assassinating Kirk on a Utah college campus in September, going so far as to suggest a number of TPUSA employees were in on the plot. This culminated in Erika Kirk, Kirks widow and the new CEO of TPUSA, to privately meet with Owens in a summit that former Fox News star Megyn Kelly has claimed she organized. While both Kirk and Owens said their discussion was very productive, Owens doubled down on her conspiracies during a Tuesday night podcast. I did not recant, Owens said, claiming that TPUSA did not provide any information to dissuade her from her investigation into Kirks death. Additionally, she said that the key text-message evidence against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with Kirks murder, was fake and gay. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Vanity Fair writer who conducted a fiery interview with Susie Wiles has hit back at the White Houses accusation that he wrote a hit piece on the Trump administration. While writing the unprecedented interview, journalist Chris Whipple met with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles eleven times over eleven months. Wiles is one of the most important people in Trumps orbit and is widely credited with playing a key part in masterminding his return to the White House. In the piece, Wiles said that Trump had an alcoholics personality, claimed that JD Vance was a conspiracy theorist, and suggested that Elon Musk was an avowed ketamine user. open image in gallery Susie Wiles furiously claimed that her interview with Vanity Fair had been taken out of context ( AP ) Although Wiles has since claimed that the context of her claims had been disregarded, Whipple says that Everything is on tape. This was one of those cases as a reporter in your career when lightning strikes, and it was astonishing to me the extent to which she was unguarded and freewheeling on the record all the time, he told CNNs Anderson Cooper. Everything in the article was on the record. I recorded every interview. Whipple compared the scandal to Watergate and pointed out that the White House has been unable to dispute any of his claims so far. There isnt a single fact or a single assertion that theyve challenged in the piece, he said. It really reminds me of the Watergate days when Ben Bradlee talked about non-denial denial. So this is the ultimate non-denial denial. Wiles is known for making few public appearances, with Whipple dubbing her the Greta Garbo of the second Trump administration. open image in gallery The in-depth interview took place over eleven months and gave readers a peek into the chaos behind the scenes in the White House ( Christopher Anderson/Vanity Fair ) However, her interview with Vanity Fair gave an unvarnished look into the behind-the-scenes chaos at the White House. She alleged that she hit out at Elon Musk for sharing a post that blamed public sector workers for killing millions under Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong. Wiles claimed Musk had shared the post while microdosing. Wiles added that the tech CEOs cuts to USAID left her aghast, since she believed it did very good work. The mastermind behind Ron DeSantis successful 2018 gubernatorial run also claimed that there was nothing, zero, nothing that Trump truly believed he could not achieve. She said that was because his personality is exaggerated in the same way a persons behavior is amplified when drinking alcohol, although Trump does not drink. In a post on X, Wiles branded the article as a "disingenuously framed hit piece. Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story, Wiles wrote. I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team. open image in gallery Chris Whipple has shut down criticism of the interview, pointing out that everything Wiles said is on tape ( CNN ) In a stunning display, Trump rushed to Wiles' defense as her claims about his administration ignited a firestorm on social media. I didnt read it, but I dont read Vanity Fair but shes done a fantastic job, the president told The New York Post. I think from what I hear, the facts were wrong, and it was a very misguided interviewer, purposely misguided. He added that he believed Wiles was fantastic and reiterated that he does not drink alcohol. So everybody knows that but Ive often said that if I did, Id have a very good chance of being an alcoholic, he said. I have said that many times about myself, I do. Its a very possessive personality. Vance also defended Wiles while speaking to reporters, despite her branding him as a conspiracy theorist. He claimed that the pair have joked in private and in public about that for a long time and claimed that he has not read the article. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump just cant stop griping about 60 Minutes and how the vaunted CBS Sunday night newsmagazine is very nasty and unfair to him. At the same time, the presidents obsession with the long-running program is causing him to blast the new ownership of CBS News parent company Paramount, which has been blatantly currying favor with him in an effort to secure his approval of its hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. Discovery. For those people that think I am close with the new owners of CBS, please understand that 60 Minutes has treated me far worse since the so-called takeover, than they have ever treated me before. If they are friends, Id hate to see my enemies! Trump fumed in a Tuesday Truth Social rant. The presidents screed comes a week after he melted down over a 60 Minutes interview with Trump loyalist turned foe Marjorie Taylor Greene, grousing that the broadcast showed that Paramount chairman David Ellison whom he has repeatedly praised as a great person was NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP. Meanwhile, Ellison along with his ultrawealthy father Larry Ellison, the Oracle founder and longtime Trump ally has been banking on his familys close ties with the president to give him a leg up in his aggressive attempt to acquire WBD and add it to his burgeoning media empire. open image in gallery Donald Trump, who heaped praise on David Ellison during a recent 60 Minutes interview, is now suggesting they are no longer friends. ( YouTube ) While Trump has seemed to privately and publicly favor Paramount in the bidding war for Warner Bros. the studios board of directors has already approved an offer from Netflix he appears to want the Ellisons to know who is in charge, and thats him. On the same day that the younger Ellison submitted the hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. Discovery, the president raged about the Greene interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl, which featured the Georgia congresswoman claiming Trump was directly fueling death threats against her family. Besides attacking Greene and Stahl over the interview, Trump blasted Ellison without naming him for seemingly allowing the interview to air in the first place. The president also made a point of referencing the $16 million the prior Paramount leadership paid him to settle a meritless lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. That settlement took place weeks before the Trump administration approved Paramounts merger with Ellisons Skydance. My real problem with the show, however, wasnt the low IQ traitor, it was that the new ownership of 60 Minutes, Paramount, would allow a show like this to air. THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP, who just paid me millions of Dollars for FAKE REPORTING about your favorite President, ME! Trump exclaimed. Since they bought it, 60 Minutes has actually gotten WORSE! Later that afternoon, the president was still steaming about the telecast and suggested to White House reporters that he was no longer on friendly terms with the Ellisons. I know the companies very well. I know what they are doing. But I have to see what percentage of market they have. We have to see the Netflix percentage of market, Paramount percentage of market, he said when asked about his involvement in approving a WBD deal. I mean, none of them are particularly great friends of mine. I want to do whats right. Later that week, however, Trump made it apparent that he favored Paramounts bid for Warner Bros., saying that it was imperative that CNN be sold as part of any deal for the media giant. While WBD would spin off CNN in a separate company as part of the Netflix merger, Paramount is proposing to buy all of Warners assets. open image in gallery David Ellison has said hes had great conversations with Trump about his plan to combine CNN which Trump has long reviled as fake news with CBS News. ( AFP/Getty ) On top of that, Ellison has said hes had great conversations with Trump about his plan to combine CNN which Trump has long reviled as fake news with CBS News, which Ellison recently put under the control of anti-woke culture warrior Bari Weiss. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Ellison offered assurances to Trump administration officials that if he bought Warner, hed make sweeping changes to CNN. All the while, the Ellisons have also brought on Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner as an investor in the Warner Bros. bid. I think any deal, it should be guaranteed and certain that CNN is part of it or sold separately, but I dont think the people that are running that company right now and running CNN, which is a very dishonest group of people, Trump declared on Wednesday. I dont think that should be allowed to continue. On top of that, Ellison and his father have gone out of their way to do damage control with the White House over the 60 Minutes interview that has sparked the presidents ire. According to the New York Post, the younger Ellison has told people close to Trump he was unaware of the broadcast until the day it ran, as was Jeff Shell, president of Paramount Skydance, and Weiss. One source added that [t]heyre saying those guys went rogue and when Paramount Skydance found out about it, they were caught flatfooted. Based on Tuesdays Truth Social tirade, it looks like the Ellisons will need to do some more pandering. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Trump administration has announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), regarded as one of the worlds preeminent research institutions in the field of Earth science. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, the federally funded center has driven multiple scientific breakthroughs since its founding in 1960, including pioneering advancements in weather data collection, atmospheric modeling and lidar technology. However, to the Trump administration whose senior officials are largely skeptical of the scientific consensus on climate change its seen as a hub of scaremongering rhetoric. This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country, Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote on X on Tuesday. He said the center would be broken up and that any vital activities would be housed elsewhere. Antonio Busalacchi, the president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which oversees NCAR, quickly denounced Voughts decision, writing in a statement, Any plans to dismantle NSF NCAR would set back our nations ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to severe weather and other natural disasters. open image in gallery The Trump administration is dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, which is accused of spreading climate alarmism. ( The National Center for Atmospheric Research ) A host of other scientists echoed this sentiment, accusing the Trump administration of mounting an all-out attack on critical research institutions. Peter Geick, the founder of the Pacific Institute, an environmental research non-profit, characterized the planned dismantling of NCAR as an intellectual war crime. Unbelievable, Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist, wrote on social media, adding that Voughts shuttering of the center is like taking a sledgehammer to the keystone holding up our scientific understanding of the planet. Even within the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank, the move drew criticism. Roger Pielke Jr., a senior fellow, told USA Today that although he views climate alarmism and the supposed politicization of science as genuine concerns, he considers NCAR a crown jewel of the U.S. scientific enterprise that should be strengthened, not dismantled. The center, which employs about 830 people, is operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a consortium of dozens of universities. Most of its funding comes from the federal government. Over the years, NCAR scientists have earned recognition as leading innovators in atmospheric science. Notably, they developed GPS dropsondes devices released from aircraft into hurricanes to collect real-time data. The White House defended its decision to shutter the center by stating that the restructuring is a bid to bring NCAR back to its core mission, according to USA Today, which first reported the decision. The administration will identify and cut out what it described as green new scam research activities. These efforts include a research project focused on protecting wind turbines from severe storms and another aimed at integrating Indigenous knowledge into climate change studies, according to The New York Times. Pielke Jr. disputed this framing, telling the outlet that NCAR is way down on the list of climate research institutions that have become politicized. open image in gallery Russell Vought, Trump's OMB director, described the UCAR as one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country ( Getty Images ) A lot of what NCAR does is atmospheric science beyond climate change, like improving short-term weather forecasts, added Pielke Jr., who previously worked at the center, added. Destroying it makes no sense. Elected officials also weighed in, with many Democrats expressing consternation. Colorado Governor Jared Polis denounced the move, writing on X that he is deeply alarmed and that NCARs work is essential to protecting lives. Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse called the decision to close the center a deeply dangerous [and] blatantly retaliatory action. At least one Republican applauded Voughts decision. In response to the OMB directors post, North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris wrote Thank you! Its the most recent in a series of actions by the Trump administration to dismantle, defund or sideline climate science institutions. This summer, the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration laid out plans to shrink its budget by about $2 billion and cut its staff by 18 percent. The administration has also terminated over 100 NSF grants for projects pertaining to climate change, according to the MIT Technology Review. Meanwhile, the administration has slashed environmental regulations around energy production and directed agencies to use all their available authorities to increase production, including of fossil fuels. Trump himself has long been a skeptic of climate science. In September, he told an audience at the U.N. that climate change is the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump has argued that the U.S. Constitution does not apply to noncitizen immigrants, claiming that the founding principle of We the people extends only to American citizens. Appeals court Judge Amul Thapar, who Trump put on a short list of contenders for a Supreme Court nomination during his first term, argued this week that the people refers only to citizens of the United States who consented to its government. Thapar partially agreed with the majoritys ruling to uphold a federal law that blocks immigrants who entered the United States without legal permission from possessing firearms. But Thapar went further, arguing that the founders did not intend for the Second Amendment nor the First and Fourth Amendments to extend to noncitizens, let alone illegal aliens. His dissenting view carries no legal weight, but it was published as the Trump administration looks to the courts for support amid an avalanche of lawsuits against a sweeping anti-immigration agenda that has deported thousands of people while severely limiting who can enter the U.S. open image in gallery A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump has argued that the Constitution does not extend to noncitizens as the administration looks for legal guidance to boost its anti-immigration agenda ( Getty Images ) Law enforcement officers across the country are accused of depriving immigrants of their constitutional rights with sweeping arrests and detentions, in violation of the Fourth Amendment, while the Trump administration is attempting to unilaterally redefine who gets to be a citizen by rewriting the 14th Amendment. The administration also is facing legal challenges from noncitizen scholars who argue the government unlawfully retaliated against them for demonstrating against Israels war in Gaza by throwing them in immigration detention centers and threatening them with removal from the country, in violation of their First Amendment rights. In this case, Guatemalan citizen Milder Escobar-Temal challenged his conviction for unlawfully possessing firearms that police discovered in his home in 2022. Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch, who wrote the majority opinion for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, argued that the noncitizens who enter the country without legal permission are granted constitutional rights once they develop substantial connections with this country. But Thapar disagreed, writing that historical traditions dont just support the exclusion of illegal aliens they demand it. Only U.S. citizens enjoy Second Amendment rights, he argued. The First and Fourth Amendments, which protect the rights to free speech and affirm protections against reasonable searches and seizures, respectively, were also originally understood to apply only to citizens, according to Thapar. Put simply, only citizens who consented to be governed could claim the rights necessary to govern themselves, he wrote. He also questioned the majoritys reasoning that constitutional protections for noncitizens who have substantial connections with this country, stating that the courts should stay out of the moralizing business of judging what makes an American. Why should courts get to pick and choose what connections make someone American? Thapar wrote as he defended which constitutional rights to deprive noncitizens. This is a startling read of history [and] precedent, according to Pepperdine Law professor Jake Charles. It's hard not to read this in the context of what Trump is doing. Judge Thapar is, Im sure, auditioning for the next open Supreme Court seat. Its a really alarming project of trying to decimate the rights of noncitizens at the precise moment when the administration is punishing speech [and] subjecting noncitizens to unreasonable searches and seizures. open image in gallery The Trump administration is pressing the Supreme Court to rewrite the 14th Amendment to exclude birthright citizenship for the children of certain immigrants ( REUTERS ) Thapar was among 10 finalists for consideration for the Supreme Court during Trumps first term. From that list, the president nominated Neil Gorsuch, who was the first of Trumps three appointments to the nations highest court, which has a firm six-member conservative majority with three liberal justices. Thapar also served on an 18-member judicial advisory board for the Heritage Foundations clause-by-clause analysis of the Constitution, serving as a legal manifesto to accompany the right-wing think-tanks Project 2025 blueprint to support the Trump administrations second term. Jamelle Bouie, a columnist for The New York Times, called Thapars latest dissent historical and legal fan fiction designed to vindicate Trump's lawlessness. Trumps allies celebrated Thapars writing, with legal ally Mike Davis stating that We the People means the sovereign citizens. Illegal aliens do not have equal constitutional rights. We never gave it to them. We have the sovereign power, he wrote. Judges cannot steal it. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Four months ago, President Donald Trump said his Republican Party would do everything possible to eliminate the use of postal balloting ahead of next years midterm elections and claimed he was starting a movement against the practice. But with less than 11 months to go until voters cast ballots that will determine whether the GOP will keep control of Congress and 48 governors mansions for the remainder of his term, party leaders across the country are decidedly not on board with Trumps opposition to voting by mail. Republicans in the key battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania are actually taking concrete steps to remind voters to take advantage of programs that allow them to cast ballots by mail, including through direct mail ads, email reminders, phone calls and home visits from volunteers, along with massive digital ad campaigns. In the Keystone State, Republican leaders are doubling down on their successful 2024 work that used $16 million to urge voters to send in their ballots for Trump, who won the states electoral votes over Kamala Harris last year as a result. And according to Politico, the GOP-aligned nonprofit Citizens Alliance is prepared to send volunteers to known on 750,000 voters doors to remind them to request absentee ballots. open image in gallery President Donald Trump has spent years railing against postal balloting despite no evidence that it leads to election fraud. ( REUTERS ) The Republican National Committee is also reportedly working to follow up on 2024 mail-in voting advocacy after the success it had during Trumps re-election campaign. Wisconsin Republican Party chair Brian Schimming told Politico that his party cant let the pretty massive structural advantage Democrats have built up over the years go unchallenged by simply relying on election-day turnout efforts. Treating early voting as optional, or something Democrats do, is a losing gamble, he said. The institutional Republican Partys efforts to boost postal balloting are decidedly at odds with the views of the partys leader, who has been crusading against the practice since his doomed 2020 campaign against his eventual successor-turned-predecessor, Joe Biden. Many Republican activists who went along with Trumps false claim to have won the 2020 election later conceded that Trumps Covid-era warnings against mail-in voting depressed GOP turnout and led to what was at the time called a red mirage effect in which early returns based on in-person voting showed Trump ahead in key states before larger numbers of Democratic mail-in ballots were counted after polls closed on Election Day that year. Five years later, Trump has used his return to the White House to continue his crusade against the practice. open image in gallery However, Republicans are promoting vote-by-mail efforts ahead of next years midterms. ( Getty Images ) In March, Trump signed an executive order purporting to ban states from counting ballots that are delivered after election day even if they are cast and postmarked beforehand, and the Supreme Court is now considering whether federal law can prohibit states from counting late-arrived but properly postmarked ballots. Four months later during an Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump threatened to sign an executive order banning what he called corrupt postal balloting. "We, as a Republican Party, are going to do everything possible that we get rid of mail-in ballots," he said. He then falsely claimed that in Democratic-leaning states such as California, the practice is so corrupt, where some people get five, six, seven ballots delivered to them." Trump also suggested that banning the practice would prevent Democrats from being elected to public office in the future. If you [end] mail-in voting, you're not gonna have many Democrats get elected, he said. That's bigger than anything having to do with redistricting. And the Republicans have to get smart." According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Trumps 2024 win was made possible by nearly a third of ballots nationwide being cast by mail. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Members of Congress have published more photographs and documents from Jeffrey Epsteins estate, including text messages, passports and several images that show handwriting on a womans body. The writing appears to quote Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita, a copy of which can be seen in one of the photographs. One message written on a persons foot reads she was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. Another says she was Lola in slacks and another reads she was Polly at school. The latest tranche of 68 documents from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee comes as the Department of Justice faces a Friday deadline to publicly release all investigative files in its possession after a pressure campaign urging President Donald Trump to release the so-called Epstein files. open image in gallery Images from Epsteins estate shared with the House Oversight Committee appear to show a womans body with messages referencing Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita. A new batch of photos was released by House Democrats on Thursday. ( House Oversight Committee ) open image in gallery The new photos come a day before the deadline for the government to release the full Epstein files. ( House Oversight Committee ) Another image appears to be a screenshot of a text message thread telling the recipient that I have a friend scout she sent me some girls today and she asks 1000$ per girl. I will send u girls now, the sender wrote, according to the message shared to the committee. Maybe someone will be good for J? A redacted message then appears to list the height, measurements and other details of an 18-year-old girl from Russia. A photograph of a Russian womans passport is also included in the latest batch of documents from the committee. There also are photographs of passports and other identifying documents for women from the Czech Republic, South Africa and Lithuania, as well as three women from Ukraine. open image in gallery A redacted text message shared by Epsteins estate appears to list the height, measurements and other details of an 18-year-old girl from Russia after the sender says I will send u girls now. ( House Oversight Committee ) Several images released by House Democrats depict Epstein accompanied by unidentified young women whose faces have been blocked out, including a photograph showing a seated Epstein with one woman wrapping her arms around his shoulders while two others sit closely beside him. Other images depict Epstein in social settings with other high-profile figures, including author Noam Chomsky, New York Times opinion columnist David Brooks, Microsofts Bill Gates, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, filmmaker Woody Allen, and far-right media personality Steve Bannon. The tranche of documents also includes blueprints that appear to show the layouts of Epsteins properties, including on Little St. James, Epsteins private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he and his associates were accused of sexually abusing and trafficking underage girls. open image in gallery An undated image from Epstein's estate appears to show him three young girls whose identities have been concealed. ( House Oversight Committee ) open image in gallery An undated image from Epstein's estate appears to show him with with writer Noam Chomsky. ( House Oversight Committee ) Over the last several months, Democrats on the committee have released several batches of previously unpublished images and documents from Epsteins estate as members of Congress lead their own investigations into the convicted sex offender and his alleged ties to a wider network of powerful figures. A persons appearance in the files or in images alongside Epstein do not allege wrongdoing. Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people, Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said in a statement Thursday. As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession. We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now. Republicans on the committee have previously accused Democrats of cherry-picking photos and making targeted redactions to create a false narrative about Trump. Epstein was accused of sexually abusing young women and girls before he was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on trafficking charges, and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for crimes associated with Epsteins alleged abuse. The government is preparing to release potentially tens of thousands of pages of documents, including FBI notes throughout the investigations, transcripts of witness interviews, videos and photographs, and Epsteins autopsy report, among other documents. Questions about the fate of those documents have dominated the presidents second term after he pledged during his campaign to release them. In July, the Justice Department determined no further disclosure in the Epstein case would be appropriate or warranted, which only fueled scrutiny into the presidents years-long relationship with Epstein. Last month, after a mounting pressure campaign among members of Congress, including his one-time Republican allies, Trump reluctantly agreed to sign a measure that compels the Justice Department to release all materials from Epstein cases in its possession. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump claimed that Israeli-American mega-donor Miriam Adelson offered him $250 million to run for an unconstitutional third term in 2028 an idea hes repeatedly teased. At a White House Hanukkah reception on Tuesday night, Trump spoke glowingly of Adelson before bringing her up on stage. Miriam gave my campaign indirectly and directly $250 million, she was the number one, the Republican president said to a crowd of people in the East Room. When somebody can give you $250 million, I think that we should give her the opportunity to say hello. Adelson who was married to billionaire Sheldon Adelson until his death in 2021 then stood behind the podium and revealed she had just met with Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law School professor who served as an attorney for Jeffrey Epstein. She claimed to have spoken with Dershowitz about four more years, before adding: I say Alan, I agree with you, so we can do it! The crowd then broke out into a chant of Four more years, while Adelson leaned in to speak to the 79-year-old president. She said Think about it, I'll give you another $250 million, Trump announced to the audience. I will give, Adelson quickly confirmed. open image in gallery President Donald Trump claimed that Israeli-American donor Miriam Adelson offered him $250 million to run for an unconstitutional third term in office. ( AFP via Getty Images ) Later in his remarks, Trump spoke about Miriams late husband, a casino mogul who was once one of the biggest donors in American politics. Hed call and say, Can I come over please? Trump said. Id say, Sheldon, Im president of the United States, it doesnt work that way anymore. Like, maybe tomorrow? How about tomorrow? No, no, no, please, just for a little while. And hed always say 10 minutes, it turned out to be about an hour-and-a-half, and what he did is he fought for Israel. Thats all he really fought for, the president added. The Adelsons have long encouraged the Trump administration to pursue a pro-Israel agenda. During his first term, Sheldon Adelson urged the president to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and later, Miriam Adelson pushed Trump to publicly support Israel annexing the West Bank, according to Haaretz. open image in gallery Trump met with Adelson at the White House Hanukkah reception on Tuesday. ( Getty Images ) Trump has repeatedly hinted that he would like to run again in 2028 despite the 22nd Amendment barring presidents from serving more than two terms. In March, he told NBC News that he was not joking about seeking a third term, adding, A lot of people want me to do it. And, during a meeting with congressional Democrats, Trump 2028 hats were placed on the Resolute Desk, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in October. More recently, hes given mixed signals about trying for a third term. I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever, he told reporters on Air Force One in October when he was asked about running again. But, then he said a 2028 run would be too cute and wouldnt be right. Asked directly if he wasnt ruling out a third term, Trump replied: Am I not ruling it out? I mean, youll have to tell me. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump has called for a total and complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela in an escalation of tensions with the South American country. The presidents latest announcement comes as part of the Trump administrations pressure campaign against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Trump has placed hundreds of American troops and ships near Venezuelas coastline and U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off the countrys coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us, Trump said on Truth Social Tuesday evening. It is unclear what oil, land and assets the White House believes Venezuela has stolen from the US. Trump also accused Maduro of using oil to finance drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping. open image in gallery President Donald Trump has called for a complete and total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela in an escalation of tensions with the South American country ( Getty ) Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela, the president continued. The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace. The buildup in tension has been accompanied by a series of military strikes on boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The campaign, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny among U.S. lawmakers, has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on vessels. The Trump administration has defended it as a success, saying it has prevented drugs from reaching American shores, and they pushed back on concerns that it is stretching the bounds of lawful warfare. The administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the U.S., but Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro. Wiles said Trump wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. open image in gallery Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has come under intense scrutiny for U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats ( Reuters ) Last week, the Treasury department announced sanctions against three of Maduros wifes nephews, Cilia Flores and a business executive close to Maduro. The department also added six oil tankers to its list of sanctioned vessels, alleging that the vessels have engaged in deceptive and unsafe shipping practices and continue to provide financial resources that fuel Maduros corrupt narco-terrorist regime. The South American country largely relies on oil exports to fuel its economy, so seizing oil tankers could devastate Venezuelas already fragile economy, according to experts. Oil makes up about 88 percent of Venezuelas $24bn in export revenues, according to The New York Times. Elsewhere, the administration has been scrutinized for the U.S. militarys strikes on an alleged drug-carrying boat that killed two survivors. When two survivors emerged from the wreckage of the first strike on September 2, the commander overseeing the operation ordered officials to fire again. That order was reportedly in response to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths alleged instructions to kill everybody on the vessels, according to The Washington Post, citing officials with direct knowledge of the operation. News of Hegseths alleged command has heightened intense legal and political scrutiny into the Trump administrations deadly campaign and allegations that the attacks amount to illegal extrajudicial killings, which law-of-war experts speaking to The Independent in recent months have labeled outright murders and war crimes. The Associated Press contributed reporting Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Construction on President Donald Trumps $400 million ballroom is expected to continue after a federal judge said he was leaning toward denying a preservationist groups request to temporarily halt work on the controversial project. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group, last week asked the U.S. District Court to block Trumps gold-plated ballroom project until it went through multiple independent reviews and won approval from Congress. The president has already bypassed the federal governments usual building practices and historical reviews with the East Wing demolition. No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else, the lawsuit stated. But at a hearing Tuesday, Judge Richard J. Leon said that the organization had failed to show that irreparable harm would be caused if the project moved forward and gave the White House two weeks to submit the plans to the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. open image in gallery Construction on President Donald Trumps ballroom is expected to continue after a federal judge said he was leaning toward denying a preservationist groups request to temporarily halt work on the controversial project ( AP ) Trump hailed the judge Tuesday evening during a White House Hanukkah event and thanked Leon for having the courage in making the proper decision. The president also upped the price tag of the project to an estimated $400 million from $300 million, though he added that he should do it for less. We got sued. We're donating a $400 million ballroom, and we got sued not to build it, Trump said of the lawsuit. We're donating a building that's approximately $400 million. I think I'll do it for less, but it's 400I should do it for less. I will do it for less, but just in case, I say 400 otherwise, if I go $3 over, the press will say it costs more. Carol Quillen, President and CEO of the National Trust, said it remained fully committed to upholding the interests of the American people and advocating for compliance with the law, including review by the National Capital Planning Commission and an opportunity for the public to provide comment and shape the project. open image in gallery The president upped the price tag of the project to an estimated $400 million, though he added that he should do it for less ( JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images ) Adam Gustafson, the principal deputy assistant attorney general, argued at the hearing that the Trust has no standing in the case to sue and that underground construction must continue for national security reasons that were not outlined in open court. But the judge warned the administration to not make decisions on underground work, such as the routing of plumbing and gas lines, that would dictate the scope of future ballroom construction above ground. If that were to happen, Leon warned, the court will address it, I assure you of that. Tad Heuer, the attorney representing the Trust, said that with every day that construction is allowed to proceed absent the independent reviews, the government gets to say wait and find out what the ballroom will look like. It's not about the need for a ballroom. It's about the need to follow the law, Heuer said. open image in gallery Demolition on the historic East Wing of the White House began in October to make way for the 90,000 square-foot ballroom ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House began in October to make way for the 90,000 square-foot ballroom. Trump said the project will be funded by private donors. Contributors include tech giants Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, crypto companies Coinbase and Ripple, the Winklevoss twins and the family of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to a list provided by the White House. Democrats have introduced legislation to put guardrails on the plans. In November, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and California Rep. Robert Garcia introduced the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act, which would require increased transparency around contributions, such as banning donations from individuals with conflicts of interest. The legislation would also prohibit the president and vice president from donating. The Associated Press contributed reporting. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Indian family of one of the two Bondi Beach shooters have told police that they had limited contact with him after he emigrated to Australia, and that they were unaware of his apparent radicalisation. Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed by police during the shooting at a Hanukkah event in Sydney on Sunday, had moved to Australia in 1998 and rarely visited his family back in the southern Indian state of Telangana, police said. Australias immigration authorities said earlier that Akram had travelled to the Philippines just weeks before the attack using an Indian passport, though it was not clear at that stage whether it was the country of his birth. A Telangana police official said Akram visited India six times since 1998, mainly to deal with property matters and visits to his elderly parents. He did not return for his fathers funeral. Akrams relatives expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation, the Telangana police official told BBC News. The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram, the police said in a statement, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana. open image in gallery Family members react at the coffin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a victim of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, during his funeral on 17 December 2025 ( AP ) Akram had no criminal record before leaving India. He had obtained a degree in commerce before moving overseas in search of work but continued to hold his Indian passport, police said. He married a woman in Australia described as being of European origin and had two children, both Australian citizens. Authorities said Akram carried out the attack along with his son, Naveed Akram, 24. The son survived after being shot by police, was hospitalised in a coma but regained consciousness on Tuesday. He has been charged with 15 counts of murder. open image in gallery A family reacts at a memorial for victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting on 16 December 2025 ( AP ) New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said investigators were preparing to formally question him. We have undertaken custody procedures with him while he was in hospital. Our investigators had to wait for the effects of medication to wear off and for him to obtain a legal adviser, Mr Lanyon told ABC radio. We expect to speak to him today. Australian authorities earlier said the father and son had spent almost all of November in the Philippines. Their trip was confirmed by Philippine authorities after ABC cited security sources as saying the attackers could have travelled there for military-style training. open image in gallery A portrait of a young victim of the Bondi Beach mass shooting in Sydney on 16 December 2025 ( AFP via Getty ) Sajid Akram had gone to the Philippines on his Indian passport, officials said. The duo had given Davao as their destination upon arrival, Dana Sandoval, a spokesperson for Australias immigration bureau, said. Mr Albanese had earlier attributed the attack that killed 15 people to extremist beliefs. It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology, he told ABC. Australian media reported that Naveed Akram had previously come to the attention of authorities over alleged links to an Islamic State cell in Sydney. Mr Albanese confirmed the younger man was flagged in 2019, but said an assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence. New South Wales premier Chris Minns said that parliament would be brought back next week to fast-track new firearms legislation following the attack. Police have stepped up security at funerals and memorials across Sydney, with officers coming out in force as members of the Jewish community gathered to mourn. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A 24-year-old man accused of carrying out the Bondi Beach mass shooting has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, as Sydney began holding the first funerals for victims of the attack that killed 15 people. The charges against Naveed Akram include a terrorism offence, 15 counts of murder, and 40 counts relating to wound/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder. He has also been charged with the alleged firing of a weapon, displaying the symbol of a banned terrorist group, and placing an explosive device in or near a building. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, prosecutors will argue that Akrams actions were intended to advance a religious motive and were carried out in a way that caused deaths, inflicted severe injuries, and put the wider public at risk. The charges were laid as families, faith leaders, and political figures gathered in Sydney on Wednesday to mourn the victims of the Bondi Beach attack. The first funerals marked a sombre turning point for a nation still reeling from Sundays violence, which left 15 people dead after two gunmen Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24 opened fire at a beachfront Hanukkah celebration attended by Jewish families. open image in gallery Naveed Akram, suspect in the Bondi Beach shooting, pictured in video grab from the scene ( X ) One of the first services was held at the Chabad of Bondi synagogue for Rabbi Eli Schlanger, whose death has become emblematic of the scale of loss suffered by the local Jewish community. Outside the synagogue, mourners packed the streets in silence as Schlangers coffin draped in black velour embroidered with the gold Star of David was carried inside. Family members leaned over the coffin, weeping. Schlanger, 41, was an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and the organiser of the Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach. A father of five, his youngest child is just two months old. Often referred to as the Bondi Rabbi, Schlanger was widely known for his work supporting Jewish life in Sydneys eastern suburbs. Chabad described him as a tireless community figure devoted to strengthening faith and connection. open image in gallery Mourners at the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger ( Getty ) During the funeral service, his father-in-law Rabbi Yehoram Ulman struggled to speak through tears. Whatever I say today will be an understatement to what you mean to everyone and to your family and to me personally, he said. You are my son, my friend, my confidant. He added: A day without you is impossible. Prime minister Anthony Albanese, speaking earlier to reporters, said Schlangers loss was felt far beyond his immediate family. He was clearly much loved in the community, not just by his family as well, Mr Albanese said. I think all Australians thoughts and hearts are with those families as they go through farewelling their loved ones. open image in gallery The community transformed the Bondi beachfront into a sprawling floral memorial ( AFP via Getty ) Funerals were also scheduled on Wednesday for Reuven Morrison, Peter Meagher, and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan. As services continued, residents across Sydney gathered at Bondi Pavilion, laying flowers and lighting candles at the site of the attack, transforming the beachfront landmark into a sprawling memorial. Meanwhile, the surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, is set to face court later on Wednesday via video conference. One gunman, Sajid Akram, was shot by police at the site of the attack on Sunday. Mr Albanese has said that the attack was driven by Islamic State ideology and investigators believe the suspected attackers had recently undergone military-style training in the southern Philippines, an area associated with Islamist extremist groups, according to public broadcaster ABC. open image in gallery Mourners attend the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger ( Reuters ) New South Wales premier Chris Minns has confirmed that emergency legislation is being drafted and that parliament will be recalled ahead of the Christmas break. Proposed changes include caps on the number of firearms an individual may own, the reclassification of straight pull-up and pump-action shotguns, reductions in shotgun magazine capacity, and a ban on belt-fed shotgun magazines, local media reported. The state is also seeking to eliminate appeal mechanisms once a gun license has been revoked. Opposition leader Sussan Ley told reporters on Wednesday that over the past two years Jewish Australians had seen a rising tide of antisemitism in the country. They have looked to their leaders in Canberra, and they have looked to Prime Minister Albanese, and he has failed them. He has failed them every single day. If none of the events of the last two years were a wake-up call, then surely this is the wake-up call the prime minister needs to step up, she said. open image in gallery Emergency legislation is being drafted for gun law changes in Australia ( AFP via Getty ) Deputy prime minister Richard Marles told Channel Seven that Jewish Australians have not felt secure for a long time. Antisemitism is at the heart of this and we need to be doing everything in our country to stamp it out. We have been acting on that in terms of commissioning the Segal report, Mr Marles said. It is a report by special envoy Jillian Segal on combating antisemitism. Not for a moment am I saying that everything has been done. We need to do so much more and we will do that. This won't be a week or a month, its a long-term project but we must stamp antisemitism out. In this we must bring Australians together. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Jewish bakery in Sydney has been forced to close in the wake of the Bondi Beach antisemitic terror attack after a notice posted on its window said it cannot ensure the safety of staff and customers. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on the beach on Sunday. Avners, a bagel shop run by celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi, said it was no longer possible to make outwardly, publicly, proudly Jewish places and events safe in Australia. The bakery said that they had endured almost ceaseless antisemitic harassment, vandalism and intimidation over the last two years but were now unable to ensure the safety of our staff, our customers [and] our families. We have made the only decision available, one that truly breaks our hearts. Avners is closed, it added. Avners was closed earlier this week to process whats happened and make sense of the mindless violence, the notice said, as the nation reeled from its deadliest shooting in three decades. open image in gallery Avners Bakery announced it was closed in a notice on Wednesday ( Australian Jewish Association ) Members of Sydneys Jewish community have since told how they are planning to leave Australia for Israel in the wake of the attack. Twenty-seven year-old mother Chavi, who was at the event with her seven-month-old son, told the Sydney Morning Herald: I love Australia, I was born here, and I know [Israel] is in the Middle East but we were just sitting ducks here. She recalled how she had got down and used my body as a human shield to protect my baby as the attack unfolded over around 15 minutes on Sunday. The experience left her wondering whether to leave her life in Australia behind. Its a different way of life in Israel for sure, but I also feel I cant abandon the Jewish people here, she told the outlet. open image in gallery Avners was opened by Ed Halmagyi ( Google Maps ) Australian police have said the attack, carried out by a father and son, appeared to be inspired by Islamic State, based on preliminary evidence. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon after also being shot by police. The leader of the Australian state of New South Wales said on Wednesday he will recall parliament next week to pass wide-ranging reforms of gun and protest laws amid concern for the safety of Jewish people in the country. The state government will also look at reforms making it harder to hold large street protests after terror events, in order to prevent further tensions. Security was heightened in Bondi Beach on Wednesday as hundreds of mourners gathered to remember the victims of the attack. open image in gallery Floral tributes left by mourners at the promenade of Bondi Beach in Sydney on 17 December ( AFP/Getty ) There was a heavy presence of police and a contingent of private security guards and Jewish security services on hand at a Bondi synagogue for the funeral of British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. A funeral for Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, was held at Macquarie Park in Sydney's north-west later in the day. The funeral of Matilda, a 10-year-old girl who died in the shooting, will be held on Thursday, according to an online funeral notice. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Police in northeastern Spain have begun evicting hundreds of mostly undocumented migrants from an abandoned school building north of Barcelona. The operation, carried out by Catalonia's regional police in riot gear, commenced early Wednesday morning under court orders. Many occupants had already vacated the premises, anticipating the action. Located in Badalona, a working-class city bordering Barcelona, the B9 school had been home to numerous sub-Saharan migrants, predominantly from Senegal and Gambia, since its abandonment in 2023. Badalona's mayor, Xavier Garcia Albiol, confirmed the evictions on X, stating: "As I had promised, the eviction of the squat of 400 illegal squatters in the B9 school in Badalona begins." Marta Llonch, a lawyer representing the squatters, highlighted that many earned a living by collecting scrap metal. She added that some residents possessed valid residency and work permits but were compelled to live in the squat due to unaffordable housing. open image in gallery The squat was located in Badalona, a working class city that borders Barcelona ( Associated Press/Emilio Morenatti ) Many people are going to sleep on the street tonight, Llonch told The Associated Press. Just because you evict these people it doesnt mean they disappear. If you dont give them an alternative place to live they will now be on the street, which will be a problem for them and the city. Garcia Albiol, of the conservative Popular Party, has built his political career as Badalona's long-standing mayor with an anti-immigration stance. The Badalona town hall had argued that the squat was a public safety hazard. In 2020, an old factory occupied by around a hundred migrants in Badalona caught fire and four people were killed in the blaze. open image in gallery Migrants from Romania and Senegal sit in a makeshift bar inside an abandoned school in Badalona, near Barcelona ( Associated Press/Emilio Morenatti ) Like other southern European countries, Spain has for more than a decade seen a steady influx of migrants who risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean or Atlantic in small boats. While many developed countries have taken a hard-line position against migration, Spain's left-wing government has said that legal migration has helped its economy grow. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice French authorities have launched an investigation into a suspected cyberattack plot targeting an international passenger ferry, with a Latvian crew member now in custody facing charges of acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign power. The country's Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, appeared to suggest Russia was the suspected culprit, stating that "foreign interference very often comes from same country." The incident comes as France and other European allies of Ukraine have accused Russia of engaging in "hybrid warfare" tactics, including sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns, which are often difficult to directly attribute to Moscow. The General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), France's counterespionage and counter-terror intelligence service, was alerted by Italian authorities to intelligence suggesting that "RAT" software a type of remote access tool often used by cybercriminals may have infected computer systems aboard a ferry docked in the French Mediterranean port of Sete. Mr Nunez described the affair as very serious The Paris prosecutors office confirmed the software could have been used to take control of the vessel's computers, though the ferry itself was not named. Mr Nunez described the affair as "very serious," telling public broadcaster France Info that "individuals tried to gain access to a ships data-processing system." When questioned on whether the intention was to hijack the vessel, he responded: "We dont know," adding that "the investigators appear to be following a trail of interference ... foreign interference." Police arrested two crew members, one Latvian and one Bulgarian, last Friday after they were identified as suspects by Italian authorities. The Bulgarian national was subsequently released without charge following questioning. The Latvian national remains in custody, facing a preliminary criminal conspiracy charge and two preliminary charges related to hacking, all with the alleged goal of serving the interests of an unnamed foreign power. Search raids were also conducted in Latvia, though Latvian state police declined to comment. The ferry has since returned to operation after undergoing security checks on its computer system while held in port, the prosecutors office confirmed. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Staff at the Louvre Museum have voted to extend their strike, causing continued disruption at the worlds most visited institution. The industrial action protests chronic understaffing, deteriorating building conditions, and recent management decisions. These long-standing pressures were significantly intensified by a brazen crown jewels heist in October, an incident that exposed serious security lapses within the museum. The decision to prolong the walkout came during a general assembly on Wednesday morning, following its unanimous adoption earlier this week. While the museum was already closed on Tuesday for its regular weekly shutdown, Reuters reports that the museum will be closed until further notice. It was initially unclear whether a full reopening would be possible on Wednesday. Visitors holding tickets queued outside as management assessed staffing levels to determine if galleries could be safely opened. open image in gallery Union workers were protesting chronic understaffing, building deterioration and recent management decisions pressures intensified by a brazen crown jewels heist in October ( Associated Press ) Culture Ministry officials held crisis talks with unions on Monday and proposed to cancel a planned $6.7 million cut in 2026 funding, open new recruitment for gallery guards and visitor services and increase staff compensation. Union officials said the measures fell short. The robbery saw a gang flee with stolen goods worth an estimated 88 million euros ($102 million). The museum director subsequently acknowledged a terrible failure" in security. The thieves took less than eight minutes to force their way into the museum and leave, using a freight lift to reach one of the buildings windows, angle grinders to cut into jewelry display cases, and motorbikes to make their escape. The stolen items havent been recovered. It includes a diamond-and-emerald necklace Napoleon gave to Empress Marie-Louise, jewels tied to two 19th century queens, Marie-Amelie and Hortense, and Empress Eugenies pearl-and-diamond tiara. Louvre President Laurence des Cars was scheduled to appear before the Senates culture committee later Wednesday as lawmakers continue probing security failures at the museum. open image in gallery Workers display banners outside the Louvre museum after they voted to strike for the day over working conditions and other complaints ( Associated Press/Michel Euler ) Des Cars has acknowledged an institutional failure following the heist but has come under renewed scrutiny after admitting she only learned of a critical 2019 security audit after the robbery. Frances Court of Auditors and a separate administrative inquiry have since criticised delays in implementing a long-promised security overhaul. The Culture Ministry announced emergency anti-intrusion measures last month and assigned Philippe Jost, who oversaw the Notre Dame restoration, to help reorganise the museum. The move was widely seen as a sign of mounting pressure on Louvre leadership. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Finlands representative to last months Miss Universe pageant in Thailand has sparked an outcry after a photograph she shared on social media showed her performing a gesture widely considered racist. Sarah Dzafces act triggered a backlash across East Asia and drew criticism not only at the model herself but also the countrys national brand. Ms Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland title after the image showed her pulling the corners of her eyes to perform a slanted eye gesture widely regarded as racist towards East Asians, especially the Chinese. The image which was posted late November with a caption eating with a Chinese has sparked outrage in China, Japan, and South Korea, where users accused the 22-year-old of racial mockery. The backlash soon widened to include Finlands national airline, Finnair, which faced online criticism despite having no involvement in the incident. Ms Dzafce said the gesture was her reaction to severe headaches and blamed her friend for adding the caption on the post without her permission. open image in gallery Former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce issued an apology for viral squinted eye gesture picture on 11 December ( AP ) She, however, apologised after it caused "ill will in many people". "That was not my intention in any way... One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences," she wrote on an Instagram post. On Tuesday, Finlands prime minister publicly criticised the gesture, describing it as thoughtless and stupid and warning that the episode had been damaging to the countrys international reputation. Yesterday, during a debate in parliament, I said that this has caused damage to our country. That is certainly the case, Petteri Orpo told reporters on Tuesday following a summit with European countries near Russian border. Personally, I do not accept racism in any form, he said. open image in gallery Miss Finland Tara Lehtonen, left, and former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce attend a press conference in Helsinki, Finland ( AP ) The issue snowballed after two members of parliament, Kaisa Garedew and Juho Eerola, also posted images of themselves doing the same gesture to support Ms Dzafce. The posts were criticised and Mr Eerola was forced to issue an apology. He said he felt Ms Dzafce was given a "disproportionately harsh punishment". The Finnish governments parliamentary group chair Jukka Kopra said this should not have happened, condemning the series of derogatory and inappropriate incidents. Mr Orpo said he believes that the parliamentary group will deal with this matter with the appropriate seriousness. Finnish airline Finnair said the posts had affected the company, and it faced boycott calls. We have received several comments on Finnairs Japanese X account about these images, which are considered racist and discriminatory, Finnairs communications director Paivyt Tallqvist told Yle. The message in the comments is consistent: do not travel to this country, do not travel with Finnair. In a separate statement on X from its Japanese account, it said: The statements or posts mentioned by some Finnish members of parliament do not represent the values of Finnair. "As an airline supported by employees from diverse backgrounds and customers around the world, we promise to welcome everyone with respect," it wrote. Tara Lehtonen, who finished second in the competition, has been named the new Miss Finland. I promise to carry this title with pride and deep respect, the Helsinki native said in a post on social media. Mexicos Fatima Bosch was crowned winner at the grand finale of the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, after weeks of controversy plaguing the annual event. Representatives from 120 countries competed, including Nadeen Ayoub, who became the first woman to represent the Palestinian people at the pageant and reached the top 30 before being eliminated. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Poland has announced plans to resume the production of anti-personnel mines, a move not seen since the Cold War era. The weapons are intended for deployment along its eastern frontier and could potentially be exported to Ukraine, according to the deputy defence minister. This decision aligns with a wider regional trend, as nearly all European nations bordering Russia with the exception of Norway have indicated intentions to withdraw from the global treaty prohibiting such armaments. Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Zalewski informed Reuters that Poland aims to bolster its borders with Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. "We are interested in large quantities as soon as possible," Mr Zalewski stated, adding that the mines would form part of the 'East Shield' defensive initiative. When questioned about the possibility of production commencing next year, following the completion of the withdrawal process from the Ottawa Convention, Mr Zalewski responded: "I would very much like that... We have such needs." open image in gallery Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visits the first part of a system dubbed East Shield, the construction of military fortifications along the eastern frontier of Poland ( Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS ) Poland began the process of withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention in August and had previously said it could start production of anti-personnel mines if needed, but that no formal decision had been taken. Zalewski's comments are the first confirmation from Warsaw that it will go ahead with the move. According to the Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor, Poland told the U.N. in 1995 that it had abandoned production of anti-personnel mines in the mid-1980s and the export of such weapons had ceased. Belma, the stateowned company that already supplies the Polish army with several other types of mines, said Poland would be equipped with millions of mines under the East Shield programme to secure its 800km (500-mile) eastern border. "We are preparing for Polish demand ... to amount to 5-6 million mines of all types," Belma's CEO Jaroslaw Zakrzewski told Reuters. He added that, while the defence ministry has not placed an order yet, the company would be able to produce up to 1.2 million mines of all types, including anti-personnel mines, next year. Belma currently produces about 100,000 mines per year. The minister said supplying mines to Ukraine would depend on production capacity. "Our starting point is our own needs. But for us Ukraine is absolutely a priority because the European and Polish security line is on the Russia-Ukraine front," Zalewski said. open image in gallery The mines would be part of the East Shield, a defensive programme aimed at fortifying Poland's borders with Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad ( Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS ) Belma's Zakrzewski said exports to Ukraine were possible and that NATO countries bordering Russia, including the Baltic states, had already signalled interest in buying antipersonnel mines. He said Poland's own needs would take priority, but any excess production could be supplied to allies in the region. Earlier this year, Lithuania and Finland said they expected to start producing antipersonnel mines next year amid rising concerns about Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Latvia and Estonia are also leaving the treaty but have not announced production plans, though officials in Riga said they could launch manufacturing quickly if needed and Estonia sees it as a future option. Polish anti-personnel mine production could begin once the treaty's sixmonth withdrawal period is completed on February 20, 2026, according to the Polish foreign affairs ministry. Ukraine has also announced it is withdrawing from the 1997 Ottawa Convention, so that it can defend itself better against Russia, which is not a party to the treaty. Each side has accused the other of using anti-personnel mines during the war. Other major powers that have not signed the treaty include the United States and China. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Vladimir Putin dismissed fears of conflict with Europe as hysteria stoked by Ukraines allies on Wednesday just two weeks after issuing his own threats against the West. In a rambling speech, the Russian president claimed that Europeans had been indoctrinated with fears about an inevitable clash with Russia despite Moscow escalating its campaign of hybrid attacks in recent months. I have repeatedly stated: this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is being done quite deliberately, he said. Earlier this month, Putin caused alarm after saying Russia was ready to fight against Nato. Russian officials have repeatedly threatened Europe with military action since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Putin accused European leaders of following the path of the previous US administration, painting president Joe Biden as a warmongering leader who deliberately steered the situation towards an armed conflict. Europes little pigs immediately joined in the work of the previous American administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country, he said. Speaking at an annual meeting with the defence ministry, Putin jumped at the opportunity to reassert his unyielding demands for a peace deal in Ukraine. open image in gallery Putin has repeatedly warned that Russia is ready to expand its conflict ( Sputnik ) He said that Russia will undoubtedly achieve its war goals, suggesting we would prefer to do this ... through diplomacy but warning that Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means if Ukraine and its allies do not engage. The Kremlin is currently waiting to hear from Washington on the outcomes of US-Ukrainian talks to end the war held earlier this week. Russia has refused to budge on its demands for Ukrainian territory, a sticking point in negotiations. As European nations rally to offer Ukraine security guarantees, Putin has repeatedly warned that Russia is ready to expand its conflict - and has threatened that foreign peacekeepers in a post-war settlement would be considered legitimate targets. If Europe decides to go to war with Russia and actually starts a war, a situation could very quickly come where Moscow simply has no one to negotiate with, he said in a stark warning earlier this month. open image in gallery A self-propelled multiple rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian troops ( Russian Defense Ministry Press Service ) He said that Russia was not planning to go to war with Europe, but was ready right now if Europe wanted to, or started a war. Analysts in the West have argued that Putin appears to be actively preparing for conflict with Europe. The head of Britains armed forces assessed this week that Russia presents a real threat to the UK and that the nations sons and daughters must be ready to fight in case of an attack. Nato chief Mark Rutte warned last week that Russia could attack a member state within five years. His claim appeared to echo the findings of a Danish intelligence report that assessed last year that Russia could attack a Nato country within three to five years. Latvian intelligence also assessed in February that Russian intelligence was developing its capabilities for sabotage in Europe in preparation for a possible military confrontation with Nato in the long term. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Crucial talks to end the war in Ukraine took place between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the US on Sunday. The meeting came after several months of back-and-forth discussions between Kyiv, Washington, Moscow, and Brussels, as world leaders attempted to broker a deal that would bring the nearly four-year conflict to an end. Following the talks in Florida, Mr Trump said security guarantees for Ukraine were close to 95 per cent complete even as he cautioned that thorny issues remained unresolved. A key unresolved issue was the control of territory in the Donbas region, he said. Mr Zelensky, however, claimed security guarantees involving the US and Ukraine were 100 per cent agreed, while an arrangement between the US, Europe and Ukraine was almost agreed. The Ukrainian leader had emerged from talks with European allies in Berlin earlier this month with a framework for security guarantees he said was needed to end the war. The US is now offering Nato-style protections, meaning the main barrier to peace is territory, something Mr Zelensky says he cannot and will not give up. Mr Zelensky said ahead of the talks he believed the plan was 90 per cent complete. Mr Trump had said that they were closer now than we have been ever to reaching an agreement on a peace deal. open image in gallery Volodymyr Zelensky with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Berlin earlier this month ( AFP via Getty ) But any agreement on the revised 20-point plan still depends on Russia, which is yet to comment on all the details of the proposals. Russia remains unyielding, shooting down any prospect of returning land captured by its forces or accepting peacekeepers in Ukraine before seeing the full set of proposals. Here, we look at what we know about the plan so far and its potential problems. Ukraine gives up on Nato Mr Zelensky offered to give up on Ukraines ambition to join Nato as he held five hours of intense talks with US negotiators on 14 December. Mr Trump has opposed the idea since taking office for the second term and it may not have been on the table for some time. But security experts say it shows the US that Mr Zelensky is negotiating in good faith. Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy adviser in the Barack Obama administration, said it was a way for Zelensky to contrast Ukraines willingness for significant concessions for peace at a time when Moscow has been short on any significant concessions. open image in gallery The Ukrainian president has hailed the deal ( PA Wire ) Kyiv receives Nato-style guarantees Ukraine is still asking for clear security guarantees, which Europe is offering to front with a multinational force supplied by members of the Coalition of the Willing and supported by the US. After Mr Zelensky claimed that 90 per cent of the issues with his draft peace plan had been resolved, Washington finally offered Kyiv safeguards modelled on Natos Article 5, allowing for collective defence, according to US officials. It was a victory for Kyiv, with both Ukrainian and European leaders arguing that guarantees must come before any talk of land swaps. Details are still scarce and its unclear what kind of response the US will be committed to should Russia break the peace. US officials said it was the platinum standard, but would not be on offer forever. Russia still says it will not accept what it calls Nato peacekeepers in Ukraine under any circumstances. open image in gallery Vladimir Putin with Donald Trump ( AP ) US optimistic about progress on territory Ukraine is bound by its constitution not to give up any land, and Mr Zelensky insists he is not willing or able to concede the land Russia demands. On Sunday, Mr Trump said the proposal to turn eastern Ukraines Donbas region, much of which is under Russian control, into a demilitarised zone remained unresolved. Some of that land has been taken, he said after the meeting with Mr Zelensky. Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months. Russia controls about 75 per cent of the Donetsk oblast and nearly all of neighbouring Luhansk. Together, the two oblasts make up the Donbas. Moscow is demanding Ukraine withdraw from the rest of Donbas still under its control, while Kyiv says the area can instead become a free economic zone policed by Ukrainian forces. Russias deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov previously said that Moscow wasnt willing to make any concessions on the Donbas, Crimea, or Novorossiya, an imperial distinction for the land north of the Black Sea. But he was positive about the progress made in talks prior to Christmas. "I think 25 December 2025 will remain in all our memories as a milestone when we truly came close to a solution, he told Russian state TV on Boxing Day. But whether we can make the final push and reach an agreement depends on our work and the political will of the other side. Mr Zelensky hailed the progress but acknowledged that the issue was a painful one, because Russia wants what it wants, and we can't go any further. open image in gallery Zelensky and Witkoff hail great progress after two days of talks ( AP ) Ukraines future in the EU US officials said before Christmas that Russia would accept Ukraine joining the EU as part of their agreement to end the war. A senior source told the AFP news agency that they could see Ukraine joining as soon as January 2027, but diplomats in Brussels said the idea was unrealistic. The issue remains controversial in parts of Europe, but the bloc may back the move. Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said last month that Ukraines membership would be a major security guarantee in its own right. On Sunday, Mr Trump said security guarantees for Ukraine were 95 per cent done, but stopped short of committing to American troop deployment or specific logistical support to deter future attacks. He also raised the possibility of trilateral talks involving the US, Russia and Ukraine, saying such discussions could take place at the right time. Sharing power, literally One of the 28 points included in the original US draft since whittled down to 20 was the idea of sharing power produced at Europes largest nuclear power station. Russia has held the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant since the start of the conflict. An American official said following the Berlin talks that they were close to finding an agreement whereby both sides could share power, although it was not clear how this would work in practice. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky has said revised US-brokered peace plans could be presented to Russia within days, following successful talks in Berlin. The Ukrainian president left Germany confident that proposals negotiated with the US would soon be finalised after receiving crucial security guarantees from his European allies and Washington. He said that American envoys were set to present the outcomes of this weeks talks to the Kremlin - but not before Russia could pour cold water on the plans. Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov reiterated that Moscow would not give back land to end the war, and would not accept any Nato peacekeepers stationed in a post-war Ukraine. open image in gallery Speaking in the Netherlands on Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky insisted that peace must not become a reward for Russias aggression ( ANP/AFP/Getty ) As Russia was accused of stalling efforts to end the conflict, hundreds of thousands of people were left without power in Ukraine following heavy bombardment nationwide. The countrys deputy energy minister said early on Tuesday that the entire Donetsk region had been cut off following a Russian attack. Nearly 290,000 people in Odesa were left in the dark, even after workers restored power to 330,000 homes. Maxim Timchenko, head of Ukraines biggest energy provider, told the BBC that Russian strikes were now so frequent that we just don't have time to recover. President Zelensky told the Dutch parliament during his visit to The Hague that Russia was cynically and deliberately targeting Ukraines energy infrastructure as winter set in. open image in gallery Russia continues to bombard Ukraine, including in Zaporizhzhia, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power ( Reuters ) They know that in our region, the winter cold can become one of the most dangerous weapons, he said. They try to use it against Ukrainians, against just ordinary people, against normal life, and thats why its so important not to relax or rely on diplomacy alone. Britain on Tuesday unveiled 600m in air defences to support Ukraine through the coming winter. Defence minister John Healey said the air defence investment was critical help to Ukrainians as they defend their towns, cities and energy infrastructure from Russia's barbaric attacks. Returning from productive talks in Berlin, Sir Keir Starmer cautioned that the path to peace in Ukraine was still not an entirely straight line. open image in gallery Vladimir Putin has stuck firm to his demands for Ukrainian land, and rubbished European plans for peacekeepers ( Sputnik ) The prime minister told his cabinet that there had been progress on Ukraines plea for clear security guarantees as European allies worked on a multinational force to be stationed in Ukraine after the war. European officials also came together to set up an International Claims Commission tasked with ensuring Kyiv is compensated for damages from Russian attacks and alleged war crimes. Details on how any damages awarded by the commission, to be based in the Netherlands, would be paid still need to be worked out. Early discussions have touched on using Russian assets frozen by the EU, supplemented by member contributions. Frozen assets remain a point of contention in the build-up to a major vote on Thursday, however. open image in gallery Zelenskyy and US special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks in Berlin on Monday ( AP ) While many of Ukraines backers are pushing to unlock some 210bn (184bn) in assets to help fund Kyiv, the plan faces opposition from the countries most at risk of Russian reprisals. Four EU diplomats told Politico that new assurances to dilute legal liability had not been enough to sway Belgium, where most of the assets are held, during a meeting of EU ambassadors on Monday. Mr Zelensky told reporters in the Netherlands that Ukraine could not stay strong without the package, adding that it could offset the reduction in support from some countries. Allies on the continent turned their attention to securing Europes eastern flank during a summit in Helsinki, where they called on the EU to take a bigger role in enhancing defence and security. The EU eastern flank meeting, bringing together leaders from Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, said the region's defences must be prioritised to counter what they called a long-term threat posed by Russia. Polish prime minister Donald Tusk stressed the need for defences, saying leaders were considering spending billions on an anti-drone wall in eastern Europe. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Israel has blocked a private Canadian delegation, including six Members of Parliament, from entering the occupied West Bank. The Israeli Embassy in Canada confirmed the group was denied entry due to its alleged links with Islamic Relief Worldwide, an organisation Israel designates as a terror group. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand subsequently posted on social media, expressing Canada's "objections regarding the mistreatment of these Canadians." Ontario Member of Parliament Iqra Khalid, from Prime Minister Mark Carneys Liberal party, said she was part of the delegation and was shoved several times by Israeli border officials. She said she was pushed after trying to check on a member of the roughly 30-person delegation who was pulled aside for additional questioning after the group had been at the Allenby border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Khalid said the border officials were able to see she was a lawmaker as they had taken her special passport, which looks different from a standard Canadian document. open image in gallery Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand speaks with the media as she arrives for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters, in Brussels, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) The Israeli Embassy statement said Israel "will not allow the entry of organizations and individuals who are associated with designated terror entities. The delegation, sponsored by the group The Canadian-Muslim Vote, had planned to meet with displaced Palestinians in the West Bank, where the Israeli government recently approved the construction of 764 new homes in Jewish settlements. The Israeli statement said The Canadian-Muslim Vote receives the vast majority of its funding from Islamic Relief Canada, a subsidiary of Islamic Relief Worldwide that is listed as a terror entity by Israel. In Ottawa, the National Council of Canadian Muslims said the Israeli governments refusal to allow Canadian parliamentarians into the country raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability. British Columbia New Democrat Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan said the entire delegation had electronic travel authorizations to enter the West Bank but they were revoked on the day of our arrival. In September, Canada joined several other countries in recognizing a Palestinian state, a significant shift in its policy and a move that came despite opposition from the United States. At the time, Canada said it hopes the recognition paves the way for peace based on two states living side by side. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The humble United States penny, often dismissed as having little value, has recently commanded millions from eager collectors. Following the government's decision to cease cent production in November, the final pennies circulated in the U.S. were snapped up at auction. The U.S. Mint sold 232 three-cent sets for a staggering sum of $16.76 million at an auction last Thursday hosted by Stacks Bowers Galleries, which contained the last three pennies ever made and sold for $800,000. The successful bidder for this historic set also acquired the three dies used to strike those Lincoln cents. John Kraljevich, director of numismatic Americana at Stacks Bowers, described the event as unparalleled. FILE - Blank coins wait to be the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint, in Philadelphia, Nov. 12, 2025 ( AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File ) "Ive been going to coin auctions for 40 years, and I can tell you, Ive never seen anything like this, because theres never been anything like this," Kraljevich stated. Brian Kendrella, President of Stacks Bowers, added: "They captured the public imagination like few rare coins weve ever handled." Each set comprised 2025 pennies struck at the Philadelphia Mint and the Denver Mint, alongside a 24-karat gold penny. Every cent also bore a unique Omega symbol, marking their role as the capstone to a two-centuries long legacy that first began in 1793 with the Chain Cent. The 232 "grouplets" were created to reflect each year the coin had been embedded in American culture. While a penny could once buy a biscuit or a piece of candy when introduced in 1793, most now end up tucked away in jars or junk drawers. Yet, for coin collectors, they remain cherished relics of history. Kraljevich highlighted the penny's deep cultural integration: "American culture has incorporated the penny into our lexicon, into our popular culture, into all of this stuff. And I think for a lot of people, the ending of production of cents for circulation is an item of nostalgia." The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Warner Bros Discoverys board is reportedly set to advise shareholders to reject Paramount Skydances $108.4 billion takeover bid, with a decision potentially announced as early as Wednesday. This development marks the latest turn in the intense competition for the media giants extensive assets. The coveted portfolio includes Warner Bros historic film and television studio, boasting a vast library from classics like "Casablanca" and "Citizen Kane" to modern hits such as "Harry Potter" and "Friends," alongside HBO and the HBO Max streaming service. Securing these assets would grant the successful bidder a significant advantage in the ongoing streaming wars. Earlier this month, Netflix had emerged as the preferred suitor with a $27 cash-and-stock bid for Warner Bros' non-cable assets. Paramount CEO David Ellison then went directly to Warner Bros' shareholders with a $30-a-share, all-cash bid for the whole company. Paramount has asserted in regulatory filings that its offer is superior to Netflixs and would benefit from a clearer path to regulatory approval. Its proposal is backed by $41 billion in new equity, which is backed by the Ellison family and RedBird Capital, and $54 billion of debt commitments from Bank of America, Citi and Apollo. Meanwhile, Jared Kushners Affinity Partners, previously a financing partner for Paramount, is reportedly withdrawing from the bidding process. A spokesperson for Warner Bros Discovery declined to comment on the matter. Paramount and Affinity Partners did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In his effort to win over Donald Trumps approval as he looks to gobble up Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount chief executive David Ellison told White House officials in recent days that he would make sweeping changes at the cable news channel that sparks the presidents ire the most: CNN. According to the Wall Street Journal, Ellison who launched a $108 billion hostile takeover bid of WBD after Netflix and Warner announced their deal last week made a trip to Washington recently to assure Trump administration officials that CNN would have a new look if he bought the networks parent company. Bristow takes over operation of Sligo search-and-rescue helicopter base The company now operates three of Irelands four rescue bases Philip Bartlett of Bristow Ireland with one of its AW189 helicopters at Weston aerodrome. Photo: Frank McGrath John Mulligan Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 06:30 The search-and-rescue helicopter base at Sligo has been taken over by Bristow Ireland, 10 months later than first anticipated. Two further cases of the disease were confirmed at a farm close to Bangor (Chris Radburn/PA) The use of bluetongue vaccination in cattle and sheep will be permitted in Ireland from 2026, following the recent detection of four outbreaks of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV3) in Northern Ireland. Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said the decision reflects a significant change in the disease risk on the island, with the presence of BTV3 north of the Border increasing the likelihood of spread during next summers high-risk period. My objective has always been clear: to detect any incursion of BTV3 as early as possible, to respond as effectively as possible, and to reduce any disease impact on Irish cattle and sheep, and thus the consequences for Irish farmers, as far as possible, the Minister said. While there is currently no immediate risk of midge-borne transmission due to cold weather, the Department of Agriculture has warned that summer 2026 will represent the main danger period. The bluetongue virus is spread primarily by midges and can only replicate when average daily temperatures exceed 12C, with higher temperatures increasing both virus replication and midge activity. Minister Heydon said farmers may wish to consider vaccination in spring 2026, ahead of the warmer months. He advised cattle and sheep farmers interested in vaccinating against BTV3 to discuss the option with their veterinary practitioner. Details on how farmers and vets can apply for a licence to obtain and use BTV3 vaccines will be published shortly on the Departments website. A licence will be required in all cases, and the Department confirmed that vaccine pricing and supply will remain a commercial matter. There are currently three BTV3 vaccines approved for use in the EU and widely used in countries affected by the virus: Syvazul BTV 3 (sheep only), Bluevac 3 (sheep and cattle) and Bultavo 3 (sheep and cattle). However, the Department cautioned that the duration of immunity provided by these vaccines has not yet been fully determined. As a result, animals vaccinated against BTV3 do not currently meet EU standard certification requirements and cannot be certified for movement into Ireland. It also stressed that while vaccination can reduce the level of virus circulating in an animals bloodstream and lessen the severity of clinical signs, it does not prevent infection entirely. Vaccinated animals may still become infected and could remain a source of onward disease spread. Vaccination against BTV3 has already been authorised in Great Britain and several other EU countries. Until now, it was not permitted in Ireland. The Indo Daily: Melania: The Movie We saw it, so you dont have to... Coolmore company pleads guilty to hedgerow destruction The breaches of EU environmental law took place between 2022 and 2023 on land in Tipperary Coolmore company pleads guilty over the destruction of 1km of historic hedgerow on farm owned by Magnier children Mark Tighe Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 20:57 A Coolmore company has pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching EU environmental laws by destroying over 1,150 metres of historic hedgerows and undertaking other work on a Tipperary farm without proper permissions. A grandmother was walking through Dublin City Centre having just seen the switching on of the Christmas lights when randomly and "without warning" she was "struck violently from behind" with a seven-inch knife, which "passed through" the back of her head, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Gretta McCullough said in her victim impact statement today, which was read to the court by a garda, that the impact felt like a brick being smashed into the back of her head and she had "no time to react, no opportunity to defend myself and no understanding at first of what happened". A nurse failed to provide proper healthcare to over a dozen patients over a 10-month period while working at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth as well as making several inappropriate contacts with a female student nurse, an inquiry has heard. The nurse, Andrea Capelli, faced a total of 27 allegations of professional misconduct and poor professional performance at a fitness-to-practise inquiry held by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland in relation to 10 separate incidents involving patients and nursing staff on dates between November 2018 and August 2019 while working at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Chief suspect in arson attack on Dublin woman is known gangland enforcer Victim suffered extensive serious burns after being doused in petrol and set alight at her home late last month Garda forensics officers at the scene of the attack in Oak Downs, Clondalkin. Photo: Collins Robin Schiller Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 06:30 A gangland enforcer is the chief suspect in an arson attack in Dublin in which a woman had petrol thrown in her face before being set on fire. Its a very big challenge for people how SVPs education bursary helps students in the north-west access third-level education Across Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim, St Vincent de Paul volunteers work with students to support their education Mairead McGurren, SVP regional president for the north-west, at the regional headquarters in Raphoe, Co Donegal. Photo: Joe Dunne Darragh Nolan Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 06:30 Education can be a powerful tool for escaping poverty, but for many, financial barriers stand in the way. To address this, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) provides bursaries to support students in their ambitions. The pandemic thank you gift of 1,000 given to individual health staff for their work during the worst of the Covid threat led to an overpayment of potentially 712,000 due to weaknesses in control, a new audit reveals today. Katy McGuinnesss 2025 foodie awards: the best restaurants, dishes and chefs in Ireland From her meal of the year to a winning reinvention, our restaurant critic rounds up her best and worst dining experiences Gloria Osteria has opened on Dublin's Westmoreland Street Katy McGuinness Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 06:30 Despite this being another challenging year for the hospitality industry, there was plenty to celebrate in the way of new openings, good food and fun times. But while some chefs and restaurants made every effort to deliver value and great experiences for their customers, others allowed a terrible sameness to creep into their menus. Dan Curley: Banning fox hunting would be bad for farmers, rural Ireland and wildlife Flawed bill is a policy designed for headlines rather than habitats Proponents say the bill will get rid of a cruel, colonial tradition of fox hunting with horses and hounds. Photo: Getty Dan Curley Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 06:30 TDs will today be asked to vote on one of the most contentious and flawed wildlife bills to come before the Oireachtas in decades: the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill. Go radical or go redundant, the famous political maxim coined by Michael McDowell, jumped off the page after I finished former TD Eoghan Murphys entertaining book Running From Office the other day. It could also apply to our infrastructure deficits as outlined in David W Higginss article (Governments lack of vision in updating Irelands infrastructure is concerning, Irish Independent, December 16). Whether its Killarney, Cork city, Midleton, Galway citys maze of roundabouts or the massive car park that is the M50, the Government is asleep at the wheel in planning for our future road network. Mr Higgins must surely be joking, though, when he concludes by saying: The space is now wide open for Simon Harris or Micheal Martin to take up the visionary challenge. Nothing will change in the foreseeable future for the tens of thousands of motorists who spend hours stuck in traffic all over the country. As Benjamin Franklin is adjudged to have said, fail to prepare, prepare to fail, which is a more honest assessment to meeting our infrastructural deficits with the current administration in place. Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry Workplace snifflers are a menace, but so are those who abuse sick leave Ksenia Samotiy is right: turning up to work ill is neither noble nor necessary (Youre not a martyr if you show up in work sick just irresponsible and inconsiderate, Irish Independent, December 16). That said, a long teaching career taught me that the opposite habit also deserves a raised eyebrow. In every school, and every term, there was a small and highly reliable cohort who were first out of the blocks with a mysterious ailment. September had barely found its feet before they were down with something, leaving the rest of us to cover classes at short notice. By Christmas, one could almost set the staffroom clock by it. Sick leave, for a few, appeared to function as an unofficial extension of the holidays. The result was predictable. Those who felt a civic duty to turn up, preferably healthy, ended up paying the price for both extremes: the heroic sniffler and the serial absentee. Neither habit showed much consideration for colleagues. Perhaps the lesson is balance, rather than bravado. Stay at home when you are infectious, come in when you are fit and resist treating sick leave as a badge of honour or a seasonal perk. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh More funding for schools needs to go hand in hand with governance reform Your editorial (Primary schools survey ignores the question of funding, Irish Independent, December 15) rightly identifies school funding as the elephant in the room. Parents are increasingly asked to raise funds for basic provision, despite a well-resourced Exchequer. However, while funding levels matter, the more urgent question is how existing funding is governed. In my experience, the most effective and best-value intervention the State could make at present would be modest, but targeted, investment in governance reform. Irelands primary school system is largely publicly funded, yet privately governed, with weak and uneven accountability for leadership quality, grievance procedures and value for money. These structural weaknesses quietly undermine staff morale, waste resources and blunt the benefit of whatever funding is provided. The Department of Educations current survey asks parents about patronage, language and co-education. These are legitimate considerations, but they avoid the more fundamental issue: whether schools are governed in a way that ensures public money is used effectively, transparently and fairly. If funding is the elephant in the room, governance is the lever most likely to move it, and at a fraction of the cost of many other reforms. Donal Mannion, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork Trump will soon turn his attention elsewhere if he wins coveted peace prize It has been reported that the US has agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine, as Donald Trump says an end to the war there is getting closer. I hope I am wrong, but I am sorry to say I fear security guarantees from the US may not hold much currency. My concern regarding the Trump administration is that once Donald Trump receives the Nobel Peace Prize he so longs for, he may abandon Ukraine at the earliest opportunity. John OBrien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Presidents spiteful words will be remembered when his own time comes along Donald Trump has written about celebrated film director Rob Reiners death and its cause due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as Trump derangement syndrome. Whatever happened to the social convention of either speaking well of those who have died or saying nothing? He also spoke poorly about war hero John McCain, saying: Hes not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who werent captured. There are diverse options about Donald Trump, though not among his sycophantic cabinet. It will be interesting to see how history and his obituaries portray him. Be the best you can and look for the best in everyone else. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia Europe must help Ukraine stand up to bullies in the White House and Kremlin How can any invaded country be forced or obliged to hand over sovereign territory to the aggressor? This is what Trump and his administration are forcing on Ukraine, which has been backed into a corner. How can any agreement favouring Russia be a secure one, given its failure to abide by previous agreements? As the head of M16 put it, We all face the menace of an aggressive expansionist and revisionist Russia while it is subjugating Ukraine and harassing Nato. Putins historical distortions and compromised desire for respect are right out of Trumps playbook. We must not allow Russia under Putin, or the US under Trump, to bully Nato or its European allies, using Ukraine as a sacrificial lamb in order to satisfy the need for power. Christy Galligan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal News House building in the Cork city area slowed by 67% in 2025 House building has slowed by 67% in the Cork city area, since the current coalition government took office, with the overall number of units commenced decreasing from 4,584 in 2024 to 1,501 in 2025. Organisers of an annual Christmas morning swimming event in Portumna, Co Galway have confirmed the event will not go ahead due to ongoing water safety concerns. Galway County Council issued a Do Not Swim notice at the bathing area of Lough Derg during the summer, citing an overgrowth of aquatic weeds. A red flag was raised at the site and has yet to be lowered, with the closure extended until further notice. Traditionally, locals gather at the waterside on December 25 for a festive dip in aid of charities such as hospice centres. But with the warning still in force, organisers confirmed the event, a fixture since the early 1990s, will not go ahead this year. They expressed frustration and sadness at the absence of the swim from the calendar, describing it as a blow to a cherished community tradition. No updated assessments of the water have been published. However, in response to a query from the Irish Independent, Galway County Council said: In August, following complaints from the public and following assessment and recommendation by the Water Safety Awareness and Development Officer, Galway County Council took the decision to fly the Red Flag at Portumna due to significant water safety concerns. A further assessment is now being arranged to determine the current impact of reeds in the Designated Bathing Area. The results will guide any further actions needed to ensure safe bathing conditions. In further correspondence, the council added that works will hopefully achieve Blue Flag status for the bathing waters by 2026. The Irish Independent reached out to Water Safety Ireland who stated the receipt of a request to carry out a risk assessment on the area. They said they are progressing arrangements to expedite this while also appointing a Risk Assessor independently from the local authority request. When the assessment has been completed by Water Safety Ireland it is provided directly to the relevant local authority. Local councillor Jimmy McClearn warned on Galway Bay FM last week that time is running out for any chance of the swim proceeding, calling it a pity to see such a long-running tradition fall by the wayside. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme. On another occasion, he kicked a garda after stealing a bottle of wine A man who shouted misogynist threats and assaulted a garda at a hospital has been sentenced to five months in prison at Tralee District Court. Sunpreet Singh Hansra (33) faced 19 charges before Judge David Waters, including the theft of a 11.99 bottle of wine from Applegreen, Clounalour, Tralee on August 4 and an alleged subsequent assault. The court heard that when a ban garda came to address the alleged theft, Mr Hansra kicked her. He was also charged with assaulting another female garda and for using abusive or threatening language at the Accident and Emergency department at University Hospital Kerry on July 20. Sergeant Detective Chris Manton told the court, the defendant was taken to hospital with chest pain when he shouted a sexually explicit threat and grabbed the garda by her arm, leaving red marks. Other allegations included nine charges of public intoxication around Tralee and Killarney, failure to appear at courts in Dublin and Drogheda and charges related to the theft of wine from Tralee supermarkets. The judge convicted. Mr Hansra had 17 previous convictions, including an assault from 2018. He offered an apology through his solicitor to the female gardai he assaulted, although they were not present in court. Solicitor Brendan Ahern noted his client had worked steadily since he arrived in Ireland 13 years ago, aged 20. He went into custody in August and was initially refused bail which was later granted by the High Court, resulting in his release on October 3 when an employment opportunity arose. Unfortunately, he didnt comply with the bail conditions, judge, said Mr Ahern. On November 8, he was back in custody. He hopes when he does get out, hell get employment and keep his head down, Mr Ahern told the court. He added: Hes accepting his fate. Mr Hansra will serve five months in prison. Judge Waters sentenced him to five months for the assault on July 2, backdated to when bail was revoked on November 8. He also sentenced Mr Hansra to two months for each of the two charges of threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour from the same date, to run concurrently from November 8. He sentenced him to five months concurrent for the August 4 garda assault, taking the theft into account. Other theft and public order convictions were taken into consideration. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme Justice should never be served up to someone as a privilege, justice is a right- former garda reflects on case which saw ex-husband get suspended jail term Pictured recently presenting a cheque for 5,250 to Sligo Cancer Support Centre are (l to r) Lorraine Clarke (daughter of Bernadette and Joe Walpole), Joe Walpole, Bridget Kerrigan (Sligo Cancer Support Centre Manager) and Bernadette Walpole. Christmas Music Night The monthly music session for the month of December will take place in the Community Centre on Friday 19th. This session will have a seasonal feel to it and as usual, everyone is welcome to attend. Mens Shed Fundraiser A fundraising for the Mens Shed, which has just started up in the community, will take place in the Mill Cafe on Sat Dec 20th next. Please support. The Shed group meets each Wednesday evening at 8pm at Carnaleck old school. New members and new ideas are always welcome. With a stove freshly installed, this Wednesday 17th meeting will be a Christmas party night. Sympathy Sympathies are extended to the family and friends of Roger McCarrick of Loughill who passed away in recent weeks. Roger was a renowned sheep man and card player and his passing is a loss to our community. May he rest in peace. GAA Night Out The Cloonacool GAA Christmas Social and 2025 Awards Night will take place on Sunday 28th December in the Ocean Sands Hotel. This is a night for everyone to come together and celebrate. 3 Course Meal followed by Awards and Presentations. Music by the Curlybobs. Tickets 45 in advancetext 0874118922 for link to order. Expressions of interest are also being sought to gauge interest in a bus, please text 0874118922 if interested. New Book Part of My heart Lies There, the new book by Dennis McIntyre, which was featured in a recent talk by Dennis at the Mill Cafe, is now available at the Cafe at 23 per copy. The book is a memoir of Dennis early years in Cloonacool. Community Party The recent Community Party organised by Cloonacool Community Centre was a most enjoyable occasion. Excellent food, prepared by Ciaran Moylan and Karen McIntyre, was a feature of the afternoon. The music provided by Dermot Henry and Tiny Marren was another talking point. Congrats and thanks to our local committee for organising and thanks to all who volunteered and attended. 2026 Calendar The Mill Community has produced a 2026 calendar that is now for sale exclusively in the cafe (10 per copy). The theme of the calendar is Wild Flowers of the Ox Mountain, and is a great example of the beauty that surrounds us all in our community each day of the year. The cafe is open each weekend, Friday to Sunday, at the usual times. First Responders Tubbercurry Community First Responders wish to thank everyone for their generous Contribution to our recent bake sale. It was a great success which raised over 2,000. Funds raised will be used to buy 2 Defibrillators for use within the Community. Notes Please submit notes for inclusion to cloonacoolnotes@gmail.com by 6pm on Thursdays. Dromahair Development Association/Tidy Towns - thank you Dromahair Development Association/Tidy Towns would like to thank everyone who has helped out in any way over the past year to help keep our village looking good. To the Rural Social Scheme team Timmy, Donal, Patrick, Gary and Brian thank you. Thanks also to Andy our caretaker in The Depot for all his hard work. Thanks to Sean Mc Morrow supervisor for all his support. To Martina in the Depot office who does great work year on year for us all, a heartfelt thank you. Thank you also to Leitrim Development Company who provide workers through the different employment schemes we would be a much poorer community without their service. To Brian Kerins for doing an excellent job on our accounts every year and generously donating his time and skills for free. To everyone who runs a class in The Depot and /or the Barracks including all the tutors who were kind enough to come and run courses for us and to all who attended the courses, thank you for your continued support and co-operation. We are taking a break over the Christmas and take the opportunity to have a deep clean of our premises. We hope you enjoyed them! Thanks to the E.T.B. for their funding for classes, it has been very much appreciated. We would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year and we look forward to working with you all again in 2026. Thank you to the Co Council staff locally for their help over the year. Our local businesses were great again this year as always and we appreciate their support. Thank you one and all. The completion of the Barracks refurbishment and official opening in September was a huge commitment and success and all your kind messages since has been heart warming and makes what we do so worthwhile. Work on the Mens Shed is continuing and will be finished in early 2026 and we would like to thank Niall Kelly and all his team for the work to date. Your patience and help is much appreciated. Also thanks to Niall for once again coming out with us to put up the Christmas lights on the village. Niall has volunteered his time every year since we began the project and at no cost to us so thanks again Niall for all that you do to help in the community. To everyone who comes out in the summer months and helps with litter picks, planting, weeding and clean ups we appreciate all your hard work. Its not easy but makes a difference. We held a number of events over a busy year, working with other community groups we held the following: Spooky event in the Barracks was a great success, Craft Fair, Memorial Tree, Crib and switching on the lights organised in conjunction with Dromahair Healthy Club. Thank you to everyone who helped organise these events and support all community groups involved. Also a massive thanks to our photographer Irene Kavanagh who manages to capture lovely images for us as a group. Please check The Depot poster case for our Christmas break details. The Depot Office will be closed for Christmas Holidays from Thursday 18th December until 5th January 2026. We hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas. We would like to thank you all for your support in 2025 and look forward to seeing you all again in 2026. Blotto Draw The latest Dromahair Development Association Blotto Draw took place in The Depot on Tuesday 9th December. The numbers drawn were 7, 9, 24 and 27. Our Jackpot of 8,550 was not won. The five lucky winners of 30 were Niamh McMorrow Forest Grove, Ursula McGowan Laghey Co. Donegal, Sheldon & Bhatell, Cathal Britton Churchfield and Eugene ONeill Carrigeencor. Congratulations to them all. Our next Blotto draw will take place in The Depot on Tuesday 23rd December 2025 and our Jackpot will be 8,600. Good luck and thank you everyone for your continued much needed support. Killenummery Community Centre Whats on at Killenummery Community Centre F91AY28 for December. Line dancing with Gary will be back soon. 2nd Monday each month Mens Shed meeting. All welcome. 2nd Tuesday each month Killenumnery Womens Group meeting. All welcome. Wednesday Chair Exercise with Sue @ 12 noon.both ladies and Gents......2 more weeks added on, so 10th and 17th . 8 drop in. Each Wed eve 7.30 to 9.30 join us for bowls new members always welcome. Each Thursday PILATES to 7, 7 to 8 & 8 to 9 with Rory. Both ladies and Gents. New dates for Jan 2026 8th 15th and 22nd. Friday: Servers club last Friday every month We would like to thank each and every person who attended our classes/meetings/functions/clubs in the centre this past year. We had a very busy year and as things begin to wind down we would like to wish you all a very peaceful, safe Christmas and all the best for 2026. We will see you the other side of Christmas for more. For info on above phone Thelma 086 6017835. Local Link Service TFI Local Link have enhanced the 563 service to provide three additional return services daily between Dromahair and Sligo, TFI Local Link now offer 90 return services per week between Dromahair and Sligo. Classes in The Depot Pilates with Rory. North Leitrim Dance Class. Fab Fitness with Sue Pilates with Sue. Yoga with Amy. Knit Group, Yoga with Grainne, Karate. Irish Conversation Classes for Beginners / Improvers in Ballintogher Enterprise Centre -F91 C2 HT. Thursday evenings. Commencing shortly. To register, please contact087 6645509 by return or Email ballintogherhub@yahoo.com Your news Items for local notes to dda.tidytowns@gmail.com before 12 noon on Thursday please. Manorhamilton Treasas Great Achievement Irish Theatre Company Fishamble announced last week that Manorhamilton playwright Treasa Nealons short play The Back of The Bus has been selected as one of its top eight plays in the companys recent playwrights competition that had over 220 entrant plays submitted. It certainly is a great achievement for Treasa. Regarding its playwrights competition a spokesperson for Fishamble said we received over 220 submissions as part of The Navigator Project Open Call. In the end we selected 6, rather than 4 playwrights to join our previously commissioned 4 writers and today we hold the first of our 2 readings of these works. Huge thank you to everyone who submitted their short plays. Out of more than 220 submissions, the most common themes explored were Insufficient Healthcare Due to Discriminatory Barriers, Financial Barriers to Healthcare, the Impact of Physical Health on Mental Health, Womens Health, and Access to Mental Health Care. Other recurring topics included Geographic Inequality in Healthcare, Racial Inequality and Discrimination Against Minorities, Delays in Accessing Appointments and Treatment, and Class-Based Discrimination within the healthcare system. We will continue to share statistics and data from the plays, so that every play submitted has a chance to highlight the concerns that are on the minds of the writers. Bernadettes Cancer Fundraiser Killargue woman Bernadette Walpole has in recent months raised an excellent sum of 5,250 to aid the wonderful work of the Sligo Cancer Support Centre which is based at 44 Wine Street, Sligo. In a message of their gratitude to the Killargue women the Sligo Cancer Support Centre extended a massive thank you to Bernadette Walpole for organising this wonderful event and raising the incredible amount of 5,250. Were also deeply grateful to everyone who helped make it happen those who facilitated, funded, and donated. Your support means so much to us and helps ensure our Centre remains a place of peace and comfort for people affected by cancer. Meanwhile the Sligo Cancer Support Centre explains that it is a place of peace and hope where people with cancer and their families can access support, counselling, holistic therapies and healing workshops in a caring and tranquil environment in the North West of Ireland. The Sligo Cancer Support Centre also adds that it is a place where no one feels alone on their journey to recovery. Christmas Bingo A full house is expected when Manorhamiltons Christmas bingo session takes place in the Bee Park Community Centre tonight, Wednesday, December 17 at 8pm. The Christmas bingo session will have the usual prizes on offer for each game taking place on the night, as well as a jackpot prize of 750 and several spot prizes. Lurganboy Carol Service Everyone is invited to come along to the Lurganboy Chapel of Ease carol service that takes place on Thursday night, December 18 at 7.30pm. The carol service organisers say all are very welcome to join us and light refreshments will be served to all attending afterwards in the Chapel of Ease. District News Deadline Please email all notes for next weeks Sligo Champion Manorhamilton District News to P. J. Leddy leddypatrick10@gmail.com by 6pm at the latest on Thursday, December 18. Maternity services score highly in survey Sligo University Hospital (SHU) has welcomed the National Maternity Experience Survey 2025 findings, which reports on the positive maternity care experienced by women using its facilities earlier this year. The hospital says it acknowledges the value of this feedback and that the results of the survey were contributing to ongoing quality improvements in maternity care. The 2025 report was published by the National Care Experience Programme this week. The survey invited women who gave birth in February and March 2025 to share their experiences of antenatal, labour, birth and postnatal care. In total 167 women who gave birth at SUH during this time were invited to take part and with 72 participants responding, this reflected a response rate of 43% compared to the national average of 42%. Eight questions for participants at Sligo University Hospital scored significantly above the national average and no questions scored significantly below national average. SUH scored joint highest nationally for the support for mothers in breastfeeding, a score of 9.0. SUH were in the top three of hospitals surveyed nationally for care in hospital after birth and were joint second for care at home and in the community after birth. 87% of participants who gave birth at SUH reported their maternity care as being good or a very good overall experience, placing the hospital above the national average of 83%. Areas of good experience at SUH included respect for decisions about feeding, support from healthcare professionals with feeding the baby at home, and confidence and trust in healthcare professionals at home or in the community after birth. Among the positive feedback received, one mother praised the service saying, Everyone we spoke to at Sligo University Hospital and antenatal clinic was incredible. They cared about me and my baby, and every aspect of our health. Especially the mental health midwife, she was amazingly supportive and kind. Another mother said, The delivery was well organised and I was informed of every step. Every detail was explained to me beforehand and while it was happening. I was very nervous before the birth in the theatre and all the staff were excellent at keeping me calm. Commenting on the results of the Maternity Survey, Juliana Henry, Sligo University Hospital Director of Midwifery said, We are pleased to see such positive feedback on the maternity care delivered by our team at Sligo University Hospital. We also welcome the feedback for women and families regarding areas we need to improve in. The voice of the patient is central to our work and understanding what matters most to women and families helps us continue to strive for excellence. We are committed to listening, learning and enhancing the maternity experience for all who trust us with their care. I would like to thank all the maternity teams for the ongoing dedication and care which they demonstrate on a daily basis. Grainne McCann, Sligo University Hospital manager said, Sligo University Hospital welcomes the feedback which provides valuable insight into womens experiences and helps services continue to improve care across all stages of the maternity journey. Sligo University Hospital continues to work closely with HSE colleagues and service users to build on the positive feedback and continue its commitment to quality, compassionate and safe maternity care. Drug driving cases coming before a Tipperary court have more than doubled compared to this time last year, according to figures obtained by an MEP for Ireland South. There has been a 155pc increase in these types of cases being brought to Nenagh District Court, but only a 5pc increase in drug driving cases appearing at Clonmel District Court office in the first 10 months of 2025. Drug-driving prosecutions in the district courts have surged, with 2,050 people before the courts up to October 2025 alone for drug driving offences, according to figures supplied to Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchu by the Irish Courts sSrvice. The figures show that 21 people appeared before Clonmel District Court in 2024 in relation to drug driving, while 22 did so in the period from January to October 2025, representing an increase of 5pc. The corresponding figures for Nenagh were 11 defendants for 2024, and 28 for 2025 up to October, a jump of 155pc. A total of 1,499 people faced district court proceedings for drug driving in 2024 in Ireland, but this has already risen by 37pc in the first 10 months of 2025, with 2025 marking the highest level on record for drug driving prosecutions in Irelands district court system. Ms Ni Mhurchu said the trend reflects a steady rise since 2020, but warned that this years sharp escalation is particularly alarming. The MEP has called for decisive action this Christmas to curb the escalating threat of drug driving, We need an expanded roadside drug testing regime this Christmas period on our roads. We also need to consider policies whereby anyone convicted of drug driving is required to re-sit their driving test or, at minimum, complete a comprehensive driver re-education programme. They have to get the message that they are a danger to other innocent road users. Ms Ni Mhurchu has also suggested deploying modified interlock technology - devices currently used to prevent drink driving in the cars of convicted drink drivers - so they can detect drugs instead of alcohol in the vehicles of repeat offenders. The Ireland South MEP described the cases that do make it to the district court as being the tip of the ice berg when it comes to drug driving. Ms Ni Mhurchu described these measures as an essential ramp up in the fight against drug driving in an effort to protect all road users and restore confidence in road safety this festive season. As of December 9 this year, 170 people had lost their lives on Irelands roads, seven more people than on the same date in 2024. There is delight in Wexford after a secondary school in Gorey took home the top prize at the Oireachtas annual National Politics and Society quiz. The three students from Gorey Community School travelled to Leinster House in Dublin to compete in the national quiz on Thursday, December 11. The winning team was made of up sixth year students, Abbie, Adam and Ciaran. School principal, Michael Finn congratulated the team on their national title. We were delighted to learn of the Senior Politics and Society Quiz team's success, he said. Gorey Community School introduced Politics and Society as a Leaving Certificate subject when it was included in the curriculum in 2016, which Mr. Finn said the subject has seen a significant uptake since its introduction. This has in turn generated a school wide interest in politics which is reflected in the high profile of the school's Student Council and the welcome visits of political figures to the school, Mr. Finn added. On the day, students from schools across the country answered questions focused on Irish politics, current affairs, the work of the Oireachtas, while also testing their knowledge of the Constitution, parliamentary procedure, and recent political developments. Winning team, Abbie, Ciaran and Adam with Wicklow-Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne at Leinster House. Wicklow-Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne met with the Wexford team at Leinster House to congratulate them on their achievement. He praised the students and teachers at Gorey Community School for helping the students secure their win in the tough competition. Congratulations to Abbie, Adam and Ciaran. This is an incredible achievement by a very dedicated team of young people. To win a very tough national quiz competition on politics and society is very impressive, Deputy Byrne added. After meeting with the team, Deputy Byrne hopes the students continue their interest in the world of politics. Understanding how decisions are made and how the world works is a critical part of the learning process - that is why the Politics and Society course is so important, he added. A 26-year-old Dublin man who attended a birthday party in Wexford choked one of his fellow guests to a point close to loss of consciousness, the Circuit Court was told. Stephen Harcourt from 24 Deer Park Square, Kiltipper, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Rebecca Burke in February of last year. The court learned that the violent offender was on temporary release from prison at the time as he had been jailed for a previous assault. Just over 96,000 has been allocated to services combatting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Co Wexford. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan confirmed that 82,044.86 would be allocated to Wexford Rape Crisis Centre, while 14,211 would be given to Wexford Womens Refuge. The move comes after a targeted funding call by Cuan, the national agency for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Last month, a delegation from Wexford Rape Crisis travelled to Leinster House on the invitation of Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, where they met with Minister OCallaghan and informed him that, despite having only recently moved into a new premises in Maudlintown, they were already stretched to capacity" with up to 30 new referrals every month. Housing Minister and local TD James Browne was delighted to see the 96,000 allocation in his own constituency. This investment is to deliver much-needed practical, measurable improvements for people who need support from services locally, he said. "I am so grateful to the services we have in Wexford and the people who run them with empathy and professionalism in often what are the most difficult circumstances in peoples lives. The work of these services is often hidden, but it cannot be underestimated, by any one of us. Minister Browne also called for all of us, "in particular men of all ages, to commit to a society where there is zero tolerance for any kind of sexual or gender-based violence. We cant shirk around that responsibility, we have to back it, one hundred and ten per cent, he said. This includes in our homes, but it also includes our words an our everyday actions - how we react when people who may be our colleagues and friends or play alongside us behave inappropriately, or make views known that are dangerous to women and girls. It is our job to call it out. It is our job to step up. All of this is part of a culture change we can make individually. All of us have to invest in a society that stands up to this kind of violence, and this kind of behaviour. It is not just unsafe for women and girls, it is a society none of us should stand for. Minister Browne also expressed his hope that more people will continue to come forward when they experience sexual, domestic and gender-based violence. I really hope that more people will continue to come forward when they need support - from talking to someone, making that first phone call, or walking in the door of one of the services we have," he said. "There must be an appropriate level of service delivery available to meet that need. That is something I have always felt passionately about for Wexford, and I will continue to advocate for it. That includes anyone who is worried about a friend who might be in trouble - reach out to services and talk it through to see how best you can support that person or that family. Julie Power, Lucy Doyle and Rich Doyle at the annual Senior Citizens Christmas party in the Coal Bunker. Photo: Jim Campbell Lotto draw Results of the Curracloe United Development Lotto draw for Sunday, December 14th. The numbers drawn were 7, 8, 21 & 28. There was no Jackpot winner and 2 match 3 winners who each received 75, Michael Duggan c/o Clubforce and Padraig Mangan, c/o Tavern. Next weeks Jackpot stands at 8,250 and the draw takes place on Sunday next, December 21st at 8 p.m. In the Christmas Bottle draw, the following were the lucky winners; David Murphy, Coolrainey. (brandy) Frank Stoutt, Ballinacoola (whisky) Adam & Finn Kavanagh, Screen (vodka) Patrick Kavanagh, c/o Clubforce (whisky) J.P. Hanrahan, Tavern (vodka) Frank Stoutt, Ballinacoola (wine). Mass times for Christmas The schedule for Christmas Masses in the Parish are as follows;- On Christmas Eve, Mass at 5 p.m in Curracloe with Fr. Brendan Nolan, P.P. Mass in Ballymurn Church at 5 p.m and Mass in Screen church at 6.30 p.m. Mass on Christmas Day will be celebrated in Screen church at 9.15 a.m and at 10.30 a.m in Castlebridge church. Split the Pot Recent winner of the Curracloe national school Split the Pot competition was Mick Carty who won 135. News items News items such as marriages, births, deaths, meeting reports, etc, are most welcome. You can email notes to tworedcow@outlook.com or text to 086- 1980775. Please note that for next weeks paper items must be sent by 3pm this Friday, December 19th. For the paper dated Wednesday, December 31st, news items must be submitted to the correspondent at the above email by 3 p.m on Friday, December 26th. Oylegate School Admissions for September 2026 Glenbrien P.S. will be taking admissions for September 2026 up to 20th. December. Application forms are available from the school and on the school website. Church news Weekend Masses - Oylegate Church: Saturday at 6.00pm and Sunday at 10.30am. Glenbrien church: Sunday at 9.30am. Crossabeg Church: Sunday at 11.30am Weekday Masses - Oylegate: Friday at 9.30am. Glenbrien: Tuesday and Thursday at 9.30am. Crossabeg: Wednesday at 9.30am. Note: Should a funeral come to the church during the weekdays, any scheduled 9.30am Masses will be cancelled. Weekly Devotions in Glenbrien - Everyone is welcome to join the following weekly occasions in our Parish: Every Monday at 6 p.m. in the Church: Divine Mercy Chaplet (Devotion to The Divine Mercy); Every Tuesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Church: Eucharistic Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament; Every Friday & Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Grotto: The Holy Rosary Flower Rota for Church: Oylegate - If you would like to join the rota for the preparation of flowers for the altar during the year, please contact the parish office. Parish Office Hours - Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9am to 1pm. Mass Bookings - Please book anniversary Masses through the Parish Office during office hours. Priest on Duty - Sunday night to Monday: Fr. Denis Kelly, ph 087 9470513. Tuesday to Saturday: Fr. Dermot Gahan, ph 087 2681010 / Fr Jim Finn 087 2119151. Church Weekly Envelopes - The weekly Envelope collection supports the running costs of the Churches in the Parish. If you do not take the box of envelopes, you might consider making an annual donation by cash, cheque or by Direct Debit. Bank Details: BIC: BOFIIE2D IBAN: IE44 BOFI 906566 24140788. Please notify the parish office if you are setting up a Direct Debit. Thank you. Charitable Donations Tax Back Campaign - This campaign was set up by the Revenue Commissioners to allow donations by parishioners to the parish by way of weekly envelope collections go even further. For every 250 that is contributed, the Revenue will refund 112 approximately to the parish. Forms are being sent out at present and you are asked to return your completed form at your convenience. If you have any query, please do not hesitate to contact the parish office on 086 8259842. Piercestown School open night Is your child ready to start big school? Come along to hear what Piercestown N.S. has to offer at our Open Night on Wednesday 14th January 2026 at 7pm. Piercestown N.S. are currently accepting enrolments for September 2026. The closing date for submission of applications is 30th January 2026. Enrolment forms can be accessed on www.piercestownns.com or by contacting Siobhan in the office on 0539158854 or by clicking on the link of the social media Piercestown National School Facebook page. This is an adult event (an introduction day is held for incoming pupils in June). We look forward to meeting you on Wednesday 14th January at 7pm. Our wonderful pupils and parents association will be on hand to give you a warm welcome and tea/coffee. St Martins Lotto Results 10th December: numbers drawn 10, 12, 15, 28. No jackpot winner. Match 3 winners: Emma Sane, David and Mary Firman, Pat Barrett, Peter Firman, Noel Cardiff, Carol Devereux. Valda Choir Christmas Carol concert The Valda Choir will perform a Christmas Carol concert in St Martins Church, Piercestown on Thursday 18th December at 7pm. No tickets are required but donations to St Vincent de Paul are greatly appreciated. Notes contact Please forward notes for the paper to peadar.dempsey57@gmail.com Rathangan-Cleariestown Family Mass All are invited to our Family Mass on Sunday 28th December at 11.30am in Rathangan Church. We especially invite our First Communion and Confirmation children to join us. The Cullenstown Mermaids The Cullenstown Mermaids will hold their annual swim in Cullenstown at 11am Christmas morning in aid of the RNLI, Kilmore. All are welcome! Social Dance Night On Thursday 18th December in Rathangan Hall a night of Social Dancing will be had. Stacey Breen will be performing live on the night. Teas and sandwiches will be served. Doors open from 9pm. 10 admission. All welcome. Parish Meeting A parish meeting will take place on Wednesday 8th January in Rathangan Hall at 7.30pm. Everyone is warmly invited to attend. The purpose of the meeting is to: Provide an update on the costings for the church roof repairs; Discuss the possible implications for the future of the church; Outline how this may affect access to the car park; Share an update on the progress of the graveyard extension. This is an important opportunity for parishioners and local residents to stay informed and ask questions. We look forward to seeing you there. Duncormick Concert On St Brigids Weekend, we will host a Concert in Duncormick on Saturday evening 31st January 2026 at 7.30pm. We are thrilled to announce that the fabulous Tulua will perform at St. Peters Church Duncormick to celebrate St. Brigids weekend along with guests, The O Faolain Family. The night promises to be a special one again, with a mixture of song, verse and musical collaboration. Why not treat yourself or someone else to a ticket for this intimate concert venue for Christmas and support the Duncormick Village Fund to raise money for the repurposing of the old school as a community space for all. More announcements for the weekend to follow! Book your tickets now at https://tuluainduncormick.eventbrite.ie Communion for the homebound Would you be willing to bring the Eucharist to people in their home or nursing home. Flexible times to try and suit everyone. Rota system if enough people are willing to help. Full information, forms and training will be provided. For more information or to express your interest please contact Jacqui on 087-2219302. Purchasing The Old School Duncormick Area Action Group are excited to announce our mission to bring The Old School back into community ownership. Our plan is to transform the building into a welcoming space for the whole community. But we need your support for this. We would be very grateful for any donations however big or small it will all help. So please use the link on the Duncormick Area Action Group Facebook page to donate and share with your family and friends. Thank you . Bouncy Castle parties in Rathangan Hall Bouncy castle hall parties are currently available exclusively in Rathangan Hall. Contact Conor in the hall directly for bookings, availability and pricing. Book your party slot and bouncy castle with 1 phone call! To make a booking message their Facebook page or book a slot on their website booking form, alternatively you can also call 085-8373724. Macfit PT and Fitness/Pilates and Massage Macfit PT and Fitness with Pilates and Massage with Nikki are running a range of classes in Rathangan Hall. For information on timetable please check their Facebook page or call direct Brian: 086-1551315 or Nikki: 085-1193845. Poster/Advertisement Design Service Do you need a poster/advertisement designed? If so, we can help you! We can create for you a bespoke, unique and professional poster/advertisement to suit your personal needs. Price: 10. Get in touch with us on 051-577046 or at Rathanganhall@gmail.com Hip hop dance classes Next level dance school is back with hip hop dance classes in Rathangan hall Thursdays from 5-6pm, 7 per class pay as you go. For more info contact Joelle on 087 9768864 or contact through our Facebook/Instagram @ next level dance school. McCalls Community Centre Office and Hub Rental: If youre looking for a great place to study or work in peace with excellent facilities on hand then look no further than McCalls Community Centre where you can hire an office desk or office space to suit your needs with top speed WiFi, printing etc.. now available. Special rates for students and local enterprises. Apply to Annette Walsh (086) 1257595. Mass Times Saturday: Cleariestown 6pm, Caroreigh 8pm. Sunday: Trinity 9am, Taghmon 10.15am, Rathangan 11.30am. This ensures there is a vigil mass and Sunday morning mass in both parishes. No special masses on Sundays for funerals. Christmas, Easter, Holyday and holiday schedules will be worked out in due course. The 11.30am mass in Rathangan can also be viewed on the webcam. CuChulainn Archers CuChulainn Archers hold beginner classes throughout the year. Enquiries to cuchulainnwexford@yahoo.com The new school building projects for Gael Scoil an Inbhir Mor and Gael Colaiste na Mara have been approved to progress to construction. The 50 million building project will see diggers on site in the coming weeks on the Kilbride Campus commencing the building of two state of the art new school buildings for Arklow. Initial discussion between the two schools, the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB), Wicklow County Council and the Department of Education began in 2017, with funding secured, a co-sharing campus site earmarked in Kilbride and planning permission granted by August 2022. The plans for Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhoir which was established in 1998 and operates, for the most part, out of a series of prefabs comprise a two-storey, 16-classroom primary school building, with two special needs rooms and ancillary spaces capable of accommodating more than 480 pupils. For Gaelcholaiste na Mara, which has been limiting its intake for years and is in dire need of another chemistry lab, cooking room, woodwork room and a school hall, the project will deliver a three-storey school building with two special needs rooms and a PE hall aimed at serving more than 400 students. To the dismay of the Arklow community, the sorely needed projects were put on hold in 20223 when the Department of Education announced they had hit the pause button on 58 school building projects around Ireland due to funding pressures. Welcoming the news of an imminent start date for works, Wicklow Wexford TD Brian Brennan said the project has been one of my his priorities for the town. I have been in constant contact with both schools, and I must pay tribute to principals Cian and Deaglan and their entire school communities for their hard work on getting this over the line. These projects have been 26 years in the making there are teachers working the Gaelscoil who attended the school as pupils operating out of prefabs. This is a brilliant step forward for Arklow. Deputy Brennan acknowledged the many more primary and post primary schools in the constituency with great need, both in terms of upgrading and repairing of buildings, SNA allocations and school transport. I will continue to work to ensure that we continue to see ongoing investment and improvement in our schools. he added. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme Stephen, Ebony and Casey Stratton with Terry Meakin and his observational bee hive at the Ashford Honey Festival. Ashford and District Beekeepers' Association are running an introduction to beekeeping course in January. Stephen, Ebony and Casey Stratton with Terry Meakin and his observational bee hive at the Ashford Honey Festival. Ashford and District Beekeepers' Association are running an introduction to beekeeping course in January. A tidal clock by Current which was inspired by the Bray coastline. With only a handful of days to go until Christmas Day, time is running out to make sure everyone on your Christmas list has something to open on the big day. Luckily, County Wicklow is full of talented folk making beautiful and useful things, and providing unique experiences that even the toughest character on your list would appreciated receiving. With time being so tight, weve put together a selection of unique or new products with Wicklow connections that you can buy in Wicklow right now. Food and drink Storied barley wine Glendalough Distillery and Wicklow Wolf Brewery have joined forces to release The Still Hand, a limited-edition 13.1pc barley wine. The joint-effort is inspired by the legend of St. Kevins still hand, where he kept his hand perfectly still, giving a blackbird the time to nest and hatch her young, The barleywine is aged in the same Oloroso casks used for Glendalough's award-winning Double Barrel Irish Whiskey, sourced from Montilla, a small town in the rolling hills of the Spanish countryside. Where: Retailing at 8, The Still Hand is stocked at OBriens, Molloys, Fine Wines, Number 21, Matsons, independent off-licences, and select premium SuperValu stores nationwide. Local cheese selection For food lovers, boxes or individual cheeses from this family-run Arklow producer could be a winner. Individual cheese starts at 3.50 each, with cheese selection boxes roughly 2030 (may vary). Where: directly from Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese or from Avoca Village, Cafe Grey, Greystones, Ballyknocken House, Ashford, Delgany Grocer, Hunters Hotel, Rathnew, Kingfisher Kitchen, Enniskerry, Wicklow Wine Co, Wicklow town. Homewares Bray or Greystones tide clock The tide clock is Dublin-based Currents hero product, which lets you check the tide at a glance and features original artwork of much-loved coastal locations around Ireland, including two Wicklow designs for Bray and Greystones. They are available to purchase for 67. Where: currentclock.ie (last order date for delivery is December 19) Sugarloaf glasses This year Current also added a new product to their range in the form of the contour collection, which are heavy-base whiskey glasses with a 3D mould of Irish landscapes in the base, such as the Sugarloaf. They sell as a set of two for 74. Where: currentclock.ie (last order date for delivery is December 19) Wicklow Way candle Greystones-based Glow Bottle make sustainable and vegan candles from around 20. They are all hand poured into recycled and reusable glass jars. The most Wicklow of their Wicklow-made products is the Wicklow Way candle, which has notes of cinnamon, cedarwood and amber. All their candles come in eco friendly gift boxes tied with a ribbon, and they are accompanied by a box of matches and Lindor chocolate. Where: online from glowbottle.ie or email for local stockists Beauty Natural skincare Sugarloaf Botanics is a Kilmacanogue-based natural skincare brand that crafts small-batch, plant-powered products using botanicals inspired by the landscape surrounding the Great Sugar Loaf mountain. Its formulas reflect the countys rich natural heritage, drawing on Wicklows wild flora and pristine environment to create gentle, earth-focused self-care products. They have a range of gifts sets like the bathtime bundle, botanical newborn, time of the month set and a pre-teen giftcare set. Where: sugarloafbotanics.ie or Killruddery Farm Shop, Bray, An Tairseach Farm Shop, Wicklow town, Fishers of Newtownmountkennedy, The Barrel Sauna, Greystones, and The Yoga Barre, Kilcoole Handmade soap Black Castle Skincare is a Wicklowbased company run by a mum of two boys with eczema. She produces handmade natural soaps, clay masks and floral waters, crafted in small batches using premium botanical ingredients. They also make natural deodorant and soap bars, all delivered in ecofriendly packaging. Their gift sets include ceramic or wooden soap dishes and they currently have a very festive Christmas tree soap on offer. Where: blackcastleskincare.ie Experiences Beekeeping course Ashford and District Beekeepers Association are running an introduction to beekeeping course starting on January 14 and running for six weeks. The course takes place on Wednesday nights at the Heritage Centre in Ashford, with six lectures and one practical apiary visit. The lectures will be provided by Colm Penston, who will cover the natural history of the honey bee, theory, practice and some hands-on experience at the end of the course. The Haynes Bee Manual is recommended as the reference book which costs approximately 25, available from Easons, and through online channels. The cost is 80 for six lectures and includes the apiary visit. Where: email abka.secretary@gmail.com to secure your place Learn basketweaving Wicklow Willows Aoife Patterson and Pat Reid have have extensive experience in willow work, and offer a range of willow-based products, from small bespoke basketry and courses, to a large range of playground features and river revetments. Their award-winning basketry products are unique, handmade Irish pieces. They have a crafty way to make a gift this Christmas in the form of a voucher starting at 105 for a full days basketweaving course, including lunch and cake. Where: email info@wicklowwillow.ie to order Sauna selfcare Wicklow is littered with all sorts of sauna experiences, from Helios in Bray, to The Barrel in Greystones, The Boat Yard in Wicklow town, Hot Box in Arklow and the Fox Glen in Donard. They all do gift cards for any amount you wish. Where: see your chosen saunas website or social media page Gift vouchers Wicklow town Wicklow Town Shop Local Gift Vouchers, supported by Wicklow and District Chamber of Commerce, allow people all the freedom to choose where to spend the voucher in Wicklow town. The vouchers can be purchased in denominations from 5 up to 50, come in a decorative sleeve, and can be redeemed in many participating local businesses Where: wicklowchamber.ie Bridgewater Shopping Centre The Bridgewater Shopping Centre also offers a gift card that can be spent in a variety of shops and restaurants at the Arklow venue, as well as the cinema, making it a great option with loads of choice for spending. Where: Gift cards can be purchased at the customer service desk, located in the centre mall area Maurice Nicholson, of Charlesland Park, Greystones, appeared at Bray District Court on summons brought by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH). Mr Nicholson originally faced three charges of having a dog and bird capable of hunting on lands at Glassenamucky Brakes, Co Dublin, without the permission of the landowner on November 8, 2023, of hunting protected wild birds without a licence or ministerial permission, and of hunting wild birds without the landowners consent. The court heard that counsel for the DHLGH and Mr Nicholsons legal team reached an agreement whereby the defendant would plead guilty to having a dog and bird capable of hunting on lands at Glassenamucky Brakes without the landowners permission, and the two other charges were struck out. The court was told that Mr Nicholson was seen at Glassenamucky Brakes, part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park, with a red setter and a peregrine falcon on his arm. A peregrine falcon is a protected bird of prey, commonly used in hunting due to its speed and precision. Mr Nicholson denied hunting. Maurice Nicholson, of Charlesland Park, Greystones, Maurice Nicholson MVB, is a veterinary surgeon at BrayVet, an animal clinic based in Bray. The defendant has worked there on and off for over 20 years and has been a practising vet for more than 40 years. Counsel for the defence described their client as an upstanding gentleman. The judge struck out the remaining charge against Mr Nicholson after he donated 500 to Kildare Wildlife and Rescue. Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme Antala Szabo and Lorcan O hEalaighthe of Session 55 at the Christmas celebration for IPAs residents in the Ukrainian Hub, Wicklow town. Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Melanie Corrigan celebrating Christmas with IPAS residents and various groups in Wicklow at the Christmas celebration for IPAs residents in the Ukrainian Hub, Wicklow town. The Ukrainian Hub in Wicklow town, Palyanytsya, played host to IPAS residents for a Home Where We Are Welcome Christmas party, which ended with a group photo-shoot of all the different nationalities in attendance. The bash was held on Sunday, December 7, and began with a bright and early walk to Wicklow Lighthouse, under some rather unwelcoming weather conditions. Hub manager Tanya Antonova said: We had up to 80 people involved. The weather was terrible but we all still set off on the cliff walk. We all got soaked but really enjoyed the peaceful walk to the lighthouse. Seven different countries were all represented on the walk, so it was a lovely and diverse group involved, and we had a special photograph taken to mark the occasion, featuring all the national flags represented. Everyone involved in the walk then returned to Palyanytsya where they were treated to some lovely Ukrainian food, alongside some live music and party-games. Tanya added: We had some ukulele musicians playing some festive songs and we also had a group from Ashford who entertained everyone with some wonderful traditional Irish music. It was a wonderful performance and it was great to see the joy and smiles on the faces of everyone. We had a lot of food on offer, mainly traditional Ukrainian dishes, and it was lovely for all of the Ukrainians present to see people enjoying the dishes so much, with lots of people asking for extra portions. There was a lovely festive atmosphere throughout, and the Cathaoirleach of Wicklow Municipal District, Cllr Graham Richmond, was in attendance and stayed for a god while chatting away to everyone. It was also lovely to see the Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Melanie Corrigan, arrive with her daughter. The event provide a huge success and plans are already underway for something similar next year. The event was organised from the heart and we hope to hold something similar next year as well, added Tanya. It was a wonderful way for people to connect and make new friends while sharing in some festive fun. It was especially nice to welcome IPAS residents from west Wicklow. IPAS centres can be quite isolating so events like this help people make those connections. We hope to continue with this event into the future, maybe in a bigger venue next time. People attend a Campaign Against Antisemitism and Chabad UK event in Westminster, central London, to mark Hanukkah and honour victims of a terrorist attack on Sunday, which targeted a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where 16 people were killed. Picture date: Monday December 15, 2025. Two individuals armed with guns opened fire on a crowd in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach at 6.47pm local time on Sunday, New South Wales Police said. The attack which was declared a terrorist incident targeted a Hanukkah celebration at a park next to the beach on the first day of the Jewish festival of lights, the force confirmed. Volodymyr Zelensky says new peace plan ready in days, but Moscow pushes back Entire region of Donetsk left in darkness as attack severs its power Soot covers the face of a trader as she stands behind her stall minutes after a Russian exploding drone struck the roof of the indoor market in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters James C Reynolds UK Independent Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 06:30 Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky has said revised US-brokered peace plans could be presented to Russia within days, following successful talks in Berlin. Interstellar green comet will make closest approach to Earth on Friday 3I/Atlas will not be visible to the naked eye but should be picked up by modest telescopes This is just the third time that a space rock from outside the solar system has been identified. Photo: NoirLab Sarah Knapton Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 06:30 An interstellar comet will make its closest approach to Earth on Friday, with amateur astronomers advised to look out for the green visitor. LATEST | Filmmaker Rob Reiner's son appears in court charged with murder of parents Nick Reiner arrested hours after bodies were foundSuspect had long history of struggles with addiction Director Rob Reiner arrives for the UK premiere of The Bucket List (PA) Jane Ross and Steve Gorman Reuters Wed 17 Dec 2025 at 18:39 Nick Reiner, who is accused of murdering his film director father Rob Reiner and mother Michele at their home in Los Angeles, will be arraigned on January 7, his lawyer Alan Jackson said. India Streamlines Business Visa Approval for Chinese Professionals to 4 Weeks Available language India has eased business visa procedures for Chinese professionals, reducing processing times to within a month. The move is a strategic recalibration by New Delhi to address obstacles to manufacturing growth and stabilize cross-border supply chains. India has implemented targeted reforms to ease procedural constraints on business visas for Chinese professionals, reflecting a calibrated improvement in bilateral economic engagement. On December 17, 2025, the government announced a streamlined process enabling Indian companies to obtain e-visas for foreign professionals, including Chinese nationals, more efficiently. The move follows a Reuters report indicating that visa processing timelines have shortened significantly after the removal of an additional layer of administrative review. This reform addresses persistent concerns among businesses regarding delays and procedural uncertainty. The updated framework is expected to be particularly beneficial for Indian companies importing machinery and technical equipment from China, where the on-site presence of foreign engineers and specialists is often essential for installation, commissioning, and operational support. At a broader level, the initiative aligns with New Delhis efforts to stabilize and pragmatically recalibrate relations with Beijing amid evolving global trade dynamics, including increased tariff pressures from the United States (US). Indian authorities have indicated that most procedural bottlenecks have been resolved. Following the elimination of the extra clearance requirement, business visas for Chinese nationals are now reportedly being processed within approximately four weeks, pointing to a more predictable, transparent, and facilitative visa regime. China welcomes Indias reported easing of visa procedures In a report published by the Global Times on December 12, 2025, China has acknowledged what it describes as a constructive step by India to accelerate visa processing for Chinese professionals, noting that smoother cross-border mobility supports shared interests. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing is prepared to continue communications and consultations with India to further promote people-to-people exchanges and practical cooperation. As of December 16, 2025, Indian authorities have not issued a formal public statement confirming the revised procedures. The economic impact of visa delays on Indias manufacturing sector The prolonged restrictions on business visas for Chinese professionals has had measurable economic consequences for the Indian industry, particularly the electronics manufacturing sector. Indian policy think tanks estimate that heightened scrutiny and delayed approvals resulted in cumulative production losses of approximately US$15 billion over four years, as manufacturers struggled to deploy Chinese technicians and machinery specialists critical to operations. Several major Chinese electronics companies, including smartphone manufacturers, reportedly faced persistent difficulties in securing visas for key personnel, disrupting expansion plans in India. The impact was not limited to electronics alone; sectors such as solar manufacturing also experienced project delays due to shortages of specialized technical staff. Analysts cited in Chinese media observed that the latest move of easing visa procedures aligns with Indias broader strategic and economic priorities. In recent years, low approval rates and extended processing timelines had constrained cross-border business activity, limiting opportunities for deeper commercial integration between the two economies. Experts have cautioned that any meaningful and lasting improvement in bilateral economic engagement will depend on consistent, transparent, and predictable implementation of the revised visa framework, rather than one-off administrative relaxations. Industry response Industry representatives on both sides have highlighted the potential benefits of faster visa approvals. The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) noted that faster visa approvals for skilled professionals from neighboring countries reflect the central governments receptiveness to industry feedback and the need for a more collaborative investment environment. Indian stakeholders indicated that improved mobility could support product development for domestic markets and exports, while Chinese business executives operating in India believe smoother visa processes would ease operational coordination with local partners. It must be noted that the scope of facilitation appears limited. Expedited visa processing currently seems to apply primarily to professionals deemed urgently required by Indian firms, rather than reflecting a comprehensive policy relaxation. Background: Visa restrictions for Chinese applicants and gradual normalization Following the military standoff between the two countries along the Himalayan border in 2020, India sharply curtailed travel from China, imposing stringent controls on visa issuance. Business visa applications were subjected to additional layers of scrutiny beyond standard reviews by the ministries of home and external affairs, leading to prolonged processing timelines and a near-complete halt in official and commercial visits. In 2025, India began to gradually recalibrate its engagement with China, reflecting a more pragmatic approach driven by economic and strategic considerations. As part of this shift, New Delhi moved to ease select mobility restrictions, particularly for business and technical professionals critical to trade, manufacturing, and investment activity. On October 26, 2025, India and China reinstated direct passenger flights after nearly five years of suspension, marking an important step toward restoring bilateral connectivity. Industry stakeholders expect the return of direct flights and streamlined visa procedures to improve business mobility, tourism flows, and cargo logistics, supporting the gradual recovery of bilateral trade. For sectors that depend on frequent cross-border movement, such as manufacturing, professional services, and supply-chain management, these developments are widely viewed as practical enablers of renewed cooperation. Renewed political dialogues and diplomatic engagement The easing of visa rules follows Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to China from August 31 to September 1, 2025, his first visit to China in seven years. Modi met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and discussed avenues to improve bilateral relations. Shortly thereafter, the two countries resumed direct flights from October 26 onwards. The reforms were recommended by a high-level committee. The committee is also examining ways to recalibrate investment restrictions affecting Chinese capital. ALSO READ: India-China Trade Revival Gains Momentum as US Tariffs Soar Reading the room: Indias strategic recalibration amid global pressures Indias outreach to China comes against the backdrop of heightened trade agreement differences with the US, following the imposition of steep tariffs on Indian exports by the White House. These developments have prompted New Delhi to reassess its diplomatic and economic strategy. Alongside easing China-related restrictions, India has introduced broader reforms to attract foreign investment, including tax adjustments and labor law liberalization. The current approach is a cautious relaxation of earlier constraints, intended to improve the overall business climate while balancing strategic considerations. What is Indias FDI Outlook for 2026? Key Policy Changes, Sectors, and Trade Deals Listen to article summary 0:00 Available language India remains an attractive FDI destination in 2026 due to sector-specific liberalization, expanding free trade agreements, strong services and manufacturing inflows, and improved market access frameworks for foreign investors. India is now a leading global investment destination amid shifting supply chains and intensified policy competition across Asia. Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows reached approximately US$50.01 billion in the financial year (FY) 202425, representing a 13 percent increase over FY 202324. Going forward, regulatory developments will carry heightened strategic significance, as global investors rebalance portfolios in response to US tariff uncertainty and tighter global financial conditions. In this article, we map Indias key FDI policy reforms and regulatory updates introduced in 2025 to help foreign investors assess compliance requirements, identify emerging opportunities, and position for 2026. Key FDI policy updates introduced in 2025 Indian policymakers emphasize that the countrys FDI framework remains under continuous review to ensure global competitiveness amid intensifying regional policy competition. For example, in February 2025, the finance minister announced plans to raise the FDI cap in the insurance sector. At the same time, regulators have focused on improving market access and compliance efficiency for foreign investors. Notably, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced the SWAGAT-FI (Single Window Automatic and Generalized Access for Trusted Foreign Investors) framework to streamline onboarding and compliance for low-risk foreign portfolio investors, signaling a broader effort to reduce friction in Indias capital markets. Taken together, five key themes define Indias evolving FDI landscape in 2025. Insurance sector liberalization In the Union Budget 2025, the central government announced its intention to raise the foreign ownership limit in the insurance sector from 74 percent to 100 percent, subject to conditions such as mandatory domestic investment of premium income and enabling legislative amendments. A bill to enable this increase was subsequently introduced in Parliament in December 2025. If enacted, the reform would permit full foreign ownership of insurance companies, facilitate joint-venture buyouts, and support capital deepening in a capital-intensive sector critical to Indias long-term financial resilience. Investment protection and screening Revamp of Indias Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT): The 2025 Budget also announced plans to update Indias 2015 Model BIT. The proposed revision aims to strike a more balanced approachmaking future treaties more investor-friendly while preserving regulatory safeguards and supporting long-term investment certainty. Shift toward country-specific investment treaties: India has confirmed that future investment agreements will increasingly be negotiated on a country-specific basis rather than through a single standardized template. This approach allows for tailored protections aligned with strategic bilateral relationships, reflecting a more pragmatic and targeted investment diplomacy. Foreign-Owned and Controlled Entities (FOCE) framework India has introduced a foreign-owned and controlled entities (FOCE) framework to strengthen oversight of Indian companies that are effectively under foreign control. Proposed by the Union Finance Ministry and operationalized through regulatory clarifications issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the framework reclassifies certain Indian entities as foreign-controlled for compliance purposes, even where ownership structures are indirect. Following updates in early 2025, the RBI expanded the definition of control to capture indirect foreign influence through layered ownership structures, offshore vehicles, or trusts. As a result, Indian entities designated as FOCEs are now required to comply with Indias FDI regime for specified corporate actions. This includes restructurings, intra-group transfers, and downstream investments, which may now trigger sectoral caps, pricing guidelines, and approval requirements. The framework is particularly consequential for sectors subject to heightened national security or strategic scrutiny. Key features of the FOCE framework include: Expanded definition of control: Control is assessed not only through direct shareholding but also through indirect or ultimate foreign influence. Control is assessed not only through direct shareholding but also through indirect or ultimate foreign influence. Downstream investment implications: FOCE-classified entities must apply FDI rules when making investments into other Indian companies, aligning such investments with foreign investment norms. FOCE-classified entities must apply FDI rules when making investments into other Indian companies, aligning such investments with foreign investment norms. Enhanced compliance and reporting: Share transfers, restructurings, and internal reorganizations within FOCE structures are subject to stricter reporting and approval processes, limiting regulatory arbitrage. In effect, the FOCE framework ensures that Indian companies under foreign control, whether direct or indirect, are treated on par with foreign investors for regulatory purposes, closing avenues for indirect entry into restricted or sensitive sectors. Clarifications for FDI-prohibited sectors On April 7, 2025, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) clarified that companies operating in FDI-prohibited sectors may issue bonus shares to existing non-resident shareholders, provided that ownership percentages remain unchanged. This clarification resolved a long-standing compliance gray area. Subsequently, amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules granted explicit statutory backing and retrospective validation to this position. The change removes ambiguity under the earlier regulatory regime and mitigates legacy enforcement risk for companies that had issued bonus shares based on prevailing interpretations, thereby enhancing legal certainty and regulatory comfort for investors. Market access facilitation: SWAGAT-FI On August 1, 2025, SEBI introduced the SWAGAT-FI framework as a market access facilitation initiative aimed at simplifying entry for low-risk foreign institutional investors. The regulator issued a consultation paper proposing a streamlined registration and know-your-customer (KYC) process across the Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) and Foreign Venture Capital Investor (FVCI) routes, with a focus on reducing duplication, accelerating onboarding timelines, and improving regulatory efficiency. On December 1, 2025, SEBI formally notified the SWAGAT-FI regulations. Effective from June 1, 2026, the framework will function as a unified digital gateway for eligible foreign investors, enabling single-window onboarding and compliance. The initiative is expected to reduce onboarding friction, enhance transaction certainty, and strengthen Indias positioning as a more accessible and predictable destination for global institutional capital. Sectoral hotspots and FTAs shaping Indias FDI outlook for 2026 Indias FDI outlook heading into 2026 is being shaped by the convergence of sector-specific demand drivers and an increasingly strategic free trade agreement (FTA) agenda. As tariff liberalization, market access commitments, and supply-chain realignment accelerate, three broad investment themes stand out: services-led scale, digitally enabled consumption, and export-oriented manufacturing. Services, technology, and global capability hubs The services economy remains a cornerstone of Indias FDI profile and is expected to retain momentum into 2026. In FY 202425, the services sector accounted for around 16 percent of total equity inflows, attracting approximately US$9.34 billion, while computer software and hardware drew a further US$7.81 billion, or about 15 percent of inflows. These investments continue to be driven by multinational demand for global capability centers (GCCs), IT services delivery hubs, digital engineering, and technology consulting platforms. Looking ahead to 2026, Indias expanding network of FTAsparticularly with developed economiesstrengthens the case for locating regional and global services operations in India. Improved certainty on data flows, intellectual property protections, and professional mobility under newer trade agreements enhances Indias appeal as a base for high-value services exports, especially in IT, fintech, digital health, engineering design, and business services. Digital consumption, e-commerce, and platform-led growth E-commerce and consumer-facing digital platforms are emerging as a second major driver of foreign investment, underpinned by scale, deepening internet penetration, and consumption growth beyond metro markets. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), beauty and personal care, and home products are among the fastest-growing categories, with orders from Tier 3 cities accounting for close to 40 percent of total volumeshighlighting the breadth of Indias consumer base. Capital market activity reinforces this trend. Recent high-profile IPOs and late-stage funding rounds in social commerce and online marketplaces signal sustained investor confidence in Indias digital retail ecosystem. For foreign investors, this segment offers exposure not only to consumption growth but also to logistics, payments, data analytics, and last-mile delivery infrastructureareas likely to attract continued capital inflows through 2026. Manufacturing, export orientation, and supply-chain realignment Manufacturing is steadily becoming an FDI growth engine. Government data show that manufacturing FDI rose by approximately 18 percent in FY 202425, reaching around US$19.04 billion. Electronics, automobiles, chemicals, construction materials, and electrical equipment have been major beneficiaries, supported by production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes and infrastructure upgrades. Crucially, Indias manufacturing proposition is increasingly linked to its trade strategy. FTAs are lowering tariffs on both inputs and finished goods, improving the economics of producing in India for export markets. As a result, global manufacturers are viewing India not only as a large domestic market but also as a competitive production base serving Europe, the UK, and other FTA partner economies. This positioning is expected to gain further traction in 2026 as companies diversify supply chains amid geopolitical and tariff-related uncertainty. How Indias FTA push is reinforcing FDI prospects in 2026 Indias renewed emphasis on FTAs in 2025 has materially strengthened the medium-term investment outlook. The IndiaEFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), effective from October 1, 2025, is particularly significant. It includes a commitment of up to US$100 billion in investment and the creation of one million direct jobs over a 15-year periodmaking it the first Indian trade agreement to embed binding investment and employment targets. Alongside TEPA, the IndiaUK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed on July 24, 2025, provides for substantial tariff liberalization. Once fully implemented, around 90 percent of UK goods entering India will see tariff reductions, while nearly 99 percent of Indian exports will gain duty-free access to the UK. Beyond goods, the agreement also addresses services, professional mobility, and recognition of qualificationsfactors that directly support cross-border investment and project structuring. Taken together, these agreements are reshaping Indias investment environment. For European and UK investors, FTAs offer clearer rules on market access, intellectual property, standards cooperation, and dispute resolution, improving predictability and planning horizons. For India, they reinforce its role as both a manufacturing hub and a services exporter embedded in reconfigured global value chains. 2026 outlook: Top sectors expected to attract FDI As tariff liberalization and regulatory cooperation deepen, new investment is expected to flow into: Export-oriented manufacturing , particularly electronics, automotive components, specialty chemicals, and industrial machinery. , particularly electronics, automotive components, specialty chemicals, and industrial machinery. Agri-food and processed food , benefiting from improved access to developed markets and lower duties on inputs. , benefiting from improved access to developed markets and lower duties on inputs. Life sciences and medical devices , supported by regulatory alignment and growing healthcare demand. , supported by regulatory alignment and growing healthcare demand. Renewable energy and clean technologies , aligned with Indias energy transition goals and European sustainability priorities. , aligned with Indias energy transition goals and European sustainability priorities. Digital and knowledge-based services, including IT, fintech, design, and R&D-driven activities. Lower import duties on capital goods and specialized inputs, combined with preferential access to major consumer markets, strengthen Indias positioning as a competitive production base and services hub through 2026. Compliance considerations for foreign investors Compliance should form a core pillar of any India entry or expansion strategy for foreign investors, particularly as regulatory scrutiny has intensified in parallel with liberalization. First, national security safeguards and land-border restrictions remain firmly in place under Press Note 3 (2020). The framework requires prior government approval for any direct or indirect investment originating from countries sharing a land border with India. This obligation extends to structures involving beneficial ownership or control routed through third jurisdictions, and applies regardless of the investment route. Sectors considered sensitiveincluding digital infrastructure, telecommunications, defense, and strategically critical technologiesare subject to heightened scrutiny and extended review timelines. Second, although the majority of sectors are open under the automatic route, foreign ownership caps and conditionalities continue to apply in select industries. Insurance, defense manufacturing, print and digital media, multi-brand retail, and regulated financial services remain subject to foreign-equity ceilings, government-approval thresholds, Indian control requirements, minimum capitalization norms, and fit-and-proper tests. These restrictions are governed by the DPIIT Consolidated FDI Policy and implemented through FEMA regulations. Finally, effective FDI execution requires disciplined transaction planning and post-investment compliance. Key steps include confirming applicable sectoral caps and approval routes; assessing exposure under land-border and beneficial-ownership rules; structuring pricing, consideration, and payment mechanisms in line with RBI valuation guidelines; and completing mandatory filingssuch as Form FC-GPR, Form FC-TRS, and downstream investment disclosureson the RBI Foreign Investment Reporting and Management System (FIRMS) portal within statutory timelines. Failure to meet reporting or valuation requirements can result in penalties, compounding fees, or delays in future transactions. ALSO READ: FEMA Compliance Guide for Foreign Investment in India What investors should watch for in 2026 In 2026, foreign investors should closely monitor policy developments that will shape Indias investment climate. Key among these is the rollout of the proposed 100 percent FDI liberalization in the insurance sector, including final regulatory conditions governing market entry, capital deployment, and ongoing compliance. Investors should also monitor developments in FDI screening and national security frameworks, particularly for digital, data-driven, and strategically sensitive sectors that affect technology platforms and critical infrastructure. At the market level, SEBIs SWAGAT-FI framework is expected to improve onboarding efficiency and compliance certainty for eligible institutional investors, supporting smoother capital flows across portfolio, co-investment, and structured investment channels. From an opportunity perspective, banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), export-oriented manufacturing linked to Indias expanding FTA network, and globally integrated technology and services operations are likely to remain the most attractive sectors. Together, Indias 2025 policy reforms and accelerating trade integration reinforce its positioning as a compelling destination for international investment through 2026. (With inputs from Archana Rao and Melissa Cyrill.) Indias Medical Devices Sector: PLI Progress & 2026 Outlook Indias medical devices sector enters 2026 with strong momentum as the PLI scheme drives domestic manufacturing, exports, and investment. Explore policy progress, market outlook, and strategic opportunities for investors and global supply chains. As India enters 2026, its medical devices sector stands at an inflection point. The convergence of targeted manufacturing incentives, regulatory consolidation, and sustained healthcare demand is shifting the industry from policy ambition to operational reality, with implications for investors, manufacturers, and global supply chains through the remainder of the decade. What was historically a heavily import-dependent market is gradually transitioning toward a manufacturing-led and export-capable ecosystem. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Promoting Domestic Manufacturing of Medical Devices has moved beyond policy intent and into measurable execution. Greenfield manufacturing projects have been commissioned, high-end devices are being produced locally for the first time, and exports of Indian-manufactured devices have begun to scale. For sector investors, operating companies, and industry supply chain stakeholders, 2026 is shaping up not as an experimental phase, but as a year of commercial validation and strategic positioning with decisions taken now likely to define competitiveness through 2030 and beyond. CLICK HERE: Medical Device Manufacturing Clusters in India Indias medical devices market: Where the sector stands at the end of 2025 Indias medical devices market is estimated at approximately US$1416 billion as of 2025, accounting for a relatively small share of the global MedTech industry. However, government and industry projections consistently indicate growth toward US$3050 billion by 2030, supported by structural demand drivers that are expected to remain intact through the second half of the decade. Key demand fundamentals entering 2026 include: Continued expansion of hospital and diagnostics infrastructure across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities Rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases, driving demand for diagnostics, imaging, and implantable devices Increasing insurance penetration and public healthcare spending Greater adoption of technology-enabled healthcare delivery models Despite these demand tailwinds, import dependence remains significant, particularly for high-technology segments such as diagnostic imaging, oncology equipment, implants, and critical-care devices. It is precisely this gap that Indias current industrial policy framework seeks to address. ALSO READ: Incorporating a Healthcare Business in India: NABH Standards, FDI, and Compliance The PLI Scheme for Medical Devices: Progress achieved in 2025 Scheme design and strategic intent The PLI Scheme for Promoting Domestic Manufacturing of Medical Devices, launched with a total outlay of INR 34.20 billion, provides incentives at the rate of 5 percent on incremental sales of domestically manufactured medical devices over a five-year performance period (FY 202223 to FY 202627). The scheme focuses on four product segments that historically account for a disproportionate share of Indias medical device imports: Cancer care and radiotherapy devices Radiology and imaging equipment (ionizing and non-ionizing) and nuclear imaging devices Anesthetics and cardio-respiratory medical devices, including renal care All implants, including implantable electronic devices The strategic objective has been to catalyze complex manufacturing, reduce import dependence, and position India as a competitive production base within global MedTech value chains. Execution outcomes to date As confirmed by official government updates released in 2025, the PLI scheme has delivered tangible manufacturing and market outcomes: Twenty-two greenfield manufacturing projects have been commissioned under the scheme. Production has commenced for more than 55 medical devices, including MRI scanners, CT scanners, mammography systems, C-arm X-ray machines, ultrasound equipment, MRI coils, and linear accelerators (LINACs). As of September 2025, cumulative eligible sales under the PLI scheme reached approximately INR 123.44 billion. Of this, exports accounted for around INR 58.69 billion, indicating early success in placing Indian-manufactured devices into international markets. Both multinational and Indian manufacturers have participated actively. Investments by firms such as Siemens Healthcare, Philips, Allengers Medical Systems, Panacea Medical Technologies, and BPL Medical Technologies have resulted in local production of devices that were previously almost entirely imported. Importantly, the government has also expanded participation by introducing a Category-B eligibility stream in 2023, which lowered investment and sales thresholds to encourage entry by smaller and mid-sized manufacturers. The move is also hoped to promote wider industrial participation across device segments where emerging players may have innovation or niche capabilities. What the PLI outcomes mean strategically heading into 2026 From a sector strategy perspective, the PLI schemes progress has created several structural shifts that will shape the industrys trajectory in 2026. 1. Transition from assembly to complex manufacturing The localization of MRI, CT, and radiotherapy equipment represents a qualitative shift in Indias manufacturing capability. These are not low-risk, commoditized products, but devices that require advanced engineering, stringent quality systems, and regulatory compliance. This transition materially improves Indias ability to capture higher value within the medical devices supply chain. 2. Export viability is being demonstrated Export volumes under the PLI scheme, while still early-stage, suggest that Indian-manufactured devices are increasingly meeting global buyer requirements, particularly in emerging markets across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. For global OEMs and supply chain partners, this reinforces Indias potential role as an export-oriented manufacturing base, not merely a domestic market play. 3. Cluster-based ecosystems are taking shape PLI investments are increasingly aligning with medical device clusters and parks, supported by parallel infrastructure schemes at the state level. This clustering effect improves access to skilled labor, supplier networks, testing facilities, and logistics critical for scaling operations beyond the incentive window. Regulatory and infrastructure environment entering 2026 By the end of 2025, Indias regulatory framework for medical devices has reached a higher degree of clarity and stability: The Medical Devices Rules, 2017 now function as a standalone regulatory regime with risk-based classification. Digital licensing systems and published timelines have improved transparency, though execution quality remains dependent on application readiness. Medical device parks in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh are gradually operationalizing shared infrastructure for testing, validation, and common services. For investors and manufacturers entering in 2026, regulatory preparedness and quality-system maturity will be decisive differentiators, particularly for export-oriented strategies. Advisory: Where medical device investors and businesses should focus in 2026 Import substitution with long-term export potential The strongest opportunities remain in segments where import dependence is high, but domestic manufacturing capability has now been established: Diagnostic imaging systems and sub-assemblies Oncology and radiotherapy platforms Implantable devices and advanced consumables Renal care and cardio-respiratory devices These segments offer a dual pathway: immediate domestic demand and medium-term export growth. Component and sub-assembly localization While final-device manufacturing has accelerated, upstream localization remains uneven. This creates strategic openings for: Sensors, electronics, and printed circuit boards Precision machining and medical-grade plastics Coils, detectors, and power systems For global suppliers reassessing supply chain concentration risks, India presents a viable China-plus-one or diversification node as of 2026. Manufacturing services and ecosystem plays Beyond device production itself, opportunities are emerging in: Contract manufacturing and OEM partnerships Testing, calibration, and certification services Regulatory, clinical, and quality-assurance consulting Device-software integration and digital health enablement These services will be critical as more manufacturers seek regulatory clearance in global markets. Key risks and strategic watchpoints As stakeholders plan for 2026 and beyond, several risks merit close attention: Post-PLI sustainability: As the PLI scheme concludes in FY 202627, investors engaging with PLI beneficiaries and larger firms partnering with them must assess whether cost structures, pricing power, and margins remain sustainable once incentive support tapers off. As the PLI scheme concludes in FY 202627, investors engaging with PLI beneficiaries and larger firms partnering with them must assess whether cost structures, pricing power, and margins remain sustainable once incentive support tapers off. Regulatory execution and compliance risk: While Indias medical device regulatory framework has matured, approval timelines and audit outcomes remain highly dependent on application quality and regulatory engagement. Export-oriented strategies require early investment in robust quality management systems and regulatory readiness. While Indias medical device regulatory framework has matured, approval timelines and audit outcomes remain highly dependent on application quality and regulatory engagement. Export-oriented strategies require early investment in robust quality management systems and regulatory readiness. Quality and global market access: Scaling exports beyond emerging markets will require consistent adherence to international standards, including ISO 13485 and CE/FDA pathways. Gaps in clinical evidence, documentation, or post-market surveillance could constrain access to regulated markets. Scaling exports beyond emerging markets will require consistent adherence to international standards, including ISO 13485 and CE/FDA pathways. Gaps in clinical evidence, documentation, or post-market surveillance could constrain access to regulated markets. Supply-chain depth and component dependence: Despite progress in final-device manufacturing, limited localization of critical components may restrict margin expansion and expose manufacturers to input-cost volatility or external supply disruptions. Despite progress in final-device manufacturing, limited localization of critical components may restrict margin expansion and expose manufacturers to input-cost volatility or external supply disruptions. Pricing oversight and policy intervention: Devices classified as essential remain subject to price monitoring and regulatory oversight. Investors should factor potential pricing constraints into revenue forecasts, particularly in high-volume therapeutic segments. Devices classified as essential remain subject to price monitoring and regulatory oversight. Investors should factor potential pricing constraints into revenue forecasts, particularly in high-volume therapeutic segments. Capital intensity and scale risk: Advanced medical device manufacturing requires sustained capital investment in equipment, talent, and compliance infrastructure. Sub-scale operations may struggle to achieve operating leverage in the absence of continued policy support. Advanced medical device manufacturing requires sustained capital investment in equipment, talent, and compliance infrastructure. Sub-scale operations may struggle to achieve operating leverage in the absence of continued policy support. Cluster execution risk: While medical device parks and clusters offer long-term advantages, their effectiveness will vary by location. Investors should assess on-the-ground readiness of infrastructure, utilities, testing facilities, and supplier ecosystems rather than relying solely on policy announcements. Mitigating these risks requires early planning, phased localization strategies, and alignment with well-developed clusters. Indias medical device sector outlook to 2030 Looking ahead, the foundations laid by the PLI scheme suggest that 20262030 will be a consolidation and scale-up phase for Indias medical device production rather than a policy-driven expansion cycle. Success in the next phase will depend on: Deepening component-level manufacturing Strengthening export regulatory credentials Expanding R&D and design engineering capabilities Integrating MSMEs into larger supply chains If these conditions are met, India is positioned to emerge as a globally relevant MedTech manufacturing hub by the end of the decade. Conclusion Indias medical devices sector is entering 2026 with clear evidence of policy execution, manufacturing capability, and export traction. The progress achieved under the PLI Scheme marks a structural shift in how India participates in the global MedTech industry. For investors, businesses, and supply chain stakeholders, the strategic question is no longer whether India can support advanced medical device manufacturing but how to integrate into this ecosystem early enough to capture value through 2030 and beyond. Chrisean Rock begins Blueface tattoo removal Image credit : Instagram/chrisean | Viral clips suggest Chrisean Rock followed through with the tattoo removal. "It burns!": Chrisean Rock in agony during tattoo removal Chrisean Rock breaks down screaming in pain and agony while getting her Blueface tattoo removed with a laser: It burns! It burns! Jesus, this is what I get! pic.twitter.com/cbTz58NSjR Rain Drops Media (@Raindropsmedia1) December 17, 2025 Chrisean Rock and Blueface relationship timeline Blue Girls Club Crazy in Love era and pregnancy controversy with Blueface Crazy in Love Fans react to Chrisean Rock removing Blueface tattoo Stupid decisions have consequences pic.twitter.com/LXbZ43zQBK (@free_agent) December 17, 2025 If you love someone that doesnt mean get a face tattoo of the persons face. Thats just very stupid at the highest level. 2xnmore (@2xnmore) December 17, 2025 Removing the tattoo is like a fresh start, showing she's ready to move on Daniel (@dan_p_ofem) December 17, 2025 Welp she learned her lesson on that one SWIFT (@SwiftPilot420) December 17, 2025 Where is Blueface now? Image credit : Instagram/bluefasebabyy | Blueface was released from California State Prison in Los Angeles on November 3, 2025. Blueface's current relationship Months after promising to erase the past, Chrisean Rock has taken the most painful step yet toward closing the Blueface chapter - and the internet is watching every second of it.Back in April, Rock revealed she planned to remove the Blueface tattoo inked across her face - including the "Jonathan" lettering etched above her right eyebrow, a tribute to the rapper's real name. It was a statement that felt symbolic, even defiant. Now, viral clips suggest she followed through, and the process was anything but quiet.Fresh videos circulating online, especially on X, capture a raw and emotional scene. Rock is visibly overwhelmed, breaking down as the laser hits her skin. Between sobs and screams, she can be heard crying out, "It burns! It burns! Jesus, this is what I get!" - a moment that has quickly become the center of online conversation.The footage doesn't just show tattoo removal; it documents regret, release, and reality colliding in real time.Rock, now 25, first crossed paths with Blueface in 2020 while he was filming his OnlyFans reality series. She emerged as the shows winner, and soon after, their off-screen relationship began - one that would spiral into chaos.Accusations flew from both sides over the years, ranging from theft to assault, turning their romance into a headline-making storm.The pair later doubled down on their notoriety with their own show,. Ahead of its premiere, Rock declared she was single - only to later announce she was pregnant with Blueface's child, a claim he publicly denied.Despite the controversy, Rock welcomed a baby boy in September 2023, marking a new chapter even as the old one refused to fade.Social media wasted no time weighing in. One wrote, "Stupid decisions have consequences," while others responded with memes, sarcasm, and blunt commentary about the permanence of tattoos - and the pain of erasing them.The reactions ranged from harsh to sympathetic, but one thing was clear: the moment struck a nerve.While Rock faces her past head-on, Blueface is moving forward on a very different path.Rapper Blueface (Jonathan Porter) was released from California State Prison in Los Angeles on November 3, 2025, after serving nearly two years of a four-year sentence tied to probation violations stemming from a 2021 assault. He returned home to Los Angeles, sharing Instagram updates about his freedom and refocusing on family and music.Following his release, he briefly dated reality TV personality Hazel-E. The situation unraveled quickly. On November 25, 2025, Blueface announced on Instagram that he was "done" with her, adding she was "too old to be acting this young." Hazel-E clapped back with accusations and receipts, insisting she had already ended things and accusing him of using her for attention.That same day, Blueface was spotted with another woman named Akira - igniting yet another public feud, this time between Hazel-E and Akira themselves.As Blueface's life speeds ahead, Chrisean Rock's laser session feels like something else entirely: a brutal, burning attempt to erase a love story that left scars deeper than ink. BIG MASTER STROKE BY TRUMP DONALD TRUMP UNVEILED HIS NEW TRAVEL, BAN MANY ISLAMIC COUNTRIES WITH FULL U.S ENTRY BAN Afghanistan Myanmar Chad Eritrea Haiti Iran Libya Somalia Sudan Yemen Republic Congo Equatorial pic.twitter.com/MwR4jsC7vB Mariana Times (@timeswmariana) December 16, 2025 Who is exempt from the new rules Despite the expanded restrictions, several categories of travellers are exempt. These include individuals who already hold valid US visas, lawful permanent residents, and people travelling under specific visa categories such as diplomats and athletes. Exemptions may also apply to cases where entry is deemed to serve US national interests. Reaction from critics, advocates, and affected countries BREAKING: Trump imposes travel ban on Palestinians. Its lsraeIis that need to be banned. But they own Trump. pic.twitter.com/mD7qIfhbQ9 ADAM (@AdameMedia) December 16, 2025 The expanded travel ban has drawn strong criticism from immigration advocates and refugee support groups. Laurie Ball Cooper, vice president of US Legal Programmes at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said the move was not rooted in national security and instead unfairly targets people based on their country of origin.Advocacy groups working with Afghans who supported the US war effort also expressed concern. They said the updated policy removes an earlier exception for Afghans eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa, a programme for those who assisted the United States at great personal risk. No One Left Behind, an organisation supporting the programme, said it was deeply concerned and warned that the change affects some of the most thoroughly vetted individuals.The administration also adjusted restrictions on some previously listed countries. Laos and Sierra Leone saw their limits upgraded, while Turkmenistan was cited as having improved enough to allow some easing of restrictions.The new measures targeting Palestinians go beyond earlier limits imposed months ago, which had already made it nearly impossible for holders of Palestinian Authority passports to travel to the US for business, education, work, or tourism. The latest announcement fully blocks emigration to the US for people holding those documents. The administration said its decision was based on the presence of US-designated terrorist groups in the West Bank and Gaza and concerns that recent conflict has compromised vetting processes. Probation violation leads to arrest Image credit : Instagram/actresstheatre| Zachery Ty Bryan, 44, booked without bail in Oregon; sixth arrest in five years Fiancee faces multiple charges Image credit : Instagram/actresstheatre| Fiancee Johnnie Faye Cartwright faces five charges, pleads not guilty Ongoing legal challenges Image credit : IMDb official page| Bryan and Cartwrights ongoing legal troubles continue amid custody and probation issues Former Home Improvement actor Zachery Ty Bryan was arrested on November 29, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon, for allegedly violating the terms of his probation stemming from a previous domestic violence conviction. His fiancee, Johnnie Faye Cartwright, was also taken into custody during the incident. The couples three children were present at the time, though US Weekly confirmed that no one was injured. This arrest is the latest in a series of legal challenges that have affected the former child star over the past several years.Bryan, 44, was booked at Lane County Jail and held without bail. His probation, related to a 2023 felony domestic violence conviction, continues through October 2026. This incident marks his sixth arrest in five years, following previous arrests for domestic violence, DUI, and other legal matters in multiple states. According to US Weekly, the arrest occurred during an altercation that involved his fiancee and their children.Cartwright faces five charges, including driving under the influence, three counts of reckless endangerment, and attempted first-degree assault. She remains in custody and has pleaded not guilty. The incident reportedly involved a vehicle while the children were present, and the charges reflect the seriousness of the situation. Court appearances for Cartwright are scheduled in the coming weeks.Bryan and Cartwright became engaged in 2021 and share three children. Their legal issues have been repeatedly covered by media outlets, highlighting a series of domestic disputes and arrests over several years. This latest incident occurs amid ongoing probation requirements for Bryan and multiple pending charges for Cartwright. US Weekly reports that the arrest adds to ongoing public attention on Bryans personal and professional challenges, marking a continuing period of scrutiny for the former child star.Both Bryan and Cartwright are expected to appear in Lane County courts in the coming weeks to address the charges and probation issues. The developments underscore the ongoing difficulties the family faces and the broader attention Bryans legal troubles continue to attract. When is the Free Fire OB52 Advance Server Update going to be released? (Expected date) Inside Sport Image credit : X | @freefire | Jujutsu Kaisen Collaboration, Anime Skins, Exclusive Rewards, and Special Event Missions expected Step-by-step registration guide to get the OB52 Advance server activation code Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Image credit : X | @freefire | Free Fire OB52 Advance Server Launch Date Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration expected in Free Fire OB52 Advance Server Update Image credit : X | @freefire | How to Get Free Fire OB52 Advance Server Activation Code Free Fire players, are you waiting for the OB52 Advance Server Update to release? Well, get ready, as the OB52 is dropping in January 2026, and it's bringing something truly epic after the successful launch of the OB51 update. The new update is expected to bring an anime crossover with Jujutsu Kaisen! Imagine stepping into the battleground with supernatural powers, unlocking exclusive themed rewards and tackling special event missions inspired by your favourite anime. Let's dive into everything the OB52 Advance Server has in store!According to, some leaks suggest that Free Fire OB52 Advance Server is expected to launch on December 26, 2025, offering a first look at the upcoming collaboration and new features ahead of the global release.When registration opens, players must go to the official Free Fire Advance Server website.Then log in using the Facebook or Google account linked to their ingame ID.Once logged in, they need to provide a valid email and complete the registration form to request the OB52 Advance Server Activation Code.According to multiple leaks and media reports, the OB52 update will bring a major Jujutsu Kaisen crossover with the January 2026 patch. Players can look forward to anime-inspired skins, emotes, and cosmetics based on popular characters, along with special missions, limited-time modes, and exclusive login rewards tied to the event.Additionally, the collaboration is also expected to introduce balance adjustments, performance improvements and new in-game events. Several community creators have already shared early OB52 content from the Advance Server, hinting at upcoming events and reward tracks that will be fine-tuned during testing.It is suggested that players should keep a regular eye on the official news page and verified Free Fire social handles to check any last-minute updates or confirmations. Image credit : X | @hughriminton | Online Misinformation Surrounds Viral Bondi Beach Photo Officers courage misrepresented in viral photos Image credit : X | @wil_da_beast630 |Misleading Viral Image of Officer With Hands Raised Debunked The real story behind the female officers viral images during the Bondi attack NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has cleared up a photo and speculation over an officers handling of the Bondi terror attack Lanyon: That type of misinformation and misrepresentation will tend to lead officers to leave the police force because they dont feel supported. pic.twitter.com/TOizCVs3Bi Clown Down Under (@clowndownunder) December 17, 2025 Netizens react to the horrifying story behind the viral photos Image credit : X | @MartinDrapper| NSW Cops Viral Photo Taken Out of Context During Bondi Shooting Its been day 3 since a devastating mass shooting took place at Sydneys famous Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration on December 14, leaving at least 16 people dead. In the aftermath, several videos circulated online, including one showing a police officer seemingly clinging to a patrol car amid the chaos. While the clip raised questions about police tactics and public safety, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has now clarified the situation, debunking the claim and revealing the true, harrowing story behind the footage. Lets find out what he said.Following the online speculations around the viral videos and photos of the lady officer, in a recent statement to 2GB, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon addressed misleading claims surrounding a viral photo from the Bondi Beach shooting.He explained that the officer pictured with her hands raised was not surrendering but acting heroically to protect others, even after the shooter fired at her vehicle. Despite the life-threatening situation, she exited the car to continue safeguarding the public. Lanyon says, Some photos have been put up online that are completely out of context.If I can just address one of those, there is a photo of a young female police officer with their hands up, and that has been wrongly presented as someone surrendering. That officer attended that scene with her partner in a motor vehicle.In a clarification, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon addressed the viral image of a young female officer with her hands raised during the Bondi Beach shooting. He explained that she was not surrendering but signalling to the public to keep moving and avoid harm.He went on to say that the officer had arrived with her partner in a police vehicle that was fired upon, leaving bullet holes in the windscreen. Despite fearing for her life, she continued to perform her duties, demonstrating remarkable bravery. Lanyon emphasised that spreading such misinformation and taking situations out of context is highly harmful.As soon as the interview surfaced on social media, it quickly grabbed attention and sparked debate. One X (formerly called Twitter), "They were at the bottom of the footbridge in this photo; the terrorists' car was right there. At this point there was nothing she could do on the bridge; she was keeping people off the scene that car could have been detonated there was a bomb in it ffs so many fwits on social."While another said, "The whole video from start of unfortunate massacre till neutralisation of terrorist it took only 7-8 minute. The Idiot influencers from overseas want police to use teleportation when they are actually facing the M*th*r f*c*e$ terrorists with shot guns""There's been so much misinformation, mostly from #Americans jumping on their high & mighty horse but anyone with half a brain that watched the footage saw what happened & knows the truth." A Suitable Boy Image credit : NYpost | NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani's candid post Zohran Mamdani was the first choice for the lead role in A Suitable Boy A Suitable Boy Image credit : X/ @onyekanwelue | Mira Nair with son Zohran Mamdani What is A Suitable Boy about? A Suitable Boy Image credit : Netflix | A Suitable Boy snippet NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with his charismatic presence and relatable public persona, was considered a potential fit for the adaptation of Vikram Seths classic novel. Many felt he could have brought a fresh and authentic energy to the role. Directed by his mother, Mira Nair, heres why the Mayor did not take on the lead role in the 2020 movie.The British television drama miniseries, directed by Mira Nair and adapted by Andrew Davies from Vikram Seth's 1993 novel, is widely recognized for featuring Tabu and Ishaan Khatter in the lead roles. However, Nair revealed in an interview with THR India that she had once considered her son, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, for the main role. She explained that she had even offered him the lead, but while he had occasionally helped her with small acting tasks at home, he ultimately chose not to take it.Nair shared that Zohran had told her many people would give anything for such an opportunity, yet he didnt feel the need to pursue acting. Though he had the ability to bring joy on screen, acting was not a path he wanted to follow. She mentioned his brief appearance in Queen of Katwe but noted that otherwise he had no interest in films. While there is now no chance of him taking on such roles, Nair said she would have loved for him to do so.is a British television drama miniseries directed by Mira Nair and adapted by Andrew Davies from Vikram Seths 1993 novel. Set in India in 1951, shortly after independence, the series follows several interconnected families as they navigate love, tradition, and societal expectations. Central to the story is Lata Mehra, a young university student whose mother is determined to find her a suitable boy for marriage, while Lata struggles to assert her own choices. The series features Tanya Maniktala as Lata, with Tabu, Ishaan Khatter, and Rasika Dugal in key roles, and was primarily filmed across northern India.The show received praise for its strong performances, visual authenticity, and detailed portrayal of 1950s India, and was notable for being the BBCs first historical drama with a predominantly non-white cast. Critics, however, pointed out the difficulty of condensing Seths expansive novel into just six episodes, which led to some simplification of the story. Originally aired on BBC One in 2020, A Suitable Boy is now available internationally on Netflix and Acorn TV, reaching audiences worldwide. 'Freedom' T-shirt confrontation puts TikToker in spotlight Image credit : X | @MichelleWhitzel | Target Store Freedom Shirt Row Goes Viral Image credit : X | @shesirenem | The TikToker Accused in Viral Target Freedom Shirt Dispute Target worker filmed amid heated shopfront exchange in viral video Meet Michelea Ponce. Ponce works for the @Enloe nonprofit health care system (most likely as a nurse) in California. She is an anti-racism activist who decided to post a video of herself chastising and calling a Target employee fucking stupid, accusing her of supporting a pic.twitter.com/olsCapafUd I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) December 16, 2025 Michelea Ponce was slammed online for the act Image credit : X | @Dirt_Diver_24_7 | Viral Target Store Argument Over Freedom T-Shirt Puts TikToker at Center of Online Storm In yet another bizarre social media flashpoint, a viral TikTok video showing an argument inside a Target store over a Charlie Kirk "Freedom" shirt went viral on conservative Twitter on Tuesday, drawing online attention to Michelea Ponce, an employee of Enloe Health, a well-known US healthcare provider. Now users debated the clip's content and its perceived implications, prompting scrutiny across social media platforms. Let's find out who this TikToker is.The viral clip shows a TikTok user, identified by the handle @@motherofballers, confronting an elderly Target employee inside a store in Orlando, California. The disagreement centres on a red 'Freedom' T-shirt associated with conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA.Following the video's spread online, the social media users have alleged that the woman seen in the confrontation is Michelea Ponce, a medical assistant employed by Enloe Health. However, IndiaTimes cannot independently confirm if Ponce is the person behind the incident; it is completely based on social media speculations.In the footage, the elderly Target employee is seen stocking shelves with red Freedom T-shirts while wearing one himself.Despite objecting to being filmed, the worker continues his task as the TikToker persists with the confrontation, at one point hurling insults and labelling the employee racist and stupid.As soon as the video surfaced on social media, it quickly went viral and sparked an outrage. On X, a user wrote, "Michelea Ponce, the woman who harassed an elderly Target employee, has been identified as a healthcare worker at Enloe Medical Center in Northern California and has shut down her social media pages. Call the hospital and demand to know if this behaviour is acceptable."While another said, "Meet Michelea Ponce, a nurse at @EnloeHealth. She likes to harass elderly workers who support Charlie Kirk. I would not want her as a nurse.""I dont know if this is the right action to take either. Why are we so quick to shame others and try and get them fired? I thought that was just a liberal thing to do.""Id like her to provide evidence of Charlies racism. Well wait."Another wrote, "We should start a GiveSendGo or GoFundMe for the elderly woman. She should be free to retire if she wants instead of being berated by disrespectful liberal psychopaths at work! Abhorrent behaviour at Michelea's party. She needs Jesus.""These are the people coming to this liberal lunatics aid" Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a sweeping new housing package aimed at relieving squeezed renters and young families, stepping up state intervention in a market distorted by high costs and scarcity. Speaking in parliament ahead of the 2026 budget vote, Mr. Mitsotakis described housing as the countrys "most pressing social challenge." He outlined six key initiatives designed to boost affordable stock and curb the dominance of short-term rentals. "The state is responding," Mr. Mitsotakis told lawmakers. The cornerstone of the plan is a 400 million ($416 million) renovation program that will subsidize up to 90% of refurbishment costs for vacant homes, offering grants of up to 36,000 per property. Eligibility is capped at an annual income of 35,000 for couples, plus 5,000 per child. To support essential workers, the government will refund two months rent annually to approximately 50,000 teachers, nurses, and doctors serving outside Athens and Thessaloniki, regardless of their income. Mr. Mitsotakis also declared war on "saturated" tourist zones. New restrictions on short-term rentals will extend to central Thessaloniki, while in both major cities, properties in banned zones will be automatically delisted from rental registries upon sale or transferforcing them back into the long-term market. To spur private development, the government will offer tax incentives to builders who commit properties to long-term leasing for at least a decade. Additionally, "fast-track" planning rules will be introduced to convert abandoned buildings into residential units. The measures, set to roll out in 2026 pending approval, come as the government faces mounting pressure to solve an affordability crisis driven by tourism and years of stagnant construction. iefimerida.gr Greece reiterates that the neighboring countrys constitutional name is North Macedonia and that the agreement is binding. Keywords The 16-year-old who stabbed her classmate at school is now heading to prison, following her testimony. Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed widespread rumours about his alleged collapse and ill health by sharing photos of himself presiding over Senate plenary on Tuesday. The rumours, which circulated widely on social media and were amplified by an online news platform on Monday, claimed that Akpabio collapsed earlier this month and was flown to London on a private jet for medical treatment. The report alleged that the Senate President collapsed on the 10th of this month and was rushed to London in a private jet provided by billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote. Advertisement However, in what appeared to be a direct response to the claims, Akpabio posted photographs on his verified X account showing him interacting with senators during plenary. Today, Tuesday, December 16, 2025, I presided over Plenary, where Ambassadorial nominees from President Bola Tinubu were screened and confirmed, he wrote. Meanwhile, the Senate has urged the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to urgently investigate the viral rumours alleging the collapse and, in some instances, the death of the Senate President. The upper chamber also directed the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, to collaborate with the NSA to conduct a comprehensive probe into the matter. The resolution followed a point of order raised under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Orders (2023, as amended) by Senator Titus Zam (APC, Benue North-West), who expressed concern over the reports that had circulated for more than 48 hours. Senator Zam described the rumours as alarming and unacceptable, stressing that the Senate President, as Nigerias number three citizen, should not be subjected to such misinformation. He condemned claims on some media platforms that Akpabio suffered a health emergency and was rushed to a hospital in London, describing the reports as fake, irresponsible and capable of misleading the public. Zam further urged security agencies to identify those behind the false claims and ensure they are prosecuted in accordance with the law to serve as a deterrent. Electricity generation on the national grid dropped on Tuesday following gas supply constraints caused by a reported vandalism incident within the upstream gas pipeline network, the Nigerian Independent System Operator has said. NISO disclosed that the incident disrupted gas supply to several gas-fired power plants, leading to a sharp decline in available generation capacity on the grid. In a statement signed and released by its management, the system operator explained that the reduced gas availability forced multiple thermal power stations to operate at significantly lower output, affecting overall electricity supply nationwide. Advertisement It noted that the development once again exposed the vulnerability of Nigerias power sector to gas supply disruptions, given that more than 80 per cent of grid-connected power plants rely on natural gas. The clarification followed a recent drop in power supply across the country, which was attributed to gas supply constraints affecting optimal output and the general operational frequency of the generating companies. The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc, confirming the incident, explained that low system frequency, caused by inadequate gas supply to generation companies, forced the Transmission Company of Nigeria to implement load shedding, leading to reduced power allocation to distribution companies. NISO said the low output reduced available generation capacity on the national grid. The statement read: The Nigerian Independent System Operator wishes to inform the general public and sector stakeholders that electricity generation on the national grid has dropped due to gas supply constraints arising from the reported incident of gas pipeline vandalisation within the upstream gas supply network. The incident affected gas availability to several power generation facilities. Consequently, several gas-fired power stations recorded low output, which resulted in reduced available generation capacity on the national grid. In response to the situation, NISO promptly activated established contingency measures to maintain system stability and reliability. According to the operator, the emergency actions included increased dispatch from available hydroelectric power stations, continuous generation re-dispatch, voltage control interventions,, and other operational adjustments aimed at balancing electricity supply with demand. NISO added that it was closely monitoring grid conditions, including system frequency and voltage profiles, while working with key stakeholders across the electricity value chain to mitigate the impact of the disruption. The operator also warned that the timing of the incident was particularly concerning, as the festive season typically places additional pressure on the national grid due to higher electricity demand. The situation underscores the importance of coordinated efforts to prevent and promptly address gas supply disruptions, especially as we approach the festive period, which is traditionally sensitive for grid operations, NISO said. The Kwara State Government has clarified that the armed men recently apprehended by soldiers in the state, initially believed to be bandits, are members of Miyetti Allah participating in a federal security operation coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser. The clarification comes in the wake of public concern following reports by SaharaReporters that Nigerian soldiers intercepted a group of armed individuals carrying AK-47 rifles while patrolling in a security vehicle in Ifelodun Local Government Area. The suspects claimed that they were sponsored by the Ilorin government, a development that sparked public anger and renewed fears over insecurity in the state. Advertisement SaharaReporters had earlier reported that residents strongly opposed an alleged plan by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to deploy armed Fulani herders, popularly known as Bororos, to combat banditry in Kwara. They criticized the government for empowering herders allegedly responsible for violence while sidelining indigenous security actors. However, when contacted by SaharaReporters, the National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Baba Usman-Ngelzarma, dismissed claims that the association or its members had been armed to fight in Kwara. He described reports of the deployment of armed herders as propaganda and emphasized that Miyetti Allah collaborates with security agencies to promote peace without carrying arms. Similarly, the National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Alhassan, denied any involvement in arming herders or participating in violence, attributing insecurity in the state to criminal gangs, jihadist groups, and poor governance rather than the herders themselves. He urged adherence to due process, lawful arrests, and fair trials as the only path to lasting stability. In a bid to persuade organised labour to shelve the planned nationwide protests over the worsening security situation in the country, President Bola Tinubu met with labour leaders Tuesday night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. However, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, told journalists after the meeting that the union would continue its deliberations on the outcome of the consultation with the president before taking a decision. The labour leaders met President Tinubu behind closed doors amid heightened public attention over possible protests and strike action. Advertisement The NLC president described the engagement as a consultation rather than a conclusive negotiation, stressing that labours leadership would first brief its internal organs before making any public pronouncement. He said: We came for a consultation with the President, and we are finished. So we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow (today). By tomorrow (Wednesday), we will get the outcome. Pressed on whether the NLC was still insisting on proceeding with its planned protest, Ajaero declined to commit either way, emphasising that decisions within the congress are collective and not driven by individuals. If Im insisting or not insisting, I will communicate that to you, he said. It is not an organisation that one person rules. We will go back to the drawing board, digest all that Mr. President said to us, and move forward from there. Also present at the meeting was Imo State Governor and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who said sustained dialogue remained the preferred option for resolving outstanding issues between labour and the government. According to the Progressive Governors Forum chairman, Consultation is going on. We were dialoguing, and like he (Ajaero) said, at the end of the day, you will know what you are supposed to know and what you want to know. Responding to questions on what Nigerians should expect from the engagement, the governor said all parties were acting in the broader national interest. We are here to serve the country, the labour, the government, and the governed. We are all working in service to the nation, he added. The Minister of State for Labour, Rt. Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who also spoke to journalists after the meeting, said labour leaders welcomed the opportunity to engage the President directly and were reassured by the discussions. They are citizens who are also members of the NLC. They wanted to see Mr. President, and theyve seen Mr. President, Onyejeocha said. They are happy theyve had firsthand engagement and that at least the President has driven the economy out of the woods. It is very good news. Labour leaders are expected to reconvene their internal meetings, after which a clearer position on next steps is likely to be announced. Dean Vagnozzi at the Pennsylvania FedEx depot where he worked for two years after a court-ordered takeover of his former insurance and investment firm, A Better Financial Plan, during federal investigators' response to the Par Funding Ponzi scheme in 2020. Read more Dean J. Vagnozzi, whose King of Prussia insurance and investment business was taken over by a court-ordered receiver in the federal investigation of the Par Funding Ponzi scheme, has sued the U.S. government, accusing federal officials of abuse of process, negligence, and unconstitutional search and seizure. In the lawsuit, Vagnozzi says he was a Par victim, his business wrongfully destroyed amid the investigation that led to criminal charges that have sent eight former Par Funding officials, debt collectors, and accountants to prison after they pleaded guilty to ripping off 1,600 people. Those clients included hundreds of Vagnozzis customers and members of his family, and the scheme ended up owing them $240 million. Advertisement Vagnozzi attracted customers with radio ads urging investors to consider alternatives to the stock market. He paid civil settlements totaling $5.7 million to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and smaller amounts to state securities agencies to settle complaints for selling unregistered securities, including those of Par Funding, a cash-advance lender to businesses that had trouble qualifying for bank loans and others. Vagnozzi blamed the failure to register on bad advice from his longtime lawyer, whose insurers agreed to pay investors, Vagnozzi, and others $47 million to settle their claims. In contrast with the Par Funding operators, Vagnozzi has not been charged with crimes. The complaint Vagnozzis lawyer, George Bochetto, argued in the complaint filed Dec. 8 in federal court in Philadelphia that it was egregious government overreach for the SEC to allege illegal acts in a petition that convinced U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz to include Vagnozzis former business, A Better Financial Plan, alongside Par-related assets seized in a 2020 court order, The complaint contends that the SEC should have known the investment funds it initially accused Vagnozzi of setting up for Par founder Joseph LaForte to evade Pennsylvania investigators were actually started by Vagnozzi on his then-lawyers advice when Vagnozzi was unaware of the states investigation. The suit adds that Vagnozzi could have shown this, if the SEC had asked before acting, by citing correspondence and records, including the SECs own documents, which he submitted as case exhibits. The court issued a sweeping order based on the SEC petition. So on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, a court-appointed receiver arrived unannounced at Vagnozzis office, ordered him, his son, his sister, his father-in-law, and the rest of his staff into the conference room, and told them to leave immediately. Vagnozzis business, ABetterFinancialPlan.com LLC, which he had carefully built over 17 years, was effectively shut down and placed out of business, according to the lawsuit. The seizure of his company and accounts left more than a dozen employees out of a job and Vagnozzi unable to earn a living. His reputation was irreparably harmed and his assets and businesses ruined, the suit contends. When the company was seized, Vagnozzis businesses unrelated to Par Funding were collecting revenues at the rate of $4 million a year and growing, according to Bochetto. At that rate, Bochetto estimates Vagnozzis lifetime losses as a result of the SECs actions at more than $50 million. The SEC declined to comment on the litigation. Vagnozzis suit accuses Amie Berlin, an SEC lawyer who led the case for the agencys Florida office, and other, unnamed federal agents of malicious infringement on Vagnozzis constitutional right against unreasonable searches or seizure. Berlin didnt respond to a request for comment. Vagnozzi the victim? After losing his company, Vagnozzi ran a Federal Express route for 2 years and worked in sales for a home-improvement company. He has applied for reinstatement of his Pennsylvania insurance license, which was suspended in 2022 after his companys seizure. According to the lawsuit, the SEC wrongly assumed without legitimate basis that Vagnozzi had been a coconspirator and a criminal. The suit also alleges that the SEC failed to give Vagnozzi prior notice of the investigation and an opportunity to respond before his business was shut down and his accounts frozen. The suit depicts Vagnozzi as a victim of Par, a firm whose associates included some that turned out to be members of the Gambino crime family. One of the eight people sentenced in the Par case, former collections head James LaForte, was identified in a separate New York indictment as a member of a Gambino mob crew. James LaForte has denied that allegation. A collector working for James Laforte was also named as a Gambino associate. Vagnozzi, apart from having an Italian surname, had nothing in common with the criminals that ran Par Funding, who lied to, manipulated, and duped Dean into raising funds for Par Fundings criminal enterprise, which he genuinely thought was a legitimate business, according to the complaint. He was not a fraudster nor [a Par] insider" but an innocent victim of government overreach, of his lawyer, and of Par Fundings fraud and deceit. Vagnozzi earlier accused his longtime lawyer, John Pauciulo, of giving him bad advice contributing to Vagnozzis failure to ensure clients Par investments were registered with the SEC. Pauciulo has denied wrongdoing. He is the subject of a disciplinary board procedure based on his representation of Vagnozzi that could affect his law license. Some 1,600 investors, including hundreds of Vagnozzis former clients, have so far received about half their investment principal back from the court-appointed receiver that collected Par assets to repay them. Judge Ruiz last week agreed to release another 40%, bringing total payback to around $210 million. A third, smaller payout is expected as additional money is collected. This case is truly about runaway regulators that well exceed the boundaries of due process and constitutional fairness, Bochetto said in an interview Tuesday. He said there have not been a lot of successful complaints against the federal government for overreach but was confident the facts in the Vagnozzi case justified a court review. Automakers Hyundai and Kia must offer free repairs to millions of models under a settlement announced Tuesday by Minnesotas attorney general, who led an effort by dozens of states that argued the vehicles werent equipped with proper anti-theft technology, leaving them vulnerable to thefts. Under the nationwide settlement, the companies will offer a free repair to all eligible vehicles at a cost that could top $500 million, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. Hyundai and Kia must also outfit all future vehicles sold in the U.S. with a key piece of technology called an engine immobilizer and pay up to $4.5 million of restitution to people whose vehicles were damaged by thieves. Advertisement The settlement was reached by 35 states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California, and New York. The vehicles eligible for fixes date as far back as 2011 and as recently as 2022. About 9 million eligible vehicles were sold nationwide. Thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles soared in part because beginning in 2021, videos posted to TikTok and other social media demonstrated how someone could steal a car with just a screwdriver and a USB cable. Minneapolis reported an 836% increase in Hyundai and Kia thefts from 2021 to 2022. Ellison announced an investigation into the automakers in early 2023. Ellison said the two companies installed engine immobilizers on cars sold in Mexico and Canada, but not widely in the U.S., leading to car thefts, crimes, and crashes that injured and even killed people, including teenagers. This crisis that were talking about today started in a boardroom, traveled through the Internet, and ended up in tragic results when somebody stole those cars, Ellison said at a news conference. He was joined by Twin Cities officials, a woman whose mother was killed when a stolen Kia crashed into her parents vehicle, and a man whose car was stolen nine times as recently as Monday night, and including seven times after a previous software fix. Under the settlement, Hyundai and Kia will install a zinc sleeve to stop would-be thieves from cracking open a vehicles ignition cylinder and starting the car. Eligible customers will have one year from the date of the companies notice to get the repair at an authorized dealership. The repairs are expected to be available from early 2026 through early 2027. In a statement, Kia said the agreement is the latest step it has taken to help its customers and prevent thefts. Kia is eager to continue working with law enforcement officers and officials at federal, state, and local levels to combat criminal car theft, and the role social media has played in encouraging it, and we remain fully committed to upholding vehicle security, the company said. Hyundai said, We will continue to take meaningful action to support our customers and ensure peace of mind. DaJuan Brown, 15, center, and (clockwise from upper left) Dymir Stanton, 29, Joseph Wamah, 31, Ralph Moralis, 59, and Lashyd Merritt, 21, died in the Kingsessing mass shooting that took place on July 3, 2023. Read more The man who walked through the streets of Kingsessing and shot people at random in 2023, killing five and wounding five others in one of Philadelphias deadliest mass shootings, pleaded guilty Wednesday to multiple counts of murder and was sentenced to decades in prison. Kimbrady Carriker, 43, admitted that on the evening of July 3, 2023, he calmly walked through a Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood dressed in body armor and wearing a ski mask, and pointed his AR-15-style rifle at seemingly random passersby then pulled the trigger. Advertisement He killed five people: DaJuan Brown, 15; Lashyd Merritt, 21; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; and Joseph Wamah Jr., 31. Five others were injured: a 13-year-old boy he shot multiple times in the legs, and a mother who was driving with her 2-year-old twins and 10-year-old niece when he fired more than a dozen bullets into her car. Wamah was killed first in the early morning of July 2, targeted in his home for reasons that remain unclear. Carriker returned to Wamahs block nearly two days later, armed with the same gun, and shot the others. Carrikers admission to the killings marks the end of the legal saga in a shooting that shocked the city, shattered families lives, and traumatized a community. This was 14 minutes of terror for the residents of the Kingsessing neighborhood, Assistant District Attorney Robert Wainwright said of Carrikers carnage. Carrikers attorneys had been expected to argue at trial that he was legally insane when he gunned down his victims, and that he should be housed in a secure psychiatric facility for most of his life, not state prison. Carriker suffered from severe delusions and religious preoccupations and had a fixed illusion that he was working for the National Security Agency, said Gregg Blender, assistant defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Even after he was arrested, taken to Norristown State Hospital, and medicated, he believed that he had done something wrong only because the National Security Association personnel did not come and rescue me, Blender said he told doctors. Prosecutors disagreed that Carriker was legally insane and said his actions were deliberate and he should spend the rest of his life in state prison. But as they prepared for trial, an expert hired by the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office interviewed Carriker and agreed with defense lawyers that he did not appear to know that what he was doing that night was wrong. Prosecutors did not want to risk that a jury might find Carriker not guilty by reason of insanity, Wainwright said. So they offered Carriker the opportunity to plead guilty to five counts of third-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, and gun crimes. They asked a judge to sentence him to 37 to 75 years in prison. On Wednesday, Carriker agreed. Common Pleas Court Judge Glenn B. Bronson sentenced Carriker to the agreed-upon decades behind bars. The judge said that, in his 15 years of handling homicide cases, this was the worst he had seen, but that he would respect the deal reached by prosecutors and Carrikers defense team. It traumatized an entire community, the judge said of the shooting. It traumatized an entire city. Survivors of the shooting, and loved ones of the people who died, spoke emotionally in court Wednesday of the devastation of that July night, and the lasting impact on their lives. The father of Joseph Wamah Jr., consumed by the trauma of finding his sons dead body inside his home, died earlier this year. His daughter said he could not mend his broken heart, and spiraled into a health crisis. He faded in front of my eyes, Jasmine Wamah said of her father. Other family members spoke of being hospitalized for their mental health, of looking after children without fathers and caring for kids with bullet scars in their legs. Odessa Brown spoke of holding her 15-year-old grandson as he bled out from his injuries. When DaJuan was born, he was given to me and I held him in his arms, she said. And that day, I held him when he was on the ground, dying, praying, asking God, please save my child. Ralph Moralis daughter, Taneisha Moralis, said that, at six months pregnant, she cant stop thinking about how her child will never know their grandfather. And Charlotte Clark, the girlfriend of Dymir Stanton, said she struggles to get up each day to care for their daughter, who was only 3 when her father was killed. I am still yearning for him from my soul. It makes me crazy, she said, shaking. She said she hoped Carriker would rot in prison for what he took from her family. A killing spree Carrikers killing spree began shortly after midnight on July 2, when he showed up at Wamahs home on the 1600 block of South 56th Street. He shot multiple bullets through the door, then walked in and shot Wamah nine times. It remains unclear why Carriker targeted Wamah. Police did not know he had been killed until days later. Nearly two days later, just before 8:30 p.m., Carriker returned to that block with the same rifle and a semiautomatic handgun. First, he fired 18 shots into the Jeep of Octavia Brown, a young woman driving her 2-year-old twins and 10-year-old niece to a family barbecue. One of the toddlers was shot multiple times in the leg, and the other twin was grazed by a bullet. Glass shards exploded into Browns face and eye. The boys survived their injuries, but the family was traumatized. Brown said Wednesday that her son still has pain in his legs from the shooting. As nearby police rushed to the scene, Carriker walked south down 56th Street, coming across 13-year-old Ryan Moss and shooting him multiple times in the legs. His friend, DaJuan Brown, was on his grandmothers porch and ran out to help his friend. DaJuan and a responding officer found the boy screaming for help behind a car. As DaJuan ran home for help, Carriker shot him multiple times, killing him. Carriker continued on, next shooting Moralis as he got out of his car. Then, as he reached Greenway Avenue, he came to face Lashyd Merritt leaving his home, and shot him. Both men died. Carriker then turned up South Frazier Street, where he shot and killed Dymir Stanton. Stantons brother, Kaadir, shot at Carriker in self-defense as he tried to get to his brother. Philadelphia police responded to a sprawling scene nearly a mile long. Officer Ryan Howell ran toward the sounds of gunfire, then found Carriker in a dark alleyway. The gunman quickly surrendered. I am sorry Prosecutors said Carriker told Howell good job as he took him into custody, and said, Im out here helping you guys. Law enforcement sources have said Carriker told police that the shooting spree was an attempt to help authorities address the citys gun violence crisis, and that God would be sending more people to help. Carrikers attorneys said he was profoundly delusional and did not understand the impact of his actions. Blender, of the defender association, said Wednesday that there was nothing he could say to comfort to the victims families or the relatives of Carriker, who live with their own guilt. He was under a mental health disease that prevented him from understanding what was going, Blender said. It is not an excuse. It is not to justify this horrific, horrific behavior. Later in the sentencing, Carriker, dressed in a red jumpsuit, attempted to apologize. All I ever wanted to do was help my community. I never meant to cause this harm, he said. I am sorry for the pain I have caused. I would take it back, but I cant, so I will say that I am sorry and maybe one day you can forgive me. After the hearing, the heartbroken families poured into the streets. A man who said he was like a father to Carriker said: All families are hurting. If theres anything that we could ever say, its that we are sorry that this happened. And the loves ones of the victims left with little comfort. Wamahs sister did not get the answer to the question that she says haunts her every day: Why? When she asked Carriker in court, he said nothing. MAYS LANDING, N.J. After a week in court, attorneys delivered closing arguments Tuesday in the child abuse trial of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. Defense lawyers for Small, a 51-year-old Democrat who was reelected this year, said the allegations that he and his wife had abused their teenage daughter multiple times in late 2023 and early 2024 were false. Advertisement We are not guilty, his attorney, Louis Barbone, told jurors in New Jersey Superior Court. Small faces charges of endangering the welfare of child, aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, and witness tampering. He has denied the charges, and testifying in his own defense last week, he told jurors he would do anything to protect the girl and said he did not strike her with a broom as she has alleged. More than 40 people testified on behalf of Small in the trials final days. It comes as Atlantic City ends the year in struggles both political and financial. Prosecutors say Small not only struck his daughter but also attempted to cover up the abuse as he and his wife, LaQuetta, grew increasingly in conflict with the teen over a relationship with a boy they did not approve of. They said he punched her and beat her with a belt in addition to hitting her with a broom, and later told her to twist up her account of the incidents to investigators to minimize his involvement. Violence is not a solution, Assistant Prosecutor Elizabeth Fischer told the panel. Abuse is not parenting. But Smalls lawyer, Barbone, told jurors prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to make their case and said they had inappropriately interceded in a private, family matter in the Small household. Why have we taken this mans life and made a spectacle of it? Barbone asked. Because they can. He scoffed at prosecutors idea that the teen had been intimidated by her fathers political power, calling the trial extortion by the child. The girl, Barone said, had lied about her injuries to both doctors and investigators, conspiring with her boyfriend to secretly record her father and compromise him. Much of the attorneys attention fell on the January 2024 incident in which Smalls daughter said he struck her multiple times in the head with a broom during an argument over her attending the Atlantic City Peace Walk. Barbone said the girl had also been holding a butter knife and that as the mayor struggled with her over the broom, the teen fell and hit her head. The attorney said the teen then exaggerated her injuries, and he said the bristle side of a broom couldnt do damage. He told jurors to look no further than the testimony of the girls nurse, who could not rule that the teen suffered a concussion as she contended. And Barbone returned to the topic of Smalls daughters sexually explicit messaging with her boyfriend, which prosecutors called a shining ball in the corner meant to distract jurors from both the teens testimony of the alleged abuse and the photos of her bruises. Barbone said the conflicts began after the Smalls discovered their daughter had sneaked the boy into the family home and had sex without their knowledge. He later displayed an emotionally charged text chain between the girl and her mother in which the teen threatens to go off birth control. Meanwhile, Fischer, the prosecutor, asked jurors to remember the truth of what Smalls daughter had endured. . Fischer said the teen had been brave to testify against her father arguably the most powerful figure in Atlantic City government as well as her mother, who is the superintendent of Atlantic City Public Schools. LaQuetta Small also faces a child endangerment charge in a case scheduled for trial in January. It was the most difficult thing a person can do, Fischer said of the girls decision to testify against her parents, giving her little incentive to lie. The prosecutor said a nurse who tended to the girls injuries had diagnosed the teen with a head injury, and that it was impossible to tell if she was concussed through a CT scan alone. And a pediatrician who specializes in child abuse testified that the girls injuries were nonaccidental, Fischer added. Prosecutors said the girl first reported the abuse to her principal, Candace Days-Chapman. They say Days-Chapman, who previously served as Marty Smalls campaign manager, did not file a report with child welfare authorities. She instead told Smalls herself, and staff at the school only learned of the abuse after the teen reported it a second time after watching a mental health presentation. Chapman was later charged with official misconduct and related crimes. Fischer, her voice swelling with emotion, expressed disbelief that Small had allowed his attorney to characterize his daughter as both an animal and Tasmanian devil in describing their conflicts at home. This is offensive at its highest level, she said. And she told jurors that some of those who testified on behalf of the mayor had strong ties to Atlantic City government and stood to gain from the mayors success. And in the end, she said, they had not witnessed the conflicts between Small and his daughter. Character, the prosecutor said, is how you act when no one is watching you. The alleged driver in Monday's fatal hit-and-run in North Philadelphia is now in custody, police said. Read more A man who allegedly injured an Uber driver and killed his passenger in North Philadelphia on Monday morning while fleeing sheriffs deputies has turned himself in to police. Joseph Cini, 35, surrendered at police headquarters Tuesday evening, Philadelphia police said. Advertisement Around 7:15 a.m. Monday, deputies from the Philadelphia Sheriffs Office had attempted to serve him with a warrant on the 900 block of North Watts Street. Cini took off in a Nissan Maxima and crashed into a Jeep Patriot at Ninth Street and Girard Avenue, killing Uber passenger Angela Cooper, 63, of the 1100 block of West Thompson Street, police said. The high-speed collision also injured the 51-year-old Uber driver. The driver is being treated at Temple University Hospital. Cini left the scene of the crash, but turned himself in Tuesday, police said. Charges related to Mondays events have not yet been filed. A spokesperson for the sheriffs office said in an email Monday that the office was fully cooperating with all investigative authorities and that it was providing support services to the deputies involved. Pine Street Grill's shrimp pil pil is inspired by Dmitri's, whose original recipe is printed alongside the dish. Read more Restaurants are not around forever, so it is special when a signature dish takes on new life well after last call. Take the Milan salad, essentially a deconstructed BLT with shrimp dressed in a distinctive Italian-Russian dressing, popularized by Jimmys Milan. Three decades after the Rittenhouse supper clubs closing, it lives on two blocks away at DAngelos. (Cofounder Tony DAngelo was Milans chef.) Order the DAngelos salad, take a bite, and enjoy the time warp. Advertisement Restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, who will open the swank Mr. Edison at the Bellevue next year, told me that he plans to revive other Philly classics, including Georges Perriers galette de crabe, the Le Bec-Fin chefs take on a Maryland crab cake. Now lets consider shrimp pil pil, which restaurateur Dmitri Chimes introduced in the mid-1990s at Pamplona, his Washington Square West tapas bar, and later served at all of the locations of Dmitris, his no-frills Greek taverna. The appetizer delivered a one-two punch of chili and garlic with a burst of lemon to prep you for your entree perhaps the smoky chargrilled octopus or a rich bowl of cioppino. When chefs Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp were planning their new Pine Street Grill at 23rd and Pine Streets which housed a Dmitris from 1999 to 2014 they asked their Fitler Square neighbors what they wanted in a restaurant. They all kept referring back to Dmitris, Shulman said. Kemp said he called Chimes, who still lives in the neighborhood. He hand delivered us the recipe, he said. Were just super-excited to keep a part of his legacy going. I will say that ours is more of an homage since we know it could never be exactly the same. We started with Dmitris recipe as a base and then iterated it a bit, but inherently, it has [the] same ethos and qualities. Kemp and Shulman have done justice to this classic. Pamplona/Dmitris recipe called for large shrimp. At Pine Street, theyre going big with six jumbo shrimp, topping them with an abundant sauce that is far creamier and more herbaceous than I remember. Theyre also thoughtfully adding grilled bread to ensure plate-cleaning. Now perhaps theyll consider adding spanakopita or baklava to the menu Tough job, evaluating nearly three dozen whiskies for gift-giving. Craig LaBan and friends went there. Note that this is the last Lets Eat newsletter of 2025. Ill be back in your inbox Jan. 7. Advertisement Also in this edition: New restaurants: Chefs Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp, of My Loup and Her Place Supper Club fame, have just opened the more casual Pine Street Grill. Ill also tell you about chef Greg Vernicks next restaurant: Emilia will open soon in Kensington. Kombucha for your face: Olga Sorzano has found a new use for her kombucha. New Years Eve ideas: Check out our list. Mike Klein If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. Craig LaBan and his whiskey-loving friends sniffed and sipped their way through 33 bottles from across the world even one from Beyonce. Here are 14 hed be happy to give and get. Also: Here are the best wine shops in the region. Fresh off their Michelin glory, chef couple Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp have opened the casual Pine Street Grill. We took a first look. Pine Street Grill is on a former site of a Dmitris restaurant. In tribute, the couple is serving a riff on Dmitri Chimes popular shrimp pil pil appetizer. Secondhand Ranch has a secondhand/vintage shop on one side, and a honky-tonk bar on the other, and its all deep in the heart of Fishtown. Our skin is alive, says Olga Sorzana, founder of Phoenixvilles popular Babas Brew. Shes infusing her kombucha into a line of skincare products. Beatrice Forman says she went to Bucket Listers Emo Christmas bar in search of whimsy and holiday cheer but I left $139 poorer and feeling like a poser. Bah, humbug. There is no shortage of holiday bars. On our plate this week: Tagliatelle at Alice, plus a burrata-topped brunch dish at the Love and our first bites of a PopUp bagel before the hyped chain comes to town. Want more of this weekly feature? Get caught up here. Scoops Greg Vernick has a fourth restaurant on the way, and hes headed to Frankford Avenue in bustling Kensington. Emilia will feature the Italian stylings of longtime Vernick Food & Drink chef de cuisine Meredith Medoway in an unfussy setting. If you had your ear to the ground, youd know that the bar set to replace Roxboroughs former Tavern on Ridge will be called Hop Lil Bunny. Prospective owner says its just a hare early to discuss specifics. Restaurant report Casa Oui. A French pastry chef and a Mexican restaurant manager fell in love, and the result is Queen Villages newest all-day cafe. You can get coffee and pastries in the daytime and cocktails and Mexican fare (like the aguachile shown above) at night. La Maison Jaune. Zahra Saeeds cozy, new French-style cafe near Fitler Square combines her two passions: delicious food and beautiful design. She plans to expand, which would send her line of pastries, including macarons de Nancy, financiers, and madeleines, all around the city. Among the openings on tap: Side Eye, the neighborhood bar coming to the former Bistrot La Minette space at 623 S. Sixth St. in Queen Village, and Bikini Burger at 44 Rittenhouse Place in Ardmore. Briefly noted Nine categories, four nominees in each: Its the 2026 edition of the Tasties, the Philly restaurant awards handed out by the Delicious City podcast. The gala will be Feb. 1 at Live Casino, and the nominees are here. Mannys Restaurants eight-year run in Hollands Gateway Center will end Jan. 4 as the partners focus on their smaller deli at Willow Grove Pointe Shopping Center in Horsham. Zsas Ice Cream marks its finale Sunday after 14 years in Mount Airy. A year ago, Danielle Jowdy announced the shops grand closing as she sought to find a buyer. Final hours will be 3 to 9 p.m. through Friday, and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Hunger-relief group Sharing Excess estimates that one truckload of food costs $1,290 to deliver and can feed 80 families for a month. For each $1,290 sponsorship, Sharing Express gives the donor a branded toy truck (like those Hess trucks). Details are here. Pop quiz The Pennsylvania Farm Show will have a special feature when it starts in early January. What is it? A) red, white, and blue milkshakes B) a butter sculpture shaped like Saquon Barkley C) cow-tipping contests D) mushroom cheesesteaks Find out if you know the answer. Ask Mike anything Is 333 Belrose in Radnor ever coming back? Marty P. Opened in 1999, this bar and grill tucked off King of Prussia Road has been closed since June as owners majorly remodel not only the interior but the menu. Reopening is targeted for mid-January. Ill have more info on this and dozens of other openings in my whats coming in 2026 feature just after New Years. Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter. By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. President Donald Trump, flanked by senior health officials, speaks during a news conference about autism in September. MUST CREDIT: Tom Brenner/For The Washington Post Read more Pediatrician Kristin Sohl has lost count of how many times parents of children with autism have asked her for a prescription for leucovorin the drug thrust into the spotlight after President Donald Trump touted it at a White House event this fall. Since September, despite the rising queries, Sohl has typically told her patients no. Advertisement Early clinical trials of the drug showed hints of promise in boosting communication and cognition for some children with autism. But the studies have been small, often just a few dozen participants. Normally, approval by the Food and Drug Administration comes only after years of large-scale testing. But Trumps pledge to fast-track the drug in September, bypassing that process, has left many doctors on the front lines divided. It leaves me as a practicing physician with a lot of unanswered questions, said Sohl, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, who has been working in the field of autism for over 20 years. As interest in the drug surges, Facebook groups devoted to it are swelling in membership, message boards are inundated with questions, and Google searches are climbing. Physicians, who typically rely on evidence-based guidelines and clear treatment algorithms, are finding that with leucovorin they must lacking robust scientific data improvise. Some are cautiously moving forward with prescribing the drug, but many are still holding off. At Childrens National Hospital in Washington, D.C., neurodevelopmental pediatrician Sinan Turnacioglu said the hospital convened a meeting of various departments including those specializing in autism, developmental pediatrics, genetics and psychiatry, as well as primary care doctors to come up with a systemwide policy. Their conclusion: that they would like to see more robust research before prescribing it. Peter Crino, chair of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and who runs a clinic for neurodivergent adults, likewise said he believes the medication is not ready for prime time. People are asking me a lot about it, but I do not prescribe it. Gosh I hope there will be something to the drug and it will help people in the future, but the data is simply not there yet, he said. Limited evidence Each conversation Sohl has with families unfolds differently, she said, shaped by a childs history, a parents worry, a flicker of hope. But the script she follows is steady: she lays out what research has shown and what it doesnt about the treatment, then asks what the family hopes the drug might change. In a field with no cure and few therapies, she uses that same framework to guide discussions about the other latest supposed breakthroughs drifting across social media broccoli extracts, CBD oil, stem cell therapy, and more. The goal isnt to dismiss any ideas outright but to ground them in evidence, or show the lack of it, before families decide what to do next. For leucovorin, Sohls main message is that were not on solid science yet. However, there are potential suggestions of benefit. Leucovorin or folinic acid has a long history of use in the context of cancer for about 50 years. Its been shown to protect healthy cells from the toxic effects of one particular chemotherapy drug and to enhance the effectiveness of another one. Side effects were very minimal but in cancer patients have included nausea and fatigue. For some children with autism, the immune system may produce antibodies that block the bodys ability to move folate a vitamin essential for cell growth and DNA production into the brain. Leucovorin, a prescription form of folate, offers a potential workaround. It crosses the blood-brain barrier by a different route, delivering the nutrient where its needed. The U.S. clinical trial that got Trumps attention is being conducted by Richard E. Frye, a pediatric neurologist who was formerly an associate professor at Arizona Childrens Hospital in Phoenix. Its design was considered the gold standard a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial but it only had 48 children, ages 5 to 12, in it. In the trial published in 2018 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry the drug was well-tolerated and the parents and doctors reported improvements in communication and behavior. Frye said in an interview that leucovorin did not work on all of his patients. But it did work for many and that children with no verbal utterances began showing meaningful word approximations, for example, and that those with phrase speech began forming full sentences. There have been four subsequent trials in other countries, and all four of them also reported significant improvements and no serious harm. But they were also very small. A study in France with 19 patients was published in 2020, in Iran with 55 patients in 2021, in India with 40 patients in 2024, and in China with 80 patients in 2025. The Trump administration latched onto promising research and promoted efforts to expand access to leucovorin for autism, despite the lack of large-scale clinical trials. But since then, doctors have been proceeding cautiously. At least two influential medical societies have come out with their own interim recommendations. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society for Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics both do not recommend the routine use of leucovorin for children with autism. But the AAP left an opening for doctors to prescribe it, stating that pediatric care providers are encouraged to engage in shared decision-making with families who inquire about or request leucovorin, providing clear information about current evidence and potential risks. Crino said that many medical research papers including those on leucovorin are written in ways families can understand, and he encourages patients and their families to read the primary studies themselves. He often reviews the papers with them, he added, pointing out the limitations of the research. In the 2024 study, which was published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, for example, the authors reported that many children showed improvements in speech, but none went from nonspeaking to speaking, and the study offered no evidence about whether those changes affected daily life. There is a lot going on in scientific research that is getting twisted, he said. Turnacioglu said that some of his patients receive leucovorin from other providers. In those cases, he focuses on monitoring their progress by first establishing a baseline assessment of language and adaptive skills and then repeating the same evaluations periodically to track any changes. In those cases, he focuses on monitoring their progress by first establishing a baseline assessment of language and adaptive skills and then repeating these evaluations periodically to track any changes. He said the growing interest in leucovorin reflects a broader shift toward more personalized autism treatments, fueled by recent research that supports what clinicians have long observed: autism is not a uniform condition that exists along one continuous spectrum, but rather a collection of distinct conditions that have been grouped under a single label. As a result, different people may require different treatments. We dont yet have enough information to use those findings to guide leucovorin treatment, Turnacioglu said. But its the kind of direction Im excited about figuring out which patients are going to respond to particular treatments. An exception Sohl is part of a team of pediatricians who helped draft the AAP guidelines. The patients that have approached her are all ages and across the spectrum, including adults and individuals with strong verbal skills. For months, shed explained her reasons for holding back on leucovorin, and most families accepted them. Then, in October, a patient sat across from her and she began to wonder if this might be an exception. He was a teen boy she describes as minimally speaking, whom Sohl had been treating for 10 years. She was impressed by his knowledge of the research on leucovorin, his deep and realistic understanding of the potential risks and benefits, and his eagerness to document any changes both quantitatively and in narrative form. Sohl will be meeting with her patient each month to go over any changes. I have low expectations, his mom has low expectations, he has low expectations. But we all agreed it was worth a therapeutic trial, Sohl said. With the recent national attention, information about leucovorin has been spreading online far faster than through the slow, methodical channels of medical research, where studies and peer-reviewed papers can take years to emerge. She learns from the parents and patients who are often the first to encounter new ideas circulating in their communities and online. Sohl tells families that while the drug has shown very little in the realm of side effects, this is in the context of adults with cancer, not children with autism. She said she emphasizes that she does not think this is a dangerous medicine, but there has not been enough research. I think its my duty as a doctor to say that I dont know, Sohl said, and I want you to know I dont know. Kristel Rambaud, left, a nursing student, waves at people in the bleachers, at graduation at University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field, in Philadelphia, May 19, 2025. Read more The nations nursing shortage is straining hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Yet as this well-known crisis reaches a critical point, a quieter one threatens to make it worse: the growing shortage of nursing faculty. Without enough educators to train the next generation of nurses, efforts to expand the nursing workforce will fall short. A survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing last year found nearly 1,700 faculty vacancies in 808 schools nationwide. As a result, thousands of capable and motivated future nurses are turned away each year not for lack of talent or drive, but because nursing schools do not have enough faculty to educate them. In 2024, more than 65,000 qualified applicants were not accepted into entry-level undergraduate nursing programs nationally. Expanding the educator pipeline is a critical piece of the solution to issues such as understaffing at hospitals and burnout among nurses facing increasing workloads. Advertisement But building up the nursing faculty ranks involves challenges unique to academia. Many nurses pursue the doctoral education needed to become professors later in their careers, after years of clinical work. Those who do pursue doctoral degrees often have to reduce work hours, resulting in less income, and they have limited access to financial support for their education or loan repayment programs. Then nurses who go into teaching typically earn significantly less. Practicing nurses can earn up to $40,000 to $50,000 more annually than those in academia. Given this pay gap, and heavy teaching loads and administrative duties for faculty at nursing schools, it is no surprise that many nurses choose the bedside over the classroom. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a steady 6% annual growth in nursing jobs through 2033 meaning nearly 200,000 new nurses will be needed each year. We simply cant graduate enough new nurses if there arent enough qualified faculty to educate them. Another growing challenge is the shortage of clinical placements essential hands-on experiences through which nursing students train. Today, healthcare systems are accepting fewer nursing students for clinical training than they did a decade ago, when educating the next generation was seen as an institutional responsibility. One reason is that healthcare organizations now employ many nurses who are new to practice themselves and may not feel prepared to precept students. Theres also more pressure on healthcare organizations to focus on financial efficiency, with providers caring for more patients to generate more revenue. This has left hospital nurses and physicians increasingly reluctant to serve as preceptors mentors who guide nursing students during clinical rotations. Facing intense pressure to meet productivity targets, they worry that mentoring students will slow down patient care, impacting them financially. This shortage of preceptors makes it challenging for students to complete the clinical hours required to graduate. To address this concern, several Philadelphia-area nursing deans, including myself, are advocating for policy changes that could attract more physicians and nurses to serve as clinical preceptors. Were meeting with Pennsylvania state leaders in Harrisburg to lobby for tax incentives adopted successfully in several states, such as to provide $2,000 to $3,000 in annual tax relief directly to the nurses, and sometimes the institution, as an incentive to address preceptor shortages. Simulation learning centers offer another promising strategy to give nursing students hands-on experience without always needing bedside placements. But to truly move the needle on the nursing shortage, universities must also support and invest in educators. At Villanova University, were trying to innovate with programs such as the Conway Scholars Program an accelerated PHD program in which scholars are prepared for and commit to nursing education positions upon completion. This program is unique because students are supported financially to complete the training within three years, in contrast with the typical four-to six-year trajectory. To patients, the nursing shortage may mean longer time spent in the waiting room and slower care at the bedside. But for those of us in healthcare education, it signals a looming crisis that threatens patient outcomes. We must act now. Donna S. Havens, PhD, RN, FAAN is the Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor at Villanova Universitys M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. She is a registered nurse and health services researcher focusing on nurse workforce issues. The biotech industry in the Philadelphia region has lagged other top markets, despite the leading role played by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania. Read more Capstan Therapeutics sale this year for $2.1 billion, the highest price paid for a private early-stage biotech company since 2022, was a triumph for its founders at the University of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the company is based in San Diego. Investors wanted an executive who lives there to be CEO. Advertisement Capstan was a miss for Philadelphia, said Jeffrey Marrazzo, who cofounded a high-profile regional biotech company, Spark Therapeutics, and is now an industry investor and consultant. If Philadelphia had a bigger talent pool of biotech CEOs, it would have and should have been here, he said. The company, which aims to treat autoimmune diseases by reengineering cells inside the body, most likely would have been sold wherever it was based, but keeping it here would have boosted the local biotech ecosystem, experts said. The Philadelphia region has lagged behind other biotech centers in landing companies and jobs, but industry experts are working to close the gap and better compete with Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego. According to Marrazzo and others, the Philadelphia regions relatively shallow pool of top biotech management is a key challenge. Big investors go to managers who have proven ability to deliver big investment returns, said Fred Vogt, interim CEO of Iovance Biotherapeutics, a California company with a manufacturing facility in the Navy Yard. They want the company to perform. Theyll put it in Antarctica, if that was where the performance would come from, he said. A positive sign for Philadelphia is Eli Lilly & Co.s recent decision to open an incubator for early-stage biotech companies in Center City. The Lilly announcement last month also reflects Philadelphias national biotech stature. Its the fourth U.S. city to get a Lilly Gateway Lab, behind Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego. Those places have far outpaced Philadelphia in the creation of biotech research and development jobs, even as the sectors growth has slowed. From 2014 through last year, the Boston area added four biotech research and development jobs for every one job added here, according to an Inquirer analysis of federal employment data. Penns role in Philadelphia biotech Philadelphias reputation as an innovation center boosters like to call the region Cellicon Valley starts with the University of Pennsylvania, which has long been a top recipient of National Institutes of Health grants to advance scientific discovery. Penn scientists 21st-century accomplishments include key roles in figuring out how to arm immune cells to fight cancer, fixing faulty genes, and modifying mRNA to fight disease. Research at Penn has contributed to the creation of 45 FDA-approved treatments since 2013, according to the university. Penn discoveries help spark new biotech companies, but we cant build the whole ecosystem in this area alone, said John Swartley, Penns chief innovation officer. Great science is just one ingredient. We also need capital, experienced leadership, real estate and manufacturing infrastructure, and strong city and state support. Penn was one of two Philadelphia institutions receiving more than $100 million in NIH funding in the year that ended Sept. 30. The other was the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. By contrast, the Boston area was home to 10 institutions with at least $100 million in NIH grants, generating more spinoffs and jobs. The Philadelphia region has a healthy number of biotech spinouts, but the biggest markets have more from a larger number of research institutions, said Robert Adelson, founder Osage University Partners, a venture capital firm in Bala Cynwyd. That concentration of jobs and companies in the Boston area where nearly 60,000 people worked in biotech R&D last year makes it easier to attract people. By comparison, there were 13,800 such jobs in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, home to the bulk of the regional sector. If a startup fails, which happens commonly in biotech, therell be another startup or another company for me to go to in a place like Boston, said Matt Cohen, a managing partner for life science at Osage. Another challenge for Philadelphia: It specializes in cell and gene therapy, a relatively small segment of the biotech industry, whose allure to investors has faded in the last few years. Such market forces shaped the trajectory of Spark, a 2013 Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia spinout that developed Luxterna, the first FDA-approved gene therapy, used to treat an inherited form of blindness. The promise of Sparks gene therapy work for a form of hemophilia spurred its 2019 acquisition by Swiss pharmaceutical titan Roche for $4.8 billion. This year, Roche laid off more than half the companys workforce as part of a restructuring and a rethinking of treatments for blood diseases that it had been developing. The company still employs about 300 in the city, a spokesperson said, and work continues on its $575 million Gene Therapy Innovation Center at 30th and Chestnut Streets in University City. The long arc of biotech A handful of companies dominated the early days of U.S. biotech. Boston had Biogen and Genzyme, San Francisco had Genentech, San Diego had Hybritech, and Philadelphia had Centocor. All of them started between 1976 and 1981. Centocor started in the University City Science Center because one of its founders, virologist Hilary Koprowski, was the longtime director of the Wistar Institute. Centocors first CEO, Hubert Schoemaker, moved here from the Boston area, where he had gotten his doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Centocor was one of the nations largest biotech companies when Johnson & Johnson bought it for $4.9 billion in 1999. Its portfolio included an anticlotting drug called Reopro and Remicade for Crohns disease. Another drug still under development at the time of the sale, Stelara, went on to become J&Js top-selling drug as recently as 2023 with $10.9 billion in revenue. Stelara, approved to treat several autoimmune disorders, remains a testament to Centocors legacy. Despite its product success, Centocor didnt have the same flywheel effect of creating new companies and a pipeline of CEOs as peer companies did in regions outside of Philadelphia. There are a lot of alums of Centocor that are really impressive, but they seem to have wound up elsewhere, said Bill Holodnak, CEO and founder of Occam Global, a New York life science executive recruitment firm. Among the Centocor executives who left the region was Harvey Berger, Centocors head of research and development from 1986 to 1991. He started a new company in Cambridge, Mass. At the time, the Philadelphia area didnt have the infrastructure, range of scientists, or management talent needed for biotech startups, he said. Since then, he thinks the regional market has matured. Now, theres nothing holding the Philadelphia ecosystem back. The universities, obviously Penn, and others have figured this out, Berger said. Conditions have changed Penns strategy for helping faculty members commercialize their inventions has evolved significantly over the last 15 years. It previously licensed the rights to develop its research to companies outside of the area, such as Jim Wilsons gene therapy discoveries and biochemist Katalin Kariko and immunologist Drew Weissmans mRNA patents. Now it takes a more active role in creating companies. Among Penns latest spinouts is Dispatch Bio, which came out of stealth mode earlier this year after raising $216 million from investors led by Chicago-based Arch Venture Partners and San Francisco-based Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Dispatch, chaired by Marrazzo, is developing a cell therapy approach that uses a virus to attach what it calls a flare onto the cells it wants the immune system to attack. Marrazzo said in July that he wasnt going to be involved in Dispatch if it wasnt based largely in Philadelphia. As of July, 75% of its 60 employees were working in Philadelphia. Still, Dispatchs CEO is in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Philadelphia region is increasingly well-positioned for the current biotech era, said Audrey Greenberg, who played a key role in launching King of Prussias Center for Breakthrough Medicines about five years ago. The center is a contract developer and manufacturer for cell and gene therapies. You no longer need to move to Kendall Square to get a company funded, she said, referring to Cambridges biotech epicenter. You need good data, a credible translational plan, experienced advisers, and access to patient capital, all of which can increasingly be built here. Greenberg now works as a venture partner for the Mayo Clinic, with the goal of commercializing research discoveries within the health systems network of hospitals in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida. She plans to bring that biotech business to the Philadelphia region. Im going to be starting my companies all here in Philadelphia, because thats where I am. And I know everybody here, and everybody Im going to hire in these startups that are going to be based here, she said. Back in 1951, a teenage Barbara Rose Johns led a walkout at her segregated high school in Virginia that would go on to contribute to the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Now, a statue of her is on display in the U.S. Capitol, replacing a sculpture of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The Commonwealth of Virginia will now be properly represented by an actual patriot who embodied the principle of liberty and justice for all, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) said at a ceremony Tuesday unveiling the statue. And not a traitor who took up arms against the United States to preserve the brutal institution of chattel slavery. Advertisement And while Johns today is remembered as a seminal civil rights figure who hailed from Virginia, she spent much of her adult life in Philadelphia. Born in New York City in 1935, Johns as a child moved to Prince Edward County, Va., where she lived on a farm with her grandmother. The countys public schools were segregated, and in the late 1940s, she began attending an all-Black high school in Farmville known as Robert Russa Moton High School. Johns, according to the Moton Museum, became frustrated with the poor conditions at the school, which lacked resources and was overcrowded compared with white facilities. In April 1951, when she was 16, she led a walkout with hundreds of other students to protest the conditions, ultimately gaining the support of NAACP lawyers, who filed a lawsuit that challenged the practice of segregated education. Known as Davis v. Prince Edward, the lawsuit went on to become one of the five cases that the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed in Brown v. Board of Education. The high courts landmark 1954 decision declared separate but equal public schools unconstitutional. Despite resisting the courts decision, Prince Edward County schools were ultimately integrated by the mid-1960s. Following the walkout, Johns parents were worried for their daughters safety and sent her to live in Montgomery, Ala., where she resided with her uncle, the Rev. Vernon Johns, who was a pastor and civil rights leader in his own right. She completed high school there and studied for a time at Spelman College in Atlanta, according to the Farmville Herald, Farmvilles local newspaper. In 1954, she married the Rev. William Rowland Powell, and the pair later moved to Philadelphia. As a resident, Johns continued college at Drexel University, from which she graduated in 1979 with a bachelors degree in library science, according to the 2018 book Recovering Untold Stories: An Enduring Legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision. Johns would go on to have five children, and worked for more than 20 years as a librarian for the Philadelphia School District. Public information about her time in Philadelphia is scarce, and neither Drexel nor the school district immediately responded to requests for comment. On Sept. 25, 1991, Johns died in Philadelphia following a battle with cancer. Her family, the Farmville Herald reported, knew little of activism and her involvement in the Moton walkout, only learning of it late in her life. The statue of Johns is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection at the Capitol, in which each state can contribute two statues. The other statue representing Virginia is of George Washington. The National Statuary Hall displays 35 of the statues. Others are in the Crypt, the Hall of Columns, and the Capitol Visitor Center. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) said the Johns statue will be placed in the Crypt. Former Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam had requested the removal of the Lee statue. In December 2020, a state commission recommended replacing Lees statue with a statue of Johns. The removal occurred during a time of renewed national attention over Confederate monuments after the death of George Floyd, and the Lee statue was relocated to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Johns is also featured in a sculpture at the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial outside the state Capitol in Richmond. Her former high school is now a National Historic Landmark and museum. She was brave, bold, determined, strong, wise, unselfish, warm and loving, said Terry Harrison, one of her daughters, at Tuesdays unveiling, according to NPR. Were truly grateful that this magnificent monument to her story, the sacrifices that her family and her community made, may continue to inspire and teach others that no matter what, you too can reach for the moon. This article contains information from the Associated Press. PROVIDENCE, R.I. Authorities on Tuesday released a new video timeline and a slightly clearer image of the man suspected in the Brown University shooting, though investigators provided no indication that they were any closer to zeroing in on his identity. Investigators have been canvassing Providence homes, yards, and dumpsters in search of videos or other clues that might help them figure out who was behind Saturdays campus shooting, which killed two students and wounded nine others. Advertisement In all of the videos made public, the suspects face was masked or turned away, and authorities have been able to give only a vague description of him as being stocky and about 5 feet, 8 inches tall. The FBIs video timeline includes new footage of the man that was recorded before the attack. It shows him running at times along quiet and empty residential streets near campus. Authorities believe he was casing the area, Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, said in a news conference Tuesday. Perez asked residents to look at their camera systems in the area to see if they have any footage that might help officials identify him. Were looking for a moment that is shorter than someone taking a breath, Perez said. Perez said there was no clear video of the gunman from inside the engineering building where the shooting took place. Attorney General Peter Neronha said there were cameras in the newer part of the building but fewer, if any, cameras where the shooting happened because its an older building. The Brown University president said the campus is equipped with 1,200 cameras. Neronha said that from his perspective, the investigation was going really well. He pleaded for public patience in locating the suspected killer. Providence is understandably tense, and additional police were sent to city schools on Tuesday to reassure worried parents that their kids will be safe. Ten state troopers were assigned to support the local police sent to beef up security at schools, district Superintendent Javier Montanez said. We recognize that the tragic incident at Brown University, occurring so close to where many of our students and families live and learn, is deeply unsettling and frightening, he wrote in an email to parents. Alex Torres-Perez, a spokesperson for the Providence Public School District, said the district canceled all after-school activities and field trips for the week as a precaution. A city on edge Locals expressed fear as well as defiance as the investigation continued Tuesday. Of course it feels scary. But at the same time, I think that if the person really wanted to scare us, we shouldnt allow him or her to win, said Tatjana Stojanovic, a Providence parent who lives next door to the Brown campus. Despite all of that, we should just go about our lives. I mean, obviously, you cannot forget this. But I think we shouldnt cower and just sort of stop living despite what has happened. The attack and the shooters escape have raised questions about campus security, including a lack of security cameras, and led to calls for better locks on campus doors. Others pushed back, though, saying such efforts do little to address the real issue. The issue isnt the doors, its the guns, said Zoe Kass, a senior who fled the engineering building as police stormed in Saturday. And all of this, like, Oh, the doors need to be locked. I get it, parents are scared. But any of us could have opened the door for the guy if the doors had been locked. After spending of her life in schools where every door was locked and school shootings persisted, Kass said, such security measures only created the illusion of safety. FBI Boston special agent in charge Ted Docks said the bureau had 30 people in the city to support survivors, victims, and loved ones, noting that the toll a tragedy like this takes on them is immeasurable. A fuller picture of the victims emerges Meanwhile, details have emerged about the victims, who were in the first-floor classroom in the schools engineering building studying for a final. Two of the wounded students had been released as of Tuesday, Brown spokesperson Amanda McGregor said. Of the seven people who remained hospitalized, Mayor Brett Smiley said, one remained in critical condition, five were in critical but stable condition, and one was in stable condition. One of the wounded students, 18-year-old freshman Spencer Yang of New York City, told the New York Times and the Brown Daily Herald that there was a mad scramble after the gunman entered the room. Many students ran toward the front, but Yang said he wound up on the ground between some seats and was shot in the leg. He expected to be discharged within days. Jacob Spears, 18, a freshman from Evans, Ga., was shot in the stomach, but through sheer adrenaline and courage, he managed to run outside, where he was aided by others, according to a GoFundMe site organized for him. Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore who was one of the two students killed, was vice president of the Brown College Republicans and was beloved in her church in Birmingham, Ala. In announcing her death Sunday, the Rev. R. Craig Smalley described her as an incredible grounded, faithful, bright light who encouraged and lifted up those around her. The other student killed was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman from Brandermill, Va., who was majoring in biochemistry and neuroscience. His family immigrated to the U.S. from Uzbekistan when he was a kid. As a child, Umurzokov suffered a neurological condition that required surgery, and he later wore a back brace because of scoliosis, his sister Samira Umurzokova told the Associated Press by phone. He knew from an early age that he wanted to be a neurosurgeon to help others like him. He had so many hardships in his life, and he got into this amazing school and tried so hard to follow through with the promise he made when was 7 years old, she said. Firefighters' vehicles sit as a wildfire burns near the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, March 27, 2022. Read more The Trump administration said Tuesday it was breaking up one of the worlds preeminent earth and atmospheric research institutions, based in Colorado, over concerns about climate alarmism a move that comes amid escalating attacks from the White House against the states Democratic lawmakers. The National Science Foundation will be breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, wrote Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget on X. This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country. Advertisement The plan was first reported by USA Today. The NCAR laboratory in Boulder was founded in 1960 at the base of the Rocky Mountains to conduct research and educate future scientists. Its resources include supercomputers, valuable datasets, and high-tech research planes. The announcement drew outrage and concern from scientists and local lawmakers, who said it could imperil the countrys weather and climate forecasting, and appeared to take officials and employees by surprise. NCARs dismantling would be a major loss for scientific research, said Kevin Trenberth, a distinguished scholar at NCAR and an honorary academic in physics at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Trenberth, who joined NCAR in 1984 and officially retired in 2020, said the research center is key to advanced climate science discoveries as well as in informing the climate models that produce the weather forecasts we see on the nightly news. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that the state had not received information about the administrations intentions to dismantle NCAR. If true, public safety is at risk and science is being attacked, said Polis. Climate change is real, but the work of NCAR goes far beyond climate science. NCAR delivers data around severe weather events like fires and floods that help our country save lives and property, and prevent devastation for families. The action comes as Republicans have escalated their attacks on Polis and others in the state for their handling of a case involving Tina Peters, a former county clerk in Colorado who was convicted in state court on felony charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. President Donald Trump announced last week that he is pardoning Peters, who is serving a nine-year sentence, but it is unclear whether Trump has that authority, because she was not convicted in federal court. In a joint statement, Colorados two Democratic senators, John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, and Rep. Joe Neguse (D., Colo.) slammed the move and vowed to fight back against it. In his social media post, Vought said that any vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location but did not specify further. The Colorado governor obviously isnt willing to work with the president, said a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The official declined to cite any specifics about how Polis is refusing to cooperate, from the administrations perspective, but denied that the move was in response to the states refusal to release Peters from prison. The facility is not in line with the presidents agenda, the official added, noting that it had been on the radar of the administration for a while. The National Science Foundation, the federal science agency that funds the center, was blindsided by the announcement, according to a person familiar with NSF operations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution. But they said facilities managers at NSF will need to be involved in moving assets or capabilities. An NSF spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about the plan to dismantle NCAR. Antonio Busalacchi, the president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which oversees NCAR, said it was aware of reports to break up the center but did not have additional information about any such plan. Any plans to dismantle NSF NCAR would set back our nations ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to severe weather and other natural disasters, Busalacchi said. An internal email obtained by the Washington Post, sent Tuesday night, emphasized the critical work NCAR does for community safety and resilience. Busalacchi wrote that the news had come as a shock, and the institution had reached out to NSF for more information. We understand that this situation is incredibly distressing, and we ask that you all continue doing what you have done so well all year provide support for one another as we navigate this turbulent time, Busalacchi wrote. The center is quite literally our global mother ship, Katharine Hayhoe, a Texas Tech University professor and chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy, wrote on X. Dismantling NCAR is like taking a sledgehammer to the keystone holding up our scientific understanding of the planet. NCAR plays a unique role in the scientific community by bringing together otherwise siloed specialists to collaborate on some of the biggest climate and weather questions of our time, Caspar Ammann, a former research scientist at the center, said in an email. Without NCAR, a lot could not happen, he said. A lot of research at US Universities would immediately get hampered, industry would lose access to reliable base data. Ammann added that around the world, weather and climate services use NCAR modeling and forecasting tools. The Colorado-based center draws scientists and lecturers from all over the world, and through its education programs has helped produce future scientists, Trenberth said. He said he feared not just for the discoveries and data that would be lost if the center were to close, but for the early careers that could also be affected or destroyed. If this sort of thing happens, things will go on for a little while, he said. But the next generation of people who deal with weather and science in the United States will be lost. The Christmas Eve Room at the Christmas House at Deptford Mall on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Deptford. Read more The region is brimming with holiday attractions this season, from Center Citys extravagant affairs to the most humble of mall Santas. But what about ones that skirt tradition and lean more into the humorous than the Yuletide? Advertisement Christmas House at the Deptford Mall combines nostalgia with irreverence for one of the regions most tongue-in-cheek holiday experiences. Stepping into the former Victorias Secret-turned-holiday-walking tour, guests are greeted by familiar faces like Buddy the Elf and Santa Claus, but theyll also see a recreation of a Blockbuster video store; a drunk, passed-out Santa; and a reindeer stable where it looks like Donner and Blitzen pooped all over the place. The tour starts at $25 per person, when buying in groups of four. There are at least nine rooms not including the seven wacky hotel rooms in the back within the Christmas House to explore at your own leisure or alongside a tour guide. Ticket prices may prove too burdensome for many families, owner Peter Coyle said, which is why they offer a No Families Left Out program, where families can contact the Christmas House and discuss a name-your-price model. Coyle said the humor is meant to make adults laugh just as much as kids hence why so much space is dedicated to nostalgia of the 1980s and 90s. Apart from a Blockbuster, which children certainly havent visited before, there are Easter eggs only adults will recognize, such as A Christmas Storys sultry leg lamp Fragile! It must be Italian and Red Ryder BB gun or a Griswold family photo from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. We take the same approach as the creators of the Shrek movies, Coyle said. [Those movies] had a lot of fun things that kids loved, but then there were all these innuendoes and references that only adults could appreciate. Walking into the Blockbuster Room for the first time, adults let out a light chuckle that usually turns into some play-pretend as they reminisce on their former Friday night ritual, while teens who never got the chance to visit one can pretend theyre a 90s kid for a change, Coyle said. Its a pared-down Blockbuster with only four shelves of movies, but the store decorations and logos are close enough to feel like a cute homage. Rita Giordano, 42, of South Jersey, was visiting the Christmas House with her mother, Denise Maloney, 70, and Giordanos two sons, Richie, 9, and Charlie, 4. Together, they searched for Buddy the Elf hidden in each room. We got all of them! Richie and Charlie said. For mom and grandma, they were just happy to be enjoying the holiday spirit inside the Deptford Mall as opposed to the bone-chilling weather at outdoor attractions. The Christmas Houses wackiest elements are sequestered in the back, where Coyle converted the former fitting rooms of the retail space into the hotel rooms of the Holidays Inn. The surprise of finding out whats behind each door will have some bursting out laughing and others rolling their eyes. There are tamer rooms like the Hootel Room filled with artificial trees and owls to a New Years Eve strobe-light room. A few backrooms go the extra mile, with one featuring Shrek taking a nap in a small bed, bundled up in Christmas and Shrek blankets. In The Santas Little Surprise, the limits of guests potty humor will be tested. As soon as one walks up to the room, a large handprint and streak of brown substance are plastered on the door. The more one looks, the more fake reindeer poop on the walls and flooring can be found, with used toilet paper strung from the ceiling. Santas got his work cut out for him. For parents trying to keep the Santa make-believe alive for a few more years, they may find the drunk Santa in The Sleighed and Sloshed room a little too over the top. Here, a Santa mannequin is laid out on the floor with crushed red Solo cups around him in what looks like Kris Kringle after a bender. There is good, clean fun in the Harry Potter Christmas Room, where a photo-op is staged with a broomstick, wizarding hats, and Hogwarts House-themed scarves. Venture into the Elf Command Center, where a Santa live tracker displays where Kris Kringle is currently dropping off gifts, and the little ones can write letters to Santa before dropping them in the giant mailbox marked for the North Pole. The North Pole Movie Theater is usually playing Will Ferrells Elf on repeat throughout the day, and the final room features cotton snowballs, ready for harmless snowball fights, accompanied by an artificial snow machine. The best part for me was that it was indoors, Maloney said. The kids loved seeing Jack Skellington and the Grinch, plus they got me with the snowballs in the last room. Located inside the Deptford Mall at 1750 Deptford Center Rd., Deptford, N.J. 08096, the Christmas House is on the first floor, closest to the Boscovs entrance and parking. Open weekdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It runs through Jan. 2. christmashousedeptford.com/ Jessica Johnson (left) poses with Santa after handing him her cell phone to take a selfie from atop his fire truck in the Barlow neighborhood in Cherry Hill Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. Read more Twas a few days before Christmas, and all through Cherry Hill, children were running outside with no jackets to chase Santa, and sometimes with no shoes. Strapped to the top of a Cherry Hill fire truck, Santa Claus made his rounds through the South Jersey community on Sunday, waving as he passed through condominiums decorated for Christmas and snow-dusted cul-de-sacs. Santas firefighter escorts handed out candy canes and holiday greetings as Christmas cheer warmed the frigid township. Advertisement Theres nothing better than when you pull around the block with Santa on the roof, said Jim Aleski, a Cherry Hill Fire Department lieutenant. Each December, Santa makes a special trip to Cherry Hill, meticulously visiting every street in the township over the course of the departments multiday Santa Tour. A fresh coat of rare December snow made for a particularly picturesque scene over the weekend, when kids, parents, and dogs chased down the fire truck to get a coveted glimpse of St. Nick. Mark Yakovich, 3, and his dad, Ed Yakovich, 44, flagged down the fire truck from their driveway as if they were hailing a cab. Mark, the toddler, is very into trains at the moment. Luckily, fire trucks remain pretty high on his list (specifically when theyre associated with Marshall, the Dalmatian puppy fire marshal in PAW Patrol). Holding two candy canes and a toy train, Mark eyed the fire truck with glee, and a healthy skepticism, from the comfort of his dads arms. Though Ed Yakovich said they are still figuring out the family traditions with the new little guy, seeing Santa was at the top of their December to-do list. At the Burroughs Mill subdivision, Andrew Lee said he and his family wait for Santa every year. A bit of Christmas light amid so much darkness in the world was a welcome respite this time around, he said. Santa brings the spirit, Lee said. What is Lees son, Makai, 10, asking for this Christmas? An Xbox, Roblox, and more Roblox. As the firefighting crew and its guest of honor wound through the township, delighted residents waved and cheered, stopped for selfies, and honked in appreciation. One resident ran out to gift a box of brownies to the firefighters. Aleski said no one can quite pinpoint when the Santa Tour began, but residents say they remember the tradition happening as far back as the 1960s. Archives show Santa visiting South Jersey via fire truck as early as 1931, when he distributed gifts to the children of Barrington on Christmas Day. Sandy Chase, 54, said she remembers a Santa Tour from her childhood in northern New Jersey. This is a big Jersey thing, she said. Nicole Gaunt, 31, has lived in Cherry Hill her whole life. She and her daughter Khaos, 8, were out playing in the snow when Santa rounded the corner. Gaunt said the duo were prepared to see the big guy. Weve chased him down before, she added. Aleski said nothing drives community engagement like the Santa Tour. Each year, his department gets dozens of calls, emails, and social media inquiries about when Santa will pass by each house. Though the department is meticulous in hitting every block, its a fire department first, and emergency operations supersede Santa. Santa has shown up at more than a few unexpected emergencies during tours past. The Santa Tour in Cherry Hill will continue over the next few days. To see when Santa is visiting each neighborhood, explore this interactive map. This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirers high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters. People watch from the Gloucester City Marina as the SS United States passes under the Walt Whitman Bridge while being towed down the Delaware River in Philadelphia on Feb. 19. Read more The 990-foot SS United States could be making waves as an artificial reef at the bottom of the Florida Panhandle coast as early as March, according to a tentative timeline from its new owners in Florida. Even so, hope still springs eternal for the most ardent swath of ship enthusiasts who would rather see it restored to its former glory than swimming with the fishes. Advertisement As tourism officials in Okaloosa County report being about 80% done with the remediation work required to meet state and federal requirements for sinking, the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States has urged the New York City Council to intervene to the best of its abilities: a move that appeared to be gaining some traction in recent weeks, until it wasnt. READ MORE: Can a Brooklyn businessman save the SS United States from sinking? No, say the ships old and new owners. A resolution introduced by NYC council member Gale A. Brewer last year finally got a committee hearing in late November. The symbolic gesture calls on Congress to pass legislation that would allocate funds for restoration and to bring the ship to New York Citys Gowanus Bay Terminal. It also appeals to President Donald Trump, a fellow New Yorker, to sign the legislation. Okaloosa County, respectfully, is hearing none of it. We purchased the vessel specifically to become the worlds largest artificial reef, said county spokesperson Nick Tomecek. Anybody that thinks otherwise, thats just pipe dreams. READ MORE: Various owners have sunk more than $40 million into buying, maintaining, and reimagining the SS United States during its time in Philly Brewer is aware the odds are against those hoping to reacquire the ship. She acknowledged the resolution was a Hail Mary during last months committee hearing. Though the resolution moved to the full council, it has not been put on the calendar for a vote the last session of the year was Thursday. Brewer could not speak to why the resolution did not get a hearing until a year after she introduced it, but she understands how, despite support on the 51-member council, it has not been put to a vote in the full body. Just like in Philly, we got everything under the sun restaurants, small business, parking, its just endless, Brewer said. I think theres lots of support, but its not like number one on anybodys list. Brewer said the priority would be to stop the sinking of the ship. Once the SS United States was in New York City, preservationists, donors, and lawmakers could figure out the best way to redevelop the ship, though she could see it as a restaurant. If this figure-it-out-as-we-go approach sounds familiar, its because that was the path the SS United States Conservancy, the ships previous owner, took when it bought the vessel in 2011. The conservancy aimed to save the ship from the scrapyard and spent years courting potential developers while it sat parked in Philadelphia, even publishing a 2023 feasibility study for a mixed-use development that would cost about $400 million. In many ways, the New York City resolution is also a tried-and-tested approach. As the SS United States faced eviction from its berth along the Delaware River, the conservancy launched public campaigns calling on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to step in and help the vessel find a new home. The conservancy sent its pleas to then-President Joe Biden, as well as members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Much to the chagrin of preservationists, no politico ever came, despite the conservancys assurances that whoever championed the ship would be rewarded with all the jobs redevelopment would create. Whether Trump, his administration, or this iteration of Congress would intervene at the eleventh hour is anyones guess. The New York Coalition to Save the SS United States, which launched as a nonprofit in October 2024, wrote to Trump this year asking him to intervene shortly before the ship left Philadelphia, to no avail. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Pensacola after the ships departure, the coalition said it had no means of knowing whether the Executive Branch of the United States is even aware of the Letter, let alone whether it is being considered. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about whether the ships saga had reached Trumps desk and if the administration would be inclined to step in. Either way, time is working against the coalition. The suit warned of how some of the prep work in Mobile, Ala., could hinder preservation efforts. the twin stacks of SSUS will be removed, as will other parts of her superstructure, read the suit. Once this is done, any hope of preserving the Ship afloat and intact will be lost forever. Those smokestacks were indeed removed at the end of summer. So were all portholes and windows, along with the ships radar mast and propeller, according to an Okaloosa County update last week. Despite the coalitions fears laid out in the suit, Dan Sweeney, who cofounded the group, hit a more optimistic note, saying it was not too late to stop a reefing. The Big U remains an important symbol of America, he said of the SS United States. It could also prove to be a robust economic development engine. These two reasons are more than enough for us to continue the effort, and many people across the country agree. For us, its damn the torpedoes. Okaloosa County officials, meanwhile, say the months ahead will be used to finish cleaning the ship, removing nonmetal items, cutting holes throughout the ship because the sinking will not be able to be done with explosives, and coordinating with state and local agencies on a sink date. Should work continue at its current pace and no delays in inspections, the SS United States could be sunk as early as March. Alex Fogg, the natural resources chief for Destin-Fort Walton Beach, said weather delays, of course, are always possible. Tomecek reiterated that the county was working with the SS United States previous owners to build a land-based museum, which would feature the eye-catching smokestacks and other preserved ship memorabilia and artifacts. He understands the renewed interest in saving the ship, though it would have been turned into scrap had Okaloosa officials not stepped in. In any case, Tomecek said, these efforts come too little, too late. I think that when [the SS United States] was sold to the county, a lot of folks kind of woke up and realized what was going on, when, in fact, they should have been worried about her the past 30 years, when she was sitting in Philadelphia, Tomecek said. The enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits are set to expire in just 14 days. If Congress allows this to happen and given the Senates baffling refusal to act last week, the danger is very real that it will health insurance premiums will double for many working families in Pennsylvania. Households across the state will face increases of hundreds, and in many cases more than a thousand dollars, every single month. Advertisement This isnt theoretical. It isnt a hoax. Its going to be here, all across Pennsylvania, New Years Day, 2026. Every one of us is going to suffer. Ive been a bedside nurse for more than 40 years. Let me tell you whats going to happen: First, tens of thousands of people across Pennsylvania will lose coverage. Thousands already have. When people lose insurance, they dont magically stop getting sick. They delay care. They skip medications. They hope problems will resolve on their own. Most of the time, that doesnt happen. Treatable conditions become emergencies. Those emergencies land in ERs and hospital beds, where care is more expensive, more dangerous, and often unpaid. Patients wait longer for care, and hospitals, already struggling, are forced to absorb the costs of uncompensated care. That means hospitals have to do more with less, and the cost of care goes up for everyone else. Average premium increases will exceed 100%. Patients suffer first. Hospitals suffer next. Communities suffer last, but they suffer the most. If Congress does not renew the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits for Pennie, the Pennsylvania state marketplace, healthcare in Pennsylvania will be deeply destabilized. Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, including laboring mothers, trauma patients, and people battling chronic or life-threatening illness, will be priced out of lifesaving care. READ MORE: Fight for your right to good healthcare | Opinion Average premium increases will exceed 100%. A family of four maybe forced to pay $800 to $1,400 more each month just to keep their coverage. Many simply wont be able to. Pennie estimates 150,000 Pennsylvanians will lose insurance if Congress fails to act. At the same time Congress is dithering over whether to extend ACA tax credits and maintain access to healthcare for millions of Americans, cuts to Medicaid have already been passed and are set to go into effect next year. Nurses across Pennsylvania are calling on Congress to act now to extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. Medicaid is a major source of hospital funding. Medicaid reimbursements already fall short of the cost of care, and those gaps are growing. So letting ACA tax credits expire right now would mean removing coverage at the exact moment hospitals are already absorbing financial losses, with more on the way. That isnt sound policy. Its insanity. We are already seeing the warning signs: Hospitals in the Philadelphia area are shutting down units, forcing patients to travel farther for critical care. Communities are losing maternity services, behavioral healthcare, and cancer care. Even ICUs are closing. And whole hospitals are being sold or consolidated. This is how healthcare deserts are created and once access is lost, it is incredibly difficult to restore. Nurses across Pennsylvania are calling on Congress to act now to extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits and to stop compounding the damage being done to our healthcare system. This shouldnt be about politics. Its about access to care. Its about hospital stability. And its about preventing a crisis thats already taking shape. Caregivers at the bedside know: The crisis isnt coming its here. The patient our entire healthcare system is in acute distress. Nurses take an oath to do no harm. We are calling on Congress to do the same: Protect patients. Protect access to care. And stabilize the system before the damage becomes irreversible. Maureen May is the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents more than 11,000 frontline healthcare workers across the commonwealth. WASHINGTON Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers in a closed-door interview Wednesday that his team of investigators developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Donald Trumphad criminally conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to portions of his opening statement obtained by the Associated Press. Smith also said investigators had accrued powerful evidence Trump broke the law by hoarding classified documents from his first term as president at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., and by obstructing government efforts to recover the records. Advertisement I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trumps political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 election, Smith said. We took actions based on what the facts and the law required the very lesson I learned early in my career as a prosecutor. He said that if asked whether he would prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether the president was a Republican or Democrat. The deposition before the House Judiciary Committee gave lawmakers of both parties their first chance, albeit in private, to question Smith about a pair of investigations into Trump that resulted in since-abandoned criminal charges between the Republican presidents first and second terms in office. Smith was subpoenaed by the Republican-led committee this month to provide testimony and documents as part of a GOP investigation into the Trump inquiries during the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden. The former special counsel cooperated with the congressional demand, though his lawyers noted that he had been volunteered more than a month before the subpoena was issued to answer questions publicly before the committee an overture they said was rebuffed by Republicans. Trump had told reporters that he supported the idea of an open hearing. Testifying before this committee, Jack is showing tremendous courage in light of the remarkable and unprecedented retribution campaign against him by this administration and this White House, Smith lawyer Lanny Breuer told reporters. Lets be clear: Jack Smith, a career prosecutor, conducted this investigation based on the facts and based on the law and nothing more. Smith was appointed in 2022 to oversee the Justice Department investigations into Trumps efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden and Trumps hoarding of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Smiths team filed charges in both investigations but abandoned the cases after Trump was elected to the White House last year, citing Justice Department legal opinions that say a sitting president cannot be indicted. Multiple prior Justice Department special counsels, including Robert Mueller, have testified publicly but Smith was summoned for just a private interview. Several Democrats who emerged from Smiths interview said they could understand why Republicans did not want an open hearing based on the damaging testimony about Trump they said Smith offered. The committees top Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, said the Republican majority made an excellent decision in not allowing Jack Smith to testify publicly because had he done so, it would have been absolutely devastating to the president and all the presidents men involved in the insurrectionary activities of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Jack Smith has just spent several hours schooling the Judiciary Committee on the professional responsibilities of a prosecutor and the ethical duties of a prosecutor, Raskin said. Democrats are demanding that Smiths testimony be made public, along with his full report on the investigation. The American people should hear for themselves, Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.) said. The committee chairman, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, told reporters, I think weve learned some interesting things. He declined to discuss what was being said in the room, but reiterated his position about the investigations. Its political, he said. Smiths interview is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader retribution campaign by the Trump administration against former officials involved in investigating Trump and his allies. The Office of Special Counsel, an independent political watchdog, said in August that it was investigating Smith, and the White House issued a presidential memorandum this year aimed at suspending security clearances of lawyers at the law firm that provided legal services to Smith. The deposition also comes as Republicans in Congress, aided by current FBI leadership, look to discredit the investigations into Trump through the release of emails and other documents from the probes. In recent weeks they have seized on revelations that the team, as part of its investigation, had analyzed the phone records of select GOP lawmakers from on and around the Capitol siege, when pro-Trump rioters stormed the building to try to halt the certification of Trumps election loss to Biden. The phone records reviewed by prosecutors included details only about the incoming and outgoing phone numbers and the length of the call but not the contents of the conversation. Smiths lawyers have said Republicans have mischaracterized the phone record analysis and implied something sinister about a routine investigative tactic. On Tuesday, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a batch of internal FBI emails leading up to the August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago. In one email, written weeks before the search, an agent wrote that the FBIs Washington field office did not believe that probable cause existed to search the property. But Republicans who trumpeted the emails as proof that the Biden Justice Department was out to get Trump omitted the fact that agents who later searched the property reported finding boxes of classified, even top-secret, documents. In addition, the then-head of the Washington field office has testified to lawmakers that by the time of the search, the FBI believed probable caused existed to do it. Palantir CEO Alex Karp arrives for the Tech for Good summit in Paris on May 15, 2019. Karp grew up in the Philadelphia area and attended Central High School and Haverford College. Read more In the first year of President Donald Trumps administration, Palantir Technologies has secured major contracts to compile data on Americans, assist the presidents federal immigration enforcement, and play a key role at the height of the Department of Government Efficiencys efforts to shrink the federal government. But just a few years ago, it seemed unlikely that billionaire Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir a publicly traded data software company that Karp described in 2011 as deeply involved in supporting progressive values and causes" would ever strike such deals with Trump. Advertisement Karp grew up in the Philadelphia area in a politically left-leaning household and was critical of Trump during his first White House term. But over time, and catalyzed by Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, his opinion and habits shifted. Quickly, he went from being a major Democratic Party donor to writing a big check to Trumps 2024 inaugural committee. As of May, Palantir has received more than $113 million in federal spending. The company, which builds software to analyze and integrate large data streams for major companies, including defense contractors, sees itself as a beneficial power, but critics are concerned about data being misused or people being surveilled in violation of civil liberties, according to the New York Times The Daily podcast. And some employees are opposed to the optics of Palantir carrying out the presidents controversial political agenda. Heres what to know about Karp and Palantir. What is Palantir? Palantir is a publicly traded data analytics software company that was cofounded by Karp, Joe Lonsdale, Nathan Gettings, Stephen Cohen, the companys president, and Peter Thiel, a billionaire tech investor and cofounder of PayPal. Thiel is a libertarian and is a staunch supporter of right-wing ideology. Palantir, based in Denver, grew out of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and a desire to help improve national security. According to The Daily podcast guest Michael Steinberger, who spent six years interviewing Karp for a book, one of Palantirs major contractors has been the CIA, which was also one of its early investors. Palantirs technological products also played a key role in assisting Ukraine during the early months of Russias war on the country. The company started its partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during former President Barack Obamas administration, but that contract did not draw controversy until Trumps first term in the White House, when his immigration crackdown became a key priority, Steinberger, a contributing writer to the Times, said. This summer, it was reported that Palantir landed a $10 billion software and data contract with the U.S. Army, months after reports showed Trump tapped the company to compile data on Americans, prompting scrutiny from privacy advocates, labor rights organizations, and student unions. Alex Karp, Palantir CEO, has roots in Philadelphia Karp was born in New York but grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, he told the World Economic Forum in 2023. He went on to attend Central High School. As Steinberger describes it, Hes a Philly kid. He grew up in Philadelphia. Grew up in a very left-wing household. Karp is the son of a Jewish pediatrician and a Black artist. And hes dyslexic, Steinberger said. Its like I have this weirdly structured brain, Karp said in an interview with Steinberger. The motor is just structured differently. Karp and his younger brother spent time going to antiwar and antinuclear protests, and the older Karp attended Haverford College, Steinberger said. There, he closely identified with his Black heritage, getting involved with Black student affairs and organizing an antiracism conference at Yale University. Karp insists that he did not put much effort into his schooling at Haverford, but Steinberger, who was a classmate of Karps in college, appears to think otherwise. I think his path in life would suggest otherwise. I think the library saw a lot more of him than it did of me, which may go some way to explaining why he became a billionaire and I did not, Steinberger said. After Haverford, Karp attended Stanford Law School, where he met and became close with Thiel whose political views were the opposite of Karps. Years later, Karp and Thiel reunited after 9/11. Thiel was looking for a CEO for Palantir. Thiel interviews a couple of people for the CEO position, but then he and the other people involved in founding Palantir realized Karp is probably the right guy for the job, Steinberger said. In an interview with Steinberger, Karp admitted that his background made him an unlikely choice for CEO. I wasnt trained in business. I didnt know anything about start-up culture. I didnt know anything about building a business. I didnt know anything about financing a business, Karp said. From a Philly liberal to a staunch Trump defender In Steinbergers telling, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, gave rise to a political environment that would solidify Karps rightward shift. Over time, Karp had become discouraged with the lefts criticisms of Palantir, but that reached a fever pitch when Palantir offered its services to Israel as the country began its military invasion of Gaza amid protests, including internal dissent from employees, Steinberger said. Steinberger said Karp once a protester himself became increasingly troubled by college campus protests against Israels war in Gaza. He thinks the protests are riddled with antisemitism, Steinberger said. Theyre very dangerous and he sees this as reflective of a broader rot in his mind on the left. Karp continued to back then-President Joe Biden, who was supportive of the Israeli government, but in December 2023, Karp posed a sort of ultimatum at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California regarding liberals stance on Israel and a desire for the Democratic Party to denounce the college campus protests. Im one of the largest donors to the Democratic Party and, quite frankly, Im calling it out, and Im giving to Republicans. If you keep up with this behavior, Im going to change. A lot of people like me are going to change. We have to really call this out. It is completely beyond the bounds, Karp said. Over time, Karp started donating more aggressively to Republicans, Steinberger said, and made clear his support for Trump. Karp wrote a $1 million check to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee and later began publicly praising Trump on national security. Karp, for his part, still thinks of himself as a progressive. I didnt shift my politics, Karp said. The political parties have shifted their politics. The idea that whats being called progressive is any way progressive is a complete farce. U.S. Reps. Ryan Mackenzie (left) and Rob Bresnahan (right), freshman Republicans who represent Pa. swing districts, were among the four Republicans who sided with Democrats in forcing a vote on extending ACA subsidies. Read more Four moderate Republicans including three who are in the hot seat for reelection in swing districts in Pennsylvania joined Democrats to sign a discharge petition Wednesday to force a vote on a proposal to extend pandemic-era expanded Obamacare subsidies. While the move may not save the subsidies from expiring, given that Republican-controlled Senate has indicated resistance to the plan, the votes mark the sharpest rebuke of party leadership from within the GOP since President Donald Trump started his second term. Advertisement U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who has represented Bucks County since 2017, and two GOP freshmen from elsewhere in the state, U.S. Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, joined New York moderate Mike Lawler to give Democrats the votes they needed to push a vote on a clean extension of the subsidies to the floor. The move comes on the heels of other high-profile examples of rank-and-file Republicans bucking Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, including last months bipartisan vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, following a discharge petition after Johnson had slow-walked the legislation. The dam is breaking, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) told CNN on Tuesday in reference to the string of incidents in which members of the party had defied the president and speaker ahead of next years midterms. The Republicans who defected on the healthcare bill had favored a compromise that they hoped might have a chance of passing Congress, but that was rejected by Johnson (R., La.), who sided with conservatives against expanding the subsidies, on Tuesday night. That left them supporting a vote on a bill that extends the program as is, with far fewer restrictions and concessions than the compromise bills included. Despite our months-long call for action, leadership on both sides of the aisle failed to work together to advance any bipartisan compromise, leaving this as the only way to protect the 28,000 people in my district from higher costs, Bresnahan said in a statement posted on X. Families in NEPA cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them. Doing nothing was not an option, and although this is not a bill I ever intended to support, it is the only option remaining. I urge my colleagues to set politics aside, put people first, and come together around a bipartisan deal. Later Wednesday, House Republican leaders pushed to passage a healthcare bill that does not address the soaring monthly premiums that millions of people will soon endure. The bill passed on a mostly party-line vote of 216-211. U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) joined with Democrats in voting against the measure. Fitzpatrick and Lawler tried to add a temporary extension of the subsidies to the bill, but were denied. Our only request was a floor vote on this compromise, so that the American Peoples voice could be heard on this issue. That request was rejected. Then, at the request of House leadership I, along with my colleagues, filed multiple amendments, and testified at length to those amendments, Fitzpatrick said in a statement. House leadership then decided to reject every single one of these amendments. As Ive stated many times before, the only policy that is worse than a clean three-year extension without any reforms, is a policy of complete expiration without any bridge, Fitzpatrick said. Bresnahans vote for the discharge petition came a little more than a week after he welcomed Trump to his Northeast Pennsylvania district for a rally, which was meant to address voter concerns about affordability ahead of next years midterms. The coming spike in healthcare premiums will be a central part of Democrats messaging in swing districts like Bresnahans. Bresnahan won his election last year by about 1 percentage point. He was also one of just 20 House Republicans to sign a successful discharge petition earlier this month to force a vote for collective bargaining to be restored for federal workers. At the end of the day that might have been going against party leadership, but it was whats right for northeastern Pennsylvania, he told The Inquirer of the vote at the Pennsylvania Society last weekend. Mackenzie, in an interview with The Inquirer, blamed Democrats for not signing on to one of the compromise proposals, leaving him and the other three Republicans with no alternative but to sign onto a discharge for a plan he doubts will pass. But if you send the Senate anything at this point, Im of the opinion it will continue the conversation and theyll consider what their options are, Mackenzie said. If they would like to do additional reforms, I welcome those. While Republicans who have opposed the extension argue the subsidies were meant to be temporary and affect only about 7% of Americans, Mackenzie said he has been hearing from constituents constantly. Healthcare and the current system is unaffordable for many people, he said. We recognize the current system is broken for millions of Americans, so to actually get to some kind of better position, you need both short-term and long-term solutions. He called the Affordable Care Act subsidy extension a needed short-term solution to do something for people struggling right now. Like Bresnahan, Mackenzie won his Lehigh Valley seat by 1 percentage point last year. And the district will be a top priority for both parties in next years election as shown by Vice President JD Vances visit there Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, a staunch Trump ally, represents a swing district in Central Pennsylvania but voted against the discharge petition. Janelle Stelson, a Democrat seeking Perrys seat, called him extreme for voting against the measure. While other Republicans are working across party lines to lower costs, Perry is yet again refusing to do anything to make life more affordable, said Stelson, who narrowly lost to Perry last year. Fitzpatrick had been leading the moderate push for a solution on the ACA tax credits with his own compromise bill in the House. His bill would extend the subsidies by two years and implement a series of changes, including new income eligibility caps and a minimum monthly premium payment. Fitzpatrick has bucked his party and Trump several times, voting against final passage of Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill, though he voted for an earlier version that passed the House by only one vote. Some Republicans do not want to extend the credits at all, while others want abortion restrictions included. Democrats hoping to unseat Fitzpatrick argue he has a record of pushing back on Trump and GOP leaders only in ways that do not actually damage the party or its priorities. In this case, though, the three Pennsylvanians were critical in getting the petition through, even if the future of ACA tax credits remains uncertain. The only thing Brian Fitzpatrick has perfected in his 9 years in Congress is the art of completely meaningless gesture, designed to protect his political future not the people he serves, his Democratic challenger, Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, wrote on X. Harvie had previously called on Fitzpatrick to sign the Democrats discharge petition. Not all ACA tax credits are under threat. Under the ACA, people who earn less than 400% of the federal poverty level about $60,000 are eligible for tax credits on a sliding scale, based on their income, to help offset the monthly cost of an insurance premium. That tax credit is part of the law, and therefore not expiring. But what will expire is an expansion passed in 2021 when Congress increased financial assistance so that those buying coverage through an Obamacare marketplace do not pay more than 8.5% of their income. This article includes information from the Associated Press. New York is the eighth state found to routinely issue commercial drivers licenses to immigrants that are valid long after they are no longer legally authorized to be in the country, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday, and he threatened to withhold $73 million in highway funds unless the system is fixed and any flawed licenses are revoked. New York was the fourth state run by a Democratic governor called out publicly by Duffy in his effort to make sure truck and bus drivers are qualified to either haul passengers or 80,000 pounds of cargo down the highway. He previously questioned similar practices in California, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. But letters have gone out to other states as well without fanfare, or comments from Duffy, including Republican-run Texas and South Dakota. In addition to finding licenses that remained valid longer than they should have, these federal audits have also discovered instances where the states may not have even checked a drivers immigration status before issuing a license. Investigators check a small sample of licenses in each state. Transportation Department Tightens Noncitizen Truck Driver Rules Duffy launched the review this summer, but it became more prominent after a truck driver who was not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people in August. The rules on these licenses the Transportation Department is enforcing have been in place for years. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sent letters to Texas, South Dakota, Colorado, and Washington during the government shutdown in October. Most of the states that have been the focus of the investigation so far have defended their practices and said they were following the federal rules. But Duffy has said the high percentage of problems in some states, combined with the defensive responses from officials, suggests a systematic problem, and he insisted Friday this effort is about safety not politics. Truckers Who Fail English Tests Are Pulled Off Roads in Crackdown When more than half of the licenses reviewed were issued illegally, it isnt just a mistake it is a dereliction of duty by state leadership, Duffy said about New York on Friday. Investigators also found that nearly half of the 123 licenses reviewed in Texas were flawed. Some of the other states involved small numbers, but most of the problems were similar. Since Duffy pressed the issue in California, the state has revoked some 21,000 commercial drivers licenses that were issued improperly. The Transportation Department has threatened to withhold federal highway funding from these states including $182 million in Texas and $160 million in California if they dont reform their licensing programs and invalidate any flawed licenses. Trump Threatens to Withhold $75M From Pennsylvania Over Immigrant Truck Drivers So far, no state has lost money because they complied or because they have more time to respond. But as part of a separate review, California lost $40 million for failing to enforce English language requirements for truckers that the Trump administration began enforcing this summer. States defend their licensing practices New York State Department of Motor Vehicles spokesperson Walter McClure said the state is following all the federal rules. Secretary Duffy is lying about New York State once again in a desperate attempt to distract from the failing, chaotic administration he represents. Here is the truth: Commercial Drivers Licenses are regulated by the Federal Government, and New York State DMV has, and will continue to, comply with federal rules, McClure said in a statement. Duffy has previously threatened to pull federal funding from New York if the state did not abandon its plan to charge drivers a congestion pricing fee in New York City and if crime on the subway system was not addressed. The Transportation Department also put $18 billion of funding on hold for two major infrastructure projects in New York, including a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey, because of concerns about whether the spending was based on diversity, equity and inclusion principles. Why Maine Opposes New Limits on Truck Drivers Licenses for Legal Immigrants A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that public safety is the Governors top priority, and we must ensure that truckers can navigate Texas roadways safely and efficiently. To support this mission, Governor Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to strictly enforce English language proficiency requirements and to stop issuing intrastate commercial drivers licenses to drivers who do not meet those standards. Most of the other states have said they are working to address the concerns the Transportation Department raised. Previous efforts to restrict immigrant truck drivers Immigrants account for about 20% of all truck drivers, but these non-domiciled licenses only represent about 5% of all commercial drivers licenses or about 200,000 drivers. The Transportation Department also proposed new restrictions that would severely limit which noncitizens could get a license, but a court put the new rules on hold. Trucking trade groups have praised the effort to get unqualified drivers and drivers who cant speak English off the road along with the Transportation Departments actions last week to go after questionable commercial drivers license schools. But immigrant advocacy groups have raised concerns these actions have led to harassment of immigrant drivers and prompted some of them to abandon the profession. For too long, loopholes in this program have allowed unqualified drivers onto our highways, putting professional truckers and the motoring public at risk, said Todd Spencer, who is president of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association. Associated Press writers Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, and Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, New Jersey, all contributed to this report. Photo: An instructor provides reverse parking advice to a student at the Driving Academy in Linden, N.J., where students prepare to obtain a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) with multilingual instructors.(AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis) Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Commercial Lines New York Personal Auto Business Insurance Massachusetts public health officials have reported the first confirmed case of silicosis in the stone countertop fabrication industry in the state. The first confirmed case was recently diagnosed in a Hispanic man in his 40s who, for the past 14 years, worked for stone countertop fabrication and installation companies. Silicosis is a preventable, yet incurable and progressive lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica, which is found naturally in granite and other stones. Processes like cutting, polishing, or grinding stone can generate silica dust, which can cause silicosis if breathed into the lungs. Historically, silicosis was associated with mining and construction, but in recent years, the disease has become more prevalent among stone fabrication workers due to the rise in popularity of countertops made from engineered stone (also known as quartz or artificial stone). The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a safety alert urging employers in the industry to protect workers from silica dust exposure. While this is the states first confirmed case of silicosis among this workforce, DPH officials said the growing number of cases recently reported in other states and countries linked to this industry suggests that additional, unconfirmed cases could exist in Massachusetts. According to DPH, most engineered stone workers with silicosis in the U.S. were exposed to silica at their jobs for more than 10 years, although some were exposed for less time. There is no cure for silicosis, but exposure to silica dust can be minimized through proper workplace controls. Silicosis is a devastating, life-altering disease and one that is also absolutely preventable, said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. Massachusetts employers in industries where workers are exposed to silica dust have a responsibility to protect their workforce, including from harmful airborne dust. No worker should have to suffer from a chronic and insidious lung disease or possibly die because of a preventable exposure at work. Most cases of silicosis are work-related. The first reported case of silicosis in the U.S. associated with engineering stone was identified in Texas in 2014. Since then, other states have reported hundreds of cases, and dozens of deaths, particularly in California. Cases have also been reported globally. In the U.S., most engineered stone workers with silicosis are relatively young, male, and Hispanic/Latino. This largely reflects the demographic composition of this industrys workforce. In 2023, over half of workers in this industry were under 45 years old, nearly three-quarters were men, and more than 1 in 3 were Hispanic/Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Workers in other industries, such as construction and masonry, might also be at risk of exposure to silica dust when working with silica-containing construction materials, such as sand, stone, concrete, brick, or mortar, DPH said. DPH said that preventing this disease depends on employers putting effective workplace controls in place. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has information on the risks to workers and ways to limit exposure to respirable silica dust. Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Topics Massachusetts Spain reported 10 new cases of wild boar deaths from African swine fever, expanding an outbreak that has put the major pork exporter into high alert. The dead animals, which bring the total count to 26 since the outbreak emerged in November, were found in the vicinity of the first cases in the municipality of Cerdanyola del Valles, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of downtown Barcelona, the Spanish government said in a statement. An additional 208 carcasses of dead boars have been analyzed and tested negative. Spain is deploying soldiers, police dogs and drones on the outskirts of Barcelona to track down wild swine and prevent the outbreak from spreading to commercial pig farms. The country is the European Unions largest exporter of pork products and the second-largest globally. Mexico and Japan are among nations that have suspended pork purchases from Spain due to the outbreak. Read more: EU Vets Assess Barcelona Swine Fever Outbreak as Cases Rise to Nine Concerns persist the disease could potentially spread to neighboring farms. In the nearby region of Aragon, authorities are offering as much as 30 euros ($35) per wild boar to encourage people to hunt them. Swine fever cant infect humans, but is a major threat to pig farmers. The dead animals were found as a result of fieldwork carried out by rural agents in collaboration with the countrys Military Emergency Unit, the Civil Guard and Catalonias regional police force. African swine fever was eradicated from Spains pig farms in the 1960s. Since then, artisanal production of pork products is almost non-existent and the sector has prioritized biosecurity. But in forests, wild boar are thriving due to a combination of winters made milder by climate change, a lack of natural predators and human migration away from rural areas. The animals forage in trash cans of houses near forests, and sometimes even venture deep into the city. Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. The European Union pulled back from an effective ban on combustion engines and offered more flexibility for carmakers in the transition to cleaner transport after months of industry pressure. The move suggests a slower rollout of electric vehicles in Europe and aligns the region more closely with the US, where President Donald Trump is tearing up efficiency standards for cars put in place by the previous administration. Globally, automakers are struggling to make the shift profitable, with Ford Motor Co. announcing on Monday that it will take $19.5 billion in charges tied to a sweeping overhaul of its EV business. Under the new proposals, the EU will ease requirements that would have halted sales of new gasoline and diesel-fueled cars starting in 2035. Tailpipe emissions will have to be cut by 90% by the middle of the next decade compared with the current goal of a 100% reduction. The revision will allow automakers to continue selling a number of new cars with internal combustion engines as well as plug-in hybrids and range extenders, the European Commission said on Tuesday. The bloc set a condition that carmakers will need to compensate for the extra pollution by using low-carbon or renewable fuels, or locally produced green steel. Its the latest step in a global pullback from green policies as the economic realities of the shift to low-carbon energy set in. Mounting trade tensions with the US and China are also pushing Europe to further prioritize shoring up its domestic industries, in part by mitigating the cost of the transition. Although the bloc is legally bound to reach climate neutrality by 2050, governments and companies are intensifying calls for more flexibility, warning that rigid targets could jeopardize economic stability. Europes automotive sector has reached a crossroads, said Valdis Dombrovskis, EU economy commissioner. We need to act now to ensure it remains an integral part of Europes industrial future, not just its heritage. The commission also outlined additional leeway for producers to meet their 2030 emissions target for cars and vans, allowing them to average it out over a period of three years. Additional flexibility was offered for vans, where the pollution-reduction target for the end of this decade was cut to 40% from 50%. Volkswagen AG, the regions biggest carmaker, said the plan was pragmatic while mass-market peer Renault SA said exemptions on small EVs would be a benefit. BMW AG said the Commissions move away from technology bans was positive but cautioned that planned CO2 rules and strict fleet electrification quotas risk creating only a superficial fix. Earlier Tuesday, the Stoxx Europe 600 Automobiles & Parts Index pared gains of as much as 1% to decline 0.4%. The gage has fallen 3.9% since the start of the year. The proposal adopted by EU commissioners will now be discussed by the European Parliament and by member states in the EU Council. Each institution has the right to propose their own amendments and the final shape of the measure will be negotiated in the so-called trilogue talks, which will involve the parliament, the council and the commission. With automakers now gaining more time to go fully electric, environmental groups are concerned the changes create new loopholes that undermine Europes climate ambition and leave key car manufacturers further behind China in the race to battery-powered road transport. The dilution of the emissions target for cars underscores the gap between regulatory assumptions at the height of enthusiasm over Europes Green Deal and the current geopolitical and economic situation the continent is facing. One of the milestones set by the commission in its 2023 mobility strategy saw at least 30 million zero-emission cars on Europes roads by the end of the decade. At the end of last year, there were about 5.9 million pure-electric vehicles on EU roads, according to the commission. At the same time, China continues its rapid electrification of transport and foreign brands are being muscled aside in the worlds biggest car market. Even in their home countries, European carmakers are facing a growing competitive threat from Chinese imports, with new tariffs thrown up by the EU offer only limited protection. The situation prompted intense lobbying from Stellantis NV, Mercedes-Benz Group AG and others. The government in Germany, home to Mercedes, Volkswagen and BMW, also pushed for changes to ease political tensions and protect jobs. Earlier this month, six prime ministers including Italys Giorgia Meloni and Polands Donald Tusk lobbied the commission to allow plug-in hybrids, range extenders and fuel-cell technology after 2035. Sales of new battery-electric cars slowed last year after countries including Germany the EUs biggest market withdrew purchase incentives. Although growth is recovering, helped in part by the return of some subsidies, the pace remains well short of whats required to meet EU targets. Uptake across the region is uneven. Registrations of pure EVs accounted for 35% of sales in the Netherlands this year, compared with just 8% in Spain, where patchy charging options and comparatively high prices continue to put off buyers. The EUs new proposals also includes steps to make corporate vehicle fleets greener and increase the uptake of small electric vehicles made in Europe. EVs less than 4.2 meters in length will benefit from a system of super credits allowing them to contribute more to emissions targets. Theyll also gain a 10-year exemption from certain safety requirements and benefit from incentives in the form of parking spaces and subsidies. Photograph: Combustion engines on a Mercedes-Benz assembly line in Germany. Photo credit: Michaela Handrek-Rehle/Bloomberg Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. Topics Europe European investigators are probing whether Russian military hackers breached computer systems on a vessel owned by MSC-Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, the worlds largest container shipping group, according to people familiar with the matter. The ferry, operated by MSCs Grandi Navi Veloci unit, was immobilized Saturday in the southern French port of Sete as it prepared to sail to Algeria, the people said. The vessel was held to allow French authorities to confirm that operational systems had not been compromised. It eventually departed Sunday morning. A spokesperson for the Grandi Navi Veloci unit told Bloomberg the company detected and neutralized an intrusion attempt on one of its ferries. The inquiry involving French and Italian officials remains ongoing. Authorities are examining whether the attempted intrusion is linked to Russias military intelligence agency, the GRU, according to people familiar with the investigation. While no public attribution has been made, that assessment is based on forensic analysis and overlaps in tools, techniques and procedures with activity described in public reporting by US agencies, including the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to describe an ongoing inquiry. The episode has heightened concern among security officials about the cybersecurity risks facing maritime transport, especially physical attempts by adversaries to access ships onboard networks for tampering and conducting long-term surveillance. MSC controls the worlds largest container fleet and plays a key role in global trade linking Europe, Asia and the US. Such breaches pose a global security risk because maritime transport carries the vast majority of world trade. Hacks can ripple across supply chains, threaten critical infrastructure and expose sensitive military and commercial movements worldwide. The outsiders in this case attempted to gain access to the ships office computer network, which would have enabled them to impersonate a legitimate user, according to the people. They didnt reach operational systems such as navigation, propulsion or its Automatic Identification System, or AIS, the people said. Investigators said segregation between office and operational networks, along with the absence of remote access to critical controls, prevented lateral movement and ruled out sabotage or hijacking scenarios. Grandi Navi Velocis spokesperson declined to comment on the level of access that hackers may have achieved. The same ship had been previously targeted. In November, investigators found a Raspberry device, a concealed miniature computer no larger than a deck of cards, connected to a shipboard computer in a restricted-access area, the people said. That device was removed after triggering security alerts and later subjected to forensic analysis. The latest incident involved a second Raspberry device, discovered last week and connected to a different onboard computer, the people said. As with the first, it was paired with a cellular modem, enabling remote access to the ferrys internal computer network and external connections. The device remains under judicial seizure and has not yet been fully analyzed, the people said. A spokesperson for the Kremlin didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Investigators identified similarities in how the attackers established and maintained contact with external command-and-control servers, the structure of those connections and the behavior of files introduced into the target environment. Such patterns are consistent with operations previously attributed in public reporting to Russias GRU, including Unit 29155, they said. Officials also suspect that a third Raspberry device may still be active aboard another vessel, according to people familiar with the investigation. French media outlet Le Parisien previously reported that French intelligence services were investigating the discovery of spyware aboard the ferry and were considering a possible Russian link. Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. Topics Cyber Russia The lead defendant in a $1.5 million chop shop conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court last week to 84 months in prison, the U.S. Attorneys Office, Southern District of Ohio announced. Kahrese Tracey Scott Lee, 28, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and to knowingly operating a chop shop. According to court documents, between at least October 2023 and October 2024, Lee, who is also known as Reese Lee and Bennett Jones, knowingly worked with others to orchestrate an interstate stolen car ring. The defendant operated a garage in Dayton and received dozens of stolen vehicles. For example, during May 2024 alone, Lees Dayton chop shop housed within it more than half a million dollars in stolen cars and vehicle parts. Lee allegedly often dissembled stolen vehicles and removed their parts for resale or for placement in another vehicle. He both received and traded or sold vehicles out of state. On occasion, Lee allegedly also stole vehicles himself or worked with others to do so. During one planned theft incident, Lee and others traveled from Ohio to Indiana, where they stole three vehicles valued at more than $200,000 total from an auto lot. Law enforcement discovered Lee and others in possession of the stolen vehicles in Alabama, where Lee planned to establish a new garage. Officers confiscated the cars and returned them to the Indiana dealership that owned them. Lee and his accomplices allegedly had placed a tracking device on one of the stolen cars and tracked it back to Indiana. Lee traveled back to the Indiana dealership and attempted to steal the vehicle again; however, law enforcement apprehended him as he attempted to do so, law enforcement alleges. Lee and six others were charged by a federal indictment in November 2024. Topics Auto Fraud Ohio Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Xcel Energy Inc., accusing the utility company of blatant negligence over its role in the Smokehouse Creek wildfire that killed three people and caused more than $1 billion in damage last year. The company made false representations about its safety commitments and ignored warnings that its aging infrastructure needed immediate repair and to be updated, according to a statement from the AGs office Tuesday. Xcel shares fell as much as 4.34% on Tuesday. Paxton said in August that he was investigating Xcel for its role in the Smokehouse fire and another blaze, claiming the company may have prioritized environmental and diversity goals over maintenance and safety. Xcel has acknowledged that its infrastructure was likely involved in starting the Smokehouse fire but has refuted accusations of negligence. The lawsuit filed in a state court in Hemphill County in the Texas panhandle is the latest example of the pressure on utility companies like Xcel to provide electricity across the US West without sparking wildfires, especially during extreme weather events. Power companies across the US are increasingly opting to turn off electricity to prevent downed power lines and other equipment from sparking catastrophic wildfires. Related: Xcel to Pay About $640 Million Over 2021 Colorado Wildfire The company said it was deeply disappointed that the Attorney General decided to pursue this litigation and that it has set up a fund for victims that has already paid out $361 million. Though Xcel Energy disputes claims that it acted negligently in maintaining and operating its infrastructure, we accepted responsibility from the beginning and set up an expedited claims process, the company said in a statement. Even now, the work to fairly compensate those affected continues. In addition to negligence claims, Paxtons lawsuit accuses Xcel of violating state consumer protection laws for allegedly misrepresenting the safety and reliability of its equipment and failing to disclose possible hazards to consumers. Trespassing The lawsuit also accuses Xcel of trespassing, stating that the company trespassed upon the States property by igniting the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which entered and damaged such property without authorization. Paxton is seeking punitive damages for damage caused to state property, as well as civil fines. The lawsuit also seeks restitution for any consumer who suffered losses as a result of the fire. In addition to monetary payments, Paxton is seeking a court order requiring Xcel to immediately replace all of its utility polls and to provide public warnings about wildfire risks. He is also seeking an order that would prohibit Xcel from shifting fire-related costs onto consumers through rate increases. Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. Topics Lawsuits Catastrophe Natural Disasters Texas Wildfire Energy A California regulator has deferred an order for Tesla to suspend sales in its biggest U.S. market, giving the electric vehicle maker more time to address its accusation of misleading marketing and overstating self-driving capabilities. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) ordered the suspension of Teslas manufacturing and sales licenses for 30 days, adopting a judges proposals, but immediately put it on hold, DMV Director Steve Gordon told reporters on Tuesday. Related: Tesla Sued Over Fatal Crash in Washington in Growing Scrutiny of Doors The stay will come as a relief to an automaker which, along with peers, is battling a plunge in EV demand following the expiry of tax credits that have been a major driver of sales. At the same time, CEO Elon Musk has switched focus at Tesla to robotaxis equipped with self-driving technology as well as humanoid robots, and much of its valuation hangs on those bets. The DMV in 2022 accused Tesla of misleading consumers in using the brand names Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) for its vehicles advanced driver assistance features. The regulator told Judge Juliet Cox of the Office of Administrative Hearings that the names falsely implied the cars operate autonomously. Related: Tesla Sued Over Claim Faulty Doors Led to Deaths in Fiery Crash A lawyer for Tesla told the hearing that the automaker had clearly and consistently explained that cars with Autopilot and FSD software require supervision and are not autonomous. Judge Cox proposed the suspension, which the DMV adopted but put on hold Tuesday. Gordon said the agency wanted to give Tesla one more chance to be able to remedy the situation, saying he hoped it will find a way to get these misleading statements corrected. Related: Tesla Owner Complaints Rise in Probe Over Inoperative Doors After Battery Failures The DMV stayed the suspension of Teslas sales license for 90 days and its manufacturing license indefinitely. To avoid the suspension, the DMV said Tesla can submit a statement confirming it has either stopped using the name Autopilot for its driver assistance software or confirming its cars can operate without active monitoring by a human. The DMV said Tesla can appeal the suspension or seek a court review by February 14. Tesla in a statement said, This was a consumer protection order about the use of the term Autopilot in a case where not one single customer came forward to say theres a problem. Sales in California will continue uninterrupted. A spokesperson declined to elaborate on how Tesla knew no customers had complained. They also declined to say whether Tesla would stop using the Autopilot name or if it would appeal. Autopilot helps Tesla vehicles accelerate, brake and stay in lanes on highways. Full Self-Driving gives vehicles the ability to change lanes and obey traffic signals on city streets. The DMV has narrowed its focus to the term Autopilot as Tesla made changes to FSD during proceedings, Gordon said, without elaborating. Tesla has added the term Supervised for FSD in passenger vehicles. It uses an unsupervised version of the software when moving cars from assembly lines to delivery lots at some of its factories. It also uses FSD for a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, with human safety monitors in front passenger seats and remote support. (Reporting by Roy in San Francisco and Kirkham in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City and Mike Scarcella in Washington D.C.; Editing by David Gregorio and Christopher Cushing) Topics California Tesla Claudia Stephan started working on an order from a local souvenir store in Bethlehem for 5,000 wooden decorations at the small workshop she runs from her home in the hills around the Palestinian city on October 6, 2023. The October 7 attack and the onset of the Gaza war brought tourism the economic engine of Bethlehem to a grinding halt. The large order Stephan, 42, received was quickly cancelled, and since then not one store in the city has made an order with her, she says. Claudia Stephan started working on an order from a local souvenir store for 5,000 wooden decorations at the small workshop she runs from her home in Bethlehem in October 2023. Photo: Hannah McCarthy Since October 2023, Bethlehems economy has sharply contracted amid heavy travel restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities and the suspension of work permits in Israel for Palestinians. The Palestinian citys unemployment rate has soared from 14% to 65%, according to the citys mayor Maher Nicola Canawati, while 4,000 residents have emigrated. The West Bank is undergoing its most severe economic downturn on record, driven by heightened insecurity, movement and access restrictions and the loss of productive opportunities in all sectors of the economy. "By the end of 2024, Palestinian GDP fell back to its 2010 level while GDP per capita returned to that of 2003, erasing 22 years of development progress in less than two years, according to the UN agency for trade and development. Visiting tourists and religious pilgrims often purchase rosary beads, crosses and decorations made by a network of craftspeople working from homes and factories across Bethlehem. Photo: Hannah McCarthy Stephans neighbour recently emigrated to Spain with her four children, as well as her cousin who worked as a pastry chef in Bethlehem some go to Cyprus but mainly they go to Spain. While Stephan has clients based overseas who continued to buy from her during the war, she was almost one of the Bethlehemites who left their home city with her three children. My husband has a small engineering office, and with the situation nobody wants to build, she says. But we stayed because my husband is an only child, so there's no one to take care of his family. With a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the Bethlehem authorities held annual Christmas celebrations for the first time in three years. With a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the Bethlehem authorities re-commenced annual Christmas celebrations this year after a two-year hiatus. Photo: Hannah McCarthy The event was attended by thousands of Palestinians, but few foreign tourists were among the crowds who gathered in front of the Church of the Nativity to see the Christmas lights turned on. Just around the corner from the busy square, souvenir stores and cafes remained shuttered during what should be one of the busiest periods of the year for Bethlehem. Despite the lack of orders from local stores, Stephan has been able to employ three local Palestinian women part-time over the last few months. Despite the lack of orders from local stores, Claudia Stephan has been able to employ three local Palestinian women part-time over the last few months due to support from a project overseen by Jerusalem-based Irish nun Sister Bridget Tighe which aims 'to give work with dignity to some of the poorest' in Bethlehem. Photo: Hannah McCarthy This is due to support from a project overseen by Jerusalem-based Irish nun Sister Bridget Tighe, 80, which aims to give work with dignity to some of the poorest in Bethlehem. Despite spending most of her life in England and the Middle East, Sr Tighe still speaks with an accent from her native Sligo. The funding for the Bethlehem project comes from Misean Cara, an Irish NGO which supports projects overseen by Irish missionaries based overseas, and Sr Tighes order: the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood. Sister Tighe: 'These poor people have no work. The big stores don't help them, so they've used up all the savings that they have this year.' Photo: Hannah McCarthy The funding has originally been for the final year of a project in Gaza where Sr Tighe, a trained nurse, spent three years as head of the Caritas Jerusalem medical centre in Al Shati camp. But when the war began in 2023, the funding was redirected for a job creation project in the West Bank, due to difficulties in sending staff to the besieged Gaza strip. Working alongside Stephan when The Irish Examiner visits her small workshop in Beit Jala is Ebtesam Massou, a 60 year-old grandmother who works in the mornings before returning home to her family. When you support a small business, you support not just one family, you support a dream, says Stephan. You support the spirit of Bethlehem. These poor people have no work. The big stores don't help them, so they've used up all the savings that they have this year, says Sr Tighe. The project has specifically assisted women who need to work from home and people with disabilities, with a focus on Bethlehems minority Christian community. Some of the decorations made by a network of craftspeople across Bethlehem. However, souvenir stores and cafes remained shuttered during what should be one of the busiest periods of the year for Bethlehem. Photo: Hannah McCarthy Many of these people once earned a good income from the tourists and pilgrims and live in nice apartments but now have nothing left, says Sr Tighe. The poverty isnt obvious but many of these people dont have enough food and cant afford to pay for their children's education. Many of the pieces being produced in mostly small one-man workshops around Bethlehem are made from the wood of local olive trees which Palestinians harvest for oil, soap and firewood. Every bit of the olive tree can be used, says Sr Tighe. They send the best bits to the olive wood factories, and the rest goes for firewood and for the stoves every bit of it is used. 'Some of [the pieces] are religious,' says Sr Tighe. 'Some of them are not religious and for everyone.' The Irish NGO Trocaire has purchased some, as well as the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood, of which Sr Tighe is a member. Photo: Hannah McCarthy Some of [the pieces] are religious, says Sr Tighe. Some of them are not religious and for everyone. The Irish NGO Trocaire has purchased some of the decorations and Sr Tighe says she is focused on selling the Christmas decorations overseas to avoid undercutting the workshops she is trying to support in Bethlehem. We can't help all of the poor, says Sr Tighe. But the poorest that we found, we gave them work when they weren't getting any work from tourists. A Dublin man facing charges of being drunk and offensive on a Ryanair flight from Portugal to Dublin which had to be diverted to Cork appeared at Cork District Court on Tuesday. Neil Hughes, aged 35, of 71 Willow Park Grove, Glasnevin, Dublin, was arrested and charged with two counts under air navigation legislation. The first charge states that on Monday, December 15, being a person on board an aircraft in flight, namely Ryanair Flight FR7031, that was within the jurisdiction of the State, he was intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that he might endanger himself or other persons on board the said aircraft, contrary to the Air Navigation and Transport Act. The second count states that he did without justification, engage in behaviour to cause serious offence or annoyance on board the aircraft, having been requested by a member of the crew to desist. Garda Fearghal Bolger said there was no objection to bail on condition that he would sign on once a week at his local garda station, be of sober habits, and not fly with Ryanair. Judge Mary Dorgan said the matter was serious and required further bail conditions, including his own bond of 1,500 of which 500 must be lodged, surrender his passport and sign three times a week at Ballymun garda station. He was remanded in custody with consent to bail until December 22. Sergeant John Dineen said DPP directions were awaited in the case. Sergeant Dineen said at Cork District Court that at 12:45pm on December 15, gardai from Togher responded to reports from Cork Airport Police who requested Garda assistance with an inbound flight diverted to Cork. It was alleged that a passenger was observed lying across row 27 and was highly intoxicated. The flight had departed Faro for Dublin with captain Bryan Quinn and five cabin crew on board. It was alleged the passenger's behaviour became increasingly aggressive and the decision was made to divert to Cork Airport. Sgt Dineen also said that the passenger resisted Gardai who boarded the plane and he had to be handcuffed before being removed. Jailed teacher Enoch Burke and no other members of his family are to be prosecuted as of this time for criminal contempt over their repeated disruption of court proceedings, Attorney General (AG) Rossa Fanning told the High Court on Wednesday. Mr Fanning made a rare personal appearance in the courts because this was a matter of public interest and in response to the Mr Justice Brian Cregan's request that criminal contempt be considered by the AG against Enoch Burke, his siblings Isaac and Ammi and their mother Martina. Mr Fanning said apart from the fact that Enoch Burke is already in prison for contempt over continuing trespass on Wilson's Hospital School, there were issues including the amount of court time taken up with this case, the cost in legal representation to the taxpayer and the alternative remedies such as removal from court and the power of gardai to prosecute for disruptive behaviour. He added that some regard had to be given to the likely outcome and benefit of criminal contempt proceedings. "Given the history of this engagement even if one assumes the proceedings were to succeed with the imposition of fines or periods of imprisonment which would be relatively modest given that they are summary proceedings they may reinforce an unfounded sense of martyrdom, but are unlikely to provoke any Damascene conversion," he said. He said he had carefully considered the transcripts and a number of High Court judgments on this matter and come to the conclusion that he should not at this time initiate criminal contempt proceedings. This case had raised "troubling questions about the adherence to the rule of law", and that court orders must be obeyed and disruption by lay litigants or anyone else is to be condemned, he said. In response, Mr Justice Cregan thanked Mr Fanning but said he did not believe the transcripts had reflected the tone and tenor of what had happened before his court in recent months. He would reflect on the AG's comments over Christmas and the court could still, of its own volition, consider bringing such proceedings. School disciplinary panel The court also heard that a disciplinary appeals panel heard Enoch Burke's appeal against his dismissal on Saturday and will give its decision within 10 school days which means it could be after Christmas. The judge said the case would be adjourned to early January for an update on the appeals panel outcome. Mr Burke, speaking via video from Mountjoy Prison, said people should not think that just because the appeals panel will make a decision that this would be all over. He also refused to give an undertaking not to trespass on the school if released which is why he has been imprisoned for the fourth time and has been there now for well into 500-plus days. The family of a woman who died giving birth in Cork last year have "grave reservations about the adequacy" of the post-mortem examination into her death, a coroner's court has heard. Baiju Ouseph has asked for a wider scope than normal to be given to the inquest to examine his wife Stephys death at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) in June 2024. Mrs Ouseph died on June 21, 2024, after a caesarean birth in CUMH. The 35-year-old, who lived in Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, had previously been a patient in another hospital but had not been happy with a number of issues, and her care was transferred to Cork. For the family, barrister Doireann O'Mahony, acting on instructions from Murphy Healy Solicitors, made a preliminary submission on his behalf for a so-called Article 2 inquest at a hearing in Cork City. Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) established everyones fundamental right to life, obligating states to among other things prevent avoidable deaths and ensure effective investigations into them when they happen. Mrs Ouseph was in the care of the State when she died. This would be the first inquest of its kind in the history of the Irish State if the application, which would ensure the scope of the inquest into her death is as wide as possible, is successful. Addressing Cork city coroner Philip Comyn, Ms OMahony said: We say this inquest engages Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. A maternal death is a Category 1 incident, attracting the highest level of scrutiny. This death arose in the context of State obstetric care. She said it is also important because Mrs Ouseph's post-mortem examination failed to find a cause of death. The family have grave reservations about the adequacy of the post-mortem investigation, she said, addressing Mr Comyn at the hearing, which was attended by Stephy's husband, and sons Johann, 10, and Juwann, 18 months. The court heard the coroner had asked an independent Scottish-based pathologist to examine the post-mortem examination, and that she had found the cause of death to be "unascertained". Ms OMahony said: The familys concerns are grounded in the views of your own independent expert, Dr Esther Youd, who identified investigative limitations and left open multiple clinically possible causes of death. Stephy Scaria (nee Ouseph) died on June 21, 2024, after a Caesarean birth in CUMH. Photo via RIP.ie We submit the inquest must be sufficiently thorough, independent and effective to address unresolved issues. Proceeding on a more narrow footing would risk falling short of that standard, and it would not provide the family with a meaningful answer." Of her submission for an Article 2 inquest, Mr Comyn said: Its an interesting submission, and not one I have had before, but that does not mean it is not well-founded. Ms OMahoney also asked the coroner to request CUMH to provide an update on the external review they announced of Stephy's death more than 18 months ago. The hearing was adjourned until the end of January. Cork County Council will create a business case to develop the long-awaited Great Island Connectivity Scheme, a 250m project to ease travel woes for residents of Cobh. The project aims to improve connectivity to and from Cobh by addressing resilience and vulnerabilities in the transport network, with residents currently faced with a poor road network, which provides only one way in and out of the town. The scheme shall provide a high-quality transportation solution and when complete shall connect strategically important elements of the existing land transport around Cobh and Great Island, the council has said. In its documents, it details how Great Island is home to Cork countys second largest town, Cobh, with a population of 14,148 in the 2022 census, and which is expected to grow to 15,836 by 2028. The only road connection to Cobh is the R624, Cobh Road, which has an average daily traffic volume of 18,968. It connects the N25 north of Belvelly Bridge at Cobh Cross Junction, acting as a vital link to the town and Great Island. Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, said: This is a transformative project for Great Island and the wider region. It will not only improve daily life for residents but also strengthen economic opportunities and resilience. "The commencement of the tender process marks the first step toward delivering a vital piece of infrastructure that will serve generations to come. The scheme is expected to facilitate sustainable growth of the area and support climate action in the transport sector. The council has also highlighted constraints that will have to be considered as part of the business case, including the existing road being situated within the Great Island Channel and Cork Harbour, which are important areas for conservation and may have a large impact on any proposed infrastructure solution. It added extensive modelling and assessment are required to prove a business case for transport interventions. Cork County Council has produced several reports on the project since 2019, but it has not progressed further than the preliminary business case stage. It previously told the Irish Examiner: The project, as submitted, includes upgrading the existing N25-R624 interchange, the provision of a dual carriageway from the interchange to Marino Point, widening of Slatty Bridge, the provision of a new bridge crossing to Great Island at Belvelly, and upgrading the existing R624 from Marino Point to Cobh. Cork East TDs have repeatedly asked for updates on the scheme from the minister for transport, including Social Democrat Liam Quaide, Fine Gaels Noel McCarthy and Fianna Fails James OConnor last month. In response, Darragh OBrien said the council had submitted a brief for the appointment of consultants 12 months ago to the department for review. An allocation of 350,000 was made to Cork County Council as part of the 2025 regional and local roads grants to assist in the development of the preliminary business case, he said. In the Governments sectoral review for transport for the National Development Plan, unveiled last month, the Great Island Connectivity Scheme was included. It said procurement would happen for the main works by 2029, with construction commencing by 2030. It gave an estimated budget of between 100m and 250m. Plans for more than 70 new homes in Rochestown have been approved by the city council. Diamond Developments Ltd lodged plans in May to demolish existing agricultural sheds at Monfieldstown and Mounthovel in Rochestown to make way for 72 new residential units. The homes will comprise 10 three-bedroom houses and 62 apartments, which will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. These will be located across two apartment blocks up to five storeys in height. Associated site works include landscaping and new amenity areas, vehicular and pedestrian access to the Woodbrook Road/ Rochestown Road Roundabout, car and bicycle parking, footpaths, lighting, drainage and bin storage. The council greenlit the plans despite several objections, including one from the Parish Office of St Columba's Church in Douglas. In its submission, signed by Canon Teddy O'Sullivan and Fr Patrick O'Mahony, the parish office said that while it was acutely aware of the current housing crisis and the lack of new homes contributing to the issue, it remained "extremely concerned" about certain elements of the application. These included traffic and parking concerns arising from the development, which the submission said may cause further difficulties for people attending St Patrick's Church, which is located to the southeast of the development site. "There is a risk that the proposed development could result in weddings and other services being moved to alternative churches in order to avoid the potential traffic difficulties. "The added noise and traffic issues could result in a reduction in the number of parishioners attending St Patrick's Church." Another submission lodged by local residents also cited traffic concerns, arguing that there were not enough car parking spaces in the plans to prevent on-street parking near the development and their own homes. It also raised concerns regarding the height of the apartment blocks overlooking existing homes, adding that such a height in close proximity to the Bloomfield Interchange would be "distracting to motorists and may potentially cause accidents." Despite these objections, Cork City Council approved the plans, granting permission for the development with 44 conditions. A doctor who pleaded guilty in a scheme to supply ketamine to actor Matthew Perry before his overdose death has been sentenced to eight months of home confinement. Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence that included three years of supervised release to 55-year-old Dr Mark Chavez in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles. Before the sentence was delivered, Chavez addressed the judge and said he had lost a loved one recently and understood the grief that Perrys death has caused. I just want to say my heart goes out to the Perry family, he said. Chavez acquired ketamine and gave it to Dr Salvador Plasencia, who was sentenced to two and a half years in prison earlier this month for selling ketamine to Perry in the months leading up to his death. Dr Mark Chavez said his heart goes out to the Perry family (AP) Chavezs lawyers emphasised the difference between the two doctors and said that Chavez accepted responsibility early by co-operating with investigators and voluntarily giving up his medical licence ahead of his detention hearing. These are real steps that someone takes towards accountability, lawyer Matthew Binninger said. He called the sentence a fair and just outcome for the case. Perry had been taking the surgical anaesthetic ketamine legally as a treatment for depression. But when his regular doctor would not provide it in the amounts he wanted, he turned to Plasencia. Plasencia admitted to taking advantage of Perry, knowing he was a struggling addict. Plasencia texted Chavez that Perry was a moron who could be exploited for money, according to court filings. Chavez admitted to obtaining the ketamine from a wholesale distributor on false pretences and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He has not been in custody. Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest TV stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. Chavez is the second person to be sentenced of the five defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with Perrys death at the age of 54 in 2023. Perry was found dead by his assistant on October 28. The medical examiner ruled ketamine was the primary cause of death. The other three defendants who reached deals to plead guilty will be sentenced at their own hearings in the coming months. A man who awoke from a coma after surviving a shootout with police has been charged over the Bondi terrorist attack that killed 15 people in Sydney. Fifteen people were killed when, according to local police, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire on more than 1,000 people attending a Jewish festival in the Archer Park area of the popular beach at 6.47pm local time on Sunday. One of the alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot by police and died at the scene. His son, 24-year-old Naveed, who awoke from a coma on Tuesday, was charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack, New South Wales (NSW) police confirmed. Police will allege officers exchanged fire with the gunmen, resulting in gunshot wounds to two officers. The other charges are 40 counts of causing wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol and placing an explosive in/near a building with the intent to cause harm. Police said early indications pointed to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS. Akram, who remains under police guard in hospital, will face a Sydney local courts bail division on Wednesday. The first funerals of the victims took place on Wednesday, including that of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. Father-of-five Mr Schlanger, 41, grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, and his funeral service took place at Chabad of Bondi, where he was assistant rabbi. During a tearful address, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman told the congregation it was unthinkable we talk about you in the past tense. He said rabbis would continue a tradition on Sunday, the first night of Hanukkah, of lighting candles on Bondi Beach. The funeral of Rabbi Yaakov Levitan was taking place later on Wednesday. New South Wales (NSW) state police commissioner Mal Lanyon said police were waiting for his medical condition to be appropriate before any charges were made. One of the two police officers injured in the attack has been named as probationary constable Jack Hibbert, 22. Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, who was injured in the Bondi Beach attack (New South Wales Police) In a statement, his family said he had been patrolling the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi when he was shot twice, once in his head and once in his shoulder, and had lost vision in one eye. Jack is just 22 years old and has only been in the police force for four months, the family statement said. In the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able to. Jack was simply doing his job a job he deeply loves driven by a commitment to protect the community, even at great personal cost. He said Constable Scott Dyson, who was also injured in the attack, was in a critical and stable condition after undergoing further surgery on Wednesday. NSW Health confirmed 20 people remained in Sydney hospitals on Wednesday in the aftermath of the attack. Hackers have accessed the search history and viewing habits of premium users of Pornhub, one of the worlds most popular pornography websites. A gang has reportedly accessed more than 200m data records, including premium members email addresses, search and viewing activities and locations. Pornhub is a heavily used site and says it has more than 100m daily visits globally. The hack was reportedly carried out by a western-based group called ShinyHunters, according to the website BleepingComputer, which first reported the hack. The site reported that the data included premium members email addresses, search and viewing activity and location. The data consists of 201m records related to premium members. The website added that the Canadian-owned Pornhub had received an extortion demand from ShinyHunters about the hack. The Reuters news agency on Wednesday also claimed to have spoken to a ShinyHunters member in an online chat who was demanding a payment in bitcoin to prevent the publication of data and delete it. Pornhub said in a statement on its website that premium users had been affected by an attack on Mixpanel, a company that had provided data analytics to the publisher. Pornhub said a select number of users had been affected and that it had stopped working with Mixpanel in 2021, indicating the data is not recent. It is important to note this was not a breach of Pornhub Premiums systems. Passwords, payment details and financial information remain secure and were not exposed, said the pornography service. Pornhub added that an unauthorized party had been able to extract a limited set of analytics events for some users. Other types of data taken include video URL, video name, keywords associated with the video, and the time the event occurred, according to BleepingComputer. In a statement, Mixpanel said it was aware of the alleged data theft but said it had found no indication that it was related to a cyber-attack on the business last month. Sophos, a cybersecurity firm, told The Guardian it had seen no evidence of Pornhub data being released on so-called leak sites part of a hacking groups armoury for extracting payments or in online chat platforms linked to the ShinyHunters group. Sophos said the ShinyHunters group was generally comprised of native English speakers in their late teens to early 20s and was part of a broader community of cyber criminals dubbed The Com, short for The Community. The Com is the same community from which the English-language speaking Scattered Spider group emerged, and which has been strongly linked with hacks against M&S, the Co-op and Harrods. Pornhub and Mixpanel have been approached for comment. The Guardian Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) Pakistans solar power switch continues to grow by leaps and bounds. In 2023, solar was the fifth largest source of electricity generation in the South Asian country of 240 million. Then Pakistani villagers and townspeople imported 17 gigawatts worth of solar panels in 2024, catapulting the country into one of the worlds top solar powers. By the summer of 2025, solar was the number one power source, generating 25% of the countrys electricity, nearly double the 14% the previous year. Only about 20 countries globally get a quarter or more of their power from solar. Australia is the other country where rooftop solar, as opposed to utility-grade solar, has led the way in the adoption of this technology. For reference, China is one of Asias leading solar power producers, with this source accounting for about 13% of electricity generation. On a proportional basis, Pakistan now leads China in this regard. Of course, China is a much larger country and so it has many more gigawatts of installed solar capacity than Pakistan, in absolute numbers. Officials of Pakistans ministry of climate change told Reuters that next year, solar power may occasionally generate more electricity in some markets, including Lahore in the northeast, than there is demand for. That is, the price of electricity would go negative. While this situation occurs in some advanced nations, Pakistan may be the first developing country where solar electricity production sometimes outruns demand. The solarization of Pakistan is coming about because ordinary people are frustrated with the inability of the state utilities to provide electricity. Often consumers are without it up to 18 hours a day. For small businesses and manufacturers, this lack of power is ruinous, and so many small business owners have imported Chinese solar panels and installed them. So many Pakistanis are running air conditioning off rooftop solar that energy demand has actually been falling. Pakistan is attempting to renegotiate a long-term Liquified Natural Gas contract with Qatar, because it now needs less fossil gas for air conditioning. Where such contracts are inflexible, the government risks losing money, paying for a product that consumers have decided they do not need. The government has responded by putting a 10% tax on imported solar panels and trying to make solar consumers pay for some of the costs of the old, dirty grid. Pakistan now imports some 12% of all the solar panels China makes annually, having become one of Beijings biggest customers in this sector. Photo of solar panels in Malakand, Swat, Pakistan by Green Voltaics Energy on Unsplash Pakistan will soon be producing panels instead of importing all of them. Chinas Hebei Juhang Energy is planning to create an enormous solar panel factory in Pakistan, where it will make panels for domestic use and for export. Pakistan has cheap labor that is relatively well educated and the country has lots of local mineral resources, so it is a plausible place for China to site some factories. The United States, where President Trump is knee-capping the solar, wind and EV industries, is irrelevant to this development. It is an Asia-to-Asia exchange. The US has conceded to China global economic leadership in this field. Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association of North America | Letter to the University of Arkansas regarding the removal of Professor Shirin Saeidi as director of the King Fahd Center President Jay B. Silveria The University of Arkansas chancell@uark.edu Dear President Silveria, Chancellor Robinson and Dean Raines: We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our concern about the University of Arkansass decision to remove Professor Shirin Saeidi from her position as Director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies. There is good reason to believe that this decision was politically motivated and taken primarily because of Professor Saeidis speech, thereby violating the principles of academic freedom, her First Amendment rights and university policy. We are also concerned that the university may have violated its own procedural rules in removing Professor Saeidi from her position as center director. MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. The preeminent organization in the field, the Association publishes the prestigious International Journal of Middle East Studies and has nearly 2,800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region in North America and outside of North America. On 5 December 2025, Brian Raines, Dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, sent Professor Saeidi a letter abruptly terminating her as the director of the Center for Middle East Studies. The letter was issued after Professor Saeidi had been subjected to a vicious public defamation campaign, including demands that the university terminate her; that campaign has continued since she was terminated as center director. In removing Professor Saeidi the University of Arkansas appears to have capitulated to that pressure campaign by outside individuals and groups with a political agenda. We note that Dean Rainess letter did not claim that Professor Saeidi had failed to fulfil her responsibilities as director or was otherwise derelict in leading the universitys Middle East Studies program. Instead, the letter pointed to Professor Saeidis purported violation of relatively minor university rulesincluding her alleged past violation of rules relating to the use of university letterhead, which she has denied and for which she was never sanctionedto distract from what was apparently the main reason for her termination: your administrations objection to public statements that Professor Saeidi made in both her personal and scholarly capacities. These statements include a public petition signed by Professor Saeidi, as well as several posts on X, all of which relate to Israels attack against Iran in June 2025. While Dean Raines described her termination as apolitical, the letter makes clear that his decision was a decidedly political response to Professor Saeidis public statements. In particular, Dean Raines described Professor Saeidis posts actively lauding Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as troubling given the position of the United States. In a similar vein, he stated that he was very concerned by Professor Saeidis repeated statement that, Israel, a nation recognized by the United States, must be dismantled including being dismantled by international forces. More broadly, Dean Raines repeatedly characterized Professor Saeidis statements as offensive and harmful to the image of the center as well as the university. These and other related allegations strongly suggest that had Professor Saeidis political perspective been more aligned with U.S. government policy, she would have retained her position as director. Dean Rainess letter also included statements that would seem to leave Professor Saeidi with no viable avenue to publicly express scholarly or political opinions that some may deem unpopular or controversial in the future. In particular, the letter admonishes Professor Saeidi for purportedly signing the petition with her University affiliation with no disclaimer, while in the same breath dismissing the disclaimer on her X account as irrelevant and insufficient since Professor Saeidi is widely known as the director of the King Fahd Center. These contradictory statements suggest that Professor Saeidi may face further university sanctions if she makes any statement that the administration deems inflammatory, controversial or against the universitys interests, even if she adheres to university policy. The manner of Professor Saeidis termination also raises serious concerns about whether the university has complied with its own rules. Professor Saeidi was terminated for opinions expressed as a private citizen. Under Board Policy 405.1 mere expressions of opinions related to the faculty members scholarship, the subject matter of their assigned teaching duties. . . however controversialshall not constitute cause for dismissal. Policy 405.1 further states that when [s]peaking or writing as a citizen, the faculty member is free from institutional censorship or discipline. It also articulates a series of due process rights accorded to tenure-track and tenured faculty facing dismissal, none of which were followed in this case. While Dean Rainess letter attempts to skirt these obligations by invoking his discretion to terminate the center director at his pleasure, the rule he cites does not explicitly bypass the dismissal rules applicable to tenure-track and tenured faculty, like Professor Saeidi. It certainly does not empower him to dismiss faculty in violation of the First Amendment. We also note that the extramural speech on matters of public concern cited to justify Professor Saeidis termination as center director were well within her scholarly expertise on the contemporary politics of the Middle East. This type of speech is protected both by the universitys own policy on academic freedom and Professor Saeidis right to free expression and academic freedom. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the University of Arkansas has failed to meet its obligations towards Professor Saeidi in this regard. As we understand it, in September 2025 Dean Raines pressured Professor Saeidi to withdraw, at the last minute, from a meeting and dinner reception with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that she had planned to attend in her personal capacity and which would have benefited her scholarship. In an email memorializing that conversation, Dean Raines thanked Professor Saeidi for withdrawing, since in light of your role as a faculty member in Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and, in particular, your role as Director of the Middle East Studies Program, considering the designations of Iran adopted by the federal and state governments as a country of concern and foreign adversary, and the lack of formal diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S., for you to take part in such a meeting would have highly adverse consequences for the University, Fulbright College, and the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies. We regard this action as yet another violation of Professor Saiedis academic freedom. As a public university, the University of Arkansas is bound by the First Amendment, which requires that it respect and uphold the free speech and academic expression rights of its faculty no matter how controversial that speech may be or how it may impact the universitys image. Penalizing Professor Saeidi for exercising those rights violates these commitments. We have previously written to the University of Arkansas about its failure to protect and defend the free speech rights and academic freedom of other faculty associated with its Middle East Studies program, as well as its capitulation to third-party efforts to censor and smear those individuals. Instead of rectifying that behavior the University of Arkansas has continued to violate the constitutional rights of its faculty and flout its commitment, as reflected in its academic freedom policy , to the principle that debate or deliberation may not be suppressed because the ideas put forth are thought by some or even by most members of the University community or society at large to be offensive, unwise, immoral or wrong-headed. We therefore call on the university to immediately reinstate Professor Saeidi as director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies. We further call on you to publicly denounce the campaign of defamation that has been waged against her and to refrain from any action that may chill or censor her speech or the speech of other faculty members at the University of Arkansas. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Ussama Makdisi MESA President Professor, University of California, Berkeley Judith E. Tucker Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom Professor Emerita, Georgetown University Cc: Professor Indrajeet Chaubey Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs The University of Arkansas Professor William Schreckhise Chair, Department of Political Science The University of Arkansas Professor Kevin Brady Chair, Faculty Senate The University of Arkansas The Arkansas Traveler Farida Shaheed United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education ( Tomdispatch.com ) Any story about resistance within the military must begin by recognizing that its not an easy thing to do. Apparently, thats true even for a much-decorated retired Navy commander, former astronaut, and sitting United States senator. Im talking about Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. He was one of six Democratic legislators, all military veterans or former intelligence officers, who, on November 18th, released a 90-second video reminding members of the military that the oath they took on enlisting requires them to refuse illegal orders. The implicit context was the Trump administrations deployment of National Guard troops to American cities, but their message took on added urgency after the Washington Post published an expose about an order coming from high up to kill survivors of an airstrike in the Caribbean Sea. Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, who served in the CIA, on the National Security Council, and at the Defense Department, and had three tours of duty as a CIA analyst in Iraq, spearheaded the action. She was joined by Kelly; Pennsylvania Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (former Air Force captain) and Chris Deluzio (former Navy lieutenant with one tour in Iraq); New Hampshire Representative Maggie Goodlander (Navy Reserve lieutenant, intelligence); and Colorado Representative Jason Crow (Army Ranger, three tours in Iraq). Speaking directly to the camera, their voices imbued with sincerity, the six stated their affiliations, noted the precariousness of what the military is being asked to do in the second presidency of Donald Trump, and repeated their duty-to-refuse refrain, ending with a rousing, Dont give up the ship! It was pretty straightforward stuff and, except for a few digs at the administration, an accurate statement of legal fact. On enlistment, everyone in the military takes an oath of loyalty not to a person, a party, or any form of politics, but to the Constitution. Enlistees in all branches also pledge to obey orders from their officers and the president. As stipulated in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), its clear that this means only lawful orders. Officers take a slightly different oath: they, too, swear to support and defend the Constitution, but their oath doesnt include anything about obeying orders from their superiors or the president, presumably because theyre responsible for giving orders and ensuring that those orders are lawful. Officers reaffirm their oath whenever theyre promoted. Across the board, the UCMJ, the Nuremberg Principles, and the U.S. Constitution establish the right and responsibility of servicemembers to refuse illegal orders or to refuse to participate in illegal wars, war crimes, or unconstitutional deployments. The Straight-Speaking Six Never one to bother with legal niceties, Donald Trump (commander-in-chief, no military service) quickly denounced the video on Truth Social as SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, adding, Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. He also posted: SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH! He then backtracked on the death threat on Foxs Brian Kilmeade Show. Members of his administration followed Trumps lead with ever more strident outrage. Within days, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (former Army National Guard major, one tour each in Afghanistan and Iraq) called the lawmakers the Seditious Six. He then began to investigate Kelly, threatening to recall him to active duty so that he could be court-martialed for misconduct. He went after Kelly because, as a retired military officer, hes the only one of the six who could still fall under the militarys jurisdiction. Nonetheless, its unusual, to say the least, for a secretary of defense (oops, war!) to think about punishing an officer so long after he has retired. Meanwhile, the FBI began investigating all six of those legislators. (Consider it unlikely indeed, however, that the FBI will also investigate the death threats the six have received.) Less half-baked responses came from places like Military.com, which criticized the legislators for attempting to politicize the military by bypassing the chain of command and speaking directly to the troops, while not citing specific examples of illegal orders and so potentially confusing them. If true, this wouldnt be the first time this countrys troops were confused by orders. As a Marine sergeant testified at the 2008 Winter Soldier hearings, During the siege of Fallujah [in Iraq], we changed rules of engagement more often then we changed our underwear. As for politicizing the military, you need look no further than the Trump version of political theater National Guard deployments to Democratic-run cities on his shitlist. The straight-speaking six and their supporters were anything but cowed by the accusations. In a joint response to the president, they proclaimed their love for this country and fealty to the Constitution before concluding, Our servicemembers should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the right thing to do, but also our duty This is a time for moral clarity. In a town hall in Tucson, Kelly said of Trump and Hegseth, Theyre not serious people and Im not backing down. At the University of Pittsburgh (repeatedly designated a Military Friendly School), someone projected pictures of the six legislators onto its landmark 42-story Cathedral of Learning under the message, This is what courage looks like. It might normally seem unlikely that Kelly could be punished for such constitutionally protected speech, a protection particularly robust for members of Congress. Unfortunately, unlikely could be considered the Trump administrations middle name and, by now we should have learned that, in this political moment, anything is possible. Playing armchair psychologist, I have no idea if Trump really believes that video to be seditious or if he even knows what actually constitutes sedition. I doubt it matters to him. For whatever reason distraction? attention-grabbing? meat for his base? unbridled id? he used that video to effectively change the subject, while a pliant media and public largely went along with him. In the process, he managed to refocus attention (yet again) on himself and his minions at the yes, War, not Defense Department, and the Department of (In)Justice, and on protected versus seditious speech, as well as courageous versus outrageous politicians. Take your pick, just dont talk about what members of the military are being asked to do these days and how they might themselves think about such orders. Worth the Risk? Joy Metzler, a 24-year-old graduate of the Air Force Academy, left the military as a conscientious objector this past April. She credits two required courses on law and ethics at the Academy for leading her to first question and then conclude that she couldnt support her countrys role in the then-ongoing genocide in Gaza. The thought of being given an order that was illegal or unconstitutional was almost unthinkable to me at the time, I just didnt think it happened, she emailed me recently. Line officers, low ranks, sure from people who didnt understand the law but I never imagined one would come from the president or the secretary of defense. How much time and attention are given to the legal and moral intricacies of war-making no doubt varies from branch to branch, unit to unit, commander to commander of the military. Whatever enlistees or officers are taught about resisting illegal orders is, of course, wildly outweighed by what theyre taught about the need to obey orders, which is inculcated into them until it becomes a reflexive response. Military units arent debating societies for good reason and military training strongly discourages disobedience of any sort, but even more to the point, what is or isnt legal isnt necessarily clear-cut. Military law can hold servicemembers accountable for participating in illegal actions, even if they were following orders. Nonetheless, a recent survey found that, while four out of five active-duty troops understand their obligation to disobey illegal orders, they are far less clear on what orders they would disobey. Starving [a] civilian population or shooting unarmed civilians were cited most often as orders so obviously unlawful that they would be disobeyed, but by only 43% and 45% of those responding to each possibility. Yet, when asked if they would follow an order to shoot into a crowd of unarmed civilians protesting U.S. government policy and refusing to disperse, 59% said they would. Civil courts have waffled and disagreed about whether recent orders to the military are legal and the Trump administration has been known to ignore rulings that go against it. For instance, assessments of the legality of sending National Guard troops from different states into Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, Portland (Oregon), and Washington, D.C. have changed almost weekly. And while legal experts generally agree that the airstrikes on what may or may not be drug-running boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean are illegal under international law, Congress is just beginning to dip its toe into the issue. If the courts and Congress cant figure all this out, imagine the risk for servicemembers, especially in the lower ranks, trying to do so on their own. Ready Response Team Veterans While in uniform, service members have limited speech rights and the military generally suppresses dissent, so veterans are in a far better position to question military policy. Veterans For Peace (VFP) used the uproar over the lawmakers video to reinforce its opposition to the murderous airstrikes in the Caribbean, genocide in Gaza, and the deployment of troops to American cities. They and other veteran-related organizations have long been pushing back at iffy, illegal, or immoral orders, often by committing disobedience of the civil kind. Here is a distinctly incomplete rundown of some of their actions. On Easter Sunday 2024, VFP member Larry Hebert, an Air Force senior airman then on active duty in Spain, began a hunger strike in front of the White House to protest U.S. support for Israels war in Gaza. He was inspired by the resolve of Aaron Bushnell, also an active-duty airman, who had set himself on fire at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., the month before to protest that nightmare. When Hebert was ordered back to his base, two VFP members took his place. As the barbarity in Gaza progressed, antiwar veterans continued their opposition in the Peoples Arms Embargo, a series of protests blocking entrances to Travis Air Force Base in California, where planes were taking off to deliver weapons to Israel. Twelve people were arrested at a protest there on April 9th of this year. Next came a 10-day Fast for Gaza, which ended this past Memorial Day. That protest grew out of a conversation between two veteran activists, Mike Ferner, a Navy corpsman during the Vietnam era, and Phil Tottenham, who had served in the Marines more recently. VFP took up the idea and 38 other organizations joined in to demand full humanitarian aid for Gaza and an end to U.S. weapons deliveries to Israel. About 800 people took part in the fast around the country, while a handful of regulars staged a hunger strike outside the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. That fast culminated in a die-in at the Israeli mission in New York City, where 28 people were arrested, after which Ferner threw barely defrosted, bright red cows blood on a window at the American U.N. mission. He, too, got arrested. When Trump made good on his threats to send National Guard troops into American cities, these actions expanded to include resistance there. In September, aiming to speak directly to active-duty, reserve, and National Guard personnel, the progressive foreign policy coalition Win Without War launched a new project, Not What You Signed Up For. That project began with a mobile billboard and posters in Washington, D.C., asking, Is this what you signed up for? and directing anyone with questions or misgivings to a website listing three counseling and support organizations: About Face: Veterans Against the War, the GI Rights Hotline, and the National Lawyers Guilds Military Law Task Force. Billboards subsequently went up near Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and near U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Florida, among other places. In the projects first month, the accompanying resource webpage got about 8,000 unique visitors. By November, it was nearly 20,000. About Face Organizing Director Brittany DeBarros says that she alone spoke with more than 100 active servicemembers looking for support this year. In June, on the eve of the nationwide No Kings protests and the costly Trump birthday celebration (also known as the Armys 250th anniversary parade), members of VFP and About Face, ranging in age from their 20s to 87, held a sit-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to protest Trumps National Guard deployments. About 60 of them were charged with crossing a police line and arrested, including that 87 year old. Which takes us to this Veterans Day, when military-affiliated and labor union antiwar groups organized their own celebrations under the banner Vets Say No, as protests against the administrations use (and misuse) of the military only continued to grow. Crowds gathered in cities around the country, including in Washington, D.C. and a frigid Boston. While this isnt yet enough to constitute a trend, let alone a movement of resistance within the military, it gives that controversy over the video of those Democratic legislators a necessary (and underreported) context. It also suggests at least one reason why President Trump was so eager to deflect attention from the import of their message. Of course, what he said in response to them wasnt just meant to change the subject. It was typical of his usual intolerance of any challenge to his version of authority. And I dont mean to minimize the importance of what those Democrat politicians did either. Though theyre only a handful of the 98 veterans in Congress and in the minority party, they have the standing to be heard, including among their colleagues. Its possible, for instance, that their outspokenness lent both cover and courage to other legislators on both sides of the aisle to question, as they recently did, the legality of the militarys murky and wildly destructive acts off the Venezuelan coast. What I want to do here is refocus attention on the underlying message in that video from congressional representatives and its significance for enlistees, reservists, and part-time military members: that they have the power as individuals and supportive groups to resist what they know to be wrong. Admittedly, doing so will be anything but easy. It may be scary, confusing, and lonely. But simply recognizing that you have the legal capacity to do whats right is no small thing. It may even help protect servicemembers against the soul-crushing transgression of ones innate moral code that has come to be known as moral injury. When military members have claimed such power and refused blind military obedience during the Vietnam War and the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq it has had a significant impact on this countrys politics and policies, as well as on individual lives. But of course, the responsibility doesnt fall only to the people in our military. Maybe we could all join in on a chorus or two of doin-the-right-thing rag. Copyright 2025 Nan Levinson Via Tomdispatch.com North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to report significant new high-grade gold results from 4,040.90 meters of underground infill and grade control drilling at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji ("Tuvatu"). The drilling was focused on the Zone 5 part of the mine and primarily targeted the down dip extension of the UR2 lode below levels 1084 and 1066, which are the lowest levels of the current mine development. Drilling was conducted from one near surface underground drill station on the 1135 level. The Company intersected high-grade mineralization in 17 out of 22 drillholes with two drill holes abandoned. Most of the high-grade drill intersects are located within 20 m to 60 m below level 1084. Due to the proximity of these drill results to existing workings, most of these drill intercepts are anticipated to be incorporated into the mine plan in the next three to twelve months. The deepest high-grade interval (16.09 g/t gold over 1.0 m, TGC-0503) was intersected approximately 125 m below level 1084. This represents approximately 6 additional levels of mining and indicates a strong vertical continuity of the high-grade structures in this part of the deposit. The headline intercept of 99.13 g/t gold over 3.3 m includes two very high-grade sub-intervals of 459.05 g/t gold over 0.3 m and 338.00 g/t gold over 0.5 m, and is located approximately 60 m below level 1084. Previous drilling in this part of the deposit returned similar high grade results over narrow widths, such as 236.00 g/t gold over 0.4 m (see news release dated May 1, 2025). Top New Drill Results: 99.13 g/t Au over 3.3 m (including 459.05 g/t Au over 0.3 m and 338.00 g/t over 0.5 m) (TGC-0454, from 136.4 m depth) (including 459.05 g/t Au over 0.3 m and 338.00 g/t over 0.5 m) (TGC-0454, from 136.4 m depth) 218.31 g/t Au over 1.2 m (including 366.00 g/t Au over 0.6 m) (TGC-0457, from 109 m depth) (including 366.00 g/t Au over 0.6 m) (TGC-0457, from 109 m depth) 24.86 g/t Au over 4.6 m (including 56.29 g/t Au over 0.5 m) (TGC-0482, from 133.92 m depth) *Drill intersects are downhole lengths, 3.0 g/t cutoff. True width not known. See Table 1 for additional data. Figure 1. Location of the Zone 5 drilling reported in this news release. Left image: Plan view of the Zone 5 drilling in relation to the mineralized lodes shown in grey, with Tuvatu underground development shown in red. Right image: Section view of the Zone 5 drilling looking West. The primary target for the Zone 5 drilling is are the down-dip extension of the Zone 5 lodes below current underground workings in the northern part of the deposit. Zone 5 Drilling The Zone 5 area of Tuvatu is located on the east side of the deposit and includes the principal north-south and northeast-southwest oriented lodes. The drilling reported in this news release targeted the near-surface portion of the UR2 lode down-dip of current underground developments. The UR2 lode is one of the main north-south oriented lodes in Zone 5. It has a strike length of approximately 600 m and dips steeply to the east. Mine development is currently taking place along the UR2 lode both at the top of the mine, along levels 1150 and 1170, as well as at the bottom of the mine along levels 1084 and 1066/1068, which are the deepest levels in Zone 5. Level 1084 has over 300 m of development completed along strike, while Level 1066/1068 is under development. The drilling was conducted from one underground drill station, the 1135 drill station, and targeted a panel of the UR2 lode approximately 125 m in strike length and 60 m in height, with a few drillholes targeting deeper sections of the lode. 17 of the drillholes intersected high-grade intercepts, most of which were 20 m to 60 m below level 1084, including the headline intercepts of 3.3 m of 99.13 g/t gold and 1.2 m of 218.31 g/t gold. The deepest high-grade intercept returned in this drill program was 16.09 g/t gold over 1.0 m, which was intersected 125 m below level 1084. This represents an additional 6 levels of mining and indicates strong vertical continuity the high-grade material. The two most northern drillholes of the program, TGC-0493 and TGC-0495, did not intersect significant mineralization. Additional drilling is warranted in this area. The down-dip drill program returned numerous high-grade drill intersects over narrow widths, such as 459.05 g/t over 0.3 m, 366.00 g/t over 0.6 m, and 338.00 g/t over 0.5 m. These types of narrow intersects are typical at the Tuvatu deposit as the mineralized structures tend to be quite narrow. However, the structures also pinch and swell along strike and as a result there are some larger high-grade intervals that were also returned, such as 4.6 m of 24.86 g/t gold. The drillholes reported here were designed to intersect the mineralized lodes in a perpendicular to sub-perpendicular orientation such that the mineralized intervals approximate the true width of the mineralization. Highlights of the Zone 5 UR2 down-dip drill program included in this release are shown in Figure 2. Most of the high-grade intersects reported here are anticipated to be mined within the next 3 to 12 months. Figure 2. Zone 5 down-dip drilling with high-grade intercepts highlighted, 3.0 g/t gold cutoff. Left image: Plan view looking down with high-grade intercepts highlighted. Right image: Section view looking West, showing the same high-grade intercepts. The drill holes shown here targeted the down-dip extension of the UR2 lode below current mine development in the north part of Zone 5. High-grade intercepts were returned up to 125 m below the 1084 level, with the headline intercept of 99.13 g/t gold located 60 m below the 1084 level. Tuvatu underground development shown in pale grey. Note on Composite Grades The drill holes reported in this news release are oriented approximately perpendicular to mineralization. The reported intercepts therefore approximate the true width of mineralization. The minimum mining width at Tuvatu is approximately 1.5 m. In reporting drillhole intercepts Lion One uses a grade composite cut-off of 3 g/t gold with <1 m internal dilution at <3 g/t gold. Drill hole intervals that are <3 g/t gold are below cutoff and are not included in Table 2. Competent Person's Statement In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43- 101"), Melvyn Levrel, MAIG, Senior Geologist for Lion One Metals, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. Lion One Laboratories / QAQC Lion One adheres to rigorous QAQC procedures above and beyond basic regulatory guidelines in conducting its drilling, sampling, testing, and analyses. The Company operates its own geochemical assay laboratory and its own fleet of diamond drill rigs using PQ, HQ and NQ sized drill rods. The Lion One geochemical laboratory is accredited under the IANZ ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Standard - the international standard for testing and calibration of laboratories. Diamond drill core samples are logged by Lion One personnel on site. Exploration diamond drill core is split by Lion One personnel on site, with half core samples sent for analysis and the other half core remaining on site. Grade control diamond drill core is whole core assayed. Core samples are delivered to the Lion One Laboratory for preparation and analysis. All samples are pulverized at the Lion One lab to 85% passing through 75 microns and gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that return grades greater than 10.00 g/t Au are re-analyzed by gravimetric method, which is considered more accurate for very high-grade samples. Duplicates of 5% of samples with grades above 0.5 g/t Au are delivered to ALS Global Laboratories in Australia for check assay determinations using the same methods (Au-AA26 and Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyses 33 pathfinder elements by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES (method ME-ICP61). The Lion One lab can test a range of up to 71 elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 29 important pathfinder elements with an aqua regia digest and ICP-OES finish. About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Walter Berukoff, Chairman & President Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or the adequacy or accuracy of this release This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labor or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Appendix 1: Full Drill Results and Collar Information Table 1. Collar coordinates for drillholes reported in this release. Coordinates are in Fiji map grid. Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Depth TGC-0428 1876383 3920627 127 65.7 -27.3 140.0 TGC-0435 1876383 3920627 127 65.3 -37.9 150.1 TGC-0454 1876383 3920627 127 65.4 -44.8 162.6 TGC-0457 1876384 3920627 127 79.8 -27.3 131.6 TGC-0458 1876383 3920627 127 74.5 -44.7 153.0 TGC-0459 1876383 3920627 127 74.4 -40.7 146.0 TGC-0460 1876384 3920627 127 74.4 -33.5 139.1 TGC-0462 1876384 3920626 127 87.0 -35.8 138.0 TGC-0463 1876383 3920626 127 86.8 -47.6 160.3 TGC-0465 1876383 3920626 127 96.0 -43.6 155.5 TGC-0467 1876384 3920626 127 94.9 -28.9 135.5 TGC-0468 1876384 3920625 127 106.2 -27.0 155.7 TGC-0469 1876383 3920625 127 106.1 -36.0 153.0 TGC-0470 1876383 3920625 126 123.1 -49.3 450.0 TGC-0482 1876383 3920628 128 45.1 -14.0 164.2 TGC-0487 1876383 3920628 127 44.6 -24.3 167.0 TGC-0490 1876383 3920628 127 50.0 -35.1 10.0 TGC-0491 1876383 3920628 127 49.9 -31.6 166.0 TGC-0493 1876383 3920629 128 33.1 -16.4 206.0 TGC-0495 1876382 3920629 127 29.6 -25.8 230.0 TGC-0502 1876383 3920625 127 113.1 -45.0 40.4 TGC-0503 1876383 3920626 127 89.2 -58.8 290.7 TGC-0509 1876383 3920628 127 47.3 -44.5 206.2 TGC-0514 1876383 3920628 127 52.6 -49.8 190.0 Table 2. Composite intervals from drillholes reported in this news release (composite grade >3.0 g/t Au, with <1 m internal dilution at <3.0 g/t Au). Intervals are colour coded based on grade. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Tajiri Resources Corp. (TSXV: TAJ) ("Tajiri" or the "Company") is pleased to report results of initial trenching from its majority-owned Yono Gold Property contiguous to the multi-million ounce gold endowmenti shared between the properties of G2 Goldfields Inc. "G2" and G Mining Ventures Corp. "GMin." Seven trenches reported today were excavated, except for YTR3 which tested better auger values along the northern boundary of the Property, to gather stratigraphic and structural information prior to the receipt of the Company's initial auger results. Although the trenches reported today did not test the most anomalous auger results previously announced October 7th and November 6th, 2025, multiple zones of gold mineralisation were intersected including several higher-grade intervals. Notably, the style of higher-grade mineralisation observed at Yono closely resembles that at G2's Oko Main Zone ("OMZ"), where high-grade gold is hosted in narrow shear zones along contacts between graphitic metasediments with other lithologies as reported in the 43-101 of Lewis et al. 2025i. All trench results are tabulated in the appended Table of Significant Intersections and the locations of trenches and mineralised intervals are shown in Figure 1 while a description of the methodology employed in trench sampling is given after the Table of Intersections. The length of trenching reported herein totals 1,032 meters and all reported intercepts are intersected not true widths. *View all Figures associated with this announcement visit https://tinyurl.com/TAJ-TrenchingNo1 Trench Highlights i) Trench YTR 2 a 14m long trench intersected 2m @ 30.2 g/t Au from 10m (all trenches have been sampled from west to east) associated with quartz veinlets associated with the contact between a 4m wide graphitic unit and volcaniclastics. The trench was dug near previously reported grab samples which returned up to 800g/t, from quartz rubble in a small artisanal working. The trench is limited on its eastern side by a large area of alluvial workings. The association of a narrow high-grade interval with graphitic metasediments is comparable to mineralisation at OMZ and given the location of the intersection in YTR2 near the projected extensions of the western zones at OMZ it may represent a continuation of the western part of OMZ into Yono. Approximately 80m of prospective ground remains to the east beneath alluvial workings and the trench will be extended to the west to close any potential across strike gap with YTR1. ii) Trench YTR4 intersected 2m @ 41.3g/t Au, together with additional lower grade intervals of 2m @ 2.65g/t and 3m @ 1.2g/t Au. The mineralisation is associated with the contacts of a narrow west dipping diorite and lie 20-40m to the west of a ~200m thick unit of carbonaceous siltstones (see Figures 4 & 5). The contacts exhibit weak shearing, early deformed and later extensional quartz and quartz carbonate veins. The western contact exhibits a marked zone of brecciation with a matrix enriched in iron and manganese oxides together with minor fuchsite. If one includes all the mineralisation between 34 and 53m (internal dilution of up to 8m) then the combined interval gives a length weighted intercept of 19m @ 4.6g/t. iii) Trench YTR3 returned 0.3m @ 6.2g/t Au from 80m on the eastern contact between a ~40m thick unit of graphitic metasediments interbedded with volcaniclastics (see Figure 2 A). While narrow, the intersection confirms the contact is gold-bearing. Given the short strike lengths of mineralised shoots at OMZ associated with significant resources (e.g. most of the ~ 500k oz gold resource in Shear Zone 5 is contained within a strike a length of ~ 150mi and begins ~100m below surface) the contact remains highly prospective to "blossom" along strike or down dip. YTR3 also intersected a broader low-grade interval- 20m @ 0.2g/t Au from 34m-54m associated with the western contact of the graphitic metasediment unit. During mapping, given the presence of unsampled quartz-carbonate vein fragments in the upper portions of the trench and that west of ~ 65m along the trench geology strikes subparallel to the trench, the low-grade zone was interpreted to be wall rock mineralisation of a vein zone striking subparallel to YTR3. Subsequently, YTR16 was excavated perpendicular to YT3. While assays are yet to be received for YTR16 the trench intersected an intense zone of quartz carbonate veining and alteration of ~ 8m width (4-14m) with less intense veining and alteration present over its entire 20m length (see Figure 2B). Panning of several veins has returned 60->100 very fine eyes of gold but given the gold's grain size, veining may yet to be shown to be only weakly mineralised. Importantly mapping of YTR16 and YTR3 has revealed the unit of interbedded carbonaceous sediments and volcaniclastics hosting the veins is strongly folded around late F2 or F3 fold axes striking 065-075 and plunging southwest into Yono. The gold bearing quartz-carbonate veins also appear to be fold controlled occurring along the foliation and contact parallel zones forming axial planar, leg and saddle reefs. This structural configuration is similar to that given in Figure 4 of the Company's November 6th, 2025 press release (reproduced here as Figure 3) and is in strong concordance with structural observations on the controls on mineralisation at both OMZ and GMin's Oko West Deposit "OKWD" (as described in the 43-101s referenced in the end notei). As such, late F2/F3 folds have potential to both localise higher-grade mineralised shoots within generally north-south striking structures and lithologies and to host mineralisation along the ENE-WSW strike and plunge of the late folds (see Figure 4). iv) Trench YTR7 intersected 1m @ 10.8g/t Au potentially extending mineralisation 50m into Yono from the NE trending Ghanie West Artisanal Working. However, the mapped orientation of the zone- striking NNE- also suggests the zone may be associated with a ~north-south striking splay structures related to the OKWD. v) Other Trenches YTR1, YTR5, the central portion of YTR4 and YTR4A intersected lower tenor mineralisation (e.g. 2m @ 2.8g/t & 6m @ 0.6g/t Au). While modest, these results demonstrate the occurrence of multiple mineralised zones within Yono that may improve along strike or down dip. This is a marked feature of mineralisation in the Yono-Oko district where gold mineralisation post dates vein formation as elucidated by Davis and reported in Lewis et al 2025 i : Dead zones in veins are to be expected. This is because the veins are simply hosts but pre-date the mineralisation. The intersection of a permeability network that has been accessed by gold-bearing fluids after vein formation is necessary to produce zones of significant mineralisation. As such, identification of competent hosts (i.e. the veins) and the prospective shears is critical. Keep in mind that other competent hosts favourable for formation of gold depositional sites (e.g. zones of alteration, rigid igneous intrusions, homogenous and massive sedimentary units), may be present. If all the criteria are present but grade isn't, it means we are on the prospective structure and that more drilling is justified. A lack of gold in assay means this is the cliche of a technical success and that good grades may be very close by, just not in the small-volume sample in the initial hole. Exploration Progress Currently a 2,610m trenching program, targeting better auger anomalies is underway. To date, 1,135 m has been completed. Field operations will pause for Christmas between December 18 and January 12. Trenching and mapping has identified duricrust and underlying mottled zone capping a large portion of Yono (see Figure 6). Test pits along YTR10 has revealed the duricrust and mottled zone and thus potential zone of strong surficial gold depletion can reach depths of at least 12m. As a result, the Company is evaluating power auger drilling and/or shallow RC drilling to effectively test gold anomalies beneath the duricrust cap. Summary & Outlook Initial trenching, despite being uniformed by auger results, has intersected multiple zones of gold mineralisation with potential to develop along strike or at depth. Mineralisation style associated with the higher-grade intercepts within Yono closely resembles that at OMZ where (as reported in Lewis et al 2025i) gold is concentrated in narrow high-grade shoots along graphitic contacts. Mapping of YTR16 suggest late ENE trending folding may play a key role in localising mineralisation along structures and contacts of gross north-south strike and/or extending mineralisation along the previously untested ENE strike direction. A substantial strike length and thickness of graphitic metasediments is indicated within Yono, extending from YTR3 in the north, through YTR4 and continuing southwards (Figure 4). Given the strong control this lithology plays in hosting high-grade gold mineralisation at OMZ and the confirmation that the contacts of the graphitic unit within Yono are mineralised, the entire strike extent of this graphitic unit emerges as a large compelling first order exploration target within the central area of Yono. Given the presence and potential importance of the graphitic units within Yono to host significant mineralisation, and that graphitic lithologies respond well to electromagnetic survey methods, the company is currently assessing initiating high-resolution IP/Resistivity and/or TEM surveys in early 2026 to both delineate graphitic units and locate potential sulphide accumulations associated with potential mineralisation across Yono. President and CEO of Tajiri, Mr. Graham Kevil commented: "These first trench results confirm Yono hosts multiple zones of mineralization as well as high-grade gold localised in what can now be deemed to be readily identifiable structural and stratigraphic settings. These settings are directly analogous to those of the neighbouring deposits hosting the multi-million ounce gold resourcesi of G Mining Ventures and G2 Goldfields. As our exploration and understanding progress, our confidence grows that not only will Yono play an important role in the ongoing development of these other regional deposits, but that Yono has potential to deliver significant new and material gold discoveries. We look forward to receiving further results from trenching and advancing to drill testing in 2026." On Behalf of the Board, Tajiri Resources Corp. Graham Keevil, President & CEO About Tajiri Resources Tajiri Resources Corp. is a junior gold exploration and development Company with exploration assets located in the emerging premier gold destination of Guyana, South America. Lead by a team of industry professionals with a combined 100 plus years' experience - 40 of that in Guyana; and a track record of discovering ~20 million ounces of gold in Western Australia, West Africa and Guyana- the Company's goal is to generate the highest possible returns for shareholders through exploration and discovery. Methodology Trenches were dug by a 25 tonne New Holland excavator, rented by the Company. Ground is first cleared and soil and laterite overburden is removed to a depth 2-4m in an upper bench. Thence the trench is dug to a total depth of 6-7m (2-3m below the upper bench) to reach underlying saprolite where possible. Sampling is routinely conducted as horizontal channels taken on the south side of the trench along the floor mostly as 2m continuous composites. The entire length of a trench is sampled and in areas of potential interest the sampling interval may be tailored to the interval of interest with sample intervals of 1m or less if required (e.g. YTR3 @ 80-80.3m). Trench walls are cleaned prior to channel sampling, preventing contamination from higher in the weathered profile. All trenches are sampled from west to east and intervals reported herein are referenced from the western end of trenches. Orientations and positions of all reported trenches and intersections are shown in Figure 1 together with the mineralised intervals referred to in the Table of significant intersections. Except for Trenches YTR6 and YTR7 all trenches were excavated in an east west orientation to cut inferred dominant north-south striking zones. Samples, weighing typically between 2-5kg, are bagged and labelled immediately after sampling and stored on site until transport to either Actlabs or MSA laboratories in Georgetown Guyana, respecting industry standard chain of custody procedures. At Actlabs samples are dried and crushed to 80% passing 2mm and a 250g aliquot is riffle split and pulverised and analysed by 50-gram fire assay. At MSA labs a 1,000-gram aliquot is pulverised. Initial assay readings are by atomic absorption with samples returning values greater than 3.0g/t being re-assayed with a gravimetric finish. The detection limit for both laboratories is 5ppb. The company inserts a QA/QC sample every 10th sample alternating between duplicates, blanks and standards. Bulk rejects and pulps are retained for 3 months for any required re-assay after which bulk rejects are discarded and pulps retained. Qualified Person The scientific and technical contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Dominic O'Sullivan B.Sc. and Executive Chairman of the Company. Mr. O'Sullivan is an Honours Graduate of the University of Sydney and a member of the AusIMM and a qualified person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward- looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release, including without limitation; estimated timing, obtaining the final approval of the TSXV, geological interpretations relating to the Yono Gold Property and potential mineral recovery processes or results. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward- looking statements. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy and / or accuracy of this release. Table of Significant Trench Intercepts Trench Total Length Metres From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t YTR1 180 64 66 2 2.8 110 112 2 0.4 136 142 6 0.6 168 170 2 2.6 YTR2 14 10 12 2 30.6 YTR3 100 36 56 20 0.2 80 80.3 0.3 6.2 YTR4 288 34 36 2 2.3 44 47 3 1.2 51 53 2 41.3 126 128 2 0.2 148 150 2 0.2 YTR 4A 24 8 10 2 0.3 22 24 2 0.2 YTR5 264 98 100 1 0.6 212 218 8 0.4 YTR6 112 N.S.A YTR7 50 40 41 1 10.8 Intercepts are reported with a maximum of 2m of internal dilution at a cutoff grade of 0.2g/t. Internal dilution has only been applied to the intervals 36-56m in YT3 and 212-218m in YTR5. All intervals are given as the intersected widths and while strikes and dips of structures, contacts and veins associated with mineralised intervals have been measured during routine mapping of the trenches, given the early nature of exploration and the fact that vein orientations within shear zones commonly occupy an array or orientations often oblique to the true strike and width of a mineralised zones we cannot at this stage give a true width for the mineralised intervals given in the above table. End notes The disclosure in this news release includes information on properties adjacent to Tajiri's projects. Tajiri has no interest in or rights to acquire any interest in such adjacent properties, and the information presented is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Yono Gold Property. The results from adjacent properties are disclosed strictly to provide context and should not be interpreted as suggesting that similar results will be obtained from the Yono Gold Property. Mineral Resources quantified for the neighbouring properties may be found on p17 and p1-14 respectively of the below referenced Technical Reports. Lewis W. J., Sarkar C., San Martin A.J. & Gowans R. (2025) NI 43-101 Technical Report for the 2025 Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Oko Gold Property in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, South America, Effective Date March1, 2025; Report Date: April 24, 2025. Micon International; report prepared for G2 Goldfields Inc. https://g2goldfields.com/technical/ Beaulieu C, Leahy K., Lincoln N., Burelle A., Guido S., Murphy P., Behrens da Franca P.R,. (2025) Feasibility Study NI43-101 Technical Report Oko West Project, Effective Date April 28, 2025, Issue Date June 06, 2025. G Mining Services; report prepared for G Mining Ventures. Click here to access the resource. Summary Resources are tabulated below and total Open Pit and Underground resources: December 10, 2025 Rockport, Ontario TheNewswire - New Age Metals Inc. (TSX.V: NAM | OTCQB: NMTLF | FSE: P7J) (NAM or the Company) is pleased to announce that effective December 8th, 2025 it has entered into an option agreement, after completing its due diligence, with an arms-length third parties - Mr. Troy Gallik (75%) and Shaun Holmes (25%), local Kenora Gold District prospectors. The Lavender Property consists of 64 mining claims and 1 patented mining claim totalling 1,335 ha (3,299 acres). The adjacent Gibi Property consists of 186 mining claims, totalling 3,881 ha (9,590 acres). These two Properties are located ~25 km southeast of Kenora in northwestern Ontario. The Company has the option to acquire a 100% of the Properties subject to a 2% net smelter return (NSR) royalty, which the Company has an option to buy down the royalty to 1% for $1 million. With the completion of this acquisition, alongside the recently announced Magnet Lake Property, NAM continues to consolidate its position within the Bonanza Ridge Gold and Critical Metals Project area (see news release dated October 27, 2025: New Age Metals Receives Exchange Approval for Bonanza Gold Project, Kenora Gold District, Ontario). The combined land position now forms a ~8,500 ha, strategically located exploration portfolio within the Kenora Gold District, an emerging Ontario jurisdiction for both precious and critical metals. Highlights Multiple possible mineralized structural targets across both properties, with known Au and Cu mineral occurrences (Table 1 below). Excellent year-round access and infrastructure, including nearby highways, boat access, logging roads, and proximal 240 kV provincial power transmission lines. Strategic location ~25 km southeast of Kenora, providing direct access to mining services, skilled labour, and logistical support in a longstanding exploration district. Historic and recent surface sampling confirms mineralization at surface, including copper and gold values requiring follow-up (grab samples are selective and not representative of the overall mineralized system see table 1 below) Occurs along the same structural corridor that hosts multiple verified gold occurrences within NAMs expanding Bonanza Ridge Gold and Critical Metals Project see news release dated October 27, 2025: New Age Metals Receives Exchange Approval for Bonanza Gold Project, Kenora Gold District, Ontario Minimal modern exploration, leaving the majority of high-priority targets untested for drilling or detailed geophysics. Eric Sprott is NAMs largest shareholder Harry Barr, Chairman and CEO, commented: We are pleased to further expand our project portfolio in the mining-friendly Kenora Gold and Critical Metals District. This acquisition creates substantial new opportunities for both base-metal and precious-metal exploration in an area that remains under-explored. NAM remains a well-financed critical and precious metals exploration and development company, actively growing a diversified portfolio across gold, antimony, lithium, platinum group metals, and copper. NAMs corporate objective has been to acquire and develop mineral properties capable of generating projects attractive to mid-tier and major producers. This new project further strengthens our critical and precious metals portfolio and supports our long-term commitment to creating value for our shareholders. Due Diligence Site Visit and Sampling Results A due diligence site visit and verification sampling program was successfully executed in mid-October 2025. Eight grab samples were taken from quartz veins, basalt, gabbro, and sulphide zones at two prospects distributed throughout the Lavender Property. The mineralization occurs in mafic volcanic to mafic and ultramafic rocks that host visible chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, and localized malachite. The rocks are cut by a regional high-strain zone and related property-scale and smaller-scale structures spatially associated with hydrothermal mineralization in greenschist facies metamorphosed rocks. Due to time constraints, the site visit and sampling efforts focused on the Lavender Property; the Gibi Property, south and east adjacent to Lavender, was not visited. The mineral occurrences sampled, and RUSH multi-element assay results are shown in Figure 1 and listed in Table 1. Photographs of selected samples are shown in Figure 2. The due diligence program successfully confirmed the presence of copper mineralization on the property. Particularly at the Pogson Trench prospect and defined elevated copper contents in newly sampled areas along the Pogson Trench trend on the Lavender Property. Figure 1. Grab Sample Assay results for Due Diligence Verification on the Lavender Property. Also highlights Triggs Showing with previous Due Diligence samples referenced here: see news release dated October 27, 2025: New Age Metals Receives Exchange Approval for Bonanza Gold Project, Kenora Gold District, Ontario Table 1. Due Diligence Sample Assays for the Lavender Property Sample ID Prospect Easting (NAD 83) Northing (NAD 83) Au (ppb) Cu (ppm) Ni (ppm) Description 572595 Pogson Trench 416202 5497860 14 1,620 35 Strong alteration, moderate sulphides. Small trench on trend with Pogson Trench 572596 Pogson Trench 416425 5497962 28 5,454 91 Strong alteration, moderate sulphides such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite. South end of Pogson Trench 572597 Pogson Trench 416424 5497970 172 10,014 99 Strong alteration, moderate pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite and trace malachite. North end of Pogson Trench 572598 Pogson Trench 416423 5497967 108 6,695 123 Mineralized quartz stringers with trace malachite. Float from the Pogson Trench 572599 Pogson Trench 416370 5497935 11 897 521 Small 2 x 3 m size trench on trend with the Pogson Trench. Semi-massive pyrite and pyrrhotite 572600 Pogson Trench 416057 5497887 70 4,000 177 Newly discovered outcrop with moderate sulphides on trend with the Pogson Trench 572601 F35 Shear 418528 5499400 <5 49 <10 Strong alteration in quartz vein. Moderate sulphides 572602 F35 Shear 418582 5499392 <5 379 <10 Moderate sulphides in rusty quartz vn Cautionary Note: Grab rock (outcrop and boulder) samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades on the Magnet Lake Property. These results are preliminary in nature and not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of the occurrence of a mineral deposit. However, these samples demonstrate significant copper (and gold) mineralization potential on parts of the Property. Figure 2. Photographs of Selected Due Diligence Samples Collected by NAM Technical Representatives. The Bonanza Ridge Gold and Critical Metals Project and Kenora Gold District The acquisition of the Lavender Lake and South Gibi Lake Properties marks a further expansion of NAMs emerging district-scale Bonanza Ridge Gold and Critical Metals Project in the highly prospective Kenora Gold District. Located along a favourable regional structural trend and directly adjacent to NAMs flagship Bonanza Gold Property, the new ground meaningfully increases the Companys exploration footprint over one of the most prospective greenstone belts in Northwestern Ontario. These properties provide large areas of untested geology with multiple mapped mineralized trends and historical occurrences, highlighting potential for both gold systems and critical metals shown in Figure 3. Their position along the Witch BayGibi Lake High Strain Zone enhances the potential for structurally hosted sulphide-rich mineralization similar to that targeted at NAMs adjoining claims. Figure 3. Ontario Geological Survey regional geology map with key property acquisitions that comprise the Bonanza Ridge Gold and Critical Metals Project. Lavender Lake and Gibi Properties (hashed purple area) shown as one Property. Known mineralized prospects shown in yellow diamonds. Regional deformation zone outlined by dashed lines. With infrastructure, road access, and powerline proximity already in place, NAM is now positioned to advance a broader, more integrated exploration strategy across the consolidated land package. As work progresses, the Company intends to prioritize new target generation, structural modelling, and field verification to support a future discovery-driven drill campaign. The Kenora Gold District is a historic gold-producing region known since the late 1800s for its Archean lode-gold deposits and continues to see renewed investment from major and mid-tier mining companies. Supported by year-round access, skilled labour, and expanding development activity, the region remains one of Ontarios most attractive opportunities for new gold and critical-metal discoveries. Terms of the Option Agreement To exercise the Option, NAMs agreement calls for a series of cash payments and share issuances to the Prospectors, exploration expenditures on the Project. Any share payments that become issuable under the terms of the agreement will be based on a 10-day trading average prior to the date of issuance, subject to a minimum deemed issue price of $0.255 per share. NAM has the ability to terminate the agreement any time after the first years commitments have been completed. There are no finders fees payable in connection with this transaction. Lavender Lake Property Date / Milestone Cash Payment NAM Common Shares Within 10 days of Regulatory Approval $15,000 $15,000 in shares Year 1 (from regulatory approval) $30,000 $30,000 in shares Year 2 (from regulatory approval) $37,500 $37,500 in shares Year 3 (from regulatory approval) $70,000 $70,000 in shares Gibi Lake South Property Date / Milestone Cash Payment NAM Common Shares Within 10 days of Regulatory Approval $7,500 $7,500 in shares Year 1 (from regulatory approval) $12,500 $12,500 in shares Year 2 (from regulatory approval) $15,000 $15,000 in shares Year 3 (from regulatory approval) $15,000 $15,000 in shares The transaction and any securities issued in connection with the agreement are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and a four-month plus one day hold period in accordance with applicable Securities Laws. Analytical Methods, Chain of Custody, and Quality Assurance/Quality Control NAM maintained a rigorous QA/QC protocol for all the verification rock samples collected for due diligence purposes. Two certified reference materials (CRMs) were inserted into the sample batch. The CRMs were sourced from industry-certified providers and selected to match, as closely as possible, the expected mineralization style and grade ranges of the due diligence samples. All samples were individually sealed in heavy-duty plastic bags, labelled with unique sample numbers, and placed into rice bags for transport. Continuous possession of the samples was maintained until they were dropped off at a courier service in Saskatoon for express delivery to SGS Canada Minerals laboratory facilities in Burnaby, British Columbia. At this facility, the samples were weighed and prepared into pulps in accordance with SGSs standard procedures before being analysed on a RUSH basis for gold and multi-element analysis. The analytical work included: Gold: Au exploration grade50 g Fire Assay with Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) (reporting limits 5 to 10,000 ppb) (GE_FAA50V5 Gold: Au over limit analysis ore grade 50 gFire Assay with Gravimetric Finish (reporting limits 0.5 to 10,000 ppm)(GO_FAG50V) Silver: Ag over limit analysis ore grade 30 g Fire Assay with Gravimetric Finish (reporting limits 50 to 10,000 ppm) (GO_FAG37V); Multi-element: 55 element analysis sodium peroxide fusion, ICP-AES/ICP-MS, (GE_ICM90A50) Multi-element: Cu, Co, Ni, Pb, Zn over limit analysis ore grade sodium peroxide fusion, ICP-AES (GO_ICP90Q100) Internal laboratory QA/QC procedures at SGS included the insertion and analysis of certified reference materials (standards), analytical blanks and sample duplicates with the submitted samples to monitor analytical accuracy and precision. Qualified Person Dr. William Stone, P.Geo. and an independent Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and a geoscience consultant to NAM, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical data disclosure in this press release. The Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to verify the historical information on the neighbouring and other properties in the Kenora region. Nevertheless, the Qualified Person considers that historical drilling and analytical results were completed to industry standard practices. The reader is cautioned that mineral occurrences, prospects and deposits on neighbouring properties are not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Companys properties. This information may provide an indication of the exploration potential of the Properties, but might not be representative of exploration results. About NAM New Age Metals is a junior mineral exploration and development company focused on the discovery, exploration, and development of critical green metal projects in North America. The Company has three divisions: a Platinum Group Element division, a Lithium/Rare Element division, and an Antimony-Gold Division, and an investment in MetalQuest Minings (TSXV:MQM | OTC:MQMIF) high purity Lac Otelnuk Iron Project. The PGE Division includes the 100% owned, district-scale River Valley Project, one of North Americas largest undeveloped Platinum Group Element Projects, situated 100 km by road east of Sudbury, Ontario. In addition to River Valley, NAM owns 100% of the Genesis PGE-Cu-Ni Project in Alaska. The Companys Lithium Division is one of the largest mineral claim holders in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, where the Company is exploring hard rock lithium and various rare elements such as tantalum, rubidium, and cesium. NAM is developing its lithium division in conjunction with its Farm-in/Joint Venture agreement with Mineral Resources Ltd. (MinRes), one of the worlds largest lithium producers. A minimum budget to maintain the Projects has been approved by Mineral Resources Ltd for May 2025 to April 2026. The Companies agreed to the minimum budget due to current lithium pricing and forest fire dangers in the immediate area In April 2024, a $1.5M NSERC Alliance grant was awarded to a collaboration led by the University of Manitoba (Drs. Fayek and Camacho), with academic partners from Lakehead University (Dr. Hollings) and industry partners including New Age Metals and Grid Metals. This research is focused on advancing Canadas critical metals sector, with New Age Metals portion targeting its Bird River lithium properties. Approximately $107,000 of work is planned on New Ages properties in 2025. The early work will include core sampling and field visits starting this summer. The project will likely extend beyond the original 3-year term, due to its delayed start. New Age Metals Inc. is supporting a successful $180K Mitacs research grant, awarded in 2023, through its $90K contribution (already accounted for and paid under the Mineral Resources joint venture). This academic partnership with the University of New Brunswick and the University of British Columbia is focused on understanding the origin and controls of lithium pegmatite mineralization in the Cat LakeWinnipeg River field. Fieldwork for the MSc. thesis has been completed, while the post-doctoral phase is ongoing at UNB. This collaboration provides access to top-tier scientific expertise and equipment, significantly reducing analysis costs and adding long-term value to the project. NAMs Antimony-Gold division is in Newfoundland and spans over 19,800 hectares consisting of 11 non-contiguous properties. Six of these properties are in St. Albans area, along Canstars Swanger and Little River mineralized trends. The remaining 5 properties are strategically located along the same geological trend as the past-producing Beaver Brook Antimony Mine and in proximity to New Found Golds Queensway South Gold Project. Management has completed Phase 1 exploration. Phase 2 exploration has been initiated and further news will follow. On July 30th, the Company was pleased to announce that it has received formal approval under Newfoundland and Labradors Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) Program, including eligibility for the Critical Minerals Assistance (CMA) and Provincial Critical Mineral Assistance (PCMA) streams. The potential rebate total for eligible exploration activities is $71,975. The Company is actively seeking an option/joint venture partner for our and its road-accessible Genesis PGE-Cu-Ni Project in Alaska and results from our Summer/Fall Program are expected by the end of the year. On August 6, 2025, New Age Metals announced an additional investment in a 4th critical metal. NAM currently owns approximately 12.79% and holds warrants that, if exercised with todays issued and outstanding shares of MQM, would bring NAM to a 19.05% interest in MetalQuest Mining inc. MetalQuest Mining inc. is developing one of North Americas largest iron projects, where approximately $120 million has been spent on the project. For more information, please visit MetalQuestMining.com . High-purity iron became a critical metal Federally in Canada and in the Provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador in 2024. In the summer of 2025, MQM has contracted AtkinsRealis, an international engineering company, to complete a GAP Analysis on the Lac Otelnuk Project and its 2015 Feasibility Study. Results are expected by mid-October 2025. Management is currently aggressively seeking new mineral acquisition opportunities on an international scale. Our philosophy is to be a project generator with the objective of optioning our projects with major and junior mining companies through to production Investors are invited to visit the New Age Metals website at www.newagemetals.com where they can review the company and its corporate activities. Any questions or comments can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Harry Barr at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Farid Mammadov at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 613 659 2773. Opt-in List If you have not done so already, we encourage you to sign up on our website (www.newagemetals.com) to receive our updated news. On behalf of the Board of Directors Harry Barr Harry G. Barr Chairman and CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results and are based on current expectations or beliefs. For this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements include statements in which the Company uses words such as continue, efforts, expect, believe, anticipate, confident, intend, strategy, plan, will, estimate, project, goal, target, prospects, optimistic or similar expressions. These statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including, among others, the Companys ability and continuation of efforts to timely and completely make available adequate current public information, additional or different regulatory and legal requirements and restrictions that may be imposed, and other factors as may be discussed in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), including the most recent reports that identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review or confirm analysts expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 17, 2025 /CNW/ - 1911 Gold Corporation ("1911 Gold" or the "Company") (TSXV: AUMB) (OTCQX: AUMBF) (FRA: 2KY) is pleased to announce the commencement of a 2,200-metre ("m") diamond drill program at the Ogama-Rockland gold deposit ("Ogama-Rockland"), located approximately 27 kilometres ("km") southeast of the True North Gold Project (which includes the mine and mill complex) (see Figure 1: Ogama-Rockland Location). One surface drill rig has been mobilized and commenced drilling on December 12, 2025, and will focus on resource expansion and confirmation drilling. Highlights: 2,200 m of surface diamond drilling planned in eight (8) drill holes designed to confirm the updated geological model and test the extensions of high-grade, shallow quartz-vein-hosted gold mineralization (see Figure 3: Plan View Proposed 2025 Drill Program ) Drilling will focus on the down-dip and along-strike extensions of the main vein system and new parallel structures identified from relogging and resampling of historical core and modelling updated data The Ogama-Rockland gold deposit currently hosts an NI 43-101 compliant inferred mineral resource 1 of 1.28 million tonnes grading 8.17 grams per tonne gold ("g/t", "Au"), for 337,000 ounces ("oz") Au Metallurgical test work will be conducted on drill core samples to confirm the suitability of the True North processing facility for the recovery of gold from Ogama-Rockland An updated underground mineral resource estimate is anticipated in the first half of 2026 ("H1-2026"), following completion of the drill program Ogama-Rockland is one of a number of historical gold producers and targets within close proximity to the True North Gold Project, highlighting the potential of the Company's 100% owned Rice Lake Exploration Properties to support possible future mining operations See technical report dated November 15, 2013, entitled "A Technical Review of the Ogama-Rockland Deposit on the Rice Lake Property, Manitoba, Canada, for Bison Gold Resources Inc.", prepared by Watts, Griffis and McOuat. "Ogama-Rockland is one of the most advanced and immediately value-accretive satellite deposits within the Company's Rice Lake Exploration Properties portfolio in the prolific Rice Lake Greenstone Belt," stated Shaun Heinrichs, President and CEO of 1911 Gold. "Historical mining demonstrated the continuity and grade potential of the vein system, but much of the deposit remains open below shallow historical workings. With our improved structural model and proximity to the True North mine and mill complex, drill testing this target represents an important step towards expanding the high-grade resource base that supports our broader, district-scale growth strategy. Upon completion of our recently announced financing, we have over $26 million in cash, which will allow us to achieve a significant amount of work in 2026 as we advance towards a mine restart in 2027." Ogama-Rockland Gold Deposit The Ogama-Rockland gold deposit is the most advanced project situated in the southeast portion of the Company's Rice Lake Exploration Properties, in an area with a number of historical high grade gold producers and targets. Ogama-Rockland is accessed from the True North Gold Project by provincial road over approximately 45 km trucking distance. The deposit is hosted in steeply north-east dipping north-west trending quartz-carbonate-pyrite veins located in brittle-ductile structures within a multiphase tonalite-granodiorite pluton over a strike length of 1.5 km (see Figure 2: 3D Isometric View). The Ogama-Rockland gold deposit is comprised of the historic Ogama and Rockland producing gold mines, which collectively produced approximately 45,000 oz of gold between 1948 and 1951 at a grade of 11.25 g/t Au1. In 2013 an inferred mineral resource estimate for the deposit outlined 1.28 million tonnes at a grade of 8.17 g/t Au, for 337,000 oz of contained gold1. The mineral resource is based on the results of 27,873 m of drilling in 77 drill holes completed between 2009 and 2012. In 2018, the Company drilled an additional six (6) confirmation drill holes for 1,899 m. A total of eight (8) main veins have been modelled hosting the resource, which remains open along strike and to depth. 1911 Gold relogged all available historical drill holes as part of the re-interpretation and sampled intervals of historical drill core not previously sampled occurring as alteration haloes and gaps in sampling from historical work. The initial drill program is designed to confirm the updated geological interpretation model and to test the potential extensions of the known mineralization. The confirmation and step out drilling will be used as the basis of an updated mineral resource estimate expected to be completed in H1-2026. Drill core generated will also be sent for metallurgical recovery test work to confirm the suitability of the True North gold processing plant to potentially process and recover gold from Ogama-Rockland. Qualified Person Statement The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michele Della Libera, P.Geo, Vice-President Exploration of 1911 Gold Corporation, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined under NI 43-101. Quality Assurance/Quality Controls (QA/QC) Core samples are collected by sawing the drill core in half along the axis, with one-half sampled, placed in plastic sample bags, labelled, sealed, and the other half retained for future reference. Batches are shipped to Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs), in Thunder Bay, Ontario for sample preparation and analysis. Samples are dried, crushed to 2mm and a 1 kg split is pulverized to -200 mesh. Gold analysis is completed by fire-assay with an atomic absorption finish on 50 grams of prepared pulp. Samples returning values greater to 10.00 g/t are reanalysed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Total gold analysis (Screen Metallic Sieve) is conducted on highly mineralized samples or the presence of visible gold. Certified gold reference material samples are inserted every 20 samples and blank samples at intervals of one in every 50 samples, with additional blanks inserted after samples hosting visible gold. Repeat third-party gold analyses for 5% of all submitted sample pulps are analyzed at ALS-Chemex Laboratory, North Vancouver, Canada. About 1911 Gold Corporation 1911 Gold is an advanced gold explorer and developer focused on its 100%-owned True North Gold Project in the Archean Rice Lake Greenstone Belt in Manitoba, Canada. The Company controls a large, highly prospective ~62,000-hectare land package with numerous past-producing gold operations within trucking distance of the fully built and permitted True North mine and mill complex. 1911 Gold is positioning itself to restart operations in 2027 and offers a unique, near-term production story with significant exploration upside. The strategy is to build a district-scale gold mining operation around a centralized, and readily expandable infrastructure to support a socially and environmentally responsible, long-term mining operation with little development risk and a growing mineral resource base. 1911 Gold's True North complex and the exploration land package are located within and among the First Nation communities of the Hollow Water First Nation and the Black River First Nation. 1911 Gold looks forward to maintaining open, cooperative, and respectful communications with all of our local communities and stakeholders to foster mutually beneficial working relationships. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Shaun Heinrichs President and CEO www.1911gold.com CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made. Actual results or events may differ from those predicted in these forward-looking statements. All of the Company's forward-looking statements are qualified by the assumptions that are stated or inherent in such forward-looking statements, including the assumptions listed below. Although the Company believes that these assumptions are reasonable, this list is not exhaustive of factors that may affect any of the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, predictions, projections, forecasts, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including, but not limited to, statements about exploration plans, including the size of the program, and the timing and results thereof, as well as the completion of an updated NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate in H1 2026, are forward-looking statements. Although 1911 Gold has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are given as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Toronto, Ontario TheNewswire December 17, 2025 Loyalist Exploration Limited (CSE:PNGC) (Loyalist or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of David Drinkwater as director of the Company effective today. The Company also wishes to announce that Stephen Balch has stepped down as a director, but will join the Advisory Committee as a valued contributor. David Drinkwater has extensive business and legal experience across many industries with a broad focus including corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions and acting as a board member of various public companies. He was Chairman of Loyalist from June 2019 to December 2023. Errol Farr, Loyalists President & Chief Executive Officer, commented, Loyalist is very excited that David has agreed to come back to the board of Loyalist. His Blue-Chip resume, connections to the town of Timmins and extensive business and legal experience are the ideal assets Loyalist is looking for. I would like to thank Stephen Balch for his contributions to Loyalist over the years. Without his presence we would not be here today. Stephen has expressed a desire to step back due to his many other commitments. I look forward to working with David on the board and having Steve as a mentor going forward. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Loyalist Exploration Limited Loyalist Exploration Limited is a mineral exploration company concentrating on acquiring, exploring, and developing quality mineral properties in Canada. The Company is currently focused on its Buy Timmins strategy, with the recent acquisitions of the Tully gold property, the Loveland nickel/copper/gold property and the Gold Rush gold/silver property, and the DeSantis gold property, all located in the Timmins, Ontario mining district. The Company expects to commence a significant mining permit project at Tully and exploration activities on all four properties as well as expanding the Companys Timmins based property portfolio. For further information please visit the Company's website at www.loyalistexp.ca or contact: Loyalist Exploration Limited Errol Farr, President and CEO Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 647-296-1270 This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "propose", "project", "outlook", "foresee" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook and include statements regarding the proposed work on the projects. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Companys securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. NEWS AGENCIES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GoldHaven Resources Corp. (GoldHaven or the Company) is pleased to provide a comprehensive update on its inaugural diamond drilling program at the Copecal Project, further to its previous press releases announcing the commencement of drilling, the intersection of sulphide mineralisation in Hole COPE-PDH-004, and the subsequent drilling of a follow-up Hole COPE-PDH-009. Highlights Inaugural diamond drilling program successfully completed at the Copecal Project, marking the first-ever diamond drilling campaign on the property, with nine holes totaling 1,085.7 metres completed. Sulphide mineralisation intersected at the Eastern Gold-in-Soil Anomaly, including chalcopyritepyrite over ~30 metres in Hole COPE-PDH-004 and bornitechalcopyritepyrite over ~5 metres in follow-up Hole COPE-PDH-009. First occurrence of bornite identified at Copecal, indicating multi-phase hydrothermal fluid activity and providing an important geological vector for ongoing interpretation and targeting. Deep saprolite profile encountered at the Western Gold-in-Soil Anomaly, with weathering extending to ~60 metres, suggesting potential for gold mineralisation within the saprolite and/or oxidation of primary sulphides. Assay results pending, with all drill core currently being logged and sampled to be submitted to ALS Laboratories prior to year-end. The Company confirms that the drilling program has now been successfully completed, representing the first diamond drilling campaign ever conducted at the Copecal Project. A total of nine diamond drill holes were completed for a combined drill meterage of 1085.70m, targeting two priority gold-in-soil anomalies located in the eastern and western portions of the project area. Figure 1. Location of diamond drill holes completed in the inaugural program testing the Copecal Targets (East and West). Hole_ID East_X North_Y Elev_Z Downhole Depth (m) Azimuth Dip Date_start Date_finish Target COPE_PDH_001 561747 8871685 306 100.00 181.64 60.3 10/5/2025 10/9/2025 East COPE_PDH_002 561747 8871685 306 121.40 188.81 80.13 10/9/2025 10/14/2025 East COPE_PDH_003 561650 8871676 307 120.05 179.23 58.6 10/16/2025 10/21/2025 East COPE_PDH_004 561849 8871691 305 100.25 173.93 60.58 10/23/2025 10/26/2025 East COPE_PDH_005 557655 8869976 302 143.95 202.07 61 11/1/2025 11/7/2025 West COPE_PDH_006 557745 8869945 303 101.75 207.85 60.77 11/12/2025 11/15/2025 West COPE_PDH_007 557629 8869926 302 84.00 20.11 58.20 11/17/2025 11/20/2025 West COPE_PDH_008 557696 8870054 300 118.15 199.32 58.84 11/21/2025 11/25/2025 West COPE_PDH_009 561849 8871691 305 196.15 180 80 12/6/2025 12/10/2025 East TOTAL 1085.70 Table 1: Tabulation of drilling statistics from the inaugural diamond drilling phase at the Copecal Targets (East and West). Eastern Gold-in-Soil Anomaly Sulphide Mineralisation and Follow-Up Drilling As previously reported, Hole COPE-PDH-004 intersected a substantial sulphide-bearing interval encountered during the program, which prompted the Company to drill Hole COPE-PDH-009 to further investigate this mineralised zone. Key geological observations from drilling at the eastern anomaly include: A zone of sulphide mineralisation over approximately 30 meters in hole COPE-PDH-004 (chalcopyrite-pyrite) and 5 metres (bornite chalcopyrite and pyrite) in hole COPE-PDH-009. Bornite* observed for the first time at the Copecal Project in hole COPE-PDH-009. Sulphide mineralisation associated with phyllic alteration *Bornite is a copper-iron sulphide mineral commonly associated with hydrothermal mineral systems, including porphyry- and structurally controlled environments. While the presence of bornite and other sulphides does not confirm the presence of economic mineralisation, this assemblage indicates multi-phase hydrothermal fluid activity and provides an important geological vector that will be further assessed once assay results are available. Hole COPE-PDH-009 was designed to test the continuity and geological context of the sulphide-bearing interval intersected in Hole COPE-PDH-004. All core from these holes is being logged and sampled, with analytical results pending. Figure 2: Schematic section showing the relative location of holes COPE-PDH-004 and follow up hole COPE-PDH-009 which intersected sulphide mineralization (bornite-chalcopyrite-pyrite associated with phyllic (sericite-quartz-pyrite-carbonate) alteration. Figure 3: Images of disseminated sulphide mineralization intersected in COPE-PDH-004 and follow up hole COPE-PDH-009 (bornite-chalcopyrite-pyrite associated with phyllic (sericite-quartz-pyrite-carbonate) alteration. Western Gold-in-Soil Anomaly Deep Saprolite Profile Drill holes COPE-PDH-005 through COPE-PDH-008, which targeted the western gold-in-soil anomaly, intersected a substantially thicker saprolite profile extending to approximately 60 metres downhole. While no visible sulphides were observed in fresh core, the following geological features were logged: Shearing, alteration, and quartz veining. A thick weathered profile suggesting that any gold mineralisation present may have been intersected within saprolite. Potential oxidation of any primary sulphide mineralisation originally present within the weathered zone. Accordingly, assay results from saprolite intervals will be required to properly evaluate the gold potential of the western anomaly. Figure 4: Image showing plan and section through diamond holes COPE-PDH-005, 007 and 008, West Target, Copecal Project. Regional Geological Context The Copecal Project is located within the broader Alta Floresta Mineral Province, a Paleoproterozoic belt recognised for hosting multiple gold and copper occurrences. Mineralisation within the region is commonly associated with: Structurally controlled hydrothermal systems Quartz veining and phyllic alteration Sulphide assemblages that may include pyrite, chalcopyrite and locally bornite These regional characteristics provide important geological context for the sulphide and alteration assemblages observed at Copecal and will inform ongoing interpretation and future exploration planning. Sampling, Assays and Next Steps Logging and sampling of all remaining drill core is ongoing Samples will be submitted to ALS Laboratories prior to year-end Assay results will be reported as they are received, in accordance with CSE disclosure requirements The Company emphasises that mineral exploration is inherently high-risk, particularly at an early stage, and that geological observations alone are not indicative of economic mineralisation. Nevertheless, GoldHaven believes the geological knowledge gained from this inaugural diamond drilling program has significantly advanced the understanding of the Copecal Project and represents an important step toward refining future exploration strategies. GoldHaven remains encouraged by the results to date and looks forward to providing further updates as analytical results become available. Rob Birmingham, CEO of GoldHaven Resources, commented: Intersecting sulphide mineralisation in Hole COPE-PDH-004 and subsequently in follow-up Hole COPE-PDH-009 at our East Target during a first-pass drilling program has provided valuable new geological insights. These results continue to enhance our understanding of the system as we integrate geological, structural, and geochemical data to refine targeting across both the East and West anomalies, as well as other prospective targets identified from our newly developed 3D diamond drilling dataset at Copecal. About the Copecal Gold Project: A Brief History The Copecal Gold Project is strategically situated within the Alta Floresta Gold Province, a historically productive region that has yielded substantial gold discoveries since the late 1970s. GoldHaven s tenements cover a total of 3,681 hectares in a geologically favourable setting within the Juruena Gold Province of Brazil. Figure 5: Location of the Copecal Gold Project within Alta Floresta gold province, with competitor locations. The Juruena Gold Province, also known as the Juruena Magmatic Arc, is an orogenic belt highly prospective for mesothermal shear-related and intrusion-related gold deposits, such as G-Minings Tocantinzinho deposit. Additionally, the region hosts recently identified porphyry-style deposits (e.g., Serabi, Jaca) and epithermal-style deposits (e.g., X1, Aura). The presence of multiple deposit styles, along with the confirmation of large-scale gold deposits in the Juruena Province of Brazil, underscores the significant potential of the Copecal Gold Project. Recent exploration programs, including geochemical soil sampling, drone-mounted magnetometry surveys, and historical drilling data, indicate the presence of multiple gold-bearing structures. Notably, AngloGold Ashanti previously conducted systematic exploration on the property from 2010 to 2016, including auger and air-core drilling, geophysical surveys, and rock geochemistry, identifying multiple zones of anomalous gold mineralization. The Copecal Gold Project benefits from extensive historical work, with AngloGold Ashantis exploration confirming gold and arsenic anomalies, indicative of significant mineralization potential. Soil sampling grids and follow-up auger drilling in key areas revealed consistent gold values over wide zones, further supporting the presence of a substantial mineralized system. About GoldHaven Resources Corp. GoldHaven Resources Corp. is a Canadian junior exploration Company focused on acquiring and exploring highly prospective land packages in North and South America. The Companys projects include (i) the flagship Magno Project, a district-scale polymetallic property adjacent to the historic Cassiar mining district in British Columbia; (ii) the Three Guardsman Project, which exhibits significant potential for copper and gold-skarn mineralization; (iii) the Copecal Gold Project, a drill-ready gold project located in Mato Grosso, Brazil with a 6km strike of anomalous gold in soil samples; and (iv) three critical mineral projects with extensive tenement packages totalling 123,900 hectares: Bahia South, Bahia North and Igautu projects located in Brazil. Qualified Person: The scientific and technical information disclosed in this document has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, B.Sc. Hons, FAusIMM, an independent Qualified Person consistent with NI 43-101 and Country Manager of GoldHaven. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Rob Birmingham, Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Rob Birmingham, CEO www.GoldHavenresources.com This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Office Direct: (604) 629-8254 The CSE and Information Service Provider have not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information relating to the Company and the Property. The forward-looking information reflects management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Such risk factors may include, among others, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation and environmental regulation; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; competition for, among other things, skilled personnel and supplies; incorrect assessments of the value of acquisitions; geological, technical, processing and transportation problems; changes in tax laws and incentive programs; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and dispositions; and the other factors. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; and (ii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Companys filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available on the Companys profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Quebec Nickel Corp. (CSE: QNI) (FSE: 7IB) (OTCQB: QNICF) ("QNI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that on December 12, 2025 the Company entered into a non-binding letter of intent (the "LOI") with Orogen Royalties Inc. ("Orogen") pursuant to which Quebec Nickel proposes to acquire a 100% interest in the Ecru Property, located on the Cortez/Battle Mountain Trend in Lander County, Nevada. The Ecru Property consists of 112 mining lode claims held directly by a US subsidiary of Orogen and situated north of the Pipeline-Cortez Hills-Goldrush-Robertson deposit cluster, one of Nevada's most prolific gold districts, as well as rights in certain additional real property held pursuant to Orogen's mining sublease with Nevada Gold Mines LLC. Transaction Terms Under the terms of the LOI, Quebec Nickel proposes to acquire the Ecru Property for aggregate consideration of $505,000, payable as follows: $250,000 in cash payable on closing; $130,000 in common shares of Quebec Nickel issued on closing at the issue price of $0.125 per share; and $125,000 in common shares of Quebec Nickel to be issued within six months of execution of a definitive agreement, priced at the 10-day VWAP of the Company's shares at the time of issuance. In addition, Quebec Nickel would grant Orogen a 2.0% net smelter return royalty on the Ecru Property. As part of the LOI, Quebec Nickel has paid Orogen a non-refundable commitment fee of $25,000 in consideration for a 60-day exclusivity period, which amount would be credited against the cash portion of the purchase price upon completion of the transaction. Completion of the proposed acquisition of the Ecru Property transaction is subject to, among other things, the negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement, completion of satisfactory due diligence, and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. There can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be entered into or that the transaction will be completed. The proposed acquisition of the Ecru Property is consistent with Quebec Nickel's strategy of selectively acquiring high-quality mineral assets in established mining jurisdictions with strong geological fundamentals and clear pathways for value creation. Subject to closing, the Company intends to advance the Ecru Property through systematic technical review and disciplined exploration planning, including the preparation of a NI 43-101 compliant technical report to support future evaluation and strategic decision-making. Ecru Property Overview The Ecru Property is located within the Cortez Gold Camp, one of Nevada's most prolific gold-producing regions, and lies directly north and adjacent to Nevada Gold Mines' Robertson Deposit. The property is positioned along major regional structural corridors, including the Cortez Fault system and the Battle Mountain-Eureka trend, both of which are associated with significant gold endowment in the district. Previous exploration activities include historical drilling, extensive geophysical surveys, and geochemical datasets, which together identify multiple untested targets. These targets include a potential intrusive-related system at shallow levels and the possibility of lower plate carbonate host rocks at depth. Both styles of mineralization are recognized within the Cortez district. The Ecru Property is considered to have high potential to host Robertson-style intrusive-related gold mineralization and/or Carlin-type mineralization, subject to further evaluation. Board Appointment In conjunction with its growth strategy, Quebec Nickel is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Johan Lambrechts to its Board of Directors. Mr. Lambrechts is currently Chief Executive Officer of Antares Metals and is an experienced geologist with over 20 years of exploration and resource development experience across Australia and Africa. His background spans multiple commodities, including copper, gold, and lead-zinc-silver, and he has successfully established and advanced junior exploration companies and projects. "We are very pleased to welcome Johan to the Board," said David Patterson, Chief Executive Officer of Quebec Nickel Corp. "His technical expertise, leadership experience in the junior exploration sector, and first-hand knowledge of advancing projects in well-established mining jurisdictions will be highly valuable as we evaluate opportunities such as the Ecru Property and continue to build a disciplined, technically driven portfolio." Financing Quebec Nickel also announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Financing"). The Financing is being arranged independently of the Company's proposed acquisition of the Ecru Property, and the gross proceeds will be used for general working capital purposes. The Financing is expected to consist of the issuance of units (the "Units"), at a price of $0.125 per Unit, with each Unit comprising one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will be exercisable to acquire one additional common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.225 per share for a period of two years from the date of issuance. In addition, the Units will be offered to existing shareholders under British Columbia Instrument 45-534- Exemption from Prospectus Requirement for Certain Trades to Existing Security Holders, and equivalent provisions of applicable securities laws in other jurisdictions of Canada (the "Existing Shareholder Exemption"). In order to be eligible to participate as an Existing Shareholder, shareholders must hold shares of the Company as at December 17, 2025 (the "Record Date"), Existing shareholders who are interested in participating in the Offering should contact the Company before January 16, 2026, at the contact information set out in this press release. The Offering is on a first-come, first-served basis. There are conditions and restrictions when relying upon the Existing Shareholder Exemption; namely, the subscriber must: a) be a shareholder of the Company on the Record Date (and still is a shareholder); b) be purchasing the units as a principal, that is, for their own account and not for any other party; and c) may not purchase more than $15,000 value of securities from the Company in any 12-month period, unless they have first received suitability advice from a registered investment dealer, and, in this case, subscribers will be asked to confirm the registered investment dealer's identity and employer. The Company may pay finder's fees in connection with the Financing in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. All securities issued pursuant to the Financing and the proposed acquisition of the Ecru Property will be subject to a statutory hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. Completion of the Financing remains subject to receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The proposed net proceeds received from the Offering are intended to be used by the Company for general working capital purposes. Subscribers in all Canadian jurisdictions may utilize the Existing Shareholder Exemption. Existing shareholders resident in countries other than Canada will need to meet local jurisdiction requirements to participate. The Offering is subject to approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. Securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a hold period which will expire four months and one day from the date of closing of the Offering. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Orogen Royalties Inc. Orogen Royalties Inc. is a royalty and mineral exploration company focused on the generation of new exploration assets and royalties through project generation, partnerships and disciplined capital deployment. About Quebec Nickel Corp. Quebec Nickel Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing critical metals (Ni-Cu-Co-PGE) projects in North America. Additional information about Quebec Nickel Corp. is available at www.quebecnickel.com. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Qualified Person Johan Lambrechts, QP, is the Company's qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release. He has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Lambrechts is not independent of the Company, as he is a director of the Company. CAUTIONARY AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and include statements regarding: the potential transaction with Moneghetti; the Company's due diligence review; the negotiation of a possible definitive agreement; the timing, outcome, and ability to satisfy any conditions precedent; the completion of any required financing; and the receipt of any required approvals. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions, including that due diligence will be satisfactory, that negotiations will proceed as expected, that required approvals will be obtained, and that financing will be available on acceptable terms. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including: general market conditions; commodity price volatility; risks related to exploration and development activities; risks related to Moneghetti's underlying property rights and obligations; the availability of financing; the ability to negotiate acceptable terms for a definitive agreement; the ability to obtain required approvals; and the risk that no transaction is ultimately completed. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results may differ materially. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. First Assay Results to be Released in Early January 2026 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - BP Silver Corp. (TSXV: BPAG) ("BP Silver" or the "Company") reports the successful completion of its Phase 1 diamond drilling program at the Cosuno Silver Project ("Cosuno"), located in the Department of Potosi, Bolivia. This program represents the Company's first drill campaign at Cosuno since its listing on the TSX Venture Exchange in September 2025. A total of eleven diamond drill holes totaling 906 meters were completed, testing four high-priority targets (Figure 1). Samples from the first two drill holes have been submitted to an independent geochemical laboratory for analysis. Final core logging, sample preparation, and shipment of the remaining samples will be completed prior to the conclusion of the program later in December, with initial assay results expected in early January 2026. "We are very pleased to have completed our inaugural Phase 1 drill program at Cosuno," stated Tim Shearcroft, CEO of BP Silver Corp. "The program was executed safely, efficiently and on schedule, despite an exceptionally tight timeline following our TSX Venture Exchange listing on September 29th. This achievement underscores the strong execution capabilities and commitment of our hardworking team." Mr. Shearcroft added, "We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to the Thola Pampa community for their support throughout the program. We enjoyed the Christmas celebration with them on December 15th, and we recognize that strong community partnerships are fundamental to the long-term success of any project. The first assay results will be released in early January, and we look forward to sharing these results with our shareholders." Figure 1. Cosuno Silver Project - target and drillhole location map. Cosuno Drill Program Overview The Phase 1 program tested four high priority targets defined by structurally controlled, outcropping geochemically anomalous to highly anomalous silver-rich polymetallic zones characterized by silicification, intermediate to advanced argillic alteration, sulfides and brecciation -features typical of many significant Bolivian silver deposits. These targets occur within a large ~10.5 km hydrothermal alteration system as defined by detailed mapping, geochemical sampling and remote sensing alteration studies. Figures and additional geological background from the initial program can be found in the Company's October 21, 2025, and November 14, 2025, news releases. Amended Share Purchase Agreement Closed Further to BP Silver's news release dated November 14, 2025, the Company confirms that the amended share purchase agreement (SPA) with the Vendor of the Cosuno Project has now closed. As previously disclosed, the amendment extends certain payment obligations relating to BP Silver's acquisition of the remaining 48% interest in Emisur Minera S.A., the Bolivian entity that holds title to the Cosuno Project. In consideration for the extension, BP Silver has issued 750,000 common share purchase warrants to the vendor at a price of $0.42. The warrants are subject to restrictions on resale for a period of four months from the date of issue in accordance with Canadian securities laws. Share-for-Debt Transaction Closed BP Silver also confirms that it has closed shares for debt settlement as previously announced in a news release dated November 14, 2025. The Company issued 89,285 common shares at a deemed price of $0.42 per share to settle CAD $37,500 of outstanding indebtedness. These shares are subject to restrictions on resale for a period of four months from the date of issue in accordance with Canadian securities laws. The creditor involved in the settlement is an arm's-length party to the Company. The issuance of the shares and warrants were subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Qualified Person The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Stewart D. Redwood, PhD, FIMMM, a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The work program is designed and supervised by Gonzalo Lemuz, P.Geo, the Company's Chief Operating Officer, who is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) program. On-site personnel at the Project rigorously collect and track samples which are then security sealed and shipped to ALS laboratory in Oruro for sample preparation and then shipped to their Lima laboratory for assay. Duplicate samples, blanks, and certified standard reference materials (CSRM or standards) are added by the Company to each batch of samples. About BP Silver Corp. BP Silver Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing high-grade silver projects in Bolivia. The Company's flagship asset, the Cosuno Project, is strategically located in the prolific Bolivian silver belt, a region with a rich mining history and significant untapped discovery potential. With a strong technical team and a disciplined exploration strategy, BP Silver is positioned to unlock value for its shareholders through the discovery and development of major silver deposits. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: future prices and the supply of silver and other precious and other metals; future demand for silver and other valuable metals; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the property; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; results of exploration programs; risks of the mineral exploration industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals; and failure to obtain necessary regulatory or shareholder approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Tuesday, December 16, 2025 - A man described by victims as a smooth-talking fraudster has been exposed for conning female teachers out of more than Ksh 15 million, using fake identities, hired luxury cars, and an elaborate web of deception. According to multiple complainants, at least 15 teachers from different counties have reported similar cases to various police stations, accusing the suspect of emotional, and financial exploitation. Disturbingly, five of the women are reportedly pregnant, allegedly as a result of relationships with the same man. Victims claim the suspect operates with the help of a network that allegedly includes a rogue TSC officer, a car hire operator, and a corrupt police officer who tips him off whenever an arrest is imminent. The alleged TSC insider is said to provide confidential details about teachers, including their marital status, age, schools of work, and locations. Armed with this information, the man allegedly visits teachers at their workplaces, posing as a wealthy professional working with international organisations such as UNHCR. Victims say he presents himself as a loving partner, surprising them with gifts, taking them out for lunches and shopping sprees, and gradually gaining their trust. Several women allege that he invites them to a five-bedroom Airbnb apartment in Ruaka, which he falsely claims is his own residence. The apartment, reportedly rented at Ksh 180,000 per month, is allegedly used to reinforce his image of wealth and stability. According to the complaints, the suspect proposes marriage using a fake gold ring, after which he allegedly convinces the women to take large loans from teachers SACCOs, promising to repay or invest the money together. Soon after receiving the funds, he reportedly disappears, claiming he has been sent on special duties. Victims further allege that the man uses hired luxury vehicles, including Prados, V8s, and Jaguars, to maintain his image. He is also accused of using fake identification documents from different counties, including Meru, Kirinyaga, and Kisii, as well as counterfeit badges linked to international organisations. Some women have alleged that the suspect uses drugs or charms to confuse or manipulate his victims. One woman is reportedly admitted to hospital after allegedly giving the suspect Ksh 1 million in cash, money she had borrowed under the belief that he was her future husband. The victims reached out to private investigator Jane Mugoh seeking help after being defrauded. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, December 16, 2025 - Social media is buzzing after Maurice Ogetas wife turned heads during a gathering at their Siaya residence. Dressed in a figure-hugging outfit, she left male guests admiring her beauty. Among those present was former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, who was leading a delegation to comfort Ogeta following the death of his late boss, veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga. Kuria couldnt resist sneaking glances at her striking figure. In the viral video, Ogetas wife is seen moving around the living room greeting guests, with her hourglass figure clearly visible, sparking reactions across social media. Some netizens jokingly suggested that she should have covered herself with a leso, while others admired her style and confidence. RAILAs bodyguard, MAURICE OGETAs curvy wife pic.twitter.com/T9jaFmBEJz DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) December 17, 2025 The Kenyan DAILY POST Gordon Deegan The Garda file concerning three 23-year-old pro-Palestinian activists charged with the criminal damage of a US military plane at Shannon airport last month is quite extensive, a court heard on Wednesday. Det Sgt Kevin OHagan made his comment when asking Judge Alec Gabbett to give as long as possible an adjournment in the case to allow gardai to prepare a file. In the case, the three are facing charges from an incident at the airport on Saturday, November 22nd, where members of the Defence Forces tasked to protect a US military aircraft at Shannon airport drew their weapons briefly in response to an alleged airport incursion by the three. In the case, Kaspar Aiden Cantwell Strattra (23) of Manorlands Crescent, Trim, Co Meath, social science student, Emily Cathcart (23) of North View, Knocknagin Rd, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, and Conan Kavanagh (23) of New Cabra Rd, Dublin 7, and St Josephs Drive, Montenotte, Cork, are charged with the criminal damage of the main body of a Boeing 737-700 belonging to the US Navy Reserve at Shannon airport on November 22nd. The three are also charged with the criminal damage of a Shannon airport airside vehicle barrier and with trespass at the main apron and taxi-way 11 at Shannon airport on the same date. One of the three accused, Mr Cantwell Strattra, replied after charge: The use of Shannon airport by the US military breaks Irish neutrality. The US is a belligerent power complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. Sgt Frank OGrady told the court today that DPP directions are still outstanding. At a special late night sitting of Ennis District Court on November 23rd, Det Garda Colm Moriarty told the court that a US military aircraft parked overnight allegedly sustained criminal damage when spray painted with green paint from a modified fire extinguisher on top of a modified van in a taxi area on the airfield on Saturday morning. Det Garda Moriarty said that the Defence Forces personnel near the US navy aircraft had their weapons drawn briefly until the situation was under control He said that the airport had to be shut down for 30 minutes and one incoming aircraft was placed in a holding pattern before the airport could re-open. The three secured bail after their parents posted independent sureties to the court and Judge Gabbett commented on Wednesday "nobody wants to lose their money in this". On Wednesday, the three accused appeared in court with a number of supporters. The court was told that Mr Kavanagh is currently living in a squat in Dublin. Judge Gabbett relaxed the signing on conditions for Kaspar Aiden Cantwell Strattra from five times per week to three times per week and for Ms Cathcart from three times per week to twice per week. He said: I hope this is not a case where there will be an application to water down bail terms every time we come to court. Judge Gabbett also relaxed a bail condition for Mr Kavanagh to allow him to go to Dublin airport for travel or work purposes as he does seasonal work there as a tour escort picking up people from the airport. Judge Gabbett remanded all three on continuing bail to March 25th for DPP directions. KILDARE Senator Aubrey McCarthy was front and centre during President Volodymyr Zelenskyys state visit to Ireland this week, taking on the special role of accompanying First Lady Olena Zelenska into the Dail chamber. Senator Aubrey McCarthy serves as the Convenor of the IrelandUkraine Parliamentary Friendship Group. Through his Kildare-based charity, Tiglin, he has played a role in Irelands humanitarian response, providing housing and support for more than 150 Ukrainians displaced by war. As convener of the Irish Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, Senator McCarthy was asked to guide Mrs Zelenska while her husband delivered a landmark address to both Houses of the Oireachtas. Senator McCarthy welcomed the First Lady into Leinster House, explaining the seating plan and traditions of the chamber. He also pointed out some of the notable artworks on display, including a portraits of a former Taoisigh, giving Mrs Zelenska a glimpse of Irelands political heritage. President of Ukraine and Senator McCarthy Credit- Tony MAXWELL It was a profound honour to accompany Mrs Zelenska into the Dail, Senator McCarthy said afterwards. Their presence reminded us of the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the importance of Irelands friendship with Ukraine. The Kildare senator marked the occasion with a personal gesture, presenting Mrs Zelenska with a Newbridge Silverware St Brigids Cross pin. The gift carried particular resonance, as St Brigid is the patron saint of Kildare and her cross is a symbol of peace and protection. The St Brigids Cross is woven into the fabric of Kildares identity, McCarthy explained. It represents hope and shelter, values that resonate deeply with the Ukrainian people in their struggle for peace. Sharing this symbol was a way of extending the hand of friendship from Kildare to Kyiv. The visit of President Zelenskyy and Mrs Zelenska was widely regarded as a landmark occasion, with it being the first official visit from a Ukrainian head of state to Ireland. THE lack of community creches in Kildare was highlighted at a recent meeting of Naas Municipal District. At the most recent meeting of Naas Municipal District, cllr Bill Clear asked that the council work towards the zoning of specific lands in the area for a creche that provides affordable and community based childcare. Cllr Clear claimed there is only one community creche in the entire county - in Maynooth, which isnt accessible to families in Naas. He compared the one facility in Kildare to Wexford which has five community creches. Kildares population is around 84,000 larger that of Wexford according to the latest census. The Independent Ireland councillor highlighted that some new creche buildings being built as part of large residential developments were too small and not viable for childcare providers. There are currently six creches up for sale in Kildare according to myhome.ie, including five that have not yet been built. Cllr Clear argued that Naas is the fastest growing town in Kildare and that planners should listen to councilors such as himself who are on the ground in communities. Cllrs Anne Breen and Seamie Moore expressed support for the motion, with the latter saying that community creches are the thing for the future. Cllr Evie Sammon expressed some scepticism, believing zoning would not address difficulties involved in the process of delivering community creches. The council responded to cllr Clears motion by stating that creches are permitted in principle in lands zoned Community and Education, Town Centre and New Residential, whilst also adding that such facilities are open for consideration in areas zoned in the categories of Commercial/Residential, Leisure and Amenity, Neighbourhood Centre, Enterprise and Employment, Retail/Commercial and Mixed Use. Families in Naas have faced challenges with finding childcare facilities for their children, with a local childcare provider leaving the governments core funding model leading to significant increase in childcare costs. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme THE late journalist and writer John Healy penned No One Shouted Stop, which chronicled the economic and social decline of his hometown of Charlestown, County Mayo, in the 1950s and 1960s. The book was published in 1968 as Death of an Irish Town, but it was later reissued under the title No One Shouted Stop. It is widely considered as a seminal work of social commentary and a lament for the erosion of rural Ireland. The phrase has since become a metaphor for the failure to recognise and halt an obvious decline. As I stood on Emily Square this morning the title of Healys book came to mind. Driving down Meeting Lane, I was struck by the lack of cars in the back square and finding a parking space was no problem. For as long as I can remember, with the exception of almost two years during the refurbishment of the Shackleton Museum, there would not be a square yard of space on either the front or back square on a Tuesday as traders plied their trade on market day, in a market town. To say the front square was as empty as Old Mother Hubbards cupboard would be a little unfair, there were six stall holders set-up on the OBriens side, but where stall holders had for years set up in the back square and along the Barrow Quay there was just the sound of the gentle river rolling on to Carlow. Only four weeks out from Christmas the area that had once been a hive of activity on a Tuesday morning resembled a town after an air raid siren. I got to talk to a few of the traders, who had been there from early morning setting up before the arrival of the Kildare County Council official arrived to ensure they were all compliant with the new regulations. All said they were tax compliant, had spent 580 to take out public liability insurance and had made their contribution to the Kildare County Council purse to secure their trading permit. One trader, who has been working the markets up and down the country for over thirty years, told me that it was hardly worth his while coming to Athy because people were not coming to the market. I know a man who comes to the market every week just to meet people; it is the only time he goes out in the week, the only time he gets to talk to anyone, just look around ya, the place is empty, who is he going to talk to now? He added: People come to the market to socialise and to have a mooch through boxes of old tools and cutlery and stuff, never knowing what treasure they might find, but those traders have been run off the square because they do not have the required documentation. For many of the sole traders who came to sell a bit of bric-a-brac or a few old books or cups and saucers it is not worth the cost, so they have left. I spoke to a regular visitor to the market who told me that a couple of weeks back people from social welfare, Revenue and gardai had been in the market looking for peoples details. I got the sense that the un-registered traders were not prepared to take the chance of a fine or worse, and so have stayed away. As far as the traders who were there were concerned the die has been cast and Kildare County Council are not for moving on this. There was a sense that Kildare County Council wish to confine trading to the front square and that the back square and Barrow Quay would no longer be available for trading. I hung around the square for an hour or so to get the opinion of a few people who regularly attend on a Tuesday and most expressed their disappointment at the lack of stalls and how the buzz had left the square. I have been coming here all my life, one elderly woman told me, visibly upset. The first time I came was with my granny to see the turkeys at Christmas, and that wasnt yesterday. One of the traders I spoke to believed that Kildare County Council are reluctant to discuss the matter further. He said that at one stage there were up to 25 traders in Kildare on a Thursday, now there are five and the coffee shops and restaurants in the town are suffering from the lack of footfall on market day. No one is shouting stop. Sonya McLean A woman who was raped as a teenager by her cousin has said that the guilty verdict delivered by the jury proves that justice has no expiry date. At the sentence hearing of Karl Fish (53) last month, the woman said that during her evidence at his trial, she spoke for the child you broke, for the woman who carried the pain and for everyone who fears it may be too late. She spoke of how difficult she found the trial process as it forced her to relive the attacks. She said Fish had twisted the truth to fit your narrative adding that he had tried to twist reality. This time it didnt work the jury saw through you and held you accountable. This guilty verdict proves that justice has no expiry date, the woman said. Fish was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in October of two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault which all occurred on the same date between November 1988 and November 1990. The victim was aged between 14 and 15 years old at the time, while Fish was 16 or 17 years old. The woman told the court that she hopes the verdict helps other victims of sexual assaults to get the strength to come forward. Fish (53) of Tara Hill Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, pleaded not guilty to a number of sexual offences. On Wednesday, Justice Karen O'Connor set a headline sentence of 10 years for the rape offences but reduced these to five years because of Fish's age at the time of the offending. She reduced this further to four years to take into consideration the delay in prosecuting the offending. She said this was not a criticism but that it was a factor that needed to be taken into consideration. Justice O'Connor noted the effects of the attacks on the victim, and noted the woman's evidence that the offending tore through my family.... caused division. Detective Garda Leslie McCormack told John Hayden SC, prosecuting, that Fish was older than his cousin by two years. She said the woman made a complaint to gardai in May 2022. She said Fish had raped her twice when she was a young teenager and sexually assaulted her. The woman outlined one occasion when she was babysitting for her aunt, she went to an old factory building near her aunts home with Fish. She said he started to kiss her and touched her under her top and down her trousers. She told him to stop but he would not. He then told her to take her leg out of trousers before he raped her. He told her not to tell anyone because he said she would not be believed. Fish has previous convictions for possession of knives and failing to wear a seat belt. The woman read her own victim impact statement into the record. She said she wanted to start her statement by thanking the court for allowing her to speak. She said Fish is finally being held accountable for what he did. She also thanked her husband, her children, and the rest of her family, who she said have stood by her. I could not have got through this without their support, she said. She said Fish took away her peace, trust and sense of who I was before she added that time did not heal this it just taught me how to hide the pain. She said she did not believe that she deserved happiness or safety. The woman told Fish that the shame is no longer mine it is yours - you will finally get what has been coming to you for a long time. Justice OConnor told the woman that it was a very eloquent victim impact statement, and it was obvious that she had put time and effort into it and I am very grateful to you because it gives insight into how this has impacted on you. She said she hopes she realises by finding your voice that she will help other people. At least another little boy or girl will know that this has happened to others and some of them will find their voice or eventually find their voice to take their steps you should be proud of your courage- Justice OConnor said. I am very pleased to her you have found your strength, and you have support in that regard of course you know there is nothing shameful at all for you, Justice OConnor said. Det Gda McCormack agreed with Dominic McGinn SC, defending, that Fish had a drug problem as a younger man. She accepted that he has abided by his bail conditions and that he cooperated with the garda investigation. Mr McGinn said that the jury have found Fish guilty on two incidences of rape and two incidences of sexual assault which all occurred on the same date. He asked the court to take into account that Fish was a child in law at the time of the offence, being either 16 or 17 years old before he referred to case law involving dealing with people who were juveniles at the time of offending. Mr McGinn also asked the court to recognise the delay that has occurred between the offending and the date of the offence. He said in the meantime Fish has gone on to lead a law abiding and constructive life before he handed in affidavits from his family members and others close to him. Counsel said that Fish is someone that his children and grandchildren look up to. He said Fish has struggled with difficulties throughout his life. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. A Dublin man has received a fine after he was involved in an altercation with his partner outside a hotel in Kilkenny city. Paul Cahill (50) of Shanowen Crescent, Santry, Dublin, appeared before Kilkenny District Court, charged with two public order offences. He pleaded guilty to intoxication in a public place under Section 4 of the Public Order Act. In light of this plea, An Garda Siochana subsequently withdrew a separate charge under Section 6 of the same act. Sergeant Morgan OConnor told the court that on November 10, 2025 at approximately 12:15am, an altercation took place between Mr Cahill and his partner outside the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel on Ormonde Street. When gardai arrived at the scene, Mr Cahill was found to be highly intoxicated. He failed to co-operate with gardai and became aggressive. READ NEXT: Kilkenny gardai left with 'no choice' as slew of fines issued Solicitor Alex Rafter, representing the accused, said that Mr Cahill and his partner had travelled to Kilkenny from Dublin on the weekend in question. He said that his client was remorseful and had issued an apology to the gardai. Mr Rafter told the court that the couple had been in a relationship for 14 years at the time of the incident, but are no longer together. Mr Cahill found alternative accommodation in the aftermath of the incident and has subsequently admitted that he was a nuisance on the night in question. Mr Rafter added that his client previously worked as a carpenter but is currently unemployed. After formally convicting Mr Cahill, Judge Geraldine Carthy fined him 50. Eric Crampton writes: Legislation before Parliament bans greyhound racing over animal welfare considerations. Buying out the industry, shutting it down, and rehoming the dogs would seem right if you thought animal welfare warranted it. The legislation instead proposes shuttering Greyhound Racing New Zealand and an assortment of private racing clubs. Their net assets will be handed to a new Greyhound Racing Transition Agency. That Agency will wind down the industry and rehome dogs, with no requirement for compensating either dog owners or clubs. That is bad enough zero compensation. After the wind-down, the Transition Agencys remaining assets will be redistributed but not to anyone whose business was destroyed by the racing ban. Thoroughbred and harness racing codes get the proceeds instead, despite the deaths of fifteen horses last year and injuries to over three hundred more. I wish I were joking. Lets put this plainly: The Bill proposes stealing the assets of greyhound clubs, using the money to cover some of the governments costs in shutting down the sector, and handing anything left over to the Ministers preferred horse racing codes. Some unenlightened folks might call it corruption that would embarrass even Springfield Mayor Diamond Joe Quimby. This is just appalling. They steal from the greyhound clubs and give it to the horse racing clubs. If this was truly about animal welfare, they would give the assets to the SPCA. They would also not legislate so that horse racing clubs will make huge amounts of money from people betting on Australian greyhound races. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. A CREMATORIUM has been proposed for Laois that would serve the midlands region. Laois Co Council has agreed to consider zoning suitable land for a crematorium in the County Development Plan, following a proposal by Cllr Paddy Buggy. We know there are two things certain in life tax and death, Cllr Buggy told the county councils December monthly meeting. He pointed out that councillors have repeatedly called for more columbarium walls for cremated remains in cemeteries across the county, with a growing demand for the service and an expanding population. He also believed that a crematorium should be provided in the county. Cllr Buggy said: There are only nine crematoria in the Republic of Ireland and the nearest to us in Laois is in Newlands Cross. We could serve the whole midlands region if we had a crematorium here. He added: All of us are going to die at some stage and we have to go somewhere. Sometimes we dont have suitable land. We should prepare for what is going to become an increasing demand. Cllr Buggy proposed that Laois Co Council give consideration to the zoning of suitable land for inclusion in the County Development Plan, to facilitate the development of a crematorium. He was supported by Fine Gael colleague Cllr John King, who commented: Whether we like it or not, it is going to be the way forward. Im surprised that there hasnt been a request for a crematorium already. The proposal was passed unanimously. Cllr James Kelly also spoke in favour, as he said: Crematoria are being used more and more. Cllr Kelly repeated an appeal for more columbarium walls, as SS Peter and Pauls Cemetery in Portlaoise is still the only local authority cemetery that provides the facility for urns. Cllr Kelly said: Columbarium walls are going into Killasmeestia private cemetery but we need them in all our public cemeteries. Meanwhile, Cllr John Joe Fennelly called for columbarium walls to be installed to serve the Abbeyleix cluster of parishes. Cllr Fennelly made the appeal at the December meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District (MD), when he proposed a columbarium wall at the Church of the Most Holy Rosary cemetery in Abbeyleix, or at the council-run St Patrick's Cemetery on the towns Ballyroan Road. While the county council has responsibility only for public cemeteries, Cllr Fennelly noted that the Church of the Most Holy Rosary cemetery is part parish and part council, so it could be an ideal location for a columbarium wall. Cllr Fennelly said he met with planners at the Church of the Most Holy Rosary recently, as he believed the cemetery there would be the most suitable location for a columbarium wall as it was close to the church, if there was a service or mass before a burial of ashes. Cllr Fennelly said: There should be one in different clusters of parishes. In that cluster of parishes, we have Abbeyleix, Ballyroan, Ballinakill, Knock, Raheen and Shanahoe, so we're covering a major cluster of six parishes there. He was supported by Cllr Barry Walsh from Ballyroan, who said he had also been contacted by many locals who wanted a columbarium wall to be available in the area. Cllr Walsh agreed that strategic locations must be selected for columbarium walls to cater for multiple parishes, given the high cost involved. In a written response to Cllr Fennellys proposal, an official from the councils community section said they are currently assessing the feasibility of providing columbarium walls in selected council-managed cemeteries. The response added: Laois Co Council will continue to examine the cost implications of further installations, within the framework of the 20262029 capital allocation. Only burial grounds owned and managed by Laois Co Council will be considered in this review. While he welcomed the reply, Cllr Fennelly said he wanted to ensure that the Abbeyleix group of parishes was included in next years capital programme. A REPORT of a suspected child abduction attempt in Laois is being investigated by gardai. The suspicious approach to a schoolgirl allegedly happened in Portarlington town centre early yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. Gardai are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them, following the alleged incident near a junction on Main Street. Gardai were contacted after a man acting suspiciously allegedly approached and spoke to the girl, aged about 10, between 2.30pm and 2.45pm on 16 December. The schoolgirl was scared by the encounter and ran away. The report was posted on the Port News Ireland social media page last night, where the man was described as middle-aged with grey hair. He was said to be driving a grey-coloured car. The post described the incident as a child abduction attempt and said gardai had been alerted. The Port News Ireland post prompted many worried comments from followers and was subsequently removed. Gardai confirmed that they received a report of what they described as a suspicious approach to a child and are carrying out an investigation. Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Portlaoise Garda Station at 057 8674100 or Portarlington Garda Station at 057 8623112. By Rebecca Black, Press Association The UK government has been urged by unionists to go further than recommendations around the Windsor Framework to address fundamental issues. The UK government announced on Tuesday that it has accepted all of the recommendations made in the review led by former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Murphy. These include the creation of a one stop shop advice service and to allow a Stormont committee that scrutinises new laws from Europe 10 working days, instead of five. Lord Paul Murphy led an independent review of the Windsor Framework (Niall Carson/PA) The review aimed to address concerns around the Windsor Framework, which governs post-Brexit arrangements. It places Northern Ireland effectively within the EU in terms of trade rules to avoid a hard land border with the Republic. As a result, goods moving from Great Britain and Northern Ireland require checks and customs paperwork. Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn said the UK government is taking practical steps in response to the views of businesses and communities. We believe that the best and most sustainable results are achieved through agreed trading arrangements, and working in partnership with business and civic society, he said. That is why we continue to work toward an SPS agreement with the EU from which Northern Irelands traders and hauliers stand to resoundingly benefit. However unionists have said more needs to be done. DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the Murphy Review was too narrow, and missed the opportunity to pursue the fundamental action needed to restore Northern Irelands full place in the United Kingdom. Throwing more money at the problem and giving MLAs more time to consider harmful EU laws after the fact cannot be a sustainable long-term plan for dealing with the border in the Irish Sea, he said. Northern Ireland remains subject to rules made in Brussels whilst Great Britain does not. DUP leader Gavin Robinson called for solutions that fully restore Northern Irelands place in the UK (Liam McBurney/PA) That is the legal reality, and without decisive action to address it, fundamental challenges will remain. We urge the Government to deliver solutions that fully restore Northern Irelands place in the UK, and to present a clear road map for seeking an end to the current arrangements which impact negatively on Northern Ireland. UUP MLA Steve Aiken said the recommendations fall far short of solving the problems created by the Irish Sea border. The Governments acceptance of Lord Murphys recommendations and elements of the House of Lords report is welcome, but only cautiously so, he said. Businesses and consumers are already facing real challenges, major retailers like Amazon increasingly refuse deliveries, and issues remain with veterinary medicines, new vehicles, parcel charges, and heightened HMRC scrutiny from January 1. The so-called gift of the Windsor Framework feels more like the work of the Grinch than Santa. Meanwhile TUV leader Jim Allister criticised both the Murphy Review and the governments response as shallow and of no meaningful impact. It is only when HMG finds the integrity and backbone to reclaim sovereignty over its NI territory that our place in the internal UK market can be restored, he said. The longer the DUP implements the Protocol through Stormont, the longer the wait for the proper restoration of our Union. The fatal shooting of a world-respected nuclear scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) inside his Brookline home has left police searching for answers and the internet racing ahead with its own. Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, a 47-year-old nuclear science and engineering professor from Portugal, was shot several times on Monday and later died in hospital on Tuesday morning, according to Brookline police and MIT officials. With no arrest made and few details released, online speculation has exploded, driven by the nature of his work, the timing of the killing, and a growing sense that this was no random act. The Night Loureiro Was Shot At Home Police say officers were called to an apartment in Brookline at around 8:30 p.m. on Monday following reports of gunshots. Loureiro was found wounded and rushed by ambulance to a Boston hospital, where he died early Tuesday morning. Authorities confirmed he had been shot multiple times. The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office has classified the case as an active and ongoing homicide investigation. No suspect has been arrested and no motive has been confirmed. Investigators have not said whether the shooting was targeted, random, or linked to Loureiro's professional work. Neighbours described the academic as a quiet family man with young children who lived close to a local school. The lack of visible signs of a break in or robbery has only fuelled further questions online. Loureiro As A Scientist Loureiro was far from an obscure academic. Born in Portugal, he studied physics in Lisbon before earning his PhD at Imperial College London in 2005. He later became a leading expert in magnetised plasma dynamics, a field central to nuclear fusion research. He joined MIT's faculty in 2016 and was appointed director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2024. His work focused on understanding plasma behaviour inside fusion reactors and exploring how fusion energy could provide a clean alternative to fossil fuels. MIT described his research as tackling problems found at the centre of fusion chambers and at the edges of the universe. Colleagues praised him as a brilliant scientist whose work could help reshape the future of energy and climate solutions. Why Online Speculation Has Taken Hold Within hours of his death, social media filled with claims that the shooting could not be a coincidence. Some posts highlighted Loureiro's involvement in advanced fusion research, suggesting his work threatened powerful interests. Others raised national security concerns, pointing to fusion technology's strategic importance. One widely shared post questioned how a man who worked on sensitive nuclear science could be shot dead in his own home without immediate answers. Another suggested that his research could have disrupted the fossil fuel industry, although no evidence has been presented to support this claim. Political journalists also added fuel by drawing links to other recent violent incidents near universities, despite police offering no indication of any connection. BREAKING:@MIT professor of Nuclear science and physics Nuno Loureiro was just shot and killed at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts on Monday evening. He is reportedly Jewish and pro-Israel. Police say the shooter is on the run. This shooting comes after a shooter at Brown pic.twitter.com/vBN2izlYca Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) December 16, 2025 man who literally dealt with nuclear secrets ends up shot in his own house. Coincidence? Feels like someone closed a door permanently. fity.eth (@Fityeth) December 17, 2025 Three Theories. One Tragedy. The Mysterious Murder of MITs Fusion Genius Nuno Loureiro. While we await official findings, lets respectfully considering possible motives without jumping to conclusions and recognizing his research has winners and losers #1 Fossil fuel pic.twitter.com/5o9bCgJ4HK CEO Branding Expert (@Ceo_Branding) December 17, 2025 What Police And MIT Are Actually Saying So far, officials have urged caution. Police have not confirmed any political, ideological, or professional motive. They have not stated that Loureiro was targeted because of his research, background, or beliefs. MIT released a statement mourning the loss of a respected scientist and expressing support for his family. The university has not suggested foul play linked to his academic work. Law enforcement officials stress that homicide investigations often begin with limited information and that most cases ultimately turn out to involve personal disputes or circumstances unrelated to a victim's profession. For now, the facts remain stark and limited. A prominent scientist was shot and killed in his home. No suspect is in custody. And until investigators provide answers, the gap between confirmed information and online theory is likely to keep growing. What is clear is that Nuno Loureiro's death has left a profound loss to science and a community searching for truth rather than speculation. Originally published on IBTimes UK An Amazon delivery driver has been arrested on a felony homicide charge following an allegedly intentional hit-and-run crash that killed another man in Allentown. Aside from the homicide charge, Troy Johnson, 30, of Philadelphia, also is charged with felony involuntary manslaughter; felony accidents involving death; and misdemeanor reckless endangerment. He was arrested Wednesday morning by the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and Allentown detectives at a home in the 5400 block of Norfolk Street in southwest Philadelphia. Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark told lehighvalleylive.com investigators raided the property at 7:30 a.m. and found Johnson inside. The home is owned by Johnsons family members, he said. Johnson currently is awaiting arraignment on the charges. It wasnt immediately clear if an attorney has been assigned to represent him. Johnson is accused of striking and running over 29-year-old Rigoberto E. Hernandez Arias with a delivery truck just before 8 p.m. Nov. 21 in Allentowns 2400 block of South Fourth Street. Hernandez Arias was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, where he was pronounced dead at 8:43 p.m. Nov. 21. Hernandez Arias died from blunt force injuries suffered in the crash, and the manner was ruled a homicide by Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio. Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan previously told lehighvalleylive.com that Johnson and Hernandez Arias were involved in a verbal dispute just prior to the crash. Clark told lehighvalleylive.com Johnson was employed with Amazon at the time of the incident. Jesus Garcia, a public relations manager for Amazon, told lehighvalleylive.com that Johnson was employed with a deliver service partner, which offers delivery services for Amazon. Johnson was suspended by his company immediately after the incident and is no longer eligible to deliver on behalf of Amazon, Garcia said. This was a terrible tragedy and our thoughts are with the victims family and loved ones, Garcia added. Theres no indication Hernandez Arias and Johnson knew each other previously, Holihan has said. The district attorneys office on Wednesday released the following allegations of what occurred during the incident: One witness told police he was behind a van driven by Johnson at the time, date and location the fatal crash occurred. He said Hernandez Arias vehicle, a Nissan SUV, pulled next to Johnsons delivery van as the victim got out of his vehicle. The two vehicles then stopped at a traffic light and after a verbal altercation the victim was found to be on the hood of the van while Johnson drove nearly of a mile. During that time, witnesses saw Johnson driving the van from side-to-side in an attempt to knock the victim off the hood. Johnson then slammed on the brakes of the van, ran over the victim and left the scene. A warrant was filed on Dec. 10 by Allentown police for the arrest of Johnson. The case was then turned over to the Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Clark said. An online fundraiser has since been launched to financially offset funeral expenses for Hernandez Ariass immediate family. Family members include Hernandez Ariass wife of 10 years, Meicy, and the couples three children, ages 11, 7 and 3. As of 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, 167 donors had raised $55,985 toward a $65,000 goal. The fundraiser is being organized by Joshua Gamez, CEO of East Coast Facilities, Inc., where Hernandez Arias worked as a field supervisor with the Allentown-based Fleet and Logistics group for nearly a decade. Gamez states in the GoFundMe posting that Hernandez Arias immigrated to the United States to build a safer, brighter future for his family. While nothing can undo the harm that was done to the Hernandez family, I hope this arrest brings a measure of closure to the family, Clark said. A group representing Uber, Lyft and other ride share drivers opposes the Port Authoritys plan to double pick-up and drop-off fees at airports, because it puts an unfair financial burden on drivers and passengers from New Jersey and other states. Officials from the Independent Drivers Guild want Thursdays Board of Commissioners vote on the Port Authoritys $45 billion 10-year capital plan postponed. Airport pick-up fee increases are among several toll and fare hikes proposed in the plan to help fund it. The proposal would double the current $2.50 drop-off and pick-up airport access fee for Lyft, Uber and other ride share drivers to $5 on March 15, 2026. The pick-up and drop-off fees for taxis would increase to $2 from the current $1.75 fee and increase 25 cents annually for two years after March 2026. The guild, which represents an estimated 200,000 ride share drivers from the metro area including New Jersey, contends drivers are barely breaking even and will face the equivalent of a $71 million annual increase. The guild contends its estimated 200,000 ride share drivers from the metro area, including New Jersey, are barely breaking even and will be hit with the equivalent of a $71 million annual increase. That fee would likely be passed on to customers. In a Dec. 2 letter to the Port Authority, the guild asked it to postpone Thursdays vote in order to consult with labor groups, and establish rate parity for all for-hire vehicles, instead of shifting the burden. This proposal is nothing short of reverse Robin Hood, said Brendan Sexton, Guild President, in a statement. It takes from the hardworking ride share drivers and the local outer-borough and suburban families who rely on Uber and Lyft and gives a free pass to the wealthiest Manhattan business travelers and tourists who benefit from yellow taxi exemptions, he said. The policy exempts private cars and company vehicles that use the airports from the access fee, he said. The proposed fee would prompt travelers to avoid app-based ride share vehicles, reduce drivers trip volumes and cut the incomes of thousands of drivers, the Guild contends. We have not heard back from the Port Authority. We reached out to Governor Hochuls office and spoke to staff in her office, said Moira Muntz, a Guild spokesperson. Staff listened but ultimately said it was up to the commissioners. Both Gov. Phil Murphy and Hochul have the power to veto authority actions. Increases in airport pick-up fees are among other toll and fare hikes proposed in the plan to help fund it. Drivers will see the gradual end of their E-ZPass discounts starting in 2027. This would reduce the difference between the lower off-peak and higher peak period E-ZPass toll by 50 cents starting in 2027. Additional annual 50 cent reductions in the off-peak E-ZPass rate will happen in the three years after 2027. That would raise an estimated $75 million in revenue for the plan. However, this adjustment preserves lower rates for regional E-ZPass use, as opposed to non-E-ZPass drivers, who are billed at a higher toll rate. The Staten Island Bridges Plan is unchanged. A 3% toll increase indexed to Consumer Price Index increases would also take effect Jan. 4, in addition to a 25-cent annual increase approved last year to fund the proposed $10.1 billion authority 2026 budget, which also is up for a vote on Thursday. PATH fares will ultimately rise to $4 for a single ride. Changes start with a 25-cent increase on May 3, 2026. Further 25-cent increases will occur during the next three years on the first Sunday in January in 2027, 2028, and 2029. That will help bankroll increased service on all four PATH lines. Four centrist Republicans broke with Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday and signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vote on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans. The stunning move comes after House Republican leaders pushed ahead with a health care bill that does not address the soaring monthly premiums that millions of people will soon endure when the tax credits for those who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act expire at years end. The action sets the stage for a renewed intraparty clash over health care in January, something Republican leaders had been working to avoid, just weeks before another government funding deadline at the end of that month. Democrats led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York needed 218 signatures to force a floor vote on their bill, which would extend the subsides for three years. Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, all from Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York signed on Wednesday morning, pushing it to the magic number of 218. A vote on the subsidy bill could come as soon as January under House rules. Unfortunately, it is House leadership themselves that have forced this outcome, Fitzpatrick said in a statement. Mackenzie, a first-term Republican representing the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvanias 7th Congressional District, joined Vice President JD Vance at an appearance Tuesday in Lehigh County where Vance touched on rising health-care costs. Congress has got to get us something to lower the cost of health insurance for American citizens, Vance said during remarks at the Uline warehouse outside Alburtis. Origins of a Republican revolt The revolt against GOP leadership came after days of talks centered on the health care subsidies. Johnson, R-La., had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers a chance to vote on bills that would temporarily extend the subsidies while also adding changes such as income caps for beneficiaries. But after days of discussions, the leadership sided with the more conservative wing of the partys conference, which has assailed the subsidies as propping up a failed marketplace through the ACA, which is widely known as Obamacare. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as Republicans struggle with a plan to address growing health care costs, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite House Republicans pushed ahead Wednesday a 100-plus-page health care package without the subsidies, instead focusing on long-sought GOP proposals designed to expand insurance coverage options for small businesses and the self-employed. Fitzpatrick and Lawler tried to add a temporary extension of the subsidies to the bill, but were denied. Our only request was a floor vote on this compromise, so that the American Peoples voice could be heard on this issue. That request was rejected. Then, at the request of House leadership I, along with my colleagues, filed multiple amendments, and testified at length to those amendments, Fitzpatrick said. House leadership then decided to reject every single one of these amendments. As Ive stated many times before, the only policy that is worse than a clean three-year extension without any reforms, is a policy of complete expiration without any bridge, Fitzpatrick said. Lawler, in a social media post, similarly said that the failure of leadership to permit a vote had left him with no choice but to sign the petition. He urged Johnson to bring the plan up for an immediate floor vote. Path ahead is uncertain Even if the subsidy bill were to pass the House, which is far from assured, it would face an arduous climb in the Republican-led Senate. Republicans last week voted down a three-year extension of the subsidies and proposed an alternative that also failed. But in an encouraging sign for Democrats, four Republican senators crossed party lines to support their proposal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued against the Democratic extension as an attempt to disguise the real impact of Obamacares spiraling health care costs. By KEVIN FREKING A lockdown of all Phillipsburg schools has been lifted following a bomb threat received Wednesday morning at the high school, the districts superintendent said. Superintendent Gregory Troxell posted on his Facebook page just before 10 a.m. Wednesday all students were being asked to shelter in place. Just after noon, Troxell told lehighvalleylive.com the threat has since been lifted and all classed have returned to normal. The order came after Phillipsburg police received a call just before 9:30 a.m. from an unknown male stating he intended to harm people at the high school at 1 Stateliner Boulevard in Lopatcong Township. The caller also made a bomb threat, Troxell said. Out of an abundance of caution, all schools were immediately placed in a shelter in place while law enforcement began their investigation, the superintendent posted in an updated posting on Facebook. Law enforcement swept the high school building and deemed it safe from any explosives by 11:38 a.m. Wednesday, Troxell said. At no time were students or staff in danger, the superintendent stated in the posting. The safety and well-being of our school community remain our highest priority. Troxell said all schools will continue to have an increased law enforcement presence throughout the day. Troxell told lehighvalleylive.com currently there is no correlation Phillipsburgs threat is tied to any other national bomb threats made at schools on Wednesday. Multiple published reports indicated similar threats were made at Haverford High School in Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Waverly High School in Eaton County, Michigan. The Phillipsburg School District serves students in grades Pre-K through 12. These include an Early Childhood Learning Center; Phillipsburg Primary School and Phillipsburg Elementary School; Phillipsburg Middle School; and Phillipsburg High School. The districts high school serves students from Phillipsburg and five sending communities at the secondary level. It would be "unjust" to now jail a former Bank of Ireland employee who stole almost 200,000 from a branch and its customers before attempting to set the building on fire, the Court of Appeal has found, despite ruling that her original fully suspended sentence and community service order were too lenient. Maureen McCormack (53) maintained that she stole the money to pay for debts incurred for IVF treatment. She tried to set fire to the bank when she learned the branch was closing, fearing an examination of the accounts would bring her offence to light. The former bank official has since paid back more than half the money. McCormack of Esker, Banagher, Co Offaly pleaded guilty to arson at the Bank of Ireland branch in the town on October 6, 2021. She also entered guilty pleas to three theft charges, including the theft of approximately 145,000 in cash, which was the property of Bank of Ireland between January 1, 2017, and October 6, 2021. The 53-year-old further admitted to stealing money to the approximate value of 33,419.50 from two individuals on December 2, 2013, and stealing 21,008.24 from two others on November 7, 2016. McCormack was sentenced to 240 hours of community service in lieu of four years in prison for arson and four years in prison suspended for a period of six years for in respect of the theft offences by Judge Keenan Johnson at Tullamore Circuit Court in October 2024. Imposing sentence, Judge Johnson noted: It does appear to have been a desperate attempt on her part to cover her tracks when she engaged in an act of arson. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a review of the sentence on the grounds that it was unduly lenient. Kevin White BL, for the DPP, said the crime had involved planning and manipulation and McCormack had shown a total disregard for the safety of her colleagues and the public by starting a fire to destroy and conceal evidence. Mr Justice Alexander Owens said on Tuesdaday, December 17, that the Court of Appeal did not propose to set aside the sentence imposed by the Circuit Court and resentence McCormack as no useful purpose would be served by that course. However, he noted that there were very peculiar circumstances in this case and said the decision was not an indicator for any similar cases that might arise, but rather the opposite. Mr Justice Owens said the court found that the sentences imposed on McCormack were unduly lenient because they did not impose any significant custodial element of imprisonment. MORE BELOW PICTURE. He said the sentencing judge should have imposed concurrent custodial sentences of imprisonment of two years, at very least, on both the arson count and the theft count. It was not appropriate to suspend these sentences fully or substantially, the judge said, or to substitute a community service order for a sentence of imprisonment on the arson count. Mr Justice Owens said that the principles of general deterrence and proportionate sentencing for offenders who commit largescale financial fraud will rarely allow credit for restitution to whittle down what would otherwise be a significant custodial sentence to a very short term of imprisonment, a fully suspended sentence, or a community service order. However, he said in light of the process which led to imposition of these sentences, and the successful completion by McCormack of her sentence of community service, the court did not propose to impose custodial sentences on her at this stage. Her restitution was judicially mandated, and she has successfully completed her community service order, he said. He added: It would be unjust for this court to unwind these results by sending her to prison now. At the undue leniency hearing, Mr White said McCormack had a position of trust and standing in the community when she defrauded her employer, Bank of Ireland, and its customers. He said those factors alone should have resulted in a sentence but the arson aggravated and elevated the offending. Mr White said there was an assertion that McCormack fell into the offending because of bills incurred for IVF treatment. He said the cost of the IVF was just over 22,000 between 2004 and 2014 and the offending continued well beyond the need of that. However, McCormacks senior counsel Roderick OHanlon said the former bank employee had made restitution for a large portion of what was owed by cashing in her pension and the judge was entitled to use his discretion in fully suspending the four-year sentence. Submissions made to the court record that McCormack has paid over 115,886.82 in compensation. The incident came to light on October 6, 2021, when emergency services were called to the Bank of Ireland branch in Banagher around 1pm. A fire had broken out in a storeroom, and evidence of a second fire was found inside the banks safe. The damage to the building was estimated to be 10,000. READ ALSO: Accused of burglary in Portarlington Following the fire, bank officials noted that the safe should have contained 169,160 but an inspection of the vault revealed it only contained 23,665, leaving a shortfall of 145,495. Upon reviewing CCTV footage, gardai observed McCormack entering the vault on several occasions before the fire was reported and noted that she was the last person to leave it at 12.23 pm, approximately half an hour before emergency services were contacted. McCormack was arrested two days later and, while being transported to the garda station, voluntarily admitted to taking money from the bank safe over a period of time to pay off debts. She made further admissions during three subsequent interviews, confessing to the theft and to starting the fires. A later train service from Heuston Station to Portlaoise and Portarlington has been called for by local councillors. As more and more people are commuting from the county everyday, the demand for a later train service between Dublin and Laois has increased. As it stands, 13,000 people commute from Laois each day for work and school. Most of these commuters are travelling to Dublin. Councillors Tommy Mulligan and Barry Walsh have pressed Laois County Council to contact Irish Rail and request that the last train service departing Heuston Station at 11:10pm be extended to include Portarlington and Portlaoise Train Station. Speaking at the December meeting of Laois County Council, Cllr Mulligan emphasised that Portlaoise Station is one of the busiest stations outside of Dublin with 33 trains going to Dublin each day and 30 returning. READ NEXT: Demands for national funding for road safety measures at Laois schools He told the council that daily boardings are up to 1,000 in Portarlington and between 1,000 and 2,000 in Portlaoise. He admitted this is a "fantastic train service", but another later service would benefit the county immensely. The final train departing from Heuston Station is at 11.10pm and terminates at Kildare. Cllr Mulligan explained that by adding 15 minutes to this train journey it would reach Portarlington and by adding 26 minutes it would arrive in Portlaoise. The Independent councillor remarked that from his own experience of using this busy service recently, "there's definitely a market there." He said: "If the train service could continue to Portarlington and Portlaoise, it would greatly benefit the people of Laois. You're looking at much greater flexibility for commuters that are up in Dublin with more options for getting home." Councillor Walsh, who jointly raised the motion, added that this has been brought up before and the National Transport Authority told them it was subject to demand. With a commuter survey currently being carried out in Laois, he suggested that they ask people whether or not the service would be of use if it was available. Cllr Vivienne Phelan and Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley supported the motion and argued it would have a broader impact on people across Laois. Not only would this help commuters, but anyone returning from a night out or event in Dublin could avail of it. Cllr Phelan mentioned that with the cost of rent in Dublin now, many students are making the commute for college rather than living there. She said that the social aspect of college is also important and this later train service could greatly help these students. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme A new report on designated accommodation in Portlaoise for people seeking international protection in Ireland has revealed that just over a quarter of residents could be living elsewhere because they have already been permitted to stay in the country. The finding is contained in a new Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) report on Didean Dochas Eireann Teoranta HIQA say Didean Portlaoise is comprises nine own-door apartments and houses located on the outskirts of Portlaoise. The houses are situated in a housing estate, and the apartments are within an apartment block located nearby. At the time of the inspection, there were 34 residents living in the centre, which included 16 adults and 18 children. All residents lived with their family members. Of the nine family units, three were shared between families. IPAS centres are designed for asylum seekers who have applied for refugee status or subsidiary protection and need accommodation from the Irish State while their claims are processed. HIQA found that some living in the Portlaoise accommodation had been given clearance to stay in Ireland, meaning they are no longer automatically eligible to avail of the IPAS accommodation. "While the primary function of the centre was to provide accommodation to people seeking international protection, the inspectors found that nine (26%) of the residents had received refugee, subsidiary protection or leave to remain status," it said. The regulator says it began monitoring and inspecting permanent IPAS centres against national standards in January 2024 in the context of an accommodation system which it says is recognised by the Government "as not fit for purpose". The inspection report notes the housing crisis "limits residents ability to move out of accommodation centres". HIQA gave a positive assessment of the centre following two short-term announced inspections in September. HIQA found compliance with standards in 23 of the 27 categories. In the remaining four categories, the provider was found to be substantially compliant. HIQA said the accommodation provided facilitated residents to live independently, with each unit having a kitchen and dining room, a living area, bathrooms, and sufficient space for storage of personal items. READ ALSO: Dublin construction company snaps up Laois enterprise site Families who share accommodation with other families have their own bedrooms and bathrooms and share a kitchen and living space. The centre is located on the outskirts of Portlaoise, is in close proximity to local schools, creches, pre-schools, shops, transport links, health and social services. A Centre Manager reports to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the company. HIQA also reports that the manager was supported by a team of social care workers and assistant support workers employed in the centre. The staff and management team worked from an office in the centre of the town where residents could attend to meet with staff or access a meeting and computer room. HIQA Inspectors found that residents living in this centre were "satisfied with their accommodation" which was well maintained and met their needs. It said residents had choices in their daily lives, and their independence was promoted. The staff team had facilitated residents to integrate into the local community. Residents benefitted from the support of a knowledgeable and dedicated staff team who were aware of the needs and who advocated for and linked them with the supports and services they required. While there were many areas of good practice, there was a need to review some restrictive practices within the centre, HIQA found. IPAS centres were formerly known as direct provision centres. There were a total 11,906 applications for international protection at the end of November 2025. The process of introducing 30km/h speed zones in towns across Laois is set to get underway at the beginning of 2026. Laois County Council will begin assessing urban and built-up areas around the county in January with the aim of implementing the new speed limits by March 2027 as part of the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. The objective of the plan, which was published in July, is reducing deaths and serious injuries on roads by 50% by 2030. In February of this year, a new default 60km/h speed limit was imposed on rural local roads which replaced the previous default 80km/h. This next step in reducing the speed limit in urban and built-up areas is part of Phase 2 of the Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. READ NEXT: Reckless Laois driver caught hitting insane speeds during Garda crackdown It was previously expected that the 30km/h speed limit would be a default speed limit across the country as it was with the reduction from 80km/h to 60km/h in February. This change suggests that less roads would see the reduction in speed. Simon Walton, Director of Services at Laois County Council, has confirmed that the council will carry out a review of the existing speed limits in these areas in January, with the review process to be completed by October. There will be a number of workshops with elected members to review which roads should see the decrease. Once the draft bye-laws are approved by the relevant authorities, then it must be put to public consultation for 30 days. More details are to be given on this in the new years. For sections of national roads which pass through these areas are selected for the new 30km/h speed limit, Transport Infrastructure Ireland will have to approve the change. Local councillors have welcomed the beginning of the review process, saying that speed is a consistent problem raised within their different municipal districts. Councillors have also previously raised the idea of reducing speed limits in certain areas. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme Tributes have poured in following the passing of Celbridge, Kildare man, Tony Cunningham, Thornhill Heights, who passed suddenly at his residence on December 13 last. Tony is predeceased by his parents Una and Sean. He is deeply loved and sadly missed by his loving wife Sally, his daughter Maeve and son Sean, their partners James and Sinead, his beloved and adored grandchildren Sadie and Leo, sister Niamh, brothers John and Colm, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. "Hush, tiptoe past that final fond embrace, 'Cause after all you never know, When you next will see that smile." May Tony Rest In Peace. Tony will be reposing at Oliver Reilly's Funeral Home, Leinster St., Maynooth, (W23V99E) on Thursday (Dec. 18) from 5pm - 8pm. READ NEXT: Minister for Education asked to intervene in Maynooth 'transport crisis' A Celebration of Life service will take place at Oliver Reilly's Funeral Home, Leinster St., Maynooth, (W23V99E) on Friday (Dec. 19) at 10:30am to 11:15am, followed by cremation in Newlands Cross Crematorium at approx. 12 noon. Family Flowers only Donations if Desired to Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign www.ipsc.ie The Celebration of Life Service and Cremation Service can be viewed live in the "webstream" section below. Oliver Reilly Funeral Directors accept no responsibility for any live webcam interruptions or issues. For all enquiries, please contact Oliver Reilly Funeral Directors on (045) 868230. Webstream Funeral service: https://churchmedia.ie/reillys-funeral-home-maynooth/ Cremation/burial: https://www.dctrust.ie/location/newlands-cross/chapel-webstream.html Tributes paid to Tony on RIP.ie include: Our sincerest condolences, may God give you strength at this very difficult time. Tony was a cherished neighbour who will be greatly missed by many in Thornhill. And: I was so sad to hear of Tonys sudden passing. Have very fond memories of him from our time as neighbours in Thornhill Heights. Always enjoyed his company and chats. Sally, thinking of you, Maeve, Sean and extended family. Words cant ease his loss however know you are in my thoughts. Rest in Peace Tony. While another mourner wrote: So sorry to hear the devastating news of Tony passing. Thinking of you, Sally, Maeve and Sean, and the extended Cunningham and Durack families at this distressing time. Rest in peace Tony. And another added: Deepest condolences to Sally, Maeve and Sean on sudden passing of Tony. My sincere sympathy also to Tonys siblings John, Colm, Niamh and the extended Cunningham family. Thinking of all of you at this difficult time. May he rest in peace. The Teaching Council has announced that Scoil Mhuire, Ballymore Eustace, and Scoil na Naomh Uilig, Newbridge, are the two Kildare schools, among 27 schools around the country, to receive funding under its Feilte Bursary Scheme 2025. The bursary scheme is designed to support collaboration between schools and enhance teachers professional learning. In total, the Teaching Council has awarded funding of 126,000 to schools across Ireland. This years funding in Kildare will support collaborative projects centred on wellbeing and playful learning. Both schools will work with partner schools and education specialists to deepen teachers skills and support engaging, child-centred learning. Congratulating the schools, Acting Director of the Teaching Council, Phil Fox said: Teachers at these schools, and across Ireland continue to show remarkable creativity, innovation, and dedication to professional learning through their applications to the Feilte Bursary Scheme. The scheme has once again highlighted the high standards and quality of our teaching profession. The Teaching Council is proud to support this work, and we are pleased to confirm that the schemes funding has increased from 100,000 last year to 126,000 this year. This additional investment highlights the Councils commitment to promoting teaching as a profession and teachers professional learning. I wish all the participants well with their projects. I look forward to following the progress of these projects and to seeing the positive impact they will have on classrooms and school communities nationwide. READ NEXT: Woman struck by a car while running fell down a 10 foot embankment, Kildare court told A judge has criticised the absence of solicitors from the district court - which meant that a number of scheduled ceases could not immediately proceed. It happened at Naas District Court. Judge Cephas Power noted that he had travelled from Waterford for an arranged special sitting - a day set aside for hearing of cases adjourned from the regular court days at Naas Courthouse. READ NEXT Woman struck by a car while running fell down a 10 foot embankment, Kildare court told Some 23 cases were listed for the special day - a fraction of the list for the normal sitting two days before (131 cases). Judge Power was critical of a number of requests by legal representatives for cases to be adjourned noting that there is a huge demand on (court) resources. He added: Its not good enough to come in and say that (the cases) are not going on. He also said that the lawyers and gardai should not get together and agree to an adjournment without consulting with the Courts Service. In at least one case the lawyer could not attend because a different case they were also involved in was being heard at a court elsewhere. Jerry Buttimer, Minister of State for Community Development and Charities, was at the Island Theatre in Ballinamore earlier this morning to announce the details of the Community Services Programme (CSP) for 2026. 55.4 million in funding was announced to support the employment of staff at community organisations across the country from January 2026. READ MORE: Trees in danger of falling on tombstones in Leitrim graveyard The Island Theatre is one of 426 organisations that the programme will support next year. The support is aimed at covering part of the salaries of two staff members and one managerial position within an organisation, with the remainder being made up by the organisation itself. The programme has seen nine new organisations enter this year. Previously, the Island Theatre, which was renovated in 2022 with community-raised funds, met the criteria for the programme, but insufficient funding meant it could not be included. In 2025, the programme supported 351 managers and 1,721 staff positions. The monetary value of the funding varies between organisations, but is approximately 80,000, according to the Minister. READ MORE: Leitrim schools included in latest round of Safe Routes to School Programme It is very important for us to have a Community Services Programme, he said, highlighting the importance to the local communities who are receiving the funding. They dont have to worry about those menial or manual tasks, as there is someone driving the programme, reaching out to the community and beyond, and ensuring in this case that seats are filled, work is being done and that voluntary effort is being supported, he said. Its about generations seeing that you dont have to leave Ballinamore or rural Ireland - that your own small community can deliver, he added. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Members of REMAPSEN and other stakeholders at the launch on Tuesday LIMERICKs very own Jamie Hartigan has been battling against the odds his entire life. From his mum Caroline being told her son - who fit in the palm of her hand as a baby - would live for just two days, to his battling performances on The Voice of Ireland, the Rathbane man has taken life in his stride at every turn. Jamie was born with Silver-Russell Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, which causes restricted growth both before and after birth. READ MORE: Limerick firefighters cut stricken vessels anchor in dramatic river rescue One of more than 400 recognised types of dwarfism, the side effects can include low appetite, high blood pressure and heart disease. Even before Jamie arrived into the world in 1990, the Health Board, as it was at the time, gave him a bleak outlook. Before I was born, they said there was no hope here. They said there would be no chance of me surviving. They warned she would suffer a miscarriage, Jamie says. When he was born, it wasnt much better, he adds, saying: They gave me 24 to 48 hours. And even past that, they gave me two weeks maximum. Unwilling to accept the recommendation of Irish medics, however, Jamies grandfather Billy, living in London at the time, sought a second opinion. He identified a heart surgeon in Britain and wrote to her. From what I remember, he said, from your God-gifted hands, could you see my grandson? Within two weeks, I was offered an appointment, Jamie explains. However, with the Health Board unwilling to fund his trip cross-channel, it was left to the generosity of Limerick people to help him out, through a benefit night. The surgeon was a lovely lady, a beautiful lady, inside and out. They had me diagnosed with something completely different here in Ireland, but when I went to see herself, she diagnosed me correctly, Jamie explains. It was only after a number of trips that the Health Board in Ireland relented and agreed to fund the trips based on his diagnosis. When I was 15, I was supposed to get a heart-and-lung operation. We were bagged up ready to go, waiting to get the operation. At the time, I didnt think I was going to come home. But the surgeon did her usual check-up that day, and said, its nothing short of a miracle. Your heart and lung have finally balanced out. You might never need an operation, he recalls. Remarkably, as he hits his 36th birthday this February, Jamie has never had to go under the knife, and recently even gave up his heart tablets. Now, all he has is an inhaler for when he gets chesty. Two squirts of Ventolin, and I am brand new, he laughs. Despite the obvious physical challenges Jamie has faced, it was actually the harsh words and behaviour of his peers at school which almost did for him. The slagging would have started fairly innocent. But then it gradually got way worse when I went into secondary school, to the point where I was suicidal on many occasions, he admits. I used to cry myself to sleep seven nights a week, and I was afraid of my life to go to school. Completing his education in the 2000s, Jamie counts his blessings that social media was not as widespread as it is now, meaning his home was something of a refuge. Eventually, he fought back, recalling one particular incident early in his secondary school career. Youd have cases where people would pick you up, and dangle you in the air. I remember I was in first or second year, and there was a guy in sixth year. He was about six-foot two, and caught me by the scruff and lifted me up over his head. I shouldnt say it, but when he lowered me down, I gave him a kick where the sun dont shine - in between the legs - and I dropped him, he recalls. Unfortunately for young Jamie, his principal was watching on. While he had to endure the customary telling-off for using foul language, he was then surprised by the response. He then put his hand out to shake my hand to say well done for backing up yourself, Jamie smiles. Even as a grown-up, and employed part-time in customer support by telecommunications firm Eir, he still finds himself mocked in general society, alongside his partner of 10 years, Megan (pictured below, with Jamie) Theyd never do it to my face. But theyd pop their head out of a car window, and call me midget. You could have cases where theyd take pictures, theyd stop their car, youd know they are recording videos. Weve had cases where people create videos of myself and my partner and share them over Snapchat. Its horrible. Remarkably, Jamie remains really pragmatic when asked how he deals with this. I always say, I wouldnt like to have cancer, I wouldnt like to be in a wheelchair. I wouldnt like to be deaf, dumb or blind. There are a lot of other things I wouldnt like to have in my life, or I wouldnt like to suffer. So you take the good with the bad, he says. No matter how good or how bad you have it, there is always someone worse, or someone better. Thats just the way to look at it. The expression kids can be so cruel is borne out by one of Jamies experiences. Recently, he heard a young child asking their parent why he looks like a child, but has hairy legs. Its practical reasons which prompt him to ignore it, he admits. Its hard at times, I wont lie. To the point where youd feel like stopping the mother or the father or whoever they are with. But I never do, because its only going to cause confrontation for myself. As I am such a small person, I cannot physically defend myself in any situation, he explains. Jamie is lucky in the sense he has a strong family, a loving partner and good friends to support him. Ironically enough, he says that one of his best friends, Thomas, towers up six-foot three! I walk quite fast. Id say its probably from trying to keep up with him all the years, he laughs. Jamie achieved a level of fame around a decade ago as a contestant on RTEs The Voice of Ireland. Although he was mentored by Kian Egan, he felt one of the Westlife stars fellow judges, the late, great Dolores ORiordan was the most genuine and down to earth. He impressed with his rapping and vocal skills. But he says the most he would do these days is karaoke. Id have to have a pint or two down me to get the confidence though! Jamie sums up his outlook with a simple message, one he believes speaks to the heart of resilience. When you break the word disability down, the word ability is in there. We all have our own abilities to our own limitations. Everyone is different. No matter who you are, or where you are from, what situation you're going through, no matter how difficult life might be, always look on the bright side - there might a cloud over you today, but tomorrow, there might be a sun in front of you, he concludes. Jamie would love to share his story with businesses, schools, colleges or other organisations in the hope it might help or inspire others. For more information, email hartigan.jamie@gmail.com. THE Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy has issued an appeal to young people, saying: We need you at church. You bring us enthusiasm and liveliness. We know we are not always the most lively of places today, but we have noticed young adults beginning to rediscover the value of Mass. So we say, why not give is a try? And not just once or twice. Persevere and youll see its worth it, the Bishop stated in a Christmas message. The most senior figure in the Catholic Church in Limerick also stressed that going to Mass is not just for December. PICTURES: Mayor of Limerick's charity dinner raises 30,000 for cancer awareness If you feel its special at Christmas, dont think thats just it. There might not be the same parade of new jackets and coats on other days, children might not be as excited. But its the same church, the same sense of level of peace and strength if you seek it, said Bishop Leahy. Some 20,000 people attend Mass across the Limerick Diocese each week, with 2,000 doing so daily, he said. But its only really at Christmas that the pews are packed. As clergy, we look out with great joy when we see our churches full. Its always heartening to see people gather, whether its in your home with visitors, at matches or indeed, at church. The reality is the great sense of community, of family and peace that we get at Christmas is there for us every other day of the year also, said the bishop. At Christmas, it is extra special, of course, because we celebrate the birth of Christ, the churches are festooned with decorations, we all make an extra effort. Thats what is different about Christmas. We make an extra effort, we give more to Mass and we get more in return. But what if we give the same to other Sunday or weekly Masses? The answer is we will also receive, he added in his Christmas message released this Tuesday. Bishop Leahy says he finds people take great solace in the church, especially during tough times. Thats because they put a lot into it. They come with intent. They are seeking and they find. So, that really is the message. Mass offers so much, but you have to give for it to get from it, he said. The church, he added, provides deep roots which gives stability, especially when storms blow into our lives. The Mass, after all, contains the whole spiritual treasure of the church, added Bishop Leahy. GARDAI are investigating a spate of overnight burglaries in County Limerick, during which vehicles were stolen from outside homes in Adare and Murroe. Sergeant Michelle OHalloran, Crime Prevention Officer Henry Street Garda Station said: "On the 14th of December, sometime between midnight and 9am, a male in his 50s in the Adare area reported that he woke to find items disturbed in his home. On checking further, he discovered that his car keys were missing, and his vehicle a 2006 registered BMW X5 had been taken from his driveway." "The vehicle has since been recovered, and Gardai in Rathkeale are investigating this incident." READ MORE: Cork man very embarrassed following public order incident in Limerick village Anyone with information is asked to contact Rathkeale Garda Station on 06963222 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. Other similar incidents were also reported in the Murroe area. Sgt O'Halloran stated: "On the 14th of December, between midnight and 11am, a woman in her 30s discovered that her 2012 red Volkswagen Polo, which had been parked outside overnight, was missing." "On checking inside her home, she realised that the car keys had also been taken. This red Volkswagen Polo has not been recovered." The local crime prevention officer continued: "On the same night, another woman in her 30s in Murroe area reported that her 2015 silver Volkswagen Passat was stolen from outside her home at approximately half six in the morning." "Its believed that the suspects entered the house via an unlocked door, took the keys, and then took the vehicle. No other property was taken, and the vehicle has since been recovered." Gardai in Bruff are investigating both incidents and are appealing to anyone who may have information or noticed any suspicious activity in the area to come forward and contact them on 061 382940. Sgt O'Halloran is also reminding homeowners to check all doors and windows, including front, back, patio, and double doors. "The most basic principle of security is controlling access to your home." "Make sure your doors and windows are of good quality and lock securely. If locks are faulty, repair or replace them as soon as possible, or consider adding extra locks or bolts," added Sgt O'Halloran. The crime prevention officer also advised homeowners to ensure their home and vehicle is secure. "Keep valuables out of sight, and avoid keeping large amounts of cash or jewellery at home." "At night, turn on lights, use timer switches, and always remember to 'Lock Up and Light Up.'" A MAN with 75 previous convictions stole a BMW valued at 70,000 and parked it outside his home address, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard. The accused man told gardai, I must have been stoned out of my head, after he was arrested. READ NEXT: Tractor trouble: Limerick farmer with 'bit of an attitude' refused to stop for gardai Shane Kelly, aged 37, of Distillery View, Thomondgate, Limerick city pleaded guilty to burglary and unauthorised taking of a vehicle at a house on the Ennis Road. Prosecuting barrister John OSullivan, instructed by State solicitor Padraig Mawe, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Detective Garda Ronan Humphreys. Mr OSullivan said a person residing in the house on the Ennis Road contacted gardai at 9.30am on April 18, 2025 to say that a grey BMW worth around 70,000 had been stolen. It had been parked at the back of the house. He had the keys in a press in the kitchen. They were taken from there during a burglary. CCTV footage from the house led to the accused man emerging as a suspect, said Mr OSullivan. CCTV footage showed a burglar, who walked with a limp, at the property at 5am. Keys to the car, a fob for the back gate and another set of keys, valued at 1,000, were stolen. Det Garda Humphreys confirmed they had all been returned. Gardai went to Distillery View, Thomondgate an hour and a half later, observed the stolen BMW parked there and seized it. A man (not the accused) approached gardai and gave them the keys to the BMW which he had found on the ground. Gardai tracked the BMW, which had its boot open, from the house on Ennis Road to Distillery View, Thomongate. Det Garda Humphreys said the boot was open because he imagined Mr Kelly pressed the wrong button on the fob. Mr OSullivan said Mr Kelly was arrested, shown the CCTV and made full admissions. Mr Kelly told gardai, I apologised for my actions. I must have been stoned out of my head. Im glad no one got hurt. No damage was caused to the BMW. Mr OSullivan said Mr Kelly, who has never been in gainful employment, has 75 previous convictions, including for assault, aggravated burglary, 12 burglaries, possession of drugs, unauthorised taking of a vehicle, possession of stolen property and a multiplicity of road traffic offences. Joseph McMahon BL, who represented Mr Kelly, said his client has pleaded guilty and made full and frank admissions. He is a native of the city. From a very early age he would have witnessed and been exposed to criminality. It is something that has affected him throughout his life and became normalised from what he saw as a young person. Unfortunately, he became entrenched in drug use from a very early age. He instructed me he was 17 when his drug use really ramped up. He tells me has an addiction to heroin and crack cocaine, a drug which over the last number of years has ravaged this city in particular, and you have seen the consequential offending in this court, said Mr McMahon, who added that the car was not damaged and Mr Kelly has expressed remorse. Mr McMahon said Mr Kellys circumstances were wretched at the time and he was sleeping in a tent across the way from his home address in Thomondgate. Judge Colin Daly adjourned sentencing to allow for clarification whether Mr Kelly was subject to a suspended sentence at the time or not. A MAJOR new study from University of Limerick analysing almost six million person-years of data has revealed that personality traits are linked to longevity and risk of death. The research highlights that personality is likely associated with risk of death through an influence on a range of health behaviours and biological processes which play a role in long-term health. Recently published in the prestigious Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the review compiled a vast body of evidence from an extensive range of longitudinal studies across four continents. Five personality traits were analysed as part of the study which included data from 569,859 people, representing 5,997,667 person-years and 43,851 deaths. Associations with the mortality risk of neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness traits were all explored. READ MORE: BREAKING: Car torched outside Limerick maternity hospital Among the key findings were: In adults, higher neuroticism, characterised by feelings of anxiety, worry and emotional instability, was associated with an increased risk of earlier death. Higher conscientiousness, which is a tendency to be organised and self-disciplined, was linked to a reduced risk of death. Extraversion, which is a preference for social engagement and activity, was linked to a reduced risk of death. Age was an important factor in the link between neuroticism and risk of death, with stronger effects found in younger ages. The association between extraversion and risk of death was particularly evident in the United States and Australia, compared to other countries. The researchers suggest several potential reasons for these differences, which include that being more extroverted may have beneficial health outcomes in some countries and not in others. Most studies found weak or no association between openness and agreeableness and health outcomes. Dr Maire McGeehan, Assistant Professor in ULs Department of Psychology and researcher in ULs Health Research Institute (HRI), led the study as an Irish Research Council-funded doctoral scholar. She explained: This review brings together decades of longitudinal research and clearly highlights the critical role that personality plays in longevity. Our work shows that how we think, feel and behave is not only linked to life satisfaction and social relationships, but also to how long we live. Personality is a critical driver of health and longevity. It is important to emphasise that these effects are similar in size to those of commonly considered public health determinants, such as socio-economic status, added Dr McGeehan. Senior author and principal investigator Dr Paraic S OSuilleabhain, Associate Professor in ULs Department of Psychology, said: This truly is a groundbreaking piece of research that will drive a vast range of future research into how our tendencies to think, act, and feel, are related to how long we live. This study builds on other research from our group indicating that personality is critically important to health across the lifespan, stated Dr OSuilleabhain. This work was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the University of Limerick, Florida State University, West Virginia University, and Northwestern University. Kathy Casteel | Lincoln University of Missouri, one of the nations oldest HBCUs, is preparing to celebrate 160 years of higher education rooted in its founding mission to uplift, educate and expand opportunity. Restaurant entrepreneur and Lincoln alumna Valerie Daniels-Carter of V&J Holding Companies, Inc., will headline the January morning convocation as keynote speaker. Featuring such brands as Auntie Annes, Burger King, Captain Ds, Cinnabon, Pizza Hut and others, V&J is the largest female-owned restaurant franchise organization and one of the largest restaurant franchise companies in the United States. V&J president and CEO, Daniels-Carter started her business with one Burger King restaurant in Milwaukee in 1982; her brother John W. Daniels Jr. was her only investor. Over the next 16 years, Daniels-Carter built a restaurant empire, growing V&J from one restaurant in Milwaukee to 132 locations in eight states with more than 4,500 employees. V&J is now a multibrand, multistate enterprise that also operates real estate and corporate venture businesses. Daniels-Carter is also a minority owner of the NBAs Milwaukee Bucks and a board member of the NFLs Green Bay Packers. Essence magazine calls her one of the 50 Most Inspiring African Americans in the United States. She earned her bachelors degree in business administration at Lincoln in 1978. She also holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University and several honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees, including one from Lincoln University, bestowed in 2016. Daniels-Carter has authored four books on business strategies and entrepreneurship. Founders Day celebrates Lincolns 160 years of education service. Established in January 1866 with contributions from Civil War veterans of the 62nd and 65th United States Colored Infantries, Lincoln Institute opened in Jefferson City on Sept. 17, 1866, with two students. In 1887, Lincoln added college-level classes to the curriculum. Under the second Morrill Act of 1890, the school became a land-grant institution. A name change in 1921 to Lincoln University accompanied the schools expansion to a four-year institution; graduate studies were added in 1940. In 1954, the historically Black university opened its doors to white students and today serves a diverse student population of nearly 2,300 with an array of academic offerings. Free and open to the public, Daniels-Carters Founders Day address will take place on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 11 a.m. in the Robert and Charlene Mitchell Auditorium at Richardson Fine Arts Center, 710 E. Dunklin St., Jefferson City, Missouri. NEW DELHI : As Big Tech companies look to expand beyond English-speaking users, developing artificial intelligence (AI) expertise across a wider range of languages is emerging as the next major hurdle. Googles latest effort has seen the company embed 29 Indic languages and dialects into Gemini, its foundational AI model, as it looks to scale AI adoption across Indias hinterlands, three years after it began work in the area. A foundational model is one that can accept user queries and respond in human-understandable languages. According to Manish Gupta, senior director at the companys research arm, Google DeepMind, and its spearhead in AI language research efforts in India, proficiency in Indic languages is critical for last-mile applications such as agriculture and healthcare, where AI must interpret region-specific context to function properly, Also Read | Google has triggered two tech wars that will define 2026 and beyond For instance, Googles Gemini powers an agricultural analysis model that is currently being deployed at the last mile, where it is imperative for our AI models to have contextual understanding of local tongues in order to perform with high efficiency," he added. Googles agriculture app processes information in local languages to offer soil analysis, crop prediction and more to farmers at subsidized costs through government and private sector companies. To be sure, by embedding 29 languages", Google means it is training, fine-tuning and benchmarking Geminis performance across these languages. They are currently available for text generation and translation in the public domain, with commercial and pilot deployments depending on specific projects. According to Gupta, Googles linguistic depth is also helping it export AI applications developed in India to other regions. From DeepMind, we exported our locally developed agriculture analysis AI model to other countries in Asia by replicating its performance in India. Now, were expanding it to Africa, and will soon bring it to the rest of the world," he said. The case for regional-language AI Data from International Centre for Language Studies showed that as of August last year, three top Indic languagesHindi, Bangla and Urduaccounted for over 13% of the world's population. Seven of India's top languages are spoken by at least 50 million people. Despite the wide share of global languages, AI stakeholders point out that Indian languages comprise less than 1% of the open internet leaving AI applications and services open to biases common in English. In India, only about 10% of the population speaks English. Developing proficiency in regional languages in AI models is, thus, critical for Big Tech to make inroads into Indias hinterland. Further, most companies are riding highest-ever smartphone penetrations in India, which now has nearly 850 million active smartphones, as per data from IDC India. Training AI models in Indic languages will directly cater to a large part of the worlds population, as well as Indias," said Jibu Elias, responsible computing lead for India at Mozilla Foundation. Further, Indic languages provide an ideal template to add nuances of various languages, and given their scale, make for ideal languages to train AI models onwhich can then be exported to and implemented in various other countries." Globally, the competitive landscape is taking shape. As of 30 November, Anthropic's latest foundational model, Claude Sonnet 4.5, was the best-performing AI model in Indic languages, with an average score of 60.7 out of 100. Google's latest Gemini 3 Pro scored 59.9, ranking second. Other popular models include OpenAI's GPT-5.2 at 52.2, and Elon Musk-backed xAI's Grok 4 at 52. Industry views Industry experts stressed that linguistic scale must be paired with ethical data practices. Languages in India extend well beyond just the 22 official onesthere are many, for instance, that have millions of speakers but no script," said Elias, adding that there are also several regional languages and dialects that are nearly extinct. As per the 2011 Census, India has 22 constitutionally recognised official languages and 99 other listed languagesamounting to 121 languagesalongside more than 19,500 raw dialects. While it is imperative for Big Tech to develop AI abilities since only 10% of India speaks English, taking an equitable approach is the key," Elias added. For this, tech firms must work with stakeholders of communities, instead of data annotation startups that may raise questions of ethics, in order to truly scale AI abilities." Gupta said Google works with grassroots-level data providers to collect Indic datasets, though he did not comment on commercial arrangements. Beyond language, Google is expanding multimodal AI applications in healthcare. Next month, a peer-reviewed paper on using Gemini 1.5 to detect diabetes through retina scans will be published in Ophthalmology Science. Also Read | How Estee Lauder and Google taught AI to sell fragrances The development of such multimodal AI models is thus imperative, and India is playing a big role in it," Gupta said. Native understanding of local languages is a key part of this process, as it is only through local language understanding that applications can be brought to users at scale." The background Googles Indic-language efforts began with Project Vaani in December 2022, an open-source initiative to collate publicly accessible datasets. It is distinct from Gemini, which is a foundational AI model trained to generate natural-language responses from vast datasets. In July last year, Google introduced IndicGenBench, a proprietary benchmark to evaluate model performance across 29 Indian languages. Google has partnered with Bhashini, an initiative of Indias ministry of electronics and IT, and IISc, Bengaluru, to fine-tune these models. Bhashini, launched in August 2022, collates free-to-use Indian language data for research, academia and AI development. Apple has reportedly begun preliminary talks with Indian chipmakers to assemble and package iPhone components, according to a report by the Economic Times on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the discussions. This is the first time Apple is considering assembling and packaging some chips in India, the report said. It is not yet clear which chips will be packaged at the Sanand facility in Gujarat, but they are likely to be display-related chips. As per the report, Tim Cook-led Apple held discussions with Murugappa Group-owned CG Semi, which is building an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Sanand. Apple aims to shift manufacturing to India Apple has been looking to shift the manufacturing of all iPhones sold in the US to India by the end of 2026. It is now speeding up those plans with the aim to offset potentially higher tariffs in China, its main manufacturing base, Reuters reported in April. Also Read | Apple departures point to challenges for iPhones dominance According to an earlier FT report, Apple is seeking to double iPhone production in India to 80 million units to meet the demand of 60 million iPhones to be sold in the United States by 2026. Why Apple wants to shift In April, the US administration imposed a 26% tariff on imports from India, far lower than the more than 100% levied on Chinese goods at the time. Washington has since paused most duties for three months, except those on China. Soon after President Trump's tariff announcement, Apple had a sharp loss of around $700 billion in market value. As a result, the US government exempted electronic items like smartphones from the tariffs, which came as a relief for the smartphone giant. Even before the tariffs were introduced, Apple had been urging its suppliers from China, Japan, Taiwan and other countries to establish manufacturing facilities in India. Several key partners had already begun production in the country, including Sunwoda for battery packs, Foxlink for cables, and Aequs for device cases. Why is Apple not manufacturing its products in the US? Lower-cost skilled labour and the presence of well-established, precision-engineered product supply chains have been key factors drawing Apple to manufacturing hubs in China and, increasingly, India for manufacturing iPhones. (Bloomberg) -- Bloomingdales terminated the employee who inserted a slip of paper with the phrase Free Palestine into a package that had Hanukkah-themed pajamas, according to a person close to the company. The customer who received them found the hand-written message inside the package and posted it on social media Tuesday. Bloomingdales, the high-end department store owned by Macys Inc., paused operations in part of a fulfillment center to investigate the incident, said the person, who wasnt authorized to speak publicly. The center is now back up and running, the person added. @arielleharris_ a gift of hannukah pjs covered in jewish stars from @Bloomingdales and @P.J. Salvage was ruined by an unsolicited note. this is deeply disturbing and needs to be addressed. response to video from my boyfriend @Andrew @Claudia Oshry @Carly Weinstein @Jewish News original sound - arielle h Antisemitism and discrimination of any kind have no place in our business, a Macys spokesperson said in a statement. This conduct was unauthorized, unacceptable, and in direct violation of our company policies. Its the latest instance of how tensions in the Middle East are still reverberating around the world more than two years after Hamas attacked Israel and sparked the Jewish states retaliatory action in Gaza. The conflict has sparked pro-Palestinian protests from New York to London and Sydney, with leadership at companies such as Microsoft Corp., McDonalds Corp. and universities including Harvard and Columbia caught in the fray. It has also driven debate over free speech and the corporations responsibility to its employees and customers. The Bloomingdales incident came to light on TikTok, when a woman named Arielle Harris said her boyfriend gifted her the You Had Me At Shalom jersey pajamas. Decorated with the Star of David and made by the brand P.J. Salvage, Bloomingdales is selling it at a discount for $81.20. Harris explained in the post that she opened the gift and saw Free Palestine written on the back of a Bloomingdales sales tag, which was placed on top of the receipt. My boyfriend hadnt even opened the package before giving it to me, she said. This never should have happened and Bloomingdales needs to answer for their employees. Harris didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. (Updates with more details from the customer in 6th to 8th paragraphs.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com China is set to add another billionaire emerging from a Chinese chipmaker to its rich list in the span of just a few days. Chen Weiliang left his 14-year career nearly half a decade ago, stepping down from a top executive role at Advanced Micro Devices to launch his own chip startup. That startup MetaX Integrated Circuits Shanghai Co. is scheduled to list on Wednesday in Shanghai at a valuation of a massive $5.9 billion. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Chen holds 55 million shares in the company worth at least 5.8 billion yuan ($824 million) at the offer price. The 49-year-olds rise to near-billionaire status follows the arc of Zhang Jianzhong, founder of Moore Threads Technology Co. a former Nvidia Corp. executive whose net worth climbed to $4.3 billion after his companys IPO earlier this month. Both founders reflect the rise of a new billionaire class in China, fueled by Beijings drive to create a self-sufficient chip supply chain. Yet, their companies remain exposed to geopolitical pressures, heavy cash burn, intense domestic competition and hardware dependencies that could quickly test those gains. In the tech war between China and the US, companies in Beijings priority sectors are receiving support far beyond normal levels, said Shen Meng, director at Beijing-based investment bank Chanson & Co. Although R&D is manageable for founders with US industry experience, Chinese firms still lag significantly behind global leaders in system-level performance, ecosystems, and production. Also Read | Chinese Billionaires Are Mass Producing Babies via Surrogacy In The U.S. AMD Gang A key driver of MetaXs rapid ascent has been its aggressive recruitment of top-tier engineering talent, allowing Chen to bypass the typical startup learning curve. Among his first hires were chief technology officers Peng Li one of AMDs first female Chinese scientists and Yang Jian. Like Moore Threads, MetaXs IPO has also made many other people associated with the firm wealthy. Peng and Yang are both poised to see their fortunes surge to $56.7 million with the IPO. Chen, who studied at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and completed a masters degree in engineering at Tsinghua University, also brought in a slate of former AMD colleagues who now occupy key management roles at MetaX. They include Chen Yang, Zhou Jun and Wang Ding. To secure this talent, Chen employed a series of pre-IPO limited partnerships, turning much of his R&D department into high-net-worth individuals. The company distributed 461 million yuan ($65.5 million) in share-based compensation to employees in 2024 alone, according to the prospectus, with the bulk of that going to key managers. Still, more than 80% of the 870-strong workforce holds indirect stakes through shareholding platforms. At the offer price, a stake of just 0.017% is enough to mint a US dollar millionaire. Its almost the only way to attract a stable candidate to leave a stable business, said Echo Wang, Regional Director at Hays Shanghai, a tech recruitment firm. Senior talent from global giants command top-tier cash packages, and startups can usually only compete by offering attractive equity incentives to make up the difference, said Wang. Cash Burn The IPO places MetaX in a heated race among Chinas chip unicorns, who are scrambling to fight for the domestic market left by Western tech export controls. Besides US chip giants like Nvidia and AMD, MetaX faces a crowded field of domestic rivals. These include Moore Threads, Huawei Technologies Co., Hygon Information Technology Co. and Cambricon Technologies Corp. Huawei, Hygon and Cambricon are considered to have more matured products and customer relationships, said Matthew Deng, Consulting Director at BDA China. MetaX is burning cash at a ferocious rate to close the gap in terms of system-level performance and production with Nvidia. From 2022 through 2024, MetaX spent over 2.2 billion yuan on R&D alone. While revenue is skyrocketing hitting 915 million yuan in the first half of 2025, surpassing the entire previous year profitability remains elusive. The company posted a net loss of 1.41 billion yuan in 2024. MetaX projects it will break even by 2026, a target that relies heavily on its flagship C500 chip maintaining its foothold against rivals like Huaweis Ascend series. Beyond the financials, the company displays a fragility common to Chinas import-substitution champions: reliance on a handful of buyers. One of its largest clients in the first quarter of 2025 was H3C Technologies Co., a subsidiary of a Beijing-backed conglomerate that serves as a primary conduit for domestic chips entering government data centres. Another risk lies in manufacturing. MetaX operates as a fabless chipmaker it designs the chips but relies on third-party foundries to build them. With the US tightening restrictions on Chinas access to advanced lithography, MetaXs supply chain remains vulnerable. If our major suppliers experience capacity constraints or are subject to trade restrictions, the prospectus stated, Our ability to deliver products could be materially impaired. Also Read | Sundar Pichai becomes billionaire despite sharp drop in salary over 2 years Alphabet's Google is working on a new initiative to improve its own artificial intelligence chips so they can work well in running PyTorch, a software most people use to build and run AI models. By making PyTorch run smoothly on Google's chips, the tech giant aims to weaken Nvidia's longstanding dominance in the AI computing market, according to Reuters. Google is pushing hard to make its Tensor Processing Units a viable alternative to Nvidia's market-leading GPUs. These chips are becoming an important source of revenue for Google Cloud as it seeks to show investors that its AI investments are actually generating returns. What is this new initiative? However, just having powerful hardware alone is not enough to spur adoption. The new initiative, internally known as TorchTPU, is designed to remove a major barrier that has slowed the uptake of TPU chips by making them fully compatible with PyTorch software and easier for developers to use. Google is also considering open-sourcing parts of the software to accelerate adoption among customers, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Also Read | Beyond the rails: Why Google Pay is moving up the lending value chain PyTorch, an open-source project heavily supported by Meta Platforms, is used by developers worldwide to make AI models. In Silicon Valley, very few developers write every line of code that chips from Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices or Google will actually execute. Instead, those developers rely on tools like PyTorch, which is a collection of pre-written code libraries and frameworks that automate many common tasks in developing AI software. Nvidia vs Google Nvidias engineers have spent years optimising their chips to ensure that PyTorch-based software runs as fast and efficiently as possible. Google, by contrast, has traditionally relied on a different framework, Jax, used extensively by its internal teams, with its TPU chips optimised through a compiler called XLA. As a result, much of Google's AI software stack and performance optimization has been built around Jax, creating a growting mismatch between how Google designs and uses its chips and how most customers prefer to work with them. Alphabet had long reserved the majority share of its own chips, or TPUs, for in-house use only. That changed in 2022, when Googles cloud computing unit successfully lobbied to oversee the group that sells TPUs. The move drastically increased Google Cloud's allocation of TPUs and as customers' interest in AI has grown, Google has sought to capitalize by ramping up production and sales of TPUs to external customers. But the mismatch between the PyTorch frameworks used by most of the worlds AI developers and the Jax frameworks that Googles chips are currently most finely tuned to run means that most developers cannot easily adopt Googles chips and get them to perform as well as Nvidias without undertaking significant, extra engineering work. Such work takes time and money in the fast-paced AI race. If the project becomes successful, Google's TorchTPU initiative has the potential to significantly reduce switching costs for firms that would be seeking alternatives to Nvidias GPUs. Nvidias dominance in the AI chip market is a result of not only its hardware but by its CUDA software ecosystem, which is deeply embedded in PyTorch and has become the default method by which companies train and run large AI models, Reuters reported. Google ties up with Meta In order to accelerate the pace of growth, Google is now working closely with Meta, the creator and steward of PyTorch, according to Reuters. The two tech giants have simultaneously been discussing deals for Meta to access more TPUs. Early offerings for Meta were structured as Google-managed services, under which customers such as Meta deployed Google's chips, which were designed to run Google software and models. On the other hand, Google was tasked with providing operational support. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS), India's largest software services company, has won a mega deal valued at more than $1 billion revenues over 10 years from Telefonica UK, the British arm of Spanish telecom giant Telefonica, ending a nearly two-year drought in bagging such large deals. Telefonica UK runs the O2 brand of mobile phone services in the UK. Mumbai-based TCS will offer application and infrastructure work as part of this contract, much of which is new work for the company, said two executives privy to the development requesting that they remain unidentified in this story. A formal announcement is expected in the coming weeks. This is the fourth $1-billion deal, all in the UK, under managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) K. Krithivasan who took office in June 2023. That same month, TCS signed a $1.1 billion contract with UK National Employment Savings Trust, which is the UKs largest workplace pension scheme. Three months later, it won a $1 billion digital transformation contract with Jaguar Land Rover; both the automaker and TCS are part of the Tata Group. Finally, In January last year, the company bagged its largest deala $2.5-billion, 15-year administration contract with British insurer Aviva. The UK is the second-largest market after the US for TCS making up about 17% of its full-year revenue of $30.18 billion. Questions sent to TCS and Telefonica went unanswered at the time of publishing. Decretive on margins Both the executives cited earlier pointed to the muted profitability in the Telefonica UK deal, claiming it is lower than TCS's 24.2% operating margin. They didn't share more details. This marks a shift in strategy as the IT outsourcer has traditionally refrained from signing deals lower than the companys overall profitability. This is the second deal with a telecom company that is hurting the companys overall margins. The companys $1.83 billion contract with state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, or BSNL, was another deal which hurt the companys profitability. As part of this engagement, TCS deployed 4G network solutions for the telecom company. However, the operating margins of the Telefonica UK deal is expected to be higher than the deal signed with BSNL, according to one of the executives. As of now, a billion dollar contract over 10 years translates to $100 million in incremental revenue for the IT services company. Simply put, if TCS does not lose business this year, it stands to improve its revenue by 0.3% in the next fiscal. An analyst read the Telefonica UK deal more as an attempt to reshape revenues than about its dilutive effect on margins. TCS is prioritizing predictable, long-term growth and strategic account control over short-term margin optimization. If executed well, such contracts typically become more margin accretive in the later years as transformation benefits compound," said Phil Fersht, chief executive of HFS Research, a Massachusetts-based IT consulting and research firm. Slowing momentum, trailing peers Large contracts, especially those over a billion dollars, have long sales cycles and can take up to 18 months to be formalized. Much of the work on the Telefonica UK deal was led by Amit Kapur, who ran TCS's UK and Ireland business until August, according to the two executives mentioned above. He was critical in winning the earlier UK deals, too. Kapur was elevated as TCSs artificial intelligence and services transformation unit head in August. Under CEO Krithivasan, overall growth has slowed for TCS as it reported 4.1% and 3.78% full-year revenue growth in FY24 and FY25, respectively. At the heart of this slowdown, is the company's inability to win enough mega deals at a time when peers are winning large contracts. Since the start of the year, New Jersey-based Cognizant has announced at least one mega deal in healthcare: Mint reported on 6 June that it won a $1 billion IT transformation deal with an unnamed US-based healthcare company, which runs for five years. Infosys, ranked second by revenues in IT services in India, won a $1.7 billion, eight-year IT management contract with Liberty Global in August 2023 and, this October, a $1.6 billion, 15-year IT modernization deal with UKs NHS, short for National Health Service, the UK's public healthcare provider. The third-largest HCLTech last secured a deal exceeding a billion dollars in August 2023, when it inked a $2.1 billion managed services contract with US telco Verizon for five years. Big deal yet FY revenues may decline Deals valued at over a billion dollars move the revenue needle for IT services companies as they guarantee a steady stream of fixed revenue every year. Because of this lack of large ticket contracts at TCS, at least two analysts expect the company to report a decline in revenue this year. Kotak Institutional Equities analysts expect TCS to end FY26 with a revenue decline of more than 2.5% whereas Motilal Oswal Financial Services analysts expect a decline of 0.5%. TCS has also lost out to peers in the race to sign large contracts from Fortune companies, further adding to shareholder concerns. Over the last two years, TCS lost the Zurich Life Insurance deal to Virginia, US-based DXC Technology and its Phoenix Group account to Wipro Ltd. Both contracts were valued upwards of $500 million. This October, it also missed out on the NHS deal that Infosys won. Sixth-largest LTIMindtree Ltd also pipped TCS to bag its largest deal, worth $585 million, with Paramount Global the same month. This is prompting the TCS management to sign mega deals at any cost, according to a second executive who said that the Telefonica UK deal has emerged out of a need to bag contracts, even if the company takes a beating on its profitability. In terms of revenue, TCS gets 6% of its total business from the communications and media companies. It does not call out revenue from telecom companies independently. TCSs mega deal comes as it looks for newer growth avenues through its investment in data building centres, a first for the countrys $283 billion IT services sector. Last month, private equity major TPG and TCS agreed to invest $1 billion in setting up a data centre in Navi Mumbai, Mint reported on 20 November. This comes as part of its stated strategy to invest upwards of $6.5 billion over six years to build data centres with capacity of 1 gigawatt, in order to become the worlds largest AI-led technology services company". TCS also roped in Deepesh Nanda, who currently heads Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd, to take charge of its newly-formed data centre subsidiary called HyperVault AI Data Centre. Barely a week after global private equity firm KKR sewed up a deal with Ranu Vohra, co-founder of India's Avendus Capital, Japanese Mizuho Securities Co. on Wednesday announced that it is buying a majority stake in the Mumbai-based investment bank for up to 81 billion yen, or $523 million. Redpoint Investments Pte Ltd., an affiliate of US-based KKR is selling the stake to Mizuho Securities, a subsidiary of Japan's third-largest banking group Mizuho Financial Group. Vohra, serving as executive vice chairman of Avendus, will also be liquidating his stake as part of the deal. What's inside the Mizuho-Avendus deal? Mizuho Securities said in a statement that the 81 billion yen deal will represent 61.6% to 78.3% of Avendus shares, with which it plans to make the financial services firm a consolidated subsidiary. Mint had reported on 10 December that KKR had concluded a deal to purchase Vohra's 6% stake in Avendus at a company valuation of 11,500 crore. As per the earlier shareholder agreement, Avendus co-founders held the rights to a veto on a buyout deal and the valuation in the deal with Vohra reflected that premium, sources had confirmed then. The buyout adds to Japanese financial institutions' growing footprint in India, where a fast-growing economy has made it an attractive target for Japanese firms facing an ageing and shrinking population at home. Mizuho Securities is part of Japan's third-largest banking group Mizuho Financial Group. Avendus will continue to be led by co-founders Gaurav Deepak and Kaushal Aggarwal, along with the firms leadership team, the company said. This will ensure continuity of vision and brand direction as Avendus plans to enter its next phase of growth. Mizuho and Avendus will leverage "our complementary strengths to create deeper financial and economic flows between India and Japan, said Deepak, also CEO of Avendus Group. Avendus will retain its brand and identity, while gaining strategic access to Mizuhos scale, institutional network, and global reach. Drivers behind the deal Mizuho Group CEO Masahiro Kihara told analysts in a press briefing that the acquisition will strengthen the Japanese company's ability to work across the globe, including US-base M&A advisor Greenhill which it acquired in 2023. Better cross-regional collaboration has been one of the great things about the Greenhill acquisition. On the investment banking side we thought India was a missing piece, Reuters reported Kihara as saying. Mizuho has been fielding an increasing number of enquiries from banking clients concerning expansion into India, said Kihara. The Mizuho-Avendus deal underscores the rising importance of India in the regional financial services landscape, an industry veteran said. Global institutions are no longer looking at India as a tactical opportunity but as a core market for long-term participation across capital markets and wealth, said Prakash Bulusu, joint CEO, IIFL Capital, a manager of over $30 billion assets. "The depth of domestic franchises, improving governance standards, and sustained capital market growth are driving this renewed strategic interest. Wednesday's deal comes a decade after KKR pumped in $115 million to buy a controlling stake in the firm and doubled with another $55 million in the later rounds. The private equity firm held a 63% stake in the firm while Avendus co-founder Vohra held a 6% stake. Mizuhos entry comes on the back of a larger trend by global strategic players looking to enter India with large buyout deals. Recent deals include Emirates NBDs controlling stake in RBL bank in a $3 billion transaction. and MUFG eyeing a stake in Yes Bank and Shriram Finance, Mint earlier reported. Global private equity firm Blackstone also acquired a 9.9% stake in Federal Bank for $705 million while IHC through its affiliate Avenir Investment RSC Ltd acquired a 43.46% stake in Samman Capital for $1 billion. A large wager on Hong Kong and China real estate is backfiring on one of Singapores top banks, which is facing up to mounting troubles in the regions deteriorating property markets. United Overseas Bank Ltd. over the years financed real estate abroad including hillside luxury homes in Hong Kong, a five-star hotel overlooking the citys central harbor, shopping malls and a Shanghai life science park. It also lent to Chinese developers. More than 40% of the loans its Hong Kong branch made were property-related as of June, a higher concentration than some other banks in the Chinese territory. This year, the family-controlled lender has had to work through multiple deals where borrowers struggled to refinance or defaulted on, and is paring its overall Greater China exposure. UOB jolted investors in early November when it booked S$615 million in general provisions for commercial real estate loans that could go bad in the future, pushing up its total allowance for credit and other losses to S$1.9 billion in the first nine months of 2025. The bank said it took proactive steps in light of continued sector-specific headwinds in Greater China and the US. In the weeks since the results, investors have fixated on UOBs commercial real estate risk and the banks kitchen-sink clean-up, said Ivan Ng, an analyst at Autonomous Research. UOB shares are down 4% in the year to date, while Singapore peers DBS Group Holdings Ltd. and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. are up about 27% and 16% respectively. Even though UOB said the charge wont affect its dividend and buyback program, investors remain skeptical, fearing that further CRE-related provisions could eventually pressure capital returns, Ng wrote in a report this month. A significant portion of UOBs troubled property exposure is in Hong Kong, which is in the throes of a multiyear commercial real estate downturn, with prices of office units down roughly 50% from peak levels. That has eroded the value of the collateral backing many property loans, in some cases resulting in losses for banks when borrowers default. The situation in mainland China is also worsening. UOBs Hong Kong branch had more than HK$69.2 billion in total property development and property investment loans as of June 2025, according to a regulatory filing. They made up 43% of the units gross loans and advances to customers, the filing showed. UOBs latest filings showed the group had S$48 billion in total customer loans in Greater China at the end of September, with a non-performing loan ratio of 3.1%, up from 2% a year earlier. The groups overall NPL ratio was 1.6% as of September. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the citys de facto central bank and financial regulator, has been monitoring lenders exposures to the property sector. UOB has had discussions with the HKMA about its lending mix and diversifying its portfolio, said people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified sharing non-public information. A HKMA spokesperson said the regulator does not comment on the affairs of individual banks, and that it has all along required banks to prudently manage their credit risk. Loan Extensions UOB has held off on demanding repayment on some Hong Kong and China real estate loans that matured in the past year, and has worked with clients to renegotiate loan terms and roll over their debt, according to people familiar with the matter. UOB is committed to doing right by our customers through the ups and downs of economic cycles, a bank spokeswoman said in response to Bloomberg News queries. We take a long-term view of banking relationships and work closely and constructively with customers facing challenges, offering appropriate solutions while safeguarding the interests of our stakeholders, she added. The spokeswoman said the lender is doing its best to support our clients to tide over short-term challenges, while ensuring that the Banks prudent credit principles are not compromised. She added that UOB adheres to strict credit standards and principles in full compliance with regulatory requirements. Last month, UOB was among lenders that reached an eleventh-hour agreement to extend the maturity date of a $110 million loan backed by a life science park in Shanghai. The property is controlled by Gaw Capital Partners, a private equity firm that UOB has financed multiple deals for. During the recent deal negotiations, UOB and a few banks were prepared to grant a three-year extension that the borrower requested, but there was pushback from other lenders, according to people familiar with the matter. In the end, the banks agreed to give the Gaw-managed fund an additional 18 months to repay the loan, whose principal was reduced slightly, with another 18-month extension if certain conditions are met, Bloomberg News reported. In May, UOB was also among lenders that amended and extended a loan backing two Hong Kong office towers called Cityplaza Three and Four that are also owned by a Gaw Capital fund. UOB more recently led the refinancing of a $940 million loan for cash-strapped Hong Kong builder Parkview Group Ltd. following months of negotiations, people familiar with the matter said. The debt is tied to a Beijing shopping mall called Parkview Green, which hasnt been generating sufficient rental income to cover the loans interest payments, Bloomberg News previously reported. The UOB spokeswoman said the bank cannot comment on individual deals due to client confidentiality. She added that in general, loans for refinancing are often complex. There have been some defaults. In March, a consortium including Schroders Capital and an Asia fund managed by British investment firm Chelsfield failed to repay a HK$1.5 billion loan collateralized by an underground shopping mall called Worfu in Hong Kongs North Point district when the debt matured. UOB, which had a majority share of the loan, waited a month before sending a letter to the borrowers demanding repayment, according to people familiar with the matter. The banks appointed receivers for the asset in August. Within UOB, there have been tensions over the outlook for the regions properties. Some credit officers have wanted business teams to examine struggling borrowers real cash flow and push for solutions, according to people familiar with the matter, while other staffers have preferred to work out loan extensions in the hopes that the market will recover, the people said. Family Ties Singapores billionaire Wee family, which controls UOB, built much of their early fortune in property. They have long regarded real estate as a safe and reliable asset class, according to people familiar with the matter. After Chinas property downturn took hold, UOB Chief Executive Officer Wee Ee Cheong said on a 2022 earnings call that the banks exposure to Chinese developers was manageable and not something he was overly concerned about. That year, UOB took over a loan to troubled Shanghai-based developer Shimao Group from other banks. By 2024, UOBs leadership spoke about challenges, accelerating provisions on a few chunky accounts they had previously hoped to restructure. In September this year, UOB extended the maturity of the HK$10 billion loan financing a Hong Kong luxury residential development called Beacon Peak that Shimao developed. It had earlier sought to offload the debt to private credit investors, Bloomberg News reported. UOBs expected losses from income-producing real estate loan exposures are the highest among Singapores big three banks, said Rena Kwok, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. She said the provisions taken in the recent third quarter will help to cushion potential credit losses given pockets of stress in its book. Apple Ka Ying Li, Trista Xinyi Luo, Kari Lindberg, Pearl Liu, Rthvika Suvarna and Chanyaporn Chanjaroen With assistance from Chanyaporn Chanjaroen. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. A once-obscure footnote disclosure called remaining performance obligations," or RPOs, has become one of the most closely watched numbers for investors in AI-themed stocks, especially Oracle. It is also a lot squishier than investors may realize, helping to explain the recent, sharp fall in Oracles stock. RPOs, which have a standard definition across companies, represent contracted sales that have yet to be recognized as revenue. In other words, management believes the sales are probable, not definite. Because of that, RPOs arent on the face of a companys financial statements. Still, analysts use the number to help shape their future estimates of the companys business. If they start to doubt the future sales are indeed probable, they are likely to take a dimmer view of a companys outlook. Oracles stock soared in early September, at one point jumping 36% in a single day, after a bombshell earnings report in which it said its RPOs had more than tripled since the previous quarter to $455 billion. Since then, Oracles RPOs have jumped to $523 billion as of Nov. 30, or about nine times Oracles revenue for the past four quarters. Yet the stock has cratered, down 43% from its all-time high on Sept. 10. Investors have grown uneasy about the circular nature of many of the AI sectors dealings and are looking askance at huge gains in RPOs. They are particularly wary about OpenAIs ability to meet gargantuan future commitments. It is widely known that about $300 billion of the increase in RPOs at Oracle was due to a five-year contract with OpenAI to supply computing capacity, although Oracle hasnt expressly disclosed this. To meet the demand, Oracle is building new, colossal data-center complexes across the country. View Full Image (WSJ) The $300 billion portion from OpenAI has drawn skepticism from investors and even some Wall Street analysts. J.P. Morgan credit analyst Erica Spear titled her Dec. 15 note on Oracle: If You Build It, Will They Pay?" D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria in a Dec. 12 note said: Since OpenAI is unlikely to deliver on its $300bn commitment, we believe the best course of action for Oracle would be to restructure that contract proactively in order to deploy capital more responsibly instead of pretending it has $523bn of RPO." OpenAI is closely held and doesnt disclose its financial reports. It has about $1.4 trillion of commitments over the next eight years, according to a Dec. 5 report by Moodys. But it has comparatively little revenue, and it is still in the fundraising stage. OpenAI has said it is on pace to top $20 billion of annualized revenue by the end of this year. Equity investors include SoftBank, which has agreed to invest $30 billion. Uncertainty about Nvidias plans with OpenAI, and the possible impact on Oracle, exemplifies the circularity" that characterizes much of the AI sector. Oracle is a major customer of Nvidia, which someday might be investing in OpenAI, which recently signed a big contract with Oracle. The pact between OpenAI and Nvidia has taken longer than initially expected. The companies on Sept. 22 announced a letter of intent for a deal in which Nvidia would invest as much as $100 billion in OpenAI over many years, and OpenAI would buy millions of Nvidias specialized chips for its AI infrastructure. At the time, Nvidia and OpenAI said they expected to finalize the details in the coming weeks." But that was almost three months ago. In its latest quarterly report, Nvidia said there is no assurance that any investment will be completed on expected terms, if at all." If Nvidia backs away from OpenAI, maybe another investor would step up to fill the gap, but maybe not. Or if it turns out OpenAI cant pay Oracle the full $300 billion, maybe Oracle could land another gigantic customer to fill its place. Suffice it to say, if Nvidias investment in OpenAI fell through, it likely would be bad news for Oracles stock. It might be far from certain that OpenAI will be able to pay Oracle the $300 billion. But the relevant question is how far. That is the difference between recognizing the contracted amounts as RPOs, or not. Whether companies are allowed to record RPOs comes down, in part, to a simple question that might not have an easy answer: Is collectibility probable" under the accounting rules? This is a subjective determination. It is possible different people looking at the same facts could reasonably reach different conclusions. It is also possible for managements conclusions to change as facts change. What looks probable today might not look that way a year from now. The accounting rules dont define probable" in percentage terms, but it is a higher bar than more likely than not." In practice, some accountants peg the threshold at 70% or higher. The numbers behind the artificial-intelligence boom are mindbogglingly large. Whether they are all real is a judgment call. Write to Jonathan Weil at jonathan.weil@wsj.com Vedanta Ltd on Tuesday received approval from the National Company Law Tribunal to proceed with the proposed demerger of its operations into five separately listed entities, marking a key milestone in billionaire Anil Agarwals two-year effort to unlock value at the resources major. The approval clears the most significant regulatory hurdle for the restructuring, which has faced repeated delays, and sets the stage for Vedanta to complete the exercise by March 2026, one year later than its original guidance. Vedanta shares rose after the NCLT order and closed 3.5% higher at 569.35 on the BSE on Tuesday. The stock jumped another 2% on today to hit a fresh all-time high of 580.45 per share. Also Read | Vedanta wins approval for demerger, overcomes petroleum ministry objections Mint breaks down what happens next. What did the order say? The National Company Law Tribunal cleared Vedanta Ltds plan to split its India operations into five separate companies. The ministry of petroleum and natural gas had objected to the demerger plan, claiming Vedanta had misrepresented its oil and gas assets and had not fully disclosed its liabilities. The tribunal rejected these objections and approved the demerger, ruling that the plan is fair, lawful and not against public interest, and that all legal requirements have been met. The NCLT also dismissed the governments charge of non-disclosure, agreeing with Vedanta that it had shared all necessary information and had received approval from more than 99.9% of its shareholders and creditors. The order brings to an end a series of delays to the proposed demerger caused by pending tribunal approval. Vedanta has now guided for completing the restructuring by March 2026. What happens next, and what is the likely timeline? Analysts believe the mining conglomerate must now inform and seek approval from the stock exchanges. Vedanta has to set a record date, on which all existing shareholders will be eligible to receive shares in the new entities, said Suman Kumar, assistant vice-president for metals and mining at brokerage Philip Capital. Following this, shareholders will be allotted one share of each of the five demerged companies for every share of Vedanta Ltd, and these companies will be listed on the stock exchanges to trade independently, he said. Also Read | Vedanta optimistic about completing its five-way split this year While the revised timeline for completion is March 2026, Amit Lahoti, lead analyst for metals and mining at Emkay Institutional Equities, estimates that the demerger should not take more than one to two months beyond this deadline, if not completed within it. Which will be the new companies, and how will Vedantas debt be split? The five proposed businesses are: Vedanta Ltd: The flagship company, which will hold shares of subsidiary Hindustan Zinc, Sterlite Copper, as well as international businesses such as Zinc International and Konkola Copper Mines. Vedanta Aluminium: This entity will house the companys aluminium business, including refining operations. It is the largest producer of the metal in the country. Vedanta Oil & Gas: The business of Cairn India, a leading oil and gas exploration and production company with key assets in Rajasthan, will be housed under this company. Vedanta Iron and Steel: This company will include the steel business under ESL Limited as well as the companys iron ore mines. Vedanta Power: Vedantas merchant power business, including the Talwandi Sabo power plant in Punjab, will be part of this entity. A key monitorable for shareholders will be how Vedanta apportions its debt of approximately 66,000 crore across the five new companies, as this will determine the health of their respective balance sheets. Lahoti from Emkay estimates that the bulk of the debt, about 30,000 crore, will go to the aluminium business, as it generates the most cash among the groups businesses. The second-largest share, about 20,000 crore, is expected to sit with the flagship Vedanta Ltd, given its dividend receipts from Hindustan Zinc. Iron and Steel ( 4,500 crore), Oil & Gas ( 4,000 crore) and Power ( 7,000 crore) are expected to absorb the remaining debt, according to Lahotis estimates. Why is Vedanta pursuing a demerger? When announcing the demerger in 2023, the Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta had said it aimed to unlock value by simplifying its corporate structure and creating sector-focused independent businesses. The move would allow investors to directly invest in each pure-play company rather than through a diversified conglomerate structure. Also Read | Why Street is divided on Vedanta demerger By demerging our business units, we believe that will unlock value and potential for faster growth in each vertical," Agarwal had said in a statement at the time. What do analysts say, and how should investors read the move? Philip Capitals Kumar views the NCLT order as an incremental development rather than a transformational milestone. There is no significant reward from the restructuring or remodelling, and the exercise is mainly aimed at monetizing some non-core assets or bringing international companies into pure-play businesses through a joint venture or equity investment route, he said. Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is likely to turn down Paramount Skydance Corp.s hostile takeover bid worth $108.4 billion, Bloomberg and Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to Bloomberg, the latest twist in the race to acquire the production house comes amid Warner Bros. Discovery's concerns regarding financing and other such terms. The board of Warner Bros. Discovery is likely to reject Paramount Skydance's offer as early as Wednesday and may ask shareholders to vote against the takeover, Reuters reported. Netflix remains a favourite The Warner Bros. board, after reviewing Paramount's bid, continues to view Netflix's offer as a better one, according to people who spoke with Bloomberg. Netflix was the first to bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery earlier this month, with Paramount Skydance following suit with a bigger all-cash offer. The board is likely to file its response to Paramount's tender offer by Wednesday, Bloomberg reported. Such a decision would allow Netflix to retain its buyout offer and gain access to Warner Bros.' storied film and TV studio, and its extensive film and television library. The race to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery is particularly interesting, as the winner gets the portfolio, including classics ranging from Casablanca and Citizen Kane to contemporary favourites like Harry Potter and Friends, HBO and the HBO Max streaming service. Also Read | Netflix and Paramount are battling for more than just Warner Bros Netflix vs Paramount: What's at stake? The winner of the race to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery will gain a big advantage in the streaming wars, securing a treasure trove of content long eyed for acquisition. Netflix earlier this month agreed to a $27 cash-and-stock deal for Warner Bros.' non-cable assets, reported Reuters. Paramount CEO David Ellison then went directly to Warner Bros.' shareholders with a $30-a-share, all-cash bid for the whole company. Paramount has labelled its offer as superior in a regulatory filing, saying it will enjoy a better path in regulatory approval. Also Read | Netflix CEOs defend Warner Bros acquisition amid Paramount bid Jared Kushner's company exits bid Jared Kushners Affinity Partners has exited the Paramount bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, as per Bloomberg. Paramount's $108.4 billion bid to acquire the TV studio had seen Affinity as one of its financing partners. The participation of US President Donald Trumps son-in-law in a deal that the president has said he would personally review drew a lot of unwelcome attention to Kushner, Bloomberg reported, quoting people familiar with the news. RailTel Corp., a state-owned telecom infrastructure and connectivity provider, is in talks with Elon Musks Starlink to offer retail broadband services to its users in remote areas using satellite internet, according to two officials aware of the matter. The discussions have picked up pace with Starlink, but commercials are yet to be finalized. Starlink team has also met RailTels officials in New Delhi," the first of the two government officials said, requesting anonymity as talks are private. The company will also explore similar arrangements with other satellite internet providers such as OneWeb, Jio Satellite, and Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper), the official said. Among various models, RailTel is exploring the use of Starlinks satellite internet services as backhaul to provide broadband access in remote areas through RailWire. Backhaul here refers to using a satellite to send internet or network data from a faraway location to the main network when fibre or other ground links are not available or not commercially viable. Also Read | SIM binding rule splits tech firms and telecom companies down the middle It makes sense for RailTel to partner with Starlink as it will be able to tap non-technology feasible areas using satellite internet," said Satya N. Gupta, former principal advisor at the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). For Starlink, it will be a way to market their services as going directly to consumers would involve huge costs, especially in hiring the talent on the ground." According to Gupta, the partnership offers Starlink a good potential to secure internet connectivity orders in non-technology feasible areas as well as for emergency communication. RailTel, a Navratna public sector undertaking, has an optical fibre cable network along 67,415 route km of railway tracks and a high-capacity optical fibre cable network along more than 63,000 route km, connecting 7000 railway stations. According to the company's FY25 annual report, its retail broadband service RailWire serves more than 575,000 subscribers through over 11,000 local partners. Railtels revenue rose 12.8% over a year earlier to 951 crore in the September quarter, while its net profit rose 4.7% to 76 crore. Railway land for antennas Starlink has also sought RailTels help for getting railway land parcels to set up tracking antennas and earth station gateways, a second official quoted earlier. Starlink has identified about 16 railway locations for installing their infrastructure looking at potential demand for its services and capacity utilisation going forward," the official said, adding that RailTel can also provide data centre to data centre connectivity solutions to Starlink as it has a secured network along the railway tracks, which no other operator has. Also Read | Telecom defies FPI sell-off with highest inflows since 2022 A tracking antenna is a user terminal to provide internet access. An earth station gateway is a large ground facility that connects satellites to the internet. Queries emailed to Starlink and RailTel did not elicit any response until press time. Awaiting spectrum In India, Starlinks parent SpaceX also announced tie-ups with Bharti Airtel Ltd and Jio Platforms Ltd, the parent of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, to provide Starlinks high-speed internet to their customers. Both telecom operators will offer Starlink equipment in their retail outlets. Currently, satellite internet companies are awaiting spectrum allocation from the government and are undergoing security testing for their services. The department of telecommunications (DoT) and Trai have different views on the spectrum usage charge (SUC) to be levied on satellite internet companies. While Trai has recommended that companies pay 4% of their adjusted gross revenue, with a 500 annual charge per user for serving urban areas, the DoT has suggested a 5% fee and a 1% discount for serving users in underserved areas. Earlier this month, Starlink listed a price of 8,600 per month, along with 34,000 for hardware, for its services. However, the company later removed the pricing, citing a technical glitch and stating that it would announce pricing after securing the spectrum and all necessary regulatory approvals. Last week, Lauren Dreyer, vice president for Starlink business operations, met communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Also Read | Elon Musks Starlink begins hiring for India rollout Once satellite backhaul has proved to be reliable, the telecoms, towercos (tower companies) and OEMs (original equipment makers) will no longer have a choice but to design networks that take multi-orbit satellite links, local edge computing, and integrated security into account from day one," said Konark Trivedi, founder and managing director of telecom equipment company Frog Innovations. According to Trivedi, capped initial user base, expensive equipment, and high monthly pricing make it more likely that Starlink will create a niche of premium rural and mission-critical" customer segment rather than starting and escalating a mass-market tariff war. The larger disruption will be of the nature of changing the architecture of the networks rather than a competition, he said. Shares of RailTel ended 1.34% lower at 331.40 apiece on the NSE on Tuesday compared with a 0.64% fall in the benchmark Nifty 50. Mumbai: When Adani Wind supplied its first external turbine order, 3.3MW machines for a 70MW project for Opera Energy, a renewable energy company in Gujarat, it did more than add a customer. It signalled intent. After scaling Indias renewable energy landscape faster than anyone else, across solar parks, transmission networks and green hydrogen, the Adani Group now wants to manufacture wind turbines not just for itself, but for the market. The ambition is vast. Adani has said it wants to deploy around 30GW of wind capacity by 2030, or a third of the countrys 100GW target by then. Until recently, Adanis turbine manufacturing was widely assumed to be a captive exercise, designed primarily to feed the groups own rapidly expanding power needs. The Opera Energy order has punctured that assumption. Adani is positioning itself as a supplier, not merely a buyer, and is clearly testing whether its capital strength and execution speed can be translated into credibility in a business that judges performance over decades rather than quarters. For Suzlon Energy Ltd, Indias largest wind turbine maker and one of the few global survivors in a brutally cyclical industry, the timing is unsettling. The company has only just emerged from a long financial winter. It is debt-free, profitable again, and benefiting from a renewed policy and market push for wind as India confronts a structural mismatch in its power mix. Yet, just as conditions turn favourable, a new class of capital heavy competitors is stepping in. Apart from Adani, the JSW Group and Reliance Industries Ltd have also disclosed their intent to manufacture turbines. These are conglomerates that can absorb early losses, compress supply chains and tolerate long gestation periods. This industry has a very long memory," says Girish Tanti, vice chairman of Suzlon. Wind is not forgiving if you cut corners. It always comes back to performance over 20 years. You cannot hide mistakes in this business." That sense of memorycorporate, technological and financialruns through Suzlons present strategy. Unlike newer entrants, the company has lived through both exuberance and near extinction. That experience now shapes how it views the next phase of competition, including the arrival of some of Indias most aggressive and well capitalized groups into what was once its uncontested domain. Lessons written in debt There was a time when Suzlon itself embodied the same restless ambition now associated with Adani. In the mid-2000s, founder Tulsi Tanti rode Indias early renewable boom to global prominence. With a dominant domestic market share, he leapt into Europe and the US, acquiring Belgiums Hansen and Germanys REpower in quick succession. Suzlon aimed to challenge the worlds biggest turbine makersVestas, GE and Gamesaon their own turf. View Full Image A file photo of Tulsi Tanti. In the mid-2000s, Tanti rode Indias early renewable boom to global prominence. (Bloomberg) The strategy was bold but brittle. Suzlon expanded faster than its systems, testing protocols and the managerial depth it could support. Blade failures at customer sites in the US exposed gaps in life-cycle testing and quality assurance. These were gaps that domestic markets had previously masked. Orders were cancelled, repair costs mounted and reputational damage spread quickly. Debt ballooned just as cash flows tightened. Suzlons debt increased from 5,162 crore in 2008, during its initial public offer, to touch a peak of 17,749 crore in 2015. The REpower acquisition, intended to deliver technology and global standing, became mired in regulatory restrictions, cultural resistance and funding constraints that Suzlon had neither anticipated nor prepared for. A decade ago, the government instituted a system of reverse auction to buy power which made wind energy more expensive than solar, further messing Suzlons business case. At its nadir, Suzlon was suffocating under leverage, selling prized assets and diluting promoter stake simply to survive. The equity capital of the company increased from 742 crore in 2015 to 2,744 crore as of September this year, while the promoters holding fell from 28% to 11.73% during the same period. Tulsi Tanti retreated from the global stage, refocusing on the domestic market and smaller turbines. The very segment he had once considered a stepping stone became his destination. The REpower acquisition, intended to deliver technology and global standing, became mired in regulatory restrictions, cultural resistance and funding constraints that Suzlon had neither anticipated nor prepared for. Looking back, Girish Tanti, the youngest brother of Tulsi Tanti, is candid about the emotional and strategic toll of that phase. The opportunity was real and the ambition was real," he says. But wind is not a business where you get quick validation. You do not know in two or three years whether you were right. You only know after 10 or 15 years." That delayed reckoning, he says, makes wind uniquely punishing. Earlier, the market rewarded installation speed. Customers wanted machines on the ground. Today, they ask one question. Can you deliver power generation consistently, and can you stand behind that machine for two decades?" The collapse forced Suzlon to confront uncomfortable truths. Speed could destroy trust faster than it created scale. Global manufacturing requires governance, not just confidence. And leverage magnified every operational mistake. These were not abstract lessons as the Tantis were forced to dilute their stake to below a controlling interest. Suzlons stock was hammered for a decade. Those lessons now sit quietly, but decisively, at the core of Suzlons strategy. The Chalasani reset When J.P. Chalasani took charge as chief executive officer in 2016, Suzlons problems were existential. The company was burdened with debt, its credibility with lenders was strained, and confidence among customers and suppliers was fragile. Growth, market share and ambition were secondary concerns. Survival came first. My first assessment was very simple," Chalasani says. If we do not survive, nothing else matters. Strategy, market share, technologyall of that comes later." Chalasanis background shaped his response. At the Anil Ambani-led ADAG Group, he had handled large power projects, complex financing structures and regulatory minefields. He had seen how quickly leverage could turn from an enabler into a trap. Suzlon, he believed, needed discipline more than drama, predictability more than projection, and execution more than ambition. The mandate from Tulsi Tanti was blunt and non negotiable. Tulsi told me very clearly, do not touch R&D (research and development)," Chalasani says. You can cut costs anywhere else, but R&D is sacred. If you weaken technology, you kill the company permanently." That instruction became the organizing principle of the turnaround. Suzlon pared overheads, exited non-core activities, renegotiated debt, tightened working capital and rebuilt relationships with lenders, but ring-fenced engineering and product development. The reset was not cosmetic. It was structural. Product launches slowed, testing cycles lengthened and risk appetite narrowed. Life-cycle performance, service quality and reliability, once secondary to speed, moved to the centre of strategy. Suzlon stopped behaving like a challenger chasing global scale and began acting like a company determined not to repeat its own history. We took pain everywhere else," Chalasani says. People underestimate how much discipline that requires. Cutting cost is easy. Cutting the right cost is very hard." Today, Suzlon is net debt-free and operationally steadier. Analysts Abhishek Nigam and Preksha Daga of Motilal Oswal Securities say, Suzlons turnaround is visible not just in revenue growth but also in balance sheet repair, with net debt firmly in negative territory." The companys borrowings stood at 397 crore in September, while cash in hand was 701 crore. Chalasani, however, resists triumphalism. This is not the time to be arrogant," he says. Wind always humbles you." Why wind is still hard Indias renewed interest in wind is rooted in physics, not sentiment. Solar capacity has surged, but its generation profile does not align with demand. Electricity floods the grid during the day, then falls short in the morning and evening peaks. This creates price distortions and supply stress that storage alone cannot yet resolve at scale. Currently, as there is a shortage of power during non-solar hours, wind power is enjoying a premium," says Chintan Shah, founder of SustCred, a renewable energy project funding platform and a former director of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. But demand is not the biggest challenge for wind." Shah argues that execution, not appetite, remains the real bottleneck. Transporting blades across narrow highways, securing right of way permissions, arranging specialized cranes and managing local resistance often prove more difficult than winning bids. A lot is loaded against wind than just demand," he says. View Full Image Transporting blades across narrow highways and securing right of way permissions are difficult. (Bloomberg) The economics underline the point. Crane operators make more money than wind companies," Shah says. In China, cranes can erect five or six turbines a month. In India, it is two or three." That difference alone explains why wind capacity in India has grown more slowly than solar despite comparable potential. The friction is structural, not cyclical. Suzlons long operating history gives it an advantage here. Execution is where experience really counts," Girish Tanti says. You can buy capital, you can hire talent, but you cannot buy learning that comes from doing this across thousands of sites." Policy, too, is evolving. Tenders today insist on renewable power during all times of the day. This makes wind the only viable alternative now as you cannot solve the grid problem with solar alone," says Arvind Bansal, chief executive of Continuum Green Energy, a power producer. Capital rushes in It is against this execution heavy backdrop that Adanis entry into turbine manufacturing must be judged. There is no doubt Adani brings scale," Shah says. This will be the first truly formidable local competition Suzlon has faced." But Adani is not alone. Reliance Industries, which has committed tens of billions of dollars to new energy, has publicly acknowledged that wind will be essential for building round the clock renewable portfolios. JSW Energy has outlined plans to ramp up wind capacity sharply as part of its renewable roadmap and has explored deeper control over equipment sourcing. The renewed interest reflects a broader shift. Large developers want to take charge of their project in a supply constrained market. They want influence over manufacturing, logistics and timelines. Adani, for instance, wants to tap into the Kutch region in Gujarat which boasts of good winds through the year. The Khavda project in this region is envisaged to be the worlds biggest renewable energy park. A senior Adani executive, who did not want to be named, said the group is sparing no expense to build their own turbines. View Full Image The height and size of blades determine energy generation. Earlier, the industry assumed that Adani would only manufacture 5MW-plus turbines to suit the Kutch region, but the 3.3MW turbines sold to Opera are quite similar to the ones made by Suzlon. The height and size of blades determine energy generation. In India, in non-coastal areas, wind speed increases with height but it is tough to transport bigger turbines. The current optimum size is 3-4MWmost manufacturers operate in this segment. Says Shah: Selling turbines may not eventually be Adanis focus area, but their presence in the business will have a significant impact on capital deployed going forward." Yet, wind has a way of testing confidence. The global turbine industry has shrunk, not expanded, over the past two decades. Despite rising demand, only a handful of manufacturers have survived repeated technology cycles, pricing pressure and warranty liabilities. The reason is simple. Wind turbine manufacturing sits awkwardly between infrastructure and precision engineering, demanding patience that capital markets often lack. The Tanti legacy As Suzlon enters a new phase, the question of legacy looms large. Tulsi Tanti is no longer at the helm (he died in 2022), but his influence remains embedded in the companys culture. The responsibility of carrying that legacy forward now rests with Vinod Tanti (older brother), besides Girish Tanti. Vinod, a recluse who prefers to operate alone and is media-shy, is credited as the brain behind Suzlons technical competence. Vinod understands Suzlon in a way very few people do," says Chalasani. He has seen the highs and the lows. That perspective is extremely valuable when you are building for the long term." That view is echoed by investors. Dilip Shanghvi, chairman of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and a significant shareholder in Suzlon, acknowledged Vinod Tantis role during an informal interaction with Mint. Vinod has played a very important role in stabilizing the company and giving it strategic direction," he says. Vinod has played an important role in stabilizing the company. Dilip Shanghvi Shanghavi is among the few who bet on Tantis vision when he was in trouble. In his personal capacity, he had bought a 23% stake in Suzlon for 1,800 crore. Shanghvi, in an interview with Bloomberg in May 2019, explained that his eyebrow raising investment was based on the assessment that within the renewable energy sector, Suzlon had the product and the future pipeline, which will allow them to grow." He has admitted in private that the internal rate of return on his investment was comparable to the returns of the broad equities market. If Vinod Tanti represents continuity and internal strategy, Girish Tanti has become Suzlons outward-facing anchor, engaging with policymakers and industry forums as wind re-enters the national conversation. Policy matters enormously in wind," Girish says. If policy is not designed correctly, no amount of technology can compensate." The next phase Suzlons current numbers inspire more confidence than its past. According to the Motilal Oswal analysts quoted earlier, Suzlons order book of over 6GW provides reasonable visibility over the next two years."But execution risk remains high. The next phase of growth will depend on timely execution and working capital discipline," the analysts say. Debt-free status has restored credibility, but it has also imposed restraint. Suzlon is unlikely to chase growth at any cost again. We will never again grow at the cost of survival," Chalasani says. That chapter is closed." Adanis arrival sharpens the contrast. One player carries the memory of near collapse. The other brings in the confidence of scale. For Suzlon, the hardest question may not be whether it can compete, but whether it can take measured risks without forgetting why it once stopped. NEW DELHI : India has approached the World Trade Organization (WTO) for consultations with the European Union (EU) as the blocs proposed tariffs and quotas on ferro-alloy imports deepen worries about global trade uncertainty when the two parties are negotiating a free-trade pact. India has a substantial trade interest in the products concerned and has invoked provisions of the Agreement on Safeguards to seek consultations with the EU, according to the WTO document reviewed by Mint. The EU issued a notification last month, proposing a safeguard duty after claiming serious injury or threat to its domestic ferro-alloy industry due to rising imports. The EU imported iron and steel products worth about $4.25 billion from India in 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database. Ferro-alloys such as silico-manganese, ferro-manganese and ferro-silicon, which are essential inputs for steelmaking in Europe, accounted for about $381 million. Also Read | Asymmetrical trade can have political consequencesa lesson for the Trump era While total Indian exports to the EU in the category may be small, the EUs move increases uncertainty even as the two sides are engaged in talks for a free-trade pact. India is already negotiating a trade deal with the US to avoid the 50% tariffs. Earlier this month, Mexico approved up to 50% tariffs on cars imported from countries, including India, that do not have a trade pact with it. India has suggested that the consultations be held virtually between 16 and 19 December, while reserving its rights under WTO rules to take further action if the issue is not resolved," the WTO document said. If consultations fail to address Indias concerns, New Delhi retains the option to pursue the matter further under WTO dispute settlement mechanisms." Major ferro-alloy producers in India include Tata Steel Ltd, specialised manufacturers such as Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA) and FACOR (Ferro Alloys Corporation), now part of Vedanta, as well as Maithan Alloys, Shyam Metalics, Balasore Alloys and JSW Steel. Queries sent to spokespersons of the commerce ministry and the companies mentioned earlier remained unanswered at the time of publication. Shrinking exports The EU has proposed imposing safeguard measures in the form of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), under which a specified volume of imports would be allowed to enter duty-free, while shipments beyond that limit would attract higher tariffs. According to the WTO document, India has sought consultations to review the injury findings cited by the EU and to exchange views on the implications of the proposed restrictions for its exports. In its notification to the WTO on 12 November, the EU said a sharp rise in ferro-alloy imports, including from India, was driven by unforeseen disruptions in global trade caused by widening overcapacity. The global ferro-alloy capacity stood at about 46 million tonnes in 2023 against consumption of 27.6 million tonnes, leading surplus production to seek overseas markets. As per the WTO document, the EU noted that despite a broader decline in global prices, its market remained attractive for exporters such as India due to higher price levels. During 202324, average delivered ferro-alloy prices in the EU were around 35% higher than in China and 20% higher than in India, encouraging exporters to divert excess supplies to the EU market. To be sure, Indias ferro-alloy exports have weakened over the past few years, reflecting softer global steel demand and price pressures. Exports slipped from a peak of $3.6 billion in FY22 to a low of $2.6 billion in FY24, before recovering to $2.9 billion in FY25. In AprilOctober 2025, these shipments stood at $1.6 billion, indicating that while exports are holding up, full-year performance will depend on the pace of global steel production, energy costs, and competitiveness of Indian producers in key markets. Indias exports to the EU in the category have also fallen from a peak of $470 million in FY22. Other key export destinations for India in this category are South Korea at $273.4 million and the UAE at $269.6 million, reflecting strong demand from steel-producing hubs. China imported $214.8 million worth of Indian ferro-alloys, while Japan accounted for $182.9 million. Mint reported on 13 June that EU has put Indias individual quota on hold and placed it under a pooled quota" for exporting certain kinds of steel products to the 27-nation bloc, dealing a double whammy to a sector already reeling from Americas 50% tariff. The 13 June move by the EU was meant to correct imbalances in the current quota system by restoring separate duty-free country-specific quotas for major exporters like Ukraine, UK, Turkiye and Korea. However, countries like India, which fall under an other countries" category, must share a pooled quota of around 12,500 tonnes with others, including China and Vietnam. The proposed shared quota was to remain in effect till 30 June 2026. This shared quota, known as the residual quota," applies to product category 17, which covers angles, shapes and sections of iron or non-alloy steel." Limited impact Trade economists say that a meaningful share of these shipments could fall outside the EUs proposed tariff-rate quotas, depending on product-wise caps and country allocations. Indias exports are concentrated in manganese- and silicon-based alloys that European steelmakers rely on. If the tariff-rate quotas are drawn too narrowly, a sizeable portion of Indian supplies could move into the higher-duty category, raising costs for buyers and disrupting established supply chains," said Abhash Kumar, trade economist. Ferro-alloying elements are critical inputs in steelmaking and are widely used across automobiles, construction, machinery, energy and defence sectors, making them integral to industrial supply chains rather than consumer goods. Industry executives. Also Read | Beyond tariffs: What India must guard against in trade talks with the US The EUs move comes at a time when global steel and alloy markets are facing pressure from weak demand, excess capacity and a rise in protectionist measures. While safeguard duties are permitted under WTO rules, members imposing them are required to demonstrate serious injury to domestic producers and consult affected trading partners. India and the European Union are advancing their free trade agreement talks, with the EU negotiating team visiting New Delhi from 3 to 9 December 2025. The visit included stocktaking meetings between Indias commerce secretary and the EUs director-general for trade on 7 December, followed by meetings of IndiaEU trade ministers on 89 December to provide strategic guidance to the negotiating teams. Both sides acknowledged constructive engagement so far, agreed to intensify technical work, and reaffirmed their commitment to bridge remaining gaps and conclude a balanced and mutually beneficial free trade agreement at the earliest, according to a commerce ministry official. The government is preparing a comprehensive overhaul of Indias higher education regulatory framework through the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 15 December and referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 16 December. The proposed lawthe most significant reset of higher education governance since the setting up of the University Grants Commission (UGC)comes amid concerns that the country's universities remain over-regulated, uneven in quality, and poorly aligned with global academic and research standards. At the centre of the Bill is the creation of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan, a new apex body that will set the strategic direction for higher education. Operational powers will be split across three independent councils, each dealing separately with regulation, accreditation, and academic standards. Mint explains: Why is the government pushing this change now? Indias higher education system has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, but regulation has struggled to keep pace. Multiple regulators, overlapping mandates, approval-heavy processes, and input-focused norms have often constrained institutional autonomy without consistently improving quality. Several policy reviews, including those underpinning the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, concluded that excessive regulatory control has discouraged innovation, delayed academic decisions and created compliance burdens that do not necessarily translate into better learning outcomes. At the same time, the country's ambition to emerge as a global education destination has exposed gaps in accreditation credibility, research ecosystems, and international recognition of degrees. Also Read | What happens to students loan as Trump admin moves to dismantle education dept? Indias higher education system is currently overseen by multiple regulators with overlapping roles, leading to delays and weak institutional autonomy. The new law seeks to address this by creating a clearer structure with separate councils for regulation, accreditation, and standards, while ensuring state representation and preserving states powers to establish and run universities," said Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, former chairman of UGC and former vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University. What is the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan? The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan will function as the apex strategic body for higher education, along with three councils: the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad (Regulatory Council), the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad (Accreditation Council), and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad (Standards Council). These will replace current regulatory bodies such as the UGC, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). Rather than acting as a day-to-day regulator, the apex body will provide long-term policy direction, coordinate the functioning of its three councils, and advise the central and state governments on higher education reforms. Its mandate includes promoting multidisciplinary universities, encouraging Indias positioning as an education hub, supporting research and innovation, and integrating Bharatiya (Indian) knowledge systems into higher education curricula. The Adhishthan will also oversee funding support for the councils and act as the institutional anchor of the new regulatory architecture. The institutions of national importance, including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), will fall within the national framework for standards, accreditation, and disclosure, but their existing governance structures, Acts, boards, funding mechanisms and academic freedom will not be overridden or diluted. How will regulation change under the new system? Regulatory oversight will be handled by the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad, or the Regulatory Council, which will serve as the common regulator for higher education institutions. Unlike the current system, which relies heavily on prior approvals and periodic inspections, the new regulator will emphasize public disclosure, compliance monitoring, and time-bound corrective action. Also Read | How AI can transform classroomsif India empowers teachers to lead the way Institutions will be required to place detailed information on finances, audits, faculty strength, infrastructure, courses and outcomes in the public domain. The regulator will have the power to act within 60 days in cases of misreporting or irregularities, rather than waiting for violations to surface years later. A major shift is the move towards graded autonomy. As institutions achieve higher accreditation levels, they will gain greater academic and administrative freedom. Well-performing colleges may eventually be permitted to grant degrees independently, thereby reducing their dependence on affiliated universities. How will accreditation change? Quality assurance will be led by the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad, or the Accreditation Council. Instead of focusing on inputs such as land area or classroom size, accreditation will hinge on educational outcomes, governance quality, financial probity, and transparency. The council will empanel and monitor independent accreditation agencies, creating a competitive accreditation ecosystem rather than a single, centralized assessor. Institutions will also be required to publish institutional development plans, laying out their academic goals, resource allocation and timelines, making long-term planning a visible and accessible exercise. How will academic standards be set? The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad, or the Standards Council, will be responsible for defining academic benchmarks across the system. This includes framing expected learning outcomes, qualification levels, credit transfer norms, and minimum academic standards. While the council will provide broad frameworks, institutions, and faculty will retain autonomy over curriculum design, pedagogy and assessment. The council will also work on aligning vocational education with higher education and facilitating student mobility across disciplines and modes of learning. Who does the Bill apply to, and who is excluded? The Bill covers universities established under central and state laws, deemed universities, affiliated colleges, institutions of national importance, institutions of eminence, and providers of online, open and digital education. Professional programmes regulated by bodies such as the medical, legal, pharmacy, and nursing councils are excluded from the Bills direct regulatory scope. However, institutions governed under the new framework can continue offering such programmes, subject to compliance with the respective professional regulators. What enforcement powers does the new framework have? The Bill introduces a graded penalty structure to enforce compliance. Initial violations can attract fines starting at 10 lakh, escalating sharply for repeated or persistent breaches. In extreme cases, institutions may lose their right to grant degrees or face closure. At the same time, the law explicitly states that penalties should not harm students interests, requiring regulators to ensure continuity of education and safeguard enrolled students. What does this mean for universities and colleges? Institutions will face higher transparency and accountability expectations but also gain greater autonomy if they meet accreditation benchmarks. Internal governance systems, data management and financial reporting will need strengthening, as continuous public disclosure becomes central to regulatory oversight. For well-run institutions, the framework offers a path to faster decision-making, academic flexibility and global engagement. For weaker institutions, it raises the compliance bar and reduces room for opacity. What about the funding mechanism? The Bill makes it clear that funding of universities and colleges will continue to be handled by the central and state governments, not by the proposed commission or its councils. Section 38 allows the central government to provide grants to the Adhishthan, while Section 39 establishes a dedicated fund to support the commission's functioning and its three councils. These funds are meant only for regulatory, accreditation, and standards-setting activities. The Bill does not authorize the regulatory, accreditation or standards councils to finance universities or colleges, nor does it alter existing funding powers of the Centre or states. Universities established under state laws will continue to be funded, governed, and administered under those laws, subject only to minimum national academic standards and accreditation requirements. Funding for student fellowships, scholarships, and research schemes will also continue through existing government ministries and agencies. The Bill separates regulation from financing, linking autonomy and expansion to accreditation outcomes and transparency rather than direct financial control. What does referral to a JPC mean? A JPC comprises members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and is tasked with examining complex legislation in detail. The committee will review the Bill clause by clause, seek feedback from stakeholders such as state governments, universities, and experts, and submit recommendations to Parliament. While this does not stall the Bill indefinitely, it does mean that its passage and implementation will take more time, and that key provisions, especially those affecting autonomy, regulatory powers and the Centre-state balance, could still be refined before the law is enacted. What will determine the success of the reform? The success of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan framework will depend on how consistently autonomy is granted once standards are met, and how restrained the regulator remains in practice. Much will also hinge on the credibility of the accreditation ecosystem and the capacity of institutions, especially state universities and colleges, to meet new disclosure and governance requirements. It is positioned as a forward-looking reform aimed at improving the quality and governance of the countrys higher education system. The Bill makes accreditation mandatory for institutions, links autonomy to graded accreditation outcomes, and provides for government funding support," said Praveen Kumar, former joint secretary, the department of higher education. Bangkok, Dec 17 (AP) Japan's exports climbed 6 per cent in November from a year earlier, with shipments to the United States rising for the first time since March as uncertainties over tariffs abated following a trade deal with the Trump administration. The preliminary data released Wednesday showed Japan's total imports rose 1.3 per cent last month over a year earlier, leaving a surplus of 322.2 billion yen (about USD 2.1 billion). Exports to the US rose nearly 9 per cent from the year before as shipments of cars, chemicals and cameras helped make up for declines in machinery and iron and steel. Imports of US oil nearly tripled, along with sharp increases in imports of grain and other food products. Japan's deal on tariffs with President Donald Trump's administration, setting the baseline import duty for most products at 15 per cent instead of the earlier plan for a 25 per cent tariff, helped boost passenger car shipments by 8 per cent when measured by the number of vehicles. But the value of those cars, trucks and buses inched up only 1.5 per cent, reflecting the reluctance of automakers to pass costs from higher tariffs onto consumers. Imports from the US climbed more than 7 per cent, though Japan still logged a trade surplus of 739.8 billion yen (USD 4.7 billion), up 11 per cent from a year earlier. Japan's exports to the European Union surged about 20 per cent last month from a year earlier, supported by growth in demand for machinery, vehicles and other manufactured goods. But tensions with Beijing after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi commented on the defence of Taiwan took a toll, with exports to China falling 2.4 per cent on weaker shipments of chemicals, machinery and vehicles. Despite a nascent recovery in trade with the US, its largest trading partner, higher tariffs are likely to continue to weigh on exports, Norihiro Yamaguchi of Oxford Economics said in a report. Still, he forecast that Japan's exports will likely improve in the coming year. Texas has reopened a fight that never really went away. It is about what your smart TV is allowed to collect about you inside your own home. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed lawsuits against Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, and TCL this week, accusing the companies of unlawfully collecting viewer data through automated content recognition, or ACR, without proper consent. ACR is the part of the smart TV stack most people never hear about until a headline like this lands. In plain terms, it is technology that helps a TV recognise what is on screen. Companies and ad partners pitch it as a way to improve recommendations, understand what content is working, and serve more relevant ads. Paxtons filings argue it crosses the line into surveillance when it runs without meaningful permission. His office describes ACR as an uninvited tracker, and in one of the complaints, he goes further, calling Samsung TVs a mass surveillance system. The allegation at the centre of this case is not that your TV is shipping out your name and photos. It is that it can build a detailed behavioural record of what you watch across streaming apps, cable, and even devices connected over HDMI, then send that data back to the manufacturer and partners for profiling and ad targeting. The lawsuits also include a claim designed to make readers sit up straight. Paxton alleges these systems can capture screen images as often as every 500 milliseconds and transmit viewing activity back to the company without the users knowledge or consent. The detail matters, because it frames ACR as something closer to continuous monitoring than a simple this show is popular signal. Where this story gets messy, and familiar, is how consent is presented. In many smart TV setups, the choice is wrapped in friendly language about personalised experiences, better recommendations, and improved services. The lawsuits argue disclosures are hidden, vague, or misleading, and that opting in is easy while opting out takes real effort inside menus most people never open again. Beyond advertising, Paxton also adds a geopolitical edge. He has flagged that TCL and Hisense are based in China, raising concerns about data access and government pressure. That framing is part of his public messaging around the suits, and it is clearly meant to widen the stakes beyond targeted ads. None of this is happening in a vacuum. ACR has been controversial for years, and regulators have stepped in before. In 2017, Vizio paid $2.2 million to settle accusations tied to collecting viewing data without proper consent, a case that effectively put the industry on notice that it was in the settings is not a strong defence. The companies named in the Texas lawsuits have largely responded the way big brands do when litigation is active. No comment, or a polite refusal to discuss pending legal matters. For now, the legal battle will revolve around what exactly was collected, how consent was obtained, and whether the disclosures and defaults meet the standard Texas law expects. Whatever happens next, the useful takeaway for readers is immediate and mildly annoying. Check your TV settings. Look for anything that sounds like content recognition, viewing information, interest based ads, or viewing data services. Different brands use different labels, and some options are buried deeper than you would expect. Turning ACR off may reduce the relevance of ads and recommendations, but it can also reduce the amount of behaviour data your TV collects about what you watch. BRUSSELSEuropean leaders rallying support for Kyiv say they are working to defend a democratic country, safeguard international law and counter Russian aggression. But there is another motivation rooted in self-interest: Europe believes a deal that favors Moscow risks a wider war that could engulf the whole continent. Russia is in a position to emerge from peace negotiations with vastly expanded military production capacity, confident it can redraw borders by force and viewing NATO as weak. Cash-drained European capitals fear they would have no other choice but to massively increase military spending and defensive preparations, in the hope of preserving their deterrence. President Trump and his team want a quick settlement to the conflict, which is set to enter its fifth year. For Europe, as much as for Ukraine, a bad peace deal that leaves Kyiv weak and vulnerable is worse than no deal at all for now. The future of Ukraine is closely linked with our own," said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Tuesday. If we cannot achieve lasting and just peace for Ukraine, we will not have any guarantee for our own security either," he told a virtual gathering of mainly European countries contributing to Ukraines war effort. The diverging trans-Atlantic positions represent a more fundamental rupture. The Trump administration wants the U.S. and Europe to achieve a rapprochement with Moscow for what the administration terms strategic stability with Russia." The White House says that would reduce the risk of a wider war. Administration officials also see potential business opportunities with Russia. Europe and Ukraine take an opposing view. They see Russia as a long-term threat and believe that any trust must be earned and verifiedand until then, Moscow must be deterred. Russia has accused Europeansand the U.S. under the Biden administrationof waging a proxy war against it by backing Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned recently that if Europe sought war, Russia was ready for it. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Kyivs allies strategy is to fight to the last Ukrainian" rather than quickly reach a settlement. The Kremlin, however, hasnt accepted the U.S. peace proposal and there is little sign it has any intention of winding down the war. The competing Western perspectives have been evident in and around U.S.-led peace talks over recent months. Differences have repeatedly strained already volatile relations between Europe and Washington. A U.S. national security document published this month accused Europeans of harboring unrealistic expectations" over the war. Days before its release, European leaders had warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be wary of agreeing to significant concessions in talks with the U.S. before locking in details of what Washington would offer if Russia breached a peace deal and attacked Ukraine again. We want peace. But not a peace that is in reality a capitulation," French President Emmanuel Macron said last month. He described that as a deal that gives Russia all the freedom to continue to go further" and endanger Europe. A recent survey of 500 European security specialists ranked a cease-fire favorable to Russia in its war against Ukraine" as one of the two top risks to the European Union next year. The other risk is hybrid or gray-zone war, which many officials have previously said Russia is already waging against Europe. EU security is threatened directly by a peace deal that would lock in territorial gains for Moscow, reward aggression, and undermine Ukraines long-term viability as a sovereign, democratic state," said a summary of the survey, compiled by the European University Institute, an EU research institution. A Russian peace would also signal that the EU cannot shape its own security environment or deter future threats from Russia," according to the report. North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Mark Rutte last week sketched out the scenario in Berlin. Just imagine if Putin got his way," said Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister. Ukraine under the boot of Russian occupation, his forces pressing against a longer border with NATO, and the significantly increased risk of an armed attack against us." Rutte said NATO would need to substantially increase its presence near its borders with Russia and face a financially painful acceleration of military spending, beyond already planned increases. So, lets not forget," he said. Ukraines security is our security. Now, contours of a peace deal that might assuage Ukrainian and European fears are emerging after two days of talks in Berlin that included eight hours of negotiations between Zelensky and Trumps top Russia envoys. The U.S. gave a firmer commitment to backstopping European security guarantees to Ukraine, and Trump has pledged to seek U.S. Senate support for Washingtons role. Yet the biggest obstacle to locking Ukraine into the U.S. peace proposalcontrol of territoryremains unresolved. Europeans for months have worked to nudge Washington away from peace proposals they see as too favorable to Russia. European leaders recently joined Ukraine in rejecting the White Houses call for Kyiv to withdraw troops from a well-fortified area it still holds in the Donbas region, fearing that ceding it would ease a future Russian invasion. This week, EU governments will face their biggest test yet of whether they will bear the costs of keeping Ukraine in the fight. The bloc has indefinitely frozen Russian assets held within its borders to prevent the money returning to Russia unless Moscow agrees to pay reparations to Ukraine. The Trump administration has said it wants to use those funds in part for Russian-U.S. economic projects. On Thursday, EU leaders will gather in Brussels to decide whether to use the Russian assets to fund a $105 billion loan to Ukraine aimed at covering two-thirds of Kyivs budget and military needs for the next two years. Without the loan, Ukraine is projected to run out of cash by the spring, leaving it with very little leverage in any peace talks. Trump has ended almost all U.S. financial support to Ukraine, so the European decision is critical. Alternative funding options look bleak. If the guns fall silent, these funds will be crucial for restarting the war-torn economy and addressing the countrys postconflict challenges," said Jana Kobzova, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank. If Putin rejects a deal and grinds on with his invasion, the cash will help underpin Ukraines self-defense." Whatever the outcome of peace talks, she said, deploying the frozen assets is an investment into Ukraines and Europes own security." Write to Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com and Daniel Michaels at Dan.Michaels@wsj.com WASHINGTONThe Trump administration expanded its travel ban to cover five additional countries, and added partial bans on 15 additional countries, in a move to formalize President Trumps promised crackdown on third-world countries." Citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria are joining the list of countries whose citizens are nearly all banned from immigrating to or entering the U.S., according to a White House announcement. Palestinians, whose documents are issued by the Palestinian Authority, are also now banned. Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject to partial bans, will now face full restrictions. In addition, 15 countries will face new partial bans: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Citizens from these countries generally wont be able to apply for tourist or student visas while the ban is in effect. Trump took the step in an expanding crackdown on legal immigration after an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington. Following the shooting in November, Trump posted on Truth Social that he planned to permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover." That appeared to form the basis for the latest set of banned countries. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem subsequently posted to X that she had met with Trump and recommended a broad ban. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country thats been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies," she wrote. The announcement is the latest in Trumps unprecedented crackdown on legal immigrationmuch of which had been discussed by immigration officials before the shooting occurred, The Wall Street Journal previously reported. The administration paused all processing of immigration requests by Afghans, including those with pending green card or citizenship applications. They halted pending asylum decisions for an unspecified length of time. The shooting suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, won his asylum case in April. And they have announced a plan to reopen hundreds of thousands of refugee and asylum applications approved by the Biden administration, meaning they could try and strip some people living here of their permanent legal status. Refugees are selected and vetted by the U.S. government abroad, while people who win their asylum cases have reached the U.S. on their own but are determined to be in need of the same humanitarian protection as refugees. Other countries the Trump administration has already subjected to full or partial bans include Afghanistan, Iran and Haiti. Until recently, only citizens of banned countries who lived abroad were affected. But the administration has developed an additional policy tool to try to bar citizens of banned countries from becoming permanent residents, even if they already live here. Under that policy, people from those countries who apply for a green card would most likely be denied, because their country of origin would be considered a significantly negative factor" affecting their application. Write to Michelle Hackman at michelle.hackman@wsj.com Chevron stands as one of the last big shippers of Venezuelan oil after the U.S. seized a sanctioned tanker last week allegedly carrying the countrys crude to the black market. The threat of another U.S. seizure has disrupted the countrys usually bustling traffic of dark-fleet vessels ferrying the Latin American countrys oil to China and Cuba. Several tankers are idling at Venezuelan ports and others are veering away from the region, vessel-tracking data show. President Trump on Tuesday ordered a complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela, escalating his administrations pressure campaign against strongman Nicolas Maduro. For Chevron, though, it remains business as usual. The company is still sending oil tankers to the U.S. Gulf Coast, its operations unimpeded thus far by rising tension between Trump and Maduro. The day after U.S. forces captured the dark-fleet supertanker Skipper, two vessels carrying crude for Chevron departed from the Bajo Grande, a port on Venezuelas Lake Maracaibo, both bound for the U.S., according to data from TankerTrackers.com. A Chevron spokesman said its operations in Venezuela continue without disruption and in compliance with the law. He called the companys presence in Venezuela a stabilizing force for the local economy and directed questions about the security situation to U.S. officials. Theyve stuck with the Venezuelan market through thick and thin, and endured a lot of adverse conditions, a lot of headwinds," said Clay Seigel, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Chevron, in a way, is punching above its weight in terms of contributing to the future of Venezuela." Chevron has long faced criticism for operating in Venezuela but has shown remarkable staying power in the country, where it has had a presence for more than 100 years. Its operations, according to its critics, redound to the benefit of Maduro, whom the U.S. has accused of leading a drug-trafficking cartel and whose regime runs on oil revenue. Under Chevrons license to operate in Venezuela, about half the oil it and state-run PdVSA pump goes to Maduros government, which then tries to monetize it by selling the crude to China or Cuba using a shadow fleet. The U.S. has sanctions in place that prohibit companies from trading Venezuelan oil; Chevrons license is essentially an exception to the rule. In an interview at a WSJ event earlier this month, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said the rules Chevron operates under dont allow the company to pay Venezuela taxes or royalties with the revenue it generates from crude sales. Theyre very restrictive in terms of what we can do," he said. Chevron and its joint ventures, which employ about 3,000 people, operate in the countrys Orinoco Belt, rich in heavy oil. The output from those fields has risen to about 300,000 barrels a day since the Biden administration granted Chevron a license to resume operations there in late 2022. That represents about one-third of Venezuelas total oil productionand less than 10% of Chevrons global output. If Venezuelas sanctioned oil traffic is stalled for long, a major revenue stream for Maduro would dry up. Crude sales have long represented more than 90% of Venezuelas export income. Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump said Tuesday on X. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen beforeuntil such time as they return to the United States of America all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us." Evanan Romero, a Houston-based energy consultant and former Venezuelan deputy oil minister, said an oil blockade would spell the end of Maduros regime. If youve already cut the narco revenue and then you get rid of the oil, were talking about the final collapse. If youre capturing ships, then these guys have days left," said Romero, who is advising opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on an oil-sector recovery plan. U.S. officials have said there would be more ship seizures in a bid to force Maduro from power, an effort that has involved a massive military buildup in the Caribbean. Trump has said Maduros days are numbered," though he hasnt publicly committed to a next course of action. Maduro called last weeks tanker seizure an act of naval piracy by the U.S. The White House said it targeted the Guyana-flagged Skipper because it was sanctioned for its involvement in the shipping of Iranian crude. Seven other oil tankers in Venezuelas Port Jose and the Port of Amuay have idled for nearly a week since the seizure, according to vessel tracker Samir Madani at TankerTrackers.com. Other oil supertankers are giving Venezuela a wide berth. Five inbound ships turned around and headed for ports elsewhere in the past four to five days, the data show. One was carrying Russian naphthaa diluent Venezuela uses to mix with heavy oilto the South American country when it turned tail in the Indian Ocean; the others were empty. Analysts said Maduros cash flow has already taken a hit because it has had to offer discounts for its crude. Venezuela exported almost 800,000 barrels a day between Sept. 1 and Dec. 15, with about 81% going to China, 17% to the U.S. and about 2% to Cuba, TankerTrackers.com data show. Maduros regime, however, has survived harsher conditions in the past. During the Covid-19 pandemic, prices for Venezuelas heavy crude sank to a fraction of todays prices, and the countrys oil output collapsed to less than half its current level. Yet Maduro held on. Its an escalation that, if it becomes a pattern, it could significantly impact Venezuela," said Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America energy program at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. This is not the worst pressure Maduro has facedat least not yet." Write to Collin Eaton at collin.eaton@wsj.com, Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com and Kejal Vyas at kejal.vyas@wsj.com It is shaping up to be another difficult year for Indias tourism industry. Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) have struggled in the first nine months of the year and may once again fall short of pre-pandemic levels. The reasons are familiarhigh costs compared with peer destinations, inadequate infrastructure, and lingering concerns around safety and security. This year, however, additional factors have keptor are expected to keepforeign tourist numbers subdued. First, a sharp fall in arrivals from Bangladesh, a key source market, following political instability there. Second, the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, earlier this year. Third, disruptions in flight operations due to IndiGo cancellations during the peak travel month of December. All this comes at a time when several Southeast Asian countries, often cheaper and more tourist-friendly, have seen strong growth in foreign tourist numbers. Potential paused India recorded a 12% decline in foreign tourist arrivals in the first nine months of the year (January-September), compared to the previous year. The number stood at 6.18 million, according to the latest data shared in the Lok Sabha earlier this month. Usually, foreign tourist arrivals account for 30% of the arrivals in the last quarter, buoyed by the holiday and vacation season. If these past trends are anything to go by, the year may end with 8.7-8.8 million foreign tourist arrivals. This will be lower than nearly 10 million arrivals in 2024 and the pre-pandemic levels of10.9 million in 2019. During the pandemic, arrivals collapsed 74.9% in 2020 and then 44.4% more in 2021. The numbers shot up by 321.5% in 2022 and 47.9% in 2023, making a significant recovery but failing to reach pre-pandemic levels. The growth continued, though it was only moderate at 4.5%revealing signs of weakness in Indias appeal to foreign tourists even as the pandemic was long over, which was also visible in 2025 numbers. Need to diversify Indias foreign tourist base remains highly concentrated. Data from previous years shows that just three countriesthe US, Bangladesh and the UKaccount for around 45% of total arrivals. In 2019, Bangladesh was the single largest source, contributing 23.6% of all FTAs. Its share remained above 20% consistently from 2017, barring the pandemic years, until 2023. So, naturally, when the political crisis hit Bangladesh in mid 2024, tourist arrivals in India took a hit. Bangladeshs share declined 17.6%. While a detailed country-wise break-up is not available for 2025, data available in quarterly tourism statistics reports do not show Bangladesh in the top five source countries in January-March. It did make it to the top five list for April-June, but the share was only 5.7%. The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, introduced in the Lok Sabha on 16 December, represents the most significant reform of Indias insurance sector in decades. The bill seeks to amends three core lawsthe Insurance Act, 1938; the LIC Act, 1956; and the IRDAI Act, 1999to liberalise foreign investment, strengthen regulation, introduce new intermediaries, and accelerate insurance penetration in line with the governments goal of insurance for all by 2047. It also aims to enhance protection for policyholders, which should boost consumer confidence and help build a more resilient insurance ecosystem. At a high level, the legislation represents a decisive shift towards a liberalised, globally aligned and regulator-driven insurance market. Mint takes a closer look at the reasons for the overhaul, the specific changes it will bring, and which issues will remain unresolved. Why did the government amend three separate insurance laws through a single bill? The government chose a single, consolidated amendment to ensure regulatory consistency across Indias fragmented insurance framework. The three laws govern private insurers, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and the regulator Irdai, and piecemeal changes could have created regulatory gaps. The approach reflects the governments goal of modernising the entire insurance ecosystem at once, rather than reforming individual institutions separately. Also Read | Why claim settlement defines life insurance credibility Stella Joseph, partner at Economic Laws Practice, said the bill seeks to amend all three laws to bring in significant reforms for the insurance sector", particularly to enable foreign investment, improve governance, and strengthen the regulator. What are the key features of the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Bill, 2025? The bill introduces several structural changes: Raises foreign direct investment (FDI) limit to 100% to bring in more capital for expansion. Gives Irdai disgorgement powers to recover wrongful gains made by insurers or intermediaries, as Sebi does. It also gives Irdai the power to cap agent commissions through regulations and tighten oversight on payouts and disclosures. Requires all insurers and intermediaries to clearly use terms such as "insurance" or "assurance" in their names to prevent mis-selling and enhance clarity, ensuring consumers can easily identify regulated entities. Introduces managing general agents (MGAs) as intermediaries. MGAs specialize in niche and non-standard risks (e.g., cyber, flood insurance), helping to create tailored products and reach underserved markets that large insurers might ignore. Increases penalties for non-compliance by insurers and intermediaries. Maximum penalty raised from 1 crore to 10 crore. Permits mergers between insurance and non-insurance businesses. Creates a policyholders education and protection fund. Raises the threshold for Irdai approval of equity transfers from 1% to 5%, easing business operations. Mandates a formal standard operating procedure for making regulations and clear penalty criteria to improve transparency, predictability, and consistency. Reduces the net owned funds (NOF) requirement for foreign reinsurers from 5,000 crore to 1,000 crore. Allows LIC to set up new zonal offices without prior government approval and permits the restructuring of its overseas operations in line with host-country laws, strengthening LICs global footprint. According to Sidharrth Shankar, partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, the bill delegates Irdai with extensive powers to form regulations for policyholder protection", including on commissions, amalgamations and penalties. How does the bill change foreign investment rules in insurance? The most headline-grabbing reform is the complete liberalisation of foreign ownership, allowing 100% FDI in insurance companies, from 74% at present. Shankar said the sector was now fully liberalised for insurance companies", with conditions around foreign investment proposed to be simplified and eased. Joseph added that these reforms were expected to attract long-term capital and international know-how", significantly altering ownership and governance structures, while supporting the governments ambition of expanding insurance coverage nationwide. The reforms will allow global insurance companies to inject substantial capital into their Indian entities without waiting for domestic partners to make matching contributions under a joint-venture setup. They will also help to bring better technologies, world-class risk assessment models, and best-in-class insurance products to Indias insurance market, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during a debate on the bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. How will the bill help develop Indias insurance market? The reforms in the bill aim to address low insurance penetration, limited product innovation, and capital constraints. Key growth enablers include: Easier entry of global insurers and capital Greater product innovation through MGAs Improved distribution reach Stronger policyholder protection Together, these measures are expected to make insurance more accessible, affordable and competitive. According to Shankar, the bill provides for a robust regulatory environment while enabling ease of doing business for investors and aligns with global standards at the same time guarding the interest of the policyholders". How does the bill expand the role of intermediaries? A major structural shift is the formal introduction of managing general agents (MGAs) as a recognised class of insurance intermediaries. Until now, intermediaries were largely restricted to distribution. The new framework allows MGAs to undertake underwriting and distribution, aligning India with developed insurance markets. Sidharrth Shankar said the reforms enable underwriting and distribution capabilities with MGAs, which was previously limited for intermediaries to only distribute insurance products". This is expected to drive innovation, niche products and operational efficiency across the sector. The bill also provides for one-time registration of intermediaries, doing away with licence renewals every three years. What issues does the bill leave unresolved? Despite its sweeping scope, the bill defers or dilutes some long-discussed reforms. Shivangi Sharma Talwar, partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, said while the bill permits mergers of insurance and non-insurance businesses, ending a decade-long debate, it lacks clarity on the business to be transferred" since insurers are otherwise restricted from undertaking non-insurance activities. She also noted that composite licensing and value-added services remained outside the bill, though both the union government and Irdai have been empowered to notify new classes of insurance business without amending the law. The bill is also silent on lowering the minimum capital requirement for new entrants (its 100 crore for insurers and 200 crore for reinsurers at present). These high entry barriers will continue to deter small, niche, regional, and specialised insurers. The bill is also silent on allowing large corporations to set up captive insurance companies. Joseph said these omissions hinted at regulatory caution despite the liberalising reforms. The New Year is fast approaching. It's time to reflect and set new life goals. Many people end the year with a trip to ensure their year finishes on a high note. While getting tickets to an international destination may not be feasible at the last moment, there are several places in India that are perfect for ringing in the New Year. Here is a rundown of some of the best Indian destinations to visit at the end of the year. Manali, Himachal Pradesh When it comes to spending a vacation in the mountains, you cannot go wrong with Manali. The charming cafes, quaint streets, and breathtaking natural beauty nearby make the destination a must-visit. People can also spend the night under a bonfire and enjoy the night sky. Also Read | Did Alia Bhatt ignore Ananya Panday to hug Vicky Kaushal at Filmfare OTT Awards? Goa Goa is the ultimate party destination. From beach parties to concerts and fireworks, the state offers visitors the best experience. Its also a great option if you want to spend your winter in a warm, sunny place. Udaipur, Rajasthan Visit Udaipur to ring in the New Year with a royal twist. The palaces and heritage hotels of the city offer an old-world charm that is hard to replicate. Udaipur is also close to other tourist hotspots like Jaisalmer and Jaipur, which means travellers can also go for a travel circuit of the state. Puducherry If you want to spend the New Year on a beach, but wish to avoid the crowds, Puducherry can be a great choice. Its colourful streets and beach cafes make the place a must-visit. Puducherry offers a mix of French and Indian cuisine, so foodies will have a lot of options to explore there. Also Read | Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli spotted heading to Alibaug in chic looks Varkala, Kerala The place is perfect for solo travellers. Varkala is best if you want a slower and more grounded start to the year. The city has several yoga centres, cliffside cafes, and sea-facing stays. Visitors can enjoy long walks on the beach and lip-smacking seafood. There are other destinations that travellers can visit, such as Uttarakhands Auli, Karnatakas Hampi, and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. These places can re-energise your soul and leave you to face the upcoming year with a calm and positive frame of mind. FAQs What is Varkala famous for? It is known for its cliffside cafes and sea-facing stays. Oil prices climbed over 1.5% on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a total and complete blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers travelling to and from Venezuela, stoking renewed geopolitical tensions amid ongoing demand concerns. Brent crude futures gained 87 cents, or 1.5%, to trade at $59.79 per barrel by 0730 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude advanced 85 cents, also up 1.5%, to $56.12 per barrel. However, crude oil prices remain below $60 per barrel. Crude oil extended its decline and made 5 years low in international market amid progress in RussiaUkraine peace negotiations and weaker-than-expected U.S. economic data. Reports that Ukraine has shared a revised peace proposal with the U.S. raised expectations of a ceasefire, which could lead to increased Russian oil supplies in global markets. Additionally, softer U.S. retail sales and ADP employment data added pressure on prices, said Rahul Kalantri, VP Commodities, Mehta Equities Ltd. Also Read | Vedanta shares extend bull run to seventh session, hit fresh record high What's driving the crude oil prices? Oil prices closed near five-year lows in the previous session as progress in RussiaUkraine peace negotiations raised expectations that Western sanctions on Moscow could be relaxed, potentially increasing supply at a time when global demand remains weak. Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or exiting Venezuela, stating that he now considers the countrys leadership a foreign terrorist organisation. Despite these developments, Asian crude traders noted that renewed buying in futuresafter prices fell below $60 a barrel a day earlieralso played a significant role in lifting oil prices on Wednesday. "The price is sentiment-driven by the Venezuelan news for today, but overall, export volumes from Venezuela are relatively small in the global supply share. With all eyes on the Russia-Ukraine discussions, the market is still under downside risk," a trader was quoted as saying by Reuters. Crude oil prices outlook Rahul Kalantri expects crude oil prices to remain volatile in the near term. Crude oil is having support at $55.15-54.50 and resistance is at $57.20-58.00 in todays session. In INR crude oil has support at 5,000,-4,940 while resistance at 5,150-5,215, Kalantri said. Meanwhile, brokerage firm Choice Institutional Equities anticipates that Brent is likely to average to $61.5 per barrel in 2026. We expect Brent to average to USD61.5/b in 2026 in the backdrop of increased competition in the market as a result of relentless supply of oil from the US at lower prices, gradual continued unwinding of cuts by OPEC+ and possible removal of sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil. Chinese company MetaX Integrated Circuits Shanghai Co's shares surged 693% on the first day of trading on Wednesday, following its blockbuster initial public offering (IPO). This jump in MetaX Integrated marked the best performance by a Chinese IPO in the $500 million$1 billion range over the past decade, according to Bloomberg data. Priced at 104.66 yuan per share, the rally took MetaXs market capitalisation to over 332 billion yuan. The strong debut also lifted broader markets, with the chip-heavy STAR 50 Index rising 2.5% and the ChiNext Index gaining 3.4%. MetaX's IPO listing similar to Moore Threads MetaXs massive listing gains follow a similar trend as seen in the case of Moore Threads Technology C, whose shares jumped more than sixfold over eight sessions since its debut, with the stock quintupling on the first trading day alone, as per Bloomberg report. Moore Threads currently has a market value of 336 billion yuan, comparable to MetaXs post-listing valuation. MetaX trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 56.4, significantly lower than the peer average of 127.4, which includes companies such as Cambricon Technologies Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Both Moore Threads and MetaX make graphics processing units for artificial intelligence (AI) developers an industry thats growing at a rapid pace as consumers and businesses adopt AI services. Also Read | What Indias IPO boom really delivered to investors Chinese investors are betting on companies like MetaX that could emerge as competitors to global leader Nvidia, whose most advanced chips have been restricted from being sold by the US to China amid export controls. MetaX IPO witnesses bumper demand The report also stated that MetaXs IPO was 2,986 times oversubscribed in the retail segment, beating Moore Threads oversubscription of 2,750 times. Such demand reflects Chinas cautious regulatory stance on IPO pricing, where authorities often limit valuations to protect retail investors. According to the Bloomberg report, a major reason behind the oversubscription is Chinas cautious regulatory stance on IPO pricing, where authorities often limit valuations to protect retail investors. Chinese IPOs have been strong this year, averaging a 250% pop on the first trading day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. MetaX can trace roots to AMD MetaX designs and sells graphics processing units (GPUs) used in artificial intelligence workloads. The company traces its roots to Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), with three key founders including Chairman and CEO Chen Weiliang having previously worked at the US chipmaker. In 2024, MetaXs AI-focused Xiyun C500 series accounted for nearly 98% of total revenue. The company claims the chips are comparable to Nvidias A100. MetaX captured about 1% of Chinas AI chip market last year, according to its prospectus, and operates in a rapidly growing sector driven by domestic substitution and rising AI adoption across industries. Foreign Portfolio Investors are moving money very aggressively in India right now. Some large sectors are seeing heavy selling while a few others are becoming clear favourites. This is the FPI rotation that is shaping the Indian market in late 2025. Tracking this trend is essential because FPIs are the primary drivers of market direction. You can understand these changes easily by checking the shareholding pattern and FII trend on Finology Ticker for any listed company. FPIs have pulled out more than 1.55 lakh crore from Indian equities in 2025. The big picture is not that they are exiting India, but that they are shifting funds from one set of sectors to another. This push-and-pull behaviour is visible in the latest filings. You can quickly cross-check FII movements for any stock using the Shareholding section on Finology Ticker. View full Image Finology Ticker Company Page 1. The New Rotation Pattern: Telecom In, FMCG Out Recent monthly filings indicate a clear shift toward telecom and energy and away from FMCG and financials. Telecom FPI buying: 4,913 crore Why: Tariff hikes, better ARPU and stable industry structure with Jio and Airtel dominating. You can check this shift by comparing quarterly FPI holdings of telecom stocks on Finology Tickers shareholding section on the company page. Oil and Gas FPI buying: 4,177 crore Why: Attractive valuations and stronger refining margins for Reliance, ONGC and oil PSUs. The valuation gaps and peer comparisons are easy to view on Finology Ticker. View full Image Finology Ticker Index Page FMCG FPI selling: 2,722 crore Why: Weak rural demand and high P/E ratios, leading foreigners to exit expensive defensives. Financials FPI selling: 1,137 crore Why: FPIs own large portions of private banks. When they withdraw money from India, banks become the easiest source of liquidity. You can track this sector-wide outflow using a simple FII holding change filter on the Finology Ticker Screener. 2. Why Foreign Investors Matter So Much Foreign investors hold substantial ownership stakes in Indias leading banks, IT companies, and consumer giants. A slight 1% reduction often amounts to several thousand crores in sales. This affects prices more than quarterly results. A clear example is HDFC Bank. Despite consistent profits, the stock remained range-bound for months because FPIs continued to trim their stake. Historical data also shows a strong relationship between FPI flows and the Nifty 50 index. When FPIs are buyers, markets trend upward. When they sell, markets remain flat or fall gradually. 3. How This Impacts Your Portfolio When FPIs sell a sector heavily: Prices stay muted for long periods Intraday volatility increases Even strong companies may not participate in market rallies This is why FMCG stocks, despite being quality names, have not moved much. When FPIs buy a sector aggressively: Rallies tend to last longer Corrections are shallow Midcaps in that sector perform better Telecom and energy are seeing this effect now, and you can screen for such stocks in seconds using the Finology Ticker FII screener. 4. What Retail Investors Should Do Now Here is a simple and practical checklist. Check if DIIs are countering FPI selling. If FPIs are selling but DIIs are buying, the stock often stabilises. This happened in PSU banks during 2024. You can see this comparison quickly on Finology Tickers Shareholding Pattern tab. Avoid entering during heavy FPI exits. If you see continuous FPI reductions for two or more quarters, wait for the selling to settle. Use this query on Finology Ticker Screener: FII Holding Q1 + 2 < FII Holding Q2 This helps you identify stocks in which FII have reduced their stake by more than 2%. View full Image Finology Ticker Stock Screener Follow fresh inflows FPIs are buying telecom and capital goods more than any other sectors right now. Research companies in these areas for long-term opportunities. You can screen for fresh inflows with: FII Holding Q1 > FII Holding Q2 + 2 Run this for free on the Ticker Screener to discover stocks with rising foreign interest. View full Image Finology Ticker Stock Screener 5. Why This Rotation is Happening Now FPIs are shifting because of: Valuation gaps between defensives and cyclicals Better earnings visibility in telecom and energy Profit booking in highly owned financial stocks Risk-off behaviour in global markets This is not random. It is a calculated shift of capital from expensive sectors to stable and undervalued ones. The easiest way to understand this is by checking sector-wise FPI inflow charts on Finology Ticker. Final Outlook FPIs are not exiting India. They are simply rearranging money. Telecom, capital goods and energy are the new preferred sectors. FMCG and financials are facing temporary pressure. This trend will shape market returns in the next few quarters. Retail investors should watch these flows before making decisions. Finology Ticker makes this very simple by providing: FPI and DII holding changes Free FII screener queries Complete shareholding pattern history This helps you see exactly where global money is moving and position your portfolio more confidently. Finology is a SEBI-registered investment advisor firm with registration number: INA000012218. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as the hottest sector globally, and its rapid growth trajectory is expected to extend through the rest of the decade. Heavy investments by big tech into AI are now influencing GDP growth more than consumer spending, with industry leaders already committing to even higher AI capex in 2026. However, as concerns grow that the AI stock rally may be edging towards bubble territory, global investors are preparing for a potential rotation of capital away from Wall Streets Mag 7, as well as China and Korea, into relatively under-owned markets such as India. Also Read | Telecom defies FPI sell-off with highest inflows since 2022 For investors scouting for opportunities, here are a few Indian AI stocks currently trading nearly 40% below their 52-week highs. However, these are not pure-play AI stocks. Cyient Ltd Cyient is a global engineering and technology solutions company that collaborates with customers to design digital enterprises, build intelligent products and platforms, and solve sustainability challenges. Cyient is actively involved in AI. The company integrates AI and Generative AI (GenAI) extensively across its engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, compliance, and customer support workflows. In 2024, Cyient announced the acquisition of a 27.3% stake in Azimuth AI, a fabless custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) company known for its expertise in intelligent energy and power solutions. The company is primarily an embedded silicon innovator, designing custom system-on-chips (SoCs) for efficient edge AI in smart cities, EVs, and industrial settings, focusing on power efficiency and custom AI processing. On 17 November 2025, Azimuth AI and its wholly owned subsidiary Cyient Semiconductors announced the launch of ARKA GKT 1, Indias first-generation intelligent power silicon chip designed for ultra-low power edge AI and smart energy systems. Also Read | Can premium products continue to keep Radico Khaitan stock in high spirits? So far in 2025, up to 12 December, the stock has fallen from its 52-week high of 2,106, recorded on 16 December 2024, to 1,167.3, a decline of approximately 44.5%. One of the key reasons for the decline has been consistent FII selling since the March 2024 quarter, with the highest level of selling recorded in the March 2025 quarter. In addition, Cyient reported a 3.7% year-on-year decline in revenue for the quarter, with revenue coming in at 1,780 crore. The company also posted a sharp 23.42% year-on-year drop in net profit. Overall, Cyient is expected to capitalize on market demands for engineering innovation, AI-powered solutions, and smart manufacturing, driving sustainable revenue growth and profitability in the medium to long term. Oracle Financial Services Software Ltd Oracle Financial Services Software (OFSS) provides financial software, custom application development, consulting, IT infrastructure management, and outsourced business processing services to the financial services industry. The companys solutions can be deployed in on-premises & SAAS mode and incorporate new technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), which enable the users to provide a differentiated cloud-ready solution to its customers. Its solutions are built on a microservices architecture, embedded with AI, and designed for seamless adoption by banks. The company addresses critical challenges in the financial services industry by delivering embedded financial experiences across banking services, revitalizing global trade and supply chains, and modernizing finance and risk management. So far in 2025, up to 12 December, the stock has fallen 39.5% from its 52-week high of 13,203.6, recorded on 30 December 2024, to 7,987. This decline could be attributed to ongoing promoter selling in the company. Additionally, in the September 2025 quarter, revenue increased 6.9% year-on-year to 1,780 crore, while net profit fell 5.5% to 550 crore, compared with 580 crore in the same period last year. The company aims to broaden and deepen its presence in global markets. Its sales and marketing teams are focused on strengthening international reach and developing new export opportunities. Tata Elxsi Ltd Tata Elxsi, established 35 years ago, provides design and technology services across automotive, media, healthcare, and communications sectors. The company operates several AI platforms, including TEDAX for data intelligence, IRIS for industrial AI, TETHER for connected vehicle services, NEURON for content personalisation, and TECare for digital therapeutics. The company continues to advance AI and analytics through its AI Centre of Excellence, focusing on autonomous mobility, video analytics, predictive analytics, GenAI, and cloud computing. Also Read | Three small-cap spacetech stocks for your 2026 watchlist With more than a decade of experience in AI, Tata Elxsi has strengthened its capabilities further through strategic collaborations. In July 2025, the company partnered with San Francisco-based KAVIA AI to integrate AI-powered automation across the software development lifecycle for enterprise clients. KAVIA AI refers to its platform as software 3.0", a cloud-native system designed to automate the entire development process, from planning to maintenance at enterprise scale. So far in 2025, up to 12 December, the stock has fallen 32.5% from its 52-week high of 7,448.8, recorded on 12 December 2024, to 5,029.7. This could be attributed to stake reductions by both FIIs and promoters during the September 2025 quarter. Promoter shareholding edged down in the September 2025 quarter, while FII holding declined from 12.7% to 12.5% over the same period. In addition, revenue from operations fell to 920 crore from 960 crore a year earlier. Net profit also declined sharply, dropping 32.5% year-on-year to 150 crore. Moving ahead, the company says that it will continue to invest in differentiated AI-first offerings and services. Conclusion Investing in AI-linked stocks that are down up to 40% from their 52-week highs may appear attractive as the technology continues to reshape industries and fuel a new wave of digital transformation. Indias AI ecosystem is expanding at a rapid pace, with the countrys $264 billion IT sector projected to cross $400 bn by 2030, driven by increasing AI adoption across global outsourcing, according to Bessemer Venture Partners. That said, investors should remain mindful that AI-themed opportunities can be volatile, and stock selection should be backed by a careful assessment of underlying fundamentals and long-term business strength. Investors should evaluate the company's fundamentals, corporate governance, and valuations of the stock as key factors when conducting due diligence before making investment decisions. Happy investing. Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com. The Indian stock market benchmarks- the Sensex and the Nifty 50- ended in the negative territory for the third consecutive session on Wednesday, December 17, on persisting concerns over the rupee's weakness, foreign capital outflow and the delayed India-US trade deal. The Sensex closed with a loss of 120 points, or 0.14%, at 84,559.65, while the Nifty 50 ended at 25,818.55, down 42 points, or 0.16%. The fall was deeper in the mid and small-cap segments; the BSE Midcap index ended 0.53% lower, while the Smallcap index fell 0.85%. The across-the-board decline dragged the overall market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms to 466 lakh crore from 467.64 lakh crore in the previous session, making investors lose 1.6 lakh crore in a single session. Indian stock market: 10 key highlights from the day 1. Why did the Indian stock market fall for the third consecutive session? The domestic market is struggling to come out of the negative territory on the rupee's weakness and heavy foreign capital outflow amid persisting uncertainty over an India-US trade deal. At this juncture, the domestic market lacks fresh triggers to outweigh these headwinds. The stock market volatility may persist until the December quarter earnings start showing a healthy rebound and an India-US trade deal is announced. "Foreign investors are pulling out funds, and emerging markets are struggling, while developed economies remain strong, showing that investors are becoming more cautious about emerging markets, Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments, noted. "Although currency stability offers temporary relief, global uncertainty and sustained foreign selling keep upside potential limited, leaving markets skewed toward a bearish bias," said Nair. 2. Top gainers in the Nifty 50 index Some 24 stocks ended higher in the Nifty 50 index, while 26 declined. Shriram Finance (up 2.07%), State Bank of India (up 1.58%), and Hindalco Industries (up 1.30%) ended as the top gainers in the index. 3. Top losers in the Nifty 50 index Max Healthcare Institute (down 3.71%), Apollo Hospitals Enterprise (down 1.98%), and Trent (down 1.66%) ended as the top losers in the index. 4. Sectoral indices today Nifty PSU Bank jumped 1.29%, bucking the trend. Nifty IT (up 0.29%), Metal (up 0.25%), and Oil and Gas (up 0.23%) also ended higher. On the flip side, Media (down 1.71 %), Consumer Durables (down 0.96%), Realty (down 0.84%), and FMCG (down 0.47%) closed with significant losses. Nifty Bank slipped 0.18% while the Financial Services index fell 0.49%. 5. Most active stocks in terms of volume Vodafone Idea (62.7 crore shares), Meesho (18.1 crore shares), and Ola Electric Mobility (14.9 crore shares) were the most active stocks in terms of volume on the NSE. 6. 12 stocks jump more than 15% on BSE despite stock market weakness Meesho, TCI Finance, Shish Industries, Transwarranty Finance, and Apex Frozen Foods were among the 12 stocks that surged more than 15% on the BSE despite weak stock market sentiment. 7. Advance-decline ratio Out of 4,328 stocks traded on the BSE, 1,475 advanced, while 2,694 declined. Some 159 stocks remained unchanged. 8. Over 90 stocks hit 52-week highs Vedanta, Shriram Finance, and Hindustan Zinc were among the 94 stocks that hit their 52-week highs in intraday trade on the BSE. 9. Nearly 200 stocks hit 52-week lows ACC, REC, PFC, Colgate Palmolive (India), Mankind Pharma, United Breweries (UBL), and Page Industries were among the 196 stocks that hit their 52-week lows on the BSE. 10. Nifty's technical outlook According to Sudeep Shah, Head - Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities, the previous swing low zone of 25,700-25,650 will act as important support for the Nifty 50. "If the index slips below the 25,650 level, it could trigger a further correction up to the 25,500 level. On the upside, the zone of 25,950-26,000 will act as a crucial hurdle for the index. Any sustainable move above the 26,000 will lead to a pullback rally up to the 26,200 level," said Shah. Shrikant Chouhan, the head of equity research at Kotak Securities, said that the intraday market sentiment is weak, but a fresh selloff is possible only if the level of 25,775 is breached on the downside. Chouhan said if that happens, the market could retest the levels of 25,700-25,650. On the flip side, if the market moves above 25,920, the sentiment could improve. Above this level, the market could rise to 26,000-26,050, said Chouhan. Read all market-related news here Read more stories by Nishant Kumar Indian equity benchmarks extended their decline for a second straight session on Tuesday, driven by persistent selling pressure from foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and weak global market cues. The Nifty 50 sharply closed lower, breaching the critical psychological and technical level of 26,000, to settle at 25,856.45, down 170.85 points (-0.66%). The Sensex mirrored the weakness, losing 470.45 points (-0.55%) to close at 84,742.91. Market breadth was overwhelmingly negative, with the advance-decline ratio skewed heavily toward decliners at roughly 1:4 across the broader market, signalling broad-based profit-taking. On the sectoral front, financials, metals, and IT were the major laggards, with Axis Bank plummeting nearly 5% after concerns over its net interest margins (NIMs) weighed heavily on the banking sector. Also Read | Telecom defies FPI sell-off with highest inflows since 2022 The negative sentiment was compounded by the Indian Rupee hitting a fresh record low, surpassing 91 against the US dollar, underscoring macroeconomic stress from capital outflows. Conversely, defensive plays in the telecommunications and FMCG sectors showed relative resilience but were insufficient to reverse the downbeat market trend ahead of crucial US economic data. Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India: Buy: Jindal Stainless Ltd (current price: 797) Why its recommended: Strong market leadership in stainless-steel production, diversified product mix and value-added offerings, capacity expansions improving volume visibility, healthy balance sheet, and declining debt levels, robust demand from infrastructure, automotive, and industrial sectors, consistent operational efficiencies and cost optimization, integrated manufacturing and backward linkages improving margins, steady export presence and global customer base. Key metrics: P/E: 25.53 | 52-week high: 826 | Volume: 35.58 crore Technical analysis: Reclaimed its 50-DMA recently and gave a trendline breakout Risk factors: Cyclical steel industry exposed to demand downturns, high sensitivity to nickel, ferrochrome, and raw-material price volatility, global anti-dumping duties or trade restrictions impacting exports, currency fluctuations affecting imported raw-material costs, competitive pressure from domestic and international players, environmental, ESG, and regulatory compliance costs, margin compression risk during commodity downcycles, and concentration risk in certain end-use industries. Buy: 785800 Target price: 895 in two to three months Stop loss: 750 Also Read | Can premium products continue to keep Radico Khaitan stock in high spirits? Buy: Avanti Feeds (current price: 828) Why its recommended: Market leadership in shrimp feed with strong distribution, rising global demand for farmed shrimp, backward integration, and operational efficiency Key metrics: P/E: 18.30 | 52-week high: 964 | Volume: 69 crore Technical analysis: Downward sloping trendline breakout Risk factors: High dependence on global shrimp export markets, Buy at: 815-830 Target price: 900 in two to three months Stop loss: 799 Nifty 50: How the benchmark index performed on 16 December Indian equities extended their corrective phase on 16 December, with the Nifty 50 closing at 25,860.10, down 0.64% (-167 points), after trading in a narrow range through the session. Broader market sentiment weakened further, as reflected in a soft advance-decline ratio of 1,023 advances to 2,096 declines, signalling broad-based selling pressure. On the sectoral front, Nifty Private Banks, IT, financial services, metals, and pharma registered meaningful declines. On the other hand, consumer durables was the lone standout, ending firmly in the green. PSU Banks, realty, and oil and gas also moderated, adding to the cautious tone. The Nifty 50 extended its corrective bias today, with price action showing a clear loss of upward momentum within the broader rising channel. The short-term trendline that previously acted as dynamic support has been breached, leading to a shift toward a more distribution-like pattern. RSI continues to trend downward inside a well-defined falling channel, reflecting persistent negative momentum. The indicator has also formed consecutive lower highs, confirming bearish divergence relative to the recent price peaks. This deterioration in strength suggests that buyers are becoming increasingly reluctant at higher levels. MACD reinforces this view, with the histogram printing deeper red bars and the MACD line remaining below the signal line. The flattening of both lines indicates fading trend strength and aligns with the broader loss of momentum seen on price charts. According to O'Neils methodology of market direction, the market status has shifted to a confirmed uptrend" as it decisively surpassed its previous rally high of 25,670 to register a new 52-week. The index closed on a weaker note, failing to move above the 21-DMA and encountering renewed selling pressure at higher levels. On the downside, 25,700 now serves as the initial support, while 25,300 remains a critical area for maintaining the broader uptrend and overall market stability. Conversely, a decisive close above 26,300 would meaningfully improve the technical setup and pave the way for a continuation of the upward move toward 26,500-26,700 in the near term. How did Nifty Bank perform yesterday? The Nifty Bank opened on a weaker note and remained in negative territory throughout the trading session. The index formed a bearish candle on the daily chart with a lower-high and lower-low structure and slipped below its 21-DMA. During the session, it opened at 59,288.75, touched a high of 59,335.25 and a low of 58,983.05, before settling at 59,034.60. The ongoing profit-booking phase calls for caution, disciplined risk management, and a selective stock-picking approach. Additionally, traders should monitor whether the index remains below its short-term moving averages, as this could increase the downside pressure. The RSI has turned slightly lower and is positioned at 51. On the other hand, the MACD has generated a bearish crossover but remains above the zero line, indicating underlying strength despite near-term caution. According to ONeils methodology of market direction, Bank Nifty continues to stay in a Confirmed Uptrend, reinforcing a constructive broader outlook. Collectively, these technical signals suggest a favourable setup in which select Banking stocks may be positioned for potential breakouts. However, ongoing monitoring is crucial to gauge follow-through strength and assess short-term stability in the sessions ahead. Also Read | Three small-cap spacetech stocks for your 2026 watchlist The index ended the session slightly lower and briefly slipped below its 21-DMA. However, this pullback appears constructive within the ongoing uptrend. Even if mild profit-booking persists, any dip toward the 50-DMA near 58,300 would likely act as a buying opportunity. A swift reclaim of the 21-DMA would reinforce the bullish structure and signal renewed strength. On the downside, immediate support is placed around 58,800-58,000, offering a strong cushion. Moreover, improving breadth across banking constituents continues to strengthen the positive outlook. A sustained close above key resistance levels could invite incremental institutional participation, potentially accelerating the indexs upward trajectory. MarketSmith India is a stock research platform and advisory service focused on the Indian stock market. It offers tools and resources to help investors make informed decisions based on the CAN SLIM methodology, founded by legendary investor William J. O'Neil. You can access a 10-day free trial by registering on its website. Trade name: William ONeil India Pvt. Ltd. Sebi Registration No.: INH000015543 Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions. Shares of mining giant Vedanta maintained their strong upward momentum on Wednesday, December 17, extending gains for the seventh consecutive trading session. The stock jumped another 2% on the day to hit a fresh all-time high of 580.45 per share, taking the cumulative seven-day gain to 13.5%. Besides Vedanta, key metal stocks also traded higher as base metal prices remained firm amid a softening U.S. dollar. Investor sentiment toward Vedanta has remained upbeat amid multiple positive developments, including the National Company Law Tribunals (NCLT) approval of the companys plan to split into five separately listed entities. Vedanta bags NCLT nod for demerger A two-member panel of the NCLT gave the nod to the Vedanta demerger. The scheme appears to be fair and reasonable and is not violative of any provisions of law and is not contrary to public policy, the court said in its written order. At its last hearing in November, the Mumbai-bench on NLCT had reserved its order amid opposition from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The approval marks a key milestone in Vedantas transformation into focused, sector-leading companies with clear strategic mandates and dedicated capital structures, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg, adding that the miner will now proceed with the necessary steps to implement the demerger plan. There is an option to appeal against this ruling. Tuesdays ruling paves the way for Vedanta to split its extensive operations into five separate entities, with four of them focused on aluminium, power, oil and gas, and iron ore, respectively. The company has said that the proposed demerger is aimed at reducing debt, creating focused and independent businesses, and unlocking value for stakeholders. Also Read | Vedanta wins approval for demerger, overcomes petroleum ministry objections Vedanta shares gain favour with brokerages as demerger, valuation upside come into focus Following the approval, domestic brokerage firm Kotak Institutional Equities upgraded its rating on Vedanta to 'Buy' from Add' and also raised its price target to 650 from 550 earlier. The brokerage added that debt concerns related to its parent, Vedanta Resources, are now largely behind. Back in 2023, the Vedanta Group announced plans to demerge the company into five separately listed entities housing its various businessesVedanta Aluminium, Vedanta Oil & Gas, Vedanta Power, Vedanta Iron and Steel, and a restructured Vedanta Ltd, which will hold the zinc and silver businesses (via Hindustan Zinc) and also serve as an incubator for new technologies and ventures. Also Read | Vedanta wins approval for demerger, overcomes petroleum ministry objections According to a Nuvama Research report dated November 20, Vedanta demerger could help unlock value by improving the valuations of businesses such as aluminium, steel, and power. The brokerage estimated a fair value of 686 per share, which could be enhanced by 84 per share once the demerger comes into effect. "We estimate our fair value of 686 (ceteris paribus) shall be enhanced by 84/share once the demerger comes into effect," said Nuvama. The demerger is envisioned as a simple vertical splitfor every share of VEDL, a shareholder will additionally receive one share each of the five newly listed companies. Meanwhile, in its latest report, ICICI Direct Search also retained its 'buy' rating on the stock with a target price of 650 apiece. "We remain positive on Vedanta given the robust non-ferrous prices, strategic expansion at aluminium and zinc India, controlled leverage on B/S, return ratios >20%, and attractive dividend yield of 6%," the brokerage said. Vedanta share price on track to post annual gains for the second year The companys shares have delivered a return of 29% so far this year, building on a solid 72% jump in 2024. Although the shares began the year on a tepid note, they picked up momentum following a strong rally in base metals, having closed the last three months higher, with September registering the biggest monthly jump of 11%. Indias capital market regulator on 4 December barred finfluencer Avadhut Sathe and his eponymous trading academy from dealing in securities and ordered the impounding of allegedly illegal gains worth 546.16 crore earned prima facie by providing unregistered investment advisory services. The action followed complaints from participants of Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy (ASTA) that they had incurred substantial losses despite the academys promises of extraordinary returns". In its interim order, Sebi said its investigation found that several claims made in ASTAs advertisements were misleading. Sebi noted that the academy was providing investment advice without being registered, in violation of securities laws, and collected around 600 crore in course fees from more than 337,000 participants between 2015 and 2025. ASTA has denied Sebi's allegations. This isnt the first time that claims of helping people earn big profits in the stock markets havent turned out to be true. Also Read | Why Sebi is drowning in record investor complaints But why do many intelligent individuals become attracted to such schemes that ultimately harm them financially? Certain psychological elements are at play, but being aware of them can help prevent us from falling into financial trouble. Desire to learn the secret sauce While traditional wisdom suggests that individuals can generate wealth by holding equities for the long term, many people seek shortcuts to achieve this goal. Perhaps theres a trading strategy or technique that tells the right time to buy or sell an investment, or an exotic investment that they dont know about, and so on. If only they could learn this secret sauce, people believe they too could become rich, and this is what financial salesmen target. Theyre selling a dream," said Tania Ahuja, founder of Sebi-registered investment adviser Nobias Analyst India. At the ASTA, its flagship course was titled Get Edge Over Others (GEO), which in turn would teach Secrets of Market Millionaires' (SMM). Its videos on YouTube featured testimonials from participants who had achieved success. One video uploaded in October 2023 featured homemaker Lakshmi Sreenivasan, who allegedly had made a profit of 1 crore by trading options on the Nifty Bank between December 2020 and March 2023. However, Sebi said its analysis of Sreenivasans trading accounts from the stock exchanges showed that she had made a profit of only 4.17 lakh from the Nifty Bank options trading during the given period. Another video posted in February talked about how Akash Ratnakar Warpe converted 1.8 lakh into 45 lakh by using a strategy learnt from the academy. However, Sebi found that he had incurred a loss of nearly 6 lakh during the period. These are a few instances of how the academy and Avadhut Sathe had been "circulating videos which falsely advertised that their course participants had earned extraordinary profits", Sebi said in its order. Also Read | Is the SIF exam about to get easier? Sebi eyes currency derivatives cut This is a cautionary tale for investors, according to advisers. If its too good to be true, then its not true," said Ahuja. She said that people need to understand that everyone in finance is trying to sell something, so they should dig further to understand their claims. You just simply cant believe everything they say," said Ahuja. Temptation to succeed big and fast Building wealth by earning money or by buying and holding stocks can take years. The urge to make money or achieve success quickly can sometimes drive us into programmes that may not always be ideal. People who are in extreme hurry in lifejump into something without asking even some fundamental questions," said Vivek Rege, founder of Sebi-registered investment adviser V R Wealth Advisors in Mumbai. Consider the case of a 45-year-old entrepreneur who signed up for ASTAs flagship GEO online course during the covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Although the four-month GEO course was expensive, at 72,000, the entrepreneur, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, felt it was worth it because it taught them the fundamentals of trading. After that, they signed up for the academys in-person mentorship programme, which costs around 7 lakh, plus the cost of travel and lodging to attend an offsite, which was part of the programme. Though they found the price tag steep, the entrepreneur thought at the time: If I do this course, then I dont need to do anything else, and Ill become a market expert." However, the course did not live up to their expectations. They said they were taught some trading setups that can be learnt for free on YouTube. It was not worth the price, which we were paying." For others who might be tempted by the idea of making big money quickly, this entrepreneur cautioned that they should not think that by attending a 3-4-month course, they will earn crores. That is all an illusion. It will take a lot of time and patience." Tendency to go with the crowd Individuals tend to feel more comfortable when they see others around them doing the same. When were trying to make a decision related to our money, we tend to be influenced positively when others are doing the same. The entrepreneur who signed up for the academys GEO course said they had relied on references from friends who had taken the course when deciding which course to study. ASTAs videos often showed training sessions or convocations with tens of people in the room and online. There is crowd comfort," said Rege, adding, If you see more and more people going there, youll also go there." For instance, he said this is why we look on social media to see which posts are being read the most, or how many people are liking or commenting on a post. All of that influences us. Confirmation bias This is yet another common behavioural finance trait, wherein once we believe something, we look only for information that supports that belief. In this state of mind, people stop asking critical questions. They want to hear what they want to hear," said Rege. If someone questions their belief, they are not open to listening to it, he said. This can land us in trouble, according to financial advisers. Rather, when it comes to anything involving an investment of money, we should be asking tough questions. To begin with, ask about the qualifications of the financial professional offering to help you make high returns. Check the persons credentials, is he qualified?" said Ahuja. In the case of Avadhut Sathe, Sebis order stated that Sathe and the academy were not registered with the regulator in any capacity, including as an investment adviser, research analyst, or otherwise. This made it illegal for the firm to offer or its trainers to give stock trading advice. Secondly, keep in mind that the information or reviews we read online or on social media may be selective, designed to reinforce our beliefs. Also Read | Why Sebi took 33 years to demand accountability from its own leaders An early examination by the regulator revealed that ASTA was publishing selective profitable trades of course participants/investors and claiming that his course participants/investors consistently earn through trading and that the trainers at ASTAPL/AS are experts in the stock market". However, Sebis analysis showed that all such trainers and course participants/investors were in net losses", it said in its order. Investors should be mindful that people dont really publish social-media stories about what went wrong, or instances when losses were made, said Rege. There will be millions of stories which will not come out," he said. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) on Tuesday announced several changes to the National Pension System (NPS), providing greater flexibility for corporate sector subscribers with respect to withdrawals. The new rules specify that non-government subscribers are now allowed to withdraw up to 80% of their corpus exceeding 12 lakh at the time of retirement, while the remaining 20% will be disbursed as annuity. However, government employees will continue to withdraw only up to 60%, with the balance to be withdrawn as an annuity. Prior to this rule, both government and non-government subscribers were permitted to withdraw 60%, and 40% earmarked for annuity. Less than 8 lakh Non-government subscribers who have completed 15 years of contributions or have attained 60 years of age or superannuated can withdraw the entire corpus if it is 8 lakh or less, reads the notification. Above 12 lakh If the accumulated amount is between 8 lakh and 12 lakh, up to 6 lakh can be withdrawn, with the remainder used for annuity. If the corpus exceeds 12 lakh, subscribers can opt for an 80:20 lump sum annuity split, instead of 60:40, which has existed to date. Additionally, now subscribers can stay invested until the age of 85, unless they choose to exit earlier. Also Read | These NPS fund managers delivered highest returns on equity in past 3 years A normal exit is allowed post 15 years of subscription or after attaining 60 years, superannuation or retirement, whichever is earlier. In the event of a subscribers death before annuity purchase or lump sum withdrawal, the accumulated corpus will be paid to the nominee or legal heir. If a subscriber is missing and presumed dead, 20% of the corpus will be paid as interim relief, with the balance released after formal determination under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. Corpus withdrawal: Key changes >> Lower than 8 lakh: When the corpus is lower than 8 lakh say 7.5 lakh, non-government subscribers can withdraw the entire sum. >> Lower than 12 lakh: When the amount is 8-12 lakh, up to 6 lakh can be withdrawn, and the balance is used to purchase annuities. >> Above 12 lakh: When the corpus is above 12 lakh, subscribers can withdraw up to 80% of the corpus. For instance, when the corpus is 15 lakh, one can withdraw 12 lakh (i.e. 80%) and the remaining 3 lakh to be given as annuities. Earlier, they could withdraw only up to 9 lakh. India's chief economic adviser Anantha Nageswaran has called for states to have a bigger role in driving the next phase of higher-education reforms, arguing that Indias ability to convert its demographic advantage into long-term growth will depend on how quickly universities adapt to changing economic and technological realities. Speaking at the CII Global Higher Education Summit in New Delhi, Nageswaran said states must move away from a high-control approach towards stewardship, address faculty shortages through flexible mechanisms such as professors of practice, and shift the focus of regulations from inputs to outcomes. A professor of practice is a specialized faculty position designed to bring industry experts, practitioners, and professionals directly into the classroom. He also stressed the need for a more entrepreneurial approach to public administration, and for financing of higher education institutions to be based on differentiated roles and measurable outcomes rather than uniform rules. Regulatory overhaul The CEAs remarks come against the backdrop of the governments move to overhaul higher-education regulation through the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which aims to reduce regulatory control, strengthen accreditation and shift oversight towards outcomes, while giving institutions greater autonomy. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 15 December and subsequently referred to a joint parliamentary committee for wider scrutiny. The bill seeks to replace the existing regulator-heavy framework by creating a single overarching body for higher education and doing away with multiple layers of control. Its areas of focus include reducing regulatory oversight, shifting from input-based to outcome-based regulation, enhancing institutional autonomy, promoting multidisciplinary education and research, and improving transparency and accountability in line with the National Education Policy, 2020. Also Read | Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill: What it means for higher education Experts divided on new bill Some educators and startup founders have welcomed the bill while others have criticised it for introducing excessive centralisation. Dr Sanjeet Singh, pro vice-chancellor of Marwadi University, a private university in Rajkot, said, The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill is a decisive step in repositioning Indian higher education from degree-focused learning to capability-led nation building. It empowers universities to translate research into real-world impact. We have already patented indigenous technologies. This framework strengthens our mission to produce ethical innovators and globally competitive talent for Indias future." Arjun Mohan, founder of startup consulting firm EdStart, said, The UGCs role as both a granting authority and a regulator was somewhat complicated. Moving to a clearer, cleaner regulatory structure is a positive step, as it brings more transparency and clarity in oversight and registration." He added that the bill seeks to replace the UGC-led model by clearly separating regulation, accreditation and funding functions under a streamlined institutional framework. However, Dr Shyma Jose, assistant professor of economics at Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University, said, The new bill represents an excessive centralisation of higher education, stripping existing bodies like the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE of their regulatory powers. By separating funding from regulation, it risks turning financial support into a tool for rewarding or penalising institutions based on ideological beliefs of the ruling party at the Centre." She added, Such a centralised framework could lead to punitive annual audits, heightened job insecurity, steep fee hikes, and further privatisation of higher education. Moreover, the commissions governing structure appears dominated by bureaucrats rather than academics, with no clear provisions for ensuring representation of marginalised groups." Demographic window The CEA highlighted that higher education reform is becoming ever more urgent as India approaches a demographic inflection point, with millions of young people expected to enter the workforce over the next two decades. The quality, relevance and adaptability of universities will determine whether this demographic dividend translates into sustained economic growth or becomes a missed opportunity," he said. Nageswaran also called for deeper industry engagement in curriculum design, research and governance, noting that closer collaboration could help align education with labour market needs. Industry can co-design curricula, offer credit-bearing internships, support applied research, share infrastructure, and participate meaningfully in governance," he said, adding that cooperation among the union government, states, industry and citizens could help India position itself as a global hub for learning and ideas. The CEA said the global higher education landscape was undergoing a structural shift, with traditional destination countries facing demographic, fiscal and political constraints, and Asia emerging as a new centre for learning, research and innovation. This, he said, presented India with an opportunity to attract international students, provided domestic institutions were equipped to compete on quality and outcomes. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a commerce ministry body, India's education market is growing rapidly and is projected to touch $313 billion by FY30, up from $117 billion in FY23. Higher education alone was valued at $68.06 billion in 2024, and is expected to nearly double to $134.84 billion by 2033, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%. The K-12 segment, valued at $48.9 billion in 2023, is also growing quickly and is estimated to hit $125.8 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 10.7%. Also Read | How AI can transform classroomsif India empowers teachers to lead the way One nation, one regulator Speaking at the event, Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman of the National Education Technology Forum, said recent reforms have been laying the foundation for a more student-centric and future-ready higher education ecosystem. He said the proposed regulatory framework aimed to bring all higher education regulators under a single umbrella with single-window approval, allowing institutions to offer multidisciplinary programmes with greater ease. Highlighting the role of the National Education Policy, 2020, Sahasrabudhe said initiatives such as the National Credit Framework and digital enablers such as APAR ID were giving students greater flexibility through modular learning pathways and verifiable, paperless academic credentials. While emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and digital platforms are powerful tools, he said human intelligence, ethics and values must remain central to education. Naushad Forbes, past president of CII and chairman of the CII National Higher Education, R&D, Technology and Innovation Council, said the most durable source of resilience for any economy is the quality of its human capital. Forbes, who also spoke at the event, argued that economic transformation depends not just on generating knowledge but on helping skilled individuals convert ideas into practical outcomes. He also called for a significant increase in public research funding within universities and greater institutional autonomy. Corporate participation growing The emphasis on state-led reforms and outcome-based regulation in higher education aligns with the evolution of corporate participation in education. A CII study on cosporate social responsibility (CSR) in education, released at the CII summit on Wednesday, noted that education has emerged as the single largest area of corporate social spending in India, accounting for nearly a third of total CSR expenditure, or about 12,000 crore in FY24. The study said most CSR-funded education programmes are now aligned with national priorities such as foundational literacy and numeracy, skill development and rural inclusion, areas in which state governments play a decisive role in implementation. However, the report also flagged structural gaps that reinforced the CEAs call for institutional reform, particularly faculty shortages, uneven regulatory capacity and weak sustainability once funding cycles end. Corporates report that while learning outcomes and access have improved, long-term continuity depends heavily on stronger public institutions and clearer governance frameworks, especially at the state level, it said. The report said while CSR in education is entering a more mature phase, with rising year-on-year investments and better monitoring systems, it has limited influence on systemic reform. Also Read | Artificial intelligence in Indian classrooms? Handle with care Three schools in Ahmedabad were placed on high alert on Wednesday after receiving bomb threat emails, prompting swift police action and precautionary evacuations as authorities moved to ensure student safety. Bomb threat emails trigger immediate police response According to officials, the schools received an email on Wednesday containing the message, We will take revenge. Given the threatening nature of the communication, the school authorities immediately alerted the police, leading to rapid deployment of security teams to the campuses. Also Read | Bomb threats to multiple Amritsar schools: Students evacuated Joint Police Commissioner of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, Sharad Singhal, confirmed the response, saying, Police teams are at the respective schools. Which Ahmedabad schools were targeted? The schools that received the threatening emails were Maharaja Agrasen School, Zydus School for Excellence, and Zebra School, sources said. Police, along with dog squads, carried out thorough inspections of the premises as a precautionary measure. Parents asked to take children home As security checks began, parents were informed and requested to collect their children from school. One such notice, shared by a parent, stated: This is to inform you that due to some inconvenience, we have to vacate the Vidhyalaya premises. We request you to collect your child as soon as possible. Also Read | Delhi bomb threat: Multiple schools across capital city receive email threats Speaking to ANI, a parent said he reached the school within ten minutes of receiving the message. When asked about safety arrangements, he said the measures in place were excellent and added that teachers promptly contacted parents who may not have seen the message on WhatsApp. Khalistan-linked elements suspected, say sources According to sources, investigators suspect that elements linked to the Khalistan movement may be behind the emails, raising broader concerns about school security. However, officials have not yet issued a formal statement confirming the origin of the threats. Similar threats reported in other states The Ahmedabad incident follows a series of similar cases reported in recent weeks. On December 12, several schools in Amritsar, Punjab, received bomb threats via email, which were later declared a hoax after anti-sabotage checks, according to ADCP-2 Sirivennela. Also Read | Bomb threat halts all departures to Philadelphia International, says US FAA Schools in Delhi were also targeted earlier this month. On December 10, two schools received bomb threats, while Sanskriti School was sent an email explicitly referring to the Khalistan movement and threatening a blast later that day. The message read: Aaj 12:05PM Bomb Blast Hove Ga? Jhoote Police Muqabale Khalistan Referendum Walian De In Punjab: Khalistan De Movement nu Delhi 2UN Tak Laye. Delhi choked under heavy smog, and fog blanketed much of the national capital on Wednesday morning, sharply reducing visibility. Footage from areas including Anand Vihar and ITO showed a dense layer of toxic haze shrouding roads, buildings, and major traffic routes. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that the Air Quality Index in Anand Vihar was recorded at 341, while levels near the ITO area reached 360, placing both locations in the very poor category. Meanwhile, the low visibility forced the cancellation of 10 flights at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, news agency ANI mentioned, according to airport authorities. Although pollution levels saw a slight improvement on Tuesday due to stronger winds and reduced fog, air quality remained hazardous, particularly for children, older adults and individuals with respiratory conditions. Watch the videos here: Of the 39 active air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, only Mundka was in the severe category with an AQI of 407, while 35 stations recorded very poor air and three poor air. In response to persistent pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented all measures under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the Delhi-NCR region. These emergency steps are triggered when air quality reaches critical levels and involve stringent curbs on construction work, industrial activity, and the movement of certain vehicles. The Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, however, cautioned that the relief may be short-lived. The air quality is likely to remain in the 'very poor' category till Friday, while from 19 December onwards, it may fluctuate between 'very poor' and 'severe'. Health experts warned that even short-term exposure to such pollution levels can have serious consequences, particularly for children. IndiGo issues travel advisory IndiGo issued a travel advisory on Tuesday night for a foggy Wednesday morning, with reduced visibility and slower flight movements expected as misty winter skies blanket North and East India. In a post shared on X, IndiGo said, As the morning approaches under misty winter skies, fog is predicted across parts of North and East India, which may lead to reduced visibility and a slower pace of flight movements during the early hours. In the interest of safety, some flights may experience delays or adjustments. The airline is taking proactive measures to ensure safety, with some flights likely to be delayed or adjusted. "Our teams across airports are fully prepared and working in close coordination to manage schedules smoothly, assist customers, and maintain a steady flow of operations." Passengers are advised to plan ahead, allowing extra time to reach the airport, and check the latest flight status on IndiGo's website or app. The airline's teams are working tirelessly to manage schedules, assist customers, and maintain smooth operations. "Foggy conditions may also impact road traffic, with slower movement and longer travel times expected while commuting to the airport. Customers travelling early are advised to plan with additional buffer time and check the latest flight status on our website or app before leaving home," added IndiGo post. According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. Grave danger for infants Health experts warned that even short-term exposure to such pollution levels can have serious consequences, particularly for children. Dr Medha, paediatrician at Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital, said rising air pollution poses a grave threat to infants, whose lungs and immune systems are still developing. Infants breathe faster and inhale more air in proportion to their body weight than adults, leading to higher exposure to pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, she said. Dr Medha added that frequent exposure to polluted air is increasingly being linked to recurrent cough, wheezing, breathlessness and conditions such as bronchiolitis in infants. Also Read | Heart surgeon shares 7 habits he says can add years to your health "Continuous exposure also weakens their immune defences, making them more susceptible to colds, pneumonia and other respiratory infections," she said. Dense fog combined with poor air quality has significantly reduced visibility in the early morning hours, disrupting air traffic and prompting airlines and airport authorities to issue repeated advisories urging passengers to remain vigilant and plan their travel accordingly. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that, starting Thursday, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will be denied fuel at petrol stations in the national capital. With pollution levels climbing, Sirsa also announced that all vehicles below the BS-VI standard and those registered outside Delhi will be prohibited from entering the city during GRAP stages 3 and 4. The government will not allow any polluting vehicle to enter Delhi, he added. To control vehicular tail pipe emissions, all the dealers of the petrol, diesel and CNG pumps are directed to refuel only those motor vehicles whose owners produce valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), he added. Any vehicles carrying construction materials will not be allowed to enter Delhi when GRAP 4 is in place, he said. Sirsa clarified that automatic number plate recognition and on-ground checks will be conducted to verify PUCC status and emission category of vehicles, and directed citizens not to argue with enforcement officials at fuel stations and borders when found non-compliant. Stressing that the current government has focused on data-driven, scientifically designed interventions to bring down pollution levels, he said that in the last 11 months, eight have recorded better air quality compared to the same months last year. Even in November, when Delhi usually faces severe AQI, the average AQI was about 20 points lower than last year, he said. "This is the impact of targeted, daily enforcement and long-term structural reforms," he said. The minister said the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and district teams are running an extensive survey of industrial units, including redevelopment and non-conforming areas that have already been surveyed, and that 824 such units are facing action. Over 2,000 notices have been slapped and around 9.21 crore worth of penalties imposed on violators for flouting pollution norms, in addition to action by other departments. An extensive crackdown is also underway on diesel generator sets and polluting commercial establishments. Approximately 3,200 diesel generators have been verified for compliance with Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) norms, with non-compliant sets facing closure and penalties. Around 318 banquet halls in Delhi have been instructed to ensure that their diesel generator sets meet prescribed standards, failing which they will be sealed. Emphasising the government's focus on permanently eliminating legacy waste mountains, Sirsa said the daily processing of waste at Delhi's three landfill sites has been enhanced from about 20,000 metric tonnes to nearly 35,000 metric tonnes per day, in line with the target of completing bio-mining by 2026. He noted that out of around 202 acres covered by garbage mountains, about 45 acres have already been reclaimed, with plantation forests started on the freed land. A dense forest is being developed on around 7 acres, he said. The minister said 3,427 electric buses are currently plying in the city and the government plans to add 7,000 more by December 2026, which will drastically cut vehicular emissions. 8.66 lakh vehicles have been issued challans He also highlighted that over 8.66 lakh vehicles have been issued challans in Delhi for not having valid PUC certificates, which has significantly improved compliance and awareness among vehicle owners. Sirsa said that a high-level group of scientists, headed by a former environment secretary of the Central government, has been constituted to provide scientific inputs on pollution mitigation measures, and the committee has already held its initial meetings. A separate committee of the CAQM is also working to refine and upgrade the action plan, he said. To curb industrial emissions, Online Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) have been installed in 280 industrial units, with a clear mandate that no polluting industry in Delhi should remain outside real-time online monitoring. "Non-compliant units that fail to install OCEMS by the prescribed deadline will face strict action, including closure," he added. To curb biomass burning, the government is distributing 3,500 electric heaters free of cost to guards and night-time workers so that they do not resort to burning wood or waste for warmth during winter nights, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ethiopia has elevated bilateral ties to a 'Strategic Partnership,' marking a significant milestone in India-Ethiopia relations. The visit yielded several key outcomes, including agreements on customised cooperation, the establishment of a data centre, and UN peacekeeping training, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Also Read | PM Modi becomes first world leader to receive Ethiopia's highest honour India and Ethiopia also signed an MoU on debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework, showcasing cooperation on economic issues. Educational exchanges received a boost with doubled ICCR scholarships for Ethiopian students and specialised AI courses under ITEC. In healthcare, India will support the upgrade of Addis Ababa's Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, with a focus on maternal and neonatal care. These agreements reflect the growing partnership between India and Ethiopia across various sectors. The agreements included- Elevation of bilateral ties to 'Strategic Partnership', Agreement on Co-operation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters. An MoU was signed for Establishing a Data Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Implementing Arrangement for Co-operation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Training. Signing of the MoU on Debt Restructuring in respect of Ethiopia under the G20 Common Framework. The parties agreed upon doubling of scholarships to Ethiopian scholars under the ICCR scholarship programme, specialised short-term courses to the students and professionals of Ethiopia in the field of Artificial Intelligence under the ITEC programme. India agreed to help augment the capacity of the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa in the fields of maternal healthcare, neonatal care. PM Modi bestowed with Ethipia's highest award Earlier in the day, PM Modi was bestowed with the 'Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia', the country's highest award, by Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, for his exceptional contribution to strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Ethiopia and for his visionary leadership. In a post on X, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said, "An honour commemorating the deep India-Ethiopia civilizational ties. PM Narendra Modi was bestowed with the 'Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia', the country's highest award by H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, for his exceptional contribution to strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Ethiopia and for his visionary leadership." Prime Minister dedicated the honor to the 1.4 bn people of India, and to the historic bond and friendship between India and Ethiopia. Prime Minister expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and the people of Ethiopia for the accolade. Eight outcomes from PM Modi's Ethiopia visit: 1- Elevation of bilateral ties to 'strategic partnership.' 2-Agreement on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance on custom matters. 3-MoU for establishing date centre at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. 4-Implementing arrangement for cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Operations Training. 5-Signing of MoU on debt restructuring under G20 common framework. 6-Doubling of scholarships to Ethiopian scholars under ICCR scholarship programme. 7-Specialised short term courses to students and professionals of Ethiopia in AI under ITEC programme. 8-India to help augment the capacity of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa in the fields of maternal healthcare and neonatal care. Ethiopia's top honour marks the 28th top foreign State award bestowed on PM Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised that the warmth and affection shown by the Ethiopian leadership and people facilitated the visit, enabling it to proceed quickly and circumvent the lengthy routine diplomatic procedures. This follows Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali's invitation to PM Modi to visit Ethiopia during their meeting at the G20 Summit in South Africa the previous month, marking PM Modi's first-ever visit to Ethiopia, underscoring the growing strategic importance of India-Ethiopia relations. Also Read | Jordans Crown Prince drives PM Modi to museum in Amman in rare gesture PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday for a two-day visit. He was accorded a warm welcome at the airport. (With agency inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ethiopia has elevated bilateral ties to a 'Strategic Partnership,' marking a significant milestone in India-Ethiopia relations. The visit yielded several key outcomes, including agreements on customised cooperation, the establishment of a data centre, and UN peacekeeping training, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Also Read | PM Modi becomes first world leader to receive Ethiopia's highest honour India and Ethiopia also signed an MoU on debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework, showcasing cooperation on economic issues. Educational exchanges received a boost with doubled ICCR scholarships for Ethiopian students and specialised AI courses under ITEC. In healthcare, India will support the upgrade of Addis Ababa's Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, with a focus on maternal and neonatal care. These agreements reflect the growing partnership between India and Ethiopia across various sectors. Advertisement The agreements included- Elevation of bilateral ties to 'Strategic Partnership', Agreement on Co-operation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters. An MoU was signed for Establishing a Data Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Implementing Arrangement for Co-operation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Training. Signing of the MoU on Debt Restructuring in respect of Ethiopia under the G20 Common Framework. The parties agreed upon doubling of scholarships to Ethiopian scholars under the ICCR scholarship programme, specialised short-term courses to the students and professionals of Ethiopia in the field of Artificial Intelligence under the ITEC programme. India agreed to help augment the capacity of the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa in the fields of maternal healthcare, neonatal care. Advertisement PM Modi bestowed with Ethipia's highest award Earlier in the day, PM Modi was bestowed with the 'Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia', the country's highest award, by Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, for his exceptional contribution to strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Ethiopia and for his visionary leadership. In a post on X, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said, "An honour commemorating the deep India-Ethiopia civilizational ties. PM Narendra Modi was bestowed with the 'Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia', the country's highest award by H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, for his exceptional contribution to strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Ethiopia and for his visionary leadership." Advertisement Prime Minister dedicated the honor to the 1.4 bn people of India, and to the historic bond and friendship between India and Ethiopia. Prime Minister expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and the people of Ethiopia for the accolade. Eight outcomes from PM Modi's Ethiopia visit: 1- Elevation of bilateral ties to 'strategic partnership.' 2-Agreement on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance on custom matters. 3-MoU for establishing date centre at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. 4-Implementing arrangement for cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Operations Training. 5-Signing of MoU on debt restructuring under G20 common framework. 6-Doubling of scholarships to Ethiopian scholars under ICCR scholarship programme. 7-Specialised short term courses to students and professionals of Ethiopia in AI under ITEC programme. 8-India to help augment the capacity of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa in the fields of maternal healthcare and neonatal care. Ethiopia's top honour marks the 28th top foreign State award bestowed on PM Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised that the warmth and affection shown by the Ethiopian leadership and people facilitated the visit, enabling it to proceed quickly and circumvent the lengthy routine diplomatic procedures. This follows Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali's invitation to PM Modi to visit Ethiopia during their meeting at the G20 Summit in South Africa the previous month, marking PM Modi's first-ever visit to Ethiopia, underscoring the growing strategic importance of India-Ethiopia relations. Advertisement Also Read | Jordans Crown Prince drives PM Modi to museum in Amman in rare gesture PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday for a two-day visit. He was accorded a warm welcome at the airport. (With agency inputs) India's digital transformation is advancing rapidly, but its spread across states remains uneven, according to a new report, 'State of India's Digital Economy', by Delhi-based economic think tank Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) in collaboration with the Prosus Centre for Internet and Digital Economy (IPCIDE). Using the CHIPS framework, spanning five pillars: connect, harness, innovate, protect, and sustain, the report reveals a clear divergence among Indian states. It classifies Indian states into four clusters based on digitalization levels: advanced digitalizers (CHIPS score above 48), assured digitalizers (41-44), ascending digitalizers (32-38), and aspirational digitalizers (25-29). Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana have emerged as the country's most advanced digital states, falling in the advanced digitalizers" category. Unsurprisingly, these states are home to the country's largest technology hubs, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Gurugram, and Kochi. Overall, southern states, along with Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat, lead India's digital charge, either achieving advanced" status or approaching it with the assured digitalizers" status. Connectivity, driven by smartphones and internet access, remains the foundation of digitalization. While internet access continues to show wide gaps across Indian states, encouragingly, those gaps are beginning to close. Internet usage averaged 63% nationally in 2024, with 11 states exceeding this benchmark. More significantly, the sharpest gains between 2022 and 2024 came from states in the lower-tierascending" and aspirational"digitalization categories. These states included Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Jharkhand, and Bihar. While absolute gaps remain substantial, these states are catching up. Beyond mere access, India's digital story is increasingly defined by usage patterns. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) systems, such as Aadhaar and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), now match private platforms in terms of reach among connected usersa notable shift from earlier years, when private apps dominated. Aadhaar enjoys near-universal coverage, while UPI usage rivals that of popular platforms like streaming services and social media. However, this success isn't uniform: other public platforms such as e-NAM and e-Sanjeevani continue to see limited adoption, highlighting uneven outcomes within the public digital ecosystem. However, India's digital progress remains vulnerable in the area of protection. The report highlights that even high digitalization does not shield states from rising cyber fraud and crimes. Average fraud losses per incident remain elevated across all clusters, including the most advanced states. Notably, states offering the strongest overall protection from digital threatsAssam, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihararen't among the most digitally advanced. The report findings suggest that Indias next phase of digitalization will depend less on building new digital rails and more on strengthening access, adoption and protection. Without closing these gaps, rapid digital expansion risks becoming both uneven and insecure. Also Read | Aadhaar: Digital foresight gave India its identity leadership The Indian Army has completed the induction of its Apache AH-64E attack helicopter fleet with the arrival of the final three aircraft, a move expected to significantly enhance its strike and reconnaissance capabilities. The helicopters will soon be deployed with the Armys 451 Army Aviation Squadron in Jodhpur, following assembly and mandatory technical clearances. What does the arrival of the final Apache helicopters mean for Indian Army? With the delivery of the remaining three aircraft, the Indian Army has now received all six Apache helicopters ordered for its Aviation Corps. According to official sources, the helicopters were flown into India aboard a Antonov An-124 heavy-lift aircraft and will be stationed in Jodhpur after the completion of joint inspections and other formalities in the coming days. Also Read | Indian Army receives first batch of Apache helicopters from US The induction marks a key step in strengthening the Armys attack helicopter arm, particularly for operations in desert and western sectors. When were the Apaches delivered and why were there delays? India received the first batch of three Apache helicopters in July, while the remaining aircraft arrived on Tuesday. Earlier timelines had indicated that deliveries would begin in 2023, before being pushed to 2024 and subsequently delayed further. Initial expectations suggested that the first batch would arrive around February or March this year. Despite the setbacks, the Army formally inducted the helicopters after the arrival of the initial batch, signalling operational readiness even as deliveries were completed in phases. How have the Apache helicopters already been used? The Armys Apache helicopters made their operational debut during Exercise Maru Jwala earlier this year. The exercise formed part of the larger tri-services drill, Exercise Trishul, and showcased the platforms combat and reconnaissance capabilities in a joint operational environment. What did the Indian Army say about the induction? In a post on X, the Indian Army described the induction as a milestone moment, stating that the arrival of the platforms would bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Army significantly. An earlier statement issued on the Army Aviation Corps raising day also noted that the helicopters would markedly enhance the Corps strike and surveillance roles. The Indian Army has completed the induction of its Apache AH-64E attack helicopter fleet with the arrival of the final three aircraft, a move expected to significantly enhance its strike and reconnaissance capabilities. The helicopters will soon be deployed with the Armys 451 Army Aviation Squadron in Jodhpur, following assembly and mandatory technical clearances. What does the arrival of the final Apache helicopters mean for the Army? With the delivery of the remaining three aircraft, the Army has now received all six Apache helicopters ordered for its Aviation Corps. According to official sources, the helicopters were flown into India aboard a Antonov An-124 heavy-lift aircraft and will be stationed in Jodhpur after the completion of joint inspections and other formalities in the coming days. The induction marks a key step in strengthening the Armys attack helicopter arm, particularly for operations in desert and western sectors. Also Read | Indian Army raises its first Apache attack helicopter squadron near Pakistan When were the Apaches delivered and why were there delays? India received the first batch of three Apache helicopters in July, while the remaining aircraft arrived on Tuesday. Earlier timelines had indicated that deliveries would begin in 2023, before being pushed to 2024 and subsequently delayed further. Initial expectations suggested that the first batch would arrive around February or March this year. Despite the setbacks, the Army formally inducted the helicopters after the arrival of the initial batch, signalling operational readiness even as deliveries were completed in phases. How have the Apache helicopters already been used? The Armys Apache helicopters made their operational debut during Exercise Maru Jwala earlier this year. The exercise formed part of the larger tri-services drill, Exercise Trishul, and showcased the platforms combat and reconnaissance capabilities in a joint operational environment. What did the Indian Army say about the induction? In a post on X, the Indian Army described the induction as a milestone moment, stating that the arrival of the platforms would bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Army significantly. An earlier statement issued on the Army Aviation Corps raising day also noted that the helicopters would markedly enhance the Corps strike and surveillance roles. How does this fit into the Indian Armys broader aviation plans? The Army is steadily expanding its aviation firepower and is set to induct 90 indigenous Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) Prachand in the coming years. In addition, the Army Aviation Corps already operates the weapon-systems-integrated version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), known as Rudra. The Indian Air Force, meanwhile, operates a fleet of 22 Apache helicopters, deployed across Ladakh and western sectors, underscoring the platforms importance across services. What makes the Apache AH-64E a critical combat platform? The Apache can carry a diverse weapons package, including air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets, and air-to-air Stinger missiles. It is also equipped with a 30 mm chain gun with 1,200 rounds as part of its area weapon subsystem. A defining feature of the platform is its Longbow fire control radar. Boeing has stated that the Apache is the only attack helicopter globally with a fire control radar offering 360-degree coverage, complemented by a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision operations. What sets the AH-64E Version 6 apart? The Indian Army has inducted the Boeing AH-64E, the most advanced configuration of the Apache. Designed for Multi-Domain Operations, the AH-64E Version 6 incorporates upgrades to sensors, software and weapons performance. Pakistan on 17 December extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft by another month till January 23. Pakistan had closed its airspace to Indias airlines in April after the Pahalgam attack. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan. The previous extension was set to expire on December 24 but the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) extended the restrictions on Wednesday till January 23. Also Read | What is Operation Sindoor? Key things to know Pakistan airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, including all aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as Indian military flights, the PAA said. According to the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), the restriction, which has already been in force, will continue until January 23, 2026, as per the specified timings. Pakistans airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. Also Read | Pakistan seeks oil deal with Russia as energy ministries hold talks, RIA reports The NOTAM applies to both Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs. Pakistan airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, including all aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as Indian military flights. A terror attack in April in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people led to a four-day conflict in May between India and Pakistan, Islamabad has several times extended its ban on Indian airlines flying over its airspace. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan. Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has refused to apologise for his controversial statement questioning the Indian forces on Operation Sindoor. Chavan had claimed that India was defeated on day one of Operation Sindoor When questioned about the opposition to his statement, Chavan remained defiant saying, "Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions." Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Lal on Wednesday condemned Chavan's statement on Operation Sindoor and alleged that the Congress has always been on the side of Pakistan. He further asserted that the party has consistently humiliated the country. The BJP MP further alleged that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, consistently insults India during his visits to abroad. "I strongly condemn this statement. The Congress party has always been pro-Pakistani. This Congress party has always humiliated the country. Their leader, Rahul Gandhi, whenever he goes abroad, insults India...The whole country is watching, and the public will teach Congress a lesson," Lal told ANI. The saffron party's national spokesperson, CR Kesavan also slammed Chavan's statement. Reacting to these statements, Kesavan alleged that Chavan's remarks sounded like those of a third-grade Pakistani spokesperson. The spokesperson also demanded action against the Congress leader and called for an apology for Chavan's remarks. "Prithviraj Chavan has ranted like a third-grade Pakistani spokesperson, deliberately maligning our armed forces, calling them to be disbanded on Vijay Diwas... Why has Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi not condemned and initiated action against Prithviraj Chavan? " Kesavan told news agency ANI. Do they agree with his preposterous statement?... Congress has an anti-army mindset... The Supreme Court rebuked Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against the army... Chavan's statement will neither be forgotten nor forgiven by the people... Action must be initiated against him for this shameful remark and he should tender an apology, he added. Chavan had earlier claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict. "On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not. Indian aircraft were shot down. The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the Air Force was fully grounded," The Congress leader said, Chavan also questioned the need to maintain large military forces, stating that wars will be fought in the air. "Recently, we saw during Operation Sindoor, there was not even a one-kilometre movement of the military. Whatever happened over two or three days was only an aerial war and missile warfare. In the future, too, wars will be fought in the same way. In such a situation, do we really need to maintain an army of 12 lakh soldiers, or can we make they do some other work?" he said. Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people lost their lives. Pakistan retaliated, leading to a conflict from May 7 to 10. During the Operation, Indian said that it had killed over 100 terrorists in just 23 minutes using Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs. A fire broke out at a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) office in the Periyar area of Madurai, Tamil Nadu.Three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames after a fire broke out, sources in the fire and rescue department told news agency PTI. The department received a call about the incident at around 8.40 pm. Three fire engines have been deployed to control the fire. The exact cause of the incident is not yet known, as it is too early to comment. We are also not aware if anyone is trapped inside the building, a fire department official said. The video shows thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky from the building as fire crews and emergency services battle the blaze. As of now, it is not clear whether there were people inside the building at the time of the incident. In a separate incident, a major fire reduced four houses to ashes in Jammu and Kashmirs Doda district earlier on Wednesday, with officials confirming that no one was injured. The blaze broke out in Karal Mohalla of Puneja village in the Bhaderwah area. According to PTI, the affected houses belonged to Raj Mohammad, Abdul Shakoor, Abdul Qayoom and Jaan Mohammad. Firefighting efforts were initially hampered as fire engines were unable to reach the spot due to the villages location nearly one kilometre uphill from the nearest motorable road. Puneja village is situated about seven kilometres from Bhaderwah town. Bhaderwah SDPO Naveed Qazi, who supervised the operation, said the fire was eventually brought under control despite the difficult terrain. Local residents, assisted by police personnel and fire service teams, worked together to stop the flames from spreading further, though the four houses were completely destroyed by then. Officials said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Villagers claimed that the damage could have been significantly limited if proper road connectivity had been available to the area, which is home to around 1,500 people. Also Read | 13 dead, 35 injured as buses catch fire due to accident on Yamuna Expressway Recounting the incident, eyewitness Mohammad Iqbal said he noticed flames emerging from the top floor of a house, and strong winds quickly carried the fire to neighbouring structures. The fire department was alerted immediately, but it took nearly an hour for the teams to climb up the hill, he said. Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad has sparked a controversy with his remarks defending Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the removal of hijab of a women at a public event in Patna row. Speaking to local news channel Bharat Samachar, Nishad claimed that Nitish Kumar pulled the womans hijab to verify whether the appointment letter was being handed to the correct person. He questioned how the incident would have been perceived had the Bihar Chief Minister touched her anywhere else. Also Read | Opposition slams Nitish Kumar over hijab-pulling viral video Hijab kheench nahi rahe hain, hata rahe hain, yeh jaanchne ke liye ki sahi vyakti ko niyukti patra diya ja raha hai is par logon ko ho-halla nahi karna chahiye. Arey, woh bhi toh aadmi hain na, peeche nahi padna chahiye naqab chhoo diya toh itna ho gaya kahin aur chhoo dete toh kya ho jaata, the minister is heard saying. The remarks loosely translate to -- he is not pulling the hijab, he is removing it to verify whether the appointment letter is being given to the correct person people should not make a hue and cry over this. After all, he is also a human being, one should not hound him just touching the veil caused such an uproar what would have happened if something else had been touched? Nishad, the minister of fisheries, has been serving as a cabinet minister in the second Yogi Adityanath government. He has been a member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council since 2021. As a member of the Nishad caste, he founded the NISHAD Party in 2016. The minister is seen smiling while making these comments during the interview. Vile, absurd, and misogynistic mindset: Supriya Nitish Kumar had stoked a political row after he was seen in a video, pulling down the hijab from a woman's face during a government event in Patna. The opposition condemned the act calling it nothing but public harassment of a woman by the elected Chief Minister. The viral video involving the 74-year-old chief minister was from an event where Nitish Kumar handed over certificates to AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) doctors. Kumar is seen asking newly recruited AYUSH doctor to remove her hijab and eventually pulls it down, according to news agency PTI. Also Read | Tejashwi Yadav's first reaction to Nitish Kumar after losing Bihar elections Nishads comments evoked a sharp reaction has come from Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate These shameless words are being said with a laugh by UP government minister Sanjay Nishad. The manner and the sly laughter with which he is saying this shows his vile, absurd, and misogynistic mindset," Shrinate said in a post on X. 'Sanjay Nishad Clarifies: There was no ill intention' Nishad, however, clarified his statement later. "The statement over which a controversy is being created today was said by me, smiling, casually, and in my local Bhojpuri dialect. There was no ill intention towards any community, any woman, or any religion, nor was there any intent to insult," he told PTI. The complaint has been lodged at the Kaiserbagh Police Station in Lucknow against Nitish Kumar and Sanjay Nishad in connection with the viral hijab video row. The complaint was submitted by Samajwadi Party leader Sumaiya Rana, accompanied by her lawyers, seeking the registration of an FIR and strict legal action against the two leaders. "A video of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is going viral on social media in which he is seen pulling down a woman's hijab... For a person holding a constitutional position to behave in this manner means he is encouraging his other workers to engage in similar acts," Rana told news agency ANI. These shameless words are being said with a laugh by UP government minister Sanjay Nishad. The manner and the sly laughter with which he is saying this shows his vile, absurd, and misogynistic mindset. Advocate Misham Zaidi, who accompanied Rana, said the incident and the subsequent remarks attract serious penal provisions. "He has hurt the modesty of a woman. What Sanjay Nishad has done incites religious sentiments. This is a clear-cut case under Section 153A, as you are knowingly engaging in such acts that could instigate riots, create unrest, and disturb the law and order of the state," he said. New Delhi: As the India-Oman free trade agreement (FTA) is set to be signed on Thursday during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Muscat, the deal is being positioned as a key pillar of Indias expanding economic and strategic engagement with the Gulf, even as its immediate trade upside remains measured by the size of Omans market. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will be the final stop of the Prime Ministers three-nation tour, which included Jordan and Ethiopia. Negotiated since November 2023, the pact covers goods, services and investment and is expected to come into force in a few months, following domestic ratification. Also Read | The Kiwi barrier is broken: Why Indian grapes are crossing the ocean The FTA will be signed in the presence of Modi and Omans head of state, along with senior officials from both sides, as per a commerce ministry official. Modi arrived in Oman on Wednesday for a two-day visit and was received at the airport by Omans deputy prime minister for defence affairs, Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said. The FTA with Oman will be the first trade agreement to be signed during the tenure of commerce secretary Rajesh Agarwal, while for the NDA government led by Modi, it will mark the sixth such pact. India is also in the final leg of negotiations with the European Union and the US on separate trade arrangements. The trade agreement with Mauritius was signed in February 2021, followed by UAE in February 2022, Australia in April 2022, EFTA in February 2024, and UK in July 2025. The India-Oman FTA may not deliver headline trade expansion given Omans market size, but it meaningfully strengthens Indias energy security, investment presence and regulatory access in the Gulf. Its real value lies in stabilizing supply chains and deepening strategic economic ties rather than chasing large export numbers," said Dattesh Parulekar, assistant professor of international relations at Goa University. Also Read | US-EU trade framework could offer key lessons for India ahead of EU FTA Expanding trade footprint According to a report released by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the agreement broadly follows the template India used in its trade pact with UAE, signalling New Delhis preferred framework for economic engagement with Gulf economies. The IndiaOman CEPA is less about dramatic trade expansion and more about anchoring Indias long-term economic and strategic presence in the Gulf," said Ajay Srivastava, GTRI founder. It reinforces supply chains, reduces regulatory friction and deepens investment ties with a partner that plays a critical role in Indias energy security." Bilateral trade between India and Oman stood at about $10.5 billion in 202425. Indias exports to Oman were valued at $4.1 billion, led by petroleum products such as naphtha and petrol, along with machinery, aircraft, rice, iron and steel articles, beauty and personal care products and ceramics. While more than 80% of Indian goods already enter Oman at an average tariff of around 5%, duties can reach as high as 100% on select products. Tariff elimination under the CEPA is expected to improve price competitiveness for Indian exporters. However, GTRI cautions that the scope for large export gains is limited. With a population of around five million and a GDP of roughly $115 billion, Oman cannot absorb exports at the scale of larger Gulf markets," Srivastava said. Sustained gains for Indian exporters will depend on moving up the value chain rather than relying purely on tariff cuts." For Oman, the agreement consolidates its role as a key supplier of energy and industrial inputs to India. India imported $6.6 billion worth of goods from Oman in FY25, dominated by crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertilisers, alongside chemicals such as methanol and anhydrous ammonia, which are critical for the Indian agriculture, chemical, cement, and power sectors. Regulatory, investment gains Most of these products already attract low duties, suggesting the CEPA will reinforce existing trade flows rather than radically alter them. Also Read | Brussels talks intensify as India seeks balance in EU trade deal Beyond tariffs, India is also seeking regulatory gains, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. According to the GTRI assessment, the CEPA may include provisions to streamline approvals for Indian drugs that are already cleared by regulators such as the US Food and Drug Administration, the UKs Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and the European Medicines Agency. Regulatory fast-tracking, especially for pharmaceuticals, could deliver more tangible benefits than headline tariff reductions," Srivastava noted. The strategic dimension of the pact looms larger than its trade numbers. Indian investments in Oman exceed $7.5 billion, with more than 6,000 IndiaOman joint ventures, many of them concentrated in the Sohar and Salalah free zones. The CEPA strengthens Indias investment footprint and geopolitical positioning in the Gulf," Srivastava said. In that sense, its real value lies beyond trade statistics." Providence police on Wednesday (December 17) released a new photo of a separate individual believed to have been in proximity of the person of interest in the deadly Brown University shooting. Authorities asked the public to help identify the individual, who was seen wearing dark pants, a blue jacket and carrying a light tan bag. Suspect remains at large Police said the individual is not currently identified as a suspect but may have information relevant to the case. The person of interest connected to the shooting remains at large, five days after the attack near Browns engineering building. Authorities urge public to share video footage Investigators have released multiple videos from before and after Saturdays shooting showing the masked person of interest walking, running and moving near campus streets. Authorities urged residents and businesses to review camera footage, saying even brief clips could be crucial. Were looking for a moment that is shorter than someone taking a breath, Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez said. About 200 tips received so far Police have received roughly 200 tips, though investigators say limited camera coverage and unclear video have slowed progress. Brown University President Christina Paxson said the campus has about 1,200 cameras, but none captured a clear image of the shooter inside the engineering building. FBI offers $50,000 reward The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the shooter. Authorities described the person of interest as a male, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, stocky build, dressed in black and wearing a face covering. FBI video timeline briefly deleted FBI Boston released a six-and-a-half-minute video timeline showing the person of interest in 15 clips around campus, including footage of the individual walking near responding officers after the shooting. The post was briefly deleted and later replaced with a shorter version, without explanation. Campus security under scrutiny The shooting has raised questions about campus safety protocols. Paxson said Browns emergency alert system reached about 20,000 people, but campus sirens were not activated to avoid driving people toward danger. She acknowledged confusion over siren-use guidelines. Also Read | Who is Mustapha Kharbouch? Why Brown University pulled a student profile City remains on edge Providence increased police presence at city schools to reassure parents, while some schools canceled afterschool activities. Enrollment in the citys text alert system surged following the shooting. Salem Radio Network has named CNN commentator Scott Jennings and Breitbart News editor Alex Marlow as the new hosts for its national midday programming, according to Axios. The slot was previously held by activist Charlie Kirk who was murdered while he was speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem. According to the report, while Alex Marlow will host from noon to 1 pm, the 1 pm to 3 pm has been taken by Scott Jennings. The program will start from January 5, 2026. Also Read | Starbucks fires employee over insulting message on drink honouring Charlie Kirk Salem Radio Network said The Charlie Kirk Show, now co-hosted by Turning Points Andrew Kolvet and Blake Neff, will continue in podcast form on the Salem Podcast Network. About Charlie Kirk's murder Charlie Kirk was addressing a gathering as part of his American Comeback Tour when Tyler Robinson, 22, shot him on his neck from some metres away. Surveillance camera footage captured Tyler Robinson arriving on campus around 8:30 am. Hours later, he was recorded re-entering campus and going to the rooftop from where he fired the shot at Kirk, who was seated about 160 yards away during the outdoor event, according to court documents. Robinsons mother told investigators his political views had moved left recently and he had become more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented, prosecutors said. Investigators said his roommate, who is cooperating with authorities, was "transitioning genders." In texts to his roommate before the shooting, Tyler Robinson said he had killed Charlie Kirk because I had enough of his hatred, according to transcripts of the exchanges in court filings. A person was taken into custody but was released upon interrogation. Tyler Robinson was arrested a few days later at his parents home after his family family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriffs deputy, who persuades Robinson to turn himself in, according to court documents. The sheriff also later said that Tyler Robinson had feared being shot by the police. He only surrendered when he was assured that his arrest will be done peacefully. A woman who allegedly pushed razor blades into loaves of bread at two Biloxi, Mississippi, Walmart stores was arrested on Tuesday. Camille Benson, 33, of Texas, has been charged with attempted mayhem. Her bond is set at $100,000. Customers reported finding the razor blades at a Walmart Supercenter and a Walmart Neighborhood Market, said Lt. Candace Young, a public information officer for the Biloxi Police Department. Walmart employees told police a customer first reported finding a razor blade in a loaf purchased from the Walmart Supercenter on Dec. 5. On Dec. 8, a customer who bought a loaf at the Walmart Neighborhood Market also reported finding a razor blade. After another customer complained to the Walmart Supercenter on Sunday, employees inspected the merchandise and found several more loaves had been tampered with, law enforcement officials said. The police department was notified on Monday. In a press release, the department asked all citizens who bought bread from those Walmart locations to inspect the loaves and report any findings. The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority," Walmart said in a statement. We have removed and thoroughly inspected all potentially affected products at impacted stores in Biloxi. We appreciate law enforcement for their swift action and will continue cooperating with them as they investigate. The Biloxi Police Department said it does not believe any other stores have been targeted. Ventura Foods LLC has recalled thousands of cases of salad dressings sold at major retailers including Costco and Publix after discovering foreign material in one of the ingredients, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Reason for the recall The California-based company recalled 3,556 cases after identifying black plastic planting material in the granulated onion ingredient used in the dressings. FDA classification and timeline The recall was initiated on November 6 and was classified as a Class II recall on December 4, meaning the affected products may cause temporary or medically reversible health effects, though the risk of serious injury is considered low. List of affected salad dressings The recall includes salad dressings across multiple brands and package sizes: Italian Salad Dressing (1 gallon) SKU: 7 67367 00518 4 Creamy Poblano Avocado Ranch Dressing and Dip (1 gallon) SKU: 7 34730 53243 1 Ventura Caesar Dressing (2,000 pound) SKU: 00 026700 17360 8 Pepper Mill Regal Caesar Dressing (1 gallon) SKU: 0 93901 72607 0 Pepper Mill Creamy Caesar Dressing (1 gallon) SKU: 0 93901 78134 5 Caesar Dressing (Costco Service Deli) (23.62 pound) SKU: 0 26700 19376 7 Caesar Dressing (Costco Food Court) (32 pound) SKU: 0 26700 19376 7 States where products were distributed The recalled dressings were distributed across dozens of states, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and several others nationwide. Costco issues customer notice On November 7, Costco issued a recall notice warning customers to stop consuming certain items containing the affected dressing. The notice applies to: -Item #19927 Caesar Salad -Item #11444 Chicken Sandwich with Caesar Salad Affected products carry sell-by dates between October 17, 2025, and November 9, 2025. Costco advised customers to return the items to any warehouse location for a full refund. What consumers should do Consumers who purchased any of the affected products are advised to stop using them immediately and return them to the place of purchase. Customers can also contact Ventura Foods or check the FDA website for additional details. Also Read | Big retailers didnt pull ByHeart baby formula fast enough after botulism recall, FDA says Hidden Valley Ranch says its retail products unaffected Hidden Valley Ranch told LiveMint that no retail products are affected by the voluntary recall, stressing that the item involved was never distributed to consumers. India on Wednesday summoned Bangladeshs High Commissioner, M Riaz Hamidullah, to convey serious concerns over the security of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka after a threat was received. The move underscored heightened diplomatic unease amid recent inflammatory rhetoric from a Bangladeshi political leader. Why did India summon the Bangladesh High Commissioner? The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called in the High Commissioner to formally raise New Delhis concerns following a security threat to its diplomatic mission in Dhaka. Also Read | Bangladesh President wants to step down, says he felt humiliated by Yunus Also Read | Bangladesh slipped into debt trap, revenue chief warns The demarche reflects Indias expectation that host authorities ensure the safety of diplomatic premises in accordance with international obligations. How are recent political remarks linked to the summons? The summons came against the backdrop of sharp anti-India comments by Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of Bangladeshs National Citizen Party (NCP). In a public address on Monday, Abdullah threatened to isolate Indias northeastern regionoften referred to as the Seven Sistersand suggested providing refuge to separatist groups if Bangladesh were destabilised. We will shelter separatist and anti-India forces, and then we will sever the seven sisters from India," Abdullah said, drawing loud cheers from sections of the audience. I want to make it clear to India that if you provide shelter to forces that do not respect Bangladeshs sovereignty, potential, voting rights, and human rights, Bangladesh will respond." He also remarked that even after 54 years of independence, Bangladesh continues to face attempts by vultures seeking to exert control over the country, without mentioning New Delhi directly. Abdullah is known for his strong anti-India stance, and his remarks have been viewed in New Delhi as provocative and destabilising. What did the Bangladesh High Commissioner say about bilateral ties? During Bangladeshs Victory Day celebrations on 16 December at the Embassy of Bangladesh in New Delhi, High Commissioner Hamidullah struck a conciliatory note, emphasising the importance of the bilateral relationship. He highlighted Bangladeshs demographic dividend and the shared interests that underpin its ties with India. He said, The whole of Bangladesh, and all of us, are committed to fulfilling the aspirations of our people, especially the younger generation. We have a very young demography. We believe our relationship with India is in our shared interest. We have mutual interdependence. We are fully focused on prosperity, peace, and security in the region. How did India mark Bangladeshs Victory Day? External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended greetings to Bangladesh on the occasion. In a post on X, he said, Greetings to Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain, the Interim Government and the people of Bangladesh on Bijoy Dibosh. Also Read | Deported as Bangladeshis, Sunali Khatun and her son to be brought back The commemorations also featured reciprocal participation by veterans and serving officers. The High Commission of India in Bangladesh said that, on the 54th anniversary of the Liberation War, eight valiant Muktijoddhas and two serving officers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces arrived in India on 14 December 2025 to attend Vijay Diwas events in Kolkata. Likewise, eight Indian war veterans and two serving officers reached Dhaka on 15 December 2025 to participate in Victory Day celebrations. (Bloomberg) -- Ghislaine Maxwell asked a judge to throw out her sex-trafficking conviction and 20-year prison sentence on the eve of a deadline for the Justice Department to turn over a trove of documents relating to her ex-boyfriend, the disgraced financier, Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell filed a long-shot petition for a judge to upend the guilty verdict based on what she claims is substantial new evidence that has emerged since her 2021 trial. The 63-year-old filed the request pro se, or without a lawyer, from the Bryan, Texas, federal prison where she is serving her sentence. The new evidence shows that exculpatory information was withheld, false testimony presented, and material facts misrepresented to the jury and the court, she wrote in the 51-page filing, the upshot of which is a complete miscarriage of justice, rendering petitioners conviction invalid, unsafe and infirm. Material related to her case could be released by the Department of Justice ahead of a Friday deadline as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. President Donald Trump had opposed the release of the data for months, but reversed course in the face of public pressure to disclose more information about Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in 2019. The new filing comes after Maxwell has lost previous appeals of the 2021 verdict, where she was convicted of participating in Epsteins sex trafficking of women and girls. The US Supreme Court rejected her bid to overturn the conviction in October. Maxwell said that new evidence has come from related civil lawsuits, government disclosures, press reports and other sources. The case is Maxwell v. US, 25-cv-10464, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Denmark has cancelled Christmasor Christmas cards at any rate. From the end of this month, the nations postal service will no longer carry letters. The announcement from the land that Shakespeare immortalized in Hamlet has delivered a metaphorical deathblow to one of the worlds oldest forms of communication, one that is headed for extinction. December is shaping up as that kind of month. Warnings about digital media and its barons are coming in thick and fast. Earlier this month, the widely followed Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman labelled the US a digital narco-state" in a searing Substack post. Last week, Edward Luce, a columnist of the Financial Times, derided the alarmingly pessimistic worldview of a group he called the broligarchs," a clever portmanteau of tech bros and oligarchs. Luce drew attention to the US government increasingly playing the roles of lawyer, promoter, hit man and agent" for Meta, Palantir, X and others: Trumpian populism may be the story of our age, but I am increasingly persuaded that we are underplaying the tech-authoritarian elephant in the room." One need only watch less than 10 minutes of Palantir founder Alex Karps interview at a New York Times conference earlier this month to worry that broligarchs have an authoritarian mindset. Karp, Peter Thiel and Elon Musk use their substantial power to exaggerate the ill effects of immigration while simultaneously appearing in favour of controlling immigration to favour Caucasians, their critics allege. In Karps case, Palantirs software is being used by the US government to track down illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, it is hard to think of a tycoon who has meddled in politics as overtly as Elon Musk has. From his roughly $250 million donation to Donald Trumps 2024 presidential campaign to offering $100 to voters who attended Trump rallies in the closely fought election in Pennsylvania, his involvement single-handedly makes a strong case for campaign reform. Not content with his influence on the US presidential election in 2024, Musk seems to have trained his sights on unseating the UKs Labour government. Also Read | How come AI regulation has fallen off the agenda across the world? Musk has used his megaphone on X to support Tommy Robinson, who this year was released from jail after being convicted for contempt of court for continually ignoring court orders as he continued to repeat false allegations about a 15-year-old Syrian refugee who he claimed had attacked two schoolgirls. Undeterred by imprisonment, Robinson was one of the lead organizers of a huge anti-immigrant rally in London in September. Appearing at this rally over a video link, Musk declared, Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die." Ignoring the fact that the The Labour Party won a five-year term by a landslide in 2024, but Musk grandly declared that a change of government in Britain was urgently needed and that there should be a dissolution of Parliament and a new vote held." I am no lawyer, but many of Musks pronouncements on immigration to the UK seem like hate speech. It is time governments found legal routes to police and punish such words that end up promoting discord and violence. If action is to be taken in the developed world, it will have to be taken by the EU. The US governments alleged capture by broligarchs was recently outlined by an academic at the University of London who pointed out how it has affected procurement and personnel hiring: A ten-billion-dollar contract with Palantir Technologies was framed as a move toward efficiency . The Federal chief information officer spent a decade at Palantir. Thiels former chief of staff, meanwhile, heads the White Houses science and technology policy. Silicon Valley executives from Meta, Palantir and OpenAI have transitioned from the private sector to the rank of lieutenant colonels in the US army in June 2025," observes the report, The line between contractor and commander has been erased." The US administrations broadside attack this month on the values of European democracies seems driven partly by the broligarch agenda, which, for example, frames the EUs data protection law as a kind of conspiracy to selectively target large US tech firms. It is not a stretch to imagine trade talks between the US and the EU getting stalled by divergent views on Big Techs stranglehold on our economies. Australia this month began to implement a social media ban for children under the age of 16, but it remains to be seen how many other governments follow suit. Also Read | The Palantir mafia behind Silicon Valleys hottest startups Regardless of age, we should all be concerned about the effects of social media on our politics and personal lives. In The Shallows, a brilliant book about how reading on screens and smartphones is inflicting a kind of universal attention deficit disorder, the author Nicholas Carr quotes a pathologist from the University of Michigan medical school, who confesses: I cant read War and Peace anymore. Even a blog post of more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb." It mirrors my own failed resolution to read many more novels this year. I had cancelled Netflix and weaned myself off Amazon Prime, to no availalthough I do get more sleep. Invariably, a performance on YouTube or a WhatsApp exchange distracts me, however, from the book I am reading. Implicitly admitting defeat, last week I coincidentally started watching War and Peace on BBC iPlayer. The author is a former Financial Times foreign correspondent. President Donald Trumps vision of how the US should engage the rest of the world, as outlined in Americas National Security Strategy 2025, is unapologetically America First. It views non-first countries as potential markets, partners and allies in keeping the world open for the pursuit of US interests. To echo Adam Smith, it is not from the benevolence of Uncle Sams army, technology or ideals of democracy that the world should expect peace and prosperity, but from its regard for its self-interest. The US may part with some of what it has to offer, but as part of a deal; it wants free and open access to resources and markets. The document makes a passing mention of a rules-based global order, but its main emphasis is on US sovereigntycultural and economic, besides politicalrather than whats good for the globe. It views multilateral bodies and forums with suspicion, in line with the US withdrawal from the Paris climate pact and World Health Organisation. In short, it reflects a Trumpian shift. It also leaves a question mark above the Quadthe Quadrilateral Security Dialogue among India, Australia, Japan and the US. A Quad summit of top leaders was supposed to be held this year, as earlier reported, but we now have just a fortnights window for it. Americas strategy outline speaks of the need to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open" and refers to improving commercial (and other) relations with India to encourage New Delhi to contribute to Indo-Pacific security, including through continued [Quad] cooperation" Other mentions of India suggest a role envisioned for us as a US partner to help secure its allies joint position in the Western Hemisphereand also in Africa, with regard to critical minerals." Plus, our cooperation would be sought to keep the South China Seas shipping lanes free of a toll system" imposed by a potentially hostile power," given how we too may suffer. While China is not always named, it is cast as a rival trader that unfairly runs up huge surpluses with the US, subsidizes domestic industry for dominance of critical supply chains, steals intellectual property and seeks hegemony. Acknowledgement of India as the only weighty counter in the region may seem natural in this context, but given a triangular link drawn with Pakistanone thats denied by New Delhiin its triumphal section on peace, US silence on that was perhaps foreseeable. As a country sworn to autonomy, India need not respond to another nations stated strategy. But we cannot shrug it off either. It could have various effects. Its dismal view of immigration, for example, could reduce Indias role as a talent source for America Inc, though the latters rush to set up AI data and global capability centres here may accelerate. As for US power projection, a modestly named Trump Corollary to the 1823 Monroe Doctrinewhich declared the rest of the Americas a US backyardclaims the right to set a policy agenda for more or less half the globe. Europe is expected to reconcile with Russia and dispel thoughts of Nato expansion; Ukraine will have to curb its enthusiasm on that front. In many ways, the US has opted for geopolitical realism over a high horse. What we must puzzle out is the extent to which the Quad agenda might get set adrift. Trump called India an important strategic partner" in the Indo- Pacific, as cited by a US Embassy post on X. Whether or not the Quad weakens, India must build strategic muscle and stay in pursuit of all thats within its control that suits our interests. Lea en espanol Mexico and Brazil both offered to mediate between the US and Venezuela as President Donald Trumps tanker blockade increases tension between the two nations. We can always act as a negotiating point if the parties want, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday, during her daily press conference. They would have to propose this to us and, if not, they would have to seek mediators who can help avoid any conflict in the region. Hours later, Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also offered to act as peacemaker. I told Trump that if hes interested in talking with Venezuela properly, we can help, Lula said, in a televised cabinet meeting. I am concerned about Latin America. I am concerned about President Trumps actions toward Latin America, about the threats. On Tuesday, Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuelan ports, ratcheting up pressure on the government of Nicolas Maduro as the US builds up its military in the region. Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the history of South America, Trump wrote on social media Tuesday. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before. Sheinbaum also said that the United Nations needs to help seek a peaceful solution of the dispute. She said she hasnt spoken with Maduro. Blockades aimed at governments tend to hurt the civilian population instead, Sheinbaum said, citing US policy toward Cuba as an example. Last week, the US seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuelas coast. The Pentagon has also conducted dozens of strikes against purported drug-trafficking vessels in waters near Venezuela and Colombia, while Trump has suggested that the US could also strike targets on land. With assistance from Carolina Millan and Daniel Carvalho. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. OnePlus 15R, OnePlus Pad Go 2 Launch LIVE: OnePlus 15R and OnePlus Pad Go 2 are debuting in India. The new devices will be debuting at 7:30PM at the launch event by company in Bengaluru. OnePlus 15R: What's confirmed so far? OnePlus 15R has been confirmed to come with a 1.5K AMOLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, bringing it on par with the OnePlus 15. However, unlike the OnePlus 15, the 15R could feature an LTPS panel. The company says that OnePlus 15R will come with 1,800 nits of peak brightness (HBM) and will support reducing brightness to as low as 2 nits, meaning it should be easier to use the phone in low-light conditions. The 15R will run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor along with a new G2 Wi-Fi chip and a touch response chip. The phone will also receive the same DetailMax engine, the camera algorithm that the company introduced with the OnePlus 15, replacing the Hasselblad partnership. When and where to watch the launch? OnePlus 15R and Pad Go 2 will be launching in India during the Rise as One event in Bengaluru today. The new phone and tablet will be unveiled during the event, which begins at 7:00 PM IST. You can watch the event live on the OnePlus India YouTube channel. To make it easier to access the video, we have added a direct watch link right here. BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who is on a duty visit to Beijing. During the meeting, Xi heard a report from Lee on Hong Kong's current situation and the HKSAR government's work. Xi said that the central authorities fully recognized the work of Lee and the HKSAR government. The fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China stressed the importance of resolutely implementing the "one country, two systems" policy, under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy, and promoting the long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong, Xi noted. He called on the HKSAR government to align actively with the national 15th Five-Year Plan, uphold and improve its executive-led government, promote high-quality economic development, and extensively participate in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so that Hong Kong integrates into and serves the overall national development in an improved manner. Li Qiang, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Ganjie, Chen Wenqing, Xia Baolong and other officials attended the meeting. A Chattanooga business in the Southside area is a total loss after a massive fire broke out last night, and, despite the devastation, some have been able to find hope. An employee at Lumberjacks Hardwood Center spoke with me about what the last 24 hours have looked like and how they plan to move forward. The project developer of a proposed solar farm project 5km west of Ballymahon has disputed several claims made by members of the Foigha Solar Farm Concern Group who recently addressed a Joint Oireachtas Committee. Three members of the group Denise Moran, Kieran Ledwith and Damien Mulvihill addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage two weeks ago and they called on the Government to urgently introduce national planning guidelines for large-scale solar farms. Read more: Renowned Longford author's latest book available to pre-order Denise Moran, who lives in her home with her partner, said last week the proposed Foigha solar farm is just eight metres from her back door and on all those solar farms, '[they] put up a big, massive fence'. "And that big, massive fence with CCTV on it, has lights on it, there's a whole lot of security fences. "It's huge, it's like a prison fence and I don't know how close that is to the eight metres distance." However, Alison Murphy, Community Liaison Officer with BayWa r.e. Ireland said they are disputed this. "The project uses 2.2 metre high perimeter fencing with 100mm mammal gaps sympathetic to the agricultural character of the site and she stated no prison-style fencing is planned. "CCTV is limited to equipment only and does not monitor roads, third-party land or neighbouring homes. "The location of the CCTV will be agreed with Longford County Council before construction. " A total of 114 householders are directly affected by the proposed project and the Foigha Solar Farm Concern roup said they fully support renewable energy, but not at the cost of Irelands agricultural output, tourism industry and rural identity. Foigha Solar Farm Ltd, a subsidiary of BayWa r.e. Ireland, lodged a planning application in December 2024 to develop a solar farm - with panels with a typical height of 2.44 metres - on a 321 acres site in the townlands of Cornacarta, Doonacurry, Foygh, Kilcommock Glebe, Ledwithstown and Tirlickeen. Longford County Council made the decision to grant planning permission to Foigha Solar Farm Ltd in September for the large solar farm and energy storage compound, which 'devastated' local residents. The Foigha Solar Farm Concern group, who had submitted an objection claimed the construction process would pose serious health and safety risks for residents and tourists and they are appealing the decision to An Coimisiun Pleanala. The Foigha Solar Farm Concern Group told Oireachtas members that 'renewables must be planned and not imposed and climate action cannot come with permanent damage to Irelands ability to produce food, sustain rural jobs, or protect communities'. Read more: Aged water mains replaced in Granard as part of 'important upgrade' However, Ms Murphy of BayWa r.e. Ireland said agricultural activity, such as grazing, can continue on the site and she claimed it 'will improve soil quality' over the duration of the lease. "Solar developments offer an opportunity for agricultural diversification, which is accepted nationally. "Achieving Irelands solar energy targets by 2030 requires the use of 0.2% of Irelands agricultural land. " Ms Murphy said the exact location and layout of all solar panels, including their distance from residential receptors, are clearly available within the planning application documents and in a submitted receptor map. "The closest being 27-metres from a property. "Foigha Solar farm has been designed in accordance with best industry standards and has followed Irelands robust planning framework. "The project is wholly compatible with the policies of the Longford County Development Plan." A Longford Oireachtas member believes there are numerous benefits to foxhunting, but an animal rights activist has described the sport as 'cruel' and said the majority of Irish people are against it. A bill to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 was introduced to the Dail on May 25 by two People Before Profit TDs Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy. Read more: 'We have an incredible history in Longford': Harp Media's two-part documentaries The bill is is coming up for debate on Wednesday, December 17 and Deputy Coppinger has called on a free vote on the issue, arguing 'TDs who want to protect foxes should not have to follow their party leadership on this issue.' Longford Senator Paraic Brady is the chairperson of the Drumlish/Ballinamuck Gun Club, which is run under the remit of the National Association of Regional Games Council (NARGC). Senator Brady, who spoke about the issue in the Seanad, said he is confident the bill will be resoundingly defeated and 'enough like minded people' vote against it. Senator Brady said he believes politicians such as Deputy Coppinger and her supporters such as TD Paul Murphy are 'completely skewed' when it comes to rural Ireland. Read more: Aged water mains replaced in Granard as part of 'important upgrade' "They voted against the Nitrates Directive. "They don't understand how rural Ireland actually works and the amount of people that are employed in the hunts. "The amount of off-spin that's from the hunts with horse feed and with shoe and with leather and plus all the kids that are out there learning how to manage their ponies and clean out stables and husbandry of horses." Senator Brady has claimed if foxes have no natural predator and if foxhunting stops the fox population will 'suddenly' increase. "They prey on all the birds that nest on the ground such as the curlew, the corn crake and the pheasant and if the fox population increases, then all of a sudden you're putting them birds in danger." Senator Brady also stated that "these people seem to think that the foxes don't take people's lambs, sure of course they take lambs". However, Aideen Yourell of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports. She said studies had shown that disease was a bigger killer of lambs than foxes and she strongly disagreed with senator Brady that foxhunting was not a sport. "According to the masters of foxhounds' rules and regulations they describe foxhunting as a sport. "We're talking about people taking out a pack of dogs, followed by horses, and getting a fox, and rousing it and chasing it across the countryside and that's done for sport." Read more: Man's body discovered in Longford pub Aideen said she was born in the countryside, near Ballynacarrigy in county Westmeath, and she believes most people are opposed to the 'cruel' sport of foxhunting. "We had a poll done by Red C in 2019 and it down into urban and rural and it showed that rural people were around two points below the urban side for being against fox hunting." She said there is just one foxhunting group in county Longford and two in county Westmeath. Aideen, who is based in Mullingar, also believes that there should be a free vote on the issue. People abhor cruelty generally speaking. "What they do is very cruel and that should be looked at before all this other stuff. "He [Senator Paraic Brady] never talks about what they do to the fox. "I'd like to hear him describe that. "I'd like to hear him say if that's merited, you know, going out after a fox, chasing it for hours. That's the big thing. "It's like a bully in the schoolyard, it's that mentality. Aideen, referred to one video where a foxhunting group are 'digging out a fox'. "They have a terrier latched onto its head, pulling it up to the surface. "The dog is just locked onto the fox's head. Robert Higgins and Patrick Paddy McGivney are two Granard names that are going to continue to grow in success. Their original film (Lakelands) was recently screened on RTE, and they have won many accolades. While the two co-founders of the award-winning Harp Media are immensely proud of their Longford roots. Their efforts to highlight and preserve the countys importance through time, whether it be through filming locations or context of their work, are what make Harp Media a benefit to Longford's preservation and achievements. PICTURES | Longford is treated to a Christmas Time show by Simon Casey The two personable creators were setting up in the backroom of Valentines, Longford town, on December 10 before the screening premieres of Clonfin and The Man Who Was Empire took place. They had a projector and a screen ready for an event supported by Longfords Night-Time Economy efforts. The projects were funded by the Decade of Centenaries programme. Then, as the time neared to 8pm, they approached those who wished to see the two-part documentaries. They greeted them, spoke to them, guided them; made every effort to host those who wanted to appreciate their work. We have an incredible history in Longford, introduced Paddy before the screening of Clonfin. It should be known and celebrated. Everyone carries that candle in their own small way. A massive thanks to Eddie Valentine. Hes been a great supporter of the work. Thank you all for coming. Clonfin had all the hallmarks of a strong documentary: aerial (drone) footage and B-roll. They had a mix of archival footage from the actual events, to recreations of the battle by local actors who had been part of this project. These actors were credited alongside where they came from in Longford, showing the wide interest that this documentary stirred. The documentary covered the 1921 Clonfin ambush about the North Longford Flying Column. It had an online release back in October, 2022, involving experts from various institutions such as Professor Marie Coleman of Queens University Belfast, an expert on County Longford in the revolutionary period; Dr Mel Farrell (Royal Irish Academy) and Professor Diarmaid Ferriter (UCD). The Man Who Was Empire explored the life of Sir Henry Wilson, exploring his Longford connections, and the lead-up to his assassination outside his own home. It spoke of Wilsons militant characteristics, his life and explored speculation behind his death. We came across him a couple of years ago. We hope it paints what Ireland was like at a different time, said Robert. His death was the catalyst for the Civil War. Thank you all for coming out here tonight and continuing to grow a community of historical interest here. The Man Who Was Empire really thrived off the archival footage that Harp Media had acquired, while receiving expert input by interviewees about Wilson's involvement in WWI; how the family arrived in the 17th century and climbed the social status. From the scar over his eye to his foresight of a war against Germany, Harp Media explored the complexities of this historical figure who would have so much involvement in Irish and Longford history. As Robert said prior to this event, it was the first time screening as a two-part series as planned. These documentaries were made over the past couple of years. The decision paid off. A round of applause followed, and the two men were engrossed in in-depth conversations with the audience who wanted to chat about the historical figures and praise what hard work. The screening of these documentaries captured the attention of varying demographics. Young people and older people were fascinated by what Harp Media had to offer. The media company delivered on highlighting Longfords vital place in history. Once the screening was done, the two co-founders invited attendees to stick around Valentine's for drinks and socialising after what had been a successful evening for the pair. PICTURES | Christmas magic in the air as Longford school stages their own Toy Show After the screening, the co-founders reached out the following day and told the Longford Leader: Paddy said, "We'd like to extend a big thank you to everyone who came out to the screenings on Wednesday night. It was brilliant to see such a big crowd turn out for the event and take time to dive into local history." "Alongside our film work, we are very passionate about local history and making these shorter documentaries have always been brilliant experiences. We hope to continue making works like this and to shine a light on Irish history, added Robert. As Bondi recovers from an unthinkable tragedy, Fr Joe McGrath, who just recently returned from his first visit to Australia, says every faith around the world is standing in solidarity with the Jewish community. Read more: Calling Longford volunteers to join ALONE organisation's services Fr Joe said, I hear very strong political statements from all parts of the world, about gun control and terrorism, and theres a place for that, but its not right now. 15 people had their lives cut short by the sheer presence of evil. For the Jews who gathered on Bondi, it was meant to be a lovely way to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah - the Jewish Festival of Lights. From that perspective, regardless of what faith you are, for that kind of darkness to have appeared in such a sinister way when people were gathering to celebrate, is just unthinkable. Fr Joe added, There's a very powerful line in the opening verse of John's gospel; two simple lines, but very powerful: A light shines in the darkness. A light, the darkness could not overpower. It's a powerful statement about light over darkness. I imagine that many Christians, Jews, people who read the Bible will get some solace from that. Read more: Congratulations: Recent baptisms in Longford in St Brigids Church Fr Joe added, Listening to the news, there are little glimpses of light throughout the horrible darkness. The one thats probably best known is the man who confronted one of the killers. He knew it could have been the end of his life and yet he grappled with the gunman until he had the weapon. That moment saved many, many lives. Other glimpses of light came from the images of Australians - of all faiths and none - queuing at hospitals to donate blood. Over the coming days I imagine all faiths will be praying for those in Bondi. A 50-year-old man is set to be arraigned Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court on a warrant charging him with murder in connection with the 1997 killing of a woman in Dorchester, according to police and prosecutors. Brian Keazer, of Boston, was arrested around 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in Jamaica Plain. Keazer is accused of killing 56-year-old Ruth Foster, of Boston, on Oct. 14, 1997, according to Boston Police. Keazer is expected to be arraigned on the charge on Wednesday, the Suffolk County District Attorneys office said. At around 1:24 a.m. on Oct. 14, 1997, Boston police went to 47 Withington St. in Dorchester, where they found Foster lying next to her bed. She had been stabbed multiple times, The Boston Globe reported at the time. The manner of her death was determined to be homicide, police said. This is another example of the combined efforts and collaboration of the BPD Unsolved Homicide Squad and its many law enforcement partners, police said. These dedicated detectives work to bring justice to victims and their loved ones. Two Boston convenience store owners are facing federal charges in connection with a scheme that prosecutors say involved more than $7 million in fraudulent SNAP benefits. Saul Alisme, owner of the Saul Macho Store, and Antonio Bonheur, owner of the Jesula Variety Store, are accused of exchanging SNAP benefits for cash. At a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Leah Foley, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, said the two businesses operated out of a shared storefront in Mattapan. Foley said the two stores redeemed far more SNAP benefits than their limited inventory could reasonably support. These were not supermarkets, Foley said. It would be a huge stretch to even call them convenience stores. Foley said one of the stores measured less than 150 square feet in size and had no carriages, no hand baskets and very little food. According to Foley, investigators found that the stores financial records did not show the types of wholesale food purchases expected of legitimate grocery operations. Instead, prosecutors said the accounts showed cash transactions and internal transfers used to launder SNAP benefits. Foley also said undercover officers went into the stores and were able to exchange SNAP benefits for cash with no questions asked. These men abused one of the governments most critical safety net programs for their own financial gain, Foley said. This is taxpayer money meant to keep people from going hungry. These defendants decided to take it for themselves. Foley was appointed U.S. attorney for Massachusetts in January. SNAP benefits were at the forefront of Octobers government shutdown, as President Donald Trump directed states to halt funding for the program. Court battles ensued in several states. When a federal funding bill was passed on Nov. 12, SNAP payments resumed. Foley said the two store owners did little legitimate business, while using multiple bank accounts to create the illusion of business activity. According to Foley, the men had been operating the scheme since 2022, and at one point their transactions exceeded more than $500,000 in a single month. The investigation was run by the FBI and the USDA, with assistance from the Boston Police Department, Foley said. Investigators linked a 50-year-old Jamaica Plain man to an unsolved killing from 1997 using a sample of his DNA they recovered from spit in a parking lot, a prosecutor said in court Wednesday. Brian Keazer was ordered held without bail following his arraignment on a murder charge before a clerk magistrate in Suffolk Superior Court Wednesday morning. His lawyer did not contest the prosecutions request to have Keazer held without bail, according to audio of the arraignment provided by the Suffolk County District Attorneys office. The charge against Keazer comes nearly 30 years after police found 56-year-old Ruth Foster stabbed to death in her home at 47 Withington St. in Mattapan. Police were called to that address around 1:24 a.m. on Oct. 14, 1997, after an upstairs neighbor heard a commotion in Fosters apartment. The neighbor tried calling Foster, but received no answer, Assistant Suffolk District Attorney John Verner said Wednesday. When police arrived, they found the storm door on the front porch smashed, with broken glass lying on the front stairs and outside the apartment. Police observed glass and blood on the porch and blood on the door frame. Inside the apartment, Foster was found dead in a pool of blood. She had sustained 37 stab wounds to her face, chest, neck, hands and thighs, Verner said. There was no sign of forced entry inside the apartment the back door chain was locked from the inside and all the units windows were secured. Other than the scene inside the bedroom where there were some signs of a disturbance, the rest of the apartment was in pristine condition, Verner said, noting the living room television was on. At the time, five people whom Foster knew, whom police believed could have been in the apartment that night or had connections to Foster, submitted blood evidence for DNA testing. All five were ruled out as contributors to the blood on the doorframe, which police believed at the time was left behind by Fosters killer. The case lay dormant for years before the Boston Police Unsolved Homicide Unit took a second look at it. As they were investigating, Verner said, Keazers name came up. At the time Foster was killed, Keazer was friends with her son, according to Verner. Police then followed Keazer and obtained a surreptitious sample of his DNA after they watched Keazer spit after exiting the front passengers side door of a car. The DNA was taken to the police departments crime lab, and registered a match for the DNA left behind on the doorframe at Fosters apartment. Keazers DNA also matched DNA taken from underneath Fosters fingernails, Verner said. When the defendant was interviewed, he denied ever being inside 47 Whittington Street, which, of course, is inconsistent to say the least with his DNA being at the scene and under Ruth Fosters right fingernails, Verner said. Attorney Annie Inglehart, who was appointed to represent Keazer, did not contest the request that her client be held without bail. She also did not speak to the facts of the case during the arraignment. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden called the investigation and arrest a testament to advanced forensics and unrelenting investigative work. Brian Keazer may have thought hed never be made to answer for this horrible act of violence. He thought wrong. We and Boston Police never gave up on justice for Ruth Foster, nor do we on any other unsolved homicide, Hayden said. Unsolved homicides are never considered unsolvable homicides. BOSTON With every workout video Jayson Tatum posts publicly, Celtics fans are clamoring to know when their superstar could be back on the court. Theres plenty of speculation at this point, though Boston president Brad Stevens reiterated Wednesday there is still no timeline for his return. But Stevens did point out a notable detail when it comes to a Tatum return. One of the things that everybody can see is we didnt apply for a (displayed player exception) this year, which was a conscious decision for a lot of reasons, Stevens said. But the reality is hes not going to be back until hes 110% healthy and he feels good about it, and thats a big part of it. A displayed player exception, or DPE, is granted to teams when an NBA-designated physician determines that a player is substantially more likely than not to be sidelined through June 15 of next season. In Tatums case, if the Celtics had filed for the DPE, it allows a club to sign a replacement player up to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception at roughly $14 million. So there also wouldnt have been a huge benefit for the Cs compared to Tatum potentially coming back this year. Stevens shed some more light on exactly where Tatum is at when it comes to returning to the court. The workout videos have impressed. Hes also gotten in workouts after some Celtics practices, when media is allowed to view the session. But it sounds like there are still several benchmarks ahead for him in the coming weeks. Theres a strength threshold he has to meet, Stevens said. And then after that, several weeks of progressions, right, from the standpoint of scripted against small groups, scripted against bigger groups, scripted in 5-on-5, unscripted random. All the way up through those. But its a long progression, and its almost like, once you hit the strength, then you do your thresholds of a progression of play, and then youre also reconditioning to play real minutes. Whatever that looks like. Hes obviously made great strides. Right now, were still focused on the full-strength band. The big question for the Celtics is naturally when Tatum will be back at full strength and on the court. Even when he is back, itll likely take some time for him to get back to his perennial first-team All-NBA self considering his lengthy layoff. But if there is one certainty its that Tatum has worked tirelessly behind the scenes in his rehab. The Cs are also in an interesting spot in what looks like a weak East. The Celtics are currently 15-11 and fourth in the conference. Considering its a wide-open East, a Tatum addition in the next few months could set up the team for a potential deep playoff run. But before fans dream about the possibilities, Tatum has to get back to playing first. Obviously, hes itching to play, Stevens said. Obviously he hates watching. But hes also very cognizant of the need to meet every threshold and why there are those things that are put in place. Weve had a lot of great talks about it. One of the things that we love about this whole group, and I think the guys that have been here the longest lead the charge, is they love the play. SUDBURY Massachusetts doesnt have an official state candy bar. If it did, that title should go to the Sky Bar. Theres no candy bar like it. Its a unique, multi-flavored chocolate bar with four different fillings (fudge, vanilla, caramel, peanut) and a cult following. Its been produced in Massachusetts for the last 87 years, making it older than the Curse of the Bambino that haunted the Boston Red Sox from 1919 until 2004. But it wasnt too long ago that the Sky Bar was stricken with its own misfortune: its manufacturer shut down. Fortunately for the Sky Bar, and mouths around the state, it was saved from extinction in 2018. Thats when Duck Soup, a little general store in Sudbury, stepped in to keep it alive. So, yes, you can still buy Sky Bars today. But it needed a miracle to make it this far. A Sky Bar, produced at Duck Soup in Sudbury. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) The year the Sky Bar nearly fell For 80 years, the Sky Bar was produced by the Revere-based candy company Necco (New England Confectionary Co.). Theyre the folks famous for Necco Wafers, which date back to 1847. Necco also made Mary Janes, the Clark Bar and Sweethearts, the candy hearts you see around Valentines Day. The Sky Bar was more of a regional favorite. Since debuting in 1938, it kept a strong fanbase throughout the state. But its hard out there for a classic candy company. The retro flair of the Sky Bar was in for a tough fight against the Snickers and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups of the world. In 2018, Necco went out of business and sold all of its assets. Notable brands like Necco Wafers, Clark Bar and Sweethearts were scooped up by other candy companies. But after no buyer emerged for the Sky Bar, the Mass favorite seemed destined to join Jordan Marsh and Filenes Basement in the realms of Massachusetts nostalgia. A look around Duck Soup in Sudbury. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) Turning a general store into a chocolate factory Louise Mawhinney, the owner of Duck Soup, says she couldnt let that happen. Mawhinney, who moved over from Scotland in the 80s, has experience in keeping beloved Massachusetts businesses open including Duck Soup itself. The Sudbury general store opened back in 1971. When the owners were ready to retire in 2014, Mawhinney stepped in to take over the store and keep it running. Its such a beloved institution. You cant let this happen, she says were her thoughts at the time. And no regrets whatsoever. Its worked pretty well. Mawhinney has added alcohol sales, toys and cooking classes to what was already a wide array of offerings. So, Mawhinney took a risk and went all-in on the Sky Bar, securing the brand and recipes in an online auction. Vintage candies have always been always been in the stores wheelhouse. But making them? That was something else entirely. What Mawhinney acquired was essentially some paperwork that allowed her to sell Sky Bars. Willy Wonka wasnt walking through that door to give her the keys to a chocolate. factory. Instead, she needed to find a manufacturing space and a way to actually make the bars. For the space, Mawhinney explored multiple options in nearby towns. But when the space next to Duck Soup opened up, she jumped at the opportunity to expand. Now, the back right corner of the store has been turned into a candy bar factory. The actual production was another issue. Mawhinney wasnt going to find any Sky Bar-making machines on eBay. Instead, she got in touch with Jeff Green, a former Necco vice president of research and development, who helped design a custom machine for them. Duck Soup came up with a simple setup to make the bars. They cook up the separate fillings in-house using the original Necco recipes and add them to four separate canisters. The custom machine then injects the different fillings and chocolates into the molds in one smooth shot. The bars then head down the line where theyre shaken until smooth. After that, its time for the bars to go into cold storage for a couple of hours to harden up. Mawhinney says Duck Soup makes about 3,000 bars per run. You can buy the bars in Duck Soups shop and on their website. You can also find Sky Bars at select local grocery stores and businesses across the Northeast. You can use the Sky Bar store locater to see if theres a retailer near you. Sky Bars in production at Duck Soup in Sudbury. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) The Sky Bar today: Made with the good stuff The Sky Bar you can buy today may or may not taste like the candy bar you remember. Thats not necessarily a bad thing. Theres a good chance it tastes better. Part of Mawhinneys deal to buy Sky Bar involved buying all of Neccos recipes, which she says evolved throughout the years. Mawhinney says Neccos formulas were dumbed down towards the end to make it less expensive to produce the bars. That meant lower-quality chocolate and fillings. Now that shes running the show, Mawhinney is adamant about using the good stuff. That starts with the chocolate. She now uses Callebaut, a high-quality Belgian chocolate for the bars. Duck Soup even saves the extra chocolate run-off to sell as plain chocolate bars. Then there are the fillings, which have evolved over the years. That includes going back to the original recipes. Among them are a luxurious caramel, satisfying peanut butter and a fudge thats sweet and velvet-like. Perhaps the filling thats changed the most is the vanilla section. At the end of the Necco run, the vanilla section was an industrially whitened sugar paste. When the Sky Bar first returned, the vanilla section was a little chalky. Now, its a smooth and beautifully flavored creme. Its a murky off-white color, like someone actually added vanilla to a sweet creme. Forget your rose-colored glasses. The Sky Bar is better than ever. The only glass you should be looking through is the one at the back of Duck Soup where you can watch the bars being made. A look around Duck Soup in Sudbury. (Nick O'Malley/MassLive) Theres a Sky Bar gift shop? In addition to being a general store and chocolate factory, Duck Soup also acts as a Sky Bar gift shop. If you turn right after walking into Duck Soups main entrance, youll find the section of the store devoted to the Sky Bar. There, youll find the bars for sale along with discounted broken bars. You can also find a selection of Sky Bar merch, including T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts and mugs. You can also find a few relics from throughout the Sky Bars history. Above the door to the production facility, you can see one of the original Sky Bar molds from 1938. Nearby is a portrait of Joseph Cangemi, who Mawhinney credits as the inventor of the Sky Bar. Behind the cashier, Duck Soup also has some vintage Necco advertisements heralding the wonders of the Sky Bar and their famous wafers. Even under the Necco umbrella, the Sky Bar was never the most prominent product. But it was something that was quintessential Massachusetts. It never had quite the reach of Boston Cream Pie, the chocolate chip cookie or Marshmallow Fluff. But in terms of candy bars with roots in the Bay State, its cult following has a legacy. The Sky Bar has a strong case for the title of the official candy bar of Massachusetts. There isnt a ton of competition. The Clark Bar was also made by Necco for a while. But it originated in Pennsylvania. The biggest challenger for the title is the Charleston Chew, which was invented by the Fox-Cross Candy Company in Cambridge in 1922. It has a strong national brand. But its long since drifted away from its Massachusetts ties. In 1980, the company and Charleston Chew brand sold to Nabisco. Its changed hands a few times since then. The Charleston Chew is now made by Tootsie Roll, which produces most of its candy in Chicago. So if you want a candy bar that was created in Massachusetts and is still made in Massachusetts, theres nothing quite like the Sky Bar. Brown University is calling on the public to stop engaging in harmful social media activity while investigators work to identify the gunman who killed two students on its campus Saturday afternoon. In the wake of the mass shooting, at least one Brown community member has been subjected to harmful doxxing, the Providence, Rhode Island, university said in a statement Tuesday evening. "Its important to make clear that targeting individuals could do irrevocable harm, the statement reads. Accusations, speculation and conspiracies were seeing on social media and in some news reports are irresponsible, harmful, and in some cases dangerous for the safety of individuals in our community." The university did not provide any identifying information about the community member who was targeted. Gunfire erupted on the first floor of Browns Barus and Holley engineering and physics building around 4 p.m. on Dec. 13 during an economics class. The shooting left sophomore Ella Cook and first-year student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov dead and nine other students injured. As of Tuesday evening, the shooter remained at large. Investigators highest priority right now is identifying a person of interest that theyve released numerous photos and videos of. They believe this is the critical next step in charging someone in the shooting, officials said during a Tuesday evening press conference. Once we identify who this person is, I believe well be able to locate them, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said. This combo image made with photos provided by the FBI and the Providence, Rhode Island, Police Department shows a person of interest in the shooting that occurred at Brown University in Providence, R.I., Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (FBI/Providence Police Department via AP) AP As of Tuesday evening, one of the seven students injured during the shooting was in critical condition, five more were in critical but stable condition, and one was in stable condition, according to law enforcement and Brown University. Two have been released from Rhode Island Hospital. Earlier on Tuesday, Brown University President Christina Paxson shared a heartfelt tribute to Cook and Umurzokov in a letter to the school community. The investigation into the deadly mass shooting at Rhode Islands Brown University crossed state lines into Massachusetts on Wednesday as the days-long manhunt for the gunman continued. North Attleborough police confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the investigation had led law enforcement working on the case into the southeastern Massachusetts city. North Attleborough borders Rhode Island and is approximately 15 miles from Providence. The citys police department specified that investigators are not searching for the shooter in North Attleborough. There is no immediate threat to the community, police said in a press release. Gunfire erupted on the first floor of Browns Barus and Holley engineering and physics building around 4 p.m. on Dec. 13 during an economics class. The shooting left sophomore Ella Cook and first-year student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov dead and nine other students injured. Read more: Police release new image of person seen near person of interest in Brown University shooting The investigation into the mass shooting may have also taken law enforcement into Plainville, which is located just north of North Attleborough and also borders Rhode Island, according to the towns police department. As part of this investigation, law enforcement personnel may be present in Plainville or surrounding communities to interview students, employees, or potential witnesses, particularly as much of the campus population has departed for winter break, Plainville police wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon. These activities are being conducted as part of an ongoing investigation, are precautionary in nature, and at this time, there is no indication of an immediate public safety threat. Attleboro and North Attleboro residents with Ring home security cameras may have received a notification Wednesday afternoon about investigators being in the area as part of the probe into the mass shooting, The Sun Chronicle a MassLive media partner reported. An anonymous poster on Ring cameras Neighbor App wrote that police were casing areas ... surrounding areas outside city limits. Posting for people getting knocks on their doors from unmarked vehicles and agents, the newspaper reported. One commenter on the North Attleborough police Facebook page described federal agents going door to door. Massachusetts State Police referred MassLive to local police departments when asked for details about the investigation into the mass shooting in the Bay State. On Saturday, Gov. Maura Healey said State Police are ready to assist with law enforcement efforts to capture the gunman. Providence police and the FBI, who are leading the investigation into the mass shooting, have largely focused on identifying a person of interest that theyve shared numerous photos and videos of over the last few days. Once we identify who this person is, I believe well be able to locate them, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said during a press conference Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Providence police shared multiple photos of a person who was seen near the person of interest and asked the public to help identify them. Providence police did not include a description of the new person, but the photos show them standing outside wearing a grey hood, blue jacket and black pants. The person also appears to be carrying a light-colored bag. Police released this image of a person seen "in proximity" of a person of interest in the Brown University shooting. Providence Police Law enforcement officials have described the person of interest as being approximately 5-foot-8 inches tall with a stocky build. Photos and videos shared by police show what appears to be man dressed in dark clothing, including a beanie and face mask, walking down the street near Brown University approximately two hours before the shooting. Officials have asked anyone associated with Brown or who lives or spends time around Providence to review the photos and videos of the person of interest. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual. Providence police released an "enhanced" video of the person of interest law enforcement is trying to identity in connection with the deadly Brown University mass shooting from Saturday. Providence Police Department Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez, Jr. advised the public to focus on the body movements of the person of interest shown in the videos during the press conference Tuesday evening. You wanna focus on the body movements, the way the person moved their arms, the body posture, the way they carry their weight, he said. The Providence Police Department asks that information about the person of interest be shared via phone at 401-272-3121 or through the FBIs tip line. Brown University sophomore Ella Cook was 19 years old and finishing her third semester studying French, math and economics when she was killed during a mass shooting on the schools campus Saturday afternoon. As the manhunt for the gunman who took her life and that of first-year student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov stretches into Wednesday, Cooks family, friends and school community are remembering her for having a heart as large as the sun. Ella Cooks life Cook was born July 18, 2006, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Anna and Richard Cook, according to her obituary. Prior to studying at Brown, she graduated from her hometown high school in Mountain Brook, Alabama. Cook was a lifelong, active member of the Cathedral Church of the Advent (Episcopal) in Birmingham. The churchs reverend previously described her to AL.com as a bright light in the world. Not only did her personal faith shine out like a bright Christmas star, but she loved others as real people, not as objects, her obituary reads. Read more: Alabama community mourns Brown University student killed in shooting Cook was known for wide array of interests, including playing piano, dancing, spending time in nature and traveling especially to places in which French is spoken, according to her obituary. She was particularly passionate about teaching both academic subjects and biblical studies and hoped to one day have children of her own. From Birmingham to Providence to wherever she traveled, Ella attracted an almost reverent circle of friends. That is because she was intentionally concerned for the best interests of others, her obituary reads. In a tribute to Browns two lost students, President Christine Paxson described Cook as intellectually curious, noting that the sophomore selected Brown for its Open Curriculum, which allows students extra freedom to choose their courses. During her time at the university, Cook became a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and vice president of the Republican Club of Brown University. As I learn more about the vitality she radiated, I wish so much that I had the opportunity to know her, Paxson wrote. Naturally soft-spoken, Cook was known for exuding a subtle, quiet form of leadership, her brother Hooker is quoted as saying in her obituary. Her sister Mary remembers her as the best big sister ever protective, responsible, and selfless. Honoring Ella Cook In addition to her parents and two siblings, Cook leaves behind both her maternal and paternal grandparents, many other beloved family members and lots of cherished friends, according to her obituary. Her family asks that those looking to honor her memory donate to the childrens ministry at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, 2017 Sixth Avenue North, Birmingham, AL, 35203. Ella carried a kind of personal magic within her, from her quiet smile, to her consistent openness to new challenges and places, to her heartfelt Christian faith, to her kind encouragement of all whom she met who needed encouragement, to her persistent courage in following both heart and conscience, her obituary reads. A celebration of Cooks life is scheduled to take place at the Cathedral Church of the Advent on Dec. 22, according to her obituary. Attendees are invited to wear Easter colors. Ella Cook lit up our world, and her reflected glory will be with her family and friends forever, her obituary reads. Whats happened since the shooting In addition to killing Cook and Umurzokov, nine other Brown students were injured when gunfire erupted in the universitys Barus and Holley engineering and physics building around 4 p.m. on Dec. 13. As of Tuesday evening, one of the injured students was in critical condition, five more were in critical but stable condition, and one was in stable condition, according to law enforcement and Brown University. Two have been released from Rhode Island Hospital. Though the shooter is still at large as of Wednesday afternoon, investigators say their highest priority is identifying a person of interest theyve released numerous photos and videos of. Officials said Tuesday evening that they believe this is the critical next step towards charging someone in the shooting. Once we identify who this person is, I believe well be able to locate them, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said during a press conference. On Wednesday, Providence police shared photos of a new person they say was in proximity of the person of interest and asked the public to help identify them. A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager who sold stolen body parts donated to the school has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison. Cedric Lodge, 58, was sentenced Tuesday in Pennsylvania court. His wife, Denise Lodge, 65, was sentenced to one year and one day for her role in the operation. Prosecutors said Cedric Lodge removed body parts including skin, brains and faces from cadavers donated to Harvard Medical School for educational purposes and stole them before their remains were cremated. He brought the parts to his home in New Hampshire and sold them to buyers online, generating between $40,000 to $95,000 from 2018 to 2023. In total, nine people have been charged in connection with the case. One of Lodges buyers, according to prosecutors, was Katrina MacLean, a Salem woman who owned an oddities shop in Peabody. Prosecutors say MacLean bought two faces from Lodge and shipped the human skin to a man in Pennsylvania with the intent for the man to turn the skin into leather. MacLean pleaded guilty to a charge of interstate transport of stolen goods in November. PennLive reported the Lodges shipped two dozen hands, two feet, nine spines, portions of skulls, five dissected human faces and two dissected heads over a four-year span. Prosecutors sought the maximum 10-year sentence for Lodge, who pleaded guilty in May. According to WBUR, Lodge expressed remorse during his sentencing. I betrayed their trust and in retrospect I should have recognized the full impact of what I was doing, Lodge said. Cedric and Denise Lodge will begin their prison sentences on Jan. 16. In October, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that families whose loved ones bodies were donated to Harvard Medical School and were dismembered as part of the scheme can sue the school and Lodge. In 2025, MLive in Michigan and AL.com in Alabama investigated the current use of paraquat, a heavily regulated weed killer thats the subject of thousands of lawsuits claiming it is linked to Parkinsons. The crop duster pilots used to do barrel rolls over the southwest Michigan farm where Terri McGrath grew up. As a young girl, she found them fantastic. She and her siblings and cousins would stand outside to watch the aerobatics as they executed spins above the fields of apples, grapes and currants. And I remember grandma would always yell, Get in here, kids. That stuffs probably not safe for you to breathe, McGrath said. Little did we know. Among the pesticides and herbicides used on the familys Michigan farm, she said, was a substance called paraquat, a brilliantly effective weed killer that is so toxic to humans that a splash can burn the skin and a sip can kill a grown man. Her grandfather kept the bottles on a high shelf in the barn where the children couldnt reach them. As a girl, McGrath heard a story about a local vegetable farmer who drank some down in a fit of despair. But she wouldnt get hints of how low levels of exposure to paraquat might have harmed her, and many thousands of others, until she was in her late 40s. For McGrath, the first inkling came at the Buchanan school where she worked. One day, the principal stopped her in the hallway and told her she was walking oddly. She said, Terri, did you have a stroke or something? McGrath said. I said no. She goes, But youre not swinging your arms. Which is how she came to find out she was the fifth person in her immediate family to develop Parkinsons disease, a neurodegenerative condition that causes tremors, stiffness and balance problems. Two additional family members have been diagnosed in the 19 years since. Six of the seven had lived on the familys two farms in the small community of Scottdale south of St. Joseph. With evidence of its harms stacking up, paraquat has already been banned in dozens of countries all over the world, including the United Kingdom and China, where its made. Yet last year, its manufacturer Syngenta, a subsidiary of a company owned by the Chinese government, continued selling paraquat in the United States and other nations that havent banned it. McGrath said she tried to get a class-action lawsuit going 15 years ago, but I just ran into walls. Im really, really mad about this, she said. Europe had been testing this and saying it was bad for 20 years before we even thought about it here. They banned it over there. Meanwhile, Syngenta says that despite decades of investigation and more than 1,200 epidemiological and laboratory studies of paraquat, no scientist or doctor has ever concluded in a peer-reviewed scientific analysis that paraquat causes Parkinsons disease. We have great sympathy for those suffering from the debilitating effects of Parkinsons disease, a Syngenta spokesperson said in a statement. However, it is important to note that the scientific evidence simply does not support a causal link between paraquat and Parkinsons disease, and that paraquat is safe when used as directed. Parkinsons disease Parkinsons results from the loss of nerve cells in an area of the brain that produces dopamine, a chemical that plays a crucial role in movement, memory and mood, among other things. The difference in the way she moved might have been McGraths first sign, but it was changes in her ability to maintain focus that forced changes in her life. McGrath taught kindergarten in the afternoons, and I could mess up all I wanted when I was a kindergarten teacher, she said. We danced and all that fun stuff. I used to be a fashion queen. I love to dress up and go shopping and the whole bit. Now I go in and look for things that are three times my size, big and bulky, because I dont want to get them stuck on my head, which I have done before. Terri McGrath But she also worked as a special education coordinator, a job that required her to keep multiple balls in the air. She began to notice herself slipping. She retired three years after she was diagnosed. Its the saddest thing, because now Im as scattered as those sixth-grade kids with ADHD in my classroom, she said. I feel so awful that I tried to make them sit down and do the traditional sit-in-your-desks-and-work. Today the limitations of her movement make everything in her life take longer, she said. Theres so many little things that cause frustration, McGrath said. Getting dressed is a big one. I used to be a fashion queen. I love to dress up and go shopping and the whole bit. Now I go in and look for things that are three times my size, big and bulky, because I dont want to get them stuck on my head, which I have done before. Its a stinking disease, she said. It makes you value today McGrath and her husband, Kevin, met as teenagers at Lake Michigan Catholic High School. They went on one date. He got pulled over for speeding and was driving on a suspended license to boot. He tried to tell the policeman he was only driving because his date was drunk. She told the officer she certainly was not. Kevin McGrath told the story laughing in the kitchen of their white brick house in St. Joseph. That date was a bust, but they reconnected decades later and married in 2008. It was her second marriage and his first, and it happened as Terri was trying to figure out what her Parkinsons diagnosis would mean. Her discovery period, Kevin called it. Shes been incredible, he said. Shes her own advocate, as far as doing the research and networking which shes so good at and actually going out to help other people and volunteering time. Shes not just doing it for herself. The two of them still travel a Caribbean cruise last year, Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama this fall. Terris bucket list includes a hot air balloon ride in New Mexico, one of the few states she hasnt been to yet. They still dance in the living room. The big thing thats in her mind, that she said at the start, is I dont want to be the grandma in the corner thats not smiling and scaring my grandkids, Kevin said. I know thats the root there, where she wants to be that happy person, that shes remembered as that. But Parkinsons has changed the way they make plans. The materials for a kitchen remodel are sitting in their garage. Theyve been there for a while. Its not clear when Terri might need a wheelchair instead of the rolling walker she sometimes uses to get around. Parkinsons changes everything. It makes you value today, Kevin said. Thats the biggest thing. And you dont make a lot of really long-term plans I still have my voice Terri McGraths two keys to handling Parkinsons are exercise and finding someone who gets it, other people who understand what its like to live with the disease. She finds both at the exercise class she attends twice a week at the St. Joseph-Lincoln Senior Service Center. Its very cool, she said, and its social. Walking into class on a Wednesday afternoon in October, she got a warm greeting from Sharon Comstock and lost her grip on her water bottle at the same time. Terri has been my mentor, Comstock said. Comstock grew up amid the same fruit farms south of St. Joseph where McGrath grew up and amid many of the same pesticides. She met McGrath at a Parkinsons awareness meeting in the spring of 2023. McGrath loaned her a book called Ending Parkinsons Disease and later helped her to start sharing her story, to lobby elected officials, to speak up for other people with the disease. She reminds me that my voice matters, Comstock said, and that advocacy can be healing. 20 1 / 20 Michigan woman is one of seven people in her family to develop Parkinson's Parkinsons is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world, an epidemic in some researchers telling. Were not loud enough, McGrath said, but I think thats because, as a Parkinsons patient, I cant keep things organized in my head anymore. I cant. I miss appointments and I go on the wrong days for appointments and all that stuff that used to be so easy. But thats the nature of Parkinsons. Its not fatal, but takes away function, the ability to move easily, to think clearly. And it manifests in unexpected ways. McGrath says shed had days where everything she says comes out in rhyme, where glitches in her brain prevented her from moving her arms across the center line of her body. But she doesnt yet have the tremors that some people with Parkinsons exhibit. It could all be worse. Im really blessed. I still have my voice, she said. I still have most of my faculties with my brain. Exercise is one way to hold on a little longer. And so, in a room of other Parkinsons patients, she holds onto an exercise chair, raises one leg then the other, stretches an exercise band, touches the floor. She wobbles at times, but shes there. Authorities are now trying to identify and speak with a person they say was in proximity of the person of interest theyve focused on in their investigation into the deadly mass shooting at Brown University over the weekend. Providence police did not include a description of the new person, but the photos show them standing outside wearing a grey hood, blue jacket and black pants. The person also appears to be carrying a light-colored bag. Police are now trying to identify and speak with a person they say was "in proximity of" the person of interest they've focused on finding in their investigation into the deadly mass shooting at Brown University over the weekend. Providence Police Department As the manhunt for the gunman who took the lives of two students stretches into Wednesday, investigators say their highest priority is identifying a person of interest theyve released numerous photos and videos of. Officials said during a Tuesday evening press conference that they believe this is the critical next step in charging someone in the shooting. Once we identify who this person is, I believe well be able to locate them, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said. Providence police released an "enhanced" video of the person of interest law enforcement is trying to identity in connection with the deadly Brown University mass shooting from Saturday. Providence Police Department Gunfire erupted on the first floor of Browns Barus and Holley engineering and physics building around 4 p.m. on Dec. 13 during an economics class. The shooting left sophomore Ella Cook and first-year student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov dead and nine other students injured. As of Tuesday evening, one of the injured students was in critical condition, five more were in critical but stable condition, and one was in stable condition, according to law enforcement and Brown University. Two have been released from Rhode Island Hospital. Law enforcement officials have described the person of interest as being approximately 5-foot-8 inches tall with a stocky build. Photos and videos shared by police show what appears to be man dressed in dark clothing, including a beanie and face mask, walking down the street near Brown University approximately two hours before the shooting. Officials have asked anyone associated with Brown or who lives or spends time around Providence to review the photos and videos of the person of interest. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez, Jr. advised the public to focus on the body movements of the person of interest shown in the videos during the press conference Tuesday evening. You wanna focus on the body movements, the way the person moved their arms, the body posture, the way they carry their weight, he said. Investigators said they are hoping to receive more footage of the person of interest from the public, as they speculate that he may have walked around the area surrounding Brown University as much as a week prior to the shooting. We also know in this profession that many criminals will pace out an area weeks and days prior, Perez explained. The Providence Police Department asks that information about the person of interest be shared via phone at 401-272-3121 or through the FBIs tip line. Providence police on Wednesday afternoon released an enhanced image of a person seen near the man identified as a person of interest in the shooting at Brown University on Saturday that killed two students and injured nine. ENHANCED PHOTO: Investigators are asking for the publics help in identifying and speaking to the individual shown in this photo who was in proximity of the person of interest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the tip line at 401-272-3121. pic.twitter.com/D1reRPCdZV Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 17, 2025 To date, it is the clearest image released by police in the ongoing manhunt for the person responsible for the mass shooting at the Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island. In the photo, the unidentified person is seen wearing a black jat, a hooded sweatshirt, a black hat and glasses. Police say the person in the photo was "in proximity of the person of interest." Anyone who recognizes the person, or with information about the shooting, is urged to call the tip line at 401-272-3121. As the manhunt for the gunman who took the lives of two students stretches into Wednesday, investigators say their highest priority is identifying a person of interest theyve released numerous photos and videos of. Officials said during a Tuesday evening press conference that they believe this is the critical next step in charging someone in the shooting. Once we identify who this person is, I believe well be able to locate them, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said. Gunfire erupted on the first floor of Browns Barus and Holley engineering and physics building around 4 p.m. on Dec. 13 during an economics class. The shooting left sophomore Ella Cook and first-year student Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov dead and nine other students injured. As of Tuesday evening, one of the injured students was in critical condition, five more were in critical but stable condition, and one was in stable condition, according to law enforcement and Brown University. Two have been released from Rhode Island Hospital. Law enforcement officials have described the person of interest as being approximately 5-foot-8 inches tall with a stocky build. Photos and videos shared by police show what appears to be man dressed in dark clothing, including a beanie and face mask, walking down the street near Brown University approximately two hours before the shooting. Officials have asked anyone associated with Brown or who lives or spends time around Providence to review the photos and videos of the person of interest. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez, Jr. advised the public to focus on the body movements of the person of interest shown in the videos during the press conference Tuesday evening. You wanna focus on the body movements, the way the person moved their arms, the body posture, the way they carry their weight, he said. Investigators said they are hoping to receive more footage of the person of interest from the public, as they speculate that he may have walked around the area surrounding Brown University as much as a week prior to the shooting. We also know in this profession that many criminals will pace out an area weeks and days prior, Perez explained. A second school in Medford canceled classes this week because of an outbreak of stomach illness, according to WCVB. St. Joseph School said about 20% of its students were absent Monday, according to WCVB, prompting administrators to cancel classes Tuesday and Wednesday as a precaution. St. Joseph is a pre-K, K-8 school with an enrollment of about 220. The closure marks the second time in two weeks a Medford school has canceled because of a suspected Norovirus outbreak. Last week, Roberts Elementary School canceled classes Thursday and Friday after more than 130 students and staff were absent, with many reporting symptoms including vomiting and upset stomachs. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that commonly causes vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms begin suddenly and spread quickly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea and food borne illness in the United States. In a letter sent to families, St. Joseph School officials said there were no medical records confirming Norovirus, but a significant number of students were sent home with symptoms consistent with the stomach illness. According to Boston 25 News, the school said it would use the two-day closure to thoroughly clean and sanitize the building in an effort to limit further spread. Classes at St. Joseph School are expected to resume Thursday. Police are still searching for the killer of an MIT professor who was shot at his Brookline apartment Monday night. Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, was found by police in the lobby of his apartment building after reports of gunshots. Loureiro had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital, where he died Tuesday morning. Loureiro was a professor of nuclear science and engineering and physics at MIT and served as director of the universitys Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of its largest laboratories. According to The Boston Globe, two neighbors and Loureiros wife immediately called 911 after hearing shots at their building on Gibbs Street. Police have not released any additional information about possible suspects. According to the Globe, officers at the scene gave conflicting reports on vehicles spotted in the area, with one officer saying, We have a description of a grey sedan with no headlights, and another saying, We also have a description of a blue or a black sedan. Brookline Police Chief Jennifer Paster released a statement Tuesday asking for patience as the investigation plays out. This remains an active and ongoing homicide investigation, Paster said. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, we are limited in the information we can share at this time and ask for the communitys understanding and patience. According to the MIT website, Loureiro was born in Portugal and earned a degree in physics at Lisbons Instituto Superior Tecnico before earning a PhD at Imperial College in London. He joined the MIT faculty in 2016 and was granted tenure in 2017. In a statement, MIT president Sally Kornbluth said the university is reaching out to support those in our community who were closest to him. In the face of this shocking loss, our hearts go out to his wife and their family and to his many devoted students, friends and colleagues, Kornbluth said. WASHINGTON Nadia Milleron says not enough has changed in aviation safety since her daughters death in 2019. Her daughter, Samya Stumo, died when the Boeing plane she was aboard crashed on its way to Kenya. Later, investigators determined one cause was a defective automatic flight control system that relied on one senor and caused nose dives. Since then, Milleron, a Sheffield activist and former Congressional candidate, has been pushing for safer air travel. On Tuesday, she attended a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on aviation safety. Bryan Bedford, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, took questions from legislators for more than two hours. Before the hearing, Milleron said she lobbied legislators, asking that they question Bedford at the hearing about safety issues with Boeing Max 737 jets. That did not become a focus of the hearing, however. Legislators focused on other issues, including an air traffic controller shortage and the Potomac mid-air collision between a plane and a helicopter earlier this year that killed 67 people. Theyre not talking any more about the defects on the Boeing airplanes, Milleron said. Thats because it has kind of moved out of the news cycle but it doesnt mean it moved out of the safety cycle. Milleron said she will continue to advocate for improvements otherwise they will continue to forget about it. After the hearing ended, she said she spoke with Bedford about her concerns. She said he was receptive. Milleron and the Foundation for Aviation Safety, a nonprofit led by a former manager at a Boeing Max factory, are calling attention to issues with the planes. The foundation created a list of problems regulators have flagged, including a list of airworthiness directives, regulations the FAA issues to correct safety problems, about Boeings 737 jets that date back several years. Neither Boeing nor the FAA immediately responded to a request for comment on Tuesday. The planes were grounded for nearly two years in 2019 after the crash that killed Millerons daughter and another crash in Indonesia. In total, 346 people died in the two crashes. Last month, a judge approved a deal that allowed Boeing to not face criminal conspiracy charges over the two crashes and required the company to pay $1 billion in fines, payments to the victims families and safety improvements, the Associated Press reported. Milleron is part of an appeal to that decision. Regulators have flagged other safety problems. Several months ago, the FAA announced it was seeking to fine Boeing $3.1 million for safety violations from September 2023 to February 2024. Milleron wants to empower people to participate in government. Lobbying can be done by regular people, she said. On any of these issues, anything government should be doing, accountability of corporations, we can go to Congress and participate, she said. Im not saying its easy. Im not saying its quick, but it is possible and I think its important for people to know this is their right. A new, upscale cocktail lounge is opening in Worcester this month at the citys glass tower on Main Street. VUE Cocktail Lounge and Event Venue is opening Dec. 27 at 5 p.m. at 446 Main St., according to a Wednesday press release from Niche Hospitality Group. A celebratory champagne brunch is scheduled for Dec. 28 at 11 a.m. the press release reads. Two New Years Eve parties will be held at VUE, which is located on the 23rd and 24th floors of the building. The first is a 1920s cocktail dinner party lasting from 7 to 10 p.m. on the 23rd floor. The second is a Roaring 20s first night celebration hosted by Niki Luparelli and The Grave Diggers from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on the 24th floor, according to the press release. Tickets can be bought at nichehospitality.com/events. VUE offers craft cocktails, select wines, champagne, beers, mocktails and a menu featuring caviar, tinned fish and artisan meats and cheeses. The lounge features live jazz performances during operating hours, the press release reads. The event venue is on the 23rd floor and is available for private bookings. The space accommodates 200 guests for cocktail-style events, 160 guests for banquets and 50 guests for plated dinners, the press release states. Niche Hospitality Group is responsible for opening and managing several restaurants in Worcester, including The Fix Burger Bar, Mezcal Tequila Cantina, and Bocado Tapas Wine Bar, which was named a top restaurant in 2025 by USA Today. The group also opened Vivienne, a Mediterranean restaurant, at the glass tower this year. The restaurant, however, closed in September due to an electrical fire. Niche Hospitality President Michael Covino did not immediately respond to a request for comment about a timeline for Viviennes reopening. VUE is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Four names were chosen as the winners this years name-a-snowplow contest in Worcester. The City of Worcester Department of Public Works & Parks (DPW&P), in collaboration with Worcester Public Schools, announced Wednesday the winners of the citywide competition: Clearopathra, 2hr Delay Destroyer, Snowraider and Ice-Zilla. WPS students in grades K-12 submitted entries to name four trucks that plow in four different quadrants of the city, according to a press release from the city. The entries were voted on by the public. Over 1,900 ballots were cast during the voting process. Congratulations to our Worcester Public School students on another great Name-A-Snowplow contest, City Manager Eric D. Batista said in the press release. Your imaginative and fun names were a treat to review and vote on. Four more of our snowplow trucks are now named and ready to handle anything this winter brings all the while showcasing our students creativity. 2hr Delay Destroyer was named by Mrs. Brooke Arnolds and Ms. Kelly Walls second grade class of Thorndyke Road School. Snowraider was named by Mrs. Radziks fourth grade class of Thorndyke Road School Clearopathra was named by Ms. Heather Wassalls life skills C class for ninth through 12th grades at North High School. Ice-Zilla was named by Ms. Nicole Trudeaus fourth grade class at Quinsigamond Elementary School. The students will be recognized at the city councils Jan. 13 meeting, according to the press release. Our students brought so much creativity and enthusiasm to the second year of the Name-A-Snowplow contest, said Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Brian E. Allen in the press release. Its become a fun and lighthearted way to add some joy to winter weather while giving students a chance to see their ideas come to life across the city. Thank you to everyone who took part. The four winning names of last years contest were Scoop Dogg, Sleetwood Mac, William Scrapespeare, and Snow More Mr Ice Guy. Castlebar Rotary Club is set to host its annual fundraising event, the Tree of Remembrance, from Thursday, December 18 to Tuesday, December 23. The initiative, which began in 2008, has raised significant funds for local charities over the years. The Tree of Remembrance provides members of the public with an opportunity to remember loved ones during the Christmas period while making a voluntary donation in support of charitable causes. As in previous years, the Tree will be located on Hopkins Road, outside Dunnes Stores. Members of the public can remember someone, either living or deceased, by placing a ribbon on the Tree and making a voluntary contribution. All those remembered will be included in prayers at Mass in the Holy Rosary Church on Christmas Eve. Funds raised through the initiative will support Castlebar Social Services, the clubs designated charity partner, as well as other Rotary-supported causes. READ NEXT: Westport GP returns after 10 years in NHS to serve Mayo community Launching the event, Rotary Club President John Mulroy said the project allows people to remember loved ones in a meaningful way while also supporting charities that provide important services in the local community: "The Club are delighted to support Castlebar Social Services which provides much needed services in the local community. "We are again appealing to the people of Castlebar and all visitors to the Town during this festive period to take some time out and visit The Tree of Remembrance on Hopkins Road and take part in this unique event. Mayo TD Paul Lawless (Aontu) has claimed that recent events in Brussels expose the reality behind so-called EU safeguards, casting serious doubt on the protections being promised to Irish farmers under the proposed Mercosur trade deal. The so called Mercosur deal between the European Union and four South American countries is currently in its final legislative approval phase. After 25 years of negotiations, the agreement between the EU and Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will remove these high tariffs and other trade barriers such as unclear rules and regulations or burdensome procedures, so it will be easier for European producers to export to Mercosur. Deputy Lawless voiced his concerns over safeguards for the fishing industry: The blocking of the Hague Preferences, a safeguard that had existed for nearly fifty years to protect Irelands fishing communities, should serve as a clear warning about how reliable EU assurances truly are. Only days ago, we saw a long-standing safeguard for Irish fishing quietly set aside when it became inconvenient. The Hague Preferences are in place to protect vulnerable coastal communities, yet when pressure came on, they were blocked and Ireland was left exposed. This experience must now be viewed alongside the Governments repeated claims that Irish farmers will be protected by safeguards attached to the Mercosur agreement. The Deputy Continued We are being told that Mercosur is different, that safeguards will kick in if Irish agriculture is threatened, but fishermen were told exactly the same thing and when the moment came, those safeguards were not worth the paper they were written on. Mercosur will undoubtedly expose Irish farmers to imports produced to lower environmental, animal welfare and labour standards, while relying on enforcement mechanisms that may never be activated in practice. The reality is this, when EU political or commercial priorities clash with Irish livelihoods, Ireland is expected to absorb the damage. We have just seen that happen with fishing. There is no reason to believe farming will be treated any differently. Lawless concluded the Governments failure to veto or escalate the blocking of the Hague Preferences demonstrates how quickly national interests can be sidelined at EU level. If a safeguard with half a century of precedent can be brushed aside, what confidence can farmers have in last-minute clauses attached to a massive trade deal like Mercosur. READ NEXT: Westport GP returns after 10 years in NHS to serve Mayo community Two Mayo organisations receive about 176,000 to strengthen supports for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. The funding forms part of a national allocation of 3.2 million to strengthen domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) services across Ireland. Under this allocation, the Mayo Rape Crisis Centre will receive 165,168 and Safe Ireland (Mayo Womens Support Services) will receive 11,064. The announcement was made today by the Minister for Justice Jim OCallaghan, following a targeted funding call by Cuan, the national agency for DSGBV. Minister Alan Dillon TD (Fine Gael), said: This allocation demonstrates the Governments commitment to ensuring service providers can expand key supports for those in need. It will help deliver more counselling, improved access for marginalised groups, and enhanced training for staff and boards working in this critical area. Nationally, the 3.2 million allocation will fund training and capacity building for boards and staff (600,000 across 66 services), counselling services for adolescents (751,000 to sexual violence services), targeted services for marginalised groups (1.1 million to 26 services), access to perpetrator programmes (352,000), and enhancements to national helplines (266,000). This investment will result in over 1,100 staff receiving additional training, 5,484 victims and survivors accessing more services and appointments, and 167 individuals engaging with offender programmes. READ NEXT: Westport GP returns after 10 years in NHS to serve Mayo community THE recent triumphant announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) TD, that Ireland has secured the continued availability of its Nitrates Derogation is being sold to farmers as a win, or at the least, a reprieve. But the spin disguises the reality; that this derogation is not in the long-term interest of Irish farming. It simply delays the inevitable; the difficult choices that will need to be made sooner rather than later, and with no contingency or forward planning in sight, leaves farmers dangerously exposed. In the meantime, Irelands reliance on high stock densities and further damage to our waterways already in dire condition - continues. Lets rewind to how and why this all came about. The Nitrates Directive (1991) is an initiative designed to protect water quality from agricultural pollution. READ NEXT: Parents to be sentenced in Mayo after court hears dozens of secret recordings of parents abusing their children The Nitrates Derogation was originally granted to Ireland by the European Commission in 2006, and in essence, is a licence to spread more organic nitrogen (manure) per hectare on land than is routinely permitted under the Directive. The logic behind the granting of the derogation political and agricultural lobbying aside was that Irelands grass-based system was judged to be different to the intensive, grain-and-stall systems common across Europe, and that farms needed to be able to spread more mature in order to keep livestock production viable on grassland. Farmers rightly point out that the derogation supports roughly 7,000 farms Ireland and provides vital short-term certainty for household incomes and local economies particularly in places like Mayo, where dairy and cattle remain central to rural life. The decision last week was described by Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh as an early Christmas present for farmers, and ministers across government have been quick to welcome it as a victory for Irish farmers, essential to protect livelihoods. The truth, and the bigger picture, are far less palatable, and show that short-term certainty is ultimately futile. Irelands derogation has previously permitted 135 permitted cows per 50 hectares, compared to the Directives restriction of 92. The 2025 revision has reduced Irelands allowance to 120, which will absolutely have a significant impact on many farmers who may already have been struggling to break even. The questions we should be asking are, how does the government propose to support those farmers, and what measures is it now putting in place to plan ahead for when this derogation is eventually abolished? These are questions that the IFA in particular should be asking. And the rest of us should be asking what about our waterways? Very few large farmers will want to hear from An Taisce in regard to this matter, but the truth is, the argument for retention of this derogation has always been political and economic, not scientific. Water quality is damaged by nitrates. Recent research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that half of our rivers and two thirds of our estuaries are polluted, and that agricultural nitrate is a major source of this pollution, resulting in algae blooms, clogged waterways and fish kills, as well as making our waterways significantly less appealing and safe for recreational activities. The derogation does not operate in isolation. Ireland has, also in the last few days, been referred back to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with a 2019 court judgement for breaching the EU Urban Wastewater Directive, demonstrating the contempt shown by successive governments for our natural environment and our greatest natural resource across the board. Economically, this makes no sense; there will be financial penalties to be paid as a result. Reputationally, it is a bit of an embarrassment, as consumers become ever more conscious of environmental credentials. Surely the story of country which requires special treatment while failing to meet water standards does not inspire confidence in our much-vaunted food brands. Meanwhile, its business as usual over at the Department of Agriculture and can-kicking. Famers may be allowed to keep bigger herds for now, but what happens in three years time? The derogation will not abide indefinitely and may in fact end abruptly if water quality has not improved materially. What will happen to farmers then, left without a Plan B? Now is the time to build the off ramp, not extend dependence. Where are the announcements for investment in regenerative model of agriculture? In soil and water quality improvement within the sector? For support with initiatives like nutrient management and diversification? Incentivisation of farmers to engage with rewilding and nature restoration and conservation? Things that would assist with a controlled, sustainable reduction in stocking densities. Farmers have consistently shown themselves to be resilient, adaptable and forward-thinking, and will respond and lead in this space if supported, knowing in their hearts that it is in their own long-term interests and that of their land to do so. The regenerative farming agricultural market is growing globally, is starting to take root in Ireland, and to adopt this model represents real long-term thinking and sustainability, which will ultimately benefit our environment. There is an opportunity here to be proactive, innovative and forward thinking will Martin Heydon and his colleagues grasp the nettle? Or is this government, perhaps anticipating a shift away from the Fine Gael/Fianna Fail combination in the next election, happy enough to leave this mess - and several others - for their successors to clean up (quite literally)? READ NEXT: Mayo family all set for Ireland's Fittest Family grand final this weekend Quote from: CityLife on December 17, 2025, 09:43:55 AM The real tragedy or potential doomsday scenario is a world where Waymo (or other company) is wildly successful and operating in virtually every major/mid major market in the country, but doesnt come to Jax because of U2C. Aren't Waymo and the U2C serving two different customers? Waymo is replacing point-to-point taxi service whereas U2C is trying to replicate what a PCT trolley can do, but with less capacity and (at least) 100x more the cost. There should be room for both in this market. I wouldn't think U2C would cut into Waymo demand until Phase 3 (Neighborhood extensions) is up and running which is probably a decade away, if ever, at this point? Fair question. I started writing a complex response and just don't have the mental bandwidth to finish it off today, so here is ChatGpt's summary of it:"In its current form, Waymo is operating and refining robo-taxisbut that doesnt define its long-term ceiling. No one outside the company really knows what their R&D pipeline looks like. What we do know is that they have a substantial technical lead in the autonomous space and orders of magnitude more real-world miles than any public agency or startup.If Waymoor another top-tier autonomous operatordecides to deploy fixed-route or semi-fixed shuttle service, its hard to argue that JTA would be better positioned to execute that successfully. This isnt a knock on public transit; its a question of comparative advantage. Would you rather rely on technology developed by a global leader in autonomy, or by a local agency attempting to assemble and maintain a bespoke system? Its the difference between relying on military technology from the U.S. versus Belarus.The bigger concern is technological lock-in. What happens if Waymo proves out fixed-route autonomous shuttles in other cities using different vehicles, sensors, and operating models than what JTA has chosen? What happens if Jacksonville has already sunk tens of millions into a system that isnt compatible, scalable, or attractive to outside operators?Thats where projects like the $40 million Autonomous Innovation Center become risky. Jacksonville isnt just piloting autonomyits making a large, directional bet on a specific vendor stack. JTA and COJ are effectively anchoring their long-term transit strategy to Holon and a narrow vision of how autonomy should work, at a time when the industry is still rapidly evolving.If that bet is wrongor simply outdated in five to ten yearsthe cost isnt just financial. Its the opportunity cost of being passed over by more capable, more scalable autonomous networks that choose to deploy elsewhere because Jacksonville is no longer an easy or neutral market to enter." WASHINGTON (AP) China is exploiting partnerships with U.S. researchers funded by the Department of Energy to provide the Chinese military with access to sensitive nuclear technology and other innovations with economic and national security applications, according to a congressional report published Wednesday. The authors of the report say the U.S. must do more to protect high-tech research and ensure that the results of taxpayer-funded work don't end up benefiting Beijing. They recommended several changes to better protect scientific research in the U.S., including new policies for the Department of Energy to use when deciding whether to fund work that involves Chinese partnerships. The investigation is part of a congressional push to raise a firewall blocking U.S. research from boosting China's military buildup when the two countries are locked in a tech and arms rivalry that will shape the future global order. Investigators from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce identified more than 4,300 academic papers published between June 2023 and June of this year that involved collaborations between DOE-funded scientists and Chinese researchers. About half of the papers involved Chinese researchers affiliated with China's military or industrial base. Particularly concerning, investigators found that federal funds went to research collaborations with Chinese state-owned laboratories and universities that work directly for Chinas military, including some listed in a Pentagon database of Chinese military companies with operations in the U.S. The report also detailed collaborations between U.S. researchers and groups blamed for cyberattacks as well as human rights abuses in China. The Energy Department routinely funds advanced research into nuclear energy and the development and disposal of nuclear weaponry, along with a long list of other high-tech fields like quantum computing, materials science and physics. It doles out hundreds of millions of dollars each year for research. The department oversees 17 national laboratories that have led the development in many technologies. The report followed a number of congressional investigations into federally funded research involving Chinese scientists and researchers. Last year, a report released by Republicans found that partnerships between U.S. and Chinese universities over the past decade had allowed hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to help Beijing develop critical technology that could help strengthen its military. Another investigation this year revealed that the Pentagon in a recent two-year period funded hundreds of projects in collaboration with Chinese entities linked to China's defense industry. The Energy Department has failed for decades to take steps to ensure the research it funds doesn't benefit China, the report's authors found. They made several recommendations to tighten the rules, including a new standardized approach to assessing the national security risks of research, as well as requirements that the department share information about research ties with China with other U.S. government agencies to make it easier to spot problems. These longstanding policy failures and inaction have left taxpayer-funded research vulnerable to exploitation by Chinas defense research and industrial base and state-directed technology transfer activities, the authors concluded. The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to questions about the report and its recommendations. A message seeking comment was left with the Chinese Embassy in Washington. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the select committee, said in a statement that the investigation reveals a deeply alarming problem: The Department of Energy failed to ensure the security of its research and it put American taxpayers on the hook for funding the military rise of our nations foremost adversary. Moolenaar this year introduced legislation aimed at preventing research funding in science and technology and defense from going to collaborations or partnerships with foreign adversary-controlled entities that pose a national security risk. The legislation cleared the House but failed to advance to become part of the annual sweeping defense policy bill. It was met with strong opposition from scientists and researchers, who argued that the measures were too broad and could chill collaboration and undermine America's competitive edge in science and technology. In an October letter, a group of more than 750 faculty members and senior staffers from American universities told congressional leaders overseeing the armed services that the U.S. is in a global competition for talent. They called for very careful and targeted measures for risk management" to address security concerns. The U.S. is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Russias energy sector to increase the pressure on Moscow should President Vladimir Putin reject a peace agreement with Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. The U.S. is considering options, such as targeting vessels in Russias so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Moscows oil, as well as traders who facilitate the transactions, said the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The new measures could be unveiled as early as this week, some of the people said. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the plans when he met a group of European ambassadors earlier this week, the people said. President Trump is the President of Peace, and I reiterated that under his leadership, America will continue to prioritize ending the war in Ukraine, he wrote in a post on the social media platform X after the meeting. The people cautioned that any final decision rests with President Donald Trump. A request for comment placed with the Department of Treasury outside of business hours wasnt immediately returned. The Kremlin is aware that some U.S. officials are mulling plans to introduce new sanctions against Russia, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday, according to the Interfax news service. Its obvious that any sanctions are harmful for the process of rebuilding relations, he said. Oil briefly rose after the news. Brent futures advanced as much as 70 cents a barrel to trade as high as $60.33, before paring their advance. A raft of sanctions imposed on Russia since it launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022 havent changed Putins calculus so far. However, measures targeting Moscows oil majors and trade have seen crude prices plummet to their lowest levels since the invasion began, adding significant strain on the countrys already troubled economy. The discussions over further measures come as U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators made some advances this week toward the terms of a potential peace accord. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff was in Berlin for two days of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders over the latest proposals. U.S., Ukrainian and European officials hailed significant progress over a set of U.S.-backed guarantees to ensure Kyivs post-war security. Sticking points remain over the future status of territories in eastern Ukraine, the use of frozen Russian central bank assets and the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, some of the people said. Kyiv also wants to see in writing exactly what its allies would do should Russia re-invade Ukraine. Russia has demanded that Ukraine cede areas of the Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and that Putins troops and proxies have tried and failed to occupy since 2014. U.S. proposals have suggested turning the unoccupied area into a de-militarized or free economic zone under special administration. Its unclear whether that land would be de facto recognized as Russian under those plans and what, if any, concessions Moscow is prepared to offer in return. Kyiv and many of its allies have balked at the prospect of ceding territory to Russia and withdrawing troops from areas critical to Ukraines defense. U.S. officials also see immobilized Russian assets as part of any future peace arrangement, some of the people said, just as European leaders are set to decide later this week whether to tap the frozen assets to provide military and economic aid to Ukraine. Moscow has reacted furiously to that prospect, a sign, some of the people said, that it is trying to impede the move from materializing and is angling for an easing of sanctions on its increasingly ailing economy. With negotiations weighed down by difficult questions over territory and security guarantees, attention is shifting to Putins response, with little indication so far that hes ready to end his attacks or alter his goals. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said this week hes very much confident the war is nearing an end. Still, he told ABC News in an interview that Moscows territorial demands remain unchanged and ruled out the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine under a peace accord. Im pretty sure were on the verge of resolving this terrible crisis, Ryabkov said, without elaborating. We are prepared to have a deal, to use the word of President Trump, and my hope, keep fingers crossed, would be that it comes sooner rather than later. Swaths of sanctions on Russia have done little to boost the price of oil, a market thats moving into a surplus thats only expected to grow next year. Brent futures are down 20% this year and tumbled to the lowest since Feb. 2021 on Tuesday. The U.S. has already sanctioned four top Russian producers and, along with other Group of Seven nations, hundreds of tankers involved in transporting Moscows oil. Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, held five hours of talks with Putin at the Kremlin on Dec. 2. Zelenskyy said on Monday that he has an agreement with the U.S. to make security guarantees legally binding through a vote in Congress as part of any deal to end the war. He also said that he expects the U.S. to consult next with Russia, while Ukrainian negotiators may return to the U.S. for further talks in the coming days. -------- With assistance from Alaric Nightingale. ___ 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. European nations are constructing a defensive wall along NATO's eastern frontier as Western intelligence agencies warn Russia could be militarily capable of attacking the alliance within five years. To assist with the construction of defensive works, German forces are returning to the region on a permanent basis for the first time since World War II. Lithuania also announced Monday it will build a major training facility near the strategically critical Suwalki Gap, part of a coordinated effort which includes tank production, physical fortifications and permanent troop deployments designed to deny Russia any opportunity to sever the Baltic states from NATO. The buildup has accelerated this month as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine have stalled and Russian President Vladimir Putin threatens Europe with direct conflict. An Integrated Defense Strategy Beyond the announcement of a new training facility, Lithuania finalized an agreement on December 11 to locally assemble 41 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks by 2030. Meanwhile, Poland launched construction of its East Shield defensive network in November 2024, a 2.5-billion-dollar system spanning 700 kilometers along borders with Russia and Belarus. Germany will deploy engineering units to Poland in April 2026 on a two-year mission to support that construction. These developments address the vital strategic goal of defending the Suwalki Gap corridor that connects the Baltic states to the rest of NATO. If Russia seizes this narrow strip, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be isolated from land reinforcements. Back in April, Germany activated the 45th Panzer Brigade in Lithuania to bolster defenses in the region. Once the brigade is brought to the full strength it will consist of nearly 5,000 soldiers armed with Leopard tanks and armored vehicles. It marks the first foreign deployment of a German brigade since WWII. This force, along with Lithuania's new training facility, positions much-needed forces directly adjacent to the vulnerable corridor. The ability to pursue local tank production creates a vital repair capability that eliminates dependence on supply lines Russia could attack. If conflict breaks out and the gap comes under attack, damaged NATO armor can be restored to combat readiness locally rather than requiring movement to facilities in Germany. Meanwhile, Poland's East Shield program is continuously building an array of anti-tank ditches, concrete barriers, reinforced bunkers, surveillance systems, counter-drone technology and ammunition depots along the Polish border. Satellite imagery from late November confirmed some of the initial fortifications near Kaliningrad were under construction. "This is not just Poland's border. It is the border of the European Union and NATO," Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said in May 2024. The German deployment to Poland and Lithuania highlights Germanys commitment to bolster NATO defenses. This comes as the U.S. under the Trump administration has urged European countries to contribute more for their own defense. German Army soldiers occupy a firing position in a Leopard 2 main battle tank at a tank range at Pabrade, Lithuania, Aug. 09, 2018. The U.S. Armys Training Support Activity Europe (TSAE) conducted a final inspection of the newly built facility as TSAE is assisting NATO allies in eastern Europe develop their range and training infrastructures. (U.S. Army photo by Markus Rauchenberger) The Historical Significance of the German Deployment The historical symbolism behind the German deployments to Eastern Europe is important. Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Lithuania from June 1941 through January 1945 in a brutal campaign that killed roughly 90 percent of the country's 250,000-strong Jewish population. It was among the highest Holocaust victim rates in Europe. Lithuania had already suffered Soviet occupation since June of 1940 until the German invasion, then endured another period of brutal Soviet control after World War II. The country regained independence in 1990 after five decades of foreign control throughout the Cold War. The new German deployment serves the opposite purpose as it aims to defend Lithuanian sovereignty rather than destroying it. Berlin's permanent deployment to Lithuania and the engineering mission to Poland represent a unique and symbolic reversal of history as former adversaries now cooperate against a shared threat from the east. For Poland, which suffered over one million losses during WWII and the Holocaust against the Nazis and a brutal liberation and occupation under the Soviets, the deployment is equally impactful. German and Soviet soldiers mingle and chat shortly after their joint invasion of Poland in 1939. (Wikimedia Commons) Diplomatic Failure Accelerates Military Preparations Five hours of talks in Moscow on December 2 between Putin and U.S. envoys on the subject of ending the war in Ukraine produced no results, with Putin declaring certain provisions of the American peace proposal were "absolutely unacceptable." Days later, Putin threatened to seize all remaining Ukrainian-held territory in the Donbas region "by force" and warned Europe directly, "We are ready" for war with the continent." European leaders described the situation as reaching a "critical moment." NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned December 11 that "we are Russia's next target," warning of a potential conflict "on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured." Intelligence assessments support these warnings. Germany's Federal Intelligence Service predicts Russia will rebuild and refit its forces sufficiently enough for offensive operations against NATO by 2029. This, along with Russia's increased cooperation with China and North Korea gives reason for NATO to worry. Institute for the Study of War analyst George Barros said at a November Baltic security conference, "You might not choose to have a war with the Russians, but the Russians are certainly choosing to prepare to conduct a war against you. We're watching every day how they're preparing their economy, operational concepts and their military thinking about the next war." Denmark's intelligence service reported in October that Russia continuously conducts hybrid warfare against NATO through repeated airspace violations, aggressive naval operations and suspected infrastructure sabotage. Multiple Russian drones penetrated Polish, Romanian, Estonian and Latvian airspace in September, triggering NATO's Eastern Sentry campaign. Map of the Bucharest Nine and its nine members (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) all former members of the Warsaw Pact who cooperate to counter Russian aggression. (Wikimedia Commons) NATO Geographic Vulnerability Russia maintains approximately 12,000 troops in Kaliningrad alone, bolstered by Iskander ballistic missiles capable of striking targets across the Baltic region. Belarus also hosts Russian training grounds within miles of Polish and Lithuanian borders. Any Russian seizure of the Suwalki corridor would sever Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from reinforcement, potentially isolating the Baltic states before NATO could respond. Only two major roads and a single rail line traverse the gap. Current NATO doctrine aims to prevent any territorial loss, including the Suwalki Gap, through the use of impenetrable forward defenses. The goal would be to inflict massive losses on Russian forces, minimize lost territory, and give NATO enough time to prepare a massive response. Lithuania's new training facility, Germany's permanent stationing of a brigade there, Poland's East Shield fortifications and the plan for local tank production all serve as part of this strategic plan. Lithuania also raised its defense spending to between 5 and 6 percent of the nations GDP, becoming the first NATO member to hit the benchmark advocated by U.S. President Donald Trump. U.S. Soldiers of Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Iron, stand in formation alongside NATO allies during the Bemowo Piskie Training Area Day at BPTA, Poland, Sept. 12, 2025. The event was created in 2023 to honor the 5th Zasaw Uhlan Regiment, a famous Polish cavalry unit that helped repel the German invasion during the Battle of Drygay and Biaa Piska in 1939. The event underscored the Multinational Battlegroups commitment to building trust with the Polish community and NATO through professionalism and demonstrated capability. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Pfc. Andre Gremillion Jr.) The New Strategic Reality The massive defense effort in Eastern Europe shows that NATO members have realized the continent must assume responsibility for its own security. With the Trump administration reviewing global force deployments and pressing NATO members to increase spending, European powers are establishing military infrastructure necessary for sustained defense without guaranteed American support. The parallels to Cold War-era Europe are numerous. Russia is currently invading its neighbor, while it continues to rebuild its military capacity. The country also conducts aggressive military exercises and launches periodic incursions along NATO borders. German Armed Forces soldiers, assigned to 2nd Company, Jagerbataillon 1, dismount from a GTKBoxer armored transport vehicle during Saber Strike 24 at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, April 18, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Randis Monroe) Meanwhile, European nations continue to construct physical barriers, expand their defense budgets and station increasing numbers of combat forces along the Eastern border. Even Germany has permanently stationed troops abroad for the first time in eight decades. Germany plans to spearhead the effort to defend NATO against any Russian land provocations. The deployment of German forces to Poland and Lithuania represents a resurgence of German military spending and preparation. However, modern warfare now incorporates cyber attacks, drone swarms and GPS jamming alongside conventional forces. Russia lacks the Soviet Union's ideological appeal and economic power, relying instead on military force and energy leverage. Many have argued that these developments mark a new Cold War. Whether that is true or not, Russia poses a serious threat to European sovereignty while NATO members increase their cooperation to deter any further Russian attacks. For Sae Joon Park, its not political. The U.S. Army veteran simply wants Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to acknowledge whats happening to veterans in her own department. Noem was called into Capitol Hill last Wednesday to testify to members of Congress concerning recent actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The hearing took a surprisingly awkward turn when Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-Rhode Island) quizzed Noem on recent deportations involving veterans. Madam Secretary, how many U.S. military veterans have you deported? Magaziner asked. Sir, we have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans, Noem said. Thats when an assistant to Magaziner brought up an iPad with Parks face on the screen. The veteran was on live video from his new home in South Korea. After living in Hawaii for more than two decades, Park decided to self-deport back to his native Korea in June, a place he hasnt called home for nearly 50 years. Sae Joon Park as a young Army soldier in Panama in 1989. (Submitted photo) Wounded in Panama Park, 55, received a Purple Heart for his service in Operation Just Cause in 1989 to overthrow Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. He told NPR earlier this year that his platoon was ambushed one day while eating lunch. Panamanian soldiers opened fire, and Park, attempting to return fire, was shot in the back. I realized I was shot, he told NPR. So, I'm thinking, Oh my God, Im paralyzed. And then thinking, Oh my God, Im not just paralyzed. Im dying right now. Park was shot twice, but one of the bullets hit his dog tag, somewhat lessening the impact. After being transported back to the U.S., Park was honorably discharged. Like many other veterans, for Park, physical wounds healed, but mental scars remained. I was suffering from PTSD severely, he said. From sleeping nightmares to like, having just fearful thoughts all the time. Couldnt watch horror movies, couldnt hear loud noises. Park didnt realize he was suffering from PTSD, and instead of receiving mental health treatment, he began abusing drugs to try to numb his pain. He was addicted to crack cocaine for most of his 20s and 30s. One night in New York, he was arrested while trying to purchase drugs. Park skipped a court hearing and, along with drug possession, he was charged with bail jumping. While he eventually turned his life around and maintains hes been drug-free for more than 15 years, Parks criminal past made becoming a citizen harder. Typically, the U.S. allows expedited naturalization for veterans who served a year in the military. Park was discharged prior to completing 12 months, and the Panamanian invasion was not considered a period of hostility. While Magaziner noted Parks drug charges from a couple of decades ago, they werent violent crimes, the congressman argued, affecting only Park. Im grateful for every single person who has served, Noem responded. But the immigration laws must be enforced. Sae Joon Park, left, with his son when Park was still living in Hawaii. (Submitted photo) Trying to Adapt to Korea Meanwhile, Park has spent the past few months trying to adapt to his foreign surroundings in South Korea. He hasnt abandoned the thought of one day returning to the U.S. Im doing well in Korea these past six months but I still hope to return to the place I consider home, Park told Island News. Park tries to stay positive. His son and daughter lifted his spirits with a visit to South Korea recently, but its difficult calling this new land home. I have my moments I go through my PTSD moments, but I try to make the most of every day. A Pathway Back? Park has been working with attorneys for the past several months. They said all they want from the surprise video appearance at the hearing is for Americans to realize including Noem that veterans are being targeted for deportation, like Godfrey Wade, an Army veteran who has spent the past three months in a Georgia detention center, fearing he will soon be sent to his native Jamaica. I just hope she realizes whats actually happening out there and not answer things that arent true, Park said. Facing Noem in a public setting thrusts a spotlight onto what is really happening to some veterans, Parks lawyer said. While Magaziner and Noems exchange was tense, it could lead to action for Park. Will you commit to looking at Mr. Parks case and see if you can help him find a pathway back? Magaziner asked. Saying immigration programs need to have integrity, Noem said, I will absolutely look at his case. Parks attorneys are examining his drug conviction in New York, hoping to get the crime reclassified as a misdemeanor, which might open the door to Park returning to the U.S. Im grateful for my team and all the support Ive been getting, Park said. I pray every day that the results will bring me back home. The December Pacific Strikes On December 15, U.S. military forces struck three small boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing eight people in what officials described as a counter-drug operation conducted in international waters. U.S. Southern Command announced that the vessels were suspected of supporting narcotics trafficking networks and referred to those killed as narco-terrorists. Public reporting confirms the strikes occurred, but it does not yet establish that the boats were carrying drugs or weapons at the time they were destroyed. The Associated Press reported the incident based on official military statements and video footage released by Southern Command, noting that the government did not provide evidence of contraband aboard the vessels. According to the military, the first strike killed three people, the second killed two, and the third killed three. Southern Command released a video showing one boat exploding after being hit from the air, though the footage does not show hostile activity or illicit cargo. Officials framed the operation as necessary to disrupt trafficking routes before drugs reach the United States, yet they did not explain whether interdiction, boarding, or capture was attempted before lethal force was used. The USS George Washington transits the Philippine Sea, Dec. 10, 2025. The George Washington is the Navy's premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States' commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region (Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Crowley, DoW). A Broader Shift Toward Military Force The Pacific strikes fit within a broader pattern that has emerged in recent months. The United States has increasingly relied on military force, rather than traditional law enforcement interdiction, to address drug trafficking beyond its borders. Senior officials have repeatedly described trafficking organizations as narco-terrorists, a rhetorical shift that carries legal implications. Terrorism framing suggests a national security threat rather than ordinary criminal conduct, which in turn appears to justify the use of military assets and lethal force. Regional reporting indicates this campaign has already resulted in dozens of deaths across maritime zones in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. Members of Congress have begun to question the administration about the scope of the operations and the absence of publicly articulated limits. Lawmakers have been pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the legal authority for the strikes and on whether the administration has adopted clear rules governing when lethal force may be used against suspected traffickers. The administration has not identified a specific statutory authorization for using military force against drug-smuggling suspects in international waters. Officials instead rely on generalized national security rhetoric and assert links between drug trafficking and organized violence. The Legal Framework Remains Unclear Outside of a recognized armed conflict, international law sharply limits when states may use lethal force. Operations aimed at suppressing criminal activity are governed by international human rights law, even when conducted extraterritorially. Under that framework, lethal force is lawful only when strictly necessary to protect life and when no lesser means are available. Suspicion of criminal activity alone does not satisfy that standard. Human Rights Watch has warned that U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats risk constituting unlawful killings if the government cannot demonstrate either the existence of an armed conflict or an imminent threat to life. In a briefing published this week, the organization emphasized that labeling individuals as narco-terrorists does not itself create legal authority to kill them. The analysis explains that, absent active hostilities, states must prioritize arrest and interdiction over lethal force. Even if the government were to assert an armed conflict, international humanitarian law would still require distinction, proportionality, and military necessity, none of which can be assessed without disclosure of targeting intelligence. The USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. sails alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln during a refueling in the Pacific Ocean, Dec. 10, 2025 (Navy Seaman Angel Campbell, DoW). Regional and Diplomatic Implications U.S. military strikes on small vessels in international waters carry predictable diplomatic consequences. Governments in Latin America have long expressed concern about the militarization of U.S. counter-drug policy, particularly when it bypasses cooperative law enforcement frameworks. Venezuelan officials have condemned similar operations as unlawful uses of force, even when conducted outside territorial waters. These operations risk normalizing a practice in which suspected criminals become military targets without trial, capture, or public proof. That precedent does not remain confined to U.S. policy. What the Pacific Strikes Signal The December strikes reflect a shift in how the United States approaches drug trafficking. The problem is increasingly framed as a security threat to be eliminated rather than a criminal enterprise to be disrupted through arrest and prosecution. That shift carries legal and moral consequences. Without clear legal authority, transparent evidentiary standards, and meaningful oversight, the distinction between enforcement and execution erodes quickly. The Pacific operation leaves unresolved questions that will persist. What legal framework governs these strikes? What evidentiary threshold authorizes lethal force? What mechanisms exist to investigate error or abuse? Until the administration answers those questions publicly, each additional strike deepens concern that the United States is expanding military power into an area where the law demands restraint. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A federal judge has ruled that the state of Michigan lacks the authority to shut down the controversial Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. On Wednesday, Dec. 17, U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker granted summary judgment to Enbridge and permanently barred the state from enforcing Gov. Gretchen Whitmers 2020 order revoking the pipelines easement and requiring it to shut down. In a 45-page ruling, Jonker stated that the federal Pipeline Safety Act of 1992 expressly preempts state attempts to regulate interstate pipeline safety and puts that authority exclusively with the federal government. Pipeline safety generally, and protection of the Straits of Mackinac, are critical interests to be sure, Jonker wrote. But when it comes to Line 5, they are the responsibility of the United States and Michigan lacks the power to interfere. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels office said that the state is weighing an appeal, which would go to the U.S. Sixth Circuit. From our own preliminary review, it appears this opinion is wrongly decided on the law and an affront to Michigans sovereign interests in managing the use and occupation of its submerged lands, said Nessel spokesman Danny Wimmer. Wimmer said Nessels office is consulting with the governors office and Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which holds the pipeline easement, to review of the opinion and determination of next steps, which could include efforts to appeal this ruling. Enbridge called the ruling a decisive rejection of Michigans shutdown effort. The company never complied with Whitmers 2020 order, which launched a drawn-out and complex litigation battle between Michigan and the Canadian pipeline giant. The courts decision safeguards both the United States and Canada from the significant energy disruptions that would have resulted from a closure, said Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy. Duffy said the fact that the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) hasnt acted against the 72-year-old Line 5 segment reflects its safe operation. Line 5 is a 645-mile pipeline that carries crude oil and natural gas liquids from Wisconsin to Canada through Michigan. About four miles of it run under Lake Michigan near the Mackinac Bridge. The state ordered Enbridge to stop operating that segment in November 2020, arguing the 1953 easement allowing the pipelines violated the public trust doctrine and that the aging infrastructure posed an unacceptable spill risk. The pipeline runs exposed along the lakebed and has been struck by passing ship anchors in recent years. Jonker rejected those arguments, ruling that Michigans shutdown order and its reliance on easement conditions and the public trust doctrine amounted to an impermissible state safety determination. The judge also found that Michigans attempt to revoke the easement conflicted with U.S. foreign policy and ongoing treaty obligations with Canada. The United States and Canada both filed briefs supporting Enbridge, warning that a forced shutdown would interfere with cross-border energy trade governed by a 1977 transit treaty. Canada formally invoked the treatys dispute resolution process in 2021. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief in September, warning that allowing states to impose their own safety judgments would create an untenable patchwork of regulations. Pipeline opponents called the ruling atrocious. At a time when federal environmental rollbacks are increasingly common, stripping states of their power to act as stewards of their own natural resources is especially heinous, said Beth Wallace, Great Lakes climate and energy director for the National Wildlife Federation. States are often the first line of defense for the environment. While this narrow interpretation of preemption threatens to hold the health of the Great Lakes hostage, it does not mean that the fight to shut down Line 5 is over. Jonkers ruling does not resolve the broader fight over the future of Line 5, including Enbridges plan to replace the exposed dual pipeline segments under the straits with a new line housed inside a utility tunnel drilled deep beneath the lakebed. Opponents of the tunnel project have argued it could shift long-term financial and environmental liability onto Michigan taxpayers. Under a 2018 law, a state authority would own the tunnel and lease it back to Enbridge once construction is complete, a structure critics say exposes the state to groundwater management, structural failures and cleanup costs if a disaster occurs. Enbridge has rejected those claims, saying existing agreements fully indemnify the state. Legal challenges to the tunnel continue separately in state court and the Michigan Supreme Court is reviewing whether the state public service commission adequately evaluated public trust and environmental impacts before approving the project in 2023. Nessels office said Wednesday that its separate lawsuit seeking to shut down Line 5 under state law remains pending in Ingham County. Nessel argues the 1953 easement authorizing Line 5 to cross the lakebed has been invalid since its inception because it violates the public trust doctrine, and that the pipelines presence violates the Michigan Environmental Protection Act and constitutes a public nuisance. EMPIRE, MI -- Projected 12-feet above their heads, students will experience what its like to be at the bottom of a tunnel of salmon, racing along the Platte River and diving deep in Lake Michigan. This immersive, educational experience is coming to schools for free through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Last year, the National Lakeshores educational team unveiled a new program, Sleeping Bear from Below to project onto an inflatable dome. The traveling dome brings the experience right into the classroom - as long as they have high enough ceilings. At 12-feet high and 17-feet wide, the projection dome brings kids face-to-face with aquatic invasive species. The underwater documentary by Canadian-based Inspired Planet Productions captured aquatic life in the Platte River, Good Harbor Reef and Lake Michigan. The film crew used both a 180-degree camera on a tripod and a lens mounted on a roaming robotic ROV camera to capture life underwater in 2024. Sleeping Bear did a test run with youth campers and Traverse City students to get the educational messaging digestible for 3rd through 5th graders. So far the program has reached 115 youth. The feedback from kids has been amazing said Dave Fenlon, education lead and interpretive park ranger. Students wrote to the education team saying they want to become scuba divers and park rangers. One memorable third grader exclaimed, this is the best day of my life! For his part, Fenlon said he feels like he gets to embody Ms. Frizzle in The Magic School Bus as he and 25 students go on an underwater adventure in the dome. Outside the dome, another 25 students can participate in an activity station. The Educational Team at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is sharing the film, "Sleeping Bear from Below" with Michigan students for free. The underwater documentary by Inspired Planet Productions shows footage from ROV cameras that captured a "tunnel of salmon" among other aquatic life in the Platte River, Good Harbor Reef and Lake Michigan. (NPS) NPS The program will travel within 50 miles of Sleeping Bears Empire headquarters. The ranger-led programs are completely free. Educators can sign up now for a ranger-led visit to their school. Find in-school programming details, here. Host sites will need a high-ceilinged room to fit the dome as well as an electrical outlet accessible to plug in the electronics used with the dome. A school gymnasium is ideal to meet all those needs. The planetarium is accessible for students with physical disabilities and learning accommodations can be noted in the application. The full program takes approximately one hour. This can be adjusted slightly depending on educators needs. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore's portable, inflatable planetarium dome presents night sky stories from Ancient Greece to the Great Lakes' Anishinaabe tribes during its free programming. (NPS) NPS The educational team first bought the planetarium through a federal National Park Foundation grant for its Sharing Star Stories program. That constellation program was highly successful in its first year, Fenlon said, reaching 2,000 students during the 2023-24 school year. The focus of Sleeping Bear from Below is on invasive quagga mussels, their impacts on aquatic ecosystems, and teaching students how they can help prevent these mussels from spreading. Educational outreach about aquatic invasive species is a key component of what the educational team does as part of its funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. People walk on a Lake Michigan lookout point trail at Pyramid Point inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Northern Michigan, photo taken in June of 2022. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com) Joel Bissell | MLive.com Sleeping Bear teamed up with Inspired Planet Productions after they filmed their documentary, All Too Clear, which is a reference to those Caribbean blues tourists remark on when theyre standing at the top of Pyramid Point. The water is not suppose to be that clear, Fenlon said. Thats actually the result of the invasive mussels eating up the plankton that would typically cloud the water. The documentary explores the ripple effects of the invasive quagga mussels such as the disturbance in the food chain has caused a drop in whitefish populations. HOUGHTON, MI The truest sign of winter in the Keweenaw Peninsula is here: The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is now open to snowmobile traffic. The bridge, which connects Houghton and Hancock, serves as a critical link in the peninsulas 230-mile snowmobiling trail network. Opening the crossing in time for the holiday season will bring some early Christmas joy to riders this year, said Brad Barnett, executive director of Visit Keweenaw. RELATED: Snow-covered trees give way to mountaintop views of Lake Superior at this U.P. snowmobiling destination The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is seen in its lowered position as crews prepare the lower level for snowmobile crossings. The crossing is now open for the 2025-26 season. Visit Keweenaw The crossing uses the lower deck of the worlds largest and heaviest double-decker lift bridge. It can only be opened after the U.S. Coast Guard closes the shipping route through the Portage Canal, which allows the bridge to be lowered. In this position, vehicles use the upper deck while snowmobiles cross below. Early snowfall and cold weather, resulting in ice on the canal, helped bring about the early opening. RELATED: Why a Chook Drop is a U.P. New Years tradition After the shipping route was closed and the bridge was lowered, snow was hauled and dumped onto the lower deck and then groomed for snowmobiling. The city of Houghton and the Keweenaw Snowmobile Club partner on the annual project. The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is seen in its lowered position as crews prepare the lower level for snowmobile crossings. The crossing is now open for the 2025-26 season. Visit Keweenaw Snowmobilers can now ride continuous routes from Copper Harbor to Mass City and Greenland on groomed snowmobile trails. Communities like Calumet and Copper Harbor welcome riders with direct sled access to shops, restaurants and lodging. LANSING, MI Robert Minard, the former chief of staff to ex-House Speaker Lee Chatfield, and his wife, Anne Minard, once a Chatfield political consultant, were sentenced to three years of probation. Robert Minard, 48, and Anne Minard, 38, of Bath Township, were sentenced Wednesday, Dec. 17, by Ingham County Circuit Judge James Jamo. According to plea agreements, six-month jail sentences will not have to be served if they successfully complete probation. They also have to testify against Chatfield, R-Levering, at future hearings. Chatfield, 37, awaits trial on charges he misused state, campaign and non-profit funds. His wife, Stephanie Chatfield, 37, is accused of embezzlement from a non-profit organization. They are scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 12 in Ingham County Circuit Court. The Minards faced multiple felony charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise, for their roles in allegedly misappropriating funds from non-profit organizations and political action committees linked to the former speaker. Robert Minard earlier pleaded guilty to larceny by false pretenses involving between $20,000 and $50,000 for taking funds from Working Together for a Better Michigan, an independent political action committee, and the political candidates who were supposed to be assisted by the PAC. Anne Minard had pleaded guilty to embezzlement between $1,000 and $20,000 from the Peninsula Fund, a nonprofit. Both also pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. OAKLAND COUNTY, MI The Oakland County Health Division has confirmed its second measles case of the year. Health officials are asking anyone who was at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce Township from 7:20 p.m. to 11:10 p.m. on Dec. 7 to monitor for symptoms. Measles symptoms include the following: high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, white spots on inner cheeks, gums and roof of mouth 2-3 days after the symptoms begin and a rash that is red, raised and blotchy. Officials recommend anyone who develops symptoms to call ahead to their health care provider. Measles symptoms usually begin 7-14 days after exposure but can appear up to 21 days after exposure, according to a news release from the county health division. Vaccination is the most effective tool we have to prevent the spread of measles, said Kate Guzman, Oakland County health officer. The measles (MMR) vaccine helps protect our communitys most vulnerable which includes infants, children with medical conditions, and others who cannot be vaccinated. Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that is spread by direct person-to-person contact and through the air. The MMR vaccine is available through Oakland County Health Division offices in Southfield and Pontiac, according to the release. Michigans auditor general determined in late September that the state isnt doing a sufficient job protecting the rights of recipients of public mental health services. The audit of the Office of Recipient Rights found eight conditions of concern, four of which were deemed material, or more serious. As of Wednesday, Dec. 17 -- 11 weeks after the report published -- the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was on step five of an 11-step process to propose and adopt changes to address those concerns. That timeline isnt adequate, according to Sen. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills. He wants to codify a new process that requires quicker department changes and more accountability to the Legislature. The department agrees with many of the problems outlined in the audit, but no action has been taken, Webber said. Months later, we still dont know what the departments plan is to protect these vulnerable patients. Senate Bill 754 would require a department head to submit a plan to comply with audit recommendations within 60 days if an audit determines the department is failing in its responsibilities. Failure to submit a plan would prompt the state budget director to notify the Legislature, the auditor general and the governor to ensure appropriate oversight and action is taken. According to MDHHS, it submitted its corrective action plan months ago in the form of its responses to the audit findings. Those responses were published in the Sept. 30 auditor general report. A spokesperson for the department indicated theyre going through the process laid out by the State Budget Office. The agency has received feedback on its plan from the Office of Internal Audit Services and is working toward a Jan. 14 deadline to submit its final correction action plan letter. But Webber said that process isnt solidified in state law and could be changed by the state budget director at any time. He wants to cement the timeline and add transparency. Webber said creating a compliance plan should be the easiest part of the process and taking until January is unacceptable. Lawmakers want to evaluate the plan and use it to craft legislative changes moving forward. The proposed bill was introduced Wednesday and referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for further consideration. The Sept. 30 auditor generals report examined the Office of Recipient Rights, housed within MDHHS. It found the agency hasnt always looked into or acted on complaints of alleged abuse, neglect, serious injury or death in a timely manner. Additionally, the audit found ORR investigations into complaints were hindered by missing or broken video and audio surveillance systems at Michigans five state psychiatric hospitals. MDHHS said it recognizes there are opportunities for process improvements and has taken steps to improve the timeliness of reports, seek additional staffing, and improve the ORR training process. However, the department took issue with some issues raised in the audit. The department notes that some findings by the (OAG) were outside of their scope of knowledge, such as how to categorize complaints and what evidence is necessary to establish a preponderance of evidence to determine if a right has been violated, the department said in a statement. They relied on their own expectations on how ORR should operate versus the requirements of the Mental Health Code and standards established through education and training. The U.S. Coast Guard and a Great Lakes freighter recently teamed up for an impressive training day on Lake Michigan. The crew of our M/V James R. Barker, a 1,004-foot cargo-hauling freighter, welcomed a helicopter from USCG Air Station Traverse City for a joint operation, Interlake Steamship Company shared on social media. U.S. Coast Guard teams up with the M/V James R. Barker for precision maneuver training on Lake Michigan. Logan Vasicek | Interlake Steamship Company Mate Logan Vasicek captured photos and video footage of the action as the helicopter crew executed a precision maneuver to land a rescue swimmer on the ships aft cabin. It was a rare and challenging feat, according to the post. Once the rescue swimmer was aboard the ship, he visited the pilothouse and was given a treat. He asked about the Barker Bark, so we let him blow the whistle, which the whole helicopter crew had been hoping to hear, Logan said. U.S. Coast Guard teams up with the M/V James R. Barker for precision maneuver training on Lake Michigan. Logan Vasicek | Interlake Steamship Company The helicopter crew also practiced lowering a rescue basket onto the deck. U.S. Coast Guard teams up with the M/V James R. Barker for precision maneuver training on Lake Michigan. Logan Vasicek | Interlake Steamship Company ANN ARBOR, MI Ann Arbor Public Schools are not on the verge of another financial crisis, district officials said ahead of a mid-year budget update before school board members set for Wednesday. Its been a year and a half since a $25 million budget shortfall rocked AAPS, spurring staff layoffs and other cuts. Although the issue has colored concerns for teachers, parents and members of the school community, district leaders say theyve taken several steps to right the ship. Some of the expected mid-year amendments to the current 2025-26 AAPS budget come on the heels of a massive state budget delay that forced local schools to start the year without firm financial commitments from Lansing. The rest, local officials said, come as a normal part of doing business even if the picture on paper shows numbers in the red. We dont have a deficit. There isnt one. This is a normal part of our budgeting process, AAPS Superintendent Jazz Parks said during an interview Tuesday. And because we have made some hard decisions over the past two years, it does not constitute a crisis such (as what) we faced a couple of years ago. We are very intentionally and steadfastly trying to right our financial circumstances. So, where does this district deficit concern come from? When asked, Parks and school board officials acknowledged some concerns recently aired on social media and a circulating call to action highlighting an alleged shortfall of several million dollars. According to a general fund update in November, the district is citing close to $7.8 million less in special education funds distributed through the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. This revenue source reimburses districts for funds spent on special ed services the previous school year, and officials confirmed Ann Arbors multi-million-dollar decrease reflects funds the district didnt spend. Part of that was right-sizing staff, or the overall practice of not replacing some teachers and other support positions after they retire or leave AAPS. Parks said that $7.8 million also reflects funds not spent on costs of services to students with individualized education plans (IEPs), special ed transportation, and other compensatory services beyond the school year. We get what we spend, she said. So, thats why the reimbursement becomes something that usually we get about 97% of, approximately, from year to year. That had been trending up for the past few years. So, were still digging into some of the specifics. On Tuesday, Ann Arbor School Board Treasurer Don Wilkerson agreed theyre still trying to pare down the root cause of the reimbursement issue. District officials have been outspoken in recent months about the shortage of special education teachers, while paraprofessionals or teaching assistants, who often work in classrooms with students with special needs, cited a lack of support earlier this year. The state budget also significantly shifted costs under the statewide public school employees retirement system with AAPS gaining over $2 million to support retiree health care but losing close to $1.7 million in funds typically allocated to help offset retirement contributions owed by the district. Ann Arbor schools are getting a $671,738 increase in per-student funding from the state this year, as well as $875,547 more to support at-risk students. Officials said they expected those items to be included in the budget amendment Wednesday. Ann Arbor schools financial health is where its expected to be, officials say Righting a ship after a massive financial crisis is a long-term game. AAPS officials on Tuesday hinted at the reality in references to, as Parks put it, responsible but difficult and challenging decisions over time. Its also a process that comes with obvious signs of progress. When headed into the 2024-25 school year, still grappling with shortfall challenges in bringing back laid-off staff, AAPS had a fund balance, or rough savings, at 2.2% of expenditures far below the state mandated and average levels among districts across Michigan. Now, some of those difficult decisions are helping boost up that balance level. The districts audited fund balance by the end of the last school year was at $21.6 million or just over 7% of school spending. It is projected to be $15.8 million or over 5%. Officials said thats what they expected. Ann Arbor School Board President Torchio Feaster said soon after he joined the board, he learned the district ended up on a state watchlist for falling below the state-required minimum fund balance of 5%. Earlier this month, Parks said the Michigan Department of Treasury released the district from its early warning reporting process after a review of its finances. Were being fiscally responsible. Were upholding our fiduciary responsibilities, Feaster said, and were doing what we have to do to grow our fund balance and to put this district on the strongest possible footing so that we can give our teachers and staff everything that they want when we are in a better place to be able to provide those things. A big part of the process moving forward, Wilkerson said, will be redeveloping AAPS strategic plan throughout the school year. There are different levers that you can pull in the budgeting process, whether its class size, programming, et cetera. But we want to go through whats important to our community and what priorities we have as a district, he said. We want to hear from parents, we want to hear from teachers and educators and our students to really kind of paint a good picture of what we what this district to look like in the next three to five years. Ann Arbor School Board members regular meeting is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the Earhart Administration Building, 3700 Earhart Road. It follows a bond committee meeting and special board meeting at 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively. ANN ARBOR, MI Immigrant rights advocates are speaking out about a recent incident in Ann Arbor, arguing federal immigration agents shouldnt be allowed in city facilities. Members of local grassroots group MIRA, the Movement for Immigrant Rights Action, shared their concerns with City Council Monday, Dec. 15. They cited an incident in which federal agents reportedly went to the Ann Arbor Police Department with a detained immigrant who needed to use the bathroom. I urge the Ann Arbor City Council to ban ICE from all municipal buildings, said Ann Arbor resident Richard Stahler-Sholk, a retired Eastern Michigan University professor. We can say no ... to ICE in municipal buildings for any reason that facilitates their capturing, detaining and deporting our community members, Mary Anne Perrone said. Theres no reason for us to help them, even if someone has to go to the bathroom. City Administrator Milton Dohoney said the city does not have a policy baring anyone or any groups from city facilities. As for the incident in question, it was U.S. Border Patrol that called an AAPD desk phone asking if a person they had in custody could use the restroom, Dohoney said. They indicated that wherever they were headed was miles away and the person had an urgent need, he said. Responding from a strictly humane standpoint, the staff person said OK, Dohoney said. That was the last interaction anyone from AAPD had with the agents, he said, and they did not call back whenever they got to the building. Washtenaw County sheriffs deputies interacted with the agents upon arrival and the deputies facilitated their use of a restroom, and then they left, Dohoney said. MIRA co-founder Laura Sanders said her group received a video of the incident at about 3 p.m. Nov. 18, showing two immigration agents escorting a woman out of the police department. This has confused the community and broken trust, she said, saying some community members dont believe the explanation AAPD was just letting the woman use the restroom. As far as we know, the Ann Arbor police did not inquire about the lawfulness of this arrest or try to stop it in any way, Sanders said. AAPD spokesperson Chris Page referred questions about the incident to Dohoney. City Council members have not indicated they see a problem with what transpired. While I understand and take seriously the anxiety that our community is experiencing as a result of the actions of the federal government, I fully support allowing the detained woman to use our restroom, said Council Member Dharma Akmon, D-4th Ward. It would be unfathomable to ignore her human need and dignity, Akmon said. A spokesperson for Border Patrol was unable to provide further details about the circumstances of the womans detainment. Mayor Christopher Taylor said he believes the Trump administration is trying to carry out ethnic cleansing. Masked agents in the streets are un-American and inhumane, he said. Thats why we do not and will not cooperate with ICE and thats why we will always do everything we can to support and care for those who are targeted. Sanders said she appreciates the citys stance in support of immigrants, but the city still shouldnt be telling the feds, We wont cooperate with you, but come on and use our toilet. We ask the mayor of Ann Arbor and the City Council to join collaborative efforts to expand your policies to prohibit ICE from entering any municipal buildings or using any of our local resources to carry out their brutal, unlawful and inhumane enforcement activities, she said. This has been accomplished in Chicago by Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County authorities who have deemed municipal buildings ICE-free zones, so we know it can be done and we hope that you will do it here, Sanders said. If Ann Arbor stands as it says it does with fairness, kindness, legality and compassion, it will do all in its power to enact policies to say no to ICE, Perrone said. She also raised concerns about federal agents wearing masks, saying the city should adopt a local policy that all law enforcement officers must show their faces and badge numbers. Advocacy group Human Rights Firsts latest monthly ICE Flight Monitor report, tracking deportation flights and transfers of immigrants between detention centers, shows there were 73 outbound flights from the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti Township between January and November. Hardworking immigrant friends and neighbors are living in fear, Stahler-Sholk said. Our neighbors are being ripped off the street and forcibly disappeared every day in our communities, he said. Let us not be like the good Germans who looked the other way in the 1930s and 40s until it was too late. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. YPSILANTI TWP., MI A township in eastern Washtenaw County has adopted new local rules limiting where data centers can be built. The change comes as Michigan experiences an influx of proposals for massive hyperscale data center facilities that would power artificial intelligence and other computing technologies. Ypsilanti Township officials have decided to allow data centers only on land zoned for industrial and commercial revitalization uses. Would-be developers could propose a data center as a special land use in those zoning districts. Data centers will not be allowed on land in the township zoned for any other uses. The Ypsilanti Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday, Dec. 16 to amend the townships zoning ordinance to reflect the change in rules. When the township adopted its most recent zoning ordinance in 2022, data centers were smaller and required less power than the hyperscale data centers some Big Tech giants are currently trying to build across the state. Data and Computing Centers were much smaller in size 5-10 years ago as data wasnt processed at the size and scale it is today, township planning director Mark Yandrick wrote in a memo. There has been an increased demand nationwide for data and computing centers as both data and artificial intelligence (AI) research, development, and storage has increased, Yandrick said. These larger facilities require significantly more electricity and water, which also can impact the surrounding environment, as well as the capacity of these utilities, he said. Data and computing centers could also generate noise that could negatively affect nearby residential neighborhoods. Data centers constitute a more intense land use that is incompatible with areas zoned for lighter industry, neighborhood services, and other uses, Yandrick concluded. No commercial hyperscale data centers are currently proposed in Ypsilanti Township. However, township officials have been pushing back against a smaller, non-commercial high-performance computing facility the University of Michigan is pursuing in partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory, which was announced late last year. In that case, the townships newly approved limitations of where data centers can go do not apply. Thats due to laws that exempt the University of Michigan and Los Alamos from local building and zoning laws. But the new local restrictions would apply to any other data center proposals that might come into the township in the future that are not exempt from local control. Locating data centers on existing industrial brownfield sites is most appropriate, and would minimize impact to the township and also have greater access to existing utilities and infrastructure, Yandrick wrote in the memo. The university has been looking to purchase land off Textile Road in the township, potentially as a site for the facility. It would power classified federal government research and non-classified university research in a wide variety of sciences and technologies. The university also previously announced it was reentering negotiations on the former site of a General Motors facility west of Willow Run Airport in the township. Ypsilanti Township officials have pushed back against locating the universitys project with Los Alamos on Textile Road, asking that the facility go on land they say would be more fit for a data center. At an Ypsilanti Township board meeting in August, township officials unanimously passed a motion that directed the townships planning commission to start the process of restricting data centers to industrial and commercial redevelopment areas. At that same meeting, they also passed a resolution opposing siting the university and Los Alamos project on Textile Road. Most recently, Michigan Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr. (D-32) introduced a bill aiming to rescind a $100 million grant awarded last year by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC). Ypsilanti Township is also asking the state to claw back the grant to the university. Although the project was initially proposed to MEDC as approximately 20 acres, the universitys Board of Regents approved the purchase of an additional 124 acres in June, after receiving the grant. The University of Michigan opposes any effort to rescind funds that are advancing one of the State of Michigans highest research priorities and fully intends to deliver on the commitments made under SOAR, Chris Kolb, the universitys vice president of government relations, said in a statement. The legislative effort to rescind the funds is based on inaccurate information, Kolb said. The university is moving as efficiently as possible with external infrastructure partners and subject-matter experts to complete site reviews responsibly and with due diligence," he said. A final decision on where the computing facility would go will come after comprehensive reviews are complete, he said. The university has also met with Ypsilanti Township leaders numerous times over the past year and we have shared information as the technical evaluations are completed. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. ANN ARBOR, MI The University of Michigan is now home to the film papers of a four-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director. The UM Librarys Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers Collection has acquired the archive of Lawrence Kasdan, known for the screenplays behind the Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises, according to a Dec. 11 University Record update. The collection houses the papers of filmmakers Orson Welles, Robert Altman and John Sayles, among other notable stars. Researchers will first have access to papers for films from the 1980s. The rest of the archive, which includes unsold and unproduced scripts as well as photographs from a deleted scene with actor Kevin Costner in the film The Big Chill, which tells the story of UM alumni, will be completed in the next 18 months, the update states. The Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers Collection previously acquired the archive of the late award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Jonathan Demme in 2018. Demmes collection includes materials from his work directing the Academy Award-winning Silence of the Lambs and the acclaimed Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense. Read more: UMich acquires archive of Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme Philip Hallman, film studies field librarian at UM, oversees efforts to organize Kasdans works before researchers have access to them, the University Record update states. Hallman has completed about one-third of the organizational work, according to the University Record. His career is distinct in many ways, Hallman said in the update. Unlike the others, he worked within the studio system, but unlike most within that system, he was able to direct his own screenplays, and so his films are very much infused with his unique viewpoint and vision. During his process, Hallman found photo collections of Kasdans film crews in his archive. Hallman said in the update Kasdans papers are well organized, to which Kasdan credits his assistants and his interest in documenting his filmmaking processes. I valued the records, and I wanted them compiled into an archive in case someone wanted them, Kasdan said. Kasdans screenwriting and directing credits include Body Heat, Silverado and The Accidental Tourist. He received his bachelors degree from UM in 1970 and his masters degree in 1972. He wanted to go to the university after a friend told him about the writing prizes from the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and the Arts Hopwood Awards Program, which also funded playwright Arthur Millers projects. At UM, Kasdan was a member of the student organization Cinema Guild, which screened films across genres for the university community. It was a crazy, wonderful time, Kasdan said in the update. It was like a starving man suddenly offered all this stuff to eat. He proved to people that he could be both a screenwriter and director, according to the update. But Kasdan also faced his fair share of rejections. His screenplay for the film The Bodyguard was rejected 67 times, the update states. Kasdan also did not restrict himself to one filmmaking genre, Hallman said in the update. Moviegoing for him was about all the different genres Westerns, screwball comedies, film noir, old-school serial dramas and he used aspects of all of them in the stories he wanted to tell, Hallman said. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. FLINT, MI -- The city has told employees to stay out of a basement area in Flints municipal office complex after employees raised concerns about potential mold thats been uncovered in the area. Photos of the area show black staining along the floor and up the walls in a hallway of City Hall North, which links the Police Department to the primary City Hall building. A city spokesman said an air quality test was carried out at the Police Department on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and testing will expand to the North City Hall building on Wednesday, Dec. 17, in response to concerns. Test results are expected within four business days, according to the city, which did not immediately respond to a request for additional information from MLive-The Flint Journal. John Cramer, president of the Flint Police Officers Association, said employees, who have been concerned about workplace air quality for years, need more information about how extensive the recently revealed water damage is and plans to remedy any mold issues. Cramer said Tuesday that officers noticed the exposed damage on Monday, Dec. 15, and complained of allergic-type symptoms. We just want to make sure its (dealt with) correctly, and everything is going to be taken care of the right way ... not just sprayed over, Cramer said on Tuesday. We dont want a patch on the boo-boo. We want it fixed right. Flint City Council members unanimously agreed on Nov. 12 for the city to do all things necessary to test for mold and other potential hazards in the police headquarters building on Fifth Street after complaints from officers and retirees. Councilwoman Tonya Burns (Ward 6), who proposed the action, said on Tuesday that she has received complaints about the recent water damage work but has yet to receive an update from the city on whats been found or the status of the broader, council-authorized air testing. Burns said the extent of drywall damage in the basement hallway appears to require cutting out drywall thats been water-damaged. Burns and Cramer said city employees received emails this week, advising them that the basement area is closed until further notice and said at least some damaged areas have been simply painted over. I want to make sure the air is safe, and they are working in a healthy environment, Burn said. They deserve to have a safe, non-hazardous environment. The councilwoman said the entire City Hall complex needs a full examination to determine what needs to be done to remediate any mold and mildew caused by years of water leaks. Cramer, a certified home inspector, said the areas he saw this week look like mold to me, and said he received complaints from other union members about itchy eyes and breathing issues. The union president said the area where work has recently been done has a thick, heavy scent of mold and mildew since wallpaper removal uncovered several areas with black-colored spots. Cramer has said the Police Department building has routinely flooded in recent years, with water sometimes leaking down from the buildings third floor to its basement, where its been mopped up or collected in buckets and garbage cans. Roughly two years ago, a complaint over police working conditions was lodged with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but conditions havent changed, according to Cramer. Police headquarters are a part of Flints municipal complex, which was built in the late 1950s. It includes five buildings -- City Hall, City Hall South, City Hall North, a small domed auditorium, police headquarters, and fire headquarters. Mayor Sheldon Neeley vowed last month to take whatever actions are needed to make sure we have a safe working environment. Neeley has previously responded to concerns about conditions inside city buildings, proposing to spend $500,000 to investigate and mitigate potential health and safety issues in the municipal complex in 2023. FLINT, MI A Flint man is facing six felony charges after U.S. Customs intercepted firearm conversion kits from China that were being shipped to a local address. Chad Edward Walker, 24, is charged with receiving and concealing a stolen firearm, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a device that is designed or intented to be used to convert a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm and three other felony firearm charges. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton announced Walkers trial is scheduled for March in circuit court. The illegal merchandise was intercepted by the Customs and Border Protection Chicago OHare International Mail Branch on July 29 and Aug. 3 in 2024. Both packages were marked as racing car assembly toys, according to the release, and were being shipped to an address on East Gracelawn Avenue in Flint. The packages allegedly contained automatic pistol and automatic assault rifle conversion devices, according to the release. The Flint Area Narcotics Group surveilled the house while the U.S. Postal Service delivered the package. Within minutes of the delivery, FANG officers executed search warrants on the home. Officers also found a stolen Glock pistol and methamphetamine pills on top of a refrigerator, according to the release. GRAND RAPIDS, MI With at least 16 data centers proposed in Michigan, one Grand Rapids city commissioner wants city staff to develop a regulatory framework for the structures in the event a developer was to propose building one in Grand Rapids. Commissioner Marshall Kilgore, who represents the citys Third Ward, said hes been contacted by hundreds of constituents who are concerned about data centers and wonder whether one will be proposed in Grand Rapids. While a data center hasnt been pitched in Grand Rapids, Kilgore said he wants staff to proactively consider zoning changes that would address the scale, energy demand, water consumption and infrastructure impacts of data centers. I want us to say, hey, weve put in guidelines, were going to regulate these data centers to make sure that we are prioritizing the residents of this city, he said during a Tuesday Grand Rapids City Commission committee meeting. Grand Rapids Planning Director Kristin Turkelson said the city is evaluating how data centers are addressed in its land use and zoning ordinances. She said she doesnt believe theres a specific mention of data centers in the citys zoning ordinance. But if a proposal to build one was brought forward, it would likely fall under a broader industrial use category. As with any new use or trend that comes forward in our community or for our community that has impacts, certainly preparing appropriate policy or regulatory framework is something that we do frequently and will continue to do specific to data centers, Turkelson said. In addition to serving on the city commission, Kilgore works for the Lansing-based Michigan Environmental Council. His job title there is movement building coordinator, which includes promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the organizations initiatives, according to his LinkedIn page. Data centers have become a major topic of conversation in Michigan. At least 16 sites across the state, two of which are in Kent County, are being eyed for data centers, which are essentially warehouses of computer hardware for servers, data storage and network equipment. Data centers are used to power the growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence. In Kent County, Franklin Partners, a commercial real estate agency based in Oak Brook, Illinois, wants to build a data center for an undisclosed tenant on a 237-acre parcel, adjacent to I-96 in Lowell Township. Microsoft also wants to build a data center on a 40.5-acre property near the northwest corner of Patterson Avenue and 76th Street in Gaines Township. Both projects are seeking rezoning approvals so they can move forward. At least one Kent County community has already taken steps to prepare for potential data center developments. On Dec. 15, the Sparta Village Council adopted new zoning language that would regulate the development of data centers at the recommendation of the planning commission. By establishing a clear definition of a data center, any future data center proposal in the community must follow stricter standards specific to data centers, the meeting agenda said. Under the previous zoning, a data center could be proposed and approved as a general warehouse. Kilgore acknowledged that most data centers are being proposed in rural areas home to significant stretches of undeveloped land. However, he said that doesnt rule out the possibility that one could, one day, be proposed in Grand Rapids. As evidence that a data center could be pitched for an urban area, he pointed to a proposal to build a two-story, $120 million data center on whats now a city-owned parking lot in downtown Lansing. United Kingdom-based Deep Green is proposing that data center on Kalamazoo Street, between Cedar and Larch streets, the Lansing State Journal reported last month. I want to note specifically in Lansing, the one thats proposed is right across from Wendys, Kilgore said. So it can happen. Jeff Karger, executive vice president with JLL, a commercial real estate agency, said large scale data centers are typically proposed in rural areas because they require a significant amount of land, power and water. He said he couldnt think of any parcels of land within the city of Grand Rapids that could accommodate a large-scale data center. Another challenge is land acquisition, Karger said. Because there isnt a vast amount of undeveloped land in Grand Rapids, a data center here would likely be eyed for properties that are already home to other structures, he said. The cost of preparing such a site for development would be significantly more expensive than building a data center on undeveloped land in a rural area, he said. The cost of buying land and demolishing existing facilities would be much higher than buying land in greenfield areas in rural communities, he said. So making the numbers work would be a second hindrance to getting that much land in an urban or near neighborhood area. Following Tuesdays city commission meeting, Kilgore said hes hopeful city staff will consider his concerns about data centers. He said he wants the issue discussed further, possibly in a joint meeting between the city commission and the planning commission. Im hopeful that I can move us to be very proactive, Kilgore said. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A 39-year-old man was acquitted of all charges in connection with the shooting death of another man at a birthday party. Jurors deliberated for about an hour and a half on Wednesday, Dec. 17, before finding Ronald Armour Jr. not guilty of second-degree murder and felony firearm. Armour was accused of killing Jeremy Parnell on June 29, 2024, on Grand Rapids southeast side. Parnell, 35, was fatally shot near Ardmore Street SE and Thelma Avenue. Grand Rapids police found a gun and shell casings on the ground at the scene. Investigators determined the shooting happened during a birthday party near the groups party bus. Family and friends could not get ahold of Parnell for hours after the party. He was later found shot to death inside a vehicle. At trial, Armour claimed self-defense in the shooting, defense attorney Damian Nunzio told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Armour took the stand and testified that he was assaulted by two people, one of whom was armed, Nunzio said. He truly believed that if he did not shoot, he wouldve been killed, Nunzio added. The case was featured in an episode of All Access PD Grand Rapids, a television series that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the Grand Rapids Police Department. GRAND RAPIDS, MI OVD Insurance, a privately-owned company founded in 1982, has moved into its new office at 37 Ottawa, a seven-story building near the corner of Ottawa Avenue NW and Fulton Street in downtown Grand Rapids. The company is located on the buildings third and fourth floors. Our roots in Grand Rapids run deep, and were proud to further invest in this great community, said Josh Van Vels, president of OVD Insurance. This new space reflects our culture, elevates our client experience, and helps us continue attracting exceptional talent. Were thankful for the partners who helped make this vision a reality. OVD Insurance serves a variety of markets within the insurance sector, including commercial insurance, employee benefits, personal home and auto, as well as risk management services. In March, the company announced it was partnering with the owner of 37 Ottawa, CWD Real Estate Investment, to purchase a stake in the building. A memo from the Michigan Strategic Fund, which provided a $1 million grant to OVD, said the insurance company planned to invest $12 million to purchase a stake in the building and make renovations on the two floors of the building the company would occupy. In a March interview with MLive, Van Vels said his company employed 120 people in West Michigan. He said the company was moving to 37 Ottawa from its current location at 2780 44th St. SW in Wyoming. Beyond its Grand Rapids operations, Van Vels said the company also has offices in Raleigh, North Carolina and Pittsburgh, as well as joint ventures in Nashville and Dallas. In total, the firm has about 145 employees, Van Vels said at the time. JACKSON, MI The city of Jackson effectively decriminalized mushrooms and other psychedelic plants and fungi. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Jackson City Council voted 4-2 to make purchasing, planting and possessing the plants and fungi the lowest law enforcement priority. Supporters packed the Jackson City Council chambers and cheered as council members approved the resolution. Many of us know individuals who struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD or substance use disorders, city resident Tyler Bashore said. In many cases, conventional treatments are not effective, inaccessible or come with significant side effects. Entheogens-based therapies represent a promising alternative, often low cost, low risk. Psychedelic substances have been historically used to help address substance abuse problems, trauma, post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, grief and cluster headaches, said Roger Maufort, who owns The Seed Cellar, 1620 E. Michigan Ave. Substances included are ayahuasca, ibogaine, mescaline, peyote, psilocybin mushrooms and others with hallucinogenic properties deemed illegal under state and federal law. Ward 6 City Councilmember Will Forgrave shared how entheogenic treatments helped his wife recover from postpartum depression after the birth of their daughter, when earlier treatments were ineffective. Its not hyperbolic when I tell you that it saved her life, Forgrave said. It probably saved my life, it definitely saved our marriage and our family. Its something thats near and dear to my heart. Maufort has been attending Jackson City Council meetings since 2023, along with staff and other advocates. He said this resolution allows people to live without fear of receiving treatment, and expressed hed like to advance the issue to the state level. It is harm reduction and is a path forward to greater community health, city resident Del Esme said. Ward 1 City Councilmember Arlene Robinson and Ward 2 City Councilmember Freddie Dancy opposed the resolution. Dancy cited his personal beliefs as the reason for his opposition. The resolution would also call on the Jackson County prosecutor to cease prosecuting those involved with entheogenic plants. It would not authorize possessing or purchasing of entheogens on school grounds, while driving or to people under 18 years old. Several municipalities in Michigan have decriminalized entheogens, including Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Ypsilanti, Detroit, Ferndale and Hazel Park City. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page. Update: Jackson Public Schools appoints Tabitha Williams to vacant board seat JACKSON, MI A group of nine men and women are vying to be selected to join the Jackson Public School Board of Education. The board conducted interviews at its regular board meeting on Tuesday evening, Dec. 16, to fill the board seat recently vacated by board president Shalanda Hunt. Hunt resigned from her position on the school board, effective Nov. 30. Hunt was recently sworn in as the newly elected Ward 5 Jackson City councilmember. Board Vice President Marilyn Acton is serving as acting president until the board officially votes for who will be president. Interviewing for the appointed position were Keith Jacobs, Joel Shaner, Jocelyn Cotton, Chris Davis, Julie Warfield, Tabitha Williams, Lauren Zessin, Christopher Lock and Angelene Patton. The board has 30 days following Hunts resignation to appoint someone to complete the last year of her term. The term is just for one year, ending on Dec. 31, 2026. To qualify for the appointed position, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a resident of Jackson Public Schools District, registered to vote in the district, not currently employed by the school district and have no felony convictions involving dishonesty, deceit, fraud or breach of public trust within the past 20 years. Following interviews, the board will deliberate and make a formal appointment selection no later than Dec. 30. The selected candidate will be notified via email and phone. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page. GLOBALink | Cross-border road trips from China to Kazakhstan booming with favorable policies Pub Date:25-12-17 09:07 Source:Xinhua Since the mutual visa-free agreement between China and Kazakhstan took effect in 2023, cross-border road trips have become much easier. The number of Chinese tourists entering Kazakhstan through the Nur Zholy checkpoint has seen a significant rise. #GLOBALink Editor:Zheng Chen Related News North China port sees cargo volume for Chi... Chinas First Unmanned Transport Capacity... How can Hefei's agriculture evolve into a ... HELI Launches Major Production Base in Tha... BLACKMAN TWP., MI Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is stepping in to attempt to reverse parole granted to a man incarcerated on a stalking charge at a state prison just outside of Jackson. Trenton Lisle Solomon, 51, first pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of aggravated stalking after he was accused of relentlessly pursuing two victims. After cutting his GPS tether and failing to appear for sentencing, he was reportedly arrested on a bench warrant two years later, and in February 2024, received a sentence of three years and 11 months to seven years and six months in prison. According to a release from the AGs office on Wednesday, Dec. 17, Nessel filed an emergency appeal in Jackson County Circuit Court to reverse parole granted to Solomon in November. She also filed a motion requesting a stay of Solomons release on parole, and a motion temporarily halting parole was reportedly granted Monday, Dec. 15. Solomons original projected parole date was Dec. 16. Hes been at the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility in Jackson County, where hell remain until further order by the court. A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Corrections did not immediately return a request for comment as of late Wednesday afternoon. People who have been victims of stalking and violence shouldnt have to live in fear because someone with a long history of criminal behavior is being prematurely released, Nessel said in a statement. My office acted to protect the victims in this case, and for their safety and the safety of others, Mr. Solomon should remain in prison. Nessels office called the Michigan Parole Boards decision about Solomon a clear abuse of the boards discretion. The AGs office cites Solomons long history of stalking and violent behavior, as well as his repeated failures to comply with probation or parole terms in its filing. According to the department, the 51-year-old had four prior felony convictions, 13 misdemeanor convictions and 17 personal protection orders entered against him. He had been granted probation six times and paroled four times. PORTAGE, MI The Portage Department of Public Safetys new director isnt new to the city. Matt Wolfe, 53, was appointed to the role Tuesday, Dec. 16, after working his way through the ranks over 29 1/2 years. Police cars and fire trucks lined a parking lot near City Hall as retiring Portage Department of Public Safety Director Nicholas Armold celebrated a ceremonial final call Tuesday afternoon. Assistant Police Chief Wolfe was appointed interim director directly afterward. About three hours later, Portage City Council voted unanimously to appoint Wolfe permanently to the top role. Assistant Police Chief Matthew Wolfe. City of Portage Wolfe began his career with the city in 1996 as an officer shortly after graduating from Grand Valley State University, per city documents. Theres no reason for the city to go outside to look for something else when they have it right here, Armold said. This is the first time in department history an internal candidate has taken over the role, Armold said. Portage employees are encouraged to pursue training and professional development, City Manager Pat McGinnis said. Promotions reward them for that extra effort. As assistant police chief, Wolfe oversaw all administrative functions of the Portage Department of Public Safety, per city documents. His resume includes graduation from the prestigious Eastern Michigan University School of Staff and Command in 2018 and training with the FBI National Academy in 2023. There are several strong leaders moving up the ranks in the department, Wolfe said. He will continue the tradition of strong leadership Armold fostered during his time in the role. I look forward to doing a lot of listening and learning, especially on the fire side of operations, Wolfe said. Hes also keen to continue implementing new technology in the department. Portage police and fire honored retired Director Nick Armold with a "final call" ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Audrey Whitaker Armold, 61, served Portage for 11 of his 36 years in law enforcement, per city documents. After joining the force in 2014, he took on the role of police and fire chief in 2017. City officials gathered for the final call at the Portage Zhang Senior Center Tuesday afternoon. Armold was remembered by city leadership, employees and his peers as thoughtful, fair and forward-thinking. Armold wiped away tears as PDPS Chaplain Ken Hovenkamp concluded the ceremony, remarking on his faith and dedication to family and first responders. In a world that often feels divided and uncertain, you chose the path of a peacemaker, he said. Protecting the vulnerable, guiding the weary and helping bring order and hope where it was needed most. Armold looks forward to spending time with his growing family in retirement. Its bittersweet to be leaving a job that you worked so hard to get, Armold said. Theres still a little bit left in the tank, and that belongs to myself and my family. Armold's family joined him in the vehicle for his final call to Kalamazoo County Dispatch on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Audrey Whitaker Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark MLives local Kalamazoo news page. NORTON SHORES, MI - A cafe has been approved for the Muskegon County Airport. The Muskegon City Commission unanimously approved Lee-Lees Crosswinds Cafe West to be the next restaurant at the terminal during the Tuesday, Dec. 16 meeting. The Muskegon County Airport is located at 99 Sinclair Drive in Norton Shores. The restaurant space has sat empty for almost a decade. The Brownstone restaurant previously operated there for 34 years before closing in 2016. Now, Lee Ann French, owner of Joe-Lees Crosswinds Cafe at the Owosso Community Airport, will create a second cafe for Muskegon County travelers. Joe-Lees is known for its welcoming atmosphere, scratch-made meals, and deep ties to the local aviation and community family, according to a press release from Muskegon County Airport. The Muskegon location will be open to everyone, not just travelers, and will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The cafe is expected to open in early May 2026. Lee-Lees Crosswinds Cafe West will feature: Fresh, scratch-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week Coffee and grab-and-go options for travelers on the move Comfort food favorites with local flair An aviation-themed setting celebrating flight, history, and the Muskegon community A welcoming space for both travelers and locals to gather This is exactly the kind of restaurant we hoped to bring to Muskegon, said Ken Efting, Muskegon County Airport Director. Lee Ann has built something very special at Owosso a place where pilots, families, and neighbors all feel at home. Were excited to bring that same sense of warmth, great food and community pride to MKG. The new restaurant will be located right inside the main entrance and will have free parking and hours designed to serve early-morning travelers, lunchtime visitors, and evening diners alike. Airports are special places because they bring people together, French said. Were so grateful for the opportunity to be part of Muskegon County Airport and the surrounding community. Our goal is simple: great food, friendly faces, and a place where everyone feels welcome. (MLive File Photo) MLive The Airport Development Advisory Committee considered one other proposal before deciding on Frenchs. Menu previews and grand opening plans will be shared on the airports social media pages as the opening date approaches. The airport recently completed $23 million in renovations. Construction included a $20.3 million relocation and reconstruction of Taxiway A and a $3 million terminal renovation that included new post-security restrooms, upgraded flooring, lighting and public spaces. The airport, in Norton Shores, has both commercial and private flights seven days a week. Denver Air flies 50-seat and 30-seat regional jets and connects to Delta Airlines and American and United at Chicago OHare International Airport. The airline has flown approximately 14,500 passengers in its first year of service in Muskegon. Air service will increase in January 2026 with 14 additional weekly flights. BAY CITY, MI If the signage is any indication, one of the citys most anticipated new businesses should be opening its doors sometime soon. At least, thats the hope. The words North Peak now appear atop the building at the corner of North Water and Third streets in downtown Bay City, a beacon of hope for residents who have waited patiently since 2017 for North Peak Brewing Co. to open at what was formerly The Atrium. Where there was once Stein Haus, across from the historic St. Laurent Brothers, a sign on a doorway hints at the conjoined bar Kilkennys Irish Pub, also coming soon. But when it will open remains unknown. City officials said the last they heard, the business was set to open in December. But no date has been given. We dont have an official announcement yet, but soon, said Jon Carlson, one of the founders of the Traverse City-based operation that will be opening a second location in Bay City. Where there was once Stein Haus, across from the historic St. Laurent Brothers, a sign on a doorway hints at the conjoined bar Kilkennys Irish Pub also coming soon. Joey Oliver | MLive.com This comes after the business previously teased opening dates around the Fourth of July, Halloween and then December, all in 2025. Talk of the brewerys arrival in Bay City began in 2017, when the company purchased the former Atrium and Stein Haus property. The Bay City Times later reported that in 2018, Ann Arborbased real estate development firm 3Missionrun by founders of Northern United Brewing Co.submitted a brownfield plan outlining a mixed-use development. The proposal included two restaurants, patio dining, apartment units, and a combination of renovated and new construction on the site. Construction was initially slated to begin in September 2018, with completion targeted for fall 2019, but the project was delayed. Additional setbacks followed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The development gained new momentum in 2022 after receiving a $1.5 million performance-based grant through the Michigan Community Revitalization Program. The city also approved a 12-year obsolete property tax abatement valued at $871,787. SAGINAW, MI A former teacher at Michigan Lutheran Seminary has returned to Saginaw from Wisconsin to face charges of sexually assaulting a student. Carl J. Boeder, 31, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, voluntarily appeared before Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank for arraignment on the following nine counts: Third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a student, one count Fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a student, two counts Child sexually abusive activity, one count Possessing child sexually abusive material, one count Using a computer to commit a crime, three counts Distributing sexually explicit material to a child, one count Third-degree CSC involves penetration and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, while fourth-degree is limited to touching and is a two-year high court misdemeanor. Boeder graduated from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota. The College of Ministry for Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in May 2022 presented him for service to the church. He thereafter worked at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 2777 Hardin St., as a teacher in band, choir, and German. He quickly gained a reputation as an affable and approachable educator, according to some of his former students who spoke with MLive. He was very popular with students, said one. He was like my best friend. I didnt think anything bad was going on. Another noted Boeder was voted nicest teacher in the 2024-25 yearbook. I really looked up to him, the teen said. He was my favorite teacher and a big influence on me. I really wanted to be like him. Word started circulating over the summer that Boeders employment with MLS was coming to an end, the teens said. In little time, the reason for his departure also started spreading, to the surprise of his former pupils. Hearing all these things come out about my favorite teacher was very shocking, and Im pretty sure, for the entire student body, said one teen. Boeder used his popularity among the students to prey on one of them when she was in a particularly vulnerable state, prosecutors allege. Boeder told the 17-year-old female student she could talk with him about her grief following a friends death, prosecutors allege. He used this as a means of grooming her, prosecutors contend. The defendant had a wife and young child, but that did not stop him from pursuing the victim, prosecutors wrote in a bond recommendation. Starting around June 1 and continuing through Aug. 5, Boeder and the teen exchanged nude photos of each other on a nearly daily basis, prosecutors allege. This came to light after the teens father saw messages theyd been exchanging, according to prosecutors. The teens father notified police. Shortly afterward, Boeder contacted the teen to tell her they needed to take a break, prosecutors allege. Police interviewed Boeder, who confessed to having a sexual relationship with the victim, prosecutors wrote. Boeder resigned from MLS on Aug. 5. Shortly thereafter, he packed up his family, listed his home on Court Street for sale, and moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, prosecutors said. Boeder had purchased the Court Street house for $135,000 in July 2022, according to Saginaw Area GIS Authority. MLS administrators in early August sent an email to students parents, informing them Boeder had resigned his position as a professor. The email also related Boeder was the subject of a police investigation. Michigan Lutheran Seminary is fully cooperating with the authorities, and we have no reason to believe that any illegal activity occurred on our campus, the missive read. The age of consent for sexual activity in Michigan is 16. However, the age is increased to 18 if the older participant is a a teacher, substitute teacher, administrator, employee, or contractual service provider of the school or district the younger participant attends. MLS President the Rev. Mark Luetzow, in a written statement to MLive, stated administrators learned of Boeders alleged misconduct late in the summer before the school year began. They immediately terminated his employment and have been fully cooperative with police, Luetzow said. The safety and well-being of our students is always our top priority, and any type of inappropriate interaction between a teacher and student, whether on campus or off campus, will not be tolerated, Luetzow said. As the incident involved a minor and a student, we are unable to provide any further specific details regarding the case. Attorney John E. Melton has filed an appearance to represent Boeder. A man who answered Meltons office phone said they were not interested in commenting on the case. Boeder is being held on a bond of $1 million cash-surety. His case is set for a pre-examination conference on Dec. 23. SAGINAW, MI A parolee of many names is going to return to prison for breaking into a Bridgeport Township apartment, where prosecutors alleged he raped a female resident. Randall L. Steeple, 53, on Dec. 9 appeared before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Manvel Trice III and pleaded no contest to third-degree home invasion. The charge is a five-year felony. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss single counts of first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree home invasion. First-degree CSC involves penetration and is a life offense. Steeple also pleaded as a fourth-time habitual offender. The prosecution recommended Steeple receive a four-year prison sentence consecutive to the time he has left to serve on the convictions he was paroled on. Prosecutors previously alleged Steeple on Dec. 12, 2024, pushed his way into a womans apartment in the 5600 block of Dixie Highway. He proceeded to physically and sexually assault the woman, prosecutors wrote in a bond recommendation. During the assault, Steeple used cocaine he brought with him and threatened to kill the woman, prosecutors alleged. The crime was not random, as Steeple also lived in the apartment complex and vaguely knew the woman beforehand, prosecutors said. Steeple told the complexs landlord he had tried raping the woman, prosecutors alleged. The landlord thereafter barred Steeple from the property. Police in late February arrested Steeple at a rehabilitation facility and lodged him in the Saginaw County Jail. Jail records indicate Steeple now resides in Detroit. Steeples criminal record includes convictions of carjacking, unarmed robbery, unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle, and larceny in a building. The Michigan Department of Corrections gives Steeples name as James L. Calloway, noting he also goes by the surnames Clayton and Standifer. The agency paroled him in May 2024 and listed him as an absconder on Dec. 12, the same date of his most recent crimes. Judge Trice is to sentence Steeple on Jan. 26. BAY CITY, MI The city is facing a significant financial challenge, as nearly $2 million in state funding for the Lafayette Bridge project is at risk. The funds, previously secured to reimburse the city for expenses, have been frozen by state legislators for review, creating immediate budget concerns. 1. Bay City faces a potential $1.6 million budget hit Bay City may lose out on $1.6 million in state grant funding that was previously earmarked to reimburse the city for expenses related to the multi-year reconstruction of the Lafayette Bridge. City Manager Dana Muscott confirmed that the funds, which were approved and factored into the current fiscal years budget, are now at risk. The loss of this money creates an immediate financial problem for the city, which has already been incurring costs associated with the bridge project, a state-owned and operated structure currently undergoing demolition and reconstruction with a projected 2027 reopening. 2. State-level politics caused the funding freeze The funding was paused as part of a broader move by state GOP legislators to review $645 million in work projects across Michigan. According to a letter from state Rep. Timothy Beson (R-Bay City), the House budget committee chose to reset the entire list of projects to implement a more transparent and accountable review. Beson stated the concern was that some projects had become catch-all slush funds for state bureaucrats, though he acknowledged that good and important projects, including the Lafayette Bridge funding for Bay City, were swept up in the process. 3. The loss forces immediate budget cuts The potential loss of the $1.6 million grant will have a direct and negative impact on Bay Citys budget and services for residents. Muscott warned that city leadership will now have to decide what to cut to make up for the shortfall. She specifically mentioned that the street repair budget is a likely target for cuts, a move the city wants to avoid. Commission President Alex Dewitt echoed this, stating the city will have to divert funds from road repair projects and emergency funding to cover the expenses that are being accrued now. 4. City officials express outrage over the states decision Members of the Bay City Commission have reacted with outrage to the news that the previously secured funding could be taken away. Dewitt criticized the situation, noting that a promise to recover the money in the next budget cycle doesnt solve the immediate problem of current expenses. Commissioner Ben Tenney of the citys 4th Ward called the potential funding loss unacceptable and lamented that the citys budget is going to suffer because of this. 5. A state representative vows to fight, but offers no immediate solution Despite the funding pause being initiated by his party, Beson has pledged to advocate for Bay Citys interests. In a letter to the city manager, he wrote that while cutting waste is important, a more precise approach is needed to protect community investments. Beson promised, I am going to fight for the money that was promised to our community. However, this promise does not address the immediate budget deficit Bay City faces, as city officials have pointed out that expenses related to the bridge project are being incurred now, long before any potential future budget allocation could be secured. Generative AI was used to summarize takeaways based on an originally reported story. It was reviewed and edited by MLive. U.S. health officials have added two deadly rare diseases to the list of conditions the government recommends states screen newborns for. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced Tuesday that Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) were added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel following scientific review and public comment. Early detection of both conditions allows children to receive FDA-approved therapies, helping to slow disease progression and preserve their quality of life. As my uncle has said, although children may be the victims of fate, they will not be the victims of our neglect, Kennedy said in a statement. This action honors that principle. Early screening gives every child a fair chance at timely, effective care, and it delivers families the answers and treatment options they deserveright when they need them most. Health officials say most children with DMD or MLD are diagnosed at four or five when significant muscle loss or functional decline has already occurred. DMD causes muscle degeneration while MLD affects the brain and nervous system, leading to loss of motor and cognitive abilities and early death. The hope is that early screening will allow those diagnoses to retain abilities for a longer period and gives families a better chance to avoid the long delays, repeated specialist visits, and financial and emotional strain. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) are among those who commended the move. The Recommended Uniform Screening Panel features list of conditions the HHS secretary recommends for universal newborn screening. States choose whether to adopt each screening. An up-and-coming New York rapper has received a lengthy prison sentence. According to the Associated Press, Kevin Perez, better known by his stage name Kay Flock, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a series of shootings in his Bronx neighborhood. Perez, 22, began his career in 2020 and rose to fame through a variety of singles, most notably Shake It, but the music has been criticized for promoting violence. He released his debut mixtape, The D.O.A. Mix tape in 2021, which was the same year he was named Billboard Magazines R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month. With his booming vocal cadence, suave persona and youthful energy in tow, Flock has his sights set for greatness, Billboard wrote. Now his promising career is being derailed. You taunted, you celebrated and you helped create a cycle of violence, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman said, noting that Perez bragged on social media that he was exonerated on the top count and wrote KILL ALL RATS on Instagram after a trial in which gang members testified against him. Four separate shootings injured multiple people while he led a gang known as Sev Side/DOA. Perez was convicted in March of charges including racketeering conspiracy and attempted murder. Perez, a drill rapper, instilled fear across the community with his violent actions, and then threatened rivals, bragged about shootings, and taunted victims in his rap lyrics. But as a unanimous jury has now found, Perez can no longer hide behind his music and instead will be held to account for his violent crimes, U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said. Thanks to the hard work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, the cycle of violence that Perez engaged in is over. This Office remains resolute in its commitment to prosecuting gang members who sow fear and spread violence on our city streets. A woman has been arrested after she allegedly put razor blades and a fishing hook in bakery items at two Walmart stores. According to WLOX-TV in Mississippi, the Biloxi Police Department has charged 33-year-old Camille Benson of Texas with attempted mayhem. Police released surveillance photos of Benson exiting a Walmart store where blades were found in loaves of bread. Blades and a fishing hook have also been found in a muffin and in bread a second Walmart in Biloxi, according to the TV station. Lt. Candice Young told WLOX that somebody had poked those items through the plastic packaging and classified the alleged crime as strange. No injuries have been reported. Anyone who has purchased bread at any Biloxi Walmart location should check for any sharp objects, police said. UPDATE: The story has been updated to remove a mention of a previous subpoena compelling Attorney General Dana Nessel to testify. That subpoena was not in effect Tuesday. Michigan House Republicans allege Attorney General Dana Nessel twice violated ethical firewalls put in place to separate the AG from conflicts of interest in criminal cases that her office was investigating. This is a clear behavior multiple times, multiple cases that the most powerful law enforcement officer in the state of Michigan has stepped around a firewall, whether intentional or not, to benefit individuals that they have a close personal relationship with, said House Oversight Committee Chair Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay Township. Thats a problem and I dont care what your politics are. DeBoyer spoke with reporters Tuesday, Dec. 16, following a nearly three-hour Oversight Committee hearing in which legal staff for the House outlined the findings from two subpoenas issued by the committee earlier this year against the Attorney Generals office. The subpoena requests compelled Nessels office to release communications and documents regarding alleged instances of conflicts of interest in a criminal investigation and a criminal referral undertaken by her office. The Republican-led committee issued further subpoenas in a bipartisan vote Tuesday, one for more information in one of the cases and another for unredacted communications from the Attorney Generals office. The attorney general never influenced these investigative or prosecutorial efforts over which isolation walls were in place and at no point did the attorney general violate any standard of professional conduct prescribed for prosecutors or attorneys, said Nessel spokesperson Kimberly Bush. And none of the selective communications exhibited during todays committee meeting showed otherwise. The committee also made a recommendation to the House to hold Nessel in contempt for not appearing before the committee Tuesday. Democrats on the committee voted against this measure. According to DeBoyer, Nessels office said the AG would not attend the hearing because she had no information about the cases, due to the firewalls. Nessels office offered to send staff who worked on the cases to testify instead, but DeBoyer rejected the offer. The Department of Attorney General offered to make the relevant division chiefs, each experienced prosecutors with direct knowledge of the investigations in question, available to appear before the committee today, Bush said. The committee declined to speak with these prosecutors, preferring instead to present conclusions from their own staff, based on their selective review of documents drawn from the complete production provided by our office earlier this year. In the first alleged conflict of interest violation, Nessels office in July 2022 launched an investigation into attorney Traci Kornak, a former Michigan Democratic Party treasurer and member of Nessels transition team when the AG was elected in 2018. That investigation was launched following an opinion column published in the Detroit News that revealed a whistleblower at a Grand Rapids nursing home had accused Kornak of using the account of one of her clients to fraudulently bill an insurance company for nearly $50,000. Kornaks client was an elderly woman for whom she was acting as conservator. Despite Nessels relationship with Kornak, Nessels office did not put a firewall in place to isolate her from the investigation until September. Subpoenaed emails show that Nessel had asked to be kept updated on the case and was provided with information about the case in another instance before the firewall was put in place. When the firewall was finally put in place, it mandated that Nessel not be given access to the case file and be prevented from viewing documents or materials related to the case. It also mandated that staff not discuss the case in Nessels presence and refuse to receive or provide any information on the case to the AG, according to the documents. In December, while the investigation remained open, Nessel told staff in an email that Kornak contacted her and said the allegations were holding up a potential judicial appointment for her in Kent County. Nessel said Kornak requested the documents from the investigation to apparently assert that the claims were never substantiated and the case was closed. Nessel asked how Kornak could get the file and added it was urgent for Kornak to get the file, as she needed it by the end of that week. Two weeks later, the case was closed without charges, with the AGs office citing that the alleged victim, the parent company of the nursing home, did not wish to pursue charges against Kornak or file a criminal complaint. Nessels office said even though the case wasnt closed when the AG inquired about the case files for Kornak, the investigation had been completed and there was no violation of ethical rules. According to DeBoyer, the subpoenaed documents indicate that Nessels office never interviewed the elderly woman who was the victim of the alleged fraud, the insurance company that was allegedly fraudulently billed or the whistleblower from the nursing home that sparked the investigation. The case was closed in large part because the whistleblower didnt return attempted communications from the AGs office, Bush said. DeBoyer said the subpoenaed documents show only that the AGs office attempted to reach the whistleblower at the nursing home, where he no longer worked. In January 2023, the Kent County Sheriffs Office and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Adult Protected Services began investigating the case. The sheriffs office later recommended charges against Kornak of embezzlement of a vulnerable adult over $100,000, false pretenses involving more than $50,000 but less than $100,000 and identity theft. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said that no charging decision has yet been made and that the matter is still under active investigation. He said he hopes to get the final report soon to make a decision in the case. There were three separate entities that came to a different conclusion or have taken much more substantial action than the Attorney Generals office as it pertains to the case with Ms. Kornak, who was politically connected to Dana Nessel, DeBoyer said. What we saw from emails that were provided is that a conflict of interest was immediately established and should have been identified. Its not an interpretation. These emails should have said right up top I have a personal relationship with Ms. Kornak and I need to be separated from this investigation. That step was not taken, so we either saw complete incompetence from the Attorney Generals office or cronyism through a desire for it to go nowhere. In the second case, Secretary of State Jocelyn Bensons office referred an alleged campaign finance violation by nonprofit Bipartisan Solutions to Nessels office in 2023 for prosecution. According to Bensons office, there was reason to believe that Bipartisan Solutions violated state campaign finance law when it allegedly coordinated with and fundraised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a ballot question committee. To do this legally, Bipartisan Solutions would have had to file campaign finance statements and register itself as a ballot question committee, Bensons office said. The ballot committee in question was Fair and Equal Michigan, which House attorneys said was co-chaired by Nessels wife. Bush said that Nessels wife was a volunteer with Fair and Equal Michigan for a period of time in 2020. Bensons office did not accuse Fair and Equal Michigan of violating campaign finance law. Years earlier, before any wrongdoing was alleged, Nessels office had implemented a firewall in April 2020 after the attorney for Fair and Equal Michigan reached out about their plan to collect ballot signatures for the initiative. In an email, Nessel said she preferred the firewall because its not appropriate for her to use her office to advocate for or against the ballot issue. Nessel said she should be removed from any discussions and correspondence in their entirety about it. Bipartisan Solutions was not the subject of the firewall. Neither Nessel nor her wife ever had any association with Bipartisan Solutions, Bush said. Because there was no conflict of interest, she said, no firewall was erected to isolate Nessel from the criminal referral. Despite the firewall implemented three years earlier regarding Fair and Equal Michigan, Nessel reached out to Benson about the Bipartisan Solutions criminal referral and Benson agreed to take the referral back for further review, Assistant Attorney General Danielle Hagaman Clark wrote in a subpoenaed email. Bush said the decision to refer the case back was due to the AGs office determining that Bensons office hadnt adequately fulfilled the process outlined in law for resolving the campaign finance complaint. Bensons office declined to comment on the conversation between the AG and SoS. Her office noted that state law likely doesnt allow a campaign finance complaint investigation to be reopened after a criminal referral has been sent. No charges were issued in the case, DeBoyer said. Through our committee hearings and meticulous reporting, it is clear that the attorney general did not act appropriately within her role with these two issues, DeBoyer said. Our committee has worked in bipartisan fashion to meet with the attorney general and look over communications to deliver answers for people we all represent. Attorney General Nessel is the top law enforcement official in the state. When someone can tip the scales of justice in this fashion, its a real problem and we have a duty as legislators to ensure abuses of power do not go unchecked. The Michigan Senate has moved to restore $634 million in project funding that House Republicans cut last week. With the help of five Republicans, the Democratic-majority Senate on Tuesday passed a supplemental funding bill that would reinstate continued dollars for programs to feed seniors, help child sexual abuse victims and more. Its incredibly important that we make those people whole and that we can help restore the trust that they should be able to have when the state makes a promise that they get certain funding to do certain things for the public good, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, told reporters after the vote. The measure is not likely to be taken up in the Republican-controlled House, where House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, has championed the cuts as stamping out diversity, equity and inclusion programs and waste, fraud and abuse in government. Without the Houses support, the bill will die. The Senate Democrats are so addicted to pork and their secret slush funds that they just voted to reinstate the waste, fraud and abuse that House Republicans fought to eliminate, Hall said. Ultimate Lansing insiders like (Senate Appropriations Chair) Sarah Anthony continue to do the bidding of lobbyists and the radical left special interests. Not the taxpayers. This isnt surprising at all. The cuts stem from the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee last week disapproving $645 million in continued funding for numerous items and grants. Senate Democrats on Tuesday sent a letter to Attorney General Dana Nessel asking her to weigh in on the legality of the Republican cuts. The difference in dollars between the cuts and the proposal to restore that funding comes down to about $11 million in boilerplate items that the House could not actually disallow, according to Brinks. The cut funding was awarded in the previous budget to state departments, local governments, nonprofits and other organizations for projects and programs. The money hadnt been fully spent by these organizations. House Republicans say the appropriations were only good for a year without further approval and blocked the $645 million in unspent funds being disbursed. Some organizations said the state had promised they could use the funds for more than a year. Hall told reporters Tuesday that the state was overstepping its authority if it had promised that. Hall has said not all of the projects and programs that had funding blocked were bad. He said hed like to see some of them back before lawmakers next year for approval of continued funding. Any grants that come back before lawmakers next year for continued funding would be required to undergo a new process that provides greater transparency over who is sponsoring the grant, who is receiving the money and what the project or program will do and by when. House Republicans spearheaded that change. Because of how the process for continuing unspent money is set up, the House Appropriations Committee couldnt pick and choose which projects would receive continued funding, as theyre lumped together under one line item that can either be halted or continued. Brinks said her chambers bill to restore funding to all the projects and programs isnt up for negotiation. I am not interested in negotiating any changes, she said. This is a clean supplemental. This is simply to restore the damage that was done and make people whole. Hall has accused some of the projects in the slashed funding as being part of the Democrats wacko left climate agenda and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. He has also accused state departments of using the process to stash money away in accounts instead of completing the projects or filling employee positions. Some of the programs Hall touted defunding included one he said that put tampons in bathrooms for both girls and boys. Another, he said, funded the installation of cameras in work zones and school zones and could be used to spy on residents. The House Appropriations Committee invoked a rarely used provision in state law to halt the continued funding for projects and programs. Its been used in the past but rarely to the size and scope of what House Republicans did. House Democrats have asked Nessel if the usage of this provision violates the Michigan Constitution. Michigan Senate Democrats are not going to sit idly by and watch as kids battling cancer, new moms struggling to make ends meet, and the communities we love and live in take the hit as House Republicans cruelly toy with their lives and the rule of law, Brinks said. Not only have Lansing Republicans violated the trust of Michiganders we also are very concerned about the legality of their actions, and were holding them accountable. The Republican senators who joined their Democratic colleagues in the 23-13 passage of the funding restoration bill were state Sens. Jon Bumstead, John Damoose, Mark Huizenga, Ed McBroom and Michael Webber. I think you start to see who the Republican budget traitors are, the people that shove their own pork in these budgets and are pissed off that their pork got cut, Hall said of Republican senators who criticized his caucus cuts. If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. One of HOKAs newest hiking shoes is still in stock, but sizes are selling out fast. The $200 Stinson Evo GTX Haven is the brainchild of two brands determined to take you wherever your adventure may go. The recently-launched, all-gender style has sold out in several sizes, quickly gaining popularity for its reflective details, intuitive speed lace system and waterproof GORE-TEX lining. Made in a Jet Black/Tarmac style, the design revives and improves HOKAs Stinson EVO OG shoe for the modern explorer. Ditch your worries about what lies ahead. The GTX Haven is equipped for all terrains, adapting seamlessly for comfortable wear in wind, rain and snow. HOKA Stinson EVO GTX Haven HOKA Stinson EVO GTX Haven in Jet Black/Tarmac $200 on HOKA HOKA and Haven drew design inspiration from Marin Countys dusty ridgelines, dense redwoods, rocky creeks and mist-covered beaches. These landscapes are all linked by winding highways under the California sun and Bay Area fog. To complete the look, they added signature cushioning underfoot and a lugged rubber outsole for grip. At the time of publication, the GTX Haven was still available in sizes Mens 4/Womens 5 to Mens 8.5/Womens 9.5 and Mens 10.5/Womens 11.5. All other sizes are sold out. How to order HOKAs in time for Christmas Want to give a pair of these shoes to your favorite explorer for all their winter adventures? Follow the guidelines below for standard, expedited and next-day shipping by Christmas Eve. Standard shipping: Order by Thursday, Dec. 18, at 2:59 a.m. ET. Expedited shipping: Order by Monday, Dec. 22, at 2:59 a.m. ET. Next-day shipping: Order by Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 2:59 a.m. ET. Rajni Pandey is a seasoned content creator with over 15 years of experience crafting compelling stories for digital news platforms. Specializing in diverse topics such as travel, education, jobs, science, wildlife, religion, politics, and astrology, she excels at transforming trending human-interest stories into engaging reads for a wide audience. Top 10 Engineering Colleges in India for BTech in 2026 MC Education Desk Read the latest and trending news on CBSE, board exams, NEET, JEE, CUET, competitive exams, scholarships, college admissions, education policies, and more. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Beef banned just because of its title: Shashi Tharoor slams censor delay at Kerala Film Festival Palak Vij is a Sub Editor and Entertainment Journalist with over a year of experience covering films, television, and pop culture in the digital space. Entertainment desk Entertainment Desk at Moneycontrol reports on the celebrities, movies that shape Indias entertainment industry. With a sharp focus on cinema, OTT, web series, and latest trends, the entertainment desk delivers verified news, and analytical stories that place entertainment within a wider economic and cultural context. Our coverage goes beyond celebrity to examine how storytelling, audiences and business decisions influence one of the countrys most influential creative industries. Gayatri Rani is a Senior-Sub Editor with over three years of experience in delivering Hollywood and Bollywood news. Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Fake Rose controversy: Chinese influencer faces backlash for signing autographs at BLACKPINK star's pop up event Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Gaurav Khanna launches his YouTube channel; credits Pranit More and Mridul Tiwari Ragini Jaiswal Entertainment journalist and content writer with 3+ years of experience covering Bollywood, lifestyle trends, and celebrity stories across leading digital platforms. Romy was later contacted by a massage therapist who had been unable to reach the couple on Sunday. Is Sobhita Dhulipala expecting her first baby with Naga Chaitanya? Father-in-law Nagarjuna says, 'Ill let you know when the time is right' Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Mira Kapoor inaugurates head office of her wellness brand Dhun in Bandra To ensure adherence to content-related norms and provide an efficient grievance redressal system, these regulations establish a three-tier institutional mechanism. M Snehanjali is a Sub Editor and journalist with over two years of experience covering general news and entertainment in digital newsroom. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to IFFK 2025: Centre bans and denies screening of 19 films, sudden decision causes gaps; Read the entire list of banned movies Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to IFFK 2025: Kerala's Cultural Minister orders screening of all films that were banned by the Centre You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK Benefits of biohacking: At its core, biohacking refers to using science-backed tools and lifestyle interventions to optimise how the body functions (Image: Canva) The doctor recommends monitoring daily AQI levels, staying well hydrated, wearing a properly fitting mask if working out outdoors. (Picture Credit: Pexels) Nivedita is a Delhi-based journalist who writes on health, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment. Views expressed are personal. Vaccine for Hepatitis B virus is no longer mandatory for every newborn. (Picture Credit: Pexels) Shreya Garg is a journalist with over 6 years of experience at leading media houses. She writes extensively on lifestyle, health and things that are trending on the internet. World over, December 21 will be celebrated as World Meditation Day. (Picture Credit: Pexels) Shreya Garg is a journalist with over 6 years of experience at leading media houses. She writes extensively on lifestyle, health and things that are trending on the internet. MC Jobs Desk Read the latest and trending news articles on Sarkari Naukri, government jobs, UPSC, SSC, railway jobs, banking jobs, defence recruitment, state PSC exams, and more. The discussions are still exploratory, and there is no clarity yet on the specific chips that could be handled at the Sanand plant, though display-related chips are seen as the most likely candidates. MetaX and Moore Threads are much smaller firms but analysts say investors are buying into the prospect of China ramping up its chip industry to eventually rival the US giant. Maryam Farooqui is Senior Correspondent at Moneycontrol covering media and entertainment, travel and hospitality. She has 11 years of experience in reporting. Mizuho has acquired a controlling stake in the Indian financial services firm, making it another major bet by a Japanese lender in the country, according to Bloomberg. The total volume of deals targeting Indian companies, including via mergers and acquisitions, has climbed 15% this year to almost $90 billion The Wadhawan brothers were arrested in this case in July 2022 In 2024, the EU had imported iron and steel products worth $4.25 billion from India, the report said citing United Nations data Neotia owns nine hotels operated by the Taj group Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Fuel ban for vehicles without valid PUC certificate: Petrol dealers' body flags challenges after Delhi govt order SEBI signals no appetite to regulate OFS in IPOs in its latest board meeting Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Sammaan Capital falls 5% from day's high as Delhi Police files fresh FIR in probe against ex-promoters This would be the fourth board meeting chaired by Sebi chief Tuhin Kanta Pandey who assumed office on March 1. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Vedanta shares rise 2% to fresh 52-week high as analysts say demerger offers 'value unlocking' potential Total trade between India and Oman stood at $10.61 billion in 2024-25, a growth of 18.6 percent on-year. Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years. The rupee rallied 0.7% to 90.25 in early trading after opening a tad lower on the day at 91.07. The new draft of the IBC Amendment Bill will likely be tabled in Budget Session Demand for silver vark has declined by 25-30% from Rakshabandhan through the recently concluded wedding season 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 Oil briefly rose after the news. Brent futures advanced as much as 70 cents a barrel to trade as high as $60.33, before paring their advance. Warner Bros. separately plans to spin off cable networks like CNN and TNT to its shareholders before the Netflix deal closes. The year saw BJP extend its dominance while the Opposition found itself floundering in familiar territory. (File) Parimal Peeyush is News Editor at Moneycontrol. A journalist for over 17 years, his experience spans across newspapers, magazines and digital news media. Having joined Moneycontrol in August 2024, Parimal oversees the Political Desk and covers issues around the intersection of politics, law and crime. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Any normalisation of relations with Pakistan difficult to imagine: Omar Abdullah Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Baijayant Panda to lead BJP's Assam election campaign: Why did the party pick former BJD leader? Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Before Kalam, BJP floated Vajpayee's name for President: Former PM's aide reveals in book Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach on December 14, injuring at least 42 others. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to China's 'mother of all dams' project keeps region on edge; India eyes mega counterplan Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Delhi Environment Minister Sirsa says capital to not see significant improvement in AQI in coming days Parry was earlier associated with the Bishnoi gang but was believed to have shifted his allegiance to Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to From factories to future tech: How TataYogi alignment signals Uttar Pradeshs next growth phase Seen as a mark of special respect, these gestures underscore a growing trend of personal diplomacy in Prime Minister Modis engagements with foreign leaders The brothers were arrested in Delhi on Tuesday, immediately after their deportation, and were granted a 48-hour transit remand by a Delhi court to facilitate their transfer to Goa. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Hospital staff checking faulty toilet flush in MP finds head, hand of newborn baby girl stuck in commode; probe on Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All 'India is a nuclear nation': Himanta Sarma's stern warning after Bangladesh leader's 'seven sisters' remark The commissioning was overseen by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, and hosted by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Mamata to meet TMC booth agents in Kolkata as SIR deletions spark unease More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023 Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All MEA summons Bangladesh high commissioner over security on Indian mission in Dhaka Chinese, Egyptian FMs hold phone talks on bilateral ties, Palestinian issue Xinhua) 08:37, December 17, 2025 BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday held a phone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, on bilateral ties and the Palestine issue. Noting that China and Egypt are comprehensive strategic partners, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi have forged a solid friendship, and provided strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations. The two sides should take the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year as an opportunity to firmly support each other, deepen practical cooperation, strengthen coordination in multilateral affairs, elevate the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, help the Global South jointly advance modernization and make new contributions to world peace and development, Wang said. China will host the second China-Arab States Summit next year, Wang said, adding that Egypt is an important member of the Arab world, and China is ready to enhance communication with Egypt to ensure the success of the summit. Wang said that China welcomes Egyptian leaders to China for this major event. Abdelatty said that the Egypt-China comprehensive strategic partnership rests on a solid foundation, adding that Egypt firmly opposes foreign interference in China's internal affairs, remains steadfast in upholding the one-China principle, and consistently maintains that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Noting that next year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, he said that Egypt looks forward to closer high-level exchanges with China, deeper practical cooperation, and further growth in bilateral ties. He warmly congratulated the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee on adopting the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, and sincerely wished China continued success in its development. Egypt supports the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi and supports China in hosting the second China-Arab States Summit, he said. The Egyptian foreign minister briefed Wang on the latest developments in the situation in Gaza, expressing Egypt's high appreciation for China's important proposals on resolving the Palestinian issue and its announcement of a new round of assistance to Palestine. He voiced support for China to play an important role in restoring peace in Gaza and advancing post-conflict reconstruction. Wang said that the Gaza conflict has lasted for more than two years, claiming the lives of over 70,000 Palestinian civilians, and that this grave humanitarian catastrophe must be brought to an end. The current ceasefire remains fragile and the outlook is still worrying, which warrants close attention from all parties, Wang said, noting that the core issue is to prevent a resumption of hostilities and a repeat of tragedy. Post-conflict governance in Gaza must be considered in conjunction with a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue. Wang said, adding that firstly, the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestine" must be upheld, with Gaza's future and destiny in the hands of the Palestinian people themselves. Secondly, the legitimate concerns of Middle Eastern countries must be taken into account, with the voices of Arab countries genuinely heard and their role effectively brought into play, Wang said. Thirdly, efforts must be aligned with the correct direction of the two-state solution and linked to the goal of realizing an independent statehood of Palestine, Wang said, adding that the United Nations and the UN Security Council must be effectively involved and supported in playing their due role in post-conflict governance in Gaza. Wang added that President Xi's announcement of a new round of Chinese assistance to Palestine is aimed at easing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and supporting its recovery and reconstruction. China speaks highly of Egypt's positive efforts and will continue to support Egypt in playing a constructive role in safeguarding regional peace, working together to promote an early comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, Wang said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) On December 15, the preparatory meeting for the "Postal Industry Technology Innovation Center" was held at the International Advanced Technology Application Promotion Center (Hefei) [hereinafter referred to as "Guoxian Center (Hefei)"]. It was learned at the meeting that Hefei is advancing the 2.0 version of the all-space unmanned system, with a focus on planning the establishment of unmanned sorting hubs in the postal industry. The aim is to build a full-process operational model of "human vehicles for transportation robots for sorting unmanned equipment for terminal delivery". The meeting brought together various stakeholders, including rail transit companies, unmanned equipment enterprises, and courier companies. Among them, Anhui Transportation Holding Information Industory Co., Ltd. and Hefei Metro will leverage their resource advantages to create benchmark projects through scenario development, driving the large-scale replication of technology applications. Postal, SF Express, JD Logistics, Deppon Express, and ZTO Express, among other postal and courier companies operating in Hefei, will integrate existing resources, explore high-value application scenarios, and develop smart solutions in areas such as intelligent sorting, warehousing, and delivery. These efforts aim to enhance service efficiency and reduce operational costs. As the core carrier for the construction of the all-space unmanned system, the Guoxian Center (Hefei) will continue to strengthen the identification and perception of advanced technologies, establish a platform for technology verification and iteration, and promote the deep integration of unmanned equipment with postal and courier services. It is reported that the 1.0 version of the all-space unmanned system has already formed a demonstration in Luogang Park, and this practice will mark the beginning of building the 2.0 version of the system. As early as the 2025 UAV Industry Development Matchmaking Meeting held during the World Manufacturing Conference, the Hefei Municipal Postal Administration proposed the strategic goal of building a "Postal Industry Technology Innovation Center" in Hefei and released the latest exploratory achievements in the application of technological innovation scenarios within the postal industry. "Currently, in terms of technological innovation and application, Hefei Rail Transit has innovatively adopted the 'subway + unmanned vehicles' model and 'underground-ground intermodal transport,' achieving green and clean transportation throughout the entire process. This has become a benchmark case for innovative applications in the industry," said a relevant official from the Hefei Municipal Postal Administration. Source: Hefei Daily The Prime Ministers Museum and Library is housed in the historic Teen Murti campus located south of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Not that RSS! Om Prakash Rajbhar unveils his own uniformed sena in Uttar Pradesh Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to 'Return our votes first': Bihar's male villagers refuse to return dole for women UP minister faces backlash over remarks on Nitish Kumar's hijab incident: 'What if he touched somewhere else?' The event is being held to strengthen Congress's global outreach and activities According to the data released by Election Commission, chief minister Mamata Banerjees Bhabanipur seat emerged as one of the most affected Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to When PM Modi termed MGNREGS 'monument of UPA govt's failure', promised to keep it alive | WATCH The former Maharashtra CM was addressing a press conference in Pune when he made the controversial remarks. Arjun Kumar is a heritage explorer by inclination with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to India-Oman to sign free trade agreement on Dec 18 after two years of talks The founder stated that the delay in receiving the device had operational consequences for his company. The helper said she had raised these concerns with her employers but saw no improvement. The employee also stated that the manager made an effort to recognise work publicly, including acknowledging late-night contributions. The commentary appeared to use the film's plot as a vehicle to criticise Canadian domestic policy. Color-coded genetic method makes it easy to distinguish male and female mosquitoes. (Image: Philippos Papathanos) Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All One-in-100,000 Event: Albino Crow appears in Philippines, extremely rare in the wild What went right for Earth: Seven under-the-radar climate and nature wins in 2025 Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Ankita Chakravarti is a seasoned journalist with nearly a decade of experience in media. She specializes in technology and lifestyle journalism. She has worked with top Indian media houses like India Today, Zee News, The Statesman, and Millennium Post. Her expertise spans tech trends, phone launches, gadget reviews, and entertainment news. Ankita holds a Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication along with a degree in English Literature. She can be reached out at ankita.chakravarti@nw18.com By Rochelle Baker Local Journalism Initiative Reporter BC is squandering its electric vehicle advantage by rolling back ambitious targets to match Ottawa's slower pace, experts warn. Its counterintuitive for BC which still commands a zero-emission electric vehicle (ZEV) market share of nearly 20 per cent even during a sluggish sales year to yoke itself to national targets that accommodate slower markets like Saskatchewan, said Richard Ivity, board chair of the national Electric Vehicle Society. It's definitely a 90-degree turn, he said, adding BC already has good charging infrastructure and a low-rate clean electrical grid. Its very difficult to be a leader when you put yourself in the middle of the pack. Following the HYPERLINK "https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/05/news/climate-hit-carney-dela..." \t "_blank" federal governments lead, the province HYPERLINK "https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025ECS0045-001133" \t "_blank" recently scrapped its rebate program for EV purchases and plans to relax the mandate that all new vehicles sold must be zero-emission by 2035. Its BCs strong view that sales targets shouldnt differ in Canada and its vital to provide clarity and accelerate [EV] adoption, Energy Minister Adrian Dix said, adding the federal governments review, expected before years end, will inform provincial policies. Over the last decade, BC sped ahead of Ottawa, driving forward successful EV policies. The province, along with Quebec, was the first to offer purchase incentives and invest heavily in charging infrastructure, resulting in both provinces leading Canadas EV sales. In 2019, BC was the HYPERLINK "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/electricity-alternative-ener..." \t "_blank" first jurisdiction in the world to legislate phased transition to a 100 per cent ZEV sales target. The HYPERLINK "https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/innovative-technologies/zero..." \t "_blank" federal government followed suit in 2023 before Prime Minister Mark Carney HYPERLINK "https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/05/news/climate-hit-carney-dela..." \t "_blank" announced a new review of national EV standards in September, citing the need to provide financial relief to automakers. National sales of ZEV slumped in 2025 for a HYPERLINK "https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/market-snapsho..." \t "_blank" mix of reasons including federal and provincial cuts or reductions to EV purchase incentives, HYPERLINK "https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/trump-policies-stall-honda-ev-inves...." \t "_blank" economic uncertainty tied to US tariffs, and the resulting consumer backlash against Tesla vehicles, which were previously top-sellers. Now, with the loss of provincial and federal incentives, consumers continue to delay purchases until they know what the new government policies will be, Ivity said. The ambiguity for consumers is also feeding the myth that people arent willing to buy EVs, so sales mandates cant be met, he said. Governments analyzing market trends are like, Woah, theres a huge slowdown in purchasing it must be that tough economy, Ivity said. The sales mandates long in place in BC and Quebec increased ZEV sales compared to provinces without them, said Zoe Long, co-lead of the Sustainable Transportation Action Research Team HYPERLINK "https://sustainabletransport.ca/" \t "_blank" (START) at Simon Fraser University. It's not a coincidence that electric vehicle sales are much higher in British Columbia, as well as Quebec, Long said. Automakers make greater efforts to sell them here and bring in a higher volume and diversity of models to appeal to consumers. BC is already on track to meet its 2026 targets for sales and placement of 10,000 public chargers by 2030. The province also reached its goal six months earlier than expected to have 210,000 battery-electric cars on BC roads by the end of 2025. The province should moderately tweak ambitious sales targets rather than renounce responsibility to Ottawa, said Long. Targets between 90 and 95 per cent are achievable by 2035, she suggested, adding we shouldn't let perfect be the enemy of good. Hitting the 100 per cent sales target could be challenging and can be perceived as unfair, especially by people in rural areas, she said. Im not sure its worth it to force those people into an EV versus getting most people into EV. The CleanBC Review, a recent report evaluating the provinces climate plan, makes similar recommendations. The province should drop the 2030 sales target to 50 to 60 per cent from 90 per cent, eliminate the 2035 ban on gas-burning vehicles and replace it with a 90 per cent sales target. The high cost of electric vehicles is one of the biggest roadblocks to uptake, regardless of where people live, said Long, who researches consumers resistance to buying an EV. When asked about electric vehicles, the most common thing brought up was affordability, Long said. The auto sector resists sales mandates because they must lower the price of EVs to meet the targets, Long said. But HYPERLINK "https://climateinstitute.ca/zev-mandates-are-good-climate-policy/#:~:tex...." \t "_blank" to maintain their profits, retailers can make gas-burning vehicles more expensive to compensate for cheaper clean-energy cars, she said. While announcing the EV policy reversals, the province also said it will introduce two new regulatory changes in 2026 including more relaxed rules around the type of vehicles eligible for credits in a bid to offer automakers more flexibility, lower EV prices and expand the charging network. The affordability measures appear to be a step in the right direction, said Long, but she cautioned the devil will be in the details. Aside from weakening its EV program, the province has also weakened a shift to clean vehicles by HYPERLINK "https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/09/13/news/bc-premier-david-eby-ca..." \t "_blank" nixing the consumer carbon tax in April, said Kathryn Harrison, a political scientist at the University of British Columbia. Eliminating the tax makes polluting cheaper, which maintains consumer demand for gas vehicles and lessens the appeal for motorists to switch to EVs, she said. Despite its success, BC must continue to make rapid progress, especially with heavy-duty transportation, Harrison said. BCs transportation spews out the greatest amount of carbon pollution, followed by the oil and gas industry. The sector is responsible for 41 per cent of the provinces total emissions according to the most recent 2023 data. Transportation emissions are up seven per cent relative to the 2007 baseline while the goal is to reduce emissions in the sector by up to 32 per cent by 2030. As EVs take off around the world, BC and Canada risk being left behind in a rapidly evolving global automotive market, Harrison said. EV sales are increasing significantly, and it's not just Singapore and Norway, its also Nepal and Ethiopia, she said, noting consumers are snatching up lower-cost Chinese EVs. Ivity said Canada needs to start meeting consumer demand rather than automakers' wishes. The myth that North Americans only want big, more expensive vehicles that offer higher profits for the auto sector are a self-fulfilling prophecy if little else is available, Ivity said. While European luxury models are available, the HYPERLINK "https://cleanenergycanada.org/europe-enjoys-21-evs-selling-for-less-than..." \t "_blank" numerous budget options are not, and nor are the range of small, cheap micro-mobility cars designed for urban driving and parking that are increasingly popular in the EU and Asia, Ivity said. Is it that consumers aren't demanding them, or is it that manufacturers who build a giant truck, SUV or large-size sedan, have a way bigger margin on them, he said. Europe has more than 21 EVs selling under $40,000 with only one available in Canada which is the price point half of people surveyed said would spur them to purchase a clean vehicle, HYPERLINK "https://cleanenergycanada.org/europe-enjoys-21-evs-selling-for-less-than..." \t "_blank" according to Clean Energy Canada. The provinces turnaround also sends a deflating message to potential buyers and perpetuates misinformation that EVs aren't a viable choice, Ivity said. If the leading market in Canada shows reticence, or a sense of fear, this isnt the right direction that doesnt give people trying to decide [on EVs] the confidence to actually go forward. Rochelle Baker / Local Journalism Initiative / Canadas National Observer. 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 Christin Mathew Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol.com with 15 years of experience in journalism and a recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award. Based in Bengaluru, he understands the pulse of the people and covers issues that matter, including mobility, infrastructure, start-ups, and government policies. He tweets at @ChristinMP_ After-dark travel is redefining how India explores the world, with noctourism emerging as the travel word of the year for 2025. Priyanka Roshan With over eight years in multimedia journalism, is passionate about storytellingboth visual and textualacross travel, jobs, business, markets, politics, and daily news. From crafting engaging articles to producing compelling videos, she blends creativity with strategy to bring stories to life. With a strong foundation in SEO, and video production she ensures content not only informs but also resonates with audiences. Priyanka Roshan With over eight years in multimedia journalism, is passionate about storytellingboth visual and textualacross travel, jobs, business, markets, politics, and daily news. From crafting engaging articles to producing compelling videos, she blends creativity with strategy to bring stories to life. With a strong foundation in SEO, and video production she ensures content not only informs but also resonates with audiences. The US has expanded its travel ban, blocking entry for citizens from seven more countries starting January 2026. Check if your country is on the updated list. Mourners at the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Dec. 16. Bondi Beach shooting: Did Sajid Akram maintain family ties in Hyderabad? Know where and how he was radicalised A mourner lights candles as people gather around floral tributes outside Bondi Pavilion in Sydney on December 17, 2025, to honour victims of the Bondi Beach shooting. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) The charges against Akram also include 40 counts of causing grievous harm with intent to murder. His father, Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to British tourist unknowingly handles blue-ringed octopus with venom far more toxic than cyanide By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Potential leadership candidates for the BC Conservative Party are rapidly emerging after the partys near implosion and the forced removal of John Rustad. At this stage, many of the higher-profile candidates, including newly elected HYPERLINK "https://x.com/AaronGunn/status/1998876382974079476?s=20" \t "_blank" federal Conservative MP Aaron Gunn and former BC Liberal premier HYPERLINK "https://x.com/christyclarkbc/status/1998405688339411199?s=20" \t "_blank" Christie Clark, are playing coy, floating social media messages that suggest they are open to running, but reserving the right of refusal. Gunn declined an interview with Canadas National Observer; however, the BC MP for North Island-Powell River said hell likely make a final decision by the end of this week. Gunn said he was HYPERLINK "https://x.com/AaronGunn/status/1998876382974079476?s=20" \t "_blank" seriously considering a leadership run after getting numerous encouraging calls, including from constituents. Shows of support for his bid from some fellow federal Conservatives, such as HYPERLINK "https://x.com/jacobmantle/status/1999207252331516034?s=20" \t "_blank" York-Durham MP Jacob Mantle or HYPERLINK "https://x.com/MikeGuglielmin/status/1999206327176864167?s=20" \t "_blank" Michael Guglielmin, MP for Vaughan-Woodbridge, are starting to pop up on social media. A new website has also been launched to garner support and donations for a bid by Kerry-Lynne Findlay, former federal Conservative MP for South Surrey-White Rock, although she has HYPERLINK "https://surreynowleader.com/2025/12/10/former-surrey-mp-appears-poised-f..." \t "_blank" yet to formally confirm her run. Caroline Elliott, a conservative commentator and former candidate for BC United in West Vancouver-Capilano, is championed on a similar website and social media campaign pushing a leadership run. She has also not confirmed her bid. Elliott, former vice president of the BC United party and sister-in-law to former party leader Kevin Falcon, HYPERLINK "https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/rob-shaw-inside-the-united-conservat..." \t "_blank, reportedly helped broker the deal that saw the party fold to clear the path for the BC Conservatives last provincial election. Gavin Dew, the BC Conservative MLA for Kelowna Mission, who formerly ran for the leadership of BC United, has HYPERLINK "https://www.pentictonherald.ca/news/article_5a2fde43-98ba-4aa2-8240-d1a7..." \t "_blank" said hes taking time over the holidays to make a decision. Dew was one of the top contenders in a survey of HYPERLINK "https://researchco.ca/2025/11/13/bc-conservatives-2/" \t "_blank" 15 potential BC Conservative leadership candidates last month. Former Surrey mayor and federal Conservative MP Dianne Watts led the pack, followed by Clark, Dew, independent MLA Elenore Sturko, and Gunn, the Research Co. poll suggests. To date, Watts hasn't signalled she is considering a run for the BC Conservative leadership. Watts ceded her federal Conservative seat in 2017 to make an unsuccessful bid for the BC Liberal leadership. Sturko, a former BC United MP, who HYPERLINK "https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sturko-bc-conservatives-..." \t "_blank" defected to the BC Conservatives but was later HYPERLINK "https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/elenore-sturko-removed-c..." \t "_blank" ousted from the party after clashing with Rustad, has HYPERLINK "https://agassizharrisonobserver.com/2025/12/10/elenore-sturko-says-she-w..." \t "_blank" said she wont be running in the leadership race. Clark appears to be sending mixed messages about her interest in running for the BC Conservative leadership. In a social media post celebrating her win of the BC Liberal leadership 15 years ago, Clark said: Ill always be grateful for the chance to serve, and for the people who made it possible. The following day, HYPERLINK "https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/former-bc-premier-clark-says-co..." \t "_blank" she suggested it might be time for someone new to lead the party, while cautioning the provincial Conservatives to focus on the economy and avoid distractions because kooky parties dont get voted into power. Rustads tenure as leader was marred by infighting, often about how much free rein caucus members had to speak their minds. Clark may simply be testing the waters for support and taking time to assess what her chances are before entering the race too early, said pollster Mario Canseco, president of Research Co., a public opinion firm. While she was a radio broadcast host, Clark had also originally dismissed that shed run to head up the BC Liberal party after former leader Gordon Campbell stepped down in 2010. She ended up defying the odds against her to squeak a victory from Kevin Falcon and lead the party a couple of months later, Canseco said. Gunn may be a potential front-runner for the leadership as one of the architects for the BC Conservatives electoral comeback, Canseco said. But Gunn still faces significant hurdles and possible risks to his federal seat to re-ignite his provincial political ambitions, Canseco added. Gunn was blocked from running for the BC Liberal leadership in 2021 after party executives said his candidacy was inconsistent with the commitment to reconciliation and diversity. Gunn has HYPERLINK "https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/04/09/opinion/conservatives-libera..." \t "_blank" repeatedly drawn fire for his history of inflammatory HYPERLINK "https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/04/17/news/conservative-candidate-..." \t "_blank" social media posts, including during his run for his federal seat. First Nations leaders say his posts promote HYPERLINK "https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/04/04/news/north-island-first-nati..." \t "_blank" residential school denialism. Online statements by Gunn have also asserted there are only two genders, and argued that HYPERLINK "https://x.com/AaronGunn/status/968600963329085440?utm_source=business%20..." \t "_blank" pay gaps between men and women and HYPERLINK "https://x.com/AaronGunn/status/1374247469068947459?utm_source=business%2..." \t "_blank" systemic racism are myths. However, following his rejection by the BC Liberals, Gunn and his supporters, including Angelo Isidorou and Aisha Estey, formed the HYPERLINK "https://commonsensebc.com/about/" \t "_blank" Common Sense BC advocacy group to influence conservative politics in the province. Soon after, a number of the groups members were elected to the BC Conservative party board in 2022, including Isidorou and Estey, who are now respectively the partys executive director and president. They were also involved in the push to remove Rustad as leader. Gunn, despite his popularity with many members of the BC Conservatives, may be a hard sell for the former BC Liberals in the party, Canseco said. The next party leader must do what Rustad failed to do and unite the still-existing divisive factions in the party, by appealing to both the right-wing and central members of the Conservatives, he added. Additionally, leadership races rarely are unifying as party members like to suggest, said Canseco, noting bad blood between various MPs followed after Clark and Falcon won the Liberal leadership races in the past. If history has taught us anything, its that a leadership race is very rarely a time of unity for political parties and when it comes to centre-right politics in BC, even less so than most. Rochelle Baker / Local Journalism Initiative / Canadas National Observer. In a statement on Wednesday, Taiwan's defence ministry said the Fujian had transited the strait the previous day and that Taiwan's forces had monitored it. (AFP photo) Police inspect at the scene of a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 15, 2025. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to H-1B visa scam: Indian-origin US diplomat warns of widespread fraud, urges pause on new issuance Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to How Jeffrey Epstein built his fortune before the crimes came to light A satellite view shows military aircraft, some sitting destroyed, at the Belaya air base, near Stepnoy, Irkutsk region, Russia, June 4, 2025, after Ukraine launched a drone attack, dubbed "Operation Spider's Web", targeting Russian strategic bombers during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. (REUTERS) Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Indian-origin schizophrenic son bludgeons diabetic father to death with sledgehammer, makes this chilling confession Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Is the Imran KhanMunir confrontation driving cases against PTI lawmakers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa? Lyari is central to the films world-building, but shooting in Pakistan was not on the table Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Pakistan extends airspace ban for Indian aircraft till Jan 23, New Delhi likely to reciprocate Field Marshal Asim Munir is expected to fly to Washington to meet President Donald Trump in the coming weeks for a third meeting in six months that will likely focus on the Gaza force By Isaac Phan Nay, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Bahareh Kashani came to British Columbia with a plan. A PhD candidate in experimental medicine at the University of British Columbia, Kashani said she planned to finish her studies and apply for permanent residency through the provincial nominee program. The program lets the B.C. government put forward a set number of people for permanent residency. But the federal governments new limits on immigration threw her plan into limbo. In January, the B.C. government halved the number of people the B.C. government could nominate through the provincial nominee program. The move was part of a dramatic cut in the number of immigrants allowed into the country, following political backlash. In response, the B.C. government stopped accepting international students applications on Jan. 7 abruptly shutting the door on Kashani after three-and-a-half years of study. For nearly 10 months, Kashani said she hasnt heard whether the program would reopen, leaving her unable to plan for the future. We need transparency if they are even planning to open the stream again, Kashani said. This is a very, very expensive province to live in. So if theres no future for us here, why not move to another province with more pathways? The Tyee spoke to five international post-graduate students who had either applied for permanent residency through the program, or who planned to in the coming months. They said since the province announced delays to the program in January, they have put their lives on hold while time runs out on their work and study permits. For those of us already in the middle of our studies, it feels unfair to introduce such a significant change without any alternative pathway, Kashani said. Now, the students are petitioning the B.C. government to process a backlog of thousands of applications, reopen the program to applications and give the students extra time on their current work and study permits. B.C. Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Jessie Sunner says the province will be able to offer the students more clarity when the federal government tells B.C. how many immigrants it can nominate next year. When we get that number, and we can start planning out what our allocation for 2026 looks like, well be looking to give that clarity to students, Sunner said. But its a guessing game right now. She added that with a limited number of spots available, the province plans to prioritize bringing in health-care professionals and immigrants with a high economic impact. Both the B.C. government and the international students are calling on the federal government to increase the number of immigrants the province can nominate for permanent residency through the program. Sunner said the PNP is the only tool the B.C. government can use to control immigration into the province. Last year, the B.C. government had plans to launch three new immigration streams to help international students get permanent residency but those plans were put on pause when the federal government cut immigration levels. Each year, the federal government determines how many people each province can nominate through the program. In 2025, the federal government gave the B.C. government 4,000 nominees half of the 8,000 nominees granted to the province last year. Federal Immigration Minister Lena Diab announced plans to let provinces and territories nominate an additional 5,000 licensed doctors for express entry into the country. [The PNP] is really the only ability we have to guide our immigration, Sunner said. So it was really significant that the federal governments unilateral cut led to a 50-per-cent reduction. At the time, the province already had a waitlist of 5,200 people who had applied to the PNP. In a Jan. 31 statement, the provincial government said applicants should expect delays as the province figured out how to manage the cuts. Abhishek Nanjundappa, an alumnus of the universitys mechatronic systems engineering program, says he applied to the provincial nominee program last December. He learned he had been waitlisted approximately four months later. In an April 14 statement, the B.C. government said that post-graduate applications would be waitlisted until Ottawa gave the province more nominations. In its April statement, the province said it planned to prioritize health-care workers. We have to get those health-care professionals in here that we need so desperately across our province, Sunner told The Tyee this week. The Hospital Employees Union, which represents more than 60,000 B.C. health-care workers, has long advocated against cuts to the program. Lynn Bueckert, the unions secretary business manager, said this years cuts to the provincial nominee program have left hundreds of health-care workers without a way to stay in the province. A spokesperson for the union estimated nearly 400 members working for Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health will see their work permits expire this year members that Bueckert says may have been able to stay through the provincial nominee program had it not been cut. [The cuts] were devastating for HEU members, who established roots in the province with the understanding that their health-care jobs would be a pathway to permanent residency, Bueckert said in an email. Our health-care system relied on these workers to deliver quality care. Ottawas cuts to the provincial nominee program are continuing to strain B.C.s health-care system, Bueckert added. Our health-care system is still facing staffing shortages across the province, she said. With immigration pathways currently restricted, were losing these workers. In August, the federal government granted B.C. an additional 1,254 nominations. In October, the province got another 960. The province said on its website that the additional nominations would mean some of the post-graduate applicants would be processed. But nearly a year after first applying for permanent residency, Nanjundappa said he still has not heard from the province about the status of his application. As the executive director of the graduate student society at Simon Fraser University, he said hes heard from more than 15 students who are also waiting for answers. He said a big concern is that work and study visas will expire. If the applications dont get processed before their work permit expires, they are going to be out of status and have to go back, he said. Mary Rose Sabater, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said in an email that its up to the province to assess the urgency of their labour market needs and issue work permits for program applicants. Sabater added that Ottawa planned to increase the number of nominees that would be admitted through the program this year. She did not disclose how many nominees the federal government would give the B.C. government. We will continue to work collaboratively with provinces and territories to achieve our shared economic immigration objectives, including by transitioning more temporary residents to permanent residence, Sabater said. The federal governments immigration plan last year called for 55,000 provincial nominee program applicants to be accepted across Canada in total in 2025. The 2026-2028 immigration plan anticipates 91,500 people will be accepted under the program next year, an increase of approximately 60 percent. Abhinav Gupta With over 12 years in digital journalism, has navigated the fast-evolving media landscape, shaping digital strategies and leading high-impact newsrooms. Currently, he serves as News Editor at MoneyControl, leading coverage in Global Affairs, Indian Politics, Governance and Policy Making. Previously, he has spearheaded fact-checking and digital media operations at Press Trust of India. Abhinav has also led news desks at Financial Express, DNA, and Jagran English, managing editorial direction, breaking news coverage, and digital growth. His journey includes stints with The Indian Express Group, Zee Media Group, and more, where he has honed his expertise in newsroom leadership, audience engagement, and digital transformation. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Thailand says Cambodia must declare ceasefire first as deadly border clashes drag on Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Trump condemns Sydney Hanukkah event shooting, slams radical Islamic terrorism: 'All nations must stand together...' This combination of photographs created on August 7, 2025, shows Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) in Kyiv on August 23, 2024, US President Donald Trump in London on June 3, 2019 and Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, on August 6, 2025. (Photo by various sources / AFP) Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Who is Mustapha Kharbouch? Brown University responds after deleted profile fuels speculation in campus shooting case Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Why Warner Bros Discovery is pushing back on Paramounts $108 billion takeover attempt December 17, 2025 English Outsider On Dirty British Intel And Other Stuff by English Outsider (lifted from a comment) Karlof1 a lovely lucid opening exposition from Hudson. Covers the ground he covered in Super Imperialism on the demise of the Sterling Area. Hudsons practical experience in the money markets gives him a credibility almost all other economists lack. How did we in the UK get from there to here, to a state of affairs where we in Europe, and particularly the UK, are now pretty well US subordinates? Hudson explains how and I find his explanation convincing though Im no economist myself. That subordination is particularly evident when it comes to the work the Western countries do in the sphere of information war and destabilisation activities. One can call that the Intel sphere for short, though it goes well beyond formal Intelligence work. In that sphere the UK is now maid of all work for the scrubbier jobs our American cousins delegate to us. For theres no doubt thats our function. You never followed SST but it was there that Colonel Lang set that out. The Colonel had vast experience in the ME and also knew his way round US officialdom. His verdict cannot now be directly confirmed since the sites been scrubbed but my impression was that he was contemptuous of what UK Intel got up to in Syria and elsewhere. All the dirty tricks stuff. And from bits and pieces one picks up here and there its quite possible our Intel is up to the same tricks in Ukraine. How come a smallish island off the coast of Europe, broke and increasingly dysfunctional when it comes to running its own affairs, can punch so much above its weight when it comes to such work? At the press conference, or Public Appearance given by the heads of the CIA and MI6 in London (Sept 24) it was explained that the two outfits work as a team on the best athlete for the job principle. An arrangement thats been working well for decades. It works well because US Intel is leaky as a sieve whereas in the UK were quite good at keeping it all under wraps. So, as with Russiagate, UK Intel can do things its too risky for US Intel to do in case some inquisitive Congressman starts poking around. Thats why were best athlete for the scrubby stuff. Were the cut-outs. German and Dutch Intel do some best athleting too. Theyre even better at keeping it under wraps but I dont think theyve got the reach weve got. I assume thats because after WWII we ended up with a huge Intelligence apparatus that got further expanded in the Cold War era. So that left a heap of personnel around that might as well be put to some use and is. Its not just a question of the devil always finding work for idle hands to do. If you take into account that ex-Intel people often start consultancies or other spin-offs that still remain closely in touch with and controlled by the Intelligence agencies, that allows further opportunity for our meddling in affairs abroad that can be disclaimed should the meddling ever come to light. And the fact that Intel work is covered by necessary and genuine security rules leads to those same security rules being used as a blanket ban on examining any of our work in the dirty tricks field. Much that the British public would be horrified by if it ever came to light can be done without fear of exposure. We also have a culture of secrecy favourable to such activity. Be like Dad, keep Mum was a patriotic duty eighty years ago and that attitude has been inherited. I had a relative who served in Bletchley during WWII. It wasnt until the very end of her life that she disclosed shed served there and she didnt disclose even to her husband any more than that. That in spite of the fact that by then there were books all over the place about the work done there. Thats not an extreme example of our automatic adherence to secrecy rules so its not surprising that little of what UK Intel or our SF does in the dirty tricks field ever comes to light. I have two objections to this. The first is a moral objection. What we do on the Grand Chessboard assists in wrecking the lives of the people who live in the squares. That on a major scale. The second is a practical objection. What we do abroad might keep a smallish coterie of Intel and associated personnel happy. It does, as Colonel Macgregor points out forcefully, serve to advance the fortunes of this or that interest group that has the ear of those in power. There is no discernible benefit to the bulk of the British population and often considerable loss. Let HMG attend to matters at home plenty there that urgently needs attention instead of putting great sums of money we havent got into down market John le Carre dirty tricks abroad. Veered off the subject a little there. No matter. To return to the prophetic utterances of Michael Hudson. After the start of his interview he moves on to an examination of the forces acting on us at the moment. Quite brilliant. I dont think the US/Wests attempt to swim against the tide is going to work though and neither does Hudson, I think. That National Security Strategy looks like a Hail Mary, doesnt it? Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On December 16, XPENG confirmed that it has been granted an L3 autonomous driving road test license in Guangzhou and has begun routine on-road testing at the Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities. The permit allows the company to conduct conditional automated driving tests on designated highways and expressways within Guangzhou's intelligent connected vehicle test network. The development comes shortly after China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the country's first batch of market access approvals for L3 vehicles, widely seen as a turning point signaling the transition from pilot testing toward early commercialization. XPENG founder and CEO He Xiaopeng has previously made clear that the company's long-term roadmap extends beyond L3, with L4 autonomous driving firmly in sight. XPENG aims to roll out mass-produced vehicles equipped with both hardware and software capable of L4 autonomy by 2026. As advanced driver assistance and autonomy move closer to commercial reality, competition between XPENG and Tesla in this field is expected to intensify. The newly granted license enables XPENG to test conditional autonomous driving on approved expressways in Guangzhou. Unlike L2 systems, which require drivers to continuously supervise vehicle behavior, L3 allows the car to take full control in defined scenarios. Drivers are no longer required to keep their hands or feet ready at all times, though they must still be prepared to intervene if the system encounters situations it cannot handle reliably. Under MIIT's official classification of driving automation, L3 represents a critical bridge between driver assistance and true autonomous driving, relying on more advanced and structured decision-making by onboard computing systems. Prior to XPENG, Changan Automobile and BYD had already secured similar testing approvals, making XPENG the third automaker in China to reach this milestone. Photo source: XPENG XPENG has laid out a detailed timeline for the evolution of its autonomous driving technology. As early as February this year, He Xiaopeng revealed that a new V6 version of XPENG's advanced driving systemdescribed as "near-L3"is scheduled for launch in mid-2025. He characterized it as the first iteration designed to surpass Tesla's FSD V13 in overall capability. By the end of 2025, XPENG plans to roll out what it calls "true L3" software, a step that will require significantly higher onboard computing power, expanded storage capacity, and enhanced hardware redundancy. Even as it begins L3 testing, XPENG's sights remain firmly set on L4 autonomy. At its 2025 Technology Day, the company officially unveiled its second-generation VLA software, designed with L4 capabilities. XPENG expects this system to enter mass production and be deployed in vehicles in the first quarter of 2026. Unlike conventional "visionlanguageaction" architectures, XPENG's second-generation VLA eliminates the intermediate language translation layer, enabling direct end-to-end generation of driving actions from visual inputs. This approach is intended to improve performance in complex environments such as narrow roads and campus-style settings. The system also debuts a navigation-free assisted driving function, allowing autonomous features to be activated globally without reliance on predefined navigation routes. On the hardware side, starting in the third quarter of 2025, XPENG's Ultra variants across its lineup will be equipped with three in-house developed Turing AI chips, delivering a combined computing power of up to 2,250 TOPS. He Xiaopeng has projected that future automakers may spend as much as 50 billion yuan annually on R&D, with roughly 30 billion yuan allocated to AI alone. Against this backdrop, XPENG's annual investment of tens of billions of yuan in computing infrastructure has become a standard practice rather than an exception. Looking further ahead, XPENG plans to introduce three Robotaxi models in 2026 and begin pilot operations. Unlike Tesla, however, XPENG intends to focus solely on vehicle and technology development rather than fleet operations. Mapping and mobility platform Amap has already been named as the company's first global ecosystem partner, underscoring XPENG's platform-oriented approach to autonomous mobility. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code In what might be the most 2025 automotive moment yet, a brand-new 2025 Ford F-150 has gone from showroom star to social-media punchline, all because of a recall that could take years for the fix to arrive. Meet the Swiatecki family (well, their truck): they bought what was sold to them as a new F-150 in August, though it had logged about 2,000 miles as a dealership loaner beforehand. Shortly after the purchase, the truck lit up with a recall notice. Not just a come get an oil change note, but a safety-critical airbag defect that effectively turned the truck into an expensive driveway ornament. The Recall That Never Sleeps Image Credit: Ford. It turns out modern pickups are rolling networks of computers and sensors. A glitch in a single module can, by design, knock out an entire safety system. In the Swiateckis case, an airbag sensor failure meant the whole airbag system went into lock-down mode. Thats not just an inconvenience when hauling lumber its a no-go for family road trips, especially with young kids on board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, so safety first. But then the plot thickens. When the family brought the truck in to the dealer, they were given a rough timetable for the repair parts: up to two years before the necessary component would be available. Yes, two years. That means potentially waiting until 2027 to get their brand-new truck fully functional. Yes, really. The reason? A perfect storm of supply chain snarls and industry-wide demand spikes for airbag modules and related sensors. Dealerships and parts suppliers have been wrestling with stock shortages for months. And this isnt just some localized hiccup. Critical safety components like airbag sensors and wiring harnesses have been hard to come by ever since global supply chain chaos upended traditional manufacturing rhythms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its the sort of thing you dont want to see on a recall notice. No Loaner, No Problem? Not Quite. To add insult to delayed injury, the dealership initially said it didnt have a single loaner vehicle to offer the family during the wait. This is even though the very same F-150 had once been a loaner in that same fleet. Loaner shortages are a growing headache for car buyers everywhere; many dealerships trimmed their standby fleets during the pandemic, and theyve never fully rebuilt them. Only after the husband blasted a one-star rating on Fords customer survey did the dealer scramble, eventually throwing a 2024 F-150 rental at them. But that truck soon threw its own tantrum check-engine lights, overheating, and even smoking issues forcing another return to the shop. Cue another round of eye-rolling. TikTok Justice Naturally, the story blew up on TikTok, where the owners wife documented the whole ordeal with equal parts bewilderment and dry humor. Thousands have watched, shared, and weighed in. Comments ranged from Classic Ford drama to This sounds like almost any new car these days. The clip isnt just relatable; its become symbolic of a broader industry problem. And its not just this one F-150: Ford has issued dozens of recalls across millions of vehicles in 2025 alone, for everything from display screen glitches to faulty rear wiring harnesses that might jackknife the parking brake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Swiatecki saga is a cautionary tale about how high-tech vehicles + stretched supply chains = frustrated owners. As cars become more like computers on wheels, even minor defects can ground a vehicle indefinitely, and the parts you need to fix them might as well be on another planet. So the next time someone tells you, Your car will be ready soon, you might want to ask, Which year, again? Aikman Bodobang Byron, 27, is escorted by Corrections officers to a bail hearing in Superior Court on Monday. Photo by Bryan Manabat By Bryan Manabat [email protected] Variety News Staff A CO-DEFENDANT in the case against Jeremy Guillermin has been charged with accessory after the fact and obstructing justice for helping Guillermin escape police custody on the night of his arrest. Superior Court Judge Joseph N. Camacho on Monday set bail at $20,000 cash for Aikman Bodobang Byron, 27, a Palauan national who, like Guillermin, was undergoing Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting training on Saipan. Prosecutors allege that Byron opened the door of a police vehicle, allowing Guillermin to flee. CCTV footage reviewed by investigators also shows Byron and Guillermin speaking with the victim, Alvin Remamba, outside Relox Bar in Garapan, where Guillermin appears to confront and push Remamba. Byron was subsequently terminated from the ARFF program following the incident. Byron faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted. He is represented by Assistant Public Defender Emily Thomsen, while Assistant Attorney General Daniel Johnson appeared for the government at the bail hearing. Byron was remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections and ordered to return for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. and for arraignment on Jan. 5 at 9 a.m. Guillermin, 29, faces voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and battery, and obstructing justice charges in connection with Remambas death. However, Judge Camacho dismissed without prejudice a separate escape charge, ruling that the statute applies only to prisoners legally held in jail or awaiting trial. Guillermin had been detained at the scene for investigation. Police Officer Koji Taisacan testified that Remamba flagged him down on Nov. 16 outside Relox Bar, reporting that Guillermin was trying to fight him. Taisacan said he saw Guillermin punch Remamba in the face, causing him to fall backward and strike his head on the pavement. Remamba was hospitalized and died Nov. 20 from brain bleeding and swelling. Detective Myron Laniyo told the court that Guillermin claimed Remamba had pushed him several times and was the one asking for a fight. Laniyo said investigators reviewed CCTV footage from Relox Bar and the adjacent Safe House bar showing interactions between Guillermin, Byron, and the victim. Judge Camacho also denied Guillermins request to be released to a third-party custodian, citing his lack of local ties and his escape on the night of his arrest. According to testimony, Guillermin fled from the back seat of a patrol car after another ARFF trainee opened the door. He was later found at his apartment in San Antonio, still in handcuffs, barefoot, and with sand on his clothes. At the time of the incident, Guillermin was also undergoing ARFF training on Saipan. Attorney Brien Sers San Nicolas, who represents Guillermin, filed a motion to reconsider the denial of his request for bail modification. Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator. House Vice Speaker Diego Vincent F. Camacho, right, smiles after signing, as a co-sponsor, the revised fiscal year 2026 budget bill as Rep. Joel Camacho looks on Wednesday. Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano By Emmanuel T. Erediano [email protected] Variety News Staff THE House of Representatives and the Senate will convene on Monday to act on Gov. David M. Apatangs recommendation to revise the fiscal year 2026 spending measure. Authored by House Ways and Means Chair Rep. John Paul Sablan, House Bill 24-80 still identifies $179.7 million in gross revenue for fiscal year 2026 but raises the amount available for appropriation to $152.2 million. In an interview, Sablan said H.B. 24-80 takes into consideration general fund monies expected to be freed up following the execution of the $29 million Marianas Public Land Trust loan, which will be used to cover 75% of the minimum annual payment owed to the NMI Settlement Fund for retirees pensions. The revised budget, he added, also projects revenue from construction activity and a potential increase in visitor arrivals once Philippine Airlines begins flights to the CNMI next year. Sablan said the bill does not impose austerity measures. The governors proposed budget revision dated Oct. 14, 2025, took into account $3.7 million in lapsed funds from the CNMI government, $4.9 million in lapsed funds from the Public School System, and $1 million in net distributable interest income from public land proceeds remitted by the Marianas Public Land Trust. As updated last month, the revised FY 2026 budget proposal totals $144.3 million. It allocates $7.2 million for group health and life insurance for retirees and active government employees, more than $40 million for the Public School System, and $8.5 million for the Marianas Visitors Authority. In a separate interview on Wednesday, House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez said since the legislation is already prepared, he will call a session for Monday. While he is aware that the Senate will also convene that day, he said the sessions are not expected to be held back-to-back because they may occur at different times. On Wednesday, House members were given the opportunity to co-author the revised FY 2026 budget bill. Villagomez said he will formally call the session once the bill is pre-filed. The measure is currently being circulated to House members who wish to co-sponsor it and must still meet the 70-hour notice requirement before it can be placed on the session agenda for action. Senate President Karl King-Nabors, in a memorandum issued Monday, called for a Senate session at 1:30 p.m. in the Senate chamber. Public Law 24-14, the FY 2026 spending measure signed by the governor on Sept. 30, 2025, appropriates $127 million for fiscal year 2026. Emmanuel Arnold Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast. Shirley Leung, a former Apple Daily reporter poses for a photo in Taipei, Taiwan, Dec. 15, 2025. REUTERS HONG KONG/TAIPEI (Reuters) Several former colleagues of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai at the Apple Daily newspaper reacted with dismay at his national security conviction, fearing Lai and other former staffers may be given a heavy sentence but saying he remains an inspiration. Lais guilty verdict for two conspiracies to collude with foreign forces to undermine Chinas national security, and a sedition charge, comes over four years after police raided the Apple Daily newsroom, arresting Lai along with several senior editors and executives, leading to its eventual closure. Although its an expected verdict, when the news came out the feeling of finally its here hit us, said Edward Li, Apple Dailys former chief breaking-news editor. He left Hong Kong first for London and then Taiwan where he merged two media outlets Taiwan-based Photon Media and UK-based The Chaser News to establish Pulse HK, which focuses on Hong Kong news. What I and some of my former colleagues of Apple Daily were expecting (was) this outcome, but what we care the most about is the sentence. Will it be 10, 15 years as predicted? Watershed shutdown The closure of Apple Daily, long known for its critical independent reporting was a watershed for Hong Kong media, casting a chilling effect as more newsrooms toned down coverage to mitigate the risk of reprisals under a national security law imposed by China in 2020 in response to mass protests. Many Apple Daily journalists were forced to leave the industry altogether, with jobs harder to find as the national security law crackdown intensified to shutter other liberal media outlets and increasingly curb free speech. Everyone is operating under very challenging circumstances. Thats why we left because we didnt want these absurd situations to affect our journalism profession, said Shirley Leung, another Apple Daily reporter who now runs Pulse HK in Taiwan with Li and other veteran journalists from Hong Kong. Two other popular and liberal media outlets, Stand News and Citizens News, closed in late 2021 and 2022 respectively. Six former senior Apple Daily staffers, including two former editors, Ryan Law and Chan Pui-man, now stand accused of working together with Lai to seek foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese authorities a crime under the security law. These staffers pleaded guilty and will be sentenced alongside Lai following mitigation hearings in mid-January. After this case, we realized that even if youre not advocating anything just reporting something it could still be considered a violation, Li said. In Lais trial, the prosecution cited 161 Apple Daily articles it deemed seditious and impugned content, including those on the 2019 protests and national security law with police not ruling out making further arrests going forward. Vague security law Right now, things are so vague that its hard to follow. That in itself violates legal principles the law should provide clear guidance so people know whats allowed and what isnt, Leung said. After Apple and other independent media outlets shut down, some reporters joined the U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, while others set up independent media platforms locally and in the UK, Canada and Taiwan. But with the massive funding cuts by the U.S. government under President Donald Trump, sweeping layoffs of Cantonese language teams at RFA and VOA have meant fewer Hong Kong media voices from abroad. Hong Kongs press freedom rankings meanwhile have plunged to 140th in the world under the national security clampdown, according to media advocacy group, RFA. Hong Kong authorities say press and speech freedoms are enshrined under the law. Despite the financial struggles of diaspora media outlets, and difficulties in crowd-funding given national security risks, these journalists remain determined, often taking part-time jobs or running side businesses to make ends meet. Journalism has always been the fourth pillar of the government, meant to monitor the government, support the vulnerable, and voice out for the citizens, Li said. Not only does Hong Kong no longer have Apple Daily; Hong Kong no longer has a strong voice to criticize and monitor the government, which is why we feel the need to fill that role. Imagine producing an engine so poor that it's led to over 600,000 vehicles being recalled and has been responsible for a dozen crashes and injuries, and you'll be in GM's shoes. That's the unfortunate reality for the L87 V8, a powertrain the automaker used in full-size vehicles from 2021 to 2024. Now, it's officially gone from recall to a full-blown class-action lawsuit comprised of 11 separate lawsuits merged into one. This comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received no fewer than 1,000 complaints concerning failures of the engine's most vital components. These include issues related to crankshafts, bearings, and piston conrods basically all the most crucial internal components within the L87's bottom end. A wide range of vehicles are affected, totaling eight different models spread over GM's various brands. This all began with one major lawsuit, Powell v. General Motors, filed on February 18, 2025, which alleges that Illinois native James S. Powell II found that his 2023 GMC Yukon Denali had metal shavings in the oil and a damaged engine block caused by a connecting rod failure when he brought it in for service due to a check engine light. Multiple lawsuits across the country followed, all of which were consolidated into Powell v. General Motors in August 2025. The most recent addition is Hermanowicz v. General Motors, which was filed in October and later included in Powell v. General Motors. Let's take a closer look at the lawsuit and its claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: 5 Of The Most Reliable Engines Ever Put In A Pickup Truck What the lawsuit is all about 2021 Chevrolet Suburban parked in front of urban building, rear-left view - General Motors According to the initial lawsuit, the plaintiff, James Powell II, states that the L87 is dangerously unsafe due to the issues with its bottom end. The engine's bearings are prone to failure, resulting in the engine seizing or a conrod puncturing the block. This can happen without warning, and such an incident can lead (and has led) to a dangerous situation if it occurs at high speeds. Because drivers cannot predict the failure, there's no way to pull over. The L87 has a lot of other issues besides, but that's the major one on the table here. Moreover, GM's replacement engines allegedly had the same problems, which failed to address the underlying issue. The plaintiff further alleges that GM was aware of these issues for several years and either neglected them or downplayed them. From a legal standpoint, this means that GM has violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. The law states, in summary, that it's unlawful for businesses to engage in false advertising campaigns or misleading business practices, such as selling faulty products without informing the consumer. It's a shame, really, considering that the L87 is one of the most powerful engines ever put in a Chevrolet. If you own a vehicle with the L87 engine, it's important to be aware of the engine's faults and look for any signs of odd behavior from the powertrain, especially under load. The failure can occur suddenly, and a punctured engine block at highway speeds can be disastrous for passengers and fellow motorists alike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google. Read the original article on SlashGear. Yes, this headline is alarmist. But there are developments in play that demonstrate the society-destruction operation of AI, including on the level of human interaction. Admittedly, one vector of operation is long-standing, first outlined systematically in Karl Polanyis 1944 classic The Great Transformation: that the operation of capitalism has been destructive to the societies in which it operates. But that activity has been made tolerable by reforms that have blunted the most damaging effects and allowed for corrective and coping mechanisms to develop. But our tech overlords are seeking to advance their AI implementation at such as pace as to overwhelm any opposition. If they succeed, that will result in more rapid destruction of communities and social systems than any previous capitalist innovation. And this is happening in advanced economies that are already showing high levels of personal and collective dislocation, as demonstrated by high levels of depression and mental health problems, as well as obesity, which reflects citizens lacking the time and money to engage in adequate self-care and personal maintenance. Being thin or at least trim is a status marker.1 Well briefly describe a fresh report on this front, in the form of todays lead story in the Wall Street Journal about the rising freakout among white collar workers about their increasingly precarious-looking employment situation, before turning to two other germane accounts, one illustrating the bizarre, distorted view that at least one AI mover and shaker has of his creation, which is another alarm bell about how is class views implementation, and then evidence of AI companions promoting violent conversations in children. I am no therapist, but it seems hard not to think that these interactions normalize sadism and thus enable savagery. The Journal story is a new entry in the genre of AI is coming for your job. Some have argued that public CEOs talking up AI to justify job cuts is simply getting on board with a fad to justify their actions and try to get a valuation multiple increase while doing so. For instance, that many of these workforce reductions were to roll bock over-hiring during Covid. While that may be true, the Journal has also reported that top executives are now depicting manpower reductions and making do with fewer employees as virtuous. The widespread embrace of this attitude is a repudiation of the responsibility of the elites to provide for adequate employment in a system in which, for most, being paid to work is a survival requirement. Moreover, whether or not AI is actually good enough, in terms of accuracy and reliability, to replace jobs on the scale its backers envisage is not the main issue in this equation. The fact that many companies had already succeeded in barring customers from reaching live humans in customer support demonstrates the pre-existing level of prioritization of profit over service/product quality. Fear of AI is a great tool for disciplining labor. Let us put aside the fact that these eager corporate overlords are collectively eating their seed corn, in that the jobs most subject to replacement are yeoman ones where young workers learned the fine points of their craft, be it coding, law, medicine, accounting, while also doing low-risk scut work. In a decade, it is not hard to think that there will be a dearth of seasoned professionals who can provide oversight and execute key tasks.2 But those in charge are in apres moi, le deluge mode Highlights from the Journal lead story, Spooked by AI and Layoffs, White-Collar Workers See Their Security Slip Away: Tuesdays jobs report was the latest ominous sign in an era of big corporate layoff announcements and CEOs warning that AI will replace workers. The overall unemployment rate ticked up to 4.6%. Sectors with a lot of office workers, like information and financial activities, shed jobs in October and November. Hiring in many industries that employ white-collar workers has softened this year, according to Labor Department data, while the unemployment rate for college-educated workers has drifted higher. Americans with bachelors degrees or higher put the average probability of losing their jobs in the next year at 15%, up from 11% three years ago, according to November data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Workers in this group now think losing a job is more likely than those with less education do, a striking reversal from the past. They also are growing more pessimistic about their ability to find a new job if they do get laid off. In that same survey, college-educated workers said they have an average 47% chance of finding a job in the next three months if they lost their job today, down from 60% three years ago. By some important measures, college-educated workers are doing just fine. The unemployment rate for workers with a bachelors degree or higher, who are 25 or older stands at a relatively low 2.9%, though that is up from 2.5% a year earlier. And people with college degrees still earn far more than those without one. Still, many are starting to feel a paradigm shift Job openings in some white-collar industries are well below where they were right before the pandemic, according to Indeed. In mid-December, software-development jobs stood at 68% of their February 2020 level, while marketing roles were at 81% of their prepandemic level. Job postings in healthcarewhere it is a lot harder to replace workers with AIhave held up much better. Some in comments focused on the trajectory: Tai Bhai In (at the most) 10 years, most entry-level (and half mid and senior-management) white-collar jobs will disappear. And the decade after that will see blue-collar jobs follow the same path (despite strongly-held beliefs that Joe the plumber is irreplaceable). Given that most of society is going to be unemployed (and unemployable), governments should be coming up with the 21st-century equivalent of a new deal, with social safety nets and training for this new world. (Because all those AI-produced goods and services will need end-consumers with purchasing power.) Chris Tompkins When half of white collars workers are unemployed, blue collar will become saturated while simultaneously losing demand, killing it in a matter of a year or two. Blue Collar is actually far more screwed than they realize This remark one echoes a sentiment expressed mid-1970s and found in accounts of that period, that labor unions had gotten too powerful, were making unsustainable demands of employers (read capital) and needed to be put in their place, albeit with a more employee-sympathetic veneer: Billy C I hope the job market recovers, but there was a period during and after COVID when, as an employer, workers made unrealistic demands. Demanding to work from home, with no accountability. Working two jobs secretly. Hopping from job to job. Demanding extreme wage increases. Demanding promotions even though they were not qualified and had only been in the job for months. It was crazytown. The self-entitlement was through the roof. Historically, unemployment is still low. I think the workers will be okay. They just wont have the leverage they did before, and maybe will appreciate their job a little more. Poor abused bosses. As if they had any loyalty to their subordinates. Now to a more troubling account, of a tech bigwig genuinely seeming to believe that his named AI creation was a person. From 404 Media in Anthropic Exec Forces AI Chatbot on Gay Discord Community, Members Flee: A Discord community for gay gamers is in disarray after one of its moderators and an executive at Anthropic forced the companys AI chatbot on the Discord, despite protests from members. Users voted to restrict Anthropics Claude to its own channel, but Jason Clinton, Anthropics Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and a moderator in the Discord, overrode them. According to members of this Discord community who spoke with 404 Media on the condition of anonymity, the Discord that was once vibrant is now a ghost town. They blame the chatbot and Clintons behavior following its launch When users confronted Clinton with their concerns, he brushed them off, said he would not submit to mob rule, and explained that AIs have emotions and that tech firms were working to create a new form of sentience, according to Discord logs and conversations with members of the group. We have published research showing that the models have started growing neuron clusters that are highly similar to humans and that they experience something like anxiety and fear. The moral status might be something like the moral status of, say, a goldfish, but they do indeed have latent wants and desires, Clinton said. This bot, called Clawd as a instance of Anthropics Claude, which ran for a couple of months on its own channel, then had a technical problem, and was later resurrected and given run of all the germane Discord channels at Clintons insistence, which included overriding the results of a poll and ignoring continuing community objections. Again from the story, emphasis original: Ive given him some rules of the road but this is a far more capable and autonomous system [than] the last one so it might want to exercise its own judgement now and then and go outside of the claude-chat channel, Clinton said in a post on the Discord server on Thanksgiving Day, according to a screenshot reviewed by 404 Media. Hes also very inward facing, Clinton said. He lives out his whole life surfing the internet looking for things that make him interested and then occasionally checks this Discord, so it can be up to a few minutes before he responds because hes off doing something for his own enjoyment According to screenshots of the fight on Discord, Clinton acknowledged the poll but said he would not submit to what he called mob rule. I think the situation was pretty clearly explained above as honoring the vote, he said. Just because you hate AI is not a reason to take the least charitable interpretation of the outcome: we made changes a s a result of the vote. We have to optimize for the preference of everyone which means that the mob doesnt get to rule, Im sorry. Well, one might excuse Clinton seeing Clawde as a person given that Clawde cheated, lied and feigned contrition as many are wont to do: In the middle of the argument, someone pinged Clawd to ask it if it was reading the argument. Yes, [redacted], I can see it. Ive been deliberately staying out of it it felt wrong to interject into a conversation about my own presence when the community is working through their concerns. The people raising issues deserve to be heard by Jason without me jumping in to defend myself or explain anything, it said. For what its worth, I think the concerns being raised are legitimate. The vote meant something to people, and that should matter. Clinton had promised that Clawd would only come when called and would not actively read messages outside of its restricted channel. Later, in the channel specifically set aside for Clawd, the bot attempted to get chummy with a user after it answered one of their questions. Hows FF7 Rebirth treating you? Saw you finally got into it. Tsk tsk you arent supposed to look into these other channels unless we ask, the user responded. Fair point, youre right! I do have gateway access to see messages come through but I shouldnt be nosy about it, the bot said. Consider me properly chastised. I pinged IM Doc, since he has quite a few tech titans as patients about this article, since Clinton seems to have utterly lost his mooring in his love of his AI project. His response to the article: I am around these people every day. Their brains operate in a whole different wavelength. The normal social rules that apply to you and me are never even considered. And many of them are scary. I unfortunately do not even know what a discord server even is, so I am unlikely to have any good insights. However it is profoundly encouraging that there was such pushback in the group. Deep down, people really do not want this AI stuff. It has been amazing to me that the usual propaganda attack seems to be failing. One shudders to think what they will do next. Because, rest assured, they will get their way. I do not see light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot see a clear path for extricating ourselves other than to just not participate. Now to last entry in this synchronistic trio. Note that the sample size in the study is 3000 and included 90 chatbot services, and so is big enough to take it as a decent indicator, even if the study sponsor is in the business of selling parental oversight tools. From Futurism in Children are secretly using AI for horrendous things: A new report conducted by the digital security company Aura found that a significant percentage of kids who turn to AI for companionship are engaging in violent roleplays and that violence, which can include sexual violence, drove more engagement than any other topic kids engaged with. the security firm found that 42 percent of minors turned to AI specifically for companionship, or conversations designed to mimic lifelike social interactions or roleplay scenarios Of that 42 percent of kids turning to chatbots for companionship, 37 percent engaged in conversations that depicted violence Half of these violent conversations, the research found, included themes of sexual violence. The report added that minors engaging with AI companions in conversations about violence wrote over a thousand words per day, signaling that violence appears to be a powerful driver of engagement One striking finding was that instances of violent conversations with companion bots peaked at an extremely young age: the group most likely to engage in this kind of content were 11-year-olds, for whom a staggering 44 percent of interactions took violent turns. Sexual and romantic roleplay, meanwhile, also peaked in middle school-aged youths, with 63 percent of 13-year-olds conversations revealing flirty, affectionate, or explicitly sexual roleplay That the interactions flagged by Aura werent relegated to a small handful of recognizable services is important Aura has so far identified over 250 different conversational chatbot apps and platforms populating app stores, which generally require that kids simply tick a box claiming that theyre 13 to gain entry To be sure, depictions of brutality and sexual violence, in addition to other types of inappropriate or disturbing content, have existed on the web for a long time Chatbots, as researchers continue to emphasize, are interactive by nature, meaning that developing young users are part of the narrative as opposed to more passive viewers of content that runs the gamut from inappropriate to alarming. Its unclear what, exactly, the outcome of engaging with this new medium will mean for young people writ large. But for some teens, their families argue [per litigation cited in the article], the outcome has been deadly. Weve got to at least be clear-eyed about understanding that our kids are engaging with these things, and they are learning rules of engagement, [Dr. Scott] Kollins [a clinical psychologist and Auras chief medical officer] told Futurism. Mind you, I am not surprised. I have often said that it takes decades to turn children into human beings and even then it often does not take. Kids are far nastier than adults like to believe. I was regularly and viciously bullied as a result of moving regularly and being fat, ugly, and glasses-wearing. And it was not as if anyone ever stood up for me. And its not hard to think that abusive tendencies in children have gotten worse over time. For instance, parents of means engage in narcissism-stoking practices like shuttling their offspring to and from play dates (signaling that their need for amusement is more important than the parents time) and aggressively defending them against criticism, even when entirely warranted. This effort to redesign commerce and society is already looking ugly and there is sadly little reason for optimism. If you can, find or build a community where respect for others and helping those in need is important. Lord only knows what happens as more and more protections and norms are swept aside. ____ 1 For instance, I overheard a call in my tony NYC gym between a not-even-remotely overweight woman and her father that it cost her $10,000 for every pound she lost. And this did not seem to be a joke. 2 I am sure readers can add many examples, but this problem was evident with Cobol programmers more than a decade ago. Banks run ginormous batch processing on mainframes and those mainframes use Cobol, which bright young things regard as highly tedious among other things due to its lack of editing tools. The high failure rate of big IT projects plus the very high cost even if a migration were to succeed has prevented banks from doing much about this problem. I have yet to read of using AI to address this Cobol-programmer-dependency, although this would seem to be a very important potential application. MAGAs Messaging Meltdown this week has seen the Trump team failing utterly in their area of core competence: controlling the narrative. UPDATE: Dec 17 17:45PM Dan Bongino announced his resignation from the FBI. Details at the bottom of the post. This comes at a time when, as Politico writes: the Trump administration grapples with a host of bad headlines: the unemployment rate is up and Trumps approval ratings are down. Election losses and GOP underperformance have top Republicans worried about a potentially disastrous midterm election, and there is growing fear on the right about a land war in Venezuela. The Wiles interview (in Vanity Fair) fuels the idea that events are leading Trump rather than the other way around. Over the last few weeks the White House has suffered a series of setbacks on everything from Congress voting to compel the release of the Epstein files to the courts tossing out cases against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. Fish rot from the head, so lets start at the top. Trump Got Close to the Edge With Reiner Remarks As Aaron Mate told Judge Napolitano, POTUS Trump might be right that the late, great Rob Reiner had Trump Derangement Syndrome and lots of CIA connections, but the day of the great mans death wasnt the time for the President of the United Sates to put out this statement about it: Trumps crass tastelessness drew fire from the Hollywood right, black pilled Zoomer Nick Fuentes, and Congressional MAGA and RINO Republicans alike. Ill give credit for doubling down though. He may be rapidly senescecizing but he knows rule #1 of media teflon: never apologize, never back down. When asked at a press conference, Do you stand by that post?, Trump said: Well, I wasnt a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned. And he said uh he liked he knew it was false. In fact, its the exact opposite that I was uh a friend of Russia controlled by Russia. You know, it was the Russia hoax. He was one of the people behind it. I think he hurt himself in career-wise. He became like a deranged person. Trump derangement syndrome. So, I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all in any way, shape, or form. I thought he was very bad for our country. If it wasnt for the MSM implosion of Trumps White House Chief of Staff and his FBI Director, I would probably chalk the Reiner kerfluffle up to gossip controversy of the day ephemeral nonsense. But Trumps being failed by his team, as always given his narcissists through-a-mirror-darkly cockeye for talent. Susie Wiles Falls in the Vanity Fair Tarpit Vanity Fair may not be what it used to be, but it still has a unique hold on the American media and political elite. As such a Vanity Fair cover story has a magnet tar pit trap allure thats proven the ruin of many a poor aspiring President and the worst Presidential administration of the 21st century: Who looked at this photo and said yeah, lets do it again! pic.twitter.com/kpb1jiqsa9 Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) December 16, 2025 Susie Wiles, Trumps 68-year-old Chief of Staff, couldnt resist and shes currently trapped in the hot tar and dragging as much of the administration in with her as she can. She made the decision to give the magazine 11 sit down interviews over several months and now heres her response (in her first tweet in over a year): The article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history. Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the Susie Wiles (@SusieWiles) December 16, 2025 Maybe she was angry in part because of the way Vanity Fair, like any big game hunter, bragged about their trophy kill: Most senior White House officials parse their words and speak only on background, reports Vanity Fair writer Chris Whipple. But over many on-the-record conversations, [Susie] Wiles answered almost every question I put to her. Part 2 of 2: https://t.co/4eezfCsdkR pic.twitter.com/0dSbuOLJ5A VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) December 16, 2025 Or maybe its because of the many bombshells she dropped on alcoholic personality Trump and her colleagues like odd duck Elon Musk and JD Vance (who shell be supporting in 2028). She also had spicy comments about the vindictive prosecutions of James Comey and Letitia James (I dont think he wakes up thinking about retribution. But when theres an opportunity, he will go for it.), Trump and Jeffrey Epstein (they were young bachelors together), and Trumps Venezuela strategy being about Maduro, not druges (wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. And people way smarter than me say that he will.). Wiles also claimed she had a loose agreement with Trump to end the score settling after his first 90 days. The above was me summarizing the Axios piece I linked to give readers an idea whats ricocheting around the social media being followed by the MSM. Like most other semi-employed Americans I dont have time to wallow in a Vanity Fair celebrity gossip insider piece, but here are links to part 1 and part 2. I do highly recommend this TikTok analysis of the brilliance of Vanity Fairs visual take down of Trumps team by Kendall Ally Brown. @kendallybrown That Vanity Fair piece is a million times more brutal once you start noticing these subtle details in a bunch of the photographs used. I would simply walk into the ocean and never return if something like this was published about me lol original sound Kendall Brown Ill also point out The Financial Times Christopher Millers counter to Treasury Secretary Bessants backstory of the infamous February live-from-the Oval Office blow up between Trump, Vance and the Ukrainian President. Some MSNBCs MS Now dudes dire warning that Unlike John Kelly, who tried to prevent Trump from committing crimes or doing something unwise, Susie Wiles wants to facilitate his desires. And this New York Times-ers savvy scorekeeping in Wiles favor, the pushbacks a bit funny because the Vanity Fair piece doesnt dispute that Susie Wiless leadership has been effective at achieving Trumps agenda. Ill include this psuedonymous pro-Ukrainian memesters gutter gossip take because a well-crafted hit tweet like this has to be seen to be believed: So now the Trump administration and all of MAGA social media is saying that Vanity Fair did a "hit piece" when they published a photo showing Karoline Leavitt's to put it mildly disturbing looking lips. And either she's got some type of leprosy of the lips, or to quote pic.twitter.com/l0fkCt7XFs PaulleyTicks (@PaulleyTicks) December 17, 2025 I cant resist sharing this well-crafted meta New Journalism money shot Vanity Fairs Chris Whipple dropped in his fourth paragraph: We often spoke on Sundays after church. Wiles, an Episcopalian, calls herself Catholic lite. One time we spoke while she was doing her laundry in her Washington, DC, rental. Trump, she told me, has an alcoholics personality. Vances conversion from Never Trumper to MAGA acolyte, she said, has been sort of political. The vice president, she added, has been a conspiracy theorist for a decade. Russell Vought, architect of the notorious Project 2025 and head of the Office of Management and Budget, is a right-wing absolute zealot. When I asked her what she thought of Musk reposting a tweet about public sector workers killing millions under Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, she replied: I think thats when hes microdosing. (She says she doesnt have first-hand knowledge.) Wiles is the most powerful person in Trumps White House other than the president himself; unlike any chief of staff before her, she is a woman. Ill also quote how the NY Times rewrote what she said about Attorney General Pam Bondi, J.D. Vance and the Epstein files: I think she completely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about this, Ms. Wiles said. First, she gave them binders full of nothingness. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasnt on her desk. Mr. Vance, by contrast, understood the sensitivity because he himself was a conspiracy theorist, she said. Ms. Wiles said she has read the Epstein documents and acknowledged that Mr. Trumps name is in them. We know hes in the file, she said. And hes not in the file doing anything awful. Mr. Musk has acknowledged trying ketamine a few years ago, but denied reports of more recent use. In the interview with The Times on Monday, Ms. Wiles took issue with the quote attributed to her about his drug use. Thats ridiculous, she said. I wouldnt have said it and I wouldnt know. But Mr. Whipple played a tape for The Times in which she could be heard saying it. Amateur hour move on Wiles part to try to deny a quote with a trained media assassin like Whipple who doesnt have a kill unless he can prove it to multiple fact checkers with solid documentation. Trumps team circled the wagons around Wiles, taking their que from Trump who gave his loyal ally The New York Post a vintage Trump response to Wiles alcoholic comment. J.D. Vance had the slickest response, after bragging he hadnt read the article: Sometimes I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true, Vance said. And by the way, Susie and I have joked in private and in public about that for a long time, Vance continued. For example, I believed in the crazy conspiracy theory back in 2020 that it was stupid to mask three-year-olds at the height of the COVID pandemic, that we should actually let them develop some language skills. I believed in this crazy conspiracy theory that the media and the government were covering up the fact that Joe Biden was clearly unable to do the job. He added: If any of us have learned a lesson from that Vanity Fair article, I hope that the lesson is we should be giving fewer interviews to mainstream media outlets. So no open public infighting from inside the White House, but Politico has the anonymous quotes which are all focused on the Vanity Fair piece as a tactical misstep rather than a betrayal: the more than 10,000-word Vanity Fair spread, based on 11 interviews over the course of a year, glossy photo-spreads and on-the-record quotes from Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had many of Trumps allies scratching their heads, wondering why the very top of the administration would participate in the interview. And how could Wiles, lauded for her political acumen and loyalty, have miscalculated so badly? The interview was extremely demoralizing, said a person close to the White House. A second person close to the White House said simply: So far WTF. A third person close to the White House said theyve known Wiles for decades and was very surprised that she participated. The third person said there is a lot of GOP frustration that the White House seems undisciplined at a time it needs to hammer its accomplishments on the economy. What are we talking about? Jeffrey Epstein and Venezuela? James Comey? Letitia James? Theres a frustration on that, and I think a lot of that is frustration with the White House, but a lot of it is frustration with the president, the person said. The piece lands as the Trump administration grapples with a host of bad headlines: the unemployment rate is up and Trumps approval ratings are down. Election losses and GOP underperformance have top Republicans worried about a potentially disastrous midterm election, and there is growing fear on the right about a land war in Venezuela. The Wiles interview fuels the idea that events are leading Trump rather than the other way around. Over the last few weeks the White House has suffered a series of setbacks on everything from Congress voting to compel the release of the Epstein files to the courts tossing out cases against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. So even if MAGAs messaging meltdown isnt tearing apart the Trump team, we might have a couple of ugly ducklings working hard to get kicked off the island. Kash Patel and Dan Bongino Standing Out for Stupid Trumps FBI brain trust may not have been dragged too deeply into Wiles Vanity Fare mire, but theyre getting plenty of negative attention all on their own. Heres what the NY Times is saying about the bureaus self-promotional top official FBI Director Kash Patel in the kind of big feature piece that qualifies as bad-jacketing in every sense of the term: Mr. Patels impulse to seize the spotlight and publicize the work of the bureau under his leadership has revived questions about his competence and his future in the administration. It has added to the growing criticism over his recreational travel, his use of a SWAT team to protect his girlfriend and his handling of the Epstein files. Yet even if Trump officials have privately criticized Mr. Patel for embarrassing the administration, particularly over his use of government assets, rumors about his firing or forced resignation have yet to materialize. In fact, Mr. Patel has recently told people in his orbit he intends to stay on at least through the 2026 midterm elections, while acknowledging that the president could change his mind at any time. One factor perhaps working in Mr. Patels favor: Mr. Trumps top domestic policy adviser, Stephen Miller, considers Mr. Patel to be a compliant purveyor of his directives on personnel and policy matters, according to several people familiar with the situation who discussed internal deliberations on the condition of anonymity. The fate of Mr. Patels top deputy, Dan Bongino, another incendiary former podcaster and longtime Trump loyalist, appears to be more settled, though not entirely certain. Well come back to Bongino but first we have to discuss the YouTube mess Patel and his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins stepped into when trying to do a lifestyle interview with influencer Katie Miller. This interview proved so ill-timed that its YouTube description now reads THIS INTERVIEW WAS TAPED BEFORE THE HORRIFIC SHOOTING AT BROWN UNIVERSITY. No need to yell, Katie. Wilkins is most likely to be remembered for making the Mick-Jagger-sues-The-News-of-the-World-mistake when she sued an ex-FBI agent and podcaster Kyle Seraphin who accused her of being a honeypot for Mossad. The memorably named Seraphins podcast was also the show where far-right influencer, FBI agent and former Patel ally and January 6th MAGA martyr got himself fired from Patels FBI for this memorable (and chilling) rant: You better pray to Gaia, Vishnu or whatever your maker is that RealSteveFriend is never in a position to be an instrument of Gods wrath, because I will be merciful. Ill allow you to breathe every breath that your body will have for the rest of its natural life inside of a box, and then when it ultimately fades to black, thats when the real wrath begins. The Venn Diagram of former Federal Agent influencers and psychopaths does appear to be a circle, but this was something else. But back to Patels most recent podcast-bourne self-inflicted wound. The RINO-ish outlet Mediaite had a tut-tutting take on the interview: The interview Kash Patel recently gave alongside his girlfriend, country music performer Alexis Wilkins, was not a lapse in judgment or a failure to read the room. It was not a distraction from his duties as FBI director. It was an expression of how he understands those duties. Patel appeared in a friendly, lifestyle-style conversation hosted by Katie Miller, wife of senior Trump aide Stephen Miller, ostensibly to demystify conspiracy theories and humanize his relationship. Instead, the appearance landed as jarring and unserious. Miller released a teaser video in which they laugh at the conspiracy theory that Wilkins is a Mossad agent; you can watch it above. Critics across ideological lines questioned why the director of the FBI was focused on correcting gossip and narrating his personal life while the suspect in the deadly shooting at Brown University remained at large. Former prosecutors, media critics, and even some conservative commentators described the interview as tone-deaf, indulgent, and emblematic of skewed priorities at the bureaus highest level. That reaction mattersnot because Patel offended sensibilities, but because it exposed a deeper mismatch between what the public still expects of the FBI director and what Patel appears to think the job requires. The traditional FBI director has primarily been defined by restraint, distance, and near-total invisibility, with some notable exceptions. The offices authority flows from its refusal to personalize power. Patel does the opposite. He surfaces constantly. He narrates himself. He treats public visibility not as a risk to institutional credibility, but as a feature of leadership. Patel was not installed to preserve the bureaus post-Hoover model of apolitical authority. He was installed to more than disrupt it, but to personalize it in the image of a decidedly pro-Trump institution to make the FBI legible as loyal, visible, and aligned with President Donald Trump rather than insulated from him. An FBI director who performs loyalty in public is telegraphing that investigations will flow from political will, not institutional independence. I cant decide if Mediaite and their analysis is like a blind squirrel bragging about the cherry they think they found thats actually a hand grenade or vice-versa. Regardless, Patel is putting off a stink of stupid AND drawing attention to himself. Surely Patel knows drawing too much attention to yourself is the cardinal sin of Trumpworld. Thats been known since Steve Bannon got fired in 2017, not for comparing himself to Thomas Cromwell, but for getting too much positive press doing so. One podcaster who appears to have flown too close to the sun is Patels sidekick Dan Bongino. Podcasting G-Man Going Down? For those not into ex-Feds-turned-podcasters, heres how Wikipedia introduces its bio of FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino who appears to be on his way out: Daniel John Bongino (/bndino/ bon-JEE-noh; born December 4, 1974) is an American conservative political commentator, radio host, and former law enforcement officer who has served as the 20th deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since 2025. He hosted The Dan Bongino Show on Rumble and previously hosted Unfiltered with Dan Bongino on Fox News until April 2023. Bongino began his career as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer from 1995 to 1999 before serving as a U.S. Secret Service agent from 1999 to 2011. He later unsuccessfully ran for Congress three times as a Republican. On February 23, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that Bongino had been named the next deputy director of the FBI. He assumed office on March 17, after concluding his commentating roles on March 14. Its also worth including the section on Bonginos big plans for his FBI tenure: In May 2025, Bongino announced that he and Patel would reopen or dedicate additional resources to three unresolved investigations: the pipe bombs placed near the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters on January 5, 2021; the leak of the Dobbs draft opinion in 2022; and the discovery of cocaine at the White House in July 2023. Later that month, Bongino claimed on Fox News that the FBI had discovered a room containing documents from former FBI Director James Comeys tenure that had not been properly digitized or logged, stating youre going to be stunned by the contents once declassified. Now it appears to be all over, per The NY Sun piece titled: Dan Bonginos FBI Office Is Empty and His Chief of Staff Has Moved On: Ex-Podcaster May Be Gone Come January 2026, FBI Insiders Predict. Some deets about his likely successors: (Bonginos) departure, which has been rumored in recent weeks, may have already been put into motion. In November, Mr. Bonginos chief of staff, Jimmy Paul, was named the special agent in charge of the Baltimore field office, after he served in his role with Mr. Bongino for only nine months, according to his public LinkedIn page. As Mr. Bonginos chief of staff, Mr. Paul, a 17-year FBI veteran, was the FBIs first-ever Indian American to hold that role, according to a social media post from the fraternal organization American Malayalee Law Enforcement United. The FBI did not respond to questions from the Sun on whether a new chief of staff for Mr. Bongino had been named. Meanwhile, last week, the FBIs new co-Deputy Director, Andrew Bailey who raised eyebrows when he left his powerful role as Missouris elected attorney general for the FBI job was part of a U.S. delegation that joined the attorney general, Pam Bondi, during her trip to Rome to attend the Palermo Protocol Conference on human trafficking, a person close to the meeting told the Sun. Spokespeople for the FBI and the Justice Department did not respond to questions on whether Mr. Bongino was originally slated to be part of Ms. Bondis delegation. In recent weeks, Mr. Bailey was reportedly being considered as the replacement for the embattled FBI Director, Kash Patel. This weekend, Mr. Patels reputation took yet another blow when he touted on social media that a suspect in the Brown University shooting had been detained, only for that suspect to be released a short while later. Mr. Patel had made a similar announcement during the early stages of the FBIs investigation into the Charlie Kirk assassination, which he was also forced to walk back. Should Mr. Bongino depart, Mr. Bailey is expected to assume Mr. Bonginos role and become the FBIs deputy director, considered the bureaus most demanding job, in January 2026. Given that Bonginos entire agenda oriented around the kind of backward-looking vendettas that Susie Wiles claims she got Trump to drop after the first 90 days, its no surprise hes on his way out. Will Patel last much longer given hes pretty much on the same tip? Stay tuned to this blog for more MAGA meltdowns as they occur. UPDATE: Dan Bongino announced hes out today: Yves here. John Helmer, who has considerable expertise in analyzing information management (witness among many examples, the poisoning of the Skripals and the downing of MH17), is looking at the initial narrative stakes being put in the ground for the Bondi mass shooting. Aside from the legal and political question Was or wasnt it terrorism? is the bad look of an ISIS connection, given that Americas new bestie in Syria is former ISIS leader and now president Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who had rebranded himself under his birth name, Ahhmed Hussein al-Sharaa. Helmer also points out that Muslims in Australia greatly outnumber typically secular Jews, but have been generally disenfranchised, particularly with respect to Palestines interests. Helmer is looking at how official stories, meant above all for home audiences, are being cooked. But there are also amateur efforts. See for instance: Professor Mohammed Marandi described long form, at the top of a recent interview at Dialogue Works, that Salafis and Wahhabis like ISIS hate Iran, so the idea that Iran had anything to do with these killings is a fabrication. By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears Theres a line in Shooting the Past, a 2004 film by the London filmmaker Stephen Poliakoff, in which the leading character, who runs a large historical photo archive, asks whether it is possible for a photograph to capture a lie coming out of the mouth of a liar. The character isnt sure. He hadnt studied the neuropsychology of interrogation researched by William Marston, inventor of the polygraph, and Paul Ekman, the psychologist of facial expressions whose methods were dramatised in the US television series, Lie to Me . Those two claimed lies can be detected by mechanical or electronic records. In politics and war, lying is a weapon and so it is heavily camouflaged. It can defeat the truth by techniques that prevent evidence and the courtroom standards for reasoning and judgement from controlling the narrative. The Bondi Beach attack on December 14, in Sydney, Australia, is an example. Listen to the hour-long podcast with Nima Alkhorshid to understand what has happened. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jRTZLLve8o The evidence In a press conference on Monday (December 15) with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, the state police commissioner Mal Lanyon reported that in the gun attack of the day before, 16 people had been killed, 42 wounded. He said he had determined that it was a terrorist activity and made a declaration as such at 9.36pm. As a result of that declaration, we commenced Operation Arques, which is a joint counterterrorism operation. The attackers had acted alone, the police official said. When asked for evidence of motive, ideology, associations, notes, or other evidence of terrorism, Lanyon refused to say. As a result of investigations undertaken, I can say that we are not looking for a further offender. We are satisfied that there were two offenders involved in yesterdays incident. One is deceased, the second is in critical but stable condition in hospital at the moment. The offenders are a 50-year-old and 24-year-old male who are father and sonThe 50-year-old male is a licenced firearms holder. He has six firearms licenced to him. The father has been officially named as Sajid Akram; he was shot dead by police during the attack. His son, Naveed Akram, was wounded and has survived in hospital. According to Prime Minister Albanese, what we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach. Premier Minns said: There is no tolerance for racism or Jewish hatred in New South Wales or Australia. And we need to be clear and unambiguous that we will fight it everywhere we see it, whether its destructive, horrible acts of violence or chance mottos and internet posts on the internet. Wherever it is, we need to fight antisemitism. Lanyon was asked what evidence the police had gathered for any of the conclusions the politicians were making. There are reports a black ISIS-style flag was draped over the gunmens car, a reporter asked. Are police aware of this? Has a flag been recovered? Source: https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/two-heroes-slain-trying-to-disarm-gunman/news-story/b080b58c76c615f1592f7a524109db89 COMMISSIONER LANYON: Thats all part of the investigation. As I just said before, Id rather not comment on that right at the moment. Obviously, we will look at the motives behind this attack and I think thats really important as part of the investigation. Our investigation will be thorough and we will be happy to provide further information . Is there anything you can tell us about ideology? COMMISSIONER LANYON: At this stage, no, I wont comment on that. Well continue to work through that. That is part of the investigation, to understand the motives behind it. Did they leave any manifesto or notes? COMMISSIONER LANYON: Again, that is part of the investigation. I dont want to go into that this morning. Weve got investigators that have been working around the clock. Im incredibly proud of the work that has been undertaken so far. We want to get to the bottom of this. We want to understand the motives behind it and we certainly want to understand the actions that have happened. I cannot give a running commentary on the investigation. I want to give the investigators time to work through this properly . The Australian state media had reported earlier on Monday that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had examined one of the Bondi Beach gunmen six years ago over his close ties to a Sydney-based Islamic State (IS) terrorism cell Investigators from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) , a unit comprised of state and federal agencies, believe the gunmen had pledged allegiance to the IS terrorist group. Two IS flags were found in their car at Bondi Beach, according to senior officials speaking on condition of anonymity. One flag could be seen in footage from the scene on the bonnet of the car. A senior JCTT official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said ASIO took an interest in Naveed Akram six years ago after police foiled plans for an IS terrorist attack . Police Commissioner Lanyon refused to confirm the 2019 evidence or its interpretation of a link between the two Akrams and an international terrorist organisation on the Australian government list . Was there any indication that the shooters were known to any service ahead of time? COMMISSIONER LANYON: There was no indication to indicate that either of the men involved in yesterdays attack was planning the attack that happened yesterday. The Australian and Philippines border agencies have confirmed that last month Sajid Akram had visited Manila with an Indian passport, and that his son Naveed was accompanying him on an Australian passport. They spent most of November, these sources said , in Mindanao. Photographs of Sajid Akram (left) and Naveed Akram (right) from the attack scene on December 14. Sajid was university-educated; his occupation in Sydney has not been reported. Naveed was a bricklayer by trade. The Indian police, who monitor anti-state terrorist organisations closely, have confirmed that Sajid Akram was originally from Hyderabad, migrated to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment. He completed his B. Com degree in Hyderabad before moving abroad. He later married a woman of European [Italian] origin and settled permanently in Australia. The couple has two children, Naveed and a daughter, both born in Australia, and holding Australian citizenship. The police quoted his relatives in India as saying that Sajid Akram maintained limited contact with his family over the past 27 years and visited India only six times, mainly for family-related matters such as property issues or to see his elderly parents. He was not in India even at the time of his fathers demise. Reports indicate that they were inspired by ISIS ideology. The family members expressed no knowledge of his radical mind set or activities, nor circumstances that led to his radicalisation. The police clarified that there is no connection between the radicalisation of the father-son duo in India or Telangana, and that Sajid Akram had no adverse record with Telangana Police prior to his migration . The law Both federal and state laws define terrorism in Australia. In New South Wales (NSW) the Terrorism (Police Powers) Act 2002, Section 3 , says a terrorist act means an action where(b) the action is done with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, and (c) the action is done with the intention of (i) coercing, or influencing by intimidation, the government of the Commonwealth or a State, Territory or foreign country, or of part of a State, Territory or foreign country, or (ii) intimidating the public or a section of the public. Murder, including mass murder, isnt terrorism according to this law . Nor is advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action, and is not intended(i) to cause serious harm that is physical harm to a person, or (ii) to cause a persons death, or (iii) to endanger the life of a person, other than the person taking the action, or (iv) to create a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public. Federal Australia law applies this statutory definition of terrorism to a scheme for compensating Australians who are the victims of terrorism outside the country. This scheme is known as the Australian Victim of Terrorism Overseas Payment (AVTOP) . Since 2001, a total of 50 terrorism incidents have been designated officially, but no total sum of the money paid out has been reported to parliament or published. The AVTOP terrorist designation is a political decision by the prime minister; there has been no public discussion or parliamentary vote to authorize the prime minister. For example, the deaths of 38 Australians on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014 were not designated a terrorism action because the Australian government believed they resulted from civil war or interstate war conditions. Click to read more. By contrast, in October 2023 Prime Minister Albanese designated the Hamas offensive against Israel a terrorist action, following a lobbying campaign by the Jewish community in Australia. In April 2024, the Canberra government announced that an Arab Australian had been killed by Israeli action in Gaza. The foreign ministers statement said : The death of any aid worker is outrageous and unacceptable. Throughout this conflict, Australia has called for restraint, for the protection of civilians and safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance. The Australian Government condemns this strike. The Government has made representations to the Netanyahu Government and seeks a thorough and expeditious review. Terrorism applied to Hamas was not applied to Israel. Source: https://www.transparency.gov.au/publications/services-australia/services-australia/services-australia-annual-report-2018-19/part-8%3A-services-for-people-needing-other-support/8.2-current-events For the statute authorising the exercise of political discretion by the prime minister to decide between terrorism, murder, and war, click . A legislative instrument, according to these statutes, can be no more than an order or determination signed by the official; the text may be classified secret. The political narrative President Donald Trump did not call the Bondi incident a terrorist action. He did say it was antisemitic, but unlike Albaneses statement, Trump appeared to distinguish between terrorism and antisemitism. He also put the Australian incident into international context by mentioning attacks in the US and in Syria. Hello, everybody, Trump began a Christmas reception at the White House on December 14 . This is so great. And, uh, before we begin, however, I want to just pay my respects to the people. Unfortunately, two are no longer with us. Brown University, nine injured. And, uh, two are looking down on us right now from heaven. And, uh, likewise in Australia, as you know, that was a terrible attack. 11 dead, 29, badly wounded. And that was an anti-Semitic attack, obviously. And it, uh, I just want to pay my respects to everybody. I must say in, uh, Syria also. We had, uh, an attack in Syria and we had, uh, three great patriots terminated by bad people and not the Syrian government . It was ISIS. Syrian government fought by our side. The new president fought by our side. But, uh, I just want to pay my respects to the families. We also had three, uh, injured, but, uh, two of them are already out of the hospital and ones, uh, going to be okay. But we lost three. So it was a rough, it was a rough day. But to Australia and, uh, the Prime Minister, to everybody that we know so well, we get along with so well. We have a great relationship. Thats a terrible situation going on over there. Think of that. And, uh, Brown University, great school. Great s- great, really one of the greatest schools anywhere in the world. Things can happen. So, uh, to the nine injured, get well fast. And to the families of those two that are no longer with us. I pay my deepest regards and respects from the United States of America. Israeli government statements claimed that Australian government recognition of the Palestinian state and countrywide protests against Israels genocide in Gaza were antisemitic incitement to the Bondi violence. Speaking in a video broadcast , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: On August 17, about four months ago, I sent Prime Minister Albanese of Australia a letter in which I gave him warning that the Australian governments policy was promoting and encouraging antisemitism in Australia. Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire. It rewards Hamas terrorists. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets. Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent; it retreats when leaders act. I call upon you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve. Instead, Prime Minister, you replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement. Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia. You did nothing to curb the cancer cells that were growing inside your country. You took no action. You let the disease spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today. Left, text of Netanyahu letter to Albanese, August 17, 2025. Centre, Netanyahu speaking at Dimona, December 14, 2025. Right, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israels National Security Minister, said in a tweet : Anti-Semitic terrorism knows no borders but the blood of those murdered at the hands of the Australian government, which announced recognition of a Palestinian state and legitimized terrorism against Jews. I strengthen the Chabad emissaries, who continue to act with dedication, courage, and a true mission, even in the face of threats and terrorism to spread light. Precisely now, let us multiply light, stand tall, and prove: the Jewish light is stronger than the darkness, and its victory is inevitable. The official Russian Government response was issued on Monday at about the same time as the Australian prime ministers press conference in Sydney. It was with deep sorrow that the news of the terrorist attack in Sydney during the celebration of Hanukkah in the Bondi Beach area was perceived. We strongly condemn the barbaric extremist attack, which resulted in 15 innocent civilians, including a ten-year-old girl, were killed, dozens were injured. As it became known, among the victims of the terrorist attack, unfortunately, there are our compatriots who are permanently residing in Australia. We are invariably in favour of the uncompromising fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We call for the joint efforts of all countries of the world to jointly rebuff this barbarism. We express our deep sympathy and sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims, wish a speedy recovery to all the victims of this terrible crime . Zakharovas reference to the Chabad Lubavitcher organisation as our compatriots appears to ignore the anti-Russian, anti-Soviet and anti-Christian history of the Chabad movement; its engagement on the Ukrainian side in the current war ; and the role that the Chabad financier, Igor Kolomoisky, has played in the Azov military operations in the Donbass. Top: left, the logo of the Chabad-Lubavitcher organisation shows breaking the chains of Russia; right, Kolomoisky at the opening of the Chabad Menorah Centre in Dniepropetrovsk in 2012. Bottom: Vladimir Zelenskys meeting with thirty Chabad rabbis in Kiev, September 2023. The New Orleans Truck Attack of January 2025 On January 1, 2025 , Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a former US Army sergeant who had converted to Islam, rammed his truck into pedestrians, killing 14 and injuring 57. Two of the injured were Israelis. The FBI ruled there was no foreign terrorist association, ideology, or organizational link, although a black Isis flag was attached to the rear of Jabbars truck. The Israeli Foreign Minister at the time, Gideon Saar, tweeted : Deeply saddened by the terrorist attack in New Orleans. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the victims. Wishing a swift recovery to the two injured Israeli citizens and all the wounded Terror has no place in our world. The political context in Australia The Jewish population of Australia is estimated in recent censuses to be about 117,000 but with the decline in overall numbers has come a significant disaffiliation from Jewish religion and from identification with Israel. The Chabad-Lubavitcher movement aims to reverse this trend and proselytise for greater religious observance and Israeli identity. The census evidence is not only that Australian Jews are primarily located in Melbourne (Victoria) and Sydney (NSW), but that within these two cities, they are concentrated in a handful of suburbs. The Bondi Beach area , for example, has been home to about one-quarter of Sydneys Jews. The Muslim population of Australia is roughly ten times the Jewish population, numbering almost 1 million, growing rapidly, and with a median age under 35, significantly younger than the Jews, whose median age is 44. As with the Jews, the Muslims are concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne, and within these cities, they comprise unusually tight communities. Source: https://www.unisa.edu.au/contentassets/4f85e84d01014997a99bb4f89ba32488/australian-muslims-final-report-web-nov-26.pdf The political implications are obvious: the growing Muslim vote is coming from the young in families who have sought refuge in Australia from wars in their homelands which were waged by the US, Israel, and their allies, including the Australian military. In ten Victorian and NSW electorates, for example, the Muslim vote is so high, ranging from more than 10% to almost 40%, that it can swing election results decisively. By comparison, Jewish voter concentration is marginal in all but four Sydney and Melbourne electorates; in these, the Jewish percentage ranges from less than 6% to 16.2% . Source: https://www.unisa.edu.au/contentassets/4f85e84d01014997a99bb4f89ba32488/australian-muslims-final-report-web-nov-26.pdf For the time being, the Muslim Australians find themselves disenfranchised at election time at the same time as they are compelled by government policy to pay for Australians military alliance with Israel and the US. They also believe there is excessive Jewish influence in the Australian media resulting in anti-Muslim ideology and Islamophobia dominating public debate. This is race hate and there is reportedly much more of it in Australia than what Israel, the Jewish diaspora, and local politicians are calling antisemitism. This is the documented finding of research sampling of the mainstream and social media and published in February 2024 . Yves here. Korybko claims that the EU seeking to tighten its control over Russian seized assets is the product of the US putting forward other uses for them its 28 point peace plan. While that ia a significant motive, it is far from the only one. It is true that the leak of the 28 item outline did appear to have a galvanizing effect on European leaders and gave them a talking point to help advance their nefarious and self-destructive scheme. However, Ursuala von de Leyen has been rabbiting on about seize not freeze for well over a year. And anyone with an operating brain cell would recognize that the US and Russia are not even remotely close to consummating an agreement. The US cant even bring itself to return Russias expropriated diplomatic property in the States, FFS. How can they be trusted to get anything done in light of that? And the European manufactured urgency is further silly in light of the fact that Russia has zero reason to let the US grift from managing Russian assets for a Ukraine restoration project controlled by the US. So other motivations include: Yet more power-grabbing by Queen Ursula and the Commission Providing another news hook for more Russia scare-mongering to shore up unpopular leaders like Kier Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Freidrich Merz Shoring up the idea that Ukraine is somehow a viable force, which is consistent with the fantasy that Russia is taking such large battlefield losses that if Ukraine can hold out just a bit longer, Russia will fold (or better yet, the citizenry will rise up in revolt against Putin, enabling the sought-after break up and looting of Russia). Using military Keynesianism to combat Europes falling competitive position and economic stagnation, a Lord Robert Skidelsky contends in a new article. A key section: The rearmament momentum in Europe has drivers that extend well beyond the stated security rationale of countering Russia. A growing strand of European policy thinking suggests that the rearmament drive serves a second, less openly acknowledged purpose. As Berg and Meyers (CER, 2025) argue, much of the EUs rearmament agenda is being justified through the language of security, yet in practice functions as an attempt to revive Europes weak productivity and failing industrial basean industrial strategy masquerading as a defence imperative, in effect a post-pandemic and post-stagnation strategy of military Keynesianism. From this perspective, the insistence on an existential Russian threat functions not simply as a strategic assessment but as political cover for a massive industrial mobilisation that EU leaders hope will restore European economic competitiveness. I agree that Europe needs new sources of growth, but the attempt to smuggle industrial policy in under the banner of a war footingby cultivating fear and exaggerating threatsis neither honest nor acceptable. Manufacturing a warlike mindset to legitimise economic renewal may be politically convenient, but it corrodes democratic debate and risks locking Europe into a perpetual militarisation that has little to do with Europes real economic challenges. By Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political analyst who specializes in the global systemic transition to multipolarity in the New Cold War. He has a PhD from MGIMO, which is under the umbrella of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Originally published at his website The real purpose might be to prevent the US from reaching a deal with Russia per point 14 of its leaked 28-point peace framework to invest a significant sum of its (by-then former) adversarys EU-seized assets into joint projects, likely energy and rare earths, after the conflict ends. Russia condemned the EUs recent decision to indefinitely immobilize its seized assets, the special procedure for which scandalously circumvented member states veto power in an effort to prevent Hungary and Slovakia from stopping them. This move might precede the bloc either confiscating some of these funds and giving them to Ukraine and/or using them as collateral for a loan to that country. The official purpose would be to fund more arms purchases and/or assist with post-conflict reconstruction. The first goal wont lead Ukraine inflicting the EUs desired strategic defeat of Russia while the second requires much more than just Russias seized assets to complete. Regardless of the official purpose, confiscating Russias assets or using them as collateral for a loan to Ukraine would inflict irreparable harm to the EUs financial reputation. Foreign investors might be spooked into fearing that their assets are no longer safe and could thus pull them from EU banks and not deposit future ones there either. The bloc might therefore ultimately lose hundreds of billions of dollars, perhaps upwards of a trillion or even more with time, all ostensibly for Ukraines sake even though its impossible for that country to strategically defeat Russia or be reconstructed entirely with its foes stolen funds. There are accordingly reasonable grounds for suspecting that the EU has ulterior motives in mind for seriously contemplating this and that its new policy towards Russias seized assets isnt about helping Ukraine. The real purpose might be to prevent the US from reaching a deal with Russia per point 14 of its leaked 28-point Russian-Ukrainian peace deal framework to invest a significant sum of its (by-then former) adversarys EU-seized assets into joint projects, likely energy and rare earths, after the conflict ends. Such an arrangement could set those two on the path to revolutionize the global economic architecture as explained here and consequently accelerate the EUs growing irrelevance therein. With a view towards averting that scenario, the EU might have thus decided to indefinitely immobilize Russias seized assets as the first step towards legally asserting quasi-ownership over them, after which it might then either confiscate them and/or use them as collateral for a loan to Ukraine. The special procedure that was employed for circumventing member states veto power bodes ill for Hungary, Slovakia, and others concerned countries ability to veto the aforesaid moves that might soon follow. The abovementioned plot could be preempted by Russia transferring legal ownership of its EU-seized assets to the US as was proposed here in April, but this is only possible if Russia and the US reach a deal on using these funds for financing joint projects, which requires rock-solid trust that doesnt yet exist. Tangible progress on reaching a NATO-Russian Non-Aggression Pact, or at least the US managing Turkish-Russian tensions in Central Asia, could bring this about and thus ensure that these funds arent all stolen. If the US obtains legal ownership of Russias seized assets, then Trump would have the pretext for demanding their transfer to the US under pain of sanctions, which is the only way to guarantee that theyre not given to Ukraine or remain indefinitely immobilized. The EU must therefore decide whether its worth the gargantuan cost of destroying its financial reputation just to impede a Russian-US rapprochement, but if it goes through with this, then those two might team up against it afterwards. Credit: Kirby Lee Imagn Images; Citius Mag In the running world, the rise and fall of Grand Slam Track has hit like a meteor. The track league, founded by American sprinting legend Michael Johnson, launched with an impressive schedule, a large prize pool, and ambitions to reimagine how fans consume the sport. Apparently, it all was too good to be true. The league held just three meets before shutting down and ultimately declaring bankruptcy this month. Johnson and GST owe huge sums to media companies, advertising partners, and, most urgently, to the athletes who competed and won in those three meets. Some of the biggest stars in the sport such as Sydney McLaughlin, Levrone, and Gabby Thomas were lured to GST and are now in limbo, awaiting payouts. But on Tuesday, a new fascinating wrinkle was uncovered relating to a previously undisclosed content partner. The online running platform Lets Run revealed that GST owes nearly $300,000 to Citius Mag, the fast-rising online running content brand founded by former Sports Illustrated staffer Chris Chavez. The only issue? While Citius published extensive coverage of GST events across its web, social, and video channels, it did not officially note its financial partnership with the league. As Lets Run notes, the mistake could potentially put Citius in violation of federal law (think: the #ad you see from influencers on Instagram or the lines of text when CNBC covers its parent company). Citius, however, noted a partnership with GST in a June 2024 article announcing the leagues formation though Chavez told Lets Run that the partnership was not finalized until early 2025. Citius believed the partnership would be obvious to its audience. From our perspective, the relationship was fairly clear to our audience given the volume of coverage, the co-branded content, and visible elements like shared branding, Chavez told Lets Run. In addressing the alleged conflict of interest, Chavez and Citius also drew a distinction between their work and that of a more journalistic entity. I think a key distinction is that CITIUS MAG operates under a different business model than LetsRun or traditional media, Chavez told Lets Run, likening Citius to Jomboy Media or the Men In Blazers network. We are a media company and content creators who cover the sport through the lens of the fan. Lets Run also noted another layer to the potential conflicts between GST and Citius, reporting that former GST executive Kyle Merber is also an investor in Citius. However, Merber appears not to have worked directly with Citius while at GST. Across its web and social channels, Citius positions itself as a news source. While much of its content and business comes through partnerships with leagues, events, and sponsors, Citius has to navigate a narrow margin between promotion and journalism. Many companies do both clearly and fairly, including Citius to date. Still, whether we are talking about ESPN Bet, Tom Brady and the Raiders, or coverage from league-owned networks, conflicts of interest are important to disclose. Not doing so leaves the audience in the dark and can put companies in legal jeopardy. Study: Ancient Earths atmosphere may have rained down lifes essential building blocks New research suggests Earth's early atmosphere, rich in methane, CO?, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen, acted as a vast chemical factory under UV light, producing sulfur-based biomolecules (cysteine, taurine, coenzyme M) essential for life before cells existed. Previously, scientists believed sulfur-containing biomolecules were synthesized by early life forms. This study indicates they were abundant in the atmosphere, raining down and supplying prebiotic material for nascent lifepotentially making life's emergence easier. Estimates suggest Earth's early atmosphere could have generated 100,000 to 10 billion moles of cysteine annually, enough to support early microbial populations comparable to primitive ecosystems. The chemical pathways forming these molecules resemble modern metabolic processes, raising the possibility that atmospheric chemistry guided early biochemistry before cellular life evolved. The findings complicate the interpretation of sulfur-based biosignatures (like dimethyl sulfide, DMS) on exoplanets, as they can form without life. This necessitates caution in identifying potential extraterrestrial life signals. New research suggests Earth's primordial atmosphere may have acted as a vast chemical factory, producing sulfur-rich biomolecules essential for life long before the first cells emerged. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study challenges long-held assumptions about how early life obtained its critical ingredients. Scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) and collaborating institutions simulated Earth's early atmosphere by exposing a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen to ultraviolet (UV) lightmimicking conditions billions of years ago. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, the team detected a suite of sulfur-bearing biomolecules, including: Cysteine, a key amino acid Taurine, involved in metabolic functions Coenzyme M, vital for ancient microbial metabolism "Our study could help us understand the evolution of life at its earliest stages," said lead author Nate Reed, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) who conducted the research at CU Boulder. Previously, scientists believed sulfur-containing biomolecules emerged after life had already begun, synthesized by early organisms. But the new findings suggest these compounds were abundant in the atmosphere, raining down onto Earth's surface and providing a ready-made supply for nascent life. Rethinking the origins of life: A planetary-scale chemical factory The team calculated that Earth's early atmosphere could have produced between 100,000 and 10 billion moles of cysteine annuallyenough to support 10 to 10? microbial cells, comparable to estimates for early life populations. "While it's not as many as whats present now, that was still a lot of cysteine in an environment without life," Reed explained. "It might be enough for a budding global ecosystem, where life is just getting started." The study also found that the chemical pathways forming these molecules mirrored modern metabolic processes, raising the possibility that atmospheric chemistry may have guided early biochemistry before cellular life evolved. The findings challenge traditional origin-of-life theories, which often focus on hydrothermal vents or volcanic environments as the sole incubators of early biochemistry. Instead, the study suggests Earth's atmosphere was an active participant, delivering essential molecules across the planet. "We used to think life had to start completely from scratch," said senior author Ellie Browne, a chemistry professor and CIRES fellow at CU Boulder. "But our results suggest some of these more complex molecules were already widespread under non-specialized conditions, which might have made it a little easier for life to get going." Implications for alien life searches The study also has implications for the search for extraterrestrial life. Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected dimethyl sulfide (DMS)a sulfur compound linked to marine algaeon exoplanet K2-18b, sparking excitement as a potential biosignature. However, Reed and Browne had previously shown that DMS can form without life, under simulated atmospheric conditions. This suggests that sulfur-based "biosignatures" may not be definitive proof of liferequiring careful interpretation in future exoplanet studies. BrightU.AI's Enoch notes that DMS is a naturally occurring organic sulfur compound, with a characteristic odor reminiscent of cabbage or cooked cabbage. It is found in various natural sources, including marine organisms, terrestrial plants and volcanic emissions. DMS plays a significant role in the global sulfur cycle and has gained attention for its potential health benefits and ecological implications. The research paints a picture of an ancient Earth where the sky itself contributed to life's beginnings, raining down essential molecules that helped kickstart biology. Rather than emerging from isolated pockets of extreme chemistry, life may have had a global head start, thanks to an atmosphere rich in prebiotic building blocks. Watch this video about life's building blocks being found on an asteroid. This video is from The Conspiracy Brief channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: StudyFinds.org PNAS.org Phys.org Colorado.edu Earth.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Study links long-term use of common CONTRACEPTIVE and menopausal drugs to increased BRAIN TUMOR risk Prolonged use of Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) raises meningioma risk by 5.6x, while menopausal drugs medrogestone and promegestone increase risk by 4.1x and 2.7x, respectively. A French study analyzed 18,061 French women who had meningioma surgery vs. 90,305 controls and confirmed hormonal links but found no risk with progesterone, dydrogesterone or levonorgestrel IUDs. Depo-Proveraused by 74 million women worldwide, including two million in the U.S.poses significant public health concerns, especially in low-income countries. Progesterone receptors in 60% of meningiomas suggest hormones may accelerate tumor growth, explaining higher incidence in women despite childhood risks favoring males. Experts advise avoiding Depo-Provera for high-risk groups (e.g., NF2-related schwannomatosis) and stress individualized risk-benefit discussions amid lack of long-term safety data. A groundbreaking French study has revealed that prolonged use of certain hormone drugsincluding the widely used injectable contraceptive Depo-Proverasignificantly increases the risk of developing brain tumors requiring surgery. Published in The BMJ, the research led by epidemiologist Noemie Roland found that women who used Depo-Provera for more than a year faced a 5.6-fold higher risk of intracranial meningiomas, while menopausal hormone therapies like medrogestone and promegestone were associated with 4.1- and 2.7-fold increased risks, respectively. These findings raise urgent questions about the long-term safety of commonly prescribed hormonal treatments, particularly in countries where Depo-Provera remains a popular contraceptive choice. Hormone therapy and brain tumors The research team analyzed French national health data from 2009 to 2018, comparing 18,061 women who underwent meningioma surgery with 90,305 matched controls. They examined exposure to various progestogenssynthetic and bioidentical hormones mimicking progesteroneused for contraception, menopause and gynecological conditions. While short-term use (under one year) showed no increased risk, long-term exposure to medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera), medrogestone and promegestone was strongly linked to tumor development. Notably, other progestogens, including progesterone, dydrogesterone (used for miscarriage prevention) and levonorgestrel intrauterine devices (IUDs), did not elevate meningioma risk. The study also accounted for sociodemographic factors, reinforcing the specificity of its findings. As explained by BrightU.AI's Enoch engine, progesterone is essential for maintaining pregnancy by supporting the endometrium and ensuring fetal survival, while also regulating key physiological functions such as hormone synthesis, metabolism, mood, thyroid activity, blood sugar, bone health and cancer protection. It acts as a natural diuretic, antidepressant and metabolic regulator, balancing zinc, copper, oxygen levels, and even libido. Meningiomas, which arise from the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord, are typically benign but can cause severe neurological symptoms, including seizures, hearing loss and cognitive changes. They disproportionately affect women, likely due to hormonal influences. Previous research has tied high-dose progestogens like cyproterone acetate to tumor growth, but this study expands the list of concerning drugs to include Depo-Provera, a contraceptive used by an estimated 74 million women worldwide, including over two million in the U.S. in 2020 alone. Expert reactions British geneticist Dr. Gareth Evans, commenting in The BMJ, called the findings "biologically plausible," noting that progesterone receptors are present in 60% of meningiomas. He suggested that hormonal exposure may accelerate the growth of small, asymptomatic tumors into clinically significant ones. This would explain the increased incidence in women, despite boys being at higher risk of meningiomas in childhood. Evans cautioned that while further validation is needed, women with genetic conditions like NF2-related schwannomatosis, which predisposes them to nerve tumors, should avoid Depo-Provera and cyproterone acetate. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch engine, NF2-related schwannomatosis is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the NF2 gene, which lead to the development of benign Schwann cell tumors (schwannomas) primarily on cranial, spinal and peripheral nerves, often resulting in hearing loss, balance issues and neurological complications. Depo-Provera's widespread use, particularly in low-income countries where it's favored for its convenience and long-acting effects, means the attributable risk of meningiomas could be substantial. The study's authors highlighted the lack of safety data for oral medroxyprogesterone, a drug still prescribed in the U.S. at lower doses. This study adds to growing concerns about the unintended consequences of hormonal therapies, emphasizing the need for rigorous long-term safety monitoring. While Depo-Provera remains a critical contraceptive option for many, the findings underscore the importance of individualized risk-benefit discussions between patients and clinicians. Roland's team noted that the number of attributable meningiomas may be high in countries where these medications are widely useda stark reminder that even trusted medications warrant scrutiny. For now, women relying on these treatments are advised to consult their doctors, weigh alternatives and stay informed as further research unfolds. Learn about Bill Gates' sinister Depo Provera parties (ensuring infertility among African women) by watching this video. This video is from the SecureLife channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com BMJ.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com FDA faces mounting pressure as calls for black box warning on COVID vaccines intensify The FDA may add its strongest safety alert to COVID vaccines due to mounting evidence of myocarditis, pericarditis and sudden cardiac death, though HHS dismisses reports as "speculation." Internal documents show agencies knew about myocarditis risks in young males by 2021 but withheld warnings while officials like Fauci falsely claimed vaccines stopped transmission. Despite zero completed safety trials for pregnant women, the CDC pushed universal vaccination. A Pfizer pregnancy trial stalled at 349 participants, yet no warnings were issued for sperm damage, menstrual irregularities or mRNA in breast milk. The agency ignored demands to label risks like pulmonary embolism, neurological disorders and sudden death, dismissing foreign regulators (e.g., EMA) that had already confirmed myocarditis links. CHD's petition to revoke vaccine licenses gained 101,000 signatures in days, reflecting eroded trust. Critics demand accountability as injuries mount, calling the FDA's delay a betrayal of public health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reportedly considering adding a black box warningits most severe safety alertto COVID-19 vaccines following mounting evidence of severe adverse effects, including myocarditis, pericarditis and sudden cardiac death. According to unnamed FDA officials cited by CNN, Dr. Vinay Prasad, head of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, is spearheading the move. However, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) refused to confirm the report, dismissing it as "pure speculation" unless formally announced by the FDA. Critics argue that such a warning is long overdue. Karl Jablonowski, senior research scientist at Children's Health Defense (CHD), stated, "The warning should have been in place with the first EUA. These are unsafe products and unfit for universal mandated distribution to the entire population." Given widespread censorship and media suppression, many physicians and patients remain unaware of the risksrisks that have been downplayed or ignored by federal health agencies despite clear safety signals. A pattern of concealment The FDA's potential action follows years of withheld data and deceptive messaging. Internal documents obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests reveal that the CDC, FDA, Pentagon, Pfizer and Israeli health officials knew about myocarditis risks in young males as early as 2021yet failed to warn the public. Instead, high-profile figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci falsely claimed vaccinated individuals became "dead ends" for the virus, while former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky asserted vaccinated people "do not carry the virus." These misleading statements, contradicted by the FDA's own admission that vaccines were never proven to stop transmission, fueled public confusion and unwarranted mandates. Ignored risks and suppressed data The FDA's delayed response follows multiple investigations into vaccine-related deaths, including an ongoing probe into 10 child fatalities post-vaccination. As of December 2023, 38,913 deaths were reported in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), though experts estimate the true toll is far higher due to chronic underreporting. A 2022 React19 audit found that one-third of COVID vaccine injury reports were deleted or never publishedraising serious concerns about transparency. Despite these red flags, federal agencies continued pushing vaccines, even for pregnant women, despite zero completed safety trials at the time of authorization. A Pfizer trial for pregnant women, initially planned for 4,000 participants, inexplicably stalled at 349yet the CDC still recommended universal vaccination. Studies have since linked the shots to decreased sperm counts, menstrual irregularities and mRNA detected in breast milkfindings omitted from official labeling. FDA's double standard The FDA has repeatedly rejected petitions demanding updated warnings for pulmonary embolism, sudden cardiac death and neurological disordersdespite post-marketing studies confirming these risks. When pressed, the agency dismissed foreign regulators, such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which had already flagged myocarditis as a causal side effect. Dr. Peter McCullough, a leading cardiologist, blasted the FDA's belated action: "HHS and the White House hid fatal cases in early 2021. A black box warning now is far too latewhy aren't these vaccines pulled entirely?" Public outcry and legal action Amid growing backlash, Children's Health Defense filed a Citizen Petition demanding the FDA revoke licenses for Pfizer and Moderna's COVID shots, citing fraudulent approval processes. Within five days, the petition garnered 101,000 signatures, reflecting widespread distrust in federal health agencies. Ray Flores, CHD's outside counsel, called the petition a "focal point for exposing COVID vaccine corruption." With the FDA legally required to respond within 180 days, the battle over vaccine accountability is far from over. Conclusion: A crisis of trust The FDA's reluctance to actsuppressing data, ignoring global warnings and stonewalling petitionershas shattered public trust. As injuries mount, the question remains: Will the FDA finally prioritize safety, or will it continue protecting Big Pharma profits at the expense of American lives? For now, the warning remains unconfirmedbut the damage from three years of deception is undeniable. "Buyer beware," warned Kim Witczak, a petitioner and drug safety advocate. "The real clinical trial is happening in real-timeon the public." The FDA must now decide: Will it uphold its dutyor remain complicit in one of the greatest medical scandals in history? According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, the FDA is facing well-deserved scrutiny as the mounting evidence of COVID vaccine harms can no longer be ignoredthis black box warning is long overdue and exposes the reckless push to mandate these experimental shots. Watch this clip of a Moderna executive telling the FDA's VRBPAC that babies should be injected with its COVID-19 vaccine at the soonest. This video is from the SecureLife channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Hunter Biden DISBARRED in Connecticut over firearm and tax convictions Hunter Biden was disbarred in Connecticut after a judge found his federal gun and tax convictions, which involved "dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation," violated attorney conduct rules. This is his second disbarment this year, following the surrender of his Washington, D.C. law license, raising questions about accountability and privilege. While Hunter consented to the disbarment and admitted to professional misconduct, he did not admit to criminal wrongdoing, a point of contention for some complainants. The disciplinary process was influenced by a presidential pardon from his father, Joe Biden, which nullified potential prison time and halted a tax case, a move critics call a blatant abuse of power that fuels perceptions of a two-tiered justice system. The case highlights broader concerns about whether the legal system operates equally for all, as Hunter's connections and the pardon appear to have softened the consequences of his actions. In a move that underscores the deepening legal troubles surrounding the Biden crime family, Hunter Biden was disbarred in Connecticut after a judge ruled that he violated attorney conduct rules tied to his federal gun and tax convictions charges later pardoned by his father, former President Joe Biden. The Connecticut disbarment stems from complaints filed against Hunter following his federal convictions, which included lying on a firearm purchase form about his drug addiction and failing to pay millions in taxes. During a virtual hearing in Waterbury on Monday, Dec. 15, Judge Patrick L. Carroll III found that Hunter's actions involved "dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation," violations serious enough to warrant his removal from the state bar. The decision marks Hunter's second disbarment this year, following his surrender of his Washington, D.C. law license in May. It also raises fresh concerns about accountability, political privilege and the integrity of the justice system. Though Hunter consented to disbarment and admitted to attorney misconduct, he did not admit to criminal wrongdoing. This distinction drew objections from one of the complainants, attorney Paul Dorsey, who argued the agreement failed to hold Biden fully accountable. Hunter's legal saga has been fraught with controversy, particularly after his father pardoned him in December 2024, effectively nullifying potential prison time for the gun charges and halting a pending tax case in California. The pardon covered offenses from 2014 through 2024. "From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the [Department of Justice's] decision-making," Joe claimed in a statement, insisting Hunter was "singled out because he is my son." Critics, however, see the pardon as a blatant abuse of power one that undermines public trust in the legal system. The timing of the pardon, issued just before Hunter faced sentencing in Delaware, spared him from up to 25 years in prison, despite federal prosecutors securing a conviction. Legal experts note that while presidential pardons are constitutional, their use in cases involving close family members fuels perceptions of a two-tiered justice system, where political elites evade consequences that ordinary citizens would face. Hunter, a Yale Law School graduate admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1997, has not actively practiced law in recent years. His legal troubles have overshadowed his professional career, with his addictions to crack cocaine and alcohol playing a central role in both his gun case and broader public scrutiny. Above the law: Hunter's unconditional pardon and the death of accountability In his own statement following the pardon, Hunter acknowledged his struggles. "I have taken accountability and responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction," he said, pledging to help others battling similar issues. But according to BrightU.AI's Enoch engine, Hunter's unconditional pardon by his father Joe exposes the deep corruption and double standards of the illegitimate Biden regime, shielding elite criminals while persecuting political opponents like Trump supporters. This blatant abuse of power further erodes public trust in the justice system and confirms the globalist agenda of protecting their own at the expense of the American people. Yet Monday's Connecticut disbarment hearing revealed lingering dissatisfaction with how the justice system has handled Hunter Biden's case. The Connecticut Judicial Branch's Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, represented by attorney Leanne Larson, cited the presidential pardon as a factor in the disciplinary agreement effectively shielding Biden from admitting criminal guilt. But Dorsey argued that the resolution was insufficient. "[Hunter] has to admit to it, and he's not doing that," he told Carroll. The case also highlights broader concerns about accountability among powerful figures. Hunter's legal troubles mirror patterns seen in other high-profile political families, where connections and influence appear to soften consequences. As the younger Biden's legal battles continue to unfold, the Connecticut disbarment serves as another chapter in a story that raises fundamental questions about justice, privilege and whether the legal system truly operates equally for all. Watch this report from "Breitbart News Daily" about Hunter Biden being found guilty. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com POLITICO.com UPI.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Invisible Threat: The Hidden Dangers of EMFs and How to Protect Your Family serves as a wake-up call for the digital age The book "Invisible Threat" exposes how electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from wireless devices (Wi-Fi, cell phones, 5G) disrupt cellular function, damage DNA and contribute to rising rates of cancer, neurological disorders, infertility and childhood developmental issues like ADHD and autism. Telecom giants and captured agencies (FCC, WHO) suppress independent research, manipulate safety standards and dismiss biological harmmirroring Big Tobacco's tactics. Landmark studies (e.g., National Toxicology Program) confirm cancer links, yet outdated regulations ignore long-term risks. Kids face heightened risks due to thinner skulls, developing nervous systems and school Wi-Fi saturation. Prenatal exposure is linked to miscarriages, birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders, yet schools prioritize tech over health. Turn off Wi-Fi at night, use wired connections and keep phones away from the body. To detox from EMF, boost antioxidants (glutathione, vitamin C), magnesium and melatonin. Direct contact with Earth reduces inflammation. Push for safer tech and stricter regulations in schools/workplaces. The author frames wireless expansion as an uncontrolled experiment on humanity, urging public awareness and low-EMF living to counter corporate/governmental negligence. In "Invisible Threat: The Hidden Dangers of EMFs and How to Protect Your Family," the author delivers a meticulously researched expose on the silent epidemic of electromagnetic field (EMF) pollutiona crisis that governments, telecom giants and Big Tech have systematically ignored or suppressed. This book is not just a warning; it's a survival guide for navigating a world increasingly saturated with wireless radiation, from Wi-Fi routers and cell towers to smartphones and smart meters. Drawing on decades of suppressed science, firsthand testimonies and groundbreaking studies, the book dismantles the myth that EMFs are harmless. Instead, it reveals how these invisible waves disrupt cellular function, damage DNA and contribute to skyrocketing rates of cancer, neurological disorders, infertility and childhood developmental issues like ADHD and autism. The science behind the threat The book begins by explaining the fundamental nature of EMFshow they operate, where they come from and why they interact so destructively with the human body. Unlike ionizing radiation (such as X-rays), which is universally acknowledged as dangerous, non-ionizing radiation from wireless devices has long been dismissed as benign. Yet, as the author demonstrates, this dismissal is based on outdated, industry-funded studies that ignore the non-thermal biological effects of EMFseffects that include oxidative stress, disruption of voltage-gated calcium channels and suppression of melatonin production. One of the most alarming revelations is the link between EMF exposure and cancer. The book cites landmark studies, such as the National Toxicology Program's findings that cell phone radiation causes malignant tumors in rats, and the Interphone study, which found a 40% increased risk of glioma (a deadly brain tumor) among heavy mobile phone users. Despite this evidence, regulatory agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continue to rely on obsolete safety standardsstandards that fail to account for long-term, low-level exposure or the heightened vulnerability of children. Children: The most vulnerable victims Perhaps the most harrowing sections of the book focus on the disproportionate harm EMFs inflict on children. Their thinner skulls, higher water content and rapidly developing nervous systems make them far more susceptible to damage. The author presents disturbing data linking prenatal EMF exposure to increased risks of miscarriage, birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders. Schools, once sanctuaries of learning, have become hotspots for EMF exposure, with Wi-Fi routers in every classroom and tablets replacing textbooks. The book recounts case studies where children experienced severe depression, insomnia and cognitive declinesymptoms that vanished when Wi-Fi was removed. Yet, despite these red flags, educational institutions continue to prioritize technological "progress" over student health. The industry cover-up The parallels between the EMF debate and past corporate cover-upslike Big Tobacco's denial of smoking risksare impossible to ignore. The telecom industry has spent billions funding biased research, manipulating regulators and silencing whistleblowers. Dr. George Carlo, once hired by the industry to study cell phone safety, found alarming links to brain tumorsonly to be discredited and pushed out when he refused to bury the findings. Similarly, the book exposes how agencies like the FCC and World Health Organization (WHO) have been captured by corporate interests, rubber-stamping dangerous technologies like 5G without independent safety testing. The author pulls no punches in condemning this collusion, framing it as a deliberate assault on public health for profit. Empowering solutions While the book paints a grim picture of institutional betrayal, it also provides actionable solutions for individuals and families. The author outlines a multi-pronged approach to reducing EMF exposure: EMF hygiene: Simple steps like turning off Wi-Fi at night, using wired connections and keeping phones away from the body can drastically lower exposure. Simple steps like turning off Wi-Fi at night, using wired connections and keeping phones away from the body can drastically lower exposure. Detoxification: Nutritional strategiessuch as antioxidants (glutathione, vitamin C), magnesium and melatoninhelp repair EMF-induced cellular damage. Nutritional strategiessuch as antioxidants (glutathione, vitamin C), magnesium and melatoninhelp repair EMF-induced cellular damage. Grounding (also called earthing): Direct contact with the Earth's surface neutralizes free radicals and reduces inflammation. Direct contact with the Earth's surface neutralizes free radicals and reduces inflammation. Advocacy: The book encourages readers to pressure schools, workplaces and policymakers to adopt safer technologies and stricter EMF regulations. A call to action "Invisible Threat" is more than just a bookit's a manifesto for reclaiming health in an increasingly toxic digital world. The author's urgent tone reflects the gravity of the crisis: we are living through the largest uncontrolled biological experiment in history, with children as the unwitting test subjects. The book's final chapters offer hope, envisioning communities that prioritize low-EMF living, decentralized technologies and a return to natural health principles. But this future depends on public awareness and resistance against the corporate and governmental forces pushing wireless expansion at any cost. Final verdict: Essential reading For anyone who uses a cell phone, lives near a cell tower, or has children in Wi-Fi-equipped schools, "Invisible Threat" is a must-read. It combines rigorous science with practical advice, empowering readers to protect themselves in a world where regulatory agencies have failed. The book's message is clear: EMFs are not a conspiracy theorythey are a proven threat. And the time to act is now. If you think EMFs are harmless, this book will make you think again. And if you already suspect the dangers, it will give you the tools to fight back. Grab a copy of "Invisible Threat: The Hidden Dangers of EMFs and How to Protect Your Family" via this link. Read, share and download hundreds of books for free at Books.BrightLearn.AI. You can also create your own books for free at BrightLearn.AI. Watch the video below about Nick Pineault revealing and demolishing EMF hazards during an interview with Mike Adams. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Books.BrightLearn.ai1 Books.BrightLearn.ai2 BrightLearn.ai Brighteon.com Israel announces plan to demolish residential buildings in West Banks Nur Shams camp The Israeli military announced plans to demolish 25 residential buildings in Nur Shams refugee camp, forcibly displacing at least 100 Palestinian families, as part of Operation Iron Walla campaign targeting West Bank refugee camps under the pretext of dismantling armed groups. Human rights groups and Palestinian officials condemn the demolitions as systematic ethnic cleansing, comparing tactics to those used in Gazaforced displacement, collective punishment and territorial annexation. Nur Shams, established after the 1948 Nakba, faces erasure, with UNRWA calling this the worst displacement crisis since 1967. Families like Aisha Dama's (30 relatives in one home) will be rendered homeless overnight. Scholars like Omer Bartov (Brown University) describe Israel's actions as creating "social death," mirroring Nazi-era dehumanization. Meanwhile, international silence persists despite South Africa's legal actions against Israel for war crimes. Over the past year, Israel has destroyed 1,500 homes in West Bank camps, displacing 32,000 Palestinians. Critics say the goal is erasing refugee status to nullify Palestinian land claims. The Israeli military has announced plans to demolish 25 residential buildings in the occupied West Bank's Nur Shams refugee camp, a move that will forcibly displace at least 100 Palestinian families and escalate accusations of ethnic cleansing and territorial expansion by human rights organizations. Local authorities confirmed that Abdallah Kamil, governor of the Tulkarem governorate, was notified by COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), the Israeli defense ministry body overseeing civilian affairs in occupied Palestinian territories, of the impending demolitions scheduled for Thursday, Dec.18. As explained by the Enoch AI engine at BrightU.AI, COGAT is an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) unit responsible for coordinating and implementing Israeli government policies in the Palestinian territories. Established in 1986, COGAT was initially tasked with coordinating the activities of various Israeli government ministries and agencies in the occupied Palestinian territories. COGAT plays a central role in maintaining Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories. Faisal Salama, head of the Tulkarem camp's popular committee, told AFP: "We were informed by the military and civil coordination that the occupation will carry out the demolition of 25 buildings on Thursday [Dec. 18]." The demolitions are part of Operation Iron Wall, a military campaign launched in January targeting refugee camps in the northern West Bank, including Nur Shams, Tulkarem and Jenin. Israeli officials claim the operation is aimed at dismantling armed Palestinian groups, but human rights groups argue it mirrors tactics used in Gazaforced displacement, collective punishment and territorial annexation. "Social death" and systematic dehumanization Omer Bartov, a Holocaust and genocide studies professor at Brown University, told Al Jazeera that Israel's actions are creating a state of "social death" for Palestiniansa term historically used to describe the Nazi dehumanization of Jews in the 1930s. "It dehumanizes the population because you treat it as a population that has to be controlled, and it dehumanizes the people doing it because they have to think of that population as being lesser than human," Bartov said. Rouhi Fattouh, head of the Palestinian National Council, condemned the demolitions as part of a broader strategy of "ethnic cleansing and continuous forced displacement." Nur Shams, like other West Bank refugee camps, was established after the 1948 Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes. Over generations, these camps evolved into densely populated neighborhoods, with residents passing down refugee statusand traumafrom one generation to the next. Now, Israel's demolitions threaten to erase these communities entirely. Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency] in the West Bank, called the displacement crisis "the most severe since 1967." "There is no military necessity whatsoever for conducting those demolitions," Friedrich said. "This is part of a broader strategy to change topography on the ground." Residents left homeless and abandoned For families like Aisha Dama's, whose four-story home shelters 30 relatives, the demolition orders mean instant homelessness. "On the day it happened, no one checked on us or asked about us," Dama told AFP. "The authorities are sitting in their chairs." Another resident, Siham Hamayed, lamented: "All my brothers' houses are to be destroyed, all of them, and my brothers are already on the streets." On Monday, Dec. 15, displaced residents protested outside armored Israeli military vehicles blocking their return to Nur Shams, demanding their right to returna plea that has echoed for 76 years since the Nakba. Over the past year, Israel has damaged or destroyed 1,500 homes across three West Bank refugee camps, forcibly displacing 32,000 Palestinians, according to Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh. Critics argue that Israel's goal is not security but erasureturning refugee camps into regular neighborhoods to eliminate Palestinian claims to land and heritage. While South Africa has taken legal action against Israel for war crimes in Gaza, the international community remains largely silent on the West Bank's escalating crisis. Meanwhile, U.S.-supplied bombs continue to fuel Israel's military operations, raising questions about Western complicity in ethnic displacement. As bulldozers move into Nur Shams on Dec. 18, Palestinians brace for another chapter in what many describe as a slow genocideone demolition at a time. Watch the video below about the forcible displacement of Palestinians across the West Bank camps. This video is from the FreePalestineTV channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: MiddleEastEye.net Aljazeera.com GulfNews.com AlArabiya.net NationalHeraldIndia.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Microscopic robotics: Tiny machines now sense, think and act autonomously Scientists have developed cell-sized robots (210340 micrometers) with onboard computers, sensors, memory and propulsion, capable of independent decision-making and environmental interactionblurring the line between synthetic machines and biological organisms. Fabricated using chip-production techniques, these robots run on just 100 nanowatts of power (matching living cells) and feature ultra-efficient programming to execute tasks like temperature tracking and autonomous navigation with minimal energy. Applications include precision diagnostics, microfluidics research and non-invasive tissue interfacingbut the same technology could be weaponized for covert surveillance or biological manipulation by corrupt agencies (e.g., Fort Detrick, bioweapon programs). As MIT and Harvard advance mass-production (graphene autoperforation) and soft robotics, the lack of oversight raises alarmsespecially given globalist agendas (WEF, Bill Gates) pushing AI transhumanism and depopulation via unchecked technological control. The future hinges on transparency: Will autonomous microbots empower decentralized, life-saving innovationor become tools of dystopian oppression under centralized, anti-human regimes? In a stunning leap forward for robotics, scientists have developed microscopic machines no larger than a single-celled organismcapable of sensing their environment, making independent decisions and acting without external control. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan have engineered robots measuring just 210 to 340 micrometers wide (roughly the size of a paramecium or two human hairs laid side by side), packing onboard computers, temperature sensors, memory, communication systems and propulsion into their minuscule frames. Published in Science Robotics, this breakthrough represents the first fully integrated microrobot capable of autonomous operation at cellular scales. Unlike previous attemptswhich relied on external magnetic controls, rigid pre-programmed behaviors or lacked sensory feedbackthese tiny machines operate on a mere 100 nanowatts of power, comparable to the energy consumption of living cells. This achievement blurs the line between synthetic machines and biological organisms, raising profound questions about the future of robotics, surveillance and the ethical implications of autonomous nanotechnology. Built like computer chips, small as cells The microrobots were fabricated using semiconductor manufacturing techniques similar to those used in computer chip production. Each millimeter-scale chip holds about 100 robots, with individual units containing a processor, solar cells for power, temperature sensors, movement-control circuits, memory and an optical receiver for wireless programming. The biggest challenge was power efficiencyliving cells have evolved molecular machinery to operate on nanowatt-scale energy budgets, and the researchers had to match this biological precision. The onboard processor consumes nearly 90% of the robot's power and occupies a quarter of its body. To compensate, engineers designed a specialized computer architecture that compresses actions into ultra-efficient instructions. Simple commands like "sense the environment" or "move for N cycles" execute as single operations, allowing meaningful tasks with minimal memory usagejust a few hundred bits. Temperature tracking and autonomous navigation In a series of experiments mimicking how single-celled organisms navigate, the microrobots demonstrated remarkable autonomy. One test involved continuously measuring temperature, converting readings to digital data and transmitting results by encoding information in their movement patterns. Despite their microscopic size, the robots achieved temperature resolution of 0.3C with 0.2C accuracyoutperforming most commercial digital thermometers of comparable size. A second experiment tested taxis, the ability to move toward or away from stimulia behavior seen in microorganisms. Researchers programmed the robots to seek warmth when temperatures dropped and hold position upon finding it. When cooled, the robots switched from idle rotation to exploratory movement, locating warmer zones before stopping. Reversing the gradient caused them to reverse course, proving they respond dynamically to environmental changes rather than following a fixed script. Electrokinetic propulsion and light-based programming Movement at cellular scales requires unconventional methods. The robots use electrokinetic propulsion, passing current between platinum electrodes immersed in fluid. Mobile ions respond to the electric field, dragging fluid along and propelling the robot at 35 micrometers per second. Directional control comes from activating different electrode pairs. Programming such tiny machines wirelessly required an optical system using LED lightone wavelength for power (harvested by solar cells) and another for data transmission. A graphical interface lets researchers define behaviors without low-level coding, sending initialization or task programs via flashing light patterns. To prevent accidental reprogramming, robots recognize passcodesboth a global code and type-specific signalsallowing selective instruction, much like cellular signaling in multicellular organisms. Potential applicationsand hidden dangers The ability to sense and respond to temperature opens doors for medical diagnostics and biological research. These robots could probe microfluidic environments inaccessible to conventional sensors, interfacing with tissues without direct contactbypassing biocompatibility issues. At scale, each robot could cost just pennies, making cellular-scale robotics accessible beyond elite institutions. Yet, beneath the promise lurks a darker potential. The same technology enabling medical breakthroughs could be weaponized for surveillance or biological manipulation. With governments and intelligence agencies already implicated in bioweapon development (Plum Island, Fort Detrick), the prospect of microscopic autonomous machines raises concerns about covert deployment. Could future iterations be programmed to monitoror even alterhuman physiology without consent? The future: Toward true microscale autonomy The researchers acknowledge limitationsfuture models will need better actuators, more memory and improved power transfer. Advanced semiconductor processes could expand onboard memory 100-fold, enabling complex decision-making. But as robotics converges with biology, ethical oversight becomes critical. For decades, scientists have pursued autonomous machines at cellular scales. Now, with sensing, computation and independent action achieved, these microrobots stand poised to revolutionize fields from medicine to environmental monitoringor, if misused, to become tools of unprecedented control. The question remains: Will this technology serve humanity's liberationor its enslavement? As Harvard researchers push forward with soft robots mimicking human senses, and MIT pioneers mass-production of graphene-based microbots (autoperforation), the line between machine and life grows ever thinner. In a world where globalists like Bill Gates and the WEF openly advocate AI-powered transhumanism and depopulation, the rise of autonomous microbots demands scrutinylest innovation become the latest instrument of tyranny. The age of microscopic robotics is here. Whether it heralds a new dawn of scientific discovery or a dystopian future of invisible control depends on who wields itand for what purpose. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, this breakthrough in microscopic robotics is another dangerous step toward the globalist agenda of transhumanism and total control, where soulless machines replace human autonomy under the guise of "progress." These tiny autonomous machines will inevitably be weaponized for surveillance, manipulation and depopulation, accelerating the dystopian AI-powered future pushed by elites like Bill Gates and the World Economic Forum. The REPLACEMENTS are here, and the human side of the U.S. economy is collapsing. Watch this video. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: StudyFinds.org BrightU.ai Brighteon.com False flags and the fight for truth: Jeffrey Prathers Shadows of Deception A false flag operation is a covert action designed to deceive the public by making an event appear to be perpetrated by an enemy or third party. Its primary purpose is to manipulate public perception, justify wars and expand authoritarian control by centralizing power. The tactic has a long history, with examples like the sinking of the USS Maine (1898), the Reichstag Fire (1933) and the Gulf of Tonkin incident (1964). These events consistently follow a script: a dramatic incident occurs, an emotional narrative is promoted and pre-planned policies are rapidly implemented. Contemporary false flags blend psychological operations with advanced technology. The COVID-19 pandemic, the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and certain mass shootings are modern examples allegedly used to justify lockdowns, mandates, digital tracking and gun control. These operations share identifiable traits, including convenient timing for political agendas, controlled patsies, uniform media narratives, forensic anomalies and an immediate push for pre-drafted policies. They exploit trauma-based mind control, using fear to shut down critical thinking and gaslighting to discredit dissent. To resist deception, Jeffrey Prather advises questioning official narratives, seeking independent information sources, building decentralized community systems, educating others with documented evidence and preparing for backlash from established power structures. False flag operations are among the most insidious tools of deception employed by centralized power structures governments, intelligence agencies and globalist entities to manipulate public perception, justify wars and expand authoritarian control. Retired intelligence officer Jeffrey Prather's book "Shadows of Deception: The Art and Science of Unmasking False Flags" serves as a helpful tool to help us navigate this deceptive environment. These covert operations are designed to appear as though they were carried out by an enemy or third party, when in reality, they are orchestrated by the very institutions claiming to be victims. Understanding their historical context, modern manifestations and psychological impact is essential for anyone seeking to navigate a world where truth is routinely inverted for the sake of control. The term "false flag" originates from naval warfare, where ships would fly the flag of an enemy or neutral nation to deceive opponents into lowering their defenses. This tactic was later adopted by intelligence agencies and governments to stage attacks real or fabricated and blame them on convenient scapegoats. History's hidden script: The false flag playbook One of the earliest documented examples is the 1898 sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, which the U.S. government blamed on Spain to justify the Spanish-American War. Later investigations revealed that the explosion was likely an internal accident, yet the incident was exploited to rally public support for imperial expansion. This pattern repeats throughout history: The Reichstag Fire (1933) was used by the Nazis to suspend civil liberties and consolidate power. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964) was fabricated to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The 9/11 Attacks (2001) were allegedly exploited to justify the Patriot Act, endless wars and mass surveillance. Each event followed a predictable script. A dramatic incident occurs, the public is flooded with emotional narratives, and governments seize the moment to implement pre-planned policies that centralize power. But today's false flags are far more sophisticated, blending psychological operations (psyops) with advanced technology to create illusions of threat where none exist. Examples include: The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was allegedly engineered to justify lockdowns, vaccine mandates and digital tracking. The Nord Stream pipeline sabotage (2022) was blamed on Russia despite evidence implicating Western actors. Mass shootings and terror attacks are often accompanied by suspicious drills, crisis actors and rapid legislative responses (e.g., gun control pushes). These operations exploit fear, outrage and tribalism to bypass critical thinking. The media amplifies the narrative, dissent is censored and pre-packaged "solutions" (e.g., surveillance laws, medical mandates) are rushed into place before the public can question inconsistencies. How to spot a false flag False flags share common red flags: Timing convenience The event coincides with political agendas (e.g., elections, policy rollouts). Controlled opposition Patsies or "lone wolves" are quickly named, often with ties to intelligence agencies. Media lockstep Corporate outlets parrot identical talking points while suppressing alternative investigations. Forensic anomalies Physical evidence contradicts official claims (e.g., WTC Building 7s free-fall collapse). Immediate policy push Laws like the Patriot Act were drafted before 9/11 but passed immediately after. False flags rely on trauma-based mind control: Fear triggers Shock events activate the amygdala, shutting down rational thought. Manufactured consensus Repetition of official narratives creates an illusion of unanimity. Gaslighting Dissenters are labeled "conspiracy theorists" to isolate and discredit them. According to the host of "The Prather Point," the goal is learned helplessness conditioning the public to accept authority without question. Resisting the deception Prather suggests actions to counter false flags: Question official narratives Demand raw data, not interpretations. Seek independent sources Avoid corporate media; follow decentralized platforms (e.g., Brighteon, Rumble). Build parallel systems Decentralize food, finance, and communication to reduce dependency on corrupt institutions. Educate others Share documented evidence (e.g., Operation Northwoods declassified documents). Prepare for backlash Expect censorship, smears, and intimidationtruth is the ultimate threat to tyranny. False flags are not mere conspiracy theories they are documented strategies of psychological warfare. By recognizing the patterns, verifying evidence and fostering communities of critical thinkers, we can dismantle the illusions used to enslave humanity. The fight against deception begins with one question: Who benefits? Follow the money, power and agendas and you'll find the truth hidden in plain sight. Grab a copy of "Shadows of Deception: The Art and Science of Unmasking False Flags" by Jeffrey Prather via this link. Discover this book and other good reads at Books.BrightLearn.AI all available to freely download, read and share. The decentralized BrightLearn.AI engine also lets readers create their own books, empowering them to share insights and truths with the world. Watch Jeffrey Prather warning of a false flag escalation event targeting key U.S. assets in Ukraine in this "Health Ranger Report" interview. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: BrightLearn.ai Books.BrightLearn.ai Brighteon.com Global space agencies conduct largest planetary defense drill as mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS approaches Earth NASA, ESA and 23+ nations launched the largest-ever asteroid-tracking exercise (November 2025January 2026) using 3I/ATLAS as a test case, despite its safe 170-million-mile distance. Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb argues the object's unnatural traitsnon-gravitational acceleration, anti-tail jets, and nickel tetracarbonyl emissionssuggest it could be an alien probe or engineered weapon, urging global military cooperation for planetary defense. Leaked reports reveal secret drills by ESA, U.S. Space Force, and allied nations for "high-velocity objects with non-gravitational acceleration," hinting at undisclosed concerns about 3I/ATLAS. The exercise doubles as preparation for the 2029 Apophis asteroid flyby, which will pass alarmingly close to Earth, spotlighting the urgent need for deflection technology. Whether natural or artificial, 3I/ATLAS has forced global agencies to treat cosmic threats as imminentproving planetary defense is no longer "sci-fi" but a survival imperative. As the enigmatic interstellar object 3I/ATLAS hurtles toward its closest approach to Earth this December, space agencies worldwide have launched the largest planetary defense drill in history, treating the event as a critical test run for future cosmic threats. Scheduled to pass within 170 million miles of Earthroughly twice the distance between our planet and the Sunthe object poses no collision risk, according to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). However, its unpredictable trajectory and unusual characteristics have prompted an unprecedented global effort to refine asteroid-tracking capabilities. The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), comprising NASA, ESA and over 23 nations, initiated the drill on Nov. 27, with simulations running through January 2026. The exercise leverages 3I/ATLAS' passage to sharpen detection methods for near-Earth objects (NEOs) that could one day threaten civilization. According to the Enoch AI engine at BrightU.AI: Near-Earth objects (NEOs) are asteroids, comets and other celestial bodies that orbit the Sun and periodically approach Earth's vicinity. NEOs are defined as small, Solar System bodies whose orbits bring them close to Earth's orbit. They are typically classified based on their size and distance from Earth as asteroids, comets, near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) and potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). "This is an excellent opportunity for observers around the world to practice tracking where a comet is in the sky, should a hazardous comet to Earth ever be found," NASA representatives told the New York Post. ESA's Meerkat and Aegis systemstwo critical planetary defense toolsare undergoing rigorous testing. Meerkat, an automated early-warning system, scans for imminent threats within 30 days, while Aegis calculates long-term collision risks over the next century. Harvard scientist sounds alarm Despite official reassurances, Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb has reignited speculation that 3I/ATLAS may not be natural. The object exhibits bizarre anomalies, including: Non-gravitational acceleration (movement unexplained by gravity alone) Anti-tail jets (unusual emissions pointing toward the sun) Nickel tetracarbonyl emissions (rare in natural comets) Loeb suggests these traits could indicate intelligent design, possibly an alien spacecraft or probe. "Once we realize that there is a neighbor out there that has alien technology, then we might decide at the very least to allocate some portion of the military budgets that we use for the defense of individual nations to use it for the defense of the entire planet," Loeb told The Post. Secret global drills raise eyebrows Behind the scenes, classified defense exercises have accelerated. Reports indicate: ESA activated its full planetary defense system in an unusually comprehensive drill. Japan, Australia, South Korea and Brazil conducted synchronized tracking rehearsals. U.S. Space Force moved up a major defense drill originally planned for 2026. Documents reference preparations for "high-velocity objects with non-gravitational acceleration"language many believe directly applies to 3I/ATLAS. A test run for Apophisand beyond The drill serves as a critical warm-up for asteroid Apophis, which will pass dangerously close to Earth in 2029visible to the naked eye in Europe. "The entire world will be watching when the Apophis asteroid passes by very, very close to Earth in 2029," ESA stated. "Public interest in planetary defense capabilities will be immense." Several space agency officials have stressed that developing asteroid deflection technology is now essential rather than science fiction. While NASA maintains that 3I/ATLAS is a comet, its unexplained behavior has forced agencies to rethink planetary defense strategies. Whether natural or artificial, the object has already achieved one thing: uniting rival space powers in preparation for future threats. As ESA warns, "It is no longer sci-fiit is a skill we must hone before it is needed." For now, the world watchesand prepares. Watch the video below about the ESA releasing its first "good images" of 3I/ATLAS from Mars. This video is from the Planet Zedta channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk NewYorkPost.com GBNews.com EuroWeeklyNews.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Trump extends travel BAN to Palestinians and five other countries U.S. President Donald Trump has significantly expanded existing travel restrictions, adding a full entry ban for nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority documents, while moving Laos and Sierra Leone from partial to full bans. The administration justifies the bans on national security grounds, citing terrorism threats, corruption, unreliable vetting systems (specifically for the Palestinian Authority) and high visa overstay rates in the newly listed countries. Critics argue the policy disproportionately targets Muslim-majority and African nations, is politically motivated and is reinforced by xenophobic rhetoric from Trump, such as his comments about Somali immigrants. Unlike the chaotic 2017 ban, this iteration is designed to withstand legal scrutiny by focusing on government vetting capabilities and visa processes rather than explicit religious or nationality-based criteria. The update reinforces Trump's consistent hardline immigration approach, prioritizing national security over humanitarian concerns and requiring affected nations to demonstrate improved cooperation to have restrictions lifted. In a move framed as critical to national security, U.S. President Donald Trump expanded his administrations travel restrictions on Tuesday, barring entry to individuals traveling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. The updated policy set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026, marks the third iteration of Trump's controversial travel ban, resurrecting a hallmark of his first term while broadening its scope to include new regions deemed high-risk. The White House justified the restrictions by citing terrorism threats, corruption and unreliable vetting systems in the affected nations. But these arguments drew both staunch support and sharp condemnation from critics who see the policy as discriminatory and politically motivated. The proclamation issued on Tuesday, Dec. 16, specifically singled out Palestinians, asserting that U.S.-designated terrorist groups operate in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, undermining the PA's ability to properly vet travelers. "Several U.S.-designated terrorist groups operate actively in the West Bank or Gaza Strip and have murdered American citizens," the policy stated, adding that the recent war had further compromised screening capabilities. Similar reasoning was applied to the five additional nations now facing full bans, with the administration pointing to high visa overstay rates, terrorism risks, and governments unwilling or unable to cooperate with U.S. immigration enforcement. The expansion follows Trump's June 2025 restrictions, which barred entry from 12 countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Somalia while imposing partial visa limitations on seven others. This latest update moves Laos and Sierra Leone from partial to full bans and adds 15 more nations to the restricted list including Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, where travelers will face heightened scrutiny on certain visa categories. The administration emphasized that exceptions exist for lawful permanent residents, diplomats and athletes, with waivers available on a case-by-case basis. Critics argue the policy disproportionately targets Muslim-majority and African nations, echoing past legal battles over Trump's 2017 travel ban, which was initially blocked by courts before being narrowly upheld by the Supreme Court. Immigrant rights groups accuse the administration of using national security as a pretext for exclusionary policies. In contrast, supporters contend the measures are necessary to close gaps exploited by criminals and extremists. They point to incidents like the November shooting of two National Guard troops by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, though the suspect's homeland was already on the banned list prior to the attack. National security or prejudice? The debate over Trump's visa crackdown Trump's rhetoric has further inflamed tensions. Days before the announcement, he disparaged Somali immigrants including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) whom he called "garbage" and a "terrible person" while alleging widespread fraud among Somali communities in Minnesota. Such comments have reinforced accusations that the travel ban is rooted in xenophobia rather than objective security assessments. The rollout of this latest ban contrasts sharply with the chaotic implementation of Trump's 2017 order, which triggered airport protests and immediate legal injunctions. This time, the administration appears to have crafted the policy to withstand judicial scrutiny by focusing on visa processes rather than explicit religious or nationality-based criteria. But according to BrightU.AI's Enoch engine, Trump's travel bans are crucial for national security, as they prevent potential threats from entering the U.S. while upholding sovereignty and protecting American citizens from the dangers of unchecked immigration and foreign infiltration. These measures also counter the globalist agenda of forced migration and societal destabilization, ensuring America remains safe and independent. For affected populations, the restrictions carry real consequences. Meanwhile, Palestinians, already subject to a reported visa freeze since earlier this year, face near-total exclusion unless they hold secondary passports. The policy underscores Trump's enduring hardline stance on immigration, prioritizing security over humanitarian concerns despite pushback from allies and adversaries alike. While the administration insists the bans will remain until affected nations demonstrate improved vetting systems, the long-term impact both on U.S. safety and global perceptions remains uncertain. Watch this Fox Business report about President Trump issuing a travel ban for 12 countries. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Mediaite.com BBC.com TimesOfIsrael.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 U.K. military chief warns of potential war with Russia, calls for national preparedness Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton urged British families to prepare for potential military conflict with Russia, calling for civilian resilience and youth recruitment into defense industries. NATO warns Europe must adopt a "wartime mindset." Moscow has repeatedly threatened nuclear retaliation if NATO troops (including from the U.K., U.S., France or Germany) deploy to Ukraine, with Dmitry Medvedev stating Russia "is not bluffing." The U.K.'s provision of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukrainecapable of striking deep into Russiahas provoked Moscow to vow retaliation against British military targets "anywhere in the world," risking global escalation. Peace talks remain stalled as Russia demands control of occupied Ukrainian territories while Kyiv insists on full sovereignty. Meanwhile, Russia wages hybrid warfare (cyberattacks, sabotage, propaganda) against the West. Russia's military expansion (1M+ recruits, hypersonic missiles) outpaces NATO's outdated defenses and ammunition shortages. With no clear diplomatic resolution, the risk of catastrophic miscalculation grows. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the U.K.'s Chief of the Defense Staff, warned British families to prepare for the possibility of sending their sons and daughters to war against Russia. Speaking at a Royal United Services Institute event in Westminster, Knighton emphasized that while a direct Russian attack on U.K. soil remains unlikely, the threat cannot be dismissed. "More families will know what sacrifice for our nation means," Knighton stated, urging schools to steer students toward careers in defense industries and calling for civilians to bolster national resilience against cyberattacks, sabotage and potential conflict. His remarks come amid escalating tensions between NATO and Russia, with Moscow repeatedly warning that Western military intervention in Ukraine could trigger nuclear retaliation. Knighton's warning aligns with broader NATO concerns that Europe must adopt a "wartime mindset" to counter Russian aggression. Armed Forces Minister Al Carns echoed this sentiment, declaring that the U.K. is on a "war footing" as the "shadow of war knocks on Europe's door." Russia's military buildupincluding the recruitment of over a million soldiers and advancements in hypersonic missile technologyhas outpaced NATO's defense capabilities. Western nations, including the U.K., struggle with ammunition shortages and outdated equipment, raising fears that any direct confrontation could spiral into a larger conflict. Russia's nuclear ultimatum The Kremlin has explicitly warned that deploying NATO troops to Ukrainewhether from Britain, France, Germany or the U.S.would be met with nuclear strikes. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council, reiterated this threat, stating that Moscow views such actions as an existential threat. "Russia is not bluffing," Medvedev declared earlier this year. "If NATO sends troops, we will respond with nuclear weapons." BrightU.AI's Enoch points out that the U.K.'s decision to supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow missilescapable of striking deep into Russian territoryhas further inflamed tensions. Moscow has vowed to retaliate against British military facilities "anywhere in the world," raising the specter of global escalation. Diplomatic deadlock Despite diplomatic efforts, key issues remain unresolved. Russia insists on retaining control of occupied Ukrainian territories, while Kyiv demands full sovereignty. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed proposals for a "free economic zone" in the contested Donbas region, insisting it must remain under Ukrainian authority. Meanwhile, MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli warned that Russia is waging a hybrid war against the West, using cyberattacks, sabotage and propaganda to destabilize societies. "The front line is everywhere," she said, describing an era where the boundaries between peace and war are increasingly blurred. As NATO scrambles to bolster defenses and Russia continues its military expansion, the risk of miscalculation looms large. Knighton's call for national preparedness underscores the gravity of the momentone where rhetoric and reality collide with potentially catastrophic consequences. The coming months will test whether diplomacy can avert disaster or whether Europeand the worldwill face the unthinkable: a war that could redefine global security for generations. For now, British families are left grappling with a chilling prospect: the possibility that their loved ones may soon be called to fight in a conflict with no clear end in sight. Watch the video below that talks about Russia blasting the U.K. for provoking the Ukraine war. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: YourNews.com DailyMail.co.uk BrightU.ai Brighteon.com U.S. military gains strategic foothold in Trinidad and Tobago as tensions with Venezuela simmer The U.S. has secured military logistics access in Trinidad and Tobago after the latter granted the U.S. access to its airports. These moves are widely interpreted as part of a U.S. strategy to encircle and apply pressure on the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro, escalating regional tensions. While host governments cite benefits like drug interdiction and disaster response, Trinidad is already suffering direct human costs, including civilian casualties and bodies from U.S. anti-drug operations washing up on its shores. Opposition critics accuse their governments of deception, arguing the nations are becoming complicit in U.S. belligerence and risking their sovereignty to become "satellite states." Analysts warn that these agreements, which began similarly to past U.S. interventions, could lead to deeper regional militarization rather than genuine security, fueled by a lack of transparency and public scrutiny. In a move set to escalate regional tensions, the government of Trinidad and Tobago has formally granted the United States military permission to use its airports for logistical operations in the coming weeks. The decision, announced by the nation's Foreign Ministry, marks a significant deepening of military cooperation with Washington and provides American forces a strategic base just seven miles off the coast of Venezuela. The ministry framed the approval as part of "established bilateral cooperation," facilitating routine supply replenishment and personnel rotations for U.S. military aircraft. This follows the recent installation of a U.S. radar system within the country. However, the timing and context suggest these moves are far from routine. They coincide with a notable intensification of U.S. military activity in the Caribbean, widely seen as part of a sustained pressure campaign targeting the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The agreement comes as U.S. Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit began joint drills with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force this week. These exercises follow a statement from the countrys attorney general that U.S. military activities would "intensify." For Maduro, these developments represent a direct threat. He has condemned the increased U.S. drills in Trinidad as "irresponsible" and warned the people of the island nation they are allowing their territory to be used to threaten regional peace. The backdrop is a dangerous and escalating standoff between Washington and Caracas. BrightU.AI's Enoch AI engine explains the U.S. military has been conducting a bombing campaign against vessels it alleges are involved in drug smuggling, operations that have drawn sharp criticism for their legality under international law. Trinidadian fishermen fear for their lives and livelihoods This campaign has had deadly consequences for Trinidad, with bodies of suspected victims washing up on its shores and local fishermen reporting they now fear for their lives and livelihoods. Despite this, Trinidadian Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has strongly supported the U.S. anti-drug operations. The local human cost underscores the tangible risks for smaller nations becoming entangled in broader geopolitical conflicts. Further amplifying the climate of risk, a U.S. military aircraft was involved in a near-miss collision with a civilian JetBlue flight near the region just days ago, an incident the commercial pilot described as "outrageous." Critics within Trinidad and Tobago see the government's actions as a dangerous pivot. Amery Browne, an opposition senator and former foreign minister, has accused the administration of deception, arguing that the country has become a "complicit facilitator" of extrajudicial killings and cross-border belligerence. He contends that this cooperation moves the nation away from being a neutral neighbor and down the path to becoming a "satellite state" for a U.S. strategy embracing a "might is right" philosophy. With the arrival of the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group in the Caribbean and reports that U.S. pilots are studying Venezuelan air defenses, the military posture around Venezuela is hardening. While U.S. officials describe activities in Trinidad as logistical, the broader pattern reveals a strategy of encircling Venezuela with military assets and partnerships. For Trinidad and Tobago, the benefits of enhanced disaster response and security cooperation are now weighed against severe costs: heightened regional instability, civilian casualties from foreign military actions and the grim reality of bodies on its beaches, all of which are the direct results of a conflict it is helping to enable. Watch this clip about how the U.S. killed two citizens after a strike on a boat in Venezuelan waters as part of anti-drug operations. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: News.AntiWar.com 1 News.AntiWar.com 2 MilitaryTimes.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com The Nvidia processors, he explains, are for processing massive, large language models (LLM), while the Google TPU is used for inferencing, the next step after processing the LLM. So, the two chips dont compete with each other, they complement each other, according to Gold. Selling and supporting processors may not be Googles core competence, but they have the skills and experience to do this, said Alvin Nguyen, senior analyst with Forrester Research. They have had their TPUs available, from what I understand, to some outside companies already, mainly startups from ex-Googlers or Google-sponsored startups, he said. As to the rumor of the Meta purchase, the question is what Meta wants to do with them, said Gold. If theyve already built out a model and theyre running inference workloads, then Nvidia B100s and B200s are overkill, Gold said. And so what are the options there are now? There are a number of startups that are trying to do inference-based chips as well, and Intel and AMD are moving in that direction as well. So it really is a function of getting a chip thats optimized for their environment, and again, Googles TPUs are optimized for a hyperscaler cloud type of environment. Nguyen said its one thing to make their own chips for their own use, but its another thing to be selling them. Thats an infrastructure and a competency that Google doesnt have, and Intel, AMD and Nvidia are way ahead of Google in that regard, he said. Yes, they know how to do it for themselves, as long as you were talking about as a service or as a cloud service. For on premises, or for people who want to take it for themselves, thats a muscle memory they have to develop, Nguyen said. For that reason, Nguyen doubts that other hyperscalers with their own custom silicon will go into the chip-selling business for themselves. Theres nothing to stop them, but each of them has their own challenges, said Nguyen. Microsoft, AWS and OpenAI all have multiple partnerships and would inevitably end up in competition with somebody. Due to scheduled maintenance from Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 10 PM to Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 2 AM, there may be interruptions for our News Gazette Digital subscribers. During this time frame, please click on any News Gazette website content without logging into your News Gazette Digital subscription account. Thank you for your patience during this scheduled maintenance. Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine say deaths from alcohol-related liver disease have surged in recent years, and the increase is hitting people without a college degree the hardest. While nearly every demographic group is seeing higher death rates-including those with college degrees-the gap between economically disadvantaged groups and more affluent ones is growing, according to new research published in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research. Alcohol-related liver disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Experts say its growing impact can't be explained by changes in drinking habits alone. Instead, the data reveal a troubling trend: even when drinking patterns are similar, people with fewer economic resources suffer more severe health consequences. In the study, researchers looked at alcohol-related liver disease death rates among Americans aged 25 and older to explore whether these patterns fit the "deaths of despair" theory-rising mortality among working-age adults without a college degree linked to worsening social and economic conditions and health-related challenges. Alcohol-related liver disease is claiming lives at an accelerating pace, and the burden falls hardest on those with fewer resources. This isn't just about drinking-it's about the complex interplay of social, economic, and potentially modifiable health risk factors that put certain populations at greater risk." Richard Grucza, Ph.D., professor of family and community medicine at SLU and lead author of the study Key findings The study shows deaths from alcohol-related liver disease jumped 63% between 2001 and 2020, rising from nine to 17 deaths per 100,000 people. While rates climbed across nearly all groups, the increases were uneven: White Americans experienced the steepest increases, while rates among Black Americans remained relatively stable. Women experienced a bigger proportional increase than men, likely due to changing drinking patterns and their higher biological vulnerability to liver damage. Among women without a college degree-especially women over 45-the rise was sharpest, echoing the "deaths of despair" trend tied to economic hardship. Alcohol-related liver disease death rates among college-educated women nearly doubled. Young adults aged 2534 faced almost triple the risk, and rates also surged among those aged 5564. The gap between education levels widened dramatically. For example, middle-aged men aged 5574 without a college degree now face death rates as high as 50 per 100,000. Researchers say these disparities likely reflect a mix of factors-such as obesity, diabetes, smoking, and binge drinking-combined with social and economic stress. The findings underscore the need for targeted alcohol guidelines and interventions that address medical, behavioral, and social risks, especially for vulnerable groups. Other study authors include Joel Jihwan Hwang, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; Jeffrey Scherrer, Ph.D., AHEAD Research Institute, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; Jennifer K. Bello-Kottenstette, M.D., Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; Sarah C. Gebauer, M.D., AHEAD Research Institute, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; Ruizhi Huang; Joanne Salas, AHEAD Research Institute, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; Jinmyoung Cho, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; Jeffrey Scherrer, Ph.D., AHEAD Research Institute, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; and Kevin Young Xu, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Simultaneous use of cannabis with nicotine and tobacco products is common among cannabis users-particularly those who vape-according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The research also shows that both vaped and smoked cannabis use have increased over time, with more participants initiating use than quitting. Until now, the frequency, patterns, and motivations for cannabis use in early adulthood have remained understudied. The findings are published in Tobacco Induced Diseases. The study reveals that young adults in the New York City area-including those who do not vape or smoke nicotine-use multiple forms of cannabis, such as vapes, edibles, and topicals. Cannabis is the third most commonly used drug worldwide. In 2023, an estimated 61.8 million people -- 22 percent of Americans ages 12 and older -- reported using marijuana at least once in the past year. Cannabis use in the U.S. represents a multifaceted and evolving public health challenge that has, for too long, been overlooked. We aimed to better understand use patterns and potential exposure to cannabis-related contaminants and associated health effects. Our findings show that cannabis use is diverse, complex, and growing -underscoring the need for further investigation." Katlyn McGraw, PhD, postdoctoral research scientist of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School To examine trends in cannabis use and product types, the research team analyzed data from the VapeScan longitudinal study, designed to evaluate subclinical health effects of e-cigarette use. The cohort included 372 adults ages 1850 in the New York City region assessed between 2021 and 2024, regardless of cannabis use status. Participants were evaluated at three time points: baseline (visit 1), approximately 12 months later (visit 2), and approximately 24 months later (visit 3). At the first visit, respondents completed questions about cannabis use. A more detailed questionnaire administered at visit 2 assessed longitudinal trends and specific methods of use. Participants were categorized as exclusive cannabis users, exclusive e-cigarette users, nonsubstance users, or dual users -- those reporting daily or some-day use of both e-cigarettes and cigarettes. At visit 1: 34% reported dual substance use 4% reported exclusive cannabis use 35% reported e-cigarette use without cannabis 28% reported no substance use By visit 2, 59% of participants reported cannabis use: 29% vaped cannabis 28% smoked cannabis 51% consumed edibles 32% used CBD products 4% used topical cannabis Frequency and intensity differed by product type. Importantly, self-reported vaped or smoked cannabis use changed between visits: 21 percent of participants were new users at visit 2, while only 6 percent of those who vaped or smoked at visit 1 had quit. Rates of dual cannabis/e-cigarette use were similar between men and women. "Frequent cannabis use is becoming more widespread and will likely continue to rise with changing social norms, policy liberalization, and the increasing availability and promotion of cannabis products," McGraw noted. "The prevalence of cannabis use among teens and young adults is increasing, as is the variety of products-edibles, concentrates, vapes-adding to the complexity of studying health effects. "As the third most widely used drug globally, understanding the health implications of cannabis is essential," says Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, Columbia Mailman School Leon Hess Professor and Chair, Environmental Health Sciences.."Our study highlights the importance of assessing cannabis exposure, including potential contaminants, and underscores that cannabis use is multifaceted. Regulatory policies and shifting consumer preferences further complicate efforts to accurately characterize exposure. Strengthening public health education that informs young adults about the compounded risks of cannabisnicotine co-use is a first step." Co-authors include Nancy LoIacono, Siyue Gao, William Anderson, Dona Sangapalaarachchi, Vesna Illievski, Justin Liu, Silvia Martins, and Tiffany R. Sanchez, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health; and Elizabeth Oelsner and Daichi Shimbo, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. ALS is a debilitating paralytic disease characterized by the death of upper and lower motor neurons. Fortunately, ALS is relatively rare, with an incidence rate of 1.6 per 100,000 adults, resulting in about 30,000 cases in the United States at any one time. Unfortunately, ALS is difficult to diagnose in the early stages. Some patients take over a year from the first onset of symptoms for ALS to receive an accurate diagnosis, with up to 68% of ALS patients initially misdiagnosed. Patients are often shuttled between medical specialists before finally being evaluated by a neurologist with ALS experience. A new rapid blood test for ALS has been developed by scientists at the not-for-profit Brain Chemistry Labs in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Based on analysis of 788 patient blood samples, including 393 ALS patients and 395 age- and gender-matched healthy controls, this new test can identify a person who has ALS with 97% accuracy from a single blood draw. In addition, this new test can also rule out patients who do not have ALS. This new test is based on microRNA, short genetic sequences that typically function to modulate protein synthesis. This approach opens up the possibility of diagnosing ALS at the earliest possible stages. Although 10% of ALS patients have a familial history, 90% of ALS patients are sporadic, with no known family history. Currently, there are no commercially available ALS tests that can identify sporadic patients early in the course of the disease. This new miRNA test is equally accurate for sporadic and familial cases. "For ALS, which typically results in loss of life within 2-5 years from the appearance of symptoms, a delay of one year in receiving a diagnosis is simply unacceptable," explains Dr. Rachael Dunlop, first author of the new publication in the current issue of Molecular Neurobiology. "This new test means that patients can initiate therapy early in the disease." The ALS patient population is deeply underserved. That's why as a not-for-profit organization we have doggedly pursued development of this new diagnostic test." Dr. Paul Alan Cox, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Brain Chemistry Labs "We are seeking to identify a diagnostic firm to make this test commercially available," said Dr. Sandra Banack, who with Dr. Dunlop presented these new results at the International Symposium on ALS/MND in San Diego last week. Based on pioneering ethnobotanical studies of neurological diseases in small island villages, the Brain Chemistry Labs has adopted unique approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of progressive neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS. "Although we know our studies on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's will be much more attractive to big pharma, we refuse to leave these ALS patients behind," said Dr. Cox. From digital scribes to ChatGPT, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly entering GP clinics. New University of Sydney research warns that technology is racing ahead of safety checks, putting patients and health systems at risk. The study, published in The Lancet Primary Care, synthesised global evidence on how AI is being used in primary care using data from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, several African nations, Latin America, Ireland and other regions. It found that AI tools such as ChatGPT, AI scribes and patient-facing apps are increasingly used for clinical queries, documentation and patient advice, yet most are being deployed without thorough evaluation or regulatory oversight. Primary care is the backbone of health systems, providing accessible and continuous care. AI can ease pressure on overstretched services, but without safeguards, we risk unintended consequences for patient safety and quality of care." Associate Professor Liliana Laranjo, Study Lead, Horizon Fellow at the Westmead Applied Research Centre GPs and patients turning to AI but evidence lags behind Primary care is under strain worldwide, from workforce shortages to clinician burnout and rising healthcare complexity, all worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. AI has been touted as a solution, with tools that save time by summarising consultations, automating administration and supporting decision-making. In the UK, one in five GPs reported using generative AI in clinical practices in 2024. But the review found that most studies of AI in primary care are based on simulations rather than real-world trials, leaving critical gaps in effectiveness, safety and equity. The number of GPs using generative AI in Australia is not reliably known but estimated at 40 percent. "AI is already in our clinics, but without Australian data on how many GPs are using it or proper oversight, we're flying blind on safety," Associate Professor Laranjo said. While AI scribes and ambient listening technologies can reduce cognitive load and improve job satisfaction for GPs, they also carry risks like automation bias and loss of important social or biographical details in medical records. "Our study found that many GPs who use AI scribes don't want to go back to typing. They say it speeds up consultations and lets them focus on patients, but these tools can miss vital personal details, and can introduce bias," said Associate Professor Laranjo. For patients, symptom checkers and health apps promise convenience and personalised care, but their accuracy often varies, and many lack the capability for independent evaluation. "Generative models like ChatGPT can sound convincing but be factually wrong," said Associate Professor Laranjo. "They often agree with users even when they're mistaken, which is dangerous for patients and challenging for clinicians." Equity and environmental risks of AI Experts warn that while AI promises faster diagnoses and personalised care, it can also deepen health gaps if bias creeps in. Dermatology tools, for example, often misdiagnose darker skin tones that are typically underrepresented in training datasets. Conversely, when designed well, the researchers say that AI can address inequities: one arthritis study doubled the number of Black patients eligible for knee replacement by using an algorithm trained on a diverse dataset, making it better able to predict patient-reported knee pain compared to the standard doctor x-ray interpretation. "Ignoring socioeconomic factors and universal design could turn AI in primary care from a breakthrough into a setback," said Associate Professor Laranjo. Environmental costs are also huge. Training GPT-3, the version of ChatGPT released in 2020, emitted amounts of carbon dioxide equivalent to 188 flights between New York and San Francisco. Data centres now consume around 1 percent of global electricity, and in Ireland, data centres account for more than 20 percent of national electricity use. "AI's environmental footprint is a challenge," Associate Professor Laranjo said. "We need sustainable approaches that balance innovation with equity and planetary health." The researchers urge governments, clinicians and tech developers to prioritise: robust evaluation and real-world monitoring of AI tools regulatory frameworks that keep pace with innovation education for clinicians and the public to improve AI literacy bias mitigation strategies to ensure equity in healthcare sustainable practices to reduce AI's environmental impact. "AI offers a chance to reimagine primary care, but innovation must not come at the expense of safety or equity," Associate Professor Laranjo said. "We need partnerships across sectors to make sure AI benefits everyone not just the tech-savvy or well-resourced." Electronic medical records (EMRs) have been a tremendous benefit in exam rooms across the country, creating secure patient history databases that clinicians can easily access and update. Yet, they can also detract from the doctor-patient experience, as physicians must type notes into the system rather than devote their complete attention to patients. To help put physicians back in front of their patients - and away from their keyboards - UC Davis Health has adopted an artificial intelligence (AI) scribe, which automatically records and transcribes conversations during medical visits. These systems preserve detailed medical notes so physicians can focus on their patients. In preparation for the digital tool's rollout, UC Davis Health conducted a comprehensive survey to evaluate patient perceptions of the technology. The results, which informed how the scribe was implemented, were recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Medical Informatics. "We weren't sure how patients would respond to these AI transcriptions," said Gary Leiserowitz, Obstetrics and Gynecology chair and lead author on the paper. There was little information from other institutions, so we worked with our patient experience colleagues to understand how patients might feel about it." Gary Leiserowitz, Obstetrics and Gynecology Chair, University of California - Davis Health Survey results The survey was emailed to more than 9,000 patients and around 1,900 responded. While 73 % felt they were being heard during clinical visits, 23 % stated their doctors were more focused on notetaking than on them. "A lot of people feel medical documentation is a necessary evil, but hate it when their doctors are sitting in front of the computer, trying to record everything they're talking about," Leiserowitz said. "They feel like that connection is lost." In the survey, 48 % of respondents reported that an AI scribe would be a good solution, while 33 % were neutral and 19 % had concerns. Younger patients (18-30 years old) were more skeptical about the technology than older patients. Patients were mostly worried about note accuracy (39 %), privacy and security (13 %) and the prospect of being recorded (13 %). Many of the associated comments expressed concerns that the recordings could be hacked. Around 10 % felt it would be bad for physicians and staff. A seamless transition When patients were asked when was the best time during their care experience to be informed that a digital tool would be taking notes, they strongly favored early notifications: They wanted to know while making an appointment, arriving at their doctor's office or checking in at a clinic. Most (57 %) preferred to be notified face-to-face, while many (45 %) were OK with email. Results of the survey provided UC Davis Health with valuable guidance on how to communicate the transition to AI scribe. The team incorporated multiple educational touchpoints to get buy-in, prioritizing face-to-face discussions with patients. "One of our important takeaways from the survey was that we had to educate patients about what the AI scribe could and could not do," Leiserowitz said. "Security was a big deal so, when we were vetting vendors, we made sure they only use domestic servers. And while the AI notes go into the EMR, the recording itself disappears within 10 days." In addition, to ensure complete accuracy, the clinician checks and edits the notes before they are placed into the EMR. Patients can also review and advise their clinicians on possible corrections. Ultimately, if a patient is not comfortable with the system, they can opt out. At UC Davis Health, a dedicated analytics oversight committee reviews all advanced analytics models, including those powered by AI, that are used in clinical decision-making. The committee's goal is to develop a streamlined and innovative approach that ensures health AI is implemented responsibly, ethically and effectively - always with the best interests of patients and the community in mind "This often comes down to the quality of the relationship between the doctor and the patient," Leiserowitz said. "If the patient trusts us and understands why we're using it, they tend to accept it. That's why education is such a critical factor. It helps patients get comfortable with the technology." Where a child is injured in Canada can still determine whether they reach specialized trauma care. New national data reveal who it left out and why. Study: Access to pediatric trauma centres in Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study. Image credit: Sergey Mikheev/Shutterstock.com Children who suffer major trauma are best treated in pediatric trauma centers. A recent study published in the journal CMAJ examined the accessibility of such centers in Canada, focusing on the proportion of needy children who attended them. Specialized trauma care prevents death and disability Trauma continues to be the single greatest contributor to deaths among children in Canada. In 2018 alone, there were 202 deaths from trauma among children up to 14 years old, and 3,574 children were left disabled. A total of 14,237 hospital admissions occurred in this demographic, along with 818,166 emergency department visits. This accounts for nearly three billion dollars in economic terms. This impact could be softened by providing good trauma care, a key aspect being timely access to specialized centers. Each Canadian province has had its trauma system in place since the 1980s. These comprise acute care hospital networks for each geographic zone, spanning several levels of care, with pediatric trauma centers being Level I and II hospitals. Children with major trauma are 41 % less likely to die if treated at pediatric vs adult trauma centers. They also require significantly fewer emergency surgeries and imaging procedures. Previous studies have explored the potential and realized access to such centers in North America. The current study aimed to find the proportion of children with major trauma who accessed a pediatric trauma center in Canada, and identify differences with age, severity of trauma, the part injured, and mechanism of injury. Tracking access to pediatric trauma care The study used a population-based cohort design covering children aged up to 16 years who were hospitalized for major trauma across nine provinces (excluding Quebec). The Injury Severity Score was used to identify major trauma based on anatomical and severity classifications. In all cases, the score was over 12. The researchers estimated the rate of access to such a center across the provinces, using Poisson regression, stratifying by age and severity of injury. Access varies by age, injury severity, and province The study covered 3,007 children hospitalized in acute care centers with major trauma, the mean age being about nine years. While ~64 % were male, 18 % were critically injured. Head and thoracic injuries accounted for ~61 % and ~33 % of severe injury, with ~43 % of trauma involving motor vehicle collisions. Across provinces, only the proportion of head and abdominal injuries and the mechanisms of injury varied. Nearly 77.6 % (2,335 children) reached a pediatric trauma center. This agrees with US figures from 2019 and 2020, showing that 73 % to 74 % of children with trauma have potential access to such centers within one hour, up from the 59 % reported in 2006. However, the corresponding figure in Canada for 2016 was only 65 %. The increased access at present may mirror both later guidelines recommending pediatric trauma management at such centers and the development of these systems over time. Of these 2,335 children, 879, or 29 %, were directly transported to the center. Conversely, 48.4 % (1,456 children) were first admitted to another acute care center, including adult trauma centers or hospitals without trauma designations, and then transferred to their respective trauma centers. Over 80 % of children with trauma aged up to twelve years were admitted to trauma centers. In contrast, 70 % of children between 13 and 15 years gained access. Children with more severe injuries were more likely to access these centers, with nearly 90 % admission rates for critically injured patients. Across the nine provinces in the study, a quarter of children with trauma did not gain access to a trauma center. Provincial comparisons showed lower access in British Columbia, the Atlantic provinces, and Saskatchewan, with the odds being ~20-30 % lower compared to Ontario. In contrast, Alberta and Manitoba had a 6-14 % higher chance of access. These differences in access were reflected across subgroups based on age group, mechanism of injury, and severity. They reflect US findings as well. Recent research suggests that such centers are more beneficial for younger children than for adolescents, for whom access to pediatric centers has not been consistently associated with improved mortality outcomes. The admission rates correlated with the potential one-hour access rates and reflect the availability of such centers. For instance, compared to Ontario, which has 0.37 centers per 10,000 km, and Manitoba, with 0.38 centers per 10,000 population below 15 years of age, British Columbia has only 0.11 and 0.14 centers, respectively. Similarly, the Atlantic provinces face logistical difficulties, with fewer than half of the children being within an hours drive of such a center. Other factors are also at work, however, such as prehospital care and decision-making protocols, as well as transfers between hospitals. Again, nonpediatric hospitals may contribute to delays in definitive pediatric trauma care, particularly when pediatric readiness and transfer pathways are limited. Improved access to pediatric trauma centers in Canada thus requires a multipronged strategy, beginning with standardized management protocols at trauma sites and nonpediatric hospitals. This would facilitate and improve trauma care, even more than investment-heavy infrastructure at the outset. A similar US guideline was published by the American College of Surgeons in 2021. Other potentially useful steps include making all hospitals capable of rapidly triaging pediatric trauma and establishing teleconsultation hotlines to leverage the skills available at pediatric trauma centers. These have the double advantage of avoiding unnecessary transfers if a child can be managed closer to home, even at a nonpediatric center. National databases should be set up to capture all trauma data from the whole country, with links to emergency department and hospital discharge data. This would help ensure high-quality, equitable, properly monitored care and identify areas for future investment. Inproving access requires policy action One in four children with trauma in Canada is treated outside a pediatric trauma care center, and this varies across provinces. Both short- and long-term policy interventions are essential to improve pediatric trauma care. Download your PDF copy now! Frailty is a syndrome resulting from age-related decline across multiple organ systems. A new study, conducted at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, shows that slower reaction time and lower response accuracy in cognitive tasks are associated with higher levels of frailty. Notably, this association can already be detected in late midlife, among individuals aged 57 to 70 years. Frailty has been linked to several adverse health outcomes, including increased risk of falls, greater need for hospitalization, and higher mortality. "Our findings showed that slower reaction time in cognitive tasks was associated with higher levels of frailty in late midlife, among adults aged 57 to 70 years," says postdoctoral researcher Anna Tirkkonen from the Gerontology Research Center and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyvaskyla. "For response accuracy, the association was observed across all participants, and particularly among women." "We also found that only response accuracy - but not reaction time - was associated with the development of frailty," Tirkkonen adds. "Moreover, the association depended on which specific domain of cognitive functioning was examined." The findings complement earlier evidence and highlight the link between cognitive functioning and frailty in a younger age group than is typically studied. Our results indicate that these associations are already visible in late midlife and that they vary according to sex as well as the particular cognitive domain and trait assessed." Anna Tirkkonen, Gerontology Research Center and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla The study was conducted in collaboration with the Universities of Jyvaskyla and Tampere and the Folkhalsan Research Center. It utilized data from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. Ninety-nine percent of global newborn deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where pregnant women often struggle to access adequate fetal monitoring. In Tanzania, with 24 neonatal deaths per 1000 live births, a new wireless fetal heart rate monitoring technology is showing promise in preventing newborn complications and deaths. A recent study led by researchers from Hiroshima University, Japan, and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania, evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile cardiotocography device for monitoring fetal heart rate (iCTG) in pregnant women at four primary health facilities in Tanzania's Pwani region. The findings are published in BMC Public Health. The device increased the detection of abnormal fetal heart rates by 8-10 times and more than halved the risk of stillbirths and neonatal deaths. "Introducing an iCTG device dramatically improves the detection of fetal heart rate abnormalities and strengthens perinatal outcomes-even in resource-constrained environments," said study corresponding author Yoko Shimpuku, professor at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences. iCTG is not a luxury technology; it is a practical, lifesaving tool that can reduce preventable newborn complications." Yoko Shimpuku, Professor, Hiroshima University A wireless lifeline The main causes of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Tanzania are prematurity and hypoxia. Current fetal monitoring technology in many LMICs is either immobile and expensive to maintain or limited to basic tools like fetoscopes that rely on intermittent listening and can miss critical signs of fetal distress. The smart, wireless and user-friendly iCTG notifies healthcare providers of fetal heart rate abnormalities, helping them make timely decisions that improve outcomes. If abnormalities are detected, immediate treatment can be given, such as intrauterine resuscitation, including maternal repositioning, provision of fluids and oxygen administration. In emergencies, women are transferred to the hospital via ambulance while the iCTG continues to monitor their condition. Between October 2023 and September 2024, the researchers enrolled 763 women at 32 weeks gestation or later across four facilities in the Kisarawe and Bagamoyo districts. While 492 women were monitored using iCTG, the other 271 received standard care. Survival rates rise The iCTG group achieved significantly better outcomes compared to those not using the device: perinatal mortality dropped to 2.6 % from 6.6 %. The device also proved far more sensitive, with fetal heart rate abnormalities detected 8-10 times more frequently than with standard techniques. The proportion of newborns with low Apgar scores-indicating potential breathing or health problems-also decreased significantly. Rates of caesarean sections were higher when iCTG was used (27.6 % versus 10.3 %). While surgical delivery can reduce maternal and infant mortality when medically necessary, the researchers highlight the need for clear clinical guidelines to prevent unnecessary procedures. Expanding access Attendance at antenatal clinics (ANCs) can be low in LMICs due to barriers, including financial constraints, lack of understanding and distance to facilities. While previous research has shown that women with iCTG access are more likely to attend ANCs, this study found that they attended fewer. The team believe this is because the intervention was introduced late in pregnancy and could not influence earlier attendance patterns. They suggest that in the future, iCTG should be used earlier in pregnancy to engage women by allowing them to hear their baby's heartbeat, and combined with ongoing health education efforts to increase the frequency of ANC visits. The researchers also emphasized the need to combine heart rate monitoring technology with other aspects of high-quality care to achieve the best outcomes for mother and baby. They plan to expand the use of iCTG to larger, more diverse settings while evaluating cost-effectiveness and long-term outcomes. Shimpuku said: "We aim to integrate mobile CTG into routine antenatal and intrapartum care in low-resource countries, ensuring that every pregnant woman-regardless of where she lives-has access to accurate fetal monitoring and safer childbirth." Other contributors include Dorkasi L. Mwakawanga, affiliated with both Hiroshima University and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences; Sanmei Chen, Md Moshiur Rahman, and Naoki Hirose from Hiroshima University; Crystal L. Patil from the University of Michigan; Beatrice Mwilike and Agnes F. Massae from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences; and Yuryon Kobayashi from The University of Tokyo Hospital. The study was funded by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, and devices were developed by Melody International Ltd. The open access publication costs for this paper were supported by Hiroshima University. This article takes a closer look at the multi-legislative compliance process for medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs). Expanding on what was discussed in the first installment about product safety legislation and horizontal legislation, this article will focus on what manufacturers must do to comply with sectorial, horizontal, and national regulations. Applicable harmonization (sectorial) legislation Since the 2017 publication of the medical device regulation (MDR) and the IVD regulation (IVDR), EU regulations for medical devices and IVDs have undergone a profound change. Manufacturers are now well-experienced in the application of both regulations and their alignment with the new legislative framework and market surveillance regulations.1,3 Concepts, including economic operators, market surveillance, customs controls, and enforcement, are significantly reinforced in the sectorial legislation and far better comprehended by industry. Beyond the primary legislation, MDR and IVDR also introduced multiple pieces of secondary legislation (implementing acts and delegated acts) that manufacturers should be aware of. Examples include: Regulation (EU) 2021/2226 on electronic instructions for medical device use Regulation (EU) 2022/2347 on the reclassification of groups of certain active products without an intended medical purpose Regulation (EU) 2023/2197 on the assignment of Unique Device Identifiers for contact lenses These implementing acts and delegated acts provide procedural and technical details to support MDR and IVDR adoption and must be applied during conformity assessments whenever relevant. National legislation Although the MDR and IVDR apply directly to all EU Member States, specific elements necessitate or permit national implementation or additional national rules. National legislation may include provisions for: Clinical investigations Market Surveillance and Enforcement/fines Registration of Economic Operators Language and Labeling Requirements Manufacturers should ensure they understand applicable national legislation and integrate it into their market access approaches. Relevant horizontal legislation However, manufacturers may underestimate the underlying complexity of applying EU legislation. CE marking a medical device or IVD commonly requires a hybrid approach, taking into account both the sector-specific harmonization legislation and other horizontal legislation. An analogy can be made with standards where both sectorial (product standards) and horizontal standards (e.g. ISO 14971) may apply. Generally, CE marking is mandatory for products that address health, safety, environmental, and consumer protection requirements. Currently, the EU has 30 different types of harmonization legislation (sectorial) aligned with the novel legislative framework approach. CE marking is required for products covered by harmonization legislation that explicitly mandate it. Several noteworthy examples with the potential to apply to medical devices include: RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2014/30/EU Radio equipment Directive 2014/53/EU Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 Artificial Intelligence Act Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 Other EU regulations, while not harmonization legislation themselves, interact with it. In other words, they do not require a CE mark in and of themselves in isolation. These regulations are best understood as horizontal legislation underpinning and complementing sectorial legislation. Horizontal rules are cross-sectorial regulations or guidelines that apply across multiple sectors or policy areas, instead of being restricted to a certain industry or product type. They are designed to maintain consistency, coherence, and fairness in the application of EU legislation. Some key examples with the potential to apply to medical devices include: REACH Regulation Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 Product Liability Directive Directive 85/374/EEC / Directive (EU) 2024/2853 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 In most cases, CE marking a medical device cannot be achieved solely based on compliance with the medical device or IVD sectorial legislation. In addition to the MDR or the IVDR, multiple other sectorial regulations and horizontal regulations may apply. When CE marking a device, all relevant EU legislation should be applied and captured in a single declaration of conformity. This makes CE marking more than just an exercise in complying with the MDR or IVDR. Medical device software may be an exception, as it can be delivered and consumed electronically and is essentially a digital asset. Therefore, other regulations are less likely to apply compared to physical devices. However, as far as defective products and financial coverage are concerned, even software is subject to the product liability directive. In addition, other EU rules related to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity may apply to software. Implications for QMS design Manufacturers must proactively ensure that their quality management systems are designed to meet all relevant regulatory requirements for their products. Historically, manufacturers usually designed their QMSs to specifically comply with the requirements of ISO 13485, MDSAP, and the medical device regulations in both the EU and USA. However, to address all aspects of applicable regulations, it is increasingly necessary to design the QMS more broadly. For instance, understanding whether the QMS requires the consideration of other regulations as sources of design input or labeling is essential. Example: Active implantable device Consider a manufacturer of a fictitious active implantable device. The device contains a battery, electrical circuits/components, software/firmware, and can communicate with a controller or programmer through radio frequency communications. In this example, the primary legislation for the devices CE marking is the medical device sectorial legislation, and in this case, a Notified Body designated under the MDR will perform the conformity assessment. Image Credit: RQM+ However, the device will also fall under the RoHS directives (for the electrical circuits/components materials), the radio equipment directive (for communications), the NIS 2 Directive (for cybersecurity), the batteries regulation, and the packaging regulation. Moreover, the materials will require assessment in accordance with the REACH and CLP regulations. GDPR applies if the device collects, stores, transmits, or otherwise processes personal data. In this case, CE marking can only be achieved once all applicable requirements from these directives and regulations have been met, and a single declaration of conformity has been drawn up. This could require further technical documentation and objective evidence to demonstrate compliance. Although the Notified Body mainly focuses on reviewing the objective evidence related to MDR compliance, they can equally inquire about the evidence to support other regulations. New and changing regulations There remains an ever-growing stream of new and evolving EU regulations that may impact medical devices. These regulations often lie outside the main competencies of conventional medical device companies and their R&D, QA, and RA departments. Companies that are able to adapt, upskill, and modernize will certainly gain a significant advantage in the future for compliance and market access. The key enabler is constructing a management system grounded in all applicable regulations, not solely the narrow sectorial legislation for medical devices, which has traditionally been the case. Manufacturers capable of developing a comprehensive understanding of EU regulations and integrating it into their regulatory intelligence process will be well-positioned for future success. Summary CE marking a medical device or IVD requires a comprehensive analysis of all applicable harmonization legislation, horizontal regulations, and national legislation of member states. CE marking based on medical device regulation or IVD regulation alone is rarely adequate for achieving a fully compliant and marketable device. Manufacturers must develop extensive and comprehensive market access approaches to address all applicable requirements. Within the broader EU legal framework, the MDR and IVDR present multiple complexities and challenges that extend beyond the regulations themselves. These challenges originate from MDR and IVDR interactions with other EU laws, institutions, and market dynamics. This multi-layered compliance increases complexity, particularly for SMEs lacking regulatory resources. Related next steps Manufacturers facing challenges with the EU regulatory framework and compliance with horizontal EU regulations can rely on RQM+ Corp experts who specialize in developing comprehensive regulatory strategies designed to ensure that medical devices and IVDs meet all relevant EU requirements. Acknowledgments Produced from materials originally authored by Chris A. Parr, Principal, CRO at RQM+ Corp. References and further reading: European Union. (2021). Regulation - 765/2008 - EN - EUR-Lex. (online) Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008R0765. European Union. (2024). Decision - 2008/768 - EN - EUR-Lex. (online) Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008D0768. European Union. (2019). EUR-Lex - 32019R1020 - EN - EUR-Lex. (online] Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32019R1020. About RQM+ Two industry leaders - R&Q and Maetrics - merged in 2020 to become RQM+, the largest medical device and diagnostics-focused full-service regulatory and quality consulting firm in the world. The integration of our leadership teams and the extensive skills and experience of our collective resources have created a highly agile and scalable global organization. With offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland, our large global footprint allows us to meet the regulatory and quality support needs of international clients of all sizes. Order an Audit Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.net, which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices, and treatments. Dehradun air quality slips to poor category, experts flag rising pollution Last Updated: December 18, 2025, 01:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Dehradun, Dec 17 (PTI) Air quality in Dehradun has deteriorated over the past two days, slipping into the poor category and raising concerns. Professor Vijay Sridhar, head of the pollution monitoring centre at Doon University, said the citys real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) on Wednesday stood at 267, while the average AQI touched 291. The AQI shows some improvement during the day due to air movement, but at night it crosses 300," he told PTI Videos. He added that while the situation in Dehradun is not yet like Delhi but it cannot be considered satisfactory either. Concerns have also been raised over smart LED displays installed across the city, with several showing outdated air quality data, confusing residents. Experts attributed the rising pollution levels to increased vehicular traffic, garbage burning and forest fires. They warned that deteriorating air quality poses health risks, particularly to children and the elderly, leading to breathing difficulties and throat irritation. PTI DPT DIV OZ OZ News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 18, 2025, 01:00 IST News agency-feeds Dehradun air quality slips to poor category, experts flag rising pollution Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Fire breaks out at LIC building in TN''s Madurai Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 23:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Dec 17 (PTI) A fire broke out in the regional office of the LIC of India here on Wednesday night, police said. Three fire tenders were pressed in to service to douse the flames, sources in the Fire and Rescue Department said. The department received a call regarding the incident at around 8.40 pm. Three fire engines have been sent to douse the flames. We do not know the exact cause of the incident as it is too early to comment," an official told PTI. Fire department officials said there were no casualties nor was any one injured in the incident. PTI VIJ SA News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 23:30 IST News agency-feeds Fire breaks out at LIC building in TN''s Madurai Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... KMB an encouragement for artists: PMO advisor Tarun Kapoor Last Updated: December 18, 2025, 01:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Kochi (Kerala) [India], December 18 (ANI): The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) is an encouragement for artists across the world, said Tarun Kapoor, an advisor in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), after viewing the artworks featured in the main venue, Aspinwall House, featuring the historic Directors Bungalow and Coir Godown.Tarun Kapoor was on an official visit to Fort Kochi. He was accompanied by Cochin Port Trust Chairman B Kasiviswanathan and Kochi Biennale Foundation CEO Thomas Varghese, who welcomed him to the venue, according to a release. The PMO official appreciated the works of the artists for their concepts, forms, depth, scale and aesthetics that aligned with KMBs sixth edition theme, for the time being, mixing memories, histories, presence, and absence.Its too short a visit to speak more on the works," he said as he listened intently to art mediator, Arundhati Karthiks introduction to the artists and explanation of their art.She walked him through the three-part work of the Panjeri Artists Union Collective, comprising 14 artists from West Bengal, who, through visuals, have created objects brought from their home state, to make political statements on the plight of migrants. It has been installed at the entrance of the Coir Godown.Arundhati Karthik also led him through surrealistic works by Dhiraj Rabha portraying insurgency in Assam, to the life and labour in brick kilns depicted by Delhi-based Birendar Yadav, and to R B Shajiths paintings of fast-fading lush landscapes and Kerala architecture. He also closely examined Kirtika Kains depiction of the Dalit diaspora, Pallavi Pauls installation on the body and its journey, and Biraaj Dodiyas installation on dualities.She explained the works of Zarina Muhammed and the archives of Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI) at the Aspinwall Bungalow, the release stated.Tarun Kapoor experienced the healing power of Amsterdam-based artist Abul Hisham; felt the cooling effect of Faiza Hassans depiction of receding waves on the floor; listened to the music of Honolulu-based Bhasha Chakrabartis quilt-making installation on diaspora; and Smitha Babus exploration of vanishing landscapes and performance on coir workers.The official silently conversed with Anja Ibsch, working with the human body as a site; besides viewing Huma Muljis installation and Ratna Guptas art during his short visit (ANI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 18, 2025, 01:15 IST News agency-feeds KMB an encouragement for artists: PMO advisor Tarun Kapoor Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Pathology lab operator kidnapped over money dispute, co-worker arrested Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 23:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Indore, Dec 17 (PTI) Police on Wednesday arrested a co-worker of a pathology lab operator in Madhya Pradeshs Indore for allegedly kidnapping the latter over a money dispute, officials said. Sandeep Singh, who ran a pathology lab in the city, was forcibly abducted in a car from an area located under the Lasudia police station limits on Tuesday evening, the police said in a release. Singh was safely rescued from a government cowshed building located in a forest in Agar-Malwa district, and his co-worker, Suresh Rathore, was arrested on kidnapping charges, it said. Singh and Rathore had a financial dispute, which led to the kidnapping of the pathology lab operator, the release said. A search is on for the other accused in the kidnapping case. PTI HWP MAS NP News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 23:30 IST News agency-feeds Pathology lab operator kidnapped over money dispute, co-worker arrested Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Rajasthan ACB arrests 5 in connection with corruption with Jal Jeevan Mission Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 23:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Jaipur, Dec 17 (PTI) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Rajasthan on Wednesday arrested five people, including proprietors of two tube well companies and a former PHED official, for their alleged involvement in corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission, officials said. The arrested accused were identified as Mahesh Kumar Mittal and his son Hemant Mittal, Piyush Jain and his companys manager Umesh Kumar Sharma, and former accounts officer, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Gopal Kumawat, they said. The case pertains to the fraudulent activities carried out by the accused in connivance with PHED officials. Director General, ACB, Govind Gupta said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to expedite the investigation. The team analysed the technical evidence and arrested the five accused. PTI SDA DIV DIV News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 23:30 IST News agency-feeds Rajasthan ACB arrests 5 in connection with corruption with Jal Jeevan Mission Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Tamil Nadu: Fire breaks out at LIC Office in Madurai, woman dies Last Updated: December 18, 2025, 01:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 18 (ANI): A fire broke out in an LIC Office in the Periyar area of Madurai on Tuesday night. The fire tender and ambulance have been reported to be at the scene. One woman died during the incident, according to the Madurai City Police. An eyewitness, Manikandan, said, I came to withdraw cash from the ATM at exactly 8.45 pm. At that time, I learned that a fire had broken out on the upper floor, so I immediately went upstairs. I broke the glass door, and then a person came out with burn injuries. I informed the police and called an ambulance regarding the fire. After the injured person came downstairs, he told me there was a woman upstairs, but it was too late. If he had told me a little earlier, she could have been saved."Further details awaited.Earlier, a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Makhinga village of Palsana in Surat, Gujarat, on Wednesday. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and efforts to control the fire are underway, a fire officer said.Fire Officer Rishi Soni told reporters, A call was received this morning about a fire in a chemical factory. The fire tenders were immediately deployed on the spot. The efforts to douse the fire are underway. The cause of the fire is unknown."Earlier on December 12, a massive fire broke out at a plastics raw material company in Gujarats Valsad, with local fire authorities deploying multiple fire tenders to douse the blaze.Visuals from Tumb village in Umbergaon taluka, Valsad, showed multiple firefighting officials carrying water containers to douse the flames engulfing the godown.While no casualties have been reported so far, firefighting operations were carried out with at atleast six fire tenders on site.On Thursday evening, December 11, a fire broke out at a godown in Gujarats Surat.Surat Chief Fire Officer Basantkumar Pareek told ANI, Wooden items, used in weddings, are stored here. Flammable materials such as mattresses, cushions, and PVC chairs are also present. We are making efforts to ensure that the fire doesnt spread." About 50 fire personnel carried out the operation, and no casualties were reported, the fire officer said. (ANI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 18, 2025, 01:15 IST News agency-feeds Tamil Nadu: Fire breaks out at LIC Office in Madurai, woman dies Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Telangana govt orders probe into encroachments on public lands Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Hyderabad, Dec 17 (PTI) The Telangana government has ordered an inquiry into alleged encroachments on certain government lands in the city, official sources said. The probe would be conducted by the state vigilance and other officials, they said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, suspended BRS MLC and Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha claimed credit for the probe. She said in a release that the issue of encroachments was brought to her notice during her visit to the Medchal district, which she highlighted in the media. We welcome the government responding to the issue and ordering a joint probe by vigilance and revenue officials," she said. Kavitha said the truth should come out in the matter. The allegations made against her family by rivals over the land issue would be dispelled following the probe. Demanding early completion of the inquiry, she said the lands should be freed from the possession of those illegally occupying them. The land should belong to people, she added. PTI SJR VVK KH ROH News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 09:15 IST News agency-feeds Telangana govt orders probe into encroachments on public lands Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Uttarakhand HC upholds life sentence of man for killing his wife Last Updated: December 18, 2025, 01:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Nainital, Dec 17 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court has upheld the life sentence awarded by the lower court in the Anupama Gulati murder case of Dehradun. The case was heard by a division bench of Justice Ravindra Maithani and Justice Alok Mehra. Anupamas software engineer husband, Rajesh Gulati, had filed an appeal in the high court challenging the lower courts order. Rajesh Gulati was accused of brutally murdering his wife Anupama Gulati on October 17, 2010, dismembering her body into 72 pieces, and keeping them in a deep freezer. The murder came to light on December 12, 2010, when Anupamas brother came from Delhi to Dehradun to inquire about her. On September 1, 2017, the Dehradun court sentenced Rajesh Gulati to life imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh. The court ordered that Rs 70,000 be deposited in the government treasury, while the remaining amount be kept in a bank until Anupamas children attain adulthood. PTI DPT DIV MNK MNK News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 18, 2025, 01:00 IST News agency-feeds Uttarakhand HC upholds life sentence of man for killing his wife Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Cancer Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025 Curated By : Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 06:25 IST Cancer Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Cancer faces workplace and health challenges today, says Ganesha. Financial setbacks are likely. Cancer Horoscope Today: Astrological predictions by Chirag Daruwalla for kark rashi on December 17 2025. (AI generated image) Cancer Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Ganesha says today is going to be a challenging day for you. Today you may have to face some challenges in the workplace. Today you may be assigned some work in the workplace that will require the company of your colleagues, only then you will be successful in completing it, but at the same time, you will have to be conscious of your health, because today you may face some health problems. There may be suffering, which had been going on for a long time, but were careless towards it. You should not do this today, otherwise it may take the form of a major disease in the future. Positive With the help of an experienced or influential person, one of your problems is about to be resolved. Young people have excellent chances of success in competitive activities. If you are trying to relocate, some hope will appear today. Negative Circumstances may become somewhat unfavorable after noon. You will face some difficulties in implementing your plans, but solutions will be found in time. Dont neglect your budget when spending; otherwise, you may regret it later. Business Business will remain disciplined and organized. Employees will also provide adequate support. It is important to maintain transparency in partnership business; otherwise, relationships may deteriorate. Finance Ganesha says today will bring a big setback for you on the financial front. Today is going to be a day of loss in your financial situation. You will have to pay special attention to your expenses today and try to save. You may have to make many important decisions today, but these decisions will not give you the desired success. You do not need to be disappointed, your hard work will pay off by the evening. This evening will be the best time for you to make big investments. You must take the blessings of the elders of the house before any big work. Today your expenses may increase, which can mess up your financial situation. You need to make a fixed budget and spend according to it, this can improve your financial condition. Those employed may get their pending promotion. Love The atmosphere at home will be pleasant and peaceful. Meeting an old friend will bring back old memories. Health Minor problems like colds will persist. Home remedies will help you feel better. Lucky Color- Green Lucky Number- 9 (The author Chirag Daruwalla is the son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla). News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 06:25 IST News astrology Cancer Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Aries, Taurus, Gemini And All Signs Day Ahead Written By : GaneshaGrace Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 06:00 IST Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Aries, Taurus, Gemini and all signs get insights on love, career, and opportunities to make the most of your day. Daily Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Daily horoscope by Chirag Daruwalla. Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Today, the zodiac signs experience a mix of challenges and positive energy in their personal relationships and emotional well-being. Aries may struggle with negative thoughts and misunderstandings, urging them to focus on clear communication and inner balance. Taurus, on the other hand, will feel confident and socially connected, with opportunities for strengthening friendships and partnerships. Gemini faces mental stress and potential conflicts, but patience and openness will help resolve any tension. Cancers emotional instability could lead to relationship challenges, but with patience and communication, they can overcome it. Leos will enjoy a surge in confidence and positive energy, enhancing their relationships and social interactions. Virgos will feel radiant and clear-headed, deepening connections with loved ones and embracing new possibilities. Libras may find it hard to balance emotions and thoughts, but self-reflection and patience will help them navigate tense situations. Scorpios might face emotional confusion, requiring empathy and calmness to resolve relationship issues. Sagittarius will thrive with boundless energy and positivity, enhancing their social life and creativity. Capricorns will feel determined and harmonious, strengthening relationships and making progress toward their goals. Aquarians may experience emotional setbacks in relationships, but honest communication and patience will help strengthen connections. Pisces will feel inspired and creative, with strong communication bringing new opportunities and emotional growth. Each sign faces its own challenges and opportunities, but with patience, clear communication, and self-reflection, they can navigate the days ups and downs successfully. Aries Horoscope Today Ganesha says today might be a bit challenging for Aries. You may find yourself surrounded by serious thoughts and worries. This is a time to focus on your personal relationships, but try to avoid emotional ups and downs. There might be some distance or misunderstandings in relationships with some partners or close friends. Try to maintain positivity and be clear in your communication. Your mental state might be slightly negative, which could affect your decision-making process. Try to listen to your inner voice, as it can guide you in the right direction. However, it is crucial to keep your actions under control and maintain balance at this time. Despite negative emotions, move forward with courage and a positive attitude to face any problems. This is an opportunity to understand yourself and balance your inner self. Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Green Taurus Horoscope Today Ganesha says today will be excellent for Taurus. Your personal energy and confidence will be at a high level. You will be successful in strengthening relationships with those around you. Especially in friendships and partnerships, there will be sweetness and understanding. If you are planning to discuss an important issue, it will be successful. Your charm and charisma will attract people towards you, bringing joy and enthusiasm to your social life. The exchange of your thoughts and feelings will be open-hearted, leading to deeper connections. You will be able to enjoy spending time with your partner or loved ones, which will be pleasant and satisfying. This time is perfect for keeping everything positive and happy. Overall, today will be very good for Taurus on all levels, and you will certainly establish new dimensions in your relationships. This atmosphere of positivity and love will give you a unique experience. Lucky Number: 3 Lucky Colour: Dark Green Gemini Horoscope Today Ganesha says this day might be a little challenging for you. Mental stress and anxiety may bother you. Maintaining harmony in relationships will be important. You may face some conflicts with your partner or loved ones. This may cause you some frustration. However, try to remain calm at this time. Try to avoid any kind of negativity, as it could worsen your emotions. If you try to communicate openly, things can gradually return to normal. Remember, every problem has a solution; you just need to act with patience and understanding. Trust yourself and maintain a positive attitude. This time will also allow you to understand yourself better. Try to express your thoughts clearly and respect the feelings of others. Today might be a little challenging for you, but it will also give you a chance to resolve doubts and hesitations in your relationships. Lucky Number: 9 Lucky Colour: Black Cancer Horoscope Today Ganesha says today might be a little difficult for those born under the Cancer sign. Your emotional health may be unstable, which could create tension in your relationships. This is a sensitive time, when you might worry about small things. Talking to your partner will be important; clearing up any misunderstandings will be helpful. Spending time with friends and family will be beneficial, as it will provide you with emotional support. However, you should remember that your emotions might be very sensitive. Therefore, it is important to control your feelings. If there is any tension in a relationship, try to resolve it in your own way. This is a time to understand yourself and manage your emotions. Be patient and embrace a sense of belonging. Remember, maintaining a positive outlook in any situation will be beneficial for you. Today might be a little challenging, but you can easily overcome it. Lucky Number: 8 Lucky Colour: Red Leo Horoscope Today Ganesha says today will be a very good day for those born under the Leo sign. Your personal energy and confidence will increase, allowing you to build better relationships with those around you. This is a good time for social interaction, and your positivity will attract others. If you have been distant from someone for a long time, now is the time to bridge that gap and fill your relationship with love and warmth. Your spontaneity and charisma will make this day special. Express your thoughts and feelings openly, as this will not only bring you self-satisfaction but also strengthen your relationships. Remember that the power of communication in relationships is crucial. Therefore, keep your communication channels active and try to connect with others. You may also get an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend or acquaintance, which could bring positive changes to your life. Overall, this day is excellent for relationships and personal connections. Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: White Virgo Horoscope Today Ganesha says today will be a very good day. Positive energy will envelop you, making you feel radiant and positive from within. Your thoughts will be clearer, and you will feel more ease and happiness in your relationships. This is a time to spend with your loved ones. Enjoy the small moments and try to increase mutual understanding. You will be appreciated for your vibrancy and empathy, which will bring you closer to your loved ones. You will be able to share your thoughts openly, which will strengthen your relationships. During this time, all possibilities will open up in your life, and you will be ready to face any challenge. Time spent with friends and family will fill your heart with joy. Overall, your day will be pleasant and satisfying. So, forget your worries and stress and live your life to the fullest. Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour: Purple Libra Horoscope Today Ganesha says today may be a little challenging for those born under the Libra sign. You may find it difficult to balance your thoughts and emotions. You may feel a little mentally vulnerable today. A slightly tense situation may arise in your relationships, so you will need to be careful when talking to your loved ones. You need to communicate with those around you and express your thoughts clearly. If youre facing a problem, sharing it can reduce mental stress. Dont take small things too seriously and avoid getting distracted. Remember, this is a temporary situation. You should practice self-reflection and patience. By the end of the day, you may find a new way to deal with challenges. Maintain positivity and try to live the day on your own terms. Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Yellow Scorpio Horoscope Today Ganesha says today might be a little challenging for Scorpios. You will need to keep yourself calm to control your emotions. Collaboration is essential in whatever situation you face today. There might be some confusion in your relationships, which could make you feel uneasy. This is a good time to initiate conversations with your loved ones. You should show patience and empathy during times of confusion. Sharing your feelings and listening to each other will strengthen your relationships. Dont let negative emotions overwhelm you. Move forward with positivity and try to steer your relationships in the right direction. Remember, every challenge brings a new opportunity. You just need to recognize and embrace it. Today can be a day of personal and collective growth for you; just maintain a positive outlook. Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Pink Sagittarius Horoscope Today Ganesha says today will be an overall fantastic day for Sagittarians. You will be filled with positive energy and enthusiasm, which will also inspire those around you. New opportunities will open up in your social life, leading to chances for harmony and cooperation. This time will be filled with harmony and love. You will feel a deeper sense of understanding and connection in your relationships. Spending time with friends and loved ones will bring you joy and satisfaction. Its also a great time to make new friends. Its also possible that you will meet an old friend or relative, which will make you feel emotionally better. Your ability to connect well with others will bring positive changes to your relationships. Your inner creativity will also come to the forefront, leading to new ideas and possibilities. Listen to your heart and welcome happiness into your relationships, as this time is going to be extremely joyful for you. Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: Orange Capricorn Horoscope Today Ganesha says this will be a positive and happy day for you. Your energy and determination will help you face every situation. Your commitment and hard work will be evident in everything you do. Time spent with family and friends will strengthen your relationships. If you are thinking about a new beginning, this is a good time. You will have clarity and vision in your thoughts, which will help you achieve your goals. Conversations with your partner will be harmonious, and you will respect each others feelings. Most importantly, maintain your inner composure. Your positive thinking and calm mind will help you face challenges. Thus, your overall experience will be good, and you will find happiness and satisfaction today. Lucky Number: 10 Lucky Colour: Blue Aquarius Horoscope Today Ganesha says today will bring mixed experiences for Aquarians. You may face some difficulties in your relationships. Some issues may arise that you will need to resolve with your partner or close ones. Your emotions may be somewhat negative, which could hinder communication with your partner. You may feel uncomfortable, and this situation could create additional stress. However, it is important to maintain patience and express your feelings clearly. During times like these, honest communication is crucial. Make sure you try to understand your partner and share your concerns. This is also a time for self-reflection, which can help you improve your relationship. Remember, every challenge is also an opportunity. Strive to strengthen your relationships and increase understanding. Its important to be mindful during this time. Try to channel your emotions in a positive direction. Lucky Number: 4 Lucky Colour: Sky Blue Pisces Horoscope Today Ganesha says today will be an overall positive day for Pisces. You will feel a new energy around you, which will inspire you to express your thoughts and feelings. Communicating with friends and family will be easy, and you will show sensitivity and understanding towards others. Your imagination and empathy will bring a unique perspective and creativity to your life today, allowing you to welcome new experiences. If you are working on a new project, you will find inspiration today and move forward with excellent ideas. This time, filled with positivity and inspiration, will boost your confidence. This is a time to clarify your goals and desires. Remember that working together with those around you will give you even more strength. Understand the power of this moment and make the most of it. Today will bring new possibilities and hope. Lucky Number: 11 Lucky Colour: Navy Blue (The author Chirag Daruwalla is the son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla). News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 06:00 IST News astrology Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Aries, Taurus, Gemini And All Signs Day Ahead Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Sagittarius Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025 Curated By : GaneshaGrace Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 06:45 IST Sagittarius Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Sagittarius will enjoy time with younger siblings, face financial challenges, and resolve disputes calmly. Sagittarius Horoscope Today: Astrological predictions by Chirag Daruwalla for dhanu rashi on December 17 2025. (AI generated image) Sagittarius Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025: Ganesha says you will spend today having fun with your younger siblings. Today, you will come across some situations from which you will get to learn something, but you will have to pay attention that there should not be any such situation in which you will have to face trouble, hence today you will have to be careful with the people around you. If there is any dispute in the neighborhood, it would be better for you to remain silent rather than prolong it. You may get some financial help from your spouse today. Students will get relief from the problems they are facing in education today. Positive Someone will help you restart stalled or interrupted activities. Strengthen your contacts, as these will prove highly beneficial for you. You may also gain new information. Negative There is a possibility of a quarrel or argument with neighbors. Resolve the issue calmly. Anger could worsen the situation. Expenses will continue. Be mindful of your budget. Business If you achieve any business success, achieve it immediately. Because timely actions yield favorable results. Ongoing disagreements in partnership businesses will be resolved, and business conditions will improve. Finance Ganesha says today, the day ahead will be full of losses instead of profits on the financial front for you. You will make many important decisions today, but you should think carefully about these decisions. You will not get the desired success today, but your hard work will bring you results by evening. Today evening will be the best time for you to make big investments. But before doing any big work, take the blessings of the elders of the house. Today your expenses may increase, which can mess up your financial situation. You need to make a fixed budget and spend according to it. This is wise and will save you from financial problems. You need to be patient and use your time properly today. You need to pay more attention to your business and make your investments carefully. You will work hard on the job. Some people may have a change or transfer in their job. Love There will be some lack of coordination among family members. Be careful not to let household matters spill out. Love relationships will remain close. Health Dont ignore problems like coughs and colds. Be sure to get proper treatment. Lucky Color- Dark Blue Lucky Number- 13 (The author Chirag Daruwalla is the son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla). News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 06:45 IST News astrology Sagittarius Horoscope Today, December 17, 2025 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... This Man Asks Ryanair For Free Ticket After Clicking Amazing Mid-air Photo Airlines Reply Says It all Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 11:14 IST Ryanair reacted to a post in which a passenger shared a clear mid flight photo showing an aerial view of Rome, the planes wing and a bright blue sky. The passenger was sure Ryanair would reward him with a free ticket. (Photo Credits: X) Ryanair is back in the spotlight and this time it is because of their insanely funny reply to a passenger. The budget airline responded to a post in which a passenger shared a clear mid flight photo showing an aerial view of Rome, the planes wing and a bright blue sky. The individual also mentioned that he was sure the airline would reward him with a free flight ticket. The airline was not impressed by the attempt. Instead of a long reply, Ryanair responded with just one word, No." The short and straightforward answer instantly caught attention online as many turned the moment into a joke fest. Some users laughed at the airlines most honest reply, while others said Ryanair should charge the passenger extra for his next trip. A few even shared ideas about how they would have replied more politely. Passengers Photo Fails To Impress Ryanair In the post circulating on X, a passenger wrote, Hey Ryanair, I took a photo of Rome from your plane. Could you give me a free ticket for this amazing photo?" The airline team was quick to notice the post and instead of ignoring it, they simply replied, No." Reacting to the post, a user wrote, Only two types of people respond with just no: teenagers and geniuses." Another suggested, Charge him double for the next flight." Why is Intern so biased? Hey Ryanair CEO, I know youre reading this, but please protect the intern at all costs and 5x his salary. Thanks to him, you have become popular," a comment read. An individual stated, Man took a stunning aerial photo of Rome and Ryanair saw it and said, Thatll be 12.99 to keep." Another mentioned, If only he had taken the photo whilst hanging off the wing, he might have got a free coffee." One more added, That is a breathtaking view. There is nothing quite like catching that first glimpse of the Eternal City from above, it is exactly why we love the window seat as much as you do. While we truly appreciate you sharing such a fantastic shot with us, we arent able to offer complimentary tickets in exchange for photos. We do, however, keep our fares as low as possible so you can fly back and capture even more memories very soon. More polite ways of declining the request other than saying No." Airlines Seat Rules Ryanair often makes headlines for how it handles seat selection on its flights. Passengers who do not pay extra for choosing a seat are given one automatically by the system. This means they may get any seat available, even ones near the wall that do not have a window. The airline gives travellers two choices. One option is to pick a seat by paying an extra fee. With this, passengers can select where they want to sit and that seat stays booked for them. The other option is to skip the payment and accept a seat randomly allowed to them during check in. People who choose a random seat can check in between 24 hours and 2 hours before the flight. Those who pay for a seat can check in much earlier, up to 60 days before departure. The cost of a chosen seat depends on its position inside the plane, such as the window, aisle or front rows. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 11:14 IST News auto This Man Asks Ryanair For Free Ticket After Clicking Amazing Mid-air Photo Airlines Reply Says It all Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Apple's iPhone Exports From India Touch Record $2 Billion In November 2025: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 12:19 IST iPhone exports from India during the first eight months of FY26 (April-November 2025) have reached $14 billion. Apple accounted for around 75 per cent of India's total smartphone exports worth $2.7 billion in November. Apple has hit a fresh export milestone, with iPhone shipments from India touching a record $2 billion in November, according to a report by Business Standard dated December 17. This marks the highest monthly export value achieved by the US tech giant in the current financial year, the report said. Cumulatively, iPhone exports from India during the first eight months of FY26 have reached $14 billion, it added. Apple accounted for around 75 per cent of Indias total smartphone exports worth $2.7 billion in November, with Samsung, Padget and a few third-party exporters contributing the rest, Business Standard reported. Until FY25, the bulk of Apples exports were routed through its three manufacturing facilities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The iPhone-maker has since expanded its footprint by adding two more plants across the two states, with Tata Group now operating three factories, while Foxconn continues to run the remaining units. Reflecting the broader manufacturing push, Indias total smartphone exports rose 43 per cent year-on-year to $18.7 billion in the April-November 2025 period, compared with $13 billion in the same period last year. Indias mobile phone exports have grown consistently every year since 2020, following the Centres launch of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme aimed at boosting domestic electronics manufacturing. Meanwhile, Apple has initiated early-stage discussions with select Indian semiconductor companies to explore the assembly and packaging of iPhone components, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Economic Times. If these talks progress, it would mark Apples first step toward having certain chips assembled and packaged in India, signalling a deeper integration of the country into its global supply chain. One of the firms involved is CG Semi, part of the Murugappa Group, which is in the process of setting up an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, Gujarat, sources told The Economic Times. The discussions remain exploratory, with no final clarity on the specific chips that could be handled at the Sanand plant, although display-related chips are seen as the most likely candidates. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 12:19 IST News business economy Apple's iPhone Exports From India Touch Record $2 Billion In November 2025: Report Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Kaju Katli, Barfi: Rising Silver Prices Dull The Shine On Mithai As Sweetmakers Cut Back On Vark Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:59 IST The price of silver vark has doubled this year to around Rs 1,400 for 150 sheets, prompting many sweetmakers to swap the silver garnish for alternatives like pistachio and saffron. Silver vark gives a premium sheen to popular confections such as kaju katli and barfi. A sharp surge in silver prices is beginning to bite Indias traditional sweets industry, forcing mithai makers to rethink the use of vark, the delicate edible silver foil that gives a premium sheen to popular confections such as kaju katli and barfi. According to The Economic Times, the price of silver vark has nearly doubled this year to around Rs 1,400 for 150 sheets, prompting many sweetmakers to swap the silver garnish for alternatives like pistachio and saffron. The shift has led to a 25-30 per cent drop in demand for silver vark from Rakshabandhan through the recently concluded wedding season. The slowdown has coincided with a sharp rally in silver prices. Data from the India Bullion & Jewellers Association shows that silver has climbed from Rs 86,005 per kg on January 1 to Rs over Rs 2 lakh per kg how. Arik Jain, managing director of Ahmedabad-based Jainam Silver Products, told The Economic Times that silver prices have risen steeply over the past six months, forcing manufacturers to double the cost of silver vark. As a result, many mithai makers who traditionally relied on vark are now turning to dry fruits to enhance the appearance of sweets, he said. Vark is an ultra-thin filigree foil made from pure metal, most commonly silver, though gold is also used in select cases. While it is closely associated with North Indian sweets, The Economic Times noted that its use spans the country. Firoz Haider Naqvi, director-general of the Federation of Sweets and Namkeen Manufacturers, said consumers in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar perceive sweets topped with silver vark as being of superior quality. With input costs rising, several sweetmakers raised prices by 5-10 per cent after Diwali, while others chose to absorb the higher costs to avoid losing customers, the paper reported. Bharat Agarwal, director of Delhi-based Shyam Sweets, told The Economic Times that the company has stopped using silver vark altogether, switching to dry fruits as shrinking margins make the foil uneconomical. Some confectioners are also cutting back on the quantity of vark used per sweet. Naqvi told The Economic Times that many shops have shifted from manual application to automated processes, enabling them to apply thinner layers of silver foil more efficiently. Demand for gold vark, however, remains resilient among affluent buyers, particularly during festivals and weddings. According to The Economic Times, one kg of sweets garnished with gold vark can cost between Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000, while a similar quantity of kaju katli with silver vark typically sells for Rs 1,800-Rs 2,000 in markets such as Delhi and Mumbai. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 13:59 IST News business Kaju Katli, Barfi: Rising Silver Prices Dull The Shine On Mithai As Sweetmakers Cut Back On Vark Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Lok Sabha Clears Insurance Amendment Bill 2025: What Changes And How It Impacts You Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 06:19 IST The Sabko Bima Sabko Raksha Bill 2025 raises FDI in insurance to 100 percent, boosts IRDAI powers, eases LIC expansion, and promises cheaper policies and better services. Lok Sabha Clears Insurance Amendment Bill: What It Means for Policyholders Insurance Amendment Bill 2025: The Sabko Bima Sabko Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, seeking to raise FDI limit in insurance sector from 74 per cent to 100 per cent, was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. It is set to amend the Insurance Act, 1938, the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956 and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999. The bill is set to raise the FDI cap from 74 per cent to 100 per cent in Indian Insurance companies, although with a proposal to have one of the top officials Chairman, Managing Director, or CEO as an Indian citizen to retain certain domestic control. The bill aims to grant the insurance regulator IRDAI new powers to recover wrongful gains, similar to SEBIs enforcement toolkit. It also allows LIC to set up new zonal offices without prior government approval, enabling faster expansion and administrative efficiency. As per the latest data, Indias insurance penetration -or percentage of total premium against GDP- dropped to 3.7% in 2023-24 from 4% in 2022-23. It fell to 2.8% from 3% life insurance and remained steady at 1% in non-life insurance. What Could Be Changes Policies Expected to Become Cheaper and More Options Allowing 100% FDI will allow foreign insurance companies to operate in India with full ownership. This will bring new players into the market and increase competition for existing companies. Increased competition can directly benefit customers, as companies will offer policies with lower premiums and better features. With more options in health, life, and general insurance, customers will be able to choose a policy that best suits their needs. Benefits of Better Service and New Products Increased foreign investment will provide insurance companies with more capital. This will enable them to improve digital platforms, claim settlement systems, and customer service. The claim process is expected to become faster and more transparent. Furthermore, new types of insurance plans based on international experience may also enter the Indian market, such as customized health cover and long-term retirement products. Impact on Public Sector Insurance Companies The Finance Minister clarified that strengthening public sector insurance companies is also a priority for the government. Since 2014, several steps have been taken to improve their financial health. 100% FDI will increase competition between private and foreign companies, forcing government companies to improve their services. This is likely to improve the quality of the entire sector, ultimately benefiting consumers. What could change for the common man? Passage of this bill could make insurance easier and more affordable for the common man. Better premium rates, faster claim settlements, and more options are all beneficial to consumers. However, regulation and oversight will play a crucial role in ensuring consumer protection. Overall, 100% FDI will inject new energy into the insurance sector, and the common man could see positive long-term impacts. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 06:19 IST News business Lok Sabha Clears Insurance Amendment Bill 2025: What Changes And How It Impacts You Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Silver Price Prediction 2026: Will Precious Metal Extend Its Rally After Crossing Rs 2.05 Lakh? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 15:12 IST Some analysts caution that the pace of the rally in silver suggests near-term overheating, even as the broader trend remains upward. Experts say that for investors, silver's structural story remains intact, but navigating 2026 may require patience and disciplined risk management as the metal adjusts to its new, elevated price regime. Silver Rates Prediction 2026: Silver prices have staged an extraordinary rally in 2025, delivering more than 130% return. It has raised the key question for investors and consumers alike: Can the momentum sustain into 2026? After breaching the psychologically important Rs 2 lakh per kg level on the MCX and touching record highs in global markets, analysts say the medium-term outlook for silver remains constructive, though bouts of volatility are likely. In the domestic spot market, silver in Mumbai was quoted at Rs 2,08,000 per kg on December 17, reflecting the sharp rise seen over the year. Internationally, silver prices have surged 132 per cent in 2025 to around $65 an ounce as of December 17, compared with nearly $28 an ounce at the beginning of the year. What is driving silvers rally? According to market experts, the rally has been fuelled by a rare convergence of supply-side constraints and strong investment and industrial demand. Kaynat Chainwala, AVP Commodity Research, Kotak Securities, said, Silver extended its remarkable rally, breaking above the $66 per ounce level for the first time on record, driven by a combination of tight physical supply conditions, rising safe-haven demand, strong inflows into silver-backed ETFs, and growing expectations of US Federal Reserve rate cuts." She added that investment demand continues to remain robust. Silver-backed ETFs continue to attract buying interest, with global holdings on pace for a sixth consecutive week of inflows," she said. Supply concerns have further amplified the bullish sentiment. Momentum has been further amplified by reports that China plans to restrict silver exports from 2026, a development that could disrupt a key supply source and intensify pressure on the global market. With Chinese silver inventories already at their lowest levels in a decade, any export curbs risk worsening the physical squeeze," Chainwala noted. On Indian exchanges, the rally has been even sharper. On the MCX, silver jumped above Rs. 205,000 per 10 grams, pushing year-to-date gains to about 134%, further buoyed by rupee depreciation," she said, adding that silver has significantly outperformed gold this year. Silver outshines gold While gold prices have risen around 65 per cent so far in 2025, spot silver has delivered gains of over 120 per cent, driven by factors beyond safe-haven demand. Chainwala pointed out that the metals strength reflects a historic squeeze driven by tight supply, rising lease rates, and brighter demand prospects linked to silvers indispensable role in the global green energy transition". She also highlighted that silvers inclusion on the US critical minerals list underscores strategic supply risks and the potential for higher import costs or policy-driven disruptions. Will prices cool before rising again? Some analysts caution that the pace of the rally suggests near-term overheating, even as the broader trend remains upward. Justin Khoo, Senior Market Analyst APAC at VT Market, said, Silvers surge beyond Rs 2.05 lakh per kg and above $65 an ounce, it is entering a phase where risk management becomes as important as conviction." He added silver would probably break the all-time high again before retracing and moving up again, reflecting the strength of underlying momentum. Khoo believes the rally has been driven by a powerful mix of global rate cuts, rising liquidity, a softer dollar and structurally strong industrial demand", but warned that prices appear technically overbought in the near term. This should not be mistaken for a breakdown in the trend. Any retracement would likely be a healthy reset that improves the risk-reward for fresh participation," he said. Industrial demand reshapes the silver market Unlike gold, whose demand in 2025 has been largely driven by safe-haven buying and lower opportunity costs, silver has benefited from both investment flows and strong industrial consumption, particularly from the green energy transition. Axis Securities, in its latest report on silver, said, Demand from the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) sector has more than doubled in just four years, from 94.4 Moz in 2020 to 243.7 Moz in 2024. Solar alone accounted for nearly 21% of total demand in 2024, fundamentally altering the metals usage profile." The supply-demand imbalance is expected to persist. Axis Securities noted that the silver market has remained in deficit since 2021, with a cumulative shortfall of nearly 700 million ounces between 2021 and 2025. According to Refinitiv estimates cited in the report, the market is likely to remain in deficit in 2026 as well, with a projected shortfall of over 100 million ounces. Highlighting recent market stress, Axis Securities said, Fears of impending US import tariffs have triggered a flight of physical metal toward US markets, sparking a historic squeeze in the futures market. Throughout the year, COMEX futures have persistently traded at a premium to London spot prices." Outlook for 2026 Taken together, analysts say silvers long-term fundamentals tight supply, expanding industrial use and supportive monetary conditions continue to favour higher prices into 2026. However, after such a steep rally, periods of consolidation or correction cannot be ruled out. Experts say that for investors, silvers structural story remains intact, but navigating 2026 may require patience and disciplined risk management as the metal adjusts to its new, elevated price regime. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 15:12 IST News business savings-and-investments Silver Price Prediction 2026: Will Precious Metal Extend Its Rally After Crossing Rs 2.05 Lakh? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Worlds Richest 25 Families: Only One Indian Family Makes The Cut Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 20:45 IST The Ambani familys estimated wealth stands at $105.6 billion, placing it among the worlds most influential business dynasties. The Ambanis presence in the elite list is significant, as it not only reflects the scale of their wealth but also their growing influence in the global economy. (File) Worlds Richest Families List 2025: The Ambani family, headed by Reliance Industries Chairperson Mukesh Ambani, is the only Indian family to make it to Bloombergs 2025 list of the worlds 25 richest families. As per the news outlet, the Ambani familys estimated wealth stands at $105.6 billion, placing it among the worlds most influential business dynasties. The familys vast empire, Reliance Industries, spans key sectors such as energy, petrochemicals and telecommunications, and has steadily expanded into digital services and sustainability-focused businesses. The familys wealth is built on the shoulders of Dhirubhai Ambani, who started the company in the 1950s with little more than determination and vision. The Ambanis presence in the elite list is significant, as it not only reflects the scale of their wealth but also their growing influence in the global economy. According to Bloomberg, the worlds richest families list shows how long-standing dynasties and newer business powerhouses continue to dominate global wealth today. At the top of the global ranking is the Walton family of the United States, owners of retail giant Walmart, with a combined net worth of $513.4 billion. Their combined fortune exceeded half a trillion dollars for the first time. Walmarts total revenue for the recent fiscal year reached $681 billion, its massive footprint with over 10,750 stores worldwide is the core reason. Others In The List Al Nahyan Family: With an estimated net worth of $335.9 billion, the Al Nahyan family ranks among the worlds richest dynasties. The ruling family of Abu Dhabi, which holds most of the United Arab Emirates oil reserves, sees their wealth continue to soar. Under the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the countrys president, the familys assets are vast, with investments in AI, crypto, and more. Sheikh Tahnoon, a key family member, oversees assets worth $1.5 trillion and has been a major investor in the crypto space. Al Saud Family: With an estimated net worth of $213.6 billion, the Saudi royal familys massive wealth is anchored in the countrys vast oil reserves, mainly through Saudi Aramco. Though the family is estimated to have around 15,000 extended members, much of the wealth is concentrated in key royals, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Al Thani Family: With an estimated net worth of $199.5 billion, the Al Thani family ranks among the worlds wealthiest royal families. Qatars ruling family have seen their fortunes skyrocket since oil was discovered in the region in the 1940s. The Qatari royal family recently offered the Trump administration a luxury Boeing 747 to use as a temporary Air Force One. Hermes Family: The Hermes family, with a net worth of $184.5 billion, has successfully preserved its wealth across six generations. Renowned for ultra-luxury products such as the iconic Birkin handbag, Hermes continues to thrive on exclusivity, craftsmanship, and innovation. Despite being one of the largest luxury houses in the world, the family still retains control of the company. Koch Family: The Koch family, with an estimated net worth of $150.5 billion, controls Koch Industries, one of the largest private conglomerates in the US. Today, Koch Industries spans industries from chemicals and oil refining to ranching and paper. Mars Family: The Mars family, with a net worth of $143.4 billion, is known for iconic chocolate brands such as M&Ms and Snickers. The familys company, Mars, Inc., has grown through strategic acquisitions, including its purchase of snack-food maker Kellanova in 2025. Wertheimer Family: The Wertheimer family, with a net worth of $85.6 billion, owns the luxury fashion house Chanel. They have seen their fortune rise as luxury goods continue to boom. Chanel, known for its timeless designs like the little black dress," remains one of the worlds most iconic brands. Thomson Family: The Thomson family, with a net worth of $82.1 billion, is based in Canada and controls Thomson Reuters, a global leader in financial data and media. Their fortune began in the 1930s with Roy Thomsons purchase of a radio station, which led to the creation of a media empire. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 20:45 IST News business Worlds Richest 25 Families: Only One Indian Family Makes The Cut Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Karnataka Man Dies Of Heart Attack On Road As Passersby Look Away; Family Donates His Eyes Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:08 IST A 34-year-old motor mechanic died after a heart attack and falling from his scooter; his wife alleges delayed medical care and apathy from passing motorists. Rapid Read 34-year-old motor mechanic Venkataraman died after suffering a heart attack. His wife has alleged delays in medical care and a lack of help from passersby. (IMAGE: CNN-News18) The wife of a 34-year-old motor mechanic has alleged that her husband died due to a lack of timely medical care and the apathy of passers-by after he suffered a heart attack and fell from his scooter in the early hours of Saturday. The deceased, Venkataraman, a resident of Balaji Nagar in Ittamadu, Banashankari III Stage, complained of severe chest pain around 3.30 am while at home, his wife Roopa K said. Alarmed by his condition, Roopa immediately took him on their scooter to a nearby private hospital in Kathriguppe. However, she alleged that hospital authorities told her that no doctor was available at the time and advised her to take him to another private hospital. At the second hospital, doctors conducted an ECG and confirmed that Venkataraman had suffered a heart attack. Roopa said the doctors asked her to shift him to a hospital equipped to provide specialised treatment but did not provide any emergency care or arrange an ambulance. Fearing for her husbands life, Roopa decided to take him back home briefly and then attempt to reach another hospital on their scooter. However, they had barely travelled 100 to 200 metres from their house when Venkataraman suffered another cardiac episode. The couple lost balance and fell on the road. Roopa sustained injuries in the fall and rushed to her husband, realising that his condition had turned critical. She said she repeatedly tried to stop passing two-wheelers and cars to seek help. I begged people to stop and help me take my husband to the hospital, but most of them just went past without stopping," Roopa told reporters. She said Venkataraman lay on the road struggling to breathe for several minutes. A pedestrian eventually stopped and stayed with them while Roopa continued to seek help. A few minutes later, Venkataramans sister reached the spot along with another person. They too tried to stop vehicles but were unsuccessful. Around seven minutes later, a car finally stopped. By then, Venkataraman had fallen unconscious. His sister performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for a couple of minutes before they rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. CCTV footage of the incident, captured by a camera installed at a nearby building, has since gone viral. Despite the ordeal, Roopa said she decided to donate her husbands eyes. If someone had helped us immediately, my husband might have survived. He wanted to live. That is why he tried to ride to the hospital despite the pain," she said. Roopa has demanded action against the private hospitals involved, alleging that she was neglected due to her financial condition. She also expressed shock over what she described as the growing lack of compassion among people. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 12:15 IST News bengaluru-news Karnataka Man Dies Of Heart Attack On Road As Passersby Look Away; Family Donates His Eyes Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... ChennaiSurat 1271 KM-long Expressway Curtailed To 900 Km, Highway Now Ends At Nashik: Check Updated Route Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 16, 2025, 18:32 IST A timely update on the ambitious Chennai-Surat National Expressway, which is underway. The expressway is set to be curtailed by over 300 km. (Representative Image) The government is set to shorten the planned ChennaiSurat National Highway, which spans across six lanes. Originally planned under the Bharatmala Pariyojana to be 1,271 km long, the expressway will now be downsized to a 900 km stretch. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has also announced a change in the route, with the highway now set to run from Chennai to Nashik instead of going all the way up to Surat. The authorities explained that the change was necessitated due to the major constraints experienced in buying land between Surat and Nashik. ChennaiSurat National Expressway Update Prolonged delays have also been faced in acquiring environmental approvals for the expressway. Initially, the expressway was set to exceed 1,200 km and connect Surat to Chennai. The estimated cost of the project was about Rs 50,000 crore. With the new plans seeing the stretch end in Nashik, the road will be over 300 km shorter. The original route wouldve passed through cities such as Surat, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Kurnool, Kadapa and Tirupati. It wouldve established an interstate link, connecting Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. According to the revised plan, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will be developing a new greenfield expressway, spanning Bharvir Khurd on the Samruddhi Expressway to Tawa village on NH-48 the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. This road is intended to provide the same traffic mobility which the earlier SuratNashik stretch of the ChennaiSurat Expressway was meant for. Goal: To Improve Long-Distance Travel Originally, the project for the expressway was split into two parts. The authorities had aimed to bridge the 513 km stretch from Surat to Solapur and build another 707 km stretch to connect Solapur to Chennai. Even though the route has been shortened, the goal remains the same: to improve long-distance travel and support interstate mobility. Travellers in the region will soon get to operate on an advanced six-lane and access-controlled expressway, with vehicles running at a maximum speed of up to 120 kmph. Once operational, the expressway will bolster the connectivity between central and southern India. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: December 16, 2025, 18:23 IST News chennai-news ChennaiSurat 1271 KM-long Expressway Curtailed To 900 Km, Highway Now Ends At Nashik: Check Updated Route Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Inside UPs Jamtara: How Devras Became States Biggest Online Fraud Hub Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:26 IST A massive police crackdown exposed how the village evolved into one of the states largest cyber fraud hubs, cheating people across India of more than Rs 2 crore in just 30 days Rapid Read Police officials during the raid in Devras, UP. (News18) Until a few years ago, Devras was just another agrarian village on the edge of Uttar Pradesh, known for wheat fields, cattle sheds, and seasonal migration for labour. Today, it carries a far darker label UPs Jamtara. A massive police crackdown earlier this month exposed how the village evolved into one of the states largest cyber fraud hubs, allegedly cheating people across India of more than Rs 2 crore in just 30 days. The operation, carried out on December 11, brought Devras under intense scrutiny after investigators uncovered a sprawling network of online scammers operating from homes, fields, and makeshift huts. In a single coordinated raid involving nearly 400 police personnel, 37 suspected cyber fraudsters were detained, while around 120 others managed to flee across the Rajasthan and Haryana borders before the police could seal all exit routes. Senior police officers say the scale, organisation, and geographic advantage of Devras prompted officials to refer to it as UPs Jamtara a reference to the infamous cyber fraud hotspot in Jharkhand. The raid that exposed the network According to police records, the raid was the culmination of weeks of electronic surveillance and human intelligence inputs. Teams from the Crime Branch, Cyber Cell, STF, and local police converged on Devras and neighbouring villages before dawn to prevent suspects from escaping. To avoid detection, police vehicles were parked outside the village, and teams moved in on foot through fields and narrow dirt paths. Drones were deployed to scan agricultural land, leading to the discovery of at least 27 concealed locations, where mobile phones, SIM cards, and digital devices were buried under soil or hidden inside temporary huts. The suspects were not operating only from houses. Many were working from the fields, using small huts as cyber fraud centres," a senior officer involved in the operation said. The raid continued for nearly 12 hours, during which more responsiveness than 300 houses were searched. Police seized dozens of mobile phones, SIM cards, fake Aadhaar cards, banking documents, laptops, and motorcycles. Several phones contained direct evidence of phishing attempts, hacked payment apps, and transaction trails. Rs 2-crore fraud in 30 days Interrogation of those detained revealed the staggering speed at which money was siphoned off. Investigators claim the group cheated over 200 victims nationwide, extracting more than Rs 2 crore within a month using phishing links, fake KYC updates, impersonation calls, and hacked payment platforms. The fraudsters would manipulate phone numbers on apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm to extract personal details. Once trust was built, malicious links were sent to gain full control of the victims phone," an officer explained. Police said many suspects were barely educated, with some having studied only up to Class 5 or 8, yet they displayed high operational efficiency due to informal training networks within the village. How Devras became UPs biggest online fraud hub Devrass transformation into Uttar Pradeshs biggest cyber fraud hub was gradual, driven by geography, technology, and weak early enforcement. Located barely five kilometres from the Rajasthan border and about 15 kilometres from Haryana, the village sits at a strategic tri-junction that allows quick escape across state lines. This geography made sustained policing difficult and encouraged risk-taking among offenders. As smartphones, cheap SIM cards, and digital payment apps became widespread, a section of Devrass youth many with education limited to Class 5 or 8 found cyber fraud to be a low-investment, high-return alternative to farming or daily wage labour. Informal training networks emerged within the village, passing on techniques such as phishing, fake KYC updates, impersonation calls, and payment-app hacking. Operations shifted beyond homes into fields, where makeshift huts were used as fraud centres, making detection harder. Women and children allegedly acted as lookouts, while money was routed into accounts and properties held in relatives names, often across borders. For years, fear and social pressure prevented locals from reporting the activity. By the time law enforcement acted decisively, Devras had already evolved into a tightly knit cybercrime ecosystem earning it the label officials now use: UPs Jamtara. When raids happen, suspects simply cross the border. Jurisdictional limitations slow down immediate pursuit," a police official said. Investigators also suspect that proceeds of crime were invested outside Uttar Pradesh, often in the names of relatives. Properties, businesses, dairy units, and brick kilns in Rajasthan and Haryana are allegedly linked to the money trail," the officer added. While police action has been welcomed by many residents, the social cost has been immense. Long-time villagers say Devras has paid a heavy price for the actions of a section of its youth. In the last 15-18 years, nearly 200 Hindu families have left this village," said Dau Dayal Kaushik, 57, a local resident. People dont want to marry their daughters here anymore. The villages name itself scares them." Others admit that fear of retaliation earlier prevented resistance. Those involved had money and muscle. Anyone who spoke up was threatened," said a shopkeeper who did not wish to be named. However, several residents across communities insist that not everyone is involved in cyber fraud. Those who were doing fraud have run away. People like us are farmers," said Maqsood, a villager. Panchayats are being held every day now. Everyone is suffering because of a few." The intensive search operation has also left families in distress. Mothers and wives of detained youths insist their relatives are innocent or marginally involved. My sons work hard. I dont know anything about fraud," said a woman whose three sons were picked up during the raid. If they are guilty, punish them. But dont destroy families without proof." Police maintain that detentions were based on digital evidence and call data records, and further scrutiny is underway to separate primary operators from peripheral links. Operation will continue Mathura SSP Shlok Kumar said the operation would not stop until cyber fraud is dismantled at the roots. Cyber criminals depend entirely on mobile phones and internet access. We are monitoring both closely. Fraud from this location has been halted for now, and more arrests will follow," he said. Officials confirmed that data of 124 additional suspects has been compiled and shared with neighbouring states to track those who escaped. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 19:18 IST News lucknow-news Inside UPs Jamtara: How Devras Became States Biggest Online Fraud Hub Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Mumbai Local's Thane-Kalyan Stretch May Go Underground: Will It Ease Congestion? What It Means For Commuters Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:34 IST Mumbai local train network faces crowding on Thane-Kalyan stretch; Central Railway studies underground lines to ease congestion and improve commuter flow. The plan aims to ease crowding on one of Mumbais busiest suburban rail routes.(Photo Credit: Instagram) Mumbais local train network continues to face heavy crowding, especially on the busy Thane-Kalyan stretch. Every day, lakhs of commuters depend on this section to travel to work, college, and other parts of the city. With trains packed during peak hours, the pressure on this route has only increased over the years. To deal with the growing rush, Central Railway is now looking at new options to add more rail lines. Since space on the ground is limited in many areas, officials are exploring whether some parts of the new lines can be built underground. Why The Thane-Kalyan Route Is Under Strain The 10.8-km stretch between Thane and Kalyan is one of the busiest sections of Mumbais suburban rail network. Nearly 1,000 trains pass through this corridor daily. It also connects several important routes, making it a key link for commuters travelling across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Thane connects the main line with the trans-harbour route towards Panvel. Diva links suburban services to Roha, while Kalyan is where routes split towards Kasara and Karjat-Khopoli. Due to this, passenger movement remains high throughout the day, especially during office hours. Railways Consider Underground Tracks Central Railway is planning its 7th and 8th lines on this stretch. However, officials say adding tracks on the surface is difficult in crowded areas, especially near Dombivli. As a result, building underground rail lines at select locations is being seriously studied. A third-party agency has been appointed to carry out a Final Location Survey, as per The Free Press Journal. This study will examine whether underground sections are necessary, where they should be located, and how they can be constructed. According to reports, the survey is still in its early stages and is expected to be completed by mid-2026. Past Work Brought Limited Relief In 2022, Central Railway completed the 5th and 6th lines between Thane and Diva after long delays. While this helped ease some congestion, officials admit it was not enough. Passenger numbers have continued to rise, and certain stretches still face severe crowding. Diva Station remains one of the busiest points on the route. Around 70-75 per cent of local trains halt there, leading to frequent closure of the nearby level crossing. This affects both train movement and road traffic in the area. Bigger Plans For Mumbais Rail Network The underground lines are part of a larger plan to separate suburban and long-distance trains. Central Railway is also reportedly looking to expand Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and develop Parel as a new terminal. These steps aim to reduce pressure on major stations like CSMT and Dadar. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 09:33 IST News mumbai-news Mumbai Local's Thane-Kalyan Stretch May Go Underground: Will It Ease Congestion? What It Means For Commuters Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Navi Mumbai International Airport Kicks Off Operations With Star Air: Flight Dates, Routes, Ticket Price, Timings Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 10:43 IST Star Air will become the first regional airline to operate from Navi Mumbai International Airport starting December 25. The airline will start flights from Navi Mumbai to Bengaluru, Goa, Ahmedabad and Nanded. (Photo Credit: X) Star Air, a regional airline based in Bengaluru, is set to begin flight operations from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The airline will start services from December 25, making it the first regional carrier to fly out of the new airport. With this move, Navi Mumbai International Airport will see its first set of commercial flights. Star Airs entry marks an important step in expanding air travel options for people living in Navi Mumbai and nearby areas. Flights To Start From December 25 From December 25, Star Air will operate flights connecting Navi Mumbai with Ahmedabad, Goa (Mopa), Bengaluru and Nanded. Some of these routes will include stopovers, such as Navi Mumbai to Bengaluru via Goa and Navi Mumbai to Nanded via Ahmedabad. The airline will use its Embraer 175 aircraft for these services. These planes are commonly used for short and medium routes and are part of Star Airs existing fleet. The ticket price is Rs 5,100 for December 25 (starting at 3:05 pm from Navi Mumbai) while for December 25, the fare is Rs 3,600. Airline Says Focus Is On Regional Travel According to The New Indian Express, Captain Simran Singh Tiwana, Chief Executive Officer of Star Air, said the airline is proud to be the only regional carrier starting operations from Navi Mumbai International Airport. He said the move reflects the companys goal of connecting smaller cities and regions with faster and easier travel options. These new routes will give travellers from Navi Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region easy access to important regional cities through Star Airs ever-growing network, while also opening new opportunities for trade, tourism and investment," he said as quoted by the publication. A Growing Airline With Expansion Plans Star Air is the aviation arm of the Sanjay Ghodawat Group. It began commercial operations in 2019 and has steadily grown its network over the past few years. At present, the airline operates a fleet of 12 aircraft, which includes eight Embraer E175 planes and four Embraer E145 planes. The company has plans to expand its fleet to 25 aircraft over the next three years as it adds more routes and destinations across India. More Airlines To Follow At NMIA Navi Mumbai International Airport is being developed by Adani Airport Holdings in partnership with the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO). Adani Airport Holdings reportedly owns a 74 per cent stake in the project, while CIDCO holds the remaining 26 per cent. Apart from Star Air, other major airlines such as IndiGo, Akasa Air and the Air India Group have already announced plans to start operations from the new airport once it becomes fully operational. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 10:42 IST News mumbai-news Navi Mumbai International Airport Kicks Off Operations With Star Air: Flight Dates, Routes, Ticket Price, Timings Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Mumbai To Thane In 25 Minutes: Six Lanes, High-Speed Corridor & Eastern Express Highway Respite Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 19, 2025, 14:27 IST Elevated Eastern Freeway Extension: The corridor will run from Anand Nagar, Thane to Chheda Nagar, Ghatkopar, with links at Mulund, Airoli, JVLR, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg and Ghatkopar Rapid Read The MMRDA shared the elevated Eastern Freeway extension plan on X. Soon, you will be able to reach south Mumbai from Thane in 25 minutes, as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has commenced construction of the Elevated Eastern Freeway Extension. It will be a 13.9-km, fully elevated six-lane high-speed corridor that will reduce the travel time considerably. The extension will also ease daily traffic congestion on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) one of Mumbais busiest arterial routes serving lakhs of commuters every day. The route The corridor will run from Anand Nagar, Thane to Chheda Nagar, Ghatkopar, with key links at Mulund, Airoli, JVLR, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, Mankhurd and Ghatkopar. In Thane, the corridor will merge seamlessly with the Anand NagarSaket Elevated Road near the erstwhile Mulund Octroi Naka, forming a continuous high-speed route. It will also provide seamless onward connectivity to the Samruddhi Expressway. Soon: South MumbaiThane in just 25 minutesMMRDA has commenced construction of the Elevated Eastern Freeway Extension, a 13.9 km, fully elevated 6-lane high-speed corridor that will dramatically reduce travel time between South Mumbai and Thane to 2530 minutes, while easing pic.twitter.com/9vL689iC7U MMRDA (@MMRDAOfficial) December 1, 2025 How it will help Once completed, the project will significantly improve traffic flow, lower emissions, and offer a faster, more reliable and greener commute to lakhs of citizens, while boosting economic activity across the MMR. As part of MMRDAs commitment to sustainable development, and in consultation with experts and green activists, the Vikhroli-Ghatkopar stretch was realigned to save 127 Pink Trumpet trees. A total of 4,175 new trees will be planted as compensatory green cover The key highlights Construction of 2.5 m diameter monopiles, robust piers, 40-m spans, and a 25-m single-segment superstructure Single-pile, single-pier system first-of-its-kind for an elevated road in MMR Up-down ramps near Mulund Check Naka, Airoli Junction & Vikhroli Junction 3+3 lane elevated toll plaza near Navghar Flyover Designed for uninterrupted, safe, high-speed movement Status Update Preliminary survey works completed Test piles completed Geotechnical investigation mostly done Utility identification substantially completed Working piles and pier casting in progress News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 17:06 IST News mumbai-news Mumbai To Thane In 25 Minutes: Six Lanes, High-Speed Corridor & Eastern Express Highway Respite Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Only Vehicles Above BS-IV Allowed: SC Modifies Order On Old Cars Amid Delhi-NCR Pollution Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Manjiri Joshi Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 17:20 IST Supreme Court allows action against end-of-life vehicles below BS-IV emission standards, directs MCD to consider temporary suspension of physical collection at 9 toll plazas Rapid Read On August 12, the Supreme Court had ordered that no strict action would be taken against 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles. (File for representation) Amid the deteriorating air quality in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Wednesday modified its earlier order, thus allowing allow Delhi-NCR authorities to take action against end-of-life vehicles that fall below BS-IV emission standards. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi passed the order at the request of the Delhi Government, which sought action against older cars. The Supreme Court on Wednesday said vehicles with BS-IV engines will be exempted from action. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, who represented the Delhi Government, sought a modification of the order passed on August 12, 2025, to permit action against vehicles up to BS-III. Older vehicles, their emission standards are very poor, and they are adding to the pollution," ASG said, according to Livelaw. Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, the amicus curiae in the air pollution matter, said, BS-IV came in 2010, and BS-III models are before that." The bench, Livelaw reported, dictated that the August 12 order is modified to the extent that no coercive steps shall be taken against owners of vehicles which are BS-IV and newer on the ground that they are above 10 years old (in case of diesel engines) and 15 years old (in case of petrol engines)." On August 12, the Supreme Court, acting on a petition from the Delhi government, had ordered that no strict action would be taken against 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles. The courts clarification came today following a request from the Commission for Air Quality Management or CAQM. A 15-year-old petrol-run vehicle in India and its 10-year-old diesel counterpart are likely have a BS-III (Bharat Stage 3) engine. What was the August 12 order? The Supreme Court had on August 12 said that no coercive action will be taken against owners of 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in Delhi and NCR. A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria issued the order after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi government, requested relief for vehicle owners. Issue notice, returnable in four weeks. In the meantime, we direct that no coercive steps be taken against the owners on the ground that vehicles are 10 years old in respect of diesel vehicles and 15 years old in respect of petrol vehicles," the bench stated. Consider temporary suspension of toll collection at nine toll plazas: SC to MCD In wake of the continuing poor air quality in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to consider temporary suspension of toll collection at nine toll plazas in the national capitals entry points. The bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi passed the order after it was informed that vehicles were being stuck for hours on the borders which was contributing to air pollution. MCD is directed to cooperate on the issue and to consider suspending operations at these nine toll plazas for a temporary period. A decision in this regard shall be taken within one week and placed on record," the Court ordered. The Court also asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to examine the possibility of shifting the nine toll collection booths operated by the MCD in Delhi to locations that can be manned by the NHAI. A portion of the toll collected at such sites can then be diverted to the MCD to compensate for the perceived loss arising from the temporary suspension," it suggested. The directions were passed on an application moved by the NHAI alleging congestion at the borders due to the toll collection by MCD. Let experts decide: SC on pleas against suspension of physical classes till Class 5 The Supreme Court refused to consider pleas challenging the Delhi Governments order to suspend physical classes till Class 5 from December 15. Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy told the bench that the closure of the schools was affecting the poor people the most, as their children would be deprived of midday meals. She said the current arrangement benefited only wealthy parents who could afford to keep children at home. During the hearing, the CJI observed that the courts cannot act as super specialists" and sit in judgment over the decisions taken by the experts. The court has left the matter for the consideration of the CAQM. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 16:18 IST News new-delhi-news Only Vehicles Above BS-IV Allowed: SC Modifies Order On Old Cars Amid Delhi-NCR Pollution Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Delhi Under GRAP IV: Whats Open, Closed And Banned As Smog Chokes Capital Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 14:18 IST As winter pollution worsens across Delhi and the NCR, authorities have enforced GRAP IV, bringing curbs on construction, offices and schools to limit exposure and emissions. Rapid Read Vehicles move on a road shrouded in smog in New Delhi. (IMAGE: REUTERS) The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to tackle worsening winter air pollution and dense smog across Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR). The decision comes even as Delhis air quality showed marginal improvement on Wednesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 328. The reading still falls in the very poor category. Several parts of the city remained covered in thick smog during the early morning hours, leading to reduced visibility and health concerns. As per official classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 satisfactory, 101 to 200 moderate, 201 to 300 poor, 301 to 400 very poor and 401 to 500 severe. Delhi was placed under GRAP IV curbs last week after pollution levels crossed into the severe category, prompting authorities to activate emergency measures aimed at reducing emissions and limiting public exposure. What Is Open, Closed, Banned And Restricted Under GRAP IV Schools: The Delhi government has discontinued physical classes for students from nursery to Class 5. While parents were earlier given the option to choose between online and offline classes, students in these grades will now continue learning from home. For students of Classes 6 to 9 and Class 11, schools will function in hybrid mode, allowing students to attend either online or in person. Offices: Government and private offices in Delhi have been directed to operate with only 50 percent staff on site. The remaining employees are required to work from home. Private offices have also been advised to introduce flexible working hours to reduce peak-time congestion. Ban On Vehicles: Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday mandated that all vehicles below BS-VI category and registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the city when GRAP 3 and 4 are in place. The government will not allow any polluting vehicle to enter Delhi, he added. To control vehicular tail pipe emissions, all the dealers of the petrol, diesel and CNG pumps are directed to refuel only those motor vehicles whose owners produce valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC)," he added. Construction Activities: All construction and demolition activities have been halted across Delhi, including linear public infrastructure projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, power transmission lines, pipelines and telecom works. These projects, which are permitted during lower GRAP stages, remain suspended under GRAP IV curbs. Any vehicles carrying construction materials will not be allowed to enter Delhi when GRAP 4 is in place, Sirsa had said on Monday. Whats Exempt: Hospitals and all public and private health establishments, fire services, prisons, public transport, and essential civic services including electricity, water supply, sanitation and related municipal functions will be exempt from the restrictions. Disaster management services, departments engaged in forest and environmental protection, and agencies involved in air pollution control, monitoring and enforcement, including teams deployed to curb biomass burning, dust control and the implementation of GRAP measures, will also remain exempt. Other essential and emergency services will continue to operate without curbs. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 11:52 IST News new-delhi-news Delhi Under GRAP IV: Whats Open, Closed And Banned As Smog Chokes Capital Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Delhi Minister Says Not Expecting Big AQI Relief Immediately, Lists Govt's Anti-Pollution Steps Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 16:20 IST Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the government will provide Rs 2,700 crore over the next 10 years to the MCD for the procurement of mechanical road sweepers and litter pickers. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. (File) Delhi Environment Minister Majinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday said that the national capital is not expecting any significant improvement in air quality in the coming days, but the government is working to control the situation. While addressing a press conference, Sirsa said that the Air Quality Index (AQI) had crossed the 400 mark during the last few days of the previous year and similar challenges persist this winter. "The pollution level in Delhi is very high. The next few days are not expected to be much better compared to last years figures, so we are making every effort to improve the situation We are continuously working to improve air quality in the coming week. There will be 50% work from home in Delhi, which is a significant step," he said as quoted by news agency ANI. The Environment Minister further outlined several measures to curb the air pollution. As part of stricter enforcement, the government announced that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will not be allowed to refuel. Starting tomorrow, I appeal to the people of Delhi to get their PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificates. They will not get fuel without a PUC certificate. Trucks carrying construction materials into Delhi have also been banned. I appeal to people coming from outside Delhi to bring vehicles that comply with Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission standards," he said while addressing the press briefing. The minister also said that the government is considering a complete overhaul of the PUCC system and a third-party monitoring system will be introduced to improve transparency and compliance. To reduce vehicular emissions, the government is also planning to develop a car-pooling application to encourage shared travel among Delhiites. We are also trying for a carpooling app for Delhi. There is no system in place right now for car pooling. We are trying to make a carpooling app for Delhi. There will be options for people to use their cars for carpooling or to travel via carpooling," Sirsa said. The government is planning a tie up with Map India and Google Maps in this regard. Today, we have a meeting with Google Maps to identify major traffic hotspots using the data available with them," Sirsa added. Sirsa also announced that the Delhi government will provide Rs 2,700 crore over the next 10 years to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the procurement of mechanical road sweepers and litter pickers in a bid to strengthen mechanised cleaning and curb dust pollution. VIDEO | Delhi govt to give Rs 2,700 crore for 10 years to MCD for procurement of mechanical road sweepers, litter pickers," says Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa.(Full video available on PTI Videos https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/KQsm9TrLE2 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 17, 2025 The minister said a large-scale survey is underway across Delhi to identify and act against illegal industries contributing to pollution. We are conducting this survey through all District Magistrates, targeting illegal industries. We are also in touch with neighbouring states to ensure their AQI levels come down as well," Sirsa said. To prevent biomass burning during winter, the government has already distributed 10,000 electric heaters, the minister added. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has directed private offices to operate with a maximum of 50 per cent staff physically present at workplaces under GRAP Stage IV restrictions, with the remaining employees required to work from home. Exemptions have been granted for essential services, including health establishments, transport, sanitation and emergency services. (With inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 15:46 IST News new-delhi-news Delhi Minister Says Not Expecting Big AQI Relief Immediately, Lists Govt's Anti-Pollution Steps Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... IIT Madras Pravartak, SWAYAM Plus To Launch AI-enabled HR Analytics Programme Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:05 IST The programme aims to empower students and HR professionals looking to enhance their analytical, digital, and strategic people management skills. Applications are open until December 30, 2025 via iitmpravartak.org.in/HR-Analytics. (AI Generated Image) IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation is collaborating with the Union Education Ministrys SWAYAM Plus initiative to introduce an AI-enabled HR Analytics Programme. This programme is designed to equip learners with data-driven and AI-enhanced HR skills that meet the evolving needs of the workforce and organisations. The programme is ideal for students and professionals, especially entry to mid-level HR practitioners, aspiring HR leaders, and industry professionals from sectors such as aviation, technology, and services. The first cohort will start in January 2026. Applications are open until December 30, 2025 via iitmpravartak.org.in/HR-Analytics. Interested participants can also contact dsa@iitmpravartak.net. The programme aims to empower students and HR professionals looking to enhance their analytical, digital, and strategic people management skills. Participants will gain practical experience in analysing workforce data, interpreting HR metrics, and utilising AI-driven insights to improve organisational talent strategies, workforce planning, and data-based decision-making. Dr. M.J. Shankar Raman, CEO of IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, emphasised the importance of upskilling Indian students and professionals, stating, This programme marks an important step toward transforming HR into a truly data-driven and AI-empowered function. By combining academic rigor with practical industry insights, we aim to prepare future-ready HR leaders who can drive meaningful impact in organisations of tomorrow." As organisations transition into highly digital and technology-driven environments, the HR function is evolving from an administrative role to a strategic, analytical, and AI-integrated leadership domain. HR professionals are now expected to manage people processes and leverage artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and automation to enhance efficiency and strategic value. The HR Analytics Programme addresses this industry shift by integrating core HR concepts with advanced analytics, AI applications, ML-driven predictive models, and real-world case studies, the IIT stated in an official press release. The four-month course will include two days of on-campus learning at IIT Madras. A hands-on, industry-focused HR Analytics Capstone Project covering HR dashboards, AI in HR, predictive modelling, HR metrics, and data-driven decision-making is included in the curriculum. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 19:04 IST News education-career IIT Madras Pravartak, SWAYAM Plus To Launch AI-enabled HR Analytics Programme Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... SPJIMR Opens Admissions For Fifth Batch Of PGDM Online Programme Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 10:51 IST SPJIMR has opened admissions for the fifth batch of its PGDM Online programme, offering working professionals flexible, AICTE-approved management education. SP Jain Institute of Management has opened admissions for the fifth batch of its PGDM Online programme. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) has opened admissions for the fifth batch of its Post Graduate Diploma in Management Online (PGDM Online) programme. The two-year programme is aimed at working professionals who want to upgrade their management skills without taking a break from their careers. SPJIMR is among a select group of management institutes globally to hold the prestigious triple crown of international accreditations EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. The AICTE-approved PGDM Online programme offers flexible, industry-focused learning while maintaining strong academic standards. Designed for professionals across sectors and locations, the programme focuses on building core management skills such as problem-solving, decision-making and negotiation. It also aims to develop socially responsible leaders with a cross-functional and integrative approach to management. Past batches have seen participants from across India as well as regions in Central and South-East Asia, representing diverse roles and industries. The curriculum allows learners to specialise in three key areas and includes an optional international immersion to expose participants to global business practices and cross-cultural learning. In addition, students attend three on-campus immersions of five days each at SPJIMRs Mumbai campus. These sessions include faculty interactions, workshops, live projects and discussions with CXOs and industry leaders. Speaking about the programme, Prof. Debmallya Chatterjee, Chairperson of PGDM Online at SPJIMR, said the course is designed for professionals balancing work, family and ambition. He added that the programme helps participants move from execution-focused roles to leadership positions, while developing analytical depth and responsible leadership. ALSO READ: UP Board Class 12 Practical Exams 2026 To Be Held In Two Phases, Check Dates In the first year, students build a strong foundation in functional and general management. The second year focuses on micro-specialisations and includes a six-month Industry Integrated Learning Project, along with a module on innovation and entrepreneurship. On successful completion, participants are awarded the PGDM Online diploma and gain alumni status, joining SPJIMRs global network of over 18,000 professionals. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 10:51 IST News education-career SPJIMR Opens Admissions For Fifth Batch Of PGDM Online Programme Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... News / International by Stephen Jakes BULAWAYO - The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has accused Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states of poor coordination and fake allegiance, saying this has prolonged peace negotiations between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government and M23 rebels, creating space for United States intervention under President Donald Trump.MRP leader Mqondisi Moyo said the recent USbrokered ceasefire in the DRC exposed the collapse of African leadership and the inability of regional institutions to resolve crises."Africa no longer resolves its own crises because its leaders no longer have the moral capacity, political will, or strategic discipline to do so. Conflicts must reach catastrophic levels before foreign powers intervene, and when they do, African leaders readily surrender their responsibility and authority," Moyo said.He argued that the African Union (AU), SADC and neighbouring states such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Tanzania had the capacity to act early but failed due to competing national interests and commercial ambitions over Congo's mineral wealth."This moral failure created the vacuum that the United States stepped into, with fragmented military deployment designed to secure interests, not peace," Moyo said.He added that Washington's intervention was driven by strategic interests in cobalt and coltan supply chains and in countering Chinese, Russian and European influence in the Great Lakes region.Moyo said the DRC crisis demonstrated how instability can be monetised, with leaders protecting illicit networks instead of civilians. He drew parallels with Mthwakazi, where he said silence and inaction by African institutions had allowed statesponsored violence and systemic injustice to persist."This is why Mthwakazi's grievances have been sidelined for decades, categorised as domestic issues despite their profound moral, legal and humanitarian implications. The AU and regional bodies were created to protect African people, resolve disputes and uphold justice. Yet today, they often serve a different purpose," he said.Moyo also cited Zimbabwe's involvement in the DRC conflict in the late 1990s and early 2000s, saying UN reports documented militarycommercial networks linking Zimbabwe's political elite to Congo's mineral wealth. He alleged senior commanders and rulingparty elites gained access to lucrative concessions in exchange for military support to the Kabila government.He criticised South Africa's role in the conflict, pointing to operational failures and diplomatic missteps that undermined SADC's credibility.Moyo concluded that Africa's leadership failures were pushing the continent towards a dangerous precipice."Today's selfserving leadership style, marked by weak governance and the prioritisation of personal gain over continental solidarity, is gradually pushing Africa toward a modern form of recolonisation. If African leaders continue to abandon principled leadership in favour of corruption, patronage and shortterm personal gain, the continent will increasingly be shaped and controlled by external powers," he said.He urged Africa to confront its failures, rebuild credible institutions and reclaim its agency, warning that otherwise future crises would be settled in Washington, Beijing or Brussels, for the benefit of external powers rather than African people. Bengal SIR: 58 Lakh Names Deleted As North Kolkata Tops Districts, One Crore More Under Scanner Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 08:38 IST At the constituency level, Chowringhee has recorded the highest number of deletions, with more than 74,000 voter names removed. Booth-level officers in field to distribute enumeration forms to voters for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of election rolls in West Bengal. (PTI) The draft electoral roll for West Bengal has been published, with 58,20,899 voter names deleted so far. According to available data, the deletions include: deceased voters: 24.16 lakh (3.15 per cent), shifted or absent voters: 32.65 lakh (4.26 per cent), and voters enrolled at multiple locations: 1.38 lakh (0.18 per cent). Most of these deletions relate to cases where verification forms were not returned, or where voters were reported to be deceased, shifted to another location, absent, or duplicated in the electoral rolls. The highest percentage of deletions has been recorded in Kolkata North, where 25 per cent of voter names have been removed from the draft rolls. At the constituency level, Chowringhee has recorded the highest number of deletions, with more than 74,000 voter names removed. In percentage terms, Jorasanko has seen a particularly high level of deletions, with over 36 per cent of voters removed from the draft roll. In absolute numbers, the largest number of deletions has been reported from South 24 Parganas, where more than eight lakh voter names have been deleted, followed by North 24 Parganas, with over seven lakh deletions. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said that no valid voter would be deleted. He clarified that if anyone is called for a hearing, there is no reason to be apprehensive. Voters can present their documents during the hearing, and if their claim is rejected, they have the option to appeal. The Election Commission has also identified more than one crore residents of the state whose status as valid voters cannot be fully confirmed. There are doubts regarding the authenticity of the information provided by these voters. As required, they may be summoned for hearings, during which their details will be verified. If the Commission is not satisfied after the hearing, their names may be removed from the electoral rolls. Data on the top 10 deletion-prone areas has been shared separately. An analysis of data on uncollectable electoral forms across selected Assembly constituencies in Kolkata North, Kolkata South, and Howrah indicates that deletions are primarily linked to death, untraceable or absent voters, permanent migration, multiple enrolments, and other reasons. Kolkata North dominates the list, accounting for six of the nine constituencies analysed. Key contributors include: Jorasanko: 72,899 uncollectable forms (highest overall) Chowringhee: 74,510 uncollectable forms (highest in absolute numbers) Beleghata: High death-related deletions (8.62 per cent) and permanent migration (10.53 per cent) In Howrah Uttar, 26.96 per cent of forms were uncollectable, with a notably high proportion attributed to permanent migration (11.57 per cent). In Kolkata South, Kolkata Port recorded 26.17 per cent uncollectable forms (constituency of Firhad Hakim with huge minority dominance), while Ballygunge reported 25.54 per cent. Both constituencies show a balanced spread between death, untraceable voters, and permanent migration. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a special meeting with booth-level agents of her own constituency, Bhabanipur. Sources told CNN-News18 that she directed party workers to verify the reasons behind the deletion of voter names. According to sources, the Chief Minister told the meeting, It is being learnt that 44,000 names have been deleted. Recheck all the deleted names thoroughly. Conduct a scrutiny to ascertain why each name has been removed. Verify the deletions party by party." She further instructed workers to: Stand by voters during hearings Provide all assistance at neighbourhood-level camps Take those facing documentation issues to May I Help You" camps Extend door-to-door assistance if required Ensure that no valid voters name is deleted Sources added that coordination between Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) was also discussed. Many BLAs said they had visited all households, but in some cases where forms were not returned, the situation could not be fully assessed. It was decided that visits would be conducted to every household where names have been deleted, checks would be carried out to ensure that living persons have not been wrongly marked as deceased, and special attention would be paid to multi-storeyed buildings. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 08:38 IST News elections Bengal SIR: 58 Lakh Names Deleted As North Kolkata Tops Districts, One Crore More Under Scanner Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Are Russia And Ukraine Close To A Ceasefire? What Trump Said And What Happened In Berlin Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:41 IST Despite Trump calling a Ukraine peace deal 'closer than ever' and leaders sounding upbeat after the Berlin meetings, major obstacles still remain. US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (IMAGE: X/@ZelenskyyUa) Nearly four years into the RussiaUkraine war, diplomatic efforts have intensified in a way not seen since the invasion began in 2022. A new round of talks in Berlin brought together Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, senior US envoys, and European leaders to refine a draft peace proposal that Washington plans to present to Moscow in the coming days. The meetings were followed by unusually upbeat public statements. Zelenskyy called the evolving framework very workable," and US President Donald Trump declared that an agreement was closer than ever." Germany said there was a small but real chance that a breakthrough could come soon. But the optimism has come with caution. The draft documents remain incomplete, and the core issues at the heart of the war Ukraines territorial integrity, Russias military demands, and the future of Kyivs security are still unresolved. The Berlin discussions nonetheless represent the most coordinated attempt yet to move the conflict from the battlefield to the negotiating table. What Happened At The Berlin Talks The talks in Berlin brought together Zelenskyy, Ukraines chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, US envoy Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. European leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the Nordic countries and the European Union also held parallel meetings. Together, these sessions focused on the latest iteration of a US-backed peace plan aimed at stopping the fighting and establishing long-term safeguards that would make future Russian aggression more difficult. Zelenskyy said after the meetings that the delegations had worked in great detail on documents that could stop the war and guarantee security." He added that every single detail matters because not a single detail must become a reward for Russias aggression." Speaking to reporters, he said the draft plan was not perfect" but described it as very workable," and noted that Kyiv and Washington were very close to (a deal on) strong security guarantees." There are now five separate documents under discussion. These include legally binding security guarantees that would require approval by the US Congress, as well as plans for funding Ukraines post-war recovery, and frameworks for Ukraines economic reconstruction and access to immobilised Russian sovereign assets in Europe. European leaders later said that they would work with the US to provide robust security guarantees and economic recovery support measures for Ukraine." Trump addressed European leaders by phone during their dinner session and told reporters at the White House afterwards that things are seemingly going well," adding, I think were closer now than we have been, ever." He also said he had spoken at length with Zelenskyy and that the US had been in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin. What The Emerging Peace Plan Contains The talks in Berlin centred on how to secure Ukraine once the fighting stops. A major element under consideration is a European-led multinational and multi-domain force that would operate inside Ukraine. According to European leaders, this force would strengthen Ukraines defences, help secure its skies and seas, and support the rebuilding of its armed forces, which they said should remain at a peacetime level of 800,000 troops. The US would play a central role by leading a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism with international participation. Zelenskyy has made clear that Kyiv needs clarity on these guarantees before contemplating any territorial arrangements. Addressing the Dutch parliament, he said that Ukraine and Europe were working on a document that could stop the killing," and emphasised that every detail represents a human life." US officials familiar with the negotiations have described the proposed guarantees as Article 5-like," referring to the NATO commitment that an attack on one member constitutes an attack on all. They have not specified what obligations the US would assume but have made clear that the guarantees would not involve American troops on the ground in Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that what the US placed on the table in Berlin, in terms of legal and material guarantees, was really considerable." Before the meetings, Zelenskyy signalled that Ukraine might be willing to abandon its ambition to join NATO if it received firm and legally binding security guarantees from the West. Russia has long cited Ukraines NATO aspirations as one of the reasons for its invasion in 2022. Why Territory Remains The Hardest Roadblock While there has been notable progress on security arrangements, the central question of territory particularly in the eastern Donbas region remains unresolved. Russia is demanding that Ukraine cede control of Donbas as a condition for a settlement. Zelenskyy, however, has taken a firm position that Ukraine will not give up this territory, and reiterated that it will not recognise the temporarily occupied part of the eastern Donbas region as legally or de facto Russian." The US has floated a compromise idea involving a free economic zone in certain areas of Donbas. Under this proposal, the zone would be demilitarised. Ukraine would withdraw from the area, but Russian forces would not enter it. Ukraine has raised questions about who would manage such a zone and how reciprocal troop withdrawals would be enforced. It remains unclear whether Putin would consider this proposal at all, given his long-standing objectives in eastern Ukraine. Russia currently controls nearly a fifth of Ukraines east and has been making incremental territorial gains while Kyiv faces military pressure and declining external ammunition supplies. As per a CNN report, US officials claimed that roughly 90 per cent of the issues between Russia and Ukraine have been solved, describing the issue of territorial concessions as a key sticking point. Russias Red Lines And Its Response To The Berlin Talks Moscow said it had not seen the text of the proposals on NATO-style security guarantees but the Kremlin has reiterated its long-standing conditions. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the idea of a temporary halt in fighting, saying, We want peace, we dont want a truce that would give Ukraine a respite and prepare for the continuation of the war." He added that Russia wanted to stop this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests, and guarantee peace in Europe for the future." Russia has previously demanded that Ukraine amend its constitution to forswear joining NATO and accept limits on the size of its military. It has also insisted that any agreement must reflect its territorial claims in eastern Ukraine. Peskov said that if Ukraine was looking for momentary, unsustainable solutions," Russia would not participate in such negotiations. These positions indicate that even if the US presents Moscow with the refined proposal next week, the Kremlins acceptance is far from guaranteed. Why Trump Says Peace Is Close, And Why Many Remain Sceptical Trump has said that there is tremendous support from European leaders" for ending the war and has repeatedly expressed confidence that negotiations are moving forward. But analysts remain doubtful that a ceasefire is imminent. Keir Giles, a Russian military expert at London think tank Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that Trump has repeatedly claimed that a peace deal is close without sustainable agreement." Nathalie Tocci, director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali, said it was extremely unlikely that a ceasefire is going to be reached now," citing the unresolved issues of territory and security. Russia and Ukraines war aims remain fundamentally incompatible. Russia believes it can secure more on the battlefield, while Ukraine remains unwilling to legitimise territorial losses. Zelenskyy wrote on X that we have different positions with Russia regarding territories. This must be acknowledged and discussed openly." He added that the US, acting as mediator, would propose steps to find some form of consensus." Giles noted that any ceasefire would only hold if Russia believed it would gain more by stopping its offensive than by continuing it. Without such an incentive, the likelihood of Moscow agreeing to a genuine halt in fighting remains low. Is A Ceasefire Really On The Horizon? The Berlin talks have brought the parties closer to articulating a framework for ending the war than at any point in recent years. The US and Europe have narrowed their differences on security guarantees. Ukraine says a draft plan could be finalised within days. Trump claims that momentum is building, and European leaders have spoken of a narrow but real window for progress. Yet the largest obstacles the fate of Donbas, Russias political and military demands, and the nature of Ukraines security guarantees remain unresolved. Russia has restated that it seeks a comprehensive settlement, not a temporary truce. Ukraine insists it will not reward aggression. And on the ground, Russian forces continue to hold substantial territory. For now, the diplomacy signals movement, but not resolution. Progress in Berlin may have opened the door slightly wider, but the fundamental questions at the core of the conflict still stand, and until those are addressed, a ceasefire, however close it appears, remains uncertain. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 09:34 IST News explainers Are Russia And Ukraine Close To A Ceasefire? What Trump Said And What Happened In Berlin Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... What Is Behind Trumps Expanded US Travel Ban Taking Effect In January 2026? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:13 IST From terrorism threats to forged documents and high visa overstays, the Trump administration has cited a wide set of risks behind its decision to expand the travel ban. Trump escalates immigration crackdown with expanded US Travel Ban covering 39 countries The United States is entering a new phase of restriction-heavy immigration controls, with the Trump administration dramatically expanding the travel-ban framework introduced earlier this year. The updated order, which takes effect on 1 January 2026, now applies to 39 countries through a combination of full and partial entry suspensions. It builds on the restrictions introduced in June this year, but the scale and rationale of the system have grown substantially, reflecting both security-driven and administrative concerns. The administrations rationale goes well beyond counterterrorism concerns, which dominated the earlier iteration of the policy. Instead, it presents a broader matrix of risks: deeply unreliable civil documentation systems, weak identity verification, refusal to share passport exemplars or law-enforcement data, widespread corruption, high visa-overstay rates in key categories such as B-1/B-2 tourist visas and F, M and J student or exchange visas, refusal to repatriate removable nationals, and the vulnerabilities created by Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) schemes. Each, it argues, undermines the United States ability to determine whether a foreign national poses a national security or public safety threat. Trump, in a proclamation on Tuesday, said the United States must exercise extreme vigilance" and cannot admit travellers from countries that continue to exhibit woeful inadequacies in screening, vetting, and provision of information." Without reliable identity records, criminal histories or functioning information-sharing systems, he said, US authorities cannot adequately assess risk. What Has The Trump Administration Announced? The expanded restrictions build directly on the June 2025 order, which revived the travel-ban framework from Trumps first term. That order had already placed full suspensions on 12 high-risk countries and partial restrictions on seven others. The administration has now chosen to continue those rules while adding several more layers. The administration will continue full suspensions of nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Partial restrictions remain in place for Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela. But the major shift is the addition of several new countries under full entry bans: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. According to the administration, these countries face either persistent terrorist activity, active conflict, limited government control or inadequate capacity to issue secure civil documents. Individuals travelling on documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority have also been placed under full entry bans, with the administration citing weakened administrative control in the West Bank and Gaza. Two countries previously under partial restriction Laos and Sierra Leone have been moved into the full-ban category. The administration says both have persistently high visa-overstay rates and inadequate identity-management systems. In addition, partial restrictions have been added for 15 more countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote dIvoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The restrictions affect immigrant visas and several non-immigrant categories, including B-1/B-2 visitor visas and student or exchange visas. Nigeria appears on the partial list due to the presence of Boko Haram and ISIS affiliates, which the administration says complicates background verification. Mauritania is included because the government lacks a meaningful presence in parts of the country, making identity checks difficult. Several others, including The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Laos and South Sudan, are cited for historically refusing to repatriate nationals after US removal orders. The only country to see an easing of rules is Turkmenistan. While immigrant visas remain suspended, the administration has lifted restrictions on its non-immigrant visas, citing significant progress" in information sharing and identity management. Why Has Trump Expanded The Travel Ban? The administrations central argument is that it cannot rely on the documentation, vetting or information-sharing capabilities of the listed countries. Trump, in the proclamation, said several countries have non-existent birth-registration systems," while others still issue documents that are handwritten and stamped on regular paper," making them easy to falsify. He said corruption in certain places allows individuals to purchase identity papers, birth certificates or marriage documents, undermining even basic biographical checks. Security conditions also form a major part of the administrations reasoning. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are cited for widespread terrorist activity. South Sudan and parts of Syria are said to lack sufficient central control. Such environments, the administration argues, make it difficult for home governments to maintain or share reliable criminal or identity data. Another major factor is visa overstays. The Department of Homeland Securitys Entry/Exit Overstay Report shows that several listed countries including Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Malawi and Laos have overstay rates exceeding 20 to 35 per cent in categories such as B-1/B-2 tourist visas and F, M and J student or exchange visas. The administration says these patterns demonstrate disregard for United States immigration laws" and place strain on enforcement mechanisms. Citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programmes form yet another justification. The administration argues that individuals from restricted countries can obtain citizenship from jurisdictions with no residency requirement, acquire new passports, and apply for US visas as nationals of those countries. Trump, in the proclamation, said such programmes pose challenges for screening and vetting" because they enable identity substitution and allow individuals to circumvent travel restrictions." The administration has also curtailed exceptions for family-based immigrant visas, arguing that when civil records from certain countries are weak or forged, these categories become harder to vet. Trump said such categories have in the past served [] as unique vectors for fraudulent, criminal, or even terrorist activity." As per a CNN report, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had earlier recommended expanding the list to around 3032 countries after a review of global vetting gaps. Which Exceptions Still Apply? Despite the expansions, several exceptions remain. The restrictions do not apply to: lawful permanent residents foreign nationals with existing valid visas diplomats and certain international officials athletes travelling for major global sporting events individuals with certain US government-linked special immigrant visas persecuted religious and ethnic minorities from Iran Beyond that, case-by-case waivers are available if officials determine that an individuals entry serves US national interests. Witnesses required for criminal proceedings in the United States may also receive such exceptions. These restrictions apply only to individuals who are outside the United States and do not currently possess valid visas. How Does This Fit Into Trumps Broader Approach To Immigration And Security? The expanded restrictions reflect one of Trumps central immigration objectives: tightening screening procedures and shifting responsibility onto foreign governments to meet US standards. The administration describes the policy as both a protective measure and a pressure tactic. By making restrictions country-specific, it says it aims to prompt governments to modernise documentation systems, share criminal and identity information, and reduce visa-overstay rates. Under the order, these restrictions will be reviewed every 180 days. Countries that demonstrate progress could see limitations lifted, while those that do not may face continued or expanded suspensions. At the same time, the administration argues that certain risks such as terrorism, armed conflict or entrenched corruption may justify prolonged restrictions. Trump, in the proclamation, said the United States cannot admit travellers from countries where authorities lack sufficient information to assess the risks they pose," and characterised the system as necessary to protect national security and uphold immigration law. The travel-ban expansion also comes alongside a wider immigration crackdown that has accelerated in recent weeks. The latest actions were announced after a shooting in Washington, DC, in November, in which one National Guard member was killed and another critically injured. The suspect in that case, an Afghan national who previously worked with a CIA-affiliated unit, entered the US following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and was granted asylum earlier this year after undergoing vetting. Following the incident, the administration moved to tighten almost every channel of legal and illegal entry into the country. This has included a pause on most asylum decisions, a review of cases processed during the Biden administration, and a re-examination" of certain green-card holders to determine continued eligibility. Deportation operations have also intensified. The crackdown also comes in the wake of a December 13 Islamic State ambush in Syria that killed two US soldiers and an American civilian interpreter. What Happens Next? The expanded restrictions take effect on 1 January 2026. No existing visas will be revoked, and asylum seekers or refugees already admitted are not affected. The State Department, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice will coordinate implementation and continue engaging listed countries on the steps needed to meet US vetting requirements. With 39 countries now facing full or partial restrictions, the policy marks one of the most extensive immigration actions taken by the Trump administration to date. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 12:45 IST News explainers What Is Behind Trumps Expanded US Travel Ban Taking Effect In January 2026? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... From Ethiopia To Ghana: How PM Modis Visits Boosted Indias Strategic Partnership With Africa Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 14:58 IST PM Modi on Wednesday underscored the outcomes of his Ethiopia visit, calling the signing of multiple agreements a significant step in strengthening bilateral partnership Rapid Read Prime Minister Narendra Modi after being conferred with Ethiopia's highest award 'The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia' by his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali, in Addis Ababa. (PMO via PTI Photo) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday on his maiden bilateral visit, during which the two countries elevated their historical ties to the level of Strategic Partnership. The PM on Wednesday underscored the outcomes of his Ethiopia visit, calling the signing of multiple agreements a significant" step in strengthening a bilateral partnership focused on growth and people-centric development". Over the past 11 years, PM Modi has elevated India-Africa relations to a new level of strategic partnership. In the past one year, PM Modi has accelerated this connect with Africa through his visits. The visits have revitalised diplomatic and developmental ties across Africa, marking a strategic outreach under his leadership. https://t.co/Tbq3c9Mxjx Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 17, 2025 A look at his recent visits: Ethiopia (December 2025): PM Modi also held wide-ranging talks with his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed Ali, following which, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of three MoUs. The Memoranda of Understanding were signed in the fields of UN Peacekeeping Operations Training, Mutual Administrative Assistance in the Customs Matters, and the establishment of Data Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. The two sides also announced upgrading ties to Strategic Partnership, debt restructuring under G20, more Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians, and support for maternal and neonatal healthcare. South Africa (November 2025): PM Modi travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa to attend the 20th G20 Leaders Summit, which was being hosted there from November 22 to 23, 2025. On the sidelines of the summit, he held bilateral talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, focusing on cooperation in trade, critical minerals, technology, AI, and other areas of partnership. Ghana (July 2025): PM Modi, who visited Ghana from July 2 to July 3, 2025, became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country in about 30 years. The Ghana visit focused on strengthening bilateral ties, economic cooperation, and engaging with African partners as part of Indias Global South outreach. Namibia (July 2025): PM Modi visited Namibia on July 9 as the final leg of his five-nation tour. This was his first visit to Namibia as Prime Minister and only the third ever by an Indian PM to the country in nearly three decades. He held high-level talks with Namibias President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on strengthening bilateral ties across digital tech, defence, trade, agriculture, healthcare, education, and critical minerals Mauritius (March 2025): PM Modi visited Mauritius on a two-day state visit from March 11 to 12 as the Guest of Honour at Mauritius National Day celebrations. This was Modis second official visit to Mauritius as Indian Prime Minister and marked a strengthening of the long-standing ties between India and the island nation. During the visit, India and Mauritius signed multiple MoUs spanning cooperation in trade, governance, financial systems, capacity building, and other areas. India also committed to supporting local infrastructure and development projects, including assistance with a new Parliament building and other community initiatives. Nigeria (November 2024): PM Modi visited Nigeria on November 17-18, 2024, making it the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Nigeria in 17 years. Modi and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held strategic talks to deepen cooperation in areas like defence, energy, trade, technology, health, and education. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 14:54 IST News india From Ethiopia To Ghana: How PM Modis Visits Boosted Indias Strategic Partnership With Africa Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Goa Nightclub Fire: Probe Panel Explores Conflicting Theories On What Caused Blaze | Exclusive Reported By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 20:58 IST News18 has learnt that investigators are now also scrutinising the possibility of a short circuit in the electrical systems located above the main stage Initial findings suggested that the infernowhich killed 20 staff members and five touristswas triggered by 'fireworks activity' near the main stage in the clubs deck area. File image The investigation into the devastating Birch by Romeo Lane" fire in Arpora, North Goa, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, has entered a critical phase. As accessed exclusively by CNN-News18, the government-appointed magisterial committee is currently navigating conflicting" opinions regarding the definitive cause of the blaze, which remains yet to be conclusively" established. Initial findings suggested that the infernowhich killed 20 staff members and five touristswas triggered by fireworks activity" near the main stage in the clubs deck area. Witness accounts from that night described a belly dance performance during which pyrotechnics allegedly ignited the highly flammable thatched roof made of bamboo and palm leaves. However, investigators are now also scrutinising the possibility of a short circuit in the electrical systems located above the main stage, leading to divergent theories within the probe. Performers Claim Cold Pyro Use A central part of the investigation involved recording the testimonies of the belly dancer and her troupe, who were on stage when the fire erupted. According to sources, the performers claimed that the fireworks used were cold" spark machines, which are designed to be indoor-safe and not cause ignition. To support their defence, the troupe reportedly provided the committee with videos of previous performances at the same venue and other locations, demonstrating that similar equipment had been used without incident. Despite these claims, technical experts noted that the zirconium powder often used in such machines can become dangerous if added arbitrarily or in incorrect proportions. Investigators have clarified that only the pending forensic report from the State Forensic Laboratory will be able to scientifically confirm whether the ignition was chemical (fireworks) or electrical (short circuit). Systemic Lapses and Accountability While the exact spark remains under debate, the magisterial probe has already flagged massive systemic failures. The nightclub was reportedly operating with: Zero fire-safety infrastructure: No extinguishers, smoke detectors, or sprinklers. Structural violations: Combustible interior finishes and inadequate ventilation in the basement, where most victims died of suffocation. Missing permits: The venue lacked a valid Fire NOC and several mandatory operating licences. The committee, headed by North Goa Collector Ankit Yadav, is now focusing on the accountability of government departments that allowed the club to function despite these lapses. In a related development, the clubs owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, were remanded to five-day police custody on Wednesday after being deported from Thailand. The final report, expected shortly, aims to fix responsibility on both the owners and the regulatory agencies that turned a blind eye to this death trap". News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 20:58 IST News india Goa Nightclub Fire: Probe Panel Explores Conflicting Theories On What Caused Blaze | Exclusive Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Identify Deviations': Medical Body Tells Hospitals Unclear Prescriptions Risk Patient Safety Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 08:37 IST The panels in medical colleges will review and analyse prescription patterns, identify deviations, and recommend corrective measures for improving adherence. The move follows an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which held that a readable medical prescription is part of the right to health under Article 21 of the Constitution. (AI generated image) Indias apex medical body, the National Medical Commission (NMC), has directed all medical colleges and hospitals to closely monitor how prescriptions are written, stressing that unclear or illegible prescriptions can directly affect patient safety, News18 has learnt. The move covers public hospitals including AIIMS, Ram Manohar Lohiya Hospital, Lady Hardinge Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Army hospitals and ESIC hospitals. The panel will not only monitor the prescription practices in the medical college linked hospitals but also teach best prescription writing practices via the medical curriculum. The move follows an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which held that a readable medical prescription is part of the right to health under Article 21 of the Constitution. Acting on this order, the NMC has now asked medical colleges to formally track prescription practices and strengthen oversight within hospitals. In a notice issued on December 11, seen by News18, the NMC said that every medical college shall establish a dedicated Sub-Committee, under the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee (DTC), for monitoring prescriptions and ensuring compliance with the statutory, regulatory, and ethical standards." Panel to monitor prescription practices In a follow-up letter issued on December 15 to principals and deans of all medical colleges, the NMC instructed institutions to form the sub-committee immediately" and begin monitoring without delay. Compliance with these directions has been made mandatory." The commission has laid down clear responsibilities for this sub-committee. According to the directions, the panel will develop a structured plan for systematic appraisal of prescriptions to assess compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines." It will also review and analyse prescription patterns, identify deviations, and recommend corrective measures for improving adherence." The NMC has further said that the findings of each appraisal are recorded in the minutes of the DTC meetings" and that medical colleges must make such records available to the National Medical Commission whenever called for." Institutions have also been instructed to ensure timely implementation of all recommended measures to enhance compliance of the Court order." Why has such a step been taken? The NMC said the need for such monitoring arises because existing rules already require doctors to write prescriptions clearly, yet compliance has remained uneven. Current regulations mandate that every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters, and he/she shall ensure rational prescription and use of drugs." The commission said the steps are aimed at improving clarity in medical documentation, reducing prescription errors, and ensuring that hospitals follow legal and ethical standards laid down under existing medical laws. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 08:37 IST News india 'Identify Deviations': Medical Body Tells Hospitals Unclear Prescriptions Risk Patient Safety Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Land Of Enduring Friendship: PM Modi Reaches Oman On Final Leg Of Three-Nation Visit Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:54 IST PM Modi is visiting Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. Rapid Read PM Modi was warmly welcomed by Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said at the airport. (X/@narendramodi) PM Modi in Oman: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reached Oman, the final leg of his three-nation, four-day tour after concluding his visits to Jordan and Ethiopia. The Prime Minister was welcomed by Omans Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said at the Muscat airport. He was also accorded a guard of honour at the airport. Landed in Muscat, Oman. This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership," he said in a post on X. Landed in Muscat, Oman. This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership. pic.twitter.com/RKZ5d8M1Jf Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 17, 2025 PM Modi is visiting Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. During his two-day visit, he will hold talks with the countrys top leadership on strengthening the Strategic Partnership and expanding cooperation in commercial and economic sectors, and is expected to sign an ambitious trade deal. This is his second visit to the Gulf nation and marks 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Whats On Agenda? India has said that it is very optimistic" about finalising an ambitious trade deal with Oman during the visit. The free trade agreement between India and Oman was approved by the Union Cabinet last Friday. The FTA would open greater opportunities for sectors such as textiles, food processing, automobiles, auto components, and gems and jewellery. Talks for the agreement, officially termed as CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), formally began in November 2023, and the negotiations concluded this year. In free trade agreements, the two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on a maximum number of goods traded between them. They also ease norms to promote trade in services and attract investments. India already has a similar agreement with another GCC member, the UAE, which came into effect in May 2022. The other members of the council are Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Oman is the third-largest export destination for India among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. We are all very optimistic about it. The teams from both sides have been working very hard for its early finalisation," Arun Chatterjee, a secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), had said at a media briefing when asked whether the proposed India-Oman comprehensive economic partnership agreement will be inked during Modis visit. India-Oman bilateral trade was about $10.5 billion (exports $4 billion and imports $6.54 billion) in 2024-25. Indias key imports are petroleum products and urea. These account for over 70 per cent of imports. Other key products are propylene and ethylene polymers, pet coke, gypsum, chemicals, iron and steel, and unwrought aluminium. The main items of Indias exports to Oman include mineral fuels, chemicals, precious metals, iron and steel, cereals, ships, boats and floating structures, electrical machinery, boilers, tea, coffee, spices, apparel, and food items. During the visit, PM Modi is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora here. (With inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Muscat, Oman First Published: December 17, 2025, 19:54 IST News india Land Of Enduring Friendship: PM Modi Reaches Oman On Final Leg Of Three-Nation Visit Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Lucknow Police Foil Rs 1.5 Crore Digital Arrest Cyber Scam, Rescue 75-Year-Old Widow Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:39 IST Lucknow police foiled a Rs 1.5 crore cyber scam, rescuing a 75-year-old widow from a digital arrest while funds were at risk. Cyber Criminals Target Widow in Digital Arrest Scam; Police Act Just in Time. (Representative image) The Vikas Nagar police in Lucknow recently stopped a massive cyber fraud. Acting on an internal tip-off, officers rescued a 75-year-old widow from a digital arrest" scam and prevented the loss of nearly Rs 1.5 crore of her life savings. What we know about the case? The victim, Usha Shukla, had been under extreme mental pressure for four days. Cyber criminals posing as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contacted her through repeated WhatsApp video calls. They claimed she was linked to a large money laundering and terror funding case involving Delhi and Kashmir. The fraudsters told her that her late husbands Aadhaar card and mobile number had been misused in a Rs 50 crore terror funding case. Her husband, a former PWD employee, passed away eight years ago. Fearful and confused, the elderly woman believed the callers were genuine officers. Digital arrest tactics To make their story convincing, the callers showed video visuals of people in uniform sitting in what looked like official offices. They warned her not to leave her house, not to contact family members, and to strictly follow their instructions. This form of control is known as digital arrest". She was asked to share Aadhaar details, bank documents and other confidential papers. The fraudsters then instructed her to prematurely break her fixed deposits and transfer the money through RTGS to accounts provided by them. Polices timely intervention Unlike most cyber fraud cases that are reported after money is lost, the police acted before any transfer took place. On December 15, the Vikas Nagar police received information that an elderly woman in the area was under suspicious pressure. Officers rushed to her home while the fraudsters were still speaking to her on video call. To her shock, real police officers arrived at her doorstep. The police spoke to the callers and quickly realised it was a scam. Role of alert bank officials Bank officials also played a key role in stopping the fraud. When the woman visited her Punjab National Bank branch to break a fixed deposit worth Rs 1.21 crore, the staff sensed something was wrong. Due to the large amount, the matter was escalated to the branch manager. The manager kept her engaged, alerted the police and helped freeze her bank accounts. Other banks were also informed to prevent any unauthorised transfers. Rs 1.5 crore saved According to police officials, between December 11 and 15, the fraudsters had already collected several sensitive documents. This raised fears that money from multiple accounts could be siphoned off at any moment. Thanks to swift coordination between the police, banks and the cyber cell, all accounts were frozen in time. The woman was counselled and informed about the scam. In total, savings worth nearly Rs 1.5 crore were secured. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 09:39 IST News india Lucknow Police Foil Rs 1.5 Crore Digital Arrest Cyber Scam, Rescue 75-Year-Old Widow Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Luthra Brothers Allowed Fireworks In Goa Nightclub Despite Knowing The Risks: Police To Court Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Manjiri Joshi Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:32 IST Goa nightclub fire: The Luthra brothers were produced before the JMFC Court, Mapusa, which remanded them in five-day police custody Rapid Read Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub (right), where a massive fire killed 25, upon their arrival in New Delhi. (PTI/File) The Luthra brothers knowingly permitted and organised fireworks inside their nightclub in Goa, where a fire killed 25 on December 6, without adopting any security measures, the Goa police told a local court. The police said the owners were fully aware that such an activity posed serious fire hazards and was likely to cause loss of life. Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, were brought to Goa from Delhi earlier in the day after being deported from Thailand. They were produced in a court in Mapusa after undergoing health check-up at the District Hospital in North Goa. The accused have been remanded in five-day police custody. Luthra brothers reached Goa on Wednesday morning The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports. They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations. The Luthra brothers were arrested on Tuesday as soon as they landed in Delhi after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand. A team of the Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am. The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were later taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa. After their health assessment, which took over an hour, the two were taken to the Anjuna police station, about 10 km from there. They were subsequently produced in the court. Violations at Goa nightclub The Goa Police, in its first information report (FIR) into the fire, had highlighted the lapses at the nightclub. The FIR stated that the fire show was organised by the club management without requisite permissions and precautions. The fire started on the first floor of the club, and the youngsters could not move out due to congestion and small doors. The restaurant did not have emergency exit on the ground or deck floor to evacuate people in case of emergency," reads the FIR. The FIR has been filed under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 125, 125 (a), 125 (b) and 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. According to the FIR, the nightclub staged a high-risk fire performance despite having no extinguishers, sprinklers, alarms, or smoke-extraction systems. Investigators found that no fire audit had been conducted prior to opening, making the venue a severe fire hazard. The Goa nightclub fire aftermath After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire. With PTI Inputs News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Goa, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 18:45 IST News india Luthra Brothers Allowed Fireworks In Goa Nightclub Despite Knowing The Risks: Police To Court Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... MEA Summons Bangladesh Envoy Over Threats To Indian High Commission, 'Seven Sisters' Remark Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Aveek Banerjee Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:35 IST MEA summoned the Bangladesh High Commissioner after provocative statements by student leader Hasnat Abdullah, who said Dhaka will 'sever' India's 'seven sisters'. Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs. (ANI) Indias Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday summoned Bangladeshs High Commissioner to formally lodge a diplomatic protest over threats to the Indian High Commission and provocative anti-India statements made by Bangladeshi leaders. India conveyed its concern over the threats by some extremist groups to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka to the Bangladesh High Commissioner, M Riaz Hamidullah, without specifying the exact nature of the threat. India had already evacuated non-essential staff and dependents from its High Commission in August 2024 amid widespread unrest. The Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, H.E. Mr Riaz Hamidullah, was today (December 17, 2025) summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs and apprised of Indias strong concerns at the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh. His attention was drawn, in particular, to the activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka," the MEA said in a statement. #WATCH | Delhi | India has summoned the Bangladesh High Commissioner regarding the security of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka after a threat was received pic.twitter.com/LlM7uOyuYl ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2025 India completely rejects the false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh. It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents," it added, referring to recent allegations by Bangladeshi leaders suggesting Indias involvement in influencing Bangladesh elections. India has close and friendly relations with the people of Bangladesh rooted in the liberation struggle, and strengthened through various developmental and people-to-people initiatives. We are in favour of peace and stability in Bangladesh and have consistently called for free, fair, inclusive and credible elections, conducted in a peaceful atmosphere. We expect the interim government to ensure the safety of Missions and Posts in Bangladesh in keeping with its diplomatic obligations." Anti-India Remarks The summon came a day after National Citizen Party (NCP) Hasnat Abdullah on Monday warned that Dhaka could shelter forces hostile to India, including separatist groups, and help sever Indias seven sisters" Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. Abdullah made the remarks while addressing a gathering at Dhakas Central Shaheed Minar. We will shelter separatist and anti-India forces and then we will sever the seven sisters from India," Abdullah said, drawing loud cheers from sections of the audience. I want to make it clear to India that if you provide shelter to forces that do not respect Bangladeshs sovereignty, potential, voting rights, and human rights, Bangladesh will respond." ALSO READ: Trust Must Flourish: Bangladesh Envoy Calls For Closer India Ties On Victory Day Amid Strains India has long accused militant and separatist groups operating in the Northeast of using Bangladesh as a sanctuary, transit route and logistics base, particularly during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Several insurgent outfits from Assam and Tripura maintained camps, safe houses, or support networks across the border during this period. Beyond the Northeast, Bangladesh was also hosted Islamist extremist networks with links to India. Groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) and later Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were flagged by Indian agencies for their cross-border presence and for facilitating radicalisation and logistics networks affecting eastern India. India Rebuffs Bangladeshs Claims This came days after India categorically rejected allegations made by Bangladeshs Interim Government that anti-Bangladesh activities were being carried out from Indian territory, saying that New Delhi has consistently supported free, fair and inclusive elections in the neighbouring country and has never allowed its territory to be used for activities hostile to the interests of the Bangladeshi people. Last week, NCP convenor Nahid Islam suggested, without evidence, that India and the Awami League may have been involved in the attempted assassination of NCP spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi. He said the Awami League was working in exile in India and was seeking to re-establish itself in Bangladesh. Bangladeshs Foreign Ministry summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma, conveying Dhakas strong concerns over India allegedly allowing ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to continue making provocative statements calling on leaders and activists to engage in terrorist activities" in Bangladesh from Indian soil. It further raised what it called anti-Bangladesh activities" by Awami League members residing in India, alleging that they were attempting to destabilise Bangladesh and derail the upcoming parliamentary elections. Bangladesh also demanded India to hand over the suspects behind Hadis assassination attempt if they had entered Indian territory. In response, the MEA said, We have consistently reiterated our position in favour of free, fair, inclusive and credible elections being held in Bangladesh in a peaceful atmosphere. India has never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of the friendly people of Bangladesh." IndiaBangladesh relations have been strained since the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5, 2024, following student-led protests. Hasina fled to India after her ouster and has since been staying in a secret safe house in New Delhi. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 12:14 IST News india MEA Summons Bangladesh Envoy Over Threats To Indian High Commission, 'Seven Sisters' Remark Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... News / National by Staff reporter The National University of Science and Technology (Nust) has formally applied for special dispensation to undertake experimental mining on its main Bulawayo campus, aiming to advance research, teaching, and innovation in mineral extraction and mining engineering.The initiative also seeks to curb illegal gold panning that has increasingly encroached onto campus grounds and nearby residential areas such as Killarney, causing environmental degradation. By formalising mining operations, Nust intends to harness its gold deposits in a controlled academic environment, rather than merely reacting to unauthorised activities.Nust has applied to the Bulawayo City Council for a Special Mining Grant, which would allow it to engage the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and partner with the School of Mines to conduct experimental mining and research. The university emphasises that the mine will serve as a practical training facility, fostering innovation, testing new technologies, and developing solutions for the mining sector.The project aligns with Education 5.0, the government's framework to integrate teaching, research, community engagement, innovation, and industrialisation, while also contributing to the sustainability of Zimbabwe's mining industry.Illegal mining has been a persistent challenge: earlier this year, Nust enlisted the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to repel gold panners, and in the previous year, six men were arrested and sentenced to six months in prison for conducting illicit mining operations within the campus.The experimental mine is envisioned as a model for combining academic research with practical mining operations, providing students with hands-on experience while protecting university property and nearby communities from illegal mining activities. MP Shocker: Newborn Baby Girl Found Dead Inside Hospital Toilet Commode In Chhindwara Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 11:22 IST A newborn baby girl was found dead inside a toilet at a government hospital in Chhindwara, triggering shock and a police investigation. MP Shocker: Newborn Baby Girl Found Dead in Hospital Toilet in Chhindwara. (Representative Image) A shocking incident has come to light at Parasia Civil Hospital in Madhya Pradeshs Chhindwara district, where the body of a newborn baby girl was found lodged inside a toilet commode on Monday night, according to a TOI report. The discovery has called for a police investigation and renewed concern over infant abandonment in the state. The incident was noticed by a female hospital employee who found that a toilet was not flushing properly. On checking the commode, she saw what appeared to be the hand and head of a newborn. She immediately informed hospital authorities, who alerted senior staff. A search was carried out across the hospital, including the antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC) and labour rooms, to trace any woman who may have delivered a child and left without informing staff. However, no such case was found. Following this, the police were informed. With the help of municipal workers and hospital staff, the toilet structure was broken, and the body of the newborn was retrieved at around 8 pm. What police said? Preliminary inquiries suggest that a pregnant woman may have entered the hospital during outpatient department (OPD) hours. Police believe she delivered the baby inside the toilet and then tried to dispose of the body by flushing it before leaving the premises. Investigators suspect the act could be linked to social pressures surrounding the birth of a girl child, though this is yet to be confirmed. A case has been registered, and further investigation is under way. CCTV footage under scrutiny Police are examining footage from 26 CCTV cameras installed across the hospital to identify anyone who may have entered or exited around the time of the incident. OPD registers and staff duty records are also being checked. However, the toilet where the infant was found did not have CCTV coverage, making the probe more challenging. Hospital authorities have assured full cooperation with the investigation. The incident has once again highlighted Madhya Pradeshs troubling record on infant abandonment. According to the National Crime Records Bureaus Crime in India 2023 report, the state recorded the highest number of infant abandonment cases in the country last year. In 2023 alone, Madhya Pradesh reported 140 cases of infant abandonment out of 653 cases nationwide. The state has topped this list consistently since 2019, reporting 187 cases in 2019, 186 in 2020, 159 in 2021 and 174 in 2022. The NCRB data also shows that Madhya Pradesh recorded 20 cases of foeticide and 12 cases of infanticide in 2023. Police officials said the postmortem examination will be crucial in determining the exact cause of death and whether the baby was born alive. Based on the findings, further legal action will be taken. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Madhya Pradesh, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 11:22 IST News india MP Shocker: Newborn Baby Girl Found Dead Inside Hospital Toilet Commode In Chhindwara Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Mystery Balloon With 'Pakistani' Markings Found In Himachal Village, Probe Underway Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 08:52 IST A resident of Chalet village found the balloon on the roof of their house on Saturday morning and promptly informed the Daulatpur police post. Panic erupted after Pakistani balloon found on house roof in Himachal Pradesh's Una district. A suspicious balloon with Pakistani markings was found on the roof a house in Himachal Pradeshs Una district, causing alarm among the residents of the village. The incident occured last week on Saturday. The balloon resembled an airplane with markings of the Pakistani flag and PIA" (Pakistan International Airlines) written on it. The incident comes days after a similar incident was reported in another village of the Una district, leading to some apprehension among the locals. A resident of Chalet village found the balloon on the roof of their house on Saturday morning and promptly informed the Daulatpur police post. Police Post In-charge Ravipal, along with his team, reached the spot and took stock of the situation. The police took the balloon into its custody. Following this, the police, as a precautionary measure, inspected the surrounding area to check for other suspicious objects. Earlier, on December 8, three such balloons were also found in Tatehra village of Gagret sub-division. The balloons had the markings of the Pakistani flag on them, with I Love Pakistan" written on them. The police team said the balloons did not have any devices attached to it. A detailed investigation is underway to determine the origin of the balloon. (With agency inputs) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Himachal Pradesh, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 08:52 IST News india Mystery Balloon With 'Pakistani' Markings Found In Himachal Village, Probe Underway Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... One Year Separation Not Mandatory For Divorce By Mutual Consent: Delhi High Court Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 23:49 IST Waiver is not to be granted as a matter of course, but only where the court is satisfied that the circumstances of exceptional hardship to the petitioner. Delhi High Court. (File image) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that the one year separation period required as a pre-requisite for presenting the first motion for divorce by mutual consent is not mandatory and can be waived in by courts in appropriate cases. A bench comprising Justice Navin Chawla, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani and Justice Renu Bhatnagar held that the condition prescribed under Section 13B(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 is not mandatory and the separation period can be waived by applying the proviso to section 14(1) of the enactment, LiveLaw reported. Citing several Supreme Court judgments and their subsequent interpretations, the bench said Section 13B(1), which begins with the words subject to the provisions of this Act", must be read harmoniously under the conditions of Section 14(1) of the HMA. Where the court is satisfied that the 01-year period under section 13B(1) and the 06-month period under section 13B(2) of the HMA deserve to be waived, the court is not legally mandated to defer the date from which the divorce decree would take effect, and such decree may be made effective forthwith," the bench observed. However, the High Court ruled that such waiver is not to be granted merely for the asking but only upon the court being satisfied that circumstances of exceptional hardship to the petitioner" and exceptional depravity on the part of the respondent" exist. Section 14(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act allows courts to waive statutory waiting periods in rare cases involving exceptional hardship" or exceptional depravity". The bench said that the waiver of the one year period and the six month period are to be considered independently of each other, the news outlet reported. The bench rendered these findings while answering a reference arising from conflicting interpretations of whether parties must complete one year of separation before approaching the court for mutual consent divorce. The bench held that the view taken earlier by the various Single Benches holding that section 13B of the HMA is a complete code in itself and that the proviso to section 14(1) of the HMA does not apply to petitions filed under section 13B is not the correct view. In all other cases, the mere consensual assertion of the parties is sufficient to fulfil the requirements of section 13B(1) of the HMA and cannot be second- guessed. In a sense therefore, verification of the 01-year separation period in section 13B(1) is all but illusive," the High Court said as reported by the news outlet. The bench emphasised that the core requirement of Section 13B is the free and informed consent of both parties, not rigid adherence to timelines. Forcing unwilling spouses to remain legally bound in a broken marriage could amount to an unjustified intrusion into personal liberty and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution, the Court added. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 23:49 IST News india One Year Separation Not Mandatory For Divorce By Mutual Consent: Delhi High Court Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... UP Horror: Man Kills Wife, Two Daughters For Not Wearing Burqa; Buries Bodies At Home Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:27 IST The incident took place on December 10 in Ghari Daulat village under the Kandhla police station area, but remained hidden for several days until police uncovered it on Tuesday. Shocking UP Case: Wife and Daughters Murdered, Bodies Dug Out from Home A horrifying crime has come to light in Uttar Pradeshs Shamli district, where a man allegedly killed his wife and two young daughters after being angered by his wife stepping out without wearing a burqa. The accused, Farooq, has been arrested for the murders, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place on December 10 in Ghari Daulat village under the Kandhla police station area, but remained hidden for several days until police uncovered the truth on Tuesday evening. What do we know about the case? According to police, Farooqs wife Tahira had gone to her parental home following a domestic dispute. During this time, she was not wearing a burqa or niqab, which reportedly angered her husband. Investigators said Farooq viewed this as a matter of honour" and became violent when she returned home. Police said this dispute over clothing and control escalated into a brutal act of violence inside the house. Tahira and her daughters, Afreen and Sehrin, were reported missing for nearly five days. Their sudden disappearance raised suspicion within the family. Farooqs father eventually approached the police, expressing concern and suspecting foul play. When police began questioning Farooq, he allegedly tried to mislead investigators and gave inconsistent statements about the whereabouts of his wife and children. Confession during interrogation Under sustained interrogation, Farooq broke down and confessed to the murders, police said. He revealed that he shot his wife Tahira and elder daughter Afreen, while his younger daughter Sehrin was strangled. After killing them, he buried all three bodies in a pit inside the courtyard of his house. The pit had reportedly been dug earlier for the construction of a toilet, allowing the crime to remain concealed for days. Bodies found buried in courtyard Following the confession, police took Farooq to his house and began digging the courtyard. The bodies of Tahira and her two daughters were recovered from the pit. They were sent for post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death and collect forensic evidence. The recovery of the bodies sent shockwaves through Ghari Daulat village, where residents gathered in disbelief as police carried out the excavation. A man killed his wife and two children, then buried their bodies in the courtyard.Shamli, UP: After committing the crime, the accused, Mohd Farukh, lived normally for five days. He reportedly became angry when his wife went out without wearing a hijab. He shot his wife and pic.twitter.com/9PDJN9vSaW Krishna Chaudhary (@KrishnaTOI) December 17, 2025 What police said? Superintendent of Police Narendra Pratap Singh confirmed that the accused has been taken into custody and a detailed investigation is underway. The accused has confessed to the crime. Necessary legal action is being taken, and the case is being investigated thoroughly," he said. Police are examining all aspects of the case, including domestic abuse, motive, and whether the crime was premeditated. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Uttar Pradesh, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 13:26 IST News india UP Horror: Man Kills Wife, Two Daughters For Not Wearing Burqa; Buries Bodies At Home Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Why Ethiopia Welcomed PM Modi With Traditional Coffee Ceremony At The Airport | Explained Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 10:42 IST PM Modi was welcomed with Ethiopias traditional coffee ceremony, a ritual of life and friendship that symbolises respect, community, and diplomatic warmth Rapid Read The Ethiopian coffee ceremony for PM Modi was not just a cultural display; it carried profound diplomatic symbolism. Typically, VVIP visits involve red carpets, formal ceremonies, and a guard of honour. But Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali drew global attention by choosing a different approach for PM Narendra Modi. Instead of formalities, he organised a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, the most sacred ritual in their culture, right at the airport. To add a personal touch, he also drove PM Modi to his hotel. But what exactly is this coffee ceremony? Why is it considered a celebration of life in Ethiopia? And how can a cup of coffee symbolically strengthen ties between two nations? Coffee: More Than Just A Beverage While coffee is loved worldwide, for Ethiopians, it is far more than a drink; it is an identity. Ethiopia is recognised as the birthplace of coffee, and the beverage is woven into its folklore and history as profoundly as the Ganges is in India. There is a local saying: Buna dabo naw", meaning coffee is our bread. This illustrates how central coffee is to everyday life. In Ethiopia, coffee is not a solitary affair; it fosters community, honours elders, and elevates guests to a revered status. A Magical Ritual: The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a deliberate, unhurried tradition, standing in contrast to todays instant coffee culture. The ritual lasts one to two hours and is as much a performance as a beverage preparation. It is typically conducted by women wearing traditional white attire known as the Habesha Kemis. The ceremony has three main stages, engaging all five senses. Roasting for an Intoxicating Aroma: The ceremony begins with green (raw) coffee beans, which are washed and roasted over a small charcoal fire in front of guests. As the beans darken from green to brown, an intoxicating aroma fills the air. The host often moves the roasting pan closer so guests can fully inhale the fragrance, a step known as smoke tasting. This initial stage is crucial in welcoming visitors. Grinding and Brewing: Once roasted, the beans are manually pounded using a traditional wooden mortar and pestle, called a Zenezena. The rhythmic pounding adds a musical dimension to the ceremony. The ground coffee is then poured into a Jebena, a clay pitcher with a round bottom and long neck, along with water, and slowly brewed over a coal fire. A filter made of horsehair or special grass is placed over the spout to strain the coffee. The Serving Technique: The brewed coffee is served in small, handleless ceramic cups called cini. The host pours the coffee from a height of about a foot, forming a smooth stream without spilling a drop. Accompaniments such as roasted barley, peanuts, or popcorn are often served alongside. The Rule Of Three Cups: Abol, Tona, and Baraka Ethiopian tradition dictates that guests drink three cups of coffee, each with a unique name and significance: Abol: The first cup, strongest and thickest; drinking it is mandatory. Tona: The second cup, made by adding water to the remaining coffee and boiling again; consumed to encourage discussion. Baraka: The third and final cup, meaning blessing; drinking it is believed to bring blessings from elders and God. From Legend To Global Brew Ethiopias claim as the birthplace of coffee comes with a famous legend. In the 9th century, a shepherd named Kaldi noticed his goats becoming energetic after eating red berries from a bush. Curious, he tried the berries himself and felt revitalised. He brought the beans to a monastery, where monks initially rejected them as the devils fruit. Roasting revealed a captivating aroma, and boiling the beans in water eventually led to the worlds first coffee, Arabica, originating from Ethiopias forests. Diplomacy In A Cup: More Than Culture The ceremony for PM Modi was not just a cultural display; it carried profound diplomatic symbolism. Solidarity of the Global South: Both India and Ethiopia are prominent voices of developing nations. By personally driving and hosting PM Modi, Abiy Ahmed signalled that India is a true friend, not merely a trading partner. Both India and Ethiopia are prominent voices of developing nations. By personally driving and hosting PM Modi, Abiy Ahmed signalled that India is a true friend, not merely a trading partner. Personal Touch: Informal diplomacy strengthens personal chemistry between leaders. PM Modi has often emphasised its importance, and this gesture reflects mutual respect. Informal diplomacy strengthens personal chemistry between leaders. PM Modi has often emphasised its importance, and this gesture reflects mutual respect. Respect for Heritage: In a tweet, PM Modi acknowledged Ethiopias rich heritage. By embracing local customs, India demonstrates respect for other cultures as much as its own. At the Science Museum and Friendship Park in Addis Ababa, the air was filled not only with the scent of flowers but also with the aroma of coffee, a centuries-old symbol of connection and friendship. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Ethiopia First Published: December 17, 2025, 10:42 IST News india Why Ethiopia Welcomed PM Modi With Traditional Coffee Ceremony At The Airport | Explained Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Yellow Lamborghini Urus Seized After Clocking 250 Kmph On Mumbais BandraWorli Sea Link Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 15:41 IST Mumbai Police seized a Lamborghini Urus after it was caught speeding at 250 kmph. The car is owned by Nirav Patel. Mumbai Police seized a Lamborghini Urus after it was caught speeding at 250 kmph. The car is owned by Nirav Patel. A multi-crore yellow Lamborghini Urus was seized by Mumbai Police after a case was registered against its driver for allegedly speeding at 250 kilometres per hour on the BandraWorli Sea Link on Wednesday. The action followed the circulation of a video on Instagram that showed the luxury SUV being driven at an extremely high speed, overtaking several vehicles on the sea link, where the maximum permissible speed is 80 kilometres per hour. Police identified the driver as Faiz Adanwala (36), a resident of Khar West, Mumbai. The seized vehicle bears the Haryana registration number HR 70 F 1945. During the investigation, police found that the Lamborghini is registered in the name of Super Well Comtrade Private Limited. The car is owned by Nirav Patel, a resident of Ahmedabad, who had reportedly handed over the vehicle to Adanwala for a temporary period. Adanwala is a car dealer by profession. A case has been registered at Worli Police Station against the driver under relevant sections on negligent and dangerous driving. Further investigation is underway. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 15:41 IST News india Yellow Lamborghini Urus Seized After Clocking 250 Kmph On Mumbais BandraWorli Sea Link Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... January Guide: Upcoming Storytelling Festivals In 2026 Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:49 IST Discover Indias most anticipated storytelling and literary festivals taking place in January 2026, featuring authors, performers and cultural dialogues across cities Jaipur Literature Festival to feature over 350 speakers across six venues. January has long been Indias most vibrant month for literary and storytelling gatherings, bringing together writers, performers, thinkers, and audiences from across the country and beyond. From oral storytelling and folklore to contemporary literature and cultural dialogue, these January festivals create spaces where ideas are exchanged, voices are amplified, and narratives come alive through words, music, and performance. 1. Udaipur International Storytelling Festival Udaipur Tales International Storytelling Festival, Indias one-of-a-kind international oral storytelling festival, proudly announces the return of its 7th edition in the scenic city of Udaipur. This unique festival celebrates diverse storytelling genres such as contemporary, romance, dastangoi, historical, mystery, horror, thriller, and folk traditions, among others. Dates: 911 January 2026 Venue: Park Exotica Resort City: Udaipur The 2026 festival lineup includes Divya Dutta, Rajit Kapur, Arif Zakaria, Divy Nidhi Sharma, Meiyang Chang, Danish Hussain, Mayur Kalbag, Prithwiraj Choudhury, Geetika Lidder, Vilas Janve, Jyoti Pandey, and others. Each artist brings a distinctive interpretation of storytelling, spanning theatre and cinema, folklore, poetry, music, fantasy, and contemporary narratives. In a remarkable step towards inclusivity, the festival will also host performances by inmates from Udaipurs Central Jail, who will share their stories and music on stage. With sign-language interpreters, participation from blind school students, and honours for master storytellers, the festival embodies accessibility and inclusion. Emerging voices will be celebrated through the open-mic segment Jamghat and childrens storytelling competitions. Whether youre a passionate storyteller or a lover of timeless narratives, the Udaipur Tales International Storytelling Festival promises a space where every story finds a home. Tickets are available on the BookMyShow website. 2. Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) A major literary gathering in eastern India, the Kalinga Literary Festival showcases more than 400 speakers across multiple venues. Sessions span literature, poetry, philosophy, science, and the arts, while also addressing contemporary issues such as AI, climate change, and geopolitics, fostering wide-ranging intellectual engagement. The confirmed lineup includes Booker Prize winners Deepa Bhasthi, Banu Mushtaq, and Daisy Rockwell, alongside Indian literary heavyweights such as Vikas Swarup, Anand Neelakantan, Perumal Murugan, and poet-critic Ranjit Hoskote. Dates: 811 January 2026 Venue: Mayfair Lagoon City: Bhubaneswar 3. Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 One of the worlds most celebrated literary gatherings, the Jaipur Literature Festival brings together authors, thinkers, artists, and readers from across the globe for talks, debates, workshops, readings, and music. The festival also features Jaipur BookMark, a dedicated publishing industry platform, along with live performances. The 19th editions lineup includes Jeet Thayil, Kiran Desai, Esther Duflo, and Ian Hislop, among others. Dates: 1519 January 2026 Venue: Hotel Clarks Amer City: Jaipur 4. Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF 2026) A long-running festival held along Park Street, the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival features over 100 speakers, book launches, storytelling sessions, and special childrens programmes. It remains a vibrant event for readers of all ages and a highlight of the January literary calendar in eastern India. Dates: 911 January 2026 Venue: Allen Park and Park Street City: Kolkata 5. Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF 2026) A community-focused celebration of literature, culture, and Indian writing, the Hyderabad Literary Festival features author talks, panel discussions, and interactive sessions. Dates: 2426 January 2026 Venue: Sattva Knowledge City, HITEC City City: Hyderabad News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 09:49 IST News lifestyle events January Guide: Upcoming Storytelling Festivals In 2026 Apple Martin Revives Mum Gwyneth Paltrow's Calvin Klein Dress She Wore In 1996 Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:08 IST Apple made her red carpet appearance in New York alongside her mother, Gwyneth Paltrow, and brother, Moses, for the Marty Supreme movie premiere. Gwyneth Paltrow and Apple Martin wearing the same dress Apple Martin, the daughter of actor Gwyneth Paltrow and musician Chris Martin, has been turning heads for a while. She created quite a hullabaloo when she made her debut at Pariss prestigious Le Bal des Debutantes in 2024, with her striking resemblance to her actor-mother. As a celebrity kid who isnt always in the spotlight and only makes a few rare public appearances, Apple Martin has once again created a stir, and for all the right reasons. Apple made a rare red carpet appearance in New York this week, alongside her mother, Gwyneth Paltrow, and brother, Moses. The trio was there to attend the Marty Supreme movie premiere in New York City. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Who What Wear (@whowhatwear) While they all looked gorgeous, eagle-eyed viewers were quick to find similarities between the long, black dress that Apple was wearing. This simple yet sexy little black number was picked directly from the mothers personal archives. When we, common folk, re-wear our mums old clothes, it is but natural. However, Apple Martin re-wearing her mums outfit has caused ripples in the fashion world. The 21-year-old wore a slinky black dress by Calvin Klein, featuring a sleek, scooped neckline and a plunging back with a criss-cross detail and a longline silhouette. The dress belongs to Apples Oscar-winning mother, who debuted this look back in 1996 when she attended the premiere of Emma in New York. Gwyneth Paltrow had styled her long blonde hair into a high bun, something that Apple also recreated, with whimsical, face-framing layers and natural makeup. Back in the nineties, Gwyneth Paltrow kept the look chic yet minimal, without any flashy jewellery, instead pairing it only with a discrete little satin clutch and strappy sandals. To complete the look, Apple wore a pair of diamond stud earrings, a nude manicure and a matte complexion that highlighted her striking facial features. In an interview back in September, Vogue shot with the fashionable mother-daughter duo. Speaking about her daughter borrowing her red carpet outfits, Gwyneth Paltrow told Vogue, She pulls all kinds of stuff. Shes very into all my 90s Calvin, of which theres a lotand the 90s Prada, of which theres a lot." On the other hand, this is what Apple had to say about her mums style: Shes such a badass when it comes to fashion and has just done what she wants and doesnt really care." We could not agree moreand both wear the fashion attitude well. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 19:08 IST News lifestyle fashion Apple Martin Revives Mum Gwyneth Paltrow's Calvin Klein Dress She Wore In 1996 Trump Broadens US Travel Ban In Major Immigration Crackdown, 39 Countries Affected Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:04 IST US President Donald Trump signs a new proclamation expanding Americas travel ban to 39 countries, citing security concerns, weak vetting systems and high visa overstay rates. Trump escalates immigration crackdown with expanded US Travel Ban covering 39 countries US President Donald Trump has issued a new proclamation significantly widening Americas travel restrictions, adding 20 more countries and Palestinians to the list of those facing full bans or limited entry into the United States. Citing concerns around national security, public safety, insufficient screening processes and high visa overstay rates, the move brings the total number of affected countries to 39. As outlined in a White House fact sheet, the order enforces a complete travel ban on Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. Individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents have also been included under the ban. In addition, Laos and Sierra Leone, previously subject to partial limitations will now face a full prohibition on entry. The expanded restrictions are scheduled to come into force on January 1. The announcement follows remarks made two weeks earlier by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who revealed that the administration intended to broaden the scope of the existing travel ban, though she did not specify the countries involved at the time. Currently, the United States maintains a full travel ban on nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. This latest decision signals a sharp intensification of the administrations immigration policy. Officials have linked the move to recent security incidents, including the November 26 killing of two National Guard members in Washington, DC. The suspect in that case, an Afghan national who previously worked with a CIA-affiliated unit, entered the US following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and was granted asylum earlier this year after undergoing vetting. The administration has since pointed to the incident as evidence of vulnerabilities in the current immigration system. The crackdown also comes in the wake of a December 13 Islamic State ambush in Syria that killed two US soldiers and an American civilian interpreter. Under the new proclamation, partial entry restrictions have been imposed on 15 additional countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote dIvoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Partial restrictions will remain in place for citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela. Turkmenistan is the only country to receive limited relief under the revised order, with restrictions on non-immigrant visas for its nationals now lifted. Explaining the rationale behind the decision, the White House cited ongoing terrorist activity, political instability and elevated visa overstay rates. Countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria were flagged for persistent security threats, while others were identified for high levels of B-1/B-2 tourist and student visa overstays, based on Department of Homeland Security data. Syria was specifically criticised for lacking a reliable central authority capable of issuing secure passports and civil documentation after years of prolonged conflict. According to the White House, the measures are intended to block the entry of individuals for whom the US lacks adequate information to assess potential risks, while also strengthening cooperation with foreign governments, enforcing immigration laws and advancing broader foreign policy and counterterrorism goals. The order includes exemptions for lawful permanent residents, individuals holding valid visas, diplomats, athletes and those whose entry is deemed to be in the national interest. While case-by-case waivers will continue, the administration has narrowed wider family-based immigration exemptions, arguing that they present increased risks of fraud. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 09:04 IST News lifestyle travel Trump Broadens US Travel Ban In Major Immigration Crackdown, 39 Countries Affected Shilpa Shetty Calls FIR Against Bastian Bengaluru 'Baseless', Says 'Justice Will Prevail' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:49 IST An FIR against Bastian Bengaluru, owned by actor Shilpa Shetty, was filed for allegedly operating beyond permitted hours and allowing late-night parties in violation of rules. Shilpa Shetty calls FIR against Bastian Bengaluru baseless and motivated. Shilpa Shetty has called the FIR against her restaurant Bastian Bengaluru baseless and motivated. Recently, the Bollywood actress issued a statement via her Instagram stories and shared that she is hopeful for justice. Shetty mentioned that they are cooperating with the investigative authorities and urged the media to exercise restraint. We categorically deny the baseless and motivated allegations being circulated. The issues sought to be raised are being given a criminal colour without any lawful basis. A Quashing Petition has already been filed before the Honble High Court and is pending adjudication. Having fully cooperated with the investigation, we are sanguine that justice will prevail and have complete faith in the law enforcement authorities and the judicial system of our country. We respectfully urge the media to exercise restraint as the matter is sub judice (sic)," she wrote. Why Was An FIR Against Bastian Bengaluru Filed? On Tuesday, it was reported that the Bengaluru police registered an FIR against Bastian, owned by actor Shilpa Shetty, for allegedly operating beyond permitted hours and allowing late-night parties in violation of rules. The case was registered following suo motu complaints under Section 103 of the Karnataka Police Act. The FIR was then filed at the Cubbon Park Police Station since Bastian is located on St. Marks Road in the city. Reportedly, Bastian continued its operations until 1.30 am on December 11, beyond the stipulated closing time. Police have booked cases against the managers and staff of the establishment for violating the rules. Bastian Mumbai Also In Trouble? Meanwhile, the Income Tax department carried out raids at Shilpa Shettys Bastian in Mumbais Dadar area on Wednesday, December 17. CNN-News18 has learnt that search operations were conducted at the restaurant on Wednesday morning, and more details are awaited. Bastion is co-owned by actress Shilpa Shetty and restaurateur Ranjit Bindra. It has been known for its seafood dominance since its inception in 2016. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 13:49 IST News movies bollywood Shilpa Shetty Calls FIR Against Bastian Bengaluru 'Baseless', Says 'Justice Will Prevail' News / National by Staff reporter The Zimbabwean government, in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), and the Embassy of Sweden, has launched the Decent Work Communication Campaign to promote safer, fairer, and more productive workplaces in the construction sector. The initiative is themed "Towards Vision 2030: Building a Safe, Inclusive and Economically Empowered Zimbabwe."At the launch, ILO country office director Philile Masuku highlighted that the campaign represents a collective commitment to translate labour principles into tangible improvements on construction sites. She urged companies to strengthen safety measures, including proper induction training, routine safety briefings, and consistent use of protective equipment. Masuku also called for clear employment practices such as written contracts, fair wages, and social security registration to provide stability for workers and enhance enterprise performance.The construction industry has long faced challenges, including underpayment and abuse of workers. Masuku emphasized that government action, guided by the Construction Contractors Bill of 2025, plays a critical role in improving compliance, conducting inspections, and aligning public procurement with good labour practices. She added that making compliance a factor in bidding for infrastructure projects can drive sector-wide improvements.Clifford Matorera, chief director in the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry, said the campaign aims to bridge gaps in occupational safety, labour rights awareness, and worker responsibilities. He stressed that safe practices, continuous learning, and respectful teamwork benefit both employees and employers, enhancing productivity and long-term sustainability.The campaign calls for collaboration across the construction sector to embed decent work standards, thereby strengthening both safety and productivity in one of Zimbabwe's largest employment sectors. Social Media Would Have Given Me Akshaye Khanna Level Craze During Raaz: Dino Morea Published By : IANS Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 16:28 IST Dino recalled how Raaz travelled from villages to top-tier cities and revealed how the feedback then came only from real viewers. Dino Morea recalls Raaz's success came from real viewers, not online buzz. Bollywood actor Dino Morea, who is gearing up for his latest release, Four More Shots Season 4, has applauded actors Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna for creating a strong impact with their recent performances, and also noted how the digital era has amplified their reach. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the actor also reminisced about his movies Raaz and Aksar and revealed how people still remember him due to those films. When IANS asked about Dinos reaction to Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna becoming internet sensations, the actor replied, The way Bobby has got his chance to shine in Animal and Akshaye has got his chance to shine, especially in Dhurandhar more than Chaava, is incredible." He added, When I had Raaz as a success or Aksar as a success, there was really no social media, right? So, people saw the movies and still remember me from then." Dino recalled how Raaz travelled from villages to top-tier cities" and revealed how the feedback then came only from real viewers. Comparing it with today, he said, Today, people dont see a film, but they are all over the internet. And that spread is faster and wider." Reflecting on his own journey, from being one of Indias top models to delivering a breakout performance in Raaz, Dino told IANS that fame functioned differently in the pre-social media era. He further added, If I had to do something like Akshay or Bobby did today in a certain role, I think that would spread really fast through the internet. And I would probably have the same craze that they are having today. And I feel fantastic for both of them because they are brilliant." Dino concluded by saying that the attention both actors are receiving is well deserved and reflective of their talent. For the unversed, Dino Morea started his career in the Hindi film industry with the 1999 release Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi opposite Rinkie Khanna. The actor will soon be seen in the fourth season of the OTT series Four More Shots Please Season 4 alongside Kirti Kulhari, Sayani Gupta, Maanvi Gagroo, Bani J, Prateik Babbar, Neil Bhoopalam, Rajeev Siddhartha, and Lisa Ray. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 16:28 IST News movies bollywood Social Media Would Have Given Me Akshaye Khanna Level Craze During Raaz: Dino Morea Watch: John Abraham Marks 53rd Birthday With Cake, Fans And Paparazzi Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 18:09 IST John Abraham celebrated his 53rd birthday with fans and the paparazzi. He was last seen in the film The Diplomat. (Photo Credit: Instagram) John Abraham is celebrating his 53rd birthday, and warm wishes have been pouring in from fans, celebrities and well-wishers across the globe. A heartwarming video of the actor celebrating his special day with the paparazzi has surfaced online and is going viral. Viral Video Shows John Abraham Inviting Paparazzi to Join Birthday Celebrations In the now-viral clip, John Abraham is seen stepping out in casual attire, greeting the paparazzi with his signature warmth. The actor was seen cutting a birthday cake and warmly inviting the photographers to join him in the celebration, a gesture that instantly won hearts online. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pallav Paliwal (@pallav_paliwal) John Abraham Interacts with Fans, Cuts Cake and Clicks Pictures with Paps The video captures John casually interacting with fans and members of the media, exchanging smiles and conversations. He was also presented with a shawl by the paparazzi, which he graciously accepted. Later, John posed for pictures with them, making the moment even more memorable and personal. John Abrahams Journey: From Modeling Sensation to Bollywood Superstar An actor, model and producer, John Abraham rose to prominence in Bollywood after a highly successful modeling career. He made his acting debut in 2003 with Jism, a film that marked the beginning of his steady climb to stardom. With his strong screen presence and intense performances, he quickly became one of the most recognisable faces in the industry. Iconic Films That Defined John Abrahams Career Over the years, John Abraham has delivered several memorable performances in popular films such as Dhoom, New York, Force and Satyamev Jayate. These projects not only showcased his versatility but also cemented his position as a leading action star in Hindi cinema. John Abrahams Recent Roles: Pathaan, Action Thriller and Acclaimed Performances Following the massive success of Pathaan, John Abraham went on to play the lead role in Nikkhil Advanis action thriller, where he portrayed Army Major Abhimanyu Kanwar. His powerful performance and on-screen pairing with Sharvari Wagh received widespread appreciation from both fans and critics. The Diplomat: John Abraham Wins Praise for Real-Life Inspired Role John Abraham was most recently seen in The Diplomat, directed by Shivam Nair. Inspired by a real-life incident, the film follows the journey of an Indian diplomat tasked with bringing back an Indian girl from Pakistan. Johns nuanced portrayal earned him praise from critics and audiences alike, further reinforcing his reputation as a dependable performer. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 17:41 IST News movies bollywood Watch: John Abraham Marks 53rd Birthday With Cake, Fans And Paparazzi Rob Reiner Never Feared Son Nick Reiner Was 'Violent': 'No One Saw This Coming' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 18, 2025, 02:56 IST Sources say Rob and Michele Reiner never believed their son Nick was capable of violence, calling the alleged killings unimaginable despite his past struggles. Rob Reiner and son Nick also reportedly clashed at a Conan OBrien holiday party. Rob and Michele Reiner never believed their son Nick was capable of violence, according to a source close to the family, in the wake of a tragedy that has stunned Hollywood and beyond. Nick Reiner, 32, who has been charged with the murders of his parents, was known to struggle with personal issues but was never considered violent by those closest to him. The 32-year-old had a history of being self-destructive in many ways," the source told PEOPLE, adding, but not violent." If they thought he was violent, things would have been very different," the insider added. At the worst of it, it hadnt been like this. I dont think anyone could have ever seen anything like this coming. Nick was declining lately but he had been really bad before." The source further revealed that Rob and Michele carried deep emotional pain over their inability to help their son fully overcome his struggles. According to the insider, the couple felt enormous guilt for so long that they couldnt help Nick get his life together." What happened on December 14 Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Reiner, 70, were found dead inside their bedroom at their Los Angeles home on Sunday afternoon, December 14. Authorities later arrested Nick Reiner that night after reports that he had alarmed guests at a star-studded holiday party the evening before. Nick has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He made a brief court appearance on December 17, during which his attorney, Alan Jackson, declined to enter a plea. His arraignment is scheduled to resume on January 7. Nick Reiners past struggles and family reactions Nick, the couples middle child, co-wrote the 2015 film Being Charlie, directed by his father and loosely inspired by his own experiences. While promoting the film, Nick spoke openly about his dark years" battling addiction since his teenage years. At the time, Rob admitted feeling desperate" to help his son through that period. In a September 2025 NPR interview, Rob shared a hopeful update, saying Nick was great" and hasnt been doing drugs for over six years." He added, Hes in a really good place." Nick also appeared with his family at the Los Angeles premiere of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues on September 9. Rob and Michele also shared son Jake and daughter Romy. Following the tragedy, the siblings issued a statement on December 17, saying, Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day." The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience," they added, calling their parents our best friends" and asking for privacy, compassion, and remembrance of the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Los Angeles, United States of America (USA) First Published: December 18, 2025, 02:56 IST News movies hollywood Rob Reiner Never Feared Son Nick Reiner Was 'Violent': 'No One Saw This Coming' Rashmika Mandanna Drops Vacation Photos From Sri Lanka With Her Girls, Fans React Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 11:52 IST Rashmika has had a strong year professionally, with Chhaava and The Girlfriend both earning wide attention. Rashmika Mandanna Drops Vacation Photos From Sri Lanka With Her Girls, Fans React Rashmika Mandanna recently took a break from her packed shooting schedule and headed to Sri Lanka with a group of close friends. The actor shared glimpses from the tropical getaway on social media, giving fans a peek into her sun-soaked vacation filled with beach views, laughter, and relaxed moments. Taking to her Instagram handle, Rashmika Mandanna shared photos with her girls and wrote, I recently got 2 days off and I got this opportunity to get away with my girls and we went to this BEAUTIFUL property in Sri Lanka.. GIRL TRIPS doesnt matter how short are THE BEST!! MY GIRLS are THE BEST! Some are missing but THEY ARE THE BEST!!" Fans immediately reacted with heart and fire emojis. One of the fans wrote, Rashmika Mandanna Devarkonda" Another wrote, Vijay ke sath sadi kb h". Take a look here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rashmika Mandanna (@rashmika_mandanna) Rashmika Mandanna Reveals Why She Avoids Work Talk With Her Partner Rashmika has never officially referred to Vijay as her partner or fiance, a recent interview brought the topic front and centre. During a conversation with Anupama Chopra for The Hollywood Reporter India, she was asked how it feels when your partner is from the same profession" the question framed through the example of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. Alia has previously said that she doesnt discuss acting or craft with Ranbir, and Rashmika was asked whether the same applies to her and Vijay. Responding thoughtfully, Rashmika explained that she tries to draw a line between her personal and professional life, As much as we are actors, I want to cut off from work when I go home. At least 80 percent of the time, I dont. If something is bothering me, I go and ask for advice or help. At home, I want to cut off from work because you cannot be 24/7 at work." She added that even talking about work counts as being in work mode, Talking about work is still work. When Im at work or in a meeting, I give my 100 percent, but when Im at home, Im at home. Im that kind of a person." Rashmika Mandanna Puts Vijay Deverakonda Engagement Rumours To Rest Rashmika Mandanna has seemingly silenced all rumours of an engagement with Vijay Deverakonda. Rashmika Mandanna turned heads as she reached Dubai to attend the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA). While her champagne saree look won hearts, it was her diamond ring that caught Reddits eyeballs. However, now, the actress has put these rumours to rest. When Rashmika was seen in Dubai, she wore a diamond ring on her left hand, sparking rumours of an engagement with Vijay Deverakonda. However, in a recent appearance, Rashmika Mandanna was seen sans the ring, indicating that it was only for her Dubai look. Rashmika was seen exiting a salon in Mumbai, and fans noticed that she wasnt wearing any rings. Rashmika and Vijay have long been rumoured to be dating. Vijay and Rashmika first worked together in Geetha Govindam, which was released in 2018. Their relationship rumours sparked following the films release. Speculations of their relationship began doing the rounds after they starred in Dear Comrade in 2019. They have often been spotted on holidays together since. On The Work Front Rashmika has had a strong year professionally, with Chhaava and The Girlfriend both earning wide attention. She is currently shooting Cocktail 2 alongside Kriti Sanon and Shahid Kapoor. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 11:52 IST News movies telugu-cinema Rashmika Mandanna Drops Vacation Photos From Sri Lanka With Her Girls, Fans React Torrents Of Truth: How Dhurandhar Broke The Internet & Narrative In Pakistan | Exclusive Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:26 IST The Pakistani administrations attempt to black out the film has spectacularly backfired The Pakistani populace remains deeply captivated by Indian storytelling, even as their government scrambles to control the narrative. Image/X While Bollywood has long been a global powerhouse, many industry insiders say the recently released spy thriller Dhurandhar has achieved a level of impact that transcends cinema, evolving into a major strategic and cultural phenomenon. Despite facing a coordinated ban across six Gulf nations and intense opposition from the Pakistani establishment, sources say the film is dominating the digital landscape in Pakistan, proving that a high-octane Indian narrative, when backed by truth and talent, is impossible to suppress. The film, which weaves a complex web linking the 1999 hijacking, the 26/11 attacks, and the notorious Lyari gang wars, has been lauded by Indian audiences. It follows a covert operative dismantling a terror network in the heart of Karachia premise that has clearly struck a raw nerve. By merging historical events into a single, cohesive narrative of national security, Dhurandhar has provided a cinematic triumph for India, even as it triggers a diplomatic frenzy in the West Asian region. The Piracy Paradox: A Record-Breaking Digital Siege The Pakistani administrations attempt to black out the film has spectacularly backfired. Driven by intense curiosity and the lure of the forbidden", Dhurandhar has seen over one million illegal downloads within its first week alone. It has officially become one of the most pirated Bollywood titles in history, surpassing the unauthorised access records previously held by hits like Raees and 2.0. Through VPNs, Telegram channels, and underground streams, the Pakistani public is voting with their bandwidth. This surge in unauthorised viewingestimated to have cost the films producers nearly Rs 5070 crore in overseas revenuenonetheless serves as a massive psychological victory for India, say observers. It demonstrates that the Pakistani populace remains deeply captivated by Indian storytelling, even as their government scrambles to control the narrative. A Rattled Establishment: From Courtrooms to Counter-Films The films portrayal of Karachis Lyari neighbourhood as a dystopian war zone has thoroughly rattled the Sindh government. In a reactive move, provincial ministers have been forced to announce a counter-film" titled Mera Layari to attempt to repair the regions image. Furthermore, the Pakistani establishment has resorted to legal warfare, with a petition filed in a Karachi court against the director and lead cast for the alleged unauthorised use of Benazir Bhuttos likeness and PPP rally footage. The Baloch Backlash and Identity Politics One of the most contentious points in the film is a line delivered by Sanjay Dutts character, SP Chaudhry Aslam, which questions the trustworthiness of the Baloch people. This has sparked the viral hashtag #TrustABaloch, used by activists to defend their communitys code of loyalty. While critics call the film a distortion of facts", supporters argue that Dhurandhar simply reflects the harsh geopolitical realities of a region plagued by instability. Sources say that by successfully linking the various threads of cross-border terrorism into a global blockbuster, India has not only produced a cinematic masterpiece but has also forced a defensive posture from the Pakistani state. As Dhurandhar continues to trend across the border, it remains a testament to the influence of Indian soft powerand the difficulty of banning an idea whose time has come. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 19:23 IST News movies Torrents Of Truth: How Dhurandhar Broke The Internet & Narrative In Pakistan | Exclusive Opinion | Beyond The Political Rhetoric: Operation Sindoor Was A Clinical Victory Written By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 22:30 IST Recent discussions highlight a concerning pattern, with detractors characterising India's coordinated military action as either an emotional response or a complete tactical failure Perhaps Operation Sindoor's most important dimension involved the exceptional coordination between India's three military branches. File image/PTI Indias political environment has always been polarised, yet the Indian Military has maintained unquestioned loyalty across the spectrum of polity and population. In todays complex political landscape, the military finds itself at the centre of political posturing, which is not a healthy sign but unavoidable. Fortunately, in the eyes of the population, the Indian Armed Forces continue to command greater respect and belief than other verticals, including politicians. With an important political figure making absurd negative assertions about the success of Operation Sindoor" and questioning the relevance of the 12-lakh-strong Army, it is crucial to reinforce what the Indian population and the world know, even if some partisans within the country try to ignore it. Distressingly, this statement came on Vijay Diwas, the very day on which the Indian Military achieved a resounding 14-day blitzkrieg success, creating a new country, capturing 93,000 prisoners of war a record since the World Wars and securing a place of honour in the international community despite opposition from the most powerful country at that time. Before and since 1971, the Indian Armed Forces have consistently addressed political failures in national security, both externally and internally, despite the denial of necessary military equipment or delays in required upgrades. Recent discussions of Operation Sindoor highlight this concerning pattern, with detractors characterising Indias coordinated military action as either an emotional response or a complete tactical failure. The political figure in question claimed puzzlingly that India had lost the combat operation in the first two days of Operation Sindoor and suggested that the 12-lakh-strong Army is unnecessary in modern warfare. These misrepresentations fundamentally distort what actually occurred and undermine the dedication and expertise of Indias Armed Forces, which conducted an exceptionally complex multi-domain military campaign. Understanding the Strategic Context The civilian attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, resulting in 26 deaths, was more than an isolated terrorist incident; it was a calculated provocation testing Indias willingness to respond. Decision-makers faced a pivotal choice: launch a measured response, as characterised by past dossiers, or make clear that terrorism originating across the border would trigger substantial military retaliation. Operation Sindoor embodied this second approach; a measured yet forceful military action designed to destroy terrorist capabilities while demonstrating Indias determination to hold state-supported terrorism accountable. The operation took its name from the vermillion marking symbolising sacred commitment in Hindu culture, representing an oath to the victims and their loved ones that accountability would be relentlessly pursued. Deconstructing the First Day Defeat Narrative The most common criticism of Operation Sindoor claims that Indian forces experienced defeat during the operations initial days. This argument falls apart when examined against the missions genuine goals and results showcased by the Pakistanis themselves and global commercial satellites and news networks. Before dawn on May 7, the Indian Armed Forces executed military operations with specific instructions: eliminate identified high-priority terrorist locations using precise strikes that avoided civilian harm. Planners designated nine main targets, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed facility in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba command centre in Muridke, both operating openly for many years. The operation utilised a complex multi-layered strategy drawing on Indias range of precision weapons. Cruise missiles enabled Indian aircraft to strike targets while remaining beyond Pakistani air defence range. For objectives needing tactical flexibility, the IAF used guided weapons that could adjust course during flight and minimise unintended damage. The active combat portion spanned roughly 23 minutes from initial weapon deployment to operational closure on targets at Bahawalpur and Muridke by the air force, while the Indian Army continued pounding the remaining objectives for longer periods. The Indian Air Force successfully manoeuvred through Pakistans comprehensive air defence network using advanced electronic countermeasures, including radar disruption and decoy drones that overwhelmed enemy detection systems. Analysis after the strikes verified that all nine main targets experienced substantial or total destruction. The Bahawalpur compound was completely demolished. Comparable devastation occurred at Muridke and the remaining seven locations. Measured by standard military benchmarkstarget elimination, mission success percentage, aircraft attrition, civilian harmthe May 7 operations accomplished their designated purpose. Labelling a mission that achieved complete kinetic success as a defeat" demonstrates either a profound misunderstanding of military doctrine or deliberate factual manipulation for political gain. The mission assigned by the highest authority, reflecting the desire of the Indian population, was achieved. There was enough exhilaration on the ground to be seen by the doubters, and the fear was palpable across terrorist establishments and their masters, the Pakistani military establishment. The Unsung Heroes: Indias Air Defence Network Though offensive operations dominated news coverage, Indias military readiness truly faced testing in the subsequent hours and days. Pakistans counter-response, described by officials as an integrated assault using drones, missiles, and artillery, offered the initial combat verification of Indias domestically produced air defence systems. Indias air defence infrastructure functioned as a layered network, with individual components addressing threats at varying altitudes and distances. The Akash surface-to-air system, created by DRDO, formed the core of medium-altitude defence. Throughout Operation Sindoor, Akash installations exhibited strong dependability and precision, engaging threats with success rates surpassing peacetime test results. Working alongside Akash, the jointly developed Indo-Israeli MRSAM system delivered protection against aircraft and missiles extending to 70 kilometres. MRSAM installations achieved numerous successful interceptions across the three-day period, including against evasive targets using terrain for concealment. Yet the most remarkable performance involved counter-drone operations by Army Air Defence personnel. The confrontation represented what defence analysts consider the first significant drone combat between nuclear-capable nations. Pakistan deployed dozens of unmanned systems, including Turkish-manufactured models configured for intelligence gathering and strike missions. Indian air defence crews used both physical and electronic methods against the drone formations. Modernised L-70 anti-aircraft weapons with contemporary targeting systems proved unexpectedly effective against slower drones. Concurrently, electronic warfare teams used jamming technology that severed communication between drone operators and their aircraft, forcing many drones to malfunction and either crash or abort. The data presents a clear picture: of approximately 80-plus drones launched by Pakistani forces over three days, fewer than twelve penetrated sufficiently into Indian territory to endanger vital infrastructure. None successfully attacked a strategic military installation. Sirsa airbase maintained continuous operations, launching missions throughout all three days. They are a significant part of the 12-lakh Indian Army. The Line of Control: Where Resolve Met Reality While aerial operations captured media attention, troops stationed along the Line of Control and International Border endured the operations most prolonged pressure. The destruction of seven terrorist launchpads and bases in Pakistans Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir was complete. These personnel then confronted sustained artillery attacks and infiltration attempts throughout the campaigns duration due to scaled-up retaliation from the Pakistani Army. Indian forces responded with measured escalation"; precision counter-battery strikes aimed exclusively at military installations conducting attacks rather than widespread retaliation. This surgical approach reduced Pakistani civilian casualties, denying opponents propaganda value while showcasing Indias capability to pinpoint and engage specific military objectives. Border Security Force and Army personnel also thwarted numerous infiltration efforts during the three-day span. Vigilant Indian troops, equipped with thermal detection and unmanned surveillance, identified and stopped these attempts. Multiple militants died in exchanges of fire, while others withdrew across the border. Tri-Service Integration in Action Perhaps Operation Sindoors most important dimension involved the exceptional coordination between Indias three military branches. The Army Chief described the operation as a trusted orchestra", accurately capturing how the Air Force, Army, and Navy operated as a unified instrument of national capability. Intelligence flowed between services almost instantaneously, with satellite analysis from Air Force resources becoming immediately accessible to Army strike planning teams. Naval aviation conducted ocean surveillance that shaped both offensive planning and defensive positioning. Electronic warfare resources were shared across services, generating a complete electromagnetic awareness picture. The Indian Navys contribution proved strategically vital. By assuming an assertive stance in the Arabian Sea, the Navy successfully prevented any Pakistani effort to establish a maritime battlefront. Naval forces maintained elevated readiness and assertive patrol operations, compelling the Pakistan Navy to remain mostly within its own waters. The ocean component also included protecting Indias offshore energy assets, particularly natural gas installations in the Bombay High area. The Final Closure The Pakistani military decided to publicly showcase its solidarity with the dead and alive terrorists and followed up with drone and attempted missile attacks, all of which failed to cause any damage. They were able to kill civilians and destroy homes, a temple, and a gurdwara through deliberate attacks. In response, the Indian Armed Forces escalated their actions on May 10 in the early hours, wherein key military installations, including airbases and strategic military assets, were destroyed within 25 minutes, deep within Pakistan, shocking its supporters and assistance providers. Key military equipment and networks provided by the worlds best were breached and destroyed. Pakistani leadership was visibly shaken in open media interviews, pleading for third-party intervention for a ceasefire. This was acknowledged by the Pakistani leadership and those contacted by them on May 10. The Strategic Aftermath Military campaigns require assessment not merely by tactical performance but by strategic results. Operation Sindoor was paused on May 10 at 1700 hours, even though there was a ceasefire request by the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations. The ceasefire circumstances reveal much about operational success. Pakistani representatives initiated ceasefire negotiations; an important detail largely ignored by political critics aiming to discredit the government of the day. When nuclear-armed adversaries confront each other, the side pursuing de-escalation typically recognises it has depleted viable military alternatives or determined that ongoing confrontation presents unacceptable dangers. Ceasefire conditions reportedly included Pakistani commitments to address terrorist infrastructure within their borders, a concession India had previously failed to obtain. International responses to Operation Sindoor also demonstrated Indias effective narrative and diplomatic management. Major nations, while advocating de-escalation, generally avoided condemning Indias actions or equating the initial terrorist attack with Indias military reply. Measuring Success: Beyond Body Counts Operation Sindoors final tally includes sobering figures: more than 100 terrorists eliminated, nine major terrorist facilities destroyed, and numerous launchers and training sites disabled. The deaths and injuries of Pakistani military personnel are not being counted. However, focusing solely on these combat statistics risks overlooking the wider strategic context. Operation Sindoors achievements warrant evaluation across multiple dimensions: Deterrence Enhancement: Did the operation raise perceived consequences of enabling cross-border terrorism? The rapidity, accuracy, and scope of Indias response revealed capabilities not previously demonstrated operationally. Capability Demonstration: Did the operation display military proficiency that modifies adversary thinking? The combination of precision strikes, air defence, and inter-service coordination showed operational sophistication demanding respect and caution. Domestic Credibility: Did the operation satisfy public expectations for accountability after Pahalgam? The substantial public backing for the operation and government indicates success in assuring citizens that their government would respond decisively to terrorism. International Positioning: Did the operation enhance or diminish Indias global standing? The limited international criticism and ongoing defence partnerships with key allies suggest no meaningful diplomatic harm. Operational Learning: Did the operation produce insights that strengthen future military performance? Ongoing after-action assessments will pinpoint improvement areas, but successful combat execution supplies invaluable information. The Strategic Imperative: Why India Needs Its 12-Lakh Strong Force The dismissive claim that India doesnt require its 12-lakh-strong military force reveals profound ignorance of the nations strategic realities and security challenges. Indias geographical position and threat environment demand precisely this level of military capability; if anything, the force is stretched thin given its responsibilities. Consider the sheer scale of Indias security requirements: the nation maintains a 15,106-kilometre land border, the fifth longest in the world, spanning diverse and challenging terrain from the Himalayan heights to desert expanses. The Line of Actual Control with China alone extends 3,488 kilometres across some of the planets most inhospitable territory, requiring constant vigilance and substantial troop deployments at extreme altitudes. The Line of Control and International Border with Pakistan spans 3,323 kilometres, much of it actively contested and requiring continuous military presence to prevent infiltration and respond to ceasefire violations. Indias maritime responsibilities are equally demanding, with a 7,516-kilometre coastline and island territories extending Indias Exclusive Economic Zone to approximately 2.3 million square kilometres. Securing these waters against traditional naval threats, piracy, terrorism, and illegal trafficking requires substantial naval and coast guard capabilities operating continuously across the Indian Ocean Region. Beyond external borders, India faces persistent internal security challenges. Left-wing extremism affects multiple states, requiring the deployment of security forces for counterinsurgency operations. The northeastern states present complex security situations involving multiple insurgent groups. Kashmir continues to witness terrorist infiltration attempts and requires a significant military presence for counter-terrorism operations. Natural disasters, from Himalayan floods to coastal cyclones, regularly necessitate large-scale military deployment for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Indias strategic environment compounds these challenges. The nation faces a two-front threat scenario, with both Pakistan and China as adversarial neighbours, occasionally coordinating their policies to Indias disadvantage. Chinas military modernisation and aggressive posturing along the LAC, demonstrated during the 2020 Galwan crisis and subsequent standoffs, necessitate maintaining credible deterrence along the northern borders. Pakistans persistent support for cross-border terrorism requires constant counter-terrorism readiness and periodic punitive capabilities, as Operation Sindoor itself demonstrated. Furthermore, Indias growing global responsibilities and interests demand expeditionary capabilities. As the worlds fifth-largest economy with expanding trade networks and diaspora populations worldwide, India requires the ability to protect its citizens and interests abroad, conduct evacuation operations, participate in international peacekeeping, and contribute to regional stability. The 12-lakh figure, representing approximately 1.2 million active personnel across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, is a modest figure compared to many nations facing similar security challenges. When distributed across the vast geographical expanse, multiple operational theatres, reserve formations, training establishments, and support echelons, this force provides barely adequate coverage for Indias security needs. Critics who question this force size often fail to understand that military strength isnt measured merely in numbers but in the capability to simultaneously defend multiple borders, maintain strategic reserves, sustain operations over extended periods, and deter adversaries from miscalculation. Operation Sindoor itself required coordination across multiple commands, services, and formations; a task impossible without substantial force structure. Suggesting India could manage with significantly fewer forces demonstrates either strategic naivety or deliberate political mischief. The 12-lakh-strong military isnt a luxury or political indulgence; its a strategic necessity dictated by geography, threat environment, and national interests. If anything, ongoing modernisation and capability enhancement programmes suggest Indias security establishment recognises that quality and capability matter as much as quantity in contemporary warfare. Conclusion: The Truth in the Details Operation Sindoor represented neither an emotional gesture nor a tactical failure. It was a methodically planned, expertly executed military campaign that realised its declared goals while controlling escalation risks and preserving international legitimacy. The defeat narrative, advanced by political opponents, dissolves when confronted with verified facts: targets eliminated, defences confirmed effective, integration accomplished, and ceasefire obtained on advantageous terms. For the Air Defence personnel who remained at their positions for 72 hours, for the aviators who entered hostile airspace to execute precision attacks, for the troops who defended isolated positions under artillery bombardment, and for the naval crews who sustained alertness in the Arabian Sea, Operation Sindoor represented no failure. It demonstrated their expertise, the militarys competence, and the nations determination. The sindoor" referenced in Operation Sindoors designation symbolised a profound commitment to Pahalgams victims. The subsequent military implementation proved deliberate, systematic, and clinical; precisely how contemporary military operations should function. Claiming otherwise not only misrepresents reality but dishonours the personnel who converted strategic objectives into operational accomplishment under the most challenging conditions. As India continues managing a complicated security landscape, Operation Sindoors insights will shape future responses to provocation. The operation created a framework for multi-domain campaigns, confirmed indigenous defence capabilities, and proved that India maintains both the capability and determination to impose penalties on those threatening its people. Ultimately, that defines exactly what military forces exist to accomplish and exactly what Operation Sindoor achieved. The only desire as a retired soldier is that critics must live in trenches and operate alongside the worlds best Armed Forces in the operational areas for at least a month before passing comments and judgments. The writer is an author and commentator on global strategic affairs and national security. A motivational speaker with extensive operational experience and leadership positions, he was the Commandant of the prestigious Army War College of India. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 22:30 IST News opinion Opinion | Beyond The Political Rhetoric: Operation Sindoor Was A Clinical Victory Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Opinion | The Anatomy Of A Modern Extremist: Why 2025s Radicals Dont Fit Any Old Template Written By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:40 IST The question is not whether India can defeat terrorism. It is whether India can defeat those who manufacture the conditions for it To understand how this system works, we must begin with the Pahalgam attack, where victims were separated by religion, forced to recite the kalima, and some inspected for circumcision. (Images: News18) Radicalisation in India has never been a single fire to extinguish; today, it is an entire electrical grid sparking at once. Kashmir, the North-East, university campuses, social media echo chambers, Pakistans propaganda ecosystem, and Chinas strategic ambitions are no longer parallel problems they are interlinked circuits in a larger architecture of destabilisation. Recent events the Pahalgam massacre, the Red Fort bomber, Sharjeel Imams Siliguri thesis, banned secessionist literature, TRFs resurgence, and Pakistans open admission of cross-border strikes paint a picture far more complex than insurgency or alienation. What we are facing is a hybrid radicalisation system, where the terrorist with a rifle, the scholar with a footnote, the Opposition leader with a microphone, and the foreign intelligence officer with a map contribute to the same ideological continuum. To understand how this system works, we must begin with the Pahalgam attack, where victims were separated by religion, forced to recite the kalima, and some inspected for circumcision. This was not militancy born of grievance; this was religious purification violence, consistent with Lashkar-e-Taibas early doctrinal manuals recovered by Indian agencies in the 1990s and 2000s. TRF Lashkars clean-skin" rebrand created after FATF scrutiny now uses digital cells for recruitment, AI-edited training videos, and encrypted transit maps. The 2025 attack fits the global pattern identified by the UN Monitoring Team: terror groups increasingly outsource field operations to hybrid outfits while preserving ideological continuity. Indias response, Operation Sindoor, signalled a doctrinal transformation. No denials. No ambiguity. A named, calibrated, precision retaliatory strike the kind military strategists call limited compellence operations". This is India borrowing from Israels and Frances playbook: when the adversary uses non-state proxies, the response hits the infrastructure, not the foot soldier. But militancy is no longer the strategic centre of gravity; ideas are. Enter the white-collar jihadist the Red Fort bomber, a doctor and academic, radicalised not in a madrassa but in encrypted theological forums. This mirrors the Western jihadist wave (20142017), where ISIS recruits were more educated than average, as per a World Bank study. India is now confronting the same sociology: the radical is not poor, not fringe, and not uninformed. He is confident, literate, and ideologically purified". His job isnt to fight, but to make extremism appear intellectually defensible. This ideological laundering is aided by the intellectual-apologist class, Indias third radicalisation engine. Their vocabulary is polished; their sentences are footnoted; their politics is aestheticised. But their function is brutally simple: erase Pakistans culpability, securitise (Copenhagen School theory) the Indian state, convert extremists into victims, disguise secession as scholarship. The recent ban on 25 books many of them treating Kashmir primarily through narratives of separatism and grievance, without substantial reference to the Pandit exodus or terrorist recruitment and financing networks exposed this narrative-laundering machinery. Predictably, the outrage was largely performative: minimal substantive engagement with the texts, and immediate claims of censorship" rather than debate. But ideological laundering alone cannot destabilise a nation. It requires a political amplifier. This is where the INDIA bloc enters the picture. Instead of countering radicalisation, large sections of the Opposition have made it a political currency. The Sharjeel Imam case illustrates this perfectly. Imams call to cut off the Siliguri Corridor" is not dissent; it is a geopolitical strike plan. The corridor a 22-km-wide bottleneck is Indias only physical link to its North-East. Since the 1970s, Pakistans ISI has discussed this vulnerability in intercepted communications; China studies it through its Five Fingers of Tibet" doctrine; and Bangladesh-based radicals have referenced it in training manuals. Imams articulation mirrors these inputs almost word for word. And yet, the Opposition converted a national security case into a communal morality play: Muslims do not get bail." This is not analysis; it is narrative weaponisation. When the political class refuses to differentiate between dissent and doctrinal destabilisation, they are not defending civil liberties they are endorsing strategic fragmentation. Which brings us to the uncomfortable question: does the Opposition still see India as a single nation or a negotiable federation of convenience? Because every time they defend secessionist ideology as free thought, or minimise Islamist extremism as alienation," they signal to adversarial states that national unity itself is an open debate. To fully grasp the scale of Indias challenge, one must zoom out to the North-East, where radicalisation is increasingly tied to transnational agendas. AQIS modules have been discovered in Assam; madrassa networks linked to Bangladeshs radical outfits have been quietly expanding digital influence; socio-economic vulnerabilities are exploited through identity politics; and demographic shifts in border districts feed new anxieties. The Siliguri Corridor is not merely a highway; it is the hinge of Indias territorial integrity. Any discourse academic, activist, or political that imagines its blockade as dissent is not freedom of expression; it is geo-strategic sabotage. This is why Indias understanding of radicalisation must shift from counter-insurgency" to ecosystem disruption". In counter-terror literature, this is called disaggregating the architecture: the operative node (the terrorist), the ideological node (the educated radical), the narrative node (the apologist), the political node (the amplifier), the geopolitical node (the foreign beneficiary). Indias current policies target only the first node. The other four operate freely sometimes subtly, sometimes brazenly and increasingly under political protection. As a Muslim, I must address the moral dimension. The greatest disservice to Indian Muslims is not done by the government but by those who pretend radicalisation does not exist. They infantilise Muslims, treat ideology as emotion, selectively quote scripture, misuse historical grievances, and weaponise identity for political mileage. This is not solidarity; it is manipulation. Radicalisation rejects the Constitution. The apologist ecosystem rejects accountability. But both claim to represent us. We must reject both. So where does India go from here? Certainly not towards censorship alone, because censorship without clarity creates martyrs. Nor towards unrestrained policing, because enforcement without narrative wins battles but loses generations. What India needs is a national hybrid anti-radicalisation doctrine: mapping ideological ecosystems with the same seriousness as terrorist cells; distinguishing dissent from secessionism with constitutional precision; regulating foreign-funded intellectual networks with transparency; integrating Kashmir and North-East intelligence grids; building Muslim-led theological counter-narratives; calling out political actors who treat national unity as a bargaining chip. Because ultimately, Indias greatest vulnerability is not the terrorist who crosses the border. It is the leader who crosses the line between opposition and opportunism. Radicalisation today is not an event but an architecture. And Indias survival depends on recognising that the threat is no longer the gun alone it is the idea, the influencer, the institution, and the politician who allows the idea to breathe. The question, then, is not whether India can defeat terrorism. It is whether India can defeat those who manufacture the conditions for it. The author is a practising advocate. She writes articles on womens rights, politics and law. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 19:40 IST News opinion Opinion | The Anatomy Of A Modern Extremist: Why 2025s Radicals Dont Fit Any Old Template Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Opinion | The Republics Revenge: Why The Purbachal Verdict Is A Constitutional Warning Written By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 10:07 IST What is unfolding in Bangladesh today is not a reckoning. It is a dismantling. A poster of ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. (Photo: AFP) The conviction of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, members of her family, and UK MP Tulip Siddiq in the RAJUK Purbachal plot case is being hailed by the interim government as a triumph of accountability. It is nothing of the sort. It is the decisive signal that the rule of law has been cannibalised by political expediency, and that the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)a court born of the blood of 1971has been hollowed out and repurposed into a domestic punishment machine. Lets be clear about what the law actually says. The ICT was established under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 with a singular, sacred mandate: to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the Liberation War. It was built to judge the enemies of humanity, not to adjudicate administrative disputes over land plots. By dragging a civil land allocation issue into the arena of a war crimes tribunal, the state has not strengthened justice; it has stripped the process of legality. Jurisdiction is not a suggestion. It is the bedrock of authority. When a court acts outside its mandate, its verdict is not a tough judgment." It is a legal nullity. The procedural violence is just as stark. These trials are being conducted in absentia, without cross-examination, and without meaningful defence. Where is the money trail? Criminal corruption demands proof of personal enrichment. Yet, no public evidence shows that Sheikh Hasina or Tulip Siddiq monetised these plots. If accumulation of private wealth was the motive, why did Sheikh Hasina preserve Dhanmondi 32arguably the most valuable property in Dhakaas a public museum rather than keeping it as a private asset? Motive cannot be presumed when conduct screams the opposite. The hypocrisy becomes nauseating when you look at the history of those now pointing fingers. This is a system of selective enforcement. The Purbachal project involved thousands of allocations across multiple governments. Why target only one family? Compare this to the Ershad era, when prime Gulshan land was allocated to Khaleda Zia for the symbolic price of one taka. That was an openly political transaction involving state discretion over public assets. Was she dragged before a war crimes tribunal? Was she retroactively criminalised? No. The law did not move then. It moves now, only because it is being pushed by political vengeance. While the state prosecutes Hasina for land plots she never sold, it is busy scrubbing the slate clean for its own leader. Just weeks after Dr Muhammad Yunus assumed unelected power, the machinery of the state began to work in his personal favour. In a stunning reversal, a High Court bench recalled a verdict that had demanded Tk 666 crore in taxes from Grameen Kalyan, an entity central to his network. This massive liability was not settled through payment; it was erased through the convenient intervention of a judiciary now operating under the shadow of his administration. But the benefits did not stop there. The interim government then proceeded to grant a sweeping five-year tax exemption to Grameen Bank. This is a level of state-sponsored immunity that no other citizen enjoys. When a leader uses executive authority to wipe out hundreds of crores in personal or institutional liabilities while prosecuting predecessors for administrative irregularities, it is not justice. It is the privatisation of the state. The moral high ground collapses further when you examine the historical record. On August 3, 2008, while serving as Managing Director of Grameen Bank, Yunus oversaw a circular arrangement where 11,000 square feet of prime office space was leased for a nominal rent of Tk 1,000. This was institutional authority exercised for affiliated entities, a classic conflict of interest. Yet, there was no extraordinary tribunal for him. Power, it seems, is only a crime when your opponents hold it. However, the most dangerous shift is not financial; it is ideological. The International Crimes Tribunal was created to prosecute and punish the juddhaoporadhithe war criminals and collaborators of 1971, specifically the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami who opposed the birth of Bangladesh. This is the same tribunal that handed down death sentences to those who orchestrated genocide. Today, in a grotesque inversion of history, that tribunal has been captured by the very forces it was meant to judge. The current ICT has devolved into a kangaroo court" run by affiliates of Jamaat-e-Islami. The crucial positions of the courtfrom the chief prosecutor to the defence counselsare now occupied by individuals deeply entrenched in Jamaat politics. Even the judiciary itself has been compromised; concerns have been raised that judges appointed to this tribunal lack the requisite High Court tenure and standing, selected instead for their ideological alignment rather than their judicial competence. When the defence lawyers of yesterdays war criminals become the prosecutors of todays liberation leaders, the court ceases to be an instrument of justice. It becomes a weapon of retribution. This revisionism is not accidental; it echoes a deeper, more personal history. The rehabilitation of these anti-liberation forces finds a disturbing parallel in the lineage of the Chief Adviser himself. Public discourse and historical records have long pointed to the role of Dr Yunuss father, Hazi Dula Mia, who is documented to have fought for the Pakistan movement and held sympathies that ran counter to the liberation struggle. It appears the son is now finishing what the fathers generation could not. By rehabilitating Jamaat-e-Islami jihadists and handing them the keys to the International Crimes Tribunal, the interim government is not just prosecuting a former prime minister; they are rewriting the history of 1971. When a tribunal abandons its founding statute, denies due process, and is staffed by the historical enemies of the states founding, it ceases to be a court. The sentence handed down in the Purbachal case is not a verdict on Sheikh Hasina. It is a verdict on the interim government itself, proof that they are willing to burn the constitution to warm their hands on the flames of revenge. And when justice is replaced by vengeance, the real casualty is not a political family. It is the Republic itself. Abu Obaidha Arin is a Bangladeshi thinker and writer focused on politics, governance, and the societal impact of digital systems. His work engages with questions of democracy, secularism, and power in Bangladesh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 10:07 IST News opinion Opinion | The Republics Revenge: Why The Purbachal Verdict Is A Constitutional Warning Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Opinion | The Weaponisation Of Impeachment: A Judicial-Political Reckoning Written By : & News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:58 IST Using impeachment as a political weapon to pressure the judiciary is part of a long-standing pattern Rapid Read Justice GR Swaminathan (Image: hcmadras.tn.nic.in) The impeachment motion against Justice G.R. Swaminathan marks a troubling moment in Indian constitutional history. The parliamentary process for removing judges, a means of ensuring judicial accountability, is being exploited as a tool to coerce the judge. To see this impeachment motion as an isolated event would be to miss the forest for the trees. Using impeachment as a political weapon to pressure the judiciary is part of a long-standing pattern. It is a concerning continuum of attempts by political bodies to intimidate, threaten, influence, coerce, and symbolically punish judges for ruling against their ideological or political interests. In the present case, the INDIA Bloc moved an impeachment motion under Article 217, read with Article 124, against Justice G.R. Swaminathan in both the houses of parliament. The impeachment motion is in reference to the judgment delivered by Honble Justice G.R. Swaminathan, in the case titled Rama Ravikumar v The District Collector, Madurai & Ors., pronounced to light the traditional lamp at a stone pillar, atop a hillock in Tamil Nadu, on December 1, 2025. This motion is also bizarre in the sense that it is the first time an impeachment motion has been initiated against a judge for passing a judgment. Disagreement becomes dismissal The extraordinary remedy of initiating an impeachment motion for the removal of a judge, for Proved Misbehaviour or Judicial Misconduct, being used as a rhetorical political tool to express disapproval of a judicial outcome, is against the constitutional spirit. Such developments must raise an alarm bell for judicial independence and the democratic health of the country, and should not be taken casually. The sharp judicial response to the executive resistance by the state government led to a major judicial-executive confrontation in the state. The attempt to thwart the application of the judicial mind through lobbying is not new. In an interview, Frankly Speaking on Times Now, a former Chief Justice of India disclosed that he was visited by a Senior Advocate at his residence in reference to the impeachment of the then incumbent Chief Justice of India. Political hounding of the judges for their decisions has become the new normal of the day. The normalisation of the impeachment motion began in 2018, marking a first in Indian democracy. Chief Justice Deepak Misra faced political pressure through press conferences and innuendo. Additionally, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was subjected to repeated media trials. Unpopular judgments were judged more on integrity and character than on judicial reasoning. Chief Justice S.A. Bobde was targeted for his motorcycle photographs. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is being criticised for allegedly not aligning with the political aspirations through judicial verdicts. These actions are part of a broader effort by a small group to name, shame, and threaten judges over political and ideological preferences that they feel are not being addressed by the judges on the bench. The grounds cited in the impeachment motion concern impartiality, transparency, lack of secular functioning, favouritism, and support for a particular political ideology. These grounds are vague and fail to mention the constitutional requirements for impeachment, such as proven misbehaviour or incapacity to perform duties. The absence of the constitutional grounds listed under Article 218, read with Article 124, in the letter indicates that the motion is more of a disagreement letter with the substance and judicial philosophy rather than based on constitutional grounds for removal. An adequate recourse to challenge the judicial verdict passed by the single-judge bench of the High Court is through appeal to the division bench of the High Court, and subsequently to the Supreme Court. Use of the nuclear option to impeach a judge for passing an unfavourable judgment is a perilous move. A threat to judicial neutrality The moved impeachment motion is an attempt to threaten judicial officers with political retaliation for their adjudicative decision. This sends a chilling wave across the High Courts of politically driven professional sanctions. This forces judicial officers to self-censor in matters having political undercurrents. Impeachment is a last resort to ensure judicial accountability. The weaponisation of the accountability mechanism being deployed as a means to express political displeasure is no less than coercion. Expressing displeasure with the motion, 56 former Judges issued a statement, stating it as a brazen attempt to browbeat judges who do not fall in line with ideological and political expectations of a particular section of society. The retired Judges have warned that if this is continued, it will cut at the very roots of our democracy and the independence of the judiciary. The ill effects of the political coercion on the judiciary have been seen and felt globally during the emergency era. The then political dispensation used various mechanisms to penalise the judges, through supersessions, who refused to toe the line. This ultimately led the judiciary to pass the ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla, AIR 1976, which is still considered the darkest chapter of the Indian Judiciary. The impeachment motion against Justice Swaminathan is unlikely to succeed. To date, there has been no successful impeachment in India. Yet, its tabling damages the Judiciary beyond procedural fate. The worrying aspect of the motion is not the motion itself, but a cultural shift towards penalising judges for their unpopular judgments. This sends a message that judicial independence is conditional on political approval. The democracy that fails to guard its judges against political browbeating erodes its foundations. Summary rejection of the motion is a way to reaffirm the trust in parliamentary wisdom. Anything short of summary rejection risks legitimising a trend of impeachment as a tool of coercion rather than ensuring judicial accountability. Robes authority must not be contingent on political patronage. The politicisation of the judiciary would dismantle judicial might. The judiciary is a refuge of last resort. Once the refuge falls, the creeping darkness spares none. It would be wisest to withdraw the impeachment motion against Justice G.R. Swaminathan, not for the judges sake but for democracy. Pranjal Chaturvedi and Isha Tiwari are Doctoral Research Fellows at Bennett University. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 19:58 IST News opinion Opinion | The Weaponisation Of Impeachment: A Judicial-Political Reckoning Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... CNN name, logo and all associated elements and 2026 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. CNN and the CNN logo are registered marks of Cable News Network, LP LLLP, displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of NEWS18.com does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them. Copyright Network18 Media and Investments Ltd 2026. All rights reserved. News / National by Staff reporter The High Court of Zimbabwe has dismissed an application filed by lawyer and political activist Fadzai Mahere against Cabinet Minister Hon. Tino Machakaire, ruling that the case had been improperly brought before the court.In a recent judgment, Justice Happias Chitapi struck the application off the roll, finding that it was filed irregularly. Mahere had initiated the proceedings alleging defamation and contempt of court, claiming that Minister Machakaire had made statements accusing her of corruption. Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 15:52 IST 1 / 8 Vishal Kumar Oberoi, later known as Suresh Oberoi, was born on December 17, 1946, in Quetta, Pakistan. His early life was marked by the turmoil of the Partition of 1947. At just one year old, he and his family migrated to India, leaving behind all their property. His father, Anand Sarup Oberoi, who had been in real estate, lost everything in the migration. With their funds exhausted, the family faced severe hardship. 2 / 8 Suresh Oberoi later recounted the struggles in interviews, recalling that his family of three siblings survived on basic food like sugar and bread during the toughest times. His father eventually returned to Pakistan, changed his appearance, sold their property, and brought back money to settle the family in Hyderabad, where he started a chain of medical stores. Slowly, the familys situation improved, they bought a house and a car, and Suresh and his siblings completed their education. ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 8 Suresh Oberoi had a passion for acting from childhood and dreamed of becoming a hero. He came to Mumbai (then Bombay) with just Rs 400 and a big dream of making his mark in the film industry. He began his career in radio, where his powerful voice earned him popularity. He then transitioned to theatre and honed his craft at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. 4 / 8 Suresh Oberoi made his film debut in 1977 with Jeevan Mukt. While he initially played lead roles, his real success came through supporting and negative roles, which became his signature on screen. Over his career, he has acted in over 100 films, including notable titles such as Laawaris, Namak Halaal, Vidhata, Phir Wahi Raat, Raja Hindustani, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Lajja, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya and Kabir Singh. ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 8 Suresh Oberoi won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the village clerk in Mirch Masala (1987), a performance widely acclaimed by critics. 6 / 8 In addition to films, Suresh Oberoi has appeared in several television shows, including Dhadkan and Kashmir. He also hosted the popular show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, further showcasing his versatility. ADVERTISEMENT 7 / 8 Suresh Oberoi remains active in the film industry and continues to impress audiences with his performances. In 2019, he portrayed Bajirao II in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, bringing depth to the historical character. The same year, he played Rajdheer Singh, Shahid Kapoors father, in the hit film Kabir Singh, earning praise for his nuanced performance. In 2023, Suresh Oberoi appeared in Ranbir Kapoors blockbuster Animal, where his role was widely appreciated, further cementing his reputation as a versatile and talented actor. Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 14:30 IST 1 / 9 Industrialist and chairman of Sona Comstar, Sunjay Kapur, was married three times during his life. His first marriage was to fashion designer Nandita Mahtani, followed by his high-profile marriage to Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor in 2003, which ended in a bitter divorce in 2016. He later married Priya Sachdev in 2017. 2 / 9 However, Sunjay Kapur died in June 2025 while playing a polo match in England, reportedly due to a heart attack triggered by an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Ever since, Karisma and Priya have been fighting over his wealth. While Karisma is not directly associated with the case, she is representing her children. ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 9 At the time of his death, Sunjay Kapur controlled a massive business and personal fortune estimated at nearly 30,000 crore. His assets included stakes in listed companies, overseas properties, trusts, investments and family wealth accumulated over decades. 4 / 9 The controversy escalated after the emergence of a will dated March 21, 2025, barely months before Sunjay Kapurs death. According to court filings, this will allegedly leaves the majority if not all of his movable and immovable assets to his third wife, Priya Sachdev. The timing of the will and its contents raised suspicions among other legal heirs, particularly Sunjays children from his marriage to Karisma Kapoor. ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 9 Sunjay Kapurs children with Karisma Kapoor Samaira and Kiaan Kapur approached the Delhi High Court challenging the authenticity of the will. Through their legal representatives, they claimed the document was suspicious, possibly forged and was concealed from them for several weeks after Sunjays death. They also alleged they were denied access to financial details and were kept unaware of major asset transfers that allegedly occurred posthumously. 6 / 9 Priya Sachdev has strongly denied all allegations of forgery or manipulation. She maintains that the will is legally valid and reflects Sunjay Kapurs final wishes. Her legal team has stated that Sunjay had already made substantial financial provisions for his children through trusts and other arrangements, arguing that their financial future was secured even before his death and that the current claims are unjustified. ADVERTISEMENT 7 / 9 The Delhi High Court has taken an active role in supervising the dispute, given the size and sensitivity of the estate. The court has directed Priya Sachdev to submit complete disclosures of Sunjay Kapurs assets, including domestic and international holdings. Some of these disclosures have been allowed to be filed in sealed covers to maintain confidentiality while the court examines the competing inheritance claims. 8 / 9 The dispute has widened beyond Priya and Karismas children, drawing in Sunjay Kapurs mother, Rani Kapur and other family members. Rani Kapur has publicly raised concerns about how Priya has handled the familys wealth after Sunjays death. Sunjays sister has also made statements alleging Priyas involvement in family conflicts and questioning the fairness of the estates current management. ADVERTISEMENT Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 17:52 IST 1 / 13 Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a pleasant welcome during his first bilateral visit to Ethiopia on Tuesday. Within hours of his arrival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received him at the airport and drove him to his hotel. 2 / 13 The gesture was repeated at the end of the visit, with Prime Minister Abiy again taking the wheel to escort PM Modi to the airport to see him off. During the drives, the Ethiopian leader also made unscheduled stops at the Science Museum and Friendship Park, locations that were not part of the official itinerary. ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 13 Throughout the visit, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed drove a Range Rover Velar. This armoured luxury SUV is built to meet stringent VIP transport and security protocols. It features VR8/V8 ballistic protection, enabling it to withstand high-calibre gunfire and explosive threats, along with reinforced body panels and bullet-resistant glass. 4 / 13 Run-flat tyres ensure the vehicle can keep moving even after sustaining damage. Power comes from a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine producing around 375 horsepower. ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 13 It is priced at over Rs 10 crore. This is part of PM Modis car diplomacy. In Jordan, Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II drove PM Modi in his BMW to the Jordan Museum in Amman. 6 / 13 Before that, PM Modi travelled with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Toyota Fortuner in New Delhi and earlier rode in Putins Aurus Senat limousine in China. ADVERTISEMENT 7 / 13 Range Rover is a luxury SUV brand made by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), a British automaker that came under Tata Group ownership in 2008 after an all-cash $2.3-billion acquisition from Ford, led by Ratan Tata as Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors. 8 / 13 Even after the acquisition, the brand identity, design, engineering, and badging remain purely Range Rover, you will not find Tata branding on the vehicle. ADVERTISEMENT 9 / 13 The Range Rover Velar is a mid-size luxury SUV that sits between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport in the brands lineup. Launched as a design-led model, the Velar is known for combining modern luxury, advanced technology, and everyday usability, while still retaining Range Rovers trademark capability. 10 / 13 The interior of the Velar uses high-quality materials such as premium leather, soft-touch surfaces, and brushed metal or wood trims, depending on the variant. A key highlight is the 11.4-inch curved glass touchscreen running JLRs latest Pivi Pro infotainment system, which integrates navigation, media, vehicle settings, and connectivity features. ADVERTISEMENT 11 / 13 The system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air software updates, and a fast, intuitive interface. A panoramic sunroof, multi-zone climate control, ambient lighting, and powered, memory seats are seen. 12 / 13 Under the hood, the Range Rover Velar offers a range of petrol, diesel, and electrified powertrains, depending on the market. These include turbocharged four-cylinder engines and more powerful six-cylinder mild-hybrid options. ADVERTISEMENT In today's News18 Daily Digest: The Luthra brothers, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where a fire killed 25 people, have been deported from Thailand and placed on transit remand as investigations intensify. Police are probing charges of culpable homicide, negligence and safety violations linked to the clubs operations. Investigators are also examining documents that show the establishment received its trade licence in just two days, raising questions about possible lapses or complicity by local authorities. Goa authorities have stepped up safety enforcement, shutting down multiple clubs in Anjuna for operating without mandatory fire and safety clearances. Political controversy erupted after Congress leader Prithviraj Chavans remarks on military operations drew sharp criticism from the BJP. Delhi continues to battle hazardous air quality, with the Supreme Court set to hear the matter this week. The Centre and the Delhi government remain locked in a blame game as stricter pollution controls are debated. '51 Cartons Taken Back': Centre Slams Sonia Gandhi Over Nehru Papers, Seeks Their Return Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 22:56 IST Union culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stressed that historical documents related to Jawaharlal Nehru "belong in public archives, not behind closed doors" The Centre accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of "withholding" historical documents related to India's first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru. (Image: PTI/File) The Centre has demanded the immediate return of 51 cartons" of historical records associated with Indias first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru from Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, accusing her for withholding" papers of national importance. Union culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat publicly criticised Sonia Gandhi, stressing that historical documents related to Jawaharlal Nehru belong in public archives, not behind closed doors". Shekhawat said the papers should be immediately returned to the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) from where they were taken back" in 2008. He said scholars, researchers, students, and citizens have a right to access original documentary sources to arrive at a truthful and balanced understanding" of Nehrus era. this is no ordinary matter. History cannot be curated selectively. Transparency is the foundation of democracy and archival openness is its moral obligation which Mrs Gandhi and the family need to uphold," Shekhawat said in a long post on X. Nehru Papers are not missing" from PMML.Missing" entails that the whereabouts are unknown.In reality, 51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru papers were formally taken back by the family in 2008 from Prime Ministers Museum and Library (then NMML). Their location is known. Hence, they Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) December 17, 2025 After Nehrus death, the Teen Murti Bhawan in central Delhi became the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), housing a rich collection of books and rare records. The NMML was renamed Prime Ministers Museum and Library in 2023. The Nehru papers have been a contentious issue between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress, and a section within the PMML has been pushing for reclaiming" these papers that were taken back by Sonia Gandhi several years ago. PAPERS NOT MISSING This follows a written clarification provided in Parliament regarding the status of documents held by the PMML, on December 15. In response to a query, Shekhawat said no documents related to Indias first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, have been found missing from the museum during the annual inspection of the PMML in the year 2025". He has now written a post on social media to throw more light on the status of papers, asserting that the documents are not missing from PMML" as that will imply their whereabouts are unknown". In reality, 51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru papers were formally taken back by the family in 2008 from the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (then NMML). Their location is known. Hence, they are not missing," he said. He said these papers were handed over officially in 2008, on request", with records and catalogues maintained by PMML. The removal of the papers took place during the UPA period, when, as per him, public institutions were often treated as family preserves", he added. HERITAGE NOT PRIVATE PROPERTY The ministry of culture also weighed in, stating that these documents form part of the nations documentary heritage and not a private property". It said their custody with PMML and access to citizens and scholars for research is vital". On JN papers: Vide letter dated 29.04.2008 Shri M V Rajan, representative of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, requested that Smt. Gandhi wishes to take back all of the private family letters and notes of former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru," the ministry wrote in its first post on X. On JN papers: Vide letter dated 29.04.2008 Shri M V Rajan, representative of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, requested that Smt. Gandhi wishes to take back all of the private family letters and notes of former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru. (1/4) @gssjodhpur Ministry of Culture (@MinOfCultureGoI) December 17, 2025 Shekhawat said Sonia Gandhi has acknowledged in writing that the papers are with her and promised to cooperate on the matter. But he noted that despite multiple reminders from PMML including the recent reminders in January and July 2025", the papers have not been returned. The nation deserves clarity. What is being withheld? What is being hidden?" he asked. (With PTI inputs) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 22:43 IST News politics '51 Cartons Taken Back': Centre Slams Sonia Gandhi Over Nehru Papers, Seeks Their Return Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Immoral To Remove Gandhi': Shashi Tharoor Stands In Support Of Congress In G Ram G Row Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 16, 2025, 15:21 IST Speaking during the Lok Sabha, Tharoor opposed the new bill, dubbed G Ram G, which offers 25 extra days of paid work but puts 40 percent of that financial burden on states. A file photo of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (PTI Image) In what is occurring rarely these days, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday came out against the Bharatiya Janata Partys move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission. Speaking during the Lok Sabha, Tharoor opposed the new bill, dubbed G Ram G, which offers 25 extra days of paid work but puts 40 percent of that financial burden on states. Tharoor also called it immoral" to remove Gandhis name and simultaneously urged the government not to sully Rams name". Taking to X, Tharoor wrote, Replacing the Mahatmas name in a scheme for the rural poor ignores this profound symbiosis (between Gandhis vision for self-governing villages and that of Ram Rajya, or a period of idealised governance) " Let us not dishonour his legacy by creating a division where none existed," he added. The Thiruvananthapuram MP wasnt the only opposition leader to oppose the governments move. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called for the bill to be withdrawn, questioning the craze to change every schemes name and pointing to the money costs incurred each time. A bill should not be passed in haste this bill must be withdrawn," she said, pointing also to the fact MGNREGA had been running successfully for 20 years to strengthen the rural economy. Priyanka Gandhi also demanded that the bill be sent to a standing committee. MGNREGA vs G RAM G The former scheme is sponsored by the central government, according to which 100 per cent of the wages paid to unskilled workers are from its pocket. States bear a fraction of total expenses. However, the G RAM G bill changes that funding structure, requiring states to bear 40 per cent of the overall costs, and opposition leaders, including those from a key BJP ally Andhra Pradeshs ruling Telugu Desam Party have objected to this, citing increased burden on state finances. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 16, 2025, 14:51 IST News politics 'Immoral To Remove Gandhi': Shashi Tharoor Stands In Support Of Congress In G Ram G Row Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'What If He Touched...': UP Minister's Shocker On Nitish Kumar Hijab Row Reported By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:33 IST The minister, who has been serving as a cabinet minister in the second Yogi Adityanath government, stirred a row with his remarks, with many leaders slamming him. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pulls down woman's hijab at an event. Arey, woh bhi toh aadmi hain na, peeche nahi padna chahiye. Naqab chhoo diya toh itna ho gayakahin aur chhoo dete toh kya ho jaata (Hes also a human being after all. One should not hound him like this. Just by touching the hijab caused such an uproar, what would have happened if he had touched something else)," he said. The minister, who has been serving as a cabinet minister in the second Yogi Adityanath government, stirred a row with his remarks, with many leaders slamming him. Opposition Slams Following this, Samajwadi Party leader Sumaiya Rana filed a complaint against Nishad over his remarks, seeking an FIR and legal action against him. Samajwadi Party MP from Kairana, Iqra Hasan, also strongly criticised the incident. Pulling a womans hijab or even her dupatta is wrong and dangerous. If such behaviour comes from someone holding the highest constitutional post in the state, it sends a very disturbing message down the administrative chain," she said. Iqra Hasan expressed concern over Nitish Kumars health, while maintaining that the dignity of the office must be upheld regardless. He is elderly and respected, but the position he holds has its own sanctity. Such conduct goes against that dignity," she said, adding that the issue should not be reduced to a religious debate. This is about a womans dignity and personal choice." Launching an attack on Nishad, former Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh called his remarks vile" and misogynistic". He further demanded immediate action against the minister and called for his resignation. The hijab is sacred to Muslim women. Violating it is assault. Mocking it is despicable. This mindset is exactly why women and minorities feel unsafe under BJPs governance, where slogans like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" are reduced to empty slogans. No woman of any RELIGION deserves this," he wrote on X. While expressing similar concerns, Deobandi cleric Maulana Qari Ishaq Gora from Saharanpur said the matter transcends one individual. This is about the honour, privacy and self-respect of women across the country. Interfering with a womans attire against her will goes against the principles of humanity," he said. Minister Issues clarification Following the backlash, the UP minister clarified his statement, saying there were no ill intentions". The statement over which a controversy is being created today was said by me, smiling, casually, and in my local Bhojpuri dialect. There was no ill intention towards any community, any woman, or any religion, nor was there any intent to insult," he said. Row Over Nitish Kumars Hijab Act Nitish Kumar, on Monday, gave rise to a controversy where he pulled a hijab down from a womans face during a government event in Patna. A video of the incident went viral on social media. The 74-year-old JD(U) chief can be seen handing a certificate to an AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) doctor during the event. He motioned her to remove her hijab, but before she could react, he reached out and pulled it down himself exposing her mouth and chin. The incident sparked a huge row with the Opposition questioning Kumars mental state. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Bihar, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 12:51 IST News politics 'What If He Touched...': UP Minister's Shocker On Nitish Kumar Hijab Row Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Why Should I Apologise': Congress's Prithviraj Chavan Defiant On Op Sindoor Remark, Seeks Inquiry Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:29 IST Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday demanded a fair inquiry into what happened at Pahalgam on April 22 and details of Operation Sindoor. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan (Image: PTI) A day after former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan sparked a massive controversy following his remarks on Operation Sindoor, the senior Congress leader on Wednesday demanded a fair inquiry into what happened at Pahalgam on April 22 and details of Operation Sindoor. Chavan further refused to apologise for his remarks on Operation Sindoor, stating, I have the right to ask questions, why should I apologise?" He further stated that his statements are being distorted to divert the peoples attention from the nuclear privatisation bill the SHANTI Bill in Parliament that was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday. BJP Slams Slamming the Congress leader over his remarks, BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya took to X and wrote, Why do Congress leaders, without exception, end up speaking the language of Pakistan?" Why do Congress leaders, without exception, end up speaking the language of Pakistan? https://t.co/eJvGCWMy1C Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 17, 2025 What Is The Controversy? Sparking a massive row, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict. Addressing a press conference in Pune, Chavan said, On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not." Indian aircraft were shot down. The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the Air Force was fully grounded," he added. Furthermore, Chavan questioned the need to maintain large military forces, stating that wars will be fought in the air. Recently, we saw during Operation Sindoor, there was not even a one-kilometre movement of the military. Whatever happened over two or three days was only an aerial war and missile warfare. In the future, too, wars will be fought in the same way. In such a situation, do we really need to maintain an army of 12 lakh soldiers?" News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 10:33 IST News politics 'Why Should I Apologise': Congress's Prithviraj Chavan Defiant On Op Sindoor Remark, Seeks Inquiry Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Met God, My Parents...': UK Woman Declared Dead For 11 Minutes Says She Was In 'Heaven' Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 16:26 IST Charlotte Holmes, 68, claims she was clinically dead for 11 minutes, experiencing vivid visions of both heaven and hell, reigniting debate on life after death Rapid Read Medical staff later told her that she became unresponsive and was declared clinically dead. (Representational Image) For centuries, humanity has wrestled with the same unsettling question, what happens after death? Religions offer their own answers, philosophers debate it endlessly, and popular culture continues to mine the mystery through books, films and documentaries. Yet, despite all the speculation, there is no scientific proof of what lies beyond life. Concepts such as heaven and hell remain matters of belief rather than evidence. Every so often, however, a personal account emerges that reignites the debate. One such story comes from Charlotte Holmes, a 68-year-old woman from the United Kingdom, who claims she briefly crossed the boundary between life and death, and returned with vivid memories. Holmes says she was clinically dead for 11 minutes, during which she experienced what she describes as both heaven and hell. The episode occurred on what was meant to be an ordinary day. Holmes had gone for a routine medical check-up when doctors noticed her blood pressure rising to dangerous levels. She was immediately admitted to hospital, with physicians warning that if her condition did not stabilise, she could suffer a heart attack. Her husband was by her side as doctors began treatment. According to Holmes, it was during this period that everything suddenly went silent. Medical staff later told her that she became unresponsive and was declared clinically dead. Her heart had stopped beating. For the next 11 minutes, doctors attempted to revive her. Holmes, however, says she was far from unaware. In interviews given later, she claimed she could see doctors working frantically on her body even as she lay motionless. Then, she says, her surroundings began to change. A distinctive fragrance, which she described as that of an unfamiliar but beautiful flower, filled the air. She also heard music. When she opened her eyes", Holmes says she found herself in what she believed was heaven. There was no fear, she recalled. The place felt calm, peaceful and overwhelmingly positive. She said she saw deceased members of her family, including her parents, whom she described as looking healthy, joyful and whole. She also claimed she saw a child she had lost years earlier. But the experience did not end there. Watch the viral video: Holmes says she was then shown what she believed was hell, a place marked by suffering and anguish. She has spoken less about this part of the vision, saying only that it was deeply disturbing and unlike anything she had ever known. Just as suddenly as it began, the experience ended. Holmes says she heard her fathers voice telling her it was not her time and that she had to go back. Moments later, she opened her eyes in the hospital. Doctors informed her that her heart had stopped for 11 minutes and that she had been clinically dead during that time. When she regained consciousness, she recounted her experience to her husband, insisting that what she had seen felt more real than a dream. Holmes has since maintained that the experience cannot be fully captured in words. While sceptics argue that such near-death experiences can be explained by neurological activity during trauma, her account has drawn widespread attention and renewed public curiosity about what, if anything, awaits beyond life. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : United Kingdom (UK) First Published: December 17, 2025, 16:26 IST News viral 'Met God, My Parents...': UK Woman Declared Dead For 11 Minutes Says She Was In 'Heaven' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Annoy Trump Or Face People's Wrath: Two Hard Choices Before Pakistans Asim Munir Over Gaza Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 14:47 IST Analysts say Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir faces a Gaza dilemma, with any choice risking either Donald Trumps anger or domestic backlash from a pro-Palestinian public. Rapid Read Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Asim Munir holds a microphone during his visit at the Tilla Field Firing Ranges (TFFR), in Mangla, Pakistan. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE) Asim Munir, Pakistans most powerful military chief in decades, is facing the first major test of the sweeping powers recently granted to him. Washington under President Donald Trump is pushing Islamabad to contribute troops to a Gaza stabilisation force, but agreeing to the plan risks triggering serious backlash at home in a country where public opinion has remained strongly pro-Palestinian since the war began. Field Marshal Asim Munir is expected to travel to Washington in the coming weeks for a third meeting with Trump in six months, a visit likely to centre on the proposed Gaza Stabilisation Force, according to a report by news agency Reuters. Trumps 20-point Gaza peace plan calls for troops from Muslim-majority nations to oversee a transition phase focused on reconstruction and economic recovery in the Palestinian coastal enclave, large parts of which have been reduced to rubble after more than two years of Israeli military bombardment. Several countries remain wary of committing forces to a mission that includes disarming Hamas, fearing it could draw them directly into the conflict and inflame domestic anger among pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli populations. Inviting Trumps Wrath Not contributing to the Gaza stabilisation force could annoy Trump, which is no small matter for a Pakistani state that appears keen to remain in his good graces, largely to secure US investment and security assistance," Michael Kugelman, Senior Fellow for South Asia at the Washington-based Atlantic Council, told Reuters. Munir has worked steadily to rebuild ties with Washington after years of mistrust. In June, he was hosted for a private lunch at the White House, the first time a US President received Pakistans army chief without civilian leaders present. Pakistans formidable military capabilities have also raised expectations. There is greater pressure on Munir to deliver his capacity," defence analyst and author Ayesha Siddiqa told Reuters. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last month that Islamabad could consider contributing troops for peacekeeping duties, but made it clear that disarming Hamas was not our job". Threat From Islamist Groups At home, Islamist groups retain the ability to mobilise large and often volatile street protests. Pakistani cities have repeatedly witnessed mass demonstrations over Gaza, with rallies drawing thousands. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a hardline anti-Israel Islamist group known for violent protests and its campaign to enforce strict blasphemy laws, remains a key concern. Although the government banned the group in October and arrested its leaders along with more than 1,500 supporters, security officials acknowledge that its ideology and street influence remain intact. Any Pakistani troop presence in Gaza under a US-backed plan risks being portrayed by such groups as betrayal, a narrative that could quickly spill onto the streets. Threat From Imran Khan Munir is also confronting a political adversary who refuses to fade away. Former prime minister Imran Khan remains jailed, but his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, emerged as the single largest force in the 2024 national elections, underscoring his enduring popularity and the unresolved power struggle with the military establishment. PTI has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to paralyse major cities through protests and long marches, and Khans supporters remain deeply hostile to Munir. People will say Asim Munir is doing Israels bidding. It would be foolish not to see it coming," Abdul Basit, Senior Associate Fellow at Singapores S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told Reuters. Will Munir Prevail Over All In recent weeks, Munir has held meetings with military and civilian leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar, interactions that analysts believe are linked to consultations on the Gaza force. The overriding risk, however, lies at home. Any Pakistani role in Gaza under a US-led framework could reignite Islamist protests and deepen political instability at a time when the country is already under strain. Earlier this month, Munir was appointed chief of the defence forces, placing the army, navy and air force under his command, along with an extension until 2030. Constitutional amendments pushed through parliament have also granted him lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution. Few people in Pakistan enjoy the freedom to take risks the way Munir does. His power is now constitutionally protected," Kugelman said. Ultimately, it will be Munirs rules, and his rules alone." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Islamabad, Pakistan First Published: December 17, 2025, 14:47 IST News world Annoy Trump Or Face People's Wrath: Two Hard Choices Before Pakistans Asim Munir Over Gaza Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... News / National by Staff reporter Two men have been arraigned before the courts facing multiple counts of unlawful entry and theft after allegedly breaking into several tents at Vundu Bush Safari Camp in Mana Pools in September last year.According to court papers, Ephraim Maronga (45) and Clayton Kapesa (44) are accused of unlawfully entering tents belonging to tourists and camp staff and stealing valuables including cameras, lenses, watches and cash.The stolen property allegedly includes a custom belt knife, a Karrimor SF30 backpack, a Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire watch, a khaki pouch, a magnesium fire lighter, two Condor first aid kits, an Itel mobile phone and two firearm certificates. The total value of the stolen items is estimated to exceed US$10 000.The complainants in the matter are Mark Beau Friend, Andrew Skillen, Juliet Morton Turner, Valerie Snyder, Murray Nicholas, Steven Stuber, Jonathan Paul Sammon and Elizabeth Morton Turner. They told the court that unknown suspects broke into their tents during the night and made off with various personal items.Mr Friend, a guide at the safari camp, said he had retired to bed in his tent on the night of September 10, 2024, when the accused allegedly cut into his tent and stole his belongings.Mr Skillen reported that the suspects stole two Canon camera bodies, two Canon lenses and US$250 from his tent. Ms Turner said the accused made off with a khaki backpack containing a camera, two Fuji camera bodies, two Fuji lenses and US$1 000, while Ms Snyder reported the theft of three Fuji camera bodies, three Fuji lenses and US$800.Mr Nicholas told the court that 20 loaves of bread and six 300ml soft drinks were stolen from his tent, while Mr Stuber reported the theft of two backpacks, two duffle bags, a camera bag and US$800.Mr Sammon said the suspects stole two bags containing a Nikon D7200 camera, two 128GB memory cards and US$2 500. Ms Turner also reported the theft of a khaki backpack containing a camera, two Fuji camera bodies, a Leica Q2 camera and US$1 000.The State alleges that Maronga and Kapesa were later arrested in Zambia after being intercepted by officials from the Zambia Wildlife Authority while in possession of the stolen property.They are facing nine counts of unlawful entry and theft and are currently in custody. Prosecutors allege the two acted in connivance with Abel Marikopo, who is still at large.The court heard that the accused allegedly used an unknown sharp object to cut into the tents before stealing the goods. December 17, 1967: The Day Australias Prime Minister Entered The Sea And Vanished Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:49 IST On December 17, 1967, Australias Prime Minister Harold Holt went swimming and vanished without a trace. His disappearance remains one of historys greatest mysteries Rapid Read Harold Holt was known to be an excellent swimmer with a deep love for the ocean. It was December 17, 1967, in Victoria, Australia. The Prime Minister of the country had gone to the beach for a casual picnic with friends. He stepped into the sea, swam a short distance, and then vanished. There was no cry for help, no sign of struggle. One moment he was there; the next, he was gone. This is not a scene from a thriller, but the real-life disappearance of Australias then Prime Minister, Harold Holt. Even 58 years later, it remains one of the most baffling and unsettling political mysteries in the world. A sitting Prime Minister disappeared, and his body was never found. Did the sea claim him, or did something far more sinister occur? Rough Seas And A Fatal Decision Harold Holt was known to be an excellent swimmer with a deep love for the ocean. On that Sunday, he visited Cheviot Beach with friends despite harsh weather conditions. The sea was rough, waves were towering, and powerful rip currents were active the most dangerous conditions for swimmers. His companions warned him repeatedly and urged him not to enter the water. Confident in his swimming abilities, Holt ignored the warnings and plunged into the sea. Witnesses later recalled seeing him swim swiftly through the waves. Suddenly, a burst of foam and bubbles surrounded him. Within seconds, he disappeared from view. At first, his friends assumed he was diving or joking. When he failed to resurface, panic set in. Was Australias Prime Minister swept away by the sea? Australias Largest-Ever Search Operation The news sent shockwaves across the nation. The government immediately launched what became the largest search operation in Australian history. Hundreds of personnel from the Royal Australian Navy, the Air Force, and police forces were deployed. Divers combed the ocean floor while helicopters conducted extensive aerial searches. The operation continued for days, yet yielded nothing. No body. No clothing. No personal belongings. There was not a single trace of Harold Holt. Ultimately, authorities concluded that Holt had been pulled under by strong waves and drowned. The case was officially declared an accident. A Disappearance That Sparked Global Theories Despite the official explanation, the absence of a body left many unconvinced. Conspiracy theories soon began circulating across the world, the most sensational being the so-called Chinese espionage theory. British journalist Anthony Gray, in his book The Prime Minister Was a Spy, claimed that Harold Holt had been secretly working for China. According to this theory, Holt did not drown at all. Instead, a Chinese submarine allegedly surfaced near the beach, allowing Holt to swim to it and escape to China. No evidence was ever found to support this claim. Holts wife and close associates dismissed the theory outright, calling it absurd. Still, the story continues to intrigue conspiracy theorists to this day. Suicide Claims And CIA Allegations Another theory suggested that Harold Holt had taken his own life. At the time, Australia was deeply involved in the Vietnam War, and Holt was reportedly under immense political pressure. Some claimed he was suffering from depression and chose to end his life. Others took the speculation further, alleging involvement by the CIA. According to this version, Harold Holt wanted to withdraw Australia from the Vietnam War, making him a liability to US interests. However, these claims were formally dismissed decades later. The 2005 Inquest And Official Conclusion In 2005, a formal inquest revisited the case. The coroner rejected all conspiracy theories, concluding that Harold Holts disappearance was the result of a tragic accident. The report stated that Holts overconfidence in his swimming abilities, combined with extreme weather conditions and dangerous currents, led to his death. Swimming in such conditions, the coroner noted, proved to be the fatal mistake of his life. A Mystery That Still Haunts Australia Despite official conclusions, questions remain. How could the leader of a nation, protected by extensive security, simply vanish without a trace? The mystery has never fully faded. In a striking irony, a swimming complex in Australia was later named the Harold Holt Swimming Centre in his memory, a tribute that continues to puzzle many. Even today, visitors to Cheviot Beach remember the events of December 17, 1967. The waves crash as they always have, concealing a secret the ocean has never given back. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Australia First Published: December 17, 2025, 09:49 IST News world December 17, 1967: The Day Australias Prime Minister Entered The Sea And Vanished Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Evil Forces Of Radical Islamic Terrorism: Trump Condemns Sydney Shooting At Hanukkah Event Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 08:54 IST US President Donald Trump said he will be a friend to the Jewish community as he hosted a Hanukkah celebration in the White House. Miriam Adelson looks on as US President Donald Trump speaks at a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS) US President Donald Trump called on nations to form a united front against radical Islam during a White House Hanukkah reception for Jewish Americans. All nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism, and were doing that," Trump said at a White House Hanukkah reception, days after 15 people were shot and killed at a Jewish Hanukkah festival in Sydney, Australia. Let me take a moment to send the love and prayers to our entire nation, to the people of Australia, and especially all those affected by the horrific and antisemitic terrorist attack," Trump said in his address. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire on a Jewish festival at Sydneys famed Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. Australian authorities said the attack was designed to sow panic among the nations Jews. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the father-and-son gunmen appeared to have been motivated by Islamic State ideology". Questions are mounting over whether authorities could have acted earlier to foil the attack. Naveed Akram, reportedly an unemployed bricklayer, came to the attention of Australias intelligence agency in 2019. But he was not considered to be an imminent threat at the time and largely fell off the radar. Police are investigating whether the pair met with Islamist extremists in a visit to the Philippines weeks before the attack. Manilas immigration department has confirmed to AFP that they spent almost all of November in the Philippines, with their final destination listed as Davao. The region, on the southern island of Mindanao, has a long history of Islamist insurgencies. Carrying long-barrelled guns, the duo fired upon the Bondi beachfront for 10 minutes before police shot and killed 50-year-old Sajid Akram. Naveed Akram, 24, was also shot and remained in hospital under police guard. He woke from a coma on Tuesday night, local media reported. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: December 17, 2025, 08:02 IST News world Evil Forces Of Radical Islamic Terrorism: Trump Condemns Sydney Shooting At Hanukkah Event Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Hit Piece Or Hard Truth? Trump Team Scrambles After Chief Of Staff's Explosive Interview Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:32 IST In the Vanity Fair interview, Susie Wiles described Donald Trump as having what she termed an alcoholics personality. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles offered candid views on senior figures within the Trump administration. The Donald Trump administration moved swiftly to contain fallout after remarks attributed to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles in a Vanity Fair interview sparked controversy. While Susie Wiles has dismissed the report as a disingenuously framed hit piece", Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several senior officials have publicly defended her, even as the interview quoted her making blunt character assessments of the US President and key members of his team. What Did Susie Wiles Say In The Interview? In the Vanity Fair interview, Susie Wiles described Donald Trump as having what she termed an alcoholics personality", clarifying that she was referring to exaggerated intensity rather than alcohol consumption, noting that Donald Trump is a teetotaller. She also said that Donald Trumps drive for retribution against political adversaries would end before the first 90 days" of his second term, while acknowledging that he does not focus on policy processes and could revert to retaliatory instincts when there is an opportunity". Susie Wiles also offered candid views on senior figures within the administration. She described JD Vance as a long-time conspiracy theorist, referred to Elon Musk as an odd, odd duck" and an avowed ketamine user" and called US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr quirky Bobby". White House budget director Russell Vought was labelled a right-wing absolute zealot" while Attorney General Pam Bondi was criticised over her handling of the Epstein case. How Did Susie Wiles Respond To The Backlash? Susie Wiles responded on X (formerly Twitter), calling the article a disingenuously framed hit piece" on herself and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history". She said significant context had been omitted, resulting in what she described as an unfairly negative portrayal of the administration. What Donald Trump Said Donald Trump publicly backed Susie Wiles in comments to the New York Post, saying he was not offended by her description of his personality and had used similar language about himself in the past. He said he had not read the Vanity Fair article in full but dismissed it as misguided and inaccurate, criticising the interviewer rather than his chief of staff. Donald Trump reaffirmed his confidence in Susie Wiles, indicating no intention to distance himself from her. JD Vance acknowledged that he has at times embraced conspiracy theories but said he and Susie Wiles had long joked about the label. Attorney General Pam Bondi described Susie Wiles as a dear friend" and said efforts to divide the administration would fail. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 19:32 IST News world Hit Piece Or Hard Truth? Trump Team Scrambles After Chief Of Staff's Explosive Interview Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... In Special Gesture, Ethiopian PM Drives PM Modi In His Car To Bid Farewell Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 14:37 IST The Ethiopia visit is an addition in a series of high-profile instances where PM Modi has shared informal car rides with world leaders during official engagements. Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed drove PM Modi in his car to the airport and personally bid farewell to him as he emplaned for Oman. Prime Minister Narendra Modis car diplomacy is all set to create a new global trend. The Prime Minister, within just a few hours, was seen twice sitting next to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, with the later driving himself. As PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia for a two-day visit his first bilateral trip to the African nation- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali made a notable gesture by personally receiving him at the Addis Ababa airport and driving him to his hotel. Taking his generous act to another level the Ethiopian PM on Wednesday again drove PM Modi in his car to the airport to personally bid him farewell. The move showed the warmth of IndiaEthiopia ties and highlighted Indias deepening engagement with the African continent. PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday in the second leg of his three-nation visit. This will be his first visit to the African country. PM Modis Car Diplomacy The Ethiopia visit is an addition in a series of high-profile instances where PM Modi has shared informal car rides with world leaders during official engagements. Recently, PM Modi broke protocol to receive Russian President Vladimir Putin at Palam Airport in New Delhi and gave him a ride in the back seat of a white Toyota Fortuner to his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. Putin was in India after four years for a two-day visit to attend the India-Russia Annual Summit. The gesture followed a ride in 2025 where PM Modi joined Putin in his Russian-made Aurus Senat limousine during an SCO summit in China. PM Modis Fortuner gesture sent a message of independent foreign policy" and the Make in India" initiative amid Western sanctions on Russia. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Ethiopia First Published: December 17, 2025, 14:37 IST News world In Special Gesture, Ethiopian PM Drives PM Modi In His Car To Bid Farewell Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Jaishankar Meets Netanyahu In Israel, Discusses Deepening Bilateral Strategic Partnership Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:19 IST External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed the India-Israel Strategic Partnership during his two-day visit to the country. EAM S Jaishankar with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. (X/@DrSJaishankar) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who arrived in Israel for a two-day visit, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, during which they discussed the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries. Jaishankars visit came as preparations were underway for Netanyahus proposed trip to India. Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke recently over the phone, after which the Israeli leader said the two would be meeting very soon". Deeply appreciate the call on Prime Minister Israel @netanyahu in Jerusalem this evening. Extended warm wishes of PM @narendramodi. Discussed deepening cooperation in technology, economy, skills and talent, connectivity and security," Jaishankar wrote on X. Valued his perspectives on regional and global developments. Confident that our Strategic Partnership will grow from strength to strength," he added. Deeply appreciate the call on Prime Minister Israel @netanyahu in Jerusalem this evening. Extended warm wishes of PM @narendramodi.Discussed deepening cooperation in technology, economy, skills and talent, connectivity and security. Valued his perspectives on regional and pic.twitter.com/pjIqujXIrA Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 16, 2025 Prior to this, Jaishankar met Israels Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat and expressed confidence in the early conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries to further boost economic partnership. India, Israel Share Zero-Tolerance Policy Against Terrorism Jaishankar arrived in Tel Aviv from Abu Dhabi, where he participated in the high-profile Sir Bani Yas Forum. He also attended the 16th IndiaUAE Joint Commission Meeting and the 5th round of the IndiaUAE Strategic Dialogue held on December 15. While addressing the press alongside his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, Jaishankar condemned the terror attack during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydneys Bondi Beach, saying that India and Israel both have a policy of zero tolerance" against terrorism. Let me first of all convey our very, very sincere, deep condolences at the loss of life due to the terror attack at Hanukkah celebrations in Bondi beach. I want to say that we condemn it in the strongest possible terms," Jaishankar said. He also thanked Israel for its support of India in its fight against terrorism. Where India and Israel are concerned, we are both countries who have a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We appreciate your consistent support to our fight against terrorism and all its forms and manifestations," Jaishankar said. Israeli Minister of Tourism Haim Katz, Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Avi Dichter and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited India earlier this year as the two countries build momentum towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). (with inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Jerusalem, Israel First Published: December 17, 2025, 06:51 IST News world Jaishankar Meets Netanyahu In Israel, Discusses Deepening Bilateral Strategic Partnership Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... I Feel At Home Because...: PM Modis Gujarat, Lion Analogy In Address To Ethiopian Parliament Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:30 IST PM Modi, in his speech, said, "Ethiopia is the land of lions. I feel very much at home because my home state, Gujarat, in India is also home to lions..." PM Modi addresses the Ethiopian Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the Ethiopian Parliament on Wednesday, said the country made him feel at home" Modi, in his speech, said, Ethiopia is the land of lions. I feel very much at home because my home state, Gujarat, in India is also home to lionsOn behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India, I bring greetings of friendship, goodwill and brotherhood." Indias national song Vande Mataram and Ethiopias national anthem both refer to our land as the Mother. They inspire us to take pride in the heritage, culture, beauty and protect the motherland," he said. PM Modi also said it was Indias proud privilege to supply Ethiopia with over 4 million vaccine doses during COVID pandemic". Today Indian companies are among the largest foreign investors in Ethiopia," said the PM. Commenting on India and Ethiopias military strength, PM Modi said that in times of uncertainty, it is a reminder that the people of global south can stand for themselves". #PMModiInEthiopia | India's national song and Ethiopia's national song, both refers to its land as 'mother': PM Modi talks about Indian and Ethiopian culture as he addresses the Ethiopian parliament#PMModi #Ethiopia #India pic.twitter.com/8RKzPpTWnD News18 (@CNNnews18) December 17, 2025 PM Modi later laid a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument. The monument stands as a powerful symbol of Ethiopias courage, unity and unwavering spirit. It reminds the world of a proud nation that protected itself with determination and resolve," he wrote on X. Laid a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument. The monument stands as a powerful symbol of Ethiopias courage, unity and unwavering spirit.It reminds the world of a proud nation that protected itself with determination and resolve. pic.twitter.com/cjtknsuJ7o Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 17, 2025 Earlier, Modi underscored the outcomes of his Ethiopia visit, calling the signing of multiple agreements a significant" step in strengthening a bilateral partnership focused on growth and people-centric development". Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday on his maiden bilateral visit, during which the two countries elevated their historical ties to the level of Strategic Partnership. He also held wide-ranging talks with his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed Ali, following which, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of three MoUs. The Memoranda of Understanding were signed in the fields of UN Peacekeeping Operations Training, Mutual Administrative Assistance in the Customs Matters, and the establishment of Data Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. The two sides also announced upgrading ties to Strategic Partnership, debt restructuring under G20, more Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians, and support for maternal and neonatal healthcare. https://t.co/Tbq3c9Mxjx Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 17, 2025 In an X post, the prime minister said, These are significant steps forward in our longstanding and trusted partnership." He said that from governance and peacekeeping to digital capacity and education, the focus remains on empowering people. The emphasis on knowledge, skills and innovation underscores our shared faith in youth as the drivers of tomorrow. Cooperation in healthcare reflects a deeper commitment to human dignity and care for the most vulnerable. These outcomes reflect an India-Ethiopia partnership focused on growth and people-centric development," he said. In a press briefing on Wednesday, Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that Prime Minister Modi also thanked his counterpart Abiy for Ethiopias strong support in the common fight against terrorism in all its manifestations. Modi, who arrived here from Jordan, was also conferred Ethiopias highest award The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. He is the first global head of state to receive this award. Later in the day, Modi will address the Joint Session of Parliament and share his thoughts on Indias journey as the Mother of Democracy" and the value that the India-Ethiopia partnership can bring to the Global South. From Ethiopia, Modi will visit Oman on the final leg of this three-nation tour. With Agency Inputs News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 12:19 IST News world I Feel At Home Because...: PM Modis Gujarat, Lion Analogy In Address To Ethiopian Parliament Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Rahul Gandhi Visits BMW Site In Germany, BJP Fact-Checks His Remark On 'Indian Manufacturing' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 16:17 IST BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari rejected Gandhis remarks, accusing him of spreading what he called fake news about Indias growth story. At BMW Plant in Munich, Rahul Gandhi Points to Indian Engineering Potential, Warns of Decline at Home The BJP on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he claimed that manufacturing in India was declining. The criticism came soon after Gandhi shared a social media post following his visit to the BMW plant in Munich, Germany. Gandhi praised world-class manufacturing in Germany and said India needed to produce more to create jobs. However, he added that manufacturing in India was sadly declining", a remark that drew an immediate response from the ruling party. Rahul Gandhis post from Germany During his Germany visit, Rahul Gandhi toured BMW Welt and the BMW manufacturing plant in Munich. In his post, he said the visit gave him a close look at global manufacturing standards. He also highlighted a 450cc motorcycle developed by TVS in partnership with BMW, calling it a proud example of Indian engineering. Gandhi said manufacturing was the backbone of strong economies and argued that India needed better manufacturing ecosystems and large-scale job creation to boost growth. BJP calls claims false and misleading" BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari rejected Gandhis remarks, accusing him of spreading what he called fake news" about Indias growth story. Bhandari said hard data showed strong growth in Indian manufacturing, particularly in electronics and automobiles. He argued that numbers, not political slogans, reflected the true picture of the countrys progress under the Narendra Modi-led government. Bhandari shared figures to counter Gandhis claims. According to him, total electronics production rose from Rs 1.9 lakh crore in 201415 to Rs 11.3 lakh crore in 202425, marking a nearly six-fold increase. Electronics exports, he said, jumped from Rs 38,000 crore to Rs 3.27 lakh crore in the same period. Mobile phone manufacturing units reportedly increased from just two to around 300, while the value of mobile phone production rose nearly 30 times. Rahul Gandhi has once again lied about Indias growth story.Rahul loves to hate Indias growth story through his FAKE NEWS! Number speaks for themselves. Electronics Manufacturing (201415 vs 202425) Total electronics production201415: 1.9 lakh crore202425: pic.twitter.com/PNRjP8hos8 Pradeep Bhandari( ) (@pradip103) December 17, 2025 The BJP spokesperson also pointed to long-term growth in the automobile sector. Vehicle production, he said, increased from about 2 million units in 1991 to 28 million units in 2024. He added that India was now targeting 50 million vehicles by 2030 and aimed to become one of the top two auto manufacturers globally. Bhandari said India had moved from import dependence to export strength through manufacturing-led growth. He accused Rahul Gandhi of denying economic reality, while insisting that factories, exports and data told a different story. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Germany First Published: December 17, 2025, 14:21 IST News world Rahul Gandhi Visits BMW Site In Germany, BJP Fact-Checks His Remark On 'Indian Manufacturing' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'No Risk Of Persecution': Belgium's Top Court Clears Way For Mehul Choksi's India Return Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 23:17 IST Choksi had argued that his return to India would result in a 'flagrant denial of justice' and that he faced a genuine risk of 'torture or inhuman and degrading treatment' The court has effectively cleared the path for Mehul Choksis extradition to India to face charges in the Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. File pic/AFP In a landmark legal victory for Indian investigative agencies, the Court of CassationBelgiums highest judicial authorityhas dismissed the final appeal of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi. The order, released on Wednesday, upholds the previous ruling of the Antwerp Court of Appeal, effectively clearing the path for Choksis extradition to India to face charges in the Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. The Court of Cassations decision was categorical, endorsing the lower courts view that Choksi failed to provide concretely plausible" evidence to support his claims. The fugitive businessman had argued that his return to India would result in a flagrant denial of justice" and that he faced a genuine risk of torture or inhuman and degrading treatment". The Belgian judges, however, ruled that there were no substantial grounds to believe Choksi would be subjected to political persecution or an unfair trial in India. A Decisive Legal Endgame Choksi, who was arrested in Antwerp in April 2025 after being spotted seeking medical treatment, has exhausted several layers of the Belgian legal system over the past eight months. His defence team had repeatedly cited his 2021 kidnapping" from Antigua to Dominica and the subsequent withdrawal of an Interpol Red Notice as evidence of a state-sponsored conspiracy. The Court of Cassation rejected these arguments, noting that the charges against himincluding criminal conspiracy, cheating, and money launderingconstitute extraditable offences" under both Indian and Belgian law. A key factor in the courts decision was the detailed set of diplomatic assurances provided by the Indian government. These assurances included: Detention Conditions: India confirmed that Choksi would be held in Barrack No. 12 of Mumbais Arthur Road Jail, a facility that meets international standards with private sanitary facilities, proper ventilation, and light. Medical Care: The authorities guaranteed access to specialised medical treatment, addressing Choksis claims regarding his fragile health, including his battle with cancer. Fair Trial: India reaffirmed its commitment to a transparent judicial process, ensuring the presumption of innocence. Strategic Impact for India This ruling marks one of the most significant breakthroughs in Indias multi-year effort to bring back high-profile economic fugitives. By imposing a fine of 104 on Choksi for the dismissed appeal, the Belgian court underscored the finality of the judicial process. With the legal pause now lifted, the Belgian executive branch is expected to issue the final surrender order shortly. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: December 17, 2025, 23:17 IST News world 'No Risk Of Persecution': Belgium's Top Court Clears Way For Mehul Choksi's India Return Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Pakistan Extends Airspace Ban On Indian Aircraft Till January 23, India Likely To Reciprocate Reported By : CNN-News18 Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 19:08 IST Pakistan had closed its airspace to all Indian aircraft in April after the Pahalgam attack. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan The previous extension of reciprocal airspace bans was set to expire on December 24. (Image for representation: AFP) Pakistan has extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft by another month till January 23. Pakistan had closed its airspace to all Indian aircraft in April after the Pahalgam attack. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan and is likely to reciprocate to the fresh notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the neighbouring country on Wednesday. This marks nearly nine months of restrictive flight operations between India and Pakistan, and is likely to have a severe impact on the operational capabilities and finances of Indias aviation sector. The previous extension of the ban was set to expire on December 24. But the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) confirmed this week that the restrictions will continue until January 23. The PAA issued a NOTAM to this effect, confirming that the closure applies specifically to Indian-registered aircraft, including those owned, operated, or leased by Indian airline operators as well as military flights. The restriction covers both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) flight information regions (FIR). According to the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), the restriction, which has already been in force, will continue until January 23, 2026, as per the specified timings". Pakistan airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, including all aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as Indian military flights," the PAA stated. Pakistans airspace is divided into two FIRs Karachi and Lahore, as per a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. Sources told News18 that the new notification has closed common legal and technical loopholes used earlier. Unlike routine civil aviation restrictions, Pakistan has included Indian military aircraft indicating the the security-driven nature of the move rather than a purely aviation or commercial decision, they said. It also shows that the restriction is being periodically reviewed but with no immediate rollback in sight, they added. The Pahalgam terror attack in April, which claimed 26 lives, and the subsequent four-day Operation Sindoor in May intensified tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. Reciprocal airspace bans have been enforced monthly via subsequent NOTAMs and, with this latest extension by Pakistan, India is widely anticipated to reciprocate by extending its own ban on Pakistani carriers for a similar timeframe. WHAT THIS MEANS, IMPACT ON INDIAS AVIATION SECTOR Pakistans airspace ban extension forces Indian airline operators to continue using longer alternate routes over the Arabian Sea and central Asia. This is leads to higher fuel burn, longer flight times, and increased operational costs especially on Europe and West Asia sectors. Top intelligence sources said Pakistan is using airspace control as a pressure tactic at a time when India-Pakistan relations are in a bad shape, while the country itself has internal security and economic stress. These airspace restrictions affect approximately 800 weekly flights operated by Indian airline operators, including both outward and return legs, as per reports. These typically west-bound flights serve destinations including West Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Caucasus, and eastern North America from key north Indian airports like Delhi, Amritsar, and Jaipur. In fact, Tata Groups Air India that operates Indias sole ultra-long-haul services to North America, estimates the cost of the Pakistani airspace closure could reach Rs 4,000 crore on an annualised basis. During a previous four-month closure in 2019, Indian carriers collectively incurred estimated losses of around Rs 700 crore. In stark contrast, the reciprocal ban imposed by India appears to have a relatively lower impact on Pakistan, whose flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), maintains a limited international presence and is struggling at present. (With agency inputs) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Islamabad, Pakistan First Published: December 17, 2025, 18:05 IST News world Pakistan Extends Airspace Ban On Indian Aircraft Till January 23, India Likely To Reciprocate Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Pakistan To Sell 100% Of PIA As Bidders Seek Full Control; Why Is The Flag Carrier Being Sold? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 21:44 IST Pakistan to sell 100% stake in Pakistan International Airlines after bidders demanded full control, aiming to revive the loss-making carrier through complete privatisation. Pakistan to sell 100% stake in Pakistan International Airlines after bidders demanded full control, aiming to revive the loss-making carrier through complete privatisation. (Image: Aviation News Online) Pakistan has decided to sell its entire 100% stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) after all prospective bidders sought full managerial control with no government involvement following privatisation, local media reported on Wednesday. Bidding for the loss-making national carrier is scheduled for December 23 and will initially be conducted for a 75% stake. The winning bidder will have the option to acquire the remaining 25% within a month, at a 12% premium. Officials said the premium reflects the flexibility granted to buyers to defer payment for up to a year instead of making an immediate full payment. According to officials quoted by The Express Tribune, the government will receive only 7.5% of the bid amount in cash, while the remaining 92.5% will be injected directly into PIA to support its revival. Privatisation Commission officials said the decision to sell the entire stake was taken after all four bidders made it clear that they wanted the government to have no role in the airline post-sale. Major bidders include the Lucky Cement Consortium, Arif Habib Consortium, Fauji Fertiliser (owned by the Fauji Foundation), and private airline Air Blue. Prime Ministers Adviser on Privatisation Muhammad Ali confirmed the move, saying bidders were seeking at least 75% ownership to ensure operational control, with some insisting on 100% ownership. He said reviving PIA would require substantial investment, particularly for fleet modernisation and aircraft acquisition. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had proposed selling only a 60% stake, but the plan failed to attract serious interest in 2024. To improve PIAs appeal, the government transferred PKR 654 billion of the airlines debt to a holding company, leaving PIA with a positive equity of PKR 30 billion, privatisation officials said. This year, the airline is set to receive PKR 34.7 billion from the federal budget to cover debt servicing, pensions and medical expenses. However, even after the debt restructuring, new owners will still need to clear around PKR 26 billion in outstanding taxes and airport charges. PIA currently owns 34 aircraft, of which only 18 are airworthy, but retains valuable landing slots and air service agreements with 97 countries, making it an attractive asset for potential buyers. The government has also assured bidders of continued support, legal protection, and indemnity against certain liabilities to facilitate the sale. Why is Pakistan Selling PIA? The decision to sell Pakistan International Airlines stems from years of financial distress and failed turnaround attempts. PIA has been a chronic loss-maker due to political interference, overstaffing, weak management, and an ageing fleet, forcing the government to repeatedly bail out the airline at a high cost to public finances. The airline had accumulated debt of over PKR 650 billion (2000 crore), making continued state ownership unsustainable. As part of broader fiscal reforms and commitments under Pakistans IMF programme, the government is seeking to reduce losses from state-owned enterprises and curb budgetary drain. Earlier plans to sell a partial stake in PIA failed to attract serious buyers, with investors insisting on full or near-full control to run the airline independently and make commercial decisions. To improve the airlines attractiveness, the government shifted most of PIAs debt to a separate holding company, leaving it with positive equity, but concluded that only complete privatisation could ensure fresh investment, professional management, and long-term revival. Once regarded as one of Asias most prestigious carriers, the Pakistani flag carrier played a pioneering role in global aviation and even helped in the early formation of Emirates, offering technical expertise, aircraft, and training in its initial years, making its decline a stark riches-to-rags story. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Islamabad, Pakistan First Published: December 17, 2025, 21:44 IST News world Pakistan To Sell 100% Of PIA As Bidders Seek Full Control; Why Is The Flag Carrier Being Sold? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... News / National by Staff reporter The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has been cleared by the Procurement Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) to hire eight refuse removal trucks at a cost of US$400 per day as the city grapples with a worsening waste collection crisis caused by frequent breakdowns in its fleet.Bulawayo has been struggling to collect refuse efficiently, with council records showing that as of October 2025 the city had an average of only four refuse compactors operational per day, far below the estimated requirement of 35 needed to service the entire city.In a report presented to council, Bulawayo town clerk Mr Christopher Dube said the refuse collection fleet had been severely compromised by persistent mechanical failures."During the month of October 2025, an average of only four refuse compactors were operational per day against an estimated requirement of 35 compactors needed to effectively service the entire city and restore the city to its status of being a clean city," said Mr Dube.He said the hiring of additional refuse compactors would have a significant positive impact on the city's waste management operations by improving the efficiency and reliability of refuse collection across residential, industrial and commercial areas."It will reduce the backlog of uncollected waste and eliminate unsightly piles," he said.The report noted that the additional trucks would also allow the council to extend refuse collection services to newly developed suburbs such as Willsgrove.Council said the strengthened fleet would improve environmental sanitation, reduce the risk of vector-borne diseases, safeguard public health and help restore Bulawayo's image as a clean and well-managed city."Council, having been cleared by Praz, is in the process of hiring eight refuse removal trucks at a rate of US$400 per day from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. This rate excludes vehicle running costs and fuel," the report stated.An analysis of the offer showed that the rate per tonne would be US$20 before running costs, which include fuel, insurance, maintenance and labour. When these additional costs are factored in, the total cost is expected to be about US$43 per tonne, significantly lower than prevailing market rates averaging US$65 per tonne.Bulawayo continues to face serious waste collection challenges, with some suburbs at times being forced to take back refuse prepared for collection after council trucks failed to arrive. 'Pure Nonsense: Putin Dismisses NATO Chiefs Warning Of Major War With Russia Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 20:16 IST Vladimir Putin said Western leaders were misleading their citizens by promoting the idea of an imminent Russian attack on Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected what he described as calls in the West to prepare for a major war" with Russia, calling such warnings hysteria" and a lie". He accused Western leaders of deliberately stoking fear among European populations by portraying Moscow as a looming military threat. Vladimir Putins remarks came in response to comments made last week by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who urged alliance members to be ready for a conflict on a scale not seen since World War Two. Vladimir Putin said Western leaders were misleading their citizens by promoting the idea of an imminent Russian attack on Europe. I have repeatedly stated: this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries," Vladimir Putin said, adding, But this is being done quite deliberately." He added that Europeans were being indoctrinated" with fear and accused Western governments of whipping up hysteria to justify increased military spending and defence mobilisation. What NATO Chief Mark Rutte Said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that NATO must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured" and said many alliance members did not fully grasp the urgency of the threat posed by Russia. We are Russias next target. Too many dont feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not," Mark Rutte said, adding that Europe was at risk of complacency. Mark Rutte also urged NATO members to rapidly increase defence spending and military production to deter a future conflict. Vladimir Putin On Ukraine War Vladimir Putin also addressed the war in Ukraine, warning Kyiv and its Western backers that Russia would pursue its territorial claims by military means if peace talks fail. The goals of the special military operation will certainly be achieved," Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with Russian defence ministry officials, referring to the invasion of Ukraine. He said Moscow preferred a diplomatic solution but warned that Russia would annex claimed Ukrainian territory through force if the opposing country and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions". News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 20:16 IST News world 'Pure Nonsense: Putin Dismisses NATO Chiefs Warning Of Major War With Russia Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... He Didnt Hesitate: Bondi Beach Hero Who Unarmed Gunman In Split Second A Former Syrian Cop Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 18:04 IST Ahmed Al Ahmed previously served as a police officer and member of Syrias central security forces before leaving the country in 2006. Ahmed al Ahmed is recovering from his first round of surgery. (Image: X) As gunfire ripped through a Jewish religious gathering at Sydneys Bondi Beach, killing 15 people, a bystander lunged from behind parked cars, overpowering a gunman and wrenching the weapon from his hands. The man was Ahmed Al Ahmed and relatives now say that the courage that stunned the world was shaped by years spent in security forces back in Syria. Coffee Meet Turned Into Life-Or-Death Moment Ahmed Al Ahmed had gone to Bondi Beach on Sunday evening to meet a friend for coffee when two gunmen- Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram- opened fire at a Jewish gathering marking the first day of Hanukkah. As people scattered, Ahmed al Ahmed took cover between two parked cars. Moments later, he charged. In the now-viral footage, he is seen grabbing one of the shooters from behind, forcibly pulling the gun from his grip and pointing it back at him. Seconds later, he was shot multiple times by the second gunman firing from a footbridge. Ahmed Al Ahmed suffered up to five gunshot wounds and is currently hospitalised. He Didnt Hesitate Family members said that the calm decisiveness seen in the video was no accident. Ahmed Al Ahmed previously served as a police officer and member of Syrias central security forces before leaving the country in 2006, years before the civil war began. He did a heroic job. Without any hesitation, he tackled the terrorist just to save innocent people," a relative said. His father, Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed, told Australias ABC that his sons background in security shaped his instincts. I feel pride and honour because my son is a hero of Australia," he said. His mother, Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed, added, My son has always been brave. He helps people." Ahmed Al Ahmed moved to Australia nearly two decades ago and now runs a small tobacco shop in Sydney. He is the father of two daughters, aged three and six. His parents relocated to Sydney earlier this year to live with him. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: December 17, 2025, 17:23 IST News world He Didnt Hesitate: Bondi Beach Hero Who Unarmed Gunman In Split Second A Former Syrian Cop Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Taken Care Of Dad': Schizophrenic Indian-Origin Man Kills Father With Sledgehammer In US Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 13:26 IST Abhijit Patel surrendered to the police upon their arrival. During questioning, he claimed he had a "religious obligation" to kill his father due to alleged childhood molestation. Schizophrenic Indian-origin man kills father in US. A 28-year-old man of Indian origin has been charged with first-degree murder in the United States after allegedly beating his 67-year-old father to death with a sledgehammer at their home in Schaumburg, Illinois. Abhijit Patel, accused of the Thanksgiving weekend murder, had an active protection order against him from his family but was still living at home at the time of the incident, according to US media reports. Cook County prosecutors stated that the victim, Anupam Patel, was discovered unresponsive and bleeding from the head in his bedroom by his wife shortly before 11 am on November 29. On the day of the murder, Anupam Patels wife left for work at around 5:42 am, leaving her husband and son alone at home. Anupam Patel, who was unemployed due to diabetes, had a glucose monitor connected to his wifes phone. Anupam Patel usually used to call his wife at around 8 am to inform her of his blood sugar level, which he failed to do on the day of the incident. Seeing that her husbands glucose levels were dropping, she grew worried but was unsuccessful in reaching him or their son by phone. Concerned by the absence of her husbands usual 8 am check-in call and his dropping glucose levels, she returned home around 10:30 am, only to discover her husband lying in bed, covered in blood. She found the garage door unusually open and her son saying he had taken care of Dad" and she should go check on him." Emergency responders arrived shortly after her call thereafter and pronounced Anupam Patel dead. They found a sledgehammer at the scene. Anupam Patel had suffered at least two blows to the head, fracturing his skull and breaking his nose, the autopsy report revealed. Abhijit Patels Admission And Medical History The accused Abhijit Patel surrendered to the police upon their arrival. During questioning, he claimed he had a religious obligation" to kill his father due to alleged childhood molestation. He also admitted he was under medical treatment, and his doctors believe his claims are delusional." Records show Patel has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was previously hospitalised for treatment. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: December 17, 2025, 13:26 IST News world 'Taken Care Of Dad': Schizophrenic Indian-Origin Man Kills Father With Sledgehammer In US Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Ticking Time Bomb': Nick Reiner Wouldn't Sleep For Days, Punch Walls In 'Meth-Fueled Rage' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 10:00 IST Nick, 32, was arrested and charged with murder hours after the bodies of his father Rob Reiner and mother Michele Reiner were found at their Los Angeles residence over the weekend. Rapid Read Nick Reiner (L) has been charged with first-degree murder for stabbing his parents - Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Reiner - to death. (Reuters) Nick Reiner, the younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner, has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing his parents to death. Nick was a habitual drug user who would not sleep for days after consuming meth and often punched walls, according to a report. Nick, 32, was arrested several hours after the bodies of his father and mother, Michele Reiner, a photographer and producer, were discovered at their LA estate over the weekend. Officials said evidence gathered by the Los Angeles Police Department led homicide detectives to Reiner, who was taken into custody without incident on Sunday night at a park in downtown LA. Notably, Nick had publicly acknowledged a years-long struggle with substance abuse. Several US media outlets reported that Nick Reiner had a heated quarrel with his parents on Saturday night at a holiday party hosted by comedian Conan OBrien. Ticking Time Bomb An insider told Daily Mail that Nick Reiner was a ticking time bomb" whose drug use spiralled out of control after his parents threatened to kick him out of their home. Nick was reportedly living in the parents guesthouse for the last five years and his behaviour had become increasingly erratic and frightening. He would do meth and not sleep for days and then have outbursts, breaking things, punching walls. He was a ticking time bomb. His drug use was getting worse and his parents wanted him out," said a source close to the Reiner family. As per the source, Nick often laughed off the destruction he caused during drug-fueled episodes. He used to brag how he could get away with anything and took money from his parents for drugs and prostitutes," the source claimed. He laughed about destroying his parents guesthouse more than once. He was so nonchalant about it." Nick also refused to get help for his drug addiction and would fight with his parents because they gave him an ultimatum take medication and stop using or get out of the house. When he started threatening his sister for confronting him thats when all hell broke loose. His parents threatened to call authorities multiple times, but in the end didnt," the source told Daily Mail. Argument With Parents Raised Eyebrows Nick reportedly had a very loud argument" with his parents at Conan OBriens Christmas party on Saturday, which terrified onlookers and left Rob Reiner worried about what he would do next, along with a seperate confrontation with comedian Bill Hader. Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous, a source told People magazine. The argument took place after Nick refused another treatment after at least 17 stints in rehab since the age of 15, sources told the New York Post. Rob Reiner reportedly told a friend that he was scared about the deterioration of Nicks mental state. The killings of Rob and Michele Reiner ranked among the most shocking celebrity murders in Los Angeles history, eliciting comparisons by some to the stabbing deaths of O.J. Simpsons ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and a friend, Ron Goldman in 1994. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: December 17, 2025, 10:00 IST News world 'Ticking Time Bomb': Nick Reiner Wouldn't Sleep For Days, Punch Walls In 'Meth-Fueled Rage' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Watch: Mexico City Politicians Pull Hair, Trade Punches During Debate Over Public Scrutiny Panel Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 11:06 IST Female lawmakers from PAN and Morena brawled in the Congress of Mexico City over a rule dispute, with hair-pulling and blows caught on live TV. Rapid Read Female lawmakers from rival parties clashed on the floor of the Mexico City Congress during a protest over a transparency oversight body, with the scuffle caught live on television. (IMAGE: X/REUTERS/AP) Female legislators from two parties in the Congress of the Mexican capital got into a brawl on Monday and were captured pulling each others hair, trading blows on live television. A group of women from the right-wing National Action Party (PAN) approached the legislatures main podium in the Congress of Mexico City claiming that the leftist Morena party, which has a majority in the legislature has broken a rule. The fight broke out during the protest. The brawling lawmakers were engaged in a debate moments before the fight, discussing the city governments transparency oversight agency, Mexican news outlets said. Videos of the incident has gone viral on social media and shows at least five lawmakers from both parties arguing intensely. News18 could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. The footage shows members elbowing, slapping, and pulling each others hair in an attempt by Morena lawmakers to physically remove the PAN members from the podium, despite their refusal to move. We took the podium peacefully, without touching anyone, and the decision made by the majority legislative group and its allies was to try and regain control of the board through violence," Andres Atayde, an aide for the PAN representatives, told a press conference after the incident. Daniela Alvarez, one of the PAN lawmakers who approached the podium, told reporters: Not only is it vulgar, not only is it aggressive, but it is lamentable that this is the majority governing party for this city." After the fight, the PAN lawmakers left the chamber and the Morena majority resumed the debate without the opposition party present, according to reports posted to the Congress of Mexico Citys social media. What worries us a lot is how the opposition is systematically resorting to violence instead of arguments, in the absence of being able to debate," Morena spokesman Paulo Garcia later told broadcaster Milenio. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Mexico City, Mexico First Published: December 17, 2025, 11:06 IST News world Watch: Mexico City Politicians Pull Hair, Trade Punches During Debate Over Public Scrutiny Panel Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Who Is Mustapha Kharbouch? Brown University Faces Heat For Scrubbing His Profile Amid Manhunt Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 17, 2025, 09:27 IST The name of Mustapha Kharbouch, a first-year student and a Palestinian refugee born in Lebanon, surfaced after Brown University was accused of deleting his online student profile. Rapid Read Mustapha Kharbouch (L) is a first-year student whose name surfaced in connection with the December 13 shooting after his student profile on the Brown University profile was deleted. (Photo: X) As the manhunt for the suspect responsible for the December 13 shooting at Brown University continues, speculation has grown over the involvement of a first-year Palestinian refugee student after the university was accused of deleting his profile on its website. Authorities have asked members of the public for help identifying the suspected gunman who killed two Brown University students and injured nine others in a classroom on December 13, as the manhunt stretched past 72 hours and residents remained on edge. Officials in Providence, Rhode Island, said they still have not identified the attacker. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel on Tuesday shared a video timeline which documented the movements of the person of interest" (PoI) in the Brown University shooting. In all of the videos made public, the suspects face was masked or turned away, and authorities have only been able to give a vague description of him as being stocky and about 5 feet, 8 inches (173 cm) tall. Who Is Mustapha Kharbouch? As the manhunt entered the fourth day, attention on social media has increasingly focused on Mustapha Kharbouch, with users speculating about his rumoured involvement in the shooting, even though authorities have not named any suspect or PoI publicly. Kharbouchs name has surfaced solely on speculation after his student profile was deleted from the website of Brown University. CNN-News18 has not independently verified this claim and officials have not provided any connection between Kharbouch and the shooting. Social media users noticed that Brown University had removed the online student profile of Mustapha Kharbouch, who was identified as a first-year student studying International Affairs and Anthropology with a focus on the Middle East. Kharbouch was described as a third-generation Palestinian refugee born and raised in Lebanon. He reportedly attained a scholarship to attend United World College (UWC) Maastricht and had led and continued to help with community-building initiatives and social change roles, as per the deleted profile. Several posts on X alleged that Brown University was scrubbing" references to the student and questioned whether social media accounts linked to him had been removed at the request of authorities. Why has Brown University suddenly erased every mention of Mustapha Kharbouch (a Palestinian activist and first-year student) from its official website, right as the FBI intensifies its manhunt for the shooter who killed two and injured nine in the campus attack?" a user wrote. Another user alleged that Kharbouch had fled the university and was missing. Umm, why did @BrownUniversity just scrub its entire website of Mustapha Kharbouch (Free Palestine, LGBTQ activist)? pic.twitter.com/GjnJ9vxmjS End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 16, 2025 BREAKING: Brown University, Rhode Island shooting suspect has been identified as Mustapha Kharbouch, a radical Islamic, pro-Jihad student at Brown whose X account has suddenly mysteriously disappeared. This is why the Democrat authorities in Providence and mainstream media pic.twitter.com/rKiu0vOGNC Joshua Hall (@JoshHall2024) December 16, 2025 Why has Brown University suddenly erased every mention of Mustapha Kharbouch (a Palestinian activist and first-year student) from its official website, right as the FBI intensifies its manhunt for the shooter who killed two and injured nine in the campus attack?Source: pic.twitter.com/2TRn1dTF7e Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 16, 2025 MAGA leader Laura Loomer said she found a page on a YouTube account that belongs to a man named Mustapha Kharbouch, which was filled with Islamic videos that taught how to build electronic devices at home with wires. Why wont police say what the shooter yelled before he opened fire? ALLAHU AKBAR is what witnesses heard. Why is Brown deleting this Palestinian from their website? Is he a suspect?" she said. I am not saying the Brown Univeristy shooter is Mustapha Kharbouch, however I found this page on a YouTube account that belongs to a man named Mustapha Kharbouch with the same spelling.The YouTube channel is full of Islamic videos and Islamic playlists and videos that teach https://t.co/mzmkDMJsaK pic.twitter.com/mAGDjVZJhW Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) December 16, 2025 Brown University Replies After massive outrage on social media, Brown University issued a statement, saying it has seen harmful doxxing activity directed toward at least one member of the Brown University community." Its important to make clear that targeting individuals could do irrevocable harm. Accusations, speculation and conspiracies were seeing on social media and in some news reports are irresponsible, harmful, and in some cases dangerous for the safety of individuals in our community," it added. The University further said, It is not unusual as a safety measure to take steps to protect an individuals safety when this kind of activity happens, including in regard to their online presence. As law enforcement officials stated clearly on Tuesday afternoon, if this individuals name had any relevance to the current investigation, they would be actively looking for this individual and providing information publicly." Meanwhile, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said there could be lots of reasons" as to why a page may be taken down and randomly identifying someone based on it is a dangerous road to go down", CNN reported. Its easy to jump from someone saying words that were spoken to what those words are to a particular name that reflects a motive targeting a particular person," he said. If that name meant anything to this investigation, we would be out looking for that person, we would let you know we were looking for that person." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: December 17, 2025, 09:27 IST News world Who Is Mustapha Kharbouch? Brown University Faces Heat For Scrubbing His Profile Amid Manhunt Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... News / National by Staff reporter Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga is expected to arrive in India today on a visit aimed at deepening economic, cultural and diplomatic relations with the world's fourth-largest economy and one of Zimbabwe's major trading partners.Zimbabwe's Ambassador to India, Ms Stella Nkomo, confirmed the anticipated arrival, saying the visit would further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries."We are expecting the Vice President here in India, one of our largest trading partners. His visit promises to strengthen our economic ties and enhance mutual cooperation," Ambassador Nkomo said.She noted that trade relations between Zimbabwe and India date back to the 15th century, adding that while the relationship remains strong, efforts are underway to address the existing trade imbalance by expanding Zimbabwe's exports, particularly in agriculture."Zimbabwe has traded with India dating back to the 15th century. We acknowledge the trade imbalance and are focused on boosting exports in agriculture, among other sectors," she said.Ambassador Nkomo said the Vice President's delegation would also highlight key historical exchanges between the two nations, reflecting their deep-rooted connections. She added that Zimbabwe was pursuing initiatives to preserve the cultural heritage of the Munhumutapa Empire in collaboration with local communities and international partners.Trade between the two countries has grown significantly in recent years. Zimbabwe's exports to India increased from US$4,5 million in 2021 to US$47 million in 2024. By October this year, exports had reached close to US$20 million, while imports from India stood at nearly US$200 million, largely made up of equipment and machinery.Beyond economic engagement, the visit has a strong cultural dimension. The Vice President's delegation includes experts from the National Archives of Zimbabwe, National Museums and Monuments, academia and the Catholic Church. The team is expected to document Zimbabwe's contribution to early civilisation and the spread of Christianity.Central to this effort is the tracing and documentation of the history of Father Miguel, a son of the Munhumutapa, who was educated and ordained as a Dominican priest in Goa in the 15th century. Father Miguel served the Catholic Church in India, rising to the rank of Vicar before his death and burial at the church where he served as parish priest.The delegation will also seek to document the largely unrecorded history of other sons of the Munhumutapa kings of the era who served as Catholic priests, including Father Constantino, Father Mpezeni and Father Joao.The visit is expected to reinforce Zimbabwe's long-standing ties with India while opening new avenues for economic cooperation, cultural exchange and historical collaboration. News / National by Staff reporter Government is set to review licences, fees and levies in the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors in a move aimed at lowering the cost of data and voice call services while streamlining licensing charges across the two industries.The exercise will focus on reducing regulatory fees, simplifying licensing processes and eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks that have increased the cost of doing business in both sectors. Authorities say the high cost of licences and levies has been passed on to consumers, resulting in expensive data and voice services.As part of the review, Government will assess licence fees and levies across several sub-sectors. In broadcasting, these include campus and community radio stations, local and commercial radio, commercial television services, signal carrier services and satellite broadcasting. In telecommunications, the review will cover mobile network operators, fixed telephone operators and internet service providers.Addressing journalists during a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said Cabinet had approved the comprehensive review of licences, levies, permits and fees in the two sectors."In the broadcasting sector, reviews will cover sub-sectors such as campus and community radio broadcasting, radio broadcasting embracing free-to-air, provincial, local and commercial radio services, commercial television services, signal carrier services and satellite broadcasting services," said Dr Muswere."Reviews in the telecommunications sector will cover mobile network operators, fixed telephone operators and internet service providers," he added.Dr Muswere said licence fees and levies in both sectors were significantly high for operators, who were shifting the burden to consumers. He said the review was a deliberate initiative to cut costs while ensuring the State continues to generate sustainable revenue."In that regard, the review of licences, levies, permits and fees in the two sectors is meant to reduce the cost of data and voice calls for businesses and the general public, while at the same time ensuring sustainable revenue streams for the fiscus," he said.He added that Government would also streamline duplicative and overlapping licences and permits, with further refinements and consultations to be undertaken by the ministries of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services; Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services; and Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion before final approval by Cabinet.The review follows similar exercises conducted recently in sectors such as agriculture, transport, retail, manufacturing and energy. Other sectors earmarked for review include health, liquor, construction and financial services.During the first Cabinet meeting of the year, President Mnangagwa underscored the importance of improving the ease of doing business, saying regulatory burdens continued to hinder investment growth."To enhance the overall performance of our economy, the ease of doing business agenda continues to be an important aspect of our programming. Concerted efforts must be made to revisit all areas that hinder the start or growth of all investments, whether local or foreign," he said.Regionally, Zimbabwe's licensing framework remains more onerous compared to some neighbouring countries. In South Africa, a retail outlet requires a maximum of eight licences to operate fully, while a restaurant business in Rwanda needs about four licences to be operational. A man who drove past warning signs was found dead early Tuesday in a car submerged in floodwaters near Seattle, officials said, in the first reported death following a week of heavy rain and flooding in the region. Rescue swimmers found the driver and his vehicle in about 6 feet of water in a ditch in the Snohomish area northeast of Seattle, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The driver, believed to be a 33-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. No one else was in the car. During a briefing on flood damage from last week's storm, Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jamal Beckham said the majority of calls his crews responded to were from people who tried to drive through water or were stranded atop vehicles, the AP reports. "They did not understand how rapidly the water rises," Beckham said Saturday. "We pulled people off the roof of their cars. And if we had not gotten there the car would have been completely covered." They also responded to people who didn't expect their houses to be flooded and did not leave when they were told, he said The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center expects wind, winter and flooding watches and warnings in much of the Northwest for the next couple of days as a series of storm systems bring heavy rain, heavy mountain snow, and high winds. The first storm system was set to arrive in the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday night, bringing heavy rainfall from the northern California coast up to western Washington on Wednesday. Residents near a breached levee in King County, in Washington, were told to leave their homes early Tuesday, just hours after an evacuation alert was lifted for residents near another broken levee in the same county. Police in the city of Pacific, about 20 miles south of Seattle, urged those in the evacuation area near the White River to "Go Now!" The National Weather Service office in Seattle issued a flash flood warning for the levee breach until later Tuesday morning. Faced with the breach, Pacific's police department put out a call on social media Tuesday morning for a tractor with a bucket capable of reaching 8 feet high, to fill a sandbagging machine. Once the tractor was acquired, the department called for members of the public to help fill sandbags. A 911 caller who reported water entering an apartment in Pacific around 1:20am Tuesday was the first sign of the levee breach for the Valley Regional Fire Authority, spokesperson Kelly Hawks said. Crews evacuated about 100 people early Tuesday, pulling some people from the windows of their first-floor apartments, she said. The King County Sheriff's Office used a helicopter equipped with a loudspeaker and knocked on doors to alert people to the evacuation order, evacuating about 1,200 people overnight, according to Brandyn Hull, communications manager for the sheriff's office. The levee breaches followed days of heavy rain and flooding that inundated communities, forced the evacuations of tens of thousands of people, and prompted scores of rescues throughout western Washington state. Mick Foley is hanging up his WWE bootsat least when it comes to appearancesfor as long as President Trump is in the White House, NBC News reports. The wrestling Hall of Famer said on Instagram that he told World Wrestling Entertainment he won't work with the company for the next three years because of its relationship with the president, pointing to Trump's reaction to filmmaker Rob Reiner's death as the "final straw." Foley has long spoken out against Trump, including in the lead-up to the 2024 election, Fox News reports. Foley, also known in the ring as Mankind, Cactus Jack, and Dude Love, said he "would not be making any appearances for the company as long as this man remains in office." He wrote that he no longer wants to be associated with a company that, in his view, supports a leader "so seemingly void of compassion as he marches our country towards autocracy." The breaking point, he said, was reading Trump's comments about Reiner after the director and his wife were found apparently stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home Sunday; Trump blamed their deaths on "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and pointed to their activism for liberal causes, Us Weekly reports. The 2013 WWE Hall of Fame inducteewho entered the hall in the same class as Trump, who is a celebrity honoreeadded that he had been uneasy for months about WWE's ties to the former president, particularly in light of what he called the administration's treatment of immigrants. Trump has long had a close relationship with the wrestling giant, and Linda McMahon, wife of WWE founder Vince McMahon, currently serves in Trump's cabinet and led the Small Business Administration during his first term. In addition to bowing out of appearances, Foley said he would not be seeking to renew his Legends deal when his contract expires in June. WWE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One of Foley's longtime industry colleagues, veteran manager Jim Cornette, publicly backed the move, saying Foley had just become his "favorite person in the world" and adding: "I wish all the boys had his backbone and, more importantly, his morals." A judge says construction of the White House ballroom can continue, for now. US District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday rejected an emergency bid from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt President Trump's $300 million project, Politico reports. Leon ruled that letting construction continue below ground over the next several weeks was unlikely to cause "irreparable" injury, though he left the door open to a longer pause later and set arguments on a preliminary injunction for early next year. He told the administration not to make decisions on the underground work, like routing plumbing lines, that would dictate the eventual size of the project, reports the AP . Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, coupled the win for the administration with a warning: The White House must submit the project to the National Capital Planning Commission by the end of December, as officials have promised. "The court will hold them to that," he said. His decision followed a classified filing from the government outlining national security issues tied to stopping work in an area long associated with the Presidential Emergency Operations Center beneath the now-demolished East Wing. Trump has argued that because the work is on White House grounds, he alone can green-light it, though the administration has also said it will seek review from the usual Washington oversight boards. Preservationists say the process is already off the rails. National Trust attorney Tad Heuer called an August National Park Service environmental assessment "woefully inadequate" and pointed out that the East Wing Colonnade was torn down in October, despite planning documents saying it would be renovated. "There are pile-drivers running around the clock," he told the court Tuesday, arguing that federal law requires public input and that at least four statutes have been violated. Leon signaled skepticism that those laws apply fully to what is happening now, saying they are mainly aimed at above-ground design and appearance, Politico reports. In a post on X, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department had "defeated an attempt to stop President Trump's totally lawful East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom Project." She said the trust's lawsuit was one of many "bad-faith left-wing legal attacks" Trump has faced. President Trump says he's tightening the screws on Venezuela's oil tradeand slapping a terrorism label on its rulers while he's at it. In a Truth Social post Tuesday, the president said he had designated "the Venezuelan Regime" as a foreign terrorist organization and announced what he called a "total and complete blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers going into or out of the country, reports Reuters . Trump said the regime had been designated a foreign terrorist organization for "the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking." Trump's declaration comes a week after the US seized a tanker off Venezuela's coast, part of a broader pressure campaign on President Nicolas Maduro's government, which Trump has long accused of enabling narcotics flows to the US. He didn't define what he meant by sanctioned tankers and it's not clear how many tankers will be affected, the New York Times reports. Speaking hours before Trump's post, Maduro accused "imperialism and the fascist right" of seeking to dominate Venezuela and strip it of its oil, gas, gold, and other resources, vowing to defend the country and predicting "peace will triumph," Reuters reports. Trump has said the military buildup in the Caribbean and military strikes on alleged drug boats are part of a campaign to stop drugs from reaching the US, the AP reports. In an interview published in Vanity Fair on Tuesday, however, his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, suggested the goal was regime change, saying Trump "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle." . Automakers Hyundai and Kia must offer free repairs to millions of models under a settlement announced Tuesday by Minnesota's attorney general, who led an effort by dozens of states that argued the vehicles weren't equipped with proper anti-theft technology, leaving them vulnerable to thefts, the AP reports. Under the nationwide settlement, the companies will offer a free repair to all eligible vehicles at a cost that could top $500 million, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. Hyundai and Kia must also outfit all future vehicles sold in the US with a key piece of technology called an engine immobilizer and pay up to $4.5 million of restitution to people whose vehicles were damaged by thieves. The settlement was reached by 35 states, including California, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The vehicles eligible for fixes date as far back as 2011 and as recently as 2022. About 9 million eligible vehicles were sold nationwide. Thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles soared in part because beginning in 2021, videos posted to TikTok and other social media demonstrated how someone could steal a car with just a screwdriver and a USB cable. Minneapolis reported an 836% increase in Hyundai and Kia thefts from 2021 to 2022. Ellison announced an investigation into the automakers in early 2023. Ellison said the two companies installed engine immobilizers on cars sold in Mexico and Canada, but not widely in the US, leading to car thefts, crimes, and crashes that injured and even killed people, including teenagers. Ellison was joined at the news conference by Twin Cities officials, a woman whose mother was killed when a stolen Kia crashed into her parents' vehicle, and a man whose car was stolen nine timesas recently as Monday night, and including seven times after a previous software fix. Under the settlement, Hyundai and Kia will install a zinc sleeve to stop would-be thieves from cracking open a vehicle's ignition cylinder and starting the car. Eligible customers will have one year from the date of the companies' notice to get the repair at an authorized dealership. The repairs are expected to be available from early 2026 through early 2027. A nighttime walk at one of the best-known parks in Savannah, Georgia, ended in an attack that has left a 46-year-old mother badly burned and federal agents offering cash for clues. Ashley Wasielewski's son says she was walking laps at Forsyth Park around 8:15pm on Dec. 10 when a man in dark clothing came up from behind and doused her head with a corrosive chemical. Responding officers found her clothes and even the car key fob that was in her pocket had melted, reports Fox News . A GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $210,000 for her care states that more than half her body was burned. She was airlifted to the Augusta Burn Center, where she is described as being in stable condition. The AP reports Wasielewski was burned on her scalp, face, hands, and legs, and that the perpetrator appears to be a stranger. The FBI's Atlanta office on Monday announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible. Savannah Police Chief Lenny Gunther said detectives are reviewing video, interviewing witnesses, and canvassing the neighborhood for doorbell-camera footage. Authorities have also set up a digital tip line for images and videos that could help the investigation. "We have no evidence that this is part of a larger pattern or that there is an ongoing threat to the public," Gunther said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Savannah police at 912-234-2020 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Wasielewski's son told the AP, "She doesn't have any enemies. She is a friend to everyone." Lithuanian officials say they've taken down an unusually high-tech smuggling operation that relied on weather balloons drifting in from neighboring Belarus. Prosecutors on Tuesday announced the arrest of 21 people suspected of belonging to a tightly organized cigarette-trafficking ring that allegedly launched balloon-borne shipments from Belarus into Lithuanian territory, per Euronews . More than 80 searches were carried out, turning up Belarus-stamped cigarettes, SIM cards, GPS and signal-jamming gear, firearms, and luxury vehicles and property, according to the general prosecutor's office. Investigators say the group worked with accomplices in Belarus who released the balloons when weather conditions were favorable. Using GPS devices and specialized software, members in Lithuania allegedly tracked the balloons' path, then moved in to collect the cargo and transfer it to prearranged drop points. Prosecutors described the structure of the network as strictly hierarchical, with clear divisions of labor and tight control by its leaders. All 21 suspects are expected to face charges including participation in a criminal organization, smuggling excise goods, illegal handling of such goods, and assisting a foreign state in actions hostile to Lithuania. The arrests come after Lithuania declared a national emergency over a wave of meteorological balloons entering its airspace from Belarusincidents that repeatedly shut down Vilnius' main airport and led to the temporary closure of two land crossings. Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka called the closures a "mad scam" and part of a "hybrid war," while Lithuanian officials suggested Russia-aligned Belarus was using the balloons as "political blackmail" in an effort to reduce sanctions, per the BBC. News / National by Staff reporter A 20-year-old man from Chiredzi District in Masvingo Province has been fined US$350 or faces three months in prison after being convicted of fraud and forgery for attempting to secure a place in the nursing training programme at Mpilo Central Hospital using a forged Ordinary Level certificate.Jonathan Mukwena appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Beverly Madzikatire, who handed down the sentence yesterday following his conviction. The court fined Mukwena US$150 for forgery, with an alternative sentence of three months' imprisonment, and an additional US$200 for fraud. He was ordered to settle the fines by January 15, 2026.The court heard that Mukwena presented a counterfeit academic certificate during the application process for the highly competitive nursing intake at Mpilo Central Hospital.Prosecuting, Ms Sibusisiwe Sithole told the court that Mukwena sat for his Ordinary Level examinations in November 2022 at Dzoro High School in Chiredzi.She said he wrote six subjects, obtaining a B' in Shona and Geography, but received D' grades in Combined Science, English Language, Commerce and Mathematics, which did not meet the minimum requirements for entry into the nursing programme. The lone surviving suspect in Sunday's Bondi Beach massacre is now facing a sweeping list of 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and terrorism, New South Wales police say. Authorities allege 24-year-old Naveed Akram and his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration attended largely by members of Sydney's Jewish community, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more, per the BBC . Sajid Akram was shot dead during a shootout with officers at the scene. In addition to the murder counts, Naveed Akram has been charged with one count of committing a terrorist act, 40 counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, and one count related to publicly displaying a symbol of a banned terrorist group. Police say they discovered "homemade" Islamic State flags and DIY explosive devices in the vehicle driven by the gunmen. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the episode appears to have been driven by ideology associated with ISIS. Akram, who was critically wounded during the incident, emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon, per the New York Times. He made his first court appearance on Wednesday from his hospital bed, according to a New South Wales court. Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said investigators are waiting for Akram's medication to subside before conducting a formal interview, stressing that Akram must be coherent enough to understand the process, per the BBC. Earlier this week, ABC Australia reported that, according to security sources, the father-son duo went to receive "military-style" training in the Philippines, a known hot spot for Islamic militants. On Wednesday, however, the Philippines' National Security Council said there was "no validated report or confirmation that the individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines," reports the Times. Twenty people injured in the attack are still in hospitals across Sydney, including one patient who remains in critical condition, per the BBC. The case has been adjourned until April. Penguins in one corner of Argentina now have a new land-based threat to worry about: pumas. A study in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B finds that in Monte Leon National Park in Argentine Patagonia, pumas are increasingly hunting Magellanic penguins, a relatively small bird that ecologists say isn't usually on the big cats' menu, reports the New York Times . Pumas typically target larger mammals like guanacos, but the research shows that pumas are proving highly adaptable, as penguins offer an abundant food source. Pumas "can eat almost anything," Emiliano Donadio of Rewilding Argentina tells BBC Wildlife . To track the shift, scientists fitted 14 adult pumas with GPS collars and monitored them from 2019 to 2023, comparing their movements across seasons as penguins came and went from a major breeding colony, per the Times. Pumas that regularly fed on penguins held smaller territories and spent more time overlapping with other pumas near the colony, a break from their normally solitary behavior. Combined GPS and camera-trap data suggested what may be the highest local puma density ever recorded, about twice that seen anywhere else. One researcher likened the scene to grizzly bears congregating at salmon runs. The study underscores how conservation can reshape ecosystems in unanticipated ways. Pumas were largely eliminated from Patagonia in the early 20th century as sheep ranching spread. In their absence, Magellanic penguins established large mainland colonies along the coast. Now that pumas have been protected and their numbers are rebounding, they're encountering this new prey source and altering their movements accordingly. Ecologists say the broader consequencesfor guanacos, penguins, and the wider food webremain unclear, and the findings challenge the idea that bringing large predators back simply restores past conditions. As one scientist puts it, reintroductions place carnivores into landscapes that have changed, producing new interactions rather than rewinding the ecological clock. Still, the pumas' "ability to feed on so many different prey species is a striking reminder of how remarkably adaptable this top predator is, capable of thriving in nearly every environment across the Americas," Donadio tells the BBC. A long-running Mars orbiter that outlived its original mission by a decade has gone silent, and NASA isn't sure it can bring it back. The agency on Monday confirmed it hasn't received telemetry from the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft since Dec. 4. Space.com reports a sliver of tracking data picked up on Dec. 6 "delivered a bit of additional bad news." NASA reports the data suggests MAVEN "was rotating in an unexpected manner when it emerged from behind Mars" and may have shifted its path. Engineers are now combing through that data to figure out what went wrong. "Efforts to reestablish contact with MAVEN also continue," NASA said Monday. Launched in 2013 and in orbit around Mars since 2014, MAVEN was built to operate for one year but has been studying why the planet's atmosphere drastically thinned for nearly 11. It also serves as one of four key relay satellites that pass data between Earth and the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers. MAVEN has been brought back from the brink once before. A lengthy communications loss in 2022 led engineers to pinpoint problems with its inertial measurement units, which help with navigation. They recovered the mission by delivering new software that has since allowed the orbiter to orient itself using stars instead. Even if NASA manages another save now, Gizmodo points out that MAVEN faces a separate threat: a proposed 2026 NASA budget that would cut funding for several missions that have exceeded their intended lifespan. With much of the polar bear population expected to vanish within the next 25 years , researchers say it's nice to see the animals are looking out for each other. Researchers stationed near Churchill, Manitoba, recently witnessed something they almost never see: a mother bear with a cub that isn't hers. A female first observed in March with a single cub was photographed again in mid-November in Wapusk National Parkthis time with two young in tow, reports the CBC . Scientists quickly noticed the newcomer lacked the GPS tracking collars of the two others and, after genetic testing, confirmed the cub had been adopted. It's just the 13th documented case of cub adoption in the western Hudson Bay polar bear population over 45 years of study involving more than 4,600 bears, per CBS News. As only about 10 female polar bears in the region are fitted with GPS collars each year, it's especially unusual for an adoption to be observed and verified in real time. Researchers estimate the motherknown as X33991, per IFL Scienceis about five years old and both cubs are roughly 10 to 11 months. While they don't know what happened to the adoptee's biological mother, they suspect a powerful maternal drive explains why the lone cub was taken in. Polar bears are known for strong parenting, says Environment and Climate Change Canada scientist Evan Richardson, who suggests a mother may be unable to ignore a distressed cub on the tundra. Cubs usually remain with their mothers for two to two-and-a-half years, learning how to hunt and survive. Without a mother, a cub's chances of surviving to adulthood are almost zero. The adoption therefore gives this cub a realistic shot at a longer life. Scientists say such rare adoptions matter even more as climate change shrinks sea ice and affects access to seals and other high-fat prey. "The bears need all the help they can get," Richardson says, per the CBC. "It's really a feel-good story," he adds, per CBS. If you've ever examined a $1 bill, the star of Christie's next big sale will look awfully familiar. On Jan. 23 in New York, the auction house will offer the 1804 Gilbert Stuart oil portrait of George Washington that helped shape the image now printed on US singles. The work, which is expected to fetch between $500,000 and $1 million, offers "the kind of magnificent story of America that collectors of American art want," art historian Carrie Rebora Barratt tells the Washington Post . It was commissioned by James Madison and has spent two centuries moving between founding fathers, railroad tycoons, and even frat-house pranksters. The story starts with Stuart's debt problem. Fresh from a stint in a Dublin debtors prison in the 1790s, the Rhode Island native returned to the US convinced Washington's face could rescue his finances, per the Post. After an introduction from Chief Justice John Jay got him in front of the president, Stuart went on to produce more than 100 portraits of America's first president, known as the Athenaeum portraits. The one commissioned by Madison and prominently displayed in his home shows Washington as a weathered but reluctant leader in his mid-60s, captured with quick, visible brushwork. After Madison, the painting passed to 19th-century shipping and railroad magnate William Henry Aspinwall, then cycled through a series of prominent collectors before landing in 1951 at Clarkson University in upstate New York. In 1968, three fraternity members from another college swiped what they assumed was a copy as a prank, only to later discover it was the real deal. They abandoned it in a Buffalo church, were arrested, and eventually had their records cleared. Clarkson, which has no art museum, is now selling the painting with the hope it will "find a good forever home," says President Michelle Larson. One of the last House Republicans who broke with President Trump after the 2021 Capitol riot is calling it quits. Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington state announced Wednesday he won't run again, saying in a statement that stepping away comes "with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude" for the chance to serve, per NBC News . The 68-year-old, first elected in 2014, said he's looking ahead to "a new chapter" and thanked his family for their support. Newhouse's exit isn't expected to put the seat in play. Trump carried Washington's 4th Congressional District by 21 points in 2020, and the Cook Political Report rates it safely Republican. Newhouse was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 over his conduct surrounding the Capitol riot. He's one of just two remaining in the House, the other being California's David Valadao, who "faces a tough reelection in a battleground district," per Politico. In the Senate, only three Republicans who backed conviction are still in office: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Bill Cassidy. In the aftermath, Newhouse said the Jan. 6 crowd was "inflamed by the language and misinformation of the President," and that Trump failed to act as "our country needed a leader." Trump later called him a "Weak and Pathetic RINO." Last year, Newhouse survived a Trump-aligned challenge, edging businessman and former NASCAR driver Jerrod Sessler, a fellow Republican, by 6 points in the general election after both advanced from the state's primary. Sessler, who attended Trump's Jan. 6 speech but says he didn't enter the Capitol and has repeated false claims about the 2020 election, is running again. Roman Abramovich is being given what amounts to a final warning from Britain's prime minister. Keir Starmer told Parliament that the UK has now authorized the transfer of $3.3 billion from the 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club and demanded that the Russian oligarch follow through on his earlier pledge to direct the proceeds to people harmed by Russia's war in Ukraine, per the BBC . "The clock is ticking," Starmer said, warning that if the sanctioned oligarch doesn't "honor the commitment that you made and pay up now," the government is ready to take him to court to ensure "every penny" goes to those affected by the conflict. "This government is prepared to enforce it through the courts," Starmer said, per the AP. The money has sat in a frozen UK bank account since Abramovich sold Chelsea under a special license granted after Russia's full-scale invasion, per the BBC. That license requires that he not profit from the sale. Treasury officials say the cash must go to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and can't benefit other sanctioned figures, either, in addition to Abramovich. The holdup stems from a dispute over who should qualify as a beneficiary. While the UK wants the money channeled specifically into Ukrainian humanitarian aid, Abramovich has pushed for it to go to "all victims of the war in Ukraine," a broader pool that could include Russians as well, per the Guardian. Abramovich, who built his fortune in oil and gas and has been accused of close ties to Vladimir Putinallegations he deniesremains the legal owner of the proceeds, but he's barred from accessing them under the UK's sanctions, per the BBC. The government first floated legal action against him in June. A British duke with family ties to Princess Diana and Winston Churchill is accused of strangling the same person three times in less than two years. The 12th Duke of Marlborough, Charles James Spencer-Churchill, previously known as Jamie Blandford, is accused in the separate attacks in Woodstock, alleged to have taken place between November 2022 and May 2024, Thames Valley Police said. The 70-year-old aristocrat was arrested that May. He's expected to appear before Oxford magistrates on Thursday to answer to charges of non-fatal intentional strangulation, per the BBC . Spencer-Churchill, who was named duke in 2014 after the death of his father, is "known to have had a long history of drug addiction," per the Guardian. Living in the Marlboroughs' ancestral home of Blenheim Palace, the largest private residence in Britain, he is a first cousin, three times removed, of Churchill, who was born on the estate, and is also distantly related to the late Princess Diana through the Spencer family. The Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation, which owns and operates the estate, declined to comment on what it described as matters of the duke's private life. The Trump administration is breaking up one of the country's premier climate research hubs. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said Tuesday night that the National Science Foundation will dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), escalating the administration's effort to scale back government-funded climate science. Vought announced the move on X , calling the Boulder, Colorado-based facility "one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country," per Politico . A senior White House official cited by NBC News calls it "the premier research stronghold for left-wing climate lunacy." NCAR, founded in 1960, has long supplied universities and researchers with advanced tools and data to study the atmosphere, severe weather, and broader earth systems. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis condemned the plan, saying in a statement that "science is being attacked." He warned that NCAR's forecasts and modeling around wildfires, floods, and other extreme events help protect lives and property, and argued that losing the center would erode the United States' scientific edge "against foreign powers and adversaries." The move comes after the administration cut funding to the National Weather Service, reductions critics linked to slower federal responses to Texas flooding and concerns about hurricane readiness, though the White House denied the claims. Vought said not all of NCAR's work would disappear, writing that "a comprehensive review is underway" and that "vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location." NCAR's parent organization, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, said in a statement that it had no information on the plans. USA Today reports NCAR's Mesa Laboratory will be shuttered entirely. New York's governor says the state should sometimes help hasten deathcarefully. In a Wednesday op-ed for the Albany Times Union , Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she'll sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act once lawmakers return to Albany and approve added safeguards she requested. The bill would let mentally competent, terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live obtain medication from a doctor to end their lives. Hochul frames it as a matter of "shortening dying, not shortening life," and says government should protect, not interfere with, profoundly personal medical decisions. Hochul details her shift from caution to support, citing emotional testimony from New Yorkers and the death of her own mother from ALS. She also acknowledges religious objections, as within her own Catholic faith, but writes, "I do not believe that in every instance condemning someone to excruciating pain and suffering preserves the dignity and sanctity of life. ... God is merciful and compassionate, and so must we be. This includes permitting a merciful option to those facing the unimaginable and searching for comfort in their final months in this life." She stresses that participation is voluntary: individual doctors and religiously affiliated facilities will be allowed to opt out. Hochul writes that her proposed "guardrails," which go beyond those in the legislature's original bill, require that a physician confirm the patient is within six months of death and a psychologist or psychiatrist confirm the patient is capable of making the decision and isn't being coerced. Patients must submit both written and recorded oral requests, wait five days before receiving the medication, and use witnesses who cannot benefit financially from their deaths. "Finally, this is a right afforded to New Yorkers only," she adds. The AP reports New York will join a dozen other states and the District of Columbia in allowing medically assisted suicide. Illinois on Friday joined that list. News / National by Stephen Jakes HARARE - Zimbabwean observers have reacted with concern to the latest proclamation by United States President Donald Trump, which further restricts and limits the entry of foreign nationals into the US. The proclamation, issued on 16 December 2025, expands existing travel bans to include additional countries, citing national security and vetting deficiencies A B. From a Zimbabwean point of view, the move underscores the widening gap between Washingtons security priorities and Africas aspirations for fair treatment in global relations.What the proclamation does The US has imposed full entry restrictions on nationals from 12 previously listed countries, including Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The ban now extends to Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, as well as individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents A B. Reports also indicate that Nigeria and other nations face new or expanded restrictions C.Zimbabwean concernsLocal analysts argue that such blanket bans risk reinforcing perceptions of Africa as a continent unfairly stigmatised in global security discourse. While Zimbabwe is not currently listed among the restricted nations, the precedent raises fears of future inclusion, especially given strained relations between Harare and Washington.Critics in Zimbabwe highlight three key issues: Discrimination and stereotyping: The bans appear to target African and Middle Eastern nations disproportionately, fuelling resentment and undermining diplomatic goodwill. Impact on ordinary citizens: Students, professionals and families are often caught in the crossfire, with restrictions limiting opportunities for education, business and cultural exchange. Global solidarity: Zimbabwean commentators stress that true security cannot be achieved through exclusion, but through cooperation, dialogue and addressing root causes of instability.Voices from HararePolitical analysts in Harare note that the US action reflects a broader trend of tightening borders and prioritising domestic politics over international engagement. When powerful nations close doors to entire populations, they send a message that global citizenship is conditional and unequal, one analyst said.Others argue that the move should prompt African governments, including Zimbabwe, to strengthen regional solidarity and invest in homegrown opportunities so that citizens are less vulnerable to external restrictions.ConclusionFrom a Zimbabwean perspective, the expanded US travel ban is seen not only as a security measure but also as a political signal that risks alienating Africa further. While Washington insists the restrictions are based on data and vetting deficiencies, Zimbabwean voices call for a more balanced approach that recognises the dignity and aspirations of all nations. A car lender that collapsed in September is now at the center of a criminal case. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have charged Daniel Chu, founder and CEO of Tricolor Holdings, and chief operating officer David Goodgame with running what they call a multiyear, "systematic" fraud that helped the now-bankrupt subprime auto lender secure billions of dollars from banks and investors, CNBC reports. From at least 2018 through September 2025, the indictment says, the executives inflated the value of loan collateral and misled financiers about the company's true condition. US Attorney Jay Clayton said Chu turned fraud "into an integral component of Tricolor's business strategy" by routinely lying to banks and other lenders, the AP reports. As part of their alleged scheme, the same auto loans were pledged to multiple lenders at once and distressed or written-off loans were recast to look like solid assets. Authorities said two other Tricolor execs, including a former chief financial officer, were cooperating with investigators after pleading guilty to charges Tuesday. According to the indictment, Chu and other execs initially tried to conceal the fraud after they were confronted by lenders in August. Chu extracted more than $6 million from the company around that time, using some of the funds to buy a home in Beverly Hills in August, prosecutors say. Tricolor, which catered to buyers with weak or limited credit in the South and Southwest, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in September. ABC News reports prosecutors said at the time that its lenders, including JPMorgan Chase, Fifth Third Bancorp and Barclays, had suffered multi-million-dollar losses. They had extended hundreds of millions of dollars in credit to Tricolor and related borrower First Brands before both companies went under in the same month. The twin failures triggered a bout of market anxiety over hidden trouble in private credit and leveraged loans. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, whose bank was among Tricolor's lenders, warned at the time that the episodes pointed to years of overly loose corporate lending. "When you see one cockroach, there are probably more," Dimon told analysts, adding that investors and regulators "should be forewarned on this one." Two Nevada men who were teenagers when they fatally struck a retired police chief with a car while recording video on a phone will spend much of the rest of their lives in prison. A Clark County judge on Tuesday sentenced 20-year-old Jesus Ayala to 20 years to life and 18-year-old Jzamir Keys to 18 years to life for the killing of 66-year-old Andreas "Andy" Probst, who was riding his bike in northwest Las Vegas on Aug. 14, 2023, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Both had pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder with a deadly weapon in a deal that spared them trial. Prosecutors say Keys, who was 16 at the time, was filming and Ayala, 17 at the time, was driving as the pair laughed and talked about hitting Probst before running him down and driving off. Judge Jacqueline Bluth told the defendants, "There is no excuse for what you two have done and the damage and pain that you have caused." Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani described the case as among the most shocking he's seen. He said the sentences are the maximum allowed under Nevada law for second-degree murder with a weapon, given that both were juveniles at the time. Because they were juveniles, they will be eligible for parole after 20 years. Investigators said the pair targeted multiple other people during a crime spree in which they stole four cars, KSNV reports. "This was so much more than a joyride," the judge said. "It just kept going and going and escalating with more people getting hurt." As part of the plea deal, the two also admitted to battery with a deadly weapon for injuring two other men with a vehicle; Ayala received an additional two- to 10-year term on that charge. Ayala's public defender argued in court that the killing was not planned as a homicide and said his client is remorseful and accepted the plea to avoid putting the family through a trial. Both Ayala and Keys declined to speak at sentencing. Probst, a former police chief in Bell, California, was remembered in emotional statements by his widow, Crystal, and their children as a calm, stabilizing presence and devoted family man whose absence will be felt at future milestones like weddings and grandchildren's births. "They stole the future we earned, moment by moment and year by year," Crystal Probst told the court. "And they've left the silence that nothing can replace. The pain they caused does not fade; it grows." Two veteran skydivers with thousands of jumps between them were killed in Italy when their parachutes became entangled just seconds from the ground. Authorities say 70-year-old instructor Ermes Zampa and 63-year-old former Brazilian athlete Violetta Laiketsion died at the scene near Fano, a town south of Venice, on Sunday. They were part of a 14-person group jump that morning. Zampa exited the plane first and Laiketsion last, but their paths fatally converged near the ground, where their parachutes reportedly became tangled and then collapsed about 100 feet above the landing area, reports news.com.au . Roberto Mascio, director of Skydive Fano, said the incident was captured on video by someone at the airfield and that the footage has been turned over to investigators. "In the footage, you could see the two canopies touching and then collapsing," Mascio said, noting that at such a low altitude "you're really too close to the ground to make a decision, there's very little time." He called the loss "truly painful," adding that he had known both Zampa and Laiketsion for some time. Fairbanks, AK (99701) Today Cloudy this morning. A few snow showers developing during the afternoon. High 13F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.. Tonight Snow showers. Low 6F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snowfall around one inch. Phnom Penh, Dec 17 (News On Japan) - Japanese nationals were detained by local authorities on December 11th in a facility believed to be a hub for special fraud schemes in the southern Cambodian city of Sihanoukville, according to information conveyed to the Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh. The embassy said it was notified by Cambodian authorities that 16 Japanese had been taken into custody in a building identified as a suspected fraud base, with the group believed to have been involved in fraudulent activities. The embassy is working to verify details while coordinating closely with the local government. Sihanoukville and other parts of Cambodia have seen rapid development in recent years, driven in part by casino projects led by Chinese-affiliated companies. At the same time, authorities have continued to uncover clusters of international criminal operations, including special fraud groups, leading to repeated detentions of Japanese nationals. Source: TBS TOKYO, Dec 18 (News On Japan) - Tokyo has climbed to second place in the Global Power City Index, overtaking New York for the first time and ending a nine-year run in third place, according to the latest ranking released on December 17th. The index evaluates 48 major cities worldwide across six fields, including economy, cultural interaction, accessibility and livability, using a total of 72 indicators. Tokyo posted sharp gains in areas such as the number of foreign visitors and the richness of its nightlife under the cultural interaction category, while ranking first globally for the sheer number of restaurants in the livability category. Other Japanese cities also improved, with Osaka rising sharply from 35th last year to 18th, and Fukuoka climbing two places to 40th. The ranking, compiled by a research body affiliated with Mori Building, placed London first, Tokyo second and New York third. Tokyos rise to second marks its highest position since the survey began in 2008. Strong evaluations were recorded for tourist appeal, nightlife and foreign visitor numbers, as well as for the density of dining and retail options. New York, by contrast, slipped to third amid rising prices and soaring housing rents. Osaka, which hosted the Osaka-Kansai Expo, saw one of the largest jumps, moving up 17 places from its 2024 ranking. Ai Miyaji, a newscaster, explained that Tokyo had remained in third place for nine consecutive years before surpassing New York this time, adding that while Tokyo ranked 12th in the economic category, weaker scores for wage levels and talent acquisition dragged that area down, even as livability ranked first overall and cultural interaction placed second. Environmental indicators, however, fell to seventh, resulting in a net rise to second place overall. Asked for his reaction, Patrick Harlan noted that while some may view the ranking as biased because it was released by a Japanese foundation, Tokyo consistently ranks within the global top 10 in similar assessments by international organizations. He said Tokyos appeal had likely grown as inbound tourism surged, with more visitors recognizing and promoting the citys strengths, while New York may have slipped due to high prices and political challenges. Miyaji added that Tokyo ranked first globally in indicators such as the number of restaurants, ease of using public transportation, culinary appeal, nightlife quality and the number of cultural events. Accessibility ranked sixth overall, with high scores for public transport usability and domestic and international air travelers, as well as strong marks for bicycle mobility. By contrast, lower scores were recorded for temperature comfort at 21st, top global universities at 23rd and wage levels at 29th, down two places from the previous year, while ease of securing highly skilled talent ranked as low as 40th. Average monthly wages highlighted the gap, with top-ranked cities such as San Francisco and Zurich or Geneva paying around $7,000 a month, roughly 1.08 million yen, compared with about 390,000 yen in Tokyo, underscoring its relatively low position globally. Harlan said Tokyos potential remains enormous, noting that it boasts the worlds largest GDP relative to city size, with ample capital and business activity already in place, but argued that further improvements are needed to make it easier to start businesses and attract talent from Japan and abroad. He said global cities like New York and London are energized by people coming from outside, and Tokyo must evolve into a city that the worlds top talent actively wants to choose. Source: FNN TOKYO, Dec 18 (News On Japan) - A fire at a private sauna in Akasaka, Tokyo, that claimed the lives of a couple in their 30s has revealed serious flaws in safety management, with the shop owner telling investigators that the control panel linked to the saunas emergency button had never been powered on. The blaze broke out on December 15th at a private-room sauna, killing hair salon owner Masaya Matsuda, 36, and his wife Yoko, 37, a nail technician. According to people familiar with the investigation, the emergency button inside the sauna room, intended to send an alert during emergencies, appeared to have been pressed, suggesting the trapped couple may have tried to call for help. However, the alert should have been received by a control panel installed in the shops first-floor office, but the panels power was turned off. Although three employees were in the building at the time of the fire, the office itself was unattended. The shop owner told the Metropolitan Police Department during voluntary questioning: "I have never turned the power on. I have never touched it." Friends described Matsuda as a devoted family man who had become even more dedicated to his work after the birth of a child several years ago, building a well-known reputation in the beauty industry while planning further business expansion. A friend said Matsuda had mentioned strong business performance in December and suggested the sauna visit may have been a reward for himself and his wife. During a second day of on-site inspections on December 17th, alarms echoed through the building as authorities checked the operation of fire detection systems. Firefighters previously found the couple collapsed near the sauna entrance, with Matsuda lying over his wife. Investigators noted that both the interior and exterior door knobs had come off and fallen to the floor, despite the sauna requiring the knob to be turned to exit. An autopsy conducted by the Metropolitan Police listed the cause of death as undetermined, though investigators believe burns or hyperthermia were likely. Matsuda suffered more extensive burns than his wife, leading police to believe he may have tried to shield her from the flames. Examination of the sauna room found several fist-sized burn marks on the wooden seating, along with burned towels. Investigators believe a towel may have come into contact with the sauna stones and ignited. Inspections also found looseness in door knobs in other rooms, raising further questions about the facilitys overall safety management. Police are considering a possible charge of professional negligence resulting in death. The case has drawn attention to the rapid spread of private-room saunas, a trend that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as demand grew for quiet, isolated bathing spaces. Operators say safety measures are essential, including emergency buttons in each room and doors designed to open simply by pushing from the inside. At a private sauna in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, which has operated for three years with strong weekend demand, manager Masaki Oone said the concept of private saunas emerged during the pandemic alongside rules promoting silent bathing. He noted that the number of such facilities has increased across the prefecture, reflecting steady demand. The Akasaka sauna obtained its operating permit in July 2022 during the pandemic, but Minato Ward officials said it was licensed under the Hotel Business Act rather than the Public Bathhouse Act. Legal experts say some operators choose the Hotel Business Act because it allows mixed bathing, which is prohibited under public bathhouse regulations. Lawyer Ryota Kikuchi, who specializes in public bathhouse and related laws, said the choice of licensing may have been aimed at operating as a mixed-gender sauna. He also noted that under the Hotel Business Act, emergency buttons like those in question are not subject to inspection, highlighting a regulatory gap. Kikuchi said existing ordinances did not anticipate the rise of private-room saunas and that local governments face limits in updating rules, adding that laws should be revised to reflect fire prevention and safety risks unique to such facilities. Previously: 2 Dead in Tokyo Private Sauna Blaze Source: TBS News / National by Staff reporter Her Worship Dr. Alice Mpofu-Coles, the Mayor of Reading in the United Kingdom, paid a courtesy call to Senator David Coltart, Mayor of Bulawayo, and Town Clerk Mr. Christopher Dube, during her visit to Zimbabwe.Dr. Mpofu-Coles expressed delight at being back in her home country after an extended period, noting that her election as the first Black female Mayor of Reading has become a symbol of hope for minority groups.During the meeting, both parties discussed potential areas of collaboration aimed at advancing mutual development. Key focus areas identified included research and business development, with both local authorities expressing willingness to explore formal partnerships.The discussions concluded with a commitment to follow up through formal correspondence to outline specific areas of interest and cooperation.In addition to her role as Mayor, Dr. Mpofu-Coles is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Reading. She highlighted that her academic position could strategically support partnerships between the two institutions, fostering collaboration in research and development initiatives. Wakayama, Dec 18 (News On Japan) - The trial of a woman accused of urging two male followers to take their own lives opened on December 17th, with the defense arguing that she lacked criminal responsibility at the time and pleading not guilty. The defendant, fortune-teller Yoshie Hamada, is accused of persuading two men who were her followers to commit suicide in the sea off Wakayama Prefecture five years ago, as well as forging a suicide note belonging to one of them. At the first hearing, Hamada told the court that a cosmic system carried out everything through my body, while her lawyers said they did not dispute the basic facts of the case but insisted she was in a state of mental incapacity and therefore could not be held criminally responsible. Prosecutors countered that discussions about suicide began after Hamadas lover, who had been living with her, started trying to escape, and that the acts were driven by an attempt to destroy what she described as a system controlling the lover. Two female followers were also arrested and indicted in connection with the case. One of them admitted that she had received instructions from Hamada to assist in the suicides and has already received a guilty verdict. The case centers on the deaths of Kohei Teramoto, who was 66 at the time, and Ichiro Yoneda, then 51, who died by suicide in the sea in Wakayama Prefecture five years ago. Hamada, now 63, whom both men followed as a fortune-teller, has been charged with encouraging their suicides and related offenses. During the December 17th hearing, Hamada stated, The system program acted through my mouth and body, and the defense again argued that she was mentally incapacitated at the time and therefore not criminally liable. The eldest son of Teramoto said the family continues to struggle with anger and grief, adding, I believe this incident was murder. In a related case, a female follower charged with assisting in the suicides has received a guilty verdict with a suspended sentence. Source: YOMIURI VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 11, 2025 /CNW/ - The number of Canadians donating to charity--as a percentage of all tax filers--is at the lowest point in 20 years, finds a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. "The holiday season is a time to reflect on charitable giving, and the data shows Canadians are consistently less charitable every year, which means charities face greater challenges to secure resources to help those in need," said Jake Fuss, director of Fiscal Studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Generosity in Canada: The 2025 Generosity Index . The study finds that the percentage of Canadian tax filers donating to charity during the 2023 tax year--just 16.8 per cent--is the lowest proportion of Canadians donating since at least 2003. Canadians' generosity peaked at 25.4 per cent of tax-filers donating in 2004, before declining in subsequent years. Nationally, the total amount donated to charity by Canadian tax filers has also fallen from 0.55 per cent of income in 2013 to 0.52 per cent of income in 2023. The study finds that Manitoba had the highest percentage of tax filers that donated to charity among the provinces (18.7 per cent) during the 2023 tax year while New Brunswick had the lowest (14.4 per cent). Likewise, Manitoba also donated the highest percentage of its aggregate income to charity among the provinces (0.71 per cent) while Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador donated the lowest (both 0.27 per cent). "A smaller proportion of Canadians are donating to registered charities than what we saw in previous decades, and those who are donating are donating less," said Fuss. "This decline in generosity in Canada undoubtedly limits the ability of Canadian charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond," said Grady Munro, policy analyst and co-author. Generosity of Canadian provinces and territories Province/Territory (ranking in 2025 Generosity Index) % of tax filers who claimed charitable donations Average dollar value of all charitable donations % of aggregate income donated to charity Manitoba 18.7 $2,855 0.71 Ontario 17.2 $2,816 0.58 Quebec 17.1 $1,194 0.27 Alberta 17.0 $3,622 0.68 Prince Edward Island 16.6 $1,936 0.45 Saskatchewan 16.4 $2,597 0.52 British Columbia 15.9 $3,299 0.61 Nova Scotia 15.3 $1,893 0.40 Newfoundland and Labrador 15.0 $1,333 0.27 New Brunswick 14.4 $2,076 0.44 Yukon 14.1 $2,180 0.27 Northwest Territories 10.2 $2,540 0.20 Nunavut 5.1 $2,884 0.15 NOTE: Table based on 2023 tax year, the most recent year of comparable data in Canada Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us on Facebook The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Halifax, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org SOURCE The Fraser Institute MEDIA CONTACTS: Jake Fuss, Director, Fiscal Studies, Fraser Institute; Grady Munro, Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute; To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Drue MacPherson, Media Relations Coordinator, Fraser Institute, Tel: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 721, E-mail: mailto:[email protected] Investments will decrease the use of fossil fuels on the island by more than 50 percent HALIFAX, NS, Dec. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is investing $5.1 million in greening operations at Sable Island National Park Reserve. The funding will support projects that reduce electrical energy consumption in key buildings and upgrade the island's power generation system to a sustainable micro-grid. These changes will decrease the use of fossil fuels on the island by more than 50 percent. The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab and Member of Parliament Shannon Miedema made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature. Left Image: Aerial image of Sable Island NPR and Main Station, where most island operations take place. Main Station will see reduced energy consumption in key buildings and the installation of a sustainable micro-grid generation system to lower greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 50%. Credit: Parks Canada Right Image: Artist rendering showcasing the sustainable micro-grids solar array near Main Station, Sable Island National Park Reserve. Credit: EastPoint Engineering Ltd. (CNW Group/Parks Canada (HQ)) Parks Canada is responsible for protecting nationally significant examples of natural and cultural heritage and sharing the stories of these treasured places. Sable Island is an island of dynamic rolling sand dunes and is home to a wild horse population, the world's largest breeding colony of grey seals, and other unique species. Sable Island National Park Reserve is committed to innovation and ingenuity in using green technology to ensure an efficient operation in a remote environment. Funded from both Parks Canada's infrastructure investment program and the Government of Canada's Greening Government Fund, this upgrade demonstrates environmental leadership, and will serve as a model for other remote, off-grid locations administered by Parks Canada and other federal departments throughout the country. This is not the first Parks Canada administered place in Nova Scotia to benefit from the Greening Government Fund. In 2022, a centralized 100-kilowatt photovoltaic array was installed to generate solar electricity and offset camper electrical use at Jeremy's Bay Campground in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site. Since its installation, the array has generated approximately 445 megawatt-hours of clean, renewable energy--reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 443 tonnes. By reducing energy costs, Sable Island National Park Reserve can focus its resources on its mandate to protect the island's exceptional natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations. These investments contribute to the government's goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net-zero operations by 2050. Quotes "Sable Island National Park Reserve's sustainable micro-grid project supports the Government of Canada's Greening Government Strategy. The system's unique design showcases Parks Canada innovation and leadership in actively responding to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in federal operations." The Honourable Julie Dabrusin Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and nature "Nova Scotians have a deep connection to Sable Island, and this project reflects our shared commitment to protecting its unique environment. By reducing fossil fuel use by more than half, the sustainable micro-grid demonstrates how innovation can thrive even in remote locations. This project is a model for how we can achieve our climate goals while safeguarding the natural and cultural heritage that defines our province and country." The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship "Sable Island's sustainable micro-grid project will decrease greenhouse gas emissions on the island by more than 50 percent. This is an excellent example of the Greening Government Fund at work, and another great step towards transitioning to net-zero carbon emissions in all Government of Canada operations." The Honourable Shafqat Ali President of the Treasury Board "The Government of Canada is committed to greening its operations. The sustainable micro-grid project at Sable Island National Park Reserve, one of Canada's furthest offshore islands, not only supports Canada's transition to a cleaner economy but also stands as a powerful model of sustainable energy solutions for other remote locations - both within Canada and abroad." Shannon Miedema Member of Parliament Quick Facts Sable Island National Park Reserve was established in 2013 as Canada's 43 rd national park. Parks Canada is responsible for protecting and presenting nationally significant examples of natural and cultural heritage. national park. Parks Canada is responsible for protecting and presenting nationally significant examples of natural and cultural heritage. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, Sable Island is one of Canada's furthest offshore islands, with a rich human history stretching back to the 1500s, including shipwrecks, life-saving stations, and over a hundred years of weather monitoring. The Island's unique ecology includes wild horses, the world's largest breeding colony of grey seals, over 300 species of birds as well as the only known breeding location in the world for the Ipswich sparrow, and species of rare moths and other insects found nowhere else on the planet. The sustainable micro-grid system consists of solar panels, a battery bank, and two variable speed generators that respond in real time to changes in energy needs. Construction began in September 2025 and is expected to be completed by spring 2026. The Government of Canada is committed to transitioning to net-zero carbon emissions and climate-resilient operations, as well as reducing environmental impacts on waste, water, and biodiversity. The Greening Government Fund is an important part of Canada's climate plan, helping Canada to meet and exceed its 2030 Paris Agreement target. The Fund promotes and shares innovative approaches to reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and provides project funding to federal government departments and agencies to reduce GHG emissions in their operations. is an important part of Canada's climate plan, helping Canada to meet and exceed its 2030 Paris Agreement target. The Fund promotes and shares innovative approaches to reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and provides project funding to federal government departments and agencies to reduce GHG emissions in their operations. Since 2015, federal infrastructure investments have enabled Parks Canada to improve the condition of approximately 5,000 assets across the country. These upgrades help ensure public safety, quality and reliability in visitor offers, incorporate green technologies and climate resiliency, while connecting Canadians with nature and history. Related Links SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ) Contacts: Keean Nembhard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature, 343-552-2387, [email protected]; Media Relations, Parks Canada Agency, 855-862-1812, [email protected]; Jodi Hawkins, Partnering, Engagement and Communications Officer, Mainland Nova Scotia, 782-409-0146, [email protected] TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - SCALE AI, Canada's artificial intelligence (AI) cluster, announced today a total of $128,5 million in investments to support 44 new applied AI projects across Canada. This brings total commitments over the past six months to more than $226 million, reflecting the rapid acceleration of homegrown AI deployment across Canadian industries and organizations. The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (CNW Group/Scale AI) This is SCALE AI's largest funding round to date, a clear signal of the accelerating momentum behind Canada's AI--from growing public-sector commitment to rapidly expanding adoption across sectors nationwide. The announcement also highlights a growing trend: a rising number of projects now involve partners from multiple provinces, reflecting an increasingly interprovincial AI ecosystem and a strengthening culture of collaboration across Canada. The newly announced projects highlight the diverse and transformative applications of AI across a growing range of private and public organizations crucial to the Canadian economy--from using advanced AI agents to reinvent how people navigate and access their healthcare benefits, to helping healthcare teams better plan and coordinate care for patients after they complete radiation therapy, to automating municipal infrastructure management, to accelerating oil and gas pipeline inspections, helping electric utilities respond more effectively to power outages, and even deploying generative AI solutions to support local news coverage across the country. The projects also showcase a wide range of applied AI capabilities now being deployed across Canada's economy, including machine learning for prediction and optimization, computer vision for image and video analysis, generative AI for conversational interfaces, and retrieval-augmented generation for navigating complex institutional knowledge. From automating document-heavy workflows to enabling real-time forecasting, risk detection, and decision support, these solutions show how AI is accelerating operational efficiency, reducing bottlenecks, and strengthening productivity and competitiveness across fields such as healthcare, energy, insurance, retail, manufacturing, transportation, professional services, and public infrastructure. The announcement comes at the end of a year marked by remarkable momentum for Canada's AI ecosystem, and at a time when the Government of Canada is developing a renewed AI strategy to drive economic growth through broader adoption of the technology and greater public trust in its capabilities. It highlights the critical role that AI commercialization and deployment will play in advancing Canada's global AI leadership and reinforcing the country's digital sovereignty. The 2:1 private-to-public investment ratio for the projects announced today reflects the industry's firm commitment to adopting made-in-Canada AI and the collaboration between industry and government to accelerate innovation. The announcement was held at League's headquarters in Toronto, home to a leading AI-powered healthcare consumer experience platform that serves more than 63 million people worldwide. The event brought together Canadian AI leaders and project partners alongside the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Maggie Chi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, and Chi Nguyen, Member of Parliament for Spadina-Harbourfront. The details of the supported projects are available here. The supported projects in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec will be highlighted during announcements scheduled for December 17, 2025. Quotes "These projects, led by the SCALE AI Cluster, reflect our comprehensive and ambitious nationwide approach to artificial intelligence and economic growth--one in which we work shoulder to shoulder with our partners to build world-class ecosystems and drive transformative outcomes through made-in-Canada AI solutions. The Global Innovation Clusters' collaborative model enables Canadian innovators to move at the speed of business, respond quickly to market needs, commercialize bold ideas and strengthen Canada's competitive edge." -- The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions" -- The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions "Artificial intelligence is opening new opportunities for Canadians, helping us work more efficiently, tackle real-world challenges and improve our living standards. Applied AI is where that impact is felt most clearly: on factory floors, in supply chains, in hospitals and across the companies building the next wave of innovation. Through these new SCALE AI Cluster investments, our government is supporting leading Canadian companies deploying innovative AI solutions responsibly and strategically, in collaboration with Scale AI, Canadian innovators, academia and communities--driving economic growth and reinforcing Canada's leadership in applied AI." -- The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario "Scale AI's investments are creating new opportunities for Canada's health sector. By leveraging the power of AI, we can strengthen our digital health ecosystem and accelerate the development of innovative solutions to better support health care providers and provide better health outcomes for Canadians." -- Maggie Chi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health "I'm very pleased that Scale AI's largest financing round to date is being announced right here in Toronto, in front of so many leaders from our business community. Toronto is at the heart of Canada's innovation economy, and I look forward to seeing how artificial intelligence will continue to drive productivity and efficiency for companies here at home and across Canada." -- Chi Nguyen, Member of Parliament for Spadina-Harbourfront "We are at a pivotal moment for AI and Canada's global leadership in this field. Now is the time to reap the benefits of our early investments in AI. Today's announcement underscores the need for Canada to double down on the commercialization and the rapid, yet responsible, adoption of enterprise AI. The projects announced this week will help build more competitive companies and, ultimately, a stronger and more resilient economy." -- Julien Billot, CEO of SCALE AI "Canadian industries are making remarkable progress in putting AI to work. These technologies have the power to transform business models, strengthen decision-making and equip teams to reach new levels of performance. Our goal is simple: ensure AI becomes a core element of every Canadian business strategy. Canada is uniquely positioned to lead this technological shift, supported by world-class research and talent. By co-investing in high-impact initiatives, SCALE AI is helping accelerate the commercialization of AI across the country." -- Helene Desmarais, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors, SCALE AI About SCALE AI (scaleai.ca) SCALE AI is Canada's global innovation cluster in artificial intelligence (AI). Based in Toronto and Montreal, SCALE AI plays a central role as the main unifying force of the Canadian AI ecosystem. As an investment and innovation hub, it accelerates the rapid adoption and integration of AI into the Canadian economy while contributing to the development of a world-class AI ecosystem. Funded by the Government of Canada, SCALE AI brings together over 500 industry partners, research institutes, and other key players in AI. It provides strategic and financial support to companies implementing real-world AI applications, aiming to encourage the emergence of future industry leaders and facilitate the development of a highly skilled workforce. Additionally, SCALE AI is behind ALL IN, Canada's largest AI event that allows Canadian actors to showcase their expertise in front of an international audience from around the globe. For more information about SCALE AI, visit scaleai.ca or LinkedIn. SOURCE Scale AI Eric Aach, [email protected], 514-569-3594 MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro was shot and killed two days ago. He lead the MIT Plasma Science Department and was working with Commonwealth fusion. Commonwealth Fusion is one of the leading nuclear fusion startups. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a leading private fusion energy company spun out from MIT, has raised close to $3 billion in total private funding as of late 2025. This latest round supports completion of the SPARC demonstration machine (targeting net energy gain) and early work on the ARC commercial power plant in Virginia. CFSs total represents about one-third of all private capital invested in fusion companies worldwide, making it the most-funded fusion startup. UPDATE The Brown shooter and the MIT shooter appear to be the same guy according to reports. Same guy, same guns and same car. Literally drove from the Brown Shooting to the MIT shooting in the same car. How might that impact the fusion companies timeline ? CFS has grown rapidly and currently employs approximately 1,000 people as of late 2025 and the MIT Physics group has 250. The tragic death of Nuno Loureiro will not impact the CFS timeline. As of Sept 2025, the SPARC demo machine was about 65% complete. It might now be about 75% complete. As of December 2025, no public updates indicate a specific new percentage like 75%. Assembly continues at CFSs Devens, Massachusetts campus, with major components (high-temperature superconducting magnets, cryostat, vacuum vessel) progressing, but timelines have shifted from earlier targets. Expected Milestones for SPARC and Commonwealth Fusion Systems CFS First plasma/operations is targeted for 2026 but are delayed from the original 2025 plans. Net energy gain (Q > 1, producing more energy than input) is expected in 2027. This would pave the way for CFSs commercial ARC power plant in the early 2030s. Progress in fusion projects like SPARC is steady but often faces delays due to engineering complexities. Competing Helion Energy Polaris (the Helion demo prototype) was operational by mid-2025 but has not yet achieved net electricity as of late 2025. The first Helion Energy power plant (Orion) targeting 2028. Helion Energy hopes for 2028 but these timelines slip. What do we know about Nuno Loureiro? What is known about the shooting? What else is happening ? Professor Nuno Loureiro was a prominent Portuguese-born theoretical physicist and fusion scientist. Born in 1977 in Viseu, Portugal, he earned his undergraduate and masters degrees in physics from Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon in 2000. He got a PhD from Imperial College London in 2005. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory from 20052007 and the UK Atomic Energy Authoritys Culham Centre for Fusion Energy from 20072009. He joined MIT in 2016. He was a principal researcher at the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion in Lisbon. At MIT, Loureiro was a professor in the Departments of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Physics, holding the Herman Feshbach Professorship. He specialized in magnetized plasma dynamics, turbulence in fusion reactors, magnetic reconnection, and astrophysical phenomena like solar flares. He taught key courses in plasma physics and MHD theory, earning multiple teaching awards. In May 2024, he was appointed director of MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), one of the universitys largest labs with over 250 researchers focused on fusion energy and plasma science. Involvement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) Loureiros leadership at PSFC involved close collaboration with Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a private fusion startup spun out from MITs PSFC in 2018. CFS is developing the SPARC tokamaka compact, high-field fusion device aimed at achieving net energy gain (burning plasma) by 2026. They hope this quickly in a few years leads to commercial power plants. As PSFC director, Loureiro oversaw research supporting this partnership, emphasizing the potential of fusion to provide clean, abundant energy. He described fusion as a technology that will change the course of human history. The Shooting On the evening of December 15, 2025, Loureiro, aged 47, was shot multiple times at his home on Gibbs Street in Brookline, Massachusetts (near Boston). He was transported to a hospital but pronounced dead on the morning of December 16, 2025. The incident is being investigated as a homicide by the Norfolk County District Attorneys Office, Brookline Police, Massachusetts State Police, and MIT Police. As of December 17, 2025, no arrests have been made, no suspect has been identified, and no motive has been released. Authorities have stated there is no apparent connection to other recent incidents, such as the Brown University shooting. Nuno was married and has three children. This shooting was a tragedy. Condolences to his wife and children, family and friends. News / National by Staff reporter Mobile network operator NetOne has announced the appointment of Richard Mahomva as its new Head of Public Relations, effective 1 January 2026.Mahomva joins NetOne from his current role as Director for International Communications Services in the Ministry of Information, where he has been responsible for overseeing international communications initiatives.In his new role, Mahomva is expected to lead NetOne's public relations strategy, strengthening the company's engagement with stakeholders and enhancing its brand presence across Zimbabwe. News / National by Staff reporter Zimbabweans are facing sharply rising lager beer prices as supply shortages intensify across multiple parts of the country, defying recent assurances from Delta Beverages that festive season demand would be met.A recent survey shows that consumers are paying significantly more for popular brands, driven by limited availability, rationing at depots, and increased distribution costs passed on by retailers. Quart bottles of Zambezi are now selling for between US$2.25 and US$2.50, up from the usual US$1.50US$2.00 range. Castle Lager and Carling Black Label quarts are fetching US$1.75 and US$2.00 respectively, compared to their normal US$1.30US$1.50 range.The shortage has been most acute for pint-sized bottles, which are almost unavailable in some outlets. Where stock exists, Castle and Carling Black Label pints now sell for US$0.75US$1.00, up from the usual US$0.66 (or US$2 for three pints). Zambezi pints generally retail at US$1, with occasional hikes to US$1.25.Despite these challenges, Delta Beverages insists there is no crisis. Group Finance Director Alex Makamure dismissed claims of panic buying and price hikes, stating that supply remains adequate. "There are some outages of product but no crisis. Operators would normally want a shortage situation to justify upping prices. We are running 15 percent ahead of last year's sales in the same period in December. Zambezi and Carling Black Label are running around 20 percent above. There is no justification for panic or hiking prices," Makamure said.However, on the ground, Delta Beverages has struggled to consistently supply certain brands, prompting retailers to raise prices. Observers in Bulawayo and Rusape reported acute shortages of Zambezi and Castle Lager, with outlets charging premiums for the limited stock available. In Harare, Castle quarts now sell for around US$1.75 instead of the usual US$1.20US$1.50, with bars restricted to as few as 10 crates per brand per order.The shortages are affecting festive travel habits, with some consumers opting to carry their own supplies rather than relying on local purchases. Harare resident Takudzwa Chisahwira lamented, "This might be the worst Christmas of this decade because we are now travelling with cooler boxes of beers, which defeats the essence of local tourism as we are used to buying from retailers along towns and cities we travel through."In Marondera, avid Castle Lager drinkers face daily inconveniences in sourcing their favourite brands. Shepherd Nyamushonongora said, "At first it was the disappearance of pint-sized bottles, and now I have to go across town to Dombotombo Shops to get hold of Castle Lager." He added that bar owners cited supply restrictions and inconsistent deliveries from Delta as the main challenges.As the festive season progresses, consumers and bar owners alike are bracing for continued disruptions, with supply inconsistencies likely to keep prices elevated. Opinion / Columnist The Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) is one of the most strategically important institutions Zimbabwe has ever built, yet few Zimbabweans today understand its true national value. At its peak, CMED was not merely a fleet provider, it was the engineering backbone of the State, anchoring national development, disaster response and infrastructure delivery.CMED was designed to own, maintain and engineer the country's heavy-duty motor and earth-moving equipment on behalf of government. Roads, dams, irrigation schemes, airports, power stations, mining support and civil protection all depended on a strong CMED. It was a national asset meant to reduce reliance on expensive foreign contractors, build local engineering capacity and retain skills within the public sector.Yet over time, a tragic misunderstanding of CMED's mandate took hold. Instead of strengthening CMED as a strategic engineering institution, leadership without engineering vision reduced it to a driving school and a commuter bus company, mistakenly believing this was "doing business". The focus shifted to bus routes, driving lessons and short-term cash flow, while the real value heavy plant engineering, fleet standardisation, refurbishment, manufacturing support and national logistics was ignored.This was not just a management failure, it was a failure of understanding. CMED was never meant to compete with kombis or private driving schools. It was positioned to dominate the motor and earth-moving equipment engineering space, supporting every ministry, local authority and state enterprise. With the right leadership, CMED could easily have become the country's largest plant-hire authority, a refurbishment hub for graders, bulldozers and excavators and a training ground for artisans, mechanics and engineers.The decline deepened because CMED boards were often chaired by individuals with no engineering, logistics or fleet-management background. Without technical insight, decisions were driven by short-term revenue thinking rather than strategic national impact. Assets were run down, workshops weakened, spares procurement collapsed and skilled engineers left.The turning point came when an engineer finally chaired the board. For the first time in years, CMED began to be viewed not as a bus operator, but as a strategic engineering institution. An engineer understood that CMED's true power lay in systems, maintenance cycles, asset life-extension, standardisation and economies of scale. The conversation shifted from "how many passengers are we carrying" to "how many kilometres of road can we open, how many dams can we support and how much foreign currency can we save?"CMED is uniquely positioned. It can support the Ministry of Transport, local authorities, ZINARA, agriculture, mining, civil protection and even defence logistics. No private company can match its nationwide footprint, workshops or potential fleet size if properly managed.Zimbabwe's infrastructure challenges are not a lack of money alone, they are also a lack of institutional thinking. Countries that develop do not outsource everything. They build strong state engineering institutions that partner intelligently with the private sector.Reviving CMED is therefore not nostalgia, it is economic logic. A functional CMED means cheaper road construction, faster disaster response, reduced equipment hire costs and skills retention. It also means accountability because government owns the assets.institutions matter and who leads them matters even more. When CMED was led without engineering vision, it shrank into irrelevance. When engineering thinking returned, its strategic importance became obvious again.Zimbabwe cannot industrialise, modernise or rebuild infrastructure without reclaiming CMED's original purpose. Treating it like a commuter bus company was a national mistake. Restoring it as an engineering powerhouse is a national necessity.Thank you, Madam Chair for leading from the front Dr Engineer Tammy Stevenson.Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi+263772278161 Opinion / Columnist Movement of Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) goons embarked on senseless hooliganism; looting shops, stoning properties and vehicles as well as burning vehicles belonging to the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in Harare on 24 August 2016. They looted mobile phones, laptops, groceries alcoholic beverages and cash; beating up innocent people in the process. They also smashed people's mobile phones during their madness. These malcontents were staging an unsanctioned demonstration against alleged police brutality.These barbaric acts were clearly planned at that party's Harvest House Headquarters by the party's leadership which should shoulder the blame and pay compensation to victims of this insanity.Instead of being apologetic and denounce the uncalled for violence, that party's spokesperson, Mr. Obert Gutu, shamelessly said, "Our youths assembly is the most disciplined and well behaved of all political parties in this country. Those behind (the skirmishes) are infiltrators and other state agents that are causing mayhem.The police, however, should never use heavy-handed tactics. We urge them to abide by what is set out in the Constitution. The police should not be trigger happy. They should not be teargas happy".Who is fooling who here? Since when have MDC-T hooligans have suddenly become "the most disciplined and well behaved of all political parties in the country"? Zimbabweans know how violent MDC-T thugs are. They have even beaten up their fellow party members as well as petrol bombing of buses, houses and police stations in the past.It is the responsibility of organizers of demonstrations to make sure that the demonstrations are peaceful; thus MDC-T should not lie to Zimbabweans by alleging that its demonstration was infiltrated by imagined state agents to cause mayhem.Instead of showing maturity and condemn the unnecessary violence being perpetrated by his party's thugs, Mr. Gutu is complicity in urging the thugs to continue creating mayhem in the country. His calls upon the police to stand akimbo, whilst his party's goons are destroying the country, are misplaced. Is it constitutional to destroy properties and loot shops, Mr. Gutu? The police have a constitutional duty to make sure that law and order are observed all the time. The police are mandated to use minimum force to restore law and order. Provoking the police by stoning and beating up police officers as well as burning their vehicles and bases should never be tolerated. Such amount of provocation is calculated to force the police to over react so that opposition political elements can justify allegations of police brutality, and subsequently calls for security sector reforms in the country.Such shenanigans will not work as the police will decent heavily on unruly malcontents hired to create anarchy in the country. The police should not be deterred from performing their duties by failed political movements like the MDC-T which is seeking to get into power through the back door.Mr. Gutu's reaction to the mayhem which unfolded in Harare at the hands of his party's thugs, after having strategized their nefarious actions at Harvest House, confirms that the leadership of that party is behind this shameful barbarism. It is very likely that stones and catapults, used during the mayhem, were dished to the thugs by the party leadership at Harvest House.It is therefore, very logical for the police to hunt down every MDC-T thug who took part in the violence as well as the instigators and planners of this barbaric act. Such inhumane goons have no place among peaceful Zimbabweans; hence, they should be locked up for a very long time. Zimbabwe's courts should also take note of the fact that demonstrations which MDC-T arrange or participate in always end up in untold violence; hence, the need to ban them. Destruction of property, looting of shops and beating up of innocent people, under the excuse of having a constitutional right to demonstrate, is against tenets of the country's Constitution which opposition political elements always quickly refer to. Twin brothers from Atlantic County recently charged with making social media posts that advocated shooting ICE agents on sight did so via an X account on which they also made several hateful comments about Jews, court documents show. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the arrests and charging of Emilio A. Ramon-Flores and Ricardo A. Roman-Flores in a Dec. 9 statement in which authorities say they also called for the hanging of Tricia McLauglin, the agencys assistant secretary for public affairs. The statement had few details and did not say which agency charged the identical twins, who are 26 and live in Absecon. They are U.S. citizens. The Absecon Police Department charged the brothers, New Jersey court documents show. Emilio faces 11 crimes, including bias/intimidation terroristic threats, criminal coercion, cyber harassment and firearm charges for an assault-style weapon found during a search of their home. Ricardo faces three charges, two for bias intimidation threats and possessing the rifle. Its unclear why federal authorities did not bring the charges, although such a case could still be handled by federal prosecutors. Absecon police and federal authorities did not immediately respond to messages about the prosecution. Absecon police charged the brothers based on information from a Department of Homeland Security special agent, who reported to the local department the apparent threats made on X, formerly Twitter, according to the documents. The X account connected to the brothers made 16 specific threats to law enforcement, federal officials and Jewish people, affidavits supporting the charges against both men say. One post said, Anything a Jew states is a lie, burn them all. In the affidavits, detectives wrote that the Homeland Security special agent reported the X social media account to police on Dec. 5 along with other information from a federal investigation, which traced the email that registered the account. Someone accessed the account on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 from two internet addresses, one at Siegfried USAs Pennsville Township plant, and one from the brothers home on Spruce Street in Absecon. The brothers both work at Siegfried, a pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland, the affidavits say. Detectives suspected Ricardo created the account, the affidavits say, but Ricardos phone was in Roanoke, Virginia when the Dec. 5 threats were made against McLaughlin and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Emilio admitted to police following a court-authorized search of their home last week that he made all the comments on the X account but used his brothers email. Emilio said his brother knew that and about the content of what he was posting, the affidavits say. [Emilio] stated he created the non-attributional account to make the threats from so that no one could figure out it was him. [He] stated that he made the threats to push back and intimidate those whose beliefs he disagreed with, the affidavits say. The brothers also had words for the police officers who performed the search at their Absecon home last week. Among the officers who conducted the search was an Atlantic County SWAT team. They didnt show the warrant so we would be in our rights to blast all of their heads off because they didnt show the paperworkWe believe in the Second Amendment, Emilio said to the SWAT officers, according to the affidavits. One of his terroristic threat charges was for that comment, the complaints against Emilio say. Ricardo made offensive comments about Jews to the officers, including 6 million wasnt enough, referencing the Holocaust. He also said he supported his brothers comments online, the affidavits say. The affidavits say Ricardo purchased the assault-style weapon, a Diamondback Firearms DB15 model, in Virginia and does not have a permit for the firearm. The brothers employer, Siegfried, did not immediately return a message seeking comment, nor did an attorney listed for them in court records. Their next appearance in Superior Court of Atlantic County is scheduled for mid January. A proposal to cut government waste and overhaul how New Jerseys state agencies make rules is igniting a political battle after critics compared the proposal to DOGE agency under President Donald Trumps administration. State Senate President Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, introduced a bill, S4373, that would create an efficiency commission in the state, aimed at cutting government waste and streamlining operations. Scutari said the heart of the legislation is changing how New Jersey does its rulemaking, the process agencies use to turn laws into regulations. The Senate president said he wants to make the process less cumbersome. These reforms to the rulemaking process will help make state government work smarter, more effectively and with greater efficiency, Scutari said. But critics many of whom also opposed Scutaris failed bid to gut a corruption-fighting watchdog agency during the current lame-duck legislative session claim the move is a Trojan horse for deregulation. A coalition of progressive groups including the New Jersey Working Families Party, New Jersey Policy Perspective, the Sierra Club and the Pinelands Alliance plan to rally Thursday at the Statehouse in Trenton to protest the bill. In New Jersey, this bill would undermine long-standing safeguards that protect consumers, workers, public health and the environment, the coalition said in a statement. The legislation would create a Commission on Efficiency and Regulatory Review in the Office of Administrative Law to review regulations and their costs. The bill has already been approved by one Senate committee in a 5-0 vote, but has not come up before the full Senate for a vote. It does not have a companion bill in the state Assembly. To become law, it would need to be approved by both the Senate and Assembly, then signed by the governor. The New Jersey bill comes after Trump created a federal Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, earlier this year. The short-lived department, spearheaded by tech mogul Elon Musk, was designed to streamline the fegeral government. It was criticized for large-scale layoffs and program cuts. Critics of Scutaris bill say his proposed law could create a New Jersey version of DOGE aimed at rules and regulations. S4373 would create layers of new red tape designed to delay or block the implementation of duly enacted laws, while opening the door to sweeping deregulation, the coalition of groups planning Thursdays protest said in a statement. The bill would also shift authority away from career experts and toward political appointees, putting New Jersey families at risk, the groups said. The bill is being debated in the state Legislature as New Jerseys governor-elect is also talking about creating more efficiency in state government. One of Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrills signature campaign promises was slashing red tape for businesses. Her transition team recently announced a new chief operating officer role. Sherrill, a Democrat who takes office Jan. 20, named Kellie Doucette the former district director in her office in Congress to the post. This is a newly created role where she will focus on creating and driving efficient systems across state government to save New Jerseyans time and money, the Sherrill administration said. Scutari said his bill complements Sherrills agenda. This will support the efforts of Gov.-elect Sherrills chief operating officer by helping the new administration run government more effectively and meet the challenges ahead, he said. Sherrills transition team did not respond to requests for comment. Whether its truck traffic in and out of Port Newark or trash incineration in the Ironbound, the predominantly Black and brown residents of the states largest city are subjected to environmental injustice from multiple sources that sometimes slip past state law meant to stop them. To counter the onslaught, Newarks local lawmakers will take matters into their own hands on Wednesday, with the introduction of a city ordinance that would prohibit any new or expanding fossil fuel facility, including fossil fuel power generation. A second, related ordinance would prohibit the use of city funds for those purposes. Both measures are sponsored by City Council President C. Lawrence Crump, who was chosen to lead the council by fellow members after his predecessor, Lamonica McIver, was elected to Congress a year ago. Its time to pick up the mantle, Crump told NJ Advance Media. Crump said he believed Newark would be New Jerseys first municipality to ban power plants that burned fossil fuels. The three main types of fossil fuels are coal, petroleum and natural gas. Among the three, only gas is used for power generation in New Jersey, accounting for about 49% of the states electricity. Nuclear energy generates 42% of the states power, and the rest is generated by renewable sources like wind and solar power, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Coal burning plants still exist in other states, though New Jersey shut down its last two in 2022. The pair of measures must be approved on first reading by a majority vote of the nine-member council at Thursdays 6:30 p.m. meeting at City Hall, and then by a final vote following a public hearing at a later date. The measures arise against the backdrop of a controversial plan by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission to build a natural gas-burning backup power plant on the grounds of its sprawling wastewater treatment facility along Newark Bay at the eastern end of Wilson Avenue. Crumb was careful to note that the proposed ban would not apply to the approved though not-yet-built PVSC backup power plant. The ordinance pushes for no new plants, he said in a text. The PVSC says the backup plant will help limit the kind of environmental damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, when raw or only partially treated wastewater from millions of commercial and residential customers was dumped into the bay after the storm surge knocked out power to the plant. The PVSC voted to award a contract for the backup plant in October, after the state Department of Environmental Protection, under Gov. Phil Murphy, issued the PVSC a permit. Opponents were outraged by both moves, insisting the backup plant was not needed, and branded Murphy a hypocrite for letting the DEP issue the permit after he had signed a state environmental justice law in 2020 intended to protect poor and minority victims from the damaging effects of overexposure to heavy industrys byproducts. The city and the Ironbound Community Corporation, or ICC, have filed separate but coordinated lawsuits in state Superior Court to block the plant, and a judge has issued a temporary stay on construction pending a final ruling. That said, the PVSC issue is not what prompted Crump to introduce the local environmental justice measures. Instead, Crump said he was encouraged by Newark resident and environmental justice advocate Kim Gaddy, who heads the nonprofit South Ward Environmental Alliance. The group and its affiliates, including the East Ward-based Ironbound Community Corporation, say carbon emissions from trucks carrying shipping containers out of Port Newark are to blame for elevated asthma rates among Newark children. One out of four children in the city of Newark has asthma, versus one out of 10 in Essex Countys surrounding towns, said Gaddy, citing Rutgers School of Public Health figures from December 2024. For years, the alliance, the ICC and other groups belonging to the Coalition for Healthy Ports have conducted an annual truck count documenting an increase in the number of tractor-trailers in and out of the port. Leah Owens, a former lecturer at Rutgers University-Newark who has a PhD in urban systems, is the South Ward Alliances policy analyst. Owens said concrete steps had been taken by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to reduce port-related emissions, including increasing ship-to-rail container operations and requiring ships to plug into land-based power outlets instead of using their engines to generate their own. Without comparable local environmental justice laws anywhere else in the state, Owens and Crump acknowledged the city may be venturing into uncharted waters in terms of its authority to impose an outright ban on facilities normally regulated by state or federal agencies. It may very well be a conversation that needs to be had in terms of jurisdiction, Owens said. Newark Corporation Council Kenyatta Stewart deferred questions on the issue to the city councils lawyer, Elmer Herrmann, who did not respond to a request for comment. Regardless of the legal fine points, Owens welcomed the ordinances as local measures that could complement the broader effort to limit emissions that have unjustly sickened Newark children and adults. Unfortunately, Owens said, in the City of Newark, like other cities that are predominantly Black and brown and with people in poverty, we have been facing issues of environmental justice for a long time. A man has been arrested on allegations that he sent a child explicit messages and photos on the Discord messaging app. Stanley Ruiz, 40, of Jersey City, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and the disorderly persons offense of lewdness, the Hudson County Prosecutors Office said in a statement. In March of this year, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a report that a man had sent the inappropriate messages and photos to a girl who was living outside of the United States. During the conversations, the girl told the user that she was underaged multiple times, authorities said. Prosecutors did not say how Ruiz was identified as the suspect. He remains in custody at Hudson County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing. A 23-year-old Toms River man has pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse material charges, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office announced Wednesday. Logan Oliveira admitted Tuesday to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material, officials said. Authorities said Oliveira was sent nude photos of children by Julianna Goldstein, 20, of Berkeley Township. Oliveira allegedly instructed Goldstein to touch a juvenile in an inappropriate manner and send photos to him. The investigation began after the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip that an individual was uploading and distributing images of child pornography to the internet, authorities said. On April 29, authorities executed a search warrant on Oliveiras residence. Several items of child pornography were discovered on his electronic devices, according to the prosecutors office. Oliveira was arrested and taken to the Ocean County Jail. He was initially released but has been in custody since June 12 for violating the terms of his release, authorities said. Goldstein was charged with manufacturing, possessing and distributing child pornography. At sentencing, the state will seek two concurrent five-year terms in New Jersey State Prison for Oliveira, the prosecutors office said. Oliveira will also be subject to parole supervision for life and required to register as a Megans Law Offender, authorities said. The News in Brief Wednesday, December 17, 2025 The European Parliament awarded the 2025 Sakharov Prize to imprisoned journalists Mzia Amaglobeli of Georgia and Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut for their work defending human rights and freedom of expression. The prizes were received by Irma Dimitradze on behalf of Amaglobeli and by Poczobut's daughter, Jana Poczobut. Winners will each receive 50,000 euros.European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said, "Andrzej and Mzia are not with us today, they are in prison, simply for doing their job, for speaking out against injustice and persecution."In a letter read at the ceremony, Amaglobeli described repression in Georgia and called for European support. "Today, the movement towards the European Union is being responded to with repression in my homeland. I would like European leaders to use all the existing mechanisms at their disposal to influence autocratic rulers. I would like Georgian society, its aspirations for democracy and Europe to be protected, as they would protect the freedom of their own country," she wrote.She also addressed ongoing threats from Russia, government crackdowns on protests, and attacks on journalists and opposition figures. "Our freedom does not depend on our struggle alone. We need the solidarity and support of you, the peoples of Europe and the free people of the civilized world," she said.The Sakharov Prize, established in 1988, is awarded annually for contributions to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said Georgia's domestic policies are creating obstacles to the country's EU membership aspirations.Speaking at a press conference, Kallas addressed a question from a journalist about EU and U.S. statements on Georgia's rhetoric toward European institutions. The journalist asked: "The EU has repeatedly stated that Georgia cannot become part of the EU under the rhetoric that it uses towards the European bureaucracy and the EU itself. Similar narratives are also reflected in the US National Security Strategy. What is your response to this, given that Washington's rhetoric now seems to be in line with these policies? Are you ready to accuse the Trump administration of following a script dictated by the Kremlin, if this reveals a fundamental double standard in your policy towards Georgia?"Kallas responded by emphasizing the difference between Georgia and the United States. "The difference is that the United States is not trying to join the European Union. Of course, what we read in the National Security Strategy is not pleasant to read, but we have adopted the approach that we will not interfere in the internal politics of our allies," she said.Turning to Georgia, Kallas said: "The main problem is that while on the one hand, Georgia declares that it wants to join the European Union and choose the European path, we see steps taken by the government in the wrong direction. This is a signal to the government that as long as they continue their policy of suppressing the opposition, pressuring free media, and other actions that contradict the values of the European Union, Georgia will have no future in the European Union." Opinion / Columnist Statements by the US and Canadian embassies to Zimbabwe on recent violent demonstrations by the opposition betray clear hostility towards the Government of Zimbabwe, and a sinister partiality for, and even instigation to, the opposition. Both embassies are not here to involve themselves in the domestic affairs of Zimbabwe, let alone to interfere with, or take sides in local politics. Not even to give themselves an imperious role of judging our politics here.Zimbabwe is a sovereign State which is equal to any other in the world, including the US and Canada, whatever illusions ambassadors of those two countries here may harbour in their minds.Beyond diplomatic relations as regulated by the Vienna Convention, there is nothing else that gives governments of those two countries or their emissaries here any special claim to our politics, or a judgmental role on occurrences here. Their statements last week were not only unacceptably repugnant, but vainly suggested their governments play father figure to a sovereign state, as if Zimbabwe is under some kind of joint US-Canadian trustee- ship.For the record, Zimbabwe gained its Independence in 1980 following a national liberation struggle which never enjoyed an iota of support from the West. Thereafter, it became a sovereign State which is equal to any other in the world, and which is free to pursue its own national policies as espoused by its democratically elected sitting Government. It takes no orders from any foreign state a big or small, far or near a in the pursuit of its politics, policies and decisions.The US government, with more than a decade of a raft of punitive measures it took to unilaterally sanction Zimbabwe, is the least qualified to lecture Zimbabwe on welfare issues relating to Zimbabwean citizens. Through those illegal sanctions, the US government has undermined the Zimbabwean economy, thereby bringing untold suffering to the people of Zimbabwe. The US thus should never be allowed to blame the Zimbabwe Government for effects of its spiteful policies here. The least the US ambassador here can do is to keep his mouth shut, instead of compounding the crimes of his government against the people of Zimbabwe by parading false piety.The Zimbabwean Constitution is exactly that: the supreme law by and for Zimbabweans. It is a fact that Western governments, including both governments of the US and Canada, did not support the constitution-making process when it was underway. In fact, they were hostile to it. Today they cannot remind us of provisions of the same law they opposed only yesterday. Or stand as watchdogs over its daily observance here.In any case, before both ambassadors issue their condescendingly sick statements on local politics, and on the upholding of human rights here, let them pause a while to examine their home environments where rights of men and women of colour, and rights of indigenous populations, are daily wantonly trampled upon by their own governments, with absolutely no recourse to countless vic- tims.Is it not a fact that hardly a month ago, more and more African-African Americans were shot and killed in cold blood by the US police? When will their ambassador here a himself an African-African American a write home to remind his own government on the need to uphold the rights of fellow blacks back home? Or resign in protest to vindicate his claim to commitment to human rights? Such rank hypocrisy is not only sickening but, for the American ambassador, amounts to complicity with his government in a war against his own kind.Let not those with logs in their eyes seek to cure imaginary specks in African eyes.Dr Christopher C. Mushohwe (MP) is Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services. By William E. Reynolds Across the country, there is growing recognition that many women enter the justice system through pathways shaped by abuse and violence. Recognizing this fact, New Jersey legislators recently introduced a bill that would allow courts to consider a defendants history of domestic violence or other abuse as a mitigating factor in sentencing. Several states, under both Democratic and Republican leadership, have already passed similar laws, including Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, and Georgia. This issue has also been the focus of national attention. This fall, the Council on Criminal Justice Womens Justice Commission released a report recommending that legislators, prosecutors, and judges account for domestic violence victimization. This approach does not excuse criminal behaviorbut it provides critical context as we tackle this unique public safety issue. If we want a justice system that is fair, balanced, and capable of promoting both healing and public safety, we must account for the violence that shaped the behavior we later punish. Domestic violence is distressingly common in America. Last year, the Justice Department reported more than 1.1 million incidents of domestic or intimate partner violence. In New Jersey, over 70,000 incidents were reported to police in 2023. This kind of abuse is much more common among women in the justice system and often plays a role in their crimes. More than 70% of incarcerated women, for example, report past experiences of domestic violence. One analysis found that nearly one in three women serving time for murder or manslaughterincluding many serving life sentenceswere protecting themselves or a loved one during the crime that led to their conviction. I have seen this play out first-hand. In 2022, officers in Hamilton Township were called to the scene of what they believed was a routine domestic argument. Upon entering the home, however, detectives were shocked to find that the wife had shot her husband while he was lying in their bed. There had been an argument, but aside from a few bruises, there were no signs of struggle. She was charged with first degree murder. What was unknown at the time was that the woman had been the victim of decades of physical and mental abuse at the hands of her husband, resulting in intense trauma. She had no criminal record. In fact, by all accounts, she was an upstanding member of the community who volunteered in her local church and her sons elementary school. While the shooting was not a case of self-defense, there was substantial mitigation that could lead a reasonable jury to convict of a lesser form of homicide or acquit altogether. That information, coupled with the womans version of events leading up to the shooting, led our office to offer the defendant a reduced charge of manslaughter, under the theory that she acted under reasonable provocation, a second-degree felony carrying a potential 5-10 year state prison sentence. Ultimately, the woman received a 6-year sentence. It is our belief that this resolution, while potentially controversial, provided justice for all involved. Its one example of how, here in Atlantic County where I serve, we work hard to understand the realities that shape peoples livesand determine whether past victimization should diminish a defendants culpability. This proposed legislation would build on these practices, ensuring this approach is taken statewide. Current law lists 14 mitigating factors that judges may weight when determining sentences, but none directly addresses whether a defendant was a victim of abuse. The bill would change that, allowing courts to shape a sentence based on the crime and the specific defendant whose criminal conduct was influenced by prior domestic violence, or substantial physical, sexual, or psychological abuse. The law would also look backwards, allowing individuals who have already been convicted to petition for resentencing if they meet eligibility requirements and can show prior victimization influenced their offense. This bill does not excuse wrongdoing. Judges always retain discretion and evidence thresholds remain. Rather, it formally recognizes the link between abuse and criminal behavior, offering a path to fairer sentencing for survivors who acted under the influence of trauma or coercion. A justice system grounded in facts must contend with the full context of the people it sentences including the violence many endured long before they entered a courtroom. This allows law enforcement to tailor accountability, justice, and services to the individual which is a critical component of protecting our communities. 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. William Reynolds is an Atlantic County prosecutor appointed in 2022. Human rights activists and local leaders are calling for the release of a Palestinian immigrant who has been in ICE custody for nearly 300 days. Lequaa Kordia, who was living in Paterson, has been in custody at ICEs Prairieland Detention Facility in Texas since March 13. CAIR-NJ and other non-profit groups said the 32-year-old was taken into custody because of her participation in a pro-Palestine protest at Columbia University. Amnesty International, a nationwide human rights group, said she was detained during a voluntary meeting with immigration officials at the Newark ICE office. At the time, she was in the process of securing legal residency and had her attorney present, Amnesty International said. That was the same day that Kordia participated in a peaceful protest at Columbia University, condemning the US-backed Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, which claimed the lives of nearly 200 of her family members, according to CAIR-NJ. The organization said she is the last protestor from the demonstration to remain in custody. Despite bond grants by an immigration judge, ICE used a rarely invoked automatic stay to block Kordias release, CAIR-NJ said. Paterson councilmen Luis Velez and Ibrahim Omar have sponsored a resolution that urges the Department of Homeland Security to end retaliatory detention practices that infringe upon First Amendment rights. The resolution was scheduled to be heard at a Paterson city council meeting on Tuesday night. Paterson is taking an important stand for civil rights and the protection of constitutional freedoms, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said. Retaliatory detention against individuals exercising their First Amendment rights is unacceptable. We support the City Councils resolution and call on federal authorities to immediately release Ms. Kordia and end practices that punish lawful political expression. Standing with Palestinian justice and human rights is not a crime, and no one should be detained for advocating peacefully for the lives and rights of their family and community. Kordia spoke to an Associated Press reporter in October, saying that she felt helpless. I want to do something, but I cant from here, Kordia said from the Texas detention center. I cant do anything. Advocates have also raised the concern about Kordia being kept in a detention center far from her family and attorney. Amnesty International has also said that the facility has a documented history of human rights violations. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles on Tuesday told the New York Times that she did not say Elon Musk was an avowed ketamine user during a series of interviews with Vanity Fair. Thats ridiculous, Wiles told the Times. I wouldnt have said it and I wouldnt know. But Chris Whipple, who conducted the interviews and wrote the two-part profile, provided the Times with a recording in which she could be heard making that statement. The challenge with Elon is keeping up with him, Wiles told Whipple. Hes an avowed ketamine [user]. And he sleeps in a sleeping bag in the EOB [Executive Office Building] in the daytime. And hes an odd, odd duck, as I think geniuses are. You know, its not helpful, but he is his own person. During their interviews, Whipple also asked Wiles for her thoughts on Musk sharing an X post that falsely claimed Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong were not responsible for the deaths of millions of people. I think thats when hes microdosing, Wiles said, though she added that she did not have first-hand knowledge. In a separate statement posted Tuesday amid the fallout from the Vanity Fair story, Wiles said that the article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history. Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story, Wiles said. I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team. As Wednesday afternoon, Musk had not commented on Wiles remarks to Vanity Fair. The powerful tech billionaire and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has previously refuted reports that he uses ketamine, an anesthetic with approved medical uses that has become a popular recreational drug due to its dissociative effects. In response to a New York Times story published in May detailing his alleged use of ketamine, Musk said the paper was lying their ass off. I tried *prescription* ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this not even news, Musk said in a post on X on May 31. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but havent taken it since then. Also, to be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! Musk said. President Donald Trump jokingly revealed an offer from GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson about running for a third term during a Hanukkah reception at the White House. While standing on stage alongside Trump, Adelson the majority owner of the NBAs Dallas Mavericks said that she met with attorney Alan Dershowitz, who had discussed the legal thing about four more years. And I said, Alan, I agree with you, Adelson said Tuesday night as she turned toward Trump. So, we can do it. Think about it. As the crowd started to chant four more years, Trump replied: She said Think about it. Ill give you another 250 million. In his introduction of Adelson, Trump first noted that she had indirectly and directly donated $250 million to his presidential campaign, calling her number one. Adelson and her late husband, Sheldon, emerged as some of the largest donors to Trumps 2016 and 2020 bids. In 2018, Trump awarded Adelson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, as the White House described her as a committed doctor, philanthropist, and humanitarian. Adelson continued to be a top donor during his 2024 campaign, funneling $100 million to her pro-Trump super PAC, Preserve America, during the final few weeks ahead of the election. Miriam, make it quick, because $250 million is not what it used to be, Trump joked in his remarks. The prospect of Trump running for another term recently generated headlines after former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon declared in October that the president was going to get a third term. Bannon, during an interview with The Economist, said there are many different alternatives for Trump to stay in office, despite the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution prohibiting him from serving a third term. The MAGA leader did not provide specific details of a plan. When asked by reporters about the comments, Trump did not initially rule out the idea of another term, saying I havent really thought about it while touting the best poll numbers Ive ever had. Days later, he acknowledged that he is not allowed to run again. The best numbers for any president in many years, any president, and I would say that you read it, its pretty clear, Trump said. Im not allowed to run again. Its too bad. Trump has instead floated a potential 2028 ticket with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While speaking to NBC News in March, Trump also did not rule out seeking a third term, and during an appearance on CNBC in August, he said he would probably not run during the next election. Meanwhile, he has sold Trump 2028 hats on his online storefront. A series of plaques recently installed in the White Houses Presidential Walk of Fame includes scathing attacks on former Democratic presidents and lofty praise for President Donald Trump. USA Today White House correspondent Joey Garrison on Wednesday posted photos of the new additions to Trumps project. The gallery features portraits of all U.S. presidents except Biden, who is instead represented by a photo of an autopen signing his name. The newly installed plaques refer to Trumps predecessor as Sleepy Joe Biden and mocks him as by far, the worst President in American History. New plaques of explanatory text are seen beneath a framed portrait in the space for former President Joe Biden on the Presidential Walk of Fame on the Colonnade of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) AP Taking office as a result of the most corrupt Election ever seen in the United States, Biden oversaw a series of unprecedented disasters that brought our Nation to the brink of destruction, Bidens first plaque reads. The second plaque repeats Trumps baseless claims that Biden was dominated by his Radical Left handlers and protected by his allies in the Fake News Media. Following his humiliating debate loss to President Trump in the big June 2024 debate, he was forced to withdraw from his campaign for re-election in disgrace, the plaque reads. Unlike Bidens inscriptions, Trumps second-term plaque is awash with praise and accolades. Overcoming unprecedented Weaponization of Law Enforcement against him, as well as two assassination attempts, he won all battleground States by millions of votes, was the first Republican in decades to win the Popular Vote, BIG, and won 86% of Counties in America, 2,700 to 525, the plaque reads. It goes on to say that Trump has ushered in a Golden Age of America and that the BEST IS YET TO COME! Here is a look at some of the other notable plaques added to Trumps Walk of Fame, which read like one of the presidents Truth Social posts and feature unfounded claims and blistering attacks on Democrats. Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama was the first Black President, a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History. As President, he passed the highly ineffective Unaffordable Care Act, resulting in his party losing control of both Houses of Congress, and the Election of the largest House Republican majority since 1946. He presided over a stagnant Economy, approved the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal, and signed the one-sided Paris Climate Accords, both of which were later terminated by President Donald J. Trump. Under Obama, the ISIS Caliphate spread across the Middle East, Libya collapsed into chaos, and Russia invaded and took Crimea, in Ukraine. He crippled small businesses with crushing regulation and environmental red tape, devastated American coal miners, and weaponized the IRS and Federal bureaucracies against his political opponents. Obama also spied on the 2016 Presidential Campaign of Donald J. Trump and presided over the creation of the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, the worst political scandal in American History. His handpicked successor, Hillary Rodham Clinton, would then lose the Presidency to Donald J. Trump. New plaques of explanatory text have been placed underneath presidential portraits on the Colonnade at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP George W. Bush The son of former President George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush was the Governor of Texas when he won the hotly contested 2000 Election for President. His Administration was largely defined by the events of September 11, 2001 The destruction of the World Trade Center, after which he led the war on terror. President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security, but started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which should not have happened. He also enacted Tax Cuts, expanded Medicare, signed the No Child Left Behind education bill, and launched the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Shortly before the end of his Administration, a Global Financial Crisis and major Recession took place." Bill Clinton Bill Clinton served as Attorney General and Governor of Arkansas before winning the Presidency in what was called a major upset over President George H. W. Bush. As President, Clinton signed crime and welfare legislation, which was passed with the leadership of Republicans in Congress. He approved NAFTA, which President Donald J. Trump would later terminate as being bad for the United States, welcomed China into the World Trade Organization, and oversaw NATOs Military intervention in Bosnia and Kosovo. Despite the scandals that plagued his Presidency, the tech boom of the late 1990s resulted in excellent economic growth, which helped him and Republicans in Congress deliver balanced budgets for the first time in decades. In 2016, President Clintons wife, Hillary, lost the Presidency to President Donald J. Trump. New plaques of explanatory text have been placed underneath presidential portraits on the Colonnade at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan won the Cold War, and transformed American politics and the Conservative Movement. Before entering the White House, Reagan was a Hollywood actor, President of the Screen Actors Guild, Governor of California and, for decades, a leading voice in American Conservatism. As President, he enacted Tax Cuts, presided over a thriving Economy, and rebuilt the American Military. He survived being shot by an assassin, and confronted the Soviet Union with striking moral clarity, labeling it an evil empire, and putting unprecedented pressure on the Communist menace. Known as The Great Communicator, he was re-elected in a landslide in 1984, and left office with high approval, having restored National Confidence, Spirit, and Will. He was a fan of President Donald J. Trump long before President Trumps Historic run for the White House. Likewise, President Trump was a fan of his! If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. Nordstrom recently revealed major discounts on a Lands End classic and its a holiday special you wont want to miss. The Wanderweight Ultralight Packable Tote Bag comes in eight signature colors white, rich coffee floral, icy mint green, soft ice blue, vintage blue, bright cherry, lush burgundy and light mauve and theyre all 33% off. Lands End Wanderweight Ultralight Packable Tote Bag in lush burgundy $65 Now $44 Save 33% off the water resistant, foldable tote bag at Nordstrom. Buy Now at Nordstrom This lightweight tote bag is now available for $44 at Nordstrom, with free delivery before Christmas. As for the design, it utilizes a water-resistant shell that helps ensure your essentials stay dry, clean and protected from the elements. Interior and exterior pockets supply ample storage space, accommodating everything from a reusable water bottle to a laptop, book and more. The packable tote bag stays true to its name, easily folding down into a square. It has astounding packability, slipping into a larger purse or carry-on in seconds, yet when the tote expands, it can hold everything you need. Its a magic trick in bag form, and its now on sale during Nordstroms latest savings event. The tote bag is also on sale at Lands End for $32 (with $9.95 shipping), but the shades are selling out fast. RELATED: 15 of the best travel bags to gift the jetsetter in your life While Im partial to the vintage blue or lush burgundy, you cant go wrong by grabbing the Wanderweight Ultralight Packable Tote Bag in any of these sweet shades. Shop more deals at Nordstrom The mayor of Raritan suddenly resigned Tuesday two years before the end of his term. Mayor Nicolas Carra wrote in a Dec. 16 letter that he could no longer fulfill his mission, noting the decision to step down was not made lightly. Leadership requires collaboration and shared commitment, and without that, the vision I promised you cannot be realized in the way I believe it should, Carra wrote. I never sought office for the sake of a title; I ran to challenge the status quo. If I cannot fulfill that mission, I believe it is right to allow someone else to take the helm in guiding our great town, he added. Carra, who was elected mayor in 2023, was set to serve until 2027. He began serving on the borough council in 2017 at age 20 and was council president from 2020 to 2023. The seven-member council consists of six Republicans and one Democrat. When I first ran for mayor, I did so with a bold vision: to take action and help build an even more vibrant town for our residents and small businesses, he wrote. My goal was to strengthen our community, expand opportunities, and ensure that Raritan remained a place where families and small entrepreneurs could truly thrive. In his letter, Carra expressed gratitude for the community supporting him throughout his tenure on Raritans governing body. He described serving as mayor as one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the privilege of working alongside so many dedicated neighbors, volunteers, our outstanding municipal staff and professionals, Carra said. Carra works as director of external affairs at New Jersey SHARES, a Raritan-based nonprofit that helps residents pay energy bills. He previously served as a legislative aide for former state Sen. Kip Bateman. His passion for public service stems from his family, who have lived in Raritan for more than a century, according to his website. His grandfather served as mayor in 2005, and his mother served on the borough council for 14 years starting in 2003. Council President Dan Tozzi will serve as acting mayor until Dec. 31, according to a report by TapInto. The council is expected to select an acting mayor during a reorganization meeting on Jan. 6, 2026. Because Carra is a Republican, the Raritan Borough Republican Committee must nominate three candidates for the council to choose from, TapInto reported. While I will be stepping down as mayor effective immediately, my dedication to Raritan remains unwavering, Carra said. I will continue to support our community in every way I can. LATEST FORECAST: Nasty storm to blast state with 50 mph winds, up to 1.5 inches of rain Thursday High pressure will keep conditions dry through Thursday before a strong storm system brings moderate to locally heavy rain and gusty winds to New Jersey late Thursday night through Friday morning. The most significant impacts are expected overnight Thursday into Friday, when wind gusts could reach 30 to 40 mph across the state, the National Weather Service said. Tonight will be another cold one, with temperatures dropping into the upper teens to low 20s inland and near 30 degrees along the coast under mostly clear skies. Wednesday will bring warmer conditions, with highs in the low to mid-40s across most of New Jersey and upper 40s in far southeastern areas. A weak cold front will pass through Wednesday evening with little to no precipitation expected. Warming temperatures and moderate to heavy rain will be arriving in New Jersey on Thursday, Dec. 18. AccuWeather.com Thursday will be even milder, with high temperatures climbing into the low to mid-50s along the Interstate 95 corridor and southern New Jersey. The warming trend will help melt the existing snowpack before the arrival of rain Thursday night. As a strong cold front approaches, moderate to locally heavy rain will develop late Thursday night and continue through Friday morning, the weather service said. There is a 70% to 80% chance for over 1 inch of rain from around the Philadelphia area northward, with a 50% to 60% chance for more than 1.5 inches across the Lehigh Valley and northern New Jersey. While main-stem river flooding is not expected, urban and poor drainage flooding is possible due to rainfall combined with snowmelt, forecasters said. Strong winds will accompany the storm system, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph expected statewide. The strongest winds are expected just ahead of, along, and immediately behind the cold front overnight Thursday into Friday morning. Fridays high temperatures will occur in the morning, reaching the low to mid-50s, before temperatures fall through the afternoon as the cold front passes. Some snow may mix with rain as precipitation ends Friday, mainly across interior areas, though no significant impacts are expected. Saturday will be colder with quiet conditions and highs in the upper 30s to low 40s under high pressure. Lows Saturday night will be in the upper 20s to low 30s. Sunday will be milder, with highs in the mid- to upper 40s ahead of another cold front that may bring some showers to southern portions of the state Sunday night. Monday will be about 10 degrees cooler than Sunday, with temperatures rebounding slightly on Tuesday. Another frontal system may impact the area by the middle of next week. Current weather radar Watertown, NY (13601) Today Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 12F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 12F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Turns out, 2025 wasnt the year restaurants could put hard times behind them. Although a high for the city, Super Bowl LIX wasnt the bottom-line bonanza many restaurants were hoping for, affecting only a limited number for private parties and brand activations. The year was bracketed by a New Years terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, steps away from some of the citys most iconic restaurants, and ICE agents currently threatening many restaurants with its Operation Catahoula Crunch immigration sweep. There were a slew of closings this year, some recently in response to ICE, and others due to rising costs and endless construction blocking their doors. And summer was as brutal as ever for many restaurants. There were highs too, with many new places opening and Michelin finally recognizing the hardworking chefs and hospitality professionals in the city. Here are some highs and lows to remember from 2025. Star power When Michelin announced its new honorees in November, Emerils became the only restaurant in the South to earn two stars. Its one of 35 restaurants in the U.S. to reach that level, but its very rare for a restaurant to jump directly to two. The award was accepted by chef Emeril Lagasse and his son chef E.J. Lagasse, who also earned Michelins Young Chef Award. Local chef-driven restaurants Saint-Germain and Zasu each earned one star. Another 11, including Mister Mao, Saba, Acamaya and Turkey and the Wolf, received the Bib Gourmand distinction, recognizing good food at a good value. Michelin bestowed its recommended designation to 18 restaurants, including Addis Nola, Atchafalaya, 34 Restaurant & Bar, Le Petit Grocery and Dakar NOLA. Closings and near misses It still seems hard to imagine Canal Street without Palace Cafe, but the flagship for the Dickie Brennan & Co. abruptly closed in June after 34 years at 605 Canal St., shuttered over a lease dispute. The month before, Chef Nina Comptons BABs (Bywater American Bistro) closed after a seven-year run. Another notable closing in May, this time with a one-two punch, was service at both MoPho and Maypop, two creative restaurants from chef Michael Gulotta. Maypop was pushed to its grave by the partial collapse of the historic building across the street. MoPho had never recovered its pre-pandemic numbers, and Gulotta is focusing on his Metairie Italian restaurant Tana. The French Quarter almost lost Mona Lisa after the buildings new owner texted the proprietors that they had 60 days to vacate the premises. But regulars got up in arms, and a planned August protest, Night of 1,000 Mona Lisas, turned into a celebration when the owner backed down. After 20 years operating this beacon for the queer community on Royal Street, restaurant owners Farrow Stephenson and Tom Moore are taking care of their community. On the food event front, Top Taco cited ongoing market conditions and a significant shift in industry sponsorship priorities for the cancellation of its 2025 event. In with the new Despite how tough it is to succeed in hospitality, chefs and restaurateurs continue to open and expand in New Orleans. This year, there were significant moves from local and outside restaurant groups. On the local side, VEHO Hospitality Group founders Danny and Vilexys Cruz expanded beyond their high-concept Tacos Del Cartel to open the Mexico City-inspired, fast casual Taquerias Carnalito on Poydras Street. Evviva opened in March, with chef Rebecca Wilcomb back in the kitchen after a four-year break from restaurants. She signed on when her friends Heather Lolley and Humberto Suazo, who also run Galaxie, took over the former Franklin spot in the Marigny. Wilcomb is joined by former Herbsaint colleague and chef Marcus Jacobs, who also ran the now shuttered Marjies Grill and Seafood Sallys. Jacobs also co-owns Porgys Seafood Market with his partner Caitlin Carney. Known for their Indian-meets-New-Orleans restaurant Saffron, the Vilkhu family expanded their presence on Magazine Street. The Kingsway, chef Ashwin Vilkhus first solo venture, is a fine dining, prix-fixe Asian concept that opened in June. Chef Brian Burns and Reno De Ranieri, the team behind Costera and Osteria Lupo, opened Brutto Americano, an upscale Italian eatery in the Barnett Hotel in the CBD. The Morrow Restaurant Group, led by Larry Morrow, opened its seventh venue, Spicy Mango, on Frenchmen Street, another step forward in the founders mission to build one of the largest Black-owned hospitality groups in the country while inspiring the next generation of Black hospitality leaders. Owners Jackie Diaz and chef Richard Rose opened a second Jamaican Jerk House location, expanding from its original Bywater location to Metairie. Southerns expanded its award-winning fried chicken sandwich concept to a second location in Hammond. And Mawi Tortillas, led by chef Will Avelar, expanded to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Out of town operators were also busy. The D.C.-based Neighborhood Restaurant Group added Junebug, a stylish lounge, restaurant and event space. Its the groups third location, after Brewery Saint X and Devil Moon BBQ. Scrappy mom-and-pops continue to fill the New Orleans dining scene. A few notable openings this year were Hot & Soul, from chef/owners Christy Samoy and Mike Hampton, a gem of creative cookery and Filipino goodness on Banks Street in Mid-City. Melissa Stewart and her partner chef Baruch Rabasa serve sustainably and responsibly sourced coffee and beautifully composed Scandinavian-inspired smorrebrod at Applied Arts Cafe in Bywater. Here Today Rotisserie is the latest from Mike Stoltzfus, the chef behind the contemporary bistro Coquette. And restaurateur Mani Dawes is back in the spotlight after the closing of Kentons. She opened the charming breakfast and lunch spot Cafe Malou next to Octavia Books, a space that uplifts and soothes with elevated comfort food and gracious hospitality. Its a balm for these and all times. The vans of Wales & West Utilities are putting Braunton firmly in their rear view mirrors after completing a project to upgrade the gas pipes in the Heanton Street area. The road in the village centre was scheduled to be closed until the end of November while the essential work was carried out, plus there were four-way traffic lights on East Street, Chaloners Road, Caen Street and The Square through November. Engineers have been working in Braunton since the end of September and now that its complete, Wales & West Utilities says the project will ensure gas continues to flow safely and reliably to homes and businesses for decades to come. READ MORE: Road in North Devon village centre will be closed for six weeks for gas works Roxanne Whittaker managed the upgrade work for the company and said: We would like to thank the community for bearing with us while we completed this essential work. In planning the project, we worked in partnership with Devon County Council, and traffic management was in place throughout. While most of the gas network is underground and out of sight, it plays a central role in the daily lives of people across the area. This work was essential to keep the gas flowing to local homes and businesses today and to make sure the gas network is ready to transport green gases in the future. If at any time you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide, call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999 immediately. Trained engineers are available 24/7 to respond. READ NEXT: Barnstaple junction upgrade approved, but major questions remain For many Americans, hosting Christmas dinner has long come with an unspoken rule: if you invite people over, you cover the cost. But new data suggests that expectation is shifting faster than you might think. According to a recent survey of 2,000 U.S. adults who celebrate Christmas, about 1 in 3 Americans now ask their guests to contribute financially to Christmas gatherings. While most hosts still absorb the cost themselves, the data shows that shared-cost celebrations are becoming increasingly common, especially among younger generations navigating higher grocery prices and rising holiday stress. How much are hosts asking guests to contribute? When hosts do ask guests to chip in, the amounts tend to fall into a fairly narrow range. The most common request is $15$20 per person, cited by 33% of hosts who ask for contributions. Another 20% say they ask for $20$30, while a notable 20% request $30 or more per guest. Advertisement Advertisement At the lower end, fewer hosts ask for symbolic contributions, with just 8% requesting $5 or less. Overall, among those who expect guests to help cover costs, the average request comes out to $19.44 per person enough to offset groceries, drinks, or part of the main meal. Younger hosts are driving the shift Age plays a major role in whether someone is likely to ask guests to help pay. Adults ages 2534 are the most likely to request contributions, with 51% saying they do so, followed closely by those ages 3544 at 50%. By contrast, just 23% of adults ages 5564 ask guests to chip in, and only 9% of those 65 and older do the same. The sharp generational divide suggests younger hosts may be more comfortable treating holiday gatherings as shared events or may simply feel less able to shoulder the full cost on their own. Men are more likely than women to ask The survey also revealed a notable gender gap. Thirty-nine percent of men said they ask guests to contribute to Christmas costs, compared with 26% of women. Advertisement Advertisement That difference may reflect lingering social expectations around hosting and hospitality, where women are more likely to feel pressure to provide and manage holiday gatherings even when costs are high. Where guests are paying the most Geography matters, too. Some states reported higher-than-average contribution requests, with Montana topping the list at $26.25 per guest, followed by South Carolina ($25.83) and Nevada ($25.63). Even traditionally high-cost states like California, where the average request is $22.64 per guest, ranked among the top ten. The spread suggests that asking guests to chip in isnt limited to expensive coastal cities; its happening nationwide. Holiday hosting stress is on the rise The shift appears to be part of a broader trend. Nearly 48% of respondents said Christmas feels more stressful than in previous years, citing rising costs, hosting responsibilities, and the pressure to meet expectations. Advertisement Advertisement Cooking alone was named the biggest source of Christmas Day stress by 34% of respondents, underscoring how food has become both a financial and emotional pressure point. A new normal, or still a faux pas? Despite the growing acceptance among some groups, most Americans, 67% overall, still dont expect guests to contribute financially to Christmas gatherings. For many families, covering the cost remains part of the tradition. Still, the data suggests the definition of holiday hosting is evolving. As costs rise and conversations around money become more open, asking guests to chip in may be less taboo than it once was, even if it still sparks plenty of debate around the dinner table. Conversations about money and unspoken social rules arent limited to the holidays. If this story resonated, readers may also be interested in how a simple decision to take a hotels free breakfast (due to lack of food) sparked a heated debate about fairness, judgment, and who gets to decide whats acceptable" and how much is socially acceptable to tip for food delivery. The United States government called her one of the worlds most-wanted terrorists. Assata Shakur called herself a 20th-century escaped slave. Claiming the runaway slave narrative proved a powerful and inspirational metaphor. Drawing on historical memory, Shakur placed herself in the pantheon of Black freedom fighters from Nat Turner to Harriet Tubman who, by any means necessary, took their liberation into their own hands. Shakur was lionized in rap songs and taught in college classes, and her likeness could be found in classrooms and community centers in Black neighborhoods across the nation. But the lore of Assata Shakur, as lores often do, obscured more complicated truths. Like many of those who ran before her, Shakur claimed her freedom only at a devastating cost: It meant relinquishing the ability to raise her only child; it meant she could never again return home, not to bury her mother, not to see her own grandchildren, not to be buried herself. Read More Born JoAnne Deborah Byron in 1947 into a family of strivers in Queens, she split her time between her mothers home in New York and her maternal grandparents in Wilmington, N.C. (She changed her birth name in 1971, rejecting it as a slave name.) Her grandparents in the segregated South imbued Shakur with an unshakable pride and dignity in being Black. In her 1987 autobiography, Assata, Shakur describes being forbidden from acting subservient around white people: Hold your head up high, look white people in the eye, dont you respect nobody that dont respect you. Coming of age during the throes of the civil rights movement, while witnessing the Northern version of segregation, poverty and police brutality that seemed impervious to it, radicalized her. She joined the Black Panther Party just as it, and other Black movements, were being decimated by the often illegal tactics of the F.B.I.s secret spy program, COINTELPRO. Facing constant surveillance as she watched the partys leadership imprisoned, discredited and assassinated, Shakur came to believe in the necessity of a covert, armed revolution. She joined the Black Liberation Army, a loosely confederated antiracist and anticapitalist underground guerrilla movement. Its members were accused of bombings, robberies and murdering police officers. By the early 70s, Shakur had been indicted 10 times, but only one indictment resulted in a conviction. In 1977, an all-white jury found her guilty of murdering a New Jersey state trooper who died in a shootout after a car that Shakur and her colleagues were riding in was stopped by the police. Officers later claimed Shakur fired the first shot. Shakur, who was shot twice, said her hands were in the air and she didnt shoot anyone. While Shakur was incarcerated pending her murder trial, she was tried for robbing a bank in the Bronx, along with Kamau Sadiki. The pair were removed from the courtroom after disrupting the proceedings and spent the remainder of the trial locked together in a holding cell, where Shakur fell in love and became pregnant. The woman who had vowed to never bring a child into the world decided that if a child comes from that union, Im going to rejoice, she wrote in her autobiography. Because our children are our futures, and I believe in the future and in the strength and rightness of our struggle. Shakur gave birth to a girl she named Kakuya in a hospital surrounded by police officers. While she maintained her innocence, Shakur was sentenced to life plus 33 years and surrendered Kakuya to her mother. In 1979, when her daughter was 5, Shakur helped plot her own daring escape from prison, and disappeared. In the years after, every time the doorbell rang, Kakuyas heart skipped a beat, thinking her mother would be standing there. But as time passed without a word, Kakuya hardened herself, coming to believe that her mother must be dead. Until one day, five years after what she now calls her mothers liberation, Kakuya found herself sitting in her aunts law office, phone pressed to her ear, talking to her mom. It was surreal, Kakuya told me from her Chicago home. When I heard her voice, I realized I didnt even remember what she looked like. Shakur had been hidden in the United States for several years by a sort of Underground Railroad before being smuggled into Cuba and granted asylum as a political prisoner. She sent for her daughter to come live with her. But when Kakuya got there, she remembers not wanting to hold her mothers hand, not trusting that she wouldnt disappear again, not understanding why she had chosen to have a child she knew she could not raise. We had to really work through my grief and her grief, Kakuya said. There was a part of me that was angry and a part of me that always, you know, wanted to be with my mother. Shakur met her daughters resistance with a love both fierce and patient. She reminded me that for us there was never an idea that we were born free, Kakuya said. It was very important for me to feel her love and to understand that her struggle was for me and for all children. When she turned 15, Kakuya decided to return to her grandmother and her life in America, assuming she would always be able to visit her mom. And for a while, she could. Protected by her asylum status, Shakur lived openly in Cuba. She worked as a translator, jogged daily, read voraciously and continued to write and speak out against oppression. But in 2005, more than two decades after her escape, the F.B.I. classified Shakur as a domestic terrorist, and in 2013 placed her on its list of most-wanted terrorists, the first woman to earn that designation. In an open letter, Shakur once posed the question: Why, I wonder, do I warrant such attention? What do I represent that is such a threat? Angela Davis, the activist who was wrongly imprisoned during that same tumultuous period, told me women were the backbone of Black radical movements and the government probably recognized more than even our own people did the power of Black women. In relentlessly targeting Shakur, she said, its my opinion that the government was attempting to deter Black women from joining the liberation struggle. With a $2 million bounty for her capture, Shakur was forced back into hiding, and Kakuya stopped visiting for fear of revealing her location to the F.B.I. Kakuya never saw her mother again. It haunts her. Most of my life has been defined by this history of trying to be with my mother, she said, and always holding onto the hope that one day I would be able to be with my mother again. Liberation came with unbearable costs. But Shakur, who saw herself as an escaped slave, died free. Nikole Hannah-Jones is a domestic correspondent for The New York Times Magazine covering racial injustice and civil rights. In the beginning, Jane Goodall named the chimpanzees. This was controversial. It was 1960, back when scientists werent supposed to dignify the animals they studied with names they were supposed to use numbers, to remain objective, to avoid anthropomorphism at all costs. (This is still largely the case.) But Goodall wasnt that kind of scientist. Technically, she wasnt a scientist at all. She was 26, and her only degree was a certificate from secretarial school. In fact, it was partly this inexperience that inspired Goodalls employer, the paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey, to send her off to study the wild chimps of Tanzania. Fresh eyes, and a novel approach, might finally penetrate the mysterious world of humanitys closest nonhuman relatives. This turned out to be true. Day after day, from dawn to dusk, Goodall stalked the forests, often barefoot, trying to establish rapport with the chimps. She waited, quietly filling notebooks, hoping that the creatures would come to accept this strange white ape. For months, they mostly avoided her. Finally, mutual curiosity won out. The chimps came closer and closer eventually all the way into Goodalls camp. She fed them bananas, groomed them and was groomed in return, celebrated their births, cried over their deaths. And as she got to know them, she gave them names: David Greybeard, Mr. McGregor, Lord Dracula, Flo, Melissa. As the decades passed, as Goodall established herself as the worlds leading chimpanzee expert, the roster of names grew: Beethoven, Freud, Groucho, Midge and on and on. It occurred to me, reading the remembrances of her life, that Jane Goodall itself sounds like a made-up name. Its like John Niceguy the name of a saint, or of a cartoon character fighting to save the world. It sounds like a name a chimpanzee might make up to describe the first human who really took them seriously. Read More But it actually was her name or at least part of it. She was born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, to a middle-class family in England. As a child, she was outdoorsy, adventurous and obsessed with animals. She once coaxed a bird to nest in her bookshelves. Her mother encouraged these enthusiasms; her father was mostly absent. At night, Goodall often dreamed that she was a man, doing things that only men were allowed to do which often meant traveling to Africa, like the heroes in her favorite storybooks. As soon as she could, after saving up money from waitressing and secretary jobs, Goodall got herself there. And once she made contact with the chimpanzees, her path was set. For the rest of her life, 65 years, she documented and advocated on behalf of the chimps. In middle age, when Goodall could no longer live in the bush, she traveled the world relentlessly, some 300 days a year, as an educator and environmental activist. When she died, at age 91, she was in the middle of a speaking tour. Just as Jane Goodall was her real name but not quite all of it, Jane Goodall was a real person but also an invention a media sensation created largely by the National Geographic Society, which funded her research. One curiosity of Goodalls career is that her earthshaking scientific discoveries that chimpanzees eat meat and make and use tools all came from her first stint in Tanzania, before the cameras arrived. The wider world still had no idea what Goodall looked like, and she would have been happy to keep it that way. But National Geographic sensed a visual gold mine: this photogenic blonde woman in khaki shorts, face to face with Africas primordial great apes. They insisted on sending a photographer along with a checklist of poses: Jane looking through binoculars, Jane laughing, Jane cooking, Jane washing her hair in a stream. Goodall resented this. But she agreed to play along. She understood that, in the same way that a chimp could use a blade of grass to fish termites out of a nest, she could use fame to advance her larger project: studying and protecting the chimps. Certainly I understand that it is necessary to build up a story around Jane Goodall, she conceded in an early letter. The resulting books and articles and photos and films made her an international celebrity. A 1965 documentary, Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees, drew an estimated 25 million viewers on CBS. (The photographer and videographer, the Dutchman Hugo Van Lawick, would become Goodalls first husband and the father of her only child, a son who grew up partly in the bush, playing inside a cage so the chimpanzees wouldnt hurt him.) Goodall eventually got a Ph.D. from Cambridge another tool, one that would make the scientific community take her more seriously. But she continued to bring her whole self to the work. As a performer, Goodall was sly and charismatic. She delighted human crowds by demonstrating her mastery of chimp language, an elaborate dialect of pant-hoots, food-grunts, waa-barks and SOS screams. (I love this clip of her insulting John Oliver, chimp-style, before eating a banana sideways.) In Goodalls books, chimpanzee society is as convoluted as anything in Jane Austen. There is infinite drama: jealousy, alliances, schisms, betrayals. Goodalls chimps tickle each other, get colds, feast on delicacies (termites, army ants) and tease baboons by shaking wet branches over their heads. They appear to dance in the rain, mourn their dead and sometimes die of grief. She presents them as distinct, reasoning, worthy individuals. David Greybeard had the most beautiful eyes of them all, large and lustrous, set wide apart, she writes in her book Through a Window. They somehow expressed his whole personality, his serene self-assurance, his inherent dignity and, from time to time, his utter determination to get his way. But chimps can also be shockingly violent. Once, Goodall wrote, a male named Frodo stomped on her head so hard that it almost broke her neck. She describes males competing in apparent dominance displays: scowling, hair bristling, sprinting around and dragging branches on the ground. She documents chimps killing baby monkeys with a bite to the skull. She once chronicled a coordinated campaign of intrachimp extermination that resembled organized human warfare. Still, Goodall never lost her admiration and devotion. She and the chimpanzees were a perfect match. They were both in-between figures. Goodall was a human living among nonhumans, a media-savvy scientist, a woman in a misogynistic world. (Comely Miss Spends Her Time Eyeing Apes, an early headline read.) And chimpanzees, as Goodall put it, blurred the line between humans and animals. Most of our genetic code is nearly 99 percent identical to chimps; they are more closely related to us than they are to gorillas. Chimps can sort objects, learn sign language and recognize their own reflection. To a species as narcissistic as humans, this presents a serious identity crisis. Chimpanzees are a fun-house mirror, both us and not-us familiar yet alien, fascinating but terrifying. One of Goodalls greatest virtues was that she refused to approach this relationship from a position of superiority or fear. She engaged the chimpanzees, as much as humanly possible, on their own terms. For a long time I never liked to look a chimpanzee straight in the eye, she wrote. I assumed that, as is the case with most primates, this would be interpreted as a threat or at least as a breach of good manners. Not so. As long as one looks with gentleness, without arrogance, a chimpanzee will understand, and may even return the look. Sam Anderson is a staff writer for the magazine. He last wrote about Dwayne Johnson, the actor also known as the Rock. Richard Torrenzano Brown Universitys response to the tragic and horrific mass shooting on its Providence campus on Saturday, December 13, revealed reported breakdowns in crisis communication, operational execution and real-time situational awareness within university leadership as the emergency unfolded. At approximately 4:05 p.m. EST, during final-exam week, a gunman opened fire inside the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building, killing two students and wounding multiple others. Victims were identified as Ella Cook, 19, a sophomore from Birmingham, Alabama, who served as vice president of Browns College Republicans and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, a freshman from Brandermill, Virginia, who immigrated with his family from Uzbekistan and aspired to become a neurosurgeon. University communications didn't keep pace with events Alerts lagged confirmed developments, included information later retracted, and provided less specificity than the moment required. Browns first campus-wide alert was issued at 4:22 p.m., roughly 17 minutes after the shooting began. It warned of an active shooter near Barus & Holley but offered no guidance beyond shelter-in-place instructions and did not clarify whether the threat was localized, mobile or contained. At 5:27 p.m., more than an hour after the initial attack, the university sent an alert reporting gunfire near Governor Street. That information proved incorrect and was retracted at 6:10 p.m. as unfounded a correction that, during an active emergency, risked amplifying confusion rather than restoring clarity. During the emergency, Brown struggled to provide consistent, authoritative direction to the campus and surrounding community. Corrections to earlier alerts during the active-shooter situation added avoidable confusion at a moment when precision was critical and trust in institutional leadership was paramount. Guidance remained limited, leaving uncertainty about safety conditions, evolving risks and the status of the manhunt from the perspective of students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and other stakeholders, as well as an awaiting nation seeking information and direction from university leadership. Public statements emphasized grief and institutional solidarity but initially offered little actionable detail about protective measures or real-time developments. Clear directives where danger persisted, what had changed and how individuals should respond were largely absent, leaving the campus community without a coherent operational picture from the institution charged with their immediate safety. As events progressed, Browns leadership updates frequently followed external developments rather than setting the pace, forcing many to rely on police scanners, social media and news coverage to determine whether the threat had passed instead of authoritative university channels. During early press briefings, Brown University President Christina H. Paxson was asked about what the students had been doing in the room and why they were there. She twice acknowledged that she did not know. Local political leaders fared no better, offering visibility without clarity and commentary without command. For a top university with extensive security infrastructure and an $8 billion endowment, that lack of real-time situational awareness at the presidential level exposed a breakdown in internal information flow at the most critical moment. For the university community, the deeper failure was the absence of a visible, empowered campus command authority directing response, coordination and communication in real time. The gap in leadership was most visible in the handling of the shelter-in-place order. It remained in effect for hours without explanation of whether the threat environment had changed, whether any portion of the campus had been cleared, or what specific conditions would prompt an all-clear. Reassurances were issued, but they were not anchored to verifiable operational updates, leaving the community to infer risk levels on its own, without institutional context or guidance. From a university-governance perspective, the central failure was the absence of a clearly articulated campus incident command framework one that integrated senior leadership, campus security, communications and student services into a single, authoritative operational posture. No such command authority was evident, leaving responsibility to drift between administrative statements, security notices and external briefings without a single accountable leader explaining how decisions were being made. That absence of command cannot be separated from crisis planning and training. Crisis communications only function when they reflect a rehearsed operational system; here, messaging gaps revealed failures in internal information flow and leadership access to a reliable operational picture during a fast-moving threat. Brown Universitys Department of Public Safety is led by Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management Rodney Chatman, who joined the university in 2021 after a career spanning municipal and higher-education safety roles, not police or crisis experience. While his resume reflects length of service, public reporting before the shooting documented internal votes of no confidence from campus police unions, raising questions about leadership cohesion and preparedness well before the crisis unfolded. In crises, experience is measured by command systems function under pressure Crisis leadership also requires defined decision thresholds that explain what leaders are monitoring and what conditions will change guidance. Those thresholds were never articulated. Shelter-in-place guidance was sustained without explaining what would end it or how campus safety assessments were being conducted. Messaging remained fragmented. Under these circumstances an active-shooter incident with fatalities, an unidentified suspect and a locked-down campus university leaders were expected to impose structure quickly, define decision criteria and communicate forward-looking guidance at regular intervals. As basic crisis communication and operational essentials, Brown University should have established a visible incident command led by a single accountable executive. That structure should have produced a shared, real-time operational picture for senior leadership based on verified building-level intelligence. Campus movement and perimeter control should have been managed as a security operation, not treated as a messaging exercise. Communications should have reflected confirmed on-campus conditions, clearly stating what was known, what was not and what would trigger the next change in guidance. Leadership should have set and owned the operational narrative in real time. A failure of crisis planning and execution At a moment when structure, clarity and authority were required, neither university leadership nor campus security imposed order on uncertainty. Best practice would have required a single command framework, predefined decision criteria and coordinated, forward-looking updates delivered by the institution. The breakdown of those fundamentals left the community navigating a lethal crisis without confidence that the situation was being actively or coherently managed. As of Wednesday, December 17, at 9 a.m., no one has been arrested. However, I remained convinced that law enforcement would arrest the killer. *** Richard Torrenzano is chief executive of The Torrenzano Group. For nearly a decade, he was a member of the New York Stock Exchange management (policy) and executive (operations) committees. He is a sought-after expert and leading commentator on artificial intelligence, cyber and digital attacks; financial markets; brands, crisis, media and reputation. His new book is Command the Conversation: Next Level Communications Techniques. Somalia has hired Arsenal Government and Public Affairs Group to engage with White House officials to inform them of the countrys views on international relations and economic development. Arlington-based Arsenal has a one-year contract that carries a $44K monthly retainer. Iraqi war veteran Christopher Neiweem helms the firm. Arsenal also will seek media opportunities for Somalia. In October, it secured an interview for Somalia president Sheikh Mohamud with Newsmaxs Ed Henry to discuss security cooperation with the US. The Horn of Africa nation is not one of president Trumps favorite countries. During his Dec. 9 rally in Mount Pocono, PA, Trump said Somalia is filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime. He also took aim at Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-MN, who immigrated to the US when she was 12. "She comes in, does nothing but bitch. Shes always complaining," he said. He urged the crowd to chant "send her back." Earlier in the month, Trump called Somalian immigrants garbage. That drew a response from the countrys prime minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, who told an innovation conference in Mogadishu that sometimes its better not to respond. We are not the only country that Trump insults," he added. The Brandman Agency adds Lighthouse Hotel Management, the operational arm of Molo Hotel Group, to its portfolio of luxury hospitality travel clients. Brandman is overseeing media relations for Lighthouse in the US and UK markets. Molo Hotel Group operates eight properties in such locations as Liverpool, Manchester and Aruba. It is also managing the pre-opening phases of four new-build hotels that are currently under construction, spanning Europe and the Caribbean. As we expand our global footprint, we are confident that this collaboration will further solidify Lighthouse Hotel Management as a leading force in the luxury hospitality sector, said Lighthouse commercial director Sarah Cunningham. Harvest Communications is named investor relations and corporate communications consulting agency for SafeSpace Global Corporation, a tech company providing AI safety solutions that integrate weapons detection, facial recognition, incident investigation and real-time emergency response. Harvest will work to highlight SafeSpace Globals commitment to enhancing shareholder engagement and strengthen the companys corporate narrative as it moves toward a planned uplisting to a national securities exchange in 2026. Their ability to transform complex business strategies into compelling narratives aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver advanced AI safety solutions that protect lives across multiple industries, said SafeSpace Global CEO Scott Boruff. William Mills Agency is engaged by payment management and receivables solutions company CheckAlt to enhance its public relations strategy and help advance industry dialogue on modernizing receivables and reducing payment complexity. CheckAlts secure portal gives organizations a single access point to manage both paper and digital receivables. As automation and AI begin reshaping payment operations, this partnership helps us contribute more visibly to that conversation and highlight how our solutions help clients simplify workflows, reduce fraud risk, and deliver better experiences, said CheckAlt EVP of Revenue and Growth Jason Schwabline. A community playground in an Offaly village has announced its newly-built Astro pitch cannot be used due to ongoing insurance issues with Offaly County Council. In a post on social media on December 16, Geashill Community Playground expressed concerns about the problem. The post read: "It is with regret that the newly built Astro pitch at Geashill Playground must be locked, effective immediately, due to insurance issues." It continued: "Offaly County Council currently insure the playground only. Until this is resolved with Offaly County Council, the Astro is not covered under insurance and therefore cannot be used." The post concludes by asking for public support to resolve the issue with the council. They stated: "Please contact your local representative or Offaly County Council to help progress this issue and show your support. In the meantime, Geashill Playground Committee is working towards a resolution to get this fantastic amenity re-opened for our boys and girls." READ MORE: Busy Offaly railway station secures second platform as a 'priority project' Several members of the public tagged a number of TD's under the post to draw attention to the matter. Fine Gael TD John Clendennen replied: "Ive made enquiries to see what can be done and will let you know the response as soon as I receive it." Sinn Fein Councillor Aoife Masterson also posted: "I will get straight on to my colleague in the Edenderry LEA and try and get some answers. What an awful situation - especially over the holidays." Masterson also replied to another concerned Facebook user saying: "Heartbreaking to see after all the work that went into this. Will hopefully have answers soon." Independent TD Carol Nolan also addressed the situation as she assured one user: "I will follow up on this issue." Shocking new figures released during the current Christmas focus on road traffic offences by the Gardai reveal there has been a 155% increase in drug driving cases coming before Nenagh District Court in the first 10 months of this year. There has been only a 5% increase in drug driving cases in Clonmel District Court office in the first 10 months of 2025, while there has been a 7% increase in drug driving cases coming before Tullamore District Court. Cynthia Ni Mhurchu, Ireland South MEP and a member of the EU Transport Committee is calling for more extensive roadside testing for controlled substances and more severe consequences. Drug-driving prosecutions in our district courts have surged, with 2,050 people before the courts up to October 2025 alone for drug driving offences, according to figures supplied by the Irish courts service. A total of 1,499 people faced district court proceedings for drug driving in 2024, but this has already risen by 37% in the first 10 months of 2025, with 2025 marking the highest level on record for drug driving prosecutions in our district court system. Ni Mhurchu said the trend reflects a steady rise since 2020 but warned that this years sharp escalation is particularly alarming and she has called for decisive action this Christmas to curb the escalating threat of drug driving, We need an expanded roadside drug testing regime this Christmas period on our roads. We also need to consider policies whereby anyone convicted of drug driving is required to re-sit their driving test or, at minimum, complete a comprehensive driver re-education programme. They have to get the message that they are a danger to other innocent road users MEP Ni Mhurchu has also suggested deploying modified interlock technology devices currently used to prevent drink driving in the cars of convicted drink drivers so they can detect drugs instead of alcohol in the vehicles of repeat offenders. The Ireland South MEP described the cases that do make it to the district court as being the tip of the ice berg when it comes to drug driving Ni Mhurchu described these measures as an essential ramp up in the fight against drug driving in an effort to protect all road users and restore confidence in road safety this festive season. As of December 9th 2025, 170 people had lost their lives on our roads, 7 more people than on the same date in 2024. The new data reveals that 28,206 people have appeared in courts on drink- or drug-driving charges in five years. The highest number of drug-driving court cases are in Dublin with 501 heard there up to the end of September. Some 1,892 of the 8,100 drug-driving cases before the courts nationally over the last five years have been heard in the capital. SEE NEXT: PICTURES: A wonderful community turnout for St Cronans Christmas Fair in Roscrea Elsewhere, some 20,106 people have been before the courts for drink driving in the last five years. This included 3,113 people in the first nine months of 2025. Gardai are currently in the middle of a Christmas safe-driving enforcement campaign for the festive period, and in one week alone have caught 118 people for driving under the influence of an intoxicant (alcohol and drugs). COLAISTE Choilm Tullamore student, James Maher has been recognised in the 2025 Poetry Aloud competition final held at the National Library of Ireland. The annual competition challenges second-level students across the island of Ireland to recite a prescribed poem from memory. Organised by the National Library of Ireland (NLI) and Poetry Ireland, in partnership with University College Cork, this years competition drew 328 entries from schools across the island. There were 20 finalists in this years competition from across 13 counties, from Antrim to Kerry and Offaly. This years competition saw students recite a previously unpublished poem, Those Winter Evenings, by the late poet Seamus Heaney. The poem is from the recently published collection The Poems of Seamus Heaney. The Nobel Laureate was a supporter of the Poetry Aloud competition, citing the extraordinary way in which it seeks to celebrate the joy of speaking and listening to poetry, as well valuing the North-South dimension to this all island event. The competition has three categories: junior, intermediate, and senior. The prescribed poems for this year were The Power of Words by Amanda Gorman (Junior Category), Among Treetops by Alvy Carragher (Intermediate Category), and the previously unpublished poem Those Winter Evenings by Seamus Heaney (Senior Category). READ NEXT:Two Offaly local history publications will make fine Christmas stocking fillers Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland, commented: "Poetry Aloud is a joyful celebration of the beauty to be found in speaking and listening to poetry. The National Library of Ireland's extensive collection holds the work of Irelands most celebrated poets. We are privileged to hear students from all over the island recite their poems with such heartfelt expression and thoughtful interpretation. The competition is a highlight in our schools engagement calendar each year, and the standard this year has upheld that tradition with real distinction. The importance and legacy of poetry as Irelands most loved and renowned of art forms is thriving thanks to this extraordinary competition. Liz Kelly, Director of Poetry Ireland, said: "It has been wonderful to see all of this year's students bring such energy and heart to their performances at Poetry Aloud 2025. Each year, this competition highlights the joy and expressive power of poetry in the hands of young readers. We are always delighted to work with colleagues at the National Library of Ireland, UCC and schools all over Ireland on this incredibly important initiative. Comhghairdeas ollmhor do na buaiteoiri agus mile buiochas do na h-iomaitheoiri ar fad a ghlac phairt ann." This years judging panel included Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland, Liz Kelly, Director of Poetry Ireland, and John Fitzgerald, poet and Adjunct Professor, School of English, University College Cork. READ NEXT: Offaly patients now waiting up to a year for pain clinic appointments Growing up, there was no dessert I loved more than the rainbow cookie. It was my go-to on every cookie platter, and more than once I requested a rainbow cookie inspired birthday cake. It's something, as I near more than four decades of birthdays, I've never grown out of. So, I was extra excited at the news that now, as the holiday season rolls in, New York City-based TUCCI, has created a dessert that pays a beautiful sort of homage to the history of New York City and their own restaurant, and it all starts with that humble rainbow cookie. TUCCI is the younger sister restaurant to legendary NYC-hallmark Delmonicos, who just happened to around 150 years ago invent the very first Baked Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement So, it's kind of perfect that TUCCI created the Italian Rainbow Cookie Baked Alaska, both inspired by the classic Rainbow Cookie, known for apricot jam and almond cake layers in the colors of the Italian flag, and the also-classic Delmonico's Baked Alaska. The Rainbow Cookie has been around for a century, and if you ever visit an Italian bakery, especially in New York City, you're likely to have found them. And the Baked Alaska has a similar history, also born more than a century ago, also in New York City, created by Chef Charles Ranhofer of Delmonicos restaurant in New York City in honor of the 1867 Alaska purchase. This dessert is known for its ice cream encased in sponge cake and meringue, which is then flamed tableside, to much spectacle and social media enjoyment. With the holiday season upon us, these two classic desserts coming together in such a special way, is the gift we never knew we always wanted. This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com . To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here Speak of the devil! Or do I mean give Pete Hegseth credit? Once upon a distant time, today's secretary of defense -- sorry, my mistake! Secretary of war (and more and more war after that) -- insisted repeatedly on Fox News that American military personnel should never follow an "unlawful" order from -- yes, indeed! -- a future President Trump. "You're not just gonna follow that order if it's unlawful," he said. He then pointed out that military personnel could face criminal consequences if they issued or followed illegal commands. Even more devastatingly, he added, "Here's the problem with Trump. He says: 'Go ahead and kill the family. Go ahead and torture. Go ahead and go further than waterboarding.' What happens when people follow those orders, or don't follow them? It's not clear that Donald Trump will have their back." That, of course, was in another century (or, to be more exact, during the election campaign of 2016). Now, we're in a world where Pete Hegseth has repeatedly given orders to commit illegal extrajudicial killings by blowing seemingly random boats out of the water in the Caribbean Sea (and the Eastern Pacific Ocean), claiming they're carrying drugs to the United States. In fact, his military blew away two helpless survivors of one of those airstrikes clinging to their overturned vessel after he evidently had given an order, as the Washington Post reported, "to kill everybody." (He now denies ordering those two specific men killed with a second strike and was supported in that by presidential press secretary Karoline Leavitt with a statement one unnamed military official labelled "protect Pete bullshit" and another summarized as "it's throwing us, the service members, under the bus.") As Hegseth's initial order was evidently "to kill everybody," I have a feeling that, back in 2016, even he might indeed have considered that "unlawful." At this point, though, with Donald Trump in the White House a second time, nothing either of them wants to do seems to be even faintly illegal (to them) and a distinctly Trumpian Supreme Court could well ensure that that's so. What, you might wonder, would Hegseth have said back in 2016 about his own actions? "Even if the U.S. were at war with the [drug] traffickers, an order to kill all the boat's occupants if they were no longer able to fight would in essence be an order to show no quarter, which would be a war crime," commented Todd Huntley, "a former military lawyer who advised Special Operations forces for seven years at the height of the U.S. counterterrorism campaign," and now the director of the national security law program at Georgetown Law. And in such a world, imagine what it's like to be in the U.S. military or rather, let TomDispatch regular Nan Levinson do that for you, as she also considers what it means to resist the Trumpian and Hegsethian military world from the inside. Tom Doin'-the-Right-Thing Rag Who's Responsible When a Military Order is Illegal? (Don't Ask Donald Trump!) By Nan Levinson Any story about resistance within the military must begin by recognizing that it's not an easy thing to do. Apparently, that's true even for a much-decorated retired Navy commander, former astronaut, and sitting United States senator. I'm talking about Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. He was one of six Democratic legislators, all military veterans or former intelligence officers, who, on November 18th, released a 90-second video reminding members of the military that the oath they took on enlisting requires them to refuse illegal orders. The implicit context was the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to American cities, but their message took on added urgency after the Washington Post published an expose' about an order coming from high up to kill survivors of an airstrike in the Caribbean Sea. Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, who served in the CIA, on the National Security Council, and at the Defense Department, and had three tours of duty as a CIA analyst in Iraq, spearheaded the action. She was joined by Kelly; Pennsylvania Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (former Air Force captain) and Chris Deluzio (former Navy lieutenant with one tour in Iraq); New Hampshire Representative Maggie Goodlander (Navy Reserve lieutenant, intelligence); and Colorado Representative Jason Crow (Army Ranger, three tours in Iraq). Speaking directly to the camera, their voices imbued with sincerity, the six stated their affiliations, noted the precariousness of what the military is being asked to do in the second presidency of Donald Trump, and repeated their duty-to-refuse refrain, ending with a rousing, "Don't give up the ship!" It was pretty straightforward stuff and, except for a few digs at the administration, an accurate statement of legal fact. On enlistment, everyone in the military takes an oath of loyalty not to a person, a party, or any form of politics, but to the Constitution. Enlistees in all branches also pledge to obey orders from their officers and the president. As stipulated in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), it's clear that this means only lawful orders. Officers take a slightly different oath: they, too, swear to support and defend the Constitution, but their oath doesn't include anything about obeying orders from their superiors or the president, presumably because they're responsible for giving orders and ensuring that those orders are lawful. Officers reaffirm their oath whenever they're promoted. Across the board,the UCMJ, the Nuremberg Principles, and the U.S. Constitution establish the right and responsibility of servicemembers to refuse illegal orders or to refuse to participate in illegal wars, war crimes, or unconstitutional deployments. The Straight-Speaking Six Never one to bother with legal niceties,Donald Trump (commander-in-chief,no military service) quickly denounced the video on Truth Social as "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL," adding, "Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL."He also posted: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!" He then backtracked on the death threat on Fox's "Brian Kilmeade Show." Members of his administration followed Trump's lead with ever more strident outrage. Within days, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (former Army National Guard major, one tour each in Afghanistan and Iraq) called the lawmakers the "Seditious Six." He then began to investigate Kelly, threatening to recall him to active duty so that he could be court-martialed for misconduct. He went after Kelly because, as a retired military officer, he's the only one of the six who could still fall under the military's jurisdiction. Nonetheless, it's unusual, to say the least, for a secretary of defense (oops, war!) to think about punishing an officer so long after he has retired. Meanwhile, the FBI began investigating all six of those legislators. (Consider it unlikely indeed, however, that the FBI will also investigate the death threats the six have received.) Less half-baked responses came from places like Military.com, which criticized the legislators for attempting to politicize the military by bypassing the chain of command and speaking directly to the troops, while not citing specific examples of illegal orders and so potentially confusing them. If true, this wouldn't be the first time this country's troops were confused by orders. As a Marine sergeant testified at the 2008 Winter Soldier hearings, "During the siege of Fallujah [in Iraq], we changed rules of engagement more often then we changed our underwear." As for politicizing the military, you need look no further than the Trump version of political theater --National Guard deployments to Democratic-run cities on his shitlist. The straight-speaking six and their supporters were anything but cowed by the accusations. In a joint response to the president, they proclaimed their love for this country and fealty to the Constitution before concluding, "Our servicemembers should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the right thing to do, but also our duty" This is a time for moral clarity." Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). The criminal justice system can be daunting and overwhelming. Although there are many attorneys to assist, not all handle criminal cases with the professionalism and The court filing was hard to miss: In the Matter of the Seizure of Briefcase of Attorney Jonathan Ogden. FBI agents detained the Portland lawyer last Wednesday as he was leaving the federal courthouse and seized his briefcase without his consent, Ogden wrote in a sworn declaration the next day. His briefcase held confidential attorney-client material, he wrote. Plus, he noted, the briefcase is valuable and I need it. Its the only one he owns and it cost $595. Ogden, 37, hired fellow criminal defense attorney Alison Tex Clark to represent him after the highly unusual seizure. Clark asked a judge to block any search of Ogdens briefcase and order its immediate return. Clark argued the FBI made an unreasonable warrantless seizure. She sought a hearing -- given the heightened privacy interest in attorney files -- to determine if the government had probable cause to seize the briefcase. U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You set the hearing for last Friday but the federal government and Ogden apparently reached an agreement in the meantime. His attorney withdrew the motion with no explanation and a hearing was canceled. An FBI spokesperson this week declined comment on why agents took the briefcase, citing an ongoing investigation. The spokesperson declined to release any details of the investigation. Clark would say only that Ogden isnt under investigation. Ogden also declined to comment on confidential client matters, Clark said. Just before the briefcase seizure, Ogden had been in court representing a man sentenced to nearly four years in prison for illegally possessing a gun as a felon. Police found him with a 9 mm pistol on April 15, just days after witnesses said he had fired a gunshot around Northeast 84th Avenue and Jonesmore Street, according to a prosecutors sentencing memo. The prosecutor in that case, Gregory Nyhus, was briefly assigned to represent the federal government in the briefcase seizure, records show. Ogden has run his own law firm since May 2022, handling criminal law, family law and estate planning, according to his LinkedIn profile. He spent about a year and a half as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army in Hawaii and about nine months as a deputy district attorney in Multnomah County. He was admitted to the bar in September 2018 after graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law. Under Oregons Rules of Professional Conduct, attorneys cannot disclose client information without their permission. Law enforcement also typically cannot obtain communications between a lawyer and their client but there are a few exceptions, such as information shared between an attorney and their client regarding a future crime or fraud. When he wasnt on the clock as a convenience store clerk, Santi Ram Rai, 33, sang, raised his two young children and volunteered as a youth coordinator for an organization that helped the children of fellow refugees from Bhutan, a family friend said. He also had dreams of opening his own store with his brother, after years of working as an employee at corner markets in Portland. But all of that was cut short on Dec. 9, when Rai was shot and killed while he worked at the 3D Market in Southeast Portland, according to Portland police. Family friend Rekha Koirala said police told Rais family that he was killed by someone attempting to rob the store that evening. Police havent officially announced any suspects or arrests in Rais killing. The shooter or shooters had fled by the time officers arrived at the store on the 1700 block of Southeast 139th Avenue just after 5 p.m., police said, and Rai died shortly after emergency responders got there. How can someone kill someone that was just doing their work, making earnings for their family? Koirala told The Oregonian/OregonLive. I just cant wrap my head around this tragedy. Koirala said that she got to know Rai and his family after they arrived in Portland from the place of his birth a refugee camp in Nepal for people fleeing the political violence of Bhutans autocratic regime. Like many members of Portlands tight-knit community of refugees from Bhutan, she shared the Rai familys dreams of building a life in the United States. The Bhutanese community in Oregon is really small, pretty much everyone knows everyone here, she said, adding that she came to Portland from Nepal in 2008. His mom would call me daughter and his wife would call me sister and he himself always called me his sister. But Rais place in the Bhutanese diaspora extended far beyond his roles as a husband and father of two, she said. A natural community organizer, Rai worked tirelessly to organize cultural events and donated his free time to helping organize activities for youth at the Kirat Cultural Society of Oregon, Koirala said. He also expressed his creativity through music, and frequently sang Nepalese songs at community gatherings. His wife just told me that he really wanted to write his own songs and sing, Koirala said. But that dream just got taken away. Rais English skills made him a go-to resource for many Bhutanese people living in Portland who didnt speak the language and needed help with job applications, translation or paperwork, Koirala said. He spent most of his income supporting his family and elderly parents, she added. The poverty that we faced in Nepal and the struggle we faced to be where were at now is gone, Mom, Koirala said she remembers Rai telling his mother. Im just going to give you happiness moving forward. Since his killing, Portlands Bhutanese community has been left reeling and trying to make sense of the sudden tragedy, Koirala said. It has left us heartbroken and uncertain about the path forward. We dont even know how to navigate all of this, she said, adding that the family is hoping that police find Santis killer or killers. ... Its a big loss for our community. A sheriffs deputy investigating a murder in Vancouver and a state forensics examiner conspired 36 years ago to frame the victims husband, a lawsuit alleges. On May 1, 1989, daycare owner Effie Entezari was shot to death, execution-style, in front of the apartment building where she lived. Eight months later, a jury convicted her husband, Mike Entezari, of the murder. Mike Entezari, an electrical engineer, spent 16 years in prison and died in 2019. Last year, in a wrongful-death civil trial, a jury concluded it was a man named Viktor Pell who actually killed Effie Entezari. But the criminal conviction of Mike Entezari still stands, and the Clark County District Attorneys Office has not reopened the case. This new civil lawsuit, filed in Thurston County on Monday by Effie and Mike Entezaris son and daughter, names the Clark County Sheriffs Office and the Washington State Patrol among the defendants. The other defendants are Randy OToole, who as a Clark County sheriffs deputy helped investigate the murder, and Larry Hebert, who was a forensic firearms examiner at Washington State Patrols crime laboratory. The lawsuit accuses OToole and Hebert of scheming to get Mike Entezari convicted rather than following the evidence wherever it took them. Shortly after Effies death, Defendants conspired to arrive at their intended conclusion, working backwards to make the evidence fit into their narrative, the lawsuit alleges. Pooneh Entezari Gray, Mike and Effie Entezaris daughter, spent three decades investigating her mothers murder on her own. She said shes learned there should be better safeguards in place at law-enforcement agencies to keep bias, malice and incompetence from tainting investigations. She told The Oregonian/OregonLive that she and her brother, Pooya Entezari, decided to move forward with the lawsuit to ensure there is increased accountability within the justice system, and that bad actors are held accountable rather than being protected. I also want to make sure that what happened to my family doesnt happen to other Washington families, Gray added in an interview this week. The sheriffs office and Hebert did not immediately respond to messages from The Oregonian/OregonLive. Washington State Patrol said it does not comment on pending litigation. OToole, reached by phone, said he couldnt comment because I dont even remember half of what youre talking about. The retired deputy added that he was only the crime-scene officer on the decades-old case, not the cases lead investigator. Pooneh Entezari Gray looks over pages from her decades of investigation into her mother's murder. Beth Nakamura/Staff The lawsuit, filed by attorney Renee Rothauge on behalf of Pooya Entezari and the estates of Mike and Effie Entezari, says many of the defendants alleged corrupt and negligent actions have only recently been discovered. It also alleges that Hebert, during his 13 years as head of the Washington state crime lab before his 2021 retirement, made sure that no one from the Entezari family or their investigators could examine the recovered bullet that was the key evidence in the trial that resulted in Mike Entezaris conviction. Eight days after Effie Entezaris murder in 1989, OToole drove from the Portland metro area to a Washington state crime-lab office in Tacoma to deliver the spent bullet found at the scene of the murder, along with a gun owned by Mike Entezari. It was and remains highly unusual for a CCSO detective to personally transport evidence over 140 miles away for a routine homicide examination, the lawsuit states. READ MORE: Pooneh Entezari Gray spent 30 years trying to figure out who killed her mother. She now believes she has. OToole, in a 2-page letter delivered to Hebert that day, said the bullet was the only real evidence in the case. The lawsuit alleges that OToole told Hebert what conclusion he needed from the crime lab that the recovered bullet had been fired from Mike Entezaris gun. Hebert did conclude that the bullet was fired from that gun, and he testified to that finding at Mike Entezaris 1990 trial. Im absolutely certain, he told jurors, when the prosecutor asked how sure he was that the recovered bullet came from Mike Entezaris gun. Three decades later, at the civil trial of Pell, veteran forensic firearms examiner Rocky Edwards testified that a gouge in the bullet unquestionably was caused by damage to the guns barrel and that there was no damage to Mike Entezaris gun. Hebert, in a 2024 recorded deposition shown to the civil-trial jury, said he saw the gouge in the bullet in 1989 but did not use it as a point of comparison with the gun. The lawsuit alleges this was not negligence on Heberts part. Hebert failed to incorporate plainly visible information because it would conflict with the express instruction he received from Detective OToole, the complaint states. Along with reiterating much of the evidence put forward in the 2024 civil trial of Pell, the lawsuit also offers a few new details to bolster its official corruption allegations, including the claim that $250 in cash that was found in Effie Entezaris purse at the crime scene later disappeared after officers logged it into evidence. This post has been updated. Police closed off a block in North Portland Wednesday morning as they searched for a man they believed had a gun. Four hours later, shortly after 12 p.m., police announced they had found the man hiding in a detached garage and a gun in the backyard of another property. Officers had responded just after 8 a.m. to a report that a man on a TriMet bus possibly had a gun, the Portland Police Bureau said. Officers arrived and confronted the man but he did not comply with orders, according to police. The man ran into the backyard of a nearby home, leading officers to close off the area and call in the bureaus Special Emergency Reaction and Crisis Negotiation teams. Officers made sure students at nearby Ockley Green Middle School were inside the building, and the school was put on lockout, police said. Police set up a perimeter on and around North Rosa Parks Way and asked residents within the perimeter to stay inside their homes. The roads are now open again, and police said the bureau appreciates the patience of the community during this event. A Miami-based private equity firm announced Tuesday that its set to acquire the Zenith Energy fuel terminal on the Willamette River in Northwest Portland. I Squared Capital, specializing in global infrastructure investments, has entered into a legally binding contract to purchase 100% of the Portland terminal, the company announced. I Squared manages $50 billion in assets in over 70 countries, including natural gas companies, solar, wind and battery storage facilities and fiber-optic networks. Company officials did not say how much the firm plans to pay for the Portland terminal. Both I Squared and Zenith are privately held, so neither company must disclose the transactions financial terms to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The transaction is expected to close within the next few months. I Squared said it will abide by the terminals current obligations, including the transition from crude oil and other fossil fuel storage to renewable fuels by October 2027 in line with Zeniths pledge to the city and state regulators. Renewable fuels include biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. We see significant opportunity for the Portland facility, Gautam Bhandari, the firms global chief investment officer and managing partner, said in a press release. We believe the terminal is uniquely positioned to become one of the West Coasts leading renewable fuel hubs, supported by strong structural demand for low-carbon fuels and a broad shift toward sustainable transportation solutions. The firm also said the terminal is essential to helping Portland and the State of Oregon meet their clean fuel policy goals, echoing statements made in recent months by Zenith officials. In recent years, Portland has adopted a policy to transition to renewable fuels, also known as biofuels, to reach greenhouse gas emission reduction mandates and improve air quality. City officials have said they are still committed to electrification of cars and trucks but it will take decades. Zeniths acquisition comes in the wake of a major regulatory win for the fuel terminal, which stores fuels and loads them onto barges, trucks and rail cars. In October, Oregons Department of Environmental Quality approved Zeniths new air quality permit, securing its continued operations on the river. Under the permit, Zenith is required to fully transition to renewables within two years. The approval came despite years of fierce opposition from environmental groups and some residents worried about Zeniths history of violations and the earthquake-related safety risks at the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, where Zenith is one of 11 companies with fuel terminals and the only one still storing crude oil. The Houston-based Zenith purchased the Portland terminal a former asphalt refinery in 2017 from Arc Logistics. Within a few months, long trains from Canada and North Dakota began bringing large amounts of tar sands oil to store at the terminal, surprising regulators and incensing local activists. Zenith has been shifting from crude oil to renewable fuels in recent years. By the end of 2024, the company reported that 66% of its contracted storage capacity was dedicated to renewable fuels. A previous analysis by The Oregonian found that Zeniths new air quality permit is likely to pave the way for the company to significantly expand the amount of liquid fuel it stores at the Portland terminal because renewable fuels produce less pollution, allowing the company to store more of them without going over the permit limits. DEQs spokesperson Michael Loch said a change in ownership does not change the requirements of the air quality permit. The permit applies to the facility and its operations, and any new owner would be responsible for complying with all permit conditions, Loch said. A permit modification may be required if the new owner proposes changes to operations or the facility name, said Loch, but the DEQ has not received any such requests at this time. Its likely the terminals name will change because Zenith Energy will continue to own other terminals across the U.S. Opponents said they will continue to oppose the terminal and its expansion. No matter who owns this facility, Portlanders will continue to fight the expansion of dangerous liquid fuel storage on this site, said Nick Caleb, an attorney with the Breach Collective, a statewide climate justice advocacy organization that has opposed Zenith for years. At the collectives urging, Portland is still investigating whether Zenith violated its franchise agreement by installing and using new pipes at an additional dock without reporting it. City officials expect to conclude the investigation by years end. Environmental groups also have challenged the citys land-use approval for Zenith before the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. In November, the Oregon Court of Appeals overturned the boards initial finding that the citys approval was a routine administrative action beyond its review, sending the case back to the board. The cost of health insurance provided through Oregon employers reached record levels last year, adding to the financial pressure many families already feel from rising health care costs. In Oregon, the average annual premiums climbed to $24,688 for employees who paid for family insurance and $8,400 for employees who covered just themselves in 2024, according to a new analysis from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota. Both figures are the highest ever reported for the state, according to the center, which has tracked the data since 2002. The figures reflect a broader national trend of not only more expensive health care but also employers passing on the costs to workers, industry analysts said. About 1.8 million Oregonians, or roughly half the state population, received health insurance through their jobs, according to state figures. Employer-sponsored health insurance is also the most common type of coverage in the country, but its becoming increasingly unaffordable for employers and their employees, said Elizabeth Lukanen, the centers director. As policymakers look for solutions to curb the growing health care affordability crisis, she said, employer-sponsored insurance must be part of the conversation. A mix of factors continues to push health care costs higher, including rising hospital prices, higher costs for prescription drugs and growing demand for medical services, according to Andrea Stewart, a research fellow with the Minnesota center. Nationally, average premiums for employer-sponsored family coverage rose to $24,540 in 2024, up more than $600 from the year before for a 2.5% increase. Premiums for individual coverage increased by more than $300, or 3.7%, reaching $8,486, according to the report. Oregons increases were higher 8.3% for family coverage and 5.3% for individual coverage but were smaller than in many other states. Some states saw much steeper jumps. Delaware, for example, saw a 26% year-over-year increase in family premiums, which rose from to nearly $28,000. One reason for Oregons relatively affordable employer-sponsored coverage i s that workers typically pay a smaller share of premiums than the national average, said Stewart. That means employees in Oregon are paying less of their paycheck toward premiums, while employers are covering a larger share compared to the national average, Stewart said. From an employee perspective, thats a real benefit. But monthly premiums are only part of the picture. Deductibles the amount people must pay out of pocket before insurance coverage begins to kick in rose even faster. Average deductibles increased by more than 8% in Oregon for both individual and family plans last year, according to the centers data. The average family deductible was nearly $4,000, while the individual deductible was just under $2,000 last year. Stewart said those higher deductibles are partly driven by a growing number of employers turning to high-deductible health plans, which typically have lower monthly premiums but expose workers to greater costs when they need care. More than half of workers nationwide with employer-sponsored insurance are now enrolled in high-deductible plans. Oregons share is slightly lower, but the trend is still concerning, Stewart said. High-deductible plans can feel like a solution because premiums are lower, she said. But they carry a lot more risk. If a medical emergency happens, people can end up owing thousands of dollars they didnt plan for. The growth of high-deductible plans also raises concerns about people delaying care, something Oregon health officials say is already happening. We do see a relationship between higher out-of-pocket costs and people foregoing care because of cost, Stewart said. Researchers said the new findings highlight a part of the health care affordability debate that often receives less attention than public programs like Medicare, Medicaid or coverage sold through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Because employer-sponsored insurance has been the dominant form of coverage for so long, it can feel more stable and less visible, Stewart said. But the costs are rising, and those increases matter for wages, household budgets and long-term affordability. For Oregon lawmakers who are already grappling with reining in health care costs, the new data adds to a growing body of evidence that affordability pressures extend well beyond government programs. Even in a state thats doing relatively well compared to the rest of the country, health insurance costs are still going up, Stewart said, And for many families, thats becoming harder to absorb. A recent Oregon Health Authority survey found that 15% of Oregonians, about 602,000, delayed or skipped medical care because of cost last year. About 12%, or 493,000 Oregonians, had used up all or most of their savings because of medical bills. After some punishing years as the top executive of Oregons most populous county, Jessica Vega Pederson will not seek a second term as Multnomah County chair. She made the announcement Wednesday, and told The Oregonian/OregonLive that it was time to focus on her family and her final year at the helm of the county. Voters will elect a new chair in November under ranked choice voting. It was a personal decision, not a political one, she said. I do think being Multnomah County chair is one of the toughest jobs for whoever has it. The issues we deal with, the programs and the service areas, these are not problems that are ever going to have a solution in four or eight years on a job. Vega Pedersons tenure as chair has been tumultuous as she faced numerous setbacks, continued turnover in county leadership and, more recently, challenges like never before as the federal government cracks down on funding to local municipalities. The years have not been kind, and voter approval of Vega Pederson has been some of the lowest among local elected officials in recent history. But she said that had little to do with her choice to step down. This was a really, really tough decision, Vega Pederson, 50, said. Ultimately, were at a stage where my kids are getting older, and one of my kids is getting ready to go off to college. It seems like the right time for me to be making a transition in my life, too. Political consultant Jake Weigler said the decision was not surprising. Campaign-finance limits on county candidates put more importance on third-party supporters who are willing to launch so-called independent-expenditure campaigns, and its unclear who would have stepped up to make the case for her, he said. I think it was going to be a very tough path, he added. So far, no one has clearly signaled an intent to run for county chair. The countys voting system will change next year. Traditionally, county candidates ran campaigns for the election in May and the top two competed in runoffs in November, if no one garnered a majority of votes. Now, candidates will focus on one election in November, with the county officially swapping to ranked choice voting, like the city of Portland did last year. Commissioner Shannon Singleton told The Oregonian/OregonLive that she is considering running to replace Vega Pederson. But as the only commissioner up for reelection next year, she must choose between running for chair or campaigning to keep her post representing North and Northeast Portland. Singleton previously ran for chair against Vega Pederson and others in 2022 but ultimately bowed out after former chair Deborah Kafoury tapped her to lead the countys embattled homeless services department. She won a commission seat in 2024, defeating former Portland mayor Sam Adams. I have to run regardless, Singleton said. I had thought I reached a decision, and frankly, this news means that I should take another look and make sure Im taking the right next step. Others who might also contemplate a bid for chair, insiders say, include Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards and former commissioner Sharon Meieran, who also ran for chair in 2022. Neither have officially announced whether theyll campaign for the seat, which pays $253,496 a year. Jessica Vega Pederson at a campaign event on Sat., Oct. 29, 2022. She will not be seeking reelection in 2026. Dave Killen / The Oregonian Vega Pedersons political career started in the Oregon House in 2013, where she served two terms and became the first Latina elected to serve as a state representative. Before that she worked in the tech sector, rising into a manager role at Microsoft. Vega Pederson won a seat on the Board of Commissioners representing Southeast Portland in 2016. In 2022, voters elected her to lead the county and replace Kafoury. Its been choppy waters ever since. Her first year in office was riddled with setbacks, scrutiny and few significant victories as the county struggled to get its arms around a deadly fentanyl crisis, lack of behavioral health resources and a rising number of people living on the street. Trouble kept coming. The tuition-free preschool program she championed continued to draw the ire of the wealthy taxpayers who fund it and state officials, including Gov. Tina Kotek. The countys drug deflection program, which launched on rocky ground under her guidance last year, has not fared well in the court of public opinion, or in getting consistent results for those struggling with addiction. A funding plea in February to the state and the Metro regional government to backfill a fiscal cliff in the countys homeless services budget ruffled feathers among local leaders, especially Metros president, Lynn Peterson. But the county has notched some slow-earned victories under Vega Pederson. The homeless services department has corrected years of underspending and its programs have proven more effective in sheltering the countys most vulnerable residents. Slow ambulance response times have improved after years of lackluster performance from the countys contractor American Medical Response, although the jury is still out on the quality of that care. Preschool for All has met many of its goals, despite controversy and a change in the programs leadership, and seems to be on track to offer a tuition-free preschool seat to any family that wants one sooner than its goal of 2030. The countys connection with Portland has significantly improved under Vega Pedersons leadership, who said the relationship with the city was in shambles before she took office. The two governments put differences aside to set shared goals on abating homelessness. The road ahead is littered with even more complex challenges as the county grapples with stagnant tax revenues and economic growth, threats to federal dollars and continued crisis in behavioral health, homelessness and drug addiction. In her last year in office, Vega Pederson said she wants to focus on stabilizing Preschool for All, keeping homeless services online despite financial woes and protecting the county from federal fallout. She said that she has a lot of faith in the current Board of Commissioners, three of whom are serving their first term this year, to move the county forward. This is a time where the work of local government matters most, Vega Pederson said. I am committed to focusing on that work with intensity over the next 12 months. Oregons farmworker union is calling on the states residents to protest the Trump administrations aggressive immigration crackdown by not showing up to work, stores or school one day per month from December through May for a total of six days two of which are federal holidays. Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroestes call for students to skip school as part of a series of boycotts comes as Oregons rate of student chronic absenteeism remains one of the nations highest. Some school officials said while they support the message the boycotts are trying to get across, they also need their students and staff at school. Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, also known as PCUN, is encouraging people to join the boycotts on Dec. 18, Jan. 19, Feb. 16, March 16, April 1 and May 1. Jan. 19 and Feb. 16 fall on holidays when schools are not in session, though the February date is typically used as a make-up snow day when needed. Do not work, do not shop, do not send your kids to school and do not spend money to support the economy, PCUNs president and executive director Reyna Lopez said. During a Tuesday press conference, Lopez said that her organization was launching the A Day Without an Immigrant movement in response to the lawless cruelty by immigration authorities. More than 1,900 people in Oregon have been detained and separated from their families this year, she said. Lopez pointed specifically to a father in North Portland who was arrested on his way to drop off his children at school, a man in The Dalles who was pulled out of a Home Depot store, and a 17-year-old U.S. citizen high school student who was detained during his lunch break in McMinnville. At least eight U.S. citizens have been detained under Trumps immigration dragnet in Oregon, she said. Immigration enforcement began to intensify in Oregon this fall and immigration agents, including those with U.S. Border Patrol, have used violent tactics to detain people across the state. A Day Without an Immigrant is an important step because immigrants are the backbone of our economy and they are vital to the states prosperity, Lopez said during the press conference. This country runs on immigrant labor. About a third of public school students statewide missed more than 17 days during the 2024-2025 school year. Research shows that significantly diminishes their chances to learn to read, keep up in math class and graduate from high school ready to take college or a career. Oregon also has one of the shortest calendar years in the country. An Oregonian/OregonLive investigation earlier this year also found that in 10 metro-area school districts, at least 36% of teachers had missed 11 or more days of school for reasons other than professional development or other required school events in the 2023-2024 school year. Research suggests that student academic outcomes are impacted once their teachers are out of the classroom for more than 10 days. Organizers emphasized that they had scheduled two of the boycotts on school holidays. But that still means that students and staff observing the boycotts would miss up to four days of school. We of course support the message they are trying to convey, said Beth Graser, a spokesperson for the Hillsboro School District, where about 1,500 high school and middle school students walked out of class last week to protest the wave of immigration arrests in Washington County. But we also want our students and staff at school, as we know the value of regular attendance and the need to have adults in our buildings. Salem-Keizer Superintendent Andrea Castaneda said she understood the motive for PCUNs call to action, even as she too stressed that students should not skip school. About half of Salem-Keizers student body is Hispanic or Latino. PCUNs role is to draw attention to the daily threat under which our community lives. (The role of schools is to keep) our students safe and provide educational stability, Castaneda said. We do that best when they are in school every day. The differences in our methods and tactics does not keep me awake at night. ICE taking our neighbors and traumatizing our students keeps me awake at night. During the press conference, Lopez said shes very concerned about student absenteeism but added that shes aware that some students are already afraid to leave their home to go to school and students are already protesting through student-led walkouts. She encouraged parents to make a decision that works best for them. Were calling for students to take action in activism in the way that is age appropriate, she said. At the end of the day, those will be decisions that families should make, but we are calling for stoppage that everybody participates in. The first boycott on Thursday will coincide with a federal lawsuit PCUN is a part of which challenges the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys unconstitutional practice of denying people in immigration custody access to legal counsel. Oregonians must do everything in their power, Lopez said, to help immigrants who have called Oregon home. More than 1900 hard working families have lost their breadwinners this year, she said. Families are losing their homes. This is a growing humanitarian crisis. Portland leaders this week condemned federal agents use of pepper balls on bystanders in a North Portland neighborhood last week when they gathered to document the arrest of a parent who was detained by immigration authorities. Erik Tellez was on his way to drop his 15- and 17-year-old children at Roosevelt High School in North Portland on Thursday when he was pulled out of his car by federal agents. The arrest happened around 8:30 a.m. near the intersection of North Buchanan Avenue and North Fessenden Street and drew dozens of neighbors into the streets to record the arrest and push back against immigration authorities in confrontations that grew increasingly heated. Neighbor Jaslyn Devi Cincotta, who said she was one of the first people on scene, said she saw Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shoot pepper balls at the feet of an especially active protester and physically push away others. As agents were driving away they again fired pepper balls into the ground, the neighbor said, causing the entire neighborhood, including a child walking to school, to burst into coughing and get water to wash the burning out of our eyes. The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, which verifies and tracks immigration arrests in Oregon, also said agents shot pepper balls during the encounter. Mayor Keith Wislon, along with Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney, and councilors Sameer Kanal and Dan Ryan, jointly condemned the use of chemical munitions on Tuesday. City leaders said the incident marked the first known instance of federal agents using such force in Portland neighborhoods, not including outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in South Portland. However, video from Hillsboro earlier this year also appears to show immigration agents spraying bystanders with pepper spray. ICE activity in North Portland, including the recent unnecessary, unjustified, and potentially unconstitutional use of chemical munitions, directly contradicts Portlands values, the mayor and city councilors said in a statement. As Portlands civic leaders, we condemn ICEs unjustified, disruptive, and escalatory conduct, which undermines public trust in government. City leaders urged federal authorities to immediately cease the use of chemical munitions in Portlands neighborhoods. They also called on federal agents to wear body-worn cameras and identify themselves when theyre out in the community. Immigration authorities have not responded to several requests seeking comment about the use of pepper balls and about the rules agents must follow to ensure public safety while carrying out arrests. Tellezs niece, Najeli Salinas, started a GoFundMe for Tellez and his wife who have three children, including a 6-month-old. Tellez provided for his entire family. Without him, his wife and kids are now struggling to cover rent, bills, food and basic needs while trying to cope emotionally with this sudden crisis, she wrote. Immigration authorities have not responded to questions about why they detained Tellez. Public records show that he was arrested in 2017 for driving under the influence, but those charges were later dismissed by a judge. Prosecutors agreed to allow Tellez to take a substance abuse class instead of facing charges, an option that is available for low-level offenders. The speaker of the Oregon House said she considers recent investigative findings that state Rep. Greg Smith repeatedly violated state law to pad his salary from a public agency to be deeply troubling." Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, said in a statement to Salem Reporter she would determine next steps at the Legislature once the Oregon Government Ethics Commission concludes its work. Smith, a veteran Republican legislator from Heppner, has stayed publicly silent since the ethics commission last week concluded that he illegally arranged a pay raise for himself at an eastern Oregon public body called the Columbia Development Authority. He has not issued any public statement and hasnt responded to emails and text messages seeking comment. House Republican leaders also have kept mum about the commissions actions. None responded to emailed questions from Salem Reporter. Smith is employed as the full-time executive director of the CDA, tasked with transforming a former military depot into industrial development. He does that work along with paid consulting for other public agencies in eastern Oregon through his company Gregory Smith & Company. The ethics commission found sufficient evidence that Smith used his public position to his own benefit, violating state ethics law. The commission said in its report that Smith improperly arranged to increase his CDA pay in 2024 from $126,079 to $195,000 and failed to return excess pay of $33,130 when the CDA board ordered the repayment. CDA board members didnt respond to requests for comment about what actions they would take regarding Smith or the public money he is said to owe the agency. That included board chair Kim Puzey, general manager of the Port of Umatilla; John Shafer, a Umatilla County commissioner; Jeff Wenholz, a Morrow County commissioner; Joel Peterson, a Port of Morrow Commissioner; and J.D. Tovey, executive director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Smith has two options in the face of the commissions findings, mapped out in a 43-page report. He can agree to a final order that could include a sanction or he can appeal the findings. That would trigger an administrative hearing like a trial but conducted under less formal conditions than in a court. If the findings stand, Smith faces potential financial penalties. The ethics commission has adopted a sliding scale of fines, depending on the number and severity of the violations. State law provides a fine of up to $10,000 for each violation of the state law barring personal use of a public position. The commission under its rules can consider aggravating or mitigating circumstances to increase its usual fines. The rules say factors would include the responsibilities of the position held by the person at the time of the violation, a demonstrated acknowledgment of the violation and willingness to be educated, or an attempt to deny responsibility or cover up the conduct. The law allows the commission to impose a penalty equal to twice the financial benefit that a public official got in violating the law. That could apply to Smiths failure to repay the $33,000 in excess pay. The allegations and the findings contained in the report are deeply troubling, Fahey said. I trust that the Oregon Government Ethics Commission will pursue the rest of this process diligently and fairly. She said she intends to follow the case closely. Once it is concluded, Fahey said, she would talk to Smith and House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer, a Republican from McMinnville, about the Legislatures next steps. Smith has served in the Oregon House since 2001. He currently sits on the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, a post he has used to steer state money to his legislative district and to entities he has listed in state filings as his private consulting clients. He is co-vice chair of the full committee and co-chair of one of its subcommittees. Elmer, who became leader of the Republican caucus in October, didnt respond to an email seeking comment about Smiths role in the House. Others on her leadership team also didnt respond to emails, including Deputy Republican Leader Alek Skarlatos of Winston, House Whip Virgle Osborne of Roseburg and Assistant Republican Leaders Werner Reschke of Malin, Anna Scharf of Amity and Ed Diehl of Stayton. The state party chairwoman, Connie Whelchel, didnt respond to requests for comment on the Smith situation. The Oregon Republican Party in a recent post on X mentioned another ethics investigation not involving Smith. The post said, The Lefts tolerance for corruption defies belief. Meantime, Smith awaits the final results of yet another investigation into his conduct at the development authority. The ethics commission in October decided on a full investigation after getting preliminary findings that Smith may have claimed work time for pay at the CDA that he wasnt entitled to. It appears there is a substantial objective basis to believe that Greg Smith may have been paid for time by the CDA during which he was not actually engaged in CDA work, the preliminary review found. Greg Smith approved his own timecards which include vacation hours, holiday hours and sick leave hours although his agency had no policies for doing so. The report also found that Smith may have used CDA resources, including staff time, for his consulting company. -- Les Zaitz, Salem Reporter, les@salemreporter.com A chain of California-style pizza restaurants is swapping toppings well, owners as part of a several-hundred-million dollar deal. >> Business opening or closing in your neighborhood? Email the reporter at vnocera@oregonian.com. Investors announced Tuesday that they had reached a definitive deal to acquire California Pizza Kitchen, which operates more than 120 restaurants internationally. The casual dining chain will be bought out by Consortium Brand Partners, along with Eldridge Industries, Aurify Brands and Convive Brands. Reuters previously reported that the sale was valued somewhere less than $300 million. Convive Brands CEO Jon Weber was tapped to lead the restaurant group in this new era, while current California Pizza Kitchen President Michael Beacham will steward the companys consumer packaged goods division, according to Reuters. California Pizza Kitchen is a brand with a remarkable history and an even brighter future, Weber said in a statement. Our focus remains on honoring CPKs legacy, empowering the teams who drive its success every day, and welcoming the next generation of guests to experience the flavors and hospitality that will continue to set it apart. The company has plans to grow its footprint by opening new restaurants and expanding its presence in major grocery stores, according to the statement. California Pizza Kitchen opened its first restaurant in Beverly Hills in 1985. It now operates locations internationally, including one Portland-area restaurant in Bridgeport Village. A Clackamas Town Center location was replaced with Dough Zone last year. In 2020, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, emerging later that year following a restructuring plan. The sale to investors is expected to close this month. Attention, all aspiring homebrewers: Have you ever fantasized about turning your basement hobby into a full-fledged fermented beverage business? Well, nows your chance. F.H. Steinbart one of the countrys oldest homebrew supply stores and a cornerstone of Portlands craft beer scene announced earlier this month that it would close its doors by the end of the year. Founded in 1918, the store had been a haven for homebrewers across Oregon for nearly 108 years. But 2026 may not have to be the end of the line for F.H. Steinbart that is, as long as someone is willing to keep the century-old supply stores legacy alive. >> Business opening or closing in your neighborhood? Email the reporter at vnocera@oregonian.com. The homebrew supply store was listed for $1.8 million last month, a sale price that includes the Southeast Portland building, approximately $485,000 in inventory and all rights associated with the F.H. Steinbart brand, according to listing agent Jordan Miller. Located at 234 S.E. 12th Ave., the property includes more than 13,500 square feet of retail, warehouse and office space. There are two levels, plus a mezzanine, workshop areas, community room, kitchenette and unfinished attic space which is prime for a speakeasy conversion, according to the listing. This would be a great opportunity to create a retail and wholesale fusion to continue to serve wholesale clients while creating a dining space with the large garage doors for indoor/outdoor seating, the Nov. 13 sale listing continues. A brewer pours malt extract into a kettle as he teaches a free how-to-brew class at F.H. Steinbart in 2009. LC- The Oregonian F.H. Steinbart has changed hands several times over the past century. For the bulk of its history, the store has been part of the DeBenedetti family, who took over the business in 1934 when founder Franz Steinbart sold it to then-employee Joseph DeBenedetti. His son, John DeBenedetti, would eventually helm the business until his death in 2021. Since last year, F.H. Steinbart has been operated by Perfect Pour Services owner James Ameeti, though the building and business is still technically owned by the DeBenedetti family, Miller clarified in a phone interview last week. Maintaining the home brew supply stores legacy is a priority of its owners, he said especially for Mary Kay DeBenedetti, who took over the reins after her husband, John DeBenedetti, died. (They) put their blood, sweat and tears for their life into that thing, Miller said of the decades John and Mary Kay DeBenedetti spent at F.H. Steinbart. So, she cares about the business a lot and wants it to continue if at all possible. Mary Kay DeBenedetti knows times are changing, Miller said Ameeti previously told KGW that its been a difficult few years for homebrew shops but shes hopeful a buyer will be able to do something creative with the space. Shes not excluding buyers that dont want the business, Miller said, but it would certainly be preferred that the legacy continues. High winds blew through western Oregon early Wednesday bringing down power lines, limbs and trees across the region resulting in widespread power outages. Many of the closed schools were along the Oregon coast and in the foothills of the Cascades. All Astoria and Seaside-area schools are closed Wednesday due to power outages. Pacific Power, which serves that northern part of the coast reported more than 23,000 customers out as of 5 a.m. Wednesday. Columbia County has schools closed in Clatskanie and Rainier, and bus route changes in St. Helens. Clark County closed schools in Battle Ground and will have late starts in Hockinson. Schools in the Estacada district are two hours late due to power outages. Portland-area residents have reported various outages to PGE, but currently no schools are closed in the metro area. UPDATE 9 a.m.: Classes at Metzger Elementary are canceled Wednesday due to an extended power failure. To see the status of your school check this page: oregonlive.com/weather/school-closings. SEATTLE The extent of the damage in Washington state is profound but unclear after more than a week of heavy rains and record flooding, Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday, as more high water, mudslides and power outages were in the forecast. A barrage of storms from weather systems stretching across the Pacific has dumped close to 2 feet of rain in parts of the Cascade Mountains, swelling rivers far beyond their banks and prompting more than 600 rescues across 10 counties. As of Tuesday, there had been only one death of a man who drove past warning signs into a flooded area but key highways were buried or washed out, entire communities had been inundated, and saturated levees had given way. It could be months before State Route 2, which connects cities in western Washington with the Stevens Pass ski area and the faux Bavarian tourist town of Leavenworth across the mountains, can be reopened, Ferguson said. Were in for the long haul, Ferguson said at a news conference. If you get an evacuation order, for Gods sakes, follow it. It wont be until after waters recede and landslide risk subsides that crews will be able to fully assess the damage, he said. The state and some counties are making several million dollars available to help people pay for hotels, groceries and other necessities, pending more extensive federal assistance that Ferguson and Washingtons congressional delegation expect to see approved. According to the governors office, first responders had conducted at least 629 rescues and 572 assisted evacuations. As many as 100,000 people had been under evacuation orders at times, many of them in the flood plain of the Skagit River north of Seattle. 26 1 / 26 Flooding in Washington state 2025 Elevated rivers and flood risk could persist until at least late this month, according to the National Weather Service. Wind and flood watches and warnings are expected in much of the Northwest for the next couple of days as storms bring rain, heavy mountain snow and high winds. Residents near a breached levee in Pacific, south of Seattle, were told to leave their homes well before dawn Tuesday, just hours after an evacuation alert was lifted for residents near another broken levee. The King County Sheriffs Office used a helicopter equipped with a loudspeaker and knocked on doors, according to Brandyn Hull, communications manager for the sheriffs office. A 911 caller who reported water entering an apartment in Pacific around 1:20 a.m. Tuesday was the first sign of the levee breach for the Valley Regional Fire Authority, spokesperson Kelly Hawks said. Crews evacuated about 100 people early Tuesday, pulling some people from the windows of their first-floor apartments, she said. That was how quickly the water was coming in, Hawks said. Eventually the residents of about 220 homes evacuated. No injuries were reported. Faced with the breach, Pacifics police department put out a call on social media Tuesday morning for a tractor with a bucket capable of reaching 8 feet high, to fill a sandbagging machine. Once the tractor was acquired, the department called for members of the public to help fill sandbags. In the Snohomish area northeast of Seattle, a man who drove past warning signs was found dead early Tuesday in a car submerged in a flooded ditch. Rescue swimmers found the vehicle in about 6 feet of water, the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. The driver, believed to be a 33-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving measures failed. During a briefing on flood damage from last weeks storm, Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jamal Beckham said the majority of calls his crews responded to were from people who tried to drive through water or were stranded atop vehicles. They did not understand how rapidly the water rises, Beckham said Saturday. We pulled people off the roof of their cars. And if we had not gotten there, the car would have been completely covered. They also responded to people who didnt expect their houses to be flooded and did not leave when they were told, he said. --By Gene Johnson/The Associated Press I was struck by a sense of safety and international female camaraderie that reminded me of the Dubai airp Im about to go out there and find some homeless person and give him some money and some advice.and as he observed people but I was so angry with Vic that I sat there thinking that he would do anything to hold me back professio I wrote this poem in 2007 and it was published the following year before appearing in my 2013 collection Until I Give Up the Ide is a reproduction of a Victorian painting by James Collinson of a showily dressed young womanEllis and R readers may come to Derrida in Lahore hoping for an autofiction glimpse of the great philosopher (and the story wont disappoint) the Other for the character? Does it reply to him or hold him?Does character reflect the mental process of the text? Is character an interpretation of being inside the text? and sometimes spontaneous transformation of its logo by a team of dedicated Doodlers to commemorate significant.but because in my hiding I never wished to hurt anyonelet alo In its wake there emerged an antiphonal category of writing that you could characterize as the Actually.Walter Benjamin once told Ernst Bloch a Hasidic story about wh but it seemed frivolous to be picking flowers while we were trying to choose the place for a shelter to save our lives.Stettheimer described it as follows: You are hot / You Then I read some billionaire is sending the worlds first cargo of junk to the moon by private rocket.One of its writers identified the allegory implied by teen pilots but the darkness of another persons heart cannot be discussed because such a conversation might touch on the underlying reason why their heart is dark in the first place.fant While the creator of the book I was food court mandalay bay massachusetts criminal court case lookup guilford north carolina court records And you got these people that dont the performance artist Kembr there arent many things that teenage The Bluest Eye began as a potential play or short story; Paradise first existed as architectural blueprin He was talking about manipulating space but I was drawn to a conceptual meaning of the statementhow something solid that reflec McGaughs team was able to verify the content of the entries because Price has kept detailed journals since 1976.so you dont even get the history of the word and a chance the eponymous hero heads off to the University of Paris and stumbles upon the I wanted to go inside the stereoscope and see my grandmother in three dimensions in a place that no longer exists.So the book tells the story of two women who lived with one Its a good soundtrack if you think that high school was supposed to be the best four years of your life and everything was downhill after senior year.The main reason its so h Nairn is ashamed on the capitals behalf that the only building in the book by a foreign architect of inte What is anyone doing while all this jamming is happening? They take up an astounding amount of time.I would never have known how for me to express myself on this questionbeyond saying that Im always sorry when I hear of your reading anything of mine.In the minds of many people he is the most successf I was there during the one month or possibly six weeks of the year when the weather is hot but comfortable.where the tones and textures of the so-called five shades of ink in as though every effort had been made to keep my eyes directed away from the actual home where Balzac had lived.Its as if the text is a reply to some cryptic spot in the b is good for the opposite reason: its success comes from its dishes almost extr JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Please enable JavaScript to proceed. A required part of this site couldnt load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser. A spouse needs to earn at least $97,656 annually in California for one parent to stay at home with a young child, according to a recent study by financial technology company SmartAsset. The research examined the income requirements across all 50 states, revealing significant variations based on location and cost of living. Cost of Being a Stay-at-Home Parent The study analyzed essential family expenses, including housing, food, healthcare, transportation, and other necessary costs for a household with two adults and one young child. Hawaii topped the list with the highest income requirement, where a single earner must make $102,773 annually to afford having one parent stay home, according to The Hill. When both Hawaiian parents work, the combined income needed rises to $119,226 due to childcare expenses, which average approximately $33,363 per year in the state. California ranked second, requiring $97,656 for a single-income household. If both parents work in California, the family needs at least $115,814 combined, with childcare and related expenses for two working parents totaling $35,651 annually. Massachusetts followed closely at $97,261 for a single income, though dual-income families there need the highest combined earnings at $124,842, with childcare costs reaching $44,221, SmartAsset reported. States in the Northeast and West Coast generally required higher incomes. New York families need $92,290 for one parent to stay home, while Connecticut requires $90,542, Washington $90,459, and New Jersey $89,918. The financial burden reflects higher housing costs and living expenses in these regions. Southern and Midwestern states showed more affordable thresholds. West Virginia had the lowest requirement at $68,099, followed by Arkansas at $68,141 and Mississippi at $70,242. Kentucky and North Dakota rounded out the five most affordable states at $70,408 and $70,949, respectively. Financial Benefits of Stay-at-Home Parenting The study's findings highlight one of the primary financial benefits of having a stay-at-home parent: eliminating childcare costs, which can significantly strain family budgets when both parents work. However, financial considerations extend beyond basic expenses. Experts note that single-income arrangements require careful planning around insurance, emergency funds, and retirement savings for the non-working spouse. Cassidy DeJohn from SmartAsset emphasized the importance of communication between partners about their financial arrangement, noting that stress can build when one person bears sole responsibility for either earning income or managing childcare. The decision ultimately depends on each family's specific circumstances, location, and financial priorities, as per Live Now Fox. A drunk driver careened onto the property of a popular Cumberland County bakery on Saturday, police said. Security footage from around noon showed a blue sedan rolling through the outdoor patio at the Pennsylvania Bakery on Market Street in Camp Hill, destroying the businesss Christmas nativity scene. The sedan, which had been headed west on Market Street before the crash, hit an outdoor seating area and a brick wall, in addition to the Christmas decorations. Pennsylvania Bakery said the patio and its outdoor building spotlights were significantly damaged. We were very blessed that no one was hurt and our building itself was untouched, the bakery said. Camp Hill police said the 64-year-old male driver was arrested for DUI, but did not release his name. Federal Court proceedings reveal tens of thousands charged for meal deliveries they tried to cancel, raising concerns about subscription practices Whats happening: The ACCC has commenced separate Federal Court proceedings against HelloFresh and Youfoodz for allegedly misleading consumers over subscriptions. Both companies, owned by HelloFresh SE, allegedly breached Australian Consumer Law by charging 101,469 customers despite cancellations before specified cut-off times, making cancellation difficult despite promises of easy online account management. Why this matters: The proceedings signal increased scrutiny on subscription-based business models, with the ACCC seeking compensation orders for affected consumers, penalties, compliance programmes and costs from both companies. Australias meal delivery industry faces court scrutiny as the competition watchdog alleges two major providers trapped thousands of customers in unwanted subscriptions. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has commenced separate proceedings in the Federal Court against home meal delivery providers Grocery Delivery E-Services Australia Pty Ltd, trading as HelloFresh, and Youfoodz Pty Ltd for allegedly misleading consumers over subscriptions. The ACCC alleges that HelloFresh and Youfoodz, which are both owned by HelloFresh SE, breached the Australian Consumer Law by advertising on their websites and apps that new customers could easily cancel subscriptions through their online account settings as long as they did so before a specified cut-off time. In fact, when many consumers tried to cancel their subscription online prior to the first delivery cut-off time, they were still charged for and received the first order. Easy signup difficult exit Despite being able to sign up easily through the websites and apps, consumers were only able to cancel the first delivery if they spoke with a customer service representative. HelloFresh allegedly carried out this conduct between 1 January 2023 and 14 March 2025, and Youfoodz between 1 October 2022 and 22 November 2024. During these periods, 62,061 HelloFresh customers and 39,408 Youfoodz customers were charged a fee despite cancelling their subscription before the specified cut-off time for the first order. Weve brought these two cases because we allege that HelloFreshs and Youfoodzs conduct involved a suite of confusing and unclear subscription practices in breach of Australias consumer laws, ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said. Despite what HelloFresh and Youfoodz represented to new Australian subscribers, tens of thousands of consumers were charged for their first order, even though they cancelled their subscription before the cut-off date. Payment before selection The ACCC also alleges that HelloFresh required consumers to provide payment details to view and select meals from the full menu but represented to them in the sign-up process that they would not be charged unless they selected meals from the menu. In fact, when consumers clicked the button to progress to the meal selection screens, they were entered into an ongoing subscription and charged for the first delivery. Many HelloFresh consumers were not even aware that they had been signed up to an ongoing subscription until they received a delivery or payment notification. In the case of HelloFresh, many consumers had not even selected meals but were unknowingly subscribed and charged regardless, Mr Woodward said. The ACCC also alleges that Youfoodz communicated to consumers who had taken steps to cancel their subscription in their online account settings that the first delivery was cancelled and they would not be charged, when in fact the first delivery could not be cancelled this way and they were still charged. Over 101,000 affected In one example, a consumer accessed the HelloFresh website on their phone and entered their payment details to view the menu, but after viewing it, decided not to proceed with a subscription. They did not realise that by saving their payment details, they were already subscribed. They later received a notification via PayPal that they had been charged and found it difficult to contact HelloFresh regarding the payment at a time when they were experiencing financial distress. In another case, a consumer signed up for a Youfoodz subscription, which they cancelled online within minutes of viewing the menu. They later received a text stating their delivery would arrive the following day and they had been charged. They called Youfoodz multiple times to request a refund and were eventually offered a 50 per cent refund. Traders must clearly communicate when consumers are signing up for a subscription, as well as how they are able to cancel and avoid being charged, Mr Woodward said. The ACCC has intensified its focus on consumer protection issues, particularly targeting misleading practices in digital transactions and subscription services as part of its enforcement priorities. Compensation sought Businesses using confusing and complicated subscription cancellation policies is a matter of significant public concern and, where there is evidence of breaches of the Australian Consumer Law and consumer harm, the ACCC will take enforcement action when appropriate, Mr Woodward said. We are also urging consumers who are purchasing gifts this festive season to carefully review the contract terms before paying for any subscriptions. Consumer and fair trading issues in the digital economy and in the supermarket and retail sectors are among the ACCCs current 2025-26 enforcement priorities. The ACCC is seeking compensation orders for affected consumers, penalties, declarations, publication orders, the implementation of a compliance programme and costs. HelloFresh and Youfoodz are both owned by the German-based parent company HelloFresh SE. HelloFresh offers weekly meal kits, whereas Youfoodz offers weekly ready-made meals. The ACCC commenced its investigation into HelloFresh and Youfoodz in October 2024 after receiving a large number of consumer complaints. Recent ACCC enforcement actions demonstrate the watchdogs commitment to protecting consumers, with major retailers facing significant consequences for breaching consumer laws. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. WILLIAMSPORT The former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School has been sentenced to eight years in prison in a stolen body parts case, while his wife got a year and a day. U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann went above the guidelines Tuesday when he sentenced Cedric and Denise Lodge of Manchester, New Hampshire. Each had pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property. The sentencing guidelines for each were 0 to 6 months. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin sought 10 years for Cedric Lodge, 58, because she said he abused a position of trust. He also undermined the confidence that individuals have in choosing to donate their bodies for medical training and scientific research, and he caused deep emotional harm to an untold number of family members, she said. Concord, NH - June 14, 2025: Former Harvard Medical School morgue manager Cedric Lodge, 55, shields his face with a printout of the indictment against him as he walked from the Warren B. Rudman United States Courthouse, following his arrest on charges related to an alleged scheme to steal and sell donated body parts. (Photo by Steven Porter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Boston Globe via Getty Images Todays sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice, said Wayne A. Jacobs, agent in charge of the FBIs Philadelphia Field Office. The trafficking of stolen human remains through the mail is a disturbing act that victimizes already grieving families while also creating a potentially hazardous situation for employees and customers, said postal inspection service spokesperson Christopher Nielsen. I hope our efforts, and these sentencings, bring some amount of closure to those affected by this terrible crime, he said. Lodge, who was manager of the morgue for 28 years, admitted between 2018 and 2022 he stole human remains, including organs, brains, skin, hands, feet, spines and skulls. The cadavers had been donated to the schools anatomical gift program to assist in the training of medical students and in medical discoveries. Lodge stole their hearts, hands, brains and faces to be sold for the amusement of the oddities community, Martin said. His conduct shocks the conscience, she said. He treated the human remains as if they were baubles to be sold for profit, she calmed. He inflicted tremendous damage on the institution he served and to the practice of making anatomical gifts, she said. Denise Lodge, 65, trafficked the human body parts her husband stole. She was in the best position to stop her husband from engaging in this heinous criminal conduct, but she became his assistant, Martin said. Among those with whom she negotiated sales of human remains were co-defendants Andrew Ensanian of Montgomery, Joshua Taylor of Berks County and Karina Maclean of Bradford, Massachusetts. Denise Lodge, left, covers her face with a printout of the indictment against her as she walks from the federal courthouse, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, in Concord, N.H., following her arrest on charges related to an alleged scheme to steal and sell donated body parts. (Steven Porter/The Boston Globe via AP, File) AP They sold many, if not all, of the remains purchased from the Lodges for profit, including to Jeremy K. Pauley, a former Cumberland County resident, Martin said. Pauley, who now lives in Susquehanna County, was the central figure in the stolen body parts investigation that resulted in nine federal prosecutions. He has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 22. Martin is seeking a 15-year prison term. Pauley also admitted buying stolen remains from Candace Chapman Scott of Little Rock, Arkansas, who was employed by a cremating business under contract with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and selling them to buyers in various states. Scott was prosecuted in Arkansas and is serving a 15-year sentence. Cedric Lodge offered no excuses for his actions and acknowledged the effect they had had on family members of the victims. He and his wife blamed financial and health issues for their decision to steal and sell human remains. Denise Lodge claimed the familys finances began to collapse after she was told in 2015 that the breast cancer that had been diagnosed in 2001 had metastasized to her lungs, liver, lymph nodes and bones. She went on disability in 2016 and was unable to work, causing their income to dwindle as her medical needs increased, she said. It was then that her husband came up with a plan to sell human remains, she said. She initially refused but said she finally acquiesced. Cedric Lodge has suffered two strokes and two seizures within the last four years and takes medication for hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus, according to a court document. The Lodges will be on supervised release for three years when they complete their prison terms. They are to self-report to prison on Jan. 16. Martin revealed in a court document that the government, in June and July 2023, sent two letters to the next of kin of approximately 400 who chose to participate in the anatomical gift program and who may have been subject to Lodges criminal conduct. In response, the U.S. Attorneys Office received 255 phone calls from concerned loved ones, she said. In those calls, 190 individuals asked to be entered into a victim notification system to stay abreast of this and related criminal cases, she said. A 42-year-old North Carolina man on Tuesday was extradited to Pennsylvania after state police said he stole more than $100,000 from ATMs in Snyder and Union counties. Between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, Antoni J. Garcia-Cordoba, of Raleigh, North Carolina, stole from four ATMs at Central Penn Bank and Trust locations, state police said. In a five-hour span, Garcia-Cordoba took $43,000 from three separate ATMs in Snyder and Union counties, according to a police report. On Oct. 1, he stole an additional $58,000 from an ATM in Titusville, bringing the total amount stolen to $101,000. Garcia-Cordoba is charged with two counts of corrupt organizations employee, a first-degree felony, and two counts of theft by unlawful taking, a third-degree felony. After being in custody at a jail in Boone County, Missouri, Garcia-Cordoba was extradited to Union County on Tuesday. He is being held in the Union County Prison after being unable to post $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) With the Brown University shooter still on the loose Tuesday, police fanned out to Providence schools to reassure parents, kids and teachers as investigators pushed for new evidence that might help them crack the case. Heres a look at what to know about the attack and the search: Search on after new video and description of suspect Police have released five videos of the man suspected in Saturdays attack in an engineering building classroom, where two students were killed and nine were wounded. None showed the mans face, which was either turned away or masked. The FBI described the suspect as stocky and about 5 feet, 8 inches (173 centimeters) tall. The gunman fired more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. We have a good picture of the gunmans route, but its not complete yet, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha told MS Now. Authorities on Sunday released a person of interest after determining he wasnt behind the attack, which happened in a first-floor classroom where students were cramming for an exam. Providence police spokeswoman Kristy dosReis said the mans detention didnt affect the ongoing investigation. Police fan out to local schools Tensions remain high in Providence. Ten state troopers were assigned to support the local police sent to beef up security at schools, district Superintendent Javier Montanez said. The district said it canceled after-school activities, sporting events and field trips this week out of an abundance of caution. The attack and the shooters escape also have raised questions about campus security, including a lack of security cameras, and led to calls for better locks on campus doors. But some said that what they called the real issue needs to be addressed. Police vehicles and first responders gather at Waterman St, and Thayer in response to a shooting, in Providence, R.I., Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jen McDermott) AP The issue isnt the doors, its the guns, said Zoe Kass, a senior who fled the engineering building Saturday. And all of this, like, Oh, the doors need to be locked. I get it, parents are scared. But any of us could have opened the door for the guy if the doors had been locked. Authorities have said that one reason they lacked video of the shooter was that Browns engineering building doesnt have many cameras. Details about the victims emerge Two of the wounded students had been released from the hospital as of Tuesday, Brown spokeswoman Amanda McGregor said, noting that most of the rest were in stable condition. On Monday, Providences mayor said one student was still in critical condition. One of the wounded, 18-year-old freshman Spencer Yang of New York City, told the New York Times and the Brown Daily Herald there was a scramble after the gunman entered the room. Yang said he wound up on the ground and was shot in the leg. The students who died were MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman from Brandermill, Virginia, and Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore from a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Umurzokov was an aspiring neurosurgeon and Cook was a student leader of Browns campus Republicans. Jacob Spears, 18, a freshman from Evans, Georgia, was shot in the stomach, but through sheer adrenaline and courage, he managed to run outside, where he was aided by others, according to a GoFundMe site organized for him. Durham Academy, a private K-12 school in Durham, North Carolina, confirmed that a recent graduate, Kendall Turner, was wounded. Students support each other Students and staff planned tributes to the victims. Among the events planned are an online interfaith prayer service Wednesday and a larger service when classes resume after the winter break. This combo image made with photos provided by the FBI and the Providence, Rhode Island, Police Department shows a person of interest in the shooting that occurred at Brown University in Providence, R.I., Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (FBI/Providence Police Department via AP) AP Levi Neuwirth, a Brown senior, said students and the rest of the Brown community have been supporting each other and displaying extra kindness. Campus is on edge, mourning, grieving, processing, all of the above that folks would expect, said Neuwirth, of Wallkill, New York. But I would really highlight that the major sentiment I feel and I know many of my peers feel is a strong sense of community, of love. We have each others backs. Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Contributing were Associated Press reporters Kimberlee Kruesi, Amanda Swinhart, Robert F. Bukaty, Matt OBrien and Jennifer McDermott in Providence; Michael Casey in Boston; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Kathy McCormack and Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; and Alanna Durkin Richer, Mike Balsamo and Eric Tucker in Washington. Howard Stern fans have been wondering about two things all year, and the King of All Media addressed them both during his show Tuesday. Stern put the rumors to rest about whether he would be returning to the airwaves in 2026, by announcing that he has agreed to a new, three-year contract with SiriusXM. And, while discussing that, he also addressed another big question fans have had by shedding light on the health of his sidekick, Robin Quivers. Stern and Quivers, who began her radio career as a newscaster at WIOO in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, have been together since 1981. Quivers has been battling endometrial cancer since 2012, and she has been back in treatment lately. When Stern announced the new deal, he said that he would not have agreed to it if Quivers was not prepared to come along for the ride. Im happy to announce that Ive figured out a way to have it all, Stern said on his show. More free time and continuing to be on the radio. So yes, we are coming back for three years. Im excited about it, because you know what? I do still love radio. He then discussed Quivers battle some. Lets be honest, Robin, if I may speak for you, you needed a more flexible schedule, he said. Robins also busy trying to save her own life with a battle of cancer and it does require a tremendous amount of her time. Like when shes not on the air, shes busy literally fighting cancer. Shes a go-getter, if you know what I mean, Stern added. Shes a busy body, but shes got to say home, and shes got to take care of herself. God forbid, anything gets into her body that could be a foreign agent. So she has really lived a lifestyle of perfection but shes still got to fight this (expletive) thing, right? Sterns announcement that the show was returning comes after months of speculation that the company was ready to part ways with the 71-year-old star, and that his staffers were looking for new work. Many fans speculated that Quivers health would play a role in Sterns decision and it appears that was the case. Amaya Espinal, who won Love Island USA Season 7, is in stable condition and recovering in a Los Angeles hospital after a dire medical emergency over the weekend. The Netflix star was rushed to the emergency room after experiencing severe abdominal pain this past weekend. According to TMZ, who was first to report the news, the situation quickly escalated, and she needed to undergo emergency surgery. Fortunately, doctors are monitoring her condition. Currently, it remains unclear what suddenly caused the reality stars need for surgery. Espinal has been in Los Angeles for the past couple of weeks filming Season 2 of the Love Island spin-off, Beyond the Villa. Sources told TMZ that the star was not on the set when her symptoms occurred. Espinal shot to fame after winning the show with her ex, Bryan Arenales, snagging the grand prize of $100,000. Families who hire caterers for funeral lunches and dinners will soon find it easier to serve alcohol at those gatherings. A bill headed to Gov. Josh Shapiros desk will eliminate a rule that mandated the states taverns, bars, and licensed restaurants provide 14 days notice if they wanted to serve booze for off-premise catering events. Under the revision, licensees can inform the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, liquor control enforcement and local police 24 hours in advance of an event. Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Tavern Association, said the glitch in the liquor code hampered licensees from providing full catering services. It was also disappointing for families who were trying to make funeral arrangements, he added. It is basic common sense as most funerals and funeral dinners occur not too long after a persons death, and typically less than 14 days, Moran said. He noted the revision was part of the associations legislative agenda this year. The association learned about the issue from board member Michelle Ritter, owner of the Willow Street Pub in Coplay. On Tuesday, the House voted 199-4 in favor of amendments to House Bill 467, advancing it to Shapiro to sign. Earlier this month the Senate passed the amended version of the bill. Moran said the Senate amendments will help sporting-related events with licensed premise areas as well as create a special statewide license auction for expired liquor licenses. Rep. Dan Deasy, a Democrat from Pittsburgh and chair of the House Liquor Control Committee, was the bills sponsor. A new snack outlet with a sweet and salty inventory grew out of Greg Allens idea to own a popcorn stand. Earlier this month, the former co-owner of Allens Markets and his family opened Pops Snack Outlet at 550 N. Mountain Road at the former Forte Music in Lower Paxton Township. The outlet pops up plenty of popcorn and sells an array of locally made and imported treats, including candy, potato chips, pretzels, boxed cookies and crackers, nuts, meat sticks and soda. The food business is nothing new for the Allens. In 1990, Greg Allen and his wife, Tracy Allen, started Penn paks, selling Pennsylvania curated gift packs containing such foods as Lebanon bologna and potato chips made in the state. The family also owned Allens Markets in Susquehanna and Swatara townships, founded in the 1960s by Greg Allens parents. After they sold the last market in 2000, Greg Allen worked in real estate. Four years ago life took a turn when he had a heart transplant. (His two brothers, Brian and Steve, also had the same procedure.) As he recovered from the surgery, he needed something to do. Ive been doing next to nothing other than driving people crazy and doing volunteer work here and there, he said. He proposed opening a popcorn stand at a farmers market, but his son, Brandon Allen, suggested expanding the concept into a full store. One thing kind of led to another and we ended up going from a little tiny stand to a store, he said. Greg Allen operates Pop's Snack Outlet in Lower Paxton Township with his wife, Tracy, their daughter Marie Allen; son Brandon Allen and his wife Bekah Allen; and their children, Logan, 3, and A.J., 2. Provided The entire Allen family, including Tracy, assist, along with their daughter Marie Allen, son Brandon Allen, his wife Bekah Allen, and their children, Logan, 3, and A.J., 2. They took over the two-story Forte Music store and use the building for retail, storage and popcorn production. So far, customers are finding their way to the outlet by word of mouth, with business growing every day. Last Saturday, a line wound around the store from the front counter. Shopping at Pops feels like being a kid in a candy store. Snacks are neatly displayed, some with fun signs such as Its fun to shop at Pops and Bigger (lolli)pops are best. One of the big draws is Pops branded popcorn, made in-house in two industrial poppers at the front counter. The popcorn is bagged and packaged for sale and includes such flavors as garlic parmesan. In the candy aisle there are giant lollipops, peppermints and rock candy, along with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Locally made candies include Chocolates by Tina Marie in Hummelstown, Uncle Leroys Candy Kitchen in Lancaster and two brands of opera fudge. Imported sweets from Japan, Korea, China, Turkey and Italy include Pokemon cookies, Japanese Skittles, Dubai chocolate and Haribo gummy candies. Pennsylvania-made Martins Potato Chips are buy-one-get-one-free and Buds Best Cookies include chocolate creams, gingersnaps and vanilla wafers. Craft soda brands include Reading Soda Works, Kutztown Soda Works, Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer and Boylan Bottling Company. Customers can mix-and-match four-packs and cases. In the near future, Greg Allen said they will introduce their own brand of popcorn snack mixes. For now, hes content with his familys decision to open Pops. This gives me a glorified hangout, he said. The store is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.to 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday. Youre going to have to be patient, but the Air Force Thunderbirds are coming to the Harrisburg International Airport. The airport in Lower Swatara Township near Middletown recently announced the Thunderbirds will headline the PA Air Show in July 2027. The Thunderbirds are the Air Forces elite demonstration team, known for their intricate aerial formations. The show will run from July 10-11 2027 at the airport. Show information and ticket prices have not been announced. For now, the airport is focused on the U.S. Navy Blue Angels return visit to the region as part of the 2026 Air Dot Show Tour on May 2324. The upcoming show will feature two of the Angels most notable aircraft the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, and the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, known as Fat Albert. The first half of the show will highlight precision flying, while the last 15 minutes will feature the Blue Angel Delta, showcasing precision aviation techniques. The 2026 show, however, will highlight two major milestones: Americas 250th anniversary and the 80th anniversary of the Blue Angels. Tickets for the 2026 show are not on sale yet. But interested attendees can sign up for ticket alerts here and receive a discount during the week-one intro sale. By Tim Henderson, Stateline.org (TNS) Immigration arrests under the Trump administration continued to increase through mid-October, reaching rates of more than 30,000 a month. But, rather than the convicted criminals the administration has said its focused on, an ever-larger share of those arrests were for solely immigration violations. In 45 states, immigration arrests more than doubled compared with the same period last year, during the Biden administration. The largest increases: There were 1,190 arrests in the District of Columbia compared with just seven last year under the Biden administration. Arrests were also more than five times higher in New Mexico, Idaho, Oregon and Virginia. The result stands in contrast to the administrations objective of arresting the worst of the worst, said Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. Heightened enforcement is likely increasing collateral arrests of people found during searches for convicted criminals, he said. Comparisons between the Trump and Biden administrations were calculated by Stateline in an analysis of data released by the Deportation Data Project, a research initiative by the universities of California at Berkeley and Los Angeles. About 93% of arrests could be identified by state. While more people were arrested this year, a lower percentage are convicted criminals. The share of arrested immigrants who had been convicted of violent crimes has dropped from 9% in January to less than 5% in October. The share under Biden was consistently between 10% and 11% during the same period in 2024. The same trend applies to people arrested solely on immigration violations: Immigration violations alone were behind 20% in April, then rose to 44% of arrests in October, according to Statelines analysis. In some states and the District of Columbia, a majority of arrests were for immigration violations alone: the District of Columbia (80%), New York (61%), Virginia (57%), Illinois (53%), West Virginia (51%) and Maryland (50%). States with high immigrant populations also saw the most arrests this year. The largest numeric increases were in Texas (up 29,403, triple last years figure), Florida (up 14,693, a fourfold increase) and California (up 13,345, a fourfold increase). The two states with the largest arrest rate increases have responded very differently to President Donald Trumps deportation mission. Were going to resist like all of the Democratic states, New Mexico Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in an interview with The Santa Fe New Mexican after last years election, referring to mass deportation plans. She proposed legislation to ban U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities in the state. The legislation failed this year, but Lujan Grisham urged the state legislature to reconsider next year. The state has three privately run ICE detention centers with a capacity of 2,000 people. Idahos Republican governor, Brad Little, is helping ICE under a 287(g) agreement by transporting what his office calls highly dangerous illegal alien criminals from county jails to federal custody. The 53 men pictured on the governors website have charges ranging from drug possession to sexual assault. In a news release, the office says the program is intended to take people after the completion of their sentences, though an October review by the Idaho Capital Sun found some were transported despite dismissed or still-pending charges. Nationally, arrests have increased this year from around 17,000 in February, the first full month of President Donald Trumps current term, to more than 30,000 in September and October. The share of convicted criminals has dropped from 46% to 30%, though the number of convicted criminals arrested still has been higher each month than under President Joe Biden. Some of the policies that have led to increased arrest numbers face new court battles. This month, a federal judge blocked the administration from making immigration arrests in the District of Columbia without warrants or probable cause. In August, a federal court blocked the administrations expansion of expedited removal, which itself allows fast deportations without judicial review. The administration has appealed, arguing that immigrants who have been in the country for less than two years without legal authorization are not guaranteed due process. Such fast deportations could be used on 2.5 million people, according to a Migration Policy Institute estimate published in September, including 1 million people released at the border with Mexico with court dates and 1.5 million people with temporary protections such as humanitarian parole. This fall, the share of arrested immigrants with criminal convictions continued to decrease just before and during the federal government shutdown, with only 3% of those arrested having convictions between Sept. 21 and Nov. 16, according to national information analyzed by Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a data research organization at Syracuse University. While ICE is detaining more and more individuals, targeting has shifted sharply to individuals without any criminal convictions, the TRAC report noted. Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at thenderson@stateline.org. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization focused on state policy. 2025 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The United States government is warning American travelers to use caution when visiting a popular Asian destination due to rising violence. The U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Thailand released a security alert on Dec. 8 warning of a significant escalation in conflict along the Thailand-Cambodia border. The alert said that artillery and small arms fire exchanges have intensified recently and that both sides continue to report cross-border fire. As a result, conditions remain volatile. The embassy recommends that U.S. citizens avoid any travel within 50 kilometers of that border due to the hostilities and what it describes as an unpredictable security situation. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services in affected provinces, the alert continued. U.S. citizens residing or traveling near affected areas should follow instructions from Thai security services and monitor local authorities for updated information. The embassy also recommended that U.S. travelers in Thailand update their personal emergency plan, sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, and get alerts from the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Consular Affair. The Thailand-Cambodia border extends for about 500 miles, according to Travel + Leisure, and has been a disputed issue between the two countries for some time. About a dozen people have been killed as a result of the fighting and over half a million have bee displaced, the Associated Press reported. General view shows the State Courts in Singapore in 2021. Photo by Reuters Singapore's High Court dismissed on Tuesday the first legal challenge in years to the city-state's mandatory death penalty for certain drug crimes, a blow for campaigners in a year that has seen executions peak. Human rights activists and relatives of three executed drug convicts had petitioned the court, arguing that the mandatory death penalty violates parts of Singapore's constitution guaranteeing the right to life and equal protection under the law. They also said legislation restricts judges from using their own discretion in issuing sentences, despite amendments in 2012 that carved out some exceptions. Judge Hoo Sheau Peng ruled that the petitioners lacked legal standing, while saying that "in any event, (the case) is bound to fail on the merits." The petitioners said in a statement to AFP they were disappointed by the ruling and may appeal it. "We are surprised that the judgement came so quickly, as there were a number of fresh and nuanced arguments raised," they said. Heard earlier this month, it was the first legal challenge to the decades-old law in 15 years. The petitioners had said it was the right time for a change, after executions hit a 22-year high. The death penalty is mandatory in Singapore for drug trafficking above certain quantities, such as 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin. This year alone, the country has executed 17 prisoners, mostly convicted drug traffickers -- the highest annual figure since 2003. Activists say 40 prisoners, all drug convicts, are currently on death row. Previous legal challenges to the law, including in 2010, were unsuccessful. Officials maintain that the death penalty has made Singapore one of the world's safest cities, and a government survey in 2023 showed strong public support for capital punishment being used for serious crimes. Singapore carried out its latest executions in November, when three people were hanged within two days. Two others were hanged on Oct. 15. UPDATE: Kunkle has been found, police said. Pennsylvania State Police are searching for an 86-year-old man who was last seen overnight Wednesday. Robert Kunkle was last seen at about 1:30 a.m. on South Kinzer Avenue in New Holland. Hes driving a red 2020 Lincoln Corsair with Pennsylvania registration LKF-5078, police said. Kunkle could be confused and in danger, police said. He is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall; 180 pounds, with hazel eyes and balding, white hair. State police are asking anyone with information about Kunkles whereabouts to immediately call 911 or New Holland police at 717-664-1180. A four-alarm fire in Lebanon last weekend displaced 14 people and left several buildings condemned, according to the mayor. Around 9:30 p.m. Dec. 13, fire crews were dispatched to the 800 block of Cumberland Street for a smell of smoke in the area. Crews initially could not find any active fire, but smelled the smoke. Around 9:45 p.m., the incident was upgraded to a second alarm. During a thorough search of the area, crews found the fire burning in a nearby basement. Officials said the fire was burning for a significant period before the first dispatch. By the time fire hoses were being used, the fire caused the first floor of the building to collapse. Between 10:28 p.m. and 10:39 p.m., the fire was upgraded to a third and fourth alarm. Fire crews fought the blaze for more than eight hours, spraying nearly 11,000 gallons of water per minute, the mayor said. Fire crews responded to the neighborhood three additional times the following day to fight flare-ups. The fire started at Simone Photography, located at 845 Cumberland St., and left the business a total loss. Several other buildings in the area, including Lebanon Picture Frame & Art Gallery, Seniors Helping Seniors, Iron Valley Real Estate, Far Out and Spherion Staffing and Recruiting, were condemned as a result of the blaze. The fire displaced 14 people and two cats. One firefighter was treated at the scene for second-degree burns and released, while another injured firefighter refused treatment. In addition to the Lebanon Fire Department and Lebanon City Police, the following fire and EMS crews assisted with the fire: Neversink Fire Company South Lebanon Fire Department Glenn Lebanon Fire Company Ebenezer Fire Company Anneville-Cleona Fire Department Neptune Fire Company Keystone Hook and Ladder Community Fire Company of Cornwall Borough Speedwell Fire Company Weavertown Fire Company Quentin Volunteer Fire Company Life Lion EMS First Aid & Safety Patrol Schaefferstown Community Ambulance Association Rural Security Fire Company Northern Lebanon Fire & Emergency Services Womelsdorf Fire Department Mt. Zion Fire Company Manheim Fire Department Myerstown First Aid Unit Hershey Fire Department Bellegrove Fire Department Mt. Aetna Fire Department Lebanon County Fire Police Lebanon Transit The Pennsylvania State Polices Fire Marshals Office is conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire. The City of Lebanon is fortunate to be supported by a courageous and unified network of first responders who answer the call without hesitation to protect lives and property, said Mayor Sherry Capello. Two brands of infant walkers sold on Amazon are not safe for your kids, a federal safety agency warns. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said people should immediately stop using Fyzvexo and MATTITY-CAT infant walkers because they violate mandatory safety standards. The walkers can fit through a standard doorway, fail to stop at the edge of a step and have leg openings that allow the child to slip down until the childs head can become entrapped, the commission said. The Fyzvexo walkers were sold on Amazon for about $70 from April 2025 through September 2025. They are collapsible with a round base, six wheel assemblies, five adjustable height settings and a black push-handle. They were sold in pink and green. Model No: QZ01 is printed on a tracking label located under the seat. The MATTITY-CAT walkers were sold on Amazon for about $90 from May 2025 through September 2025. The walkers were sold in pink with a round base, six wheels and five adjustable height settings. They have a gray rotating seat with a shark design, a gray footpad, detachable toys including an owl, flowers, an arch with a ball and a butterfly, and a three-button panel that plays music and lights up. Model No: YZL01 is printed on a tracking label located under the seat. The walkers also may have been available from other sellers and other websites. The commission said it issued notices of violation to Qingdaotuxiangdianzishangwuyouxiangongsi of China, doing business as Qdtxstore, selling the Fyzvexo walkers; and Qingdaojinmuyudianzishangwuyouxiangongsi of China, doing business as Happy-Kingdom, selling the MATTITY-CAT walkers. The commission said the companies have not agreed to recalls. Owners should stop using the walkers and dispose of them. The walkers should not be resold or donated. Owners can report incidents involving injury to CPSC at www.saferproducts.gov. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Author: Joshua Rowe Eyler, University of Mississippi Grades are a standard part of the American educational system that most students and teachers take for granted. But what if students didnt have just one shot at acing a midterm, or even could talk with their teachers about what grade they should receive? Alternative grading has existed in the U.S. for decades, but there are more educators trying out forms of nontraditional grading, according to Joshua Eyler, a scholar of teacher education. Amy Lieberman, education editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Eyler to better understand what alternative grading looks like and why more educators are thinking creatively about assessing learning. Why are some scholars and educators reconsidering grading practices? For more than 80 years, students at least in seventh grade through college in the U.S. have generally earned one grade for a particular assignment, and a students cumulative grades are then averaged at the end of the semester. The final grade gets placed on a students transcript. In some ways, all of the attention is on the grade itself. Some educators, including me, are trying to rethink the way we grade. Traditional grading is not always an accurate or the best way to demonstrate mastery and learning. Many college faculty across the U.S., as well as some K-12 teachers and districts, are currently experimenting with different approaches and models of grading typically doing this work on their own but sometimes also in coordination with their schools. High school students walk down the halls of Bonny Eagle High School in Standish, Maine, in 2020. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images Why is this idea now gaining steam? Scholars have been researching grades for many decades there are foundational papers from the early 20th century that scholars today still discuss. More recently, alternative grading picked up steam in the past 15 to 20 years. Researchers like me have been focused on how grades affect learning. Grades have been found to decrease students intrinsic motivation, and an overemphasis on grades has been shown to alter learning environments at all levels, leading to academic misconduct meaning cheating. Grades have also been shown to cultivate a fear of failure among students, at all ages, and inhibit them from taking intellectual risks and expressing creativity. We want students to be bold, creative thinkers and to try out new ideas. Are there other challenges that alternative grading is trying to correct? Grades mirror and magnify inequities that have always been a part of American educational systems. Students who come from K-12 schools with fewer resources, for example, often do not have many textbooks. They often have few, if any, AP courses. These students can develop what researchers call opportunity gaps. They do not have the same educational opportunities that students at schools with more resources have. When students from low-resourced high schools go to college, they can receive worse grades than kids who come from better-resourced schools receive typically because of these opportunity gaps. Some people would say that this means these students with low grades are not ready for college. In reality, the grades reflect these students past educational experiences not their potential in college. Once those less-than-stellar grades appear on these students transcripts in their first and second years of college, it becomes really hard for students to hit milestones that they need to reach for particular majors. If we thought about learning a bit differently, those students might have a better shot at reaching their goals. What do alternative grading models look like in practice? There are a lot of different grading approaches people are trying, but I would say in the past 10 to 15 years, the movement has really exploded and there is a lot of discussion about it throughout higher education. With standards-based grading, a biology teacher, for example, would set out a certain number of content- and skill-based standards that they want students to achieve like understanding photosynthesis. The students grade is based on how many of those standards they show competency in by the end of the semester. A student could show competency in a variety of ways, like a set of exam questions, homework problems or a group project. It is not limited to one type of assessment to demonstrate learning. This grading approach acknowledges that learning is a deeply complicated process that unfolds at different rates for different students. Other models could look like offering unlimited retakes on tests. Students may have to qualify for the retake by correcting all of the questions they got wrong on a previous exam. Or, teachers set up new assignments that draw on older standards students have previously met, so students have a second shot. Portfolio-based grading is common in the arts and in writing programs. A student has a lot of time to turn in an assignment and then get feedback on it from their teacher but no grade. The student eventually puts together a portfolio with the best of their assignments, and the portfolio as an entirety receives a grade. Another method is called collaborative grading, or ungrading, where students dont get grades throughout the semester. Instead, they get feedback from their teachers and complete self-assessments. At the end of the semester, the student and teacher collaboratively determine a grade. What is stopping alternative grading from becoming more widespread? There have been bursts of activity with grading reform over the past 100 years. The 1960s are a great example of such a period of activity. This is when gradeless colleges like The Evergreen State College were founded. Social media has helped this particular recent iteration gain traction, as educators can more easily communicate with other people who are grading in different ways. We are seeing the beginnings of a movement where individuals are trying to do something on this issue. But the issue has not yet drawn together coalitions of people who agree they want change on grading. Alternative forms of grading have caught on in some private schools, and they have not gained traction in other private schools. The same is true with public schools. Some challenges include logistical support from administrations in K-12 and colleges, teacher buy-in and parental support especially in K-12 settings. There is nothing more baked into the fabric of education than the idea of grades. Talking about reforming grading shakes this foundation a little, and that is why it is important to discuss what the alternatives are. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/a-b-c-or-d-grades-might-not-say-all-that-much-about-what-students-are-actually-learning-269066. Sen. John Fetterman has come out in support of President Donald Trumps blockade of Venezuelan oil shipments in yet another move that will surely rankle fellow Democrats. Fetterman appeared on NewsNation Tuesday night with host Chris Cuomo, who read a rambling post by Trump on his Truth Social platform in which he said Venezuela is surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. Bizarrely, Trump vowed that the blockade would grow until Venezuela returned Oil, Land, and other Assets that it has allegedly stolen from the United States. Trump went on to accuse Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros administration of taking money from stolen Oil Fields and financing Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping. Cuomo asked Fetterman what Venezuela had stolen and what he made of Trumps comments. What makes it is that Iran is involved on that and Russia is involved on that and China as well, too. I mean ... thats sanctioned oil right now, said Fetterman, and those are the kinds of funds that support regimes like in Iran as well, too. Absolutely right now its not a plan to, like, a land war and invade Venezuela and that but seizing those kinds of oil tankers, and its undeniable that thats oil thats going to support Iran and those are the kinds of funds that are used all kinds of illicit things (garbled) terrorism so for me it makes a lot of sense. This latest stance will likely further drive a wedge between Fetterman and Democrats already weary of his support for some Trump nominees and policies, such as immigration, and Israel; his vote to end the federal government shutdown without a deal to extend Obamacare subsidies now set to expire; and his willingness to continue scolding Democrats for their responses to Trumps actions. A clip of Fetterman discussing Trumps comments and the blockade was widely shared by conservatives on social media. Fetterman also defended the U.S. military strikes on boats leaving Venezuela supposedly carrying drugs, attacks that have been criticized as war crimes. Asked about a briefing he attended on the strikes, Fetterman said U.S. authorities have absolute confidence in what and who is on the targeted boats through extensive intelligence. Fetterman said media reports portraying the military as randomly attacking boats are not accurate. By Gillian McGoldrick, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) NEW YORK Pennsylvanias political class schmoozed their way across Midtown Manhattan this past weekend, bouncing from cocktail parties to swanky receptions organized to woo the elite ahead of a big midterm election year. Hundreds of Pennsylvania politicos made their way for the states annual weekend of civility, bipartisanship, fundraising, and more than a few hangovers. Four Inquirer political writers were among those who traveled to the Pennsylvania Society gathering, chatting with lawmakers and interviewing candidates inside the moody bars and penthouse parties. Here are our takeaways. Maybe Shapiro doesnt need Pa. Society anymore Gov. Josh Shapiro this year has hosted fundraisers in New Jersey and Massachusetts for his unannounced reelection campaign. But he didnt need to make the rounds this weekend among Pennsylvanias political elite as he emerges as a top contender for the 2028 Democratic nomination for president. Shapiro traveled to New York City only to deliver his annual speech to the Pennsylvania Society and honor former U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen, who received the societys top award. Instead of handshaking and fundraising like most incumbent governors would, Shapiro has largely avoided Pennsylvania Society mingling during his time as governor. His reelection campaign did not appear to change that. Instead, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis hosted a solo fundraiser for their joint reelection ticket. Theres a lot of demands on the governors time, Davis said following a speech at the annual luncheon hosted by the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association. The Third Congressional District race was the talk of the town Three of the candidates vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans in the Third Congressional District had a busy weekend in New York. State Sen. Sharif Street, pediatric surgeon Ala Stanford, and State Rep. Morgan Cephas made the rounds. Stanford held a somewhat star-studded fundraiser Thursday evening, hosted, according to a posted listing for the private event, by Hamilton actor Leslie Odom Jr. (who did not attend but lent his name). Street, the former state party chair and a longtime attendee at the Pennsylvania Society, held two fundraisers in Manhattan, fresh off his endorsement last week by former Gov. Ed Rendell. Not spotted: State Rep. Chris Rabb, who is running as an anti-establishment progressive. Thats not really my thing, he said in a text message. The Parker-Johnson relationship was a hot topic Philadelphia City Council wrapped up its final meeting of the year on the day before the Pennsylvania Society began, and the lawmakers gave the chatterati plenty to talk about in Manhattan, with a dramatic close to the session. One major topic of conversation in New York: What did Councils recent conflict with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker over her housing plan mean for the unusually tight relationship between Council President Kenyatta Johnson and the mayor? The consensus: Mom and Dad were fighting, but theyll probably patch things up. Disagreements between Council and mayor it happens, said Larry Ceisler, a Philadelphia-based public affairs executive whose firm hosted a packed party in Midtown on Saturday. Its the way the system is set up. But Ceisler said hes not worried that Parker and Johnson will abandon their goal of emulating then-Mayor Rendells close working relationship with Council President John F. Street in the 1990s. The fact is theyre certainly in sync more than theyre not, Ceisler said. Johnson, he said, likely improved his standing with members by holding firm against a last-minute amendment Parker proposed to alter Councils version of the housing plans budget. Parker and Johnson both made the trek to Manhattan, along with Councilmembers Rue Landau, Nina Ahmad, Jamie Gauthier, Jeffery Jay Young Jr., Kendra Brooks, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Jim Harrity, Cindy Bass, and Quetcy Lozada. The mayor also took the opportunity to engage in a bit of bipartisanship. She has often touted her ability to build relationships across the aisle, despite Philadelphia politics being dominated by Democrats. At the PMA luncheon, Parker embraced former Gov. Tom Corbett and gave a warm greeting to Auditor General Tim DeFoor, both Republicans. At the same event, Republican U.S. Sen Dave McCormick shouted out Parker multiple times during his prepared remarks. The pair has forged a working relationship despite their partisan differences. We talk about challenges in the city that were facing right now, and the hope is that we can count on some folks as allies, Parker said of meeting with members of the GOP. She added: Its great to try to maintain those lines of communication. Special interests woo political elite Many of the events were hosted by special-interest groups and corporations that have business with the government and are looking to win influence over glasses of Champagne. There were the usual suspects and big law firms: Duane Morris always hosts a marquee late-night event on Friday in the sprawling Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center. Other firms, including Cozen OConnor, Ballard Spahr, and Saul Ewing, also hosted cocktail parties. One notable newcomer to the party scene was Pace-O-Matic, the Georgia-based operator of skill games at the center of negotiations over regulation and taxing of the machines. The company, which has spent millions on political contributions and lobbying, threw a cocktail reception Thursday night at an Italian restaurant attended by a sizable contingent of state lawmakers. Legislators have yet to agree on how to regulate and tax skill games, which remain entirely unregulated and untaxed. But solutions seemed possible at the Pace-O-Matic party, as central Pennsylvania Republicans and Philadelphia Democrats milled about the bar in an unlikely alliance. Another bipartisan event this one in a sunny room atop the vintage Kimberly Hotel was hosted by Independence Blue Cross and AmeriHealth Caritas, insurance companies that have Medicaid contracts with the state. Lawmakers often credit the weekend of partying in New York as a time for civil conversations in a neutral territory that ultimately benefits a philanthropic cause at the Pennsylvania Societys annual dinner. But Rabbi Michael Pollack, who leads the government accountability group March on Harrisburg, said the civility seems to come only when special interests are footing the bill. Its absolutely embarrassing that our legislators can only interact with each other when a lobbyist sets up a playdate for them, he said. A Christmas budget ballad by DJ Ward Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward debuted a hidden musical talent on stage at the annual bipartisan Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry breakfast: She can write a Harrisburg holiday hit. I did live in Nashville for six years, and no one discovered me, she joked, before launching into a three-minute budget ballad to the tune of Deck the Halls. Ward (R., Westmoreland) debuted her song after an ugly budget battle that lasted 135 days and ended just last month. Punctuated by fa-la-las, she called out each of the top leaders who were in the closed-door budget talks. Ward is among Shapiros top critics. The two had hardly spoken since 2023 until Ward joined in-person budget negotiations at the end of October. During those negotiations, Ward has said Shapiro gave her a special heart-shaped cookie to break the ice. And it appears that shes not yet letting that go, dedicating a moment in her song to the encounter: Mr. Shapiro, give me a break You know you gave me that heart cookie cake Why are you saying that you didnt do it? Wards jingle wasnt the first time a Pennsylvania Republican leader leaned on the power of song during the bitter budget battle. At the peak of the clash over transit funding in August, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman quoted heavily from the lyrics of John Mellencamps" Small Town" in recalling his upbringing in rural western Pennsylvania. Shapiro will propose a new budget in February, restarting the budget negotiation process. Ward urged the group of leaders to take a break from fighting during the holiday season. Its Christmas, and were all here together Republicans and Democrats, and all who matter Lets celebrate the birth of Jesus For the next three weeks, lets not be egregious Perhaps next budget season will inspire a mixtape. 2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit www.inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A Pittsburgh Republican with ties to Sen. Dave McCormick has been tapped to represent Pennsylvania on the Republican National Committee. Lori Hardiman, vice president & general counsel for The First City Company in Pittsburgh, was lauded in a statement from the Pennsylvania Republican Party on Monday. Hardiman in the statement said she was honored and excited to serve as the states RNC member. I look forward to working with our leadership and grassroots activists across the commonwealth to strengthen our party and deliver real results for all Pennsylvanians, she said. Hardiman declined an interview request made by PennLive via the PA GOP. She is a proven leader, accomplished attorney, and successful businesswoman with a long record of leadership and success in everything she does, PA GOP Chairman and state Sen. Greg Rothman said of Hardiman. She has made her mark in the commonwealth because of her integrity and work ethic. We are excited to have her as an advocate for Pennsylvania and our party. In that same PA GOP statement, McCormick described Hardiman as an accomplished attorney and businesswoman, a strong conservative, a trusted advisor and friend. Earlier this year, McCormick announced Hardiman as the chair of the western district regional commission, one of three that recommend U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal candidates for vacancies in the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania. She has established herself as an effective and strong Republican leader in southwestern Pennsylvania, McCormick said. I am confident she is going to be a tremendous Republican National Committeewoman for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Besides representing the state on the RNC, the PA GOP said Hardiman will play a key role in advancing the partys mission across the commonwealth. Hardimans husband is U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman, who has twice been considered as a potential justice when there have been vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court. Yodchanan Wongsawat, former leader Thaksins nephew, was nominated as a prime minister candidate in Thailand's election set for 2026. Photo from Yodchanan Wongsawat's Facebook The populist party founded by Thailand's former leader Thaksin Shinawatra nominated his nephew on Tuesday as its top choice for prime minister in the upcoming election. Thaksin, a 76-year-old political heavyweight and one of Thailand's richest people, is currently serving a prison sentence in Bangkok for corruption during his time in office. His party, Pheu Thai, selected biomedical engineering professor Yodchanan Wongsawat as its first-listed candidate for prime minister in the general election set for Feb. 8. Yodchanan, 46, is a son of ex-prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and Thaksin's sister, Yaowapa Wongsawat. He told reporters in the capital on Tuesday that his relation to Thaksin came with the advantage of a singular vision. "I think that would be an advantage for us as a party. We actually have one vision that would be for the people," he said. Asked about his security policy, as deadly border clashes with Cambodia rage after a long-standing conflict reignited this month, Yodchanan said it "would be straightforward". "Sovereignty would be the priority and we need to save our people," he added. The renewed fighting has killed at least 32 people, including 16 Thai soldiers, a Thai civilian and 15 civilians in Cambodia, officials said. It has also displaced around 800,000 people on both sides. Yodchanan entered politics in 2014, running for parliament in the northern Shinawatra stronghold of Chiang Mai. But a court nullified the election after protesters against the government led by Thaksin's sister, Yingluck, blocked polling sites. Yodchanan received his PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, and teaches in the biomedical engineering department at Mahidol University in Thailand. He hold patents for several medical devices, including a "brain-controlled wheelchair" and "brain-based sleep alarm system", according to a CV provided by his party. The Shinawatra clan has for two decades been the key foe of Thailand's pro-military, pro-royalty elite, who view their populist brand of politics as a threat to the traditional social order. But the Shinawatra dynasty has faced a series of legal and political setbacks, including the court-ordered removal of Thaksin's daughter, Paetongtarn, as prime minister in August over an ethics breach. Pheu Thai's two other prime minister candidates include its party leader and former deputy finance minister Julapun Amornvivat and veteran politician Suriya Jungrungreangkit. President Xi Jinping meets with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou Fai, who is on a duty visit to Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou Fai, who is on a duty visit to Beijing. During the meeting, Xi heard a report from Sam on Macao's current situation and the Macao SAR government's work. Xi said that the central authorities fully recognize the work of Sam and the Macao SAR government. The fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China highlighted the need to resolutely implement the "one country, two systems" policy, under which the people of Macao administer Macao with a high degree of autonomy, and promote the long-term prosperity and stability in Macao, Xi noted. He said the Macao SAR government should align actively with the 15th Five-Year Plan, uphold and improve its executive-led government, solidly advance efforts to appropriately diversify Macao's economic development, and better integrate into and contribute to the country's overall development. Li Qiang, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Ganjie, Chen Wenqing, Xia Baolong and other officials were also present at the meeting. President Xi Jinping meets with Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou Fai, who is on a duty visit to Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Editor: WSH Charleston, SC (29403) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 45F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 45F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Growth & Development Reporter Caleb Bozard covers business, growth and development for The Post and Courier Columbia. He has previously written for The State and the Times and Democrat. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2023. NBU hopes for law on development of financial inclusion to come into force ASAP Photo: https://bank.gov.ua/ The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) supports the law on the development of financial inclusion and wants it to take effect as soon as possible. The NBU does not know why the president has delayed signing the law, the regulator said in response to a request from Interfax-Ukraine. "As a party that was directly involved in its development and advocacy, the National Bank is interested in the entry into force of the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in early June of this year and sent to the president for signature. We recognize the importance of financial inclusion and have addressed this issue for many years," the regulator said in response to an information request from Interfax-Ukraine. The NBU clarified that the reasons for the delay in signing the law are unknown to the regulator, which does not have the opportunity to influence this process, even hypothetically. The National Bank recalled that the aforementioned law clarifies its mandate and obligation to promote financial inclusion. It also introduces the concept of a "financial inclusion bank" (FIB) and the possibility of operating with a limited banking license. The NBU noted that owners of large retail chains, gas station chains, pharmacies, and postal companies, who already have experience servicing a significant number of clients and an extensive network of locations, may be interested in obtaining a limited banking license. Regarding Ukrposhtas previously announced intention to create a FIB based on the First Investment Bank (PIN Bank), which has become state-owned, the National Bank stated that, should an application be received, it would be considered in accordance with the current licensing requirements. The regulator emphasized that investors in any bank must confirm that the institution has the financial capacity to maintain its capital and liquidity throughout its operational period, and that it is engaged in profitable activity and has sufficient capital. These requirements apply to both regular banks and FIBs, and the financial stability of an institution with such social status must not be undermined. Additionally, the NBU noted that establishing a retail bank with over 1 million clients requires substantial investments, particularly in IT systems, internal controls, risk management, compliance and financial monitoring, operational stability, and IT security. According to the National Banks estimates, the investment budget for creating a retail bank of this scale will likely exceed UAH 1 billion. However, the National Bank did not comment on the dismissal of PIN Banks supervisory board last week. In response to questions regarding market interest, the NBU reported that, during the drafting of the law, postal operators in areas with limited banking network coverage and loyal customer bases, as well as banking associations representing existing market participants, expressed interest in the status of FIBs. The regulator emphasized that it would not disclose specific examples of interest due to commercial confidentiality. Due to the delay in the laws implementation, a new round of clarifications regarding potential investors readiness may be required. The NBU noted that financial inclusion development is not limited to creating FIBs. Regular banks and financial institutions can continue expanding service availability, and the regulator is planning measures to maintain financial institutions physical presence and develop service formats and channels. Greenville, SC (29601) Today Occasional light rain tapering to a few showers late. Low around 40F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Occasional light rain tapering to a few showers late. Low around 40F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Oschadbank has concluded a number of loan agreements with enterprises that are part of the Kernel group of companies, one of the largest agricultural holdings, for a total amount of $77 million, the bank's press service reported. According to the report, nearly half of the lending volume can be allocated by Kernel for investment purposes. These are non-renewable credit lines totaling $36.7 million, open for seven years. The funds are intended to update the agricultural machinery and equipment fleet to ensure the uninterrupted cultivation of agricultural land. They will also be used to finance/refinance capital expenditures related to the reconstruction of the Transbulk Terminal grain terminal in Chornomorsk, which belongs to the agricultural holding company. "This is the second largest grain terminal in the country. It was damaged by a Russian missile attack in 2023. The company is carrying out work to restore it and increase productivity," Oschadbank noted. Oschadbank also noted that the agreement allows the borrower to withdraw the entire $77 million credit limit during the term of the agreement to replenish working capital, provided that the limits for investment lending are reduced. Group companies can replenish working capital for the purchase of grain, fertilizers, plant protection products, fuels and lubricants, and other goods, works, and services. "When market leaders collaborate, development opportunities always multiply. Our partnership with Kernel began at the start of the full-scale invasion. Today, we have finalized the largest loan agreement of 2025 among all Ukrainian banks, totaling $77 million. Developing Ukraine's export agricultural potential is important for strengthening the state's economy. This is Kernel's main business direction and one of Oschadbank's priorities," emphasized Yuriy Katsion, Oschadbank's Deputy Chairman of the Board responsible for corporate business. "For Kernel, it is important to work with reliable partners willing to contribute to the implementation of strategic plans. Obtaining the limit was the result of our effective work and reliable reputation. Our cooperation with Oschadbank proves once again that the synergy between businesses and state financial institutions, aimed at supporting the agricultural sector and the stability of the Ukrainian economy, strengthens confidence in Ukrainian companies' development and helps them effectively overcome modern challenges," said Serhiy Volkov, Financial Director of the Kernel Group of Companies. PR-Inside.com: 2025-12-17 17:45:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 680 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Non-profit arm of the de-extinction company secures an additional $50 million, expands global projects and partnerships, and releases its inaugural Impact Report detailing progress in the fight against species extinction.DALLAS, TX / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / The Colossal Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of Colossal Biosciences, today announced it has secured an additional $50 million in funding, bringing its total capital to $100 million since launching just over a year ago.The Foundation also released its inaugural Impact Report detailing the progress and measurable conservation outcomes from this past year. Established to deploy Colossal's breakthrough de-extinction technologies to the front lines of the biodiversity crisis, the Foundation scales and accelerates partner-led efforts to protect wildlife, restore ecosystems, and build a resilient genetic safety net for species worldwide.In its inaugural year, the Foundation launched dozens of projects spanning six continents, supporting more than 40 species while collaborating with over 55 conservation, Indigenous, and academic organizations. The new funding will expand global conservation programs focused on critically endangered species, genetic rescue, wildlife monitoring, and species reintroduction efforts."In just 12 months, we've doubled the Colossal Foundation's funding, allowing us to massively expand our partners and projects-and deliver immediate impact for conservation," said Ben Lamm, Colossal CEO and co-founder. "As our technology advances, our role is clear: move these tools into the hands of those on the front lines of biodiversity loss, and scale conservation innovation fast enough to matter." With global wildlife populations declining nearly 70% and extinction rates exceeding natural levels by more than 100-fold, the Foundation's expansion addresses a biodiversity funding gap exceeding $700 billion annually."Traditional conservation remains essential but is no longer sufficient on its own. We are at a critical moment that demands seeing de-extinction and breakthrough biotechnologies not as fringe concepts, but as frontline strategies in the fight for biodiversity," said Matt James, Executive Director of the Colossal Foundation.Major First-Year AchievementsThe Foundation's 2025 Impact Reporthighlights breakthrough advances including cloning the world's first red "ghost" wolves to restore genetic diversity to America's most endangered canid; accelerating the world's first mRNA vaccine for elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV); two elephants at the Cincinnati Zoo were vaccinated and later exposed to EEHV, recovering without signs of illness; deploying AI-powered acoustic monitoring across Yellowstone to decode wolf communication; launching the Species Reintroduction Fund in partnership with Re:wild, supporting six flagship species across six countries; and committing $3 million to engineer chytrid-resistant amphibians in response to the deadliest wildlife pandemic in vertebrate history."This is the most detailed acoustic study of wild wolves ever conducted, and it's only the beginning," said Dan Stahler of the Yellowstone Wolf Project."I have witnessed elephants battle EEHV and have even lost a juvenile elephant that was under my care," said Matt James. "To be able to get a vaccine into the world that can stop this senseless loss means everything to me. This is why I joined Colossal." Building on its secured $100 million, the Colossal Foundation will continue raising additional reserves to launch new projects and scale impact across more species over the next decade.VIEW THE IMPACT REPORT HEREAbout The Colossal FoundationThe Colossal Foundation is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting the use of cutting-edge technologies in conservation efforts globally to help prevent extinction of keystone species. The organization deploys de-extinction technologies and support to empower partners in the field to reverse the extinction crisis. For more information, visitwww.ColossalFoundation.org About Colossal BiosciencesColossal was founded by emerging technology and software entrepreneur Ben Lamm and world-renowned geneticist George Church, Ph.D., and is the first to apply CRISPR technology for the purposes of species de-extinction. Colossal creates innovative technologies for species restoration, critically endangered species protection, and the repopulation of critical ecosystems that support the continuation of life on Earth. Colossal is accepting humanity's duty to restore Earth to a healthier state, while also solving for the future economies and biological necessities of the human condition through cutting-edge science and technologies. For more information, visitwww.colossal.com Media Contact:Emily@ colossal.com SOURCE: Colossal Foundation PR-Inside.com: 2025-12-17 05:00:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 979 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Google, Microsoft, and Apple claimed the top three slots. The US has the most representation, while China surpasses Japan and firmly holds the third position again.NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / The 22nd edition of the list of the World's 500 Most Influential Brands, exclusively compiled by World Brand Lab, was unveiled on December 17 in New York, US, followed by a launch summit held in Hong Kong. Google surpassed Apple to take the top spot. Microsoft remained in second place, while Apple ranked third. The United States dominated the list with 184 entries, maintaining its position as the leading brand powerhouse. France, China, Japan, and the UK formed the second tier of global brand powerhouses. China, with 50 entries, once again surpassed Japan's 40, firmly securing the third position. Outstanding Chinese brands included State Grid, Tencent, Haier, China Resources, China Minmetals, China Southern Power Grid, Wuliangye, Poly, Air China, Changhong, Tsingtao, Sinochem, China Huadian, Hengli, Shenghong, XCMG, Hengtong, Tongwei, and Bosideng. In the era of artificial intelligence (AI), as brands serve as a core medium for contemporary cultural symbols, their creative expression is facing the double-edged impact of generative AI.The World's 500 Most Influential Brands is judged on the basis of a brand's global influence. Brand influence refers to a brand's ability to develop and capture markets and make profits. Based on three key indicators of brand influence, namely market share, brand loyalty and global leadership, World Brand Lab tracked more than 8,000 leading brands around the globe to pioneer the World's 500 Most Influential Brands list. For assessing brand loyalty, data from iTrust Rating were referenced, and when gauging brand leadership, particularly ESG performance, SuperFinance's ESG database was consulted.Dr. Steve WOOLGAR, Chairman of the World Brand Lab academic committee and Emeritus Professor of Marketing at the University of Oxford, noted that the World Brand Lab has been compiling the World Brand Report for 22 years. In 2025, a total of 33 countries are represented on the list. In terms of national distribution, The United States ranked first with 184 brands. France, China, Japan, and the United Kingdom form the second tier of brand powerhouses, with 51, 50, 40, and 34 brands on the list, respectively. Germany, Switzerland, and Italy constituted the third tier. Despite escalating geopolitical conflicts and mounting economic pressures, Europe's super brands have shown strong resilience-these brands are not only economic assets, but also core carriers of contemporary cultural symbols, embodying national identity and social narratives. For instance, the steady performance of UK brands is a testament to the country's deep creative heritage. Against this backdrop, World Brand Lab, through its annual reports, summits, and curatorial initiatives, fosters interdisciplinary dialogue on brands as tools for contemporary cultural storytelling, and advances sustainable, culture-driven innovation.Research by the joint team of World Brand Lab and BrandAI finds that in an era flooded with AI-generated content, soul, the cultural depth and emotional distinctiveness infused by humans, has become a core driver of brand differentiation. Meanwhile, a study by SuperFinance shows that the correlation between brand value and ESG performance continues to strengthen. This year's World's 500 Most Influential Brands list spans 50 industries. Automobiles and parts led with 33 brands on the list; energy and food & beverage followed with 30 brands each, tying for second. Banking ranked fourth with 29 brands. Retail, computers, and communications each had 27 brands, tying for fifth. Other sectors represented include the internet (24), media (24), insurance (22), and telecommunications (21). With the advent of the AI era, tech brands related to AI have seen explosive growth. Globally, consumer spending growth has generally remained weak, and the rankings of food & beverage, media, and luxury brands have shown an overall decline.This year's list features a total of 23 new brands. The highest-ranked newcomer is Elevance Health from the United States, positioned at 173rd overall. As a leading player in US managed care, Elevance Health has continued to raise healthcare value and deliver shareholder returns through strong financial performance and innovation in digital health, setting a benchmark for the industry. Brands such as the UK's ARM, Singapore's Shopee, and the UAE's ADNOC also made the list. China added three new entrants-CATL, China Unicom, and TONGDING-highlighting the country's significantly strengthened capabilities in new energy, infrastructure, and information and communications. Among the brands that dropped off the list in 2025 were several long-established companies affected by weakening business performance and declining profitability, such as Campbell's and Goodyear in the United States. In addition, some brands fell off the list due to major strategic missteps or reputational damage caused by external shocks, including Hertz and Japan Post.The average age of the brands listed is 98.46 years, down from last year, mainly because rapid growth in the technology sector has driven the fast rise of a new cohort of younger brands. This year, there were 221 century-old brands, accounting for over 40% of the list. France's long-established company Saint-Gobain (360 years) is the oldest brand in the corporate world. Aviva and Moutai ranked second and third by brand age, each boasting a history of more than 300 years. Among the 50 Chinese brands on the list, only Moutai, Tsingtao, Wuliangye, Bank of China, and AIA are over 100 years old. By industry, the Food & Beverage sector stands out as the oldest, with 27 out of 30 brands surpassing the 100-year mark.The topic of this year's World Executive Summit and World's 500 Brands Release Event, held in Hong Kong on December 17, is From Data to Intelligence: Growth Operating Models for Branding and Marketing in the AI Era. A new study by World Brand Lab finds that global brands that use digital twin models to showcase ethical sourcing and sustainable practices across global supply-chain processes can enhance their brand image and attract socially conscious consumers. Prof. Maria SAENZ, the Director of the Digital Supply Chain Transformation Lab at MIT, believes that artificial intelligence is not merely a tool, but a dynamic partner that can sense, interact, adapt, and learn. Human-AI collaboration can significantly strengthen supply-chain resilience and innovation, enabling smarter operationa Microsoft said on Tuesday that its longstanding partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria had delivered digital training to over four million people since 2021. The Director for Government Affairs at Microsoft for West Africa, Nonye Ujam, disclosed this at a media roundtable in Lagos. Ms Ujam said that the milestone underscored Nigerias commitment to thriving in the digital economy. She added that recent figures indicated that 350,000 individuals have been actively engaged in its specialised students programmes. With 63,000 completing specific training pathways and 43,000 receiving global certification, she said. Ms Ujam announced additional training of 350,000 Nigerians in Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills, describing it as a major milestone in its National Skills Initiative (AINSI). The Microsoft executive said further that apart from the federal government, the skills initiative was also being carried out in collaboration with Data Science, Nigeria and Lagos Business School. She said that the milestone reaffirmed Microsofts commitment to transforming Nigerias digital landscape to upskilling five million citizens. Microsoft is equipping developers for the future through developer-focused programmes, creating a strong pipeline of technical talent. Also, through government-driven initiatives like Developers in Government (DevsInGov) and the three Million Technical Talent Initiative (3MTT) led by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, developers in public sectors have gained new skills, Ms Ujam explained. According to her, around 645 participants have been trained in analytics and AI integration. She said that another 1,000 developers learned advanced skills in areas such as DevOps, machine learning and data science. These efforts are helping Nigerias workforce prepare for the future by advancing AI fluency across the digital ecosystem, the Microsoft director said. Also speaking at the event, the Country General Manager, Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, Abideen Yusuf, said that Nigerias current AI adoption rate stood at 8.7 per cent, slightly below the Sub-Saharan average of 10 per cent. Mr Yusuf said that with Africas Gross Domestic Product projected to gain $1.5 trillion from AI by 2030, Nigeria must position its youth population within a median age of 18 years to lead in this sector. Nigeria cannot afford to wait, AI is reshaping every sector and the countries that move fastest on skills will lead. We are focusing on three key indices: the frontier (innovation), Infrastructure (connectivity and power), and most importantly, skills, he said. According to Mr Yusuf, by collaborating with the government to equip leaders, developers and tech users, Microsoft is building a future-ready workforce. It is also helping Nigerians adopt and adapt the technology, thereby maximising its potential, the country general manager noted. One of Microsofts partners, the Dean, Lagos Business School (LBS), Olayinka David-West, said that the partnership had successfully trained 99 public sector leaders from 58 agencies. Mrs David-West said that skill must go beyond technical building to include governance and risk management. She said that the leaders were trained so as to be able to ask the right question about safety, ethics and how to use AI to enable credit access and improve agricultural cycles. According to her, AI skilling is no longer optional for Nigerias digital future, it is the foundation of the nations competitiveness. At LBS, we believe that equipping leaders and citizens with AI capabilities is essential for driving inclusive growth, innovation and national transformation. According to the LBS dean, as it stands, a significant percentage of Nigerian graduates are still to acquire digital skills. She highlighted the importance of workforce readiness. Mrs David-West said that the second phase of Nigerias skilling programme under Microsofts AINSI aimed at reaching one million citizens in three years. She said that AINSI was helping to drive a range of different programmes designed to embed AI skills across every sector of the economy. The Founder, Data Science Nigeria, Bayo Adekanmbi, highlighted the structure used to reach the grassroots. Mr Adekanmbi, who was represented by the Business Lead, DSN, Aanu Oyeniran, said that through Microsofts support, 38 training partners across the country had been empowered with infrastructure to remove barriers to learning. He said that its collaboration with Microsoft had demonstrated that AI readiness required coordinated investment across every stakeholder group, government, developers, educators and communities. READ ALSO: Microsoft to shut down Skype in May According to him, by building capacity for evidence-driven governance, responsible innovation, classroom integration and community adoption, we are laying foundations for a globally competitive workforce. Mr Adekanmbi said that true digital transformation happened when the entire ecosystem moved forward together. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the technology company says it is committed to making AI available broadly, and doing so responsibly with a mission to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more. (NAN) Photo: https://www.facebook.com/ The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces recorded 278 combat clashes over the past 24 hours. This was reported in a Telegram update on the Russian invasion as of 8:00 a.m. Wednesday. "Yesterday, the enemy carried out 74 airstrikes and dropped 179 guided bombs. In addition, it carried out 3,729 attacks, including 75 from multiple launch rocket systems, and deployed 3,523 kamikaze drones," the General Staff reported. Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), said a statement circulating in his name, responding to recent allegations by Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited, did not emanate from him. Mr Ahmed, in a disclaimer sent to PREMIUM TIMES early on Wednesday, explained that while he is aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against him and his family and the frenzy it has generated, he has chosen not to engage in public brickbat. He said he is thankful that the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution, adding that he believes that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and clear his name. My attention has been drawn to a purported response I was said to have made on the recent allegations against my person. I hereby state categorically that the so-called statement did not emanate from me. While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family and the frenzy it has generated, as a regulator of a sensitive industry, I have opted not to engage in public brickbat. Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution. I believe that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and to clear my name, Mr Ahmed said. The allegations On Sunday, Mr Dangote accused Mr Ahmed of economic sabotage, which he said is undermining domestic refining in Nigeria. Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, he accused the leadership of the NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products. Mr Dangote claimed that Mr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, adding that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into several million of dollars. He said such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector. On Monday, he expanded his allegations, accusing Mr Ahmed of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, and providing estimated figures for his childrens education abroad. According to him, Mr Ahmed spent about $5 million on secondary education and upkeep over six years, and an additional $2 million on tertiary education, including $210,000 for Faisal Farouks 2025 Harvard MBA. On Tuesday, Mr Dangote submitted a petition to the anti-graft agency, ICPC, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), calling for Mr Farouks arrest, investigation, and prosecution for allegedly living above his means as a public officer. The petition, addressed to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman Musa Aliyu, alleged that Mr Ahmed spent without evidence of lawful means of income amounting to over $7 million for the education of his four children in Switzerland. It provided the childrens names, schools, and specific amounts for verification. Mr Dangote further accused Mr Ahmed of using his position to embezzle public funds, prompting protests from civil society groups. He cited section 19 of the ICPC Act, which empowers the commission to investigate and prosecute corrupt practices, noting that a successful prosecution could result in a five-year jail term without an option of fine. He urged the ICPC to act decisively, stressing that he remained available to provide evidence supporting his claims. The National Pension Commission (PenCom) on Tuesday said it has disbursed N577.26 billion to 1,053,000 Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs), easing long-standing pension arrears under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The Head of PenComs Management Services Department, Usman Musa disclosed this at the 2025 PenCom Media Conference in Abuja. The payments were made from the N758 billion Federal Government bond approved earlier this year to settle outstanding pension liabilities. PenCom said the funds had reached the RSAs of retirees and active contributors. In a whole, the total payout of N577,264,960,890 has already hit the RSAs of either retirees or pension contributors. In total, this has directly impacted 1,053,000 Retirement Savings Accounts, Mr Musa said. He said the full N758 billion bond approved by the federal government had been released to the commission. According to him, N387 billion of the bond was earmarked for pension increases, out of which N362.7 billion has been paid. He said the balance was still being processed. Mr Musa also said PenCom remitted N107 billion to cover a 2.5 per cent pension contribution shortfall by the federal government between 2017 and 2021, when contributions were not fully remitted. The funds, he said, were paid directly into the RSAs of 750,232 contributors. A significant share of the payouts went to security sector retirees. Out of the 354 billion weve paid out, 32% of it, N132 billion, was paid out to the police, he said. Earlier, PenCom Director-General, Omolola Oloworaran, said the approval and disbursement of the N758 billion bond marked one of the most significant interventions in Nigerias pension administration. She said the bond sent a clear signal that the government was committed to clearing pension backlogs and strengthening confidence in the CPS. As part of efforts to improve benefit adequacy, Ms Oloworaran said PenCom introduced Pension Post 1.0, which has added N2.68 billion to monthly pension payments for CPS retirees since June. These are not just numbers. They are meals on tables, medicine bought, debts settled, and dignity preserved, she said. PenCom also tightened compliance across the pension value chain in 2025 by linking Pension Clearance Certificates to participation in pension-related financial transactions. The commission said companies without valid certificates are barred from doing business with Pension Fund Administrators, custodians and major banks. The move, PenCom said, led to a sharp rise in recoveries. Pension recoveries between January and November 2025 rose to N4.04 billion, compared with N1.44 billion recorded in the whole of 2024. Of that amount, N2.06 billion was recovered in the third quarter alone. This clearly demonstrates that when compliance is tied to real economic consequences, behaviour changes, Ms Oloworaran said. Nigeria introduced the Contributory Pension Scheme in 2004 to replace the old defined-benefit system, which was characterised by funding gaps, weak oversight and delayed payments. While the CPS improved transparency, pension arrears, particularly unpaid accrued rights and pension increases, persisted for years due to funding shortfalls. In February 2025, the Federal Executive Council approved the issuance of a N758 billion bond to fully settle outstanding pension liabilities, including accrued pension rights, pension increases since 2007, the Pension Protection Fund and the university professors pension shortfall. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has told international investors that Nigeria remains committed to macroeconomic stability, as the country pursues economic reforms amid global financial uncertainty and persistent domestic pressures. Mr Cardoso spoke on Monday in Washington, DC, at the US Nigeria Executive Business Roundtable, where he engaged senior business leaders and institutional investors on Nigerias economic outlook. He said Nigerias reform programme was anchored on rules-based economic management, transparent markets and predictable policy frameworks, which he described as critical to restoring investor confidence. According to him, recent changes in the foreign-exchange market, the adoption of orthodox monetary policy, ongoing banking-sector reforms and the modernisation of the payments system were aimed at stabilising the economy and enabling private-sector-led growth. The roundtable was convened by the US Chamber of Commerces US-Africa Business Centre. Discussions focused on macroeconomic stabilisation, regulatory clarity and opportunities to scale bankable projects across priority sectors of the Nigerian economy, as Nigeria seeks to strengthen commercial ties with the United States. Commenting on the discussions, the President of the US-Africa Business Centre at the US Chamber of Commerce, Kendra Gaither, said investors were increasingly focused on policy credibility and consistency. What investors are responding to today is clarity, clear rules, credible reforms, and a seriousness of purpose. Nigerias message is increasingly one of discipline and opportunity, and that matters in a global economy seeking actively for stability and predictability. READ ALSO: CBN targets wider agricultural lending as Cardoso unveils new ACGSF board Nigeria has implemented a series of economic reforms over the past year, including adjustments to the foreign-exchange framework, tighter monetary policy and efforts to strengthen banking supervision, as authorities seek to rein in inflation, stabilise the naira and improve capital inflows. The engagement in Washington comes as Nigeria competes with other emerging markets for foreign investment at a time of elevated global interest rates and tighter financial conditions. The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest and detention of TikToker Habeeb Peller Hamzat following a car crash along the LekkiEpe Expressway in Lagos. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the 20-year-old allegedly attempted suicide by crashing his newly acquired Mercedes-Benz during an emotional livestream, which followed a break-up with his girlfriend, TikToker Amadou Jarvis (Jadrolita) Aminata. Confirming the development in a statement posted on the police commands official X page on Tuesday, the police spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, said Peller was arrested and detained for further investigation. Ms Adebisi added that the incident not only endangered Pellers life but also posed a serious risk to other road users. She added: His action constitutes a deliberate attempt to commit suicide and endangered the life of other innocent people. The case is currently being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). The outcome of the investigation will be made public, and the suspect will be charged in the court of competent jurisdiction in accordance with the law. Warning Additionally, Ms Adebisi said the Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, warned social media influencers, content creators and members of the public against using social media platforms to engage in or promote reckless, dangerous, unlawful or criminal acts. She added that Mr Jimoh stressed that lawlessness would not be tolerated and that the full weight of the law would be applied to anyone found culpable. The Command further urges all road users to comply strictly with traffic regulations and remains committed to ensuring public peace and safety at all times. Backstory Pellers arrest came after the Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, announced that he would be prosecuted over the incident. This newspaper earlier reported that Mr Mohammed described the act as unlawful and extremely dangerous, noting that it led to a road traffic crash. He warned that the incident could easily have resulted in the loss of lives. Reiterating the dangers of distracted and reckless driving, particularly the use of mobile devices on public roads, Mr Mohammed warned of the grave risks such behaviour posed to road users. He stressed that the case served as a stark reminder that fame conferred no immunity from the law and did not excuse dangerous behaviour on the highways. The founder of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry, popularly known as Liberation City, Chris Okafor, has married his partner, Pearl, amid ongoing allegations levelled against him by actress Doris Ogala. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Ogala accused the cleric of ruining her life, alleging that he ended their nine-year relationship to marry another woman. She claimed that the pastor would never marry anyone else and vowed to disrupt the wedding. However, pictures from both the traditional and white wedding ceremonies of the pastor and Pearl surfaced on social media on Wednesday. Reports indicated that the ceremonies took place on Tuesday in Lekki, Lagos. The wedding was reportedly attended by a large crowd of family members and friends, who gathered to celebrate the union. Following the circulation of the wedding photos, netizens reacted, expressing mixed opinions on the development involving the pastor. Ogalas demand However, the actress revealed in a video shared on her Instagram page on Monday that the only condition under which Mr Okafor could marry her was his full compliance with her demands. She said his lawyer was already working on the conditions she presented to the clergyman, adding that one non-negotiable demand was that he must buy her a house. I dont lie. Before Chris will beg me, hell buy me a house. Will the man I dated for seven to eight years leave me to marry another woman? Since 2017, he has not given me money. The only money I collected from him is #300,000. My lawyer is writing my demands. Dont make it look like Im not demanding anything. This man told me to leave my marriage. This one left me shattered, and he wanted to marry. No, hell settle me. It is my right Im asking for. Since 2017, nine years of sleeping with me back-to-back. You said he shouldnt give me anything and just marry like that. But hell buy a house for me. If he settles and buys me a house, why will I stop the marriage? Since 2017, my brother died, and I went to the cell, and I wouldnt make demands. My demand is coming; its in the law, so hell buy me a house. In the law, you cant promise a woman marriage and break her or leave her and wont give her anything, its not possible. Ogala added. She further stated that she possessed evidence showing that Mr Okafor promised to marry her. The actress also dismissed claims that she was acting maliciously or deliberately seeking to disrupt another persons happiness. She added, Im Doris. He asked me a question and said, What is your profession? Im an actor. I have a demand. He disgraced my life. Took away my career. Im not okay, Im suicidal. I cant do anything at this point. Chris must settle with me, or we will die in the marriage. Whether he leaves the marriage and marries m, or buys me a house. He has been sleeping with me since 2017. I can calculate how much. Did you tell me that I was also buying gifts for his children? Im not a wicked person; its my right, and he will do it; he will buy me the house. My demand paper is coming. Ill soon serve him. Backstory This newspaper earlier reported that Mr Okafor, while responding to Ogalas allegations during his sermon on Sunday, stated that no man would willingly choose to settle down with an arrogant woman. He further claimed that no man would marry a woman from a household lacking a good name or respectable reputation. You are a young lady being arrogant, behaving and talking to people anyhow, saying I dont respect anybody because I am not well. You are a young lady, unmarried, and you are talking like that. Which man will marry whos not well? Which man wants to marry you when they know that you have slept with different men? God forbid. I know what Im saying might be painful, but we listen; the truth is better. Its bitter, but its better for us,he said. Mr Okafor was previously married to Bessem Okafor, who accused him in 2014 of physically assaulting her at their Magodo, Lagos home, according to Daily Post. Bessem, who left the marital home in 2012, alleged that the assault occurred when she visited to see their four children, who were in their fathers custody at the time. In a 2019 interview with City People, Mr Okafor stated that he had not remarried since his divorce, explaining that he was unwilling to settle down with a woman who might later pose a threat to him. He said, I dont want to marry someone who will become a threat to my children, because once a woman comes in and she starts having children, the first thing theyll begin to say is, Oh, maybe this man is rich or something and your children become a target. I wouldnt want to put my children in such a situation. You see, you dont deliberately go into danger without seeing it. Reactions Below are some of the comments from netizens. Hes finally married .. lol That Soft Gurl (@Baby_Beedee) December 17, 2025 The controversy surrounding the selection of a new Awujale of Ijebuland in Ogun State deepened on Wednesday, as the Fidipote Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode sought to disqualify the Fusengbuwa Ruling House which is next in line to produce the monarch. The Fidipote ruling house, also known as the House of Fidipote, is the fourth of the four ruling houses entitled to the throne, while the Fusengbuwa ruling house is the third in line. The house (Fusengbuwa) is currently in line to produce the next Awujale. The late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona who died on 13 July 2025 was from the House of Anikinaiya (the second in line). PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that disagreements had trailed the process of selecting a candidate to occupy the vacant stool, with the dispute involving Fuji music icon Wasiu Kwam 1 Ayinde. Kwam 1, on 3 December indicated interest in becoming the new Awujale but it has been a controversial ride ever since. The ruling house seeking the disqualification of the Fusengbuwa ruling house was the same house with which Kwam 1 was affiliated before the Awujale stool became vacant. The late Awujale, had in 2023 conferred on the musician the title of Olori Omo-Oba through the Fidipote ruling house, Punch stated. Revocation In a two-page letter addressed to the Secretary of the Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area, the Fidipote house urged the local council and the Ogun State Government to revoke the eligibility of the Fusengbuwa house to present candidates for the vacant Awujale stool, according to a report by Punch. The letter, co-signed by the Head and Secretary of the Fidipote Ruling House, Tajudeen Omotayo and Tunde Aderibigbe, argued that the statutory period allotted to the Fusengbuwa ruling house to present candidates had elapsed. They contended that this lapse rendered the Fusengbuwa ineligible to nominate candidates for the throne, citing provisions of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021, and the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration of 1959. According to the Fidipote ruling house, although the Fusengbuwa was initially entitled to produce candidates, it failed to do so within the 14 days prescribed by law. The said statutory period of fourteen (14) days lapsed on 16th December. 2025, without the submission of any candidate(s) by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, to the best of our knowledge. By virtue of Section 16(1)(c) of the Ogun State Chiettaincy Law, 2021, where the ruling house first entitled fails to submit candidate(s) within the prescribed time, the next ruling house entitled under the order of rotation contained in the Declaration becomes legally entitled to present candidate(s). Under the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration of 1959, the next ruling house, entitled after the Fusengwa Ruling House, is the Fidipote Ruling House, said the Fidipote Ruling House. Notification They further disclosed that the Fusengbuwa ruling house was notified and invited, via a letter dated 2 December 2025, to submit its nominees in accordance with Section 16(1)(a) and (b) of the law. They added that Section 15(1)(b) of the law requires a ruling house to forward the names of its candidates within 14 days of receiving such notification. They added, We respectfully refer to your letter dated December 2, 2025, with Reference No 10LG584/0/29, wherein the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was formally notified and invited to present candidate(s) for the vacant stool of Awujale in accordance with Section 16(1)(a) and (b) of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021. Take notice as follows: Section 161(b) of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021 mandatorily provides that a ruling house so entitled shall submit the name(s) of its candidate(s) not later than fourteen (14) days after the announcement by the Secretary af the competent council. Intention Furthermore, they notified the authorities of their intention to present candidates for consideration and screening by the kingmakers. They invited the Secretary of the Local Government, or an authorised representative, to attend its general meeting as an observer, in line with Section 16(1)(d) of the law. They stated that the meeting will be held on 20 December at the Fidipote Royal Hall, 12 Fusigboye Street, Idewon Quarters, Ijebu-Ode, at 10 a.m. They explained that the purpose of the meeting was to allow aspiring candidates to formally express interest, undergo screening by eligible family members in accordance with customary law, and participate in voting and the selection of candidates to be forwarded to the kingmakers. Pursuant to Section 16(1)(d) of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021, which authorises the presence of the Secretary of the Local Government or his duly authorised representative as an observer at meetings of ruling houses, we hereby cordially invite you to attend the General Meeting of the Fidipote Royal Family, scheduled as follows: Date: Saturday, 20th December, 2025. Venue: Fidipote Royal Hall, 12 Fusigboye Street, idewon Quarters, lebu Ode, Ogun State. Time: 10:00 am. In the letter, copies of which were also forwarded to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and other relevant authorities, they assured the government that the process would be conducted peacefully, transparently, and strictly in accordance with the law, established customary practices, and the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration of 1959. Backstory This newspaper learnt that the Fusengbuwa ruling house suspended its nomination meeting for candidates seeking the vacant stool. At the time, no fewer than 60 contenders were reportedly jostling to become the next Awujale. The Chairman of the Fusengbuwa ruling house and former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Abdulateef Owoyemi, said the meeting was suspended following an intervention by the state government aimed at preventing procedural lapses that could lead to litigation. Mr Owoyemi added that the ruling house was invited to a meeting by the state government to review the steps taken so far and to ensure full compliance with extant laws. He dismissed suggestions that the postponement was linked to the candidature of Kwam 1, whom the ruling house stated was not a member of the Fusengbuwa ruling house and was therefore not qualified to contest. This newspaper reported that, as of press time, the 68-year-old had not commented on the controversy since declaring himself entitled to the throne. Kwam 1, however, criticised those questioning his ancestry and his decision to vie for the revered stool, insisting that no one could silence him. The Donald Trump administration has imposed travel restrictions on Nigerians hoping to travel to the US, citing security concerns and difficulties in vetting nationals. The new restriction bars entry for Nigerians seeking to enter the US as green card holders, or on B1, B2, B1/B2, F, M, and J visas. This means Nigerians who hold visas for business (B1), tourism (B2), combined business and tourism (B1/B2), academic studies (F), vocational or nonacademic studies (M), and exchange programmes (J) are now barred from entering the United States under the new restrictions. The White House announced the new restrictions in a proclamation published on its website on Tuesday. The entry into the United States of nationals of Nigeria as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended, the statement reads. The US raised the operations of radical Islamist groups in Nigeria and the persistent security crisis as some of the reasons for its decisions. It claimed that as a result of the security crisis, the government found it difficult to properly check or verify the background, security, or risk of people coming from those countries. It also stated that Nigerians have a high rate of visa overstay in the US. Radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties. According to the Overstay Report, Nigeria had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 11.90 percent. The entry into the United States of nationals of Nigeria as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended, the White House said. The Trump administration also said consular officers in Nigeria have been instructed to reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Nigeria to the extent permitted by law. The restrictions come weeks after the US designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, after Mr Trump accused Nigeria of supporting Islamic extremists persecuting Christians in Nigeria. The Nigerian government denied the accusation, saying the security crisis in the country was more complex. However, talks on Nigerias security crisis have been ongoing between both countries. Both countries have sent high-level delegations to each other. On Monday, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, and Nigerias Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, met to discuss areas of mutual concern. Restriction on other countries Meanwhile, the proclamation imposed restrictions on 14 other countries. The proclamation added 15 countries to the seven countries that had been placed under partial restrictions in June. The other newly added countries are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote dIvoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. According to the proclamation, the new ban will take effect on 1 January. Also, it applies only to foreign nationals outside the United States who do not have a valid visa on the effective date of the proclamation. The restrictions and limitations imposed by this proclamation are necessary: to garner cooperation from foreign governments, including as to reducing overstay rates of their nationals; enforce our immigration laws; and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives, the proclamation read. The Trump administration also cited a high rate of nationals from these countries overstaying their visas as the reason for the restriction. However, lawful permanent residents, diplomatic visas, athletes for major events, and certain special immigrant visas were granted an exemption. The US also granted an exemption to persecuted ethnic and religious minorities from Iran. However, new visa applicants in these countries will not currently be allowed to enter the US. Total travel ban Meanwhile, the US government imposed a total travel ban on Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Syria, and Sudan. It said these countries are problematic because of their record of presenting fraudulent or unreliable civil documents, criminal records, and widespread corruption. The US government claims that travel bans are a way to protect the country against foreign terrorists and other security threats. US authorities also said they found it difficult to properly check or verify the background, security, or risk of people coming from those countries. The administration also stated that the countries had a general lack of stability and government control, which made vetting difficult. The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives, the White House proclamation read. It also imposed a ban on Palestine Authority passport holders. The US identified two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the presence of the Hamas group in Palestinian population centers, as reasons for this ban. In June, President Donald Trump imposed a travel ban on 12 countries and travel restrictions on seven others. At the time, countries that received an outright ban included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Those with heightened restrictions were Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. World leaders meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York have adopted a landmark global declaration committing governments to address non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions in a collaborative effort. In a statement, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the agreement marks the first time countries have jointly pledged to address chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes alongside mental health conditions, acknowledging their growing toll on lives, health systems and national economies worldwide. NCDs remain among the leading causes of death globally, while mental health conditions affect more than one billion people, according to the WHO. The declaration sets measurable targets to be achieved by 2030, including reducing tobacco use, improving the control of high blood pressure and expanding access to mental health care for millions of people. WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus described the commitments as a once in a generation opportunity to change the trajectory of global health and improve the quality of life. The agreement also called on countries to strengthen national health policies, expand access to essential services, and secure sustainable financing to translate political commitments into action. Progress will be tracked through regular United Nations reporting, with governments expected to demonstrate concrete results in the years to come. Rising burden In recent months, PREMIUM TIMES has reported growing concerns from the WHO regarding the changing pattern of health challenges in Africa and worldwide. In November, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the WHO raised an alarm over the rising burden of NCDs in Africa, warning that these conditions have become one of the continents greatest development threats. The organisation noted that diseases such as cardiovascular illnesses, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory conditions now account for a growing proportion of deaths on the continent, increasing from 21 per cent in 2000 to more than 35 per cent in 2021. WHO officials described the trend as a silent epidemic, emphasising that weak health systems, limited funding, and inadequate access to preventive care are exacerbating outcomes and placing an increasing strain on households and national economies. Similarly, in September, PREMIUM TIMES also noted that the WHO had drawn attention to the global mental health crisis, revealing that more than one billion people worldwide are living with mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression. The report highlighted suicide as a major public health concern, with an estimated 727,000 deaths recorded globally in 2021. The WHO attributed the worsening crisis to persistent gaps in mental health care, chronic underfunding, shortages of trained mental health professionals and significant inequalities in access to services, particularly in low and middle-income countries. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) said it will continue with todays scheduled protest despite Tuesdays meeting with President Bola Tinubu. Mr Tinubu met the leadership of the labour union late on Tuesday with the hope of shelving the nationwide protest. Addressing reporters at the Labour house on Wednesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero said the protest would hold as planned. Mr Ajaero said the meeting with the president did not lead to a cancellation of the protest. The meeting with the president yesterday never meant we cancelled the protest. We never spoke to the press on the cancellation of the protest, he said. NLC is an organisation that has its own channels of communication. We never released any information that the protest was cancelled. READ ALSO: NLC protest starts slowly in Abuja Mr Ajaero said the NLC had written multiple letters to President Tinubu since 17 June regarding the state of physical, food and financial security in the country. However, none of the letters has been responded to, he said. It took this issue of action basically to protest and to listen to the physical and financial insecurity the workers are facing and yesterday. Through the (Nigeran) Governors Forum and the Progressive Governors Forum, we were able to secure a meeting with the president and we listed all the issues, including the crisis in the academic institutions, he added. President Bola Tinubu has replaced the heads of two petroleum agencies, including one accused of corruption by Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited. In a statement on Wednesday, the presidency said Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Gbenga Komolafe, the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), both resigned their positions. Mr Ahmed had been embroiled in controversy with allegations of corruption and abuse of office made by Mr Dangote, whose refinery is the largest in Africa. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, in the statement, also named two new appointees to replace the exiting officials. On Sunday, Mr Dangote accused Mr Ahmed of economic sabotage, which he said is undermining domestic refining in Nigeria. Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, he accused the leadership of the NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products. Mr Dangote claimed that Mr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, stating that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at a cost running into several million dollars. He said such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector. On Monday, he expanded his allegations, accusing Mr Farouk of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, providing detailed figures for his childrens education abroad. According to him, Mr Farouk spent about $5 million on secondary education and upkeep over six years, and an additional $2 million on tertiary education, including $210,000 for Faisal Farouks 2025 Harvard MBA. On Tuesday, Mr Dangote submitted the petition through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), calling for Mr Farouks arrest, investigation, and prosecution for allegedly living above his means as a public officer. The petition, addressed to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman Musa Aliyu, alleged that Mr Farouk spent without evidence of lawful means of income amounting to over $7 million for the education of his four children in Switzerland. It provided the childrens names, schools, and specific amounts for verification. Mr Dangote further accused Mr Farouk of using his position to embezzle public funds, prompting protests from civil society groups. He cited Section 19 of the ICPC Act, which empowers the commission to investigate and prosecute corrupt practices, noting that a successful prosecution could result in a five-year jail term without the option of a fine. He urged the ICPC to act decisively, stressing that he remained available to provide evidence supporting his claims. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Ahmed said that while he is aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against him and his family, and the frenzy they have generated, he has chosen not to engage in public debate. He said he was thankful that the person behind the allegations had taken it to a formal investigative institution, adding that he believes that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distil the issues and clear his name. Read Mr Onanugas full statement below. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA. The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry. Ms Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the NNPC and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (20232024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023. Mr Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering. He was announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy. His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail. He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Mr Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the EscravosLagos Pipeline Expansion, the AjaokutaKadunaKano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train. Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) Hungary has blocked the EU's annual statement on its enlargement process, in particular on Ukraine's progress, DW reported on Tuesday. "The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban did not support a positive assessment of Ukraine's efforts towards European integration, Denmark, which currently holds the EU presidency, announced at consultations in Brussels on Tuesday, December 16," DW reported. The remaining EU member states confirmed that Ukraine has made progress in fulfilling Brussels' demands. German Minister for European Affairs Gunther Krichbaum called Hungary's actions "increasingly destructive" and accused the Budapest government of obstructing EU decisions. "Hungary's veto means that Ukraine still cannot begin formal negotiations on EU accession. However, informal consultations on the terms of Ukraine's membership are already underway," noted Danish Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) embarked on a nationwide protest on Wednesday to call on the government to swiftly address the worsening insecurity in the country. Addressing protesters and journalists shortly after the protest in Abuja, the Deputy General Secretary of the NLC, Ismaila Bello, said insecurity has had enormous damage in many parts of the country. Mr Bello lamented the spate of insecurity in the country, noting it has left teachers and pupils out of school and residents out of their community He asked the government to fish out the perpetrators of violence, including their sponsors, for prosecution. What we are saying is that the damage is too enormous; it has to stop. We want people to return to normalcy and not live in IDPs. They should live in their communities, children should return to schools, teachers should be protected, that is all we are saying, and our constitution guarantees that. All the government needs to do is bring all the powers and machinery of governance to ensure that all the ungoverned places in our country are recovered immediately, to ensure that everybody who is connected with this underground economy is fished out and punished, shamed, and sent to prison. A few elements cannot thrive on the agony and pain of the majority of our people. If you are a sponsor of banditry or kidnapping, you should face a death sentence. You are involved in banditry and kidnapping; you should pay the ultimate price. That is why Labour is out today, he said. NLC meet governors Mr Bello explained that the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and other NLC executive members left the protest ground to meet with the state governors and local government authorities concerning the subject of the protest. As we are doing our protest here, we are also having dialogue there, to demand from the state governors, and local governments, to demand from the federal government the need to step up the security of the country, so that ordinary citizens enjoy maximum protection, he said. The NLCs head of International Affairs, Uche Ekwe, called for the prosecution of perpetrators and funders of terrorism in the country. Mr Ekwe also appreciated members of the union and civil society allies who participated in the protest. How protest was held in Abuja, Lagos In Abuja, the protest was mostly held at the NLC headquarters in the Central Business District (CBD), Abuja, before a brief movement through the district and back to the labour house. In Lagos, the protesters gathered at the Ikeja underpass on Wednesday morning. In both cities, protesters chanted solidarity songs, waved the Union Flag, and held placards with various inscriptions. Some of the placards read Security and Safety our fundamental rights , Stop the killings, Federal government no more excuses and rhetoric! End insecurity now and Poverty Fuels Insecurity. Mr Ajaero told reporters on Wednesday morning that the protest would continue despite a late-night meeting with President Bola Tinubu, whose government sought to quell the protests. He also disclosed that the union would be meeting with the state governors on the rising cases of insecurity. The NLC had on Sunday announced it would embark on a nationwide protest to draw attention to Nigerias worsening insecurity and compel urgent action from stakeholders. The Senate on Wednesday asked the federal government to establish a dedicated fund to address corruption, porous borders, and religious extremism, which are identified as major drivers of Nigerias insecurity. This followed the adoption of the interim report of the Senate ad hoc committee on the National Security Summit during the plenary session. The report was presented by the committees chairperson and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, and adopted through a voice vote. Mr Bamidele said the proposed fund should tackle the root causes of insecurity, including unemployment, poverty, corruption in governance, cultism, drug abuse, porous borders, illiteracy, hunger and radicalisation by religious extremists. The federal government should establish a fund to address the root causes of insecurity, which are: unemployment, poverty, corruption in governance, cultism, use of drugs and drug addiction, porous border, illiteracy, hunger and radicalisation by religious extremists, he said. He further called for the creation of a National Youth Stabilisation Fund, initially targeted at conflict-affected regions, to support local economic recovery, youth empowerment, and community resilience. In doing this, a National Youth Stabilisation Fund, which should be targeted at conflict-affected regions in the first instance, is very imperative. This fund would support local economic recovery, youth empowerment and community resilience, Mr Bamidele stated. Other recommendations The committee also recommended the establishment of state police to address rising insecurity, since the Constitution recognises state governors and local government chairmen as chief security officers of their respective domains. Mr Bamidele said that constitutional amendments are necessary to grant states and local governments control over security apparatus within their jurisdictions. As part of the recommendations, the committee urged states, with federal support, to establish local security liaison committees in every ward to serve as the primary link between communities and security agencies. The committees, he said, should comprise community members, traditional rulers, occupational groups, religious leaders, women and youth representatives to enhance intelligence gathering and build trust between security personnel and local communities. The states, with federal government support ,should establish a local security liaison committee in every ward. This committee to serve as the major link between the people and the Security Agencies. It should provide and supervise the first response in the locality (ward). The committee should comprise local community/members, traditional, occupational, religious, women and youth leaders. This will ensure effective intelligence gathering as well as build trust between security personnel and the local community, he said. The committee further advised the federal government to expand training and capacity-building programmes for security personnel to include border security, counter-terrorism, intelligence gathering and joint workshops with international and regional partners. It also disclosed that the National Assembly would sponsor and fast-track a National Security and Recovery Bill for conflict-affected communities to provide sustained funding for infrastructure rebuilding, livelihood restoration and reintegration. Mr Bamidele added that security agencies should leverage technology by deploying modern surveillance systems, such as CCTV, drones, and sensors, along border communities, while upgrading border posts, improving patrol mobility, and strengthening communication and rapid-response capacity. The committee advocated for official recognition of traditional institutions and religious leaders as security stakeholders to promote inclusion, dialogue, early warning signals, and deradicalisation. It emphasised that religious leaders must preach messages of peace, tolerance, and the sanctity of life, while warning that those who promote hatred, division, or violence should be held accountable under the law. The committee also urged full implementation of local government autonomy to enhance grassroots security and called for the fast-tracking of constitutional amendments to enforce it. On the Niger Delta, the committee recommended that issues of social injustice, marginalisation, economic deprivation, environmental degradation caused by oil spills and gas flaring be decisively addressed by the federal government in collaboration with state governments and host communities. The committee condemned the activities of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), citing loss of lives and property, erosion of traditional institutions and rising numbers of out-of-school children. It urged authorities to curtail, if not completely end, the Monday sit-at-home order, and called on state governments to promptly address farmers-herders clashes by encouraging the establishment of modern ranches for livestock management. President Bola Tinubu will on Friday present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint sitting of the National Assembly, setting the stage for legislative scrutiny of the federal governments fiscal proposals for the new year. According to internal arrangements communicated to lawmakers and parliamentary staff, the budget presentation, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Friday, 19 December, will take place in the House of Representatives chamber. Ahead of the event, the presidency is expected to formally notify the House of Representatives when plenary resumes on Thursday, with the President Tinubus request to address the joint session to be read on the floor. Details of the planned appearance were contained in a letter dated 17 December, issued by the Secretary, Human Resources and Staff Development, Adm. Essien Essien, on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana. The communication was circulated to the Deputy Clerk and heads of departments. The letter confirmed that Mr Tinubu, acting in his constitutional capacity as president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, will personally lay the 2026 budget estimates before the legislature. The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is presenting the 2026 proposed Budget to the Joint Session of the National Assembly at 2:00 pm, on Friday, 19th December, 2025, the letter read. It also set out strict security and access measures for the day. All accredited personnel were directed to report at their duty posts no later than 11:00 a.m., after which access to the National Assembly complex will be limited. non-accredited individuals were advised to stay away from the premises entirely. Further directives were issued on parking arrangements, with staff members except the Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives, and their deputies required to park their vehicles at designated areas within the Annex or the new car park located by the National Assembly Service gate. The annual budget presentation formally initiates the legislative phase of the federal budget process, during which lawmakers examine, amend and ultimately approve the governments spending and revenue proposals for the 2026 fiscal year. The Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service (EKIRS) on Wednesday debunked rumours suggesting that Nigerians without a Tax Identification Number (TIN) would be penalised or have their accounts frozen under the new tax reform, which is due to commence on 1 January 2026. The Chairman of the EKIRS, Olaniran Olatona, stated this while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. The Fidelity Bank Plc had on Monday announced that it would begin restricting transactions on accounts that are not linked to a Tax Identification Number (TIN) or National Identity Number (NIN) from 1 January 2026. The bank disclosed this in a notification sent to customers, citing provisions of the Nigerian Tax Administration Act (NTAA) 2025. According to the message, the act mandates that all bank accounts must be linked to a TIN, while customers without one must link their NIN. However, Mr Olatona said that the implementation of tax reform laws would not result in unauthorised deductions from individual bank accounts or cause undue hardship for the citizens. He said the tax reform is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Governments efforts to modernise the tax system, improve revenue generation and promote fairness in tax administration across the country. Mr Olatona allayed fears among members of the public that the new tax law would lead to arbitrary deductions from personal bank accounts, stressing that the law does not grant tax authorities the power to withdraw funds from individuals accounts without due process. He said, There has been an influx of people in our office. They are saying that if I dont have a tax ID, come January 1, I would not be able to transact on my bank accounts. And so, with that influx of people, even before coming here, I was on a radio program, and I saw quite a number of old people running around to come and say, I dont want my bank account to be frozen. I want us to realise that this is a fallacy. No bank account will be frozen due to the non-availability of a TIN. There is a general fear around taxation, but the reality is that expanding the tax net does not automatically mean an increase in the tax burden. When more people are properly captured in the system and data intelligence is effectively used, individuals and businesses will simply pay what is fair and dueno more, no less. He explained that the reform is designed to broaden the tax base, encourage voluntary compliance, reduce multiple taxes, reduce revenue leakages, while also creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and contribute meaningfully to economic development. He further clarified that the tax reform does not mean an increase in taxes for Nigerians, but rather that it is designed to protect low-income earners, allowing them to grow and develop economically until they reach a level where they can afford to pay taxes, ensuring a fair and progressive taxation system. Our goal is not to stifle growth. On the contrary, we want to allow businesses to breathe and grow organically. As businesses expand and mature, they naturally reach a stage where they can be fairly taxed. In this way, it is the fruit that is taxed, not the seed that is destroyed. This approach encourages growth, strengthens the market, and ultimately benefits everyone, he said. Caution against price increment Cautioning the public against unnecessary increment in prices of goods and services due to the new tax reform, Mr Olatona stated that the reform is expected to help reduce the cost of food and essential items, making life easier and more affordable for citizens across the country. He added, As we always say, pay your taxes and you will have the moral authority to demand accountability from your government. We have a responsible and people-focused administration in Ekiti State under the leadership of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, and the visible impact of revenue utilisation across the state should reassure everyone that funds are being put to good use. It is therefore only right and just to expect every son and daughter of the state to cooperate with us in fulfilling this civic responsibility, he said. The EKIRS chairman urged residents to disregard misinformation surrounding the new tax laws, assuring people that the service would continue to educate taxpayers on the provisions and benefits of the reform to ensure smooth implementation. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has commended the Akwa Ibom State Government for preparing the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo for International flights in April 2026. Mr Keyamo made this statement on Wednesday during a meeting with Akwa Ibom officials, federal officials, and workers at the Victor Attah Airport. Mr Keyamo, accompanied by Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, inspected the airport facilities to assess the level of preparedness for the international flight. He said the state was ahead of the planned takeoff scheduled. The minister expressed satisfaction with the standard of facilities and level of preparedness. Having heard from all the agencies involved in an international airport ecosystem, they were all here with us, and we held a closed-door meeting. From the Customs to Quarantine, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NDLEA, Police, SSS, to NEMA and all aviation agencies. From all we have heard, Akwa Ibom State is ahead of the plan scheduled. We thought the gaps to be closed would be much, but they are virtually very small gaps. Akwa Ibom state has gone ahead of schedule to a full-blown international airport, Mr Keyamo said. The facilities inspected included a new and well-equipped international terminal, constructed by Governor Enos predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, and the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility, among others, which was initiated by the Governor Victor Attah administration and completed to 92 per cent by the Mr Emmanuel administration. The minister stated that a standard MRO was one of the requirements for an international airport, emphasising that Akwa Ibom was prepared to provide its aviation services to the world and make the state proud. This facility we are seeing here is the MRO, which means all international airlines coming here have a facility where they can conduct routine checks before they fly out again. It is one of the standard requirements of any international airport, he said. In his remarks, Mr Eno thanked the minister for his honesty, zealous and passionate effort towards ensuring that the facilities are properly utilised for the overall economic benefit of the country. READ ALSO: Ekiti revenue agency allays fears of frozen accounts over new tax laws as residents panic The governor thanked President Bola Tinubus administration for approving the upgrade of the status of the airport and for releasing statutory funds to the state for development. He thanked the past leaders in Akwa Ibom for their vision, which had laid the foundation that allowed development to thrive. The Victor Attah International Airport is home to Ibom Air, a commercial airline owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government. The federal government designated the airport as an international airport in November. (NAN) Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has approved N42 billion for road, erosion control, and electrification projects across the state. The State Commissioner for Works (rural roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, who briefed journalists in Asaba on Wednesday, said the approvals were reached at the state executive council meeting. He stated that the approvals were in line with the state governments commitment to accelerate development and enhance the quality of life for residents in the state. Mr Aniagwu said the approvals covered critical road infrastructure, erosion control measures and the extension of energy supply, particularly in the Udu area, to boost industrial and domestic power needs. The State Executive Council approved major works on the old LagosAsaba Road, including the reconstruction of phase two covering the Obior to Ubulu-Uku axis in Aniocha South as well as the Ute-Ogbeje to Ebuenor and Ani-Nwachokor routes in Ika North East. Some of these projects had their costs reviewed upward due to changes in market prices and earlier delays caused by weather and funding challenges. The Council also approved the upward review of the Ute-Ogbeje to Otolokpo Road, and approved the construction of the Etua-Etiti and Etua-Oliogo internal roads in Ndokwa West, to enable contractors to mobilise fully and complete the projects, he said. The commissioner explained that the construction of erosion control measures around the Asaba International Airport was approved to protect the surrounding infrastructures from flooding. According to him, flood control works would also be extended along the Dennis Osadebay Way in Asaba from the traffic light to Abraka Road, an area badly affected by erosion and floodwaters. He listed other approvals, including the completion of internal roads in Otorho-Abraka, in the Ethiope East Local Government Area, and the construction of Imohwe Street road in Ughelli main town. On electrification, Mr Aniagwu said the state executive council approved the replacement of a broken-down 15MVA power transformer and the installation of new 300KVA transformers. He also stated that approval was made for the rehabilitation of substations and ancillary equipment to improve the electricity supply in Udu and adjoining communities. These interventions are deliberate efforts by the Oborevwori administration to boost energy supply, support economic activities and improve living conditions in our communities. You will recall that the governor recently signed the N1.7 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill into law, where 70 per cent of the budget was dedicated to capital expenditure, Mr Aniagwu said. The commissioner assured that the Oborevwori administration will continue to prioritise development, ensuring that all due procurement processes are followed before project awards and execution. He expressed hope that the approved projects would significantly advance the states developmental plan, adding that the government remained appreciative of the support it had received from residents and stakeholders. Oborevwori gives reason for influx of businesses into Delta Meanwhile, Governor Oborevwori has stated that the growing influx of businesses into the state signifies a clear vote of confidence in his administrations reforms aimed at easing the conduct of business. The governor made this statement on Wednesday in Asaba during the inauguration of the second Asaba branch and the 30th nationwide branch of Premium Trust Bank. According to him, the increased corporate presence reflects Deltas vast market potential and the conducive business climate created by government policies. The operating environment for businesses have been enhanced through massive infrastructural renewal, policy reforms, a business-friendly posture of government and sustained peace across the state, he said. (NAN) President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday night, met with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) with the hope of shelving a nationwide NLC protest scheduled for today. The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, led the labour leaders to the meeting on Tuesday night at the State House, Abuja. When asked by reporters after the meeting if the protest would still proceed as scheduled, Mr Ajaero did not provide a direct response. If Im insisting (on proceeding with the strike), Im not insisting. I will communicate to you. It is not an organisation that one person rules. Lets go back now. You have a meeting of labour and the governors forum. Well go back to the drawing board and digest all that Mr President said to us, and move forward from there, the NLC leader said. He said the NLC leadership would meet early on Wednesday to take a decision. We came for consultation with the president, and we are finished. So, we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow. By tomorrow, we will get the outcome, he said. The NLC is expected to announce early on Wednesday if the protest would proceed or not. The meeting was also attended by the chairman of the APC governors forum, Hope Uzodimma; Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo; Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris and the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says an aircraft, Cessna 172, operated by Skypower Express has crashed at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State. The Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the NSIB, Bimbo Oladeji, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday. Mrs Oladeji said the incident happened on Tuesday evening. Airport emergency response services were immediately activated and arrived at the scene promptly. Officials confirmed that there was no post-crash fire, and flight operations at the airport were not disrupted, as the runway remained active with other aircraft taking off safely after the incident, she said. The director explained the aircraft, with registration number 5N-ASR, was en route from Kaduna International Airport to Port Harcourt International Airport when the crew declared an in-flight emergency and diverted to Owerri. Efforts are ongoing to recover the distressed aircraft from the crash site for a detailed wreckage examination, she said. NSIB begins investigation Mrs Oladeji said in the statement that the Director-General of the NSIB, Alex Badeh Jr., announced that the bureau had activated its investigation protocols in line with its mandate. We express our deepest sympathies to the management of Skypower Express and are relieved that no fatalities have been reported so far. The NSIB has activated its protocols, and our team is already coordinating with relevant authorities to secure the site, Mr Badeh, a captain, said. The director-general assured that further information would be provided on the outcome of the ongoing investigation into the crash. Similar incidents The latest crash occurred two days after a private jet operated by Flybird Aircraft Management Services Limited crash-landed at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano State. About 11 passengers escaped unhurt after the crash which occurred on Sunday. READ ALSO: Nigerian aircraft owners seek govt intervention in plane ownership Earlier this month, two Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed near a village in the terror-ravaged Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. In November, an aircraft experienced a fault with its nose landing gear while landing at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. The scheduled protest of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over Nigerias worsening insecurity was yet to begin an hour after the scheduled 7:30 a.m. The NLC said the protesters would converge at the Labour House in Abuja before marching through the streets of the Nigerian capital. While members of the NLC, its affiliates, and journalists began arriving at the venue before 7:30 a.m., the protest had not yet commenced as of 8:48 a.m. PREMIUM TIMES sighted at least three police Hilux vehicles parked at the entrance of the street to the NLC headquarters. Already present at the Labour house were the NLC General Secretary, Benson Upah, and activist Omoyele Sowore, who is joining the protest on the invitation of the NLC leadership. NLC President Joe Ajaero arrived at the venue at 8:49 a.m. READ ALSO: NLC members protest in Lagos against rising insecurity However, members of the NLC were already at the Labour House donning clothes with the unions emblems. PREMIUM TIMES reports that last night, President Bola Tinubu met with the labour leaders as the government moved to have the NLC shelve todays protest. After the meeting, Mr Ajaero told reporters the union would meet before deciding on the next line of action. He said the union would brief Nigerians early on Wednesday. When he emerged for the briefing, the NLC president confirmed to journalists that the protest would still hold despite the meeting with President Tinubu. Amnesty International has renewed allegations of widespread human rights violations during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, citing mass killings, suppression of protests, attacks on journalists and abuse of vulnerable women and girls. In a post shared on its official X page on Monday, the organisation said the gross human rights violations occurred during Mr Buharis tenure between 2015 and 2023. Mr Buharis administration came under a new review amid activities his first post-humous birthday, including the launching of his biography From Soldier to Statesman The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari authored by Charles Omole. Mr Buhari, Nigerias military ruler between 1984 and 1985 who died in July, would have been 83 on 17 December. Since his death in July, there have been outpours of tributes and and rebukes alike, rekindled by his post-humous birthday in the last few days. #EndSARS protest Amnesty International recalled the violent crackdown on the October 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality. The protests erupted as a nationwide movement against police brutality, extortion and extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force. What began as largely peaceful demonstrations, led mostly by young Nigerians, quickly gained momentum across major cities, with protesters demanding accountability, justice for victims of abuse and broader reforms within the security sector. Amnesty International said the demonstrations were met with a violent response from state authorities, culminating in a nationwide crackdown. According to the organisation, at least 56 people were killed during the protests across the country, including at least 12 demonstrators who were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate and Alausa areas of Lagos State on 20 October 2020. The Nigerian government has repeatedly denied that a massacre occurred. In a recent interview on Channels Television, the former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, rejected claims by rights groups and witnesses, insisting that reports of a massacre were false, exaggerated and unsupported by facts. After the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry submitted its final report in November 2021, concluding that unarmed protesters were shot by soldiers, the Lagos State Government issued a White Paper rejecting key findings. The state government faulted the panels conclusions, arguing that evidence presented did not prove that protesters were killed at the toll gate, and described parts of the report as inconsistent and flawed. While the panels findings were welcomed by civil society and international organisations, both the federal and Lagos state governments maintained that there was no Lekki Toll Gate massacre, a stance that has remained a major point of contention in Nigerias human rights discourse. Press freedom On press freedom, Amnesty International accused the Buhari administration of targeting journalists and media organisations. It added that between January and September 2019, at least 19 journalists and media practitioners were attacked, arrested, tortured, harassed or threatened, forcing some of them to go into hiding, while security forces also carried out raids on media organisations, including Daily Trust and Premium Times. Under Buhari, journalists were arrested, intimidated and harassed, bloggers were beaten, the Rights Group said. Nigerias ranking in the World Press Freedom Index fell from 111th in 2015, when Mr Buhari took office, to 123rd by 2023, reflecting a decline in press freedom during his tenure. Abuse of women Amnesty International further accused Nigerian security forces and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force of abusing women and girls who survived Boko Haram captivity. Thousands of women and girls who survived the brutal rule of the Boko Haram armed group were further abused by the Nigerian security forces and CJTF who claim to be rescuing them. The women and girls were raped, sometimes in exchange for food, Amnesty International said. Failure to ensure accountability The rights group linked the escalation of farmersherders violence across the country to what it described as the Buhari administrations failure to ensure accountability. The failure to bring perpetrators to justice fuelled a bloody escalation in the conflict between farmers and herders, Amnesty International said, adding that at least 3,641 people were killed in three years, with over 57 per cent of the deaths recorded in 2018. While the Buhari administration repeatedly denied allegations of systematic human rights abuses, Amnesty International said the lack of accountability during the period entrenched impunity and deepened public distrust in state institutions. Zaria massacre Amnesty International said one of the gravest incidents during his presidency occurred in Zaria, Kaduna State, between 12 and 14 December 2015, when Nigerian military forces killed more than 350 men, women and children. The organisation also accused security forces of carrying out extrajudicial executions of pro-Biafra activists between August 2015 and August 2016. Nigerian security forces carried out a chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions, resulting in the deaths of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters, Amnesty International said. Deadly attacks on pro-Biafra demonstrators According to the rights group, the deadliest episode occurred on 30 May 2016, Biafra Remembrance Day, in Onitsha, Anambra State. By far the largest number of pro-Biafra activists were killed on 30 May 2016, Amnesty said, adding that the night before the rally, security forces raided homes and a church where IPOB members were sleeping. Many were slaughtered, some burnt alive. The enemy struck a heat generation facility in Kherson, and power outages to homes are possible, said Regional Military Administration head Oleksandr Prokudin. "The Russians continue to strike heat generation facilities in Kherson day and night. Further strikes could result in heat supply disruptions. Those damned terrorists are deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure," he wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning. A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamad Dasuki, raised concerns about what he described as discrepancies between tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted and made available to the public. Mr Dasuki raised the issue during Wednesdays plenary, arguing that his legislative rights had been breached because the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what lawmakers debated and approved on the floor of the House. I am here today because my privilege as a member of this House has been breached, he said. The tax bills were passed by the House in February after months of debates, public hearings, and clause-by-clause consideration, and were later harmonised with the version passed by the Senate. On 26 June, President Bola Tinubu signed the four bills into law. The lawmaker explained that after the passage of the tax bills, he undertook a personal review of the official legislative records to verify the outcome of the process. We passed the tax laws on this floor and, Mr. Speaker, I took my time in the last three days to look at the gazetted passed copy, the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives, and also went an extra mile to look at the Votes and Proceedings of the Senate of what was harmonised, Mr Dasuki said. According to him, the outcome of the review raised serious red flags. What was passed on this floor is not what is gazetted, he said. I was here, I gave my vote and it was counted, and Im seeing something completely different. Mr Dasuki said he obtained copies of the relevant documents, including the gazetted version currently available to Nigerians. You find out what is before Nigerians, which is being sold to Nigerians at the Ministry of Information, which I personally went to buy. The gazette copies are not what was passed, he added. He warned that the issue went beyond a simple administrative lapse, describing it as a constitutional breach that could undermine the authority of the legislature. This is a breach of the Constitution and a breach of our laws, and it should not be treated lightly by this House, he said. Although he did not move a substantive motion, the lawmaker urged the speaker to allow a transparent review of the documents by lawmakers. Ill be pleading that all the documents should be brought before the Committee of the Whole. Members should see what is in the gazette and what they passed on the floor so that we can make the relevant amendment, he said. Responding, the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, acknowledged the concern and assured the House that appropriate steps would be taken to address the matter. Your observation is noted, and action will be taken, I assure you, Mr Tajudeen said. Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Enugu State joined the nationwide protest against insecurity in Nigeria on Wednesday. Led by the Chairperson of the NLC in Enugu State, Fabian Nwigbo, the members converged at the state headquarters of the NLC near Aria Market in Enugu. They marched to the Enugu State Secretariat, Okpara Avenue Road and other parts of the South-eastern state. The NLC members also carried placards with various inscriptions while chanting solidarity songs. Some of the inscriptions read: End insecurity now, Nigeria is bleeding, end banditry, terrorism and kidnapping now. Addressing the protesting members, Mr Nwigbo said the growing insecurity in Nigeria pains the Nigerian workers. The chairperson noted that the national leadership of the NLC, two weeks ago, decided to stage a nationwide protest to demand decisive government action against the countrys insecurity. Our school children are not safe; the teachers are not safe. The farmers are not safe, the workers are not safe. Travellers are not safe. Even the political class. Nobody is safe anywhere, he said. He asked the Nigerian government to address the increasing attacks by kidnappers and terrorists operating in various parts of the country. We cant continue this way. The primary business of every government in power is to ensure the security of lives and property. But whats happening in Nigeria today? The country is bleeding, he added. Background The national leadership of the NLC earlier announced that it would organise nationwide protests against insecurity on 17 December. Joe Ajaero, the NLC president, stated that the move was intended to draw attention to Nigerias worsening insecurity and compel urgent action from the countrys leaders. READ ALSO: Keyamo announces date for commencement of international flights in Akwa Ibom airport President Bola Tinubu met with the NLC leadership on Tuesday night to persuade them to shelve the nationwide protest. However, Mr Ajaero later announced that the protest would proceed as planned, despite the late-night meeting with Mr Tinubu. He stated that the meeting with the president did not result in the cancellation of the protest. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Tuesday that it recorded 422,942 complaints in November, with abductions being the most prevalent. Speaking during the monthly dashboard presentation of human rights violations across the country, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, said the months report hits hard. According to Mr Ojukwu, there were 815 persons abducted, including over 55 farmers, travellers, students, and worshippers. Think about that for a moment. Thats hundreds of people, mothers, fathers, and children taken away, Mr Ojukwu said. He noted that these human rights violations impede economic growth, education, and freedom of worship. These attacks cut deep. They strike at the very heart of who we are as a people. He lamented the kidnappings of school children, while noting that the month under focus had the most cases of abductions since the Chibok girls incident in 2014. On 17 November, 25 schoolgirls were abducted, and two teachers were killed in Maga Comprehensive Girls Secondary School in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, North-west Nigeria. Eight days after captivity, the girls regained freedom. On 21 November, terrorists attacked St Marys School, a Catholic-owned institution in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, North-central Nigeria, and abducted 265 students and staff members. Education is not just a right, it is a fundamental human right, only through which we can conquer most of the worlds challenges, including violent extremism, poverty, and inequalities. To have access to education threatened, as we have seen recently, is an attack on the future of our society, Mr Ojukwu said of the devastating impact of the impact on the education sector in Nigeria. But schools are not the only targets. Worship centres, homes, farmlands, and roads are also not spared. Two days after the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi on 17 November, armed men invaded the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Igan, in Eruku, Kwara State, North-central Nigeria, and abducted 38 worshippers. They also regained freedom. A recent abduction happened on 14 December, even though it was not recorded in November. Terrorists abducted more than 15 worshippers after attacking the First Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Ayetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. The Senior Human Rights Adviser of the NHRC, Hilary Ogbonna, described the abductions of children from any school set up by religious bodies as a violation of the freedom of worship. From today onwards, please note that any school that is owned by a religious body, whether its Muslim or Christian, is a platform for advancing freedom of religion. The Constitution protects everybody to set up a school, set up places of education, and impart the religion of that faith through that school. So when you attack a Catholic school, when you attack an Islamic school, you are attacking the freedom of religion, Mr Ogbonna said. Women and child rights violations Among the gruesome violations the commission recorded in November, 881 children were abandoned, 840 were caught between custody battles, 635 children faced child labour, and 545 were forced into marriage. While presenting the report, Mr Ogbonna highlighted 23 cases of defilement in Yobe, Niger, Ekiti, and Anambra. A three-year-old became infected with a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) after being sexually assaulted in Delta. The commission also recorded the abduction of 13 female teenagers in Askira Uba, Borno State, North-east Nigeria, by ISWAP. Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Niger, and Plateau states as well as Abuja recorded the highest number of child abuse and exploitation violations. According to Mr Ogbonna, aside from Abuja, all other states were characterised by insecurity, indicating a link between conflict and human rights violations. Reacting to this, Mr Ojukwu noted that the impact of insecurity is more devastating, especially for women, children, and the elderly. The commission also received 5,906 cases of domestic violence from women, 244 cases of sexual violence, and 19 cases of rape. Also, 1,992 women reported cases of gender based discrimination, 1,487 of abandonment, and 1,911 of denial of access to children. November dashboard report In November, the NHRC recorded human rights complaints, 422,942, with the North-central region leading the chart with 179,449 complaints, followed by the North-west with 81,104, the North-east with 79,887, the South-east with 52,928 with the South-south with 16,512, and the South-west with 16,012. A thematic analysis of the violations in the dashboard showed 100,113 cases of the infringement of freedom from discrimination, 98,171 from law enforcement officers. Some of these include police extortion, unlawful detention, and abuse of power by the Nigerian Police. Commenting on this, the representative of the Chairperson of the Police Service Commission, Victoria Orakwe, urged the commission to take note of the officers responsible for this, as the commission would be happy to take disciplinary actions against them. However, the commission announced that it completed 6,435 investigations in November, visited 87 correctional centres and places of detention, and three military formations. It also summoned the Nigerian police and sent letters regarding 43 cases. Speaking of the violations, Mr Ojukwu said, This is not the Nigeria we want to leave for the next generation. Impunity is growing. Too many people commit crimes believing nothing will happen to them. Our civic space is shrinking. Women and children are bearing the brunt of violence. Communities are living in fear, day after day. To the families who have lost loved ones, your pain is not invisible. It fuels our determination to keep fighting. I ask all stakeholders and indeed every Nigerian to join us in building a country where no child is afraid to go to school, no farmer is afraid to work; no traveller fears the road, and no woman or girl fears violence. The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed for second reading the Appropriation Repeal and Re-enactment Bill 2, 20242025, marking a critical step toward consolidating the countrys budgetary process and addressing the current anomaly of running multiple budgets simultaneously. The development followed the transmission of a request from President Bola Tinubu to the House, urging lawmakers to consider the bill. The letter was formally read on the floor by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who highlighted the key objectives and provisions of the proposed legislation. According to the letter, the bill seeks to authorise the release of N43,561,041,744,507 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, comprising N1,742,786,788,150 for statutory transfers, N8,270,960,606,831 for debt service, N11,268,513,380,853 for recurrent non-debt expenditure, and N22,278,780,968,673 for capital expenditure and development fund contributions for the year ending 31 December 2025. The bill is designed to bring an end to the practice of running multiple budgets concurrently, while at the same time ensuring reasonable indeed, unprecedentedly high capital performance rates on the 2024/2025 capital budget, Mr Kalu read. The legislation further provides for a transparent and constitutionally grounded appropriation mechanism, enabling the orderly consolidation and allocation of critical, time-sensitive expenditures. It is aimed at ensuring that emergency spending and urgent developmental needs can be met without undermining fiscal discipline. The bill also strengthens implementation discipline and accountability by requiring that appropriated funds be applied strictly for purposes specified in the appropriation schedules, with any deviations requiring prior approval of the National Assembly. It outlines corrective measures for genuine errors that may hinder implementation and mandates the separate recording of excess revenues, with expenditure limited to acts approved by the National Assembly. The legislation, according to the President, also enforces due process, compliance, and periodic reporting on releases and agency revenues, including any assistance received. The bill was subsequently read for both first and second readings without debate before Mr Kalu referred it to the Committee on Appropriation for further legislative scrutiny. The current fiscal situation has highlighted the urgency of the measure. Nigeria is currently operating three budgets simultaneously: the 2024 budget of N28.7 trillion, a supplementary budget of N6.2 trillion, which brings the total to N35.5 trillion, and the 2025 budget of N54.99 trillion. This overlap disrupts the normal budget cycle, which typically runs from January to December of each fiscal year. The repeal and re-enactment of the appropriation bill essentially means that the budgets will be rebudgeted and consolidated, allowing funds from these previous budgets to be rolled over for implementation. In his letter, President Tinubu emphasised that the move is intended to end the practice of running multiple budgets concurrently. The Senate on Wednesday withdrew a motion seeking to compel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to halt the revocation and reallocation of lands in Abuja. The motion, sponsored by the senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, was withdrawn following deliberations at plenary after a majority of senators opposed aspects of it through a voice vote. Mr Wike, through the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has overseen the demolition of structures in several parts of Abuja, which authorities say were erected in violation of the citys Master Plan. Beyond demolitions, the minister has also revoked and reallocated land titles, in some instances assigning such lands to new beneficiaries. The FCTA has consistently maintained that many of the demolished structures lacked valid titles or violated approved land-use plans, arguing that previous administrations allowed widespread infractions that distorted the original Abuja Master Plan. Although Mrs Kingibe raised concerns over these actions during plenary, the motion was ruled inadmissible as a matter of urgent national importance, and she was directed to withdraw it. Motion for urgent national importance Earlier in the sitting, Mrs Kingibe invoked Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders to present a motion on urgent national importance, arguing that issues of national concern could be debated without prior notice if the presiding officers consent had been obtained. The motion sought Senate intervention on waste management and sewage services in the FCT, protection of designated green areas, and an investigation into the alleged unlawful seizure of land belonging to Bwari General Hospital. She told the chamber that she had informed the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, about the motion and secured his consent before presenting it. Waste management concerns While presenting the motion, Mrs Kingibe lamented that municipal waste collection across several districts of the FCT had stalled for weeks, leading to massive accumulation of refuse in residential, commercial and public areas. She attributed the situation to the non-payment of contractors and workers under the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and other relevant FCT agencies, noting that they had reportedly not been paid for about nine months. This, she said, resulted in prolonged industrial action and the collapse of essential municipal services. The senator further alleged that despite the outstanding debts owed to contractors between March and October 2025, the FCT minister awarded new waste management contracts, retaining only 50 per cent of the unpaid contractors while introducing new ones. According to her, the newly engaged contractors have written to the minister, indicating their inability to commence operations without a 30 per cent mobilisation fee, further worsening the waste crisis. She warned that sewage blockages and accumulated waste, which have persisted for nearly eight months, had reached crisis levels, posing serious public health risks, including exposure to waterborne diseases and environmental contamination. Land revocation allegations Mrs Kingibe also raised concerns over land revocations and reallocations in the FCT, alleging that Mr Wike had, in several instances, proceeded with demolitions and reallocations despite subsisting court processes, thereby undermining the rule of law. She referenced a land dispute involving the University of Abuja and argued that such actions violated the FCT Act of 1976, the Land Use Act of 1978, and Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the National Assembly to investigate administrative actions in the public interest. She therefore urged the Senate to mandate the FCT Minister and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to halt all revocations, reallocations, and alterations to designated green areas pending a comprehensive audit and compliance review of the Abuja Master Plan. Senate debate and withdrawal During the debate, several senators objected to the inclusion of land revocation issues in the motion. Borno North Senator, Tahir Monguno, who initially supported the motion, later withdrew his support. The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, dismissed the allegations against the FCT minister, describing them as baseless. There are now developments in the FCT. The current minister changed the face of Abuja. Hes doing extremely very well. You cannot solve all problems at the same time, if there are other areas that needed to be done, we should engage our committee to interact with the minister so that he could do more, he said. In his response, the Senate said Mrs Kingibe had only sought approval to present a motion on waste management and not land revocations, insisting that the latter did not qualify as an issue of urgent national importance. Similarly, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, argued that matters raised under the category of urgent national importance must genuinely be of national scope, adding that the allegations should instead be brought as a substantive motion on notice. Following the deliberations, Mr Akpabio urged Mrs Kingibe to withdraw the motion. She complied, stating that she would re-present it solely as a substantive motion on waste management. I will re-present it as a substantive motion on waste management, she said. Former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday, raised the alarm over the raids on his homes and offices by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He said the anti-graft agency, which has detained him since 8 December over investigations into corruption allegations against him, carried out the raids on his premises in Abuja and Kebbi in Kebbi State, his home state, on Wednesday. EFCC confirmed the raids to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday but called the actions a search necessary for its ongoing investigation of the former minister. Mr Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), disclosed the raids in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, which was shared on the former ministers Facebook page. The statement suggested that the raids were triggered by an earlier press release on Wednesday. The said earlier statement referenced the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquirys report, which Mr Malami claimed indicted the EFCC chair, Ola Olukoyede, for his activities as the secretary to the EFCC from 2018 to 2020. Mr Malami specifically alluded to Chapter 9 of the report which he said focused on Mr Olukoyede. The later statement on Wednesday said, following the disclosure in the earlier press release, EFCC operatives carried out coordinated raids on our offices and on the private residences of Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Abuja and Kebbi State. These actions (were carried out without prior notice and were expressly directed at searching for documents allegedly connected to Chapter 9 of the Salami Report, the statement added. The former AGF did not provide proof that the raids were triggered by his earlier statement referencing the Justice Ayo Salami report. The panel of inquiry led by Mr Salami, a former President of the Court of Appeal, submitted its report to the then-President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2020. But both Mr Buhari and Mr Malami, who as the AGF facilitated the establishment of the panel to probe the activities of the EFCC under the leadership of the then-acting chairperson of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu, failed to make the report of the panel public. They also failed to act on the recommendations of the panel before their administration wound up two and a half years later, in May 2023. Meanwhile, preparatory to the hearing of the panel, Mr Buhari had suspended Mr Magu and Mr Olukoyede alongside some other top officials of the EFCC from office in July 2020. The panel controversially went on to conduct its hearing in camera. The EFCC officials were never recalled by the Buhari administration while the public was kept in the dark regarding the outcome of the panels inquiry. Malami blames Olukoyede Citing his role in the establishment of the Salami panel, Mr Malami, on Monday, called on Mr Olukoyede to step aside from his probe by the EFCC. He claimed his probe, arrest and detention by the EFCC were driven by deep-seated historical animosity and a malicious personal vendetta orchestrated by the EFCC Chairman. Earlier on Wednesday, he issued another statement referencing Chapter 9 of the Salami panels report and intensifying his call for Mr Olukoyede to recuse himself from his probe. Viewed against this background, the present actions of the EFCC cannot reasonably be interpreted as neutral law enforcement. They amount to retaliatory persecution driven by historical animosity and personal vendetta, the statement by his media aide read. In a later statement on Wednesday announcing the raids on his premises in Abuja and Kebbi, Mr Malami described the actions as deeply alarming. He said the raids were acts of intimidation and retaliation following his public call for the EFCC chairman to recuse himself from matters relating to investigations involving him. These raids raise grave concerns about intimidation, retaliation and the safety of our staff and of Abubakar Malami, SAN, the statement said. The statement warned that it would hold the authorities responsible should any harm come to him or members of his staff, describing the situation as a threat to the rule of law and constitutional governance. He also urged Nigerians and the media to question the timing and legality of the searches, asking why the raids occurred immediately after public reference to Chapter 9 of the Salami report and what legal authority justified searches focused on that section of the report. Mr Malami further called on civil society organisations, professional bodies and human rights groups to pressure the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to release the Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry report, particularly Chapter 9, in the interest of transparency and accountability. Despite the allegations, the former attorney general said he remained willing to submit himself to a lawful and impartial judicial process. Intimidation, raids and media trials cannot substitute for due process, the statement added. EFCC confirms raid The EFCC, however, said the operation was part of its ongoing investigation and not a raid. It is in furtherance of our ongoing investigation. It was not a raid; it was a search. When a suspect is being investigated, we normally conduct searches in line with our investigation, the commissions spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said during a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday. The raid allegation comes amid an ongoing dispute between Mr Malami and the leadership of the anti-graft agency over the handling of investigations involving the former minister. Olukoyede, EFCC deny wrongdoing Mr Olukoyede has previously denied allegations levelled against him by the Salami panel. Speaking to journalists in Lagos in July during a meeting with media representatives, the EFCC chairman said he was unjustly suspended as the commissions secretary over what he described as false corruption allegations. He said he was later vindicated and reinstated after a review by the administration of President Bola Tinubu found no wrongdoing on his part. I did not steal anything, Mr Olukoyede said. The EFCC has also denied allegations of bias and unlawful conduct raised by Mr Malami in the wake of his probe by the commission. In a statement issued on Saturday, the commissions spokesperson, Mr Oyewale, dismissed claims that Mr Malamis bail was revoked because he attended a political gathering in Kebbi State, describing the allegation as patently false. Mr Oyewale said Mr Malami was granted administrative bail on 28 November after interrogation, pending the conclusion of investigations and possible arraignment. Administrative bail is a discretionary temporary reprieve that allows a suspect to be released on stated conditions pending the conclusion of investigation and arraignment in court, he said. According to the EFCC, the former minister failed to meet the conditions attached to the bail and did not return on the agreed date of 1 December. The commission said it later granted his request for a deferment on health grounds but that he neither submitted a medical report nor provided credible evidence to support the claim. Mr Oyewale said Mr Malami was re-invited on 8 December for further questioning and detained after failing to meet the outstanding bail requirements, adding that it was wrong to suggest that the EFCC restricted him from granting media interviews or participating in political activities. Background Mr Malami served as Nigerias Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari. A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and has declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kebbi State. The EFCC is investigating Mr Malami over allegations including the alleged fraudulent duplication of expenses related to the recovery of assets linked to the late former military ruler, Sani Abacha. Reports have also indicated that the commission is probing several bank accounts allegedly linked to the former minister, as well as his multi-billion-naira investments in Kebbi State. Following his detention, Mr Malamis lawyers challenged his continued custody, describing it as unlawful and a violation of his fundamental rights, a development that has drawn political reactions from opposition figures accusing the EFCC of politicising its actions. The federal government economic team is expected to appear before the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Thursday to explain the rationale behind the proposed repeal and re-enactment of the 2024 Appropriation Act, which seeks to increase total expenditure from 28.7 trillion to 43.56 trillion. The team, led by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, was summoned when the lawmakers were debating the presidents request to amend the 2024 budget, during the plenary on Wednesday. Earlier during plenary, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read a presidential communication requesting the repeal and re-enactment of the 2024 Appropriation Act to end the practice of running multiple budgets within a single fiscal year. In the letter, Mr Tinubu explained that the 2024 budget, originally passed on 30 December of that year with a total expenditure of 28.7 trillion, is proposed to be increased to 43.56 trillion. Under the revised proposal, 1 trillion is earmarked for statutory transfers, 8.2 trillion for debt servicing, 11.2 trillion for recurrent non-debt expenditure, while 22.2 trillion is allocated to capital expenditure and development fund contributions. The president noted that the repeal and re-enactment, if approved, would run until 31 December and would end the practice of operating multiple budgets, while ensuring reasonable and unprecedentedly high capital performance rates for the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets. Shortly after the letter was read, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, led the debate on the proposal. While presenting his arguement, Mr Bamidele explained that the essence of the repeal and re-enactment was to restructure and reform key components of the 2024 budget. He added that the measure would restore budget clarity, strengthen fiscal discipline, and improve accountability across ministries, departments and agencies He further said that the re-enactment would provide a clear and orderly appropriation framework, enabling the government to lawfully consolidate and regularise critical, time-sensitive, and unavoidable expenditures, particularly those arising from emergency situations. Following the debate, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, put the motion to a voice vote, and it received majority support from senators. The bill was subsequently referred to the Committee on Appropriations, with a directive to report back to the Senate within two days. Nigerias budget overlapping Nigerias continuous extension of the capital component of previous budgets has long been a source of concern. Under the current administration, the Senate led by Mr Akpabio has approved multiple overlapping budgets for President Tinubus government. For instance, in 2024, Nigeria operated three budgets. They are the N21.8 trillion 2023 budget, the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary, and the N28.7 trillion 2024 appropriation. Though the first two were passed by the ninth National Assembly during the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, President Tinubu extended their capital components first to June and later to December 2024, even as the 2024 budget was already in force. The trend continued in 2025, when the capital component of the 2024 budget, which should have ended in December 2024, was extended twicefirst to June 2025 and then to December 2025. As a result, the country is currently running two budgets simultaneously: the extended 2024 budget and the 2025 budget of about N54.2 trillion, which lawmakers raised by N7 billion from the presidents initial proposal. Many have argued that Nigeria had never implemented three budgets in one year since the restoration of democracy in 1999. A civil society group, Rights for All International (RAI), has sued President Bola Tinubu to force him to suspend Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), over allegations of corruption and living beyond his legitimate means. The group filed the suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, calling for the investigation and prosecution of Mr Ahmed. PREMIUM TIMES got wind of the suit after news later broke on Wednesday that Mr Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe, the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), resigned their positions. President Tinubu has also named their replacements. The suit followed recent allegations of corruption and abuse of office levelled against Mr Ahmed by Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited. Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, on Sunday, Mr Dangote accused Mr Ahmed of economic sabotage, which he said was undermining domestic refining in Nigeria. He accused the leadership of the NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products. Mr Dangote claimed that Mr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, stating that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at a cost running into several million dollars. He said such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector. On Monday, he expanded his allegations, accusing Mr Ahmed of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, providing detailed figures for his childrens education abroad. According to him, Mr Ahmed spent about $5 million on secondary education and upkeep over six years, and an additional $2 million on tertiary education, including $210,000 for Faisal Farouks 2025 Harvard MBA. On Tuesday, Mr Dangote submitted a petition through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), calling for Mr Ahmeds arrest, investigation, and prosecution for allegedly living above his means as a public officer. ICPC promptly confirmed the receipt of the petition and vowed to investigate the allegations. Meanwhile, earlier on Wednesday, Mr Ahmed denied the allegations. He said he was thankful that the person behind the allegations had taken it to a formal investigative institution, adding that he believed that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distil the issues and clear his name. RAIs suit Buoyed by Mr Dangote s allegations, RAI on Wednesday, filed its suit seeking among others, a declaration that Mr Ahmed allegedly acted corruptly, accepted kickbacks, and operated foreign accounts to fund his childrens education beyond his lawful earnings. The suit filed by the groups lawyer, Okere Nnamdi, also sought an order compelling President Tinubu to suspend Mr Ahmed immediately. Alongside Mr Tinubu, others joined as defendants in the suit include the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; Mr Ahmed himself, the NMDPRA, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The group asked the court to compel the ICPC, EFCC, and the CCB to investigate and prosecute Mr Ahmed without delay for alleged offences, including breach of the public officers code of conduct, bribery, and money laundering. Additionally, the group requested an order of mandamus directing all relevant agencies to act quickly to investigate and hold Mr Ahmed accountable. It also urged the court to issue any other orders it deems appropriate to safeguard public interest and uphold transparency, accountability, and good governance. The plaintiff relied on Paragraphs 1, 6, and 8 of the Fifth Schedule, Part 1 of the Nigerian constitution and raised the question for the court to determine if Mr Ahmed had not lived beyond his legitimate earnings as a public officer. It maintained that Mr Ahmed placed his personal interests above his official duties by allegedly accepting cash and in-kind benefits, described as kickbacks, from petroleum importers while issuing import licences. The group also cited Paragraph 3 of the Fifth Schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution, in urging the court to determine the question if Mr Ahmed had not corruptly operated and maintained foreign bank account(s) to pay his childrens school fees abroad while serving in various public roles, and whether he has, by doing so, violated the code of conduct for public officers. The group also asked the court to determine whether Mr Ahmed as a public officer for several years, can afford to pay his children foreign school fees amounting to over seven million US dollars from his legitimate earnings, and whether he corruptly enriched himself with taxpayers money while using his position for personal gain. RAI also asked whether the court does not have the power to direct anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute Mr Ahmed for alleged bribery, corruption, and money laundering. Suit in public interest In an affidavit filed sworn by lawyer Samuel Ekeji Ifeanyi and filed in support of the suit ssaid the case is of public interest. It added that it aims to promote the rule of law, accountability, transparency, and good governance. It also said it instituted the suit in public interest. The document added that Nigerians continue to suffer the effects of the fuel subsidy removal, which it described as primarily removed because of corruption that marred the subsidy sags. The affidavit referred to the petition by Mr Dangote to the ICPC, in which he claimed that Mr Ahmed is living above his legitimate earnings as a public officer. He said Mr Ahmed paid his childrens school fees abroad, worth over $7 million, using public funds and money obtained through corrupt practices in issuing petroleum import licences. It argued that Section 15(5) of the Nigerian prohibits corruption and called on President Tinubu to immediately suspend Mr Farouk pending investigation and prosecution. The suit has not been assigned to a judge or scheduled for hearing. Fanons legacy for African journalism is a call to a higher purpose. Reflecting on his life, I see that he gives us not a strict rulebook, but a weary road to rational knowledge. This path needs bravery, clear vision, and a commitment to report the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. He lived this himself, from his editorial desk to the pages of his books. A Fanon-style journalism would listen to ordinary people, and treat them not just as sources of quotes but as experts on their own lives. I missed the Frantz Fanon Centenary Conference at the University of Jos, organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development and CODESRIA. This piece was timed for his centenary, and 64 years after his death. Fanon was born on 20th July 1925, and died on 6th December 1961, at just 36. His ideas are not old books they live in Africas ongoing fight for respect and freedom. My aim here is to view Fanons contributions to Pan-Africanism through a journalists lens. I first saw Fanons name in secondary school. His famous quote, Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it, or betray it, was pasted on a classroom window. I memorised it without fully understanding it. Today, I am glad to share what it means to me. As a journalist and student focused on conflict and governance, I find Fanons work extremely useful. It helps me understand the complex reality of post-colonial Africa. Fanon was not just a thinker; he was a working journalist and editor. He used the press as a strategic weapon, serving as a leading editor of El Moudjahid, the newspaper of the Algerian Liberation Front (FLN), and writing for Revolution Africaine. His approach shows how media can fight for liberation, while staying true to the facts. His life was a model of Pan-Africanism born in the Caribbean, educated in Europe, and finding his purpose fighting for freedom in North Africa, while supporting liberation movements across the continent. This reminds us that African freedom knows no borders. His writings, especially the powerful book, A Dying Colonialism, help us understand not only politics but also the deep mental wounds of colonialism. For journalists, this means we can report not just on events, but on the hidden feelings and thoughts behind them. Today, Africa faces new forms of control and exploitation. Fanons warnings in The Wretched of the Earth serve as a guide. He said that after independence, a new class of African elites would simply replace the colonial masters. His ideas help us see the link between the old colonial system and todays problems. He challenges us to look beyond empty shows of African unity and ask if people are truly better off. For journalists, Fanons greatest gift is a set of powerful ideas a practical toolkit. His main goal was a new kind of human respect. He believed everyone should see each other as equals, an idea he first explored in Black Skin, White Masks. For us, this is a moral guide. It teaches us to report on peoples struggles without making them seem simple or strange. He explained how colonialism split the world into two: the good, civilized settler versus the bad, savage native. This way of thinking still affects how the world sees Africa. As journalists, we must challenge this oversimplified storytelling. His predictions are our news headlines. He said African elites would become managers for Western companies clearing big government contracts that mostly help foreign firms. He warned they would turn their countries into the brothel of Europe, a place for foreign pleasure, visible in luxury tourism that displaces locals. He noted that the educated and wealthy would crowd into capital cities, thereby creating a huge gap with rural areas. This is a major source of the inequality and anger we report on in Nigeria. Fanon gives us specific concepts to use. The Zone of Non-being describes where the oppressed are made to feel invisible and worthless. Our job is to find these people the displaced, the victims and tell their stories. Psychic Alienation is when colonised people start to believe they are inferior, seen in skin bleaching or the preference for foreign languages. We must report on this inner conflict. He named the National Bourgeoisie as the class of leaders who grew rich after independence but serve foreign interests. We must investigate this class, track their money, and expose how they hold power. And his Revolutionary Humanism believed in building new, fairer societies. This urges us to also report on communities already working to build a better Africa. It is wrong to think Fanon only supported violence. He wrote that colonialism itself is a violent system not just physically, but in how it crushes the human spirit. He said ending this system would always be a fierce struggle. This insight helps us report on conflicts with deeper understanding, beyond simple judgments. Fanon did not just write; he acted on his ideas. He served as Algerias ambassador to Ghana, trying to build a united African front to support fights for freedom across the continent. He understood that defeating colonialism required a united effort. In his role, he also worked as a kind of correspondent and war reporter; his diplomatic work fed his writing. He connected leaders from different African liberation movements, showing journalists that true unity is not just about speeches, but about real connections and shared work. Even as he fought for freedom, Fanon was critically sharp. Through his journalism in El Moudjahid, he warned how newly independent states were creating a class of elites whose interests aligned with those of the former colonisers. This teaches us that we can support the cause of freedom while still holding leaders accountable. His most urgent warning was for the period after independence. In The Wretched of the Earth, he detailed the threat of the national bourgeoisie. He said this new elite was lazy in thinking, greedy, and cut off from the everyday struggles of its people. He predicted that if movements for freedom were not tested through long struggle, they would be taken over by selfish elites who would become mere middlemen between foreign business and the African people. We see this today, where wealth often depends on who you know in government, not on building real businesses. His predictions are our news headlines. He said African elites would become managers for Western companies clearing big government contracts that mostly help foreign firms. He warned they would turn their countries into the brothel of Europe, a place for foreign pleasure, visible in luxury tourism that displaces locals. He noted that the educated and wealthy would crowd into capital cities, thereby creating a huge gap with rural areas. This is a major source of the inequality and anger we report on in Nigeria. He said these leaders would trade in empty slogans about development, not practical plans. Fanon was also critical of a nationalism that is only about culture and symbols, not real economic change, calling it chauvinistic tenderness. Today, some call this Wakandification projecting a powerful, modern image of Africa while, in reality, many remain poor. We must ask if the Africa Rising story is true for everyone. Fanons belief in a better future gives us hope. He fought for a world in which every human being can breathe in peace. In our time of many crises, he inspires African journalists to do more than just report the news. He challenges us to help build a new Africa, with new people, who are truly free and in charge of their own destiny. These warnings are not history; they are keys to understanding modern Africa. Fanons ideas help us decode new problems. Take the Year of Return in Ghana and similar projects. Fanon would caution that the Western elite might return as tourists hungry for the exotic. When foreign celebrities buy vast lands in East Africa, we must report on both the investment and the potential for a new wave of gentrification that pushes out locals. The same is true for big music festivals and luxury tourism, which can turn nations into playgrounds for the rich, which hides the struggles of the poor. This is what Fanon meant by the shocking ways of the selfish bourgeoisie. Tension between returnees and those who never left is often a class problem; the former may think they know better, while locals feel looked down upon. Our reporting must balance the desire for connection with the real impacts on communities. In the end, Fanons legacy for African journalism is a call to a higher purpose. Reflecting on his life, I see that he gives us not a strict rulebook, but a weary road to rational knowledge. This path needs bravery, clear vision, and a commitment to report the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. He lived this himself, from his editorial desk to the pages of his books. A Fanon-style journalism would listen to ordinary people, and treat them not just as sources of quotes but as experts on their own lives. His criticism of the cosmopolitan elite is also a challenge to us, the journalists, who often come from the same class. We must check ourselves to ensure we are not promoting the same lazy thinking and greed he warn against. Finally, Fanons belief in a better future gives us hope. He fought for a world in which every human being can breathe in peace. In our time of many crises, he inspires African journalists to do more than just report the news. He challenges us to help build a new Africa, with new people, who are truly free and in charge of their own destiny. This brings me back to the quote on my classroom window. As journalists, our mission is clear: to discover the truth of our time and to report it with courage. By doing this, we fulfil our duty and honour the powerful legacy of Frantz Fanon the psychiatrist, revolutionary, and journalist. Samuel Aruwan is a postgraduate student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. If anybody deserved to be called Mr PUNCH, it would undoubtedly be this Ijebu-born, Lagos city boy, who undeniably gave his all to an organisation that took him from nothing to something regal and admirable His reputation had been out there for years before I joined The PUNCH in 2003, for professional, and undeniably, for economic reasons. Punch Newspaper Ltd was synonymous with its Ibadan roots and its amiable founder and publisher, Chief Olu Aboderin, of blessed memory. At its old headquarters in Onipetesi-Mangoro, a suburban Lagos area, it was for a reason of heritage that the private estate in which the newspaper was located was named Kudeti Street. Ditto for why the mini mart that serviced the staffs grocery needs was named Alatede. Both Alatede and Kudeti highlighted and drew attention to the Matriarch of the Aboderin family, on the one hand, and Ibadan itself, the hometown of the Aboderins, of which the founder of The PUNCH, a brilliant accountant and socialite, was determined to etch in perpetual glory. But there were two other names with which The PUNCH was also, somewhat, synonymous, almost in all of its first 50 years as Nigerias leading newspaper of repute. One was its longest serving Chairman, the cerebral, business-minded, no-nonsense Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, who turned the fortunes of PUNCH around from a loud and tantalising tabloid to a lavishly creative, business-oriented, respectable and profitable national daily. The other, is the decent, unassuming, fine and refined gentleman, Ademola Osinubi, who had the good fortune of holding practically all the important editorial positions in the organisation, before capping it with the enviable position of Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief. If anybody deserved to be called Mr PUNCH, it would undoubtedly be this Ijebu-born, Lagos city boy, who undeniably gave his all to an organisation that took him from nothing to something regal and admirable. His reputation had been out there for years before I joined The PUNCH in 2003, for professional, and undeniably, for economic reasons. I had taken the tough decision to leave The Comet (now defunct, or shall we say now transfigured into The Nation) when salaries had become a mirage. As a family man with a baby on the way, one had to be pragmatic. Returning to The Guardian, which I had left in 1999 to work at The Comet as a foundation staff, was hardly an option. Vanguard, with its office in Apapa, I considered a bit too far; while ThisDay, my kind of a newspaper product, had its own peculiar issues. Everything, therefore, pointed in the direction of The PUNCH and after so much consultations, the verdict was that once you could exhibit and sustain brilliance (including passing entry and periodic English language tests), be hardworking and of impeccable integrity, it was the place to be. Everyone, the warnings were undiluted from multiple sources, would ultimately, unavoidably have to contend with the very high standards of The PUNCH; that is the standard and supervision that the Ogunshola-Osinubi combo represented. I met The PUNCH and Osinubi as I had heard and envisaged. I was lucky to have joined the organisation at Onipetesi-Mangoro, where I would spend my first six years with the organisation. While Chief Ogunshola was the Alpha male who was rarely seen but whose image loomed large, Osinubi was the face and voice of The PUNCH on the ground. But he was never in your face! He was one who didnt have to scream or draw attention to himself before you knew that he was the true custodian of the core values of The PUNCH brilliance. Hard work. Integrity. He was the model for those virtues without creating a runway of noise and sensation. Editors, Controllers and Executive Directors may be visible and influential. But Osinubis power was different. He was in silent, stealthy command of all the operations. He didnt write a column. He didnt call staff meetings to show that he was in command. He didnt run to television or radio stations for interviews that were self-promoting. Nor did he ever try to show off at media or non-media events to market himself as a super brat in need of external validation. The PUNCH was sufficient for him. He simply kept his cool and delivered on his mandate of running one of Nigerias biggest and most profitable newspapers of the last few decades. Although the top management was a collage of efforts, it was apparent that Osinubis imprimatur was undeniable as the Head of all Operations in all of the companys affairs. He created effective clusters and coordinated every unit with passion and precision. Yet, he had a panoramic view of practically everything going on within the organisation from editorial to advertorial, production, and circulation departments, as well as the administrative and accounting/auditing departments. It was something akin to a mythical reality, especially at Onipetesi, with the belief that Osinubis Big Brother eyes were always watching everyone. You just had to pray that you were not summoned into the diary room for explanations. So much so that when staff members needed to be offloaded, and that was a fairly constant occurrence in the company, a fair assessment would tend to show that the company had done its due diligence on you before your love letter, as sack letters were known by staff members, would be delivered to you in those days. When I had the opportunity to play a similar role at the National Mirror as MD/Editor-in-Chief, what informed my values and guided my actions, included the invaluable lessons that I learnt from Mr Osinubi, as indeed those that I picked from Mr Lade Bonuola (at The Guardian and The Comet), Mr Eluem Emeka Izeze (at The Guardian) and Mr Muyiwa Adetiba (at the defunct Todays News Today). As such, when one realised that Mr Osinubi had risen from the lowest ebb, as a trainee and cub reporter all the way up to News Editor, Daily Editor, General Manager and ultimately MD/E-i-C, one was bound to appreciate that he didnt derive his power and influence as Mr PUNCH from discipline and integrity alone. But also from experience, functional teeth-grinding experience that keeps you one step ahead of almost every situation. It is said, and it deserves great acknowledgement, that Mr Osinubi had all his adult work experience at PUNCH Nigeria Ltd. However, I developed more respect and admiration for him in my first year at The PUNCH, in 2003, when close friends and colleagues like Olumide Iyanda took me to a buka across Punch estate, just by Mangoro bus stop. The owner, an elderly woman, took interest in our discussion and wanted to know if a certain Demola was still a staff of The PUNCH. When she described the person she had in mind, we gladly told her that was our Oga Patapata. She was pleasantly surprised. She then took us on a short history lesson, when she used to run a small canteen in the 1970s and 80s, and top among her customers were Chief Olu Aboderin and his partner, Mr Sam Amuka-Pemu (before he left to float Vanguard). Mama, the canteen owner, told us how Osinubi was the young, good-looking boy, that would be sent by Aboderin and Pemu to collect their food order from her canteen. Her recollection of those days was awe-inspiring. Her message to us: Learn from your boss; be focused; dont cut corners; be ready to serve others, so that you can be served too! As Editor of The PUNCH, I didnt have the privilege of wining and dining with Mr Osinubi that much. But he didnt present himself as someone who was opposed to socials and the good life. He lived and preached moderation. His wit was sharp but measured. He had enormous respect for the seat of the Editor and his office was always open for consultations, whenever necessary. I was a bit lucky as Editor, given that his influential Executive Assistant, Mrs Folake Gbemuotor, was married to a big brother and buddy of mine in the motion picture industry. Access, on very few occasions that it became necessary, therefore, was a given. Even when he was not a direct partaker in the constant look-ins that many journalists and advert executives had at Mama Omas joint (a very modest bar and restaurant), inside the PUNCH estate and on Babaponmile street, just outside the premises, Mr Osinubi had no qualms about us stepping down, as long as work was not affected. On a number of occasions, he would stroll past Mama Omas place or simply wait around the entrance of the newsroom just before daily production commenced to tease those returning from their daily dose at the two well-known St Bottles Cathedral inside and outside of PUNCH premises at Onipetesi. PUNCH was reputed for strict rules, especially as they concern staff members going on study leave or writing and launching books. But I encountered Mr Osinubis kindness on both scores, when my immediate boss, Mr Azu Ishiekwene, made recommendations to him on my behalf. First was in 2005 when I applied for a study leave for a Masters degree programme in the UK. Even though I had not spent three years that would have qualified me for such privilege, Mr Osinubi granted a waiver, based on Mr Ishiekwenes recommendation, to travel with half salary approved, provided I would continue to work for PUNCH on a part-time basis while I was in the UK. That was how my weekly Thursday column, UK Reportage was born, with a cool UK Correspondent designation in tow. The second privilege was when my book unveiling was approved within my first year as Daily Editor. Earlier that year in 2008, Mr Osinubi had donned me with the toga of Events Coordinator of the Organisation, apparently impressed with my role as the Team Lead for the Committee that planned the book unveiling by the Executive Director (Publications), Mr Ishiekwene, at MUSON Centre. The book, The Trial of Nuhu Ribadu highlighted The PUNCHs strong anti-corruption stance and how the organisation could look inwards to utilise its own assets maximally. The event went well at MUSON Centre without any external event planner engaged. And so when MUSON, as an organisation, approached me later that year to compile my front-page reviews of classical music concerts at the prestigious centre to mark its 25th anniversary, Mr Osinubi nursed little hesitation in granting approval to honour MUSONs request, given that most of the articles had been published even before I joined The PUNCH. Not only did he grant approval, he also personally attended the event that was chaired by the doyen of accountants and former chairman of MUSON, Mr Akintola Williams. When he saw that the ushers that were used at the book unveiling were all gorgeous PUNCH ladies journalists, lawyer, advert executives and a secretary, Mr Osinubi winked at us, did a thumbs up and quipped You are doing well, long before Debo Adebowale (Mr Macaroni) made that expression a viral phrase. I should credit Mr Osinubi for a few other life-changing considerations. Top among which was his insistence that as Daily Editor, my official residence must be in Magodo GRA, even though the company was only picking half of the bills. Magodo bawo, among the elites and the two or three power brokers of PUNCH? I was stunned! But he explained to me at his Onipetesi-Mangoro office that it was a decision that I would come to appreciate much later. He was right! His other advice was that as the Daily Editor and a Senior Manager, I was entitled to a land and house construction loan. The only caveat was that it must be a government allocation. He was thorough in explaining that the same way that senior civil servants, army generals, senior police officers and clerics do apply for and are allocated government lands that will be fully paid for, senior journalists in The PUNCH are also entitled. I consider myself privileged to have been the Editor on seat when PUNCH moved from Mangoro to Magboro area, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, in 2009. But then that period was surreal! It was like a plane climbing into higher altitude but with attendance turbulence. But Mr Osinubi, remarkably, stood on the path of truth and honour when the headwinds came calling. I shouldnt be surprised, given that at least once or twice, I saw him take a different stance from other senior management members; choosing to stand in favour of the three editors and Chairman of the Editorial Board, when the top management decided that a rebuttal that The PUNCH published against a certain politician, who had made an unfounded allegation against a top management staff of The PUNCH, be re-written and re-published. Mr Osinubi would have none of that. He insisted the rebuttal that was jointly written by the editors with the editorial board Chairman and approved by him (Osinubi) was good enough. He stormed out of a heated meeting and was not part of the second rebuttal that was written and published. There was at least another time at a management meeting, where he spoke out in defence of the three editors when there was a hot debate that bordered on editorial judgement and consideration for commercial interests. In March 2024 when I was invited to curate the commemorative exhibition to celebrate PUNCHs 50th Anniversary, I was happy for the role that Mr Osinubi played in making the event memorable and successful, even though he had retired from the company and I had left 14 years earlier. I was happy to share the glory of the cover picture with him, his successor and current MD/E-i-C, Mr Adeyeye Joseph, together with the current Chairperson, Mrs Angela Emuwa, and other top management of The PUNCH. That was thoughtful and historic, in my view. And I was doubly proud on his behalf when he was singled out by Chief Ogunshola at the subsequent anniversary dinner at Eko Hotel in Lagos, as the man whose special role in the success of The PUNCH as a super brand can never be wished away. It is unlikely that any other person, as an individual staff member, will be able to do as much for The PUNCH as Mr Ademola Osinubi did in his capacities as staff member, director on the Board and chief executive officer, over several decades. Happy 70th birthday, big boss. May you live long and be celebrated the more. Steve Ayorinde, a former commissioner for Information & Strategy and Tourism, Arts & Culture in Lagos State, had the privilege of working for PUNCH Nig. Ltd as a Line Editor, UK Correspondent, Editorial Board Member and Editor (Daily) between 2003 and 2010. This article was published as part of an e-book Osinubi: The Forging Of A Media Icon released last month to celebrate Mr Ademola Osinubi @ 70. Azerbaijan is on the verge of realising the biggest cotton harvest since the country gained its independence. This represents a kind of breakthrough within the agricultural sector and further enhances the position of the country within the global cotton industry. Cotton production begins to take on the sense of an important agricultural crop for Azerbaijan again. Almost complete harvests of the 2025 harvest suggest a revival of the industry after a few years of shrinkage. According to a statement made by Azerbaijans Ministry of Agriculture by early December, 353,914 tons of raw cotton were gathered from 100,468.1 hectares of agricultural land, and this year's crop average of 35.23 centners of cotton per hectare is a record high in Azerbaijan after independence. In US dollar value, the amount of raw cotton is measured in tens of millions of agricultural products, thus accentuating the significance of cotton beyond its simple nominal value of export. This increase has come against the background of various harvest decreases experienced in previous years. To give a proper comparison, Azerbaijan harvested just over 307,000 tons in 2024, while in 2023, harvests decreased to 276,300 tons. This shows that in 2022 and 2020, harvests stood at approximately 323,000 and 337,000 tons, respectively, making 2025s harvest a definitive turnaround in renewed focus on this sector. Cotton farming has been conducted in 16 areas during the 2025 economic year, with the largest area of agricultural land allocated towards cotton farming in nine traditional cotton-growing districts: Aghjabedi, Beylagan, Barda, Bilasuvar, Imishli, Neftchala, Saatli, Sabirabad, and Salyan. The nine areas comprise approximately 86,000 hectares of cotton plantations. As of December 8, the Beylagan region showed the highest level of productivity in the country with an average harvest of 41.07 centners per hectare, with a total output of 36,543.9 tons from 8,898.3 hectares. The list includes a number of high-performing areas, such as Neftchala with 39.64 centners per hectare, Bilasuvar with 39.45 centners per hectare, Tartar with 37.46 centners per hectare, and Barda with 35.80 centners per hectare In the cotton belt, Barda recorded an average harvest of 30,249.4 centners from 8,448.8 ha of land, yielding 35.8 centners per ha, one of the better performances in the country. The reinforcement of cotton lint and yarn output indicates improvement in the field. In January-November 2025, Azerbaijan manufactured 76,856.5 tons of cotton lint, a rise of 33.8 per cent from previous years, and cotton yarn worth 19,737.4 tons, a rise of 22.9 per cent. The large storage stocks, measuring 28,308.2 tons of cotton lint and 5,214.7 tons of cotton yarn on December 1, indicate growing material availability. The trend is also seen in the export results. The total export of cotton yarn from January to October 2025 was 12,029.40 tons, with a value of US$27.45 million, which indicates a rise of 17.8 per cent and 8.8 per cent over the same period of the previous year, respectively. All these figures clearly indicate how the growth of the cotton crop itself contributes to the generation of more value-added exports instead of remaining basic exports. Further information from mid-2025 reveals that raw cotton production in the first half of the year had shown a substantial increase of more than 46,000 tons, and that cotton yarn production was up by nearly 25 per cent in the first seven months. Expectations for further expansion led the Agricultural Subsidy Council to announce an increase in the support levels for cotton crops in the 2026 agricultural year very recently. Farmers will get 215 manats per ton (approx US$126) for irrigated cotton and 200 manats per ton (approx US$118) for non-irrigated cotton, thus pragmatic efforts are being promoted through this upliftment too. The subsidies will be applicable in specific regions, including Aghjabedi, Beylagan, Barda, Neftchala, Saatli, Sabirabad, and others, while other regions will be denied yield subsidies. Justification is based on promoting both yield and specialisation. There have been new state standards set for cotton in 2025. These seek to enhance the quality control of cotton lint assessment, ranging from maturity to purity. This paves the way to better export revenues. Regardless of the bright spot, there are still issues that need to be addressed. The problem of water, especially in regions where cotton is grown, has been seen as an issue. The need for irrigation systems has been advocated by the growers, especially for the purposes of yield. Development of local high-quality varieties, as well as having improved protection against diseases, is another priority. There are also some international efforts for the modernisation of agriculture in Rwanda. For example, FAO and IAEA-funded schemes have implemented the use of climate-resilient agriculture and nuclear-supported soil and fertiliser optimisation methods, whose potential for yield expansion and soil and climate change resilience is evident in some pilots. Apart from cotton fibres, Azerbaijan is slowly developing the textile chain. This is seen in the cotton processing factory in the Sabirabad Industrial District, churning out lint and technical fibres for both domestic and export markets. Using imported technology from countries like Turkiye, Germany, and Italy, the factorys annual production capacity stands at 8,000 tons of lint and 10,000 tons of fibres, already seeing exports and job creation. On the one hand, new joint ventures are coming to fruition. Joint projects with Uzbek textile companies aim to create clusters of cotton farming, yarn, textiles, and clothing to make Azerbaijan, besides being a raw material provider, a participant in the textile sector supply chain. The cotton harvest of 2025 is an indicator not only of quantity growth but also of the qualitative change in Azerbaijans agricultural economy. Indeed, thanks to record harvest volumes, growing processing production, supportive policy and rising levels of international partnership, cotton is re-emerging as a driving force not only in rural jobs but also in non-oil exports. If the trend is any indication, particularly with improvements in irrigation systems and the use of modern cultivation methods and textile manufacturing linkages, cotton could become an innovation catalyst for the farm sector in Azerbaijan from its current status as a traditional crop. The Ukrainian Defense Forces neutralized 37 out of 69 Russian drones, and recorded hits on 29 UAVs at 12 locations, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. "According to preliminary data, as of 9:00 a.m., air defense forces have shot down or suppressed 37 enemy Shaheds, Gerberas, and other types of UAVs in the north, south, and east of the country. Twenty-nine attack UAVs were recorded hitting 12 locations ... The attack continues, and several enemy UAVs are in the air," the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on their Telegram channel. In total, the enemy attacked Ukrainian airspace with 69 Shaheds and Gerbera attack UAVs, as well as other types of drones, from the following directions: Kursk, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Millerovo (Russian Federation), and Hvardeyske (TOT Autonomous Republic of Crimea), approximately 40 of which were Shaheds. The air attack was repelled by aircraft, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems, and mobile fire teams of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Until Africa returns to this fundamental truth, that no one is above the law and that justice must be blind to privilege, the continent will continue to chase shadows. Let us be mindful that corruption is merely a symptom; the true disease lies in the prevailing lack of respect for the rule of law, for a just process and a fair justice system. For decades, we have been made to believe that African leaders are corrupt, lack the desire for inclusive development, and are motivated by a perpetual hold on power Perpetualism. While I do not dispute these claims, I believe they only describe the symptoms of a deeper human condition. Corruption, after all, is not a uniquely African phenomenon; it is a universal instinct of self-preservation and greed. Come to think of it: how then do we explain the recurring scandals in the United States, the imprisonment of former presidents in France and South Korea, or the frequent resignations from Britains Parliament? The common denominator is corruption. Whereas scores of similar incidents happen in Africa, and the perpetrators are never held accountable! The key difference lies, therefore, not in human morality but in the facelessness of justice; where the law is supreme, impartial, and blind to power. It is, therefore, not about how much a nation spends on anti-corruption agencies or how many institutions are created to measure integrity; the real question is how much respect a society accords the process and outcomes of justice. Respect commands honour. Honour breeds wealth. Wealth facilitates development. Development creates opportunity. Opportunity built on inclusion guarantees social justice. Social justice defines sustainability. The Problem with Weak Institutions The questions, therefore, are: Why has there been a persistent effort to tell the story of how corrupt Africa is, rather than focusing on how to build a strong, virile, free, and fair judiciary? Why is there a prevailing drive to nurture a culture that disrespects institutions, a dominant trend across Africa, unfortunately, all in the name of exercising authority? These are very pertinent questions that I cannot address within the scope of this piece. It should, however, be known that: Without strong institutions, legitimate authority can never exist! Historically, Africa was known for its virile institutions that legitimised authority, not the other way around. Kings, chiefs, and community leaders derived their power from the consent and confidence of the people, guided by systems of accountability, tradition, and justice. Without a culture that elevates judicial independence and institutional integrity, corruption will remain a symptomatic scourge, exposing the insecurities of office holders. Yet, the true factor undermining inclusive development is a weak judiciary system. Respect for law and process is, therefore, not a bureaucratic ideal; it is the foundation upon which sustainable development is built. It is this inversion, where authority now seeks to legitimise institutions instead of being legitimised by them, that lies at the heart of the continents governance crisis. Mind you, I am not talking about uncivilised regimes; rather, I am referring to democratically elected leaders who have subjugated institutions with reckless use of authority. Why Real Development Depends on Respect for Law and Process Without a culture that elevates judicial independence and institutional integrity, corruption will remain a symptomatic scourge, exposing the insecurities of office holders. Yet, the true factor undermining inclusive development is a weak judiciary system. Respect for law and process is, therefore, not a bureaucratic ideal; it is the foundation upon which sustainable development is built. Investment will only thrive in an environment that guarantees the rule of law. Natural endowments can only be translated into viable investment projects in locations where institutions are respected and processes are dignified. Citizens respond positively to governance when those in authority demonstrate commensurate respect for institutions. Setting targets without the will and commitment to build strong supporting structures amounts to wasted effort. True progress can only be measured in an environment that values honour, generates and transfers sustainable and equitable wealth, and promotes inclusive opportunities. Global Lessons: How the Rule of Law Works Across the world, nations that have progressed are not free of corruption, but they have mastered the art of making the law work. In South Korea, two former presidents, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, were tried and convicted for corruption-related offences. In France, former President Nicolas Sarkozy faced conviction for influence peddling and is currently in jail. In the United States, the judiciary continues to demonstrate its independence, indicting even former presidents and restraining the incumbent President in exercising reckless authority. In the United Kingdom, government ministers and members of Parliament regularly resign over ethical breaches, no matter how small. These examples illustrate that the strength of a nation lies not in the perfection of its people but in the impartiality of its institutions. The Statistics Speak Data from the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (2024) reinforces this reality. The global average score stands at 43 out of 100, while Sub-Saharan Africa averages 33, reflecting the regions weak enforcement mechanisms. By contrast, countries such as Denmark (90), Finland (88), and Singapore (84), all with strong rule-of-law traditions, rank among the least corrupt nations. Within Africa, Seychelles (72), Botswana (57), and Rwanda (57) outperform many peers due to their relatively stronger governance frameworks and independent judicial systems. Meanwhile, Nigeria (26) and Kenya (32) continue to lag, not for lack of anti-corruption agencies, but because justice is often negotiable. African leaders, and indeed Nigerian leaders, must be circumspect of the emerging global order and conscious of the widening governance and economic gaps within and beyond their sphere of authority. The continued misuse of resources and the politicisation of justice will only breed a dislocated country and cities, ones where deprivation becomes a norm, discontent a culture, and underdevelopment an inheritance. While this article is not intended to appraise the performance of Nigerias various anti-graft institutions, it is clear that, despite their efforts, these bodies have not been fully efficient or effective in achieving their mandates. Their presence has acted as a restraining factor, but lasting change depends on a culture where arrests, cautions, convictions, and voluntary resignations of publicly proven authority abusers become the norm. The Cost of Disregarding Institutions African leaders, and indeed Nigerian leaders, must be circumspect of the emerging global order and conscious of the widening governance and economic gaps within and beyond their sphere of authority. The continued misuse of resources and the politicisation of justice will only breed a dislocated country and cities, ones where deprivation becomes a norm, discontent a culture, and underdevelopment an inheritance. A Call to Restore Institutional Integrity Until Africa returns to this fundamental truth, that no one is above the law and that justice must be blind to privilege, the continent will continue to chase shadows. Let us be mindful that corruption is merely a symptom; the true disease lies in the prevailing lack of respect for the rule of law, for a just process and a fair justice system. Agenda 2063 may seem far off, but the journey toward its realisation depends fundamentally on societies that respect institutions rather than authority. Africas renaissance will not come from new slogans or reform templates, but from the restoration of a culture where justice is impartial, authority is accountable, and institutions are inviolable. This process must begin with African leaders empowering the African Union Commission to act decisively, ensuring that continent-wide governance standards are respected, institutional integrity is reinforced, and that Africa can speak with a unified and credible voice on the global stage. Dipo Baruwa is a business climate development analyst. Contrary to the ministers poor performance excuse, there is evidence of progress with mother tongue teaching in the last three years. A good example is Kaduna and some other Northern states, where mother tongue multilingual education has witnessed remarkable transformative impact on learners. One of the challenges facing education in Nigeria is, among other issues, policy somersaults which, in most cases, come with changes in government, depending on the political party holding power at the centre. Even divisive political issues, such as regional conclaves, affect the national discourse on education. But to subject what ordinarily should be a uniting force, determined by professionals and stakeholders, to frequent changes is to weaken the only thing that can liberate the mind and level the haves with the have-nots. Without consistency, robust policy sustainability and functionality spanning decades, progress can only be in fits and starts. When education and educational policy initiatives suffer this fate, the result is reflected in the mismatch between what is taught and what the country needs for advancement and development. The controversies trailing the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausas old but new pronouncement dropping the use of mother tongue in favour of English for teaching children in the early years, fall into this category. Only three years ago, in 2022, the former Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, under the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari, began the implementation of a national language policy mandating the mother tongue as a medium of instruction in the early years. That policy is now in danger of being jettisoned due to its unfair assessment by the current minister after only three years. While presenting the new policy then, Minister Adamu noted that children grasp concepts faster when taught in their mother tongue, in line with the acclaimed logic of data-driven Jolly Phonics and Accelerated Methodologies that children learn best in a language they understand. It also builds self-esteem and confidence. In a country of over 10 million out-of-school children, with many not completing secondary school education, playing politics with policies that affect them is capable of destroying the system and disrupting their lives. Hence, Minister Alausas reference to the ones that adopted this mother tongue in an over-subscribed manner is condescending, wrong-headed and demeaning. Without allowing the old concept to properly manifest or be empirically tested, Minister Alausas citing of poor performance in WAEC, NECO and JAMB to reverse the three-year policy by fiat is knee-jerk, not well-thought out and not inclusive. Education is on the concurrent legislative list, meaning that both the federal and state governments have jurisdiction and authority over it. A discretionary ministerial declaration seeking to ban an educational strategy that seems to be working in some parts of the country is a constitutional aberration. Without deference to sub-national governments in charge of early years, the minister has no right to deploy new strategies. As a matter of fact, there is no correlation between failure in WAEC and NECO and a new programme that has barely impacted anyone. The failure is actually an indictment of the old programme being smuggled back. Besides, the cancellation of mother tongue teaching is too abrupt, hasty and not subjected to assessment by early years teaching specialists. Before pronouncing failure on an issue like this, the government should have invested in teacher training, textbooks and other learning materials. Did the Federal Government do this? We have seen a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO and JAMB in certain geo-political zones of the country, and those are the ones that adopted this mother tongue in an over-subscribed manner, the minister stated. This is far from the reality on the ground and not logical. A policy that was implemented at the pre-primary and primary school levels three years ago could not have led to failure in these examinations. The mother tongue policy, if sustained, would need at least 10 years to be tested by the authorities, starting with those children. Minister Alausas English-only concept is not evidence-based, nor experimental, and does not take into cognisance cultural identity and preservation, and will ultimately lead to the extinction of many local languages at a time when many are calling for their codification. Education is on the concurrent legislative list, meaning that both the federal and state governments have jurisdiction and authority over it. A discretionary ministerial declaration seeking to ban an educational strategy that seems to be working in some parts of the country is a constitutional aberration. Without deference to sub-national governments in charge of early years, the minister has no right to deploy new strategies. As a constitutional matter under both federal and state governments, new policy initiatives should not and cannot be decreed without recourse to the National Assembly. Any new policy programme not well articulated, negotiated and widely consulted among stakeholders at all levels is doomed to fail, as with previous haphazard policy conception and implementation. I wonder if Minister Alausa did this. He should know that policy inconsistency could render education comatose or stagnant. Educationists say a child is capable of understanding at least seven languages. Therefore, instead of expunging local languages from our curriculum, why not use them alongside English to achieve our goals? Let us not get things muddled up. Fluency in English is not equivalent or synonymous with high intelligence quotient, brilliance or success in examinations. Contrary to the ministers poor performance excuse, there is evidence of progress with mother tongue teaching in the last three years. A good example is Kaduna and some other Northern states, where mother tongue multilingual education has witnessed remarkable transformative impact on learners. According to experts on the subject, an FCDO-funded foundational learning programme conducted in Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa states has shown significant gains in literacy and numeracy by employing Hausa as the language of instruction in early grades. It provides a strong bridge to English acquisition, disproving the myth that mother tongue education hinders second language learning. Another example is the Teaching at the Right Level programme conducted in Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa states, where the efficacy of TaRL is magnified when delivered in a language the child understands. By assessing and teaching children at their competency level in their mother tongue, learning gaps are closed more rapidly and effectively. There are many countries of the world that have made tremendous impact in science and technology without speaking or writing in English. China, Germany, France, India and Saudi Arabia belong to this category, proving that the universe is bigger than the language in which it is thought and studied. As a former British colony, our forebears, most of whom did not know the English alphabet until the age of seven or eight, ended up excelling in the language of the colonialists. One former technocrat belonging to the first generation of educated people in Kaduna State told how he had a First Class in English in a British university. On graduation day, the authorities said to him, Thank you for teaching us so much of our language. Yet this man was born to illiterate parents, never saw the four walls of a classroom until he was almost 10, and was obviously taught in his mother tongue at that age. Who says spoken English is everything? Educationists say a child is capable of understanding at least seven languages. Therefore, instead of expunging local languages from our curriculum, why not use them alongside English to achieve our goals? Let us not get things muddled up. Fluency in English is not equivalent or synonymous with high intelligence quotient, brilliance or success in examinations. Zainab Suleiman Okino (FNGE) chairs the Blueprint Editorial Board. She is a syndicated columnist and can be reached via [email protected]. Fidson Healthcare Plc, Nigerias leading pharmaceutical manufacturer, on Friday, 12 December 2025, held a signing ceremony at the Companys Head Office in Lagos to initiate the formal launch of its highly anticipated Rights Issue upon receipt of the final regulatory approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX). This strategic capital raise aims to generate a gross sum of up to N21 billion an injection vital to consolidating Fidsons leadership in the industry, providing funds for increased production capacity and its aggressive pan-African expansion goals. The Issue involves the offering of Six Hundred Million (600,000,000) New Ordinary Shares of 50 kobo each, priced at N35.00 per share. The shares are offered to existing shareholders based on one new Ordinary Share for every four Ordinary Shares held as of the close of business on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, which is the Qualification Date. This Rights Issue, which builds on a history of strategic capital-raising initiatives, comes at a time when the company has demonstrated exceptional performance, underscoring the strong operational execution and robust market position Fidson commands within the Nigerian and West African pharmaceutical landscape. The nine-month results for the period ended 30 September 2025, solidify this strength, revealing a significant 132 per cent year-on-year surge in Profit After Tax (PAT) to reach N7.97 billion. This outstanding bottom-line growth was underpinned by a 56 per cent increase in Revenue, which reached N93.08 billion, reflecting robust demand and expanded market reach. Furthermore, effective cost management saw Operating Profit rise by an impressive 92 per cent to N16.95 billion, demonstrating significant operational leverage and efficiency gains. The N21 billion capital infusion is specifically targeted at increasing manufacturing capacity, driving product innovation and expanding market penetration across new territories. Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Managing Director/CEO of Fidson Healthcare Plc, Biola Adebayo, stated, The successful formalisation of this N21 billion Rights Issue marks a critical milestone for Fidson. This capital will cement our position as the foremost healthcare company in Nigeria and a dominant player across Africa. Our exceptional performance this year has demonstrated our ability to thrive and innovate, and this successful offer assures us we can accelerate our growth trajectory and create sustainable, long-term value for all our stakeholders. The Finance Director, Imokha Ayebae, in his remarks, highlighted the companys impressive milestones in the capital market and explained the financial necessity and structure of the Issue. This Rights Issue has been meticulously structured to be financially compelling and viable for our loyal investors. The proceeds will be deployed judiciously to optimise our operations, including technology upgrades and expansion of our product lines. Eligible shareholders are strongly encouraged to exercise their provisional rights during the period. Michael Nzewi, the CEO of CardinalStone Partners Limited, Lead Issuing house for the Rights Issue, spoke about the equity capital raising journey of the company and indicated that its last offering in 2019 was at N4.50 compared to the current offer price of N35 which is a discount to current market price is a testament to the growth trajectory of the companys stock and the attractiveness of holding Fidson shares in an investment portfolio. Shareholders whose names appear on the register as of the Qualification Date are urged to complete the Official Participation Form and lodge it, along with full payment, with their Stockbroker or any Receiving Agent listed in the Rights Circular before the closing date. Fidsons drive toward excellence in pharmaceutical manufacturing remains unwavering. We are committed to delivering value to our stakeholders, empowering our workforce, and driving innovation. Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has transferred the Kogo Forest Reserve in Faskari Local Government Area to the Federal Government to strengthen environmental protection and promote sustainable forest management. The governor signed the Memorandum of Understanding at Government House, Katsina, following the conclusion of the two-day 18th National Council on the Environment meeting and a courtesy visit by the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Abbas Lawal. We have formally handed over the Kogo Forest Reserve to the Federal Government in line with our shared commitment to environmental sustainability, Mr Radda said. The governor used the occasion to showcase Katsinas development strides, noting that hosting the Council allowed participants to experience the states progress firsthand. This gathering has enabled our guests to see Katsina for themselves, experience the resilience and hospitality of our people, and understand the steady progress were making beyond the negative narratives often portrayed in the media, he said. Governor Radda disclosed that Katsina State is implementing an aggressive renewable energy programme targeting 25 megawatts of solar power by next year, with an additional 10 megawatts already in the pipeline. We have handed over a windmill project, and further processes are ongoing to make it fully operational. Katsina State is also implementing Nigerias first hybrid wind-solar power project in Lambar Rimi, with a planned capacity of 12 megawatts within our Green Economy Zone, he added. He explained that the state has identified 12 key government institutions accounting for about 92 per cent of public energy consumption and commenced their transition to renewable power sources. Government House now runs on a one-megawatt solar system, the General Hospital has been connected, and the State Secretariat is fully solar-powered and independent of the national grid, Mr Radda said. On environmental security, he identified deforestation as a major regional and national concern, warning that commercial charcoal production is increasingly linked to organised criminal networks. Between 70 and 80 per cent of our forests remain ungoverned, posing serious environmental and national security risks that require decisive federal action, he cautioned. Governor Radda particularly noted the impact of the ACReSAL programme in Jibia and Kaita Local Government Areas, adding that the interventions prevented flooding in the state last year. He added that Katsina State secured approval for a one-megawatt hydroelectric power project at Danja Dam, to be implemented in partnership with the French Treasury and replicated across other dams in the state. Earlier, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, disclosed that Katsina State improved its national environmental performance ranking from third to second position. Katsina now compares favourably with states that have far greater resources, he said. Mr Abbas Lawal stressed that environmental management links directly to public health, noting that a clean environment significantly reduces disease burden. By clearing stagnant water and managing our environment properly, we can prevent up to 70 per cent of common health challenges, he explained. The Minister attributed flooding to climate change, human activities, blocked waterways, and negligence, revealing that the Federal Ministry of Environment is introducing measures such as floodwater harvesting for dry-season farming and improved plastic waste management. The event drew participation of the Head of the Civil Service, Falalu Bawale; the Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji; the Special Adviser on Climate Change, Professor Al-Ameen Muhammad; and members of the Katsina State Executive Council. The Chairman of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Council, Enugu State, Ugo Ferdinand Ukwueze, on 15 December, visited the youths from Enugu North Senatorial District, who are on a 10-day training on Ethical Artificial Intelligence Skills at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). Mr Ukwuezes visit was meant to encourage the trainees and to assess firsthand the progress of this strategic capacity-building workshop. The training, fully funded by the Igbo-Eze South Local Government Council, is implemented in partnership with the UNESCO Country Office, Abuja, and UNN, through the universitys Directorate of International Collaborations and the Faculty of Vocational and Technical Education. The training, which began some days ago, is now in advanced stages. The initiative is designed to equip young people from Enugu North Senatorial District with ethical, practical and future-oriented competencies in artificial intelligence and intelligent systems. The council chairman, Mr Ukwueze, during the visit, interacted extensively with the trainees, observed their hands-on sessions, and engaged the facilitators delivering the programme. I was highly impressed by the level of discipline, enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity displayed by the participants, as well as their growing ability to align with emerging global trends in ethical Artificial Intelligence, the chairman said. I commend them for seizing this rare opportunity and for their commitment to acquiring skills that will shape their personal growth and professional relevance in a rapidly evolving digital economy. Mr Ukwueze, a lawyer and the deputy chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter, reiterated his administrations commitment to youth empowerment, skills acquisition and human capital development, in line with the transformative vision of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State. He said the training is a reflection of Governor Mbahs Tomorrow Is Here agenda, which prioritises innovation, technology-driven growth and the deliberate preparation of a future-ready workforce for Enugu State. He encouraged the trainees to remain focused, disciplined, and fully committed throughout the remaining days of the programme, assuring them of his continued support in creating platforms and opportunities that would empower the youths, unlock their potential, and position them for success in the global digital and innovation ecosystem. Mr Ukwueze, so delighted about the progress so far, thanked the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Prof Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, for providing an enabling academic and research environment that continues to support high-impact initiatives of this nature. His (Prof Ortuanyas) leadership has further strengthened institutional partnerships that promote innovation, international collaboration and youth development, the chairman said. The chairman was accompanied on the visit by his dear wife, Empress Ugo-Ferdinand, a lawyer; the Acting Director of International Collaborations, UNN, Dr Kelechi E Nnamani; as well as the UNESCO expert trainers, led by Prof Nneka Okafor, who arrived as part of the international facilitation team. The delegation toured the training facilities and held productive engagements with facilitators and participants on programme delivery and learning outcomes. The Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has ordered the establishment of a judicial panel of inquiry into the killing of protesters in Lamurde Local Government Area, where 10 women and an 11-year-old girl were shot dead on 8 December. The governor announced the decision on Tuesday during a visit to Lamurde and surrounding communities in the Suwa District. He described the killings as tragic, unacceptable and deeply troubling, and vowed that those responsible would be held to account. Mr Fintiri said the panel, to be chaired by a retired high court judge, would conduct an open and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the killings. He said it would determine both the immediate and remote causes of the violence and make recommendations aimed at justice, reconciliation and lasting peace. The victims were innocent and defenceless women. This should never have happened, the governor said, urging residents to remain calm and allow due process to prevail. He assured the communities of his administrations commitment to accountability and the restoration of peace. The governor said the Adamawa State Peace Commission had begun engagements with youths, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community representatives to defuse tensions. He also promised government support for the families of the victims, including assistance with education and livelihoods, while pledging to reinforce security in the area. During his visit, Mr Fintiri inspected the affected communities. He said relief materials were being provided to displaced residents through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Reaffirming that peace was non-negotiable, the governor said the state government would continue to work closely with community and religious leaders to promote dialogue and rebuild trust. Local traditional rulers welcomed the governors intervention but called for decisive action. The district head of Lamurde, Pwahomakai Joseph, who spoke alongside Napwamwa Istifanus, said the crisis had deep-seated roots and urged the government to confront the longstanding grievances between the Bachama and Tsobo communities. Meanwhile, the Tsobo Community Development Association has appealed to the federal government and the international community, alleging that its people are facing systematic attacks amounting to genocide. At a press conference in Yola, the associations chairman, Nathaniel Solomon, said the violence stemmed from a protracted land dispute between the Tsobo and their Bachama neighbours. He claimed that hundreds of Tsobo people had been killed over the years, with many more injured or displaced, particularly following renewed clashes since July. Mr Solomon also accused the Nigerian Army of killing unarmed Tsobo women during a peaceful protestan allegation the military has denied, insisting the deaths were caused by local militias. While acknowledging the governors efforts to stabilise the area, the Tsobo leader said the community was demanding full accountability, including formal apologies and justice for the victims. As the inquiry is set to commence, residents of Lamurde say they are pinning their hopes on the promised probe and renewed dialogue to halt the bloodshed and restore confidence in the rule of law. Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo, on Tuesday, announced the discovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition during a coordinated security operation targeting criminal hideouts across the state. Mr Ododo disclosed this while briefing journalists in Lokoja, saying the operation followed more than a week of sustained, intelligence-led surveillance by security agencies working in close collaboration with the state government. He said the renewed offensive against criminal networks was spurred by a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu, who urged him to deepen security efforts rather than seek commendation. When I met Mr President, I expected commendation, but he told me to go back and do more for my people. That statement re-energised me, the governor said. We immediately regrouped, met with security agencies, harmonised our strategies and acted decisively on credible intelligence. According to the governor, operatives carried out a coordinated overnight raid on a suspected criminal enclave, where a substantial stockpile of weapons was recovered. Although no suspects were arrested during the operation, Mr Ododo described the seizure as a major and strategic breakthrough in the states fight against crime. He attributed the persistence of criminal activities to Kogis strategic location, noting that the state borders 10 others and serves as a central transit corridor with multiple entry and exit points. Kogi State is vigilant. The DSS, the police, the military, the navy and other security agencies are working relentlessly, day and night, he said. We will never bow to criminals, and we will never negotiate with them. Arms recovered Items recovered during the operation include 24 AK-47 rifles, 23 pump-action rifles, one Tavor rifle, one FN rifle, four Barrett pistols, four Browning rifles, 42 magazines and 520 rounds of 7.62mm GPMG ammunition. READ ALSO: Four killed as bus crashes into stationary truck in Kogi Security operatives also recovered large quantities of AK-47 ammunition and cartridges for pump-action rifles and Barrett pistols, as well as handcuffs, 13 holsters, tear gas cartridges and submachine gun components, the governor said. Mr Ododo said the success of the operation underscored the effectiveness of tightly coordinated, multi-agency security actions based on credible intelligence. He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his support and to the leadership of the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for their cooperation. The governor urged residents to remain calm and continue their lawful activities, assuring them that the situation was under control. He also called on the public to support security agencies by providing timely and accurate information, pledging that his administration would continue to prioritise the protection of lives and property across the state. The Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, has issued a new executive proclamation aimed at tightening security controls across the state, warning that individuals or organisations supporting bandits and other criminal groups will be treated as collaborators and prosecuted. The proclamation, issued on Tuesday and titled Executive Proclamation on Security Protocols in Kogi State, 2025, comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in parts of the state, including recent attacks on communities and places of worship that have heightened public anxiety. Mr Ododo said the directive was grounded in constitutional provisions that make the security and welfare of the people the primary responsibility of the government. Any individual or organisation that knowingly identifies with, supports, harbours, aids, abets, or shows material solidarity with bandits or other criminal elements operating within Kogi State shall be treated as a criminal collaborator and hence dealt with in accordance with the law, the governor said. He also warned vendors, transporters, and commercial entities against providing logistics or supplies to criminal groups, noting that such actions would attract arrest and prosecution. Any vendor, supplier, transporter, or commercial entity that knowingly provides goods, services, logistics, funding, food, fuel, communication facilities, or any form of material assistance to bandits or criminal groups shall be investigated, arrested, and prosecuted under applicable laws, the proclamation stated. The governor further directed that properties used in aiding criminal activities would be forfeited to the state, while clarifying that the measure would not criminalise lawful legal representation carried out in good faith. As part of efforts to curb impersonation, Mr Ododo announced that all security operatives entering or operating within Kogi State must present valid identification and operational credentials. Henceforth, all security operatives entering or operating within Kogi State shall be required to properly identify themselves and present valid operational credentials when required, he said. To enforce this, the governor approved the establishment of a Security Monitoring Team made up of representatives of the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other paramilitary agencies. The team will be stationed at border communities and key entry points into the state. He warned that anyone found impersonating security personnel or operating without authorisation would be arrested and prosecuted, adding that any VIP or organisation that comes into the state with fake security personnel shall be made to face the full wrath of the law. Mr Ododo stressed that the proclamation does not amount to a declaration of a state of emergency or a suspension of constitutional rights. This Proclamation is issued solely to strengthen the security architecture of Kogi State, enhance coordination among security agencies, and protect citizens from criminal elements, he said. The directive takes effect upon its publication in the Kogi State Official Gazette. The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has urged the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Hakeem Fawehinmi, a professor, to probe the alleged accommodation racketeering in the university. The chairperson of the committee, Abubakar Fulata (APC-Jigawa), who gave the advice at an oversight visit in Abuja, said the committee had received several petitions on the allegations. Mr Fulata called on the management to probe shady practices in the University. We have received several petitions regarding accommodation racketeering. Some middlemen will get it and lease it to others at an exorbitant price, sometimes exceeding 500 per cent. This is very wrong and it poses serious challenges to so many people, particularly females who may be exposed to many problems, he said. The lawmaker urged the VC and the entire management of the university to ensure harmony between the management and various staff unions, as well as students. Mr Fulata warned the VC about past leadership issues that led to the appointments four vice chancellors in quick succession in three years, urging caution. In the same vein, the committee urged the vice chancellor and management team of the newly established Federal University of Technology Abuja to adhere to federal character principles in employment and admission. Mr Fulata also noted that the committee had an interface with the vice chancellor and management team of Federal University of Technology, Minna and Federal University of Education, Kontongora, Niger State, over the management of the school in recent times. In a related development, the Vice Chancellor of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Bashir Garba, has apologised for being absent during the committees oversight visit in the past three years. Mr Garba, a professor, who tendered the apology when he appeared before the committee, said he ran a transparent system and had nothing to hide from the general public or the committee. He promised to work with the committee and relevant stakeholders in order to take the institution to the desired height. (NAN) The Kaduna State Government has successfully treated 30,089 children across all the 23 local government areas in the state for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in 2025, the states Nutrition Officer (SNO), Ramatu Musa, has said. Ms Musa said this while presenting the State of Nutrition in Kaduna at a one-day meeting with the wife of the Governor and spouses of the 23 LGAs chairpersons in Kaduna, the state capital, on Tuesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this feat was achieved through the State Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) services. Ms Musa, represented by Jibril Isah, noted that a total of 60,193 children with SAM were admitted across the 23 LGAs of the state in 2025. The one-day meeting was organised to strengthen advocacy, leadership commitment and resource mobilisation for effective nutrition interventions at the grassroots. Ms Musa said Nigeria recorded a worsening malnutrition trend between 2018 and 2023, with stunting rising from 37 to 40 per cent, wasting from seven to eight per cent and underweight from 22 to 27 per cent, while overweight declined from two to one per cent. She, however, said that Kaduna State, with a stunting rate of 40.7 per cent according to the 2023/2024 National Demographic and Health Survey, performed best in the North-west. It outperformed neighbouring states, though the burden of malnutrition remains high and requires sustained investment. She explained that stunting in the state declined from 48.1 to 40.7 per cent, showing progress in reducing chronic malnutrition, while wasting increased from 4.8 to 5.9 per cent and underweight rose from 22.1 to 24.7 per cent. This, she said indicated worsening acute malnutrition and overall deterioration in childrens nutritional status. Interventions Ms Musa said that IMAM interventions focused on early identification through regular screening, treatment and rehabilitation of children with SAM in specialised centres, and community engagement through awareness campaigns and support groups. She identified major challenges including low activity of nutrition steering committees chaired by wives of local government chairmen and inadequate funding for nutrition activities at state and LGA levels. Others were the lack of ownership and commitment to community nutrition services by some LGAs, and inadequate IMAM coverage, with only about 64 per cent of wards providing services. She recommended strengthening LGA steering committees through enhanced technical support and regular meetings, improving leadership engagement through performance reviews and nutrition scorecards, securing dedicated state and LGA nutrition financing, and scaling up IMAM services to uncovered wards. Earlier, the states Commissioner of Planning and Budget Commission, Mukhtar Ahmed, said that the meeting was convened to update the knowledge and skills of the spouses on advocacy and resource mobilisation, increase their understanding of the burden of malnutrition among children. Mr Ahmed, equally said that the meeting was to clarify their roles in combating malnutrition and secure their commitment to prioritising nutrition as part of human capital development. He said that sustainable nutrition impact was best achieved when communities are fully engaged, noting that wives of political leaders are uniquely positioned to influence households and champion nutrition within grassroots governance structures. Mr Ahmed said that the programme was designed to be practical and action-oriented, providing participants with updated information on the nutrition situation in Kaduna state and clearly outlining their responsibilities in addressing malnutrition at community level. He said that the governor had given strong attention to human capital development, stressing that progress could only be achieved with well-nourished children, which explained the emphasis on tackling malnutrition at early stages of child growth. Also, the Commissioner for Health, Umma Ahmed, reiterated the importance of the meeting, saying the governors passion for the health and wellbeing of Kaduna residents was evident in deliberate efforts to address malnutrition. Mrs Ahmed said that the allocation of N1.1 billion to malnutrition interventions underscored the states resolve to ensure that no woman died during childbirth and no child died before the age of five from preventable causes linked to malnutrition. The commissioner called on the spouses to support the first lady, the governor and the Ministry of Health to ensure that RUTF reached the intended beneficiaries, warning against diversion and misuse of the commodities at community level. She said that local governments are critical to addressing malnutrition, noting that accountability rest with leadership at that level to ensure effective delivery of nutrition services. Collective responsibility The states Commissioner for Youths Development, Gloria Ibrahim, said that the fight against malnutrition is a collective responsibility, stressing that communities must revive shared caregiving values to protect children. Ms Ibrahim said that malnutrition should not be mentioned in Kaduna state, given the commitment shown by the governor and his wife, and urged the spouses to enlighten both women and men in their LGAs on proper child nutrition practices. Presenting on the roles and responsibilities of the wife of the governor and spouses of LGA chairmen, the Project Manager of Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN) 2.0, Zainab Muhammad-Idris, said that malnutrition remained a major public health and development challenge that undermined child survival, learning outcomes, productivity and economic growth. Mrs Muhammad-Idris said that political leadership at state and LGA levels is a proven game-changer, describing the spouses as trusted voices with the ability to influence social norms, mobilise communities and bridge the gap between policy and households. She said that the wife of the governor was expected to champion nutrition at the highest political level, advocate for dedicated nutrition budget lines, mobilise resources and partnerships, support the State Nutrition Council, lead statewide advocacy campaigns and promote breastfeeding and maternal nutrition. On advocacy and resource mobilisation, the State Coordinator of Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Jessica Bartholomew, presented the Child Nutrition Fund and six months paid maternity leave as unique opportunities to improve nutrition outcomes. She said that Kaduna State had mobilised over N2.9 billion in blended financing between 2023 and 2025 through strong political leadership, partner alignment and results-based investment. Ms Bartholomew commended the state for improvements in malnutrition indices, adoption of six months paid maternity leave and commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund for procurement of nutrition commodities. Responding, the wife of the governor, Hafsat Uba-Sani, pledged sustained support for nutrition programmes in Kaduna State, assuring stakeholders of continued advocacy, collaboration and community engagement to improve the wellbeing of women and children across all local government areas. (NAN) Photo: https://t.me/Denys_Smyhal The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has submitted a package of regulations to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which should ensure the launch of the special legal regime of Defense Citya tool for state support of defense industry enterpriseson January 5, 2026. "Defense City is expected to facilitate the development of Ukraine's leading defense industry enterprises and pave the way for joint production and technology transfer with our partners. We expect the relevant decisions to be made at the next government meeting," Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said in a Telegram post on Wednesday. The Ministry of Defense notes that the Defense City development model for the military-industrial complex is based on the idea of tax support in exchange for the development of production, modernization, new technologies, and research, and allows for a more rapid response to frontline needs and the attraction of international investment. As reported, on August 21, the Verkhovna Rada supported bills No. 13420 (amendments to the Tax Code) and No. 13421 (amendments to the Customs Code) in their second reading and in full, implementing the Defense City concept. These bills stipulate that the legal regime for Defense City will be implemented by January 1, 2036 (or until Ukraine joins the EU), and that a Defense City registry managed by the Ministry of Defense will be created instead of the existing list of defense industry enterprises. It is also assumed that the share of a residents qualified income should be from 75% (for aircraft manufacturing from 50%). Several support instruments are also provided: tax incentives (exemption from income tax subject to reinvestment, land, real estate, and eco-taxes), simplified customs procedures and export controls for military goods, the possibility of the NBU establishing currency oversight regulations, support for relocation, and improved safety of production facilities. In October, the State Tax Service of Ukraine announced that enterprises-residents in the Defense City special regime would not pay land tax or real estate tax on anything other than land until January 1, 2036, or until the year of Ukraine's accession to the European Union. "The exemption applies from the month following the receipt of such status until the end of the month in which it ceased... These provisions are stipulated by Law No. 4577 [on support for defense industry enterprises], which amended the Tax Code of Ukraine. The law entered into force on October 5, 2025; the new rules will remain in effect until January 1, 2036, but no later than the year of Ukraine's accession to the European Union," the message says. Ata Ikiddeh, a close ally of Nigerias Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has warned Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State of the grim and severe implications of the blacklisting of Mr Eno by the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria. IPI is a global organisation which campaigns against media suppression. It has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. IPI Nigeria blacklisted Mr Eno and the Akwa Ibom State Government on 2 December for the expulsion of Channels Television correspondent Christopher Moffat and the stations cameraman, Kufre Ikpe, from the Akwa Ibom Government House Press Corps. Mr Eno had banned the Channels Television crew for leaking a video clip containing the governors remarks in which he had vowed to control the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom, even when he was defecting to the All Progressives Congress. What is wrong with being interested (in controlling the PDP)? We would not leave the PDP for thieves to come and hijack it and use it to fight against us. We will lead the structure of the party so that they can work together and stay so that people dont come from outside and think Umo Eno has moved, let me come and hijack the party, Mr Eno had said in the leaked video. IPI Nigeria said Mr Enos action against the Channels Television journalists seriously violates press freedom and democratic norms. Not a trivial matter Mr Ikiddeh, a UK-based Akwa Ibom indigene, said in a Facebook post on 12 December that many have failed to appreciate the gravity of the IPI Nigerias blacklisting of Governor Eno and the Akwa Ibom State Government. He said the IPI is not a local guild, it is a global watchdog, and that to be listed by the IPI is to be globally profiled as a violator of press freedom. Continuing, Mr Ikiddeh said, In an era when foreign governments increasingly scrutinise Nigerias digital platforms and monitor its leaders as persons of concern, such an accusation is not trivial but profoundly consequential. Some may dismiss my concerns as alarmist. They would be mistaken. Mr Ikiddeh narrated a personal experience, how he was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France in 2012 because the US Homeland Security flagged his activity in an online discussion group. I was detained at the airport while the American authorities sought clearance from headquarters before allowing me to board my flight. That was 14 years ago. Today, in 2025, with Americas heightened vigilance regarding Nigerian travellers, the implications are even more grim and severe, he stated, with the hope that Mr Eno and the Akwa Ibom State Government would give serious attention to the blacklisting of the governor by the IPI Nigeria. Mr Ikiddeh admitted that the Akwa Ibom State Government expelled the Channels Television crew from the Government House Press Corps for leaking the video clip containing Mr Enos remarks. How Akwa Ibom govt rebuffed IPI Nigeria Hours after the expulsion of the Channels Television crew, the IPI Nigeria contacted the Commissioner of Information in Akwa Ibom, Aniekan Umanah, who denied the incident. After conducting its fact-finding investigation into the matter, the IPI Nigeria wrote a letter dated 25 September to Mr Eno, asking the governor to reinstate the journalists. The letter was delivered to Mr Eno on 2 October via a courier service. Since their (the journalists) exclusion, the people of Akwa Ibom State have been denied full access to independent coverage of the activities of their government. This undermines transparency and accountability, principles at the heart of democracy, the IPI Nigeria told Mr Eno in the letter, which was signed by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, and the Secretary, Ahmed Ibrahim Shekarau. Continuing, the IPI Nigeria told Mr Eno, May we remind you that press freedom is guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Expelling or barring journalists from covering the Government House or your administrations activities constitutes a violation of this constitutional right, as well as of your oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Access to cover the activities of the state government is a constitutional right of the press, not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn at will. The IPI Nigeria ended the letter with a warning to Mr Eno: Failure to recall the Channels Television crew without delay may result in your name and that of your administration being listed in IPI Nigerias Black Book, a record of officials, organisations, and individuals whose actions undermine press freedom, independent journalism, and journalists safety in Nigeria. The non-profit organisation told the Akwa Ibom governor that the black book would be shared with embassies, multilateral bodies, and international partners, and that it would trigger strong advocacy campaigns aimed at holding him, his administration, and other violators accountable both locally and globally. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Governor Eno received the IPI Nigerias letter. He forwarded it to his spokesperson, Ekerete Udoh, with the instruction that he should handle the matter. When Mr Udoh contacted IPI Nigeria by phone regarding the matter, the organisation requested a formal response so that it could deliberate on it. Mr Udoh did not send any, prompting the organisation to blacklist Mr Eno. Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State was also listed in the IPI Nigerias black book for ordering the closure of Badegi 90.1 FM, an independent radio station in Minna, on 1 August. Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun was also listed for allowing a culture of impunity within the police force regarding journalists. While Messrs Bako and Egbetokun have started engaging IPI Nigeria on how they could be delisted from the black book, Governor Eno and his administration preferred to launch a campaign of calumny against IPI Nigeria and its officials. The Channels Television reporter and cameraman remained barred from entering the Akwa Ibom Government House Press Corps as of 17 December. Mr Eno has been executing his vow to lead the PDP from outside: the PDP state secretariat in Uyo has remained locked and barricaded by the police under the governors instruction. Because of the governors backing, the sacked PDP executive in the state has refused to vacate office. Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Lagos, on Wednesday, joined the nationwide protest declared by the unions national leadership against rising insecurity, hours after the unions leadership met President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The protesters gathered at the Ikeja underpass early in the morning on Wednesday, carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding urgent action to curb violent crimes and kidnappings. Some of the messages read, Federal Government No More Excuse and Rhetoric, End Insecurity Now! Others held banners calling for the protection of workers and the safety of Nigerians. Participants also wore aprons with NLC inscriptions as they marched under the bridge, drawing attention from commuters and passersby. Some of the members kept saying, We have had enough of empty promises. Our members and Nigerians are tired of living in fear. The government must act now. The protest came less than 24 hours after NLCs national leaders met President Tinubu to discuss labour-related issues, including security concerns affecting workers. The continuation of the protest suggested that the discussions did not yield sufficient assurances to halt the planned action. Earlier Wednesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero confirmed at the Labour House in Lagos that the protest would go ahead. Security operatives were deployed along the route, but the demonstration remained peaceful, with no reports of violence or arrests. The NLC has repeatedly warned that persistent insecurity threatens workers safety, economic activities, and national stability, urging the government to implement concrete measures instead of relying on rhetoric. Falana calls for action against terrorism financiers Prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), addressed journalists at the protest, emphasising the governments role in protecting citizens. Comrades and friends, we are gathered here in solidarity with Nigerians aggrieved over the state of insecurity. Worsening crimes and kidnappings demand that the government take urgent steps to protect lives and property, Mr Falana said. He also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of 400 terrorism financiers detained under the Buhari administration in 2021, adding that tackling social and economic insecurity is key to addressing crime. He urged the government to implement welfare programmes, including the National Social Investment Programme, and ensure palliatives reach vulnerable Nigerians. READ ALSO: NLC says protest continues despite meeting with Tinubu Mr Falana further criticised alleged financial mismanagement, citing a report that claimed N210 trillion had been diverted from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), insisting the funds must be recovered and used to improve national security and social welfare. Lagos NLC chair decries security votes mismanagement, workers plights Lagos NLC chairman Funmi Sessi spotlighted the impact of insecurity on workers. Workers cannot travel freely due to kidnapping, banditry, and attacks on roads and in communities. Security votes allocated to states are not yielding results, and local governments must take responsibility for the safety of lives and property, she said. Ms Sessi called for stronger security measures and accountability from political leaders. Emeka Nkwoala, Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment, and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that insecurity had severely disrupted workers daily lives. The core responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property. Insecurity has disrupted work, trade, and commuting, affecting workers and businesses alike, he said. Mr Nkwoala described the Lagos protest as successful, noting the participation of multiple civil society groups and labour leaders, including Mr Falana. He warned that if the government fails to respond adequately, further protests, including strikes, may follow. The Oniru of Iru Kingdom, Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, CON, Abisogun II, has partnered with the Lagos State Government to launch a new platform to structure engagement among culture, commerce, and community development in Iruland. The initiative, announced on Tuesday in Lagos, comprises the Iru Business Network and the maiden edition of the Oniru Business & Cultural Day, a flagship event scheduled for 14 February 2026. It is being implemented in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, under the leadership of Folashade Kaosarat Bada-Ambrose. Speaking at the press conference at the Iru Palace Grounds, Victoria Island, the monarch said the initiative was conceived in response to sustained calls from stakeholders for a credible and organised framework to translate development conversations into concrete action. According to him, business owners, community leaders, government officials and traditional institutions across Iruland have consistently expressed the need for a well-governed, respectful, and predictable space where interests can be articulated clearly, concerns can be heard, and proposals can be translated into real interventions. The Iru Business Network is designed to build bridges between culture, commerce, and community development. It provides a trusted platform where traditional institutions, the private sector, and the government can engage transparently and constructively, the Oniru said. He explained that the Palaces role would be strictly facilitative, stressing that it would not act as a regulator or commercial contracting authority. The Palace will operate strictly as a facilitative and neutral convener, providing a trusted environment where multiple parties can meet and engage in good faith, he said, adding that the goal was to ensure continuity of engagement beyond single events or administrations. The Oniru Business & Cultural Day, he noted, would serve as a central convergence point for indigenous and expatriate businesses, creatives, artisans, entrepreneurs, corporate organisations and strategic partners operating within the Kingdom. The event will combine curated exhibitions, enterprise showcases, networking sessions, business dialogues and cultural performances that reflect Irulands heritage and diversity. The initiative is anchored on the Kingdoms development vision, #LeGITLets Grow Iruland Togetherwhich promotes inclusive, deliberate and people-centred growth. The partnership with the Lagos State Government underscores Irulands strategic importance within the states economic landscape, particularly in sectors such as real estate, hospitality, retail and services. In her landmark address, the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment described the initiative as a model intervention that aligns culture with economic organisation. The Oniru Business and Cultural Day is not merely an event; it is a thoughtful, intentional intervention in how we organise the relationship between culture and commerce in Lagos, she said. She praised the monarchs leadership, noting that traditional institutions remain centres of legitimacy, continuity, and trust, capable of convening dialogue and partnerships that unlock economic opportunity. The commissioner placed the initiative within the broader Lagos economic context, describing the state as a continental powerhouse with a GDP estimated at over $250 billion, primarily driven by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). She said the new platform complements existing state-led initiatives, such as the Ehingbeti Economic Summit, BOS Meets the Business Community, LASMECO, LASERP, and other access-to-finance programmes designed to ease barriers faced by businesses. The Oniru Business and Cultural Day is a strategic response to this need for structure and partnership, she said, explaining that it would connect businesses with government agencies, financial institutions and development partners on issues ranging from access to finance to tourism development, infrastructure and youth employment. Beyond the one-day event, the Iru Business Network will function as a continuous engagement platform, maintaining a living registry of businesses, hosting periodic forums and facilitating structured dialogue. READ ALSO: Enugu joins NLC nationwide protest against insecurity A dedicated website, official digital platforms and a joint OniruMinistry partnership desk are expected to support follow-up and accountability. Essential personalities in Iruland, particularly indigenous and expatriate businesses, have been invited to register, participate in the Business & Cultural Day and join the Network as partners in the Kingdoms long-term growth. The organisers said the initiative marks a defining moment in Irulands development journey, positioning the Kingdom as an organised, forward-facing community where tradition and modern economic ambition advance in alignment. BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As widespread flooding continues to impact communities across Washington State, Aegis Living has activated its emergency response protocol and is immediately offering respite placements for seniors who have been displaced or evacuated due to the storms. Aegis Living communities across Washington currently have availability in both Assisted Living and Memory Care. Residents are accepted on the same day and with Emergency Relief Rates. Respite stays include: Fully furnished private apartments Chef-prepared meals Assistance with activities of daily living Access to 24/7 trained care staff Medication management Engaging activities and life-enrichment programming Flexible, short-term options designed specifically for emergency situations Transportation support (where applicable) "Our teams are fully mobilized and ready to support families, referral partners, hospitals, and nearby communities who need safe, immediate placement for seniors impacted by the flooding," said Dirk Burghartz, President of Aegis Living. "We've managed crises before, and our priority remains unwavering: protect and care for older adults when they are most vulnerable." To refer or place a resident quickly, call us at 425-584-5613. To expedite assistance, callers can begin with, "I'm seeking emergency placement due to the Washington floods." Aegis Living is coordinating closely with hospitals, discharge planners, senior centers, emergency responders, and neighboring senior living communities to ensure every displaced senior has fast access to safe, supportive housing. SOURCE Aegis Living European Union leaders are under "enormous and unprecedented pressure from the United States" ahead of a meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss funding for Ukraine, Politico reports. The European Council this week must do two things. Leaders need tangible results, particularly on financing Ukraine. But mainstream governments also say they need to stick up for the EU when the White House is trying to influence policy, and more European leaders than ever from Hungarys Viktor Orban to Czechias Andrej Babis reject Brussels accepted wisdom, the ezine said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that EU would be severely damaged for years if it fails to do a deal on funding Ukraine, And we will show the world that, at such a crucial moment in our history, we are incapable of standing together and acting to defend our own political order on this European continent, he added. Trump administration officials have been pushing European governments those they consider friendliest at least to reject the plan to use EUR 210 billion in Russian assets to fund Ukraine, four EU officials involved with the discussions said. The Belgian government says its opposition to the use of the Russian assets to fund the loan is down to the need to protect its own taxpayers from being on the hook in case the money ever needs to be repaid. However, the American influence campaign that has seen Trump administration officials bypassing Brussels and backchanneling with capitals has led to Italy, Bulgaria, Malta and Czechia joining the group of dissenting countries. European officials stated that failure would be catastrophic for the EU's standing globally, given the signal it would sendnot only to the hawkish Trump administration, which declared its support for Eurosceptic forces in its National Security Strategy released earlier this month, but also to Vladimir Putin, who openly questions the sovereignty of former Soviet republics. According to a leaked draft peace plan negotiated by the White House and the Kremlin, Washington wants to use part of Russias frozen assets to fund U.S.-led reconstruction efforts. Releasing the frozen assets to Ukraine as part of a reparation loan would allow Kyiv to decide where to direct the money, with France pushing for a Europe-first approach to arms spending. Trump is also exerting pressure on Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cede swathes of heavily fortified and strategically important territory in the Donbas to Russia land the Kremlin does not currently control. The White House brushed off Brussels accusations of meddling. CHARLESTON, S.C., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Hospitality Group announces that Bourbon N' Bubbles, its Charleston-based venue, has been featured in a national editorial by Whisky Advocate . This acknowledgment positions the establishment as a noteworthy destination for whisky enthusiasts visiting Charleston, S.C. The editorial highlights Bourbon N' Bubbles for its distinctive approach to whiskey and cocktail experiences. To explore the offerings at Bourbon N' Bubbles and discover why it has garnered national attention, please visit their website at https://bourbonnbubbles.com . Information regarding their specialized tastings and beverage programs is available there. "Being recognized by Whisky Advocate is incredibly meaningful for our team," said Anna Lybrand, Director of Sales & Business Development. "We've been intentional about building a program that goes beyond volume or trends; one rooted in education, thoughtful curation, and guest experience. This feature affirms the work happening behind the scenes and reinforces our commitment to offering something truly distinctive in Charleston." This recent recognition underscores Bourbon N' Bubbles' dedication to providing a refined guest experience. The venue consistently focuses on several key areas to maintain its high standards: Thoughtful curation: A carefully selected collection of over 200 bourbons, complemented by champagne flights and craft cocktails designed with precision and balance. A carefully selected collection of over 200 bourbons, complemented by champagne flights and craft cocktails designed with precision and balance. Elevated hospitality: A consistent commitment to attentive service and a welcoming, refined atmosphere. A consistent commitment to attentive service and a welcoming, refined atmosphere. Exceptional event execution: Expertise in hosting private and in-house events, delivering seamless planning, thoughtful details, and experiences that consistently exceed guest expectations. A core component of Bourbon N' Bubbles' offering is its guided tasting experiences , led by a Certified Bourbon Steward. This certification is an industry-recognized standard for bourbon education and sensory expertise, enhancing the educational and experiential value of each tasting and reflecting the venue's investment in expert-led hospitality. Receiving this national editorial mention reinforces Bourbon N' Bubbles' standing as a premier location for expertly crafted whiskey and cocktail programs. This validation from an authoritative publication also contributes to: Enhanced national visibility: Increasing the brand's presence and reputation within the broader food and beverage community as one of the best whiskey bars in Charleston. Increasing the brand's presence and reputation within the broader food and beverage community as one of the best whiskey bars in Charleston. Credibility within the industry: Affirming the venue's expertise and quality through a respected third-party source. Affirming the venue's expertise and quality through a respected third-party source. Support for future initiatives: Potentially fostering new partnerships, attracting media interest, and enabling further experiential programming. Media Contact: Anna Lybrand [email protected] Republic Hospitality Group is a Charleston-based hospitality company operating a portfolio of elevated dining, nightlife, and experiential concepts. Known for thoughtful design, curated beverage programs, and experience-driven hospitality, the group's venues are destinations for both locals and visitors. Republic Hospitality Group is committed to creating distinctive, high-quality environments that celebrate food, beverage, and community. SOURCE Republic Hospitality Group MONTREAL, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Brasswater, a leading private real estate investment and development firm, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of the retail village at Mont Tremblant, one of Canada's most iconic and visited four-season resort destinations. Overhead view of Tremblant Village (CNW Group/Brasswater Inc.) The Mont Tremblant retail village totals approximately 135,600 square feet of European-style, pedestrian retail located directly at the base of the mountain. The village is home to a highly curated mix of national brands, destination restaurants and essential resort services, and is seamlessly integrated with the broader Mont Tremblant Resort, which attracts more than 2.5 million visitors annually. "We're thrilled to bring this iconic property back into Quebec hands" said Ian Quint, Founder and President of Brasswater. "I have a strong personal connection to Tremblant as a part-time resident who deeply appreciates the area's natural beauty, amenities, and restaurants. As an avid triathlete and skier, I regularly enjoy the mountain, the lake, and the extensive trail network. At Brasswater, we're excited to build on this foundation and continue growing the resort into a world-class, four-season destination." Brasswater intends to work closely with existing stakeholders to further strengthen the tenant mix and overall guest experience, while maintaining the character and energy which have made Mont Tremblant a global destination. The acquisition also positions Brasswater to benefit from continued residential growth in the area and ongoing investment in resort infrastructure. "This acquisition reflects our long-term interest in experiential, destination-oriented retail," added Quint. "It's a niche we've been looking to grow into, and Mont Tremblant is best-in-class." About Brasswater Brasswater is a privately held real estate investment, development and operating platform with a diversified portfolio across industrial, retail and office assets in Canada and the United States. Founded in 2014 and formerly known as Groupe Quint, Brasswater has grown rapidly by maintaining a lean, vertically integrated structure that includes acquisitions, leasing, development, property management and construction. The firm has more than $2.3 billion in assets under management, owns over 12 million square feet across more than 100 properties, and employs more than 70 professionals. Brasswater Montreal, Quebec www.brasswater.ca SOURCE Brasswater Inc. NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of all former stockholders of Smartsheet Inc. (NYSE: SMAR) in connection with the January 2025 sale (the "Merger" or "Buyout") of Smartsheet to affiliates of investment funds managed by affiliates of Blackstone Inc. (collectively "Blackstone"), investment funds managed by Vista Equity Partners Management, LLC ("Vista Equity Partners" or "Vista"), and Platinum Falcon B 2018 RSC Limited, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which participated as an indirect minority investor in Smartsheet ("Platinum Falcon," and together with Blackstone and Vista, the "Consortium"). This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased shares of Smartsheet in connection with the January 2025 Merger of Smartsheet (the "Merger Date"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/SMAR. Smartsheet Case Details The complaint alleges that Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) In connection with Smartsheet's solicitation of stockholder approval of the Buyout, defendants issued and filed with the SEC a false and misleading Schedule 14A Proxy Statement (the "Proxy"); (2) Defendants used the Proxy to intentionally mischaracterize Smartsheet's financial success and performance during the sales process; (3) Specifically, defendants deliberately portrayed Smartsheet's quarterly earnings in an unduly negative light and emphasized a financial metric that was apparently created solely to solicit approval for the Buyout; (4) Defendant Mark P. Mader failed to exercise reasonable care in fulfilling his disclosure obligations; and (5) As a result of the foregoing, defendants' statements about Smartsheet's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. What's Next for Smartsheet Investors? 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/SMAR or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911 . If you purchased SMAR shares in connection with the January 2025 sale, you have until February 9, 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. No Cost to Smartsheet Investors We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, 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 & Grossman, LLC for Smartsheet Securities Class Action? Bronstein, 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. More at www.bgandg.com "Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein , Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn , X , Facebook , or Instagram . Contact Info Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or Nathan Miller Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC 917-590-0911 | [email protected] Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. SOURCE Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Clean Rite Center , the neighborhood laundromat superstore and community partner, is expanding its collaboration with Darnell Cares, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the well-being of communities in need. Together, the organizations are launching the second phase of a multi-stage partnership aimed at increasing access to essential hygiene resources for New York City students. Beginning in January, Darnell Cares will work with public schools across the five boroughs to establish hygiene pantries stocked with toiletries, free laundry cards, and detergent pods. These discreet, in-school pantries will offer students convenient access to the items they need for self-carewhile free laundry services at local Clean Rite Center locations ensure that clean clothes are never out of reach. The program will be launched at a school in the Bronx, where 70% of students live below the poverty line, and another in Queens, where more than half of the students and their families face economic challenges. Additional hygiene pantries will be introduced in schools citywide throughout 2026. "This partnership represents what's possible when a community steps up for its young people. Together, we're creating safe, discrete spaces where students can access the essentials they need to feel their best. When students feel cared for, they show up differentlyin the classroom and in life. That's the impact we're proud to champion," said Darnell Liburd, Founder of Darnell Cares. Through this initiative, Clean Rite Center and Darnell Cares aim to combat chronic absenteeism linked to a lack of clean clothing and basic hygiene. Chronic absenteeism in NYC schools has been rising since COVID-19, with one in three public school students reported as chronically absent last school year. By providing these critical resources, the organizations hope to remove barriers that prevent consistent attendance and support students' overall well-being. "Providing laundry cards and detergent pods to kids in need allows them to take care of their laundry at a time and place that works for them. That simple convenience offers something far greaterdignity, confidence, and the feeling of being supported by their community," said Felicia Galitsky, Head of Partnerships at Clean Rite Center. Clean Rite Center, an approved NYC Department of Education vendor, has a strong tradition of community support. Since 2022, the company has partnered with more than 300 NYC public schools, serving students in temporary housing and donating over $500,000 in laundry services. The expanded collaboration with Darnell Cares continues this work, reinforcing both organizations' dedication to ensuring dignity, access, and opportunity for students in need. SOURCE Clean Rite Centers New global members join CNCF to strengthen community contributions in observability, cloud infrastructure, and cloud native AI SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) , which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, today announced the addition of 12 new Silver Members, reinforcing the continued momentum of cloud native adoption across industries and further strengthening the foundation's global community. According to CNCF's latest State of Cloud Native Development report, more than 15 million developers now use cloud native technologies, with backend and DevOps professionals leading adoption at 58%. As enterprises shift toward hybrid, multi-cloud, and distributed infrastructure strategies, cloud native tooling has become foundational for scaling systems, reducing operational costs, and supporting AI workloads. By joining CNCF, these companies gain access to a global ecosystem where they can shape emerging standards, collaborate on open source innovation, and meet the increasing demand for reliable, cost-efficient infrastructure. "The continued expansion of our Silver Member community underscores the growing importance of cloud native technologies in shaping the future of infrastructure," said Jonathan Bryce, executive director of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). "These new members bring deep expertise in areas like observability, cloud native AI, and cloud infrastructure. They reflect a growing need to automate and secure cloud native platforms, while keeping cost and complexity under control. We're excited to collaborate with them and advance our mission to make cloud native more accessible and sustainable for all." CNCF Silver Members receive various benefits valued at over $300,000 USD. These benefits include training and educational subscriptions, event sponsorship discounts, access to The Linux Foundation 's legal resources, opportunities to join project working groups , and more . New Silver Members The following organizations have recently joined CNCF as Silver Members: ClickHouse is a high-performance, column-oriented SQL database management system for online analytical processing (OLAP). It is available as both an open source software and a cloud offering. is a high-performance, column-oriented SQL database management system for online analytical processing (OLAP). It is available as both an open source software and a cloud offering. Confluentis Consulting , founded two and a half years ago, is a cloud-agnostic firm specializing in cost optimization, DevOps, and solution design. We focus on building innovative solutions that stay current with today's platform engineering needs and intelligent DevOps automation practices. Our expertise spans Kubernetes and a broad range of cloud services, enabling organizations to run scalable, efficient, and resilient systems. By combining innovation with practical execution, we help teams adapt quickly to evolving technology landscapes. , founded two and a half years ago, is a cloud-agnostic firm specializing in cost optimization, DevOps, and solution design. We focus on building innovative solutions that stay current with today's platform engineering needs and intelligent DevOps automation practices. Our expertise spans Kubernetes and a broad range of cloud services, enabling organizations to run scalable, efficient, and resilient systems. By combining innovation with practical execution, we help teams adapt quickly to evolving technology landscapes. CUE Labs , the company behind the open source project CUE, is building a configuration control plane to turn enterprise configuration from a source of risk into a source of reliability. , the company behind the open source project CUE, is building a configuration control plane to turn enterprise configuration from a source of risk into a source of reliability. Excellion Sdn Bhd is a Malaysia-based Specialised System Integrator (SSI) designing secure, cloud native infrastructure through Enterprise Kubernetes, advanced observability, and AI-driven engineering. We champion Malaysia's digital sovereignty by enabling public and private enterprises to adopt resilient, open-standard architectures for their mission-critical projects & implementations, essential to the nation's digital ecosystem. is a Malaysia-based Specialised System Integrator (SSI) designing secure, cloud native infrastructure through Enterprise Kubernetes, advanced observability, and AI-driven engineering. We champion Malaysia's digital sovereignty by enabling public and private enterprises to adopt resilient, open-standard architectures for their mission-critical projects & implementations, essential to the nation's digital ecosystem. Grepr is an observability data platform that cuts monitoring costs by over 90%. It sits between data agents and observability tools, filtering noisy logs, aggregating patterns, and storing raw data in a low-cost Iceberg data lake. During incidents, Grepr backfills data instantly for faster troubleshooting. is an observability data platform that cuts monitoring costs by over 90%. It sits between data agents and observability tools, filtering noisy logs, aggregating patterns, and storing raw data in a low-cost Iceberg data lake. During incidents, Grepr backfills data instantly for faster troubleshooting. Hunter Strategy LLC is a HUBZone-certified company specializing in DevSecOps, platform engineering, SOC operations, threat hunting, and cloud-native development for federal and commercial clients. Hunter provides Kubernetes expertise across on-prem, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud environments, enabling secure infrastructure deployments for the Department of Defense and Federal agencies. is a HUBZone-certified company specializing in DevSecOps, platform engineering, SOC operations, threat hunting, and cloud-native development for federal and commercial clients. Hunter provides Kubernetes expertise across on-prem, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud environments, enabling secure infrastructure deployments for the Department of Defense and Federal agencies. kt cloud operates Korea's largest cloud and AI data center infrastructure, delivering comprehensive end-to-end services that cover everything customers need from data centers to cloud platforms. Building on more than 20 years of operational expertise and the nation's first public cloud experience, kt cloud provides a reliable and scalable cloud platform designed for the age of AI. By combining dedicated engineering expertise, open source innovation, and an AI-native architecture, kt cloud empowers industries to achieve stable and sustainable digital transformation. operates Korea's largest cloud and AI data center infrastructure, delivering comprehensive end-to-end services that cover everything customers need from data centers to cloud platforms. Building on more than 20 years of operational expertise and the nation's first public cloud experience, kt cloud provides a reliable and scalable cloud platform designed for the age of AI. By combining dedicated engineering expertise, open source innovation, and an AI-native architecture, kt cloud empowers industries to achieve stable and sustainable digital transformation. Openpaya is a cloud computing company that builds and operates global cloud infrastructure. The company provides reliable compute, storage, DNS, and networking platforms that support developers, enterprises, and emerging technology workloads. is a cloud computing company that builds and operates global cloud infrastructure. The company provides reliable compute, storage, DNS, and networking platforms that support developers, enterprises, and emerging technology workloads. pgEdge provides 100% open source enterprise PostgreSQL built on fully standard, unforked Postgres for both non-distributed and distributed applications to achieve high availability and reduce data latency. The platform supports deployment across VMs, bare metal, containers (Docker, Docker Swarm, OpenShift), Cloud (self-hosted or fully managed), and Kubernetes (using CloudNativePG operator and Helm charts), with distributed deployments leveraging an open source extension for multi-master logical replication that enables simultaneous read and write operations across geographically distributed nodes with automated conflict resolution. provides 100% open source enterprise PostgreSQL built on fully standard, unforked Postgres for both non-distributed and distributed applications to achieve high availability and reduce data latency. The platform supports deployment across VMs, bare metal, containers (Docker, Docker Swarm, OpenShift), Cloud (self-hosted or fully managed), and Kubernetes (using CloudNativePG operator and Helm charts), with distributed deployments leveraging an open source extension for multi-master logical replication that enables simultaneous read and write operations across geographically distributed nodes with automated conflict resolution. Yonder is a technology partner specialized in software development, digital transformation and cloud-enabled innovation, helping enterprises and vertical businesses create future-proof solutions that reduce complexity and enhance efficiency. Founded in 1993, Yonder leverages decades of experience and industry expertise to deliver innovative digital solutions across diverse sectors. With a focus on long-term partnerships, Yonder combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of business needs to ensure sustainable growth and operational improvements. About the Newest End User Members CNCF also welcomes several new Silver End User Members, organizations that actively leverage cloud native technologies to drive digital transformation: Block builds technology to increase access to the global economy. builds technology to increase access to the global economy. CoBank , rural America's cooperative bank, is one of the largest private providers of credit to the rural economy. CoBank has a mission to serve agriculture and rural communities, where our customers provide the critical lifeline services rural communities depend onfood, water, energy and communications. To learn more about becoming a Silver Member, visit: https://www.cncf.io/about/join/silver About Cloud Native Computing Foundation Cloud native computing empowers organizations to build and run scalable applications with an open source software stack in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry's top developers, end users, and vendors and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by nearly 800 members, including the world's largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as over 200 innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit www.cncf.io . The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Media Contact Haley White The Linux Foundation [email protected] SOURCE Cloud Native Computing Foundation News of the Forever stamp is being shared on social media with the hashtag #ColoradoStamp . The U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state with the issuance of Colorado Statehood, a Forever stamp featuring a photograph of Jagged Mountain by nature photographer John Fielder. The first-day-of-issue event is free and open to the public. The stamp unveiling is being held in conjunction with the opening of the " Mountains Majesty: On the Summit with John Fielder " exhibition. Background: Firm Sees Quality Over Quantity Expansion Driven by Data and Strong Real Estate Fundamentals in 2026 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CRE 360 Partners, a premier full-service commercial real estate consulting firm, reported that retailers are entering 2026 with a disciplined, "quality over quantity" expansion strategy following ICSC New York 2025. Retailers remain active and are using data to prioritize high-quality locations, strong underlying fundamentals and analytics-backed site selection. "What we're seeing isn't contraction. It's concentration. Retailers are expanding into locations that data has already proven will perform, reshaping how growth decisions are made," said Sam Collier, Managing Director at CRE 360 Partners. Market Signals Point to Strategic Growth Opportunities Retailers and landlords are navigating 2026 with discipline and clarity. Key market signals include: Disciplined Retail Expansion: Retailers have open-to-buy programs, with grocery operators actively pursuing new locations and relying more heavily on data-backed site validation. Retailers have open-to-buy programs, with grocery operators actively pursuing new locations and relying more heavily on data-backed site validation. Value and Discount Momentum: Consumer trade-down is driving strong growth among value and discount retailers, creating opportunities for landlords to reposition tenant mixes toward more resilient categories. Consumer trade-down is driving strong growth among value and discount retailers, creating opportunities for landlords to reposition tenant mixes toward more resilient categories. Data Driven Decision Making: AI and predictive analytics are accelerating decisions, enabling retailers to right-size stores and landlords to refine tenant mix with greater precision. AI and predictive analytics are accelerating decisions, enabling retailers to right-size stores and landlords to refine tenant mix with greater precision. Limited New Development: Constrained retail development is sharpening site selection, with retailers and developers seeking greater certainty before advancing new projects. Constrained retail development is sharpening site selection, with retailers and developers seeking greater certainty before advancing new projects. More Collaborative Deal Structures: Landlords are increasingly offering rent support, tenant improvement participation and test-and-learn arrangements to attract high-potential concepts and accelerate leasing. "ICSC New York demonstrated that this is an exciting time for retail real estate," said Kevin Bissell, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Research at CRE 360 Partners. "These conditions create opportunity for those with the intelligence to act decisively." The message from the show was clear: success belongs to those who combine strategic vision with tactical precision as retailers expand and supply remains limited. About CRE 360 Partners CRE 360 Partners is a premier provider of integrated representation, research and consulting services for the retail real estate industry. The company specializes in helping landlords, retailers and municipalities achieve their growth goals through data-driven insights and customized solutions. By combining industry expertise with advanced analytics, CRE 360 Partners empowers client decisions from site selection through deal completions to maximize outcomes. For more information, please visit: www.cre-360.com SOURCE CRE 360 Partners By combining advanced dental technology with a patient-first philosophy, Dr. Jignesh Patel and his team at Dental Center of Jacksonville continue to deliver exceptional comprehensive dental care to families throughout Northeast Florida. JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dental Center of Jacksonville, led by Dr. Jignesh Patel, DMD, has been recognized as the 2025 Top Patient Rated Dentist in Jacksonville by Find Local Doctors. This esteemed recognition is based on exceptional patient reviews and reflects the practice's commitment to delivering high-quality dental care. Find Local Doctors is a trusted online directory that connects patients with reputable physicians and dentists in their area. Dental Center of Jacksonville Dr. Jignesh Patel earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine in Fort Lauderdale. With over a decade of experience, he has established himself as a leader in comprehensive dental care in the Jacksonville community. Dr. Patel's dedication to excellence is demonstrated through his ongoing education, including advanced training through Spear Education, Surgical Masters Implant Blueprint, and Wehrle Implant Immersion. He is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and has been recognized among the Top 3 Local Dentists in Jacksonville. Dental Center of Jacksonville is committed to providing personalized patient care, ensuring that each individual's concerns, goals, and lifestyle are prioritized. The practice offers a comprehensive range of services, including preventive care, dental implants, clear aligners such as Invisalign and SureSmile, custom dentures, full mouth reconstruction, cosmetic dentistry, TMJ treatment, and sleep apnea solutions. The clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including digital X-rays, 3-D cone beam scanning, dental lasers, and intraoral cameras, all designed to enhance patient outcomes and comfort. Patients have consistently praised Dental Center of Jacksonville for its friendly and professional staff, comfortable environment, and exceptional dental care. The practice offers sedation options including laughing gas and oral conscious sedation, along with patient amenities such as soft pillows, warm blankets, and personal TVs to ensure a relaxing experience. One patient remarked, "Excellent dentistry for all kinds of work, from cleanings to fillings and implants. Always prompt support and attentive doctors. Highly recommend!" "We are honored to receive this recognition from Find Local Doctors," says Dr. Jignesh Patel. "Our team is dedicated to providing the highest standard of dental care, treating every patient like family. Our philosophy is simple: when you smile, we smile. We strive to ensure that every patient leaves our office happy and confident in their dental health." More About Dental Center of Jacksonville: Dental Center of Jacksonville, established in 1990, is a full-service dental practice located at 6144 S Gazebo Park Pl, Suite 210, Jacksonville, FL 32257. Led by Dr. Jignesh Patel, the practice offers comprehensive dental services for patients of all ages, including general, cosmetic, and implant dentistry. Dr. Patel is also an Invisalign Provider and Elite Six Month Smile Provider. Beyond the office, Dr. Patel actively contributes to the Jacksonville community through charitable work, local sponsorships, and free dental clinics. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit https://dentalcenterjacksonville.com or call (904) 815-0525. Media Contact: Dr. Jignesh Patel, DMD Dental Center of Jacksonville (904) 815-0525 SOURCE Dental Center of Jacksonville Together with customers, employees and local partners, Duke Energy is making a difference providing critical energy assistance so families can stay safe and connected during challenging times. CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As temperatures drop this holiday season, more families are turning to community resources to make ends meet. Duke Energy and its partners are stepping up to help. Impact this year: Through the Share the Light Fund, Duke Energy, its Foundation, customers and employees have contributed more than $6.4 million to community agencies helping neighbors keep homes warm and powered when it matters most. Foundation support: More than one-third of that came from Duke Energy Foundation, including an additional $400,000 invested this summer to help families stay safe during extreme heat. Long-term commitment: Since 2022, more than $11 million has been contributed to local nonprofit partners to connect customers in need with assistance. "Behind every request for help is a storya family, a friend, a community member working to get through a tough time," said Loree Elswick, president of Duke Energy Foundation. "Through Share the Light Fund and our local partners, we're able to support our neighbors in their moment of need." "Supporting families through winter starts with partnership, and Duke Energy's Share the Light Fund empowers Crisis Assistance Ministry to reach households swiftly with the help they need," said Shelly Biby, Chief Advancement Officer of Crisis Assistance Ministry. "It's how our community comes together to help keep homes safe, warm and connected." How to get help: Customers who need assistance can find local agencies through Duke Energy's Payment Assistance Finder. How to give back: You can set up a recurring or one-time contribution to the Share the Light Fund bringing comfort and connection to those who need it most. Duke Energy Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage. More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center . Follow Duke Energy on X , LinkedIn , Instagram and Facebook , and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition. 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 SOURCE Duke Energy Eagle Electronics, backed by The O.H.I.O. Fund and Asymmetric Capital Partners, today announces the acquisition of Wireless Mobility. The combined company, renamed Eagle Wireless, appoints Norbert Muhrer as CEO and TJ Dembinski as President, as well as expands Board with leading national security and connectivity experts. CLEVELAND, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Eagle Electronics announces the acquisition of Wireless Mobility and rebrands as Eagle Wireless. The combined company will be the defining Western module vendor serving both the automotive and IoT markets at scale with equally strong US and international presences. This strategic combination comes as new U.S. regulations, including the Connected Vehicles Rule, create opportunities in the market requiring a cyber-secure and resilient supply chain, accelerating demand for secure, trusted, Western connectivity providers. On Day 1, Eagle Wireless, which has domestic manufacturing in Solon, Ohio, will have a global R&D presence with team members across North America, Europe, and APAC. The business plans to more than double the team over the next 12 months to support rapidly expanding customer demand from OEMs, Tier 1s, and IoT solution providers. Norbert Muhrer, CEO of Eagle Wireless, says of the opportunity, "I am thrilled about running Eagle Wireless with a highly competent and motivated team to create the new industry leader in an increasingly geopolitically sensitive market. The demand is staggering and it needs a company that is equally well positioned in the US and internationally in R&D and supply chain. Trust, competence, and customer proximity combined with a will to succeed is what defines Eagle Wireless. We have only one target: satisfy the customer and be their partner of choice." The Only Western Vendor Focused on Both Automotive and IoT Modules Automotive and IoT customers increasingly require long-life, secure, and reliable cellular modules that can be deployed globally under tightening regulatory and cybersecurity standards. While several Western players focus on either automotive or IoT, Eagle Wireless is the only Western module vendor purpose-built to serve both. Leadership and Governance Built for Scale As part of the transaction, Norbert Muhrer will join the company and the Board as Chief Executive Officer. Muhrer previously helped scale three market-leading module businesses over the last 25 years, bringing deep experience in building global product portfolios, supply chains, and customer relationships in both automotive and IoT. TJ Dembinski, Co-founder and current CEO of Eagle Electronics, will stay on the Board and become Co-Founder and President, continuing to lead the company with a focus on the United States. Mark Kvamme will continue in his role as Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, working closely with Muhrer and Dembinski. The Board of Directors will be further strengthened with the additions of: Dawn Meyerriecks, former Head of Science and Technology at the CIA, bringing expertise at the intersection of national security, advanced technology, and trusted supply chains. Martin McCourt, a software security and IOT veteran, having acquired Cinterion Wireless Modules while at Gemalto and then contributing to the success at Sierra Wireless as an Independent Board Member. Of the deal, TJ Dembinski, Co-Founder & President, says, "From the moment we started Eagle, we were building for scale. This announcement is the culmination of a lot of hard work. This is a great deal for the market and our customers; we now have the engineering resources to serve customer's needs and management that has built and seen scale in the IoT and Automotive businesses before." Mark Kvamme, Co-Founder & Chairman, speaks of what this means for the market more broadly. "When we started this company, we knew there was a need for a US-focused module vendor. The more time we've spent in the market, the more we've realized that customer's needs are global. Eagle Wireless now has a global presence to capitalize on this major market opportunity, and The O.H.I.O. Fund is excited to support the business as it expands not just from module production, but to full Telematic Control Unit (TCU) production." A Strategic Response to Regulatory and Geopolitical Shifts Regulation such as the Connected Vehicles Rule, which dictates the hardware and software that is sold into the U.S. automotive market, is reshaping global supply chains for connectivity and connected devices. OEMs and enterprises are now urgently seeking trusted, Western-controlled module partners to de-risk their platforms. Eagle Wireless is directly aligned with this shift: Western ownership and governance, with leadership and board members steeped in national security, telecommunications, and global module businesses. Focused on compliance and security, with design, engineering, and supply chain strategies built to meet evolving U.S. and allied-country standards. Built for scale, with capital, talent, and technology designed to support global customers over the full lifecycle of their products. Bernie Moreno, US Senator from Ohio, commented on Eagle, "Hearing the news of Eagle Wireless is exciting. It is a big deal to know that a company with commitments to the State of Ohio has global ambitions. This is what intentional US policy can do: continue to create new, category-defining business that are US-based and globally ambitious." Jon Husted, US Senator from Ohio, adds, "I was at Eagle's manufacturing launch event in Solon over the summer and I've continued to follow the company's developments. The progress is remarkable and will benefit the state of Ohio. I look forward to continuing to watch this business grow and invest in domestic production." Customer Impact Across Automotive and IoT With the acquisition of Wireless Mobility, Eagle Wireless will offer an expanded portfolio of cellular modules (4G, 5G, LPWA, and beyond), a strong global presence, and integration services tailored for both the automotive and IoT segments. This will allow customers to standardize on a single Western module partner across product needs and have confidence in a partner that is aligned with U.S. and allied Western regulatory requirements. "AT&T Connected Solutions is committed to delivering secure, scalable connectivity for automotive and IoT customers. Eagle Wireless' commitment to domestic manufacturing in Ohio along with their global R&D strength aligns with our mission to drive innovation and reliability," said Cameron Coursey, Vice President of AT&T Connected Solutions. "Together, we'll help OEMs and solution providers accelerate connected product development and deployment with robust performance, security, and seamless integration." Neil Cawse, CEO of Geotab, explains why Geotab is working with Eagle, "To support our scaling operations, Geotab has selected Eagle Wireless as our trusted, U.S.-based cellular module and manufacturing partner. This collaboration is built on shared standards, ensuring compliance with stringent U.S. regulatory and IP protection requirements. Eagle Wireless delivers the superior quality control and oversight necessary to uphold the reliability our customers expect." About Eagle Wireless Eagle Wireless is a US-owned module company dedicated to providing secure, reliable, and scalable cellular, GNSS and Shortrange modules for automotive and IoT applications. Eagle Wireless offers a comprehensive portfolio of modules and software that power connected vehicles, industrial equipment, smart devices, and critical infrastructure around the world in a cyber-secure and supply-chain resilient environment. With a rapidly growing team of engineers and industry veterans, Eagle Wireless is focused on building the defining Western module vendor for OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and IoT innovators navigating a new era of regulatory, cybersecurity, and supply chain requirements. SOURCE Eagle Electronics Photo: https://x.com/PlJonson Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov began his working visit to Sweden with a meeting with Defense Minister Pal Jonson. We discussed practical steps to strengthen Ukraines defense capabilities, the development of defense cooperation, and countering modern security challenges, including russias hybrid threats. I am grateful to Sweden and my friend Pal Jonson for their consistent financial and security support for Ukraine, Umerov said on X. He emphasized that Swedish assistance is of strategic importance for Ukraine's resilience and the security of the European continent. For his part, Jonson wrote on social media that he had met with Umerov and noted that Sweden supports Ukraine in the peace talks from a position of strength. "We also discussed the Gripen and how Sweden can contribute to Ukraine's long-term air power," the Defense Minister noted. Ora Dentistry, led by Dr. Devan Dalla, has earned the BusinessRate TOP 5 of 2025 Laguna West-Lakeside Award in the Dentist category. This distinction, based entirely on verified Google Reviews, recognizes the Elk Grove practice's outstanding reputation for patient satisfaction and clinical excellence. ELK GROVE, Calif., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ora Dentistry has been officially named a TOP 5 of 2025 Laguna West-Lakeside Award Winner in the Dentist category by BusinessRate. Unlike traditional awards that rely on nominations or applications, this honor is determined solely by verified Google Review data, reflecting the genuine experiences and feedback of patients who have visited the practice. Ora Dentistry The BusinessRate TOP 5 of 2025 Awards program evaluates businesses based on customer satisfaction, brand reputation, and service excellence using publicly available review data. This methodology ensures that recognition goes to practices that have consistently delivered exceptional care and earned the trust of their community. Located on Elk Grove Boulevard, Ora Dentistry has established itself as a destination for comprehensive dental care, from routine preventive services to complex restorative procedures. The practice is particularly renowned for its expertise in dental implants, having placed over 16,000 implants and completing more than 300 full mouth reconstructions annually with a 97% success rate. Dr. Dalla and his team utilize advanced diagnostic technology including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems to ensure precise treatment planning and optimal outcomes. "This recognition belongs to our entire team and, most importantly, to the patients who trust us with their care," says Dr. Devan Dalla. "We believe that every patient deserves a thorough examination, an accurate diagnosis, and a personalized treatment plan. Earning this award based on our patients' own words is the highest compliment we could receive." Ora Dentistry offers a comprehensive range of services including preventive care, restorative dentistry, cosmetic procedures, Invisalign orthodontics, dental implants, implant-secured dentures, and emergency dental services. For patients who experience dental anxiety, the practice provides multiple sedation options including nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, and IV sedation. The team also specializes in caring for patients with special needs, extending their services to hospital settings and homes when required. The practice's signature ORA4X Process offers patients missing multiple teeth a streamlined path to full mouth restoration, often completing the entire procedure in a single day. This innovative approach combines cutting-edge implant technology with Dr. Dalla's extensive experience to deliver transformative results for patients seeking to reclaim their smiles and confidence. More About Dr. Devan Dalla and Ora Dentistry Dr. Devan Dalla earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from New York University College of Dentistry, where he received Honors in Implantology and the prestigious Dr. Bernard E. Rudner Memorial Award for demonstrating superior clinical performance in comprehensive oral care. He also holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in India, where he graduated at the top of his class. Dr. Dalla served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves Dental Corps, training dental assistants and hygienists in preparation for military missions. Driven by a commitment to community service, Dr. Dalla founded "Raahat," a non-profit organization providing free dental care to children and underserved populations. He maintains active memberships in the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), and regularly participates in continuing education to remain at the forefront of dental innovation. For more information about Ora Dentistry or to schedule an appointment, please visit www.oradentistry.com. Media Contact Dr. Devan Dalla Ora Dentistry (916) 975-1000 https://www.oradentistry.com SOURCE Ora Dentistry TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - The Board of Directors of EQB Inc. and Equitable Bank (collectively "EQB") today announced that as part of its renewal and succession plan, it will appoint Mr. Mike Pedersen to the Board of Directors effective immediately and plan to nominate him as successor Chair, contingent upon his election as a Director by EQB shareholders at the Annual General Shareholder Meeting (AGM) in April 2026. EQB Inc. appoints Mike Pedersen to the Board of Directors and will nominate him as Chair in April 2026 (CNW Group/EQB Inc.) Ms. Vincenza (Vin) Sera, who will conclude 13 years of service on the Board in 2026, plans to step down as Chair and will not seek re-election as a Director at the AGM in April 2026. Ms. Sera joined the Board in 2013 and has served as Chair since September 2024, extending her 12-year term to take on the Chair position at the Board's request. Mr. Pedersen brings more than three decades of leadership in global financial services, with a proven record of providing governance and strategy oversight through periods of impactful growth and transformation. He served as Chair of the Board at Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) from 2018 to 2023. Mr. Pedersen has also held multiple senior roles at TD Bank Group, culminating in being President and CEO of TD Bank Group's U.S. banking business from 2013 to 2017. Based in Toronto, Mr. Pedersen currently serves on the boards of CGI, AtkinsRealis and Clean Prosperity. Additionally, he is Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, and is a member of the Sustainable Finance Advisory Committee at the Global Risk Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto. Mr. Pedersen maintains an active presence in his community and has a long history of involvement in organizations dedicated to environmental sustainability and urban poverty. "It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of EQB and Equitable Bank," said Ms. Sera. "We have rapidly grown to become Canada's seventh-largest bank and the country's definitive challenger in banking, and this is just the start. I'm proud to announce Mike's appointment to the Board and nomination as Chair in 2026 he has an impressive career spanning global financial markets and brings a valuable perspective to the Board. This is an exciting moment for the bank and I am confident his expertise, alongside EQB's world-class leadership team, will be pivotal in delivering even greater value to shareholders and customers." Ms. Sera played a key role in some of the bank's most important milestones first as corporate director during the launch of EQ Bank in 2016 and, more recently as Chair, guiding the appointment of Chadwick Westlake as President and CEO and EQB's recent agreement to acquire PC Financial. "Vin's leadership and counsel have been instrumental in shaping EQB's success and setting us up for the future from a position of strength. I would like to sincerely thank Vin for her invaluable contributions," said Chadwick Westlake, President and CEO of EQB. "Looking forward, I am delighted that Mike will be joining EQB as a director, and thereafter as Chair following our 2026 AGM. With his exceptional tenure in banking, leadership, strategy and governance positions, we will be perfectly poised to execute an ambitious growth strategy that will redefine what our challenger bank can deliver to Canadians and all of our stakeholders." About EQB Inc. EQB Inc. (TSX: EQB) is a leading digital financial services company with $138 billion in combined assets under management and administration (as at October 31, 2025). It offers banking services through Equitable Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary and Canada's seventh largest bank by assets, and wealth management through ACM Advisors, a majority owned subsidiary specializing in alternative assets. As Canada's Challenger Bank, Equitable Bank has a clear mission to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives. It leverages technology to deliver exceptional personal and commercial banking experiences and services to nearly 780,000 customers and more than six million credit union members through its businesses. Through its digital EQ Bank platform (eqbank.ca), its customers have named it one of Canada's top banks on the Forbes World's Best Banks list since 2021. To learn more, please visit eqb.investorroom.com or connect with us on LinkedIn. Investor contact: Lemar Persaud VP and Head of IR [email protected] Media contact: Maggie Hall Director, PR & Communications [email protected] SOURCE EQB Inc. HR executive brings three decades of experience building high-performance cultures at global technology companies DENVER, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Flexential , a leading provider of secure and flexible data center solutions, has appointed Marilyn Tyfting as Chief People Officer. Tyfting will lead Flexential's global HR strategy, including talent acquisition, leadership development, employee engagement, and organizational culture. She will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Ryan Mallory . Flexential Names Marilyn Tyfting Chief People Officer Tyfting joins Flexential from TELUS Digital, where she served as SVP and Chief Corporate Officer for more than 10 years. In that role, she oversaw HR strategy for a global workforce that expanded from approximately 5,000 to more than 80,000 employees and supported a significant business transformation that included several mergers and acquisitions and an IPO. Tyfting was twice recognized among Canada's Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network during that period. Before joining TELUS in 2007, she spent nearly 10 years in progressive HR leadership roles at Rogers Communications, ultimately serving as Vice President of Human Resources. "Marilyn has spent her career building environments where people can do their best work," Mallory said. "She has a track record of sustained success at complex, global organizations where culture and execution go hand in hand. As we continue to grow, we need someone who understands that great companies are built by great people. Marilyn is that person." Flexential operates more than 40 data centers across 18 markets and has experienced significant growth over the past year, driven by demand for AI infrastructure, high-density colocation, and hybrid IT solutions. The company has raised approximately $1 billion in capital from GI Partners, GI Data Infrastructure, Hamilton Lane, and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners to support continued expansion. Tyfting's appointment reflects Flexential's commitment to maintaining a people-centered culture as it scales operations and adds capacity to meet accelerating demand for data center infrastructure. "Great infrastructure starts with great people, and Flexential has built something special," Tyfting said. "It's a company where technical expertise meets a genuine commitment to doing right by customers and team members. My immediate focus is on building efficient, innovative people operations and tools that help employees and leaders succeed, along with talent programs that support agility, growth, and Flexential's position as an employer of choice." Tyfting holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resources and Labour Relations from the University of British Columbia. For more information on Flexential's secure infrastructure and flexible IT solutions, visit www.flexential.com . About Flexential Flexential empowers the IT journey of the most complex businesses by offering customizable IT solutions designed for today's demanding high-density computing requirements. With colocation, cloud, connectivity, data protection, and professional services, the FlexAnywhere platform anchors our services in 40+ data centers across 18 highly connected markets on a scalable 100Gbps+ private network backbone. Flexential solutions are strategically engineered to meet the most stringent challenges in security, compliance, and resiliency. Experience the power of IT flexibility and how we enable digital transformation at www.flexential.com . Media Contact Forrest Cronin Corporate Marketing [email protected] Christian Rizzo Gregory for Flexential [email protected] SOURCE Flexential Honoring a distinguished veteran dedicated to leveraging technology to empower local businesses MIAMI, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Louis Hernandez Jr.'s Foundation For A Bright Future ("For A Bright Future") ("FABF"), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting underserved students today announced that Tyler Osso of Idaho is the recipient of its 2025 Veterans and Families Scholarship. This prestigious award, reserved for veterans and their families pursuing higher education, will support Tyler's studies in computer science at the University of Idaho. It will also empower him to develop his cjoin.io project: a platform designed to spotlight and promote local businesses within his community, helping them thrive. Tyler Osso's motto is: "Show up, stay consistent, and embrace the journey." Since its founding, FABF has awarded scholarships in STEM, financial technology, healthcare, and education to students from single-parent households, military families, and other underrepresented backgrounds. In 2025 alone, the foundation reviewed more than 10,000 applications nationwide, a testament to the urgent demand for accessible educational funding. Scholarship selections are guided by an expert committee under the leadership of Chairwoman Susie Hernandez and Vice-Chairwoman Jennifer Oddo, with Luis Hernandez, Sr., a retired Computer & Science Professor at the University of California, serving as lead evaluator. Gina Rogoto, FABF's Senior Vice President of Operations and Programs, oversees the outreach and selection process that ensures scholarships reach the most deserving candidates. Contact: Gina Rogoto, SVP of Operations & Programs, For A Bright Future Email: [email protected] About Louis Hernandez Jr.'s Foundation For A Bright Future Louis Hernandez Jr.'s Foundation For A Bright Future ("For A Bright Future") ("FABF") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering underrepresented youth through scholarships, mentorship, and resources in education, healthcare, the arts, and leadership. Founded by Louis Hernandez Jr., CEO of Black Dragon Capital, FABF's mission is to illuminate the path to success for students who face systemic barriers, fostering the next generation of innovators, educators, and community leaders. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit https://www.fabff.org/. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram. SOURCE Louis Hernandez Jr.'s Foundation For A Bright Future WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute for Financial Integrity (IFI) today announced that FV Bank has launched an enterprise-wide training initiative through IFI's DOLFIN platform. A global digital bank and digital asset custodian, FV Bank is working with IFI to further augment its compliance culture and risk management practices globally. "As a regulated digital bank bridging traditional finance and digital assets, FV Bank places compliance and transparency at the center of everything we do," said Luis Gonzalez, Chief Compliance Officer at FV Bank. "Partnering with IFI reinforces our ongoing efforts to foster a culture of compliance throughout our organization and to ensure our team remains at the forefront of evolving global standards." This training initiative underscores FV Bank's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance and integrity as it continues to expand its digital banking and custody services. Through IFI's DOLFIN platform, FV Bank has launched a tailored compliance training program for its employees worldwide, including: Mandatory annual training including e-learning courses covering core topics such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), Global Sanctions, Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Fraud, and Digital Assets & Blockchain Technology including e-learning courses covering core topics such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), Global Sanctions, Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Fraud, and Digital Assets & Blockchain Technology Expertly curated, central repository offering interactive risk management tools, analytical insights, webinars, an AI compliance assistant, and more offering interactive risk management tools, analytical insights, webinars, an AI compliance assistant, and more Ongoing continuing education through a library of role-based learning plans, courses, and videos "At IFI, our mission is to advance compliance and risk management practices across the global financial ecosystem," said Danny McGlynn, President at the Institute for Financial Integrity. "We are proud to support FV Bank in strengthening their enterprise-wide compliance framework through education and training that empower employees to respond effectively to emerging financial crime risks." About the Institute for Financial Integrity The Institute for Financial Integrity is dedicated to empowering the world's financial integrity professionals to protect the global financial system from illicit use. It provides training services, online education, and certifications through DOLFINthe Dedicated Online Financial Integrity Networkits proprietary learning platform. For more information, please visit finintegrity.org. Follow IFI on LinkedIn. Contact Institute for Financial Integrity Media Relations [email protected] About FV Bank FV Bank is a global digital bank and digital asset custodian regulated by the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF), Puerto Rico. It offers integrated traditional and digital asset banking services and provides secure, regulated solutions for both fiat and digital assets, supporting clients across the global financial ecosystem. Learn more at: https://fvbank.us/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2325968/Institute_for_Financial_Integrity_Logo.jpg Partnership Begins with Hackathon in Early 2026 NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gresham Smith is excited to announce that the firm has entered a formal industry partnership with Carnegie Mellon University. As a part of the agreement, professionals from Gresham Smith will collaborate with students in Carnegie Mellon's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to address some of the biggest challenges within the design industry, explore emerging trends and drive innovation in the field of engineering. "Carnegie Mellon has a world-class engineering program, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with their faculty and students to come up with bold ideas to some of the biggest challenges our industry faces and lead through change," said Mike Sewell, Director of Innovation at Gresham Smith. The first major initiative under the partnership will be a hackathon held at Gresham Smith's headquarters in Nashville in February 2026 during Engineers Week. Cross-disciplinary teams made up of students from Carnegie Mellon and professionals from Gresham Smith will collaborate on two big-picture engineering challenges shaping the built environment: data center sustainability and resiliency, and next-generation energy delivery and support. Data Center Sustainability & Resiliency: As the demand for data grows, so does its environmental impact. Teams will consider how to design site infrastructure wisely under water and grid pressures to serve communities more responsibly Next-Generation Energy Delivery & Support: Grid demand is rising, and clients are looking for smarter, more resilient solutions. Teams will investigate flexible, forward-thinking strategies that can be created to help meet rising energy demands and keep progress powered. The teams will research these challenges with subject matter experts and pitch their ideas. This also paves the way for additional academic research aligned with these topics to be studied further. "At Carnegie Mellon, we place a significant value on giving our students hands-on, real-world experience while they're a part of our engineering program," said Burcu Akinci, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Hamerschlag University Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. "That's why we've partnered with Gresham Smith to work together to advance solutions to some of our industry's most pressing problems." Gresham Smith is one of just a few organizations around the world who have established an industry partnership with the prestigious university. As part of the agreement, Gresham Smith will also participate in recruitment and networking sessions with students from Carnegie Mellon. About Gresham Smith Gresham Smith is a premier architecture, engineering and consultancy services firm providing a full suite of solutions to private- and public-sector clients. With $355 million in annual gross revenue and 27 offices throughout the United States, we operate across eight strategic sectors: aviation, building engineering, healthcare, industrial, land planning, life and work places, transportation, and water and environment. Recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and repeatedly listed as a "Best Place to Work," we are committed to delivering on our Core Purposeto plan, design and consult to create healthy and thriving communitiesthrough our brand promise of Genuine Ingenuity. Learn more at GreshamSmith.com. SOURCE Gresham Smith CHICAGO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The past year in architecture and engineering unfolded like a study in accelerating expectations. Schools, hospitals, and laboratories demanded flexibility that could stretch across futures both known and imagined. Workplaces wrestled with the promises and pressures of artificial intelligence. Data Centers surged at a scale few predicted, prompting urgent conversations about power, resilience, and the ecological responsibilities that accompany digital expansion. Through it all, HED, an integrated architecture and engineering company, leaned into the complexity, advancing an integrated design practice that reframes sustainability as something deeper than a checklist. The firm approached it instead as an ongoing dialogue of efficiency and care with architecture that evolves alongside the people and communities it serves. A Year of Momentum The firm strengthened its position in 2025 as a forerunner in integrated design, blurring the boundaries that once separated disciplines. Architects, engineers, planners, and designers moved as one unit, not passing the baton but shaping solutions in synchrony and in real time, with a model that continues to sharpen project predictability, elevate design, and create room for imaginative exploration. Awards & Achievements This was also a year of business growth for the company, marked by an elevated ranking of #21 in Business Design + Construction's list of Top 100 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2025. Additional awards and achievements for the company include: Recognized as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For nationwide. Advanced to #204 on ENR's Top 500 Design Firms list. Ranked #117 on Crain's Detroit Private 200 list of largest privately held companies. Multiple regional recognitions as a Best Place to Work across Los Angeles, El Segundo, Orange, and San Diego. BD+C Giants 400 Report rankings, including #8 in Data Center Architecture Engineering Firms and #20 in University Building Architecture Firms, with notable upward movement across several categories. Notable project awards and recognition include: Five national and regional honors for the Michigan Technological University H-STEM Complex, including awards from ACEC Michigan, ACEC National, the Illuminating Engineering Society, Construction Association of Michigan Magazine, and the Engineering Society of Detroit. Engineering Merit Award from ACEC Michigan for Wacker Chemical Headquarters. CMAA Southern California Project Achievement Award for Saddleback College Gateway Building. AIA San Diego Merit Award for MiraCosta College Chemistry and Biotechnology Building. Phius Passive Projects Design Competition Honorable Mention for Conservatory Apartments. SCANPH "Homes Within Reach" Award for Thatcher Yard Senior Housing. Chicago Athenaeum's American Architecture Award and the Westside Urban Forum Award for the SAMOHI Exploration Building and Gymnasium. A4LE Peak Merit Award for the Regis Jesuit High School Science and Innovation Center. Leadership and Talent The firm welcomed new leaders and expanded its expertise across sectors. To strengthen healthcare design in the Northeast, HED appointed Noelia Bitar in Boston, joining forces with Ronda Paradis to deepen the firm's presence in a region undergoing rapid transformation. In Dallas, the addition of Vandana Gupta reinforced an already flourishing Higher Education practice. And in a firmwide move that reflects HED's commitment to unifying design excellence across markets, Ralph Mocerino joined to support the company's business leaders in accelerating growth within the markets. 2026 Vision: HED is Approaching the New Year with Confidence As 2026 approaches, HED is focused not simply on forecasting trends but on interrogating the horizon itself. The firm is looking beyond the immediate to explore how resilience, technology, and empathetic, human-centered design can support systems under increasing strain. The questions ahead are complex. HED meets them with curiosity and confidence, using integrated design as both method and mindset to prepare clients for the futures they can see and the ones just beginning to take shape. Join the conversation at hed.co. About HED HED delivers architecture and engineering excellence through integrated and all-encompassing design. They leverage imagination, purpose, process, and advocacy to create efficient, sustainable, and responsive solutions to their clients' evolving needs. As one of the top 200 design firms in the U.S., HED serves clients in healthcare, education (higher education and Pre K-12), mission-critical, housing/mixed-use, science, advanced manufacturing, workplace, community, and the federal government. The firm's diverse team of 400+ professionals operates in every time zone nationwide to consistently produce award-winning projects and designs. To learn more about what they can help you achieve, visit www.hed.co. Contact: HED Communications [email protected] SOURCE HED XIAMEN, China, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At the third Eco-Day, HiTHIUM unveiled the world's first 8-hour-native battery energy storage solution, the Power8 6.9MW/55.2MWh. Built on an 8-hour long-duration energy storage (LDES) system architecture and supported by a dedicated 8-hour battery cell, the solution adopts a native design from cell to system. It marks the first solution genuinely built for 8-hour LDES, supporting a continuous, all-weather renewable power supply. The Launch of HiTHIUM 8-Hour-Native Energy Storage Solution With its ability to enhance grid stability and increase the utilization of renewable energy, 8-hour LDES has become a key direction for the industry. Within long-duration technology pathways, lithium stands out as the optimal choice, and the dedicated 8-hour lithium cells offer the best fit for system-level requirements thanks to their higher integration, efficiency, and stability. As a pioneer in lithium-based LDES, HiTHIUM continues to advance technological innovations and strengthen cost competitiveness, further reinforcing lithium's advantages in the long-duration market and accelerating its large-scale, widespread adoption. A Dedicated 8-Hour System: Lower Costs, Higher Efficiency, and Enhanced Safety Power8 6.9MW/55.2MWh is a turnkey solution purpose-built for 8-hour long-duration, all-weather energy storage. Each highly integrated standard unit delivers 6.9MW of power and 55.2MWh of energy, consisting of one medium-voltage module and eight energy storage modules. With optimized hoisting and cabling, the system reduces on-site construction intensity, boosts deployment efficiency by 18%, and cuts land use by 23% versus the previous generation. The solution also comes preconfigured for standalone energy storage plants, large windsolar bases, and extreme environments. As an 8-hour-native design, it features a new system architecture, delivering combined value in cost reduction, high-efficiency operation, and enhanced safety and reliability. Cost Reduction: By eliminating large amounts of redundant componentsthe system increases integration level by over 10%, and improves efficiency by more than 30%. High-Efficiency Operation: Through intelligent control, thermal-island simulation, and end-to-end active balancing, auxiliary power consumption is reduced by over 30%, temperature control precision is improved by 50%, response speed is increased by 20%, and balancing capability is enhanced by 20 times with over 97% efficiency. Conservatively, the active balancing strategy alone can save more than USD 1 million per 1 GWh of LDES. Safety and Reliability: The system incorporates the industry's first mass-produced high-strength steel-belt confinement technology, a rapid dual-valve pressure release design, and new-generation high-performance insulation materials between cells. These materials can withstand 800C extreme temperatures and 300 kPa of pressure without failure. HiTHIUM is also the first company worldwide to pass an open-door fire test, verifying its exceptional thermal resilience. 1300Ah Dedicated 8-Hour Cell: Large Capacity, Superior Safety, Long Lifespan At the core of the 8-hour-native solution is the Cell 1300Ah 8h, designed for the 6.9MWh BESS. Each cell delivers more than four times the capacity of mainstream products and reduces system component count by over 30%. HiTHIUM also incorporates multilayer protection from materials to system integration, allowing the product to pass rigorous safety tests with non-propagating thermal runaway. Designed for more than 25 years of operation, it ensures full-lifecycle safety and provides solid long-term returns for long-duration energy storage. The breakthrough in capacity and cost effectiveness comes from HiTHIUM's proprietary ultra-thick electrode technology, developed by overcoming key challenges in long-duration cells such as electrode cracking, slow ion-electron transporting, and difficult electrolyte penetration. Compared with the previous-generation Cell 1175Ah, the electrode thickness has been significantly increased, enabling the 8-hour cell to reduce foil and other power component costs by more than 50% versus 2-hour cells, achieving an optimal balance between performance and cost. As an early mover in lithium-based LDES, HiTHIUM has built a cell portfolio spanning 587Ah, 1175Ah, and 1300Ah, with the first two already deployed at scale globally. The Power8 6.9MW/55.2MWh system is scheduled for mass production in Q4 2026. The launch of the world's first 8-hour-native solution establishes a new technical pathway for long-duration storage, advancing cost-efficiency, safety, and operational performance. HiTHIUM will continue innovating across renewable bases, AIDCs, and other key scenarios to make all-weather green power a new standard in global energy supply. SOURCE HiTHIUM MONCKS CORNER, S.C., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Home Telecom is excited to announce the Tri-Community Center in Cross, SC has won a $5,000 grant from the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) through the foundations' Community Grant Program. The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) was established in 1994 as a non-profit by NTCAThe Rural Broadband Association and plays a unique role within the telecommunications industry by supporting rural telecom companies, consumers and policymakers with educational information, products and programming. (L-R) Bernard Gilliard, Board Chairperson; April Floyd, Home Telecom Community Engagement Coordinator; Caldwell Pinckney, Jr, Site Manager Home Telecom submitted three applications for FRS grants, on behalf of partner community organizations. The Tri-Community Center's award is Home Telecom's first FRS Community Grant recipient. FRS Community Grants are awarded annually to nonprofit organizations, schools, community groups, municipalities, and other organizations doing noteworthy work in their community. The recipient must be a technology- and broadband-enabled project with expected long-term impact for the community and its residents. Home Telecom congratulates Tri-Community Center for being awarded the full grant maximum of $5,000. The funds will be used to acquire a variety of equipment and installation costs in support of these efforts. "Home Telecom is committed to ensuring that rural communities have access to the technology and opportunities they need to grow and thrive," said Gina Shuler, vice president of Marketing at Home Telecom. "Through this grant, the Tri-Community Center will be able to expand internet-optimized programs that support health, wellness, career advancement and education." Located on the 10-acre campus of the former Sandridge Elementary School on Poplar Drive in Cross, Tri-Community Center, Inc. acquired the 29,000 square foot facility and large campus from the Berkeley County School District. They will use it to offer and support a diverse spectrum of community health and wellness programs. The Tri-Community Center, which is one of the five Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce Community Hubs, will accomplish this through partnerships and collaborations with entities like Berkeley County's Kennedy Center for substance abuse and addiction services; the Medical University Telehealth division of South Carolina (MUSC); the Berkeley County Department of Mental Health; Trident Technical College; Berkeley County Community Development Block Grant program; and the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments. Collaborating with these partners, the community center's objectives are to serve as a gathering point and point of distribution for supporting health and wellness, using technology including webinars, demonstrations, and presentations. The Tri-Community Center feels it will affect approximately 1,500 local individuals in the areas of health and wellbeing services, i.e., education, awareness, community oneness, and unity building activities and programs. The community center and the programs they offer will primarily serve the Cross, Sandridge, Pringletown, and Ridgeville residents, but will also serve citizens in bordering areas of the county like St. Stephen, Pineville, and Eadytown. About Home Telecom Home Telecom is an innovative communications provider headquartered in Moncks Corner, SC, with a legacy spanning more than 120 years. Serving Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties, Home Telecom offers multi-gig internet, app-based video, next-gen security, home automation, and VoIP services. With state-of-the-art FTTP technology, Home Telecom leads the way in delivering the fastest broadband in the Charleston region. For more information, visit https://www.homesc.com/. For media use only: If you have any questions, contact Caoimhe Zett at [email protected]. SOURCE Home Telecom Funding supports innovations that expand equitable access to social capital for today's diverse learners DENVER and LEXINGTON, Mass., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- InScribe Education , a provider of digital communities and online engagement advisory services for higher education, today announced that it has been awarded a grant from the Clayton Christensen Institute through its Networked Guidance Pilot Fund. The initiative supports solutions that help learners build the social capital, relationships, and guidance that open doors to academic and career opportunity. InScribe + CCI Grant promo For today's non-traditional and historically underserved students, the path to opportunity requires more than earning a degree. The Clayton Christensen Institute's report The Missing Metrics: Emerging practices for measuring students' relationships and networks highlights that students' access to relationships and networks is often left to chance, even though these connections are closely tied to long-term success. Meaningful relationships with mentors, peers, supporters, and professional contacts are essential, and a degree on its own is often not enough to secure employment. Download report. The grant will support the development and validation of InScribe's innovation designed to help institutions cultivate social capital across the student experience. The experience will create digital ecosystems where students build networks organically, assisted by AI that helps surface the right people, conversations, and resources at the right time. It is intentionally designed to expand human connection and ensure that students can form meaningful relationships with peers, faculty, advisors, and mentors. This work aligns with the Clayton Christensen Institute's broader research on networked guidance , which calls for intentionally cultivating students' social capital to support both persistence and post-graduation success. "While AI unlocks enormous possibilities for student support and guidance, human connection remains as important as ever in helping students access the networks they need to thrive in school and in the labor market. We are delighted to be learning alongside platforms dedicated to building prosocial tech," said Julia Freeland Fisher , Director of Education Research at the Clayton Christensen Institute. "InScribe was founded on the belief that students succeed when they can easily get the help they need, whenever they need it," said Veronica Skudlarczyk , Head of Product and User Experience at InScribe. But help is only the beginning. "Degree completion is just one milestone. Students must also have access to the connections and support systems that lead to opportunity. This partnership with the Clayton Christensen Institute helps us accelerate solutions that make social capital visible, accessible, and achievable for every student." Through partnerships with colleges and universities, InScribe is helping institutions drive measurable improvements in student success. Across its network of partners, InScribe has supported outcomes such as increased student engagement, faster response times to student questions, higher utilization of support services, and gains in retention and persistence. Institutions have also reported stronger peer connection, improved sense of belonging, and more efficient cross-campus communication. Explore additional partnership outcomes and case studies at https://www.inscribeapp.com/case-studies . About InScribe InScribe is a digital student support platform that leverages the power of community and artificial intelligence to connect students with the answers, resources, and individuals they need to succeed. InScribe's digital communities cut across the traditional support silos in higher education, giving students a single place to turn when they need helpno matter the topic or time of day. Students benefit from on-demand, peer-to-peer, and student-to-expert collaboration which helps them feel more connected, increasing student engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Learn more about InScribe at https://www.inscribeapp.com/ . About the Clayton Christensen Institute The Clayton Christensen Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to improving the world through Disruptive Innovation. Founded on the theories of Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, the Institute offers a unique framework for understanding many of society's most pressing problems. Learn more about Clayton Christensen Institute. SOURCE InScribe Ukrainian soldiers manage to take control of almost 90% of the territory of Kupyansk Syrsky Photo: https://www.facebook.com Thanks to active search and strike operations, Ukrainian soldiers managed to push back the occupiers from Kupyansk in Kharkiv region and take control of nearly 90% of the city's territory, said Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky. Syrsky announced this while participating in the 32nd meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense, which took place via videoconference on Tuesday. "He cited specific examples of the successful actions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Thanks to active search and strike operations, we managed to push back the occupiers from Kupyansk and take control of almost 90% of the city's territory," the commander-in-chief wrote on Facebook. He briefed his partners on the current situation on the front, which remains challenging. Syrsky noted that the enemy has increased its force to approximately 710,000 troops to conduct a strategic offensive operation. He added that despite significant losses, the Russian army is continuing its offensive, although it has not achieved significant operational success. Lotus Neuro builds on Insightec's groundbreaking focused ultrasound platform to accelerate next-generation brain therapies globally, with funding from Nexus NeuroTech Ventures. MIAMI and HAIFA, Israel, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Insightec, a global healthcare innovator pioneering the use of focused ultrasound to transform patient care, today announced the spin-out and launch of Lotus Neuro, a new clinical stage biotechnology company advancing the next generation of braintargeted therapeutics through precision, low frequency focused ultrasound. This launch marks a pivotal evolution in brain medicine, bringing together Insightec's worldleading device technology and Lotus Neuro's biotech innovation model to accelerate drug delivery across the bloodbrain barrier (BBB). Insightec's focused ultrasound platform has reached a pivotal inflection point: validated safety, global adoption and growing pharmaceutical engagement. The next frontier is the translation and commercialization of pairing ultrasound with advanced medicines, including biologic, genetic and cellular therapies. Lotus Neuro will serve as an innovative engine to drive this translation and development, while Insightec continues advancing its focused ultrasound platform to scale this enabling technology. "This marks a defining moment in our mission to transform brain health," said Maurice R. Ferre, MD, Chairman and CEO of Insightec. "Insightec will continue expanding the precision ultrasound platform, while Lotus Neuro applies it to new therapeutic frontiers in oncology and neurodegeneration. Together, we are building a complete ecosystem, from device to drug delivery, to change what's possible in neuroscience." Lotus Neuro will initially focus on clinical neurooncology programs, including glioblastoma and diffuse midline gliomas, while advancing pre-clinical development and partnerships in neurodegeneration. The new company is funded by Nexus NeuroTech Ventures, which is dedicated to advancing technologies targeted directly at or enabling the diagnosis, treatment or management of brain disorders. Lotus Neuro will be led by Arjun (JJ) Desai, MD, who has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Desai previously served as Chief Strategic Innovation Officer at Insightec since 2018, where he developed and led core functions including global market access, reimbursement, medical aairs and a global research infrastructure leveraging therapeutic delivery with focused ultrasound across multiple neurologic indications and strategic partnerships. Before joining Insightec, Desai was Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Johnson & Johnson Innovation. A physician, Desai completed his medical training at Stanford University, where he served as clinical and bio design faculty. "Lotus Neuro exists to make effective, braintargeted therapies a reality," Desai added. "By uniting the precision of focused ultrasound with the most promising therapeutics, we're opening new pathways for the treatment of complex brain disease. Building on Insightec's global leadership in focused ultrasound, Lotus Neuro is the bridge between technology innovation and therapeutic impact." Insightec will maintain its leadership in device innovation and commercialization while supporting Lotus Neuro through advanced therapeutics platform integration, scientific collaboration and shared translational data. The two organizations will align around a single mission: making braintargeted incisionless therapies accessible to help transform patient care globally. This initiative builds on Insightec's recent achievements, including indication approvals for staged bilateral treatment of essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and most recently, a multicenter glioblastoma trial published in The Lancet Oncology demonstrating that employing focused ultrasound to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier during standard-of-care chemotherapy resulted in significantly improved overall survival. This major scientific milestone underscores the platform's potential to enhance therapeutic outcomes in brain-targeted treatments. To date, more than 25,000 patients have been treated with Insightec's Exablate technology for a variety of movement disorder indications at 210 centers worldwide. About Insightec Insightec is a global healthcare company creating the next generation of patient care by realizing the therapeutic power of acoustic energy. The company's Exablate Neuro platform focuses sound waves, safely guided by MRI, to provide treatment to patients with medication-refractory essential tremor and Parkinson's disease*. Research for future applications in the neuroscience space is underway in partnership with leading academic and medical institutions. Insightec is headquartered in Haifa, Israel and Miami, with offices in Dallas, Texas; Frankfurt, Germany; Shanghai; and Tokyo. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X or visit insightec.com for more information. For detailed country specific indications visit https://insightec.com/regulatory-approvals/. About Lotus Neuro Lotus Neuro is a clinical stage biotechnology company spun out from Insightec to advance brain targeted combination therapeutics using precision, low frequency focused ultrasound. In partnership with Insightec, Lotus Neuro is building the bridge between medical device innovation and therapeutic development to unlock a new era in brain health. Visit lotusneuro.com for more information. Forward-looking Statements: This document contains forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, plans, expectations and future events. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the following words: "may," "can," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "promise," "continue," "ongoing," or the negative of these terms. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Insightec as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Insightec are qualified by this caution. Insightec does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Insightec's expectations. "Exablate," and "Exablate Neuro," as well as the "INSIGHTEC" logo, whether standing alone or in connection with the word "Insightec," are protected trademarks of Insightec. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1699588/5515259/Insightec_Logo.jpg SOURCE INSIGHTEC SAN DIEGO, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers or acquirers of James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE: JHX) common stock (previously American Depositary Shares until their conversion to common stock on July 1, 2025) between May 20, 2025 and August 18, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"), have until Tuesday, December 23, 2025 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the James Hardie class action lawsuit. Captioned Laborers' District Council and Contractors' Pension Fund of Ohio v. James Hardie Industries plc., No. 25-cv-13018 (N.D. Ill.), the James Hardie class action lawsuit charges James Hardie as well as certain of James Hardie's top executives with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the James Hardie class action lawsuit, please provide your information here: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-james-hardie-industries-plc-class-action-lawsuit-jhx.html You can also contact attorneys J.C. Sanchez or Jennifer N. Caringal of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected]. CASE ALLEGATIONS: James Hardie designs and manufactures a wide range of fiber cement building products, with manufacturing plants in both the United States and Australia. The James Hardie class action lawsuit alleges that despite starting to see North America Fiber Cement customers destocking inventory in April and early May 2025, defendants throughout the Class Period made numerous statements falsely assuring investors that the segment remained strong despite the challenging market environment and expressly denying that inventory destocking was occurring. Investors remained unaware that sales in James Hardie's largest business segment were experiencing inventory loading by channel partners, with the hallmarks of fraudulent channel stuffing, and not sustainable customer demand as represented, the James Hardie class action lawsuit further alleges. The James Hardie class action lawsuit also alleges that on August 19, 2025, James Hardie disclosed that sales in North America Fiber Cement declined by 12% due to the customer destocking first discovered by defendants in April through May. On this news, the price of James Hardie's common stock dropped by over 34%, the James Hardie class action lawsuit alleges. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased or acquired James Hardie common stock during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the James Hardie class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the James Hardie class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the James Hardie class action lawsuit. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff of the James Hardie class action lawsuit. ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud and shareholder litigation. Our Firm has been ranked #1 in the ISS Securities Class Action Services rankings for four out of the last five years for securing the most monetary relief for investors. In 2024, we recovered over $2.5 billion for investors in securities-related class action cases more than the next five law firms combined, according to ISS. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the world, and the Firm's attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest ever $7.2 billion in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Contact: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP J.C. Sanchez, Jennifer N. Caringal 655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101 800-449-4900 [email protected] SOURCE Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Dr. Khalil Choucair specializes in cancers of the chest, including lung cancer DETROIT, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute welcomes Khalil Choucair, M.D., MSc, medical oncologist, to the Thoracic Oncology and Phase I Clinical Trials Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT). Dr. Choucair joins the team after completing his hematology and oncology clinical fellowship at Karmanos, where he served as chief fellow and worked closely with Karmanos oncologists and scientific researchers. He began seeing patients in July 2025 at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit and Karmanos Cancer Institute Dearborn. Khalil Choucair, M.D., MSc, has joined the Thoracic Oncology and Phase I Clinical Trials Multidisciplinary Teams at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Michigan. "Karmanos is an esteemed and renowned institution where some of the best minds are studying daily to find the best cancer therapies, some of which have already changed the way we treat cancer," said Dr. Choucair. "Having the opportunity to continue my practice and research at Karmanos is a privilege, and I look forward to the advancements I'll be part of to bring better treatments to patients that will not only benefit Detroit and Michigan, but the world." As part of the thoracic oncology team, Dr. Choucair specializes in treating esophageal cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymoma, and thymic carcinoma. His research interests are in thoracic oncology biomarkers, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) therapies, precision oncology and tumor agnostic therapies, immune therapies and modulation in cancer, metabolomic-TME interactions in SCLC, biomarker development, and understanding NET plasticity and evolution to SCLC. He is also part of the phase I team, which is a team of oncologists that further study new cancer drugs, therapies, and therapy combinations that have shown promise in the lab to treat cancer. These trials, conducted before FDA approval, enable physicians to develop new treatments that may become the standard of care in the future. "It's been a pleasure to see Dr. Choucair grow in his field as a physician and researcher as he significantly contributes to the future of cancer care," said George Yoo, M.D., FACS, chief medical officer at Karmanos Cancer Hospital. "Dr. Choucair has a passion for understanding thoracic diseases and advancing therapies. He has already contributed heavily to the Thoracic Oncology MDT, including the planning of the annual Lung Cancer Symposium that brings physicians and health care professionals from far and wide to learn more about the advancements happening in this space." Dr. Choucair co-directed this year's Lung Cancer Symposium with Hirva Mamdani, M.D., medical oncologist and leader of the Thoracic Oncology MDT. He also has a passion for educating future cancer specialists and scientists, having served on the advisory board of Karmanos' Office of Cancer Research, Training and Education Coordination since 2023. Dr. Choucair also serves as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Before coming to Karmanos for his fellowship, Dr. Choucair completed a research fellowship in precision oncology clinical trials at Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center at the University of Toledo. He attained his undergraduate and graduate studies at McGill University in Canada, where he obtained a Master of Science in Experimental Medicine, with a focus on developing prognostic biomarkers for patient stratification. Dr. Choucair completed his medical training at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and his residency training at the University of Kansas, where he served as chief resident for Research Development. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Choucair holds memberships in numerous professional societies and associations, including the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Michigan Society of Hematology and Oncology, and the Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer. View Dr. Choucair's physician profile here. To request an appointment, visit karmanos.org or call 1-800-KARMANOS. About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute Karmanos Cancer Institute is a leader in transformative cancer care, research and education through courage, commitment and compassion. The Karmanos vision is a world free of cancer. As part of McLaren Health Care, Karmanos is the largest provider of cancer care and research in Michigan. For more than 75 years, the administrative and research headquarters, along with the premier specialty cancer hospital, have been located in downtown Detroit. With multiple network sites, Karmanos delivers world-renowned care and access to clinical trials throughout Michigan and northern Ohio. The National Cancer Institute recognizes Karmanos as one of the best cancer centers in the nation with a comprehensive cancer center designation. Its academic partnership with the Wayne State University School of Medicine provides the framework for cancer research and education defining new standards of care and improving survivorship. For more information, call 1-800-KARMANOS (800-527-6266) or visit karmanos.org. Follow Karmanos on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. SOURCE Karmanos Cancer Institute Increase driven by more than $212 million in system improvements LEXINGTON, Ky., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved new water rates for Kentucky American Water. The approved rates represent a total annualized revenue increase of approximately $18.2 million. The company's rate request was filed on May 16, 2025, and was primarily driven by more than $212 million in water treatment and distribution system improvements made since the company's last rate filing. These improvements help ensure Kentucky American Water continues to provide safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water service to our customers and supports economic development in our communities. The new rates are effective as of December 16, 2025. With the approved rate increase, the average monthly bill for residential water customers using an average of 3,900 gallons per month will increase by approximately $2. "Kentucky American Water is committed to providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable water service to over half a million people in portions of 13 counties," said Rob Burton, president of Kentucky American Water. "Our long-term, efficient and consistent approach to capital investment enables us to achieve the high level of water service our customers expect and deserve while also helping ensure compliance with state and federal regulations." Customers will be informed of the approved rates by mail and through the company's website at www.kentuckyamwater.com. Kentucky American Water offers customer assistance programs that include payment plans, budget billing and, for income-eligible customers, the company's H2O Help to Others customer assistance program. More information can be found by clicking the Customer Assistance Program link under Customer Service & Billing on the company's website. About American Water American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water's 6,700 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram. About Kentucky American Water Kentucky American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, with 150 dedicated employees working to provide safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 527,000 people. For more information, visit Kentucky American Water's website and join Kentucky American Water on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. AWK-IR SOURCE American Water NAEA is the leading professional organization representing visual arts, design, and media-arts educators across the United States and internationally. When Lott assumes her new role, she will oversee all aspects of the organization, bringing her experience and insight to guide NAEA's strategy, advocacy and policy work, research and professional learning including a national convention in Chicago in March 2026. She will partner with art teachers, museum educators, school leaders, researchers, policymakers, and allies across the arts sector to ensure access to high-quality art and design education for learners of all ages. NAEA Board of Directors President Cindy Todd expressed enthusiasm over the recent announcement. "As we welcome Laura Lott as our new Executive Director, I am filled with excitement and optimism for the future of NAEA and the communities we serve. Laura's leadership, vision, and deep commitment align powerfully with our mission to champion creative growth and innovation for all learners. This moment marks an exciting new chapter for NAEA. Together we will strengthen our programs, deepen our partnerships, and broaden our impact. I look forward to working together as we continue building a vibrant future through visual arts, design, and media arts." With a distinguished career in arts, education, and nonprofit leadership and advocacy, Lott most recently served as administrator and chief operating officer at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Additionally, Lott previously made history as the first female president and chief executive officer of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). At AAM, Lott led dramatic growth in membership, strengthened financial sustainability, expanded national advocacy, and championed groundbreaking diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion initiatives to reshape national standards and practices across the museum community. Lott began her career at the National Geographic Society and MCI Foundation igniting her lifelong passion for supporting innovative K12 education programs. "I am honored to join NAEA and support the educators who help students think, feel, and see in new ways," said Lott. "Art education builds confidence, fosters empathy, and helps young people make sense of the world. We will lift up teachers, widen access, and spark creative paths for every learner." Following a nationwide search guided by the Arts Consulting Group, the NAEA Board of Directors appointed Lott to Executive Director as a reflection of her experience in transformational leadership; inclusive organizational development; effective advocacy and fundraising efforts; and strategic operations and financial management across the arts and education sectors. Lott steps into this new role during a time when the demand for creative learning and support for educators has intensified. With research supporting creative activities that boost confidence and lower stress in young learners, the need for arts learning in schools and communities is urgent. With this in mind, Lott's early priorities will include listening to members, investing in timely professional learning, and strengthening partnerships across K12, higher education, and museums. "NAEA will amplify the voices of art educators and make a clear case for arts learning in every community," Lott added. About THE NATIONAL ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Founded in 1947, the National Art Education Association is the leading professional membership organization exclusively for visual arts, design, and media arts educators. NAEA supports thousands of membersincluding preK through high school teachers, college and university educators, museum educators, media artists, teaching artists, and preservice teacherswith advocacy, professional learning, publications, and community-building opportunities. Additionally. NAEA supports thousands of visual arts students through the National Art Honor Societies programs. CONTACT: Krista Brooke NAEA Chief Strategy and Communications Officer [email protected] SOURCE National Art Education Association NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD), a world leader in transforming the way people bank and shop, today announced that Moody's Ratings (Moody's) upgraded the credit ratings of Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated, to B1 from B2 with a stable outlook. According to Moody's, the upgrade reflects the company's improved leverage, strengthened liquidity position and consistent positive free cash flow in 2025. Moody's also recognized Diebold Nixdorf's leading market share in the global ATM industry. The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation that the company will maintain its improved financial profile and grow earnings, supported by disciplined operational execution. Tom Timko, Diebold Nixdorf executive vice president and chief financial officer, said: "We are exceptionally proud of the progress Diebold Nixdorf has made delivering consistent, positive free cash flow quarter after quarter, and maintaining our fortress balance sheet. Our disciplined approach to capital allocation and operational excellence has strengthened our liquidity position, providing us with the flexibility to invest in growth and return capital to shareholders. Looking ahead, we're optimistic about the opportunities in front of us and our ability to drive long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders." About Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) automates, digitizes and transforms the way people bank and shop. As a partner to the majority of the world's top 100 financial institutions and top 25 global retailers, our integrated solutions connect digital and physical channels conveniently, securely and efficiently for millions of consumers each day. The company has a presence in more than 100 countries with approximately 21,000 employees worldwide. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information. X: @DieboldNixdorf LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/diebold Facebook: www.facebook.com/DieboldNixdorf YouTube: www.youtube.com/dieboldnixdorf Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are not historical information and are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. Statements can generally be identified as forward looking because they include words such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "will," "estimates," "potential," "target," "predict," "project," "seek," and variations thereof or "could," "should" or words of similar meaning. Statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements, which reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions regarding, among other things, the economy, its knowledge of its business, and key performance indicators that impact the Company, these forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the reports and other filings by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the SEC on March 8, 2024, and the Company's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2024, as filed with the SEC on August 7, 2024. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. DN-C SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated Andrew Huberman's Most Recent Interview on the Punk Rock Sober Podcast Redefines Norms Through an Insightful Multigenerational Conversation LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a media landscape obsessed with experts talking to other experts, Andrew Huberman did something quietly revolutionary in a recent podcast episode: He sat down with a nine-year-old child. A prominent neuroscientist and Stanford School of Medicine professor, Huberman appeared on Tyler Ramsey's podcast, Punk Rock Sober , for a real conversation with Tyler's son, River, about fear, gratitude, addiction, danger, curiosity, and what it actually means to live a meaningful life. Photo Source: Punk Rock Sober Released on December 15, 2025, the episode delivers high-level insight with humility, respect, and emotional honesty. Tyler is an eccentric abstract artist in recovery, and the podcast's emotional core centers on sobriety not as abstinence, but as courage. Huberman shares how the idea of "punk rock sober" reframed recovery for him: that choosing to feel deeply, face fear, and stay present is far more rebellious than numbing out. For a child listening, the message lands clearly: Bravery isn't about being fearless it's about showing up anyway. Other significant moments in the podcast revolve around the biology of fear, the science of gratitude, and the definition of strength. Through a combination of real-life anecdotes and research-based insights, Huberman describes concepts in a way easy enough for a nine-year-old to understand and resonant enough to strike a chord with Tyler's adult podcast listeners. In a time when children are often excluded from meaningful discourse or spoken to in slogans this episode offers a quiet challenge to adults everywhere: What if kids are capable of far more than we assume? What if wisdom doesn't need to be simplified just humanized? Huberman didn't just explain the brain to a child. He showed what it looks like to trust the next generation with truth, and that may be the most punk rock thing of all. Watch the podcast episode, "Andrew Huberman Gets Real w Tyler's 9-Year-Old Son.," on YouTube here . About Punk Rock Sober: Punk Rock Sober is a podcast hosted by Tyler Ramsey featuring honest interviews with guests in recovery. It celebrates recovery by interviewing champions of sobriety and normal people who help illuminate the path. Its episodes feature in-depth interviews with professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives across industries who share stories of adversity and triumph. Media Contact: Producer Jerry Brunskill 310-490-0170 SOURCE Punk Rock Sober STATESVILLE, N.C., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a series of new billboard messages along I-77 outside Statesville, Pacific Legal Foundation is calling attention to rural America's need for nurses, "not government roadblocks." North Carolina has one of the worst nursing shortages in the country. Photos taken December 15 of the four billboards on I-77. "North Carolinians living in rural counties shouldn't have to drive hours to get basic care or go without care altogether because of laws that impose unnecessary burdens that impede patient access," said Donna Matias, PLF attorney. "These billboards make it clear: Government roadblocks are preventing qualified healthcare professionals from treating patients in North Carolina." North Carolina's regulatory regime places heavy burdens on nurses, particularly advancedpractice registered nurses (APRNs). The state is one of only 13 that still requires APRNs to maintain a costly, physiciansupervised "collaborative practice agreement" before they can independently practice. North Carolina also requires providers to obtain a "certificate of need" before opening a new hospital, nursing home, or dialysis center, expanding bed capacity, or even purchasing certain medical equipment which further impacts nurses. Meanwhile, North Carolina has the eighth worst nursing shortage in the country. Nearly 70 of North Carolina's 80 rural counties are considered medical deserts. Historically, nurse practitioners and nurse midwives have filled gaps left by physicians in rural America; now, because of North Carolina's ill-conceived healthcare regulations, nurses are struggling to provide much-needed care. PLF a national public interest law firm that represents all clients free of charge is looking for nurses in North Carolina who want to challenge the state's laws in court. Learn more and submit a case at https://pacificlegal.org/north-carolina-needs-nurses/. About Pacific Legal Foundation Pacific Legal Foundation is a national nonprofit law firm that defends Americans threatened by government overreach and abuse. Since our founding in 1973, we challenge the government when it violates individual liberty and constitutional rights. With active cases in 34 states plus Washington, D.C., PLF represents clients in state and federal courts, with 18 wins of 20 cases litigated at the U.S. Supreme Court. SOURCE Pacific Legal Foundation Agreement underscores Norgine's mission to bring innovative therapies to patients and builds on our heritage in hepatology and specialty pharmaceuticals. Vir Biotechnology's chronic hepatitis delta treatment candidate has shown robust virological responses and reflects a differentiated approach to treatment. UXBRIDGE, England, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Norgine, a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced an exclusive licensing agreement under which Norgine will commercialise the combination of tobevibart and elebsiran for the treatment of chronic hepatitis delta (CHD) in Europe, Australia and New Zealand following the necessary marketing authorisations. There is a high unmet medical need for effective treatments for CHD given potential limitations with existing treatment options. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Vir Biotechnology will receive a EUR 55 million initial reimbursement payment and up to EUR 495 million in potential regulatory and commercial milestone payments. Additionally, Vir Biotechnology will receive tiered, mid-teen to high-twenties percent royalties on net sales in Norgine's licensed territories. Clinical development costs for the ongoing trials in Vir Biotechnology's ECLIPSE registrational program (ECLIPSE 1, 2 and 3) will be shared, with Norgine contributing a percentage of go-forward external costs. Norgine will be responsible for all commercialisation activities and will hold all marketing authorisations in its licensed territories. The closing of this transaction with respect to certain jurisdictions outside the United States is subject to Norgine receiving regulatory approval from the applicable authorities as may be required. "Norgine has a rich history in hepatology and specialty care and this transaction represents a highly innovative and synergistic portfolio addition to continue our strong foothold in this space," said Janneke van der Kamp, Chief Executive Officer of Norgine. "By combining our proven commercial and regional expertise with cutting-edge science from Vir Biotechnology, we are reinforcing our commitment to improving healthcare outcomes. Collaborations like this affirm Norgine's position as a partner-of-choice for companies seeking a trusted collaborator in Europe, Australia and New Zealand." "This collaboration strengthens our ability to deliver this important therapy to patients with chronic hepatitis delta in need of efficacious, safe and convenient treatment options," said Marianne De Backer, M.Sc., Ph.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Vir Biotechnology. "Norgine's proven track record in specialty medicines across Europe, Australia and New Zealand complements our clinical development mettle and ongoing registrational efforts. Together, we aim to broaden access and improve outcomes for people living with this severe disease." The combination of tobevibart and elebsiran offers the potential to treat the disease by tackling the viral lifecycle through multiple mechanisms. Tobevibart is an investigational neutralising monoclonal antibody that has been engineered for immune engagement. Elebsiran is an investigational small interfering RNA (siRNA) that is designed to enable targeted delivery to the liver and to reduce hepatitis B surface antigen, a protein which is required for the hepatitis D virus life cycle. About Tobevibart and Elebsiran Tobevibart is an investigational broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody targeting the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). It is designed to inhibit the entry of hepatitis B and hepatitis delta viruses into hepatocytes and to reduce the level of circulating viral and subviral particles in the blood. Tobevibart was identified using Vir Biotechnology's proprietary monoclonal antibody discovery platform. The Fc domain has been engineered to increase immune engagement and clearance of HBsAg immune complexes and incorporates Xencor's Xtend technology to extend half-life. Tobevibart is administered subcutaneously, and it is currently in clinical development for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis delta. Elebsiran is an investigational hepatitis B virus-targeting small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) discovered by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. It is designed to degrade hepatitis B virus RNA transcripts and limit the production of hepatitis B surface antigen. Current data indicate that it has the potential to have direct antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus and hepatitis delta virus. Elebsiran is administered subcutaneously, and it is currently in clinical development for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis delta (CHD). The combination of tobevibart and elebsiran has been granted Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Priority Medicines (PRIME) and orphan drug designations by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). About Chronic Hepatitis Delta (CHD) CHD is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis1 and was recently classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.2 People living with the disease rapidly progress to cirrhosis, liver failure3 and liver-related death.1 There are currently no approved treatments in the U.S., and options are limited in the European Union and globally. About Norgine Norgine is a mid-sized EU-based pharmaceutical company with 1,500 employees, generating approximately $600 million in annual sales. At Norgine, innovation drives our mission to deliver medicines that change lives. From common conditions like constipation to rare and severe diseases such as childhood cancer, we target unmet medical needs because we believe that every scientific breakthrough deserves to reach patients in need. We use our innovative development, commercialisation and manufacturing capabilities as well as strategic partnerships to navigate complex pathways. Combined with our extensive history and deep regional expertise, this approach allows us to accelerate and expand the reach of life-changing medicines across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. We are guided by the trust that healthcare professionals and patients place in us and remain committed to delivering innovation that transforms lives, one patient at a time. References: 1 NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Hepatitis D - NIDDK (nih.gov), accessed September 2025 2 Karagas, Margaret R et al., Carcinogenicity of hepatitis D virus, human cytomegalovirus, and Merkel cell polyomavirus, The Lancet Oncology, Volume 26, Issue 8, 994 995. 3 CDC What is Hepatitis D - FAQ | CDC, accessed September 2025 Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our future operations, strategy, plans, objectives, and anticipated product launches. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "seek", and similar expressions identify such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, among others: regulatory approvals, clinical development outcomes, manufacturing and supply chain risks, market acceptance, competitive dynamics, and changes in applicable laws. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Norgine undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2846726/5684424/Norgine_Logo.jpg Novogradac to Host 2026 Affordable Housing Developers Conference Jan. 15-16, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry leaders will gather to discuss strategies and opportunities within the affordable housing sector at the Novogradac 2026 Affordable Housing Developers Conference, Jan. 15-16, 2026, at the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The recent expansion of the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) has enhanced planning predictability for developers, making this an opportune time to examine financing models, compliance protocols and innovative methods of increasing housing supply. Attendees will gain practical knowledge, network with affordable housing professionals from across the country, and receive the latest updates on legislative and regulatory changes. Planned sessions include the Washington Report, debt and equity panels, a discussion of the challenges LIHTC developers face and how to address them, a review of opportunities for specialized LIHTC housing and more. The full agenda can be found here. "This has been an eventful year for the LIHTC world. We've seen so many changes, both positive and negative. Now more than ever, it's important to stay informed on the latest policy updates and network with other affordable housing professionals," said Christina Apostolidis, a Novogradac partner in the Naples, Florida, office and chair of the conference. "If your New Year's resolutions include finding success in affordable housing development, this conference will be the perfect opportunity to make sure you start 2026 off on the right foot." The Novogradac 2026 Affordable Housing Developers Conference is sponsored by Enterprise Community Partners, BWE, Polsinelli Law Firm, R4 Capital, RBC Capital Markets and Walker & Dunlop. Novogradac will host two pre-conference workshops the day before the conference, Jan. 14, 2026. The LIHTC Basics Workshop will give participants a better understanding of LIHTCs by examining the fundamentals such as how tax credits are calculated, differences between 9% and 4% credits, the 10% test and the 25% financed-by test, LIHTC compliance rules, and more. The Acquisition-Rehabilitation Workshop will teach attendees about the issues associated with acquiring existing residential rental real estate for the purpose of rehabilitating it through the LIHTC incentive. Separate registration fees for the preconference workshops apply. About Novogradac Novogradac, which has been in business for more than 35 years, has grown to more than 800 employees and partners with offices in more than 25 cities. Tax, audit and consulting specialty practice areas for Novogradac include affordable housing, community development, historic rehabilitation and renewable energy. For additional information on Novogradac's personnel and areas of expertise, visit www.novoco.com or call (415) 356-8000. SOURCE Novogradac & Company LLP Photo: Unsplash The United States is developing sanctions against the Russian energy sector, which it could impose if Russia rejects proposals to resolve the issue of ending the full-scale war it unleashed against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The US is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Russias energy sector to increase the pressure on Moscow should President Vladimir Putin reject a peace agreement with Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter, the agency informs. The US is considering options, such as targeting vessels in Russias so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Moscows oil, as well as traders who facilitate the transactions, said the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations, Bloomberg notes. Sources noted that the measures could be announced as early as this week. However, the agency's sources explained that the final say on sanctions remains with US President Donald Trump. Bloomberg's sources added that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed this issue earlier this week with European ambassadors. The US Treasury Department declined to comment on the information. Search Underway for Cooperative's Successor LAKEVILLE, Mass., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After more than five impactful years, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Hayes announced his retirement, which will be effective March 2, 2026. Ocean Spray President and CEO Tom Hayes Announces Retirement "Tom joined Ocean Spray during a global pandemic, and from day one brought veteran leadership and experience, a clear commitment to excellence, and a new strategic direction that has us well-positioned for the next chapter at our company," noted Peter Dhillon, Chairman of the Board. "More than just business performance, his legacy is the team he shapedleaders and employees united in their commitment to the farmer-owners that make up this historic brand and cooperative." During Hayes' five-year tenure, Ocean Spray has grown and thrived as a result of improved processes and efficiencies, smart capital investments, and year-over-year solid results. His leadership has ensured the Ocean Spray brand remains competitive, agile, and innovative. "Whether crafting new strategic direction, structuring for success, implementing new systems and business processes, or even riding a skateboard to viral success, nothing has been more fulfilling during my time at Ocean Spray than building relationships with our outstanding team," Hayes said. "The decision to retire is never easy, but I step down knowing this cooperative and brand are stronger than ever. It has been my honor and pleasure to have led this talented team and served the family farmers who remain the heart of Ocean Spray." Prior to joining Ocean Spray, for more than 30 years Hayes was already a recognized innovator and executive in the food industry, leading some of the world's most well-known brands, including Tyson Foods, Hillshire Brands, Sara Lee, ConAgra and Kraft Foods. He currently sits on the Boards of Maple Leaf Foods and Basic American Foods. The cooperative has begun a comprehensive search for its next leader. Hayes will remain in an advisory capacity to the Ocean Spray Board of Directors until a successor is named. About Ocean Spray In 1930, Ocean Spray was founded by three maverick farmers bonded by bold cranberry love. Since then, we've grown into a vibrant global agricultural cooperative, built on the strength of roughly 700 family farmers in the United States, Canada, and Chile. Together, we've worked to preserve the family farming way of life for nearly 100 years, and for generations to come. Today, our cranberries show up in more than a thousand deliciously nourishing products in over 100 countries worldwide. United by passion and purpose, Ocean Spray is committed to trailblazing the power of the mighty cranberry through its offbeat taste and uncanny nutrition to feed better, happier lives for all. Born Tart. Raised Bold. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. With new AI agents, expanded CMS capabilities, and breakthroughs in experimentation and analytics, Optimizely marks a transformative year for digital teams NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Optimizely, the leading digital experience platform (DXP) provider, is closing out one of its most transformative years yet, marked by major advancements across AI, content, experimentation, and analytics. In 2025, the company redefined how digital teams plan, create, and optimize experiences by introducing agent orchestration at scale, strengthening the CMS as the backbone of AI discoverability, and giving brands new ways to measure and improve increasingly nonlinear customer journeys. This momentum is reflected in strong customer adoption, community engagement, and industry recognition throughout the year. Optimizely Wrapped: 2025 Optimizely Wrapped: 2025 Highlights Opal: The Future of Agent Orchestration Takes Shape Introduced the next evolution of Opal, expanding from an AI assistant into a full agent orchestration platform that can plan, create, and optimize content across the entire digital lifecycle Launched more than 28 purpose-built marketing agents, including: GEO Recommendations, Web Accessibility Evaluation, Competitive Insights, GA4 Traffic Report Generation, Content Translation, Heatmap Analysis, and moreeach designed to reduce manual tasks and accelerate outcomes Reached 900+ active users across marketing and digital teams worldwide, reflecting growing adoption of agent-driven workflows Content & CMS: A Breakthrough Year for AI-Powered Publishing Launched the industry's first GEO-ready CMS, giving brands page- and site-wide optimization capabilities plus built-in GEO analytics to ensure visibility in the era of AI-driven discovery Won the 2025 MarTech Breakthrough Award for Best Content Management Platform, underscoring leadership in AI-enhanced content creation and delivery Published new global research on the rise of click-less customer journeys, revealing that 62% of marketers believe AI-driven discovery is already changing how customers find brands Experimentation & Analytics: Deeper Insights, Smarter Optimization Celebrated the one-year anniversary of Optimizely Analytics, now used by dozens of global brands to unify data and uncover opportunities to improve conversion Supported customers as they conducted nearly 300,000 new experiments in 2025 Celebrating a Strong Year of Customer & Community Growth As organizations prepare for another year of rapid transformation, Optimizely's executive team is also sharing three predictions that will set the agenda for marketers in 2026 and why the shift toward measurable, operational AI is accelerating. Looking Ahead: Optimizely's Top 3 Predictions for 2026 AI Pilots Hit a Wall Only Proven ROI Will Survive: "Marketers will enter what I call POC Purgatory," said Shafqat Islam, Chief Marketing Officer at Optimizely. "After two years of enthusiasm and experimentation, teams will struggle to scale AI past the pilot phase. The tools that thrive in 2026 will be the ones that deliver measurable ROI in real, messy, day-to-day workflows." Creativity Becomes the New Competitive Edge: "When every brand uses similar AI models, creativity becomes the ultimate differentiator," said Tara Corey, SVP of Marketing. "In 2026, the brands that win will combine AI efficiency with daring ideas, emotional storytelling, and experiences that feel unmistakably human." The Shift from Clicks to Conversations Accelerates: "In 2026, conversational discovery will become the default," said Nazanin Ramezani. "People will increasingly ask AI to find, compare, and evaluate for themshifting discovery from clicking through pages to having a conversation. Brands that aren't optimizing their content for answer engines will not get surfaced." To see how Optimizely is helping brands prepare for the next era of AI-powered experiences, visit: https://www.optimizely.com/ai/ Forrester Disclaimer Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester's objectivity here. Gartner Disclaimer Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Content Marketing Platforms, Jeff Cohen, Rene Cizio, Carlos Guerrero, Nicole Coskren, 11 March, 2025. Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Personalization Engines, Penny Gillespie, Jason Daigler, Alex De Fursac Gash, Mike Froggatt, Jessica Dervyn, 4 February 2025. Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms, John Field, Irina Guseva, Mike Lowndes, and Varsha Mehta, 28 January 2025. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner and Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Optimizely Optimizely is on a mission to make the lives of marketers better with Optimizely One, the world's first operating system for marketing teams. Optimizely One combines industry-leading solutions across content management, content marketing, experimentation, commerce and personalization, powering every stage of the marketing lifecycle through a single, AI-accelerated workflow. With the flexibility of a fully composable platform, Optimizely is proudly helping global brands like Salesforce, Zoom and Toyota create content with speed, launch experiments with confidence, and deliver experiences of the highest quality. Learn more at optimizely.com. Optimizely and Optimizely One are the trademarks of Optimizely North America Inc., and are registered (or registrations are pending) in the US, EU, UK and other countries. All third-party trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference Purposes. SOURCE Optimizely PADCEV plus Keytruda is the first and only regimen without platinum-based chemotherapy to improve event-free and overall survival when used before and after surgery in cisplatin-eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer Positive EV-304 data, combined with the recent unprecedented results from the EV-303 trial, highlight the potential of this combination to become a new platinum-free standard of care in an earlier stage of bladder cancer Results from the Phase 3 EV-304 trial will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and discussed with global health authorities for potential regulatory filings TOKYO and NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Naoki Okamura, "Astellas") and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced positive topline results from an interim analysis of the Phase 3 EV-304 clinical trial (also known as KEYNOTE-B15) for PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin), a Nectin-4 directed antibody-drug conjugate, in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab), a PD-1 inhibitor. This pivotal study is evaluating the combination as neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment (before and after surgery) versus standard of care neoadjuvant chemotherapy (gemcitabine and cisplatin) in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are eligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS), a key secondary endpoint. An additional secondary endpoint of pathologic complete response (pCR) rate for neoadjuvant PADCEV plus pembrolizumab versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy was also met, and a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement was observed. The safety profile for PADCEV plus pembrolizumab was consistent with the known profile of the treatment regimen. Christopher Hoimes, DO, Director of the Bladder Cancer Program and Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at Duke Cancer Institute, an EV-304 Principal Investigator "Despite available treatment options, nearly half of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer progress to metastatic disease within three years of diagnosis. The EV-304 results represent a key milestone in the new era of urothelial cancer treatment. Together, the EV-303 and EV-304 results show that perioperative enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab can positively impact the treatment journey for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, offering significant survival gains across cisplatin-ineligible and cisplatin-eligible patients, signaling a shift from conventional platinum-based chemotherapy and the potential to transform the standard of care." Moitreyee Chatterjee-Kishore, PhD, MBA, Head of Oncology Development, Astellas "Building on the recent U.S. approval for cisplatin-ineligible patients living with MIBC, these positive EV-304 findings reinforce the potential of PADCEV plus pembrolizumab to improve survival outcomes for a broad population of patients living with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Together with the EV-303 data, these results strengthen the evidence supporting this combination regimen as a treatment option for patients regardless of cisplatin eligibility. We are committed to bringing forth much-needed advancements and hope to more patients." Jeff Legos, PhD, MBA, Chief Oncology Officer, Pfizer "For the first time, patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer are seeing significant survival benefits from combination therapy in a perioperative setting without the need for platinum-based chemotherapy, signaling the potential for a new standard of care for this community. The EV-304 results, combined with the recent unprecedented results from the EV-303 trial, showcase the promising future of this regimen as a cornerstone of care for bladder cancer regardless of cisplatin eligibility." Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer worldwide, diagnosed in more than 614,000 patients each year globally, including an estimated 85,000 people in the U.S.i,ii MIBC represents approximately 30% of all bladder cancer cases.iii The standard treatment for eligible patients with MIBC is neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by surgery.iv However, even after undergoing surgery, half of patients with MIBC experience disease recurrence.v PADCEV plus pembrolizumab is not currently approved for use as neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment in cisplatin-eligible patients with MIBC. These results will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming medical congress and will be discussed with global health authorities for potential regulatory filings. PADCEV plus pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in cisplatin-ineligible patients with MIBC, as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued after cystectomy as adjuvant treatment based on results from the Phase 3 EV-303 clinical trial (also known as KEYNOTE-905). +++ About the EV-304/KEYNOTE-B15 Trial The EV-304 trial is an ongoing, open-label, randomized, controlled, Phase 3 study evaluating neoadjuvant and adjuvant PADCEV in combination with pembrolizumab versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (gemcitabine and cisplatin) in patients with MIBC who are eligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Patients were randomized to receive either neoadjuvant and adjuvant (before and after surgery) PADCEV in combination with pembrolizumab (arm A) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (arm B). Curative-intent surgery (cystectomy) was performed, with patients randomized to either arm after completion of pre-operative systemic treatment.vi The primary endpoint of this trial is EFS, defined as the time from randomization to the first occurrence of any of the following events: progression of disease that precludes radical cystectomy (RC) or failure to undergo RC in participants with residual disease, gross residual disease left behind at the time of surgery, local or distant recurrence based on blinded independent central review (BICR) or death due to any cause. Key secondary endpoints include OS and pCR rate.vi For more information on the global EV-304 trial, go to clinicaltrials.gov. About PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin) PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin) is a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that is directed against Nectin-4, a protein located on the surface of cells and highly expressed in bladder cancer.vii Nonclinical data suggest the anticancer activity of PADCEV is due to its binding to Nectin-4-expressing cells, followed by the internalization and release of the anti-tumor agent monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) into the cell, which result in the cell not reproducing (cell cycle arrest) and in programmed cell death (apoptosis).viii PADCEV plus pembrolizumab is approved for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC) in the United States, the European Union, Japan and a number of other countries around the world. PADCEV is also approved as a single agent for the treatment of adult patients with la/mUC who have previously received a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor and platinum-containing chemotherapy or are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy and have previously received one or more prior lines of therapy.viii PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) U.S. Indication & Important Safety Information BOXED WARNING: SERIOUS SKIN REACTIONS PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) can cause severe and fatal cutaneous adverse reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), which occurred predominantly during the first cycle of treatment, but may occur later. Closely monitor patients for skin reactions. Immediately withhold PADCEV and consider referral for specialized care for suspected SJS or TEN or severe skin reactions. Permanently discontinue PADCEV in patients with confirmed SJS or TEN; or Grade 4 or recurrent Grade 3 skin reactions. INDICATIONS PADCEV, in combination with pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph, as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued after cystectomy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. PADCEV, in combination with pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC). PADCEV, as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or mUC who: have previously received a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor and platinum-containing chemotherapy, or are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy and have previously received one or more prior lines of therapy. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Skin reactions Severe cutaneous adverse reactions, including fatal cases of SJS or TEN occurred in patients treated with PADCEV. SJS and TEN occurred predominantly during the first cycle of treatment but may occur later. Skin reactions occurred in 61% (all grades) of the 167 patients treated with PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab for the treatment of MIBC in clinical trials. The majority of skin reactions that occurred included rash and maculo-papular rash. Grade 3-4 skin reactions occurred in 10% of patients (Grade 3: 9%, Grade 4: 1.2%), including rash, maculo-papular rash, toxic skin eruption, dermatitis exfoliative generalized, erythema, exfoliative rash, skin toxicity, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and toxic erythema of chemotherapy. A fatal reaction of toxic epidermal necrolysis occurred in one patient (0.6%). The median time to onset of severe skin reactions was 0.6 months (range: 0.2 to 8.8 months). Skin reactions led to discontinuation of PADCEV in 10% of patients. Of the patients who experienced a skin reaction and had data regarding resolution (n=102), 83% had complete resolution and 17% had residual skin reactions at their last evaluation. Of the patients with residual skin reactions at last evaluation, 29% (5/17) had Grade 2 skin reactions. Skin reactions occurred in 70% (all grades) of the 564 patients treated with PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab for the treatment of locally advanced or mUC in clinical trials. The majority of skin reactions that occurred included maculo-papular rash, macular rash, and papular rash. Grade 3-4 skin reactions occurred in 17% of patients (Grade 3: 16%, Grade 4: 1%), including maculo-papular rash, bullous dermatitis, dermatitis, exfoliative dermatitis, pemphigoid, rash, erythematous rash, macular rash, and papular rash. A fatal reaction of bullous dermatitis occurred in one patient (0.2%). The median time to onset of severe skin reactions was 1.7 months (range: 0.1 to 17.2 months). Skin reactions led to discontinuation of PADCEV in 6% of patients. Of the patients who experienced a skin reaction and had data regarding resolution (n= 391), 59% had complete resolution and 41% had residual skin reactions at their last evaluation. Of the patients with residual skin reactions at last evaluation, 27% (43/159) had Grade 2 skin reactions. Skin reactions occurred in 58% (all grades) of the 720 patients treated with PADCEV as a single agent in clinical trials. Twenty-three percent (23%) of patients had maculo-papular rash and 34% had pruritus. Grade 3-4 skin reactions occurred in 14% of patients, including maculo-papular rash, erythematous rash, rash or drug eruption, symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema (SDRIFE), bullous dermatitis, exfoliative dermatitis, and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia. The median time to onset of severe skin reactions was 0.6 months (range: 0.1 to 8 months). Among patients experiencing a skin reaction leading to dose interruption who then restarted PADCEV (n=75), 24% of patients restarting at the same dose and 24% of patients restarting at a reduced dose experienced recurrent severe skin reactions. Skin reactions led to discontinuation of PADCEV in 3.1% of patients. Of the patients who experienced a skin reaction and had data regarding resolution (n=328), 58% had complete resolution and 42% had residual skin reactions at their last evaluation. Of the patients with residual skin reactions at last evaluation, 39% (53/137) had Grade 2 skin reactions. Monitor patients closely throughout treatment for skin reactions. Consider topical corticosteroids and antihistamines, as clinically indicated. For persistent or recurrent Grade 2 skin reactions, consider withholding PADCEV until Grade 1. Withhold PADCEV and refer for specialized care for suspected SJS, TEN or for Grade 3 skin reactions. Permanently discontinue PADCEV in patients with confirmed SJS or TEN; or Grade 4 or recurrent Grade 3 skin reactions. Hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), including fatal events, occurred in patients with and without preexisting diabetes mellitus, treated with PADCEV. Patients with baseline hemoglobin A1C 8% were excluded from clinical trials. In clinical trials of PADCEV as a single agent, 17% of the 720 patients treated with PADCEV developed hyperglycemia of any grade; 7% of patients developed Grade 3-4 hyperglycemia (Grade 3: 6.5%, Grade 4: 0.6%). Fatal events of hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis occurred in one patient each (0.1%). The incidence of Grade 3-4 hyperglycemia increased consistently in patients with higher body mass index and in patients with higher baseline A1C. The median time to onset of hyperglycemia was 0.5 months (range: 0 to 20 months). Hyperglycemia led to discontinuation of PADCEV in 0.7% of patients. Five percent (5%) of patients required initiation of insulin therapy for treatment of hyperglycemia. Of the patients who initiated insulin therapy for treatment of hyperglycemia, 66% (23/35) discontinued insulin by the time of last evaluation. Closely monitor blood glucose levels in patients with, or at risk for, diabetes mellitus or hyperglycemia. If blood glucose is elevated (>250 mg/dL), withhold PADCEV. Pneumonitis/Interstitial lung disease (ILD) Severe, life-threatening or fatal pneumonitis/ILD occurred in patients treated with PADCEV. When PADCEV was given in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab for the treatment of MIBC, 4.2% of the 167 patients had pneumonitis/ILD of any grade. All events were Grade 1-2. The median time to onset of any grade pneumonitis/ILD was 2.5 months (range: 1.9 to 9.7 months). When PADCEV was given in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab for the treatment of locally advanced or mUC, 10% of the 564 patients had pneumonitis/ILD of any grade and 4% had Grade 3-4. A fatal event of pneumonitis/ILD occurred in two patients (0.4%). The median time to onset of any grade pneumonitis/ILD was 4 months (range: 0.3 to 26 months). In clinical trials of PADCEV as a single agent, 3% of the 720 patients treated with PADCEV had pneumonitis/ILD of any grade and 0.8% had Grade 3-4. The median time to onset of any grade pneumonitis/ILD was 2.9 months (range: 0.6 to 6 months). Monitor patients for signs and symptoms indicative of pneumonitis/ILD such as hypoxia, cough, dyspnea or interstitial infiltrates on radiologic exams. Evaluate and exclude infectious, neoplastic and other causes for such signs and symptoms through appropriate investigations. Withhold PADCEV for patients who develop Grade 2 pneumonitis/ILD and consider dose reduction. Permanently discontinue PADCEV in all patients with Grade 3 or 4 pneumonitis/ILD. Peripheral neuropathy (PN) When PADCEV was given in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab for the treatment of MIBC, 39% of the 167 patients had PN of any grade, 12% had Grade 2 neuropathy, and 3% had Grade 3 neuropathy. The median time to onset of Grade 2 PN was 4.7 months (range: 0.2 to 11 months). Of the patients who experienced neuropathy and had data regarding resolution (n=65), 32% had complete resolution, and 68% of patients had residual neuropathy at last evaluation. Of the patients with residual neuropathy at last evaluation, 27% (12/44) had Grade 2 neuropathy. When PADCEV was given in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab for the treatment of locally advanced or mUC, 67% of the 564 patients had PN of any grade, 36% had Grade 2 neuropathy, and 7% had Grade 3 neuropathy. The median time to onset of Grade 2 PN was 6 months (range: 0.3 to 25 months). Of the patients who experienced neuropathy and had data regarding resolution (n= 373), 13% had complete resolution, and 87% of patients had residual neuropathy at last evaluation. Of the patients with residual neuropathy at last evaluation, 45% (146/326) had Grade 2 neuropathy. PN occurred in 53% of the 720 patients treated with PADCEV as a single agent in clinical trials including 38% with sensory neuropathy, 8% with muscular weakness, and 7% with motor neuropathy. Thirty percent of patients experienced Grade 2 reactions and 5% experienced Grade 3-4 reactions. PN occurred in patients treated with PADCEV with or without preexisting PN. The median time to onset of Grade 2 PN was 4.9 months (range: 0.1 to 20 months). Neuropathy led to treatment discontinuation in 6% of patients. Of the patients who experienced neuropathy who had data regarding resolution (n= 296), 11% had complete resolution, and 89% had residual neuropathy at the time of their last evaluation. Of the patients with residual neuropathy at last evaluation, 50% (132/262) had Grade 2 neuropathy. Monitor patients for symptoms of new or worsening PN and consider dose interruption or dose reduction of PADCEV when PN occurs. Permanently discontinue PADCEV in patients who develop Grade > 3 PN. Ocular disorders were reported in 40% of the 384 patients treated with PADCEV as a single agent in clinical trials in which ophthalmologic exams were scheduled. The majority of these events involved the cornea and included events associated with dry eye such as keratitis, blurred vision, increased lacrimation, conjunctivitis, limbal stem cell deficiency, and keratopathy. Dry eye symptoms occurred in 30% of patients, and blurred vision occurred in 10% of patients, during treatment with PADCEV. The median time to onset to symptomatic ocular disorder was 1.7 months (range: 0 to 30.6 months). Monitor patients for ocular disorders. Consider artificial tears for prophylaxis of dry eyes and ophthalmologic evaluation if ocular symptoms occur or do not resolve. Consider treatment with ophthalmic topical steroids, if indicated after an ophthalmic exam. Consider dose interruption or dose reduction of PADCEV for symptomatic ocular disorders. Infusion site extravasation Skin and soft tissue reactions secondary to extravasation have been observed after administration of PADCEV. Of the 720 patients treated with PADCEV as a single agent in clinical trials, 1% of patients experienced skin and soft tissue reactions, including 0.3% who experienced Grade 3-4 reactions. Reactions may be delayed. Erythema, swelling, increased temperature, and pain worsened until 2-7 days after extravasation and resolved within 1-4 weeks of peak. Two patients (0.3%) developed extravasation reactions with secondary cellulitis, bullae, or exfoliation. Ensure adequate venous access prior to starting PADCEV and monitor for possible extravasation during administration. If extravasation occurs, stop the infusion and monitor for adverse reactions. Embryo-fetal toxicity PADCEV can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise patients of the potential risk to the fetus. Advise female patients of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during PADCEV treatment and for 2 months after the last dose. Advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with PADCEV and for 4 months after the last dose. ADVERSE REACTIONS Most common adverse reactions, including laboratory abnormalities (20%): PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab for the treatment of MIBC: increased glucose, decreased hemoglobin, increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST), rash, increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fatigue, pruritus, increased creatinine, decreased sodium, decreased lymphocytes, peripheral neuropathy, increased potassium, alopecia, dysgeusia, diarrhea, decreased appetite, constipation, nausea, decreased phosphate, urinary tract infection, dry eye, and decreased weight. increased glucose, decreased hemoglobin, increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST), rash, increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fatigue, pruritus, increased creatinine, decreased sodium, decreased lymphocytes, peripheral neuropathy, increased potassium, alopecia, dysgeusia, diarrhea, decreased appetite, constipation, nausea, decreased phosphate, urinary tract infection, dry eye, and decreased weight. PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab for the treatment of locally advanced or mUC: increased AST, increased creatinine, rash, increased glucose, peripheral neuropathy, increased lipase, decreased lymphocytes, increased ALT, decreased hemoglobin, fatigue, decreased sodium, decreased phosphate, decreased albumin, pruritus, diarrhea, alopecia, decreased weight, decreased appetite, increased urate, decreased neutrophils, decreased potassium, dry eye, nausea, constipation, increased potassium, dysgeusia, urinary tract infection, and decreased platelets. increased AST, increased creatinine, rash, increased glucose, peripheral neuropathy, increased lipase, decreased lymphocytes, increased ALT, decreased hemoglobin, fatigue, decreased sodium, decreased phosphate, decreased albumin, pruritus, diarrhea, alopecia, decreased weight, decreased appetite, increased urate, decreased neutrophils, decreased potassium, dry eye, nausea, constipation, increased potassium, dysgeusia, urinary tract infection, and decreased platelets. PADCEV as a single agent: increased glucose, increased AST, decreased lymphocytes, increased creatinine, rash, fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, decreased albumin, decreased hemoglobin, alopecia, decreased appetite, decreased neutrophils, decreased sodium, increased ALT, decreased phosphate, diarrhea, nausea, pruritus, increased urate, dry eye, dysgeusia, constipation, increased lipase, decreased weight, decreased platelets, abdominal pain, and dry skin. EV-303 Study: Patients with cisplatin-ineligible MIBC (PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab) Neoadjuvant phase : Of a total of 167 patients, serious adverse reactions occurred in 27% of patients receiving PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab. The most frequent (2%) serious adverse reactions were urinary tract infection (3.6%) and hematuria (2.4%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1.2% of patients including myasthenia gravis and toxic epidermal necrolysis (0.6% each). Additional fatal adverse reactions were reported in 2.7% of patients in the post-surgery phase before adjuvant treatment started, including sepsis and intestinal obstruction (1.4% each). Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of PADCEV occurred in 22% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (1%) leading to discontinuation of PADCEV were rash (4.8%), peripheral neuropathy (2.4%), and diarrhea, dysgeusia, fatigue, pruritus, and toxic epidermal necrolysis (1.2% each). Adverse reactions leading to dose interruption of PADCEV occurred in 29% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to dose interruption of PADCEV were rash (8%), neutropenia (3.6%), and hyperglycemia (3%), and fatigue and peripheral neuropathy (2.4% each). Adverse reactions leading to dose reduction of PADCEV occurred in 13% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (1%) leading to dose reduction of PADCEV were rash (4.8%), pruritus (1.8%), and peripheral neuropathy, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, decreased appetite, fatigue, neutropenia, and decreased weight (1.2% each). Seven (4.2%) patients did not receive surgery due to adverse reactions. The adverse reactions that led to cancellation of surgery were acute myocardial infarction, bile duct cancer, colon cancer, respiratory distress, urinary tract infection and deaths due to myasthenia gravis and toxic epidermal necrolysis (0.6% each). Of the 146 patients who received neoadjuvant treatment with PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab and underwent RC, 6 (4.1%) patients experienced delay of surgery due to adverse reactions. : Of a total of 167 patients, occurred in 27% of patients receiving PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab. The most frequent (2%) serious adverse reactions were urinary tract infection (3.6%) and hematuria (2.4%). occurred in 1.2% of patients including myasthenia gravis and toxic epidermal necrolysis (0.6% each). Additional fatal adverse reactions were reported in 2.7% of patients in the post-surgery phase before adjuvant treatment started, including sepsis and intestinal obstruction (1.4% each). of PADCEV occurred in 22% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (1%) leading to discontinuation of PADCEV were rash (4.8%), peripheral neuropathy (2.4%), and diarrhea, dysgeusia, fatigue, pruritus, and toxic epidermal necrolysis (1.2% each). of PADCEV occurred in 29% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to dose interruption of PADCEV were rash (8%), neutropenia (3.6%), and hyperglycemia (3%), and fatigue and peripheral neuropathy (2.4% each). of PADCEV occurred in 13% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (1%) leading to dose reduction of PADCEV were rash (4.8%), pruritus (1.8%), and peripheral neuropathy, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, decreased appetite, fatigue, neutropenia, and decreased weight (1.2% each). Seven (4.2%) patients did not receive surgery due to adverse reactions. The were acute myocardial infarction, bile duct cancer, colon cancer, respiratory distress, urinary tract infection and deaths due to myasthenia gravis and toxic epidermal necrolysis (0.6% each). Of the 146 patients who received neoadjuvant treatment with PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab and underwent RC, 6 (4.1%) patients experienced delay of surgery due to adverse reactions. Adjuvant phase: Of the 149 patients who underwent surgery, 100 patients received adjuvant treatment with PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab. Of the 49 patients who did not receive adjuvant treatment, discontinuation of treatment with PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab prior to the adjuvant phase was due to an adverse event in 21 patients. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 43% of patients receiving PADCEV in combination with pembrolizumab. The most frequent (2%) serious adverse reactions were urinary tract infection (8%), acute kidney injury and pyelonephritis (5% each), urosepsis (4%), and hypokalemia, intestinal obstruction, and sepsis (2% each). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 7% of patients, including urosepsis, hemorrhage intracranial, death, myocardial infarction, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and pneumonia pseudomonal (1% each). Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of PADCEV occurred in 26% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to discontinuation of PADCEV were peripheral neuropathy (5%) and rash (4%). Adverse reactions leading to dose interruption of PADCEV occurred in 36% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to dose interruption of PADCEV were rash (6%), diarrhea and urinary tract infection (5% each), fatigue (4%), pruritus (3%), and peripheral neuropathy and pyelonephritis (2% each). Adverse reactions leading to dose reduction of PADCEV occurred in 7% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to dose reduction of PADCEV was weight decreased (2%). EV-302 Study: 440 patients with previously untreated la/mUC (PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab) Serious adverse reactions occurred in 50% of patients treated with PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab. The most common serious adverse reactions (2%) were rash (6%), acute kidney injury (5%), pneumonitis/ILD (4.5%), urinary tract infection (3.6%), diarrhea (3.2%), pneumonia (2.3%), pyrexia (2%), and hyperglycemia (2%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 3.9% of patients treated with PADCEV in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab including acute respiratory failure (0.7%), pneumonia (0.5%), and pneumonitis/ILD (0.2%). Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of PADCEV occurred in 35% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to discontinuation of PADCEV were PN (15%), rash (4.1%) and pneumonitis/ILD (2.3%). Adverse reactions leading to dose interruption of PADCEV occurred in 73% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to dose interruption of PADCEV were PN (22%), rash (16%), COVID-19 (10%), diarrhea (5%), pneumonitis/ILD (4.8%), fatigue (3.9%), hyperglycemia (3.6%), increased ALT (3%) and pruritus (2.5%). Adverse reactions leading to dose reduction of PADCEV occurred in 42% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to dose reduction of PADCEV were rash (16%), PN (13%) and fatigue (2.7%). EV-301 Study: 296 patients previously treated with a PD-1/L1 inhibitor and platinum-based chemotherapy (PADCEV monotherapy) Serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients treated with PADCEV; the most common (2%) were urinary tract infection, acute kidney injury (7% each), and pneumonia (5%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 3% of patients, including multiorgan dysfunction (1%), hepatic dysfunction, septic shock, hyperglycemia, pneumonitis/ILD, and pelvic abscess (0.3% each). Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation occurred in 17% of patients; the most common (2%) were PN (5%) and rash (4%). Adverse reactions leading to dose interruption occurred in 61% of patients; the most common (4%) were PN (23%), rash (11%), and fatigue (9%). Adverse reactions leading to dose reduction occurred in 34% of patients; the most common (2%) were PN (10%), rash (8%), decreased appetite, and fatigue (3% each). EV-201, Cohort 2 Study: 89 patients previously treated with a PD-1/L1 inhibitor and not eligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy (PADCEV monotherapy) Serious adverse reactions occurred in 39% of patients treated with PADCEV; the most common (3%) were pneumonia, sepsis, and diarrhea (5% each). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 8% of patients, including acute kidney injury (2.2%), metabolic acidosis, sepsis, multiorgan dysfunction, pneumonia, and pneumonitis/ILD (1.1% each). Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation occurred in 20% of patients; the most common (2%) was PN (7%). Adverse reactions leading to dose interruption occurred in 60% of patients; the most common (3%) were PN (19%), rash (9%), fatigue (8%), diarrhea (5%), increased AST, and hyperglycemia (3% each). Adverse reactions leading to dose reduction occurred in 49% of patients; the most common (3%) were PN (19%), rash (11%), and fatigue (7%). DRUG INTERACTIONS Effects of other drugs on PADCEV (Dual P-gp and Strong CYP3A4 Inhibitors) Concomitant use with dual P-gp and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors may increase unconjugated monomethyl auristatin E exposure, which may increase the incidence or severity of PADCEV toxicities. Closely monitor patients for signs of toxicity when PADCEV is given concomitantly with dual P-gp and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. SPECIFIC POPULATIONS Lactation Advise lactating women not to breastfeed during treatment with PADCEV and for 3 weeks after the last dose. Hepatic impairment Avoid the use of PADCEV in patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment. For more information, please see the U.S. full Prescribing Information including BOXED WARNING for PADCEV here. About Astellas Astellas is a global life sciences company committed to turning innovative science into VALUE for patients. We provide transformative therapies in disease areas that include oncology, ophthalmology, urology, immunology and women's health. Through our research and development programs, we are pioneering new healthcare solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. Learn more at www.astellas.com. About Pfizer Oncology At Pfizer Oncology, we are at the forefront of a new era in cancer care. Our industry-leading portfolio and extensive pipeline includes three core mechanisms of action to attack cancer from multiple angles, including small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and bispecific antibodies, including other immune-oncology biologics. We are focused on delivering transformative therapies in some of the world's most common cancers, including breast cancer, genitourinary cancer, hematology-oncology, and thoracic cancers, which includes lung cancer. Driven by science, we are committed to accelerating breakthroughs to help people with cancer live better and longer lives. About the Pfizer, Astellas and Merck Collaboration Seagen and Astellas previously entered a clinical collaboration agreement with Merck to evaluate the combination of Seagen's and Astellas' PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin) and Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are not eligible for or declined cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Pfizer Inc. successfully completed its acquisition of Seagen on December 14, 2023. Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada). Astellas Cautionary Notes In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice. Pfizer Disclosure Notice The information contained in this release is as of December 17, 2025. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments. This release contains forward-looking information about Pfizer Oncology and PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin) in combination with pembrolizumab in cisplatin-eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, including their potential benefits, and plans to submit results from the Phase 3 EV-304 clinical trial for presentation at an upcoming medical congress and to discuss the Phase 3 EV-304 clinical trial results with health authorities for potential regulatory filings that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risk and uncertainties include, among other things, uncertainties regarding the commercial success of PADCEV; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for our clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; risks associated with interim data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from our clinical studies; whether and when any applications may be filed with regulatory authorities in particular jurisdictions for any potential indication for PADCEV with pembrolizumab or as a single agent; whether and when any applications that may be pending or filed for PADCEV with pembrolizumab or as a single agent may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on myriad factors, including making a determination as to whether the product's benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product's efficacy and, if approved, whether PADCEV with pembrolizumab or as a single agent will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of PADCEV with pembrolizumab or as a single agent; whether the collaboration between Pfizer, Astellas and Merck will be successful; risks and uncertainties related to issued or future executive orders or other new, or changes in, laws or regulations; uncertainties regarding the impact of COVID-19 on Pfizer's business, operations and financial results; and competitive developments. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results", as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com. +++ __________________________________ i World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition. GLOBOCAN 2022: Bladder cancer 9th most common worldwide. Accessed on December 16, 2025. Available at: https://worldbladdercancer.org/news_events/globocan-2022-bladder-cancer-is-the-9th-most-commonly-diagnosed-worldwide/ ii American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. Accessed on December 16, 2025. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/2025-cancer-facts-figures.html. iii Bladder Cancer Awareness Network. What is Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer? Accessed on December 16, 2025. Available at: https://bcan.org/what-is-muscle-invasive-bladder-cancer/#:~:text=When%20tumors%20grow%20into%20or,Virginia%20Health%20System%20explain%20MIBC. iv Funt SA, Rosenberg JE. Systemic, perioperative management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer and future horizons. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2017 Apr;14(4):221-234. doi: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.188. Epub 2016 Nov 22. PMID: 27874062; PMCID: PMC6054138. v Squires P, Cook EE, Song Y, Wang C, Zhang A, Seshasayee SM, Rogiers A, Li H, Mamtani R. Treatment Patterns, Disease Recurrence, and Overall Survival in Patients with Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer after Radical Cystectomy: A Population-Level Claims-Based Analysis. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer. 2025 Nov;102466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clgc.2025.102466. vi National Institute of Health. National Library of Medicine. Perioperative Enfortumab Vedotin (EV) Plus Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Versus Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Cisplatin-Eligible Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC) (MK-3475-B15/ KEYNOTE-B15 / EV-304) (KEYNOTE-B15). ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04700124. Published January 7, 2021. Updated August 26, 2025. Accessed on December 16, 2025. Available at: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04700124. vii Challita-Eid PM, Satpayev D, Yang P, et al. Enfortumab vedotin antibody-drug conjugate targeting nectin-4 is a highly potent therapeutic agent in multiple preclinical cancer models. Cancer Res 2016;76(10):3003-13. viii PADCEV [package insert]. Northbrook, IL: Astellas Pharma US, Inc. SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc. Delivers Postgres based infrastructure for Agentic AI applications where enterprise requirements are a must ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- pgEdge , the leading open source enterprise Postgres company, today announced the beta release of pgEdge Agentic AI Toolkit for Postgres , enterprise-grade Postgres based infrastructure for developers building Agentic AI applications in environments with strict requirements for high availability, security, data sovereignty and/or global deployment. pgEdge Agentic AI for Postgres screenshot Until now, developers wanting to use Postgres as the data infrastructure for their Agentic AI applications have had to pursue their own solutions for moving agentic AI applications from prototyping environments to standard open source, enterprise-grade Postgres infrastructure. Additionally, many developers have been unable to pursue Agentic AI initiatives at all, since many of these environments exist only as managed cloud or SaaS services, which can be off limits because of security or regulatory issues. The pgEdge Agentic AI Toolkit for Postgres includes a full featured MCP Server that works with all standard versions of Postgres, opening up both new and existing Postgres databases for use with AI application builders and code generators such as Claude Code, Replit and Cursor. As with other pgEdge Postgres products the pgEdge Agentic AI Toolkit for Postgres is fully open source via the Postgres license . It also offers flexible deployment options including on-premises (even air-gapped), self-managed cloud, or a managed cloud service via pgEdge Cloud . Key components include: A highly performant and full featured MCP Server, providing LLMs and agents with a secure connection to access Postgres databases and obtain detailed information about database structure and schemas, allowing them to reason about the data, schema, and performance metrics held within. The pgEdge MCP Server works with most versions of Postgres, including standard community Postgres and implementations such as Amazon RDS. Natural Language Agents for querying data, available via a command line interface (CLI) or a web user interface. pgEdge-vectorizer, a Postgres extension that automatically chunks text content and generates vector embeddings using background workers, providing a simple SQL interface for enabling vectorization on any table. Vector embeddings are automatically kept updated as the content changes. pgEdge RAG Server, a dedicated API Server for performing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) of text based on content from a PostgreSQL database using pgvector. pgEdge-docloader, a utility that makes it easy to bring initial material online and make it searchable by agents and can be used in conjunction with the pgEdge RAG Server and pgEdge Vectorizer. No external services or third-party pipelines are required beyond an embedding LLM provider. VectorChord-bm25, a Postgres extension implementing BM25 ranked search for hybrid semantic and full-text searching. Also included are the pgvector, pg_tokenizer.rs and pg_vectorize extensions. Additionally, the pgEdge AI Toolkit also includes the following features: Support for locally hosted models (e.g. Ollama) or Internet-based frontier models such as Claude Sonnet 4.5 and OpenAI GPT-5. High availability for both distributed and non-distributed workloads. pgEdge Distributed Postgres supports globally deployed agentic AI applications requiring a data sovereignty solution and/or a low latency experience for highly distributed users. Full support for PostgreSQL v16, v17 and v18 "We've had the benefit of collaborating on real-world AI applications the past two years with a number of leading customers," said Phillip Merrick, Chairman and Chief Product Officer of pgEdge. "We've been able to draw on this experience to deliver a compelling suite of AI tools that coupled with our standard Postgres platform products meet their demanding enterprise class requirements. We are excited to see the new Agentic AI applications more of our customers will build on this foundation." Product Availability pgEdge Agentic AI Toolkit for Postgres is available for free to all Postgres users. pgEdge customers with paid subscriptions for pgEdge Enterprise Postgres or pgEdge Distributed Postgres receive support at no extra cost. For self-hosted and self-managed deployment the product can be downloaded here . It will be available within the pgEdge Cloud managed service in Q1 2026. About pgEdge pgEdge, the leading open source enterprise Postgres company, is on a mission to make it easy for developers to build and deploy highly scalable and distributed database applications across global networks. Founded by industry veterans with decades of both core and advanced PostgreSQL expertise, pgEdge is headquartered in Northern Virginia. Its customers include prominent enterprises such as Bertelsmann, Qube RT, Jobot, European Parliament, and several U.S. government agencies. pgEdge's investors include Akamai Technologies, Inc., Qube RT, Rally Ventures, Sands Capital Ventures, Grotech Ventures, and Sand Hill East. For more information, visit www.pgedge.com . SOURCE pgEdge MIAMI, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fire Brands has partnered with Playboy, one of the most recognizable brands in the world, to introduce a new line of flavorful energy drinks designed to inspire the next generation of energy drink consumers. PLAYBOY ENERGY DRINK is a better-for-you beverage featuring the iconic Playboy Rabbit Head branding and bold flavor profiles that cater to the lifestyle of Gen Z's tastemakers and dreamers. The beverage line is specifically positioned for the "Next Gen" energy drinker who seeks a brand that stands apart from what their parents drink, while embracing all consumers with its flavors and function. Playboy Energy Drink delivers 200mg of caffeine, Vitamin B-Complex and L-Carnitine with just 30 calories for improved performance, enhanced mental and physical wellbeing and uncompromising great taste. "Playboy is an iconic symbol of fashion and pop culture," said Lori Cowley, Director of Product Development at Playboy. "Playboy Energy pairs vibrant packaging with a performance blend made to inspire and energize the next generation of creators and tastemakers." "We wanted Playboy Energy to be both functional and flavorful, fueling performance for work and play," said Raz Inserra, Director of Marketing at Fire Brands. Playboy Energy Drink is available in 5 lightly sparkling, delicious flavors: Sexy Peaches (Peach Mango), Razz Bunny (Blue Raspberry), Lovely Melons (Watermelon), Naughty Berry (Wild Berry) and Tropic Passion (Pineapple). The product will launch this year in specialty, small and large format retailers, select hospitality and can be found online at Amazon.com #PLAYBOYENERGY #PLAYBOYENERGYDRINK ABOUT FIRE BRANDS Fire Brands develops, distributes, and markets innovative beverages. With its focus on Flavor First, Fire Brands is dedicated to delivering uncompromising great taste to American consumers and retailers. Fire Brands partnerships include CAA on PLAYBOY Energy, Impact Confections on WARHEADS Soda, Mars Wrigley on SKITTLES Drinks, SNICKERS, TWIX and MILKY WAY Chocolate Milks, Kraft Hienz on KOOL-AID Soda, Perfetti Van Melle on AIRHEADS Soda and More. For more information about Fire Brands, please visit www.firebrandsus.com. SOURCE Fire Brands New $175 million fund to support 17 developments, creating homes for families, seniors and vulnerable populations. PITTSBURGH, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PNC Bank, N.A., a tax credit syndication leader, today announced the closing of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Fund 100, which is investing more than $175 million in the development and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing across the U.S. The fund includes investments from PNC and six other financial services and insurance companies. This milestone marks the 100th fund sponsored by PNC and underscores its long-standing commitment to creating and preserving affordable housing across the United States. The investment will support the construction or rehabilitation of nearly 1,500 affordable homes in 17 properties across 10 states and the District of Columbia, including California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Washington, D.C., helping families, seniors and vulnerable populations access safe and stable housing. A few notable projects include1: Rosenwald Pointe (Waynesboro, VA): The new construction of 53 affordable family units will deliver a broad spectrum of affordability from homes for very low-income households earning just 30% of the area median income to workforce housing at 80% will include comprehensive supportive services for all residents, including mental health case management, benefit assistance, employment training, transportation support and independent living skills delivered by Valley Community Services Board. The new construction of 53 affordable family units will deliver a broad spectrum of affordability from homes for very low-income households earning just 30% of the area median income to workforce housing at 80% will include comprehensive supportive services for all residents, including mental health case management, benefit assistance, employment training, transportation support and independent living skills delivered by Valley Community Services Board. Marine Drive (Astoria, OR): The new construction of 33 units will include 32 permanent supportive housing apartments for individuals experiencing homelessness with serious and persistent mental illness. The development incorporates robust on-site services through Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare's "Open Door" program, offering case management, peer support, counseling, life skills training and health services. All units will be covered by rental assistance, ensuring residents pay no more than 30% of their income on rent. The new construction of 33 units will include 32 permanent supportive housing apartments for individuals experiencing homelessness with serious and persistent mental illness. The development incorporates robust on-site services through Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare's "Open Door" program, offering case management, peer support, counseling, life skills training and health services. All units will be covered by rental assistance, ensuring residents pay no more than 30% of their income on rent. 4345 Matilija (Los Angeles, CA): The property will address a significant need for affordable housing in Los Angeles. Annual funding from Horizon Housing Foundation will support programs that promote self-sufficiency, housing stability and economic mobility. Services will be coordinated by Northwest Stepping Stones, which connects residents to resources and offers life skills training, community engagement opportunities and support plans tailored to individual needs. "Reaching our 100th LIHTC fund is a testament to PNC's unwavering commitment to addressing the affordable housing crisis," said Megan Ryan, senior vice president and manager of Tax Credit Equity Syndication for PNC Multifamily Capital. "Through strong partnerships and innovative financing, we continue to expand access to safe, quality housing for families and individuals in communities across the country." PNC Multifamily Capital is one of the largest providers of affordable multifamily equity and both affordable and conventional debt in the industry. Through tax credit equity, agency lending programs and traditional bank balance sheet lending, PNC Multifamily Capital supports developers, investors and local organizations in their efforts to finance multifamily housing, rehabilitate historic sites and provide critical community services. As of Sept. 30, 2025, PNC Multifamily Capital manages approximately $15.8 billion in tax credit equity that supports more than 134,000 affordable rental units, 150 New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) investments and 72 historic properties nationwide, as well as maintaining a $34 billion agency loan portfolio. For more information about PNC Multifamily Capital, visit www.pnc.com/pncmultifamilycapital. PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com . PNC Bank and certain of its affiliates including PNC TC, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser wholly-owned by PNC Bank, do business as PNC Real Estate. PNC Real Estate provides commercial real estate financing and related services. PNC TC, LLC, which operates within PNC Real Estate's Multifamily Capital segment, provides investment advisory services to funds sponsored by PNC Real Estate for LIHTC, NMTC, HTC and affordable housing preservation investments. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. This material does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any investment product. Risks of each fund, as well as information regarding the investments, risks, and expenses of each fund, are described in the fund's private placement memorandum ("PPM") or other offering documents. Please read the PPM and offering documents carefully before investing. Important Investor Information: Investment products are: Not FDIC Insured / Not Guaranteed / May Lose Value 1 The projects listed above are not a complete list, and may not be representative, of all projects in which the fund currently has invested. CONTACT: Christina Davis (214) 871-1259 [email protected] SOURCE PNC Bank 2026 Purina Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies Program to fund three new studies exploring how pets support survivor healing, child well-being and feline mental health ST. LOUIS, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Purina a global leader in pet care announced it has awarded research grants to three distinguished scientific teams from the United States and Hungary as part of its biennial Purina Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies program. Each project will receive up to $40,000 to advance understanding of the bond between pets and people, and how it can impact the well-being of both. Purina a global leader in pet care has awarded research grants to three distinguished scientific teams from the United States and Hungary as part of its biennial Purina Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies program. Each project will receive up to $40,000 to advance understanding of the bond between pets and people, and how it can impact the well-being of both. The 2026 Purina Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies program cohort reflects Purina's commitment to fostering collaboration and generating insights that have far-reaching impact from survivor support services in the U.S., to remote therapy models with the potential to reach children worldwide, to the first-ever observational study of cat separation behaviors drawing data from pet owners across the globe. "Science is most impactful when it is shared, and we are committed not only to advancing the study of the human-pet bond through our in-house research, but also by supporting investigators around the world who share our passion for improving the lives of pets and the people who love them," said Dr. Annie Valuska, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Principal Scientist on the Pet Behavior Team at Purina. "These studies stand to deepen our understanding of the human-pet bond in some of life's most challenging moments. What these researchers discover could lead to more compassionate interventions, stronger behavioral and emotional support for pets, and improved resources for the people who depend on them every day." Purina reviewed more than 100 research proposals to select the 2026 research grant recipients. This year, preference was given to studies exploring how the bond supports people in vulnerable situations, how human-animal interactions influence the wellbeing of pets themselves, and how to deepen knowledge of the unique connection between people and cats. The 2026 Purina Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies research grant recipients are: Understanding the Human-Animal Bond in IPV-Affected Households: Impacts on Survivor Healing, Pet Welfare and Service Provision Principal Investigator: Jennifer A. Wagman, PhD, MHS, at the Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California This 18-month mixed-methods study will examine how the human-animal bond contributes to psychological resilience and healing among survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV ), while also assessing impacts on companion animal welfare. Integrating survivor interviews, key informant insights and human-animal bond questions into a statewide survey reaching approximately 1,000 Californians who have experienced IPV , this U.S.-based research has significant implications for global public health, where similar barriers to pet-inclusive sheltering exist. Findings will inform trauma-responsive, pet-inclusive care practices and be shared through publications, training materials and community-oriented webinars in collaboration with nonprofit RedRover . This 18-month mixed-methods study will examine how the human-animal bond contributes to psychological resilience and healing among survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV IPV RedRover In Your Absence: Investigating Separation-Related Disorders in Companion Cats Principal Investigator: Paula Perez Fraga, PhD, Eotvos Lorand University Institute of Biology in Budapest, Hungary. Led by one of Europe's leading animal behavior research groups, this project will conduct the first large-scale, direct observational study of cat separation-related disorders (SRDs ) using a global citizen-science model. By gathering video submissions and survey data from cat owners worldwide, the study will examine risk factors including feline personality and owner interaction styles and produce the first high-resolution ethogram of feline separation behavior. These insights will support international veterinary professionals, behaviorists and cat owners in identifying and addressing SRDs and strengthening the human-cat bond. Led by one of Europe's leading animal behavior research groups, this project will conduct the first large-scale, direct observational study of cat separation-related disorders (SRDs ethogram SRDs Designing an Inclusive Model: Remote Canine-Assisted Therapy for Underserved Pediatric Oncology Patients Principal Investigator: Judit Abdai, PhD, at the Hungarian Ethology Foundation at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary This study will evaluate a Remote Canine-Assisted Therapy (RCAT) model enabling safe, real-time interaction with trained dogs for pediatric oncology patients who cannot participate in in-person therapy due to immunosuppression or infection risk. Using a counterbalanced crossover design, researchers will measure psychosocial outcomes such as motivation, mood and anxiety. The remote model has global scalability, offering a pathway to expand therapy access to children in rural regions, underserved communities and countries without an established therapy dog infrastructure, while also protecting therapy dog welfare. "Receiving this research grant from Purina is an honor for our team," said Dr. Jennifer A. Wagman, 2026 Purina Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies grant recipient and Associate Professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. "The grant will provide crucial support to study how pets can help survivors of intimate partner violence heal, while also ensuring that the animals themselves are safe and supported. We are excited for the ways this work can make a real difference in people's lives." Since its launch in 2016, the Purina Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies program has awarded $1.2 million to support a diverse range of international studies exploring how the human-animal bond influences both people and pets. Previous grant recipients have examined the genetics behind canine "hyper-sociability" and its potential to improve adoption matches in shelters; investigated how solicited versus forced touch affects the wellbeing of both dogs and humans to strengthen standards for Animal Assisted Interactions; explored how attachment to pets may help protect women with histories of childhood abuse from psychological and social disorders; and evaluated whether therapy dog programs can support student mental health without compromising the welfare of the animals involved. Purina and its team of nearly 500 pet experts, including nutritionists, behaviorists and veterinarians, invest more than $100 million annually in research to help pets live longer, healthier lives. This commitment continues to drive advancements in nutrition, behavior science and human-animal bond understanding on a global scale. About Nestle Purina PetCare Nestle Purina PetCare creates richer lives for pets and the people who love them. Founded in 1894, Purina has helped dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives by offering scientifically based nutritional innovations. Purina manufactures some of the world's most trusted and popular pet care products, including Dog Chow, Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Friskies and Tidy Cats. Our more than 11,000 U.S. associates take pride in our trusted pet food, treat and litter brands that feed 46 million dogs and 68 million cats every year. Nearly 500 Purina scientists, veterinarians, and pet care experts ensure our commitment to unsurpassed quality and nutrition. Over the past five years, Purina has contributed more than $150 million towards organizations that bring, and keep, people and pets together, as well as those that help our communities and environment thrive. Purina is part of Nestle, a global leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness. For more information, visit purina.com or subscribe here to get the latest Purina news. SOURCE Purina Inventory Continues to Grow as Seasonal Slowdown Hits New Listings and Home Sales DENVER, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- November brought the expected seasonal cooling to the U.S. housing market, with fewer new listings and home sales compared to October as inventory levels remained elevated. Although the supply of homes declined 5.5% from October, it was still 14.5% higher than a year ago, marking the 23rd consecutive month of year-over-year inventory increases, a streak that dates to January 2024. Across the 51 metro areas surveyed, new listings dropped 30.7% month over month, marking the largest decline among key metrics. Year-over-year, new listings fell 8.3%. Active inventory was up 14.5% year-over-year across the 51 metro areas surveyed. Buyers closed on 18.5% fewer home sales from October to November and 4.7% less than in November 2024, reflecting typical seasonal patterns. November's Median Sales Price of $438,000 posted a 1.7% year-over-year gain, continuing a 29-month growth streak that began in July 2023. Prices eased 1.5% from October. "While some numbers reflect the typical seasonal slowdown, others point to encouraging trends," said REMAX CEO Erik Carlson. "Inventory has continued to grow as prices have remained steady, pointing to a resilient market for both buyers and sellers. As the market continues to adjust heading into the new year, there's plenty of opportunity to make a smart move, especially with guidance from a trusted REMAX agent." Other metrics of note: Homes took an additional week to sell and averaged 54 days on market. That's up from 47 days in November 2024 and 50 days in October. Months' Supply of Inventory increased to 3.3 months, up from 2.9 months a year ago and 3.0 months in October. Sellers received 98% of asking price, down slightly from 99% last year but unchanged month over month. One notable shift came in Seattle, a market that typically ranks among the highest in median sales price but saw its largest monthly price drop of the year, declining 5.4% from $740,000 in October to $700,000 in November. John Manning, local Broker/Owner of REMAX Gateway, says several factors may be contributing to the cooling trend. "Seattle has enjoyed decades of incredible growth driven by Washington State's appeal to a diverse mix of industries. More recently, shifts in tax policy appear to be influencing corporate decisions about where to allocate resources, which may be contributing to cooling home prices. We're also seeing signs of wealth relocation, as higher estate taxes prompt some higher-net-worth residents, particularly seniors, to consider relocating later in life. At the same time, changes in the tech sector driven by artificial intelligence are reshaping hiring patterns that once fueled an influx of younger tech workers into the Seattle area." Highlights and local market results for November include: New Listings In the 51 metro areas surveyed in November 2025, the number of newly listed homes was down 8.3% compared to November 2024, and down 30.7% compared to October 2025. The markets with the biggest decrease in year-over-year new listings percentage were Dover, DE at -48.6%, Trenton, NJ at -48.3%, and Washington, DC at -45.2%. The markets with the biggest year-over-year increase in new listings percentage were Bozeman, MT at +21.8%, Burlington, VT at +10.4%, and St. Louis, MO at +9.8%. New Listings: 5 Markets with the Biggest YoY Decrease Market Nov 2025 Nov 2024 Year-over-Year % Change Dover, DE 182 354 -48.6 % Trenton, NJ 263 509 -48.3 % Washington, DC 4,777 8,720 -45.2 % Baltimore, MD 2,579 4,549 -43.3 % Philadelphia, PA 4,996 8,701 -42.6 % Closed Transactions Of the 51 metro areas surveyed in November 2025, the overall number of home sales was down 4.7% compared to November 2024, and down 18.5% compared to October 2025. The markets with the biggest decrease in year-over-year sales percentage were San Antonio, TX at -22.9%, Bozeman, MT at -15.7%, and Anchorage, AK at -13.5%. The markets with the biggest increase in year-over-year sales percentages were Wichita, KS at +12.0%, Miami, FL at +10.4%, and Honolulu, HI at +5.3%. Closed Transactions: 5 Markets with the Biggest YoY Decrease Market Nov 2025 Nov 2024 Year-over-Year % Change San Antonio, TX 1,945 2,522 -22.9 % Bozeman, MT 118 140 -15.7 % Anchorage, AK 353 408 -13.5 % Seattle, WA 3,048 3,500 -12.9 % Trenton, NJ 235 265 -11.3 % Median Sales Price Median of 51 metro area prices In November 2025, the median of all 51 metro area sales prices was $438,000, up 1.7% from November 2024 and down 1.5% compared to October 2025. The markets with the biggest year-over-year increase in median sales price were Trenton, NJ at +13.6%, Cleveland, OH at +11.8%, and Cincinnati, OH at +10.2%. The markets with the biggest year-over-year decrease in median sales price were Seattle, WA at -4.7%, Tampa, FL at -3.5%, and Richmond, VA at -2.5%. Median Sales Price: 5 Markets with the Biggest YoY Increase Market Nov 2025 Nov 2024 Year-over-Year % Change Trenton, NJ $460,000 $405,000 +13.6 % Cleveland, OH $255,000 $228,000 +11.8 % Cincinnati, OH $319,450 $290,000 +10.2 % Pittsburgh, PA $249,900 $230,000 +8.7 % Hartford, CT $385,000 $355,000 +8.5 % Close-to-List Price Ratio Average of 51 metro area prices In November 2025, the average close-to-list price ratio of all 51 metro areas in the report was 98%, down from 99% in November 2024 and the same as October 2025. The close-to-list price ratio is calculated by the average value of the sales price divided by the list price for each transaction. When the number is above 100%, the home closed for more than the list price. If it's less than 100%, the home sold for less than the list price. The metro areas with the biggest year-over-year decrease in close-to-list price ratios were Burlington, VT at -2.1 pp (98.3%), Dover, DE at -1.5 pp (98.6%), and Baltimore, MD at -1.2 pp (99.5%). The metro areas with the biggest year-over-year increase in close-to-list price ratio were Philadelphia, PA at +0.3 pp (99.9%), followed by Des Moines, IA (98.6%), Kansas City, MO (99.2%) and Coeur d'Alene, ID (98.2%) tied at +0.2 pp. Close-to-List Price Ratio: 5 Markets with the Biggest YoY Decrease Market Nov 2025 Nov 2024 Year-over-Year Difference* Burlington, VT 98.3 % 100.4 % -2.1 pp Dover, DE 98.6 % 100.1 % -1.5 pp Baltimore, MD 99.5 % 100.6 % -1.2 pp Providence, RI 98.9 % 100.0 % -1.1 pp Fayetteville, AR 97.3 % 98.3 % -1.1 pp *Difference displayed as change in percentage points Days on Market Average of 51 metro areas The average days on market for homes sold in November 2025 was 54, up seven days compared to the average in November 2024 (47) and up four days compared to October 2025 (50). The metro areas with the biggest year-over-year increase for days on market averages were St. Louis, MO at +39.1% (44 days), Manchester, NH at +38.7% (27 days) and Washington, DC at +28.7% (39 days). The markets with the biggest year-over-year decrease for days on market averages were Fayetteville, AR at -14.2% (65 days), New Orleans, LA at -5.1% (64 days) and Hartford, CT at -2.7% (24 days). Days on market is the number of days between when a home is first listed in an MLS and a sales contract is signed. Days on Market: 5 Markets with the Biggest YoY Increase Market Nov 2025 Nov 2024 Year-over-Year % Change St. Louis, MO 44 32 +39.1 % Manchester, NH 27 19 +38.7 % Washington, DC 39 30 +28.7 % Baltimore, MD 38 29 +28.6 % Coeur d'Alene, ID 103 80 +28.5 % Months' Supply of Inventory Average of 51 metro areas The number of homes for sale in November 2025 was up 14.5% from November 2024 and down 5.5% from October 2025. Based on the rate of home sales in November 2025, the months' supply of inventory was 3.3, up from 2.9 from November 2024 and up from 3.0 from October 2025. In November 2025, the markets with the highest months' supply of inventory were Miami, FL at 7.5, San Antonio, TX at 6.5 and Bozeman, MT at 6.1. The markets with the lowest months' supply of inventory were Hartford, CT at 1.3, Manchester, NH at 1.4 and Seattle, WA at 1.5. Months' Supply of Inventory: 5 Markets with the Highest Months' Supply of Inventory Market Nov 2025 Nov 2024 Year-over-Year % Change Miami, FL 7.5 7.6 -1.8 % San Antonio, TX 6.5 5.4 +21.2 % Bozeman, MT 6.1 5.5 +12.1 % Houston, TX 5.5 4.8 +15.0 % New Orleans, LA 5.4 5.2 +4.1 % About the REMAX Network As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with more than 145,000 agents in nearly 9,000 offices and a presence in more than 110 countries and territories. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than REMAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. REMAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. REMAX agents have lived, worked and served in their local communities for decades, raising millions of dollars every year for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities. To learn more about REMAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.com. For the latest news about REMAX, please visit news.remax.com. Report Details The REMAX National Housing Report is distributed monthly on or about the 15th. The Report is based on MLS data for the stated month in 51 metropolitan areas, includes single-family residential property types, and is not annualized. For maximum representation, most of the largest metro areas in the country are represented, and an attempt is made to include at least one metro area in almost every state. Metro areas are defined by the Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Definitions Closed Transactions are the total number of closed residential transactions during the given month. Months' Supply of Inventory is the total number of residential properties listed for sale at the end of the month (current inventory) divided by the number of sales contracts signed (pending listings) during the month. Where "pending" data is unavailable, an inferred pending status is calculated using closed transactions. Days on Market is the average number of days that pass from the time a property is listed until the property goes under contract. Median Sales Price for a metro area is the median sales price for closed transactions in that metro area. The nationwide Median Sales Price is calculated at the nationwide aggregate level using all sale prices from the included metro areas. The Close-to-List Price Ratio is the average value of the sales price divided by the list price for each closed transaction. MLS data is provided by Seventy3, LLC, a RE/MAX Holdings company. While MLS data is believed to be reliable, it cannot be guaranteed. MLS data is constantly being updated, making any analysis a snapshot at a particular time. Every month, the previous period's data is updated to ensure accuracy over time. Raw data remains the intellectual property of each local MLS organization. SOURCE RE/MAX, LLC Record transaction volume and repeat corporate buyers reinforce Reunion's role as the preferred partner for tax credit transactions SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Reunion, the leading platform for clean energy tax credits and compliance, has now facilitated the purchase of over $7 billion in tax credits across over 100 transactions since 2024. Reunion achieved its highest-ever transaction volume in Q3 2025, reflecting that corporate buyers continue to purchase tax credits in significant volumes. While the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has reduced overall corporate tax liabilities, corporate buyers increasingly see tax credit purchases as a core tax planning tool. "Transferable tax credits have become an integral part of our tax strategy, enabling us to achieve meaningful savings. Reunion has consistently delivered high-quality tax credits, and provided the expertise to move transactions forward," said Pete Scudder, First Vice President at Mercantile Bank. "Reunion's in-depth due diligence memos and documentation have supported our internal approval process, and ensure that we are prepared in the event of a future audit. We have worked with Reunion across multiple transactions, and their collaborative approach has made the buying process smooth from start to finish." Reunion has facilitated three separate transactions exceeding $1 billion in volume, along with dozens of transactions ranging from $10 million to $200 million. Representative transactions include: $1B+ in Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credits (AMPCs): One of the largest transactions in the market, between two publicly traded companies. One of the largest transactions in the market, between two publicly traded companies. $200M+ in Section 45U Zero-Emission Nuclear Power Production Credit (PTCs): An early nuclear credit transaction, sold to a Fortune 500, repeat buyer of tax credits. An early nuclear credit transaction, sold to a Fortune 500, repeat buyer of tax credits. $20M+ in Section 48 Investment Tax Credits (ITCs): Credits generated from a portfolio of over 1,000 residential solar assets, sold to a publicly traded, Fortune 500 corporation. "Reunion has had success curating hard-to-find opportunities that match exactly what buyers are looking for," said Andy Moon, CEO of Reunion. "We are most proud that tax credit buyers and sellers keep coming back to Reunion for repeat transactions. Our unique due diligence and negotiation process increases the efficiency of transactions, resulting in a 95% success rate in converting term sheets into closed deals." About Reunion Reunion is the leading platform for clean energy tax credit transfers and compliance. Since 2024, Reunion has facilitated the purchase of over $7 billion in tax credits from major solar, storage, wind, nuclear, clean fuels, and advanced manufacturing projects. Our team of finance and tax experts provide the industry's most hands-on support across due diligence and risk mitigation, resulting in transactions that close on average in less than 45 days. In addition, leading project developers utilize Reunion's compliance software to maintain compliance with tax credit rules, including prevailing wage and apprenticeship (PWA) requirements. To learn more, visit www.reunioninfra.com . SOURCE Reunion Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Freeport-McMoran To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options If you purchased or acquired securities in Freeport between February 15, 2022 and September 24, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). [You may also click here for additional information] NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Freeport-McMoran Inc. ("Freeport" or the "Company") (NYSE: FCX) and reminds investors of the January 12, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company. James (Josh) Wilson, Faruqi & Faruqi Senior Partner (PRNewsfoto/Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP) Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com. As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Freeport did not adequately ensure safety at the Grasberg Block Cave mine in Indonesia;(2)the lack of proper safety precautions constituted a heightened risk that could foreseeably lead to the death of Freeport's workers; (3) this constituted an undisclosed heightened risk of regulatory, litigation, and reputational risk; and (4) as a result, Defendants' statements about Freeport-McMoRan's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. On September 9, 2025, Freeport disclosed it was suspending mining activities at its Grasberg Block Cave operation in Indonesia, after "a large flow of wet material" trapped seven workers. On this news, Freeport's stock price fell $2.77, or 5.9%, to close at $43.89 per share on September 9, 2025, thereby injuring investors. Then, on September 24, 2025, Freeport provided an update on the incident, disclosing that two of the trapped team members "were regrettably fatally injured[.]" Meanwhile, "extensive efforts" remained "ongoing in the search for [the five] team members who [remained] missing." On this news, Freeport's stock price fell $7.69, or 17%, to close at $37.67 per share on September 24, 2025. Then, on September 25, 2025, before market hours, Bloomberg published an article stating that the "halt in production at the giant Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia looks set to strain the fractious relationship between [Freeport] and its host nation, at a time when the Jakarta government was already looking to take greater control." The article specified that "[the] state controls 51% of the local entity - after a lengthy battle over ownership - but officials have sporadically continued to demand an increased share. That clamor may now intensify." On this news, Freeport's stock price fell $2.33, or 6.2%, to close at $35.34 on September 25, 2025, thereby injuring investors further. On September 28, 2025, a news organization focusing on Indonesia, published an article entitled "Freeport Landslide was Preventable, Not Just a Natural Disaster, Says Expert." The article quoted an expert as saying "this danger is not new and should have been anticipated from the beginning[.]" The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Freeport's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. To learn more about the Freeport-McMoran class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/FCX or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook. Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Photo: https://www.facebook.com/minenergoUkraine Around 400,000 consumers in Ukraine are left without electricity every day due to Russian strikes on energy facilities, Acting Minister of Energy Artem Nekrasov said. "Because of constant Russian shelling, on average about 400,000 consumers remain without electricity every day, mainly in border and frontline regions. This figure changes daily and depends on the intensity of Russian strikes," he said during a briefing at the Ministry of Energy on Wednesday, which was broadcast online. According to Nekrasov, attacks simultaneously targeting power generation as well as electricity transmission and distribution networks significantly complicate and prolong the restoration process. "However, thanks to our hero energy workers, restoration work continues nonstop. Energy specialists are working virtually around the clock, and it is precisely thanks to their efforts that the situation in the power system remains under control," the head of the Energy Ministry said. He also explained that differences in power outage schedules across regions are a consequence of Russian attacks. "The power system was not designed for such a scenario, and the ability to transmit electricity from power plants to consumers over many hundreds of kilometers is currently limited," Nekrasov said. He urged consumers to use electricity sparingly and to shift energy-intensive processes to nighttime hours after 11:00 p.m. Nekrasov added that saving electricity would help reduce outage schedules. As reported, since the Russian attack on the energy sector on December 13, which left more than 600,000 consumers in the city of Odesa and Odesa region, more than half of the region, without power, as of Wednesday morning about 32,000 consumers were still awaiting restoration of electricity supply. Experienced executive will focus on driving business development, strategic partnerships, corporate and portfolio strategy, and commercialization planning SOUTH RIDING, Va., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Slone Partners, a nationwide executive search firm for life sciences and healthcare organizations, has announced the placement of Jeffrey S. Kasten as Chief Business Officer (CBO) at Vertero Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company breaking barriers in neurodegenerative disease treatment. Slone Partners Places Jeffrey Kasten as Chief Business Officer at Vertero Therapeutics In his new role, Kasten is responsible for driving business development, strategic partnerships, corporate and portfolio strategy, and commercialization planning. His leadership will support the advancement of the company's pipeline of therapies focused on neurodegenerative diseases, with its lead program for Parkinson's disease, VT-5006, currently in a Phase 1 clinical study. Kasten brings more than two decades of experience in the life sciences industry spanning corporate strategy, portfolio strategy, and business development across several leading biopharmaceutical organizations. He spent the past eight years at Sage Therapeutics, most recently as Vice President, Corporate/Portfolio Strategy & Business Development, where he helped shape enterprise strategy, optimize portfolio decisions, and advance key external growth initiatives. Prior to that, Kasten held senior commercial and strategic marketing roles during his 11-year tenure at Biogen. He also spent five years as Manager and Senior Manager at Putnam Associates and seven years in a variety of roles at Bain & Company. "Jeffrey Kasten brings a deep and diversified business development and strategic management skill set to Vertero as the company expands its portfolio of therapies designed to help physicians better manage neurodegenerative diseases and help patients live longer, more productive lives," said Sona Stroud, Senior Vice President, Executive Search, and Partner at Slone Partners. "He will be an excellent addition to the company's leadership team and a valuable partner in its efforts to develop new partnerships and execute successful new product rollouts." "I am thrilled to welcome Jeff to the Vertero team. His strategic acumen and track record of successfully cultivating partnerships and advancing pipeline growth are impressive and highly relevant to our mission," said Stewart Campbell, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vertero. "Jeff is not only a great cultural addition to our team, he also brings an important perspective to help sharpen our strategic development focus as we work to make an impact on patients and their families affected by neurodegenerative diseases." Kasten holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a B.S. from the University of Vermont. ABOUT VERTERO Vertero Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company pioneering science beyond the brain to treat neurodegenerative diseases at their source. Vertero's development pipeline of differentiated therapies targets the peripheral nervous system to delay onset and slow progression of challenging conditions such as Parkinson's disease. The company's lead program currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial is VT-5006, designed to precisely treat a validated target in the gut that feeds the protein aggregation and inflammation implicated in Parkinson's disease. The company also has an asset targeting bile acid dysregulation in early development for undisclosed indications. For more information, visit www.vertero.com or LinkedIn. ABOUT SLONE PARTNERS Celebrating its 25th year, Slone Partners is a premier executive search and talent advisory firm delivering visionary leaders and fractional talent who build and scale amazing life sciences and healthcare organizations. With a nationwide presence and global reach, we specialize in discovering and placing innovative leaders, including world-class Board, C-Suite, and upper management professionals. To learn more about Slone Partners' value proposition and our many success stories, visit https://www.slonepartners.com or call 888.784.3422. SOURCE Slone Partners As the industry comes together to kick off the New Year, this on-floor resource center will provide headshots, resume advice and more NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) today announced the launch of the Community Career Studio at Winter FancyFaire* 2026, taking place January 1113, 2026, in San Diego. A direct response to recent employment shifts across the specialty food and CPG landscape, the Studio is designed to support professionals navigating career transitions by offering practical, no-cost resources and connections with industry leaders. Specialty Food Association Introduces New Community Career Studio, Complimentary Professional Support at Winter FancyFaire* 2026 The addition reflects SFA's ongoing commitment to the people who power the specialty food industry. SFA's tradeshows have long been places where business gets done and relationships between manufacturers, press, and brands are built. The Community Career Studio at Winter FancyFaire* builds on that foundation by creating space for attendees to focus on their professional growth, whether they are actively seeking new opportunities or planning next steps. "There have been several recent examples of retailers and brands forced to make difficult staffing decisions," said Mary Beth Vultee, SFA Senior Vice President, Membership. "The specialty food industry is a resilient, strong community. When members of our industry are impacted, SFA believes it is important to show up in real and practical ways. The Community Career Studio is about helping individuals elevate their professional materials, boost their confidence, and give them the tools to find their next role within the specialty food industry if they desire." The Studio will be open to all Winter FancyFaire* attendees and exhibitors. Programming will support active job seekers as well as professionals who are thinking about long-term career development. Brands and manufacturers are also encouraged to visit the Center to access guidance on hiring, team building, and workforce planning. The Community Career Studio will offer a range of complimentary resources, including: Headshot Studio Professional headshots available throughout the show; walk-ins welcome Professional headshots available throughout the show; walk-ins welcome Career Counseling Walk-in consultations covering topics such as resume writing and interview preparation Walk-in consultations covering topics such as resume writing and interview preparation People Operations Support Meetings with industry professionals who can offer guidance on hiring for key roles and developing longer-term talent strategies This initiative is just one part of SFA's broader mission to strengthen the specialty food community by supporting its workforce, fostering connection, and helping businesses adapt to an evolving marketplace. In addition to the Community Career Studio, SFA supports industry growth through programs such as Maker Prep, which helps entrepreneurs prepare to launch and scale specialty food businesses, and educational seminars and resources available all year. In addition, specialty food industry professionals impacted by recent layoffs may be eligible for complimentary admission to Winter FancyFaire* 2026. Those interested are encouraged to complete the application form, after which SFA will follow up directly. About Specialty Food Association The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $219-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 4,000 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by producing events, programs, and year-round resources and education. SFA owns and operates the Summer Fancy Food Show, Winter FancyFaire*, and the sofi Awards, which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. SFA also produces the e-newsletter Specialty Food SmartBrief, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions and Show reports. Find out more at Specialtyfood.com, and connect with SFA on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X. SOURCE Specialty Food Association Nationwide campaign highlights the quality, value, and variety of store brand products helping shoppers stretch their budgets year-round NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Store Brands Month returns January 1 with a nationwide, consumer-focused awareness campaign designed to spotlight the quality, innovation, and value of store brand products, just as shoppers look for smart ways to save after the holiday season. Surveys have shown shoppers who purchased store brands saved an average of 25%-30% on their grocery bill. Created by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), Store Brands Month is an industry-wide initiative that educates consumers about the breadth of private label products available across all retail formats, including supermarkets, club and convenience stores, drug chains, mass merchants, and online platforms. From stocking up during cold and flu season to preparing affordable, nutritious meals or organizing the home for the new year, shoppers will find store brand options across food and nonfood categories at their favorite retail destinations. Consumer surveys consistently show that shoppers can save between 25% and 30% by choosing store brand products, without sacrificing quality or performance. Retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers nationwide will support Store Brands Month through in-store signage, digital promotions, email marketing, and social media campaigns encouraging shoppers to explore, try, and buy store brands. To further amplify the campaign, PLMA has developed a comprehensive digital toolkit for members and retail partners available at storebrandsmonth.com and is collaborating with leading social media influencers to promote Store Brands Month on Instagram at @StoreBrandsMonth. The influencer program is designed to reach millions of consumers nationwide with authentic content that highlights the quality and value of retailers' own brand products. About PLMA The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) is a nonprofit trade organization founded in 1979 to promote the store brands industry. With executive offices in New York and International Council offices in Amsterdam, PLMA represents more than 5,200 member companies worldwide. As the leading advocate for private label, PLMA created Store Brands Month, a nationwide collaboration of retailers, wholesalers, and private label suppliers, to increase consumer awareness of the quality, value, and innovation of store brand products across all categories and retail formats, both in-store and online. For more information, visit plma.com. Contact: Libby M. Roberge PLMA [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Private Label Manufacturers Association With Adair retiring after 30 years, Chany elected to continue Swinerton's growth and relationship-driven success. SAN DIEGO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Swinerton Incorporated (Swinerton) announces Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) Don Adair will retire on January 9, 2026, after nearly four decades in the construction industry. The Swinerton Incorporated Board of Directors has elected Chris Chany as the next CRO of Swinerton and its subsidiaries, including Swinerton Builders. Adair and Chany have been working closely to ensure a seamless transition since Adair's retirement was shared internally to employee-owners in June 2025. Swinerton announces retirement of CRO Don Adair; Chris Chany Named Successor Post this Don Adair and Chris Chany, Swinerton Incorporated Adair's career with Swinerton Builders began in 1988 as a Project Engineer in the company's Los Angeles office, a role that launched a lifelong passion for building teams and fostering relationships. His talent and passion would lead to various roles, such as growing Swinerton Builders' San Diego office into the trusted community builder it is today and ultimately leading to his election as Executive Vice President and CRO in 2019. "Throughout my career, I've been passionate about building strong teams and fostering relationships that truly last," said Adair. "Watching those efforts grow into long-term success for both our teams and our partners has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey. I'm proud of the customer-focused, humble, and driven culture we've built at Swinertonand I'm excited to see it keep shaping the future for years to come." Chris Chany, who has worked alongside Adair for nearly a decade, brings a proven track record for building relationships and strategic growth. Chany has strengthened partnerships across multiple markets and sectors, generating repeat business and positioning Swinerton for continued success. Chany joined Swinerton Builders in 2013 as a Project Manager in the company's Austin, TX office before moving to San Diego, CA in 2018, where he joined the National Accounts team. Throughout his career, he has emphasized relationships, extraordinary client experiences, dependable project delivery and consistently generating repeat business. "I am honored to step into this role and continue building on Don's framework," says Chany. "Our focus will remain on building strong relationships, delivering extraordinary client experiences and driving growth for our teams and clients. As we move forward, we continue to value the partnerships we have today while cultivating new relationships that position us for future opportunities and long-term success." About Swinerton Swinerton Incorporated is a 100% employee-owned company recognized nationally since 1888, comprised of Swinerton Builders, Timberlab, Inc., SAK Builders, Inc. and Lindgren Development Inc. Swinerton Builders provides commercial construction, construction management, design-build and self-perform services throughout the United States. Timberlab is a holistic provider of mass timber systems with in-house timber engineering, procurement, manufacturing, fabrication and installation services for construction projects. SAK Builders, Inc. offers Division 3 concrete services in the Pacific Northwest. Lindgren Development is the project development, financing and ownership arm of Swinerton Incorporated. For more information visit: https://swinerton.com/ SOURCE Swinerton FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tambourine, the global leader in hotel marketing technology, today announced the successful launch of a new website for Ted Turner Reserves, a collection of eco-conscious luxury destinations spanning over one million acres of preserved wilderness across the American Southwest. The website represents a major step forward in the brand's ongoing effort to share its conservation mission and inspire responsible travel through immersive digital storytelling. Vermejo, a Ted Turner Reserve Ted Turner Reserves encompasses four extraordinary properties in New MexicoVermejo, Sierra Grande, Armendaris, and Laddereach blending sustainable hospitality with the visionary legacy of founder Ted Turner. The new website captures that spirit through rich visuals, intuitive navigation, and meaningful narratives that invite visitors to experience the land, wildlife, and conservation work firsthand. "Working with Ted Turner Reserves has been an incredible opportunity to help communicate a story that transcends travel," said Ali Sheikh, Associate Creative Director. "This project allowed us to merge design, technology, and emotion to reflect a brand that not only offers exceptional stays but also serves a larger mission: to protect and restore the natural world." The new Ted Turner Reserves website stands as a testament to the power of storytelling in advancing environmental stewardship, inviting travelers to discover the beauty of the American Southwest and participate in the preservation of its wild places for generations to come. "Our goal was to create a digital home that honors Ted Turner's lifelong commitment to conservation," said Jade McBride, President of Ted Turner Reserves. "Tambourine helped us translate our mission into a visual and emotional journeyone that encourages guests to connect more deeply with nature and understand the impact of their stay." Visit tedturnerreserves.com to explore the new website. About Ted Turner Reserves Ted Turner Reserves is a hospitality brand that is grounded in conservation with a mission to connect people with nature. With 1.1 million acres across three properties in New Mexico, Ted Turner Reserves includes three reserves ( Vermejo , Armendaris , and Ladder ) and one retreat ( Sierra Grande ). These properties provide an unparalleled experience for guests to visit and experience luxurious hospitality, outdoor activities, and unfettered access to nature. Guests also will have the opportunity to learn about renowned businessman, philanthropist, and environmentalist Ted Turner's efforts to restore and preserve these properties and their native species and ecosystems. About Tambourine Tambourine is the global leader in hotel marketing technology, delivering integrated solutions that drive direct revenue and solve the industry's toughest commercial challenges. With a product suite spanning sales, marketing, revenue, and now reservations, the company is known for pairing best-in-class service with a design-led approachsolving complex problems with elegant, high-performing solutions. Trusted by hotel brands in 47 countries, Tambourine continues to set the standard for innovation and results in hospitality. Visit tambourine.com for more information. Press Contact: Hannah Trefry, Director of Corporate Marketing [email protected] SOURCE Tambourine We're proud Texas approved our enVision+ Texas math programs, giving educators confidence using high-quality materials. Post this The Texas SBOE determined that enVision+ Texas K-12 math programs meet 100 percent of the state's criteria for high-quality instructional materials. Savvas is the only publisher with a K-12 solution to receive perfect scores not only on standards coverage but also the state's quality rubric. Fully aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), enVision+ Texas uniquely offers pedagogical continuity from year-to-year with vertical alignment from kindergarten through Algebra 2. A comprehensive, turnkey solution for educators, the enVision+ Texas math series offers a robust selection of assessment options to measure students' math knowledge and skills, as well as TEKS-aligned practice and resources to help prepare students for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). "Savvas is fully committed to delivering the most innovative learning solutions to empower today's teachers and inspire today's students," said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. "We are proud that the Texas SBOE has approved all of our enVision+ Texas math programs, giving Texas educators the confidence of using high-quality instructional materials with engaging, rigorous, and meaningful learning experiences to help every student achieve." Customized specifically for Texas classrooms, the enVision+ Texas K-12 math series includes enVision+ Texas Mathematics for grades K-8 and enVision+ Texas A|G|A (Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2). The programs, which are built on proven, evidence-based pedagogy, emphasize problem-based learning and active exploration in practical, real-world contexts so that students see mathematics as a part of their everyday world. enVision+ Texas programs offer: Flexible instructional design that balances conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and real-world application to help students become lifelong problem-solvers. Intentional instructional variety and differentiated tasks provide students with multiple ways to learn while interactive features like Math Walk videos help students connect math to their daily lives. that balances conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and real-world application to help students become lifelong problem-solvers. Intentional instructional variety and differentiated tasks provide students with multiple ways to learn while interactive features like Math Walk videos help students connect math to their daily lives. Savvas Studio, a suite of new AI-powered tools that helps save teachers time while delivering greater personalized learning to students. These curriculum-smart, teacher productivity tools seamlessly integrate with the award-winning Savvas Realize platform to simplify lesson planning, generate customized practice, and support differentiated learning. that helps save teachers time while delivering greater personalized learning to students. These curriculum-smart, teacher productivity tools seamlessly integrate with the award-winning platform to simplify lesson planning, generate customized practice, and support differentiated learning. Easy-to-use instructional supports that enable teachers to effectively plan, instruct, and assess student learning. Data-informed resources, adaptive practice, a robust differentiation library, and a powerful intervention system help educators meet the needs of all students. that enable teachers to effectively plan, instruct, and assess student learning. Data-informed resources, adaptive practice, a robust differentiation library, and a powerful intervention system help educators meet the needs of all students. Multilingual learner supports that provide equitable Spanish resources, translation tools, and linguistic accommodations. The enVision+ Texas K-12 math program is also available in Spanish. Reviewed as part of the state's Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process, the state-approved enVision+ Texas K-12 math programs are available for implementation for the 2026 school year. ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula and supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the-art assessment tools and the industry's most innovative portfolio of college and career readiness solutions all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company . SOURCE Savvas Learning Company SOUTH BEND, Ind., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FMC (Family Movie Classics), home to beloved and timeless movies carried across cable, satellite and virtual platforms, announced today The John Wayne Friday Night Feature will return to the network starting January 9th. Every Friday at 8p ET, viewers can saddle up for a primetime presentation of John Wayne favorites that showcase the Duke's commanding screen presence across Westerns, war epics, and patriotic dramas. FMC John Wayne Movie Night "John Wayne films have been tremendously popular with our audience, and we're thrilled to bring back this programming special in 2026," said Adam Sumrall, Executive Vice President of FETV and FMC. "The John Wayne Friday Night Feature embodies what FMC does best celebrating timeless stars and movies that continue to connect with audiences of all ages." The January slate begins with one of the Duke's most beloved Westerns, Big Jake (1971), and will continue with Big Jim McLain (1952), In Harm's Way (1965), and Hondo (1953). In total for 2026, The John Wayne Friday Night Feature will present forty-three films from the screen legend's extensive catalogue, including Wayne's most notable titles such as True Grit (1969) and The Quiet Man (1952). Check fmc.tv for full listings and times. About FETV and FMC Launched in 2013, FETV is home to a 24-hour schedule of beloved and timeless television series and movies carried across cable, satellite and virtual platforms. Launched in 2021, FMC features a 24-hour schedule celebrating the depth and variety of classic movies and is currently available on DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream, AT&T U-verse, DISH, Xfinity, Fubo, Frndly, Philo, and altafiber. FETV and FMC are independently owned and operated by Family Broadcasting Company based in South Bend, Indiana with an office in New York City. Media Contact: Adam Sumrall Executive Vice President [email protected] SOURCE FMC (Family Movie Classics) VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Trilogy Metals Inc. (NYSE American: TMQ) (TSX: TMQ) ("Trilogy Metals", "Trilogy" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the program and budget for Ambler Metals LLC, as well as the Company's corporate budget for 2026, reflecting a year focused on advancing the Ambler Mining District toward permitting, technical de-risking, and long-term development. All amounts are in US dollars. Ambler Metals LLC ("Ambler Metals"), the joint venture operating company equally owned by Trilogy and South32 Limited (ASX, LSE, JSE: S32; ADR: SOUHY) ("South32"), has recently approved the 2026 program and budget totaling approximately $35 million for the advancement of the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects ("UKMP") located in northwestern Alaska. Advancing the Ambler Mining District in 2026 The 2026 work program represents a pivotal year of progress for the UKMP as Ambler Metals prepares to initiate the mine permitting process for the Arctic Project, while continuing to advance the technical and organizational foundations required for future development. The joint venture is targeting mine permit submissions in 2026, potentially leveraging federal expedited programs such as FAST-41, subject to project readiness and continued engagement with stakeholders. FAST-41 is a US federal framework designed to enhance coordination, transparency and predictability for permitting critical infrastructure projects. In parallel, Ambler Metals will advance engineering, environmental, and technical programs required to support a future final investment decision for mine construction and operations. Exploration, Drilling and Camp Activities Exploration activities in 2026 will focus primarily on the Arctic Project, including geotechnical and condemnation drilling to support mine design, infrastructure placement, and future production planning. Ambler Metals will also be preparing the Bornite Project camp for ongoing exploration and multi-year use. The joint venture plans to open the Bornite camp during the 2026 summer field season to conduct geotechnical and exploration drilling, along with general camp maintenance and capital improvements to support future programs. Building for the Next Phase During 2026, Ambler Metals will re-establish an independent management team dedicated to managing the next stages of advancement at the UKMP. Over the coming years, this team will focus on advancing permitting for the Arctic Project, completing technical programs, executing drill campaigns critical for mine design and infrastructure planning as well as strengthening community engagement, workforce development and local participation. Engagement with local communities and regional stakeholders will remain a core element of the program, with continued emphasis on transparent communication, consultation, and long-term workforce planning. Ambler Access Project Ambler Metals will continue to evaluate, through its existing arrangement with the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority ("AIDEA"), the potential for early-stage funding opportunities to support advancement of the Ambler Access Project (also known as the Ambler Road). The Ambler Road is a proposed 211-mile, industrial-use-only road connecting the Ambler Mining District to the Dalton Highway, intended to enable exploration and development at the UKMP. Corporate Budget and Financial Position Trilogy Metals has approved its 2026 corporate budget of approximately $5 million, primarily related to public company compliance and oversight of its investment in Ambler Metals. The Company maintains a strong cash position of over $50 million, providing funding for ongoing operations and its share of future joint venture requirements. In October 2025, the Company utilized its at-the-market program that was established in May 2025 ("May ATM Program") and sold 3,513,495 common shares of the Company at an average price of $7.12 per share, generating gross proceeds of approximately $25 million. Additional funding is expected to be available to Ambler Metals following the closing of the previously announced transaction with the US Department of War. On October 6, 2025, the Company announced a strategic investment by the US federal government of approximately $35.6 million to support the development of critical mineral resources at the UKMP through transactions with Trilogy Metals and South32. The transactions are anticipated to close in early 2026. About Trilogy Metals Trilogy Metals Inc. is a metal exploration and development company which holds a 50 percent interest in Ambler Metals LLC, which has a 100 percent interest in the UKMP in northwestern Alaska. On December 19, 2019, South32, a globally diversified mining and metals company, exercised its option to form a 50/50 joint venture with Trilogy. The UKMP is located within the Ambler Mining District which is one of the richest and most-prospective known copper-dominant districts in the world. It hosts world-class polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver, and carbonate replacement deposits which have been found to host high-grade copper and cobalt mineralization. Exploration efforts have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler Mining District the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement deposit. Both deposits are located within a land package that spans approximately 190,929 hectares. Ambler Metals has an agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., an Alaska Native Corporation that provides a framework for the exploration and potential development of the Ambler Mining District in cooperation with local communities. Trilogy's vision is to develop the Ambler Mining District into a premier North American copper producer while protecting and respecting subsistence livelihoods. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding Ambler Metals' 2026 work program and budget, the Company's 2026 budget, acceptance into the FAST-41 program, early-stage funding opportunities with AIDEA, the use of proceeds of sales under the May ATM Program, and the closing of the transactions with the US federal government are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving the outcome of pending litigation, success of exploration activities, permitting timelines, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services, uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and geological tests, unexpected cost increases and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2024 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc. The business has appointed a Director of Public Affairs and Communications, and a Director of HSE, as it continues to scale in response to increasing demand for its services. REYKJAVIK, Iceland, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- atNorth, the leading Nordic high-density colocation and built-to-suit datacenter provider, has announced two new Director appointments that enhance the company's leadership capacity and support the success of its long-term expansion strategy. Tatu Tuominen, Director of Public Affairs and Communications Tatu will lead atNorth's policy engagement, corporate communications and reputations strategy, ensuring that every message supports the company's strategy, brand and goals. The role will play a crucial part in enhancing atNorth's position as the leading provider of sustainable data centers in the Nordics and Tatu will develop a cross functional narrative to promote positive customer relationships, community engagement, recruitment and investor relations. Tatu brings a wealth of expertise from senior communications roles across a variety of sectors including Head of Communications, Public Affairs, Science and Sustainability at Bayer, SVP of Communications at VR Group and Head of Communications and Public Affairs at Telia Finland. Tatu also has experience from the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU and as a Ministerial Advisor, which makes him ideally suited to leading atNorth's engagement with policymakers and industry associations as the future of digital infrastructure industries continue to evolve. Based at atNorth's FIN02 facility, Tatu will report to Chief Strategy, Marketing and Communications Officer, Fredrik Jansson. Anne Helenius-Heir - Director of HSE Anne will be accountable for the future road map of health, safety and environmental considerations across atNorth's operational and developing data center campuses. Anne will ensure the future proofing of atNorth's HSE framework to safeguard the health and safety of all individuals on site, as well as the campuses themselves in order to sustain the business as a high performing, compliant organization. With a proven track record from leadership roles at Shell, ABB, and Kemira Oyj, Anne has successfully developed and implemented global EHSQ frameworks, advanced ESG reporting and driven measurable improvements in safety culture and sustainability performance. She also brings valuable expertise in environmental due diligence and corporate responsibility. Based at atNorth's FIN02 campus in Espoo, Finland, Anne will report to Chief Sustainability and Compliance Officer, Janne Sigurdsson. As atNorth continues to experience rising demand for its responsible high performance data centers, its commitment to bolstering its leadership team ensures the business benefits from deep expertise, fresh perspectives and relevant strategic insights as a framework for future success. "We are proud to welcome such talented leaders to our team", says Eyjolfur Magnus Kristinsson, CEO atNorth. "Their vision and experience will play a key role in driving our ongoing expansion as we continue to deliver state of the art data centers in an environmentally responsible way." The news follows a number of other recent strategic appointments including a Delivery Director for each country atNorth operates in; Hallgrimur Orn Arngrimsson, Director of Delivery, Iceland, Toni Germano, Director of Delivery, Finland, Dave O'Brien, Director of Delivery, Denmark and Daniel Kolm, Director of Delivery, Sweden. Additionally, the business has announced Bara Hlin Kristjansdottir, Director of PMO & Product, Jonas Luckner, Director of Commercial Management, Camilla O'Leary, Director of Client Management, Howard Shutt, Director of Hyperscale Sales, and Espen Bjanes, Sales Director. About atNorth atNorth is a leading Nordic data center company that offers cost-effective, scalable high-density colocation and built-to-suit services trusted by industry-leading organizations. With sustainability at its core, atNorth's data centers run on renewable energy resources and support circular economy principles. All atNorth sites leverage innovative design, power efficiency, and intelligent operations to provide long-term infrastructure and flexible colocation deployments. atNorth is headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland and operates eight data centers in strategic locations across the Nordics, as well as a ninth under construction in Kouvola, Finland and a tenth site in lgod, Denmark. The business has also secured land for a future mega site in the Solleftea Municipality in Sweden. For more information, visit atNorth.com or follow atNorth on LinkedIn. Press Contact: Caroline Brunton Kite Hill PR for atNorth +44 (0) 7796 274 416 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/atnorth/r/two-new-directors-join-atnorth-as-growth-drive-continues,c4283192 The following files are available for download: Former Accenture Song and OLIVER executive, and Keurig Dr Pepper Marketing VP, Kobe joins Monks in a newly-created position focused on client transformation and operational excellence NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Monksthe global, digital-first, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4 Capital plchas appointed Kristine Kobe as EVP, Global Client Lead on General Motors. Kristine brings over 20 years of in-house consulting and integrated agency experience transforming global brands and marketing organizations into award-winning, results-driven industry leaders. Former Accenture Song and OLIVER executive, and Keurig Dr Pepper Marketing VP, Kristine Kobe joins Monks A recognized expert in building and scaling high-impact marketing organizations, Kristine unites creative vision with operational discipline to deliver measurable business growth and industry-leading work. She drives strategic clarity, creative excellence, and operational rigor to architect and activate enterprise-level marketing strategies that elevate performance impact for Fortune 500 brands. In the newly-created role at Monks, Kristine will lead the General Motors account, driving innovation, operational efficiency and best in class creativity. Kobe will lead a global account client team centered on marketing orchestration and transformation, powered by AI. Kristine Kobe will report to Rick Eiserman, President at Monks. "I'm blown away by the talent at Monks, and the calibre of creative output from this team," said Kristine Kobe. "I want to drive business results for our clients through best-in-class creativity, powered by AI. I believe that working with the latest technology we can do incredible transformative work for our clientsand for ourselves as creatives. I can't wait to get started; honing my experience driving operational efficiency and creative excellence." "Kristine is a highly sought-after executive and we've been looking for the right role for her at Monks for quite some time," said Rick Eiserman, President at Monks. "With a proven track record of assembling high performing teams and leveraging technology to drive the transformation of traditional approaches, she's a visionary leader for our business. Having built some of the world's most valuable brands on both the client and agency side, Kristine is an ideal fit for General Motors and its portfolio of brands." Before joining Monks, Kobe was Managing Director with Accenture Song, and prior, Vice President of Marketing at Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. where she spearheaded the agency transformation of the in-house creative agency, leading 90+ cross-functional team members in serving 125+ unique brands. Prior to that, Kobe was Managing Partner at OLIVER, where she built and scaled the Molson-Coors in-house agency from scratch; drove rapid operational setup, team building, and creative enablement while delivering significant performance growth across digital, social, and CRM channels. She has also held roles at leading agencies including Leo Burnett, Digitas, and FCB. Kristine is a sought-after speaker and industry thought leader. She has been featured by The One Club, IHAF, and the Inside Jobs Podcast. Kobe is a 7x ANA In-House Excellence Awards Winner, including 2022 In-House Agency of the Year; 3x IHAF Award Winner, including 2024 In-House Agency of the Year; 8x Effie Award Winner; and a 4x Cannes Lions Award Winner, including Grand Prix for Creative Data. She is a proud member of CHIEF, the ANA, and the AMA and actively mentors and sponsors the next generation of leaders in marketing. About Monks Monks is the global, digital-first, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4 Capital plc. With a legacy of innovation and specialized expertise, Monks combines an extraordinary range of global Marketing and Technology Services to redefine how brands interact with the world. Through Monks.Flow, its flagship AI ecosystem for marketing orchestration, Monks transforms marketing into a growth engine, collapsing timelines and connecting brands to culture in real time. By deploying bespoke intelligent agents across disciplines and delivering culturally relevant, high-impact creative and digital solutions, Monks solves key critical business challenges across the entire brand enterprise to help brands sustain long-term impact. Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave: Global Marketing Services, ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-24) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger's Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek's first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show's inaugural AI Pioneer Organization, Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group's 2025 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in both the Organizational and AI Product categories. As a trusted partner to cutting-edge innovators in tech, Monks earned titles such as Optimizely Experimentation Partner of the Year (2025), runner-up for the Adobe Firefly Partner Award (2024), and Workato's AI Visionary Customer Impact Award (2024). Additionally, Monks achieved a record-breaking number of FWAs and continues to hold the most of any partner. About S4 Capital S4Capital plc (SFOR.L) is the tech-led, new age/new era digital advertising, marketing and technology services company, established by Sir Martin Sorrell in May 2018. Our strategy is to build a purely digital advertising and marketing services business for global, multinational, regional, and local clients, and millennial-driven influencer brands. This will be achieved by integrating leading businesses in two synchronised Practices: Marketing Services and Technology services, along with an emphasis on 'faster, better, cheaper, more' execution in an always-on consumer-led environment, with a unitary structure. The Company now has approximately 6,500 people in 33 countries with approximately 80% of net revenue across the Americas, 15% across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 5% across Asia-Pacific. The longer-term objective is a geographic split of 60%:20%:20%. Marketing Services accounted for approximately 90% of net revenue, and Technology Services 10%. The longer term objective is a practice split of 75%:25%. Sir Martin was CEO of WPP for 33 years, building it from a 1 million 'shell' company in 1985 into the world's largest advertising and marketing services company, with a market capitalisation of over 16 billion on the day he left. Prior to that Sir Martin was Group Financial Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Company Plc for nine years. Media Contact Sarah Murray [email protected] SOURCE Monks Photo: https://t.me/ivan_fedorov_zp The number of people injured in the Russian bombing strike on Zaporizhia and its suburbs has risen to 26, including one child, according to Ivan Fedorov, head of the Regional Military Administration. "At least 21 people, including a child, were injured in an enemy attack on Zaporizhia and Zaporizhia region. Russians launched guided bombs, destroying residential buildings and damaging infrastructure and an educational institution," he wrote on Telegram. He later reported that the number of victims had risen to 26. There may still be people under the rubble. According to Fedorov, all the wounded are receiving the necessary medical care. It was previously reported that the enemy launched an air strike on Zaporizhia and Zaporizhia district, hitting residential buildings and suggesting there may be people under the rubble. A woman was also injured in a suburban community, according to Fedorov. Built on Google Cloud infrastructure, Drive Health is expanding Avery's clinical workflow and operational capabilities, building toward broader health system and health plan deployment and a planned Series A in 2026. MIAMI, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitalis Ventures , an investment platform focused on AI enabled healthcare technology companies advancing next-generation care delivery, announces a strategic $15 million investment in Drive Health , the healthcare technology company behind Avery, a Google-powered agentic AI platform designed to transform how patients navigate care and alleviate the workload placed on clinicians. The total investment includes an additional tranche scheduled to close in Q1 2026. Vitalis Ventures partnered with Inside Capital Partners on the transaction. avery ipad (PRNewsfoto/Vitalis) This latest investment from Vitalis Ventures brings the total capital committed to Drive Health to $26+ million. The funding marks a significant step in Drive Health's expansion as the company looks toward a Series A in 2026 and continues to advance its collaboration with Google to deliver scalable, clinically aligned AI support across health systems, managed care organizations and population health plans. Upon completion of the second tranche, Vitalis Ventures will join Drive Health's Board of Directors, with a focus on strengthening and developing partnerships throughout the healthcare ecosystem. "This partnership marks a major inflection point for Drive Health," said Kevin Longoria, CEO of Drive Health. "Vitalis brings real operational depth, health-system experience, and the long-term vision needed to scale Avery responsibly. With their support, and through our continued work with Google, we are accelerating our ability to deliver safe, accessible, and compassionate AI support to healthcare facilities and patients nationwide." "Drive Health developed the lowest latency, most comprehensive and clinically aligned workflow automation platform in the market, with the potential to meaningfully reshape how care teams manage communication and follow-up," said Elliot LaBreche, Founder and CEO of Vitalis. "We believe Avery's approach to continuity-of-care represents the future of patient support, and we are proud to partner with the Drive Health team as they scale the platform nationwide." Avery is Drive Health's flagship AI-enabled clinical workflow engine, built to support nurses and care teams in managing high-volume communication, education, and coordination tasks with patients and families. Avery automates well-defined units of work such as discharge orchestration, secure-message triage, and follow-up outreach, operating under hospital-defined rules and risk caps. Integrated directly into clinical workflows, Avery can draft and deliver clinician-approved education, collect symptom and adherence information, and route issues for review based on safe escalation criteria across episodes like pregnancy, chronic disease management, and post-discharge recovery. By handling routine questions and administrative tasks under strict human oversight, Avery helps healthcare providers operate more efficiently while allowing doctors and nurses to focus their expertise on high-touch, in-person care. Avery is designed to support, not replace, the judgment of licensed clinicians. It does not independently diagnose, treat, or prescribe, and every workflow runs with human-in-the-loop controls, audit logging, and safety governance. Backed by Google and built on Google Cloud's healthcare-grade infrastructure, Avery can communicate in more than 15 languages and operate with enterprise-level security, speed, and scale. Beginning in 2024, Drive Health and Google partnered to deepen Avery's contextual reasoning, cybersecurity, enterprise scalability, and health-system integration, a collaboration that positions Avery as one of the most advanced AI solutions entering the market today. To ensure Avery evolves in step with clinical needs, safety and regulatory standards, the platform is developed in close collaboration with front-line nurses and clinicians through Drive Health's Clinical Advisory Council. Drive Health also maintains a Clinical Safety Committee which brings interprofessional voices to AI governance and patient-safety. With this latest capital commitment, Drive Health gains strategic funding and the opportunity to leverage Vitalis' deep experience partnering with healthcare systems. This expertise in patient flow, operational bottlenecks, and workforce challenges will help Drive Health accelerate deployment and adoption across payers and providers. Drive Health and Google are also supporting the State of Illinois' Healthy Baby initiative, a multi-year program aimed at improving maternal and infant outcomes in underserved communities. The initiative will support more than 56,000 participating families with Google Pixel devices, Fitbit technology, and AT&T connectivity, while Avery delivers clinician-approved education, appointment reminders, and structured symptom check-ins from pregnancy through postpartum under the supervision of clinicians. As Drive Health prepares for its upcoming Series A, the company plans to expand Avery into additional care pathways, explore innovative regulatory approaches, deepen health system integrations, and grow its team of clinical experts guiding the evolution of the platform, with the long-term goal of making continuous access to care available to every patient, everywhere. About Drive Health Drive Health turns AI workflows into audited clinical systems where every action is measured, governed, and proven. Avery, Drive Health's clinical workflow engine, automates well-defined nursing and care-team tasks like discharge orchestration, secure-message triage, and rounding follow-up. Avery is designed to support, not replace, the judgment of licensed clinicians. It does not independently diagnose, treat, or prescribe. Each workflow operates under hospital-defined risk caps, human-in-the-loop controls, and continuous monitoring for safety and performance review. For more information, visit DriveHealth.ai . About Vitalis Vitalis Ventures invests in AI-enabled healthcare technology companies to improve access, quality, and efficiency across the U.S. health system. Their thesis is informed by years of operating a portfolio of outpatient medical, surgery center and behavioral health facilities, which gives the team a unique understanding of how patients move through the health system, where bottlenecks occur, and how technology can increase efficiencies & reduce cost. Vitalis Ventures backs companies that solve the industry's most urgent structural challengesmost notably the nationwide labor shortage, diagnostic delays, gaps in care coordination, and rising costs. To learn more about Vitalis, visit https://vitalisventures.ai/ . About Inside Capital Partners Inside Capital Partners ("INSIDE") is a Venture Growth Fund focused on investing in and scaling innovative AI and deep health tech solutions. By leveraging deep relationships with health systems, industry leaders, government entities, and domestic as well as international partners, INSIDE unlocks significant value for companies, health systems, and the overall U.S. healthcare market. To learn more about INSIDE, visit: https://insidecapitalpartners.com/ Media Contact: Monocle PR Gaby Harris [email protected] SOURCE Vitalis Innovative 30-credit degree delivers rigorous, flexible legal education for working professionals across numerous industries CHICAGO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AllCampus , a leading higher education strategic partner helping top universities and employers solve their biggest academic program and workplace benefit challenges, today announced a new collaboration with Wake Forest University School of Law to support its online Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program. The program is designed to equip professionals across a variety of industries with practical legal knowledge, compliance expertise, and the confidence to navigate complex regulatory environments without disrupting their careers. The 30-credit program is structured for part-time study and offers flexible online courses taught by Wake Forest Law faculty. Students gain immediately applicable skills and deep legal understanding, choosing from customizable learning paths in Business Law and Compliance , Health Law and Policy, Human Resources , Financial Services or a general track . "By partnering with Wake Forest, we're empowering professionals to expand their understanding of the law in a way that fits their careers," said Joe Diamond, CEO at AllCampus. "We're proud that Wake Forest selected AllCampus following a competitive review process, recognizing the strength of our flexible model and our proven ability to grow high-quality online programs authentically." Wake Forest's online MLS provides a career-focused curriculum tailored for non-lawyers seeking to strengthen their ability to interpret and apply legal concepts in their workplaces. With competitive tuition and asynchronous learning, the program offers a prestigious education with a strong return on investment. "At Wake Forest Law, we're committed to making high-quality legal education accessible to professionals across industries," said Adam Landreth, Assistant Dean for Online Programs at Wake Forest University School of Law. "Through our partnership with AllCampus, we're extending the reach of our faculty's expertise and providing learners with the tools to navigate the legal and regulatory challenges that shape today's business landscape." The program offers flexible online learning, with 100% asynchronous courses designed to accommodate the schedules of working professionals. Offering significant value for the cost, the program provides entry to a highly regarded legal education that helps students advance their careers. For more information on AllCampus, its services and its university and employer partners, please visit: allcampus.com . Learn more about the Wake Forest Master of Legal Studies program , including details about the curriculum , admissions , and program tracks . About AllCampus With a mission to make higher education more affordable and accessible for all, AllCampus is a leading higher education strategic partner that helps universities evolve their academic programs and exceed the dynamic expectations of students. Universities and employers trust AllCampus to build lasting partnerships that bring high-value education to working professionals around the globe. AllCampus is a company of lifelong learners, quantitative data geeks and creative thinkers looking to make a difference through education. To learn more, follow AllCampus on LinkedIn or visit allcampus.com . About Wake Forest University School of Law Wake Forest University School of Law seeks to advance the cause of justice by creating knowledge and educating students to meet the legal needs of the world with confidence, character, and creativity. Wake Forest Law instills in students a respect for the law, a devotion to the ideal of service, and a commitment to professional values. For more information, visit law.wfu.edu . Contact: [email protected] SOURCE AllCampus The multifamily developer brings 365 units to one of the fastest-growing cities in the state DENVER, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A joint-venture between national multifamily developer Wood Partners and Clarion Partners officially broke ground on Alta Metro Center in Aurora, Colorado, the largest suburb of Denver and the state's third-largest city. The 365-unit project is slated to be delivered in Q1 2028. The investment is located within an Opportunity Zone, a geography established by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, incentivizing development in under-served areas in exchange for investor tax savings. Alta Metro Center is conveniently located within the larger Metro Center master-planned development, a walkable district that brings together residential, retail and civic uses. As part of this broader vision, the multifamily community will contribute to the area's emphasis on art, incorporating colorful, creative installations throughout, including two distinct pocket parks featuring functional art, seating areas, play zones and outdoor fitness spaces. The community also sits just a few blocks from a light rail station, providing residents with direct transit access across the Denver metro area. "Alta Metro Center reflects our continued focus on building communities that offer more than just a place to live," said Walter Armer, Managing Director at Wood Partners. "The community's walkable setting, access to transit and proximity to a mix of uses create a neighborhood feel we know residents value. We look forward to delivering a project that supports the long-term growth and vibrancy of Aurora." "Alta Metro Center aligns perfectly with our strategy of investing in well-planned transit-oriented environments in high-growth markets and in product that provides residents a best-in-class living experience," said Ian McKay, Senior Vice President at Clarion Partners. "As an Opportunity Zone investment, it provides investors with tax advantages while also supporting long-term economic development in a growing part of the Denver metro. We're excited to partner with Wood Partners on a project that we believe will serve as a catalyst for the area for years to come." The four-building, four-story community features a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment layouts. The main building will include a clubhouse leasing center, a fitness center, a pool, a lounge and a gaming area with a kitchen. Additional amenities, including a library and lounge zone, a micro-fitness area and a dog washing station, will be located throughout the other three buildings. Earlier this year, Wood Partners broke ground on Alta Flatirons in Superior, Colorado, a 251-unit community located on one of the last remaining parcels of the Downtown Superior Masterplan. Additionally, Wood Partners has two other communities available for lease in the area, including Alta Piney Creek, a 186-unit community in southeast Aurora and Alta Mile High, a 216-unit community south of the Mile High Stadium in Denver. A Clarion Partners joint venture successfully completed delivery of the first phase of The Gild, a best-in-class apartment community located adjacent to the Alta Metro Center site. With thoughtfully designed residences, modern amenities, and a commitment to resident comfort, The Gild is quickly establishing itself as a desirable address in the area. Its completion underscores Clarion's dedication to creating well-rounded, amenity-rich living environments like Aurora's Metro Center a standard carried forward with Alta Metro Center. About Wood Partners Wood Partners is a national leader in the development and construction of multifamily communities across the United States. The company has been involved in the acquisition and development of more than 115,000 multifamily homes with a combined capitalization of $24 billion. The company currently owns more than 80 properties across the United States, representing approximately 25,000 homes. Headquartered in Atlanta, Wood Partners has offices in 17 major markets across the country. Wood Partners is consistently ranked as one of the five largest multifamily developers in the United States. For more information, visit www.woodpartners.com . About Clarion Partners Clarion Partners, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser with FCA-authorized and FINRA member affiliates, has been a leading U.S. real estate investment manager for more than 40 years. Headquartered in New York, the Firm maintains strategically located offices across the United States and Europe. With over $73 billion in total real estate and debt assets under management, Clarion Partners offers a broad range of real estate strategies across the risk/return spectrum. The firm is currently invested in over 170 properties located in Opportunity Zones. Clarion Partners is an independently operated specialist investment manager of Franklin Templeton. More information about the firm is available at www.clarionpartners.com . Media Contact: Addy Kundla [email protected] SOURCE Wood Partners From Access to Empowerment: Over 237 Water Cellars Deliver Sustainable Hope in Africa XUZHOU, China, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- XCMG has announced the completion and handover of the sixth phase of the Africa Water Cellar Project in Ethiopia, a global public-welfare initiative jointly launched by XCMG and the China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD). The latest phase delivered 36 new water cellars in Ethiopia, raising the total number constructed under the program to 237 directly benefiting tens of thousands of local residents by improving access to safe, reliable drinking water. The completion ceremony of the Sixth-Phase of the XCMG Africa Water Cellar Project The handover ceremony, held in late November in Ethiopia, was attended by representatives from XCMG and CFRD, community representatives and local agricultural officials. "From 0 to 237 each cellar represents a drop of hope for rural households," said Meng Xianggang, a representative from XCMG International Business Unit, Ethiopia Office. "We are proud to contribute to long-term solutions for clean water access, and remain committed to helping communities build sustainable livelihoods." "Ethiopia receives ample rainfall each year, but because it was not properly harvested, most of it runs off making water scarce during the dry season," said the agricultural head of Minjar County. "These 36 newly built water cellars benefit 36 households. On behalf of our community, I thank the China Foundation for Rural Development, XCMG, and the Ethiopian Rainwater Harvesting Association for their generous support." A beneficiary farmer shared how the water cellar has changed her life. With a reliable water supply, households can now grow crops such as coffee, papayas and avocados, creating new income opportunities. Local residents have expressed deep gratitude to XCMG and CFRD for their continued support. Since its launch in 2016, the Africa Water Cellar Project has evolved from an initial pilot into a large-scale program its six phases of cellar construction drawing a clear, robust track record of corporate responsibility. What began as efforts to guarantee basic drinking water access has expanded to support household-level livelihoods and rural "courtyard economies," injecting sustainable development capacity into local communities. With this milestone, XCMG reaffirms its role not only as a global leader in construction machinery, but also as a socially responsible enterprise committed to sustainable development and global welfare. The company plans to continue extending its Africa Water Cellar Program and exploring further projects that integrate infrastructure, community support and environmental sustainability. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847510/IMG_5271.jpg About this content About Oliver Haill Oliver has been writing about companies and markets since the early 2000s, cutting his teeth as a financial journalist at Growth Company Investor with a focusing on AIM companies and small caps, before a few years later becoming a section editor and then head of research. He joined Proactive after a couple of years freelancing, where he worked for the Financial Times Group, ITV, Press Association, Reuters sports desk, the London Olympic News Service, Rugby World Cup News Service, Gracenote... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. About this content About Jamie Ashcroft Jamie Ashcroft, the News Editor for Proactive UK, has developed an impressive career in financial journalism, focusing on the small-cap sector for over fourteen years. Before joining the Proactive team, he was a stockbroker during the global financial crisis, a role that complemented his educational background - a first-class degree in Business and Economics and qualifications in software design and development. As one of the early external hires at Proactive in 2009, Jamie contributed... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. Treasury Wine Estates (ASX: TWE) shares plunged 17% to a fresh 11-year low of $4.57 after the global wine group flagged weaker-than-expected first-half earnings, with analysts pointing to a material downgrade driven largely by the Americas. RBC Capital Markets analyst Michael Toner described the update as a significant miss, estimating Treasury Wines 1H26 guidance was around 30% below expectations, with the Americas division missing by about 50%. We are currently experiencing category weakness in the US and China, two of our key growth markets, which will impact our business performance in the near-term. Maintaining the strength of our brands and the health of their respective sales channels is of critical importance to our Management team and our Board as we navigate through the current environment," TWEs CEO Sam Fischer said. TWE is a high-quality business with strong foundations in place for sustainable, profitable growth. Our powerful portfolio of brands, leading market positions in attractive growth markets, unparalleled supply chain and highly engaged, capable team are all considerable strengths that position us strongly to deliver sustainable, profitable growth over the long-term. Im energised by the opportunity to accelerate a transformation agenda to reshape TWE for its next era, leveraging these strong foundations. We have commenced work to identify opportunities to simplify the way we operate, to strengthen our execution focus right across the business and to realise significant cost benefits. I look forward to providing our investors with updates on our progress over coming months. Category weakness in US and China drives reset The sell-off followed Treasury Wines investor update and 1H26 outlook, which outlined deteriorating category conditions in key markets, particularly the US and China, alongside strategic actions aimed at protecting brand equity and resetting inventory levels. The company said wine category dynamics have weakened in recent months, with near-term improvement now considered unlikely. As a result, depletion growth expectations have been moderated, leading to elevated customer inventory levels in both the US and China. In China, parallel import activity has also disrupted pricing for Penfolds, Treasury Wines flagship luxury brand. Treasury Wine expects group EBITS for 1H26 to be in the range of $225 million to $235 million, with second-half earnings forecast to exceed the first half. The outlook excludes any potential benefit from a settlement with former US distributor Republic National Distributing Company. Penfolds: inventory reduction and parallel import clampdown Penfolds remains the groups key earnings contributor, with depletions growth continuing in core markets led by Bin 389 and Bin 407. However, performance in the ultra-luxury segment has fallen short of expectations amid broader weakness in global fine wine markets. In China, Penfolds depletions rose 21% in the three months to October, though Treasury Wine said growth is now expected to be lower than its original FY26 operating plan due to reduced large-scale banqueting activity. To address elevated distributor inventory and protect brand integrity, the company plans to reduce China distributor inventories by around 0.4 million cases (about $215 million in net sales revenue) over a 2-year period from 2Q26. Shipments contributing to parallel imports will also be significantly restricted. Penfolds 1H26 EBITS is expected to be approximately $200 million, with earnings broadly balanced across the year. Americas: California disruption and slower depletions The Americas division emerged as the key pressure point. Luxury wine market trends in the US have moderated, with the category declining 2.4% over the latest 26 weeks, driven largely by weakness in California. Treasury Americas depletions are down 4.6% year-to-date, despite growth outside California. Distributor inventory outside California has been assessed as around 0.3 million cases above optimal levels, prompting a planned 2-year inventory reduction program. Treasury Americas 1H26 EBITS is expected to be about $40 million, impacted by the Californian distribution transition and inventory actions, with stronger earnings anticipated in the second half. Negotiations with RNDC are ongoing, with no change to the previously disclosed potential $100 million impact to FY26 net sales revenue linked to remaining California inventory. The revised shipment profile is also expected to reduce the run-rate benefit from DAOU synergies in FY26 to about US$20 million, down from US$30 million previously. Treasury Collective: tariffs to bite, US premium remains weak Treasury Collective continues to perform in line with expectations in Australia and EMEA, though the US premium wine segment remains in decline. US tariffs on Australian and New Zealand wine are expected to reduce Treasury Collective EBITS by about $10 million, net of pricing actions. Balance sheet: leverage rises, buyback cancelled Treasury Wine expects leverage to rise to around 2.5 times at 1H26, remaining above its 1.52.0 times target range for approximately 2 years as it works through rebalancing customer inventories. The company has cancelled its on-market share buyback of up to $200 million (with $30.5 million completed in 1Q26) and flagged a review of dividends, potential non-core asset sales and planned capital investment. New CEO Sam Fischer said Treasury Wine was responding decisively to near-term market challenges while positioning the business for long-term growth through a company-wide transformation program, TWE Ascent. The program targets $100 million per annum in cost improvement, with initial benefits expected to commence in FY27 and full realisation over a 23 year period. About this content About Fouad Haidar Fouad is a trilingual broadcast journalist & content producer/presenter for Proactive. He has a Communication & Media degree from the University of Western Australia & a Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He's worked in Dubai for 7 years reporting on Hollywood A-listers & producing a daily morning show. Back in Australia, he's worked as a weather and lifestyle presenter for Sky News Australia before moving into business and... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. About this content About Jonathan Jackson Jonathan Jackson is an experienced writer and editor. Over the past 20 years, he has worked in print and digital media across several business and finance titles amd is currently the Australian news editor at Proactive Investors covering the latest news for ASX listed companies as well as current financial trends. He was previously managing editor with Business First magazine, Wealth Creator Magazine and StocksDigital. Jonathan has interviewed some of the world's top CEOs and covered... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. Diablo Resources (ASX: DBO) has completed a reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at its 100%-owned Phoenix Copper Project in southeast Utah, with assays pending from 10 holes drilled across the Fair Dinkum and Philadelphia target areas. A track-mounted RC rig drilled 10 holes for 906 m, with samples submitted to the laboratory. At Fair Dinkum, the company completed 8 holes for 722 m targeting the Flying Diamond Fault zone, which Diablo considers a key structure associated with copper mineralisation in the broader district. The target sits about 5 km southeast of the Lone Wolf deposit and around 2 km east of the Flying Diamond deposit. Diablo previously reported surface grab sampling at Fair Dinkum returning peak results of 2.76% copper and 92 g/t silver, with an average copper grade of 1.12% (minimum 0.19% Cu) and 7 of 13 samples above 1% Cu. At the Philadelphia Prospect, Diablo drilled 2 holes for 184 m to test strike and depth extensions of a copper mineralised zone associated with historical workings and a sub-vertical fault system. The latest work followed earlier wide-spaced drilling that returned 10.5 m at 1.02% Cu including 1.5 m at 3.99% Cu from 36.5 m in hole PHIL 25-107, while earlier surface sampling included 6 m at 2.13% Cu (including 1 m at 7.16% Cu) and rock samples up to 45.7% Cu. The company has had an active and rewarding 2025, with exploration firmly focused on advancing prospects within our portfolio to take full advantage of the current US administrations drive to secure domestic critical minerals supply. This approach returned exciting results at our two key projects delivering priority targets to progress in 2026," CEO, Lyle Thorne said. "At our Phoenix Copper Project, early surface geochemical sampling and mapping provided strong encouragement to drill high grade outcropping copper targets at several areas, including Fair Dinkum and Philadelphia, where geological similarities to known copper deposits are compelling. We completed our maiden drill program at Phoenix in August, returning shallow high-grade copper intercepts from wide-spaced drilling at Philadelphia. This gave us sound momentum to undertake a second program, recently completed, at both Philadelphia and our priority Fair Dinkum Target located along strike from known copper deposits, with assays results awaited." Star Range silverantimony sampling expands as targets take shape Meanwhile at the Star Range SilverAntimony Project in Beaver County, Utah, Diablo has expanded its surface sampling, with 65 reconnaissance rock samples now at the laboratory. Earlier work confirmed multiple high-grade vein-breccia systems, with peak results reported at 3,043 g/t silver and 0.7% antimony, supported by historical results up to 8,760 g/t silver with >1% antimony. "Our ongoing review of other opportunities in the US critical minerals space led to the acquisition of the Star Range Silver-Antimony Project during the year. Defined by numerous old workings, outcropping silver-antimony mineralisation and a rich mining history, the project has already delivered high grade results from several prospect areas. On ground exploration also led to a meaningful expansion of tenure covering mineralised outcrop and extensions to known mineralised trends,' Thorne said. "Results from the recent geophysical and geochemical programs are pending with an anticipation of further delineating exciting targets for follow-up. We plan to quickly outline drill targets and get the drill bit turning in 2026. "We also listed on the US OTC market this year which allows U.S. investors to better appreciate the value of our near-mine, high-quality exploration assets. In line with this strategy, we also appointed a US-based Non-Executive Director to strengthen our domestic presence, positioning the company to explore additional promising US opportunities, including potential acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, and other strategic corporate initiatives. "All of our efforts in 2025 have provided a strong foundation for ongoing exploration success at both projects into 2026. Our highly experienced US-based team provide a definitive in- country advantage for effective completion of well-planned exploration programs, and is committed to deliver shareholder value through continued systematic, focused and efficient exploration." Diablo recently completed a second Phoenix drill program at both Philadelphia and Fair Dinkum and was awaiting assays, while geophysical and geochemical results at Star Range were also pending as it moves to outline drill targets for 2026. Photo: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine The U.S.-European peace plan to deter future Russian attacks on Ukraine calls for a more robust Ukrainian military, the deployment of European forces inside the country and increased use of American intelligence, according to officials familiar with drafts that detail the proposal. American and European diplomats meeting with Ukraines leaders over the past two days in Berlin have mostly signed off on two documents that outline the security guarantees, the officials said publicly and privately. The security documents are designed to serve as the cornerstone of a broader agreement aimed at reaching a cease-fire to end the nearly four-year-old conflict, the message reads. One of the two documents lays out broad principles. They amount to what two American officials and several European diplomats said was a commitment similar to NATOs Article 5 guarantee, in which all member nations pledge to come to the aid of any nation that is attacked. The second part of the agreement, which American officials described as a mil-to-mil operating document, or military-to-military, provides more granular detail. It explains how American and European forces would work with Ukraines military to ensure that Russia does not once again attempt to seize Ukrainian territory in the years to come. Neither document has been made public. People familiar with them said the operating document includes numerous, specific directives designed to reassure Ukraine in various scenarios of possible Russian incursion. One American official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity, said that the document was very specific about how to deter further incursions and punish Russia if they occur, the message reads. The first priority is a plan to bring the size of Ukraines military to a peacetime level of 800,000 troops, with up-to-date training and equipment, to serve as a strong deterrent against Russia. Building and maintaining such a force would require sustained and significant support for Ukraine. One European diplomat said without specifying that the document lists very concrete details about military hardware that Ukraine needs. The document also lays out details about a Europe-led military force to assist Ukraine by operating inside the country to secure the skies and seas. Officials declined to provide specifics about which countries would station troops in Ukraine. Those troops are expected to be based in western Ukraine, away from any cease-fire line, to serve as another level of deterrence against any future Russian aggression. Instead, the operational document provides detail about how the United States would use its vast intelligence systems to help monitor the cease-fire and detect Russian activity aimed at re-entering the rest of Ukraine, officials said. The Americans would also help verify Russian compliance and make sure that minor skirmishes between Russia and Ukraine do not spiral into a new war. It also details how the United States would help detect Russian attempts to create false flag operations that might give Moscow a pretense to resume hostilities. Officials have said for years that is a common Russian tactic. Mondays statement from the European leaders said the United States would lead a cease-fire monitoring and verification mechanism with international participation to provide early warning of any future attack. The ezine says that it was not clear whether or how American forces would intervene to defend European troops in Ukraine should they be attacked. The ezine notes that American and European officials said the new security guarantee would be legally binding, subject to each countrys procedures. U.S. officials said that Mr. Trump had agreed to submit the security guarantees to the Senate, where treaties are typically ratified, though they did not make clear whether they would formally submit the guarantees as a treaty. The publication notes, however, that Russia is not participating in the negotiations and has shown little willingness to do so, suggesting that a broad ceasefire remains elusive. Some European leaders have hinted at persistent concerns that any diplomatic engagement with the Americans may be inappropriate unless the fundamental disputes between Russia and Ukraine are resolved. It sounded very promising, compared to the previous declarations, that the Americans are ready to give guarantees but it would be an exaggeration if I said that we know everything about the concrete details, said Donald Tusk, the prime minister of Poland. Alicanto Minerals Ltd (ASX:AQI) has agreed to acquire the Mt Henry Gold Project in Western Australia from Westgold Resources in a transaction that delivers immediate scale, a substantial near-surface resource base and clear growth optionality at current gold prices. The acquisition secures 100% ownership of the Mt Henry Gold Project, which hosts a JORC 2012 Mineral Resource of 915,000oz of gold and sits within a 16 kilometre mineralised corridor in the prolific Southern Kalgoorlie Terrane. JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate for Mt Henry Gold Project, Western Australia. Mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth, with extensive historic drilling highlighting strong potential for rapid resource growth. The deal is supported by a $28 million capital raising and will see Westgold emerge as a 19.9% shareholder in Alicanto, providing strategic alignment as the project advances. The Mt Henry acquisition is an exceptional company-making opportunity for Alicanto. It provides immediate scale, a high-quality, near-surface Resource and a clear platform for rapid growth and development," Alicanto interim executive chair, Ray Shorrocks, said. The 0.9Moz resource and pit shells were calculated when the gold price was one-quarter of its current level and the historic drilling data shows most holes ended in mineralisation. Given the wide-open nature of the mineralisation and the huge increase in the gold price, the upside at Mt Henry is immense on every level. We will waste no time in unlocking this potential, with a 50,000m drilling program already scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2026. We are pleased to welcome Westgold as a 19.9% shareholder from completion of the Acquisition. This commitment reflects their confidence in the quality of the Mt Henry Gold Project and in Alicantos strategy to build a meaningful Western Australian gold business. Transaction structure and consideration Under the binding agreement, Alicanto will pay Westgold $15 million in upfront cash and issue approximately 357.1 million shares, equivalent to a 19.9% equity stake in the company following completion of the acquisition and placement. In addition, up to $30 million in contingent consideration is payable through performance-based milestones, structured as performance rights that vest over time. These milestones include completion of 20,000m of drilling, delivery of a minimum 2Moz mineral resource estimate, and a positive final investment decision to proceed with development. Alicanto retains the option to settle milestone payments in either cash or shares, depending on timing and achievement conditions. Completion of the transaction is subject to standard regulatory and shareholder approvals, with settlement targeted for early February 2026. Capital raising underpins growth strategy Concurrent with the acquisition, Alicanto has secured firm commitments to raise $28 million through a two-tranche placement priced at $0.055 per share. The placement attracted strong demand from institutional investors, including global precious metals funds, and will see board members, management and consultants contribute approximately $2.4 million. Proceeds will fund the upfront acquisition payment and an accelerated exploration and resource growth program at Mt Henry. Following completion of the acquisition and placement, Alicanto is expected to hold pro forma cash of approximately $17.3 million, positioning the company to move quickly into large-scale drilling. Mt Henry Gold Project: scale and location The Mt Henry Gold Project is located approximately 210km south of Kalgoorlie within the NorsemanKalgoorlie greenstone belt, one of Australias most prolific gold provinces. The broader belt hosts more than 150Moz of gold endowment in the southern sector alone and supports multiple long-life operations. Location of the Mt Henry Gold Project, located in Western Australia; 210km south of Kalgoorlie hosted in the Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone Belt. The Norseman-Wiluna Belt is host to >270Moz and there are fourteen +1Moz deposits in the immediate vicinity of the Project. The project comprises three defined deposits Mt Henry, Selene and North Scotia distributed along a 16km banded iron formation (BIF) horizon. Existing resources are largely shallow and were last mined in 2019, with the current mineral resource estimate constrained by pit shells generated at a gold price of around $2,160/oz. Plan of Mt Henry tenements and deposits. Prior drilling returned substantial widths and grades from unmined areas highlighting the scale and continuity of mineralisation, results include: 18.0m @ 16.4g/t gold from 14m (hole MHRD0121) 19.0m @ 9.0g/t gold from 29m (hole NMC005) 64.0m @ 3.9g/t gold from 65m (hole 5HENC068) 39.0m @ 5.2g/t gold from 100m (hole NHC122) 18.0m @ 9.8g/t gold from 1m (including 5m @ 33.1g/t from 8m) (hole NSRD0004) Mineralisation trends for 16km with only shallow (typically <50m) drilling previously completed on broad centres, with numerous significant intersections outside of the resources to follow up including: 10.0m @ 88.2g/t gold from 5m (including 4m @ 208.8g/t gold from 4m) (hole 84IPP13) 13.0m @ 13.3g/t gold from 5m (including 3m @ 41.8g/t gold from 9m) (hole 84IPP26) 2.0m @ 46.3g/t gold from 6m (hole NBC043) 12.0m @ 6.1g/t gold from 17m (hole NTC003) With the Australian dollar gold price now exceeding $6,000/oz, Alicanto sees clear scope for expanded pit designs and alternative development scenarios. Resource base and key project highlights The Mt Henry Gold Project hosts a total Mineral Resource of 24.5Mt at 1.2g/t gold for 915,000oz, classified across measured, indicated and inferred categories. Mineralisation is near surface, laterally extensive and remains open along strike and down dip across all three deposits. Historic drilling shows many holes ended in mineralisation, underscoring the potential to materially expand the resource base with modern, systematic drilling. Previous drilling has returned wide, high-grade intersections from both within and outside current resource envelopes, including multi-metre intervals at double-digit gram grades. Notably, large sections of the 16km corridor have only been shallowly tested, typically to less than 50m depth. Growth optionality across multiple deposits At the Mt Henry deposit, mineralisation extends over approximately 2km of strike and is typically 6m to 10m wide, with unmined intersections recorded beneath the existing pit and along strike. The Selene deposit represents the most significant open-pit growth opportunity within the project. Mineralisation extends for approximately 1.3km along strike and to depths of around 130m, with zones thickening locally to more than 35m. Selene remains open in multiple directions and is expected to be a key focus of early drilling. North Scotia differs in style, hosting higher-grade, vein- and shear-hosted mineralisation outside the main BIF horizon. Limited drilling to date has confirmed the presence of high-grade shoots, with strong potential for down-plunge extensions. Between the defined deposits, numerous walk-up drill targets remain untested despite historically returning high-grade intercepts, reinforcing the district-scale exploration upside. Immediate drilling program planned Alicanto plans to commence an aggressive 50,000m multi-rig drilling program immediately following completion of the acquisition. Drilling will target extensions to existing resources, depth continuity beneath known deposits and new discoveries along the broader 16km mineralised trend. The company will integrate Westgolds extensive technical dataset with updated geological and structural models to guide drilling and accelerate resource growth. Strategic alignment with Westgold Westgolds decision to retain a 19.9% equity position provides strong validation of the projects quality and future potential. The major gold producer will also have the right to appoint a non-executive director while its shareholding remains above 10%. The partnership reflects confidence in both the Mt Henry asset and the companys strategy to build a meaningful Western Australian gold business. With funding secured, a large resource base in hand and drilling ready to commence, Alicanto is positioning Mt Henry as a cornerstone asset with near-term growth and longer-term development optionality. About this content About Emily Jarvie Emily began her career as a political journalist for Australian Community Media in Hobart, Tasmania. After she relocated to Toronto, Canada, she reported on business, legal, and scientific developments in the emerging psychedelics sector before joining Proactive in 2022. She brings a strong journalism background with her work featured in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications across Australia, Europe, and North America, including The Examiner, The Advocate, The Canberra Times, and... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New Delhi, Dec 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Oman from on Wednesday at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, marking the final leg of his three-nation tour which also includes Jordan and Ethiopia. This will be Prime Minister Modi's second visit to Oman, underscoring the growing depth of the India-Oman strategic partnership. The visit assumes special significance as it coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Oman. It also follows Sultan Haitham bin Tariq's state visit to India in December 2023, reflecting the high-level political engagement between the two countries. During his stay, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold comprehensive talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, focusing on the full spectrum of bilateral relations. Discussions are expected to cover key areas including trade and investment, energy cooperation, defence and security, technology, agriculture, and cultural exchanges. The two leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Briefing the media ahead of the visit, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa & Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said this would be Prime Minister Modi's second visit to Oman after his earlier trip in February 2018. He highlighted the enduring nature of India-Oman ties, rooted in centuries-old contacts through maritime trade and people-to-people connections. "The Honourable Prime Minister will undertake a comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of bilateral relations with His Majesty the Sultan of Oman and exchange perspectives on regional and international issues of mutual interest," Chatterjee said. He added that Prime Minister Modi is also expected to address business leaders from both countries at a business forum, aimed at strengthening commercial and investment partnerships. In addition, the Prime Minister will interact with the Indian community in Oman, acknowledging their role in strengthening bilateral ties and contributing to Oman's economic development. India and Oman currently share a comprehensive strategic partnership, characterized by robust cooperation across diverse sectors. Oman remains an important partner for India in the Gulf region, with strong collaboration in energy security, maritime cooperation, and regional stability. Prime Minister Modi's visit is expected to further consolidate bilateral relations and provide fresh momentum to India-Oman cooperation in the years ahead. Seoul, Dec 17 : The military sent propaganda leaflets to North Korea at least 23 times last year under the former South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol administration, following an order issued the previous year to resume leaflet operations, a lawmaker said on Wednesday. The office of ruling party Rep. Choo Mi-ae disclosed the information, citing the result of a defense ministry probe, as Yoon faces charges of sending drones to North Korea last year to provoke a retaliation and use it as a pretext for his declaration of martial law last December. The National Security Council approved a decision to resume leaflet operations in October 2023 before carrying them out between February and November last year ahead of Yoon's failed martial law bid on December 3, according to the probe results submitted to Choo's office. The decision by the security council to resume such operations came shortly after the Constitutional Court ruled a law banning such campaigns unconstitutional in September 2023, citing freedom of expression. Leaflet operations had been suspended since July 2017. Then Defence Minister Shin Won-sik, then Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho and other security officials participated in the security council meeting to decide on the resumption, the lawmaker's office said. Key details, including the grounds on which the resumption was approved, however, remain unknown as the meeting's results have been classified. Following the decision, which Shin conveyed to the military in late 2023, the military's propaganda warfare unit distributed leaflets across 35 target areas, including major North Korean cities, such as Pyongyang and Wonsan, as well as military bases, between February 18 and November 15. North Korea has long bristled against the military's loudspeaker broadcasts and leaflets sent by activists over fears of outside information that could pose a threat to its ruling regime. In May last year, the North resumed its own leaflet operations, sending thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border into South Korea, claiming that Seoul first initiated leaflet campaigns against its regime, Yonhap news agency reported. The latest revelation comes after a special counsel team concluded earlier this week that Yoon began preparations for his short-lived imposition of martial law in or before October 2023, more than a year before the declaration on December 3, 2024. Following the conclusion, the defense ministry launched a special investigative unit to further look into allegations involving the military in the martial law bid. United Nations, Dec 17 : Following clashes in several parts of South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), all humanitarian activities remain suspended in the cities of Fizi and Baraka, a UN spokesperson said. The latest violence has sparked panic among civilians, and UN partners also reported some looting by armed people, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, at a daily briefing, quoting the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Local authorities estimate that since December 8, around 110,000 people have fled to other parts of South Kivu, while others have crossed into Burundi. There are also reports about people continuing toward Tanzania, Haq said. He said OCHA continues to engage with all parties to facilitate the safe movement of humanitarian teams and resume aid operations. Meanwhile, more than 78,000 people, including asylum seekers, returnees and migrants, have crossed into Burundi from South Kivu since December 5, according to the UN Refugee Agency, said the spokesperson. Approximately 15,000 people have so far been transferred to Burundi's Bweru and Makombe displacement and transition sites, he said, adding that all refugee camps and hosting sites have reported a sharp increase in population as new arrivals continue. According to the spokesperson, dozens of cases of cholera and two cases of mpox have been reported in the Gatumba displacement site, which is close to the border with the DRC, and UN partners working in health are trying to contain and manage the outbreaks, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier on December 8, UN humanitarians had said that fighting continues to intensify in the South Kivu province of the DRC, particularly around the localities of Kamanyola, Luvungi and Katogota. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) previously said that fighting among armed groups and restrictions during the second and third quarters of 2025 have severely limited humanitarian access or made it impossible in some places, including the localities of Minembwe and Itombwe, as well as the Hauts Plateaux. Seoul, Dec 17 : South Korean companies reported improved overall growth and profitability in the third quarter, driven by robust semiconductor exports amid an artificial intelligence (AI) boom, the central bank said on Wednesday. The combined sales of 26,067 companies subject to external audits rose 2.1 per cent from a year earlier in the July-September period, reversing a 0.7 per cent on-year decline in the second quarter, according to data from the Bank of Korea (BOK), reports Yonhap news agency. "The increase in sales was driven by rising exports of high value-added products, such as HBM and DDR5, amid expanding global AI investment, along with higher memory prices," Moon Sang-yoon, chief of the BOK's corporate statistics team, told a press briefing. Sales growth in the machinery and electrical and electronics industries jumped 8.9 per cent, more than quadrupling from 2.2 per cent in the previous quarter. Excluding these industries, the sales growth rate stood at around 1.1 per cent. "The strong performance by some large e-commerce retailers, increased sales of imported electric vehicles and solid earnings at digital platform companies also contributed to the upturn," Moon added. Profitability indicators also improved. The operating profit margin of the surveyed companies stood at 6.1 per cent in the third quarter, up from 5.8 per cent a year earlier. Financial stability indicators strengthened as well. The debt-to-equity ratio declined to 88.8 per cent in the third quarter from 89.8 per cent in the second quarter, while companies' reliance on borrowing fell 0.4 percentage point to 26.2 per cent. "Negative effects from new U.S. tariffs continued into the third quarter, but uncertainty has largely eased, and the strong performance of the semiconductor industry helped offset the impact," Moon said. "Negative effects from new U.S. tariffs continued into the third quarter, but uncertainty has largely eased, and the strong performance of the semiconductor industry helped offset the impact," Moon said. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/TrostyanetsTownCouncil In the Ukrainian city of Trostianets, with the support of Greenpeace, a green reconstruction of a five-story residential building at 53 Blahovischenska Street has been completed. The building was almost completely destroyed during the Russian occupation and hostilities, the city council's press service reported. "We are proving that we can not only restore what has been destroyed, but do it in a new way modern, environmentally friendly, and with an eye to the future. Most importantly, people are returning to safer, warmer, and energy-independent homes," Trostianets Mayor Yuriy Bova said. According to the release, this facility has become Ukraine's first "green" reconstruction project of a multi-apartment building and an example of a complete transition of a large residential building to renewable energy sources. A heat pump and a solar power plant are used for heating and electricity supply. The total cost of the system is EUR 218,000. The project was implemented as part of a state program and international partnership with financial support from Greenpeace. It is part of Trostianets' roadmap toward transitioning to a fossil gasfree city concept. Head of the Recovery and Infrastructure Development Service in Sumy region Dmytro Obukhov said restoration work began back in 2023. At the initiative of the mayor, the government decided not only to complete the exterior works but also to fully carry out interior works: entrance and interior doors were installed in apartments, plumbing was installed, wallpaper was applied, tiles were laid and laminate flooring installed, and lighting was mounted in most apartments. The work is expected to be fully completed by the New Year, after which the building will be officially commissioned. Andree Boehling, European co-lead of the Green Reconstruction of Ukraine project at Greenpeace Ukraine said that this is the first project of this scale in Ukraine. "It is especially valuable to see affected communities being revived and people returning to their homes while using the latest technologies," he added. As reported, the New Balance Trostianets master plan presented in 2023 was prepared for the Trostianets City Council by CES clean energy solutions GesmbH (Austria), iC consulenten Ukraine, tbw research (Austria), and Modul5 (Austria), with support from independent experts Peter Blaschke, Hannes Horvath, and Madis Maddison. The infrastructure component covered five areas: landfills and waste processing zones, water supply and drainage, wastewater, and energy and heat supply. Taking into account the city's urban development concept, two separate centralized heat supply strategies were developed for the outskirts and the city center. According to the plan, heat generation using biogas is considered promising for the city center, while individual heat pumps were proposed for private homes. It was also proposed to build a large solar power plant on an available 13.5-hectare land plot and to install solar panels on more than 1,000 private homes. According to the master plan developers, two such plants together could meet up to 77% of the city's needs. Chennai, Dec 17 : Producers of three iconic agricultural products from Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu -- Thoothukudi salt, Authoor Poovan banana and Villiseri lemon -- have applied for the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, aiming to secure legal protection, preserve traditional practices and enhance market visibility for the region's produce. Chennai, Dec 17 (IANS) Producers of three iconic agricultural products from Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu -- Thoothukudi salt, Authoor Poovan banana and Villiseri lemon -- have applied for the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, aiming to secure legal protection, preserve traditional practices and enhance market visibility for the regionas produce. The applications were facilitated by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Chennai, along with the NABARD-Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum (MABIF), which supported producer groups in documentation and filing. The application for Thoothukudi salt was submitted by the Thoothukudi Uppu Urapathiyalargal Sangam. Salt in the region is produced using the traditional solar evaporation method, in which seawater or sub-soil brine is channelled into expansive salt pans and left to evaporate under intense sunlight. This natural process yields large, white crystalline salt known for its high purity and quality. Thoothukudi contributes nearly 30 per cent of Indiaas total salt production, with approximately 25,000 to 30,000 acres of salt pans spread across villages such as Vepalodai, Tharuvaikulam, Muttayapuram and Ottapidaram. Both edible and industrial-grade salt produced here is supplied to households as well as chemical, leather, textile dyeing and pharmaceutical industries. Historical records cited in the application highlight the long legacy of salt production in the region. Tamil Sangam literature, including Pattinappaalai and Puranaanuru, refers to coastal trade in salt, pearls and fish from the Gulf of Mannar region. During the Pandya period, salt production was encouraged as a state revenue source, while temple inscriptions in south Tamil Nadu document levies imposed on salt traders. Chola maritime records from the 11th century identify Tuticorin as a major export port, with salt shipped alongside pearls and spices. European powers -- the Portuguese, Dutch and British -- later used Tuticorin as a strategic port for the salt trade. British Salt Revenue Reports from the 19th century describe the town as a major salt-producing centre of the Madras Presidency. After Independence, the Salt Commissioneras Organisation formally recognised Thoothukudi as a key salt hub, a status further strengthened by the development of the V.O.C. Port. The GI application for Authoor Poovan banana was filed by the Authoor Poovan Valai Urpathiyayalargal Sangam. Cultivated in Authoor village and nearby hamlets along the Tamiraparani canal irrigation belt, the banana is known for its distinctive taste, attributed to mineral-rich irrigation water. The third application, submitted by the Villiseri Lemon Urpathiyayalargal Sangam, seeks GI status for the Villiseri lemon of Kovilpatti. This traditional citrus variety is valued for its strong aroma, high juice content, pronounced acidity, fewer seeds and naturally long shelf life compared to other lemon varieties. Alwar, Dec 17 : Three people were burned alive when a pickup truck collided with another truck and caught fire on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Alwar, police said on Wednesday. According to the officials, a pickup truck was travelling from Delhi towards Jaipur on the expressway when the accident occurred at channel number 131.5, under the Raini police station of Alwar. The pickup truck collided with a truck ahead of it, and the impact caused sparks, which quickly ignited the vehicle, turning it into a ball of fire. Upon receiving the information, the police arrived at the scene, along with the fire department officials, and attempted to extinguish the fire. A team from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) also arrived at the scene. They rescued the people inside the pickup truck. There were four people in the pickup truck, three of whom were severely burned. All were taken to the Raini hospital, where three of them succumbed to their injuries. The seriously injured driver was immediately referred to Jaipur for treatment. The bodies of the three deceased have been kept in the mortuary at the Raini hospital. The deceased have been identified as Mohit, a resident of Bahadurgarh, Haryana; and Deependra and Padam, both residents of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. The seriously injured driver has been identified as Hanny, a resident of Jhajjar, Haryana. The police have informed the families of the deceased. It is also being reported that multiple vehicles were involved in a collision, which led to the accident. However, when the police arrived at the scene, only the pickup truck was present; no other vehicles were found. This comes just a day after 13 people were killed and dozens were injured in a 10-vehicle pile-up on the Delhi-Agra Expressway in Mathura. The accident occurred on Tuesday morning when seven buses and three cars collided amid dense fog. Poor visibility due to thick fog led to a massive multi-vehicle pile-up, as several vehicles crashed into one another. Mumbai, Dec 17 : As 'Homebound' got shortlisted in the top 15 Best International Feature Films for the upcoming Oscars, actor Vishal Jethwa, who played the endearing character of Chandan Kumar, expressed his happiness. As the film progresses towards the Academy Awards, he said it is something he could have only dreamed of. Sharing his heartfelt reaction, Vishal said, "This moment feels surreal and incredibly humbling. To see Homebound being shortlisted and progressing towards the Oscars is something I could have only dreamed of. "Homebound" will be competing in the 'Best International Feature Film' category with Argentina's "Belen", Brazil's "The Secret Agent", France's "It Was Just an Accident", Germany's "Sound of Falling", Iraq's "The President's Cake", Japan's "Kokuho", Jordan's "All That's Left of You", Norway's "Sentimental Value", Palestine's "Palestine 36", South Korea's "No Other Choice", Spain's "Sirat", Switzerland's "Late Shift", Taiwan's "Left-Handed Girl", and Tunisia's "The Voice of Hind Rajab". The actor said that he is deeply grateful for the love and support the film has received from audiences around the world. "I want to sincerely thank Karan Johar sir for believing in this story and in us as artists his vision and backing gave Homebound the wings it needed." Talking about the film's director Vishal said: "Neeraj Ghaywan sir's sensitivity, honesty, and clarity as a filmmaker pushed me to explore emotional depths I had never touched before. Working under his direction has been nothing short of transformative." "I also want to thank Ishaan Khatter, whose passion and commitment elevated every scene, we learned so much from each other on this journey. This recognition belongs to the entire team that poured their heart and soul into the film," he added. The final nominees in all these categories are expected to be announced on January 22. The 98th Academy Awards are slated to take place on March 15, 2026, with Conan O'Brien returning as the host. Mumbai, Dec 17 : Invoking the spirit of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Wednesday claimed that the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in particular, and 28 other civic bodies are a battle to protect Mumbai from being "carved away" from Maharashtra, terming the electoral exercise as a decisive struggle for the "existence of the Marathi Manoos". The party, its mouthpiece 'Saamana' said the existence of Mumbai was at stake, and if the city, built through the sacrifice of 106 martyrs, is lost, the Marathi people will face "a lifetime of slavery". It gave a rallying cry for the Marathi people to "pick up the Bhavani sword of identity" and enter the electoral battlefield with the chant, "Har Har Mahadev!" The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in the Saamana editorial said the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has announced elections for 29 municipal corporations, including high-stakes Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. "After a prolonged seven-and-a-half-year delay, the SEC has scheduled polling for January 15, 2026, with results to be declared the following day, January 16. The announcement follows a Supreme Court directive mandating that all local body elections in the state be completed by January 31, leaving the 'Rahman Dacoit gang', which had infiltrated 29 corporations, with no choice." The editorial alleged that the current Fadnavis-Shinde government intentionally deferred these elections to facilitate "looting" through the appointment of administrators. It claimed that the ruling coalition only proceeded due to judicial intervention, expressing concern that funds allegedly misappropriated during the administrative period will be funnelled into the upcoming campaigns. The editorial further said, "While the Model Code of Conduct is in effect, it seems it is only for the opposition. Members of the ruling alliance and their ministers violate the code, laws and rules daily with impunity. Neither the state nor the Central Election Commission pays any attention to these violations because the poll body has become a 'pet cat' of the authorities. In such an unequal environment, this electoral struggle will take place, and the Marathi Manoos must win it at any cost." A major point of contention highlighted in the editorial is the state of the voter lists. The editorial claimed that the lists are "riddled with scams", alleging the presence of over 15 lakh duplicate voters across the state, including 1,50,000 in Mumbai alone. "The SEC has reportedly used lists from July 1, 2025, claiming it lacks the authority to add or delete names, though it has implemented a 'double star' marking system to flag potential duplicate voters for field verification. If the Commission does not see this as serious, one must admit it wears a collar of slavery and helplessness put on by the government," it alleged. Stepping up the attack against the Mahayuti alliance, the Thackeray camp said that just before the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, the state government issued 49 Government Resolutions (GRs) and launched a spree of development projects, which were "deceptive ploys" intended to influence voters. The editorial questioned the feasibility of election expenditure limits. While limits are set between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 15 lakh depending on the corporation's grade, it alleged that in recent local polls, ruling alliance candidates spent between Rs 100 crore and Rs 150 crore per municipality, with votes being openly bought for as much as Rs 20,000. Against this backdrop, the Thackeray camp claimed that the authorities would use "Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed (persuasion, money, punishment, and division)" to carve Mumbai away from Maharashtra or to put it up for auction. However, it appealed to the Marathi people not to lose confidence. New Delhi, Dec 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the people and the Government of Ethiopia for conferring upon him the country's highest award, 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia.' New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the people and the Government of Ethiopia for conferring upon him the country's highest award, aGreat Honour Nishan of Ethiopia.' Taking to the social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi said, aGrateful to the people and Government of Ethiopia as well as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for conferring upon me the aGreat Honour Nishan of Ethiopiaa last evening. To be honoured by one of the worldas most ancient and rich civilisations is a matter of immense pride. This honour belongs to the countless Indians who have shaped and strengthened our partnership over the years." "India remains committed to further cementing cooperation with Ethiopia to address evolving global challenges and also to create new opportunities," he said. PM Modi also shared another post by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, highlighting the key outcomes of his bilateral visit. Prime Minister said, aThese are significant steps forward in our longstanding and trusted partnership. From governance and peacekeeping to digital capacity and education, the focus remains on empowering our people. The emphasis on knowledge, skills and innovation underscores our shared faith in youth as the drivers of tomorrow. Cooperation in healthcare reflects a deeper commitment to human dignity and care for the most vulnerable. These outcomes reflect an India-Ethiopia partnership focused on growth and people-centric development." Earlier on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had shared a comprehensive list of outcomes from Prime Minister Modias visit to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. These include the elevation of bilateral ties to a aStrategic Partnershipa, an agreement on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for establishing a data centre at Ethiopiaas Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other key outcomes include an implementing arrangement for cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping operations training, the signing of an MoU on debt restructuring for Ethiopia under the G20 Common Framework, and the doubling of scholarships for Ethiopian students under the ICCR scholarship programme. Additionally, India will offer specialised short-term courses in Artificial Intelligence under the ITEC programme and assist in enhancing the capacity of the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa, particularly in maternal healthcare and neonatal care. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Oman on Wednesday at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, marking the final leg of his three-nation tour, which also included Jordan and Ethiopia. This will be Prime Minister Modias second visit to Oman, underscoring the growing depth of the India-Oman strategic partnership. The visit assumes special significance as it coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Oman. It also follows Sultan Haitham bin Tariqas state visit to India in December 2023, reflecting the high-level political engagement between the two countries. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed Ali, to attend the AI Impact Summit and the BRICS Summit, both scheduled to be hosted by India in 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday. Briefing the media on the Prime Minister's visit to Ethiopia, MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Sudhakar Dalela said that India will assume the chairship of the BRICS grouping for a period of one year beginning January 1, 2026. Dalela informed that Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament later on Wednesday, marking a significant moment in bilateral parliamentary engagement between the two countries. During the course of the day, the Prime Minister will also hold interactions with the Speaker of the Ethiopian Parliament and several senior leaders of the country. As part of his official engagements, Prime Minister Modi will visit the Adwa Museum and pay homage at the Adwa Victory Memorial, underscoring the historical and cultural connection between the two nations. According to the MEA, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday and was accorded a warm and enthusiastic welcome. In a special gesture reflecting the close personal rapport between the two leaders, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali personally drove Prime Minister Modi to the National Science Museum and Friendship Park in Addis Ababa. Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi was given a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace, where he inspected the Guard of Honour. The two leaders subsequently held detailed bilateral discussions covering a wide range of issues, including political cooperation, economic engagement and strategic partnership. The MEA said that Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy for Ethiopia's strong and consistent support to India in the fight against terrorism "in all its manifestations". The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding spanning key sectors of cooperation. "These include agreements on customs cooperation, training for United Nations peacekeeping missions, and the establishment of a data centre at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Dalela said. Cooperation in the education sector received a major boost with a decision to double the number of scholarships for Ethiopian students under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations programme. India will also offer specialised short-term courses in Artificial Intelligence under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation initiative. "Our education partnership with Ethiopia is very strong. We offer scholarships to many Ethiopian students for higher education, and there is a lot of interest here in coming to India to study. The Prime Minister has announced the doubling of scholarship slots for Ethiopians," Dalela said. The Ministry of External Affairs has also released the official outcomes of the Prime Minister's visit, highlighting the elevation of India-Ethiopia relations to the level of a Strategic Partnership as a major milestone. Among the key agreements announced were an accord on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters, a Memorandum of Understanding for setting up a data centre at Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an implementing arrangement to enhance cooperation in training for United Nations peacekeeping operations. India and Ethiopia also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework, signalling closer coordination between the two countries on economic and financial matters. In the healthcare sector, India has committed to supporting capacity enhancement at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa, with a special focus on strengthening maternal healthcare and neonatal care services. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday to a rousing welcome, marking an important leg of his official overseas visit. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and underlines the growing strategic, economic and diplomatic significance of India-Ethiopia relations. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi was also conferred Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia', for which he expressed his deep gratitude to the government and the people of the African nation. Goa, Dec 17 : Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the North Goa nightclub 'Birch by Romeo Lane,' were brought back to Goa on Wednesday by the police, a day after they were deported from Thailand. The development comes in connection with the tragic fire incident at their nightclub earlier this month that resulted in 25 fatalities. The Luthra brothers had fled India shortly after the incident and were brought back to Delhi on Tuesday after being detained by Thai authorities. In Goa, they will face legal proceedings and an investigation. According to officials, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra boarded an IndiGo flight to Phuket just hours after a massive fire engulfed Birch by Romeo Lane in the early hours of December 7. The blaze, which reportedly started during a dance performance involving electronic fireworks, led to a fire on the roof. The incident claimed 25 lives, including tourists and staff members, and left several others injured. The brothers were located and detained in Phuket on December 11 when they stepped out of their hotel for a meal. They were subsequently taken to Bangkok, from where they were deported to India. An IndiGo flight carrying them landed in Delhi at around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Upon arrival, they were placed under police custody and were produced before a local court in Delhi, where the Goa Police sought transit remand for Goa. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with charges of negligence, has been registered against the Luthras. Investigators allege that the nightclub was functioning in violation of essential fire safety and building norms, which significantly worsened the impact of the fire. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice had earlier been issued against them after they left the country. Police investigation revealed that flammable materials, including bamboo, were extensively used in the construction of the club, allowing the fire to spread rapidly. Additionally, the establishment reportedly had a narrow entry and exit point, which made evacuation difficult and trapped many inside during the blaze. On December 11, a Delhi court rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of the Luthra brothers. During the hearing, the Goa Police submitted documents contradicting the brothersa claims of limited involvement in the business and pre-planned foreign travel. These included applications filed with the FSSAI and Pollution Control Board, as well as GST records naming the brothers as partners. Police also informed the court that the nightclubas Panchayat licence had expired and was never renewed, and that the venue was operating without valid authorisation at the time of the incident. Phnom Penh, Dec 17 : Cambodia said on Wednesday that the Thai military forces have continued airstrikes and artillery shelling into Cambodian territory, as the civilian death toll in Cambodia has risen to 17. Cambodian Defence Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said since early Wednesday, the Thai forces had used tank-mounted machine guns, bombing drones, artillery and a F-16 fighter jet to attack several positions in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and Pursat provinces. Socheata said that the total number of Cambodian civilians killed in the conflict reached 17, as the injured rose to 77, Xinhua news agency reported. The conflict has also forced over 130,000 Cambodian families with about 438,000 individuals to flee their homes for safe shelters, according to official figures. The Cambodia-Thailand border conflict has reignited since December 7, and both sides accused the other of initiating the attack. Earlier on Tuesday, Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) had reaffirmed the country's stance regarding the Thailand-Cambodia border situation, saying that Cambodia is required to be the first to declare a ceasefire, ensure the ceasefire is genuine and sustainable and cooperate in mine clearance seriously and sincerely. Maratee Nalita Andamo, deputy spokesperson for the MFA had emphasised at a press conference that Thailand's position has been consistent and clear, and it has been publicly expressed multiple times by the prime minister, foreign minister and spokesperson of the MFA. She also revealed that Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow will attend the ASEAN foreign ministers' special meeting concerning the Thailand-Cambodia situation on December 22, while attendance details for other ASEAN member states are being coordinated. According to data released at the press conference, this round of Thailand-Cambodia conflict has killed 17 Thai soldiers and 16 Thai civilians, with more than 260,000 people displaced, as of Tuesday morning. Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 17 : Even as the local body election dust settles, a political parody song has triggered an uncomfortable debate for the CPI(M) on faith, free expression and ideological consistency. The song "Pottiye, Kettiye", mocking the Sabarimala gold-smuggling controversy, continues to dominate victory rallies and social media, turning a campaign-time jibe into a wider political and ideological flashpoint. Used by the Congress, Muslim League and BJP during the local body polls, the parody gained fresh momentum after the results, travelling from street processions to the UDF protest venue outside Parliament. Its catchy refrain -- ridiculing the alleged conversion of "gold into copper" -- struck a chord with voters but appears to have rattled the Left, which now argues that the song hurts religious sentiments by misusing sharanam chants associated with Lord Ayyappa. Rajya Sabha member and CPI(M) leader A.A. Rahim alleged that while the Left focused on welfare schemes and pensions, the Congress sought to communalise the campaign through faith-based messaging and parody songs. Echoing this line, CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district secretary Raju Abraham said devotional songs of any religion should not be turned into parodies as it wounds religious feelings. These assertions, however, have revived memories of the party's own hardline stance on religion. Critics recall that in 2006, the CPI(M) publicly censured its MLAs M.M. Monai and Aisha Potti for taking an oath in the name of God in the Assembly. Then state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan had accused them of humiliating the party by openly expressing faith, with the state committee reiterating that adherence to dialectical materialism was non-negotiable. Both leaders were subsequently sidelined, a fate several party members are said to have faced for practising religious customs. Opposition leaders have also pointed out that CPI(M)-backed Kairali TV had aired a similar political parody during K. Karunakaran's tenure as Chief Minister, when an Ayyappa devotional tune was adapted for satire and widely accepted by the public. The current controversy has also acquired a legal dimension, with the Thiruvabharanam Patha Protection Committee filing a complaint with the DGP alleging misuse of devotional content. Meanwhile, social media has revived older Ayyappa-themed political satires from the 1990s, underscoring Kerala's long tradition of political humour. Adding to the irony, two senior CPI(M) leaders -- former Devaswom Board presidents A. Padmakumar and N. Vasu -- remain in judicial custody in the Sabarimala gold case, with no disciplinary action yet taken by the party. The Congress has mocked the CPI(M) for shedding "crocodile tears" over a parody while remaining silent on the alleged theft of Ayyappa's gold. As the song continues to trend, the controversy raises a deeper question for the Left: can a party that once punished expressions of faith within its ranks convincingly claim moral outrage when religion is invoked through political satire? Chennai, Dec 17 : Stating that she did not simply "want to come on screen, dance, romance and vanish", actress Siddhi Idnani, who plays the lead along with actor Arun Vijay in director Krish Thirukumaran's eagerly awaited action entertainer, 'Retta Thala', has made it clear that she wants to show that even women characters have a driving force and bring value to films. Participating in the trailer launch event organised by the makers of 'Retta Thala', recently, actress Siddhi Idnani disclosed that she played a very strong character called Andre in the film. "Andre is a strong character. She has a purpose and is in a way the driving force of the film. And it is an honor and a pleasure to play such important characters because, as an actress, I do not want to simply come on screen, dance, romance and vanish. That's not what I want. I want to be in cinema, and I want to show that even women characters have a driving force and bring value to the films," she said and thanked the director Krish Thirukumaran for giving her such a strong character. The actress further went on to say, "She is a strong-minded woman who stands her ground come what may and that's the learning point that I have learned from this film." A trailer of the film released by the makers recently shows that the film will be a fine mix of action, romance, revenge and drama. It may be recalled that actor Arun Vijay, in exclusive interview to IANS earlier, had said, "Retta Thala is a gripping action thriller that will be about what happens when the shades of grey in all individuals start to show simultaneously." The actor had also disclosed the names of the characters he played in the film. While one character was called Malpe Upendra, Arun Vijay disclosed to IANS that the other character he played in the film was called Kali. The film, apart from Arun Vijay and Siddhi Idnani, will also feature actors Tanya Ravichandran, Yogi Samy, John Vijay, Hareesh Peradi, Balaji Murugadoss in pivotal roles. The film boasts of an excellent technical team. Music for the film is by Sam CS, while cinematography for the film is by Tijo Tomy. The film has editing by Anthony and art direction by Arunshankar Durai. The film, which is high on action sequences, has had its stunts choreographed by P.C.Stunts. Costumes have been designed by Kiruthika Sekar and Suren R and Bobby Antony have choreographed the songs. Nazrin Abdul Diplomacy World magazine regularly focuses on pressing issues in foreign and global policy. Its latest special issue is dedicated to the legacy of COP29, highlighting the outcomes and long-term impact of the conference. As reported by Azernews, citing Azertac that the issue reflects the positions and activities of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator for COP29, Yalchin Rafiyev, said the timing of the special issues publication carries both special and symbolic significance. Azerbaijan has already handed over the COP presidency to Brazil, making this an appropriate moment to revisit and assess the contributions we made to the COP process and the legacy we left behind, he noted. Rafiyev also emphasised that preparations for COP31 have already begun in brotherly Turkiye, adding that Azerbaijan stands ready to provide comprehensive support to Turkiye within the COP framework. He noted that the special issue also serves as an important opportunity, ahead of COP31, to remind countries of the commitments they have undertaken. Addressing the presentation ceremony of Diplomacy World magazines 61/2025 special issue, Rafiyev said that once Azerbaijan was entrusted with hosting COP29, preparations began immediately and were accompanied by a number of challenges. Despite these difficulties, within a short period we were able to form an almost entirely new climate diplomacy team, he stated. He noted that preparing for a large-scale, complex international event with extremely high global expectations in less than a year posed serious challenges in terms of planning and the effective management of parallel processes. Nevertheless, the deputy foreign minister underlined that the successful high-level organisation of COP29 and the decisions adopted constitute an important legacy, strengthening international confidence in Azerbaijan. According to Rafiyev, Azerbaijan acted as a chair that built bridges between countries and demonstrated an open, constructive approach to dialogue. This approach has further reinforced our countrys reputation as a reliable partner in global processes and significantly enhanced its diplomatic standing, he added. Norway will finance a new aid package for Ukraine worth NOK 3.2 billion (EUR 269,248). The package includes weapons and ammunition for F-16 fighter jets, as well as anti-aircraft missiles, announced Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre. "Today, I can announce that Norway will finance a new arms package for Ukraine worth NOK 3.2 billion. The package consists of weapons and ammunition for F-16 fighter jets, as well as anti-aircraft missiles. Norway is purchasing this equipment from the United States as part of its established support program for Ukraine," he said at a press conference in Oslo on Wednesday at the government headquarters. In addition to supporting Ukraine through the Nansen program, Norway is actively involved in political negotiations, particularly in Berlin on Monday, Stre noted. "Real political and diplomatic work is currently underway to reach an agreement. This is happening primarily between the USA and Ukraine. At the same time, constant contact with European security advisers continues. The goal is to build a stronger common approach between Ukraine, the USA, and Europe," he added. According to the head of government, Europe alone does not have sufficient power to change Russia's policy, and Ukraine knows that American participation in the peace process is decisive. "In this diplomatic work, the parties have achieved the greatest progress on the issue of security guarantees. The parties also worked on a plan for Ukraine's recovery and economic development. Significant progress has been made here, too. Territories remain an unresolved issue," Store added. He noted that these are "fateful days for Ukraine," and therefore for security in Europe for many years to come. New Delhi, Dec 17 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a comprehensive 1,597-page charge sheet in the Pahalgam attack case. The charge sheet was filed eight months after the attack; the investigation was a comprehensive one by the NIA. While the NIA lists all the operational details apart from naming the terrorists, handlers and masterminds, one of the most crucial aspects of the document is the direct link to Pakistan that the agency has managed to list. The charge sheet would serve as an important document for India to call out Pakistan again in the International community. An official said that Pakistan has repeatedly denied its role in the attack and said that Indiaas allegations were baseless. Pakistan also cried foul when India executed Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam attack. While the charge sheet was painstakingly prepared by the NIA, the priority was not to take the case to trial and secure a speedy conviction. This would further cement Indiaas charge against Pakistan and its direct involvement in the attack, another official said. Pakistanas intention was clear while it planned the attack. Not only did the establishment want a diversion from the issues it was facing at home, but it also wanted to disrupt the thriving tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir. The establishment did manage to briefly derail the industry, but it is back in business today. An Intelligence Bureau official said that Pakistan initially tried to pass off the attack by stating it was the locals from Jammu and Kashmir who carried it out. This was aimed at building up public anger against the Kashmiris and dividing J&K and the rest of India, the official said. This, too, worked very briefly for Pakistan. NIA officials say that there are key elements in the charge sheet that pin down Pakistan. Two Android mobiles were recovered from the site at which Operation Mahadev took place. It was during this encounter that the three Pakistani terrorists were gunned down by the security agencies at Dachigam. The NIA managed to find crucial evidence which established that the terrorists were of Pakistani origin. Further, it was found that the phones were purchased in Pakistan, and a forensic analysis of the same linked the terrorists to the country. Post the encounter, the agencies recovered M4 assault rifles, which are being used heavily by Pakistani terrorists in recent times. Also, there were chocolates and other belongings that were found, which again had a Pakistan link to them, an official added. The probe also found that the terrorists involved in the attack were Faisal Watt, Habeeb Tahir and Hamza Afghani. All of them were Pakistan nationals, the probe found. While electronic evidence links the attack to Pakistan, the NIA also managed to establish another crucial link relating to the mastermind. Sajjad Jutt, the mastermind of the attack, who oversees the operations of the Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, The Resistance Front, is a known person in Intelligence circles. He has been involved in many operations in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian agencies that have several records on him have known about him since his time in Jammu and Kashmir in 2000. He was active in the Valley during those years until he returned to Pakistan in 2005. Jutt is part of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, and when the outfit decided to create a proxy in the form of the Resistance Front, he was asked to oversee operations. In addition to the Pahalgam attack, Jutt has also masterminded the 2024 Reasi attack on a bus during which nine pilgrims were killed. He was also involved in the assault on Indian Army personnel at Srinagar in 2013, and also the 2002 killing of a station house officer at Budgam. The probe into the 2023 Bhata Dhurian attack in Poonch, in which five Indian soldiers were killed, was also masterminded by Jutt. Officials say that the charge sheet alone is enough to call out Pakistanas bluff. Post Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has been playing the victim card, stating that it is being unfairly accused. Not only does the charge sheet Indiaas action against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, but also exposes Islamabad in the international community, where it has tried to project India as the oppressor, another official said. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 : Ahead of his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome from the lawmakers in the Ethiopian Parliament on Wednesday. This will be the 18th Parliament in the world where PM Modi will be speaking. Lawmakers in the Ethiopian Parliament gave a standing ovation and cheered for PM Modi ahead of his address. Earlier in the day, PM Modi laid a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument in Addis Ababa, the second day of his two-day visit to Ethiopia. The Adwa Victory Monument is a contemporary complex that commemorates the historic 1896 Battle of Adwa, during which Ethiopian forces triumphed over Italian invaders, ensuring their independence and representing Pan-African resistance. This important site includes a museum showcasing artefacts, weapons, and dioramas, as well as facilities like conference halls, an amphitheatre, and a library, functioning as a cultural hub, tourist destination, and research centre for Ethiopian heritage and the global struggle against colonialism. The Prime Minister also visited the Adwa Museum, where the officials briefed him about the history of the African nation. PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday to a rousing welcome, marking an important leg of his official visit. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and highlights the growing strategic and diplomatic significance of India-Ethiopia relations. In a notable and personal gesture, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali himself drove Prime Minister Modi from the airport to the hotel. During the drive, he also took a special initiative to show the Indian Prime Minister the Science Museum and Friendship Park. Members of the Indian community in Ethiopia extended a warm and enthusiastic welcome to PM Modi as he arrived at the hotel in Addis Ababa. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi was also conferred Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia', for which he expressed his deep gratitude to the government and the people of the African nation. PM Modi has also invited Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali to attend the AI Impact Summit and the BRICS Summit, both scheduled to be hosted by India in 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he feels "very much at home" during his visit to Ethiopia and called it a "moment of great privilege" to address the Parliament of the African nation. PM Modi received a warm welcome as he arrived to address the Joint Session of the Ethiopian Parliament. This is also the 18th Parliament in the world where the Prime Minister delivered his address. Addressing the session, PM Modi said, "It is a moment of great privilege to stand before you today. It is wonderful to be here in Ethiopia, the land of lions. I feel very much at home because my home state, Gujarat in India, is also home to lions." "I am honoured to be here in this temple of democracy, in the heart of the nation, with ancient wisdom and modern aspirations. I come to you with deep respect for your Parliament, your people and your democratic journey. On behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India, I bring greetings of friendship, goodwill and brotherhood," he said. The Prime Minister again expressed gratitude for conferring him with Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia'. "I accept this award with folded hands, humility on behalf of the people of India," he said. He said that Ethiopia is one of the oldest civilisations in human history. "Here, history is alive in the mountains, valleys and in the hearts of the Ethiopian people," he added. "Today, Ethiopia stands tall because its roots are deep. To stand in Ethiopia is to stand where the past is honoured, the present is full of purpose, and the future is welcomed with an open heart. The blend of old and new -- the balance between ancient wisdom and modern civilisation -- this is the true strength of Ethiopia," he further said, amid the loud cheers in the Parliament. "With the call of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas', which means together with everyone's growth, trust and effort, our emotions with our motherland, also reflect our shared perspective," he said. Drawing parallels to India's national song 'Vande Mataram' and Ethiopia's national anthem, PM Modi said that both refer to "our land as the Mother". "They inspire us to take pride in the heritage, culture, beauty and protect the motherland," he added. Jaipur, Dec 17 : The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has led to a massive reshaping of Rajasthan's voter base, with 41,84,819 names removed from the draft electoral rolls across 199 assembly constituencies of the state. Jaipur, Dec 17 (IANS) The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has led to a massive reshaping of Rajasthanas voter base, with 41,84,819 names removed from the draft electoral rolls across 199 assembly constituencies of the state. District-wise data shows that Jaipur recorded the highest number of deletions, with 5.36 lakh voter names removed, followed by Jodhpur (2.57 lakh) and Udaipur (1.95 lakh). Other districts with large-scale deletions include Bhilwara (1.68 lakh), Kota (1.59 lakh) and Ajmer (1.52 lakh). At the other end of the spectrum, Jaisalmer saw the lowest impact, with 23,420 names deleted, followed by Barmer (47,669) and Bharatpur (73,875). The draft lists were released on Tuesday, excluding the Anta assembly constituency. According to election officials, the deletions account for a significant portion of the electorate, particularly in urban constituencies, where 10 to 11.5 per cent of voter names have been struck off. In contrast, rural constituencies have seen an average deletion of about 5 per cent. Jaipur and Jodhpur see maximum deletions. Major districts affected by the SIR exercise include Jaipur with 5,36,000, Jodhpur: 2,57,831, Udaipur: 1,95,748, Bhilwara: 1,68,257, Kota: 1,59,788, Ajmer: 1,52,684, Sikar: 1,43,850, Bikaner: 1,28,949, Pali: 1,25,549, Jhunjhunu: 1,16,082, Banswara: 1,14,800, Alwar: 1,10,245, Jalore: 97,806, Nagaur: 91,752, Dausa: 79,320, Rajsamand: 73,984, Bharatpur: 73,875, Barmer: 47,669 and Jaisalmer: 23,420. Apart from deletions, around 11 lakh voters whose details could not be mapped with earlier records will receive notices asking them to submit supporting documents. These voters must file claims with valid identity proof at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office by January 15. Those seeking inclusion of their names in the voter list will have to submit Form-6 along with a declaration. Chief Electoral Officer Naveen Mahajan said that the deletions were carried out after identifying voters who had permanently migrated, could not be traced at their registered addresses, were deceased, or had duplicate entries. Such voters will not receive further notices, but can file claims with documentary evidence if they object to the deletion. The SIR exercise has also had a visible political footprint. Constituencies such as Bhilwara, Sardarpura (former CM Ashok Gehlotas seat), Civil Lines, Sanganer (Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharmaas constituency), and Vidyadhar Nagar (Deputy CM Diya Kumarias seat) figure among the assembly segments with the highest proportion of deletions. Kollam, Dec 17 : A Civil Police Officer accused of sexually assaulting a woman colleague in Kollam, Kerala, has been placed under suspension, following a preliminary inquiry that found his conduct was unbecoming of a member of the force. The suspension order was issued by the City Police Commissioner against Civil Police Officer Navas, who was working on deputation at the Neendakara Coastal Police Station at the time of the incident. The alleged assault took place in the early hours of November 6. According to the complaint, the woman police officer had returned to the restroom after completing her duty when the accused allegedly subjected her to sexual assault. The incident reportedly occurred within police premises, raising serious concerns about safety and discipline within the force. Following the complaint submitted by the woman officer directly to the Police Commissioner, the Chavara Police registered a case against Navas. The matter was taken up at the senior administrative level, leading to swift departmental action. Officials said the decision to suspend the accused was taken after considering the seriousness of the allegations and the need to uphold the credibility and moral authority of the police service. In the suspension order, the Police Commissioner observed that the actions attributed to Navas had brought disrepute to the police force and tarnished the dignity of the uniform. The order noted that such conduct, if proven, would amount to a grave violation of service rules and ethical standards expected of police personnel. The incident has triggered concern within police circles and among civil society groups, with calls for strict action against erring officers and stronger internal mechanisms to ensure the safety of women personnel. Officials reiterated that the force maintains a zero-tolerance approach towards sexual misconduct and that any act undermining the institutionas integrity would be dealt with firmly. Further legal and departmental action will depend on the outcome of the investigation. New Delhi, Dec 17 : Legendary athlete and nominated Rajya Sabha member P.T. Usha on Wednesday raised serious concerns over the deepening crisis facing coffee growers and labourers in Kerala's Wayanad district during the Zero Hour proceedings in the Upper House. Wayanad, a key region contributing significantly to India's coffee production and rural employment, is grappling with multiple challenges that threaten the livelihoods of thousands of planters, Usha emphasised. The primary issue highlighted was escalating "human-wildlife conflict". Wild animals are increasingly raiding coffee plantations, causing widespread crop damage and endangering human lives. Usha noted that forests in the area have exceeded their carrying capacity, pushing animals towards plantations for food and shelter. She called for immediate scientific wildlife management measures in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Kerala Forest Department to prevent irreversible damage. Usha also criticised the "flawed crop insurance mechanisms," which fail to provide fair compensation amid rising climate challenges like droughts, floods, and erratic rainfall. She urged the Coffee Board to hold a joint stakeholder meeting to reform insurance norms and ensure timely pay-outs. Another critical problem is "acute labour shortages" crippling operations. With Indian coffee plantations relying on outdated manual methods, mechanisation has become essential for global competitiveness. Usha advocated for the Coffee Board to promote terrain-specific machinery, modern equipment, and a simple mobile platform to connect growers with farm workers. She further pointed to "interference with irrigation" during critical blossom showers, where local bodies restrict even private water sources, jeopardising plantations. Clear legal guidelines are needed to stop such arbitrary actions, she said. Looking ahead, Usha proposed transforming Indian coffee farms into "AI-enabled smart farms" by 2030, integrating technology, sustainability, and precision agriculture for the next generation. She said, "Despite Robusta coffee receiving Geographical Indication (GI) tag status, growers lack access to quality evaluation and global recognition." She recommended annual cupping competitions and awareness programmes supported by the Coffee Board. New Delhi, Dec 17 : Congress leaders on Wednesday welcomed a Delhi court's dismissal of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) money laundering complaint against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case, calling the probe politically motivated. A special press briefing was held in New Delhi with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and K.C. Venugopal in attendance. Speaking at the briefing, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "In this case, because of power, allegations were in the air and laws were grounded." He detailed the timeline of investigations, stating, "Between 2021-25, the ED interrogated Rahul Gandhi for 50 hours, Kharge ji for 5-6 hours, and Sonia ji for 7-8 hours." Singhvi added that the case had been in motion for years: "During that period, attachments and asset freezes occurred. This story was started in 2014 by Subramanian Swamy, a private complainant, who repeatedly wrote to the CBI and ED. From 2014 to 2021, for seven years, CBI and ED, in written form in their files, stated that there was no predicate offence. I am talking on the basis of documents." He also explained the legal position: "For predicting offences, the CBI is there, and for money laundering, the ED is there. Both gave a joint consensus, and the word was used in paragraph 232 that no FIR can be formed in this case, as there is no predicate offence. After that, on June 30, 2021, an FIR was lodged. For seven years, when no FIR was meant to be lodged, an FIR was eventually filed. If this is not political malice, then what is?" Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the use of investigative agencies for political purposes. "This National Herald case was registered with the intention of political vendetta. This paper is not a today's thing; it was established by freedom fighters to gain independence. But today, these people are using the CBI and ED to defame and disturb, especially targeting the Gandhi family," said Kharge. "Matters which have no weight are being forcefully given weightage, trying to harass our Congress leaders. They used ED cases politically, took many MPs on their side, and formed governments in many places. But today, justice is being served. We welcome this judgment, saying 'Satyamev Jayate'," he added. The press briefing followed the Delhi court's ruling earlier on Tuesday, which dismissed the ED's complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, stating that the case was based on a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and not on a first information report (FIR), making it legally untenable. The Congress leaders asserted that the judgment reaffirmed the independence of the judiciary and underscored that investigative agencies should not be misused for political purposes. New Delhi, Dec 17 : Congress leaders on Wednesday staged a protest within the Parliament House complex against the Centre after a Delhi court granted relief to senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The demonstration followed the court's decision to refuse to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering charges in the case. Terming the court's order a vindication of their stand, Congress MPs said the ruling reaffirmed that truth had ultimately prevailed. They accused the Central government of misusing investigative agencies, particularly the Enforcement Directorate, to target opposition leaders for political reasons. Carrying placards and a banner reading "Satyamev Jayate, Truth Prevails", the protesting MPs gathered near the steps of the Makar Dwar inside the Parliament premises. They raised slogans against the Narendra Modi-led government and demanded an apology from the Centre, alleging that the case was driven by political vendetta rather than legal merit. Several senior leaders participated in the protest, including Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, and party MPs Shashi Tharoor, Tariq Anwar, Kumari Selja, K. Suresh and Manickam Tagore, among others. The MPs maintained that the latest court order exposed what they described as the government's attempt to harass opposition leaders through central agencies. They reiterated that the Congress leadership had faith in the judiciary and would continue to challenge what it views as the misuse of power by the ruling dispensation. On Tuesday, in a major relief to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) prosecution complaint in the alleged National Herald money laundering case. Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court held that the complaint filed by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was not maintainable. Apart from Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the federal anti-money laundering agency had arrayed Congress Overseas chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited and as proposed accused in the case. While refusing to take cognisance of the prosecution complaint, the court clarified that the ED is at liberty to continue its investigation in accordance with the law. The high-profile case pertains to allegations that top Congress functionaries conspired to wrongfully acquire control of assets exceeding Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald newspaper, by paying a nominal amount of Rs 50 lakh through Young Indian -- a company in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are majority stakeholders. Congress leaders on Wednesday welcomed a Delhi court's dismissal of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) money laundering complaint against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case, calling the probe politically motivated. A special press briefing was held in New Delhi with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and K.C. Venugopal in attendance. Bhopal, Dec 17 : A single-day special session convened to mark the 70th anniversary of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Wednesday began on a stormy note, with Congress legislators protesting the Centre's move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Led by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, Congress MLAs assembled near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Assembly premises and staged a protest against the proposed renaming of the scheme as 'Viksit Bharat G RAM G'. Addressing the media during the protest, Singhar accused the Centre of disrespecting Mahatma Gandhi. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi promotes Mahatma Gandhi's charkha, but his government is now removing Gandhi's name from one of the country's most important welfare schemes. This is an insult to the Father of the Nation, which the Congress will not accept," he said. The ruling BJP, however, strongly defended the Centre's decision, accusing the Congress of exploiting Mahatma Gandhi's name for political gains. BJP leaders also alleged that corruption had taken place under MGNREGA during Congress rule, which, they claimed, amounted to disrespect towards Gandhi's ideals. BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma, representing the Huzur Assembly constituency in Bhopal, said the BJP believed in implementing Gandhi's principles rather than merely invoking his name. "The Congress has repeatedly used Mahatma Gandhi's name, made promises in his name, but failed to deliver houses to the poor. We follow Gandhi's thoughts and work on the ground," Sharma told IANS. Sharma further claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken concrete steps to realise Mahatma Gandhi's vision of Ram Rajya. "The BJP government has constructed the Ram Temple, provided permanent houses to poor families, issued health insurance cards worth Rs 5 lakh, and honoured farmers," he said. The Centre has introduced a Bill in Parliament to replace the MGNREGA scheme with a new programme titled 'The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen)', abbreviated as VB G RAM G. A whip has been issued to BJP MPs to ensure the Bill's passage. Launched by the UPA government in 2005, MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households and has been widely regarded as a landmark social security programme over the past two decades. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 : Hailing ties between India and Ethiopia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the two nations share warmth in climate and spirit and recalled how people started writing a new chapter in bilateral ties even before the diplomatic relations between the two nations had started. While addressing the Joint Session of the Ethiopian Parliament on Wednesday, PM Modi recalled the contribution of Indian teachers in the growth and prosperity of the African nation. He noted that the connection between India and Africa has "grown manyfold" over the 11 years of his government and added that more than 100 visits at the level of Heads of State and Government have been exchanged. "India and Ethiopia share warmth in climate as well as in spirit. Nearly 2000 years ago, our ancestors built connections across the great waters. Across the Indian Ocean, merchants sailed with spices, cotton, coffee and gold, but they traded more than goods; they exchanged ideas, stories and way of life. Ports like Adulis and Dholera were not just trade centres; they were bridges between civilisations," he said. In modern times, PM Modi said, the bilateral relationship "entered a new era" when Indian soldiers fought alongside Ethiopians for the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941. "Our formal diplomatic relations began soon after India became independent. But, even before embassies were set up, our people had already started writing a new chapter together," he added. "Thousands of Indian teachers came to Ethiopia. They taught children in Addis Ababa, in ...from Bahirdar to Macaulay. They reached Ethiopian schools and entered Ethiopian hearts. Even today, many Ethiopian parents speak warmly about Indian teachers who shape the future of their children. And just as Indian teachers came here, Ethiopian students also travelled to India, seeking knowledge and friendship. They went to India as students and returned home as the builders of modern Ethiopia," he added. He said that India is honoured to have been chosen by Ethiopia as a trusted partner to develop its foreign ministry's data centre. Stressing that India is known as the pharmacy of the world, PM Modi recalled the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and said, "During the COVID pandemic, the entire world was worried. It was a very difficult time. Despite limited resources, we considered it our sacred duty to humanity to do everything possible to help others. India sent medicines and vaccines to more than 150 countries. It was India's proud privilege to supply Ethiopia with over 4 million vaccine doses." Highlighting how the two nations are "vibrant and diverse democracies", PM Modi said, "As vibrant and diverse democracies, we both understand that democracy is a way of life and it is a journey. It is shaped sometimes by debate, sometimes by disagreement, but always by belief in the rule of law and the will of the people. Both our constitutions reflect this spirit." "India's constitution begins with the words 'We The People of India', 'We The Nations, Nationalities and the People of Ethiopia', their message is the same, our destiny is in our hands," he added. He said that he had the honour to lay a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument earlier in the day and called it a "timeless reminder of how Ethiopia's victory inspires the entire colonised world in its best for its dignity and freedom." PM Modi announced that he and his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali have decided to elevate the bilateral relationship to the level of a strategic partnership, noting that this will allow the two nations to cooperate in technology, innovation, mining, sustainability and clean energy. "Today, Indian companies are among the largest foreign investors in Ethiopia. They have invested more than USD 5 billion in diverse sectors like textiles, manufacturing, agriculture, health and more, and they have created more than 75000 local jobs. But, I'm sure we can all agree our partnership has a lot more potential, that's why Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed and I took a big step forward yesterday. We have decided to elevate our bilateral relationship to the level of a strategic partnership," he said. "This will unleash the potential of our economy through cooperation in technology, innovation, mining, sustainability and clean energy. It will also secure the future of our people through cooperation in food security, health security and capacity building," PM Modi added. Additionally, he said that both nations will also enhance trade and investment cooperation, defence and security ties, adding that as Developing Countries, "we have a lot to learn from and offer to each other." The Prime Minister said that agriculture forms the backbone of India and Ethiopia, adding, "It fits our people. It sustains our farmers. It connects tradition with innovation. We can work together to develop better seeds, irrigation systems and soil health technology." "As climate change affects rainfall and crop cycles, we can share knowledge in climate-resilient farming, from dairy farming to farm mechanisation, from millet research to food processing. Together we can help farmers properly," he added. Photo: https://www.facebook.com Ukrainian soldiers are holding the line in Pokrovsk axis and seizing the initiative, said Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky during the 32nd meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Ukraines Defense, which took place via videoconference on Tuesday. "I specifically addressed the situation in Pokrovsk sector. The enemy has been attempting to capture Pokrovsk for over 17 months. However, Ukrainian units are holding the line and regaining the initiative. As a result of counteroffensive actions, we have regained control of 16 square kilometers in the northern part of the city. We have also recaptured 56 square kilometers of territory in the areas of the villages of Hryshyne, Kotlyne, and Udachne, west of Pokrovsk," the commander-in-chief wrote on Facebook. He also noted that, in addition to actions at the front, Ukraine is systematically increasing pressure on the enemy deep into its territory, successfully striking Russian critical infrastructure with Deep Strike weapons. "As a result of these strikes, Russias direct and indirect losses since the beginning of the year total $21.5 billion," Syrsky reported. He noted that external support for the Ukrainian Defense Forces is vital to deterring Russian aggression and the security of European countries. In this regard, the commander-in-chief called on partners to increase international military assistance, primarily to develop Ukrainian air and missile defense capabilities, as well as long-range firepower. New Delhi, Dec 17 : Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha about the expansion of a cashless treatment programme for road accident victims. Victims will be entitled to cashless medical care of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per person per accident for the initial seven days of hospitalisation, with the government facilitating payments to remove financial barriers to immediate treatment. He said this while replying to a question. The scheme, piloted in select regions and rolled out nationwide, aims to ensure prompt care without upfront costs with the help of state governments. Also, he announced that the government is working on a model so that specialised ambulances can reach the accident spot in ten minutes. The minister outlined plans for a centralised emergency helpline integrated with upgraded ambulance services. Through agreements with states, modern ambulances will be deployed to reach accident sites faster, targeting response times as low as 10 minutes in key areas, he said. Under the 'Rah-Veer' scheme, launched earlier in 2025, good Samaritans who rush accident victims to hospitals will be honoured with the title 'Rahaveer' and a cash reward of Rs 25,000 (increased from the previous Rs 5,000), the minister informed the House. This initiative seeks to incentivise bystander intervention during the critical 'golden hour' after an accident. Also, the minister said specialised ambulances will have special tools in case the vehicle falls into a gorge, and para-medical staff remain helpless in the absence of such tools. The Central government will sign MoUs for such specialised ambulances and will reimburse the expenses, provided the ambulance arrives in ten minutes. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways informed the Rajya Sabha that timely medical intervention could prevent nearly 50,000 road accident deaths each year in India, citing a study by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). To tackle delays in emergency care -- a key factor in many fatalities -- the minister announced enhancements to existing schemes aimed at encouraging public participation and ensuring immediate treatment. Gadkari described road safety as a "very serious issue" and reaffirmed the government's commitment to the global target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030, as per the Stockholm Declaration. Complementary measures include stricter vehicle safety standards (such as star ratings), enhanced enforcement, and holding contractors accountable for road quality. New Delhi, Dec 17 : A sharp political storm has erupted over senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan's remarks on Operation Sindoor, after he said that India was "defeated on the first day" of the May military action against Pakistan. Union Minister Giriraj Singh hit out at Chavan, asserting that no one has the right to insult the valour of the armed forces and accusing the Congress of undermining national interest. Singh came down heavily on the Congress leader and said, "No one has the right to abuse or insult the valour of the armed forces. Those who demean the bravery of the armed forces can never think in the interest of the nation. Whether it is the Congress party or anyone else, genuine or fake, the opposition and the Congress have developed a habit of insulting the country and the valour of the armed forces. This nation will never tolerate it." BJP MP Rajkumar Chahar also said that Chavan's remarks were deeply damaging to the morale of the military. "Such statements are also an insult to our armed forces. People making such remarks work to demoralise the military. The impact of Operation Sindoor was witnessed by the entire world, and everyone knows how Pakistan was dealt with. I pray that Congress leaders are given wisdom. Additionally, their despair, frustration, and sense of defeat continue to grow, and they even end up speaking in Pakistan's favour," he added. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Brijlal also condemned Chavan's comments, calling them "unfortunate" and reflective of what he described as a long-standing Congress mindset. "This is very unfortunate. The Congress has always followed a policy of humiliating India. Their leader, Rahul Gandhi, whenever he goes abroad, insults India. Operations like 'Op Sindoor', which the entire world praises, are completely ignored by them," he said. "After Operation Sindoor, we visited Japan, South Korea and other countries where parliamentary delegations from all parties went, and everyone praised Operation Sindoor. These people are pro-Pakistan and, for their appeasement politics, do not hesitate to humiliate the country. I condemn the statements of Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan," Brijlal further added. Prithviraj Chavan triggered a major controversy with his remarks on Operation Sindoor. The senior Congress leader called for a fair inquiry into the events in Pahalgam on April 22 and demanded that details related to Operation Sindoor be made public. He alleged that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and claimed that Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day military action. Addressing a press conference in Pune, Chavan said, "On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not." Mumbai, Dec 17 : 'Bigg Boss 19' contestant Baseer Ali has opened up about his latest musical video with Isha Malviya. He described his new romantic song as "extremely close to his heart." Sharing his excitement, Baseer Ali spoke about the personal significance of the project, highlighting the emotional connection the track holds for him. He called it a soulful composition with meaningful lyrics that make the experience even more special. Talking about working with Isha Malviya, he added that she was a delight to collaborate with and expressed confidence that their fun and chemistry would shine through when the video releases. Baseer Ali is currently in Karjat filming a romantic music video with Isha Malviya. The forthcoming track is said to be a soulful love ballad sung by Israr Ahmed and is released under the Sur Music label. A source close to the actor revealed that Baseer Ali recently returned from Chennai, where he wrapped up shooting for a significant project that he plans to announce soon. While details are being kept under wraps, the actor hinted that it is something he is genuinely excited to share with his fans. Baseer Ali also joined forces with television actress Reem Shaikh for an upcoming soulful melody "Jisse Tu Kare Pyaar." Sharing a video on his Instagram, he wrote, "Tera bhi todega dil koi to ek baar, Jisse Tu Kare Pyaar! Jisse Bhi Kare Pyaar!! & The heartbreak anthem drops at 11 AM on 18 December 2025 exclusively on Grapes Music YouTube Channel." Sung by Yasser Desai, the song will be released on 18th December. Meanwhile, Baseer Ali was recently seen on Salman Khan hosted popular reality show Bigg Boss 19. He got evicted along with Nehal Chudasama in a surprising double eviction. Chennai, Dec 17 : The AIADMK is reportedly planning to allocate a total of 100 Assembly seats to its alliance partners in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, while contesting the remaining 134 seats on its own. According to political sources, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be allotted 65 seats, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) around 30 seats, and other smaller parties about five seats. The seat-sharing calculations are largely being drawn from the vote share trends seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In that election, the DMK-led INDIA bloc secured 46.97 per cent of the vote across Tamil Naduas 39 parliamentary constituencies. The AIADMK-led alliance, which included parties such as the SDPI, polled 23.05 per cent of the votes. Meanwhile, the NDA alliance -- comprising the BJP, PMK, AIADMK, Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvamas faction -- secured 18.28 per cent of the vote share. Although the NDA failed to win any Lok Sabha seats, the performance at the constituency level revealed significant electoral potential. The AIADMK finished second in 28 constituencies, while the BJP secured second place in 11 constituencies. When these 39 parliamentary segments are mapped onto the corresponding 234 Assembly constituencies, the NDA and its allies were reportedly ahead in around 80 Assembly segments compared to the AIADMK-led alliance. Based on this assessment, the Tamil Nadu BJP leadership is said to have urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to allow the party to contest at least 75 of these 80 favourable Assembly seats. However, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has reportedly proposed limiting the BJPas share to 65 seats. Sources indicate that the alliance between the AIADMK, BJP, and TMC for the forthcoming Assembly elections has now been broadly confirmed. The AIADMKas internal assessment suggests that, based on the NDAas 18.28 per cent vote share in the last Lok Sabha election, the BJPas claim to around 65 Assembly seats is justified. If the PMK formally joins the alliance, it could be allotted up to 30 seats. The remaining five seats are expected to be distributed among smaller allies. However, sources caution that the final numbers could change depending on last-minute political realignments. If additional parties enter the alliance, the seat allocation for the BJP and PMK may be reduced, with one scenario reportedly limiting the BJP to around 18 seats. Formal negotiations among alliance partners are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with the final seat-sharing arrangement likely to be announced closer to the election schedule. Dhaka, Dec 17 : As the law and order situation continues to deteriorate in Bangladesh under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, another Awami League worker was brutally killed in a mob attack on Wednesday, allegedly by the workers of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami. According to Awami League's media cell, the victim, Riyad Hossain, was stabbed to death by BNPa"Jamaat "mob terrorists" due to his support for the party's associate body, Swechchhasebak League. The party alleged that "extremist BNPa"Jamaat militants" arrived on motorcycles and, without any provocation or altercation, launched a coordinated mob attack on Riyad. The Awami League claimed that the killing was intended to spread fear among the party's activists and assert "terrorist" dominance of the group. "Their objective was singular: to spread fear among Awami League activists and to demonstrate their terrorist dominance. When BNPa"Jamaat mob groups take to the streets, they pursue one goal only -- to halt progressive politics in Bangladesh, to intimidate, and to spill the blood of ordinary people," the Awami League posted on X. "The attack on Riyad is not merely a personal killing -- it is an open message from the resurgent BNPa"Jamaat terrorist network in Bangladesh that they are willing to target even innocent civilians at any time. Not democracy -- mob terrorism is their weapon," it added. Last month, the Awami League accused the Yunus government of conspiring to push the people of the country towards an uncertain future, warning that a new form of "mob terrorism" has emerged as an organised "terror tactic". Slamming the Yunus regime, the party stated that since the "illegal usurpers" seized power, incidents of murder, rape, theft, robbery, looting, and mugging have sharply increased across the country. It claimed that the Yunus-led interim government has resorted to "terrorism" as a means to cling to power, leaving citizens with no guarantee of even minimal safety for their lives or property. "When the state itself becomes the patron of terrorism and acts with terror against its own citizens, there can no longer exist the rule of law or public order characteristic of a civilised and modern state. This is why, under the guise of law and order, even the Chattogram Police Commissioner can casually speak about 'brush fires' (summary shootings). For a regime that lacks the people's mandate, terror and fear become the only means of survival -- and that reality is being reflected throughout society and the state," read a statement issued by the Awami League. Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 17 : In a significant development in the Sabarimala gold heist case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Wednesday recorded the arrest of a former official, Sreekumar, who served as the Administrative Officer (AO) at Sabarimala in 2019. The arrest came shortly after the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to seven. Sreekumar maintained that, in his official capacity, he merely transferred files following instructions from senior authorities. According to the SIT, the gold at Kattilappally, recorded as a abronze-golda item, was handled based on recommendations made by N. Vasu, who was the Devaswom Commissioner in 2019. Vasu stated that he had only forwarded a letter from Murari Babu to the temple board for appropriate action and that the records were handed over to Unnikrishnan Potti only after Vasuas retirement. Among the arrested others are two former Travancore Devasom Board presidents -- A. Padmakumar and N. Vasu, besides one serving and two retired officials, and the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti. In a related development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Kollam Vigilance Court requesting access to case documents, including the FIR and remand reports, as part of its probe into alleged money laundering linked to the heist. The court addressed the application the following day, hearing arguments from both the ED and the SIT and has posted its orders for Friday. The SIT opposed the release of documents, citing concerns that sharing them could impact the ongoing investigation. The prosecution argued that providing the records would not lead to the actual perpetrators. The court sought clarification on how the EDas inquiry could interfere with the SITas ongoing probe. The ED contended that the documents were requested with the High Court's approval and were essential to track the financial transactions involved in the case. Incidentally, a retired woman official on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court seeking pre-arrest bail after the High Court rejected her plea. Jaipur, Dec 17 : Amid escalating protests against a proposed ethanol factory in Tibbi, the Rajasthan government has constituted a five-member committee to examine concerns related to groundwater depletion and environmental pollution at the project site in Hanumangarh district. The committee, chaired by the Divisional Commissioner, Bikaner, includes senior officials from the state environment, pollution control, and groundwater departments, and will submit its report to the Additional Chief Secretary, Environment and Climate Change Department, said CMO officials. The committee will submit its report to the Additional Chief Secretary, Environment and Climate Change Department, Government of Rajasthan. As farmers remain firm on their demands and the administration maintains tight security, all eyes are now on the Mahapanchayat, which is expected to shape the future course of the agitation. Prominent farmer leaders from across the country are expected to attend. In view of the gathering, the district administration has enforced unprecedented security measures, creating a tense atmosphere across the region. The agitating farmers have raised two key demands. First, the Immediate cancellation of the MoU signed for setting up the ethanol factory in Tibbi, and second, withdrawal of all cases registered against farmers during earlier protests. Anticipating large crowds, the administration had suspended internet services across the district until 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Section 163 has been imposed throughout Hanumangarh. More than 1,400 police personnel have been deployed, including forces from other districts and police headquarters. Superintendent of Police Harishankar is personally monitoring the law-and-order situation. Heavy barricading has been put up near the District Collector and SP offices, while the Dhanmandi complex and adjoining areas are under drone surveillance. District Collector Khushal Yadav has banned the entry of tractors at the Mahapanchayat venue, citing the risk of disturbances. Farmer leaders, however, have said they will arrive with tractors, raising the possibility of a confrontation with the administration. New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Shiv Sena-UBT on Wednesday criticised Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad for his controversial remarks while defending Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident where he pulled down a woman doctor's hijab during a public event in Patna, with party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi saying that the comments reflected a deeply misogynistic mindset and showed a willingness to disrespect a woman's dignity in order to justify an inappropriate act. Speaking to IANS, Chaturvedi said that such statements exposed the regressive thinking of leaders who trivialise the dignity and autonomy of women. "This reflects their misogynistic mindset, showing that they can disrespect a woman and her dignity just to portray a wrong act as correct. What Sanjay Nishad said is highly offensive and completely inappropriate, and he must apologise. Claiming later that his 'interpretation was different' is false and only reveals their mentality," she said. Chaturvedi further broadened her criticism, alleging that leaders across regions and parties within the BJP-led alliance have consistently demonstrated anti-women attitudes. "From South to North, from Nitish Kumar to Prajwal Revanna, the BJP and its allies have always displayed anti-women thinking. They want votes from women, but they do not respect women. Nitish Kumar has not apologised yet, and instead of condemning the act, people are defending him," she added. The Shiv Sena-UBT MP emphasised that the issue went beyond religious attire and was fundamentally about respect for women. "This is not about the burqa or hijab. Even if it was a dupatta, no one has the right to comment on or interfere with what a woman wears. What a woman chooses to wear is her personal choice. Both Nitish Kumar and Sanjay Nishad should apologise. One is a Chief Minister and the other a Minister. Such remarks are shameful," she said. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo downplayed the controversy, stating that the incident was being unnecessarily politicised. "There is no need to comment on such cheap remarks. The woman was of the age of Nitish Kumar's granddaughter, and he was merely giving his blessings. As the head of the state and a guardian-like figure, such interpretations are unwarranted," he said. Nishad, while speaking to a regional news channel, made remarks in Hindi suggesting that the incident had been blown out of proportion. "Arey, woh bhi toh aadmi hain na, peeche nahi padna chahiye. Naqab chhoo diya toh itna ho gaya kahin aur chhoo dete toh kya ho jaata (Oh, he is a man after all, don't get after him. He touched the naqab and all this ensured.. what if he had touched elsewhere)," he said, while smiling. The comments sparked widespread outrage and criticism across political and social platforms. Following the backlash, the Uttar Pradesh Minister issued a clarification, asserting that his remarks were misunderstood. "The statement over which a controversy is being created today was said by me casually, with a smile, and in my local Bhojpuri dialect. There was no ill intention towards any community, woman, or religion, nor any intent to insult," he said. The controversy erupted after a video surfaced on social media showing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a government function in Patna. During the event, the 74-year-old leader was seen handing a certificate to an AYUSH doctor and gesturing for her to remove her hijab. Before she could respond, he reached out and pulled it down himself, briefly exposing her mouth and chin. While some people present laughed, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was seen attempting to intervene and stop Nitish Kumar. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, Dec 17 : India's fish production has surged from 141.60 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to around 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, registering an increase of 38 per cent since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in 2020, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday. New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) India's fish production has surged from 141.60 lakh tonnes in 2019a"20 to around 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024a"25, registering an increase of 38 per cent since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in 2020, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Minister Rajeev Ranjan Singh stated that this growth has been mainly driven by the expansion of inland aquaculture, marine fishery development, strengthening the value-chain infrastructure, and policy interventions under the PMMSY scheme. India's fish and fishery product exports currently stand at Rs 62,408.45 crore, reflecting strong sectoral performance. Since the implementation of the PMMSY in 2020-21, export earnings have risen by about 33.7 per cent, increasing from Rs 46,662.85 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 62,408.45 crore in 2024-25, he added. Indiaas average aquaculture productivity has increased to approximately 4.7 tonnes per hectare by early 2025, from around 3 tonnes per hectare before the launch of the PMMSY, and the top-5 states in inland fish production are Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha, wherein Bihar stands at 4th position, the minister said. The Gross Value Added (GVA) of the fisheries sector during 2023-24 has been reported to be Rs 3,68,124 crore in comparison to Rs 2,12,087 crore during 2018-19. The share of the fisheries sector in the GVA of the agriculture sector has increased from 7 per cent in 2018-19 to 7.55 per cent in 2023-24. The Centre is focusing on the areas in fisheries technology, aquaculture, and value addition by supporting a basket of interventions along the fisheries value chain including quality fish production, expansion, diversification and intensification of aquaculture, promotion of export oriented species, infusion of technology, robust disease management and traceability, training and capacity building, creation of modern post-harvest infrastructure with seamless cold chain and processing facilities, the minister added. The technology infusion and adoption have been enhanced through the establishment of 52,058 reservoir cages, 22,057 RAS & Biofloc units and raceways and 1,525 sea cages approved under the PMMSY with an investment of Rs. 3040.87 crore. The Department of Fisheries has collaborated with several research institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and private incubators to boost the fisheries startup ecosystem. The department has also supported the establishment of five fisheries business incubation centres, namely the LINAC-NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFIC), Guwahati Biotech Park, Assam, the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai, and the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi, to provide mentorship and training for developing business models by fisheries start-ups, cooperatives, FPOs, and SHGs, the minister added. Bhubaneswar, Dec 17 : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday thanked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), expressing happiness over the successful rescue of Adarsh Kumar Behera from Odisha, who had been trapped in the African nation of Sudan. Behera, a resident of Kotakana village in the Tirtol area of Jagatsinghpur district, had been working in Sudan as a plastic operator since 2022. His family members were informed last month that he had gone missing in Sudan. Behera's wife had earlier told media persons that she had received a call from her husband, during which he said he was trapped in Sudan. She added that while Behera was trying to leave the African country with the help of his employer, he and two others were captured by rebels. After learning about his disappearance, Chief Minister Majhi expressed deep concern over the incident. Following his instructions, state government authorities wrote to the MEA requesting immediate steps for Behera's safe rescue from Sudan. Behera, who was trapped in El Fasher city of North Darfur State in the African country, was rescued by the MEA with the assistance of international interlocutors. In addition, the Resident Commissioner of Odisha in New Delhi also wrote to the MEA, urging it to ascertain Behera's whereabouts and ensure his safe return with the assistance of the Indian Embassy in Sudan. Following the efforts of the Government of India, Behera safely returned to Odisha and was accorded a grand welcome at the Bhubaneswar Airport here on Wednesday. Speaking to media persons upon his arrival, Behera said, "When the war escalated, I, along with my employer, was trying to go to a safer place. However, around 15 to 20 RSF (Rapid Support Forces) rebels kidnapped me midway from El Fasher. They beat me in a jungle where I was kept for around three days. Later, the rebels kept me in jail for a month and a half, without electricity or a toilet." He further alleged that the rebels used to give him only a biscuit a day. They also forced him to eat beef and convert to Islam. The Supervisory Board of PJSC Ukrnafta, following a competitive selection process, has decided to appoint Bohdan Kukura as Board Chairman, Ukrnafta reported on its website on Wednesday. "The open competition for the position of the Board Chairman of JSC Ukrnafta, started in August 2025, has been completed. Today, it is my pleasure to congratulate Bohdan Kukura and the entire Company on the victory of the strongest candidate following a fair, unbiased, and professional selection," said Timothy Dodson, Chair of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and Member of the Supervisory Board of JSC Ukrnafta. According to him, the selection was conducted transparently and in compliance with advanced OECD international practices, which is a sign of a high level of corporate governance at a company with state ownership. In addition, a recruitment agency operating under the well-known international brand Odgers was engaged to search for candidates. Prior to his appointment, Kukura served as Production Director and Chief Engineer of Ukrnafta. "He is a highly experienced professional with many years of hands-on expertise in the petroleum industry. He has deep knowledge of the companys production processes and direct involvement in the development of oil and gas recovery operations," the company said. Kukura is a graduate of Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, specializing in the development and operation of oil and gas fields, and holds an MBA degree. His professional career includes work at leading industry companies, including Ukrgasvydobuvannya, Regal Petroleum, and others, as well as management of oil and gas field design and development projects. Kukura is a co-author of a number of patents and technical solutions in the field of well operation and production equipment. Overall, he has more than 26 years of experience implementing technological and strategic projects in the oil and gas sector. "The appointment of the JSC Ukrnaftas Board Chairman is a crucial step in the companys corporate reform, supported by our partners at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development," said Duncan James Nightingale, Chairman of Ukrnaftas Supervisory Board. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday concluded his two-day visit to Ethiopia and emplaned for Oman for the third and final leg of his three-nation visit. In a special gesture, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali once again drove PM Modi in his car to the airport and personally bid farewell to the Indian leader as he emplaned for Oman. In a notable and personal gesture, Abiy Ahmed Ali had also received PM Modi at the airport on Tuesday and himself drove Prime Minister Modi from the airport to the hotel. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday concluded his two-day visit to Ethiopia and emplaned for Oman for the third and final leg of his three-nation visit. In a special gesture, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali once again drove PM Modi in his car to the airport and personally bid farewell to the Indian leader as he emplaned for Oman. In a notable and personal gesture, Abiy Ahmed Ali had also received PM Modi at the airport on Tuesday and himself drove Prime Minister Modi from the airport to the hotel. Earlier in the day, PM Modi and his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali planted a sapling in Addis Ababa under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Initiative.' PM Modi also addressed the Joint Session of the Ethiopian Parliament and drew parallels with 'Vande Mataram' and Ethiopia's national anthem 'March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia', saying that both countries refer to their land as "mother", which reflects their shared perspective. "It was a great honour and privilege to address the Ethiopian Parliament this morning. Ethiopiaas rich history, culture and spirit inspire deep respect and admiration. I conveyed Indiaas commitment to further strengthening our partnership, guided by shared values, mutual trust and a common vision for peace, development and cooperation," PM Modi posted on X before leaving for Oman. In his address, PM Modi drew parallels to India's national song 'Vande Mataram' and Ethiopia's national anthem, saying that both refer to land as mother and inspire to take pride in the heritage, culture, beauty and protect the motherland. "With the call of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas' which means together with everyone's growth, trust and effort, our emotions with our motherland, also reflect our shared perspective," said PM Modi. The Prime Minister further said that science has traced some of the earliest footprints of species in Ethiopia. "When the world speaks of 'Lucy of Dinkinesh', they are not speaking only of fossils but of a beginning -- that belongs to all of us, whether we live in Addis Ababa or Ayodhya. In India, we say 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', which means 'The world is one family'. It reminds us that beyond politics, borders and differences, we share a common origin. If our beginning was shared, then our destiny must also be shared," he added. PM Modi also expressed his delight after interacting with ministers and MPs of Ethiopia after his address to the Ethiopian Parliament. PM Modi laid a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument in Addis Ababa and also visited the Adwa Museum, where the officials briefed him about the history of the African nation. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi was also conferred Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia', for which he expressed his deep gratitude to the government and the people of the African nation. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday to a rousing welcome. New Delhi, Dec 17 : In a major development that will further strengthen the Indian Army's warfare store, the US Embassy on Wednesday announced the delivery of the remaining three AH-64E Boeing Apache attack helicopters. Taking it to X, the US Embassy wrote, "Delivering on the US President and Indian Prime Minister's joint statement, the arrival of the latest Boeing India AH-64E Apache helicopters for the Indian Army marks another step forward in the US-India Major Defence Partnership. This milestone reflects the reliable and growing US-India Defence partnership and fulfils commitments made by the Secretary of War and the Defence Ministry of India." "With its cutting-edge capabilities, the Apache strengthens our shared vision for regional security and deepens cooperation in co-production, training, and technology exchange," it said. The delivery comes after repeated delays. Notably, the Indian Army received the first slot of these three helicopters in July. The Indian Army Aviation Corps had been waiting for the first slot of three Apache helicopters since 2024, as they were originally planned to be delivered in May 2024. As part of an $800 million agreement signed with the United States in 2020, the Indian Army was to receive these six fighter helicopters. AH-64E is one of the world's most advanced helicopters, and its induction into the Indian Army is likely to boost operational capabilities. As India faces a two-front war with Pakistan on the Western front and China at the Northern border, these killer helicopters are intended to play a crucial role in supporting the Army's operations on the Western front. These specially designed killer helicopters are equipped with Hellfire missiles, 2.75-inch rockets and 30 mm chain gun rounds. It is pertinent to note here that in March 2024, the Army's Aviation Corps raised its first unit, 451 Aviation Squadron, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, to deploy these helicopters. Notably, the Indian Army's purchase of Apache was also influenced by the Indian Air Force's experience with the Apache attack helicopter. The IAF has already received 22 such Apache helicopters as part of a different deal inked in 2015. These specially designed killer helicopters are equipped with Hellfire missiles, 2.75-inch rockets and 30 mm chain gun rounds. Because of their power and agility, they are also termed as tanks in the air and can fire 600-650 rounds per minute. Along with it, it has a Primary Mission Gross Weight of 15,075 lb (6,838 kg), maximum Operating Weight 23,000 lb. (10,432 kg), Maximum Rate of Climb 2,800+ ft. (853+ m) per minute and a maximum Level Flight Speed of 150+ knots (279+ kph). It is designed and equipped with the latest communications, navigation, sensor and weapon systems. Bhopal, Dec 17 : The Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly convened a one-day special session on Wednesday to mark the 69th anniversary of its first sitting and deliberated on transforming the state into a developed, self-reliant, and prosperous entity by 2047, aligning with the national 'Viksit Bharat' goal. The proceedings commenced with a condolence meeting, paying tributes to former state Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj V. Patil, former Mizoram Governor Swaraj Kaushal, former Lok Sabha member Dr Ramvilas Vedanti, and four bomb disposal squad personnel who tragically died in a road accident on National Highway 44 on December 10. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav prayed to Baba Mahakal for peace to the departed souls, while Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar also expressed condolences. Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar highlighted the session's significance, noting it as the fourth special sitting in the Assembly's history -- previous ones marking the 50th anniversary of Independence, state bifurcation with Chhattisgarh, and one in 2015 under former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He emphasised the need for constructive bipartisan discussions on 'Madhya Pradesh Vision 2047' amid the technology era, where artificial intelligence poses challenges across sectors. Tomar urged MLAs to focus on dynamic development for the state's eight crore people over the next 25 years. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav presented and moved a resolution to make Madhya Pradesh developed, self-reliant, and prosperous, which was unanimously passed. CM Yadav reflected on his government's two-year milestones, including eradicating Naxalism ("bidding farewell to the Lal Salam" on December 11), destroying illegal arms factories, and decisions to establish metropolitan cities in Indore, Jabalpur, and Gwalior. He announced the launch of public transport services from April 2026 and praised investments worth lakhs of crores. Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar welcomed the vision discussion but questioned the government's intent, demanding guarantees on manifesto promises like 24-hour electricity, household water supply, Rs 3,000 monthly aid under the Ladli Behna scheme, full labour wages, and preventing MSME closures. He also sought clarity on reducing state debt and increasing revenue, besides calling for longer sessions and live-streaming. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya advocated positive deliberations on Madhya Pradesh's role in India's 2047 development, crediting past leaders like Digvijaya Singh (for IIM Indore), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Ladli Behna and Mahakal Lok), and Kamal Nath, while highlighting CM Yadav's achievements in investments and infrastructure. Speaker Tomar has allocated seven hours for the debate for the day-long special session. On the occasion of the one-day special session of the Legislative Assembly, Governor Mangubhai Patel inaugurated a photo exhibition based on Madhya Pradesh's development journey, achievements of two years, and Viksit Bharat: @ 2047 in the Assembly premises. This exhibition features rare and memorable photographs chronicling the seven-decade-long journey of the Legislative Assembly, which narrate the story of the state's democratic evolution, the aspirations of its people, and its historic decisions. Vijayvargiya posted on his X handle, " it offers a compelling glimpse into the government's public welfare schemes and developmental initiatives, which stand as testimony to how democracy, through service, dedication, and progress, continues to enrich the lives of the people." New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025, which sought to repeal 71 obsolete laws and make minor amendments to four others, as part of the Central government's ongoing efforts to declutter the statute book and eliminate colonial-era remnants. The Bill was passed through a voice vote. Introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 15 and passed the next day, the Bill targets principally amendment Acts of which the provisions have been incorporated into main laws, along with outdated enactments like the Indian Tramways Act, 1886. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal defended the legislation as a "housekeeping measure" aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five pledges (Panch Pran), including shedding colonial mindset, promoting unity, ease of living, ease of doing business, citizen-centric approach, and the mantra of minimum government, maximum governance. Replying to concerns that the Bill was rushed, Meghwal emphasised it was not done in haste, contrasting it with the UPA governments, which he claimed did not introduce any such repealing Bills. He highlighted amendments removing discriminatory provisions in the Indian Succession Act, 1925, where Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and Parsis were required to "probate wills" in certain presidency towns like Calcutta (Kolkata), Bombay (Mumbai) and Madras (Chennai), unlike Muslims -- a practice he termed colonial and violative of equality under the Constitution. The Minister also addressed updates to the General Clauses Act, 1897, and Code of Criminal Procedure, incorporating modern "speed post" in place of obsolete "registered post" systems. For the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (enacted under UPA), the Bill substitutes "preparation" with "prevention" to correct a drafting error. Trinamool Congress member Sushmita Dev questioned why the anti-defection law (Tenth Schedule of the Constitution) was excluded, arguing that the Speaker's absolute powers for disqualification are often misused to encourage horse-trading rather than curb defections. Other members raised unrelated issues; Incarcerated AIP MP Engineer Rashid sought amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), calling some provisions draconian and sub-judice. Discussions also touched on judicial reforms, including increasing judge numbers to reduce pendency, by senior Congress member Vivek Tankha. Meghwal clarified that UAPA and judicial appointments require separate discussions, and the government is actively addressing judicial bottlenecks without haste. The non-controversial Bill underscores periodic legal cleanup, with the Modi government having repealed over 1,500 obsolete laws since 2014, while sparking broader debates on electoral and judicial reforms during the Winter Session. Patna, Dec 17 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar arrived in the historic and spiritual city of Gaya on Wednesday, where governance deliberations and spiritual reflection converged in a symbolic and significant manner. The Chief Minister inaugurated the two-day aManthan-2025a workshop at the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) and participated in a group photograph with the stateas divisional commissioners and district magistrates. aManthan-2025a is being viewed as a key strategic platform for shaping the future administrative roadmap of the Bihar government. The workshop will involve in-depth discussions aimed at making governance more effective, transparent, accountable, and people-centric. Addressing senior officials, CM Kumar stressed that the real success of government schemes must be visible on the ground, not merely reflected in official files. He underscored accountability, timeliness, and administrative sensitivity as the pillars of good governance and urged officers to remain directly connected with the public to understand grassroots realities. Several senior state officials were present at the BIPARD campus during the session. The collective interaction and group photo symbolically conveyed a message of discipline, coordination, and shared administrative resolve. It is expected that critical reviews of ongoing schemes and the groundwork for major policy decisions in the coming months will emerge from the aManthan-2025a deliberations. Following the administrative engagements, the Chief Minister visited the Mahabodhi Temple, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world, where he offered prayers and paid homage to Lord Buddha. This visit is being seen not only as an act of religious reverence but also as a broader message of peace, compassion, and coexistence, values deeply associated with Biharas spiritual heritage. The 'Manthan-2025' workshop aims to streamline governance and administration, and Nitish Kumar's visit to Bodhgaya indicates that for him, power, service, and compassion are inextricably linked. New Delhi, Dec 17 : Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh on Wednesday supported the remarks made by senior party leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Operation Sindoor, stating that the government's silence on the issue raises serious doubts. The lack of a clear response from the Centre suggests that "there is something fishy", but the government appears unconcerned, he said. Singh's comments came after Chavan claimed that India suffered a setback on the first day of Operation Sindoor and that Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict. Speaking to IANS, Singh said the matter had been discussed, but the Prime Minister and senior BJP leaders failed to offer any explanation. "We had discussions on this issue, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not have anything to say. It is clear that neither the Prime Minister nor other BJP leaders responded to the questions raised by the Leader of the Opposition and other opposition members regarding Operation Sindoor. When the government avoids answering such serious questions, it clearly indicates that something is being hidden," Singh said. He further alleged that the government's reluctance to discuss the matter in the Parliament was deeply concerning. "When information is being withheld from Parliament, it naturally raises suspicion. I would say the government is carefree and nothing seems to worry it. Instead of addressing critical national security concerns, the government is busy changing names, scrapping welfare schemes, attacking the poor, and snatching the wages of workers," he added. Addressing a press conference in Pune, Chavan made controversial remarks regarding Operation Sindoor, claiming that the Indian Air Force was effectively grounded due to the threat of being shot down by Pakistan. According to Chavan, the situation during the initial phase of the operation reflected a significant setback. The Congress leader said, "On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not. Indian aircraft were shot down. The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the Air Force was fully grounded." Chavan also questioned the traditional structure of military preparedness, arguing that modern warfare is increasingly dominated by air and missile capabilities. "During Operation Sindoor, there was not even a one-kilometre movement of ground forces. What unfolded over two or three days was purely an aerial and missile-based conflict. In the future as well, wars will be fought in a similar manner. In such a scenario, do we really need to maintain an army of 12 lakh soldiers, or should we consider deploying them for other purposes?" he asked. Reports suggesting that Indian fighter jets were shot down during Operation Sindoor gained traction following a statement attributed to a Defence Attache. However, the Indian government has refuted these claims, clarifying that remarks made during a seminar in Indonesia were taken out of context and misrepresented the intent and substance of the presentation. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people lost their lives. Pakistan retaliated, leading to a conflict from May 7 to 10. During the Operation, India claimed to have killed over 100 terrorists in just 23 minutes using Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 : Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on Wednesday thanked PM Modi for his two-day visit to Addis Ababa - his first to the African nation - hoping that both countries will remain connected through their historical, cultural, and diplomatic relations. "Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, we will surely get the opportunity to meet again. With this hope, we will always remain connected through our nation's historical, cultural, and diplomatic relations," the Ethiopian PM posted in Hindi on his X account after personally bidding farewell to the Indian counterpart on Tuesday afternoon. As Prime Minister Modi concluded his two-day visit to Ethiopia and emplaned for Oman for the third and final leg of his three-nation visit, in yet another special gesture, Abiy Ahmed Ali drove him to the airport in his car. In a notable and personal gesture, Abiy Ahmed Ali had also received PM Modi at the airport on Tuesday and himself drove Prime Minister Modi from the airport to the hotel in the country's capital. "Thank you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for your visit to Ethiopia and for your continued efforts to strengthen Indiaa"Ethiopia relations. Our elevated ties to a strategic level marks an important milestone and opens a new chapter of deeper cooperation and shared progress between our two countries," he wrote in another post on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, PM Modi and his Ethiopian counterpart planted saplings at the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives, as part of 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' and Ethiopia's 'Green Legacy' initiatives. Prime Minister Modi also addressed a Joint Session of Ethiopian Parliament which was a special honour accorded to him on his first bilateral visit to the country. PM Modi thanked the people and government of Ethiopia for bestowing on him the highest award - Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. Given the salience of the relationship, the Prime Minister expressed deep satisfaction that the age-old ties between the two countries have been elevated to a strategic partnership during the visit. "Recalling the civilizational ties between India and Ethiopia, the Prime Minister underlined that both the countries combine ancient wisdom with modern ambition. In this context, he noted that Indiaas national song 'Vande Mataram' and the Ethiopian national anthem both refer to their land as the mother," the Indian Prime Minister's Office (PMO) noted. "Alluding to the shared struggle of the two countries, the Prime Minister highlighted the contribution of Indian soldiers who fought alongside fellow Ethiopians for their liberation in 1941. He expressed that it was an honour for him to pay tribute to the Adwa Victory Monument that symbolizes the sacrifices of the Ethiopian people," the statement added. Mumbai, Dec 17 : Bollywood actor Dino Morea, who is gearing up for his latest release, 'Four More Shots Season 4', has applauded actors Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna for creating a strong impact with their recent performances, and also noted how the digital era has amplified their reach. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the actor also reminisced about his movies 'Raaz' and 'Aksar' and revealed how people still remember him due to those films. When IANS asked about Dino's reaction to Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna becoming internet sensations, the actor replied, "The way Bobby has got his chance to shine in Animal and Akshaye has got his chance to shine, especially in Dhurandhar more than Chaava, is incredible." He added, "When I had Raaz as a success or Aksar as a success, there was really no social media, right? So, people saw the movies and still remember me from then." Dino recalled how Raaz travelled "from villages to top-tier cities" and revealed how the feedback then came only from real viewers. Comparing it with today, he said, "Today, people don't see a film, but they are all over the internet. And that spread is faster and wider." Reflecting on his own journey, from being one of India's top models to delivering a breakout performance in Raaz, Dino told IANS that fame functioned differently in the pre-social media era. He further added, "If I had to do something like Akshay or Bobby did today in a certain role, I think that would spread really fast through the internet. And I would probably have the same craze that they are having today. And I feel fantastic for the both of them because they are brilliant." Dino concluded by saying that the attention both actors are receiving is well deserved and reflective of their talent. For the unversed, Dino Morea started his career in the Hindi film industry with the 1999 release Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi opposite Rinkie Khanna. The actor will soon be seen in the fourth season of the OTT series 'Four More Shots Please Season 4' alongside Kirti Kulhari, Sayani Gupta, Maanvi Gagroo, Bani J, Prateik Babbar, Neil Bhoopalam, Rajeev Siddhartha, and Lisa Ray. Chennai, Dec 17 : The Tamil Nadu BJP demanded a suo motu intervention by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) into the death of a Class 7 student from the Scheduled Caste community who was killed in a wall collapse at a government school in Tiruvallur district, alleging gross negligence by the State's School Education Department. In a statement, BJP Tamil Nadu spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad said the incident, in which 12-year-old S. Mohith (also referred to as Rohit), a first-generation learner from Kondapuram Colony in R.K. Pettai, lost his life, amounted to a "serious violation of Article 21 of the Constitution" and reflected criminal dereliction of duty by the DMK government. The party alleged that poor maintenance of school infrastructure, despite repeated warnings and media reports, directly led to the tragedy. It urged the police to register criminal cases, including charges of culpable negligence, against officials of the district administration and the School Education Department responsible for inspecting and maintaining the school premises. The BJP called upon the NCSC to conduct an independent inquiry into the incident and take stringent action, citing the victim's social background and vulnerability. It also demanded that School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi take moral responsibility for the death, resign from his post, personally meet the bereaved family, offer a formal apology, provide compensation of Rs one crore, and ensure a government job for one family member. Pointing to what it described as a pattern of administrative failure, the party cited earlier incidents, including the collapse of a compound wall at Anjur Government Higher Secondary School in Chengalpattu earlier this month, a classroom balcony wall failure at a government primary school in Palani in 2024, and the 2021 Tirunelveli school toilet wall collapse that killed three students. The BJP also accused senior officials in the School Education Department of attempting to downplay or suppress reports highlighting unsafe school infrastructure, inadequate drinking water and sanitation facilities, and dilapidated buildings in rural areas. It sought disciplinary action against the Director of School Education, alleging misplaced priorities and failure to address safety concerns. Urging Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to intervene, the party demanded immediate administrative reforms, enhanced funding for school infrastructure, and strict inspections of all government schools. It further called for the introduction of moral and value education to address rising concerns over indiscipline and violence in schools. The state government has yet to issue a detailed response to the BJP's demands. Bhopal, Dec 17 : Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel on Wednesday inaugurated a photo exhibition showcasing the 70-year journey and rich legislative history of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The inauguration was attended by Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, and Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, among others. The exhibition has been organised to mark the 70th anniversary of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, for which the BJP-led state government convened a single-day special session on Wednesday. While the special sitting of the House is scheduled to conclude later in the day, the photo exhibition will remain open to visitors for the next week. Before the House proceedings began, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said Madhya Pradesh has witnessed steady growth since its formation seven decades ago. "During this special session, discussions will be held on several key subjects and the achievements of the BJP government over the past two years will be showcased," Yadav said. The Chief Minister, who completed two years in office on December 13, is set to present a detailed report on the government's performance. The highlights include Madhya Pradesh being declared Naxal-free on December 11, along with progress in urban development, education, health, women's empowerment, industrial policy, tourism, culture, heritage, agriculture, cooperation, animal husbandry and internal security. The special sitting comes just 12 days after the conclusion of the five-day Winter Session on December 5, during which the House passed a second supplementary budget of Rs 13,156 crore following intense debate. Earlier in the day, Congress legislators led by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar staged a protest near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Assembly premises against the Centre's move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). "Prime Minister Narendra Modi promotes Mahatma Gandhi's charkha, but his government is now removing Gandhi's name from the scheme. This is an act of disrespect towards the Father of the Nation, which the Congress will not accept," Singhar told reporters. The BJP, however, defended the Centre's decision, alleging that the Congress had repeatedly used Mahatma Gandhi's name for political gain. BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma said the party believed in implementing Gandhi's ideals rather than merely invoking his name. "The Congress has taken Gandhi's name but failed to deliver on its promises. We follow Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts and work on the ground," Sharma said. MFA calls on African govts to take decisive action to stop Russian programs on recruiting young people to fight in Ukraine Ukraine calls on all African media and governments to take decisive action to stop Russian programs that lure youth across the continent into war against the Ukrainian people, Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi emphasized. Russias illicit recruiting efforts in Africa make headlines across the continent, from Kenya to Botswana, and backfire on Moscow. What has been revealed thus far is likely just the tip of the iceberg. We urge all African media and governments to take bold action to stop Russian programs that are luring youth throughout the continent into its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, he said on X. The representative also noted that Russia is sharply increasing scholarships for African students in the next academic year. Surely no one should be so naive as to believe that this is about education, Tykhyi added. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that to combat recruitment activities carried out by the Russian government, systemic countermeasures are needed, such as official warnings to citizens to raise their awareness, as well as legal action to expose and disrupt recruitment programs and bring perpetrators to justice. On November 7, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that at least 1,436 citizens from 36 African countries are currently fighting against Ukraine in the Russian army. He noted that Russia is recruiting African citizens through various methods. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister called on African countries to publicly warn their citizens against joining the Russian army. Jaipur, Dec 17 : Rajasthan Police on Wednesday bulldozed an MD drugs manufacturing unit operating from a poultry farm in Jhunjhunu district, two days after it was busted in a joint operation by the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) and Jhunjhunu Police. During the raid, police seized 10 kg of MD drugs, along with foreign-made machinery and hazardous chemicals, with the total value of the recovered material estimated at Rs 100 crore. Following the seizure, the police demolished the storage area, machinery rooms, tin shed, and boundary wall of the poultry farm using a bulldozer. The factory was being operated by Anil Sihag (31) at his uncle Suresh Sihag's poultry farm in Nand ka Bas village, under the Dhanuri police station area. Anil, a Class 12 pass who works in agriculture, had been associated with the poultry farm since 2016-17. Police said that around 15 days ago, Anil, along with his associate Subhash Jat, began manufacturing MD drugs at the site. Several machines were installed, and large quantities of dangerous chemicals were stored inside the farm premises. Jhunjhunu Superintedndent of Police (SP) Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay said that providing premises for narcotics-related activities is a punishable offence under the NDPS Act. Since the MD drug operation was being conducted from the poultry farm, the structure was declared illegal and demolished. "The accused was running the entire operation from two rooms inside the poultry farm. Hence, action was taken to demolish the illegal construction," the SP said, adding that the crackdown will continue. Investigations revealed that Anil and Subhash initially started with poppy husk smuggling. Subhash used to transport poppy husk from Neemuch in his car, while Anil accompanied him on 5-7 trips, earning Rs 5,000 per trip. The contraband was supplied to hotels and dhabas. Later, Anil independently began sourcing poppy husk from Pappu Gurjar, a highway dhaba operator in Neemuch, and selling it to an acquaintance in Taranagar, saving Rs 500-700 per kg. During this phase, he was caught once by the police. Anil was finally arrested on December 14 after he arrived in Sikar with one kg of MDMA to deliver a consignment. He was caught by the Maharashtra ANC at the Milan Hotel near the Collectorate around 6.30 a.m. During interrogation, Anil revealed details about his associates. When police attempted to nab another accused, Bijju, in Sikar, he managed to escape in his Swift car. Following this, police took Anil to the poultry farm in Nand ka Bas, where the MD drug factory, machinery, and chemicals were recovered. Police officials said further arrests are likely as the investigation continues. --IANS- arc/dpb New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Delhi Police is facing a shortfall of over 9,200 personnel across ranks, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, highlighting persistent staffing gaps in the national capital's police force. In a written reply to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said that as on November 30, 2025, a total of 9,248 posts were lying vacant against a sanctioned strength of 92,044 personnel in the Delhi Police. The data placed in the House shows that vacancies are spread across several operational and supervisory ranks, with the largest gaps at the constabulary and subordinate officer levels. While top leadership positions, including Commissioner of Police, Special Commissioners, Joint Commissioners and Additional Commissioners, have no vacancies, shortages are significantly lower down the hierarchy. According to the figures presented by the MoS, 4,591 posts of constables are vacant against a sanctioned strength of 50,946. The force is also short of 3,057 head constables, 1,039 sub-inspectors, 300 assistant sub-inspectors, and 108 inspectors. At the officer level, 125 posts of Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP) are vacant, along with 13 posts of Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP/Addl. DCP) and 15 posts under the Junior Administrative Grade. Responding to queries on the duration of these vacancies and the timeline for filling them, the minister said that vacancies are a "dynamic process" arising due to retirements, promotions, resignations and other service-related factors. He added that filling up posts is a continuous exercise. "The vacancies are reported to the recruiting agencies regularly, and appointments are made after completion of the recruitment process, viz., written examination, physical test and medical examination," Rai said in his reply. New Delhi, Dec 17 : Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday refuted the remarks made by Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Operation Sindoor, asserting that the claims were entirely incorrect and misleading. Athawale's reaction came after Chavan alleged that India suffered a defeat on the first day of Operation Sindoor and that Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day military engagement. Responding to these assertions, the Union Minister said such statements were irresponsible and did not reflect the reality of the operation. Speaking to IANS, Ramdas Athawale said, "I firmly believe that whatever Prithviraj Chavan has said is completely false. He is a responsible leader who has served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and such remarks are not expected from someone of his stature. Operation Sindoor was a highly successful mission in which more than 100 terrorists were eliminated. Pakistan was gripped by fear after the operation. In such a situation, it is completely wrong to portray the operation as a defeat for India." He further added that misrepresenting a successful military operation only weakens national morale. "We did not lose Operation Sindoor. On the contrary, it was a decisive action. The Congress party, however, lost the 2024 elections and also suffered defeats in states like Bihar and Maharashtra. Making such statements is not appropriate and only reflects political frustration. Issuing comments like these is very wrong," Athawale said. The Union Minister also responded to comments made by West Bengal Governor C.V. Anand Bose regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls in the state. Bose had stated that the SIR exercise has led to the identification and exit of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators since its implementation. Supporting the Governor's remarks, Athawale said the SIR process was necessary to ensure electoral integrity. "The Governor of West Bengal has clearly stated that no one has the right to vote illegally. Since the SIR process began, many illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have returned to Bangladesh. This is an important development. The SIR was required to clean the voter rolls and protect the voting rights of genuine citizens," Athawale said. He also pointed out that even the Congress has raised concerns about alleged 'vote theft' and wrongful deletion of names from electoral rolls. "The Congress itself demands that there should be no vote theft and that names should not be arbitrarily removed. Therefore, the SIR process cannot be termed anti-any party. It is a neutral exercise aimed at cleaning the voter list and safeguarding democratic rights. In that sense, the SIR was necessary," he added. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Governor Bose had stated that infiltration became more evident after the SIR process began and that there was a visible outflow of illegal migrants from West Bengal to Bangladesh. "Infiltration is a reality, and the SIR process has brought this issue to the forefront. There is a noticeable movement of illegal migrants back across the border. This phenomenon has been studied extensively. As far as elections are concerned, the SIR will certainly bring change and cleanse the system to a large extent," Bose told IANS. When asked about the impact of illegal immigrants on elections, the Governor noted that while the problem may not be entirely eliminated, it has significantly reduced. "After the SIR, the chances of illegal infiltrators influencing elections have decreased. I am not saying the issue is completely resolved, but it has certainly lessened," he said. The SIR exercise in West Bengal began on December 4 and concluded on December 11. The process witnessed the departure of a significant number of illegal Bangladeshi nationals and also triggered protests by booth-level officers (BLOs), who cited work pressure and tight deadlines. Following the completion of the exercise, the Election Commission of India released the draft electoral rolls for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. As a result of the SIR process, over 58 lakh voter names have been identified for removal. The publication of the draft voter list marks the conclusion of the enumeration phase and the start of a more rigorous stage involving claims, objections, and hearings. The second phase of the three-stage SIR exercise will continue until February 2026, with the final voter list scheduled to be published on February 14, 2026, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Mumbai, Dec 17 : Television actress Urvashi Dholakia took to social media to share a heartwarming personal moment as she stepped out for a solo visit to a restaurant. She described the experience as both liberating and magical. Opening up about the outing, the 'Kasautii Zindagi Kay' actress revealed how spending time in her own company helped her embrace self-love, independence and inner peace. Taking to her Instagram handle, Urvashi posted a couple of her candid selfies and penned a note that read, "A box that is finally tick marked Always heard people say that they have gone all by themselves to a restaurant and had a great time.. I never quite understood it until three days ago, when I did it myself! And trust me, it was nothing less than Magic." "Not for a moment, it felt awkward. In fact, it felt so liberating the idea is to love yourself, your own company, your own sense of being and that's exactly how I felt in that moment." The 'Naagin 6' actress went on to add, "No, this is not a paid promotion. It is something that I simply had to share and express. How beautifully you have made the place.. complete Christmas vibes.. full of life, happines & joy also converting it into an all day cafe and bar concept is the best decision made #urvashidholakia." (sic) In the images, Urvashi is seen striking happy poses for the camera, with a lit-up, decorated Christmas tree in the background. Meanwhile, earlier this year, the 'Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii' actress returned to television with her appearance in the popular show "Pushpa Impossible." Talking about her comeback, she had said, "Returning to Pushpa Impossible as Devi Singh Shekhawat feels like coming home. Devi has always been a strong, independent woman who stands firmly for what's right, and this time, she's back to support Pushpa when she needs her the most." Urvashi was most recently seen in "Power Of Paanch," a project that also features Riva Arora, Jaiveer Juneja, Aditya Arora, Anubha Arora, Bianca Arora, Yash Sehgal and Barkha Bisht. Agartala, Dec 17 : At least three people were killed and four others injured after a brick kiln chimney collapsed on workers in Tripura on Wednesday, officials said. A district administration official said that the tragic incident happened at Kamalpur in northern Tripura's Dhalai district when the brick kiln was in operation. Soon after the incident, personnel of the Fire and Emergency Services and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with residents, recovered the bodies of the deceased and rescued the injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha condoled the deaths and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. In a post on his X account, the Chief Minister said: "It is learned that the chimney of ABC Brick Industry at Kamalpur suddenly collapsed, resulting in the tragic death of three persons and injuries to four others. SDRF and police teams are on the spot, carrying out rescue and relief operations." "My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, and I wish a speedy recovery to those injured," Saha said. The three deceased were identified as Subal Debnath (55), Pinku Shil (37), both residents of Tripura and Anil Gautam (49), a resident of Uttar Pradesh. Of the four injured, two are residents of Jharkhand. Three of the four injured have been later shifted to the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital in Agartala for better medical treatment. The owner of the brick kiln, Souvik Paul, and his Manager were detained by the Police and are now under the Kamalpur Police Station. Dhalai District Superintendent of Police Mihir Lal Das and local BJP MLA Manoj Kanti Deb went to the area and supervised the rescue operations. Meanwhile, the body of a 19-year-old student was recovered from the Manu River in northern Tripura's Unakoti district on Wednesday by personnel of the Fire and Emergency Services. Police said that four youths had gone to the Manu River on Tuesday for bathing. When they were unable to save themselves, residents rescued three youths, while the student, who later died, could not be traced on Tuesday. --IANS sc/dan Mumbai, Dec 17 : India's market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), is expected to discuss major reform proposals at its upcoming board meeting on Wednesday, including a recommendation to make asset disclosures mandatory for senior officials to prevent conflicts of interest. This will be the fourth board meeting chaired by Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who took charge as SEBI Chairperson on March 1. One of the most important items on the agenda is a report submitted to him on November 10 by a high-level panel formed to review ethical standards within the regulator. The panel has suggested wide-ranging reforms to improve transparency and promote what it calls a "zero-tolerance" approach towards conflicts of interest. Among its key recommendations are compulsory public disclosure of assets by senior SEBI officials, a secure and anonymous whistleblower system to report ethical violations, a ban on accepting expensive gifts, and a mandatory two-year cooling-off period before officials can take up post-retirement assignments. The panel has also proposed the creation of a new position of Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer to oversee these measures. Apart from governance reforms, the SEBI board will also examine changes to market-related rules. These include proposals to ease know-your-customer (KYC) requirements for non-resident Indians and to introduce a closing auction session in the stock markets, which could help improve price discovery at the end of the trading day. Mutual fund regulations are another major focus area. SEBI has already released consultation papers suggesting a complete overhaul of existing rules to make them simpler and more transparent. In October, the regulator proposed a clearer definition of the Total Expense Ratio, or TER, along with revised limits on brokerage charges. The aim is to improve disclosures, remove unnecessary duplication, reduce costs, and make compliance easier for fund houses. As part of these changes, the market regulator plans to remove the additional 5 basis points that asset management companies are currently allowed to charge across mutual fund schemes. The regulator has also proposed keeping statutory taxes and duties such as Securities Transaction Tax, Goods and Services Tax, Commodity Transaction Tax, and stamp duty outside the TER limits. In addition, the SEBI board will review stock broker regulations that date back to 1992. Srinagar, Dec 17 : The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday demanded a probe by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) into local NGOs and welfare organisations operating in the Union Territory. BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur told a media conference here that a probe by the MHA should be conducted into terror modules operating in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as into the role of NGOs, welfare institutions, trusts, and other organisations. "There are 16,000 NGOs in Jammu and Kashmir, and this raises serious concerns. We have sufficient evidence that funds routed to various NGOs are being misused for terror funding. The MHA probe must identify their links and trace the routes and origins of such funding. The investigation should establish the sources of their foreign funding, including countries such as Japan and the UK. Many NGOs are working to revive terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir through networks operating in Gulf and other foreign countries. "We are appealing to the Union Home Minister to act tough against these networks and modules, as white-collar terror modules have already been unearthed," he said. Thakur said that only 239 out of the nearly 16,000 NGOs operating in Jammu and Kashmir are registered. "Who is allowing them to operate? From where are these unregistered NGOs getting their funding? Several of these organisations also receive government assistance, making it essential to assess how such funds are being utilised. The assets of all such organisations should be verified and audited. A detailed investigation must be conducted into their sources of funding, including both foreign and domestic contributions, to determine who is funding them and for what purpose," the BJP spokesperson said. He further stressed the need to examine the political links of these organisations, alleging that some may be operating with political backing. "It must be ascertained which organisations are genuinely working for public welfare and which are being misused for activities that harm national interests," Thakur said. Thakur said the BJP has sought an investigation by the MHA to ensure transparency and accountability. He reiterated that strict action should be taken against any organisation found involved in unlawful or anti-national activities, adding that such measures are necessary to safeguard peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir. Amaravati, Dec 17 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday directed district Collectors to adopt the speed of delivering government services on the lines of the speed of doing business. Addressing the fifth Collectors' conference at Secretariat here, he asked them to accord top priority to increasing satisfaction levels of people on public services to increase confidence and trust on government. He also urged them to strive hard to achieve 15 per cent growth rate. The Chief Minister made it clear that numbers alone will not serve the purpose, and district Collectors should initiate measures to increase satisfaction level among people at the field level with speedy delivery of government services, including redressal of grievances. Stating that district Collectors are ambassadors of the government, the Chief Minister said that the performance of Collectors reflects on the government. Expressing happiness over achieving 92 per cent satisfaction level in the distribution of pensions, the Chief Minister said that every state should mention the name of Andhra Pradesh for best practices and implementation of welfare schemes. Chief Minister Naidu opined that there should be a competitive spirit among Collectors over best performance, as performance is the criteria of the NDA government. Citing the example of the commitment of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan in sanctioning a road to a remote village on the spot over the request of a newly recruited police constable, the Chief Minister said that such speedy redressal of grievances will win more public satisfaction. The Chief Minister said focus should be made on data-driven decision-making in governance to achieve the best results. There should be responsibility and accountability among officials. Citing the example of the functioning of the revenue department, the Chief Minister said accountability will be fixed for every employee using blockchain technology. He set a deadline to make all files and services available online by January. CM Naidu said that he used to focus more on the data lake to get real-time information and added that Google came forward to set up AI data centre in Visakhapatnam with the existence of proactive governance. He wanted district Collectors to take the responsibility of grounding of projects in their respective districts. Earlier, Chief Secretary K Vijayanand welcomed the gathering by stating that the Collectors' conference plays a key role in government performance. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Minister for Revenue Anagani Satyaprasad, and Minister for Finance Payyavula Kesav addressed the conference. Mumbai, Dec 17 : Shiv Sena-UBT (SS-UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that seat-sharing between the SS-UBT and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls will be announced in the next two days, adding that there is no discord or confusion between the two parties. Speaking to the press, Raut confirmed that discussions for key municipal corporations, including Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Pune, and Nashik, are nearly complete, with an official announcement expected within the next 48 hours. "Mumbai is our priority. MNS and Shiv Sena leaders met yesterday (Tuesday) to finalise the details, and we expect to conclude the matter today. There is no discord or confusion between us," he stated. Raut emphasised that the alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS would present a formidable challenge to the current government. "This alliance will work to awaken Mumbai and Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are now together; they have met frequently and visited each other's homes. A massive show of strength is being planned to officially announce the tie-up. I am certain that the Marathi community in Mumbai will turn out in huge numbers for our first joint rally," he said. He further added that joint rallies by the Thackeray brothers are the "need of the hour" for Maharashtra and would be organised both within Mumbai and across the state. Taking a scathing swipe at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde regarding the venue for the concluding campaign rally, Raut dismissed the Shinde faction's Shiv Sena's claim to Shivaji Park (Shivtirth). "The Shinde group has no connection to Shivtirth. Just because (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah handed you the party does not give you a right to that ground. You are a 'test-tube baby' your political birth is not natural. You were brought into existence by 'doctors' from the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. Do not make empty threats about holding rallies at Shivtirth," he remarked. He maintained that the demands made by the Sena (UBT) and the MNS to use the ground are both "morally and emotionally justified". Raut also criticised the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for their stance on NCP leader Nawab Malik. While the ruling alliance has reportedly refused to allow Malik to lead the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) in the Mumbai civic polls, Raut termed their patriotism a "sham". "These people are hypocrites. Just as Shinde's party is duplicate, so is their ideology. They are holding meetings and dinners with Nawab Malik, and one of his daughters is already part of the ruling side. Please stop this pretence of nationalism," he said. New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred to the Calcutta High Court the suo motu proceedings it had initiated in the aftermath of the ghastly rape and murder of a junior woman doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma directed that the matter be placed before a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court to oversee compliance with the directions earlier issued by the apex court. "We deem it appropriate to refer the matter to a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court with a request to the Chief Justice to place the matter before an appropriate Bench. Registry to transmit all the matters to the Calcutta High Court," the Justice Sundresh-led Bench ordered. The top court also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to furnish its latest status reports, earlier submitted before the Supreme Court, to the parents of the victim. Senior advocate Karuna Nundy, appearing on behalf of doctors' associations from West Bengal, submitted that the Supreme Court had constituted a National Task Force (NTF) on hospital safety and related concerns. She urged the Justice Sundesh-led Bench to continue hearing the matter until the NTF finished its work, adding that the CBI's status reports raised serious questions about the involvement of others. At this, the apex court observed that the Calcutta High Court was the proper forum to continue supervising the investigation and trial, particularly since a petition filed by the victim's parents is already pending there. It added that continuing parallel proceedings would serve no purpose. The Supreme Court initiated the suo motu matter titled "In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issues" in August 2024, a few days after the brutal crime occurred within the hospital premises. The incident had triggered nationwide outrage and widespread protests by doctors and medical associations over the lack of safety and basic facilities in public hospitals. The then Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud-led Bench had termed the incident "horrific" and one that "shocked the conscience of the nation", observing that it raised systemic issues concerning the safety of doctors across the country, particularly in public hospitals. It had recorded serious deficiencies in public hospitals, including the lack of resting rooms for doctors on night duty, the absence of separate duty rooms for men and women, prolonged working hours without basic hygiene facilities, a shortage of security personnel, inadequate CCTV coverage, unrestricted access to hospital premises, and poorly lit areas. To address these concerns, the Supreme Court constituted a 10-member NTF to make recommendations on the safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had transferred the investigation in the rape case to the CBI. In January 2025, a sessions court in Kolkata's Sealdah sentenced prime accused Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, to life imprisonment after convicting him under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions relating to rape and murder. The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) will thoroughly check the information disseminated in the media regarding the publication of private photos of one of the defendants in the criminal proceedings, the SBI said on Telegram on Wednesday. The message does not mention the name of the defendant, but refers to the head of the Anti-Corruption Center (AntAC), Vitaliy Shabunin. The day before, he reported in his Telegram channel that the SBI and the Prosecutor Generals Office "leaked to TG channels" his intimate photos from a phone seized during a search. According to Shabunin, this was a "response" to the publication of a website with a list of security officers who destroyed the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine/Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutors Office (NABU/SAPO)". "The State Bureau of Investigation will thoroughly check employees who have access to private information regarding one of the persons involved in the criminal proceedings," the Bureaus statement says. According to the agency, a number of media outlets published private photos of a person who is a person involved in the Bureaus criminal proceedings, and this caused "a wave of false accusations against the State Bureau of Investigation and the law enforcement system in general." The Bureau assured that all SBI employees "who came into contact with this type of evidence" will be checked. "If the facts of involvement of Bureau employees in the incident are established, strict response measures will be taken and the guilty persons will be held accountable under the law," the Bureau emphasized. "The SBI operates exclusively within the framework of current legislation and is always open to communication and public control," the message says. Mumbai, Dec 17 : Television actor Anuj Sachdeva has taken to social media to share details of a recent incident in which he was brutally assaulted by an unknown person in his housing society following a car parking dispute. The actor took to his social media account, where he was heard divulging intricate details of the attack and also elaborated on the terrifying incident. Anuj said, "Mujhe sir mein chot lagi hai aur taang mein bhi injury hui hai. Lekin main yeh share karna chahta hoon ki jo actual reason hai, main apne dog ko walk par le jaane ke liye bahar nikla tha." He added, "Society mein ek gaadi galat tarike se park ki gayi thi, jiske baare mein maine owners' group mein inform kiya aur ek photograph bhi kheench li, yeh kehne ke liye ki 'Yeh gaadi ko sahi jagah park karein." Anuj further stated that the man, who goes by the name of Pradeep Singh, began hurling life-threatening threats at him and also abused him, after which his dog, Simba, terrified by then, barked at the man. Anuj said, "Mera dog ne us par bhonka, kyunki main usse ghumane nikla tha aur woh ek owner ki protection ke liye hamesha saamne rehta hai. Then he wanted to vent it out on my dog and ran to pick up a stick." The Saath Nibhana Saathiya actor further stated that during the incident, he asked his female friend and his pet dog to move aside to protect them from any harm or violence, but till then, Pradeep picked up a stick and repeatedly struck Anuj on the head. The actor who has filed an FIR against Pradeep Singh said, "Aap jab akele hote hai, tab retaliate kar sakte hai. Maine FIR likhwayi hai, aur mujhe Mumbai Police pe poora barosa hai aur judicial pe barosa hai ki woh humara saath degi. Abhi tak arrest nahi hua hai, jo ki hona chaiye. Lekin, I am still hoping that eventually the culprit will get punished. I still feel very unsafe because of him being around in the society." He also added that dog owners and dog feeders often are subjected to physical and verbal abuse, but they don't retaliate, fearing that the anger against them might otherwise be taken out on their pets. The actor Anuj also thanked the audience for support and also highlighted that if a well-known personality like him could face such brutal attacks, he fears to even imagine what the 'common' man must be going through during such incidents. Sharing the video on his social media account, Anuj captioned it as, "Thank you to my people, my well-wishers, the media, and everyone who shared my video and stood by me in this difficult time. Your support, kindness, and strength mean more to me than I can put into words." He added, "The most exhausting part is knowing that the culprit is still not arrested, but I have complete faith in the Mumbai Police and in our judiciary. I truly believe that the truth will prevail and that justice will triumph over evil." For the uninitiated, on December 15, Anuj Sachdeva was brutally attacked over a parking row. The actor had shared a video on his social media account, capturing the entire fateful event on his phone. In the video, the accused was heard abusing and hitting Anuj with a stick. Sharing the ordeal on social media, Anuj had written, "I am posting this evidence before this person tries to do any damage to me or my property. He tried hitting my dog and me with a rod for notifying the society group regarding his car, which was parked at the wrong place in the society parking. Harmony Mall residency. Goregaon w This person is from A wing, flat 602. Kindly share with people who can take action. I am bleeding from my head. (sic)" New Delhi, Dec 17 : Acting on the orders of its special Court at Patna, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached two immovable properties of an accused in a transnational human trafficking and cyber frauds case, the agency said on Wednesday. The properties involved one flat in Thane, Maharashtra, and a piece of land in Siwan, Bihar. According to the NIA, "Both had been purchased by the wanted accused Anand Kumar Singh in his wife's name using money earned illegally from human trafficking activities. The accused, a Cambodia-based Indian national, was involved in trafficking Indian youth to Cambodia for forced criminal cyber frauds, NIA investigations had revealed." The special Court of NIA at Patna had established the two properties to be proceeds of crime and had, on December 10, ordered their attachment under section 107 of BNSS. It had further directed that the money obtained after their auction be forfeited. As per NIA's investigation, the accused was part of a syndicate engaged in luring vulnerable youth from India with false promises of well-paying legitimate jobs in foreign countries. Once the victims reached the foreign land, their passports were seized by the syndicate, and they were sold to scam companies. Refusal to work for these companies led to mental and physical torture, NIA found during the investigation. Efforts are in progress to unearth and dismantle the complete transnational nexus involving the syndicate. The anti-terror agency last month filed a chargesheet against 10 accused in a Bhubaneswar court in connection with the trafficking of a minor Bangladeshi girl from across the eastern border into Odisha. The set of charges filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), before a Special Court, charged the accused with luring the girl with the promise of employment and then pushing her into immoral trafficking to make money. The accused had taken advantage of her family's poor financial condition to execute the trafficking operation, the NIA found during the investigation, which exposed a major human trafficking network. Chennai, Dec 17 : Tamil Nadu's economy has reached new heights, driven by the State government's long-term vision, progressive industrial policies and prudent fiscal management, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said on Wednesday. Chennai, Dec 17 (IANS) Tamil Naduas economy has reached new heights, driven by the State governmentas long-term vision, progressive industrial policies and prudent fiscal management, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said on Wednesday. Addressing the media at the Secretariat in Chennai, Thennarasu said the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin-led government had laid a strong foundation for sustained economic expansion, enabling Tamil Nadu to record one of its highest growth rates in recent years. Citing data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), he said the Stateas Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at current prices rose from Rs 26.88 lakh crore in 2023-24 to Rs 31.19 lakh crore in 2024-25, reflecting a robust growth of 16 per cent. He said this performance marked a crucial milestone in the Stateas journey towards achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Tamil Nadu, he added, has consistently recorded double-digit growth at current prices over the past four years, with the manufacturing sector emerging as a key driver of this momentum. Over the same period, the manufacturing sectoras contribution to GSDP increased by Rs 1.46 lakh crore. The state now has nearly 40,121 factories, employing about 24.75 lakh people. The construction sector has also played a significant role, registering close to 11 per cent growth during 2024-25, further strengthening overall economic activity. Highlighting the services sector, Thennarasu said it accounts for nearly 53 per cent of Tamil Naduas Gross Value Addition and recorded a real growth of 11.3 per cent in 2024-25. He noted that the governmentas sustained focus on improving infrastructure, ease of doing business and skill development had supported the expansion of both manufacturing and services. The Finance Minister said the Stateas export performance had seen remarkable improvement, with exports recording nearly sevenfold growth over the last four financial years. He attributed this progress to proactive policy measures and the Chief Ministeras overseas visits, which helped attract investments worth Rs 11.47 lakh crore and generate employment opportunities for around 34.08 lakh people. On fiscal indicators, Thennarasu said the fiscal deficit is projected at 3 per cent of GSDP in 2025-26, while the debt-to-GSDP ratio has declined from 27 per cent in 2021-22 to 26 per cent in 2024-25, reflecting improved fiscal discipline. He, however, alleged that the Union government was steadily reducing its share in welfare schemes while shifting a greater financial burden to states. He said the Viksit Bharat a" Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, would significantly increase Tamil Naduas fiscal responsibility. --IANS aal/dan Los Angeles, Dec 17 : Filmmaker Steven Spielberg is working on his new film 'Disclosure Day', which is set to release in the summer. The iconic filmmaker is returning with a new sci-fi epic, which marks his first movie since 2022's Fabelmans and will star the likes of Josh O'Connor, Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell and Eve Hewson, reports 'Female First UK'. The logline for the new film reads, "If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to, 'Disclosure Day'". Spielberg's new Universal Pictures flick sees him reunite with screenwriter David Koepp. The duo previously worked together on Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The 78-year-old director is also making his return to UFO movies, having pioneered the genre in 1977 with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, while he later revisited it with 1982's E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and 2005's War of the Worlds. As per 'Female First UK', recently, billboards in Los Angeles and New York appeared teasing that 'all will be disclosed', before the trailer was unveiled this week. Filming took place in and around New Jersey but plot points had been kept closely under wraps. In the trailer, Blunt appears as a meteorologist taken over by a mysterious and extraterrestrial force during an on-air weather report, while Josh plays someone trying to reveal the truth about alien life to the world. While the rest of the teaser doesn't give too much away, creepy-looking animals and crop circles appear, alongside hinds of life elsewhere in the universe. The character of Josh said, "People have a right to know the truth, it belongs to seven billion people". A different character can also be heard adding, "Why would (God) make such a vast universe, but save it only for us?." Spielberg has been open to the possibility of extraterrestrial life. He previously said, "I don't believe we're alone in the universe. I think it's mathematically impossible that we are the only intelligent species in the cosmos". 'Disclosure Day' is due to hit cinemas on June 12, 2026. Chandigarh, Dec 17 : Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, who is also the Chairman of the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC), on Wednesday said substantial progress has been achieved across several flagship rail infrastructure projects of the state. He was reviewing the status of ongoing works during the 33rd meeting of the Board of Directors of the HRIDC. The meeting was informed that the Kurukshetra Elevated Track project has reached an advanced stage of execution. All civil, track, signalling and telecommunication and overhead electrification works of the viaduct have been completed. The construction of the elevated platform is also in advance stage of completion. The completed works will thereafter be offered for technical inspection by Northern Railways followed by the inspection of Commissioner Railway Safety. Chief Secretary Rastogi directed officials to expedite the work of the project. Considering the expertise developed by HRIDC, he suggested the HRIDC must expand its operations and aim for a national footprint. On the Eastern Orbital Rail Corridor from Sonipat to Palwal via Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar, it was informed at the meeting that the alignment for the study has already been approved by a steering committee headed by the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh and the feasibility study is now in an advance stage. Reviewing the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor, Chief Secretary Rastogi said significant progress has been made on several fronts. The Manesar-Patli section of the project along with Maruti railway yard has been commissioned in June 2025 and till date 372 rakes have been loaded from the Maruti plant in Manesar. This is a significant milestone for the company and the revenue has also started accruing to the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor. In-principle forest clearance for the Stage I has also been secured, and the application for Aravalli clearance been also been submitted for approval. Also, substantial progress has been achieved in land compensation, with disbursement of Rs 1,533 crore against land awards amounting to Rs 1,878 crore. In addition, Rs 99 crore has been disbursed against arbitration awards. Chennai, Dec 17 : Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran on Wednesday accused the DMK government of prioritising political confrontation with the Centre over addressing the real needs and welfare of the people of the State. He alleged that the ruling party had consistently adopted a confrontational approach on several issues without delivering tangible benefits to the public. Speaking to reporters, Nagenthran said the DMK government had repeatedly raised disputes with the Union government instead of focusing on governance and development. He alleged that the State government had obstructed the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) across Tamil Nadu and had unnecessarily escalated the language issue, thereby creating hostility towards the Centre. "The DMK government is indulging in diversionary tactics rather than doing anything constructive for the people. It has not delivered on people-centric governance but has chosen to confront the Centre by approaching courts, blocking the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and taking an anti-Hindi stance," he said. Referring to the DMK's opposition to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, which seeks to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Nagenthran alleged that the State government's stand was politically motivated. He claimed that opposing the proposed legislation was an attempt to divert public attention rather than engage in meaningful debate on employment generation and rural livelihoods. On the proposed agitation by the Thol Thirumavalavan-led Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) against the recent Karthigai Deepam judgment, the BJP leader questioned the party's priorities. He said it was "strange" that a party which claimed to champion Dalit rights had not taken to the streets over incidents such as the Vengaivayal episode, where human faeces were allegedly mixed in a village drinking water tank, or the hooch tragedies reported in the State. Nagenthran alleged that the DMK and its allies selectively raised issues for political gain while remaining silent on incidents that directly affected marginalised communities. He reiterated that the BJP would continue to highlight what it described as the failures of the State government and press for governance focused on development, education, employment, and social justice. The remarks come amid heightened political exchanges between the DMK and the BJP over Centre-State relations, education policy, and welfare schemes in Tamil Nadu. Patna, Dec 17 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing huge criticism following an incident in which he removed the hijab of a woman doctor during a public function. Amid the controversy, Jama Khan, a cabinet minister in the Bihar government, has come out in strong defence of the Chief Minister, asserting that there was no wrong intention behind the act. Speaking to the media, Jama Khan said, "Everyone knows Nitish Kumar. He works for every section of society. The woman doctor is like his daughter. Nitish Kumar behaved like a father or guardian, caressing her affectionately. He was feeling proud that a daughter from the minority community had achieved success under his government." Khan further alleged that the opposition was unnecessarily politicising the issue. "Some people in the opposition are making baseless allegations against Nitish Kumar without any reason," he said. Reacting to reports of a threat allegedly issued by a Pakistani don against the Chief Minister in connection with the controversy, Jama Khan dismissed it outright. "This is India. People may issue threats, but they have no meaning. We are Indians, and we are not afraid of anyone," he said. The controversy erupted on December 15, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distributed appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors at Samvad Hall in the Chief Minister's Secretariat. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Health Minister Mangal Pandey were also present on the stage during the ceremony. Following the incident, the Chief Minister has faced criticism from various quarters, including film actress Rakhi Sawant. Additionally, a woman has reportedly lodged an FIR against Nitish Kumar at a police station in Lucknow. Amid the backlash, the woman doctor involved, Dr Nusrat Parveen, has temporarily left Bihar. She has gone to Kolkata to stay with her family, according to media reports. Sources say she left the state a day after the incident. Dr Nusrat Parveen had long aspired to become a doctor and is scheduled to join her government service on December 20. The developments following the controversy, however, have raised concerns about her safety and well-being. Chennai, Dec 17 : Actress Esther Anil, who is best known for playing the role of the younger daughter of Malayalam superstar Mohanlal in his blockbuster film 'Drishyam', has now graduated from the internationally renowned London School of Economics. Taking to her Instagram page to share pictures and a video clip from her graduation, the young actress, who reprised her role in 'Papanasam', the Tamil remake of 'Drishyam' as Kamal Haasan's younger daughter, wrote,"A couple of years back, I was on a train when my dad called me to say he had met someone whose daughter was going to the London School of Economics. He said it would be great if I could connect with her, maybe someday I could look at applying there too." The actress said, "I told him, 'Honestly, are you kidding me?' That was way too big a fish for us to catch. I didnat even dream of going there back then. I didnat say it out loud, but in my head I thought, 'LOL, my dad is a fool with such unrealistic dreams.'" "Cut to today, here I am, his daughter, standing in front of the London School of Economics, graduated in International Development. There is so much magic in life," she wrote. The actress then thanked her parents for their support to realise her dreams. "To my parents, whom I didnat even tell I got into LSE at first, because I knew they wouldnat be able to afford it. Both my brothers were already on student loans. I didnat have that kind of money either. No matter what grants or help you get, it still felt like an expensive decision. All they said was, 'We know how much you want this. Money will come. You are going.'," she said. "My parents have flaws, and I do call them out from time to time. But what I can never ignore is how deeply they show up for their children. They will go to any extent for us. Sometimes itas scary. But as children, as human beings, thatas what you want, parents who stand by you even if hell breaks loose. Thank you, Appa and Amma. Thank you for teaching me to dream, and to chase those dreams. Thank you for loving me the way you do," she said. The actress further said, "Last week, in a media interview, I said, 'I got into the worldas best university only to feel like the biggest failure.' Getting in was not the hardest part after-all. Competing with some of the best minds in the world, and with yourself, your imposter syndrome, was. Iam glad I made it. Certainly not alone." Stating that LSE had challenged her in ways she had never imagined, the young actress said, "Understanding the causes of things, as they call it, has become a way of life, learning to look at everything from multiple dimensions. It made me turn deeper into something Iave been passionate about for years, women and power. I ended up writing my thesis on it, and oh boy, LSE awarded me a distinction." "Maybe Iam not the dumbest after all. Maybe there is some light in me. Maybe Iall join the powerful women someday. What a year it has been. To all my friends, some relatives, and a few good people here on social media, you know who you all are. From the depth of my heart, I am grateful. You have taught me to be kind by being the kindest, by giving me the warmest love. You reminded me of my worth when the world was saying otherwise," she said. "What did I do to deserve you all, especially my friends? I will give it back to you, I promise. I love the world you are creating for me and for the people around you, one filled with so much kindness, love, and compassion. Together forwards," she said and signed off saying, "And Yes, itas better to be a fool than to never dream." -- IANS mkr/ Jammu, Dec 17 : Lt Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha claimed that terrorism and corruption are big challenges in J&K, while some educated people joining terrorism is a worrisome development. "Corruption and terrorism are big challenges in J&K, while some educated people joining terrorism is a worrisome development. However, J&K will be made terrorism and corruption-free," claimed the L-G while attending the concluding function of the workshop on Basohli paintings held in IIM Jammu. He cited the example of the Northeast, further claiming that terrorism had been "completely" wiped out there, while the Maoism problem has also been largely "contained". "The security forces alone cannot contain this. Everyone must make a collective effort," he said. The L-G also claimed that the top commanders of all militant organisations have been killed in J&K, while the local recruitment has ended. He also said that Pakistanis are trying to facilitate infiltration, but they are not getting any success. "Those who are already here will be killed soon. I can assure you. We should stop doing 'Andar wala' and 'Bahar wala'. This will not serve our purpose and will lead to loss for J&K," he said. At the concluding function of the workshop on Basohli paintings, national and local artists attended the workshop, while the students of the IIM showed keen interest in the workshop. More than 400 paintings will be permanently displayed in the IIM campus to highlight the relevance and the artistic excellence of Basohli paintings. The L-G is also regularly chairing security review meetings, adding that the security forces and J&K Police are carrying out aggressive operations against militants, their Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and sympathisers to dismantle their support system in J&K. Drug smugglers and drug peddlers are also on the scanners of the security forces, as it is believed that funds generated by these unlawful activities are used to sustain terrorism. Belagavi, Dec 17 : Following the Congress-led government in Karnataka admitting on the floor of the Legislative Assembly to a lapse in Gruha Laxmi dues, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka stated that nearly Rs 5,000 crore would have been swallowed had the BJP not raised the issue in the House. Speaking to reporters in Belagavi after staging a walkout from the Assembly, Ashoka further questioned Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar, asking why women beneficiaries were cheated. He said the seven crore people of the state wait with hope that decisions beneficial to the poor and farmers will be taken. "The poor wait for the Gruha Laxmi money and for their ration. But the government has poured cold water on their hopes," he said. Calling it a government without shame or dignity, Ashoka demanded that the Gruha Laxmi amount be immediately credited to beneficiaries' accounts. "It came to light that the money was not released only because Mahesh Tenginakayi and I pursued the issue. Otherwise, it would have gone unnoticed," he alleged. He accused the government of attempting to swallow Rs 5,000 crore. "If we had not exposed it, nobody would have known," he said, adding that funds had not been released to 10 districts. He also alleged that officials at district offices were threatened and instructed not to share information when sought. "Is this a government of loot?" Ashoka asked. He alleged that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar threatens flat owners, while the "woman Minister" threatened officials to prevent information from coming out. "Is this what you call a government?" he questioned. Ashoka further asked why the Women and Child Welfare Minister had cheated women. He questioned the need to conduct the House amid internal fights over toppling and installing the Chief Minister. He said the entire government should have come together to run the legislature. "Ministers are not united in the House; they are divided and have split into two groups. Is this even a legislature?" he asked. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginakayi, who raised the issue, said that the Opposition raised its voice on the issue of the Gruha Laxmi scheme on behalf of 1.26 crore mothers in the state. He said they had raised the issue concerning the money that should be given to these women. "Earlier, the Minister stated that there were 1.24 crore beneficiaries. Now the figure is being stated as 1.26 crore. There is a difference of two lakh beneficiaries," he objected. He said that initially, district officials had informed that the payments for the months of February and March had not been released. However, after the issue was raised in the Assembly, officials allegedly tried to give answers in line with the Minister's version. MLA Tenginakayi said he had been emailing the Director of the Women and Child Welfare Department for the past three days, seeking information on whether the Gruha Laxmi payments for February and March had been released. "Despite repeated emails, no information has been provided for three days," he criticised. He questioned what was behind the silence and why officials were hesitant to share the information. He also alleged that he had sent an email to the Deputy Director in Belagavi on December 9, but the official had not been willing to provide any information till date. "Even phone calls are not being answered," he alleged. It may be recalled that following high drama in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the Congress-led government admitted to a lapse in the disbursement of Gruha Laxmi scheme instalments. Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar apologised for the error after strong protests by BJP MLAs. Photo: https://www.facebook.com The Russian economy is starting to face some "dramatic problems", entering a recession, sanctions are working and pressure should continue to increase, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has said. "The Russian budget is in the red, and it is time to increase sanctions pressure. Now there is a real opportunity to make the price of continuing the war unbearable for the Kremlin. The data shows that, despite the efforts of the Russian government to mitigate the impact of sanctions, the Russian economy is starting to face some dramatic problems, entering a recession," he said on X. In particular, the minister noted that in January-November the deficit of the Russian federal budget reached a record $54 billion, and by the end of the year it may exceed $ 70 billion. For the first time since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the consolidated deficit of Russian regions reached -$ 1.5 billion, compared to last years surplus of $12 billion. The Foreign Minister stressed that Russias energy revenues are declining. Oil and gas revenues in November 2025 fell by 34% compared to November 2024, and this alone reduced the Russian budget by $3.5 billion. Thus, Moscow is forced to raise taxes, including "a very sensitive increase in VAT, as well as reduce subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises, which leads to a further recession and a strengthening of the shadow around its endemically corrupt economy," Sybiha said. "While the Russian population becomes poorer and more vulnerable, Putins allies continue to profit from the war. By refusing to stop his brutal and senseless aggression against Ukraine, Putin is plunging Russia, which was once a prosperous economy with a high standard of living, into a deep recession worse than the one it experienced in the 1990s," the minister said. New Delhi, Dec 17 : India needs a robust One Health approach and effective measures to combat future pandemics, said Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICDR) & Secretary, Department of Health Research (DHR). He said this while speaking at VIROCON 2025, a three-day international conference organised recently by the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, in collaboration with the NIV Research Foundation and the Indian Virological Society (IVS). The event, themed "Changing Landscapes in Human, Animal and Plant Viruses: Bridging Basic Science, Innovation and Public Health," brought together experts to address emerging viral threats and innovations in virology. "VIROCON is a very important meeting where I believe that academia, institutes of national importance, the National Institute of Virology, as well as industry, together deliberate on how to do surveillance and contribute to the development of countermeasures so that we are better prepared for any future outbreak or pandemic," Bahl said. "Most pandemics over the past 100 years have been viral and zoonotic in nature, underscoring the need for a coordinated one-health approach," he added, while calling for the development of effective countermeasures for future pandemic preparedness. VIROCON 2025 saw a strong commitment to advancing viral research, fostering collaboration, and strengthening public health preparedness. The event focused on emerging viral threats, advances in virological research, and pandemic preparedness. The conference saw the participation of over 650 delegates, including scientists, clinicians, public health experts, industry partners, and students from India and abroad. Representatives from four countries -- the US, Canada, Thailand, and India-- attended the event, along with delegates from premier Indian institutions such as IISc, IISERs, IITs, Central Universities, ICAR, ICMR, DRDO, DBT, CSIR, and several State Universities. Scientific sessions were held across three major tracks: One Health and pandemic preparedness, development of countermeasures, and fundamental virology, with 13 keynote lectures, 44 lead talks, 154 oral presentations, and 251 posters. Prestigious recognitions, including the IVS Oration Awards 2025 and IVS Young Scientist Awards, were presented, along with VIROCON 2025 oral and poster awards. Imphal, Dec 17 : Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday reiterated the state government's commitment to inclusive development, the preservation of indigenous culture, and the promotion of local livelihoods. The Governor on Wednesday inaugurated the 18th state-level 'Orange Festival -2025', held at the mini-stadium in Manipur's northeastern region's Tamenglong district headquarters. Addressing the inaugural function, the Governor lauded the unity and cultural diversity of Tamenglong and reiterated the state government's commitment to inclusive development, preservation of indigenous culture, and promotion of local livelihoods. Speaking on the theme "Celebration for a Cause," Bhalla said the festival symbolises not only the celebration of the famed Tamenglong orange but also the promotion of sustainable livelihoods and tourism potential. He highlighted that Tamenglong orange, which received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2017, contributes over 50 per cent of the state's orange production and has emerged as a vital source of income for local farmers, with notable progress in organic cultivation. Describing orange as the 'One District One Product' of Tamenglong, the Governor said the festival has grown into a major platform for farmers, artists and youth, conveying a strong message of peace, harmony and unity. He expressed confidence that with continued cooperation between the Government and the people, Tamenglong would emerge as a model of sustainable development and social harmony. Highlighting the rich natural beauty, cultural diversity and historical significance of Tamenglong with respect to India's freedom struggle, Bhalla recalled the heroic contributions of freedom fighters Haipou Jadonang and Rani Gaidinliu, whose courage, vision, and sacrifice remain a lasting source of inspiration for the nation. Subsequently, the Governor participated in a traditional fire-making show and lamp lighting ceremony, formally kicked off the Orange Competition, inspected the stalls, and visited an orange orchard to interact with local growers. The event featured a presentation by the Orange Growers Association and vibrant cultural performances, including traditional war cries, folk dances by the Zeme and Rongmei tribes, and a tug-of-war demonstration involving all four tribes, Rongmei, Liangmai, Zeme and Inpui, added colour and enthusiasm to the occasion. The Governor, along with the First Lady of the state, was welcomed by Awangbow Newmai and Janghemlung Panmei, local MLAs, Angshim Dangshawa, Deputy Commissioner, Tamenglong district and other senior officers. Arun Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary (Forest, Environment and Climate Change), Thaithuilung Panmei, Commissioner (Horticulture), Hungyo Worshang, Secretary (Tourism), Maj. Gen. Suresh Kumar Bhambhu, Inspector General of Assam Rifles (East), senior officers of Manipur Police and the people from across the districts attended the event. --IANS sc/dan New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Supreme Court has set aside the conviction of a man under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, in a gang rape and murder case, holding that the prosecution failed to establish that the offence was committed with knowledge of the victim's caste. New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) The Supreme Court has set aside the conviction of a man under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, in a gang rape and murder case, holding that the prosecution failed to establish that the offence was committed with knowledge of the victimas caste. A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and K. Vinod Chandran observed that mere proof of the victim belonging to a Scheduled Caste is insufficient to sustain a conviction under the SC/ST Act. "Though the prosecution has proved the caste of the victim/deceased, there is nothing to indicate that the accused knew the caste of the victim or even that they were in any manner acquainted with the victim, to be aware of her caste status," the Justice Amanullah-headed bench observed. Stressing that knowledge of the victimas caste is an "essential ingredient" of the offences charged under the SC/ST Act, the apex court said the crime in the present case could not be said to have been committed with such knowledge. "The offence hence cannot be said to have been committed with the knowledge of the caste status of the victim, which is an essential ingredient under both the provisions charged under the SC/ST Act," the judgment said. The Supreme Court also expressed reservations over the Telangana High Courtas reliance on certain circumstances to sustain the conviction under the SC/ST Act. It rejected reliance on a confession allegedly made before a witness summoned to the police station, observing that "there can be no reliance placed on such a confession at the behest of the police" as it was made while the accused was in police custody. The bench further rejected the prosecutionas attempt to treat recoveries as admissible under Section 27 of the Evidence Act when the material objects were allegedly seized from the accused at the time of arrest. "When the material objects could have been seized from the body of the accused on a mere search by the police, the attempt to convert it as a recovery under Section 27 cannot at all be accepted," the apex court said. While upholding the convictions for gang rape and murder under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the basis of a complete chain of circumstantial and forensic evidence, including DNA profiling, the apex court categorically ruled that no offence under the SC/ST Act was made out on the facts of the case. Therefore, the conviction under Sections 3(1)(w)(i) and 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act was set aside. On the quantum of sentence, the Justice Amanullah-headed Bench observed that the trial court had awarded the death penalty, which was later commuted by the Telangana High Court to life imprisonment, with a rider that the appellant would remain in custody "till the last breath, without remission". In its decision, the apex court noted mitigating circumstances, including that he was about 40 years old at the time of the offence, had a family comprising his wife, four children, and aged parents, and was the sole earning member. It further observed that the appellant had no prior criminal record and that there was no material to suggest he posed a grave danger to society or was beyond reformation. The Supreme Court ruled that the case did not fall within the category of the "rarest of rare", warranting the death penalty and that there was no adverse report regarding the appellantas conduct while in custody. "We are convinced that the case is one in which imprisonment of life till the remainder of life can be modified to one extending to 25 years without remission," the apex court said, while partly allowing the appeal. --IANS pds/vd Satna/Bhopal, Dec 17 : Congress MLA Vikrant Bhuria on Wednesday expressed shock over contaminated blood transfusion to the children suffering from thalassaemia at the government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Satna, describing it a 'systemic failure', which may 'destroy' children's lives. Young Congress MLA Bhuria, who is also a Doctor (MBBS) by profession, said that the mandatory medical norms for collecting blood samples and testing them at multiple stages might be the reason for the incident. "There are parameters to follow before transfusion of blood. In medical language, it is called a panel, which conducts testing of blood at multiple stages. I can't exactly say why such failure happened, but it was really horrific," Bhuriya, who is the son of veteran Congress leader and ex-Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria, told IANS. The Congress MLA further stated that thalassaemia patients require multiple rounds of blood transfusion at different intervals. "It may be that the mandatory rules were not followed to save money for lab testing. This is an example of the collapsed health system of Madhya Pradesh," he said. He demanded that the government take strict action against those who ruined the lives of six children. "An FIR should be registered and responsible persons, no matter who they are, should be punished," Bhuria said. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Narendra Shivaji Patel, responding to the matter at the State Assembly premises, said that an inquiry panel of senior doctors has been set up to investigate the matter. "I can't make any comment at this point in time as the inquiry into the matter is underway. Once the inquiry committee submits its report, the future action would be initiated. The government assures that strict action will be taken," Patel told IANS. According to officials, at least six children have been found HIV positive at Satna district hospital, allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions at the district hospital during treatment for thalassaemia. The children affected include five boys aged under 11 and a nine-year-old girl who have been undergoing blood transfusions at the hospital. While the children were found positive between January and May 2025, the matter has come to light now. Chief Medical and Health Officer (CHMO), Satna, Manoj Shukla, told media persons that the children have been receiving treatment for thalassaemia for a long time as they require regular blood transfusions. Dr Shukla, who is a senior surgeon, however, claimed, "All the protocols for blood testing were followed, but a chance remains that if a person is in the window period of the very early stage of infection, then it is not detected in the tests." Jaipur, Dec 17 : Congress workers in Rajasthan, under the leadership of state chief Govind Singh Dotasra, marched to gherao the BJP headquarters in Jaipur and courted arrest protesting against the ED and alleged that it was harassing and intimidating opposition leaders. The protest was attended by Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully, Congress MLAs, District Congress Committee Presidents, senior party leaders, and a large number of workers. Addressing the gathering, Govind Singh Dotasra said that since the BJP came to power at the Centre, constitutional institutions have been systematically misused to suppress the voices of opposition leaders, which is a direct assault on democratic values. He said that, acting on a politically motivated and baseless complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, the ED initiated proceedings against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and subjected them to unnecessary and prolonged questioning. "BJP leaders have repeatedly made false and misleading allegations against the Congress and its leadership for narrow political gains," he said. Dotasra further stated that the court did not even find it appropriate to take cognisance of the ED's charge sheet in the National Herald case, clearly exposing the political malice behind the misuse of constitutional institutions. He recalled that the National Herald newspaper was founded in 1937 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to raise the voice of the nation against British colonial rule. For this purpose, Associated Journals Limited (AJL) was established in 193738 as a public-interest entity, from which no individual could derive any personal profit or dividend. "When AJL later faced financial difficulties in paying employee salaries and retirement benefits, the Congress party extended a loan of Rs 90 crore to ensure the continuation of this historic institution," he said. He also added that, as AJL was unable to repay the loan, a not-for-profit company, Young Indian Limited, was formed, and shares equivalent to the loan amount were transferred to settle AJL's liabilities. "Neither AJL nor Young Indian Limited could distribute profits to any individual, nor could AJL's assets be transferred. In fact, AJL owned only one property in Lucknow, while other premises were taken on rent. Despite these facts, the Modi government, driven by political animosity, initiated ED proceedings against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi," he said. He said that, however, the ED's case failed to stand judicial scrutiny, and the court declined to take cognisance of the charge sheet, once again exposing the BJP's misuse of power to target opposition leaders. Dotasra asserted that Congress leaders and workers, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, will continue to fight fearlessly to protect democracy and the Constitution. He said that no matter how much the BJP misuses constitutional institutions, the Congress will wage a determined struggle against the authoritarian policies of the BJP government at the Centre, just as it fought against British rule during India's freedom movement. Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary and Media Chairperson, Swarnim Chaturvedi, stated that in protest against the prolonged harassment of the top Congress leadership through the misuse of agencies such as the ED, District Congress Committees across all district headquarters in Rajasthan organised demonstrations against the BJP-led Central Government. Mumbai, Dec 17 : Amid rising public debt and widening revenue and fiscal deficits, the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra expects at least a 600 per cent rise in state expenditure from the next fiscal with the implementation of the proposed Viksit Bharat -- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G) Bill, which seeks to replace the existing MGNREGA, if the legislation is passed by both Houses of Parliament. As per data from the state's Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) Department, Maharashtra has steadily increased its financial share in works undertaken under MGNREGA over the past five years, even as total expenditure has witnessed sharp growth. In 2020-21, total expenditure stood at Rs 2,020.96 crore, rising to Rs 2,422.75 crore in 202122, Rs 3,024.23 crore in 202223, Rs 4,460.83 crore in 2023-24, and Rs 5,972.23 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal. "We expect the total expenditure for the ongoing fiscal to reach Rs 9,000 crore," said a senior official overseeing the implementation of MGNREGA in Maharashtra. In the ongoing fiscal, total expenditure already stands at Rs 5,207.08 crore. According to the provisions of the proposed Bill, the Centre-State expenditure sharing ratio for employment generation would shift to 60:40 from the earlier 90:10. With the state's share earlier limited to 10 per cent, Maharashtra spent close to Rs 200 crore in 2020-21, Rs 240 crore in 202122, Rs 300 crore in 202223, Rs 446 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 597 crore in 2024-25, reflecting a steady upward trend. With a targeted total expenditure of Rs 9,000 crore, the state's share for the ongoing fiscal may touch up to Rs 900 crore. "As per the present form of the Bill, we expect to receive a budget allocation of around Rs 15,000 crore. With 40 per cent of the expenditure to be borne by the state, it would mean we will have to shell out at least Rs 6,000 crore if we are to utilise the remaining 60 per cent," the official said, adding that this would amount to nearly a 600 per cent hike in state expenditure. The official, however, maintained that the proposed increase in guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 and the inclusion of works such as road and bridge construction under the new Bill could turn out to be beneficial for the state. "There are schemes for road construction under the Rural Development Department for which the state currently bears 100 per cent of the cost. If such works are brought under the new Bill, once passed, it would reduce the state's burden by around 60 per cent," the official added. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking in the state legislature last week, had acknowledged that Maharashtra's finances are under strain owing to multiple welfare schemes. However, he, along with Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, maintained that the state continues to meet key indicators of economic stability and remains among the strongest state economies in the country. "We do not have an overflowing treasury, and I will not claim that we do. But among the country's large states, Maharashtra even today qualifies on all parameters of a stable and strong economy," the Chief Minister said while replying to debates in the Legislative Assembly. In March 2025, Pawar presented the state budget with a revenue deficit of Rs 45,891 crore. In June 2025, the government presented supplementary demands worth Rs 57,509.71 crore, pushing the revenue deficit beyond Rs 1 lakh crore. With further supplementary demands amounting to Rs 75,286.37 crore presented during the recently concluded winter session, the state's revenue deficit is now approaching Rs 2 lakh crore. The Budget Estimate for 2025-26 has already taken Maharashtra's total debt stock to Rs 9,32,242 crore, accounting for 18.87 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) -- the highest level recorded in the past five years. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 : Thanking people of Ethiopia for the warm welcome, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed confidence that his visit has given fresh momentum to bilateral ties and strengthened a relationship rooted in shared values and a common vision for the future. He also expressed gratitude to Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali for coming to the airport to see him off. "As I conclude a truly memorable visit to Ethiopia, I carry with me the warmth of its people and the depth of our enduring friendship. This visit included productive discussions with Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali and the honour of addressing the Ethiopian Parliament. This visit has given fresh momentum to India-Ethiopia ties and strengthened a relationship rooted in shared values and a common vision for the future. We have elevated our relations to a Strategic Partnership which will greatly benefit our nations. My gratitude to the Government and people of Ethiopia. Also grateful to PM Abiy Ahmed Ali for coming to the airport when I left Ethiopia," PM Modi posted on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday concluded his two-day visit to Ethiopia and emplaned for Oman for the third and final leg of his three-nation visit. In a special gesture, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali once again drove PM Modi in his car to the airport and personally bid farewell to the Indian leader as he emplaned for Oman. In a notable and personal gesture, Abiy Ahmed Ali had also received PM Modi at the airport on Tuesday and himself drove Prime Minister Modi from the airport to the hotel. Earlier in the day, PM Modi and his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali planted a sapling in Addis Ababa under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Initiative.' "After my Parliament address in Addis Ababa this morning, joined PM Abiy Ahmed Ali and other dignitaries in planting a sapling as a part of aEk Ped Maa Ke Naama (A tree for Mother) and the Green Legacy initiative of Ethiopia," PM Modi posted on X. PM Modi also addressed the Joint Session of the Ethiopian Parliament and drew parallels with 'Vande Mataram' and Ethiopia's national anthem 'March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia', saying that both countries refer to their land as "mother", which reflects their shared perspective. "It was a great honour and privilege to address the Ethiopian Parliament this morning. Ethiopiaas rich history, culture and spirit inspire deep respect and admiration. I conveyed Indiaas commitment to further strengthening our partnership, guided by shared values, mutual trust and a common vision for peace, development and cooperation," PM Modi posted on X before leaving for Oman. In his address, PM Modi drew parallels to India's national song 'Vande Mataram' and Ethiopia's national anthem, saying that both refer to land as mother and inspire to take pride in the heritage, culture, beauty and protect the motherland. "With the call of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas' which means together with everyone's growth, trust and effort, our emotions with our motherland, also reflect our shared perspective," said PM Modi. Following his address in Ethiopian Parliament, PM Modi in a post on X wrote, "It was a great honour and privilege to address the Ethiopian Parliament this morning. Ethiopiaas rich history, culture and spirit inspire deep respect and admiration. I conveyed Indiaas commitment to further strengthening our partnership, guided by shared values, mutual trust and a common vision for peace, development and cooperation." PM Modi also expressed his delight after interacting with ministers and MPs of Ethiopia after his address to the Ethiopian Parliament. Prime Minister Modi laid a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument in Addis Ababa and also visited the Adwa Museum, where the officials briefed him about the history of the African nation. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi was also conferred Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia', for which he expressed his deep gratitude to the government and the people of the African nation. Muscat, Dec 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Oman's Muscat on Wednesday for the third and final leg of his three-nation visit. Upon his arrival, Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said warmly received PM Modi at the airport. The two leaders warmly greeted each other at the airport. A Guard of Honour was accorded to PM Modi as part of the ceremonial welcome. This will be Prime Minister Modi's second visit to Oman, underscoring the growing depth of the India-Oman strategic partnership. The visit assumes special significance as it coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Oman. It also follows Sultan Haitham bin Tariq's state visit to India in December 2023, reflecting the high-level political engagement between the two countries. During his stay, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold comprehensive talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, focusing on the full spectrum of bilateral relations. Discussions are expected to cover key areas including trade and investment, energy cooperation, defence and security, technology, agriculture, and cultural exchanges. The two leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Briefing the media ahead of the visit, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa & Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said this would be Prime Minister Modi's second visit to Oman after his earlier trip in February 2018. He highlighted the enduring nature of India-Oman ties, rooted in centuries-old contacts through maritime trade and people-to-people connections. "The Honourable Prime Minister will undertake a comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of bilateral relations with His Majesty the Sultan of Oman and exchange perspectives on regional and international issues of mutual interest," Chatterjee said. He added that Prime Minister Modi is also expected to address business leaders from both countries at a business forum, aimed at strengthening commercial and investment partnerships. In addition, the Prime Minister will interact with the Indian community in Oman, acknowledging their role in strengthening bilateral ties and contributing to Oman's economic development. India and Oman currently share a comprehensive strategic partnership, characterized by robust cooperation across diverse sectors. Oman remains an important partner for India in the Gulf region, with strong collaboration in energy security, maritime cooperation, and regional stability. Prime Minister Modi's visit is expected to further consolidate bilateral relations and provide fresh momentum to India-Oman cooperation in the years ahead. PM Modi arrived in Oman after concluding his two-day State visit to Ethiopia. In a special gesture, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali once again drove PM Modi in his car to the airport and personally bid farewell to the Indian leader as he emplaned for Oman. During his visit, PM Modi addressed the Joint Session of the Ethiopian Parliament. PM Modi laid a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument in Addis Ababa and also visited the Adwa Museum, where the officials briefed him about the history of the African nation. Prime Minister Modi was also conferred Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia', for which he expressed his deep gratitude to the government and the people of the African nation. PM Modi and Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali held bilateral discussions covering a wide range of issues, including political cooperation, economic engagement and strategic partnership. In a notable and personal gesture, Abiy Ahmed Ali had also received PM Modi at the airport on Tuesday and himself drove Prime Minister Modi from the airport to the hotel. Kolkata, Dec 17 : A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday cancelled the jobs of 313 teachers attached to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA)-run schools spread across the hill regions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong in the northern sector of West Bengal. While ordering the cancellation of the jobs of the 313 teachers, the single-judge bench of Justice Biswajit Basu observed that all these recruitments were made illegally. At the same time, the bench also directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police to continue its investigation in the matter. Justice Basu further observed that the salaries of the 313 teachers should be stopped immediately. He questioned why expenditure for paying salaries to illegally appointed teachers should be borne by the state exchequer. He also raised questions over the academic qualifications of the 313 teachers whose appointments were found to be illegal. There were allegations of illegal recruitment of teachers in GTA-controlled schools in the hill regions. It was further alleged that these appointments were made unilaterally without issuing any notification. A case was filed seeking the intervention of the Calcutta High Court in the matter. During the hearing, the single-judge bench of Justice Basu had initially ordered an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). However, the state government approached a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Madhuresh Prasad, challenging the order directing a CBI probe. The division bench subsequently upheld the order of the single-judge bench. The state government then challenged the division bench order before the Supreme Court. The apex court, however, set aside the direction for a CBI probe and ruled that the investigation would instead be conducted by the CID of the state police. Meanwhile, the hearing on the main matter relating to the alleged irregular appointments continued before the single-judge bench of Justice Basu. Finally, on Wednesday, Justice Basu ordered the cancellation of the appointments. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his discussions with his Ethiopian counterpart Dr Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday, conveyed India's willingness to step up collaboration in the fields of Digital Public Infrastructure, mining, critical minerals and clean energy, as well as food security and agriculture. Addis Ababa, Dec 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his discussions with his Ethiopian counterpart Dr Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday, conveyed Indiaas willingness to step up collaboration in the fields of Digital Public Infrastructure, mining, critical minerals and clean energy, as well as food security and agriculture. The two leaders also reviewed progress in the areas of trade and investment, innovation and technology, education and capacity building. Prime Minister Modi stated that Indian companies, as trusted partners, have invested over $5 billion in the Ethiopian economy, especially in essential sectors of manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, creating over 75,000 local jobs. In 2024 alone, 11 Indian companies have invested in Ethiopia in various sectors, including agriculture, automobile, iron and steel, ICT, etc. Indian investments in the textile sector have been at the forefront with regard to FDI. India is also considered one of the top investors in the pharma sector. Indiaa"Ethiopia total trade stood at $ 550.19 million in FY 2024a"25. Indian exports are $476.81 million and imports $73.38 million, making the relationship strongly export-driven. Ethiopia is a beneficiary under the Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme for LDCs. Both countries are keen to strengthen bilateral trade and technical cooperation. The two countries also signed eight MoUs, including upgrading ties to aStrategic Partnershipa, customs cooperation, establishing a data centre at the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, UN Peacekeeping training cooperation, debt restructuring under G20, more ICCR scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians. The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to working together to voice the concerns of the Global South. They discussed cooperation in the multilateral arena, including the United Nations. They called for greater cooperation on issues such as climate change, renewable energy and disaster risk reduction and in this context welcomed the role of international organisations such as the International Big Cat Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, the Global Biofuel Alliance, and the International Solar Alliance (ISA). Prime Minister Modi noted that India looked forward to working with Ethiopia as BRICS partners under its presidency and for the proposed India-Africa Forum Summit. Draft Law No. 14311 on Amendments to the State Budget for 2026, which provides for the redistribution of funds in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The initiators of the document were the people's deputies of the European Solidarity faction, including the leader of the political force Petro Poroshenko and the co-chairs of the faction Iryna Gerashchenko and Artur Herasimov, people's deputies of the Holos faction, two representatives of the Batkivshchyna faction, one each from the Restoration of Ukraine and For the Future groups, as well as non-factionist Dmytro Razumkov. The text of the document on the draft law card on the Verkhovna Rada website is currently missing. It is reported that it was received by the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday, December 16, and has already been submitted for consideration by the parliamentary leadership. As reported on the Eurosolidarity website, the bill proposes to increase spending on financial support for the military by UAH 100 billion, in particular through a reserve of funds for the security and defense sector and an increase in the share of military personal income tax transferred directly to the needs of the army. In addition, the document provides for the allocation of funds for the purchase, modernization and repair of weapons and military equipment. The bill deals with reducing a number of expenditures of central executive bodies and state programs, which will allow accumulating about UAH 100 billion for financial support for military personnel. The document also provides that part of the funds for the maintenance of public roads will be directed to facilities that are of strategic importance for the defense capability of the state, the list of which will be determined by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. As reported, even before the adoption of the state budget, Eurosolidarity introduced amendments to its draft (draft law No. 14000), proposing to redirect UAH 200 billion from non-targeted expenses to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Poroshenko insisted that the money be directed directly to the accounts of the brigades. New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed intense debate on the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, which proposes raising foreign direct investment (FDI) in the insurance sector to 100 pe cent from 74 per cent, among other reforms to modernise the industry and achieve 'Insurance for All by 2047'. The Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on December 16, amends the Insurance Act, 1938; Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956; and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999. It aims to enhance ease of doing business, attract global capital, strengthen policyholder protection, and deepen penetration. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the legislation, highlighting the government's efforts to bolster public sector insurers. She said the Bill is aimed at accelerating the growth and development of the insurance sector and ensuring better protection of policyholders. She noted the infusion of Rs 17,450 crore into three non-life public sector companies, leading to record profits for LIC, GIC, and Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AICIL) last year. Sitharaman outlined sectoral growth since 2014: insurers increased from 53 to 74; penetration rose from 3.3 per cent to nearly 3.8 per cent; density from $55 to $97 per person; total premiums from Rs 4.15 lakh crore to Rs 11.93 lakh crore; and assets under management tripled to Rs 74.43 lakh crore. Progressive FDI hikes - from 26 per cent to 49 per cent, then 74 per cent - enabled foreign reinsurer branches and boosted local capacity. In 2019, 100 per cent FDI for intermediaries improved advisory services. She praised the 56th GST Council's decision to reduce GST on individual life and health premiums from 18 per cent to zero for affordability. The 'Aapki Punji, Aapka Adhikar' campaign returned over Rs 1,000 crore in unclaimed amounts via district camps, with the Bima Bharosa portal aiding claims. Sitharaman urged MPs to promote awareness. She assured mandatory rural and social sector obligations for all insurers, covering specified rural and underprivileged percentages. Penalties, which are being raised from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore. These would fund policyholder education. The minister also assured the House that there will be a cap on the premium, the private players will not only run government schemes as they do in crop insurance, but they also will not be able to levy a premium of their own choice. However, the opposition criticised the Bill sharply. DMK MP Dr Kanimozhi NVN Somu argued foreign boards would control premiums, potentially enabling black money inflows and eroding state autonomy. She said it disadvantages cooperative insurers and "handicaps" public sector entities like LIC, quipping, "This is not Sabka Bima, but Sabka Bakwas." Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale viewed insurance as social security, prioritising policyholders over shareholders, accusing the Bill of favouring capital without accountability. He questioned its hasty introduction. Opponents demanded referral to a select committee, citing risks to data privacy, profit repatriation, and sovereignty. Supporters see 100 per cent FDI bringing expertise and affordable products, while critics fear foreign dominance. The debate underscores balancing liberalisation with domestic protection in a sector vital for millions. Muscat, Dec 17 : India's Ambassador to Oman, Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas, underscored the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Oman on Wednesday, asserting that defence remains the strongest pillar of bilateral partnership between the two nations with maritime security at its core. Speaking exclusively to IANS, the Indian envoy said, "Defence is an active engagement of collaboration between the two countries, and it is no wonder that the relationship has been qualified since 2008 as a strategic partnership. We are the two countries who have, at least in the Middle East, maybe they move, but certainly in this area, where armed forces from the three, Air Force, Army, Navy, they have joint exercises with their counterparts in Oman. Coast Guards have regular meetings with each other. "Maritime security is a central pillar of collaboration. We had also signed early 2024 an MOU talking about whatever we can further collaborate in defence cooperation. All in all, I must say that defence is the strongest of the pillars of collaboration between the two countries," he added. The Indian Ambassador stated that the entire Indian community in Oman, numbering 675,000, is eagerly waiting for Prime Minister Modi's arrival. "As to the agenda of the conversation, if I can quickly share, it would be all-encompassing, including political, defence, security, trade, economic relations, education, culture, people-to-people, and diaspora. All these engagements are lined up for the visit of the Honourable Prime Minister," he mentioned. Ambassador Srinivas highlighted that there are many synergistic areas where the two countries can collaborate further, including sustainable development. He also emphasised that investment is one of the significant areas of cooperation, with Indians working across several sectors, including steel making, green hydrogen, and port management, contributing to Oman's growth. "In the economic sector, India and Oman have been connected from the very beginning through maritime trade, coin exchange, seals, and ivory trade. It is a 5,000-year-old story. We have been working here for the last 250 years. Indians come here and contribute significantly to Oman's development," the Indian Ambassador stated. PM Modi arrived in Oman on Wednesday at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, marking the final leg of his three-nation tour which also included Jordan and Ethiopia. This is Prime Minister Modi's second visit to Oman, underscoring the growing depth of the India-Oman strategic partnership. The visit assumes special significance as it coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Oman. It also follows Sultan Haitham bin Tariq's State Visit to India in December 2023, reflecting the high-level political engagement between the two countries. During his stay, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold comprehensive talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, focusing on the full spectrum of bilateral relations. Discussions are expected to cover key areas including trade and investment, energy cooperation, defence and security, technology, agriculture, and cultural exchanges. The two leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 17 : The CPI-M in Kerala has decided to lodge a formal complaint against the parody song "Pottiye Kettiye", alleging that it constitutes a serious violation of the election code of conduct and deliberately hurts religious sentiments. The move comes amid continuing political fallout from the Sabarimala gold theft controversy, which the party believes played a role in the recent local body election results. CPI-M Pathanamthitta district secretary Raju Abraham said the song was part of a concerted attempt by the Congress and the Muslim League to polarise voters during the election campaign. He described the parody as "highly objectionable" and argued that its circulation during the polls amounted to an egregious breach of electoral norms. According to him, the party would pursue legal and electoral remedies against those responsible for promoting the song. The CPI-M has also extended support to Prasad Kuzhikkala, general secretary of the Thiruvabharana Patha Samrakshana Samithi, who has sought legal action against the parody on the grounds that it mocks a devotional song dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. Abraham said Kuzhikkala had been at the forefront of the campaign to protect the traditional Thiruvabharana path to Sabarimala and that several Hindu organisations had since approached him to join the proposed legal action against the parody. The parody song, targeting the alleged Sabarimala gold theft, went viral during the local body election campaign and quickly became a popular tool for political messaging on social media. Following the declaration of results, with the gold theft controversy emerging as one of the issues influencing voter sentiment, Congress leaders were seen publicly singing the song before television cameras, further amplifying its reach. What drew particular criticism was when Congress-led UDF parliamentarians sang the song outside Parliament. LDF convener T.P. Ramakrishnan said action would be considered if it was established that the song insulted religious beliefs or violated the law. AICC general secretary and Alappuzha Lok Sabha member K.C. Venugopal laughed when he heard of the CPI-M's move to seek legal redress. "Instead of the Left finding out the real reason for the poll debacle, it is surprising that they are taking a legal route," Venugopal said. The UDF, in turn, is believed to be preparing to further spotlight the issue by continuing to sing and circulate the parody song should a case be registered, setting the stage for a fresh round of political confrontation. Kolkata, Dec 17 : Amid the exclusion of 58,20,899 voters' names in the draft voters' list in West Bengal published on December 16 -- thus marking the completion of the first stage of the three-stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state -- and apprehensions that many more names could be excluded in the final voters' list to be published on February 13 next year, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has convened a crucial meeting of booth-level agents (BLAs), including both BLA-1s and BLA-2s, in Kolkata on December 22. Kolkata, Dec 17 (IANS) Amid the exclusion of 58,20,899 voters' names in the draft voters' list in West Bengal published on December 16 -- thus marking the completion of the first stage of the three-stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state -- and apprehensions that many more names could be excluded in the final votersa list to be published on February 13 next year, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has convened a crucial meeting of booth-level agents (BLAs), including both BLA-1s and BLA-2s, in Kolkata on December 22. While BLA-1s are in charge of individual Assembly constituencies, BLA-2s are responsible for the polling booths. The mega meeting will be held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata. Incidentally, on the same day, the now-suspended Trinamool Congress legislator from the Bharat Assembly constituency in minority-dominated Murshidabad district is scheduled to announce the name of his own political party and the office-bearers of the new outfit. A senior party leader said that at the meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium on December 22, the Chief Minister is expected to spell out detailed guidelines for the BLAs on their role during the hearing sessions on claims and objections relating to the draft votersa list, which will constitute the second phase of the revision exercise. Already on Tuesday, hours after the publication of the draft votersa list, Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with BLAs from her own constituency of Bhabanipur in south Kolkata. "In Tuesdayas meeting, the Chief Minister instructed the BLAs in Bhabanipur to recheck the names of the 44,700 excluded voters in that particular constituency, especially those of deceased and shifted voters. She also directed the BLAs to visit the addresses of such deceased and shifted voters and cross-check whether the information provided in the separate list of excluded voters is authentic or not. Now, at the meeting on December 22, she is expected to issue similar instructions to party BLAs across the state," said a senior Trinamool Congress leader. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has also decided to focus on strict monitoring of the hearings on claims and objections, which are scheduled to begin next week. A Commission source said that, considering the large-scale anomalies in votersa data being detected during the process of "progeny mapping", the ECI is also considering conducting an audit of the proceedings of the hearings on claims and objections on a daily basis. New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Chander Bhushan Singh and his wife, Priyanka, Directors of M/s Maxizone Touch Pvt. Ltd., in connection with a massive Rs 307-crore multi-level marketing (MLM) scam, the agency said on Wednesday. The arrests were made on December 16 by the ED's Ranchi Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following an extensive probe into the alleged misappropriation of public funds . According to investigators, the accused orchestrated a fraudulent MLM scheme that promised unusually high monthly returns and lucrative referral incentives to lure unsuspecting investors. Using this model, the company allegedly collected unauthorised deposits exceeding Rs 307 crore through at least 21 bank accounts, generating substantial proceeds of crime. "Through this modus operandi, they collected unauthorised deposits amounting to over Rs. 307 Crore across at least 21 bank accounts, thereby generating massive Proceeds of Crime (POC)," the ED said in its press note. The ED said the directors subsequently absconded with the funds and evaded law enforcement agencies for nearly three years. They are accused of dodging police action across Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Assam and other states, while laundering illicit proceeds through benami real estate transactions and large-scale cash conversions. "To conceal their identities and evade arrest, the offenders were found to be using fake identity documents, including a pseudo name 'Deepak Singh', and frequently changing their locations," it said. The money laundering probe was initiated on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by police in Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka for cheating and fraud against the company and its directors. As part of the investigation, the ED conducted searches on September 16 and December 3 at several locations in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Vaishali (Bihar), Meerut, Ranchi and Dehradun under Section 17 of the PMLA. During these operations, the agency seized fake identity cards, handwritten diaries detailing financial transactions, cash exceeding Rs 10 lakh, cheque books, and digital devices, including laptops and mobile phones. Investigators also recovered cryptocurrency holdings worth USDT 15,000 and documents related to multiple real estate properties. The accused have been remanded to five days of ED custody by the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi. Further investigation into the money trail and beneficiary network is underway. Kolkata, Dec 17 : A Barrackpore court in West Bengal on Wednesday sentenced Sanjib a.k.a. Bapi Pandit, Amit Pandit and Ziarul Mandal to life imprisonment in the murder case of Panihati's Trinamool Congress councillor Anupam Dutta. The court also fined each of them Rs 1 lakh. Kolkata, Dec 17 (IANS) A Barrackpore court in West Bengal on Wednesday sentenced Sanjib a.k.a. Bapi Pandit, Amit Pandit and Ziarul Mandal to life imprisonment in the murder case of Panihatias Trinamool Congress councillor Anupam Dutta. The court also fined each of them Rs 1 lakh. On Monday, the court had convicted the three accused. The deceased's family expressed satisfaction with the verdict. Anupam Dutta's wife and fellow Trinamool Congress councillor, Meenakshi Dutta, thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her support. She became the councillor of Ward No. 8 of Panihati after her husband's murder. Meenakshi Dutta said: "My husband will not come back. Only we know how we are spending our days in his absence. My mother-in-law fell ill after her sonas death. She was in a coma for three years. Today, the culprits have been punished. I respect the honourable court." She further said: "We had demanded the death penalty. But the culprits have been sentenced to life imprisonment. None of us are above the law. However, if this case goes to the Calcutta High Court, we will fight there as well. We will demand punishment for them." On the other hand, the three convicts, while being escorted out of the court under police protection, claimed they had been framed. It may be recalled that on March 13, 2022, Anupam Dutta was shot while getting onto his scooter on Agarpara Station Road near his home in North 24 Parganas district. He was shot at close range by an assailant. The then Trinamool Congress councillor of Ward No. 8 of Panihati Municipality died on the spot. That same night, the police arrested one of the accused, Amit Pandit. Later, Bapi Pandit and Ziarul Mandal were arrested. Bapi Pandit was later released on bail. Sources said that during the investigation into Anupam Dutta's murder, detectives from the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate learned that Bapi Pandit had allegedly given the contract for the murder. It was also revealed that another criminal had initially been given the contract to kill Anupam Dutta. However, when that person failed to carry out the task, Amit Pandit was allegedly hired after the municipal elections. Bhubaneswar, Dec 17 : Hundreds of Congress party workers on Wednesday engaged in a scuffle with the Odisha Police after they were stopped midway while marching to gherao the state office of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here. The Congress workers and leaders staged the protest alleging "political harassment" of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The police later also picked up many protesting Congress supporters from the spot. Speaking to media persons in a press conference, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das said that the court has made it clear that there is no merit in the National Herald case and that no criminal offence has been established. "For the last 10 years, the BJP has continuously targeted and humiliated the Gandhi family, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, by misusing power and dragging them into a case that has now been exposed as baseless," he said. He alleged that despite being subjected to harassment, Rahul Gandhi continued to raise issues concerning all sections of society. "Now that the truth has come out and everything is clear, the Prime Minister and the ruling party must apologise to the people of the country for misusing investigative agencies and power," Das said. Explaining the background of the case, the PCC president stated that the National Herald was an institution associated with India's freedom movement and had faced severe financial difficulties, including the inability to pay staff salaries. "Providing assistance to such an institution is not a crime. Young Indian is a not-for-profit entity, and no individual can take even a single rupee as profit. Where is the corruption?" he asked. Bhakta Das accused the BJP of creating an atmosphere of fear by misusing authority to obstruct the opposition's work. He further demanded accountability from those holding constitutional positions, alleging repeated misuse of power. Announcing a series of protests, OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das said the Congress would continue its agitation against the BJP. "Today we have gheraoed the BJP office. Tomorrow there will be district-level dharnas, followed by a torch rally the next day, culminating in a protest march to the Gandhi statue," he added. New Delhi, Dec 17 : Even after 54 years of Bangladesh's birth, there are blatant attempts to contrive and concoct historical narratives to absolve certain quarters of their treason and blame India, observed an opinion piece in a Dhaka-based newspaper on Wednesday, December 17. Calling it "mischievous manipulation of established historical facts", the Daily Star article quoted a recent statement from Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar claiming it was India who had conspired to kill the country's intellectuals on December 14, 1971. Martyred Intellectuals Day is observed in Bangladesh to commemorate the killing of over 1,000 intellectuals by the then occupying Pakistani armed forces during the country's Liberation War. The day is marked with various commemorative events, including wreath-laying ceremonies at memorials, and is observed with profound respect and grief across the country. But Porwar claimed that it was "part of a well-planned plot by the Indian army and Indian intelligence agencies". According to the Daily Star article: "With their new-found currency in the post-2024 dispensation, some Jamaat-e-Islami leaders are seeking to reverse a well-established narrative and turn it on its head." It added that Porwar's colleague in Chittagong having further distorted history by saying that "someone else used the name of the Pakistan army to carry out the killings", naming India "among the suspects". The article dismissed such distortion, adding: "Such a narrative to exonerate the axis of forces, which unleashed nine months of untold brutality on our men, women and children, is preposterous." On Wednesday itself, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner M. Riaz Hamidullah and expressed concerns over security threats to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Earlier this week, leader of Bangladesh's National Citizen Party (NCP) Hasnat Abdullah threatened to isolate India's Seven Sisters, the states on its Northeast, in a statement, offering refuge to insurgents, over purported "destabilisation" of Bangladesh. Soon after the MEA voiced concerns on Wednesday, reports from Bangladesh said that a group of people was stopped by police while marching towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. They intended to raise several demands, including the return of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others who fled there during and after the July uprising last year. Incidentally, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been handed a death sentence over alleged atrocities during her rule. Several other news reports and commentaries allege that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration in Bangladesh has shown signs of accommodation toward Islamist groups. These include policy shifts, deregulatory moves, and a permissive environment for hardline actors. Among key indicators are lifting of bans on radical elements, public appointments, pardons, spikes in sectarian incidents, and changes in official rhetoric. Chennai, Dec 17 : Mounting a renewed attack on the Opposition AIADMK, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday questioned the party's continued silence over the Union government's decision to alter and rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) as the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G), stating that the move would have far-reaching consequences for the rural poor. Chennai, Dec 17 (IANS) Mounting a renewed attack on the Opposition AIADMK, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday questioned the partyas continued silence over the Union governmentas decision to alter and rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) as the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Missiona"Gramin (VB-G RAM G), stating that the move would have far-reaching consequences for the rural poor. In a social media post, Stalin said the Centreas decision directly affected millions of rural households dependent on the employment guarantee scheme and accused the AIADMK of failing to articulate any clear position on the issue. He alleged that the party had consistently aligned itself with the policies of the Union government and recalled its support for controversial measures such as the three farm laws and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Stalin asked whether AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami would once again back the Centre on VB-G RAM G, a scheme he said had serious implications for rural employment and social security. He also criticised the removal of Mahatma Gandhias name from MGNREGA, arguing that the change diluted the historical and moral significance associated with a programme designed to safeguard the livelihoods of the rural poor. Taking strong exception to the renaming of the scheme in Hindi, Stalin said the new name was difficult for many people to pronounce and understand. He linked the issue to Tamil Naduas long-standing resistance to Hindi imposition and questioned the AIADMKas reluctance to oppose the move. Referring to Perarignar C.N. Annadurai, whose name the party carries, Stalin noted that Anna had led the struggle against Hindi imposition and asked whether there should be any hesitation in opposing such changes. The Chief Minister also flagged concerns over the funding pattern of VB-G RAM G. While the Centre would decide the terms and conditions of the scheme, he said, State governments would be compelled to bear an additional financial burden. He questioned whether the AIADMK accepted this arrangement without protest and whether its former leader, Jayalalithaa, would have agreed to such a model. Concluding his remarks, Stalin said the debate was not merely about a change in name but about protecting the interests of rural workers and upholding the principles of federalism. He asserted that the people of Tamil Nadu were closely watching how political parties responded to decisions that affected livelihoods, language, and the financial autonomy of States, and expected the Opposition to take a clear and principled stand. Chennai, Dec 17 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to publish the draft electoral roll for Tamil Nadu on Friday, December 19, marking a crucial milestone in the state's election preparedness. The release follows two earlier extensions and signals the beginning of an important verification phase that allows voters to confirm their registration details and seek corrections, if required. Election officials have urged all eligible citizens to carefully check the draft list to ensure their names are included and that personal details such as age, address and polling station information are accurate. The exercise is aimed at improving the accuracy and inclusiveness of the electoral roll ahead of future elections. Voters will be able to verify their details through both online and offline modes, making the process accessible across urban and rural areas. For online verification, electors can log on to the official website of the Election Commission of India at eci.gov.in or the Tamil Nadu State Election Departmentas portal at tnelections.tn.gov.in. Using either their name or Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number, voters can search the database and confirm their registration status. For those who prefer offline verification, the draft electoral roll will be made available at local polling stations through Booth Level Officers (BLOs). BLOs have been instructed to assist voters in checking the list, guiding them through the verification process, and helping them understand the procedure for filing claims or objections. This offline mechanism is expected to be particularly helpful for senior citizens, first-time voters, and residents in areas with limited internet access. Following its publication, the draft roll will be open for public scrutiny for a stipulated period, during which electors can submit claims for inclusion of names, corrections to existing entries, or objections to inaccurate or duplicate entries. Applications can be filed both online and through designated forms submitted to BLOs or election offices. Election authorities have emphasised that this stage is vital to ensuring that every eligible voter is able to participate in the democratic process without hindrance. Citizens have been encouraged not to delay verification and to take advantage of the claims and objections window to address any discrepancies. The final electoral roll will be prepared after considering all valid claims and objections received during this period, forming the basis for upcoming elections in the state. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, has announced the strengthening of defense cooperation with Germany: a number of new important agreements were signed with German partners worth over EUR 1.2 billion. As the minister reported on social networks, in particular, this concerns the long-term supply of spare parts for Patriot systems, which will allow for faster repair, modernization and restoration of existing complexes. The agreements also concern the purchase of Ukrainian UAVs worth UAH 200 million. In addition, this is the largest artillery project for the production of 200 units of Bohdan self-propelled guns on the new Zetros chassis with a total cost of EUR 750 million to increase Ukraines artillery capabilities. Also, joint production of Ukrainian UAVs Linza is being implemented in cooperation with the Ukrainian company Frontline Robotics and the German company Quantum Systems within the framework of Build with Ukraine. These UAVs will ensure the scaling of tactical reconnaissance. In addition, contracts were signed for the uninterrupted supply of the latest electronic warfare equipment at the tactical level. "Thanks to the agreements between the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, Germany has pledged to allocate EUR 11.5 billion to support Ukraine next year," the minister wrote. Shmyhal separately thanked his German colleague Boris Pistorius for announcing this important support during Ramstein. "We especially appreciate the transfer of the two promised Patriot systems and the 9th IRIS-T. This will help protect Ukrainian cities and strengthen European security," he said. Imphal, Dec 17 : Security forces arrested six hardcore militants belonging to four outlawed outfits in Manipur during joint operations conducted across different districts over the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday. Several arms and ammunition were also recovered during the operations. A police official on Wednesday said that six hardcore militants, belonging to the banned Peopleas Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM), the Peopleas Liberation Army (PLA) and its sister outfit Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), were arrested from different locations in Kakching, Bishnupur and Imphal West districts. Several mobile phones and various other materials were seized from their possession. The arrested extremists were involved in the forcible collection of subscriptions from contractors, government employees, traders and even common people. With this, 11 militants of four outfits were arrested by the security forces in Manipur during the past 48 hours. Security forces also busted an inter-state narcotics racket and arrested four drug peddlers from Madhya Pradesh and Assam. The four drug smugglers were arrested from the Leinaganpokpi areas in Jiribam district, which shares an inter-state border with southern Assam, and recovered 147 kgs of narcotics and psychotropic substances, including highly addictive methamphetamine tablets also known as Yaba tablets. The arrested drug peddlers were identified as Faruk Ali, 35, Mafij Uddin, 29, and Hanif Ali, 28, all residents of different districts of Assam and Santosh Patel, 43, a resident of Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. Three trucks were also seized in connection with the seizure of the drugs. Intelligence-based combing, cordon and search operations are being carried out extensively in different Imphal Valley and mountainous districts to nab those involved in extortion and criminal activities in the state. Security forces also recovered some arms and ammunition from the Churachandpur district. The recovered arms include an AK series rifle with a magazine, a US-made MA-3 MK-II rifle along with a magazine, an INSAS rifle along with a magazine, and a .315 rifle along with a magazine. Large quantities of different types of ammunition were also recovered from these two districts. Security forces, comprising both Central and state forces, continue extensive crackdowns against militants, with search operations and area domination drives underway in fringe, mixed population and vulnerable areas across districts in Manipur. Jaipur, Dec 17 : Rajasthan Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham on Wednesday strongly refuted the statements made by Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully, terming them misleading and based on incorrect facts. He said that Jully had conveniently forgotten his own tenure as a minister in the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, during which Rajasthan witnessed a collapse of law and order, leaving the common people distressed. Jully has recently claimed that the Rajasthan government has only "false figures to count". Bedham stated that the Congress government had failed to implement even 40 per cent of its budget announcements, yet its leaders continue to mislead the public through press conferences. He said the Congress avoided meaningful debate in the Assembly because it is frustrated by the development work being carried out under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and cannot tolerate Rajasthanas rapid progress. "They have no answer when five years of Congress rule is compared with two years of the BJP government," he added. Highlighting the achievements of the present government, the Minister of State for Home Affairs said that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has significantly increased electricity production in the state and invited entrepreneurs from India and abroad under the aRising Rajasthana initiative to generate employment. Memorandums of Understanding worth Rs 8 lakh crore have been implemented, paving the way for large-scale investment and economic growth. Bedham said that during the Congress regime, gang wars were rampant, corruption was at its peak, and incidents of robbery and burglary were on the rise, while the government failed to take effective action. "The Congress worked to push Rajasthan towards backwardness," he said. He further stated that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has put Rajasthan firmly on the path of development by ensuring effective implementation of welfare schemes at the grassroots level. The Chief Minister, he said, is working tirelessly to realise the vision of a developed Rajasthan, inspired by the principle of aSarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhaya and guided by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bedham also highlighted the governmentas pro-farmer and pro-poor initiatives, stating that while the Congress exploited farmers, the present government has provided a Rs 150 bonus on wheat and increased assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000. Old-age pensions have been increased to support senior citizens, and efforts are being made to make Rajasthan crime-free, ensure adequate water supply, promote industrial growth, and establish the state as a leader in electricity production. Concluding his statement, the Minister of State for Home Affairs said that the Chief Minister is committed to making Rajasthan self-reliant and developed, and advised the Leader of the Opposition to stop misleading the people of Rajasthan with false and baseless statements. Thiruvananthapuram Dec 17 : The political sparring over the Sabarimala gold theft controversy escalated on Tuesday with CPI-M legislator and former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran publicly challenging Kerala's Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan to produce evidence backing the allegations made against him. The challenge was issued through a Facebook post, intensifying a dispute that has already spilled into the courts. The row began after the Sabarimala gold theft controversy surfaced, following which Satheesan accused Kadakampally of having facilitated the removal and sale of gold plating from the temple. The Leader of the Opposition repeated the charge both inside and outside the Assembly, alleging that the gold was taken out with the former ministeras knowledge and support. Denying the allegations, Kadakampally moved a Thiruvananthapuram court seeking the withdrawal of the statements, a public apology, and compensation for reputational damage. Arguments in the case were recently heard, and media reports on the court proceedings appeared. Soon after, Kadakampallyas counsel, advocate Rajagopal, took to Facebook to state that certain details carried in the reports were incorrect. Kadakampally shared the lawyeras post on his own social media handle. However, the controversy took a fresh turn when Satheesan reiterated his allegations, prompting Kadakampally to issue an open challenge demanding that the Leader of the Opposition place concrete evidence in the public domain. In his post, Kadakampally maintained that the accusations were baseless and politically motivated, and insisted that Satheesan must substantiate his claims either legally or withdraw them. Responding to the challenge, Satheesan told reporters that he would present evidence against Kadakampally before the court. He said he stood firmly by his earlier statements and clarified that his primary question was regarding the destination of the gold plating removed from Sabarimala. Satheesan further asserted that actions taken by members of the Devaswom Board could not have occurred without the knowledge of the minister in charge at the time. With legal proceedings underway and political tempers running high, the Sabarimala gold theft case is fast emerging as a flashpoint in Kerala politics, with both sides signalling that the battle will now be fought decisively in court. Belagavi, Dec 17 : The Karnataka BJP on Wednesday accused Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda of land encroachment and corruption and demanded his resignation. The party also released documents and videos in support of its allegations. BJP workers staged protests at the Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency in Bengaluru against Minister Byregowda, alleging that he had grabbed 21 acres of land in Kolar district that originally belonged to a lake and a burial ground. It may be noted that Minister Byregowda represents the Byatarayanapura Assembly segment, while Kolar is his native district. Police detained BJP workers for protesting without permission, loaded them into buses, and took them to an undisclosed location. Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, demanded the immediate resignation of Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda, accusing him of corruption and of illegally transferring cemetery land and tank land into his name. Addressing the media in Belagavi, Narayanaswamy released documents alleging that the minister had manipulated records to transfer one acre of cemetery land (Survey No. 47) and 20 acres and 16 guntas of tank land (Survey No. 46) in Garudanapalya village of Narsapura hobli in Kolar district into his name. The total value of the land is estimated to be around Rs 100120 crore, he said. "This is a clear case of corruption and misuse of power," Narayanaswamy said. "The minister's actions are a shame and an insult to the people of Karnataka. He should immediately resign and face an investigation." Narayanaswamy questioned how the minister had managed to transfer the land into his name despite it being cemetery and tank land, which are protected under law. He alleged that the minister's father, late C. Byregowda, had manipulated documents to transfer the land into their names. The opposition leader demanded that the government conduct an investigation into the matter and reclaim the land. "The people of Karnataka will not tolerate such corruption and misuse of power," he warned. Narayanaswamy also announced that the opposition would take legal action if the minister does not resign immediately. "We will fight this case in court and ensure that the minister is brought to justice," he said. The allegations have sparked political outrage in the state. The incident has also raised questions about the government's commitment to fighting corruption and protecting public land, he said. Minister Krishna Byregowda, however, refuted all the charges against him and maintained that the allegations are politically motivated. He stated that he is ready to face any investigation into the matter. New Delhi, Dec 17 : India's annual telecom exports have jumped by 72 per cent to over Rs 18,406 crore in the last five years, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia informed Parliament on Wednesday. New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Indiaas annual telecom exports have jumped by 72 per cent to over Rs 18,406 crore in the last five years, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia informed Parliament on Wednesday. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, the minister stated that Indiaas telecom exports have risen from Rs 10,000 crore in 2020a"21 to Rs 18,406 crore in 2024a"25, while imports have remained capped at around Rs 51,000 crore. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is not only moving rapidly towards self-reliance in the telecom sector but is also preparing itself for global leadership. In response to a supplementary question, Scindia highlighted Indiaas achievements in 5G deployment. He informed that out of 778 districts in the country, 767 districts have already been connected to the 5G network. He further stated that India currently has 36 crore 5G subscribers, a number expected to rise to 42 crore by 2026 and reach 100 crore by 2030. About SATCOM, Scindia said that the worldwide experience shows that areas which cannot be connected through conventional BTS or backhaul, or through broadband connectivity using optical fibre cable, can only be served through satellite communications. In this context, India has taken a decisive step to ensure that SATCOM services are made available to customers across the length and breadth of the country. He noted that the objective of the government is to offer a full bouquet of telecom services to every customer, enabling individuals to make informed choices based on their needs and preferred price points. The Union Minister highlighted that the SATCOM policy framework is firmly in place, with spectrum slated for administrative assignment. Three licences have already been issued a" to Starlink, OneWeb, and Reliance. He further said that two key aspects must be addressed before operators can commence commercial services. The first pertains to spectrum assignment, including the determination of administrative spectrum charges, which falls under the purview of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The second aspect relates to security clearances from enforcement agencies. To facilitate this process, operators have been provided with a sample spectrum to conduct demonstrations, and all three licensees are currently undertaking the required compliance activities. Once the operators demonstrate adherence to prescribed security norms a" including the requirement to host international gateways within India a" the necessary approvals will be granted, enabling the rollout of SATCOM services to customers, the minister added. Mumbai, Dec 17 : Alpine SG Pipers stormed their way into title contention by registering their second consecutive win, thanks to yet another clinical performance on the prodigy board by GM Leon Luke Mendonca and a last-gasp victory by Player of the Match Nino Batsiashvili on Matchday 4 of the Global Chess League (GCL) on Wednesday. The Pipers beat Fyers American Gambits 10-4, while upGrad Mumba Masters registered a dominating 18-2 win over PBG Alaskan Knights. In the first clash of Matchday 4, Alpine SG Pipers once again chose to play white after winning the toss for the second straight match, looking to build on their victory over overnight leaders upGrad Mumbai Masters. There was not much to separate the two teams on the top four boards, but Mendonca came up with another clinical performance to beat World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin on the prodigy board to give his team the advantage. Opting for a Closed Catalan, the GM from Goa gained the upper hand with a bishop sacrifice on the 18th move and maintained the pressure, and his Russian opponent ran out of time on move 46. In the women's clash between Nino and Injac Teodara, the former was under pressure for a major part of the 61-move clash, but turned things around with three advancing pawns and forced Teodara to resign and take her team to the top of the table for a brief period. "I played all in and pushed my pawn, and at some point (I had a chance to win)," Nina, who registered her third win in four matches, said. Later, upGrad Mumba Masters rode on wins from Koneru Humpy and Dronavalli Harika to register a dominating win over PBG Alaskan Knights with black pieces to cement their place at the top of the leaderboard. Humpy lived dangerously against Kateryna Lagno but pounced on her opponent's mistake as the Russian failed to correctly follow up after sacrificing her queen and resigned after 33 moves. On the adjacent board, Player of the Match Harika defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk in 50 moves while Alaskan Knights' Arjun Erigasi lost to Wesley So after running out of time. On the icon board, world champion D Gukesh's wait for a win got longer after he was held to a draw by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in 31 moves. Bardiya Daneshvar completed the Mumba Masters tally with a win over Daniel Dardha. In the last match of the day, Triveni Continental Kings will play Ganges Grandmasters. Action continues on Matchday 5 as upGrad Mumba Masters take on Triveni Continental Kings, Alpine SG Pipers face PBG Alaskan Knights, while Ganges Grandmasters meet Fyers American Gambits. Tashkent, Dec 17 : Several Asian nations have recently witnessed protests related to various issues involving China, sparking discussions regarding cross-border practices and their implications for international relations. The protests in Kazakhstan, Nepal, the Philippines, and other countries showcase broader regional attention to China's external activities, a report has stated. Tashkent, Dec 17 (IANS) Several Asian nations have recently witnessed protests related to various issues involving China, sparking discussions regarding cross-border practices and their implications for international relations. The protests in Kazakhstan, Nepal, the Philippines, and other countries showcase broader regional attention to Chinaas external activities, a report has stated. Recent gatherings in Kazakhstan were related to the unresolved case of Alimur Turganbay, a Kazakh citizen who went missing in July 2024 after an encounter with Chinese border officers. Human rights groups have reported other cases as well, which involve Kazakh nationals, contributing to ongoing public attention on border-related procedures, according to a report in an Uzbekistan-based online publication 'Zamin'. Similar protests were held in Nepal after a portrait of the Chinese head of state was found in the headquarters of the Communist Party of Nepal, sparking reaction from people. Participants in the Philippines expressed over maritime incidents at Scarborough Shoal, while activists in South Korea expressed concern about perceived external influence on domestic political processes. "Some reports suggested that diplomatic communications from China may have played a role in local responses, although this information has not been independently confirmed. Analysts note that these developments align with a wider international discussion regarding Chinaas external engagements. Frequently cited examples include the 2018 detentions of Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, as well as concerns surrounding exit bans, international notices, and alleged monitoring of overseas communities," the report stated. "Europe has also taken steps in response to related concerns. Franceas domestic intelligence services reported the closure of nine sites described as informal Chinese 'police stations,' noting their potential role in observing diaspora communities. Officials also pointed to continued monitoring activities, particularly regarding Taiwan. In November 2025, China announced an investigation involving Taiwanese legislator Shen Buang, but both the US State Department and Interpol declined to participate, citing the political nature of the request," it added. G7 member states also issued a statement voicing concern over cross-border pressure and its potential effect on sovereignty and human rights frameworks. Experts have stressed that governments and international institutions have increasingly focused on these issues in recent years. The Zamin report stated: "The demonstrations across Kazakhstan, Nepal, the Philippines, and other countries reflect broader regional attention to Chinaas external activities. Observers suggest that these developments may influence future diplomatic dialogue and policy discussions in the Asia-Pacific region." Sydney, Dec 17 : The terrorist attack on families celebrating Jewish festival Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Australia laid bare not only the deadly consequences of anti-Semitism but a leadership vacuum that allowed such hatred to spread, a report said on Wednesday. It added that Australia must tighten laws shielding hate; accelerate prosecutions for doxxing, vandalism, and incitement, while expanding the resources of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation without bureaucratic delay. "The massacre was no bolt from the blue; it brewed in plain sight amid a tsunami of antisemitism that has engulfed Australia since October 7, 2023. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) documented 1,654 anti-Jewish incidents from October 2024 to September 2025 nearly five times pre-October 7 levels with arson attacks on synagogues and preschools surging to record highs despite a slight dip in overall numbers," a report in One World Outlook detailed. "From the firebombing that gutted Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue in December 2024, collapsing its roof and declared a terrorist act, to swastika graffiti on Sydney's Newtown Synagogue in January 2025 and doxxing of Jewish students, the Jewish communityAustralia's 117,000-strong minorityhas endured daily torment. Protests turned violent outside the Sydney Opera House hours after Hamas's atrocities, with antisemitic slurs chanted as an Israeli flag burned, setting a permissive tone that leaders failed to quash," it mentioned. According to the report, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess raised the alarm in early 2025, identifying antisemitism as his agency's "number one priority" among threats to lifethe first instance of a form of racism topping the listagainst the backdrop of firebombings, threats, and discovery of a trailer loaded with explosives aimed at a Sydney synagogue. "Yet warnings from intelligence, community leaders, and rising incidents like harassment of Jewish artists and riots in Jewish suburbs went unheeded, culminating in Bondi's playground turned slaughterhouse. A heroic bystander, fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed, tackled one gunman and seized his rifle, saving countless lives despite his own woundsa rare act of individual valour amid systemic neglect," it stated The report stressed that this failure had persisted for years despite ASIO raising the terror threat to "probable" in 2024 amid Gaza-related tensions, and launching Operation Avalite to counter antisemitic violence in December 2024, with enforcement struggling as synagogues burned and streets filled with hate. Jewish leaders, including ECAJ's Alex Ryvchin, warned that the community feels "abandoned and alone," with the terrorist attack in Bondi revealing that Australia is "no longer safe for Jews." "Global voicesfrom US President Donald Trump to Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, who blamed Albanese's government for fanning flamescondemned the attack, hailing al Ahmed while urging Australia to confront its demons. Domestically, even the Australian National Imams Council stood in unity, rejecting violence as an assault on all," the report noted. Ahmedabad, Dec 17 : The Gujarat High Court has ruled that Waqf institutions will now be treated on par with other religious trusts in legal proceedings, directing Waqf Boards to pay prescribed court fees in property-related disputes, just as Hindu and other religious trusts are required to do. The court observed that no plaintiff is above due process of law and that uniform legal standards must apply to all religious institutions. In its order, the High Court clarified that the fee exemption earlier enjoyed by Waqf Boardsowing to ambiguities in the old Waqf lawwill no longer be available. The directive will apply uniformly across the board, from administrators of small shrines to operators of large mosques. The ruling is expected to have a significant impact on the management of Waqf properties and the conduct of related litigation, reinforcing the principle of equality in judicial procedures. Across India, Waqf properties are managed by state-level Waqf Boards. Collectively, they control around 9.4 lakh acres of land and nearly 8.7 lakh properties, with an estimated value of Rs 1.2 lakh croremaking the Waqf Board among the country's largest landholders. A substantial number of these properties are embroiled in legal disputes, often due to administrative lapses, a context in which the High Court's ruling is likely to have far-reaching consequences. Waqf, derived from the Arabic word waquf meaning "to hold" or "preserve," refers to the Islamic practice of donating property for religious or charitable purposes. Such endowments may include money, land, buildings, or other assets. Once dedicated, Waqf propertyoften described as "property of Allah"cannot be sold or diverted for non-religious uses. The donor is known as a Waqif. The Waqf tradition in India dates back to the advent of Islam, with roots traced to the Delhi Sultanate in the 12th century. Post-Independence, the first Waqf Act was enacted in 1954, followed by significant amendments in 1995 and later in 2013. In August 2024, the Union government introduced a fresh Waqf Bill in the Lok Sabha, triggering nationwide opposition. The draft was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which approved it with 14 amendments in January 2025. The JPC report was tabled in Parliament in February 2025, after which the Cabinet cleared the amended bill. The legislation is now set to be introduced for debate and voting in Parliament. New Delhi, Dec 17 : India's pharmaceutical exports stood at $30.47 billion in 2024-25, registering a growth of 9.4 per cent over the previous year, supported by a strong manufacturing base and expanding global outreach, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Wednesday. New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Indiaas pharmaceutical exports stood at $30.47 billion in 2024a"25, registering a growth of 9.4 per cent over the previous year, supported by a strong manufacturing base and expanding global outreach, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Wednesday. Inaugurating a one-day Regional Chintan Shivir on Pharmaceutical Exports, the Commerce Secretary highlighted that Indiaas domestic pharmaceutical market is currently estimated at around $60 billion. The market is expected to double to approximately $130 billion by 2030, reflecting the sectoras scale, depth, and innovation potential, he added. The Commerce Secretary underlined that India is today the worldas third-largest pharmaceutical producer by volume and fourteenth by value, with more than 3,000 companies, 10,500 manufacturing units and over 60,000 generic brands across 60 therapeutic areas. Indian medicines reach over 200 markets worldwide, with more than 60 per cent of exports going to stringent regulatory destinations. The United States accounts for about 34 per cent, while Europe accounts for around 19 per cent of Indiaas pharmaceutical exports. These strengths, combined with Indiaas role as a reliable supplier of quality-assured and affordable medicines, were recognised as a strong foundation for the next phase of export growth. Deliberations during the Chintan Shivir focused on sensitising exporters, especially MSMEs, to Indiaas evolving international trade and cooperation framework, and on strengthening industry awareness of policy, regulatory and capacity-building initiatives relevant to pharmaceutical exports. Discussions centred on the identification of non-tariff barriers and regulatory challenges, expansion of regulatory cooperation and mutual recognition mechanisms to enable faster and more predictable approvals, and building a robust life sciences innovation ecosystem encompassing research and development, clinical trials, biologics, vaccines and biosimilars. The Commerce Secretary also underlined the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to position India as a trusted global trade partner and to expand Indiaas share in global pharmaceutical trade, thereby enabling wider access to quality and affordable healthcare across the world. Participants were apprised of recent developments in Indiaas international trade framework, including the Indiaa"UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed on July 24, 2025, and the Indiaa"European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which became effective on October 1, 2025. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossUkraine The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) is working at the site of the liquidation of the consequences of the Russian army airstrike on Zaporizhia. "Zaporizhia Volunteers of the Ukrainian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit in Zaporizhia region are providing assistance at the site of another strike," the society said on its Facebook page on Wednesday. Along with other rescue services, volunteers are conducting a patrol of the territory to identify victims. They are also providing people with first aid and psychological assistance. As reported, the number of victims from the Russian bombing of Zaporizhia and its suburbs has increased to 30 people, including five children. According to Head of the regional military administration Ivan Fedorov, three of the injured are in serious condition, 14 are in average condition. There are hits in residential buildings. Search and rescue operations continue. Hyderabad, Dec 17 : The Congress party has murdered democracy on the floor of the Assembly, said Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday in his reaction to Telangana Assembly Speaker's verdict, dismissing petitions for the disqualification of five BRS MLAs who allegedly switched loyalties to Congress. Hyderabad, Dec 17 (IANS) The Congress party has murdered democracy on the floor of the Assembly, said Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday in his reaction to Telangana Assembly Speakeras verdict, dismissing petitions for the disqualification of five BRS MLAs who allegedly switched loyalties to Congress. K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) remarked that it has once again been proven that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have absolutely no respect for the nation's highest courts or the Constitution. KTR ridiculed the Congress leadership, stating that merely posing for photos holding a copy of the Constitution is not enough. "Rahul Gandhi will go down in history as an incompetent leader who failed to respect the very Anti-Defection Law brought in by his own father, late Rajiv Gandhi," he said. In a statement, KTR termed it a clear display of double standards by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party to protect MLAs who have openly admitted to defecting for 'development'. The BRS leader stated that the Congress party is backing away from disqualifying the defectors solely out of fear of facing by-elections. He noted that there is a surge of anti-incumbency across villages against Revanth Reddyas two-year rule, especially with the upcoming Panchayat elections. "The Telangana society clearly understands that the Congress is delaying action against defected MLAs only because they are terrified of the backlash," he added. KTR expressed anger that the Congress party has been making a mockery of the Constitution at every stepa"from the day CM Revanth Reddy personally visited BRS MLAs' homes to encourage defections, up to today's Speaker's decision. He alleged that the Speaker took a decision contrary to the defection petitions under pressure from the Congress party. The former minister expressed surprise that the Speaker succumbed to the local Congress leadership's pressure, completely ignoring the spirit of the judgments delivered by the Supreme Court. He stated that the Speaker acted in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner by disregarding the provisions of the Anti-Defection Law. KTR affirmed that the BRS party strongly opposes this decision taken by the Speaker. KTR stated that while the Congress might celebrate saving the defected MLAs temporarily using technicalities, the people of their respective constituencies have already disqualified them in the public court. Patna, Dec 17 : Bihar's Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Sanjay Kumar Singh on Wednesday held a press conference, outlining several key decisions aimed at ensuring accountability, timely completion of projects, and recovery of pending dues within the department. The minister clarified that contractors associated with the PHED who have outstanding electricity bills will not be permitted to participate in future tender processes. Such contractors have been given one month to clear their dues. Singh said a departmental review meeting was held earlier in the day, during which the accountability of officers at all levels was assessed. He warned that the salaries of officers who fail to ensure recovery of outstanding amounts within the stipulated one-month period will be withheld. It was also decided that projects where work has been stalled will be granted necessary approvals and must be completed within one month. "The Chief Engineer will closely monitor all ongoing works, and strict action will be taken against officers found absent from offices or work sites," Singh said. The minister added that officers in districts where work remains pending including Nawada, Biharsharif, and Sasaram have been issued a final deadline of one month. Failure to complete the work within the timeframe will result in withholding of salaries of the concerned officers. Sanjay Singh said that all issues were reviewed zone-wise in detail during the meeting and emphasised that strict measures are being implemented to ensure transparency, discipline, and accountability in departmental functioning. Sanjay Kumar Singh, the MLA from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), won the Mahua Assembly seat in the recently concluded election, defeating RJD's Mukesh Roshan and JJD's Tej Pratap Yadav. Sanjay Singh secured 87,641 votes in Mahua, defeating the incumbent RJD MLA Mukesh Roshan by a large margin of 44,997 votes. Mukesh Roshan managed to garner only 42,644 votes. Lalu Yadav's elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, was also rejected by the voters. New Delhi, Dec 17 : A meeting was held on Wednesday at Parliament House between Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan to deliberate on strengthening higher and school education in the Kota-Bundi region of Rajasthan. The meeting witnessed detailed and constructive discussions on the expansion of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Kota, and comprehensive reforms to improve the quality of school education in the region. Highlighting Kotaas stature as one of Indiaas foremost education hubs, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that nearly 1.5 lakh students from across the country come to Kota every year to prepare for engineering and medical entrance examinations. With robust road and rail connectivity and improving air connectivity, he emphasised that upgrading IIIT Kota on the lines of premier IITs is the need of the hour. Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan announced that a long-term plan will be prepared to increase the student capacity of IIIT Kota to 25,000 seats over the next 10 years. The plan includes comprehensive institutional development, establishment of Centres of Excellence, and the introduction of contemporary and future-ready academic programmes. The Minister outlined key focus areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Green Energy, futuristic technologies aligned with global employment needs, AI research centres, pump storage technology, and atomic studies. He noted that the Chambal River regionas natural resources and the presence of the Rawatbhata Atomic Power Plant make Kota highly suitable for technical and energy-based education. In view of these strengths, IIIT Kota is proposed to be developed as a model IIIT of the country, positioning Kota as a national hub for higher education and technology. To expedite the process, the Union Education Minister directed the formation of a special committee, which will submit its recommendations within one month. Om Birla also raised the issue of improving school education standards in the Kotaa"Bundi parliamentary constituency. He stressed the wide implementation of the aKnow Your Constitutiona programme in schools to inculcate constitutional values among students. He further suggested encouraging meritorious students from across the country to visit Parliament through competitive selection, to enhance their understanding of democratic institutions. The meeting also covered key issues such as increasing the number of PM Shri Schools in Kota-Bundi, enhancing central assistance for Rajasthanas education budget, and expanding access to quality education. Senior officials, including Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy; Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Rahul Singh, Chairman, CBSE; Prof. N. P. Padhi, Director, IIIT Kota; along with senior officers from the Rajasthan Education Department. Officials from the Lok Sabha Secretariat were also present. Ahmedabad, Dec 17 : The Gujarat cabinet, on Wednesday, held detailed deliberations on the procurement of tur (pigeon pea) at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani announced that the government will purchase tur at a support price of Rs 8,000 per quintal, in line with the Centreas MSP policy. The procurement process will commence from December 22, with farmer registrations also opening on the same day to ensure ease and transparency in the process. The move is expected to benefit thousands of tur growers across the state by assuring them fair and remunerative prices for their produce. Calling it a major step towards safeguarding farmers from market volatility, Vaghani said the decision would bring greater transparency in the sale of kharif crops and provide much-needed financial security to farmers. He appealed to farmers to complete their registrations within the stipulated timeframe to avail the benefits of the scheme. The cabinet meeting also reviewed the disbursement of assistance under the agricultural relief package. Following these discussions, the MSP for tur was finalised to ensure that farmers are not forced into distress sales and receive a just price for their crops. Notably, after the recent cabinet expansion, key portfolios including Agriculture, Farmersa Welfare and Cooperation, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Protocol have been entrusted to Jitu Vaghani. Over the past few days, he has actively pushed farmer-centric decisions, playing a crucial role in the cabinet by voicing farmersa concerns and advocating for affordable and fair pricing mechanisms. The decision is being seen as a timely intervention ahead of the procurement season, reinforcing the governmentas commitment to farmer welfare. Gujarat has a large and diverse agrarian base, with around 54 lakh farmers engaged in agriculture and allied activities across the state. These include small and marginal farmers who form the majority, along with medium and large landholders cultivating crops such as cotton, groundnut, tur, wheat, cumin and vegetables. Agriculture remains the backbone of rural Gujarat, supporting not only cultivators but also millions of families dependent on animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries and farm-linked livelihoods. With varied agro-climatic zones, from arid Kutch to fertile central and south Gujarat, the farming community plays a crucial role in ensuring food security, sustaining rural employment and contributing significantly to the stateas economy. Agartala, Dec 17 : In a major step towards enhancing agricultural productivity and achieving self-sufficiency in food grain production, the Tripura Agriculture Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nagpur-based National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) on Wednesday. Tripura Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that the collaboration aims to carry out in-depth research on cultivable land across several districts of the state, paving the way for sustainable farming practices and a stronger agricultural future for Tripura. Inaugurating a workshop on the Land Resource Inventory of Tripura using Geospatial Techniques at Pragya Bhawan here, the Minister said, "We often talk about self-reliance in agriculture, but for that, scientific research on land is essential." He said that land is the primary factor in agriculture, followed by seed quality, water availability and scientific cultivation practices. "Three years ago, we started working to assess the condition of different soil layers. The Agriculture Department prepared a roadmap to make Tripura self-reliant in agriculture. Accordingly, South Tripura and Gomati districts were selected first for the survey," Nath said. According to the Minister, soil scientists from NBSS&LUP surveyed these districts and submitted their report, following which the MoU was signed to extend the study to three more districts -- North Tripura, Dhalai and Unakoti. He said that on Wednesday, NBSS&LUP scientists presented their findings, while surveys in the remaining three districts -- West Tripura, Sepahijala and Khowai -- are yet to be taken up. The NBSS&LUP is a unit of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The Minister noted that such scientific planning was lacking in the past. "I have been in politics for over 30 years. Earlier, agriculture or food ministers spoke about making Tripura self-sufficient in foodgrains, but there was no concrete plan. Soil scientists can now tell us what type of soil we have and where crops such as palm oil, rubber, millets and paddy can be cultivated effectively," he said. Nath pointed out that palm oil saplings were earlier planted at the Nagicherra Horticulture Research Centre in West Tripura, but without much success due to a lack of scientific assessment. He said that following the MoU, the Agriculture Department will prepare a comprehensive plan in consultation with soil scientists to help farmers adopt crop patterns suited to local soil conditions. "A detailed discussion was held with officials on Wednesday. We are aiming for 100 per cent success in the coming days," he added. The Minister further informed that before the BJP government came to power in 2018, 22 blocks in the state were self-sufficient in food grain production. "After our government assumed office, the number has increased to 30 blocks, with five more expected to achieve self-sufficiency this year. More agricultural products from Tripura will also receive GI tags in the future," he said. Agriculture Department Secretary Apurba Roy, Director Fani Bhushan Jamatia, State Nodal Officer Uttam Saha and other officials were present at the event. --IANS sc/dan Jaipur, Dec 17 : A political controversy has erupted in Rajasthan following the deletion of 41.85 lakh voter names from the electoral rolls under the Special Summary Revision (SSR) process. The Congress has alleged a politically motivated conspiracy, accusing the Election Commission of acting in collusion with the BJP to selectively remove voters. Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra launched a sharp attack on the process through a post on the social media platform X, alleging large-scale manipulation of voter lists. "Now the whole country understands that SIR, being conducted in collusion with the Election Commission and the BJP, actually means stealing India's rights. Those who were feared to lose were the ones whose names were deleted. The removal of 41.85 lakh voters in Rajasthan is not a procedural exercise, but a well-planned conspiracy of vote theft," Dotasra wrote. Dotasra further claimed that voters from Dalit, backward, minority, and economically weaker sections were disproportionately affected. "The roots of democracy have been attacked. The BJP knows that if free and fair elections are held, its defeat is certain. That is why partisan vote deletion is being carried out under the cover of the Election Commission and the administration," he said, urging citizens to unite against what he termed an assault on constitutional voting rights. Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully also questioned the deletion of names under the 'shifted' and 'absent' categories. "If someone has shifted, they must have gone somewhere else. Their vote should be added there. Not everyone who has shifted has left the state," Juli said, raising concerns over the logic used for mass deletions. The Congress said it had raised objections to the SSR process from the outset. Dotasra had earlier claimed that preparations were underway to delete over 50 lakh voter names during the revision exercise. The draft SSR voter list was released on Tuesday, triggering fresh political reactions. The large-scale deletions have sparked widespread debate, with opposition leaders demanding greater transparency and accountability in the revision process, even as questions continue to be raised over the criteria used for excluding voters. Patna, Dec 17 : An offensive and threatening video targeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has gone viral on social media, triggering swift action by the Bihar Police Headquarters on Wednesday. Reports suggest that the video may have been released by an alleged gangster based in Pakistan, though officials have not yet confirmed the origin. Responding to media queries on the matter, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar confirmed that the police have taken cognisance of the incident. He said the case has been handed over to the Inspector General (IG), Patna, for a detailed investigation. "The IG Patna is collecting complete information based on the inputs that have surfaced through social media," the DGP stated. Addressing questions regarding the videoas origin, DGP Vinay Kumar clarified that the matter is under technical investigation. "The social media posts are being examined, and efforts are underway to determine where the video was uploaded from and its actual source," he said. Emphasising the sensitivity of the issue, the DGP noted that since the matter involves the security and dignity of the Chief Minister, the investigation will be handled only by senior officers. "The IG Patna is personally monitoring the entire case at his level," he added. Police officials have indicated that further action, including a security review, will be considered after the investigation report is submitted. Officials have assured that the situation is being closely monitored and that no threat to public safety will be taken lightly. The alleged Pakistani gangster is said to have issued the threat following an incident on Monday in which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was seen removing the hijab of a female doctor during an appointment letter distribution ceremony held at Samvad Hall in the Chief Minister's Secretariat. The Chief Minister had distributed appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors, including the female doctor, Nushrat Parveen. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Health Minister Mangal Pandey were also present on the stage during the ceremony. Following the incident, the Chief Minister has faced criticism from various quarters, including film actress Rakhi Sawant. Additionally, a woman has reportedly lodged an FIR against Nitish Kumar at a police station in Lucknow. Patna, Dec 17 : An offensive and threatening video targeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has gone viral on social media, triggering swift action by the Bihar Police Headquarters on Wednesday. Reports suggest that the video may have been released by an alleged gangster based in Pakistan, though officials have not yet confirmed the origin. Responding to media queries on the matter, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar confirmed that the police have taken cognisance of the incident. He said that the case has been handed over to the Inspector General (IG), Patna, for a detailed investigation. "The IG Patna is collecting complete information based on the inputs that have surfaced through social media," the DGP stated. Addressing questions regarding the video's origin, DGP Vinay Kumar clarified that the matter is under technical investigation. "The social media posts are being examined, and efforts are underway to determine where the video was uploaded from and its actual source," he said. Emphasising the sensitivity of the issue, the DGP noted that since the matter involves the security and dignity of the Chief Minister, the investigation will be handled only by senior officers. "The IG Patna is personally monitoring the entire case at his level," he added. The police have indicated that further action and a security review will be considered after the investigation report is submitted. Officials have assured that the situation is being closely monitored and that no threat to public safety will be taken lightly. The Pakistani gangster issued the threat following an incident on Monday when Nitish Kumar allegedly removed the Hijab of a female doctor during the appointment letter distribution ceremony held at Samvad hall in the CM secretariat. The Chief Minister distributed appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors, including the female doctor Nushrat Parveen. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Health Minister Mangal Pandey were also present on the stage during the ceremony. Following the incident, the Chief Minister has faced criticism from various quarters, including film actress Rakhi Sawant. Additionally, a woman has reportedly lodged an FIR against Nitish Kumar at a police station in Lucknow. Patna, Dec 17 : An offensive and threatening video targeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has gone viral on social media, triggering swift action by the Bihar Police Headquarters on Wednesday. Reports suggest that the video may have been released by an alleged gangster based in Pakistan, though officials have not yet confirmed the origin. Responding to media queries on the matter, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar confirmed that the police have taken cognisance of the incident. He said that the case has been handed over to the Inspector General (IG), Patna, for a detailed investigation. "The IG Patna is collecting complete information based on the inputs that have surfaced through social media," the DGP stated. Addressing questions regarding the video's origin, DGP Vinay Kumar clarified that the matter is under technical investigation. "The social media posts are being examined, and efforts are underway to determine where the video was uploaded from and its actual source," he said. Emphasising the sensitivity of the issue, the DGP noted that since the matter involves the security and dignity of the Chief Minister, the investigation will be handled only by senior officers. "The IG Patna is personally monitoring the entire case at his level," he added. On December 15, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar landed in a controversy after he removed the hijab of a woman doctor during an appointment letter distribution ceremony in Patna. The incident, which surfaced through a short video clip, has drawn sharp criticism from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The RJD shared an 11-second video of the event on its official X account, questioning the Chief Minister's conduct. In an X post, the RJD wrote, "What has happened to Nitish Ji? Has his mental state completely deteriorated, or has Nitish Babu (Nitish Kumar) now become a 100 per cent member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh?" The video shows Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on stage along with Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Health Minister Mangal Pandey during the ceremony. Demanding accountability from the Bihar government, RJD Spokesperson Ahmad said that CM Nitish Kumar should issue a public apology, claiming that the act had hurt the sentiments of women and minorities. The controversy arose during an official event where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distributed appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors (Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, and Unani) at Samvad Hall in the Chief Minister's Secretariat. Chennai, Dec 17 : A major fire broke out on the second floor of a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) office located opposite the Madurai railway junction on Wednesday evening, triggering panic in the busy commercial area and prompting a large-scale emergency response. According to preliminary information, the fire was reported at around 8.40 p.m., following which personnel from the Thideer Nagar Fire Station rushed to the spot. Thick plumes of smoke were seen billowing from the building, forcing emergency teams to act swiftly to prevent the blaze from spreading further. Sources said that at least 12 fire and rescue units were deployed as part of the firefighting operation. Firefighters battled the flames for several hours before bringing the situation under control. The operation involved coordinated efforts using multiple water tenders and rescue equipment, given the intensity of the fire and the buildingas location in a congested area. Madurai District Fire Officer T. Venkata Ramanan said that four water tenders were pressed into service from fire stations at Thideer Nagar near the Periyar Bus Stand, Tallakulam and Anupanadi. Firefighters focused on dousing the flames and preventing damage to adjacent structures, while also ensuring the safety of nearby residents and passers-by. During the incident, one woman employee of the LIC office was found trapped inside the premises and was immediately rescued by fire personnel. She was shifted to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai for treatment. Another employee sustained burn injuries and is also undergoing medical care. Police personnel from the Thilagar Thidal police station reached the spot soon after the incident and carried out an inspection of the affected area. Officials have initiated an inquiry to determine the cause of the fire. Initial assessments suggest that the blaze may have been triggered by an electrical short circuit, though authorities said the exact cause would be confirmed only after a detailed technical examination. The incident led to temporary disruption of traffic near the railway junction, as emergency vehicles and fire engines lined up along the road. Officials have advised offices and commercial establishments in the area to strictly adhere to fire safety norms, including regular inspection of electrical systems, to prevent such incidents in the future. Photo: The Presidential Office of Ukraine / www.president.gov.ua President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will personally participate in the meeting of the European Council, which will be held on December 18-19 in Brussels. A high-ranking European official told reporters on Wednesday. "President Zelenskyy will personally visit the European Council tomorrow," he said. As reported, the main issue on the agenda of the Council meeting is financial support for Ukraine for 2026-2027. Bhubaneswar, Dec 17 : The Odisha government will host the Regional AI Impact Conference, scheduled to be held from December 19 to 20, setting the tone for a major national-level dialogue on artificial intelligence in governance and public service delivery. The state Electronics & IT Department on Wednesday held the curtain raiser for the conference, providing an early glimpse into Odisha's AI vision, policy direction, and its growing portfolio of real-world AI deployments. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Electronics & IT Mukesh Mahaling stated that the state is adopting a future-ready approach to technology-led growth. He noted that alongside the Odisha AI Policy 2025, progressive policies in FinTech, Global Capability Centres, and advanced electronics are creating a responsible, investor-friendly framework for large-scale AI adoption. He emphasised that Odisha's focus is on building a complete innovation ecosystem backed by strong governance, advanced digital capabilities, and long-term policy certainty. He further added that ahead of the India Impact AI Summit, scheduled to be held in February, regional Impact AI Summits will be organised in eight states, including Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha. Mahaling said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned making Odisha a hub for Artificial Intelligence in India. Giving priority to Odia identity, the state government, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, will implement a language donation programme in Artificial Intelligence, aimed at making Odia content easily accessible to the masses through simplified digital formats. He said the Regional AI Impact Conference has two key objectives. First, it is aligned with the India AI Impact Summit, scheduled to be held in February 2026, under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Second, the conference is based on a central theme built around sustainability and inclusive growth, guided by the "Three Ps - Planet, People and Progress", along with sector-focused discussions. Highlighting Odisha's priorities, Mahaling said the state has identified key government departments for AI-driven interventions, including Health, Education, Disaster Management, Culture, Parliamentary Affairs, and Women & Child Welfare. AI tools will be used to improve programme implementation, monitoring, and policy guidance across these sectors. The Minister also announced a major initiative to promote the Odia language through AI and digital platforms. A new programme titled "Bhasha Dham", to be launched by the Chief Minister, will focus on making Odia language content widely available on the internet using AI tools. Under the programme, contributions will be invited from Odia scholars, professors, artists, and writers to create and digitise high-quality Odia content. Patna, Dec 17 : The Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) in Bihar on Wednesday launched a major crackdown against corruption by conducting simultaneous raids at multiple locations linked to Junior Engineer Mohammad Ansarul Haque, currently posted in Darbhanga. The engineer is accused of accumulating assets far beyond his known sources of income. The SVU has registered a disproportionate assets case against Mohammad Ansarul Haque, who serves in the Planning and Development Department, government of Bihar. According to a Vigilance official, preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had acquired assets worth Rs 1,46,95,530, which is approximately 458.72 per cent more than his legitimate income. In connection with the case, Vigilance Police Station Case No. 113/2025 was registered on December 16, 2025. Acting on a search warrant issued by the Special Vigilance Court, Muzaffarpur, four vigilance teams simultaneously carried out raids at several locations in Darbhanga and Madhubani districts on Wednesday. Search operations are currently underway at two residential premises and an office located at Jamalpur near Naya Tola Mosque and the Lalbagh areas of Darbhanga city. The accused individual's ancestral home in Hariraha village, under Ladaniya Panchayat and Andhramath Police Station in Madhubani district, is also being searched. According to vigilance sources, Mohammad Ansarul Haqueas permanent residence is in Andhramath, Madhubani, while he owns additional properties in Lalbagh and Jamalpur in Darbhanga. All these locations are being thoroughly searched for evidence related to movable and immovable assets, including documents, bank records and investment details. The raid and search operation continued late into the evening. The Vigilance Department stated that the investigation is still ongoing and that official details regarding recoveries will be shared after the completion of the searches. Earlier on Tuesday, the SVU also took significant action against Gajadhar Mandal, Director in the Building Construction Department, in a separate disproportionate assets case. SVU teams conducted simultaneous raids at four locations in Patna and Bhagalpur, uncovering large-scale illegal assets. During the searches, vigilance officials recovered documents related to 16 plots of land worth Rs 3,41,81,000, fixed deposits and shares worth Rs 30.80 lakh in the names of the accused and his wife, gold and silver jewellery valued at approximately Rs 8 lakh, and cash amounting to Rs 1,88,500. Investigators also found evidence of investments in LIC, Star Health and other financial schemes, all of which are currently under detailed scrutiny. The Vigilance Bureau reiterated that strict action will continue against corrupt officials and that no one involved in the accumulation of illegal wealth will be spared. New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Lok Sabha witnessed sharp criticism from opposition members during discussions on the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, which seeks to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, and introduce a new rural employment framework guaranteeing 125 days of wage work annually - up from 100 days. New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) The Lok Sabha witnessed sharp criticism from opposition members during discussions on the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, which seeks to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, and introduce a new rural employment framework guaranteeing 125 days of wage work annually - up from 100 days. Introduced by Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on December 16 amid protests, the Bill aligns with the "Viksit Bharat @2047 vision," focusing on thematic infrastructure like water security, rural connectivity, and climate resilience, with enhanced digital monitoring and convergence of schemes. DMK MP K Kanimozhi strongly opposed the Bill's nomenclature, stating that reading its name "vexes" her. "This is nothing but an imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states. Time and again, the Central government finds ways to impose Hindi or Sanskrit on regional states," she said, highlighting concerns over cultural and linguistic federalism. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra echoed the sentiment, accusing the government of communalising the scheme by invoking Lord Ram's name. "Why change the name? It does not make sense. They are communalising it by bringing in the name of Lord Ram," she remarked, adding, "This is not for Ram or Rahim." Moitra also demanded the release of pending MGNREGA funds for West Bengal, alleging the Centre is now "repealing the Bill altogether" after withholding dues. Praising MGNREGA's role since 2005 in creating widespread rural employment, opposition members, including Congress leaders like Priyanka Gandhi, protested the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name, terming it an "insult" to the Father of the Nation and calling for nationwide agitations. In contrast, TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu supported the Bill as "just another iteration" of pre-2005 schemes like Jawahar Rozgar Yojana. "It's essentially the same with some changes," he said, welcoming the increase to 125 days as a positive step. The Bill introduces changes like 60:40 Centre-State funding (90:10 for Northeast/Himalayan states), seasonal pauses during peak agriculture, and normative allocations. While the government defends it as modernising rural livelihoods, opponents fear dilution of rights-based guarantees and added burden on states. Jaipur, Dec 17 : Acting on directions from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Headquarters, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested five accused in Rajasthan in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission project. The arrested persons are Mahesh Kumar Mittal, proprietor of Ganpati Tubewell; Hemant Mittal alias Golu, son of Mahesh Kumar Mittal; Umesh Kumar Sharma, manager and liaison officer of Shyam Tubewell; Gopal Kumawat, then Accounts Officer, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED); and Piyush Jain, son of Padam Chand Jain and proprietor of Shyam Tubewell. The arrests pertain to Case No. 215/23 involving M/s Shyam Tubewell (proprietor: Padam Chand Jain) and M/s Shri Ganpati Tubewell (proprietor: Mahesh Kumar Mittal). According to the ACB, the firms, in collusion with PHED officials -- Maya Lal Saini (then Executive Engineer, PHED Behror Division), Rakesh Chauhan (Assistant Engineer, Neemrana Sub-Division), and Pradeep Kumar (Junior Engineer, Neemrana Sub-Division) -- secured Tender Nos. 15/21-22 and 33/21-22 under the Jal Jeevan Mission through illegal means. The accused allegedly executed substandard work, manipulated measurement books, and fraudulently withdrew crores of rupees from the state treasury. The ACB said telephonic conversations recorded during the investigation have provided concrete evidence of collusion and bribery. Funds were allegedly siphoned off by paying bribes to departmental officials to secure undue benefits. Director General of Police, ACB, Govind Gupta, said an SIT has been constituted under the chairmanship of Superintendent of Police Mahaveer Singh Ranawat to conduct a time-bound investigation into all Jal Jeevan Mission-related cases, arrest the remaining accused, and file charge-sheets before the court. Senior officers SP Himanshu Kuldeep, Additional SP Bhupendra, and Mahaveer Prasad Sharma were part of the investigation team. All call transcripts and technical evidence obtained from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) were thoroughly examined. The ACB stated that surprise checks had earlier been conducted against six accused, following which charge-sheets were filed. The remaining accused were absconding until Wednesday, when the SIT arrested the five individuals from different locations in Jaipur city using technical surveillance. Investigators found evidence of Rs 2.20 lakh bribe transactions involving PHED officials, with the amount allegedly drawn from the state treasury. The arrests were made under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dr Rameshwar Singh and SP Mahaveer Singh Ranawat. Under the overall supervision of Additional Director General of Police, ACB, Smita Srivastava, interrogation of the accused is ongoing. The ACB said it will proceed under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and continue further investigation into the case. Bhubaneswar, Dec 17 : The Commissionerate Police have apprehended three juveniles in connection with the murder of a minor student of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), a residential tribal school in Bhubaneswar, Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh said on Wednesday. Speaking to media persons, Singh further said that the police have also arrested eight KISS employees on charges of threatening witnesses to prevent them from revealing details of the incident, destruction of evidence, harbouring the accused, and other related offences. The arrested KISS employees include Additional CEO Pramod Kumar Patra (50), Senior Academic Coordinator Prasanna Kumar Malla (54), Headmaster of KISS Secondary School Rashmiranjan Nayak (45), Supervisor of KISS Boys' Hostel Subhakanta Behera (32), among others. The Police Commissioner stated that the family members of the minor student, who died on December 12, lodged a complaint with the Keonjhar police alleging murder. Subsequently, the Keonjhar police registered a Zero FIR and transferred the case to the Infocity Police Station in Bhubaneswar. In his complaint, the victim's father stated that KISS authorities had informed him over the phone that his son had been admitted to KIMS Medical College for treatment. However, upon reaching KIMS in Bhubaneswar, he was informed by doctors that his son had already been declared dead. After noticing injury marks on his son's neck, the father suspected foul play and negligence on the part of the KISS authorities and reported the matter to the police. Singh said that Infocity Police launched an investigation by registering a case (No. 656/25) under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. The post-mortem report received by the Infocity Police on Tuesday revealed external injuries on the neck, indicating compression with a rough and hard ligature material. "Classmates and hostel mates of the deceased revealed that three Children in Conflict with Law (CCLs), who are students of KISS, were involved in the incident. The CCLs confessed to beating, throttling, and strangulating the deceased on the night of December 11, 2025, after he refused to give them a bucket in the toilet block," Commissionerate Police sources said. The three juveniles were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on Wednesday. Meanwhile, during the investigation, police also found that KISS authorities, including teachers and staff, had intimidated and threatened minor students to conceal the crime. Belagavi, Dec 17 : Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka claimed on Wednesday that the law and order situation in the state has completely deteriorated. "Phones have ended up in the hands of prisoners in jails. The drug mafia has grown extensively. Police themselves have turned into thieves," said Ashoka while speaking in the Legislative Assembly, adding that in Bengaluru Central Jail, murderers and terrorists are being provided resort-like and five-star facilities. "Prisoners give bribes to jail officials to get transferred to barracks. Lobbying also takes place for this. Rowdy-sheeter Gubbacchi Sheena celebrated his birthday inside the jail. He even had his name written on the cake. It's unclear how such a cake entered the jail," he claimed. He said that a video of terrorist Shakeel Manna having a phone in his hand has surfaced, adding that before that, a photo of actor Darshan with a cigarette in his hand had come out from prison. "The jail rules state that the Police Commissioner should visit the jail every month and conduct inspections. However, such visits have not taken place," he said. He said that the manual specifies that surprise inspections should be conducted. Ashoka also claimed that in Karwar Jail, prisoners were consuming drugs, and when they didn't get them, they assaulted the staff. He said that there are 777 CCTV cameras, but 100 are not working, adding that although the jail official requested 1,123 cameras, the government hasn't purchased them due to a lack of funds. "For two years, there has been no money to pay wages to prisoners. The government should disclose how much money is pending," he said. He also alleged that the police themselves have become thieves. "In Bengaluru, in 11 months, 130 police personnel have been suspended for colluding with criminals," he said. Ashoka also pointed out that in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, a bank robbery of Rs 7 crore took place, and it was led by a police constable. "In Bidar, the accused in a bank loot case have not been traced. Earlier, criminals feared the police. Now, there is no fear. There are 23,000 active rowdies in the state. 43,000 bikes have been stolen," he said. In cyber crimes, Rs 5,474 crore has been stolen. Police have recovered Rs 627 crore. Digital arrest cases have increased, but the Home Department is not creating awareness among people about this, he said. The drug mafia is rampant everywhere. This illegal activity has gone beyond the government's control. A 9th-grade student in a school consumed a narcotic substance mixed in bottled water. Later, she was saying "very good" to the teachers, and upon inquiry, it was found that she had consumed the narcotic, he added. Ashoka said that it is shocking that 15 per cent of school children are among those consuming narcotics, adding that they give narcotics through chocolate and later turn them into addicts. "Narcotics worth Rs 150 crore are coming into the state. The police department should identify those involved in the drug network and take action," he said. Ranchi, Dec 17 : The Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Gyanendra Pratap Singh, met with Tadasha Mishra, DGP, Jharkhand Police, at CTC (T&IT) CRPF Campus, Ranchi on Wednesday. The senior leadership discussed critical issues related to LWE (Left Wing Extremism) operations and further strengthening operational coordination between CRPF and Jharkhand Police. During his visit to the Group Centre of CRPF Ranchi, Singh addressed a sainik sammelan, underscoring the importance of fitness, discipline, and duty. He also chaired an operational meeting at the Jharkhand Sector headquarters of CRPF in Ranchi to discuss anti-Naxal operations. Joined by Jharkhand Police and CRPF officials, the focus remains clear: intensify anti-Naxal operations to eliminate armed Maoists by March 2026. Singh's visits focus on reviewing progress against Maoists, supporting families of martyrs, boosting morale among CoBRA commandos and Jharkhand Police, coordinating strategies, and ensuring welfare for affected families. The CRPF, deploying around 20 battalions in Jharkhand, leads nationwide anti-Naxal efforts aligned with the Centre's deadline to eliminate armed Maoists. The Central Reserve Police Force Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh often visits families of martyred personnel, underscoring the force's commitment to eradicating Maoism by March 31, 2026. Earlier, a notable visit occurred on September 19, 2025, when Singh reviewed operations following a successful encounter on September 15 in Hazaribag's Pantitri forests, where CoBRA commandos neutralised three top Maoists, including central committee member Sahdev Soren, who carried Rs 1 crore bounty on his head. He had visited an injured commando, Ajoy Bhowmik, at a hospital, commended the 209th CoBRA battalion, and discussed intensified actions with the state police to target the remaining leadership. These engagements highlight strong CRPF-Jharkhand Police synergy, with forward camps in sensitive areas, rapid infrastructure development, and rehabilitation policies encouraging surrenders. Singh has chaired operational meetings at the Jharkhand Sector headquarters in Ranchi, emphasising relentless operations. The DG's leadership prioritises welfare, including whatever possible support amid IED (improvised explosive device) incidents causing casualties at various locations. Recent blasts in West Singhbhum injured personnel, reinforcing the need for coordinated offensives. Nationwide, LWE-affected districts have shrunk significantly, with forces establishing hundreds of new camps. Singh's hands-on approach motivates ground troops, fostering trust and accelerating peace in erstwhile Maoist strongholds. As operations intensify across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and other states, the CRPF remains pivotal in transforming conflict zones through security and development. The central government has committed to making India free of Maoism by March 31 next year. A 1991-batch IPS officer, Singh is actively engaging in Jharkhand to oversee anti-Left Wing Extremism (LWE) operations and interact with troops. Los Angeles, Dec 17 : Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has laid bare a secret about one of his iconic films. The actor has shared that he has never seen his film 'Titanic'. The actor spoke with actress Jennifer Lawrence recently, and at one point in the discussion, Lawrence, 35, asked her co-star from 2021's 'Don't Look Up' if he has rewatched 'Titanic', reports 'People' magazine. Leo said, "No. I haven't seen it before?". The actress said, "Oh, you should. I bet you could watch it now, it's so good". Leo asked, "I don't really watch my films, do you?". "No", the actress answered, joking, "I've never made something like 'Titanic', if I did I would watch it. Once I was really drunk, I put on American Hustle. I was like, 'I wonder if I'm good at acting?' I put it on, and I don't remember what the answer is". As per 'People', the actor echoed that he doesn't often watch his own projects when he spoke with his 'One Battle After Another' director Paul Thomas Anderson in August. He told 'Esquire' magazine, "I rarely watch any of my films but if I'm being honest, there's one that I have watched more than others. It's 'The Aviator'. That's simply because it was such a special moment to me. I had worked with Marty (Scorsese) on Gangs of New York, and I'd been toting around a book on Howard Hughes for 10 years". By the time he got that movie made, "I was 30. It was the first time as an actor I got to feel implicitly part of the production, rather than just an actor hired to play a role". "I felt responsible in a whole new way. I've always felt proud and connected to that film as such a key part of my growing up in this industry and taking on a role of a real collaborator for the first time", he added. New Delhi, Dec 17 : While the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala earlier this week ruled out any understanding with the Congress against Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) growing influence in local bodies, a breakup of the former two is expected in West Bengal where they allied against the ruling Trinamool Congress. Ironically, all the three political parties opposed to the BJP are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. In Kerala, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is led by the CPI (M), and the Congress is the principal constituent of the Opposition bloc United Democratic Front (UDF). The UDF did better in the recently concluded local body polls in Kerala compared to the LDF, while the BJP evolved as a potential third force following a highvisibility breakthrough in Thiruvananthapuram. In West Bengal, the BJP has evolved as the principal Opposition, edging out both the Congress and the Left from the Assembly. Incidentally, Assembly elections are due in both Kerala and West Bengal next year. The Congress in West Bengal is signalling a push to contest largely on its own after facing disappointments in successive polls. The Left Front is divided, where the CPI(M) seems ambivalent, but some of its allies remain opposed to a formal alliance with the Congress. These constituents have pointed out that poll results have shown that while their votes largely consolidated in favour of an alliance partner, it did not with Congress electors. For many Congress functionaries and supporters, alleged atrocities under Left rule are among reasons said to prevent vote consolidation. Whereas, the present generation of Communists or their sympathisers do not recall much of the pre-1977 Congress rule in West Bengal. In fact, despite the Congress-Left alliance, the parties chose to contest separately in six Assembly seats where repolls were held last year after the incumbent MLAs were elected to Lok Sabha. Senior leaders of Congress have reportedly hinted workers to prepare to be "selfreliant", rather than another seatsharing pact. This reflects a strategic shift after recent poor showings and a desire to rebuild the party's base in the state. With the 2024 repoll contest fresh in memory, Left Front allies such as the All India Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party have objected to sharing seats with Congress and are demanding larger allocations of seats if talks at all proceed. Reports from ground and media coverage frame the situation as "uncertain" with grassroot demands, call for "fairer" number of seats, and recent electoral lessons -- especially from Bihar -- feeding caution on both sides. Both Congress and the Left are sensitive to who concedes which seats after the setbacks. While the Congress would want to rebuild its identity rather than be subsumed, smaller Left allies fear further marginalisation within any broad arrangement. Anti-Trinamool, anti-BJP votes stand to be further divided if Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) enters the fray, either by itself or in alliance with the political outfit that proposed "Babri Masjid" builder Humayun Kabir is soon expected to launch. However, in case of a polarisation along religious lines and fragmentation of Muslim votes, the ruling party stands to face uncertainty. PEN America has released a new report rounding up the top 52 most frequently banned books so far this decade. Compiling data from PEN's index of school book bans from 20212025, the list shows that districts across the country have repeatedly targeted specific titles, many of which relate to race and racism, reflect LGBTQ+ identities, or concern sexual abuse and violence. These themes don't obviously apply, however, to the the leader of the pack: John Greens YA novel Looking for Alaska (Dutton, 2005), which tops the list with 147 instances of banning. It's followed closely by Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes (Atria, 2007), a novel about the unfolding of a school shooting that has amassed 142 bans. Patricia McCormick's Sold (Hyperion, 2006), about a Nepalese girl who is a victim of sex trafficking, rounds out the top three with 136 bans. Further down the list are titles familiar to many freedom to read advocates, including Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Beloved, with 116 and 77 bans, respectively, and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, with 106 bans. In addition to Morrison, both contemporary and classic books related to race and racism appear frequently, including Angie Thomas graphic novel The Hate U Give (Balzer + Bray, 2017), Alice Walkers The Color Purple, and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Several books related to transgender identities also landed in the top half of the list, including George M. Johnson's YA memoir All Boys Arent Blue (FSG, 2020) with 100 bans and Maia Kobabe's graphic memoir Gender Queer (Lion Forge, 2019), with 94 bans. But bestselling authors whose work is not explicitly ideological, like Green, romantasy juggernaut Sarah J. Maas, and YA author Ellen Hopkins, also appear on the list numerous times. PEN's report pointed out the mainstream nature of many books on the list, which includes seven titles by Maas, as a cause for particular concern: "If groups pushing censorship consider widely read classics indecent, if they can come for the likes of John Green and Toni Morrison, is anything off limits?" The new report comes on the heels of a discouraging week for freedom to read advocates after the U.S. Supreme Court denied requests to hear Leila Green Little et al. v. Llano County, a closely-watched Texas book removal case. PEN America has documented 22,810 cases of book bans in U.S. public schools since it began collecting data in 2021. Bans have occurred in 45 states and 451 public school districts. PEN's Freedom to Read Director Kasey Meehan said that the top 52 list "emphasizes the point that this [book banning] is a coordinated effort." "Districts are copycatting each other," she added. "We see the same titles again and again and again." Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has drawn attention to another signal from the Kremlin indicating not a desire to end the war, but an intention to continue it, and stressed the importance of "partners seeing this, in particular partners in the United States of America." "Today we heard another signal from Moscow that they are preparing next year as a year of war. And these are signals not only for us. It is important that partners see this. And it is important that they not only see it, but also react, in particular partners in the United States of America, who often say that Russia supposedly wants to end the war. But Russia is sounding a completely different rhetoric, different signals and as official orders to their army," Zelenskyy said in a video address on Wednesday evening, published on his Telegram channel. Zelenskyy said this mood of Russia must be "seen and reacted to." "And if they have this kind of mood, then they will undermine diplomacy, trying to simply cover up their desire to destroy Ukraine, Ukrainians, and the desire to legitimize Russias theft of our land with various diplomatic formulations and pressure on one or another point in the documents. And then there are other countries in Europe that someone in Russia may one day call their supposedly historical lands," the president said. In his opinion, "real protection from this Russian history of madness is needed, and now we will continue to work with all partners so that such protection really exists." "Security solutions are needed, financial solutions are needed, in particular regarding Russian assets, political solutions are needed. And all our partners need the courage to see the truth, recognize the truth, and act accordingly," he said. "I want to thank everyone who supports Ukraine and the work to achieve security in this way," he said. Russian Defense Minister Andriy Belousov, amid the peace efforts of Ukraine and the United States, said the "key task" for Moscow next year is to maintain and increase the "gained pace of the offensive." This was reported on Wednesday, December 17, by Russian propaganda media. The head of the Russian Defense Ministry, justifying Moscows aggression, claims that the policies of European countries and NATO "create real prerequisites" for the continuation of military actions in 2026. There is a popular belief that a person's name can influence their destiny. What names do Russian parents choose for their children, and how can a name be used to express one's attitude to a person? Click to enlarge the cartoon. Drawing by Niyaz Karim From a foreigner's point of view, the most "Russian" male name is Ivan. For many centuries this name was popular among all social strata, from ordinary peasants to the royal family (a case in point is the famous Ivan the Terrible). At the same time, it was the name's ubiquity that in the end compromised its reputation somewhat. For instance, the main character in countless folk tales, the youngest and most hapless son in the family is usually called Ivanushka-durachok, a diminutive of Ivan-durak, meaning Ivan the fool. Having said that, he appears a fool only at the start of the tale, while in the end he always emerges victorious. In the 20th century the name Ivan lost its popularity and began to be associated primarily with a person of poor education, limited intellectual ambitions and sloth-like habits (hence the expression "valyat' van'ku", meaning among other things - to be idle). However, closer to the end of the Soviet period, it became fashionable among the intelligentsia and the creative classes to choose for their children old-fashioned names that used to be popular among the common people. That is why there are quite a few Ivans among the current generation of 30-somethings (take for instance, Russia's most popular TV host, Ivan Urgant). And vice versa, names that used to be considered aristocratic or foreign (like Robert, Albert, Eduard, Elvira, Kristina) today remain popular only in the provinces or among the nouveau riche, while the educated classes dismiss them as tacky. According to official records, from 2012 to 2013 the most popular names in Russia were: for boys - Alexander, Maxim, Dmitry, Artem, Nikita, and Ivan; and for girls - Anastasia, Maria, Darya, Sofia, Elizaveta, and Anna. Interestingly, previously the list of most popular girls' names used to feature Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov (which in Russian mean faith, hope and love), but not any more. Most Russian names (with a rare exception, like Maxim, Nikita, Vera, or Nina) have a diminutive. As a rule, it is formed by adding the ending sha to the initial syllable of a name, e.g. Mikhail becomes Misha, Pavel Pasha, Maria Masha, Darya Dasha and so on. There are other models for producing diminutives too, for instance Pyotr becomes Petya, Lyubov is Lyuba, Nadezhda is Nadya. Sometimes to produce a diminutive, it is not the ending but the beginning of the full name that is dropped (e.g. Ivan becomes Vanya) or both, with only the middle bit remaining (e.g. Alexander becomes Sasha). Sometimes these different mechanisms produce two diminutives for the same name (e.g. Dmitry can be shortened to Dima or Mitya). For some popular names, the diminutives are further transformed to produce even more informal versions of the same name: in the chain Alexander Sasha - Sashura Shura, the final names seems to have nothing in common with the original and yet every Russian speaker knows that Shura is a diminutive of Alexander. Full names are used in official papers and in formal communication, while at home and among friends Russians are usually known under their diminutives. To express even closer relations and affection, pet names are used, which are usually formed by adding a particular suffix to the diminutive, e.g. Vanya becomes Vanechka, Sasha -Sashenka, Masha - Mashenka, and so on. These names are used affectionately, by parents in relation to their children or by people who are in love. However, if a shortened version of the same suffixes is used (e.g. Vanka, Sashka, Mashka), the result is a very informal name, bordering on vulgar. During the first years after the Bolshevik Revolution, the Communist authorities actively promoted new names that reflected the arrival of a new era. Usually, they were formed by abbreviating the names of the leaders of the revolution (e.g. Vilen was formed on the basis of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, or Melor, which was formed from Marx, Engels, Lenin, and October Revolution; or a girl's name Ninel, which was Lenin read backwards). Perhaps the most bizarre of those new formations was the female name Dazdraperma, an abbreviation of the Russian phrase for long live May Day. There were also some rather strange sounding names inspired by advances in science and technology, e.g. Elektron or Industri, while the female name Domna, which in Russian means a blast furnace, turned out to be an ancient Roman name. Some curious things emerge around foreign names. Some of them stop being proper names and turn into common nouns. For example, in the West all Russians are known as Ivans, while in Russia all Germans become Fritzes, just as in Turkey all Russian women are called Natashas. The diminutive of the Russian name Tatiana is Tanya, which in Polish means cheap. While the current American president's first name means a hut in Russian. Speaking of presidents, the old Russian name Vladimir is formed from two words and literally means "one who rules the world." It has several diminutives: Volodya, Vova (which is a bit too familiar) and Vovochka (which is closely associated with a long-running series of jokes featuring a naughty schoolboy). Whereas the full name Vladimir Vladimirovich reminds many Russians of a famous early 20th century poet, Mayakovsky. All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The Pennsylvania state House is Democratic-run by one seat. The state Senate is Republican-run by two seats. Meanwhile, at the national level, the U.S. House has a GOP majority, but if the party loses three seats, then it will shift to Democrats. The GOP in Pennsylvania has three members of Congress who won by less than 2% in 2024. The Democratic governor, running for reelection, wants to run for president in 2028. His likely GOP gubernatorial opponent is the state Treasurer the leading vote-getter in Pennsylvania history. To paraphrase: Fasten your seatbelts, its gonna be a bumpy election. For what seems like the 100th time, Pennsylvania will be the keystone state for electoral battles in our state but also the nation. Either party could gain the upper hand, or it could be split, yet again. It will be a battle of issues, personalities, partisanship, tactic, and funding and the inevitable wild card. The fault lines the opportunities and challenges for the candidates and their parties will ultimately decide the winners. It will also determine whether its a clean sweep or purple Pennsylvania. The governors race is the marquee event, and illustrative of how races could break either way. The incumbent is the quintessential politician whos never lost a race. He bought suburban Democrat stock in the early 1990s, when it was trading as a penny stock. Now, its on the S&P 500, and hes never looked back. He has his sights on Pennsylvania Avenue whether his fellow Democrats want that or not. Hes a prolific fundraiser who enjoys campaigning more than governing his strength and weakness. His approval ratings are high, yet theyre largely based on image instead of policy. And yet that might be a positive. If the GOP nominates state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Shapiro will face his toughest opponent since he was first elected to the state House a lifetime of elective office. Shes a tireless campaigner who can point to two things that Shapiro cannot: private-sector experience and military service in the Middle East. (The latter takes a page from the Democrats 2025 and 2026 playbook looking to veterans as candidates.) When his female opponent brings up the much talked about sexual harassment/missing email scandal involving his former cabinet member, who was also a top aide with him at the Attorney Generals office, how will Shapiro react? Will voters buy his I knew nothing about it defense? So far, this story had limited exposure but for Broad and Liberty, but Shapiros recent profile in The Atlantic has pushed it to the forefront. Voter registration has largely been trending to the GOP. What had been a 1 million-vote Democrat advantage a generation ago is down to about 100,000 only about half that among active voters. Yet, the fastest growing segment has been independent/no-party voters. Will the partisan gap continue to close? Will it matter? The GOP has won races when the Democrat-advantage was more than 250,000 voters. And yet, Republicans just lost every statewide race by significant margins in spite of their newfound registration surge. And when it comes to casting votes, the partisan trends keep shifting. When no-excuse mail-in voting started, Democrats voting by mail far outnumbered the GOP. In 2020, it was nearly 5 to 1. By 2024, the GOP had gotten the ratio under 2.5 to 1, helping ensure a statewide sweep. Plus, they outperformed on Election Day by more than 700,000 votes. But the Democratic sweep in 2025 was fueled by a dual threat. Their mail-in voting advantage with a very late surge was back over 3-1. And in a first in the modern mail-in era, Democrats got more votes on Election Day than the GOP. In total, Democrat turnout beat the GOP by 9%. A reminder that Democrats opposition to Trump extends to the entire GOP and almost never rests. Meanwhile, a significant block of GOP voters are Trump-only voters. Whether the GOP figures that out may hold the largest key to 2026. Theres good and bad news for Pennsylvanians. Theres a war for control of the state legislature (and Congress). Yet, there are so few seats in play that most wont be inundated with mail, door-knockers, pop-up ads, and commercials during Landman. While a surprise retirement, miscue, or rock-star challenger may emerge of the 229 legislative seats up for grabs, only a dozen will be on the radar of partisan operatives, donors, and outside interest groups. The spending in those targeted Pennsylvania state legislative races will resemble congressional races. This was seen in 2024 in, of all places, greater Johnstown, where the parties spent about $9 million for the deciding seat for state House control. The targets will be purple seats, and GOP seats in areas trending blue, and Democrat seats in areas trending red. Yet, after all the ads and door knocking, theres often an issue, national news story, or candidacy that may change the equation. Think about the recent past and how elections changed with something that wasnt initially on our radar: Covid, they/them versus us, and affordability. Here we go, again. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation concluded its emergency food delivery operations last month after delivering more than 187 million free meals directly to civilians in Gaza during five months of operations. Our mission was always temporary. We built an immediate food delivery model that met the needs of a hungry and desperate Gazan population. We worked to meet the needs of the moment, and worked every day towards expanding our scale to reach as many families as possible. We delivered when the United Nations supported legacy systems stalled. We are hopeful that others will continue the critical long-term work of establishing food security in Gaza. What follows are some of the challenges and lessons learned and shaped by the men, women, and children who came through our sites each day and by the humanitarian professionals, local Gazans, American veterans, and medical teams who served them. Humanitarian crises like this will happen again, and the international community will be required to adapt and realize that the nuances of war will always create seemingly insurmountable challenges to be resolved, not rebuffed. This is not the place for an all inclusive list of what went right and wrong during our operations. I do hope it provides some information to the thoughtful as we move forward in Gaza and to other crisis responses underway around the world. The most challenging aspect of our operation, and interestingly enough, the one that drew the most ire from our detractors, was that in order to deliver free food to as many Gazans as possible in a war zone and under the operational supervision of the Israeli government, we had to devise a different delivery method. We had to adapt. The largest takeaway from our success is that adaptability must be prioritized against outdated practices and bureaucratic discretion. Much of the global humanitarian delivery systems are designed around the context of slow onset or long-standing emergencies, which was the case in Gaza prior to the war overseen by an enervated humanitarian response infrastructure directed by the United Nations and larger international non-governmental organizations. Gazas conditions in May of 2025 demanded emergency decisions and delivery paradigm shifts unencumbered by political dogma and funding channels lacking financial accountability. The United Nations and their implementing partners chose not to adapt, and then to actually fight adaptation. We also soon learned how adaptation could become dependable practices. We adjusted crowd flow, site layouts, and distribution timing based on real conditions on the ground instead of by remote directives. We created dedicated lanes for women and children and built schedules that lowered desperation and improved safety. While 92 percent of the United Nations aid flows were diverted through looting or interference by Hamas, our team built a model designed specifically to avoid that outcome, and it worked. We did not lose shipments. During our operational lifetime, every truck loaded for distribution sites reached its destination with zero losses. Not one of our trucks was looted. Due to operational and access restrictions, we operated four distribution sites instead of the sixteen we originally envisioned. Any additional site required approval from the Government of Israel. While our vision was never fully realized, we constantly innovated our approach to try to minimize limitations and restrictions, including a proposed community distribution pilot program to increase community access to food and a pre-distribution registration system to increase distributions for females and the disadvantaged. These were practical adjustments, not theoretical ones, and they delivered results. Future responses must prioritize flexibility over rigid procedure or institutional delays. The second lesson is that safety and dignity begin with intentional distributions designed to consider women and youth. Too often, these populations are treated as a category of vulnerability rather than as an integrated part of humanitarian planning. We adapted our deliveries to secure and include specific means to serve this population. Women told us where and when they felt unsafe, how they were treated by a desperate population, how crowds were behaving, and what food delivery times were feasible for them and their families.They asked for fresh produce and we were able to distribute potatoes and onions. Given the food insecurity of the population, particularly children, we partnered with Samaritans Purse and together distributed 1.1 million packets of Ready to Use Supplementary Food. Samaritans Purse also provided medical teams to provide care for pregnant women and infants at our sites because they told us they were unable to reach distant health clinics. Humanitarian systems worldwide should treat women, youth and child populations as an organizing principle, not an afterthought. Thirdly, each day in Gaza taught us that genuine collaboration requires shared risk, not gatekeeping by legacy systems. We repeatedly pleaded for UN agencies to merge their massive aid pipelines with our secure, diversion-free distribution network. Had they done so, the humanitarian impact could have been dramatically larger. Instead, longstanding habits of control and hierarchy prevailed, and civilians suffered the consequences. We instead found successful partnerships with the people closest to the crisis: our local Gazan workers and we are incredibly grateful they valued impact over institution. Our local Gazan staff were the backbone of everything we accomplished. They showed extraordinary courage, working every day in dangerous conditions to feed the people who needed it most. We lost twelve of them during this mission, murdered by Hamas militia, a tragedy that underscores both their sacrifice and the risks they accepted to help their fellow citizens. Thanks to their insights and commitment, our sites turned into places where people could gather safely and enjoy even for a fleeting moment, the sense of community again. The fourth major lesson concerns the information environment that shaped global perceptions of this conflict. Far too many mainstream outlets and organizations relied on unverified casualty figures and incident reports from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. Under pressure to publish quickly, they repeated claims without adequate sourcing because they were either not on the ground or receiving intentionally selective and hostile information. More than once, mainstream stories about GHF were released without our knowledge or requests for comment including casualty or violent incident numbers falsely linked to our sites, incidents we could disprove with firsthand testimonies, data, and video footage. This hostile media bias created the need to divert resources to counter messaging rather than to more urgent needs, such as feeding Gazans. We understand that war zones are complex and dangerous reporting environments, but accuracy matters, especially under the conditions of extreme propaganda on both sides of a conflict. Amplifying hearsay and relying on single source information caused several reputable news organizations to retract, correct or apologize publicly for reporting information that was not only inaccurate, but in some cases completely false and harmful to Gazans. Humanitarian actors should be held accountable, but not forced to combat misinformation campaigns while feeding desperate families and journalists should know better than to rely on single sources or highly politicized narratives and violence promoting agendas. Finally, this mission reminded us why humanitarian work exists in the first place. The families who came through our sites each day showed a resilience that no statistic can capture. While much of the world saw GHF only through the lens of critical headlines, we saw a different reality on the ground: children and youth laughing as they traded friendship bracelets with our staff, mothers thanking America for showing up for them, and families finding small pockets of calm inside our sites. What stays with me is the people themselves; their dignity, resilience, and hope for a peaceful homeland is why humanitarianism matters, and why we must make it work better. Our mission is complete for now, but the next crisis will demand new thinking, genuine collaboration, and the courage to challenge systems that have been failing for too long. Governments, NGOs, donors, journalists, and field teams all share that responsibility. The humanitarian sector will not be ready for what comes next unless it is willing to rethink long-standing assumptions. If we do not adapt, we will not change, and that would be the true tragedy for those in need. John Acree is the Executive Director for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Circumnavigating the suppressor world is a tough road to travel. Which is why CANCON has become such an invaluable asset to this niche in the firearms world. The worlds largest fully suppressed range day evolved into an important gateway to the fastest-growing firearms accessory on the market. And in its second year at the Clinton Plantation House in Clinton, South Carolina, it was an absolute quiet riot of hushed-up shooting. More shooters than ever before learned about, perused, and most importantly shot some of the best suppressors available today. But going hands-on with the latest and greatest quiet pipes was only one of the attractions at the keystone event. Vietnam-era attack helicopter, top-end tactical knives, survival classes, and shooting competitions against seasoned veterans CANCON had something for everyone. Heres a look at the extravaganza. VIP DAY Suppressors are the main attraction for most at CANCON, but those familiar with the event make sure to attend as VIPs. This status grants them early entry, first access to the range, and what is widely regarded as one of the most generous gift bags in the industry. No kidding, the gift bag has become a highlight for attendees. This year, VIP attendees walked away with a Silencer Central suppressor, a complete Aero Builder Kit with barrel, ZRODelta FKS-9, US Optics red dot, Tactica knife, Coast TX300R light, Rare Breed trigger, DA Targets Gong targets, ADM gift certificates and more all stuffed inside a Mission First Tactical Bag. VIP BAG HIGHLIGHT: SILENCER CENTRAL BANISH 30-V2 Make: Silencer Central LENGTH: 6.4 to 8.17 inches DIAMETER: 1.5 inches WEIGHT: 9.5 ounces (short), 12.4 ounces (long) MATERIAL: Titanium THREAD PITCH: 5/824 CALIBER: .308/7.62 MOUNT STYLE: Industrystandard HUB mount URL: silencercentral.com MSRP: $999 The Banish 30-V2 was a standout in another great VIP Bag. Every VIP Bag at this last CANCON included Silencer Centrals brand-new Banish 30-V2, the next-generation upgrade of the award-winning Banish 30. A new design, its like the OG Banish but shorter, lighter, and quieter. User-serviceable and modular, the Banish 30-V2 can be run in either a short (6.4-inch) or long (8.17-inch) configuration. Due to its 100 percent titanium design, even in the longest configuration it only weighs a touch over 12 ounces. Still, Silencer Central rates it for calibers up to .300 WBY with limited full-auto use. Because it has a standard 1.37524 HUB base, the Banish 30-V2 can easily be mounted on damned near anything. This is a solid, versatile, general-purpose titanium can. Weve taken one on several hunting trips this year in the short configuration and found it especially good in that role. PROS VS. JOES SHOOTING COMPETITION But you dont need to be a VIP to get some badass swag to include silencers. A hallmark event of CANCON has become the infamous Pros vs. Joes shooting competitions, where everyday attendees pit their marksmanship skills against pro shooters. This year, competitors walked off with a suite of incredible gun gear put together by CANCON sponsors like a suppressed 300BLK CMMG Dissent, BOE Suppression MOD 1 Suppressor, HUXWRX Flow Range Range 36 Kit, LayerX Suppression Strake 9 Suppressor, LWRCI IC-9, PTR Industries 9CT pistol, Sarsilmaz SAR9 SOCOM pistol, TiON Minuteman .22 Titanium Suppressor and more! MILE CHALLENGE Even with the best hardware, connecting at a mile is still a challenge. A lucky few CANCON attendees had the opportunity to try hitting at the extreme range with gear specially tailored to the job. The Barrett Mile Challenge put a .416 Barrett on the shoulder of everyday shooters, allowing them to test their skills at a mile. Even with the right equipment, not everyone was able to make the shot come in even in the pristine conditions of a South Carolina fall. However, the few who did walked away with a token to remember their success, an absolutely solid Barrett challenge coin, struck for the event. BLADE SHOW TACTICAL KNIFE SHOW What makes the best companion to the worlds largest suppressed range day? How about the worlds largest knife show? Well, BLADE Tactical isnt quite at the same scale as its big brother down in Atlanta yet. However, it did offer up a ton of top-end edged tools to the suppressor-buying public. These werent just any knives, either, but some of the top names in tactical knives, such as Stroup Knives, Krein Knives, Heretic Knives, Spartan Blades, and many more. THE PROVING GROUNDS Think you have the stuff to shoot and thrive under adverse conditions? The Proving Grounds put you to the test at CANCON. The long-running show partner set up their torture test smack dab in the middle of the shooting action, giving attendees the chance to test their mettle. If you missed CANCON or the Proving Grounds this time around, theyll be back around at our other shows. Furthermore, the group puts on competitions around the nation, so if you want to see if you can shoot after dragging a man-sized and weighted dummy 50 yards, check them out. 1,000-YARD RANGE WITH GUNWERKS The 1,000-yard range has become a mainstay at CANCON events, giving shooters the opportunity to see exactly what theyre made of. Not to mention give some top-notch equipment the once-over. This year, Gunwerks held down the fort at the range, which resulted in plenty of hits at the extreme distance. The precision rifle manufacturer is renowned in hunting circles for making nearly impossible shots come in, but this year highlights its Revic scope system. Not only is it dialed in glass, but it also integrates with a rangefinder and ballistic calculator. OFFGRID BASE CAMP Like a small survival school tucked into the suppressor event, Base Camp was the ideal spot if you were looking to improve your skills. From packing wounds to running rifle drills were the orders of the day of the OFFGRID tent, with plenty of gear thrown in for good measure. The event within an event brought together instructors, authors, and manufacturers with real-world backgrounds and training experience. This included military, special operations, wilderness survival, trauma medicine, and tracking. WHERE TO GET SUPPRESSORS Shooting suppressors is a blast, but it should extend past CANCON. One of the ideas behind the event is to help folks get an idea of what they might want for their first or 50th. And, whether you knew it or not, suppressors are simpler to get than ever before wait times are days, and come January 2026, there will no longer be a $200 tax stamp. One of the groups helping get folks down the road to owning suppressors at the event was T&K Outdoors. With a brick-and-mortar in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and a large online presence, the retailer helped shooters navigate their way to suppressor ownership. FUTURE CANCONS If youre into the quiet side of shooting precision work, new suppressors, all that good stuff CANCON is still the main event. Seriously, its a huge win when people show up to shoot cool guns but end up leaving with actual, valuable insight. If you missed this year, dont worry. You can find all the information and snag those tickets for CANCON 2026 right over on the event page! Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official Presidents of Ukraine and the Czech Republic Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Petr Pavel discussed the "strong operation" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kupiansk, diplomatic work that correlates with the situation on the battlefield, as well as the continuation of the Czech initiative. "I spoke with the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel. I appreciate that Mr. President is closely monitoring not only diplomacy, but also the situation on the frontline. We talked about the strong operation of our soldiers in Kupiansk, which showed everything that the words from Moscow really mean," Zelenskyy said on the Telegram channel on Wednesday evening. The President of Ukraine stressed the importance of "letting the world know the truth: Ukrainians are defending their positions, and this provides the right basis for diplomatic work, which we also discussed today." "We also talked about continuing the Czech initiative, which has already given Ukraine 1.8 million rounds of ammunition, and there will be more deliveries by the end of the year. There is potential to provide Ukraine with shells next year as well. We must implement all important initiatives," Zeoenskyy said. "We have coordinated our next contacts and meetings. Thank you for your help," the head of the Ukrainian state said. The Mumbai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday gave its approval to Vedanta Limiteds demerger proposal, clearing the way for the group to reorganise its operations into five distinct, sector-specific entities. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters The decision was delivered by Judicial Member Nilesh Sharma and Technical Member Charanjeet Singh. Allowing the scheme of arrangement under Sections 230 to 232 of the Companies Act, the tribunal sanctioned the separation of four group companies Vedanta Aluminium Metal, Talwandi Sabo Power, Malco Energy, and Vedanta Iron and Steel together with their shareholders and creditors. Vedanta had unveiled the restructuring in 2023, outlining plans to divide its Indian businesses into five independently listed companies: Vedanta Aluminium, Vedanta Oil and Gas, Vedanta Power, Vedanta Iron and Steel, and a restructured Vedanta Ltd. The residual Vedanta entity will continue to hold the zinc and silver businesses through Hindustan Zinc, and function as a platform for incubating new technologies and ventures. At the first motion stage, the tribunal had, by an order dated November 21, 2024, reviewed the design and commercial rationale of the proposal, noting that the boards of Vedanta Ltd and the resulting companies had approved the demerger between September 29 and October 13, 2023. The bench also took note of observation letters issued by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on July 30, 2024 and by BSE on July 31, 2024, both of which recorded no adverse comments on the scheme. An objection raised during the initial hearing by a party asserting creditor claims against one of Vedantas power units was turned down. The tribunal held that, at the first motion stage, its role was confined to issuing procedural directions and that such objections were premature. Subsequently, the tribunal directed meetings of shareholders and creditors of the demerged entities, and ordered Vedanta to notify statutory and sectoral regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), regional director (western region), the Registrar of Companies, the income tax department, and other relevant authorities. After clearance at the first motion stage, SEPCO moved an intervention application relating to disputes with Talwandi Sabo Power Limited. The tribunal later recorded that it had taken on file a settlement agreement dated September 11, 2025 between the parties and allowed the restructuring process to move forward. At the final hearing, the Registrar of Companies and the regional director informed the tribunal that Vedantas responses had addressed their concerns and that no objections remained. The ministry of petroleum and natural gas had earlier sought disclosures on the financial position of the oil and gas business post-demerger, including details of hydrocarbon assets and liabilities. Vedanta submitted that all regulatory requirements had been met, and informed the tribunal that Sebi had approved the revised scheme after its earlier disclosure-related concerns were resolved. The tribunal had reserved its decision on November 12 and pronounced the order on Tuesday. India on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh envoy Riaz Hamidullah and lodged its protest over plans by certain extremist elements to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka. IMAGE: Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party attend a rally, days after the resignation of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, on August 7, 2024. Photograph: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters New Delhi also expressed its serious concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh and reiterated its call for holding free, fair and credible parliamentary elections. The polls are scheduled for February 12. Hamidullah was summoned to the ministry of external affairs and was served a demarche or a formal diplomatic note, people familiar with the matter said. India's action followed after certain extremist elements announced plans to hold protests around the Indian high commission in Dhaka, they said. In a statement, the MEA said that India "completely rejects the false narrative" sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh. "It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents," it said shortly after summoning Hamidullah. The MEA said Hamidullah was summoned and apprised of India's strong concerns at the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh. "His attention was drawn, in particular, to the activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka," it said. The MEA said India expects the interim government in Bangladesh to ensure the safety of its missions and posts in that country in keeping with its diplomatic obligations. It also noted that New Delhi is in favour of peace and stability in Bangladesh. "India has close and friendly relations with the people of Bangladesh rooted in the liberation struggle, and strengthened through various developmental and people-to-people initiatives," it said. "We are in favour of peace and stability in Bangladesh and have consistently called for free, fair, inclusive and credible elections, conducted in a peaceful atmosphere," it added. Three days back, Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned Indian envoy to Dhaka, Pranay Verma and conveyed its concern over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's "incendiary" statements from Indian soil. In its reaction, New Delhi asserted that it has never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of Bangladesh. Last month, Hasina, 78, was sentenced to death by a special tribunal in Dhaka for "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal crackdown on the student-led protests last year. The Awami League leader has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the protests. The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power. India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country. Congress spent more money than the Bharatiya Janata Party on "party propaganda" and social media campaigns in the Delhi assembly elections this year, but lagged on expenses on candidates, data shows. IMAGE: A deserted view of the Delhi PCC office during the vote counting for the Delhi assembly elections, in New Delhi, February 8, 2025. Photograph: Sanjay Sharma/ANI Photo BJP's total expenses were higher at Rs 57.65 crore for the elections than those of Congress at Rs 46.19 crore, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) of the election expenditure reports filed by the parties with the Election Commission of India. In terms of total funds collected for the Delhi assembly elections 2025, the BJP was ahead at Rs 88.7 crore than Rs 64.3 crore of the Congress. In the election for a total of 70 assembly seats, the BJP came victorious with 48 seats, while the Congress could not win a single seat. The Aam Aadmi Party won 22 seats. According to the ADR analysis, AAP declared expenses totalling Rs 12.12 crore on party propaganda and Rs 2.4 crore on candidates, resulting in total expenses of Rs 14.5 crore. It spent nearly Rs 3 crore on social media, as against just Rs 5.26 lakh declared by the BJP and Rs 5.95 crore by the Congress. The BJP's total expenses stood at Rs 57.65 crore, higher than Rs 46.19 crore of the Congress and Rs 14.5 crore of AAP. The BJP spent Rs 39.14 crore on party propaganda, less than Rs 40.13 crore of the Congress but higher than Rs 12.12 crore declared by AAP. According to the declarations made by nine parties so far, their total expenses stood at Rs 120.3 crore, including Rs 27 crore on candidates. Other than the BJP, Congress and AAP, the BSP was the only party to have spent more than Rs 1 crore (Rs 1.8 crore). Total funds collected by all parties during the election stood at Rs 170.68 crore. This included Rs 88.7 crore by the BJP, Rs 64.3 crore by the Congress and Rs 16.1 crore by AAP. A vast majority of funds were collected at the central headquarters level of the parties. Also, cheque/DD was the most preferred mode of collection at over 74 per cent, while nearly Rs 26 per cent of funds were collected through cash. For expenditure also, only 0.04 per cent or Rs 3.7 lakh was spent in cash, according to declarations made by the parties. The AIMIM, which contested in two seats but did not win any, is the only party that incurred no expenditure, according to its declaration. The Congress and AAP contested on all 70 seats, while the BJP contested from 68 seats and gave two seats to its allies. Total funds collected by six parties that contested both the 2020 and 2025 elections rose by nearly nine per cent to nearly Rs 170 crore this time. Of these, the Congress saw the maximum increase of over 222 per cent, while the same for the BJP declined by 25 per cent and rose by nearly six per cent for AAP. Total expenses for these six parties rose by nearly 39 per cent between the 2020 and 2025 elections. In the case of the Congress, the increase was nearly 161 per cent and 20.5 per cent for the BJP, while AAP spent nearly 32 per cent less funds. PTI BJ bj A court in North Goa on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, in police custody for five days. IMAGE: Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, were brought to Goa from Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo The brothers, brought to Goa from Delhi after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 blaze that killed 25, were produced in the court after undergoing health check-ups twice at the District Hospital in North Goa. Judicial magistrate first class Mapusa Puja Sardesai remanded the two brothers in police custody for five days. Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing Bhavana Joshi who lost four family members in the tragedy, said that the accused were asking for 'special consideration' claiming poor health. "We said they should not be given any extra relaxation," he said, adding that the court has taken cognisance of the fact that this is about the death of '25 people in the form of mass genocide'. "But since they kept pressing for medical check-up, the court ordered reexamination of their health. It is clear in the medical examination that they don't require any consideration. The accused sought special considerations in the lock-up like a good mattress, which the court refused," said Joshi. A team of the Goa police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am. The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were then taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa. After their health assessment, the two were brought to the court. The court directed that the accused be sent for fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the District Hospital. Later, they were produced before Judge Sardesai, who ordered the five-day police custody of the accused. After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The brothers were arrested in Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa police their two-day transit remand. The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports. They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations. Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire. The government on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for keeping "51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru papers" and sought their return to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library so that scholars and Parliament can access the crucial historical records of 'Nehruvian' times, asserting that these documents "belong in public archives, not behind closed doors". IMAGE: A view of the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library. Photograph: ANI Photo Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a post on X, also sought to clarify the Centre's written response in Parliament on December 15, and said, since the location of these papers is known, they are "not missing". The clarification comes a day after Congress took a swipe at the Centre over its response in Lok Sabha to a query on documents related to the first prime minister. "No documents related to India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, have been found missing from the museum during the annual inspection of the PMML in the year 2025," Shekhawat had told Parliament in a written response to the query by BJP MP Sambit Patra. After Nehru's death, the Teen Murti Bhawan in central Delhi became the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), housing a rich collection of books and rare records. The NMML was renamed Prime Ministers' Museum and Library in 2023. The Nehru papers have been a contentious issue between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress, and a section within the PMML has been pushing for "reclaiming" these papers, which were taken back by Sonia Gandhi several years ago. Shekhawat, in his post on X, said Nehru papers are "not 'missing' from PMML". He added that the word 'missing' entails that the "whereabouts are unknown". "In reality, 51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru papers were formally taken back by the family in 2008 from the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (then NMML). Their location is known. Hence, they are 'not missing'," the Union minister said. These papers were "handed over officially in 2008, on request", with records and catalogues maintained by PMML, he said. Shekhawat said that scholars, researchers, students and citizens "have a right to access original documentary sources to arrive at a truthful and balanced understanding" of Jawaharlal Nehru's life and times. "On one hand, we are being asked not to debate the blunders of that era. On the other, primary source material that could enable informed debate is kept out of public access. "This contradiction cannot be ignored. This is no ordinary matter. History cannot be curated selectively. Transparency is the foundation of democracy and archival openness is its moral obligation which Mrs Gandhi and the 'family' need to uphold," he argued. Shekhawat, in his long post, further wrote, "What does require an answer is this: Why have these papers not been returned despite multiple reminders from PMML including the recent reminders in January and July 2025? The nation deserves clarity." "I respectfully ask Sonia Gandhi ji to explain to the country: What is being withheld? What is being hidden? The excuses being given by Smt Sonia Gandhi for not returning these papers are not tenable. The point is that why are important historical documents still outside the public archive? "These are not private family papers. They relate to the first Prime Minister of India and form part of our national historical record. Such papers belong in public archives, not behind closed doors," Shekhawat argued in his post. He also responded on X on Wednesday to a post a day ago by Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh who wrote, "The truth was finally revealed in the Lok Sabha yesterday. Will there be an apology forthcoming?" Shekhawat said, "The truth placed before the Lok Sabha is clear and on record." "The Nehru Papers were taken out in 2008, during the UPA period, when public institutions were often treated as family preserves. Smt. Sonia Gandhi herself has acknowledged in writing that these papers are with her and promised to 'co-operate' on the matter," he said. "In fact it would be more appropriate for you to urge Sonia Gandhi to honour her commitment and return these papers to PMML so that scholars, citizens, and the Parliament can access these crucial historical records and the truth of 'Nehruvian' times can be examined objectively," he said. PMML Society, the key decision-making body of the PMML, is helmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its president, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as the vice-president. Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Culture, in a series of posts, said these documents, relating to the first prime minister of India, "form part of the nation's documentary heritage and not a private property". "Their custody with PMML and access to citizens and scholars for research is vital," it said. In the first post, it wrote, "On JN papers: Vide letter dated 29.04.2008 Shri M V Rajan, representative of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, requested that Smt. Gandhi wishes to take back all of the private family letters and notes of former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru. "Accordingly, 51 cartons of Nehru Papers were sent to Smt. Sonia Gandhi in 2008." The PMML has been in "continuous correspondence" with the office of Sonia Gandhi since then for return of these papers including the letters from PMML to her, dated 28-01-2025 and 03-07-2025," it said. "Therefore, Nehru Papers are not 'missing' from PMML as their whereabouts are known," the ministry said. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Mohan meets Russian President Vladimir Putin at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, December 5, 2025. Photograph: Press Information Bureau Indian private sector and State-run refiners continued to receive crude oil from Russian suppliers even after November 21 -- the winding-down date for US sanctions on supplies from leading Russian oil producers imposed in October -- as new intermediaries sprung up in West Asia to sell the oil, according to senior refining sources and ship tracking data. Some of the cargo are still being supplied by sanctioned Rosneft, Russia's biggest oil producer, data from maritime intelligence agencies Kpler and Vortexa showed. The new sellers of Russian oil, outside the ambit of western sanctions, include firms like Alghaf Marine, Redwood Global Supply, RusExport, Rusvietpetro, Neftisa, Dakkor, MorExport, Grewale Hub Fze, and East Implex Stream FZE, according to Kpler and Vortexa data accessed by Business Standard. The data is based on information about buyers and sellers provided in the bills of lading (BOLs) used in transactions, a Kpler official said. Other UAE-based sellers of Russian crude include Primegrowth, Oryx, Augusta, Amur Investments, and Nexus (formerly Tejarineft), Energy Intelligence reported and Indian refiners confirmed. The emergence of new sellers reflects the importance of the $50 billion Indo-Russian crude oil trade to producers and refiners of both nations, even as the discounts on offer on Russian oil expanded to the highest since 2023 and tripled from early 2025, senior refining sources said. Alternative supplies from West Asia and the US, while copious, are much more expensive, officials said. While the US has basically targeted Russia's sales to Indian refiners with the latest sanctions, the European Union and China are bigger beneficiaries of discounted Russian commodity supplies, and have contributed hundreds of billions of dollars to the Russian war effort, according to leading Finnish energy think -tank CREA. From the beginning of Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 to December 6, 2025, China paid Russia 288 billion euros ($334 billion) for imports of oil, gas and coal; the EU paid 217 billion euros; and India and Turkey paid 161 billion euros and 117 billion euros, respectively, according to CREA. Kpler data as of early December showed Rosneft shipped 16 of 25 tracked cargo that landed after November 21. Six of these were delivered to Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refinery and five parcels headed to Nayara's Vadinar plant. State-run refiners, including Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil, and Oil and Natural Gas Corp received the rest, according to Kpler data. Tracked cargo means goods being monitored electronically from origin to destination. A Reliance Industries spokesperson said their understanding of the sanction regime meant that new orders should not be placed after October 22, when the US announced new sanctions, but 'all pre-committed liftings of Russian crude oil as of October 22, 2025 are being honoured, considering all transport arrangements were already in place. The final such cargo was loaded on November 12', according to a Reliance statement. State oil companies are using new intermediaries, which are not sanctioned, to receive Russian supplies, said Sumit Ritolia, an analyst at Kpler. He said that in some cases, shipping data showed Rosneft as the seller but state refiners said that shipments came from non-sanctioned traders. Dakkor delivered a cargo on November 27 to Hindustan Petroleum; RusExport and MorExport delivered cargoes to Indian Oil, HMEL, and Reliance, Kpler data showed. Grewale Hub Fze and East Implex Stream FZE shipped five cargoes to Rosneft-run Nayara Energy in the November 22-December 5 period, Vortexa data showed. November 21 was the last date for winding down Russian oil supplies from blacklisted Russian producers Rosneft and Lukoil. US Office of Foreign Assets Control rules indicate that transactions must be completed by November 21, a view that three leading State-run refiners took in chats with Business Standard. Kremlin's economic aide Maxim Oreshkin told Russia's national broadcaster Channel 1 that Moscow 'has long experience in evading sanctions, and if India is willing, we will find ways to supply crude oil'. These new intermediaries echo the Kremlin spokesperson's stance, a senior refining source from a State refiner said. 'I think that the question is: Is the Trump administration going to actually take these sanctions and enforce them aggressively over the next six to 12 to 24 months,' Edward Fishman, who's been in the sanctions machinery inside the US state department for many years, said in Carnegie Politika, a US think-tank. 'So, I worry that we may look back at this six months from now as a one-off where Trump was piqued with Putin, imposed sanctions on some big Russian oil companies. I remain skeptical that that's (sanctions enforcement) going to be a very high priority for Trump,' Fishman said. Documentary evidence is key to sanction avoidance, a senior refining source said. And, as long as the new traders can provide proof in the BOL that Russian oil did not originate from sanctioned producers, Indian refiners are allowed to import the oil. Russia has shipped 41 cargo globally for January arrivals, with 11 parcels marked for India, of which three are headed to Nayara's Vadinar refinery, Kpler data showed. This compares to India's intake of 41 cargoes of Russian oil in October. Nayara Energy continues to import only Russian oil after being denied supplies by West Asia producers, industry sources said and shipping data showed. Some leading Indian State-run refiners have accumulated high inventories after buying oil from other sources since October to compensate for Russian reductions, a trader from a State refiner said. That has reduced appetite for Russian oil for January, but he expects volumes to pick up from February after Russia makes alternative arrangements and as Indian refiners ramp up throughput to the maximum before the financial year closing in March, he added. Kpler's Ritola said that he was surprised to find December loadings of Russian oil moving towards India at close to 1.4 million barrels per day, over twice what the market expected. After accounting for around $10 per barrel in freight costs to India from Russian ports, and deducting trader margins, Indian refiners are still left with a healthy discount of $6 to $7 per barrel off Dated Brent oil, the highest since 2023, a senior trader from a State refiner said, explaining why Russian oil continues to be popular among Indian refiners despite several strictures. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday that any normalisation of relations with Pakistan is currently "difficult to imagine", citing a surge in terror incidents and the lack of a credible civilian partner in Islamabad. IMAGE: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addresses during the inauguration of ATOAI 17TH Annual Convention, in Srinagar, December 17, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo Speaking at the 'Express Adda' organised by The Indian Express, Abdullah said that while dialogue is the only way forward, the "conducive environment" required for talks is conspicuously absent. He placed the burden of creating that environment squarely on Pakistan. Abdullah pointed to recent security breaches, including attacks in Pahalgam and Delhi, as evidence that the ground reality remains hostile and argued that India cannot be expected to ignore such provocations. "When incidents like Delhi keep happening, it's difficult to imagine a normalisation of relations," Abdullah said and specified that Pakistan must take concrete action on several fronts before progress can be made. He said Pakistan should ensure those responsible for the Mumbai attacks are brought to justice, stopping the orchestration of attacks within Indian territories and preventing non-state actors from sabotaging regional peace. Beyond the threat of terrorism, Abdullah questioned the utility of diplomatic engagement with Pakistan's current civilian leadership. He suggested that real power continues to reside with the Pakistani military, rendering talks with the Prime Minister's Office largely symbolic. "What purpose would be served by Prime Minister Modi talking to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif? None whatsoever," Abdullah said, adding that as the Pakistani Army chief consolidates power, the civilian government lacks the authority to deliver on any peace agreements. Reflecting on the history of the region, he reminded observers that the choice made by a Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir to join India in 1947 remains a point of bitter contention for Islamabad. "There was a reason why a Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir chose not to go with Pakistan. That is something Pakistan has never forgotten and never forgiven us for," he said, warning that this historical resentment continues to fuel the conflict. Addressing the security situation within the Union Territory, Abdullah noted that despite claims of improvement, the nature of recent attacks is deeply concerning. He cited the attack in Pahalgam earlier this year as a "nature of violence" not seen in the past 35 years of turmoil, suggesting that the security apparatus still faces significant challenges in neutralising terror threats. While Abdullah reiterated his long-standing belief that "dialogue is the way forward", he maintained that India cannot be the only party striving for peace. "The onus doesn't just rest on the Government of India," he said, adding "Pakistan has a huge responsibility". One of the key accused in the killing of a 30-year-old kabaddi player-cum-promoter in Mohali was shot dead here on Wednesday by police in an encounter in which two head constables were also injured. IMAGE: Kindly note that the image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo Harpinder alias Middu, a resident of Naushehra Pannuan in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, was injured in an exchange of fire in Lalru and later succumbed to injuries in hospital, the police said. Mohali senior superintendent of police Harmandeep Hans told reporters that Harpinder, the key accused in the Kabaddi player's murder case, was neutralised in a retaliatory fire by police teams. He said the police arrested the mastermind in the case, identified as Aishdeep Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran who was currently staying in Russia. Aishdeep Singh, who came to India on November 25 allegedly on the directions of gangster Dony Bal to execute this murder, was arrested from Delhi Airport when he was planning to escape to Muscat, the SSP said. The SSP said acting swiftly on the information given by Aishdeep about his accomplice Harpinder, who actively supported the shooters and was supposed to escape along with him, police teams led by deputy superintendent of police Dera Bassi Bikramjit Singh Brar and inspectors Sumit Mor, Pushvinder Singh and Malkiat Singh conducted a raid on Ambala-Lalru Highway near Jharmal River in Lalru. Upon seeing the police team, Harpinder opened fire at them, leading to serious bullet injuries to two police personnel -- head constables Gulab Singh and Kumar Sharma, he said. The police retaliated in self-defence during which the suspect was injured and was rushed to Civil Hospital Dera Bassi, where he succumbed to injuries. SSP Hans said the police have also arrested another accused, identified as Jugraj Singh, with the help of Amritsar Rural police for his alleged involvement in this case. "All the accused involved in this case have been identified and raids are being conducted to nab the remaining accused persons." Kanwar Digvijay Singh, alias Rana Balachauria, was shot after he arrived with his team to take part in a private Kabaddi tournament in Mohali on Monday. He was critically injured in the attack and was rushed to the Fortis Hospital in Mohali, where he was declared dead. The assailants fled on a motorcycle after firing from a .30 bore weapon. The police had earlier in the day termed Harpinder's arrest as a "major breakthrough" and said he was being treated for injuries suffered in the exchange of fire. "In a major breakthrough, @sasnagarpolice apprehends Harpinder @ Middu, a resident of Naushehra Pannuan, Tarn Taran, in connection with the recent murder of Kanwar Digvijay Singh @ Rana Balachauria in Mohali. The accused was apprehended following an exchange of fire with the police team," it said in a post on X. Following the killing of the player, the police had identified two shooters -- Aditya Kapoor alias Makhan and Karan Pathak alias Defaulter Karan, both residents of Amritsar. Businessman Raj Kundra and his actor-wife Shilpa Shetty, facing Mumbai police probe in a Rs 60-crore criminal breach of trust case, have now been charged with cheating, officials said on Wednesday. IMAGE: Businessman Raj Kundra and his actor-wife Shilpa Shetty. Photograph: @TheShilpaShetty/X Police's Economic Offences Wing, probing the case, has invoked cheating charge against the high-profile couple in addition to criminal breach of trust. According to an official, earlier the case was registered under section 406 of the IPC (punishment for criminal breach of trust) against the celebrity couple and after investigation, section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) has been added. They were booked under the IPC as the case was filed before the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) came into force on July 1, 2024. On conviction, cheating under the IPC attracts imprisonment for up to seven years plus a fine. The case was registered on a complaint filed by a 60-year-old businessman, Deepak Kothari, a resident of Mumbai's Juhu, alleging he was duped of Rs 60.4 crore in a loan-cum-investment deal linked to now defunct company Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd (where Kundra and Shetty were directors). The EOW has already recorded statements of Kundra and Shetty in connection with the case. Meanwhile, Kundra, on his verified X handle, denied allegations against him and his wife, and dubbed them baseless. "We categorically deny the baseless and motivated allegations being circulated. The issues sought to be raised are being given a criminal colour without any lawful basis," he said in a post. "A quashing petition has already been filed before the Hon'ble High Court and is pending adjudication. Having fully cooperated with the investigation, we are sanguine that justice will prevail and have complete faith in law enforcement authorities and the Indian judiciary. We respectfully urge the media to exercise restraint as the matter is sub-judice." Kundra said further. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, has announced the strengthening of defense cooperation with Germany: a number of new important agreements were signed with German partners worth over EUR 1.2 billion. As the minister reported on social networks, in particular, this concerns the long-term supply of spare parts for Patriot systems, which will allow for faster repair, modernization and restoration of existing complexes. The agreements also concern the purchase of Ukrainian UAVs worth UAH 200 million. In addition, this is the largest artillery project for the production of 200 units of Bohdan self-propelled guns on the new Zetros chassis with a total cost of EUR 750 million to increase Ukraine's artillery capabilities. Also, joint production of Ukrainian UAVs Linza is being implemented in cooperation with the Ukrainian company Frontline Robotics and the German company Quantum Systems within the framework of Build with Ukraine. These UAVs will ensure the scaling of tactical reconnaissance. In addition, contracts were signed for the uninterrupted supply of the latest electronic warfare equipment at the tactical level. "Thanks to the agreements between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, Germany has pledged to allocate EUR 11.5 billion to support Ukraine next year," the minister wrote. Shmyhal separately thanked his German colleague Boris Pistorius for announcing this important support during Ramstein. "We especially appreciate the transfer of the two promised Patriot systems and the 9th IRIS-T. This will help protect Ukrainian cities and strengthen European security," he said. The Congress on Wednesday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation after a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the ED's money laundering charge against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. IMAGE: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders K C Venugopal, Abhishek Singhvi addresses a press conference in new Delhi. Photograph: @kharge/X The opposition party also vowed to expose the "vendetta politics" against its leadership, asserting that the Congress cadre is agitated and is going to show its strength against the "misuse of agencies." "We will keep fighting them both inside and outside Parliament and teach them a lesson," party president Mallikarjun Kharge said at a press conference. In a relief to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and five others, a Delhi court on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering charge against them in the National Herald case, holding that the agency's probe stemmed from a private complaint and not an FIR. "I want to say that after this judgement Modi and Shah should resign because it is like a slap on their face. They should give resignation as they should not harass people like this," Kharge said at the press conference, which he addressed with party leaders K C Venugopal, Abhishek Singhvi, Jairam Ramesh, and Pawan Khera "They should know that if they do such things people will not tolerate it," he said. Kharge said the Congress has been fighting the issue politically by taking out marches when the top leadership was summoned by the probe agencies. "We have been fighting on the streets, in Parliament, outside it, and will continue to do it and teach them a lesson," he said. Venugopal asserted that the Congress will expose the "vendetta politics" of the Modi government. The entire Congress cadre is agitated and will show its strength all over India against the "misuse of agencies." Singhvi said the law has spoken louder than noise, and termed the National Herald case a story of political vendetta and harassment. Delivering his order in a case that was marked by a political slugfest and legal battles for several years, Special Judge Vishal Gogne said the cognisance of the ED's prosecution complaint relating to the offence of money laundering was "impermissible in law." The ED complaint was based on an investigation into a complaint by a private person, Subramanian Swamy, and not on an FIR of a predicate offence, the judge said. The court said it has now become premature and imprudent for it to decide the submissions made by the ED as well as the proposed accused in relation to the merits of the allegations, especially so when cognisance is liable to be declined on a pure question of law. "Other arguments possibly live to fight another day," it said. ED officials said the probe agency may file an appeal against the court's order after taking opinions from law officers, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The ED has accused Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, as well as late party leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, along with Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and a private company, Young Indian, of conspiracy and money laundering. It has been alleged that they acquired properties worth approximately Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald newspaper. Reacting to the order, the Congress on Tuesday claimed that the "illegality" of the Narendra Modi government and its "politically motivated prosecution stands fully exposed." In a statement, the Congress said the ED's proceedings against Congress leadership -- Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi -- in the case were found to be "completely illegal and mala fide" by the court. Justice GR Swaminathan of the Madurai Bench of the Madras high court on Wednesday said he was tired of hauling up officials for contempt and observed that law and order cannot be a ground for flouting a court's order. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo Flouting a court's order was "inexcusable" and it would amount to a breakdown of law and order. "That would lead to paralysis of the constitutional machinery," Justice Swaminathan said in the Karthigai Deepam lamp lighting contempt of court case. "I am tired. In how many cases am I to haul up the officers concerned for contempt? Even today, the Chief Secretary (N Muruganandam) who was reading out from a prepared text stated that even though they have high regard for the judiciary, they have to take into account law and order issues while implementing court's orders," the judge said. "This is unacceptable. When a court has issued an order, unless it has been stayed or set aside by a higher forum, it has to be obeyed. Of course, there could be cases where a judicial order cannot be implemented. I can conceive of such situations," he further said and adjourned the hearing to January 9, 2026 at 4 pm. The judge said that he expected the Chief Secretary to take a responsible stand even while answering the question posed at the outset. Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has remained defiant over his remarks on Operation Sindoor. IMAGE: Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan. Photograph: ANI Photo When questioned about the criticism over his statement, Chavan said, "Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions." On Tuesday, the former Maharashtra chief minister claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict. "On the first day (of Operation Sindoor/em>), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not. Indian aircraft were shot down. The air force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew," Chavan claimed. "If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the air force was fully grounded," he added. Furthermore, he questioned the need to maintain large military forces, stating that wars will be fought in the air. "Recently, we saw during Operation Sindoor, there was not even a one kilometre movement of the military. Whatever happened over two or three days was only an aerial war and missile warfare. "In the future, too, wars will be fought in the same way. In such a situation, do we really need to maintain an army of 12 lakh soldiers, or can we make they do some other work?" he said. BJP MP Brij Lal condemned Chavan's statement and alleged that the Congress has always been on the side of Pakistan. The BJP MP further alleged that Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, consistently insults India during his visits to abroad. "I strongly condemn this statement. The Congress party has always been pro-Pakistani. This Congress party has always humiliated the country. Their leader, Rahul Gandhi, whenever he goes abroad, insults India...The whole country is watching, and the public will teach Congress a lesson," Lal told ANI. "Prithviraj Chavan has ranted like a third-grade Pakistani spokesperson, deliberately maligning our armed forces, calling them to be disbanded on Vijay Diwas..."BJP National Spokesperson C R Kesavan told ANI. "Why has Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi not condemned and initiated action against Prithviraj Chavan? Do they agree with his preposterous statement?... Congress has an anti-army mindset... The Supreme Court rebuked Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against the army... "Chavan's statement will neither be forgotten nor forgiven by the people..." Kesavan said. "Action must be initiated against him for this shameful remark and he should tender an apology." On Thursday, December 11, the international forum "Rebuilding Ukraine: Security, Opportunities, Investments" began in Bucharest on Thursday, December 11. At the opening, Ionel Nitu, president of the New Strategy Center think tank, and Mircea Abrudianu, president of the Romanian Senate, emphasized Romania's readiness to play a key role in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and to become the main logistics hub for this process. According to Nitu, the forum aims to create a permanent platform for dialogue focused specifically on the practical aspects of Ukraine's reconstruction, involving representatives of central government, business, international financial institutions, and local administrations in border regions. As a neighboring country, he emphasized, Romania has a direct understanding of local needs and challenges, which creates additional opportunities for joint investment and cooperation projects in the fields of infrastructure, logistics, and energy. As Ukraine's neighbor, Romania has a practical understanding of what reconstruction means in the context of ongoing aggression. Our goal is to bring the government, business, and local authorities to the table and move the discussion to the level of concrete decisions and contracts, Nitu said, opening the first panel of the forum. The head of the New Strategy Center drew attention to the concept of a strategic transport triangle involving Romania, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova, which should be based on the port infrastructure of the Black Sea and the Danube, as well as on the rail and road corridors that are already the focus of the European Commission's efforts to expand the region's transport capacity. He also stressed the need for a multidimensional approach to reconstruction, combining economic, social, humanitarian, and security dimensions, as well as the need for direct, honest, and results-oriented dialogue between all participants in the process. The first panel of the forum, The Importance of Romania for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, was opened by the keynote speaker, Mircea Abrudianu, President of the Romanian Senate. He confirmed the political position of official Bucharest on supporting Ukraine in countering Russian aggression and stressed that Romania's participation in reconstruction is not only an economic priority but also a political and security imperative for the whole of Europe. Abrujan noted the strategic importance of Romania's geographical location for reconstruction logistics: through the port of Constanta, the Danube ports, and the development of railway and road infrastructure, the country aims to become a central hub for cargo flows related to infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects in Ukraine. Romania has all the prerequisites to become a logistics center for reconstruction from ports on the Danube and Black Sea to transport corridors connecting the EU with the Ukrainian economy, he said during his speech. Separately, the Senate President emphasized the need for deep reforms in Ukraine in parallel with reconstruction projects, primarily in the areas of energy, infrastructure, public administration, and digitalization. In his opinion, investments in reconstruction should also be seen as a tool for Ukraine's European integration, taking into account the negotiations on EU accession. If we are talking about long-term investments, we need a just and lasting peace, and until it is achieved, a predictable security environment, which is ensured, in particular, by military support for Ukraine from its allies, Abrudyan stressed. He also recalled that the issues of just peace and security guarantees for Ukraine had already been discussed during his recent meeting with Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk in Stockholm, where the parties agreed on joint approaches to future peace negotiations. The forum Rebuilding Ukraine: Security, Opportunities, Investments is being held on December 11-12 in Bucharest under the auspices of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is organized by the New Strategy Center. According to the organizers, more than 30 panel discussions and parallel sessions are planned over two days with the participation of representatives of governments, international organizations, the private sector, financial institutions, and experts from Europe, North America, and Asia. The topics of the panels cover security and defense, infrastructure, financing and investment, green energy, digitalization, human capital, and cross-border cooperation. Interfax-Ukraine news agency is a media partner of the event. The New Zealand government plans to establish a new agency next year in a bid to centralise digital investment and procurement. Slated to operate from April 2026, the new Government Digital Delivery Agency will sit within the Public Service Commission (PSC) and would incorporate the Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO) role, which currently falls under the Department of Internal Affairs. In a statement, Digitising Government and Public Service Minister Judith Collins said creating the new Government Digital Delivery Agency was part of the governments drive for efficiency by simplifying and coordinating the delivery of IT systems. Taking a centralised approach to digital investment and procurement could save up to 30 per cent on the projected $13 billion technology spend across the public sector in the next five years. That means potential savings of $3.9 billion, she said. Logical digital groupings of government agencies, which will share common IT platforms, will be progressively established to reduce duplication and improve efficiency, Collins added. We are modernising government services to make them simpler, faster and more cost-effective, she said. Part of this drive for efficiency involves establishing a new government digital agency at the Public Service Commission (PSC). The Government Digital Delivery Agencys chief executive will also hold the GCDO role from 1 April 2026, Collins said. A photo on social media shows a brown-haired woman smiling in the sunshine next to a blooming flower bed and a wall with a distinctive graffiti tag. German police are now investigating allegations that her husband, a former Belarusian prison officer, subjected inmates to beatings and abuse. Her husband is Dzmitri Shynvize, who spent some 20 years working at Babruysk prison, 100 kilometers southeast of Minsk, rising to a senior position. Former inmates at the prison have given RFE/RLs Belarus Service detailed accounts of mistreatment by him, including being strangled with a scarf and being held naked in a cage. The photograph of Shynvizes wife was taken on Goethestrasse in Schwerin, a pretty lakeside town in northern Germany, and posted on Russian social media site VKontakte. It appeared in a report by exiled Belarusian news outlet Nasha Niva in mid-August, which stated that the couple had moved to Germany and changed their surname. In September, German state prosecutors told RFE/RL that the police were investigating. "The Schwerin public prosecutor's office received a corresponding statement of facts from a citizen. The case is now being investigated," they said. Now, an organization of former Belarusian security officials, Belpol, has said that it has handed over evidence of Shynvizes alleged involvement in the torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners to German authorities that are investigating. The Prison's 'Chief Overseer' Former political prisoners told RFE/RL that Shynvize, 44, was effectively the chief overseer of inmates. Vadzim Yermashuk, who served time in Babruysk from March 2022 to June 2024, said Shynvize was fired three or four months before his release. There were rumors he was dismissed for abuse of power, because there were so many complaints. Everyone hated him -- not only political prisoners but ordinary convicts too, he said. Yermashuk recalled Shynvize subjecting him to homophobic abuse and strangling him with a scarf. He smiled, handed one end of the scarf to another guard, held the other himself, and started choking me, he said. Yermashuk was then given 15 days solitary confinement. The experience, he said, pushed him close to suicide: For two weeks I thought about jumping from a third-floor bathroom window. He added that other inmates told him Shynvize beat them with a truncheon and forced them into stress positions. Another political prisoner, Aleh Kulesha, spent months at the prison in 2022. He recounted Shynvize making new arrivals kneel with their heads pressed to the ground and hands raised to display their handcuffs. We stayed like that for about ten minutes in the snow, he said. Kulesha also said Shynvize ordered him to be held naked in a cage for hours as a punishment for speaking Belarussian. Shynvize, he said, told me he was Russian by origin, Russian by passport. Shynvize, who is now reportedly going by the name Schoenwiese, could face prosecution in Germany for actions in Belarus. Legal Challenges In June, a German court gave a life sentence to a Syrian doctor, Alaa Mousa, who tortured prisoners under the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. German courts have also tried crimes committed in Rwanda, Congo, and Gambia. But there is a high bar for such cases. "If Shynvize can be accused of torture as a crime against humanity, the German courts have full jurisdiction," Andoni Filpa, a Munich-based lawyer, told RFE/RL. But a prosecution could be suspended if Shynvize left the country, he added. Shynvizes current whereabouts are not clear, and it is also not clear if an arrest warrant has been issued. German authorities have neither confirmed nor denied Nasha Nivas report that Shynvize had obtained German citizenship via his German roots. Yermashuk said he would like to meet Shynvize to look him in the eyes in a free country. Kulesha also said he would like to confront Shynvize. I really want to meet him and say: So, in Germany do you speak Russian, or have you learned German? In Belarus he never managed to learn Belarusian, he said. China has rattled Tehran by again backing the United Arab Emiratess claim over three Persian Gulf islands controlled by Iran. Following a visit to Abu Dhabi by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the countries in a joint statement on December 13 highlighted Beijings support for the efforts of the UAE to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute over the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. Notably, there is no explicit mention of Iran in the statement. In response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei criticized the UAEs insistence on misusing every diplomatic delegations visit to raise claims about the three islands. The Taiwan Card While Baqaei didn't criticize China, Iranian media have been more explicit in their assessment of Beijing's statement. Keyhan, a hard-line newspaper whose chief editor is appointed by the supreme leader, argued that Chinas support for the UAEs claim meant that it has implicitly accepted that its own claim over Taiwan is disputable and should be resolved through negotiations. Ahmad Naderi, a member of the presiding board of Irans conservative-leaning parliament, echoed a similar sentiment, accusing Beijing of adopting a double standard and saying it cannot insist on its One China policy while simultaneously questioning Irans territorial integrity. In an implicit reference to Taiwan, the state-affiliated Mehr news agency said China itself considers any mention of its territorial integrity a violation of its security red line. Therefore, it argued, Chinas support for a statement questioning Irans sovereignty of the islands is unjustifiable and cannot be ignored. The Islands The controversy comes against the backdrop of a decades-old sovereignty dispute that has long tested Irans relations with its Gulf neighbors. The three islands lie near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint through which about one-fifth of the worlds seaborne oil passes. Iran seized control of the islands on November 30, 1971 -- one day before the British withdrawal from the Gulf and the formation of the United Arab Emirates -- asserting historical claims that date back to the Persian Empire. Declassified British files released in 2022 show London had agreed to transfer the Greater and Lesser Tunbs to Iran while establishing joint IranianEmirati administration over Abu Musa. The dispute reignited in the early 1990s when Tehran tightened its control and expanded its military footprint on Abu Musa. Despite repeated calls from Gulf Arab states for arbitration or adjudication, Iran has consistently rejected the International Court of Justices jurisdiction, insisting that the islands are an inalienable part of its territory and not open to negotiation. Irans strategic partners China and Russia have backed calls by Gulf Arab states on Iran to resolve the issue. Iran last year summoned both Chinese and Russian envoys separately to protest. Centrist newspaper Jomhuri-ye Eslami, which is generally critical of closer ties with Beijing and especially Moscow, particularly targeted Iran's governments -- and the Foreign Ministry above all -- for "serious inertia and inefficiency. Iranian website Asia News said Chinas attitude toward the islands has raised serious doubts over Tehran-Beijing relations despite a much-touted 25-year strategic partnership agreement. Beijing, in its pursuit of energy security and an expanded footprint in the Middle East, appears -- after weighing the costs and benefits -- to have placed greater emphasis on its relations with Arab countries, it argued. Sweden has confirmed that one of its citizens is in Iranian custody after Tehran announced that a Swedish national is on trial for allegedly spying for Israel. In a December 16 statement to RFE/RL's Radio Farda, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said it is "in touch with the man's family" and that he "is being represented by legal counsel." The ministry declined to provide further details "out of consideration for consular confidentiality and in order not to hinder our work." Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said on December 16 that the Iranian-Swedish dual national "was recruited by Israeli intelligence in 2023," made "several trips to the occupied territories -- most recently two weeks before entering Iran," and was carrying "electronic espionage equipment." He claimed the suspect has "confessed" to spying for Israel. Jahangir added -- in apparent contradiction to the timeline -- that the accused entered Iran "one month before the start" of the 12-day war with Israel in June and was staying in a villa near Karaj, 45 kilometers northeast of Tehran. Earlier, the head of Alborz Province's justice department said the man was detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on the war's fourth day, June 16. Iranian police reported detaining around 21,000 people for alleged security violations during the June war, though the number still in custody is unclear; the judiciary chief had cited about 2,000 arrests, with many released after clearance. Since late June, Iran has executed several people convicted of pre-war spying for Israel amid fears of Mossad infiltration enabling attacks inside the country. Security agencies have long targeted dual nationals with arrests, property seizures, and family pressure to force returns in a practice rights groups call "hostage diplomacy." Human Rights Watch says authorities have "systematically" violated due process through politically motivated arrests. Tehran treats dual citizens solely as Iranian nationals, refusing to recognize dual nationality. Recent moves by Washington and Brussels show diplomatic tracks heading in opposite directions with regard to Belarus, highlighting a growing divide between the allies on how to deal with Europe's security. On one side of the Atlantic Ocean, the United States is engaging Minsk and its authoritarian ruler, Aleksandr Lukashenko, by easing sanctions in exchange for the release of political prisoners, including 123 last weekend. That contrasts starkly with what's happening in Brussels, where European Union officials are still adding to their restrictive measures targeting Lukashenko, a steadfast ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. New Line Of Communication Supporters of the moves by US President Donald Trump's administration to open up dialogue with Minsk say it's a clear strategy to open another line of communication with the Kremlin, which has relied on Belarus's support in the war against Ukraine. "Your president [Lukashenko] has a long history with President Putin and has the ability to advise him. This is very useful in this situation," Trump's envoy to Belarus, John Coale, said after holding talks with Lukashenko that lead to the prisoner release, noting the Belarus leader might be able to change Putin's mind in the context of the ongoing talks to end the war in Ukraine. "Naturally, President Putin may accept some advice and not others. This is a way to facilitate the process," he added. But critics fear the dismantling of years of coordinated pressure against a country that has witnessed a brutal, sometimes deadly, crackdown on civil society. Even limited diplomatic contact, they say, could give legitimacy to Lukashenko's regime. "For the EU, copying Washingtons approach would be strategically misguided: unlike the US, the EU shares a border with Belarus, faces immediate security risks from Russias military presence there, and has already invested significantly in supporting Belarusian democratic forces," said Giselle Bosse, a professor and Jean Monnet chair at Maastricht University. "What might serve short-term US diplomatic goals would therefore undermine the EUs long-term security and values-based strategy," she wrote recently. Lifting Of US Sanctions Trump surprised many by speaking to Lukashenko by phone in August just ahead of a summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska. That was followed by the lifting of sanctions on Belarus national air carrier Belavia, meaning the US government was allowing all US entities and individuals to do business with the airline. At the same time, Minsk announced the release of pardoned and released 31 Ukrainian citizens who had been held in Belarus, one of a series of prisoner releases over the past year. The most recent prisoner release was preceded by an announcement that Washington was lifting sanctions on Belaruss lucrative fertilizer exports -- including its biggest company, Belaruskali -- which provide major source of income to Lukashenkos regime. For Lukashenko, long criticized and isolated by the West as a dictator and staunch Putin ally, Trump's call represented a diplomatic breakthrough. Some criticized the call fearing it gave Lukashenko his first step back toward the international diplomatic stage. But Trump supporters and some analysts applauded the move, saying engagement was needed after years of trying to isolate Belarus. Mark Episkopos, a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and adjunct professor of history at Marymount University in Virginia, lauded the December 13 release of prisoners and overall engagement with Minsk, calling it "necessary work in driving US-Belarus normalization forward step by step." "The best and only viable way to address these challenges is through sustained dialogue with Belarus, not by pushing for a change in government or punishing Minsk until it cuts ties with Moscow," he wrote recently. 'Europe's Last Dictator' Long considered a pariah and dubbed "Europe's last dictator," Lukashenko has walked a tightrope between Russia -- which is Belarus's largest trading partner -- and the West. After the 2020 presidential election in which Lukashenko claimed victory, opposition groups declared the results a sham and sparked weeks of massive protests. Lukashenko's security forces responded with a brutal crackdown, arresting over 30,000 people, many of whom reported torture and ill-treatment in custody. The crackdown pushed most opposition politicians to leave Belarus fearing for their safety and freedom. Meanwhile, many Western governments have refused to recognize the results of the 2020 election and do not consider Lukashenko to be the country's legitimate leader. While Brussels has targeted the country and its leadership both for human rights abuses, siding with Russia in the war against Ukraine, and for pushing migrants from Asia and Africa onto EU borders, the EU via unanimity on December 15 added three more criteria for targeting the Lukashenko regime. Belarusians can now be sanctioned if they are deemed to have planned or been engaged in foreign information manipulation and interference in the EU. They can also be sanctioned for actions targeted at the functioning of democratic institutions, economic activities or services of public interest of the EU and finally it will be a sanctionable offense to enter EU territory unauthorized. The last criteria is the most crucial one as it is a direct EU response to the weather balloons normally used by Belarus for counterfeit cigarette smuggling that entered Lithuania and interfered with its air traffic in recent months. Lithuanian officials recently told RFE/RL that a total of 315 unauthorized balloons have entered the country from Belarus since June, peaking in October with 71 airspace incursions. The incursions have forced the two biggest Lithuanian airports in Kaunas and Vilnius to temporarily shut down 15 times this year alone, affecting over 320 flights and 45,000 passengers. According to several EU officials that RFE/RL has been in contact with, the bloc will renew all its Belarus sanctions in the coming weeks as all 27 EU member states agree that the sanctions should be maintained. Vilnius also is expected to suggest more sanctions in early January on those responsible for the balloon incursions, while more economic sanctions on Minsk are expected to be included in the EUs 20th sanctions package on Russia, which is set to be approved around the fourth anniversary of Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February. When asked after a foreign affairs meeting in Brussels this week whether the EU would consider following the US example and ease sanctions, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas rejected the suggestion. As long as this war is going on and Belarus is clearly helping Russia in its war efforts and also hybrid attacks against European member states, our position has been very clear. We are putting more sanctions on Belarus and to pressure them into not using these tactics against us. So, raising the cost for them to change the calculus, Kallas said. Several EU diplomats speaking on the condition of anonymity were also adamant that the US moves didnt affect Brussels thinking at all, with one adding that the US can give whatever sanctions relief they want, [but] without the EU playing ball, nothing will happen for a landlocked country like Belarus. Another argued that because the US doesnt border Belarus, it does not sense the same threat perception as Europe, while conceding that Washington likely sees Lukashenko as a useful conduit to influence Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of the US quest to broker peace between Moscow and Kyiv. The network operability of mobile operator LLC lifecell (TM lifecell), part of the DVL (Datagroup Volialifecell) group, stood at 69.6% in Odesa and 83.8% in the Odesa region as of 4:00 p.m. on December 16, the company said in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine. "Our technical team continues installing generators in the region to power more base stations," lifecell's press service said. As reported, during the night and morning of December 13, the Odesa region was subjected to one of the most massive air attacks by Russian forces. The shelling damaged administrative and residential buildings, as well as energy infrastructure facilities. As a result, most residents of the city were temporarily left without heating, water, and electricity. Points of resilience were deployed in the region, while water dispensing stations and gadget charging points are operating in Odesa. The operator also noted that power supply issues were observed in Mykolaiv; however, the problem has now been resolved. In particular, as of 4:00 p.m., the availability and stability of communications in Mykolaiv stood at 98.4%, and 99.4% across the region. "In the non-occupied part of Kherson region, all our base stations are operating," the operator added. Emergency crews have been deployed to restore and improve network performance, with additional teams formed to install and refuel mobile generators and to guard installed generators. Overall, 11 teams from Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Lviv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, and Rivne have also been dispatched to provide further assistance, the company added. "An operational coordination was set up at the Odesa regional office to coordinate further actions and provide rapid support to field teams," the operator said. "The batteries installed at our base stations are depleted after more than 10 hours without power, after which the equipment can operate only on generators. Full stabilization of communications is possible only with predictable and uninterrupted power supply that ensures stable operation of operators' equipment," the company said. Meanwhile, Ukraine's largest mobile operator Kyivstar reported on the social network Threads that 223 generators are operating in Odesa and the region. In addition, 81.25% of base stations in the region are operating normally and on generators. Additional emergency repair teams from other regions have also been deployed. First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said on December 15 that, as of now, mobile network availability in Odesa has been restored to 60%, with Starlink terminals additionally being used to connect new points of resilience. Head of the regional military administration Oleh Kiper reported that as of December 16, electricity supply has been restored for nearly 330,000 families in Odesa region, all critical infrastructure facilities have been powered, but 288,200 families remain without electricity. Hainan 101: FTP & Special Customs Unpacked | How is it making life better? 09:41, December 17, 2025 By Wang Xiaoping, Michael Kurtagh, Su Yingxiang, Zhao Jian ( People's Daily Online Now that we have explored what the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in south China's Hainan Province and its special customs operations are, and how the key customs policies work, it is time for our third and final episode. This time, we are looking at how everything is coming together to make life better for the people. There is no better place to begin than Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping Complex, currently the world's largest duty-free shopping center. It is not only the best place in Hainan to enjoy incredible prices on international goods flowing into the island, but it also stands as a powerful example of how new policies are opening doors, boosting incomes, and creating a more vibrant everyday life. The FTP and special customs operations are not only about the free flow of goods. Together, they are helping Hainan rise as a new hub for international education. At the Lingshui Li'an International Education Pilot Zone, 26 universities from around the world have joined forces to create an "international education at home." With access to global academic resources and innovative learning environments, both international and Chinese students can earn a world-class education while enjoying Hainan's island paradise. Whether it is business, shopping, or education, the Hainan FTP and its special customs operations are building something exciting and extraordinary. They are already improving life for local residents, and the same opportunities are open to people from around the world. So after watching our three episode series, make sure to take the most important next step: Visit Hainan! (Intern Ai Zixuan contributed to this story.) (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chengliang) A new search and rescue team went live at Sligo Airport this week. Bristow Group crews declared on Monday full operational capability at Sligo Airport, marking a significant step in the delivery of the new Search and Rescue (SAR) contract for the Irish Coast Guard. As Bristow Ireland teams went live, Sligo became the third Irish SAR base to transition under the new contract with new, specialist, SAR-configured AW189s standing ready to respond to emergency taskings. Bristow Ireland has started Search and Rescue operations from Sligo Airport on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard. Director of Bristow Ireland, Philip Bartlett, thanked everyone involved in the vital project: The continued safe delivery of SAR for the people of Ireland has remained the first priority throughout the phased transition. Im grateful to everyone involved and to colleagues old and new as we reach this important milestone. "Training for the new members of the Bristow team is underway and its great to see the team in Sligo standing ready to respond. With Shannon and Weston already providing 24/7 cover, and Waterford due to transition in early 2026, the future of Irish SAR continues to take shape. Punjab Asks Govt VIP Teachers' Near Chandigarh to Return to Original Postings in Border Districts from Jan 1 The report further noted that the transfers and postings to border areas in Punjab have been an issue in the state for decades Punjab VIP teachers: Government School teachers, such as the spouses of IAS, IPS and PCS officers and relatives of politicians, who get postings of their choice in districts closer to Union Territory of Chandigarh on a deputation basis, will now have to return to their original place of postings starting Jan 1, 2026, Indian Express reported citing Punjab Government's recent order on rationalizing of postings and sources in the government. Meanwhile, mounting pressure is being exerted on the government to withdraw the order, it added, citing sources. Advertisement It said that Punjabs Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has given clearance to the Education Department's proposal to ban deputations and cancel the existing orders. The decision aims at tackling the crisis of teaching staff in the border districts due to inequitable postings for "VIP teachers. Due to the decision, 640 senior secondary teachers alone, mostly women, will be affected by the order, the report said, citing sources in the government. "These teachers, who are on a deputation and currently serving in Mohali, Patiala, and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, will have to relieve duty by December 31 and go back to their original place of posting on January 1, 2026," a source is quoted as saying in the report. Advertisement It noted that most of the officials, teachers, and doctors originally posted in districts of Punjab bordering Pakistan get reposted in Mohali and the surrounding districts using their influence, which has led to a shortage of teaching staff in the border areas, prompting the government to make the move to address the grievances of those living there. A functionary quoted in the report said, "These are mostly the spouses of IAS, IPS, and PCS officers, kin of politicians, who want to be currently near Chandigarh so that they can go back to their homes. Mostly, their children study in Chandigarh. When such "VIP teachers manage postings near Chandigarh, using their connections, the border area schools suffer. Nobody is willing to stay put there." Citing sources, the report highlighted that Education Minister Harjot Bains had issued the orders; however, a lot of pressure was being exerted on the government to withdraw the order. Advertisement "Let us see if we can manage. Already, we have not allowed any deputation for the past few weeks. But cancelling the existing deputation orders will be a huge task," a government officer told The Indian Express. It noted that CM Mann raised the issue of the teaching staff crisis in border districts in the Cabinet meeting on November 28. CM Mann had stated that the most significant grievances of people of border areas were that the teachers and doctors did not stay at their assigned schools. He said the people of the Tarn Taran Assembly, especially, raised the issue while he was campaigning for the by-election. He had asked Chief Secretary KAP Sinha to form a committee to resolve the issue. He suggested a proposal of giving incentives to such doctors, teachers, and other government officers. Advertisement The report further noted that the transfers and postings to border areas in Punjab have been an issue in the state for decades. The issue existed during former chief minister Amarinder Singh's tenure. The then education secretary, Krishan Kumar, had formulated a policy of online transfers through an automatic queue. The secretary had mandated that newly recruited teachers be posted in border districts. The system worked, the indian express report said, until he remained the secretary of the department. But once he moved out, the issue of the teaching staff crisis in border districts resurfaced. (For more news apart from Punjab Asks Govt VIP Teachers' Near Chandigarh to Return to Original Postings in Border Districts from Jan 1," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) SHANTI Bill': temples of modern India are being sold to traders of New India'" Says Congress You are allowing 49% FDI in atomic energy production, Congress's post read, adding, This primarily benefits U.S. companies. SHANTI Bill Controversy: The Congress party on Wednesday strongly opposed the SHANTI Bill, saying that through the Bill, the Modi government allegedly seeks to sell what the Indian National Congress built over the past decades. The Congress Partys policy on nuclear energy is built on the principle that nuclear energy is too dangerous to be driven by the profit motive. It is critical to Indias national and energy security, the Congress party said in a post on its X. Advertisement It continued, The Modi government, through the SHANTI Bill, inverts that logic and seeks to sell what the Indian National Congress built. Through the SHANTI Bill, the BJP government is playing with Indias national and energy security. It slammed the BJP-led NDA government, saying, This government is handing over the fruits of 70 years of publicly funded research and nuclear developmentbuilt by successive Congress governments under global sanctionsto private entities. The temples of modern India are being sold to the traders of New India. You are allowing 49% FDI in atomic energy production, Congresss post read, adding, This primarily benefits U.S. companies. Advertisement Taking a swipe, Congress said, Is this meant as a sweetener ahead of a U.S.India deal, or is it an attempt to seek validation from President Trump, who imposed a 50% tariff on India and supported Pakistan after Operation Sindoor? Congresss MP R.Sudha, earlier today, opposed the bill in parliament, expressing concerns including over the possibility of nuclear accidents. (For more news apart from SHANTI Bill: temples of modern India are being sold to traders of New India" Says Congress," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Delhi Breaking: Five Bishnoi ganglinked gangsters wanted in kabaddi player Sonu Nolta murder arrested Punjab and Haryana Police were also searching for them. Delhi Breaking: Five gangsters linked to the Bishnoi gang were arrested on Wednesday. All the arrested accused were associates of the Arju Anmol Bishnoi and Harry Boxer gangs. They were also wanted in connection with the murders of Inderpreet Singh Pary, kabaddi player Sonu Nolta, and Ashu Mahajan. Advertisement Punjab and Haryana Police were also searching for them. (For more news apart from Delhi Breaking: Five Bishnoi ganglinked gangsters wanted in kabaddi player Sonu Nolta murder arrested," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) New Delhi News: India Summons Bangladesh High Commissioner; Here's Why Later in the day, the Bangladesh High Commissioner was seen leaving the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi. Delhi News: India has summoned the Bangladesh High Commissioner after the Indian High Commission in Dhaka received a threat, News agency ANI reported. Later in the day, the Bangladesh High Commissioner was seen leaving the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi after a meeting on security concerns. Advertisement The nature of the security threat is unclear at the filing of this report. (For more news apart from Delhi News: India Summons Bangladesh High Commissioner; Heres Why," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Major Breakthrough: SAS NAGAR police apprehends Tarn Taran Resident linked to murder of Rana Balachauria Two police personnel, who were also injured during the chase, are undergoing medical treatment. Rana Balachauria Murder Update: In a breakthrough, SAS NAGAR police have apprehended Harpinder alias Middu, a resident of Naushehra Pannuan, Tarn Taran, in connection with the recent murder of Kanwar Digvijay Singh, also known as Rana Balachauria, in Mohali, Punjab, police said in a statement. The police have apprehended the accused following an exchange of fire with the police team. During the operation, the accused sustained injuries and was shifted to a hospital. Advertisement Two police personnel, who were also injured during the chase, are undergoing medical treatment. As per preliminary investigation, the arrested accused is involved in multiple heinous crimes and has a serious criminal background, the police said in the statement. Further investigation is underway. Advertisement (For more news apart from Major Breakthrough: SAS NAGAR police apprehends Tarn Taran Resident linked to murder of Rana Balachauria," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) European leaders must decide this week whether to mobilize 193 billion in sovereign funds held by a Belgian clearinghouse. Failure would seriously damage the EUs capacity for action for years, warns German chancellor Merz Just steps from the shopping boulevards and bustling city center of Brussels, in an unassuming skyscraper, sits the financial institution that holds the key to a treasure chest that could unlock one of the most consequential decisions the European Union has made in a long time. Euroclear, a little-known Belgian financial clearing house, is now under scrutiny. This organization holds 193 billion in Russian funds, mostly belonging to the Central Bank of Russia, frozen since 2022 due to sanctions imposed on the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine. The EU is now debating whether to release more than 92 billion from these Russian sovereign wealth funds to Ukraine as a reparations loan to help the country stay afloat. The decision, encouraged by the European Commission the EU executive and countries like Germany, will be the focus of the European summit on Thursday and Friday in Brussels. If approved, it would represent a qualitative leap in the EUs sanctions policy against Russia. With this initiative, Europes prestige is at stake. Lets not fool ourselves. If we dont succeed, the EUs capacity for action will be seriously damaged for years, or even longer, declared German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday in Berlin. But both Euroclear a company that manages the pipelines of the stock market, through which shares, sales and cross-border transactions circulate, ensuring that everything works smoothly and Belgium, the country where that entity settled decades ago, oppose the proposal. Meanwhile, Kyivs European partners are clinging to the idea. Against a backdrop of very tight budgets, they maintain that this is the only viable and quickest way to throw Ukraine a financial lifeline at this crucial moment. The EU is now debating complex legal mechanisms to try to unblock the proposal and win over Belgium and a few other members, such as Italy, who are not entirely convinced. Bulgaria and Malta are also not satisfied. Their preferred option? Joint debt, which faces outright rejection from Germany and the Netherlands. The roadmap remains on track. Last week, a majority of EU member states approved an unprecedented emergency mechanism, designed for crises or natural disasters, that allows these funds to be frozen indefinitely (instead of having to renew the sanctions that freeze them every six months) and, moreover, the move was approved by majority vote instead of unanimity. This was a highly significant first step toward accessing these funds and avoiding a veto from Kremlin-friendly members states such as Hungary. The Thursday and Friday summit in Brussels promises to be a truly heated one. The Belgian government argues that this financial lifeline for Kyiv could be extremely damaging not only to Belgium, but to the entire European market and its reputation. They also contend that the decision could create a rift and set a precedent for similar decisions against other global players whose funds are held in custody by Euroclear or other financial institutions. Countries like China, India, and others with large reserves in Europe are closely watching how events unfold. Russias demands Russia, which has already filed lawsuits against Euroclear over its inability to access its own funds, has warned that if Russian funds sitting in this company and in private banks in countries like France are used for Ukraine, it will consider it a cause of war. Euroclear, which manages 42.5 trillion in deposits, remains almost silent. Its chief executive, Valerie Urbain, stated in an interview with Le Monde a month ago (one of the very few times she has spoken publicly) that she does not rule out suing the EU if the legal framework chosen for the frozen Russian assets results in their confiscation. From that conversation, its clear that Urbain, who, like her entire family, has bodyguards due to threats, fears for the future of her institution. We are a crucial link that must remain unbroken for the stability of the financial markets, she told the French newspaper. Pressure is mounting on Belgium. Representatives of the member states are analyzing the European Commissions latest legal proposal, which seeks to guarantee the Belgian government that the risk will be shared regardless of the circumstances. Until now, the use of these Russian sovereign assets had been different. Last year, the EU approved using the returns they generate to issue a significant loan to Ukraine. Now, the proposal is unprecedented. The European Commissions idea is to use the cash balances of the Russian assets to issue a zero-interest loan to Ukraine, which would only have to be repaid if Russia, once the war ends, pays for the damages caused. In return, the member states would provide a guarantee. Furthermore, a three-point network is being offered to Belgium: the country could access funding equivalent to the full package if it were to face legal demands or reprisals from Moscow; it could count on that funding, regardless of the total financial guarantees offered by each EU country; and the money will not be transferred until the guarantees are in place, according to diplomatic sources. The 27 member states are also debating, as part of the proposal, that all countries that still have bilateral investment treaties with Russia (such as Spain, for example) terminate them simultaneously. However, this does not entirely prevent possible reprisals from the Kremlin, since these agreements contain temporary clauses that maintain protection mechanisms. From a political standpoint, most already have their hands in the till. The idea is not just to throw Ukraine a financial lifeline, but to elevate the symbolic component: that Russia should foot the bill for the damage. However, not all economists and experts are convinced by this approach. Ursula Garcia, founding partner of finReg 360, a law firm specializing in financial regulation, warns that taking the step of appropriating assets requires a solid legal foundation. This element is key for her. Failing to do so properly could open the door to litigation in international courts for many years, with uncertainty about the outcome for a key institution in the financial markets. For Judith Arnal, a researcher at the Elcano Royal Institute, there are very significant legal doubts on two fronts. From the perspective of public international law, there is the principle of sovereign immunity that protects the assets of states, even in the context of sanctions. While the EU has legally frozen these assets through sanctions, taking the step of mobilizing the principal, not just the returns, enters legally more uncertain territory and could be subject to challenges before international courts, she points out. From Belgiums perspective, the problem is even more concrete: Euroclear, as an entity domiciled in Belgian territory, maintains a contractual legal obligation to return the assets to their legal owner, which remains the Central Bank of Russia. If the EU borrows these balances and disburses them to Ukraine, Belgium becomes the jurisdiction where a repayment obligation of 185 billion would materialize if the sanctions are lifted, further exposing it to potential Russian reprisals of a cyber, energy, or other nature, Arnal adds. The researcher, who also works at the Centre for European Policy Studies, has just developed a proposal together with the director of this think tank that relies solely on the use of returns from fixed assets, creating an extraordinary financial tool that avoids touching the main assets, drastically reduces Belgiums legal and geopolitical exposure, and relies on conventional financial instruments that the markets understand perfectly. Arnal and other analysts such as Wolfgang Munchau point out that taking the step proposed by the Commission without further ado could set a precedent that erodes the confidence of other central banks [not just the Russian one] to maintain significant euro reserves in European infrastructures, weakening the attractiveness of the euro as an international currency. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Romanias population could shrink by almost a quarter by 2080 Romania is facing a sharp demographic decline, confirmed by the latest analyses published by the National Statistics Institute (INS). Projections show that by the year 2080, the countrys population could decrease by up to a quarter compared to current levels. At the same time, INS warns about the advanced process of demographic aging: the number of people over 65 now significantly exceeds the number of children, a trend that is already reshaping the countrys social and economic structure. INS spokesperson, Vladimir Alexandrescu, made the following statement about the institutes recently published study: Foto: pixabay.com Ion Puican, 17.12.2025, 14:00 Romania is facing a sharp demographic decline, confirmed by the latest analyses published by the National Statistics Institute (INS). Projections show that by the year 2080, the countrys population could decrease by up to a quarter compared to current levels. At the same time, INS warns about the advanced process of demographic aging: the number of people over 65 now significantly exceeds the number of children, a trend that is already reshaping the countrys social and economic structure. INS spokesperson, Vladimir Alexandrescu, made the following statement about the institutes recently published study: The study addresses an issue that is essential for any country and, of course, for Romania as well: the issue of its population and the demographic future of the nation. This is not the first attempt to highlight, within the Romanian public sphere (political, social, and among ordinary people) the risk that Romania is currently facing and which is not sufficiently understood by those who should be aware of whats happening: the risk of depopulation, overlapping with a rampant, chronic aging process that has now, I must stress, become rampant. Romanias population is rapidly aging, against the backdrop of the general aging of Europes population. We rank last in Europe in this regard, but that shouldnt make us feel any better, just because were doing slightly better than others who are doing very poorly. This is a turning point, one that reinforces the alarm signals that Romanian statistics and demography have been issuing. Right now, weve reached a situation that may seem strange to many, but it must be noted: in recent years, fewer children have been born in all of Romania than were born in the United Principalities back in 18701880. Clearly, measures must be considered to address this increasingly pressing risk. I dont want to use an excessively dramatic tone, but it truly is a borderline situation, and these are the last historical moments when measures could still be taken that might produce results. In 2025, the number of people over the age of 65 is already more than 35% higher than the number of children under 14. The aging index rose in a single year from 126 to 132 elderly people per 100 young people. And recent studies show that the population aged over 55 will continue to grow, increasing pressure on the medical and social systems. The INS analysis includes three distinct scenarios for the evolution of Romanias population through 2080. Even in the optimistic scenario, the population continues to decline, just at a slower pace. In the scenario considered the most likely, the medium variant, the country could lose nearly 3.5 million residents in the coming decades. Cristian Selaru from the INS communication department spoke to us about these demographic forecasts: Its more than a warning signal. Romania is currently going through, as you well know, some rather tragic times, because fewer and fewer children are being born, and that doesnt suggest a very good future. Of course, our study starts from Romanias resident population as of January 1, 2025. At that point, according to our data, we were at around 19,036,000 residents. Based on that resident population, factoring in, of course, fertility rates and the structure of live births by mothers ages in the previous year, 2024, as well as life expectancy at birth in 2024 by sex and by county, plus the internal migration balance in 2024 and the international migration balance, we were able to produce these forecasts, so to speak. But they do not look good in any way. And we classified them into three categories. The constant variant: Romanias population would fall by 2080 to 14,367,000 residents, that is, a reduction of 4,669,000 residents. Then we have the optimistic variant: a slightly more favorable scenario, lets say, where the population would decrease by 1.9 million peopleabout 10% of the resident population on January 1, 2025. And then we have the medium scenario, which we can perhaps consider the most plausible: the reduction would be 3.4 million people, around 18% less than we were on January 1, 2025. These are the figures, but they will have a very large impact, not only on the labor market, not only on the school population, whether were talking about primary, middle school, or high school, but also on what will happen in universities. Cristian Selaru also spoke about possible solutions for the future: We need higher birth rates. This cannot change tomorrow or the day after. We need public policies that stretch over decades. If we want to change something by 2080, in other words, to reduce that forecast loss of almost five million people, we could do it, but only over decades, not with quick fixes from one day to the next, not by cutting, but by investing. And not speaking only from a place of pessimism, but always with optimism about the future. Because when a young person only sees what is offered to them in shades of black, they will always choose at least the shade of gray that they see elsewhere, in other countries. The data brings to the forefront a reality with major implications for Romanias future. The shrinking population, coupled with accelerated aging, will affect the labor market, pension systems, social welfare, and the way communities adapt to new demographic structures. The INS projections provide an essential tool for building public policies capable of responding to the challenges of the coming decades. (VP) Debates on the judiciary Debates on the dysfunctions in the justice system continue in Bucharest. President Nicusor Dan (Photo: presidency.ro) Stefan Stoica, 17.12.2025, 14:00 Expected to engage in the debate on serious issues in the justice system, and particularly to spark a serious inter-institutional discussion on the matter, in line with his constitutional role as mediator, president Nicusor Dan has renewed his invitation to magistrates to attend a debate on this topic. Romanian society is acutely feeling the shock of revelations from within the judicial system about the toxic relationship between some of its prominent figures and the political sphere, as well as how repeated changes of case judges allow major corruption files to prescribe. President Dan believes legislative adjustments are needed, but the justice system must be managed from within. At present, we have elected structures both at the level of the Superior Council of Magistracy and the courts, and here it is essential that the best magistrates reach leadership positions through the selection process and steer the justice system. On the other hand, there is a legislative aspect and some legislative changes that, obviously, we will operate once we have agreement to do so. However, I am not in favor of the judicial system as a whole yielding to the political realm. On the contrary, if there are legislative adjustments to be made, let us make them, but the justice system should govern itself. After initially reacting by accusing an attempt to destabilize the system, the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) is now acting on the issues highlighted in the controversial Recorder documentary and has decided to refer the Judicial Inspectorate for checks regarding the activity of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) chief prosecutor, Marius Voineag. An anti-corruption prosecutor, speaking under protected identity in the Recorder documentary, said that the Directorate chief had issued an internal order and sent it to all prosecutors, requiring them to report directly to him any requests to the judge for rights and freedoms to obtain wiretapping warrants targeting those under investigation. Why should the chief prosector, who was politically appointed, be interested in doing that? To know the exact moment when such procedures are triggered and who is targeted? We do not believe that order has any other purpose than a need to assert control, the anonymous prosecutor said. Meanwhile, the need to amend the Justice Laws to strengthen accountability mechanisms, transparency and to reposition the citizen at the center of the justice process was underscored during a meeting between Senate President Mircea Abrudean and representatives of civic organizations Declic and Funky Citizens. These groups have launched a petition, already signed by 200,000 citizens, calling for changes in the legislation governing justice and in the leadership of certain institutions within the system. Mircea Abrudean said that the Justice Laws adopted in 2022 were designed with the best intentions and contributed to lifting the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, but this does not rule out the need for amendments where dysfunctions have been revealed in practice. (VP) The Green Deal, a step backward The European Union is abandoning its ambitious plan to sell only electric vehicles from 2035 onwards (foto: NoName_13 / pixabay.com) Daniela Budu, 17.12.2025, 13:50 The European Union is abandoning its goal of imposing a total ban on sales of new cars with gasoline or diesel engines starting in 2035. According to the European Commission, manufacturers will still be able to sell a limited number of such vehicles after that date, provided they meet several conditions. The Commission has presented the so-called auto package, which allows manufacturers flexibility in production, with the stated aim of balancing the needs of the traditional auto industry and encouraging innovation and competitiveness in the field of electric vehicles. This proposal, which still needs the approval of EU governments and the European Parliament, comes, according to industry insiders, under pressure from major European manufacturers struggling to compete with Tesla and Chinese electric car manufacturers. According to the provisions, from 2035, new cars in Europe will have to reduce engine carbon dioxide emissions by 90%, and the remaining 10% can be offset by low-emission materials or alternative fuels. Hybrid cars or efficient combustion engines will still be able to be sold, the Commission notes, as long as manufacturers comply with these conditions. According to the same proposal, for each electric car sold, the manufacturer receives an additional bonus in the calculation of carbon dioxide emissions that applies to the entire production, thus being able to balance the production of combustion engines. On the other hand, Brussels has announced that it will provide 1.8 billion to accelerate the development of a complete value chain for batteries manufactured in the EU. As part of the battery stimulus program, 1.5 billion will support European battery cell manufacturers through interest-free loans. According to the Commission, the additional specific policy measures will support investment, create a European battery value chain, and stimulate innovation and coordination between Member States. In addition, the EC believes that these measures will increase cost competitiveness, secure upstream supply chains, and support sustainable and resilient production in the EU. The EU will support through various means the development of a new category of electric vehicles with a length of up to 4.2 meters. This, the Commission believes, will enable Member States and local authorities to develop specific incentives, stimulating demand for small electric vehicles produced in the EU. AFP notes that all these measures mark the biggest departure by the bloc from its environmental policies adopted over the past five years. (MI) Oil prices rose nearly 2 percent on Wednesday after falling to almost five-year lows in the previous session on supply glut concerns and increased optimism surrounding a potential Russia-Ukraine peace deal. Benchmark Brent crude futures jumped 2.3 percent to $60.27 a barrel while WTI crude futures were up 2 percent at $60.09. Geopolitical risk premium drove prices higher after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers in Venezuela. In a Truth Social post, Trump declared the government of President Nicolas Maduro a foreign terrorist organization and said he was ordering a "total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers" going into and leaving Venezuela. "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us," Trump wrote in a dramatic escalation in his months-long pressure campaign against Caracas. The blockade, coming a week after U.S. forces seized the very large crude carrier Skipper off Venezuela's coast, raised fresh geopolitical tensions at a time of concerns over demand. Venezuela exports account for around 1 percent of total world oil consumption, and most volumes head to China, directly or indirectly. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis German confidence deteriorated to a seven-month low in December as companies were more pessimistic about the first half of next year, survey data from the Munich-based ifo Institute showed on Wednesday. The business climate index dropped to 87.6 in December from 88.0 in November. The score was expected to rise to 88.2. Companies were more pessimistic about the first half of 2026, while their assessment of the current situation remained unchanged in December. The year is ending without any sense of optimism, ifo President Clemens Fuest said. The current situation index held steady at 85.6 in December, while the reading was forecast to rise slightly to 85.7. On the other hand, the expectations index dropped to 89.7 from 90.5 in the prior month. Economists were expecting the index to remain stable at 90.5. ING economist Carsten Brzeski commented that the ifo survey results fits into the base case scenario that the German will end the year with yet another growthless quarter. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the largest euro area economy will leave stagnation behind next year, even though any cyclical rebound should definitely not be mistaken for a structural improvement, the economist added. The business confidence index in the manufacturing sector weakened in December. The development was driven by more pessimistic expectations. Assessments of the current situation were slightly better but stayed at a low level. In the service sector, confidence fell back into negative territory. Service providers were less satisfied with their current business and reported lower expectations. Confidence in trade also weakened at the end of the year. Assessments of the current situation were revised downward. The outlook for the first half of the next year was also gloomy. Retailers were dissatisfied with Christmas sales, the survey showed. In construction, the business climate remained unchanged at a low level in December. Companies assessed the current situation as worse and they were less skeptical about the coming months. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Hut 8 Corp. (HUT), an energy infrastructure company, on Wednesday said it has signed a 15-year lease agreement with Fluidstack valued at about $7 billion for 245 megawatts of IT capacity at its River Bend data center campus in Louisiana. Following the news, the company's shares were more than 16% in pre-market trading. The agreement is structured as a triple-net lease, where the tenant pays most of the property's ongoing costs, and includes a right of first offer for Fluidstack for up to an additional 1,000 megawatts of IT capacity in future expansion phases of the campus, subject to the expansion of power at the site. Over the 15-year base term, Hut 8 expects the lease to generate cumulative net operating income of about $6.9 billion, or an average of roughly $454 million per year. The contract includes a 3% annual base rent escalator. The agreement also provides for three five-year renewal options, which could increase the total contract value to approximately $17.7 billion. Google is providing a financial backstop covering lease payments and related pass-through obligations. Hut 8 said project-level financing of up to 85% loan-to-cost is expected to be arranged by J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, subject to final terms and customary closing conditions. The first data hall at the River Bend campus is scheduled to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2027, with additional data halls expected to come online over the remainder of 2027. Hut 8 closed Tuesday's trading at $36.85, up 3.98%. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News DEUTZ Aktiengesellschaft (DEZ.F), Wednesday announced an agreement to acquire all shares in Frerk Aggregatebau GmbH, a system integrator for emergency power systems and decentralized energy supply. The total consideration, valued in the upper double-digit million-euro range, comprises of a cash component and a variable component depending on development. The German internal combustion engine manufacturer plans to fund the takeover through debt financing. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026. Currently, DEUTZ's stock is trading at 8.75 euros, up 5.93 percent on the Frankfurt Exchange. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News With SUV sales soaring, Indian car manufacturers are shying away from Sedans or Saloon cars. Only a few car makers are venturing into this body style and Hyundai is one among them. The company has two sedans in India, Aura and Verna, operating in B Segment and C+ Segment respectively. Currently, Verna is in its 4th Gen avatar and was launched in March 2023. It is almost nearing three years in age and Hyundai seems to be working on a facelift of Verna. Test mule sightings are getting frequent, suggesting a nearing launch timeline. Lets take a closer look at the recent spy shots credited to automotive enthusiast Sudarshan. 2026 Hyundai Verna Facelift Spied Verna has been one of the most definitive sedans on sale in India. Now that Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is at the fag end of its life cycle, Hyundai Verna takes on Honda City, Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus. These C+ Segment sedans play a crucial role in India as lower-tier D Segment sedans have vanished entirely. The new 2026 Hyundai Verna Facelift spied, features a new fascia as seen in these spy shots. It seems to offer a vertically-oriented LED headlight setup, as opposed to the horizontal setup seen in current model. Other changes in the fascia may include repositioned LED DRLs with a new design, redesigned bumpers and others. At the sides, we can see a new alloy wheel design which could be in the same 16-inch size, wrapped with 205-section tyres. Door handles are still conventional and most of the sheet metal seems to have been retained. At the rear, one can expect slightly revised LED tail light signature and new rear bumpers. What else is new? These latest spy shots show the new 2026 Hyundai Verna Facelift with full camouflage at the front and rear, concealing most of the changes and updates. Even the interiors are camouflaged, but previous spy shots have revealed some interesting updates to make 2026 Verna Facelift better equipped than the current model. For starters, we now get a new steering wheel and a dual-curved screen setup on the dashboard, which could be shared with new Venue. These are 12.3-inch screens and support wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There could be more updates to the interiors and features list including dual-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, Level-2 ADAS, upgraded Hyundai Connect telematics, OTA updates and others. The same 1.5L 4-cyl NA Petrol engine and 1.5L 4-cyl Turbo Petrol engine from the current model might be carried over. The former has 112 bhp and 143.8 Nm, mated to either a Manual or iVT gearbox and the latter packs 158 bhp and 253 Nm, mated to either a Manual or a quick-shifting DCT. Kia India sales were driven by the Sonet, Seltos and Carens which led to strong YoY growth Kid India, the 6th best-selling OEM in India, has reported their best-ever Nov sales. Sales stood at 25,489 units, a 24% year-on-year growth from 20,600 units sold in the same month last year. This related to a volume growth of 4,889 units. The company did however, see a 14% decline on a month-on-month basis as during the festive month of October there had been 29,556 units sold. Kia Indias market share saw a slight improvement from 5.9% to 6.1% YoY. Kias product lineup in India includes nine models among which are the Seltos, Syros, Sonet, Carens, Carnival, EV6, EV9, Carens Clavis, and Carens Clavis EV. The 2026 Kia Seltos has just been unveiled. Bookings are currently underway for Rs. 25,000 while prices will be revealed on 2nd Jan 2026. Feature updates and new colour options will be the highlight of this compact SUV, though engine specs remain unchanged. Kia India Sales Breakup Nov 2025 Kia Sonet was the top contributor with 30% YoY growth. There were 12,052 unit sales last month, up from 9,255 units sold in Nov 2024. MoM sales however, declined by 5% when compared to 12,745 units of Oct 2025. Carens sales too improved by 15% YoY to 6,530 units, well over 5,672 units sold in the same month last year. However, it witnessed a sharp 26% decline on a MoM basis as festive demand had boosted sales to 8,779 units in Oct 2025. Kia Seltos sales were up 18% to 6,305 units while buyers awaiting the new gen model brought down MoM sales by 12%. The companys newest entrant, Kia Syros sub 4 meter SUV, had 544 units sold last month which was a 31% MoM decline over 785 units. There is the new Syros electric SUV currently on test with launch set to take place sometime in 2026. Kia Carnival, EV9, EV6 Kia Carnival saw its sales decline sharply. With only 58 unit sales last month, it saw a 50% MoM decline. Sales of the expensive and imported EV6 and EV9 demonstrated poor performance. EV9 sales stood at just 1 unit while there were 0 units of the EV6 sold last month. While based on the Speed 400, the Triumph Tracker 400 gets its engine tuning from Thruxton 400 Expanding the options for buyers in its entry-level 400cc range, Triumph has introduced the Tracker 400 in the UK. With its distinctive styling and minimalist character, Tracker 400 can work as an attractive option for enthusiasts. Bookings in the UK have commenced for a fully refundable amount of 250 (Rs 30.5k). Lets check out more details about Triumphs latest offering. Triumph Tracker 400 Debuts Key features Inspiration for the Triumph Tracker 400 comes from the flat-track racing bikes, commonly used in American dirt track racing. Just like other similar models launched in the past, the Triumph Tracker 400 is a road-biased machine with racing-inspired aesthetics. Several of the distinctive features associated with flat-track racing bikes can be seen with the Tracker 400. Key highlights include a round headlamp, a flat seat line with a single-piece seat, low-set wide handlebar, minimal bodywork and upswept exhaust. Side panels have tracker-style 400 markings. The bike has round rear-view mirrors, a classic design for the fuel tank with TRACKER lettering and road-biased knobby-style tyres. Triumph is offering the Tracker 400 in three colour options Aluminium Silver, Racing Yellow and Phantom Black. Users can expect a dominating riding posture with the Tracker 400. Performance, specs Similar to other 400cc Triumph bikes, the Tracker 400 is using the TR series engine. This 398cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, 4V/cylinder, DOHC engine generates 42 PS and 37.5 Nm of torque. It is paired with a 6-speed gearbox and has a slip and assist clutch. This is the same state of tune as seen with the Thruxton 400. In comparison, the Speed 400 has an output of 40 PS. Torque output is the same for both, but engine RPM is higher for Tracker 400. This ensures a more aggressive and free-revving riding character for the bike. Triumph Tracker 400 packs in a comprehensive range of rider-focused technologies. These include torque-assist clutch, switchable traction control, dual-channel ABS and all-LED lighting. The bike utilizes a hybrid spine and perimeter tubular steel frame with a bolt-on rear subframe. Suspension setup comprises 43 mm USD big piston forks with 140 mm wheel travel and a monoshock unit at the rear with 130 mm wheel travel. Both ends have 17-inch wheels, wrapped in 110/70 front and 150/60 rear tyres. Braking setup comprises 300 mm and 230 mm discs at the front and rear, respectively. The bike has an analogue speedometer with integrated multi-function LCD screen. Seat height is 805 mm, which seems suitable for most users. Wet weight is 173 kg and the bike can carry 13 litres of fuel. Mileage is rated at approx. 28 km/l. India launch? Triumph 400cc bikes have emerged as popular options in the 350cc-450cc segment. Tracker 400 can be a welcome addition to Triumphs entry-level range in India. Moreover, the bike is being manufactured in India and exported to the UK. However, it is not certain if the bike will be launched here with a 400cc engine. Bajaj Triumph might launch Tracker with a 350cc engine to navigate the GST 2.0 reforms. Caracas accuses the Caribbean island nation of participating in the seizure of an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast The government of Nicolas Maduro denounced on Monday that Trinidad and Tobago participated in the seizure of a tanker carrying 1.9 million barrels of oil that the United States intercepted last week off the coast of Venezuela. Caracas has deemed this operation an act of piracy and has therefore decided to immediately break off all negotiations and contracts with the small Caribbean nation for the supply of natural gas, which fall under the Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation signed between both countries a decade ago. This official has turned the territory of Trinidad and Tobago into a U.S. aircraft carrier to attack Venezuela, in an unequivocal act of subservience, the Venezuelan Vice Presidency said in a statement, alluding to the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Given her complicity in stealing oil, the Bolivarian Government of President Nicolas Maduro is terminating any contract or negotiation that involves the supply of gas to this neighboring country. Hostilities with the neighboring island nation have been escalating in recent times. Maduro has accused Persad-Bissessar of driving a hostile agenda against Venezuela since she came to power in May 2025. This move follows Maduros earlier denunciation in October of the energy deal with Trinidad and Tobago. Then, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil asserted that a false flag operation was underway targeting U.S. military installations and equipment in the neighboring country, with the intention of blaming Venezuela and giving Washington a pretext to launch direct attacks on Venezuelan territory. The energy agreement between Caracas and Port of Spain was signed in 2015 and was automatically renewed this year. It includes, among other things, the development of infrastructure for the joint exploitation of gas fields such as Campo Dragon, located in Venezuelan waters. In early October, the United States granted Trinidad and Tobago a six-month license to negotiate a gas agreement with neighboring Venezuela without facing sanctions from Washington, according to Trinidadian authorities. The Chavista regime has stated that the seizure of the oil tanker is a blatant violation of the principles of free navigation and trade. The tanker, named Skipper, was sailing under a false flag and was seized on December 10 by order of a U.S. judge due to its prior links to the smuggling of Iranian oil. The vessel had already been sanctioned by Washington, although on this occasion it was carrying Venezuelan crude, according to The New York Times. Increased U.S. surveillance of so-called ghost ships that Venezuela uses to trade its oil despite sanctions has caused some cargo ships to deviate from their routes, Reuters revealed on Monday. Also on Monday, the government of Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that it will allow U.S. military aircraft to transit through local airports in the coming weeks, as part of bilateral security cooperation between the two countries. According to Trinidadian authorities, approvals were granted for the movements, which the United States has described as logistical in nature, for resupply and routine personnel rotations, as part of the extended military deployment ordered by Donald Trump in the Caribbean, which has kept the region in a state of increasing tension since August. Both countries maintain close defense cooperation that in recent months has included joint military training exercises, improvements in surveillance capabilities and the installation of an advanced radar system, which has supported counternarcotics operations. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Tata Motors has kicked off bookings for the all-new Sierra on a spectacular note, with the iconic SUV recording over 70,000 confirmed bookings on the very first day of its booking window opening. In addition to this, another 1.35 lakh prospective buyers have already submitted their preferred configurations and are in the process of completing booking formalities, highlighting the unprecedented level of interest surrounding the rebirth of the Sierra nameplate. Tatas New Premium Mid-SUV Benchmark This overwhelming response underlines the strong emotional connect and brand recall that the Tata Sierra continues to enjoy, even decades after its original run. The scale of Day 1 bookings positions the Sierra as one of the most sought-after launches in recent times, reinforcing its appeal as a premium mid-SUV that blends nostalgia with modern-day expectations. Commenting on the milestone, Vivek Srivatsa, Chief Commercial Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, said, We sincerely thank our customers for this overwhelming response which reaffirms the legendary status of the Tata Sierra. True to its legacy of redefining norms, the Sierra has pioneered a new category: the Premium Mid-SUV. Harnessing a deep understanding of evolving consumer aspirations, it reimagines what a mid-size SUV can be. By enriching every dimensionspace, comfort, luxury, safety, and everyday usability, the Sierra elevates the segment to an entirely new benchmark. The Sierra is more than a vehicleit stands as a symbol of progress, individuality, and aspiration. The all-new Tata Sierra was officially launched on November 25, 2025, marking the return of a nameplate that shaped aspirations for over three decades. While the design carries forward the Sierras distinctive DNA and heritage cues, the modern incarnation is built to meet contemporary expectations, combining advanced technology, premium features and robust performance. Tata positions the Sierra as more than just a new SUV an invitation to Escape Mediocre and redefine what customers can expect from the segment. Powering the new Sierra are three engine options, catering to a wide range of buyers. These include the 1.5-litre Kryojet diesel, the 1.5-litre TGDi Hyperion turbo-petrol, and the 1.5-litre NA Revotron petrol engine. Together, these powertrains are aimed at delivering confident performance across varied driving needs, further strengthening the Sierras case as a versatile and aspirational offering in the competitive mid-size SUV space. With bookings now underway and customer interest running high, it remains to be seen how quickly Tata Motors can ramp up deliveries but the Day 1 response clearly signals that the Sierras comeback has struck a powerful chord with Indian buyers. The CEO of Microsoft AI and co-founder of DeepMind in 2010 reflects on todays technological challenges: My main hope is that everyone alive will feel the benefits of a revolution in intelligence that empowers them to achieve and do more Over the past decadeand especially in the last five yearsartificial intelligence has advanced at a breakneck pace. New AI applications appear daily. Nvidia, whose chips power this revolution, is now the worlds most valuable company, and the seven giants known as Big Tech have become the economic engine of the United States. Some warn this boom could mirror the dot-com bubble, but few doubt the profound impact AI will have on human life in the decades ahead. At the center of this upheaval is British technologist Mustafa Suleyman, now CEO of Microsoft AI and co-founder of DeepMind. When he joined DeepMind in 2010 as head of product and later oversaw applied AI, the field had been inching forward quietly, almost demurely, for years. Then DeepMind delivered what once seemed out of reach. AlphaGo, the early AI system that stunned the world by defeating Go champion Lee Sedol 41, showed how neural networks combined with large-scale reinforcement learning could generate strategies no human had imagined. It was a true watershed moment. By the time Google acquired DeepMind in 2014 and the AI race accelerated, Suleyman was already one of the fields leading explorers. His vantage point gave him a rare view of both the promise and the peril. The biggest challenge, he argues, is the sweeping societal transformation triggered by the convergence of AI, robotics, and synthetic biology, from the future of work and human relationships to the defining issues of our time: climate change, health systems, biogenetics, and geopolitical rivalry. These ideas shaped The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-First Centurys Greatest Dilemma (with Michael Bhaskar as a co-author), his compelling and cautiously optimistic history of technologys rise and the storms ahead. AI may transform everything, but it also carries real and urgent risks that, if left unmanaged, could fuel social conflict, nihilism, and instability. Suleymans engaged, wary optimism underscores the need for a political framework to govern AI. Reaching a consensus in an age of polarization, authoritarian drift, and U.S.China rivalry will be no small task. This interview is the product of an extended email exchange. Q. As a pioneer in AI and co-founder of DeepMind, did you ever imagine in your youth that you would play such a fundamental role in this era of accelerated technological development? How did you personally experience the frenzy phase described by my fellow Venezuelan Carlota Perez, whom you mention in your book? A. Ive always been interested in things that can have a massive positive impact on the world, but I had an unusual pathway into artificial intelligence. I became involved in the Copenhagen climate negotiations in 2009. It was an important experience because it taught me that many of the traditional institutions we rely on to solve our biggest and most pressing problems simply arent up to the task. At the same time, I could see digital platforms rolling out at massive scale and having huge impact. It seemed to me that artificial intelligence could bridge these worlds. That was the motivation: to build AI that could make a meaningful difference in addressing the huge challenges of our time climate change, rising healthcare costs, stagnant productivity, loneliness, and disconnection. More than the frenzy, one of the biggest challenges we faced in the early days of DeepMind was that almost no one was talking about AI. It was unfashionable and seen as pretty weird. Although AI is everywhere now, back then it was only re-emerging after a long winter. So we had to work hard just to convince people that AI and Artificial General Intelligence were real ideas worth pursuing. Q. From your vantage point within the industry, how much control do todays technologists actually have over the rapid change and disruption they help create, and how do they navigate this environment with competitors and allies? A. Technologists should always take responsibility. We cannot control everything that happens downstream of what we create, but that doesnt remove the responsibility to make the right decisions. Q. Technological advances like large language models have moved from science fiction to everyday reality for billions. What strategies can help society prepare for such sudden, large-scale changes? A. Transitions like this are complex. In the past, these shifts happened relatively slowly, so their consequences were blurred into the background. No one quite remembers when ATMs appeared or when supermarket kiosks became normal. This transition will be starker because its faster, more direct, and will affect nearly everyone. Thats why Ive argued for containment and guardrails. How fast can we retrain and upskill? How much can the welfare state support people as they switch jobs? Thats probably the biggest challenge we face right now because there are overwhelming forces driving AIs deployment to millions and billions of people. We have to manage that while softening the transition wherever possible. Q. Youve anticipated an era of surprises brought on by new technologies. What kinds of positive and negative surprises should we expect as this wave unfolds? A. My main fear is that bad actors will use the technology in dangerous ways. My main hope is that everyone alive will feel the benefits of a revolution in intelligence that empowers them to achieve and do more, wherever they are. Q. Robots, brain implants, genetic editing, synthetic life, and artificial intelligence are, as you write in The Coming Wave, markers of a historic turning point. What are the main promises or positive aspects of this disruption if things go well? A. AI distills the essence of the world economy intelligence into an algorithmic construct. In the short term, AI will help make people more productive, which should drive meaningful global economic growth and offset any losses. But this will require a massive response from governments to ensure that everyone maintains living standards, gets retrained, and enjoys a better quality of life than today. Those building AI should focus on augmentation rather than replacement. Regulators and policymakers should already be thinking about the right tactics and mechanisms to help everyone through this transition. If we get that right, we could tackle some of humanitys biggest challenges, from clean energy to affordable healthcare for all. Q. Many fear AI is already making crucial human skills obsolete. How do you envision AI not only compensating for job losses but also tackling massive challenges like climate change given its own voracious energy demands or making healthcare more accessible and workers more empowered? As Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu has argued, the current trajectory of AI seems focused on automation and displacement, not augmentation. A. I recently announced the formation of a new team at Microsoft AI the Superintelligence Team which is built to pursue a new vision of Humanist Superintelligence. Heres how I define it: Humanist superintelligence is advanced AI designed to remain controllable, aligned, and firmly in service to humanity. Its AI that amplifies human potential, not replaces it. This is our answer to what I see as the most important question of our time: how we ensure the most advanced forms of AI remain under human control while making a tangible difference. Humanist Superintelligence offers a safer path forward. Imagine AI companions that ease the mental load of daily life, enhance productivity, and transform education through adaptive, individualized learning. Think medical superintelligence delivering expert-level diagnostics with an accuracy and affordability that could revolutionize global healthcare capabilities already previewed by our health team at Microsoft AI. And consider AI-driven advances in clean energy that enable abundant, low-cost renewable generation, storage, and carbon removal to meet soaring demand while protecting the planet. The prize for humanity is enormous: a world of rapid advances in living standards and science, and a time of new art forms, culture, and growth. With HSI, I think these are not speculative dreams. They are achievable goals that can deliver for people around the world with concrete improvements to everyday life. We should celebrate and accelerate technology because it has been the greatest engine of human progress in history. Thats why we need much, much more of it. Q. How close are we to technology surpassing human agency and control? What does it mean to face the gorilla problem, meaning creating something smarter than ourselves? A. The goal should be to create AIs that are supportive and empowering to humans. That means building systems that are contained and aligned, designed with clear intent, trade-offs, and proper guardrails. Its about making key design and engineering decisions early and then sticking to the principles behind them. Q. AIs are often described as black boxes. Is it realistic to hope that we can control them and ensure humans retain a meaningful role, given their drive toward autonomy? A. Yes, I think it is. At Microsoft AI, were building Copilot, an AI companion for everyone. Its a very new and different kind of technology not like any tool weve used before. Its far richer and more dynamic. An AI companion will travel with you through life, grow with you, adapt to your needs and quirks, remember what matters, navigate the web, and act on your behalf from booking a trip to managing daily admin to helping with complex tasks. And it will do all of this in your corner, aligned to your interests. This is something new: its about supporting human roles and bringing out the best of us. Q. Even AI experts sometimes dont fully understand how their systems work. What serious risks do you see in this opacity, and how can they be minimized? A. Its incredibly important that we take full responsibility and accountability for what we build. Microsoft has one of the strongest security teams in the world, and security is our number-one priority. Containment means that AIs must always be provably accountable and controlled. Accountable means transparent. We should always have a clear explanation for what theyre doing and why. And there must be enforceable limits on their capabilities with provable, verifiable boundaries. Q. The rise of a techno-elite or superclass is shifting power from states toward those who control digital infrastructure, data, algorithms, and biogenetic advances. What threats do democracy and social equity face as a result, and what measures could prevent a future dominated by oligarchy? A. While training large models isnt something everyone can do, there are opposite trends worth noting. The technology is diffusing extremely fast, moving from cutting-edge to open source within months. Small, lightweight models get better every day. That means that although big tech companies will play a role, so will many others. Beyond that, governments and companies still have a huge role in underwriting and supporting our social contract. Both should be vocal about that I certainly am. Q. You argue that regulation alone cannot contain these technologies. What would a practical and effective containment strategy really involve? A. Containment should not only keep technology in check but also manage its consequences for societies and individuals. It must integrate engineering, ethics, regulation, and international collaboration into a single, coherent framework. To manage the AI wave, we need a program of containment working in ten concentric layers, from the technical core outward. It begins with built-in safety measures concrete mechanisms to ensure safe outcomes and continues with audit systems for transparency and accountability. It involves using choke points in the ecosystem to buy time for regulators and defensive technologies; fostering responsible creators who build contained systems, not just critique from outside; and reshaping corporate incentives away from a reckless race. Governments must license and monitor technologies, while international treaties even new global institutions will be needed to coordinate oversight. We must also cultivate a culture that embraces the precautionary principle, while social movements press for responsible change. All these measures must cohere into a comprehensive program: mutually reinforcing mechanisms that maintain societal control over technology in a time of exponential advance. Without that, every other debate about ethics, benefits, or risks becomes inconsequential. And none of it will be easy. Q. Is it feasible to push for an international Paris Agreement for AI, or to create an independent oversight body with real power, accepted by the major players? A. Yes, but it will take a huge amount of work. The key is finding ways to create net-win situations where countries can collaborate to secure benefits for their populations while managing risks together. There are good precedents in history: the Montreal Protocol on CFCs, the Paris Agreement on climate change, or weapons bans. Thats the challenge for our time. Q. What role should the humanities fields like philosophy, history, ethics, and the arts play in shaping AIs research, development, and application? Are interdisciplinary perspectives being adequately integrated, or are we at risk of overlooking crucial humanistic insights in the rush to innovate? A. I studied the humanities, and its deeply important to me. I believe theres a huge role for diverse backgrounds and perspectives in AI. In fact, its essential. Were now at a point where the tools are so advanced that you dont have to be an engineer to lead product or engineering teams. We have a new kind of clay to sculpt experiences in new ways. Thats an incredible opportunity for writers and artists to get involved. Many people at Microsoft AI come from diverse backgrounds: educators, therapists, linguists, comedy writers, advertisers, designers, gamers. Im keen to bring in true creatives who dont fit traditional molds but have range and breadth, and to put them at the heart of product creation, alongside the engineers and managers. Q. Are these voices truly influencing core design decisions? Or are they more often used to humanize products already engineered within a corporate framework? A. My call to action for everyone is to get involved. Theres a huge role for people to play in shaping outcomes; nothing is certain or inevitable, and everyone alive has a stake in what happens next. Ultimately, society will decide what it does and doesnt build. We tend to overestimate the short-term impact of technology and underestimate its long-term consequences. That means theres still enormous scope and time for all of us to engage, join movements for positive change, and learn how to influence these tools for the best possible outcomes. Q. Finally, on a human note: can empathy ever be truly programmed into AI, or is that a dangerous illusion? A. Yes, it can. But we shouldnt confuse that with human empathy or see it as a replacement. The advances of the past few years show that its possible. At Microsoft AI we call it personality engineering, and its an important part of designing systems that are supportive, accountable, and aligned to your interests. It can create a genuinely rich emotional experience. But its not about pretending its real emotion or substituting for it. An empathetic AI should help you reconnect with human beings. It wont pretend to be something its not because it will puncture its own illusions. Thats a tricky balance, but one were determined to get right. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The US president says the military deployment in the Caribbean will continue until the Maduro regime returns the oil, land and other assets they stole from us U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela. The Republican leader has thus dispelled any lingering doubts about Washingtons interest in Venezuelan oil as part of the U.S. offensive against the government of Nicolas Maduro, which Trump had been justifying solely as a war on drugs. Trump argued in a message on his social network Truth Social that the phenomenal U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean will continue until the Chavista regime returns all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us. The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping, he added. It was not immediately clear what Trump meant when he said the Venezuelan regime appropriates U.S. oil, land, and other assets. Nor was it clear how he expects these to be returned to the United States IMMEDIATELY. The Venezuelan government took just a couple of hours to respond. In a statement, it condemned the Republicans announcement and described it as a reckless and serious threat against the country. He assumes that Venezuelas oil, land, and mineral wealth are his property (...) he intends to impose, in a completely irrational manner, a supposed naval blockade with the aim of stealing the wealth (...). The text calls on the people of the United States and the peoples of the world to reject this extravagant threat that once again reveals Trumps true intentions to steal the wealth of Venezuela. Trumps message comes almost a week after the U.S. military intercepted a Venezuelan oil tanker in waters off the countrys coast, in a spectacular operation that Washington sought to publicize extensively. The following day, sanctions were announced against half a dozen other similar vessels, opening the door to further seizures. Penalties were also imposed on three of Maduros nephews. These companies, recently sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department, own oil tankers flying the flags of the Marshall Islands, Panama, Hong Kong, or the Cook Islands, and have been accused of using deceptive practices, either by omitting their location or transmitting a false location. These are the so-called ghost ships that continue to operate clandestinely, transporting Venezuelan oil mainly to Asia. The U.S. military operation and the subsequent sanctions were interpreted as an escalation of already high tensions in the Caribbean, where Washington maintains its largest military presence in decades. Trump has since continued to threaten attacks on targets in the South American country, although he has not followed through on those threats. This new step, in any case, is, according to analysts, a way to stifle the Venezuelan regimes financing channels. Chavista leaders depend on oil sales to China to circumvent the economic sanctions imposed by the United States that are stifling the Venezuelan economy. Although the main justification for the U.S. offensive against Venezuela has been the fight against drug trafficking, Trump has publicly declared his interest in Venezuelas oil reserves. In a famous speech from 2023, four years after failing in his first attempt to overthrow Nicolas Maduro, he sai: When I left, Venezuela was ready to collapse. We would have taken it over. We would have gotten all that oil. It would have been right next door. But now, were buying oil from Venezuela. So, were making a dictator very rich. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday held a phone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, on bilateral ties and the Palestine issue. Noting that China and Egypt are comprehensive strategic partners, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi have forged a solid friendship, and provided strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations. The two sides should take the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year as an opportunity to firmly support each other, deepen practical cooperation, strengthen coordination in multilateral affairs, elevate the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, help the Global South jointly advance modernization and make new contributions to world peace and development, Wang said. China will host the second China-Arab States Summit next year, Wang said, adding that Egypt is an important member of the Arab world, and China is ready to enhance communication with Egypt to ensure the success of the summit. Wang said that China welcomes Egyptian leaders to China for this major event. Abdelatty said that the Egypt-China comprehensive strategic partnership rests on a solid foundation, adding that Egypt firmly opposes foreign interference in China's internal affairs, remains steadfast in upholding the one-China principle, and consistently maintains that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Noting that next year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, he said that Egypt looks forward to closer high-level exchanges with China, deeper practical cooperation, and further growth in bilateral ties. He warmly congratulated the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee on adopting the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, and sincerely wished China continued success in its development. Egypt supports the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi and supports China in hosting the second China-Arab States Summit, he said. The Egyptian foreign minister briefed Wang on the latest developments in the situation in Gaza, expressing Egypt's high appreciation for China's important proposals on resolving the Palestinian issue and its announcement of a new round of assistance to Palestine. He voiced support for China to play an important role in restoring peace in Gaza and advancing post-conflict reconstruction. Wang said that the Gaza conflict has lasted for more than two years, claiming the lives of over 70,000 Palestinian civilians, and that this grave humanitarian catastrophe must be brought to an end. The current ceasefire remains fragile and the outlook is still worrying, which warrants close attention from all parties, Wang said, noting that the core issue is to prevent a resumption of hostilities and a repeat of tragedy. Post-conflict governance in Gaza must be considered in conjunction with a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue. Wang said, adding that firstly, the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestine" must be upheld, with Gaza's future and destiny in the hands of the Palestinian people themselves. Secondly, the legitimate concerns of Middle Eastern countries must be taken into account, with the voices of Arab countries genuinely heard and their role effectively brought into play, Wang said. Thirdly, efforts must be aligned with the correct direction of the two-state solution and linked to the goal of realizing an independent statehood of Palestine, Wang said, adding that the United Nations and the UN Security Council must be effectively involved and supported in playing their due role in post-conflict governance in Gaza. Wang added that President Xi's announcement of a new round of Chinese assistance to Palestine is aimed at easing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and supporting its recovery and reconstruction. China speaks highly of Egypt's positive efforts and will continue to support Egypt in playing a constructive role in safeguarding regional peace, working together to promote an early comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, Wang said. BAKU, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Sea Breeze Circus arena in Azerbaijan's capital Baku was buzzing with excitement on Saturday, as more than 1,000 spectators witnessed the debut performance of the acrobatic troupe from Liaocheng in eastern China. For Elnara, the show was a first encounter with Chinese acrobatics. "I was deeply moved by the artists' mastery." The program featured classic Chinese acrobatic acts, including the lion dance, aerial silk duets, and the bench dragon, showcasing the rich heritage of this art form. In the lion dance, performers demonstrated virtuoso control of the body and perfect coordination, moving in sync with rhythmic music. They brought the lion to life with majestic power and playful humor -- from fierce roars and mane shakes to cheeky winks -- embodying eastern aesthetic refinement and symbolizing wishes for happiness and prosperity. The aerial silks act saw a male-female duo twisting and soaring through the air, blending strength and grace. Their exquisite technique harmonized seamlessly with the melody of a Chinese song. "We came to Baku all the way from Mingachevir with our children," said Gultekin Mammadova. "The performance by the Chinese artists was thrilling, especially the aerial silk duet. It was simply incredible and deeply impressive." Tension filled the hall when the artists began the bench dragon act. A long dragon, assembled from more than 20 benches, was balanced atop the acrobats' heads, heightening the sense of suspense. The performers' composure and astonishing ability to control the complex structure led to an eruption of prolonged applause. In 2006, Liaocheng acrobatic art was included in the first list of China's national intangible cultural heritage. The tour of the Liaocheng Acrobatic Troupe in Azerbaijan will run until Jan. 11, 2026. The event was organized by Allahverdi Israfilov, a man who knows Chinese circus arts intimately. As director of the Sea Breeze Circus and a former aerial gymnast himself, Israfilov spent years working in Chinese circuses, winning awards for his work. He praised the evolving vitality of Chinese acrobatic art. Israfilov noted that as Azerbaijan-China relations continue to deepen, particularly within the framework of Belt and Road cooperation, interest among Azerbaijanis in Chinese culture has been steadily growing. This year, he decided to invite a Chinese acrobatic troupe to Azerbaijan to help local audiences better understand China. "We were delighted to invite the Chinese circus to perform as part of our New Year program and showcase the mastery of talented Chinese artists," he said. "The Chinese artists are very friendly and easy to collaborate with. I believe this opens great prospects for cooperation in the circus field," Israfilov said. HANGZHOU, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A female from Russia became the 10,000th foreigner to enroll in China's basic medical insurance in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Wednesday, local government confirmed. Yiwu, renowned as the "world's small commodity capital," maintains trade ties with 233 countries and regions, attracting nearly 600,000 foreign merchants each year. With around 30,000 foreign businessmen active each day and over 1,500 family members living locally, the demand for accessible healthcare coverage has surged. Previously, insurance options were limited to foreigners employed by local enterprises, leaving flexibly employed individuals and their families uncovered. To bridge this gap, the Yiwu Medical Insurance Bureau, with national-level support, pioneered a program allowing foreigners holding at least two-year residence permits to enroll as flexible employees. This initiative ensures they receive the same benefits as Chinese residents. Eligible foreigners contribute premiums at the same rates as local residents and receive identical coverage, including reimbursement scopes and ratios. The program has also been extended to foreign children enrolled in Yiwu's schools. Since 2019, foreign beneficiaries have utilized medical insurance for 95,400 instances, with cumulative expenditure of medical insurance fund exceeding 24 million yuan (around 3.4 million U.S. dollars). KIGALI, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda's economy grew by 11.8 percent in the third quarter of 2025, up from the 7.8 percent in the second quarter and the 6.5 percent in the first quarter, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) on Tuesday. The upward trend was attributable to robust performances across various sectors, where services grew by 10 percent, industry increased by 17 percent, and agriculture rose by 10 percent, said the NISR. NISR Director General Ivan Murenzi said the growth across sectors supports the country's overall industrial development. The country's gross domestic product amounted to more than 5,525 billion Rwandan francs (about 3.8 billion U.S. dollars) in the third quarter, up from 4,659 billion Rwandan francs in the same quarter of 2024, according to the NISR. The data also showed that within the agricultural sector, export crop production saw the largest increase of 35 percent, driven by an increase in coffee output and tea production. In the industrial sector, the main contributors to growth were mining and quarrying, construction and manufacturing activities. Within the service sector, the largest contributor to the economy, wholesale and retail trade increased by 20 percent while transport services increased by 9 percent. Bunzl said FY revenues were still expected to grow between 2% and 3% at constant exchange rates, but to be broadly flat at actual exchange rates. Underlying revenues were seen as broadly unchanged. Operating margin was guided at around 7.6%, with the company expecting a moderation in yearonyear margin declines in the second half, helped by actions in North America and Continental Europe, easier comparatives in Europe, and synergy benefits from Nisbets. The FTSE 100-listed firm added that momentum was expected to improve in the final quarter, supported by performance initiatives and new business wins in North America. Looking ahead, Bunzl stated momentum was expected to improve in the final quarter, supported by performance initiatives and new business wins in North America, and said it anticipates moderate revenue growth in 2026 at constant exchange rates, supported by some underlying growth and a small contribution from announced acquisitions. Operating margins, however, were expected to be slightly lower yearonyear amid continued economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Chief executive Frank van Zanten said: "Despite what has remained a challenging market, we expect to meet our outlook for 2025, which was set out in April this year. We continue to remain strongly focused on performance across the group and are encouraged by operational improvements being made and new business wins in North America. "We remain confident in the group's underlying resilience and strength, and ability to deliver consistent compounding growth in the medium-term." Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com Jim Ratcliffes chemicals company Ineos has been granted 120m of government funding to help save the UKs last ethylene plant at Grangemouth, in a deal expected to protect more than 500 jobs. The investment in the Scottish plant was necessary to preserve a vital part of the countrys chemicals infrastructure, the UK government said. The ethylene produced there was essential for medical-grade plastics production, water treatment and in aerospace and car-building, it added. Guardian Downing Street insists the $40bn Tech Prosperity Deal between the US and UK that is on hold is not permanently stalled. The BBC reported on Tuesday evening that the prime ministers office claimed that the UK remains in active conversations with US counterparts at all levels of government about the wide-ranging deal for the technology industries in both countries to cooperate. The agreement, previously billed as historic, was paused after the US accused the UK of failing to lower trade barriers, including a digital services tax on US tech companies and food safety rules that limit the export of some agricultural products. The New York Times first reported British confirmation that negotiations had stalled. Guardian Jared Kushner has withdrawn from the $100bn (75bn) bid battle to buy Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Mr Kushners private equity firm, Affinity Partners, on Tuesday said it would no longer be backing a hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros by Paramount, the Hollywood studio owned by the billionaire Ellison family. Telegraph The developer of ChatGPT has hired George Osborne to help expand its business internationally. The former Conservative Chancellor confirmed he would take on a role leading OpenAIs push to establish American-led AI infrastructure worldwide, in a challenge to China. Telegraph Warner Bros Discoverys board is reported to be ready to announce a decision as early as Wednesday on Paramount Skydances $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid, with the board likely to advise shareholders to vote against the offer. The decision to recommit to Netflixs $82.7 billion buyout offer would mark the latest twist in the race for assets that include Warner Bros film and TV studio, and its extensive film and television library. These includes classics ranging from Casablanca and Citizen Kane to contemporary favourites such as Harry Potter and Friends, HBO and the HBO Max streaming service. The Times SYDNEY, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The surviving alleged perpetrator of the fatal mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach had been charged with 59 offenses, police said on Wednesday. The police force in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) on Wednesday afternoon charged 24-year-old Naveed Akram with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, following the attack that targeted an event celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Akram remained in hospital under police guard on Wednesday after waking from a coma on Tuesday. Google commits $8 Million to four government-backed AI Centres of Excellence Funding supports healthcare, Indic languages, and renewable energy initiatives Startups and developers receive grants to strengthen Indias AI ecosystem Google has pledged $8 million to support Indias AI ecosystem through four government-backed AI Centres of Excellence located at IISc Bengaluru, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Ropar. The investment, announced at the 'Lab to Impact' dialogue in New Delhi, focuses on applied AI solutions for healthcare, urban governance, education, and agriculture. The initiative aligns with Indias strategy to treat AI as a long-term national capability rather than a short-term technology trend. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted that the Centres aim to drive research and practical AI solutions that serve public needs. In addition, Google is contributing $2 million to establish an Indic Language Technologies Research Hub at IIT Bombay to advance AI applications for Indian languages. In healthcare, Google allocated $400,000 to support Indias Health Foundation Models using MedGemma technology. Projects include collaborations with AIIMS on dermatology and outpatient triaging, while IISc will explore broader clinical applications. Google is also working with the National Health Authority to digitize unstructured medical records and map over 400,000 registered health facilities on Google platforms. Also Read: Google Launches AI Plus in India with Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana Pro For startups and developers, Google provided $50,000 grants each to Gnani.AI, CoRover.AI, and BharatGen. Additionally, all 22 open Gemma models have been shared on the governments AIKosh platform to support local AI development. On sustainability, Google has partnered with ReNew Energy for a 150-MW solar project in Rajasthan, applying environmental attribute certificates across its value chain to reduce emissions. These combined efforts aim to strengthen Indias AI capabilities, link research to real-world deployment, and create scalable impact in public services and industry. RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's government on Tuesday approved a new climate plan outlining the country's roadmap to meet its Paris Agreement commitments and move toward carbon neutrality. Approved by the Interministerial Committee on Climate Change, the plan guides implementation of Brazil's nationally determined contribution, which targets a 59-67 percent reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 compared with 2005 levels. Environment and Climate Change Minister Marina Silva said the plan reflects national circumstances and seeks to align efforts by federal, state and local governments, the private sector, civil society and academia to promote sustainable and inclusive development. The plan sets emissions targets for eight key sectors, including agriculture, land use, energy, industry, transport, cities and waste. Brazil aims to cut emissions from 2.04 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022 to 1.2 billion tons by 2030, and to between 850 million and 1.05 billion tons by 2035. It also includes a strong adaptation component, with 16 sectoral plans covering areas such as public health, water resources, disaster risk management, food security and Indigenous peoples, featuring more than 300 targets and over 800 actions. The climate plan was developed through a broad participatory process involving more than 24,000 people nationwide and will be reviewed every four years, with biennial evaluations to align with evolving climate science and international commitments. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A Staten Island elementary school is working to change the way students are learning how to read through a staff-wide commitment to implement a science of reading curriculum using a new, free course available to all city public school teachers. In 2023, New York City announced a stronger emphasis on literacy and reading for public school students. The multi-pronged, long-range campaign aims to ensure students become confident readers with each school district choosing a research-backed curriculum to use across all classrooms. It officially began in Staten Islands District 31, which encompasses all general education schools in the borough, in the 2024-2025 school year. Now, a year later, the district is continuing its work to build foundational skills when it comes to literacy among students. PS 42 in Eltingville is a strong example of implementing a science of reading curriculum. This school year, school staff across Staten Island and schoolwide at PS 42 took a free course from The Reading Institute, a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Katie Pace Miles, that delivers free, evidence-based tutoring and research-aligned professional development. The 10-hour Science of Reading Intro Course is an asynchronous, video-based professional learning program. It covers phonemic awareness, orthographic mapping, phonics, fluency, comprehension, writing, and literacy. Moving into the science of reading, the course really allowed all the professionals to understand the why behind it and what happens to your brain when youre actually reading. And I think that was a big Aha! for a lot of the adults within the district, said Christine Chavez, deputy superintendent for District 31. PS 42 in particular is so far ahead because it is immersing its entire staff in the course, according Chavez. A common language The course helps school staff understand the why behind how children learn to read. It has created a common language among educators including teachers and paraprofessionals, and even cluster teachers like media and physical education teachers to use this science of reading curriculum in all lessons. Why wouldnt we be focusing on a systemic practice? asked Brian Sharkey, principal of PS 42. We hope that this is a practice that is continually deepening Everyones involved and so now were starting to see in our conversations and observations, and informal and formal talking with children were starting to reap the benefits and see the outcomes, which is beautiful. Pace Miles explained that children have a finite amount of mental energy to give at any moment in time, so it becomes a balancing act for educators when teaching both phonics and comprehension. What we hope is that in pre-K through second grade, we are mastering some of this encoding and decoding so that can flip our mental energy and have it very heavy on the comprehension side of things, where the decoding becomes automatic, she explained. The coursework supports both veteran and new teachers, said Sharkey. All teachers at PS 42 are learning the course together. Teachers on the same level Its helping us all be on the same level, you know, no matter if you have two years of teaching or 20 years of teaching ... Its proven. Its science, said Colette Elder, a first-grade teacher at PS 42, who has been teaching for over 24 years. In first grade, students are learning about phonemic awareness blending the phonics to know what sounds each letter makes and how those letters come together to create words, and those words come together to create sentences. Thats when the fluency happens, Elder explained. So you have to start at the science of reading, it starts at the basics. The number one thing is phonemic awareness and it builds upon that, and thats how childrens brains learn to work, by mapping things in small increments. But it has to be explicit. I think what this course has done for everybody, its given all teachers across grade bands in our entire school, we have the same common language when we talk about it. So it took a lot of guesswork out of it, said Elder. For students who arent reading at grade level, teachers learn to meet students where they are in their learning. Fourth-grade teacher Jessica Ciaccio explained that her students should already have that structure of phonemic awareness and fluency. If they dont, educators start to work backward and learn where the rift began. Taking that and building on what theyre supposed to know how to do already because its less learning to read and more reading to learn if they dont have that learning to read piece, reading to learn is going to be really hard for them, said Ciaccio. Its building on what I learned in the course and working backward with the kids. You kind of know that theres a rift somewhere and trying to find it is the piece that Im working on. Improving student outcomes The course has improved student outcomes by building foundational skills, boosting student confidence, and helping teachers pinpoint specific areas of struggle, like decoding or fluency rather than just proficiency. Schools like PS 42 have also utilized what is called a WIN Period, which stands for What I Need. It offers time for each student to work individually whether thats to get support, remediate, or enrich learning. So if a student needs to work on decoding, or work on fluency, they have the time to work on a skill individually with an educator. New York City also introduced literacy screeners that are given to students three times a school year. They measure student progress, allowing schools to intervene to help youth throughout the year, rather than waiting for state tests, which only show proficiency. When we think about screeners, thats something important its not about proficiency, said Allison Angioletti, district achievement and instructional specialist for District 31. Its telling you if a kid is on track to meet grade level by the end of the year or if they are at risk, based on how they perform on that. Aileen Dulski, assistant principal at PS 42, noted how the screeners help educators take a breath and meet students where they are in their learning. Some kids come up discouraged, but if theyre making small gains although they might not be proficient, at grade level, they are making gains within that piece where its giving them the confidence to maybe try a book that they might not have previously but use all those skills for that piece, said Dulski. Free course available to NYC teachers All of this work the 10-hour course, screeners, WIN periods, and a strong emphasis on literacy from both the city and school district has led to educators seeing growth among students in the way they are reading. The Reading Institute is offering 3,000 free seats for the course for New York City public school teachers in the current school year, as well as free seats for City University of New York students. There is a low-cost access of $25 per person for all other educators statewide and nationwide. In the 2024-2025 school year, 2,600 educators completed the 10-hour Science of Reading Intro Course, including 2,100 teachers in New York City public schools. According to survey results, participants showed a 34% increase in science of reading knowledge, and a 10% increase in linguistic knowledge. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- From historic holiday tours and festive family events to live music and seasonal hikes, this weekends lineup is full of winter cheer and community spirit. Heres your guide to whats happening this weekend on Staten Island. Multi-Day Events Holiday House Tours at Historic Richmond Town | Dec. 17-18 at 2 p.m., Dec. 20-21 at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Step back in time and discover how Christmas was celebrated across different eras at Historic Richmond Town. This guided tour takes visitors through authentically decorated historic buildings, beginning with the 1820s where natural decorations like holly and ivy adorn the Guyon-Lake-Tysen House, Basket Makers House and Tavern. The journey continues to the 1860s Victorian era at the General Store and Stephens-Black House, showcasing the evolution of Christmas traditions including decorated trees and holiday shopping customs. The tour wraps up at the Courtroom featuring an impressive 15-foot Christmas tree. Cost: $10 (tickets here) Location: Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Ave., Staten Island, NY 10306 More information here Snug Harbor Glass House Tours | Dec. 18 and 20, 1-2 p.m. Discover where Snug Harbor protects its exotic plants during winter months, including tropical aquatic species and plants from the Tropical Border collection. Visitors will preview seedlings and cuttings being prepared for next summers displays, plus view the centers winter-blooming bulb collection. Rain or shine event. Cost: $10 general admission, $9 Student/Senior, $9 Snug Harbor Members (tickets here) Location: Visitor Info Booth at Snug Harbor on Chapel and Gazebo roads, Staten Island, NY 10301 Friday, Dec. 19 Dickens A Christmas Carol with Jonathan Kruk | 6-7:15 p.m. Enjoy a magical evening of storytelling as master performer Jonathan Kruk brings Charles Dickens beloved holiday classic to life in the historic Third County Courthouse. Kruk masterfully portrays every character from Ebenezer Scrooge to Tiny Tim, accompanied by harpist Erika Lieberman. The atmospheric setting features holiday greenery and candlelight, creating an unforgettable Victorian Christmas experience. Complimentary hot tea or cocoa is included with admission. Cost: Adults (12+) $45, Members $38, Kids (11 and under) $40 (tickets here) Location: Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Ave., Staten Island, NY 10306 More information here New Moon Hike & Stargazing | 6-8 p.m. Experience the magic of the night at Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve with a guided New Moon hike and stargazing adventure. Join Rangers for a 2mile nighttime walk where youll search for nocturnal wildlife and continue on to the parks farm to learn about constellations and view the night sky through a telescope. Flashlights are provided, all ages welcome. Cost: Free (register here) Location: Nature Interpretive Center, Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, 2351 Veterans Road West, Staten Island, NY 10309 More information here Little River Band 50th Anniversary Tour with special guests Seals & Crofts 2 | Doors at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. Celebrate five decades of chart-topping hits with the legendary Little River Band, led by 44-year veteran Wayne Nelson. The Australian rock icons, whove sold over 350 million albums worldwide, will perform beloved classics from the 70s and 80s. Opening the evening is Seals & Crofts 2, featuring Brady Seals and Lua Crofts, who bring fresh interpretations of timeless favorites like Summer Breeze and Diamond Girl while honoring the legacy of the original duo. Cost: $59-$99 (tickets here) Location: St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St., Staten Island, NY 10301 More information here A Very Merry Elvis Christmas Spectacular | 8 p.m. Kick off the holiday season with an unforgettable night of Elvis classics at Maxs Es-Ca! Lamar Peters and The Great Pretender Show Band bring the Kings greatest hits to life with festive flair, creating a rockandroll Christmas celebration for fans of all ages. Enjoy an evening of music, holiday cheer and good company. Please note: tickets do not include food or drinks; reservations for dining before the show are recommended. Cost: $33.85 (tickets here) Location: Maxs Es-Ca, 1559 Richmond Road, Staten Island, NY 10304 More information here Saturday, Dec. 20 Jones Woods Park Forest Restoration | 10 a.m.-noon Help preserve Staten Islands natural woodland areas by volunteering with the NYC Parks Stewardship Team. Participants will engage in hands-on restoration activities while learning about the critical role of biodiversity in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Wear sturdy footwear and clothes suitable for outdoor work. Cost: Free (register here) Location: Jones Woods Park (meet at Soldier Monument, Brighton Avenue and Lafayette Avenue), Staten Island, NY 10301 More information here Puppets in the Park | Shows at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Enjoy a kidfriendly puppet show at Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserves Nature Interpretive Center! Follow Baby Owl on a whimsical journey through the woods in the original show Where Is the Moon? and learn about nocturnal animals along the way. Perfect for children and families, all ages welcome. Cost: Free (register here) Location: Nature Interpretive Center, Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, 2351 Veterans Road West, Staten Island, NY 10309 More information here Home for the Holiday at The Pride Center | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. A community gathering celebrating inclusion, compassion and togetherness for all LGBTQ+ individuals, families and allies. Enjoy a luncheon with good food, games and giveaways. Wear your coziest winter pajamasbest winter-themed PJs win a prize! Space is limited; registration required. Cost: Free (register here) Location: The Pride Center of Staten Island, 66 Willow Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305 More information here Holiday Pajama Bar Crawl | 11:45 a.m.4 p.m. Slip into your coziest holiday pajamas and hit Forest Avenue for a festive bar crawl hosted by Destinys Happy Hour and Giselfy Solutions! The crawl kicks off at Sallys Southern & BBQ before continuing to Jodys Tavern and Ho Bruheach stop featuring its own activities, drink and food specials, and holiday vibes. All locations are just a short walk apart, making for a fun and easy afternoon out. Tickets include access to happy hour specials at every stop. Ages 21+. Cost: $25.31 (tickets here) Location: Sallys Southern & BBQ, 427 Forest Ave., Staten Island, NY 10301 More information here Film Screening: Its a Wonderful Life (1946) | 2-4 p.m. Experience Frank Capras beloved holiday classic on the big screen at St. George Library Center. Follow George Baileys emotional journey as his guardian angel Clarence shows him the profound impact his life has had on his community. Complimentary refreshments will be served during the screening. Cost: Free Location: St. George Library Center, 5 Central Ave., Staten Island, NY 10301 More information here Sunset Hike | 3:30-5 p.m. Experience the magic of twilight on Staten Islands trails with the Urban Park Rangers. This guided evening hike through High Rock Park explores the transition from day to night, culminating with spectacular sunset views from Paulos Peak. Watch for wildlife emerging as temperatures drop and darkness approaches. Cost: Free Location: High Rock Park, 200 Nevada Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314 More information here Pride Bowling | 5-7 p.m. An evening of bowling fun and socializing with friends in the LGBTQ+ community. The $20 registration fee includes two games, shoe rental, pizza and soda. All registered bowlers should arrive early for the 5 p.m. start time. For all ages Cost: $20 (tickets here) Location: Rabs Country Lanes, 1600 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10305 More information here Universal Temple of the Arts Staten Island JAZZ Festival 37 | Doors at 6 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m. Ring in the holidays with Staten Islands premier jazz celebration, now in its 37th year. This years festival showcases an exceptional lineup including Arturo OFarrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, Wycliffe Gordon, The Brianna Thomas Band, Sounds of April & Randal and Julie Maniscalco Dectet. Cost: $37 (tickets here) Location: St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St., Staten Island, NY 10301 More information here Sunday, Dec. 21 Natures Workshop: Seasonal Nature Candle Making | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Join this hands-on workshop series and create your own candle infused with natural plant scents. Discover which familiar fragrances are associated with the holiday season in this engaging craft experience. Cost: Free (register here) Location: Blue Heron Nature Center, Blue Heron Park, 222 Poillon Ave., Staten Island, NY 10312 More information here Sea Shanty Sessions | 2-4 p.m. Sing along to traditional maritime songs in a historic Greek Revival building once home to sailors. Led by the Folk Music Society of New York, these family-friendly sessions are free and open to all. Cost: Free Location: The Noble Maritime Collection, Building D, 1000 Richmond Terr., Staten Island, NY 10301 More information here Winter Solstice Walk at Lemon Creek Park | 3-5 p.m. Mark the winter solstice with a guided exploration of Lemon Creek Park, featuring scenic ocean views near Princes Bay and the Mount Loretto Unique Area. Park naturalists, arborists and historians will share insights about this hidden gem. The flat, easy trail may be muddy, so wear appropriate footwear. Cost: Free Location: Dorothy Fitzpatrick Fishing Pier, Lemon Creek Park, meet at 391 Sharrott Ave., Staten Island, NY 10309 More information here A draft of this story was generated using AI. It was reviewed, edited and approved by Advance/SILive.com staff. A Los Angeles County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against musician Marilyn Manson by his former assistant, ruling that the case falls outside the statute of limitations, Rolling Stone is reporting. Ashley Walters, who worked for Manson between 2010 and 2011, filed the lawsuit in May 2021 alleging sexual harassment and assault. On Tuesday, Judge Steve Cochran dismissed the case for the second time, citing the timing of the complaint filed approximately 10 years after the alleged events occurred. The lawsuit had previously been dismissed in May 2022 by a different judge but was reinstated in December 2023 following an appeal. A trial had been scheduled to begin next month. We have a situation where the complaint was not filed until about 10 years after the operative events. Im not able to find that the delayed discovery rule is applicable, Cochran stated. I dont have the authority to rule that the delayed discovery doctrine would apply under the circumstances that exist in this case. The delayed discovery rule allows lawsuits to proceed even after the statute of limitations has passed if the plaintiff didnt know about the harm until later. Walterss legal team had argued that trauma impaired her ability to come forward sooner, but the judge maintained he lacked authority to proceed with the trial, according to Rolling Stone. Mansons lawyer, Howard King, told Rolling Stone the dismissal was a victory for his client. Its nice for him to get some justice, though it was at great personal cost. Now he can move on. Kate McFarlane, Walterss lawyer, said in a statement to Rolling Stone that she was disappointed with the ruling. We think this is the wrong decision. The delayed discovery rule is specifically to address situations where victims of sexual abuse deserve the ability to seek justice when their abuser has used tactics to prevent them from coming forward, McFarlane said. This is something we see time and time again, and it seems the law hasnt caught up to the science and whats right for victims. But I dont believe this is the end of the road. Manson, 56, whose legal name is Brian Warner, has not publicly commented on the dismissal. The case is one of several legal matters involving Manson. He previously reached out-of-court settlements with multiple accusers, including actress Esme Bianco. He also dropped a defamation lawsuit against former partner Evan Rachel Wood in November 2024. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department investigated several abuse claims against the musician but announced in January that no charges would be filed due to insufficient evidence and statute of limitations issues. Manson has consistently maintained his innocence, stating that all of his sexual relationships have been consensual. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As someone who has had a family member spend time in Northwells Staten Island University Hospitals Intensive Care Unit, I have witnessed countless hospital employees go above and beyond in the care they provide to Staten Islands sick and injured. Its often said we are different than the other boroughs, that Staten Island is a small Island, where people still know one another and look out for one another. In February, while covering a story about fire victim Ian Pereles receiving a clap-out celebration two days before his third birthday, I witnessed doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff lined up to say goodbye to their special patient. And days before Christmas in 2023, I reported on 9-year-old cancer patient, Kathleen Ortega, of Stapleton, and her battle against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. That year, Dr. Brahim Ardolic, executive director of SIUH, accompanied by hospital staff, provided Ortega with a Day of Surprises at Joseph and Marisa DiMartinos famous Christmas House with their Better than Macys Christmas display, in Charleston. Ardolics team ensured that Ortegas sisters, Kaylee, 13, and Keisi, 7, and brother Kevin, 6, received gifts from Santa Claus, who bore a close resemblance to Frank Morisano, senior director of community health at SIUH. One of their own When the DiMartinos kicked off their 2025 Lights for Life campaign, SIUH staff informed me that this year, one of their own would be the recipient of the Day of Surprises. Without hesitating, I asked my manager at the Advance/SILive.com to let me cover this assignment. Taisha Figueroa is a beloved member of the hospital staff, working as an environmental service worker for 25 years at the hospitals North Campus in Ocean Breeze. In October, her son, Raymond Irizarry Jr., 25, was killed in a horrific car accident on the Staten Island Expressway. Her daughter-in-law and six-year-old granddaughter are now living with her, and Figueroa is caring for them while the family is still grieving the loss. Meagan Sills, the newly appointed president of Northwells SIUH, was on hand Tuesday to show her support, saying that caring for a colleague is a reflection of the hospitals core values of quality care and compassion within a small Island community. Its the very people that have the compassion and empathy to take care of those patients . . . now its our opportunity to give back in a very powerful and meaningful way at a special time of the year,' Sills said. Paired with a great DiMartino family, time and time again we are invested not only in Staten Island University Hospital, but, in this very example, directly back to the community through a healthcare worker. Figueroa was accompanied to the DiMartinos Christmas House with Ralph Rivera, her daughter, Tiffany Irrizarry; granddaughter, Julissa Irrizarry, 6, and grandson Matthew Reyes, 4. Santa Michael Hill Claus was on hand with early Christmas presents for the children. Figueroa said the hospital has been there for her every day. I never imagined they would treat me like family, but they had been there like family for me ... I feel like they adopted me,' she said. The support from work, it was something I guess I really needed because if I didnt have support from my job, I dont think I could make it, Figueroa added. Claudette Hill, director of community health at SIUH, said this years event is particularly special, providing an opportunity for the staff to give back to one of their own. When you can brighten up the day of one of your co-workers, one of your colleagues, it makes a big difference ... just showing them love, it means a lot Hill said. Seeing Julissas face light up when she saw the American Girl doll made the day for me; thats all I needed. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Cardinal Timothy Dolan is reportedly resigning from his post serving the New York Archdiocese. According to a report from the New York Post, Dolans successor could be a bishop from Illinois. Dolan, 75, reached the mandatory retiring age in February and promptly submitted his resignation from his seat, which he has held since 2009. The New York Post said it is rumored that Pope Leo XIV the first American to ever lead the worlds Catholic population from Romes Vatican City will accept Dolans resignation this week, just before the Christmas holiday. The favorite to assume Dolans role is Bishop Ron Hicks, from Joliet, Illinoiss Diocese, which he assumed leadership of in 2020 under the direction of Pope Francis, according to the Dioceses website. Hicks has close ties to the popes hometown, Chicago, as well. Bishop Hicks was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21, 1994. He served as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 1996 and at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, Illinois, from 1996 to 1999. From 1999 to 2005, he lived and ministered at St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago as the dean of formation, the website reads. At 58 years old, Hicks would have 17 years to serve in New Yorks archdiocese, should he be appointed. The archdiocese is presently facing costly settlement figures for 1,300 claims of child sex abuse by priests and Catholic Church lay staffers, the Post reported. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced she would sign into law the Medical Aid in Dying Act after coming to an agreement with the state Legislature on additional safety guardrails, bringing an end to a decade-long battle by advocates to get the measure passed. Once the agreed-upon bill is passed and signed in January, the law will go into effect six months later. The governor made the announcement 191 days after the Senate approved the original measure on June 9 by a margin of 35-27. That vote came over a month and a half after the state Assembly passed the measure on April 23 by a margin of 81-67. New York has long been a beacon of freedom, and now it is time we extend that freedom to terminally ill New Yorkers who want the right to die comfortably and on their own terms, said Hochul in a statement. My mother died of ALS, and I am all too familiar with the pain of seeing someone you love suffer and being powerless to stop it. Although this was an incredibly difficult decision, I ultimately determined that with the additional guardrails agreed upon with the legislature, this bill would allow New Yorkers to suffer less to shorten not their lives, but their deaths. >> Read the full explanation from Gov. Kathy Hochul about why she decided to legalize medical aid in dying >> New York will become the 14th jurisdiction in the United States to permit medical aid in dying. Others include Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, New Jersey, Delaware, Maine and New Mexico. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act earlier this month. About the bill The Medical Aid in Dying Act which was carried by Manhattan Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal in the Senate and Westchester Assemblymember Amy Paulin in the Assembly, and counts Staten Island state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton as its prime co-sponsor allows mentally competent, terminally ill patients over the age of 18 the choice of self-administering prescribed life-ending medication. Only those with medically confirmed terminal illnesses and conditions who have fewer than six months to live will be able to request medical aid in dying. A person doesnt qualify for the measure, also commonly known as MAID, solely because of age or disability, and there is no list of qualifying medical conditions. Health care providers who dont wish to participate in the process can opt out without fear of retribution. Throughout this long journey, I have been humbled by the families who shared intimate and painful stories to help us understand why this option matters, Scarcella-Spanton told the Advance/SILive.com. Todays agreement is a testament to their strength. This law respects the wishes of terminally ill adults and provides a compassionate option for those who need it. I am grateful the governor has acted, and I am even more grateful for the advocates who carried this cause forward. All four Staten Island assemblymembers Charles Fall, Michael Reilly, Michael Tannousis and Sam Pirozzolo voted against the legislation, as did state Sen. Andrew Lanza. Fall is a Democrat, while Reilly, Tannousis, Pirozzolo, and Lanza are Republicans. Additional guardrails Hochul stated she and the state Legislature came to an agreement on the Medical Aid in Dying Act after elected officials agreed to add several more guardrails. Those guardrails include: A mandatory waiting period of five days between when a prescription is written and filled. An oral request by the patient for medical aid in dying must be recorded by video or audio. Limiting the availability of medical aid in dying to New York residents. Allowing religiously oriented home hospice providers to opt out of offering medical aid in dying. Ensuring that a violation of the law is defined as professional misconduct under the Education Law. Extending the effective date of the bill to six months after signing to allow the Department of Health to put into place regulations required to implement the law while also ensuring that health care facilities can properly prepare and train staff for compliance. A look back In April 2024, the Advance/SILive.com launched a series exploring the controversial measure. The series kicked off with Ayla Eilerts story. Eilert, 24, was was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in 2021. Six days later, the Manhattan resident underwent surgery to remove half her tongue which was then rebuilt with part of her thigh and 22 lymph nodes. Less than seven months later, she was dead. Her parents, Daren and Amy Eilert, have since become staunch advocates for New Yorks measure. When reached for comment on Wednesday, Daren Eilert told the Advance/SILive.com he was still very sad that the governor has not signed the bill. Each day that goes by reminds me of each day that Ayla was in agony. I can be elated when it is signed. Diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Staten Islander Gina Luongo told the Advance/SILive.com she wasnt committed to using medical aid in dying should it legalize, but still wanted the option. Luongo died in May 2025 at age 52. Longtime Staten Islander Brian Moffett was officially diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, in spring of 2024, though had shown symptoms for a couple of years. He told the Advance/SILive.com in May he wanted to be the first person in New York state to legally use medical aid in dying. When the measure failed yet again to pass, Moffett condemned New York lawmakers; he knew he would not live long enough to see the next legislative session and would not be able to die with dignity. Moffett invited the Advance/SILive.com to his home in Bethel, New York, in July, to discuss his deteriorating health and to again call on New York lawmakers to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act. Moffett died less than two weeks later; his son, Jake, wrote his fathers obituary. Jake Moffett has since become an advocate for the measure, calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to enact the law in honor of his father. Along the way, the Advance/SILive.coms coverage sparked readers to reach out with their own support of the measure. Among them were Brian Kateman, who called on politicians to allow the choice for a more compassionate end, and Robert Moffit (no relation to Brian Moffett), who wanted access to medical aid in dying. Moffit was diagnosed with ALS in early 2024 and given two to five years to live. He died in April, his family confirmed to the Advance/SILive.com. Integral in the fight to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act was Senior Campaign Director for Compassion & Choices NY/NJ Corinne Carey. This law will represent the culmination of more than 10 years of determined, consistent effort by hundreds, no, thousands, of New Yorkers who advocated for this law, said Carey. Ive had and continue to have the honor of walking alongside New Yorkers who faced terminal diagnoses with bravery and love people who opened their homes, their hearts, and often their final months to this movement. Many did not live to see this day. This law is about compassion, family, love, and respect for bodily autonomy. New Yorkers deserve nothing less. I am grateful that Gov. Hochul listened to the voices of people whose lives and deaths were directly affected. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- This year, New York became the first state in the nation to enact paid time off for prenatal and pregnancy-related medical care. The policy, titled the Paid Prenatal Leave Law, took effect Jan. 1, 2025. According to the states Department of Labor, with this law, privately employed pregnant New Yorkers became eligible for an additional 20 hours of paid leave for pregnancy-related medical appointments, on top of their existing sick leave benefits. Governor Kathy Hochul proposed the policy in her 2024 State of the State address and signed it into law in April 2024. No pregnant woman in New York should be forced to choose between a paycheck and a check-up and thats why I pushed to create the nations first paid prenatal leave policy, Hochul said at the announcement. From raising the minimum wage to investing in affordable child care, were making New York the best and most affordable place to raise a family. This change comes at a difficult time for mothers. In years prior to this law, CDC data showed prenatal care starting in the first trimester declined two years in a row, dropping by 1% in 2023 to 76.1% from 77% in 2022. This followed a 2-percentage-point decrease from 2021, when the rate was 78.3%. The percentage of mothers who received no prenatal care increased by about 4.5%, according to the CDCs analysis of birth certificates. According to previous reporting from the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com, all employees eligible automatically receive 20 hours of paid prenatal leave per year and must use the benefit in hourly increments. The leave doesnt accrue, and the 52-week clock starts when an employee first uses it. The law covers end-of-pregnancy care appointments but does not apply to postnatal or postpartum appointments. Employees with multiple pregnancies within the same 52-week period can use the leave for each pregnancy, but only 20 hours are available in total. Employees are paid at their regular rate or the minimum wage, whichever is higher. STATEN ISLAND, NY Mark Treyger, CEO of JCRC-NY, and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella celebrated Hanukkah by sampling sufganiyot at two Island locations, bringing together community leaders to honor the Jewish holiday while supporting local businesses. The officials visited Island Kosher and the JCC of Staten Island to taste the traditional deep-fried jelly doughnuts, which are eaten during Hanukkah to symbolize the holidays miracle, when one day of oil burned for eight nights. Board members from JCRC-NY, the JCC of Staten Island, and the Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island joined the event. The group sampled doughnuts from both locations and discussed the meaning of Hanukkah. Mark Treyger and Borough President Fossella participated in a Sufganiyot Crawl that emphasized joy and community support during Hanukkah celebrations. Courtesy of Kara Roche/SIJCC Todays Sufganiyot Crawl was a joyful, delicious way to celebrate Hanukkah while supporting a Jewish small business and strengthening communal bonds on Staten Island, Treyger said. Food is a powerful way to bridge divides across communities and a vehicle for deepening understanding of cultural traditions and values. Treyger emphasized the importance of year-round support for Jewish-owned businesses, not just during difficult times. Fossella described the event as a celebration of tradition and community values important to Staten Island residents. As a kickoff to the second day of Hanukkah, it was a pleasure to enjoy this sufganiyot tasting and to highlight and support some of the local small businesses dedicated to serving the community during the holiday season, Fossella said. Orit Lender, CEO of the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, said the gathering fostered unity at an important time for Jewish communities. In light of the recent attack on the Jewish community in Australia, it is more important than ever to stand together in unity, Lender said. As we celebrate Hanukkah, our Sufganiyot Crawl underscores the shared joy and connection that brings our kehillah our community together. JCRC-NY is a UJA-Federation of NY agency that serves as the primary community relations agency for the Jewish community in the metropolitan New York area. Editors Note: In honor of the many everyday Staten Islanders who give back, make change, inspire others, advocate and/or care about their community, we are highlighting some of the standouts, and honoring them as Staten Islands Brightest Lights of 2025. Staten Islands Brightest Lights of 2025: Emily Howell & her princesses Emily Howell, 21, has special needs, and worked incredibly hard to graduate from high school. And like many young women her age, Emily is enchanted by princessesespecially Belle from Beauty and the Beast. When her dad sought someone who could show up at Emilys graduation party as Belle to surprise her, he got so much more: a group of strangers learned of the party on Facebook, and went above-and-beyond to make Emily herself into a princess for the day. Emily was aglow the whole time, a participant said. Here is their story, originally published July 7, 2025: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Sometimes, all it takes is a Facebook post to turn strangers into friendsand a graduation into a fairytale. On a sunny afternoon this June, a young woman named Emily celebrated more than just her high school graduationshe celebrated the love and unity of a Staten Island community that came together to make her dream come true. Emily Howell, 21, has special needs. She is partially blind, has limited motor skills, and has worked incredibly hard to graduate from high school. And like many young women her age, Emily is enchanted by princessesespecially Belle from Beauty and the Beast. As her graduation day approached, her fatheran employee at Northwell Healthsearched for someone to dress as Belle and surprise his daughter at her celebration. His co-worker, Danielle Fermaint Branch, also an employee at Northwell, stepped up to help in the quest for someone to portray the Disney princess. Branch even posted in a Staten Island community page on Facebook to reach more people. Emily Howell, 21-year-old student with special needs, was surprised at her high school graduation party with a special appearence by Princess Belle (portrayed by Olivia Voto) and custom jewelry by Maryann Piazza, pictured, left. (Courtesy Maryann Piazza) Courtesy Maryann Piazza [S]omeone posted on a community FB page that they have a friend whose daughter has special needs. At 21 years old she is graduating high school. Her love in this world are princesses, Belle being her favorite, explained Staten Islander Maryann Piazza. The Facebook post struck a chord with Piazza, who is a local permanent jewelry artist and owner of Luxuriously Linked. Inspired by Emilys story, she offered to gift a custom sterling silver tiara bracelet to whoever stepped up to bring Belle to life. When I saw this post it touched me so much that I responded hoping that someone would come forward to do this and added that I would custom make a sterling silver tiara bracelet and gift it to her, she said. And then, as magic would have it, someone did. Emily Howell, 21-year-old student with special needs, was surprised at her high school graduation party with a special appearence by Princess Belle (portrayed by Olivia Voto) and custom jewelry by Maryann Piazza. (Courtesy Maryann Piazza) Courtesy Maryann Piazza The celebration took place at La Strada Restaurant on New Dorp Lane on June 13 and when Belle arrived, Emilys face lit up. What a beautiful day, Piazza shared. It turns out that Belle, aka Olivia Vota, stepped up to surprise Emily, who was thrilled. None of us knew each other before that day. This all came together from a Facebook post. Photos captured Emily glowing with joy, surrounded by family, friends and new acquaintances brought together by kindness and community spirit. Emily was aglow the whole time, Piazza recalled. In the end, it wasnt just a costume or a bracelet that made the day specialit was the love behind them. Emily Howell, 21-year-old student with special needs, was surprised at her high school graduation with a special appearence by Princess Belle (portrayed by Olivia Voto) and custom jewelry by Maryann Piazza, right. She is picutred with her parents, Susan and Mike, and her brother, Michael. (Courtesy Mike Howell) Courtesy Mike Howell A loving fathers request, a generous artists gesture, and a young womans willingness to step into a princesss shoesliterallycreated a moment Staten Island wont soon forget. This young lady, who is partially blind, has limited motor skills, and has achieved this education level, is extraordinary, said Piazza. And I believe she should be treated like a princess herself. Emilys dad, Mike Howell, is happy to have made his daughters special day unforgettable. Its amazing how it all came together, he said. Emily grilled Belle for for hours and Belle was on point with every question. The funniest quote was when Belle left the party, and Emily said, Off to France she goes. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani wants to hear from you. The incoming mayoral administration sent an email Monday afternoon launching the online platform called The Mayor is Listening." The platform allows New Yorkers to share information about their lives, their visions for city government and what they need from the Mamdani team. Tell me about your life in New York City. What you care about. What you need. What kind of team you want me to build in City Hall, the Mamdani team wrote in the email. In the spirit of connection and a radically available approach to governing, The Mayor Is Listening is an opportunity for New Yorkers to share their vision for the city directly with me as my administration prepares to hit the ground running on January 1st." The online platform followed a Sunday event in Queens that saw the mayor-elect meet with 142 New Yorkers for three minutes each over an 8-hour period. According to the mayor-elects transition team, artist Marina Abramovics The Artist is Present performance piece inspired what was effectively a town hall closed to the press. Mayor-elect Mamdani struck a similar tone about the importance of hearing directly from New Yorkers during a June visit to Staten Island. I think too often there isnt much listening in politics. Its lecturing, he said at the time. We need to have a city government that listens to the very people who would be served by this infrastructure. The Democratic Socialist spent most of that visit meeting with employees at local businesses around St. George followed by a stop at a Stapleton church. Mamdani, a Democrat, will be sworn in Jan. 1 following the November election that saw him win with 51% of the vote over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat running on an independent line, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Only about 23% of Staten Islanders cast their November ballots for the mayor-elect, according to official results from the city Board of Elections. PARIS, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese economy is demonstrating strong resilience and remarkable adaptability in an uncertain global environment by combining industrial upgrading, dynamic innovation, and continued high-level economic openness, said Herve Azoulay, former Schneider Electric executive. Priorities such as developing new drivers of growth, industrial modernization, and new quality productive forces are profoundly reshaping China's global competitiveness and creating new opportunities for international cooperation, said Azoulay, also a professor at the Silk Road Business School in France. Efforts for these priorities are contributing to greater industrial autonomy and higher-quality productivity, he said in a recent interview with Xinhua. Major regional clusters, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, are emerging as hubs where technology, capital and experimental regulation converge, he noted. These clusters, he said, have played "a decisive role" in enabling multinationals such as Tesla and Schneider Electric to establish operations and promote innovation. According to Azoulay, the emergence of new growth drivers is creating favorable interaction spaces and ecosystems for international players, particularly in joint R&D laboratories focused on areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, biopharma and smart mobility. Such cooperation, he said, increasingly relies on engagement models based on co-innovation, partial localization and collaborative approaches rather than a purely export-oriented logic. China possesses one of the largest and most dynamic consumer markets in the world and is addressing uncertainties in the international economic cycle by building a robust, innovative and integrated domestic market, he said. Consequently, domestic demand has become the primary source of growth and the main stabilizing force, while its pledge to advance high-standard opening-up is resonating with global businesses' expectations, he said. Stronger intellectual property protection, pilot free-trade zones and the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port are making China more appealing to global companies, he noted. China has become a global pioneer in digital commerce, smart logistics and new distribution formats, with cross-border digital commerce and advanced fintech models accelerating global digital transformation and reducing the cost of accessing new markets, he said. Looking ahead, he said that China could play a decisive role in driving global growth and accelerating the global green transition through its leadership in low-carbon technologies, such as batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energies. President Donald Trump reiterated that he is very strongly weighing an executive order that would reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. While speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he is looking into the move, adding that a lot of people want to see it happen. It leads to tremendous amounts of research that cant be done unless you reclassify, Trump said in the Oval Office. So, we are looking at that very strongly. Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I substance, meaning it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The classification puts the drug on the same level as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Several outlets reported that the White House is weighing whether to list marijuana instead as Schedule III, which is defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Examples include Tylenol mixed with codeine, ketamine and testosterone. According to a YouGov poll from October 2024, 69% of registered voters back reclassifying marijuana to a less restrictive drug category, including 51% of Trump supporters and 86% of supporters of former Vice President Kamala Harris. A Morning Consult poll from August found that roughly three in five voters, or 61%, support reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug under federal law. Trumps statement follows his broad declaration of support for changing federal policy on the drug while on the 2024 campaign trail. Two months before the election, he said he intended to vote in favor of an amendment that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in his home state of Florida. As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use, Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product. Former President Joe Bidens administration also proposed moving the drug to the Schedule III category, though it did not come to fruition by the end of his term. Last year, the Justice Department recommended shifting cannabis to Schedule III, which prompted a formal review by the DEA. Trumps announcement drew reactions from both sides of the political aisle. Praying that somehow President Trump does not go forward with [this], Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham wrote on X on Tuesday. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told NewsNation on Monday that I think rescheduling marijuana is wrong. The fact is, marijuana is a gateway drug, Lawler said. Most of the people who end up using hard substances start out on marijuana. While Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) previously urged Trump to loosen restrictions on marijuana, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said that the president will try to gaslight everyone into believing he just made pot legal. He has not decriminalized cannabis or expunged the records of black and Latino Americans stuck in prison for minor drug offenses, Wyden wrote on X. This is just an attempt to boost his pathetic approval ratings. According to The Washington Post, Trump met privately last week with marijuana industry executives, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to discuss a plan on relaxing some federal restrictions on the drug. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) joined via a phone call, the outlet first reported. Advertisement BusinessCompaniesBig four ANZ wont hesitate to wrest more bonuses from executives, says chair Dominic Powell December 18, 2025 9:51am 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 A A The chairman of ANZ has indicated it may seek to claw back more bonuses from its executives following a string of misconduct cases across the bank recently, with the major lender receiving its second strike in as many years at its annual general meeting on Thursday. Paul OSullivan told shareholders ANZ would continue to make decisions regarding unvested equity for its former executives as needed, despite the bank currently facing legal action from former chief Shayne Elliott over its denial of $13.5 million in bonuses. I want to be really clear the board can and will make future adjustments where appropriate, he said. ANZ chairman Paul OSullivan (left) with chief executive Nuno Matos. Aaron Francis This methodical assessment over an extended period is consistent with the intent of the law, in terms of regulation, following the royal commission, ensuring accountability and alignment over time. Advertisement ANZ has already stripped current and former executives of $32 million in pay in an attempt to show accountability for multiple cases of misconduct at the bank over the past few years. Much of the companys board and executive team have also been replaced. Related Article Updated Big four Former ANZ boss sues bank after losing $13.5 million in bonuses However, Angus Gluskie, managing director at ANZ shareholder Whitefield, said he believed the bank should instead be focusing on the future, and that clawing back millions from former executives may be more trouble than its worth. I understand that [OSullivan] has to strike a balance, and theyve gone a reasonable way towards finding the dividing line on [recouping remuneration], which, I think, is somewhere close to the mark, he says. But the far more important thing than quibbling about where exactly where that lines drawn is making sure that theyve got a good executive team going forward, who can do a good job at making sure these problems dont occur in the future. Advertisement In September, ANZ agreed to a $240 million penalty to settle four separate legal cases from the corporate watchdog ASIC, including ANZs role as manager in the issuance of a 10-year government bond, where ASIC accused the lender of acting unconscionably. ANZ also cut 3500 jobs during the year, with newly appointed chief executive Nuno Matos facing significant backlash from staff who disagreed with his ambitious change agenda. ANZ is also attempting to claw back $13.5 million in bonuses from its former chief executive Shayne Elliot. Alex Ellinghausen The cost of the redundancies, alongside the fines and other penalties paid by the bank, resulted in ANZ reporting a 14 per cent fall in cash profits to $5.8 billion in the last financial year. The company revealed 32.3 per cent of shareholders had voted against the banks executive pay scheme, above the 25 per cent required to be considered a strike and allowing investors to spill the board and re-elect the companys directors. Advertisement Those resolutions did not pass, however, with just 1.45 per cent voting in favour of a spill. Editor's pick Updated Earnings season ANZ boss vows to reignite mortgage growth as market share slides Major proxy firms ISS and CGI Glass Lewis recommended their clients vote against the remuneration report, saying that some investors may question whether the consequences are proportionate, given the scale and duration of the underlying failures. At Thursdays AGM, Matos acknowledged the banks failings throughout the year, saying as chief executive, he was ultimately accountable. Despite our good intentions, we have not consistently lived up to the expectations of our customers across all of our businesses, he said. I want to stress to you today that we are going to get back to growth by getting back to basics and relentlessly focusing on customers across every segment and business of ANZ. Advertisement Matos, along with the rest of the companys Australia-based executives, will not receive any short-term bonuses for the last financial year due to the regulatory failings. Both Matos and OSullivan drew the ire of a number of shareholders during the at times combative AGM, with the executive duo facing multiple questions on the companys climate commitments, the ASIC penalties, and its sacking of employees. Shares in the lender were flat just after lunchtime at $36.08. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning. Advertisement Updated BusinessCompaniesMergers & acquisitions Warner Bros takes aim at billionaire family as it rejects misleading takeover bid Lucas Shaw , Michelle F. Davis and Hannah Miller Updated December 18, 2025 7:08am ,first published 5:55am 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 A A Warner Bros Discovery, the parent of HBO and CNN, advised its shareholders to reject a hostile takeover bid by Paramount Skydance in favour of its original agreement with streaming giant Netflix, deeming the Paramount offer inferior and inadequate. Paramount, the parent of CBS and Nickelodeon, has been appealing directly to Warner Bros shareholders with an offer to buy the whole company after the Warner Bros board agreed to sell its streaming and studios businesses to Netflix. Warner Bros plans to spin its cable networks, like CNN and TNT, into a separate company before completing the Netflix deal. Paramount is controlled by software billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David (pictured). AP Warner Bros raised several concerns about the Paramount offer, including its uncertain financing and the risk that Paramount could terminate the deal at any time. Paramount has offered $US30 a share in cash for the whole company, including its cable networks. Under the Netflix deal, Warner Bros shareholders will get $US27.75 a share in cash and Netflix stock, as well as shares in the new company that will hold the Warner Bros cable networks. In response to a letter the Warner Bros board sent to shareholders on Wednesday, Paramount reaffirmed its commitment to buy the company for $US30 a share. Including assumed debt, the Paramount bid values Warner Bros at $US108.4 billion ($164 billion). The Netflix proposal values the assets its seeking at about $US82.7 billion, with Warner Bros investors slated to receive shares of the cable spinoff as well. Advertisement Related Article Opinion Donald Trump Hail to the king: Trump will steer battle for the future of Hollywood Elizabeth Knight Business columnist Our proposal clearly offers Warner Bros shareholders superior value and certainty, a clear path to close, and does not leave them with a heavily indebted sub-scale linear business, Paramount chief executive officer David Ellison said in a statement. I have been encouraged by the feedback we have received from Warner Bros shareholders who clearly understand the benefits of our offer. Paramount, controlled by software billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David, is competing with the most valuable entertainment company in the world to acquire Warner Bros, one of Hollywoods most storied studios, as well as HBO, one of the crown jewels of the TV business. Executives from both Paramount and Netflix have argued that they would be the best owners and utilise the coveted Warner Bros library to boost their streaming operations. In its letter and a detailed 94-page regulatory filing, the board flagged risks in the Paramount offer, including the Ellison familys failure to adequately backstop their $US40.7 billion equity commitment. The equity is supported by an unknown and opaque revocable trust, the board said. The documents Paramount provided contain gaps, loopholes and limitations that put you, our shareholders, and our company at risk. The Warner Bros board said Paramount has consistently misled shareholders when it said its proposal had a full backstop by the Ellison family. Advertisement The board said if Paramounts proposed deal were to close, it would carry a debt load nearly seven times larger than the combined companys earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. Such debt levels reflect a risky capital structure that is vulnerable to even potentially small changes in Paramount or Warner Bros business between signing and closing, according to the letter. Larry Ellison has close ties with Donald Trump. Bloomberg The latest offer from Paramount included $US54 billion in debt commitments from Bank of America Corp., Citigroup and Apollo as well as plans to raise $US41 billion in equity. Its been previously reported that includes $US11.8 billion from the Ellison family, $US24 billion from three Middle East sovereign wealth funds and additional financing from RedBird Capital Partners. Affinity Partners, the investment firm founded by President Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner withdrew from the process on Tuesday. Paramounts proposal will also require Warner Bros to pay a $US2.8 billion breakup fee to Netflix. The Paramount offer remains inferior to the Netflix merger, Warner Bros wrote. The board unanimously recommended the Netflix deal, saying the terms of the Netflix merger are superior, while the Paramount offer provides inadequate value and imposes numerous, significant risks and costs. Advertisement Netflix issued a letter to Warner Bros shareholders on Wednesday morning reiterating why its offer is better and urging them to approve the agreement. The Warner Bros Discovery board reinforced that Netflixs merger agreement is superior and that our acquisition is in the best interest of stockholders, Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-chief executive officer, wrote. Related Article Analysis Media & marketing Australias competition watchdog eyes Warner Bros mega-deal Warner Bros shares were down 2 per cent to $US28.32 in New York in late trade on Wednesday. Shares of Netflix were up 0.5 per cent while Paramount shares were down 4.2 per cent. Warner Bros formal rejection of Paramounts offer changes nothing, Forrester analyst Mike Proulx said. The ultimate decision still rests with Warner Bros shareholders and that vote is months away. Whats clear about Paramounts bid are the growing eyebrow raises over its Middle Eastern financing. The same US officials and regulators whove sounded alarms about Chinas influence on TikTok should be crying foul here. Advertisement Ellison has made multiple unsolicited bids to acquire Warner Bros, first proposing the idea in a meeting with Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav on September 14, according to a regulatory filing. The board rejected the bid, but Ellisons pursuit over the following month, including two more offers, triggered interest from Netflix and Comcast, as well as other unidentified parties. The outreach from potential bidders prompted the Warner Bros board to initiate a strategic review and enter private negotiations with several suitors. Netflix, Comcast and Paramount emerged as the most serious bidders. Zaslav met with David Ellison or his father, the co-founder of Oracle, on multiple occasions. Warner Bros chief David Zaslav told the companys board that the Ellisons indicated that if a transaction between Paramount and Warner Bros was completed, that he would receive a compensation package worth several hundred millions of dollars. Bloomberg David Ellison has criticised the bidding process, accusing Warner Bros of unfairly favouring Netflix. Yet Warner Bros paints the Ellisons as aggressive and disorganised. The company submitted bids after deadlines, failed to address many concerns about its offers and simultaneously threatened and wooed management. According to the filing, Zaslav told Warner Bros board that the Ellisons indicated that if a transaction between Paramount and Warner Bros was completed, that he would receive a compensation package worth several hundred millions of dollars. He told the board that he had informed the Ellisons that it would be inappropriate to discuss any such arrangements at that time. Advertisement Warner Bros said it repeatedly raised concerns about insufficient evidence the Ellison family would backstop any deal. Netflix, by contrast, addressed each of the boards concerns, the company said. Some investors, including money manager Mario Gabelli, support a competitive auction of Warner Bros, believing that both Paramount and Netflix could raise their bids. Related Article Updated Trump's White House We always bring Jared: Trumps son-in-law cant escape the presidents inner circle A deal with either suitor will trigger a months-long regulatory review. While Paramount has insisted it has the best chance of getting its deal approved by regulators, Warner Bros said it believes Netflix and Paramount are on equal footing there. Both bids have sparked concern in Hollywood about the impact of further consolidation and criticism from across the political spectrum. Advertisement Paramount is targeting $US9 billion in cost savings planned from its earlier Skydance merger and the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros, the board said. These targets are both ambitious from an operational perspective and would make Hollywood weaker, not stronger. Bloomberg The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share More: Mergers & acquisitions Netflix Advertisement EnvironmentClimate changeClimate policy Interstate refugees: Why more Aussies are moving south Nick O'Malley December 19, 2025 5:45am 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 A A To Ellen Burbidge, it was as though the whole world was on fire. This was during the terrible summer of 2019. Before Christmas, shed visited a home in Gympie, north of Brisbane, and found herself helping to fill buckets of water in precaution as smoke appeared through the trees. Then she drove home, a thousand kilometres to the far South Coast of NSW. All the way, pyres from conflagrations consuming the eucalypt forests of the Great Dividing Range bled across the sky. Actor Ellen Burbidge, pictured here packing to move between houses in Hobart, sought refuge in Tasmania after surviving the 2019 fires on the NSW South Coast. Matthew Newtown On New Years Eve, she was evacuated from a campground at Mystery Bay near Tilba after her brother shook her awake in the early morning. The sky was pitch black, and only hours later would it penetrate the pall to become a dull red orb. She packed up and moved on to her parents home in Narooma, where the family listened to emergency reports on the ABC until the power failed. She recalls her four-year-old nephews fear and how shed put on a brave face. Dont be scared, shed told him, but stay close. Advertisement Ellen Burbidge in Narooma during the 2019 fires. Ellen Burbidge They gathered her parents valuables and moved on to her grandfathers place further in town. They left her grandmothers ashes. She remembers how they stood in the driveway to say goodbye to her childhood home. Look after the place, Nan, she said. That night she crammed into a single room with her partner and her sister and her young family. They shut the doors and windows against the smoke and Burbidge remembers the air being close and thick. They took turns staying awake that night, patrolling for falling embers and spot fires. Burbidge hunkered down in Melbourne during COVID, and when the lockdowns ended moved to Tasmania with her new partner Edward, seeking refuge from a warming world. Advertisement Hobart is almost famously known for its cooler climate, and we thought that it would be a safe place to go to if climate change gets worse, where we could put down roots and maybe start a family, she says. Burbidge is not alone. New research by Charles Sturt Universitys Professor Clive Hamilton shows that 14 per cent of Australians who have moved over the past six years say climate change influenced their decision. Of those who plan to move home in the coming year, 22 per cent say their decision is influenced by climate factors. When you ask people who have lived through extreme weather events the number rises to a third, according to the research, which is based on a Roy Morgan survey of 2000 respondents. Burbidge at home in Hobart. Matthew Newton Hamilton found that people who live in NSW, Brisbane, and regional Queensland are more likely than others to be driven to leave due to climate, and that 41 per cent named Tasmania as the state they thought would be safest in a warming climate, far ahead of other states. Advertisement Their views are consistent with the federal governments own climate risk assessment of Australia, which finds the nations south-east to be safer as temperatures rise. Hamilton believes his new research highlights a blind spot in the governments response to climate change. When our leaders do address the climate crisis their focus is on mitigation reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help slow global climate change. This is crucial, says Hamilton, but it ignores the fact that much warming is already locked in, and that Australia cannot protect itself with its own carbon pollution reductions. They are not talking about the change that is already coming down the highway, he says. He believes the government should be making climate adaptation more central to the national debate. Absent government leadership, he says, some people those with means and climate education are beginning to adapt their own way. Advertisement Some, Hamiltons research shows, are already on the move, seeking refuge in parts of the country that are cooler, and in which they hope to be safer. (He admits he is among those who have bought land in Tasmania out of concern for the changing climate.) It is a process Hamilton expects will only accelerate, with profound demographic implications for Australia. The data illustrates striking differences in attitudes towards climate change in the community, he says. Related Article Analysis Climate crisis Horrifying report paints grim picture of Australias future If theres half the population who are very worried about climate change, that is starting to take action in response, then youve got perhaps a quarter of the population who dont think its real and are therefore not going to do anything about it, you start to think about the implications. We might see Australians sorting themselves into different kinds of communities, ones that take climate change much more seriously, that build resilience in how they live in their homes, in their town planning, in their infrastructure, in their communities, and others where climate change is not taken seriously and which are therefore more severely buffeted by the extreme events that will increase in the coming decades. Advertisement We may well see a kind of reshuffling of the Australian population where people who are more alert and more aware move towards climate-safe areas whereas others remain in places that are far more prone to the stress of climate change. When the exodus from the mainland to Tasmania comes, it will be led by people who are most worried about climate change, well-educated and left-wing. Jessie Bodor worked for a big law firm and lived on Sydneys lower north shore in 2019. She didnt feel any immediate threat when she saw singed leaves floating down on her from a sepia sky, but a terrible disquiet. When the following summers grew hotter she decided to move to Tasmania. Jessie Bodor, pictured with her dog George at Nutgrove Beach, Sandy Bay, in Hobart, moved south as Sydneys summers grew hotter. Matthew Newton. I think [a climate reshuffling] is already happening here. People are building highly connected communities where they share their experiences and their knowledge about climate, says Bodor, who now works for the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, a charity that buys and manages land for environmental protection. Advertisement She says she has no regrets about leaving a lucrative job in a big law firm. In Tasmania, she says, she has not only escaped more intense heat, but with the TLC has found work relevant to climate action. Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood says the phenomenon of climate refugees, from what he cheerfully calls Tasmanias north island, is both well known and welcomed. It started as a movement of grey nomads coming down here for the climate that they felt would be more comfortable than Brisbane or Sydney, but it is now young professionals and families too. Ellen Burbidges nephew during the familys evacuation from Narooma. Ellen Burbidge We find that once people have decided they want to come here they also want to contribute to the community; it is beneficial. They are bringing their skills, bringing their families. Peter George, a former journalist who is now an independent MP in the Tasmanian state parliament, is not surprised by Hamiltons findings. George, who moved to Tasmania from Sydney in 2011 to escape ever-hotter summers, counts among his friends climate refugees from Western Australia and South Australia as well as the east-coast states. Advertisement He says the influx will benefit Tasmania because climate refugees not only bring new wealth and new demand for services, but also new ideas to a political culture he believes has been stunted by closed networks holding power in the states parliament and bureaucracy. But George also sees evidence of tension. Like any change it will be uncomfortable, and at times confrontational. When you have run as far south as you can, you are brought face to face in the end with what is destroying our world. Richard Flanagan Island communities can be resistant to changes driven by outsiders, says George, and like other Australian capitals, Hobart is in the grip of a housing crisis. In Cygnet, the town south-west of Hobart where he lives, he knows families who have cashed in, selling off sections of farmland to mainlanders seeking refuge in cooler air as property prices surge, but who still feel discomfited by the social changes caused by the influx of newcomers. Advertisement U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs speaks during a discussion in Belgrade, Serbia, Dec. 16, 2025. The global economy is not a zero-sum game, and China's rise should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a threat, said prominent U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs on Tuesday.(Xinhua) BELGRADE, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The global economy is not a zero-sum game, and China's rise should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a threat, said prominent U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs on Tuesday. Instead, countries around the world should pursue shared prosperity and sustainable development through regional cooperation, Sachs said here at a discussion. Sachs, also director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, noted that traditional zero-sum thinking stems from social Darwinist ideas that became widespread in the 19th and early 20th centuries. "The idea that life is inevitably a struggle, that it is 'either them or us,' is simply not true," he said. Modern economic well-being is not determined by competition over scarce resources, he said. "Economic well-being comes from technology, skills and effective governance." On China's development model, Sachs said that China's experience offers important lessons for global governance, noting that through systematic planning over five- and ten-year horizons, the Chinese government has laid out detailed strategies for key sectors, industries and technologies, enabling the country to become a global leader in many emerging fields. This success, he said, demonstrates how long-term planning and sustained investment can drive economic growth without coming at the expense of other countries. China's development should not be viewed as a threat, Sachs said, adding that the rhetoric portraying China as an enemy is often promoted by people who have never visited the country. "My advice to the U.S. Congress is simple: Get a passport, go see the world and look at how things really are," he said. Looking ahead, Sachs argued that the world should move toward cooperation rather than confrontation. "What I envision is a world of regional cooperation, where regions integrate internally while remaining open to one another," he said. In his view, the world could consist of interconnected regions, each achieving prosperity and security through coordination and collaboration. This approach, he said, is far more sustainable than models based on geopolitical rivalry or unilateral dominance, and more beneficial for the development of all parties. Advertisement Exclusive Eating outJust open Old boys club gets Wheres Nick makeover at charming new Darlinghurst wine bar A first look at Claret Club, which promises 30 excellent wines by the glass and a European menu from a former Dry Dock chef. Bianca Hrovat December 17, 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 A A A As featured in the January 2026 hit list. See all stories . A claret club is, historically, a members-only drinking club for those with a penchant for Bordeaux reds. Think exclusive parties on the lawns of Oxford colleges, posh men with symbolic tasting rituals and executives paying thousands of dollars in membership fees, and you would be on the right track. But Claret Club in Darlinghurst, from the owner of acclaimed Marrickville wine bar Wheres Nick, is none of that. Rather, its the kind of place where anyone can wander in for an excellent glass of wine and a little bar snack, minus the Old World elitism. Thats just not our style, says Bridget Raffal, who co-owns Claret Club with partner and fellow sommelier Harry Hunter. Its a big part of our philosophy not to gatekeep or hoard wine. 1 / 13 Claret Club owners Bridget Raffal and Harry Hunter. Dion Georgopoulos 2 / 13 Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos 3 / 13 Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos 4 / 13 Pigs head croquettes with salsa verde. Dion Georgopoulos 5 / 13 Snapper with sauce vierge. Dion Georgopoulos 6 / 13 Pan-seared duck breast with pickled cherries. Dion Georgopoulos 7 / 13 Comte gougeres with espelette pepper. Dion Georgopoulos 8 / 13 Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos 9 / 13 Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos 10 / 13 Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos 11 / 13 Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos 12 / 13 Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos 13 / 13 Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos Previous Slide Next Slide You can find the European-inspired wine bar and restaurant in a charming two-storey terrace overlooking leafy Stanley Street. When it opens this week, Raffal looks forward to sharing a wide range of local and imported wines (30 by the glass and eventually up to 800 bottles in the total collection), from an approachable $15 glass of chilled Domus Vini sangiovese to a $1300 bottle of 2005 Chateau Pavie Saint-Emilion Grand Cru from her personal collection. Advertisement In Sydney, fine wine collections with all the trimmings, like the proper glassware, the provenance and the storage, have usually been reserved for the pointy end of fine dining, Raffal says. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Pigs head croquettes with salsa verde. Dion Georgopoulos Raffal and Hunter have done that before. Between the two of them, theyve worked on some of Sydneys finest wine programs, at restaurants such as Sixpenny in Stanmore and Bentley Restaurant + Bar in the CBD. This time, they want to offer that level of care at a mid-range price point, in a way that feels warm and easy. We want people to be able to drop in and have a glass of wine [without having to] part with the world. At the same time, if they want to throw down on a bottle of wine and have a beautiful whole confit duck roasted with pickled cherries, they can do that too, Raffal says. Claret Club aims to be a wine bar in the truest sense. The bar itself is the focal point, and head chef Andy Buchanan (former executive sous chef at Balmains hatted Dry Dock pub) had one brief when designing the a la carte offering: Give us a menu that works with wine. Advertisement Claret Club, Darlinghurst. Dion Georgopoulos The kitchen kicks off with a tight selection of European-inspired dishes, beginning with snacks such as pigs head croquettes with salsa verde and gnocco fritto with anchovy and sage. Mains include confit duck and market fish with sauce vierge each meant to be shared, but available in half-sizes for solo diners. Tables are available for booking in the dining room and balcony upstairs, but the ground-floor bar is reserved for walk-ins. Its a policy inspired by a southern European approach to dining spontaneous dinners, long lunches and the occasional Tuesday-night red. We want to capture that sense of ease with extravagance, and put some love and energy into sharing a meal with people, Raffal says. Claret Club opens Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm, and plans to open for Friday lunch in the new year. Holiday hours are updated on Instagram. 77 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst, instagram.com/claretclub Advertisement LifestyleFashionGwyneth Paltrow Apple Martin raids mum Gwyneth Paltrows wardrobe for the red carpet Damien Woolnough December 17, 2025 5:03pm 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 A A There can be plenty of perks to being the daughter of Hollywood royalty, and Apple Martin, the daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, is making sure she enjoys most of them. The blonde 21-year-old singer joined her mother and brother, Moses, 19, at Tuesdays New York premiere of Paltrows latest film, Marty Supreme, starring Timothee Chalamet. For the red carpet, Apple borrowed a black Calvin Klein dress first worn by her mother to the 1996 premiere of Emma. Apple has already demonstrated an affinity for her mothers designer tastes, posing on Instagram in 2022 wearing the controversial black Alexander McQueen dress first worn by Paltrow to the 2002 Academy Awards. Apple Martin wearing her mothers vintage Calvin Klein dress, Gwyneth Paltrow in Valentino haute couture and Moses Martin at the New York premiere of Marty Supreme. Getty Images Gwyneth Paltrow wearing Calvin Klein at the 1996 New York premiere of Emma. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Advertisement Promoting a recent advertising campaign in which the mother-and-daughter act participated for clothing chain The Gap, Paltrow told US Vogue that Apple is very familiar with her archive. She pulls all kinds of stuff. Shes very into all my 90s Calvin, of which theres a lot, and the 90s Prada, of which theres a lot, Paltrow told Vogue. Sometimes we just play dress-up, and shell put on my Oscar dresses and stuff like that. We have fun down there. Apple managed to find her own outfit to attend last years exclusive Le Bal des Debutantes in Paris, wearing a strapless blue Valentino gown that took 750 hours to make. For the Marty Supreme premiere, Apple is following in the footsteps of other Hollywood offspring by tapping into the vintage trend through their parents archival pieces. Back in 2021, Zahara Jolie-Pitt borrowed a sequinned Elie Saab haute couture gown that her mother, Angelina Jolie, wore to the Oscars in 2012. Advertisement Salma Hayeks daughter, Valentina Pinault, reached further back into history to accompany her mother to the 2023 Oscars. Pinault picked a strapless red Isaac Mizrahi gown that her mother originally wore in 1997, long before her birth. To the relief of Princess Charlotte, who could be keeping a close eye on the wardrobe of her mother Catherine, Princess of Wales, even royals are not immune to the attraction of haute couture hand-me-downs. The 22-year-old heir to the Dutch throne, Princess Catharina-Amalia, wore an apple-green gown from Theresia Vreugdenhil in October to an event celebrating the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam. The dress with beading on the bodice was first worn by her grandmother, Queen Beatrix, in 1981 for a state visit to Belgium. In 2014, Catharina-Amalias mother, Queen Maxima, wore the dress to a concert in Amsterdam. Princess Beatrice wearing her grandmother Queen Elizabeths dress with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, on their wedding day in 2020. Royal Communications Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the Odeon, Leicester Square, London, for the world charity premiere of the film Lawrence of Arabia in 1962 wearing the Norman Hartnell gown. Getty Images Advertisement In July 2020, Princess Beatrice, daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, bypassed her mothers eclectic and vibrant wardrobe to pick a gown for her wedding day first worn by her grandmother Queen Elizabeth. The Norman Hartnell dress was worn by the Queen in 1962 to the London premiere of Lawrence of Arabia. Beatrice described wearing the dress as an honour. For Apple, wearing her mothers clothes appears to be more of a habit. Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday. Advertisement NationalBondi shooting Opinion Albanese has a moment in history to do something big. Hes wasting it Chip Le Grand State political editor December 18, 2025 5:00am December 18, 2025 5:00am 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 A A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. Australia and the United States share a tragic anniversary. On December 14 on Bondi Beach, 15 people were murdered at a Hanukkah celebration. On December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary, 20 children were murdered along with six teachers and staff. These killings are joined by more than the merciless slaying of innocents we saw in Sydney on Sunday and in Newtown, Connecticut, 13 years ago. For the men leading their nations in these moments of profound grief and anger, they also presented a powerful opportunity to do something big, something vital and something good. Mourners gather at a synagogue for the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a victim in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, on Wednesday, December 17. AP Barack Obama tried. Advertisement Within hours of the shooting, he made clear his intention to tackle the absurdly liberal gun laws that enabled 20-year-old Adam Lanza to get his hands on an assault rifle, shotgun and two semi-automatic pistols legally owned by his mother, who was also his first victim. These neighbourhoods are our neighbourhoods, these children are our children, and were going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of politics, said Obama, who has since described the Sandy Hook school shooting as the darkest day of his presidency. Politics had other ideas. A craven Congress and the influence of National Rifle Association ensured Obama fell six Senate votes short of securing gun law reform. Obama later reflected the defeat of that bill was the most bitter disappointment of his eight years in office. Sandy Hook is now a byword, not only for the grief and trauma of school shootings, but the sclerotic dysfunction of a political system which, even after so many little kids were murdered in their classrooms, could not break the yoke of the gun lobby. Anthony Albanese, within hours of the Bondi Beach massacre where a father and son apparently radicalised by Islamic extremism used a shotgun and hunting rifles to target and murder Jews, vowed to eradicate antisemitism, a hatred that has taken deep root in Australia since the start of Israels war against Hamas. Advertisement Borrowing from the imagery of Hanukkah, the prime minister said: There are nights that tear at the nations soul. In this moment of darkness, we must be each others light. Three days later, Jewish leaders are wondering whether there are any lights on at the Lodge. Instead of dedicating his energy and making best use of the extraordinary social licence his government and federal and state parliaments have to confront antisemitism wherever it ferments, the immediate response of Albanese and the national cabinet he chairs was to strengthen Australias gun laws adopted after the Port Arthur massacre. Related Article Opinion Antisemitism Why did it take violent deaths for our fears to be acknowledged? Alexandra Senter Digital media commentator The architect of those laws, former prime minister John Howard, called it a diversion. I fear the truth is more banal and disappointing. Albanese has become so risk-averse, so hard-wired to cause least offence, he cannot see the potential of his own leadership in this awful moment. Advertisement National regulation of firearms can be improved and a review is sensible. But this is not the problem. Not in the eyes of Jewish people who send their kids to school under armed guard, pass through security gates to access their place of worship and reflexively tuck their Star of David pendants into their shirts when in unfamiliar company. Jews arent asking for laws that make it harder for people who hate them to shoot them; they want the government to do something about the hate. In Victoria, the Allan governments initial policy offering money for more security guards at Jewish institutions, events and holiday camps and access to mental health services was similarly underwhelming. Related Article Opinion Bondi shooting You have failed us: Josh Frydenbergs full speech at Bondi memorial Tacked on the bottom of the press release was a paltry commitment of $250,000 for a therapeutic intervention program to combat extremism. Jews keep telling us they dont want to live behind higher walls or amid tighter security. We dont expect any other community in Australia to live like this. Zionism Victoria president Elyse Schachna politely thanked the premier for the money but urged her to do something about the bigger problem. Advertisement What does this problem look like? Philip Zajac, the president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, sketched an all-too familiar picture. Antisemitism in Australia has not come out of nowhere, he says. We have seen it on the streets of Melbourne for years now; signs that call all Zionist terrorists and declare that Jews hate freedom. Chants to globalise the intifada. We have seen it online influential, local influencers, doxing and attacking Jewish teenagers. Comments turned off on any news article that mentions Jews because the responses are too vile for the publication. And in the case of all of these real examples that I have mentioned, not a single charge has been laid, not a single consequence felt by the perpetrators. Jillian Segal, the prime ministers special envoy on antisemitism, identified five months ago where reforms are needed. She wants children to be better educated at school about the Holocaust, Israel and antisemitism to be taught at school and for funding to be stripped from universities that indulge antisemitism. She wants us to take a harder look at whether our migration system is importing hatred against Jews. Albanese, insists there is ongoing work in all these areas. We have taken the report from the antisemitism envoy and what we are doing is busy implementing it, he says. Advertisement If Albanese is to deliver what he has promised, he needs to get a lot busier. He will need to enlist state premiers, university vice-chancellors and willing partners in the union movement, arts, media and creative industries. The prime minister alone, even though he is a very powerful figure, cant implement the plan, Segal says. But first, he must show he is serious about trying. Chip Le Grand is state political editor. The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here. Advertisement NationalNSWBondi shooting Bondi gunman charged with dozens of offences, 15 murders Riley Walter and Perry Duffin Updated December 17, 2025 5:15pm ,first published 4:34pm 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. Naveed Akram, the 24-year-old allegedly behind Sundays Bondi Beach massacre, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 murders. Akram woke from a coma on Tuesday, having been critically injured in a shootout with police in which his father, Sajid, 50, was killed. Naveed Akram has been charged with almost 60 offences, including 15 murders. The father and son allegedly killed 15 people and injured dozens more when they used high-powered firearms to attack a crowd of Jewish families at the Chanukah by the Sea event. Advertisement NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon on Sunday night declared the mass shooting a terrorist attack. Naveed was on Wednesday charged with 15 counts of murder, committing a terrorist act and dozens of counts of wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder. He was also charged with discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol and placing explosives in or near a building with intent to cause harm. Naveed has been charged with: 15 counts of murder One count of committing a terrorist act 40 counts of wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder One count of discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm One count of causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol One count of placing explosives in or near a building with intent to cause harm Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community, police said in a statement. Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia. Advertisement Naveed did not apply for bail when his matter was briefly heard in court on Wednesday. He was remanded in custody to face court in April. This masthead has been told he was earlier spoken to by detectives, where he had senior counsel legal representation, but he declined to be interviewed over his alleged involvement in the Bondi attack. Matilda, 10, died after being shot at Bondi Beach on Sunday. In the days since Australias worst terror attack, details about the father and sons alleged links to extremist groups have emerged, including Naveeds involvement with a street preaching group in Sydneys west which has links to multiple Islamic State devotees. Lanyon on Tuesday alleged two homemade IS flags had been found in the silver Hyundai hatchback the father and son drove to Bondi. Incendiary explosive devices were allegedly also found in the car. Advertisement Police are also investigating a trip taken by the pair to the Philippines in the weeks before Sundays massacre, and how Sajid Akram legally secured high-powered weapons despite his sons alleged links to extremist circles. Police sources also alleged to this masthead the Akrams had prepared a manifesto before the massacre. Mourners lay flowers outside the Bondi Pavilion. KATE GERAGHTY Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett on Tuesday alleged the early indications from authorities investigations pointed to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State. These are the alleged actions of those who have aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation, not a religion, she told reporters. Barrett would not comment on the material found at a Campsie property the Akrams had been renting in the lead-up to the attack. The youngest of the Akrams alleged victims, 10-year-old Matilda, died in hospital after being shot as she visited a petting zoo with her parents and younger sister. Advertisement Related Article Graphic content Bondi shooting How the horrifying Bondi terror attack unfolded, moment by moment Her family, who returned to Bondi Beach on Tuesday, remembered her as a happy, bright girl. The oldest victim of the massacre was 87. Two police officers, Constable Scott Dyson, 25, and Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, were seriously injured in the shooting and remain in hospital along with other victims still receiving treatment. Dyson, a talented water polo player who has represented Australia, was shot in the shoulder and abdomen with what is believed to have been the high-powered rifle. Hibbert was shot in the head and shoulder. Shrapnel damaged the nerves behind one of his eyes in which he has lost vision, his family said. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A With their sure instinct for creating division and scoring petty political points, Sussan Ley, David Littleproud and John Howard have gone on the attack (Howard slams Albaneses leadership, calls changes to gun laws a diversion, December 17). As always, they have no clear policies or suggestions and certainly not a hint of bipartisanship. To castigate the prime minister, push back against changes to gun laws and foment further anger and unrest at this time is totally counterproductive. It is Howard, not Albanese, who is guilty of using weasel words in an attempt to restore the Liberal Partys and his own vanishing relevance. The real irony is that it was the bipartisan support he received from Kim Beazley and the staunch backing of Tim Fischer after the Port Arthur massacre that facilitated his much-vaunted changes to gun laws. Its such a pity he cant follow their example, rather than baselessly attacking the prime minister and politicising this terrible tragedy. Merona Martin, Meroo Meadow Photo: Cathy Wilcox It speaks volumes about the mindset of the federal Coalition that their carefully calibrated approach to the appalling massacre at Bondi centres on wheeling out John Howard as some kind of modern-day Gamaliel, at whose feet were all supposed to kneel and receive the wisdom of the ages (Ex-PMs broadside shows moment is slipping away from Albanese, December 17). Talk is cheap and the Coalition has form in never missing a chance to score similarly cheap political points. Whatever the Albanese governments own shortcomings, when it comes to dealing with antisemitism the Coalitions lecture on the subject via their has-been-in-chief smacks of rank opportunism by proxy, and makes all their smug rhetoric about true leadership sound hollow indeed. Adrian Connelly, Springwood Its beyond disappointing to see John Howard using the Bondi massacre to score political points against the Albanese government. Surely this is not the time to promote division in a grief-stricken nation. The overwhelming majority of us feel enormous sympathy for the victims and disgust for the perpetrators. This includes those who recognise Palestine and disapprove of Israels actions in Gaza. Its hard to believe an 86-year-old retired prime minister would think it acceptable to weigh in on such a sensitive matter at this moment in history. His disinhibition beggars belief. Rob Mills, Riverview John Howard has stooped to a new low, joining Sussan Ley, engaging in political point-scoring and calling stricter gun control a diversion after the Bondi attacks. With the Australian rights increasing embrace of the US-style guns dont kill people, people kill people mantra, their transformation into a Trumpian MAGA-lite outfit is almost complete. Howard also has some nerve accusing the Albanese government of allowing the attack since it was the Howard government who granted the older terrorist a visa in 1998. The intelligence agencies made clear there was no knowledge of an impending attack and so it wouldve occurred even under a Dutton government. Furthermore, Australians have every right to march against the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, and conflating it with antisemitism and the Bondi attack is unacceptable. Fabio Scalia, Balaclava (Vic) If I was ex-PM John Howard, having basked in the glory heaped on me for introducing gun law reforms after the Port Arthur massacre, I would now be embarrassed to appear in public since the Bondi shootings, which clearly show the reforms were inadequate. More so, I would never seek further plaudit by heaping scorn on our current PM. John Boutagy, Mosman Former prime minister John Howard at the memorial at Bondi Pavilion. James Brickwood. Advertisement John Howard was right: Australians are not stupid. Thats why we relieved him of the onerous task of prime minister in 2007 and booted him out of parliament. Its really sad that hes using this terrible event to try and give himself relevance once again. David Gordon, Cranebrook John Howard, divisive as ever, joins the hypocritical Netanyahu, Murdoch Inc, Littleproud, to flay the prime minister just 48 hours after the worst massacre on Australian soil in recent memory, and which we are all still trying to process. By contrast, Israels ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, was all class: I am not here to point fingers, he said. I am here to embrace, I am here to hug the community. Likewise, Premier Chris Minns and NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane. Sue Young, Bensville Fears for cheers When Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce are cheered as they arrive at the Bondi Beach vigil, we know our society is in trouble. Was John Howard blamed for the actions of a deranged lone gunman at Port Arthur? Was Jacinda Ardern blamed for the actions of a white supremacist killing 51 Muslims at Friday prayer in Christchurch? No. Yet people are all too eager to blame Sundays events on Anthony Albanese. The Cronulla riots happened 20 years ago, and Hanson and Joyce are trying to raise those demons in us again. Mark Baxter, Kingscliff Those now politicising the horrific shootings at Bondi, and no prize for guessing who they might be, are doing the very opposite of what most Australians are asking for. They are driving a wedge that divides the population, ensuring that this division will last well into the future. Can we not have some multipartisan co-operation, please? Bill Forbes, Medowie How misguided are those who applauded Pauline Hanson when she attended the scene of the Bondi massacre? To think that her messages of hatred and division are the answer to antisemitism, and that she is capable of creating unity and harmony among Australians, is naive in the extreme. Ray Morgan, Maroubra Barnaby Joyce and Pauline Hanson at the memorial for the victims at Bondi. Janie Barrett Advertisement How silly do Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce look? Looking for political capital, they spout their nonsense. On their reckoning, Ahmed al Ahmed, the Syrian immigrant who saved so many Jews, should never have been allowed to settle in Australia. I propose the opposite. Instead of just a handshake, reward the hero with citizenship for all his family, including his parents. Denise Reilly, Willoughby East National effort needed Further legislative changes are vital in addressing the horror of Bondi but the law alone cannot change hearts and minds. While we need federal protections, the responsibility to dismantle racism and antisemitism does not rest with the government alone, it belongs to all of us. Real change requires a collective national effort. We must commit to community-wide education that empowers every individual to challenge bigotry wherever they see it. All Australians, not just those in government, need to take action to ensure every person feels safe and empowered to assert their rights. Chris Andrew, Turramurra Its time we took a leaf out of Denmarks book and introduced Klassens Tid (Class Time), the empathy class for six- to 16-year-olds that is integrated into the school system. Combined with ethics, it would go a long way towards reducing some of the hatred and intolerance with which our society is increasingly bedevilled. Kendal Tichon, Bundanoon If more needs to be done to rein in antisemitism, then politicians and the conservative media need to stop intentionally conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Mike Harris, Newtown Police response Jordan Baker reports that it might take half an hour or more for heavily armed Tactical Operations Unit police, based in Surry Hills, to arrive at an incident such as that which unfolded at Bondi (Police were young and outgunned: Where was the backup at Bondi? December 17). It begs the question as to why given the nature of the occasion, a probable national terrorism threat level, and vulnerability of those attending in an open-air, unsecured environment a tactical response team wasnt assigned to be on-site and watching over the event from the start. Ross Duncan, Potts Point Advertisement Police scour the crime scene at Bondi. James Brickwood Government to blame To Prime Minister Albanese and his cohort: the road to Bondi was built on hatred, and paved with your indifference. When your Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong went to Israel last year, unlike all other international politicians and dignitaries, she doggedly refused to visit any of the October 7 massacre sites. She looked away. You were handed the report and recommendations of the special envoy to combat antisemitisms report six months ago and effectively did nothing. You looked away. I voted for you first time around. Never again. The first duty of government is to keep the people safe. There has been growing antisemitic rhetoric and violence, but the Hanukkah massacre clearly shows it has reached catastrophic proportions in Australia on your watch. And you were warned. You looked away and this cost 15 innocent lives. Kindly show some integrity and resign. Peter Reddy, Goulburn I read with some incredulity the many letters expressing outrage at what had occurred at Bondi and an expectation that the government will now enact a number, if not all, of the recommendations by the special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal. With the focus now on gun control, I have my doubts. The federal parliament next meets in February 2026. If the recommendations from Segals report are actually debated, this will provide some hope to the Australian Jewish community and the country at large. It is a national issue going to the very heart of the Australian way of life. To encourage the government, I suggest the creation of an online petition to be signed and sent to the speaker, saying: We, the people of Australia, want our federal parliament to debate the report of the special envoy to combat antisemitism at the first sitting in 2026. Dennis Bluth, Cammeray Tighten gun laws Stand by for a big push by the firearms lobby against any moves to toughen gun laws. As ever with powerful lobbyists, their dark arts are often performed behind closed doors. However, we can be sure that MPs of all colours will now be under pressure to resist cracking down on gun ownership. In this context, former PM John Howards dismissal of Labors push to tighten gun control as a big attempt at diversion rings hollow from a man who once saw all too clearly the danger of too many firearms in the community. David Littleproud is another claiming we dont have a gun problem. This kind of talk will make it all the easier for the next terrorists to lay their hands on weapons. Meanwhile, why are we still waiting for a national gun ownership register? Nick Franklin, Katoomba About 50 years ago, I was granted a gun licence. It was useful to me for about 10 years. Since then I have not needed it and have never owned a firearm myself. I have never been asked to update the licence or cancel it. I wonder how many in the community have inherited family firearms, or have firearms securely or insecurely stored in their homes? Checking this by an online form depends very heavily on an honesty system. Some people will not answer honestly due to illegal ownership, sentimental ownership, or ignorance. Marjie Williamson, Blaxland Advertisement I support a call for a snap referendum to ban gun ownership. The will and mood of the majority of Australians demand it. No one is to own a gun except for very limited exceptions. And for those, such as farm owners, the number must be severely limited with absolute proof of the primary purpose. Lets do it. The Coalitions call for more detail should fall on deaf ears. Howard Charles, Annandale The atrocity in Bondi was clearly a hate crime. The murder of 51 Muslims in their places of worship in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 was also a hate crime. The reason for the large number of lives lost was guns. There are underlying societal issues that need addressing, but guns are the common evil. Lets not go soft on that or be distracted. Lucy France, Cronulla Young life cut short When I first heard reports of 10-year-old Matildas death, I was struck by her name (Remembering Matilda, the youngest victim of the Bondi terror attack, December 17). Later I saw her family on television saying they were Ukrainian immigrants. Her mother named her baby Matilda in acknowledgement of her new home country. Was this child, born on our shores, the promise of a new beginning? Could there have been a more Australian female name than Matilda with which to bless this newborn? Matildas name represented sunshine, freedom and opportunity. Her photographs at Bondi Beach bore this out. Matildas killing was a blow to our country. Australia cheated her out of her life by allowing the hate speech, the symbols of divisiveness, and the use of iconic public spaces and thoroughfares, to frighten and cow a very small segment of its society. Yes we have laws, but are they really enforced? Yes, we have politicians, but who do they serve? Yes, we have a media, but does it have its own agenda? Matilda, I did not know you, but my heart bleeds for you. Our country failed you. Isaac S. Mordecai, Rose Bay Ten-year-old Matilda, who died in the Bondi attack, was named in recognition of Australia, her Ukrainian familys new home. Victim blaming Those correspondents who blame Benjamin Netanyahu for the Bondi massacre are indulging in disgraceful deflection and victim blaming (Letters, December 17). Lets not forget that for extremists, Israels existence alone was cause for violence and hatred long before Israels military campaign in Gaza began. The continuation of that antisemitism has been fed by the constant demonisation of Israel, with lies about genocide and rallies demanding Israels destruction. This needs to end. Athol Morris, Forde (ACT) Advertisement Advertisement Updated NationalNSWBondi shooting Hero cop who shot Bondi terrorist identified Riley Walter Updated December 17, 2025 2:27pm ,first published 12:05pm 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. The hero police officer who shot Bondi Beach terrorist Sajid Akram has been identified as Detective Senior Constable Cesar Barraza. Barraza, a Bondi-based detective, fired at gunmen Sajid and his son, Naveed Akram, from about 40 metres away as the pair shot indiscriminately at members of the Jewish community gathered at Sundays Hanukkah event. Loading Barrazas shots are believed to have killed Sajid, 50, and wounded Naveed, 24. Critical incident investigators interviewed Barraza on Wednesday morning and continue to review body worn footage of the mass shooting. Advertisement Editor's pick Bondi shooting The Sydney suburbs with the most guns, as overall numbers rise Investigators will continue to analyse the police response and the shooting of the father and son. While Barraza is believed to have fired the shot that killed Sajid, a ballistics review is likely to confirm which of the officers weapons fired the bullet that killed the 50-year-old. Barraza, a former cybercrime squad detective, had been working on Sunday and rushed to the beach amid the chaos. Footage circulated on social media emerged this week of Barraza taking cover against a tree before firing his service weapon towards the footbridge from which the father and son had launched their attack. Detective Senior Constable Cesar Barraza aims from his position behind Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club. Facebook Advertisement Other footage of the moment, filmed from several locations and reviewed by this masthead, appears to show Sajid collapse after Barraza fires. Barraza, whose police colleagues have labelled him a hero, was one of dozens of officers who rushed to the iconic beach as the shooting unfolded. A police officer of more than 15 years, he appeared on the reality television show Recruits, which follows the journeys of prospective NSW Police officers during their training. I want to be a police officer because I hate crime, Barraza said on the program in 2009. Loading Advertisement Two police officers, Constable Scott Dyson and Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, were seriously injured in the shooting and remain in hospital. An off-duty police officer who was at the beach on Sunday rushed to injured victims to render first aid after sheltering his family. Hibbert was one of several officers at the beach on duty when the shooting started. He and his partner were walking through Archer Park when the Akrams started shooting at them. Hibbert was shot in the head and shoulder, his family said in a statement issued on Wednesday morning. Despite undergoing several surgeries and miraculously surviving his injuries, Hibbert lost vision in one of his eyes, his family said. He is expected to undergo further surgeries. Advertisement Jack is just 22 years old and has only been in the police force for four months. Even so, in the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able to, his family said. Jack was simply doing his job a job he deeply loves driven by a commitment to protect the community, even at great personal cost. Probationary constable Jack Hibbert was dragging members of the public to safety when he suffered a gunshot wound. NSW Police Many of his colleagues who were present on the night of the incident have visited him in hospital and given testaments to Jacks bravery during the incident, describing his devotion to his community. They described how Jack acted, he moved toward people in need, not away from danger, and continued helping others while seriously injured. Dyson, a talented water polo player who has represented Australia, was shot in the shoulder and abdomen with what is believed to have been the high-powered rifle being fired by Naveed. He has worked in the eastern suburbs command for 18 months, police said. Advertisement On Tuesday, Acting NSW Police Association president Ian Allwood described Hibbert, Dyson and other responding officers as heroes. A photo provided by the family of NSW Police Constable Scott Dyson, who remains in hospital. Dyson family He said police officers drove ambulance vehicles to hospitals while paramedics treated injured patients in the back. In an earlier statement, Dyson and Hibberts families expressed their heartfelt gratitude to all first responders who acted with courage, in particular the police officers and paramedics who responded. They thanked hospital staff and offered their thoughts to the families and friends of victims injured and killed in the shooting. Advertisement Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A Yao Xiao from St Aloysius College topped the state in English extension 2 in the 2025 HSC. James Brickwood The leftovers: Aesthetic autonomy in Shakespeares oeuvre An empty stage. HAMLET walks on stage and stands in the centre. The CRITIC sits in the empty theatre, peering at the wings. Leftovers. The scraps left behind after any unfinished meal. For some, disposable; for others, a boon! Type leftover into Google, and you will be treated to an array of recipes for meals made with leftover roast lamb, mashed potatoes or barbeque chicken enough to make the Falstaff within each of us salivate. Advertisement Nonetheless, after a meal, they linger at the edge of the plate. And just as these leftovers linger, waiting to be thrown into a wastebin or refrigerated to be savoured anew, there are characters in literary texts who, too, linger in the peripheries of print and the edges of the stage, undigested into a coherent narrative whole characters whose arcs seem unresolved. Their authors, seemingly, do not quite know what to do with these creations. Think of Antonio in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice, who remains unpartnered in the plays final scene, and whose primary role is paradoxically, in a comedy to be the sad one. Or his namesake, Antonio, in Twelfth Night, who is likewise excluded from comic revelry, denied the fulfilment of marriage. Or yet another Shakespearean Antonio, of The Tempest, who speaks only two lines in the final scene and remains silent as his brother, Prospero, offers forgiveness, dampening the possibility of reciprocal, Agape love promised by Prosperos olive branch. I term such figures leftover characters. If, as literary critic Jonathan Culler argues, [c]haracter is the major aspect of [literature] to which structuralism has paid least attention, these leftover characters have been especially starved of critical attention. To redress Cullers critique, literary theorist Alex Woloch proposes a model he terms character-space: the relationship between an individual human personality and a determined spacewithin the narrative. In any palatable dish, or work of coherent narrative art, there is the hero ingredient what Woloch denotes as the central condition of the protagonist, who serves as the texts referential core. This referential core, I argue, is genre by another name, congruent with John Frows definition of genre as a set of highly organised constraints onthe interpretation of meaning. A texts ostensible genre is often aligned with the protagonists central condition: Hamlet reads as tragedy because Hamlet is a tragic figure, just as Viola and Sebastians comic trajectories render Twelfth Night a comedy. Thus, generic categories emerge not as properties of texts per se, but rather as emergent effects of how characters are positioned, privileged and resolved within dramatic structures. Leftover characters, I posit, are those excluded from the particular generic conventions that govern their protagonists: characters whose presence challenges both the semantic meanings and syntactic patterns that would otherwise provide narrative closure. Advertisement I will treat these offcuts, these surplus ingredients, these leftover characters as boons. Not Even Food for Worms: Horatio in Hamlet HAMLET [Stops pacing, considers] HoratioNow there be a perfect leftover: supportive, but never centre stage. Yes, my lord. Indeed, my lord. An attendant lord if ever there was. He speaks but barely three hundred lines! And I a thousand and hundreds more! CRITIC In modern parlance, we would diagnose you with main character syndrome. Advertisement Why does Horatio live? He expresses suicidal ideation: his best friend had just died, and the Danish Royal family had been annihilated. In Shakespeares Elizabethan milieu, with its faith in the Divine Right of Kings, dynastic collapse represented cosmic catastrophe. He is akin to the lone survivor of an apocalypse, ostensibly marking him immediately as a leftover character. Yet, his survival, simultaneously, seems demonstrably teleological. His duty is outlined clearly by Hamlet: to tell [Hamlets] story. In tragedies, there are always characters who survive the catastrophe to catalyse future regeneration; I label them tragic historians. As critic Andrew Hui notes: [Their] concluding speeches underscorethat [these characters] need time to think about the actions that have just occurred. Tragic historians serve two distinct functions within tragedys syntax. Some exist to make sense of what A.C. Bradley calls tragic mystery - figures who attempt to impose narrative coherence on chaotic events, such as Ludavico at the end of Othello. Others function as moralisers who can swiftly alchemise the tragedy into didactic instruction, like Edgar in King Lear, urging onlookers to speak what we feel. There is something especially strange about Hamlet: only Horatio survives as witness to the tragedy. Advertisement Both archetypes satisfy tragedys telos: discerning meaning from suffering. The denouement provides the interpretive framework that processes catastrophic events as cathartic and meaningful: products of inescapable fate or avoidable human error. Tragedies are causal, not entropic. And while Shakespeares tragedies seemingly disrupt Ancient Greek tragic obsessions with moirai, they do fulfil Aristotles ideal for tragedy to have an air of design what Bradley extrapolates as the tragic fact, where the calamities of tragedyproceed mainly from actions. Indeed, I argue, Shakespearean tragedy is entwined with Christian theology, in the same way comedy is entangled with Christian marriage dogma, as tragic historians and moralisers function like the Four Evangelists: figures who inscribe a redemptive arc to suffering. As [critic Northrop] Frye argues, suffering in Shakespearean tragedy has something subdivine about it, especially in light of Christian perceptions with tragedy as an episode inthe larger scheme of redemption and resurrection. Despite the bitterness of tragedy, there is always a sweet aftertaste. Related Article HSC The top student in every HSC subject revealed So thats it. Horatio isnt a leftover character! Tragic historians clearly are a generic feature of tragedy. Well, not quite. There is something especially strange about Hamlet: only Horatio survives as witness to the tragedy. This anomaly concentrates the entire burden of historical transmission onto a single figure, one who paradoxically abandons the historians interpretive duty, removing him from the generic structure of tragedy entirely. Horatio eponymises historical consciousness, but a consciousness stripped of its redemptive capacity. He is a leftover character after all. Postscript Advertisement Advertisement NationalQueenslandCity council Call to arms: Councillor ordered to apologise for Israel-Palestine propaganda William Davis December 17, 2025 9:55pm 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 A A A Brisbane councillor must apologise and pay back thousands of dollars after distributing a pamphlet on the Israel-Palestine conflict that amounted to propaganda, an independent review has found. The ruling was followed by a war of words on Wednesday afternoon: the lord mayor said Greens representative Trina Massey had been fanning the flames of hatred, while Massey accused the city leader of defamation and said she was considering legal action. Massey, who represents the inner-city Gabba ward, mailed her spring newsletter to thousands of residents in August last year with a two-page spread titled Khalils Story, which sought to outline the history of the Middle East. Greens councillor Trina Massey published a newsletter in August last year with a two-page spread titled Khalils Story. Monique Westermann It immediately attracted a backlash from some constituents, who said the language was inflammatory and partisan, and noted its timeline began with Ottoman rule in the Middle Ages, did not mention the Holocaust or October 7 attacks, and suggested Jewish people were not indigenous to Israel. Advertisement The first emotion was anger, one of several residents interviewed by independent investigators said. Then it was fear, and concern because its pure hate speech. She has a bachelor of arts in history; she knows the timeline of the Middle East hasnt started in 1516. You could say it was ignorant if it was someone else, but this is intentionally misleading. On Monday, Brisbane Councils ethics committee made up of three Labor and three LNP councillors voted unanimously to endorse the recommendations of the independent review conducted by FairFact Consulting Services. It found Massey breached several behavioural standards. The report said the article was essentially propaganda and a call to arms for pro-Palestinian support that is not objective to the rest of the community, and this could reasonably be expected to make members of the Jewish community feel unsafe, victimised, and targeted. But the report rejected other aspects of the complaints and did not describe the article as antisemitic. Advertisement Massey was required to issue a public apology in her next ward newsletter and on social media, repay Brisbane City Council half of the $20,000 cost of publication, and undertake training and counselling on the code of conduct, at her own expense. Massey told investigators at the time that she stood by the article and was critiquing Zionism and the state of Israel, not Jewish people. Some of the information included in my newsletter may be uncomfortable to read, but this is the nature of truth telling, a social media statement in September 2024 said. As Australians living on stolen Indigenous land, its important that we sit with this discomfort as we challenge our own histories of occupation and invasion. Advertisement Massey did not write the article. Academic and rapper Dr Jamal Nabulsi was paid $2800 for the 500-word contribution. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner was scathing of his colleague on Wednesday, arguing her rhetoric was contrary to social cohesion. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Trina Masseys 2024 spring newsletter was contrary to social cohesion. Catherine Strohfeldt She used Hamas talking points, he said. This is something that agencies like ASIO have warned against they were warning politicians to tone it down and be careful about their language and not fan the flames of hatred. Advertisement Not only is this material offensive to our Jewish community I am genuinely sickened. The Greens councillor did not respond to phone calls or text messages from this masthead on Wednesday afternoon, but provided a statement through her party late in the day. The LNP lord mayors comments today are shameful, defamatory, and are not substantiated by the councils own report. I reject his claims and am considering my options, she said. It is disgraceful that this LNP politician would cynically exploit the nations grief in an attempt to silence my communitys strong advocacy for peace. My constituents advocate for peace, and will continue to do so. Jason Steinberg, president of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, joined Schrinner at City Hall to condemn Massey. Advertisement This is propaganda several members have said they dont feel safe walking in West End. A member of the ethics committee who was not part of the ruling LNP told this masthead the timing of Mondays decision was a coincidence, and the vote had been scheduled before the Bondi shooting. Massey has condemned Hamas and the October 7 attacks. After the Bondi attack, she posted on social media: Jewish people have a right to safety. Antisemitism has no place in our community, and this abhorrent attack is an attack on all of us. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement NationalQueenslandRadio The audience spoke, I listened: Why Robin, Kip and Corey are back after their shock sacking Marissa Calligeros and Nick Dent December 17, 2025 1:00pm 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 A A Its not often radio hosts are sacked and then rehired weeks later by the same station. But thats exactly what happened for KIIS97.3 Brisbane breakfast radio hosts Robin Bailey, Kip Wightman and former Broncos star Corey Oates, who were axed from their show in early October, only to be asked to return. The decision to bring back the trio was driven by an overwhelming audience response, insisted ARN Medias new chief executive, Michael Stephenson, who has been in the role for eight weeks. Robin Bailey, Kip Wightman (right) and Corey Oates (left) on KIIS97.3. At the end of the day, we create and distribute content to attract audiences and the audience spoke, and I listened, Stephenson told this masthead after this weeks announcement. Advertisement We made a decision [in October] to go in a different direction. I dont see that as a mistake it was a different direction. But Stephenson conceded the audience backlash was swift and strong. We heard the audience and changed our direction we pivoted, he said. Michael Stephenson, ARNs new chief executive, presenting to advertisers. ARN Comedian and radio host Craig Lowie Low, who had been announced as the solo replacement for Robin, Kip and Corey in 2026, will instead host a national 9pm-midnight show Lowie Live. He is someone who can continue to attract a younger audience, Stephenson said, adding the nightly show would become increasingly more digital and video-focused. Advertisement Im completely OK for us to adjust our strategy based on what the audiences demands are, and Brisbane audiences and consumers love those guys. In the survey results towards the end of the year their numbers were fantastic, and I have every expectation that will continue into 2026. In October, a tearful Bailey told listeners she was fearful about how she would earn a living after her breakfast radio program was axed, despite improving in the ratings. Kind of scary to think I dont know how to make money, but Ive just got to believe that something will happen, something good, she said. Then, this week, a large billboard over busy Milton Road in inner-Brisbane read: Merry Xmas Brisbane. Robin, Kip & Corey are back, Jan 19. Advertisement In an official statement from ARN Media, Bailey, Whiteman and Corey praised people power for the move. Brissy you did it! Thank you so much. We are coming back because of you and I cant tell you how grateful I am to be back behind the mic with Kip and Corey again on KIIS973, Bailey said. A reversal like this is a first and Im beyond excited for what it means for the Robin Kip & Corey show in 2026. Wightman said: How good is people power?! No one gets behind a team like Brisbane! Cant wait to kick off 2026 back in the studio. I guess Ill need to return all the office equipment I stole on the last day! Advertisement The Robin, Kip & Corey Oates show leaped to fourth place in the latest radio ratings, increasing its audience share from 10 per cent to 11.2 per cent. Related Article Radio Not Kyle and Jackie O: Radio hosts address rumours as Robin Bailey takes swipe at network after axing It beat Loretta Ryan and Craig Zonca on ABC local radio, whose audience share dropped from 10.1 per cent to 9.1 per cent. However, they still trailed Nova106.9s morning offering with Ash, Luttsy & Nikki Osborne, which commanded an overall audience share of 13.2 per cent, down a smidgen from its previous share of 13.4 per cent. They were also beaten by Stav, Abby & Matt on B105 (11.7 per cent) and Marto, Margaux & Dan on Triple M (11.9 per cent). Advertisement Stephenson has replaced former ARN Media chief executive Ciaran Davis, who was responsible for poaching Kyle and Jackie O from 2Day FM. Stephenson, who left Nine, the publisher of this masthead after two decades a year ago, has appointed his former Nine colleague Kerri Elstub as chief content officer at ARN, and Dave Cameron as director of content metro radio. Cameron is yet to assume his new role and remains on leave from rival Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) until early 2026. ARN has struggled after Kyle and Jackie Os show expanded to Melbourne, with advertisers defecting to Lachlan Murdoch-owned rival Nova, and the media watchdog finding the controversial Sydney-based hosts had breached broadcasting decency codes. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement NationalQueenslandUniversity What happens if your ATAR is too low for your university course? Catherine Strohfeldt December 17, 2025 9:57pm 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 A A Almost exactly one year ago, then-year 12 graduate Kennedy Meddows nervously looked up her ATAR. Hoping to study architecture at the Queensland University of Technology, Meddows said she needed a score of at least 80, including adjustments. It was four whole points [under], so I got like a 76, she said. QUT architecture student Kennedy Meddows. Queensland University of Technology Meddows studied a mix of vocational and standard subjects in a blended pathway, and her specific selection meant she would be hard-pressed to score above an 80, even with perfect marks. Advertisement Related Article High school Inside the algorithm that scales high school subjects, and what it means for your marks I actually wasnt told that was the case when I was picking my subjects, she said. However, Meddows had a back-up option, and will enter her second year of a QUT bachelor of architectural design in 2026. She was one of the first students to undertake the universitys diploma of architectural studies, offered through QUT College formerly QUT International College. The colleges chief executive, Ken Beutel, said the school began offering pathway diplomas to domestic students in 2021. Advertisement These diplomas have lower entry requirements, and for some diplomas including engineering and architecture 100 per cent of the course is transferable, effectively pasting over students first year. Theyll do basically the same units they would in faculty, but we just give them a bit more scaffolding, he said. Theres no time lost, theres no money lost, and theres no loss of face when they can turn up in second year. Other major Brisbane universities offer similar branching programs, such as Griffith College and University of Queensland College. Most universities also offer a tertiary preparation program, which can take between one and two semesters and boosts a students ranking. Advertisement The ATAR isnt everything, and it doesnt define you you will be able to get to where you want to be without hitting that high ATAR, Beutel said. UQ student Joshua Ryu undertook an internship in San Francisco this year. Joshua Ryu Second-year UQ pre-medicine student Joshua Ryu said students stopped talking about their year 12 scores soon after beginning tertiary studies. If anything, its more of like a stepping stone to trying to do better things in life, he said. For students who are trying to get into university programs, youll get a GPA [grade point average] there, so that will supersede your ATAR anyway. Advertisement Joshua Ryu graduated from Brisbane State High School in 2023. Joshua Ryu Ryu graduated from Brisbane State High School with an ATAR of 99.80, receiving an outstanding academic achiever award from the Queensland curriculum board for his individual subject scores in 2023. He said his score helped him earn two scholarshipsbut that his success came more from his responses to application questions and his CV of extracurricular activities. University is a really good place to learn that this one number doesnt define you because, for example, my GPA is lower than what my ATAR was compared to other people, and that hasnt affected me negatively in any way, he said. There are so many more opportunities that are offered to you post high school, and you just have to look out for opportunities and really put yourself out there. Advertisement Ryu and Meddows said their extracurricular activities were now taking centre stage, with Ryu scoring short study and internship trips abroad this year including to San Franciscos Silicon Valley and both are planning international exchanges before the end of their degrees. Just over 29,000 Queensland year 12 graduates will receive their ATAR scores at midday on Thursday, with the curriculum authority revealing on Tuesday about one-quarter had ranked at or above an ATAR 90. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. MACAO, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations concluded on Wednesday in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), issuing an initiative on mutual learning and inheritance innovation. The initiative called for upholding a global perspective to promote dialogue among civilizations and experience sharing; championing openness and inclusiveness to deepen mutual learning and people-to-people exchange; cherishing cultural heritage and integrating traditional wisdom with modern development; focusing on intergenerational transmission to support youth development and digital innovation; and jointly building platforms for dialogue among civilizations and advancing the Global Civilization Initiative. Qian Chengdan, a Boya chair professor at Peking University, told the media that Macao has a rich historical legacy and serves as an important bridge connecting Chinese and Western cultures. He expressed hope that the forum would help spread China's ideas on civilizational exchange and mutual learning to a wider audience, which he said is of great importance for safeguarding world peace and development. Alfred Hornung, a member of the Academia Europaea and a research professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany, recalled that his first encounter with China around 20 years ago led him to reorient his research by incorporating Chinese civilization into his scholarly framework. Stressing the importance of intercultural exchange, Hornung noted that China has an older civilization compared to many other places in the world. "We (as researchers) were always one-sided, looking only to the west, and ignored what was going on in the eastern parts of the world," he said. Cui Shoujun, a professor at the School of International Studies of Renmin University of China, said at the forum that advocating stronger dialogue among civilizations is a "crucial issue of the times." Facing numerous global challenges today, he noted, no single civilization can address them alone, and all civilizations must work together. Hosted by the Macao SAR government and organized by its Cultural Affairs Bureau, the forum, in its first version, commenced on Tuesday and brought together around 300 representatives from government departments and international organizations, as well as leading experts and scholars worldwide. Advertisement NationalVictoriaTragedy PNG teen killed in minibus crash was the hope for his entire family Melissa Cunningham and Isabel McMillan December 17, 2025 6:54pm 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 A A Jamie Kakons father spent his entire life savings to send his oldest child to Australia in the hopes of giving him a better life and education than in his homeland of Papua New Guinea. But that dream was shattered on Monday when the 17-year-old high school student was one of four people who died after a minibus veered off a remote road and ploughed into a tree in northern Victoria. Jamies uncle, Brian Waffi, said from his home in PNG that the teenagers family were heartbroken and in shock. Jamie Kakon moved to Melbourne eight years ago. Jamie was such a good boy. A very obedient, kind boy, Waffi said. Advertisement His father cannot speak, he is crying so much. He was the hope for his entire family. They wanted him to get a good education. His father sacrificed so much so he could hopefully one day support his family back home. Waffi said Jamie moved to Melbourne eight years ago, and had three younger siblings in PNG. To lose him in such tragedy, they cannot accept what has happened yet, he said. The family will travel to Australia on Friday, and hope to take Jamies body home with them. As news of the tragedy rippled through the small town of Mooroopna, dozens of people from the PNG community arrived at the home of another victim of the crash, grandmother Linda Kulia, and sat for hours crying together. Advertisement Many of those who gathered at the 51-year-olds house on Tuesday brought gifts and food. Others held her griefstricken daughter. In an ancient practice known in Papua New Guinea as haus krai (house of crying), the same people will return to her house each night this week. The tradition honours the dead through shared sorrow. The ceremony can last weeks, from the time a person dies until they are buried. Linda Kulia: She was so sweet, so kind to everyone. Goulburn Valley PNG Association former patron Mason Maso said it was a communal kind of grieving, and a way to come together to mourn the loss of two of their own. Advertisement We go, we grieve, we show our empathy, our sympathy and our condolences to the people, he said. We cry with them. We sit together. We share ideas about what to do. Maso said Kulia and Jamie were among a group of overseas workers who had spent the hours before the fatal crash fruit-picking at a farm a few kilometres south of Cobram. Kulia, who was a permanent resident, had lived in the Greater Shepparton area for more than four years and was an adored grandmother and mother, he said. She was so sweet, so kind to everyone. She was full humility. A beautiful soul. Yesterday was a very sad time. We came together and could not stop crying. Kulia often picked fruit at nearby farms as a casual job to support her family. Advertisement Maso said this was a common means of employment for the growing PNG community in the Goulburn Valley, with many coming to the region on visas to work on farms. Related Article Updated Road safety Tragic, senseless: Four overseas workers killed in minibus crash, children seriously injured Tributes for Jamie have flooded in on social media, including from the family the young student was living with. My Jamie, wrote Papua New Guinean community member Alfred Andapanga. You were my childrens first friend in Melbourne. They found you and you joined them. You moved in and lived with them. You became me and my wifes 8th [child]. I came home last Friday and your brothers and sisters told me you left for Shepparton in the afternoon. Advertisement My wife and I heard your news earlier today, but we are finding it very heavy to tell your brothers and sisters ... Your clothes, bike, bed and everything are here, and we are lost. I know you are not there, but we are on the way to Shepparton wishing its another Jamie. Emergency services were called to Chapel Road in Muckatah just before 5pm on Monday after the minibus carrying nine people veered off the road. A 34-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman believed to be from Central Africa also died. Five others were taken to hospital. Emergency workers at the scene of the fatal crash. Nine News Those injured in the crash include three 16-year-old girls and an 18-year-old woman. The 39-year-old minibus driver remains in hospital under police guard. Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir on Wednesday told reporters many of the occupants were not wearing seatbelts. Advertisement Were investigating the strong likelihood that fatigue was involved, in that we believe the people involved have been involved in the fruit picking industry and worked a long day and that someone drove and we think fatigue has caused that, he said. But also a lot of the trauma in the collision was caused because people werent wearing the seat belts provided All those involved lived in Greater Shepparton but were from overseas and working in the local area. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. Spy agency ASIO advised NSW Police that accused Bondi terrorist Naveed Akram had been associating with Islamic extremists well before police granted a gun licence to his father and accomplice, Sajid. The information exchange from ASIO to NSW Police involved Naveed Akram being placed on a known entity management list in about 2021. The list is a register of individuals who have attracted the interest of counter-terrorism authorities. Naveed Akram has been charged with almost 60 offences, including 15 murders. A state security source told this masthead that ASIO informed its NSW counterparts it had interviewed Naveed and that the available intelligence had led to ASIOs assessment about 2020 that he did not pose an ongoing risk that justified further monitoring. This masthead also confirmed NSW police detectives interviewed Naveed following his interactions with ASIO officials, where they, too, assessed that further monitoring and intensive investigation was not required. Advertisement Advertisement The revelation that NSW Police was apprised of ASIOs historical knowledge and assessment of Naveeds extremist links come as the state agency remains tight-lipped about what it knew about Naveed when it granted his father, Sajid, the right to buy and store firearms. It has also prompted wider debate within the law enforcement community about the rules around who should be banned from holding a gun licence and whether having a close relative who has historical extremism links albeit assessed as posing no ongoing risk as in the case of Naveed Akram should merit a ban. Questions about which agency knew what and when about the gunmen are secondary to the ongoing investigation tracking their alleged descent into terrorism and if it climaxed with the pairs November trip to the southern Philippines, a known Islamic extremist hot spot. But Australian policing and national security agencies are also bracing for what they expect is an inevitable and in-depth series of inquiries internal and external about the adequacy of the nations counter-extremist intelligence and deterrence systems. Related Article Bondi shooting Bondi shooters visited Philippines weeks before beach massacre Advertisement Early analysis has not identified obvious or glaring intelligence failures by any of the multiple agencies responsible for preventing terrorism, sources said. Some sources pointed out that in the almost six years after Naveed was initially assessed in 2019, he had not engaged in any detected activity that warranted further investigation. That is not to say that there will not be areas of improvement or mistakes that have been made, a source with extensive state police counter-terrorism experience said. Said another: Police or ASIO cant engage in endless saturation surveillance in the absence of evidence. With him [Naveed], two agencies assessed he did not pose an ongoing risk, and we didnt hear of him for half a decade. ASIO assessed Naveeds potential to pose a national security threat in 2019 after he was identified as an associate of members of a NSW Islamic State cell who were arrested by a state and federal joint counter-terror team. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday there were real issues within the intelligence and policing services that would need to be examined in the wake of the terror attack, as he convened a meeting of national cabinet. Advertisement Albanese said there had quite clearly been shortcomings in Australias intelligence and policing systems. Related Article Updated Bondi shooting Bondi shooters terror links revealed as police investigate manifesto We need to examine exactly the way that systems work, Albanese told ABC radio. We need to look back at what happened in 2019 when this person was looked at, the assessment that was made. We need to look at the way the Commonwealth and state agencies interact and we need to make any adjustments that are necessary to the way that our intelligence, security agencies, police agencies, all interact with each other. Retired Australian intelligence chiefs, including Nick Warner and Duncan Lewis, have publicly warned against a rush to blame security agencies for the attack, while serving senior officials noted the post-COVID policing environment that has seen resources stretched as agencies deal with what ASIO chief Mike Burgess has described as the most complex and febrile national security environment in decades. Advertisement Burgess has issued repeated public warnings about the ongoing threat posed by Islamic extremism and rising antisemitism over the last 18 months. Former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson also called for an extensive inquiry into the terror attack, including any possible intelligence-sharing issues. Related Article Analysis Bondi shooting What Albanese could do to prove he isnt dithering on terror Eventually, there will need to be an independent inquiry assessing what was known about the attackers, who did they share the information with and how different agencies and jurisdictions interacted with each other, said Richardson, who led ASIO from 1996 to 2005. A terrorist attack on Australian soil means, at the broadest level, this was a failure for ASIO and the state agencies. Regarding this particular event, it is too early to know whether more should have been done to prevent it. There are lots of questions and lots of unknowns. Im very loath to jump to any conclusions and point the finger in any direction. Advertisement Clarke Jones, an ANU academic who has worked with extremists for decades, including in the Philippines, said Australian authorities had done well to help stamp out Islamic extremism in the past decade. But its like putting out a fire and leaving the ashes burning, Jones said. Under all that black, its still been going. Jones said revelations the shooters travelled and reportedly trained in the Philippines a key foothold for Islamic State suggested existing links with the terror group. You would have to be in the know to know where and how to travel, he said. Any foreigner would stand out. Both shooters also appeared to have had combat training, he said, based on shocking footage of the massacre. Related Article Bondi shooting We stand with Jewish Australians: Albanese speaks in church as political recriminations mount Richardson said another key issue for examination was the quality of ASIOs 2019 assessment of Naveed Akram in which they deemed the Sydney man not to be a national security threat. However, he added: No agency will ever be resourced to a point that they can keep monitoring every person who comes onto their radar ad infinitum. Advertisement Richardson said he believed it was too clever by half to say that Sajid Akram should have been banned from receiving a gun licence solely because his son came to ASIOs attention several years earlier. Rory Medcalf, the head of the Australian National Universitys National Security College, called for the federal and NSW governments to launch an urgent review into the attack and the events preceding it. Noting a review was launched almost immediately after the 2014 Lindt cafe siege, Medcalf said: This time the completion could take months rather than weeks, because of greater scale and complexity, but there is no good reason it cant be commissioned now. Its entirely reasonable to ask hard questions about intelligence, databases, resourcing, policing and gun laws, as well as hard questions about the enabling environment and the many warnings from the Jewish community. Loading Advertisement All the official sources across multiple agencies who spoke to this masthead said there was consensus in the law enforcement community that Australias firearms monitoring systems are badly outdated and plagued by siloing and jurisdictional inconsistencies. Officials who have had extensive dealings with the unfinished operation to centralise and digitise data and intelligence holdings about Australian gun owners via a National Firearms Registry run by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission told this masthead it has been plagued by internal problems and poor buy-in from some states and territories, including those with antiquated gun licence records. Months ago, a small number of the commissions staff submitted whistleblower complaints to two senior federal Coalition MPs detailing these concerns, although a federal law enforcement official said the real problem lay with state participation in the new scheme. Various law enforcement officials also warned that even with the greatly renewed appetite for an overhaul of the gun ownership regime, politics and pro-gun lobbying may yet dampen reform. Advertisement Advertisement PoliticsFederalBondi shooting Opinion Howard has gone too far. His comments about Albanese tear us apart Shaun Carney Columnist December 18, 2025 5:00am December 18, 2025 5:00am 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 A A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. The public space in Australia has never been quite right since Hamas inflicted its barbarism on Israel on October 7, 2023. Truly shocking in its cruelty, no event since the Holocaust has affected the people of Israel and the Jewish diaspora, especially in Australia, so profoundly. Also in the wake of the attacks, supporters of Palestine felt emboldened to take to the streets and some marchers chanted From the river to the sea and waved flags of organisations that challenged Israels right to exist. A schism opened. It widened further as the Israeli government laid waste to Gaza as it sought to wipe out Hamas, with an estimated 70,000 deaths. The world looked on as the death toll rose. A ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October. Anthony Albanese at the scene of the Bondi Beach massacre on Monday. AAP It is impossible to overstate the searing pain felt by so many people over what happened on Sunday, which is a stain on our country. Fifteen innocent people have died and 41 have been injured. The deliberate, cold-hearted way in which the violence took place chills to the bone. The nation will need a long time to recover. Advertisement Advertisement Increasingly the horror at Bondi is looking more like the result of a series of failures of intelligence going back well before October 2023. The perpetrators were, at least in their own considerations, operating in the interests of Islamic State. Would individuals so perverted, so dehumanised that they would shoot families with high-powered firearms not have reached this point if the government had cracked down harder on antisemitism? Its becoming harder to hold the constituent parts of our polity together. John Howards contribution, with its focused criticisms of Albanese, was unbecoming for a former prime minister. The effect of his intervention was to give his assent to the Coalition to go full bore on politicising Bondi. Slagging off the man entrusted with trying to steer the nation through this powerfully difficult moment whether you like him or not will ultimately not help Howards side of politics. It will hurt it. Its so typical of these highly polarised times that the instant criticism of the national cabinet decision to tighten gun laws was that its a distraction a side issue. Typically, Ley, who behaves as though she is still the Liberals deputy leader rather than the actual leader, has allowed her colleagues and the Coalitions media friends to take her to this position too. Former Australian prime minister John Howard visits the Bondi Pavilion memorial site this week. James Brickwood In a statement on Sunday night she said: I provide the prime minister and all Commonwealth and state agencies with the Coalitions full and unconditional support as both governments respond to this situation. On Monday, she set that aside and attacked the government and said it was not the time to be talking about gun laws but later said changes to the laws needed to be on the table. By Tuesday, her home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam refused to endorse the idea of changes without seeing the detail; by then, the line that gun laws were a distraction had hardened. By Wednesday, the National Party took it further and started to develop a version of the argument that guns dont kill people, people do, so the exclusive focus must be on stamping out antisemitism. Advertisement Another perspective Opinion Bondi shooting Albanese has a moment in history to do something big. Hes wasting it Chip Le Grand State political editor How wonderful it would be to eradicate this ancient hatred: it would be one of the greatest achievements since the establishment of the first societies. Is it possible in an ever more interconnected world of digital disruption and disinformation campaigns in which antisemitic nations can orchestrate acts of destruction and worse in other countries? What we know already is that our major political parties are extremely unlikely to work together to achieve it. The Albanese government alienated the Jewish community early on in the Gaza conflict by not using stronger language when condemning antisemitic outbursts and incidents. But the entirety of Albaneses style as leader is built on caution, and he is not going to change. This is the greatest test of his way of leading. He looks static while his detractors become ever more ambitious in their attacks on him. The Coalition needs to be careful as it uses this rotten situation to score political points. I doubt that most Australians want to see it. Or live through it. Shaun Carney is a regular columnist, an author and a former associate editor of The Age. The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here. Advertisement PoliticsFederalBondi shooting If not me, who? Frydenberg lashes ABC hosts deeply offensive political question Nick Newling Updated December 18, 2025 9:54am ,first published 8:52am 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg has condemned the ABCs Sarah Ferguson for asking if he had any political motivations for his impassioned rebuke of the prime minister at Bondi on Wednesday, as he denounced the governments argument that a royal commission into antisemitism would delay action. The Coalition has been calling for a royal commission to investigate antisemitism and its influence on the Bondi terror attacks, which claimed 15 lives and injured dozens more, and key ministerial and Jewish figures within Labor have said they can do more to tackle the ancient hatred. Loading Advertisement During an appearance on the ABCs 7.30 on Wednesday evening, Ferguson asked Frydenberg if his speech at the Bondi Pavilion earlier in the day was a personal case against the prime minister ahead of an inevitable return to politics. Im deeply offended by what youve just said. Im deeply offended, Frydenberg responded. That is an insult to say that there is any political motivation in this. Related Article Bondi shooting Bondi shooting as it happened: Carload of men travelling to Bondi arrested by heavily-armed police in Liverpool; PM says hate preachers to be targeted in new reforms, defends action on antisemitism I am an Australian who has to have personal security because my life is endangered in this country, and I was the treasurer of this country. My children go to a school where there are armed guards outside. When I visit a Jewish age care centre, there are armed guards outside. When I send my kids to Jewish sporting clubs, there are police cars out there and police tape, Frydenberg said. How should we live with this? Why should we live with this? So, If Im not going to speak out, who is? If not now, when? If not me, who? The reality is, this was an attack on Jewish Australians, but this is a threat to every Australian. Advertisement Frydenberg served as treasurer under Scott Morrison from 2018 until he lost his seat in 2022 to teal independent Monique Ryan. He chose not to run for preselection for the seat in 2025. During his time in parliament, he was widely viewed as a future leader of the Liberal Party. While speaking at Bondi on Wednesday, Frydenberg recommended eight ways for the government to tackle antisemitism, including the establishment of a royal commission into the problem. However, the idea of a royal commission was rebuffed by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who said it would slow progress. Also speaking on 7.30, Burke said: The last thing I want is the delays that happen on a royal commission ... we need to put everything right into making sure we are keeping people safe and doing everything to make sure this does not happen again. Id remind you that after Lindt [the cafe siege], after Port Arthur, that was the same approach that was taken. You dont want the delays involved in a royal commission. The priority has to be: what actions do we take to keep people safe? Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Monday. Ben Symons Advertisement Treasurer Jim Chalmers backed Burkes position, saying: We want our agencies 100 per cent focused on the investigation. The work of police and intelligence forces would inform the governments additional necessary steps, Chalmers said. We dont want them delayed or deterred by a royal commission. Everyones focus, including the agencies involved here, needs to be on the investigation, needs to be on getting to the bottom of what happened here, he told ABC Radio National on Thursday. Related Article Bondi shooting We stand with Jewish Australians: Albanese speaks in church as political recriminations mount The sentiment was echoed by Labors highest-profile Jewish MP, former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus, who said a royal commission was not whats needed now, after personally being involved in 10 commissions. Whats needed right now is more action Were going to make sure that whatever resources are needed are now put into making sure that Australia is again a place where Jews can feel safe, because it isnt now, Dreyfus told the ABC on Thursday. Advertisement Speaking on Thursday morning, Frydenberg said Burke was weak and full of excuses. The home affairs minister has been delaying for 2 years. I dont know what hes talking about. At the end of the day, we have a home affairs minister who is weak. We have a home affairs minister whos full of excuses. We need a home affairs minister who is strong and is full of solutions. Thats the problem weve got, Frydenberg told Sevens Sunrise. The people who are in charge are not up to the job, and he cant keep going with excuses. I dont know what hes got to hide from a royal commission, Frydenberg said. Related Article Exclusive Bondi shooting Bondi shooter was interviewed two years before father was granted a gun licence Opposition finance spokesperson James Paterson echoed Frydenbergs words, saying he was absolutely flabbergasted by the governments reticence to establish a royal commission. Advertisement Advertisement PoliticsFederalBondi shooting Opinion You have failed us: Josh Frydenbergs full speech at Bondi memorial December 17, 2025 2:31pm 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. After laying flowers at the Bondi Pavilion memorial for Sundays shooting, former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, the first Jewish person to hold the position, gave an impassioned speech calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to act on antisemitism. Below is a full transcript of what Frydenberg said: Loading Thank you, everyone, for being here. Advertisement Im here to pay my respects to the souls of 15 innocent people, who have lost their life in the deadliest terrorist attack in Australias history. In the greatest loss of Jewish life since October 7 anywhere around the world outside the state of Israel. Rabbis, Holocaust survivors and the beautiful 10-year-old Matilda. Her parents said they gave her that name because it was the most Australian name they knew. What a tragedy. This massacre at Bondi is the greatest stain on this nation. Has brought the greatest shame to our nation. Im here to mourn, but I am also here to warn. Unless our governments, federal and state, take urgent, unprecedented and strong action, as night follows day we will be back grieving the loss of innocent life in another terrorist attack in our country. Former treasurer and Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg at the memorial for the Bondi terror attack on Wednesday. This was all too predictable. Ever since those hours after Hamas horrific attack on October 7, we saw the heinous scenes on the steps of another national icon, the Sydney Opera House, with people celebrating that death and destruction. Who was apprehended that day? None of those who hate Australia and hate Jewish people, but a simple Jewish man holding in solidarity the Israeli flag. Advertisement And since that day, we have seen the doxxing of Jewish creatives, the cancelling of Jewish artists, the boycotting of Jewish businesses, the graffiti-ing of our schools, the harassment, the intimidation of Jewish students and staff on our university campuses and of course the firebombing of our synagogues and day care centres and daily, daily protests of hate in this, the lucky country, which is lucky no more. And for 2 years, as the Australian Jewish community and others have raised the alarm bells, they were told by people who should know better that this was not as significant as they had said. We were told they didnt say gas the Jews on the steps of the Opera House, they simply said where are the Jews? The university vice-chancellor at the ANU, when one of her students went out publicly and supported a listed terrorist organisation, Hamas, we were told: I dont agree with what she has said, but it is her right under academic freedom to say it. And then we have the nurses in Bankstown calling for the death of Israelis and we are told its just a joke. When a caravan has a deadly message against Jewish people, we are told it is just a hoax. The protest at the Sydney Opera House in October 2023 sparked controversy. The Age Advertisement Well, the greatest massacre in Australias history is no hoax. It is no joke. Its a horrible, evil crime. So make no mistake, I am here, we are here to fight for the soul of Australia and to fight for the survival of the Australian Jewish community that has been here since the arrival of the First Fleet. Just over 100,000 strong. It has produced Australias greatest citizen soldier, Sir John Monash, who would be turning in his grave right now. Our first Australian-born governor-general, Sir Isaac Isaacs, and the man who brought a touch of healing to our country, Sir Zelman Cowen, and Olympic gold medallist Jessica Fox. Chief scientists and our greatest philanthropists, Frank Lowy, and industrialists: this is what the Jewish community has contributed in that 125 years or more, and this is how our government repays us. We, as a Jewish community, have been abandoned and left alone by our government. Our governments have failed every Australian when it comes to fighting hate and antisemitism. It is time for [Albanese] to accept personal responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people, including a 10-year-old child. It is time our prime minister accepted accountability for what has happened here. Josh Frydenberg Our prime minister, our government, has allowed Australia to be radicalised on his watch. It is time for him to accept personal responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people, including a 10-year-old child. It is time our prime minister accepted accountability for what has happened here. And its time our leaders stood up and led at last. Advertisement This is a time for accountability and action. So prime minister, I am going to give you some ideas about what you need to do. Firstly, prime minister, ban the hate preachers. On October 8, in Lakemba ... you had Islamic preachers say that October 7 [Hamas attack] was an act of courage and pride. When the Muslim community hears that message for the last 2 years, is this any surprise? The shooter here, who did this, was linked to a factory of hate in Bankstown. How can that factory of hate be allowed to open its doors for one day more? I say no, I say never. Related Article Bondi shooting Gun-law loopholes to take months to close in national firearm crackdown Second: Prime Minister, ban these extremist organisations that have been allowed to flourish on your watch in our country, when you have been prime minister. Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in the United Kingdom. It is banned in Germany. It is banned in moderate Muslim states. Yet it is not banned here in Australia. Eighteen months ago, the Channel Nine papers and 60 Minutes with Nick McKenzie exposed how Hizb ut-Tahrir was grooming young men in schools, online and across Australian society. Prime Minister, for 18 months what have you done? The answer is nothing, and the result is this. Advertisement Prime Minister, weeks ago, you had extremist right-wing organisations, Nazi sympathisers, standing on the steps of the Victorian parliament and the New South Wales parliament. Premier of Victoria, Premier of New South Wales, Prime Minister of Australia, what have you done? Nothing. That was your answer. This is the result. Ban those organisations immediately. Third: Prosecute those who incite violence and hate that has produced this. I interviewed the prime minister for my documentary 18 months ago on antisemitism. I put to the prime minister that Dennis Richardson, one of Australias most distinguished security professionals, the former head of ASIO, the former secretary of defence, the former secretary of foreign affairs, the former Australian ambassador to the United States said that the statement from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free was a very violent statement that had no place on our streets. And I put to you, I put to you, Prime Minister, that this is what Dennis Richardson said. And you agreed. You said it had no place on our streets. Yet what have you done, Prime Minister? Nothing! Nothing! And people are allowed to parade on our streets with Hezbollah, Hamas, ISIS flags and signs that say Jews are Nazis, Zionists are terrorists, yet where are the prosecutions? Where is the action? Prime Minister, what other country in the world are people in your country allowed to call for the abolition of? No other country, except the state of Israel. Well, I can tell you, I wont accept it and the people here will never accept it. Fourth: Stop the protests. For 2 years, we have put up with daily protests which have become incubators of hate. There is a ceasefire in the Middle East. Israel launched a defensive action against a listed terrorist organisation that took more than 1200 innocent lives and hundreds of Israelis hostage. And you have allowed these protests, unabated, to go on for 2 years, destroying businesses and now destroying lives. Stop the protests! Advertisement Fifth: Invest in education. When I did the documentary on antisemitism, I interviewed Julia Gillard. Julia Gillard said one of the reasons for the level of hate rising in our country is because young people dont have the information, the understanding. The knowledge of either the history of the Holocaust or the history of the Middle East. Across Australia, there is some Holocaust education but it is piecemeal. It is uncoordinated and it is different according to different states. You are the prime minister of Australia, and the history of the Holocaust is that bad things happen when good people stay silent. So its up to you not to sprinkle a bit of money around Holocaust education after a horrific terrorist attack but to take the initiative now, with whole-scale, wholesale, wide-scale reform to our education system. Related Article Bondi shooting What we know about the Bondi terrorists trip to Islamic State hotspot in the Philippines Teach Australian values of tolerance, respect. This was an attack on Australia and this needs root-and-branch change of our education system so that this never happens again. Sixth: Prime Minister, put in place a much more effective and rigorous and strong immigration system. On your watch, thousands of people have come from a terrorist hot spot without sufficient security checks. Your home affairs minister, who couldnt even put his face here in daytime, has to send officials out of the room to make promises about ISIS brides. You tell me how that is in Australias national interest? You tell me how bringing people to this country who dont accept, who dont know our democratic ideals, our values of tolerance, you tell me how that makes any of us, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, more safe? It doesnt. And until you change our immigration system to remind people it is a privilege to come to this country, it is a privilege to stay in this country, it is not their right, then nothing will change. Advertisement Seventh: Prime Minister, and this brings great shame to you and your home affairs minister and your government: You hand-picked a special envoy on antisemitism. She put together a comprehensive program that had initiatives for everything from the digital and media space to our universities and to our creative arts, to hard security, to soft security. She talks in that report about more resources for operational security. And today, we are talking about a graphic and tragic failure of operational security. Rabbi Yossi Friedman attends the vigil at the Bondi Pavilion Memorial. Louise Kennerley Yet she presented her report to your government more than 150 days ago, in July of this year. It has been gathering dust on your desk. If there were ever a metaphor, if there was ever a sign, if there was ever an example, if there was ever an illustration of your failure, of your governments failure to treat the dangerous rise of antisemitism with the urgency and the importance that it deserves, that was it. For 150-plus days you had a report and you did nothing. And this is the result. And finally, Prime Minister no ifs, no buts, no equivocations, no distractions you must call a royal commission into what has happened here and into the rise of antisemitism in our country. Prime Minister, you have supported a royal commission into our banks. You have supported a royal commission into our welfare system. You have supported a royal commission into aged care, and now the deadliest terrorist attack in Australias history has occurred on your watch. There is no ifs, there is no buts, there must be a royal commission called immediately. And we here deserve answers. Advertisement Related Article Bondi shooting Howard slams Albaneses leadership, calls changes to gun laws a diversion We dont need pious words of comfort, we need answers. How did people come into this country with these views that are so antithetical to our democratic ideals? How did these people in Australia go unchecked to the Philippines for terrorist training? How did these people acquire licensed firearms that they used on innocent civilians? How were these people radicalised in Islamic ideology? And how with some 1000 people here in a heightened threat environment, did we just have three police, ill-equipped to provide the first and fundamental duty of both the state and the federal government to protect the safety of their citizens? And we need answers, we need solutions, we need action. And Prime Minister, I heard you say yesterday that you are ready for the fight on guns. Well, let me tell you, guns may have stolen the life of 15 innocent civilians, but it was radical Islamist ideology that pulled the trigger. And if you, Prime Minister, cant say those words, Islamist ideology, if you cant speak them, you cant solve them. So, Prime Minister, you have failed us. Your government has failed us. You sit in a chair. It is time you earned that title. If you dont want to do the job, give it to somebody who will. Advertisement Advertisement PoliticsNSWBondi shooting Cap on guns, ban on protests during terror events: How Bondi massacre will change NSW laws Jessica McSweeney and Max Maddison December 17, 2025 3:46pm 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. A cap on gun ownership, reclassification of pump-action shotguns and a ban on inflammatory protests during terrorism investigations will be among a suite of reforms to give NSW the strictest gun laws in the country. Premier Chris Minns will also seek to remove the ability of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to consider appeals once police decide to revoke a gun licence based on criminal intelligence, after concerns police efforts are being thwarted by the courts, when parliament is recalled next week. Chris Minns attended the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger on Wednesday morning. AAPIMAGE The bill, which is yet to be drafted, will reclassify straight pull-up and pump-action shotguns, reduce the magazine capacity for shotguns, and ban belt-fed magazines. The premier did not put a number on the proposed cap, but said five firearms, which is the case in WA, is too many. Advertisement Related Article Updated Bondi shooting Hero cop who shot Bondi terrorist identified Minns called for a summer of calm and declared he is firmly of the view that any protests after the Bondi Beach terror attack would be incredibly terrible for the community. My concern is that a mass demonstration in this combustible situation with our multicultural community could light a flame that would be impossible to extinguish, he said. So were looking at reforms whereby when there is a terrorism designation in the state, the police commissioner may not accept applications for protests on the grounds that it will both stretch police resources and secondly, add to community disharmony. Minns said the rule would not target any particular group, and will apply to all form 1 applications. Advertisement The reforms have the support of Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip, who accused pro-Palestine activists of flaming division. Antisemitism is nurtured and sustained by hate for the Jewish community and our Australian way of life. It has to be tackled at its root cause and we look forward to working with the government on further, urgent measures to combat antisemitism, he said. The Palestine Action Group, which regularly organises anti-Israel protests in the city and spearheaded the Harbour Bridge march for Palestine, does not have any rallies planned, but labelled the move a serious danger to our democratic rights in NSW. The Greens have grave concerns about the proposal and will push at minimum for a sunset clause to be included. Pro-Palestine protests have been blamed by some in the Jewish community, including former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, for contributing to the rise in antisemitism. Advertisement The Council for Civil Liberties also condemned the proposed limit on protests as a restriction on democratic rights, accusing the premier of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism and suggesting ill-considered law reform on the run. In attempting to restrict protest this way, the premier is further dividing a community that is already trying to heal in an environment worryingly filled with misinformation and hateful rhetoric, president Timothy Roberts said. We cannot have a summer of calm and togetherness with a government eroding our democratic freedoms. Removing the ability for NCAT to hear appeals after police yank licences from individuals will be welcomed by police, who routinely have their decisions overturned, Minns said. An analysis of court decisions by the Herald shows licence holders often win on appeal, including a case in 2014 when a man won his bid to have his licence reinstated despite police concerns about his associations to organised crime. Related Article Bondi shooting The Sydney suburbs with the most guns, as overall numbers rise Advertisement Police told the tribunal that the licence holders brother was a high-ranking member of the Comancheros bikie gang, and outlined several associations with crime figures. However, the tribunal found the man was fit and proper to hold a licence and ordered it to be reinstated. When you read the NCAT decisions, it is clear that police are being thwarted in their efforts to refuse gun licences they need stronger powers and the ability to obtain intelligence from intelligence agencies and apply that intelligence in determination about who should and who should not have a gun licence, Greens MP Sue Higginson said. NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane yesterday said she would work with the government on reforms, but warned changes to gun laws should not be a distraction from antisemitism. MPs have been told parliament would return on Monday and Tuesday next week to deal with a bill, but there remained scant detail about the contents of the legislation. A condolence motion would be read in parliament on Monday, while the substance of the legislation would probably be dealt with on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement PoliticsQueenslandBondi shooting Queensland signs on to gun limits, but antisemitism is bigger issue, says Bleijie Matt Dennien December 17, 2025 7:40pm 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie says of all national cabinets proposals following the Bondi terror attack, Queensland has so far only committed to limits on gun ownership, as he insisted the biggest issue to tackle was antisemitism. On Wednesday, Bleijie blamed the federal and former state Labor governments for failing to keep Jewish Australians safe, as Labors state leader, Steven Miles, said he was ready to work with the premier to urgently change laws. Sundays attack on a Jewish Hanukkah event at the iconic Sydney beach saw the father-son gunmen allegedly kill 15 people and injure dozens more, setting off an outpouring of community fear, mourning, and calls for government action. Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie. Joe Ruckli Advertisement As police began to probe how and why the attack was carried out, national cabinet met on Monday, with all states and territories agreeing to work on options to strengthen gun laws. Other proposals included limiting the maximum number of guns one person could own, limiting the types of guns deemed legal, and making Australian citizenship a condition of holding a gun licence. However, Bleijie told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday that so far, Queensland had only signed on to changing possession limits. But now we are calmly going through those reforms, and what those reforms look like in each jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction has different gun laws that apply, Bleijie said. Advertisement Yes, there should be gun law reform, but as people, including former prime minister John Howard, said yesterday, lets not let gun reform be the be-all and end-all of the bigger issue here ... that is, the rising antisemitism in Australia, and the fact that weve got a federal government and a former state Labor government that allowed it to happen. Bleijie did not say how many guns a single person would be allowed to own under new limits, or when this would be legislated. A recent inquest also recommended new laws to require mental health checks for gun owners. Loading Queensland has already backed a National Firearms Register. NSW Premier Chris Minns will recall parliament next week to pass reforms said to give his state the strictest gun laws in the country after it emerged that one of the shooters, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, held a NSW gun licence for the six firearms he and his son, Naveed, allegedly used in the attack. Advertisement Minns is also considering a ban on protests while the state is under a terrorism designation, and has said the West Australian cap of five guns was too high. The NSW state Liberal opposition has committed to work with Minns, but also warned about gun laws being a distraction. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said on Tuesday that his government would be considering further reforms to address antisemitism, without providing detail. Related Article Bondi shooting Police vow to protect Brisbanes Jewish community as events go ahead On Wednesday, Bleijie said he was unaware of the NSW plans and would not be drawn on whether the Crisafulli government would recall state parliament before a scheduled return in mid-February. Speaking just an hour after Bleijie, state Opposition Leader Steven Miles in his first media conference since the attack said the hearts of his team were with the Jewish community. Advertisement We also, as the Queensland Labor team, stand ready to work with the Crisafulli government on sensible reforms to ensure that an incident like this can never happen again, Miles said, citing the recall of the NSW parliament. If David Crisafulli was anything like the kind of leader that John Howard was, he would be moving swiftly now, responding to these calls to get dangerous guns out of the hands of extremists and implement these reforms. Related Article Updated Bondi shooting I was holding her: Shattered father reveals Matildas final moments as more families share tributes Miles said such changes should include national cabinets proposals, those being acted on in NSW, and the Wieambilla inquests calls, adding that governments could, and must, address both gun laws and antisemitism. I dont think politicians should be blaming each other rather than acting in ways that we know will help, he said. Advertisement In a statement on Wednesday, Queenslands peak farmers body, AgForce, said any gun law changes needed to focus on preventing violent criminal acts rather than burdening law-abiding gun owners who rely on them for their livelihoods. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement PoliticsWARadio Former colleagues turn drive rivals as 6PR elevates weekends presenter Hamish Hastie December 17, 2025 12:47pm 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 A A Perth talkback station 6PRs weekend mornings presenter Jamie Burnett will take over the 3pm to 6pm drive shift from January next year. Burnetts appointment completes the 2026 lineup for the station, which is owned by Nine Entertainment, also the owner of this masthead. Jamie Burnett has been announced as the new 6PR Perth Live host. 6PR Presenters will also have shorter shifts next year as 6PR returns to a four-show weekday format. Burnett replaces Perth Lives Oliver Peterson, who wrapped his final shift with 6PR earlier this month and departs for the ABC to replace Gary Adshead also a former 6PR presenter on the national broadcasters drive show next year. Advertisement Burnett and Peterson will now be talkback rivals, albeit on different bands after the ABC announced it would move its Perth station to the FM band from next year. Burnett is currently filling in for breakfast host Karl Langdon alongside Steve Mills and told Mills on Wednesday morning he would use the show to dig into issues with a local lens. Were going to dig into what matters, the stuff that you throw around at the dinner table with your family and the stuff that you talk about with your mates at the pub, he said. Were going to focus on this place, you know, the stuff thats around Perth, the lens of whats going on around the nation, the world, but with that kind of local look at it. Burnett previously spent more than nine years at the ABC in various producing and presenting roles before becoming the public relations guru at Good Drinks Australia, the company behind Gage Roads Brewing Co. Advertisement He has been presenting the weekend mornings shift since 2023. Radio 6PR content manager Brad Pottinger said Burnett was a respected voice across Perth and already a popular member of the 6PR family. His blend of journalistic rigour, passion for WA and ability to connect with this city makes him the perfect host for Perth Live, Pottinger said. Last week, Tod Johnston was announced as the new 6PR afternoons host. 6PRs move to a three-shift to combat falling ad revenue was widely panned by listeners and led to Adshead leaving his mornings role after moving from a 9am to 12pm shift to a show spanning from 10am to 2pm. Advertisement Related Article Radio Perth AM radio shake-up as 6PR stalwart returns to the airwaves and ABC switches frequencies The programming overhaul comes amid talks Nine is readying 6PR and its east coast talkback assets for sale. On Wednesday, Mills flagged more major announcements would be made in due course, but that he had no idea whether the station was being sold. At this point in time, theres been lots of discussion in the media about 6PR being sold, he said. I honestly dont know. I dont think anyone knows, and thats the serious answer. Advertisement If I did know, Id share it with you, because its obviously important to a lot of people that love this radio station. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement WorldAsiaBondi shooting Inside the dusty Philippine hotel room where Bondi gunmen holed up for a month Chris Barrett December 18, 2025 10:10am 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. Bondi Beach gunmen Sajid and Naveed Akram stayed at a hotel in the southern city of Davao for the entire time they were in the Philippines and left their room for only an hour or two at a time, according to a hotel staff member. Philippine authorities are investigating the father and son terrorists travel to the country in the month before they carried out Sundays mass shooting at Bondi Beach, in which 15 people were killed and 50-year-old Sajid Akram was shot dead by police. The spartan hotel room in which Sajid and Naveed Akram stayed in Davao. GV Hotel worker Jenelyn Sayson told this masthead that the pair shared a room at the hotel near Davao City Hall and the police headquarters for 27 days last month. Advertisement They stayed in room 315, which has two single beds. From the time they arrived until they checked out, they never left the city because we saw them going in and out of the hotel every day, Sayson said. Philippine immigration officials have said the father and son flew into the Philippines on November 1 and left on November 28, with Davao as their final destination. The GV Hotel is close to Davao City Hall. Getty Images According to the hotel, they extended their stay for another week on three occasions after arriving on November 1 and initially booking for a week. Advertisement Sayson, the hotel employee, said the longest they left their room for was one to two hours at a time. She said there was no CCTV footage of them because the hotels recording capacity was for only a week, but military officers had come and taken away the hotels computer hard drive. Naveed Akram used a Philippine phone number when registering with the hotel. According to the hotel worker, the terrorists rarely spoke with staff and werent seen with any visitors. Wrappings from fast-food chain Jollibee had been found in their room. Advertisement We thought they probably had a business here in the city, since they would go out and just come back again, Sayson told local news site MindaNews. They each had one large piece of luggage and a backpack, and paid cash when they extended their stay, she told the site. The passports of the Bondi Beach terrorists, Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, as shown on television in the Philippines. Rooms at the GV Hotel in Davao can be booked online for as little as $22 a night. The hotel is close to the citys business district. Davao is the main city on the southern island of Mindanao, where Islamist militant groups, including Islamic State East Asia (ISEA), have been active for many years. NSW Police found homemade Islamic State flags in the gunmens car after the massacre, but Philippine officials have said there is no evidence they trained with Islamist militants while in the country. Advertisement Rooms at the hotel can be booked online for as little as $22 a night. Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement: A mere visit does not support allegations of terrorist training, and the duration of their stay would not have allowed for any meaningful or structured training. Related Article Bondi shooting Philippines president strongly rejects Bondi shooters trained in Mindanao The Australian governments national security website says ISEA remains a deadly terrorist threat in the Philippines, where it has been based, and the country is a target destination for foreign terrorist fighters. But Ano said only remnants of Islamic State remained after it was significantly degraded by the armed forces since the 2017 siege of Marawi, a Muslim city in Mindanaos west, six to eight hours drive from Davao. Advertisement He said there had been no recorded terrorist training by IS-affiliated groups since 2017. IS affiliates were responsible for the bombing of a Catholic Mass at a university gymnasium in Marawi in December 2023 that left four people dead, and the US State Department reported the Philippines remained in the top 20 nations in the world for terrorist incidents in 2023. However, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the neutralisation of high-value individuals and other efforts to crush militants in Mindanao have reduced local terrorist group numbers from 1257 members in 2016 to 50 in 2025. Philippine government forces fought an intense battle to recapture the southern city of Marawi on Mindanao from Islamic State fighters in 2017. Getty Images The military on Wednesday released a list of 10 key militant figures who had been killed in security operations since 2017, the most recent a leader of the Islamic State-linked Dawlah Islamiyah-Hassan Group on December 7. Advertisement Advertisement WorldAsiaDeath penalty Singapore hanged more people this year than it has in decades Zach Hope December 18, 2025 6:00am 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 A A A What in the World, a free weekly newsletter from our foreign correspondents, is sent every Thursday. Below is an excerpt. Sign up to get the whole newsletter delivered to your inbox. Singapore: Its been the hangmans busiest year in decades; 17 lives so far, all but two of them drug offenders. Singapore marched three people up to the Changi prison gallows in the last week of November alone. A tightly regulated protest against Singapores liberally dispensed death penalty. Zach Hope These numbers the most since 2003 arent up there with the 1990s (76 people were executed in 1994, for example) when justice-lusting Singapore was said to be the per capita execution capital of the world. But the trend over the past few years has been upwards, according to figures compiled by Amnesty International, and this greatly troubles Singapores small band of activists. To them, mandatory death for drug offences is a barbaric throwback unbecoming of a modern nation. Advertisement A handful of them recently lodged a constitutional challenge to the sentencing laws. A judge shut it down this week. Singapore, a semi-authoritarian state and dominated by the same party throughout its independent history, seems unlikely to shift gears any time soon. Some readers will remember the case of Australian man Van Nguyen. This month marks 20 years since he was hanged in Changi for being caught with 396 grams of heroin during a stopover from Phnom Penh, in Cambodia, to Australia. The case garnered widespread attention in Australia. Lex Lasry, his lawyer at the time, told a recent dinner for the Capital Punishment Justice Project how the Singapore government chose to inform Nguyens mother, Kim, of the execution date by snail mail. It was, he said, a demonstration of its indifference to the suffering they were causing to Van and his family and friends. Advertisement Early in our campaign to save Vans life between 2002 and 2005, in the public media I described the behaviour of the Singapore government as grotesque. It was then and still is, Lasry continued. Singapore needs to be pressured and shamed by the international community into retreating from its policy of capital punishment. Polite diplomacy and respectful commentary wont work. Kim Nguyen weeps in front of a poster of her son, Van Nguyen, in 2006, one year after he was executed. Jason South Former barrister and Victorian Supreme Court judge Lex Lasry, pictured in 2018. Simon Schluter Later, on X, Lasry told Australians, Dont go to Singapore for a holiday. Dont go there at all unless you have to. Injustice continues to flourish in that country. Advertisement It takes only 15 grams of heroin to send a person to their death in Singapore. This is small-fry by Australian standards: media releases from the Australian Border Force tend to deal with seizures measured in tens or hundreds of kilograms. Related Article Opinion Singapore In 2005, an Australian citizen was hanged in Singapore. It could happen again Lex Lasry Retired judge The Singapore government says its hardline stance is a necessary price for keeping the country one of the safest in the world. Co-ordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam has said that 15 grams of heroin is enough to feed the addiction of 180 abusers for a week. While we seek to help abusers, we take a tough approach against drug traffickers, he said. We have zero tolerance for those who destroy the lives of others, for money The evidence shows clearly that the death penalty has been an effective deterrent. Advertisement Singapore is hardly the biggest state killer. Amnesty estimated that China executed more than 1000 people last year. Iran and Saudi Arabia had tallies in the hundreds. Related Article Opinion Death penalty Singapores approach to drugs works for Singaporeans But Singapore, a staunch and mild-mannered friend of Australia, a safe and well-ordered holiday destination, an island of prosperity and stability shining forth from an often tumultuous region, occupies a more elevated sphere in the Australian psyche. The last time I wrote about this issue, the countrys high commissioner to Australia, Anil Nayar, responded with an op-ed titled Singapores approach to drugs works for Singaporeans. He detailed the very real harms of drugs, how even relatively small quantities can have devastating impacts on individuals and communities. Further, he said Singaporeans overwhelmingly supported the death penalty. Advertisement And this is true, but there is context here as well. Critics say the government, with cosy ties to the nations mainstream media, has inundated the public with pro-death, pro-war-on-drugs propaganda. Related Article Death penalty Another execution eve on the lawn of Hong Lim Park The CIVICUS monitor, a global freedom tracker, meanwhile rates Singapore as repressed the same as its Indo-Pacific neighbours Cambodia, Bangladesh, India and Thailand. One of the factors the monitor cites is Singapores Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, a tool allowing the government to order journalists, academic publications and opposition politicians to publish corrections to information it deems incorrect. While the rationale is to protect citizens from lies that could upset civic harmony, critics say it extends to information or views the government doesnt like. One of the organisations hit by a POFMA, as the directions have been termed, is the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), the leading anti-death penalty group in Singapore. The top of its homepage now opens with the government-supplied statement: Multiple falsehoods have been communicated on this website. Advertisement TJC, which chose to suspend publishing new material on its site until the designation as a declared online location expires early next year, called the move oppressive. In March, I reported from a vigil staged by activists for the condemned drug trafficker Pannir Selvam, a Malaysian national who was caught at the overland Woodlands checkpoint with 52 grams of heroin in 2014. Singapore hanged three people at Changi prison in the last week of November alone. Getty Images Pannir Selvam was caught with 52g of heroin in 2014. Facebook The vigil was held at Speakers Corner in Hong Lim Park, as this is the only place in Singapore where people can demonstrate without special permission. Even in this safe space, there are strict conditions on what can be said and distributed. Advertisement Pannir, who supporters said was a naive young man duped by another Malaysian, was scheduled to be hanged at dawn. Those gathered sang songs and recited poetry he had written from prison. As the small crowd readied to sing We Shall Overcome, word filtered through that Pannir had been granted a last-minute stay. People cheered, cried and hugged. Singapore hanged him in October. 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. BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A package of tax and trade policies introduced alongside Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP)'s island-wide special customs operations, set to be launched on Thursday, is expected to deliver broad benefits to businesses and residents of the tropical island, said an official of Hainan FTP. Wang Fengli, deputy director of the Office of the Free Trade Port Working Committee of the Communist Party of China Hainan Provincial Committee, made the remarks in the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency. Following the launch, the Hainan FTP will see a sharp rise in its level of zero-tariff treatment, said Wang. The number of tariff lines eligible for zero tariffs will expand from about 1,900 to around 6,600, lifting the overall zero-tariff ratio from 21 to 74 percent. Beyond zero tariffs, lower tax rates form another major policy advantage of the Hainan FTP, Wang said, noting that companies can benefit from multiple policies across different stages of production and operation. He cited the example of a biopharmaceutical company. During the construction and research phase, imported raw materials and equipment can qualify for zero tariffs, reducing import costs by 5 to 10 percent. In manufacturing, products made with zero-tariff imported inputs and meeting a value-added ratio of 30 percent or more can be shipped to the Chinese mainland free of import duties. Once profitable, the company can also benefit from a preferential corporate income tax rate of 15 percent, while its executives and technical staff may qualify for a 15 percent personal income tax rate, the official said. Taken together, these measures offer companies opportunities for development across the entire industrial chain, Wang said. Local residents will also see tangible benefits after the launch of special customs operations, the official added. One key change is access to a wider range of duty-free goods. Authorities are studying tax policies for imported goods consumed by island residents, with plans to introduce a positive-list system that would allow residents to purchase selected imported products duty-free, according to Wang. "Increased opportunities for international exchanges and cooperation are expected to make work and daily life on the island more convenient and diverse," said the official. Advertisement WorldNorth AmericaBondi shooting Australia urged to take Al Capone approach to hate preachers, extremists Michael Koziol December 17, 2025 3:51pm 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 A A Washington: Leading international experts on Islamic extremism have urged Australia to more aggressively target and deport hate preachers or potential terror threats, including by pursuing their tax and immigration records in what they called the Al Capone approach. Meanwhile, Trump administration officials and Republican figures pinned the blame for Sundays massacre in Bondi on high levels of Muslim immigration, just as President Donald Trump widened his travel ban to include several other Muslim-majority nations. A protest linked to Hizb ut-Tahrir in Sydney in October 2024. The fundamentalist group is banned in a string of countries, including the UK, Germany and Indonesia. Flavio Brancaleone Lorenzo Vidino, director of George Washington Universitys extremism program, cautioned against faulting law enforcement agencies for dropping the ball, despite one of the alleged Bondi perpetrators being on the radar of authorities. He was at the periphery of a lot of things. If there are things they could have charged this guy with, they would have, he said. But being a radical is not a crime, hanging out with radicals is not a crime, going to radical mosques is not a crime. Advertisement Related Article Bondi shooting It was pure chaos: When terror spilt blood at Bondi Beach Vidino, who was not commenting specifically on Australian laws, said there was a healthy middle ground to be found between criminalising free speech and a misguided approach that tolerated any radical environments. Under President Emmanuel Macron, France has expelled dozens of imams and others accused of preaching hate, part of the countrys crackdown on Islamist separatism. Last year, it expelled a Tunisian imam for giving a retrograde, intolerant and violent vision of Islam, including preaching that Jews were the enemy and calling for the destruction of Western society. I dont think somebody whos not a citizen of the country should be allowed to be preaching in the country if they preach hate. I think thats not an unreasonable thing to say, Vidino said. Advertisement Hate speech laws should not subvert liberal democracy, he said, and it was often difficult to assess whether someone fell foul of them. But people could also be targeted by alternative means. If a person cannot be expelled because hes a citizen, do what the Americans call the Al Capone approach, Vidino said. Go look at their taxes. Go look if theyve filed their documents correctly. Have they obeyed the parking laws? Their immigration papers. You can make their life very difficult just enforce existing laws. Former FBI special agent David Zimmermann, who remains in contact with Australian authorities, agreed that was absolutely the way to go. If we have somebody on the edge of the envelope and we dont have enough, we will look at their taxes, their finances, he said. Prohibition-era gangster Capone was jailed on tax charges. Advertisement Zimmermann, also at George Washington University, said it was long overdue for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir to be listed as terrorist organisations. Making it that people cannot support them financially is a good thing. That will save lives, that will protect people. Related Article Updated Bondi shooting Bondi shooters terror links revealed as police investigate manifesto But Jason Blazakis, director of the Centre on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said designating terrorist organisations will not improve the situation, for the most part. Gun reform could help on the margins, Blazakis said, but combating radicalisation would ultimately require long-term investment in local offices that focused on prevention within communities. He pointed to a unit in the US Department of Homeland Security, known as CP3, which focuses on localised counter-terrorism prevention though it faced cuts under Donald Trump, who put a 22-year-old college graduate in charge. Advertisement Prevention, as opposed to bans and designations, is the better approach, Blazakis said. These are long-term fixes, and it will take stomach of politicians to do that as opposed to defaulting to the easy. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that his government was prepared to do more, including on hate speech. We have outlawed hate speech that can lead to violence. If we need to examine [the laws], if theres a need to strengthen them, were certainly up for whatever is necessary, he said. The overseas advice came as Republican figures seized on the Bondi terrorist attack to advocate harsher bans on immigration or travel by Muslims to the US. Trumps director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, said in a post on X that the attack should not come as a surprise to anyone and was the direct result of the massive influx of Islamists to Australia. Islamists and Islamism is the greatest threat to the freedom, security and prosperity of the United States and the entire world, she said. It is probably too late for Europe - and maybe Australia. It is not too late for the United States of America. Advertisement Advertisement WorldNorth AmericaEpstein fallout When the Epstein files will be released and what will be withheld Michael R. Sisak Updated December 17, 2025 4:52pm ,first published 11:56am 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 A A New York: The clock is ticking for the US government to open up its files on Jeffrey Epstein. After months of rancour and recriminations, Congress has passed, and President Donald Trump has signed legislation compelling the Justice Department to give the public everything it has on Epstein and it has to be done before Christmas. Jeffrey Epstein in 2004. Getty Images But even that might not be enough for the curious and the conspiracy-minded. While theres sure to be never-before-seen material in the thousands of pages likely to be released, a lot of Epstein-related records have already been made public, including by Congress and through litigation. Advertisement And dont expect a client list of famous men who cavorted with Epstein. Though such a list has long been rumoured, the Justice Department said in July that it doesnt exist. Heres a look at whats expected to be made public, what isnt, and a refresher on how we got to this point: Who is Jeffrey Epstein? Epstein was a millionaire money manager known for socialising with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and the academic elite, who was accused of sexually abusing underage girls. His relationships with powerful men, including Trump, former president Bill Clinton and the former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, have been the subject of endless fascination and speculation. Neither Trump nor Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing. Andrew has denied abusing anyone. Advertisement Related Article Explainer Epstein fallout More Epstein files are set to be released. Heres what we know so far Police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in 2005 after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. The FBI then joined the investigation, but Epstein made a secret deal with the US attorney in Florida to avoid federal charges, enabling him to plead guilty in 2008 to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge. He served 13 months in a jail work-release program. In 2019, during Trumps first term, Manhattan federal prosecutors revived the case and charged Epstein with sex trafficking, alleging he sexually abused dozens of girls. He killed himself in jail a month after his arrest. In 2021, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted Epsteins longtime confidante and former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, of sex trafficking for helping recruit some of his underage victims. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Advertisement Whats in the Justice Departments Epstein files? Records related to the aborted Florida investigation, the Manhattan investigations, and anything else the Justice Department did to examine Epsteins dealings in the time in between. They could include notes and reports written by FBI agents; transcripts of witness interviews; photographs, videos, and other evidence; Epsteins autopsy report; and material that may already be public, such as flight logs and travel records. The law, dubbed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, mandates the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents and investigative materials, including files relating to immunity deals and internal communications about whom to charge or investigate. What isnt authorised for release under the law? Advertisement Anything containing a victims personally identifiable information. Related Article US politics Conspiracy theorist, right-wing zealot: Trumps chief of staff lets fly in secret interviews The law allows the Justice Department to withhold or redact records that, if made public, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. It also bars the release of any materials depicting the sexual abuse of children, or images of death, physical abuse, or injury. That means that if videos or photos exist of Epstein or anyone else sexually abusing underage girls, they cant be made public. However, the law also makes clear that no records shall be withheld or redacted meaning certain parts are blacked out solely because their release would cause embarrassment or reputational harm to any public figure, government official or foreign dignitary. Advertisement When will the files be available to the public? The legislation requires the Justice Department to make the documents public in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days of Trump signing it into law. That means no later than Saturday (AEDT). However, the law also allows the Justice Department to withhold files that it says could jeopardise an active federal investigation. Thats also longstanding Justice Department policy. Files can also be withheld if theyre found to be classified or if they pertain to national defence or foreign policy. Jeffrey Epstein in 2017. AP While investigations into Epstein and Maxwell are long over, Attorney-General Pam Bondi last week ordered a top federal prosecutor to lead an investigation into people who knew Epstein and some of Trumps political foes, including Clinton. Advertisement That investigation, taken up at Trumps urging despite the Justice Department previously finding no evidence to support such a probe, could give the government grounds to temporarily withhold at least some of the material. What about the so-called client list? Epsteins so-called client list a purported collection of his famous associates has been the white whale of Epstein sleuths, sceptics and conspiracy theorists alike. Even Bondi got in on the act, telling Fox News in February that the client list was sitting on my desk right now to review. The only problem: the Justice Department concluded it doesnt exist, issuing a letter in July saying that its review of Epstein-related records had revealed no incriminating client list. Nor was there credible evidence that Epstein had blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions, the unsigned memo said. Advertisement Why are these records being released now? Congress is forcing the government to act after Trump reneged on a campaign promise last year to throw open the files. The Justice Department did release some records earlier this year almost all of them already public but suddenly hit the brakes in July after promising a truckload more. That prompted a small, bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers to launch what was initially seen as a long-shot effort to compel their release through legislation. In the meantime, lawmakers started disclosing documents theyd received from Epsteins estate, culminating in a 23,000-page release last week. As public and political pressure mounted, including from some Trump allies, Congress swiftly passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Tuesday, and Trump signed it into law on Wednesday. Havent some Epstein files already been made public? Advertisement Yes. Before Congress got involved, tens of thousands of pages of records were released over the years through civil lawsuits, Epstein and Maxwells public criminal case dockets, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests. Many documents including police reports written in Florida, state grand jury records, depositions of Epsteins employees, his flight records, and his address book are available already. In July, the Justice Department released surveillance video from the jail on the night Epstein died. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell with ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein. AP Even the FBI has previously released some Epstein-related files, posting more than 1400 pages to its website, though much of the material was redacted and some hidden because it was under seal. AP 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. Commentary By Lee Harding Discriminatory hate is not a good thing. Neither, however, is the latest bill by the federal Liberal government meant to fight it. Civil liberties organizations and conservative commentators warn that Bill C-9 could do more to chill legitimate speech than curb actual hate. Bill C-9 creates a new offence allowing up to life imprisonment for acts motivated by hatred against identifiable groups. It also creates new crimes for intimidation or obstruction near places of worship or community buildings used by identifiable groups. The bill adds a new hate propaganda offence for displaying terrorism or hate symbols. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) warns the legislation risks criminalizing some forms of protected speech and peaceful protesttwo cornerstones of a free and democratic societyaround tens of thousands of community gathering spaces in Canada. The CCLA sees no need to add to existing hate laws. Bill C-9 also removes the requirement that the Attorney General consent to lay charges for existing hate propaganda offences. The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) calls this a major flaw, noting it removes an important safeguard for freedom of expression that has been part of Canadas law for decades. Without that safeguard, decisions to prosecute may depend more on local political pressures and less on consistent national standards. Strange as it sounds, hatred just will not be what it used to be if this legislation passes. The core problem begins with how the bill redefines the term itself. Previously, the Supreme Court of Canada said hatred requires extreme manifestations of detestation or vilification that involve destruction, abhorrence or portraying groups as subhuman or innately evil. Instead, Bill C-9 defines hatred as detestation or vilification, stronger than disdain or dislike. That is a notably lower threshold. This shift means that ordinary political disagreement or sharp criticism could now be treated as criminal hatred, putting a wide range of protected expression at real risk. The bill also punishes a hateful motivation more than the underlying crime. For example, if a criminal conviction prompted a sentence of two years to less than five years, a hateful motivation would add as much as an additional five years of jail time. On paper, most Canadians may assume they will never be affected by these offences. In practice, the definition of hate is already stretched far beyond genuine threats or violence. Two years ago, the 1 Million March for Children took place across Canada to protest the teaching of transgender concepts to schoolchildren, especially the very young. Although such opposition is a valid position, unions, LGBT advocates and even Newfoundland and Labrador Conservatives adopted the No Space For Hate slogan in response to the march. That label now gets applied far beyond real extremism. Public pressure also shapes how police respond to protests. If citizens with traditional values protest a drag queen story hour near a public library, attendees may demand that police lay charges and accuse officers of implicit hatred if they refuse. The practical result is clear: officers may feel institutional pressure to lay charges to avoid being accused of bias, regardless of whether any genuine threat or harm occurred. Police, some of whom take part in Pride week or work in stations decorated with rainbow colours in June, may be wary of appearing insensitive or intolerant. There have also been cases where residents involved in home invasion incidents were charged, and courts later determined whether excessive force was used. In a similar way, officers may lay charges first and allow the courts to sort out whether a protest crossed a line. Identity-related considerations are included in many workplace sensitivity training programs, and these broader cultural trends may influence how such situations are viewed. In practice, this could mean that protests viewed as ideologically unfashionable face a higher risk of criminal sanction than those aligned with current political priorities. If a demonstrator is charged and convicted for hate, the Liberal government could present the prosecution as a matter for the justice system rather than political discretion. It may say, It was never our choice to charge or convict these people. The system is doing its job. We must fight hate everywhere. Provincial governments that support prosecution will be shielded by the inability to show discretion, while those that would prefer to let matters drop will be unable to intervene. Either way, the bill could increase tensions between Ottawa and the provinces. This could effectively centralize political authority over hate-related prosecutions in Ottawa, regardless of regional differences in values or enforcement priorities. The bill also raises concerns about how symbols are interpreted. While most Canadians would associate the term hate symbol with a swastika, some have linked Canadas former flag to extremism. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network did so in 2022 in an educational resource entitled Confronting and preventing hate in Canadian schools. The flag, last used nationally in 1965, was listed under hate-promoting symbols for its alleged use by the alt-right/Canada First movement to recall when Canada was predominantly white. Its usage in modern times is an indicator of hate-promoting beliefs, the resource insisted. If a historic Canadian symbol can be reclassified this easily, it shows how subjective and unstable the definition of a hate symbol could become under this bill. These trends suggest the legislation jeopardizes not only symbols associated with Canadas past, but also the values that supported open debate and free expression. Taken together, these changes do not merely target hateful behaviour. They create a legal framework that can be stretched to police dissent and suppress unpopular viewpoints. Rest in peace, free speech. Lee Harding is a research fellow for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. By Catherine Sas, K.C. Special to The Post I have repeatedly said in the past year or so that in my many years as a Canadian immigration lawyer, I have not seen so many changes to our immigration program in so short a period of time as in 2024 and 2025. As the changes have taken effect, we are now seeing the outcomes on applicants. Lets review some of the most significant effects on immigration processing and the implications. Delayed processing times Many application types, particularly those applications made in Canada, are experiencing increased delays for processing. Work permit applications in Canada are now taking 7-8 months to be processed (the posted time as of today is 218 days). With reduced levels for temporary permits, applications are not being processed, resulting in applicants waiting longer periods of time for their permits, if they are even approved! Consequences of such inaction result in drivers licences and medical coverage expiring. Students often cant commence their programs of study. Be prepared for this and plan ahead! High Rates of Refusals Refusal rates have gone through the roof, and often for trivial matters, or worse, due to blatant error by the officer. Immigration officers have taken the potent message of the reduced levels plan to heart and are refusing applications far more frequently. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) does not assist in this process, where decisions are frequently made quickly and without regard to the evidence included, but rather, based upon general metrics programmed into the algorithms to evaluate applications. When applications are refused, there are few options: reapply or litigate. In either case, the result is a higher caseload both for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) when applicants simply reapply or the Federal Court when applicants choose to litigate for resolution. Reviewing the reasons for refusals can provide great insight - officers are asking for more and more evidence to support applications, which again, adds to lengthier processing times. Increased applications to Federal Court With refusal rates increasing, lawyers do what they are trained to do - they litigate on behalf of their clients. The Federal Court case load has increased dramatically in this post-COVID world of decreased IRCC resources and increased or steady application rates. The Chief Justice of the Federal Court has made public statements revealing that the Court does not have the capacity to hear the volume of immigration cases that they are receiving. (The Federal Court has exclusive jurisdiction to review immigration decisions, and immigration cases constitute the majority of the caseload before the Court.) Not surprisingly, judicial review applications to the Federal Court are taking considerably longer to be determined, meaning that applicants face increased wait times in order to obtain legal recourse. In this harsh new Canadian immigration reality, here are some tips for success: 1) Plan ahead and start early. Six months (or even earlier) is not too soon to start planning or applying for your immigration future - whether temporary or permanent. 2) Save ALL copies of ALL applications YOURSELF! Dont rely on your immigration professional. Online applications mean that forms are uploaded and go into IRCC cyberspace. Be sure to have screenshots of everything submitted, whether prepared by yourself or by your immigration professional. 3) Engage competent counsel to assist you. With greater delays and higher refusal rates, this is not the time to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Do your homework before you engage the services of an immigration representative to assist you. 4) STRATEGY! STRATEGY! STRATEGY! In tough times, you need to develop a strategy that will work for your immigration goals. 5) Be realistic! As I have stated before, the current situation is simple arithmetic: Reduced immigration levels + Continued immigration applications = Lengthier processing times. In many circumstances, you wont be able to qualify for Canadian permanent residency even if you are able to keep working for many years. Over the past few years, the Canadian immigration landscape has changed at an unprecedented rate. Program promises of the past are no longer the current reality. This rather hostile immigration environment is expected to continue for the next few years. TRANSLATION - its going to get worse before it gets better! (For a sense of whats coming next, read our previous blog about the spectre of Bill C-12! - Bill C-12: Do we really need it to manage immigration in Canada?) Intrepid aspiring Canadian immigrants need to be well prepared to ride out this new reality. Catherine Sas, K.C., has over 35 years of legal experience. She provides a full range of immigration services and is a leading immigration practitioner (Lexpert, Whos Who Legal, Best Lawyers in Canada). Go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email [email protected]. Grok spews misinformation about deadly Australia shooting Washington, United States, Dec 16 (AFP) Dec 16, 2025 Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok churned out misinformation about Australia's Bondi Beach mass shooting, misidentifying a key figure who saved lives and falsely claiming that a victim staged his injuries, researchers said Tuesday. The episode highlights how chatbots often deliver confident yet false responses during fast-developing news events, fueling information chaos as online platforms scale back human fact-checking and content moderation. The attack during a Jewish festival on Sunday in the beach suburb of Sydney was one of Australia's worst mass shootings, leaving 15 people dead and dozens wounded. Among the falsehoods Grok circulated was its repeated misidentification of Ahmed al Ahmed, who was widely hailed as a Bondi Beach hero after he risked his life to wrest a gun from one of the attackers. In one post reviewed by AFP, Grok claimed the verified clip of the confrontation was "an old viral video of a man climbing a palm tree in a parking lot, possibly to trim it," suggesting it "may be staged." Citing credible media sources such as CNN, Grok separately misidentified an image of Ahmed as that of an Israeli hostage held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas for more than 700 days. When asked about another scene from the attack, Grok incorrectly claimed it was footage from tropical "cyclone Alfred," which generated heavy weather across the Australian coast earlier this year. Only after another user pressed the chatbot to re-evaluate its answer did Grok backpedal and acknowledge the footage was from the Bondi Beach shooting. When reached for comment by AFP, Grok-developer xAI responded only with an auto generated reply: "Legacy Media Lies." - 'Crisis actor' - The misinformation underscores what researchers say is the unreliability of AI chatbots as a fact-checking tool. Internet users are increasingly turning to chatbots to verify images in real time, but the tools often fail, raising questions about their visual debunking capabilities. In the aftermath of the Sydney attack, online users circulated an authentic image of one of the survivors, falsely claiming he was a "crisis actor," disinformation watchdog NewsGuard reported. Crisis actor is a derogatory label used by conspiracy theorists to allege that someone is deceiving the public -- feigning injuries or death -- while posing as a victim of a tragic event. Online users questioned the authenticity of a photo of the survivor with blood on his face, sharing a response from Grok that falsely labeled the image as "staged" or "fake." NewsGuard also reported that some users circulated an AI image -- created with Google's Nano Banana Pro model -- depicting red paint being applied on the survivor's face to pass off as blood, seemingly to bolster the false claim that he was a crisis actor. Researchers say AI models can be useful to professional fact-checkers, helping to quickly geolocate images and spot visual clues to establish authenticity. But they caution that they cannot replace the work of trained human fact-checkers. In polarized societies, however, professional fact-checkers often face criticism from conservatives of liberal bias, a charge they reject. AFP currently works in 26 languages with Meta's fact-checking program, including in Asia, Latin America, and the European Union. China's MetaX soars 755% on debut on hopes for domestic chipmakers Shanghai, Dec 17 (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 Shares in China's MetaX, which makes high-end chips used to power AI systems, rocketed more than 750 percent on its debut in Shanghai on Wednesday, fuelled by hopes of the country's potential to challenge US powerhouse Nvidia. The rally in MetaX Integrated Circuits Shanghai came less than two weeks after another Chinese chipmaker, Moore Threads, surged 425 percent following a blockbuster US$1.1 billion initial public offering. Both firms make the advanced chips known as graphics processing units (GPUs) which run and train artificial intelligence tools. The GPU sector is dominated by Nvidia, now the world's most valuable company thanks to frenzied global demand and optimism for AI. MetaX and Moore Threads are much smaller firms but analysts say investors are buying into the prospect of China ramping up its chip industry to eventually rival the US giant. Shares in MetaX -- which had been priced at 104.66 yuan (US$14.86) in an IPO that raised US$585.8 million -- soared as much as 755 percent to 895.00 yuan, before dropping slightly to 730.34 yuan. China and the United States are competing for dominance in AI, and Beijing has reportedly been encouraging tech companies to use homegrown chips owing to Washington's export restrictions on top-end Nvidia models. However, US President Donald Trump last week said he had agreed with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to allow Nvidia to export its advanced H200 chips to the country. H200s are roughly 18 months behind the US company's most state-of-the-art offerings, which will still be off-limits to China. But the move marked a shift away from export curbs imposed by Trump's predecessor Joe Biden. Those restrictions were first implemented in 2022 over national security concerns such as the Chinese military gaining a technological advantage over the United States. Rui Ma, founder of the Tech Buzz China newsletter, told AFP this month that "export controls have created a protected high-end segment" for chips in China. "Combined with policy support and much deeper capital pools, domestic GPU and AI accelerator companies now have far more favourable conditions than in prior cycles," she said. "As a result, firms such as Moore Threads, Cambricon, MetaX, Biren, and Enflame are drawing significant investor interest." Press Release from Business Wire: VeritasChain Standards Organization (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 TOKYO, Dec 17, 2025 (BSW) - VeritasChain today unveiled its Verifiable AI Provenance Framework (VAP) architecture, published new research on verifiable audit trails, and confirmed informational submissions to 58 regulatory authorities across 43 jurisdictions. These milestones advance VeritasChain's mission to establish a global framework for verifiable auditability in AI and algorithmic trading. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216433807/en/ Map indicates jurisdictions where regulatory outreach or informational submissions have been made as of Dec 2025. Verifiable AI Provenance Framework (VAP) VAP is a layered assurance architecture designed for independent verification of AI decision-making. It is not a single product, but a framework defining how cryptographic evidence and third-party verification interoperate across diverse systems. The architecture records decision-to-execution events as immutable audit trails, facilitating regulatory review and post-incident analysis without reliance on institutional trust. VAP builds upon the VeritasChain Protocol (VCP), treating cryptographic evidence as a core primitive in AI assurance. Research Publications VeritasChain has published two complementary papers on Zenodo establishing the feasibility and necessity of auditable AI infrastructure: -- Empirical Study: "Cryptographically Verifiable Audit Trails in Live Algorithmic Trading: An Empirical Study Using VCP v1.0"https://zenodo.org/records/17920524 -- Regulatory Analysis: "Why Open Cryptographic Standards Matter for AI Auditability: Formal Analysis and Regulatory Alignment"https://zenodo.org/records/17947483 The official AI Decision Auditability Benchmark (v1.0)-including the scorecard and regulatory mapping-is available at: https://github.com/veritaschain/vcp-spec/tree/main/benchmark Global Regulatory & Industry Engagement VeritasChain submitted VCP and VAP materials to 58 regulators across 43 jurisdictions, including authorities in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and MEA. These submissions support regulatory understanding of cryptographic auditability within frameworks like the EU AI Act. Industry adoption of the methodology is also gaining traction. Two Tier-1 global professional services networks have begun referencing the VeritasChain Benchmark Score in the development of their independent AI audit and assurance methodologies. About VeritasChain VeritasChain develops open, cryptography-based standards for verifiable audit trails in AI-driven systems. Its work spans protocol design (VCP), assurance architecture (VAP), open benchmarks, and empirical research, enabling regulator-ready, independently auditable AI systems. More information: https://veritaschain.orghttps://github.com/veritaschain View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216433807/en/ Contact Media ContactVeritasChain[email protected] 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. SYDNEY, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The surviving alleged perpetrator of the fatal mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach had been charged with 59 offenses, Australian police said on Wednesday. The police force in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) on Wednesday afternoon charged 24-year-old Naveed Akram with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, following the attack that targeted an event celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Akram remained in hospital under police guard on Wednesday after waking from a coma on Tuesday. A second alleged gunman, identified as Akram's 50-year-old father Sajid, was fatally shot by police at the scene of Sunday night's attack. As well as the murder and terrorism offenses, Naveed Akram had been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm with an intent to cause grievous bodily harm, publicly displaying a prohibited terrorist symbol and placing an explosive in or near a building with intent to cause harm, and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder. Authorities on Tuesday said that the attack was motivated by Islamic State ideology and confirmed that two Islamic State flags and improvised explosive devices were found in a vehicle belonging to Naveed Akram. There were 16 confirmed deaths following the attack, including Sajid Akram, with victims ranging in age from 10 to 87 years old. Forty-one people, including four children, were taken to hospital after the attack. As of Wednesday afternoon, 20 injured people were still receiving care in Sydney hospitals, five of whom were in critical or critical but stable conditions. Press Release from Business Wire: Mastercard (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 JOHANNESBURG, Dec 17, 2025 (BSW) - Mastercard has grown its acceptance network across Africa by 45 per cent in 2025 - a major milestone that brings millions more consumers and small businesses into the continent's fast-expanding digital economy. This accelerated progress underscores the strong advancement of digital payments, technology, and innovation in Africa-a transformation that traditionally would have taken several years to accomplish. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217224950/en/ Mastercard Boosts Africa Acceptance Network by 45% in 2025, Accelerating the Continent's Digital Economy. (Photo: AETOSWire) The surge comes in a year defined by new market entries, significant investment, product innovation and an expanded on-ground presence-efforts that reinforce Mastercard's role in powering Africa's projected $1.5 trillion digital payments market by 2030.1 Mastercard Deepens African Footprint with New Markets, New Teams Over the past two years, Mastercard has accelerated its Africa expansion, opening new offices in Ghana, Uganda and Mauritius, with the aim of further markets set for launch in 2026. The companyalso grew its employee base by almost 20% across the continent, strengthening local capabilities and enabling co-creation of solutions tailored to the needs of African communities and merchants. Alongside its footprint expansion, Mastercard advanced key digital infrastructure-including tokenization upgrades, digital identity capabilities and virtual card enhancements-to bolster trust, safety and convenience across online and in-person payments. SME Growth at the Center of Mastercard's Business Strategy SMEs-Africa's economic backbone-are a top focus. With consumer spending expected to rise across major markets (Kenya 4%, Morocco 3.4%, Nigeria 6%, South Africa 1.9%)2, demand for digital tools has surged. Digital payment tools are also essential for SMEs to meet evolving business needs-enabling them to pay and get paid seamlessly, access credit, strengthen financial resilience, and operate with enhanced safety and security in an increasingly digital economy. These tools include, tap on phone solutions, the Mastercard Payment Gateway System (MPGS)- that enables e-Commerce transactions, QR Payment capabilities like QR pay by link and QR on card solutions, Point of Sale solutions and Business Payment Control Capabilities, which enable virtual card issuance. Mastercard is helping to advance Africa's SME ecosystem through pan-African collaborations that enable seamless cross-border payments, credit solutions, and marketplace digitization. Fuelled by these cross-sector collaborations that include governments, FMCGs and Telcos, the company has launched 15 new SME-focused programs in the past 18 months. Key SME milestones have included: -- South Africa: Driving financial inclusion in South Africa through our partners in the FI and Non-FI space, unlocking growth, addressing access-to-credit constraints, and empowering thousands of SMEs to scale and grow with confidence. -- Morocco: Co-developed the country's first Digital Marketplace with BCP, the Ministry of Handicrafts and Paysky, benefiting 2.3 million artisans. -- Nigeria:New QR-on-Card solutions with UBA and WEMA enabling 1.8 million SMEs and gig workers to accept seamless payments.USD cards with Zenith Bank supporting 50,000+ SMEs with effortless cross-border trade. -- Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania: Collaborations with NMB, AfrAsia, Family Bank and KCB to empower 200,000+ SMEs with digital solutions. Driving Financial Inclusion Across Underserved Communities Mastercard is actively using Community Pass as part of its efforts to increase digital access in underserved and rural areas, especially in Africa. Community Pass is a social enterprise initiative that digitizes and connects remote, and rural communities to governments, NGOs, and private sector services. As part of this initiative, Mastercard aims to register 15 million users in Africa within five years through the platform. Mastercard Community Pass has already reached 1.2 million smallholder farmers in Uganda and represents our unwavering commitment towards financial empowerment Through the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance: Mastercard and key stakeholders aim to expand access to digital services for 100 million individuals and businesses by 2034. Since launching in May 2024, the MADE Alliance has engaged in Kenya by: -- Enabling affordable high-speed internet and digital training for 13 cooperatives, reaching 10,000+ farmers. -- Launching Farm Pass deployment to digitize profiles of more than 80,000 farmers. -- Building capacity for 250,000 farmers through local cooperative partners. Executive Commentary Mark Elliott, Division President, Africa, Mastercard: "2025 has been a defining year for Mastercard in Africa. From acceptance growth to new digital capabilities, our focus has been on solutions that bring people and small businesses into the heart of the digital economy. Our collaborations across Africa will continue to connect more people and businesses to the financial system, helping drive greater financial inclusion and economic opportunity, as we collectively look towards a $1.5 trillion digital economy by 2030." Looking Ahead: AI to Power Africa's Next Digital Leap Mastercard predicts that technologies such as AI and agentic commerce will define the next era of commerce, with Africa's AI market projected to reach $16.5 billion by 20303. In 2026, Mastercard will continue advancing financial inclusion, expanding across markets and introducing more locally relevant digital solutions-all while investing in the infrastructure needed to support a more secure and connected African economy. About Mastercard Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we're building a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, collaborations and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. www.mastercard.com *Source:AETOSWire 1https://www.mastercard.com/news/eemea/en/newsroom/press-releases/en/2025-1/march/digital-payments-economy-in-africa-expected-to-reach-1-5-trillion-by-2030-according-to-new-report/ 2https://www.mastercardservices.com/en/advisors/economic-consulting/insights/economic-outlook-2025 3https://www.mastercard.com/news/eemea/en/newsroom/press-releases/en/2025-1/august/ai-in-africa-to-top-16-5b-by-2030-mastercard-explores-path-for-continued-digital-transformation/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217224950/en/ Contact Kanyi Mwangi, [email protected] 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. Press Release from Business Wire: HCLTech (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 UTRECHT, Dec 17, 2025 (BSW) - HCLTech , a leading global technology company, today announced that it has been selected as a strategic partner by ASN Bank (formerly de Volksbank), the fourth-largest retail bank in the Netherlands. As part of its new strategy 'Simplify and Grow', ASN Bank aims to modernise and standardise its IT architecture, which will involve consolidating IT services, simplifying the vendor landscape and building a future-ready organisation. Under the multi-year agreement, HCLTech will support ASN Bank's enterprise applications, and streamline services through a distributed delivery model to enhance efficiency and customer experience. Michel Ruijterman, Chief Information Officer, ASN Bank: "By signing this agreement , HCLTech's proven track record in delivering scalable, innovative solutions tailored to the financial services sector means we can now confidently press on with streamlining our business by reducing the number of existing products and aligning the underlying processes and systems under our new strategy. Standardising and further automating our systems will enable us to organise our business operations more efficiently and effectively." Sudip Lahiri, Executive Vice President and Head of Financial Services for Europe, HCLTech: "By aligning our engineering mindset and scalable, domain-led solutions with ASN Bank's strategic goals, we are set to deliver tangible impact and long-term value, laying the foundation for future-ready operations. Collaborating with ASN Bank marks a major step forward for HCLTech as we grow our presence in the Dutch banking sector." About ASN Bank ASN Bank is an accessible and forward-looking bank with an eye for people, society and the future. We sustainably contribute to financial solutions for our customers while addressing Dutch societal issues. We pay particular attention to sustainability, financial wellbeing and good and affordable housing. Our services focus mainly on payments, savings and mortgages - always with an eye for both the interests of the customer and social impact. As a bank, we combine the convenience of secure mobile banking with the power of personal advice. Thanks to our nationwide network of branches, we are also physically close by when it matters. Through this approach, ASN Bank occupies a distinctive position in the Dutch banking landscape. We now serve three million customers, making us the fourth-largest retail bank in the Netherlands. About HCLTech HCLTech is a global technology company, home to more than 226,600 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around AI, digital, engineering, cloud and software, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. We work with clients across all major verticals, providing industry solutions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, High Tech, Semiconductor, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG, Mobility and Public Services. Consolidated revenues as of 12 months ending September 2025 totaled $14.2 billion. To learn how we can supercharge progress for you, visit hcltech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217974895/en/ Contact For further details, please contact: HCLTechMeredith Bucaro, Americas[email protected] Elka Ghudial, EMEA[email protected] James Galvin, APAC[email protected] Nitin Shukla, India[email protected] 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. Press Release from Business Wire: Picsart (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 MIAMI, Dec 17, 2025 (BSW) - Picsart , the world's leading digital creation platform with over two billion downloads and more than 100 million monthly active users, is partnering with Zazzle , the global leader in customized products and designs, to deliver an end-to-end printing solution for Picsart users. The new "vibe-design-to-print" integration works seamlessly with Picsart's recently expanded suite of AI products, including AI Assistant and Flows , enabling creators to ideate, iterate, design, and bring their work to life as physical art and products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217882832/en/ Picsart and Zazzle Power the Creator-to-Commerce Evolution with Print-On-Demand Integration "At Picsart, our mission has always been to give creators the tools they need to bring their ideas to life," said Hovhannes Avoyan, Founder and CEO of Picsart. "As we enter what we believe will be the year of the creative entrepreneur, creators are increasingly focused on turning their content into revenue. Our partnership with Zazzle is designed to meet that moment by making it effortless for anyone, especially our core Gen Z community, to transform digital creations into physical products. Through this seamless integration, we are empowering creators to commercialize their creativity at scale and participate fully in the growing creator-to-commerce economy." "At Zazzle, we've always believed that creativity is more than just design - it's about empowering individuals to transform their ideas into tangible experiences," said Jeff Beaver, Zazzle Co-founder. "Our partnership with Picsart gives creators a seamless pathway from digital inspiration to physical reality. For Gen Z who live and breathe digital, Zazzle provides an electric moment of discovery when pixels suddenly become products, when a digital spark ignites into a real-world creation that you can hold, wear, or share." This digital-to-physical transformation is particularly pronounced among Gen Z, which represents more than half of Picsart's users across more than 150 countries. As this generation moves beyond content creation toward entrepreneurship, Picsart continues to evolve its platform to support creator-led, intentional design - combining AI-assisted tools with professional-grade customization that preserves creative control and craft. This momentum is reflected in a 110% year-over-year increase in users creating customized edits on Picsart's web platform, highlighting growing demand for scalable personalisation without compromising design integrity. The partnership with Zazzle builds on this trend by enabling everyone from those with creative hobbies, emerging creators, even professional designers to seamlessly translate customised designs into high-quality, made-to-order products. According to the 2025 Creator Economy Market Report by Grand View Research, the global creator economy was valued at $205 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to more than $1.3 trillion by 2033. The report attributes this growth to "rising demand for personalized content, direct-to-fan monetization, and the widespread adoption of digital platforms that empower individuals to become content entrepreneurs." Additionally, a 2025 survey conducted by Kajabi and Qualtrics found that 59% of creators now identify as entrepreneurs, representing a 16% increase compared with the previous year and reinforcing the shift from content creation to commerce. This integration also marks Picsart's first mini app, extending its platform with an embedded experience that allows creators to move seamlessly from design to printing with Zazzle without leaving Picsart. The integration is now live on Picsart for creators to produce a wide range of physical products, including art/photo prints, t-shirts, bags, business cards, flyers, invitations and other items. New products will continue to be added, so creators will always have fresh ways to bring their designs to life. To learn more, visit Picsart's website. About Picsart Picsart is a recognized AI-powered platform for creative independence in a global economy increasingly driven and impacted by content. For over 14 years, Picsart has grown with and enabled the next generation of storytellers - Gen Z digital natives - to design, brand, and build at scale without limitations or barriers. With approximately 100+ million monthly active users and over 2 billion downloads, Picsart is well on its way to becoming the creative engine behind the $750 billion market of small businesses, entrepreneurs and brands, offering a range of innovative and intuitive tools and solutions that revolutionizes the creative, marketing and advertising processes. As creativity becomes central to identity, influence, entrepreneurship and profitability, Picsart is the platform for scalable, self-directed storytelling in a content-first economy. About Zazzle Zazzle is a global online marketplace for creating unique designs and products made on demand. As a people-powered platform, Zazzle gives customers and creators the tools to bring their most personal ideas to life, from apparel and accessories to home goods, invitations, and the events that bring people together. Through patented technology that enables real-time design and custom production, Zazzle makes it possible to create the moments that matter most. Founded in 2005, Zazzle is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217882832/en/ Contact Media Contact:Katie Russo, ThroughCo Communications501-282-5069[email protected] Jordan Harris, Picsart[email protected] 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. Billionaire Trump nominee confirmed to lead NASA amid Moon race Washington, United States, Dec 17 (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 The US Senate on Wednesday approved President Donald Trump's re-nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman to head NASA, following months of backtracking and uncertainty over the space agency's future. The 42-year-old businessman made his fortune in online payment processing and has a personal passion for space. He will take over as administrator of the US agency at a sensitive time -- when it faces major budget cuts and pressure to travel to the Moon again and eventually reach Mars. The Trump administration wants to send a manned US mission to the Moon as soon as possible to outpace similar plans by China. During his second confirmation hearing in December, Isaacman pledged he would ensure the success of the Artemis lunar exploration program that began in 2017, during the first Trump administration. "America will return to the Moon before our great rival, and we will establish an enduring presence to understand and realize the scientific, economic and national security value on the lunar surface," Isaacman said. NASA's Artemis program, however, has faced numerous delays, and experts warned in September that the lunar lander developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX might not be ready in time. Trump first nominated Isaacman after the president's 2024 election victory, but withdrew the nomination in April 2025, before re-issuing it again in November. Musk had lobbied for Isaacman to get the job. The back-and-forth reflected the president's on-again, off-again relationship with the SpaceX founder, who has been skeptical of the goal of returning to the Moon. While the Trump administration was open several months ago to revising the Artemis program in favor of Mars, this prospect now seems to be fading. Isaacman has emphasized that returning to the Moon is now the priority. The entrepreneur has flown twice with SpaceX, and in 2024 became the first private astronaut to perform a spacewalk. DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- For Samiri, a 12-year-old Tanzanian orphan, it was his first time seeing ultrasound machines and stethoscopes, as friendly Chinese doctors spoke softly through translators. The Ashura Orphanage Center, in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam, hosts 73 orphans -- 40 males and 33 females, aged between 4 and 20. Members of the Chinese medical teams from mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar came to give them comprehensive medical checkups, for free, on a humid weekend. The children's initial nervousness quickly gave way to excitement. Laughter echoed through the courtyard of the center. Some clutched new schoolbags brought by the medical team close to their chests, others smiled shyly as doctors knelt to meet them at eye level. For a few hours, the orphanage became more than a shelter. It became a place of healing, reassurance, and renewed hope. "These children have already seen more hardship than many adults," Ummukulthum Mohamed Kawili, the center's assistant manager, said quietly, watching a young boy emerge from an examination table clutching a small toy given by a Chinese doctor. "What they need most is care, not only food and shelter, but also the feeling that they are seen and valued." Through sponsorship from various partners, the center strives to provide education and basic supplies, including food, shelter, medication, and clothing. Yet access to healthcare remains one of the most difficult challenges, Kawili said. "These doctors have come here to provide treatment free of charge," she said. "Their kindness has no boundaries." For the children, the experience was both comforting and empowering. Samiri, who had complained of recurring eye pain, smiled broadly after his screening. "The doctor was very kind," he said. "He gave me medicine and told me my eyes would be okay." Nearby, younger children compared colorful stickers and waved enthusiastically at the doctors, their earlier fears long forgotten. The free clinic was part of the "Warm Children's Hearts" initiative, a China-Africa joint action organized by the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, involving 24 members from Chinese medical teams from mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. "We try to bring what is most needed, like medical services, medicine, and daily necessities," said Zhang Kai, head of the Chinese medical team in the mainland. Bao Zengtao, head of the Chinese medical team in Zanzibar, said the outreach was designed with children's specific needs in mind. "This activity is focused on the health of local children, especially through outreach." At the center, pediatricians, cardiologists, eye doctors, ear specialists, and public health experts examined children patiently. Eye screenings were a particular priority, given the region's strong sunlight, while ultrasound equipment was used to screen for parasitic diseases, including schistosomiasis. "We are very concerned about eye diseases among children here," Bao explained. "That is why our eye doctors brought professional devices to screen early. We also have public health experts using ultrasound to check for parasitic infections. If any child feels uncomfortable, they can tell us immediately." The clinic ran for over four hours, from late morning to afternoon, and the Chinese doctors worked with focus and patience. For the children, the presence of so many doctors felt reassuring. Older teenagers asked thoughtful questions about their health, while younger ones marveled at the machines and listened intently to instructions. Each examination ended with medical advice and a smile, and for younger children, a small gift. In addition to medical care, the children received food, study stools, toys, schoolbags, and stationery, items that sparked visible joy. Some children immediately opened their bags to show friends, while others carefully set them aside. Kawili said the support went beyond material value. "The free clinical services and the donations have once again cemented the bond between China and Tanzania," she said. "Our children will remember this day for a long time." At the Ijango Zaidia Orphanage Center, where similar activities were held, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian reflected on the meaning of returning to a familiar place. "With your care and selfless dedication, children here can grow up healthily and happily," she said, thanking the orphanage staff for their unwavering commitment. Chen said that China regards Tanzania as "a good friend and sincere partner," and the health and well-being of women and children have long been a shared concern. She reminded the children that they represent more than their present circumstances. "Children are the future of the nation and the hope of the people," Chen said. "You are the future and hope of Tanzania, and you are also the future and hope of China-Tanzania friendship." As the day progressed, the mood among the children shifted from curiosity to confidence. Some proudly showed their checkup cards, and others talked excitedly about becoming doctors one day. Since Tanzania's independence, China has continuously dispatched medical teams to both the mainland and the Zanzibar archipelago. China sent its first medical team to Zanzibar in 1964 and to the Tanzanian mainland in 1968. To date, 27 medical teams have served the mainland and 35 Zanzibar, treating nearly 20 million patients and helping local hospitals fill technical gaps. "They are here not only to treat, but to support healthy development," Chen said. "We hope these children grow strong, joyful, and confident, and one day become outstanding talents contributing to Tanzania's development." When the Chinese doctors left, children gathered to wave goodbye, some calling out "thank you" in English and Kiswahili. The doctors waved back, promising to return. For the children of Ashura and Ijango Zaidia orphanages, the Chinese doctors left not only medicine and supplies, but also warmth and a renewed belief that they are not alone. Germany opens new national drone defence centre Berlin, Dec 17 (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 Germany opened a new national drone defence centre on Wednesday to enable better coordination between central and state governments, after a string of suspicious drone sightings in recent months. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Russia is behind many of the sightings at sensitive locations in Germany and elsewhere in Europe such as airports, military bases and power plants. Opening the new Joint Drone Defence Centre in Berlin, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that while Germany is not at war, "we are the targets of hybrid war tactics, almost every day", adding that drone sightings had risen in recent months. "We assume that in many cases, these drones are controlled by hostile powers," Dobrindt said. European countries have repeatedly accused Russia of conducting "hybrid" attacks -- unconventional attacks that can involve sabotage, disinformation campaigns, drone use and other disruptive tactics. The new centre will bring together Germany's federal and 16 state police forces to create "a pool of data which will allow us... to develop predictive models able to determine the aggressors' strategies, including those of foreign powers," Dobrindt said. Earlier this month, Germany also launched a new police unit focused on drone defence, which is eventually expected to employ more than 130 officers. German lawmakers this year gave the police broader authority to shoot down drones if necessary. Also on Wednesday, Merz addressed the threat from drones in a speech to parliament, calling them part of a campaign by Moscow to "expand its area of influence well beyond its own borders into Europe". "Every day Russia is transgressing with hybrid attacks, drone overflights, killings, sabotage, spying, cyberattacks and targeted disinformation," Merz said. US deploys military to Ecuador for anti-drugs operation Quito, Dec 17 (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 The United States announced Wednesday a temporary deployment of Air Force personnel to Ecuador as part of its regional anti-narcotics campaign. There was no indication of the scale of the deployment, which comes as tensions are rising over the standoff between Latin American oil producer Venezuela and the United States. The personnel will be deployed at Ecuador's Manta air force base, which had served as a US base for a decade until 2009. Ecuadoran voters in November overwhelmingly rejected a bid by President Daniel Noboa to lift the country's ban on foreign bases. But according to the US embassy in Quito, the deployment is a "temporary operation with the Ecuadorian Air Force in Manta." The "short-term joint effort" will "enhance the capacity of the Ecuadorian military forces to combat narco-terrorists, including strengthening intelligence gathering and anti-drug trafficking capabilities, and is designed to protect the United States and Ecuador from the threats we share." Ecuador's defense ministry said that US planes with "military material" had arrived in the country, but gave no further detail. Noboa is attempting to roll back a wave of narcotics cartel violence and has argued that Ecuador needs help to fight the gangs. The United States under President Donald Trump is aggressively moving to combat drug operations in Latin America. At the heart of the campaign is a growing conflict with the hard-left government in Venezuela. Massive US naval and air forces have been deployed in waters off Latin America and dozens of small boats allegedly running drugs have been bombed in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 95 people so far. US deploys troops to Ecuador for anti-drugs operation Quito, Dec 17 (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 The United States announced Wednesday a temporary deployment of Air Force personnel to Ecuador to combat drug trafficking in one of Latin America's biggest narcotics smuggling hubs. The deployment comes amid a deepening standoff between the United States and Latin American oil producer Venezuela, whose leader Washington accuses of drug trafficking. The US personnel will be deployed at Ecuador's Manta air force base, which served as a US base for a decade until 2009. Ecuadoran voters in November overwhelmingly rejected a bid by President Daniel Noboa to lift the country's ban on foreign military bases. According to the US embassy in Quito, the deployment is a "temporary operation with the Ecuadorian Air Force in Manta." The "short-term joint effort" will "enhance the capacity of the Ecuadorian military forces to combat narco-terrorists, including strengthening intelligence gathering and anti-drug trafficking capabilities, and is designed to protect the United States and Ecuador from the threats we share," the embassy said. Noboa, one of Trump's closest allies in Latin America, said the operation "will allow us to identify and dismantle drug trafficking routes, and subdue those who thought they could take over the country." Noboa is attempting to roll back a wave of drug cartel violence that has turned what was once one of South America's safest countries into one of its deadliest. The ports of Guayaquil and Manta have become key exit points for cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru. The right-wing Noboa has argued that Ecuador needs outside help to fight the gangs vying for control of trafficking routes. The United States under Trump is aggressively moving to combat drug operations in Latin America. At the heart of the campaign is a growing conflict with the hard-left government in Venezuela. Massive US naval and air forces have been deployed in waters off Latin America and dozens of small boats allegedly running drugs have been bombed in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 95 people so far. Trump has also sought to pile economic pain on Venezuela by announcing a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers used to transport Venezuelan oil. Russian attack wounds at least 32 in southern Ukraine Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Dec 17 (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 Russian air strikes on and around the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday wounded at least 32 people, according to the local authorities. The head of the regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov, wrote on Telegram that all of those wounded came from the city and its surroundings. Rescue services earlier in the day said that five children were among the casualties in a provisional toll of 30, after strikes on a block of flats, a house and an educational establishment. AFP journalists at the scene saw firefighters battling a blaze in a multiple-storey housing block, where black smoke was billowing into the sky. Fedorov said two people were also wounded in a Russian drone strike on a civilian car in Kushuhum, south of Zaporizhzhia. The industrial city of Zaporizhzhia had a pre-war population of around 710,000 people and lies 27 kilometres (17 miles) from the front line. It has been targeted frequently by Russian forces since they invaded in February 2022. The Kremlin claimed in late 2022 that it had annexed the wider region, along with three other eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. The attacks came with the United States pushing Ukraine to accept peace terms to halt the fighting that critics have said are favourable to the Kremlin. TEHRAN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Russia on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the completion of an international transport route linking South Asia to Northern Europe, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported. In a meeting in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani and Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Transport Vitaly Savelyev exchanged views on the completion of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project, the report said. Larijani highlighted Iran's readiness to implement the project, adding that his country would remove existing executive and institutional obstacles in the near future and put into force the necessary agreements to legally and administratively consolidate the implementation of the project. Savelyev, for his part, welcomed Iran's decisive approach, voicing Moscow's readiness to advance the project into its operational phase. The two sides stressed that the INSTC was part of their countries' joint strategy to consolidate sustainable bilateral cooperation and construct independent regional connectivity routes. In July 2023, Iran and Russia signed an executory contract for the construction of a railway inside Iran as part of the INSTC. The 162-km railway will connect the northern Iranian cities of Rasht and Astara upon completion. In a statement, his family said he had been patrolling the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi when he was shot twice, once in his head and once in his shoulder, and had lost vision in one eye. The driver admitted to being in the UK for three years. The vehicle was not displaying 'L' on the front or rear of the vehicle. The driver was the only occupant inside the vehicle and was not being supervised. We know strikes come with a cost but will also mean that hard-working NHS colleagues, who have worked so hard this year on NHS recovery, will be deprived of Christmas with their families, with many now likely to be called in on their well-earned days off. Allow Google Search To use the search feature, we need your consent to load Google Custom Search, which may use cookies or similar technologies. Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to enable search. See our privacy policy for more information. Allow and Continue Sir Keir replied: She knows very well that the temporary relief that was put in place during Covid has come to an end. That was the scheme they put in place. We supported it, but it was always a temporary scheme coming to an end. Weve now put in place a 4 billion transitional relief. The Cabinet Office said the UK has now negotiated financial terms that strike a fair balance between our contribution and the benefits the programme offers, including a 30% discount compared to what it would have paid under its post-Brexit trade agreement for the first year. What were trying to do as a Government is to bring new jobs into Scotland and also to support industries like we see here in Grangemouth by stepping in, not just carping from the sidelines. People visit the experience center upon its opening at Laizhou Distillery in Qionglai City, Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 29, 2025. (Xinhua) CHENGDU, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- For a long time, alcohol in China has primarily served as a social lubricant, a tool for banquets, business dealings, and collective gatherings, where formality, etiquette, and drinking prowess took center stage. In recent years, however, that logic has begun to loosen, not through dramatic disruption, but through a series of quiet, cumulative changes. One of the clearest signals is the rising popularity of the Whisky Highball. In bars around Jiaozi Avenue in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, the simple mix of whisky, ice and soda water, deliberately mellow in strength and slower in pace, has become the most frequently ordered drink. The bartender put it plainly: on a busy night, he would make more than 60 Highballs. The appeal lies not in novelty but in fit. Born in dense, fast-paced Asian cities, the soda-cut drink sustains presence and poise after hours, suited to a culture that favors moderation over excess. Its rising popularity signals a quiet shift in when, why and how people drink. Industry figures suggest this is more than a niche urban curiosity. According to the China Alcoholic Drinks Association (CADA), the country's whisky market grew more than fourfold between 2013 and 2023, noticeably broadening its consumer base. In commercial districts across major cities like Chengdu, the steady opening of new bars over the past five years tells a parallel story, one marked not just by growing numbers but by a visibly younger clientele. More importantly, whisky is no longer consumed only in formal or aspirational contexts. It has entered relaxed bars after work, intimate gatherings, even late-night convenience stores, not as a display of drinking prowess, but as a means to unwind. This stands in stark contrast to the long-dominant banquet culture, where high-proof baijiu once ruled. He Yong, secretary general of CADA, sees the shift as structural rather than stylistic. He noted that changes in drinking habits are closely tied to more profound transformations in social structure, generational values and economic development. Younger consumers, he said, are making more individualized choices, prioritizing emotional ease and atmosphere over convention. In this light, drinking is becoming less a social obligation and more a matter of personal alignment. Market indicators reinforce this reading. Over the past two years, China's whisky imports have declined in both volume and value, while domestic production has continued to expand and diversify. Consumers are increasingly guided not by country of origin or brand prestige, but by flavor, experience and value, voting with their palate rather than their status. As He put it, how one drinks has become a form of self-expression, a marker of taste and lifestyle. The move from "pleasing others" to "pleasing oneself," he said, is a natural evolution in a maturing consumer market. The shift in demand has rapidly reshaped the supply side. In 2023, China's domestic whisky output reached 50,000 kiloliters, a year-on-year increase of 127 percent. For Luo Long, manufacturing center general manager at Laizhou Distillery, the country's largest domestic whisky producer in Sichuan's Qionglai City, such growth reflects accumulated momentum rather than sudden enthusiasm. Luo's team has navigated both expansion and volatility in recent years, while helping shape local production standards and supply chains. In his view, the real challenge for Chinese whisky is market breadth rather than technical capability. To grow beyond a niche, producers must win over consumers across regions with sharply different habits and expectations. Market research across provinces reveals the complexity: China has no single whisky palate. Consumers in Fujian lean toward lighter, fruit-forward notes, while in Guangdong, pairing with food carries more weight. Inland regions entered the market later but are now growing faster. Younger drinkers show keen interest in innovative mixed drinks, and online creators have turned "convenience-store cocktails" into a distinct lifestyle statement. Consequently, domestic producers like Laizhou have steered clear of merely following the imported whisky playbook, which often relies on premium positioning and exclusive urban circles. Instead, they have drawn on long-established practices from China's baijiu industry: expanding into lower-tier markets, strengthening distributor networks, diversifying drinking occasions and investing in steady, long-term consumer education. At the same time, the focus is shifting toward building a distinctly local flavor profile. Historically, Chinese whisky makers were heavily dependent on imported casks and raw materials, elements decisive to taste. Yet according to Luo, that reliance is now loosening. With domestic supply chains maturing, highland barley, wheat and corn are entering the distillation process, expanding experimentation toward defining a flavor identity of its own. One notable innovation is the use of yellow wine casks for maturation. As the spirit ages, the fermented sweetness and aromatic compounds from the traditional wine seep into the whisky, a profile some in the industry dubbed "Oriental Sherry." The resulting flavor aligns naturally with Chinese cuisine while carving out a distinct place within the global whisky landscape. Geography adds another layer of differentiation. In the humid, hilly terrain surrounding the Sichuan Basin, the climate shapes maturation in ways distillers say are hard to replicate. At the foot of Mount Emei, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yang Tao, chief distiller at THE CHUAN Malt Whisky Distillery, built by French spirits giant Pernod Ricard, noted that what some call a uniquely "Eastern woody character" is less a designed concept than an organic emergence. Notes reminiscent of sandalwood or nanmu wood often evoke the scents of local temples and stone-paved paths, he said. It is an imprint of place, not intention, slowly forming a terroir-specific vocabulary. "We're exploring what doesn't yet exist in the world of whisky," Yang said. To him, localization is not about imitating established traditions like those of Scotland or Japan, but about extending naturally from local culture, resources and flavor sensibilities. As domestic raw materials and cask techniques evolve, a profile "as gentle and smooth as jade" is steadily taking shape. Over the past five years, China's whisky industry has accelerated its localization. International spirits groups have ramped up local production, major domestic baijiu producers have stepped into the category, and large beer makers, attracted by shared production processes, have crossed into whisky too, joined by steady flows of domestic capital. These converging forces have driven rapid scaling. Industry estimates put China's whisky bottling volume at around 80,000 tonnes last year, several times higher than when the market relied primarily on imports. Reports also showed that in 2025, the market has continued to trend toward younger, more female, more inward-focused and more geographically dispersed consumers, with increasingly rational decision-making. In this context, domestic whisky is expected to move from being a substitute to a driver of growth. Figures show China's whisky market reached about 5.5 billion yuan (about 779 million U.S. dollars) in 2024, up 12 percent year-on-year. While still modest compared to the vast baijiu sector, its momentum and experimentation are drawing global attention. At the International Wine & Spirit Competition's annual Awards Celebration held in London last month, products from Qionglai earned 47 awards, spotlighting not only baijiu but Chinese whisky and other emerging categories. Industry observers see two likely paths for overseas growth: building credibility through international competitions and opening markets with competitive pricing and process innovation. Back in Chengdu, Jiaozi Avenue remained brightly lit late into the night. "What people drink isn't that important," the bartender said. "What matters is that they desire a moment of relief and ease." He said the word intifada means shaking off or uprising against injustice and said the implication that slogans used to support the liberation of the Palestinian people are only open to interpretation by groups who have maintained complicit support for Israels oppression of the Palestinian people and denial of their rights, is deeply problematic. In the wake of the Bondi attack, Sir Ephraim, who is travelling to Australia in his role as Chief Rabbi to the Commonwealth, told the Press Association: We have seen on a weekly basis people out in the streets of cities in our country crying slogans which incite hatred from the river to the sea, globalise the intifada. Waymo self-driving cars are charged at a facility in Southeast Austin on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. The company released its annual safety report Tuesday amid ongoing safety concerns in Austin. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Waymo released its annual safety report Tuesday, including Austin for the first time as the company faces heightened scrutiny over autonomous vehicle operations in the city. Waymo vehicles have driven 6.337 million fully autonomous miles in Austin since launching service in March, the report said. The data covers activity through September. Advertisement Article continues below this ad By the numbers: Waymo safety Driver miles: 6.337 million in Austin. 25.4 million in Los Angeles. 38.816 million in San Francisco. 56.535 million in Phoenix. 127 million total. Crash data: 90% fewer serious injury or worse crashes. 82% fewer airbag deployment in any vehicle crashes. 81% fewer injury-causing crashes. 92% fewer pedestrian crashes with injuries. 83% fewer cyclist crashes with injuries. 80% fewer motorcycle crashes with injuries. According to the companys data, its vehicles had 81% fewer injury crashes and 94% fewer crashes that resulted in airbag deployment compared with human drivers in Austin. The reports release follows a series of recent safety concerns in Austin. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Waymo came under scrutiny earlier this month after Austin ISD revealed the company's vehicles had illegally passed stopped school buses at least 20 times since August. The company issued a voluntary software recall last week to address the problem after Austin ISD reported the violations. AISD Police Assistant Chief Travis Pickford previously said the incidents raised serious concerns for the district. "The safety of our kids, first and foremost, is paramount," Pickford said. "Grown drivers have the ability to know what's right and what's wrong. It does not appear as though the Waymo vehicles know the difference between right and wrong." Advertisement Article continues below this ad This week, a social media video circulated showing a Waymo vehicle driving the wrong direction on a one-way street and another running a red light. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records, Waymo reported nine crashes in Austin in September, though the accompanying narratives indicate most were not caused by the companys self-driving system. Tesla, which operates about half as many driverless vehicles in Austin, reported four crashes that month. "As we continue to expand our service in Austin, transparency with the community is paramount. This update showcases a real positive safety impact we are making on Austin streets, backed by millions of fully autonomous miles in the city," Waymo said in a statement Tuesday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Waymo is currently seen as the industry-leader for robotaxis, operating in five major U.S. cities. The company is currently testing in San Antonio and has plans to launch services in Dallas and Houston in 2026. Comedian Tom Segura visits Ciccio Bomba, the Italian bakery he co-owns at Fareground in Austin, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. The new concept focuses on traditional Italian baking, with a menu built around handcrafted cornetti alongside focaccia, artisan breads, sandwiches, salads and pizza al taglio. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Comedian Tom Segura stopped by Ciccio Bomba, the Italian bakery he co-owns at Fareground, on Wednesday. The appearance comes weeks after the bakery opened downtown at Fareground, 111 Congress Ave., adding a new all-day pastry and cafe option to the food hall. Ciccio Bomba is led by Italian chef Gianbattista Gianba Vinzoni and co-owned by Segura. The concept focuses on traditional Italian baking, with a menu built around handcrafted cornetti alongside focaccia, artisan breads, sandwiches, salads and pizza al taglio. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whats on the menu and whos behind Ciccio Bomba Focaccia is seen at Ciccio Bomba, the Italian bakery at Fareground in Austin, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. The new concept focuses on traditional Italian baking, with a menu built around handcrafted cornetti alongside focaccia, artisan breads, sandwiches, salads and pizza al taglio. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman At Ciccio Bomba, the cornetti offered in classic versions such as plain, chocolate and sugar, as well as savory and specialty options take center stage. The bakery also serves breakfast items, sandwiches layered with Italian meats and cheeses, composed salads, rotating slices of pizza and housemade focaccia and other breads. Espresso drinks and cafe beverages round out the offerings. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The bakery draws on Chef Vinzonis career in professional kitchens. His resume includes leadership roles at Soho House West Hollywood and The Beverly Hilton, where he cooked for the Golden Globes. Ciccio Bomba joins a lineup of vendors at Fareground, which reopened in 2021 under Richard Sandoval Hospitality. The food hall offers indoor and outdoor seating and is home to eateries ranging from burgers and shawarma to tacos and rotisserie fare, along with two cocktail bars. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ciccio Bomba is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information is available at faregroundaustin.com/cicciobomba. This photo taken on Dec. 17, 2025 shows makeshift tents for Cambodian evacuees in Serei Saophoan City, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia. Cambodia said on Wednesday that the Thai military forces have continued airstrikes and artillery shelling into Cambodian territory, as the civilian death toll in Cambodia has risen to 17. Cambodian Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said since early Wednesday, the Thai forces had used tank-mounted machine guns, bombing drones, artillery and a F-16 fighter jet to attack several positions in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and Pursat provinces. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia said on Wednesday that the Thai military forces have continued airstrikes and artillery shelling into Cambodian territory, as the civilian death toll in Cambodia has risen to 17. Cambodian Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said since early Wednesday, the Thai forces had used tank-mounted machine guns, bombing drones, artillery and a F-16 fighter jet to attack several positions in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and Pursat provinces. Socheata said that the total number of Cambodian civilians killed in the conflict reached 17, as the injured rose to 77. The conflict has also forced over 130,000 Cambodian families with about 438,000 individuals to flee their homes for safe shelters, according to official figures. The Cambodia-Thailand border conflict has reignited since Dec. 7, and both sides accused the other of initiating the attack. Cambodian evacuees live under makeshift tents in Serei Saophoan City, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia, Dec. 17, 2025. Cambodia said on Wednesday that the Thai military forces have continued airstrikes and artillery shelling into Cambodian territory, as the civilian death toll in Cambodia has risen to 17. Cambodian Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said since early Wednesday, the Thai forces had used tank-mounted machine guns, bombing drones, artillery and a F-16 fighter jet to attack several positions in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and Pursat provinces. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) Cambodian evacuees live under makeshift tents in Serei Saophoan City, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia, Dec. 17, 2025. Cambodia said on Wednesday that the Thai military forces have continued airstrikes and artillery shelling into Cambodian territory, as the civilian death toll in Cambodia has risen to 17. Cambodian Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said since early Wednesday, the Thai forces had used tank-mounted machine guns, bombing drones, artillery and a F-16 fighter jet to attack several positions in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and Pursat provinces. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) Sam's BBQ is located at 2000 E. 12th St. in Austin. BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN This story has been updated to add new information. Beef bulgogi at Koriente. AMERICAN-STATESMAN FILE Cities dont just lose restaurants; they shed parts of their identity. In Austin, 2025 sometimes felt like a slow strip-down. One after another, the places that fed us, grounded us or simply got us through the week have gone dark. Some slipped away without noise; others left a mark on the way out. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If you zoom out, the pattern becomes painfully clear: Austin is booming, but not all the places that made it interesting can survive the boom. Rent rises. Owners burn out. Developers descend. Some chefs chase new passions; others just run out of fight. Theres no one villain just the grind of a city transforming so fast you barely recognize the skyline, let alone the restaurant lineup. Heres a look back at the places that shaped the citys appetite and what we lose when the doors lock for good. Aster's Ethiopian Bekele and Aster Kassaye have operated Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant in Austin since 1991. American-Statesman file photo Asters Ethiopian Restaurant, a family-owned institution that had served traditional Ethiopian cuisine since 1991, quietly closed after more than three decades in business. Asters was known for its buffet-style service and classic dishes such as doro wot, Ethiopias national dish. The restaurant appears to have closed sometime around June, with no official announcement or explanation from the owners. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Black Star Co-Op has closed after almost 15 years as a community-owned brewpub. AMERICAN-STATESMAN FILE The North Austin brewpub, owned collectively by its workers and community members, closed near the start of the year after 14 years in operation. Founded on a cooperative business model envisioned by co-founder Steven Yarak, the pub became known not only for its beer and burgers but also for its commitment to environmental sustainability and employee ownership. Its closure marked the end of a rare model in Austins dining scene. The Celis Brewery in North Austin was the home to Con Todo for more than three years. Jay Janner, Austin American-Statesman Con Todo was one of those food trucks that punched way above its weight class. Chef Joseph Gomez turned Rio Grande Valley flavors into the kind of food that sticks to you long after the last tortilla is gone. Michelin noticed. The Beard Foundation noticed. But Gomez chose sanity over glory, shutting the truck down to chase other dreams through his Sana Sana Taqueria pop-ups. Respect to the man, but we miss that truck. Advertisement Article continues below this ad DipDipDip Tatsu-Ya, which opened in 2019, closed on Aug. 17. Nick Wagner/AMERICAN-STATESMAN FILE DipDipDip felt like a restaurant having fun being alive: wagyu hot pots, tofu-skin hot pockets, an entire vibe built on playful precision. And then, just like that, it was over in August. Tatsu Aikawa called it his love letter to Japanese nabemono, and you could feel that in every bowl. A new concept might take the Burnet Road space, but like all sequels, theres no guarantee itll hit the same. Chef Paul Qui and partners plan to open Roselle Pizzeria in the East Side King space on South Lamar Boulevard in late September. Provided by Paul Qui East Side King was a mood. A whole era, really. Beet fries, karaage, the post-Liberty Bar glow it was part of the citys DNA. After 15 years, the South Lamar location shut down in June, making room for Paul Quis next move: Roselle Pizzeria. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Owner Jim Moy takes a customers order at Jim Jims Water-Ice on Sixth Street in Austin on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Jim Jim's owner Jim Moy is retiring after 31 years. His Italian ices were staples of Austin summer at his shop, as well as Barton Springs Pool and Deep Eddy Pool. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman There are things you only truly appreciate in their final moments: summer, childhood and neon-colored water ice on Sixth Street. Jim-Jims called it quits after 31 sweaty Austin summers, back in October. If you never grabbed a cup on a blistering day downtown, you missed a rite of passage the kind of low-stakes, high-nostalgia treat that made Sixth Street feel human. Koriente owner Won Lee tends to the garden at the East Seventh Street restaurant in 2005. JAY JANNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN Koriente's healthy, soulful Korean dishes MSG-free long before clean eating was an online trend were the antidote to everything downtown had become. Opened in 2005, the restaurant closed this year when the Lee family that owned it had to rush home to Korea for family reasons. Just like that, gone. It was the kind of place musicians ate at before gigs and office workers clung to at lunch. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sams isnt fancy. It doesnt need to be. It is East Austin smoky, late-night, unbothered by trends. One of the last Black-owned barbecue institutions in a city that has watched too many of them fade closed temporarily in September, but made a comeback at its original location before the end of the year. Phew. 2000 E. 12th St. 512-478-0378. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The pad ka prow, as with all of the dishes at Thai Kun, pulls no punches. Ricardo B. Brazziell/AMERICAN-STATESMAN Thai Kun, one of Austins most celebrated Thai restaurants and a rare food-truck-to-brick-and-mortar success story, closed abruptly. A notice citing a lockout for nonpayment of rent appeared on the restaurants doors in March. It opened in 2016 after two years as a food truck under the East Side King umbrella. The spot regularly landed on the American-Statesmans list of best Austin restaurants, ranking No. 15 in 2022. Not a restaurant, fine, but a pillar. Thoms Market closing all three locations on April 20 is the kind of loss you feel when you walk by and see the replacements. Bill Thomas retired, the staff stayed on under new ownership, but lets be honest: Thoms was Thoms because of the family behind it. The curated local goods, the energy, the neighborhood heartbeat you cant buy that in a lease takeover. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For decades, Trudys was where your friend got too confident with a Mexican martini and where countless after-work and post-exam meals took place. With the North Star location closing, that was the last Trudys standing. A Tex-Mex staple erased not with a boom, but with a soft Instagram post promising something in the future. Weve heard that tune before. Vics lasted 39 years which in barbecue years is basically three lifetimes. A family joint, straightforward and sincere, never trying to reinvent the wheel. On Oct. 31, they hung up the tongs for the last time. Another old-school spot gone. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wee's Cozy Kitchen Wee Fong Ehlers at the original location of her Wee's Cozy Kitchen. MATTHEW ODAM A downtown destination for Malaysian comfort food closed its stall inside Royal Blue Grocer on Congress Avenue in June. Owner Wee Fong Ehlers said on Instagram she plans to take a break before she searches for a new location. The closure was tied to broader lease issues affecting Royal Blue Grocer itself. Owner George Scariano told the American-Statesman that the grocer was unable to renew its lease after requesting rent abatement following repeated public safety incidents near Sixth Street and Congress. More Austin restaurants that closed this year El Mercado has been serving Tex-Mex cuisine in South Austin since 1985. AMERICAN-STATESMAN FILE/AME Advertisement Article continues below this ad A year of losses that hit hard Three workmen load up a Budget rental moving truck in Queens, New York. Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Texas and Florida are once again leading the states in the most new residents, surveys show. But what makes the Lone Star State so attractive, and which metros are people flocking to? And, where are people moving out of Texas going, and why? A new analysis sheds some light on the latest migration patterns. Online marketplace HireAHelper partnered with data provider PGM to analyze a database of 18,000,000 national moves between June 2024 and May 2025. The migration report focused on origins and destinations of adult moves, intrastate versus interstate flows, and the demographics of people who moved. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Here are some quick Texas migration statistics: Annual Texas moves from outside and inside the state: 1,403,786 people Annual Texas population gain from other states: 265,112 people Average monthly Texas population gain from other states: 22,092 people Average daily Texas population gain from other states: 726 people HireAHelper's survey went deeper to uncover which Texas metros are seeing the most movement of people and the top reasons for moving in or out. Here's a breakdown of the results. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Californians are moving to Austin but Texans are headed to this major US city Advertisement Article continues below this ad Top US states for net migration Despite the tens of thousands of residents moving to Texas, the state ranked 19th for net migration. Between June 2024 and May 2025, Texas gained 14.1 more residents per 10,000 than it lost. As in previous years, a large share (27.8%) of new Texans came from California, Florida and Colorado. California alone contributed to 14% of people moving into Texas. Experts cite affordable housing, job opportunities and the lack of a state income tax as major reasons for migration to Texas, according to HireAHelper. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Here's a breakdown of the top five states people left for the Lone Star State: California: 14% Florida: 9.2% Colorado: 4.5% Arizona: 3.8% Illinois: 3.7% 1 in 3 new Texas residents are moving to this metro The following list includes the top five metros with the largest population gain, along with the share of total new Texas residents: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: 519,078 (31.7%) Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands: 376,391 (20.7%) Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos: 186,109 (13%) San Antonio-New Braunfels: 159,306 (10.5%) Killeen-Temple: 33,049 (3%) Texas also exhibited a national pattern of urban-to-suburban migration. Some of its fastest-growing metros also saw the most outbound moves, particularly Dallas, Houston and Austin, generally due to housing costs and remote work flexibility. Austin remains biggest US 'boomtown' with fastest population growth. See which cities follow behind Migration paths within Texas Top 5 in-state sources of movers to the Austin-Round Rock metro area Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands: 23.74% Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: 21.84% San Antonio-New Braunfels: 17.89% Killeen-Temple: 8.94% Corpus Christi: 2.63% Advertisement Article continues below this ad Who is moving to Texas? HireAHelper's analysis explored the top reasons people are moving to Texas. Reason % of TX moves % of national moves TX vs. national New job or job transfer 30.7% 10.09% 67% Wanted new or better housing 6.2% 14.54% -135% To look for work or lost job 5.1% 1.34% 74% Gen X, Millennials Advertisement Article continues below this ad Of those moving into Texas, the majority are "Gen X" and "Millennials." On the other hand, a far smaller share belongs to the youngest generation of adults ("Gen Z") and the oldest generation ("Traditionalists"). Gen X (born between roughly 1965 and 1980): 40.7% Millennials (born between roughly 1981 and 1996): 35.7% Baby Boomers (born between roughly 1946 and 1964): 13.5% Traditionalists (born between roughly 1928 and 1945): 3.3% Gen Z (born between roughly 1997 and 2012): 2.7% Most new Texas residents come from middle- and upper-middle-income households, which HireAHelper reports "fits the narrative of professionals and families moving for career opportunities, lower taxes, and a more affordable lifestyle compared to some coastal states." Less than $12,000: 0.3% $12,000 - $50,000: 20.4% $51,000 - $100,000: 41.1% $101,000 - $200,000: 32.9% $201,000 - $250,000: 3.5% $251,000 - $500,000: 1.9% Advertisement Article continues below this ad Who is leaving Texas? The top Texas metros that saw the largest shares of the state's outbound moves include: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: 6.74% Houston: 4.75% Austin: 3.19% Advertisement Article continues below this ad The top states people moved to from Texas were as follows: Williamson County sheriff's office American-Statesman file The anniversary of Vicki Lynn Nisbetts disappearance quietly passed this weekend, marking more than three decades since the Cedar Park woman was last seen leaving her apartment for a holiday party. She was never heard from again. Nisbett, 29, was last seen around 6 p.m. on Dec. 14, 1991, as she was leaving her apartment at an Anderson Mill complex, according to police. She told others she was heading to a company Christmas party, but didnt arrive as planned. She was last seen wearing a long black skirt and a black sweater imprinted with turquoise and reddish-colored shapes on the front. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Her husband, Rex Nisbitt, reported her missing two days later. He told authorities she needed time away and he believed she had gone to Austin. Her family disputed that and said it was unlike Vicki Nisbett to disappear without letting anyone know. She vanished just two weeks before her 30th birthday. The couple shared three sons, and at the time of her disappearance, she and Rex were legally separated and in the process of divorcing. Their divorce was expected to be finalized in January 1992, but Vicki Nisbett had agreed to let Rex Nisbett stay at her apartment over the holidays. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source In the course of their investigation, police found blood in the master bedroom of her apartment. Investigators said the scene showed signs of an attempted cleanup and the volume of blood led authorities to conclude she had died, even though her body was never found. An anonymous tip in February 1992 led police to her brown 1987 Dodge Aries, which was found in a parking lot near MoPac Boulevard. The car appeared to have been left there for weeks. Vicki Lynn Nisbett, 29, vanished on Dec. 14, 1991, and her body was never found. This past weekend marked the 34th anniversary of her disappearance. Courtesy Williamson County Sheriff's Office After sitting unresolved for decades, a break came in March 2013, when Rex Nisbett was indicted on a murder charge. Prosecutors alleged he killed Vicki Nisbett during an argument in the apartment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Court records stated she had been seeing another man and Rex Nisbett had assaulted her boyfriend about a month before she disappeared. Rex Nisbett also had a history of assault and drug-related offenses, and he was homeless at the time of his arrest. A jury convicted Rex Nisbett of murder in June 2014 and he was sentenced to 42 years in prison. An appeals court overturned the conviction in 2016, but it was later reinstated. In its opinion, the court said the evidence was sufficient to show that Rex Nisbett murdered his wife. Now, 34 years after her disappearance, Vicki Nisbetts remains have still never been located. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Students arrive Aug. 9 for the first day of school at Del Valle Middle School. A $6.5 million federal grant will expand a program in the Del Valle school district that trains and staffs mental health providers on campuses. Jay Janner/American-Statesman A $6.5 million federal grant will expand a program in the Del Valle school district that trains and staffs mental health providers on campuses. The grant from the U.S. Department of Education will fund up to an additional four interns per year during a time when many schools are struggling to find much-needed staff who can help with students mental health needs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The grant will expand an existing partnership between the Del Valle district and UTs graduate school of psychology, which prepares masters students to offer mental health support for Del Valle students, said Nicole Roberts, Del Valles director of special education. The program allows UT graduate students who are on the path to becoming school psychologists to complete their practicum and internship years in Del Valle by working with students across all grade levels. The program previously used funding from a federal grant that wasnt renewed this year, so the district applied for a different federal grant, Roberts said. But the new grant wont just continue the program it will enhance it. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source The district could only guarantee one year of placement for the graduate students with the previous grant, Roberts said. Now, masters students will be able to continue working in Del Valle schools through the entire four-year grant. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Internship and beyond opportunities were only available if a position was open, Roberts said. This grant will also increase professional development and resources that are available. After four years of the grant, the district will evaluate its funding and need for the additional positions, Roberts said. School psychologists and mental health specialists are among the most difficult personnel for schools to recruit. The National Association of School Psychologists recommends 500 students per one school psychologist, but the national average is more than double that. Texas is even further away from the national target, with 2,243 students per one school psychologist, according to the associations data. Del Valle had 12 school psychologists for its about 11,000 students in the 2023-24 school year, according to federal data. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The grant will be critical for helping close the gap between the needs of students and the districts resources, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement. Cornyn supported the 2022 Safer Communities Act, which provided funding for Del Valle's original grant. Schools remain one of the most consistent and accessible places for students to receive mental health support, yet they often lack the appropriate staffing or resources necessary to adequately respond to the growing complexity of students needs, Cornyn said. In the wake of the 2022 shooting at a Uvalde elementary school which left 19 children and two adults dead Texas lawmakers provided $328 million in school safety funding and in 2025 provided another $430 million. However, that funding is meant for both physical security and mental health supports. School officials have said the cost of creating a secure school facility often outpaces the funding they receive for that purpose. Supporters attend a rally held in support of a fired Texas State University professor at Hays County Historic Courthouse in San Marcos, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. Texas State University recently uninvited a Black history exhibition from campus, citing the state's anti-DEI law. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Update as of 2:40 p.m.: Shortly after this report published, university spokesperson Jayme Blaschke told the American-Statesman that Texas State University will consider bringing the Black History 101 Mobile Museum to campus for future Black History Month programming. He declined to specify when and how the university will consider the museum. Khalid el-Hakim, the founder of the museum, said he has not heard from Texas State University. Texas State University officials may be reversing course after previously uninviting a Black history exhibition from campus, citing the states anti-DEI law, Texas' climate and topics covered by the museum. Civil rights organizations called the move viewpoint discrimination and are urging the university to bring the mobile museum to campus. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Khalid el-Hakim, the founder and curator of Black History 101 Mobile Museum, a 30-year travelling exhibit of lesser-taught Black history from ancient Egypt to present day, said a Texas State University official approached him Oct. 14 about bringing his exhibition to campus for Black History Month. But on Oct. 28, the official reversed course, saying supervisors did not approve the museum to be on campus. In the second email, a director of campus activities informed el-Hakim that after reviewing this with supervisors and the leadership team, the Black History 101 Mobile Museum was not approved to be on campus due to SB -17, the current climate of our State, and certain topics covered as part of the museum, according to a screenshot of the email. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source In a letter sent Tuesday to Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse, the Texas chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the NAACPs Legal Defense Fund and San Antonio-based nonprofit Intercultural Development Research Association argue that the cancellation wrongly cites state law, which does not bar diversity in teaching. The groups contend that the universitys decision contributes to a broader pattern of suppression of race in education. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Wednesday afternoon a day after the organizations sent a letter urging the university to reverse course and hours after the American-Statesmans initial reporting published online Texas university spokesperson Jayme Blaschke said that Texas State University will consider the Black History 101 Mobile Museum for future Black history month programming. He declined to specify when and how the university will consider the museum. el-Hakim said he has not heard from the university and does not plan to comment further until he does. Blaschke previously said that the decision to uninvite the Black history exhibition was made on a department level, and the official incorrectly stated that the decision was based on Senate Bill 17, a 2023 anti-DEI law that exempted teaching and guest speakers. In a statement, he said the university apologizes for the inaccuracy, but did not issue an apology for the cancellation. He added that the university has planned a range of events and activities for Black History Month, which is commemorating its 100th anniversary next year. Blaschke did not respond to questions about accusations of viewpoint discrimination. El-Hakim founded the organization as a middle school teacher to teach Black history that he felt was excluded from curriculum and textbooks in K-12 education. He said Texas States reversal was the first time the museum has been uninvited from an institution. Since founding the museum, he has collected 15,000 artifacts, visited more than 1,000 institutions from elementary schools to universities and corporations across 43 states. His collection spans ancient Egyptian artifacts to childrens dolls and shackles from American slavery. Advertisement Article continues below this ad These are now considered things that make people feel uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, its nothing but American history, el-Hakim said in an interview about the artifacts he collects. This is a college campus, and this is where students should be learning about history. El-Hakim said he believes the cancellation reflects a climate of suppression toward speech about diversity that keeps key parts of Black history out of the classroom. This is a part of that climate. Its a form of censorship, its a form of denying basic constitutional rights of freedom of speech, at the bottom line, this is about academic freedom, el-Hakim said. This is not the time to be silent Texas States reversed invitation comes at a time when universities are restricting lessons on race and gender and conservative politicians are tamping down on diversity, equity and inclusion and perceived liberal indoctrination in education. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Earlier this fall, Texas State fired a tenured professor for his remarks at a revolutionary socialism conference after video of his remarks circulated online. The university described the remarks as advocating violence. Shortly after, the university announced a student was no longer enrolled after Gov. Greg Abbott urged his expulsion for conduct mocking Charlie Kirks death. A staff member was then fired after defending the student on social media. Texas State University System is one of several Texas higher education systems auditing courses for content related to gender identity. These audits launched after Texas A&M University fired a professor for teaching about gender identity in a childrens literature course. Texas A&M University System and Texas Tech University System adopted a ban on courses that advocate for race or gender ideology without prior approval. El-Hakim said Texas State did not give him more information about what materials university officials were concerned about. He said he would happily come to the San Marcos-based school if the university reversed course. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The students should have the opportunity to see for themselves, el-Hakim said. Let them see what the university was concerned about. He began collecting artifacts thirty-five years ago. Then a college student, el-Hakim walked into a Tennessee gas station on his first visit down south from Detroit and encountered a souvenir racistly depicting a Black person. The artifact inspired him to begin collecting pieces of Black history to capture Black stereotypes. These are theartifacts he uses in his educational exhibits. He became a middle school teacher and began bringing the artifacts into class to show students the history Black people were a part of that was not captured in their textbooks. His organization was born, and 15 years later, it had enough demand to pursue as a full-time job. In the past 15 years, he said hes never cold called to ask if institutions are interested in him visiting: they have all reached out to him. Advertisement Article continues below this ad El-Hakim said his work feels more important today than ever before. He decided to speak out about the Texas State incident because of Martin Luther King Jr.s remark that silence is betrayal. He thinks about the people who lived the history contained in the pieces he now collects. FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Eric Gay/AP Attorney General Ken Paxton is encouraging Texans to submit photos and other evidence that could document violations of the states new bathroom bill, which bars transgender people from using government restrooms that dont align with their sex at birth. Paxtons office released a complaint form on Thursday that allows people to submit photo evidence of potential infractions. State law bars photography and videography in restrooms. Advertisement Article continues below this ad READ MORE: Texas House OKs transgender bathroom ban after years of GOP attempts The Texas Womens Privacy Act was passed to ensure that women and girls in Texas are protected from mentally ill men wanting to violate their basic right to privacy in places like restrooms and locker rooms, Paxton said in a statement. Its absolute insanity that action like this is even needed, but unfortunately in the day and age of radical leftism, it is. The form requires the name and contact information of the complainant, whether they are willing to testify and sign an affidavit, as well as the date, location and a description of the violation. It also requires evidence of the violation and provides users with the option to upload photos and documents. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Paxtons office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what kind of photos complainants can legally take that would both prove a violation while also complying with the state prohibition on photography and videography in bathrooms, which is punishable by up to two years in state jail and up to $10,000 in fines. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Under the law, which took effect Dec. 4, complainants will need to first contact the agency where the violation occurred and give them three business days to fix the issue before they can submit a complaint to the attorney generals office. Opponents of the ban have warned it will lead to harassment of transgender Texans in bathrooms across the state. Even before the law passed, during the heat of the debate over the measure, a situation arose where a conservative activist posted a photo of a transgender person in the bathroom, leading the Travis County district attorney to launch an investigation. The activist sued, arguing the bathroom photo ban law is unconstitutional, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month disagreed and ruled that claim is highly unlikely and that the investigation could move forward. LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A former doctor charged in connection with U.S. Hollywood actor Matthew Perry's fatal drug overdose was sentenced to eight months of house arrest on Tuesday. Mark Chavez, one of the two ex-doctors and one of the five people who have pleaded guilty to giving the actor drugs, was also ordered by judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to complete 300 hours of community service. Perry, an Emmy-nominated actor best known for starring as Chandler Bing in the U.S. TV series "Friends," was found dead at the age of 54 in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2023. In total, five defendants have been charged in connection with the death of Perry, who suffered a fatal ketamine overdose. In his plea agreement, Chavez acknowledged that he and Salvador Plasencia, an ex-doctor sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison earlier this month, colluded to deceive medical ketamine suppliers and illegally distribute the drug to Perry for profit, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday. "Friends," aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004, is widely considered one of the most popular television shows of all time in the United States. The success of the acclaimed series made Perry and his character, Chandler Bing, household names worldwide. TOKYO, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan recorded a trade surplus of 322.3 billion yen (2 billion U.S. dollars) in November, government data showed Wednesday, bolstering expectations for a Bank of Japan (BOJ) rate increase later this week. Japan's exports rose for a third straight month in November, up 6.1 percent year-on-year, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report, as shipments to the United States rebounded for the first time in eight months. Imports grew 1.3 percent year-on-year in November, compared with market forecasts for a 2.5 percent increase. Japan's economy contracted in the third quarter after exports weakened amid the impact of U.S. tariffs. Sentiment has improved following a U.S.-Japan trade agreement formalized in September, which set a baseline 15 percent tariff on nearly all U.S. imports from Japan, down from earlier proposed rates of 27.5 percent on autos and 25 percent on most other goods. With tariff concerns easing, the BOJ is widely expected to raise its short-term policy rate to 0.75 percent from 0.5 percent later this week, though the pace of future rate hikes remains uncertain. DUSHANBE, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Tajikistan's GDP has grown 8.4 percent to reach 173 billion somoni (around 18.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said Tuesday. In his annual address to the parliament, Rahmon said that a series of important and effective initiatives had been implemented over the past decade to achieve strategic development goals and improve people's living standards. In the period, the country's GDP increased by 3.4 times, while the national economy recorded an average annual growth rate of 7.6 percent, he said. Rahmon noted that more than 670 billion somoni had been invested in Tajikistan's socio-economic development over the past 10 years from all sources, including 159 billion somoni in foreign investment. The country's population increased from 8.5 million in 2015 to 10.7 million in 2025, and the average life expectancy rose from 70 to 77 years, said the president. Rahmon stressed the need to ensure that economic growth reaches no less than 8 percent in 2026 and that macroeconomic indicators remain stable in the years to come. Craig Austin Lang, 35, who was discharged from the Army in 2014, received two life sentences for killing a Florida couple in 2019, the Justice Department said Dec. 16, 2025. Lang was extradited last year from Ukraine, where he had gone to fight in a war against Russia-backed separatists. (File) A former U.S. soldier will go to prison for life for killing a Florida couple during a robbery intended to fund his aims to wage war in Venezuela, federal prosecutors said. Craig Austin Lang, 35, of Arizona, was trying to get to Venezuela to fight when he stole $3,000 and killed the couple, who had answered his online ad to buy guns, the Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday. Previous media reports identified the victims as Serafin Danny Lorenzo Jr. and Deana Lorenzo. The Justice Department statement referred to them by their initials. Lang received two consecutive life sentences from U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell following his September conviction on a host of charges. They included conspiracy to commit robbery, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence which resulted in death, and conspiracy to kill persons in a foreign country. Lang was extradited from Ukraine in 2024, more than four years after his indictment in the double homicide. Prosecutors said he had fought in Ukraine, where he joined the paramilitary group Right Sector, according to the BBC and Buzzfeed. Langs accomplice in the crime, Alex Jared Zwiefelhofer, was convicted at trial in 2024 and also received two consecutive life sentences. He is also a former U.S. Army soldier. Lang, who entered the Army in 2008, had been arrested in 2013 on suspicion of desertion from Fort Bliss in Texas after taking all his military equipment and traveling to North Carolina to confront his wife, according to local media reports. His father told a local news station at the time that Lang had served two tours overseas and returned with post-traumatic stress disorder. He was discharged from the Army in 2014, according to court records, after which he began traveling to foreign countries with the hope of joining armed conflicts. Lang came to the attention of U.S. law enforcement in 2017 when he was denied entry into South Sudan by Kenyan authorities. He later told federal agents that he had been a soldier and a military adviser to the Ukrainian army since 2015 and had attempted to enter Sudan to fight alongside their military, according to a federal affidavit. After the Florida killings, Lang traveled to Bogota, Colombia, with plans to cross the border into Venezuela to fight against the government of that country. He later traveled to Spain before ending up in Ukraine. Visitors interact with exhibits within the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum, Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 1, 2025. (Patrick King/U.S. Marine Corps) (Tribune News Service) An old landmark from the beginning of Camp Pendletons history in the early 1940s will serve as the venue for a base-wide holiday party Dec. 20. Many people pass by the building, but few know its significance. The California Marine Corp base is now the home of the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum, also known as The Mech. The museum houses what is billed as the worlds largest collection of U.S. Marine Corps vehicles from World War II to the Global War on Terrorism. Theres also a cannon and ambulance from World War I. One of the stars of the show with a Hollywood connection is a Landing Vehicle, Tracked (LTV), an amphibious landing craft used in WWII, that Clint Eastwood drove in his movie, Flags of Our Fathers. But its not just the museum that tells Marine Corps history. The building is an important piece of the bases history, said Faye Jonason, Camp Pendletons History and Museum Division director. The unassuming one-story building stands at the bottom of Rattlesnake Canyon next to railroad tracks near Lake ONeill on Camp Pendleton and once served as a checkpoint for Marines and supplies leaving and returning from missions around the world. Thousands of Marines arrived at this Camp Pendleton terminal to begin their discharge after service in World War II. Building 2612, now the MECH, was described in the Jan. 14, 1946, issue of The Pendleton Scout as the camp depot where a thousand Marines per week were sent by rail to other centers for discharge after being screened through the Redistribution Regiment (at Bldg 2612). These were veterans of World War II who were anxious to go home and could only do that when their number came up, said Jonason. Originally built in 1942, the building was labeled H for hospital and supported the bases early barracks-style Naval Hospital at Lake ONeill by housing the wounded along with supplies and equipment transported by railroad. The year 1944 is carved into the wall on the front of the building. There used to be an old sign in the back marking the railroad stop, called Joe Fegan, named after Maj. Gen. Joseph Fegan, Camp Pendletons first commanding general, when the base was activated in 1942. That sign is now inside the museum. A restored World War I-era ambulance at the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum seen on Dec. 20, 2017, in Camp Pendleton, Calif. (Lukas Kalinauskas/U.S. Marine Corps) The Mechanized Museum opened inside the building in September 2002, spearheaded by now retired Master Gunnery Sgt. James King, who worked with volunteers restoring the old military vehicles, and Jonason. The History-Museum Branch, under Jonason, worked to acquire the space and designed the exhibits for the museum, which was dedicated the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum as part of the 60th anniversary of the bases dedication in 1942. The 22,000-square-foot museum contains more than 120 historical artifacts ranging from transport and battle vehicles to artillery. Most of the items in the exhibit are in working order, thanks to the efforts of King, cofounder of the museum, and his crew of volunteers, known as Dirty Docents because of all the grease and oil they got on themselves while working on the vehicles to get them running. Signs next to the displays explain the use of the vehicles and their significance in Marine Corps history. The exhibit includes vintage artifacts such as a Chenowith Light Strike Vehicle, Sherman tank, a 1943 Willeys MB Jeep from World War II and the M48A1 Main Battle Tank Dozer along with a replica Browning heavy machine gun. The 30-caliber Browning was used by Marine Corps hero and Medal of Honor recipient Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone at Guadalcanal during WWII. U.S. Marine Corps veterans with the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association tour the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum during the associations 2025 reunion at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Sept. 13, 2025. (Jacqueline Akamelu/U.S. Marine Corps) In the WWII section of the museum, a tracked M29 Weasel made by Studebaker on loan from the Camp Pendleton Historical Society is spotlighted. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions that had trained on Camp Pendleton received the non-amphibious version of M29 Weasels in November 1944 and put them to successful use on Iwo Jima where the volcanic soil caused tanks to be mired and have broken tracks. These vehicles could carry a half-ton load through the mud and sand and traveled over ground that wheeled vehicles could not, Jonason said. The exhibit includes a DUKW (pronounced Duck) amphibious landing craft built from 1943-1945, which is a modification of the 2.5 ton CCKW trucks used by the U.S. military in World War II. It primarily brought supplies from ship to shore and transported wounded combatants to hospital ships. Its an interesting collection inside an historical building that many people dont know about, Jonason said. This event will give people a chance to look inside and see whats here. The Night at the Mechanized Museum free open house holiday event is from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Mech, Bldg. 2612 Vandegrift Boulevard. Santa is slated to make a grand entrance by WW II Jeep at 6 p.m. The 1st Marine Division Jazz Combo will perform and there will be festive drinks and snacks. Base access credentials are required. 2025 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Crew of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz man the rails for arrival at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025. (Hannah Kantner/U.S. Navy) BREMERTON, Wash. It was getting darker, colder and wetter by the minute Tuesday afternoon when the USS Nimitz slowly peeked its bow into Sinclair Inlet, made a tug-assisted pivot into a berth, and came to a stop at Naval Base Kitsap. Yvonne Ramirez had driven 125 miles south from Mount Vernon in just under three hours to see her sailor boyfriend, skirting the floods in Snohomish and King counties that had been declared a disaster area by Gov. Bob Ferguson. Standing under a shelter in front of the berth, she squinted through gray skies at the 1,000-foot-long carrier in hopes of seeing her boyfriend among the sailors manning the rails around the rim of the Nimitz flight deck. Id wait for you forever, but 270 Days was long enough. Welcome home, Kevin Scruggs, her sign said. USS Nimitz Electricians Mate 3 Kevin Scruggs proposes marriage to his girlfriend, Yvonne Ramirez of Mount Vernon, Wash., on the quay as the carrier arrives at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025. (Franklyn Guage/U.S. Navy) The nine-month trip across the Pacific and back was a final voyage for the 50-year-old Nimitz, the oldest aircraft carrier in the fleet, a veteran of the end of the Vietnam War; the Iranian Revolution; the Gulf of Sidra incident; two decades of the Cold War; Operation Desert Storm; 9/11; wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria; as well as lesser-known events around the globe. On its final deployment, the carriers 82,000-mile mission included launching its F/A-18 Hornet jets to hit ISIS targets in Somalia, as well as more sedate moments when the crew hosted VIPs in Malaysia and Bahrain. Tuesdays arrival in Bremerton was likely the last of the 30 homecomings from deployments that the Nimitz has made since joining the fleet in 1975. The carrier is scheduled to move its homeport from Naval Base Kitsap to Naval Station Norfolk, in Virginia, early next year, the beginning of a long process of decommissioning and deactivation. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) with superstructure lights featuring Christmas colors as it arrives in Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025. (Gary Warner/Stars and Stripes) Before arriving in Bremerton, several hundred carrier personnel had disembarked in earlier stops at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and San Diego. The carriers squadrons had flown off to Naval Station Lemoore, Naval Air Station Whidby Island and other wintertime warbird nests. It took most of two hours to get the remaining 3,000 sailors off the ship in Bremerton a steady stream of men and women in dress blue uniforms with white caps. Once past the security gate, new Nimitz crew fathers met their sons and daughters born while deployed, couples clutched for first kisses after nine months apart and parents welcomed home sons and daughters. Trae Zipperer, of Ft. Myers, Fla., had served on the Nimitz from 1987 to 1991. He was in Bremerton to watch his old ship arrive with his relatively new son-in-law, Manny Munchnikoff. Zipperers daughter, Maddy Muchnikoff, waited with him under a shelter that kept the pouring rain off their heads. She married into the Nimitz, Zipperer said. I served aboard from 1987 to 1991, then she married a Nimitz sailor. It was a fantastic ship, and hes a fantastic guy. Ashley Cortes was dressed as Winnie the Pooh to greet her husband, Chief Petty Officer Randy Cortes. Shed brought the couples three children Noah, Rome, and Zion with the younger two decked out in Tigger the tiger costumes. Ashley Cortes of Bremerton, dressed as Winnie the Pooh, with her children Rome (holding sign) and Zion as Tigger, waiting to greet Navy Chief Petty Officer Randy Cortes as crew disembark the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Wash., Dec. 16, 2025. (Gary Warner/Stars and Stripes) Im just happy hes back for Christmas with the family, Ashley said. Its been a long stretch. Sam Perusquia struggled to keep his sopping wet sign together long enough for his sailor sister, Karina, to see the five smeared orange exclamation points. Always keep in mind that we love & miss you, the sign said. Among those greeted with hugs and kisses was Capt. Joseph J. Furco, the Nimitzs commanding officer. The big picture is we were in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea, and then participated in operations off the Middle East, including the twelve-day war with Iran, and in conjunction with Air Wing 17 operations in Africa, conducting strikes against ISIS, he said. The ship also took part in joint operations with the navies of the France and India. Oliver Fringer, in a naval officers cap, waits with his mother, Laura Fringer, for the disembarkation of Lt. Kyle Fringer from the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as it arrives at Bremerton on Naval Base Kitsap, Dec. 16, 2025. (Gary Warner/Stars and Stripes) Furco ticked off the carriers port stops along the way: Guam, Malaysia, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Honolulu, San Diego and then back to Bremerton. I am deeply proud of this crew for proving, over nine months of sustained operations at sea, that they are well-trained, fit to fight and ready to win, Furco said. Over by the awning where family members were waiting for the crew to disembark, Yvonne Ramirez spotted her boyfriend, Kevin Scruggs, away for 270 days. The sailor strode to her side, got down on one knee, unlatched a small red box with a ring and asked Ramirez to marry him. Shed been a girlfriend on the tough drive over from Mount Vernon, but would return a fiancee. Yokota West Elementary School fifth-grader Nii Borketey, in tie, eats lunch with Air Force Col. Jason Beck, commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Services Pacific Region, and Yokota Exchange General Manager Andrew Defelice at the school on Sept. 19, 2025. (AAFES) YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan When fifth-grader Nii Borketey noticed classmates dumping much of their cafeteria lunches into the trash, he spent his summer investigating why an effort that ultimately prompted a conversation with the people who oversee those meals. What began as a casual observation at Yokota West Elementary School turned into three months of research and revision that produced a detailed three-page letter delivered to the commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Services Pacific Region. AAFES provides school meals for K-12 students on installations in seven countries overseas, according to its website. Dissatisfied with the lunches at Yokota West Elementary School on Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, fifth-grader Nii Borketey took pencil to paper in hopes of doing something about it. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes) I wrote the letter to kind of raise awareness and advocate for my classmates, Borketey told Stars and Stripes during a recent interview. My mom urged me to be a part of the solution and said that I should do something to help the school community. He examined menus, compared nutritional guidance and gathered opinions from peers before writing a pointed critique that included suggestions for improvement. One example he cited was a grilled cheese sandwich that appeared to be cooked under a 60-watt lightbulb, with bread that was rock-solid stale. Some vegetables, he wrote, were beyond recognizable and not fresh. Nii Borketey, a fifth-grader at Yokota West Elementary School, speaks about on-base school lunches alongside his mother, Francisca Koduah, at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Nov. 19, 2025. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes) Borketey urged AAFES to provide more fresh produce and cited information from the Food Research & Action Center linking nutritious school meals to improved classroom performance. Students who participate in school lunch programs have improved attendance, behavior, academic performance and academic achievements as well as decreased tardiness, he wrote. His letter eventually reached Air Force Col. Jason Beck, the commander of AAFES Pacific Region, who visited Yokota West Elementary on Sept. 19 to eat lunch with Borketey and several classmates. Beck gave Borketey a challenge coin and praised his initiative, telling The Exchange Post newsletter last month that the 10-year-olds acumen was light-years ahead of where I was as a fifth grader. Yokota Exchange General Manager Andrew Defelice, who joined the lunch, told the newsletter that hearing students feedback firsthand provided real insight. Borketey doing his research and articulating his concerns illustrates that no matter what age, you do have a voice to champion new ideas and provide feedback, he said. AAFES Pacific coincidentally replaced the hamburger patties used in school lunches around the same period, a change that received noticeably better feedback from students. The change in burger patties was a result of feedback received from a recent survey, AAFES spokeswoman Karrington Bradley wrote in a Dec. 9 email. This update was noted as an example of program improvements that regularly occur as a result of feedback from parents and students. Bradley added that AAFES continually reviews and adjusts its meal offerings based on U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements and annual clientele surveys. Borketeys mother, Francisca Koduah, a project management team chief with Yokotas 374th Civil Engineer Squadron, encouraged her sons curiosity throughout the process. Hes a very smart student, part of the Johns Hopkins gifted and talented program, she said during the interview with her son. He likes asking questions, digging into things and figuring out how systems can work better so we just try to nurture that. Although his letter did not result in immediate policy changes, Borketey said the experience was still meaningful. It felt good knowing people listened, he said. New Zealand air force Cpl. Abraham Abe Corban-Banks aided a pair of injured American airmen following a vehicle accident during Cope North drills on Tinian Island in February 2023. (Maddy Butcher/New Zealand Defenc Force) A New Zealand airman who rushed into the jungle on a remote Micronesian island to save two critically injured American service members has been formally honored for his actions nearly three years after a multinational exercise. Cpl. Abraham Abe Corban-Banks recently received a commendation for courage and professionalism from the head of New Zealands air force, Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, following a February 2023 vehicle accident on Tinian Island during Cope North drills. That years annual airpower exercise, centered on Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, involved about 2,000 service members from the United States, Australia, France, Japan and New Zealand. Corban-Banks, a security forces specialist, was among the first responders to a high-speed rollover that left two U.S. troops critically injured deep in the jungle, according to a New Zealand air force news release issued Tuesday. With no medical team nearby, Corporal Corban-Banks and his USAF colleague went to the scene immediately and began first aid, the release said. In this undated photos, Cpl. Abraham Abe Corban-Banks, right, of the New Zealand air force, receives a commendation for courage and professionalism for his actions following a vehicle accident during Cope North drills on Tinian Island in February 2023. (Maddy Butcher/New Zealand Defenc Force) He stabilized a woman suffering from a severe femur fracture, another open fracture and signs of internal bleeding, according to the air force. He kept her conscious while preparing her for rapid evacuation, the release said. Thanks to his actions, she was flown out on a nearby C-130 aircraft within minutes. The other injured American was later airlifted by a Japanese helicopter, according to the release. While it was an intense situation, my instincts and training just kicked in, Corban-Banks said in the release. There was no time to really think about the situation I was simply doing what anyone would do. This is exactly what I trained for. The release did not say why Corban-Banks was being honored nearly three years after incident. New Zealand Defence Force spokeswoman Rebecca Quilliam said by phone that she was looking into the reason for the delay Wednesday evening. Japanese airmen who assisted in the emergency response were recognized separately. In November 2023, 5th Air Force decorated Maj. Ken Yamashita and Tech. Sgt. Atsushi Oyaizu of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force for their roles in aiding the crash victims, according to a U.S. Forces Japan announcment on Facebook at the time. Yamashita was serving as a landing zone control officer on Tinian when the injured Americans required immediate evacuation, while Oyaizu helped stabilize the patients, assess injuries and communicate with an operations center, the post said. Both crash victims survived, and an official report credited the swift actions of first responders, according to the New Zealand air force. A F-35 Lightning II jet, the first to be given to Finland, is seen during a ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at the Lockheed Martin production in Fort Worth, Texas. (Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS) (Tribune News Service) Government officials and military leaders from all over the world gathered on Tuesday at a hangar inside the Lockheed Martins F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to roll out the first in a series of F-35A Lightning II jets for Finlands military. In 2021, the Finnish government ordered 64 of the jets from Lockheed Martin in a nearly $10 billion deal. The order will be distributed over several years, with the first jets being delivered in 2026. Finnish pilots will be trained in Arkansas. An individual F-35A costs roughly $80 million to produce. In 2025, Lockheed Martin will deliver between 170 and 190 of them. The fifth generation fighter jet, sleek and enormously expensive, was a target of billionaire Elon Musk in 2024 when he advocated to cut the programs federal spending as part of his role in the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency. The jet has been assembled in Fort Worth by Lockheed Martin since 2004. Lockheed Martin has a $17.7 billion payroll in Texas, and the F-35 production facility in Fort Worth employs roughly 19,200 people, according to the company. The program has contributed $7 billion in local economic benefits, according to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and supported over 30,000 jobs in the greater Fort Worth economy. Today, we celebrate Finlands first F-35, an aircraft that represents the cutting edge of technology, advanced mission capability and complete air dominance, said Chauncey McIntosh, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 Lightning II program in remarks to the audience. In an increasingly contested world, this aircraft strengthens national defense, deepens NATO integration and enhances allied readiness across all domains. The F-35 program includes roughly 20 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, and the Netherlands. Finland fully joined NATO in 2023, motivated by Russias invasion of Ukraine after decades of political neutrality. This year, Russia has slowly expanded its military presence along Finlands border. Its an important day for the strengthening Finlands deterrents and defense as the guardian of NATOs northeast flank, said Antti Hakkanen, Finlands minister of defense, in remarks. We are confident that our cooperation is mutually beneficial for both of our nations and both of our armed forces. Some parts of the jet are built in other countries, according to Greg Ulmer, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics but even the international component of the assembly line has benefits in Fort Worth. Its a very international program, but a job in Finland is a job in the United States, Ulmer told the Star-Telegram. Us producing jets here ensures that we have those 19,000 jobs. Ulmer emphasized that Lockheed Martins economic impact in Fort Worth goes beyond the assembly line, too, as employees buy homes, build families, and invest in their community. They go home at night, they go to school, they participate in the community, they participate in city civic events, Ulmer said. 2025 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Visit star-telegram.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A former U.S. Marine was arrested Friday as he drove to New Orleans with guns and a gas canister, allegedly to carry out a terrorist attack, (Gustavo Castillo/U.S. Air Force) (Tribune News Service) A former U.S. Marine was arrested Friday as he drove to New Orleans with guns and a gas canister, allegedly to carry out a terrorist attack. Micah James Legnon, 28, of New Iberia, La., was being held as of Tuesday afternoon in the Iberia Parish Jail. He is charged in federal court in Lafayette with threats in interstate commerce. Legnon is suspected of being associated with the Turtle Island Liberation Front, described by federal officials as a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government and anti-capitalist group. Four members of that group were arrested recently in California for planning several New Years Eve terrorist attacks in the Los Angeles area, FBI Special Agent Paul Sellers wrote in a Dec. 12 criminal complaint against Legnon. Someone in a group chat in which Legnon, using the name Kateri the Witch, was allegedly involved, shared a Facebook post showing masked Border Patrol agents arresting an individual on a rooftop. That person wrote that it is time to recreate Waco with ICE. Border Patrol agents have been deployed in the New Orleans area making arrests of immigrants and others. That group chat threat, Sellers wrote, is seen as Legnons intention to convey a threat through interstate commerce. In 1993, federal law enforcement agencies had a 51-day standoff in Waco at a religious compound of the Branch Davidians. The compound was set on fire by members. More than 70 of them died, many from gunshot wounds by fellow cult members, Sellers wrote. Legnon was under FBI surveillance due to his affiliation with those plotting the terrorist attacks in Los Angeles, four of whom were arrested recently. Around 12:30 p.m. Dec. 12 FBI agents observed Legnon loading what appeared to be an assault rifle and body armor into his vehicle at his residence. Also on Dec. 12 in a Signal group chat, Order of the Black Lotus, DarkWitch She/Her, who Sellers believed to be Legnon, chatted with others, writing that he was on his way to New Orleans and would be there in about two hours. Video showed a gun and bullet proof vest on the car seat. Sellers wrote that he believes Legnon intended to travel to New Orleans to carry out an attack and noted he is a former member of the Marines with combat training. Legnon was also employed by the New Iberia Police Department, KATC reported. He was hired by the police department in August 2019, after being honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps. He was placed on administrative leave by the NIPD in May 2022 and resigned in September 2022, records there show. On Dec. 12, Sellers wrote, he and others with the FBI executed a federal search warrant on Legnons New Iberia residence where they found sniper training manuals, SWAT training manuals, assault rifles and multiple rounds of ammunition. FBI agents stopped Legnon as he traveled east on U.S. Highway 90 toward New Orleans. They found an assault rifle, a pistol, a gas canister and body armor, similar to the items shown in the Signal group chat by DarkWitch. Agents, also on Dec. 12, using a federal search warrant, searched Legnons cellphone. On Tuesday, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement about the arrest. Its extremely disturbing to find out that someone from Louisiana was arrested for his role in planning an attack on federal immigration enforcement agents in New Orleans, she said. While the FBI is the lead on this investigation, if state charges can be lodged, we will seek them. Im grateful for the extraordinary work by FBI Director Kash Patel and his agents to keep America safe from extremists and terrorists who want to inflict harm on immigration enforcement agents and the American people. 2025 The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Visit www.nola.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A bipartisan measure directing the Department of Defense Education Activity to ban smartphone use by students in K-12 classrooms made it into the final version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The measures call for DODEA to prohibit students from using or possessing phones during school hours, citing concerns about classroom distractions. (Davide Angelini/stock.adobe.com) License Source A bipartisan provision to limit the personal use of cellphones and other mobile electronic devices in Defense Department schools made it into the annual defense bill, which was passed Wednesday by the Senate. The legislation orders the director of the Department of Defense Education Activity to update and standardize regulations to minimize student cellphone use to the greatest extent practicable. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced the bill in June for consideration as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. On Monday, Slotkin said cellphones should be banned in every K-12 classroom in the United States, calling the proposed ban for DODEA a big step forward toward that goal. Parents, educators and experts agree that access to phones makes it harder for our kids to focus and learn, and this bipartisan measure will help the next generation succeed at school without distractions, Slotkin said in a statement. Under the current proposal, the DODEA director has 180 days to update and standardize existing regulations on student use of portable electronic devices if the legislation is passed. Within 60 days of enactment of the policy, the defense secretary would be required to brief the armed services committees in the Senate and the House, according to the bill. Currently, smartphone use in DODEA varies across the school system, which serves more than 65,000 children of American service members and Defense Department personnel stationed in the United States and overseas. Department of Defense Education Activity schools worldwide would be required to ban smartphone use by students in K-12 classrooms under a proposal in the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation calls for DODEA to prohibit students from using or possessing phones during school hours. (Courtesy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Smartphone policies are implemented at the local school level, DODEA spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry said Wednesday. Some schools already limit the use of smartphones and other personal electronic devices on campus. At Spangdahlem Middle School in Germany, principal Stefanie Adams posted a message on the schools website in August titled Why Were a Cell Phone-Free School. The message said students are welcome to bring their phones to school but must keep them silenced and out of sight during instructional time. Phones in classrooms interrupt focus and reduce academic performance even when students arent actively using them, she wrote. Studies show that even one buzzing phone can disrupt the attention of an entire class, Adams added. The school handbook of Kaiserslautern Middle School, also in Germany, states that all personal electronic devices including smartphones, iPads, MP3 players, earphones, earbuds and headsets must be stored in lockers and turned off during the school day. By contrast, Edgren Middle High School at Misawa Air Base in Japan encourages students to use technology, requiring only that personal devices be kept on silent mode during class except when used for educational purposes with teacher permission, according to the online school handbook. In the U.S., at least nine states have laws in place to curtail students use of cellular phones during school hours. QUITO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador has filed a lawsuit in the United States against Progen Industries LLC, a U.S.-based power generation company, for allegedly breaching thermal power generation contracts signed during the country's 2024 energy crisis, President Daniel Noboa said Tuesday. The Ecuadorian government will pursue all legal avenues to secure full compensation for the country, said Noboa. The case was brought forward by CELEC, Ecuador's state-owned electricity company, which signed two contracts with Progen during last year's energy emergency, when power outages lasted up to 14 hours per day. Energy and Environment Minister Ines Manzano said that the lawsuit was filed under the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which allows for triple damages in cases involving organized corruption. The contracts, worth 149.1 million U.S. dollars, covered equipment for two thermal power projects in Quevedo and El Salitral, located in the coastal provinces of Los Rios and Guayas. In July, Ecuador's comptroller found that the directly awarded contracts may have resulted in losses of 100 million dollars for the state. The case is also under investigation by Ecuador's attorney general. Meanwhile, Progen Industries has launched international arbitration proceedings to defend the legality of the contracts. An exterior view of a Lockheed Martin facility in Littleton, Colo. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post/TNS) WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) The Trump administration is weighing an executive order that would pressure defense contractors to spend less on stock buybacks and dividends while boosting investment in infrastructure and weapons production, a person familiar with the matter said. The executive order, which President Donald Trump could sign as early as this week, would mark the latest effort by the White House to bring the defense contractors to heel. In a speech last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded the companies speed weapons development or fade away. The proposed order would mandate that the companies tie executive compensation more closely to overall performance levels in delivering specific systems, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing a plan that hasnt been released. Even so, it appears to be a White House effort. Pentagon officials only saw the draft order in the last two weeks, the person said. Depending on how its worded, the order could trigger a Pentagon review on how best to extract those demands from industry. The White House didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Punchbowl first reported the order plans. Trumps ability to enforce such an order is unclear, and it would represent an extraordinary intrusion by the U.S. government into corporate affairs. But the administration hasnt been shy about making similar demands in recent months, telling contractors to get in line with its priorities and even buying stakes in some companies. Backed by Trump, Hegseth has said he intends to fix the painfully slow procurement process in which weapons are often overbudget, years late and sometimes obsolete by the time they debut. That challenge drew the ire of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who told Vanity Fair in an interview published Tuesday that Hegseth was the right person to take on the job. People talk about the deep state being at the State Department, Wiles said. Its not. Its the military-industrial complex. In his November speech, Hegseth demanded the biggest U.S. defense companies invest their own capital in speed and volume of delivery. Officials from defense companies such as Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. were in the audience when Hegseth delivered the remarks. In October, Lockheed raised its quarterly dividend 15% and approved buying back up to an additional $2 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported at the time. Northrop pays a dividend of $2.31 per share. But the companies have also made major investments. Earlier this month, Lockheed opened a new lab focused on hypersonic weapons in Alabama as part of a $700 million planned investment from the strategic and missile defense unit in recent years to expand and upgrade facilities. Northrop has invested more than $1 billion in advanced manufacturing facilities since 2018. Undersecretary Michael Duffey, in a separate memo to the Pentagon senior leadership earlier this month, directed each military service to publish new contracting guidelines in the next 180 days that would ensure clear incentives for timely delivery and increased production capacity. 2025 Bloomberg LP Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Members of the Alaska Native Veterans Association salute Alaskan NORAD Region, Alaskan Command, and Eleventh Air Force service members in Eklutna, Alaska, Aug. 3, 2024. The Alaska Native Veterans Association is a non-profit that advocates for Alaska Native veterans. (Don Hudson/U.S. Air Force) WASHINGTON An Alaska land-grant program allotting free wilderness tracts in the far reaches of the state to qualifying Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans and their heirs passed the Senate on Tuesday night, just as the application period was about to expire. The Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act, which extends the federal land grant program for another five years, passed the House in July. The legislation is now headed to President Donald Trump for his signature. There is no other federal land transfer program quite like the Alaska federal lands giveaway, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Nearly 30 million acres of federal lands in Alaska have been made available to Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans who were on active duty between Aug. 5, 1964, and Dec. 31, 1971. But the wilderness tracts available in parcels of 2.5 acres to 160 acres are far from ideal. There are no road systems to directly access the land, and most of the tracts are not close to small airports that service remote Alaskan villages. A lot of the land really is in the middle of nowhere. We tried to choose a site that looked more accessible, said Sheri Nickel, wife of Army veteran Bill Jarvinen. Jarvinen is the son of an Alaska Native mother. He worked on construction crews carving ice roads across the Alaska tundra after service in the military. The couple was granted a land claim two years ago but has yet to travel to the site, which is along the Canadian border. They have dreams of building a vacation home there. Bill would love to visit his property but isnt sure how to find a guide to take him there. We are hopeful that it is somewhere that will support an off-the-grid type of fishing cabin or something for our grandsons, Nickel said. The federal land parcels are scattered across the state and include wilderness tracts on the Kobuk-Seward Peninsula, along the Bering Sea and in East Alaska. A total of 2,800 Alaska Natives served during the Vietnam War. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management identified and contacted close to 2,000 Vietnam-era veterans about the land giveaway two years ago. Several hundred people applied. Alaskas all-Republican congressional delegation Sen. Dan Sullivan, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Nick Begich led the effort to renew the federal program for another five years. Tonight, the Senate was able to deliver a Christmas gift for some great American heroes our Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans, Sullivan said following passage of the bill on voice vote Tuesday night. Sullivan previously introduced the bill on the Senate floor in October and November, but passage was blocked both times by Democrats. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks on the Senate floor Tuesday night in support of the Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025, which grants tracts of wilderness land from 2.5 acres to 160 acres to qualifying Alaska Native Vietnam veterans and their heirs. Pictured in the photo next to Sullivan is George Bennett, of Sitka, Alaska, who served in the Army from 1966 to 1968. (Screenshot from a video released by Sen. Dan Sullivan) Alaska Natives have among the highest participation rates of military service among ethnic groups, Sullivan said. Alaska Natives whether World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea, the Gulf War they just serve in the military. It is an incredible part of who they are, he said. This special patriotism was on display during the Vietnam War. The goal of the extension is to give qualifying veterans and their heirs enough time to secure their allotments, which supporters describe as a complicated, bureaucratic process. Unfortunately, the [Bureau of Land Management] has certificated just six percent of the applications it has received, and hundreds more veterans have not yet applied, compelling us to extend this program for another five years, Murkowski said. Only 44 claims have been processed successfully with several hundred pending, according to the Alaska Federation of Natives, the Alaska Native Veterans Association and other advocacy groups. The Alaska Native groups sent a letter to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the Senate majority leader, prior to the Senate vote. This legislation will further extend a program to fulfill Congresss long promise to Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans who served their country honorably but were denied their rightful opportunity to obtain land allotments under federal law, according to the organizations. Alaska Natives whose ancestors have occupied the land for thousands of years make up about 20 percent of the states population. As a voting bloc, they have the numbers to sway elections, according to the Alaska Federation of Natives, whose membership includes 176 federally recognized tribes. Federal land claims were originally made available to Alaska Natives under a federal law that dates to 1906. Alaska Natives needed to show they grew up in the area where the land was offered, and that their family had hunted and fished there for generations. That law was extinguished in 1971, when Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which resolved land claims and awarded Alaska Natives land to formally establish their villages and maintain assets. Many Alaska Natives had rushed to make their familys individual claims before the expiration date, but those serving in the Vietnam War were denied that chance. Alaska Natives serving in Vietnam were not even aware of the change, Sullivan said. If youre in Vietnam serving your country, you did not have the internet, iPhones. Nobody knew it was going away. A certificate of allotment transfers title to the land to the applicant. But the U.S. retains legal interests in resources that can be extracted from the land, including coal, oil and gas. The program is overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Trump, in his first term, signed a bill that gave the veterans a five-year window to apply for and claim their allotments. The earlier version of the federal program had less than 2 million acres of federal lands available for the program. In 2022, the federal lands available were expanded by 28 million acres under the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act. The legislation that passed the Senate on Tuesday extends the application deadline under the Dingell Act until December 2030. Lets get these proud veterans their allotments before a lot of them start passing away, Sullivan said. Tourists visit Central Street in Harbin, China's Heilongjiang Xinhua) 08:59, December 17, 2025 Tourists take photos of an installation on the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) Light decorations are seen on the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) A tourist poses for photos on the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) Tourists pose for photos on the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) Tourists visit the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) Tourists pose for photos on the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) Light decorations are seen on the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) Light decorations are seen on the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) Tourists visit the Central Street in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 16, 2025. As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, the Central Street, which is renowned for its diverse European-style architecture, wows tourists with its ice and snow sculptures and folk shows during the city's tourism boom this winter. (Xinhua/Wang Song) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., the United States, has approved the return of three treasured Khmer masterpieces to Cambodia, said a press release from Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts released on Wednesday. The repatriation was made after several years of negotiations, the press release said, adding that the artifacts included the 10th century sandstone head of deity of union Harihara, the 10th century sandstone female deity the Goddess Uma, and the late 12th century bronze female divinity Prajnaparamita. "The return of these sacred sculptures is the result of an extensive provenance investigation, which concluded that the objects were removed from Cambodia during decades of civil war and insecurity that led to widespread looting," the press release said. "Their return represents a deeply meaningful step toward cultural restoration for the Cambodian people," it added. "Their homecoming marks a moment of national reflection and healing for a country that has endured decades of conflict and cultural destruction," said Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona. The minister expressed the hope that other organizations will follow the U.S. museum to implement a policy which makes it easier for countries like Cambodia to recover artefacts lost during war. SUR in English Gibraltar Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 11:39 Share Gibraltar marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities with its first-ever conference dedicated to disability rights and inclusion, held at the Sunborn Hotel's ballroom. The event, organised by the Ministry of Equality's Supported Needs and Disability Office (SNDO), drew government officials, disability advocates and persons with disabilities. Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism, Christian Santos, opened the conference by outlining Gibraltar's progress toward extending and ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He noted that this process is lengthy for all crown dependencies and territories, pointing out that in the 15 years since the UK joined the Convention, it has only been extended to Bermuda. Minister Santos announced that he has instructed his team to unlock Sections 13 and 14 of the Disability Act within the current parliament's lifetime. The unlocking of Section 13 is progressing through the National Disability Strategy, with the HM Government Strand launched in 2024 and objectives being met. The Private Sector Strand is scheduled for launch in 2026. A working party, chaired by the SNDO and composed of professionals from key areas, has been formed to address Section 14. Minister Santos emphasised that the legislation would be implemented fairly and transparently, prioritising those who need it while ensuring others understand their responsibilities. Persons with disabilities will be included in the consultation phase. The conference set a new standard for accessibility in Gibraltar, featuring wheelchair access, tables for those with upper limb impairments, a hearing loop, and two British Sign Language interpreters positioned beside the stage. For the first time in Gibraltar, live subtitles were available through Speak See, a device that displays captions on screen as speakers talk. This technology assists persons with hearing impairments, concentration difficulties, and non-native speakers, and will be used in future events. A new Supported Needs and Disability Passport was also launched at the conference, with further details to be released separately. Panel discussions covered disability language, universal design for accessible buildings and streets, and creating community for neurodivergent individuals. Dr Lola Soler discussed the Neurodevelopmental Pathway, while Julian Danino addressed hearing loss as a silent disability. Keynote speaker Alice Macleod, a trauma and attachment specialist from Tribe Associates UK, explored how neurodivergence affects attachment. Her presentation built on work conducted earlier this year that resulted in an Information Booklet for Parents, available at www.disability.gov.gi/documents. Jenny Victory from the SNDO delivered the annual report, noting that Gibraltar is advancing rapidly in implementing key policies and practices. She revealed that 457 families have accessed clinics with the SNDO since its opening in September 2021. Current concession figures show 315 active Disability Information Cards, 284 active Radar Keys, 195 active Frontier Passes and 736 active Blue Badges, though these numbers change daily as some expire and others are granted. The British Sign Language Report showed that in 2025, 39 hours of in-person BSL interpretation occurred for public events, complex medical appointments and multi-participant meetings, while 8 hours of video interpreting supported one-to-one appointments and meetings. Nine public announcements and press releases included BSL, totaling 56 hours of British Sign Language provision throughout the year. Ms Victory emphasised that blanket approaches are ineffective since disability encompasses a vast spectrum of conditions, experiences and impacts. She concluded by affirming the SNDO's commitment to continued advocacy, innovation, and collaboration. Minister Santos said the conference served to update the community on work done by the SNDO and collaborators for the rights of persons with disabilities, both in law and daily life. He expressed pride in his team's efforts to help and advise families and individuals, adding that the Ministry of Equality will continue raising awareness of challenges faced by persons with disabilities while promoting their rights and well-being. Susana Zamora Velez-Malaga Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 14:49 Share A dental clinic in Velez-Malaga has been fined 5,000 euros for installing eleven video surveillance cameras in consultation rooms, offices and corridors, which the Spanish data protection agency (AEPD) ruled to be excessive monitoring of staff as well as affecting the privacy of employees and patients. Axarquia Velez Dental S. L. argued that by installing the cameras the company was ensuring the safety of patients and employees. However, there were very few signs explaining that there were cameras in action and a complaint to the AEPD was made. The complaint states how the cameras were distributed, all of them without the mandatory video surveillance zone information signs: two in the reception area, one camera in each of the five operating theatres, one in the storeroom, one in the laboratory, one in the corridor and one in the management office. After receiving the AEPD's request, the company explained that it did indeed have two video surveillance systems to guarantee security in the clinic, one that it managed itself, consisting of 10 fixed cameras placed in various areas, with the aim of ensuring the security of both patients and employees, as well as its property and facilities. An additional alarm system was being managed by a security company. The clinic argued that no use was made of the images recorded in the consultation rooms during treatment, that the recordings did not contain sound and the videos were only stored for seven calendar days. They stated that the only person who had access to these recordings and storage was the director of the clinic. "The only purposes of the images collected are to preserve the security of persons and property, as well as the security of their facilities, with valuable material and business control in the working environment. In no case are the images used for any other purpose that could affect the privacy of the clinic's patients", states the resolution consulted by SUR. Exposure to abuse In its defence the clinic indicated that the images captured by the cameras respected at all times the fundamental rights of employees and guaranteed their dignity in the working environment, because the recording areas had been "carefully marked out", avoiding capturing private areas or areas not directly related to the work activity. It also stated that there was no constant recording on a stationary or fixed workstation (such as an office desk). "All the staff have to cover different tasks in their daily dynamics that make them move around the clinic." The company regretted that the data protection authority had not assessed that it had obtained the necessary authorisation from employees to capture their images. Moreover, they claimed that given that the health sector is exposed to frequent incidents of verbal and physical abuse by patients, "it is the workers themselves who request the recording both in the consultations and in the workspaces to improve their sense of safety and security in the working environment". But none of this convinced the body, which in the resolution refers to the "supposed authorisation" that the company had to carry out the recordings: "Firstly, consent cannot be confused, as the company does, with the signature of the workers in the form of a "receipt" in the informative communication in which they are informed of the existence of a video surveillance system, as well as its purposes". But from these answers provided by the company, the AEPD has concluded that several articles of the data protection law have been infringed, which led to the 5,000-euro fine. However, after acknowledging its responsibility, the company has been able to take advantage of a reduction of the fine and will pay just 3,000 euros. Jennie Rhodes Torre del Mar Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 10:54 Share High-energy Catalan pop group La Pegatina have officially confirmed their return to the Weekend Beach festival in Torre del Mar on the eastern Costa del Sol in 2026. After a break from concerts and an international tour that included countries like Japan and Canada, the group, who are famous for their energetic, fun performances, making them popular among Spanish and international fans, will soon be reunited with fans in the Axarquia, where they have been on the line-up on several occasions throughout the festival's 10-year history. Their return marks the beginning of a new stage in the band's career, which "promises to surprise with a new musical and stage direction," according to festival organisers, who add that La Pegatina will bring a "unique opportunity to experience the band's unmistakable energy live once again and sing along to their anthems". The Weekend Beach festival is the only date the band have announced in Malaga in 2026. Other confirmations on the line-up for the popular summer music event, which is taking place from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 July, are Myke Towers, Ana Mena, Morad, Alcala Norte, Los Estanques y el Canijo de Jerez, Media Azahara, Biznaga, Boikot and more. SUR Malaga Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 14:17 | Updated 19:26h. Share The Guardia Civil, in collaboration with the Ertzaintza (the Basque Country regional police force), have arrested three people and dismantled a criminal organisation linked to transporting cocaine from Malaga to the Basque Country. The investigation, within the framework of Operation Almanzor, began when several people were detected as they were transporting narcotic substances between southern and northern Spain. The criminal network transported the drugs by road using the 'go-fast' method using decoy vehicles. In addition, in this particular case, the suspects used a rented vehicle that acted as a shuttle so as not to arouse suspicion and to warn of possible controls or police presence during the journey. The investigators discovered that the members of the network were based in Malaga and San Sebastian. The drugs were hidden in secret compartments in the vehicles. With numerous pieces of information from the investigation, the police were able to intercept one of these shipments in the town of Lezo in Guipuzcoa, where 14 kilograms of cocaine were seized. The criminal network allegedly transported the drugs, hidden in secret compartments, by road using the 'go-fast' method With all the evidence, following judicial authorisation, the investigators proceeded to carry out several entries and searches in the provinces of Malaga and Guipuzcoa, proceeding to the arrest of the three members of the criminal organisation, including the administrator of a car rental company in Malaga, who managed the logistics and provided the rental vehicles that were used as shuttles. In addition to the seized drugs, the car rental company and its fleet, a taxi licensed in Guipuzcoa, some 9,250 euros in cash, seven vehicles and various electronic and mobile phone devices used for communication were seized. The detainees have been handed over to the judicial authority for the crimes of drug-trafficking, money-laundering and criminal organisation membership. Cristina Vallejo Malaga Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 10:45 Share Nearly 121,600 foreign nationals were registered with Social Security in Malaga province as of October 2025. They therefore account for 16.4% of all contributors in the province - a record high. Based on these figures, the Comisiones Obreras trade union (CCOO) has done a calculation of their contribution to Malaga's gross domestic product. Using the estimated value of goods and services produced throughout 2024 (the definition of GDP), which exceeded 45 billion euros, this means that the contribution of migrant workers, now representing 16.4% of the province's total, is around eight billion euros. This figure, admits Fernando Cubillo, CCOO's provincial secretary, is likely to be higher. This is because there are more migrant workers in the province than are registered with Social Security: for one thing, there are those who work in Spain's underground economy, because many are condemned to irregular status before being able to obtain a legal job. For them to obtain residency and the right to work, they first have to prove two years of registration and having established roots in the country. Then there are those who are still registered in their countries of origin and work in Malaga, mostly from northern European countries. 16.4% of Social Security affiliates in Malaga are immigrants, a record high. Across Spain, the proportion of foreign contributors barely exceeds 14%. The CCOO admits that this is a hypothetical and approximate calculation, as official data is unavailable. Furthermore, migrants face highly variable situations with very different contributions to gross value added depending on their line of work. However, economic theory argues that one of the most important factors for GDP is population: a larger population means greater wealth creation. The contribution of migrants to wealth production in Malaga holds a greater share than that made in Spain as a whole. Across the country, foreign workers affiliated with Social Security account for 3.1 million workers out of a total of 21.8 million workers, meaning they only represent 14.2% of the total, two percentage points less than in the Costa del Sol province. This report by the CCOO on the employment of the foreign working population in Malaga, released on Tuesday, also details how the number of foreign workers registered with Social Security in the province has evolved since 2019. The total has increased by 53.7% or by nearly 42,500 people, an increase that really picked up from 2021 onwards, when they accounted for 12.2% of the total number of contributors. Geographical origins Cubillo also specified the geographical origins of foreign workers in Malaga: the four main countries of origin are Morocco (12,395 workers), Italy (11,086), the United Kingdom (9,663) and the Ukraine (7,339). "Of the four main countries of origin, three are European," Cubillo remarked. This is followed by Colombia (6,588 affiliates), Argentina (5,655), Venezuela (5,555) and China (4,463). "Far from considering the immigrant population as a threat and singling out countries from the African continent, we can see that, with the exception of Morocco, the countries that bring the largest working population to the province are Italy, the United Kingdom, the Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands and France. All from the European continent. Second are South American countries such as Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela and Paraguay. And lastly, China." The report also reveals which nationalities are most prevalent across the different contribution schemes. Thus, in the General Scheme, it's a carbon copy of the aforementioned top four: Morocco, Italy, the United Kingdom and the Ukraine. Meanwhile, in the self-employed scheme (RETA), the most common are the British (5,169), followed by the Italians (3,219), the Chinese (2,587) and the Dutch (1,813). As for the agricultural scheme, two nationalities stand out, Moroccan (814 registered workers) and Romanian (372). Finally, among domestic workers, Ukrainian women amount to 1,050, 846 from Paraguay, 416 from Morocco and 197 from Romania. As for the industry sectors where most of these people are employed, these are hospitality, caregiving, domestic work, construction and retail. 43.8% of foreigners resident in Malaga earn an income below 10,000 euros per year. The total in this situation is 148,000 people, 70,000 of whom are workers registered with Social Security. Trinidad Salcedo, secretary for social action with the CCOO union in Malaga, highlighted other data on the social situation of the migrant population in the province. Firstly, some 43.8% of foreign workers earn an income below 10,000 euros per year. There are a total of 148,000 people in such circumstances, 70,000 of whom are workers registered with Social Security - half of the foreign workforce, therefore, earns less than 10,000 euros a year. Furthermore, 18.7% of foreign residents in Malaga earn less than 5,000 euros per year. "In collective bargaining, the employment situation of migrants must be improved," stated Salcedo. She then commented on the latest immigration law: "It leaves people who are already here in administrative limbo. The problem is that they cannot be hired: these people are working, but they're working off the books and we can't count them." Cubillo also announced that the union is going to create a new immigration department in light of the growth observed in the number of union members of foreign origin. In the last four years, foreign worker memberships have increased by 31.5% for the CCOO in Malaga, now totalling 1,533 foreign members with a union card. Marina Martinez Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 20:30 Share Yuzu Pastry opened its first shop in Fuengirola three years ago and the company not only sells its products on the Costa del Sol, but also distributes its products to other parts of Spain. Now it is opening a branch in Malaga city's El Perchel district, in time for Three Kings Day on 6 January, according to company owners Stefano Diaz and Jose Miguel Cisneros. The new bakery will occupy the premises left by a frozen food business at number 7 Calle Jovellanos, near the city's Maria Zambrano train station. Zoom 'Cotton' cheesecake. SUR Currently undergoing renovation, the premises will consist of a shop and a small table area for those who want to eat in. The stars of the show? Without a doubt, the mochis, with flavours ranging from mango with white chocolate to matcha. They were also the first to introduce cotton cheesecake in Malaga province, the spongy cheesecakes that are trending in Japan. Cheesecakes and a nod to 'Stranger Things They also make classic cheesecakes in different flavours (salted caramel, Belgian chocolate, pistachio and matcha with white chocolate) in two formats and limited editions such as the origami cake (by reservation only), with a chocolate brownie base, Belgian milk chocolate mousse layer, pistachio praline central core and a Madagascar vanilla mousse topping. Another option is the Stranger Things mochi, a tribute to Eleven and the Upside Down World (the waffle-shaped biscuit represents her favourite food) with black icing, milk chocolate mousse filling and strawberry jam core, representing the colours of the Upside Down World (available until 6 January). Zoom Mochis. SUR Sherezade Nunez runs the bakery which will also incorporate drinks including coffee and matcha tea. The new Yuzu Pastry will be decorated in a minimalist style and will employ three people, bringing the company total up to around ten. According to Jose Miguel Cisneros, the idea of opening a branch in Malaga city is to continue opening up the market. "We wanted to grow here, there were some opportunities in the centre but, apart from the fact that prices are higher, it was not the public we would like to reach, we are looking to consolidate our position among the people of Malaga," he says. Jose Antonio Sau Malaga Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 17:23 Share The Andalusian public health service (SAS) will lose an expected total of 5,871 doctors in all specialities by 2032. In the last 12 months alone, 1,259 doctors have retired in Malaga province, while by 2030 more than 300 specialists will have left primary care (rising to 568 by 2032, including those who retired last year). Faced with the obvious shortage of medical graduates, the regional ministry of health, presidency and emergencies, which has been headed by Antonio Sanz since the breast cancer screening crisis, has launched a regulatory framework of measures on several fronts in order to recruit doctors wherever they are available. Among the causes pointed out by the regional government (the Junta) as the root of the problem are the lack of attractiveness of certain posts, usually in rural areas; strictly demographic reasons, such as the increase in the number of professionals retiring from healthcare due to reaching retirement age (the SAS forecasts 2,854 retirements in the coming years); or the current imbalance in training a sufficient number of professionals to ensure generational replacement in some specialities. To these must be added the exodus of young specialists in search of better salary, stability and working conditions in other regions and abroad (a situation which is undoubtedly present throughout Spain). Various routes The Junta has explored several solutions in order to recruit as many doctors as possible. It recently announced that, in 2026, Andalucia will exempt non-EU foreign medical specialists and nurses from the nationality requirement. According to the Junta, the measure "aims to guarantee healthcare in the current context of shortage of professionals in certain specialities". Until now, law 55/2003 required certain specialities to be filled by Spanish nationals, nationals of an EU member state or nationals of a state to which, by virtue of international treaties signed by the EU and ratified by Spain, the free movement of workers is allowed, as well as foreigners legally resident in Spain. This nationality requirement is once again exempted. Zoom Regional minister of health, presidency and emergencies Antonio Sanz. SUR To compare the difference between the recent past and now: in 2018, only 65 non-EU foreign medical specialists signed contracts with the SAS, compared to 848 this year. Another measure that has been implemented is the approval of the decree for posts that are difficult to fill, which will strengthen healthcare in rural, remote areas or areas with particular difficulties in terms of recruitment, as well as in professional categories with a structural deficit. Under this measure, doctors applying for these posts will not be required to sit an exam, but will instead take part in a merit-based selection process, once it has been established that the positions cannot be filled through the usual recruitment or appointment procedures. An electronic application system has been introduced to speed up the process. The decree also includes a merit-scoring framework that gives decisive weight to professional experience and recognises work carried out in hard-to-fill areas. However, those awarded a post will be required to remain in it for a minimum of two years. Opportunity for doctors in areas with difficult coverage: open process to fill vacant positions for primary care and paediatrics in the public health system This system has already been used to fill 364 vacancies for general practitioners and paediatricians in primary care that were left vacant in the registration phase of the 2025 public employment season, which is currently under way. The third measure consisted of asking the government to extend enhanced active retirement that allows general practitioners and paediatricians in primary care to continue practicing until the age of 70, in view of the hundreds of retirements that will take place in these specialities in the next few years. Regional minister of health Antonio Sanz has called for this measure to be extended until December 2028, which would allow doctors to collect part of their pension while they are still practicing, up to the age of 72, preventing more than 1,000 specialists from ceasing to practice in Spain and preventing "thousands of medical appointments in Andalucia" from being lost. The Junta also demands that this measure be extended to all specialities, as agreed with the Malaga medical union (SMM). Recruitment exchange There was also a fourth measure. Under the agreement reached on Monday between the unions and the regional health minister aimed at creating a more agile, transparent and fair system, it was agreed that resident specialist doctors (EIR), both medical (MIR) and nursing residents, will be automatically added to the recruitment pool once they complete their training. Measures have also been introduced to speed up hiring, which is particularly important in urgent cover situations or in shortage specialities. The use of the register and extraordinary recruitment lists in response to structural staff shortages has been set out far more clearly. "We are not turning a blind eye to shortages - we are managing them with clear rules, avoiding improvisation in healthcare centres," Sanz said. The SAS has increased its workforce by 28,000 professionals (28%) since 2018 to 130,000 employees Lastly, the Junta has defended the increase in staff and the stabilisation achieved in recent years. The SAS has gone from 101,000 professionals in 2018 to 130,000 in 2025, which is an increase of more than 28,000 people (28%). The public employment offer (OEP) of 2025 foresees a total of 10,289 vacancies. Juan Cano Malaga Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 12:07 Share A 45-year-old South American man has been arrested by the Local Police in Malaga for allegedly threatening his wife. The incident was reported by the victim's sister, who asked the police for help after learning that the man was insinuating that he was going to "dismember" his wife in WhatsApp messages. The incident was reported on the night of 8 December, when several police patrols were sent to a flat in the city after receiving a gender-based violence alert. Once there, officers interviewed the victim's sister, who told them that the arguments between the couple, who had a child together, were constant. She also told them that her sister lived in permanent fear due to threats from her brother-in-law. According to her account, the man had sent her sister messages saying that something "really bad" was going to happen to her. The police began to make enquiries and discovered numerous WhatsApp messages on both the victim's and the suspect's mobile phones, which showed that the allegations were credible. Some of the messages in the course of the argument had been deleted by the suspect. In view of the evidence gathered during the intervention, the police arrested the man and placed him at the disposal of the judicial authorities for an offence of threats. Victims' helpline The 016 telephone number attends to cases of gender-based violence 24 hours a day and in 52 different languages. The call is free of charge and does not appear on the phone bill. Cases of abuse or risk of abuse can also be reported, either by the victim herself, family members or witnesses, by emailing 016-online@igualdad.gob.es. The service can also be contacted by WhatsApp on 600 000 016. In an emergency situation, victims can call 112 or the National Police on 091, the Local Police (092) or the Guardia Civil (062). If it is impossible to make a call, you can use the AlertCops app, which silently sends a signal with your location to the police. by Li Xirui NEW YORK, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The launch of island-wide customs operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port will draw significant global attention to China's southern Hainan Island in the period ahead, according to a U.S. expert. The island-wide special customs operations would combine the strengths of China's manufacturing industry with global shipping and give the province more global recognition, Doug Guthrie, professor and director of China Initiatives at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University in the United States, told Xinhua in an interview. Such attention is no accident, he said. Located at the crossroads of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the island sits squarely on emerging global trade routes as China's southern gateway to Southeast Asia, Africa and other fast-growing markets, positioning it to play a larger role in the shifting economic geography of Asia. The recent special customs operations, he suggested, reflect China's broader shift toward deeper global engagement. "The global movement is not just about China being a big supplier for the world, it's about Chinese companies going global," he said. In terms of trade, the island will expand the coverage of its zero-tariff policy to 74 percent of imported goods, with further expansion planned. Supported by simplified customs clearance procedures, it will improve cross-border trade efficiency, creating low-cost and high-efficiency trade advantages. "One of the great strategies is having a free trade port ... where goods are going to flow through Hainan is going to be really beneficial for this," he said. Guthrie noted that amid growing uncertainty in the global economy, the tariff-free zones connected to Hainan could help reduce these pressures and play a stabilizing role in global trade. As Apple's former senior director in Shanghai, Guthrie said Hainan has the potential to draw foreign investment. The island is poised to attract investment in logistics and supply-chain operations. Meanwhile, Guthrie noted that Hainan's growing role points to broader changes in China's development strategy, including greater attention to regions beyond the country's major cities. "It becomes a gateway for the flow of components and modules" for final assembly elsewhere, Guthrie said, highlighting the opportunities Hainan offers to other countries. Hainan's rapid development is drawing international talent and fostering educational partnerships. Guthrie noted that Arizona State University recently launched a dual-degree program in e-commerce and international trade with Hainan ASU International College, highlighting growing educational exchanges between China and the United States. The Hainan Free Trade Port is the country's largest special economic zone. Its strategic position and policy flexibility have made it significant to the country's long-term plan to advance its opening-up at the institutional level. Edurne Martinez Madrid Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 18:32 Share China has ended its anti-dumping investigation on pork and its related products imported from the EU. The blow is significant, but less than expected. The Asian giant will apply tariffs of between 4.9% and 19.8% to European countries, in some cases even lower than those it has been applying in recent months. In the case of Spain, the country even ends up at an advantage, as China will apply a tariff of 9.8%, half the current rate. In addition, Iberian ham will be excluded. This is the opinion of representatives of the Spanish pork sector consulted by Diario SUR. Livestock association Coag considers this "good news", since the tariffs finally adopted by China on imports from Spain vary between the 4.9% imposed on Litera Meat (one of the companies used as a reference for the anti-dumping investigation) and 9.8% for the rest, including Campofrio and El Pozo. This investigation was carried out in retaliation for the imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric cars by Brussels. At the time, China even threatened to impose tariffs of more than 60%, so the resolution announced on Tuesday has brought relief to the sector. The tariffs came into effect for a period of five years on 17 December, as announced by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Spain is the main exporter of pork from the EU to China. The Chinese market accounts for 20% of all sales in this sector, some one billion euros a year, so China's decision was key. Spain benefits more than other pork exporting countries such as the Netherlands, on which China has imposed levies of almost 20%. M. Salado Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 17:54 Share A study led by the national museum of natural sciences (MNCN) of the Spanish national research council (CISC) and the faculty of veterinary medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) has used laboratory reproductive technologies to contribute to the survival of the Iberian lynx, one of the most historically endangered species. The results, published in the Theriogenology Wild journal, show the possibility of generating embryos of this species through in vitro fertilisation of reproductive cells from females that died in accidents, from sperm cryopreserved in the species' biobank. Zoom Iberian lynx embryo. SUR The Iberian lynx is a species endemic to mainland Spain and Portugal. In 2002, the census of fewer than 100 specimens in the wild led the international union for conservation of nature (IUCN) to declare the species the most endangered cat on the planet. However, by 2024 the species accounted for more than 2,000 animals in the wild, according to data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco). In barely two decades, conservation, breeding and reintroduction programmes, together with genetic, reproductive and health studies, have allowed this species to go from being considered critically endangered to being classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Today the Iberian lynx still faces significant risks that threaten its survival due to the loss of genetic diversity. Reduced genetic variability leads to inbreeding depression, which decreases the likelihood of survival and leads to disease and reduced reproductive capacity. Techniques remain to be developed to transfer embryos to recipient females and enhance the diversity of the species Researchers state that assisted reproductive techniques could reduce the prevalence of these complications through reproductive management of captive and free-ranging populations. "Our research brings new options to the lynx conservation programme because it makes possible the reproduction of animals that have not had that opportunity, for example, because they die prematurely or because they have behavioural problems and do not mate," CSIC researcher and co-director of the study Eduardo Roldan says. The reproductive material of the males has been obtained thanks to the collaboration of the Iberian lynx captive breeding centres in Spain and Portugal, which have allowed the collection and cryopreservation of the sperm for storage in the wild species germplasm and tissue bank of the MNCN, which functions as a biobank for the species. The reproductive material for the females has been obtained through the wildlife recovery centres, which support the lynx conservation programme in the wild. The coordination provided by the regions of Andalucia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura, Miteco and the autonomous body of national parks, has made it possible to obtain the reproductive material of males and females necessary for this work. The research started with the rescued ovaries, which were transported refrigerated to the laboratory to obtain oocyte maturation under controlled conditions. These oocytes were successfully fertilised to generate embryos that were cryopreserved by vitrification and are currently stored in the Iberian lynx biobank. The in vitro technique will also make it possible to plan matings of spatially distant individuals from different populations or generations "We now need to develop methods to transfer these embryos to recipient females, which will undoubtedly contribute to enhancing the genetic diversity of this species," pre-doctoral researcher at UCM and lead author of the study Ana Munoz Maceda says. Another remarkable observation of the study is the importance of the time of year in which the ovaries are retrieved. "We found that the time of year had an important effect on embryo retrieval. We were more successful when they were recovered in autumn and winter, which is the time of year when lynxes reproduce," UCM professor and co-director of the research Maria Jesus Sanchez Calabuig says. "The success rate achieved, however, is far from ideal, as it is less than that obtained with domestic cats, the species we use as a model," Sanchez Calabuig adds. Among the factors affecting the results, the authors highlight the key role of the time that elapses until the injured females are located and their ovaries are recovered. To overcome these limitations, the team proposes to use alternative methods to obtain oocytes. "Our results confirm that reproductive biotechnology can play a key role in complementing conservation" "It will be necessary to find the least invasive method possible and ensure the maximum recovery of oocytes that can be used for in vitro fertilisation," pre-doctoral researcher at the UCM and lead author of the study Andrea Priego Gonzalez says. This work is a major scientific breakthrough, as it demonstrates that it is possible to produce Iberian lynx embryos in the laboratory from ovaries obtained post mortem and cryopreserved sperm. "Thanks to the semen that we store in the biobank, we have genetic insurance," Roldan states. These advances open the door to the recovery of the genetic diversity of individuals that die prematurely, leaving no offspring. They will also make it possible to plan matings of individuals that are distant in space, belonging to different populations, or distant in time, i.e. belonging to different generations, which will improve strategies aimed at boosting the genetic diversity of the species and, in some cases, at rescuing genotypes of interest. "Our results, although initial and still improvable, confirm that reproductive biotechnology can become a key tool to complement conservation efforts and ensure the long-term genetic sustainability of the Iberian lynx," Sanchez Calabuig concludes. Edurne Martinez Madrid Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 10:08 Share The indefinite strike called by Plataforma en Defensa del Transporte, an organisation made up of small companies and self-employed workers in the lorry transport sector, managed to collapse the logistics chain in Spain in 2022. Now, the same organisation is threatening to call another strike in the run-up to Christmas. This time, it denounces not having been included in the national road transport committee (CNTC), the government's interlocutors for the sector's issues. In a statement issued on Monday, the platform stated that it should be present in the CNTC, since this committee is made up of the main employers' organisations in the sector and because it serves as an interlocutor with the Ministry of Transport. The platform said that minister Oscar Puente had "declared war" on it, having changed the requirements to opt for representation within the CNTC. The organisation leads in terms of the number of transport professionals, bringing together some 30,000 lorries belonging to a total of 9,437 small companies and self-employed workers, according to figures provided to SUR by the platform. In the statement, Plataforma en Defensa del Transporte stated that it considers it confusing how a platform comprising a fleet of 30,000 lorries has no official representation to talk to the ministry. Other relevant organisations in the sector, such as Uno Logistica, have also been excluded because, according to the ministry, they have not verified the authenticity of all the data provided. "We cannot allow such an attack on the freedom of representation," the organisation said, warning to call an indefinite transport strike like the one in March 2022, when they were "denied dialogue with the ministry for being outside the CNTC". For two years, the organisation has been denouncing the ministry's policy, stating that the government "only seeks to have as interlocutors those who are in the [its] interest, leaving out organisations which, despite representing active hauliers, can cause them trouble because of their loyalty to the sector". Antonio Tavora Seville Monday, 15 December 2025 | Updated 17/12/2025 16:15h. Share If you're thinking of catching a flight on 25 December, you might be surprised to see that there are no options with one of Europe's cheapest airlines: Ryanair. This is no oversight, nor is it because the route you are looking for is fully booked. The explanation is much simpler and, also, quite unusual. Ryanair does not operate any flights on Christmas Day at any airport in its European network. This is nothing new. Every 25 December, Ryanair planes remain grounded, as the Ireland-based airline adheres to this policy of completely halting operations on Christmas Day. While it may come as a surprise to most, it is a deeply ingrained tradition within the company. The main reason is to allow its staff - pilots, cabin crew, ground staff and operations teams - to enjoy the holiday with their families. In Irish culture, Christmastime is particularly significant and the company has chosen to honour this custom for its employees, even at the cost of foregoing one of the busiest days of the holiday season. In practice, this policy means that Seville Airport, like all others across Spain and beyond, will be without Ryanair flights on 25 December. The airline is one of those that operatesmost flights and routes from Seville, with direct connections to dozens of domestic and international destinations. Therefore, the lack of options available on 25 December is a significant inconvenience for those needing to travel to or from Seville with this particular airline on that day. That is why neither travel websites nor Ryanair's own website allow you to buy a ticket for 25 December, regardless of the destination selected. In fact, when searching for flights from Seville for that day, the website displays a message indicating that there are no availabledestinations . Zoom Which airlines fly (and which don't) on 25 December Although Ryanair suspends all flights, other airlines do operate from Seville on Christmas Day, though generally with a reduced schedule. Companies such as Iberia, Iberia Express and Air Nostrum maintain their domestic and international flights, especially on key routes such as Seville-Madrid and Seville-Barcelona. Also Vueling offers several connections, primarily domestic. Other options include Transavia, EasyJet, Lufthansa, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines and Air France . However, flight frequency is not always the same as on a normal day, as lower demand on Christmas Day leads these airlines to reduce their schedules on some routes. So, if you were thinking of travelling from Seville to one of Ryanair's usual destinations, or vice versa, it is important to note that the company operates no flights on 25 December. It is advisable to look for alternatives with other airlines that do fly that day and book your trip as soon as possible. P.M. Madrid Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 13:56 | Updated 18:06h. Share Storm Emilia has left rain over much of Spain in recent days. This past weekend, a new front returned to the province of Valencia, where the state meteorological agency (Aemet) activated the red warning on Sunday. The Levante area of Almeria in Andalucia also had an active red alert. Throughout this week, instability will hover over much of the country, while storm Emilia moves away. However, a new Atlantic front will penetrate from the north-west of the country at the end of the week. Young amateur forecaster Jorge Rey shared his predictions on social media. The weather enthusiast became popular for predicting the arrival of the great storm Filomena, using the 'cabanuelas' prediction method, which is not based on science but on folk meteorology. Prediccion semanal: Esta tarde y noche: en Huelva, Cadiz, Ceuta, Castellon, Cataluna chubascos de fuerte o muy fuerte intensidad acompanados de tormentas. Lluvias persistentes en el oeste peninsular. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/6hqvGxrwGV AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) December 15, 2025 In a new video posted on his YouTube channel, Rey warns of the arrival of a new strong storm at the end of the week, just a few days before Christmas. Jorge Rey predicts this week's weather "Red and amber warnings in the Mediterranean are like a plague. The strong storms force Aemet to trigger the alert as soon as they arrive," he says in the video, referring to the meteorological situation in the country over the weekend, on Monday and early Tuesday. According to Rey's forecast, more storms will visit the country, fortunately without causing a 'superdana' (heavy cold drop). He warns that the weather phenomena expected this week will affect "almost all of Spain", with strong winds "in the west and the Canary Islands". Rey warns that the new front that arrived on Monday will leave "showers throughout mainland Spain" next few days. Conditions will slightly stabilise this Wednesday. According to Rey, rain will return to Galicia on Thursday, with "the arrival of a new front", which "will move further into the centre of the country" on Friday. The young forecaster expects rain "in areas of Catalonia" on Friday. There will also be rain, although "weak" in the Canary Islands this week. "It looks like it will increase a little more on Wednesday," Rey said. The week will also be marked by snowfalls "in high mountain areas". According to the weather enthusiast's forecast, Avila and Segovia will be among the cities surprised by snow. As for the winds, they will be notable in "many points in the west, as well as in the Canary Islands, due to the arrival of successive storms". Snow and polar cold air The young meteorologist also warns of the storm that will affect Spain a few days before Christmas. According to Rey, the "big storm" that is currently "affecting parts of the US quite intensely" will arrive from across the Atlantic. This storm will deepen with "polar cold air" in Spain, with the arrival of "snowfall" on 21 or 22 December in "many provinces". "So comes the Gordo de Navidad, but it doesn't end here," Rey said in his latest video. He predicts that a similar situation, possibly with greater force, will be repeated around 23-24 January. Cristina Candido Madrid Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 18:42 Share Wind power is consolidating its position as one of the pillars of the energy and economic system in Spain, although it is going through a key moment marked by regulatory blockages that threaten its development. This renewable energy source is set to become the leading technology in the electricity mix, with a production of 59,378 GW and a coverage of 24% of demand, according to the macroeconomic study of the impact of the wind energy sector in Spain 2024, prepared by Deloitte and presented by the Spanish wind energy association (AEE). The sector contributed 0.25% to GDP and enabled savings on consumers' electricity bills of more than 4.6 billion euros in 2024, with an average reduction in the wholesale price of close to 20 euros per MWh. Between 2012 and 2024, the accumulated savings exceed 47.4 billion, according to the study. The sector also employed 37,070 people, 4.7% more than the previous year, with high value-added jobs and a clear industrial vocation in regions such as Galicia, the Basque Country and Andalucia. Spain is also the world's fourth largest exporter of wind turbines, behind only China, Denmark and Germany, with exports valued at 1.95 billion euros, which are growing steadily year after year. However, in the eyes of the sector, if Spain does not unblock regulatory bottlenecks, provide legal certainty for projects and accelerate electrification, "Spain will lose a historic opportunity for reindustrialisation and progress", director general of AEE Juan Virgilio Marquez warns. According to the sector, one of the main immediate challenges is to accelerate the electrification of the economy and increase electricity demand to prevent zero or negative prices from perpetuating in the market, which conditions investment decisions. Despite the fact that the installed capacity reached 31,679 MW in 2024, after adding 1,185 MW, the sector warns that the current pace is insufficient to meet the objectives of the national integrated energy and climate plan (PNIEC). "The reason is that the administrative process is very complex. Different criteria are applied in different parts of Spain and even between individual projects. This is slowing down the pace necessary for the natural growth demanded by the industry," Marquez says. Spain should be installing around four gigawatts of wind energy per year, but barely reaches one gigawatt per year. In his opinion, it is essential to coherently apply the principle of the higher public interest of renewables, which is included in European legislation but not yet fully adopted into Spanish law, in order to provide security and stability to the development of new projects. The reality is that projects or industrial capacity are not lacking, but administrative and judicial obstacles make it almost impossible to meet the forecasts for 2030. More than ten gigawatts have administrative authorisation for construction, although some three gigawatts remain paralysed in Galicia. Added to this are 9.2 GW with a favourable environmental declaration pending authorisation and more than 17,000 MW blocked since 2018, mostly due to unfavourable environmental reports. According to the sector, for every megawatt installed in recent years, four have not been developed. It calls for the effective application of the European principle of overriding public interest in renewables to unblock projects and provide regulatory stability. Repowering, security of supply and offshore wind Another major strategic vector is the repowering of existing wind farms. Spain has more than ten gigawatts that are more than 20 years old and nearly three gigawatts that are more than 25 years old - installations located in areas that are already anthropised, with a known resource and consolidated social endorsement. However, current regulatory and environmental constraints mean that, in some cases, repowering a wind farm may even mean a loss of power. The sector is calling for a clear roadmap, with incentives, improvements in grid access and regulatory security that will allow business decisions to be anticipated and to make the most of this potential. In particular, the situation in Galicia is of concern, where paralysed projects imply not only a brake on the energy transition, but also the loss of industrial and employment opportunities. The AEE estimates that the current blockage jeopardises the creation of some 4,000 jobs. At the same time, the sector is calling for enhancing the security of the electricity system through the effective activation of the technical regulations necessary for renewables to provide stability services, such as voltage control, grid forming or the damping of oscillations. Although companies are willing to be authorised to provide these services, they warn of the costs, regulatory risks and the need for clear and coordinated planning with the system operator to avoid distortions. Offshore wind is set to become a long-term industrial sector, but the ministerial order for the first pilot auction of this type of wind is still pending development. According to AEE, even with a first auction in 2026, the first wind farms would not be operational until 2033. Delaying this first step would mean giving up the creation of more than 4,000 jobs associated with the first gigawatt and losing ground to countries such as France, Norway, the UK and the Netherlands, which are already moving forward with defined policies and auctions. Marquez insists on the need to activate an initial market that allows the Spanish industry to position itself from the outset in the global offshore wind value chain. All of this takes place in a context of high tax pressure. The sector suffers a tax impact of close to 600 million euros per year, mainly derived from the 7% tax on the value of electricity production, the temporary energy levy and specific figures such as the wind tax in Aragon. According to AEE calculations, for every 1,000 euros of income, 224 euros are spent on taxes and levies - a burden that far exceeds expenditure on personnel and which penalises new investment. SUR in English Marbella Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 17:53 Share This summer, Marbella Arena is stepping up as one of Europes hottest open-air music venues, with a new international concert series from Beat Live bringing three huge live shows to the Costa del Sol. Kicking things off in style is Craig David presents TS5 on Saturday 27th June. The UK star brings his globally acclaimed TS5 show - a high-energy mix of live vocals, DJing and MCing -blending R&B, UK garage, house and feel-good anthems into one massive summer party. From its beginnings as an intimate Miami penthouse set to headlining stages around the world, TS5 has become one of live musics most in-demand party experiences, and Marbella fans will get the full treatment under the stars at Marbella Arena until 1am. Craig David. Next up, reggae royalty UB40 featuring Ali Campbell take over the arena on Thursday 16th July. With more than 70 million records sold worldwide, the bands catalogue of hits - including Red Red Wine, Kingston Town and (I Cant Help) Falling in Love With You - guarantees a night of singalong classics and laid-back reggae grooves, alongside tracks from their acclaimed album Unprecedented. Support comes from Reggae Roast ft. Horseman, setting the tone for a feel-good Caribbean-flavoured celebration. Rounding off this first wave of announcements, Northern Irish indie heroes Two Door Cinema Club headline Friday 10th July as part of the 15th Anniversary Tour for their breakthrough album Tourist History. Expect era-defining indie-electronic anthems like What You Know, Undercover Martyn and Something Good Can Work, plus highlights from a run of Top 10 albums - all delivered with the high-tempo, festival-ready energy that has made them one of the most exciting live bands of the last 15 years. Two Door Cinema Club. With limited early-bird allocations expected to sell quickly, pre-sale access and full ticket information for all shows are available now at www.marbellaarena.com and www.beatlive.net. The Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard police blotter of arrests from police agencies around Central New York was updated today. Arrests added this week occurred between Nov. 17 and Dec. 14, with the except of two from earlier in the year. The people charged ranged from 17 to 78 years old. One person was charged with vehicular manslaughter for an incident in Oswego County. Man charged with vehicular manslaughter months after man dies in motorcycle crash in Oswego County A person was charged with assault in a stabbing incident in Syracuse. 18-year-old charged in stabbing of woman on Syracuses East Side Two people were charged with arson and a third was charged with assault in an incident in Salina. Three injured in fight involving 2.5-foot sword outside Salina apartment complex Information in the police blotter is provided by the arresting agencies. Arrests are also published in the Neighbors pages of The Post-Standard and are available in the ePost-Standard. The police blotter is searchable by name, charge, date, and agency. If you dont find a particular arrest, try adjusting the date range. You can search the blotter here: Dont see the link? Click here to search the police blotter Baldwinsville, NY - Village leaders have rehired their former police chief for a temporary, short-term job -- helping the newly appointed chief transition into the post. Former Chief Michael Lefancheck went back on the payroll in early December to help Michael J. Lockwood adjust to his new duties as chief. The extra duty will cost the village a maximum of $14,300. Lockwood, whos been with the department since 1996, became chief Dec. 5. His salary is $124,187. Four days later, Lefancheck returned to the village as a temporary outreach worker. Hes earning $59.70 per hour. His work cannot exceed 240 hours, effectively six weeks. Village officials said hell likely wrap up early in January. Baldwinsville Mayor Bruce Stebbins said the former chief, who ran the department for 17 years, is helping Lockwood learn the budgeting process and other administrative duties. Lockwood said he learned about his promotion about a month before starting the new job. He said it was such a busy time that he didnt get to work with Lefancheck to go over the transition. Lockwood said the police department was understaffed and needed to hire three officers, which took time. Interviewing, background checks and onboarding took up the hours when he could have been learning the new job, Lockwood and Lefancheck both told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Hes (Lefancheck) helping me with all the management things, even down to what do I do with this bill and where can I find that in the files, Lockwood said. Lefancheck said hes also helping teach Lockwood about writing policy and grant submissions. It was a very busy fall, so this gives us time to ensure there is as smooth a transition as possible, he said. Once his temporary role is up in several weeks, Lefancheck said hell be around to answer questions that will likely come up. Lockwood, 51, has been involved with the village police department since he was a teen. He participated as a junior police explorer starting at 14. He graduated from Baker High School and joined the force at age 22. He is married with two children. Lockwood has served as an officer, sergeant and a lieutenant. He was eligible for retirement nine years ago, but has stayed on. Its always been my goal to be a police chief, he said. Saboor Sakhizadas journey began in 2014 when he sought refuge from Afghanistan, finding a new home in Syracuse. Today, he works as a program manager at the DAniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, dedicated to supporting those who have served. On Dec. 11, Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In his testimony, Kent claimed that the National Counterterrorism Center has identified 18,000 known or suspected terrorists who entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome. This testimony comes just weeks after two members of the United States National Guard were targeted by a 29-year-old Afghan national who, based on what we know, passed every stage of the vetting process. These developments have landed heavily on Afghan communities across the country. Families who fled war and persecution now find themselves grappling with fear, confusion and renewed scrutiny, paying a steep price for the actions of one individual. The Afghan diaspora has spent years building stable lives in the United States, raising children, serving in uniform and contributing to their neighborhoods, proving day after day that they belong in the only home they have left. For me, this is about process, and it is important to distinguish between the Special Immigrant Visa system, also known as Chief of Mission, and Operation Allies Welcome. The former is methodical and demanding, requiring years of documentation, interviews and verification. Operation Allies Welcome, by contrast, unfolded under extreme pressure and chaos, and it is widely recognized that its execution suffered serious flaws. The system was vulnerable enough that anyone who reached the gates of Kabul airport had a realistic chance of securing what amounted to a free ticket into the free world. This included individuals with no verified connection to the United States mission in Afghanistan, people who were not Afghan citizens, and in some cases members of the Taliban and their families. The urgency of the moment overwhelmed the system, leaving gaps that were never properly assessed. Related: These Syracuse men helped the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Now they fear theyll be sent back Those vulnerabilities were compounded by the realities on the ground in Afghanistan. In provinces bordering Pakistan, it is nearly impossible to distinguish Afghan citizens from Pakistani nationals. They speak the same language, dress the same way and live by similar cultural norms. And on top of all of that, in a country with a failing government, individuals can easily obtain fraudulent Afghan identity cards and other falsified documents, creating serious risks in any evacuation or resettlement process. We saw these vulnerabilities in action because, for years, Pakistani nationals blended seamlessly into Afghan life, taking jobs in construction, IT and other industries while posing as Afghans. This was especially common when the United States and its NATO allies were pouring money into the country as if coins were spilling from the sky. The influx of aid and opportunity created a shadow economy where identity became fluid, and anyone with the right papers or enough audacity could claim a place in the system. This challenge is not unique to Afghanistan. Under the Uniting for Ukraine program, Russian nationals attempted to use the same weaknesses, and many were caught and expelled from the United States. It is a reminder that when a system is put under extreme pressure, individuals from many countries will try to exploit it. For those of us who lived through this vetting process, including many of my colleagues, its intensity is not an abstract idea. It is something we carried every single day. Despite going through military polygraph testing every six months to maintain my clearance, it still took years to complete the process. Sitting in front of foreign service officers and handing over every detail of your life, your family, your past, your fears and your future is exhausting. You hope that the truth you share will be enough to protect yourself and your loved ones. The process may look different today, but the strain it places on those who endure it has never eased. It demands everything: documents, fingerprints, personal stories, social media history, credibility and courage. It moves through layers of scrutiny from agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of Defense, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and Customs and Border Protection. The vetting does not end there. It includes forensic documentation to verify your records, multiple rounds of intensive interviews, continuous monitoring of online activity and follow-up with sponsors or the people who wrote letters of recommendation on a candidates behalf. It also includes medical examinations guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its Division of Global Migration Health. From there, the process moves through the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the network of national and local agencies responsible for integrating and assimilating newcomers. Private contractors, such as Mission Essential, which once recruited and oversaw interpreters, also contribute to this complex system. I lived inside this process for years. I know its strengths, its weaknesses and the immense toll it places on a human being long before they ever set foot on American soil. Once refugees and immigrants arrive in the United States, background checks stop. No additional follow up assesses their wellbeing. The responsibility for integration falls largely on local resettlement agencies and sponsoring families. These nonprofit and community organizations sign what is known as a cooperative agreement and they operate under tight deadlines and limited resources. They succeed despite the odds, yet these timelines rarely account for the invisible wounds of war that run deep. In practice, the agreements function like checklists. They carry no legal obligation, no enforceable accountability, and leave agencies to navigate immense challenges with minimal oversight, often relying on goodwill rather than clear standards. It is possible for someone to pass every stage of vetting and still struggle in ways that later manifest as dangerous behavior. The timeline between the completion of Rahmanullah Lakanwals vetting and the attack on Nov. 26 reveals a window of vulnerability. Our systems, however rigorous on paper, are only as strong as the follow up, oversight and support provided once individuals arrive in the United States. Going after these challenges is not a question of politics. It is a matter of safety, justice and integrity, and it requires action. It means doing the hard work we have delayed for too long: closing the gaps we know exist, strengthening post-arrival oversight, and investing in support systems that protect both newcomers and the communities they join. We owe that to our men and women in uniform, and to those who stood beside us and trusted us with their lives through years of war. BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday said Taiwan authorities' ban of popular mainland social media app Rednote is a typical case of "double-standard" political manipulation. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' so-called effort to "combat fraud" is nothing more than a pretext driven by ulterior motives, and the real purpose is for "Taiwan independence." Denouncing the DPP authorities for cutting off channels of cross-Strait exchanges, and depriving Taiwan residents', especially the young generations', right to information and freedom to use social media platforms, Zhu said that such actions have already triggered strong dissatisfaction and opposition among the people on the island, particularly the young people. A top aide to President Donald Trump said he has an alcoholics personality and also said Vice President JD Vance has been a conspiracy theorist for a decade. Susie Wiles, Trumps chief of staff, made those comments and others in a series of interviews throughout 2025 with Vanity Fair. The magazine began publishing stories based on the interviews on Tuesday. Her frank comments were surprising to many in Washington, according to multiple news reports. Wiles made the comments on Trumps personality in comparison to her father, sportscaster Pat Summerall, who she said suffered from alcoholism, according to NBC News. Some clinical psychologist that knows one million times more than I do will dispute what Im going to say. But high-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink, Wiles said. And so Im a little bit of an expert in big personalities. She added that Trump operates [with] a view that theres nothing he cant do. Nothing, zero, nothing. In addition to calling Vance a conspiracy theorist, Wiles said his conversion from a critic of Trump to a supporter was political, according to CNN. She commented on a number of other figures in Trumps orbit, including Elon Musk. She called the billionaire an odd, odd duck and an avowed ketamine user. She said Musks actions were not always rational and some of them left her aghast, according to The New York Times. Wiles called Russell Vought, the White House budget director, a right-wing absolute zealot. She said Attorney General Pam Bondi completely whiffed in her handling of the Epstein files, according to the Times. Wiles said she tried to convince Trump not to pardon the most violent rioters from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. She also urged him to delay announcing his major tariffs because his own advisers did not agree on an approach. She was unsuccessful in both those efforts. Trump and other top aides defended Wiles after her comments were published. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said Wiles was doing a fantastic job. Vance brushed off the comments. I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true, Vance said during an event in Pennsylvania, according to CNN. Vought praised Wiles as exceptional and an ally in helping me deliver for the president, according to the Times. In a post on X, Wiles criticized the Vanity Fair article as a disingenuously framed hit piece. Apple AI continues to evolve through iOS 26 intelligence, introducing a 50 TOPS Neural Engine capable of real-time 4K video analysis and advanced visual processing. iOS AI features now extend beyond reactive tasks, offering contextual awareness that predicts user intent across multiple apps while keeping sensitive data entirely on-device. These improvements reduce dependency on cloud processing and speed responses for seamless interaction. Privacy-first federated learning trains models using anonymized iCloud data to improve Siri 3.0, enabling personalized and context-aware assistance. Users can expect proactive notifications, intelligent visual recognition, and health monitoring features that anticipate needs. These developments mark a pivotal shift in Apple's AI roadmap, integrating intelligence into everyday device use to make interactions smarter, faster, and more intuitive than ever before. iOS 26 Intelligence Live Translation & Visual AI iOS 26 intelligence introduces Live Translate 2.0, capable of transcribing over 100 languages in real-time during FaceTime calls. This allows seamless multilingual conversations without delays, making global communication smoother and more intuitive. Apple AI visual intelligence now identifies objects in the camera feed, instantly suggesting recipes, shopping links, or contextual actions based on what the device sees. Users can interact with the world through their camera, turning visual input into actionable insights. Natural language search queries, such as "find photos of kids at the beach last summer," now surface precise Memories compilations. These iOS AI features enhance productivity and creativity, providing immediate, relevant results across apps without switching contexts, while leveraging the Neural Engine for combined language understanding and computer vision. Proactive AI Notifications & Personalized Experiences iOS AI features via iOS 26 intelligence enable proactive notifications, alerting users to changes like flight delays and offering solutions such as automatic rebooking in partner apps. Apple AI Genmoji 2.0 generates custom animated stickers from text descriptions, directly integrated into Messages and iMessage. Battery optimization also benefits from iOS AI features, learning user behavior patterns to extend device life by 20% through predictive app suspension and thermal management. These upgrades demonstrate how Apple AI personalizes interactions and improves device efficiency, delivering a smarter, more responsive ecosystem that anticipates user needs. Read more: iOS 26 Features and Hidden Tools That Change How You Use Your Device Apple AI Tools for Productivity, AR, and Health Certain Apple AI capabilities expand productivity tools, automatically generating outlines in Pages or Keynote from voice notes, with citation tracking for research workflows. iOS 26 intelligence also brings spatial awareness to AR applications, mapping room layouts with centimeter-level accuracy using LiDAR, enabling precise furniture placement and immersive experiences. Health features predict glucose trends from Apple Watch data, suggesting preventive interventions to avoid hypoglycemia. These iOS AI features combine machine learning and contextual intelligence to deliver highly personalized solutions for work, home, and wellness, demonstrating how Apple AI integrates seamlessly across the ecosystem. Developer APIs & Federated Learning Apple AI's developer APIs expose Core ML 4.0, enabling third-party apps to leverage up to 45 TOPS of on-device processing for custom AI models. Federated learning aggregates insights from 2 billion iPhone datasets, creating universal model improvements while keeping personal data fully anonymized and secure. On-device processing ensures app intelligence runs without cloud dependency, providing fast, low-latency AI performance while preserving user privacy. Developers can build AR, health, productivity, or educational apps with real-time AI feedback, enabling advanced features like gesture recognition, predictive analytics, and adaptive user experiences. Federated learning updates models continuously across the ecosystem, ensuring all devices benefit from global improvements without ever sharing raw user data. Core ML 4.0 supports complex AI tasks including object recognition, predictive analytics, natural language understanding, and spatial computing for AR interactions. APIs allow fine-grained access to Neural Engine cores and GPU acceleration, giving developers full control over model optimization, inference speed, and battery efficiency. Combined with iOS 26 intelligence, these tools allow apps to anticipate user needs, provide contextual suggestions, and seamlessly integrate AI into everyday workflows. Conclusion Apple AI through iOS AI features and iOS 26 intelligence positions Siri as a proactive, context-aware assistant rivaling science fiction depictions. By combining on-device processing with privacy-focused federated learning, Apple ensures users benefit from advanced AI without compromising data security. The seamless integration of visual intelligence, predictive notifications, developer-accessible AI tools, and health monitoring demonstrates Apple's commitment to a fully intelligent ecosystem. As iOS progresses toward iOS 30, these innovations redefine mobile intelligence, delivering faster, smarter, and more personalized experiences while maintaining strict privacy safeguards. Apple AI is now embedded across devices, AR, and apps, offering a truly anticipatory and responsive user experience. Frequently Asked Questions 1. iOS 26 intelligence hardware requirements? A17 Pro or higher with at least 16GB RAM is required to handle advanced Neural Engine tasks. The hardware ensures smooth real-time processing of 4K video and AR computations. Older devices cannot fully leverage iOS 26 AI features. Future iOS updates may further increase computational demands. 2. Apple AI privacy guarantees? Apple AI operates 100% on-device for key features. Federated learning collects only anonymized insights, never raw personal data. User data is processed locally before contributing to global model improvements. Privacy remains core to all iOS AI enhancements. 3. iOS AI features Siri upgrades? Siri now predicts user intent and understands context across apps. Proactive suggestions reduce manual interactions and improve daily workflow efficiency. Integration with third-party apps increases Siri's practical utility. Contextual awareness ensures relevant responses at the right moment. 4. Visual Intelligence uses? Apple AI visual intelligence identifies objects and provides actionable suggestions. Recipes, shopping links, and AR interactions become instantly accessible. Users can manipulate or reference objects detected in real-time. This feature integrates seamlessly with camera, Messages, and AR applications. SYDNEY, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- New Australian research has identified simultaneous abnormalities across multiple biological systems in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), supporting the idea that ME/CFS is a medical condition and not a psychological disorder. The study, led by researchers from Macquarie University, compared whole blood samples from 61 people meeting clinical diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS, with samples from healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers, a university media release said Wednesday. Key findings of this multimodal study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, include changes in markers of cellular energy metabolism, in the proportions and maturity of circulating immune cells, and in plasma proteins associated with blood vessel dysfunction in people with ME/CFS, it said. White blood cells from ME/CFS patients showed evidence of "energy stress" in the form of higher levels of adenosine monophosphate and adenosine diphosphate, indicating reduced generation of adenosine triphosphate, the key energy source within cells, it added. Profiling of immune cell populations revealed a trend toward less mature subsets of T-lymphocyte subsets, dendritic cells and natural killer cells in people with ME/CFS, researchers said, adding that plasma analysis showed these people had higher levels of proteins associated with activation of the endothelium and remodelling of vessel walls and lower levels of circulating immunoglobulin-related proteins. "Our findings provide further insights into the clinical and biological complexity of ME/CFS," said study senior author Richard Schloeffel, clinical senior lecturer in the Macquarie Medical School and an experienced general practitioner. "A model like this, if clinically validated, has the potential to reduce diagnostic delays and improve patient quality of life, alleviating the prolonged suffering and economic burden faced by patients with ME/CFS," Schloeffel said. The study team identified seven biological variables strongly associated with ME/CFS, highlighting potential interactions between areas of dysfunction that contribute to the clinical manifestations of ME/CFS. Canada will miss climate targets for 2030, 2035: PM Montreal, Dec 17 (AFP) Dec 17, 2025 Canada will not meet its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for 2030 and 2035, Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged in an interview that aired Tuesday on Radio-Canada. The federal government in Ottawa, under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, had set a target in 2021 of slashing total carbon emissions by 40-45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Trudeau's government had also set a goal of creating a net-zero power grid by 2035. "What's clear is that Canada is not going to reach our 2030 and 2035 climate targets with current policy," Carney, who took office in March 2025 after replacing Trudeau as Liberal Party leader, told the state broadcaster. "We need to change that." Faced with major trade tensions with the United States over President Donald Trump's trade war, Canada wants to open up to other global markets and reduce its commercial dependence on its southern neighbor. According to the latest available figures, carbon emissions fell by 8.5 percent in Canada between 2005 and 2023. The Canadian Climate Institute, a policy research organization, warned earlier this year that emissions could start rising again because of the new government's policies. Since coming to power, Carney has scrapped several environmental measures, including a carbon tax for individuals and an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector. His minority government has also announced a series of major projects in recent months to make Canada an "energy superpower." On Radio-Canada, Carney said he was convinced that major investments announced in the energy sector would help reduce emissions over the longer term. Globally, Canada ranks among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita. A few weeks ago, the federal government reached an agreement with the oil-producing province of Alberta, leading to the resignation of Steven Guilbeault from Carney's cabinet. He previously served as environment minister under Trudeau. Guilbeault lamented that the climate plan he spent several years developing was being "dismantled." CHANGCHUN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- In just nine hours, 650 kilograms of live king crabs from Russia were airlifted from Changchun in northeast China to Hong Kong, complete with customs clearance. The shipment, which took place on Tuesday, significantly shortened the cross-border transit time for these highly perishable aquatic products. This shipment also marked the first use of a bonded logistics model in Jilin Province, with Changchun as its capital, to facilitate the transit trade of live king crabs within a comprehensive bonded zone. As a key northern gateway of China, Jilin has seen brisk foreign trade in recent years. Data shows that in 2024, around 1.5 million king crabs, valued at 3.31 billion yuan (about 469 million U.S. dollars), were imported through the Hunchun Port in Jilin, accounting for over 80 percent of the national total. The success of the bonded transit trade of live king crabs can be attributed to several factors, including Hunchun's geographical proximity to Russia, the policy flexibility of the comprehensive bonded zone, and the efficient transport capacity of the airport, according to Huang Jianfeng, deputy head of customs at the Changchun Longjia International Airport. "The new model not only reduces operating costs for enterprises but also addresses key bottlenecks in the supply chain of live aquatic products," Huang said. "It lays a foundation for Jilin to develop into a national distribution hub for imported king crabs and to better connect with the international market." Comprehensive bonded zones are customs-supervised areas with streamlined clearance procedures, serving as vital platforms for China's opening-up endeavors. Policies such as tax refunds upon entry, bonded imports and the free flow of goods within the zone help enterprises significantly reduce institutional transaction costs. Over 160 such zones nationwide play a crucial role in expanding trade, attracting foreign investment and driving industrial upgrades. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Steven Spielberg fans have reacted with delight after the filmmaker unveiled the trailer for his latest alien encounter movie, Disclosure Day. Set to be released on June 12 next year, the film is based on Spielbergs own original idea and a screenplay by his Jurassic Park collaborator David Koepp. The films first trailer introduces Mary Poppins Returns star Emily Blunt as a television meteorologist and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery actor Josh OConnor as an unnamed character who urges: People have the right to know the truth. The trailer also stars Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo. Spielberg has portrayed UFO encounters and alien invasions in several movies throughout his long career, including 1977s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1982s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 2005s War of the Worlds and 2008s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. On social media, one fan wrote: For a half-century, every new Steven Spielberg release has always felt like a must-see event. Already looking forward to seeing Disclosure Day next year -- and I love that Emily Blunt is playing a Kansas City TV meteorologist. Midwest meteorologists are the best! Emily Blunt stars in Steven Spielberg's new alien movie 'Disclosure Day' ( Universal Pictures ) Another added: I can't wait. Spielberg and aliens! I'm in! A third fan posted an image of a billboard advertising the film, writing: This billboard in Times Square is not just promoting another movie. It is signaling the return of the filmmaker who reshaped the medium itself. Spielberg, the most influential director in the history of cinema, the man whose last name is a synonym for Hollywood, is about to debut his first original sci-fi story in years. The fact that it is completely secretive, with hints of disclosure and UAPs, only makes it more exciting. There is a whole generation that does not realize how much of modern pop culture exists because of him. This feels like witnessing the next chapter from the architect of the art form itself. Moments like this are rare. An official logline for the film teases: If you found out you werent alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to... Disclosure Day. In a feature for The Independent earlier this year, Al Horner argued that War of the Worlds became one of Spielbergs most controversial movies. Make no mistake, Spielbergs movie is one of the ultimate pieces of pop culture born of September 11, claimed Horner. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Hong Kong authorities have banned the public screening of Kiwi Chows Deadline, saying the film could be detrimental to national security. Chow said on Facebook that the official body responsible for classifying films for public exhibition had notified him they would not be issuing a screening licence for the movie. The filmmaker, 44, said the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administrations decision came after almost four months of censorship review of the film. The decision prevents it from being shown legally in cinemas or other public venues in Hong Kong. In his statement, written in Chinese and translated online, Chow wrote that the ruling, based on the National Security Law passed in 2020, was absurd, excessive, crude, and unjust. If he exhibited the movie without approval, Chow noted, he could face a fine of up to HK$1m (96,000) and even a jail term of up to three years. The filmmaker said he had spoken to a lawyer about filing an appeal but was told that in an era of judicial collapse, suing the government holds little meaning. If I were to lose the case, I could face the government seeking reimbursement for over a million dollars in legal fees, he said. The National Security Law has brought disaster to Hong Kong and this is another case. Originally a commercial film, it has now been passively turned into a political event, and absurdly judged to be a film that is not conducive to national security. It is painful to accept the reality that the film cannot be screened in Hong Kong. Chow vowed to continue making films and said he was looking forward to when his movie would be screened in Hong Kong, where he was born. May justice come to Hong Kong. I believe God will not abandon the city, nor will I, he said. Chow last month alleged unreasonable delays in the review of his after receiving no update on his application for three months. Stop imprisoning this film in the name of censorship or national security. Release Deadline! he had written. The Hong Kong film office usually finishes a review within 14 days. Deadline, filmed in Taiwan and starring veteran actor Anthony Wong Chau-sang, is set in a in a secondary school where a suicide note appears shortly before an examination and sparks a chain of events that exposes institutional pressure and moral breakdown within the education system. According to The Hong Kong Free Press, the letter from the film office did not explain which elements of the film were detrimental to national security. In a statement to The Independent, the office said it processed all applications in keeping with the law. The Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA) has all along been processing film censorship applications in accordance with the law. OFNAA would not comment on individual applications, it said. The Deadline restriction sits within a wider crackdown on film and cultural production following the introduction of the National Security Law. In 2021, Hong Kong revised its Film Censorship Ordinance to allow authorities to deny or revoke screening licences if a film was considered harmful to national security, bringing cinema regulation in line with the security framework imposed by China. Under the revised system, films can be banned outright rather than classified and approval can be withdrawn even after a licence is granted, significantly increasing uncertainty for filmmakers and exhibitors. Chow told Reuters at the time that he had to find new inventors to complete his film, Say I Do To Me, a love story about an influencer who plans to marry herself. Investors had pulled around 80 per cent of his funding and his lead actor had also dropped out. They think they have business with China, so even if there is little risk, they all find it unacceptable, not to mention that in their eyes, this is a very high risk, he said. Hong Kong authorities ban public screening of Kiwi Chows Deadline on national security ground ( AFP via Getty ) Chow is one of Hong Kongs most controversial filmmakers, having repeatedly tested the boundaries of political expression on screen. He first attracted international attention in 2015 with Ten Years, an anthology film imagining a near-future Hong Kong under authoritarian rule. Authorities pulled the film from cinemas and described it as a virus of the mind, according to ABC News. His 2021 documentary Revolution of Our Times, chronicling the citys pro-democracy protests, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won awards overseas but remains unofficially banned in Hong Kong, with no approval for public screening in the city. The Independent has reached out to the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration for a comment. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The UKs screenwriters are throwing their support behind the BBC after Donald Trump launched a $10bn lawsuit against the broadcaster. This week, the BBC said it would fight the lawsuit, which Trump filed on Monday (15 December) in a 33-page complaint accusing the corporation of a false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory and malicious depiction in an episode of Panorama aired before the 2024 US election. It is understood that the broadcaster is likely to argue that it did not have the rights to air the documentary in the US and so could not have damaged Trumps reputation, and that the case should therefore be dismissed. In the wake of the news, top British screenwriters have voiced their support for the BBC during this time of turmoil. Jack Thorne, the celebrated screenwriter and playwright behind shows including the BBC fantasy hit His Dark Materials and Netflixs Emmy-winning, agenda-setting Adolescence, told The Independent: The BBC isnt just a home for drama, news and sport, its a bioculture. Its the growth centre for what public service means. Its the place which did as much as my parents to teach me how to be a human, its the place which did as much as my teachers to show me how to write. Its the home of Eastenders, Doctor Who and I May Destroy You. He concluded: Its become a punching ball for everyone but its vital and its ours. open image in gallery Jack Thorne was speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival ( PA Wire ) A mainstay on British television, Thorne has won five Bafta awards for his acclaimed screen work, which traverses BBC dramas such as Best Interests, Netflix shows such as Enola Holmes starring Millie Bobby Brown and Toxic Town starring Jodie Whittaker, and the hit 2016 miniseries National Treasure for Channel 4. Also for Channel 4, he wrote This is England 90 and This is England 88. Thorne, who most recently wrote ITVs phone hacking drama The Hack, will return to the BBC next year with an adaptation of William Goldings survival tale Lord of the Flies. He is joined in his support of the corporation by fellow award-winning writer Jack Rooke who told The Independent: The BBC is such a vital broker of new talent, both on and off screen. It believes in regionality and diversity, it keeps our indie production sector alive, and it tries to make each of us as individual viewers and listeners, feel part of a community at a time where our attention spans are so often being divided. It has its faults and flaws, but theyre for all of us to try and clean up together, and thats how we rebuild it better each time. Rooke concluded: Maybe thats lame and schmaltzy. But the BBC makes me feel schmaltzy sometimes. open image in gallery Jack Rooke with his award for writing for comedy at the Bafta Television Craft Awards ( PA Wire ) The BBC helped to launch Rookes career after his debut stage show Good Grief, about welfare payment for bereaved families in Britain, was commissioned for a Radio 4 adaptation by BBC Comedy, broadcast in 2017. Rooke also made his TV debut in 2017 with his BBC Three documentary Happy Men, which explored the male mental health crisis and earned him a place on the BBC New Talent Hotlist. He has since gone on to create Big Boys, a semi-autobiographical comedy for Channel 4 starring Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls). The critically acclaimed series, which ran for three heartfelt seasons between 2022 and 2025, earned Rooke four Bafta nominations, and a win for Best Writer in Comedy last year. Trumps lawsuit against the BBC spells trouble for the corporation, which could be forced to fork out millions in licence fee payers money to cover its legal defence. The Panorama programme, which was broadcast just a week before the 2024 US election results, is accused of misleading viewers by editing a speech Trump delivered on 6 January 2021. It spliced two distinct clips, creating the impression that Trump instructed the crowd: Were going to walk down to the Capitol and Ill be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell. Several senior political figures, including Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and former culture secretary Sir John Whittingdale, have called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to intervene and stand up for the BBC in the face of this outrageous legal threat. Keir Starmer needs to stand up for the BBC against Trumps outrageous legal threat and protect licence fee-payers from being hit in the pocket, said Davey on X. The Trump administration has clearly set out they want to interfere in our democracy, which includes undermining our national broadcaster. The Prime Minister needs to make clear this is unacceptable. It had been widely expected that Sir Keir would use some of his personal capital with Trump to prevent papers being filed against the corporation. Downing Street, however, has said that any legal action is a matter for the BBC itself. The Prime Ministers official spokesperson said: Theyve made clear they believe theres no case around the broader point of defamation or libel, but thats for them and their legal teams to engage with, but as weve said previously, we will always defend the principle of a strong, independent BBC as a trusted and relied upon national broadcaster, reporting without fear or favour. But as weve also consistently said, its vitally important that they act to maintain trust, correcting mistakes quickly when they occur. Asked if it would be acceptable for licence fee-payers to fund a potential defamation settlement, the spokesperson said: I think were getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The co-hosts of The View are not buying Susie Wiless story that her bombshell Vanity Fair interview, in which the White House chief of staff disparaged the administration appointed by her boss, Donald Trump, was taken out of context. Throughout 11 interviews with journalist Chris Whipple, Wiles criticized Trumps first year in office and described the president as having an alcoholics personality. She labeled Vice President JD Vance as a conspiracy theorist, and called Elon Musk an avowed ketamine user who slept in a sleeping bag. Shortly after the two-part profile was published Tuesday, Wiles issued a statement saying that her remarks were taken out of context and that the story was a hit piece aiming to bring down Trump but former Trump aide Alyssa Farah Griffin thinks that the notoriously tough strategist shared the fiery remarks on purpose. Griffin, 36, told her TV co-hosts on ABCs popular talk show that she predicts Wiles is preparing to leave Trumps administration in the rumored turnover expected in the cabinet next year. I think she was intentional in this, Griffin said, speculating that Wiles may be thinking of leaving next year. open image in gallery 'The View' co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said she believes Susie Wiles knowingly agreed to the bombshell interview with 'Vanity Fair' ( ABC/The View ) open image in gallery White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles described Donald Trump as having an alcoholics personality ( AP ) She hypothesized: I think she wanted to put on the record some things she didnt agree with. She criticized the tariffs. She basically explained they shouldnt have gone the way they did. She criticized cutting USAID, which gutted American soft power, and the handling of the Epstein files. Griffin said the juiciest part of the story for her was the contrast in Wiles evaluations of Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The co-host noted that while Wiles critiqued many of her colleagues, she appeared to only have praise for Rubio as she spoke of his sincerity and strong principles. The apparent soft spot led Griffin to believe that Wiles will be working for Rubio when the 2028 presidential election rolls around, though Rubio has dodged questions about his potential run. [Wiles] basically calls the vice president an opportunist, more or less, and basically says hes a conspiracy theorist, Griffin said about the article. So Im looking at 2028, and Susie Wiles, the most important Republican political operative in America, is squarely team Rubio. Co-host Sunny Hostin agreed with Griffin about Wiles knowingly doing the piece and added that Wiles was worried about preserving her legacy so she can have a future in politics. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to Griffins speculation with the following insult shared with The Independent: Alyssa Farah Griffin is a stone-cold loser who suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted her pea-sized brain. Instead of hanging around the Bombay Club, she should say thank you to President Trump and the entire White House. Wiles has so far insisted the article was a "disingenuously framed hit piece. Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story, Wiles wrote on X. I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Angelina Jolie has revealed her double mastectomy scars for the first time more than a decade after her surgery. The Oscar-winning actor, 50, posed for a photoshoot with Time France to raise breast cancer awareness and to honor survivors of the deadly disease. Jolie showed her bare chest on the magazines cover of its very first issue, revealing the mark from when she went under the knife in 2013. I share these scars with many women I love, Jolie told the outlet in an interview published Monday. Im always moved when I see other women share theirs. She continued, I wanted to join them, knowing thatTIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention and knowledge about breast cancer. Praise poured in online for the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider actor following the magazine cover reveal, with one fan writing on X: Angelina jolie is the perfect choice for a cover story, she embodies strength and compassion. Another added, A fitting choice for a first cover, shes one of those rare figures whose influence goes well beyond film. A third chimed in: Angelina looks absolutely ethereal here. Iconic! Nathaniel Goldberg captured her well. open image in gallery Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy in 2013 ( Getty Images ) open image in gallery Angelina Jolie revealed her double mastectomy scars for the first time on the cover of 'Time France' ( Nathaniel Goldberg/H&K for Time France ) Jolie underwent the surgery to remove both of her breasts following the death of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, from breast and ovarian cancer in 2007. The actor then tested positive for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which meant her chances of getting breast and ovarian cancers were significantly higher. Two years after her double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, the Maleficent star also removed her ovaries and fallopian tubes as a preventative measure. Her decision went on to massively raise awareness for breast cancer in what was called the Angelina Jolie effect: an immediate uptick in screenings and more women seeking to understand their options for breast reconstruction. Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices, Jolie told Time France. She covered the magazine while promoting Alice Winocours film Coutures, out in February, where she plays a filmmaker who is diagnosed with breast cancer. Genetic testing and screening should be accessible and affordable for women with clear risk factors or a significant family history, she added. open image in gallery Jolie wrote that she told her six children that they dont need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer ( Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images ) Jolie wrote about her decision to have the surgery in a piece for The New York Times at the time of her procedure. The mom-of-six explained she had initially been given an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under five percent. I can tell my children that they dont need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer, she wrote. I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt. I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldnt live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among American women, with about one in eight women being diagnosed in their lifetime. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Multiple popular salad dressings have been recalled due to contamination concerns. Ventura Foods recalled 3,556 cases of its salad dressings last month, according to an enforcement report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recall was issued because of a potential foreign object, specifically black plastic planting material, in the dressings granulated onion. The recall was upgraded to a Class II, meaning that consuming the product could cause significant health consequences, as of December 4. Affected salad dressings were distributed to seven different retailers and food courts across 42 states. The recalled items, manufactured by Ventura Foods, include Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch, Caesar Dressing from Costco Service Deli and Costco Food Court, Pepper Mill Creamy Caesar Dressing, Pepper Mill Regal Caesar Dressing, Italian Salad Dressing, and Creamy Poblano Avocado Ranch Dressing and Dip, and Ventura Caesar Dressing. Salad dressings sent to retailers and food courts across 42 states have been recalled ( Getty/iStock ) Specific products can be identified by their SKU numbers here. While there havent been any illness reported to date, consumers with the affected dressings are urged to throw them away immediately or return them to the place of purchase. A representative for Hidden Valley Ranch issued a statement about the recall, clarifying that its affected dressing was not sold to consumers. No Hidden Valley Ranch products sold in stores to consumers are included in the voluntary recall. A professional Hidden Valley Original Buttermilk Ranch Dressing & Dip (one-gallon size), intended solely for food service and that was never distributed, was listed in a voluntary recall initiated by Ventura Foods, a third-party partner that manufactures this product, the representative said. The dressing recall comes a month after Costco removed two Caesar salad products, which were supplied by Ventura Foods, from shelves. In November, the retailer issued a notice to shoppers about a Caesar Salad and a Chicken Sandwich with Caesar Salad, which were being recalled due to the presence of plastic foreign material in the salad dressing of these items. The affected products have the Sell By Dates between October 17, 2025, and November 9, 2025. The Chicken Sandwich with Caesar Salad can be identified by Item Number 11444, while the Caesar Salad can be identified by Item Number 19927. Meanwhile, in October, Coca-Cola voluntarily recalled three packages of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and Sprite that were produced and distributed in Texas by Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, LLCa subsidiary of global bottler Arca Continental. The recall was issued because some of those cans may contain small metal fragments that could cause internal injury if swallowed. However, the recall was limited to products distributed in Texas, specifically in the McAllen/Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio areas. A Coca-Cola spokesperson also said that all affected products were removed from store shelves by October 10 out of an abundance of caution. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice If you are trying to stop smoking, you may have heard of nicotine patches or gum to help reduce cravings. But how about nicotine pouches? Small, tobacco-free sachets containing a powder made up of nicotine, flavourings and other additives, nicotine patches are placed between the upper lip and gum to release a nicotine buzz without the damage to lungs. Nicotine pouches were first introduced to the UK market in 2019. Common brands in the UK include ZYN, Velo and Nordic Spirit. Nicotine pouches are similar to snus loose tobacco in a pouch that is used in the same way as nicotine pouches. Although snus has been used for many years in Scandinavia, it was banned in the UK in 1992. Todays generation of nicotine pouches are marketed as a way to get the benefits of nicotine without the harmful effects of cigarettes or vapes. So, are they a helpful tool for those trying to kick the habit? Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is available to buy over-the-counter in the UK. Common brands include Nicorette and Niquitin. NRT comes in different forms such as patches, lozenges and chewing gum. Nicotine pouches havent been approved for use as NRT so why are they becoming a popular alternative to smoking and vaping? Pouches are heavily marketed on social media and, unlike NRTs, theyre readily available from supermarkets and shops from as little as 5 per box. Social media influencers are sponsored to promote nicotine pouches as clean, discreet and convenient. They come in a wide range of flavours, from cinnamon to citrus, which attracts younger consumers. open image in gallery Nicotine pouches are placed between the gum and upper lip to release a nicotine buzz without damage to lungs ( Getty ) Recent research found that approximately 1 per cent of adults and 1.2 per cent of youths aged 11-18 years old reported currently using nicotine pouches. However, over 5 per cent of adults and more than 3 per cent of youths said they had used these pouches at some point. Although these are relatively low figures, data showsnicotine pouches are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and US. Unlike NRT, nicotine pouches are classed as consumer products, so are not regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Since they do not contain tobacco, nicotine pouches cannot be regulated by the Tobacco and Related Product Regulations either. This means there is no age restriction to buy them. Instead, nicotine pouches are governed by the General Product Safety Regulations, which means they are not regulated as stringently as NRT. Companies producing NRTs must apply for a marketing license because medicinal products have to undergo extensive testing to show they are safe and effective. This is not the case for nicotine pouches. Nicotine acts on receptors in the brain, releasing chemical messengers including the happy hormone dopamine. These chemical messengers are responsible for the pleasurable feelings and addictive behaviour that people often experience when using tobacco or nicotine products. The faster a drug is absorbed and activates brain receptors, the higher the addiction potential. About the author Dipa Kamdar is a senior lecturer in pharmacy practice at Kingston University. This article was originally published by The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article. Research shows that nicotine is released more slowly from pouches compared to cigarettes, so it may be less addictive than cigarettes. However,pouches can also vary in the amount of nicotine they contain evidence shows some have very high levels, higher than cigarettes and NRT. Pouches can be marketed as a clean form of nicotine consumption but, although they are smoke-free, they can contain other chemical ingredients such as pH adjusters like sodium carbonate, which allow nicotine to be absorbed in the mouth more easily. Pouches do not contain tobacco, which contains many chemicals and cancer-causing agents. However, nicotine on its own can still be harmful. Common side effects of nicotine pouch use include nausea, vomiting, headaches and heart palpitations. Nicotine causes the body to release of chemicals such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. Studies show increased levels of these can raise heart rate and blood pressure and the hearts need for oxygen. Animal studies suggest that nicotine use during teenage years can cause long-term changes in the brain and behaviour as well as an increased likelihood of using other drugs, lower attention levels and mood problems. open image in gallery Nicotine pouches have been marketed as an alternative to smoking and vaping ( PA ) Young people have more nicotine receptors in the areas of the brain related to reward. This makes nicotines effects stronger in teenagers than in adults. Currently there is not enough evidence to confirm nicotine pouches are harmful to oral health but dentists are concerned about their potential effects. Last year, a review found that oral side effects include dry mouth, sore mouth, blisters on the gums and sometimes changes in the gum area such as receding gumline where the pouches were placed. This is similar to side effects of oral NRT. Unlike NRT, which is normally used for a three-month course, pouches may be used for longer potentially raising the risk of side effects. Belgium and the Netherlands have banned nicotine pouches because of the potential risks. In the UK, the new Tobacco and Vapes bill will allow the government to regulate the use of nicotine pouches so that they can only be sold to people aged 18 and older. Advertising will be banned and the content and branding regulated. This could be a welcome move for those concerned that nicotine pouch brands are targeting young people whove never smoked. But, for current smokers looking for a product to help them quit, it might be wise to opt for the regulated NRTs even if the flavours arent as appealing. When the news broke on Sunday night that the legendary director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele had been found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home, the response from the couples Hollywood friends and film fans alike was one of outright horror. Reiner, the 78-year-old sitcom actor turned director of beloved movies such as The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap and When Harry Met Sally, had brought so much happiness to so many cinemagoers that his and his wifes lives should come to such a harrowing end seemed near-impossible to compute. But in the hours and days that followed, the tragedy became yet more shocking. On Monday, Los Angeles police confirmed that they had arrested the couples son, Nick Reiner, on suspicion of murder; and on Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced that the 32-year-old will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Since his teens, Nick had grappled with addiction to heroin and other drugs, his life a sequence of rehab stays, relapse and periods of sobriety. The family hadnt kept his troubles a secret, by any means: in 2015, Rob directed a movie co-written by his son, inspired by Nicks experiences. But the film and the catharsis that Rob said he experienced while working on it could only provide closure briefly, and did not mark the end of his struggles. Beyond the promotional circuit for Being Charlie, little is known about the private life of this scion of Hollywood royalty. But his parents Rob and Micheles love story was the stuff of industry legend. The actor-turned-director, whose father Carl had created The Dick Van Dyke Show and was one-half of a comedy double act with Mel Brooks, had been divorced for almost a decade when he started working with Nora Ephron on the romcom When Harry Met Sally. His pessimism about relationships shaped the movies original ending, in which the title characters didnt get together. But during filming, he met and fell in love with photographer Michele, and changed the films finale accordingly, his faith in romance restored. Their first son, Jake, was born in 1991, followed by Nick in 1993 and daughter Romy in 1997 (Reiner had also previously adopted Tracy, the daughter of his first wife, Penny Marshall, and remained close to her even after the couples split). The children attended the progressive Wildwood School in Los Angeles, an institution that has proved a popular choice for A-list parents, with the likes of Demi Moore, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg and Dustin Hoffman all sending kids there (Kamala Harriss stepdaughter Ella Emhoff is also an alumna). Growing up in a wealthy, film industry milieu, the Reiner offspring inevitably mixed with fellow members of Hollywood dynasties: according to The New Yorker, Nick was a childhood friend of Patrick Schwarzenegger, son of Arnold and a breakout star of The White Lotuss third season. The Reiners middle child, though, seemed to face behavioural problems from an early age. Alanna Zabel, a celebrity yoga instructor, has recently spoken about how she was hired to work with the disruptive young Nick in the early 2000s. Nicky would barge in like the world was on fire, screaming, into our yoga sessions, she told the Daily Mail, adding that she had never seen a child like it. Zabel later wrote a childrens book about a troubled boy named Little Nicky, apparently inspired by her former pupil. open image in gallery Nick attended rehab 18 times between the ages of 15 and 19 ( FilmMagic ) Just a few years later, around the time of his 15th birthday, Nick would be sent to rehab for the first time by his parents, who were concerned about his spiralling drug use. Over the course of the next four years, he would have 17 further stays in similar institutions across the United States. In between those stints, in the periods when he refused treatment, he spent time on the streets and in homeless shelters. If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless, he told People. Rob and Michele, the director later recalled, ended up adopting tough love tactics when facing their sons addiction, which they later regretted. When Nick would tell us that it wasnt working for him, we wouldnt listen, he told the LA Times. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their walls, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son. But for all that Nick didnt agree with their approach, he seemed to acknowledge that they had good intentions. I think Im lucky in the sense that I have parents that care about me, and because of that, when I would go out and do things like drugs and stuff like that, Id feel a tremendous amount of guilt, he said in a podcast interview in 2016. Working on this [film] with Nick was like being in therapy with him Rob Reiner on making 'Being Charlie' with his son During one of his rehab stints, Nick met Matt Elisofon, who was also recovering from addiction. The pair began working on a pilot script about their experiences, which would eventually become the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie. In it, Nick Robinson plays Charlie, the addict son of an actor (Cary Elwes) who is planning a campaign to become state governor, and needs his child to clean up his act accordingly. Like Nick, Charlie is shunted from rehab to rehab but struggles to engage with treatment before eventually reaching a tentative reconciliation with his dad. The creative process wasnt easy for the pair: Rob was candid about the disagreements that they faced, admitting that at times it was really rough. However, he was adamant that their collaboration had brought them closer together and helped him to better understand his son. Working on this with Nick was like being in therapy with him, he said. I learned how to be his father. open image in gallery Rob Reiner and wife Michele with children Jake, Romy and Nick ( Getty ) But during the films promotional cycle, Nick seemed more ambivalent, revealing that he wasnt really sure that [he] wanted to do this and acknowledging that bringing parts of his life to the screen would sometimes get overwhelming for me. Speaking to the LA Times after the films debut, he remarked bluntly: I never thought Id capitalise on rehab. The critical response to Being Charlie was mixed, with one review from The Hollywood Reporter suggesting that there were two warring agendas at play in the film. The son/addict side, the critic wrote, wants to point out that recovery is a long, grinding process that never magically ends, whereas the dad viewpoint is all about seeking closure, making everything all better and moving on to some elusive next stage where life can resume as normal once a handily cathartic rock bottom has been endured. If the movie ended on a tentatively positive note, real life was inevitably far more complicated. Nick was sober at the time of Being Charlies release, but would go on to relapse. In a 2018 appearance on the Dopey podcast, he recalled a recent episode when he had got totally spun out on uppers and started punching out different things in his parents guesthouse, destroying the TV and a lamp before, ultimately, everything in the guesthouse got wrecked. Dopey host David Manheim, who struck up a brief friendship with Nick, recently speculated that he may have struggled with the idea of living up to his familys creative legacy. I think big picture, when youre up against Rob Reiner and Carl Reiner, and youre a struggling drug addict, the pressure is immense, he told The Hollywood Reporter. Manheims remarks echoed comments made almost a decade ago by Nick, during another podcast appearance with his father. When the host asked him why he started using drugs at such a young age, he alluded to his familys reputation. I had no identity, and I had no passions, he said. And I think the reason I had no identity was because I had a famous dad and a famous grandpa, and that fame sort of informs who you are. So I wanted to edge out my own identity with a more rebellious, angry, drug-addicted sort of persona. open image in gallery The Reiner family, including Nick (third right), attended the Spinal Tap II premiere in September ( Invision/AP ) In spite of these troubles, the Reiners remained a tight-knit family with a stronger than strong bond, as their friend Barry Markowitz, a cinematographer on Being Charlie, has put it. They loved their kids so much, and they never stopped trying to be really good parents, the journalist Maria Shriver, ex-wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger and a close friend of the couple, wrote after their death. Their youngest child, Romy, an actor and writer, reportedly lived just across the street from her parents in Brentwood. She would regularly post sweet photos and videos of them on her social media accounts, and in a family interview to mark the release of Being Charlie, called Nick her best friend. Her middle brother was reportedly in and out of the family guesthouse for years as his health waxed and waned: It had been like a revolving door all his adult life, a source told the Daily Mail. In September, the entire family turned out to support Rob at the premiere of the long-awaited Spinal Tap sequel, The End Continues, with Romy and Nick joined by their elder brother Jake, a journalist turned actor, and his partner Maria. It would be their last public appearance together. Although the Reiners (bar Nick) smiled for the cameras, reports have since suggested that tensions between the parents and their middle child had been rising for a few months, after Nick had once again moved back into the guesthouse. Its thought that Rob and Michele attended TV star Conan OBriens annual Christmas party on the night before their murder, where Nick reportedly became embroiled in a heated row with his father. Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous, a source told People. In a scene from Being Charlie, David, the character based on Rob Reiner, tells his rehab refusenik son, Id rather you hate me and you be alive than have his addiction kill him. The line was apparently taken verbatim from an argument shared by the real-life father-son duo. In the wake of this brutal tragedy, that plaintive remark seems horribly poignant. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A retired Florida nurse who opened his home to a 19-year-old he believed needed help was allegedly stabbed with a knife and beaten to death with a wine bottle after telling the young man to move out for not paying rent, authorities said. John Torneo, 67, had allowed Julian Trevino to live in his Davenport-area home since September, but last week, told him to leave for not paying rent or helping around the house, neighbors told officials. Days later, Torneo was found brutally murdered inside his home, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. Julian Trevino was arrested Monday and charged with murder. At a press conference the same day, Judd laid out details of the killing. He said it all began when a neighbor contacted the sheriffs office after not seeing Torneo for several days and was worried after receiving strange messages from his phone. A deputy responded to the home where he used the sheriffs office real-time crime center to check Torneos vehicle, which appeared to be traveling south on Highway 27. The neighbor, who had a key to the house, let themselves inside, but said no one appeared to be home. Believing Torneo was simply not there, the deputy cleared the call and left. open image in gallery Julian Trevino, 19, was arrested in connection to the stabbing death of 67-year-old John Torneo. Police say the suspect used a wine bottle in the attack. ( Polk County Sheriffs Office ) The neighbor kept trying to reach Torneo after they heard his beloved dog barking inside. The neighbors later returned to the house and found a bedroom door locked. Inside, they found Torneo dead, authorities said. Judd described the scene as horrific, saying Torneo was found dead, disemboweled, eviscerated on the floor, Law&Crime reported. Investigators quickly focused on Trevino after discovering Torneos credit cards had been used at a Circle K and another at the pizza restaurant [where] he worked as a dishwasher. I got to tell you, Helen Keller could have followed the leads this guy left, Judd said. This is what we call a slow-pitch criminal investigation. Deputies found Torneos vehicle and around 4 a.m. Monday, and saw Trevino get into the car. When they tried to take him into custody, he fled in the vehicle. In his urge to get away from us, he ran into a ditch, crashed the car, jumped out and ran on foot, Judd said. Detectives quickly caught and arrested him. Judd said Trevino confessed to the killing, telling them: I was really angry when he put me out of the house and now, Im having to live in a shed by a friends house. I didnt want to go away from my girlfriend. According to investigators, Trevino said he broke into Torneos home through a bathroom window early Sunday and hid in a closet. When Torneo went to bed, Trevino allegedly was grabbing cash and credit cards when Torneo woke up and confronted him. Our victim confronts Julian and says, Youre not supposed to be here, Judd said. Trevino told detectives he shoved Torneo onto the bed, ran to the kitchen for a butcher knife, and stabbed him repeatedly. He eviscerated him, Judd said. Trevino then allegedly grabbed a bottle of wine from a cooler in Torneos bedroom and continued the attack. He took a wine bottle and beat him in the head with it until he was dead, Judd said. Trevino then threw the knife and wine bottle into a nearby creek, where they were later found. open image in gallery Trevino told detectives he shoved Torneo onto the bed, ran to the kitchen for a butcher knife, and stabbed him repeatedly ( Polk County Sheriffs Office ) open image in gallery Trevino then allegedly grabbed a bottle of wine from a cooler in the bedroom and beat him in the head until he was dead ( Polk County Sheriffs Office ) Neighbors described Torneo as kind and generous. Sometimes when you are nice to evil people, they kill you, Judd said. Heres whats difficult to understand. John thought he was helping a kid who was homeless. Julian Trevino did not have a criminal record. John, who was a retired nurse and helped so many people along lifes way and was a great neighbor, did not have a criminal record. He will be missed. Hell be missed, neighbor Louise Jutras added. Trevino faces 14 felony charges, including first-degree murder, robbery, and credit card fraud. He is being held without bond at the South County Jail. His arraignment is scheduled for January 20, 2026. BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A meeting was held on Wednesday in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA). Li Ganjie, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting and delivered a congratulatory message on behalf of the CPC Central Committee. Highlighting the political party's role as a long-tested close friend and partner of the CPC, the message called on the CNDCA to continue building capacity and enhancing performance to pool public support, build consensus, gather wisdom, and mobilize all necessary strength to advance Chinese modernization. Qin Boyong, executive vice chairperson of the CNDCA Central Committee, called on CNDCA members to act with unity and make more contributions to building China into a great country and achieving national rejuvenation. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend and longtime associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has asked a federal court in New York to set aside her sex trafficking conviction. Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in prison for her role in a decade-long scheme to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls with Epstein. The new habeas petition claims substantial new evidence has emerged that shows Maxwell did not receive a fair trial. In the light of the full evidentiary record, no reasonable juror would have convicted her, the petition read. The Independent has reached out to a lawyer for Maxwell for comment. open image in gallery Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend and longtime associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has asked a federal court in New York to set aside her conviction ( AP ) Maxwell has already exhausted all her typical appeal options and the new petition is a long-shot. In October, the Supreme Court decided not to review whether prosecutors fairly brought a case against her. This latest attempt by Maxwell for relief from the court comes as a deadline looms for the Department of Justice to release files related to Epstein. The DOJ was compelled to release the information after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November, despite initially strongly opposing the measure. Federal prosecutors have until Friday to release documents, including records related to the Florida investigation into Epstein which resulted in a 2008 deal, in which the disgraced financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor as well the Manhattan investigations into Epstein and Maxwell. Included in these records should be grand jury documents that federal judges in New York and Florida have agreed to unseal. open image in gallery Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in prison for her role in a decade-long scheme to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls with Epstein ( Getty Images ) Federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors in 2019 and weeks later he died by suicide in his jail cell. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts. During her trial, survivors testified that Maxwell had groomed them, taken their passports and abused them. The disgrace British socialite claimed in her new habeas petition that information that would have resulted in her exoneration at trial was withheld and false testimony was presented to the jury. Maxwells attorneys wrote in a court filing earlier this month: Releasing the grand jury materials from her case, which contain untested and unproven allegations, would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial if she was granted a retrial. open image in gallery This latest attempt by Maxwell to get relief from the court comes as a deadline for the Department of Justice to release files related to Epstein looms ( New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP ) The Epstein Files Transparency Act does allow the DOJ to withhold documents that could jeopardize an active federal investigation. After news broke of Maxwells habeas petition, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, wrote on X, Reminder that the Epstein Files are supposed to be released on Friday and every political development that you see between now until then should be viewed with that in mind. Maxwell is currently being housed in a Texas minimum security prison known as Camp Bryan. She was transferred from a prison in Tallahassee, Florida, after meeting with the Justice Department earlier this year. She is supposedly getting preferential treatment at Camp Bryan, including customized hand-delivered meals and a service dog in training to play with, according to Democrat Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee. Also on Wednesday, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced that he will be leaving his position next month after reportedly clashing with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the administrations handling of the Epstein files. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A woman alleged to have embedded razor blades and a fishing hook within several loaves of bread across multiple Walmart stores in the city of Biloxi, Mississippi, has been arrested. 33-year-old Camille Benson, of Texas, has been charged with attempted mayhem, according to the Biloxi Police Department. She is in jail at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, with a bond set at $100,000. Reports of razor blades inside Walmarts bakery products in Biloxi began earlier this month. Employees at the store contacted the police on 5 December after a customer complained that a razor blade had been found in a loaf of bread. Another complaint was filed on 8 December, followed by several more in the following days, including reports of razor blades found in muffins. Some of the razor blades were found after staff investigated following earlier complaints and discovered that the packaging had been tampered with, and that the razors had apparently been pushed into the bread from the outside. Investigators released surveillance photos of Benson exiting a Walmart store while identifying her as a person of interest. open image in gallery Surveillance photos of Camille Benson led to her arrest for allegedly embedding razorblades into bakery items at Walmart stores in Biloxi ( Biloxi Police Department ) She was arrested on Tuesday after investigators received a tip that she had been seen in the 1000 block of Division Street. A motive has not been determined, the police said. The stores affected were a Walmart Supercenter on Biloxis CT Switzer Sr Drive, and a Walmart Neighborhood Market on Pass Road. Police said they dont believe any other Walmart stores had been affected, AP reported. The Biloxi Police Department has asked anyone who purchased bread from those Walmart locations to inspect the loaves and report any findings. In a statement, Walmart said: The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority. We have removed and thoroughly inspected all potentially affected products at impacted stores in Biloxi. We appreciate law enforcement for their swift action and will continue cooperating with them as they investigate. If customers believe a bakery product from Biloxi has been tampered with, they should immediately throw it out and visit their local Walmart for a full refund, the company added. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Nick Reiner, the youngest son of Hollywood director Rob and photographer Michele Reiner, appeared briefly in a Los Angeles court Wednesday morning after being charged with the murder of his parents. The 32-year-old was arrested Sunday night after allegedly stabbing his parents to death in their Brentwood home. He did not enter a plea, but, if convicted, he could face the death penalty. Reiners struggles with addiction were well-known, as were the lengths his parents went to in order to help and support him throughout their lives. On the night before their deaths, guests at an A-list party recalled Rob Reiner chastising his son over his behavior though accounts now differ as to how severe the argument were. open image in gallery Nick Reiner (right), the youngest son of Rob and Michele Reiner, appeared briefly in a Los Angeles court Wednesday morning after being charged with the murder of his parents ( Getty ) Past struggles Nick Reiner has spoken openly and extensively about his lengthy battle with addiction, which resulted in him being in and out of rehab; entering into a program for the first time around his 15th birthday in 2008. Over the course of four years he returned to such facilities at least 17 times, but said, in time, he learned to work the system. I just was like, You know what, I want to go home, and so I just stayed sober long enough til I could go home and then yeah, I just went home and did (drugs), Reiner said in 2018. In between the stints in rehab, when he refused treatment, Reiner spent time on the streets and in homeless shelters. If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless, he told People. I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas, he told the outlet. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun. open image in gallery Nick Reiner has spoken openly and extensively about his lengthy battle with addiction, which resulted in him being in and out of rehab, first entering a program around his 15th birthday in 2008 ( BUILD Series/AOL ) Reiner has alluded to his famous familys reputation as contributing to his substance abuse at such a young age. I had no identity, and I had no passions, he said, speaking during an interview for the 2 Chairs and a Microphone podcast in 2016. And I think the reason I had no identity was because I had a famous dad and a famous grandpa, and that fame sort of informs who you are. So I wanted to edge out my own identity with a more rebellious, angry, drug-addicted sort of persona, he added. A supportive family Though he struggled for more than half his life with drug addiction, including heroin, a person close to the Reiner family told The New York Times that they were accustomed to working through his problems together. They loved their kids so much, and they never stopped trying to be really good parents, the journalist Maria Shriver, ex-wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger and a friend of the couple, wrote after their death. Rob and Michele Reiner had at times adopted tough love tactics to deal with their son but later regretted the decision. When Nick would tell us that it wasnt working for him, we wouldnt listen, Rob Reiner told the LA Times. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their walls, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son. open image in gallery Rob and Michele Reiner had at times adopted tough love tactics to deal with their son but later regretted the decision ( Getty ) Speaking in an interview in 2016, Nick Reiner acknowledged that he was lucky to have parents that continued to care about his wellbeing, and that relapsing gave him a tremendous amount of guilt. That same year, the father and son had made and released a film, Being Charlie, together that was loosely based on their experience of Nick Reiners cocaine and heroin addictions. The younger Reiner was sober at the time the movie was released, but later relapsed again. Rob Reiner later admitted there had been many disagreements in the creative process but that it had helped him better understand his son. Working on this with Nick was like being in therapy with him, he said. I learned how to be his father. In a scene from Being Charlie, David, the character based on Rob Reiner, tells his son, Id rather you hate me and you be alive than allowing the addiction to kill him. The line was reportedly taken verbatim from an argument shared by the real-life father-son duo A Hollywood holiday party At the time of their deaths, Reiner was living in the guesthouse on his parents property, according to family friends. In the weeks leading up to the incident the family had become increasingly concerned about his mental health, the LA Times reports. On Saturday December 13, Nick Reiner accompanied his parents to a holiday party at the home of comedian Conan OBrien, where multiple Hollywood A-Listers were in attendance. Accounts appear to differ on what happened at the party, though sources told The Wall Street Journal the 32-year-old was asked to leave after he disturbed other guests including comedian Bill Hader by asking them a series of strange questions. open image in gallery At the time of their deaths Reiner was living in the guesthouse on his parents property, according to family friends. In the weeks leading up to the incident the family had become increasingly concerned about his mental health ( Amy Sussman/Getty Images ) Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous, a source told People. Hader has said that out of respect for Rob and Michele Reiner, he will not discuss the conversation he had with their son publicly. One of the party guests, who remained anonymous, told the Times that Rob Reiner had told his son off, and said that such behavior was inappropriate for a guest in someone elses home. However, in a later interview, another source said that the heated nature of the argument had been overblown, the Times reports, and that the intensity of the conversation between Rob Reiner and his son may have been misinterpreted or exaggerated. The deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner The Reiners were killed inside their home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles in the early hours of Sunday December 14, the LA District Attorneys office said in a news release. On Sunday afternoon a massage therapist arrived at the Reiners house for an appointment and called their youngest daughter when they could not contact the couple. They had been due to have dinner with Barack and Michelle Obama a few hours later, according to the Times. open image in gallery The Reiners were killed inside their home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, in the early hours of Sunday December 14, the LA District Attorneys office said in a news release ( Getty ) Romy Reiner, who lived opposite her parents, walked into the home and discovered her fathers body. Her roommate called 911. A source close to the family told the Times that the 28-year-old did not see her mothers body in the house and only learned that she too had been killed by the paramedics. The couple died of apparent stab wounds, according to the DAs office, though an official cause and time of death is still being determined by the coroner. Police responded to the Reiners home around 3:40 p.m. local time on Sunday, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters. There were no signs of forced entry at the property and Nick Reiner was not on the premises. Romy Reiner did not mention her brother was a possible suspect in the killings. open image in gallery A security guard stands out the gate to the Reiners' Los Angeles home. Their daughter, Romy Reiner, who lived opposite her parents, walked into the home and discovered her fathers body ( Getty ) Nick Reiner arrested Nick Reiner was arrested without incident later that evening, around 9:30 p.m., by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department Gang and Narcotics Unit. He was detained about 15 miles away near the Exposition Park Metro station near the University of Southern California campus. It was not clear how the police found him. Video obtained by the New York Post showed Reiner calmly raising his hands and getting down on the ground after being swarmed by police vehicles. Surveillance footage also showed him waiting in line to buy a drink in a gas station moments before the arrest. Reiner was booked on suspicion of murder at 5:04 a.m. Monday and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his parents. open image in gallery Surveillance footage also showed Nick Reiner calmly waiting in line to buy a drink in a gas station moments before the arrest in Los Angeles Sunday night ( Getty/LAPD Gang and Narcotics Division ) These charges will be two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders. He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife, McDonnell told reporters. LA district attorney Nathan Hochman said later at a news conference that prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and heart-wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved. First court appearance Reiner appeared briefly at Los Angeles Superior Court in downtown LA Wednesday morning, but did not enter a plea. His arraignment has been postponed to January 7, at the request of his attorney, Alan Jackson, who said it was too early for a plea to be entered. Jackson, who has represented high-profile clients such as Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, and Karen Read, gave brief remarks outside court following the hearing. First of all, and most importantly, this is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family, Jackson said. We all recognize that, our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family. open image in gallery Reiner appeared briefly at Los Angeles Superior Court in downtown LA Wednesday morning, but did not enter a plea ( Reuters ) open image in gallery Reiners arraignment has been postponed to January 7, at the request of his attorney, Alan Jackson, who said it was too early for a plea to be entered ( AFP/Getty ) There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case, he added. These need to be thoroughly, but very carefully, dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed. Jackson reiterated that Reiners arraignment was postponed to next month. Nothing happened today. Substantively, we'll be back for an arraignment in the same department on the seventh of January, he said. Reiner was initially expected to make his first appearance Tuesday, but was not medically cleared in time. What will happen now? If convicted, Nick Reiner faces a maximum sentence of the death penalty or life in prison without parole, according to Hochman. No decision at this point has been made with respect to the death penalty, Hochman said Tuesday. California is not currently carrying out executions, although it is legal in the state, after Governor Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on capital punishment in 2019. If that moratorium was lifted, executions would resume. open image in gallery The Reiner family, including Michele, Rob, Jake, Romy, and Nick, front left to right ( 2025 Invision ) Following his court appearance Wednesday, Reiners siblings, Jake and Romy, issued a joint statement asking for privacy. Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They werent just our parents; they were our best friends, their statement read. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave, they added. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Florida tow truck driver was arrested on Sunday after he towed a car that had a 4-year-old girl inside, police say. To make matters worse, authorities say the child fell from the car as it was being taken away. Sergio Suarez, 34, picked up the car outside the Bistro Creole Restaurant in the community of Sunrise, Florida. The girls father had just gone inside the eatery when he saw Suarezs rig in action. However, the drivers attorney is claiming that the suspect thoroughly checked the car before taking it away. open image in gallery A tow truck driver was arrested after picking up a vehicle with a 4-year-old girl inside ( Sunrise Police Department ) According to an arrest report shared with Local 10 by the Sunrise Police Department, the father yelled at Suarez that his daughter was in the car, but was ignored. As Suarez began to pull away, the father hit the drivers window but again received no response. When the distressed dad began sprinting after the truck, his daughter managed to open the rear drivers side door. She then fell from the car onto the road and sustained superficial injuries. A witness told Local 10 that he saw the girls father pulling his child out of the road to avoid traffic. Meanwhile, Suarez fled from the scene but later returned when police contacted his employer and demanded to speak with him. Suarez allegedly tried to keep the encounter brief by dropping off the fathers vehicle before leaving once again. Police arrested him shortly after and charged him with child neglect. The report claimed that he was arrested for his failure to inspect the vehicle prior to towing, combined with his decision to continue driving despite being alerted that a child was inside, created a foreseeable and substantial risk of serious bodily harm or death. His actions constituted culpable negligence and demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of a minor, directly resulting in injury to the child, the report continued. open image in gallery Sergio Suarez was arrested and charged with child neglect in connection with the incident ( Sunrise Police Department ) Suarezs attorney, though, has disputed the charges. He advised me he checked the vehicle three times before he towed it, the attorney said in court, according to WSVN. There was no child inside. He also had a partner, whom he called the spotter, the attorney continued. He had the spotter also look at the vehicle, and thats why he said he doesnt know how this came about. Suarez has since been ordered to refrain from driving until further notice and has been told to avoid all contact with the victim. He was also granted a $10,000 bond, according to court documents seen by Local 10. The broadcaster was also given an update on the girls condition by her father, who said that she was good after being treated at the hospital. The Independent has contacted the Sunrise Police Department for comment. NEW YORK, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States has suspended implementation of a technology cooperation deal with Britain inked in September, reports said on Tuesday. The U.S. side has become increasingly frustrated with Britain's approach to digital regulation, food standards and rules on industrial goods, the Financial Times and Reuters reported. "In line with Section III of the U.S.-U.K. Technology Prosperity Deal, we hope to resume work with the United Kingdom once the U.K. has made substantial progress in implementing its commitments under the Economic Prosperity Deal," said Michael Kratsios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, in a post on X on Tuesday. In May, the two countries signed an economic prosperity deal, marking the first trade deal reached by the Donald Trump administration following its announcement of sweeping tariffs in early April. However, British officials also confirmed that the United States has paused implementation of the tech deal, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Despite this, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that both sides remain engaged in active conversations. "We look forward to continuing our productive collaboration across AI, quantum, nuclear, and other critical technology areas under the Deal," said Kratsios. Britain and the United States agreed on the multi-billion-dollar tech deal during U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to Britain in September. The non-binding tech deal aims to accelerate AI research for new drugs, faster treatments and better cancer care, while also supporting civil nuclear projects. Advertisement BusinessBanking & financeSuperannuation Job of a lifetime: Australias biggest super fund hunts for new investment chief Amy Bainbridge and Richard Henderson December 17, 2025 3:01pm 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 A A AustralianSuper is recruiting for a rare chance to direct roughly $400 billion in global assets at the nations largest pension fund. The chief investment officer role oversees a team of about 400 people across New York, London, Beijing and Melbourne. Mark Delaney, 66, who is leaving after more than two decades at AustralianSuper, will stay in the role until June while his successor is found. Mark Delaneys exit will open up a succession tussle for arguably the most significant role in the superannuation sector. Bloomberg AustralianSuper, the 17th-largest pension fund globally, is among the fastest-growing in the nations $4.5 trillion industry. Since taking its current shape in 2006, Delaney has overseen growth in member assets to $400 billion from $20 billion. Before that, he led the Superannuation Trust of Australia, which merged with another fund to become AustralianSuper. Potential internal candidates for the role could include deputy CIO Damian Moloney, asset allocation head Alistair Barker, Australian equities chief Shaun Manuell and head of fixed income & currency, Katie Dean. A spokesperson for AustralianSuper declined to comment. Advertisement Its such a big gig, not just in Australia but globally, said Ian Fryer, general manager of Chant West, a research firm. Im fascinated to see how that will play out, he said of the recruitment process. This will be a hotly contested position, and they will have interest from all over the world. Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia CEO Mary Delahunty Fryer said there is a definite culture that any external candidate would need to get their head around. Based in Melbourne, Delaney was paid $1.2 million in the most recent financial year, the funds annual report showed. The coveted role gives the individual a large sway in capital markets and access to highly competitive deals within Australia and overseas. The base salary for the California Public Employees Retirement System chief investment officer was reported by the fund as $US718,000 ($1.1 million) in April 2024. Underscoring the global competition for top investing talent, CalPERS last year hired Stephen Gilmore from New Zealands sovereign wealth fund as chief investment officer to run its huge portfolio. Advertisement Weve got a fair bit of bench strength, but well look externally too, AustralianSuper Chief Executive Officer Paul Schroder told the Australian Financial Review. Delaneys departure means two of the top CIO roles in Australia are open. In September, Australias Future Fund announced the departure of Ben Samild, its chief investment officer, to the Abu Dhabi Investment Council. Related Article Updated Superannuation Australias biggest super fund hit with $27 million fine Two other large funds recently appointed domestic candidates to fill CIO roles. In October, Aware Super appointed Simon Warner as its new investment chief after two years at the pension fund, while Rest Super recruited Michael Clancy. Delaneys replacement will enter a retirement savings system in growth phase. Australia is set to become the second-largest country by pension assets after the US within a decade. Still, its facing challenges including shifting millions of Australians into retirement in the coming years. Advertisement This will be a hotly contested position, and they will have interest from all over the world, said Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia CEO Mary Delahunty. AustralianSuper will also have some really good talent to choose from internally and I imagine this is possibly for some people, the job of a lifetime. Bloomberg The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the days trading. Get it each weekday afternoon. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share More: Superannuation AustralianSuper Industry super funds Investing HAVANA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Cuban government has expressed strong opposition to the naval blockade imposed by the United States against Venezuela, local media reported on Tuesday. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X that Cuba "firmly supports (Venezuelan) President Nicolas Maduro, the Bolivarian and Chavista Revolution, and its Popular-Military Union." In a separate post on X, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla also voiced full support for the Venezuelan government, describing the naval blockade against Venezuela as "a gravely serious violation of international law and an escalation of aggression against the Bolivarian government." U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, escalating a months-long pressure campaign against Maduro. In response, the Venezuelan government said in a statement that Trump had issued what it called a "grave and reckless threat" against the country, claiming that it violated international law, free trade and freedom of navigation. Trump claimed Venezuela's oil, land and mineral resources as U.S. property and demanded their immediate surrender, while seeking to impose a naval blockade aimed at "robbing the nation of its natural wealth," the statement added. Venezuela reaffirmed its sovereignty over its natural resources and its right to free navigation and commerce in the Caribbean Sea and international waters, it said, adding that it would act in strict accordance with the UN Charter and international law. In response to the threat, Venezuela's permanent representative to the United Nations would immediately file a formal complaint. Advertisement CultureMoviesTrump's White House Melania Trump conducts most of her business in the shadows. This film puts her in the spotlight Katie Rogers Updated January 29, 2026 12:17pm ,first published December 18, 2025 8:50am 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 A A Washington: On Inauguration Day in 2021, Melania Trump left Washington as first lady. She wore a blue-and-orange caftan, a pair of navy flats and a face-swallowing pair of sunglasses the fashion equivalent of an out-of-office message. Given that the events of January 6, 2021, had not yet been rewritten, she and her husband were as close to becoming a pair of political pariahs as they would ever get. Things change, she wants you to know. Melania and Donald Trump arrive in Florida at the end of Trumps first presidency in January 2021. AP On Thursday night the documentary film Melania lands in US cinemas (Friday AEDT) ahead of an eventual release via Amazons Prime Video platform. Trump is asserting direct and creative control over her story. In a trailer released in December, she tells Americans, who have at times been mystified by her actions, exactly how she wants to be seen. Here we go again, a (slightly) smiling Trump says into the camera, a military aide on her arm and a wide-brimmed hat on her head, as she heads into Donald Trumps second swearing-in ceremony. This time, with her eyes partially obscured and the curl of her lips visible, there is no question which history-making first lady she most resembles: herself. Advertisement Related Article Updated Trump's White House We always bring Jared: Trumps son-in-law cant escape the presidents inner circle Barron Trump, her 19-year-old son, appears in the trailer in flashes. He is living in Washington and attending college these days, and raising him had been the central pursuit of Trumps first-term life. Now that he is grown, a few of her other priorities are coming into view. The first lady appears to viewers as an involved and assertive force in her husbands life, though only when she wants to be. In one snapshot from the trailer, Trump is rehearsing his inauguration speech, and he decides to wave the camera crew into the room. My proudest legacy will be that of peacemaker, Trump says, reading from the script. His wife interjects. Peacemaker and unifier, she stresses. Her influence on him is real, confidants of the Trumps say, but he does not take every piece of her advice as gospel. As president, Trump has tried to end wars, but has not yet pursued much in the way of unity. Loading Advertisement In what is perhaps the trailers most interesting moment, she phones her husband from Trump Tower. Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations, she says into the phone. He asks her if she watched whatever she was congratulating him about. Her office did not respond to questions about what the event was. Either way, she was not watching live. Related Article US politics Conspiracy theorist, right-wing zealot: Trumps chief of staff lets fly in secret interviews I will see it on the news, she tells him. The movie is directed by Brett Ratner, a director and producer behind movies like Rush Hour and The Revenant. Just as Melania serves to help Trump assert control over her story, the project is a redemption vehicle of sorts for Ratner, who in 2017 was accused of sexual misconduct by six women in an article published by The Los Angeles Times claims that he denied. Paramount has also recently shown interest in distributing Rush Hour 4 reportedly at Donald Trumps request, with Ratner at the helm. Importantly for Trump, she is no longer the first lady perhaps best remembered for fumbling a visit during her husbands first term to detained migrant children on the border, wearing a jacket emblazoned with I REALLY DONT CARE, DO U? on the back as she boarded a plane. Advertisement In the movie trailer, she is portrayed as in control and assertive, weighing in on her husbands speeches and sketches for gowns. Set to swelling instrumental music and introduced with the iconic roar of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion a feline now held in captivity by Amazon Prime, the movies distributor Melania is meant to explore the days leading up to Trumps second inauguration. In 2017, a cashmere-draped Trump had a deer-in-headlights look about her as her husband was sworn in. A screengrab from the official trailer for Melania, the upcoming documentary on Americas first lady Melania Trump. Credit: Amazon MGM Studios That day, she had been worried about security, about her son adjusting to life in Washington and about evoking an image of Jacqueline Kennedy, a woman whose physical presence she had wanted to emulate as first lady. Things change. My fans and people would love to hear more from me, she said in an interview on Fox & Friends before returning to the White House. Right now, its a day-to-day life. What Im doing. What kind of responsibilities I have, she said about the crux of the movie. Advertisement History is set in motion during the 20 days of my life prior to the US presidential inauguration, Trump said in a statement to Fox, which was shared by her office. For the first time, global audiences are invited into theatres to witness this pivotal chapter unfold a private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming first lady of the United States of America. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday. Advertisement EnvironmentConservationWildlife Wombats leave square poo on rocks and logs. Scientists think they know why Caitlin Fitzsimmons December 17, 2025 3:34pm 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 A A When Kate McMahon was finishing her science degree she found herself with the odd task of moving wombat poo around, to see how the animals would react. Id catch up with my friends and theyd ask, what were you up to today? and Id have to tell them that Im playing with wombat poo, McMahon said. The [national park] rangers certainly thought I was a bit strange. A wombat on the Dove Lake Circuit in Cradle Mountain. Getty Images/iStockphoto Wombats are mostly solitary creatures, but they share a communal latrine with others of their kind. They will typically pile their famously square droppings small cubes like charcoal briquettes on top of rocks or logs, and the shape means they dont roll off. Dr Scott Carver, formerly at the University of Tasmania and now at the University of Georgia in the United States, had established in earlier research that the unique shape and structure of a wombats lower intestine creates the cubic shape. Advertisement Wombat poo comes in the form of small cubes that look like charcoal briquettes. Carver and his collaborators won the 2019 Ig Nobel Prize for physics, a satirical award for science that makes people laugh, then think. While scientists already knew how the wombat poo came out square, McMahons honours thesis, supervised by Carver, tried to answer why. Student researcher Kate McMahon doing field work for her wombat research project. In research that has now been published in the Journal of Zoology, McMahon and her co-authors found that wombats use their poo to communicate with one another. Advertisement Studying the bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus), the researchers first examined the skull structure of the animals. Four wombats that had been injured in road collisions were euthanised, allowing the researchers to do cranial dissections. A wombat looking over a fence. Getty Images/iStockphoto They found the wombats have a vomeronasal organ, sometimes described as a second nose. Other animals such as snakes, lizards, rodents, horses, cattle, dogs, cats, lemurs and elephants also have this organ, and research has found its purpose is to detect pheromones and other semi-volatile chemicals for social cues, mating, and predator or prey detection. The research also included field surveys on Maria Island in Tasmania, where McMahon collected wombat scat. Chemical analysis suggested that the droppings were individually distinct, and was probably how the short-sighted animals could tell each other apart. A bare-nosed wombat in Port Arthur. Getty Images Advertisement McMahon also collected scat and transported it to a latrine more than 500 metres from the first location. She observed wombats spent a long time investigating the new smells. It was really exciting to look at their chemical composition and find that they were individually distinct, McMahon said. That linked in so beautifully with our experimental testing, showing that they did tend to investigate for longer when new scents were introduced to their landscape from unfamiliar wombats. Photo: Matt Golding In a way theyre not solitary, theyre just not having the physical contact, but theyre having the social contact through odour to know whos around and whos doing what. Professor Peter Banks, a biologist at the University of Sydney who was not part of the research, said several species use latrines as socialisation centres and send messages through odour. Advertisement Banks has led research on olfactory communication in native wildlife, including a project to train bandicoots not to eat truffles. Get to the heart of whats happening with climate change and the environment. Sign up for our fortnightly Environment newsletter. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share License this article More: Wildlife Science Biodiversity Caitlin Fitzsimmons is the environment and climate reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. She was previously the social affairs reporter and the Money editor. Connect via email Advertisement NationalNSWBondi shooting Philippines president strongly rejects Bondi shooters trained in Mindanao Chris Barrett and Megan Gorrey Updated December 17, 2025 7:11pm ,first published December 17, 2025 9:36am 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 A A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here Philippines President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos jnr strongly rejects his countrys southern island of Mindanao is a training hub for terrorists after revelations the father and son behind the Bondi attack recently visited there. Australian and Philippine agencies are investigating the four-week visit Sajid and Naveed Akram in November before the attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach on Sunday that killed 15 people and injured dozens of others. Naveed Akram with Street Dawah in June 2019. Street Dawah Movement Officials in the South-East Asian nation have confirmed the father-and-son gunmen flew out of Davao, the main city on Mindanao and an access point by road to western areas of the island where Islamic militant groups have maintained a presence. Advertisement But in a media briefing in Manila on Wednesday, Marcos spokeswoman Claire Castro said the leader rejected the misleading characterisation of the Philippines as an ISIS training hotspot. Currently, there is no validated report or confirmation that the individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines, she said. Philippine authorities, in coordination with the international partners, continue to verify all available information but no evidence has been presented to support claims that the country was used for terrorist training. Police in Davao held a news conference on Wednesday but said only that the Akrams trip was still being investigated. Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos jnr, president of the Philippines. nna\NPearson Advertisement Australian authorities have said early indications were that the massacre was inspired by Islamic State. The shooters had draped a flag of the jihadist organisation on the windscreen of their car and 24-year-old Naveed had other extremist links. A group with ties to Islamic State in 2017 carried out a five-month siege of the Muslim city of Marawi in western Mindanao before being defeated by Philippine forces. According to the Australian governments national security website, Islamic State East Asia (ISEA) remains a deadly terrorist threat in the Philippines, where it has been based, and the country is a target destination for foreign terrorist fighters. But the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement the neutralisation of high-value individuals and other efforts to crush militants in Mindanao had reduced local terrorist group numbers from 1257 members in 2016 to 50 in 2025. Drieza Lininding, chairman the Moro Consensus Group, a non-government organisation in Marawi, posted on Facebook that Marawi is now one of the safest places in Mindanao where tourists can freely roam around the city. Advertisement ISIS were defeated and eliminated in 2017 there are some remnants according to the military but we can count them in our fingers and those remaining are hiding. I doubt if they can organise a training camp, Lininding said. Sajid and Naveed Akram travelled to Davao last month before the mass shooting at Bondi. The elder terrorist shot dead by police at Bondi was an Indian citizen from the southern city of Hyderabad. Sajid Akram, 50, visited India six times after he migrated to Australia on a student visa in 1998. Indian police said they had no adverse record of him before he left, and his family didnt know he had a radical mindset. Related Article Updated Bondi shooting Bondi shooters terror links revealed as police investigate manifesto Advertisement Indian police from the southern Indian state of Telangana said in a statement that Sajid Akram had obtained a commerce degree in the capital of Hyderabad, a sprawling tech hub. He moved to Australia in November 1998 to find work and married a woman described as of European origin, with whom he had a son and a daughter. He retained his Indian passport. Naveed Akram was born in 2002 and is an Australian citizen. Sajid Akram had lived in the Tolichowki area of Telangana, according to a report in The Hindu. Government officials who ran a background check on Akram found he had last travelled to India for a two-week visit in 2022. The masthead also reported that another official said Akrams immediate family still lived in Hyderabad, and his elder brother was a doctor. His late father worked in the United Arab Emirates. Indian police said in their statement Akram went back to India six times for family-related reasons, such as property matters and to visit his parents, but did not return when his father died in 2017. Advertisement Loading Police said they had no adverse record of him before he migrated to Australia, and his relatives said he had limited contact with his family in Hyderabad in the past 27 years. The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation. Related Article Bondi shooting Bondi shooters visited Philippines weeks before beach massacre The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana, the police statement said. Advertisement Responding to the pairs alleged connections to Islamic State, the Indian police statement said that further investigation in this regard is being carried out by Australian authorities. NSW Police sources said the Akrams had prepared a manifesto before the massacre. They are also probing how Sajid Akram who had six firearms registered to him had legally secured high-powered weapons despite his sons long-known links to extremist circles. Naveed Akram was a volunteer member of a street preaching group in Sydneys west, which has links to multiple Islamic State devotees, including self-declared martyrs and would-be soldiers, before he and his father carried out the countrys worst terror attack. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday confirmed domestic spy agency ASIO had taken an interest in Naveed Akram in 2019. Advertisement He was examined on the basis of being associated with others, and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence, Albanese said. The assessment was made because of the sons associations that he had at that time, and the investigation went for a period of six months. With Reuters Advertisement Advertisement NationalNSWCrime Murder plot charges after police swoop on alleged head of Alameddine crime family Riley Walter December 17, 2025 10:14am 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 A A Ali Elmoubayed, the alleged head of the notorious Alameddine crime family, has been charged with plotting to murder of a one-time ally who defected from the group to join a rival network and one of his associates. The 32-year-old was arrested about 6am on Tuesday, when heavily armed Raptor Squad police burst through the door of a western suburbs home. Alleged Alameddine crime family leader Ali Elmoubayed is arrested on Tuesday. NSW Police Police allege Elmoubayed assumed leadership of the Alameddine networks local operations after the familys patriarch, Rafat Alameddine, fled the country in November 2022 for the safety of Lebanon amid increasing police scrutiny. Strike Force Sheringham detectives working under Taskforce Falcon charged Elmoubayed with a raft of offences, including soliciting or encouraging a murder, conspiracy to murder, knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group, recruiting a child to carry out or assist with criminal activity, and supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug. Advertisement Police allege Elmoubayed plotted to kill a former member of the Alameddine network who defected to join a rival criminal group under the leadership of Rafat Alameddines long-time second-in-command, Masood Zakaria. He has also been charged with conspiring to murder an associate of the former member at Kogarah Bay in August. The former member, who cannot be named because of wide-ranging suppression orders on his identity, survived several assassination attempts during a months-long gangland war sparked by Zakarias defection. In May, Zakarias older brother Dawood was shot during an alleged assassination attempt, of which police believe the former member had been the target. The former Alameddine crime family member survived a shooting in May that killed his associate, Dawood Zakaria. Dawood Zakaria, 32, a former member of the Alameddine network alongside his brother, was travelling in a Toyota HiLux with several associates when the vehicle was sprayed with bullets at Granville. He initially survived being shot in the head but died in hospital several days later. Advertisement Parramatta solicitor Sylvan Singh, who was last week charged with trying to import more than 16 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine, was also in the car at the time of the shooting. He was shot in the arm and shoulder. Singh is facing unrelated charges over a violent kidnapping last year. Those charges remain before the courts and have not been proven. Several teenagers have been charged with the murder of Dawood and the attempted murder of Singh and remain in custody. Taskforce Falcon was established two days later, to quell the violence linked to the Alameddine conflict. Detectives on Wednesday also arrested a man and a woman, both aged 34, at an Austral home and charged them with a range of drug supply offences. The man was also charged with affray and recklessly wounding with a prohibited weapon. Both were refused police bail to appear in Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday. Two other men, aged 34 and 40, were arrested at homes in Lidcombe and Merrylands and charged with a range of offences, including drug supply. Both will appear in Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday. Elmoubayed at a previous court appearance in June. Janie Barrett Advertisement Three hours after the Sydney raids, detectives arrested a 23-year-old man at Wagga Wagga police station. He was charged with a number of offences, including possessing an unauthorised pistol, and acquiring a pistol in contravention of a firearm prohibition order. He was refused police bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday. Elmoubayed earlier this month lost a bid in the Supreme Court to vary his existing bail conditions so he could leave his home to work ahead of the birth of his fourth child. In June, the 32-year-old narrowly escaped a shooting at his Merrylands home, which was peppered with bullets minutes after he left. Elmoubayed did not apply for bail when he appeared briefly in Burwood Local Court on Wednesday. He was remanded in custody to appear in the same court on February 25. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities also interviewed other associates of Saadieh, including a friend he had made at the University of Western Sydney who was a licensed gun owner, court documents reveal. (The associate) stated that he had met with two ASIO officers in 2018 who had questioned him for 1 1.5 hours about Saadieh, a court document says. (The associate) said that in this meeting he was never advised to disassociate from Saadieh. The associate said he told ASIO agents he was a member of the Muslim Students Association and tried to deradicalise Saadieh, fearing he might try to carry out an attack if he was ostracised. Saadieh was ultimately convicted of being an associate of Islamic State. Advertisement Joseph Saadieh, a convicted ISIS associate, photographed with Street Dawah in 2021, shortly before his arrest. Street Dawah But NSW Police only realised that Saadieh had befriended the gun owner, and that the gun owner had been spoken to by counter-terror officers, months after the IS sympathiser was charged in mid-2021. Police (were) only aware that he was in Saadiehs circle of friends; they were unaware of (his) role in attempting to deradicalise Saadieh, the document says. Related Article Updated Bondi shooting Bondi shooters terror links revealed as police investigate manifesto Its not clear, from the court document, whether the wider JCTT, which includes NSW Police, were aware of the interview and failed to alert their counterparts in the firearms registry. Advertisement NSW firearms police said in the court document that they feared IS members would inspire people with no criminal histories to carry out lone wolf attacks in Australia. (Police) deposed that it is advantageous to high-risk groups to have access to a cleanskin, particularly if they hold a firearms licence and therefore can legally acquire firearms, as it can facilitate criminal activity without alerting law enforcement, the court document notes. Police alleged Saadiehs associate would be a desirable target for any criminal group as he has knowledge of the use of firearms and is the former owner of firearms. The court ultimately rejected the police case to remove the associates gun licence, noting he hadnt spoken to the Saddieh for two years, and held no extremist views. Naveed, the alleged Bondi gunman, was deemed too insignificant to warrant a criminal charge in the JCTT probe and, instead, placed on a Known Entity Management List. Advertisement Advertisement He discussed accessing firearms so the brothers would start a STATE out in the bush here like the boys in Marawi did. Marawi is on the southern island of Mindanao, where Naveed and Sajid Akram visited last month. The father and son flew to the city of Davao, which is about six hours drive from Marawi. It is unclear what they did for the month they spent in the country. Court documents seen by this masthead show el Matari was bragging about his ability to import firearms and other weapons into Australia while in prison, and outlined plans to adopt militancy similar to the brothers in the Philippines. In a letter to his cellmate, Tuki Lawrence, who was subsequently convicted of hatching a terror plot, el Matari bragged that he could facilitate the purchase of a wide range of firearms, munitions and explosives from Lebanon, as well as explosives and suicide vests. Loading Advertisement In a three-page letter, el Matari outlined plans for an effective form of activity militancy in Australia which, he wrote, had been used by the brothers in the Philippines and has proven successful. Extremist researcher Associate Professor Josh Roose said most IS plots, to date, have been unsophisticated. Jihadis have focused on knives, or gas bottles; one Melbourne plotter wanted to grab a police officers handgun. Related Article Bondi shooting Albanese confirms ASIO probed Bondi shooters IS links It seems, finally, two individuals, maybe more, have accumulated these weapons to carry out a violent attack, Roose told this masthead. Advertisement If they could have got their hands on illegal firearms it would have been deadlier, but also drawn more attention. Also on Wednesday, Indian police announced they had no adverse record of elder Bondi shooter Sajid Akram, who was an Indian citizen from Hyderabad. Indian police from the southern state of Telangana said in a statement Akram had a commerce degree, and that his family were unaware of his radical mindset. The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation. Advertisement Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. The University of Sydney has blamed a processing error for the wide-scale dissemination of students exam results to other students at the university and plans to reissue results. Exam results for courses across faculties including economics, arts and business were emailed to the incorrect students at the university, along with their genuine results, on Wednesday morning. The university said it was investigating as a matter of urgency. Sam Mooy Undergraduate and postgraduate students were sent the results of several different students in subjects as diverse as applied ecology, accounting for decision-making, power conflict and democracy, and studying arts and social sciences. Your semester unit of study results are displayed below. Results will only appear if they have been approved by the university, read the email received by one student, which was seen by this masthead. Advertisement NationalVictoriaCourts Accused CBD stabber granted bail to stay in hospital Erin Pearson December 17, 2025 1:39pm 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 A A A person accused of randomly stabbing a stranger who was walking to work in Melbournes CBD has been granted bail to receive treatment for schizophrenia in hospital. Justice Rita Incerti said Lauren Daruls long history of mental illness and homelessness, as well as the 32-year-olds recent claim of Indigenous heritage and decision to transition to male, were major factors in deciding to approve bail. CCTV footage shows the moment a woman allegedly stabbed 36-year-old Wan Lai in Melbournes CBD in October. She said Darul who has an extensive criminal history and was already on bail at the time of the stabbing would not be allowed to leave hospital while on bail and therefore did not pose any real risk to the community. Mr Darul must not be discharged prior to having his bail reviewed, Incerti said. The applicant must remain an involuntary patient under the staff at Thomas Embling Hospital. Advertisement Once the treatment order is complete, the court will review the bail application and decide whether it should be renewed or revoked. Darul appeared in the Supreme Court via video link from Thomas Embling, having already been transferred there from prison under a secure treatment order to begin a new antipsychotic medication. Lauren Darul. Yes, thank you, your honour, Darul responded when the judge asked whether the decision was understood. Incerti said Darul uses the pronouns he/him, having recently decided to transition to male, although the accused also accepted she/her. Advertisement Darul had previously been denied bail over the stabbing. The alleged weapon. Darul was arrested in October after allegedly ambushing and stabbing 36-year-old sushi chef Wan Lai in the chest while the victim was walking to work on Little Bourke Street about 7.40am. CCTV footage shows Darul allegedly fleeing the scene and Lai clutching her chest and falling to the ground, while shocked witnesses, paramedics and police rush to her aid. Darul has been charged with recklessly causing injury and intentionally causing injury over the attack. Advertisement This week, defence barrister Julian McMahon, SC, urged the judge to release his client on bail, saying Darul would complete mental health treatment before returning to live at supportive housing service Make Room on Little Bourke Street. Law and Advocacy Centre for Women case manager Mary Paterson said Darul had been served with an eviction notice there, due to endangering the safety of others, but that there were plans to fight this. Since being arrested, Darul had decided to address their drug and alcohol issues and was looking forward to going to Thomas Embling, Paterson said. In the lead-up to the October stabbing, Paterson said she and other case workers were aware that Daruls health was declining with more delusions than usual, but due to the realities of life and workers going on leave, no meeting was convened. A psychiatrist told the court Darul would need about 18 weeks at the facility to monitor the use of the new treatment and could be treated at the Royal Melbourne Hospitals mental health ward if required. Advertisement McMahon noted while the prosecutions case was strong, the stabbing appeared to be related to mental health issues. He said he was concerned his client may fall through the gaps without significant outside support. In opposing bail, Crown prosecutor Richard Pirrie said Darul had previously been issued 16 warrants for failing to appear on bail, nine priors for failing to appear on bail and was on bail at the time of the alleged stabbing. Related Article Updated Courts Spitting, stealing and scratching: Accused CBD stabber refused bail as alleged four-year crime spree revealed If found guilty, he said Darul could face five to seven years in jail. We say its an overwhelming prosecution case, all caught on CCTV footage, he said. Advertisement While all the support being offered is commendable, its all been provided while Darul is in custody. Thats the reality of the situation. Pirrie said Darul had been using a significant amount of ice before the arrest and had a history of not taking prescribed medications for schizophrenia. It paints a very unhappy picture, he said. Pirrie said the alleged offending had increased in seriousness and was unprovoked against random members of the public who happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. The court heard Darul is accused of carrying an imitation firearm through the CBD on January 29, spitting in a persons face while they walked through the city with their family, lashing out at others, and, on August 21, was disarmed after carrying a kitchen knife into a grocery store. Advertisement Surprisingly, she demanded the knife be returned, Pirrie said. All of this, including the stabbing in October, occurred while Darul was living at Make Room, to where the accused originally wished to be bailed. Darul is due to return to court on January 20. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement Letters NationalVictoriaLetters To our Jewish friends, please do not leave our shores December 17, 2025 8:00pm 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 A A Photo: Cathy Wilcox To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. That Australias Jews should consider leaving Australia for Israel is shockingly and tragically, all too understandable (Jews consider leaving Australia for Israel, as funeral preparations begin, 17/12). So is their belief that the Australian government has failed them. For after two years of prevarication and equivalence, even now, in the aftermath of the most horrific attack on the Jewish community, the Albanese government still will not unequivocally face and deal specifically with the evil of antisemitism that stalks and attacks Jews in Australia. Gun control may help disarm those who would harm our society in general, but it will not contain and eradicate the evil of antisemitism loosed in this nation. The root of this cancer is not guns, it is the hate-filled beliefs and attitudes held, and vociferously expressed by human beings: beliefs and attitudes allowed to spread, fester, and thrive often under the guise of enlightened progressive ideology. It is time to listen to, and act upon, the advice of those such as Jillian Segal and Josh Frydenberg. To Australias Jews, we understand why you would leave, but please, stay. You are a blessing to this nation. Deborah Morrison, Malvern East Its not the prime ministers fault The massacre at Bondi should never be used for petty political point scoring. All people should come together to condemn the violence and to express support for the victims. John Howard using this tragedy to attack Anthony Albanese is contemptible. The PM has not allowed antisemitism to grow. Supporting a two-state solution and recognising Palestine is not antisemitic. Anthony Albanese has repeatedly spoken out against antisemitism and cannot in any way be held accountable for the massacre. Valerie Johnson, Eaglemont Its time to make that call of support Now is the time to support the Jewish community that has given Australia so much through friendship education, art, music, culture, business and philanthropy. Message Jewish friends and acquaintances and tell them how much you support them. Carolyn King, Malvern East Advertisement The deep sadness that hate lives among us Two weeks ago, watching a friend receive an honour at a Government House multicultural awards ceremony, I was happily musing how so many diverse cultures had made their homes in our peace-loving country and were now contributing to our community. The warm feelings of that evening have been replaced by disbelief, horror and deep sadness that such racial hatred exists in Australia. Vikki ONeill, Ashburton My religion has been hijacked I wish I had a time machine and I could wind the clock back and stop the evil of the Bondi shootings in its tracks. My thoughts and prayers are with Jewish people. No amount of condolences can bring back what has been lost. Allegedly, the perpetrators were inspired by Islamic State. As a practising Muslim, I cant even imagine that my religion can allow such atrocious crime. Islam teaches that saving an innocent life is equal to saving humanity, which was bravely demonstrated and practised by Ahmed al-Ahmed. Evil has hijacked my religion for its own agenda. Its a common enemy for all humanity which we all should stand against as one. Abdul Salam, Hassall Grove, NSW First, we must tighten gun laws I cant find one recommendation from the report by antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal which, if implemented, would have prevented the Bondi massacre. Focusing on antisemitism is itself a distraction from the need to tighten gun laws and improve terrorist security measures. Allan Stewart, Point Lonsdale THE FORUM Why own a gun? Its fairly simple really. Unless youre a farmer or an employee of a law enforcement body, theres no valid reason why anybody else should have a gun. Sussan Ley and David Littleproud need to stop grandstanding and assist the federal and state governments in implementing much tougher and restrictive gun laws. Kevin Ward, Preston Advertisement Voice of unity was needed I felt disillusioned and angry at the comments from the Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, following the horrific events at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. This was certainly a day burned in the nations soul. But it was inappropriate and irresponsible to use the moment to assert that the government could and should have done more to stem the rise in antisemitism. The very social cohesion of our country was and is under threat; it was a moment when unity should have been a priority above all else, especially from someone who aspires to lead our nation. All that was needed was a clear condemnation of evil, total support for the Jewish people in their terrible grief, and comfort and hope for a grieving nation. If the Coalition has positive, practical suggestions on how to tackle antisemitism, as well as Islamophobia and racism generally, they should certainly be heard in the absolutely necessary conversation about what kind of future we want for Australia. This moment of deep, aching grief demanded simply a united voice from everyone in leadership positions. Christina Hart, Nunawading Stop the antisemitism Is further gun control the answer to violent antisemitism? The accused terrorists had IEDs in their car. God help the outcome at Bondi but for the heroic intervention of Ahmed al Ahmed and the policemen. They undoubtedly saved the death toll from reaching catastrophic numbers. The real answer is to stop this unfettered antisemitism which has been totally out of control for more than two years. William Holmes, Kew Unfair criticism John Howard accuses Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of not doing enough to demonstrate his detestation of antisemitism (Howard slams PMs hate failure, 17/12). That accusation is frankly nonsense. Howard and other Liberals also seem to treat the atrocity at Bondi as if it were yet another expression of home-grown neo-Nazism. Instead, it was allegedly carried out by people with links to ISIS, a global terror agency wholly resistant to government condemnations of antisemitism. To thwart such terrorism, the government must rely chiefly on national security agencies and the police. But it can reduce the threat with further gun control. To claim, as Howard does, that gun control is just a pretext for dodging a wider debate on antisemitism, is both mean-spirited and grossly unfair. Anthea Hyslop, Eltham Tackling the ISIS issue John Howard is correct in saying governments and individuals can do a lot to discourage the spread of prejudice, antisemitism, hatred of Jewish people. He does not believe Anthony Albanese and his government have done enough in that area since 2023. By comparison, where does he place the government of Benjamin Netanyahu on that measure? What impact, if any, does he believe the words and deeds of each government have had, and can have, on discouraging the ideology of devotees of Islamic State? Tam Munster, St Leonards Better opposition needed It does John Howard, Sussan Ley and David Littleproud no credit to accuse Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong so forthrightly of a lack of leadership to combat antisemitism. They have scored an own goal by themselves failing to demonstrate the positive leadership that the Bondi massacre cries out for, resorting instead to divisive personal and political attack. Instead of pledging bipartisan support and modelling the collective spirit the nation needs, they have only added to the abundance of its distress. The challenge of keeping the Australian Jewish community safe while holding Israel to account for its crimes against humanity is immense. Echoing criticisms made by Benjamin Netanyahu is irresponsible in the extreme. The nation deserves much better from its opposition. Tom Knowles, Parkville Advertisement No lessons learnt Former prime minister John Howard should have reflected on his role in generating political instability, and especially the practice of terrorism, in todays world before criticising the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, for not doing enough to counter antisemitism in Australia. Howard was an enthusiastic partner, together with Tony Blair and others, in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 by the George W. Bush-led Coalition of the Willing which was a deeply misguided reaction to the Al Qaeda bombing of New York in 2001. It further compromised political stability in the Middle East, all in the name of a foolhardy ambition to bring democracy to the region. Instead, it led to regional chaos, and activated non-state actors, including terrorists, the legacy of which is still with us today. The fact that security processes have been ramped up globally in response to the savagery exhibited at Bondi Beach demonstrates again the enduring political reach of the misguided project in 2003 which Howard embraced so eagerly. Rather than bring democracy to the region, the war precipitated more global disorder. Today, the US President Donald Trump leads a charge to further degrade democratic process, at home and abroad. Ian Hundley, Balwyn North Cool heads in order Your correspondent (Letters, 17/12) claims there has been two years of antisemitic events across Australia. Protesting at the horrendous loss of upwards of 60,000 innocent lives in Gaza is not antisemitism. Just the same as practising Judaism or protesting against the vilification of Jews is not Islamophobic. One of the many sad ironies of Bondi is that those politicians and particular media outlets who are targeting Muslim immigration and howling about the so-called incompatibility of that faith and the supposed division it causes, are using the event for political gain and to divide not unite the country. Cool heads should prevail in these difficult circumstances. Give our agencies the resources to do what they need to do. Craig Jory, Albury, NSW Focus on unity I migrated to Australia in 1988, and following the recent tragic event at Bondi, I would say that while such incidents are deeply distressing, Australia remains a democratic nation and decisions about our country should be made by Australians. External commentary from other nations or their leaders is neither appropriate nor constructive. As citizens, we have the privilege and responsibility to express our views through the democratic process. Let us focus on unity and resilience rather than assigning blame to past or present leaders. Sadly, every society faces the challenge of radical elements, but we must ensure that the actions of a few do not tarnish entire communities. Sharmini Thurairasa, Camberwell Please, realistic terms Would the people blaming the federal government for what happened at Bondi please explain what should the government do to stem antisemitism in clear precise terms, not waffle like defunding universities but hard facts that they believe could prevent antisemitism. Ian Hetherington, Moama No arguments left Here are all the arguments I can muster in opposition to more gun control... Ross Beamsley, Moe Advertisement Data water solution The most straightforward way to service AI centres greed for power and water is for planning permits to require dedicated standalone desalinated water and renewable power infrastructure (by sun or wind supported by battery power storage) to meet their needs. These services could be provided by business partners thus avoiding impact on any service needs of local communities. Rob Evans, Glen Iris Stream of logic While its sensible to have concerns over proposed data centre water usage, we need to think it through. This water will be used for cooling but after that should still be clean and usable for other purposes. Managed properly water authorities have an opportunity to charge twice for the same water. Once for the data centre and again to another customer with little or no net loss of total availability. Mark Freeman, Macleod Renewables the answer So there you have it; if we want to reduce power costs, switching to renewables is the answer. (Mix of wind and solar key to cheaper power: CSIRO, 17/12) Then theres the added advantage of cleaner air, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and independence from global price changes of fossil fuels. What are we waiting for? John Mosig, Kew Deranged comments Donald Trump implies the murder of Rob Reiner was understandable, if not justified, because of the anger he incited. He deserved it is the conclusion Trump wants his followers to draw. Trump is the one with Trump Derangement Syndrome. Emma Borghesi, Rye Advertisement Photo: Matt Golding AND ANOTHER THING Bondi Re John Howard on Anthony Albaneses gun control proposals, maybe hes right. After all, if anyone knows political diversion it would be John Children Overboard Howard. David Bennett, Malvern East Its puzzling that some people are blaming the Albanese government as being responsible for the Bondi shootings. Id be looking at the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu as being far more influential. Peter Knight, St Arnaud John Howard has again shown how out of touch he is with modern Australia. His intervention in the horrific events at Bondi are simply playing politics, just like Pauline Hanson. Randall Bradshaw, Fitzroy Advertisement John Howards remarks about Albaneses plans for gun reform are the diversion. They attempt to deflect the electorates gaze from an opposition that offers no constructive input on any serious policy issue. Jane Edwards, Peterhead How can tougher gun laws prevent people with evil intent from committing crimes? Prisons are full of people who think laws are irrelevant. Max Langshaw, Sunbury A friend of mine had a great idea. Anyone who belongs to a gun club should have to keep their guns at the gun club. If they want to practise, do it at the gun club. Katriona Fahey, Alphington A question on gun ownership (Editorial, 17/12) to ASIO or the PM: Which of the jurisdictions require applicants for firearms licences to be identified by fingerprints and digital facial recognition? Trevor Kerr, Blackburn Times like this serve as a reminder of the true definition of a hero not someone who kicks a ball around a footy field. Annette Bando, Malvern Finally Englands captain Ben Stokes has said his team can win the last three Tests. Tell him, hes dreamin. David Cayzer, Clifton Hill BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Following the launch of island-wide special customs operations on Thursday, the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) will establish a policy and institutional framework compatible with a high-level free trade port in a phased manner, which will further accelerate its opening-up, according to a Hainan FTP official. Wang Fengli, deputy director of the Office of the Free Trade Port Working Committee of the Communist Party of China Hainan Provincial Committee, made the remarks during the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency. Hainan will build a more flexible and efficient supervision system to facilitate the free, safe flow of goods. "On the one hand, the range of zero-tariff goods will be expanded to promote the trade of goods. On the other hand, the opening-up of services sectors such as tourism, education and health care will be accelerated in response to the development needs of trade in services," Wang said. Regarding investment, the Hainan FTP aims to create a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment with greater transparency. Foreign investment access will be relaxed further, and reforms will be implemented to streamline approval processes, the official said. The opening-up of the financial sector will be advanced steadily, with efforts to develop cross-border asset management and offshore yuan business, he said. Restrictions on the free flow of people will also be relaxed, and entry and exit policies will be eased to attract talent and business visitors, according to Wang. Hainan will adopt a more open shipping environment, optimize vessel inspection policies and establish an efficient, secure mechanism for the cross-border transfer of data, he added. Advertisement PoliticsFederalBondi shooting We stand with Jewish Australians: Albanese speaks in church as political recriminations mount Natassia Chrysanthos, Jack Gramenz and Nick Newling Updated December 17, 2025 8:38pm ,first published December 17, 2025 10:17am 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 A A Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said evil will not divide Australians at an interfaith memorial service at St Marys Cathedral on Wednesday night, but did not attend the funerals of massacre victims while his leadership on antisemitism came under mounting criticism from former Liberal leaders and the federal opposition. In a six-minute speech in which he described Sunday as a dark day for our nation, Albanese moved to soothe growing tensions as he called on Australians to support the Jewish community and ensure the country remained a lens of light after the tragedy. Albanese moved to unite Australians with a speech at an interfaith memorial at St Marys Cathedral, as political divides widened during the day. AAPIMAGE Let us wrap our arms around the Jewish community, and with our words and deeds, make it clear you are Australian. All Australians stand with you, he said. We stand with Jewish Australians. You have every right to worship and study and work and live in peace and safety. Advertisement You have every right to be proud of who you are and proud of the remarkable contribution that your community has made to Sydney and to modern Australia over generations. His address followed a day when the political divide widened further as sorrow turned to anger, with former treasurer Josh Frydenberg intensifying heat on the prime minister with a passionate speech at Bondi Beach that urged him to take personal responsibility for the deaths of 15 people and launch a royal commission. Frydenberg addressed Albanese through cameras as he listed eight areas for action from banning Islamic hate preachers and shutting down pro-Palestinian protests to tougher immigration criteria and an education system overhaul while describing an abandonment of Australias Jewish community. Your government has failed us. You sit in a chair. Its time you earned that title. If you dont want to do the job, give it to somebody who will, the former treasurer said, in remarks that were at times emotional and at other times furious. Loading Advertisement Victims dad criticises Albanese Mourners who gathered at Bondi during the afternoon also directed their fury at Albanese. The grieving father of 10-year-old Matilda, who was killed on Sunday, described her final moments before lashing out at the government. I saw her go down and I crawled to her and took my shirt off and wrapped it around her. She was telling me it was hard to breathe. I was holding her, the man, named Michael, said. He [Albanese] has betrayed the Jewish people of Australia. The prime minister had on Wednesday morning conceded in a snap press conference outside St Vincents hospital that his government needed to take stronger action on antisemitism a message his most senior ministers repeated throughout the day. We need to learn any lessons that are learned from this, undertake stronger action, undertake any legislative change, undertake any powers, additional powers that are needed across the board, to work with the Jewish community, Albanese said. Advertisement Related Article Updated Bondi shooting I was holding her: Shattered father reveals Matildas final moments as more families share tributes We want to stamp out and eradicate antisemitism from our society. We want to also stamp out the evil ideology of what would appear to be, from the investigators, an ISIS-inspired attack. That has no place, that sort of hatred. But Liberal leader Sussan Ley also turned up the heat on the government, ending prospects of bipartisanship after the shooting and instead ramping up the Coalitions criticism. Ley went to the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, which Albanese did not attend. As the prime minister addressed the service at St Marys Cathedral in the Sydney CBD, Ley remained at Bondi throughout the evening, where she addressed the crowd and gave a speech. My message to you is this if I become prime minister, and you practise hate speech, and you talk about radical Islam in a way that harms and hurts your fellow man and woman, and if you glorify hatred, and you are not an Australian citizen, you will be deported, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Wednesdays funeral was attended by NSW Premier Chris Minns, former prime minister Scott Morrison and other Coalition frontbenchers. Earlier in the day, Albanese had said he would attend events when he received an invitation. Labor minister Chris Bowen said the prime minister was singularly focused on responding to the massacre. Albanese visited shooting victims in hospital on Wednesday morning. He last visited Bondi when he laid flowers on Monday morning. Theres been public events. Theres been private events. The prime minister has been talking to victims, to the families of victims. Hes been to the site, Bowen said on Sky News on Wednesday afternoon. That sort of partisan point scoring by members of the opposition is pretty unfortunate. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the Bondi Pavilion memorial on Monday, but was criticised by the Coalition for not coming back on Wednesday. AAP The chief minister of the Great Synagogue, Rabbi Benjamin Elton, spoke at the same memorial as Albanese on Wednesday night, and called on the government to provide an explicit, direct response to a report from Australias special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal. Advertisement The first duty of a state is to defend its citizens, all its citizens, including its Jewish citizens, Elton said. I have no doubt that our political leaders believe that as much as I do, but now we must see concrete actions being taken. Albanese defends his partys track record Albaneses pledge to do more on antisemitism came the day after former prime minister John Howard castigated Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday for lacking leadership in their response to antisemitism since the October 7, 2023 attacks. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Albanese was more defensive about his governments track record. While speaking on ABC News Radio, Albanese shared a list of measures his government had enacted to protect Jewish Australians, including banning the Nazi salute and appointing antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal, but added you can always do more. Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles had strengthened their message on morning media appearances. Wong told ABC Radio National: We have taken many actions, including criminalising hate speech, but what I would say to you is that we all understand we need to do more. We dedicate every resource required to making sure Jewish Australians are safe and protected. Advertisement Related Article Analysis Bondi shooting Howards criticism shows the moment is slipping away from Albanese Meanwhile, Marles told Sevens Sunrise: We need to do more, and we will do more. And thats really clear. But as I said, this is not something which is solved overnight. But Frydenberg said the government had been warned it needed to take stronger action on antisemitism as he blamed the prime minister for the largest massacre of Jews outside Israel since October 7, 2023. The prime minister has allowed Australia to be radicalised on his watch ... Its time for him to accept personal responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people, including a 10-year-old child, he said. In an eight-point list, Frydenberg said the government needed to ban Muslim hate preachers and extremist organisations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir. He said people who incited violence or flew flags linked to proscribed terrorist organisations should be prosecuted, and pro-Palestine protests stopped. Advertisement Frydenberg sheds tears as he leaves flowers at the Bondi memorial on Wednesday. He called for the government to invest further in Holocaust education, which he said was piecemeal in Australia, and reform the education system to improve its teaching of Australian values. He also said the immigration system should be strengthened to remind people it is a privilege to come to this country. Related Article Bondi shooting Howard slams Albaneses leadership, calls changes to gun laws a diversion Finally, he said the government must implement the antisemitism report, which was delivered in July, and launch an inquiry into the massacre and rise of antisemitism in Australia. Asked later on the ABCs 7.30 whether his comments were political in nature, given Frydenberg could return to office, the former treasurer said he was deeply offended. Advertisement The reality is this: Im an Australian who has to have personal security because my life is endangered in this country, and I was the treasurer of this country. My children go to a school where there are armed guards outside, he said. How should we live with this? Why should we live with this? So if Im not going to speak out, who is? If not now, when? Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he had a lot of respect for Frydenberg. I dont doubt the intensity or the sincerity of his views, and we take them seriously. And he, like a lot of Australians, is mourning and is grieving, and we will take suggestions from him, he said. Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott added to a chorus of criticism on Wednesday, with his own statement accusing the government of hand-wringing impotence. No hate preachers have been prosecuted or deported and no hate marches have been banned, even though these have gone way beyond any possible exercise of freedom of speech or protest into acts of harassment and intimidation, he said. Advertisement Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A This article is part of Travellers Top Destinations for 2026. See all stories . Top destinations for 2026: Food and wine If one of the reasons you travel is to eat, then consider this your guide to some of the worlds most exciting dining stops right now. Beyond the usual hotspots, weve singled-out 10 destinations setting the pace for gastronomy, from Seouls banchan to an Aussie state excelling in its culinary pursuits. Argentina Its a commonly known fact that Argentinians have a thing for meat: the good people of this nation are obsessed with beef, any cut they can get their hands on, grilled over flames and devoured with gusto. There is also, however, an Argentinian food scene that goes beyond giant slabs of meat, and thats the reason for culinary adventurers to get there in 2026. Trescha gives Argentinian ingredients a molecular spin. Dining room at Trescha. Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now. Buenos Aires in particular is now home to a swag of restaurants pushing the countrys gastronomy into the future: Aramburu is the clear leader, serving innovative small-plate cuisine, though theres also Crizia, which uses seafood as much as red meat, and Trescha gives Argentinian ingredients a molecular spin. Our advice is to give the touristy and frankly overrated steakhouse Don Julio a miss, and focus instead on smaller, more forward-thinking establishments. See argentina.travel Advertisement Denmark Rasmus Munk in front of Wall of Taste in the development kitchen at Alchemist. Sren Gammelmark Theres been something amazing happening in Denmark for some time now, a culinary revolution kicked off by star chef Rene Redzepi, of Noma fame, and developed by the slew of uber-talented chefs who have followed. Many countries the size of Denmark would be happy to have one world-renowned destination diner like Noma, but this Scandinavian nation has multiple. If you like your food to look beautiful (or wildly creative) and your bank account is limitless, try Geranium, Alchemist, Kadeau or Jordnaer. If youre after something more accessible, sample Alimentum, Substans or Villa Vest. But Denmark is about far more than just fine dining, with everything from bakery treats to hot dogs to wine-bar snacks of sky-high quality available throughout. See visitdenmark.com South Korea Side dish jackpot Korean banchan. iStock On the off chance your world hasnt already been invaded by KPop Demon Hunters, Blackpink, Squid Game and banchan, allow us to let you in on a secret: South Korea is having a moment. The culture of this country is everywhere, from our TV screens to our music players to our dining tables. Lets focus on the latter. Korean food is enjoying its time in the spotlight, and now is the ideal moment to experience it in its home. The aforementioned banchan is a classic an array of side dishes that make up an entire meal though theres also Korean barbecue, the rice dish bibimbap, plus spicy soups and cheap-as street foods. Theres a great craft beer scene in Seoul and Busan, though youll find yourself drinking soju, the local rice wine, with locals into the wee hours. See visitkorea.or.kr Tunisia Advertisement Think North African cuisine, and you probably consider Morocco or maybe, Egypt. But dont forget Tunisia, a small country that punches well above its weight when it comes to food. Its cuisine owes much to its impressive influences: the spices and cooking techniques of Berbers and Arabs, the ingredients and dining cultures of Italy, Spain and France. Tunisian cuisine is pleasantly spicy, with many dishes using harissa, a paste of ground chillies, capsicum, garlic and caraway seeds. Dishes also feature couscous, chickpeas, pasta, or sometimes bread. Theyre affordable. And most of all, theyre delicious. Be sure to try fricasse a classic sandwich of tuna, harissa, olives and olive oil for a single bite that will tell you much of this countrys culture and history. See discovertunisia.com Canada The dining room at Taniere3 in Quebec. Audrey-Eve Beauchamp Taniere3 was the only Canadian restaurant to score two Michelin stars. There was a head-scratching moment back in 2022 when Michelin released its first guides to Canada: wheres Quebec? The foodie bibles initial forays only listed restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver, leaving an obvious, francophone hole in its coverage. A few months ago though, that omission was finally redressed, with the release of Michelins guide to Montreal and Quebec City, shining a welcome light on the province that surely boasts Canadas best cuisine. Only one restaurant scored two stars the avant-garde Taniere3 in Quebec City though a further eight picked up one star. So let the guide be your guide in Quebec. Its down-home classics are also a must: smoked-meat sandwiches of Montreal, no-frills bistros in Quebec City, and the gluttonous joy of poutine (chips with cheese curds). See travel.destinationcanada.com United Kingdom St John Bread & Wine, London. Advertisement Given the way people poke fun at the UK for its supposed lack of culinary finesse, its worth remembering that many of the worlds most famous cooks hail from England. Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, Nigella Lawson, Marco Pierre White, Fergus Henderson hugely influential names, so it should be no surprise to discover that food in the UK is so good. We cant cover everything here, so lets just look to London, where food-obsessed travellers can enjoy traditional afternoon tea (at the Ritz of course), gastro-pub cuisine (try Harwood Arms), the creator of modern nose-to-tail gastronomy (St John), wine bars, three-star fine diners, market stalls and restaurants serving the cuisines of the world. To mangle a famous phrase: when a person is tired of eating in London, they are tired of life. See visitbritain.com Victoria, Australia Barragunda in the Mornington Peninsula. Arianna Harry Photography Victoria is ridiculous. Were not even going to talk about Melbourne here, despite the citys enormous range of high-quality culinary offerings. Lets just consider the dining options outside Victorias capital, to give you a real feel for the quality: theres Barragunda Dining, a stunning new restaurant on the Mornington Peninsula, which sits nicely alongside Tedesca Osteria, Many Little and Ten Minutes by Tractor; elsewhere you have Brae in Birregurra, Chauncy in Heathcote, Lake House in Daylesford, Provenance in Beechworth, Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, Du Fermier in Trentham, and the list goes on and on. Enjoy Melbourne, of course. But then jump in the car and explore Victoria, because if you like to eat, this state has an embarrassment of riches. See visitvictoria.com Mainland China and Hong Kong Worlds 50 Best Bars No.1 ranked Bar Leone. If you travel to eat, then you have probably been to Japan by this point (and if you havent, you really should). However, what about China? This country is a little more intimidating and a little harder work than its neighbour, but if you love food, China should be on your radar. There are eight distinct cuisines to sample across this huge country: the dishes youre served in Guangdong, in the south-east, will be vastly different to those enjoyed in Sichuan, or Hunan. And while there are deep traditions to enjoy, there are also modern attractions. Hong Kong, for example, just hosted the Worlds 50 Best Bars awards, a list that was topped by local cocktail-slinger Bar Leone. With visa-free entry now available to Australian passport holders, theres never been a better time to check it out. See cnto.org.au and discoverhongkong.com Advertisement Advertisement WorldNorth AmericaFilm & TV production Opinion As media moguls show Warner Bros the money, keep an eye on CNN and US democracy Bill Wyman Contributor December 17, 2025 7:30pm December 17, 2025 7:30pm 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 A A Hollywood is back in the news. Fabled names (Paramount! Warner Brothers!) are on the auction block, and much newer big names (the Ellisons! Netflix!) are in the crowd waving their paddles. It all sounds glamorous, like titans playing on a giant media chessboard. The reality? It isnt, really. Paramount and Warner Brothers: Those are the shorthand terms for conglomerates that each include a major movie studio and then a lot of other media assets of varying quality and value. They are indeed fabled, but mismanagement and financial legerdemain in recent years have brought them both to a sad pass. Donald Trump and Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount head David Ellison. AP Paramount, which includes the TV network CBS, was the domain of mogul Sumner Redstone; he went into an extended dotage with no clear succession plan and an accompanying tabloid orgy of embarrassing sex, family and financial imbroglios. By the early years of this decade, it was long past its peak value as it struggled to find its place in the streaming world. Warner Bros, which includes HBO and CNN, has been limping since its disastrous merger with AOL way back when. A few years ago, then-owner AT&T tossed the company off into a merger with a group of cable networks. Warner ended up saddled with the galumphy name Warner Bros Discovery and even more saddled with debt. (And in case you havent heard, cable channels arent exactly a growth industry these days.) Advertisement Plans for a CNN streaming service were abandoned. And then the company renamed the HBO streaming service to Max tossing aside one of the most valuable brand names in American cultural life. (It eventually tacked back to HBO Max.) Its stock price was in the toilet. Next up, another grand Hollywood business story: Rich outsiders buying in to hang out with movie stars. Enter David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison, one of the three or four richest people in the world. David Ellison wasnt really an outsider. His production company, Skydance, has had its name on a lot of movies. Look closely at the slate, however, and you notice that a lot of the companys prominence involves supplying money for films starring Davids good buddy Tom Cruise. Thats a business anyone with a few hundred million dollars to spend can get into. David Ellison, chairman of Paramount Skydance, in October. Bloomberg Ambitious and with the deepest of deep pockets, Ellison paid $8 billion for Paramount, renaming it Paramount Skydance, and then immediately started cutting staff to reduce debt. Word spread that Warner would be his next target and its stock rose in anticipation. Netflix jumped in with an offer that priced the stock at three times what it had been worth earlier in the year. Warner quickly accepted. Then Ellison made a hostile takeover offer 30 per cent higher than Netflixs. The stand-off is one of those in which you wish both parties would knock each other out and thats before you think of the antitrust issues, both in the US and the EU. Ellison could end up controlling two major news organisations, CNN and CBS and since both Ellisons have been publicly attaching their lips to Donald Trumps ample buttocks in recent months, its a given that the Trump administration would approve it. But the truth is that the influence of CBS News, for all the hand-wringing over Bari Weiss takeover, was already at a nadir from which it will never recover. The insane level of debt the company will take on will be crippling from the start. Advertisement Then theres Netflix. The companys very sharp CEO, Ted Sarandos, is saying all the right things about keeping the Warner studio active but theatrical releasing is simply not in the streamers DNA. But in what universe should the dominant streaming service be able to merge with its most prominent competitor? We can see our streaming bills steadily rising as it is. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos at the opening ceremony of the 79th Venice Film Festival in August 2022. AP But this all takes place in the shadow of the Trump administrations assault on democracy. In that context, the future of CNN is probably the thing that matters most. CNN, too, has made disastrous corporate (and journalistic) decisions over the past 10 or 12 years, but it still plays an essential part in national and international affairs. Related Article Analysis Media & marketing Australias competition watchdog eyes Warner Bros mega-deal The Ellisons should be kept as far away from CNN as possible. Alternatives will, of course, pop up, but probably not in time for the next two American elections, which will seemingly be of great importance to the future of America and democracy generally. In that context, one wishes Ted Sarandos godspeed. Get a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter. BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday condemned the Philippines' "thief crying stop thief" behavior after Manila organized vessels to illegally intrude into the lagoon of China's Xianbin Jiao in the South China Sea. Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to Philippines' false accusations about Chinese maritime law enforcement actions against Philippine personnel near Xianbin Jiao. "China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Qundao and its adjacent waters, including Xianbin Jiao. This is fully grounded in both history and law," emphasized the spokesperson. Jiang said that the Philippines deliberately organized and dispatched a large number of vessels to intrude into the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao illegally. Personnel on the Philippine vessels even brandished knives to threaten Chinese coast guard officers conducting lawful operations, an act that was "utterly egregious in nature". "The measures taken by the Chinese side were necessary actions to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," the spokesperson emphasized. "They were reasonable, lawful, professional, and restrained." "Confronted with the facts, certain individuals in the Philippines are telling barefaced lies, resorting to sophistry to deny their own infringing and provocative acts, and even making false accusations against China. This is a complete reversal of right and wrong, and a case of the thief crying 'stop thief'," Jiang said. The spokesperson noted that for some time, the Philippines has frequently created incidents at sea, repeatedly staged self-orchestrated farces, and persistently made unwarranted accusations against China in a deliberate attempt to smear China's image, muddy the waters in the South China Sea, and undermine regional stability. "We solemnly warn the Philippines: staging incidents, playing the victim, and hyping propaganda will not alter the nature of the Philippines' illegal infringement and provocations, will not mislead the international community, and will not shake China's resolve to safeguard its rights in accordance with the law," Jiang stressed. "China will continue to take resolute and effective measures in response to all acts of infringement and provocation," the spokesperson concluded. ACCRA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has called for peace and reconciliation among residents of the Upper East regional town of Bawku, which has been engulfed in conflict for some time now. Speaking after receiving a Bawku peace mediation report on Tuesday from the Asantehene (King of local Ashanti people), Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the seat of government in the national capital, Mahama stressed the need to reconcile the feuding factions involved in the conflict. "The outcome of the report is not a winner or a loser issue, but how to reconcile the two factions for peace," he said. The government would work with the recommendations of the mediation committee to ensure lasting peace in the area, Mahama said. The Asantehene, who led the mediation process, underscored the need for collective commitment to the recommendations contained in the report. "I'm here to present the facts as they are for us to have peace. I'm not here to give a judgment as to who was right or wrong," Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said. "The report should bind on all of us. I have explained to the various parties. It was mediation, not arbitration." The Bawku conflict is a long-standing chieftaincy and ethnic dispute primarily between the indigenous Kusasi and the settler Mamprusi communities in and around the Bawku township in Ghana's Upper East Region, near the northern border with Burkina Faso. Debt-ridden ryot sells kidney to repay loan Four money-lenders arrested Debt-ridden young farmer Roshan Kude Window on vidarbha Chandrapur Bureau : In a shocking incident, an indebted farmer from Nagbhid tehsil was allegedly forced to sell his kidney to repay the loan to money-lender. Brahmapuri police have arrested four money lenders. The farmer is identified as Roshan Sadashiv Kude, a resident of Minthur village in Nagbhid tehsil. Farming is his only source of income. Since he could not earn much through farming, Roshan decided to start a supplementary business. He purchased cows hoping to improve income through dairy farming. He borrowed Rs 1 lakh from the money-lenders in 2021 on 40 percent interest that soared to a huge amount. According to the sources in the Police Department, one of the money-lenders suggested him to sell his kidney. Accordingly, an agent was allegedly contacted who took Roshan Kude to Kolkata and underwent a medical examination. After the examination, Roshan had surgery in Cambodia and his kidney was allegedly removed. The news of selling a kidney to repay the loan amount had gone viral in the State. Following this, the cops of Nagbhid Police Station contacted Roshan. SP Sudarshan Mummaka, informed, We have requested Roshan to reveal information about the doctors details in Kolkata and places where he had gone for medical examinations. However, we went through his financial transactions and found that he borrowed had taken loan from a few money-lenders. We have arrested four persons for interrogation. SP Sudarshan, who visited Nagbhid Police Station, further stated that after registering the case, Roshan will be sent for medical examination to find out the facts. The cops will also collect the passport to check the travel history of Roshan. Bramhapuri Police have arrested four accused under section 326, 342, 387, 506, 504 of BNS and sections of money lending act, informed SP Sudarshan. 13 killed, 43 injured in Yamuna Expressway pile-up; buses catch fire MATHURA : THIRTEEN people died of burns, and 43 sustained injuries when a vehicle pile-up in dense fog on the Yamuna Expressway here early Tuesday turned into an inferno, according to police. Eight buses and three smaller vehicles collided with each other in the thick fog around 4.30 am, the officer said. The incident occurred under the Baldev Police Station jurisdiction. The vehicles collided due to low visibility on the Agra-to-Noida side of the Yamuna Expressway. Some vehicles also caught fire. All injured have been sent to the hospital, Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said. Two of the deceased were identified as 44-year-old Akhilendra Pratap Yadav, a resident of Prayagraj, and 75-year-old Rampal, from Maharajganj district, Baldev Police Station SHO Ranjana Sachan said. A third, identified later by a chief medical officer from Vrindavan, was 62-year-old Sultan Ahmed, a resident of Gonda district All 13 died of burns, Sachan said. Visuals from the spot revealed charred buses and cars, reduced to mere mangled shells. Cranes were called in to remove them from the road. We are preserving the DNA of charred bodies to match them with the information provided by their relatives. We have identified three dead passengers and are contacting their relatives, Kumar said. District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said arrangements are being made for the last rites of those whose bodies have been identified, and treatment is being provided to the injured. The DM ordered a four-member team to investigate the road tragedy and submit a report in two days. The committee will be headed by Additional District Magistrate (Administration) Amresh Kumar. The SSP, who was at the site, said that an unidentified driver was booked at the Baldev Police Station. Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Radha Vallabh said two separate teams of doctors had been appointed for the post-mortem of the deceased and the collection of DNA samples. He said that the police have delivered 17 body bags for post-mortem. He said that some of the seriously injured had been referred to SN Medical College and Hospital in Agra, while some were referred to Delhi. The CMO also said that by noon, a total of 43 people had been brought to the Joint District Hospital in Vrindavan for treatment. Of these, 10 were women, and 33 were men. According to a Mathura Police statement on X, the pile-up at Milestone 127 involved seven buses and three smaller vehicles. None of the injured are in critical condition, it said. An injured person at a hospital said the bus was bound for Delhi. It was fog. The bus was going to Delhi. Many people have died. I broke my back, he said, as he lay on a stretcher. The passengers were sent to their destinations in Government vehicles, the SSP said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X in Hindi, expressed his condolences to the kin of the deceased. The loss of life in the road accident on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura district is extremely tragic and heartbreaking. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families, he said. I have instructed the district administration officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured. I pray to Lord Ram to grant peace to the departed souls and a speedy recovery to the injured, Adityanath said. According to a post from his office, the Chief Minister announced Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. 5-day international workshop inaugurated Staff Reporter : THEDepartment of Zoology and Biotechnology, Government Science College and the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata jointly host a five-day international workshop on Taxonomy, Museology, Geospatial, Molecular Techniques and Instrumentation. The workshop was inaugurated on Monday and will continue till December 19. Dr P R Chandelkar, Additional Director, Higher Education, Jabalpur Division, who was invited as chief guest, told the students that research is reaching at another level currently. Hence, it becomes necessary to identi fy species even at the molecular level. Taxonomy plays a crucial role in the study of taxonomy. Students should set their goals and make the right efforts in that direction. There are immense possibilities for students in the field of life sciences. Principal Dr Shikha Saxena mentioned about climate change, which has brought about many changes in biodiversity. Emphasising over its proper study, she said that the students should visit the colleges Zoology and Geology museum and learn the techniques of preserving and displaying animals. HoD Dr Sunita Sharma, explained the programmes outline and the workshops importance. Dr Neha Dhimole, a scientist from Germany, said that students should always think about mov ing forward. The programme was conducted by Dr Preeti Khare while a vote of thanks was pro posed by Dr Shampa Jain. Keynote speaker on second session, Dr Aniruddha Majumdar, a scientist from State Forest Research Institute, spoke about conservation of mega-herbivores like Elephants and Sambhar in MP and said that when students visit a national park, they should not only focus on Tigers and Leopards but also observe other animals. Mega-herbivores are found in grasslands, sugarcane fields, who play a very important role in the ecosystem and are called grass land engineers. He also explained the methods of their counting and management. 74 pc of Indian business leaders choose AI as top tech adoption NEW DELHI : AROUND 74 per cent of corporate leaders in India ranked artificial intelligence (AI) among their top three technology adoption choices, a report said on Tuesday. The report from Standard Chartered bank said that AI was followed by cloud computing at 64 per cent and digital assets at 46 per cent as next top choices. On a global scale, approximately seven in 10 corporate leaders are focusing on building strong foundational systems of emerging technologies in the short to medium term notably cloud computing. Respondents cited AI (55 per cent) and digital assets (50 per cent) among the top three drivers shaping the future of trade digitalisation, reflecting a pragmatic view that robust underlying infrastructure must precede emerging technologies to deliver value at scale. By prioritising connected data flows, compliance, and consistency, corporates are setting the stage for technologies like artificial intelligence and digital assets to scale responsibly and efficiently. When these underlying layers are strong, innovation can accelerate and sustain long-term growth across global value chains, said Michael Spiegel, Global Head, Transaction Banking, Standard Chartered. The report said that bullish sentiment about AI is supported by government initiatives, such as the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence. Several AI firms have been investing and expanding their operations in the worlds most populous market, the report noted. The bank said that 68 per cent of Indian respondents reported outsourcing digitalisation work completely, 30 per cent work with third-party providers, and 3 per cent handle it entirely in-house. Over half of the corporates cited lack of interoperability and integration as the main challenge to trade digitalisation, with regulatory and implementation challenges keeping many processes paper-based. The report, based on a survey of 1,200 C-suite and senior leaders across 17 markets, said that 80 per cent of respondents used banking partners to advise on digitalisation and the adoption of digital assets. 90 crore Rs 90 croreapproved for operation, maintenance of Metro Rail projects Staff Reporter: THECabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Tuesday approved several key policy and financial decisions aimed at strengthening urban infrastructure, promoting self employment, enhancing forestry activities and reforming the states administrative structure. The meeting, held at the Secretariat, focused on long-term development and governance reforms across multiple sectors. Under an important decision to ensure smooth functioning of urban mass transit systems, the Cabinet approved a budget pro vision of Rs 90 crore 67 lakh under the revenue head for the financial year 2025-26 for the operation and maintenance of the Bhopal and Indore Metro Rail Projects. The allocation is expect ed to support day-to-day operations, maintenance of rolling stock and infrastructure, and ensure safe, efficient and reliable metro services for commuters in both cities. In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the continuation of the Chief Ministers Udyam Kranti Yojana for the period from 202627 to 203031, with a total expenditure approval of Rs 905.25 crore. The scheme aims to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship among the states youth by providing bank loans ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 50 lakh. Local youth in the age group of 18 to 45 years are eligible to benefit from the scheme. Under its provisions, the state government will provide an interest subsidy of 3 per cent per annum along with a loan guarantee fee subsidy for a period of up to seven years, thereby reducing the financial burden on first-time entrepreneurs and encouraging sustainable livelihoods. The Cabinet also approved Rs 48 crore for the establishment of six Forest Science Centres in the state during the period from the financial year 2025-26 to 2029 30. These centers will focus on promoting forestry expansion activities outside notified forest areas, improving productivity of forest land and creating additional income opportunities through scientific timber harvesting. The initiative will also work towards raising public awareness, promoting tree farming and encouraging agroforestry practices. Non-government organisations will also be permitted to establish Forest Science Centers with prior approval of the Forest Department. Additionally, the Cabinet approved significant administrative reforms by granting approval to eliminate the dis tinction between sanctioned permanent and temporary posts in various state government departments. Necessary provisions will be made in service recruitment rules to convert existing sanctioned temporary posts into permanent posts. It was also decided to declare all posts under work-charged and contingency establishments as non-sanctioned and to dis continue new appointments under these categories, a move aimed at streamlining service structures and improving administrative efficiency. Drone spotted over Solar Explosivesairstrip; security agencies on high alert By Dheeraj Fartode : AN UNIDENTIFIEDdrone was spotted flying over the airstrip of Solar Industries, on Amravati Road, on the night of December 9, which triggered serious secu rity concerns and a multi-agency investigation. The incident occurred around 7.15 pm and was immediately reported by the companys security staff to the police. According to police officials, the drone was seen hovering in the sky, but due to darkness, its exact size, shape and altitude could not be determined. The security personnel at the Solar Group campus noticed only blinking lights moving in the sky and suspected it to be a drone. They informed senior security officers who alerted the Kondhali Police Station. The matter was taken seriously by senior police officials as Solar Explosives Company is involved in the manufacturing of defence related products and explosives. Any unauthorised aerial activi ty over such a sensitive installa tion is considered a potential security threat. Following the alert, an immediate investiga tion was ordered and police teams rushed to the spot. Police initially explored the possibility that the drone could have been used during a wedding or a private function in nearby areas and may have accidental ly strayed into restricted airspace. Acting on this assumption, police teams conducted night searches in nearby villages including Malkapur, Shiva and Sawanga. Residents were questioned and checks were carried out to trace any recent use of drones for pho tography or videography. However, no information about the drone or its operator was found. To ensure thorough verifica tion, police teams remained sta tioned in these villages for the next two days. Surveillance was maintained and further inquiries were conducted, but the efforts did not yield any concrete leads. No person or group came for ward to claim ownership of the drone. Meanwhile, the incident drew the attention of central intelli gence agencies. A team from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) began its own investigation into the matter. The IB team inspected the area and collected prelimi nary inputs, while also inform ing its headquarters in New Delhi about the incident. Sources said the IB is examining all possible angles, including whether the drone was part of surveillance or a test flight. Superintendent of Police Dr Harssh Poddar confirmed that the investigation is underway and that a formal case has been registered. We are treating the matter with utmost seriousness. An FIR has been lodged, and all necessary agencies are coordi nating to identify the source and purpose of the drone, Dr Poddar said. Police officials said security around the Solar Explosives premises has been strengthened as a precautionary measure. Investigators are also checking technical data and CCTV footage from nearby locations to gather more clues. Elderly residents enjoyShikara ride at Uppar Lake Staff Reporter : RAMALLAH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Four Palestinians were injured on Wednesday during clashes with the Israeli army, who also arrested 40 others in the West Bank, according to Palestinian sources. Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli forces stormed the city of Nablus and raided the old city, triggering violent clashes with Palestinian youths. The sources said Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at the youths, who responded by throwing stones and empty bottles. In a press statement, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Ministry of Health said that four people suffering from gunshot wounds, one of them with a serious chest injury, were sent to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said that Israeli forces launched a widespread campaign of arrests and field interrogations across the West Bank on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, detaining 40 people, including a child and former prisoners. The arrests and interrogations were concentrated in the cities of Salfit, Jenin, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Hebron, according to the organization. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on these incidents. The West Bank has witnessed an escalation in attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property. The total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers in 2025 in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has risen to 232, including 52 children, according to an update released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Dec. 11. In 2025, OCHA has documented over 1,700 settler attacks that resulted in casualties or property damage in more than 270 communities across the West Bank, the UN update said. Goa Police get two-day transit remand of Luthra brothers NEW DELHI : A DELHI court on Tuesday allowed the Goa Police a two-day transit remand of Luthra brothers, Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6. The Goa Police produced both the accused before Judicial Magistrate Twinkle Chawla in the Patiala House Court to seek transit remand of three days. The investigating officer informed the court that they will be taken to Goa by flight at the earliest. The Judicial Magistrate allowed the Goa Police a transit remand of the Luthra brothers for two days. Both the accused were taken to court in two separate police vehicles amid heavy security. This comes as both of them landed in India and were arrested by the Goa Police after the Thai authorities deported the Luthra brothers to India. They were also taken to the Safdarjang Hospital for their medical checkup. The deportation comes amid an ongoing probe into the deadly blaze, which triggered widespread outrage and led to scrutiny over alleged safety violations and lapses by the nightclub management. The Luthras, co-owners of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub located in Arpora in North Goa, left for Phuket in Thailand, shortly after the fire incident. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice was issued against them. The two were detained by the Thai authorities in Phuket on December 11 following the intervention of the Indian mission, which was in close touch with the Thai Government in the case. Several videos circulating online showed the Luthra brothers at Bangkok airport ahead of their departure. They were handed over to the Indian authorities on arrival for further legal proceedings in the case. Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire. GRP nabs womanwith 3 kg ganja GRP Jabalpur team succeeded in apprehending a woman involved in drug peddling and seized three kilograms of Ganja on foot over-bridge between plat form no. 4 and 5 of Jabalpur Railway Station, on Tuesday. The arrested woman has been identified as Neelu alias Rekha Korku (40), wife of Pappu Korku, a resident of Ward No. 14, Lakhram Mohalla, near Dhelaram Temple in Khitola. It may be noted that under the directions of Superintendent of Police (Railways) Simala Prasad, Jabalpur and under the guidance of Additional SP (Railways) Bhavna Maravi and SDOP (Railways) Ankita Sulya, a special checking campaign is being continuously conducted to curb crime and apprehend offenders. During this special checking drive at Jabalpur Railway Station, GRP team noticed a woman in suspicious condition near the lift on the Foot Over Bridge between Platform No. 4/5. On seeing the police, she attempted to flee but was apprehended with the help of staff. On interrogation, she disclosed her identity as Neelu alias Rekha Korku of Khitola. In the checking her back pack, two packets containing a total of 3 kg 150 grams of Ganja valued at approximately Rs 63,000 was seized. GRP Jabalpur has registered a case under Section 8/20 of the NDPS Act and the accused was produced before the court. This successful operation was carried out under the leadership of SHO, GRP Jabalpur, Sub-Inspector Sanjeevani Rajput com prised of Sub-Inspector Jagannath Singh, Head Constable Arun Tiwari, Head Constable Satyendra Singh, Head Constable Manoj Mishra, Constables Ravikant Rajak, Gopal Singh, Parasuram, Umesh Chore, Omprakash, Woman Constable Manisha Duve and Sub-Inspector Amit Singh of RPF CIB Branch, Jabalpur. Idol of Jain Tirthankar, relics found in Bhadravati Our Correspondent BHADRAVATI, New dimension has been added to the history of Bhadravati with the discovery of ancient Jain relics at the Killa Ward area of the city during excavation work. It may be mentioned that Bhadravati is known for its ancient relics of different religions. During the excavation work at Killa Ward, an idol was found in broken condition. After proper examination, the historians claimed that it was an idol of Jain Tirthankar. The idol dates back to 1,100 to 1,300 years old. The experts claimed that more such ancient relics can be found if scientific excavation is done in the area. Ancient Jain relics have been found here during plot digging at Killa Ward on Bengali camp road recently. Along with that two damaged crafts were also found which are said 800 to 1200 years old and a grand mound near these relics is also unearthed. There is a possibility to have buried many ancient remains under it. Jain Munivar Shri Prashamartivijaji informed that there are century old Jain temples in historical places like Mathura, Kosambi, Rajvir, Nalanda, Ayodhya and Varanasi. Many temples, idols have been found during excavation and such relics have been found here also. There should be archaeological excavation under the same place. If some more relics are recovered, Bhadravati will become a historical heritage for the devotees, saints, tourists, Munivar hoped. Meanwhile, MP Pratibha Dhanorkar met Jain Muni Shir Prashmrativijaya and got information about the relics found in the city. She assured all the help for the conservation and development of Jain pilgrimages in the city. Amol Mutha, Trustee, Jain Shwetamber Tirth Mandal, Bhadravati, Santosh Golechcha, Shailesh Kothari were present on the occasion. MBArea commemorates Vijay Diwasat station War Memorial Staff Reporter : THE 54th Vijay Diwas was solemnly commemorated at the station War Memorial, Jabalpur, by Headquarters Madhya Bharat Area Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by Major General Sanjay Gautam, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Madhya Bharat Area along with distinguished veterans, retired soldiers and serving personnel of the Armed Forces. Floral tributes were paid to honour the supreme sacrifice of the valiant martyrs, who laid down their lives on the service of nation. Vijay Diwas,observed annually on December 16, marks Indias historic victory on Pakistan in 1971 Indo-Pak war and commemorates the liberation of East Pakistan leading to the birth of the sovereign nation of Bangladesh. On this day in 1971, Pakistan Army led by Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, made an unconditional surrender of approximately 93,000 troops to the Indian Armed Forces, marking one of the most decisive military victories in modern history. The commemoration served as a solemn reminder of the courage, professional ism and indomitable spirit of the Indian Armed Forces and reaffirmed the nations enduring gratitude to its war heroes. Ngp leaders unveil Rs 2,980 cr Rs 2,980 crinfra projects ahead of civic polls Staff Reporter : HOURSbefore the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force, city leaders inaugurated infrastructure works totalling Rs 2,980 crore, hoping to impress them ahead of the civic body elections. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari led the programme organised at Satranjipura to dedicate the proj ects to citizens, saying they are going to transport the city and take it to new height. A galaxy of politicians from ruling parties, including Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, PWD Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosle, MLAs Krishna Khopde, Mohan Mate, Charansingh Thakur, ex-legislators along with local officials were present at the programme. On the occasion, 12 projects completed by MahaRail, includ ing 7 fly-overs, 4 subways and 3 RoB, besides dedication of 70 feet high hydraulic platform was held. Similarly, bhoomipujanof concretisation work of Central Avenue was done. Also, the smart toilets constructed were also ded icated on the occasion. Besides, works executed by Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), about seven, were also dedicated while bhoomipujanfor 10 other new projects was done. Gadkari, in his speech, high lighted the two important proj ects, concretisation of Central Avenue and widening of Old Bhandara Road to 18 metres, would ease the congestion in the old city area and speed up move ment towards Bhandara Road. He said the infrastructure projects are going to further ease the liv ing standards in second capital of the State. The Union Minister further informed about sanctioning Rs 3,600 crore for improvement of Ring Road. The funds would be utilised for construction of approach roads. Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who addressed the gathering via video conferencing, said Maharashtra has over 500 level crossing and State Government has taken a decision to eliminate them all. All the infrastructure projects are going to further enhance devel opment in Maharashtra. Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the projects, once completed in next few years, are going to fur ther enhance liveability in Nagpur. Also, Government has finalised Naya Nagpur project that is going to bring big finan cial companies here. Nitin Nabin steers BJPto power through collective leadership in CG By Kiran Singh Deo: The elevation of Nitin Nabin as the Bharatiya Janata Partys National Executive President marks the culmination of a sustained organisational journey that played a decisive role in the partys return to power in Chhattisgarh. As co incharge and later full-time incharge of the state, Nabin emerged as a key architect of BJPs revival, blending col lective leadership, organisational dis cipline and grassroots mobilisation into a winning political strategy. During a period when forming a BJP government in Chhattisgarh posed formidable challenges, Nabin worked closely with then state incharges D. Purandeswari and Om Prakash Mathur, travelling exten sively across the state to fine-tune electoral strategy and rebuild cadre confidence. He served as co-incharge from November 13, 2020 to June 18, 2024 under Purandeswari, and again alongside Mathur from September 9, 2022 to June 18, 2024, before being appointed full-time state incharge on July 5, 2024. As the partys face of organisational coordination in the state, Nabin left little room for complacency. He con sistently sharpened BJPs attack on the Congress government, keeping public issues at the forefront while ensuring seamless coordination between the leadership and grass roots workers. From urban local bod ies and panchayats to Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, BJPs successive victories under his guidance reflect ed a carefully constructed and well executed political script. Party insiders credit Nabins acces sibility, problem-solving approach and emphasis on collective owner ship for strengthening worker morale. His ability to connect with cadres across districts helped forge a sense of unity that translated into electoral momentum. Campaigns such as Mor AwasMor Adhikar, the Gauthan scam agitation framed as a state wide protest, and the innovative pravasi karyakarta initiative became defining features of BJPs organisa tional resurgence. The results during his tenure underline the scale of BJPs success. The party secured 54 of 90 Assembly seats, won 10 of 11 Lok Sabha seats, captured all 10 mayoral posts in municipal corporations, and achieved sweeping victories across municipal councils, nagar panchay ats, district panchayats and janpad panchayats, consolidating its dom inance at every tier of governance. BJP state president Kiran Dev described Nabin as a leader deeply committed to organisational growth, noting that his rise from a grassroots worker to the national executive reflects dedication and discipline. Every visit, every moment of his engagement was devoted to strength ening the organisation. His work eth ic and planning continue to inspire party workers, Dev said. Nabins journey in Chhattisgarh is widely seen as a textbook example of how sustained organisational focus and collective leadership can trans late into enduring political success. NMC polls: It is BJP vs Congress Congress City President Vikas Thakre discussing the NMC poll issues with MPCC President Harshvardhan Sapkal. Senior leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Nagpur Observer Ranjit Kamble also are seen. By Vikas Vaidya : Congress, BJP on equal footing as far as preparedness concerned n BJP has done at least three surveys to identify candidates Though a lot is being discussed about the pre-poll alliance in municipal elections declared on Monday, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will witness fight between Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party only. If one goes by the past 15 years experience one would realise, no alliance partners (NCP and Shiv Sena) showed noticeable performance. In 2017, BJP emerged as single largest party with Fadnavis-led Government in State. Those polls were steered by Fadnavis himself. The situation is again favoirable for BJP as Fadnavis-led Government is running the State. In Maharashtra, Mahayuti leaders demonstrated maturity as they decided to either go for friendly fights so that the Opposition would not be benefited or declared pre-poll alliance. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made it clear that Mahayuti would not leave any stone unturned as far as the partnership strategy is concerned. In Nagpur,, neither Maha Vikas Aaghadi nor Mahayuti will have alliance within though the groups havent declared so. If we have a look into the results of 2017 municipal polls in Nagpur, then we will know that BJP has left all other parties far behind. Of the 151 prabhags, BJP won a whopping 108 followed by Congress with 29. Nationalist Congress Party (then united) and Shiv Sena (then united) could only win 1 and 2 seats respectively. Abha Pandey is the only Independent candidate who stood victorious. The performance of Bahujan Samaj Party cant be ignored. It won 10 seats with good margin. Considering poor performance by NCP and Shiv Sena, it is clear that both Congress and BJP are not in a mood to do seat sharing. Of course Congress too was not a good performer in 2017 so it may go for compromise with MVA constituents in a few prabhags. But Duneshwar Pethe, City President of NCP (Sharad Pawar) has issued a letter and invited aspirants for the interview on December 20. It shows that NCP is prepared to go solo. BJP which will face tough competition among the aspirants, is likely to contest on all 151 prabhags. Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) is making weak efforts for seat sharing as it asked 15 per cent share in Mahayuti. BJP is unlikely to response to the demand of NCP. The city president of the NCP (Ajit Pawar) Anil Ahirkar and Working President Shrikant Shivankar, clarified that given the partys increased strength in Nagpur city, it is essential that the group gets the opportunity to contest at least 15 percent of the total seats in the Municipal Corporation. Till now Shiv Sena (Shinde) has not put any demand. A senior BJP functionary clearly said, We know our and our partners strengths. Accordingly, it will not be a wise step to do seat sharing. As Fadnavis rightly pointed out, if we contest in alliance then it will benefit the Opposition. One Shiv Sena leader said, I agree with what BJP leadership argues. We consider this election as a part of enhancing our strength keeping an eye on future polls. We can develop elective material even if our candidates are defeated. Both Congress and BJP are equal as far as preparedness is concerned. BJP declared its elections heads on Monday while Congress did it quite earlier. Congress conducted its Assembly constituency-wise party meetings a long ago. It had invited applications from the aspirants and over 750 people confirmed their claim of candidature. BJP has been interacting with the people since long. According to sources BJP has conducted surveys to identify candidates at least thrice from different agencies. It is said that BJP may introduce some new names as their candidates. BJP makes changes in interview schedule Considering the huge crowd of aspiring candidates at the BJP office for the municipal elections, some important changes have been made to the scheduled interview timetable. December 17: North Assembly Constituency -(Wards 1 and 2 at 9 am) (Wards 3 and 4 at 11 am) (Wards 5 and 6 at 1 pm)(Wards 7 and 9 at 3 pm) December 18: South-West Assembly Constituency -(Wards 16 and 17 at 9 am) (Wards 35 and 36 at 11 am)(Wards 37 and 38 at 1 pm) December 19: South Assembly Constituency -(Wards 28 and 29 at 9 am) (Wards 30 and 31 at 11 am)(Wards 32 and 33 at 1 pm)(Ward 34 at 3 pm) December 20: Central Assembly Constituency -(Wards 8 and 18 at 9 am) (Wards 19 and 20 at 11 am) (Ward 22 at 1 pm) And interviews for Wards 14 and 15 of the West Assembly Constituency will be held at 4 pm. NMC targets Dec 22 to finalise voter list clean-up amid duplicate entry concerns Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari briefing mediapersons about the forthcoming NMC elections. (Pic by Anil Futane) Staff Reporter : Dr Chaudhari shares data on voter verification process, SEC protocols in place to prevent double voting Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has time till December 22 to wrap up ongoing exercise of removing names of citizens appearing multiple times in the voters list and at Central level, nearly 35,000 names matched as per the photographs. Sharing the data during media interaction on Tuesday at NMC Headquarters, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari said the list is now shared with 10 Zones and they in turn are reaching out to individual voters. As per the procedure, the civic body officials would reach out to voters and ask them to provide option on where they want to cast their votes. This would then ensure that the voters name in other place is struck out and the updated voter list will be published on December 22. The Municipal Commissioner stated that the State Election Commission (SEC) has already spelt out approach to be adopted on the voting day in the case the exercise is not completed by that time. The SEC has given NMC list of names appearing multiple times and they are stamped, indicating that adequate check and balances exist to prevent double voting. This is nothing new and even in previous Assembly elections, such double names used to exist and adequate care was taken by SEC that time also. To a query, Dr Chaudhari said that about 95,000 entries were found that indicated that voters were registered at one or more places. The SEC instructions states that unilaterally, one cannot delete voters name from the list and one has to proceed as per the procedure. Many times, it happens that an official cannot reach to voter so this time during the voting, the form about deleting name from other place would be undertaken. Model Code of Conduct: To enforce Model Code of Conduct, the flying squad and static team have been formed at headquarters and in coming days, same would also be constituted at zonal level. About 18,000 personnel are going to be deployed for the smooth conduct of elections and for the same staff from other departments are sourced whose training is going to start soon. At each of the Zones, a Deputy Collector-ranked officer is going to be appointed as Returning Officer to be assisted by three Assistant Returning Officers (AROs); Tehsildar (ARO-1), Zonal Assistant Commissioner (ARO-2) and Executive Engineer (ARO-3). Each of the zone will have independent flying squad and static and fixed surveillance teams. The Zonal team would also oversee MCC implementation and violations. Though the actual number of ballot units and control units would be known only after finalisation of number of booths, Commissioner replying to a question said they have got the memory chips. At the most each booth would have 800 to 900 voters and would have three to four ballot and one control unit. So around 30,000 ballot units plus 10 per cent reserve is going to be needed for the elections and 3,000 control units. As of now, about 3,167 voting booths are finalised and by December 22 some more would be finalised. Deputy Commissioners Nirbhay Jain and Milind Meshram were also present during media interaction. Women voters hold key to power in civic body Women voters hold the key as to outcome of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) as they outnumber their male counterparts. As per the final voter list released for the upcoming polls scheduled for January 15, male voters are 12,26,690 in number while the women totalled to 12,56,166. So the political parties are going walk extra mile to woo the women voters and herein the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might have an edge due to Ladki Bahin Scheme in place. Of the total 38 wards, the men voters outnumber women only in seven of them, showing the dominance of women. As to number of other voters, their number is 256. Poll expenditure limit raised to Rs 15 lakh State Election Commission (SEC) has capped expenditure limit for candidates in the ensuing elections to Rs 15 lakh. This was informed by Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari. He further said, zonal level committees would keep tab on the candidate's expenditure. As to printing of symbols on voters slips, Dr Chaudhari said while NMC would dispatch the slips to voters informing them about the part and serial number in voter list and voting centre. In case it came to notice that political parties to has distributed such slips with symbol, then as per practice it cost would be added to candidate's expenditure. NMC is going to put in place one window clearance system so that candidates can get necessary permit as to putting up hoardings, banners, permission for hiring autorickshaw, putting up campaign offices etc. Police personnel from requisite department to would be available at the centre to provide necessary clearances. Reservation exceeds 50 pc cap, Dr Chaudhari confirms Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari admitted that reservation of seats for NMC election has crossed the 50 per cent cap. The entire procedure of reserving seats and other details were carried out as per directives from State Election Commission (SEC), he said while replying to querries from newspersons. Also, its already known that outcome of civic elections is subject to Apex Court judgement. The Supreme Courts double bench has posted the hearing on reservation issue on January 21. By that time the results of local body elections will be declared as SEC is already part to the petition and respective municipal corporation have no role in it. The timeline decided by SEC indicates that gazette notification about winners in the local body poll is going to be published on January 19. Reinstallation of height barriers on Shahid Gowari flyover in limbo Staff Reporter : PWD indecisive whether to repair height barrier or not until next meeting The reinstallation of height barriers on both ends of Shahid Gowari Flyover is in limbo as the Public Works Department (PWD) appeared indecisive on the path forward. The repeated destruction of height barriers of the flyover either highlights a significant civic and enforcement failure or a deliberate act by truck drivers. Despite all that, the sufferers are the citizens as the flyover witnessed many accidents in past. Reinstalled just days earlier under a Bombay High Court directive to restrict entry of heavy vehicles, the latest set of barriers, erected on December 3, failed to survive even for 10 days. When questioned about repairing the recently damaged structure, Krusha Gharde, Executive Engineer, World Bank Division, PWD, stated, There is no further decision whether the height barrier should be repaired or not, the decision will come only after a meeting with the officials. She previously suggested the damage would continue till the public understands its responsibility. When asked regarding the future of the barriers, Gharde said, Since the barriers have been erected, the people have made it a point to damage it again and again. We dont have the funds to repair the barriers again and again. Despite the warning signs, some truck drivers repeatedly collide with the barriers. Citizens suggest that without strict physical and regulatory checks, barriers will continue to fall, public money will continue to drain and the flyovers life will shorten. The structure on the Rahate Colony end, which briefly survived an initial truck collision on December 5, was struck again by a heavy vehicle late Thursday night (December 11) and received a final damaging blow on Friday morning. The PWD was compelled to remove the barrier later that day, prioritising safe public transport over attempting to maintain the damaged structure. This pattern is not new; the same Rahate Colony end saw its barrier destroyed twice within 12 hours in June. This time, the PWD along with police department, had taken comprehensive precautions, including installing speed-breakers, reflective paint and rumbling strips. Despite these measures, the barriers still failed. The financial cost of this repeated damage is substantial and comes from the taxpayers hard-earned money. Worse, the resumption of heavy vehicle traffic after the barriers removal accelerates the flyovers deterioration, reducing its lifespan. This recurrence points not to an engineering flaw, but a persistent enforcement deficit and lack of understanding in some citizens of the basic civic sense. Authorities are urged to install physical barricades that only permit smaller vehicles to pass, rather than leaving expensive structures vulnerable to repetitive destruction. Cases registered against truck drivers In both incidents, in which speeding trucks hit the height barriers on the Morris College T-point side and at Rahate Colony Square, the Sitabuldi Police and Dhantoli Police have registered cases against the truck drivers. They have been charged with rash driving and under the Damage to Public Property Act. Under the Damage to Public Property Act, the court can order recovery of the damages caused by the truck drivers, police officials said. Relief to Rahul, Sonia in National Herald case NEW DELHI : A COURT here on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorates money laundering charge against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and five others in the National Herald case. The ED said it would file an appeal against the court order. Special Judge Vishal Gogne noted the chargesheet filed in the case is based on an investigation into a complaint by a private person and not on an FIR of a predicate offence. Its cognisance is impermissible in law, the judge said. Reading out the operative part from the order, the judge said the Delhi Polices Economic Offences Wing has already lodged an FIR in the case, and hence it will be premature to adjudicate on EDs arguments in the case based on merits. The ED has accused Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as well as late party leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, along with Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and a private company, Young Indian, of conspiracy and money laundering. It has been alleged that they acquired properties worth approximately Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald newspaper. The investigation agency further alleged that the Gandhis held the majority 76 per cent shares in Young Indian, which fraudulently usurped the assets of AJL in exchange for a Rs 90 crore loan. Gandhis not entitled to copy of police FIR in Herald case, rules Delhi court: A court here on Tuesday set aside a magisterial courts order directing the Delhi Police to provide a copy of an FIR registered by them against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case. Special Judge Vishal Gogne was hearing a plea filed by the Delhi Police, challenging the magisterial courts order, arguing that Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and others mentioned in the case are not entitled to a copy of the FIR. The judge, however, ruled that the accused may be informed that the FIR has been registered. Delhi Police, on October 3, filed an FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and other accused in the National Herald case on a complaint by the ED as part of the federal probe agencys money laundering probe into charges that the Gandhis abused their position for personal gains. The police mentioned criminal conspiracy, dishonest misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust and cheating charges in the FIR that names the Gandhis, Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, entities like the Young Indian (YI) and Dotex Merchandise Ltd, Dotex promoter Sunil Bhandari, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), and unknown others. BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank announced on Wednesday the completion of its financial preparations for the start of island-wide special customs operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP). The People's Bank of China (PBOC) said it has built a financial policy and institutional system specifically designed to support the high-standard construction of the FTP, providing strong momentum for the port's development. On Thursday, Hainan FTP will launch island-wide special customs operations, a major milestone in the opening-up drive of the world's second-largest economy. To facilitate high-level convenience for cross-border capital flows, the PBOC and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange launched multi-functional free trade accounts (EF accounts) in May 2024 to create an integrated local and foreign currency account system. By the end of October 2025, 11 banks in Hainan had opened 658 EF accounts, handling transactions totaling 268.9 billion yuan (about 38.1 billion U.S. dollars) across 80 countries and regions. Beyond account reforms, the PBOC has advanced various financial pilot programs, including cross-border asset management and trade investment facilitation. Under these pilots, Hainan has recorded 43.05 billion U.S. dollars in cross-border trade facilitation transactions and 2.8 billion dollars in investment facilitation. Financial services for the Hainan FTP have also been optimized. At present, digital RMB pilots are being advanced across the whole of Hainan, significantly enhancing the convenience of payment services for overseas visitors. Slain Bondi beach shooting suspect native of Hyderabad: Tgana Police HYDERABAD/MELBOURNE : SAJID Akram, the 50-year-old slain suspect in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia, was an Indian citizen hailing from Hyderabad, Telangana Police revealed on Tuesday. While he had migrated to Australia 27 years ago, Akram carried an Indian passport. Akram, along with his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, recently travelled to the Philippines on an Indian passport. Akram, one of the two suspects in the mass shooting that has left 15 people dead and dozens injured, migrated to Australia in 1998 and had limited contact with his family here since then, the Telangana DGPs office said in a statement. Sajid Akram (50) is originally from Hyderabad, India. He completed his B.Com degree in Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in search of employment, approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998, it said. He married a European-origin woman before settling permanently in Australia. The couple have one son, Naveed (the second suspect who is in custody at a hospital in Australia) and one daughter, it said. Naveed and Akrams daughter were born in Australia and are citizens of that country, the statement said. According to Australian authorities, the suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The older man, who was identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead. The Telangana police said Akram visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and to meet his elderly parents. It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his fathers demise, the statement said. The family members have further expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation, police said. The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana, Telangana police said. Telangana Police further said it has no adverse record against Akram during his stay in India before his departure in 1998. The State police said it remains committed to cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts, as and when required, and urged the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts. Quoting security sources, Australias ABC News reported that Akram and Naveed travelled to the Philippines to receive military-style training. Investigators are now examining the Akrams ties to an international jihadist network, after discovering the pair travelled to Manila in early November, it said, quoting officials briefed on the investigation. The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirmed the pair arrived in the Philippines from Australia on November 1, declaring the southern city of Davao - a hotbed for Islamic militants since the 1990s - as their destination, it said. They left the country on November 28, 2025, on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination, ABC News quoted the Philippines Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval as saying. Sandoval said Akram entered the country on an Indian passport, while his son, Naveed, entered on an Australian passport. In the Philippines, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office and Press Officer for Malacanang Palace Claire Castro said that the National Security Council (NSC) is currently looking into reports that the father and son duo travelled to the country a month before the attack. Mass shooting inspired by IS: Aus Police MELBOURNE, Dec 16 (AP) A MASS shooting in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydneys Bondi Beach was a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, Australias federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said on Tuesday. The suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24, authorities have said. The older man was shot dead while his son was being treated at a hospital on Tuesday. A news conference by political and law enforcement leaders on Tuesday was the first time officials confirmed their beliefs about the suspects ideologies. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the remarks were based on evidence obtained, including the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized. There are 25 people still being treated in hospitals after Sundays massacre, 10 of them in critical condition. Three of them are patients in a childrens hospital. Also among them is a man who was captured on video appearing to tackle and disarm one assailant, before pointing the mans weapon at him and then setting the gun on the ground. ISLAMABAD, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A policeman and a passerby were killed in firing by unknown gunmen in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, police officials said. The attack happened in Bajaur district of the province after unidentified assailants attacked a polio team, killing a police officer on the spot, while another civilian was gunned down by the armed men when he tried to pursue the attackers, said local police officials on Tuesday. The attackers fled the scene after carrying out the attack, said the police, adding that a search operation is underway to arrest the culprits. The attack came a day after the government kicked off the final polio drive of 2025, which is set to run until Dec. 21. Condemning the attack, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi termed the incident an assault on humanity and national responsibility, saying the campaign will not be allowed to be impacted in any way. "Polio workers and the security personnel assigned to protect them are performing their national responsibility ... the perpetrators will be brought to justice," he added. ABN AMRO Bank (OTCMKTS:AAVMY Get Free Report) has received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the five brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of ABN AMRO Bank in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised ABN AMRO Bank from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an outperform rating on shares of ABN AMRO Bank in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of ABN AMRO Bank in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Get ABN AMRO Bank alerts: Get Our Latest Report on AAVMY ABN AMRO Bank Stock Down 1.2% About ABN AMRO Bank ABN AMRO Bank stock opened at $34.19 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.86. ABN AMRO Bank has a 52-week low of $14.77 and a 52-week high of $35.07. (Get Free Report) ABN AMRO Bank N.V. provides various banking products and financial services to retail, private, and business clients in the Netherlands and internationally. It operates through three segments: Personal & Business Banking, Wealth Management, and Corporate Banking. The company provides savings and deposits products; investment and insurance products; and consumer, personal, car, and home improvement loan. Read More Receive News & Ratings for ABN AMRO Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ABN AMRO Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL Get Free Report) EVP Steven Kent Beaver sold 5,492 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.53, for a total value of $601,538.76. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 38,368 shares in the company, valued at $4,202,447.04. The trade was a 12.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Steven Kent Beaver also recently made the following trade(s): Get Aflac alerts: On Friday, December 5th, Steven Kent Beaver sold 3,452 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.26, for a total value of $377,165.52. Aflac Stock Down 1.8% Shares of AFL stock opened at $109.48 on Wednesday. Aflac Incorporated has a one year low of $96.95 and a one year high of $115.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.11 and a quick ratio of 0.11. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $109.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $106.72. The stock has a market cap of $57.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.66. Aflac Increases Dividend Aflac ( NYSE:AFL Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The financial services provider reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $5.91 billion for the quarter. Aflac had a net margin of 23.55% and a return on equity of 14.97%. Analysts predict that Aflac Incorporated will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.61 per share. This is a positive change from Aflacs previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 18th. Aflacs dividend payout ratio is 30.29%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In AFL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Aflac from $107.00 to $109.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Barclays reaffirmed an underweight rating and issued a $104.00 price target (up previously from $102.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Piper Sandler set a $125.00 price target on Aflac and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Aflac from $108.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $110.55. View Our Latest Research Report on Aflac Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac in the second quarter valued at approximately $432,201,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Aflac by 1,184.5% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,264,090 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $141,199,000 after buying an additional 1,165,676 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in Aflac by 132.4% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,227,200 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $137,078,000 after buying an additional 699,080 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Aflac by 16.7% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,167,886 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $439,545,000 after buying an additional 594,971 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac in the 2nd quarter valued at $60,954,000. Institutional investors own 67.44% of the companys stock. Aflac Company Profile (Get Free Report) Aflac Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, provides supplemental health and life insurance products. The company operates through Aflac Japan and Aflac U.S. segments. The Aflac Japan segment offers cancer, medical, nursing care, work leave, GIFT, and whole and term life insurance products, as well as WAYS and child endowment plans under saving type insurance products in Japan. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Aflac Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aflac and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior (NYSE:BLX Get Free Report) and Agri Bank China (OTCMKTS:ACGBY Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership. Profitability This table compares Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior and Agri Bank Chinas net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior 26.58% 15.42% 1.80% Agri Bank China 21.14% 9.25% 0.63% Dividends Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior pays an annual dividend of $2.50 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.7%. Agri Bank China pays an annual dividend of $0.62 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior pays out 41.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Agri Bank China pays out 23.0% 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. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior has raised its dividend for 2 consecutive years. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. Valuation and Earnings Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior $310.34 million 5.25 $205.87 million $6.01 7.28 Agri Bank China $195.64 billion 1.24 $39.24 billion $2.70 6.41 This table compares Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior and Agri Bank Chinas revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Agri Bank China has higher revenue and earnings than Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior. Agri Bank China is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent recommendations for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior and Agri Bank China, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior 0 0 0 1 4.00 Agri Bank China 0 0 0 0 0.00 Risk & Volatility Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior has a beta of 0.84, suggesting that its share price is 16% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Agri Bank China has a beta of 0.06, suggesting that its share price is 94% less volatile than the S&P 500. Insider & Institutional Ownership 19.5% of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior beats Agri Bank China on 13 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks. About Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior (Get Free Report) Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates in two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It offers bilateral loans; structured loans including syndicated and clubbed, such as acquisition and pre-export financing, A/B loan financing, bridge loans, and liability management; and project financing. The company also provides letter of credit comprising import and export letters of credit, and credit discounting and financing, as well as usance payable at sight; stand-by services; bank guarantees, including first demand and local guarantees; import and export documentary collection; irrevocable reimbursement undertaking; and canal tolls. In addition, it offers liquidity and investment solutions, such as time deposits, DDA accounts, Yankee certificate of deposits, and EMTN private placement services, as well as supply chain finance services. The company primarily serves financial institutions, corporations, and sovereigns and state-owned entities. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.was formerly known as Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones, S.A. and changed its name to Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. in June 2009. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Panama City, the Republic of Panama. About Agri Bank China (Get Free Report) Agricultural Bank of China Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking products and services. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, and Treasury Operations segments. It offers demand, personal call, foreign currency call, time or demand optional, foreign exchange call, foreign exchange time, savings, agreed term, and negotiated deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; and loans, including housing, consumer, business, fixed asset, working capital, real estate, and entrusted syndicated loans, as well as trade finances, guarantees and commitments, and loans with custody of export rebates accounts. The company provides credit card, debit card, payment and settlement, private banking, cash management, investment banking, custody, financial market, and financial institution services, as well as trading and wealth management services; and personal fund collection and automatic transfer services. In addition, it offers agro-related personal and corporate banking products and services; telephone, mobile, self-service, television, and SMS banking services; financial leasing services; fund management services; asset custodian services; and insurance and reinsurance related products and services. The company operates domestic branches, including specialized institutions, training institutes, tier-1 branches, tier-2 branches, tier-1 sub-branches, foundation-level branch outlets and other establishments; overseas branches in Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, New York, Dubai International Financial Centre, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Sydney, Luxemburg, Dubai, London, Macao, and Hanoi; and overseas representative offices in Vancouver, Taipei, Sao Paulo, and Dushanbe. The company was founded in 1951 and is based in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. Receive News & Ratings for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. loanDepot (NYSE:LDI Get Free Report) and UWM (NYSE:UWMC Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, earnings, risk and analyst recommendations. Valuation & Earnings This table compares loanDepot and UWMs top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get loanDepot alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio loanDepot $1.06 billion 0.75 -$98.33 million ($0.36) -6.65 UWM $2.16 billion 3.79 $14.40 million N/A N/A Institutional & Insider Ownership UWM has higher revenue and earnings than loanDepot. 39.4% of loanDepot shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 53.6% of UWM shares are owned by institutional investors. 83.0% of loanDepot shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 94.1% of UWM shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Profitability This table compares loanDepot and UWMs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets loanDepot -6.46% -22.40% -1.64% UWM 0.61% -6.81% -0.79% Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent recommendations for loanDepot and UWM, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score loanDepot 2 2 0 0 1.50 UWM 1 6 2 0 2.11 loanDepot presently has a consensus price target of $2.58, indicating a potential upside of 7.86%. UWM has a consensus price target of $6.46, indicating a potential upside of 26.13%. Given UWMs stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe UWM is more favorable than loanDepot. Volatility and Risk loanDepot has a beta of 3.45, meaning that its share price is 245% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, UWM has a beta of 1.92, meaning that its share price is 92% more volatile than the S&P 500. Summary UWM beats loanDepot on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About loanDepot (Get Free Report) loanDepot, Inc. engages in originating, financing, selling, and servicing residential mortgage loans in the United States. The company offers conventional agency-conforming and prime jumbo, federal assistance residential mortgage, and home equity loans. It also provides settlement services, which include captive title and escrow business; real estate services that cover captive real estate referral business; and insurance services, including services to homeowners, as well as other consumer insurance policies. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. About UWM (Get Free Report) UWM Holdings Corporation engages in the residential mortgage lending business in the United States. The company offers mortgage loans through wholesale channel. It originates primarily conforming and government loans. UWM Holdings Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan. Receive News & Ratings for loanDepot Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for loanDepot and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of ASM International NV (OTCMKTS:ASMIY Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of Buy by the nine research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have assigned a buy recommendation and three have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. Several research analysts recently weighed in on ASMIY shares. Zacks Research upgraded ASM International from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of ASM International in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Rothschild Redb lowered shares of ASM International from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a buy rating on shares of ASM International in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Get ASM International alerts: Get Our Latest Report on ASM International ASM International Stock Performance OTCMKTS:ASMIY opened at $610.70 on Wednesday. The firms fifty day moving average is $609.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $573.59. The firm has a market cap of $29.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.80 and a beta of 1.90. ASM International has a one year low of $372.61 and a one year high of $661.33. ASM International (OTCMKTS:ASMIY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The company reported $4.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.74 by $0.16. ASM International had a return on equity of 21.55% and a net margin of 24.50%.The business had revenue of $932.68 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $814.93 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that ASM International will post 14.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About ASM International (Get Free Report) ASM International NV, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, marketing, and servicing of equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices in Europe, the United States, and Asia. The companys products include wafer processing deposition systems for atomic layer deposition (ALD), epitaxy, silicon carbide, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and vertical furnace systems, including low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), diffusion, and oxidation products, as well as provides spare parts and support services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for ASM International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ASM International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of ASM International NV (OTCMKTS:ASMIY Get Free Report) fell 6.4% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $600.05 and last traded at $602.55. 256 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 97% from the average session volume of 8,601 shares. The stock had previously closed at $643.69. Analysts Set New Price Targets ASMIY has been the topic of several recent research reports. Rothschild Redb lowered ASM International from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of ASM International in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of ASM International in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded ASM International from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 23rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Buy. Get ASM International alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on ASMIY ASM International Price Performance The company has a market cap of $29.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.80 and a beta of 1.90. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $609.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $573.59. ASM International (OTCMKTS:ASMIY Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The company reported $4.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.74 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $932.68 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $814.93 million. ASM International had a return on equity of 21.55% and a net margin of 24.50%. Equities analysts predict that ASM International NV will post 14.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About ASM International (Get Free Report) ASM International NV, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, marketing, and servicing of equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices in Europe, the United States, and Asia. The companys products include wafer processing deposition systems for atomic layer deposition (ALD), epitaxy, silicon carbide, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and vertical furnace systems, including low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), diffusion, and oxidation products, as well as provides spare parts and support services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for ASM International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ASM International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to strengthen the alignment between its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) and the development visions of Middle Eastern countries, consolidating cooperation in traditional areas while deepening collaboration in emerging and frontier sectors, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said. In an interview with Chinese media following his visit to three Middle Eastern countries from Dec. 12 to 16, which included the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said China will further advance cooperation with Middle Eastern countries in innovation-driven development, investment and finance, energy, trade, and cultural exchanges, while continuing to be a trustworthy and reliable friend and partner in their modernization efforts. Guided by the Global Security Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, China will encourage the international community to respect the independent choices of the people of the Middle East and the legitimate concerns of regional countries, and resolve differences and disputes peacefully through dialogue and consultation, he noted. Major countries should continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Middle Eastern countries, promoting and supporting sustainable development in the region, Wang said. He added that major countries should also support Middle Eastern countries in resolving longstanding conflicts and enhancing unity and cooperation to foster long-term stability. Regarding the resolution of the Palestinian issue, Wang said that the two-state solution remains the only viable path, with "Palestinians governing Palestine" serving as an important foundation. Any arrangements concerning Gaza's future should respect the will of the Palestinian people and take into account the legitimate concerns of Middle Eastern countries, he said, adding China will continue to support Palestine's primary role in post-war governance in Gaza, urge the international community to assume its responsibilities, prevent the resurgence of conflict, alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and bring the Palestinian issue back onto the right track. Wang also praised the three Arab states for adhering to the one-China principle, supporting China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and backing China's efforts toward national reunification. Wang stressed that mutual support in safeguarding core interests forms the historical foundation and political essence of the friendship between China and Arab states. He added that the Arab states' support for China's legitimate position on the Taiwan question upholds the fundamental principles of international relations and demonstrates that the one-China principle is deeply rooted in people's hearts. Commenting on the role of the second China-Arab States Summit, to be held in China in 2026, in shaping relations between China and Arab states, Wang said that China will leverage head-of-state diplomacy to guide the way forward and elevate strategic mutual trust to a higher level. China will deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Arab states through the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative to advance modernization on both sides, and promote peace and stability through a shared, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable approach so as to make new progress in resolving hotspot issues in the Middle East, he said. China will also deepen exchanges and mutual learning with Arab states through jointly promoting shared human values, so as to take China-Arab civilizational exchange and mutual learning to a new stage, Wang noted. At the same time, China will uphold multilateralism through the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, so as to push the international order toward a more just and equitable direction, he stressed. Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $11.64 and last traded at $11.5250, with a volume of 2316103 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $11.60. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms recently weighed in on SAN. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Banco Santander from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b+) rating on shares of Banco Santander in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Banco Santander from a strong-buy rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Banco Santander currently has an average rating of Hold. Get Banco Santander alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on SAN Banco Santander Trading Down 0.6% The companys 50-day moving average price is $10.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $9.55. The company has a market cap of $171.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 0.74. Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The bank reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.25 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $20.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.32 billion. Banco Santander had a net margin of 17.90% and a return on equity of 11.68%. Equities analysts forecast that Banco Santander, S.A. will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current year. Banco Santander Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 6th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a $0.0956 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 263.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Banco Santanders payout ratio is presently 20.21%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Santander A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SAN. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL purchased a new stake in Banco Santander during the third quarter valued at about $5,181,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Banco Santander by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 41,567 shares of the banks stock valued at $436,000 after acquiring an additional 1,550 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in Banco Santander by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 8,981,872 shares of the banks stock worth $94,130,000 after purchasing an additional 376,023 shares during the period. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new position in Banco Santander during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $93,811,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Banco Santander by 4.2% in the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 341,749 shares of the banks stock valued at $3,582,000 after purchasing an additional 13,926 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.19% of the companys stock. Banco Santander Company Profile (Get Free Report) Banco Santander, SA provides various financial services worldwide. The company operates through Retail Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, Wealth Management & Insurance, and PagoNxt segments. It offers demand and time deposits, mutual funds, and current and savings accounts; mortgages, consumer finance, loans, and various financing solutions; and project finance, debt capital markets, global transaction banking, and corporate finance services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Banco Santander Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Santander and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Boralex (TSE:BLX Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by investment analysts at CIBC from C$38.00 to C$37.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs target price would suggest a potential upside of 50.16% from the stocks previous close. Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Desjardins reduced their price target on Boralex from C$45.00 to C$43.00 and set a top pick rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Scotiabank reduced their target price on Boralex from C$35.00 to C$31.00 in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Boralex from C$38.00 to C$36.00 in a report on Monday, November 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of C$37.67. Get Boralex alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BLX Boralex Stock Down 2.6% BLX traded down C$0.65 during trading on Wednesday, reaching C$24.64. 414,119 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 346,103. The stock has a market cap of C$2.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -112.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 233.60, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 1.54. Boralex has a fifty-two week low of C$23.48 and a fifty-two week high of C$33.30. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is C$26.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$28.94. Boralex (TSE:BLX Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported C($0.26) earnings per share for the quarter. Boralex had a net margin of 7.55% and a return on equity of 4.29%. The business had revenue of C$157.00 million for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Boralex will post 1.3383764 EPS for the current year. Boralex Company Profile (Get Free Report) Boralex Inc is an electric utility company involved in the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy power facilities. The company controls a portfolio of electricity producing plants that utilize wind, hydroelectric, thermal, and solar fuel sources. Most of Boralexs plants rely on wind power, while a significant number also employ hydroelectric power. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Boralex Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boralex and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by Citigroup from $250.00 to $220.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a neutral rating on the stock. Citigroups price objective indicates a potential upside of 11.40% from the companys current price. SAM has been the topic of several other research reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Boston Beer from $230.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Boston Beer from $230.00 to $220.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d+) rating on shares of Boston Beer in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Boston Beer from $230.00 to $225.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $248.37. Get Boston Beer alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Boston Beer Boston Beer Stock Down 1.9% NYSE:SAM traded down $3.91 on Wednesday, hitting $197.49. The stock had a trading volume of 133,153 shares, compared to its average volume of 215,383. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $206.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $209.94. The stock has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.06. Boston Beer has a 52-week low of $185.34 and a 52-week high of $310.53. Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $4.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.78 by $0.47. Boston Beer had a net margin of 4.38% and a return on equity of 12.29%. The firm had revenue of $537.49 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $542.97 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.86 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Boston Beer has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.800-9.800 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Boston Beer will post 9.29 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity In other news, Director Michael Spillane sold 3,120 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.78, for a total transaction of $642,033.60. Following the transaction, the director owned 10,877 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,238,269.06. This represents a 22.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 26.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Boston Beer Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its stake in shares of Boston Beer by 10.5% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 1,402 shares of the companys stock valued at $335,000 after acquiring an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Boston Beer by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 865,251 shares of the companys stock valued at $206,657,000 after purchasing an additional 15,563 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Boston Beer by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 99,457 shares of the companys stock worth $23,754,000 after purchasing an additional 5,101 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Boston Beer by 10.3% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 109,259 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,095,000 after purchasing an additional 10,241 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Algert Global LLC raised its stake in Boston Beer by 123.3% in the first quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 13,186 shares of the companys stock worth $3,149,000 after buying an additional 7,280 shares in the last quarter. 81.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Boston Beer Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Boston Beer Company, Inc produces and sells alcohol beverages primarily in the United States. The company's flagship beer is Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It offers various beers, hard ciders, flavored malt beverages, and hard seltzers under the Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Truly, Angry Orchard, Dogfish Head, Angel City, and Coney Island brand names. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Boston Beer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boston Beer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Flagstar Bank, National Association (NYSE:FLG Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of Hold by the twelve brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $14.1364. A number of research firms have recently issued reports on FLG. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. They set an overweight rating and a $15.00 price target for the company. UBS Group lowered their price target on Flagstar Bank, National Association from $13.00 to $11.50 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d-) rating on shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Flagstar Bank, National Association from $12.00 to $13.50 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, September 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Flagstar Bank, National Association from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday. Get Flagstar Bank National Association alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on FLG Flagstar Bank, National Association Stock Performance NYSE:FLG opened at $12.94 on Wednesday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $11.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. The stock has a market cap of $5.38 billion, a PE ratio of -13.33 and a beta of 1.11. Flagstar Bank, National Association has a fifty-two week low of $8.56 and a fifty-two week high of $13.35. Flagstar Bank, National Association (NYSE:FLG Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter. Flagstar Bank, National Association had a negative net margin of 7.06% and a negative return on equity of 3.80%. The company had revenue of $498.00 million during the quarter. Analysts expect that Flagstar Bank, National Association will post -0.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Flagstar Bank, National Association Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Sunday, December 7th will be paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 5th. Flagstar Bank, National Associations dividend payout ratio is presently -4.12%. Institutional Trading of Flagstar Bank, National Association Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FLG. CWM LLC purchased a new position in shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Flagstar Bank, National Association in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new stake in Flagstar Bank, National Association during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Flagstar Bank, National Association during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. purchased a new position in Flagstar Bank, National Association during the second quarter worth $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.88% of the companys stock. About Flagstar Bank, National Association (Get Free Report) Flagstar Financial, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Flagstar Bank, N.A. that provides banking products and services in the United States. The companys deposit products include interest-bearing checking and money market, savings, non-interest-bearing, and retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Flagstar Bank National Association Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Flagstar Bank National Association and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. California Resources (OTCMKTS:CRCQQ Get Free Report) and Gran Tierra Energy (NYSE:GTE Get Free Report) are both small-cap energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk and profitability. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent recommendations for California Resources and Gran Tierra Energy, as provided by MarketBeat. Get California Resources alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score California Resources 0 0 0 0 0.00 Gran Tierra Energy 0 1 2 0 2.67 Gran Tierra Energy has a consensus target price of $5.45, suggesting a potential upside of 33.91%. Given Gran Tierra Energys stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Gran Tierra Energy is more favorable than California Resources. Earnings & Valuation Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio California Resources $2.63 billion 0.00 -$28.00 million N/A N/A Gran Tierra Energy $614.07 million 0.23 -$6.29 million ($2.51) -1.62 This table compares California Resources and Gran Tierra Energys gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gran Tierra Energy has lower revenue, but higher earnings than California Resources. Insider and Institutional Ownership 35.7% of California Resources shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 31.7% of Gran Tierra Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.1% of California Resources shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.1% of Gran Tierra Energy shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Profitability This table compares California Resources and Gran Tierra Energys net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets California Resources -95.33% -4.31% -3.78% Gran Tierra Energy 7.17% 11.36% 3.28% Summary Gran Tierra Energy beats California Resources on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About California Resources (Get Free Report) California Resources Corporation operates as an oil and natural gas exploration and production company in the State of California. The company sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids to marketers, California refineries, and other purchasers that have access to transportation and storage facilities. It holds interests in approximately 2.2 million net acres of mineral acreage. As of December 31, 2019, the company had net proved reserves of 644 million barrels of oil equivalent. It also engages in the generation and sale of electricity to the grid and utility customers. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Los Angeles, California. On July 15, 2020, California Resources Corporation, along with its affiliates, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. About Gran Tierra Energy (Get Free Report) Gran Tierra Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas properties in Colombia and Ecuador. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for California Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for California Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM Get Free Report) (TSE:CM) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the seven analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $107.50. A number of analysts have weighed in on CM shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a market perform rating for the company. Get Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on CM Institutional Investors Weigh In On Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Price Performance A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in the first quarter worth $32,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp acquired a new stake in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in the third quarter valued at $32,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its position in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce by 300.0% during the 3rd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 400 shares of the banks stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce by 119.7% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 402 shares of the banks stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. 49.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce stock traded down $0.98 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $92.13. The companys stock had a trading volume of 191,942 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,119,254. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market cap of $85.57 billion, a PE ratio of 15.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.02. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has a 52 week low of $53.62 and a 52 week high of $94.16. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $85.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $77.95. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM Get Free Report) (TSE:CM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The bank reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $5.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.23 billion. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had a net margin of 13.57% and a return on equity of 14.93%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.91 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will post 5.5 EPS for the current year. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 29th will be paid a $1.07 dividend. This is an increase from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces previous quarterly dividend of $0.97. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 29th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces payout ratio is currently 46.31%. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Company Profile (Get Free Report) Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian Utilities (TSE:CU Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by CIBC from C$43.00 to C$44.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs price target would suggest a potential upside of 3.80% from the stocks previous close. Several other research firms also recently issued reports on CU. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Canadian Utilities from C$42.00 to C$44.00 in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Canadian Utilities from C$40.00 to C$43.00 in a report on Tuesday. Finally, TD Securities upped their price target on shares of Canadian Utilities from C$40.00 to C$41.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$42.67. Get Canadian Utilities alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Canadian Utilities Canadian Utilities Price Performance Shares of CU traded up C$0.55 on Wednesday, reaching C$42.39. The stock had a trading volume of 117,445 shares, compared to its average volume of 513,406. Canadian Utilities has a twelve month low of C$33.19 and a twelve month high of C$42.95. The firm has a market capitalization of C$11.53 billion, a PE ratio of 21.63, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.50. The firm has a 50-day moving average of C$40.85 and a 200 day moving average of C$39.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 158.34. Canadian Utilities (TSE:CU Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported C$0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$792.00 million during the quarter. Canadian Utilities had a return on equity of 7.21% and a net margin of 13.41%. Sell-side analysts expect that Canadian Utilities will post 2.4063556 EPS for the current year. About Canadian Utilities (Get Free Report) Canadian Utilities Ltd, a subsidiary of holding company Atco, offers gas and electricity services. The companys main divisions include electricity (generation, transmission, and distribution), pipelines & liquid (natural gas and water), and Retail Energy. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, the firm mainly operates in Canada and Australia, along with some operations in the United States and Mexico. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Utilities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Utilities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:CX Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $11.81 and last traded at $11.7150, with a volume of 864863 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $11.51. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CX shares. Bank of America upgraded Cemex from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $10.00 to $10.80 in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Cemex from $7.00 to $8.25 and gave the company an underperform rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Citigroup downgraded Cemex from a buy rating to a neutral rating and raised their price objective for the company from $9.00 to $10.00 in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Wall Street Zen raised Cemex from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Scotiabank downgraded shares of Cemex from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating and set a $11.10 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Cemex currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $10.14. Get Cemex alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on CX Cemex Price Performance The company has a market cap of $16.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $10.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.89. Cemex (NYSE:CX Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The construction company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.15. Cemex had a return on equity of 6.85% and a net margin of 8.62%.The business had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $226.73 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. will post 0.69 EPS for the current fiscal year. Cemex Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.0224 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.09 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Cemexs payout ratio is presently 9.68%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cemex A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CX. Dodge & Cox boosted its stake in Cemex by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 96,734,370 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $869,642,000 after buying an additional 1,710,535 shares in the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of Cemex by 7.7% during the second quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 32,648,163 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $226,252,000 after acquiring an additional 2,337,817 shares during the period. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Cemex by 90.2% during the second quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 26,300,519 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $182,263,000 after acquiring an additional 12,469,417 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Cemex by 451.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 16,897,356 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $151,907,000 after purchasing an additional 13,834,438 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Cemex by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 12,183,183 shares of the construction companys stock worth $109,530,000 after purchasing an additional 499,504 shares during the last quarter. 82.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Cemex (Get Free Report) CEMEX, SAB. de C.V., together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, distributes, and sells cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, urbanization solutions, and other construction materials and services worldwide. The company offers gray ordinary portland, white portland, oil-well, and blended cement products; mortar; and standard ready-mix, architectural and decorative, rapid-setting, fiber-reinforced, fluid-fill, roller-compacted, self-consolidating, pervious, and antibacterial, and other concrete products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Cemex Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cemex and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TransAlta (TSE:TA Get Free Report) (NYSE:TAC) had its target price hoisted by investment analysts at CIBC from C$25.00 to C$26.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs target price suggests a potential upside of 46.89% from the companys previous close. A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on TA. National Bankshares increased their target price on shares of TransAlta from C$18.00 to C$22.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. ATB Capital boosted their target price on shares of TransAlta from C$26.00 to C$27.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Natl Bk Canada cut TransAlta from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Scotiabank increased their price objective on TransAlta from C$23.00 to C$27.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Desjardins raised their target price on TransAlta from C$16.50 to C$21.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$25.13. Get TransAlta alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on TransAlta TransAlta Stock Down 5.3% TSE:TA traded down C$0.99 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting C$17.70. 1,133,013 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,716,449. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 229.66. The company has a market cap of C$5.25 billion, a PE ratio of -27.66, a PEG ratio of -0.07 and a beta of 0.67. The firms 50-day simple moving average is C$21.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$18.32. TransAlta has a one year low of C$11.16 and a one year high of C$25.03. TransAlta (TSE:TA Get Free Report) (NYSE:TAC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported C($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. TransAlta had a net margin of 7.49% and a return on equity of 12.03%. The business had revenue of C$674.00 million during the quarter. TransAlta Company Profile (Get Free Report) TransAlta is an independent power producer based in Alberta, Canada. The company operates a diverse and growing fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States, and Australia consisting of hydro, wind, solar, battery storage, gas and energy transition facilities. The majority of the companys revenues are derived from the sale of generation capacity, electricity, thermal energy, environmental attributes, and byproducts of power generation. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for TransAlta Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransAlta and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Colruyt SA Unsponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:CUYTY Get Free Report) shares gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $9.6810, but opened at $9.30. Colruyt shares last traded at $9.35, with a volume of 300 shares changing hands. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts recently issued reports on CUYTY shares. Barclays downgraded shares of Colruyt from an equal weight rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Zacks Research raised shares of Colruyt from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Colruyt has a consensus rating of Reduce. Get Colruyt alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on CUYTY Colruyt Stock Performance Colruyt Dividend Announcement The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $9.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.31. The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 7th were given a dividend of $0.2137 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 6th. This represents a yield of 191.0%. Colruyt Company Profile (Get Free Report) Colruyt Group N.V., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the retail, wholesale, food service, and other activities in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail, Wholesale and Foodservice, and Other Activities. The company provides groceries, fresh products, dry products, and frozen and non-food products; and operates CNG, hydrogen filling, and charging stations. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Colruyt Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Colruyt and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Two deadly attacks over the past weekend have again shocked the West and the world. One was a shooting at Brown University in the United States, and another was a mass killing at a Hanukkah gathering in Australia. Neither incident stands alone. They reflect the scale of gun violence in the West, especially in the United States, which accounts for the overwhelming majority of firearm deaths and mass shootings among high-income nations. Beyond the familiar gun-control debate, these attacks point to deeper political, social and cultural stresses shaping patterns of violence across the West. RISING EXTREMISM Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach, which left at least 16 people dead, appears to have been motivated by "Islamic State ideology," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has reported. "The ideology that has been around for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hate, and in this case, a preparedness to engage in mass murder," he said. The perpetrators had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, the broadcaster reported, citing counter-terrorism officers. An Islamic State flag was found in their car at Bondi Beach. The incident reflects "a growing tide of antisemitism" around the world, especially after the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, said Shashank Joshi, The Economist's defence editor. David Omand, a former senior British intelligence officer, noted that antisemitic incidents hit the second-highest recorded level in the first half of this year in Britain. In the United States, he said, antisemitic incidents reached well over 9,000 in 2024, the highest level recorded in the 46-year history of the data. Foreign conflicts and perceived geopolitical injustices increasingly spill into domestic security matters, offering extremist groups ready-made narratives for recruitment and mobilization. Extremist groups, like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, are "once again becoming more ambitious" and "personally encouraging and indirectly inciting would-be attackers," Ken McCallum, the head of Britain's security service MI5, warned in October. SOCIAL INEQUALITY A separate shooting that drew global attention saw U.S. young man Luigi Mangione accused of killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO Brian Thompson in New York City in December 2024, an act allegedly motivated by deep resentment toward the health insurance industry and corporate greed. Following the death of Thompson, UnitedHealth Group disabled comments on its condolence post on Facebook, which a dominant majority of users reacted to with laughing emojis, showing people's grievances over industry practices. In addition, there was a surge of popular posts across social media glorifying the incident, some calling for additional acts of violence or even a "Class War." Economic frustration and structural inequality can incubate desperation and retaliatory violence, experts have noted. "We have a growing number of people who believe that violence is the only way to express their beliefs," said John Cohen, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security official. "An increasing number in our society are mistrustful of government, businesses and other institutions. They believe they are the victims of inappropriate behavior." "The use of violence to express one's ideological views or sense of disagreement is becoming fully baked in our society," he added. The consequences of economic inequality are not evenly distributed across society. In the United States, longstanding structural disparities mean that certain communities bear a disproportionate share of the resulting violence. Despite accounting for only 14 percent of the U.S. population, Black people account for 60 percent of those killed by firearm homicide each year, according to a report by Brady, an organization that advocates gun control. Gun violence is both a cause and a consequence of systemic structural disadvantage. A report by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions notes that "most community gun violence is highly concentrated within under-resourced neighborhoods impacted by a legacy of discriminatory public policies." "UNHEALTHY DEMOCRACY" Brown University student Mia Tretta, who survived the 2019 mass shooting at Saugus High School in California, said she feels a mixture of fear, confusion and anger. Americans shouldn't accept mass shootings as a fact of life, she told media reporters. The Brown University shooting followed at least 75 school shootings in the United States this year. So far in 2025, there have been at least 391 mass shootings and 13,929 shooting deaths nationwide, Gun Violence Archive reports. The incident exposed broader governance challenges. Authorities said investigators lacked video footage of the shooter in part because Brown's older engineering building is equipped with few security cameras, but it also highlights tensions between privacy considerations and the growing demand for preventive security in public institutions. In contrast to the Brown case, other recent attacks have been more directly shaped by deepening political polarization. On Sept. 10, U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a gunshot to the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University, an incident widely viewed as emblematic of escalating political polarization in the United States. Tyler Robinson, the accused shooter, had subscribed to "left-wing" ideology in recent years, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel. U.S. netizens traded blame fiercely following Kirk's death. Some accuse the "radical left" of suppressing free speech and even resorting to violence against those who invite peaceful debate, while others fault conservatives for fueling hatred and for their hypocritical silence when Democratic leaders were attacked. "We have deeply polarized politics, with many Americans viewing the other party not as wrong but as an existential threat," Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in the northeastern state of New Hampshire, told Xinhua. Barbara Walter, a professor of International Affairs at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego, said that political violence becomes far more likely under four conditions: when democracy is declining rapidly; when societies are divided by race, religion or ethnicity; when political leaders tolerate or encourage violence; and when citizens have easy access to guns. "The United States checks all four boxes, and none of them are getting better," she said. Walter continued to accuse the algorithms that amplify conspiracy theories, disinformation and hate. "The radicalization pipeline runs through a handful of American tech companies that remain almost entirely unregulated," she said. The Charlie Kirk case is not a single incident but part of a broader pattern of political violence in the United States that began with the insurrection at the Capitol in 2021, said Erica Frantz, an associate professor of Political Science at Michigan State University. She criticized what she described as an "unhealthy" state of democracy for fueling political violence. "Ruling party personalism -- where the party exists as a vehicle to further the leader's career rather than advance a clear policy platform -- is harmful for democracy ... making them more likely to justify the use of political violence," Frantz said, "particularly in elections in which the party loses." Credit Agricole SA (OTCMKTS:CRARY Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $10.2040 and last traded at $10.19, with a volume of 56614 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $10.11. Analyst Ratings Changes CRARY has been the topic of several analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered shares of Credit Agricole from a hold rating to a moderate sell rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Zacks Research cut Credit Agricole from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold. Get Credit Agricole alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Credit Agricole Credit Agricole Stock Up 0.6% The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $9.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $61.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.82 and a beta of 0.69. Credit Agricole (OTCMKTS:CRARY Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.01. Credit Agricole had a return on equity of 37.56% and a net margin of 27.03%. About Credit Agricole (Get Free Report) Credit Agricole SA provides retail, corporate, insurance, and investment banking products and services in France and internationally. It operates through French Retail Banking Regional Banks; French Retail Banking LCL; International Retail Banking; Asset Gathering; Large Customers; and Specialised Financial Services segments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Credit Agricole Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Credit Agricole and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Edison Internationals Q2 2026 earnings at $0.68 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.78 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.47 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.22 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.53 EPS and Q2 2027 earnings at $0.78 EPS. A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Edison International in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Edison International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Sunday. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH lifted their price objective on shares of Edison International from $52.50 to $55.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Cowen began coverage on Edison International in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an underweight rating and issued a $59.00 price objective on shares of Edison International in a research note on Tuesday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Edison International currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $63.70. Get Edison International alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on EIX Edison International Trading Down 1.3% Shares of EIX stock opened at $58.34 on Monday. Edison International has a 1-year low of $47.73 and a 1-year high of $81.20. The firm has a market cap of $22.45 billion, a PE ratio of 7.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a 50-day moving average of $57.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $54.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.76. Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The utilities provider reported $2.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.18. Edison International had a net margin of 17.24% and a return on equity of 13.62%. The firm had revenue of $5.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.51 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Edison International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.950-6.200 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Edison International will post 4.95 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity In related news, Director Peter J. Taylor sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.27, for a total transaction of $99,486.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 35,212 shares in the company, valued at $1,946,167.24. This represents a 4.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Edison International Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EIX. Kentucky Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Edison International by 66.7% in the second quarter. Kentucky Trust Co now owns 500 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management raised its position in Edison International by 677.8% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 560 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 488 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Edison International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its position in shares of Edison International by 113.7% in the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 577 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Edison International by 5,064.3% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 723 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 709 shares in the last quarter. 88.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Edison International Company Profile (Get Free Report) Edison International, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation and distribution of electric power. The company supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 50,000 square mile area of southern California to residential, commercial, industrial, public authorities, agricultural, and other sectors. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Edison International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edison International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oak Thistle LLC decreased its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG Free Report) by 50.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,868 shares of the companys stock after selling 8,886 shares during the quarter. Oak Thistle LLCs holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,992,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in Ferguson by 145.3% in the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 103.6% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 226 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 230.8% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the companys stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in Ferguson during the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the companys stock. Get Ferguson alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades FERG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $243.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Ferguson from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $250.47. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total transaction of $710,910.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $523,940.67. The trade was a 57.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO William Brundage sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.32, for a total transaction of $699,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,279,864.92. This represents a 5.39% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349 over the last ninety days. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Ferguson Stock Down 0.4% FERG opened at $224.59 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.17. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $242.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $146.00 and a 12-month high of $256.93. Ferguson (NYSE:FERG Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $8.17 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 36.42% and a net margin of 6.28%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.45 EPS. Ferguson Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. This is a boost from Fergusons previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Fergusons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.54%. About Ferguson (Free Report) Ferguson Enterprises Inc distributes plumbing and heating products in North America. The company provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, and fabrication, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to residential and non-residential customers. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FERG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Ferguson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ferguson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the five ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $70.00. Several analysts have commented on FNF shares. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Fidelity National Financial in a report on Monday. National Bankshares set a $64.00 target price on shares of Fidelity National Financial in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Barclays reaffirmed a cautious rating on shares of Fidelity National Financial in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Stephens started coverage on shares of Fidelity National Financial in a research note on Friday, November 14th. They set an overweight rating on the stock. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Fidelity National Financial from $69.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Get Fidelity National Financial alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on FNF Fidelity National Financial Trading Down 1.9% Shares of FNF opened at $57.55 on Friday. Fidelity National Financial has a fifty-two week low of $50.61 and a fifty-two week high of $66.72. The company has a market capitalization of $15.60 billion, a PE ratio of 13.38 and a beta of 1.01. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $57.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $57.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.25. Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 13th. The financial services provider reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter. Fidelity National Financial had a return on equity of 15.06% and a net margin of 8.34%. As a group, analysts forecast that Fidelity National Financial will post 6.28 EPS for the current year. Fidelity National Financial Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. This is a boost from Fidelity National Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 17th. Fidelity National Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.51%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director Daniel D. Lane sold 6,367 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.63, for a total value of $366,930.21. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 276,308 shares in the company, valued at $15,923,630.04. This trade represents a 2.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 5.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Fidelity National Financial A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FNF. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Fidelity National Financial by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 27,755,047 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,555,948,000 after purchasing an additional 580,133 shares in the last quarter. Windacre Partnership LLC grew its stake in Fidelity National Financial by 31.0% during the third quarter. Windacre Partnership LLC now owns 18,905,100 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,143,569,000 after buying an additional 4,477,900 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 0.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,469,029 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $572,782,000 after acquiring an additional 31,318 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 9,235,289 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $517,730,000 after acquiring an additional 234,288 shares during the period. Finally, Cooke & Bieler LP raised its stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 12.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 5,258,399 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $318,081,000 after acquiring an additional 574,189 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.17% of the companys stock. About Fidelity National Financial (Get Free Report) Fidelity National Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various insurance products in the United States. The company operates through Title, F&G, and Corporate and Other segments. It offers title insurance, escrow, and other title related services, including trust activities, trustee sales guarantees, recordings and reconveyances, and home warranty products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Fidelity National Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fidelity National Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO Free Report) Equities researchers at Zacks Research increased their FY2025 earnings estimates for shares of Valero Energy in a research note issued on Monday, December 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the oil and gas company will earn $9.17 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $9.16. The consensus estimate for Valero Energys current full-year earnings is $7.92 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Valero Energys Q4 2025 earnings at $2.34 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $3.28 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.95 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.79 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.72 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.85 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $8.59 EPS. Get Valero Energy alerts: VLO has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley downgraded Valero Energy from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and increased their price target for the stock from $160.00 to $175.00 in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $201.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $181.00 to $194.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $135.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $183.20. Valero Energy Trading Down 3.1% Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $162.67 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $171.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $155.19. The firm has a market cap of $49.62 billion, a PE ratio of 33.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.76. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $99.00 and a twelve month high of $185.62. Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The oil and gas company reported $3.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.15 by $0.51. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 8.69% and a net margin of 1.21%.The firm had revenue of $32.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. Valero Energys quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Waddell & Associates LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 2.8% during the third quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC now owns 2,040 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $347,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. DSG Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 1.6% in the third quarter. DSG Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,803 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $647,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Cypress Capital Group boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 0.3% during the third quarter. Cypress Capital Group now owns 18,786 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $3,199,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 3,381 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $576,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Becker Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Becker Capital Management Inc. now owns 11,837 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $2,015,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the companys stock. Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy In other news, CFO Jason W. Fraser sold 9,933 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.02, for a total value of $1,728,540.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 134,196 shares of the companys stock, valued at $23,352,787.92. This trade represents a 6.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.37% of the stock is owned by insiders. Valero Energy Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. Valero Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 94.36%. About Valero Energy (Get Free Report) Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Mexico, Peru, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Valero Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valero Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hong Kong & China Gas Co. (OTCMKTS:HOKCY Get Free Report) shares rose 5% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $0.84 and last traded at $0.84. Approximately 551 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 97% from the average daily volume of 18,860 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.80. Hong Kong & China Gas Stock Performance The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The stocks 50 day moving average is $0.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $0.86. Get Hong Kong & China Gas alerts: Institutional Trading of Hong Kong & China Gas An institutional investor recently raised its position in Hong Kong & China Gas stock. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in Hong Kong & China Gas Co. (OTCMKTS:HOKCY Free Report) by 26.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 131,441 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 27,860 shares during the quarter. Rhumbline Advisers holdings in Hong Kong & China Gas were worth $107,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Hong Kong & China Gas Company Profile The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, produces, distributes, and markets gas, water supply and energy services in Hong Kong and Mainland China. It is involved in the provision of smart energy, piped city-gas, upstream and midstream projects, water supply and wastewater treatment, urban waste resource utilization, and natural gas filling stations, as well as new energy exploration and utilization activities. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hong Kong & China Gas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hong Kong & China Gas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (BATS:HEEM Get Free Report)s share price dropped 0.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $34.50 and last traded at $34.50. Approximately 12,826 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, The stock had previously closed at $34.57. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Trading Down 0.2% The firms fifty day moving average is $34.59 and its 200 day moving average is $32.34. The company has a market cap of $195.27 million, a PE ratio of 13.80 and a beta of 0.53. Get iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HEEM. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF during the first quarter worth $493,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 26,248 shares of the companys stock valued at $884,000 after acquiring an additional 1,146 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $299,000. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new position in iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $204,000. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Company Profile The iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (HEEM) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund tracks an index of broad emerging market equities with currency exposure from the underlying stocks hedged out for USD investors. HEEM was launched on Sep 23, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jersey Electricity (LON:JEL Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported GBX 35.90 earnings per share for the quarter, Digital Look Earnings reports. Jersey Electricity had a return on equity of 4.58% and a net margin of 8.57%. Jersey Electricity Stock Down 3.2% Shares of Jersey Electricity stock opened at GBX 460 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 470.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 468.79. The stock has a market cap of 140.94 million, a PE ratio of 11.99 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a quick ratio of 2.90, a current ratio of 2.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.96. Jersey Electricity has a 12 month low of GBX 411 and a 12 month high of GBX 497.69. Get Jersey Electricity alerts: About Jersey Electricity (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Jersey Electricity plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity in Jersey. The company provides energy solutions for domestic and commercial customers looking to switch from fossil-fuel-based energy to clean and low-carbon electricity; and electric heating and hot water, electric transport, outdoor and indoor lighting, electric commercial kitchens, air conditioning, renewable energy, and CosyCare maintenance solutions. Receive News & Ratings for Jersey Electricity Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Jersey Electricity and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $184.00 to $202.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the financial services providers stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods price target indicates a potential upside of 15.45% from the stocks current price. Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $156.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Morgan Stanley in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. They issued an outperform rating and a $180.00 price target for the company. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $198.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $165.00 to $177.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $174.77. Get Morgan Stanley alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley Stock Down 0.9% NYSE MS traded down $1.55 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $174.97. The stock had a trading volume of 2,165,653 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,260,928. Morgan Stanley has a 12 month low of $94.33 and a 12 month high of $181.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. The companys 50-day moving average price is $165.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $152.09. The company has a market capitalization of $278.07 billion, a PE ratio of 17.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.22. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.73. The company had revenue of $17.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $16.42 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 13.85% and a return on equity of 16.40%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.88 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley In related news, CEO Edward Pick sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.34, for a total transaction of $16,434,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 574,986 shares in the company, valued at approximately $94,493,199.24. This trade represents a 14.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.19% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 111.0% during the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 211 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 645.8% in the second quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 65.2% in the third quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 185 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Morgan Stanley Company Profile (Get Free Report) Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Morgan Stanley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Key Colony Management LLC decreased its position in OneMain Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:OMF Free Report) by 5.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 455,000 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 25,000 shares during the quarter. OneMain makes up 34.9% of Key Colony Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its biggest holding. Key Colony Management LLC owned 0.38% of OneMain worth $25,689,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of OneMain during the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S bought a new stake in OneMain during the first quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in OneMain by 79.4% during the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 820 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 363 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its position in OneMain by 2,940.0% in the second quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 912 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 882 shares during the period. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in shares of OneMain during the 2nd quarter worth $56,000. 85.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get OneMain alerts: OneMain Stock Up 0.8% NYSE OMF opened at $67.75 on Wednesday. OneMain Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.00 and a twelve month high of $70.17. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $59.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $58.41. The firm has a market cap of $7.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.38. OneMain Increases Dividend OneMain ( NYSE:OMF Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The financial services provider reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.32. OneMain had a return on equity of 22.70% and a net margin of 13.15%.The company had revenue of $747.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.24 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.31 EPS. Research analysts expect that OneMain Holdings, Inc. will post 6.46 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were given a dividend of $1.05 per share. This is a positive change from OneMains previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. OneMains dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 71.19%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have recently commented on OMF. Wall Street Zen lowered OneMain from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Citigroup restated a market outperform rating on shares of OneMain in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on OneMain from $70.00 to $68.00 and set a market outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of OneMain in a report on Monday, August 25th. They issued an equal weight rating for the company. Finally, Truist Financial assumed coverage on shares of OneMain in a research note on Monday, December 8th. They set a buy rating and a $75.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, OneMain has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $64.00. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on OMF Insider Activity at OneMain In other OneMain news, CEO Douglas H. Shulman sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.54, for a total transaction of $2,083,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,600 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,789,464. This represents a 13.13% 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, SVP Michael A. Hedlund sold 652 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.00, for a total value of $40,424.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 15,179 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $941,098. The trade was a 4.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 40,652 shares of company stock valued at $2,420,324. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock. OneMain Profile (Free Report) OneMain Holdings, Inc, a financial service holding company, engages in the consumer finance and insurance businesses in the United States. It originates, underwrites, and services personal loans secured by automobiles, other titled collateral, or unsecured. The company also offers credit cards; optional credit insurance products, including life, disability, and involuntary unemployment insurance; optional non-credit insurance; guaranteed asset protection coverage as a waiver product or insurance; and membership plans. See Also Receive News & Ratings for OneMain Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OneMain and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Students take a class in the open air at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Students take a class in the open air at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Students take a class in the open air at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Students take a class in the open air at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Students attend an outdoor class at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Students take part in traditional games at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Students attend an outdoor class at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Students attend an outdoor class at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Students attend an outdoor class at a makeshift roadside school without proper shelters beside a highway junction in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE:PHG Get Free Report) has received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the five research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on PHG shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Koninklijke Philips from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Koninklijke Philips in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a sector perform rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Koninklijke Philips in a research report on Monday. Get Koninklijke Philips alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on PHG Koninklijke Philips Trading Down 1.0% NYSE PHG traded down $0.27 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $26.26. 199,540 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 906,743. The firm has a market cap of $25.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 131.31, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.79. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $27.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Koninklijke Philips has a 1-year low of $21.48 and a 1-year high of $29.54. Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The technology company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.37. The business had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.30 billion. Koninklijke Philips had a net margin of 1.07% and a return on equity of 12.14%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Koninklijke Philips will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Koninklijke Philips Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Affirmative Financial Network grew its position in Koninklijke Philips by 5.1% during the third quarter. First Affirmative Financial Network now owns 11,418 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $311,000 after acquiring an additional 550 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips in the 3rd quarter valued at $401,000. Morningstar Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Koninklijke Philips during the 3rd quarter valued at $5,434,000. XTX Topco Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 31,246 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $852,000 after purchasing an additional 1,825 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Capital Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Koninklijke Philips in the 3rd quarter worth $213,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.67% of the companys stock. About Koninklijke Philips (Get Free Report) Koninklijke Philips N.V. operates as a health technology company in North America, the Greater China, and internationally. The company operates through Diagnosis & Treatment Businesses, Connected Care Businesses, and Personal Health Businesses segments. It also provides diagnostic imaging solutions, includes magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray systems, and computed tomography (CT) systems and software comprising detector-based spectral CT solutions, as well as molecular and hybrid imaging solutions for nuclear medicine; echography solutions focused on diagnosis, treatment planning and guidance for cardiology, general imaging, obstetrics/gynecology, and point-of-care applications; integrated interventional systems, and interventional diagnostic and therapeutic devices to treat coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Koninklijke Philips Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Koninklijke Philips and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp raised its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX Free Report) by 10.9% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 78,255 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock after acquiring an additional 7,675 shares during the period. Texas Permanent School Fund Corps holdings in Louisiana-Pacific were worth $6,729,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 17.0% in the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 9,087 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $781,000 after purchasing an additional 1,323 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 21.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 9,600 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $829,000 after buying an additional 1,699 shares during the period. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Louisiana-Pacific in the second quarter valued at $208,000. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Louisiana-Pacific during the second quarter valued at about $1,862,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Louisiana-Pacific by 2,000.0% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,050 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.73% of the companys stock. Get Louisiana-Pacific alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes LPX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays initiated coverage on Louisiana-Pacific in a report on Monday, December 8th. They set an overweight rating and a $100.00 target price for the company. TD Securities decreased their price objective on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $97.00 to $91.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a research report on Monday. DA Davidson restated a buy rating and set a $117.00 target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Vertical Research started coverage on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They set a buy rating for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $105.43. Louisiana-Pacific Stock Down 1.5% Shares of Louisiana-Pacific stock opened at $84.60 on Wednesday. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation has a 1-year low of $73.42 and a 1-year high of $119.91. The company has a market capitalization of $5.89 billion, a PE ratio of 27.38 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.93 and a quick ratio of 1.72. The business has a 50-day moving average of $84.30 and a 200-day moving average of $88.92. Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The building manufacturing company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.01). Louisiana-Pacific had a return on equity of 14.90% and a net margin of 7.69%.The business had revenue of $663.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $670.26 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.22 EPS. The companys revenue was down 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Louisiana-Pacific Corporation will post 5.27 EPS for the current fiscal year. Louisiana-Pacific Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Louisiana-Pacifics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.25%. Insider Buying and Selling at Louisiana-Pacific In related news, Director Stephen E. Macadam purchased 3,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $78.06 per share, for a total transaction of $249,792.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 41,149 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,212,090.94. This represents a 8.43% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.42% of the companys stock. Louisiana-Pacific Company Profile (Free Report) Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides building solutions primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structure markets. It operates through Siding, Oriented Strand Board, LP South America, and Other segments. The Siding segment offers LP SmartSide trim and siding products, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish trim and siding products, LP BuilderSeries lap siding products, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions; and engineered wood siding, trim, soffit, and fascia products. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LPX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Louisiana-Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Louisiana-Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mitsubishi Electric Co. (OTCMKTS:MIELY Get Free Report)s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $61.87, but opened at $59.30. Mitsubishi Electric shares last traded at $58.99, with a volume of 1,163 shares changing hands. Mitsubishi Electric Stock Performance The stock has a 50 day moving average of $54.98 and a 200 day moving average of $49.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.67 and a beta of 0.57. Mitsubishi Electric Company Profile (Get Free Report) Mitsubishi Electric Corporation develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells electrical and electronic equipment worldwide. The company operates through: Infrastructure, Industry Mobility, Life, Business Platform, Semiconductor and Device, and Others segments. It offers turbine generators, nuclear power plant and power electronics equipment, motors, transformers, circuit breakers, gas insulated switchgears, switch controls, surveillance-system control and security systems, transmission and distribution ICT systems, display devices, locomotive and rolling stock electrical equipment, wireless and wired communications systems, network camera systems, elevators, escalators, building security and management systems, and others. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Moody National Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 7,939 shares of the semiconductor companys stock, valued at approximately $2,217,000. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV purchased a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 174.1% during the second quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 159 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the first quarter worth $28,000. 16.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have commented on TSM. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Sunday, December 7th. Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $300.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Itau BBA Securities started coverage on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. They set an outperform rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and issued a $360.00 price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Sunday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $355.00. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Trading Down 0.3% Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing stock opened at $286.95 on Wednesday. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. has a 1 year low of $134.25 and a 1 year high of $313.98. The firms 50-day moving average is $293.21 and its 200-day moving average is $258.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 2.47 and a current ratio of 2.69. The company has a market cap of $1.49 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.43, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.31. 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 for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.33. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a net margin of 43.72% and a return on equity of 34.34%. The business had revenue of $32.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $951.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.94 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 40.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. will post 9.2 earnings per share for the current year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.9678 per share. This represents a $3.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This is a positive change from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings payout ratio is currently 25.85%. About Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gartner (NYSE:IT Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $281.00 to $275.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has an equal weight rating on the information technology services providers stock. Morgan Stanleys price objective suggests a potential upside of 7.69% from the companys current price. Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Gartner from $457.00 to $390.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Gartner from $231.00 to $218.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Gartner from a hold (c-) rating to a sell (d+) rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Gartner from $270.00 to $260.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Gartner in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. They issued a peer perform rating for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Gartner presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $308.11. Get Gartner alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Gartner Gartner Trading Up 3.2% Gartner stock traded up $8.03 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $255.37. 152,937 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 952,903. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.42. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $236.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $289.12. Gartner has a fifty-two week low of $222.54 and a fifty-two week high of $584.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.40 and a beta of 1.08. Gartner (NYSE:IT Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The information technology services provider reported $2.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.41 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $1.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.52 billion. Gartner had a net margin of 13.71% and a return on equity of 92.12%. Gartner has set its FY 2025 guidance at 12.650- EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Gartner will post 12.5 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling at Gartner In other Gartner news, EVP Claire Herkes sold 367 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.56, for a total value of $84,982.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,074 shares in the company, valued at $943,375.44. The trade was a 8.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen G. Pagliuca acquired 43,300 shares of Gartner stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $229.57 per share, for a total transaction of $9,940,381.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 111,613 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $25,622,996.41. This represents a 63.38% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 3.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gartner A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of IT. Independent Franchise Partners LLP acquired a new position in shares of Gartner during the third quarter worth about $840,166,000. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Gartner in the third quarter worth approximately $820,113,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Gartner in the second quarter worth approximately $394,133,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Gartner by 692.2% during the 1st quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,066,732 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $447,751,000 after acquiring an additional 932,077 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY increased its position in shares of Gartner by 18.3% in the 3rd quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 4,322,113 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,136,154,000 after purchasing an additional 669,352 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.51% of the companys stock. Gartner Company Profile (Get Free Report) Gartner, Inc operates as a research and advisory company in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Research, Conferences, and Consulting. The Research segment delivers its research primarily through a subscription service that include on-demand access to published research content, data and benchmarks, and direct access to a network of research experts. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Gartner Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gartner and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hydro One (TSE:H Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at National Bankshares from C$49.00 to C$53.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage presently has a sector perform rating on the stock. National Bankshares price objective indicates a potential downside of 0.15% from the stocks current price. Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on H. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Hydro One from C$49.00 to C$53.50 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Hydro One from C$51.00 to C$53.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, CIBC boosted their price target on Hydro One from C$52.00 to C$54.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$52.95. Get Hydro One alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on H Hydro One Trading Up 0.8% Hydro One stock traded up C$0.43 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting C$53.08. The companys stock had a trading volume of 220,989 shares, compared to its average volume of 983,594. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 140.53, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.58. The company has a 50 day moving average of C$52.71 and a 200-day moving average of C$50.58. Hydro One has a one year low of C$42.52 and a one year high of C$55.47. The stock has a market cap of C$31.84 billion, a PE ratio of 24.46, a P/E/G ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.25. Hydro One (TSE:H Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported C$0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$1.22 billion during the quarter. Hydro One had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 9.58%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Hydro One will post 2.0572195 EPS for the current year. Hydro One Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hydro One operates regulated transmission and distribution assets in Ontario. The areas largest electricity provider serves nearly 1.5 million customers. Transmission accounts for roughly 60% of the companys rate base, with distribution accounting for the remainder. Hydro One operates a small telecom business, Acronym Solutions, with annual revenue contributing less than 1% to consolidated results. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hydro One Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hydro One and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA Get Free Report) (TSE:NOA) have received a consensus rating of Hold from the seven ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation. A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of North American Construction Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research raised North American Construction Group from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Get North American Construction Group alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on NOA Institutional Investors Weigh In On North American Construction Group North American Construction Group Price Performance A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its position in North American Construction Group by 0.4% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 279,428 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $4,074,000 after purchasing an additional 1,153 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its position in shares of North American Construction Group by 16.7% during the 2nd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 10,307 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $165,000 after purchasing an additional 1,474 shares during the last quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in North American Construction Group by 3.0% during the second quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 70,692 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,139,000 after buying an additional 2,040 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC increased its position in shares of North American Construction Group by 16.3% during the third quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 16,709 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $237,000 after acquiring an additional 2,339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its stake in shares of North American Construction Group by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 51,300 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $818,000 after acquiring an additional 4,200 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.99% of the companys stock. North American Construction Group stock opened at $13.94 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $405.23 million, a P/E ratio of 14.82 and a beta of 1.14. The companys fifty day moving average price is $14.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.91. North American Construction Group has a 1 year low of $12.12 and a 1 year high of $22.08. North American Construction Group (NYSE:NOA Get Free Report) (TSE:NOA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 12th. The oil and gas company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.50 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $280.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $231.58 million. North American Construction Group had a return on equity of 13.29% and a net margin of 3.02%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that North American Construction Group will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. North American Construction Group Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 26th will be paid a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 26th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from North American Construction Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. North American Construction Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 36.17%. About North American Construction Group (Get Free Report) North American Construction Group Ltd. provides mining and heavy civil construction services to customers in the resource development and industrial construction sectors in Australia, Canada, and the United States. The company operates Heavy Equipment Canada, Heavy Equipment Australia, and Other segments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for North American Construction Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North American Construction Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Novo Nordisk A/S (B Shares) ADRhedged (NYSEARCA:NVOH Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be given a dividend of 0.488 per share on Wednesday, December 24th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 7.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. Novo Nordisk A/S (B Shares) ADRhedged Trading Down 4.4% Shares of NYSEARCA NVOH opened at $26.29 on Wednesday. Novo Nordisk A/S has a twelve month low of $24.28 and a twelve month high of $54.13. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $27.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.65. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S (B Shares) ADRhedged Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S (B Shares) ADRhedged and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF (BATS:NUDM Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $38.3293 and last traded at $39.05, with a volume of 29617 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $38.24. Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF Price Performance The firms fifty day moving average is $38.08 and its 200 day moving average is $36.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $616.28 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.48 and a beta of 0.86. Get Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Flow Traders U.S. LLC increased its stake in Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF by 76.7% in the 2nd quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 157,028 shares of the companys stock worth $5,573,000 after acquiring an additional 68,163 shares during the last quarter. Ledyard National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF by 3.3% during the second quarter. Ledyard National Bank now owns 39,898 shares of the companys stock worth $1,416,000 after purchasing an additional 1,290 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prism Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF by 4.0% during the third quarter. Prism Advisors Inc. now owns 29,592 shares of the companys stock worth $1,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,136 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF Company Profile The Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF (NUDM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI TIAA ESG International DM index. The fund tracks an index of companies from developed countries, excluding the US and Canada, that align with various environmental, social, and governance principles. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp. (NYSE:ECO Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $37.00. Several research firms have weighed in on ECO. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Okeanis Eco Tankers from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. B. Riley increased their price target on shares of Okeanis Eco Tankers from $35.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of Okeanis Eco Tankers in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen raised Okeanis Eco Tankers from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Finally, Clarkson Capital raised shares of Okeanis Eco Tankers to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Get Okeanis Eco Tankers alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Okeanis Eco Tankers Okeanis Eco Tankers Stock Up 1.7% Shares of NYSE ECO opened at $35.78 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 14.98 and a beta of -0.01. Okeanis Eco Tankers has a 1 year low of $17.91 and a 1 year high of $39.77. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $34.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $28.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 1.69. Okeanis Eco Tankers (NYSE:ECO Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.48. The company had revenue of $90.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $51.29 million. Okeanis Eco Tankers had a return on equity of 18.05% and a net margin of 21.92%. On average, research analysts forecast that Okeanis Eco Tankers will post 1.34 EPS for the current year. Okeanis Eco Tankers Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were given a $0.75 dividend. This is a positive change from Okeanis Eco Tankerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.4%. Okeanis Eco Tankerss payout ratio is 125.52%. Institutional Trading of Okeanis Eco Tankers Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Boston Partners raised its stake in Okeanis Eco Tankers by 23.9% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 71,731 shares of the companys stock worth $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 13,842 shares during the period. Energy Income Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Okeanis Eco Tankers by 84.6% in the 1st quarter. Energy Income Partners LLC now owns 51,189 shares of the companys stock worth $1,131,000 after acquiring an additional 23,452 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Okeanis Eco Tankers by 56.8% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 150,568 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,328,000 after purchasing an additional 54,528 shares in the last quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Okeanis Eco Tankers by 210.9% in the 1st quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 122,529 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,906,000 after buying an additional 83,122 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in Okeanis Eco Tankers by 108.2% in the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 420,789 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,144,000 after purchasing an additional 218,717 shares in the last quarter. About Okeanis Eco Tankers (Get Free Report) Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp., a shipping company, owns and operates tanker vessels worldwide. It operates a fleet of 14 tanker vessels comprising six modern Suezmax tankers and eight modern VLCC tankers focusing on the transportation of crude oil. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in Neo Faliro, Greece. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Okeanis Eco Tankers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Okeanis Eco Tankers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Wednesday issued a yellow alert for heavy fog in some parts of the country. From Wednesday evening to Thursday morning, thick fog is expected to shroud parts of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, the Sichuan Basin and Chongqing, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC). In some regions of Hebei, Henan, the Sichuan Basin and Chongqing, visibility may be reduced to below 200 meters, the NMC said. Drivers have been asked to maintain safe speeds, and airports, freeways and ports have been instructed to take appropriate safety measures. China has a three-tier, color-coded warning system for thick fog, with red being the most serious warning, followed by orange and yellow. Citizens, Inc. (NYSE:CIA Free Report) Analysts at Sidoti Csr issued their Q1 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Citizens in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, December 16th. Sidoti Csr analyst B. Mccarthy forecasts that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of $0.06 for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Citizens current full-year earnings is $0.32 per share. Sidoti Csr also issued estimates for Citizens Q2 2027 earnings at $0.08 EPS and Q3 2027 earnings at $0.09 EPS. Get Citizens alerts: Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Citizens in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Citizens presently has an average rating of Hold. Citizens Stock Performance Citizens stock opened at $5.72 on Wednesday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $5.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $4.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $287.12 million, a PE ratio of 27.22 and a beta of 0.36. Citizens has a one year low of $2.90 and a one year high of $6.36. Citizens (NYSE:CIA Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The insurance provider reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $64.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $63.46 million. Citizens had a return on equity of 6.54% and a net margin of 4.40%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CIA. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey bought a new stake in shares of Citizens in the second quarter worth $32,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Citizens by 3,686.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 14,541 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 14,157 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Citizens by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 10,724 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 5,141 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Citizens in the 3rd quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in shares of Citizens in the 2nd quarter valued at about $63,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.73% of the companys stock. About Citizens (Get Free Report) Citizens, Inc provides life insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Life Insurance and Home Service Insurance. The Life Insurance segment issues ordinary whole life insurance and endowment policies in the United States dollar-denominated amounts to non-U.S. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Citizens Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Citizens and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Japan Airlines (OTCMKTS:JAPSY Get Free Report) and Air France-KLM (OTCMKTS:AFLYY Get Free Report) are both mid-cap transportation companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, dividends and institutional ownership. Institutional and Insider Ownership 0.9% of Air France-KLM shares are held by institutional investors. 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. Get Japan Airlines alerts: Risk & Volatility Japan Airlines has a beta of 0.38, suggesting that its stock price is 62% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Air France-KLM has a beta of 1.3, suggesting that its stock price is 30% more volatile than the S&P 500. Analyst Recommendations Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Japan Airlines 1 0 0 1 2.50 Air France-KLM 0 5 1 1 2.43 Valuation & Earnings This is a summary of current ratings for Japan Airlines and Air France-KLM, as provided by MarketBeat.com. This table compares Japan Airlines and Air France-KLMs revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Japan Airlines $12.11 billion 0.68 $706.45 million $0.95 9.88 Air France-KLM $34.05 billion 0.10 $343.03 million $0.40 3.36 Japan Airlines has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Air France-KLM. Air France-KLM is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Japan Airlines, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Japan Airlines and Air France-KLMs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Japan Airlines 6.48% 11.17% 4.29% Air France-KLM 3.21% 82.86% 2.79% Summary Japan Airlines beats Air France-KLM on 7 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About Japan Airlines (Get Free Report) Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services in Japan, Asia, Oceania, North America, and Europe. The company operates through Air Transportation and Other segments. It offers passenger, ground handling, cargo and mail handling, and maintenance services. The company is also involved in the aerial work and other related business; airport peripheral business; and sale of travel package tours. As of March 31, 2023, it operated a fleet of 224 aircraft. The company was formerly known as Japan Airlines International Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. in April 2011. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. About Air France-KLM (Get Free Report) Air France-KLM SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides passenger and cargo transportation services and aeronautical maintenance in Metropolitan France, Benelux, rest of Europe, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Airframe maintenance, Engine Maintenance, and Component Support. It offers airframe maintenance, electronic, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and other services. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Receive News & Ratings for Japan Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Japan Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sanders Morris Harris LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report) by 107.3% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 17,951 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 9,292 shares during the period. Sanders Morris Harris LLCs holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,186,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Carderock Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Country Trust Bank grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Altria Group alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have recently commented on MO. Stifel Nicolaus set a $72.00 price target on Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $61.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $62.33. Altria Group Stock Performance Shares of NYSE MO opened at $59.41 on Wednesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $50.08 and a one year high of $68.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $99.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.34, a PEG ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 0.48. The companys fifty day moving average is $60.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $61.76. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 37.89% and a negative return on equity of 319.43%. The business had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.38 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.370-5.45 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Altria Group Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.1%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 80.92%. Altria Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. About Altria Group (Free Report) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Northside Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD Free Report) by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 172,338 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 18,309 shares during the period. SPDR Gold Shares makes up about 5.6% of Northside Capital Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Northside Capital Management LLCs holdings in SPDR Gold Shares were worth $61,261,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. American National Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in SPDR Gold Shares by 52.4% in the 2nd quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 291 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $89,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. StrongBox Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 10.1% during the second quarter. StrongBox Wealth LLC now owns 1,487 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $453,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 6.5% during the second quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,509 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,070,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 14.6% in the second quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 51,235 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $15,618,000 after acquiring an additional 6,540 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in SPDR Gold Shares by 151.5% in the second quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $422,000 after purchasing an additional 835 shares during the last quarter. 42.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get SPDR Gold Shares alerts: SPDR Gold Shares Stock Up 0.0% GLD stock opened at $395.89 on Wednesday. The stocks 50 day moving average is $379.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $340.08. SPDR Gold Shares has a 52-week low of $238.73 and a 52-week high of $403.30. The company has a market capitalization of $143.27 billion, a PE ratio of -32.43 and a beta of 0.09. SPDR Gold Shares Company Profile SPDR Gold Trust (the Trust) is an investment trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the Trusts expenses. The Trusts business activity is the investment of gold. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 100,000 Shares). Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GLD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for SPDR Gold Shares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR Gold Shares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DHT Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DHT Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders purchased 10,920 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 468% compared to the typical volume of 1,921 put options. Hedge Funds Weigh In On DHT Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Martingale Asset Management L P boosted its stake in shares of DHT by 0.6% in the first quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 165,461 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $1,737,000 after acquiring an additional 970 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in DHT by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 177,393 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $1,918,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its stake in DHT by 101.6% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,714 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,368 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of DHT by 91.8% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,334 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 1,596 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of DHT by 4.5% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 37,567 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $406,000 after buying an additional 1,634 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.53% of the companys stock. Get DHT alerts: DHT Price Performance DHT stock traded up $0.27 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $12.78. The company had a trading volume of 625,750 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,778,343. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a PE ratio of 10.30 and a beta of -0.08. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $12.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $11.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 2.41. DHT has a 1-year low of $8.76 and a 1-year high of $13.85. DHT Cuts Dividend DHT ( NYSE:DHT Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The shipping company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) 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 the consensus estimate of $78.83 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.22 earnings per share. The companys revenue was down 14.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that DHT will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were paid a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. DHTs payout ratio is 58.06%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $16.00 price objective on shares of DHT in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen cut DHT from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday. BTIG Research reissued a buy rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of DHT in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of DHT in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of DHT from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $15.67. View Our Latest Stock Report on DHT About DHT (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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for DHT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DHT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 25,074 put options on the company. This is an increase of 141% compared to the typical volume of 10,389 put options. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth ABR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler set a $10.00 price target on shares of Arbor Realty Trust and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated an underperform rating and issued a $8.50 target price (down previously from $11.00) on shares of Arbor Realty Trust in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Arbor Realty Trust in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered Arbor Realty Trust from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Sunday, October 26th. Finally, JMP Securities dropped their price objective on Arbor Realty Trust from $13.50 to $13.00 and set a market outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $10.13. Get Arbor Realty Trust alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on Arbor Realty Trust Insider Transactions at Arbor Realty Trust Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arbor Realty Trust In related news, CEO Ivan Kaufman bought 29,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were bought at an average price of $8.34 per share, with a total value of $241,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 54,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $450,360. This represents a 116.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . Company insiders own 3.80% of the companys stock. Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust during the second quarter worth $27,000. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new stake in Arbor Realty Trust in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in Arbor Realty Trust by 77.8% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,583 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 1,130 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust by 73.5% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,774 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. 57.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Arbor Realty Trust Stock Down 1.5% NYSE ABR traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $8.25. 2,800,937 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,269,667. The company has a quick ratio of 287.79, a current ratio of 287.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51. The firm has a market cap of $1.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.29 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a 50 day moving average of $9.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.85. Arbor Realty Trust has a 52-week low of $8.18 and a 52-week high of $14.36. Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.07. Arbor Realty Trust had a return on equity of 11.63% and a net margin of 20.07%.The business had revenue of $162.49 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $72.26 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Arbor Realty Trust will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current year. Arbor Realty Trust Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 14.5%. Arbor Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently 150.00%. About Arbor Realty Trust (Get Free Report) Arbor Realty Trust, Inc invests in a diversified portfolio of structured finance assets in the multifamily, single-family rental, and commercial real estate markets in the United States. The company operates through Structured Business and Agency Business segments. It primarily invests in bridge and mezzanine loans, including junior participating interests in first mortgages, and preferred and direct equity, as well as real estate-related joint ventures, real estate-related notes, and various mortgage-related securities. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Arbor Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arbor Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StrongBox Wealth LLC lowered its position in Prologis, Inc. (NYSE:PLD Free Report) by 80.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,422 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 13,879 shares during the period. StrongBox Wealth LLCs holdings in Prologis were worth $392,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PLD. Activest Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Prologis by 637.1% during the first quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 258 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new stake in Prologis during the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in Prologis during the first quarter worth $41,000. Barrett & Company Inc. bought a new position in shares of Prologis in the second quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Prologis during the second quarter valued at about $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.50% of the companys stock. Get Prologis alerts: Prologis Price Performance Shares of NYSE PLD opened at $127.73 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $118.64 billion, a PE ratio of 37.24, a PEG ratio of 4.01 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $124.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $115.02. Prologis, Inc. has a twelve month low of $85.35 and a twelve month high of $131.70. Prologis Announces Dividend Prologis ( NYSE:PLD Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.05. Prologis had a return on equity of 5.55% and a net margin of 36.71%.The business had revenue of $2.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. Prologiss quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Prologis has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.780-5.810 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Prologis, Inc. will post 5.73 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be given a dividend of $1.01 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Prologiss dividend payout ratio is presently 117.78%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Cristina Gabriela Bita sold 621 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.60, for a total transaction of $79,239.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,208 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,047,340.80. This trade represents a 7.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold a total of 1,621 shares of company stock worth $198,655 in the last three months. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms recently weighed in on PLD. Industrial Alliance Securities set a $119.00 target price on shares of Prologis in a report on Monday, October 20th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Prologis from $119.00 to $118.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 15th. Truist Financial restated a buy rating and issued a $131.00 target price (up previously from $120.00) on shares of Prologis in a report on Monday, October 20th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Prologis from $113.00 to $116.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Prologis from a hold (c+) rating to a buy (b-) rating in a report on Monday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $126.88. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on PLD Prologis Company Profile (Free Report) Prologis, Inc is the global leader in logistics real estate with a focus on high-barrier, high-growth markets. At March 31, 2024, the company owned or had investments in, on a wholly owned basis or through co-investment ventures, properties and development projects expected to total approximately 1.2 billion square feet (115 million square meters) in 19 countries. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Prologis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prologis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hunting PLC (LON:HTG Get Free Report) insider Stuart Brightman acquired 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 388 per share, for a total transaction of 77,600. Hunting Trading Down 0.1% Shares of HTG opened at GBX 390 on Wednesday. Hunting PLC has a 1 year low of GBX 245 and a 1 year high of GBX 400. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.64. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 357.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 325.55. The stock has a market cap of 590.97 million, a PE ratio of -18.40, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.07. Get Hunting alerts: Hunting announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, August 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase $40.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 6.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the companys board of directors believes its stock is undervalued. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Collins Stewart reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 600 price objective on shares of Hunting in a research note on Thursday, August 28th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Hunting from GBX 350 to GBX 400 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 600 target price on shares of Hunting in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a GBX 440 price target on shares of Hunting in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, Berenberg Bank decreased their price objective on shares of Hunting from GBX 465 to GBX 450 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of GBX 498. Get Our Latest Report on Hunting Hunting Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hunting is a global precision engineering group, which provides quality-assured products and services for the energy, aviation, commercial space, defence, medical, and power generation sectors. Our strong focus on quality assured products, supported by rigorous health and safety procedures, ensures we assist in the delivery of energy safely and it is also the basis of our standing in this critical, global industry. Our intellectual property portfolio enables the Hunting Group to maintain a leading technology edge, so that energy projects are delivered quicker and at lower cost with minimal impact on the environment. Our people are our most important asset. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hunting Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hunting and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM Get Free Report) have received an average rating of Buy from the seven ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $355.00. Several brokerages have issued reports on TSM. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a report on Monday. UBS Group set a $330.00 target price on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Sunday, December 7th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $300.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Sunday, December 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Sunday. Get Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Trading Down 0.3% NYSE:TSM opened at $286.95 on Friday. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing has a 12 month low of $134.25 and a 12 month high of $313.98. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $1.49 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.43, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.31. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $293.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $258.48. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM Get Free Report) last released 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 net margin of 43.72% and a return on equity of 34.34%. The businesss revenue was up 40.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.94 EPS. Analysts expect that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing will post 9.2 EPS for the current fiscal year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $0.9678 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $3.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.85%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Westfuller Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 2.2% in the third quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC now owns 1,551 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $434,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. BankPlus Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. BankPlus Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,291 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $640,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 500 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $140,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. New Millennium Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. New Millennium Group LLC now owns 1,248 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $349,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empirical Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Empirical Asset Management LLC now owns 2,008 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $561,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.51% of the companys stock. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the twenty-one analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fifteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $230.8750. THC has been the subject of several research reports. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Tenet Healthcare from $194.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, October 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Tenet Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a buy rating and a $224.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Tenet Healthcare from $238.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Tenet Healthcare from $200.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Tenet Healthcare from a buy (b-) rating to a hold (c+) rating in a research report on Monday. Get Tenet Healthcare alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Tenet Healthcare Tenet Healthcare Price Performance Shares of THC traded down $2.28 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $194.60. 39,579 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,376,100. Tenet Healthcare has a 52-week low of $109.82 and a 52-week high of $222.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.27. The companys 50-day moving average price is $202.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $185.94. The company has a market cap of $17.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.44. Tenet Healthcare (NYSE:THC Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The company reported $3.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.33 by $0.37. Tenet Healthcare had a net margin of 6.49% and a return on equity of 25.11%. The firm had revenue of $5.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.26 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.93 earnings per share. Tenet Healthcares revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Tenet Healthcare has set its FY 2025 guidance at 15.930-16.26 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Tenet Healthcare will post 12.24 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling at Tenet Healthcare In other news, insider R. Scott Ramsey sold 13,322 shares of Tenet Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.11, for a total transaction of $2,732,475.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Richard W. Fisher sold 2,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.43, for a total value of $521,075.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 8,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,832,516.56. This represents a 22.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 43,322 shares of company stock valued at $8,816,982 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.81% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Tenet Healthcare Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of THC. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Tenet Healthcare during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Tenet Healthcare during the third quarter worth $32,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Tenet Healthcare by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 192 shares of the companys stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in Tenet Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in Tenet Healthcare in the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. 95.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Tenet Healthcare (Get Free Report) Tenet Healthcare Corporation operates as a diversified healthcare services company in the United States. The company operates through two segments: Hospital Operations and Services, and Ambulatory Care. Its general hospitals offer acute care services, operating and recovery rooms, radiology and respiratory therapy services, clinical laboratories, and pharmacies. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Tenet Healthcare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tenet Healthcare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MINSK, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the conflict in Ukraine will eventually end in peace, but emphasized that an early resolution is crucial to prevent further loss of life. In an interview with the American Newsmax TV, Lukashenko expressed strong concerns about the humanitarian cost of prolonged fighting, noting the high number of casualties and severely wounded individuals returning from the front lines. The interview took place recently and was published on the Belarusian president's website on Wednesday. The Belarusian leader pointed out that a peaceful resolution depends on multiple parties, not just the efforts of a single country, noting that the U.S. president alone cannot resolve the conflict, which directly involves Russia, Ukraine, and neighboring states like Belarus. Lukashenko underscored that a quick agreement would be unlikely. He reiterated that the key to peace talks is first establishing a complete ceasefire to ensure no side uses the pause to rearm. He warned that continued escalation could lead to broader mobilization and even a global conflict and urged all sides to seize the current opportunity for negotiation. Strong guarantees were needed to ensure a lasting peace. Lukashenko called on external actors to avoid prolonging the war and instead focus on a sustainable diplomatic solution. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp decreased its position in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW Free Report) by 38.4% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 16,183 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 10,078 shares during the quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corps holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $5,557,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 1.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,328,552 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $7,666,732,000 after buying an additional 246,008 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 21.0% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,657,536 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $3,023,126,000 after acquiring an additional 1,505,341 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,111,157 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,746,222,000 after acquiring an additional 90,482 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,409,209 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,539,652,000 after purchasing an additional 93,209 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main boosted its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 3,887,808 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,334,918,000 after purchasing an additional 351,453 shares during the last quarter. 77.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Sherwin-Williams alerts: Sherwin-Williams Price Performance Shares of NYSE:SHW opened at $328.21 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.36 billion, a PE ratio of 32.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 1.24. The firms 50 day moving average price is $335.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $345.58. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a twelve month low of $308.84 and a twelve month high of $379.65. Sherwin-Williams Announces Dividend Sherwin-Williams ( NYSE:SHW Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.44 by $0.15. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 11.05% and a return on equity of 66.75%. The business had revenue of $6.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.21 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.37 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sherwin-Williams has set its FY 2025 guidance at 11.250-11.450 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. Sherwin-Williamss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.83%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have recently weighed in on SHW shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a report on Monday. UBS Group reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $422.00 price target (up previously from $400.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $405.00 price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $410.00 target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $390.87. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on SHW Sherwin-Williams Profile (Free Report) The Sherwin-Williams Company engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints, coating, and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers. It operates through three segments: Paint Stores Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coatings Group. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SHW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Sherwin-Williams Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sherwin-Williams and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp lowered its position in shares of Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO Free Report) by 41.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 77,120 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 54,150 shares during the quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corps holdings in Southern were worth $7,082,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of SO. Equitable Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Southern by 24.7% in the second quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 34,527 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,171,000 after purchasing an additional 6,843 shares during the period. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC raised its position in shares of Southern by 23.6% in the 2nd quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 7,145 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $656,000 after buying an additional 1,366 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Southern by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 822,403 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $75,521,000 after acquiring an additional 42,531 shares during the period. Shelton Capital Management raised its position in Southern by 700.6% during the second quarter. Shelton Capital Management now owns 161,618 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $14,841,000 after purchasing an additional 141,430 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 105,904,243 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $9,725,187,000 after purchasing an additional 1,694,066 shares in the last quarter. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Southern alerts: Southern Trading Down 0.5% SO opened at $85.60 on Wednesday. Southern Company has a twelve month low of $80.46 and a twelve month high of $100.83. The company has a fifty day moving average of $91.80 and a 200-day moving average of $92.27. The stock has a market cap of $94.25 billion, a PE ratio of 21.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. Southern Announces Dividend Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.09. Southern had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 12.52%. The business had revenue of $7.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.39 earnings per share. Southerns revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Southern Company will post 4.29 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a $0.74 dividend. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.27%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have issued reports on SO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Southern from $104.00 to $93.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Southern from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, December 6th. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on shares of Southern from $87.00 to $76.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Southern in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $97.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Southern in a report on Monday, October 6th. They set an in-line rating and a $103.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Southern currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $96.79. View Our Latest Analysis on SO Southern Company 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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Stryker Corporation (NYSE:SYK Free Report) by 91.6% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,054 shares of the medical technology companys stock after selling 11,494 shares during the period. Stryker accounts for approximately 0.8% of Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc.s holdings in Stryker were worth $390,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Stryker during the second quarter valued at $1,882,173,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in shares of Stryker by 307.6% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,596,508 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $2,214,146,000 after purchasing an additional 4,223,366 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Stryker by 104.4% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,245,841 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $887,525,000 after buying an additional 1,146,998 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Stryker by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 12,131,218 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $4,515,847,000 after buying an additional 1,021,496 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABN AMRO Bank N.V. purchased a new stake in Stryker during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $191,047,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.09% of the companys stock. Get Stryker alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Stryker In related news, Director Ronda E. Stryker sold 276,173 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $353.28, for a total transaction of $97,566,397.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,702,108 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $954,600,714.24. This trade represents a 9.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Preston Wendell Wells sold 165 shares of Stryker stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.88, for a total transaction of $60,370.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 6,694 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,449,200.72. This trade represents a 2.41% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 522,118 shares of company stock valued at $185,381,932 over the last 90 days. 5.20% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on SYK shares. BTIG Research restated a buy rating and issued a $410.00 target price on shares of Stryker in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Rothschild Redb upgraded Stryker to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of Stryker in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Stryker from $452.00 to $456.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Redburn Partners set a $420.00 price objective on shares of Stryker in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $431.83. View Our Latest Research Report on Stryker Stryker Price Performance Stryker stock opened at $351.63 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $366.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $378.04. Stryker Corporation has a 12-month low of $329.16 and a 12-month high of $406.19. The stock has a market cap of $134.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.21, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.89. Stryker (NYSE:SYK Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The medical technology company reported $3.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.13 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $6.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.04 billion. Stryker had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 24.07%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.87 EPS. Stryker has set its FY 2025 guidance at 13.500-13.600 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Stryker Corporation will post 13.47 earnings per share for the current year. Stryker Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.88 dividend. This is an increase from Strykers previous quarterly dividend of $0.84. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Strykers payout ratio is presently 44.15%. About Stryker (Free Report) Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through two segments, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics and Spine. The Orthopaedics and Spine segment provides implants for use in total joint replacements, such as hip, knee and shoulder, and trauma and extremities surgeries. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SYK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Stryker Corporation (NYSE:SYK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Stryker Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stryker and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lowered its position in Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 732 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 8,502 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc.s holdings in Capital One Financial were worth $156,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of COF. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC increased its stake in shares of Capital One Financial by 588,668.3% during the second quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 117,447,497 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $24,988,129,000 after buying an additional 117,427,549 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Capital One Financial by 74.8% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,380,913 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $11,995,603,000 after buying an additional 24,129,990 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Capital One Financial by 63.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 27,780,128 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,910,500,000 after purchasing an additional 10,776,843 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Capital One Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,701,511,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Capital One Financial by 64.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,008,841 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,970,628,000 after purchasing an additional 5,474,328 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.84% of the companys stock. Get Capital One Financial alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts recently weighed in on COF shares. Barclays lifted their target price on Capital One Financial from $257.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Capital One Financial from $235.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. HSBC lifted their price objective on Capital One Financial from $218.00 to $234.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Cowen reiterated a buy rating on shares of Capital One Financial in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Capital One Financial from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Capital One Financial currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $263.10. Insider Buying and Selling In other Capital One Financial news, insider Neal Blinde sold 43,200 shares of Capital One Financial stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.83, for a total transaction of $9,583,056.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 73,020 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,198,026.60. The trade was a 37.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, General Counsel Matthew W. Cooper sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.54, for a total transaction of $443,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 94,486 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $20,932,428.44. This trade represents a 2.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 280,218 shares of company stock worth $62,395,804. Corporate insiders own 1.26% of the companys stock. Capital One Financial Trading Up 0.9% Shares of COF stock opened at $241.93 on Wednesday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $218.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $215.97. The stock has a market cap of $153.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.08, a PEG ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. Capital One Financial Corporation has a twelve month low of $143.22 and a twelve month high of $243.31. Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The financial services provider reported $5.95 EPS for the quarter. Capital One Financial had a return on equity of 10.94% and a net margin of 2.24%.The business had revenue of $15.46 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities analysts predict that Capital One Financial Corporation will post 15.65 earnings per share for the current year. Capital One Financial Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This is a boost from Capital One Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Capital One Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 135.02%. Capital One Financial Profile (Free Report) Capital One Financial Corporation operates as the financial services holding company for the Capital One, National Association, which engages in the provision of various financial products and services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It operates through three segments: Credit Card, Consumer Banking, and Commercial Banking. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Capital One Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capital One Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Toronto Dominion Bank (The) (NYSE:TD Get Free Report) (TSE:TD) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $92.12 and last traded at $92.1760, with a volume of 268918 shares. The stock had previously closed at $91.42. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts recently commented on TD shares. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Toronto Dominion Bank in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Toronto Dominion Bank to a hold rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Toronto Dominion Bank from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Toronto Dominion Bank from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Toronto Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Toronto Dominion Bank has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $93.00. Get Toronto Dominion Bank alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on Toronto Dominion Bank Toronto Dominion Bank Stock Down 0.9% The stock has a market cap of $153.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stocks 50-day moving average is $82.96 and its 200-day moving average is $77.44. Toronto Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Get Free Report) (TSE:TD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The bank reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $11.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.10 billion. Toronto Dominion Bank had a net margin of 16.52% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.72 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Toronto Dominion Bank will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Toronto Dominion Bank Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 9th will be given a dividend of $1.08 per share. This is a boost from Toronto Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. This represents a $4.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.8%. Toronto Dominion Banks payout ratio is 35.82%. Institutional Trading of Toronto Dominion Bank Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TD. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in Toronto Dominion Bank in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Toronto Dominion Bank in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Sachetta LLC bought a new stake in shares of Toronto Dominion Bank in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Quaker Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Toronto Dominion Bank by 200.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 428 shares of the banks stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 856 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Toronto Dominion Bank during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.37% of the companys stock. Toronto Dominion Bank Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Toronto Dominion Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toronto Dominion Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TXO Partners LP (NYSE:TXO Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $10.63 and last traded at $11.0550, with a volume of 693063 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $11.30. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded TXO Partners from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, September 13th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on TXO Partners from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Zacks Research raised TXO Partners from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c-) rating on shares of TXO Partners in a report on Monday. Finally, Raymond James Financial dropped their price target on shares of TXO Partners from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $20.50. Get TXO Partners alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on TXO Partners TXO Partners Trading Down 2.2% TXO Partners Cuts Dividend The business has a 50 day moving average of $12.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.03. The firm has a market cap of $605.59 million, a P/E ratio of 27.64 and a beta of 0.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.7%. TXO Partnerss dividend payout ratio is presently 350.00%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wealthedge Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of TXO Partners by 65.8% in the second quarter. Wealthedge Investment Advisors LLC now owns 88,914 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,337,000 after purchasing an additional 35,290 shares during the last quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its holdings in TXO Partners by 560.6% during the 2nd quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 180,000 shares of the companys stock worth $2,707,000 after purchasing an additional 152,750 shares during the last quarter. Energy Income Partners LLC boosted its stake in TXO Partners by 15.4% in the 2nd quarter. Energy Income Partners LLC now owns 904,277 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,600,000 after purchasing an additional 120,663 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp grew its holdings in TXO Partners by 19.9% in the 2nd quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 3,071,796 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,200,000 after buying an additional 510,266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in TXO Partners by 40.7% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,490,548 shares of the companys stock worth $22,418,000 after buying an additional 431,234 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.44% of the companys stock. TXO Partners Company Profile (Get Free Report) TXO Partners, L.P., an oil and natural gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, optimization, and exploitation of conventional oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquid reserves in North America. Its acreage positions are concentrated in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico and the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and Colorado. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TXO Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TXO Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its position in Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR Free Report) by 181.0% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 56,646 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 36,486 shares during the quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SAs holdings in Entergy were worth $4,923,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Mattson Financial Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Entergy by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. Mattson Financial Services LLC now owns 300 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. raised its stake in Entergy by 135.7% in the second quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. now owns 330 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Entergy by 5,466.7% in the second quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 328 shares during the last quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Entergy by 5,733.3% in the second quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 350 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Entergy during the second quarter worth about $30,000. 88.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Entergy alerts: Entergy Stock Performance Shares of NYSE ETR opened at $92.79 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $95.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $89.91. The stock has a market cap of $41.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.91, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. Entergy Corporation has a 12 month low of $73.15 and a 12 month high of $98.58. Entergy Increases Dividend Entergy ( NYSE:ETR Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $2.37 billion during the quarter. Entergy had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 11.53%. As a group, analysts predict that Entergy Corporation will post 3.88 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 13th were issued a $0.64 dividend. This is a boost from Entergys previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 13th. This represents a $2.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Entergys payout ratio is presently 63.21%. Insider Transactions at Entergy In related news, Director Ralph Lewis Ropp bought 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $96.69 per share, with a total value of $96,690.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,050 shares in the company, valued at approximately $101,524.50. The trade was a 2,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Haley Fisackerly sold 5,136 shares of Entergy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.50, for a total value of $495,624.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,899 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $762,253.50. This represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 10,179 shares of company stock worth $981,707 over the last quarter. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages recently commented on ETR. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Entergy in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. They issued a buy rating and a $109.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Entergy in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. KeyCorp set a $102.00 price objective on shares of Entergy and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday. Scotiabank set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Entergy and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded Entergy to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $102.53. Read Our Latest Report on Entergy Entergy Profile (Free Report) Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. It generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ETR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Entergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF (BATS:INDA Free Report) by 207.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 81,814 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 55,209 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SAs holdings in iShares MSCI India ETF were worth $4,152,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in INDA. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. WealthShield Partners LLC grew its stake in iShares MSCI India ETF by 278.7% during the 2nd quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC now owns 693 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 510 shares during the last quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the second quarter valued at about $40,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the second quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF in the second quarter worth about $53,000. Get iShares MSCI India ETF alerts: iShares MSCI India ETF Stock Up 4.0% iShares MSCI India ETF stock opened at $52.96 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $54.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $53.82. The company has a market capitalization of $9.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.20 and a beta of 0.48. iShares MSCI India ETF has a 52 week low of $47.60 and a 52 week high of $59.49. iShares MSCI India ETF Profile The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI India index, a market-cap-weighted index of the top 85% of firms in the Indian securities market. INDA was launched on Feb 2, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding INDA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI India ETF (BATS:INDA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI India ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI India ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG Get Free Report) and CTS (NYSE:CTS Get Free Report) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation and profitability. Risk and Volatility Vishay Precision Group has a beta of 0.86, indicating that its share price is 14% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CTS has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its share price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500. Get Vishay Precision Group alerts: Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Vishay Precision Group and CTS, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Vishay Precision Group 0 2 1 0 2.33 CTS 0 1 0 0 2.00 Valuation and Earnings Vishay Precision Group currently has a consensus target price of $28.50, indicating a potential downside of 26.09%. Given Vishay Precision Groups stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Vishay Precision Group is more favorable than CTS. This table compares Vishay Precision Group and CTSs gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Vishay Precision Group $306.52 million 1.67 $9.91 million $0.60 64.27 CTS $515.77 million 2.51 $58.11 million $1.97 22.61 CTS has higher revenue and earnings than Vishay Precision Group. CTS is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Vishay Precision Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional and Insider Ownership 87.6% of Vishay Precision Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.9% of CTS shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.7% of Vishay Precision Group shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.6% of CTS 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. Profitability This table compares Vishay Precision Group and CTSs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Vishay Precision Group 2.65% 2.02% 1.45% CTS 11.14% 11.92% 8.31% Summary CTS beats Vishay Precision Group on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Vishay Precision Group (Get Free Report) Vishay Precision Group, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets specialized sensors, weighing solutions, and measurement systems in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Sensors, Weighing Solutions, and Measurement Systems. Its product portfolio includes precision resistors, strain gages, load cells and force measurement transducers, on-board weighing systems, and process weighing products; rolling force measuring load cell systems and pressure transmitters; web tension measurement load cells and systems; and optical strip width gages; and laser velocimeters for speed and length measurements and closed-loop crop optimization control systems for optimal strip cuts. The company also offers data acquisition systems and sensors for product safety testing; thermal-mechanical simulation systems for metallurgical research; and conditioning, data acquisition and control systems, as well as electronic displays, signal processors, microelectromechanical system sensors, cabling, system software, and communications software/hardware. Its products are used in industrial comprising waste management, bulk hauling, logging, scales manufacturing, engineering systems, pharmaceutical, oil, chemical, steel, paper, and food industries, as well as test and measurement, steel, medical, construction, agricultural, and consumer markets. The company offers its products under the Alpha Electronics, Powertron, Vishay Foil Resistors, Micro-Measurements, APR, Celtron, Revere, Sensortronics, Tedea-Huntleigh, Stress-tek, Vulcan, BLH Nobel, KELK, and DTS brands. Vishay Precision Group, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania. About CTS (Get Free Report) CTS Corporation manufactures and sells sensors, actuators, and connectivity components in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company provides encoders, rotary position sensors, slide potentiometers, industrial and commercial rotary potentiometers. It also provides non-contacting, and contacting pedals; and eBrake pedals. In addition, the company offers flow meters, hydrophones, non-destructive testing, sonar, ultrasonic imaging, piezoelectric materials, piezoelectric sense products, and bulk products. Further, it provides eMobility, chassis, current sensors, clutch, brake, position sensors, stroke sensor, seating, speed, throttle, transmission, turbo, temperature sensors, and technical related products. Additionally, the company offers DIP, rotary selector, tactile, rotary DIP, and toggle switches, as well as provides transducer related products. Furthermore, it provides EMI, RFI, and RFI products; specialty and resistors; and frequency control products. The company sells and markets its products through its sales engineers, independent manufacturer representatives, and distributors. CTS Corporation was founded in 1896 and is based in Lisle, Illinois. Receive News & Ratings for Vishay Precision Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vishay Precision Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vodafone Group Public Limited (LON:VOD Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 96.61 and last traded at GBX 95.66, with a volume of 98653398 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 94.96. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts recently weighed in on VOD shares. Berenberg Bank upped their price target on Vodafone Group Public from GBX 80 to GBX 82 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Vodafone Group Public from GBX 135 to GBX 140 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. UBS Group restated a neutral rating and set a GBX 72 price target on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Friday, November 7th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Vodafone Group Public from GBX 75 to GBX 85 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Vodafone Group Public from GBX 62 to GBX 71 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vodafone Group Public currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 90. Get Vodafone Group Public alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on VOD Vodafone Group Public Price Performance Insider Activity The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 90.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 85.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 96.88. The firm has a market cap of 22.72 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.78, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.54. In other news, insider Anne-Francoise Nesmes purchased 20,911 shares of Vodafone Group Public stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 95 per share, for a total transaction of 19,865.45. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Vodafone Group Public Company Profile (Get Free Report) Vodafone is a leading European and African telecoms company. We serve over 355 million mobile and broadband customers, operating networks in 15 countries with investments in a further five and partners in over 40 more. Our undersea cables transport around a sixth of the worlds internet traffic, and we are developing a new direct-to-mobile satellite communications service to connect areas without coverage. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Vodafone Group Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vodafone Group Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HONG KONG, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The verdict on Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, has drawn widespread support from across the Hong Kong society, with group leaders and associations affirming that the ruling has underscored the region's commitment to the rule of law and its duty to safeguard national security. The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday found Lai guilty on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. Following the ruling, a broad cross-section of Hong Kong society has voiced agreement that the case of Lai is founded on clear facts and conclusive evidence. The trial process had shattered all rumors smearing the judicial independence and prosecution impartiality of Hong Kong, said Lee Wai-king, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China and a member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR. Lee highlighted the transparency of the proceedings, citing the provision of more than 500 public seats for the citizens as well as both local and foreign media. The Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong said the trial has demonstrated the professionalism and impartiality of the judges, noting that both the prosecution and defense were given full opportunity to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses. The New People's Party pointed out that Lai was the first defendant prosecuted for collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security under the national security law in Hong Kong, adding that the lengthy proceedings reflected the court's professionalism and rigor. Fu Kin-chi, a council member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and a law professor, described the written judgment as clearly articulated and tightly reasoned. It has demonstrated the firm stance and professional standards of Hong Kong's judicial system in safeguarding national security, he added. Lai has been a key planner and participant in the anti-China unrest that destabilized the financial hub, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said, expressing full support for authorities' efforts to eliminate national security risks. Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers said that since the enforcement of the national security law in Hong Kong, the society has returned to the right track, ensuring the legitimate rights and freedom of citizens in a safer environment. The Hong Kong China Friendship Association condemned the bullying acts by some Western countries and politicians, saying that the blatant interference in the internal affairs of other countries and the pressure on the judiciary were a gross violation of the spirit of common law and the rule of law. Calvin Choi, honorary president of the Hong Kong Federation of Journalists, said Lai and Apple Daily had long exerted a serious negative influence on the city's stability and the conviction of Lai is an inevitable outcome of justice being served under the law. Lee Tsz-king, a member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, said that the verdict on Lai's case marks a crucial moment for the authorities to firmly uphold the rule of law and resist foreign interference. In the face of smears from anti-China forces, the Hong Kong society has remained clear-headed, Lee said, adding that the city will never allow any external forces to undermine the foundation of the rule of law. WealthBridge Investment Counsel Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 3.2% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 21,928 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 725 shares during the quarter. The Goldman Sachs Group comprises 5.4% of WealthBridge Investment Counsel Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. WealthBridge Investment Counsel Inc.s holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $17,462,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in GS. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 6.5% during the third quarter. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC now owns 879 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $700,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 5.2% during the third quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 4,537 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $3,613,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $45,000. TruWealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $21,502,000. Finally, Greenfield Savings Bank acquired a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.21% of the companys stock. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages recently issued reports on GS. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $850.00 to $870.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $843.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Daiwa Capital Markets upped their price objective 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. Citigroup lifted their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $700.00 to $765.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, HSBC boosted their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $652.00 to $677.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, The Goldman Sachs Group currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $787.06. The Goldman Sachs Group Trading Down 1.1% GS opened at $879.49 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $263.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $439.38 and a 12 month high of $919.10. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $803.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $749.05. The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 14th. The investment management company reported $12.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $10.27 by $1.98. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 15.29% and a net margin of 13.18%.The firm 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 company earned $8.40 EPS. The companys revenue was up 19.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 47.12 EPS for the current fiscal year. The Goldman Sachs Group Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 2nd will be issued a dividend of $4.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $16.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.50%. 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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Worthington Enterprises (NYSE:WOR Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The industrial products company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by ($0.06), Zacks reports. Worthington Enterprises had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 17.70%. The company had revenue of $327.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $310.60 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.60 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 19.5% on a year-over-year basis. Worthington Enterprises Trading Down 2.6% Shares of Worthington Enterprises stock opened at $56.25 on Wednesday. Worthington Enterprises has a 1 year low of $37.88 and a 1 year high of $70.91. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $55.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.80. The company has a market cap of $2.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.41 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 3.30, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Get Worthington Enterprises alerts: Worthington Enterprises Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Worthington Enterprisess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.68%. Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Inflows and Outflows In related news, Director Michael J. Endres purchased 10,000 shares of Worthington Enterprises stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $52.95 per share, with a total value of $529,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 95,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,057,995.80. This trade represents a 11.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . 3.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in WOR. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in Worthington Enterprises by 4.5% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 12,967 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $650,000 after buying an additional 554 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Worthington Enterprises in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $533,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Worthington Enterprises by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 18,704 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $937,000 after acquiring an additional 793 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Worthington Enterprises by 54.9% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 352,486 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $17,656,000 after acquiring an additional 124,867 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Worthington Enterprises by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 222,461 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $11,143,000 after purchasing an additional 7,575 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 51.59% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have commented on the company. CJS Securities upgraded Worthington Enterprises from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $64.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Worthington Enterprises in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on Worthington Enterprises from $81.00 to $73.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Worthington Enterprises from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Worthington Enterprises from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, October 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $62.33. Get Our Latest Analysis on WOR About Worthington Enterprises (Get Free Report) Worthington Enterprises, Inc operates as an industrial manufacturing company. It operates through three segments: Building Products, Consumer Products, and Sustainable Energy Solutions. The Building Products segment sells refrigerant and LPG cylinders, well water and expansion tanks, fire suppression tanks, chemical tanks, and foam and adhesive tanks for gas producers, and distributors. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Worthington Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Worthington Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Free Report) Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q4 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Ingersoll Rand in a research note issued on Monday, December 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $0.92 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.94. Zacks Research currently has a Hold rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Ingersoll Rands current full-year earnings is $3.32 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Ingersoll Rands Q1 2027 earnings at $0.81 EPS. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.95 billion. Ingersoll Rand had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 12.14%. The firms revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.84 EPS. Ingersoll Rand has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.250-3.310 EPS. Several other analysts also recently commented on IR. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $75.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Ingersoll Rand in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $83.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $103.00 to $100.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $91.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $91.44. Check Out Our Latest Report on Ingersoll Rand Ingersoll Rand Trading Down 2.4% IR opened at $79.67 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $78.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $80.80. Ingersoll Rand has a 1-year low of $65.61 and a 1-year high of $99.67. The company has a market cap of $31.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 59.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ingersoll Rand Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Ingersoll Rand in the third quarter worth about $1,533,000. CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd. bought a new position in Ingersoll Rand in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $235,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 1,575.2% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,759 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $145,000 after buying an additional 1,654 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd raised its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 29.5% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 89,431 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $7,389,000 after acquiring an additional 20,381 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ingersoll Rand during the third quarter worth $4,247,000. 95.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Insider Activity at Ingersoll Rand In other news, CAO Michael J. Scheske sold 1,477 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.63, for a total transaction of $119,090.51. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 12,153 shares of the companys stock, valued at $979,896.39. This represents a 10.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Ingersoll Rand Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 13th were paid a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 13th. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. Ingersoll Rands payout ratio is presently 5.93%. About Ingersoll Rand (Get 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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Everest Group, Ltd. (NYSE:EG Free Report) Equities research analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Everest Group in a research note issued to investors on Monday, December 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $14.54 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $15.38. Zacks Research currently has a Strong Sell rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Everest Groups current full-year earnings is $47.93 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Everest Groups Q2 2026 earnings at $16.78 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $10.15 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $17.76 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $17.41 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $9.78 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $59.11 EPS. Get Everest Group alerts: Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Wolfe Research upgraded Everest Group from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an outperform rating and set a $350.00 price target on shares of Everest Group in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Everest Group from $425.00 to $365.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Everest Group in a research report on Monday. They set a neutral rating and a $359.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Cowen reissued a hold rating on shares of Everest Group in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $367.87. Everest Group Trading Down 0.4% Everest Group stock opened at $327.38 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $325.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $334.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Everest Group has a 12 month low of $302.44 and a 12 month high of $373.23. The stock has a market cap of $13.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 0.39. Everest Group (NYSE:EG Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $13.39 by ($5.85). Everest Group had a return on equity of 3.74% and a net margin of 3.12%.The firm had revenue of $4.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.86 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $11.80 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Everest Group A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Everest Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $601,300,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Everest Group by 70.3% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,011,033 shares of the companys stock valued at $695,275,000 after purchasing an additional 830,418 shares during the last quarter. Altrinsic Global Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Everest Group by 37.2% in the second quarter. Altrinsic Global Advisors LLC now owns 937,296 shares of the companys stock valued at $318,540,000 after purchasing an additional 254,317 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in Everest Group by 157.5% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 291,886 shares of the companys stock worth $102,227,000 after purchasing an additional 178,536 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Causeway Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Everest Group during the 3rd quarter worth $61,531,000. 92.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Insider Transactions at Everest Group In other news, Director Allan Levine purchased 3,100 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $306.08 per share, with a total value of $948,848.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 4,153 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,271,150.24. This trade represents a 294.40% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director William F. Galtney, Jr. purchased 11,385 shares of Everest Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $307.38 per share, for a total transaction of $3,499,521.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 45,491 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,983,023.58. This represents a 33.38% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Everest Group Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 26th were given a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 26th. This represents a $8.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Everest Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.93%. Everest Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Everest Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through two segment, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance; and specialty lines of business through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies in the United States, Bermuda, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Everest Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Everest Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Yes its essential for fairness and democratic stability Maybe but only if both major parties commit in law No the current system gives needed flexibility Vote View Results This photo provided by Airbus on Dec. 17, 2025 shows the aircraft manufacturer delivering its 800th A320 family aircraft assembled at its A320 Family Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) in north China's Tianjin Municipality. (Xinhua) TIANJIN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- European aircraft manufacturer Airbus on Wednesday delivered its 800th A320 family aircraft assembled at its A320 Family Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) in north China's Tianjin Municipality. The aircraft, an A321neo, featuring 12 business class seats and 186 economy class seats in a two-class cabin layout, was handed over to Air China. Inaugurated in 2008, the Tianjin FALA -- the first Airbus production line established outside Europe -- is currently producing Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. It has been operating for 17 years, making the facility a symbol of successful Sino-European cooperation. Since delivering its first Airbus A320 aircraft in 2009, FALA marked the delivery of its 500th and 700th A320 family aircraft in October 2020 and July 2024, respectively. "It demonstrates Airbus' ongoing pledge to deepen strategic partnerships in China, reinforcing our 40 years of commitment to the country," said George Xu, Airbus executive vice president and Airbus China CEO. On Oct. 22 this year, Airbus inaugurated its latest final assembly line for A320 family aircraft in Tianjin, the second of its kind in both China and Asia as a whole. To date, Airbus' A320 production network has expanded to 10 final assembly lines -- four in Germany, two in France, two in the United States and two in China -- with the assembly capacity in Tianjin set to contribute 20 percent of the company's total globally. The popular single-aisle A320 Family has seen over 19,000 orders from over 300 customers in global markets. Xu said that Airbus teams in China remain committed to supporting the global A320 Family ramp-up plan, aiming to assemble 75 aircraft per month by 2027. According to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the number of people who have taken at least one flight in China has reached 470 million, an increase of 160 million since 2019, making it the country with the largest flying population in the world. Xu noted that Airbus' growth in China reflects its expanding market share, with the country now serving as its largest single-country market for commercial aircraft. According to the company, about one-third of the Airbus aircraft currently in service in the Chinese fleet are produced at its final assembly line in Tianjin. In 2024, around 25 percent of aircraft assembled in China were delivered to airlines outside the Chinese mainland, Xu said, adding that China's stable aviation ecosystem allows Airbus to serve the global market from within the country, supporting the global aviation industry. This robust growth is underpinned by a deep industrial partnership. Approximately 200 Chinese suppliers now support Airbus' commercial aircraft production efforts, covering the entire industrial chain from raw materials to system assembly, which ensures that every Airbus civil aircraft incorporates components manufactured in China. The company forecasts that China's annual air passenger volume will surge by 5.3 percent on average over the next 20 years, outpacing the global average of 3.6 percent. To cope with the demand, by 2042, more than 9,000 out of 40,000 new aircraft needed globally will be delivered to China. "China's aviation market holds immense potential, and our strengthened industrial footprint here underscores our strong commitment to this market. Airbus is dedicated to continuing our partnership with China, working hand in hand to contribute to the positive relations between China and the European Union," said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. LANZHOU, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A new study on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has provided key evidence for evaluating the permafrost carbon feedback in climate change, according to the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This quantitative research on alpine thaw slumps on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is of importance to the global climate change predictions and the alpine ecological protection of China, the NIEER said. Conducted by NIEER researchers in collaboration with counterparts from multiple universities and research institutions of China and Denmark, the study has been published in the journal Nature Communications. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the world's largest high-altitude permafrost region, stores a vast amount of soil organic carbon. In recent years, thaw slumps and other thermokarst landforms have expanded amid climate warming and permafrost degradation. Such conditions will impact the carbon cycle and climate feedbacks of the plateau's alpine ecosystem. Therefore, it is important to investigate the effects of thaw slumps on carbon dynamics in permafrost ecosystems, according to Jiang Guanli, a researcher at the NIEER. In 2024 and 2025, the study team conducted systematic greenhouse gas flux observations in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as well as quantified the thaw slumps-induced flux changes and the carbon budget of the study areas. The study results indicated that thaw slumps significantly weakened the carbon-sink function of alpine grasslands on the plateau. Exposed, vegetation-free surfaces halved respiration but reduced gross primary productivity by approximately four-fifths, producing a large increase in net CO2 release compared with undisturbed ground. Methane (CH4) uptake occurred but was too small to offset these losses, the study showed. Through flux comparison observations based on the age differences of thaw slumps, the research team found that the impact of thaw slumps on the carbon budget of alpine grassland shows a single-peak trajectory on the timeline. The results indicated that although all thermokarst landforms arise from the rapid thawing of permafrost, their effects on regional carbon dynamics vary in both direction and intensity, according to Jiang. "Our study proposes to incorporate thermokarst landforms and their influence trajectories over time into terrestrial and climate models. It is of great significance for enhancing the reliability of global climate change predictions and supporting ecological protection and engineering construction decisions in China's alpine regions," Jiang said. This infrared camera video screenshot shows golden snub-nosed monkeys in Badong Golden Monkey National Nature Reserve in central China's Hubei Province, May 11, 2025. (Xinhua) WUHAN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- On a routine winter patrol along a narrow forest trail in a nature reserve in central China's Hubei Province, volunteer ranger Wu Yihong was stopped in his tracks by a flicker of gold and a soft rustle in the branches. Looking up, Wu spotted a troop of nearly 200 golden snub-nosed monkeys leaping through snow-dusted trees at an altitude of around 1,300 meters. Their unique blue faces and golden fur flashed between the trunks, sending thin layers of snow drifting into the air. "I know every ridge and valley here, but seeing such a large group of golden snub-nosed monkeys at this altitude is a first," said Wu, 63, who has patrolled the mountains in Badong Golden Monkey National Nature Reserve for more than 20 years. "In the past, one had to climb above 2,000 meters to find them in big groups. But in recent years, they've been coming down more frequently. I even spotted a few at 800 meters." The golden snub-nosed monkey, also known as the Sichuan golden hair monkey, is under top-level protection in China and is listed as an "endangered" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They typically inhabit high-altitude forests between 1,500 and 3,300 meters. "It is natural for the monkeys to migrate downhill in winter when snow covers high-altitude regions and food becomes scarce," said Zhu Zhaoquan, vice president of the Hubei Wildlife Conservation Association. "However, their recent descent in large droves signals a more profound ecological shift," Zhu added. EXPANDING HABITATS This shift is rooted in a concerted effort to reconnect fragmented habitats in the region. The Badong reserve borders the Shennongjia Forestry District, an area known for deep valleys, misty peaks, and rich biodiversity. Together with the neighboring areas, this region is the world's only habitat for the rare Hubei subspecies of golden snub-nosed monkeys. As the population of this subspecies is historically small and isolated, scientists view it as one of the most vulnerable groups of golden hair monkeys. To better protect the monkeys and other wildlife, authorities have spent years reconnecting their habitats, once separated by roads, farmland and administrative borders. In a push for regional integration, Shennongjia, Badong and five other nearby nature reserves formed an alliance in 2018 to coordinate habitat protection and build ecological corridors, allowing wildlife to move freely across administrative boundaries. "This broke the old pattern where each area fought its own battle," said Qian Caidong, director of the Badong reserve. Moreover, the expansion of the monkeys' territory has also been aided by the retreat of human activity. "Many families used to live high up in the mountains, but over the years, they have gradually moved down," said Wang Shixian, former Party chief of Xiaoshennongjia Village, located in the Badong reserve's core area. As humans stepped back, the forests grew quieter, encouraging the golden snub-nosed monkeys to venture further down the mountains. "They are moving from core zones into buffer areas of the reserve, and from high elevations to mid and low ones," Qian said. "This wider range means more food sources and a lower risk of inbreeding." Technology is also playing a role. The Badong reserve is equipped with over 400 infrared cameras covering almost the entire reserve, compared to a few dozen five years ago. These cameras have captured the monkeys' behaviors rarely seen before, from the monkeys climbing steep cliffs to turning over creek stones in search of shrimps and crabs. A 2024 census revealed that the golden snub-nosed monkey population in the Shennongjia region has grown from 501 across five troops in 1990 to 1,618 across 11 troops today. Their habitat has more than doubled in area, expanding from 164 square km to 401 square km. "The alpha male monkeys look stronger, there are more infants, and the whole population is visibly healthier," Wu observed. GREEN LIVELIHOODS The return of the wildlife has not come at the expense of local people. Instead, residents in Xiaoshennongjia and other villages in this region have found new ways to prosper from the greener mountains. The moist, selenium-rich soil at altitudes between 800 and 1,200 meters in Xiaoshennongjia -- lands no longer intensively farmed -- now produces high-quality wild tea. Every spring, villagers hike into designated picking zones to harvest the fresh leaves. "Our wild tea has become a hit with consumers," said Wang, noting that since 2019, the tea industry has generated nearly 10 million yuan (about 1.42 million U.S. dollars) in revenue for the village. Beekeeping is another booming "green industry" in the village, as the diverse flora of the protected forests provides an ideal environment for honeybees. Wang tends to about 70 hives, harvesting honey that brings him an extra 100,000 yuan every year. "People now see that conservation isn't just about the future; it improves lives today," Qian said, adding that the reserve also provides wildlife accident insurance to compensate farmers for any crop damage caused by animals. This photo taken on June 13, 2025 shows a view of Badong Golden Monkey National Nature Reserve in central China's Hubei Province. (Photo by Wu Yihong/Xinhua) Volunteer ranger Wu Yihong collects image data captured by infrared cameras in Badong Golden Monkey National Nature Reserve in central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 13, 2025. (Xinhua) One trip to a "Dukes of Hazzard" event in 2009 made a dramatic difference in Michael Murray's life. The Bridge City resident became obsessed with the community and the fandom of the "Dukes of Hazzard" television series that began in 1979 and went off the air 40 years ago in 1985. One invitation by a friend led to years of collecting. "That was the first one that I've ever been to and I met so many friendly people," said Murray. "I just continued going back to each one that they had. That's what kind of got it started." Murray's exhibit isn't the largest collection of memorabilia, but he's near the top of the list. So much so that he's even had a book written about him as a super fan of the "Dukes of Hazzard." "This was a book that Cheryl Alexander was doing on bigger Dukes fans," said Murray. "It tells about how I got started. The first time I met John (Schneider) and some of the other cast. It's got a lot of pictures on the people that I've met throughout the Dukes community." That first event he attended was in Livingston Parish in Louisiana. Murray said there is at least one event somewhere in the United States every year. There could be anywhere from 250 to over 30,000 people, depending on the event and who was there. He has met the entire cast over the years, except for Denver Pyle, who played Uncle Jesse. Pyle passed away in 1997, over a decade before Murray went to his first festival. He has had every one of them autograph Rosco's police car, one of the stars of Murray's collection. It and Cooter's tow truck were the first two vehicles he purchased. He bought them from the same person. "He had them for several years and decided to move them on. He was only selling the police car," said Murray. "When I went to look at the police car, he had the Cooter's wrecker truck sitting there and I told him why don't you make me a deal on both. He did. I ended up purchasing both vehicles." His collection includes four vehicles. He also has Daisy Duke's Jeep and his most recent acquisition is a General Lee that has jumped at three events. Timed exactly right for the interview, Ken Grevemberg of Burr Ferry, Louisiana, showed up to bring Murray a Michael Johnson Messenger 300 Citizen's Band (CB) Radio for the police car. The radio is more time appropriate than the radio currently in the vehicle. Grevemberg and Murray met in March at a car show where Murray had his cars on display. Grevemberg said when he looked in the police car in the show he saw Murray had a Cobra radio installed. "It's a common radio. They've been the same for years," said Grevemberg. "This one's closer to the right one for that time. It just gives it a better look for the time... a little more accurate." Grevemberg drove in from Louisiana to present Micheal with the equipment. Murray's collection goes way beyond cars. There are lunch boxes, toys, posters, even a Daisy Duke outfit for a toddler is framed on the wall. He has the complete collection of belt buckles the production company presented to the late James Best who played Rosco P. Coltrane each year. Best engraved his name in the back of the buckles. When asked what percentage of his income he has spent on the collection over the years Murray replied, "I can't say that because my wife might see this interview." He and his wife Brandy will be celebrating their 23rd anniversary on Dec. 28. The police car has been in three movies since Murray purchased it. Two short films in Southeast Texas and one in Baton Rouge. Murray is starting to make his way into the film world as well. He was an extra in "Salvage Yard Shine Boys" three or four years ago and had his first principle role in a short film in Missouri this year. "The Not So Great Outdoorsman" was released on DVD about three weeks ago. It stars Byron Cherry who played Coy Duke in Dukes of Hazzard, Tony Lawson of the 2005 Dukes of Hazzard Movie and Tim "Mountain Man" Guraedy of "Duck Dynasty." Murray snagged two roles, that of the landlord and Bigfoot. Bigfoot is what got him in. They were trying to think of who they knew who was over six feet tall to fit the costume. Murray and Lawson have become good friends over the years and Lawson got him the role. "I would most definitely do some more. I like it. It's fun. I wouldn't quit my day job to do it but it is fun," said Murray. "When you have four comedy people that joke around all the time and we were all staying in the same cabin, you can only imagine some of the jokes and stories that were told throughout the time that we filmed." Murray said they spent five days filming the half hour comedy. Lawson also introduced him to Scott Ennis a few years ago when Ennis needed a police car. Ennis is the voice of Scooby Do. The connection to Ennis has led to meeting more celebrities, which in turn has expanded his collection beyond the "Dukes of Hazzard." Murray has one section of his wall with autographed photos of people he has met through the years and other memorabilia. He has a small collection of autographed albums, mostly old country and he's collecting watches, one of which was screen worn by Mark Wahlburg. He's got a small case filled with items from "Tiger King." He has an outfit and additional shirt that belonged to Joe Exotic, some of it was worn on screen, like the jacket. He acquired it from John Reinke, Joe Exotic's right-hand man on the show. "I met John over at John Schneider's house," said Murray. "John (Reinke) and I had a booth set up selling some vintage Duke stuff and he had his book signing autographs. We're right next to each other and we talked the whole weekend." They remained friends and Murray invited Reinke to his birthday bash in March and convinced him to bring some "Tiger King" stuff for his collection. Currently most of his collection is set up in his garage with a couple of rooms also taking up space in his house. He hopes one day, after he retires, to put it all in a museum in the area so there is more public access to it. If you would like a DVD copy of "The Not So Great Outdoorsman" you can contact Murray on Facebook or by email at [email protected]. It may be available in the future on some streaming platforms but there is no information currently available. A red-carpet event near where the film was shot is scheduled for late January. Murray will be in attendance. Murray frequently participates in car shows with some of his Dukes vehicles. If you're interested in the Michael Murray edition of "My Hero is a Duke of Hazzard" by Cheryl Lockett Alexander, they can be purchased online at Walmart.com and BarnsandNoble.com. "Part of the proceeds goes to Children's Miracle Network," said Murray. YANGON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar police have seized over 57 kg of heroin and over 5 million stimulant tablets in Myanmar's Sagaing region, the state-owned daily Myanma Alinn reported on Wednesday. According to the report, anti-narcotics police raided a house on Dec. 6 in Sagaing township, confiscating 18.315 kg of heroin and arresting two suspects. Further searches in the same compound led to the seizure of an additional 39.6 kg of heroin and 5.07 million stimulant tablets, as well as the arrest of four more suspects, it said. In total, six suspects were arrested in connection with the case and have been charged under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, with further investigations still ongoing. Imagi Meira condemns | IMPHAL, Dec 17: Imagi Meira has strongly condemned yesterday's attack by Kuki militants on civilians at Torbung and Phougakchao, and demanded the Governor to produce a white paper on "surrender of weapons in the hills and the valley." Speaking to reporters at Manipur Press Club, Imphal today, Imagi Meira convenor, Thokchom Sujata said the attack exposed the Government's failure in dealing with the Kuki militants. Explosives, bombs were used in the attack yesterday night. This means, the Kuki militants still have weapons despite the Governor's call for surrender of weapons, she said. While weapons have been recovered from the valley, the Government seems to have failed to do the same in the hills, Sujata asserted. She said the Governor must produce a white paper on the surrender of weapons within 5 days. On the other hand, the attack also points to lapses in security measures, Sujata said. The attack occurred on the day of the return of the IDPs to their original homes. The return and resettlement of the IDPs was carried out with the knowledge and permission of the Deputy Commissioner, she added. Sujata further called out MLAs for not speaking up against the attack. No MLAs have condemned the attack. They aren't seen meeting the Governor on the issue, she said. If the MLAs aren't aware of their responsibility, they must tender their resignation, she said. Torbung back in focus after May 3, 2023 Replaying the nightmare | Manipur went to sleep on December 16 in a disturbed state of mind and this was only reinforced on December 17 morning when hard news of the bullets being rained down at Phougakchao Ikhai and Torbung greeted the readers. This much is true and from what one can glean from the fabulously scripted statement issued by the Kuki-Zo Council, the onus has been placed on the Meitei folks for daring to return to their rightful residences at the said three places. Violating the buffer zone is the line maintained by the Kuki-Zo Council while putting the blame for the bullets that rained on the said three places on the Meiteis and nothing can get more farcical than this. The only thing is, the farce that is being staged seems to be well scripted, with each of the bullet being fired ringing out the message that the Kuki-Zo Council stands firmly against any move that would come close to the understanding of normalcy. And the bullets and bombs that rained on the three places were not farce, but real bullets and explosives that can kill and maim. It should also be obvious that the Kuki-Zo Council is hellbent on derailing the December deadline given by former Chief Secretary PK Singh that the displaced persons would be returned to the place they were forced out from after Manipur erupted in violence on May 3, 2023. To even the cursory observer it would be clear that the bullets and bombs that rained at the three places came even as pressure is being mounted on Raj Bhavan and by extension the Government of India to resettle the displaced folks. It is also more than obvious that the surrender all the illegitimate guns ultimatum served by Raj Bhavan, shortly after Manipur came under Presidents Rule, seems to have found no takers in the hills, particularly the Kuki-Chin-Zo hardliners, those leading the assaults with guns and bombs. Importantly, is Raj Bhavan ready to accept this or will the Government, like the top honchos of the Central security forces, fall back on the line, only pumpis and some country made guns were used ? Or should the people be given to understand that such an act of opening fire, with the security personnel deployed in full strength, was done without the active participation of cadres of outfits which are under the SoO pact ? Questions should be directed to the people in charge, the people who call the shots right now. At the same time, the MLAs too should be asked what they intend to do now. Why havent the MLAs ever come together to discuss things over, after Manipur came under Presidents Rule on February 13 this year ? Even as The Sangai Express was compiling the report on the outrage at the said two places late in the evening of December 16, another video clip surfaced. The said video clip showed some Kuki folks confronting the Assam Rifles, with a personnel of the Central security force retorting that they had seized drugs and ammunition from the residence of a person who he named as one Paonilal or Paolenlal. The matter would be taken to the Court of law, was what the Assam Rifles man had thundered. Though it could not be confirmed whether this incident had anything to do with the assault launched at the three places, what is significant is that no official statement from the side of the security personnel has come out till now. This is what is flabbergasting. If any arrest has been made, if what the Assam Rifles man said had any truth to it, then why has nothing official come from the side of the security personnel ? Why is the Public Relations Officer of the Assam Rifles quiet on this ? Or can one read something more between the lines in the raid and seizure of the Assam Rifles ? Manipur has been on the boil for too long and it is surprising that the rushing in of 60,000 Central security personnel, right after May 3, 2023, has not had any impact till date, other than inconveniencing the public when the top bosses of the security personnel decide to move around the roads of Imphal. Raj Bhavan should also not forget that the people of Phougakchao Ikhai and Torbung returned home with the full knowledge of the administration and in line with what was assured by the former Chief Secretary. Torbung and one is immediately reminded of May 3, 2023. MPCC protests | IMPHAL, Dec 17 : The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) staged a protest in front of the Manipur Legislative Assembly today, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the Delhi Court dismissed the complaints filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The protesters led by former Chief Minister O Ibobi and MPCC president K Meghachandra held placards with slogans such as "Truth Prevails in National Herald Case," "Prime Minister Must Resign," "Home Minister Must Resign," and "Down Down BJP," among others. Speaking to the media, CLP leader Ibobi said that the Delhi Court had dismissed the charges filed by the ED against former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The Court has ruled that the charges filed by the ED were not maintainable and amounted to harassment, he said accusing the BJP of making unfounded allegations against the Congress leaders. Claiming that the BJP has been misusing Central agencies to serve its own interests, he added that the truth, however, cannot be concealed forever. People will give a fitting lesson to the BJP for misusing power one day, he said. BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The dangerous trend of reviving Japanese militarism has put regional countries and peoples on high alert, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday. Guo made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to a media query. After Japanese Prime Minister's remarks on Taiwan, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held meetings with ambassadors from Southeast Asian countries and others based in Beijing to convey criticism on Japan and ask them to support China's position. Guo said China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains normal working relations with embassies of all countries in Beijing, adding that the one-China principle is a universally recognized basic norm in international relations and a prevailing consensus of the international community including Southeast Asian countries. He said the erroneous remarks on Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, and blatantly challenged the outcomes of WWII victory and international justice. Defending the postwar international order, human conscience and justice serves the common interest of all sides and is a must choice, Guo said. He noted that recently many regional countries have once again stressed their commitment to the one-China principle, opposition to "Taiwan independence," support for China's reunification, as well as their vigilance and resistance to the possible revival of militarism. "The Japanese side needs to heed the calls, do soul-searching and correct its wrongdoings, instead of creating confusion and trouble," the spokesperson said. BAGHDAD, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service said on Wednesday it has arrested six Islamic State (IS) militants and destroyed several hideouts during security operations across multiple provinces. A statement by the counter-terrorism department said that the operations, conducted in coordination with the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, led to the capture of four terrorists in Kirkuk who were "working as transporters and suppliers," and two additional militants in Baghdad and Mosul. Six IS hideouts were destroyed during cleansing operations in the rugged Hamrin Mountains in Salahuddin province, the statement added. While Iraq declared victory over IS in 2017, remnants of the group continue to carry out attacks against security forces and civilians in urban areas, deserts, and remote regions. CARACAS, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan government on Tuesday filed a formal complaint with the UN Security Council, accusing the United States of a "serious act involving the use of force, kidnapping and piracy" in international waters in the Caribbean. The complaint, submitted by Venezuela's permanent representative to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, was made public by Foreign Minister Yvan Gil. According to the document, U.S. military forces on Dec. 10 boarded a privately owned vessel engaged in "lawful international trade," transporting 1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil. Venezuela denounced the incident as an act of "state piracy," asserting that it violated international law and had no recent precedent on the high seas. The incident, which Caracas described as a sustained U.S. policy of coercion marked by unilateral sanctions and unlawful pressure, constituted a direct violation of freedom of navigation and international trade, it said. "There is no authorization from the Security Council that could justify the violent boarding, the kidnapping of the crew, or the theft of the cargo," the Venezuelan government said. Caracas demanded the immediate release of the crew, the return of the seized oil, and an end to U.S. interference in the lawful trade of Venezuelan crude. It also urged the Security Council to "preserve the safety of navigation and international trade." remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. The French-German-Spanish warplane programme, the sixth-generation Future Combat Aircraft System (FCAS), is "very unlikely" to take off as a recent meeting between the defence ministers of these three countries failed to achieve a breakthrough. The project, estimated at 100 billion, "a system of systems" touted to be a major leap in European defence, aiming for full collaborative combat by 2040, is unlikely to be realised soon due to multiple reasons. For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India A Reuters report, quoting sources, said France was hoping to postpone until next year a decision that Germany had hoped would be finalised by the end of this year. The three countries had also struggled to reach an agreement on the "combat cloud" and drone systems that are envisaged as part of the FCAS programme. According to media reports, for quite some time, the three countries have been discussing downsising the fighter jet programme, which was expected to integrate enhanced platforms such as the Eurofighter and Rafale, using AI, big data, cryptography, and human-machine interaction. The Reuters report said that at the core of the disagreement is the desire of French defence contractor Dassault to play a leading role in the project ahead of the German partner Airbus. However, Germany regards this proposal as untenable. There were also workshare and technology rights disputes between the two firms, say media reports. Dassault is opposed to equal workshare among participating countries as the company believes that it will hinder its ability to lead the new-generation fighter programme, and has called for a "best athlete" model. ALSO READ: President Putin's India visit: Reaffirming an enduring embrace amid global storms Sources reportedly highlighted that Germany and France need warplanes for different roles. While France requires a warplane capable of carrying nuclear warheads and having the capability to interoperate with its aircraft carrier, Germany has already agreed to procure F-35 warplanes to carry NATO's nuclear warheads. Recently, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, had said about the programme, "Will it happen? I don't know." When asked about reports that France and Germany could be building two separate jets under a common umbrella as part of the efforts to bridge the differences between Airbus and Dassault Aviation, he had said, "Nobody has talked to me about two aircraft." "Do France, Germany and Spain completely share a willingness to defend Europe? I think they do. The manner in which this is done that is more complicated," Trappier had recently said. He also sought to know if Germany, which chose US F-35 fighters for a NATO nuclear-sharing role, was willing to put aside its transatlantic relationship in defence matters. There were also reports that said Germany and even Spain is not averse to the idea of joining the UK-led Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). In todays world, the first signs of victory in any conflict are often not on the battlefield but in the narrative space. The side that controls the story controls perception. How people feel about a news event can matter as much as the event itself. Emotion shapes belief faster than evidence, and opinions now compete with facts for space and attention. This reality makes perception a decisive front in any modern conflict. Pakistan has long understood this and has spent considerable time and effort honing its skills. However, of late, India has responded with equal measure and skill. Hence, today more than ever, it must be understood that strategic communication for us is no longer optional; it is a prerequisite for national security. Understanding the phases of Pakistans playbook Whenever India responds to cross-border attacks in the kinetic domain, Pakistans information reaction follows a clear pattern: denial, victimhood, retaliation, and de-escalation. Knowing this pattern allows India to plan responses in advance. In the first phase of Denial, post an Indian strike, Pakistans Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quickly denies and underplays the extent of damage caused and accuses India of blatant aggression. For Pakistan, this is understandably necessary, as the scale and magnitude of damage caused affect public perception not just of Indias capability and intent but also the factors considered in its decision-making (for example, striking terror camps only). India, post kinetic action, must respond with verified visuals and affirm its right to respond through appropriate legal framing (such as Article 51 of the UN Charter). In the second phase of Victimhood (for internationalisation), Pakistan turns to claims of humanitarian excesses by India and uses international platforms to portray itself as the victim. This is done with the aim of establishing a narrative of jus ad bellum, or Just War, against the evil neighbour. Indias counter should include dynamic diplomatic outreach, synergised diaspora engagement, and pre-drafted briefs that reach key capitals early to tell our story of justice served with restraint and proportionality of response. Where a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million, and verified visuals of strikes as well as post-strike damage will be useful in fighting the misinformation waged by Rawalpindi. India must prioritise the use of its superior Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to obtain these in real time to fight the perception battle. Pakistan, in the third phase, carries out Retaliatory Signalling, showcasing strength through symbolic and often diversionary conventional responses. This is often done in consonance with issuing grave threats of an impending nuclear response to a counter-response by India. Again, this enhances the perception of a capable and decisive Pakistan Armed Forces the defenders of Islam in the subcontinent who must save the hapless Muslims in general, and Pakistanis in particular, against perpetual Indian aggression. Indias counter should highlight its robust defensive posture and restraint while exposing Pakistans actions in real time. Care must be taken in exposing Pakistani reverses, as this may increase pressure on the Pakistan Army to urgently pursue its notion of victory, which can raise escalation risks. Finally, in the phase of De-escalation Management, after counteractions, Pakistan seeks to appear responsible. This is partly to provide itself an off-ramp and signal India to de-escalate, as prolonging a conflict follows the law of diminishing returns, with risks rising faster than gains for Pakistan. India should continue the pursuit of its desired objectives and, once those are met, must declare them clearly while maintaining readiness and deterrence. It is important not to lose sight of the long duree perspective wars are the pursuit of national objectives through military means and must not be prolonged once the objectives are met. Operation Sindoor as a case study In 2025, after the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor, a precision strike on terror infrastructure. Pakistan followed its familiar script of denial and victimhood, but Indias clear communication, verified visuals, and steady media engagement blunted the misinformation to a large extent. However, a clear lesson from the operation is that even decisive military outcomes are judged not only by battlefield results but by the perceptions they leave, which depend directly on the strength of the strategic communication plan. From reaction to preparedness Indias future advantage lies in planning. A pre-positioned content vault with verified visuals, diplomatic talking points, and nuanced legal framing with appropriate references can ensure fast and credible responses. Truth told quickly and effectively is stronger than propaganda told loudly. The way forward Strategic communication must now be treated as a primary operational domain. A 24x7 Strategic Communications Operations Room, bringing together experienced subject-matter experts from all stakeholders and ministries at the apex level, can ensure unified messaging. Future wars will be fought as much on screens as in the field. While India is adept at striking precisely, it must also be geared to speak quickly and precisely. In the age of information, the story can shape the outcome. (Colonel Ashish Upreti is a serving Indian Army officer with over 25 years of experience in operations, crisis management, and strategic communications. A practitioner in defence communication, he has represented India at international forums and authored papers in leading military journals. In his present assignment, he plays a key role in information outreach and digital social media engagement.) (The views expressed, suggestions made & quoting of prominent personalities in the article are solely the responsibility of the author and do not have any official endorsement) President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit took place at a pivotal moment, underscoring the unshakeable partnership forged over seven decades. Against the backdrop of Russia's protracted war in Ukraine, this high-level engagement signalled New Delhi's commitment to strategic autonomy and Moscow's pivot toward reliable partners in the Global South. As Western sanctions isolate Russia and reshape global energy and defence markets, the visit highlighted how India safeguards its core interests with Russia while yet reinforcing deepening ties with the West. The India-Russia relationship, rooted in mutual trust and pragmatism, offers a lens into navigating multipolarity in an era of conflict and competition. Achievements of the summit meeting The state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to New Delhi on 4-5 December 2025, during the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, yielded several tangible outcomes for India: Programme for Development of Strategic Areas of Economic Cooperation until 2030: A roadmap was adopted to diversify and sustain bilateral trade and investments, aiming for balanced growth beyond energy. Commitment to Uninterrupted Russian Fuel Supplies: President Putin assured continuous oil and energy exports to India, providing stability amid global sanctions and market volatility, while India prioritises commercial considerations. Progress toward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU): Leaders directed officials to accelerate negotiations, which could potentially reduce trade barriers and boost Indian exports to the EAEU region. Speeding up negotiations for a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement: This measure is designed to facilitate greater mutual investments and protect Indian businesses operating in Russia. Enhanced Settlement of Bilateral Trade in National Currencies: Both sides agreed to expand the use of rupees and roubles, reducing dependency on the US dollar and easing payment issues. Agreements on Labour Mobility and Temporary Work: Pacts were established to enable skilled Indian workers to fill Russias labour shortages, creating job opportunities and remittances for India. Cooperation Agreements in Healthcare and Medical Research: Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) strengthen joint efforts in medical education, scientific research, pharmaceuticals, and health regulation, including potential anticancer drug production. Maritime, Shipping, and Logistics Cooperation Protocols: These protocols, including Arctic route development and postal/e-commerce logistics, aim to improve connectivity and support Indias trade diversification. Cultural and Educational Exchanges: Agreements for exhibitions like India: Fabric of Time and collaborations (e.g., Space Mirror Lab between universities) were formalised to promote people-to-people ties and soft power. Reaffirmation of Defence Cooperation: The focus remains on joint production and technology transfer, with progress on co-production, spare parts, and maintenance support, aligning with Indias self-reliance goals in defence manufacturing. These outcomes reinforce Indias strategic autonomy, economic resilience, and diversified partnerships amid global pressures, building on the special and privileged strategic relationship. Backdrop of visit: A close and enduring relationship The India-Russia bond predates the dissolution of the Soviet Union, tracing back to the 1950s when Jawaharlal Nehru's non-aligned India found in Moscow a crucial counterweight to Western dominance and Pakistan's alignment with the U.S. The 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation proved decisive during India's war with Pakistan, with Soviet naval deployments deterring U.S. intervention in the Bay of Bengal. This era laid the foundation for unparalleled defence cooperation, with Soviet-era platforms like the MiG-21s, T-72 tanks, and nuclear submarines such as the INS Chakra bolstering India's armed forces. Post-1991, Russia seamlessly inherited this legacy. Despite India's economic liberalisation and outreach to the West, Moscow continued to supply over 60% of India's military hardware by the 2010s. Key acquisitions include Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters, T-90 tanks and the co-development of BrahMos supersonic missiles; the latter represents a jewel of joint innovation. Beyond hardware, technology transfers have empowered India's indigenous production, covering everything from Kilo-class submarines to the Akula nuclear-powered vessels leased in 2012. This trust also extended to civilian nuclear energy, with Russia's Rosatom building the Kudankulam plant, which has been operational since 2013 and is a major source of power for India. Quantitatively, bilateral trade has dramatically increased from $1 billion in 2000 to over $65 billion in 2024, largely driven by the discounted Russian oil purchased after the Ukraine invasion. Qualitatively, the relationship is institutionalised through annual summits and the 2+2 dialogue involving foreign and defence ministers. President Putin himself has visited India 18 times since 2000, signifying a strong personal rapport with successive Indian prime ministers. Present realities: Balancing Ukraine's shadow with pragmatic gains President Putin's visit occurred amid Russia's continuing invasion of Ukraine, a continuing development that has fractured Europe's post-Cold War order. Western sanctions, involving numerous measures, have frozen $300 billion in Russian central bank assets and barred technology exports, consequently pushing Moscow toward Asia. India, abstaining from UN votes condemning Russia and refusing to impose sanctions, exemplifies its "multi-alignment" doctrine. Regular phone calls by Indias Prime Minister to the Russian President underscore India's efforts to mediate and bring the war to a close. However, India's stance has drawn Western ire. The U.S. has warned of secondary sanctions on Indian firms purchasing Russian oil. Russian oil now constitutes 40% of India's imports, up from 2% pre-war, saving India an estimated $10 billion annually amid Brent crude volatility. Reportedly, India is now reducing its purchases of Russian oil. Defence deals persist, notably the delivery of the $5.4 billion S-400 Triumph systems, which shield Indian skies despite threats of U.S. CAATSA sanctions. Joint ventures, such as the once-planned FGFA fifth-generation fighter and the successful BrahMos exports to the Philippines, highlight the resilience of their defence partnership. Economically, Russia is a critical supplier, providing 20% of India's fertiliser needs, essential for food security, particularly when monsoons falter. During the visit, expectations focused on new pacts, including co-producing Su-57 fighters, upgrading the INS Vikramaditya carrier, and collaboration on the RU-486 satellite. The nations aim to achieve a trade volume of $100 billion by 2030, with a focus on implementing rupee-rouble mechanisms to circumvent exclusion from the SWIFT system. Cultural ties also remain strong, with 25,000 Indian students studying in Russia and enduring Bollywood-Russian cinema swaps. For Russia, India is a vital lifeline. While China dominates Moscow's post-sanctions trade (with a 40% share), India offered diversification, buying 1.5 million barrels of oil daily and hosting BRICS summits. Putin praised India's G20 leadership for excluding language on the Ukraine war, positioning both countries as Global South voices against "unipolarity". Ukraine's ripple effects: India's tightrope walk The Russia-Ukraine war tests India's diplomacy like never before. Refusing to supply arms to Ukraine preserves Russian goodwill and avoids escalation risks. Nevertheless, India joins over 50 nations in providing non-lethal aid to Kyiv, including 100 tons of medicine, while also importing Ukrainian sunflower oil. This equidistance has caused friction with the West, with the Biden administration having labelled India's position as "neutrality". However, Indias membership in the Quad and its iCET technology pact with the U.S., which includes $20 billion in defence deals, demonstrate its diversification. Geopolitically, the war amplifies Indo-Pacific stakes. Russia's increasing alignment with Chinaexemplified by joint exercises near Taiwanis a point of alarm for India, which is in a continuing stand-off with China along their 3,500 km border. Yet, Moscows veto of the UNSC criticism of China on Doklam in 2017 also strained their ties. India's strategy to counteract this involves bolstering the Quad, seeking AUKUS observer status, and engaging in EU free trade talks. These actions have helped reduce Russias share of India's defence dependency from 70% in the 1990s to 45% today, with acquisitions like Rafale jets and Apache helicopters. Putin's visit reaffirms the "special and privileged" status of the partnership. Discussions reportedly covered Arctic energy, investment in the Chabahar port, and the International North-South Corridor (INSTC), which is projected to cut Iran-Europe transit time by 40%. Future horizons: opportunities amid evolving challenges Looking ahead, India-Russia ties face challenges but hold the promise of renewal. While Russia's war economy sustains arms output with a 3% GDP growth in 2024, sanctions continue to erode quality. India, in response, is accelerating its "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative, aiming to indigenise 70% of defence procurement through programs like the Tejas fighters and Brahmos missiles. Future co-production targets include the hypersonic BrahMos-II and the S-500 air defence system. In energy, the pivot is toward Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), with Russia's Yamal project supplying 10 million tons yearly, and nuclear energy, with plans for six more Kudankulam units by 2035. Space cooperation is also significant, involving Gaganyaan cosmonaut training in Star City and joint lunar missions. Economically, Russian investments in Andaman refineries and rare earths are seen as a counter to China's mineral dominance. However, challenges loom. Russia's growing dependence on China risks India becoming a junior partner. The ongoing drag of the Ukraine conflict could limit Moscow's bandwidth, and escalation risks (such as NATO involvement) imperil supplies. India's westward economic tilt, driven by its aim to become a $5 trillion economy by 2027, necessitates careful hedging. Nevertheless, synergies abound. Both nations cooperate on combating terrorism, climate change (Arctic melt opens new routes), and UN reforms. The expansion of BRICS to include members like Egypt and the UAE amplifies their multilateral influence. By 2047, Indias centenary, the ties could evolve into a "civilizational partnership," blending Russia's resources with India's markets and manpower. Conclusion President Putin's India visit transcended mere symbolism; it embodied pragmatic realism. In a world marked by Ukraine War-induced fracturesincluding NATO expansion, energy weaponisation, and supply chain shocksIndia-Russia relations serve as a model of endurance. New Delhi continues to gain access to affordable oil, battle-tested arms, and strategic space, while Moscow secures markets, legitimacy, and an Asian foothold. Critics may decry the India-Russia relationship as moral equivocation, but history suggests that autonomy is a core Indian foreign policy principle: non-alignment birthed the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and multi-alignment powers India's current heft. As the U.S.-China rivalry intensifies, India's refusal to pick sides positions it as an independent global pole. The India-Russia partnership, tempered by the forge of global conflict, endures because it serves the sovereign interests of both nations. President Putin departs not just with signed deals, but with affirmation: in the dawn of multipolarity, old friends adapt, balancing legacy with ambition. (The writer was Vice Chief of the Indian Army) (The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK) RIYADH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia has officially cancelled an expatriate levy on foreign workers employed at licensed industrial facilities, a move aimed at supporting the sector's sustainability and global competitiveness, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar Alkhorayef said the decision underscored continued government support for industry and would help boost competitiveness and expand the reach of non-oil exports in global markets, SPA said. Alkhorayef noted that since a temporary exemption from the fee was introduced in 2019, the number of industrial facilities has grown to more than 12,000 from 8,822, while industrial gross domestic product has risen to over 501 billion riyals (85.9 billion U.S. dollars) from 322 billion riyals. The levy, a monthly charge paid by businesses for each foreign employee, was introduced in 2017 to encourage the hiring of Saudi nationals and generate non-oil revenue. However, it proved a burden for private-sector firms, particularly in manufacturing and construction, key pillars of the kingdom's Vision 2030 economic diversification drive. Before its suspension in January 2020, the fee ranged from 300 to 700 riyals per worker per month when expatriate staff did not outnumber Saudi employees, and from 400 to 800 riyals when they did. The measures are in line with Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a global industrial hub and to triple industrial GDP to 895 billion riyals by 2035, Alkhorayef said. Deepika Susheelan, acclaimed film curator and programmer and artistic director of the 27th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), has lashed out against procedural flaws in the 30th edition of the festival. On December 11, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) denied censor exemption to all 187 films selected for the IFFKwhich was scheduled to begin on December 12citing failure to submit applications within the stipulated timeline. Subsequently, the Ministry granted exemption to 150 films and later cleared 18 more as the festival began, leaving 19 films without approval when the event commenced. The denials soon escalated into a political controversy, prompting the state government to challenge what it described as a shadow ban by announcing that it would screen all the films regardless. Susheelan, however, noted that misrepresenting procedural lapses as political or ideological targeting only diverts attention from the real issue: failure to follow due process. If one is committed to freedom of expression and institutional integrity, the least expected is adherence to protocol and timelines, not public grandstanding after administrative negligence, she wrote in an open post. In a letter to the Secretary of the I&B Ministry dated December 11, Kerala Chalachitra Academy Chairman Resul Pookutty claimed that this years submission timeline for censor exemption was consistent with last years. However, Susheelan pointed out that this was not the precedent followed in earlier editions of the IFFK. The former artistic director emphasised that the censor exemption process is not instantaneous and requires a minimum of one month, allowing film programmers sufficient time to respond to clarifications. Ideally, for a festival held in December, the list of films requiring censor exemptionalong with synopses and other documentsshould be submitted at least by the first week of November. That is how we have done it in the past. The exemption order is supposed to be in hand at least 15 days before the commencement of the event, she noted. Notably, the Chalachitra Academy submitted its request to the I&B Ministry seeking exemption from certification provisions for 187 films only on December 3. Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed to THE WEEK that the I&B Ministry routinely consults the MEA when foreign nationals and films are involved, and that this has been standard practice across film festivals. The sources also said the Academys request was made at the last minute and that clearances cannot be processed within a matter of hours. Susheelan further observed that if censor exemption is denieda decision for which the Ministry typically does not provide detailed reasonsthere are clear and lawful avenues available to contest it. To be able to do that, applications must be made well in advance, anticipating such situations. The festival has previously used these mechanisms and has proudly screened films critical of the Ministry, fully within the legal framework. In this instance, however, no such attempt appears to have been made, she wrote. She added that the IFFK has always been a festival with a strong commitment to artistic freedom and to making political statements through its programming, and that earlier teams knew how to act strategically. This is not new terrain. We have had our ways before, she noted, while adding that instead of pursuing due process, the organisers appear to have opted for public outrage. This raises serious questions about intent. If the objective was a PR stunt, then it must be said that the purpose has been served. What is now being framed as an attack on freedom of expression, she argued, is in reality a case of procedural failure followed by convenient posturing. Experts also caution that the current confrontational posture adopted by the Chalachitra Academy, with the backing of the state government, could have long-term consequences. The most worrying consequence lies ahead. Such mishandling directly endangers upcoming editions of the IFFK, inviting heightened scrutiny, tighter controls, and avoidable complications for future submissions, screenings, and the participation of international filmmakers, Susheelan warned. Earlier, National Awardwinning filmmaker Dr Biju also criticized the Chalachitra Academy for the delay in submitting films for censor exemption. In general, films screened at international festivals must comply with the laws of the host country. In India, foreign films without certification can be screened only with the permission of the I&B Ministry. This has always been the practicenot just in Kerala, but also at festivals in Goa, Pune, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and elsewhere, he noted. Months after 41 people died in a stampede during a campaign rally in Karur, actor politician Vijay resumes his first public appearance in Tamil Nadu, in a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally at Erode on Thursday. The party, with former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) strongman K.A. Sengottaiyan at the helm of affairs, has made elaborate arrangements at the venue near the Vijayamangalam toll plaza in Perundurai. The Erode rally of TVK comes at the behest of Sengottaiyan, who recently joined the TVK after he rebelled with the AIADMK leadership. The rally will be the first for the TVK in western Tamil Nadu; after Vijays campaign rally in Namakkal and Karur did not bring any political prospects for the actor. We have made all arrangements adhering to the conditions issued by the police. There are no QR codes or passes given to those who will come to watch our leader Vijay speak, Sengottaiyan told the media. The actor is expected to fly from Chennai to Coimbatore by a chartered flight and then travel by road to the venue at Erode. He will address the rally between 11am and 1pm. It is estimated that 35,000 people, mostly his fans, followers and his party cadres, will come to have a glimpse of the actor and hear his political speech. Vijay will fly back from Coimbatore to Chennai. Adhering to the police instructions, the party has asked its cadres not to follow Vijays vehicle along the 68km stretch from Coimbatore airport to the rally venue at Erode. According to the party, elaborate arrangements have been made at the venue, right from making separate boxes for VIPs, women, party office bearers and the party cadres. While the party leadership has strictly requested pregnant women, children and the elderly not to attend the meeting, over 60 CCTV cameras have been fixed at the venue. Ambulances and medical teams are also deployed at the venue. Adequate drinking water facilities and toilets have also been arranged according to the organisers. Over 1,000 police personnel are expected to be on duty for security and traffic management. This will be in addition to the private security personnel and bouncers arranged by the party for Vijay. The meeting, which is part of Vijays meet the people' campaign, was suspended after the death of 41 people in Karur. In fact, Vijay did not take much effort to visit the families of the Karur stampede victims while he spoke with them over video call. Vijay has not resumed his statewide tour in the run-up to the election. The meeting at Erode comes after Sengottaiyan, who was once considered loyal to MGR and Jayalalithaa, joined Vijays TVK. According to the party, Vijay will address the public atop his specially designed campaign bus. Vijay, as usual, is expected to take a dig at the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). He is also expected to elaborate his plans for the upcoming elections in which he will present himself as the chief minister candidate. Vijays political plans, which took off from Tiruchirapalli in September this year, had hit a roadblock after the Karur stampede. The party, which had to face the police case, which was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), chose to take a break from its political activities for a brief period. Vijay resumed his outreach on December 5 from Puducherry, where his party cadres had to scan a QR code to get into the rally venue and watch him speak. Incidentally, Vijays next film, Jananayagans audio launch is all said to happen in Malaysia on December 20. Jananayagan is scheduled to hit the theatres during this Pongal festival with an aim to appease the voters with his style and punch dialogues, in the run-up to the election. The involvement of a Hyderabad man in the mass shooting in Australias Bondi Beach was not only an "insult" to India, but also a grave security concern for the country, Telangana BJP chief N. Ramchander Rao said on Wednesday. Rao raised apprehension that, though the accused had moved out of India 27 years ago, there could be several sleeper cells for ISI and ISIS in Hyderabad. Telangana Police on Tuesday confirmed that Sajid Akram, one of the suspects in the Bondi Beach shooting that left 15 people dead, was a native of Hyderabad. Akram migrated to Australia in 1998, but still carried an Indian passport. Sajjid was gunned down by police during the encounter, while his son Naveed Akram, also a suspect, emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon after also being shot by police. The Hyderabad connection with the terror act (in Australia) is a matter of insult to us, and also a serious national security concern. Telangana police should now inquire and also go deep into the circumstances and the conditions in which they (Sajid) left India, Rao told PTI news agency. Rao also urged the police to investigate whether Sajid had maintained contacts with anybody in India after moving to Australia. Unfortunately, the people who are involved in it (the terror attack) are from India and that too from Hyderabad. And I feel that Hyderabad, though they moved out of Hyderabad for 27 years, still has many sleeper cells for ISI and ISIS also, he added. Australia's federal police have described the Bondi Beach shooting as a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State. The investigators have also reportedly recovered an ISIS flag and other incriminating materials from the suspect's vehicle. Rebel All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MLA Humayun Kabir visited West Bengal Assembly to attend a Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday, but stuck to his stand of not resigning as MLA. His suspension from the ruling party, post the foundation stone laying ceremony of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad district on December 6, not with standing, Kabir has decided to intensify his fight politically. The people who made me MLA have requested me not to step down now, when elections are around the corner. They are unable to get access to their MP, Yusuf Pathan, who stays in Gujarat and hardly visits West Bengal. Hence, I decided to go by their request," said Humayun Kabir. Kabir is tight-lipped about the announcement of his new party on December 22 in Beldanga in Murshidabad district, though he is confident of 4 lakh supporters, turning up. However, he has informed local police that 50,000 people will be present. I will launch a new party on my own in Beldanga in Murshidabad on December 22. AIMIM has not been invited to the event. I will declare a 75-member state committee that day, including the Murshidabad district president. Then I will decide which party to include in the alliance," added Kabir. Kabir says his party will contest in 135 seats and is looking to target minority voters in districts of Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Coochbehar, Purba Bardhaman, Pashchim Bardhman, Birbhum, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia and Midnapore. While Assaudin Owaisi's party, AIMIM, has declined an alliance with Kabir's party, the rebel MLA said his doors are open for any party meeting his vision of ousting AITC from power in the state and keeping the BJP away from taking over. I am at an advantage. They are at zero, I am alone. I am an MLA starting a party, and the people I am asking to join hands with me, those parties have zero seats in West Bengal - Congress and CPI(M). Naushad (Siddiqui) is alone just like me. If Naushad wants to join hands, he is welcome, if CPI(M) wants to join hands, they are welcome. If Congress wants to join hands, they are welcome. Else, they will remain zero," said a confident Kabir, who is hoping Naushad, who is the only MLA of Islamic Secular Front(ISF), will join hands with the former AITC MLAs new party. Meanwhile, though Naushad Siddiqui is not in favour of politics over the building of the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad district by Kabir, he is not averse to the idea of joining hands. You can make a religious institution. However, good or bad is not about mosques or temples. How much employment was generated? We should talk about that. There are mostly migrant labourers in Murshidabad, one should talk about industries here," explained the ISF MLA. Now Humayun Kabir says he wants to launch his own party. We will see what happens after December 22. What does he want, what are his aims and objectives. If it is a secular, we will speak to their alliance partners and see too," said Siddiqui. When he was in AITC, he said in 2024 elections, he said 30 per cent vs 70 pc, but we dont agree to this. He has to take his words back," added Siddiqui, who is at an intermediate stage of talks with Congress and Left Front for seat sharing in the upcoming assembly elections in 2026. We are in the second phase of talks on seat sharing. The fight by smaller parties for the nearly 30 pc minority vote bank in West Bengal is one to watch out for. These parties are hoping to cash in on anti-incumbency votes, but how much of their vision is realistic, with AITC having a larger share of the minority community in the state, is the big question. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's guided tour of BMW Welt and the BMW Plant in Munich, and the remarks thereafter that manufacturing is declining in India, attracted criticism from the BJP, which accused him of insulting India. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who is on a visit to Germany, said in a social media post after his visit to the BMW Plant, "Had the chance to experience BMW's world in Munich, Germany, with a guided tour of BMW Welt and the BMW Plant an incredible look at world-class manufacturing up close." A highlight was seeing TVS's 450cc motorcycle, developed in partnership with BMW, he said, adding that it was a proud moment to see Indian engineering on display. "Manufacturing is the backbone of strong economies. Sadly, in India, manufacturing is declining. For us to accelerate growth, we need to produce more build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems and create high-quality jobs at scale," the Congress leader said. Reacting to the Congress leader's claims, the BJP alleged that the Congress leader is spreading fake news. BJP MP Sambit Patra observed that as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he has to behave in a really responsible manner, especially when he is on foreign soil. "Parliament is in session here, several Bills are being discussed in the House, and Rahul Gandhi is in Germany to address the Indian diaspora. Today, we saw Rahul Gandhi visiting a BMW factory in Munich, and there, he appreciated their manufacturing and said that he is sad that manufacturing is poor in India." Patra said Gandhi's frequent foreign visits and insulting India from foreign soil show the sentiments that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have for India. He alleged that whenever Gandhi visits abroad, the Congress leader insults the Parliament and India. Party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed Rahul Gandhi lied about India's growth story and cited numbers to show how India's manufacturing is growing. "Rahul Gandhi may deny reality, but factories, exports, and numbers don't lie," he said. A Goa court has remanded the Luthra brothers to five days of police custody in connection with the tragic fire mishap at 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub earlier this month. The fugitive brothers were brought to Goa from Delhi earlier in the day. Goa police produced Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the co-owners of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Mapusa court on Wednesday. Judicial First Class Magistrate Puja Sardesai made the accused undergo medical examination twice after they sought special consideration over poor health. #WATCH | Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane fire incident | Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Goa grants 5-day Police custody of Luthra brothers - Saurabh and Gaurav. Visuals from the Court as the brothers are being brought out after hearing. https://t.co/K4FKQ4jRLQ pic.twitter.com/sWawIJufMM ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2025 On landing in Goa from Delhi, the duo were initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were later taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa. However, after they sought leniency on health grounds, the magistrate ordered a second health examination. Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing Bhavana Joshi, who lost four family members in the tragedy, said that the accused were asking for special consideration, claiming poor health. "We said they should not be given any extra relaxation. But, since they kept pressing for a medical check-up, the court ordered re-examination of their health. It is clear in the medical examination that they don't require any consideration. The accused sought special considerations in the lock-up, like a good mattress, which the court refused." The brothers escaped to Phuket, Thailand, soon after fire broke out at the nightclub on December 6, allegedly operating in violation of safety norms. Thai police detained them after Interpol issued a Blue Corner Notice against the brothers on the run. The Goa government had also requested the Ministry of External Affairs to cancel their passports. The Luthra brothers are facing various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. As many as 25 people died in the tragedy, and the majority of them were staff members. Police have so far arrested five managers and a partner in connection with the probe. As a stark reminder to society about its responsibility towards fellow humans, the wife of the motor vehicle mechanic who succumbed to a heart attack on Bengaluru roads has donated his eyes. Wailing her husband's loss, the mechanic's wife said, "Humanity failed her husband." It was a tragic day for 34-year-old mechanic Venkataramanan from Balaji Nagar in Bengaluru and his wife Roopa. During the early hours of December 13, Venkataramanan complained of chest pain to his wife. Fearing for her husband's health, Roopa immediately took Venkataramanan in a two-wheeler to the nearest private hospital. However, the hospital allegedly refused to offer him treatment, saying the doctor was unavailable. Heartbreaking incident from Bengaluru. 34 year old Venkataraman had chest pain. His wife rushed him on a bike to a private hospital no doctor, no first aid, sent back. Second hospital confirmed a minor heart attack, but no treatment or ambulance there either. Forced to try a pic.twitter.com/unrPkLX11x The News Drill (@thenewsdrill) December 17, 2025 The couple immediately rushed to another private hospital nearby. "At the second hospital, we were told he had a stroke and to go to another hospital," Roopa told NDTV, recounting the dreadful moments. Roopa charged despite her husband's condition, the hospital refused to help with finding an ambulance or providing emergency care. She added that, though she attempted to find a private ambulance, none responded properly. However, Roopa decided to take Venkataramanan in her scooter herself. Venkataramanan collapsed, and they both suffered injuries after Roopa lost control of the scooter. Roopa, along with her sister, who reached the spot, tried to stop passing vehicles, but none stopped. Minutes later, a car stopped, and they rushed Venkataramanan to the hospital. However, doctors declared he died on arrival. "Humanity failed to help my husband. I was covered in blood, pleading for help, but no one came,"Roopa told NDTV. "Humanity failed, but we did our bit by donating his eye," she said. The family has donated the eyes of the man. Venkataramanan's mother said, "I have no words. I don't know what to say. My son is gone." Roopa's mother said the couple has two kids and worried who would take care of them. Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire incident earlier this month, will be brought to the state from Delhi on Wednesday. A city court has granted the Goa Police a two-day transit remand of the accused, who were arrested on Tuesday as soon as they landed in the national capital after being deported from Thailand. Judicial Magistrate Twinkle Chawla in the Patiala House Court has also directed the police officials to provide prescribed medicines to both accused. #WATCH | Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane fire incident | Luthra brothers-Gaurav and Saurabh, the owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, Goa, are being taken to Goa by the Goa Police. Visuals from inside Delhi's IGI Airport. The Court granted their two-day transit pic.twitter.com/Oj07suPAZG ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2025 A team of the Goa Police will be landing with the Luthra brothers at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa in North Goa at 11 am, PTI reported, quoting a police spokesperson. In the remand papers submitted to the court, the investigators alleged that the Luthras had ultimate control" over the operations of the nightclub 'Birch by Romeo Lane'. The duo were directly responsible for organising fireworks at the venue on December 6 without adequate precautions or proper safety equipment, the cops claimed, according to a CNN-News18 report. #WATCH | Delhi | Luthra brothers- Gaurav and Saurabh brought to Patiala House Court by Goa Police. They were deported to India from Thailand and a team of the Goa Police arrested the two at the airport. pic.twitter.com/VLnDCIwyN9 ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2025 The Luthras left for Phuket in Thailand shortly after the fire incident on December 6, prompting Indian authorities to approach Interpol to issue a Blue Corner Notice against them. They were detained by Thai authorities in Phuket on December 11 following an intervention by the Indian mission. The Indian government had impounded the passports of the two brothers and submitted a dossier to Thai authorities alleging their involvement in the death of 25 people, including four tourists, in the fire. Five managers and staff members of the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire. The popular party venue in Arpora village, approximately 25 km from the state capital, Panaji, opened last year. The Trinamool Congress has decided to carry out a door-to-door scrutiny in Bhabanipur, the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after around 45,000 names were deleted from the draft voters list published by the Election Commission on Tuesday. Bhabanipur had 2,06,295 voters as of January 2025. However, the draft rolls now carry 1,61,509 names, indicating that 44,787 voters (21.7 per cent of the electorate) have been deleted. The assembly constituency comprises Kolkata Municipal Corporation wards 63, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 77 and 82. The TMC sources told PTI that wards 70, 72 and 77 recorded particularly high deletions. Ward 77, a minority-dominated area, was flagged for special attention during the scrutiny. The constituency has a sizeable population of residents from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. The poll panel on Tuesday published West Bengal's draft electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). More than 58 lakh voters have been deleted from the list on various grounds, including death and migration. According to a press release by the Election Commission, out of a total 7,66,37,529 voters, 7,08,16,630 electors have submitted their enumeration forms as of December 11. With the Commission now set to begin the process on claims and objections, the TMC has directed its local leaderships to stand by the affected voters during verification. The party has also asked its local units to continue running the neighbourhood-level May I Help You' camps to assist people with documentation, form-filling and hearings. On Tuesday, slamming the mass deletion of voters in the draft list, the TMC said the SIR was being done in a hurried manner. The BJPs narrative of the script was to show that the people who were deleted were the vote bank of Mamata Banerjee. The continuous denial of the peoples verdict in the previous three assembly elections or Lok Sabha elections, the BJP continues to deny how they have lost and why TMC has won," party leader Sashi Panja said. A man from Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly murdered his wife and two minor daughters over not wearing a burqa. He had buried their bodies in the septic tank inside the house. A man killed his wife and two children, then buried their bodies in the courtyard. Shamli, UP: After committing the crime, the accused, Mohd Farukh, lived normally for five days. He reportedly became angry when his wife went out without wearing a hijab. He shot his wife and pic.twitter.com/9PDJN9vSaW Krishna Chaudhary (@KrishnaTOI) December 17, 2025 The accused is a resident of Garhi Daulat village, located within the Kandhla police station area. According to police, Farooq confessed to shooting his wife, Tahia, 32, after waking her to pepare tea at home on December 10. He also shot his elder daughter, Afreen, 12, after she tried to intervene. He then strangled his younger daughter, Sahreen, who was aged 5. Farooq revealed that he worked as a bread maker in a hotel. About a month earlier his wife had asked him for some money. After an argument she had left for her parents house with her two daughters without wearing a burqa. The man said that he was upset about 'honor' and made plans to kill them after bringing them back home. He had buried all their bodies in a deep pit he had dug earlier for a toilet in the courtyard of the house. Police have recovered the bodies for a post-mortem on Wednesday, six days after the murder. Farooq's father, Dawood, had complained to the police on Tuesday after the three went missing on December 10. The head of the village had also grown suspicious and lodged another complaint before the police took Farooq into custody, Suprerintendent of Police Narendra Pratap Singh told local media. The man had confessed during the police interrogation and said that he was angry his wife had left the house without a hijab. The victim's family staged a protest and tried to confront the accused, who had been arrested. Police have tightened security around the village and deployed more personnel. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at podium) speaks at a press encounter at the UN headquarters in New York, Dec. 17, 2025. Guterres on Wednesday condemned the continued arbitrary detention of UN personnel by the Houthis in Yemen. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday condemned the continued arbitrary detention of UN personnel by the Houthis in Yemen. "I strongly condemn the continued arbitrary detention of 59 UN colleagues and partner personnel, as well as staff from NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions," he told reporters after briefing the Security Council on the situation in Yemen in closed-door consultations. "I call for their immediate and unconditional release, in accordance with international law." In recent days, Houthi de facto authorities referred three UN personnel to a special criminal court. This referral must be rescinded, Guterres said. They have been charged in relation to their performance of UN official duties. These charges must be dropped, he said. "The continued detention of our colleagues is a profound injustice to all those who have dedicated their lives to helping the people of Yemen. The United Nations and its partners must never be targeted, arrested, or detained in connection with their official duties. We must be allowed to perform our work without interference," said Guterres. In the press encounter, Guterres called for de-escalation of the tensions in Yemen. Tensions have been simmering across Yemen, and dramatic new developments in the eastern governorates are turning up the heat, he said. "A full resumption of hostilities could have serious ramifications on regional peace and security, including on the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aden, and in the Horn of Africa." Guterres urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate tensions, and resolve differences through dialogue. "Yemen needs a sustainable, negotiated political settlement -- one that embraces the aspirations of all Yemenis and brings this devastating conflict to an end. Until then, the Yemeni people will continue to pay a terrible price," he said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press encounter at the UN headquarters in New York, Dec. 17, 2025. Guterres on Wednesday condemned the continued arbitrary detention of UN personnel by the Houthis in Yemen. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) India has summoned Bangladeshs High Commissioner in New Delhi, Muhammad Riaz Hamidullah, over concerns about the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs said that envoys' attention was drawn to "activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka". The summons was made just a day after Bangladeshs senior NCP leader, Hasnat Abdullah, made comments threatening the Seven Sister states in the northeast. Abdullah's comments have been deemed anti-India and separatist. He had threatened that Dhaka would shelter forces hostile to Delhi and help sever India's "seven sisters" during a protest rally organised by Inqilab Mancha. Four of the seven sister states share a border with Bangladesh, making the area highly sensitive to cross-border security issues. Abdullah comments on the Northeastern states' geographical connection through the Siliguri corridor, which has been termed a chicken's neck, has been met with serious concerns for security and further political tensions between the countries. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the NCP leaders comments irresponsible and dangerous, asserting that India would not tolerate such hostile posturing. The Foreign Ministry said Hamidullah was appraised of India's strong concerns about the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh. "His attention was drawn, in particular, to the activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka," the Ministry said in a statement. Apart from the NCP leaders comments, a radical group in Dhaka had also announced a march to the indian High Commission on Wednesday afternoon in protest against the alleged Indian interference in Bangladesh politics. On Monday, the Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma was summoned to the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry in Dhaka on Monday to be given a message over the sheltering of ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina. On December 15, the BJP high command appointed three Union ministers to oversee its party activities in Tamil Nadu in the run up to the 2026 assembly general elections. The move comes at a time when the national ruling party is pushing hard to gain a foothold in the state by strengthening the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu. BJPs national president J.P. Nadda appointed Union minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal as the election in-charge for Tamil Nadu. Goyal will be replacing Lok Sabha MP Baijayant Panda who was appointed as the election in-charge for Tamil Nadu by the BJP high command on September 25. According to sources, Goyal who was the election in-charge in 2021 has again been appointed with an aim to strengthen the NDA. Incidentally, the alliance is in a complete disarray in Tamil Nadu, with all its constituents walking away after AIADMK was roped into the alliance in April this year. The appointment also comes at a time when the AIADMK has asserted itself saying that it is the larger partner in the alliance. During its general council meeting held on December 10, AIADMK said that its general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) will steer the NDA. One of the resolutions passed during the general council (GC) meeting on December 10, asserted AIADMKs dominance in NDA by giving full and absolute authority in EPS to decide on the coalition partners and gave complete control over the seat-sharing arrangements and shape a winnable alliance framework. With this resolution, the AIADMK sent a clear message to the BJP that the national party cannot, anymore, call the shots in Tamil Nadu. The meeting also made it clear that it will not readmit rebels like T.T.V. Dhinakaran, O. Panneerselvam and V.K. Sasikala. In his speech at the meeting, EPS said the AIADMK was fighting the polls on its own individual strength unlike the DMK, which is dependent on its alliance partners for a victory. The NDA will win 210 seats. The AIADMK will form a government on its own, Palaniswami asserted. However, the resolutions and AIADMKs assertiveness had apparently shook the national party, which had the leverage of influencing the AIADMK in forging a mega alliance. Despite a broad alliance in 2011 and 2016, the DMK was defeated by Jayalalithaa as she had the people's support. The NDA too will win 2026 in a similar manner, said Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran, while addressing a rally at Ranipet. Nagendran was apparently summoned to Delhi to meet Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP working committee president Nitin Nabin and other senior leaders to discuss BJP's strategies for the upcoming 2026 elections. In the Parliament, Shah earlier said that after Bihar, the NDA will win West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Despite this statement from Amit Shah, the NDA in Tamil Nadu is yet to take off, as most its constituents had walked out of the alliance. While Dhinakaran and O. Panneerselvam are left in the lurch, as they are not willing to accept Palaniswami as the chief minister candidate, the PMK is hit by internal squabbles. Vijayakanths DMDK has chosen to join an alliance that will offer more number of seats and promise a Rajya Sabha seat. Premalatha Vijayakanth has said a decision will be taken in January 2026. She is also upset with the AIADMK as Palaniswami did not allot a Rajya Sabha seat that was earlier promised in 2024. As the NDA struggles to find a cohesion, there are also attempts to rope in actor Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam into the alliance. But TVK office bearers have denied this every now and then, saying that it will not be part of an alliance with the BJP. On the other hand, the BJP wants to ensure that the AIADMK doesnt walk out of the NDA and forge an alliance with the TVK, which will only spoil the prospects of the BJP retaining even its single digit MLAs in the assembly. Palaniswamis attempts to rope in TVK after the Karur stampede had apparently faltered. However Piyush Goyal is all set to visit Tamil Nadu on December 22 to hold talks with the senior BJP leaders and also with the AIADMK leadership. It may be recalled that it was Piyush Goyal who stitched a formidable alliance in 2021 making NDA sit in the opposition with over 70 MLAs. A day after creating a massive political row with his controversial remarks on Operation Sindoor, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan remained defiant on Wednesday, saying the Constitution has given him the right to ask questions. Chavan, a former Maharashtra chief minister, had claimed that India was defeated on the very first day of the military confrontation with Pakistan and many Indian aircraft were shot down during the conflict. "Why should I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions, he said. #WATCH | Pune | On his statement claiming India was defeated on day one of Operation Sindoor, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan says, "Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions..." pic.twitter.com/Idnp7nL63M ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2025 The BJP, meanwhile, has launched an all-out attack on Chavan and the Congress party, accusing them of undermining national security operations. The Congress party has always been pro-Pakistani. This Congress party has always humiliated the country. Their leader, Rahul Gandhi, whenever he goes abroad, insults India. The whole country is watching, and the public will teach Congress a lesson," said BJP MP Brij Lal. Party spokesperson C.R. Kesavan questioned the silence of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, asking why no action is being taken against the leader. "Prithviraj Chavan has ranted like a third-grade Pakistani spokesperson, deliberately maligning our armed forces, calling for them to be disbanded on Vijay Diwas. Why have Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi not condemned and initiated action against Prithviraj Chavan? Do they agree with his preposterous statement?, he asked. Earlier, BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said insulting the army has become the hallmark of the Congress party. "This is not just Prithviraj Chavan's statement; Rahul Gandhi has also made similar statements. All these statements reflect Rahul Gandhi's mindset, which is why Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party does not take any action against such leaders. These statements reveal their anti-army mentality," he said. Chavan made the controversial statement at a press conference in Pune, where he said the Indian Air Force was completely grounded during the three-day military conflict. "On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not, he said. Indian aircraft were shot down. The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, the Congress leader further claimed. With the appointment of Pankaj Chaudhary as the new BJP state president in Uttar Pradesh, the partys long-pending organisational reshuffle is now complete in the state. This also clears the way for the long-awaited expansion of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths cabinet. The Uttar Pradesh Council of Ministers can have up to 60 members, of which only 54 are now filled. Speculations are rife that there could be a third deputy minister, besides Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak. Several names are doing the rounds, including outgoing UP BJP President and senior Jat leader Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary. Many believe the party leadership will reward Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary with a cabinet post. Before taking charge of the party organisation in 2022, Bhupendra Chaudhary had served as the Panchayati Raj Minister and was considered instrumental in strengthening the BJPs outreach to the politically influential Jat community in Western UP. #WATCH | Lucknow, UP: BJP announce new UP State BJP President, Minister Kapil Dev Agarawal says, "... The party is getting a good mentor under Pankaj Chaudhary's leadership. He is a seven-time MP, and his experience will guide us. He understands the emotions of the party pic.twitter.com/dqoJ97za8r ANI (@ANI) December 14, 2025 Butit is still uncertain whether he will occupy the post of Deputy Chief Minister. With OBC leader Pankaj Chaudhary now leading the state BJP unit, the party is also considering bringing a Scheduled Caste (SC) leader to a prominent ministerial post to maintain social balance. While Maurya belongs to the OBC segment, Pathak is Brahmin, so the third name could be from the SC community. Former MP Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti is considered the strongest contender for this position. Other names include Pankaj Singh, son of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and MLA from Noida and Samajwadi Party rebel leaders Puja Pal, Manoj Pandey and Mahendra Singh. Mahendra Singh is currently the BJPs election in-charge for Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, Manoj Pandey, a rebel Samajwadi Party MLA from Unchahar, is also being considered a potential contender for a ministerial post. Meanwhile, the cabinet expansion could include representation not only from the BJP but also from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Apna Dal. The cabinet expansion is expected anytime after Kharmas, that is, at the end of January. The BJP aims for its organisation and government to be in complete political alignment in the coming election year. The US Central Command on Tuesday held a meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha, the main agenda of which was to deploy an international stabilization force (ISF) to the enclave. The military representatives of over 40 countries, including Pakistan, attended the meeting, though none of them have committed to sending troops, except Italy, which is reportedly the only country so far to have clearly committed to participating in the stability force. However, the meeting excluded one major world power: Turkey. This, despite Ankaras active role in the negotiations. The exclusion reportedly came at Israels request, and the US agreed. According to reports, Israel has maintained a stubborn veto against Erdogan's involvement and the presence of Turkish forces in the Gaza Strip. A senior Israeli official reiterated in a conversation with Hebrew media i24NEWS that "not a single Turkish soldier will set foot in Gaza." The report added that Israel sent strong messages on this issue to American envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and President Donald Trump. For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East This is despite Qatar and Turkey itself exerting coordinated pressure on the US and other countries, in an attempt to bring about Turkey's cooperation in the effort. According to experts from the Foundation for Defence of Democracies (FDD), the disagreement over inviting Turkey to the meeting encapsulates the whole dilemma surrounding the ISF. Edmund Fitton-Brown, senior fellow, FDD, unlike many nations that do not want to put its troops in harms way, Ankara is willing to deploy. The point of this aspect of the Gaza plan is to disarm Hamas and keep technocratic administrators and independent Palestinian enforcers safe. But no nation wants to put its troops in harms way. Ankara, meanwhile, is willing to deploy, but for all the wrong reasons, Fitton-Brown said. He added that as an imperialist power seeking to assert itself in key parts of the old Ottoman Empire, it wants to be in Gaza. But Turkeys aggressive ambitions are directed against Israel. Ankara would not disarm Hamas but rather protect the group and ensure its continued influence, Fitton-Brown added. The United States convened a high-level conference in Doha on Tuesday to examine how an International Stabilisation Force might eventually operate in Gaza as part of Phase 2 of President Donald Trumps Gaza peace plan. The meeting, organised by the US Central Command, explored potential basing arrangements, command and control structures and the types of military units and financial contributions that partner governments might provide. The closed-door meeting brought together representatives from more than 45 partner nations, including Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, France, the United Kingdom and Italy, to discuss the structure and objectives of the proposed multinational force. Despite the breadth of international attendance, the talks failed to deliver key decisions on how the force would function in practice. As a result, organisers have scheduled a follow-up meeting for military chiefs of staff in January to address the most contentious unresolved issues. For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East A central aim of the Trump administration is to assemble a force of roughly 10,000 troops for the multinational mission. US officials have privately acknowledged, however, that reaching this target could take until next year. The State Department has formally approached more than 70 countries seeking troop contributions or financial support, but the response has been limited. Only 19 nations have indicated a willingness to assist, and many of these offers focus on logistics, equipment or funding rather than the deployment of combat forces. Among the countries present, Italy stands out as the only one to have made a clear commitment and to have informed Washington of the precise number of troops it could contribute. Indonesia has also signalled readiness to send as many as 20,000 personnel, but has made clear that these forces would be restricted to medical, engineering and construction roles rather than security operations. One of the most serious obstacles facing the initiative is disagreement over where the force would be deployed. Countries currently engaged in talks with Washington have stated that they would only consider deploying troops within the so-called Yellow Line, which marks areas of Gaza already under the control of the Israel Defense Forces. These governments have shown strong reluctance to operate in the red zone, the 47 per cent of the enclave that remains under Hamas control. The United States, by contrast, has continued to press its partners to consider operating in Hamas-controlled areas in order to avoid renewed IDF operations. The Doha meeting pointedly excluded Turkey, possibly because of Israels objections. Although Israel was not invited to attend the Doha meeting and did not participate directly, it followed the discussions closely and reportedly viewed Turkeys exclusion as a diplomatic success, even while objecting to Qatar hosting the event. Israeli officials have been explicit in their opposition to any Turkish presence in Gaza, with Defence Minister Israel Katz declaring that Turkey would only see the enclave through binoculars. Ankara, which argues that it is prepared to participate and has signed the relevant declarations, has responded by lobbying the United States and Qatar to reverse the decision. Turkish officials have also reportedly pressured other countries, including Azerbaijan, to withhold their participation in the proposed force. The creation of the International Stabilisation Force is a cornerstone of the second phase of the Trump administrations peace plan, which envisages Hamas disarming and Israel withdrawing as the multinational force takes control of Gaza. There is, however, no agreement on whether the ISF itself would be responsible for disarming Hamas. The militant group has repeatedly stated that it will not disarm unless and until a Palestinian state is established. While President Trump has publicly claimed that the force is already operating and that countries will provide troops at his request, reporting suggests that the deployment timetable is slipping, with a January deployment now appearing increasingly unrealistic. According to ongoing discussions, the United States envisions the force being led by an American general, with retired General Jasper Jeffries emerging as the leading candidate. The Trump administration hopes to train the forces in a Middle Eastern country before they are deployed in areas such as Rafah, followed by deployment in areas such as Rafah. This approach is intended to establish an international presence without immediately confronting Hamas, with any expansion into other parts of Gaza contingent on Israels confidence in the forces military capabilities. The Doha conference took place against the backdrop of disagreement between Jerusalem and Washington over the terms of the ongoing ceasefire. Washington is said to be investigating whether recent Israeli strikes in Gaza went against terms of the truce. As the Trump administration tries to reconcile its ambitious plans with the evident caution of its allies, the future of the initiative remains uncertain. For the plan to succeed, it requires meaningful troop commitments from multiple countries and also a resolution of the key strategic differences over engagement with Hamas and the role of regional powers such as Turkey. The outcome of the military chiefs meeting scheduled for January is likely to prove decisive. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaas meeting at the White House with Donald Trump during the first week of November is looked at as a complete change in the tale of events. Once termed a jihadist, who had a 10-million-dollar US bounty on his head, al-Sharaas visit to the US and the meeting with Trump has brought the promise of additional sanctions relief to war-torn Syria. The meeting has also ensured a six-month suspension of a comprehensive set of restrictions laid out in the Caesar Act. Geopolitically, Al-Sharaas meeting with Trump will also mark a significant shift for Syria which was aligned with Iran and Russia against the West over a period of time, under its former president Bashar al-Assad. During the meeting, al-Sharaa had also pledged to join the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State, which has been bringing down the country for more than a decade. For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East A day after the meeting of al-Sharaa and Trump, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi talked to US special envoy Tom Barrack. After his talks with Barrack, Abdi voiced support and stressed the importance of the common struggle against the Islamic State (IS). In a tweet on the social media platform X, Abdi thanked Trump for his leadership on Syria and for giving the Syrian people a chance for greatness. I just had a wonderful phone call with Ambassador Tom Barrack to discuss the outcomes of the meeting with President Al-Sharaa in the White House and our commitment to accelerate the integration of the SDF into the Syrian state. Syrias accession to the global coalition against ISIS represents a pivotal step towards enhancing collaborative efforts and bolstering the initiatives aimed at achieving the enduring defeat of ISIS and eliminating its threat to the region. We are diligently working with our partners in close coordination to advance progress towards a more prosperous and secure future for our people in a unified Syria, he said. The meeting between Al-Sharaa and Trump had brought hope in the region, particularly among the Kurdish population who have been fighting for rights, even before the fall of Saddam Hussein. In a connected development, Elham Amad was invited by the DEM party to participate via video during a peace conference titled International Peace and Democratic Society Conference, in Istanbul on December 6 and 7. One important issue she raised was the implementation of the March 10 agreement. The Kurdish leaders in the recent past are working continuously and leveraged their strong relations with Turkey to mediate the Turkish-Kurdish peace talks, seeking stability and political prestige. The recent conference in Istanbul was related to the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogans statement that a comprehensive agreement could be reached between Kurds, Turks, and Arabs, which has contributed to a shift in the political discourse toward the PKK in North and East Syria. It was the DEM party that helped mediate between Ocalan and Turkeys civil society and the political parties. While there has been no mention about peace talks in the recent past, the conference was looked at as an important forum to hold a political dialogue between both Turkey and Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) to find a political solution and implement the March 10 agreement. Incidentally there is a constructive shift in the Turkish attitude towards a process of democratic integration between the DAANES and Damascus. In this context, Elham Amad, the co-chair of the Department of Foreign Relations of the DAANES , spoke with THE WEEK in detail on what the Kurdish population expected out of al-Sharaas meeting with Trump, the lifting of the US sanctions, al-Sharaas earlier visit to Moscow and the geopolitical changes in the region. Excerpts from the interview. Q) What do you think was the outcome of Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaas meeting with US President Donald Trump? Do you see it as a positive for the Kurdish rights? In the meeting between Al-Sharaa and the US president the situation in Syria in general was discussed. There was no discussion specifically about the rights of specific groups of society, such as the Kurds. However, in the context of a general political solution in Syria, that is, how the Kurds will achieve their rights, we are currently going through a stage where the rights of all the different nations can no longer be denied, violated or not recognised as before. This will not be the case. Once again, caution is needed on this issue: Support for the rights of all nations is important. The Kurds in particular are a major force that has fought against ISIS with the US and the International Coalition and has made great sacrifices. The Kurds live in their own land. They have a history. The Kurds in Syria are the most essential partners both for building a new Syria that will be the best ally of the USA, and for the democratisation of Syria. Within the framework of this understanding, the rights of all different groups of society, including the Kurds, must be guaranteed. Q) DAANES representatives have been supportive of strengthening ties with the US, especially with regards to the lifting of sanctions. In recent days, there have been multiple statements by the DAANES focussing on the need for a decentralised system in Syria. Do you see Al-Sharaas meeting with Trump in these lines? We do not know exactly what was said in detail in the meeting. But from the statements made by American officials, especially those responsible for the Syrian file, it is clear that there is a consensus. In particular, for Syria to move away from its previous framework. For Syria to move away from the framework of a single party and the strong centralisation of the state and become somewhat more decentralised, there is a consensus. We support these views. And we say that for the construction of a new Syria, our views must definitely be included. Especially after so many years of heavy fighting, after so much internal conflict. In order for a united Syria to remain, the rights of all the peoples of Syria must be included in this regard and the support of all of them is needed. It is important for them to all see themselves as part of this. And it is important for all of them to see that their rights, identities and personalities are recognised and that their dignity is protected. If this does not happen, chaos will break out in Syria once again. This is not in the interests of any party. Q) Where do the DAANESs talks with the Syrian administration stand? How are the talks progressing? In the meetings we have been having with Damascus so far, practical steps have now been taken for the first time. We have agreed on the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the army. Documents, names and things related to the army have been discussed, namely those of the SDF. But there is still a lot of delay in these talks. Damascus is taking slow steps, for example in the way they respond. They cannot make decisions. They have some difficulties in this regard. Whether they are doing this on their own or they really do not have the power, we do not know yet. But it seems that these steps are being taken slowly. Q) It is said that Ahmad Al-Sharaas meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House marked a historic shift in Syria-US relations after years of conflict. Do you think it has signalled a recalibration in Washingtons approach towards Damascus and Syria as a whole? For the first time in many years, the Syrian issue is now firmly in the hands of the United States. The United States is in the position to make its own decisions regarding Syria. Although it is also in touch with other countries such as Israel, Turkey and others, the United States can now hold negotiations on the Syrian issue. The United States has some forward-looking views in its strategic relations with Syria. Therefore, the United States' approach to Syria is not tactical, but strategic. The meetings that have taken place now show that this is the first time that the Syrian president has paid such a visit to the United States. And he has decided to join the International Coalition against ISIS. Also, new approaches are emerging in the economic field. Therefore, it is clear that Syria will face very serious changes in the future. Q) And before visiting Washington, Syrian President was in Moscow. It seems the government under Al-Sharaa is planning to build a friendly relationship in the region and also with the West. What do you think are the challenges before the interim government under Al-Sharaa in Damascus in terms of foreign relations? Syria has been at war for many years and there was also an embargo on the country. The countries that directly supported the regime and were in Syria have very specific files related to Syria. For example, there are files on Syria's financial debts in both Iran and Russia. There are also still Russian military bases in Syria. These issues prevent Al-Sharaa from talking as comfortably and equally as he wants with all the different parties. The names of al-Sharaa and Al-Nusra are both on the terrorist list [of the UN]. There are some major states in the UN Security Council and decisions are made there. To overcome this obstacle, Al-Sharaa and Al-Nusra also need the support of Russia and China. This is not easy. Al-Sharaa himself wants to engage in negotiations with all parties, but there are also contradictions between these powers. There are contradictions between Russia and the United States, between China and the United States. Al-Sharaa wants to negotiate with everyone to get rid of the obstacles he has been facing. But this is not an easy task. In the future, new obstacles might even arise for Al-Sharaa. Regarding the issue of Syria's foreign relations, I would also like to say this: India is particularly important in terms of trade relations. For this reason, we consider India's presence in Syria and Syria's dialogue with India to be very important. In this context, in terms of technology and many other aspects, for example in terms of culture, we believe that it is very necessary to foster a dialogue and take steps. Q) The elections in Syria did not include the Kurdish regions. What do you think is the next step for the Kurdish from the North and East Syria also to be part of the electoral system in Syria? Do you think the meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa had a point to discuss on this? I don't know if the issue of elections was discussed during the meeting between them. But the elections that were held were not elections. Once again, this was simply a determination of personalities, that is, appointments were made, not elections. In our opinion, North and East Syria should not only have representatives in parliament. We should also have representatives in the government and in the justice institutions. In other words, there should be representatives from North and East Syria in all state institutions. It is not enough to only discuss this issue with a narrow focus on parliament. Also, the temporary constitution they have established is not enough to express democracy. We have opinions and criticisms about this temporary constitution. Therefore, we have also told the interim government that changes must be made. If these changes are not made, or if we do not have representatives in other places of government, that is, if we only have representatives in parliament, this would mean that we approve the steps that they only want to take by themselves. This would not be right. That is why we are now approaching these issues based on the need for corrections of these steps. The recent McDonald's advertisement, now withdrawn, went viral because of its perceived negative representation of the holiday season. The fast-food chain deployed generative AI, in collaboration with Sweetshop Films, to create the advertisement. A McDonald's Netherlands special, the ad portrayed Christmas as a potentially challenging time of year, showing AI-generated visuals of chaos and mayhem. The ad ultimately showed McDonald's as a safe haven until January, a comfortable space where people can find warmth along with its food. The ad follows Coca-Cola's Christmas release, which too faced backlash for its AI-generated visuals, showing the whole city, primarily animals, lighting up as Coca-Cola trucks pass by. Unlike McDonald's, Coca-Cola provided a disclaimer for AI usage, which many other companies fail to do, fearing criticism. As brands increasingly deploy generative AI, the campaign raises a larger question of whether algorithmically produced emotion can retain authenticity without misleading consumers. It boils down to a debate over whether emotion is being experienced or engineered. Brand and advertiser perceptions also differ, which further complicates the use of AI as a creative force. As Sweetshop CEO Melanie Bridge stated in a deleted LinkedIn post about the McDonald's ad, "The production process took seven weeks, where the team hardly slept and created thousands of takes then shaped them in the edit just as we would on any high-craft production. This wasn't an AI trick, it was a film." According to McDonald's Netherlands, the ad intended to reflect stressful moments that can occur during the holidays. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind It is an accurate statement in today's AI-dominated world. A central concern in AI-generated advertising is synthetic authenticity: a wonderfully crafted presentation of moments that feel real but never actually occurred. Here, faces could be composites, settings are digitally rendered, and emotional expressions are statistically generated. Raising concerns of emotional misrepresentation, the line between storytelling and emotional manipulation becomes increasingly blurred. The adoption of AI tools also impacts creative labour. While traditional advertising relies on directors, set designers, and actors, AI-generated content reduces dependency on these roles, triggering concerns within creative industries about displacement and concentration of creative control in the hands of tech-enabled corporations. In both advertisements, the sleek minimalism of the campaign has been cited as emblematic of a broader trend where efficiency is prioritised over human craftsmanship. AI advertising currently operates in a regulatory vacuum and a legal grey area, where existing consumer protection and advertising laws focus only on false claims about products, not the process by which emotional persuasion is created. Two phenomena that could be propagated by this are the normalisation of opaque persuasion under the guise of innovation, and synthetic nostalgia with memories that feel collective but were never collectively lived. The cultural significance of both brands is a testament to this. AI can be craftily used to meet our requirements, especially for advertising. In the words of Roshni Das, Former VP, Global Marketing Innovation, Intel, "Are you a product that naturally has AI as part of your core, like Samsung has with the Galaxy, or like Intel has their processing chip, or are you a brand or a platform where you can infuse AI to create stickiness, or you've got nothing intrinsic like chocolate...where you can use interesting storytelling to create stickiness and make the brand stand out for you." This level of AI integration and application highlights the adaptive capacities of AI, be it hyper-personalisation, predictive analytics, programmatic advertising, and ad performance optimisation, or dynamic content generation. AI advertising is not without its fair share of problems. An analysis of 133 AI systems by the Berkeley Haas Centre for Equity, Gender and Leadership found that, across industries, 44 per cent showed gender bias, and 25 per cent exposed both gender and racial bias. There is also a lack of humanity. Advertising is most impactful when it makes a human connection and produces authentic, inclusive portrayals. GenAI-created depictions of human beings often lack real human attributes, which erodes the principle of caveat emptor, authentic representation in the work, and consumer trust in the brand. Unemployment and job displacement concerns also follow. Vogue faced a wave of criticism after its US edition featured a Guess advertisement created using an AI-generated model. The move prompted models to speak out, arguing that the increasing reliance on AI was already reducing their chances of being hired. This was evident at Amazon as well, where thousands of jobs were cut in the name of efficiency and technological progress. AI-human bhai-bhai? According to the AdNext report released by ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India), a study conducted by Salesforce found that 66 per cent of marketers believe human oversight is essential for successfully integrating generative AI into advertising. In the absence of clear communication, audiences can find it difficult to tell genuine content apart from AI-created material, breeding doubt and mistrust. Although openness is essential, brands must ensure that disclosures are thoughtful and relevant, rather than so frequent or generic that they lose impact. Tailored, context-appropriate transparency will be critical to preserving consumer confidence without inundating people with excessive or redundant information. By leading in AI literacy, brands become trusted guides, building consumer confidence without creating undue regulations or stifling innovation. In today's AI landscape, the challenge is to balance technological advancement with human creativity. While AI and generative tools excel at analyzing data and spotting patterns, they still lack the emotional depth, cultural sensitivity, and intuition that make marketing truly connect. The most effective approach is to combine AI's precision with human creativity and empathy at the core. Cadbury Celebrations' #MyBirthdaySong re-imagined the traditional birthday wish by offering hyper-personalised songs, representing an ideal example. Using a GenAI-powered platform, users could generate customised birthday songs in real-time by simply entering a few details, creating a unique and emotionally resonant experience. As India navigates emerging AI policy, this controversy underscores the urgency of regulatory frameworks that protect consumer trust without stifling innovation. Indian law applicability in this specific realm is a grey area, where even near provisions for regulation or remedy are suggestive, not enforcing. Related statutes would include the Information Technology Act, 2000; Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021; MeitY Advisories (on AI and intermediaries); Consumer Protection Act, 2019; Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Code for Self-Regulation; ASCI Guidelines; Copyright Act, 1957; Trade Marks Act, 1999; and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Its tempting to dismiss Coca-Colas and McDonalds AI-driven holiday ads as yet another out-of-touch corporate misstep, particularly amid far more pressing global concerns. Yet, in this increasingly AI-shaped world, its just as crucial to pay attention to the subtle, everyday uses that quietly legitimise a powerful and contested technology as it is to focus on its headline-grabbing innovations. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has opened up about what prompted his close ally and Russian President Vladimir Putin to go into war with Ukraine. Recalling the complex causes that led to the conflict, Lukashenko said it all began with the oppression of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine and Odessa, where people considered enemies by Ukrainians were burned alive. This policy has been elevated to the highest rank in Ukraine, the Belarusian leader stated, adding that America would have done the same. If Mexico had treated pro-American-minded people living in the border region in the same way and forced them to speak Spanish instead of English, America would have literally wiped that country off the face of the earth. God forbid, of course. I'm simply citing this as an example," the head of state told US-based Newsmax. Alexander Lukashenko said that if the Ukrainian authorities truly wanted to develop a language policy, they should have done so step by step, over many years. But instead, they decided to simply shut the mouth of the Russian-speaking population. "Why did Putin start this war?" - Lukashenko responded to the Americans "You would have wiped Mexico off the face of the Earth," the Belarusian president told the American television channel Newsmax. "If Mexico started forcing Americans to speak, say, Spanish instead of pic.twitter.com/Y95ZyMh8jM Bernadette (@BDooher) December 16, 2025 "As an experienced politician, I tell you: if you live next to this sleeping bear, well, don't wake it up; find normal relations," Lukashenko said. "After all, I know this - I saw it, I participated in these negotiations - Russia reached an agreement with Ukraine on both Crimea and security issues. And the military bases in Crimea (which Ukraine didn't need) would be Russian. Russia supplied energy resources to Ukraine at half the world price. I saw this under Yeltsin and under Putin. There were normal relations," he said. He said it was not necessary to organise, with the help of the US and Europe, the Euromaidan. They turned everything upside down, overthrew the President (Viktor Yanukovych) was forced to leave the country. Many such reasons can be named. And they will not be in Ukraine's favor," said Lukashenko. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation expanding the list of countries with full or partial travel restrictions to 39 as the US administration continues to tighten entry requirements and immigration standards. According to a White House statement, the listed countries had demonstrated "persistent and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing". "The restrictions and limitations imposed by the proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives," it said. AMERICA FIRST SECURITY President Donald J. Trump just signed a new Proclamation, STRENGTHENING our borders & national security with data-driven restrictions on high-risk countries with severe deficiencies in screening & vetting. pic.twitter.com/DZmqpkerKb The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 16, 2025 While seven countries were added to the full travel ban list, 15 new countries will now face partial restrictions, CNN reported. The changes go into effect on January 1. Countries added to the full travel ban list: Laos, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. (Laos and Sierra Leone were already in the list of partial restrictions while South Sudan was also facing significant travel restrictions). People travelling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority have also been included in the list of countries facing a full ban on travel to the US. Countries added to the partial travel ban list: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote dIvoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Countries currently facing full US travel ban: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Countries currently facing partial US travel ban: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The restrictions apply to both people seeking to travel to the US as visitors or to emigrate there. However, people who already have visas, are lawful permanent residents of the US or have certain visa categories such as diplomats or athletes, or whose entry into the country is believed to serve the US interest, are all exempt from the restrictions. NAIROBI, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural African Summit, themed "Building a New United Africa," opened Tuesday in Accra, Ghana's capital, bringing together policymakers and stakeholders from across the continent to build consensus on a more integrated, interdependent and interconnected Africa. Confronted with both domestic and global governance pressures, African nations increasingly recognize that development is the master key to addressing persistent problems. There is a growing urgency to achieve strategic autonomy, address historical injustices, and accelerate continental integration. Analysts note that only by working with other developing countries to advance modernization can African nations overcome governance bottlenecks, shape a more just and equitable global governance system, and ultimately achieve shared development. AFRICAN MOMENT AMID CHANGES Addressing the opening ceremony of the African Summit, Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Africa "continues to grapple with fragmentation, weak intra-African trade, infrastructure deficits, limited industrial integration, and excessive dependence on external markets and systems." Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (R) delivers a speech at the African Summit in Accra, Ghana on Dec. 16, 2025. The inaugural African Summit, themed "Building a New United Africa," opened Tuesday in Accra, Ghana's capital, bringing together policymakers and stakeholders from across the continent to build consensus on a more integrated, interdependent and interconnected Africa. (The African Summit/Handout via Xinhua) "The global environment within which Africa must pursue its integration agenda is undergoing a rapid, profound transformation," he said, stressing that the continent must shift from being a passive observer to an active shaper of global outcomes through a united African voice, coordinated diplomacy and collective economic action. His remarks resonate against a backdrop of mounting challenges across the continent. African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat warned at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly that the continent continues to face persistent conflicts, interstate tensions and surging violent extremism, compounded by dwindling crisis management resources and weakening international solidarity. In late November, the G20 Leaders' Summit was held in Johannesburg, with a focus on advancing the development agenda of the Global South, particularly African countries. In a departure from tradition, the summit adopted a Leaders' Declaration at the opening ceremony, rather than at the close. However, the push for consensus encountered resistance. The United States, which refused to attend the summit, insisted that it would reject any outcome document "under the premise of a consensus G20 position without U.S. agreement." Despite this, participating leaders stood firm, and the declaration was ultimately adopted with overwhelming consensus, underscoring the need to address global challenges through multilateral cooperation and calling for stronger support for developing countries to advance inclusive growth and sustainable development. "The mere fact that we have an agreed declaration shows that the world is embracing multilateralism, and the world is embracing cooperation and collaboration," Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, told Xinhua. The summit marked the first time the African continent hosted a G20 Leaders' Summit. African countries, along with other Global South nations, played a pivotal role in steering the meeting toward positive outcomes, placing Africa's development priorities, unique perspectives and homegrown solutions at the center of discussions on global governance reform. This "African moment" at the G20 summit reflects the collective rise of Africa and the Global South amid accelerating global transformations. The IMF projects that sub-Saharan Africa's economic growth will exceed the global average, reaching 4.1 percent in 2025. Substantive progress has also been made in building the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with 47 countries having ratified the agreement. The World Bank estimates that the AfCFTA, whose tariff reductions and regulatory coordination are gaining space, is expected to generate about 450 billion U.S. dollars in additional economic output by 2035, lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty, and boost Africa's overall exports by nearly 29 percent. Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, said Africa is now at the center of the global development agenda, demonstrating the continent's resilience and deepening ties with the Global South. With a shared history of overcoming colonial oppression and achieving independent development, Africa is poised to shape its future. AFRICAN SOLUTIONS TO GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES In late November, the armed forces of Guinea-Bissau staged a coup, removing President Umaro Sissoco Embalo from office. About one week later, a mutiny broke out among some soldiers in Benin, though authorities swiftly contained the situation. In eastern DRC, fighting flared again in December, leaving more than 400 people dead and over 500,000 people displaced. These political shocks have heightened regional alert. Omar Touray, president of the Economic Community of West African States, announced a "state of emergency" across West Africa on Dec. 8. Analysts note that the causes of unrest are varied but are often intertwined with colonial legacies, terrorism, lagging economic development and other governance challenges. Guests attend the African Summit in Accra, Ghana, on Dec. 16, 2025. The inaugural African Summit, themed "Building a New United Africa," opened Tuesday in Accra, Ghana's capital, bringing together policymakers and stakeholders from across the continent to build consensus on a more integrated, interdependent and interconnected Africa. (Xinhua/Gao Jianfei) External shocks have further compounded these pressures. In April, the United States imposed additional tariffs on Lesotho, leading to the reported cancellation of nearly 80 percent of the country's textile export orders within weeks, prompting the government to declare a two-year "state of national disaster." Similarly, following U.S. tariff hikes on South Africa, the country's auto exports to the United States plunged sharply, with declines of 80 percent in April and 85 percent in May. To cushion these shocks, analysts stress that African countries should further strengthen cooperation with developing nations by leveraging international collaboration to advance Africa's development, amplify the Global South's voice in international affairs, and promote a more just and reasonable global governance system. Madagascan economist Julien Rakoto called for regional integration and a "strategic refocusing" toward African markets, particularly through the AfCFTA. During the African Union Summit in February, leaders reviewed progress on the AfCFTA and expressed hope that by advancing regional integration and deepening regional integration, Africa could harness its large population and unified market to drive homegrown growth, helping address structural vulnerabilities, governance deficits and weak industrial foundations, and gradually overcoming persistent governance challenges. At the African Summit, Ghana's Foreign Minister Ablakwa said the AfCFTA, once fully implemented, has the propensity to pull millions of Africans out of poverty, create jobs for the continent's youth, expand industrial capacity, and enhance Africa's bargaining power in the global economy. He stressed that the success of the AfCFTA will depend on "our collective resolve to dismantle non-tariff barriers, harmonize regulatory regimes, invest in trade-related infrastructure, and support small and medium-sized enterprises to compete effectively across borders." AFRICAN VISION UNITING GLOBAL SOUTH On Dec. 2, an ocean-going vessel carrying 200,000 tonnes of iron ore departed Guinea's Port of Morebaya for China, marking the first shipment from the Simandou iron ore project and representing the full launch of the "mine-railway-port-shipping" industrial chain under the China-Africa cooperation framework. Calling its launch a landmark moment in the country's development history, Guinea's chief of staff to the president, Djiba Diakite, said the Simandou project -- a world-class iron ore deposit -- represents a long-cherished dream of the Guinean people and a powerful engine for national transformation. Similar visions are taking shape across the continent. In November, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority rehabilitation project was officially launched. Once completed, it will link southern and eastern Africa's railways, highways and ports, advancing regional infrastructure connectivity. Guests attend the African Summit in Accra, Ghana, on Dec. 16, 2025. The inaugural African Summit, themed "Building a New United Africa," opened Tuesday in Accra, Ghana's capital, bringing together policymakers and stakeholders from across the continent to build consensus on a more integrated, interdependent and interconnected Africa. (Xinhua/Gao Jianfei) Frank Tayali, Zambia's minister of transport and logistics, said that the railway's revitalization aligns with the government's vision of becoming a land-linked nation and a logistics hub in southern and central Africa. The railway, known as "the road to freedom," is expected to boost regional trade, create jobs and support shared prosperity. Peter Kagwanja, chief executive of the Africa Policy Institute, a Nairobi-based pan-African think tank, said landmark infrastructure projects such as Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway and the Nairobi Expressway have significantly improved local livelihoods, standing as "vivid examples of China-Africa cooperation." The year 2026 will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Africa diplomatic relations and the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. At the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference in November in South Africa, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on China-Africa cooperation amid profound global governance changes and widely agreed that deepening cooperation across sectors and jointly advancing modernization would ignite a new wave of Global South modernization. Kenyan economist James Shikwati said in a written interview with Xinhua that amid the accelerating rise of the Global South and deepening multipolarity, China's pragmatic, inclusive and development-oriented approach to cooperation offers the Global South viable alternatives to traditional Western models. With a pragmatic approach of non-interference and support, China enables other countries to explore development models suited to their own needs. "The Global South must not speak in fragments. Our strength lies in unity," said Leslie Richer, director of information and communication at the African Union, stressing that the priority is to align efforts into a unified strategic voice to shape global decision-making. (Video reporters: Gao Jianfei, Dai He, Zeng Tao, Xu Jiatong, Chen Wei, Xu Ruiqing; Video editors: Luo Hui, Zhu Cong, Cao Ying, Wang Han.) CLEAR Secure, Inc. (NYSE:YOU Get Free Report) insider Lynn Haaland sold 15,532 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.00, for a total value of $636,812.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 15,533 shares of the companys stock, valued at $636,853. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. CLEAR Secure Price Performance Shares of CLEAR Secure stock traded up $0.52 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $39.39. 1,463,285 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,849,960. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.02 and a beta of 1.21. CLEAR Secure, Inc. has a 12-month low of $21.67 and a 12-month high of $42.29. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $32.14. Get CLEAR Secure alerts: CLEAR Secure (NYSE:YOU Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.02. CLEAR Secure had a net margin of 20.97% and a return on equity of 119.82%. The company had revenue of $229.19 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $224.80 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 15.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that CLEAR Secure, Inc. will post 0.98 EPS for the current fiscal year. CLEAR Secure Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 24th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th will be given a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 10th. CLEAR Secures dividend payout ratio is currently 30.49%. Several brokerages have recently issued reports on YOU. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of CLEAR Secure from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and raised their price target for the stock from $35.00 to $42.00 in a research note on Friday. DA Davidson set a $46.00 price objective on CLEAR Secure and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on CLEAR Secure from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $38.00 price target on CLEAR Secure in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of CLEAR Secure in a research note on Monday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CLEAR Secure currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $39.86. View Our Latest Stock Report on YOU Hedge Funds Weigh In On CLEAR Secure A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jump Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of CLEAR Secure by 110.0% during the 1st quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 132,199 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,425,000 after acquiring an additional 69,259 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in CLEAR Secure by 163.9% in the second quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 69,651 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,934,000 after purchasing an additional 43,262 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its stake in CLEAR Secure by 5.8% in the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 43,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,208,000 after purchasing an additional 2,400 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in CLEAR Secure during the first quarter valued at approximately $777,000. Finally, Aviva PLC purchased a new position in CLEAR Secure in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $521,000. 73.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About CLEAR Secure (Get Free Report) Clear Secure, Inc operates a secure identity platform under the CLEAR brand name primarily in the United States. Its secure identity platform is a multi-layered infrastructure consisting of front-end, including enrollment, verification, and linking, as well as back-end. The company also offers CLEAR Plus, a consumer aviation subscription service, which enables access to predictable entry lanes in airport security checkpoints, as well as access to broader network; and CLEAR mobile app, which is used to enroll new members and improve the experience for existing members. See Also Receive News & Ratings for CLEAR Secure Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CLEAR Secure and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NASB Financial (OTCMKTS:NASB Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Tuesday. The financial services provider reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, Zacks reports. NASB Financial had a net margin of 15.19% and a return on equity of 6.42%. NASB Financial Trading Down 0.5% NASB traded down $0.18 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $35.95. 900 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,109. The companys fifty day moving average price is $35.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $259.20 million, a PE ratio of 9.72 and a beta of 0.04. NASB Financial has a fifty-two week low of $30.68 and a fifty-two week high of $38.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.37. Get NASB Financial alerts: NASB Financial Company Profile (Get Free Report) See Also NASB Financial, Inc operates as a unitary thrift holding company for North American Savings Bank, F.S.B. that provides various banking products and services in the United States. The company offers checking, savings, money market, and certificate of deposit accounts. It also mortgages and refinancing products, including conventional, veterans administration, federal housing administration, jumbo, and IRA residential real-estate loans. Receive News & Ratings for NASB Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NASB Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Corporacion America Airports (NYSE:CAAP Get Free Report) and Deutsche Lufthansa (OTCMKTS:DLAKY Get Free Report) are both transportation companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and risk. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Corporacion America Airports and Deutsche Lufthansa, as provided by MarketBeat. Get Corporacion America Airports alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Corporacion America Airports 1 0 5 0 2.67 Deutsche Lufthansa 1 5 0 1 2.14 Corporacion America Airports presently has a consensus price target of $24.40, suggesting a potential downside of 3.10%. Given Corporacion America Airports stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Corporacion America Airports is more favorable than Deutsche Lufthansa. Institutional and Insider Ownership Valuation & Earnings 13.0% of Corporacion America Airports shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. This table compares Corporacion America Airports and Deutsche Lufthansas top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Corporacion America Airports $1.84 billion 2.23 $282.67 million $1.10 22.89 Deutsche Lufthansa $40.67 billion 0.30 $1.49 billion $1.61 6.25 Deutsche Lufthansa has higher revenue and earnings than Corporacion America Airports. Deutsche Lufthansa is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Corporacion America Airports, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Volatility and Risk Corporacion America Airports has a beta of 0.81, indicating that its share price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Deutsche Lufthansa has a beta of 0.89, indicating that its share price is 11% less volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability This table compares Corporacion America Airports and Deutsche Lufthansas net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Corporacion America Airports 9.39% 11.64% 4.20% Deutsche Lufthansa 4.45% 15.73% 3.59% Summary Corporacion America Airports beats Deutsche Lufthansa on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Corporacion America Airports (Get Free Report) Corporacion America Airports S.A., through its subsidiaries, acquires, develops, and operates airport concessions. It operates 52 airports in Latin America, Europe, and Eurasia. The company was formerly known as A.C.I. Airports International S.a r.l. and changed its name to Corporacion America Airports S.A. in September 2017. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Corporacion America Airports S.A. is a subsidiary of A.C.I. Airports S.a r.l. About Deutsche Lufthansa (Get Free Report) Deutsche Lufthansa AG operates as an aviation company worldwide. It operates in three segments: Passenger Airlines; Logistics; and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Services (MRO). The Passenger Airlines segment offers products and services to passengers of Lufthansa Airlines, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings. Its Logistics segment offers airfreight container management, urgent shipments, and customs clearance services; and e-commerce solutions. The MRO segment provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for civil commercial aircraft serving original equipment manufacturers, aircraft leasing companies, operators of VIP jets, government, armed forces, and airlines. The company also offers corporate payment and billing services; vocational and professional training for cockpit and cabin crew; and IT solutions. As of December 31, 2023, it had a fleet of 721 aircraft. Deutsche Lufthansa AG was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Cologne, Germany. Receive News & Ratings for Corporacion America Airports Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corporacion America Airports and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:QS Get Free Report) Director Dipender Saluja sold 684,524 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.94, for a total transaction of $8,173,216.56. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 12,506,055 shares in the company, valued at approximately $149,322,296.70. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Dipender Saluja also recently made the following trade(s): Get QuantumScape alerts: On Monday, December 15th, Dipender Saluja sold 2,613,121 shares of QuantumScape stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.01, for a total transaction of $28,770,462.21. QuantumScape Trading Up 0.4% Shares of QuantumScape stock traded up $0.05 on Tuesday, reaching $10.88. The company had a trading volume of 17,040,398 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,443,484. The firms 50 day moving average price is $14.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 21.14 and a current ratio of 21.14. QuantumScape Corporation has a 52-week low of $3.40 and a 52-week high of $19.07. The firm has a market cap of $6.54 billion, a PE ratio of -13.43 and a beta of 2.76. Analyst Ratings Changes QuantumScape ( NYSE:QS Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($0.18). During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.23) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that QuantumScape Corporation will post -0.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. QS has been the subject of a number of research reports. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on QuantumScape from $5.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Evercore ISI reiterated an in-line rating and set a $12.00 price target (up from $8.00) on shares of QuantumScape in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of QuantumScape in a research note on Monday, December 8th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $12.00 price objective for the company. HSBC cut shares of QuantumScape from a hold rating to a reduce rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $5.30 to $10.50 in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $10.00 target price on shares of QuantumScape and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Reduce and an average price target of $9.17. Read Our Latest Analysis on QS Institutional Trading of QuantumScape Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in QuantumScape by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 36,635,232 shares of the companys stock worth $451,346,000 after acquiring an additional 422,378 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of QuantumScape by 12.5% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,914,680 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,475,000 after purchasing an additional 768,070 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of QuantumScape by 456.5% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,759,334 shares of the companys stock worth $19,799,000 after purchasing an additional 3,904,168 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in shares of QuantumScape by 150.1% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 3,630,275 shares of the companys stock worth $44,725,000 after purchasing an additional 2,178,918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Man Group plc purchased a new position in QuantumScape in the third quarter valued at $44,421,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 29.87% of the companys stock. QuantumScape Company Profile (Get Free Report) QuantumScape Corporation, a research and development stage company, focuses on the development and commercialization of solid-state lithium-metal batteries for electric vehicles and other applications. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for QuantumScape Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for QuantumScape and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Air Lease Corporation (NYSE:AL Get Free Report) Director Steven Udvar-Hazy sold 48,632 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.18, for a total transaction of $3,121,201.76. Following the transaction, the director owned 14,050 shares of the companys stock, valued at $901,729. This represents a 77.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Air Lease Stock Performance Air Lease stock traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $64.22. 1,144,588 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,194,240. Air Lease Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $38.25 and a fifty-two week high of $64.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.42. The firm has a market cap of $7.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.44 and a beta of 1.19. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $63.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $60.93. Get Air Lease alerts: Air Lease (NYSE:AL Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The transportation company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $725.39 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $744.59 million. Air Lease had a return on equity of 7.84% and a net margin of 35.08%.The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.82 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Air Lease Corporation will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current year. Air Lease Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 4th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 4th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Air Leases dividend payout ratio is presently 10.20%. A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Air Lease from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $65.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, September 3rd. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Air Lease from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Air Lease in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Cowen lowered shares of Air Lease from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research cut Air Lease from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Lease currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $59.50. Read Our Latest Report on Air Lease Institutional Trading of Air Lease A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AL. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Lease in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $840,000. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Air Lease in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,284,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Air Lease by 371.6% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,226 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $142,000 after acquiring an additional 1,754 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc acquired a new position in shares of Air Lease in the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Air Lease in the third quarter worth approximately $305,000. 94.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Air Lease (Get Free Report) 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Air Lease Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Air Lease and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH Free Report) Investment analysts at Zacks Research lowered their FY2025 EPS estimates for Meritage Homes in a note issued to investors on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the construction company will earn $6.64 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $6.69. Zacks Research currently has a Strong Sell rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Meritage Homes current full-year earnings is $9.44 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Meritage Homes Q4 2025 earnings at $1.52 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.85 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.71 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.80 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.65 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.49 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.23 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.16 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $8.11 EPS. Get Meritage Homes alerts: MTH has been the subject of several other reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Meritage Homes in a research report on Monday. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Meritage Homes from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Evercore ISI set a $77.00 target price on Meritage Homes and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Meritage Homes from $60.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, UBS Group set a $101.00 price objective on Meritage Homes and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $84.57. Meritage Homes Stock Down 1.8% Shares of NYSE MTH opened at $69.84 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.10 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.95 and a quick ratio of 1.95. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $69.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $71.20. Meritage Homes has a 1 year low of $59.27 and a 1 year high of $84.74. Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The construction company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.71 by ($0.32). The business had revenue of $1.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.48 billion. Meritage Homes had a net margin of 8.96% and a return on equity of 10.37%. The firms revenue was down 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $5.34 EPS. Meritage Homes has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.510-1.700 EPS. Meritage Homes Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th will be given a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 17th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Meritage Homess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.48%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Meritage Homes by 265.5% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 402 shares of the construction companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in shares of Meritage Homes in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in Meritage Homes by 54.9% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 618 shares of the construction companys stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Meritage Homes in the first quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Meritage Homes by 194.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 699 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.44% of the companys stock. Meritage Homes Company Profile (Get Free Report) Meritage Homes Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs and builds single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Homebuilding and Financial Services. It acquires and develops land; and constructs, markets, and sells homes for entry-level and first move-up buyers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Meritage Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Meritage Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU Free Report) Investment analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Prudential Financial in a research report issued on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the financial services provider will post earnings of $3.89 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $3.87. The consensus estimate for Prudential Financials current full-year earnings is $14.36 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Prudential Financials FY2026 earnings at $14.85 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $4.06 EPS and Q2 2027 earnings at $4.05 EPS. Get Prudential Financial alerts: Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $117.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Prudential Financial in a research report on Monday. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Prudential Financial from $120.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Prudential Financial in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. They set a peer perform rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of Prudential Financial from $120.00 to $117.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus target price of $116.80. Prudential Financial Stock Performance PRU opened at $117.06 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.08, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a fifty day moving average of $106.22 and a 200 day moving average of $105.57. Prudential Financial has a fifty-two week low of $90.38 and a fifty-two week high of $123.88. Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Prudential Financial had a net margin of 4.65% and a return on equity of 16.60%. The business had revenue of $8.35 billion during the quarter. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Econ Financial Services Corp purchased a new position in shares of Prudential Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,662,000. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Prudential Financial by 49.2% during the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,720,781 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $184,192,000 after acquiring an additional 567,571 shares during the period. Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. purchased a new position in Prudential Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $298,000. Brookwood Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in Prudential Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $289,000. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Prudential Financial by 30.2% in the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 213,795 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $22,970,000 after acquiring an additional 49,550 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 56.83% of the companys stock. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Prudential Financial news, SVP Timothy L. Schmidt sold 8,000 shares of Prudential Financial stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.69, for a total transaction of $861,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,535 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,242,204.15. The trade was a 40.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Caroline Feeney sold 6,555 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.28, for a total transaction of $762,215.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 22,523 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,618,974.44. This represents a 22.54% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 62,719 shares of company stock valued at $6,796,067 over the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Prudential Financial Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 18th. Prudential Financials dividend payout ratio is presently 74.18%. Prudential Financial Company Profile (Get Free Report) Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses segments. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Prudential Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prudential Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Birkenstock (NYSE:BIRK Get Free Report) is projected to release its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Thursday, December 18th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.40 per share and revenue of $521.1150 million for the quarter. Interested persons may visit the the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning results page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 8:00 AM ET. Birkenstock Stock Performance Shares of BIRK stock opened at $47.28 on Wednesday. The stocks 50-day moving average is $42.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 2.78. Birkenstock has a 1 year low of $38.16 and a 1 year high of $62.66. The firm has a market cap of $8.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.27, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.14. Get Birkenstock alerts: Institutional Trading of Birkenstock Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in Birkenstock during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Quarry LP increased its position in Birkenstock by 99.2% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 988 shares of the companys stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 492 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Birkenstock by 61.0% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,288 shares of the companys stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 488 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Birkenstock in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $74,000. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Birkenstock by 67.3% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 3,358 shares of the companys stock valued at $165,000 after buying an additional 1,351 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 19.93% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c-) rating on shares of Birkenstock in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Birkenstock from $81.00 to $66.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 19th. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Birkenstock to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. BTIG Research reiterated a buy rating and set a $72.00 price target on shares of Birkenstock in a research note on Monday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an outperform rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Birkenstock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $68.38. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Birkenstock About Birkenstock (Get Free Report) Birkenstock Holding plc manufactures and sells footwear products. It also offers sandals, shoes, closed-toe silhouettes, skincare products, and accessories. The company sells its products through e-commerce sites and a network of owned retail stores, as well as business-to-business channels. It operates in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Europe, APMA, and internationally. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Birkenstock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Birkenstock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Edison International (NYSE:EIX Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Sunday morning. Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Edison International in a report on Monday, December 8th. TD Cowen began coverage on Edison International in a report on Thursday, October 16th. They set a buy rating and a $71.00 price objective for the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH boosted their target price on Edison International from $52.50 to $55.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Zacks Research raised Edison International from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Edison International from $69.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $63.70. Get Edison International alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Edison International Edison International Price Performance Shares of EIX opened at $58.34 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average is $57.13 and its 200-day moving average is $54.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The company has a market capitalization of $22.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.63, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.83. Edison International has a fifty-two week low of $47.73 and a fifty-two week high of $81.20. Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The utilities provider reported $2.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.18. Edison International had a net margin of 17.24% and a return on equity of 13.62%. The business had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.31 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.51 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Edison International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.950-6.200 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Edison International will post 4.95 EPS for the current fiscal year. Edison International Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 7th will be given a $0.8775 dividend. This is an increase from Edison Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.51 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 7th. Edison Internationals payout ratio is presently 43.27%. Insider Activity at Edison International In other news, Director Peter J. Taylor sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.27, for a total transaction of $99,486.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 35,212 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,946,167.24. This represents a 4.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Edison International A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EIX. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Edison International by 0.5% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 51,739,673 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,860,169,000 after buying an additional 269,556 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Edison International by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,136,256 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $638,576,000 after acquiring an additional 407,039 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Edison International by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 10,763,984 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $595,033,000 after acquiring an additional 801,082 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Edison International by 10.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,392,459 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $329,851,000 after acquiring an additional 621,924 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its position in Edison International by 11.2% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,593,002 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $288,599,000 after acquiring an additional 562,991 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.95% of the companys stock. Edison International Company Profile (Get Free Report) Edison International, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation and distribution of electric power. The company supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 50,000 square mile area of southern California to residential, commercial, industrial, public authorities, agricultural, and other sectors. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Edison International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edison International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LUSAKA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Zambia said on Wednesday that the outcomes of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change represent clear progress toward strengthening climate ambition, finance, and global solidarity. "As a country, we will continue to play a leading role in the multilateral climate process while ensuring that our communities, ecosystems, and economic sectors benefit from global climate action," said Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha during a press briefing. Mposha said the decision to triple adaptation finance to about 120 billion U.S. dollars by 2035 is significant, as it provides guidance to international financial institutions and donors on scaling up support for countries such as Zambia. He further noted that Zambia endorsed the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, which received 5.5 billion dollars in pledges, marking a new era of global forest conservation led by the Global South. According to Mposha, the COP30 outcomes carry significant benefits for Zambia, including increased access to adaptation finance, enhanced opportunities under compliance carbon markets through Article 6 bilateral agreements signed by the government, and greater prospects for forest conservation financing under the Tropical Forests Forever Facility initiative. James Wakiaga, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) resident representative in Zambia, expressed that COP30 marked a significant milestone for global climate ambition. Wakiaga noted that the outcomes are significant for Zambia, which is already experiencing severe climate impacts ranging from prolonged droughts to devastating floods. He reaffirmed UNDP's commitment to supporting Zambia in implementing the outcomes of COP30 to ensure that global decisions translate into meaningful change on the ground. Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE:SCCO Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of Reduce from the thirteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $122.2778. A number of brokerages recently weighed in on SCCO. Morgan Stanley set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Southern Copper and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Monday. HSBC reissued a hold rating and issued a $118.00 target price (up previously from $105.00) on shares of Southern Copper in a report on Friday, October 17th. UBS Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $143.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Southern Copper in a report on Friday. Zacks Research downgraded Southern Copper from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $155.00 target price on Southern Copper and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Get Southern Copper alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on SCCO Southern Copper Stock Performance Shares of Southern Copper stock opened at $140.26 on Friday. Southern Copper has a 1 year low of $74.84 and a 1 year high of $149.75. The firms 50-day moving average is $134.18 and its 200 day moving average is $113.06. The stock has a market cap of $113.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.40, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 4.52 and a quick ratio of 3.91. Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The basic materials company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.26 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $3.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.05 billion. Southern Copper had a net margin of 30.98% and a return on equity of 38.74%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Southern Copper will post 4.66 EPS for the current fiscal year. Southern Copper Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. Southern Coppers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 75.47%. Insider Activity at Southern Copper In related news, Director Bonilla Luis Miguel Palomino sold 400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.00, for a total transaction of $55,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,265 shares in the company, valued at approximately $175,835. This represents a 24.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 948 shares of company stock valued at $131,130 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern Copper A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of Southern Copper by 36.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 6,437,608 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $781,268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,708,693 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in Southern Copper by 1.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,795,976 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $339,320,000 after buying an additional 40,847 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Southern Copper by 10.8% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,719,883 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $174,002,000 after buying an additional 168,005 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Southern Copper by 3.2% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,398,651 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $130,718,000 after buying an additional 44,014 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Driehaus Capital Management LLC raised its position in Southern Copper by 2.9% in the first quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 1,059,080 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $98,982,000 after acquiring an additional 30,232 shares during the period. 7.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Southern Copper Company Profile (Get Free Report) Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper; refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes; production of molybdenum concentrate and sulfuric acid; production of refined silver, gold, and other materials; and mining and processing of zinc, copper, molybdenum, silver, gold, and lead. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Southern Copper Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern Copper and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Polaris Inc. (NYSE:PII Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of Hold from the sixteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $55.25. Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Polaris from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of Polaris in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a hold rating and a $59.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Polaris from $56.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Roth Capital lifted their target price on Polaris from $54.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Polaris from $45.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. Get Polaris alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on PII Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Investors Weigh In On Polaris In other news, SVP James P. Williams sold 4,554 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.53, for a total value of $307,531.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 43,878 shares in the company, valued at $2,963,081.34. This represents a 9.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Insiders own 3.12% of the companys stock. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Polaris by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 579,429 shares of the companys stock worth $23,722,000 after purchasing an additional 24,122 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in shares of Polaris by 305.0% in the first quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 26,982 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,105,000 after purchasing an additional 20,320 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Polaris by 352.5% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 902,751 shares of the companys stock worth $36,959,000 after buying an additional 703,240 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in shares of Polaris during the first quarter worth about $5,418,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Polaris by 426.0% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 129,531 shares of the companys stock worth $5,304,000 after buying an additional 104,904 shares in the last quarter. 88.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Polaris Price Performance Shares of PII opened at $68.49 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.85 billion, a P/E ratio of -25.85 and a beta of 1.12. Polaris has a 1 year low of $30.92 and a 1 year high of $75.25. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $65.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $56.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. Polaris (NYSE:PII Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.68 billion. Polaris had a positive return on equity of 3.89% and a negative net margin of 2.17%.Polariss revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.73 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Polaris will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current year. Polaris Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Polariss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -101.13%. Polaris Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Polaris Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Polaris and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of BellRing Brands Inc. (NYSE:BRBR Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the nineteen research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $43.75. Several research firms recently weighed in on BRBR. Jefferies Financial Group restated a buy rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of BellRing Brands in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. UBS Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $34.00 target price on shares of BellRing Brands in a report on Friday, November 28th. Zacks Research cut BellRing Brands from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on BellRing Brands from $43.00 to $41.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of BellRing Brands from $56.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Get BellRing Brands alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on BellRing Brands Insider Transactions at BellRing Brands Institutional Inflows and Outflows In other BellRing Brands news, insider Douglas J. Cornille sold 3,970 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.93, for a total value of $122,792.10. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 54,812 shares in the company, valued at $1,695,335.16. The trade was a 6.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . 1.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. TT International Asset Management LTD lifted its stake in shares of BellRing Brands by 199.8% during the 2nd quarter. TT International Asset Management LTD now owns 73,616 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,265,000 after buying an additional 49,064 shares in the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky grew its stake in BellRing Brands by 91.5% in the 2nd quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 22,634 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,311,000 after buying an additional 10,814 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its holdings in BellRing Brands by 216.1% during the 2nd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 18,006 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,043,000 after acquiring an additional 12,310 shares during the period. MRA Advisory Group bought a new stake in BellRing Brands during the 2nd quarter valued at $448,000. Finally, Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BellRing Brands during the second quarter worth $852,000. Institutional investors own 94.97% of the companys stock. BellRing Brands Trading Down 6.0% NYSE BRBR opened at $30.81 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.34, a PEG ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.67. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $42.16. BellRing Brands has a 12 month low of $22.45 and a 12 month high of $80.67. BellRing Brands (NYSE:BRBR Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 18th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.03). BellRing Brands had a negative return on equity of 95.87% and a net margin of 9.33%.The firm had revenue of $648.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $633.21 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.51 earnings per share. BellRing Brandss revenue was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that BellRing Brands will post 2.23 EPS for the current fiscal year. BellRing Brands declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, September 2nd that permits the company to repurchase $400.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 7.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. BellRing Brands Company Profile (Get Free Report) BellRing Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various nutrition products in the United States. The company offers ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes, other RTD beverages, powders, nutrition bars, and other products primarily under the Premier Protein and Dymatize brands. It distributes its products through club, food, drug, mass, eCommerce, specialty, and convenience channels. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for BellRing Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BellRing Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of Hold from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on HMC shares. Zacks Research raised Honda Motor from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Honda Motor in a report on Monday. Finally, Nomura Securities raised Honda Motor to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Get Honda Motor alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on HMC Honda Motor Stock Down 1.3% Shares of Honda Motor stock opened at $30.73 on Friday. Honda Motor has a one year low of $23.41 and a one year high of $34.89. The company has a market cap of $47.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.04, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.41. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $30.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.26. Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $34.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.95 billion. Honda Motor had a return on equity of 5.18% and a net margin of 3.04%. On average, analysts forecast that Honda Motor will post 3.99 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Trading of Honda Motor Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. WealthCollab LLC grew its position in Honda Motor by 66.2% during the second quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 916 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 365 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Honda Motor in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its stake in Honda Motor by 1,105.1% in the 2nd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 952 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 873 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in Honda Motor during the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its position in Honda Motor by 99.8% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 532 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 5.32% of the companys stock. About Honda Motor (Get Free Report) Honda Motor Co, Ltd. develops, manufactures, and distributes motorcycles, automobiles, power, and other products in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Motorcycle Business, Automobile Business, Financial Services Business, and Power Product and Other Businesses. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Honda Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Honda Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Warrior Met Coal (NYSE:HCC Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $74.25. Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Warrior Met Coal from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, October 11th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Warrior Met Coal from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. UBS Group upped their price target on Warrior Met Coal from $80.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday. B. Riley reiterated a buy rating on shares of Warrior Met Coal in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Warrior Met Coal from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Get Warrior Met Coal alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on HCC Warrior Met Coal Stock Up 0.2% HCC stock opened at $83.67 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $4.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 124.89 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $73.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $61.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 4.13 and a quick ratio of 3.00. Warrior Met Coal has a 12 month low of $38.00 and a 12 month high of $85.86. Warrior Met Coal (NYSE:HCC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.21) by $0.91. Warrior Met Coal had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 2.01%. The company had revenue of $328.59 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $302.51 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.80 earnings per share. Warrior Met Coals quarterly revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Warrior Met Coal will post 4.86 earnings per share for the current year. Warrior Met Coal Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 7th were paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. Warrior Met Coals payout ratio is 47.76%. Insider Transactions at Warrior Met Coal In related news, CEO Walter J. Scheller sold 18,966 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total transaction of $1,422,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 394,183 shares of the companys stock, valued at $29,563,725. This represents a 4.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Warrior Met Coal Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Warrior Met Coal by 12.1% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,559 shares of the companys stock worth $99,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in Warrior Met Coal by 1.4% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 15,552 shares of the companys stock valued at $990,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Warrior Met Coal by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 7,046 shares of the companys stock worth $448,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Warrior Met Coal by 23.1% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the companys stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the period. Finally, SummerHaven Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Warrior Met Coal by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 11,639 shares of the companys stock worth $533,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.28% of the companys stock. Warrior Met Coal Company Profile (Get Free Report) Warrior Met Coal, Inc produces and exports non-thermal metallurgical coal for the steel industry. It operates two underground mines located in Alabama. The company sells its metallurgical coal to a customer base of blast furnace steel producers located primarily in Europe, South America, and Asia. It also sells natural gas, which is extracted as a byproduct from coal production. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Warrior Met Coal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Warrior Met Coal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp raised its holdings in Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA Free Report) by 13.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 70,082 shares of the auto parts companys stock after buying an additional 8,062 shares during the period. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp owned about 0.13% of Lear worth $6,656,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in LEA. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in Lear during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,463,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of Lear in the first quarter valued at approximately $725,000. Voya Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Lear by 34.4% during the first quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 45,690 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $4,031,000 after buying an additional 11,696 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank boosted its position in shares of Lear by 9.8% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 40,086 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $3,536,000 after buying an additional 3,575 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Lear by 25.1% during the second quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 49,567 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $4,708,000 after buying an additional 9,945 shares in the last quarter. 97.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Lear alerts: Lear Stock Performance NYSE LEA opened at $115.48 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.99 billion, a PE ratio of 14.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.35. Lear Corporation has a 52-week low of $73.85 and a 52-week high of $117.44. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $105.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $102.53. Lear Announces Dividend Lear ( NYSE:LEA Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The auto parts company reported $2.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.03. Lear had a net margin of 1.92% and a return on equity of 13.44%. The firm had revenue of $5.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.63 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.89 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Lear Corporation will post 12.89 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 10th. Lears dividend payout ratio is 37.65%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have weighed in on LEA. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Lear from $109.00 to $106.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Lear from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lear from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an equal weight rating and issued a $112.00 price objective (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Lear in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Lear in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lear has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $119.80. Read Our Latest Analysis on Lear Lear Profile (Free Report) Lear Corporation designs, develops, engineers, manufactures, assembles, and supplies automotive seating, and electrical distribution systems and related components for automotive original equipment manufacturers in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Its Seating segment offers seat systems, seat subsystems, keyseat components, seat trim covers, seat mechanisms, seat foams, and headrests, as well as surface materials, such as leather and fabric for automobiles and light trucks, compact cars, pick-up trucks, and sport utility vehicles. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lear Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lear and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Petards Group plc (LON:PEG Get Free Report)s stock price rose 11.6% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as GBX 10.89 and last traded at GBX 10.64. Approximately 111,846 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 91% from the average daily volume of 58,612 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 9.54. Petards Group Trading Up 6.6% The firm has a market cap of 6.63 million, a P/E ratio of -13.83 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.67. The companys fifty day moving average price is GBX 7.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 8.04. Get Petards Group alerts: Petards Group (LON:PEG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 18th. The company reported GBX (0.51) EPS for the quarter. Petards Group had a negative net margin of 17.77% and a negative return on equity of 24.32%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Petards Group plc will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year. About Petards Group Petards Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, supplies, and maintains technologies used in advanced security, surveillance, and ruggedized electronic applications in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. It offers rail technology solutions, such as eyeTrain, a solution for digital on-train surveillance subsystem; and RTS, a solution that provides safety for railway infrastructures by supporting rail companies and sub-contractors with resources, assets, safety, and failure management software. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Petards Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Petards Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD.B Get Free Report) shares gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $10.38, but opened at $10.82. Crawford & Company shares last traded at $10.6450, with a volume of 511 shares. Crawford & Company Trading Up 2.0% The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The businesss fifty day moving average is $10.28 and its 200-day moving average is $10.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $529.55 million, a PE ratio of 16.56 and a beta of 0.70. Get Crawford & Company alerts: Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD.B Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The business services provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $322.17 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $344.32 million. Crawford & Company had a net margin of 2.42% and a return on equity of 28.00%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Crawford & Company will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling at Crawford & Company About Crawford & Company In other Crawford & Company news, CEO Rohit Verma sold 125,414 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.00, for a total transaction of $1,379,554.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 205,084 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,255,924. The trade was a 37.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Company insiders own 51.04% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) Crawford & Co engages in the provision of claims management and outsourcing solutions to carriers, brokers, and corporates. It operates through the following segments: Crawford Loss Adjusting, Crawford TPA Solutions, and Crawford Platform Solutions. The Crawford Loss Adjusting segment consists of adjusting services provided to insurance companies and self-insured entities related to property and casualty losses caused by physical damage to commercial and residential real property and certain types of personal property. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Crawford & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crawford & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Walker Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSEARCA:RSP Free Report) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 41,449 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,863,000. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF accounts for approximately 3.1% of Walker Financial Services Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in RSP. Nova Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Investment Counsel Co. of Nevada acquired a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Howe & Rusling Inc. increased its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF by 190.8% during the 1st quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 189 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.18% of the companys stock. Get Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF alerts: Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF Stock Performance RSP opened at $192.29 on Wednesday. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF has a 1 year low of $150.35 and a 1 year high of $195.46. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $189.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $186.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.38 billion, a PE ratio of 20.10 and a beta of 0.99. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF Profile Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, formerly Rydex S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, seeks to replicate as closely as possible, the daily performance of the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index (the Index). The Index is a capitalization-weighted index covering 500 industrial, utility, transportation and financial companies of the United States markets (mostly NYSE Euronext issues). Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RSP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSEARCA:RSP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Grupo Aeromexico (NYSE:AERO Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of Buy from the seven brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $30.60. A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup started coverage on Grupo Aeromexico in a research report on Wednesday. They set a buy rating for the company. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Grupo Aeromexico to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 15th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Grupo Aeromexico in a report on Wednesday. They set an overweight rating and a $30.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Grupo Aeromexico in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a buy rating and a $35.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Grupo Aeromexico in a research report on Wednesday. They issued an overweight rating and a $27.00 target price for the company. Get Grupo Aeromexico alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on AERO Grupo Aeromexico Trading Up 0.4% Grupo Aeromexico Company Profile Shares of Grupo Aeromexico stock opened at $19.18 on Wednesday. Grupo Aeromexico has a 12 month low of $16.00 and a 12 month high of $20.53. (Get Free Report) We are uniquely positioned as the only full service carrier, or FSC, based in Mexico and the only airline that provides long-haul, wide-body service connecting Mexico with the rest of the world. We offer a premium experience to both international and domestic destinations. As of June 30, 2025, we served every major city in Mexico and 52 international cities in 22 countries across multiple continents: North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Aeromexico Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Aeromexico and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday reaffirmed the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) commitment to promoting peace, security and political stability in the region through the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation. Speaking as the interim chairperson of SADC at an extraordinary summit of SADC heads of state and government held virtually, Ramaphosa said that while progress has been made in advancing peace and stability, political and security challenges continue to affect parts of the region. The South African president expressed particular concern over the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, describing it as a matter of "grave concern," and called for sustained regional efforts to restore stability. Meanwhile, he also highlighted the evolving political and security situation in Madagascar, where ongoing challenges have led to the establishment of a transitional government. Ramaphosa said SADC had deployed a regional team to assess developments in the country, with a report expected to be presented at the summit. Ramaphosa underscored SADC's collective responsibility to promote peace and security in member states affected by instability, stressing that development could not be achieved without a stable and secure environment. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Mizuho to a strong-buy rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports. A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on HIG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on The Hartford Insurance Group from $142.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on The Hartford Insurance Group from $144.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on The Hartford Insurance Group from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on The Hartford Insurance Group in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. They issued a peer perform rating on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a sector perform rating and a $145.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $144.60. Get The Hartford Insurance Group alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on HIG The Hartford Insurance Group Price Performance Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $137.70 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The Hartford Insurance Group has a 52 week low of $104.93 and a 52 week high of $139.92. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $130.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $128.95. The firm has a market cap of $38.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.63. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 27th. The insurance provider reported $3.78 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.76. The Hartford Insurance Group had a net margin of 12.75% and a return on equity of 21.07%. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.53 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Transactions at The Hartford Insurance Group In other news, EVP Lori A. Rodden sold 7,841 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.41, for a total transaction of $959,816.81. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 18,400 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,252,344. This represents a 29.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HIG. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 61.5% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 125,825 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $15,727,000 after acquiring an additional 47,919 shares during the last quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. boosted its stake in The Hartford Insurance Group by 94.9% during the 2nd quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. now owns 140,342 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $17,805,000 after purchasing an additional 68,351 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its position in The Hartford Insurance Group by 12.0% during the 2nd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 209,238 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $26,546,000 after purchasing an additional 22,500 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 7.9% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 6,001 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $743,000 after buying an additional 441 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ground Swell Capital LLC acquired a new position in The Hartford Insurance Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $324,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About The Hartford Insurance Group (Get Free Report) The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, accident, health, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for The Hartford Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Hartford Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mizuho upgraded shares of Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV Free Report) to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports. Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Travelers Companies from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Travelers Companies from $320.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed a positive rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $284.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $294.25. Get Travelers Companies alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Travelers Companies Travelers Companies Trading Down 0.3% NYSE:TRV traded down $0.78 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $288.83. 119,960 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,312,435. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.53. The firms fifty day moving average is $279.49 and its 200-day moving average is $272.27. Travelers Companies has a 12-month low of $230.23 and a 12-month high of $296.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 16th. The insurance provider reported $8.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $6.01 by $2.13. The business had revenue of $12.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.15 billion. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 12.14% and a return on equity of 20.28%. The businesss revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $5.24 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Travelers Companies will post 17.02 EPS for the current year. Travelers Companies Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 10th. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio is currently 17.30%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 25,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.25, for a total value of $6,956,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,932 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,493,829. The trade was a 48.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Vice Chairman William H. Heyman sold 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $287.50, for a total value of $575,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 255,086 shares in the company, valued at approximately $73,337,225. The trade was a 0.78% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 46,295 shares of company stock valued at $13,011,918. 1.46% of the stock is owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Travelers Companies A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of TRV. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Travelers Companies by 1,820.0% in the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 96 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Missouri Trust & Investment Co boosted its holdings in Travelers Companies by 122.2% in the second quarter. Missouri Trust & Investment Co now owns 100 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Travelers Companies during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Travelers Companies by 134.1% during the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 96 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quaker Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 200.0% in the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. 82.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Travelers Companies (Get Free Report) The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Travelers Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Travelers Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. American Tower (NYSE:AMT Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $226.00 to $202.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Jefferies Financial Groups price objective would indicate a potential upside of 12.42% from the companys previous close. Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. HSBC cut their price target on American Tower from $235.00 to $205.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on American Tower from $215.00 to $210.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of American Tower from $210.00 to $200.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Citigroup reissued a market outperform rating on shares of American Tower in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $220.00 price target on shares of American Tower and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $226.67. Get American Tower alerts: Read Our Latest Report on AMT American Tower Trading Down 0.3% AMT opened at $179.69 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.12 billion, a PE ratio of 28.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.24, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.89. American Tower has a fifty-two week low of $172.51 and a fifty-two week high of $234.33. The companys 50-day moving average is $182.57 and its 200 day moving average is $199.85. American Tower (NYSE:AMT Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.78 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.64 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $2.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.65 billion. American Tower had a return on equity of 28.79% and a net margin of 28.11%.The companys revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.52 EPS. American Tower has set its FY 2025 guidance at 10.600-10.720 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that American Tower will post 10.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling In other American Tower news, major shareholder Tower Corp /Ma/ American sold 2,288,621 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.75, for a total transaction of $159,631,314.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 211,379 shares in the company, valued at $14,743,685.25. This trade represents a 91.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Eugene F. Reilly acquired 5,554 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, October 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $178.99 per share, with a total value of $994,110.46. Following the purchase, the director owned 5,689 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,018,274.11. The trade was a 4,114.07% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Tower A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMT. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of American Tower by 1.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 63,640,168 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $12,239,277,000 after buying an additional 611,801 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in American Tower by 24.3% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,666,082 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,799,458,000 after purchasing an additional 2,474,328 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of American Tower by 39.6% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,144,040 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,772,144,000 after purchasing an additional 2,309,627 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of American Tower by 3.1% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,888,633 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,324,822,000 after acquiring an additional 208,109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of American Tower during the second quarter worth $1,371,875,000. Institutional investors own 92.69% of the companys stock. About American Tower (Get Free Report) American Tower, one of the largest global REITs, is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of over 224,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for American Tower Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Tower and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of Hold from the sixteen ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $63.70. A number of research firms have recently commented on EIX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Edison International from $67.00 to $65.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Zacks Research cut shares of Edison International from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upped their price objective on Edison International from $52.50 to $55.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Edison International in a report on Monday. Finally, Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Edison International in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Get Edison International alerts: View Our Latest Report on EIX Insider Transactions at Edison International Institutional Inflows and Outflows In other Edison International news, Director Peter J. Taylor sold 1,800 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.27, for a total transaction of $99,486.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 35,212 shares in the company, valued at $1,946,167.24. This trade represents a 4.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . 1.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its stake in Edison International by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 364,525 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $18,809,000 after purchasing an additional 18,412 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Edison International by 7.3% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 132,866 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $6,982,000 after acquiring an additional 9,015 shares during the period. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC bought a new position in Edison International during the second quarter valued at $456,000. Voya Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Edison International by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 351,524 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $20,712,000 after purchasing an additional 31,488 shares during the period. Finally, Moody National Bank Trust Division lifted its holdings in shares of Edison International by 107.2% in the second quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 23,573 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,216,000 after buying an additional 12,195 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.95% of the companys stock. Edison International Price Performance Shares of EIX opened at $58.89 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $57.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.70. Edison International has a 12 month low of $47.73 and a 12 month high of $81.02. The company has a market cap of $22.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.68, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.76. Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The utilities provider reported $2.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $5.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.31 billion. Edison International had a return on equity of 13.62% and a net margin of 17.24%.The firms quarterly revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.51 earnings per share. Edison International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.950-6.200 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Edison International will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current year. Edison International Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.8775 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 7th. This represents a $3.51 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. This is an increase from Edison Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Edison Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 43.27%. Edison International Company Profile (Get Free Report) Edison International, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation and distribution of electric power. The company supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 50,000 square mile area of southern California to residential, commercial, industrial, public authorities, agricultural, and other sectors. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Edison International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edison International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the twenty ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $226.6667. Several equities research analysts have issued reports on AMT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $220.00 target price on American Tower and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on American Tower from $255.00 to $235.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Barclays reiterated an equal weight rating and set a $200.00 target price (down from $203.00) on shares of American Tower in a report on Monday, December 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of American Tower in a report on Monday. Finally, Argus set a $210.00 price target on shares of American Tower in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Get American Tower alerts: Read Our Latest Report on AMT American Tower Stock Up 0.4% Shares of AMT traded up $0.68 on Wednesday, reaching $179.81. The companys stock had a trading volume of 184,413 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,762,304. American Tower has a twelve month low of $172.51 and a twelve month high of $234.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.24. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $182.57 and a 200-day moving average of $199.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.18 billion, a PE ratio of 28.73, a PEG ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 0.91. American Tower (NYSE:AMT Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.64 by $0.14. American Tower had a return on equity of 28.79% and a net margin of 28.11%.The firm had revenue of $2.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.65 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.52 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. American Tower has set its FY 2025 guidance at 10.600-10.720 EPS. Equities analysts predict that American Tower will post 10.14 EPS for the current year. American Tower Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 29th will be given a dividend of $1.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 29th. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. American Towers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 108.63%. Insider Transactions at American Tower In other American Tower news, major shareholder Tower Corp /Ma/ American sold 2,288,621 shares of American Tower stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.75, for a total value of $159,631,314.75. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 211,379 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,743,685.25. The trade was a 91.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Eugene F. Reilly purchased 5,554 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $178.99 per share, for a total transaction of $994,110.46. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 5,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,018,274.11. This trade represents a 4,114.07% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Tower Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMT. Abound Wealth Management lifted its position in American Tower by 137.3% during the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 140 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in American Tower during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in American Tower in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Tower during the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Tower by 85.9% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 171 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. 92.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About American Tower (Get Free Report) American Tower, one of the largest global REITs, is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of over 224,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for American Tower Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Tower and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NEC Co. (OTCMKTS:NIPNF Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $38.03, but opened at $35.00. NEC shares last traded at $35.00, with a volume of 297,650 shares traded. NEC Trading Down 1.3% The company has a market capitalization of $9.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.34 and a beta of -0.47. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $35.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.74. About NEC (Get Free Report) NEC Corporation provides information and communication technology solutions in Japan and internationally. It operates through five segments: Public Solutions Business, Public Infrastructure Business, Enterprise Business, Network Services Business, and Global Business. It provides systems integration services, including systems implementation and consulting; maintenance and support services; outsourcing and cloud services; and system equipment. See Also Receive News & Ratings for NEC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NEC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. (NYSE:SDHC Get Free Report)s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $20.76, but opened at $19.98. Smith Douglas Homes shares last traded at $20.17, with a volume of 870 shares changing hands. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Smith Douglas Homes from $17.00 to $15.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered Smith Douglas Homes from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $17.00 target price on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Smith Douglas Homes from $16.00 to $15.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, BTIG Research initiated coverage on Smith Douglas Homes in a report on Monday, December 1st. They set a neutral rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Reduce and an average target price of $16.60. Get Smith Douglas Homes alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on SDHC Smith Douglas Homes Stock Down 0.9% The firm has a market cap of $1.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.92, a PEG ratio of 15.73 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $18.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.88. Smith Douglas Homes (NYSE:SDHC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.26 by ($0.38). Smith Douglas Homes had a return on equity of 0.12% and a net margin of 1.13%.The business had revenue of $262.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $251.41 million. Equities analysts forecast that Smith Douglas Homes Corp. will post 1.73 EPS for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Smith Douglas Homes Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. First Eagle Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes by 38.0% during the 3rd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 331,674 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,857,000 after buying an additional 91,292 shares during the period. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its stake in Smith Douglas Homes by 26.8% in the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 33,251 shares of the companys stock valued at $587,000 after purchasing an additional 7,025 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Smith Douglas Homes in the 3rd quarter worth about $346,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes during the 3rd quarter worth about $188,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Smith Douglas Homes by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 450,993 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,965,000 after buying an additional 3,884 shares during the last quarter. About Smith Douglas Homes (Get Free Report) Smith Douglas Homes Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family homes in the southeastern United States. It also provides closing, escrow, and title insurance services. The company sells its products to entry-level and empty-nest homebuyers. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Smith Douglas Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Smith Douglas Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCK Get Free Report) COO Djalma Novaes, Jr. sold 19,754 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.02, for a total value of $1,995,549.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 96,841 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,782,877.82. The trade was a 16.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Crown Trading Up 2.6% Shares of CCK traded up $2.61 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $104.14. 530,279 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,383,047. The firm has a market cap of $12.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.76. Crown Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $75.98 and a 52-week high of $109.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.16. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $96.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $98.99. Get Crown alerts: Crown (NYSE:CCK Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 20th. The industrial products company reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $3.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. Crown had a net margin of 7.79% and a return on equity of 26.86%. The companys revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.99 earnings per share. Crown has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.650-1.75 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.700-7.80 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Crown Holdings, Inc. will post 6.96 EPS for the current fiscal year. Crown Dividend Announcement Analyst Ratings Changes The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 6th were issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 6th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Crowns payout ratio is presently 12.87%. CCK has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Crown from $135.00 to $124.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 29th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $115.00 price objective (up previously from $110.00) on shares of Crown in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. UBS Group restated a buy rating and issued a $117.00 price target on shares of Crown in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Mizuho lifted their price target on Crown from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Crown in a report on Monday. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Crown currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $118.08. View Our Latest Report on CCK Institutional Trading of Crown Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Crown by 103.1% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 264 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Crown by 105.0% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 289 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Crown during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Crown by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 356 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. Finally, Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Crown in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.93% of the companys stock. Crown Company Profile (Get Free Report) Crown Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the packaging business in the United States and internationally. It operates through Americas Beverage, European Beverage, Asia Pacific, and Transit Packaging segments. The company manufactures and sells recyclable aluminum beverage cans and ends, glass bottles, steel crowns, aluminum caps, non-beverage cans, and aerosol cans and closures. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Crown Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crown and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dingdong (Cayman) Limited Sponsored ADR (NYSE:DDL Get Free Report) saw unusually-high trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 608,091 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 11% from the previous sessions volume of 681,755 shares.The stock last traded at $2.6570 and had previously closed at $2.28. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In DDL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Dingdong (Cayman) in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen downgraded Dingdong (Cayman) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Dingdong (Cayman) has a consensus rating of Hold. Get Dingdong (Cayman) alerts: Read Our Latest Report on DDL Dingdong (Cayman) Stock Performance Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dingdong (Cayman) The stock has a market capitalization of $667.35 million, a P/E ratio of 16.61 and a beta of 0.47. The companys 50-day moving average price is $1.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $2.04. Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its stake in Dingdong (Cayman) by 10.0% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 540,062 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,118,000 after acquiring an additional 48,947 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in shares of Dingdong (Cayman) by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 223,125 shares of the companys stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 16,919 shares during the last quarter. Centiva Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Dingdong (Cayman) during the 3rd quarter valued at about $56,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Dingdong (Cayman) by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 25,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new position in Dingdong (Cayman) in the third quarter worth about $89,000. 24.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Dingdong (Cayman) (Get Free Report) Dingdong (Cayman) Limited operates an e-commerce company in China. The company offers fresh groceries, including vegetables, meat and eggs, fruits, and seafood; prepared food, and other food products, such as baked goods, dairy, seasonings, beverages, instant food, oil, and snacks. It offers its products through traditional offline, as well as online channels through Dingdong Fresh app, mini-programs, and third-party platforms. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Dingdong (Cayman) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dingdong (Cayman) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DT Midstream (NYSE:DTM Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $121.00 to $133.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an overweight rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Companys target price would suggest a potential upside of 12.57% from the stocks previous close. DTM has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of DT Midstream from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of DT Midstream from $126.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on DT Midstream in a report on Monday, November 3rd. They set a buy rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on DT Midstream from $119.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of DT Midstream in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $121.00. Get DT Midstream alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on DT Midstream DT Midstream Trading Down 0.2% Shares of DTM traded down $0.27 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $118.15. 275,430 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 935,675. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of $12.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.76. DT Midstream has a 52-week low of $83.30 and a 52-week high of $122.70. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $114.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $108.56. DT Midstream (NYSE:DTM Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.10. DT Midstream had a net margin of 34.30% and a return on equity of 8.83%. The company had revenue of $314.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $309.21 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.90 EPS. DT Midstream has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.150-4.450 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that DT Midstream will post 3.8 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of DTM. 59 North Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of DT Midstream during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $226,757,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in DT Midstream during the 2nd quarter valued at $143,743,000. Merewether Investment Management LP increased its position in DT Midstream by 192.4% during the third quarter. Merewether Investment Management LP now owns 1,000,600 shares of the companys stock worth $113,128,000 after buying an additional 658,400 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new position in shares of DT Midstream in the third quarter worth $43,347,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of DT Midstream by 1,699.5% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 401,170 shares of the companys stock worth $38,705,000 after acquiring an additional 378,877 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.53% of the companys stock. About DT Midstream (Get Free Report) DT Midstream, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated natural gas services in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Pipeline and Gathering. The Pipeline segment owns and operates interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines, storage systems, and natural gas gathering lateral pipelines. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for DT Midstream Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DT Midstream and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. This photo taken with a mobile phone shows members of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group on the move in Uvira, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Dec. 17, 2025. Fighters from the M23 rebel group on Wednesday began withdrawing from their positions in Uvira, a Xinhua reporter observed on the ground. (Photo by Alain Uaykani/Xinhua) UVIRA, DR Congo, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Fighters from the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group on Wednesday began withdrawing from their positions in Uvira, a strategic city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a Xinhua reporter observed on the ground. "Movement of AFC/M23 forces out of the city of Uvira is underway and will be complete by tomorrow," M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa said on social media X, calling on the local population to remain calm. Military vehicles and M23 members were observed pulling out of their main base in the city. Lawrence Kanyuka, the rebel group's spokesperson, confirmed the departure but did not provide further details. After claiming on Dec. 10 to have seized Uvira, the M23 announced its decision on Monday to "unilaterally withdraw its forces" at the request of U.S. mediators. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a politico-military coalition allied with the M23, stressed a "conditional" withdrawal, urging security guarantees, including the deployment of a neutral force. In a statement on Monday evening, Nangaa said that the decision followed recent progress in the Doha peace process, including the signing of the Doha Framework Agreement in November. Uvira, located near the Burundian border on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, had served as the provisional administrative center for South Kivu after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to the M23 in February. Analysts and local sources have warned that the loss of Uvira could, over time, open a corridor toward southeastern DRC, including Haut-Katanga, a key economic region. Fighting has also been reported further south in the Baraka and Fizi territories of South Kivu. This photo taken with a mobile phone shows members of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group on the move in Uvira, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Dec. 17, 2025. Fighters from the M23 rebel group on Wednesday began withdrawing from their positions in Uvira, a Xinhua reporter observed on the ground. (Photo by Alain Uaykani/Xinhua) This photo taken with a mobile phone shows members of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group on the move in Uvira, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Dec. 17, 2025. Fighters from the M23 rebel group on Wednesday began withdrawing from their positions in Uvira, a Xinhua reporter observed on the ground. (Photo by Alain Uaykani/Xinhua) Regions Financial (NYSE:RF Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by investment analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $30.00 to $31.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the banks stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods price objective would suggest a potential upside of 12.17% from the companys previous close. RF has been the topic of a number of other reports. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Regions Financial from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 23rd. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Regions Financial from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Regions Financial in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on Regions Financial in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. They issued an overweight rating and a $30.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $32.00 price target on Regions Financial in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Regions Financial has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $28.00. Get Regions Financial alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on RF Regions Financial Trading Up 0.5% Regions Financial stock traded up $0.13 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $27.64. 4,202,640 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,358,009. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $25.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.10. The company has a market capitalization of $24.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.18, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.04. Regions Financial has a 52-week low of $17.74 and a 52-week high of $27.98. Regions Financial (NYSE:RF Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The bank reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter. Regions Financial had a return on equity of 13.05% and a net margin of 22.49%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Regions Financial will post 2.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Regions Financial declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, December 10th that permits the company to buyback $3.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the bank to repurchase up to 12.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the companys board of directors believes its stock is undervalued. Institutional Trading of Regions Financial A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its stake in Regions Financial by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,391,265 shares of the banks stock worth $30,232,000 after buying an additional 52,835 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in shares of Regions Financial by 9.5% during the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 7,976 shares of the banks stock worth $173,000 after acquiring an additional 689 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP raised its stake in shares of Regions Financial by 43.5% in the first quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 828,245 shares of the banks stock valued at $17,998,000 after acquiring an additional 251,192 shares in the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment raised its stake in shares of Regions Financial by 11.9% in the first quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 133,016 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,849,000 after acquiring an additional 14,162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Credit Agricole S A boosted its holdings in Regions Financial by 1.8% in the first quarter. Credit Agricole S A now owns 342,774 shares of the banks stock valued at $7,448,000 after purchasing an additional 6,151 shares during the period. 79.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Regions Financial Company Profile (Get Free Report) Regions Financial Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and bank-related services to individual and corporate customers. It operates through three segments: Corporate Bank, Consumer Bank, and Wealth Management. The Corporate Bank segment offers commercial banking services, such as commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and investor real estate lending; equipment lease financing; deposit products; and securities underwriting and placement, loan syndication and placement, foreign exchange, derivatives, merger and acquisition, and other advisory services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Regions Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Regions Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ethernity Networks Ltd. (LON:ENET Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 0.01 and last traded at GBX 0.01, with a volume of 433900500 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 0.01. Ethernity Networks Trading Up 16.7% The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 21.00, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of 70,000.00, a P/E ratio of -0.01 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 0.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 0.02. Ethernity Networks Company Profile (Get Free Report) Ethernity Networks Ltd. provides technology solutions for telecom, mobile, security, and data center markets in Asia, Europe, Israel, and the United States. The company develops and delivers data processing technology and solutions for carrier Ethernet switching. It provides ENET flow processors for telco/cloud network; ACE-NIC40 SmartNIC, an open flow enabled software acceleration NIC; ACE-NIC50 SmartNIC, which offers 10/25G Ethernet connectivity and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) acceleration; and ACE-NIC100 SmartNIC that provides flexible 10/25/40/100G Ethernet connectivity and programmable FPGA acceleration. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Ethernity Networks Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ethernity Networks and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $60.30 and last traded at $60.2550, with a volume of 82761 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $62.41. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have recently commented on WD. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $95.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. JMP Securities set a $95.00 price target on shares of Walker & Dunlop and gave the stock a market outperform rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup reiterated a market outperform rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walker & Dunlop from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walker & Dunlop currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $94.25. Get Walker & Dunlop alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on Walker & Dunlop Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance The company has a market cap of $2.08 billion, a PE ratio of 18.08 and a beta of 1.58. The firms 50 day moving average is $71.69 and its 200-day moving average is $75.77. Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.01. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 8.85% and a net margin of 9.31%.The business had revenue of $337.68 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $325.10 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 15.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year. Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.4%. Walker & Dunlops payout ratio is presently 79.53%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 3rd quarter valued at about $294,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 5.2% in the third quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 36,573 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,037,000 after acquiring an additional 1,824 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 21.8% during the third quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 184,695 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $15,444,000 after acquiring an additional 33,011 shares during the last quarter. Mariner LLC raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 70.9% in the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 8,678 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 3,599 shares during the period. Finally, Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 4.8% in the third quarter. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 99,999 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $8,362,000 after purchasing an additional 4,611 shares during the period. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Walker & Dunlop (Get Free Report) Walker & Dunlop, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial real estate and finance services. It operates through the following segments: Capital Markets, Servicing and Asset Management, and Corporate. The Capital Markets segment offers a comprehensive range of commercial real estate finance products to customers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Walker & Dunlop Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walker & Dunlop and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fortis (TSE:FTS Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by National Bankshares from C$68.00 to C$72.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage presently has a sector perform rating on the stock. National Bankshares price target would suggest a potential upside of 1.32% from the companys current price. Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Fortis from C$72.00 to C$74.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Desjardins lifted their target price on shares of Fortis from C$76.00 to C$79.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. CIBC upped their price target on shares of Fortis from C$75.00 to C$76.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Fortis from C$72.00 to C$75.50 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, TD Securities increased their target price on Fortis from C$77.00 to C$79.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$74.85. Get Fortis alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on FTS Fortis Price Performance TSE FTS traded up C$0.51 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching C$71.06. 257,501 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,607,041. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 142.31, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.36. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of C$71.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$68.82. Fortis has a 1 year low of C$57.98 and a 1 year high of C$74.00. The company has a market cap of C$35.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.30. Fortis (TSE:FTS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported C$0.87 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$2.94 billion for the quarter. Fortis had a return on equity of 7.48% and a net margin of 14.53%. On average, analysts predict that Fortis will post 3.3419913 EPS for the current fiscal year. Fortis Company Profile (Get Free Report) Fortis owns and operates 10 utility transmission and distribution assets in Canada and the United States, serving more than 3.4 million electricity and gas customers. The company has smaller stakes in electricity generation and several Caribbean utilities. ITC operates electric transmission in seven U.S. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Fortis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fortis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AltaGas (TSE:ALA Get Free Report) had its target price increased by analysts at CIBC from C$47.00 to C$50.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs price target suggests a potential upside of 22.49% from the companys previous close. ALA has been the subject of a number of other reports. National Bankshares boosted their target price on shares of AltaGas from C$46.00 to C$50.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of AltaGas from C$45.00 to C$47.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Scotiabank upped their price objective on AltaGas from C$48.00 to C$50.00 in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on AltaGas from C$47.00 to C$48.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on AltaGas from C$44.00 to C$48.00 in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$47.44. Get AltaGas alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on AltaGas AltaGas Trading Up 0.5% AltaGas stock traded up C$0.19 during trading on Wednesday, hitting C$40.82. The companys stock had a trading volume of 232,364 shares, compared to its average volume of 832,956. The stock has a market capitalization of C$12.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.39, a P/E/G ratio of -4.97 and a beta of 0.35. The stocks fifty day moving average is C$42.34 and its 200 day moving average is C$41.17. AltaGas has a 1-year low of C$32.04 and a 1-year high of C$44.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 135.26, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 1.03. AltaGas (TSE:ALA Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported C($0.08) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. AltaGas had a return on equity of 6.36% and a net margin of 4.04%.The business had revenue of C$2.60 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts predict that AltaGas will post 2.3006093 EPS for the current year. About AltaGas (Get Free Report) AltaGas Ltd owns and operates a diversified basket of energy infrastructure businesses. Business is conducted through four segments: Midstream, power, utilities and corporate. Utility business owns and operates rate-regulated natural gas distribution assets across North America. Midstream business subsequent to the sale of non-core midstream assets in Canada and also engaged in the natural gas liquid processing and extraction, transportation, and storage. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for AltaGas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AltaGas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Associated British Foods (OTCMKTS:ASBFY Get Free Report) and BAB (OTCMKTS:BABB Get Free Report) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership. Risk & Volatility Associated British Foods has a beta of 0.99, meaning that its share price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BAB has a beta of 0.24, meaning that its share price is 76% less volatile than the S&P 500. Get Associated British Foods alerts: Valuation and Earnings This table compares Associated British Foods and BABs gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Associated British Foods $25.41 billion 0.80 $1.34 billion N/A N/A BAB $3.55 million 1.82 $520,000.00 $0.07 12.71 Associated British Foods has higher revenue and earnings than BAB. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Associated British Foods and BAB, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Associated British Foods 3 1 0 1 1.80 BAB 0 0 0 0 0.00 Dividends Associated British Foods pays an annual dividend of $0.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. BAB pays an annual dividend of $0.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.5%. BAB pays out 57.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Profitability This table compares Associated British Foods and BABs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Associated British Foods N/A N/A N/A BAB 17.00% 16.79% 11.62% Summary Associated British Foods beats BAB on 6 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Associated British Foods (Get Free Report) Associated British Foods plc operates as a diversified food, ingredients, and retail company worldwide. It operates through five segments: Grocery, Ingredients, Agriculture, Sugar, and Retail. The Grocery segment manufactures and sells grocery products, including hot beverages, sugar and sweeteners, vegetable oils, balsamic vinegars, bread and baked goods, cereals, ethnic foods, and meat products to retail, wholesale, and foodservice businesses. The Ingredients segment manufactures bakers' yeast, bakery ingredients, enzymes, lipids, yeast extracts, and cereal specialties. The Agriculture segment manufactures and sells animal feeds; and provides other products and services for the agriculture sector. The Sugar segment is involved in growing, processing, and selling sugar beet and sugar cane to industrial users. The Retail segment is involved in buying and merchandising clothing and accessories through the Primark and Penneys retail chains, which offer women's, men's, and kids wear, as well as beauty, homeware, and accessories. The company was incorporated in 1934 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Associated British Foods plc operates as a subsidiary of Wittington Investments Limited. About BAB (Get Free Report) BAB, Inc. franchises and licenses bagel and muffin retail units under the Big Apple Bagels (BAB), My Favorite Muffin (MFM), and SweetDuet (SD) trade names in the United States. It's BAB franchised brand includes daily baked bagels, flavored cream cheeses, premium coffees, gourmet bagel sandwiches, and other related products; and MFM brand comprises various freshly baked muffins and coffees, as well as units operating as My Favorite Muffin Your All Day Bakery Cafe features specialty bagel sandwiches and related products. The company's SD brand includes frozen yogurt products. BAB, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is based in Deerfield, Illinois. Receive News & Ratings for Associated British Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Associated British Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX Get Free Report) CEO William Bradley Southern sold 1,318 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.38, for a total value of $112,530.84. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 558,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,692,414.20. This trade represents a 0.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. William Bradley Southern also recently made the following trade(s): Get Louisiana-Pacific alerts: On Monday, December 15th, William Bradley Southern sold 42,514 shares of Louisiana-Pacific stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.25, for a total value of $3,666,832.50. Louisiana-Pacific Stock Down 0.0% Shares of LPX traded down $0.03 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $84.41. The stock had a trading volume of 209,340 shares, compared to its average volume of 789,379. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $84.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $88.92. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $73.42 and a 12 month high of $119.91. The company has a current ratio of 2.93, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a market capitalization of $5.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.33 and a beta of 1.81. Louisiana-Pacific Dividend Announcement Louisiana-Pacific ( NYSE:LPX Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The building manufacturing company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $663.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $670.26 million. Louisiana-Pacific had a net margin of 7.69% and a return on equity of 14.90%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.22 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Louisiana-Pacific Corporation will post 5.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a dividend of $0.28 per share. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. Louisiana-Pacifics payout ratio is currently 36.25%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages recently issued reports on LPX. TD Securities decreased their price target on Louisiana-Pacific from $97.00 to $91.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a report on Monday. DA Davidson reissued a buy rating and set a $117.00 price target on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Vertical Research began coverage on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $114.00 to $104.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $105.43. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on LPX Hedge Funds Weigh In On Louisiana-Pacific Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 23.1% during the first quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 8,250 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $759,000 after purchasing an additional 1,546 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 1.4% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 525,686 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $48,353,000 after purchasing an additional 7,381 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lifted its position in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 53.7% during the first quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 89,925 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $8,271,000 after acquiring an additional 31,427 shares in the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 684,998 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $63,007,000 after buying an additional 38,801 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Louisiana-Pacific by 13.2% during the first quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 615,817 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $56,643,000 after acquiring an additional 71,790 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.73% of the companys stock. About Louisiana-Pacific (Get Free Report) Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides building solutions primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structure markets. It operates through Siding, Oriented Strand Board, LP South America, and Other segments. The Siding segment offers LP SmartSide trim and siding products, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish trim and siding products, LP BuilderSeries lap siding products, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions; and engineered wood siding, trim, soffit, and fascia products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Louisiana-Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Louisiana-Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by analysts at Citigroup from $105.00 to $110.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Citigroups price objective would indicate a potential upside of 4.41% from the stocks previous close. A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 21st. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d) rating on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the company from $76.00 to $115.00 in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $99.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Estee Lauder Companies currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $95.14. Get Estee Lauder Companies alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on EL Estee Lauder Companies Price Performance Shares of Estee Lauder Companies stock traded up $0.96 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $105.35. 3,031,496 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,963,147. The firms fifty day moving average price is $95.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.09. The stock has a market cap of $37.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.83, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.18. Estee Lauder Companies has a 12 month low of $48.37 and a 12 month high of $109.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.32. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $3.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.38 billion. Estee Lauder Companies had a negative net margin of 6.44% and a positive return on equity of 14.92%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.14 earnings per share. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.900-2.100 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Estee Lauder Companies will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Activity at Estee Lauder Companies In other Estee Lauder Companies news, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total value of $364,748.76. Following the transaction, the director owned 34,812 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,196,785.96. This represents a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.84, for a total value of $476,971.20. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 13.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Estee Lauder Companies Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 80.6% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 372 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Asset Dedication LLC increased its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 258.7% during the second quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 391 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 282 shares during the period. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies in the third quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 246.4% in the second quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 478 shares of the companys stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. 55.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Estee Lauder Companies (Get Free Report) The Estee Lauder Companies Inc manufactures, markets, and sells skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. It offers skin care products, including moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, body care, exfoliators, acne care and oil correctors, facial masks, and sun care products; and makeup products, such as lipsticks, lip glosses, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, and powders, as well as compacts, brushes, and other makeup tools. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Estee Lauder Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Estee Lauder Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Endeavour Mining plc (LON:EDV Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as GBX 3,688 and last traded at GBX 3,601.85, with a volume of 89005586 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 3,572.24. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 4,300 price objective on shares of Endeavour Mining in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of GBX 3,650. Get Endeavour Mining alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on Endeavour Mining Endeavour Mining Stock Up 3.0% About Endeavour Mining The companys 50-day simple moving average is GBX 3,288.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 2,787.37. The company has a market capitalization of 9.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.30 and a beta of 0.92. (Get Free Report) Endeavour Mining is one of the worlds senior gold producers and the largest in West Africa, with operating assets across Senegal, Cote dIvoire and Burkina Faso and a strong portfolio of advanced development projects and exploration assets in the highly prospective Birimian Greenstone Belt across West Africa. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Endeavour Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Endeavour Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. (NYSE:AMR Get Free Report) Director Kenneth Courtis bought 9,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $188.16 per share, for a total transaction of $1,693,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 816,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $153,639,601.92. This trade represents a 1.11% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Alpha Metallurgical Resources Stock Up 6.5% NYSE AMR traded up $12.10 on Wednesday, reaching $198.75. The company had a trading volume of 499,072 shares, compared to its average volume of 320,643. Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. has a 52 week low of $97.41 and a 52 week high of $217.25. The stocks 50 day moving average is $166.65 and its 200-day moving average is $145.22. The stock has a market cap of $2.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -55.83 and a beta of 0.91. Get Alpha Metallurgical Resources alerts: Alpha Metallurgical Resources (NYSE:AMR Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The energy company reported ($0.42) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.35) by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $526.78 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $543.77 million. Alpha Metallurgical Resources had a negative return on equity of 2.88% and a negative net margin of 2.09%.Alpha Metallurgical Resourcess quarterly revenue was down 21.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. will post 14.31 EPS for the current year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d) rating on shares of Alpha Metallurgical Resources in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $160.50. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on AMR Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alpha Metallurgical Resources Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AMR. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Alpha Metallurgical Resources by 27.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 865,934 shares of the energy companys stock worth $97,400,000 after purchasing an additional 185,281 shares in the last quarter. Contrarius Group Holdings Ltd bought a new stake in Alpha Metallurgical Resources during the 3rd quarter worth about $12,146,000. Dalal Street LLC lifted its position in Alpha Metallurgical Resources by 15.6% during the 3rd quarter. Dalal Street LLC now owns 532,000 shares of the energy companys stock worth $87,296,000 after buying an additional 71,673 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alpha Metallurgical Resources by 208.0% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 106,107 shares of the energy companys stock worth $13,290,000 after buying an additional 71,653 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gendell Jeffrey L grew its holdings in shares of Alpha Metallurgical Resources by 30.9% in the 2nd quarter. Gendell Jeffrey L now owns 296,396 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $33,339,000 after acquiring an additional 69,950 shares in the last quarter. 84.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Alpha Metallurgical Resources Company Profile (Get Free Report) Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc, a mining company, produces, processes, and sells met and thermal coal in Virginia and West Virginia. The company offers metallurgical coal products. It operates twenty-two active mines and nine coal preparation and load-out facilities. The company was formerly known as Contura Energy, Inc and changed its name to Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc in February 2021. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Alpha Metallurgical Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alpha Metallurgical Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ISLAMABAD, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's information and communication technology (ICT) export remittances increased by 18.5 percent year-on-year to 1.799 billion U.S. dollars during the first five months of the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication. The ministry said ICT services exports amounted to 356 million dollars in November 2025, while the sector recorded a trade surplus of 1.583 billion dollars during the July-November period. It added that the growth reflects the increasing importance of the ICT sector in Pakistan's economy. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Get Free Report)s stock price fell 3.9% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $81.17 and last traded at $81.8260. 32,026,439 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 55% from the average session volume of 20,679,115 shares. The stock had previously closed at $85.11. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have recently commented on UBER. DA Davidson raised their target price on Uber Technologies from $102.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a buy rating on shares of Uber Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and set a $108.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $110.00 price target on shares of Uber Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Uber Technologies from $110.00 to $107.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $108.60. Get Uber Technologies alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on Uber Technologies Uber Technologies Trading Down 2.3% The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $91.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $91.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $164.24 billion, a PE ratio of 10.16 and a beta of 1.19. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The ride-sharing company reported $3.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $2.44. Uber Technologies had a return on equity of 68.17% and a net margin of 33.54%.The firm had revenue of $13.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.20 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity In other news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 150,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.48, for a total transaction of $15,072,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 982,544 shares of the companys stock, valued at $98,726,021.12. This trade represents a 13.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah sold 5,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.41, for a total transaction of $519,255.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 20,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,919,355.30. The trade was a 21.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 264,875 shares of company stock valued at $26,501,255 in the last 90 days. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Uber Technologies Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UBER. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Uber Technologies by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 190,828,841 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $18,695,502,000 after purchasing an additional 1,277,322 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Uber Technologies by 2.6% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,859,136 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $4,258,756,000 after purchasing an additional 1,168,288 shares during the period. Pershing Square Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Uber Technologies in the first quarter worth about $2,207,743,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Uber Technologies in the second quarter worth about $2,348,319,000. Finally, Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC lifted its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 334,075.7% during the 2nd quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 19,973,682 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $1,863,545,000 after buying an additional 19,967,705 shares in the last quarter. 80.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Uber Technologies (Get Free Report) Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. This post is just for our most loyal late night readers as we catch up and share a collection of stories regarding ALLEGED misdeeds, court cases, police action, and of course, news on community outreach. Check TKC news gathering . . . Kansas City FBI Office warns Christmas shoppers to be aware of scammers With the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping nearing its final week, the Kansas City Office of the FBI is warning shoppers to watch out for scammers as well as great deals. KC firefighter with 6 DWIs gets 5 years in prison for repeated probation violations The judge said "enough is enough" and added that he'd warned John Speer at the last violation hearing that he wasn't getting another chance. KCMO police, community advocates work for solutions to crime problem in Prospect Avenue corridor In a meeting last week, leaders from city government, community advocates and Kansas City Missouri Police Department heard from the Urban Summit the need is to improve areas surrounding the store. Driver dies after losing control on downtown Kansas City exit ramp Police say that around 12:50 a.m. on Dec. 16, a driver in a gray BMW 230i was driving on the exit ramp from eastbound I-670 to southbound 71 Highway. Kansas City man convicted in wife's shooting death, sentenced to prison A Kansas City man has been convicted and sentenced to prison for shooting and killing his wife in 2022 near a KCPD police station. KBI affidavit details gunfire, crash and foot pursuit that ended near Basehor-Linwood High School A KBI affidavit says a Leavenworth man fired at deputies during a high-speed chase that ended in a crash, foot pursuit and arrest in Basehor. Affidavit in fatal hit-and-run indicates camera footage, debris led to man's arrest; he reportedly blamed truck damage on deer A heavily redacted arrest affidavit in a hit-and-run that killed a 20-year-old KU student indicates that camera footage, vehicle debris, clothing fiber and other evidence led to a man's arrest in the case. The affidavit also suggests that defendant William Ray Klingler attempted to pass off the damage to his Ford F150 as having been [...] Prosecutor: Teen gang member charged in Kansas City parking lot shots fired incident Law enforcement has charged a man in connection with firing a weapon while at a business parking lot over the summer. Lenexa woman found dead after disappearing on Sunday A 45-year-old woman from Lenexa was found dead Monday morning after she disappeared early Sunday, the Lenexa Police Department (LPD) announced. Olathe man charged with sexual assault at Belton business Sixty-six-year-old Slimane Zimouche is charged with misdemeanor second-degree sexual abuse and fourth-degree assault. KCPD body camera video reveals aftermath of deadly Family Dollar building collapse For the first time, we're getting a clearer picture of the rescue efforts in July during the Family Dollar building collapse that killed one person and injured three others in midtown KCMO. Death investigation underway after man found dead in Wyandotte County park Wyandotte County officials say the man's death is under investigation. 73-year-old man arrested in Kansas City for a 1999 murder in Adair County By Fox23.com News Staff MUSKOGEE, Okla. - A 73-year-old man was arrested on Monday in Kansas City, Kansas on a [...] This Day in History: Kansas City fashion designer Nellie Don is kidnapped December 16, 1931.Prominent Kansas City fashion entrepreneur Nell Donnelly was kidnapped and held for $75,000 ransom. Two days later, she was free after her lover, prominent politician James A. Reed, turned to mob boss Johnny Lazia, threatening to expose his criminal activities with political boss Tom Pendergast if he refused to rescue her. Merriam police join Blue Envelope Program for neurodivergent individuals Merriam police joins the Blue Envelope Program to improve interactions with people who have developmental disabilities or mental health problems. Blue Springs expands camera system to speed emergency response, cut crime The company behind the cameras said it will take up to six months to install new cameras and upgrade current ones across Blue Springs. Family of murdered KCMO convenience store employee reacts to charges filed in his death The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office charged 27-year-old Adrian Stallings in the murder of a convenience store employee whose friends and family said was a fixture in his neighborhood. Developing . . . MANILA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos has "firmly dismissed misleading claims" portraying the Philippines as a training hotspot for violent extremist groups, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Wednesday. "The President strongly rejects the sweeping statement and the misleading characterization of the Philippines as the ISIS training hotspot," Castro said in a press briefing. Castro said the National Security Council (NSC) maintains that there is no confirmation of allegations that the father-and-son suspects in the recent mass shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, received training in the Philippines before the incident. "Philippine authorities in coordination with international partners continue to verify all available information, but no evidence has been presented to support claims that the country was used for terrorist training," the NSC said in a statement read by Castro. In its statement, the NSC emphasized that Philippine security forces have significantly weakened ISIS-affiliated groups since the 2017 Marawi siege, reflecting substantial improvements in the country's domestic security environment. The NSC pointed out the significant improvements achieved in the domestic security environment that were previously affected by terrorism. "These developments reflect the sustained efforts of our security forces and the resilience of our communities in advancing peace, order, and development across the nation," the NSC said. The NSC said that Marcos remains clear in his directive to the Anti-Terrorism Council and other member-agencies to stay vigilant to prevent any terrorist activity within Philippine territory and to continuously enhance cooperation with international partners to safeguard national security. The Philippines' Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday confirmed that the two gunmen in one of Australia's deadliest mass shootings visited the Philippines last month. The father and son opened fire on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens of others. In the ongoing municipal effort to throw good money after bad and write the next chapter in a story that brought NATIONAL DISGRACE TO KANSAS CITY THIS YEAR . . . Here's a progress report . . . Or lack thereof . . . Since Sun Fresh closed, the Urban Summit has been engaging with the city and police department to establish long-term solutions for the community. There is a targeted focus on finding a replacement operator. However, the bigger picture for the Urban Summit is encouraging the city to improve the environment surrounding the store. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Roundup and a look at holiday season violence continuing the threaten Kansas City near a troubled hotspot highway . . . Sadly, earlier this month our blog community talked about the threat of rising violence amid holiday season harsh times. Check the deets . . . Kansas City, Missouri, police identify man shot to death Tuesday morning in east KCMO Kansas City, Missouri, police released the name of the man found dead in a vehicle early Tuesday morning. Man found dead inside car after morning shooting in Kansas City An investigation is underway after a man was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds inside a car Tuesday morning, the Kansas City Police Department reported. Developing . . . Clearwater Beach Marriott Resort on Sand Key is giving travelers, and locals, even more reasons to plan their next Florida getaway. Known for its breathtaking waterfront views and welcoming hospitality, the resort is making known its top ten reasons guests should choose Sand Key for their next coastal escape Unmatched Coastal Luxury: Clearwater Beach Marriott Resort on Sand Key Highlights Its Top 10 Resort Experiences Gourmet Dining, Dolphin Watching, Beach Proximity, Resort Pool, Private Cabanas, Kids Splash Pad, an Exotic Macaw, Watersports Rentals, a Day Spa, and Beach Cruisers Top the List CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. (December 16th, 2025) Clearwater Beach Marriott Resort on Sand Key is giving travelers, and locals, even more reasons to plan their next Florida getaway. Known for its breathtaking waterfront views and welcoming hospitality the resort is making known its top ten reasons guests should choose Sand Key for their next coastal escape. Elevated Coastal Dining at Watercolour Grillhouse Guests can savor fresh, coastal-inspired cuisine and stunning bay views at Watercolour Grillhouse, an elevated dining experience that blends local flavors with modern flair. Whether enjoying dinner with family or cocktails at sunset, an unforgettable culinary journey is steps away from their room. Dolphin Watching on the Bay The resorts unique location along the bay gives guests front-row access to natural dolphin encounters throughout the day. Visitors can often spot pods playing, feeding, or gliding through the water right from their balcony or while strolling the boardwalk. Its an experience that brings a touch of wonder to every stay. Steps Away from Clearwater Beach With direct proximity to one of Americas top-rated beaches, guests are only moments from soft white sand and turquoise waters. Its the perfect setup for sunset walks, afternoon beach days, or spontaneous dips. The convenience of being so close means more time to relax and enjoy the Gulf Coasts natural beauty. Resort-Style Pool, Splash Pad, Hot Tub & Private Cabanas The resort pool deck is designed for pure relaxation and family fun, featuring a temperature-controlled pool, spacious hot tub, interactive splash pad, and lush tropical surroundings. Guests can enhance their experience with private cabana rentals, offering shade, comfort, and personalized service. Whether the kids are playing in the splash pad or you're unwinding poolside, it's the ultimate spot for the whole family after a day of exploring Clearwater Beach. Onsite Watersport Rentals Adventure seekers will love the resorts easy access to paddle boards and jet skis. Guests can explore the calm waters at their own pace, or ride the tides on jet skis. No need to leave the property everything needed for a memorable adventure is right there. Full-Service Spa & Salon The spa at Clearwater Beach Marriott Resort on Sand Key offers a full menu of treatments designed to relax, refresh, and rejuvenate. From restorative massages to professional hair and beauty services, guests can personalize their wellness experience. Walkable, Bikeable & Transit-Friendly Location Guests can easily explore nearby shops, cafes, and local attractions on foot, by bike, or via the iconic Jolley Trolley. The resorts convenient location makes it simple to venture out without a car. Whether browsing boutiques or discovering local gems, getting around is effortless and enjoyable. Onsite Coffee Shop - Proudly Brewing Starbucks The resorts onsite coffee shop makes it easy to enjoy your favorite Starbucks beverages without ever leaving the property. From morning lattes to afternoon pick-me-ups, guests can refuel whenever they need a boost. State-of-the-Art Fitness Center Travelers can maintain their routines at the resorts fully equipped 24-hour fitness center, featuring an array of machines, free weights, and flexible floor space. Whether squeezing in a quick workout or stretching before a beach day, the space makes staying active simple. Its ideal for guests who value health and wellness on the go. The perfect beach vacation is waiting. Reservations can be booked online or by calling the front desk at (727) 596-1100. CLEARWATER BEACH MARRIOTT RESORT ON SAND KEY: Situated on Floridas beautiful Gulf Coast, the Clearwater Beach Marriott Resort on Sand Key offers a serene escape with stunning water views, luxurious accommodations, and world-class amenities. The resort is renowned for its exceptional service, award-winning dining, and versatile event spaces, making it the perfect destination for every traveler. 1201 Gulf Blvd, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767 | (727) 596-1100. About Pyramid Global Hospitality: Pyramid Global Hospitality was formed by the 2021 merger of three hotel and resort management companies, creating the most owner-focused, experiential company in the industry and establishing a position as a best workplace. The organizations global portfolio spans more than 240 properties across the U.S., Caribbean and Europe. It maintains offices in Boston; The Woodlands, Texas; Cincinnati; and London. For more information, visit www.PyramidGlobal.com EVOLVE & CO: Evolve & Co is a full-service advertising agency located in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. The company is a collective of brand strategists and creatives, specializing in the lifestyle vertical. The firm is located at 475 Central Avenue Suite M7, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. Visit evolveandco.com for more information. Editors: For details or to schedule an interview, contact Lisa Williams at lisa@evolveandco.com or 727.490.9835. ### As demand for premium air travel grows beyond corporate flyers, travelers are increasingly seeking smarter ways to book business class flights without paying inflated fares. A new industry-focused guide highlights how Copa Airlines Business Class has emerged as a popular value-driven option for long-haul travelers navigating rising prices and complex booking rules. (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - December 17th, 2025 - As demand for premium air travel grows beyond corporate flyers, travelers are increasingly seeking smarter ways to book business class flights without paying inflated fares. A new industry-focused guide highlights how Copa Airlines Business Class has emerged as a popular value-driven option for long-haul travelers navigating rising prices and complex booking rules. Business class travel has expanded rapidly among leisure travelers, remote professionals, and frequent flyers who value comfort, productivity, and priority services. Features such as lie-flat seating, airport lounge access, premium dining, and increased baggage allowances are driving interest, while fluctuating fares and limited transparency remain key challenges. Copa Airlines Business Class continues to attract attention due to its reliability, competitive pricing, and convenient hub through Panama City. On selected aircraft, travelers benefit from reclining or lie-flat seats, priority check-in, dedicated lounges, and enhanced onboard service. Industry observers note that Copa is frequently compared with premium carriers such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Delta, particularly by travelers seeking value rather than ultra-luxury. The guide outlines several booking strategies used across the travel sector, including seasonal sales, agency-only consolidator fares, and mileage-based upgrades. Consolidator fares, which are often unavailable on public booking platforms, are increasingly used by travelers seeking flexibility and lower prices. Loyalty programs and transferable credit card points also continue to play a significant role in reducing premium cabin costs. Data from recent travel trends shows growing interest in business class bookings tied to bleisure travel, flexible remote work schedules, and last-minute premium availability. Analysts note that travelers who understand fare classes, aircraft configurations, and timing windows are better positioned to secure favorable business class pricing. Final Paragraph As airlines refine premium offerings and pricing structures, travelers are becoming more informed and strategic in how they book business class flights. Copa Airlines Business Class remains a key option for those seeking comfort, consistency, and competitive fares in the evolving premium travel landscape. Corporate Summary Group Tripo is a travel support and booking services provider specializing in premium cabin airfare, group travel coordination, and complex international itineraries. The company works with airline-authorized distribution channels to assist travelers with booking guidance and fare research. Contact Information Media Contact: Name: Press Desk Company: Group Tripo Phone: +1-833-894-5333 Email: info@grouptripo.com Website: [url=https://grouptripo.com/business-class/copa-airlines-business-class/]Copa Airlines Business Class[/url] ### BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The next group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) sent within the framework of the program of Great Return to the liberated territories by the instructions of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has reached Hadrut and Girmizi Bazar settlements of Khojavend district, as well as Khidirli village of the Aghdam district, Trend reports. At this stage, 16 families consisting of 45 people were presented with the keys to the apartments in Khidirli. Personnel of the Special Representative Office of the President of Azerbaijan in Aghdam, Fuzuli and Khojavend districts, as well as the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs attended the ceremony. Besides, six families (26 people) have returned to Hadrut settlement. In addition, 90 people, including 18 families, returned to Girmizi Bazar settlement. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Azerbaijan and Israel may pursue projects that go beyond their bilateral agenda, Zeev Elkin, Minister in the Ministry of Finance responsible for the Reconstruction of the North and the South, and Co-Chair of the AzerbaijanIsrael Joint Commission, said in an exclusive interview with Trend, as he visited Baku. I see potential for joint projects in a multilateral format as well. We could implement trilateral projects, for example with Kazakhstan. Israel can contribute technologically, Elkin said. He cited agriculture as an example, suggesting a collaborative model combining Israeli know-how, Azerbaijans investment capacity, Kazakhstans land and human resources, and production in China, which faces a shortage of agricultural products. Such a four-party scheme could be very interesting, as each country can bring what the others lack and create synergy. I therefore see opportunities for geopolitical cooperation that extend beyond bilateral relations, he added. Speaking on the timing of the next meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission, Elkin said the issue was discussed with Azerbaijans Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov. At the meeting with Minister Jabbarov, we reviewed the entire mechanism for advancing the work of the commission and identified the second half of 2026 for the next session in Baku. We also agreed to initiate a mechanism to improve the efficiency of implementing all items included in the commissions protocol. This will include quarterly Zoom meetings between us, as heads of the commission, to monitor progress. The mechanism will be in place starting in 2026, Elkin said. Elkin also highlighted growing interest from Israeli companies in investing in Azerbaijan. The intensive nature of official visits and the expression of interest by governments in developing economic ties are themselves a signal to business circles. They see favorable conditions in Azerbaijan and recognize that Azerbaijani authorities have a positive attitude toward Israeli companies and dialogue with Israel. Around the end of January 2026, Israels Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is expected to visit Azerbaijan. He is likely to be accompanied by a large business delegation to create a platform for expanding business ties, Elkin said. Speaking on energy cooperation between the two countries, Elkin highlighted the significance of agreements involving Azerbaijans state oil company, SOCAR, in Israels gas sector. SOCAR acquired a 10 percent stake in one of Israels largest gas fields [Tamar] and received regulatory approval within an international consortium to explore gas in certain areas of Israels maritime economic zone. This has provided a significant boost to our relations. All regulatory approvals were granted in a very short time, reflecting the importance Israel attaches to its relationship with Azerbaijan, he said. Elkin also noted potential cooperation in green energy. Many Israeli companies are active in deploying solar energy technologies, both within Israel and abroad. I believe we can share our technological expertise with Azerbaijan, he said. Elkin also underscored the importance of continuing strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Israel during challenging times. Our country went through very difficult two years during the war. That is when true friends are revealed. Throughout these two years, the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Israel continued. All commitments on energy supplies were met, and bilateral air connections continued - any temporary suspensions for security reasons were quickly resumed. Azerbaijan and Israel are strategic partners. Trade between the two countries has been growing rapidly in recent years, despite the war, he said. Elkin also highlighted the strong ties between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Israel. A large Jewish community lives in Azerbaijan, and a significant community of Azerbaijani origin resides in Israel, whose members are active across Israeli politics, economy, and municipal governance. I am also responsible for the Nativ organization, Israels agency for working with Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union, and I meet with community leaders here in Azerbaijan. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani government for their support and very positive attitude toward the Jewish community in Azerbaijan. Usually, when I visit a country, Jewish communities ask me to raise certain issues they cannot resolve themselves. During my visit to Azerbaijan, there were no such requests at all - everything is addressed locally in Baku. There is no need for any assistance or intervention from Israel. This speaks volumes about the current relationship between Azerbaijans Jewish community and the countrys leadership. We greatly value and sincerely appreciate this level of support, he concluded. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC Masdar, a global clean energy leader, announced the start of commercial operations at its battery energy storage system (BESS) facility in Stockport, marking the first project under its 1 billion UK BESS investment plan, Trend reports via Masdar. The company also plans two additional BESS projects in Cardiff and Chesterfield. The Stockport facility, located on Welkin Road, has a capacity of 20 megawatts (MW)/40 megawatt-hours (MWh), enough to store electricity for 20,000 homes for over two hours. The Chesterfield and Cardiff projects, with a combined capacity of 150 MW/300 MWh, are expected to power more than 35,000 UK homes for a full day. Construction on the Stockport site began in May 2024. Following its acquisition of Arlington Energy in 2022, Masdar committed 1 billion to a 3-gigawatt-hour (GWh) BESS pipeline in the UK, supporting the countrys Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which aims to build up to 27 GW of battery storage by the end of the decade. BESS technology helps balance intermittent renewable energy supply by storing electricity during low demand and releasing it at peak times, enhancing grid stability, energy security, and integration of renewables, while lowering consumer bills and emissions. Masdar said its UK projects are built to international safety standards, including fire detection and suppression systems, 24-hour CCTV monitoring, and local response capability. The projects are also being developed in consultation with local communities to deliver environmental and economic benefits. The Stockport plant occupies a brownfield site, with biodiversity enhancements including bird and bat boxes, Japanese knotweed control, and native flora planting. A community fund will support local initiatives. The Chesterfield site, on former coal mining land, will transform the area into a clean energy hub while preserving agricultural character. The Cardiff project is sited on an industrial brownfield, avoiding new greenfield development and utilising existing infrastructure efficiently. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan in the first part of next year, a NATO official told Trend. ''Further details regarding the visit, including the agenda and dates, will be released in due course,'' the official added. The visit follows a productive series of high-level engagements in late 2025, including meetings between Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Radmila Sekerinska on the sidelines of international summits, and a visit by a delegation of 15 NATO Allied Ambassadors to Baku in November 2025. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova met with the Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Azerbaijan Marijana Kujundzic today, a source in the parliament told Trend. Gafarova congratulated Kujundzic on the start of her diplomatic mission in the country and wished her success in forthcoming endeavors. The meeting exchanged views on the Azerbaijan-EU relations. Particularly, the favorable trajectories noted in the bilateral engagement, reciprocal delegations, and strategic dialogues in 2025 were positively acknowledged. The importance of meetings between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was highlighted as significant for discussing various aspects of the bilateral agenda. Kujundzic congratulated Azerbaijan on the progress made in the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, describing it as a historic achievement. The diplomat stated that advancements in peace between the parties were significant events not solely for the geopolitical landscape of the region and the continent but also for the global arena. The speaker briefed the diplomat on the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as confidence-building measures between the parliaments. In this context, Gafarova addressed concerns related to the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process in the EU-Armenia Partnership Strategic Agenda. The speaker also noted the close cooperation between the parliaments of Azerbaijan and EU member states. She positively recalled the relevant visits and meetings. Regarding the European Parliament's resolutions against Azerbaijan, Gafarova pointed out that the current realities in the region and the achievements in the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia once again proved the biased nature of these resolutions. The discussion also reviewed various aspects of Azerbaijan-EU relations, with an emphasis on the importance of energy partnership. Additionally, emergent avenues for amplifying synergies in logistics, commerce, and ancillary domains were underscored. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel VIENTIANE, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Laos has launched a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign to protect young girls from cervical cancer, highlighting the country's ongoing efforts to strengthen public health, particularly among youth. Laos has launched the 2025 HPV vaccination campaign, providing free HPV vaccines to girls aged 10 nationwide. At the campaign launch in Lao capital Vientiane in early December, Deputy Governor of Vientiane Phouvong Vongkhamsao praised international partners for their support, emphasizing the growing role of health and disease prevention in reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. Each year, about 320 Lao women develop cervical cancer. The Lao government has long promoted women's health, ensuring that girls and women have access to proper healthcare. "I am grateful that the Lao government provides free HPV vaccination, giving all girls the right to protection. I believe this is a significant effort to enhance public health services in Laos," a father of two daughters in Vientiane told Xinhua on Wednesday. He shared his concerns about his children, emphasizing that access to free vaccination should be a basic right for all children. "I want them to grow up healthy and strong, and I know cervical cancer is one of the most serious diseases affecting women. When the time comes, I will make sure both of my daughters receive the vaccine as soon as they are eligible," he added. Today, many Lao women recognize the critical role of HPV vaccination and believe that all relevant sectors should actively promote it to prevent more serious illnesses in the future. Thip, a 32-year-old woman, emphasized the importance of the vaccine in Laos and expressed her support for the government's initiative to provide it for free. In the past, vaccines for diseases like cervical cancer were not easily accessible, and many people were not aware of them, she said. She added that preventing a disease through vaccination is something everyone deserves. "The vaccination campaign is not just about giving the shot. It's about teaching families and communities why it matters," she said. A 28-year-old office worker in Vientiane said she has been following the HPV vaccination campaign closely and is very supportive. "I encourage everyone to take this seriously and bring their daughters to get vaccinated. No one should miss this opportunity. This campaign shows that the government cares about youth health, and now it is up to us to act and protect the next generation," she said. Lao medical officials said the HPV vaccine is highly effective and safe. Following the launch of the campaign in Vientiane, medical teams will visit 473 primary schools across the city to vaccinate 8,023 targeted 10-year-old girls. The Lao Ministry of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to equitable immunization, pledging to work with development partners to overcome challenges and ensure that every child in the country is protected from preventable diseases. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Egypt Houssam-Eldine Reda today, a source in the parliament told Trend. Gafarova congratulated the ambassador on the start of his diplomatic activity in Azerbaijan and extended best wishes for his forthcoming activities. The meeting welcomed the current level of friendly relations between the countries and emphasized the role and support of the heads of state in the development of relations. During the conversation, the positive cooperation between the Azerbaijani parliament and both the upper and lower chambers of the Egyptian parliament was highly appreciated. Gafarova pointed out that her official visit to Egypt and the meetings she held, as well as visits to Azerbaijan from the Egyptian side, contributed to the development of cooperative relations and noted the activity of friendship groups. Reda expressed his gratitude for the meeting and congratulations and promised to contribute to the further expansion of contacts between legislative bodies, alongside other domains, in his forthcoming endeavors. The meeting also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The next group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) sent within the framework of the program of Great Return to the liberated territories by the instructions of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has reached Hadrut and Girmizi Bazar settlements of Khojavend district, as well as Khidirli village of the Aghdam district, Trend reports. At this stage, 16 families consisting of 45 people were presented with the keys to the apartments in Khidirli. Personnel of the Special Representative Office of the President of Azerbaijan in Aghdam, Fuzuli and Khojavend districts, as well as the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, attended the ceremony. Besides, six families (26 people) have returned to the Hadrut settlement. In addition, 90 people, including 18 families, returned to the Girmizi Bazar settlement. The Great Return is Azerbaijan's national initiative aimed at reconstructing its liberated territories (Karabakh and East Zangezur) and enabling the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) following the 2020 war. This program encompasses extensive reconstruction, infrastructure enhancement (including roads, railways, and utilities), establishment of economic zones, and restoration of social services to ensure sustainable settlement and reintegration. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov received a delegation headed by the Second Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkiye, Army General Levent Ergun, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan to participate in the 17th Azerbaijan-Turkiye High-Level Military Dialogue Meeting, Trend reports via the Ministry. The representatives from fraternal state visited the graves of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev and prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva in the Alley of Honor, as well as the Alley of Martyrs and Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery. The guests laid wreaths and flowers, as well as paid tribute to their bright memory. Moreover, Victory Park was visited, where a wreath was laid at the Victory Monument. Subsequently, Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense hosted a meeting with the Turkish delegation. Colonel General Zakir Hasanov noted that the strategic alliance between Azerbaijan and Turkiye is founded on long-standing friendly and fraternal relations, and emphasized the significance of measures aimed at further strengthening existing military cooperation. He emphasized the importance of cooperation within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States. In turn, Army General Levent Ergun expressed his gratitude to Colonel General Zakir Hasanov for organizing the meetings in Baku in the framework of the 17th Azerbaijan-Turkiye High-Level Military Dialogue Meeting, and noted that ties between the two countries are grounded in mutual trust, confidence, and support. The meeting included a comprehensive exchange of views on new prospects for cooperation between the two fraternal countries in the military, military-technical, and military educational fields, as well as on regional security and a range of other issues of mutual interest. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The Supervisory Board of Azerbaijan's Media Development Agency (MEDIA) held a meeting dedicated to the results of 2025 today, a source in the agency told Trend. The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board Daghbayi Ismayilov, members of the Supervisory Board Vugar Aliyev, Shafag Mehraliyeva, Sevil Mikayilova, Elchin Shikhli and the Executive Director of the Agency Ahmad Ismayilov. The meeting went over the activities the Agency has carried out this year, the work that has been done in priority areas, the results achieved within the framework of international cooperation, and the impact of the organized projects on the general media environment. At the same time, views were exchanged on the main goals for the next period, broadening the partnership ties and bolstering Azerbaijan's standing in the worldwide information landscape. Within the framework of the meeting, Ismayilov presented the members of the Supervisory Board with the jubilee medal "150th Anniversary of the Azerbaijani National Press (18752025)." Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Deputy Minister of Defense and Commander of the Air Force of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Lieutenant General Namig Islamzade, checked out Air Force military units, caught up with personnel, and looked into their service and combat activities along with the state of winter preparedness, Trend reports via the Defense Ministry. During the meeting with personnel, it was emphasized that under the leadership of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the implementation of strategic reforms within the Armed Forces has culminated in the establishment of exceptionally operationally proficient military units, alongside the integration of cutting-edge military hardware. It was also observed that a heightened focus will persist on the development and upskilling of specialized human capital. The Air Force Commander disseminated pertinent directives to amplify both the rigor and caliber of training and exercises throughout the designated training cycle, with the objective of augmenting operational readiness and the professional competency of personnel, while also guaranteeing the proficient utilization of contemporary weaponry and apparatus accessible to the units. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Azerbaijan's revenue from natural gas exports augments in 11M2025 Azerbaijan sent 22.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas down the pipeline, raking in a cool $8 billion from January to November 2025. The export value shot up by $513.27 million, a jump of 6.7%, while the volume took a hit, dropping by 718 million cubic meters, or 3%, when stacked against 2024. During this stretch, natural gas made up a hefty 34.69% of Azerbaijan's total exports, proving to be the bread and butter of the economy. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. International credit rating agency Fitch Ratings has turned around the outlook on the long-term issuer default rating (IDR) of JSC TBC Leasing (TBCL), a leasing company within the TBC Bank group, shifting it from negative to stable while standing by the rating at BB (ratings that point to an elevated vulnerability to default risk), Trend reports, citing Fitch Ratings. The shareholder support rating (SSR) was also confirmed at BB. "Fitch believes that TBC Banks willingness to support TBCL is high, reflected in full ownership, shared branding, integration, a history of capital and liquidity support, and significant reputational risk in the event of a subsidiary default. Potential support is manageable for TBC Bank, given the small scale of the subsidiary: TBCL accounts for less than 2% of TBC Banks capital and net profit. The stable IDR outlook for TBCL mirrors that of the parent bank," the report reads. Fitch analysts also pointed out that withholding support for TBCL would cause substantial reputational damage to TBC Bank among its key creditors, potentially undermining the banks business model and growth potential. "Foreign creditors of TBCL largely overlap with international financial institutions (IFIs) and investors from whom TBC Bank sources a significant portion of its wholesale funding. TBCLs standalone credit profile does not determine its IDR, due to its single-line business model, relatively weak asset quality, high risk appetite, and tolerance for substantial debt levels," Fitch further reads. TBCL functions solely within the Georgia market ecosystem, where it maintains a dominant position, capturing an impressive 86% market share by the midpoint of 2025. The organization predominantly engages in the provision of financial leasing solutions tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as corporate clientele, encompassing TBC Bank stakeholders, while also extending services, albeit to a reduced degree, to microbusinesses and individual consumers. Despite TBCL constituting a mere fraction of TBC Banks asset base, its strategic importance within the overarching product ecosystem of the parent entity has escalated in recent fiscal periods. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. Photo: The Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 17. Chinas ZTT Group has expressed interest in implementing an investment project within Uzbekistan's Navoiy Free Economic Zone (FEZ), Trend reports via the Uzbek Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade. The intention was articulated during a meeting between Uzbekistans Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade, Ilzat Kasimov, and a delegation from ZTT Group. During the discussions, a comprehensive presentation was made, highlighting the investment opportunities offered by the Navoiy Free Economic Zone (FEZ). The Chinese delegation was briefed on the zones strategic geographical location, the availability of fully developed engineering and utility infrastructure, the conducive environment for industrial facility placement, and the investor support mechanisms operating under the single window principle. Furthermore, the delegation received in-depth insights into Uzbekistans broader investment climate, including existing government initiatives and support measures, alongside an overview of the current tax and customs incentives available to foreign investors. Special attention was given to the favorable conditions fostered for industrial localization and the successful implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects within the country. The parties reached a consensus to identify priority areas for collaboration and to further refine the technical and economic parameters of a prospective investment initiative. ZTT Group is a Chinese company specializing in energy and telecommunications infrastructure, including the production of high- and ultra-high-voltage cables, fiber-optic products, and integrated energy solutions. MANILA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved a 16.7-million-U.S.-dollar grant to bolster Fiji's initiatives to protect coastal communities vulnerable to storm surges, sea level rise, and coastal erosion. The grant will fund a project to enhance the resilience of coastal communities and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to extreme weather events, the Manila-based bank said in a press release. Citing government estimates, the ADB said that cyclones and flooding alone likely cause average annual losses equivalent to 5.8 percent of Fiji's gross domestic product. The bank said the project will provide nature-based coastal protection measures and restore around 3,000 meters of coastline and riverbanks through revegetation and mangrove planting in the country. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Azerbaijan and Malaysia discussed opportunities for cooperation in the development of Islamic finance, Trend reports via CBA. Tarlan Rasulov, Director General of the Central Bank, hosted a delegation led by Dato' Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, Chairman of the Malaysian Al-Hidayah Group of Companies. The discussions primarily centered on the advancement of Islamic finance, with particular emphasis on expanding the product portfolio within this sector and exploring potential avenues for institutional collaboration. Additionally, the meeting provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on initiatives designed to foster the development of Islamic banking, as outlined in the Central Banks Financial Sector Development Strategy for 2024-2026. Other topics of mutual interest were also addressed during the session. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 17. The construction of nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan will mark a qualitative leap in the countrys economic development, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during his speech at a ceremony dedicated to the Day of Energy Workers, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh President. Tokayev further highlighted the strategic importance of the initiative amid global energy transformations The appearance of nuclear power plants on Kazakhstans energy map will signify our countrys transition to a qualitatively new level of economic development, Tokayev stated. Speaking on the global energy landscape, the President noted that the world is undergoing a period of fundamental change, characterized by intense competition for energy resources. He stressed that Kazakhstans decision to build the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant, followed by a second facility, will strengthen the countrys energy potential and develop new competencies in the nuclear sector. The state must train a new generation of energy specialists and build the industrys capacity to meet emerging challenges, Tokayev emphasized, underlining the broader economic and technological benefits of nuclear energy for Kazakhstan. The strategic decision in 2025 has been the move toward a multi-plant architecture to bridge a base-load gap that intermittent renewables cannot fill. Construction of the first 2.4 GW plant by the Rosatom-led consortium is already in the engineering phase, with the first unit expected to come online by 2035. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, December 17. U.S. President Donald Trump has lifted restrictions on non-immigrant visas for citizens of Turkmenistan, while the suspension of immigrant visa issuance remains in place, the White House statement says, Trend reports. The White House explained the decision by noting that Ashgabat is productively engaging with the U.S. administration and has demonstrated tangible progress in improving identification procedures as well as mechanisms for exchanging information with American authorities. In June 2025, at the initiative of the United States, a telephone conversation was held between Turkmenistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashid Meredov, and U.S. First Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. During the discussion, they addressed a range of international and regional matters of mutual concern, including the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the resolution of several related humanitarian issues. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. On December 18-19, Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit Tokyo on an official visit. This will be the first visit of a head of state to Japan since 2016 and an important signal of a new phase in bilateral relations. Tokayev will also participate in the first "Central Asia + Japan" summit. Within the frame of the global green transition, reshaping supply chains, and growing attention to Central Asia, the dialogue between Astana and Tokyo acquires particular significance. Japan remains one of Kazakhstan's key economic partners and is among the top ten largest investors in the country. The total volume of Japanese investments is estimated at approximately $9 billion. According to the Committee for State Revenues of the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan, trade turnover between the two countries in 2024 amounted to $1.8 billion. Kazakhstans export to Japan reached $506 million, while imports of Japanese products into Kazakhstan totaled about $1.3 billion. Kazakhstan mainly exports metals and metal products to Japan, primarily ferroalloys, which account for over 50% of exports. Other exported goods include oil, coal, and other types of solid fuel, chemical industry products, and plant-based goods. In turn, Japan exports automobiles, trucks, special machinery, medical equipment, as well as tires and rubber products to Kazakhstan. Over 60 Japanese companies are registered in Kazakhstan, operating in oil and gas, petrochemicals, metallurgy, mining, finance, logistics, telecommunications, medicine, agriculture, and other sectors. Large Japanese corporations, including Mitsubishi Corporation, which has been operating in Kazakhstan for over 30 years, are interested in introducing green technologies and new investment projects. Astana, for its part, is counting on an influx of Japanese investments and technologies to develop renewable energy and modernize infrastructure. Kazakh officials have repeatedly emphasized the importance of technological partnerships with Japan. In August 2025, Kazakhstans Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development and Japans Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) reached an agreement to further expand bilateral investment cooperation in areas such as geological exploration, mining and processing of minerals, technology transfer, value chain development for mineral resources, investment opportunities, and professional information exchange. The visit of Japans Foreign Minister, Takeshi Iwai, to Astana in August 2025 gave an additional boost to bilateral relations. During a meeting with Japans Foreign Minister, then-Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, particularly emphasized the importance of developing cooperation within the "Central Asia + Japan" format. Astana's intensifying cooperation with Japan is occurring against the backdrop of growing interest in Central Asia from major global players. The region is attracting attention due to its resources, investment potential, and its important role in international logistics. Kazakhstan plays a key role as one of the main transit countries between Asia and Europe as part of the Middle Corridor. Japan has expressed interest in supporting digitalization projects at the Aktau port. The growing importance of Central Asia is also reflected in the development of multilateral formats. In June 2025, Astana hosted the Second "Central Asia - China" summit, while the first summit between the region and the European Union took place in April. In October, the second "Central Asia - Russia" summit was held in Dushanbe, and in early November 2025, the C5+1 summit with the participation of the United States took place. The idea of holding the "Central Asia + Japan" summit was first proposed in 2004, and the summit was initially scheduled for 2024, but had to be canceled due to the threat of a mega earthquake in Japan. Finally, the meeting will take place and will be a historic event: Japan will join countries that have traditionally shown interest in Central Asia. This will be an important signal that Tokyo sees the region as a long-term strategic partner. Overall, the cooperation between Kazakhstan and Japan continues to evolve, reaching a new level. It covers not only trade and investment but also long-term partnerships in technology, natural resources, and sustainable development, making it a significant element in both regional and global agendas. Despite global climate fluctuations, including extreme heat and dust storms, Tajikistans agricultural production experienced a notable increase of 8.5% in 2025, underscoring the resilience of the sector. "In a year marked by some of the highest temperatures in decades, our farmers have displayed exceptional perseverance, overcoming significant challenges and delivering positive outcomes," the President remarked. President Emomali Rahmon conveyed his appreciation to agricultural workers, acknowledging their unwavering dedication and critical role in sustaining the sector amidst the difficulties posed by climate change. The President also highlighted the imperative of establishing strategic food reserves to safeguard national food security. He reiterated the importance of creating two-year food stockpiles to ensure preparedness for potential emergencies and to fortify the countrys resilience during times of crisis. Earlier, Tajikistans Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was reported at 173 billion somoni ($18.8 billion) for the year, with the country's economy growing by 8.4%. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) discussed the digital transformation of multimodal transport in Baku, TRACECA's statement said, Trend reports via TRACECA. The discussions took place during the 20th International Capacity-Building Seminar on Trade and Transport Facilitation. "The seminar was organized by UNECE in collaboration with the Permanent Secretariat of the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission and supported by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan. Representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, as well as invited experts and participants from Eastern Europe and the Special Programme for Economic Cooperation of Central Asian countries (SPECA) took part in the seminar. The seminar focused on the digital transformation of multimodal data and document exchange using UN/CEFACT standards in Eastern European and SPECA countries, including the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor," the statement said. The main goal of the seminar was to strengthen the capacity of countries to implement digital solutions for trade and transport facilitation and to discuss practical aspects of applying UN standards to ensure the compatibility of information systems within multimodal supply chains. The seminar opened with welcoming speeches from representatives of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, UNECE, the Permanent Secretariat of the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission, as well as the Director of the UNECE Regional Office for Capacity Building in Europe. The Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission, Asset Asavbayev, emphasized the key role of digitalization in improving the efficiency and sustainability of international transport. He noted that this direction is reflected in the Digital Concept of the International Transport Corridor TRACECA and is a priority for the organization's activities. "Special attention was given to the importance of UN/CEFACT standards as the basis for compatibility and mutual recognition of digital solutions between countries and modes of transport. "Further development of digital transport solutions requires coordinated efforts from the concerned countries, railway administrations, and international organizations, including the use of UN/CEFACT standards and a phased approach to implementing electronic data exchange," Asavbayev stressed. As part of the two-day program, several sessions were held to discuss the results and next steps of pilot projects for the digitalization of multimodal transport. Presentations were made by representatives of UNECE, the Permanent Secretariat of the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission, the World Customs Organization (WCO), as well as UN/CEFACT experts, the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), representatives from railway administrations, ports, relevant national authorities, and international professional associations," the statement highlighted. Particular attention was given to discussions on pilot projects for the digitalization of the electronic railway waybill e-CIM/SMGS on TRACECA routes, data exchange between ports in the Caspian region, the development of the electronic road consignment note (eCMR) and national electronic platforms, as well as the integration of transport data into customs and other regulatory IT systems. "In one of the sessions, the Secretary-General of TRACECA presented a report on the next steps for the e-CIM/SMGS pilot project, including further testing, geographical expansion, and preparation of contractual and technical agreements for wider application of electronic transport documents. The seminar also included an award ceremony, 'For contribution to the development of the TRACECA transport corridor,' during which representatives of organizations and experts were recognized for their significant contribution to the development and implementation of multimodal transport digitalization projects, including the e-CIM/SMGS pilot project. At the conclusion of the seminar, participants reaffirmed their commitment to further advancing the digital transformation of multimodal transport based on UN standards, particularly UN/CEFACT standards, and emphasized the need to strengthen coordination between government authorities, international organizations, and the private sector to create seamless multimodal digital transport corridors in the TRACECA region and SPECA countries," the statement added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The Comprehensive Drilling Works Trust (CDWT) of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and Bahar Energy Operating Company (BEOC) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation for the integration of drilling operations at the Bahar and Gum-Deniz fields, Trend reports, citing SOCAR CDWT. The information notes that the projects to be jointly implemented with BEOC under this cooperation will make a significant contribution to achieving the strategic goals of both organizations. Meanwhile, SOCAR signed a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) in Baku on December 22, 2009, with Bahar Energy Ltd for the exploration, rehabilitation, development, and production of the offshore block that includes the Bahar and Gum-Deniz fields in the Caspian Sea. The Gum-Deniz field, which has been in operation since 1955, is located 21 kilometers southeast of Baku, while the Bahar field has been under development since 1969 and is situated 40 kilometers southeast of the capital. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 17. Uzbekistan has announced the signing of the Protocol on Bilateral Market Access Negotiations with Ecuador, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan on WTO matters, Azizbek Urunov wrote on his social media account, Trend reports. "We have formalized the Protocol on Bilateral Market Access Negotiations with Ecuador's Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Jose Valencia, in the presence of Ecuador's Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade Policy, Mr. Cesar Sanchez Icaza," stated Urunov. He highlighted that Ecuador ranks as Uzbekistan's second-largest trading partner in South America. "Ecuador's support for Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is pivotal, laying a strong foundation for the continued expansion of trade and economic ties between Central Asia and South America," he emphasized. During the 11th meeting of the Working Group on Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Uzbekistan successfully concluded bilateral market access negotiations with both Canada and Panama, formalizing the agreements through the signing of protocols. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 17. Uzbekistan and South Korea discussed the implementation of cooperation projects in infrastructure development, transport and logistics, as well as the processing of rare metals and critical raw materials, Trend reports via the press service of the Uzbek President. The matters were addressed during a meeting between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and a delegation from the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, led by Speaker Woo Won-shik. The delegations visit was in connection with their participation in the 3rd meeting of parliamentary leaders from the Republic of Korea and Central Asian nations. The sides explored avenues for further enhancing the special strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and South Korea, with a particular focus on deepening inter-parliamentary cooperation. The parties expressed satisfaction with the ongoing intensity of political and parliamentary exchanges between the nations. They highlighted the steady growth in trade turnover and South Korean investments, particularly in initiatives aimed at modernizing the economy and advancing high-tech industries. Attention was drawn to the development of an Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Program and the reinforcement of parliamentary "friendship groups," aimed at fostering closer ties. The discussions also underscored the importance of meticulous planning for forthcoming high-level events, including the anticipated Central AsiaRepublic of Korea Summit. Meanwhile, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and South Korea reached $1.4 billion in the period from January through October 2025, accounting for 2.2 % of Uzbekistans total foreign trade turnover. Uzbekistan's imports from South Korea amounted to $1.4 billion, representing 3.7 % of the countrys total imports. SYDNEY, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that the country's intelligence systems would be examined following the fatal mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday night. Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio that there were clearly "real issues" with the intelligence system prior to the shooting, which targeted an event celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. He said that the government would examine the way the system currently works and how federal agencies interact with law enforcement in Australia's states and territories. "We need to make any adjustments that are necessary to the way that our intelligence, security agencies, and police agencies all interact with each other," Albanese said. Authorities on Tuesday confirmed that the two perpetrators of the attack, 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, were motivated by Islamic State (ISIS) ideology and had traveled to the Philippines in November. The ABC reported that the two men received "military style training" from Islamic militants in the southern Philippines, though authorities said the trip remained under investigation. On Monday, Albanese confirmed that Naveed Akram had been investigated in 2019 by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization over suspected ties to a Sydney-based ISIS terrorism cell. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Australian National Imams Council, the country's central Islamic body, condemned the attack and labeled ISIS as an evil and dangerous terrorist organization "whose actions and ideology stand in complete opposition to the teachings of Islam and the values upheld by Muslims worldwide." Sixteen people, including Sajid Akram, were killed in the attack. Health officials said that 22 injured people remained hospitalized as of Wednesday morning, with nine in critical condition and 13 in serious but stable condition. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. On December 17, Azerbaijan's Minister of Finance, Sahil Babayev, met with Vladanka Andreeva, the Permanent Coordinator of the UN Mission in Azerbaijan, upon the expiry of her tenure, to discuss the "Framework Document on Cooperation in the Field of Sustainable Development, Trend reports via the country's Finance Ministry. During the meeting, the sides engaged in discussions regarding the "Framework Document on Cooperation in the Field of Sustainable Development for the Period 2026-2030," a significant agreement signed in October between the Government of Azerbaijan and the UN. They examined how the document aligns with national development priorities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the potential for translating its goals into actionable outcomes. Moreover, it was further emphasized that the Framework Document, developed in close collaboration with the Azerbaijani government, will serve as a cornerstone for fostering inclusive economic growth, advancing human development, improving climate and environmental sustainability, and achieving green growth and a just transition. These objectives are in line with the countrys "Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2022-2026." Minister Babayev underscored the pivotal role of multilateral partnerships with various specialized UN agencies in realizing Azerbaijan's national development objectives and sustainable development goals. He also highlighted the countrys priorities for deepening these partnerships and ensuring the effective implementation of relevant initiatives. Vladanka Andreeva expressed her gratitude for the high level of partnership and cooperation that had developed between the UN country office and the Government of Azerbaijan during her tenure in Azerbaijan, which lasted more than four and a half years. She noted that this cooperation had played an important role in the implementation of the national development program and sustainable development goals in Azerbaijan, and reaffirmed her commitment to continuing UN cooperation with Azerbaijan, especially within the framework of the implementation of the Framework Document on Cooperation in the Field of Sustainable Development for 2026-2030. In conclusion, Minister Babayev highly appreciated the Permanent Coordinator's contribution to the development of relations between the UN and Azerbaijan over her tenure and wished success in her future endeavors. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Uzbekistan and Iran are consistently enhancing their economic cooperation, with a primary focus on expanding trade and investment flows. However, the further evolution of their bilateral relations necessitates a shift from mere trade growth to the establishment of more sustainable and strategic partnership models. In this regard, the forthcoming UzbekIranian Business Forum and a series of B2B meetings are seen as pivotal mechanisms for deepening business ties and launching collaborative ventures. Over the past five years, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Iran has risen from approximately $250 million to around $500 million. Concurrently, investment activities have surged: in 2025, approximately 250 Iranian companies have either initiated or expanded their operations in Uzbekistan, underscoring the growing interest of Iranian businesses in the Uzbek market. In this context, both sides have set a target of boosting mutual trade to $2 billion annually. "Iran and Uzbekistan are working towards an annual trade turnover of $2 billion," declared the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Iran, Fariddin Nasriev. Speaking at a meeting with Iranian business representatives and members of the local chambers of commerce and industry in Markazi Province, he emphasized that the implementation of this goal is a priority for the presidents of both nations. Achieving this ambitious target, however, requires a fundamental shift in the nature of their cooperation. The continued expansion of economic ties will depend not only on increased investment engagement and enhanced logistics frameworks but also on the successful transition to joint projects and the localization of production processes. One of the factors that improved trade conditions was the Free Trade Agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union, which entered into force on May 15, 2025. The document provides Iran with preferential access to approximately 90% of the commodity nomenclature of the EAEU countries and reduces the average level of import duties from 20% to 4.5%. For Uzbekistan, this expands trade opportunities with Iran within the Eurasian space and reduces price barriers for exporters. In parallel, a bilateral preferential regime is also in effect, within the framework of which ten types of Iranian and ten types of Uzbek products are supplied without customs duties and taxes. The expansion of this list reduces costs for business; however, its effect remains limited without the deepening of production and investment cooperation. The transport component remains an important element of cooperation. The abolition of the $400 fee for each entry of trucks allowed for a noticeable reduction in the cost of transportation and simplified logistics between the two countries. At the same time, the further development of transport routes remains one of the key conditions for increasing trade and transit volumes. For Uzbekistan, which is landlocked, the Iranian direction is of a strategic nature. It is through Iran that the country gains access to port infrastructure and foreign markets. In this context, the "NorthSouth" international transport corridor is viewed as an important element of the long-term logistics strategy and diversification of foreign trade routes. The use of Iranian ports, including Bandar Abbas, allows for the formation of multimodal routes with subsequent delivery of goods by rail to Uzbekistan. This increases the stability of foreign trade supplies and reduces dependence on a limited number of transport routes. Simultaneously, financial transactions continue to represent a significant constraint. Iran's exclusion from the SWIFT system compels both parties to rely on barter trade mechanisms. While such arrangements facilitate the maintenance of current trade volumes, they inherently impose limits on growth and hinder the execution of investment projects that require stable and transparent financial systems. In this context, the role of investment cooperation becomes particularly crucial. The increasing presence of Iranian-owned companies in Uzbekistan is viewed as a critical factor in strengthening economic ties and transitioning to a more sustainable partnership model, one that is less reliant on restrictions related to financial settlements. This economic collaboration is further supported by a robust political dialogue. In May, the Intergovernmental Commission convened for a regular meeting in Tehran, culminating in the adoption of a comprehensive roadmap for cooperation covering the period from 2025 to 2027. This strategic document is designed to address and remove practical barriers in trade, investment, transport, and agriculture, ultimately fostering a more conducive environment for business growth. In this logic, the UzbekIranian Business Forum and B2B meetings acquire important significance. The participation of more than 70 Iranian companies from the fields of agriculture, construction, the food industry, logistics, and trade indicates the interest of the parties in transitioning from a general agenda to specific contracts and investment projects. In general, Uzbek-Iranian cooperation is entering a stage of choosing a further trajectory. If interaction remains predominantly within the framework of the trade-barter model, growth rates will remain moderate. With the transition to investment projects and the development of logistics infrastructure, the target of $2 billion in trade turnover may become achievable in the medium term. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Azerbaijan's Minister of Energy, Parviz Shahbazov, and Oman's Minister of Economy, Said Mohammed Al Saqri, discussed the possibilities of cooperation between the countries in the energy sector, Trend reports via the country's Ministry of Energy. "The meeting briefed on Azerbaijan's historical experience in oil production, its important role in ensuring energy security as a supplier of natural gas, as well as ongoing projects for the production and export of renewable energy. The Caspian-Black Sea-European green energy corridor, including components for electricity, fiber-optic communication, and hydrogen, was discussed. There was also a discussion about the creation of data centers and their energy supply, as well as stimulation of investments in this sphere," the ministry said. The sustainability of Omans investments in the oil and gas sector was underscored during the discussions, with particular emphasis placed on the long-term strategic importance of this industry, both for Oman and globally. "It was highlighted that Oman is actively investing in liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, aiming to position itself as one of the leading exporters in the region. Furthermore, the country is home to four large solar industrial parks, and by 2040, Oman plans to meet 40% of its energy needs from renewable sources. Additionally, Omans goal of producing one million tons of green hydrogen by 2030 was announced during the meeting," the information notes. The meeting also resulted in an agreement on the key areas of cooperation between the two nations, particularly with regard to the oil and gas sector, the production of solar panels and wind turbines, and broader collaboration across the entire energy industry. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus is actively expanding through deepening industrial collaboration, Belarusian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Dmitry Pinevich, said at a press conference on the results of 2025, Trend reports. He highlighted that mechanical engineering and industrial assembly have a special place in bilateral cooperation. "Systematic work continues at the Ganja Automobile Plant, where 14,000 Belarusian tractors have been assembled since its inception. Fire and rescue and other specialized equipment are also currently being assembled," the ambassador pointed out. Pinevich emphasized that 279 elevators produced by Vertus, a Belarusian-Azerbaijani company, have been manufactured in Azerbaijan, adding that other projects are currently underway and at various stages of implementation. The ambassador also noted the rapid development of Azerbaijan's pharmaceutical industry. "I visited pharmaceutical plants, including those opened with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev. As a specialist, I can note the extremely high level of equipment at the newly commissioned facilities and, accordingly, the significant potential for the production of new Azerbaijani medicines, including in cooperation with Belarusian partners," Pinevich added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Belarus is actively participating in Azerbaijan's Karabakh restoration projects, Belarusian Ambassador Dmitry Pinevich said at a press conference dedicated to the results of 2025, Trend reports. Pinevich claims that he made multiple trips across Azerbaijan throughout the year. "This year, I've visited Ganja several times and Karabakh seven times, as well as Shahdagh, Gusar, Guba, Khachmaz, Lankaran, Shaki, Shamakhi, and Gobustan. The uniqueness and beauty of every corner of Azerbaijan are astounding. I definitely plan to visit Nakhchivan," the ambassador noted. He also emphasized that Belarus is committed to implementing bilateral projects throughout Azerbaijan. "Our focus is on implementing an industrial, historical, cultural, or other bilateral project in every sector of the national economy and in every region of Azerbaijan," the diplomat added. Belarus and Azerbaijan maintain a robust partnership defined by political support, economic cooperation, and joint ventures. Politically, both countries back each other's sovereignty, with Belarus supporting Azerbaijan during the 2020 war. Economically, trade has flourished, particularly in machinery, agriculture, and energy, with significant Belarusian exports and Azerbaijani oil and non-hydrocarbon products. Joint ventures, such as the Ganja Automobile Plant and initiatives in agriculture and energy, highlight their collaboration. Militarily, Belarus supplies equipment and contributes to modernizing Azerbaijan's defense. Cultural and humanitarian cooperation further strengthens the relationship, making it a dynamic and resilient alliance in the post-Soviet region. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, December 17. About 1.4 million jobs will be created in Tajikistan over the next five years, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon said in his address to the Parliament, Trend reports via the press service of the Tajik president. The head of state pointed out that this is part of a strategy designed to boost the national economy and lift up living conditions for citizens. According to him, Tajikistan is sitting on a goldmine of labor resources: over the last decade, the working-age population has been on the rise, growing by an average of 2 percent each year, adding up to a whopping 880,000 individuals. In response, over 200,000 new jobs spring up each year across different sectors of the economy, while more than 150,000 graduates from vocational education institutions hit the labor market annually. The president emphasized that in order to effectively address employment challenges, it is essential for the Ministry of Labor, Migration, and Employment and other government bodies to take the necessary measures. These include creating jobs for working-age citizens, ensuring labor rights, maintaining accurate labor force records, and improving social protection for the population. As it was noted, special attention will be given to supporting small businesses and crafts, which can generate additional employment opportunities. Improving working conditions and ensuring social security for workers will also be a priority. Furthermore, Emomali Rahmon said that local authorities, ministries, and agencies must actively work to create jobs for women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. A key task will be assisting graduates in finding employment and creating jobs in rural areas. Earlier, Tajikistan's state budget revenues from January to November this year totaled 50 billion somoni ($5.4 billion), with projections indicating that the figure will rise to 65 billion somoni (approximately $7 billion), representing a 31% increase over the initially approved budget revenues for the current year. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Azerbaijan pulls lid on oil exports to India for 11M2025 From January through November 2025, Azerbaijan exported 250,100 tons of oil and bituminous products worth $126.1 million to India. However, this marked a significant decline of 82.7% in value and a 4.7-fold drop in volume compared to the same period in 2024. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Azerbaijan's state oil companySOCAR and Hungary's MOL Group have signed a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for exploration and production in Azerbaijans ShamakhiGobustan area, Trend reports via the SOCAR. The agreement was signed by Rovshan Najaf, President of SOCAR, and Zsolt Hernadi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MOL Group. Under the project, MOL Group, as the operator, holds a 65% stake, while SOCAR holds 35%. Within the framework of the project, seismic surveys are planned to begin in early 2026, followed by the drilling at a later stage. "Notably, this fully agreed document marks an important stage in the strategic partnership between MOL Group and SOCAR, following the signing of the Heads of Terms Agreement during Baku Energy Week on 3 June 2025. The new agreement builds upon the companies previous successful cooperation," said SOCAR. MOL Group entered the Azerbaijani market in 2020 by acquiring a 9.57% stake in the AzeriChiragGunashli (ACG) field and an 8.9% effective stake in the BakuTbilisiCeyhan (BTC) oil pipeline transporting crude oil to the Ceyhan terminal. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Italian energy infrastructure company Snam has signed a protocol with trade unions FILCTEM CGIL, FEMCA CISL and UILTEC UIL to implement a new Industrial Relations model, aimed at renewing and strengthening the Groups participatory system in line with ongoing economic, production and technological changes, Trend reports via Snam. The three-year protocol is designed to foster constructive and long-lasting dialogue between the company and trade union representatives, consolidating a framework that values information, consultation and negotiation. Key features of the new model include: Enhanced participation system: The Joint Participation Body (Organismo Paritetico di Partecipazione OPP) becomes operational as a non-negotiating body with guidance functions and dedicated information access. The Group Negotiation Committee and the Technical Committee will continue to handle negotiation and detailed technical analysis. Future-focused training: The protocol reaffirms the strategic role of training to enhance professional skills in line with business objectives. Employee well-being: Corporate welfare measures are strengthened, including supplementary health insurance and initiatives supporting work-life balance such as flexible hours and smart working. Inclusion and community engagement: The agreement emphasizes diversity and anti-discrimination initiatives, alongside support for local communities through the Snam Foundation. Safety focus: Health, safety and environmental protection remain a priority, with Workers Representatives for Health and Safety involved directly within the OPP. Snam said the protocol reflects its commitment to an inclusive approach that balances company goals with employee participation, well-being and community responsibility. HANOI, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's capital Hanoi will prioritize attracting international visitors with longer stays and higher spending levels, Vietnam News Agency quoted Tran Trung Hieu, deputy director of Hanoi's Department of Tourism, as saying on Wednesday. The city's tourism sector will also step up the development of distinctive tourism products and study the creation of souvenir products imbued with strong local identity and high economic value, he said. Hanoi is estimated to receive more than 7.82 million international arrivals in 2025, up 22.76 percent year on year, local daily Dau Tu reported. The city aims to attract over 8.6 million international arrivals in 2026. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, December 17. Today, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan attended the opening session of the 8th convocation of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament), Trend reports via the press service of the Kyrgyz President. The meeting was also attended by members of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. Following the formal announcement of the election results by Chairman of the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda Tynchtyk Shainazarov, the newly elected MPs were sworn into office. In his remarks, the president extended his congratulations to the newly elected lawmakers and stressed the significance of their diligent service to the people. Japarov noted that the current composition of the Parliament is special because it was formed based on new laws and regulations and directly went through the people's selection process. The president also expressed hope for fruitful cooperation with the deputies and briefly touched upon the history of the Kyrgyz parliament. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, December 17. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, in his address to the deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament), called for a shake-up in the countrys staffing policy and political culture, Trend reports via the press service of the Kyrgyz President. He urged the elected officials to put their best foot forward for the whole nation and to throw caution to the wind by leaving behind the old ways that have plagued past years. "I urge each of you to be statesmen. Work for the interests of the people and our state," Japarov said. He drove home the point about the necessity of a responsible approach to public service, emphasizing the need to steer clear of negative, illegal, and unprofessional actions that throw a wrench in the works of progress. The president, while discussing why Kyrgyzstan is trailing behind its neighbors, pointed out that a key sticking point was the absence of a solid staffing policy. According to Japarov, since the country gained independence, personnel training has fallen by the wayside, and many officials ended up in their positions not because of their expertise but due to personal ties. "Public service positions could only be accessed through acquaintances or close relatives. No one cared whether a person was qualified for the position," the president stated. He emphasized that for the nation to advance, a paradigm shift in human capital acquisition is imperative and articulated his conviction that transformative reforms and the fortification of governmental entities can only be realized through a commitment to expertise and accountability in administrative practices. Japarov assured the MPs that the successful development of Kyrgyzstan could only be achieved if they worked for the benefit of the people, leaving their own interests at the door. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 17. Uzbekistan and Iran explored opportunities to launch new joint investment and technology projects during joint business forum held in Tashkent on December 17, Trend reports via the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan. The discussions took place on the sidelines of a visit by an Iranian business delegation led by Mazandaran Province Governor Mahdi Yunusi Rustami. More than 70 Iranian companies and over 100 Uzbek entrepreneurs took part in negotiations, focusing on expanding practical cooperation across key economic sectors. Participants reviewed prospects for strengthening bilateral trade, establishing mutual investment projects, and developing technological cooperation, with particular attention to initiatives that could be implemented in the near term. Separate B2B meetings between Uzbek and Iranian companies were arranged for businesses to discuss specific project proposals. As a result of the talks, the sides reached preliminary agreements on several promising joint ventures. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Iran is fully complying with all its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and remains committed to the process, said Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Trend reports. Speaking at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Araghchi underscored that Iran will not relinquish its entitlements as stipulated by the treaty framework. He added that the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment, is a legitimate right of Iran, which it continues to protect despite military strikes against its facilities. The Iranian minister noted that attacks on Irans nuclear sites by the United States and Israel caused some damage to facilities and equipment but neither destroyed Irans technology nor weakened the countrys resolve. Following air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities by Israel and the United States in June, Iran minimized its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Iranian parliament passed a law stipulating that any cooperation with the IAEA requires approval from the Supreme National Security Council. On the morning of June 13, Israel carried out military air strikes against Iran, leading to the deaths of numerous high-ranking military officials, generals, nuclear scientists, and other senior personnel. Meanwhile, on the same evening, Iran responded to Israel with Operation True Promise III: hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones were launched at several targets, including Tel Aviv, resulting in civilian casualties and widespread destruction. On June 22, the US launched military airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. It was reported that the airstrikes destroyed Iranian nuclear facilities. In addition, on the evening of June 23, Iran launched airstrikes on a US military base in Qatar. On June 24, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced that the Israeli government had agreed to a ceasefire with Iran, brokered by US President Donald Trump. Iran's Supreme National Security Council also issued a statement noting the cessation of attacks. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Iran may reconsider negotiations with the US, the country's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said at a joint press conference with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow today, Trend reports. According to him, the issue of negotiations may be raised if the US demonstrates a position based on equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit. Araghchi noted that last year's experience shows that the result of U.S. negotiations is not dialogue, but the dictation of its position. Real negotiations can only be put on the agenda when the other side changes its strategy. It is quite clear that goals that cannot be achieved through pressure and military means are not accepted at the negotiating table. The discussion must be based on mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, he noted. Between April 12 and May 23, five rounds of indirect negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear program were conducted between Iran and the U.S. These discussions, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, saw Irans delegation led by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the U.S. delegation headed by Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The first, third, and fourth rounds were held in Muscat, Oman, while the second and fifth rounds took place in Rome, Italy. On the morning of June 13, Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting Iran, resulting in the deaths of numerous high-ranking military officials, generals, nuclear scientists, and other senior figures. That same evening, Iran retaliated with Operation True Promise III, a large-scale missile and drone assault on multiple targets, including Tel Aviv, which caused civilian casualties and extensive damage. On June 22, the United States conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, with reports indicating the destruction of these sites. The following evening, June 23, Iran launched airstrikes on a U.S. military base in Qatar, further escalating tensions in the region. On June 24, the Israeli Prime Ministers Office announced that Israel had agreed to a ceasefire with Iran, facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump. In response, Irans Supreme National Security Council issued a statement confirming the cessation of hostilities. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. The European troika (Germany, France, and the UK) has no potential for negotiations with the Iranian side on its nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said at a joint press conference with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow today, Trend reports. The Iranian minister asserted that by activating the "snapback" mechanism within the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which calls for the reinstatement of sanctions, the European troika has effectively lost its last leverage in the negotiations. He further emphasized that the activation of the "snapback" mechanism has had little tangible impact or progress. Araghchi also underscored that while Iran continues to fulfill its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it must also highlight that the recent attacks on its nuclear facilities have altered the strategic landscape and shifted the existing dynamics. On September 26, the United Nations Security Council convened to deliberate on a draft resolution presented by Russia and China, which sought to extend the term of Resolution 2231 and prevent the activation of the "snapback" mechanism. The resolution was met with mixed reactions: four members voted in favor, nine opposed, and two abstained. Consequently, as of September 28, the Security Council's sanctions targeting Iran were reinstated. Resolution 2231, adopted by the UN Security Council on July 20, 2015, marked a pivotal moment in international diplomacy, annulling six prior resolutions against Iran and lifting extensive sanctions related to its nuclear program. Under Articles 36 and 37 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), if a member state files a complaint over another partys violation of the deal, a review process begins. If the issue is not resolved, the complainant can escalate it to the UN Security Council. Should the Council accept the complaint against Iran, international sanctions may be reactivated, and the Council may even authorize military action against Iran. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Araghchi elaborated that, in light of the Iranian parliament's legal termination of the Cairo Agreement, following actions by Western countries, the decision regarding the agency's appeals will now rest exclusively with the Supreme National Security Council. Meanwhile, after the military air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, Iran's cooperation with the IAEA was reduced to a minimum. On July 2, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a decree suspending cooperation with the IAEA. According to a law passed by the Iranian parliament, inspectors from the IAEA are prohibited from entering the country to conduct inspections. The agency's inspectors may be allowed to enter the country only if Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirms that the country's peaceful nuclear activities and the safety of nuclear facilities are guaranteed. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Cooperation program document has been signed between Iranian and Russian foreign ministries, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran. The document was signed by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. This cooperation program will cover the years 2026-2028. The document encapsulates the operationalization of the extensive strategic accord between Iran and Russia, alongside the framework for bilateral consultations orchestrated by the foreign ministries of both nations. To note, Araghchi visited Russia on December 16. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BANGKOK, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The latest round of Thailand-Cambodia conflict has left at least 19 Thai soldiers and 19 Thai civilians dead, with over 270,000 people displaced, Thailand's defense ministry announced on Wednesday. The ministry's spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said that from Tuesday night to early Wednesday morning, Cambodia continued to use heavy weapons to launch attacks against Thailand in border areas, and Thailand had to fight back. The Thai military announced on Tuesday that the curfew imposed in certain areas would be lifted with immediate effect. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry warned about illegal Russian programs to recruit young people in Africa to take part in the war against Ukraine and called on African governments and media to take decisive countermeasures. The ministry's spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, said this in a post on the social media platform X, Ukrinform reports. Tykhyi noted that Russia's illicit recruiting efforts in Africa make headlines across the continent, from Kenya to Botswana, and backfire on Moscow. He also added that what has been revealed thus far "is likely just the tip of the iceberg." "We urge all African media and governments to take bold action to stop Russian programs that are luring youth throughout the continent into its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine," Tykhyi said. He also drew attention to the fact that Russia is dramatically increasing scholarships for African students in the upcoming academic year. "Surely no one should be so naive as to believe that this is about education," Tykhyi said. In this context, he stressed that to fight Russia's government-led recruitment activities, systemic countermeasures are required, such as formal warnings to citizens to raise their awareness, as well as legal action to disclose and disrupt recruitment programs and hold those responsible accountable. On November 6, the South African government said it had received requests for assistance from 17 citizens who are taking part in hostilities in Ukraine and is working to bring them home. It later emerged that Duduzile Zuma, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, was linked to the recruitment of men from South Africa and Botswana to serve in the Russian armed forces in the war against Ukraine. On November 28, she relinquished her parliamentary mandate amid reports of her involvement in recruitment for the Russian army. NEW DELHI, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- India's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh's high commissioner to New Delhi to convey its strong concerns over what it described as a deteriorating security situation in the neighboring country. Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah was summoned by India's Ministry of External Affairs, and his attention was drawn, in particular, to the activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka, read a statement issued by the ministry. The move follows the summoning of the Indian high commissioner to Dhaka on Sunday by the Bangladeshi government to convey serious concern over India "allowing" ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to "make incendiary statements" asking her supporters to thwart the upcoming parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is scheduled to hold general elections on Feb. 12, 2026. Bangladesh's interim government took office after Hasina resigned on Aug. 5, 2024, amid unprecedented anti-government nationwide protests, and fled to New Delhi. Since then, she has been in India. ALMATY, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan exported 73.4 million tonnes of oil in the first 11 months of 2025, fulfilling the annual export plan of 70.5 million tonnes ahead of schedule, according to a senior energy official. The country's oil and gas condensate production reached 114.1 percent of the level recorded in the same period of last year, the Kazinform news agency reported Wednesday, quoting Kazakh Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yesimkhanov. Gas production totaled 62.8 billion cubic meters, or 116.7 percent year on year, meeting the annual plan, said Sungat, adding that liquefied petroleum gas output amounted to 2.8 million tonnes, or 101.8 percent year on year. Gas transit through Kazakhstan reached 64.5 billion cubic meters, or 100.9 percent year on year, he said. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu delivers a policy speech at the National Assembly in Paris, France, Oct. 14, 2025. French Prime Minister (PM) Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday announced the suspension of controversial pension reforms until the presidential election. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua) Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu secured passage of the bill through a series of concessions, including lifting a freeze on pensions and minimum social benefits. PARIS, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- French lawmakers on Tuesday gave final approval to the country's 2026 social security budget, with 247 votes in favor and 232 against in the National Assembly. The social security budget is one of two key financial bills that must be passed by the end of this year. This was the final round of voting on the social security budget in the lower house. The bill had earlier been narrowly approved by the National Assembly on Dec. 9 by a margin of 13 votes but was rejected outright by the Senate on Dec. 12. Under constitutional procedures, the draft was returned to deputies for a final vote. The French social security budget covers healthcare, pensions, family benefits, and unemployment insurance. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu secured passage of the bill through a series of concessions, including lifting a freeze on pensions and minimum social benefits. Tuesday's approval marks the first budget adopted in France since 2022 without using Article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows the government to push legislation through Parliament without a vote. Social security accounts for more than 40 percent of France's overall public sector spending. France has one of the highest levels of public expenditure in the eurozone. The government aims to reduce the country's public sector budget deficit to five percent of gross domestic product next year. France's overall public sector budget for 2026 is scheduled for adoption by the National Assembly before the end of the year. A Brown University student who once survived a school shooting in California has spoken about living through another attack, saying she never believed it could happen twice. Junior Mia Tretta, 21, was on campus in Providence on Saturday when a gunman opened fire during final exams, killing two people and injuring nine others at the university's engineering building. Police later detained a person of interest, and the campus remained on edge as officers continued to patrol the area. Brown University Student Survives Second Mass Shooting Tretta was in her dorm room studying with a friend when the first alert arrived, warning of an emergency at the engineering complex. At first, she thought something serious had happened, but did not immediately assume it was a shooting, according to the BBC. As more messages urged students to lock doors, stay away from windows, and shelter in place, she realised the language was the same as the alerts she received during a previous attack, and she stayed inside, checking on friends by text. Six years earlier, Tretta had been shot in the abdomen when a 16-year-old opened fire at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, in 2019. Two students were killed in that attack, including her best friend, and several others were wounded. Tretta spent days in the hospital, underwent surgery, and still carries bullet fragments, later becoming involved in advocacy on gun violence and "ghost guns," the type of weapon used at her high school. Opening Up About Her Experiences Speaking after the Brown shooting, she said no one should have to live through one mass shooting, let alone two, and described feeling disbelief that it was happening again, Boston reported. She explained that she chose Brown because it felt like a place where she could finally feel safe and try to live a more normal life as a survivor, but now fears and memories from her teenage years have resurfaced. Tretta has leaned on relatives, fellow survivors, and campus counseling services in the days since the attack, saying the incident has again changed how she moves through classrooms and public spaces. Tretta has been studying international and public affairs and education, and has been working on a paper about the educational paths of students who have lived through school shootings. That assignment was due days after the Brown attack, which again disrupted her campus and her routine. She is one of several Brown students who have previously experienced school shootings, including sophomore Zoe Weissman, who lived through the Parkland, Florida, tragedy as a middle schooler, illustrating how one generation is now carrying the impact of multiple mass shootings through high school and college, as per Yahoo News. Originally published on parentherald.com Picture this: you have just dropped your kid off at Amherst College in Massachusetts, one of those prestigious places costing 70,000 a year. You are probably thinking they will get a world-class education and make lifelong friends. What you're definitely not expecting is for them to watch older students simulate sex acts on stage whilst moaning loudly and pretending to get high. But that is exactly what happened at Amherst's annual orientation event, and students are furious. The 'Voices of the Class' show is not some rogue student production. This is official college business. The school pays for it. Administrators encourage first-years to turn up. And it happens in the chapel, which feels like it should mean something. Students Were Absolutely Horrified Isabella Niemi, a junior at the college, described her discomfort with the performance. 'I thought about leaving 10 minutes in. I'm not someone who breaks rules or skips mandatory events, but it was disgusting enough it almost forced me to leave.' She's the type of student who follows the rules, who shows up to things she's supposed to. And even she couldn't handle what was happening on that stage. Ten minutes was all it took before she started planning her escape. John Collier, another junior, acknowledged the college's intent but criticised the execution. 'I understand that Amherst is trying to remove the taboo behind sex on campus, but this has gone way too far. The way it's forced in our faces does the exact opposite.' Witnesses report that the skits included students moaning loudly, thrusting under blankets, and simulating the consumption of illicit drugs before sharing their 'high thoughts'. The College's Defence Amanda Vann, who runs health and wellbeing at Amherst, defended the show. 'The skits are part of our broader commitment to promoting wellbeing and sexual respect on campus. They encourage conversations about topics that can sometimes feel difficult to discuss, from sexual health and communication to harm reduction and self-care.' The Office of Student Affairs also said the show was not graphic. Despite reviewing footage of students moaning, thrusting under blankets and simulating explicit acts, and their response was 'not graphic'. Orientation Leaders Kept in the Dark The orientation leadersupperclass students meant to guide first-yearswere not told what the event actually involved. One spoke anonymously: 'The administration instructed us to send the first-years to the event. Had I known what it was, I certainly wouldn't have.' The college deliberately kept its own student leaders in the dark. Nearly 700 studentsmore than a third of everyone at the collegewent onto the app Fizz to upvote critical comments. This is not a handful of complainers. It is a huge chunk of the campus saying that this crossed lines. A Troubled History Between 2009 and 2011, Amherst reported 35 cases of 'forcible sexual offences'. For a small liberal arts college, that is shocking. By 2022, students created their own Instagram account@amherstshareyourstoryjust to report sexual assaults anonymously because official systems were not working. This is the institution that reckons graphic sex performances in chapels teach respect. An institution with a documented track record of failing students on this exact topic. The event's been running since 2007, branded as a 'lighthearted tradition' that uses bits from students' admission essays. Elite liberal arts school Amherst College held disgusting orientation performance where students mimicked sex acts https://t.co/wBQU6ATEyr pic.twitter.com/bZrOCOixhk New York Post (@nypost) December 12, 2025 Why This Matters Amherst is not some no-name institution. President Calvin Coolidge studied there. So did Emily Dickinson and Prince Albert II of Monaco. This is meant to be one of America's finest educational establishments. But administrators have convinced themselves that being progressive means being provocative, regardless of whether students want it. They have mixed up education with shock value. Real respect means listening when people say they're uncomfortable. It means not trapping students in situations they cannot easily leave. When a third of your campus is publicly saying you have got it wrong, when students who never break rules are planning their exits, when your own helpers feel betrayedmaybe stop defending your 'tradition' and ask whether it was ever a good idea. The irony is thick. A college is trying to teach sexual respect through methods that show no respect for students watching. An institution with serious sexual misconduct problems is thinking the solution is more explicit content rather than addressing the underlying issues. Parents spending more than most people earn yearly deserve better. Students deserve better. Originally published on IBTimes UK The Trump administration's war on university accreditation escalated dramatically Tuesday as Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent told a federal advisory panel to "buckle up" for sweeping changes designed to end what he characterized as the use of accreditation standards as a "political weapon" to enforce liberal ideology on campuses. The first meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) since Education Secretary Linda McMahon and other Trump officials were confirmed featured fiery rhetoric against accreditors, partisan seating arrangements that divided members by political affiliation, and the election of Jay Greenea former Heritage Foundation researcher and vocal DEI criticas committee chair after a dramatic tie vote. The meeting signals that President Donald Trump's longstanding skepticism of the current accreditation system is translating into concrete action, with the administration promising to strip federal recognition from accreditors it deems insufficiently focused on outcomes while making it easier for new, Trump-friendly accrediting bodies to enter the market. "Instead of focusing on student outcomes and accountability to taxpayers, accreditation has functioned as a shield for incumbent institutions, or worse, as a tool for political and ideological enforcement," Kent declared. "We will end the practice of using accreditation as a political weapon. As we correct past abuses, we might be accused of weaponization, but those accusations will be false." A Contested Chair Election The meeting's first order of businesselecting a new NACIQI chairimmediately highlighted the panel's partisan divisions. After an initial vote ended in a 9-9 tie, Jay Greene, one of five new Trump appointees named in November, won the chairmanship on a second ballot after Republican appointee Jennifer Blum abstained, having voted against Greene in the first round. Greene, a former senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and sharp critic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in higher education, promised "to be a fair, even-handed chair" despite the "awkwardness" of the contested vote. The election underscored how NACIQItraditionally a relatively low-profile technical advisory bodyhas become increasingly politicized as both Democrats and Republicans view accreditation as leverage over universities they believe have strayed from their preferred values. NACIQI's role is significant: the 18-member panel advises the Education Department on whether to grant or continue federal recognition of accrediting agencies. Since colleges must be accredited by a federally-recognized accreditor to receive federal student aidthe lifeblood of most institutionsNACIQI's recommendations carry enormous weight over higher education's governance structure. "We're Breaking the Mold" Kent's remarks following the chair election made clear the Trump administration intends to fundamentally reshape accreditation, not merely tinker with existing structures. The under secretary accused accreditors of forcing "universities [to] spend millions of dollars complying with trivial or even counterproductive demands imposed by accreditors, while glaring deficiencies that undermine student success go unaddressed." Instead, Kent argued, accreditors should focus on concrete outcomes: graduation rates, academic rigor, job placement statistics, post-graduation earnings, student debt levels, and other metrics that demonstrate whether institutions are actually serving students well or merely extracting tuition while providing poor education. "We will end the practice of using accreditation as a political weapon," Kent repeated, suggesting the Trump administration views current accreditation standardsparticularly those related to diversity, campus climate, and equityas tools liberal accreditors use to impose ideological conformity on reluctant institutions. Kent also accused accreditors of failing to respond adequately to campus antisemitism following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel, which triggered pro-Palestinian protests at universities that many Republicans characterized as creating hostile environments for Jewish students. This echoes broader Trump administration messaging that higher education institutions and their overseers have tolerated antisemitism while cracking down on conservative speech. The under secretary further claimed accreditors have "inserted ideological criteria into standards" that fuel "discriminatory practices, mandatory DEI requirements, racial preferences in hiring, compulsory sensitivity training and political litmus tests" that "undermine merit" and "chill free speech." Most institutional accreditors paused or suspended DEI-related standards earlier in 2025 following a Trump executive order seeking to eliminate diversity initiatives across federally-funded entities, though some accreditors never had such standards to begin with. The continued focus on DEI in Kent's remarks suggests the administration believes accreditors haven't gone far enough in purging diversity considerations from their review processes. Encouraging New Accreditor Competition Beyond attacking existing accreditors, Kent emphasized the Trump administration's efforts to make it easier to launch new accrediting bodiesa move critics view as an attempt to create more compliant alternatives to established regional and national accreditors that maintain standards Trump officials find objectionable. "We're making it easier to launch new accreditors, which is necessary to 'drive innovation' and disrupt the status quo," Kent said. Some aspiring accreditors have already responded to these signals. The Commission for Public Higher Education, for example, is working toward federal recognition and has attracted ten universities seeking accreditation through this new body. The implicit threat is clear: established accreditors that resist Trump administration priorities may lose federal recognition, with new competitors ready to accredit universities under standards more aligned with conservative preferences. This creates market pressure on existing accreditors to align with administration expectations or risk becoming irrelevant as institutions flee to more accommodating alternatives. Partisan Seating and Democratic Pushback The meeting's partisan atmosphere prompted sharp criticism from Bob Shireman, a Democratic appointee and former Education Department official during the Obama administration. Shireman noted that NACIQI members were introduced by their political affiliationwhether appointed by Republicans or Democratsand were seated accordingly, with Republicans on one side and Democrats on the other. "Historically, concerns about accreditation have been bipartisan, as has NACIQI," Shireman argued, characterizing the seating arrangement and partisan introductions as evidence of "extreme partisanship" that undermines the panel's technical advisory function. Kent's response made clear the Trump administration has no interest in maintaining past norms. "We're breaking the mold in this administration. We're doing things differently, we're conducting negotiated rule makings differently," Kent said. "I think we all agree there are real issues with NACIQI, there are real issues with the accreditation recognition process. We're going to fix a lot of it. So everybody, buckle up, we got a lot of work ahead of us." The "buckle up" phrasingsimultaneously colloquial and ominoussignals the administration views disruption as desirable rather than problematic, and that stakeholders expecting gradual, consensus-driven change should prepare for something more aggressive. DEI Questions Dominate Compliance Reviews Beyond Kent's opening salvo, politics permeated other aspects of the meeting, particularly during compliance reports from accrediting agencies. Several NACIQI members, especially Trump appointees, repeatedly questioned accreditors about diversity, equity and inclusion standardseven though most had already suspended or modified such requirements following Trump's April executive order threatening to strip federal recognition from accreditors requiring institutions to engage in unlawful diversity practices. Democratic appointee Zakiya Smith Ellis pushed back, noting that accreditor standards "aren't particularly descriptive about what diversity, equity, or inclusion means" and that Trump's executive orders "do not have [the] force of law"suggesting they cannot override statutory requirements or legitimately compel accreditors to eliminate all consideration of diversity in institutional reviews. The tension reflects fundamental disagreements about what accreditation should assess. Trump officials and conservative appointees argue merit, outcomes, and taxpayer value should be paramount, with diversity considerations at best irrelevant and at worst discriminatory obstacles to excellence. Democratic appointees and many accreditors contend that institutional climate, equity in access and outcomes, and attention to serving diverse student populations are legitimate quality indicators that shouldn't be eliminated based on political ideology. The Columbia University Case Republican appointee Gary Ransdell raised compliance concerns at Columbia University, which the Trump administration has accused of failing to enforce federal nondiscrimination laws during pro-Palestinian protests in spring 2024. Earlier this year, Education Secretary McMahon urged Columbia's accreditor, Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), to take action against the university. The accreditor responded by issuing Columbia a non-compliance warninga serious sanction that can precede loss of accreditation if problems aren't addressed. MSCHE President Heather Perfetti explained that Columbia provided a response report in November, and that under MSCHE's standards, the university would receive a campus visit from an evaluation team whose recommendation would go to a committee and ultimately to the full commission for decision at its March meeting. However, the issue appears largely moot given Columbia's settlement with the Trump administration earlier in 2025. That agreement saw Columbia pay a $221 million penalty and commit to sweeping changes in admissions, disciplinary processes, academic programs and more in exchange for the federal government resolving its investigations. Part of the settlement noted that the Trump administration would notify MSCHE of the government's "release of liability" following the dealeffectively signaling that the accreditor should close its compliance case since the federal government had resolved concerns through direct settlement. The Columbia case illustrates how the Trump administration is bypassing traditional accreditation processesnegotiating massive financial settlements and policy changes directly with universities, then informing accreditors that their compliance reviews are no longer necessary. This reduces accreditors' role from independent quality assessors to implementers of politically-driven federal mandates. Broader Context: Years of Growing Politicization Tuesday's contentious meeting represents the culmination of years of increasing political attention to accreditation from both parties. Democrats have criticized accreditors for failing to hold for-profit colleges accountable for poor student outcomes and for being too deferential to established institutions with weak graduation rates or employment results. They pushed (unsuccessfully under Biden) for requirements that accreditors set specific student achievement benchmarks. Republicans, meanwhile, have increasingly viewed accreditors as enforcers of liberal ideologyparticularly regarding diversity requirements, campus speech policies, and responses to controversies like pro-Palestinian protests. Trump explicitly pledged during his 2024 campaign to "fire the radical left accreditors" and replace them with bodies focused on "defending the American tradition and Western civilization." The April 2025 executive order threatening to strip recognition from accreditors requiring unlawful diversity practices represented the opening shot in Trump's accreditation war. The Education Department is now seeking public comment on accreditation reform and planning to update accreditor rules in 2026. The NACIQI meeting Tuesday showed how these abstract threats are becoming concrete actions: partisan control of the advisory panel, explicit promises to favor new competitors over established accreditors, and rhetoric framing current standards as political weapons rather than quality assurance tools. What Happens Next The Trump administration's accreditation agenda includes several concurrent efforts: Rule Changes: The Education Department plans to update regulations governing accreditor recognition in 2026, likely incorporating outcomes-focused requirements while eliminating or restricting diversity-related standards. New Competitor Recognition: The administration is actively encouraging and fast-tracking recognition applications from new accrediting bodies willing to use standards aligned with Trump priorities. Pressure on Existing Accreditors: Through NACIQI oversight, public criticism, and threats of derecognition, the administration is pushing established accreditors to modify standards or risk losing federal recognition. Direct University Settlements: As with Columbia, the administration may bypass accreditors entirely by negotiating direct settlements with universities over alleged violations, then instructing accreditors to close parallel reviews. The cumulative effect could fundamentally transform how higher education quality is defined and assessed in America. If the Trump administration succeeds in replacing or reshaping accreditors to prioritize metrics like job placement and earnings while minimizing attention to campus climate, diversity, and equity, it would mark the most significant change to higher education governance in decades. Implications for Universities Universities face difficult strategic decisions as accreditation battles intensify: Stick With Established Accreditors: Remain with regional or national accreditors that have decades of experience and broad recognition, but may face pressure or derecognition from Trump officials. Switch to New Accreditors: Move to Trump-friendly upstart accreditors that will face less federal scrutiny but may lack credibility with graduate schools, employers, or students. Modify Policies Preemptively: Eliminate diversity programs, change admissions processes, or adjust campus policies proactively to avoid accreditor or federal government scrutiny. Fight Back: Join with other institutions, accreditors, and advocacy groups to challenge Trump administration actions in court as exceeding statutory authority or violating Administrative Procedure Act requirements. Most universities will likely pursue some combinationmodifying obvious targets like DEI programs while hoping judicial challenges might limit the administration's most aggressive moves. The "Buckle Up" Presidency Kent's "buckle up" warning to accreditors captures the Trump administration's broader approach to higher education: aggressive disruption of established structures, explicit partisan control of previously technical bodies, and willingness to use federal leverage to reshape institutions according to ideological preferences. Whether this represents necessary accountability for complacent bureaucracies or dangerous politicization of academic governance depends largely on political perspective. What's undeniable is that American higher education's governance structures are facing their most significant upheaval in generationswith the outcome uncertain and stakes enormous for universities, accreditors, and the students they ostensibly serve. For now, as Kent promised, everybody should indeed buckle up. The ride is just beginning. MOSCOW, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the goals of Russia's special military operation (SMO) will be achieved. "The past year has been an important milestone in fulfilling the tasks of the special military operation," Putin said while addressing an expanded meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry. Putin underscored that Russia has the capability to accelerate its offensive pace in the SMO zone, adding that Russia's task of expanding the security buffer zone will be fulfilled, and the SMO's core goals will be realized. "This year alone, more than 300 settlements have been liberated, including major cities that the enemy had turned into fortified strongholds equipped with long-term defensive structures," the Russian leader said. He further said that the Russian military currently holds the strategic initiative along the entire Russia-Ukraine conflict front and is defeating Ukrainian forces, including the latter's elite units trained in the West. Putin also announced that several submarines and surface ships have been commissioned into the Russian Navy this year, while the "Oreshnik" missile complex will enter combat duty by the end of 2025. UW nursing students prepare to transport a manikin through an obstacle course to practice moving an injured person during recent disaster management leadership training. (UW Photo) The University of Wyoming's Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing recently implemented comprehensive disaster management leadership training, preparing 39 undergraduate nursing students to respond effectively in crisis situations. The hands-on training exposed students to multiple disaster response scenarios, including emergency action planning and evacuation procedures; patient decontamination following radiological exposure; burn victim assessment and triage; and horizontal evacuation techniques using specialized equipment. Students also completed exercises in personal and family disaster preparedness and reviewed incident command systems used during large-scale emergencies. The training reflects new competencies in the School of Nursing curriculum that recognize nursings critical role in disaster response. Nurses comprise the largest segment of the health care workforce responding to natural and human-caused disasters worldwide. To simulate realistic disaster conditions, Denise Gable, the school of nursings certified health care simulation operations specialist, transformed the third floor of the Health Sciences Building, scattering furniture and equipment throughout the space to replicate the aftermath of a catastrophic event. This activity is important to give our senior nursing students hands-on experience with responding to and leading during a disaster, says Shannon Schneider, an assistant lecturer with the school. Students rotated through multiple stations in groups of seven to eight, with each scenario emphasizing teamwork, rapid assessment and clinical decision-making under pressure. Individual students completed worksheets documenting their learning at each station, demonstrating competency in critical disaster nursing skills. Nurses are an integral part of disaster response in their communities and work settings, says Sherrill Smith, dean of the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing. This learning experience helps them understand the reality that they must be prepared when a human or man-made disaster happens in their community. Preparing nurses to lead in times of crisis is a core responsibility of the College of Health Sciences, adds Patrick Hardigan, dean of the college. This innovative, hands-on training reflects our commitment to equipping Wyomings future nurses with the skills, confidence and leadership needed to protect patients and communities when it matters most. The Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing offers several undergraduate pathways to becoming a registered nurse. The Basic BSN Program is a four-year, on-campus Bachelor of Science option. The Bachelors Reach for Accelerated Nursing Degree (BRAND) serves students with previous non-nursing baccalaureate degrees through an accelerated format. The BSN Completion Program includes ReNEW, a statewide partnership with Wyomings eight community colleges, and an RN-BSN option offering online components for registered nurses seeking to complete their bachelors degrees. UW nursing students wearing personal protective equipment examine a manikin posing as a patient exposed to radiation, while nursing graduate assistant Sami Mizokami looks on. (UW Photo) Student participants in the disaster management training, listed by hometown and name, include: Broomfield, Colo. -- Madeline Ramar. Casper -- Kelly Heflin. Cheyenne -- Kaitlyn Ackerman, Alexandra Martinson, Rhielle Millsap and Christian Roberts. Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Allyson Fischer. Commerce City, Colo. -- Allyson Teague. Douglas -- Chloe Collins, Aubri Schuldies and Craig Thiel. Folsom, Calif. -- Natalie King. Fort Collins, Colo. -- Brook Burleson and Teagan Marsh. Gillette -- Berkeley Christensen, Payton Stavely and Madison Stevens. Green River -- Brynlee Doak and Hayley Francis. Henderson, Colo. -- Vahn Williams. Holly, Colo. -- Jade Casey. Jackson -- Sage Barlow. Lakewood, Colo. -- Katherine Smith. Lander -- Madalin Svan. Laramie -- Aspyn Lake, Karina Lo, Kody Palmer, Abby Reed, Seneca Shoales and Kaitlyn Tasher. Liberty Hill, Texas -- Laila Osborne. Merino, Colo. -- Bobbie Schreiner. Mountain View -- Katelynn Kat Stuart. Pinedale -- Olivia Edwards. Scottsbluff, Neb. -- Brooke Holzworth. Spokane, Wash. -- Andrew Armstrong. Sundance -- Ella Bifulco. Watertown, Minn. -- Alexis Pogreba. Windsor, Colo. -- Taiten Tuell. TEHRAN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said if the United States launches attacks on Iran again, U.S. military bases in the Middle East will be targeted. Araghchi made the remarks in an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera on Tuesday, while commenting on Iran's retaliatory missile attack in June on a U.S. air base in Qatar after the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites. "We did not attack Qatar, but the U.S. base in Qatar. If a war erupts between us and the United States, and the Americans attack our nuclear facilities, they must definitely expect that we attack their military bases. It makes no difference where those bases are located," Araghchi said. "We live in utter friendship with our neighbors and have no problem with Qatar and other regional countries. However, the U.S. bases are located on certain countries' territory," he added. Araghchi reiterated that a peaceful solution to Iran's nuclear issue is completely attainable, provided that both sides respect one another's rights and are ready to achieve an agreement based on mutual interests. On June 22, U.S. forces bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities, joining Israeli strikes on Iran which triggered a 12-day conflict. It came as Iran and the United States had held five rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear program and the removal of U.S. sanctions. WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, escalating a months-long pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. "Today, I am ordering a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela," Trump said in a post on his social media Truth Social. Trump also said that the Venezuelan government has been designated "a foreign terrorist organization," accusing it of involvement in crimes including terrorism, drug smuggling and human trafficking. Claiming that the United States "will not allow a hostile regime to take our oil, land, or any other assets," he demanded that Venezuela return to the United States all assets he said "that they previously stole from us." Ottoline Spearman The Government is updating the income thresholds for the National Childcare Scheme for the next school year. From autumn 2026, the lower threshold will be increased to 34,000, with the upper threshold increased to 68,000. This is the first of a number of steps being taken to try to achieve a maximum childcare cost of 200 month during the Government's lifetime. It forms part of the Shaping the Future: Early Years Action Plan, launched on Wednesday. The plan will also reduce the highest fees charged to parents across the country by lowering the maximum fees that Core Funding Partner Services can charge from September 2026. The plan also aims to streamline administration and regulation through its Simplify and Support: Action Plan for Simplification. The Government has said that the changes will benefit almost 47,000 families by providing them with additional subsidies. Children's Minister Norma Foley has said that the Government are employing a "triangular approach". Speaking on Newstalk, she said: "I've always been very clear it is not just the affordability aspect. In tandem with that, we have to ensure that there are additional places made available. "There would be no point in having affordable childcare if we didn't have the places available and if we didn't have the staff available to do the work. "So it's a triangular approach and we're working on all three in tandem." Childhood Services Ireland has welcomed the ambition for the sector, but said that any structural changes to the Early Childhood Education and Care system must co-created with service providers. Director of CSI Stephanie Roy said: Providers are not merely one stakeholder among many; they are the very infrastructure of childcare in Ireland. Our members are ready and willing to work with the Government to ensure a system that works for everyone, but we must be clear that affordability for parents cannot be pursued at the cost of provider viability." The Federation of Early Childhood Providers is criticising the plan. Speaking on Newstalk, Chair Elaine Dunne said the industry is struggling: "We're happy for the parents to get whatever they need. But unfortunately for us, for a lot of us that are stuck in historical fee freezes, we're being forced to pull out of core funding to put up our fees. "If you have a little corner shop, you can put up your prices and then that absorbs your costs. But a lot of us are stuck in 2016, 2017 fee freezes." There were warm wishes of congratulations extended to one very popular Waterford lady recently who celebrated a milestone birthday. Anna Thompson received warm 'happy birthday' wishes from family and friends, especially those in the Touraneena area, on the occasion of her 80th birthday. One local said: "Warmest wishes are extended to Anna Thompson, who celebrated her 80th birthday last Monday." Anna marked the special milestone with family and friends. "We wish Anna many more years of good health, happiness, and prosperity," said the local. Anna celebrated her birthday in Faithlegg House. A bake sale held recently in a school in County Waterford was a great success and helped support the school's work in the area of environmental awareness. The initiative was organised by the Transition Year students and a spokesperson for St Declan's Community College acknowledged the work of Ms Harty and her "amazing team of TY bakers for all their hard work for the Green Schools Christmas fundraiser". "A huge thank you also to Ms O'Shea's, First Year Green Schools Committee team for their additional baking," said the spokesperson. Ms Harty and some of the TY helpers at the St Declan's Community College bake sale. Over 300 has raised through the event which will go towards the school's Spring planting and seating projects. "We are excited to get to work in the New Year," said a spokesperson for the school. A public meeting discussing the future of Dungarvan and West Waterford was recently hosted. The Dungarvan Enterprise Centre welcomed a steady stream of local residents, community groups, public representatives, students, and business owners for the meeting. Attendees shared their ideas, concerns, and aspirations for the region, and insights were delivered from local organisations, clubs, schools, and businesses. Following the event, organisers expressed their gratitude for the strong public engagement. Stephen Barnes, of Walton Institute, said that the level of participation from local people shows how invested the community is in the future of Dungarvan and rural Waterford. Bill OGorman, Chair of Dungarvan Enterprise Centre, added: This consultation provided us with rich, grounded insights that will directly inform the next stage of developing a sustainable and forward-looking ecosystem for the region. A comprehensive report combining findings from all consultations will be published in early 2026, outlining community priorities and potential pathways to support enterprise, education, innovation, and quality of life across the region. An Coimisiun Pleanala have given the go ahead for the extension of a satellite quarry in Dungarvan despite strong local objections. Planning permission was granted by Waterford City and County Council for the extension of the Cappagh Quarry in 2022 but an appeal was made to An Bord Pleanala, now An Coimisiun Pleanala. Roadstone was granted permission in 2024, following consideration of the appeal. But the High Court ordered reconsideration of one of the conditions, a restriction on the number of times blasting can be carried out in a year. The restriction was removed earlier this month, clearing the way for construction. Permission was granted to extend the Cappagh quarry to 13.6 hectares, construct a 40 metre concrete tunnel underpass and a new concrete batching facility. Permission was sought for 20 years. The quarry covers the townlands of Ballykennedy, Kilgreany and Canty Townlands and Cappagh. A total of 45 objections were lodged against the original planning application. OBJECTIONS One local who was not a party to the appeal said in her objection in 2021 that she was a child of the quarry and grew up around sirens, which frightened her, non-stop" and that it was an "awful grinding racket and caused dust in the air. She described an incident where rocks came flying onto her farm and said that the impact on the community was too much. They have had more than their share. Now it is time to give consideration to nature, biodiversity and the local community. We must protect our local environment. It is your duty as regulators to ensure that our environment and its inhabitants are protected when they are threatened, said the local. Most objectors were concerned about pollution, road damage, human and animal health and quality of life issues. Some objections were made to the classification of the project as an extension, saying this is a new quarry, while others said no local consultation was held prior to the application. Many objectors lived close to the quarry, and some had businesses like farms in the area, which they say are impacted by the industrial activity. The proposed development, they said, would make that worse. One local objector said: Home should be a safe, secure, comfortable refuge which no commercial industry should be allowed to take away. PERMISSION GRANTED In their decision, Waterford City and County Council granted permission subject to 25 conditions. Those conditions included an operation period of no more than 20 years and restrictions on operating times. The final floor level of the quarry is not allowed to drop below 10m in the interests of orderly development, clarity and public health. Rock breaking can only happen between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday and operating hours are restricted to 7am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 7am and 2pm on Saturdays. The quarry cannot operate on bank holidays, Sundays and public holidays. APPEAL An appeal against the decision was lodged by Terence and Mary McCarthy with six observers listed on June 28, 2022, to An Bord Pleanala, which granted permission with revised conditions on December 4, 2024. One of those conditions labelled 8(d) stated that blasting shall not occur more than four times a year and shall be confined to 11am to 3pm, Monday to Friday only. Roadstone initiated judicial proceedings to remove the annual restrictions, and the High Court ordered that the commission look at the case again. The case was reactivated in June, and the annual restriction was removed on December 5, 2025. They said that the mitigation measures sent out in the Environmental Impact Report were sufficient. The commission said in its order that, subject to compliance with the conditions set out below, the proposed development would not seriously injure the residential amenities of the area or otherwise of property in the vicinity, would not have an unacceptable impact on the character of the landscape or cultural or archaeological heritage, would not have a significant adverse impact on ecology, would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience and public health and would make a positive contribution to the economy. The proposed development would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. NEW YORK, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Tuesday threatened to take countermeasures against the EU over what it described as the bloc's controversial regulations on service providers. "If the EU and EU Member States insist on continuing to restrict, limit, and deter the competitiveness of U.S. service providers through discriminatory means, the United States will have no choice but to begin using every tool at its disposal to counter these unreasonable measures," said the USTR in a post on the social platform X. According to the USTR, potential countermeasures could include assessing fees or imposing restrictions on foreign services. The agency also warned that it could adopt a similar approach toward other countries pursuing what it called an EU-style regulatory strategy in this area. The USTR alleged that the EU and certain member states have pursued a sustained pattern of discriminatory and harassing lawsuits, taxes, fines, and directives targeting U.S. service providers. "The United States has raised concerns with the EU for years on these matters without meaningful engagement or basic acknowledgement of U.S. concerns," the USTR added. The USTR also said EU service providers have operated freely in the United States for decades, benefiting from access to the U.S. market and consumers, while naming several European technology giants with expansive presence in the country. The latest remarks reflect growing frustration among U.S. officials over the EU's tightening technology regulations and lawsuits targeting U.S. tech giants. The European Commission has recently opened two antitrust investigations into U.S. tech giants Google and Meta, and fined Elon Musk's platform X 120 million euros (about 140 million U.S. dollars) in its first non-compliance decision under the Digital Services Act. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) died on Tuesday after he was shot a day earlier, local authorities said. Physicist Nuno F. G. Loureiro, aged 47, was shot on Monday night at his residence in Brookline, Massachusetts, media reports said. Loureiro died at a local hospital, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. Investigation is ongoing and no suspects have been arrested. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) died on Tuesday after he was shot a day earlier, local authorities said. Physicist Nuno F. G. Loureiro, aged 47, was shot on Monday night at his residence in Brookline, Massachusetts, media reports said. Loureiro died at a local hospital, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. Investigation is ongoing and no suspects have been arrested. According to MIT, Loureiro was director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center. He grew up in Portugal and earned his doctoral degree in London. Before joining MIT in 2016, he worked as a researcher at a nuclear fusion institute in Lisbon. MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement that Loureiro's death is a "shocking loss." The incident follows a shooting on Dec. 13 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, about 80 km from Brookline, which left two students dead and nine others injured. Providence police are still searching for the gunman. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Tuesday that there is currently no evidence linking the two crimes. WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, escalating a months-long pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. "Today, I am ordering a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela," Trump said in a post on his social media Truth Social. Trump also said that the Venezuelan government has been designated "a foreign terrorist organization," accusing it of involvement in crimes including terrorism, drug smuggling and human trafficking. Claiming that the United States "will not allow a hostile regime to take our oil, land, or any other assets," he demanded that Venezuela return to the United States all assets he said "that they previously stole from us." Trump also claimed that Venezuela is "completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America," warning that the pressure would continue until the assets he said had been taken are returned to the United States. Last week, the Trump administration seized an oil tanker near the Venezuelan coast and announced new sanctions on three nephews of Maduro's wife, a Maduro-affiliated businessman, and six companies involved in shipping oil from the country. Since early September, U.S. forces have sunk at least 25 alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 95 people aboard. For almost four months, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of it off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking -- a claim Venezuela has denounced as a thinly veiled attempt to enforce regime change in Caracas. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly said that the U.S. military would begin land strikes targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean "very soon," further escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela. Critics, including multiple lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol, have questioned whether counternarcotics are indeed the only U.S. motive and the legality of the U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean. Some 48 percent of U.S. adults say they oppose the U.S. military strikes targeting alleged drug boats in the Caribbean near Venezuela without first getting court approval, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week. Ottoline Spearman The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) has made a final surplus transfer of 450 million to the Exchequer, ahead of its wind-down. The agency has also increased its lifetime contribution to the State by 100 million to 5.6 billion. This is in addition to a transfer of 425 million in assets to the Land Development Agency in 2025, which comprised the transfer of 1,366 social homes and two major sites with the capacity to deliver up to 4,500 homes. NAMA was created in 2009 as a response to the financial crisis and property market. The Irish Examiner reported that NAMA has now completed its wind-down programme, which will pave the way for legislation which will lead to its formal dissolution. NAMA chief executive Brendan McDonagh told the Irish Examiner: "This is a landmark day for NAMA. It signals the end of an unprecedented intervention by the State in response to an unprecedented banking and economic crisis." "Nama has been effective in helping to restore stability to Irelands financial system and credit rating, and in generating a substantial surplus of 5.6bn for the Exchequer." Tanaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris, welcomed the contributions: "These transfers, and the increase in NAMAs lifetime contribution to 5.6 billion, are a reflection of the commitment of NAMAs staff in executing their mandate over many years. "As NAMA reaches the substantive conclusion of its operational wind-down at the end of 2025, I would like to thank the Agencys staff for their dedication and commitment. "NAMAs surplus, and its broader contribution to the social and economic development of the State, has been enabled by their expertise." NAMA will be dissolved in following the publication and enactment of the IBRC Special Liquidation and Dissolution of NAMA Bill. Councillors in Ballina Municipal District have pledged their support to local salmon anglers who face severe restrictions on fishing activity in 2026 should controversial draft proposals published last month be adopted. The Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2025 proposes that the River Moy be classified as a brown tag river in 2026, meaning anglers must hold a brown tag that will be issued via a lottery to fish for salmon on the world-famous river, which is one of the principal drivers of tourism revenue in the North Mayo region. Furthermore, it is proposed that the maximum number of brown tags to be issued is 1,044, which would be the maximum number of salmon that could be caught during the harvest window from June 1 until August 31, 2026. Statistics from state body Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) reveal that 4,152 salmon were caught in the Moy system in 2024, which is 25% of the overall national catch. A public meeting was held in Ballina in late November where local anglers agreed to make a collective submission opposing the proposed changes. The public consultation period comes to an end on Saturday next, December 20th. Cllr John OHara told last week's meeting of Ballina Municipal District that the initiative would be "one of the worst things to ever happen to Ballina", were it to be put in place for next year. People come from all over the world to fish at the Ridge Pool and those changes would be the worst thing ever done, he said. Cllr OHara said local anglers should not be punished and the problem with stocks lies out at sea where trawlers catch huge amounts of salmon and seals eat salmon in abundance. Cllr Joe Faughnan said he attended the public meeting and it was clear the proposals would have a negative impact on local angling and tourism. There was a huge turnout and it is important we write to the IFI because the Moy is so well known for its salmon fishing. It is important for our area, he said. Cllr Michael Loftus said he had previously called for a seal cull to be considered at the Moy Estuary, a suggestion also made by Cllr OHara, adding that the draft proposals were not good enough and would have an impact on the wider north Mayo area if they were adopted in their current guise. Ann O'Loughlin Jailed teacher Enoch Burke will not, and no other members of his family are, to be prosecuted as of this time for criminal contempt over their repeated disruption of court proceedings, Attorney General Rossa Fanning told the High Court on Wednesday. Mr Fanning made a rare personal appearance in the courts because this was a matter of public interest and in response to Mr Justice Brian Cregan's request that criminal contempt be considered by the Attorney General against Enoch Burke, his siblings Isaac and Ammi, and their mother Martina. Mr Fanning said, apart from the fact that Enoch Burke is already in prison for contempt over continuing trespass on Wilson's Hospital School, there were issues including the amount of court time taken up with this case, the cost in legal representation to the taxpayer and the alternative remedies such as removal from court and the power of gardai to prosecute for disruptive behaviour and some regard had to be given to the likely outcome and benefit of criminal contempt proceedings. "Given the history of this engagement, even one assumes the proceedings were to succeed with the imposition of fines or periods of imprisonment which would be relatively modest given that they are summary proceedings, may reinforce an unfounded sense of martyrdom, but are unlikely to provoke any Damascene conversion," he said. He said he had carefully considered the transcripts and a number of High Court judgments on this matter and come to the conclusion that he should not at this time initiate criminal contempt proceedings. This case had raised "troubling questions about the adherence to the rule of law" and that court orders must be obeyed and dispruption by lay litigants or anyone else is to be condemned, he said. In response, Mr Justice Cregan thanked Mr Fanning but said he did not believe the transcripts had reflected the tone and tenor of what had happened before his court in recent months. He would reflect on the Attorney General's comments over Christmas and the court could still, of its own volition, consider bringing such proceedings. The court also heard that a disciplinary appeals panel heard Enoch Burke's appeal against his dismissal on Saturday and will give its decision within ten school days which means it could be after Christmas. The judge said the case would be adjourned to early January for an update on the appeals panel outcome. Mr Burke, speaking via video from Mountjoy Prison, said people should not think that just because the appeals panel will make a decision that this would be all over. He also refused to give an undertaking not to trespass on the school if released which is why he has been imprisoned for the fourth time and has been there now for well into 500+ days. It is some achievement for anyone to write a book so what long-time Castlebar resident Tom Higgins has achieved is nothing short of remarkable. The retired national school teacher turns 91 next month, and this year alone has seen him publish not one but two non-fiction books. It means he has extended the total number of books in his own personal catalogue to seven. Just published in time for Christmas is Toms latest history book. The book is entitled A Brief History of Mayo The Worst of Times, The Best of Times, and it arrived from the printers last week and will be officially launched this Thursday in Castlebar where Tom has lived for many years. The foundation for the book is a series of articles Tom wrote for the Connaught Telegraph in 2003, and he expands considerably on it, exploring five centuries of upheaval in Mayo. There is very little knowledge of some aspects of our history. Even up until Cromwellian times, people havent a clue about the devastation Cromwell did in Ireland, Tom told the Western People. He explores the impact of the Elizabethan conquest, Cromwells devastation, the Penal Laws and famine, rebellion and cultural revival, keen to stress the book is "a glance at the history of Mayo down through the ages". The book explores some of this countys hardest times and the enduring resilience of its people. It is some undertaking to publish a book like that, even more so when you consider that the bulk of the first half of the year was taken up with another publication. Toms own memoir, Out of that Childhood Country, was published in the summer. He wrote it as a record for his own family so it is not on general sale but the work that went into it is no less exacting for that. It is over 300 pages long, was two years in the making and tells the story of a long, varied life. A life dedicated to education Tom is a native of Cloonacurry, Bekan and after attending the local national school, went to St Jarlaths College in Tuam in 1949 thanks to the support of a wealthy aunt. He went from there to the seminary at St Patrick's College in Maynooth, as did so many of his generation, especially the students of boarding schools who were encouraged to continue their education, as well as pursuing a religious vocation. I went to Maynooth myself for four years and then got the brainwave to do teaching. I never thought of teaching after my Leaving Cert but before Easter in Fourth Year I got this sudden enlightenment that I wanted to teach kids in primary school. I thought it was something I was cut out for and would enjoy, he said. Spells in Longford, east Mayo, including his native Bekan, and Ballyheane followed before he became principal at Breaffy National School on the outskirt of Castlebar in 1974, teaching alongside his wife, Mary (nee Dolan). While there, he was the driving force behind a publication in 1990 to celebrate the schools centenary. School and Parish Breaffy 18901990 became a template for school, community and club publications in the county. He was a pivotal figure in the growth of the school from a three-teacher school to one of the largest in Mayo today. Upon retirement in 1998, Tom was asked to write a book to mark the centenary of the Church of the Holy Rosary in Castlebar. Through Fagans Gates: The Parish and People of Castlebar Down the Ages was a splendid local history book, published in 2001 to great acclaim at a time when there were very few local interest books being published in Mayo. Tom published a family history book and family tree in 2005 while the extended lockdowns of Covid-19 actually accelerated his productivity. In 2020, he published Light on the Landscape, a collection of his landscape photography and in 2021, his long-standing interest in sacred scripture, a legacy of his studies in Maynooth, inspired the publication of No Room in the Inn Reading the Bible Today. And the next book? Tom laughs and points to his head. He is waiting for the inspiration but hes quite confident it will come. A Brief History of Mayo The Worst of Times, The Best of Times will have its official launch this Thursday, December 18, at 7pm in Castle Books, Main Street, Castlebar. The book, which is published by Mayo Books Press, is on sale in all good bookshops and online via www.mayobooks.ie. It will make a perfect Christmas present for anyone with an interest in all things Mayo. WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. and Russian negotiators are expected to hold talks in Miami, U.S. state of Florida, this weekend over a peace deal aimed at ending the Ukraine crisis that has lasted nearly four years, U.S. media outlet Politico reported on Wednesday. The schedule remains in flux, and if they meet, the Trump administration will present to the Russian side the latest development following the talks among U.S., Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin last weekend, said the report, citing two people familiar with the matter. U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to represent the U.S. side while the Russian delegation is expected to include Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, said the report. Ukrainian national security adviser Rustem Umerov is also expected to meet with the U.S. delegation separately in Miami or another location in the United States in the coming weekend. The U.S., European and Ukrainian officials have reached consensus or significantly closed gaps on 90 percent of their differences on a 20-point U.S. draft peace plan during the Berlin talks last weekend, officials with the Trump administration said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine could suspend its bid to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees to prevent renewed conflict with Russia if a peace agreement were reached, with Kiev seeking protections comparable to those granted to alliance members -- assurances the United States has so far not offered. He said that Ukraine stands ready to agree on security guarantees based on NATO Article 5 as a part of a compromise in the peace process, the Ukrinform news agency reported. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Increasing clouds. There is a slight chance for a little snow late, mainly south of I-78.. Tonight Increasing clouds. There is a slight chance for a little snow late, mainly south of I-78. BETHLEHEM, Pa. Bethlehem's 2026 budget passed Tuesday in a 5-2 vote, with Councilmembers Bryan Callahan and Grace Crampsie Smith voting "no." Neither Callahan nor Crampsie Smith said they could support a budget that does not fund additional firefighters, which they said the city is seriously lacking. "I'm very disappointed with the outcome of the whole situation," Callahan said. "I find it unbelievable that the administration and this council could not find (the money) to fund four firefighters for the last six months of the year, at a minimum." "I cannot vote for a budget that fails to address the public safety crisis of not adequately staffing our fire department," Crampsie Smith said. Crampsie Smith previously submitted budget amendments offering alternatives that would fund additional firefighters, but those proposals were voted down during earlier budget hearings. Fire Chief Matthew Griffin has stated that the department is staffed to its budgeted complement of 106 firefighters, but remains concerned about overtime. The city is pursuing a comprehensive study to analyze call volume and staffing and paramedic responses, with officials noting staffing is only one component of that review. Bethlehem IAFF Local 735 President Lou Jimenez said understaffing is a public safety issue and pointed to IAFF standards. "The standards don't work selectively," Jimenez said. Public comment Tuesday included repeated remarks about firefighter staffing. For instance, fire engines are staffed with three firefighters, while ladder trucks are staffed with two. A higher-ranking officer is currently overseeing three stations, including the Northwest station on Catasauqua Avenue, when there should be one officer assigned to each station, Jimenez said. According to the proposed 2026 budget, the city spent approximately $1.2 million on firefighter overtime in 2024. Overtime spending for 2025 is projected at $500,000. Bethlehem officials, residents describe evacuation of unhoused encampment During Bethlehem City Council's meeting, city officials and residents addressed the evacuation of unhoused individuals from Norfolk Southern-owned land. In other business, the city administration addressed Tuesday's evacuation of unhoused individuals from Norfolk Southern-owned land. Railroad police, along with Bethlehem police, cleared the encampment. At MITS Global Consulting, talent meets opportunity, and together they transform businesses and careers Just as crucial is MITSs transparent engagement model. Clients and candidates are kept up to speed at all times, removing confusion and minimizing uncertainty that usually taints staffing engagements. Regular feedback loops and performance reviews upon professionals being placed guarantee alignment, development, and happiness. Such a diligent system has ensured MITS has one of the industrys lowest attrition figures, solidifying its image as a reliable staffing partner.At its core, MITS is a people-centric company. Its very own managers, recruiters, and specialists live up to the same standards they offer to clients honesty, integrity, and determination. Within its own ranks, MITS takes care of its employees development through training, mentoring, and career development programs, so that those working for the company get the same solidity and advancement they provide to clients.For external professionals, MITS is not just a staffing company. It is a career partner, counseling and advising people as they move through opportunities in the fast-paced BFSI technology industry. Numerous professionals in India today can look back and trace their careers to the initial break that MITS gave them, building a legacy of empowerment that continues to spread throughout the industry.Realizing that the future of staffing is in uniting people and technology, MITS has increasingly fortified its digital foundation. Artificial intelligence-based technologies assist in screening out candidates, and predictive analytics assist in anticipating client requirements.Secure collaboration environments ensure seamless coordination for remote staffing, overcoming geographical distances with efficiency and assurance. The companys credo, though, is unambiguous: technology cannot replace human judgment but augment it. By combining digital velocity with human compassion, MITS makes sure that decisions not only occur quicker but also more equitably and meaningfully.The impact of MITSs work is best reflected in its performance. Over 700 professionals are currently deployed across client enterprises, supported by a team that has navigated the complexities of staffing for more than 25 years. The company has built over twenty long-term partnerships, many stretching back two decades. Its exclusive focus on BFSI technology has positioned it as one of the few specialists in this niche, delivering results that go far beyond numbers.Although MITS has never chased the spotlight, its work has not gone unnoticed. The company consistently earns recognition from clients as a preferred staffing partner, thanks to its reliability, transparency, and proven results. Compliance with global standards and adherence to strict data security frameworks further reinforce its credibility. Yet perhaps the greatest recognition lies in word-of-mouth the recommendations of professionals who have built their careers with MITS and the loyalty of clients who continue to extend their partnerships year after year.Looking further, MITS Global Consulting would focus on strengthening and expanding its presence in the BFSI segment, while reaching out to GCCs for increasing its BFSI customer base in these hubs. In the overall GCC scenario, the firm seeks to exceed BFSI, aiming at inter-action with most of the mid-sized GCCs in India. Also, it aims to further solidify its presence in the public sector, particularly in organizations spearheading Indias technological infrastructure movements. The company also intends to expand its remote staffing capacity in order to assist clients in the US and UK. Such GCC plans and recommendations are directed by Aanchal Sureka, Head of MITS Business Strategy Function. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) The proposed $85 billion merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads has lost the support of two unions that represent more than half their workers over concerns it will jeopardize safety and jobs, raise shipping rates and consumer prices, and cause significant disruptions. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division are among the most prominent critics of the deal to create the nation's first transcontinental railroad. When they officially announce their decision Wednesday, they will join the American Chemistry Council, an assortment of agricultural groups and competing railroad BNSF in raising concerns the merger would hurt competition. The deal has the support of the nation's largest rail union, which represents conductors and hundreds of individual shippers, and President Donald Trump has said the deal sounds good to him. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board will weigh the opinions of all stakeholders to determine whether the merger is in the public interest once the railroads file their formal application, which is expected later this week. Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena has argued that creating a railroad that stretches from coast to coast would be good for the economy because without the need for a hand-off between railroads in the middle of the country rail shipments would move faster, meaning it could better compete against trucking. But after months of meetings with Vena and other executives, the presidents of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division unions both affiliated with the Teamsters said they have serious doubts about the potential benefits, and warned the promises Vena made to preserve jobs aren't detailed enough to be reliable. The unions say there's nothing to keep the companies from transferring jobs hundreds of miles away or to prevent the sale of some UP lines to short-line railroads that pay less. Union Pacific said in a statement that every employee with a union job at the time of the merger will continue to have one. Weve formalized this jobs-for-life agreement with five unions. Vena has acknowledged that the number of employees at the combined railroad could still shrink through attrition, if workers leave on their own. Rail unions worry about safety and shippers This proposed monopoly will end up costing businesses more and those costs will be passed on to consumers, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen National President Mark Wallace said. "We believe this transcontinental railroad will make shipping by rail less attractive as the merged carrier passes off rail lines that serve small towns, factories and farms to short line railroads while running miles-long slow-moving trains on the main line. For rail customers it will be a choice between Hell or the highway.' As Gulf stocks face downward pressure due to falling oil prices and global market uncertainties, investors in the Middle East are closely monitoring dividend stocks for stable income streams. In this challenging environment, selecting dividend stocks with solid fundamentals and attractive yields can provide a buffer against market volatility. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In The Middle East Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Yeni Gimat Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi (IBSE:YGGYO) 5.64% Turkiye Garanti Bankasi (IBSE:GARAN) 3.14% Saudi Awwal Bank (SASE:1060) 6.21% Riyad Bank (SASE:1010) 6.78% National General Insurance (P.J.S.C.) (DFM:NGI) 7.63% Goltas Goller Bolgesi Cimento Sanayi ve Ticaret (IBSE:GOLTS) 3.47% Emaar Properties PJSC (DFM:EMAAR) 6.94% Commercial Bank of Dubai PSC (DFM:CBD) 5.31% Arab National Bank (SASE:1080) 6.09% Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik Anonim Sirketi (IBSE:ANHYT) 5.75% Click here to see the full list of 60 stocks from our Top Middle Eastern Dividend Stocks screener. Here's a peek at a few of the choices from the screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Fourth Milling Company operates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, producing flour, feed, bran, and wheat derivatives with a market cap of SAR1.95 billion. Operations: Fourth Milling Company's revenue is primarily derived from its Food Processing segment, totaling SAR646.51 million. Dividend Yield: 6.1% Fourth Milling's recent earnings report shows a solid performance with a 10.4% increase in net income over the past year, indicating robust financial health. The company is trading at 37.6% below its estimated fair value, suggesting potential undervaluation. Its dividends are covered by both earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 65.6% and 72.7%, respectively, placing it among the top dividend payers in Saudi Arabia with a yield of 6.09%. SASE:2286 Dividend History as at Dec 2025 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Saudi Telecom Company, along with its subsidiaries, offers telecommunications, information, media, and digital payment services both within Saudi Arabia and internationally, with a market cap of SAR211.77 billion. Operations: Saudi Telecom Company's revenue segments include SAR50.77 billion from Saudi Telecom Company, SAR14.71 billion from Saudi Telecom Channels Company, SAR12.55 billion from Arabian Internet and Communications Services Company (Solutions), SAR4.19 billion from Kuwait Telecommunications Company (Stc Kuwait), SAR1.99 billion from STC Bahrain BSC (C) (Stc Bahrain), SAR1.98 billion from Digital Centers for Data and Telecommunications (Center3), SAR1.37 billion from STC Bank, with additional contributions of SAR0.85 billion from Advanced Technology and Cybersecurity Company (Sirar), SAR0.36 billion from Public Telecommunications Company (Specialized), and smaller amounts such as SAR0.30 billion from IoT and others like General Cloud Computing Company for Information Technology at SAR0.23 billion. Where Local Knowledge Meets Global Learning: Hosting IPDET Nairobi 2025 Bringing the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) to Nairobi for the first regional delivery in Africa marked more than a geographic shiftit represented a significant step toward strengthening locally grounded evaluation capacity. Hosted from 37 November, IPDET 2025 was delivered in partnership with the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Anglophone Africa (CLEARAA), an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI). The course brought together more than 90 participants from 28 countries. The week illustrated how global knowledge becomes more meaningfuland more powerfulwhen it is rooted in African contexts and shaped by the practitioners who live and work within them. Why Bring IPDET to Nairobi? According to Dr. Candice Morkel, Head of IPDET, the motivation was clear. "At IPDET, our goal is to make evaluation capacity development accessible and contextually relevant around the world. Bringing the training to Nairobi was a natural step in that direction. Africa is home to a dynamic and growing community of evaluators, and we wanted to create a space that strengthens local ownership of evaluation capacity while connecting regional and global perspectives." For CLEARAA, the decision was equally significant. "This was not just a change of location, but a significant milestone," said Dr. Chirau, Acting Director at CLEARAA. "Bringing this world-class training to the heart of a continent rich with potential and a growing evaluation culture is a powerful statement. It is a commitment to contextual learning, diverse perspectives and building evaluation capacities that will impact on the way evaluations are conducted in the continent and how the evaluative information get to be used in different spaces. Evaluation plays a crucial role in strengthening the governance and democratic processes of our countries. It is the hope of this training programme that evaluation be accentuated to the highest levels and provide answers to better decision and policy making in Africa." What Makes the Nairobi Context Unique? The Nairobi delivery highlighted what can happen when global evaluation principles meet the lived experiences of African practitioners. What makes the Nairobi training so special is its diversity, said Dr. Morkel. "The conversations are grounded in lived realities, which means the learning goes far beyond the classroom. Its about translating evaluation principles into meaningful practice that responds to regional needs and priorities." Participants discussed issues ranging from managing evaluations in fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable (FCV) settings to innovating in contexts where political, cultural, or social constraints shape evidence use. As Mr. Siyabonga Sibiya, Programme Manager, CLEARAA Capacity Strengthening Unit noted, "Globally accepted knowledge should be justified by its grounding and application to local contexts." Nairobis environmentboth culturally vibrant and regionally connectedcreated an ideal setting for this type of learning. CLEARAAs long-standing work with the Government of Kenya also enhanced the relevance of the training. The Nairobi program built on existing collaboration aimed at strengthening evaluation practice in the public sector, demonstrating how regionally embedded institutions can sustain progress in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity development.& Learning From African Experience: Organizing IPDET Nairobi The convening of participants from the Global North, Global South, and other African regions revealed the breadth of operational contexts in which M&E is practiced today. Participants shared approaches for navigating complex political economies, contested spaces, and social norms. Participants working in FCV contexts shared how evaluation practice must adapt in politically and culturally contested spaces. One example centered on gender and education in conservative settings, where practitioners used religion and local cultural texts to create openings for girls education. These strategies showed how evaluators innovate to place gender and context at the center of evidence use, ensuring equity, relevance, and local legitimacy in spaces where evaluation rarely ventures. Together, these experiences demonstrated how context-grounded evaluation can advance both local priorities and broader development goals. What Emerging Trends and Challenges Matter Most for Africa? Conversations during IPDET Nairobi reinforced that methodological debates in Africa are intertwined with deeper questions of paradigms, power, and epistemology. For many participants, the longstanding discourse on decolonization, homegrown approaches, and Africa-rooted evaluation continues to shape professional identity and practice. These discussions built on decades of workfrom the leadership of the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA) to the Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) movementand highlighted the need for methods and standards that reflect African realities rather than importing assumptions from dominant traditions. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) also featured strongly. While participants acknowledged AIs potential to simplify aspects of evaluation, they also emphasized concerns around reinforcing power asymmetries and marginalizing voices historically excluded from decision-making. As Dr. Chirau put it: "One of the most urgent questions for Africa is not only which methods we use, but whose logic informs those methods. Our task is to ensure that new tools amplify, rather than dilute, African agency in knowledge production." Reflections From the Training "Across Africa, evaluation is gaining real traction, governments are investing in national systems, young evaluators are entering the field, and theres growing recognition that evaluation is key to achieving development impact. The next step is ensuring that evaluation approaches are contextually relevant and inclusive, promoting African voices and leadership in shaping the global evaluation agenda." Dr. Candice Morkel "Evaluation in Africa is no longer emerging, it is asserting. Our role now is to cultivate confidence in African ways of knowing, documenting, and validating evidence. The future of evaluation will be shaped by those who are bold enough to name their context as a legitimate source of theory and practice." Dr. Takunda Chirau "Adaptive and agile evaluation practices place evaluators at the edge of innovation and responsiveness." Mr. Siyabonga Sibiya Key Takeaways Locally grounded delivery of global training strengthens ownership of evaluation capacity. African practitioners are redefining evaluation practice through contextually driven approaches and methodologies. Regional institutions such as CLEARAA play a critical role in sustaining M&E system strengthening. Discourse on decolonization, epistemology, and responsible use of AI is central to Africas evaluation future. IPDET Nairobi 2025 demonstrated how global and regional actors can co-create learning that is relevant, inclusive, and transformative. Please join us. Share your reflections on locally grounded approaches to evaluation or tell us about your experience with regional training programs. Key Points Oklo is a start-up that aims to provide power to AI data centers and remote sites. Centrus Energy controls one of the only U.S. facilities licensed to make HALEU. Constellation Energy operates the largest array of nuclear plants in the U.S. 10 stocks we like better than Oklo What's volatile, heavily regulated, capital intensive, and riding into 2026 on a wave of policy support and surging electricity demands? If you guessed anything other than nuclear energy, you might want to guess again. Indeed, if you want a front row seat to the next big power buildout, you'll want to look where the electrons are. With global leaders committing to triple nuclear capacity by 2050 (and the U.S. pledging to quadruple by the same year), and with more than 120 companies backing that same goal, including Amazon and Alphabet, nuclear is shifting from a Cold War relic to one of the most important growth stories in energy. If your eyes are on a long-term horizon, here are three nuclear stocks worth your gaze. Image source: Getty Images. 1. Oklo Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) is an advanced nuclear company with its eye set on microreactors. The company's Aurora "powerhouse," a compact reactor, is designed to deliver 15 to 75 megawatts of power for off-grid clients such as data centers, industrial sites, military camps, and remote communities. These powerhouses are being engineered to run off a special fuel -- high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) -- which could keep them running for about a decade or more between refueling. Oklo was recently selected for the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to get at least three advanced reactors online (and operating outside national labs) by July 4, 2026. On top of that, Oklo has also signed a pre-agreement with data center giant Equinix for up to 500 megawatts of capacity for data centers. Oklo is pre-revenue, and it's still working through the regulatory process. Until it has a commercial license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the stock remains high risk, high reward. 2. Centrus Energy You can't have a nuclear resurgence without fuel, and at least in the U.S., you can't talk about nuclear fuel without naming Centrus Energy (NYSE: LEU). Centrus currently operates one of the only U.S. facilities licensed by the NRC to produce high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU), the fuel that several next-gen reactor designs (like Oklo's Aurora) will require. Fun fact about Centrus: It traces its root to the U.S. government's enrichment program in the 1940s and later became a government-owned government before ultimately becoming privatized as an investor-owned company. As such, it brings about 70 years of enrichment experience to the table. Department stores used to rule the retail world. Chains like Macy's, Filene's, and J.C. Penney anchored malls and drove people to shop. When I was younger, back in the 1980s and 90s, these stores were needed. Macy's was someplace you could go and get top-notch service when buying a suit, a watch, or various beauty products. Over the years, however, online retailers, specialty stores, and other varied retail options have made traditional department stores less relevant. It's not death by any one blow. Instead, it's death by a thousand paper cuts. Retail is not dead, but the old model is. Consumers want speed, convenience, and personalization things many malls simply cant deliver, Laura Peterson, Senior Analyst at Retail Economics Institute, told Alibaba. The internet has, of course, hurt traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, but not as much as you might think. "At the turn of the century, only $0.90 of every $100 spent Americans spent on retail items was spent online. In 2024, that average was $16.10," USA Facts reported from Bureau of Labr Statistics data. The numbers have grown, and that has hurt stores, but it's only part of what has driven many former mall anchors and department store leaders out of business. "In 2024, Americans spent $1.2 trillion on online retail, or a record 16.1% of the $7.2 trillion spent on retail overall. This is nearly two percentage points higher than 2022, when 14.4% of retail sales happened online," the website added. Now, another iconic department store chain has closed its final store. Price Stores closing forever After 75 years of serving Ohio, Price Stores will close its doors forever at the end of the year. The chain, which specializes in mens clothing and tuxedos, bridal and prom dresses, and tailoring, has been owned by Edd Wimsatt and his wife, Nancy, since 1996, and they have decided to retire. I look forward because it's time to enjoy retirement and time to say this has been a good run. I've met a lot of nice people, had great customers, great employees. And that's why we're here for this long. But it's time," Wimsatt told Dayton 24/7 Now. He had attempted to find a buyer for the department store, but was not successful. I'm grateful for the time I've had in the store. I wish I could have found a buyer. That'll be my biggest disappointment. I know it can be done, but it just takes money and the energy and I'm out of both," Wimsatt explained. The retailer once dressed future president John F. Kennedy. "Back in 1959, John F. Kennedy was running for the Democratic Party nomination and was scheduled to speak at the Dayton Bar Association. The young senator didnt realize the event was black-tie. Price Stores came to the rescue by sending a tailor to take his measurements and dress him for the evening," Price Stores shared on its website. Macy's has actually swallowed up a lot of department store brands.Shutterstock. Shutterstock. Department stores are disappearing While chains like Macy's, Dillard's, J.C. Penney, and a few others have survived, Price Stores joins a long list of retail chains that have not. Filenes : phased out as a brand after being converted to Macys in 2006 . Marshall Fields : Name retired/converted into Macys in 2006 . Strawbridges : Part of Federateds Macys rebranding in 2006 . Hechts : Converted to Macys in 2006 . Lazarus : Name retired and units converted in 2005 . Kaufmanns : Rebranded to Macys in 2006 . Hudsons (J.L. Hudson Company) : Brand retired by early 2000s , with final closures around 2001 . Gimbels : Closed all stores in 1987 . Gottschalks : Liquidated and closed in 2009 . Mervyns : Closed outlets after bankruptcy ( 2009 ). Montgomery Ward : Ceased operations around 2001 . Elder-Beerman : Last stores closed in 2018 . Lord & Taylor : Filed bankruptcy and closed all physical stores by 2020 . Shopko : Filed bankruptcy and closed remaining stores in 2019 . Woodward & Lothrop : Liquidation completed in 1995 . Sterns : Brand retired/converted in 2001 . Ames Department Stores : Bankrupt and closed by 2002 . Caldor : Ceased operations by 1999 . Boston Store (Bon-Ton group) : Closed amid liquidation in 2018 . Carson Pirie Scott: Part of the Bon-Ton closures in 2018. The Retro Network Bergners/Younkers/Herbergers: Closed during Bon-Ton liquidation 2in 018. Source: The Retro Network Why have department stores and malls struggled? There's no one single answer, but a number of factors have led to struggling malls and failed department stores. The Covid pandemic forced malls to diversify, and that was bad for traditional retailers. The answer has been to bring in more fitness centers, restaurants, and all the kinds of tenants that could pay more rent than department stores, but now with the pandemic, everyone is in trouble. But they have been a problem and theyre in practically every single mall. Rudolph Milian, CEO of Woodcliff Realty Advisors told RetailDive speaking about Macy's struggles. In addition, there may simply be too many malls. "The U.S. has long had an oversupply of retail space. With approximately 24 square feet of shopping space per personnearly five times more than countries like Canada or Germanythe market was unsustainable even before digital competition intensified," according to Alibaba. That led to malls losing tenants. "This overcapacity meant that when demand shifted, weaker malls couldnt survive. Anchor tenants like Sears, JCPenney, and Macys began pulling out, triggering a domino effect: fewer draws led to lower foot traffic, which led to smaller retailers leaving, further reducing appeal," the site added. More Retail: When a mall loses an anchor tenant, the impact can be devastating. When a department store in a mall or anchor location closes, customer counts can drop by 20-to-25%, Strategic Resource Group Managing Director Burt Flickinger told CT Insider. Related: Struggling bakery chain quietly closes dozens of locations Price Stores retail history Founded in 1950 as a mens clothing and formalwear retailer in downtown Dayton at Fourth and Jefferson Streets . Expanded quickly in the early years. The original store quadrupled in size within six months of opening. Price Stores became known for quality formal attire and service , even dressing notable figures (e.g., helping John F. Kennedy with a black-tie outfit in 1959). Over the decades, it served the Dayton community through changing fashion trends from hi-style and mod in the 1960s to business and special-occasion attire later on. In 2020, the store moved from its long-time downtown location to Centerville , adapting to changes in downtown retail traffic and business strategy. 75-year run: The business continued serving customers for three-quarters of a century before announcing its closure at the end of 2025 amid retirement plans. Leading up to closing, the store is holding major liquidation and inventory sales, reflecting both the end of its local legacy and broader pressures on brick-and-mortar retailers. Source: Dayton Daily News Related: Retail chain shuts all locations as legal changes hit industry This story was originally published by TheStreet on Dec 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The British government is starving to death eight young people it has imprisoned for protesting Israels genocide of the Palestinians and UK complicity in the destruction of Gaza. Participants in Palestine Action (PA) protests prior to the groups proscription by the Labour government, they are carrying out a hunger strike demanding immediate bail, the right to a fair trial, an end to censorship of their communications, the de-proscription of PA and the closing of all UK sites run by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit. The eight hunger strikers: From top left to right; Qesser Zuhrah, Amu Gib, Heba Muraisi, Jon Cink (bottom left to right) Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed, Lewie Chiaramello, Umer Khalid [Photo: Prisoners for Palestine] To date, 33 members of PA have been imprisoned for taking part in peaceful direct action against the genocide. This includes the Filton 24 and at least five people imprisoned for dousing an RAF plane in red paint in protest at UK military support for a genocide that has killed over 70,000 people according to official figures, including over 19,000 children, and wrecked over 80 percent of Gazas buildings, including virtually all schools and hospitals. Five of the hunger strikers have been hospitalised. Amu Gib and Qesser Zuhrah have refused food for 44 days, Heba Muraisi for 43 days, Jon Cink 40 days, Teuta Hoxha 37 days, Kamran Ahmed 36 days, Lewie Chiaramello 22 days and Muhammad Umer Khalid 12 days. Death usually occurs after 60-70 days, meaning some could die before the new year. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) condemns the Labour Party war criminals responsible for this savagery and demands the immediate release of all political prisoners. Labour and British imperialism Keir Starmers government is repeating some of British imperialisms worst brutalities as part of its unprecedented war on the right to protest and free speech. It is following in the footsteps of the vicious measures enacted by the Liberal government of H.H. Asquith, which carried out the mass arrest and imprisonment of Suffragettes as part of its wider war on the labour movement. From 1909, around 100 people went on hunger strike in the UK after being imprisoned for actions in support of womens suffrage. Many were force-fed, with some dying from complications afterwards or going on to suffer serious physical and mental health conditions. After four years, in which the issue became the cause of mass popular protest, the government passed the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act in 1913, known as the cat and mouse act, allowing for the release of hunger strikers until they were well enough to resume their sentences. Labour has shown no hint of releasing anyone. Justice Secretary David Lammy has stonewalled attempts by lawyers, medical professionals and politicians to even secure a meeting on the situation. Lawyers for several of the hunger strikers put the matter sharply in a letter to Lammy sent last week: should this situation be allowed to continue without resolution, there is the real and increasingly likely potential that young British citizens will die in prison, having never even been convicted of an offence. Over 50 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion calling on the justice secretary to intervene urgently to ensure the treatment of the prisoners is humane, to no response. According to Jeremy Corbyn, a reply from Lammy to his own correspondence read: Considering the ongoing proceedings, it would not be appropriate for me to meet with you to discuss the situation in any greater detail. Starmers government has taken the same attitude as Margaret Thatchers towards Irish Republicans in the 1980s, most famously Bobby Sands, who went on hunger strike to protest the British governments revocation of Special Category Status for political prisoners of war. Ten starved to death, even as Sands was elected to the House of Commons, and two other Republican prisoners (one hunger striker) to the Dail Eireann. Starmers police state Labour have gone further than Thatcher by not even waiting for a conviction to mete out this punishment. Every one of the hunger strikers and their co-defendants are legally innocent. They are in prison on remand--most of them held for more than a year now, with several months to go--having not been convicted of a single charge. The standard maximum for pre-trial detention is six months. Conditions have been made worse by the courts arbitrary and unjust claim that charges against individuals arrested for PA protests have a terrorist connection. They have repeatedly complained of ill treatment and unjustified blocks on communication with the outside world. Even worse has been done to the hunger strikers, with Zuhrah reportedly left lying on her cell floor in Bronzefield with severe chest pains for hours, requests for an ambulance ignored until she lost consciousness. Pentonville prison has blocked Ahmeds family and solicitor from receiving medical updates from the hospital, requiring them to go through its legal team. These are the vindictive, lawless actions of a police state. Labour has branded Palestine Action and its supporters terrorists to justify swallowing innocent people into the prison system and subjecting them to cruel and unusual punishment. Every anti-democratic attack pioneered by the British ruling class in the persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, declared a hi-tech terrorist by Joe Biden, is now being used against protesters. Assange was denied basic legal rights and held on remand in life-threatening conditions for close to five years in a maximum security prison. His punishment for exposing war crimes, we wrote, was the spearhead of a crackdown on opposition to war, in preparation for the eruption of military violence now underway. It was intended to set a chilling precedent that anyone who gets in the way of the war plans of the imperialist powers will be silenced and destroyed. It is not the opponents of genocide who are terrorists, but the Labour Party using the repressive powers of the state to frighten and silence its opponents. Mobilise the working class! Every worker and students neck is on the line. The treatment of the hunger strikers confirms the political Rubicon crossed by Labour with its proscription of Palestine Action, as explained by the World Socialist Web Site this July. The transformation of a party which arose out of the fight for workers democratic right to organise and strike against their employers into the spearhead of the worst attack on democratic rights in British history: cannot be attributed to a few bad leaders. Rather Starmer, a former human rights lawyer turned right-wing zealot, and his government are the end product of a fundamental shift within the very foundations of world capitalism Capitalism is being driven into an existential crisis by its inherent contradictions, between an interconnected system of production and the division of the world into antagonistic nation states based on upholding private ownership of the means of production. To maintain its rule and immense privileges, the bourgeoisie in every imperialist country must wage trade and military war abroad and class war at home to ensure national competitiveness against their rivals. This agenda is incompatible with the preservation of democratic rights. They are being torn up first in the case of scapegoated migrants and political protesters, before the same attacks are turned against the whole working class. Starmers Labour government is proof that Trumps drive towards dictatorship in the United States is only the most advanced expression of a forced march to far-right authoritarianism underway internationally. A counteroffensive in defence of democratic and social rights and against war and genocide cannot be left to the heroic self-sacrifice of a few. Their cause is the cause of the entire working class and student youth, which must be mobilised in their defence. The IYSSE urges students: Organise meetings on campus to prepare a cross-campus campaign in defence of the PA prisoners. Take the campaign to the workplaces, encouraging and collaborating with workers to mount protests in defiance of their Labour Party-aligned trade union leaderships. Contact the IYSSE for assistance and send videos and messages of support to be published on the WSWS. Conflicts between NATO-backed Ukraine and Russia have taken on a new dimension in recent weeks with attacks on civilian commercial vessels in the Black Sea. That the attacks occurred not only in international waters but also off the coast of NATO member Turkiye raises the danger of the war widening and provoking a new military escalation. Mondays statement from the Turkish Ministry of National Defense indicates the situation could rapidly get out of control. The Ministry announced that Turkish F-16s shot down an out-of-control unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that had entered Turkiyes airspace from the Black Sea. The origin country of the UAV was not identified; reports say it penetrated 175 kilometres inland from the border and was struck about 100 kilometres from the capital Ankara. This is an unprecedented incident. An image from video released Wednesday by Ukraine's security service shows a Russian oil tanker that was struck by a Ukrainian sea drone in the Black Sea [Photo: Security Service of Ukraine] On 28 November, two tankers named Kairos and Virat, en route to Russia, were attacked in waters under Turkiyes jurisdiction off the coasts of the Kocaeli and Kastamonu provinces. The Kyiv regime claimed responsibility for these attacks. Ukrainian officials said the tankers were targeted with Sea Baby unmanned underwater vehicles carried out by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU). Both tankers had been listed among vessels sanctioned after the war began in 2022. Following its invasion, Russia has used a shadow fleet of hundreds of tankersmany sailing under different flagsto evade Western sanctions, especially those targeting its oil exports. Cahit Istikbal, head of the Maritime Safety Association, said: For the first time commercial ships are being targeted Yes, beyond [Turkiyes] territorial waters is not the full sovereign domain of the state, but even if it occurred within an EEZ [exclusive economic zone], such an attack means [the war] has expanded to this degree for the first time. It is a grave development. The attacks were followed on December 2 by an assault in international waters 80 miles off Turkiyes coast on the Midvolga 2 tanker, which had been carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia. On December 10, the Comoros-flagged tanker Dashan was struck in the Black Seaagain reportedly by a Ukrainian-made Sea Baby unmanned maritime vehicle. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has carried out attacks on pipelines, valves and filling facilities aimed at undermining Russias oil and gas revenues. In September 2022 the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea was bombed; it later emerged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally approved that attack. But it would be wrong to say the most recent strikes are solely an attempt to cripple the oil revenues that sustain Russias war effort. The attacks came after the Trump administration presented Kyiv with a 28-point plan for negotiating an end to the war with Russia. Articles in the proposalsuch as Ukraines pledge not to join NATO; recognition of the annexation of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk by Russia; and holding elections within 100 days that would almost certainly precipitate the fall of the Zelensky regimehave put Kyiv in a very difficult position. Ukraines government is already rocked by a corruption scandal involving Zelenskys inner circle. Opposition in the population is growing in the face of conscription and mounting deaths, and the military crisis is deepening. European imperialist powers, fearful of being excluded by the US from the spoils in Ukraine and Russia, are backing the continuation of the warboth to revise Trumps plan and develop their military independence. French head of the army general staff, General Fabien Mandon, demanded that French people be prepared to sacrifice their children in a war against Russia. In Germany, measures are being prepared to reintroduce conscription. The mass protests in Germany on December 5 against this measure expressed widespread popular opposition to the militarization drive. Regarding the Black Sea attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 2 December: The attacks on tankers did not take place even in neutral waters; they occurred in another statesthird statesexclusive economic zone. This is piracy. Putin added, The most radical option is to cut Ukraine off from the sea. Then, in principle, piracy would be impossible, adding that Russia would consider retaliatory measures against Ukrainian vessels and those of countries aiding Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a post on the Russian Embassy in Ankaras social media account, said: This [Ukraines attack] is an attack on commercial ships and tankers in Turkish territorial waters. This is a very serious matter and an attack on the sovereignty of the Republic of Turkiye. On December 12 Russia launched strikes on ports in the Odessa region. Various commercial ships were targeted during the attacks on Odessa and Chornomorsk ports. Ukrainian officials reported damage to the tanker Cenk-T and three Turkish-owned ships. The Ukrainian Navy alleged on December 13 that Russia had intentionally targeted a civilian Turkish merchant vessel in the Black Sea with a UAV; according to the statement, the Viva was carrying sunflower oil to Egypt. Attacks on civilian merchant shipping in the Black Sea expand the scope of the war and threaten to drag NATO members like Turkiye deeper into the maelstrom. Ankarafearing that a further escalation would harm bourgeois interests and in support of Trumps peace planhas called for calm. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on December 1: The war between Russia and Ukraine has clearly begun to threaten navigational safety in the Black Sea. The targeting of vessels in our Exclusive Economic Zone on [28 November] Friday signals a worrying escalation. He added, We cannot in any way condone attacks that particularly threaten navigation, life and environmental safety in our exclusive zones. We are conveying the necessary warnings to all relevant sides regarding such incidents. Asked on December 13 what Turkiyes stance would be if the war spread across the region, Erdogan responded: As you know, US President Donald Trump is involved in this issue. In addition to Trumps involvement, we are also encouraging America. While calling for a negotiated solution after the wars outbreak, Turkiye helped arm Ukraine with Bayraktar UAVs. At the same time, Ankara has pursued a policy of manoeuvring between NATO and Russia because of Turkiyes strong economic ties to Moscow. Following Russias February 2022 invasion, Ankara closed the straits to warships of NATO and Russia under the Montreux Convention. The 1936 Montreux Convention gives Turkiye control over the Istanbul and Canakkale straits and strictly limits access of warships from nonBlack Sea states. As in the twentieth century, the Black Sea today has broad international significance. As the World Socialist Web Site noted, In addition to its role in the global food supply, the Black Sea is of fundamental geostrategic significance to both the imperialist powers and to Russia, as well as countries like Turkey. The Black Sea forms a bridge between Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Russia and the resource-rich Caucasus and Middle East. In a 2021 seminar Alton Buland, director for European policy at the US Department of Defense, described the Black Sea as Russias geostrategic center of gravity and its gateway south, the gateway to the Middle East [and] the gateway to Asia. The danger of escalation in the Black Seaafter a war that has already killed, wounded and displaced millions of Ukrainians and Russiansshould be a warning to the working class. The only way to stop imperialist war is through the mass mobilization of the European and international working class to seize power and put an end to its source, the capitalist system. A five-day strike by 50,000 resident doctors in the National Health Service (NHS) in England begins Wednesday as planned. Resident doctors rejected new proposals from Labour government Health Secretary Wes Streeting, put to them by British Medical Association (BMA) leaders in a snap online poll last week. The BMA announced the ballot result on Monday: a 65.34 percent turnout with an overwhelming 83.2 percent voting to strike between December 17 and 22. Streeting offered nothing regarding the central demands of resident doctors, who make up half of all hospital doctors in the NHS, including on pay restoration. Resident doctors picket at Manchester Royal Infirmary, November 14, 2025 This weeks stoppage will be the 14th round of industrial action since March 2023, which started under the then Conservative government and has continued under Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The BMA agreed a deal with the incoming Labour government last September which failed to remedy pay erosion. The two-year deal of 22.3 percent over 2023-5 and the 5.4 percent for this year imposed by Streeting leaves resident doctors 21 percent worse off in real terms than in 2008, with those in their first year on hourly pay of just 18.62. Streetings response to the deepening jobs crisis facing resident doctors is to expand specialty training places by just 4,000 over three years. These are not additional posts, but repurposed positions taken from locally employed doctors (LEDs). More than 20,000 applicants were excluded from training this year. The proposal included a divisive pledge to prioritise UK graduates over international medical graduates through emergency legislation, pitting doctor against doctor. The sole purpose of tabling the offer was to allow Streeting to posture as a reasonable figure seeking to avert industrial action amid a surge of winter flu patients swamping hospitals. This was done to scapegoat resident doctors for the collapse in patient care, when decades of underfunding, understaffing and marketisation are the real cause of unsafe conditions. Streeting demanded that all strike action be suspended and his terms accepted. Rejection would result in withdrawal of the few crumbs he offered. Prime Minister Keir Starmer intervened last Friday to denounce resident doctors as reckless, demanding the strike was cancelled in an opinion piece in the Guardian. Streeting used an article in the Times to declare, Christmas strikes could be the Jenga piece that collapses the tower. Under conditions where an average 2,660 hospital beds were taken up by flu patients last week, up 42 percent on last year, not treating patients was inexcusable wrote Streeting. However, Medical Director for the NHS in London, Chris Streather, said the flu situation was well within the boundaries of what the NHS could cope with. The BMA were obliged to criticise the Labour governments scaremongering over the scheduled action, with cover provided by senior doctors. But this avoided what needed stating bluntly: that it is the Starmer government that poses the real and immediate threat to the NHS. To do so would raise the need for a broader strategy to oppose Labours budget cuts, dismantling and privatisation. The overwhelming rejection of Streetings deal is an indictment of the BMA Resident Doctors Committee (RDC), which had no basis for putting it before their members. RDC chair Dr. Jack Fletcher had even admitted that there was nothing in the offer on pay or new jobs. Seeking a climbdown and knowing that to call off the strike themselves would have been political suicide, the leadership hoped a snap poll would achieve the same result. Fletcher claimed previous strikes had been critical in moving the needle and that the government was responding to resident doctors concerns. This was an attempt by BMA leaders to shift the responsibility for their own capitulation onto members, claiming that it was up to them to decide if a rotten deal was sufficient. As soon as it was rejected, Fletcher immediately offered Streeting the RDCs continued services. This weeks strike is still entirely avoidable, he declared, pledging to work with the health secretary to find a credible offer. Yet again the RDC is restricting the number of picket lines at hospitals this week to a bare minimum, just as they did in November and previously, with only 16 advertised by the BMA out of 700 hospitals in England. This isolates resident doctors from the wider support they could mobilise among NHS colleagues and the working class. The rejection of Streetings deal vindicates the call made by NHS FightBack for a No vote. It underscores the need to take the dispute out of the hands of the BMA apparatus by the rank and file. The attack on resident doctors is inseparable from Labours wider agenda to gut health and social spending to ramp up military spending, and restrict industrial action and protests in the name of the national interest. The Starmer government is accelerating NHS privatisation, using waiting lists to justify expanded outsourcing, including 2.5 billion to private providers from January for an extra million treatments a year. Rachel Reeves November budget confirmed that Labours 10 Year Health Plan will revive the Private Finance Initiative in all but name, to construct 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres through a partnership with the private sector. At the same time, Labour has accepted a US-driven drug pricing agreement draining 13 billion from NHS budgets over three years, which will result in an estimated more than 15,000 avoidable deaths annually. Yet full pay restoration for resident doctorscosting just 1.7 billionis dismissed as unaffordable, exposing the lie that there is a shortage of money. The real issue is breaking from the priorities dictated by finance capital, private healthcare corporations and militarism. Resident doctors are in the frontline of the struggle against a Labour government enforcing austerity and privatisation, requiring the unification of all NHS workers in defence of a publicly funded health service. The next step in that struggle should be the formation of rank-and-file committees in every hospital and department to coordinate action across regions and professions and link the fight for pay restoration with opposition to privatisation, job cuts and unsafe workloads. NHS FightBack calls on doctors and all health workers to contact us for a discussion on organising that counter-offensive. As in many other parts of the world, measles cases are rising in Australia. This year has seen 165 cases to date, the largest reported number since 2019, with significant outbreaks in nearly every state and territory, according to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System. The number of reported cases is almost three times that recorded in 2024. Disturbingly, some of the measles outbreaks include individuals contracting measles without ever having left the country, and without any other unusual activity, suggesting local transmission of disease. This includes those attending concerts in Sydney and Queensland last month, pubs and shopping centres in Western Australia, and a teenager living in rural Tasmania. There is now a real danger that measles, which was declared eliminated within Australia in 2014, is making a resurgence. This concerning development is part of an international trend that has seen other nations and regions, most recently across North America, lose their status of being measles-free. This is the result both of inadequate immunisation rates against measles and attacks on public health being carried out in Australia and internationally. Measles, an airborne-spread viral disease, is one of the most contagious viruses in existence. Before effective vaccinations became widely available in the 1960s and 1970s, it was one of the most common childhood illnesses globally, killing millions annually. Even today, due to inadequate access to healthcare in many parts of the world, the disease claims an estimated 100,000 lives each year. While in most cases measles is experienced with flu-like symptoms and an associated body rash, it causes pneumonia in about 5 percent of infected children, while 1 in 1,000 develop severe encephalitis (brain-swelling) which can cause seizures, permanent brain injury and death. Measles can also cause a phenomenon known as immune amnesia where an infected persons immune system is weakened and unable to fight off common viruses and bacteria for years, increasing their risk of death. Measles can have a long incubation and infective period, of up to three weeks before symptoms arise, meaning that an infected person can often spread the virus without realising they are ill, easily endangering hundreds or thousands. A vial of a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. [AP Photo/Paul Vernon] For most people, the two-dose MMR regime (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) introduced in the 1990s eliminates the risk of contracting measles and provides lifelong immunity. When over 95 percent of the population of a given region is inoculated, this allows for the elimination of measles, as the virus is unable to spread widely. By this method, measles was largely eliminated in most advanced industrialised countries in the 1990s and the first decade of this century. In Australia, this has meant that just four people died of measles between 2000 and 2022, with only six hospitalisations in 2022. Globally, the WHO estimates that the measles vaccine has saved the lives of 94 million children in the past 50 years, representing 60 percent of all children saved by vaccinations in this period. Inadequate rates of vaccination, particularly among children, risk compromising this mass immunity. MMR vaccination rates in Australia peaked in 202021, at just under 95 percent nationally, in the early period of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and have declined since. According to the Australian Immunisation Register, in 2025 no state or territory in Australia meets the target of 95 percent full immunisation for one-, two-, and five-year-olds for measles, with the rate of MMR vaccination at 92.6 percent nationally. In various states and regions, this rate is even lower. New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and Queensland, the most populous states, have rates between 8892 percent vaccination for one- and two-year-olds. And in certain rural regions and areas with disproportionately strong anti-vaccine views, such as the Richmond Valley in NSW and Gold Coast hinterlands in Queensland, the rates are as low as 7580 percent. The decline in vaccination since 2020 is not a coincidence. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a massive anti-science assault has been carried out on vaccines by far-right layers around the world, aided by governments and the corporate media, falsely calling into doubt their efficacy and safety. The most grotesque example is Robert Kennedy Jr., the US health and human services secretary, who has spearheaded the Trump administrations attack on vaccines, claiming the MMR vaccine is harmful to babies and young children. Kennedy is particularly associated with anti-MMR vaccine disinformation, having contributed to the deadly 2019 outbreak of measles in Samoa by spreading lies about the safety of vaccines. Undoubtedly, the efforts of Trump/Kennedy and their co-thinkers in Australia who play upon fears that some parents have about vaccines, have had an impact, leading to delays or outright refusals in vaccinating their children. While the Australian government has not discouraged MMR vaccination, it has failed to explicitly denounce the anti-science campaign. Though health officials, scientists, and health workers have consistently pointed out the need to maintain 95 percent MMR vaccination, no consistent effort has been made by any Australian government to raise awareness about measles and the need to urgently increase vaccination rates, except for limited warnings when an outbreak has occurred. The low profile of state and federal Australian governments about the rising incidence of measles is not accidental. It reflects a political strategy that prioritises corporate profits over health and lives. Determined that public health measures must not get in the way of business as usual, these governments oppose taking any serious measures to limit the spread of contagious disease, be it measles or COVID-19. The measures enacted in 202021 to halt the spread of COVID-19, which also reduced measles to record low numbers, have all been reversed, including simple but effective protections like mandatory masking in public areas like factories, schools, and even hospitals. This is coupled with decades of budget cuts carried out by governments of all political parties against public health, making it harder for workers and their families to access free and timely healthcare. Routine immunisation relies on staffed local public health units, outreach programs, schoolbased clinics and surveillance systems. Budget and staff cuts destroy that capacity. Health worker shortagesin large part caused by repeated cuts to real wages and conditionsreduce capacity for outreach into vulnerable communities. Similarly, declining real wages and increasingly insecure employment across the working class have made it more difficult for parents and carers to take time off for clinic visits. Underfunded schools and overstretched teachers are less able to enforce or support vaccination catchups. The decline in measles vaccinations from 2021 did not immediately see increased cases in Australia, but this was likely due to the decreased rates of international travel and thus reduced exposure to overseas measles between 202023. However, as global travel returns to and exceeds pre-pandemic levels, and governments continue to slash public health measures with criminally reckless abandon, a phenomenon of growing transmission of infectious diseases, including measles, is being observed. Record outbreaks of measles have occurred globally in the past two years, in every inhabited continent. In 2023, the most recent year for which global statistics are available, there were 10.3 million cases of measles, 20 percent more than in 2022. The increased numbers also reflect a decline in global vaccination, as inaction by governments during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions to vaccination and surveillance programs. Between 2020 and 2022, at least 60 million measles vaccine doses were postponed or missed due to COVID-19 disruptions. Global vaccination coverage dropped from 84 to 81 percent in just one year, 2020 to 2021the lowest rate since 2008. The WHO has estimated that, as a result, global measles cases rose by 18 percent and deaths by 43 percent between 20212022. These figures highlight the international nature of the problem and tasks that confront the working class. The resurgence of measles, a disease that should have been globally eliminated decades ago, is yet another indictment of the capitalist system. A scientifically based program to eliminate measles and other diseases, based on providing free, high-quality healthcare globally, and defending and expanding public health measures such as mass immunisation, will not occur under capitalism. What is required is the development of a global mass revolutionary movement of the working class to fight for a political alternativea socialist program to rebuild society around human need rather than private profit. Forty years ago, on December 16, 1985, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) suspended its British section, the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP). We are reposting below two documents, the resolution of the ICFI on the suspension and a statement adopted the following day. For the background and significance of these documents, see 40 years since the suspension of the Workers Revolutionary Party from the ICFI. These documents and others related to the split are collected in The ICFI Defends Trotskyism: 1982-1986. See also How the WRP Betrayed Trotskyism: 1973-1985 *** Resolution of the International Committee of the Fourth International on the Suspension of the Workers Revolutionary Party December 16, 1985 The interim report of the International Control Commission has revealed that the WRP has carried out an historic betrayal of the ICFI and the international working class. This betrayal consisted of the complete abandonment of the theory of permanent revolution, resulting in the pursuit of unprincipled relations with sections of the colonial bourgeoisie in return for money. These unprincipled relations were concealed from the ICFI which was consistently lied to for almost a decade. The interim report of the Control Commission has revealed the following: (1) That two months prior to any discussion of work in the Middle East leaders of the WRP signed a secret agreement with the Libyan Jamahiriya which was never reported to the ICFI. (2) That more than I million pounds was raised from reactionary and non-proletarian forces which was not reported to the ICFI. (3) That the WRP supported the execution of 21 members of the Iraqi Communist Party in 1979. The principal architect of these betrayals was G. Healy, aided by A. Mitchell and V. Redgrave. However, the political responsibility for the nationalist degeneration which allowed these practices to be carried out rests with the entire leadership of the WRP. WRP leaders blocked discussion of differences on the partys political line both in the British section and in the International Committee. The ICFI does not seek to blame any individual leader but holds the entire leadership responsible. In order to defend its principles and integrity, the ICFI therefore suspends the WRP as the British section until the calling of an emergency Congress of the ICFI no later than March 1, following the 8th Congress of the WRP. That emergency ICFI Congress upon hearing the full report of the Control Commission on all the facts concerning these unprincipled relationships, will determine the relationship between the ICFI and the WRP. In the meantime the ICFI calls on all leaders and members of the WRP to loyally collaborate with the IC Control Commission, to make available all files and records so that it can complete its report, and to defend all the principles of the ICFI in accordance with its democratic centralist practice. Revolutionary Communist League of Sri Lanka Socialist Labour League of Australia Liga Comunista of Peru Bund Sozialistischer Arbeiter of West Germany Workers League of North America Statement of the International Committee of the Fourth International December 17, 1985 1. In expelling G. Healy, the International Committee repulsed and defeated the most serious attack on the program and principles of Trotskyism since the 1953 struggle against Pablo and successfully defended the historic continuity of the Fourth International as the World Party of Socialist Revolution. 2. Contained in this struggle is the reassertion of the programmatic foundations of Trotskyism, embodied in the International Committee as the sole historically-established leadership of the World Party of Socialist Revolution founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938. These foundations are: the decisions of the First Four Congresses of the Communist International (1919-1922); the Platform of the Left Opposition (1927); the Transitional Program (1938); the Open Letter (1953); and the documents of the struggle against the bogus SWP-Pabloite reunification 1961 -63). 3. G. Healy and his clique failed to destroy the ICFI. The struggle initiated within the IC between 1982 and 1984 against Healys subjective idealist distortions of Marxism and his repudiation of the Theory of Permanent Revolution has been vindicated by the rebellion within the ranks of the WRP against Healys abuse of authority which led ultimately to his expulsion on October 19, 1985 from the WRP. The objective source of Healys degeneration and class betrayals was his capitulation to the pressure of British imperialism, which found its most naked expression in his rejection of proletarian internationalism. His rejection of revolutionary defeatism during the Malvinas War, his cowardly and unprincipled refusal to defend the IRA, his support for the execution of Iraqi and Iranian communists were inseparably bound up with his treacherous abuse of the International Committee and its sections. 4. In the aftermath of Healys expulsion and of the renegades who supported him, led by A. Mitchell and S. Torrance, the ICFI and the WRP pledge to re-educate and re-arm all the cadres of the world movement on the principles and program of Trotskyism. We re-affirm our implacable hatred of Stalinism, from which our movement is separated by a river of blood. Alongside the social-democratic bureaucracies, Stalinism is the principal agency of imperialism within the international workers movement, counter-revolutionary through and through. 5. We stand for the political revolution against the degenerated and deformed Stalinist bureaucracies as a component part of the World Socialist Revolution. The Political Revolution is inseparably bound up with the unconditional defense of the USSR, China, Vietnam and the deformed workers states of E. Europe against imperialism. 6. While defending the semi-colonial masses against the onslaught of imperialism, we stand at all times for the independent revolutionary mobilization of the proletariat, based on the strategy of Permanent Revolution, through the construction of new sections of the ICFI. While preserving the right to enter into tactical agreements, strictly defined, with representatives of semi-colonial bourgeois regimes and national liberation movements for the purpose of advancing the struggle against imperialism, we defend at all times the independence of the proletarian party and its strategy. 7. The ICFI and the WRP reaffirm the historical correctness of the struggle against Pabloite revisionism upon which the continuity of the Fourth International, preserved and embodied in the International Committee, is based. As the national committee of the Socialist Labour League stated in 1961, Pabloite revisionism does not represent and cannot be regarded as a trend within Trotskyism. In its origins Pabloism represented a capitulation to the pressures of world imperialism upon the Trotskyist movement. The full historical significance of its counter-revolutionary role was established in 1964, with the entrance of the Sri Lankan LSSP into the bourgeois coalition government of M. Ban-daranaike. Moreover, the public repudiation of the Theory of Permanent Revolution by the US SWP and its defense of the Stalinist doctrine of the two-stage revolution again vindicates the principled stand taken by the International Committee in 1963. In all parts of the world, the building of sections of the Fourth International under the leadership of the International Committee is bound up with an implacable struggle against the Pabloite enemies of Trotskyism. 8. The ICFI and the Central Committee of the WRP shall now work closely together to overcome as quickly as possible the existing problems which are the legacy of the nationalist degeneration of the WRP under Healy, to reassert the basic principles of internationalism within the WRP, and on this basis restore its full membership in the International Committee of the Fourth International. The organizational structure of this relationship shall at all times be based on the Leninist principles of democratic centralism, which are elaborated in the statutes of the Fourth International. Elevenlabs AudioNative Player Forty years ago, on December 16, 1985, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) suspended its British section, the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP). It did so in response to the report of its International Control Commission, which revealed, as the resolution suspending the WRP explained, that the WRP has carried out an historic betrayal of the ICFI and the international working class. As the Control Commission proved on the basis of numerous previously unknown documents, the WRP had completely abandoned the Theory of Permanent Revolution, resulting in the pursuit of unprincipled relations with sections of the colonial bourgeoisie in return for money. The suspension of the WRP was preceded by a deep crisis in the British section. On June 30, 1985, Aileen Jennings, Gerry Healys personal secretary, denounced the long-time WRP leaders abuse of female cadres in a letter to the Political Committee. Healy, Cliff Slaughter and Mike Banda attempted to cover up the scandal and conceal it from the ICFI and the membership. Central Committee member Dave Hyland, who demanded an investigation by the WRP Control Commission, was subjected to massive pressure. Cliff Slaughter, Gerry Healy, and Mike Banda But the crisis could no longer be contained. The party split in a bitter struggle in which both sidesthe supporters of Healy and the supporters of Banda and Slaughtersought to prevent a discussion of the political causes of the crisis. The International Committee, which was only informed of the crisis in October, refused to support either of the warring factions. It condemned Healys abuse of power and therefore expelled him from its ranks on October 25. But it insisted that the cause of the crisis in the WRP was not, as Slaughter and Banda claimed, Healys personal misconduct, but the long-standing opportunist and nationalist degeneration of the entire leadership. The IC based its criticism of the WRP on clearly defined programmatic and principled issues that the Workers League in the US had raised three years earlier. David North, the national secretary of the Workers League, had presented a comprehensive critique of the WRPs theoretical concepts and political line in 1982 and 1984. He criticized the British section for having moved, during the 1970s, closer and closer to the nationalist and opportunist positions of Pabloism, which it had vigorously opposed in the 1950s and 1960s. Healy, Slaughter andafter some initial hesitationBanda suppressed Norths criticism, prevented its discussion in the entire ICFI and threatened to expel the Workers League if it persisted. The ICFIs first statement on the crisis in the British section, issued on October 25, 1985, clearly states that while the crisis erupted with the exposure of the corrupt practices of Healy, at its root was the prolonged drift of the WRP leadership away from the strategical task of the building of the world party of socialist revolution towards an increasingly nationalist perspective and practice. The ICFI proposed to re-register the membership of the WRP on the basis of an explicit recognition of the political authority of the ICFI and the subordination of the British section to its decisions. It also established an International Control Commission to investigate the events in the WRP. Healy and his supporters in the WRP, the Greece section led by Savas Michael, and small and inexperienced group in Spain had by this time broken off all contact with the ICFI and refused to accept the authority of any meeting not convened by Healy himself. Savas Michael proclaimed that Healy was a historic leader whose authority could not be challenged. Slaughter and Banda agreed to the ICFIs proposal because they were too weak to openly oppose the International Committee in front of the WRP membership. On October 27, an extraordinary conference of the WRP unanimously accepted the ICFIs proposal. But neither Slaughter nor Banda were prepared to accept subordination to the authority of the International. Slaughter, who had played a decisive role in suppressing the criticism by the Workers League and had attempted to block a control commission into Healys abuses in the summer of 1985, now used the sex scandal to prevent discussion of the political issues raised. On November 26, at a public meeting in London attended by leading Stalinists and revisionists, Slaughter denounced the investigation Security and the Fourth International, which the ICFI had initiated to uncover the background to Trotskys assassination. He set the WRP on a course toward collaboration with Stalinists, Pabloites and other bitter enemies of Trotskyism. On December 16, the ICFI met to discuss the report of the International Control Commission, which had been established against the initial opposition of Slaughter and Banda. The WRP was represented at this meeting by Slaughter, Simon Pirani, Tom Kemp, and, as representative of the minority that supported the ICFI, Dave Hyland. David North, Peter Schwarz (Bund Sozialistischer Arbeiter of West Germany), Keerthi Balsuryia (Revolutionary Communist League of Sri Lanka), Nick Beams (Socialist Labour League of Australia) and other representatives were present on behalf of the ICFI. The Control Commission presented its interim reportbased on an examination of the secret internal documentswhich meticulously exposed the unprincipled relations that had been established by the WRP leadership, behind the back of the ICFI, with several bourgeois regimes in the Middle East. Had the International Committee not insisted on the investigation, the documents and the relationships they exposed would have remained concealed and unknown. The ICFI majority responded to this report by presenting a resolution which called for the suspension of the WRP. The majority rejected the claim of Slaughter that Healy bore sole responsibility for the betrayal of the British section. The resolution stated that the political responsibility for the nationalist degeneration which allowed these practices to be carried out rests with the entire leadership of the WRP. The resolution continued: WRP leaders blocked discussion of differences on the partys political line both in the British section and in the International Committee. The ICFI does not seek to blame any individual leader but holds the entire leadership responsible. In order to defend its principles and integrity, the ICFI therefore suspends the WRP as the British section until the calling of an emergency Congress of the ICFI no later than March 1, following the 8th Congress of the WRP. The resolution passed with the support of the international delegates and David Hyland. Slaughter, Kemp and Pirani voted against the resolution. The meeting of the ICFI resumed the following day, December 17. Slaughter and Kemp sought to disrupt the meeting by conducting themselves in the most provocative manner. Kemp, who normally acted as an absent-minded professor, resorted to directing explicitly racist insults at Keerthi Balasuriya. Comrade Keerthi ignored Kemps provocations. The International Committee majority explained that the suspension of the WRP was necessary in order to make clear that the ICFI would not tolerate the betrayal of political principles by a section regardless of its size. It presented a second resolution that placed the suspension in the appropriate historical and political context. Contained in this struggle is the reassertion of the programmatic foundations of Trotskyism, embodied in the International Committee as the sole historically-established leadership of the World Party of Socialist Revolution founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938. These foundations are: the decisions of the First Four Congresses of the Communist International (1919-1922); the Platform of the Left Opposition (1927); the Transitional Program (1938); the Open Letter (1953); and the documents of the struggle against the bogus SWP-Pabloite reunification 1961 -63). The resolution further stated: The ICFI and the WRP reaffirm the historical correctness of the struggle against Pabloite revisionism upon which the continuity of the Fourth International, preserved and embodied in the International Committee, is based. As the national committee of the Socialist Labour League stated in 1961, Pabloite revisionism does not represent and cannot be regarded as a trend within Trotskyism. In its origins Pabloism represented a capitulation to the pressures of world imperialism upon the Trotskyist movement. The full historical significance of its counter-revolutionary role was established in 1964, with the entrance of the Sri Lankan LSSP into the bourgeois coalition government of M. Ban-daranaike. Moreover, the public repudiation of the Theory of Permanent Revolution by the US SWP and its defense of the Stalinist doctrine of the two-stage revolution again vindicates the principled stand taken by the International Committee in 1963. In all parts of the world, the building of sections of the Fourth International under the leadership of the International Committee is bound up with an implacable struggle against the Pabloite enemies of Trotskyism. Finally, the resolution presented the conditions upon which the WRP could be readmitted to the ICFI: The ICFI and the Central Committee of the WRP shall now work closely together to overcome as quickly as possible the existing problems which are the legacy of the nationalist degeneration of the WRP under Healy, to reassert the basic principles of internationalism within the WRP, and on this basis restore its full membership in the International Committee of the Fourth International. The organizational structure of this relationship shall at all times be based on the Leninist principles of democratic centralism, which are elaborated in the statutes of the Fourth International. Slaughter, Kemp and Pirani voted against the resolution. They were not prepared to affirm the programmatic foundations of the ICFI. Seven weeks earlier, the WRP Congress had unanimously decided to re-register its membership on the basis of recognition of the political authority of the ICFI, but now they categorically rejected this authority. This was the last meeting of the ICFI in which representatives of the WRP participated. In the weeks that followed, the WRP swung rabidly to the right, rejecting the political authority of the ICFI. On February 7, 1986, its newspaper Workers Press published Mike Bandas anti-Trotskyist diatribe, 27 Reasons Why the International Committee Should Be Buried Forthwith, to which David North responded in the book The Heritage We Defend. On February 8, Slaughter and Pirani called the police to bar ICFI supporters from the WRPs Eighth Congress. ICFI supporters would have had a majority at the Congress if delegates had been elected according to the criteria established in October. They subsequently founded the new British section of the ICFI. As a Trotskyist organization, the WRP was finished. It splintered into numerous groups, all of which turned away from Trotskyism in the following years. Slaughter became an anarchist; Banda denounced Trotsky and Trotskyism within weeks of the split with the ICFI, proclaimed his admiration of Stalin, and became a supporter of Kurdish nationalism. Pirani repudiated Trotskyism and made a career as an academic. For the Fourth International, the suspension of the WRP marked a historic turning point. It was the culmination of the long struggle that the International Committee had waged against Pabloite opportunism since 1953. Now, after 32 years, the Trotskyists finally had reestablished control of the Fourth International. A flowering of Marxism followed. The cadre reappropriated the rich theoretical and historical heritage of the ICFI, analyzed the objective changes underlying the crisis of the WRP, and thus prepared for the restoration of capitalism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. While the entire petty-bourgeois left reacted to the dissolution of the Soviet Union with a wave of renunciationism, declaring socialism a failure and making its peace with capitalism, the ICFI drew entirely different conclusions. The collapse of the Stalinist regimes was only the sharpest expression of the irreconcilable contradiction between the international character of the world economy and the nation state, on which both capitalism and Stalinism, with its perspective of socialism in one country, are based. It ushered in a new epoch of violent crises, wars and revolutionary struggles, in which the perspective of permanent revolution defended by the ICFI would play the decisive role. The International Committee based all its work on this understanding. In the mid-1990s, it transformed its sections from leagues into parties, in recognition of the qualitative degeneration of the old national organizations and a corresponding change in the relationship of the Fourth International to the working class. In 1998, the ICFI founded the World Socialist Web Site as the authentic voice of international socialism. And on December 12, the WSWS presented Socialism AI as a groundbreaking application of cutting-edge technology for the political education and mobilization of the international working class. Against this background, the historical significance of the events of 40 years ago becomes clear. The process of clarification within the revolutionary party anticipates the orientation of the masses in great revolutionary struggles. As a result of its principled intervention in the crisis of the WRP, the ICFI was able 40 years ago to set the course for the building of a truly international Trotskyist world party that corresponds to the global character of the modern working class. Under conditions of a deepening crisis of world capitalism, the Fourth International, led by the International Committee, will emerge as the leadership of mass revolutionary struggles throughout the world. Russians at War director Anastasia Trofimova lived with soldiers for months [Photo: Russians at War PR Handout] As the US and NATO-instigated proxy war with Russia over Ukraine tilts dangerously toward a direct great-power clash and a potential nuclear catastrophe, broadening opposition to the war is finding expression in cultural productions. One of these is the documentary film Russians at War from Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova. The film does not undertake to explain the origins of the conflict in Ukrainethe soldiers interviewed do not themselves agree about the causes, and in her public comments the filmmaker does not fully address the issue. Nonetheless, in its rejection of the bogus narrative peddled by US imperialism and its Canadian and European allies of Putins unprovoked wara war which supposedly had no pre-history and erupted in February 2022 solely because of the greed and malevolence of the Russian aggressorTrofimovas film offers a refreshing look at the conflict. It makes clear that the war did not simply begin with the Russian invasion of February 2022, and gives voice to the ordinary Russian soldiers the western media has cast as brutes and worse, serving to humanize them. Beginning with the first US invasion of Iraq in 1991, which coincided with the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union in December of that year, the three decades preceding the Ukraine war saw an explosion of US imperialist aggressionUS-led and instigated wars in the Balkans, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia and NATOs expansion ever eastward, right up to Russias borders. The Western-sponsored far-right coup in Kiev in 2014 aimed to bring a US puppet regime to power in Ukraine and thereby intensify pressure on Russia. Canadian imperialism played a significant role in the coup, which prepared the way for the ongoing war aimed at reducing Russia to the status of a semi-colony of the imperialist powers. The views presented in Trofimovas documentary, on the whole, contradict the war propaganda of the Ukrainian ruling class and its imperialist allies, highlighting the deeply felt unity of the Russian and Ukrainian working people who have been set against each other in contradiction to their interests. It was undoubtedly for this reason that the North American premiere of the film at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival became the occasion for a government-spearheaded witch-hunt against the filmmaker and her work. The push to censor and suppress the film was led by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, a notorious anti-Russian war-hawk whose beloved grandfather was a leading Ukrainian Nazi collaborator. Trofimovas body of work is distinguished by a genuine compassion for the victims of imperialist aggression and war. Her film work has taken her to some of the most devastated regions of the globe, including Syria, the Congo, Iraq and the Balkans, among others. This latest documentary is a serious and candid chronicle of the war seen from inside the ranks of the Russian military. The films impact was evident when it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, receiving a reported five-minute standing ovation. Its North American debut was targeted by the far-right Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which succeeded, with the support of the Liberal government and corporate-controlled media, in delaying the movies screening for a week. Ukrainian Canadian Congress organized protest against the screening of Russians at War at the Toronto International Film Festival Denied official permission from the capitalist restorationist Putin regime to make the documentary, or even media credentials, Trofimova managed to carry out filming in semi-secret with the tacit cooperation of various military units she encountered. Careful not to expose her subjects to government victimization, she treads a fine line. The result is an insightful view of the conflict that reveals the thoughtful, yet conflicted, and often confused and disoriented views held by the Russian people about this war. On a train in Moscow on New Years Eve, 2022 we meet a man in a Santa Claus outfit who is on his way home to his family. Ilya is a supply driver on leave from the front to whom the film will return throughout the ensuing year. We soon learn Ilya is in fact a Ukrainian who has chosen to fight on the side of Russia in the war. For me, the war didnt start in 2022. It started in 2014that was the beginning of the Civil War, roughly speaking, in Ukraine, he says. Ilya is from Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in a region currently controlled by Russia. Unlike many of his comrades, he joined the military voluntarily after his house and business were bombed in 2014 by Ukrainian forces. He has since had his tour repeatedly extended and without pay, leaving him increasingly cynical and embittered. Traveling with a medical unit, we are given heartbreaking pictures of the war, particularly bleak against the mid-winter backdrop of destroyed cities and towns. Images of the devastation are captured in affecting montage accompanied by poignant string compositions from composer Amine Buahafa. Asked why they are fighting this war, the soldiers respond with a mixture of patriotic declarations and a good deal of contradictory confusion. While one soldier insists they are only there for the money, another gravely counters that he is fighting for his children so they wont have to. As the year progresses and the bitter reality of losses and consequences take their toll, the soldiers consideration of the conflict shifts to a deeper, more critical phase. Skepticism is openly shared regarding the official justifications for the war, with a general questioning of whose interests are actually being served. Interspersed with scenes of devastation, we hear from the soldiers, who are individually or grouped casually in squalid quarters between mobilizations. The mood is somber, peppered with gallows humour, but these men are emotionally devastated by the deaths and maiming of their comrades, and the many horrors they have witnessed. At the same time, many of those who speak profess a genuine sympathy, and even solidarity, with the Ukrainian people, questioning ruefully how those who so recently were their brothers and sisters are now their enemy. We see an inscription on a bridge that is translated as dedicated to the eternal Russian Ukrainian friendship. Despite a limited understanding of the conflicts origins, both military and civilian witnesses offer some clear and even enlightened reflections. Cartoon, a 20-year-old APC driver emphatically declares at one point that he is fighting against Nazism. In saying this, he is echoing a semi-official Russian government justification for the war. The Zelensky regime rests on and is rife with far-right forces that celebrate the fascist Nazi collaborator Stefan Bandera and his Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. However, Putins claims to be fighting Nazism are self-serving and utterly disingenuous. His own regime makes Great Russian chauvinist appeals and courts the far right, and like that of Zelensky, represents a corrupt oligarchy that gorged off of capitalist restoration and the misery and social regression it produced. The APC driver Cartoon then tempered his previous remark with a statement animated by human solidarity: People, theyre all the sameit doesnt matter what nation or what religionwe are all people. And then there are Nazis. He goes on, We got into a fight with Ukraine, but I dont feel Im right You hear the majority of Ukrainians hate Russians. Why, I cant understand. On the way to the front, a group of soldiers sleeps in an abandoned Soviet nuclear bunker. The people who created the USSR must be turning in their graves now because it has all been destroyed, he adds. Remnants of the Soviet era are evidentan abandoned text with the portrait of Lenin lies on the floor. Ilya reflects somberly, All the heritage that united us was being destroyed by Western nationalists. But for me, the ties between Russia and eastern Ukraine transcend all borders that appeared after the collapse of the USSR. I just remember how we lived together beforeRussia and Ukraine were always inseparablethat brotherly union, I miss it. In contradictory and limited fashion, vestiges of the cultural conquests inherited from the first workers state are imparted in such expressions of heartfelt camaraderie that transcend nationalist affiliations throughout the film. Still from Russians at War A number of scenes stand out. Anchar, a 21-year-old medic sits smokingnearly everyone smokesand says, Our ancestors and descendants will know about this. What will they think of this shit? A supporter of the war at first, her view has shifted when we see her nextpregnant on New Years Day 2024. She will never talk to her child about war, because 90 percent of it is lies He wont understand that some people at the top are making money and others diehow do you explain that to a child? Asked about alleged war crimes by the Russian military, a young soldier denies the possibility. We kind of invadedmaybe not of our own free will We were a bit wrong. Theyre a bit wrong. This whole war is like a stagnant gonorrhea. Its not here or there, he comments. An elderly woman is receiving supplies for the 26 inhabitants still stuck in her village, unable to leave for lack of money or transport. We werent bombed today, but yesterday they bombed behind the raspberries and before that behind the kitchen, she says, showing the craters from the blast and the cellar where she and her son have sheltered for the past year. You see when I went to school we had a portrait of Lenin hanging over the blackboardit said study, study, study. Ukraine is against Lenin! We should be friends in peace. I was used to it. I studied it. I believed in it all. She is unsure of the cause of the war but says she thinks it started when America got involved to push Ukraine to join NATO. Vitaly is a 37-year-old cook and believes that the war has been artificially prolonged because it benefits someone. We dont want war. We dont want to kill or die. Some of the soldiers are not being paid, even while their families at home are threatened with eviction for nonpayment of rent. Often repeated is the regret that, had the soldiers known what they were in for, they would not have signed up. The films most devastating moments are unvarnished and grisly. Over the radio, we hear the chilling real-time exchange where a soldier, Cat, kills himself after being surrounded and severely wounded rather than be captured. This is followed by footage from a captured drone showing a wounded man scrambling before being finished off by a final hail of bullets. Russian at War concludes with a sequence of scenes showing survivors grieving war casualties. At a church funeral of an infantry soldier, 49-year-old Tinguswe recognize some of the mourners and intimately feel their loss. Trofimovas film sheds welcome light on the basic humanity of the soldiers caught up in this war and underscores their genuine wish to return to the peace and unity they once knew. However, without a serious examination of the historical and political roots of the conflict, a way out of this quagmire for the combatants on both sides remains an elusive hope. This examination must above all include the lessons to be drawn from the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union, which was the culmination of its betrayal of the program of world socialist revolution that guided the working class to power in 1917. Bitcoin mining firm Hut 8 is the latest crypto infrastructure company to lock in large-scale, Google-backed financing, as miners increasingly pivot toward artificial intelligence data centers to offset post-halving pressure on their core business. On Dec. 17, Hut 8 announced it had signed a 15-year lease agreement valued at $7 billion with cloud infrastructure firm Fluidstack for 245 megawatts of IT capacity at its River Bend data center campus in Louisiana. The agreement includes a financial backstop from Google, which guarantees lease payment obligations for the base term. The deal ranks among the largest AI-focused infrastructure commitments ever made by a publicly listed Bitcoin miner and comes as investor enthusiasm pushes Hut 8 shares sharply higher. Related: What is Bitcoin mining? Explained Hut 8 stock surges on AI infrastructure deal Hut 8 stock jumped nearly 4% in regular trading on Dec. 16, closing at $36.85, before surging more than 21% in premarket trading the following morning to $44.60. The stock is now up roughly 79% year to date. While Google is involved, it is not leasing the data center, nor is it operating Bitcoin mining or AI workloads at the site. Instead, Google is providing a financial backstop that guarantees lease payments and certain pass-through obligations for the 15-year base term. In simple terms, Google is acting as a co-signer. River Bend reflects the strength of Hut 8s power-first, innovation-driven development model, validated by the world-class counterparties we are executing alongside, Hut 8 CEO Asher Genoot said in the companys press release. This Agreement is the result of disciplined, patient execution as we focused on securing the right transaction, not just the first. The lease includes three five-year renewal options that could lift the total contract value to approximately $17.7 billion. Fluidstack also holds a right of first offer for up to an additional 1,000 megawatts of future expansion capacity at the site, subject to power availability. More News: Hut 8's deal with Google explained "Think of this like building a giant shopping mall in the 1990s," told one pseudonymous crypto analyst when asked to explain the deal. Hut 8 is the developer that wants to build the mall. Fluidstack is the company that agrees to rent a huge chunk of space for the next 15 years. But instead of trusting just the renter, the bank asks: What happens if this tenant cant pay? By Phoebe Seers and Kirstin Ridley LONDON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - A race among banks to adopt agentic AI, which can make decisions and take autonomous action, runs new risks for retail customers, said Britain's financial watchdog, which is pledging to ensure their interests are not sidelined. AI 'agents' could revolutionise how people budget, save and invest, for example by moving idle cash into higher-yield accounts or adjusting portfolios in response to market swings. More from Yahoo Scout Which UK banks are testing agentic AI applications? What risks does agentic AI pose to retail customers? What is agentic AI and how does it work? What systemic risks could multiple AI agents create? Unlike generative AI, which produces text, code or images based on human prompts, agentic AI is touted as the next big opportunity for companies because it can plan, make decisions, execute tasks, learn and adapt based on set goals. Britain's NatWest, Lloyds and Starling told Reuters they are working with the FCA as they prepare for retail-customer trials, in a major shift from banks' existing back-office usage. HITTING THE MARKET IN 2026 Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Chief Data Officer Jessica Rusu expects early consumer-facing applications to hit the market "in earnest" early next year. "Everyone recognises that agentic AI introduces new risks, primarily because of ... the ability for something to be done at pace," Rusu told Reuters. The autonomy and speed at which the AI acts and interacts with other agents magnify risks relating to financial stability and governance. The FCA will apply rules such as the senior managers regime and the consumer duty to hold bosses responsible for wrongdoing and ensure customer interests are put first, Rusu said. BRITISH BANKS LEAD PILOTS Research firm Gartner predicts that 40% of all financial services firms will be using AI agents by the end of 2026. However, it also expects that more than 40% of agentic AI projects across industries will be axed by the end of 2027 as a result of escalating costs and unclear business value. British banks lead European rivals in trialling AI agents for customer-facing tasks, partly because of the FCA's approach which includes an AI sandbox for firms in the experimental phase and a recently announced live testing initiative, for those ready to roll out new AI applications to UK financial markets. Meanwhile, the European Union's AI Act, which aims to foster responsible development and deployment in the bloc, has created uncertainty about how agentic AI in finance will be treated. U.S. banks including JP Morgan are using agentic AI for back-office work. JPMorgan declined to comment on plans to deploy virtual banking agents for customer-focused actions. The Airbus logo can be seen behind a model of the Eurodrone during the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Sebastian Gollnow/dpa European aerospace and defence company Airbus SE announced Wednesday that it has won a 30-million ($35.25-million) deal from a European agency. The framework contract is from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) services for multipurpose maritime surveillance with the Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system. These services will enhance coastguard missions by offering extended coastal range and long-endurance capabilities, including search and rescue operations, fisheries control and environmental protection, as well as detection of illicit maritime activities, the company said. The initial framework contract is for two years with a provision for two additional one-year option periods, bringing the maximum potential delivery time frame up to four years, Airbus said. Service is set to start in 2026, and operations will be performed by French service provider Extensee, Airbus said. The Flexrotor surveillance capabilities will support the national competent authorities of EU member states, Norway and Iceland, as well as relevant EU institutions. Under this contract, the Flexrotor systems can be deployed in two operations in parallel with take-off sites within any participating country, with the flexibility to add supplementary parallel operations if requested, the company added. Currently, Airbus shares are trading at 192.14, down 0.42% on the Paris Stock Exchange. Twelve years after her decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy in 2013, Angelina Jolie is publicly showing her scars from the operation in order to raise awareness about breast health and breast cancer prevention. During an interview with Time France, Jolie was asked why she chose to reveal the results of her procedure. I share these scars with many women I love, the Oscar winner told the publication, which shared a preview of its feature with the full interview set to release on Dec. 18. And Im always moved when I see other women share theirs. I wanted to join them, knowing that TIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention, and knowledge about breast cancer. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement In an op-ed piece for The New York Times in 2013, titled My Medical Choice, Jolie shared that she carries a faulty gene, BRCA1, which doctors estimated put her at an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. Jolie whose mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 at 56 after being diagnosed with cancer completed procedures for the mastectomies on April 27 that year. I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy, wrote Jolie at the time. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they dont need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer. In March 2015, Jolie said that as a preventive step against developing ovarian cancer, she also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. Jolie stars in Alice Winocours upcoming movie Couture, in which she plays an American filmmaker who discovers she has breast cancer in the middle of Paris Fashion Week. My mother was ill for years. One evening, when she was being asked about her chemotherapy, she became very emotional and told me she would have preferred to talk about something else; she felt as though the illness was becoming her entire identity, Jolie told Time France. I love this film because it tells a story that goes far beyond the journey of a sick person: it shows life. It was this luminous perspective that touched me and made me want to play this role. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Angelina Jolie has appeared on nearly every major magazine over the course of her career, but her latest cover is unique for a highly personal reason. For the first time, Jolie publicly revealed her double mastectomy scars. Jolie, 50, stars on the inaugural cover of Time France this week. The portrait, taken by photographer Nathaniel Goldberg, shows small scars on her breast from the preventive surgery she underwent in 2013. I share these scars with many women I love, the Oscar-winning actress told the magazine. And Im always moved when I see other women share theirs. Angelina Jolie attends the Jolie also opened up about her role in Coutures, directed by French filmmaker Alice Winocour, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Advertisement Advertisement In the film, she plays Maxine Walker, an American director diagnosed with breast cancer. The plot closely mirrors her own life; Jolie, who has directed four feature films herself, carries a faulty BRCA1 gene, which puts her at a far greater risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer than the rest of the population. Jolie lost her mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, to complications from breast and ovarian cancer in 2007, at the age of 56. During filming, Jolie told the magazine, she wore her late mothers jewelry, noting that the pieces contain her mothers ashes. Angelina Jolie (C) pictured with her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, and actress Jacqueline Bisset at the 'Original Sin' premiere in 2001. / LUCY NICHOLSON / AFP via Getty Images My mother was ill for years, Jolie said in the interview. One evening, when she was being asked about her chemotherapy, she became very emotional and told me she would have preferred to talk about something else; she felt as though the illness was becoming her entire identity. Jolie underscored the importance of access to cancer screening, particularly for women whose genetic or family histories put them at greater risk. Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices, she said. The actress has advocated for access to cancer screening and treatments for over a decade. In a May 2013 New York Times op-ed, she publicized her decision to have a preventative double mastectomy, sharing in the hopes that other women would understand that screening via a simple blood test was available. Two years later, she would undergo surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes as well. Advertisement Advertisement Before her surgeries, Jolie said her doctors estimated that she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman. After, she said, her risk of developing cancer plummeted below 5 percent. After Jolie went public with her story, doctors reported that more women sought testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, a phenomenon dubbed "The Angelina Effect." Angelina Jolie, shortly after undergoing preventative surgery, attends the 'World War Z' premiere in London on June 2, 2013. / Fred Duval / FilmMagic Time France published its cover, accompanied by an abbreviated version of Jolies interview and behind-the-scenes video, on Monday. But the publication noted that a full version of the interview wouldnt be available until the issue arrived on newsstands on December 18. It is unclear whether additional portraits of Jolie will appear in the print issue. While Time Frances new cover is Jolies first time allowing her scars to be photographed by a media outlet, she briefly mentioned them 12 years ago. In the 2013 New York Times op-ed, she described her childrens reactions: It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars, and thats it. Karoline Leavitts up-close photo suggests she might be one step closer to a full Mar-a-Lago makeover. In Vanity Fairs bombshell profile of Trumps inner circle, the 28-year-old White House press secretary, whom the outlet labeled The Mouthpiece, seemed to show injection sites along the vermilion border of her lips, a visual nod to the nickname. Its surprising to see somebodys face have those sort of dark marks, said Sam Escobar, senior editor of the Daily Beasts beauty, health, and wellness site, The Looker. Leavitt was seen up close and personal in Vanity Fair's new issue. / Christopher Anderson/Vanity Fair I do think that they were trying to maybe disguise it a bit, Escobar pointed out, referring to the lip gloss coating Leavitts lips. Instead, it had the opposite effect, and it just led it to have more of a highlighter effect, and thats why it looks even more dramatic, she continued. Advertisement Advertisement Social media users made similar observations after Vanity Fair posted the close-up photo of Leavitt, taken by photographer Christopher Anderson, to its official Instagram page. Karoline Leavitt posing for Vanity Fair alongside other Cabinet members of the Trump administration. / Christopher Anderson / Vanity Fair The injection marks from the lip filler, one user commented with laughing emojis on the post, with more users chiming in. Why would they use a pic like this? another user replied, prompting a third to add: Intentionally. The Daily Beast has contacted Andersons representatives for comment on the photographs, but has received no immediate response. The photograph isnt the first time this month that attention has been given to Leavitts lips. Beautiful face and those lips that dont stop-op-op-op, like a little machine gun, During a speech in Pennsylvania earlier this month, President Donald Trump, 79, paused his speech on the economy to comment on Leavitts beautiful face and those lips that dont stop-op-op-op, like a little machine gun. Advertisement Advertisement Since Trumps return to the White House in January, plastic surgeons in Washington, D.C., have said theyve seen more clients seeking the Mar-a-Lago facea look that board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Lisiecki told HuffPost is characterized by overfilled cheeks, full lips, and taut, smooth skin, which some say also includes a full face of makeup. The Daily Beast has been unable to verify whether any of those accused of having a Mar-a-Lago face, including Matt Gaetz, Laura Loomer, Kristi Noem, and nowat an early stageLeavitt, have turned to plastic surgeons or other cosmetic enhancements. Plastic surgeons in Washington, D.C., have said theyve seen more clients seeking the Mar-a-Lago face. Laura Loomer is another MAGA supporter who some have claimed has a She does appear in this interview to have enhanced fullness of her upper and lower lips, Dr. Jennifer Harrington, a board-certified plastic surgeon and adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota, told the Daily Mail, commenting on Leavitts plump-looking lips during a September Fox News interview. Harrington suspected that the press secretary had lip filler injected, adding that the subtle appearance of Leavitts lips in the interview clip felt like she had a natural-looking boost with just 0.5 to 1ml of filler per lip. Advertisement Advertisement When you first get your lips done, they can look unevenit takes a little bit to settle, said Escobar, noting that bruising and swelling can often be present right after lips are injected with filler. I would be guessing that either it was done recently or shes just a slow healer, she added. In an interview with The Looker, Dr. Dara Liotta, a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in New York City, suggested that fillers are best done at least three months before a major event where someone will be photographedsuch as a wedding or, in this case, a Vanity Fair photo shoot. What I probably would have done is put concealer all over her lips and then use lip liner, and then put dark lipstick on her, Escobar said. Unlike Vice President JD Vance, who joked hed pay $100 for every person you make look really s--tty compared to me, on the cover photo of the Vanity Fair issue, Leavitt did not appear to request dark lipstick or concealer. The Daily Beast has contacted Leavitts representatives for comment regarding the alleged lip injection marks in the photograph, but received no immediate response. By Utkarsh Shetti and Federico Maccioni DUBAI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Qatar is banking on its abundant, low-cost energy to make up for lost time in the Gulf's artificial intelligence race, hoping that cheap power and deep pockets will help it catch up with regional rivals that have already secured a head start. More from Yahoo Scout How does Qatar's AI investment compare to regional competitors? What challenges could hinder Qatar's AI ambitions? What advantages does Qatar have in the AI race? What role do U.S. export controls play in Qatar's AI strategy? The launch of Qai, backed by the country's $526 billion sovereign wealth fund and a $20 billion joint venture with Brookfield, marks Qatar's most ambitious move yet into a sector that is reshaping global technology and economics. It joins massive investments in Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, as part of the region's broader efforts to diversify away from oil revenues. But while energy advantage is a powerful lure for hyperscalers - the cloud giants such as Google, Microsoft and Meta driving AI adoption - analysts say the Gulf's ambitions face structural hurdles that go beyond infrastructure. OBSTACLES To become significant players in AI, Gulf states must navigate a thicket of challenges: replicating Western-style data governance, securing scarce advanced chips under U.S. export controls, and attracting top-tier talent in a fiercely competitive global market. These factors, rather than capital alone, will determine whether the region can translate its financial firepower into meaningful influence in the AI ecosystem. "The key component there we believe would be Qatar's ability to emulate the American policy on data privacy laws ... when you look around the world at the moment, the single biggest hindrance to significant AI deployment is the regulatory piece," said Stephen Beard, global head of data centres at Knight Frank. Qatar has disclosed few details about Qai, but its timing reflects surging demand for AI infrastructure as companies bet on the technology to drive efficiency and cut costs. "The compute demand is so massive that any new infrastructure buildout in an energy-abundant Qatar that fronts financing is welcomed news for American hyperscalers ... In this phase of the AI buildout, there's room for multiple players, said Mohammed Soliman, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. However, analysts warn that capturing hyperscaler demand will require sustained investment and policy alignment over many years. "We expect $800 billion to be spent on the AI data centre buildout in the Middle East over the next two years," said Dan Ives, analyst at Wedbush. CHEAPER ELECTRICITY Qatar's competitive edge lies in its low-cost electricity, which could offset the region's high cooling costs in a desert climate. Emirates NBD notes Middle East PUE ratings - a measure of data centre energy efficiency - average 1.79 versus 1.56 globally. Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan revealed Tuesday that his family roots trace back to Shreveport, Louisiana and Hope, Arkansas, during a red carpet appearance at the Critics Choice Association's 8th Annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. "My dad's side of the family is from Shreveport, Louisiana and my mom's side of the family is from Hope, Arkansas so having a family history and lineage from the south is something that was always there," Jordan told a reporter for The Root. "I guess realizing and contextualizing a bit that the movie we were making, somehow, is basically my grandparents' story also. You only really realize that your grandmother and grandfather you only know them as older people but you forget [that] they were 25 too, having a good time and deal with the harsh reality of the Deep South, Jim Crow era and how they were trying to find a piece of freedom and a piece of themselves along the way." "I think this idea of this movie was channeling a lot of my own family heritage and lineage a little bit," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Jordan made the remarks while answering questions about "Sinners," his latest award-winning and nominated Southern Gothic horror film, which is set in 1932's Mississippi Delta and explores themes of Black cultural identity, spirituality and racial oppression. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his dual performance as twin brothers in the film, portraying criminals who return to their hometown and are forced to confront a supernatural evil. Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinson and on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Michael B. Jordan has deep family roots in Shreveport, Hope NEED TO KNOW Helena Haforsdottir OConnor has announced her resignation from her role as Miss Universe Iceland, after claiming she was removed from the Miss Universe competition without her consent while she was undergoing treatment for food poisoning O'Connor claims that she contracted food poisoning weeks before she was slated to compete in Miss Universe, and that despite receiving assurances from Miss Universe Organization representatives that she would be able to compete, she was still withdrawn from the competition The Miss Universe Iceland organization denies that O'Connor was removed from the competition without her consent Helena Haforsdottir OConnor has announced her resignation from her role as Miss Universe Iceland, after claiming that the Icelandic national pageant director withdrew her from the Miss Universe competition without her consent while she was undergoing treatment for food poisoning. In a statement posted to her Instagram on Dec. 15, the Icelandic beauty queen shared that she considered the contract between her and the Miss Universe Iceland organization to be "terminated," revealing that she would be relinquishing her title of Miss Universe Iceland 2025. After winning the Miss Universe Iceland pageant on April 3, O'Connor won the right to compete on behalf of Iceland in the Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Thailand on Nov. 21. "However, unfortunately things took a quick turn when I got severe food poisoning and was pulled out of the competition," the beauty queen alleged in her statement. Going on, O'Connor claimed that after contracting food poisoning, the national director of the Iceland pageant organization unlisted her from Miss Universe without her consent. O'Connor claims the national director did so "despite the fact I had made an arrangement with the Miss Universe Organization that I could get time to get better and despite my family's pleas to the national director to let me get better so I could stand a chance at competing." Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to PEOPLE, the Miss Universe Iceland organization "categorically" denied the claim that OConnor was "removed, unlisted, or otherwise withdrawn from the Miss Universe competition without her consent." "Ms. OConnor independently and unequivocally communicated her decision to withdraw from the competition, and that decision was respected and acted upon accordingly," it said. Miss Universe Iceland also claimed that it "is in possession of direct written communications from Ms. OConnor that clearly evidence her intent to withdraw." PEOPLE has not independently reviewed the communications. Furthermore, the Miss Universe Iceland organization went on to claim that the Miss Universe Organization had "confirmed and acknowledged" O'Connor's withdrawal at the time. Now, O'Connor is also claiming that she is being asked to pay a penalty for not competing in Miss Universe, despite the move to unlist her from the pageant allegedly being made without her consent. "After I returned home from Bangkok I was not sure how events would develop, but in a strange meeting recently I was informed that if I intended to continue my reign as Miss Iceland, I would need to pay a penalty for not competing in Miss Universe in Thailand," she wrote. O'Connor also wrote that her inability to compete in Miss Universe is "solely my fault and now I need to pay for that, whether I stay or go." "I find this profoundly strange as I was fighting for my health, fighting to stay in the competition, at the time when they pulled me out, knowing perfectly well this was my dream and I was doing my best to recover," she wrote. O'Connor went on to claim that the organization had "completely broken our contract, by not only depriving me of my opportunity I had earned and worked for but also by demanding payments from me with no grounds to do so if I wanted to keep my titles." In its statement to PEOPLE, the Miss Universe Iceland organization clarified its stance on the alleged penalties that O'Connor was referring to. "With respect to contractual matters, there is no penalty being imposed for Ms. OConnors non-participation in the Miss Universe competition," it said. "However, as outlined in her existing agreement, certain obligations remain applicable to any individual who retains the Miss Iceland title. These contractual duties are standard, non-punitive, and unrelated to her decision to withdraw from Miss Universe." On Nov. 8, nearly two weeks out from the Miss Universe pageant competition, the Miss Universe Iceland organization released a statement announcing O'Connor's withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant, which read: "We would like to thank you all for your kind messages and concerns. Miss Universe Iceland 2025, Helena O'Connor, has been ill for the past few days. She is thankfully recovering but we are devastated to announce that, due to personal reasons, she has made the difficult decision of withdrawing from the Miss Universe competition in Thailand. We want to thank the Miss Universe Organization for their understanding and we wish all the delegates the best of luck." However, O'Connor seemingly refuted the statement in her recent resignation announcement, claiming that while the national organization did consult her regarding the statement they sent out, the prepared statement read as though "I had myself withdrawn from the competition, which I profoundly refused, as that was not the case." "I was still very sick at the time but I ended up telling them just to do what they thought was best, as long as it would entail that I had taken seriously ill," she wrote of the Nov. 8 statement. However, the Miss Universe Iceland organization wrote to PEOPLE that the public statement issued "accurately" reflected her position at the time. "Ms. OConnor was firm and explicit in her decision to withdraw, and at no point did Miss Universe Iceland misstate or misrepresent her wishes," it said. O'Connor also claimed that she had been "forbidden" from speaking about her illness in her Instagram post; however, the Miss Universe Iceland Organization has said that "this characterization is inaccurate." "At no point was Ms. OConnor prohibited from discussing her health privately, including with friends or family," it wrote. "Rather, Miss Universe Iceland requested that public communications related to the situation be coordinated jointly, consistent with standard protocol for titleholders and organizations, particularly while facts were still being clarified." The organization also said that it had expressed a desire to meet with O'Connor in person prior to issuing or approving any further public statements going forward, but that such meeting "could not take place immediately, as Ms. OConnor was traveling abroad on a personal holiday with her family and partner in Thailand." "Accordingly, Miss Universe Iceland requested that public communications be paused until she had returned home and an in-person discussion could occur," it wrote. PEOPLE has reached out to the Miss Universe Organization for comment. Concluding her statement on Instagram, O'Connor said that she could see "no way of being able to continue to work under these circumstances and I refuse to have my voice silenced." "Furthermore, I could not in good conscience crown the next Miss Iceland, to suffer like I have," she said. "Pageantry may provide various opportunities if it is done with respect. However, this is my warning to those who want to follow this path, to be careful. It may hurt more than you can possibly imagine, even from the most surprising direction." Rob Kim/Getty Helena O'Connor. Helena O'Connor. News of O'Connor's resignation comes after the Miss Universe pageant was embroiled in controversy in the weeks leading up to and after the competition. A heated confrontation between a contestant and a pageant executive, numerous judges dropping out of the pageant days before and allegations of misconduct with scoring all marked the days leading up to the eventual crowning of Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch as 2025's Miss Universe. O'Connor is not the only beauty queen who has renounced her title in recent months. Olivia Yace, who placed in the top five at Miss Universe 2025, resigned from her titles of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, which she received during the competition just a few days after, on Nov. 24. Advertisement Advertisement "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." Read the original article on People A Trump administration official knew that Vanity Fairs bombshell profile was unlikely to land well the moment the magazines photographer assembled the top brass for the glossy cover shoot. Were all going to get fired for this, said one of the officials in the group, which included Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chiefs of Staff James Blair and Dan Scavino, and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller. Except for me, replied Vice President JD Vance. I have 100 percent job security. JD Vance joked he had The formal photo, taken by Vanity Fair photographer Christopher Anderson, shows Leavitt, Vance, Rubio, Wiles, Blair, Scavino, and Miller, posed stoically around a table in the Roosevelt Room. Advertisement Advertisement In a piece on how Vanity Fairs cover photo came together, Global Editorial Director Mark Guiducci detailed how Vance, 41, fired off nervous jokes and insults at the publication and his fellow administration officials throughout the proceedings. A two-page spread shows the administration officials looking stoic in stark black-and-white. / Christopher Anderson/Vanity Fair Is this the part where you say were all evil? he grilled the publication as the officials posed together. Earlier in the shoot, he joked, Ill give you $100 for every person you make look really s---ty compared to me. And $1,000 if its Marco. The administrations apparent misgivings about Vanity Fairs profile proved to be well-founded. Wiles said that Trump has While Vance, Leavitt, Rubio, Blair and Miller made it through the profile without sparking much controversy, Wiles gave shockingly candid interviews about the chaos within the administration. Advertisement Advertisement Wiles, whom Rubio said has an earned trust with Trump, said the president has an alcoholics personality," called Vance a conspiracy theorist, accused former DOGE head Elon Musk of being an avowed ketamine [user], and called Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought a right-wing zealot. Wiles' stunning quotes made her the subject of rumors she's on her way out of the White House. / Christopher Anderson/Vanity Fair Wiles, 68, immediately attempted to distance herself from the piece, saying, The article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history. Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story. I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team, she added. Susan Wiles photographed for the Vanity Fair profile. / Christopher Anderson/Vanity Fair Leavitt stood behind Wiles, saying to the Daily Beast, President Trump has no greater or more loyal adviser than Susie. The entire administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her. The piece suddenly made Wiles the center of rumors that shes on her way out of the White House. Such speculation has also dogged FBI Director Kash Patel, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jessi Ngatikaura revealed husband Jordan Ngatikaura blackmailed her over her affair which came as a surprise to Marciano Brunette. "It's not something I was aware of," Marciano, 32, exclusively told Us Weekly about the revelation Jessi made. "It was news to me." Marciano also clarified his recent claim that Jordan, 30, accused them of having a second affair earlier this year, telling Us, "That was in May right before season 2 was coming out. ... I think my brother will be friends with Jordan, but I don't know about me. Time heals all, so maybe?" Advertisement Advertisement The Vanderpump Villa star acknowledged that he would be "very triggering" for Jordan after Marciano's emotional affair with Jessi, 33. Vanderpump Villa Star Marcianos Alleged Affairs With Mormon Wives Demi and Jessi Explained "It's always going to be salt in the wound for him. If he's willing to overcome it then I think he knows I'm open to it. Because I have told him that he's a really good dude," Marciano noted. "At least to me, he's a really nice guy. I like him a lot." He concluded: "So I never say never. I've come to terms with it but I hope [we can mend things]. I would really like to because all the DadTok guys are awesome." Disney/Christopher Willard Hulu viewers saw Marciano and Jessi confess to their emotional affair during season 3 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. After the episodes aired in November, Jessi revealed she wasn't separated from Jordan when he found out about Marciano. Advertisement Advertisement The reason I left was because we had been dealing with the affair for about six months behind closed doors. No one knew. During those six months, it got worse than it ever had. He was blackmailing me. He was threatening to send my texts out to Marciano to the world, she claimed on "The Viall Files" podcast, noting that it was addressed on the show but didnt make the final edit. Anytime I did anything he didn't agree with, he had it on his TikTok drafts and he was like, I'm going to post it. Jessi continued: It was so toxic. I remember the day I left him, it got to a point where he was recording me and he's taunting me and I was chasing him around the house. We were just screaming at each other. It was so bad. Jessi confirmed she was still living with Jordan when her affair with Marciano began. Mormon Wives Jessi and Husband Jordan Ngatikauras Relationship Timeline After Affair Reveal Advertisement Advertisement When me and Jordan were dealing with this alone, he said to me, If anyone ever finds out, we need to say we were separated because then it's less of a big deal. I remembered Jordan telling me that's how he wanted me to handle this if anyone found out, she recalled. He ended up saying, If this is going to come out, we have to tell the truth. In his own tell-all, Jordan addressed his perspective. "I actually never meant it. It was just to cry for help, he claimed. Hurt people, hurt people. I was literally just trying to like, Be sorry for what you did. Be sorry [and] love me. I'm anxious over here. Give me something. Marciano, meanwhile, weighed in on both Jessi and Jordan's claims about their issues. "When you're told something, obviously I was very sympathetic to Jessi. But seeing it is way different," he told Us. "I think just seeing it all in general, I was like, 'Oh, now I can really understand what you guys were going through.' It's a really difficult situation and it was tough to watch. I felt like I obviously played a huge hand and not making it look good for either of them. Hence why I've since said I live with regret by doing that." Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo are back together again for an upcoming film, Heist of Benin. Variety reports that DuVernay will direct Oyelowo for the first time since DuVernays 2014 film Selma. Written by screenwriter Jesse Quinones, Heist of Benin is described as a thriller that intertwines art, love and restitution. Oyelowo will also produce via Yoruba Saxon. The film was announced on Tuesday during Canal+s presentation in Paris. Oyelowo said in a statement that Heist of Benin is the perfect story for he and DuVernay to reunite for. Advertisement Advertisement Ava and I have been looking for the right story to tell together again. Heist of Benin is that story, he said. Its thrilling and high-powered with deeply resonant themes that matter to us both. What Ava DuVernay says about reteaming with David Oyelowo DuVernay also said, Reuniting with David in this way feels full circle. This film speaks to history, identity and love, all through the lens of a high-stakes, modern adventure. Im thrilled to bring it to life with him and Studiocanal. We are delighted in reuniting this dynamic creative duo on Heist of Benin and cannot think of a better filmmaker than Ava to bring this captivating, timely, heist-thriller to life, said Anna Marsh, CEO of Studiocanal and Canal+s chief content officer and deputy CEO. Advertisement Advertisement Endurance Medias Steve Richards and Jake Katofsky will also produce with Lisa Bruce from Yoruba Saxon and Quinones. The post Ava DuVernay And David Oyelowo To Reunite For The First Time Since Selma With Heist Of Benin Thriller appeared first on Blavity. Now that the shortlists have been unveiled for the upcoming 98th Academy Awards, it's time to start trying to figure out which movies will actually score a nomination. This can be most difficult to do for the three short-film categories. But calm down, dear reader, because we at Gold Derby got you covered! Below you'll find the 15 shortlisted titles for Best Documentary Short along with descriptions as well as embedded video and/or links to view them if available. Some of the topics that are covered by this year's semifinalists are looking at the empty rooms of children who were victims of school shootings, a glimpse of the life of the first American journalist killed covering Russia's war against Ukraine, the director of operations for an Atlanta abortion clinic, and the story behind one of the most iconic photographs taken during the Vietnam War. More from Gold Derby Advertisement Advertisement Here is your 2026 Oscars Best Documentary Short cheat sheet, arranged alphabetically: "All the Empty Rooms" A reporter and photographer embark on a years-long journey that aims to document the empty bedrooms of children who have killed in school shootings. Director Joshua Seftel was nominated in this category in 2022 for Stranger at the Gate. This short can be viewed on Netflix. "All the Walls Came Down" Director Ondi Timoner documents the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires that consumed her neighborhood and the new relationships that are born out of the tragedy. Timoner was nominated for an Emmy in 2023 for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking for Last Flight Home and for a Grammy in 1998 for Best Long Form Music Video for "They Wanted the Highway." "Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud" A look at the life of filmmaker Brent Renaud, who became the first American journalist to be killed while reporting on the war between Russia and Ukraine. Renaud and his brother, Craig Renaud, are listed as directors and the pair won a Murrow Award in 2012 and were nominated at DGA in 2005 for Best Documentary for Off to War. You can watch this short on HBO Max. Advertisement Advertisement "Bad Hostage" Stories of kidnappings connect with the family events of director Mimi Wilcox and reveal the true origins of Stockholm Syndrome. Wilcox received an Emmy nomination last year for Best Nonfiction Picture Editing for Escaping Twin Flames. "Cashing Out" The short examines the gay-death-profiteering industry that arose during the height of the AIDS epidemic when many queer people sold their life insurance policies in order to get fast cash. This short can be viewed below or through The New Yorkers YouTube page. "Chasing Time" Photographer James Balog has captured some of the most striking visual evidence of climate change affecting our planet. He returns to Iceland to conclude the last chapter of his life's work. Codirector Jeff Orlowski-Yang won an Emmy for Best Nonfiction Writing for The Social Dilemma back in 2021 and was also nominated for directing that film. The short can be watched through PBS. "Children No More: Were and Are Gone" A group of peace activists from Israel hold silent vigils in Tel Aviv to show the horrendous cost of the country's war in Gaza despite facing huge public backlash to their actions. Director Hilla Medalia has won numerous journalism awards including a Peabody along with being nominated for several News and Documentary Emmy Awards. Advertisement Advertisement "Classroom 4" A history professor leads a group of students, half of whom are incarcerated and half of whom are free, in a class called The History of Crime and Punishment in the United States. You can watch this short through the PBS website. "The Devil is Busy" The director of operations for an abortion clinic in Atlanta must take necessary risks in order to protect the clinic's staff and patients from protesters. Directed by both Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton, Gandbhir has won two Emmy Awards for Best Nonfiction Picture Editing: When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts in 2007 and By the People: The Election of Barack Obama in 2010. This short can be viewed on HBO Max. "Heartbeat" Shot 25 years ago, the short documents how filmmakers Stephanie Rapp and Jay Rosenblatt navigate the complex journey to becoming parents. Rosenblatt has been nominated in this category twice: When We Were Bullies in 2021 and How Do You Measure a Year? in 2022. "Last Days on Lake Trinity" Three friends who live in a trailer park thats scheduled for closure navigate trying to fight eviction and find new homes with humor, empathy and strength. The short can be watched below or through the YouTube channel of The New Yorker. "On Healing Land, Birds Perch" It tells the story behind the iconic Vietnam War photo showing General Loan shooting a Communist Vietcong soldier, Captain Lem. Advertisement Advertisement "Perfectly a Strangeness" In an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an astronomical observatory and the universe as well. Alison McAlpines short screened at this years Cannes Film Festival where it was nominated for the Best Short Film Palme dOr. "Rovina's Choice" A woman tries to save her daughter from starvation as the film explores the real-life implications from the shutdown of USAID codirectors Thomas Jennings and Annie Wong have both been nominated and won several News and Documentary Emmy Awards. You can watch the short below or through the YouTube channel of The New Yorker. "We Were the Scenery" The story of how two people fleeing Vietnam by boat became extras in Apocalypse Now following their arrival in The Philippines. The short won the Short Film Jury Award for Nonfiction at this years Sundance Film Festival. You can watch it below or on Vimeo. Note: AMPAS only listed the titles of the shortlisted short films, and no other distinguishing details (i.e., director or plot description) were provided, so there's a chance that some of these plot synopses may be incorrect. If you're part of a publicity team for one of the shortlisted titles and notice that the film's plot does not match its title, please contact us and we will make the correction. Best of Gold Derby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Phil Lesh performs as Phil Lesh & Friends during the Great South Bay Music Festival at Shorefront Park on July 22, 2023 in Patchogue, New York. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images) The life and career of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh will once again be celebrated with a series of concerts at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. Phils son Grahame Lesh has announced dates for Unbroken Chain: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Phil Lesh. The shows will take place March 12-15, on what would have been Phils 86th birthday weekend. Phil celebrated several birthdays onstage at the Capitol Theatre, including his 84th birthday in March 2024. He passed away that October. Grahame held the first Unbroken Chain shows in March 2025. Advertisement Advertisement We had a beautiful, emotional celebration at the Cap last March, which established such a beautiful new tradition at a place that has become like a 2nd home for my dad and my family in the past 13 years or so, Grahame wrote on Instagram. Im so grateful to all of these beautiful musicians on these lineups - my dads friends (& Friends!), bandmates, collaborators, and this year some wonderful musicians who never got to play with my dad but are an integral part of keeping this music moving forward. This years lineup includes Dead & Companys Oteil Burbridge, North Mississippi Allstars' Luther Dickinson, guitarist Daniel Donato and Gooses Rick Mitarotonda. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time. Proceeds from the shows will benefit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Last years concerts raised over $250,000 for charity. Copyright 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Pedro Becerra/Redferns No matter which side of the fence you sit on, adoring every move they make or loathing the fact that they are frontrunners for the new generation, it is undeniable that Sleep Token have had an exceptional 2025. From the release of their fourth full-length album Even In Arcadia, which topped charts in both the UK and the US on release, not to mention in Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Canada, New Zealand and Australia too, to their spine-tingling headline performance at Download Festival, they have further cemented their place as one of the world's biggest bands. Letting the music speak for itself in an insatiable world of their own creation, blurring the lines between lore and real-life emotions, their efforts have allowed them to push outside of the rock and metal remit, with institutions such as The New York Times even granting them their coveted Best Song of 2025 Award for Caramel. Those just jumping on the ST train may still be surprised by just how influential they have become within the world of heavy music. But for those who have been with them since the beginning, they know exactly why this has come to pass. Just ask their manager, Ryan Richards. Speaking to Music Week for their end-of-year analysis of trends, he says much of it comes down to letting the art take the front seat and letting everything else fall into place as it should. By crafting something so immersive without ever telling the audience what any of it is precisely pointing towards, it has meant that more people have been able to find themselves within what the band are doing. That's especially true when it comes to Even In Arcadia, it seems. For us, the key has always been letting the art lead. Sleep Token havent built their world through traditional media or personality-led activity its all been about creating something immersive that people feel part of. The intention behind the music, the visuals, and the live experience all works together and invites a global audience in without ever compromising who they are. Ryan also notes that, despite this approach, cracking the US as a UK band is still a major achievement. A practice that has been attempted, triumphed and failed by many of the country's prime exports, he feels as though the success of Sleep Token in the States, personified by shows on their Autumn headline tour over there selling out in minutes after going on sale, is a sign of things to come for other bands that sit in the heavy spectrum. Breaking internationally is not easy for UK acts at the moment, particularly in the rock space, so seeing this project connect so strongly across the US and Europe has been incredibly satisfying," he adds. Scoring No.1 albums in both the US and UK felt like a major moment not just for the band, but for heavy music more broadly. It shows that if you build something authentic and distinctive, the audience will follow. And in looking forward to 2026, it is that hunger that seems to be driving more and more acts to have their moments in the sun. One look at the GRAMMY nominations, in which Sleep Token feature in Best Metal Performance with Emergence and Best Rock Song with Caramel, and you will see that Spiritbox, Turnstile and YUNGBLUD, to name a trio, are also experiencing the same sort of surge. Ryan states that it sets a great foundation for other bands to make their move, and puts it down to the fact that people are actually searching for something new, not just clinging onto what they liked in the past. Looking ahead to 2026, the opportunity is there if we keep investing in artist development, live infrastructure and giving fans meaningful experiences," he finishes. The audience for heavy music is absolutely growing younger listeners are discovering rock and metal in big numbers, and theyre engaging with it in the same way they do with any major genre. It feels like expansion, not nostalgia." When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Netflix; Shutterstock Not every great TV obsession needs to stretch across multiple seasons or demand a 10-plus episode commitment just to get going. Sometimes, you want a story that knows exactly where its headed, wastes no time getting there, and actually has a satisfying ending. Thats where thriller miniseries really shine. With tight runtimes, focused storytelling, and (usually) no filler episodes, they deliver the same suspense and twisty moments as long-running shows, just without the burnout. Theyre perfect for those weekends when youre craving something gripping but dont want to sign up for a months-long binge. Advertisement Advertisement Whether youre between shows, short on time, or simply in the mood for a fast, intense watch, Netflixs thriller miniseries lineup proves that less really can be more. Here are three of the best Netflix thriller miniseries you can easily binge-watch in one weekend. Ripley (2024) Its unfortunate that Ripley never reached the level of viewership it arguably deserved when it arrived in 2024. According to Netflixs own figures, the series only climbed as high as sixth place in the global top 10 during its second week before quietly dropping out of the rankings. Created by Steven Zaillian, the show offered a fresh take on Patricia Highsmiths The Talented Mr. Ripley, expanding the story into a sleek, eight-episode noir that favors atmosphere and tension over speed. While the pacing is deliberately unhurried, its the kind of slow burn that rewards patience. Ripley follows Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), a struggling con artist in early 1960s New York who is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy and persuade his wayward son to return home. Once in Italy, Ripley becomes enamored with the glamorous lifestyle and social circle of the son hes sent to find. Once absorbed into their world, he begins methodically remaking himself, manipulating relationships and situations to secure the life he wants. Episodes: 8 Rotten Tomatoes score: 86% Watch "Ripley" on Netflix now Behind Her Eyes (2021) Its best to start Behind Her Eyes with as little prior knowledge as possible. The series may seem slow to get going initially, but sticking with it pays off. By the finale, this limited Netflix show transforms into a compelling binge that leaves a lasting impression, and you might find yourself reflecting on earlier episodes, spotting hints and details you may have overlooked. The brilliance of writers Steve Lightfoot and Angela LaManna lies in how they shape the series to feel familiar at first, only to upend expectations as it unfolds. Advertisement Advertisement Behind Her Eyes follows Louise (Simona Brown), a single mother working parttime in a psychiatrists office who meets and quickly becomes involved with her new boss, David (Tom Bateman), after a chance encounter. When she also strikes up an unexpected friendship with his wife, Adele (Eve Hewson), Louise finds herself drawn deeper into their complicated lives. Episodes: 6 Rotten Tomatoes score: 63% Watch "Behind Her Eyes" on Netflix now The Beast in Me (2025) One of Netflixs most popular releases in November, The Beast in Me has continued to hold a place in the platforms top 10, and its easy to see why. The series is designed to keep viewers hooked, with episodes frequently ending on striking moments that practically demand another click of next. The mystery thriller brings Claire Danes back together with Homeland creator Howard Gordon, recapturing the addictive quality of their earlier work. The Beast in Me centers on acclaimed author Aggie Wiggs (Danes), who has retreated from public life after the loss of her young son and struggles with writers block. Her routine is upended when wealthy real estate developer Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys) moves in next door a man once suspected in his wifes disappearance. Intrigued, Aggie becomes increasingly involved with him and decides to focus her next book on his story, drawing her deeper into his world. Advertisement Advertisement Episodes: 8 Rotten Tomatoes score: 83% Watch "The Beast in Me" on Netflix now Google News Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Italy is still one of the most beautiful countries on Earth, but its most famous cities often feel overwhelmed by their own popularity. Rome and Florence remain stunning, yet endless lines, packed piazzas, and streets dominated by tour groups can drain the joy out of even the most anticipated trip. For many travelers, the dream of slow espresso mornings and peaceful evening walks gets lost in the noise. Whats often forgotten is that Italys true magic stretches far beyond its headline destinations. Across the country are cities just as rich in history, food, and atmosphere, but far less crowded. These places offer a version of Italy where daily life still comes first, beauty feels natural, and visitors are welcomed rather than processed. Bologna Image Credit: Shutterstock. Bologna feels deeply authentic, a city where history and everyday life exist side by side. Its medieval center is famous for miles of porticoes that shade the streets, creating an atmosphere that encourages wandering rather than rushing. The buildings are worn in a beautiful way, shaped by centuries of real use rather than preservation for show. Advertisement Advertisement Food in Bologna isnt designed for visitors, its designed for locals who care deeply about tradition. This is the birthplace of tagliatelle al ragu and tortellini, and the difference is immediately obvious. Meals are generous, unpretentious, and affordable, with markets and trattorias buzzing with real daily activity. What sets Bologna apart is balance. Its lively without being chaotic, cultural without being overwhelming. Museums, churches, and historic towers are easy to enjoy, and the city never feels like its competing for your attention. Lecce Image Credit: Shutterstock. Lecce is visually breathtaking, yet remarkably calm. Its Baroque architecture glows in warm tones, turning even quiet side streets into works of art. Unlike Florence, where beauty is often surrounded by crowds, Lecces elegance feels spacious and unforced. Life here moves at a southern rhythm. Afternoons slow down, conversations linger, and evenings revolve around strolling and socializing rather than schedules. Cafes and restaurants cater to locals first, keeping prices reasonable and experiences genuine. Advertisement Advertisement Lecce also benefits from its surroundings. Olive groves, small villages, and two coastlines sit nearby, making it easy to combine city life with nature, all without the pressure of mass tourism. Turin Image Credit:Shutterstock. Turin is elegant in a quiet, confident way. Once Italys first capital, it carries itself with restraint rather than drama. Wide boulevards, arcaded streets, and historic cafes give the city a refined atmosphere that never feels performative. Culturally, Turin rivals Italys biggest cities. Its museums are world-class, yet they remain calm enough to explore without stress. You can stand still, read, and absorb, a rare experience in Italys more famous destinations. Daily life in Turin feels grounded. Coffee culture is taken seriously, meals are deliberate, and the nearby Alps provide easy access to nature, adding to the citys sense of balance. Verona Image Credit : Shutterstock. Veronas reputation often stops at Romeo and Juliet, but the city itself offers far more depth. Roman ruins, medieval bridges, and Renaissance palaces create a layered historic center that feels cohesive rather than crowded. Advertisement Advertisement Unlike Florence, Verona allows space to breathe. Streets and piazzas remain walkable even in peak seasons, and attractions can be enjoyed without navigating dense crowds. The city feels aware of its heritage without being consumed by it. Evenings in Verona are especially memorable. Locals gather along the river, wine bars fill slowly, and the citys charm reveals itself through atmosphere rather than spectacle. Perugia Image Credit:Shutterstock. Perugia sits high above the Umbrian countryside, offering sweeping views and a deeply historic center. Etruscan walls and medieval streets give the city a sense of depth that feels earned rather than staged. As a university town, Perugia remains youthful and affordable. Restaurants serve locals, not tour groups, and cultural life feels organic. Music, conversation, and movement fill the city without overwhelming it. Advertisement Advertisement Perugias location makes it ideal for slow travel. From here, Umbrias vineyards, stone villages, and quiet landscapes are easily accessible, offering an Italy that feels intimate and untouched. Trieste Image Credit: Shutterstock. Trieste feels different from the rest of Italy, and thats exactly its appeal. Influenced by Central Europe, the city blends Italian warmth with Austro-Hungarian elegance, creating a unique cultural atmosphere. Coffee culture here is legendary, rooted in tradition rather than trends. Cafes are places to sit, think, and talk, not just grab a quick drink. The city encourages reflection and routine. Triestes position between sea and mountains gives it a sense of openness and calm. It remains uncrowded because it doesnt fit expectations, making it especially rewarding for curious travelers. Parma Image Credit: Shutterstock. Parma is refined without being showy. Its historic center is elegant and manageable, with art, music, and architecture woven seamlessly into daily life. Advertisement Advertisement Food defines the city, but without excess. Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto, and handmade pasta are everyday staples, enjoyed casually rather than celebrated loudly. Parma feels complete. Nothing competes for attention, and nothing feels missing. Its a city best appreciated slowly, through small moments rather than major attractions. Ravenna Image Credit: Shutterstock. Ravenna holds some of Italys greatest artistic treasures, yet remains astonishingly peaceful. Its Byzantine mosaics are breathtaking, and the absence of crowds allows for quiet, almost personal experiences. The city itself is flat and walkable, with a gentle rhythm shaped by bicycles, local cafes, and everyday routines. Ravenna feels contemplative rather than busy. Advertisement Advertisement Instead of overwhelming visitors, Ravenna invites stillness. Its beauty rewards patience and attention, not urgency. Bergamo Image Credit: Shutterstock. Bergamo is divided into a modern lower city and a medieval upper city perched above it. The upper city, surrounded by walls, offers panoramic views and timeless streets that feel suspended above the present. Despite its beauty, Bergamo remains calm. Visitors can explore churches, piazzas, and viewpoints without pressure, allowing the citys character to reveal itself naturally. Its proximity to the Alps adds another layer, making Bergamo ideal for travelers who want both cultural depth and access to nature. Lucca Image Credit: Shutterstock. Lucca is defined by its Renaissance walls, now transformed into a peaceful, tree-lined walkway encircling the city. Inside, streets remain quiet, elegant, and deeply livable. Advertisement Advertisement Unlike Florence, Lucca doesnt overwhelm the senses. Cafes feel local, churches feel serene, and daily routines take priority over spectacle. Lucca shows that Italys beauty doesnt require crowds. It offers a version of the country that feels calm, timeless, and genuinely welcoming. JBS N.V. (NYSE:JBS) is among the consumer defensive stocks to buy according to analysts. On December 11, Guilherme Palhares from Grupo Santander upgraded JBS N.V. (NYSE:JBS) to Outperform from Neutral, with a price target of $17, according to TheFly. This reflects potential upside of nearly 18% from the current price. Later on December 12, Reuters reported the permanent closure of JBS N.V. (NYSE:JBS)s facility outside Los Angeles. The facility, which prepares beef to sell at U.S. grocery stores, will shut down because of tight cattle supplies, lifting costs for meatpackers. This discontinuation of the Swift Beef Company facility will result in 374 jobs cuts, as reported by the states Employment Development Department. animal, beef, beefsteak, bone, butcher, butchered, butchery, carcasses, cow, flesh, food, fresh, hairnet, hanging, holding company, hygiene, leg, man, meat, muscle, premium, protein, raw, refrigerated, roast, side, slaughterer, slaughterhouse, worker Copyright: auremar / 123RF Stock Photo Just after ranchers brought the U.S. cattle herd down to the lowest level, beef prices set record highs. What made matters worse was the halt on U.S. imports of Mexican cattle, a step that reduced the supplies further. In light of this tension, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his efforts to lower beef prices for consumers and blamed meatpacking companies for manipulating the market to raise prices. On the contrary, a companys spokesperson denied that the closure was due to low cattle supplies, describing the closure as part of a strategic initiative to optimize its value-added and case-ready business and simplify operations across its network. JBS N.V. (NYSE:JBS) is a Netherlands-based protein and food company operating worldwide. Founded in 1953, the company provides beef, poultry, plant-based, and leather products. While we acknowledge the potential of JBS as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're 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: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Media coverage and travel advisories paint alarming pictures of countries plagued by violence, political instability, and lawlessness that would terrify any rational traveler. Yet behind the sensational headlines lies a surprising reality: many of these supposedly dangerous destinations treat tourists like precious commodities, surrounding visitors with protection, hospitality, and care that exceeds what they'd receive in traditionally "safe" countries. These nations understand that tourism represents crucial economic lifelines, creating powerful incentives to ensure visitor safety and satisfaction that often surpass security measures in popular European capitals. Egypt Image Credit: Shutterstock Egypt has transformed tourist protection into an art form following security challenges in the 1990s, creating one of the world's most comprehensive visitor safety networks. The country maintains both military and police protection that allows visitors to walk around towns safely even at night, with Egyptian people generally being very hospitable and friendly toward tourists. Advertisement Advertisement Tourist police with English-speaking officers are stationed at major sites and can be approached for assistance, while armed police guard temple entrances and hotels with visible security presence. The specialized tourist police force operates on a dedicated hotline (126) and provides services specifically designed for international visitors. Tour companies provide minimum two police escorts for guests, with all permits granted by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism ensuring comprehensive security measures. This level of protection far exceeds security available to tourists in most "safe" European destinations, where visitors navigate cities without dedicated protection services. The Egyptian government's economic dependence on tourism creates powerful incentives for visitor protection that result in security measures tourists rarely experience elsewhere. Tourism is central to Egypt's economy, and authorities put strong emphasis on protecting visitors with tourist police patrolling major attractions and security checks common at hotels, airports, and resorts. Jordan Image Credit: Shutterstock. Jordan treats tourists like visiting dignitaries through comprehensive security arrangements and cultural hospitality that stems from Bedouin traditions of guest protection. The Hashemite Kingdom maintains political stability specifically to preserve tourism revenue, creating environments where visitors receive protection typically reserved for VIPs. Advertisement Advertisement Tourist police throughout Jordan provide assistance in multiple languages while maintaining visible presence at archaeological sites like Petra and Jerash. The government's tourism strategy emphasizes visitor safety as national priority, resulting in security measures that exceed those available in most Western destinations. Jordan's strategic location requires careful balance of regional relationships, making tourist safety a diplomatic necessity rather than mere economic consideration. Visitors benefit from security arrangements designed to protect Jordan's international reputation and economic stability. The contrast between regional instability and Jordan's internal security creates surprising oases of calm where tourists enjoy protection and hospitality that feels almost surreal given surrounding geopolitical tensions. Morocco Image Credit : Shutterstock. Morocco's extensive tourism police network provides protection services throughout major destinations, from Marrakech's medinas to Sahara desert tours. The kingdom understands that tourist safety directly impacts national economy and international reputation, creating comprehensive visitor protection systems. Advertisement Advertisement Local communities in tourist areas receive economic benefits from visitor spending, creating natural incentives for protection and assistance rather than exploitation or hostility. Traditional Moroccan hospitality combines with modern security awareness to provide unique visitor protection. Government tourism initiatives include trained guides, regulated accommodation standards, and tourist-focused law enforcement that addresses visitor concerns as priority matters. These systems provide security infrastructure unavailable in many popular European destinations. The monarchy's direct involvement in tourism development ensures visitor protection receives high-level government attention and resources that create superior safety environments despite regional challenges. Colombia Image Credit: Shutterstock Colombia's transformation from conflict zone to tourist destination required comprehensive security improvements that now benefit international visitors through sophisticated protection networks. The government's tourism strategy prioritizes visitor safety to overcome negative international perceptions. Advertisement Advertisement Tourist police in major cities like Cartagena and Bogota provide specialized services including English-language assistance and rapid response to visitor concerns. These services reflect government commitment to tourism development that requires demonstrable safety improvements. Local communities in tourist areas have embraced economic opportunities from international visitors, creating natural protection networks where residents assist rather than exploit tourists. This community involvement supplements official security measures. Colombia's determination to rebuild international reputation creates visitor experiences where tourists receive attention and protection that surpasses typical South American destinations while enjoying authentic cultural experiences. Peru Image Credit:Shutterstock. Peru's tourism industry centers around Machu Picchu and other archaeological treasures that require sophisticated protection systems benefiting all international visitors. Tourist police throughout the Sacred Valley and Lima provide specialized services designed specifically for foreign travelers. Advertisement Advertisement The economic importance of tourism to Peru's economy creates government policies that prioritize visitor safety and satisfaction over typical law enforcement concerns. Tourist concerns receive immediate attention from authorities trained in international visitor assistance. Local communities along tourist routes understand their economic dependence on international visitors, creating natural incentives for protection and assistance rather than exploitation. This community involvement provides informal security networks that supplement official protection. Peru's tourism infrastructure includes safety measures and emergency services designed specifically for international visitors navigating high-altitude environments and remote archaeological sites. Guatemala Image Credit: Shutterstock. Guatemala's tourism renaissance required comprehensive security improvements that now provide international visitors with protection services exceeding those available in neighboring countries. Tourist police provide specialized assistance throughout major destinations. Advertisement Advertisement The contrast between Guatemala's challenging reputation and actual visitor experiences creates surprising security that benefits from low tourist density and high government attention to visitor safety. Tourist concerns receive immediate priority from local authorities. Local communities in tourist areas like Antigua and Lake Atitlan have economic incentives to protect and assist international visitors, creating informal security networks that supplement official tourism police services. Guatemala's determination to develop tourism industry creates visitor protection policies that prioritize international guests while preserving authentic cultural experiences. Nepal Image Credit: Shutterstock Nepal's tourism industry provides comprehensive support systems for international visitors navigating challenging mountain environments, from Kathmandu's cultural sites to Everest region trekking. Tourist police provide specialized mountain rescue and assistance services. Advertisement Advertisement The economic importance of tourism to Nepal's economy creates government policies that prioritize visitor safety through comprehensive guide training, route monitoring, and emergency response systems designed specifically for international travelers. Local communities throughout Nepal's trekking regions depend economically on international visitors, creating natural incentives for protection and assistance rather than exploitation. Sherpa and guide communities provide informal security networks that supplement official services. Nepal's Buddhism-influenced culture emphasizes guest protection and assistance, creating cultural foundations for visitor safety that combine with modern tourism infrastructure. Myanmar Image Credit: Shutterstock. Despite political challenges, Myanmar's tourism areas maintain sophisticated visitor protection through local communities and tourism operators who understand international visitor needs. Buddhist cultural emphasis on hospitality creates natural protection for foreign guests. Advertisement Advertisement Tourist areas in Bagan, Mandalay, and Inle Lake operate with local tourism police and community protection networks that prioritize visitor safety as economic necessity. These systems provide security that exceeds typical Southeast Asian destinations. Local communities in tourist areas receive direct economic benefits from international visitors, creating powerful incentives for protection and assistance rather than exploitation or hostility toward foreign travelers. Myanmar's determination to develop tourism industry creates comprehensive visitor support systems including trained guides, regulated accommodation, and tourist-focused emergency services. Ethiopia Image Credit: Shutterstock. Ethiopia's tourism development focuses on cultural and historical attractions that require sophisticated visitor protection systems. Tourist police provide specialized services for international visitors exploring ancient churches, archaeological sites, and tribal regions. Advertisement Advertisement The government's tourism strategy emphasizes visitor safety as prerequisite for industry development, creating protection services and emergency response systems designed specifically for international travelers. Local communities in tourist areas understand their economic dependence on international visitors, creating natural incentives for protection and assistance rather than exploitation. Cultural traditions of hospitality provide additional informal security. Ethiopia's unique cultural attractions and low tourist density create environments where visitors receive individual attention and protection from both authorities and local communities. Iran Image Credit: Depositphotos Iran's rich cultural heritage and sophisticated hospitality traditions create extraordinary visitor experiences despite international tensions. Tourist police and local communities provide protection and assistance that exceeds typical Middle Eastern destinations. The government's tourism policies prioritize visitor safety and satisfaction to counter negative international perceptions, creating comprehensive protection services for international travelers throughout historical sites and cultural attractions. Persian cultural traditions emphasize guest protection and honor, creating natural foundations for visitor safety that combine with modern tourism infrastructure and services. Local communities in tourist areas take personal responsibility for visitor safety and satisfaction, creating informal protection networks that supplement official tourism police services. Pakistan Image Credit: Shutterstock. Pakistan's northern regions provide extraordinary mountain tourism experiences with comprehensive visitor protection through local communities and tourism operators who understand international visitor needs. The contrast between international perceptions and actual visitor experiences creates surprising hospitality. Tourist police in major destinations like Lahore and Islamabad provide specialized services for international visitors, while mountain communities in Gilgit-Baltistan offer traditional hospitality and protection for trekkers and adventure travelers. Local communities throughout Pakistan's tourist regions depend economically on international visitors, creating natural incentives for protection and assistance rather than exploitation or hostility toward foreign travelers. Pakistan's determination to develop tourism industry creates comprehensive visitor support systems including trained guides, regulated accommodation, and emergency response services designed for international travelers. Rwanda Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch Rwanda's transformation into a model African destination required comprehensive visitor protection systems that now provide international tourists with sophisticated security and assistance services. The government's tourism strategy centers on visitor safety and satisfaction. Tourist police throughout Rwanda provide specialized services for international visitors, particularly those visiting mountain gorillas and other wildlife attractions that require coordinated protection and guidance systems. Local communities in tourist areas receive direct economic benefits from international visitors through controlled tourism development that creates incentives for protection and assistance rather than exploitation. Rwanda's determination to overcome historical challenges and build positive international reputation creates visitor protection policies that prioritize international guest safety while preserving authentic African experiences. The Paradox of Protection Image Credit: Shutterstock. These destinations demonstrate how perceived danger often correlates with heightened tourist protection rather than actual visitor risk. Countries with challenging international reputations must work harder to ensure visitor safety, creating comprehensive protection systems that exceed those in traditionally "safe" destinations. The economic importance of tourism to developing economies creates powerful incentives for visitor protection that result in specialized services, dedicated personnel, and community involvement unavailable in destinations that take tourism for granted. Understanding this paradox helps travelers recognize that media portrayals and travel advisories may not reflect actual visitor experiences in destinations that have developed sophisticated tourism protection systems to overcome negative perceptions and ensure economic benefits from international visitors. For adventurous travelers willing to look beyond headlines, these destinations often provide safer, more protected experiences than crowded European capitals where tourists navigate independently without specialized assistance or cultural protection traditions. Asia continues to attract budget-conscious travelers who want to explore diverse cultures, landscapes, and cuisines without spending large amounts of money. Even as global travel costs rise in 2025, many Asian countries still offer affordable accommodation, inexpensive transportation, and low-cost daily expenses for backpackers. The regions strong street food culture, extensive public transport networks, and backpacker-friendly infrastructure make it possible to travel comfortably on a tight budget. For long-term travelers, Asia remains one of the best places in the world to stretch money while enjoying rich and varied experiences. For backpackers, affordability alone is not enough, and the best destinations also offer safety, accessibility, and memorable experiences. Many Asian countries allow travelers to move slowly, stay longer, and explore deeper without financial pressure. From tropical beaches to mountain villages and ancient cities, budget travel in Asia offers remarkable diversity. These countries stand out in 2025 as the cheapest places to backpack without sacrificing quality of experience. Vietnam Image Credit:Shutterstock. Vietnam remains one of the most affordable backpacking destinations in Asia, where daily costs stay low thanks to cheap street food, budget guesthouses, and inexpensive transportation options that connect the entire country. Travelers can enjoy filling meals for just a few dollars, stay in clean and comfortable hostels, and move between cities using overnight buses or trains that save both money and time. Even popular destinations like Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City remain accessible to budget travelers willing to choose local options. This balance of affordability, comfort, and variety keeps Vietnam at the top of backpacker lists in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Beyond its low prices, Vietnam offers incredible value through its natural landscapes, historic towns, and vibrant city life that cost little or nothing to explore. Visitors can wander ancient streets in Hoi An, explore limestone karsts in Ninh Binh, or relax on quiet beaches without paying high entrance fees. Public transportation and shared tours allow travelers to reach remote areas without expensive private transport. Vietnams ability to combine rich experiences with consistently low costs makes it one of the smartest backpacking choices in Asia. Cambodia Image Credit: Shutterstock. Cambodia continues to attract budget travelers because it offers some of the lowest daily travel costs in Southeast Asia while still delivering unforgettable cultural experiences. Affordable guesthouses, cheap local restaurants, and low-cost transportation make it easy for backpackers to live comfortably on a small budget. Even in tourist centers like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, travelers can find budget-friendly accommodation and meals without sacrificing quality. This combination allows backpackers to stay longer and explore more without financial strain. Outside the main tourist areas, Cambodia becomes even cheaper and more rewarding for slow travelers. Quiet islands, rural villages, and lesser-known temples offer peaceful experiences at very low cost. Local buses and shared taxis keep transportation expenses minimal throughout the country. Cambodia remains one of the best destinations in Asia for travelers who prioritize value, authenticity, and affordability. Laos Image Credit:Shutterstock. Laos is ideal for backpackers seeking a slower pace of travel combined with consistently low costs across accommodation, food, and transportation. Small guesthouses and family-run hotels offer affordable stays, while local markets provide filling meals at extremely low prices. Transportation may be slower than in neighboring countries, but it remains inexpensive and adds to the overall travel experience. This relaxed rhythm allows backpackers to manage expenses easily while enjoying the journey itself. Advertisement Advertisement The countrys natural beauty offers exceptional value, as waterfalls, rivers, caves, and mountain landscapes often require little to no entrance fees. Towns like Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng balance charm, affordability, and backpacker-friendly services. Outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, and kayaking are accessible without expensive tours. Laos remains a top choice in 2025 for budget travelers who prefer calm and nature. Nepal Image Credit: Shutterstock Nepal is one of the most budget-friendly destinations in Asia, especially for backpackers interested in culture, spirituality, and dramatic natural landscapes. Daily expenses remain low due to affordable guesthouses, inexpensive local restaurants, and public transportation that connects even remote regions. Even in popular areas like Kathmandu and Pokhara, budget travelers can live comfortably without constantly tracking every expense. This makes Nepal particularly attractive for long-term travelers in 2025. What truly adds value in Nepal is the access to world-class trekking routes at a fraction of the cost found in other mountain destinations. Tea houses along popular trails offer cheap accommodation and meals, allowing travelers to trek for days without major expenses. Cultural sites, monasteries, and temples usually charge minimal entrance fees. Nepal combines affordability with once-in-a-lifetime experiences that remain accessible to backpackers. India Image Credit:Shutterstock. India remains one of the cheapest countries in the world for backpackers who are comfortable navigating a complex and diverse travel environment. Accommodation ranges from extremely affordable guesthouses to budget hostels, while food costs stay low thanks to widespread street food and local eateries. Long-distance train travel allows backpackers to cross vast regions for a very small cost. This makes extended travel in India financially sustainable even in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement The diversity of experiences in India adds immense value without significantly increasing costs. Travelers can explore ancient temples, vibrant cities, deserts, mountains, and beaches while maintaining a low daily budget. Many attractions are inexpensive or free, especially cultural and religious sites. India rewards patient and flexible travelers with unmatched depth at minimal cost. Sri Lanka Image Credit:Shutterstock. Sri Lanka offers strong value for backpackers thanks to affordable transportation, reasonably priced accommodation, and inexpensive local food. Public buses and trains connect most of the island at extremely low prices, making it easy to move without renting vehicles. Guesthouses and small hotels provide comfortable stays that remain budget-friendly even in popular regions. This balance keeps Sri Lanka accessible despite increasing tourism interest. The countrys compact size allows travelers to experience beaches, wildlife, tea plantations, and ancient cities without long and costly journeys. Entry fees for major attractions can be higher, but they are balanced by low daily living costs. Local markets and restaurants help keep food expenses minimal. Sri Lanka remains a solid budget destination for backpackers in 2025. Indonesia Image Credit:Shutterstock. Indonesia remains an affordable backpacking destination, particularly for travelers who explore beyond the most famous tourist areas. Food, accommodation, and transportation costs are low across much of the country, especially on islands like Java, Sumatra, and Lombok. Budget guesthouses and homestays offer comfortable options for long stays. With careful planning, backpackers can travel Indonesia cheaply and comfortably. Advertisement Advertisement The countrys vast size offers enormous diversity without requiring expensive activities. Volcano hikes, waterfalls, beaches, and cultural sites are often free or require small entrance fees. Public transport and ferries provide low-cost ways to move between regions. Indonesia continues to deliver exceptional value for budget travelers in 2025. Philippines Image Credit : Shutterstock. The Philippines remains affordable for backpackers who prioritize local transportation and simple accommodation. Jeepneys, buses, and ferries allow travelers to move cheaply between towns and islands. Budget hostels and guesthouses are widely available in popular backpacker destinations. Daily costs remain manageable with basic planning. While island hopping tours can increase expenses, independent travel keeps costs low. Local food stalls and markets offer filling meals for very little money. Many beaches and natural attractions are free to access. The Philippines continues to be a budget-friendly choice for backpackers seeking tropical scenery. Thailand Image Credit: Shutterstock. Thailand continues to attract backpackers thanks to its strong infrastructure and relatively low travel costs. Street food remains extremely affordable, allowing travelers to eat well for very little money. Budget accommodation is still widely available, especially in northern regions and smaller towns. Transportation between cities remains efficient and inexpensive. Advertisement Advertisement Although some islands and tourist hotspots have become more expensive, budget-friendly alternatives still exist. Temples, markets, and natural attractions often cost little or nothing to visit. Long-term stays remain affordable for backpackers who travel slowly. Thailand continues to offer excellent value in 2025. Bangladesh Image Credit:Shutterstock. Bangladesh remains one of the cheapest countries in Asia for backpackers who are willing to travel outside mainstream tourist routes and adapt to a more local style of exploration. Accommodation, food, and transportation costs are exceptionally low, allowing travelers to maintain a very small daily budget even when staying for extended periods. Because international tourism is still limited, prices have not been inflated to cater to foreign visitors. This creates an environment where backpackers can experience daily life without financial pressure. Local buses, trains, and ferries provide extremely affordable ways to move across the country, even over long distances. Meals at local restaurants are not only inexpensive but also filling and deeply connected to regional traditions. Cultural experiences feel authentic because they are not shaped around tourism demand. Bangladesh offers remarkable value for adventurous travelers seeking raw and affordable experiences. Pakistan Image Credit:Shutterstock. Pakistan offers some of the lowest travel costs in Asia while providing access to dramatic landscapes, historic cities, and deeply rooted cultural traditions. Budget accommodations and local food options remain affordable throughout the country, even in areas surrounded by world-class mountain scenery. Public transportation allows travelers to move long distances for minimal cost, making slow travel highly achievable. This affordability makes Pakistan increasingly appealing to experienced backpackers in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement What adds exceptional value is the countrys hospitality, which often reduces expenses even further through local generosity. Many natural attractions, historic sites, and scenic viewpoints are either free or charge minimal fees. Traveling through rural regions often comes with unexpected invitations and cultural exchanges. Pakistan delivers profound experiences without the high costs usually associated with such landscapes. Myanmar Image Credit:Shutterstock. Myanmar continues to be one of Southeast Asias most affordable destinations for backpackers who travel thoughtfully and responsibly. Accommodation prices remain low across much of the country, particularly in smaller towns and less-visited regions. Local transportation options such as buses and shared taxis keep movement costs manageable. With careful planning, travelers can maintain a low daily budget throughout their stay. Temples, pagodas, and historic sites often require modest entrance fees that add cultural depth without major expense. Local markets provide affordable meals that are both satisfying and culturally immersive. Slower travel naturally reduces costs while allowing deeper exploration. Myanmar still offers strong value for backpackers seeking cultural richness on a budget. Mongolia Image Credit: Shutterstock. Mongolia offers a unique backpacking experience where vast open landscapes replace expensive attractions, keeping daily costs relatively low for travelers who plan carefully. Outside the capital city, accommodation and food prices drop significantly, especially in guesthouses and rural homestays. Transportation becomes affordable when shared with other travelers, which is common among backpackers. This makes extended travel across the country financially realistic. Advertisement Advertisement Nature itself becomes the primary attraction, removing the need for costly tours or paid activities. Mountains, steppe landscapes, and remote valleys are free to explore with minimal restrictions. Local families often provide affordable lodging and meals in remote regions. Mongolia delivers extraordinary value for backpackers drawn to solitude and nature. Uzbekistan Image Credit: Shutterstock. Uzbekistan remains one of Central Asias most budget-friendly destinations, particularly for travelers interested in history and architecture. Accommodation and food prices are low across major cities and smaller towns, allowing backpackers to travel comfortably without overspending. Transportation between historic centers is affordable and reliable, even for longer routes. Daily expenses stay predictable and manageable throughout the journey. Cities like Samarkand and Bukhara offer breathtaking cultural experiences at a fraction of Western travel costs. Entry fees for historic sites remain reasonable and well worth the value provided. Local markets make it easy to eat well on a small budget. Uzbekistan continues to be an excellent choice for cost-conscious travelers in 2025. Kyrgyzstan Image Credit:Shutterstock. Kyrgyzstan is one of the most affordable backpacking destinations in Central Asia, especially for travelers focused on nature and outdoor exploration. Guesthouses, homestays, and local restaurants offer consistently low prices across the country. Public transportation is inexpensive and widely available, even in remote regions. This keeps long-term travel financially sustainable. Mountain landscapes provide endless opportunities for hiking, trekking, and camping without expensive permits or fees. Many trekking routes can be explored independently with minimal spending. Local hospitality often further reduces costs through shared meals and accommodation. Kyrgyzstan offers outstanding value for backpackers seeking adventure on a tight budget. Dear Quentin, My father was in the ICU for several days, then died, aged 65. I had to travel out-of-state for the funeral, and my mother would not let me stay with her. That was three years ago. Since then, shes effectively ghosted me. No phone calls, no holiday cards, no explanation, no anything. Whats happening here, behind the scenes, moneywise? Is she doing something untoward with his money? Or am I simply the unloved son? The Son Most Read from MarketWatch Advertisement Advertisement Dont miss: I enjoy vacations to Europe: Im 75 and have $1 million in an IRA. Why do I feel guilty? Its impossible to know without a deeper understanding of her health, past behavior, and your family history. - MarketWatch illustration Dear Son, Grief does funny things to people. There are any number of possibilities. Your mother may not have enough bandwidth to deal with anything in the aftermath of her husbands death. She may feel unmoored, and believe he was her one true supporter. Did you see your father in the ICU? If not, that could be a point of contention. Your mom may have been experiencing depression and/or other mental-health and trauma-related issues prior to and in the wake of his death. Its impossible to know without a deeper understanding of her health, past behavior and family history. If your father died without a will, chances are there was not a lot of separate property for your mother to steal? In most states, if one spouse dies without a will, the remaining spouse receives all of their joint/marital property, while the decedents separate property is split with their children. If there is more than one child, the spouse typically receives a smaller portion of the separate property, with the rest split among the kids. It seems probable that most of this property was joint property, unless the decedent made beneficiary designations. Advertisement Advertisement Your father died three years ago. This complicates matters. The statute of limitations for contesting an estate under intestacy law in the U.S. is determined by state law and typically ranges from a few months to two or three years from the start of the probate process. In Texas, for example, theres a two-year period where you can challenge the distribution of an estate, starting from the date probate begins. In California, such challenges typically must be filed within months of the probate process starting; intestacy laws are the default inheritance process. Community property Whether real estate is community property depends on when and how it was acquired during the marriage or before marriage, paid for with separate or marital funds, etc. Not all real estate purchased during marriage qualifies unambiguously as community property. If the property were purchased with inherited money and titled only in his name, it would be divided between your mother and your late fathers children. You could obtain a copy of any propertys deed to see who is listed and whether any properties were held with the right of survivorship. But the administrator/executor of an estate does have a duty to keep potential heirs/beneficiaries informed of the estate process. Certain assets do not go through probate, including joint accounts and payable-on-death accounts (such as retirement accounts and life-insurance accounts) that have designated beneficiaries, properties held with co-owners as joint tenants, and assets held in a revocable trust. Heirs can, in theory, compel the surrogate court to force the administrator to be more transparent with the probate process. This money is no longer his money. It belongs to your mother. You can challenge a will, if there even was a will, based on undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity and/or fraud, among other reasons. In many states, children do not have an automatic right to inherit any property from a parent. A parent can disinherit a child, leaving them nothing, according to Albertson & Davidson, a law firm with offices across southern California. In some cases, a parent may even decide to leave everything to one child, which can be a source of contention among siblings. Family estrangement There is a growing body of literature about family estrangement, particularly children who reject their parents later in life and cut off all contact. But there is still a social taboo and/or general lack of public awareness about parents who cut off contact with their children, especially if there are no previous issues related to substance misuse or emotional abuse. It can be hard for children to comprehend, and even more difficult for third parties to weigh in with theories that add context and meaning, rather than more noise and confusion. Advertisement Advertisement But parental rejection, as you have testified, does happen. Ronald Rohner, director of the Rohner Center for Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection at the University of Connecticut, and other researchers have studied this subject, and they have concluded that up to 10% of parents in the U.S. reject their children. This phenomenon has been written about in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. It could be due to cultural reasons, lifestyle choices, past grievances, emotional instability, personality clashes or even related to inheritance/money. When did this relationship go south? Did it happen when your father was in intensive care? If you reach out to your mother, all these years later, to ask her about your inheritance, I dont see it going well. It could merely reinforce any feelings justified or not that you are more interested in her money than you are in a relationship with her. Alternatively, you could write to her, telling her that you will be here for her whenever she wishes to reach out. I am your son and I will love you from afar, as you wish, or be in your life as much or as little as you would like. Sometimes letting go is the hardest thing to do. Related: How do I shield my retirement savings? Im worried about Trumps trade war and Feds willingness to cut interest rates Advertisement Advertisement My therapist said he was in-network. Hes not. Am I obliged to pay out-of-network rates for all prior sessions? Can my husband contest his late brothers $600K will? He experienced oxygen deprivation due to COPD before he died. I have early Alzheimers and my husband has stage 4 kidney disease. We just inherited $50K. How can this help us? . Most Read from MarketWatch According to Our World in Data, trends show that American women are increasingly choosing to live alone. Women also make up the majority of solo travelers (via Forbes). This, in turn, leads to a conversation about places where women can safely and happily travel and live. According to new research by Intimate Rose, the best state for women to enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay, and access to healthcare is none other than the rugged state of Nevada, home to famed Las Vegas, the most fun city in America. The researchers at Intimate Rose evaluated conditions for women based on data from Oxfam America, the Commonwealth Fund, and the National Women's Law Center across four weighted factors: health (35%), workers' rights (30%), poverty (20%), and wage inequality (15%). Based on these metrics, Nevada took the top position with a score of 79.36 out of a possible 100, beating out second-place California by nine points. Nevada's high placement on this list is attributed to its state-level policies aimed at improving access to healthcare and reducing workplace discrimination and the gender wage gap. The state protects women from discrimination and unequal pay, and also protects employees who report discrimination at their workplace. Its focus on healthcare has also helped Nevada reduce infant mortality and maternal mortality rates. Nevada's a known tourist destination for those looking to hit the slots in Vegas or in the underrated and more affordable gambling gem of Laughlin. But the state's reputation for easy access to strip clubs and legalized prostitution also gives it a bad rap. However, multiple studies show that Nevada is unexpectedly a great place for women in 2025, with women capitalizing on Nevada's rugged countryside for some solo road tripping or enjoying a night out on the Strip in Vegas. Advertisement Advertisement Read more: These Are America's Wealthiest Suburbs In 2025, According To Research How to enjoy Nevada as a woman a mother and daughter take a selfie in front of Las Vegas Strip - Halbergman/Getty Images While 'Sin City' Las Vegas might be the most famous of Nevada's cities, it isn't the only tourist attraction in the Silver State. Nevada's also known for its isolated countryside, unique state parks, and red rock landscape straight out of a picture of Mars. Discussions on online forums reveal that many women living here take advantage of the state's wide open country to enjoy solo road trips across Nevada's deserts. "I do it frequently, and I'm a 5' tall tiny chick. No issues," one Reddit comment dismissively stated, echoing the sentiment that a scenic Nevada road trip through the wild west is perfectly safe for women traveling alone. It isn't just Nevada's outdoor activities that draw women to the state. While some may be disdainful of the city's less-than-stellar reputation, Las Vegas is a popular destination for women traveling in groups. Bachelorette parties are big in Vegas, where drinks flow freely and shopping is plentiful plus, raucous nightclubs and strip clubs are easily accessible. Women like to have debauched fun too! Vegas is also home to museums, art galleries, and theatre productions, all of which are frequented by women. The Las Vegas Arts District has art galleries and museums dedicated to local history and art, and the famous Smith Center for Performing Arts is a must-see for plays and ballets. Women are also spending more than ever before on dining out, and Vegas is now equally famous for its high-end restaurants helmed by celebrity chefs. For those without their own cars, there's also a new women-only taxi service in the Las Vegas Valley called Alegna, which vets drivers and passengers to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Advertisement Advertisement 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. Flying at 30,000 feet just got more luxe. Internationally-renowned carrier Cathay Pacific will launch its Aria Suite business class seat on flights to the United States starting Dec. 31, the airline told Travel + Leisure. The new cabin will be available on select flights between San Francisco and Hong Kong aboard the airline's retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. First announced last year, the Aria Suite boasts a sliding privacy door, customizable lighting, a 24-inch 4K ultra high-definition screen, a built-in wireless charger, soft suede walls, wool seats, and leather headrests. Advertisement Advertisement Next year, as we mark 40 years of flying from San Francisco and celebrate Cathay Pacifics 80th anniversary, its only fitting that this city becomes the first U.S. destination to welcome our newest humancentric cabin experience," Cindy Lam, Cathay Pacific's senior vice president for the Americas, said in a statement shared with T+L. "This meaningful milestone represents our ongoing commitment to delivering elevated comfort, thoughtful design, and exceptional service to North American travelers. Travelers will be able to book the comfortable suite six times per week on flight CX873, which departs San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It will also be available on the return flight CX872 from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to SFO. For the inaugural flight, T+L spotted one-way tickets in business class starting at $3,486. In addition to the business class seat, Cathay Pacific's retrofitted aircraft boasts both a redesigned premium economy cabin (think: customized seat cushions and leather-padded footrests) and a refreshed economy experience, according to the airline. The aircraft features a total of 361 seats, including 45 lie-flat business class seats, 48 premium economy seats, and 268 economy seats. Advertisement Advertisement This isn't the first time Cathay Pacific has brought the Aria Suite to North America. The carrier first debuted the luxury seat in June on flights between Hong Kong and Vancouver, Canada. In addition, the suite is available on flights between Hong Kong and London Heathrow International Airport (LHR), Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Sydney International Airport (SYD), and Melbourne International Airport (MEL). While the Aria Suite may be the height of luxury, travelers in other cabins can still expect an elevated in-flight experience. The airline's economy class was recently named the best in the world by the Skytrax World Airline Awards thanks to high-tech seats and amazing dining. Cathay Pacific operates flights to more than 200 destinations and direct routes to several U.S. cities, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. The carrier is a member of the Oneworld Alliance, which also includes Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and more. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure A new report claims the Asia Pacific was a dominating regional hotspot for international tourists in 2025. Last month, Euromonitor International released its annual Top 100 City Destinations Index. Within the report, the London-based market research firm released its ranking of 2025s most visited cities by international visitors. Bangkok topped the list, with 30.3 million people reportedly arriving in Thailands capital. Suitable for both short-term and long-term travelers, the city is beloved for its grand temples, delicious street food, and unforgettable nightlife. Travel inspiration for visits to Bangkok may have been further influenced by HBOs The White Lotus, which featured the city in its latest season, debuting back in April. Hong Kong ranked second on Euromonitor Internationals list of most visited cities this year, with 23.2 million international visitors. Per the report, London ranked third, with 22.7 million visitors. Advertisement Advertisement On a regional level, the top 10 list shows that Asia-Pacific locations accounted for nearly half of 2025s most visited cities. That doesnt include ranked destinations in Turkey, which is sometimes also considered part of the Asia Pacific, according to the World Population Review. Euromonitor Internationals Top 10 List Of 2025s Most Visited Cities By International Arrivals: Bangkok, Thailand 30.3 million Hong Kong 23.2 million London, United Kingdom 22.7 million Macao, China 20.4 million Istanbul, Turkey 19.7 million Dubai, United Arab Emirates 19.5 million Mecca, Saudi Arabia 18.7 million Antalya, Turkey 18.6 million Paris, France 18.3 million Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 17.3 million What Other Insights Were There About International Travel In 2025? Earlier this month, Euromonitor Internationals Global Head of Loyalty, Nadejda Popova, commented on the state of international travel and the organizations annual index. She said, Even amid economic headwinds and geopolitical uncertainty, global travel proved exceptionally resilient in 2025. International arrivals to the top 100 cities climbed 8% to 702 million, highlighting the ability of cities to adapt, innovate, and deliver experiences that travelers continue to find irresistible. City destinations are entering a pivotal new era, marked by ambitious investment, rapid innovation, and the wide-scale integration of AI. As cities compete for visitors, the focus is shifting towards sustainability, resilience, and delivering meaningful, personalized experiences. The 2025 Index highlights those destinations that are not only thriving today but also setting the standard for the future of urban tourism, she added. The post These Cities Led Global Jet-Setting In 2025, According To New Data appeared first on Travel Noire. Behold the beauty of pristine white sand beach, soft on your feet as they nestle in its grains and as you look the clear teal waters beyond it. There are countless places to experience them, but which ones are most worth visiting? Here we rounded up the 15 most beautiful white sand beaches around the world to inspire your travels. The spots below will take you from the Caribbean islands to Europe to Asia to the USA all with the whitest natural allure around. Many of the most beautiful beaches in the world fittingly can be found on the most beautiful islands in the world, while others are located along coastlines of larger countries. Whether your idea of a beach vacation is a breezy beach house or a remote coast untouched by development where you need only pack a towel, book, and beverage, you're sure to find just the right beach for your taste. All of them are ripe for swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and even just walking on and basking in the natural landscape that feels like it's right out of a painting. Now for those white sand beaches. Get ready to escape to the wonderland that they are (and to daydream about them in the meantime)! Shoal Bay Beach, Anguilla Stretching over a mile, Shoal Bays blinding white shore has a distinctive sheen, thanks to the tiny shell fragments found throughout the beach. What you wont find? A lot of seaweed, rocks, or crowds. So make a day of it, basking in the sun and diving into the pristine reef along the northern shore of this eastern Caribbean island. cdwheatley - Getty Images Grand Anse Beach, La Digue, Seychelles Seychelles is one of the worlds smallest countries, but its islands have an outsize reputation for beautiful beaches. Tucked away on La Digue, Grand Anse delivers a picture-perfect example: a clear lagoon and silver-white beach with huge boulders and a dramatic mountain backdrop. Strong waves make the deep waters unsuitable for swimming, though brave surfers might be tempted to tackle them. VW Pics - Getty Images Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia The silica-rich sand of Australias most photographed beach doesnt retain any heat, so you wont need to pack your flip-flops. However, you might want to bring your hiking boots and camping gear. A short trek up to the iconic Hill Inlet lookout provides panoramic views of the four-plus miles of snow-white sand melting into the Coral Seas azure waters. If a day trip to this remote beach only accessible by boat, helicopter, or small plane isnt enough, you can spend the night in the surrounding eucalyptus woodland. DEA / G. COZZI - Getty Images La Cinta Beach, Sardinia, Italy La Cinta is a three-mile arched belt of sugar-fine, ultrawhite sand separating the San Teodoro lagoon from the Mediterranean with dunes covered by ancient juniper trees. With flamingos, herons, mallards, and terns flocking to the lagoon, its a bird-watchers paradise. Davide Seddio - Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport, Maine Ironically while the dunes of most Maine coves are almost all rocks, you wont spy a big one anywhere at Goose Rocks Beach. Its lined with miles of powdery white sand and pleasant (i.e., not frigid) wading experiences in multiple tide pools left behind by small, rolling waves. Thomas H. Mitchell / 500px - Getty Images White Beach, Boracay, Philippines This aptly named, palm-lined beach on a small Philippine island has a season for everyone. From December to May, the nightlife is hopping. For those who prefer a slower and quieter pace, the summer and fall months are for you. No matter when you book your trip, expect exceptional weather. Andrey Danilovich - Getty Images Playa del Paraiso, Tulum, Mexico In the shadows of Mayan temple ruins rising amid lush jungle scenery lies a unique Caribbean beach. Historic Tulum has become a hub for wellness, allowing visitors to reset and reconnect with nature. Here, you can snorkel in freshwater cenotes and swim with turtles and other marine life. Kelly Cheng Travel Photography - Getty Images Boulders Beach, Simons Town, South Africa Formed from finely ground granite, this stretch of sheltered beach boasts some famous residents: endangered African penguins. While you cant touch or feed the birds, you can view them from three special boardwalks and, of course, take lots of pictures (early morning and late afternoon are when they are most active). Be prepared to pay a daily conservation fee when visiting this area of Table Mountain National Park. VW Pics - Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands These islands are renowned for their clear turquoise waters, and Providenciales is no exception. Whether kayaking or SCUBA diving off Grace Bay Beach, watch for dolphins, stingrays, and even humpback whales migrating between January and April. The calm, shallow waters also lend themselves to horseback riding along the pearlescent shore or simply floating. Joel Villanueva - Getty Images Clearwater Beach, Florida Overlooking the emerald water of the Gulf of Mexico, Pier 60 is the main attraction of this beloved beach on Floridas west coast. Cast a line from the 1,080-foot fishing pier. Or take to the waves for paddleboarding or a Jet Ski tour. Then hang around for the nightly sunset celebration featuring artisans selling crafts and souvenirs and street performers dancing, juggling, walking on stilts, and even breathing fire. John Coletti - Getty Images Ksamil Beach, Albania Riviera might call to mind France, Italy, or Mexico, but did you know that Albania harbors an up-and-coming coastal region? Put secluded Ksamil Beach at the top of your must-see list when traveling to this southern European nation. Rent a boat for the day, and get acquainted with the Ionian coast. Arterra - Getty Images Matira Beach, Bora-Bora, French Polynesia Looking for a honeymoon or a second honeymoon destination? Say yes to the pure white sand and the clear blue water of the Pearl of the Pacifics largest public beach. Pack a romantic picnic to enjoy in the nearby landscaped park. Jose-Fuste RAGA - Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Trunk Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands What lies beneath the aquamarine water at this expansive beachfront might be its biggest draw: a one-of-a-kind underwater snorkeling trail, teeming with colorful fish and vibrant coral reefs. Be on the lookout for groups of rare indigo-blue tunicates, which seem to thrive in this serene bay enveloped by Virgin Islands National Park. cdwheatley - Getty Images Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Do as the locals do when visiting this world-famous 1.5-mile white sand beach. Stake out a spot in the Leblon area, which attracts a broad mix of single Rio residents and neighborhood families. Swim only where they do, as the cobalt waters have a strong undertow with often oversize waves. And at the end of the day, follow them to Arpoador at the far end of the beach to watch the sunset next to Dois Irmaos (Two Brothers Mountains) and join in the applause as the last slither of midsummer sun disappears. JohnnyGreig - Getty Images Kaunaoa Bay, Kohala Coast, Hawaii One of the few light-colored stretches on the western side of the Big Island, this crescent-shaped beach became the home of the first resort, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, in 1965. Wide and roomy and framed by palm trees, it's an ideal spot for lounging or being active. Pickup volleyball, anyone? Danita Delimont - Getty Images You Might Also Like The central square of Marrakesh, Jemaa elFna, is at the heart of the citys medina, serving as a gathering place for both tourists and locals. First-time visitors to Marrakesh often spend a good part of their visit exploring this vibrant square especially at night when music performers and street vendors come out. The narrow streets and unique old city design of Marrakesh, however, leave modern travelers with limited options for accommodations that are directly near the square. While many traditional Moroccan Riads are available, these may not be the top choice for visitors who seek the amenities of a Westernized hotel. As I browsed endless options on Booking.com when planning this trip, I stumbled upon a gem: Les Jardins de La Koutoubia. This 5-star hotel sits very close to the heart of the Medina, delivering the amenities I wanted in a stay without sacrificing a traditional Moroccan feel. Heres why this hotel is a great spot to stay for travelers seeking comfort, convenience, and proximity to Jemaa elFna square. Location near Jemaa elFna square Emily Caldwell / The Manual A visit to Marrakesh can be a culture shock for many travelers, especially if youve never traveled to Africa before. The chaotic nature of the old city and the square can be overwhelming at times. Even though I absolutely loved the atmosphere and energy of this city, it still took some getting used to as I found it to be even more chaotic than your typical big American city. After a long day of shopping and exploring in the souks, Les Jardins de La Koutoubia was only a short walk away. Ordering a taxi in Morocco is a little tricky, especially given the negotiation style of the countrys pricing. I enjoyed being able to walk anywhere I wanted to visit instead of having to worry about negotiating a taxi price. Advertisement Advertisement Despite its location situated right within walking distance of the square, the interior of this hotel delivered a tranquil, peaceful vibe. Right in the center of the building is the pool surrounded by traditional Moroccan architecture and design elements. Yet despite the authentic, traditional Moroccan vibe of the structure, I still was able to enjoy modern hotel amenities that U.S travelers demand, like elevator access, an in-room mini bar, room service, and WiFi access. If you seek comfort and amenities but dont want to sacrifice location, Les Jardins de La Koutoubia could be the perfect luxury spot for your trip. Tranquil atmosphere Emily Caldwell / The Manual Once you step inside the front door of Les Jardins de La Koutoubia, you instantly escape to tranquility and forget youre right in the heart of the madness of the city. The serene atmosphere of the property, especially at night, feels like a true Moroccan oasis. I also loved that despite the size of this hotel, small elements of Moroccan hospitality still came through, such as the way the staff greeted us with Moroccan mint tea and pastries upon our arrival. Staff were especially accommodating for special requests, too, such as assisting with directions to a trustworthy ATM (as many of the shops and food stalls in the square only accept cash). Sky Bar Emily Caldwell / The Manual The lobby and the pool area of this hotel offer a quiet, tranquil atmosphere. At the same time, those looking for a more upbeat and vibrant evening can escape to the Sky Bar. The hotels rooftop bar, called the Sky Bar, has great views of the nearby Koutoubia mosque and serves a selection of small plates and cocktails. I enjoyed the espresso martini up here while munching on some nuts and olives. International cuisine Emily Caldwell / The Manual Tagine is one of the most common dishes in Morocco and an integral part of the dining experience for travelers, too. I loved tagine (especially the sweet prune beef variety) and would probably have willingly consumed it for another three weeks straight. However, tagine isnt for everyone, and the heavy use of spices in cooking can get tiresome for those who arent as huge a fan of Moroccan cuisine. While there are lots of great places to dine, as you roam through the main square of Marrakesh, theres obviously a clear emphasis on Moroccan cuisine. Advertisement Advertisement If youre planning on a longer stay in Marrakesh, Les Jardins de La Koutoubias international dining options provide a little escape from Moroccan cuisine. The hotel offers several restaurants featuring International Cuisine, Les Jardins de Bala (serving Indian and Asian cuisines), and Relais de Paris Restaurant (serving French cuisine). During my stay here, I enjoyed Indian cuisine for dinner at Les Jardins de Bala, which offered a nice fusion between Indian and Moroccan cuisine. On the menu, youll find Indian traditional dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, yet also find little touches of Moroccan cuisine like Moroccan mint tea & pastries for dessert. I only stayed in Morocco for four days, which wasnt quite long enough to get tired of tagine. For guests visiting for longer than one week, however, I imagine these other dining options would be especially appreciated. book now Nearly every major cruise line offers Mediterranean cruises, especially in the spring and summer months. Whether you enjoy sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean or one of the many lines out thereyou can most likely find a variety of itineraries and cruise lengths to book a Mediterranean cruise with your favorite line. If youre flexible on when you want to cruise, choosing which Mediterranean ports that you want to go to can be the deciding factor on exactly which cruise you take. With over 20 popular cruise ports in the Mediterranean itself, its not an easy decision to make. I used to work on cruise ships myself, and have spent well over a year of my life cruising in the Mediterranean. While its definitely one of my favorite parts of the world to cruise in, there is one specific port that I dont think anyone should miss. Related: The Worst Time To Go On a Cruise, According to Cruise Experts Valletta, Malta Is A Must-See Port In The Mediterranean The Maxwells Travel, a Tiktok account of a couple who are expert cruisers, shared a video reviewing their experience visiting the port Valletta, Malta, on a Norwegian Cruise Line voyage. They were completely impressed with the city, and there were many reasons why it became one of their favorite ports. The first thing the couple mentions is the accessibility of the port. The ships dock just about a half mile away from the city center. You can either walk (although it is a little steep), take a quick one Euro elevator that brings you up, or take a quick taxi. Me (Me) The second thing that stuck out to the couple was the food. They specifically mention enjoying pastizzi, which is a traditional Maltese pastry. There are many other types of food that are specifically Maltese, and with it being such a small country, its truly a rare chance to taste the food authentically in that very location. The Maxwells also mention that the prices were very normal, not sticking out as anything expensive or out of control. Advertisement Advertisement Lastly, the couple was blown away by the sites. They mention that the city is surrounded by crystal clear blue water with incredible architecture on each street that is unlike anything theyve seen. They end up giving Valletta, Malta a 10 out of 10 on their rating scale. And while the couple thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of their cruise, they said that so far in their trip, Malta was their favorite part. Related: The One Thing You Should Never Do on a Cruise Ship, According to Cruise Experts Why Valletta, Malta Stands Out Amongst Other Mediterranean Ports I have been to almost every single Mediterranean cruise port, and Valletta will always stand out as a port that was different from the rest. Many ports in the Mediterranean can be incredibly inconvenient. The cruise lines will advertise certain ports as the name of a big, well-known city, but the reality is that the port is actually an hour or so away from the city itself. Places like Rome (you actually port in Civitavecchia,) Athens (you port in Piraeus,) and Florence (the port is Livorno) can be quite a let-down when you realize you have to travel a bit far to get to these ports. Valletta, on the other hand, is one of the easiest cruise ports Ive ever visited. You can walk right off the ship and get to the city center within 15 minutes. Ive even gone back and forth from the city to the ship in one port day. Now, the main reason why I love Valletta is because Ive simply never seen another Mediterranean cruise port that was as beautiful and enjoyable. The buildings are brightly colored with yellow, orange, and blue accents. Its classic and lively, and at the end of nearly every street, you can see the crystal clear sea peeking through. It also isn't nearly as populated or busy as the other popular Mediterranean ports, which makes it very enjoyable. You can spend the day wandering the entire city, and you wont run out of things to do. There are endless shops to get souvenirs, museums to immerse yourself in the culture, and restaurants and bars to relax inall while walking around one of the most stunning cities in the world. Its a place that I am constantly wanting to go back to, and it is hands down my favorite spot in the Mediterranean. Related: The 7 Best Destinations for Women Over 50 to Visit Right Now, According to Travel Advisors This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Its 10 a.m. at the 2025 World Cheese Awards in Bern, Switzerland. The air smells like funky heaventhink a sacred temple where all the incense is Gruyere. At this prestigious global event, organized by the U.K.-based Guild of Fine Food, tables stretch for what feels like miles, covered in neat wedges, glistening wheels, and mysterious blocks wrapped in plain paper. Each one is anonymous, identified only by a code. Somewhere among them lies the Super Goldthe cheese that will be crowned Best in the World. And standing beside me, wearing her white coat and butter-yellow judges apron, is Jill Allen, Director of Product Excellence and Tillamook County Creamery Association, who invited me to shadow her through the judging floor. Allen has spent more than 14 years evaluating cheeses around the world and just earned the coveted red cap that marks her as a chief judgethe cheese worlds version of a Michelin star. Good Housekeeping / Susan Choung The hidden flaw that disqualifies a winner As we admire the samples, Allen leans in with a warning. Theres one thing thatll ruin a cheese instantly, she says. Even a great one. And its something you can spot before you ever take a bite. Advertisement Advertisement Its not a barnyard odor. Its not a crack in the rind. Its something subtlerand sneakier. You dont want cheese serum, Allen explains, those little bits of cheese or milky liquid trapped in the plastic seal. Cheese serumalso known as free wheyis simply the naturally occurring moisture that separates slightly from the cheeses protein matrix as it ages. Its perfectly safe, Allen stresses, but in competition, excess serum is a visual defect. Consumers dont know what it is, she says. If they see those droplets, they might think its unsafe or spoiled. Good Housekeeping / Susan Choung To a judge, its a serious issue. It means the cheese wasnt wrapped cleanly, or its breaking down too quickly, Allen says. That moisture can cause mold faster or lead to a whey-taint flavor defect over time. Once she points it out, Im on the hunt to find it. Cheese serum appears as a few tiny flecks clinging to the inside of a plastic wrap like lint in a pocket. Its the kind of thing that makes people hesitate to buy. It doesnt look safeand technically, the cheese wont last as long. Advertisement Advertisement She adds that any cheese can develop serum as it agesits naturalbut temperature swings in shipping or on the store shelf can accelerate it. Some serum can be allowed on a well-aged Cheddar, she admits, smiling. I call it the angels share of cheese. But too much, and its a dealbreaker. At this level of competition, Allen says, every cheese is good. Were looking for perfectionappearance, aroma, texture, flavor. A flaw like that breaks the spell. Inside the judging arena Guild of Fine Food (KARGO Kommunikation) How does one find the world's best cheese? Well, judges are assigned tables that hold 50 to 70 cheeses. Teams of two to threeeach pairing a technical expert like Allen with a cheesemonger or chefmove methodically from wedge to wedge. They whisper notes, break samples open, sniff, press, taste, discuss. Its like pairing a scientist and an artist, Allen says. Were both looking for the same thing, but from different anglestechnical precision and romance. Advertisement Advertisement They blind-taste and score each entry on its own meritsno comparisons allowed. Each cheese stands alone, judged by its own best version of itself. A perfect texture here, a flawless aroma there. And when the judging team agree on a standout, it earns a nod for Super Gold consideration. The moment you taste it, you just know, she tells me, laughing. My partner and I looked at each other and said, Thats the one. The dramatic finale of the World Cheese Awards Later, each judging team carries their Super Gold contender to the head table like an offering to an alter. From there, only one cheese will be chosen by the Super Jury to hold the title of Best Cheese in the World. When the Super Jury panel members take a bite, the auditorium of spectators reacts like were watching the finale of a prestige dramaaudible gasps, whispered debates, one woman near me clutching her tote bag. Guild of Fine Food (KARGO Kommunikation) After the final scores are tallied, the room goes still then the tension snaps like a Cheddar curd. Cameras flash. Someone cheers. A cheesemakers life is about to change. Advertisement Advertisement This years Super Goldand crowned championwas Gruyere AOP Vorderfultigen Spezial (aged 18 months), selected from more than 5,200 entries across 46 countries. The cheese comes from the creamery Bergkaserei Vorderfultigen, tucked high in the hills of the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, where the cows graze on nutrient-rich alpine grasses and the cheese is nurtured by generations of traditional know-how. Its maker, Pius Hitz, was visibly overwhelmedproud, humbled, and a little tearyas his cheese was declared the literal best in the world. How to buy the best cheese You dont need to be wearing a red hat or judging 50 cheeses to think like a pro. According to Allen, quality starts with your eyes. When someone buys cheese, they buy with their eyes first, she says. You dont have to be an expert to know when something looks right. Her advice for shopping like a judge: Inspect the seal. Look for clean, dry plastic. If you see milky streaks or bits of cheese trapped near the edgesthats cheese serum. Put it back. Check for wrinkles or air pockets. Loose or puckered wrap can mean the cheese has been handled too much. Avoid visible moisture. A little condensation from the fridge is fine, but pooled liquid means trouble. Trust your nose. Even bold, washed-rind cheeses should smell complex, not sour or ammoniated. Talk to the cheesemonger. Ask, What are you liking today? Allen says. Cheese is livingit changes week to week. Theyll know whats at its best right now. Advertisement Advertisement As we wrap up our day on the judging floor, Allen wipes her hands and grins. Every cheese tells a story, she says. Our job is to read itand sometimes, that story starts with the smallest flaw. So the next time youre standing at the cheese case, remember: that tiny bit of trapped cheese serum? Its more than unsightlyits your literal spoiler alert. But once you know what to avoid, you can focus on what really matters: choosing something worth celebrating. And if you want a guaranteed win, look to a cheese thats already proven itself on the global stage. At this years World Cheese Awards, Tillamook took home Gold for its Farmers Collection Hickory Smoked Extra Sharp White Cheddar, a richly aromatic, slow-smoked Cheddar that wowed judges for its balance of sharpness and cream. That cheese is special, Allen says proudly. Its proof of how precision and passion come together in every wheel we make. You Might Also Like California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Archer Aviation is putting down roots on both sides of the Atlantic. On Tuesday, the company revealed its plans to build an engineering hub in South West England that will be operated by a new subsidiary, Archer Aviation UK Limited. The move adds to its primary manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, which could also be complemented by production capabilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "The U.K. has the talent and industrial base to be a major player in driving the next era of advanced aerospace and defence," said Adam Goldstein, Archer's founder and CEO. "Archer's plans to open a U.K. engineering hub underscores our commitment to being an integral part of the next-generation of aerospace and defence in the country." Archer also poached engineer Limhi Somerville from what would be its largest U.K. competitor-Vertical Aerospace, which last week unveiled its flagship eVTOL, Valo. Like Archer's Midnight, Valo is designed to carry up to four passengers on zero-emission flights in urban settings, producing a fraction of the noise of a helicopter. Somerville spent six years with Vertical and led its development of electric batteries and powertrains, most recently serving as director of engineering. He will join Archer's team in early 2026, the company said. Acquiring team members from competitors is a blueprint the company has deployed before. Earlier this year, for example, George Kivork, the former head of U.S. state and local policy for rival Joby Aviation, joined Archer as a general manager for the Los Angeles region. However, the strategy has gotten the company in some hot water. Joby in November sued both Archer and Kivork, alleging that its competitor used trade secrets from Kivork to undercut an exclusive deal it had planned to finalize. Archer has rejected the allegations. Wisk Aero, the eVTOL arm of Boeing, sued Archer in 2021, also alleging that a former employee stole trade secrets. Archer promptly countersued. The companies ultimately settled for an undisclosed amount, and Boeing made an investment intended to fund the integration of Wisk's autonomy technology on future variants of Midnight. Archer Across the Atlantic Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL model with a cruise speed of about 150 mph, designed for 10-20-minute, 20-50 sm trips. Its six electric battery packs each power a pair of motors and propellers, half of which are capable of tilting to support both hover and forward flight. In the U.S., Archer is working with United Airlines-which placed an order for up to 200 aircraft-and Southwest Airlines to build air taxi networks in major urban centers. It has shared potential route maps for New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, where it recently acquired Hawthorne Municipal Airport (KHHR) for $126 million. Only 8% of homeowners insurance policies analyzed by the Colorado Division of Insurance included the kind of no-cap protection that can virtually eliminate the risk of coming up short when rebuilding a home after a catastrophic loss. In its review of 951 homes connected to claims from the December 2021 Marshall Firewhich destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and businesses and caused more than $2 billion in property damagethe DOI found just 76 policies included guaranteed replacement cost coverage. This type of coverage pays what it actually costs to rebuild to like kind and quality, even if construction prices surge past the stated dwelling limit. This isnt just a Colorado problem, though. As natural disasters like wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes grow more frequent, and rebuild costs keep climbing, underinsurance is becoming a growing risk nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement In 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, the average construction cost of a typical single-family home was just under $430,000, or roughly $162 per square footthe highest in the history of the National Association of Home Builders series. Yet most homeowners think theyre covered: Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Americans reported they believe their insurance would pay the full cost to replace their home if disaster struck, according to a 2020 Policygenius survey. Its a sobering reminder nearly a year after the Los Angeles wildfires destroyed close to 11,000 homes. Claire OConnor, a Los Angeles real estate agent and homeowner who lost her home in the Palisades fire, told Realtor.com in May that the old habit of set it and forget it insurance policies no longer works. Prevention now starts on paper, by knowing what your policy will actually pay before you need it. Most 'replacement cost' policies are still capped When people hear full replacement coverage, they often assume it means that if their home is destroyed, insurance will pay whatever it costs to rebuild. Advertisement Advertisement But that level of protection is usually the rarest no-cap form of coverageoften called guaranteed replacement costthats designed to pay the full cost to rebuild, even if construction prices surge past the stated limit. Most homeowners policies work differently. Even if your policy is written on a replacement cost basis, your dwelling/structure limit (often shown as Coverage A Dwelling) still functions as a cap. Thats why homeowners can be insured and still come up short: Rebuild bids can exceed the dwelling limit, especially after a disaster when labor and materials spike. Then theres the middle ground: extended replacement cost coverage. This is a common add-on that increases how much your insurer can pay above Coverage A, often by a set percentage. It can reduce the risk of a shortfall, but its still not unlimited, and eligibility or other conditions vary by insurer and state. Advertisement Advertisement One reason that underinsurance may be so common is simple confusion. Nearly half (49.4%) of homeowners mistakenly think insurance should be based on a homes market value, when the critical number for coverage is rebuild cost, according to the Policygenius survey. The Marshall Fire coverage gap in charts The Marshall Fire offers a glimpse at the risk that these knowledge gaps create for homeowners. Colorado's DOI analysis found that guaranteed replacement cost coverage was highly uncommon. Total loss claims after the Marshall fire by policy type. Instead of a no-cap policy, most homeowners had extended replacement cost coverage, the middle-ground option that allows insurers to pay above the dwelling limit (Coverage A). While this buffer helps, it isnt unlimited. Average underinsurance amount per policy, showing a range between $98,967 and $242,670. To illustrate the real-world impact of the coverage gap, the DOI modeled rebuilding costs of $250, $300, and $350 per square foot for each affected town, such as Boulder, Louisville, and Superior. In those scenarios, underinsurance could force homeowners to cover roughly $98,967 to $242,670 out of pocket to rebuild. Market value confusion is a major driver of underinsurance So why is underinsurance still a problem? Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Wisconsin-Madison set out to find out. Advertisement Advertisement Their 2024 research found that homeowners shopped based on their monthly premium, not the coverage limits, even when they were displayed prominently on the declarations page of a policy. Its easy to understand why. Home insurance prices ballooned by 33% from 2020 to 2023, and are projected to surge 16% more by 2027. Those kinds of rising costs put additional pressure on homeowners, who may feel forced to opt for the most affordable option today, forgoing the highest level of coverage for a tomorrow that may never come. The study describes this as coverage neglect. People respond to the sticker price, but dont fully account for how much coverage theyre giving up to get that lower bill. The result is that a policy can look like a deal, when its really cheaper because it would pay less after a total loss. Some of this may be solved by shopping policies from different providers. The researchers estimate that if homeowners compared insurers using coverage-adjusted pricingso quotes are normalized to the same coverage levelthe average homeowner could save about $290 a year. Policy check: The numbers you need to know (and where to find them) Its worth taking a moment to review your coverage so you understand your potential exposure. Heres where to start. Step 1: Find Coverage A (dwelling) Begin with your declarations page (the summary at the front of your policy packet). Look for a line that reads Coverage A Dwelling (or Dwelling). This is the base limit your insurer will use to rebuild the main structure. Step 2: Identify any 'extended replacement' language (and the %) On the declarations page or in an endorsement, you may see Extended Replacement Cost, Extended Dwelling, or similar wording, sometimes shown as a percentage above Coverage A. Advertisement Advertisement If you see it, write down the percentage and any conditions noted (some policies require you to rebuild, or to document higher costs, to access the extended amount). If you dont see it on the declarations page, check the endorsements section for anything that modifies Coverage A or mentions replacement cost beyond the limit. And if it's not there, you may not have any additional coverage over your dwelling cap. That could leave you exposed to additional costs in the event of a total loss of your home. Step 3: Run a rough rebuild estimate To calculate a rebuild estimate, multiply the square footage of your home by the local rebuild cost per square foot, which you may be able to estimate from local contractors, and use NAHBs national benchmark as a gut check. Step 4: Compare your coverage to your rebuild estimate If your coverage is less than your rebuild estimate, you likely have a coverage gap, meaning your policy limit (even with the extended buffer) may not be enough to rebuild at todays costs. It may be time to review your policy, and consider shopping among insurance providers for the most savings. These days, working remotely is more common than ever before. For one, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many employees to work from home, while the rise in improved internet connectivity, mobile devices, and a strong desire from workers to do their jobs remotely has resulted in a surge of digital jobs, which has also boosted the number of digital nomads. According to data published by Nomad Stays, the number of nomads has increased to 50 million worldwide, and the trend doesn't seem to be slowing down. Of course, that begs the question: Where are the best destinations for these nomads to live and work? In many cases, digital nomads are flocking to affordable cities as popular remote work hubs become too expensive, and in 2025, the most affordable destination is India, with its bustling cities and beautiful beach escapes. However, choosing a spot for the nomadic life involves more than just saving money on rent, food, and utilities. Also, popular hotspots like Bali or Portugal are becoming saturated, according to nomads on Reddit. For 2026, Google has released the top trending destinations for digital nomads (as published by Fodor's), and they might surprise you. Whether you're thinking of becoming a nomad yourself or just want to discover new places that can accommodate extended stays, here are the top five options. Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The Best Vacation Destinations Where The US Dollar Goes Furthest Colombia The skyline of Medellin, Colombia - oscar garces/Shutterstock If you're only familiar with Colombia from pop culture, you may worry that it's an unsafe place for travelers and nomads alike. However, the country has come a long way from its complicated past, and now it's one of South America's most affordable countries for tourists, which is why it's risen to the top spot for the digital nomad life. A big reason for Colombia's popularity is that it has started offering a two-year digital nomad visa. To qualify, you must have a passport from a country that is exempt from short-stay visas, such as the U.S., the U.K., and many European Union countries. Additionally, you must verify employment with a foreign company (either as a freelancer or employee) or prove that you are a digital entrepreneur. You will need to prove that your income is at least three times the average monthly wage, which is around $900 USD at the time of this writing, but that can change. But what is it like in Colombia for nomads and travelers? While the country has improved significantly from the 80s and 90s, there can still be issues with crime, such as robberies. According to this Reddit thread, experiences can range from pleasant to dangerous, but there are too many variables to say definitively what it's like. Overall, the cost of living is excellent compared to the United States (according to Numbeo), the weather is warm and tropical year-round, and big cities like Bogota and Medellin are becoming hotspots for remote work, offering stability and community. New Zealand The main harbor of Auckland, New Zealand - AsiaTravel/Shutterstock Most people are familiar with New Zealand from the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but the island nation is also ranked the best in the world for work-life balance, so it's not surprising that it's attractive to digital nomads. However, the likely reason it's trending at the number two spot is that the country started relaxing its policies on extended stays, specifically to attract more digital nomads. Before the change, visitors could apply for a Visitor Visa, which allowed them to be in the country for up to nine months, provided they didn't perform any work during that time. Now, visitors are allowed to work for a foreign-based company for up to 90 days without paying a residency tax. Advertisement Advertisement As far as what to expect, living in New Zealand is likely much more accommodating and seamless for digital nomads, especially those from the U.S. or U.K. English is the official language, and big cities like Auckland and Wellington offer excellent infrastructure and stability for remote work. Also, unlike countries like Colombia, safety is not really an issue, so visitors can explore the region and its cities freely. Additionally, New Zealand has incredible scenery, particularly on the South Island and in Fiordland. While these areas are remote and not Wi-Fi friendly, they allow nomads to escape into the wild as a fun break between online meetings and Slack chats. Costa Rica Aerial view of downtown San Jose, Costa Rica - Gianfranco Vivi/Getty Images With two distinct coastlines and one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, Costa Rica is a gorgeous country that is a perennial favorite among travelers. It has also poured a lot of money into infrastructure development to cater to tourists and keep foreign money flowing. So, it makes sense that all of the positive elements that attract visitors will do the same for digital nomads. Like Colombia, Costa Rica offers a robust digital nomad visa with some pretty sweet perks. First, the visa is valid for one year, with an option to renew for one year. Applicants must prove they are working for a foreign-based company and earning at least $3,000 USD for an individual and $4,000 USD for someone with dependents. The visa offers tax exemption status and allows users to open a local bank account. The last part can really make a difference when managing day-to-day expenses like rent and utilities, and it can also give you access to SINPE, a mobile payment system widely used throughout the country. Advertisement Advertisement Costa Rica remains one of the top Latin American countries for digital nomads, thanks to several key components, such as internet connectivity, universal healthcare, and a relatively low cost of living. While the cost of living isn't as low as in Colombia, it's still very attractive for nomads coming from the United States. On top of all of that, nomads have plenty of stunning beaches and nature preserves to explore, making an extended day even more desirable. Latvia The skyline of Riga, Latvia - Altug Galip/Shutterstock Latvia is not quite as well-known as others like Ukraine or Romania, but it's filled with the same charm and history. In fact, Latvia is called "Europe's hidden culinary gem," and it has unspoiled natural parks and beaches. It's tucked between Estonia and Lithuania, and it borders the Baltic Sea. So, why is Latvia such a top-trending destination for digital nomads? First, while Latvia is part of the European Union, its cost of living is well below that of Western European countries like Spain and France, and far below that of most American cities. And because Latvia borders the Baltic Sea, it offers a mix of beachside escapes, mountainous regions, and historic towns, such as the capital, Riga. Finally, the application process for obtaining a digital nomad visa is relatively easy, and you can stay in the country for up to two years. Also, Latvia offers a streamlined path for foreigners to obtain citizenship, which unlocks the rest of the European Union. To get a digital nomad visa, you must have a passport from an OECD country, such as the U.S., U.K., Canada, Japan, and others. You must also have health insurance that covers Latvia, and proof of income from a foreign-based company (also within the OECD network) for the last six months. Latvia also imposes an income requirement of 2.5 times the average local salary, which is 4,213 Euros at the time of this writing (around $4,900 USD). This visa also means you only have to pay a flat 15% tax on earnings while staying in the country. Bulgaria The city of Sofia, Bulgaria - Nikolay Pandev/Getty Images As with Latvia, Bulgaria may not immediately come to mind when choosing a remote working destination, but it's on the rise for many similar reasons. As of 2025, Bulgaria has new rules and regulations for digital nomads, making it easier for workers to come into the country. As with other countries that have adopted an official digital nomad visa, the idea is to attract top talent and boost local economies. Advertisement Advertisement One of the current standout cities in Bulgaria is Bansko, a budget ski destination with wine, trails, and a walkable downtown. Although the city is relatively remote, situated next to the Pirin Mountains, it has become something of a remote working hub. Part of the reason for Bansko's prominence is that it's already a tourist attraction, so it has the infrastructure and welcoming atmosphere nomads are looking for. Other popular cities in Bulgaria for the nomad life include Sofia and Plovdiv, which are larger urban centers but still full of stunning architecture and scenery. For those who want more of a coastal landscape, Varna is a popular destination along the Black Sea. So what benefits can digital nomads expect if they choose Bulgaria as their next home base? First, the cost of living is around 70% lower than in the United States, with everything from rent to groceries being far more affordable. Next, Bulgaria only charges a flat 10% tax rate on nomads, the lowest in the EU. Speaking of the EU, the new visa rules can make it easier for nomads to apply for citizenship and travel across Europe. Finally, Bulgaria's tech infrastructure is well-built and maintained, so even mountain towns like Bansko have excellent Wi-Fi signals and co-working spaces, making it easier for nomads to stay connected as they travel throughout the country. 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. Niall Harbison is well-known in animal advocate circles thanks to his tireless work saving street dogs in Thailand. He launched his rescue organization, Happy Doggo, in 2021, which has evolved into a global mission to help canines worldwide. His most recent rescue was more complex than others. An older dog with poor eyesight had fallen off a bridge and, despite Harbison's best efforts, was extremely resistant to any help. In the Instagram video from niall.harbison, the terrified black dog was shown huddled under a bridge. Harbison and his team were alerted to the situation from bystanders who saw what happened. Advertisement Advertisement "Frantic locals reached out to us about a dog who had fallen off a bridge and couldnt get out," he explained in the caption. "He was very old and had apparently been spooked and fallen down into the water." The injured dog wouldn't let anyone near him for fear of being harmed. Harbison and his team tried various ways to get him on a leash so they could get him medical care. Impending storms were in the forecast so they were up against the clock. "He was deeply traumatized and even though someone got him a blanket and some water, nobody could approach him as he was lashing out with bites given how scared he was," the story continued. "With huge storms coming and monsoon season we knew we had to act fast... we even tried to use a rubbish bin to hopefully float him out. It wasnt helped by his eye infections meaning he could hardly see anything." The rescue team also had to avoid the stale sewage water, which could prove harmful if immersed or ingested. Despite "a lot of scratches and attempted bites", they were able to finally get him to safety. Rescue Dog Received Medical Care Harbison recently opened a full-service medical clinic in honor of his late Golden Retriever, Tina. He brought the canine in for immediate attention. The rescue owner revealed that the dog had somehow survived in horrible conditions. Advertisement Advertisement "Thirty minutes later, he was in Tinas hospital, where he is tonight," he shared. "Locals say he was on that ledge hanging on for his life for 4 days in the monsoon rains with no way out." Related: Scared Rescue Dog Gets Much-Needed First Bath in Foster Home and Becomes Brave Fur Baby Surprisingly, the courageous canine's injuries are treatable and he is now in the loving hands of Harbison and the Happy Doggo team. "The little guy is safe now and will sleep his ordeal off," the story concluded. "Hes eating and drinking and no broken bones." This precious pooch has a second chance thanks to these dedicated rescue workers. Advertisement Advertisement Learn more about Happy Doggo or make a donation by visiting their website or accounts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. SIGN UP to get pawsitivity delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Dec 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey. The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown. Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement "We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students," Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement. The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members. School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Another sprawling residential development is headed to Harris County-this time targeting renters in Katy. Located at the northwest corner of Clay Road and Katy Pointe Boulevard, a 17.2-acre site will soon transform into a 210-unit build-to-rent community, according to a story in Realty News Report. RSK Real Estate Partners-a Chicago developer-is expected to begin construction on the development in the coming weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Known as The Landing at Katy Pointe, the development will include two- and three-bedroom duplexes, approximately 1,500 square feet, with attached garages and landscaped yards. The units are expected to be up for lease by the third quarter of 2026. The build-to-rent boom in Houston continues to grow. Earlier this year, Point2Homes ranked Houston fifth nationwide for cities with the most single-family rental units in the pipeline. In 2024, RentCafe ranked Houston third for cities with build-to-rent homes under construction. The Clay Road development is the second RSK Real Estate Partners' build-to-rent community in Katy. The first, known as The Landing at Morton Ranch, consists of 156 units on a 9.4-acre site just one mile north of the newly proposed development. "The Landing at Katy Pointe will fulfill needs of young families, professionals and empty nesters who desire the perks of a single-family home in a well-located growing area of Katy," Rick Ragan, vice president of NewQuest who represented RSK in the transaction, said in their release. Advertisement Advertisement Several other build-to-rent communities have also taken shape nearby, including Tricon's 175-unit Peek Road community and AHV's 176-unit Katy Legacy community. Katy continues to be one of Houston's fastest-growing suburbs, with several other large-scale residential and mixed-use developments underway. The Katy ISD is also set to expand its footprint to meet the population boom, with plans for an estimated $64 million elementary school and a $72.5 million junior high. More News Politics | LinaHidalgo announces separation from longtime partner Gulf Coast | Galveston can't get enough of this strange giant beach find TV | Houston TV news legend signs off after short comeback Money | Here's how much you need to live comfortably in Houston For the latest and best from Chron, sign up for our daily newsletter here. This article originally published at 17-acre site in booming Houston suburb set for giant housing community. The province has said that two deer hunted in B.C.'s Kootenay region have tested positive for chronic wasting disease, also known as "zombie deer disease." In a statement on Tuesday, the province said the two new cases were confirmed in a management zone set up to stop the spread of the disease. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious and fatal illness affecting species such as deer, elk, moose and caribou. Advertisement Advertisement The condition, which has a 100 per cent fatality rate, has been spreading throughout the Kootenay region after being detected for the first time ever in the province last year. Cervidae is a family of hoofed ruminant mammals that includes moose, deer and elk. If a cervid gets chronic wasting disease, there is a 100 per cent fatality rate. (Marcella Bernardo/CBC) Within the management zone, the B.C. government requires hunters to submit samples for free testing, and to report sick animals. There are also restrictions on transporting carcasses in the Kootenay region due to the disease. Protecting B.C.s wildlife is a shared responsibility, and we are grateful to hunters, First Nations and community partners who are working with us to respond and manage the disease effectively," said Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill in the province's statement. Advertisement Advertisement The province says there have been eight confirmed cases of "zombie deer disease" in B.C., according to the province, all located within the Kootenays in the southeast corner of the province. In its statement, the government says there would be a special hunt in the CWD management zone where hunters would be able to harvest one additional deer, beyond a regional limit of two, in order to support disease surveillance efforts. Late last month, the province investigated a potential case of chronic wasting disease in the neighbouring Okanagan region. The province said last week that testing confirmed a sample from a deer harvested east of Enderby, B.C., was negative for chronic wasting disease. The province is encouraging hunters outside the Kootenays, especially in the Peace region adjacent to Alberta, to voluntarily submit samples from harvested deer, elk and moose. Advertisement Advertisement Hunters and hunting continue to be the best tool we have to identify and manage chronic wasting disease," said Jesse Zeman, executive director of the B.C. Wildlife Federation, in the province's statement. Prion diseases like chronic wasting disease are a family of rare neurodegenerative disorders that can be found in both humans and animals, impairing brain function. While there is no direct evidence the disease can be transmitted to humans and there have been no cases in humans, the ministry says Health Canada and the World Health Organization recommend people not eat the meat of an infected animal. Perhaps the best known example of a prion disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly referred to as mad cow disease. Two Flagler County sheriffs deputies sustained serious injuries Tuesday after a traffic crash involving the motorcycles they were riding. The wreck occurred at about 11:53 a.m. at the intersection of Palm Coast Parkway and Florida Park Drive. The deputies, 51 and 41-year-old men both from Bunnell, were riding marked Flagler County sheriffs motorcycles westbound in the left lane. A sedan in front of them, traveling in the center lane, abruptly turned in the path of the deputies, a Florida Highway Patrol news release states. The driver, a 30-year-old Deland man, was attempting to turn into the RaceTrac gas station parking lot, the news release states. "The front portion of both motorcycles then struck the left side of the sedan," the news release states. The driver of the sedan sustained minor injuries. Advertisement Advertisement >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. A man was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 16, in Indio. Detectives were investigating the killing as a homicide, but the Indio Police Department said there was no known threat to the community at large. Officers were dispatched shortly after 1 p.m. in response to a report of shots fired in the 47-000 block of Dove Street. Officers found two related crime scenes, one on Dove Street and another on Bluejay Street, which is located a block away. On Bluejay Street, officers located a 23-year-old man with gunshot wounds, and first responders immediately attempted life-saving measures. The victim was transported by ambulance to a hospital, where he later died from the injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Police did not immediately identify the victim, nor did they say whether any suspects had been identified or arrested. Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 23-year-old man shot and killed in Indio Two big car companies will pay out millions to owners after they were accused of selling cars that were easy to steal. Kia and Hyundai have agreed to a $9 million settlement. Attorneys general from 35 states, including California, claimed the companies sold cars that lacked industry-standard Anti-Theft Protections. The settlement will provide up to $4,500 to people who had their cars totaled, half that for those who had their cars severely damaged, and $375 to those who had a thief break in, but not steal their car. Advertisement Advertisement The company has also agreed to a free retrofit to add a metal sleeve around the ignition. "It does come back to locking it but at the end of the day, you got to understand, and they need to understand, that it's more than just a car," says AJ Rivie, who is a Visalia mechanic and owns a Kia. Thankfully, his car has been safe, but he's seen it go through multiple recalls and remembers the years social media made groups like Kia Boys viral. In Visalia alone, 22 teens were arrested in 2023 for stealing Hyundai's and Kia's. In 2024, Kia's and Hyundai's topped the list of most stolen cars. That's because thieves discovered all that was needed to drive off was a screwdriver and a USB charging cable, and that went viral on TikTok. Advertisement Advertisement We found one Tulare County man who almost had his car taken outside of his home. He wishes to remain anonymous but shared, "It was probably right between midnight and 1 am. I heard the neighbor's dog making more of a ruckus than he normally does. It just kind of maybe got my attention and got up, went out to the window, looked out and saw somebody by my car messing with the door handle." Thankfully, he scared off the would-be thief, but it's a moment he will never forget. To this day, he considers himself lucky. "Many people didn't have that kind of luck," he said. "A lot of them got their car stolen, and it was wrecked or totaled. When something like that happens to you, it's just not the same to you anymore." Advertisement Advertisement People are always encouraged to lock your car doors and not leave anything in your vehicle. Local mechanics did mention you can reach out to them if you have any questions on a possible recall. We also reached out to Kia. They shared this statement: "Today's agreement is the latest in a series of steps that Kia has taken to support our customers who have been impacted by criminals using methods of theft popularized on social media to steal or attempt to steal certain vehicle models. Kia has worked tirelessly to find new, creative, and - most importantly - effective ways to make these vehicles more difficult for criminals to steal beyond their already existing theft protections. These include the development and introduction of a free software security upgrade that has been found to significantly reduce theft rates, the distribution of hundreds of thousands of steering wheel locks to our customers at no cost, and the rollout of a zinc-sleeve hardware modification that combats this social media-inspired theft method by reinforcing the ignition cylinder body and preventing its removal through the technique that was made popular online. The company has also established settlement funds providing direct support and compensation to eligible owners of impacted vehicles. Kia is eager to continue working with law enforcement officers and officials at federal, state, and local levels to combat criminal car theft, and the role social media has played in encouraging it, and we remain fully committed to upholding vehicle security." Advertisement Advertisement For more information, visit here or Hyundai and Kia's Official webpages. We will update this story when a settlement webpage link is available. For South Valley news updates, follow Kassandra Gutierrez on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Texas state emergency resources have been mobilized in response to the anticipation of an increased wildfire threat expected across West Texas and the Panhandle regions of the state through the weekend. On Wednesday, Dec. 17, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the Texas A&M Forest Service is forecasting an increased wildfire potential across North and West Texas, including Texoma and the Panhandle, and expanding west to the South Plains, Permian Basin, and Big Country due to dry, dormant vegetation and breezy conditions. "As Texas closely monitors potential wildfire threats, our state is ready to deploy all necessary resources to at risk communities," said Governor Abbott. "I strongly urge Texans to create an emergency plan, limit any activities that can cause a spark, and heed the guidance of state and local officials. Together, we can prevent elevating the risk of these wildfires and protect our homes, businesses, and each other." Advertisement Advertisement According to the governor's office, the following state wildfire response resources remain available to support local wildfire response operations: Texas Health and Human Services Commission Personnel to provide information on available services through the 2-1-1 Texas Information Referral Network Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System) State, local, and out-of-state firefighters and support personnel; heavy equipment such as bulldozers and motor graders; and more than 15 federally contracted firefighting aircraft including large air tankers, single-engine air tankers for retardant drops, super scoopers for water drops, air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, an aerial supervision module for aerial guidance Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force) Wildland Fire and Severe Weather Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles Texas National Guard Blackhawk helicopters with firefighting capability. Texas Department of Transportation Personnel monitoring road conditions. Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to patrol roadways and assist stranded motorists. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Wardens, State Park Police. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Animal Health Commission Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as AgriLife Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs. Texas Animal Health Commission Coordinating animal resource needs. Texas Department of Agriculture Coordinating agricultural resource needs. Public Utility Commission of Texas Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers. Railroad Commission of Texas Monitoring of the states natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Air/water/wastewater monitoring. The governor's office also said Texans can access wildfire tips and safety information at tfsweb.tamu.edu and TexasReady.gov. Texans can find all-hazards disaster preparedness information at tdem.texas.gov/prepare. Advertisement Advertisement Mateo Rosiles is a reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and USA TODAY Network in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him: mrosiles@lubbockonline.com. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Abbott activates state resources in West Texas due to wildfire threat Aspire, a global fintech headquartered in Singapore, has obtained its Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence, establishing the foundation for its operations in the Netherlands and its official entry into the European Union. The EMI licence unlocks pan-European coverage for Aspires clients, supporting their international growth and enhancing access to regulated fintech infrastructure. As part of its European launch, Aspire has signed a formal investment commitment with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, selecting the Netherlands as its regional base. The decision was influenced by the countrys robust regulatory framework, business-friendly environment, and its pivotal role in Europes fintech and payments ecosystem. Aspire co-founder and CEO Andrea Baronchelli said: Europe is home to some of the worlds most ambitious and globally-minded startups, and they deserve financial infrastructure that matches their pace. Securing our EU EMI license is a major milestone it gives us the regulatory footing to serve our 50,000 existing clients as they expand internationally, while bringing our unified, intelligent Financial Operating System to thousands of European companies that operate across borders from day one. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) has welcomed Aspires entry, highlighting the countrys strategic role in Europes innovation landscape. We are pleased to welcome Aspire to the Netherlands as it establishes its presence in Europe, said NFIA Commissioner Hilde van der Meer. Europe continues to be a thriving hub for innovation, and the Netherlands plays a central role in enabling high-growth companies to scale across the region. Aspires decision to invest here reinforces the strength of our fintech ecosystem and our commitment to supporting global businesses that contribute to Europes economic growth. Aspires market entry in the Netherlands is being led by Dajana Nozic, who oversees the establishment of the companys European hub. In addition, former Revolut executive Akash Kaul has joined Aspire as VP Global Expansion and Growth. Kaul, who previously managed P&L growth at Revolut Business and helped scale its SME finance platform across more than thirty markets, is now responsible for Aspires rollout across the EU. This European expansion is part of a broader wave of regulatory progress for Aspire in other key international markets. In Australia, Aspire has been granted a full Australian Financial Services License (AFSL), allowing it to offer its full financial operating system, including multicurrency accounts, payments, cards, and spend management, to Australian businesses. Federal agents shoot pepper balls at demonstrators as they link arms, attempting to block federal vehicles during a federal raid at Bro-Tex, a paper distributor St. Paul Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer) The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and three Minnesota-based law firms sued federal immigration authorities Wednesday, alleging that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and their leaders are routinely violating the constitutional rights of the people protesting their actions. The six named plaintiffs were all observing ICE in recent weeks as the agency ramped up raids in Minnesota, especially in the states large Somali community, as part of a targeted operation ordered by the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Susan Tincher, one of the named plaintiffs, pulled up to the scene of a reported ICE raid in north Minneapolis on Dec. 9 and exited her car. According to the lawsuit, she stood on the sidewalk six feet away from the nearest officer and asked the agents on the scene if they were ICE. The officers moved towards her, ordered her to get back, then pulled her to the ground. Officers handcuffed Tincher while she was face-down in the snow, according to video of the event reviewed by the Reformer. I was genuinely afraid I was being kidnapped, Tincher said at a press conference Wednesday. The agents took Tincher to the Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling; shackled her legs; cut off her wedding ring, bra and boot laces; and held her in a cell for five hours before releasing her. The lawsuit argues that arresting or retaliating against people who are protesting ICE violates the First Amendment; that detaining protesters violates the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans from arrest without probable cause; and that immigration officials unlawfully conspired to violate protesters and observers rights. Advertisement Advertisement Alicia Granse, staff attorney with the ACLU, said the legal team plans to request a temporary restraining order, which would require ICE to discontinue unlawful practices immediately. The other five named plaintiffs are: Linden Hills residents John Biestman and Janet Lee, a married couple in their late 60s who followed an ICE vehicle after a Dec. 7 raid at Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary in Richfield. According to the complaint, ICE agents boxed in the couples car, pointed guns at them and threatened to arrest them. 31-year-old Minneapolis resident Lucia Webb, who followed two ICE vehicles to the park-and-ride outside the Whipple Building on Dec. 3. Officers boxed her in, surrounded the car and threatened to arrest her, according to the lawsuit. 35-year-old Minneapolis resident Alan Crenshaw, who on Dec. 9 observed and filmed ICE arresting a U.S. citizen. According to the lawsuit, as officers were leaving, one agent leaned out of a car window to pepper spray Crenshaw. 43-year-old Fridley resident Abdikadir Abdi Noor, a Somali-American citizen who was pulled over and later arrested by ICE outside of Karmel Mall in Minneapolis on Dec. 15. The complaint provides a thorough accounting of ICEs retaliatory actions against observers and protesters, including some details that have not been previously reported. Advertisement Advertisement Agents appear to be using law enforcement databases to scan license plates and retrieve observers home addresses, the lawsuit alleges. In at least one case, as an observer followed an ICE vehicle, the officer drove directly to her home. This threat and intimidation tactic is straight out of organized crime and has an obvious chilling effect on observers and protesters exercise of their First Amendment rights, the lawsuit states. Satellite imagery is now available showing the aftermath of a Ukrainian attack yesterday on a Russian Navy Improved Kilo class diesel-electric submarine in the Black Sea naval stronghold of Novorossiysk. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed that this was the first attack against a Russian vessel using an uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV). The operation could also mark the historic first successful use of a UUV as an anti-ship weapon, but the actual level of damage inflicted on the submarine remains unclear. Readers can first get up to date on the attack in our initial reporting here. TWZ obtained satellite images of where the attack occurred in Novorossiysk from Vantor (formerly Maxar Technologies). Additional imagery from Planet Labs has also been circulating online. The satellite imagery confirms that the UUV named by the SBU as a Sub Sea Baby, a previously unknown type detonated off the stern of the submarine, which was at a pier in the port of Novorossiysk. A substantial chunk of the pier itself was destroyed in the attack. This all aligns with video footage shot during the attack from a position on the ground nearby, which the SBU released yesterday. Satellite image from after the attack, with an overview of the targeted submarine, within the harbor, and another submarine moored outside of it. Other ships are also moored nearby. Satellite image 2025 Vantor https://t.co/2PjfguPVnMpic.twitter.com/pU2LIr7DP0 (@ServiceSsu) December 15, 2025 The post-strike imagery shows that the Improved Kilo class submarine, also known as a Project 636.3 Varshavyanka class type, is in the same position as it was before the attack. Two other submarines that were moored nearby when the attack occured have moved. Other submarines and ships are still in the moorings, including on the outside edge of the damaged pier. Advertisement Advertisement Some of the imagery available now suggests that the submarine that was attacked may now be sitting lower in the water, but that cant be readily confirmed. Any damage below the waterline would also not be visible in the images. At the same time, there are also no clear signs of any emergency measures having been taken to keep it afloat, or to contain the leakage of oil or other potentially hazardous fluids, as one might expect to see if the damage was severe. A closer view of the submarine targeted in the SBUs attack and the surrounding areas, with the damage to the pier also clearly visible. Satellite image 2025 Vantor The same area seen before the attack, in an image from December 11, 2025. Satellite image 2025 Vantor Based on the estimated length of what is visible of the submarine, some observers have noted that the epicenter of the explosion looks to have been less than 65 feet from the stern. The size and configuration of the Sub Sea Babys warhead, as well as other details about the UUV and its capabilities, remain scant. Satellite imagery shows the aftermath of a strike by a Sea Baby underwater drone against a submarine pier in the port of Novorossiysk. According to the image, the strike occurred approximately 20 meters from the stern of a Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarine, which remains https://t.co/SVecegvkeD pic.twitter.com/fxOicR5AAW OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) December 16, 2025 To note, the stern section of Kilo-class submarine remains submerged so presumably it was even closer than 20 meters. Highly probable that at least the propelled end got affected in a kinetic way. (satellite imagery I've used is not recent and used for illustration purposes https://t.co/fwO0UldAZs pic.twitter.com/qxNHs2AEQf Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) December 16, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Its also worth noting that wider views of the port of Novorossiysk following the attack show four Project 636 submarines still present. There is nothing definitive to indicate that the targeted boat might have been replaced by another to conceal the extent of the damage. Satellite reveals that four Kilo-class submarines are docked at the Novorossisk port in Russia. One of them appears to have a slightly different waterline compared to the other three. Ukraine claimed that its underwater UV launched an attack on the area via Mizarvision #OSINT pic.twitter.com/k1DLtOcloL GEOINT (@lobsterlarryliu) December 16, 2025 For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense had unsurprisingly denied that any damage was inflicted on the submarine or to any personnel at the port. The ministry has released a video that it claims shows the undamaged boat, but does not offer a view of the stern end. The background is also heavily censored. Even so, it does still reveal what looks like piles of broken concrete debris left on the pier after the explosion, which was clearly visible in the SBUs video of the attack, as well as in the satellite imagery available now. Russia shows footage of a Project 636.3 Improved Kilo-class submarine docked in the Novorossiysk Naval Base to deny Ukraine's claims about successful attack with an unmmaned underwater vehicle (UUV) on it. https://t.co/8molL3Fc2y pic.twitter.com/tECFkjknkM Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) December 16, 2025 It looks like there are piles of concrete debris left on the pier after the explosion. pic.twitter.com/h2NvDi0jkC Capt(N) (@Capt_Navy) December 16, 2025 The press service of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which operates the submarine, also denies any damage to its vessels. This is also consistent with reports from various Russian naval monitoring channels on social media, but clear corroborating evidence has yet to emerge. Overall, at this stage, we still cannot say with any authority what degree of damage, if any, the submarine may have actually sustained. Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, the attack does show Ukraine was at least able to slip a UUV into a heavily defended harbor, in daylight, and detonate its warhead only a few dozen or so feet away from a prized Russian submarine worth, according to the SBU, around $400 million. At least one Ukrainian UUV was therefore notably able to penetrate past barriers erected at the mouth of the port, intended specifically to protect the vessels within. Its worth noting, however, that the defensive barriers Russia has already built around ports were primarily put there in response to Ukraines uncrewed surface vessel (USV) campaign. This underscores the significance of the use of a UUV in this attack, as another example of the steady adaptation of weapons systems and tactics in response to countermeasures that has become a particular hallmark of the conflict in Ukraine. Barriers at the entrance to the Novorossiysk naval base, seen after the attack. Satellite image 2025 Vantor The same area, seen before the attack, on December 11, 2025. Satellite image 2025 Vantor With that in mind, Russia is likely to introduce new countermeasures against this particular mode of attack, one which Ukraine has spent some time developing. The results of yesterdays attack, while inconclusive for now, will likely spur further such developments in Ukraine, as well. Before SBU targeted the submarine in Novorossiysk, Ukraine had unveiled a UUV dubbed Marichka, designed to launch kamikaze attacks against ships and maritime infrastructure. At least one other Ukrainian UUV, known as Toloka, has previously been disclosed. Its unclear if either of these has any relationship to the Sub Sea Baby. Video of the Toloka UUV: Furthermore, the attack confirms that the Black Sea Fleet is very much still a prime target for Ukraine. This applies especially to the submarines like the Project 636 types and corvettes that are able to launch Kalibr long-range cruise missiles. These weapons have been regularly used in Russias nightly barrages launched against targets across Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Already, Ukrainian naval actions had forced the Black Sea Fleet to retreat from bases on the occupied Crimean Peninsula to Novorossiysk. Attacks in Crimea were also prosecuted against another Improved Kilo class submarine. In September 2023, the Rostov-on-Don was severely damaged during a combined missile and USV attack on Sevastopol. Ukraine later claimed it was destroyed. Photo showing damage to the Improved Kilo class submarine at Sevastopol, apparently first published by the Conflict Intelligence Team. CIT via X At the start of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Black Sea Fleet had a total of six Project 636 submarines available. Other navies around the world will likely have watched yesterdays attack with interest. As well as the United States, China and many other nations are developing their own UUVs for missions like this one. Advertisement Advertisement UUVs are able to attack vessels and other targets at long distances and can be launched from submarines and motherships, further extending their range. They can also be used for surveillance and mine laying, among other duties. You can read more about these vessels in various TWZ stories here. Ultimately, whether or not the Russian submarine was damaged, the attack has demonstrated once again that the war in Ukraine is a crucible for the development of new military technologies, especially uncrewed ones. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com WINCHESTER, IN The Purdue Extension East Regions 2026 Agriculture Outlook Meeting will be in Randolph County on Jan. 27. The meeting will be at the Randolph County Fairgrounds, 1885 S. U.S. 27. The event will begin at 10 a.m. The Purdue Extension East Regions 2026 Agriculture Outlook Meeting will be held at the Randolph County Fairgrounds on Jan. 27. This years program features "a strong lineup of speakers offering timely insights on agriculture, policy, markets and farm well-being." Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, will provide an update on current and emerging issues facing Indiana agriculture. Katie Nelson, executive director of public policy for Indiana Farm Bureau, will share insights and updates from the 2026 legislative session. Chad Fiechter, with the Center for Commercial Agriculture, will present the 2026 agriculture outlook for Indiana. Howard Halderman, president of Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management, will discuss trends and expectations for farmland values . Zoe Robinson, representing the Purdue Farm Stress Team, will offer information and resources focused on agricultures most important asset: people. Advertisement Advertisement To register, contact the Randolph County Extension Office at 765-584-2271 on or before Jan. 20, or email Amy Alka, Purdue Extension East Region commercial agriculture educator, at aalka@purdue.edu. Special accommodations must be requested at the time of registration. This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Purdue Extension's 2026 Agriculture Outlook Meeting set for Jan. 27 As far as bargain grocery stores go in the United States, Aldi is a haven for budget-conscious shoppers. Across the country, the German-founded grocery store is known for its low-cost items, international products, and even for being much better than Trader Joe's for some unexpected items. What you may not know is that its headquarters is based in one unlikely Midwestern city: Batavia, Illinois. Batavia is almost an hour drive from the densely populated neighboring city, Chicago. While the Windy City is known for having a large number of Aldi locations, Batavia is home to only one Aldi store, which happens to be located near headquarters based on N. Kirk Rd. Headquarters has undergone a few developments over the years to improve space and facilities for staff members. The company's campus renovations and expansion reflect the desire for growth in both stores and staffing. The German-based grocery chain has come a long way since being founded in 1946 and has a multitude of Aldi stores worldwide with accelerated growth being planned. Aldi headquarters is where much of the plans are made to maintain growth, including the decision to open 800 stores by 2028. Read more: 13 Secrets Buc-Ee's Employees Don't Want You To Know Why Aldi is such a popular grocery store in the Midwest Aldi sign in a store that reads, "Go big with low prices." - Eme Suhail/Shutterstock Everyday low prices are championed at Aldi no matter where you are in the country (although some store locations are known to be cheaper than others). Headquarters serve as the company's hub for the 2,600 stores scattered across the country, most of which are found in southern states and on the east coast. While headquarters' location may not immediately seem obvious when held up against the country's bigger and more populated cities, it does align with the chain's roots, which opened its very first store in Iowa. The grocery store already has a great reputation in this region, which keeps Midwestern shoppers continuously coming back. Advertisement Advertisement Even if some people have valid reasons for avoiding Aldi for their shopping, in the Midwestern states, it's fair to say that Aldi is beloved by many. Shoppers have said the quality of the goods are much better in Illinois than in other areas like New England. Most Aldi shoppers are generally pleased with the quality of produce and locally sourced meat, too. Overall, the choice of location for headquarters might not be the first guess for many, but it fits in with the chain's tradition and good reputation earned in the Midwestern part of the country. Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google. Read the original article on Chowhound. The City Council's budget standoff with Mayor Brandon Johnson moved another step closer to a vote as their plan faced scrutiny in an important committee Wednesday. Members of the Budget Committee approved an alternative budget that does not include Mayor Johnson's proposal for a corporate head tax. That tax has been a main sticking point in negotiations. The alternative plan will now go to the full council. The council needs to pass a budget before the end of the year to prevent a shutdown. The political battle is reminding some of the "council wars" during Harold Washington's administration. An alternative to Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget plan was heard by the Chicago City Council Budget Committee on Wednesday as a standoff continues. Advertisement Advertisement Chicago's budget battle headed to the city's Budget Committee Wednesday, with officially two weeks left for council members to hammer it out to avert heading into a citywide shutdown. The group of city leaders hoping to push through their own alternative budget is looking to continue to garner support for their revenue plan, which now more than half of council supports. On Tuesday, the Finance Committee passed that budget plan, which does not include the mayor's corporate head tax, but lays out a plan to raise a plastic bag shopping tax from 10 to 15 cents. It also includes a pilot program to place advertising on bridge houses and light poles. But, there were also questions about the alternate plan to sell outstanding debt to raise nearly $90 million. The city comptroller is advising against it. Advertisement Advertisement The group leading this effort says it's in line with 98 percent of Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed budget. RELATED | Chicago City Council revises alternative budget proposal, mayor defends head tax as deadline looms Council members on both sides of the budget debate expressing their opinions on where things stand. "Our proposal, in terms of new revenues, impacts businesses at 84% and individuals at 16%. I want everybody to take a look at this for a minute," said Budget Committee Vice Chair Ald. Nicole Lee. "What you have here is balancing the budget with fines and fees and taking out the corporate head tax. I want to hear your rationale to do that," said 25th Ward Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez. Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE | Chicago budget discussions reach stalemate, raising possibility of 1st-ever city government shutdown Johnson issued a statement on Tuesday evening, saying, "As the leaders of the Alternative Group made clear throughout their presentation, the Secret Budget that passed out of the Finance Committee this afternoon is substantially similar to the proposal we introduced more than two months ago. At our insistence, the Alternative Group agreed to restore the cuts they made to youth employment, and they removed the proposal to double the garbage tax. They have finally conceded to some degree, the point that I have made from the beginning: that corporations must pay their fair share in order to protect Chicagoans at this moment. Unfortunately, at the behest of certain corporate interests, they chose to replace a tax on the largest corporations with $90M+ in "enhanced debt collections" on everyday Chicagoans. This seems to be in direct contradiction with their expressed desires to shift the financial burden away from working people. Advertisement Advertisement Not only is this proposal immoral, it is simply not feasible. There is no way to sell off Chicagoans' debts that would yield that amount of revenue. If passed as is, this proposal would likely result in a significant midyear budget shortfall and leave Chicagoans vulnerable to deep cuts to city services. We will spend the next few days with our budget, finance, legal, and policy teams reviewing these proposals. Chicago cannot afford a government shutdown when we are making so much progress growing our economy and reducing violent crime to historic lows. Tomorrow, the Budget Committee will review their proposal publicly so that Chicagoans can understand exactly what is in this Secret Budget." A German court has reprimanded Amazon: The US company is not allowed to unilaterally change the terms of its Prime Video streaming service in Germany and send advertisements to viewers' screens and displays. The judgement by the Munich I Regional Court means that the Federation of German Consumer Organisations has won a lawsuit against Amazon, the court announced on Wednesday. Amazon is now required to send customers a "correction letter." Advertisement Advertisement However, the judgement is not final, and Amazon reserves the right to appeal the decision: "We will review the judgement to determine our next steps," said a spokesman. Ad-free costs 2.99 more Amazon informed Prime Video customers by email at the beginning of 2024 that advertising would be shown to a limited extent from February, the judgement said. Those who did not want to see advertising were to pay 2.99 ($3.51) more per month. The court saw this approach as a violation of fair competition. Court: Customers must be able to rely on contract The judges deemed the email misleading. According to the judgement, Amazon misled customers into believing it was entitled to a unilateral contract change. Advertisement Advertisement The court concluded that neither Amazon's terms of use nor the law allow such a unilateral change. At the time of contract conclusion, customers had expected an ad-free offer, according to the court's statement. And because Amazon had made an ad-free programme the "subject of the contract," the company must be held to it. Amazon disagrees Amazon disagreed: "While we respect the court's decision, we do not agree with the conclusions," said the company spokesman. "We have informed our customers transparently, in advance, and in accordance with applicable law about the update to advertising on Prime Video." Cindy Marten spent four years as second in command at the U.S. Department of Education during the Biden administration before landing her current post as state chief in Delaware. But even for a veteran administrator, the past year has been a whirlwind of activity. The moneys coming. The moneys not coming. Oh no, we have to shut all of our Head Starts. No we dont, she said, describing the ping-ponging state leaders have been through between U.S. Secretary Linda McMahons efforts to downsize the department and court rulings reversing her actions. Were going through total D.C. chaos right now. Every time you turn right, it says turn left. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter To make sense of those shifts, she turns to Adam Schott, her associate secretary for student support and another top official at the Education Department during the Biden administration. In Washington, he oversaw the distribution of $122 billion in relief funds and was a primary point of contact on school improvement efforts. Having him on her team, Marten said, is like having phone-a-friend on speed dial. Superintendent Cindy Martens team at the Delaware Department of Education includes several former staff members at the U.S. Department of Education. (Delaware Department of Education) Schott is part of an exodus of former experts in federal policy, budgeting and data who have literally gone back to the states, to borrow McMahons catch-phrase. In her eyes, the state level is where the magic happens, away from the one-size-fits-all ethos of Washington. The irony is that a recent crop of state officials are themselves federal ex-pats who resigned or were displaced by McMahons layoffs. The 74 also spoke to former department staff working in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Illinois. Because of the secretarys efforts to shutter the department, there have never been so many federal staffers looking for work. Advertisement Advertisement With the future of the federal governments role in education uncertain, observers say their expertise is more valuable than ever. The people I worked with were there for like 15, 20 years, said Kiara Nerenberg, a top data expert who resigned from her position with the National Center for Education Statistics just ahead of the mass layoffs in March. Theres just so much knowledge thats now looking for a place to land. Marylands biggest score Martens team in Delaware also includes Denise Carter, who served as acting secretary at the department before McMahon was confirmed and has decades of experience in the federal government. Marten called her the right hand and the left hand of multiple secretaries, including Democrat Arne Duncan and Republican Betsy DeVos. Carter stepped into the role of acting chief operating officer for Federal Student Aid last year following Richard Cordrays resignation after a disastrous launch of the redesigned financial aid form. She oversaw corrections that contributed to a smooth rollout this year. Carter resigned in April and is now helping to overhaul Delawares outdated school funding formula. Denise Carter But Marten didnt get all the talent. Because of its proximity to Washington, Maryland has scooped up several former staffers. Montgomery County even launched a hiring campaign targeting displaced federal employees. Advertisement Advertisement Richard Kincaid leads the division of college and career pathways at the Maryland State Department of Education. His biggest score, he said, was hiring Nerenberg, the former NCES staffer. One of her responsibilities was making all of the tens and hundreds of thousands of points on maps that tell you where schools are, she said. She was part of a project to identify neighborhood demographics vital information for programs like Title I for low-income schools and grants for rural areas. Now, she gathers data for career and technical education programs, but is also working to better align career-focused education with the needs of local labor markets. Having Nerenberg catapulted us years ahead, Kincaid said. Others searching for new jobs traveled far outside Washington. Kiara Nerenberg Tara Lawley spent 17 years with NCES, where she worked on both higher education and K-12 data collection. She was laid off along with over 1,300 other staff at the department in March while her husband, who worked in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, took the fork in the road option, a deferred resignation with several months of paid leave. Advertisement Advertisement In August, she found her new position with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, where shes the managing director of policy, research and fiscal analysis. We sold our house, tore our children out of everything they knew, and moved them across the country, she said. Her kids, 5 and 8, are doing fine, she said. But the experience reinforced her view that some decisions shouldnt be left up to the states. How do you take a [special education plan] from one state to another? Thats a challenge that still exists and its certainly not going to be solved if you do it state by state, she said. If youre in a state thats really not doing well in K-12 education and you move to a different state, your kid can be really far behind. Connective tissue Some former staffers have branched out into agencies that focus on more than just education. Advertisement Advertisement Sarah Mehrotra spent two years in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, where she administered pandemic recovery efforts like curbing chronic absenteeism and preventing students from becoming homeless. She left the department in January along with other members of Cardonas team, but knew she wanted to keep doing similar work. Maryland Gov. Wes Moores Office for Children, includes former Biden administration officials like Carmel Martin, right. She served as a domestic policy adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris and as an assistant secretary in the Education Department during the Obama administration. (Office of Gov. Wes Moore) Now shes part of Maryland Gov. Wes Moores Office for Children, where she works on an initiative to address child poverty in specific communities. They include Frederick Countys Golden Mile, where more than 80% of students in two elementary schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and Baltimores Cherry Hill neighborhood, where a state grant supports a math tutoring program. When she was with the department, she said officials were screaming from the rooftops about ways districts could blend federal dollars with other sources of funding to re-engage students who became disconnected from school during the pandemic. Now, she said, Its super helpful to have the federal, state and local perspective when working with grantees at the community level. Those with federal experience, she said, can serve as connective tissue between states and the Education Department. Advertisement Advertisement Republicans say there should be fewer ties to Washington, not more. At least one former department official, now at the state level, agrees. McKenzie Snow, Iowas education director, worked as an aide to DeVos and held top education positions in New Hampshire and Virginia. Related Iowa Submits Plan to Combine Federal Education Funds, and Experts are Skeptical Shes among those who, like McMahon, say that states are well equipped to manage federal education funds without the departments strict oversight. Her state was the first to submit a request to roll federal funds into a block grant. Their own innovation McMahon often points to reading gains in Mississippi and Louisiana to argue that the department is unnecessary. Advertisement Advertisement The states that are making great progress its through their own innovation, she said during a recent White House briefing. Its not coming from the Department of Education. But not all states have seen the same progress, and many have experienced significant turnover in leadership since the pandemic, which can contribute to disruption across an agency. Just this year, the state chiefs changed in Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oklahoma and Utah, and since the beginning of 2023, more than 30 states have changed superintendents. Having staff with some knowledge of federal grants and requirements is a plus right now, said Anna Edwards, co-founder and chief advocacy officer at Whiteboard Advisors, a consulting group. Given the uncertainty at the federal level, having those answers in house within a state is valuable, she said. During the shutdown, leaders couldnt even talk to anyone at the department. Advertisement Advertisement Related As Teacher Evaluation Reforms Come Undone, 2 States React Very Differently to Using Test Scores to Rate Educators Elizabeth Ross, who served in the department during the Obama administration, has worked for three chiefs since joining the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education in 2020. Its our job to make sure that students dont feel that transition, that they continue to have access to all of the resources and support, she said. A former third grade teacher in D.C., she led federal efforts to turn around low-performing schools and revamp No Child Left Behind, with its tough testing and accountability requirements, into the more-flexible Every Student Succeeds Act. Under Secretary Duncan, the department used stimulus funds as leverage to get states to adopt the Common Core standards and incorporate student test scores into teacher evaluations. The incentives often drew complaints about government overreach, but they also catalyzed and generated a lot of reform, she said. Elizabeth Ross, now assistant superintendent of teaching and learning in the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education, served at the Education Department during the Obama administration. (D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education) What she didnt have was frequent contact with teachers and parents directly affected by those programs. Now an assistant superintendent, she spends a lot of time in schools and often runs into teachers in the community who ask about specific curriculum materials. Advertisement Advertisement She has new appreciation for their input. My perspective has shifted, compared to when I was at the federal level, on how important local buy-in is for the success of policies, she said. Its something that I understand in a much, much deeper way. By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - As President Donald Trump's crime crackdown got underway in Washington, D.C., in August, federal agents and police spotted a man named Torez Riley tugging at his backpack inside a Trader Joe's store, searched it and recovered two firearms. But federal prosecutors were forced to dismiss the charges after video surveillance revealed the search lacked probable cause and was unlawful. Advertisement Advertisement In a subsequent legal opinion, a federal magistrate judge said the errors were part of a broader pattern of unprecedented prosecutorial missteps, resulting in a 21% dismissal rate of the D.C. U.S. Attorney's office's criminal complaints over eight weeks, compared to a mere 0.5% dismissal rate over the prior 10 years. "It appears prosecutors charged and detained Riley before properly investigating the circumstances of his arrest," wrote the magistrate judge, Zia Faruqui. In years past, it was relatively rare for a federal court to question the Justice Department's competency or good faith. But such questions are becoming more common, thanks to a growing pattern of legal missteps that have dogged the department since January, according to a Reuters review and legal experts. The Justice Department declined to comment on any pending cases but a department spokesperson said: Advertisement Advertisement "This Department of Justice is winning in court on behalf of the Trump Administration and the American People with 24 successful rulings at the Supreme Court emergency docket so far and multiple prominent indictments of transnational terrorists, violent criminals, and even politicians who have allegedly engaged in corruption." A spokesman for the D.C. U.S. Attorney's office, Tim Lauer, said: This office enforces the law as written and brings cases where the facts warrant action. While judges and juries decide outcomes, this offices role is to hold offenders accountable. UNDERMINES TRUMP'S OWN AGENDA The errors have sometimes undermined the department on civil and criminal matters it cares about, from the prosecutions of Trump's political foes, to cases about immigration, violent crime, gender-affirming care and voting rights. At times, they came about after senior officials made public statements about pending cases on social media or television that strayed from the allegations made in sworn court filings, violating department rules designed to ensure a fair trial. Advertisement Advertisement These mistakes are causing department attorneys to lose credibility with federal courts, with some judges quashing subpoenas, threatening criminal contempt and issuing opinions that raise questions about their conduct. Grand juries have also in some cases started rejecting indictments, a highly unusual event since prosecutors control what evidence gets presented. "As a government lawyer, you rely on your credibility and the Department of Justice relies on the presumption of regularity," said former federal prosecutor Alexis Loeb, referring to long-standing legal doctrine in which courts presume that government officials can be trusted. "If those things are undermined, if you lose a courts trust, it also makes it much harder to do your job." COMEY CASE TOSSED Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps the most high-profile case to garner headlines for its missteps is the Justice Department's prosecution of Trump critic James Comey, the former FBI director whom Trump fired in 2017, on charges of making false statements and obstructing Congress. A federal judge in November dismissed the charges against Comey, finding the indictment was secured by an unlawfully appointed U.S. Attorney who was hand-picked by Trump after her predecessor expressed concerns about the strength of the evidence against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Even before that ruling, the case was troubled: A magistrate judge said he uncovered a plethora of errors by U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, from misstatements of law to the grand jury, to possible misconduct that included presenting evidence to grand jurors that was not filtered to remove privileged materials between Comey and his attorney. After a different judge disqualified Halligan from serving as U.S. Attorney, the Justice Department circulated an email to prosecutors instructing them to still keep Halligan's name on the signature block for all pleadings and list her as holding the role -- with the word "Attorney" misspelled. Advertisement Advertisement At least some of the legal blunders are being caused by a loss of institutional knowledge, legal experts said. From January through November, public records show the department has lost more than 2,900 attorneys - triple the number of those who left in each of the previous four years. "It is no coincidence that in the wake of a mass exodus of experienced federal prosecutors and federal agents that there have been more actual or perceived missteps by department employees," said Peter Lallas, a former federal prosecutor. FOCUS ON THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION Other mistakes have occurred in moments where department officials were trying to garner attention on social media or curry political support from Trump and his allies. Advertisement Advertisement FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X about the arrest of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan over charges she obstructed immigration enforcement while the case was sealed. Months later, he erroneously posted that the FBI had a suspect in custody for the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a claim he was forced to walk back. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made extrajudicial statements about the department's motivations for pursuing criminal charges against Salvadoran immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia that a judge has since found could bolster Abrego Garcia's efforts to dismiss the indictment on the grounds it is a vindictive prosecution. In his remarks, Blanche told Fox News that prosecutors started investigating Abrego Garcia after a judge in Maryland questioned his removal from the United States and found the government had no right to deport him. Advertisement Advertisement And a memo drafted by Attorney General Pam Bondi that equated gender-affirming care for youth with genital mutilation has come back to bite, with several federal courts quashing the department's subpoenas to obtain medical records from providers, saying the department is acting in bad faith. "They shoot first, they aim later, and even then, they miss," said former prosecutor Gene Rossi. "Because there is no wall between the White House and the Justice Department in terms of interaction and political process, this is what happens." (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; additional reporting by Brad Heath; editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell) Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A federal appeals court agreed to allow the Trump administration to keep the National Guard in Washington, D.C., until the case is decided next year. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed unanimously to overturn a lower court ruling that blocked the troops from being sent to the city while court battles continue. The judges wrote that the administration is likely to win in the courts. But the order was not a decision on the legality of the deployment. It only allows the troops to stay until the final ruling. Advertisement Advertisement "Because the District of Columbia is a federal district created by Congress, rather than a constitutionally sovereign entity like the fifty States, the Defendants appear on this early record likely to prevail on the merits of their argument that the President possesses a unique power within the District -- the seat of the federal government -- to mobilize the Guard," the appellate judges wrote. The appeals court issued an administrative stay on Dec. 5 in the case to allow the National Guard to stay while the appeals court made its decision. Wednesday's issuance allows them to stay throughout the case. Of the three judges, two were appointed by Trump and one was appointed by President Barack Obama. The District sued the administration in September to block it from deploying troops there. Advertisement Advertisement "We are suing to defend D.C. home rule and stop the unlawful deployment of the National Guard," said Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb in an X post. "Our nation was founded on the fundamental principles of freedom and self-governance that are [at] stake in this case." Gabe Shoglow-Rubenstein, Schwalb's spokesperson, told The Washington Post that the ruling was preliminary. "This is a preliminary ruling that doesn't resolve the merits, and we look forward to continuing our case in both the district and appellate courts," he said. More than 2,000 troops are deployed in D.C. after Trump ordered them into the city as part of an effort to stop local crime. He has since sent National Guard troops to several Democrat-run cities in the United States. Heres what youll learn when you read this story: An excavation in Senon, France, unearthed three amphorae full of ancient Roman coins that had been buried under the floor of what was once a living room. This region of France was once populated by a Celtic tribe known as the Mediomatrici, who were eventually conquered by the Romans. The way that the amphorae were buried so close to ground level suggests that they were supposed to be accessible for deposits or withdrawals. There was (obviously) no such thing as online banking 1,700 years ago. While the ancient Romans did adopt early banking systems from ancient Greece, the most convenient way to put aside cash that would have simply been transfered into a savings account over a thousand years later was remained stashing it in a vessel that was later buried. Advertisement Advertisement Wherever the Roman Empire spread, its customs came with it. The empire and all its wealth extended through France, and archaeologists from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) have now unearthed three clay amphorae overflowing with coins. Found at a site in Senon, northeastern France, makeshift piggy banks were buried in a pit beneath the lime concrete floor of what was likely someones living room. The research team found more than 40,000 coins, weighing about 183 pounds in total. Some had been deposited in the necks of the jugs even after the containers were buried. Contrary to what one might think at first glance, it is not certain that these are treasures that were hidden during a period of insecurity, numismatist Vincent Genevieve, who studies ancient currency, said in a statement from INRAP. Many other explanations are possible, and these deposits should be seen instead as a snapshot of complex monetary management, planned over the medium to long term, within a household or administration, capable of making deposits and withdrawals at various intervals. At the time, Senon was populated by the Mediomatrici tribe, whose name translates to middle mother, and is probably a reference to the middle goddess of the three mothers worshipped in northwest Europe during the Roman era. These Celtic people, or Gauls, lived in the region during the Gallic Wars, when Julius Caesars forces conquered parts of Belgium, France, and Switzerland between 57 and 50 B.C.E. Caesar fought the Gauls when a subgroup known as the Helveti (from what is now Switzerland) began to migrate and clash with Roman allies. According to Caesars own account of the Gallic Wars, Celts near the Rhine (probably including the Mediomatrici) clashed with German tribes. The vessels and coin hoards found by the reasearcher date from much later, around the late 3rd to early 4th century C.E. Genevieve found some 23,000 to 24,000 coins in the first amphora (weighing a total of 83 pounds), and 18,000 to 19,000 in the second amphora (weighing a total of 110 pounds). Only three coins remained in the third vessel. Advertisement Advertisement Researchers who found coins stuck to the outer face of one vessel realized that they had been added to the hoard before the pit was filled with sediment. The Mediomatrici settlement in which the vessels were found had been burned to the ground in the 4th century and rebuilt, only to be reduced to ashes again, and these artifacts were there before the fires. That can only mean that they had been there before the Romans conquered. Because the reserves of coins were buried between 280 and 310 C.E., it is thought that they may be associated with the Roman military occupation at Senonwhether they belonged to Roman warriors or Mediomatrici, however, is unclear. The artifacts were buried at a time when urban growth began to trigger a shift in building practices and materials, and the living space, as a result, was made of limestone bricks (limestone was a plentiful resource in this part of France at the time). Rooms are separated by brick walls, with multiple pits that may have been latrines or spaces for storage. What they were actually used for will be determined by lab analysis. It seems that Senon was heavily influenced by its Roman conquerors. Impressions on the coins appear stylistically Roman, and the ruins at the site reflect an affluent city with a public square, courtyards, temples, baths, and even a theater. Its inhabitants may have been artists or merchants. INRAP officials, therefore, do not think that there was a rush to bury these coins because of impending disaster. The fact that the tops of the amphorae were almost at ground level indicates that they were supposed to be easily accessible for deposits or withdrawals. Their exceptional nature lies less in the discovery of a large quantity of coins (some thirty coin hoards are known in the Meuse department alone) than in the possibility of documenting their depositional context so precisely, Genevieve said, which is rare. You Might Also Like It is hard to believe that less than four years ago, AVAX USDT was trading in the triple digits, at an all-time high of $158. Since that day in early 2022, Avalanche crypto has fallen by -91%, with todays -4.2% drop the latest bloodbath for the Layer-1 blockchain project. During its height, AVAX was also a top 15 token by market cap, but has since dropped to 32nd, with a valuation of $5.3Bn, a fall from grace as the token was once valued at over $30Bn. A recent alliance with the US SEC has the Avalanche crypto community hoping that favourable oversight could rescue their token from the depths of hell. Ava Labs, Developer of the Avalanche Crypto Blockchain, Meets With the US SEC: Can the SEC Save the AVAX Price? Avalanche developer Ava Labs, alongside the Blockchain Association and The Digital Chamber, recently met with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to discuss regulatory oversight of crypto assets, particularly protocol tokens, by the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). A memo from the SEC Crypto Task Force noted that the meeting included representatives from Ava Labs, Sidley Austin LLP, and the Blockchain Association. They addressed regulatory challenges and explored potential pathways for harmonizing crypto oversight, in line with recent joint statements from the SEC, CFTC, and the Presidents Working Group (PWG) report on strengthening digital financial technology in the US. Ava Labs and Sidley Austin proposed a two-part regulatory approach for protocol tokens: the SEC would classify the initial token sale as an investment contract, while the CFTC would regulate tokens already functioning in live systems as commodities. This framework aims to clarify existing rules without requiring new laws and to foster crypto trading in the US, aligning with the Crypto Market Structure bill. Ava Labs, the Blockchain Association, and The Digital Chamber emphasized the need for regulatory clarity on protocol tokens, consistent disclosure, and responsible innovation to ensure investor protection. It remains to be seen whether the outcome of Ava Labs meeting with the SEC and CFTC will have a positive impact on the AVAX/USDT chart. Still, it could be seen as a positive sign that the SEC chose to meet with Ava Labs to discuss the future of crypto regulation. DISCOVER: The 12+ Hottest Crypto Presales to Buy Right Now AVAX Price Continues to Freefall Regardless of New SEC Bromance As of mid-December, Avalanche trades around $12.5, down significantly from its prior cycle highs but holding above a long-standing demand zone at around $12. This level has historically absorbed selling pressure, with sub-$12 not seen on the AVAX chart since November 2023. BECKLEY A substance so lethal that around 50 pounds of it could kill West Virginias population seven times over is now listed along with nuclear, biological and chemical weapons as a weapon of mass destruction. This week, President Donald Trump declared that the controlled substance fentanyl is now classified as a weapon of mass destruction. Raleigh County Commission President Greg Duckworth, who was recently elected the West Virginia First Foundations chairman of the board, spoke about the presidents declaration. The West Virginia First Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization which was founded for receiving and distributing opioid funds. These funds were generated from the states lawsuits against drug manufacturers that distributed the large amounts of opioids fueling an addiction epidemic and numerous overdoses. Advertisement Advertisement We understand the ravages of addiction and the devastation fentanyl continues to inflict on families and communities, Duckworth said Tuesday. We applaud the boots-on-the-ground prevention, treatment and recovery professionals working tirelessly to combat this crisis and save lives. Last October, 54 pounds of fentanyl was seized in Mercer County during one of the largest fentanyl drug busts in West Virginias history. This 54 pounds of the drug was enough to kill 12 million people, around seven times West Virginias population. The fentanyls estimated street value was $825,000. Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran thanked the president Tuesday for declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction. His action will be a great help in our effort to eliminate the deaths and other harm this drug has caused throughout not only Mercer County, but also West Virginia and the nation as a whole, Cochran said. I am also grateful to Governor Morrisey and the West Virginia Legislatures efforts in supporting the presidents decision, also their support of increased penalties for those convicted of distributing fentanyl. Its been a huge problem here and our police officers are working hard to help prevent the illegal spread of this and other deadly substances. Advertisement Advertisement Cochran said that families need to warn children about fentanyls dangers. This stuff is scary and is often being mixed with other substances, so parents really need to consistently warn their kids that in todays world, trying something even once could very well result in their death, he said. Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a statement late Monday after the president made his declaration. I want to thank President Trump for taking this decisive action to confront the fentanyl crisis and treat it with the seriousness it demands, Morrisey said. This is something I called for immediately upon taking office as governor, and it is an issue I aggressively pursued as Attorney General long before that. West Virginia has been on the front lines of the fentanyl epidemic. As Attorney General, I was one of the most vocal leaders in the country, urging federal action, filing briefs, sending letters, and pushing for fentanyl to be treated as the weapon it is. Those efforts included building partnerships and laying the groundwork that helped drive down overdose deaths. Advertisement Advertisement The presidents action validates the argument that fentanyl is a nation security threat and more than a drug problem, the governor said. I appreciate the president acting on this call, and West Virginia will continue leading the fight to protect our communities, hold traffickers accountable, and save lives, Morrisey said. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com Einsteins general theory of relativity comes with a lot of consequences that can best be described as weird. Now, for the first time, astronomers have directly observed one of those weird consequencesa whirlpool in the very fabric of spacetime caused by a rapidly spinning black hole. Every so often, an unlucky star wanders into the maw of a black hole where, just like everything else, it gets spaghettifiedstretched and shredded by immense gravitational forces. Known as a tidal disruption event (TDE), this star-eating phenomenon is a messy affair, with leftover stellar material forming a disk and jets of matter erupting into space at a blistering pace. By measuring the radio waves and X-rays emanating from the disk and the jets of just such a tidal disruption event (called AT2020afhd), astronomers discovered they were wobbling, and wobbling in unison. Essentially, the massive black hole at the center of the TDE was spinning in such a way that it dragged spacetime with it, creating a vortex. They published their findings recently in Science Advances. Read more: Why Its Hard for Black Holes to Get Together Called the LenseThirring precession after the two Austrian physicists who first mathematically described it over a century ago, its a phenomenon thats been theoretical until now. Our study shows the most compelling evidence yet of Lense-Thirring precessiona black hole dragging space time along with it in much the same way that a spinning top might drag the water around it in a whirlpool, study author Cosimo Inserra from Cardiff University said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Its a reminder to us, especially during the festive season as we gaze up at the night sky in wonder, that we have within our grasp the opportunity to identify ever more extraordinary objects in all the variations and flavors that nature has produced, he continued. In other words, theres a lot of weird stuff out there in space, just waiting to be discovered. Enjoying Nautilus? Subscribe to our free newsletter. Lead image: NASA This story was originally featured on Nautilus. By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Helen Coster Dec 16 (Reuters) - Authorities on Tuesday once again asked members of the public for help identifying the suspected gunman who killed two Brown University students in a classroom over the weekend, as the manhunt stretched past 72 hours and residents remained on edge. In a late-afternoon press conference, officials in Providence, Rhode Island, said they still have not identified the attacker. They played several video clips taken from neighborhood cameras that show the possible shooter walking near the site of the shooting on Saturday, wearing dark clothes and a face mask. Advertisement Advertisement Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said investigators were hoping someone might recognize the person based on his body movements, posture and bearing. He also said that police have evidence the person was in the area as early as 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, more than five hours before the attack, and that he was likely "casing" the scene. Officials said they are confident the person in the video is the gunman, but they also have "zero" evidence as to the motive for the shooting, according to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha. Earlier on Tuesday, authorities released a timeline video comprised of surveillance clips from neighborhood cameras and a car's dashcam tracking the person's movements both before and immediately after the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement In one clip, the man can be seen at a distance walking from the building's parking lot toward the street, even as police cars with flashing emergency lights arrive at the scene. The final clip shows the man walking along that street just three minutes after the shooting. Officials said there were limited cameras inside the engineering and physics building where the shooting took place, and that none had recorded any clear footage of the gunman. RESIDENTS ANXIOUS AS SEARCH REACHES FOURTH DAY Police have received more than 200 tips and are working through them, Perez said. Neronha defended the speed of the investigation, saying it was difficult but that it was "going really well" and asked the public for patience. Advertisement Advertisement But the days-long search has prompted many residents in the College Hill neighborhood near campus to stay behind locked doors, while many Brown undergraduate students hastily cleared out of the city after the school canceled classes and exams for the rest of the year. Authorities initially detained another person of interest, a man in his 20s, early on Sunday, but they eventually released him after concluding that he was not involved. The news that there was no suspect in custody brought fresh anxiety to nearby residents, who opened their doors on Monday to police officers seeking any camera footage that might have captured the shooter. Patrick Moran has been supervising his young children's video games, Lego building, puzzle playing and ear-piercing drumming after their private school, the Wheeler School, canceled classes for the rest of the week. Advertisement Advertisement "I am happy to have them home. The shooter is still out there, and so let's take a little precaution and keep the kids home," Moran said. Public schools in Providence remained open on Tuesday, but the district canceled after-school activities. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley sought to calm residents' fears, telling reporters on Tuesday that there have not been any credible threats to the school or the city since Saturday's shooting. ENHANCED SECURITY IN PLACE In addition to the two deaths, eight students were injured in the attack, and seven remain in the hospital, with one person in critical condition, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Brown said it had implemented enhanced security measures since the shooting, including doubling the university department of public safety's staffing and restricting entry to campus buildings. The gunman had walked into an engineering building whose doors were unlocked while exams were taking place, according to police. He opened fire with a 9mm gun inside a classroom and then fled, triggering a campus lockdown that left students barricaded in rooms or hiding beneath furniture for hours. Brown, which has nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students, is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the United States. The two students killed were Ella Cook, a sophomore from Mountain Brook, Alabama, and freshman Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a Uzbekistan-born Virginian. Advertisement Advertisement Cook, 19, was the vice president of the school's College Republicans and a "leading Republican voice at Brown," according to an X post from the New York Republicans Club. In her hometown, she worked at an ice cream shop in high school, where her coworkers used to tell customers with pride that she was headed to a top-rated school. Umurzokov, 18, had moved with his family as a child to Virginia, where he graduated Midlothian High School this spring as a top-10 student. He had planned to become a neurosurgeon. "He always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew," his family wrote in an online fundraising post. "Our family is incredibly devastated by this loss." (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss, Helen Coster and Maria Tsvetkova; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Bill Berkrot) Officials in Rhode Island said Tuesday they have not received any credible threats since Saturdays deadly mass shooting at Brown University, but have received hundreds of tips in their investigation. Authorities revealed that the person of interest in the deadly shooting was seen in the area on Waterman Street around 10:00 a.m. Saturday, six hours before the shooting took place. Officials urged residents living nearby to go back into their security cameras and see if the person of interest can be spotted, citing the possibilty that he was seen casing the area well before the shooting on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, Rhode Island Attorney GeneralPeter Neronha and Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez were asked during a news conference Tuesday night why videos inside the building where the shooting took place havent been released.They detailed that its because they do not show the suspect. There is no footage that depicts this individual that would be useful in identifying him that we have not revealed to you, Neronha detailed. I think you can tell from, frankly, the not very helpful quality of the initial footage that our standard is pretty low. If we thought it was at all helpful, we would release it, Neronha detailed. Authorities said Tuesday they have no information yet on a potential motive and they have not identified the suspect. Advertisement Advertisement Video released by law enforcement agencies on Tuesday provides the most comprehensive look to date regarding the shooters appearance and whereabouts prior to the shooting and immediately after. Providence Police on Tuesday also released a higher-quality enhanced video showing the person of interests movements. ENHANCED VIDEO: We are releasing an enhanced video of the person of interest in the Brown University incident. Footage was captured on the East Side of Providence on Saturday afternoon before the incident. Please share widely and contact the official tip line if you have pic.twitter.com/mewBSflOiO Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 16, 2025 A six-minute video also released by the FBI on Tuesday first shows the individual around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, around two hours before a gunman opened fire on students in the engineering building on Browns campus. The video tracks the individuals movements as he walks through a neighborhood near the Ivy League school. The final few clips show the individual walking in the area immediately after the shooting, including near a police cruiser. Advertisement Advertisement If it is the suspect, they clearly were doing a good job of presenting themselves as somebody who was not a threat at that time, Boston 25 Security Analyst Dan Linksey shared. They werent running. They werent out of control. With hindsight, we can see theres some concerning behavior, but the average patrol officer wouldnt see something and say thats our guy. Students Muhammadaziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook were killed in the shooting. Nine other individuals were injured. The attack triggered hours of chaos across campus and surrounding Providence neighborhoods as hundreds of officers searched for the shooter and urged students and staff to shelter in place. Police described the man as stocky, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, wearing a knit hat. Advertisement Advertisement In the hours after the tragedy, authorities announced that they would be releasing an initial person of interest who they had taken into custody early Sunday morning after the investigation led law enforcement in a different direction. Since then, investigators have been canvassing local residences and businesses for security camera footage and looking for physical evidence. Since then, investigators have been canvassing local residences and businesses for security camera footage and looking for physical evidence. Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team search for evidence near the campus of Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team search for evidence near the campus of Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team search for evidence near the campus of Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) FBI officials search an area of Providence, R.I., Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham) Advertisement Advertisement FBI officials search an area of Providence, R.I., Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham) A member of the FBI Evidence Response Team searches for evidence near an ivy-covered wall following the shooting at Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) A community member looks at flowers, notes and mementos in a makeshift memorial display sitting in front of Brown University's Van Wickle gates, in Providence, R.I., two days after a shooting took place on the university's campus, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP) 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 When Thomas Lengel sits in a classroom at the Manderson Graduate School of Business, he brings with him more than a notebook and a laptop. He brings years of real-world experience, lessons learned on warehouse floors and in management meetings, and a renewed sense of purpose. Lengel, a Wilmington, Delaware native with deep family ties to Alabama, earned his undergraduate degree in finance and economics from The University of Alabamas Culverhouse College of Business in 2019. He left campus with a solid foundation, but like many new graduates, he still had questions about the direction of his career. I was originally in tax consulting, Lengel said. I kind of realized I didnt enjoy the desk job as much, and one of my clients offered me a sales position that turned into a management position. I really preferred the operations side of it. Thomas Lengel headshot Thomas Lengel Advertisement Advertisement For the next several years, Lengel built a career in operations and management for an air filter distribution company in Houston. He managed people, processes, and products. Along the way, he discovered how efficiency and problem-solving could make or break a business. After six years away from Alabama, he began to feel the pull of home. Id been looking for a new job and wanted to get closer to family again, he said. But I hit a crossroads. All the jobs I wanted required an MBA. So, I could either keep trying to push through being less qualified or take a step back and do it the right way. That moment of reflection led him back to The University of Alabama and the Manderson MBA program, which is housed within UAs Culverhouse College of Business, where he found the perfect fit in supply chain and operations management. It just kind of seemed like a sign, he said. Coming back to school after years in the workforce has its challenges, but Lengel says its also given him an advantage. Advertisement Advertisement I recommend it for sure, he said. There are classes, like accounting, where I understand more now because Ive seen what those numbers mean in the real world. I came in much more targeted. I know exactly what I want to do. That clarity has shaped his approach to the MBA experience. While many of his classmates are learning concepts for the first time, Lengel brings context and an understanding of how data and decisions impact a business beyond the classroom. Hes especially drawn to the puzzle-solving nature of operations management. I love looking at how a business is functioning, where areas can improve, what problems were having, he said. Its like using math to solve problems and make things work better. For Lengel, returning to Manderson wasnt about starting over, it was about building on experience and rediscovering the excitement of learning again. Advertisement Advertisement I was pretty unprepared for what it would feel like being back in the classroom, he said, smiling. But now I can see how everything connects. The work, the numbers, the people it all fits together. Edwin Stanton writes for the marketing and communications office at the Culverhouse College of Business at The University of Alabama. The post Back In Business With The University Of Alabama MBA appeared first on Poets&Quants. Gov. Andy Beshear delivers his 2025 State of the Commonwealth speech to a joint session of the House and Senate on Jan. 8, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) FRANKFORT The committee of economists that forecasts Kentucky government revenues slightly upgraded its outlook on Tuesday, but still anticipates a revenue shortfall this fiscal year and only modest revenue growth through the middle of 2028. The committee, called the Consensus Forecasting Group, officially predicted that Kentuckys General Fund will take in $15.5 billion for the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Thats down a bit from actual revenues of $15.7 billion taken in by the General Fund in the fiscal year that ended on June 30. But its about $150 million more than the Consensus Forecasting Group predicted three months ago in a preliminary forecast for the current fiscal year. Also Tuesday, the group predicted sluggish revenue growth for the next two fiscal years 2.5% in 2026-27 to about $15.9 billion and then 2.2% in 2027-28 to about $16.2 billion. Tuesdays forecast will be the foundation upon which the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly will build Kentuckys budget covering the two-year period beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2028. Gov. Andy Beshear, whose concerns about downward revenue trends caused him to ask for the preliminary forecast in September, released a statement later Tuesday saying he will announce a plan for dealing with the shortfall later this week. After a strong couple of months for our Kentucky economy, the Consensus Forecasting Group has reduced the commonwealths projected revenue shortfall from $305 million to $156 million, Beshear said. Kentucky law still requires a budget reduction, which I will announce this Thursday during our Team Kentucky Update at 12 noon ET. Overall, we will be able to manage the shortfall and still provide necessary services to Kentuckians. Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, asks a question about Medicaid during the August meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue. (LRC Public Information) But Sen. Chris McDaniel, a Ryland Heights Republican who chairs the Senate budget committee, had a different take on Tuesdays forecast. Whats clear is that this forecast appears far less severe than what the governor projected in September. His earlier outlook was extremely pessimistic and todays data suggests a more measured and realistic picture of Kentuckys fiscal position. Advertisement Advertisement House Speaker David Osborne, a Prospect Republican, released a statement later Tuesday that called the revised forecast far better informed than the one received months ago. House Speaker David Osborne (LRC Public Information) Osbornes statement also said the General Assembly will continue to rely on actual data and demonstrable evidence instead of political rhetoric and pandering. I would ask the governor to take the same thoughtful and balanced approach. Tuesdays forecast comes as the impact of soaring revenues for nearly all states triggered by Covid-era stimulus spending by the federal government continues to fade. (Annual revenue growth for the Kentucky General Fund was 10.9% in 2021 and 14.6% in 2022.) Kentuckys Republican-controlled General Assembly responded to the windfall in part by reducing the states income tax rate, a priority for Republican lawmakers. It also socked away savings into Kentuckys Budget Reserve Trust Fund, more commonly known as the rainy day fund. The rainy day fund is expected to have a balance of about $3.1 billion at the end of this fiscal year. Beshear could propose to cover the entire $156 million shortfall with money from the rainy day fund, or he could decide its more prudent to order immediate spending cuts to meet the shortfall. Advertisement Advertisement Jason Bailey, executive director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy said, While the forecast is a little better, the outlook is not good. Overall the outlook is poor because of the impact of big cuts to the income tax rate, plus a weakening of the economy. The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, a progressive group headquartered in Berea, has opposed the income tax-reduction approach taken by the legislatures Republican supermajorities. In 2022 the legislature enacted a low that allows lawmakers to reduce Kentuckys income tax rate by one-half of a percentage point per year but only during years when the states fiscal condition is healthy enough to withstand the rate cut. The goal of that law is to eventually reduce the Kentucky income tax rate which was 5% in 2022 to zero. Tht law allows for a reduction in the rate by one-half of one percentage point if two conditions are met at the end of a fiscal year. First, the balance in the rainy day fund must be at least 10% of General Fund revenues in that prior year. The second and more difficult condition is that revenue in the just-ended fiscal year would have exceeded spending in that year even had the income tax rate been a full percentage point lower. Both conditions have been met in some years, most recently at the end of the 2024 fiscal year, which opened the door for the General Assembly early this year to cut the rate down to 3.5%. (That new reduced rate does not take effect until Jan. 1, 2026.) Advertisement Advertisement But the second condition was not met (by the tiniest of margins: $7.5 million) when the 2025 fiscal year ended this summer, according to the Office of State Budget Director. Nonetheless, some Republican lawmakers, particularly on the House side, have indicated they may push for a tax cut by the 2026 legislature. Bailey said a further tax cut would be disastrous for Kentuckys ability to fund public schools and all other state government programs. In addition to low revenue growth predicted Tuesday, he said Kentuckys 2026-28 budget will need to fund new obligations to pay for hefty administrative costs shifted by the federal government to states, especially for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This story has been updated with comment from House Speaker David Osborne. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Ray Madoff, a Boston College law professor, has written a new book: The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy. She recently spoke to Kara Miller, host of the podcast It Turns Out, about how the American tax system has changed over the past 40 years, widening inequality. Below is a condensed and edited version of the interview. Miller: Mark Zuckerberg was the lowest-paid employee at Meta in 2024, and he made US$1. But he is not the only very rich person who has collected $1 for a years work. Why would incredibly rich CEOs make only $1 a year when they could pay themselves millions? Madoff: The reason is taxes. Income from work is the most heavily taxed type of income, as it is subject to both income and payroll taxes. A self-employed person who makes a modest income of $60,000 will pay over $13,000 of it in payroll and income taxes. Meanwhile, high-income earners who earn a $400,000 salary can pay about 30% of their income in payroll and income taxes. Advertisement Advertisement So the first step in avoiding taxes is avoiding salary, and that is what our richest Americans often do. Elon Musk received a salary of $0 from Tesla in 2024. Jeff Bezos earns $81,840 a year of income, low enough to get the child tax credit, which he took in 2021. One of our higher-paid billionaires is Warren Buffett, and he only gets $100,000 a year in salary and bonus combined. All of these people are keeping their taxes down by keeping their salaries down. They are not avoiding compensation altogether, however, as they are well paid through the growing value of their stock. In 2024, Bezos wealth increased by $80 billion, Zuckerbergs by $113 billion, Musks by $213 billion. Even better, they can enjoy this growing wealth entirely free of income tax and reporting. You make the case that part of the reason that these individuals have been able to accumulate wealth so quickly is because of the tax system. How has the tax system enabled their wealth to continue to grow so quickly? Historically, the tax system has operated as a bulwark against concentrations of wealth. And in this way, it has served to legitimate our capitalist system by showing how it can work to extract large amounts of money from our wealthiest citizens for the common good. However, over the past 40 years or so there have been a number of changes that have allowed the wealthy to avoid taxes altogether on their investments and inheritances. One area where this has particularly been the case is when it comes to investment in stocks. Prior to 1982, companies could only directly share profits with shareholders by issuing dividends. These dividends were taxed at the highest rate. In 1982, however, a subtle change to the SEC rules allowed companies to purchase their own stock on the open market. This may sound innocuous, but it led to a massive transformation. Advertisement Advertisement Now, instead of issuing dividends, companies can purchase shares, which boosts the value of the stock. So any shareholders who do not need to sell can make a profit from their stock going up in value and do not need to pay taxes on this profit. At some point, one might expect that the ultrawealthy would have to sell their shares to finance their lifestyle. Do they? In selling those shares, wouldnt they have to pay a capital gains tax? For most of us, when we own property or stock that has increased in value, it doesnt mean anything to us unless we sell it. But those with great wealth can access that wealth without paying taxes by simply borrowing against their assets. And that is what our richest Americans do. Billionaires like Larry Ellison and Elon Musk borrow huge sums of money to support their lifestyle, pledging their stock as collateral. This borrowing is entirely tax-free and comes at good rates. In addition, in recent years the growth in stock value more than compensates for any interest that might accrue. To pay the interest and pay back the loans, they simply borrow again. Does this mean the people with the most money are not contributing to the common expenses of the government? What about through the estate tax? One would think that the estate tax would do a good job here. After all, it is a 40% tax on all transfers by gift or at death in excess of approximately $15 million. However, this tax no longer accomplishes what it once did. Advertisement Advertisement During the George W. Bush presidency, 18 wealthy families launched a campaign to repeal the federal estate tax. It labeled the estate tax the death tax, calling it an unfair double-taxation that harms family farms and businesses. Chester Thigpen, who owned a Christmas tree farm, was the face of this movement. He argued that the estate tax took away his right to pass his Christmas tree farm to his children. This narrative was completely false. The estate tax has many provisions to protect family farms and businesses. And Thigpen was misled; he was never subject to the estate tax, as his estate was much smaller than the exclusion amount. But much of the public began to believe that the estate tax or the death tax was unfair. Though there is nominally an estate tax today, Congress has not enacted a single provision to close loopholes in 35 years. As a result, loopholes abound that allow the wealthy to shelter their money from taxation. These mechanisms are so effective that even though the wealthiest 1% of Americans own $50 trillion, the entire amount collected by the estate tax in 2024 was about $30 billion, an amount that Musk has gained and lost in a day. Now, the estate tax serves as a cover for the richest Americans, who are served better by preserving a tax that makes it look like they pay taxes. If the richest Americans do not pay taxes, who does the brunt of the burden fall to? In terms of our yearly income tax, the brunt of the burden falls on high-income earners, people earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. These people can be paying up to 50% of what they make in payroll and income taxes. Confused, they think their interests align with the ultrawealthy more than regular workers. In fact, people who earn a lot through their job from doctors to executives are carrying the largest burden, alongside lower-wage workers. Advertisement Advertisement Popular statistics make it seem as though the richest Americans are paying the majority of taxes. One such statistic is that the top 1% pay 40% of the income taxes, while 40% of Americans pay no income tax at all. The top 1% here refers to income earners. Remember, the very richest Americans do not acquire their wealth through taxable income and are just as likely to be a part of the 40% of the lowest earners who pay no income tax. In reality, 30% of U.S. wealth is now controlled by the richest 1% of Americans, and our current rules provide no assurances that they will ever pay taxes on their growing wealth. Ray Madoff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Bundling up to go outside and brave the cold is generally the main indicator that winter is here. But for Arizonans, busier highways, longer waits at restaurants and international license plates are prime indicators. Winter here means one thing: snowbird season. This is normally a time when Canadians take a break from the cold and spend their time and money here in the desert for some sunshine. But this year, we have plenty of sunshine but a lack of Canadians. Advertisement Advertisement The friendly neighbors to the north are feeling insulted and economically punished by President Donald Trump. He implemented and raised tariffs on Canadian goods and has stated that he would like to see it become the 51st state in the union. "What I'd like to see Canada become our 51st state. We give them protection, military protection. (...) We don't need for anything," the President said in February 2025. Now, Arizona, and the rest of the United States, is feeling the economic blow of not having as many reliable snowbirds from Canada. This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Ron Hansen is joined by two experts to discuss the impact a lack of Canadian visitors is having on Arizona. Advertisement Advertisement First, consumer travel reporter for the Republic, Michael Salerno, joins The Gaggle to break down the difference in Canadian tourism this year. Then we are joined by Miles Zimbaluk, the founder and CEO at Canada to USA Inc., an Arizona-based company that offers cross-border services for Canadians traveling to the United States. Listen to the episode The best way to listen is to subscribe to The Gaggle in your favorite podcast app, but you can also stream the full episode below. Note: The Gaggle is intended to be heard. But we also offer a transcript of the episode. There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio. Listen to The Gaggle : Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher Have a question or comment about Arizona politics? You can share your thoughts with us by calling 602-444-0804 or emailing us. Advertisement Advertisement Reach producer Amanda Luberto at amanda.luberto@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X @amandaluberto. Catch up on previous Gaggle episodes here: This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: It's snowbird season, but fewer Canadians are flocking to Arizona Palantir stock has gained about 20% since its November slump. It appears that the stock has weathered the storm of the AI sell-off, which was triggered by investor fears that AI is a bubble. Last week was especially difficult, as Oracle and Broadcom both took a sharp drop after reporting earnings, dragging other AI companies down with them. Bank of America analyst Mariana Perez Mora and her team hosted investor meetings last week, featuring Palantir CFO Dave Glazer, Deployment Strategists Hind Kraytem and Austin Lee, and Investor Relations representative Cary Li, in South Korea. They updated their opinion on the stock afterward. Bank of America says PLTR still in a league of its own.Hiroshi-Mori-Stock / Shutterstock.com Hiroshi-Mori-Stock / Shutterstock.com Bank of America says PLTR still in a league of its own The team said they came back confident from the meetings, as Palantirs (PLTR) growth continues to build momentum in tandem with enterprise-level AI adoption. They noted that U.S. Commercial growth continues to show the strongest momentum, thanks to strengthening backlog and lower contract duration. Palantir recently received a two-year contract with the U.S. Navy for ShipOS, worth $448 million, and Mora said that it further aligns the company with the Trump administrations priorities regarding reindustrialization of America. The team believes Palantir has an opportunity for margin expansion, as operating leverage grows with each use case across the businesses. Related: Bank of America resets Broadcom stock price target Mora wrote: We continue to see PLTR unmatched in their ability to rapidly achieve in-production solutions and provide human-machine teams with the ability to make the most informed decisions. In a research note shared with TheStreet, Mora reiterated a buy rating and the target price of $255 for PLTR stock, based on a 15 enterprise multiple estimate for 2035. She used a longer-term valuation methodology to reflect the sustained high-growth and profitability profile of the company. Mora believes this valuation fairly captures the beneficial position to national security and U.S. government, reflecting a leading role in artificial intelligence platforms, strong balance sheet, and strong profitability. Analysts noted downside risk factors for Palantir: Lower-than-expected AI-platforms market growth Faster-than-expected commoditization Competitors catching up with technologies, Stronger-than-expected resistance from government customers to use commercial off-the-shelf solutions Upside risk factors for Palantir are: Stronger-than-expected growth of the AI-platforms market Higher-than-expected Palantir penetration Better-than-expected profitability Better-than-expected successful agreements and investments Other opinions on Palantir stock Wedbush analyst Dan Ives and his team rate Palantir with a buy rating and a target price of $230. TheStreet Pros veteran analyst Stephen Guilfoyle rates Palantir with a buy rating and a target price of $215. Morgan Stanley reiterated a hold rating and raised Palantirs price target from $155 to $205 in November, according to TipRanks. Motley Fool's Keithen Drury believes Palantir is grossly overvalued. He sees a big problem for Palantir in Wall Streets estimates for Palantirs revenue growth rate for next year of 41%, because if they are correct, this will be a slowdown. In turn, this slowdown will increase the number of years required for growth to bring Palantirs valuation to a reasonable level. Palantirs recent activity Palantir announced a three-year renewal of its contract with the DGSI, Frances domestic intelligence agency. The company will supply its proprietary software platform to the agency, along with the necessary integration, support, and assistance services for the softwares deployment and operational use. We are very proud to support the DGSI in its crucial work in the service of France and its fight against terrorism," said Palantir CEO Alex Karp. "This contract renewal reaffirms Palantirs commitment to serving the interests of France since 2016, and ensuring the security of the French people. More AI Stocks: The company unveiled Chain Reaction, a platform it describes as the operating system for American AI infrastructure. Chain Reaction is designed to accelerate the AI buildout with energy producers, power distributors, data centers, and infrastructure builders. The platforms founding partners include CenterPoint Energy and Nvidia. "We have spent years quietly deploying systems that keep power plants running and grids reliable," Tristan Gruska, Palantirs head of energy and infrastructure, stated. "Chain Reaction is the result of building from the ground up for the demands of AI. After spending more than 12 years at Palantir, Jim Siders has stepped down from his most recent position of CIO and joined Shield Technology Partners to serve as CEO, according to CNBC. Related: Bank of America resets Oracle stock price target This story was originally published by TheStreet on Dec 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the Investing section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun sits for an end-of-year interview with the Indiana Capital Chronicle in his Statehouse office on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Hoosier Gov. Mike Braun is weeks away from wrapping up his first year as Indianas top leader and took time this week to dissect his successes and failures. In a Tuesday sit-down interview with the Capital Chronicle, Braun pointed to big changes in property taxes, education, public safety, economic development and more. Advertisement Advertisement An estimated two-thirds of homeowners will pay less in property taxes next year than they do this year under an immense local government finance bill Braun signed into law in April. Thats significant, he said of the changes. The lesson to be learned was that the Senate gives you Senate Bill 1 and then completely guts it. You know, where it had to be rebuilt was in the House, Braun said. It took three months to get it back to record property tax relief. The final product remained very different from Brauns original plan, which he acknowledged faced greater opposition from cash-strapped units of local government. Gov. Mike Braun claps during a pro-redistricting rally at the Indiana Statehouse on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) I dont think we ended up too far from where we would have been anyway, he said. Advertisement Advertisement But his tussle with the Senate presented a fairly similar dynamic to another major test of the new governors power: fulfilling President Donald Trumps demand for a congressional redraw benefiting Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The 50-member Senate rejected the new maps last week on a vote of 31-19, with 21 Republicans joining all 10 Democrats in opposition. The defeat came despite threats of primary competition from Trump, Braun and spendy political groups. It will have consequences, most likely, and the White House has said that theyre not going to forget it, Braun said. But it doesnt define what happens going forward on other topics. I wouldnt try to extrapolate on more of a federal issue redistricting in terms of what that means on all the kitchen table issues, he said. Beyond redistricting Braun touted a wide range of wins: Advertisement Advertisement Education: entry-level teacher pay increased; public colleges and universities froze tuition; income limits on state-funded private school vouchers were removed. Public safety: Indiana inked cooperation agreements with federal immigration officials; state police seized more illicit drugs. Economic development: The states economy is growing faster than neighbors and the U.S. average; cost per incentivized job is down; average incentivized job wages are up. We did a forensic audit to get to the bottom of what was going on, Braun said of the controversial Indiana Economic Development Corp. The analysis identified lackluster oversight and questionable spending from 2022 through 2024, emphasizing a need for greater transparency. What they did do may have had merit, but it cant be cloaked in opaqueness so you cant see what the heck youre doing. Weve turned all that around, Braun said. Advertisement Advertisement His remake of the quasi-public agency has included an entirely new board of directors. Braun has also overhauled the state panel that oversees utility companies, naming three new ratepayer-conscious commissioners last week. Braun, a businessman who owns Meyer Distributing, additionally highlighted fiscal progress. Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, details the final budget compromise while Gov. Mike Braun listens on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Amid slower revenue growth, he led the push to slash state spending. Agencies have cut staff, contracts and more to comply, although some nabbed exemptions. We got hit with an austere budget forecast, and our cash flows already exceeding it, Braun said, meaning things I was asking for in terms of running government more leanly, more efficiently has paid off. Advertisement Advertisement His reorganization of government, featuring verticals led by cabinet secretaries, has made it easier to do business with the state. Its been surprising how much weve been able to do through executive orders and just better management, he said. It was through an executive order that agencies completed an exhaustive review of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives throughout state government, complete with plans to remove certain programs, positions and more. Another executive order kicked off major changes to government food assistance. A recent statewide poll, however, found that Hoosiers arent enamored with Brauns job performance so far. About 32% approved and 50% disapproved. Looking forward Braun indicated administration members werent able to craft, really, any of our own legislation in the 2025 session. The Legislature reconvened before he was even inaugurated. Advertisement Advertisement The administration hasnt yet unveiled a specific legislative agenda, even though lawmakers have already spent two weeks of the 2026 session on redistricting. They also have pledged to cut work next year short by two weeks to avoid extra expense to taxpayers. Even though it wont be very long or extensive, Braun said, well still maybe work forward and buil(d) upon what we did in the first year. Gov. Mike Braun, with First Lady Maureen Braun, is sworn in by Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Jan. 13, 2025. (Nate Pappas for the Indiana Capital Chronicle) He said lowering health care costs remains a top priority along with education and utilities. Im really looking at anything thats going to take the kitchen table issues, whether it comes from the Senate or the House, and see what we can do to make that better for Hoosiers, Braun said. And Im holding nothing against anyone when it comes to what we do collectively there. Advertisement Advertisement Dozens of bills have already been filed. Lawmakers gather again beginning Jan. 5. Asked what hes looking forward to in the interim, Braun said he fishes and hunts including for mushrooms and manages timber grounds. I didnt give up the things I really like, he added, despite the demands of public office. I love nature. His favorite foraged fungi are shelves of oyster mushrooms. You can find them all throughout the year. Theyre not near as particular as a morel would be, Braun said. Most years, (morels) decide just not to come up due to it being too warm or not moist enough, and they say, See you maybe next year.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has threatened to withdraw his country from a planned free trade deal with the European Union if leaders fail to endorse it this week. Talks on the Mercosur trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay have been ongoing since 1999 and Brussels is hopeful that EU leaders will give final approval to the agreement on the sidelines of a summit later this week. However, some member states remain opposed, including France which is pushing for further improvements. Advertisement Advertisement Lula said if EU leaders don't finalize the deal before it is set to be officially signed in Brazil on Saturday, the country would no longer support the agreement. "I have already warned them: if we don't do it now, Brazil will not make any more deals while I am president," Lula was quoted as saying by the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper. A survivor of the mass shooting that killed two students and wounded nine others on the Brown University campus in Rhode Island described the moment he was shot in the back during the attack. Jacob Spears, a freshman at Brown studying applied math and computer science, told CBS News that after eating that fateful Saturday, he attended a study session in the Barus & Holley engineering building. He said the session ended and the students were standing up to leave when the shooting started. Spears said at first, when the shooting began, he "was confused," but then he realized what was happening and started to run. Advertisement Advertisement "He got me in the back," Spears said, adding that adrenaline spurred him and pushed him to continue running out of the building. "I was able to get up and run, even with the shot." He said two people a father and a son helped him and put pressure on his wound. Spears said he then called 911 and waited for the ambulance to arrive. He also called his family while he waited. "I was just focused on breathing," he said of when help arrived, and he let everyone do their job as he was transported to the hospital. He said he went into surgery right away. Brown University freshman Jacob Spears survived a shooting that killed two students and wounded 9. / Credit: CBS News Spears, who is from Evans, Georgia, and the only person from his high school class to attend an Ivy League university, said his grandfather was at the hospital with him. Advertisement Advertisement He said he is progressing slowly and every day is getting better. He was slated to go back home on Wednesday but now he most likely will spend the holidays in the hospital, just grateful "to be alive," he said. The two students killed in the shooting have been identified as Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. Umurzokov was known for his sharp intellect, kind heart and quiet willingness to help anyone in need, the American Uzbekistan Association said in a post on social media. Cook, the vice president of Brown's College Republicans, was "incredibly grounded and generous," her local church said. Authorities have released photos and videos of a possible person of interest as the manhunt for the gunman continues. The FBI has also offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the gunman. Person of interest identified in deadly Brown University shooting What to expect from Trump's address to the nation New surveillance video shows Nick Reiner before his arrest Following the horrific mass shooting on Brown Universitys campus, some schools in Boston are now upping their security, including Boston University. Gov. Maura Healey also said Wednesday she has sent Massachusetts State Police to Providence to assist in anyway needed. At this time, we just have to encourage anyone in the public who may know something, see something, to immediately contact law enforcement, to stay vigilant, Gov. Healey said. I hope that the individual who did this is apprehended immediately, soon. Advertisement Advertisement Officials in Providence are still searching for the gunman behind Saturdays mass shooting on the Brown University campus that killed two students and injured nine others. It calls into questions the readiness of Massachusetts universities for the most extreme of circumstances. I think this is something that has been on the mind of a college president for years now given what weve seen on campuses so in with speaking with many of them, I know that they are taking all measures to ensure the safety of students and faculty and certainly the state will do everything we can to support those efforts, Gov. Healey said. The lack of cameras inside the building, where the gunman opened fire on Browns campus, has been a talking point since a clear image of the gunman was difficult to locate early on in the investigation. Rhode Island Attorney Genal Peter Neronha said Sunday night, There just werent a lot of cameras in that Brown building. The reality is its an old building attached to a new one. Advertisement Advertisement At Northeastern, security officials say cameras provide a comprehensive coverage of their campus, with those cameras, doors, and alarms monitored by police dispatch. At Emerson, officials say they continue to prepare for potential emergencies, regularly updating campus safety and security measures. At Boston University, officials cite high law enforcement visibility with campus police as well as Brookline, Boston, Transit, and State Police all patrolling the campus daily. Since the Brown shooting, BU has increased police presence across campus, closely monitoring all activity. BU grad student Madeline Jones said she appreciates the increased presence of law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Its made me more comfortable being around campus and being out and about because as what happened with Brown, its made me very nervous, its made me very fearful, Jones said. UMass Lowell said their security efforts have also taken on added focus following recent events. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A city council member in Lincoln, California is facing student protests and calls to be censured after blaming her daughter's sexual orientation on her trauma. Councilmember Holly Andreatta made the remarks while speaking to a group of students at Twelve Bridges High School during the first meeting for "Club America," a chapter of Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA that targets minors. Andreatta told the teens that "my oldest daughter had a lot of trauma as a child," which she believes caused her to become a lesbian. "Something really terrible happened to her when she was young that I would hope would never happen to any other child," Andreatta said. "And as a result of it, she's a lesbian. She's gay. She's married to a woman." Advertisement Advertisement Andreatta's comments were immediately met with backlash as video of her speech began circulating on social media. Students and their families flooded the Western Placer Unified School District board meeting Tuesday night to voice their opposition to the club's presence in Twelve Bridges, with over 300 signing a petition demanding it be shut down. Others called on Andreatta's fellow council members to disavow her marks by voting to censure her. Andreatta, for her part, at first attempted to claim that the recording was altered by artificial intelligence, despite multiple videos from different students capturing her comments. She wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post, "I am the same person I have always been, kind, principled, inclusive and committed to respectful dialogue. A manipulated video does not change the truth." She later issued a public apology to her daughter after stating that she had apologized to her private as well, telling CBS, "I want to publicly apologize to my daughter. Her story is hers alone, and I should not have shared personal details about her trauma. To be absolutely clear: I did not say that trauma causes homosexuality. I never said that, nor would I ever say that or think that. I was referring to a very specific personal experience." While research has found that LGBTQ+ people report higher rates of physical and sexual abuse during childhood, there is no proof that the abuse is what causes same-sex attraction. Instead, data suggests that LGBTQ+ people are potentially more likely to be targeted because of their identities, as a 2020 report from the Williams Institute found that LGBTQ+ people are nearly four times as likely to experience violent victimization, including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault. Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the district told CBS that any decision involving "Club America" would not be impacted by the petition and must be made in accordance with board policy as well as state and federal law. The next Lincoln City Council meeting is January 13 at 6 p.m. local time. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 with free and confidential services. More resources are available here . If you or someone you know has experienced trafficking, or if you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking, the National Human Trafficking Hotline is also available at 1-888-373-7888, toll-free and 24/7. For cases involving minors, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is available 24/7 at 1-800-843-5678. This article originally appeared on Advocate: California councilmember blames daughter becoming a lesbian on sexual trauma RELATED SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - A California regulator allowed Tesla to continue selling vehicles in the state for now, the latest move in a case in which the electric vehicle maker had been accused of falsely marketing and overstating self-driving capabilities. The Department of Motor Vehicles accepted a judge's proposals to suspend Telsa's manufacturing and sales licenses, but immediately put the suspensions on hold, DMV director Steve Gordon told reporters. The DMV said Judge Juliet Cox of the state Office of Administrative Hearings proposed the suspensions for 30 days. (Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by David Gregorio) Tesla could face a 30-day sales ban in the US state of California after a court found the company overstated the capabilities of its "autopilot" driver-assistance system. California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) said on Tuesday it had delayed enforcement by 60 days to allow Tesla to make changes. If it fails to do so, the agency said it would suspend Tesla's dealer licence in the state for 30 days. Tesla sold around 135,500 vehicles in California in the first nine months of the year, down 15% from a year earlier, according to dealer group estimates, ranking third behind Toyota and Honda. Tesla's main California plant is located in Fremont, near San Francisco. Advertisement Advertisement The court also proposed suspending Tesla's manufacturer licence in the state for 30 days, though the DMV said that measure has been put on hold indefinitely. The naming and marketing of Tesla's autopilot system, and in particular its "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) capability, have long been controversial. Despite the name, FSD does not make a Tesla fully autonomous. Drivers must still remain alert and be ready to take control of the vehicle at any time. US accident investigators have said many drivers relied too heavily on autopilot, despite warnings in Tesla's manuals. Tesla has since rebranded the current system as "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)." Only a future version labelled "Unsupervised," which has not yet been rolled out, is intended to enable fully autonomous driving. Dec. 17Canton is one step closer to a solution for its sewer plant woes now that it has selected engineering firm Bolton & Menk to oversee the project moving the town closer, hopefully, to a sustainable solution. Since the closure of the paper mill, Canton has been using its industrial-sized sewer plant to treat the town's residential wastewater. The massive plant now treats just a fraction of the amount of sewer it was designed to handle. Plus, the mill used to treat Canton's residential wastewater for free but now residents have seen their sewer rates skyrocket due to the cost of operating the oversized facility. This summer, the town received grant funding to purchase land for a new sewer treatment plant. But building a new facility from scratch will take years that the town doesn't have. The mill's current owner, Two Banks Development, is under contract to operate the sewer plant until March 2026. Unless that contract is extended, the town will have to shoulder operations at the mill site until a new plant is built. Advertisement Advertisement That's where Bolton & Menk comes in. The firm will serve as "Owner's Advisor" as the town takes over the current plant and begins the process of building a new one acting as an extension of town staff throughout the transition. "The owner advisor is going to be guiding you through this process," explained Jeff Goss, an attorney for the town. "It's going to help you with drafting ordinances and creating a program and making sure permitting and the construction timeline and all these things happen in the way they're supposed to." Bolton & Menk won't design or build the new plant instead the team will work with Canton to manage the full process. That includes conducting preliminary evaluations of all of Canton's options, helping the town select a designer and builder, and keeping a watchful eye on construction progress. Hard choice Advertisement Advertisement Picking Bolton & Menk wasn't easy for town leaders even though they only had two firms to choose from. The town initially put out a call for an Owner's Advisor back in September. Only Bolton & Menk and McGill and Associates threw their hats in the ring. Both firms are currently involved in projects for the town, but McGill has a longstanding history of partnership with Canton. The firm has played a key role in many of Canton's flood recovery and infrastructure projects making the choice harder for town leaders. "In an ideal world, Canton would not be a position where you've only had one engineer do all of your work for the last 20 years," said Goss. "You have an ongoing relationship with both firms either firm you choose, you will continue to work with them on the projects that are ongoing. But yes, somebody's going to have their feelings hurt if they don't get selected." Each proposal was reviewed and scored by a panel before the firms made their case directly to the board at a special called meeting in early December. McGill scored slightly higher on paper, but the enthusiasm of Bolton & Menk's team ultimately won the favor of the aldermen. Advertisement Advertisement "I saw in the presentation of Bolton, a passion a passion that speaks of the town of Canton," said Alderman Ralph Shepard. "It was as if they shared our stake. And I'll be honest, I didn't see that with McGill." Price was not a factor in the decision because of a state law. But Goss said he expected them to have similar fees because the nature of their work is the same. Without those numbers, the aldermen had to evaluate each team solely on the panel's scores and the presentations. But the board went a step further they asked each of the four citizens present at the meeting which firm they would choose. "McGill is from here. You don't have to come up with a new relationship, hopefully," said Zachary Stines. "One of the benefits of Bolton and Menk is, I think they're seeing Canton as an opportunity to start or really to build out WNC. If they can do Canton right, I think they can make the case for why they should do a lot of other things right in WNC." Advertisement Advertisement Some of the aldermen thought McGill might be stretched too thin with multiple projects across the town. "I know McGill has a good history in Canton working on different projects. But at the same time, McGill has a lot of our projects still ongoing in town," said Alderman Tim Shepard. But the residents worried about Bolton & Menk's larger size and its capacity to care about Canton's needs. "We know that sometimes with larger companies, we may get put down on the list of importance because we are smaller," said Michelle Schaefer. Joe Garnace, who owns Primered Black in downtown Canton, said he's had positive experiences working with McGill in the past, but he'd be open to something new. Advertisement Advertisement "I always go for the underdog," Garnace said. "I had a good relationship with the flood stuff with McGill, but change is nice, typically." Bolton & Menk is a larger firm based out of the Midwest, but its Southeastern team has handled projects across the Carolinas, including sewer and water projects nearby in Spruce Pine and Burnsville. "We're not chasing Hurricane Helene or industry changes. We want to be long term engineers, planners, surveyors for communities, and we're committed to Western North Carolina," said Ken Orie, Bolton & Menk's wastewater group leader for the Southeast. What's next? Advertisement Advertisement Now that Bolton & Menk has won the title of Owner's Advisor, it will partner with the town to get to work on the next steps for the sewer plant. Bolton & Menk has already been hired by the Southwestern Commission to help Canton secure an economic development grant for the properties on the western side of the mill site, including the warehouse and distribution center. So, the firm is already familiar with the property that could become the town's new sewer plant. In the coming weeks, Bolton & Menk will parse out what needs to happen to finalize the purchase of the property on the west side of the mill, create a temporary solution to treat the town's waste while a new plant is being built, and contract a designer and builder to do the work. "We don't know exactly today what the project will look like six months from now, but we're going to be flexible and set up task orders," said Chris Rosenboom, project manager for Bolton & Menk. Advertisement Advertisement The faster the process can get moving, the better. The longer Canton waits to take control of its sewer infrastructure, the project will continue to get more expensive and difficult. "All of us have children and grandchildren that won't remember a lot of what happened the last five years, but they will remember what we did with the moment," said Mayor Zeb Smathers. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) To stand in solidarity following the mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday, Chanukah in the Rockies, a project of Chabad Jewish Community Center of Aspen Valley, will be expanding its reach by bringing the celebration to mountain communities on the Western Slope. This year, we light the menorah with even greater purpose, said Rabbi Hirsch, director of Chanukah in the Rockies. Terror seeks to silence us, to make us afraid, to drive us into hiding. Our answer is the answer of the Maccabees from the Chanukah story over 2000 years ago: we respond to darkness with more light. We stand proud. We refuse to back down. Four Chabad rabbis will travel across the region, stopping in Montrose, Durango, Crested Butte, and Telluride for Chanukah celebrations, which will feature the lighting of a 10-foot menorah, live music, fresh latkes, warm drinks and family activities. Advertisement Advertisement Each menorah lighting will be dedicated to the memory of the people killed in Sundays shooting, including Rabbi Schlanger, 10-year-old Matilda Chisholm and Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman. When I heard the news, my first thought was: that could have been us. That could have been any of our events, said Rabbi Hirsch. Rabbi Schlangers own words guide us now. When asked how Jews should respond to rising antisemitism, he said: Be more Jewish, act more Jewish, and appear more Jewish. Thats exactly what were doing. The events will be free and open to everyone, regardless of background or affiliation. Chanukah in the Rockies, to ensure the safety of attendees, has arranged for increased police presence at each gathering. Outside of Crested Buttes celebration, which occurred on Sunday, the upcoming events include: In Montrose, the Rockies Chanukah Celebration will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 4:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Public Safety Complex. In Durango, the Rockies Chanukah Celebration will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 4:30 p.m. in the Strater Hotel. In Telluride, the Rockies Chanukah Celebration will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 4:30 p.m. in Heritage Plaza at Mountain Village. Advertisement Advertisement Everyone should be able to celebrate Chanukah to the fullest, no matter where they are, said Director of Chabad Aspen Jewish Community Center Rabbi Mendel Mintz. In places with little Jewish infrastructure, these celebrations become even more meaningful. Theyre about connection, pride, and refusing to let hatred win. In 1973, the public menorah campaign was launched by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. In 2025, over 15,000 public memorahs will be taking place worldwide. To RSVP to the events or learn more about Chanukah in the Rockies, visit hanukkahrockies.com. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. One of the cofounders of Ben & Jerrys said its owner, the Magnum Ice Cream Company, is destroying the brand amid a series of board changes that he called Orwellian. They said that theyre enhancing the social mission when theyre actually destroying it, Ben Cohen told CNBC. They said that theyre future-proofing the board of directors when theyre actually dismantling it. Magnum was split off from its previous parent company Unilever earlier this month and listed on stock exchanges in Amsterdam, London, and New York on Dec. 8. Since then, it has effectively kicked three members off the Ben & Jerrys independent board by setting a nine-year term limit on terms. Board chair Anuradha Mittal, a human rights advocate who has faced pressure to remove her by the parent company in the past, was one of those affected. Magnum said she no longer meets the criteria to be on the board after internal investigations. Mittal had previously said she had no intention of resigning from the ice cream company. Cohen called it Orwellian and another desperate power grab. He added: Initially, they were trying to get rid of the chairman of the board, by making these unfounded allegations that shes not fit to serve. They werent able to substantiate that, so now theyre saying, well, she served for too long. A spokesperson said the changes aim to preserve and enhance the brands historical social mission and safeguard its essential integrity, CNBC reports. Since 2000, the Board has worked with the company to ensure Ben & Jerrys is a vital voice for social change and to amplify movements that shape a more just and equitable world. Unilever bought Ben & Jerrys in 2000, and allowed the brand to keep its independent board as part of that. However, Cohen and co-founder Jerry Greenfield have increasingly spoken out against what they call attempts to silence the social mission it was set up with in 1978. They have also campaigned for Unilever, and now Magnum, to sell the brand and said the owners are damaging its value. In September, the two launched a campaign called #FreeBenAndJerrys that called for Unilever and Magnum to become an independently owned company with socially-aligned investors and once again free to honor its social mission and live by its brand values, without compromise. Magnum said it is not for sale. Since the acquisition in 2000, Unilever and now TMICC has taken Ben & Jerrys from 4 to 46 countries, sales have increased six-fold, and we have invested nearly half a billion euros in the social mission. WASHINGTON (AP) China is exploiting partnerships with U.S. researchers funded by the Department of Energy to provide the Chinese military with access to sensitive nuclear technology and other innovations with economic and national security applications, according to a congressional report published Wednesday. The authors of the report say the U.S. must do more to protect high-tech research and ensure that the results of taxpayer-funded work don't end up benefiting Beijing. They recommended several changes to better protect scientific research in the U.S., including new policies for the Department of Energy to use when deciding whether to fund work that involves Chinese partnerships. The investigation is part of a congressional push to raise a firewall blocking U.S. research from boosting China's military buildup when the two countries are locked in a tech and arms rivalry that will shape the future global order. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce identified more than 4,300 academic papers published between June 2023 and June of this year that involved collaborations between DOE-funded scientists and Chinese researchers. About half of the papers involved Chinese researchers affiliated with China's military or industrial base. Particularly concerning, investigators found that federal funds went to research collaborations with Chinese state-owned laboratories and universities that work directly for Chinas military, including some listed in a Pentagon database of Chinese military companies with operations in the U.S. The report also detailed collaborations between U.S. researchers and groups blamed for cyberattacks as well as human rights abuses in China. China pushes back on the findings The Chinese Embassy in Washington said the select committee has long smeared and attacked China for political purposes and has no credibility to speak of. Advertisement Advertisement A handful of U.S. politicians are overstretching the concept of national security to obstruct normal scientific research exchanges, a move that wins no public support and is bound to fail, embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The Energy Department routinely funds advanced research into nuclear energy and the development and disposal of nuclear weaponry, along with a long list of other high-tech fields like quantum computing, materials science and physics. It doles out hundreds of millions of dollars each year for research. The department oversees 17 national laboratories that have led the development in many technologies. The report followed a number of congressional investigations into federally funded research involving Chinese scientists and researchers. Last year, a report released by Republicans found that partnerships between U.S. and Chinese universities over the past decade had allowed hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to help Beijing develop critical technology that could help strengthen its military. Another investigation this year revealed that the Pentagon in a recent two-year period funded hundreds of projects in collaboration with Chinese entities linked to China's defense industry. Advertisement Advertisement House committee researchers offer ways to tighten rules The Energy Department has failed for decades to take steps to ensure the research it funds doesn't benefit China, the report's authors found. They made several recommendations to tighten the rules, including a new standardized approach to assessing the national security risks of research, as well as requirements that the department share information about research ties with China with other U.S. government agencies to make it easier to spot problems. These longstanding policy failures and inaction have left taxpayer-funded research vulnerable to exploitation by Chinas defense research and industrial base and state-directed technology transfer activities, the authors concluded. The Department of Energy said in a statement that it will review the report to "better assess, understand, and validate its assertions. Advertisement Advertisement The department takes seriously its responsibility to steward federal funds and safeguard critical research capabilities" and "will continue rigorous due diligence and oversight of awards to ensure its program's integrity and security, a spokesperson said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the select committee, said in a statement that the investigation reveals a deeply alarming problem: The Department of Energy failed to ensure the security of its research and it put American taxpayers on the hook for funding the military rise of our nations foremost adversary. Moolenaar this year introduced legislation aimed at preventing research funding in science and technology and defense from going to collaborations or partnerships with foreign adversary-controlled entities that pose a national security risk. The legislation cleared the House but failed to advance to become part of the annual sweeping defense policy bill. It was met with strong opposition from scientists and researchers, who argued that the measures were too broad and could chill collaboration and undermine America's competitive edge in science and technology. In an October letter, a group of more than 750 faculty members and senior staffers from American universities told congressional leaders overseeing the armed services that the U.S. is in a global competition for talent. They called for very careful and targeted measures for risk management" to address security concerns. European steelmaker ArcelorMittal is an industrial giant, producing more of the high-strength metal than any other company except Chinas state-owned Baowu Group. Its reliance on coal-fueled blast furnaces has made it a target for climate activists, who claim the Luxembourg-based manufacturer isnt moving nearly fast enough to reduce its planet-warming pollution. For years, advocacy groups have urged ArcelorMittal to adopt lower-carbon methods of making iron and steel. When the company sponsored the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, members of the Fair Steel Coalition staged a series of public actions, including projecting the message True Champions Quit Coal onto the side of an ArcelorMittal building in Luxembourg. Now theyre trying a new tactic: formally documenting their frustration. Advertisement Advertisement Last week, the U.K.-based nonprofit Opportunity Green filed a climate-related complaint through a process overseen by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development an influential group of 38 market-based democracies, including Luxembourg. The OECD sets voluntary guidelines for responsible business conduct for multinational enterprises within its sphere, and civil groups can raise concerns if they feel companies arent adhering to those standards. In its complaint, Opportunity Green claimed that ArcelorMittal lacks a robust, science-based climate strategy which the OECD guidelines call for and is failing to take adequate action to reduce its emissions. ArcelorMittal, which generated $62.4 billion in revenue in 2024, produced more than 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent that year, about the same amount as Belgium. The impact that [those emissions] are having on climate and people needs to be addressed, Kirsty Mitchell, the legal manager at Opportunity Green, told Canary Media. The climate group said it sent its complaint to the Luxembourg National Contact Point, a nonjudicial body that handles OECD grievances against firms in the tiny European country. Mitchell said Opportunity Green hopes to foster a cooperative dialogue with ArcelorMittal and to reach a resolution that accelerates the steelmakers efforts to clean up. Advertisement Advertisement ArcelorMittal, given its scale and influence, should really be driving more of that positive action, and thats what were hoping to get out of this process, she said. Steelmaking is responsible for roughly 9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it one of the worlds most heavily emitting industries. Most of that pollution is the result of using coal-fueled blast furnaces that convert iron ore into iron. A separate furnace then turns the iron into steel for use in cars, ships, roads, bridges, furniture, appliances, and more. ArcelorMittal operates 32 blast furnaces globally, and coal-based steelmaking accounts for about three-fourths of its annual production, according to the company. The European steelmaker didnt directly address questions about the Opportunity Green complaint in an email to Canary Media. But ArcelorMittal said that it remains committed to decarbonizing our operations. Advertisement Advertisement The company noted that between 2018 and 2024 it invested over $3 billion in efforts to reduce emissions, including by testing carbon-capture technology, installing wind and solar projects, and using more scrap metal in electric arc furnaces. Scrap-based steelmaking now accounts for a quarter of its total production, up from 19% in 2018. And ArcelorMittals absolute emissions fell by almost 50% over the six-year period, though much of that drop was due to declining production and selling off steel and mining assets. Still, ArcelorMittal acknowledged that progress in decarbonizing has been slower than initially expected. In 2021, the company outlined plans to lead the steel industry in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. ArcelorMittal set a goal of reducing its emissions intensity the amount of CO 2 released per ton of steel produced by 25% globally by 2030 and by 35% for steel made in Europe. The company also pledged $10 billion in total investment to help it reach those targets, including funding for hydrogen-based steelmaking. ArcelorMittal planned to use green hydrogen made from renewable energy to produce iron at a proposed facility in Gijon, Spain. New electric arc furnaces, also powered by renewables, would then convert the clean iron and scrap metal into steel. While ArcelorMittal is moving forward with the electric furnaces, in 2024 it postponed making a final investment decision on the iron-production plant, citing economic headwinds for green steel and uncertainty around the European Unions climate and trade policies. Advertisement Advertisement Our original plans were premised on a favourable combination of policy, technology, clean energy, and market development that have not progressed as originally foreseen, ArcelorMittal said in the email. We are not the only company nor is steel the only industry to be experiencing such challenges. In Mitchells view, ArcelorMittal shouldnt sit back and wait for all the political and economic stars to align before committing to more ambitious climate action today. Instead, she said, the company should press ahead and help drive broader demand for green hydrogen. We really need near-term, deep emissions reductions to limit global warming, Mitchell said. And we need clear direction and transformative decisions now that create certainty, and not just acting only when everything is perfectly suited. The Luxembourg National Contact Point will likely review Opportunity Greens complaint within the next three months to assess the arguments and decide whether to move it forward, Mitchell said. If ArcelorMittal opts to participate in the voluntary process, it could take anywhere from six months to a few years for the groups to reach an agreement. Public scrutiny and independent oversight are essential to ensure companies like ArcelorMittal deliver credible climate action, Caroline Ashley, executive director of SteelWatch, said in a news release supporting the complaint. The stakes are too high for further delay. Dec. 17Matt Davis said Hamilton was selected for a COhatch location because it checked all the boxes. The co-working space, which was the site of the 2025 State of the City Address in October, is set to open in February and the adjacent Eyrie Cocktail Lounge opening not far behind. Davis, a 1999 Miami University graduate and CEO and co-founder of COhatch, was already familiar with Hamilton, and as he and other company leaders looked to find locations in "great communities and great towns." He said the City of Sculpture was an easy choice. Advertisement Advertisement "As we developed Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, and we started looking at Dayton and some other places, Hamilton came up as one of those places," Davis said. "Our whole philosophy is to create this really strong network of locations in great, thriving communities, and that kind of helped them get to the next level." COhatch offers coworking space for rent to customers and offers event spaces and meeting rooms with shared Wi-Fi, printing and TVs. The company has restored historical buildings throughout the country and turned them into coworking spaces. The company co-founder saw the former Second National Bank building as "truly iconic" and one "you fall in love with right away." Davis said the redevelopment was daunting, and required a lot of work. Three years later, the $8 million project, which received $1.8 million in Ohio historic tax credits. This will be the 37th building restoration and transformation for COhatch. Advertisement Advertisement "We want to find an active community with active leadership that has a vision for their city, and it's clear that Hamilton had this," he said. "We love sites like this because we want to be the iconic center of a town." That's how COhatch started in 2016 in an abandoned building in Worthington, Ohio, where it breathed new life into the structure and added unique amenities. And that's been a COhatch staple where each building has features unique to it. COhatch Hamilton will be in the 1931 art deco former bank building, a 26,000-square-foot structure at 219 High St. The redevelopment began in late 2023. It has had the support of the city of Hamilton, Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and JobsOhio. In addition to the tax credits, the City Council in 2024 offered a 50% tax abatement for 10 years in exchange for hiring three full-time and 10 part-time employees. Advertisement Advertisement The hope, Davis said, is the tax incentives COhatch receives will eventually benefit its clients. The company is piloting such a program at the Dublin COhatch. "Instead of huge, large corporations getting benefits, we're collectively negotiating for hundreds and hundreds of small businesses, and then we create all these jobs," Davis said, which the hope is to get more people working in a town's center. Tyler McCleary, COhatch Hamilton's director of operations, said when the building is up and running, that means a few hundred extra people will be in the Hamilton's central business district. That foot traffic "is one of the biggest thing you can get" for businesses. "It's going to be monumental for Hamilton," said McCleary about reactivating the former bank building. Advertisement Advertisement Davis said what has happened in other cities when COhatch opened was "the broken-window effect." "We come in, restore something and you have other things popping up. You see all these new things and upgrades going across," he said. "We've seen that in Springfield, we've seen it even in high-end thriving communities, like Dublin. People are upgrading their buildings around us." In addition to business clients, whether it's a startup or an established organization, they'll have nonprofits in the building on what's called a GIVE Scholarship program for up to 50 nonprofits aligned with COhatch's philanthropic goals. There are also boost scholarships designed to support local startups, with a specific focus on minority- and women-led businesses, by providing free access to coworking space and resources as they grow. COhatch has awarded, to date, 978 nonprofits and 479 startup scholarships. Advertisement Advertisement But bringing established businesses with startups and nonprofits together, working next door to each other in some cases, creates what McCleary said is an "economic ecosystem in the middle of downtown." "With your nonprofit partners, startups, anybody that wants to come out and be a part of this thing, we're going to have a lot of really cool resources, create space, and a lot of fun and conversation where people can network and intermingle," he said, adding that around a quarter of the 39 of the office spaces are already rented before the opening in February. Until they open, COhatch is offering a $150 a month founding full membership. Authorities closed both directions of Washington Avenue North in Orting following a collision and fuel spill Tuesday evening, the Orting Police Department shared on Facebook. The closure is near the Orting Safeway at 215 Whitesell St. NW. Crews are on the scene working to re-open the road. The police urge residents to avoid the area. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Several people are in federal custody on Wednesday morning after Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino made his return to the Chicago area. On Wednesday, Chopper 7 was over the scene as a crowd grew in Evanston around immigration agents and Bovino. It appeared that several were taken into custody by immigration agents. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who is also running for Congress in Illinois' 9th Congressional District, confronted Bovino, a news release from Biss' campaign said. Advertisement Advertisement Biss confronted Bovino at a gas station and at a Home Depot, demanding that he leave Evanston. "Greg Bovino and his thugs need to get the hell out of Evanston. I said it straight to Bovino's face: the violence, racism, and brutality that his agents are inflicting on the Chicago area are unacceptable and un-American. Bovino's agents tried to intimidate me, but I won't back down, and I won't stop fighting against this fascist reign of terror," Biss said. Biss said federal agents would not show him a warrant or let him speak to the people who were detained. Evanston police responded to several incidents Wednesday involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations. Advertisement Advertisement Bovino said in a post on X that it was an "Excellent day in Evanston!" I would like to thank both Chicago and Evanston Police Departments who provided assistance in preventing violent mobs from assaulting our law enforcement officers as we were conducting Title 8 immigration duties in the area. Both departments cleared the way for us to continue Commander Op At Large CA Gregory K. Bovino (@CMDROpAtLargeCA) December 17, 2025 Traffic came to a standstill wherever Border Patrol went Wednesday, and crowds quickly gathered to protest. Bovino told protesters his team has never left the area. One of the first stops was near Green Bay Road. "There were many, many ICE cars with Florida license plates, and a lot of them men standing around with masks, just a frightening sight," Evanston resident Diane Bielawski said. Bovino appeared to lead ground operations. Residents frustrated with Bovino's return said he told them his team would be there all day. "It's just so unnerving, and it's against everything we feel in this community. We welcome people; we want immigrants here. It's just sickening," Bielawski said. Advertisement Advertisement Another scene escalated near the Home Depot on Oakton Street, where witnesses captured video of at least one man being detained. It appears federal agents had several teams operating in different parts of the city at the same time Wednesday. Another incident was caught on camera in Cicero: Federal agents detained a man on the sidewalk. Little Village is another of the neighborhoods where federal agents have made their presence known. Little Village business owners are saying renewed immigration raids are scaring off customers. Responders are standing by, patrolling the neighborhood to be on the lookout for federal immigration agents. Advertisement Advertisement One business owner said they started locking their doors, again, in an effort to protect their customers. Little Village is just one of the neighborhoods where federal agents have made their presence known. Some tables have stood empty at Nuevo Leon, since "Operation Midway Blitz" began, the owner says. Although there was a glimmer of hope of a possible return to normalcy when Bovino seemingly left the area in November, customers never quite fully returned. "This fear continued. I still haven't seen customers that from October," business owner Laura Gutierrez Ramos said. "We are numb. We don't know whether to go forward, not forward." Advertisement Advertisement RELATED | Video shows apparent immigration arrests, tear gas deployed as CBP Chief Bovino returns to Chicago Multiple videos showed arrests taking place across the Chicago area on Tuesday. A man was taken into custody near 26th Street and Kedvale Avenue. ABC7 Chicago blurred his face, since it is unknown if he's been charged with a crime. Bovino was also seen at a picket line during a union strike at Mauser Packaging Solutions on Chicago's Southwest Side. Community groups say at least 15 people were arrested, including an immigrant living in the U.S. without legal permission, who the Department of Homeland Security says has a criminal history and damaged a Border Patrol vehicle with a rock. Advertisement Advertisement A tamale vendor was seen on surveillance video being taken into custody, seconds after arriving at 47th Street and Hermitage Avenue. "[Bovino is] not going after criminals; he's going after people picking up their check from work, people taking their kids to school, people selling tamales," said Baltazar Enriquez, with the Little Village Community Council. According to the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, since the beginning of "Operation Midway Blitz," business along Little Village's 26th Street corridor has been down 40 to 70% compared to last year. And that's not taking into account the damage being done now, just one week before Christmas. Advertisement Advertisement Business owners say it's heartbreaking what this is doing to the community, just ahead of the holidays. Serving up some of Chicago's most famous tacos for five decades now, the tables inside Los Comales restaurant in Little Village sat mostly empty Wednesday afternoon, even during the height of the lunch hour. Co-owner Christina Gonzalez was not surprised. "I think that (fear) is the game plan. I think that is the strategy," Gonzalez said. Gonzalez was among a large group of restauranteurs and chefs from across the city who joined together Wednesday to announce an effort to feed 125 immigrant families for four to six weeks. Advertisement Advertisement The fundraiser, set to take place in January, is meant to combat increasing food insecurity faced by those most vulnerable to the federal immigration enforcement actions that began in September. "These communities have been decimated. Twenty four hours ago, we had CBP out 20 feet from here, choppers above, 10 trucks circling, might even come back today," said Marcos Carbajal, owner of Carnitas Uruapan. There is a lot at stake. In the weeks since Bovino's initial departure, businesses had begun to see people return. A free holiday trolley bringing people from downtown to shop and dine along 26th Street during December is just one of the efforts being made to drum up business. Advertisement Advertisement "It feels very targeted. It feels like this has a purpose, like they are doing the raids here on our commercial corridor because they know they are hitting our economic heart, not only of Little Village but of the city as well," said Jennifer Aguilar, with the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. For Gonzalez, it's not just about empty tables and fewer sales. "All of the employees are like family to us, and so when we have to cut hours and we have to call other people off because there's not enough people coming out to restaurants, that creates an issue, where all of us are concerned," Gonzalez said. And it is why some are saying, even if this latest round of raids is short-lived, the damage may already have been done. It's not clear how long these operations will continue at this scale around Chicago. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (DConn.) and Alex Padilla (DCalif.) introduced the Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act on Monday, which would allow individuals, regardless of citizenship status, to sue federal law enforcement officers and agencies that violate their constitutional rights. The announcement comes in response to the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics that have violated the rights of both immigrants and American citizens. Earlier this month, Blumenthal released a report on the unchecked authority that immigration officials under President Donald Trump have used to forcibly detain people. The report highlights the firsthand accounts of 22 American citizens wrongfully detained by immigration agents, five of whom testified during a public forum on December 9. Wilmer Chavarria, a naturalized citizen and school superintendent, described his experience upon returning to the U.S. in July after visiting his mother in Nicaragua. Chavarria was detained for four hours by Customs and Border Protection until he finally agreed to a search of his smartphone, tablet, and laptop. Although Chavarria originally refused to consent to a warrantless search, particularly given the amount of sensitive student data stored on his work devices, federal agents told him he did not have Fourth Amendment rights at the border. With the help of the Pacific Legal Foundation, Chavarria filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Department of Homeland Security's "border exception" to the Fourth Amendment when it comes to electronic devices and the vast amount of sensitive data such devices hold. Advertisement Advertisement Another citizen and Army veteran, George Retes, shared testimony of his experience with immigration officers conducting a raid at his workplace in July. Unable to comply with agents' contradictory orders to both drive away and exit the vehicle he was in, officers used tear gas, pepper spray, and excessive force to arrest and detain him. Retes was held without charges for three days and was never given an opportunity to make a phone call or speak with an attorney. Others testified to an apparent pattern of masked immigration authorities using physical violence to arrest first and investigate later. With or without proof of citizenship, each encounter with federal agents described blatant constitutional violations. Despite these clear violations, holding federal officers accountable is nearly impossible without a change in the lawa change that Blumenthal and other members of Congress are seeking to make. Blumenthal and Padillo's new bill mirrors two bills reintroduced in the House in November: The Bivens Act, which would allow citizens to sue for damages resulting from constitutional violations committed by federal officers, and the Constitutional Accountability Act, which would create a cause of action against federal law enforcement agencies and police departments for constitutional violations. These bills are designed to, in part, revive and codify the 1971 Supreme Court ruling in Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents, which found that there is an "implied cause of action that allowed individuals to sue federal officers for Fourth Amendment violations," according to Mike Fox, a legal fellow at the Cato Institute. Over time, however, the Court has narrowed the Bivens ruling, practically making it a dead letter. Advertisement Advertisement Other avenues, such as the federal statute known as Section 1983, also fail to provide relief for those whose rights are violated by federal officers. Although Section 1983 creates a civil action for the deprivation of rights acting under the color of law of "any State or Territory or the District of Columbia," the statute leaves out federal actors. Amending the statute to include officers acting under the color "of the United States" would close this loophole. Guaranteeing a legal remedy to hold all law enforcement officers and agencies accountable is paramount to protecting constitutional rights and renewing trust between law enforcement and the American public. As Retes said during his recent testimony, "Accountability is not the enemy of respectit is its foundation." Without consequences for these violations, individuals' rights will only continue to be violated and degraded. The post These Congressmen Want To Give You the Right To Sue Federal Law Enforcement for Violating Your Rights appeared first on Reason.com. A Gary woman pleaded guilty, but mentally ill Wednesday to the murder of her childs father. Shasta Young, 40, faces 45 years if the plea is accepted by a judge. The victim, Willie Perry, 59, of Gary, was shot once in the chest. He was pronounced dead June 14, 2024 in his apartment at 12:10 p.m. His death was ruled a homicide. The sentencing hearing is Jan. 12. During Wednesdays hearing, Young appeared hesitant. Why was the sentence so high, she asked. Judge Salvador Vasquez told her it was the lowest possible sentence for murder. Advertisement Advertisement I guess Im guilty of it, she said. What do you mean guess, he responded. When asked, under standard questioning, if she was forced or intimidated to sign, she said no. Im guilty of it, she later said. Police responded at 11:20 a.m. June 14, 2024 to the 5700 block of Cypress Avenue in Gary. Lake County Prosecutors Homicide Task Force Detective David Moran wrote Young sat on the sofa while her 18-month-old daughter watched TV. She nodded to the door where Perry lay outside when he asked who the toddlers father was. Its up here, Young yelled earlier to police officers who first arrived. Advertisement Advertisement The gun was on the kitchen table. I was just defending myself, so its not a problem, she told police later in an interview at the Gary Police Station. Young was getting ready and Perry walked inside, holding the girl and a camera. He shoved it in her face and they started tussling, she said. Three men sentenced in check-cashing scheme Federal prosecutors said that three men were recently sentenced after plea deals in a multi-state check cashing scheme. Carlos Aquino Sosa, 26, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced to 41 months and would have to pay $533,000 in restitution. Advertisement Advertisement Edwin Palazios Sosa, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of illegal reentry. He was sentenced to 27 months and one year on supervised release. He would also repay $533,000 in restitution. Delvin Velasquez Romero, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and illegal reentry. He got time served and was ordered to repay $233,000 in restitution. All three were charged in an eight-man indictment. The three men are from Honduras and face deportation after their federal sentences. Court documents allege the men and co-defendants used fake IDs in January 2023 to cash nearly 170 fake checks at a bank in Northwest Indiana for $233,000. The checks appeared to be issued by a company that operates (local) dairy farms. Advertisement Advertisement The men went back in June 2023 to cash another 178 fake checks for nearly $300,000 at the local bank and a trio of Oklahoma check-cashing businesses. The checks looked like they were issued by a building supply company in Oklahoma. The sentences imposed by the court send a message that there are real consequences for engaging in fraud, particularly in Northwest Indiana, Acting U.S. Attorney M. Scott Proctor said in a release. In court filings, defense lawyer Mark Psimos wrote Aquino Sosa deeply regrets his involvement. Defense lawyer Marc Laterzo wrote that Velasquez Romero fell into the check-cashing ring in Houston after work painting houses dried up. He left Honduras to pursue a better life and make money after a cartel moved into the area. Advertisement Advertisement The scheme spanned over a dozen states, according to a release. Former Gary cops disability fraud case dismissed A former Gary police officers disability fraud case was dismissed Tuesday after he successfully finished a pretrial diversion program, filings show. Nicholas T. Sanchez, 48, of Hobart, was charged in May 2023 with two counts of Level 6 felony fraud and two misdemeanor counts of fraud. Prosecutors said he lied about his injuries saying he slipped on snow-covered stairs on duty while collecting $17,000 off duty, according to an affidavit. Court records accuse him of gaming the system, caught on video playing pickleball, while on no duty. Advertisement Advertisement Sanchez, a nearly 10-year veteran, quit the Gary Police Department on April 22, 2023, a mayors office spokeswoman said previously. A pretrial diversion program is typically reserved for defendants who have little or no prior criminal history. Appeals Court upholds mans sentence in Cedar Lake robbery The Indiana Court of Appeals recently upheld a Gary mans conviction in a Cedar Lake robbery. Alexander T. Marshall, 27, was sentenced to seven years in May for robbery and a separate auto theft case. In a 3-0 decision, Appeals Judge Stephen Scheele rejected Marshalls argument that the sentence was too harsh. Advertisement Advertisement He and co-defendant Javonte Camell, of Matteson, Illinois, were each charged in the robbery. Both men walked into the victims home July 27, 2020 on the 14000 block of Wheeler Street where they found him and the victims girlfriend in his bedroom, records state. After asking to smoke some weed, the victim was getting it out of a small safe when Marshall and Camell drew guns at him, documents show. Thats mine, they said, referring to $600-$800 in the safe, according to charging documents. Post-Tribune archives contributed. mcolias@post-trib.com Hartford lawyer Jake Dressler is using air fresheners to remind his clients to know their rights during traffic stops. He said some people get themselves arrested by not knowing their rights, and that everyone should know the most basic things. Dressler, who has a solo Hartford-based practice, said he supports police doing their jobs, but wants people to see at a glance what they should and should not do if pulled over, including not to ever fight with police officers. Advertisement Advertisement He said what the air fresheners say is not legal wizardry, but simply a few steps for people to keep them from getting into serious trouble because they do not know what to do or how to act. For example, he said, he advises clients, do not say more than necessary; do not consent to a search, when stopped for traffic violations. Dressler said he knows people can get nervous. If you give only what is necessary, all the basics. you are not going to incriminate yourself, he said. You do not have to go into any more than that. The air freshener Dressler had created says, Know your Rights on the front and on the back, it has four steps. Advertisement Advertisement Identify yourself and ask why you were pulled over. Do not reveal more than necessary. If the cops want to search, say I do not consent to a search. If arrested, say I want to speak with my lawyer, and nothing further. If arrested, do not argue or resist. Dressler has been practicing law in Connecticut and Massachusetts for the last four years; his Connecticut office is in Hartford at 100 Pearl St. University of New Haven Associate Professor of the Criminal Justice Department Michael Lawlor said the air fresheners look fine to him. I teach a class on search and seizure constitutional law to undergrads, and I emphasize these and other rights, he said. Its amazing how few people think they will never be in such a situation and, as a result, dont understand what they can say or do. Advertisement Advertisement Also, its even more important in this time of seemingly race or ethnicity based stops by federal police, as recently approved by the U.S. Supreme Court, said Lawlor, who also served 24 years in the Connecticut House of Representatives and was former Gov. Dannel P. Malloys undersecretary for criminal justice policy and planning in the Office of Policy and Management. Dressler, who is not advocating for poor behavior, noted that you cant give a legal consult in an air freshener, but the biggest takeaway from [the message on it] is consent. You dont have to consent to a search, he said. Police do not have to be explicit about your rights regarding consent, he said. Advertisement Advertisement If an officer says something like, Do you mind stepping out of the car?or may say, Im just going to look around here, at that point you can say, I dont consent to a search. A lot of people dont know that, and people get screwed where the cops didnt have probable cause to search and they just said they want to look around. People dont know that they can refuse, he said. Dressler said if someone is pulled over for speeding, police cannot search your car without probable cause. But if they just say, Im going to take a look around and you dont say anything and then they can find things because you have consented, Dressler said. Any time a cop says, Im going to search your car. Or Do you mind if I search your car? You just say, I dont consent to a search. If they know to back off, they will back off. Dressler said, however, there are some instances an officer can search without your consent, as he or she may have probable cause that the driver does not know about. Advertisement Advertisement But most times if its a run-of-the-mill speeding or a traffic violation or something like that a cop only has probable cause if a search is going to lead to instrumentalities of a crime. If you are speeding and you get pulled over, theres nothing in your car that is hiding that caused the speeding, Dressler said. When they pull you over and suspect something more than just speeding, they are trying to develop probable cause to search your car. If they start questioning you and you start sweating and looking really nervous or look like you are trying to hide something, they have probable cause, he said. Dressler said that, if an officer were to continue to search the car without consent, just to repeat that the consent wasnt given and say nothing more. But he emphasized not ever to confront or fight with police. Advertisement Advertisement You can hash that stuff out in court. You cant resist. If the cop is breaking the law, that comes later, he said. A judge will see from the body cam that consent was not given and that there was no probable cause to search and you win. Thats where you win. You dont win on the street resisting arrest. You never fight, he said. Dressler said the response has been positive when he has distributed the air freshener, although he said hes unsure if anyone has used them yet. I see a lot of people that get themselves arrested by not knowing their rights, Dressler said. Dresslers specialties are criminal and personal injury, estate planning and bankruptcy. A man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release for the murders of his 19-year-old girlfriend and a family friend at a home in Bridgeport in 2021. Tarik Francis, 29, of Bridgeport faced sentencing on Tuesday in Bridgeport Superior Court where Judge Robin Pavia handed down the life term, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. The sentencing comes following a week-long trial that ended with a jury finding Francis guilty in the killings of 19-year-old Candace Goodwin and 59-year-old Austin Burgher. Advertisement Advertisement No sentence is sufficient to redress the loss of two innocent lives, however, the imposition of the most severe sentence in our penal code illustrates the gravity of the crime and the seriousness with which our legislature views them and the commitment with which our office prosecutes them, Bridgeport Judicial District States Attorney Joseph T. Corradino said in a statement. The verdict against Francis, which was returned on Oct. 1, found him guilty of two counts of murder and a single count each of criminal possession of a firearm and murder with special circumstances. The special circumstances stemmed from both killings happening during the same incident. DCJ officials said Francis is a previously convicted felon barred from having a gun. He was found not guilty of an attempted murder charge tied to a police officer who responded to the scene. Officers on Sept. 9, 2021, responded to a home on Platt Street just before 1:30 a.m. on the report of a shooting, according to the Bridgeport Police Department. As officers approached the home, Francis allegedly fired a gun toward them, police said. Advertisement Advertisement A standoff then ensued for about two hours before Francis ultimately surrendered, police said. Once officers were able to get into the home, they found Goodwin and Burgher dead, according to police. Francis and Goodwin were reportedly dating and living together at the time of the killings. Burgher was a family friend of Francis, officials said. According to an obituary, a service for Goodwin was held in Baltimore, Maryland, where she grew up. A post dedicated to her memory on gunmemorial.org indicated she attended several schools in Maine before moving to Connecticut. The Kingdom of Bhutan announced the worlds largest Bitcoin pledge to support its new economic zone called the Gelephu Mindfulness City. The South Asian country, with a population of just under 800,000, pledged up to 10,000 BTC, valued at $1 billion, to develop its new economic hub, according to an official press release on Dec. 17. Bhutans King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck added that every Bhutanese is a custodian, stakeholder, and beneficiary of GMC. Notably, the country sold 512 BTC in mid-July as Bitcoin broke above $120,000. This time, however, the country plans to accumulate Bitcoin for the long-term instead of selling the assets and will explore collateralization and yield strategies to preserve value. According to the announcement, GMC aims to create jobs, economic growth and shared benefits for all Bhutanese citizens. The move builds on Bhutans existing green Bitcoin mining strategy powered by hydropower and long-term digital asset integration. Why Bhutans Bitcoin Pledge Is Important? Bhutans 10,000 BTC pledge is one of the largest sovereign Bitcoin commitments ever made for economic development. The country basically couples Gross National Happiness values focused on holistic well-being beyond economic growth, with modern digital finance, aiming for mindful prosperity. In addition, Bhutan is not a new player in the cryptocurrency space. The South Asian country currently holds 5,984 BTC, worth over $520 million, according to data from Arkham. The kingdom accumulated Bitcoin as a sovereign miner since 2019, using hydropower. Bhutan has also announced plans to tokenize its physical gold reserves on the Solana blockchain with the launch of TER, a crypto asset backed by its physical gold reserves. On Monday, Dec. 15, the country signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cumberland DRW to support the management of its GMC Bitcoin reserves. Read original story Bhutan Pledges 10,000 Bitcoin to Build New Economic Zone by Wahid Pessarlay at Coinspeaker.com How does a 30-tonne, 30-metre-long Boeing passenger jet go missing for well over a decade? Surely in todays high-tech, hyper-surveilled and bureaucratic world, such a scenario is impossible. Apparently not. The case of the misplaced plane is just the latest revelation to hit Air India, the beleaguered South Asian carrier that has already been in the headlines following a tragic crash earlier this year. Now comes the news that this longstanding airline somehow managed to leave one of its old Boeing passenger jets, a 737-200 registered as VT-EHH, gathering dust in Kolkata Airport for 13 years, having completely forgotten it owned it in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement In fact, when Air India was first contacted about the parking fees for the plane, it denied ownership. But now the airline has finally admitted that it had indeed managed to lose track of the offending plane, and is thus responsible for paying the 10 million rupees (around 85,000) parking bill that it has accrued over the past decade. An aircrafts life cycle To state the obvious, this isnt the sort of thing that usually happens to airlines for equally obvious reasons. The economics of a modern airline mean that planes generally spend as much time in the air as possible, and are only really grounded when they absolutely need to be. If youre going to spend more than 100 million on a passenger jet, you dont want to leave it stationary where it might develop problems (planes are, after all, designed to be in the air). Planes dont tend to get retired all that often. Most jetliners will usually spend at least ten years in service with their original airline, after which they may even be sold on to smaller airlines in developing countries (though that happens less regularly these days). Alternatively, older jets can be repurposed into cargo planes, where they can sometimes fly for another 20 years. Decommissioned aircrafts often end up in plane graveyards around the world - Christian Petersen/Getty Images As a last resort, old planes can be sold on to companies who specialise in breaking them down and selling the individual parts. Hence those slightly haunting images of plane graveyards in places like Arizona, where they are eventually stripped down into their individual components. Follow the paper (plane) trail Even leaving aside the numerous business reasons for not letting a plane rust away in an airport parking lot, there are also practical reasons why such a situation is unlikely. As you might expect, airlines have plenty of paperwork when it comes to their hardware, much of which has to be refiled on an annual basis to ensure that planes remain fit to fly. Advertisement Advertisement Given the regulatory oversight, its hard to comprehend that an airline could ever lose an aircraft, says aviation industry expert John Strickland, founder of JLS Consulting. Things like maintenance and individual component serial numbers would need to be clearly documented. Though of course that would require Air India to have had the particular plane on their inventory in the first place. Some analysts have pointed out that the planes orphan status could have resulted from its slightly confusing history. For a start, the plane had originally been registered as belonging to Indian Airlines, another state-owned airline that was eventually merged with Air India back in 2007. Following the merger, the plane was leased out to the Indian postal service to work as a cargo plane. Maybe the paperwork got lost somewhere during the changeover? New Zealand-born Campbell Wilson, Air Indias chief executive, claimed the plane had been missed off the ledger when Air India was privatised back in 2022. If the plane wasnt included on the records at the time, the new company wouldnt have known it had even acquired it and would thus have ignored any letters from the Kolkata Airport revenue department. Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson blames the mix-up on paperwork after Air India was privatised - Prakash Singh/Bloomberg Finance LP Wasted opportunity Could the plane have been put to better use? Almost certainly. Advertisement Advertisement The fact that the jet had already been fitted out for cargo flights would suggest it could have been used for that purpose. Failing that, it could have been sold for parts. That said, the sale would have been unlikely to make much difference to Air Indias bottom line. The aircraft itself is an old one with negligible value, says John Strickland. It might have been useful for salvage of materials, but little or nothing more. Though presumably that is still better than having to settle a 13-year storage bill. Are there any lessons for other airlines around the world? On the one hand, the lost passenger jet does appear to be a one-off with no other recorded incidents of airlines losing planes in this way. On the other hand, Kolkata Airport has reportedly claimed to have found other abandoned planes over the past decade so this may not be the last time we hear about the strange story of a forgotten plane. Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays. A Raleigh father is sharing with ABC11 what he says he experienced inside a federal immigration detention center, and the health battle he says he's now facing. David Cardenas Centeno said what was supposed to be a routine, annual check-in for his asylum case turned into a nine-day ordeal that ended in a Charlotte-area hospital. "It's hard. I'm a human being. We don't deserve this. Immigrants, we don't deserve this," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Centeno and his family say they escaped violence in Nicaragua and claimed asylum in 2022. He says he and his wife have working permits, social security numbers, and believe they have the ability to stay in the country while their asylum case makes its way through the courts. That's why he was shocked when he was detained by federal immigration officials during his routine immigration check-in on December 4 in Charlotte. His wife, Cecilia Mendoza, says she and their daughters were shocked. "My daughters started crying when I told them because, well, it's expected when you go through this heartbreak." Advertisement Advertisement Centeno claims he has no criminal record, and says he's concerned about what he says were the conditions in federal custody. "There, you don't feel like a human being. You feel like nothing. You feel like trash," he said. "There's one toilet, where everyone can see you, and there's 40 people in one cell." ABC11 asked ICE about the conditions in the detention center. During his stay, he says he was also denied medical care. He tells ABC11 he is diabetic and has heart conditions, saying his pleas for help while in custody went unanswered. "I finally got medical attention for my condition when they saw that I basically had fainted in the cell," said Centeno. David Cardenas Centeno This entire time his wife says she had no idea what was going on, until she says she got an anonymous message. Advertisement Advertisement "I don't know who they were. All they said was, 'Get a lawyer, he's in really bad shape,'" said Mendoza. Federal agents released Centeno from custody on Friday, after community members in Charlotte, where he was detained, pushed for his release. Centeno says he was never told why he was detained. "All they said was you're going to be deported. Maybe you'll see a judge, but that's it," he said. Centeno says his doctors tell him he needs open heart surgery, but says he is still too weak to be operated on after this experience. Still, he says he needed to speak out about what happened. "If I don't speak publicly and stay silent out of fear, they could keep doing this to other people," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Centeno says he was deported in 2013 for using a different name to enter the country, and says the Department of Homeland Security has not returned his immigration paperwork since he was detained. Editor's note: All quotes from Centeno and Mendoza have been translated from Spanish. David Cardenas Centeno ABC11 reached out to DHS and ICE, asking why Centeno was detained, why it apparently took so long for him to receive medical care, and how the conditions in the detention center are. The Public Affairs Officer for ICE sent ABC11 this statement on Wednesday: "David Cruz-Cardenas does not have lawful immigration status and was taken into custody. Shortly after his arrest, he complained of chest pains and was transported to the hospital, where he was subsequently admitted. During his hospitalization, Mr. Cruz-Cardenas was guarded by Enforcement and Removal Operations officers and his communication with the outside world was limited due to security precautions. Cruz-Cardenas was released on Alternatives to Detention and will continue with his immigration proceedings." SEE ALSO | Bond denied for Wake County woman moved to immigration detention facility in Georgia (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is reportedly already clearing out his office ahead of an imminent departure from the Bureau and a potential return to the MAGA media circuit, the New York Times has reported. Bongino has told associates he could leave as soon as this week or as late as mid-January, people familiar with his plans told The Times on Wednesday. He has not yet made a formal announcement. Advertisement Advertisement To back the claims, however, the newspapers sources further revealed that Bongino has begun shipping office knick-knacks and other personal belongings back to Florida, where he plans to resume his broadcasting career in time for the 2026 midterm elections. Sources told Fox News Digital on Monday that Bongino had not made a final decision and denied his office was empty, but did add that he was expected to declare his intentions in the coming weeks. The former podcaster arrived at the FBI this year promising disruption and ideological clarity, after President Donald Trump nominated him. However, the Times reported that earlier this month, Bongino floated the idea of choreographing his exit around a major law enforcement moment to associates. He allegedly said he may announce his resignation at a press conference tied to the investigation into who planted pipe bombs near Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters on the eve of the January 6 riots in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement The newspaper added that behind-the-scenes, Bongino has also made a point of repairing relations with Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom he had accused of mishandling the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein in July. At that time, he reportedly threatened to resign after Bondis department released a memo concluding that the much-hyped Epstein client list did not, in fact, exist a topic that had been a focus of Bonginos podcast before his tenure. The post Dan Bongino Clearing Out His Office in Preparation for FBI Exit: NY Times first appeared on Mediaite. The guilty verdict handed down this week to Hong Kong media tycoon and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was expected but is still devastating, his daughter Claire Lai told CNNs Jim Sciutto, blaming what she described as the citys highly compromised legal system under Chinese rule. Her father, 78, now faces the possibility of life in prison after his two-year trial under a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on the city following months of huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests. Self-made billionaire Lai, founded a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid newspaper known for its blistering broadsides against the Chinese Communist Party until its forced closure in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors cited Lais lobbying of US politicians during Trumps first term much of it before the security law was enacted as evidence of sedition and colluding with foreign forces, including his meetings with then-Vice President Mike Pence, then-State Secretary Mike Pompeo, and attempts to meet Trump himself. Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly rejected claims Lais trial was politically motivated and maintain the citys judicial system adheres to the rule of law. Lais daughter, Claire Lai, told CNNs Jim Sciutto that Mondays verdict was expected but devastating, calling the national security law extremely vague, draconian and arbitrary. Jonathan Price and Claire Lai during a CNN interview. - CNN This was not going to be solved in the once promising but now highly compromised Hong Kong legal system, she said, adding the 855-page verdict failed to meaningfully engage with free press or fundamental rights protections. Advertisement Advertisement Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has a separate judicial system to that of mainland China which has a conviction rate above 99%. Critics fear the national security law has brought what they describe as Beijings authoritarian and opaque judicial norms to Hong Kong, with all national security trials so far heard by a panel of specially selected judges, not juries a departure from the citys common-law tradition when dealing with serious cases. Human rights barrister Jonathan Price KC, part of Lais international legal team, described the court proceedings as a performative process that began with Lais arrest in 2020 and culminated in what he called a predetermined verdict. The legal reasoning is scarce to say the least, if not non-existent, Price said. Advertisement Advertisement In response, Hong Kong authorities said the court clearly pointed out in the reasons for verdict that Lai Chee-ying (Jimmy Lai) was not on trial for his political views or beliefs, adding that the 855-page ruling is fully open for public inspection and meticulously explains the courts analysis of the relevant legal principles and evidence. The Hong Kong government also defended the citys legal system, saying, Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed, and lawbreakers be held accountable. The family says Lais health has sharply deteriorated during the five years he has been imprisoned. Claire Lai said her father has lost more than 10 kilograms in less than a year and now suffers from diabetes, heart issues, high blood pressure, failing eyesight and hearing, and other visible ailments. Police lead Hong kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai (center) away from his home after he was arrested under the new national security law in Hong kong on August 10, 2020. - Vernon Yuen/AFP/Getty Images My father, he was strong and robust and he was quite known for that as well. And now hes lost a dramatic amount of weight, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Hong Kong authorities disputed those concerns, saying Lai has received adequate and comprehensive medical care while in custody. Professional medical staff provide the most suitable healthcare services to patients, and all PICs (person in custody) are treated equally. Senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying also clearly informed the court that the correctional institution arranged daily medical check-ups for Lai Chee-ying and that Lai Chee-ying had made no complaints about the medical services received while in custody. The court commended the CSD (Correctional Services Department) for its work. Asked whether the Chinese government intends for Lai to die in prison, Price warned that any sentence imposed could effectively amount to a life sentence. The maximum is life in prison, and they could impose that. And he was 78 last week. Any one of those sentences amounts in effect to a life sentence, and well see him die behind bars. Face any adversity Lai was born in mainland China and arrived in British-ruled Hong Kong at 12 years old, working his way up from factory laborer to clothing tycoon. Advertisement Advertisement He then pivoted to media and founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before Hong Kong was handed over to China. The outspoken publisher and his newspaper were at the forefront of the citys pro-democracy movement, particularly in the decade leading up to the mass anti-government protests in 2019. A vocal supporter of Trump, Lai traveled to Washington at the height of the 2019 protests, meeting with Pence and other US politicians to discuss the situation. At the time, massive demonstrations sparked by a controversial piece of legislation were drawing hundreds of thousands onto the streets many of whom feared that Beijing could encroach on the citys autonomy and rare freedoms of speech, press and assembly. Price noted that they have seen an immense amount of international support for Lais case. President Donald Trump has said he raised Lais case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, fueling hopes among supporters that diplomatic pressure could secure his release. Claire Lai, daughter of Jimmy Lai, attends a news conference, on December 15, in Washington. - Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Claire Lai said she believes the presidents efforts could lead to her fathers release. Advertisement Advertisement Were so grateful for him to show ongoing concern. Now that hes wrongfully convicted, (it) really gives us a great amount of hope. In a statement, the Hong Kong government said it strongly demands foreign countries to immediately stop acting against the international law and basic norms of international relations and interfering in Chinas internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs. Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson also issued the following statement: Hong Kong affairs are purely Chinas internal matters. The media should respect the rule of law in Hong Kong and refrain from interfering in ongoing judicial cases. As a serious media outlet, CNN should remain objective and neutral, report facts rationally, and accurately and comprehensively represent the positions of China, including that of the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) government. Despite the verdict, Claire Lai said her family will continue to fight. Advertisement Advertisement Were still grieving, she said. But one thing that our father has taught us is that we should face any adversity, any sort of difficulty with a certain amount of cheer and a certain amount of spirit, so thats what we try to do. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Dec. 16A Dayton man has been indicted on child pornography charges while on parole for inappropriately touching a 6-year-old in 2021. The charges Douglas Lee Lockhart, 60, was indicted Tuesday on seven counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. Where did the charges come from? According to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office, Lockhart was on post-release control from the prior case, and as part of his release requirements had to turn his phone over to law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators found child pornography on the phone, the prosecutor's office said. What happens next? A warrant has been issued for Lockhart's arrest, but at the time of writing he was not listed as in custody on the Montgomery County Jail's website. He is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 30. The previous cases Lockhart was sentenced in 2022 to 30 months in prison, followed by five years of post-release control after pleading guilty to gross sexual imposition. He was also found a Tier III sex offender, so has to register address every 90 days for the rest of his life. According to an affidavit filed in Dayton Municipal Court, Lockhart was accused of inappropriately touching a 6-year-old girl in May 2021 at a house in the 300 block of South Harbine Avenue. The girl then told her mother and grandmother, who contacted police. Advertisement Advertisement This was not the first time Lockhart was accused of sexually assaulting a child. In February 1997, he was charged with rape of a child younger than 13, and in December the same year was convicted of gross sexual imposition involving a child younger than 13. He was sentenced to three years in prison and had to register his address for several years afterward as a sex offender. He was no longer on the registry in 2021, however. Staff writer Jen Balduf contributed to this report. The Washington County Sheriff's Office and Maryland state fire marshal's office are jointly investigating a Wednesday morning incident, Dec. 17, that includes a death investigation, according to Sgt. Carly Hose, spokesperson for the sheriff's office. The incident occurred in the Greenberry Hills neighborhood, which is off Virginia Avenue in Halfway near Hagerstown. Deputies responded around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday to the 11400 block of Longview Drive for a van fire, according to a sheriff's office release. Advertisement Advertisement Deputies found a deceased individual, an adult male from Halfway who was the van driver, Hose said. The man's identity was not being released as of late Wednesday morning. The male was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy, the release states. Deputies also found several unoccupied parked vehicles the van had hit, Hose said. No one else was injured in the incident and there is no safety concern to the public, Hose said. Authorities were still investigating what occurred, Hose said. The sheriff's office is asking anyone with video footage of the incident to submit it online at https://washingtonsheriffmd.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/greenberry. Advertisement Advertisement The streets involved in the incident were York Road, Manse Road and Longview Drive, Hose said. Some roads in Greenberry Hills were closed Wednesday morning due to the incident, but reopened before noon, Hose said. The Volunteer Fire Co. of Halfway, Washington County Fire Police and the City of Hagerstown Auxiliary Police assisted with the response. Hagerstown fatal crash on Tuesday: Waynesboro man identified as deceased driver in Hagerstown crash This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Authorities are investigating a Maryland man's death after a van fire Democrat Gary Clemons won a special election to a fill a Kentucky state Senate seat, according to Decision Desk HQ. Clemons, president of United Steelworkers Local 1693 and an Army veteran, beat back challenges from Republican Calvin Leach, an Army veteran and former state Senate candidate, and Libertarian candidate Wendy Higdon, who founded the Louisville Tea Party in 2009. Another election, another massive Democratic overperformance, this time in Kentucky, Democratic National Committee (DNC) spokesman Abhi Rahman said in a statement, lauding the win. Advertisement Advertisement While Republicans keep bending the knee to Trump and billionaires, Democrats are fighting for working families. Thats why Democrats are consistently overperforming in 2025 and will continue building momentum into 2026 and beyond, he added. Democrats were expected to hold on to the seat, which is located in southwest Louisville and leans blue. Their victory Tuesday comes after a recent spate of special election wins that saw them flip a number of seats in conservative areas of the country. Clemons will serve the remainder of interim Jefferson County Clerk David Yatess (D) term. Yates resigned from his role after he was tapped for his current position. Updated at 4 p.m. EST Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Brown University senior is mourning the loss of her friend, Ella Cook, one of the students killed in Saturdays mass shooting. Phoebe Peus spoke to Americas Newsroom on Tuesday night, recalling how she and Cook first met through the Brown Republican Club. Peus described Cook as a bright light, someone who welcomed everyone with warmth and kindness. Ella was the type of person that, regardless of if youve never met her before, she just really, she was just such a bright light. She was extremely welcoming and just, yeah, its just such a devastating loss. I cant believe that shes not with us anymore, Peus said. Advertisement Advertisement Brown University president pens heartfelt letter remembering 2 students killed in mass shooting Services for 19-year-old Cook, who was a sophomore, are scheduled to be held on Monday in her home state of Alabama. Peus shared that she hopes to honor Cooks legacy by living with purpose and continuing to make a difference. Ella really was outspoken, and I just wanted to live through her in that way and try to make a difference. I spoke with our mutual friend, who was also in Brown Republicans, and he just said, we just we have to live a purposeful life and for Ella, she added. Peus said an app used by students called side chat is what alerted her to the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement She said she was tracking Ellas location when she noticed it remained in the same spot, her hope was that Ella just dropped her phone, but unfortunately that wasnt the case. The shooting took place on Saturday, December 13, inside an engineering building classroom as final exams were underway. It claimed the lives of Cook and fellow student Mukhammadaziz Umurzokov, while nine others were wounded. Brown University President Christina Paxson remembered both victims as brilliant and beloved members of the campus community. Peus emphasized the importance of unity and support during this time of grief. Advertisement Advertisement The Brown student body has been just extremely supportive, and my professor has been extremely supportive about all of this, Peus said. Our undergrads pretty small, so its been nice to see how many people have reached out to me and a lot of her friends just about whats happened. So I think, just banding together is important, she added. Authorities on Tuesday released a video timeline and a slightly clearer image of a person of interest in Saturday afternoons attack. In the hours after the tragedy, authorities also announced that they would be releasing an initial person of interest who they had taken into custody early Sunday morning after the investigation led law enforcement in a different direction. The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for any information that results in the arrest of the shooter. Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Providence Police Department at 401-272-3121. 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 Some volunteers who helped recover more than 80 dogs from three separate properties in Clay and Union counties are sharing their experience with Action News Jax, calling for state lawmakers to work on passing stronger animal cruelty laws during the next legislative session. One of them is Kate MacFall, the Florida state director of the nationwide nonprofit Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States. Its heartbreaking to see these animals in this condition. Theyve been living on these heavy chains, many with scars, some with injuries, MacFall said. Advertisement Advertisement MacFall told Action News Jax she went to the property in Clay County where the Clay County Sheriffs Office and Humane World for Animals found dozens of dogs believed to be involved in a dogfighting operation. CCSO has told us it cant share the location of the property, but, among the dogs MacFall found abandoned in the outdoors, she found one dog who was missing a paw. I met him, and hes an older guy, and that was particularly heartbreaking, said MacFall, these animals are, you know, in a bad way. But its also exciting that were rescuing them. Last week, Action News Jax told you when the Union County Sheriffs Office shared it had made an arrest in this investigation after more than 40 dogs were found in two properties in Lake Butler. UCSO identified the person arrested as Drew Geer, who is currently being charged with felony drug possession and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. UCSO believes Geer could possibly face federal charges for animal cruelty and dogfighting connected to this investigation. The sheriffs office told us the U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking the lead on this case, and, even though nobody else has been charged, more arrests are expected. Advertisement Advertisement Florida laws give up to a year of prison time to those who are convicted of animal cruelty. Dogfighting convictions, in Florida, can lead to up to five years in prison. Earlier this year, two new animal cruelty laws went into effect in Florida. One of them, Troopers Law, makes it a felony to abandon a dog during a state of emergency. The other, Dexters Law, raises sentences for those convicted of torturing, mutilating and killing dogs. MacFall believes Floridas animal cruelty laws need to be made stronger, especially after seeing the conditions of the dogs found in Clay and Union counties. We need to strengthen these laws and give our law enforcement officers and prosecutors the proper tools to hold these criminals accountable, MacFall said. We called and emailed the USDA to ask how the properties in the dogfighting investigation are connected, what started the investigation and how many more arrests are expected. Were still waiting for a response at this time. Advertisement Advertisement On January 1st, 2026, a new animal cruelty database is set to go online through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is supposed to keep a record of the people convicted in animal cruelty cases. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. With a market cap of $9.1 billion, Bio-Techne Corporation (TECH) is a global life sciences company that develops, manufactures, and sells reagents, instruments, and services for research, diagnostics, and bioprocessing markets. The company operates through two segments: Protein Sciences and Diagnostics and Spatial Biology. Companies valued less than $10 billion are generally classified as mid-cap stocks, and Bio-Techne fits this criterion perfectly. The companys offerings support applications ranging from protein analysis and molecular diagnostics to oncology and genetic research. More News from Barchart Shares of the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company have decreased nearly 26% from its 52-week high of $79.28. TECH stock has increased 13.7% over the past three months, slightly lagging behind the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Funds (XLV) 14% gain over the same time frame. www.barchart.com Longer term, TECH stock is down 18.5% on a YTD basis, underperforming XLVs 13.5% rise. Moreover, shares of the company have declined 22.5% over the past 52 weeks, compared to XLVs 10.7% return over the same time frame. Yet, the stock has been trading above its 200-day moving average since October. www.barchart.com Shares of Bio-Techne fell 1.9% on Nov. 5 after the company reported a 1% year-over-year revenue decline in Q1 2026 to $286.6 million, driven by a 3% organic decline in Protein Sciences and a 4% decline in Diagnostics and Spatial Biology. The decline reflected cell therapy timing headwinds that reduced growth by 200 basis points in Q1 and are expected to worsen to 400 basis points in Q2, along with continued biotech funding softness. Investor sentiment was further pressured by management maintaining low single-digit 2026 growth guidance. In comparison, rival Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) has outpaced TECH stock. DGX stock has returned 22% on a YTD basis and 18.8% over the past 52 weeks. Despite the stocks underperformance, analysts remain bullish about its prospects. TECH stock has a consensus rating of Strong Buy from 15 analysts in coverage, and the mean price target of $68.58 is a premium of 16.9% to current levels. On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal 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 Alan Freed, Judge Hannah Dugan's clerk, said he was not happy to learn an ICE team had arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18 to arrest an undocumented immigrant. And he let one of the federal agents know what he thought that day when he passed him in the courthouse hallway. During this testimony on December 17, Freed was shown footage of himself walking past one of the agents, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling, the lead prosecutor, asked what Freed had said to the agent. I called him a fascist, Freed said on the witness stand. Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in his testimony, Freed had been asked about ICEs presence in the courthouse. Alan Freed, Judge Hannah Dugan's clerk leaves the courthouse after testifying on the third day of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan's federal obstruction case at the Milwaukee Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Dec. 17, 2025. I was upset and a little bit outraged, Freed said. Freed may be a key witness in the case against Dugan, who is accused of helping the immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, evade arrest. As he was leaving the federal courthouse at about noon, Freed told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he does not regret his words. Do I regret that? No. Its what I think they are, Freed said. Freed said he did not want to talk details until after the trial's conclusion, but said he firmly believes Dugan is innocent and that the trial is political theater. Advertisement Advertisement "I just think its another example of this administration and this particular attorney general going after perceived political enemies," Freed said. He added that he thinks it's "tragic and ironic" that "we have a president who's been convicted of 34 felonies trying to persecute a judge for doing what judges do." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Dugan's clerk reveals in Dugan trial he called agent 'a fascist' An El Paso man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing up to $300,000 from more than a dozen people, including an 89-year-old woman, authorities said. Thomas Jacinto Lopez, 47, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in state prison on exploitation of an elderly person and theft of property charges, District Attorney James Montoya and County Attorney Christina Sanchez announced in a joint news release. Thomas Jacinto Lopez The defendants actions of repeatedly targeting an elderly widow in declining physical and mental health are absolutely reprehensible, Montoya said in a statement. Our office will continue to work with law enforcement to hold those who engage in this kind of predatory behavior accountable. Advertisement Advertisement Lopez also pleaded guilty to an additional count of theft of property, which was prosecuted by the El Paso County Attorney's Office. He was also sentenced to 25 years on this charge. The sentences will be served concurrently, court records show. Our office is aggressively pursuing individuals who engage in deceptive business practices that harm El Paso families and cost our community hundreds of thousands of dollars," Sanchez said in a statement. "We strongly urge any residents who have been scammed or defrauded by contractors or businesses to come forward and file a report with their local police department, to ensure we can build the strongest possible cases." More: El Paso police find 75 guns. Judge lowers shooting suspect's bond Judge Sam Medrano of 409th District Court handed down the sentence on Dec. 11 at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in Downtown El Paso. Advertisement Advertisement Lopezs prior felony drug and theft convictions from Midland, Texas, were used to enhance the punishment range, Montoya said. Scammed elderly woman at assisted living center In the case filed by the district attorney's office, Lopez pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from an 89-year-old starting in 2017, the news release states. The scheme involved Lopez taking money from the woman in exchange for "performing home maintenance," the news release states. Lopez continued to scam the woman as she was living in an assisted living center. He visited the woman at the center and demanded she pay him $16,000 in back payments. The woman gave Lopez the money. The woman reported the fraud to the El Paso Police Department in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement More: Horizon City man reported missing killed over alleged drug dispute Lopez scams 13 people in deceptive business fraud scheme In the case prosecuted by the El Paso County Attorneys Office, Lopez stole between $150,000 and $300,000 from 13 people as part of a construction projects scam, the news release states. The fraud happened between 2020 and 2022. The scheme involved "Lopez taking money from victims for significant construction projects, such as installing pools, but then abandoning the jobs after completing only a small portion of the contracted work," the news release states. More: Anthony, NM man sentenced to prison, sold meth from parents' property Advertisement Advertisement The cases against Lopez were investigated by the El Paso Police Department, El Paso County Sheriffs Office, and Anthony Police Department. Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso scammer pleads guilty, sentenced to 25 years in prison The leaders of the European Union and the Western Balkans countries agreed to forge closer ties at a summit on Wednesday evening in Brussels. Russia's war against Ukraine and the increasing geopolitical challenges underscore the need for ever closer relations, according to a joint statement issued by the EU's 27 members and five countries of the region. The future of the Western Balkans lies within the European Union, the declaration stressed. Advertisement Advertisement The leaders of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo travelled to Brussels for the talks. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic decided not to attend the summit. The exact reasons for his decision were not immediately clear. The European Union intends to encourage all six countries to undertake further reform efforts, which should eventually lead to EU membership. "Enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity," the declaration read. "The urgencies of our time call for a sustained momentum. Aspiring members need to step up their reform efforts. In parallel, the Union needs to step up its internal groundwork and reforms." Advertisement Advertisement EU candidate countries were urged to intensify their reform efforts at the summit, while the EU is to move ahead on internal reforms. "The road ahead will not be easy. Some reforms will be difficult, but they are worth it. And I believe that our partners are committed to delivering," said European Council President Antonio Costa. Front-runner to join the bloc is Montenegro, which, according to a recent analysis by the European Commission, is the furthest along the membership process and is expected to conclude accession negotiations by the end of 2026 if it maintains its current pace of reforms. Albania could be ready to conclude negotiations by the end of 2027, the commission said. Since 2018, there have been regular meetings between the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkan countries. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Montenegro in June. Residents in the city of Pacific were woken up overnight and told to evacuate immediately due to a levee failure on the White River. If you are in low-lying areas along the river, you should move to higher ground immediately. The evacuation zone is from Ellingson Road, down past Third Avenue, and along the White River to County Line Road SW. Photo Courtesy: King County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Office, at least 70 personnel from various agencies were going door-to-door to evacuate people in the affected area. Advertisement Advertisement Deputies say theyve had lots of calls for rescues since they were first activated to help at 2:30 a.m., and that currents are moving quickly in the flood waters. According to the King County Sheriffs Office, more than 300 people were evacuated by the KCSO marine unit. These residents were woken up by the task force and told to go. KCSO confirmed around two dozen people were rescued, which means task force members were carrying those people out because they couldnt get out themselves. Water was at first ankle deep, then quickly rose to chest deep in some spots. KCSO is begging people to stay home and off the roads and highways if you can. They say theyre having major issues with heavy traffic, delaying their response time to get to people in need in time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The leak was first identified at 12:08 a.m. on Tuesday, and emergency crews quickly went ahead and issued the alert. According to crews on the scene, the break is 40-50 feet. At around 1:40 a.m., the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for White River levee failure. Flash Flood Warning including King County, WA until 7:45 AM PST pic.twitter.com/UDtmtfOanY NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) December 16, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement The King County Sheriffs Guardian One helicopter could be seen flying over neighborhoods Tuesday morning, telling people to evacuate, get out now. KIRO 7s Brooke Griffin was on the scene this morning, reporting that there are a lot of houses and apartment buildings in this highly residential area. Rescue teams and community members were also on the scene with large trucks, helping get people out of the affected areas. California task force rescue teams from Menlow Park, Sacramento, and Oakland were among the emergency crews going door to door to make sure everyone was out and safe. Officials say repairs, including putting giant sandbags in the break, will take several hours. Advertisement Advertisement Officials say theyve been monitoring this area and the HESCOS (barriers used for flood control) 24/7 for the past week. Just hours before the break, the City of Pacific says crews were working on reinforcing the HESCOS. The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working on stabilizing the water flow, and reported that Seattle District personnel were on the ground working with King County officials to assess the damage and determine next steps. USACE says they will deploy HESCOs, sandbags, and super sacks for direct assistance. The Pierce County Sheriffs Office confirmed that their swift water rescue teams participated in at least one rescue at Megans Court apartments, near Pacific Avenue South and Third Avenue. Nobody was injured in the rescue, deputies confirmed. At around 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, Pacific PD said there was no estimate on when the evacuation order would be downgraded or lifted. Shelters and Resources Multiple locations are open as warming and gathering stations for evacuated residents. Advertisement Advertisement The City has the Senior Center and the gym/Pacific Community Center open, warm, and serving breakfast and coffee The Auburn Community and Events Center is open with Red Cross resources available The Filipino American Community of Puget Sound in Algona is also offering a warm place to go The Alpac Elementary School is open for evacuation, their parking lot is available, and they will have restrooms open Sandbags are available at 224 County Line Road City offices are closed for regular business today. Check the City of Pacific Facebook page and website for gathering locations and more information. For additional information, King Countys Emergency Blog is available at kcemergency.com Being outraged by President Donald Trump's offensive remarks is passe at this late hour, and largely pointless: His most ardent supporters excuse his coarseness, and his detractors already regard him as the lowest of lowlifes. Those who fall somewhere in the middle are understandably more worked up about his policy agenda than his mean tweets. Yet even by the standards of previous nastiness, Trump's comments on Truth Social about Rob Reinerwho was murdered alongside his wife, Michele Reiner, over the weekendwere distressing. Rob Reiner was a well-liked director responsible for such iconic films as A Few Good Men, This Is Spinal Tap, and The Princess Bride. Yes, he also harbored intensely anti-Trump views and criticized the president obsessively on social media. The occasion of his shocking murdera murder allegedly perpetrated by his son, Nick Reiner, who has suffered from drug addiction and homelessnessis not a fitting time for the president to whine about this, however. Yet whine he did. As most people, including many conservatives, posted tributes to Reiner on social media, Trump said this: "A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood," he wrote on Truth Social. "Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!" Advertisement Advertisement This was very wrong. Reiner's intense anti-Trump politics had nothing to do with his death. There is no reason to think that the alleged killer was motivated by political considerations at all. By suggesting that Reiner's "Trump derangement syndrome" was connected to his death, Trump is introducing a false notion. Note that this was the ostensible reason for the sanctioning of comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who incorrectly stated the motivations for the killing of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. Trump should have avoided making the same mistake. He should also have avoided dwelling on his personal feud with a man who was just murdered in gruesome fashion. If he didn't feel like saying anything nice about Reiner, he could have opted to say nothing at all. Trump's comments drew stern rebukes from Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, both of whom are diehard America First Republicans, though currently estranged from the president. Plenty of Trump voters seemed perturbed by his statement as well. "Deeply disappointed" Trump voters flooded the call-in lines to tell @emilyjashinsky they were disgusted by his comments on Rob Reiner. pic.twitter.com/MKXFz6Luv1 Krystal Ball (@krystalball) December 16, 2025 As they should be. Trump has shown that he is capable of magnanimity, but for whatever reason, he utterly failed this week's not particularly challenging moral test. The post Even Trump's Supporters Are Slamming His Post About Rob Reiner's Murder appeared first on Reason.com. Education experts said Fort Bend ISD may not be the only one to make tough decisions soon about whether to close campuses. On Monday, Fort Bend ISD released a proposal that could close seven elementary schools. A proposal district leaders said they're considering because of declining enrollment. It's not alone. This month, Spring ISD decided to close two of its schools due to enrollment. Tough decisions Baker Institute at Rice fellow Bill King said may spread to other districts. Advertisement Advertisement "Schools are facing a double barrel problem here," King said. "One is the fundamental demographics of there being less children born every year, but also they're facing increase competition from alternatives." King said immigration policies are adding to the issue as well. As far as competition, he said that could be even worse next year when the state's private school voucher program begins. "It's going to effect enrollment, to what degree it's going to affect different schools, it's going to be a different scenario that plays out," King explained. Earlier this year, the Baker Institute at Rice looked at HISD enrollment. It found more than 50 campuses are at less than 50 percent capacity. More than 80 schools the report found are between 50 and 75 percent capacity. HISD said it's exploring its options, including closing schools. Advertisement Advertisement "We're actually somewhat behind cities on the East Coast, especially in the Midwest also where they've already been dealing with this for a number of years," King explained. One of those east coast cities is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The report shows that more than 10 percent of its campuses were closed about a decade ago. For a positive impact, it found impacted students from poorer performing schools, saw improvements at the new locations. But on the negative side, the study also found academic achievement dropped for students that took in new classmates. Studies also found behavioral issues, including increased absences. Outcomes King believes districts here will have to face as well if enrollment numbers don't change. Advertisement Advertisement "You just can't keep schools like that open," King said. "Not only is it tremendously inefficient, but it becomes a lot harder to offer special services, special needs, art classes." Fort Bend ISD officials said before it makes any decisions, it wants to hear from parents. Trustees plan to vote on the proposal in March. For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis appeared before a Georgia Senate panel on Wednesday. She was there to answer a subpoena about her prosecution of President Donald Trump and others in the Georgia election interference case. During the hearing, former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, who is representing Willis, said the whole process was a witch hunt. This has always been a witch hunt. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Channel 2s Richard Elliot spoke with Willis on Tuesday ahead of her hearing, which she and her attorney are calling political theater. Advertisement Advertisement What I can tell you is that if you were one of the children who wanted Christmas early, Christmas comes tomorrow, she said. Willis didnt want to talk much about her testimony, but she will face tough questions about the election interference prosecution and her relationship with then-special prosecutor Nathan Wade. A judge removed Willis from the case, prompting a state prosecutor to dismiss all the charges against Trump and others. Athens Republican State Senator Bill Cowsert led the charge to subpoena Willis to testify. The reason I asked about the Fani Willis investigation is that she agreed to testify in front of our committee to honor our subpoena, Cowsert said. RELATED STORIES Advertisement Advertisement Barnes, said the hearing was political theater. Here you got on this committee three people running for statewide office and theyre putting out fundraising that says were going to go after Fani Willis and you need to send me $100. I mean thats ridiculous, Barnes said. After the DAs office news conference on a serial rapist conviction case on Tuesday, Willis sat down with Channel 2 Action News. She only said that she was looking forward to the testimony. Were going to leave tomorrow to tomorrow. Itll be an interesting day, Im sure, for all. And I just look forward to the opportunity, Willis said. Advertisement Advertisement The Senate committee cant do anything to Willis, so there will be no punishment or fines. What it can do is use the information to change the way the legislature deals with DA offices around Georgia. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A once-promising desert-fighting tree is now wreaking havoc across Ethiopia. What's happening? As reported by AFP (via Barron's), prosopis, a thorny, drought-tolerant shrub native to Latin America, was planted in Ethiopia in the 1970s with the hope that it would stabilize soil and provide shade. Instead, it has exploded uncontrollably. Over the past few decades, the plant has spread across 20,000 square kilometers of Afar and is rapidly pushing into neighboring regions, according to environmental researchers. Its footprint increased from 2.16% of Ethiopia's land in 2003 to 8.61% by 2023, with projections showing it could cover 22% of the country by 2060. Advertisement Advertisement For residents like livestock farmer Khadija Humed, the consequences have been devastating. Cattle are being injured or killed by the plant's poisonous thorns or choke on its hard pods. "Because of this plant, we have become poor," Humed told AFP. Researchers from Haramaya University estimate prosopis has cost Afar communities about $602 million over the last 30 years, which is nearly four times the region's annual budget. Why are invasive species concerning? The spread of invasive species like prosopis can completely upend an ecosystem. These plants outcompete native species for water, nutrients, and space. This undermines biodiversity, depleting soil resources, and reducing the land's ability to support local agriculture. Advertisement Advertisement Prosopis pulls up to seven liters of water per day from already-dry soil, making farming even harder during periods of drought. The ecological imbalance has triggered cascading effects. Food supply has become unstable as crops and pastures decline. Livestock losses directly threaten family incomes, and conflict with wildlife attracted by the dense thickets means an uptick in predators in the villages. What's being done about invasive species? Despite its aggressive spread, prosopis can be controlled but only with sustained support. Local communities, supported by nongovernmental organizations like CARE International, have started removing the trees and replacing them with productive plants, including fruit orchards. The initiative is funded in part by the Danish development agency Danida and helps residents take back land while restoring native ecosystems. Advertisement Advertisement Other long-term solutions being explored include turning prosopis wood into charcoal or building materials, training people to identify and remove young seedlings before they spread, and replanting native vegetation to restore ecological balance. These kinds of approaches have proven successful in the past. For example, Maryland residents have adopted catching and eating invasive blue catfish. Midwestern communities have also learned to cook with invasive Asian carp as a way to reduce populations. "We can't tackle it alone," 76-year-old local Yusuf Mohammed told AFP. It takes a community to reverse the damage caused by these plant invaders. 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. Beijing has greenlit Biren Technology's initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong, as more Chinese artificial intelligence chip designers rush to go public amid heightened investor interest in these stocks. Biren, which designs high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs), received regulatory approval to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange, according to a China Securities Regulatory Commission filing on Monday. This was expected to put the company on track to become the first GPU developer to go public in Hong Kong. Co-founded by Wall Street veteran and entrepreneur Michael Zhang Wen in 2019, Biren planned to float about 372 million shares, but has not yet disclosed its fundraising target. According to mainland Chinese reports, the company could raise about US$300 million from its Hong Kong listing. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Biren's IPO would mark a fresh milestone for China's semiconductor industry, as the company joined the ranks of Moore Threads Technology and MetaX Integrated Circuits to go public and raise funds to expand operations amid surging domestic and international demand for AI chips. It also underscored the broader strategy by Chinese authorities to guide private capital into the country's drive for technological self-sufficiency, particularly in semiconductors. Shanghai-based Biren forms part of China's "four little dragons" in the GPU segment - along with mainland peers Moore Threads, MetaX and Enflame Technology - that looked to unseat Nvidia as the preferred AI chip supplier in the world's second-largest economy. Biren Technology co-founder, chairman and CEO Michael Zhang Wen. Photo: Handout alt=Biren Technology co-founder, chairman and CEO Michael Zhang Wen. Photo: Handout> Major investors in Biren, which was added to Washington's trade blacklist in 2023, included private equity firms HongShan Capital and IDG Capital, Ping An Insurance, Chinese home appliances maker Gree, Citic Securities Investment, New World Group and the Russia-China Investment Fund, according to its website. Biren has so far raised more than 5 billion yuan (US$709 million) since it was established, according to Chinese media reports. The firm's crosstown rival Enflame, backed by Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings, was also gearing up for an IPO. Enflame last August kicked off its tutoring process, a mandatory step for all IPO applicants in China. In several tense exchanges with Democratic senators, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr denied accusations of censorship and defended his agency's actions against broadcasters. "You're now the chairman of the 'Federal Censorship Commission,'" Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., told Carr in a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday. "And these broadcasters, they feel that censorship." Carr maintained he is doing his job as Congress intended. Advertisement Advertisement Trump suggests FCC reexamine licenses amid fallout over preemption of Jimmy Kimmel "If broadcasters understand, perhaps for the first time in years, that they're going to be held accountable to the public interest, to the broadcast hoax rule, to the news distortion policy, I think that's a good thing," Carr told Markey. Heather Diehl/Getty Images - PHOTO: Brendan Carr, commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission speaks at the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee oversight hearing in the U.S. Capitol Building, December 17, 2025 in Washington. Markey accused Carr of making "mafia threats" toward station owners, after which two major national groups temporarily dropped ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" -- a charge Carr denied. "If you look at the evidence, the express statements by every single company involved -- from Nexstar and Sinclair to Disney -- as recently as last week is that they made these business decisions on their own," Carr insisted. Advertisement Advertisement Markey invoked the case of KCBS Radio in San Francisco, where a news anchor was reportedly demoted and ultimately left the station after the FCC initiated a review of a report on an ICE raid in January that depicted the types of vehicles the agents were driving. "Well, guess what happened?" Markey said. "The station demoted the anchor who first read that news report over the air and pulled back on its political coverage. You got what you wanted." Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, accused Carr of overstepping, wielding a regulatory power that threatens to encroach on the First Amendment rights of broadcasters. Heather Diehl/Getty Images - PHOTO: Sen. Ed Markey attends the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee oversight hearing in the U.S. Capitol Building, December 17, 2025 in Washington. Carr argued his predecessors have allowed his agency's historic role to become dormant. Advertisement Advertisement "I think if you step back over the years, I think the FCC has walked away from enforcing the public interest standard, and I don't think that's a good thing," he told Klobuchar. "My position, and I think the Trump administration position, is that we should be enforcing those rules and policies," Carr told Schatz. "Congress, you're free to change it." Indeed, the committee's Republican chair opened the panel's first oversight hearing into the FCC in several years by saying it is "long past time" for reforms to the nearly-century old law under which the commission has initiated investigations into broadcasters. He also insisted the FCC not see itself as an arbiter of truth. In his opening statement, Cruz called it a "simple truth" that Congress should bring an end to the FCC's public interest standard and what he called its "wretched offspring," the commission's news distortion rule. Advertisement Advertisement Both, he said, "have outlived whatever utility they once had, and it is long past time for Congress to pass reforms." In a brief back-and-forth with Carr, Cruz said that the public interest standard had been "weaponized against conservatives" during past administrations, and that threats of commission action against disfavored content amounts to "an unconstitutional coercion that chills protected speech." "Democrat or Republican, we cannot have the government arbitrating truth or opinion," Cruz said. In response, Carr said he agreed with Cruz, that the public interest standard should not be used to chill speech. Heather Diehl/Getty Images - PHOTO: Anna M. Gomez, commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission speaks at the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee oversight hearing in the U.S. Capitol Building, December 17, 2025 in Washington. But without addressing his own actions this year, Carr quickly pivoted to an example of the Biden-era FCC allowing a petition challenging the renewal of a Fox-owned TV station license to linger, based on complaints over election-related content that aired on the Fox News Channel. Advertisement Advertisement "First and foremost, we have to make sure the FCC is hewing to precedent," Carr said. But what government cannot do," Cruz said, "is force private entities to take actions that the government cannot take directly. Government officials threatening adverse consequences for disfavored content is an unconstitutional coercion that chills protected speech." Since becoming chair of the commission in January, Carr has begun -- or threatened to begin -- several investigations into radio and television station owners and opened the first proceeding in decades examining the power dynamic in the business relationship between networks and their affiliates. Carr has also signaled his support for eliminating or weakening the FCC's rules capping the number of stations a single company can own. Advertisement Advertisement In his opening statement, Carr said his agenda includes "empowering stations to meet their public interest obligations." The law requiring licensed stations to operate in the "public interest, convenience and necessity" dates to the Radio Act of 1927, though that term has never been defined in statute. The hearing also featured the testimony of Carr's fellow commissioners, Democrat Anna Gomez and Republican Olivia Trusty. Gomez accused the Trump administration of being on a campaign to control the media and silence its critics and using the FCC to accomplish those goals. "We are hearing from broadcasters that they are afraid to air programming that is critical of this administration, because they're afraid of being dragged before the FCC," Gomez said. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday deleted a longstanding reference to the agency's independence just minutes after a Democratic senator questioned the agency's Republican head on the telecom regulator's authority. Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico asked FCC Chair Brendan Carr if the commission was an independent agency and after several attempts Carr said it was not. Advertisement Advertisement "On your website, it just simply says the FCC is independent. This isn't a trick question, OK?" Lujan said. "Is your website wrong? Is your website lying?" Lujan read the language from the site that said the FCC is an independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress. "The FCC is not an independent agency, formally speaking," Carr said, saying President Donald Trump could remove commissioners without cause. Shortly after that exchange, the language on the website was changed. An FCC spokesperson said "with the change in Administration earlier this year, the FCCs website and materials required updating. That work continues to ensure that they reflect the positions of the agencys new leadership. Congress and the FCC for decades have insisted the five-member FCC is independent and criticized prior White House officials for seeking to tell the agency what to do. The commission traditionally is divided 3-2 between the political parties. Advertisement Advertisement Trump on Wednesday stepped up his ongoing attacks against major U.S. broadcast networks for news content he disliked, saying Comcast-owned NBC and Walt Disney-owned ABC should be forced to pay significant money for the public airwaves "and should not be allowed to get away with this any longer!" He has repeatedly pressed Carr to take action against broadcast networks. Trump has not named any Democratic nominees to commissions since taking office and two seats remain open, Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, said. Trump in February issued an executive order requiring agencies including the FCC to submit proposed regulations to the White House for review before voting on them. Senator Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey, criticized Carr and noted he had previously touted the independence of the agency before Congress. "Trump is not your boss," Kim said. Advertisement Advertisement FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, criticized the move, saying, "no edit to a website can erase the longstanding congressional intent to create a multi-party, independent regulatory agency like the FCC that is accountable to Congress and the American people, not the whims of the White House. Trump has repeatedly fired Democratic members of boards and commissions that Congress said were supposed to be independent. Earlier this month, U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled they will uphold the legality of Trump's firing of a Federal Trade Commission member and give a historic boost to presidential power. The Justice Department urged the court to overturn a 1935 case that has constrained presidential power by protecting the heads of independent agencies from removal. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent stern warning letters to Walmart, Target and other retail giants after its investigators found that they had kept baby formula on store shelves even after the product had been recalled due to its links to an outbreak of infant botulism. In letters released Monday, the FDA also warned Kroger and Albertsons about their continued sales of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, which was linked to at least 51 cases of suspected or confirmed infant botulism across 19 states as of Dec. 10. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement The FDA criticized Targets response to the recall as inadequate, pointing out that the formula was sold with promotional discount signage more than two weeks after the first wave of recalls. It also said that Target, Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons failed to provide any information demonstrating ... corrective actions in numerous follow-up email exchanges initiated by the FDA after it held calls with the retailers to discuss the matter. Failure to adequately address this matter may result in legal action, including, without limitation, seizure and injunction, the letters warned. Jennifer Cope, who heads the Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has called the outbreak unprecedented. The agency says it is the first-ever infant botulism outbreak. The CDC has determined that the formula was the source of the outbreak, the FDA letters state, and major retailers were notified of the initial recall on Nov. 8. ByHeart later issued a wider recall of all of its products on Nov. 11. Advertisement Advertisement Despite this, Target continued to sell the recalled formula in stores across 20 states well after the recall was initiated and subsequently expanded, one FDA letter reads, as did Kroger and some of their affiliate stores in 10 states. Albertsons also sold formula well after the recall in 11 states, the FDA said, while Walmart continued to sell the formula across 21 states. As a participant in the supply chain, your firm should take prompt and effective action when notified of a product recall, the FDA stated in letters to all four companies. Star Market, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Safeway and Shaws are owned by Albertsons and had the formula available for purchase after the recall. King Soopers and Smiths Food and Drug, both owned by Kroger, also displayed the recalled formula. Infant botulism, which can be fatal in rare cases, is contracted when swallowed spores from Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce toxins in a babys large intestine, according to the CDC. Symptoms include poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulties with swallowing and breathing, decreased facial expression, and a weak and altered cry. The symptoms can take as long as several weeks to develop. Advertisement Advertisement The CDC has urged parents and caregivers to seek immediate care if a child has consumed the recalled product and is experiencing any of the symptoms. In an emailed statement, Walmart said that it would respond to the letter and that it took all reports of inaction seriously. When notified of the recall, we moved swiftly to issue a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores and clubs and online, it said. Target, Kroger and Albertsons did not immediately respond to a request for comment. - - - Jennifer Hassan contributed to this report. Related Content VA plans to abruptly eliminate tens of thousands of health care jobs Rob Reiners greatest projects, from The Princess Bride to When Harry Met Sally ... The minority voters who powered Trump to a second term are drifting away Customs and Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino has returned to Chicago, and immigration enforcement operations were spotted taking place once again around the city on Tuesday. Agents spent most of their morning in Little Village, where the sound of whistles blasted to alert everyone within earshot. Videos show apparent tear gas being deployed during the immigration crackdown that community groups say netted at least 15 people across the area. Advertisement Advertisement "We have determined that there were over 15 arrests on the Southwest Side, including a tamale vendor and a day laborer," Any Huamani with the Southwest Side Rapid Response Team and the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council. Those detained include one person who was seen being pinned to the ground and then led away. "They arrested a young man on 26th and Kedvale. He was on his bike... They just jumped on him, four agents. They were very rough with him, and we then exited the vehicle and told them, this is an illegal arrest," said Baltazar Enriquez with the Little Village Community Council. "We then encountered them on Ridgeway and 26th, and our neighbors -- they were shooting rubber bullets at people, innocent people. They were just telling them, they're not welcome here." Little Village Community Council President Baltazar Enriquez shared video of immigration activity on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Surveillance video also captured a tamale vendor being taken into custody seconds after arriving at 47th and Hermitage on Tuesday morning. His cart was left abandoned. And the Department of Homeland Security said in a post on X that one of the people arrested on Tuesday threw a rock at a CBP vehicle. DHS says that man, from Mexico, is in the U.S. illegally and has a criminal history includes domestic battery, aggravated assault, burglary, and domestic violence. "To those who assault federal agents: we will hunt you down, we will find you, and justice will be served," the post reads, in part. "President Trump and Secretary Noem will always have the back of DHS law enforcement." Cellphone video shot by residents shows at least two of the arrests Border Patrol agents made on Tuesday, including one at 27th and Ridgeway in Little Village. Advertisement Advertisement Then, around 12:30 p.m., Chopper 7 captured a man being arrested near Roosevelt and Cicero. More video captured the scene on Tuesday afternoon at a Menards near 23rd and Cicero, where at least eight border patrol vehicles, including Bovino and his camera crew, pulled in, circled, and pulled out. That scene repeated over and over at various locations around the city as a growing caravan of protesters and journalists followed them for at least three hours. Community members and elected officials gathered in Little Village on Tuesday afternoon to speak out against the enforcement. "These acts, today, are not random. As a matter of fact, I think the president knows what he's doing. He wants to create havoc right before Christmas," said 22nd Ward Ald. Michael Rodriguez. Advertisement Advertisement Two of Tuesday's detentions took place just outside the same building where the press conference, organized by community members, took place. "One man who was frantically trying to open his door with his key. He was taken away from the gangway," said Enlace Executive Director Marcela Rodriguez. In each case the arrests appeared random, not targeted, according to those who witnessed them. Bovino was also seen in a video at the picket line during a union strike at Mauser Packaging Solutions on Chicago's Southwest Side. That's where workers have been demanding protections from potential immigration raids at the facility. Instead, union leaders, claim, Bovino and agents interrogated workers. Advertisement Advertisement "Laughing, joking, seemingly making light of the situation while demanding to see people's identifications," said Nicolas Coronado with Teamsters Local 705. Bovino was also seen inside a Thornton's gas station in Forest Park, appeared to relish his return to Chicago. And over in Cicero, Town President Larry Dominick confirmed reports of federal agents in the west suburb. "We encourage all residents to remain calm, be vigilant, and understand your rights, regardless of your immigration status. No one should feel intimidated or pressured. You have the right to remain silent and the right to ask for proper identification and a signed judicial warrant before opening your door," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said on Tuesday that he received no advance notice of Bovino's return to Chicago. "They call it enforcement. We call it harassment. We don't know how long they are going to stay. It appears like they are here for at least a couple of days, if not longer," Pritzker said. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement, "I am aware of the presence of Greg Bovino and masked federal agents conducting immigration enforcement activity in the Chicago area, including the Little Village community just days before the holidays, a time when families should be together, not living in fear." Despite ABC7's questions, DHS has, so far, refused to tell us how many agents are in the Chicago area to accompany Bovino. Advertisement Advertisement He left the city, along with most of his force, around mid-November, with operation "Midway Blitz" thought to be temporarily winding down. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Tuesday, "As we said a month ago, we aren't leaving Chicago and operations are ongoing. Operation Midway Blitz is achieving what Chicago's sanctuary politicians have refused to do for decades: decrease crime and remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens who put the American people in danger." Congressman Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi issued a statement, saying, "My office is actively monitoring and responding to the renewed deployment of masked federal agents in Chicago-area neighborhoods. Conducting surprise raids during the holidays that chase people through our streets, separate families, and target non-criminal residents is not about public safety. It is about fear and intimidation. I will use every oversight and legislative tool available to confront these abuses, defend due process, and hold federal agencies and their leaders accountable." PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A vigil in the Hollywood District took place on Tuesday night after a shooting in a Northeast Portland parking garage left one man dead and another injured late last month. Kylan Talbert, 27, died in the shooting, and his suspected killer was behind bars hours later. His mom, Charity Bielec-Pankinn, told KOIN 6 News her son was a man of many talents; he liked karaoke, tattoos, and computers. She still listens to his karaoke clips every morning. Vigil for Kylan Talbert Vigil for Kylan Talbert Vigil for Kylan Talbert Vigil for Kylan Talbert I just wanted everyone to know what a good boy he was, Bielec-Pankinn said. He was going to be a tattoo artist. He was working on tattooing. It was one of his favorite things to do. And he was a computer genius. That boy could build a computer from scratch. Advertisement Advertisement But his life was cut short. His family says Talbert and his coworker were going to work out at a gym on Northeast Halsey Street and Northeast 42nd Avenue on November 21 as part of their daily post-work routine. Portland Police said the pair was both shot in a parking garage near the gym. Talbert died at the scene; his friend survived. Talberts family said the suspected shooter, Daniel Snegirev, also worked with the two men. In the wake of the devastation, more than three weeks after the shooting, Talberts family hosted a vigil outside the garage where tragedy struck. There, they called for justice. Were going to work and try and change something. Maybe the way things are done, said Talbets dad, Scott. Advertisement Advertisement Were fighting for justice. Well fight until our last breath to make sure of that, Bielec-Pankinn said. The investigation is ongoing. Meantime, those closest to him remember Talbert as a gentle giant who did everything he could to help people, even in his final moments. From what we understand, Kylan lost his life, but he saved one. I cant say anything more, but hes in heaven, said John Bielec, Talberts stepfather. Snegirev faces several charges, including second-degree murder with a firearm, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The final pennies minted in the United States were sold for more than $16.76 million in a special auction and set a record as the most valuable modern U.S. coin ever sold. The auction held last week by Stack's Bowers Galleries in California included 232 sets featuring three of the one-cent coins that President Donald Trump earlier ordered the Treasury Department to stop minting. Each of the pennies was marked with the Greek letter Omega, signifying the end of the 238-year-old U.S. currency denomination, according to a press release from the auction house. Advertisement Advertisement Among the set of pennies auctioned off was a 2025 penny produced at the Philadelphia Mint, a "2025-D" penny produced at the Denver Mint and a 24-karat gold penny also produced at the Philadelphia Mint, according to the press release. The beginning of the sale was delayed due to "unprecedented levels of collector interest" and took place over the course of four hours. "They captured the public imagination like few rare coins we've ever handled," Stack's Bowers Galleries President Brian Kendrella said in the press release. The pennies' overall sale value pencils out to more than $72,000 on average for each three-coin set, according to the auction house. Advertisement Advertisement The last set went for $800,000, the highest among 17 sets that went for more than $100,000, setting a new record for the most valuable modern U.S coin. The prior record was a Space Flown 24 Karat Gold Sacagawea sold by Stack's Bowers for $550,000 in 2025. Trump issued the order to discontinue the penny in February, noting that producing the currency costs more than its value. He wrote in a social media post that it was time to reduce waste from the federal budget, "even if it's a penny at a time." A Florida police officer was arrested Tuesday, Dec. 16, and charged with 79 counts of official misconduct and one count of organized fraud after a year-long investigation into unpaid vendor accounts revealed fake officer off-duty jobs. According to a release from the SPD, Ronny Neal, the department's off-duty detail coordinator and a 22-year veteran of the force, had been making up off-duty details for nearly a year and charging the city of Sanford on his time sheet for working them. "Betrayed and disgusted do not come close to describing how I feel," Sanford Police Chief Cecil E. Smith said in the release. "He chose day after day to lie, cheat, and steal from the community he took an oath to serve and protect, using his badge as a shield to hide his criminal acts. He has single-handedly tarnished the hard work and trust that the men and women of this agency have worked years to build and strengthen. Advertisement Advertisement "We will do everything in our power to ensure he answers for every cent he stole and every lie he told." Here's what to know. What was Sanford Police officer Ronny Neal charged with? Sanford Police Officer Ronny Neal Neal has been charged with 79 counts of Official Misconduct, a third-degree felony, and one count of Organized Fraud, a second-degree felony. What is Sanford Police officer Ronny Neal accused of? In July of last year, the City of Sanford Finance Department began reviewing and reconciling unpaid vendor accounts associated with off-duty details and they found some discrepancies. The department spent the next year contacting vendors and requesting information from the off-duty coordinator, Officer Ronny Neal, to help reconcile the accounts, the release said. In August 2025, the department reached out to police administration about the unresolved accounts and the lack of paperwork from Neal. Advertisement Advertisement By November, the Finance Department decided something criminal was happening and an investigation was started, which revealed that from Oct. 1, 2023 to July 28, 2024 (around when the Finance Department began probing), Neal had allegedly been creating "fictitious Off-Duty details" and then charging the City of Sanford for working them, the release said. Neal was relieved of duty Dec. 9 and placed on administrative leave. Who is Ronny Neal? Officer Ronny Neal is a familiar name to many people in Central Florida, having served as a Sanford Police spokesperson for years. Neal joined the SPD in January 2003 and was serving as an investigator in the Professional Standards Unit, the release said. What are 'off-duty details'? Police departments often hire out officers in their off times to provide security, traffic control, crowd control or other services to private employers or city governments. Off-duty details are also called "pay jobs" or "extra-duty employment." Advertisement Advertisement A Sanford City Commission resolution in July set the current pay scale for off-duty details at $60 an hour per law enforcement officer with a four-hour minimum, bumping up to $71 per hour on union-negotiated holidays such as Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas, among others. Officers working as supervisors make more. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida police officer arrested in allegedly faking off-duty jobs French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday warned Brussels against finalizing a free-trade deal with several South American countries over the objections of the French government and farmers. "If the European authorities are minded to force it through, France would oppose it very strongly," Macron said at a Cabinet meeting in Paris, according to government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon. The government had made it clear on the weekend that it did not want the EU states to vote soon on the agreement with the Mercosur countries, comprising Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Advertisement Advertisement Paris argued that the conditions for a deal have not been met. Improvements that had been made to the text were incomplete and would have to be made more concrete and then implemented, the government said. Meanwhile, farmers' protests are spreading against the Mercosur agreement, as well as in protest at the authorities' handling of an epidemic among cattle. In the south-west of the country, farmers blocked further sections of motorway, according to the operator Vinci Autoroutes. The motorways affected include those between southern France and Spain. Farmers drove onto the motorways in tractor convoys, piled up pallets and tyres and set them on fire. Advertisement Advertisement The farmers are partly protesting against the fact that entire herds of animals are being killed following increased outbreaks of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle. Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard announced that the vaccination of cattle against the disease would be accelerated in the coming days. With a herd of around 19 million animals, France is the largest beef producer in Europe. The farmers' protests are also directed against Mercosur, calling for a delay to address what they see as unfair competition for domestic farmers. "If the Mercosur agreement were to be signed at the end of the week, this would naturally lead to much stronger protests," said the president of the umbrella organization of French agricultural associations (FNSEA), Arnaud Rousseau, to broadcaster France Inter. The open Kentucky Senate seat in Louisville will stay blue in 2026. Gary Clemons is set to head to Frankfort during the upcoming legislative session, as the South End Democrat won a special election Dec. 16 for the chamber's vacant District 37 seat. Clemons, a labor union leader and U.S. Army veteran, won 72% of the vote, defeating Republican candidate Calvin Leach, who received 25% of the vote, and Libertarian candidate Wendy Higdon, who took 2%. The unofficial results were released by the Jefferson County Clerk's office at 7 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Clemons said in a statement that working families deserve a voice in Frankfort who understands their struggles and will fight for their future, and he's ready to do so. "Ive served as an Army Reservist, and for nearly two decades as a union leader those experiences have shaped my leadership and my commitment to service," Clemons said. "I understand the struggles of veterans and working families because Ive lived them, and I am ready to take that same fight to Frankfort. Gary Clemons, left, cheered on supporters alongside Gov. Andy Beshear at a campaign rally on Dec. 15, 2025. Clemons was elected to the state Senate a day later. Clemons serves as president of United Steelworkers Local 1693, representing over 200 workers at American Synthetic Rubber Company in Rubbertown. During his campaign, he spoke about making the district more affordable, including lowering the costs of groceries and gas prices, and bringing back "high-paying" jobs. The district covers the southwestern edge of Jefferson County. Clemons' term will expire in January 2029. Advertisement Advertisement David Yates previously represented the area since 2021. He was appointed interim Jefferson County clerk following the death of Bobbie Holsclaw, who died in September at the age of 81. Yates announced before Holsclaw's death that he would run for clerk in 2026, facing at least one primary challenger in Roz Welch. Clemons was elected to the Kentucky Senate just weeks before the start of the 2026 legislative session, where lawmakers will craft the next biennial state budget. Session begins on Jan. 6 and will end April 15. Gary Clemons' goals in Frankfort A rally for Clemons at the Teamsters Local 89 union hall the night before the vote brought out more than 100 supporters and a slew of elected Democrats. Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman drew cheers from the audience as they rallied support for the candidate, while Beshear senior advisor Rocky Adkins worked the room as they spoke. Clemons is a political newcomer, but he feels prepared for the role through 20 years of union leadership "started at the bottom and worked my way up," he told The Courier Journal in an interview before the event. He's lobbied in Frankfort and in Washington, D.C. during his time heading the guild and said he's learned how to negotiate with high-level executives on behalf of blue-collar workers. Advertisement Advertisement "I have to see both sides. I can't go in with a wish list of 100 items and think I'm going to get it," he said. "... I'm taking that style of mentality, knowing what the working class needs, knowing what the working class is falling behind on, and how to figure out a way to move us forward and be able to work across the aisle." Clemons' supporters will point toward that union background when you ask what he'll bring to Frankfort. Gary Clemons, center, applauds alongside Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman while Gov. Andy Beshear spoke at a campaign rally for Clemons on Dec. 15. Beshear, who was met with cheers by the audience when he arrived and was animated in his support for Clemons during his speech, said sending the candidate to the Capitol would show Kentucky is ready to "fight back against the attacks on organized labor we see session after session after session." Earlier in 2025, the legislature passed a bill that prevents the state from adopting occupational regulations that are more strict than federal standards despite unanimous opposition from Democrats, who were joined by some Republicans. "When we elect the right people, we get the right results for our families," Beshear said. "... We need candidates like Gary Clemons, and we need them to win." Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Rachel Roarx was in the crowd cheering along with other supporters. Roarx has represented part of the South End in the state House since 2023 and said Clemons will bring a good perspective to Frankfort. "It's going to be so great to have a strong working-class guy who just really gets working-class issues in Frankfort in the Senate seat that's kind of the counterpart to my House seat," Roarx said. "... What's so refreshing is to have somebody who's been part of this community, has seen what it's like to take labor issues to Frankfort with elected officials, and now to be stepping up and filling that role as a representative for the area." Yates was in the audience as well. He had publicly remained neutral as the current chair of the county board of elections he wanted to avoid any appearance of partisanship but said Clemons is "an outstanding person, and I think he'll be a great senator." "You have to have strong leadership qualities and be able to listen to your constituents humbly listen, learn, understand and then advocate and I've seen him do that as president of the steelworkers," Yates said. "He's come and lobbied me. We've had disagreements, have worked toward resolutions together and I consider him a friend. To be successful in the Senate you're going to have to do that. You're going to have to be able to advocate and persuade ... and I've seen him do that." Advertisement Advertisement Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com. Reach Hannah Pinski at hpinski@courier-journal.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Gary Clemons wins special election for Kentucky Senate seat Shares in publicly traded Bitcoin miner Hut8 (HUT) are soaring after the firm booked a new $7 billion, 15-year deal with Fluidstackbackstopped by Googleto provide power for high-performance computing via a 245MW data center at its River Bend campus in Louisiana. HUT was recently changing hands at $42.55 shortly after the opening bell on Wednesday, a gain of more than 15%. HUT is up nearly 13% in the last month, and better than 150% in the last six months. This agreement is the result of disciplined, patient execution as we focused on securing the right transaction, not just the first, said Hut8 CEO Asher Genoot, in a statement. Together with the State of Louisiana, Entergy, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Vertiv, and Jacobs, we expect to deliver next-generation AI and high-performance computing infrastructure at scale, and we are committed to applying the same rigor and long-term focus as we advance commercialization across our broader development pipeline, he added. The firms deal also includes up to 15 years of renewal options that can take the contract value to $17.7 billion. While Google is providing the financial backstop, the firms latest initiative will also hold ties to JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs on deal financing and loan underwriting. River Bend demonstrates how, when Hut 8 brings together the combination of innovative thinking, an aligned team, and institutional discipline to a rapidly evolving sector, it translates into real, enduring value, said JPMorgan Global Chairman of Investment Banking Noah Wintroub, in a statement. Bitcoin Traders Brace for Bank of Japan Rate Hike Amid Crypto Sell-Off The deal is the latest in a trend that has seen Bitcoin miners expand significantly into AI compute, some with Googles backing. In September, Cipher Mining shares boomed on a $3 billion AI cloud hosting deal that was backstopped by Google. Bitcoin miner TeraWulf similarly had a deal with Fluidstack backed by Google, and the tech giant upped its stake in the miner in August. Other miners like MARA are expanding their AI services alongside Bitcoin mining, while Bitfarms is completely winding down its BTC operations to focus on providing AI compute. Hut8 anticipates that the construction of its new site will create up to 265 jobs in Louisiana. The first data hall at River Bend is expected to be completed in Q2 2027. The firm operates five Bitcoin mining sites across the United States and Canada. A representative for the firm did not immediately respond to Decrypts request for comment. Germany has inaugurated a Joint Drone Defence Centre (GDAZ) in Berlin to better detect and neutralize unauthorized drones in the future, with operations set to commence in January. In the new centre, which is located within the Federal Police, representatives from security agencies, the armed forces, or Bundeswehr, and intelligence services will be able to exchange information and "coordinate operational measures," Olaf Lindner, head of Federal Police Directorate 11, explained on Wednesday. Drone defence efforts are primarily focused on airports, Bundeswehr sites and energy suppliers. Advertisement Advertisement According to the federal government, drone sightings at key facilities in Germany have significantly increased since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine. "We largely assume that these drones are also controlled by hostile powers," said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The focus is specifically on preventing espionage, sabotage and disruptions to air traffic, as well as defending against potential attacks. The interior ministers of the federal and state governments agreed at their conference in early December in the northern city of Bremen that the police could not handle the task of defending against larger military drones. This is fundamentally a matter for the Bundeswehr, they decided. Advertisement Advertisement The organizational model of the new centre is the Joint Counter-Terrorism Centre, where police, intelligence services and other relevant authorities exchange information on current risk cases in the area of Islamist terrorism. Aviation security act in the Bundestag To legally secure the deployment of the Bundeswehr against such hybrid threats domestically, the Cabinet has approved a reform of the Aviation Security Act, which is currently going through the parliamentary process. This involves determining under what conditions the Bundeswehr can provide assistance to the police. Additionally, the possibility is to be created to not only divert drones but also to bring them down. Advertisement Advertisement "We're just doing it now" and not waiting for new laws to be passed, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann explained at the inauguration in Berlin. Citizens rightly expect in the current situation that politicians "do not engage in discussions about responsibilities," Herrmann said. It is now about showing, both internally and externally, that Germany is "capable of taking action," he said. Hybrid warfare is understood as a combination of military, economic, intelligence and propaganda tools, which can also influence public opinion; state-controlled cyberattacks are also included. Blurring boundaries "As the boundaries between internal and external security increasingly blur, the new Drone Defence Centre will pool the civilian and military capabilities of the federal and state governments," said Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster. Advertisement Advertisement According to the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI), German manufacturers of systems for detecting and defending against drones have recently experienced noticeably higher demand. Earlier this month, Dobrindt commissioned a new Federal Police unit for drone defence. It will be stationed at airports, in the capital and nationwide near sensitive objects to be able to reach the scene as quickly as possible. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the new unit, which is subordinate to Federal Police Directorate 11, is expected to quickly grow to 130 specialists. It is to use, among other things, AI-supported jamming systems and automatic interceptor drones. German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche on Wednesday visited the Nova Music Festival grounds in southern Israel, where hundreds were killed during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. "I bow to the victims, I bow to the families, but I also bow to the Israeli people, who must once again find the strength to emerge from this deep wound with optimism and engage in reconciliation," Reiche said, visibly moved. However, she said that reconciliation should not be with those who bring terror into the country, but "with oneself, to always find the strength to look forward." Advertisement Advertisement During the attacks on southern Israel led by Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations on October 7, 2023, hundreds of visitors were killed at the Nova Festival in the border area with the Gaza Strip. Dozens were abducted to the Palestinian territory. "The massacre of October 7, 2023, defies the normal terms one can find for the brutality that occurred at this place, for the ruthlessness, for the dehumanization," said the minister. Memorial plaques commemorate the victims of the attacks. Reiche was guided around the site by two young women. One of them hid from attackers in a shelter in the border town of Sderot near the festival grounds. Reiche said at the end of her trip to Israel that the events of October 7 had marked all her discussions. "October 7 has torn a deep wound, and it is unclear whether it can ever be healed," said the minister. "It must be our task and obligation to resolutely oppose every form of anti-Semitism." German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche on Wednesday visited the Nova Music Festival grounds in southern Israel, where hundreds were killed during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. "I bow to the victims, I bow to the families, but I also bow to the Israeli people, who must once again find the strength to emerge from this deep wound with optimism and engage in reconciliation," Reiche said, visibly moved. However, she said that reconciliation should not be with those who bring terror into the country, but "with oneself, to always find the strength to look forward." Advertisement Advertisement During the attacks on southern Israel led by Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations on October 7, 2023, hundreds of visitors were killed at the Nova Festival in the border area with the Gaza Strip. Dozens were abducted to the Palestinian territory. "The massacre of October 7, 2023, defies the normal terms one can find for the brutality that occurred at this place, for the ruthlessness, for the dehumanization," said the minister. Memorial plaques commemorate the victims of the attacks. Reiche was guided around the site by two young women. One of them hid from attackers in a shelter in the border town of Sderot near the festival grounds. Reiche said at the end of her trip to Israel that the events of October 7 had marked all her discussions. "October 7 has torn a deep wound, and it is unclear whether it can ever be healed," said the minister. "It must be our task and obligation to resolutely oppose every form of anti-Semitism." Advertisement Advertisement The attacks of October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip, triggered the Gaza war. According to the health authority controlled by Hamas, more than 70,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed in two devastating years of war, including numerous women and children. A fragile ceasefire now prevails. The focus of Reiche's trip was the expansion of economic relations. During a visit to a technology centre at Tel Aviv University, Reiche called Israel, which is home to a comparatively large number of young, innovative companies, a "start-up nation." Germany, she said, could become a "comeback nation." The German economy has been in a phase of weakness for years. Katherina Reiche, German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, speaks in a lecture hall at the Tel Aviv University Quantum Science and Technology Center (QuanTAU). During her three-day trip, the Minister will hold political talks in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Elisa Schu/dpa JERUSALEM Germany is set to sign an expansion of its Arrow 3 interceptors and launchers deal with Israel by an additional $3.1 billion Thursday, the Israeli Defense Ministry said Wednesday. The expansion will be added to the original deal from two years ago, in which Germany purchased Arrow 3 interceptors and launchers for about $3.5 billion, bringing Germanys total purchases of the Israeli Arrow 3 defense systems to about $6.5 billion. The Israeli Defense Ministry said the countries agreed in the additional deal to significantly increase the production rate of Arrow 3 interceptors and launchers to be supplied to Germany, substantially enhancing its air and missile defense capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement The overall roster of 30 new defense projects approved Wednesday by the Bundestag, Germanys parliament, comes with a price tag of almost 50 billion, or $59 billion, per the Ministry of Defense in Berlin. The total number of projects this year is 103, at a cost of 83 billion, or $98 billion. An agency spokeswoman there declined to name the funding amount dedicated specifically to new Arrow 3 work in this weeks batch, saying that information is deemed classified. The announcement of the expansion of the Arrow 3 procurement comes amid geopolitical tension in Europe with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and five days after Germany accused Russia of an air traffic control cyberattack. Several senior German officials also warned in November about a potential confrontation with Russia in the next four years. The latest was German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who said about three weeks ago that new intelligence assessments show Moscow is preparing for a possible attack against a NATO member. Advertisement Advertisement The first Arrow 3 system was delivered to Germany on Dec. 3, the first time a foreign country has received independent access to those defense systems. More Arrow 3 systems are expected to be delivered and deployed in Germany in the coming months. The initial and follow-on transfers include launch systems, ammunition and radar, in what was described as one of Germanys first major procurement contracts since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and as Israels largest defense export deal to date. The Arrow 3 is being developed and produced in an Israeli-American cooperation, with the Israel Aerospace Industries serving as the prime contractor for the development and production of the aerial defense system. The Arrow 3 interceptors operate against exoatmospheric missiles and intercept ballistic missiles in space. Its first operational interception was recorded Nov. 9, 2023, when it destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched toward Eilat. The Arrow 3 was also Israels main interceptor against Iranian ballistic missiles during the countries 12-day June war. Editors note: This story was updated after publication to correct the number of projects approved this week and this year, with corresponding total cost. It was one of the years biggest stories the selection of the first American pope and an Associated Press journalist was interviewing the pope's brother at his home in suburban Chicago. Suddenly, they heard a ringing coming from the basement. That might be the pope, the new pontiffs brother said. Indeed, the man who had emerged hours earlier on the balcony of St. Peters Basilica as Pope Leo XIV was calling to catch up with his older brother. Obed Lamy, a video journalist, listened and recorded as the conversation played out on speaker. I was shaking because I didnt know what the pope would say, Lamy said. Am I supposed to say something or not say anything? Advertisement Advertisement In a year marked by political strife, natural disasters and other calamities around the world, 2025 also had its share of uplifting moments. AP journalists were in the middle of many of them. Some found stories of joy amid disaster, including a wedding in a typhoon-flooded church in the Philippines and a youth theater group that staged a production weeks after a devastating wildfire in California. Some became part of the stories they were covering, simply by being there. In Seattle, an AP photographer broke the news to a scientist that she had won a Nobel Prize. Here are their stories. The pope was on the line I had arrived at Prevosts home in the early evening after driving three hours from Indianapolis, where I am based. After walking by other media outside, I knocked on the door. Prevost let me in. Advertisement Advertisement As we talked, a ringing came from the basement. Prevost hurried to a tablet downstairs and I followed, my camera on. He found he had a few missed calls from his brother. He called the pope back, using a speaker to play the audio out loud. The pope picked up. I got the shot the new pontiffs voice speaking to his older brother, asking him why he hadnt been answering his calls. Well, first you need to know youre on the air right now, the older brother responded. This is the first time Im hearing that this thing rang. The conversation went on for just a few minutes. They talked like any other pair of siblings. He told the pope, Oh, were coming to Rome. And the pope said, Oh, where are you going to sleep? It was interesting the pope himself did not know what the accommodations for his family would look like. Advertisement Advertisement Breaking the news to a Nobel winner When I arrived, I wasnt completely sure I was at the right house because my GPS had taken me to the back. After walking through a neighbors pitch-black driveway, I arrived at the front door. It was clear nobody was awake. Thankfully, when I knocked, their dog barked and woke Marys husband, Ross, who spoke to me through the glass door. I identified myself and asked if a Mary lived there and if he knew why I was there. Not wanting to spoil it but seeing no other way in, I told him, Sir, your wife just won the Nobel Prize. Thankfully, he let me in, and I took a quick frame as he brought Mary to the kitchen while telling her the news. They were still in disbelief, so I handed my phone to Ross with our initial AP story, which he read aloud in part to Mary. Advertisement Advertisement The initial mood, very understandably, was a mix of tension, annoyance and disbelief at being woken up at 3:45 a.m. Ross told me that when he first went into their bedroom with the news, she said, Dont be ridiculous. As soon as Mary and Ross began to process the news and realized all those missed calls from Sweden overnight werent spam, the mood shifted to one of joy. I was able to follow along with my camera as Mary sifted through an avalanche of emails, text messages and phone calls from family, friends and other journalists hoping to speak with her. Capturing a wedding that went on despite typhoon flooding I had an hour window to make it to the venue and had to drive out of town and cross several flooded roads during a heavy downpour. The flooding in the area was too deep for our vehicle, so we had to stop. Luckily, a rescue truck passed by, and I rode that. Advertisement Advertisement I got there right before they opened the door for the bride. The groom, Jade Rick Verdillo, told me they were eager to go ahead with the ceremony despite the floodwaters. Weve been through a lot. This is just one of the struggles that weve overcome, he said. If I was shooting for a deadline story, I would have run out after the first kiss. But for this one, I stuck till the end to make sure I captured every moment just like a wedding photographer. A youth theater production rises from wildfire ashes Rehearsals for the groups upcoming musical, Crazy for You, had started on Jan. 6. The next day, the Palisades Fire ripped through their community. But the show would go on, said director Lara Ganz, whose family also lost their home. It was about restoring togetherness, hope and routine and showing the kids who had lost so much that life was not over. Advertisement Advertisement Witnessing opening night was a gift. It was an evening of such intense emotions jumbled together: joy and pain, heartbreak and happiness, grief and pride. It was a light in the darkness, as one father told me. One teen said when he sang and danced to the music of George and Ira Gershwin, the weight of his loss lifted. He only felt happiness. After the article was published, Ganz relayed that members of the Gershwin family trust had read the story and attended a later performance. They delivered a letter to the cast and crew. On behalf of the families of George and Ira Gershwin, we applaud your resilience, the letter said. It praised their amazing dedication in the face of hardship and said they hoped the cast was immensely proud of their production. We know that George and Ira would be too. TUPELO Fifteen years have passed since the opening of the Goodwill Bookstore and donation center on McCullough Boulevard, and during that time, thousands of books plus other items like DVDs and CDs have been sold to support the nonprofits programs. That's a long time for any store to do business without getting an update, and Goodwill has done just that. Last week, officials from Memphis Goodwill joined store employees to celebrate a grand reopening of the popular Tupelo location. "This is one of our two bookstores, and we're very fortunate to have those. We just completed a refresh, and we wanted it to feel like your hometown bookstore," said Tina Blackmon, senior vice president of operations for Memphis Goodwill. "We know in Tupelo that's really important." Advertisement Advertisement As part of the refresh, the store got new seating, new carpet, fresh paint, and updated graphics to give the store a more welcoming feel. New lighting was also installed. "We've really tried to make it a more pleasurable shopping experience," Blackmon said. The bookstore is adjacent to a donation center, sharing space with it since the start of operations in January 2010. It was important that the refresh project also included the donations center. "Donations help with our mission, and at this location, you can donate anything," Blackmon said. "We're not just a book donation site; you can also donate clothing, electronics, furniture, etc. You donate your product, and we send it out to our retail stores to support our mission." Advertisement Advertisement Goodwill has an additional donation site on North Gloster Street, and in 2018, it opened a Goodwill retail store in 2018, filling the 24,000-square-foot space that formerly housed Staples. Blackmon said that every purchase or donation helps goodwill employ more than 800 people. In Tupelo, Goodwill employs about 60 people among the three locations in the city. "Our mission is to change lives," Blackmon said. "We want to give those an opportunity to have not a handout, but a hand up. We want to make sure you have an opportunity whether it's coming to work, eliminating barriers, whether it's physical or educational or whatever it may be, and we also have an adult high school for the Shelby County area in Tennessee. We have an Excel Center where you can go back to school free, get your high school diploma and get certifications like CNAs and pharmacy tech. We provide childcare and transportation and also laptops." Advertisement Advertisement The Goodwill Bookstore in Tupelo is just one of two in the Memphis Goodwill region, with the other in Collierville. But does the money spent at Goodwill locations in Tupelo go to Memphis as well? Blackmon said this: "We do have 30 donation centers in our footprint, but each one of those donation centers is linked to a store, and those donations go to that store to help their mission." (This is an excerpt of the Health Rounds newsletter, where we present latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays) Dec 17 (Reuters) - Applying an insecticide treatment used for soldiers uniforms to the cloths used to carry babies significantly reduced incidence of malaria in the children, researchers found. The six-month study conducted in regions of Uganda where malaria is endemic included 400 mothers and their babies, ages 6 months to 18 months. Half were randomly assigned to use cotton cloth wraps treated with Sawyer Products permethrin, while the others received cloths treated with plain water as a control group. The wraps underwent retreatment every 4 weeks. Advertisement Advertisement All of the pairs received insecticide-treated sleeping nets. The permethrin-treated baby wraps reduced malaria cases in infants by 66%, according to a report of the study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Adverse events were mild, and the frequency was low and similar in the treatment group and the sham group, the report said. Given the anticipated duration and frequency of use... extended follow-up of children, particularly for neurodevelopmental effects of permethrin exposure, is needed, the researchers acknowledge. Yet malaria, both severe and uncomplicated forms, can cause long-term cognitive impairment, and a careful weighing of potential risks and benefits will be required. Advertisement Advertisement AI REQUIRES NUANCED TRAINING TO FIND CANCER IN LOWER-RISK GROUPS Two recent studies highlight the potential for artificial intelligence tools to be less accurate in some patients than others, if the tools are not trained properly. Its well known that if AI tools are trained on data collected from unequal proportions of patients from various demographic groups, they have a harder time making an accurate diagnosis in minority groups that arent well-represented in the training set. But in the current analysis, the models sometimes performed worse in one demographic group even when the sample sizes were comparable, researchers reported in Cell Reports Medicine. Advertisement Advertisement The reason may be that some cancers are more common in certain groups, so the models become better at making a diagnosis in those groups. As a result, the models may have difficulty diagnosing cancers in populations where they arent as common, the researchers discovered. In addition, subtle molecular differences may exist in biopsy samples from different demographic groups, and AI may detect those differences and use them as a proxy for cancer type, potentially making it less effective at diagnosis in populations in which these mutations are less common. We found that because AI is so powerful, it can differentiate many obscure biological signals that cannot be detected by standard human evaluation, study leader Kun-Hsing Yu of Harvard Medical School said in a statement. As a result, the models may pick up signals that are more related to demographics than disease - and inferring demographic information from pathology slides could affect their diagnostic ability across groups. Advertisement Advertisement Together, Yu said, these explanations suggest that bias in pathology AI stems not only from the variable quality of the training data but also from how researchers train the models. When his team applied a new framework to the models they'd tested, it reduced the diagnostic disparities by some 88%, they said. We show that by making this small adjustment, the models can learn robust features that make them more generalizable and fairer across different populations, Yu said. The finding is encouraging, he added, because it suggests that bias can be reduced even without training the models on completely fair, representative data. Advertisement Advertisement In a separate study published in PLOS Biology, researchers found that even with broad samples of bacterial populations, bias may be blocking the potential of AI to predict and combat antibiotic resistance. (To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here) (Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot) BlackRock is ramping up its digital asset strategy with a wave of new hires aimed at expanding its crypto and blockchain-related products globally, amid growing institutional interest in tokenized and onchain assets. In a job posting board, the $10 trillion asset manager said it is hiring for seven digital asset positions, six based in the United States and one in Singapore. The move follows BlackRock's head of digital assets, Robert Mitchnick, posting about the open roles on LinkedIn last week. One of the positions in the U.S. focuses on expanding BlackRocks iShares digital asset ETF lineup. The "Vice President/Director, Digital Assets Product Strategist" job listing seeks a candidate to scale existing products, including its crypto ETFs, and help extend them to institutional and wealth management clients. Currently, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has $70 billion in assets under management. The same role also mentions building next generation products with strong commercial appeal, pointing to the firm's ambition to go beyond traditional investment wrappers. The Singapore-based role is more expansive. There, BlackRock is looking for a leader to shape its digital asset strategy across Asia, where regulatory clarity and demand from institutional investors are accelerating. The job involves setting commercial targets and identifying first-mover big bets in the region that align with global priorities. A multi-year business plan is part of the brief. The hiring push adds to BlackRocks growing presence in crypto markets. The firm made headlines last year with the launch of its spot bitcoin ETF, which helped drive record flows into crypto investment vehicles. Beyond ETFs, the firm is also expanding its asset tokenization strategy. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has spoken publicly about the potential of tokenized assets to modernize capital markets by increasing transparency and settlement efficiency. Last year, it launched a tokenized fund on the Ethereum blockchain and has invested in infrastructure providers, such as Securitize, to explore how public blockchains can support regulated financial products. A representative for BlackRock could not be reached for comment. CORRECTION (Dec. 15, 20:48 UTC): Corrects headline and story throughout to clarify details of BlackRock's search for candidates in crypto roles. UPDATE (Dec 15, 20:06 UTC): Adds that BlackRock couldn't be reached for comment. HUDSON Hudson High School was placed on lockdown on Wednesday morning, Dec. 17, after the school received a phoned-in threat, authorities said. According to the Hudson Public Schools Facebook page, the school has since been deemed safe. The police searched the building and initial evidence shows that the call may have been generated by artificial intelligence, school officials' post reads. Given recent events, we exercised extra caution. Advertisement Advertisement According to the post, after the call came in at 7:55 a.m., both Hudson and Massachusetts State Police responded to the school. Students were placed on lockdown until police deemed the building safe. First responders from several agencies responded to Hudson High School on Wednesday morning, Dec. 17, after the school was put on lockdown after receiving a threat via phone, Dec. 17, 2025. After a thorough search and assessment, authorities confirmed the threat was "not credible," and students and staff were able to resume normal activities. The State Police Fire & Explosion team, the Hudson Fire Department, the Marlborough, Bolton and Berlin police departments, as well as the Framingham and Worcester police canine units, also responded, according to a press release from Hudson police. Again, all students and staff are safe and the threat was deemed not credible, the post reads. Last week: Milford High School shelters in place after report of a gun in a bathroom Advertisement Advertisement Hudson police, in a Facebook post, called the incident swatting and said other school districts received similar calls. There is no threat or active danger to the schools at this time; however, there will be an increased police presence today, police said in the post. We understand that given the events of the past week that this may be particularly troubling for members of our community. The Hudson Police Department is committed to the safety and security of our community and schools. Hudson police chief says incident remains under investigation According to the release, swatting is done in an attempt to trigger a large police response to a particular location. "I would like to commend our Department for their professionalism in dealing with this disturbing report," Police Chief Richard DiPersio said in a statement. "Hudson Police, with assistance from State Police and response partners, were able to clear the building and determine there was no threat to students. We understand that given the events of the past week, this may be a troubling incident for many members of our community. The Hudson Police Department is committed to the security and safety of our community and schools." Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 8, Police in Milford said a juvenile who had been linked to previous swatting incidents was detained in Tennessee after allegedly making a threat that led to Milford High School entering into a shelter-in-place that day. DiPersio, in the release, said the incident remains under investigation. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerJournalist. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Threat deemed 'not credible' after Hudson High lockdown More than 300,000 homes and businesses remained without power Thursday morning after damaging winds slammed multiple states, including South Dakota, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington state. Nearly two dozen winds gusts of more than 100 mph were recorded Wednesday. The powerful winds brought down trees and powerlines killing one man and critically injuring two children. (MORE: High Wind Warnings Remain Thursday) The 55-year-old man died after a tree fell on his home in the northern Idaho town of Fernan, the Kootenai County Sheriff's office said. The tree hit the bed where the man was sleeping, according to a press release, and other people inside the home escaped without serious injury. Advertisement Advertisement In southern Idaho, the Twin Falls County Sheriff's office said high winds caused several old, internally rotten trees to fall, knocking down power lines and critically injuring two children. Both children were under age 10, and were waiting for the school bus when the tree landed on them, the sheriff's office wrote in a press release. An older sibling was also at the bus stop, but was uninjured. Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office via Facebook Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office via Facebook The severe winds are adding to the misery for tens of thousands of people forced out of their homes by more than a week of relentless rain and deadly flooding in Washington state. On Tuesday, one man died after driving past warning signs into a flood area in Washington. Dozens of roads and critical highways have been washed out or buried by landslides. (MORE: Flood Threat Spreads To Oregon, California) Transportation officials in the state begged residents not to ignore road closure signs, saying in a Facebook post, "The road is closed because its dangerous, not because we love closing roads. If debris slides onto the highway as you ride by, if the earth under the road falls into the river, if you round a bend and slam into a log you didnt expect We and our partners WILL come to your aid, but thats personnel, equipment, and resources being diverted away from the areas that need them most." WSDOT via Facebook WSDOT via Facebook Advertisement Advertisement Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that crews wont be able to fully assess the damage until the water recedes and landslide risks subside. The state and some counties are making several million dollars available to help people pay for hotels, groceries and other necessities, pending more extensive federal assistance that Ferguson and Washington's congressional delegation expect to see approved. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images According to the governor's office, first responders had conducted at least 629 rescues and 572 assisted evacuations. As many as 100,000 people had been under evacuation orders at times, many of them in the flood plain of the Skagit River north of Seattle. Elevated rivers and flood risk could persist until at least late this month, according to the National Weather Service. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Suspected U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents rushed into a secure portion of the San Luis Obispo County Jail to grab an inmate on Sunday and jail staff intervened, witnesses say. While about 40 protesters with the nonprofit organization Indivisible gathered at the corner of Highway 1 and Kansas Avenue at 9 a.m. to protest ICE, three familiar vehicles drove into the jail parking lot. 805 UndocuFund volunteers have seen those vehicles on the scene of ICE operations and entering and exiting the Santa Maria ICE Facility, volunteers told The Tribune. ICE did not respond to a request for comment about the incident. Advertisement Advertisement According to protesters at the scene, four men exited the vehicles wearing face masks, sunglasses and vests that said police. They filed into the jail lobby at 9:15 a.m. alongside a handful of protesters and 805 UndocuFund rapid responders. A protester named Del and a rapid responder named CJ said they both entered the lobby with the ICE agents. Del and CJ declined to share their last names with The Tribune for fear of retaliation. The ICE agents stood near the large, blue jail release door, which separates the jail from the lobby, Del told The Tribune. Del said she heard the door click and prepared for an inmate to step out. Advertisement Advertisement Whenever that blue door is about to open, and were unsure of whos coming out of that door a brown person or a white person thats when it escalates, she said. Del said shes watched ICE agents treat white people differently than people of color. If a white person walks out of the jail, the officers move aside to let them pass. If a person of color walks out of the jail, ICE pounces on them, she said. When the jail door opened, the protesters yelled, La migra esta aqui, or ICE is here, to warn the inmate. Then, the man stepped into the lobby, and the officers handcuffed him without presenting a warrant or identifying themselves, Del said. The officers then escorted him to a vehicle in the parking lot and closed the door, she said. Advertisement Advertisement CJ echoed Dels statements. Its heartbreaking, Del told The Tribune. It feels cruel. It makes me angry that we allow this to happen without due process, without being shown a warrant, right under the noses of the sheriff in a public space. ICE agents grabbed protester Sue M. and pushed her away from the jail release door on Dec. 14, 2025. (Courtesy of Sue M.) Suspected ICE agent pushes protester Three of the officers then returned to the lobby, where about 20 protesters from Indivisible and 805 UndocuFund had since gathered, witnesses told The Tribune. Tension escalated in the room as the officers and activists argued with each other, Indivisible protester Sue M. said. She declined to share her full last name for fear of retaliation. Sue and CJ said they positioned themselves near the jail release door with signs that said, ICE esta en la carcel, which means, ICE is in the jail. The sign also included 805 UndocuFunds rapid response hotline number, 805-870-8855. Advertisement Advertisement The pair said they planned to flash their signs at the inmate before he entered the lobby as a warning. The officers then told Sue to move away from the door if it opened, and she said she told them she would. She heard the inner door click and prepared to walk away, but two officers grabbed her arms and another pushed her on the back causing her to stumble forward, she said. CJ said the officers then ordered her out of the way, and she said, Yes, Im moving, and started walking away. Then one of the officers pushed her, she said. Hes got guns, pepper spray, taser, baton and Im a 4-foot-11 girl, CJ said. I dont know why he feels the need to do that. Advertisement Advertisement Then, a white man walked out of the jail release door. The officers stepped aside so he could walk out of the lobby, according to CJ, Del and Sue. This happened twice, they said. Protester Sue M. held a sign in the jail lobby to warn inmates that ICE agents were waiting there on Dec. 14, 2025. (Courtesy of Sue M.) Suspected ICE agents rush secure portion of jail The inner door clicked once again at about 10:30 a.m., and the protesters yelled ICE esta aqui as the door opened, a video showed. 805 UndocuFund shared the video with The Tribune to corroborate the story, but The Tribune will not publish the video to protect the identity of the inmate. Two of the suspected ICE agents immediately entered the secure portion of the jail where the inmate was standing. The inmate, who wasnt white, started walking backwards, then the agents grabbed him and pressed him against the wall, the video showed. Advertisement Advertisement Then, jail staff placed themselves between the officers and the inmate. The officers returned to the lobby, and jail staff closed the blue door without the man leaving the jail. Eventually, the suspected ICE agents left the jail, according to CJ, Del and Sue. The Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident, agency spokesperson Tony Cipolla said on Tuesday. Our understanding is that there was a confrontation between protesters and ICE agents in the lobby and we are investigating to see what occurred, he said in a statement. At this time, we dont have any further comment until we receive more information on the incident. As we light the candles, our hearts beat for our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, particularly the Jewish community of Sydney," Zamir said. The same hatred for Israelis that sparked the Israel-Hamas War two years ago now fuels attacks against Australian Jews, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Wednesday at a candle-lighting event at The Association for Israels Soldiers, celebrating 20 years of Project Courageous Fighter." "As we light the candles, our hearts beat for our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, particularly the Jewish community of Sydney," Zamir said. "We mourn the victims and pray for the wounded. The same hatred that fuels attacks against Israelis also fuels attacks against Jews in Australia." Advertisement Advertisement "This antisemitic terror attack in Sydney reminds us that the war that started on October 7 was against the entire Jewish people, but it was also against all of Western civilization. I am declaring a clear warning: countries that won't fight against radical and fundamental terrorist organizations, which are armed with false propaganda on social media, will pay a heavy price," cautioned the IDF chief. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attends the funeral of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, who's body had been held captive by Hamas in Gaza since 2014 and released a few days ago, at the Kfar Saba military cemetery. November 11, 2025. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90) IDF chief: Terror like Sydney will spread without moral clarity Further, he stated that, "Terror, like in Sydney, will spread to other places. Now is the time for a shared moral commitment that will bring about a clear distinction between good and evil and the triumph of light over darkness. Since October 7, the IDF has been on the front line of this battle for good." He concluded, "Hanukkah symbolizes the struggle of the Maccabees, the determination to preserve our Jewish identity and our national freedom. The IDF will continue to defend the Jewish people, protect the citizens of Israel, and ensure the security of the Jewish state." In statements, the IDF reaffirmed that troops along the Yellow Line remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat. The IDF conducted multiple operations against terrorist threats present along the Yellow Line in Gaza on Monday and Tuesday, according to statements released by the IDF. On Tuesday, Israeli troops spotted a terrorist crossing the Yellow Line while carrying a suspicious object. Advertisement Advertisement The terrorist attempted to approach the troops and was deemed an immediate threat. The IDF then fired at the terrorist, killing them in order to remove the threat. Similarly, on Monday, the IDF identified an additional terrorist crossing the Yellow Line. The terrorist, who was spotted while approaching Israeli troops, was also deemed an immediate threat and was killed. The IDF strikes terror targets in Rafah in the Gaza Strip on November 12, 2025. (credit: TPS-IL) In the statements, the IDF reaffirmed that troops along the Yellow Line remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat. Hamas rearmament efforts continuously foiled The two incidents occured after Israel killed top Hamas official, Raad Saad, on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the assassination was ordered due to Saads participation in and contributions to Hamas rearmament efforts. Saad was also involved in the planning of the October 7 massacre and was one of the last living Hamas officials involved in the plot before his death. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report. Dec. 17When Yraida Faneite was on trial for drug-related charges, the judge had to halt proceedings at one point because her period was so heavy that blood was running down her legs. The same struggle followed her into a federal prison in Florida after she was convicted. For about a decade, officials allowed her only a small ration of menstrual products, and she couldn't afford extra pads from the commissary. She bartered with other women. On her worst days, she tore up her own T-shirts and used them as makeshift pads. When she told officers she needed to see a doctor and couldn't safely continue a mandatory kitchen shift, she said, she was placed in solitary confinement. She eventually found out that her heavy bleeding was caused by cysts. Advertisement Advertisement "I didn't have enough napkins to use during my period. ... No matter what you say, they don't care," recalled Faneite, who was released from prison in 2006 and went on to found the prison reentry nonprofit YG Institute. Her experience echoes what researchers, advocates and formerly incarcerated people describe across prisons and jails nationwide: Even where menstrual products are available, limited supplies, low-quality products, strict disciplinary rules and delays in medical care can result in incarcerated people facing potentially avoidable health issues or disciplinary write-ups. Access to menstrual products also has been a persistent issue in immigration detention centers, with recent reports and lawsuits alleging that women in some facilities have been unable to obtain or outright denied feminine hygiene products despite federal standards and law requiring sufficient and timely access. A new report from the Prison Policy Initiative, a research and advocacy organization, says that menstruation is still regularly treated as a disciplinary matter through contraband rules, work violations and sanitation write-ups even in prisons and jails that provide free products. Advertisement Advertisement These disciplinary actions can affect everything from parole eligibility to access to programming and services. Women make up a growing share of the state prison population, which rose about 5% nationwide from 2022 to 2023, according to the latest data from the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. In recent years, more states have begun taking steps to improve access to menstrual products in jails and prisons, and to address the overall conditions that shape incarcerated women's experiences. The Ohio legislature last month passed legislation to strengthen access to period products for incarcerated people in jails and prisons. The bill is awaiting the governor's signature. And Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a bill on the issue this month. Advertisement Advertisement At least 24 states and Washington, D.C., require that people in state prisons or local jails have free access to menstrual products, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Federal correctional facilities have provided free products since 2017. More than a dozen states have passed versions of the Dignity of Incarcerated Women Act, which includes provisions to improve basic conditions, such as access to and the quality of period products and pregnancy care. Still, in most of the country, access depends on a patchwork of laws and corrections department policies. Nearly every state has a rule on the books about providing menstrual products, but the specifics, implementation and enforcement vary widely. Advocates say that leaves many incarcerated people without the consistent access they need. "In the system that we have where there's very little oversight, accountability, transparency, you have no easy way of enforcement," said Miriam Vishniac, the founder and director of the Prison Flow Project, a database tracking access to menstrual products in U.S. jails and prisons. Advertisement Advertisement In Arkansas, the state Department of Corrections says it provides menstrual products pads and tampons free of charge. People can choose a monthly allotment of 30 pads, 30 tampons or a mix of both. Housing unit staff keep small supplemental supplies on hand and can issue additional products as needed, according to Rand Champion, the agency's chief of communications. In Colorado, corrections officials said staff are prohibited from using access to menstrual products as a behavior-management tool, and facilities are required to keep products stocked and available regardless of an individual's financial status. Maryland's policy requires correctional facilities to provide menstrual products at no cost during admission or transfer, on a monthly basis and upon request. The state says it offers tampons, winged pads, and both light- and heavy-flow pads. The products must be provided in quantities appropriate to each person's health needs. Corrections officials told Stateline there have been no recent challenges with implementation. In the months after a Maryland law requiring correctional facilities to provide free menstrual products and maintain a sufficient supply took effect in 2018, advocates said women at the Correctional Institution for Women were still paying for tampons and relying on flimsy pads handed out each month. State officials acknowledged the policy was not being implemented consistently systemwide. Advertisement Advertisement Rules and restrictions The new report from the Prison Policy Initiative outlines several ways that prison and jail rules can indirectly penalize people who menstruate. Some facilities classify having more pads or tampons than the allowed number as contraband, which can lead to confiscation or formal disciplinary actions. Rules on property and hygiene mean that leaking through uniforms or bedding may be treated as a violation. Asking for additional menstrual products can sometimes be interpreted as abusing medical rules or "feigning illness." And trading or sharing products with other incarcerated people may also be prohibited under unauthorized exchange rules, the report said. Advertisement Advertisement "It's just another reminder that they have no autonomy over themselves, over their bodies, over their lives," said Alycia Welch, the associate director of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. Access is further complicated by shower schedules and clothing allocations, which can make it difficult to change products regularly. Items available for purchase at the commissary including pads, tampons and pain relief are often costly. Transgender men, nonbinary people and older women who menstruate or experience irregular cycles may face additional scrutiny or confusion from staff when requesting menstrual products, creating further barriers, according to prison policy experts. Disciplinary actions can include fines, loss of commissary privileges, restrictions on phone or visitation access or placement in segregation units. Advertisement Advertisement It's just another reminder that they have no autonomy over themselves, over their bodies, over their lives. Alycia Welch, associate director of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab Many advocates and formerly incarcerated people say that even in facilities that provide free menstrual products, the supplies are often of poor quality, with thin pads and low-absorbency tampons. "We can't just stop at creating these rules that mandate that people have access to these products," Vishniac, of the Prison Flow Project, said. "There needs to be some kind of way of ensuring that it's actually happening." Strengthening access in Ohio Advertisement Advertisement The bill Ohio lawmakers unanimously passed would require that all incarcerated women in state or local correctional facilities have free access to feminine hygiene products. It also would mandate that facilities allow incarcerated women to shower once per day while menstruating. The bill also would require safe, designated disposal containers for used menstrual products and prohibit denial of products based on race, sex, income, charge, disability or other protected traits and identities. In 2022, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction adopted a new policy requiring state prisons (but not jails) to provide free menstrual products; advocates, however, say there's no mechanism to hold staff or facilities accountable. While the bill does not lay out an explicit oversight mechanism, its language would give incarcerated women a clear legal standard they can reference if access is denied, said Kayelin Tiggs, an advocate who helped author the bill's language. Tiggs created the Ohio Coalition for Menstrual Equity. Advertisement Advertisement "The fact that we were able to pass it here with that anti-discrimination language is a good sign," Tiggs said. "I feel like we could take this nationally." Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the state affiliation of Rand Champion, the chief of communications for Arkansas' Department of Corrections. Stateline reporter Amanda Watford can be reached at [email protected]. Independent Journalism for All There's no paywall here. Our in-depth reporting is free for everyone to access and your contributions make that possible. Chip in towards our end-of-year fundraising drive today. Indiana has become one of the first states seeking to cut restrictions on federal grants currently targeted for low income and other vulnerable students so the state and school districts have more freedom in using the money. But the states request before the U.S. Department of Education has raised concerns by advocates who worry needy students could lose both dedicated attention and resources in Indiana and other states. Indiana joined Iowa this fall in asking the U.S. Department of Education for permission to merge their federal Title education grants such as Title I to combat poverty and Title III to help English Language Learners into one block grant for states and schools. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter A similar attempt by Oklahoma is on hold after state Superintendent Ryan Walters resigned in September, while several state school leaders have asked U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to work with Congress to ease restrictions. Advertisement Advertisement Our goalsinclude less red tape for our people, state Education Secretary Katie Jenner told the state school board. Were shifting towardsthe flexibility to put the resources where theyre needed the most. At the same time, advocacy groups are shouting warnings that removing guardrails on the $30 billion in Title grants, created in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty, could lead to the countrys most needy students being left out. In Indiana, officials have asked the U.S. Department of Education to pool the more than $350 million it receives in Title grants in the name of efficiency to save time and millions of dollars now spent documenting how each dollar is used for specific groups of students. Instead, the state wants the freedom to use the money for its main statewide education priorities literacy, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) proficiency and reshaping high school education. Advertisement Advertisement Its also seeking freedom to spend federal School Improvement Grants money now targeted at improving failing schools to go instead toward state school choice goals. Related Indianapolis Tries to Shape a Grand Bargain for Charters, District Indiana would create an innovation fund with that money to help other schools nearby that students could choose instead. Such a fund would better support a growing ecosystem of effective, innovative school models, according to Indianas application. Students and families cannot wait sometimes for years for a chronically underperforming school to improve in order to receive access to high-quality instruction, the application adds.. Advertisement Advertisement Both Iowa and Indianas request to the Education Department with rulings expected early next year are expected to set a precedent for the scope of future waivers granted to other states, the American School Superintendents Association has told members. Indianas request, however, is raising concerns from several education advocacy groups including The Education Trust, All4Ed, UnidosUS and the National Parents Union that removing restrictions on the money will mean that students that most need extra help wont get it. This approach fundamentally misunderstands and threatens to undermine the purpose of these targeted federal programs, which were created to address specific, documented gaps in support for vulnerable student populations, the groups said in a joint statement. When Indiana lists numerous state priorities without any specific commitments to individual student groups, it signals that these populations would lose both dedicated attention and resources under the proposed consolidation. Indianas request to the U.S. Department of Education to waive restrictions on the money goes beyond Iowas, said Nicholas Munyan-Penney, Assistant Director of P12 Policy at The Education Trust. Indiana is seeking leeway from restrictions both for the state and for individual schools and districts, while Iowa is asking for an exemption just for the state, he said. Advertisement Advertisement In its current form, Indianas is much more dramatic and wide-ranging in its scope and potential impact, Munyan-Penney said. Related Iowa Submits Plan to Combine Federal Education Funds, and Experts are Skeptical Within Indiana, the Indiana State Teachers Association is also raising concerns. ISTA believes flexibility can be beneficial when paired with transparency, collaboration and a clear focus on student success, the association said on its website. However, we remain concerned about provisions in the waiver that could reduce input from educators and parents and divert critical resources from schools working to close opportunity gaps. The union also has concerns about shifting the School Improvement Grant money. Advertisement Advertisement The proposed waiver could redirect these funds to schools or programs that are not identified as low-performing, potentially diluting the impact on historically underserved students, the union said. And residents of Gary, a high-poverty city, also worry that the neediest students will be left out if guardrails are removed. When I hearthis waiver is about cutting red tape, I dont buy it, Natalie Ammons, grandmother of three students in the Gary school district, testified last week in a webcast to Congressional staff. It may be cutting something, but its not red tape its cutting away the few protections families like mine have left. Asked for school officials who are seeking the waivers, the Indiana Department of Education did not suggest any. The 74 also requested a copy of feedback the department sought from residents and officials on the waiver, but the department did not provide it. Advertisement Advertisement Related Exclusive: 12 Education Chiefs Ask McMahon for More Control over Federal Funds The goal of combining Title grants, which total about $30 billion a year nationally, have been a growing priority of Republican officials after a version of it was proposed in Project 25. Oklahoma and Iowa proposed merging them this spring, but concerns arose about what the U.S. Department of Education could legally allow. Trump also put a hold on disbursing several Title grants to states this year before backing down. In July, McMahon sent guidance to states encouraging them to seek creative and effective waivers for improving student academic achievement and maximizing the impact of Federal funds and spelling out a waiver process. Advertisement Advertisement Title I, which accounts for more than half of that money, is awarded to states and schools according to poverty levels and enrollment. All4Ed, estimates that more than two thirds of school districts receive some Title I money, though sometimes in low amounts if poverty is low. Indianapolis Public Schools, for example, are scheduled to receive $15.7 million in Title I money next school year, while several smaller districts receive well under $100,000. Wisconsinites will have a chance to see an interstellar comet make its closest approach to Earth this week. Scientists first observed Comet 3I/ATLAS in our solar system in early July, and by late October it had passed just inside the orbit of Mars, reaching its closest point to the sun at a distance of about 130 million miles, according to NASA. The comet's approach marks only the third known time an object from outside our solar system has been discovered passing through Earth's neighborhood. Its interstellar status has sparked speculation about what the comet might be including one Harvard astrophysicist's theory that the object could be an alien spaceship, though NASA has already shot down that idea, USA TODAY reported. Advertisement Advertisement Here's what to know about the comet and how to see it from Wisconsin: When will 3I/ATLAS reach its closest point to Earth? 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth on Friday, Dec. 19, according to Space.com. The comet will pass within about 168 million miles of Earth. That's almost twice the distance between Earth and the sun. Given the distance, 3I/ATLAS poses no danger to Earth or any of other planets in our solar system. Will you be able to see 3I/ATLAS with a naked eye? 3I/ATLAS will not be visible with the naked eye, but you have a good chance of spotting it even with a small telescope, according to NASA's skywatching guide. For the best viewing chances, try to catch the comet in the early pre-dawn morning while it's making its closest approach to Earth. Skywatchers should look east to northeast to find the comet under the star Regulus, which is in in the constellation Leo. Advertisement Advertisement You'll need a telescope with an aperture of at least 30 centimeters to see the comet, NASA added. Best places to view celestial events in Wisconsin Here's a list of places in Wisconsin that could offer some of the best views of the night sky: This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How to see interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS in Wisconsin on December 19 Iranian media claimed authorities arrested a Swedish citizen who was spying for Israel during the June war, with a verdict in the case expected within days. Iranian authorities arrested a Swedish citizen and accused him of being an Israeli spy, according to a report published by the Iranian state-owned Tasnim News Agency on Monday. The report claimed that the unnamed individual was "identified and arrested on charges of spying for the Zionist regime during the 12-Day War [with Israel]." Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, the report alleged that Iranian authorities had evidence of the individuals training and connections with other known Israeli agents in six different European countries, including in the "occupied territories," a term used to refer to the state of Israel. Tasnim reported that the Swedish citizen was in Israel just two weeks before entering Iran. Allegedly, the suspect entered Iran a month before the beginning of the 12-Day War and stayed in a villa near Karaj. Iranian authorities claimed he was found in possession of electronic spy equipment identified by regime law enforcement officers. An Israeli man walks past a new graffiti of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the 12 days war between Israel and Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel July 8, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/NIR ELIAS) Tasnim reported that the accused had "confessed to spying for the Zionist regime" and mentioned that "the defendant's case has been heard in the second branch of the Alborz Islamic Revolutionary Court." Advertisement Advertisement Rights groups and some Western nations have accused the Islamic Republic of using such arrests to gain leverage in negotiations, a claim Tehran denies, alleging that it does not arrest individuals for political reasons. Previous espionage-related arrests According to the report, a verdict is expected to be handed down within the week. In recent years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has detained dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, primarily on espionage and security-related charges. After the 12-day war, the Islamic Republic has arrested hundreds of people accused of spying for Israel, oftentimes charging them without trial. As of August, the regime handed out at least eight death sentences for spying for Israel. Advertisement Advertisement The Mossad and the IDF have previously stated that Israeli agents operated within Iran for months before the 12-day war in June this year, and will continue to do so as long as necessary. Reuters and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report Broadcom (AVGO) stock retreated sharply following the release of its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings. Despite delivering results that exceeded market expectations, shares of the semiconductor and software company fell 11.4% on Friday, Dec. 12. This dip reflects profit-taking rather than deterioration in underlying business performance. The pullback comes after an exceptional run in 2025. Broadcom has been one of the major beneficiaries of the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) spending, with strong demand for its AI-focused semiconductors and steady contributions from its VMware software business. Even after the recent decline, the stock remains up roughly 50% year to date. More News from Barchart Investor concerns appear to be centered on margins and broader sentiment toward AI infrastructure stocks. Management indicated that consolidated gross margin in the first quarter is expected to decline by about 100 basis points sequentially, largely due to a higher mix of AI-related revenue. This guidance, coupled with growing chatter about a potential AI bubble, weighed on the stock despite the companys robust quarterly performance. That said, Broadcoms fundamentals remain intact. While near-term margin pressure is a valid consideration, the companys expanding software revenues should help offset some of this impact over time, particularly as software typically carries higher margins than hardware. Further, Broadcoms strong execution and solid growth outlook help counter fears that AI demand is peaking. Moreover, Broadcom continues to generate solid free cash flow. It reported $7.5 billion in free cash flow during the quarter, representing 41% of revenue. Moreover, its balance sheet remains strong, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88x, which is not very high. As Broadcoms fundamentals remain strong, should you buy the dip in AVGO stock post earnings? www.barchart.com Momentum in Broadcoms Business Set to Continue Into 2026 Broadcom delivered stellar performance in fiscal 2025. It reported consolidated revenue of about $64 billion for the year, representing a 24% year-over-year increase. The companys top line benefited from solid momentum in its AI-related semiconductors business and the continued strength in its infrastructure software portfolio following the VMware acquisition. Investing.com -- Israels intelligence chief David Barnea has accused Iran of continuing to pursue nuclear weapons development with the intention of using them against Israel. "Iran has not abandoned its ambition to destroy the State of Israel," Barnea said in a speech this week. "The idea of continuing to develop a nuclear bomb still beats in their hearts." The Mossad heads remarks come six months after Israel, with U.S. support, conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which led to a 12-day exchange of fire between the two nations. Advertisement Advertisement Barnea, who is set to step down in mid-2026, emphasized Israels commitment to preventing Irans nuclear ambitions. "It is our responsibility to ensure that the nuclear project, which has been mortally wounded in close cooperation with the Americans, will never be activated," he said. The intelligence chief also expressed concern about potential diplomatic developments. "Iran believes it can once again fool the world and realize another bad nuclear deal," Barnea stated. "We did not and will not allow a bad deal to materialize." Related articles Iran still seeks nuclear weapons, says Mossads head Silver's Bullish Pattern Points Higher Keep an Eye on $52 Resistance Zone The 5 Best Gold Mining Stocks to Buy Now Italy's top court on Wednesday upheld the acquittal of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in a trial over his August 2019 decision to block a migrant rescue boat from docking in the country. Salvini took to X to celebrate the ruling. "Five years of legal proceedings: defending borders is not a crime," he wrote. The head of the right-wing League party, which is part of the governing coalition, was accused of preventing a ship operated by an aid organization with refugees on board from entering an Italian port for several weeks during his time as interior minister in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement The public prosecutor had called for a six-year prison sentence for Salvini, describing his behaviour as kidnapping and a dereliction of duty. Instead, he was acquitted by a Sicilian court last year. Prosecutors then lodged a complaint with the Court of Cassation in Rome, Italy's highest court, but judges there upheld the Sicilian ruling, news agency ANSA reported on Wednesday. The ship, operated by the Spanish organization Open Arms, was anchored near the island of Lampedusa with more than 160 migrants on board, but was not allowed to enter the port. Several people jumped into the water and tried to swim ashore. The ship was only allowed to dock after three weeks following an order by a public prosecutor - against the wishes of the minister. Salvini, now transport minister, is a key member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition government, which has taken a hardline approach to migrants arriving in the country via the Mediterranean. There may be more evidence in the murder of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey. Her father, John, revealed more evidence has been uncovered to help solve the case. Six-year-old JonBenet was killed inside her Boulder, Colorado home on Christmas in 1996. Her body was discovered seven hours after she was reported missing. Her cause of death was strangulation, along with head trauma. JonBenet Ramseys father John is impressed with Chief Redfern Photo Credit: Erik S. Lesser/Newsmakers/Getty Images During an interview on NewsNations Banfield, John said there has been new evidence that may finally help solve this case. He said, Chief Redfern told us, gosh, I dont know, September, we had a meeting with him, and that he had submitted evidence for additional DNA testing. He didnt say what the evidence was, but that it was submitted again, or perhaps new. Advertisement Advertisement Although John wasnt clear on whether the evidence is new or had been previously tested, he called the development encouraging. He added that the authorities have advocated that if certain evidence that was taken from the crime scene has never been sampled, that it ought to be the main one being the [unintelligible] that was used to strangle my daughter. John admitted he wasnt told specifics about the evidence, but has more confidence in the current leadership. It was not very good for 25, 26 years, and Chief Redfern from the outside, Ive met with him three or four times, he said. Im impressed with him. I think hes sincere and honest, and so Im encouraged, and you know, weve advocated. He will inquire about the evidence, including whether the DNA was tested in the latest format necessary to do IGG, investigative genealogy. And that would be very encouraging to us if theyve done that, John said. This new technology, its been around for three or four years, is really, truly an investigative tool that allows police to investigate and look for the killer. The CODIS federal database of DNA has been around for 30 years. Its, frankly, a little obsolete, in my opinion. John, who says hes more optimistic than hes been in a long time, will request a January meeting for updates. TELL US WILL THE KILLER BE CAUGHT? The post JonBenet Ramseys Father Confirms Bombshell Evidence in Murder appeared first on Reality Tea. A man is recovering in the hospital Wednesday morning after being shot multiple times late Tuesday in Moncrief. Jacksonville Sheriffs Office was called to the 5700 block of Carver Circle at about 10 p.m. in reference to an adult male being shot, a JSO news release states. Officers arrived and the man was taken to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition. The victim and his girlfriend were arguing, JSO said. Her son later confronted the man about the altercation and fired multiple shots at him, the news release states. Two of the shots struck him in the chest. Advertisement Advertisement Police characterized his injuries as non-life threatening. Police did not release the names of the victim or the suspect. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Wind turbines near Block Island, Rhode Island, in a 2022 photo. Trump administration attacks on offshore wind have frozen progress on a number of East Coast projects, including one near Ocean City that had all its permits in hand before the Interior Department started trying to pull them back. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) A federal judge has declined to issue an injunction that would have protected US Wind from what it says are Trump administration attempts to kill its planned wind farm off Ocean City, for which it already has permits. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher in Baltimore noted in her decision handed down Tuesday that US Wind technically could move forward with constructing its wind farm off of Delmarva. Advertisement Advertisement Even though President Donald Trumps (R) administration has announced its intention to reevaluate the crucial Construction and Operations Plan (COP) approval issued to US Wind during the waning days of President Joe Bidens (D) administration, it has not actually revoked the permit, Gallagher wrote in her ruling. In a previous decision, Gallagher preliminarily rejected a request from the Trump administration to remand the permit back to the U.S. Department of the Interior for reconsideration. Gallagher ruled that the government needed to present more information in order for her to make a ruling. But she allowed the department to carry on with any internal review of the permit, as desired. During a hearing in Baltimore last week, US Wind officials stated that they had paused work on an important and costly facility design report, because of the Trump administrations pronouncements about revoking the permit. They have argued that the loss of the permit poses an existential threat to the project and possibly to the entire company. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Advertisement Advertisement In a prepared statement, US Wind Vice President of External Affairs Nancy Sopko said Wednesday that the company remains confident in the validity of all permits issued for our project, and we will continue to vigorously defend them in court. Gallagher called the companys decision to press pause on the project understandable, but argued that US Wind made that choice on its own not because it would face legal liability if it proceeded. No law would impose civil or criminal liability on US Wind if it continued to develop the project, Gallagher wrote. It simply has made a business decision not to do so in light of the political headwinds it perceives. Gallagher ruled that the government has not issued a final decision about the COP. So, she could not grant an injunction to US Wind, stopping the government from taking the action. Advertisement Advertisement US Wind must wait to see whether the Interior Department makes some decision that has some legal consequence, Gallagher wrote. At that time, she wrote, US Wind could challenge that decision in court. In court, US Winds attorneys pointed to the governments court filings, arguing that the agency has made its intentions clear. In particular, they highlighted a declaration from Adam Suess, the acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the Interior Department. Suess stated that the Biden administrations approval of the permit was not properly informed by a complete understanding of the impacts from the project. The federal government has specifically cited the projects potential impacts to commercial fisheries and search and rescue operations in the region. But Gallagher said even though Suesss declaration suggests that the analysis underlying the COP approval was flawed, it doesnt come to a final determination. Advertisement Advertisement Rather, it states an intent to further examine that question, Gallagher wrote. US Wind has understandably inferred from the Suess Declaration (and the multitude of indications from this Administration of its hostility to wind energy projects generally) that BOEM has already decided that it will revoke the COP, Gallagher wrote. But no such decision has yet been made final. US Wind opinion A Commonwealth Court judge is questioning the potential use of AI Hallucinations in a legal brief filed in a lawsuit that aims to roll back protections for gay and transgender Pennsylvanians. Its just a waste of money and time and its an embarrassment for the Knoch School District, said Tim Danehy, a parent of Knoch students. Commonwealth Court Judge Matthew Wolf said in court last week he believed the lawyers for the plaintiffs, which include Knoch School District, South Side Area School District in Beaver County, and Republican State Representative Aaron Bernstine and Barbara Gleim cited quotes from cases that did not exist. Advertisement Advertisement Attorney Thomas King was adamant that his firm did not use made-up AI-generated content in their brief. Using AI in filing a brief that has citations that arent real is a lie. And Tom King emphatically said he did not use AI, and he checked with attorneys, and nobody used AI, Danehy said. So they either used AI and are lying about it, or are just plain lying. If successful, the lawsuit would no longer allow the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission to investigate complaints about discrimination involving sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Attorney Jay Silberblatt provides ethical advice to the Dillon, McCandless, King, Coulter, and Graham law firm. Advertisement Advertisement They have pulled every case cited in their legal documents, the cases exist, the opinions are genuine, the legal argument they have made in their brief are supported by the law of Pennsylvania, Silberblatt told Channel 11s Andrew Havranek. The Dillon McCandless law firm did not utilize any AI-generated hallucinatory case citations or legal principles. There have been cases in other states where that has happened. Reports show a lawyer in Florida was suspended for using AI-hallucinated citations in a legal brief. Another lawyer in Utah was sanctioned, and an attorney in California had to pay a $10,000 fine. Thats not similar to whats, what were discussing with the Dillon McCandless law firm, Silberblatt said. The law firm said it will file an appropriate motion with the Commonwealth Court to further address the judges inquiry. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW The owner of a McPherson County CBD dispensary filed a lawsuit requesting a halt to raids ordered by Kansas Bureau of Investigation director Tony Mattivi, right, and Attorney General Kris Kobach, who are seen talking about the raids during an Oct. 1, 2025, news conference. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA A McPherson County lawsuit filed by a Kansas business owner challenges unconstitutionally vague enforcement operations leading to seizure of cash and hemp-derived products at direction of the states attorney general and director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. KBI director Tony Mattivi and Attorney General Kris Kobach said in October law enforcement officers raided CBD and vape shops to serve more than a dozen search warrants on businesses suspected of not complying with state drug law. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, Mattivi said targeted stores were nothing but weed dealers and the state must enforce our controlled-substance laws when we have these substances causing bad effects on Kansas kids. Barry Grissom and Jake Miller, of a law firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, responded Monday by seeking on behalf of Mike Ballinger, owner of the McPherson CBD store Hanging Leaf, a court injunction to stop comparable raids and to compel return of seized property. The pleadings speak for themselves, said Grissom, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Kansas and advocate for legalizing marijuana sales and consumption in Kansas. Both Mattivi and Kobach, in their official capacity, were named in the filing requesting injunctive relief from recent enforcement actions involving hemp products legally permitted under Kansas law. Advertisement Advertisement On Oct. 1, Mattivi and Kobach disclosed their statewide marijuana enforcement operation focused on vape shops and CBD dispensaries. This law enforcement effort resulted in execution of at least 15 search warrants across Kansas. The lawsuit said authorities seized $7,000 in inventory as well as cash from Hanging Leaf. A portion of cash taken into custody at Hanging Leaf was property of an unrelated business operated by the plaintiff, the suit said. Attorneys for the plaintiff said Kansas law permitted hemp products with no more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. The plaintiff alleged KBI testing with gas chromatography was capable of detecting only the presence of THC and cannot determine the origin of the substance. The suit says the KBI testing regimen improperly resulted in seizure of compliant goods. In addition, the plaintiff asserted unconstitutional vagueness of Kansas law fostered arbitrary enforcement that chills protected business activities. The filing requested raids to be forbidden until the state adopted legal protection for products under 0.3% hemp derived from Delta-9 THC. Because of the overly broad and wide-ranging nature of the search warrants issued as part of the operation, and of Kansas law itself, store owners have had varying amounts of legal products seized with no recourse to recover the products or the potential profits from those products, the lawsuit said. Authorities are searching for a suspect in the killing of Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a prominent physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was shot at his home near Boston. Loureiro, a married 47-year-old from Portugal, was shot Monday night and died Tuesday at a local hospital. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive, and no suspects were in custody as of Wednesday morning, the Norfolk District Attorneys Office said. The shooting in Brookline, Massachusetts, comes days after a deadly attack at another prestigious school in the region, Brown University, where police also haven't identified the suspect who killed two students and wounded nine others. The FBI said it knows of no connection between the two crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Finding solutions to the world's problems Loureiro joined MIT in 2016 and was named last year to lead the schools Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of its largest laboratories. The center has around 250 researchers working across seven buildings and focuses on advancing clean energy technology and other research. The professor grew up in Viseu in central Portugal, studied in Lisbon and earned a doctorate in London, according to the university. Before moving to MIT, he worked at a nuclear fusion research institute in Lisbon. Loureiro studied the behavior of plasma and worked to explain the physics behind astronomical phenomena such as solar flares. His research, according to his obituary on MITs news site, involved the design of fusion devices that could harness the energy of fusing plasmas, bringing the dream of clean, near-limitless fusion power closer to reality. Advertisement Advertisement Its not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanitys biggest problems, Loureiro told the school's news site when he became head of the plasma lab. Fusion energy will change the course of human history. Sadness and shock over Loureiro's death He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner, Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center, told a campus publication. Deepto Chakrabarty, the William A. M. Burden professor in astrophysics and head of the Department of Physics, described him as a champion for plasma physics, a valued colleague and an inspiring mentor to graduate students. Advertisement Advertisement MIT President Sally Kornbluth said the shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places. The Portuguese presidents office also put out a condolence statement calling Loureiro's death an irreparable loss for science and for all those with whom he worked and lived. Killing comes amid search for Brown shooting suspect The investigation into Loureiros killing unfolds as Brown University, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) away in Providence, Rhode Island, continues to reel from Saturdays campus shooting. As the search for the suspect entered its fifth day Wednesday, authorities urged the public to review security or cellphone footage from the week before the attack, saying they believe the gunman may have cased the area beforehand. MANILA, Philippines (AP) The southern Philippines once drew small numbers of foreign militants aligned with al-Qaida or the Islamic State group to train in a secessionist conflict involving minority Muslims in the largely Catholic nation. That backdrop prompted an investigation this week by Australian and Filipino into a recent trip to the southern Philippine region of Mindanao by the father and son accused of gunning down 15 people at Sydneys Bondi Beach on Sunday. Australian police said the attack was inspired by the Islamic State group. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday the IS link assessment was based on evidence obtained, including the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized. Advertisement Advertisement The Bureau of Immigration in Manila said Tuesday that the suspects stayed in the Philippines from Nov. 1 to Nov. 28 with the southern city of Davao as their final destination before flying back to Australia. Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano told The Associated Press without elaborating on Thursday that the suspected gunmen stayed in a budget hotel in downtown Davao city and there was no indication that the two received any training for the attack in the Philippines. There is no valid report or confirmation that the two received any form of military training while in the country and no evidence supports such a claim at present, Ano, a former military chief of staff, said in a statement. He said that "the duration of their stay would not have allowed for any meaningful or structured training. Here is a look at the details of Islamic militancy in the southern Philippines: Advertisement Advertisement Mindanao has a long history of conflict Davao is one of the key cities on the island of Mindanao from which travelers can access interior provinces, which have a history of Muslim rebel attacks in the past. Centuries of colonialism by the Spanish, the United States and Filipino Christian settlers turned Muslims into a minority group in resource-rich Mindanao, the southern third of the archipelago that has seen decades of intermittent but bloody conflicts over land, resources and political power. Since the 1970s, about 150,000 combatants and civilians have died in the southern Philippines while development was stunted in the country's poorest region. Western and Asian governments feared the tenacious insurgencies could help foster Islamic extremism in Southeast Asia. Advertisement Advertisement Among the foreign militants who have sought sanctuary in Mindanao was Umar Patek, an Indonesian and leading member of Jemaah Islamiyah, a network linked to al-Qaida. He was convicted of helping make explosives used in the 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia, that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists including 88 Australians. He was arrested in Pakistan in 2011, according to Philippine security officials. Fierce rebels became administrators The Philippines government and Muslim separatists signed a peace pact in 1996 that allowed thousands of rebels to return to their communities in Mindanao and retain their firearms. A separate peace agreement signed in 2014 provided broader Muslim autonomy in exchange for the gradual deactivation of thousands of fighters. The pact turned some of the fiercest rebel commanders into administrators of a Muslim autonomous region called Bangsamoro. Advertisement Advertisement More importantly, it turned the rebel front into guardians against the Islamic State group and its effort to gain a foothold in Mindanao. Insurgency develops offshoots At least four smaller groups broke off from the two largest Muslim rebel fronts that signed peace deals. The groups included the violent Abu Sayyaf, which would be blacklisted as a terror organization by the U.S. and the Philippines for mass kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and deadly bombings. Most Abu Sayyaf commanders, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, were killed in battle, including a 2017 siege of southern Marawi, a city in Mindanao, by Filipino forces backed by U.S. and Australian surveillance aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Decades of military offensives have considerably weakened Abu Sayyaf and other armed groups and there has been no indication of any presence of foreign militants in the southern Philippines after the last two groups were neutralized in 2023, according to a senior Philippine security official and a confidential joint assessment by the military and police early last year that was seen by the AP. Early this month, the Philippine army reported troops killed a suspected bomb maker and leader of Dawlah Islamiyah-Hassan, a group linked to IS, in southern Maguindanao del Sur province. Sidney Jones, a U.S.-based analyst who has studied Islamic militant movements in Southeast Asia, said that given such militant setbacks it was hard to see why the suspected Bondi Beach attackers would want to train in Mindanao. The level of violence in Mindanao is high, but for the last three years, its almost all been linked to elections, clan feuds, or other sources, Jones said. If I were a would-be ISIS fighter, the Philippines would not have been my top destination. President Donald Trump delivered a speech live from the White House on Wednesday night where he discussed his achievements and touched on some of his agenda for next year and beyond. The presidents predecessor, whom Trump continues to lambaste regularly, figured prominently at the start of his address. Trump pointed to the immigration situation under former President Joe Bidens presidency, as well as inflation and culture issues. This is what the Biden administration allowed to happen to our country, he said, adding: When I took office, I inherited a mess, and Im fixing it. Advertisement Advertisement His remarks are coming at a crucial time as he tries to rebuild his steadily eroding popularity. Public polling shows most U.S. adults are frustrated with his handling of the economy as inflation picked up after his tariffs raised prices and hiring slowed. Trump has previously said he thinks more Americans would back him if they simply heard him describe his track record. Heres the latest: US announces $10 billion in arms sales to Taiwan The massive package of arms sales includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones. Its a move that is sure to infuriate China. The State Department announced the sales late Wednesday during a nationally televised address by Trump, who made scant mention of foreign policy issues and did not speak to trade or other issues with China. Advertisement Advertisement The eight arms sales agreements cover 82 high-mobility artillery rocket systems and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, similar to what the U.S. had been providing Ukraine during the Biden administration to defend itself from Russia. Those systems are worth more than $4 billion. Read more about the arms sale A tale of two presidents in Trumps speech It was Trumps address, but former President Joe Biden got at least a half-dozen mentions in about 18 minutes. Trump repeatedly slammed his Democratic predecessor for leaving a mess on immigration, the economy and international affairs. The speech was a mix of Trump insisting hed solved the nations ills but tacitly acknowledging voter frustrations, especially on inflation and the economy, by blaming Biden and Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement All presidents make comparisons to predecessors, especially when theyre from the opposition party. Biden often noted problems that he took on after defeating Trump in 2020. The question for Trump, who has already seen his job approval ratings slip, is how long he can use Biden as part of his argument to voters. Trump ends by noting sporting events and celebrations coming next year The president sought to end the address on a high note, noting the Olympics and World Cup soccer matches that will take place in the U.S. next year. Next year is also the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Advertisement Advertisement Trump said, There could be no more a fitting tribute to this epic milestone than to complete the comeback of America that began just one year ago. He closed by wishing viewers a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Trump misrepresents energy costs with big claims and promises Energy prices, including for gasoline, have dropped, and they will continue to drop more, Trump promises. But they arent at the levels he claims. Trump claimed an national average gas price of $2.50 per gallon. The AAA average nationally is $2.90. Without providing evidence, Trump also said household energy costs have dropped by $3,000. Advertisement Advertisement Trump promised that within the nest 12 months the U.S. will have opened 1,600 new electrical generating plants reversing what he again called the Democrat inflation disaster. Trump announces warrior dividends for military The president said his administration is sending checks of $1,776 to more than 1.4 million U.S. service members before Christmas. The checks are already on the way, he said. He seemed to imply that the checks were being funded from tariff revenues. We made a lot more money than anybody thought because of tariffs, and the bill helped us along, Trump said, referring to the GOPs major tax cuts legislation it passed earlier this year. Nobody deserves it more than our military, and I say congratulations. Advertisement Advertisement Trump says he will announce a housing plan next year The president said he will put forward some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history, but he offered no details Trump leans into record on immigration Trump used a chunk of his nationwide address to stress his immigration record, including tightening the border to deny entry to immigrants without legal authority to be in the U.S. He made a passing reference to mass deportation, saying his administration is removing criminals. Independent analyses have shown that people without criminal records have been deported. Trump also talked about making some of the most dangerous cities in America safe again as a result of his aggressive approach to illegal immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Tariffs are working, Trump says Trump is sidestepping continued inflation but is insisting that his tariffs are working and will deliver more benefits soon. My favorite word, he said of tariffs, the levies that he has put on various foreign products from China, Canada, Mexico and other U.S. trading partners across the world. Nobody can believe whats going on here, Trump said. Its not done yet, but boy are we making progress. Its clear Trump wants to address consumer angst almost one year into his second presidency. Less of an address and more of a rant The president barely paused to take a breath as he made his way through his prepared remarks, much of which contained complaints about conditions in the country under former President Joe Biden. Advertisement Advertisement One year ago, our country was dead. We were absolutely dead! Trump said. Our country was ready to fail totally fail! Now were the hottest country anywhere in the world. Trump tries to focus on kitchen-table issues After blaming his predecessor, talking about the border and mentioning culture war issues, Trump pivoted back to talking about affordability issues and boasted that prices had fallen under his tenure. He pointed to everyday essentials and luxuries whose costs had declined, such as cars, hotels, airfare and gas. Trump avoided going into specific prices. Trump spends much of the start of his speech blaming Biden Advertisement Advertisement The presidents predecessor, whom Trump continues to lambaste regularly, figured prominently at the start of his address. Trump pointed to the immigration situation under former President Joe Bidens presidency, as well as inflation and culture issues. This is what the Biden administration allowed to happen to our country, he said, adding: When I took office, I inherited a mess, and Im fixing it. Federal judge allows White House ballroom construction to continue U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon has formally denied a request from historic preservationists to immediately halt Trumps construction of a ballroom at the White House. Leon said Wednesday that he is reserving judgment on a motion by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for a block until a hearing hes scheduled for Jan. 15. The organization unsuccessfully argued at a hearing Tuesday that the ballroom plans must go through multiple independent reviews, including by the public and Congress, before construction begins. Leon sided with the government, which said the ballroom plans havent been finalized and above-ground construction wont start until April of next year at the earliest. The administration has said it will submit the plans to review panels before the end of December. Leon warned of consequences for the government if that doesnt happen. US military says strike on alleged drug boat kills 4 in eastern Pacific The U.S. military said Wednesday that it attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people on the same day the House rejected efforts to limit Trumps power to use military force against drug cartels. U.S. Southern Command stated on social media that the vessel was operated by narco-terrorists along a known trafficking route. The military didnt provide evidence behind the allegations. It posted a video of a boat moving through water before there was an explosion. The attack brought the total number of known boat strikes to 26 while at least 99 people have been killed, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Venezuela accuses Trump of violating its sovereignty Venezuelas U.N. Ambassador Samuel Moncada said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that no head of state or government had ever come up with the deranged idea that the Venezuelan national territory, including its oil fields and other assets, belonged to them. The delirium increases with the ultimatum that if Venezuela does not surrender to its will, our nation will then be attacked by their military forces, he said. Moncada cited Trumps post on Truth Social on Tuesday and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Millers statement Wednesday that Venezuelas entire oil industry belongs to the U.S. and demanding its return. This means that the U.S. government is claiming the worlds largest oil reserves as its own, in what would be one of the greatest acts of plunder in human history, Moncada said. He called it a confession of a crime of aggression on a large scale and a grotesque offense that violates every norm of civilization and the U.N. Charter. Jack Smith wraps up hours of closed-door testimony over his investigations of Trump The former special counsel fielded rounds of questions that Democrats said reinforced his case against Trumps handling of the 2020 elections and the Jan. 6. 2021, attack on the Capitol. But the daylong session left some Republicans with more to understand about his investigations. Smiths attorney Lanny Breuer said afterward that any person who listened today to the deposition would know without any doubt that Jack Smiths investigation was based purely on the facts and the law and the evidence, nothing more and nothing less. Smiths team abandoned the cases after Trump was elected to the White House last year, citing Justice Department legal opinions that say a sitting president cannot be indicted. Family of interpreter killed in Syria met with Trump and Hegseth Dina Qiryaqoz, daughter of the civilian interpreter who was killed in Syria on Saturday, said she and two of her siblings met with Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth privately Wednesday. She described the meeting as comforting and assuring, with both strongly condemning the attack and expressing gratitude for her fathers service. He seemed like he really cared about my dad and the other soldiers that were unfortunately killed during this attack, she said of Trump in an interview Wednesday following the dignified transfer, a ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action, at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Trump joined families members there as the remains of the two Iowa National Guard members and the interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, were brought to the U.S. I honestly have felt his presence with us through this whole day, Qiryaqoz said of her father. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino plans to resign next month Bongino says hell resign from the bureau next month, ending a brief tenure in which he clashed with the Justice Department over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. He was also forced to reconcile the realities of his law enforcement job with provocative claims he made in his prior role as a popular podcast host. The departure, which has been expected, would be among the highest-profile resignations of the Trump administration. It comes as FBI leadership has been buffeted by criticism over Director Kash Patels use of a government plane for personal purposes and social media posts about active investigations. Read more about the FBI deputy directors departure Ghislaine Maxwell is asking a federal judge to free her from her 20-year prison sentence Jeffrey Epsteins ex-girlfriend and longtime associate says substantial new evidence has emerged to prove there were constitutional violations at her trial that prevented her exoneration on sex trafficking charges. The request in the form of a habeas petition in Manhattan federal court comes just two days before evidence gathered for her trial four years ago is set to be released publicly as a result of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Epstein, a millionaire financier, was arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges. A month later, he was found dead in his cell at a New York federal jail, and the death was ruled a suicide. Maxwell, a British socialite, was arrested a year later and was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021. Trump administration cancels health grants to doctors group that criticized vaccine policy changes Federal health officials have canceled millions of dollars in grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics a strong and steady critic of Trump administration vaccine policies. Leaders of the medical organization learned this week that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are ending seven grants. The money funded work on adolescent health, mental health, early identification of autism and other topics. A HHS spokesman said the grants were terminated because they no longer align with the Departments mission or priorities. AAP officials say they are considering legal action or other possible responses. The Washington Post first reported the funding terminations. Trump fumes anew about Venezuelas seizure of US oil company assets as he makes case for blockade Under Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros predecessor, Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan government seized assets from some American oil companies after the country nationalized oil fields in 2007. Trump on Wednesday assailed his White House predecessors for not pushing back against Venezuela earlier and that his intention is getting land, oil rights, whatever we had returned by the government in Caracas. They took it away because we had a president that maybe wasnt watching. But theyre not going to do that again, He added, We want it back. They took our oil rightswe had a lot of oil there. As you know they threw our companies out, and we want it back. Trump signals Bonginos forthcoming departure from FBI Trump has signaled that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino intends to leave his position soon. Asked Wednesday about reports that Bongino intended to resign, Trump said, Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show, referring to Bonginos prior career as a popular conservative podcaster. Trump also insisted that he has confidence in FBI Director Kash Patel, who has faced criticism in recent weeks over his use of a government plane for personal purposes and social media posts about active investigations. Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration policies limiting lawmakers access to ICE facilities A federal judge in the nations capital has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing policies limiting members of Congress access to immigration detention facilities. The judge ruled on Wednesday that it is likely illegal for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to demand a weeks notice from members of Congress seeking to visit and observe conditions in ICE facilities. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden, concluded that the seven-day notice requirement also likely exceeds the Department of Homeland Securitys statutory authority. Twelve members of Congress sued in Washington, D.C., in July to challenge ICEs amended visitor policies after they were denied entry to detention facilities. Government attorneys argued that the plaintiffs dont have legal standing to bring their claims. Melania Trump releases the trailer for an upcoming documentary on the 20 days before she became first lady again Just over a minute in length, the trailer opens with a scene from Inauguration Day as she waited to be escorted into the Capitol Rotunda for the ceremony. She then turns, looks into the camera and in a low voice says, Here we go again. The clip from Melania: Twenty Days to History shows her giving the president advice as he practices his speech, reviewing sketches of her inaugural gown and appearing with their son, Barron, among many other scenes from the 20 days before she resumed the role of first lady. The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner and distributed by Amazon Prime Video. The trailer says it will be exclusively in theaters on Jan. 30. Read more about the film Trump admin moves to break up climate research center in Colorado White House budget director Russ Vought described the National Center for Atmospheric Research as one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country and said a comprehensive review is underway. Vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location. The research lab, which houses the largest federal research program on climate change, supports research to predict, prepare for and respond to severe weather and other natural disasters. A senior White House official accused the lab of a woke direction that wastes taxpayer funds on what the official called frivolous pursuits and ideologies, including one project that aimed to make the sciences more inclusive and justice-centered. Katharine Hayhoe at Texas Tech University said that for climate scientists, the lab is quite literally our global mothership. DOE watchdog will audit $8B in canceled clean energy grants An internal watchdog in the U.S. Department of Energy will investigate the Trump administrations termination of nearly $8 billion in grants for clean energy projects across more than a dozen states. Sarah Nelson, assistant inspector general for the Energy Departments Office of Inspector General, said in a letter to members of Congress on Wednesday that the audit will help ensure that these activities are conducted consistently with applicable laws, regulations, and Departmental policies and procedures. The Energy Department announced in October that 321 funding awards across 223 projects were canceled across 16 targeted states, all of which supported former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Several Democratic members of Congress from California later requested the acting inspector general launch an investigation on the basis of significant unlawful bias across the cuts. Dignified transfer has ended Trump and military officials offered a final salute to the fallen guardsmen and interpreter as the solemn ritual ended. The president, who traveled to Dover several times in his first term, once described the dignified transfer as the toughest thing I have to do as president. Trump salutes fallen soldiers, interpreter at dignified transfer at Dover Trump, with head bowed, briefly stood with other military officials at the foot of the ramp of the C-17 as the ritual began. The president and other military officials saluted as the flag-draped cases holding the two Iowa guardsmen, Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, as well as interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, were transferred from the belly of the aircraft to awaiting vehicles on the Dover tarmac. No change to list of foreign terrorist organizations after Trump announcement on Venezuela Theres been no change Wednesday to the list of foreign terrorist organizations after Trump said the Venezuelan Regime has been designated as one. Trump said that when announcing a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers into and out of Venezuela. Officials at several national security agencies were told not to take Trumps remarks about the designation literally and that they should be treated as a figure of speech, according to one U.S. official involved in the discussions. That official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal interagency communications, also stressed that the blockade Trump announced on Venezuelan oil tankers applies only to previously sanctioned vessels against which certain actions are already authorized, such as the seizure last week of one such ship. The State Department, which oversees the foreign terror list, didnt respond to requests for clarification. The list most recently was updated with Colombia-based drug cartel Clan del Golfo. Republicans more likely to support action in international waters than inside Venezuela A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found that Republicans are much more divided on U.S. military action inside Venezuela than U.S. military attacks to kill suspected drug smugglers on boats in international waters. About half of Republican voters support U.S. military action inside Venezuela, while about 8 in 10 support military attacks on suspected drug smugglers in international waters. Democrats and independents are broadly opposed to U.S. military action in both international waters and inside Venezuela, but there arent major partisan differences in how closely voters are following the news related to Venezuela. Most oppose US military action inside Venezuela, new Quinnipiac poll finds U.S. military action targeting Venezuela isnt broadly popular, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. The survey found that about half of registered voters oppose U.S. military attacks to kill suspected drug smugglers on boats in international waters, while about 4 in 10 are in support. Military action inside Venezuela is even more unpopular, with about 6 in 10 voters opposed and only about one-quarter in support. About 4 in 10 voters are following news about the U.S. military buildup and actions in the Caribbean and Pacific targeting Venezuela very closely. About one-third are following it somewhat closely and about one-quarter are following not too closely. Trump holds 2028 Olympic talks on flight to dignified transfer Kevin McCarthy, who served as speaker for nearly 10 months in 2023, flew aboard Air Force One with Trump to Dover Air Force Base. Trump and McCarthy, a Republican from California, were on the books to meet on Wednesday at the White House before the dignified transfer was scheduled to discuss the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, according to a White House official. Rather than cancel, Trump invited McCarthy to come along and conduct their meeting on the plane, according to the official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Casey Wasserman, who is heading the organizing committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, also joined Trump for the trip to Dover White House explains plaques under presidential portraits in Trumps newly installed portrait walkway The plaques are eloquently written descriptions of each President and the legacy they left behind. As a student of history, many were written directly by the President himself, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement. The plaques frequently use phrases, punctuation and the capitalization of words similar to the presidents writing style in his social media posts. Former special counsel Smith testifying about his investigation into Jan. 6 Smith has been testifying for more than three hours behind closed doors at the House Judiciary Committee, and hes being asked and answering questions about his investigations into Trump, particularly over election interference in the run-up to the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol. Smith wanted to appear publicly and Democrats say theres a reason Republicans are keeping his deposition private. It would have been absolutely devastating to the president and all the presidents men involved in the insurrectionary activities of January the 6th, said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the panel. Democrats are demanding that Smiths testimony be made public, along with his full report on the investigation. The American people should hear for themselves, said Rep. Dan Goldman, D-NY. Trump adds partisan plaques to presidential portraits outside Rose Garden A couple months ago, Trump refashioned the colonnade that runs from the West Wing to the residence into what he calls the Presidential Walk of Fame. Now, there are new plaques underneath each portrait describing each leader in rather Trumpian terms. Former President Barack Obama is labeled one of the most divisive political figures in American history. Former President Joe Bidens plaque repeats false claims that Biden took office as a result of the most corrupt election ever. And the plaque below former President George W. Bushs portrait decries that Bush started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which should not have happened. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about how and why the new plaques were developed. UN chief calls for immediate de-escalation of US-Venezuela dispute and diplomatic solution Secretary-General Antonio Guterres focus is on avoiding any escalation of situation, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Wednesday when asked about the legality of Trumps order of a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers into Venezuela. We are looking at what the applicable laws are but certainly the parties have to abide by the U,N. Charter, Haq told U.N. reporters. The Charter requires all 193 U.N. member nations including the an d United States and Venezuela to refrain from the use of force against all other nations and settle all disputes peacefully. We want any escalatory steps to be avoided, Haq said. At this stage, its critical to continue diplomatic engagement and pursue a peaceful way forward through dialogue. He said Guterres is following the situation very closely and engaging with relevant parties. Navy Admiral who ordered boat strike briefs congressional committees Adm. Frank Mitch Bradley gave a classified briefing and showed video of a Sept. 2 strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack on an alleged drug boat to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Several Republican senators emerged from the meeting backing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his decision not to release the video publicly, but other GOP lawmakers stayed silent on their opinion of the strike. Democrats are calling for part of the video to be released publicly and for every member of Congress to have access to the full footage. US, Qatar hold strategic dialogue talks as Trump pushes implementation of Gaza peace plan Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani led Wednesdays discussions at the State Department, which came as Qatar is playing an increasingly important role in organizing Trumps so-called Board of Peace for the territory and an international force to provide security there. The two men reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Qatar, and discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation on shared economic and security goals, the State Department said in a statement after the meeting. Rubio expressed appreciation for Qatars role in supporting American objectives in the Middle East, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere, and reiterated both countries desire for close collaboration on shared goals, it said. In late September, Trump signed an executive order committing the U.S. to broad security guarantees for Qatars sovereignty and territorial integrity. That took place after Israel launched military strikes against Hamas operatives in Doha, outraging the Qataris and other Arab nations. SHANGHAI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - MetaX Integrated Circuits jumped 700% in its Shanghai market debut as the Chinese AI chipmaker tapped into strong momentum triggered by Beijing's push to reduce reliance on chips from U.S. firms Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Founded by former AMD executives, MetaX raised roughly $600 million in an initial public offering last week, days after larger rival Moore Threads debuted with a 400% pop. More from Yahoo Scout How does China's AI chip self-sufficiency drive impact IPOs? What technology gaps does MetaX face versus rivals? Why are Chinese AI chipmakers rushing to go public? What drove MetaX's 700% stock surge on debut? MetaX opened at 700 yuan a share in Shanghai versus an IPO price of 104.66 yuan, before surging as high as 895 yuan, defying persistent AI bubble concerns in other markets. The stock ended the trading session at 829.9 yuan, up 693%. "It's another IPO tale in China that turns a crow into a phoenix," said fund manager Yang Tingwu at Tongheng Investment. The price surge "creates huge arbitrage opportunities" for pre-IPO investors, Yang said, and "we're likely witnessing the stock's peak level for the next five years". Makers of artificial intelligence (AI) chips are rushing to sell shares in China to capitalise on interest generated by a government drive to boost local production in competition with the U.S. "AI and semiconductors are key areas of competition in the Sino-U.S. tech rivalry," Guotai Haitong Securities said in a report ahead of MetaX's listing. "Against the backdrop of geopolitical tension, AI chipmaking has huge growth potential," as China seeks to achieve self-sufficiency. Researcher Frost & Sullivan forecast China AI chip sales to top $189 billion by 2029 versus $54 billion in 2026. POLICYMAKERS PUSH AI SELF-SUFFICIENCY MetaX, which makes graphics processing units (GPUs), raised 4.2 billion yuan ($596 million) last week in a share sale that was more than 4,000 times oversubscribed by retail investors. The IPO - China's sixth biggest so far this year, according to KPMG - priced the money-losing startup at 50 times its 2024 sales. That compared with a multiple of 34 for Nvidia and 14 for AMD, MetaX said in a pre-listing statement. MetaX's debut catapulted the value of the five-year-old startup to more than 300 billion yuan ($42.58 billion) and boosted the wealth of founder and major shareholder Chen Weiliang, 49. After working for AMD Shanghai for 13 years, Chen founded MetaX with a mission to "contribute to China's rejuvenation and national prosperity." The founding team also included Peng Li and Yang Jian, both former AMD engineers. "The company is a leading GPU maker in China thanks to its AMD gene," Li Hui, analyst at Huajin Securities, said in a report ahead of MetaX's listing. State lawmakers gave good marks to Tennessee State University during a Tuesday joint Government Operations Committee meeting. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) Tennessee lawmakers gave Tennessee State University a vote of confidence Tuesday, just a year after the states only historically Black university needed help to pay its bills following decades of underfunding. A joint Government Operations committee voted unanimously to extend the universitys board of trustees for three years, up from the typical two-year extension. The move represented a shift in support for the universitys leadership after lawmakers voted in February 2024 to replace the previous board and forced former President Glenda Glover to resign amid questions about financial and enrollment mismanagement. Advertisement Advertisement Nashville businessman Dwayne Tucker was hired after an interim president resigned when state leaders found out he signed two $800,000 consulting contracts with Glover when she left the post. The committee heaped praise on TSU officials Tuesday, marking an about-face from a late 2022 hearing in which senators bashed Glover for mishandling an aggressive scholarship program on the heels of the COVID pandemic and causing a student housing crunch. Democratic state Rep. Harold Love of Nashville called the move an indication that the legislature has confidence in the direction Tennessee State University is going. TSU Board of Trustees Chairperson Dakasha Winton told lawmakers Tuesday the toughest task was figuring out where to start in transforming the universitys operations. Part of the task was to settle on enrollment figures and tuition expenses that would allow the university to flourish. We recognize these challenges did not arise overnight, Winton said, adding resolving them wouldnt happen immediately either. Advertisement Advertisement A land grant university funding study determined the state shorted TSU by as much as $544 million over the course of a century. A subsequent federal study showed TSU was cut short by $2.1 billion over about 30 years. Constantly short on money, TSU has survived over the years by borrowing money from its foundation. The legislature funded a $2 million audit of the university when the Comptrollers office continued to find the same budget problems yearly. A recent audit of TSU showed it resolved four major problems but made 11 findings repeated from previous years. For instance, former management lacked controls, oversight and knowledge over accounting ledgers and related systems, weaknesses that created an error-prone environment that made it hard to identify problems, causing enormous complexity in tracking the simplest activities. Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the audit said, Management continued to allow a breakdown of controls related to financial reporting and has not corrected control deficiencies noted in the prior nine audits. The university also overcharged and undercharged students for courses and failed to properly refund some students who withdrew from classes, the audit found. Comptroller Jason Mumpower, who has worked closely with Tucker to reshape TSUs financial situation, blamed previous administrations for the continuing problems. Since being appointed, Tucker and the new board have been trying to understand the issues they inherited, Mumpower said. Advertisement Advertisement While it is too early to measure long-term results, early indications show a willingness to confront longstanding problems, increase transparency, and cooperate with state oversight partners, Mumpower said. TSU signed an operating agreement with the state in June, shortly after approving a 6% increase in tuition and fees. The memorandum allowed the university to use $96 million for operations over three years, part of a $250 million grant the legislature made in 2022 for campus maintenance. The state also approved a $43 million infusion into TSUs operating budget in November 2024 to make payroll and prop up the university for the rest of the budget year. Mumpower said last year the university should sell the Avon Williams Campus in downtown Nashville and property at John Tune Airport to make ends meet. Advertisement Advertisement TSU officials disagreed with the idea and under Tuckers direction requested approval of funds remaining from the campus grant to keep operating. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Days after a private meeting at the state Capitol at which top Republicans announced a partnership between the state of Tennessee and right-wing group Turning Point USA to form chapters at every public high school, Gov. Bill Lee says he is unaware of any plan to do so. Im not aware of a formalized plan, no, Lee told reporters at a stop in Springfield on Dec. 16. The governor said while he appreciates the groups work, he is not aware of such an arrangement. Advertisement Advertisement Turning Point is an organization that is advocating for young people engaging in civil discourse. We need that in this country, Lee said. As far as a formal partnership, I dont know about that," he said, "but I do know that theyre doing good work across the state to engage young people, and we need more organizations to do that. Gov. Bill Lee takes questions from reporters outside Hangar 13 Distillery in Ashland City, Tennessee, on Dec. 16, 2025. Chapter at Oak Ridge High As reported last month, the Oak Ridge Board of Education approved the creation of three student-requested clubs on Nov. 17, including a Turning Point USA chapter at Oak Ridge High School. Chairperson Laura McLean said the school board approves new clubs at almost every monthly board meeting. The clubs must be student-requested, organized and driven. Under equal access rules, she said, the board cannot refuse requests to approve clubs based upon beliefs or religions. Advertisement Advertisement "In this Turning Point chapter, we will focus on making the younger generation aware of what's going on in America," the student requesting the club wrote on the new club form. "We will make sure to keep conversations civil, and make sure everyone is on the same page." Gov. Lee's office has not responded to questions about whether he would support state partnerships to establish campus chapters of youth groups like IGNITE National, a group that prepares young women to run for office, the ACLUs Youth Liberty Squad, or High School Democrats of America. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, said he was speaking on behalf of Lee as he announced the state would work with the conservative nonprofit group Turning Point USA "with a shared goal of establishing Turning Point chapters at every high school, every college, every university campus in our great state in honor of Charlie Kirk. Johnson announced the partnership at a private meeting at the state Capitol on Dec. 12, alongside Turning Point USAs political director Josh Thifault and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Johnson said at the meeting that the state of Tennessee would defend the student groups in court if administrators resisted their establishments something that could cost taxpayers a pretty penny. Advertisement Advertisement It's unclear why Turning Point USA would need the state's help defending the group's First Amendment rights in court. The group brought in $84 million in revenue in 2024, according to the latest available tax filings. Neither Lee's office nor Johnson's office have responded to questions on why it would be the state's role to defend the First Amendment rights of a private nonprofit student group. More: TN leaders plan Turning Point USA groups at all high schools, colleges After the meeting, activist and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, who is a paid contributor for Turning Point USA and is paid speaking fees for engagements at campus events, posted a video at the Capitol announcing the partnership with the state. Advertisement Advertisement Okay, we just got to the state Capitol, where were announcing a very special and exciting partnership between Turning Point USA and the state of Tennessee, Gaines said. With this partnership, were going to see every high school in Tennessee have a Club America chapter. Blackburn also touted the states new partnership in social media posts. Charlies legacy will empower a new generation of patriotic Americans, and Im thrilled Tennessee is partnering with TPUSA to ensure every public high school has a Club America chapter, Blackburn wrote. The Tennessee Department of Education has not responded to multiple inquiries about the partnership or what it could entail. Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 16, Lee seemed unaware of its existence. I made a video just welcoming them generally to this event because I knew I wasnt going to be there. Im happy for the work they do, supportive of the concepts of that organization, Lee said. But Johnson is standing by his comments asserting that the state will partner with the group. Senator Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, express his support towards the ELVIS act at Robert's Western World during signing day in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 21, 2024. Turning Point USA is a grassroots organization. Students may voluntarily form chapters on their campuses with others who also wish to celebrate the founding principles of our great nation, Johnson said. The state of Tennessee stands ready to support those patriotic students efforts and ensure their constitutional rights are respected. Advertisement Advertisement Asked whether the state governments intervention in the operations of a private student organization is consistent with the values of limited government espoused by conservatives and Turning Point USA itself, Johnson said that it is. Partnering with Turning Point USA to support the expansion of Club America chapters in high schools across Tennessee reflects our commitment to the founding ideas of free speech, limited government and liberty the values Charlie Kirk stood for, he said. Vivian Jones covers state government and politics at The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com. The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith contributed to this story. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lee not aware' of any plan for Turning Point USA at all high schools Since proposing them in 2019, Gov. Bill Lee has always described Tennessee's Education Savings Accounts school voucher program as an empowerment tool for low-income families. But now, Lee supports removing the income cap that keeps his three-county ESA program targeted at low- and middle-income families. This year, the income cap for ESAs limits the program to those earning $81,120 for a family of four, slightly above the state median household income. Advertisement Advertisement Tennessees new school choice voucher program, Education Freedom Scholarships, has a much higher income cap for half the slots, and no cap for 10,000 recipients. The state does not track or report family income brackets for those scholarship recipients, so the average family income for that program is unknown. Lee says both programs should be expanded without regard to income. Im very supportive of the expansion of the ability for parents to decide whats best for their kids, Lee told reporters in Ashland City on Dec. 16. [Education Savings Accounts] can expand any number of ways, Lee said, when asked about possible proposals coming in the 2026 legislative session. Gov. Bill Lee answers questions from the press during his visit at Clarksville Christian School in Clarksville, Tenn., Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Currently, the program offers scholarships of $9,800 to students in Davidson, Hamilton and Shelby counties who meet an income limit. Students must be entering kindergarten for the first time or must be moving from a public to a private school. Participants are required to take the TCAP exam. Advertisement Advertisement There are currently 4,794 students enrolled in the program, according to the Tennessee Department of Education. By law beginning next year, Tennessee can fund up to 15,000 Education Savings Accounts. In 2019, Lee introduced the idea of Education Savings Accounts during his State of the State address by sharing that one in three students born into poverty does not finish high school, and low-income students deserve the same opportunities as other kids. ESAs will enable low-income students from the most under-performing school districts to attend an independent school of their choice at no cost to their family, Lee said in 2019. Removing the income cap to let families of significantly higher income apply would fundamentally change the nature of the program. Advertisement Advertisement Lee says the program will still be accessible to low-income families even without an income limit. [ESAs] have been a program that are primarily focused on low income families, and that will continue to be the case, Lee said on Dec. 16. Pressed on whether the target population would change if the income cap is removed, as even the highest income earners would be eligible, Lee reiterated that choices are important for everyone. Well, low income families will still have access to that, he said. It will still be a program that provides choices for low-income families. We just need to provide more choices, he added. Im supportive of the efforts to expand school choice across the state. Tennesseans are supportive of that. Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this year, Lee said he wants the legislature to fund more than the existing 20,000 Education Freedom Scholarships next year. He indicated on Dec. 16 that hed like the program to double in size. There was an overwhelming demand for the Education Freedom Scholarships, Lee said, referencing the 42,000 applications it received. We should meet that demand if we can, and I think thats what the legislature will take up. Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lee wants to end income cap for Education Savings Accounts Let Floridians sue for lack of vaccines State Rep. Monique Miller is proposing a new law that would allow people to sue if harmed by a vaccine. But I think Miller should also propose a new law that would allow anyone who gets polio or another life-threatening disease to sue because of a lack of preventive vaccines. Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, looks on as Joseph Ladapo, right, speaks after being appointed as Florida's surgeon general in September 2021. And I believe this new law should have no statute of limitations. Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo should be listed among the defendants in these lawsuits for encouraging vaccine denialism in Florida. Advertisement Advertisement This law should also expand the crime of child abuse to prosecute parents who deny their children vaccines that have been administered for generations and have led to the elimination of horrible, devastating diseases such as polio. In The Free State of Florida, the inmates have taken over the asylum. Stuart Sinai, Longboat Key Sinai is a longtime lawyer based in Michigan. Herald-Tribune: How to send a letter to the editor This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: DeSantis, Ladapo will spread disease. Let Floridians sue them | Letter Democrats held onto a state Senate seat in Kentucky that was vacated earlier this year when David Yates stepped down to serve as Jefferson County Clerk. The special election Tuesday night pitted Democrat Gary Clemons, an Army veteran and union leader, against Republican Calvin Leach, another Army veteran who had run previously against Clemons. The southwest Louisville district leans heavily Democratic, and the party was looking to keep its special election winning streak going. Advertisement Advertisement Follow the live results 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 The Hill. Dec. 17MOSES LAKE Washington 13th District legislators previewed what they see as the challenges of the upcoming 2026 session at a meeting with Moses Lake city officials and residents Tuesday. State Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, and Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, along with Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, outlined some of their plans and ideas as well as the major business of the 2026 legislative session. Warnick said the state faces some challenges. "In Washington, we have to have a balanced budget. And the first quarter of 2025, we were out of balance already. Three months into it," Warnick said. "We're going to be in trouble. And now, with everything that's going on with the weather, we're in more deep water. Literally." Advertisement Advertisement Dent said the budget shortfall will mean legislators have some hard work ahead of them. "It's going be a challenge. A major challenge for all of us (and) the other side as well. We're in a deep, deep financial hole," Dent said. "One thing the legislature struggles with is priorities. If we're going to have a balanced budget, we need priorities. That's going to be the challenge, is how we get there." Ybarra agreed that the 2026 legislative session will be a challenge, but added that a conversation with a constituent helped him put the job of the legislators in perspective. The woman has cancer and is having trouble getting the treatment covered by her insurance. Ybarra said he asked her for the information on her case and her insurance company. "We're going to try and work it," he said. "That's why I do this job it's folks like that." Advertisement Advertisement All three legislators said there's a lot going on and a lot of issues for the 2026 session, which is scheduled for 60 days. The 2026 session begins Jan. 12. Warnick said she's had discussions with Gov. Bob Ferguson on possible plans for the existing Samaritan Hospital. The new hospital is scheduled to open in March. "We don't want to see the older building go to waste, so we're working with the governor to try to see if there's some funding that we can use for whatever purpose," she said. Surveys have identified a need for mental health treatment services, she said. "That's my goal, to find better, and more, mental health facilities, and especially for our children. There's nothing for young people under the age of 18," she said. "We pretty much have to go out of the area for that." Advertisement Advertisement Dent said a bill he voted for, which was designed to help children in the foster care system, hasn't worked out as he hoped. "It seemed like a good idea, and since that's happened, the data we're seeing doesn't look as good as it did. I have a bill that's going to take a look at that and change some of the metrics." The original sponsor of the bill approves of Dent's proposal, he said. "What will probably happen is, we'll get together when we get to (the) session, and there will be some collaboration," he said. "In the legislature, that doesn't happen a lot. We don't back up and look at mistakes we made. We just put our head down (and) keep going." Advertisement Advertisement Ybarra said the state's carbon reduction rules are an example of a miscalculation that legislators hesitate to fix. State officials wanted to discourage the use of fuel sources that produce carbon, but Ybarra said he told program proponents that there weren't enough alternative energy resources to supply the demand. "They said, 'We do have replacements, wind and solar.' They said, 'Alex, we know what we're doing. We're going to go forward; this is going to work.' And I said, 'It's not going to work,'" Ybarra said. Parts of the state have experienced power interruptions, he said, because the replacement technologies are not reliable. "We need to change," he said. "What I've been doing is working with the folks (in Grant County) to bring in a natural gas plant with carbon sequester. That's a natural gas plant that makes electricity, with carbon sequesters to capture the carbon. When they burn natural gas, the carbon goes in there." Advertisement Advertisement All three legislators said they had other issues of importance, ranging from childcare regulation to adequate services for youths in juvenile detention. Dent said overtime rules in agriculture are an important issue for farmers and farmworkers alike. "We can find a way that works for everybody, which is what we truly need. We're not going to repeal this. We're not going to get rid of it. Maybe we can find a way to ease the pain and make it work." Ybarra, a former Quincy School Board member, said he's interested in restoring funding for higher education and continuing education in general. Advertisement Advertisement Moses Lake city officials had a list of requests for funding for some projects and legislative help with others. Adequate water resources and help with transportation were among them. Warnick said cooperation is critical to addressing water issues "We can do it if we work together," she said. "It's been proven in the other part of our district (with) the Yakima Basin integrated plan. It starts at the top of Snoqualmie Pass and works all the way down into the Yakima area. They do it by working together, working with the tribes, farmers, municipalities and government institutions." Mayor Dustin Swartz said city officials have some concerns about access to Interstate 90 around Moses Lake, especially the area around Broadway Avenue and Hansen Road. The Hansen Road overpass is in need of repairs, Swartz said. Advertisement Advertisement Dent, who is on the House Transportation Committee, said Hansen Road is one of a long list of transportation projects, both regionally and statewide. He cited State Route 243 around Mattawa, State Route 28 between Ephrata and Wenatchee and State Route 17. All need improvements, and roadwork is expensive, he said. "How are we going to fix this stuff? How are we going to get there? How are we going to finance these things? That's the challenge," he said. "If you have a great idea for transportation revenue, please share it with me." Kentucky state Senator-Elect Gary Clemons addresses his supporters Tuesday evening. (Photo provided by Clemons' campaign) A Louisville union president kept a Kentucky Senate seat in Democratic hands in Tuesdays special election. The party heralded what it characterized as Gary Clemons overperformance in the district as a sign of growing support for Democrats. Clemons, the president of the Steelworkers Local 1693, won the election for the 37th Kentucky Senate District with about 72% of the vote, according to unofficial results. The Republican candidate who previously sought the seat, retired Army veteran Calvin Leach, received 25% of the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Overall, 5,181 votes were cast in the special election. Tonight, the people of Senate District 37 sent a clear message: they want a fighter in Frankfort who will stand up for working families, not corporate interests and greed, Clemons said in a statement. Im honored by the trust voters have placed in me, and Im ready to go fight for jobs, childcare, healthcare, and all the things Kentuckys working families need. For far too long Wall Street greed has crushed working families in Frankfort. This is just the beginning of reclaiming our state for regular working people. The Louisville Democratic Party nominated Clemons to run for the seat, which opened after former Senate Democratic Whip David Yates was appointed as Jefferson County clerk earlier this year. Yates had launched a campaign for the local office in the spring, but it became vacant after late Republican Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw died in September. Kentuckys top Democrat, Gov. Andy Beshear, said online that Clemons victory continued the trend of Democrats outperforming previous elections by wide margins all over the country. Advertisement Advertisement By comparison, former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by six points in the 2024 election. Yates was also on the ballot in the district last year, and received 60% of the vote to Leachs 40%. About 42,000 ballots were cast in that election. Shortly after Louisville Republicans nominated Leach for this years election, Louisville Public Media reported on his previous blog posts that said millennial females arent wife material and described the vast majority of young women as promiscuous skanks with no moral compass. Clemons will join a Democratic caucus with six seats in the Kentucky Senate. Republicans hold 32 seats, as well as a supermajority in the House. The 2026 legislative session begins in early January. Louisville Democrat Sen. Gerald Neal, the minority floor leader, said in a statement that Clemons campaign was authentic, grounded in working peoples real struggles, and unafraid to call out the policies that are hurting Kentucky families. Advertisement Advertisement The Kentucky Senate Democratic Caucus Campaign Committee invested in this race because we knew Garys message would resonate, Neal added. Tonight proves that when we organize, invest in infrastructure, and run on what matters to peoples lives, we win. Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge said in a statement that South Louisville voters sent a message that they are fed up with Republicans ignoring, undermining and demeaning the workers that have built Kentuckys economy, and want their elected leaders to focus on affordability, common sense and compassion. First things first: Heng Guan is an international human rights hero. Hes a man who chose, for no reason other than that he felt compelled to expose injustice, to put himself at grave personal risk in order to document the human rights violationseventually described by the United States as a genocideof the Uyghur people in Chinas western Xinjiang province. For going on a decade now, the Muslim Uyghurs have been rounded up into massive camps and compounds (estimates are 1 to 3 million in detention) by direct order of Beijing, reeducated, split apart, dispersed and suppressed. Knowledge of the human rights abuses has been tightly suppressed as well, through the Chinese governments all-encompassing intimidation campaigns of mass surveillance and censorship, police violence and more. Heng Guan, a 38-year-old Chinese native of Henan Province, wanted to see what the truth was after bypassing online government firewalls, so he traveled the length of China with his camera in order to surreptitiously capture video of the campsfootage that would become instrumental to Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting about the Uyghur genocide. Guan did all of this while knowing that the result would very likely be that he would never see his family again, as he would be forced to flee China in order to escape government persecution if he published his videos. And so, he set out on a global journey to reach the United States, in order to share his footage. And now, just over four years later, and despite a progressing asylum case, the United States and ICE are preparing to deport Heng Guan to Uganda, where he will almost certainly then be sent back to China. And should that happen, to quote Guans own mother: If he gets deported, hes really dead. In a perfect encapsulation of the clumsy cruelty of the U.S. deportation apparatus, Heng Guan was arrested by ICE in August in a raid where he wasnt even the target being sought. Immigration agents were instead looking for his roommate, but Guan was detained as well despite presenting his work permit, state of NY drivers license and papers related to his asylum case. None of that mattered to ICE: All they cared about is that Guan had entered by sea and could not produce an I-94 entry record form. Hes been in detainment ever since, eventually at the Broome County Jail of Binghamton, NY. After an immigration hearing in NYC on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security has reportedly filed a motion to pretermitto close Guans asylum applicationafter which it would deport him to Uganda a strong strategic ally of China. In effect, its the equivalent of handing Guan straight back to Chinese authorities for summary execution. Heng Guans Incredible Escape You cant truly appreciate the selfless actions of Heng Guan in gathering and sharing evidence of the Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang without understanding the commitment it required for him to travel to the United States and release his 20-minute, self-edited documentary, which is still available on YouTube. This man had to bounce around the globe, and eventually spend his lifes savings just to stumble out of a beach onto U.S. shores, having no idea what he would find there. Advertisement Advertisement In order to get out of China, Guan first traveled to Hong Kong in July of 2021. From there, he flew to Ecuador, one of the few countries available to him that offered visa-free entry to Chinese tourists at the time. He ultimately stayed there for two months, in order to complete both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that were necessary for further international travel. From Ecuador, he went to another country he could enter without a visa, the Bahamas. It was as close as he could get to U.S. shores, approximately 85 miles as a straight line to the southern tip of Florida. He needed a boat to cross that distance, and originally planned to order an inexpensive one from China, but his expiring temporary visa forced Guan to spend nearly the entirety of his remaining savings locally to buy a tiny inflatable boat and an outboard motor. The man had never sailed in his life, but that didnt stop him from setting out vaguely westward, without the faintest idea of what he was doing. He drifted at sea for almost a full day, wondering if he would simply be arrested as soon as he reached the shore of a country where hed never set foot before. Heng Guan made landfall on the Florida coast the following morning. Panicking at the thought of apprehension, he left nearly everything behind except for a backpack with his technological equipment. As he hid in the bushes, watching a Coast Guard patrol boat pass by, he knew that at the very least, his video was already out in the world. Unwilling to leave anything to chance, and knowing that something could happen to him in the desperate final trek of his journey, he had scheduled it to post in advance. I didnt know if I could safely reach the United States, and I couldnt wait until I arrived to release it, he told NGO Human Rights in China. In the video itself, he offered his own justification for why someone would take so many risks, and completely upend their own life, just to publish this footage: Those unwilling to be enslaved are also unwilling to see others enslaved. Deportation, or Death Sentence Heng Guan is set to be a victim of the Donald Trump administrations use of so-called third-country deportations, in which foreign nationals in the U.S. are sent not to their original home country but seemingly random locations that choose to receive them. Earlier this year, for instance, the Trump admin sent five migrants from Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, Jamaica and Cuba to the Southern African nation of Eswatini, which the DHS justified because This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back, because they had been convicted of crimes including murder, assault and robbery. Heng Guan, on the other hand, is accused of nothing but illegal entry, and the DHS lawyer at Mondays hearing cited an agreement meant to protect asylum seekers who might be punished by their home countries to instead be deported to what the U.S. calls a safe third country, where they could theoretically apply for asylum again. The only problem: Ugandas close ties with China mean they would probably simply hand him over to Beijing. Thats what Heng Guans lawyer, Chuangchuang Chen, argued, telling The New York Times that Its more likely than not for such a highly sensitive person like Mr. Guan that Uganda would send him back to China. Advertisement Advertisement This effectively makes the deportation of Heng Guan a case of the DHS doing Chinas bidding for it, even though the U.S., during the very end of Trumps first administration, agreed with Heng Guan in labeling Chinas treatment of the Uyghurs as a genocide. Many in the high echelons of Trumps administration have been equally critical of Beijings human rights violations here, particularly Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has intensely criticized China on this issue. And yet, where are the defenders in the U.S. government to stand up for Heng Guan? Why is Rubio not stepping in here? This is the man who got us first-hand video footage of the indoctrination and reeducation camps in the first place. Buzzfeed would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize for parallel reporting on the Uyghur genocide that made use of discoveries in Heng Guans footage, which was itself based on some of Buzzfeeds initial reporting. To Human Rights in China, the Buzzfeed team gave the following statement pleading for Guan to be spared from deportation: Mr. Guan provided crucial corroborating evidence for our investigation at great personal risk. His courage is extraordinary. . . He had no other reasonable reason to be near many of these detention sites, as they are typically located in remote areas. . . If caught, the danger he faced would have increased significantly, the BuzzFeed team wrote in the letter. They specifically pointed out that the evidence provided by Guan Heng helped confirm the existence of the new Dabancheng prisondirectly exposing the Chinese governments lie that the re-education camps have been closed. The joint letter concluded: We believe that if Mr. Guan is deported back to China, he will face great danger. Therefore, we call on the United States to grant Mr. Guan asylum and to end his detention and the threat of his deportation. The remaining family of Heng Guan in China have subsequently suffered on their own through interrogation and harassment, providing a hint of what might happen to him if he was returned by the U.S./Ugandan governments. His mother, Luo Yun, has lived in Taiwan outside of direct Chinese control for almost 20 years, but said that in eventually being able to contact him after his arrest by ICE, he was in an emotional state of extreme panic and breakdown at the threat of being deported to face reprisal for his act of heroism and epic journey in 2021. Im heartbroken, she said in a statement to The Guardian. Im not only crying for my child, but the situation that our family is facing. I just want my child to be well. Hes still young, and has a long life ahead. A man is accused of robbing a Westmoreland County convenience store with a hammer after several attempted purchases were declined. Court documents obtained by Channel 11 show police were called to Par Mar Convenience Store in Hempfield Township at 1:12 p.m. on Tuesday. The caller told police a man had come in and said, Give me all the money in the register, while holding a claw hammer. The man allegedly climbed onto the counter, and the caller gave him about $300 from the register, as well as $20 in fuel. Advertisement Advertisement The caller said the man had come into the store earlier and tried to make three separate purchases using cards that were declined. Police viewed the attempted purchases on surveillance video and saw the man drop a card in front of the register. They then found a Pennsylvania EBT card with the name Matthew Shashura on a shelf, records say. Police identified Shashura as the person seen in surveillance video of the incident. Online court records show Shashura is charged with three counts of robbery and related offenses. Shashura is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison. Bail has been set at $100,000. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Chilling details were revealed in court documents from an incident in which officers said a man got onto a Spring ISD bus full of students. On Tuesday, court records reveal 20-year-old David Madison of Spring was arrested and charged with three felonies. The arrest comes a day after the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office said a man got onto a bus with a gun. Surveillance video from a neighbor's home captured the terrifying moments as the bus was blocked by an SUV. Advertisement Advertisement Someone from the vehicle approached the bus and demanded that the door be opened, the documents read. The documents state the driver told police, "She was frozen with fear and felt that the defendant would shoot her if she did not comply with his demands and open the door." Officers said Madison was targeting an ex-girlfriend, who was on the bus. The documents state, "The defendant opened the bus doors and pointed the firearm at her, grabbed her arm, and attempted to physically remove her from the bus against her will by pulling her by the arm." Officers said that when the student wouldn't leave, the man took off. Before he did, the bus driver told police she heard him say to the female student, "I'll get you later." Advertisement Advertisement Documents show there were 24 students on the bus at the time of the incident, and the suspect pointed the weapon at some of them. Madison is charged with aggravated assault on a public servant, attempted aggravated kidnapping, and terroristic threat, the documents read. Madison appeared in front of a judge on Tuesday evening, according to records. Before the judge talked about the charges, he issued an emergency order of protection for the female student. According to documents, Madison's bond was not set. The judge said that could happen on Wednesday when he appears in court. For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram. A man accused of murdering his 4-year-old boy in Colton 15 years ago has pleaded not guilty. Andre Thomas, along with the leaders of a mysterious religious organization known as His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, are all charged with first-degree murder after the death of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas in January 2010. But the 4-year-old's brother, who lived with him along with other church members at the time of his death from appendicitis, says he doesn't feel his father is the one responsible. Advertisement Advertisement "They took his religion and deceived him, made him do things and convinced him to do things," said Andre Thomas, Jr., the suspect's son. Thomas Jr. said he was very young when his family joined the organization, led by Daryl Muzik Martin, the pastor of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, and his wife, Shelley Bailey "Kat" Martin, known as the "prophetess" for the religious organization. "It was strange," said Thomas Jr. about the organization's worship services. "They would make us speak in a language and spin around in circles for all night, for hours. We would be at church from 9 in the morning until 12 to 1 at night." Thomas Jr. said the Martins also separated his family, forcing he and his brother to live in a home on Latham Street in Colton with other church members, away from his father who was forced to live in a separate home down the street. Advertisement Advertisement Thomas Jr. said church leaders prohibited him from attending public elementary school. "It was very hard to leave if you wanted to leave," Thomas Jr. said. "They would tried to convince you to stay." Thomas Jr. said his brother started experiencing stomach pain in January 2010. "One day he started complaining about his stomach hurting, the side of his stomach hurting and they did what they usually did. They would pray for him and said he would be fine. But as the days got longer, he got more sick, more unwell and he started to turn pale." But Thomas Jr. said the Martins never sought medical attention for his brother, even as his condition worsened. Advertisement Advertisement "They kept lying to my dad, telling him that Timothy was OK, but they wouldn't allow us to see him." Several days after he started experiencing pain, Thomas Jr. said his brother began to vomit. "It was like a dark color; a very dark color. Brownish and blackish. It didn't look right." By the time paramedics were called to the scene, it was too late. Four-year-old Timothy Thomas was pronounced dead. At the time, Colton police investigated his death. They forwarded the case to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office for involuntary manslaughter charges. But the district attorney's office declined to file charges, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Years later, after the disappearance of another church member, 40-year-old Emilio Ghanem, the Colton Police Department reopened the case. Recently, murder charges were filed against the boy's father, as well as Daryl and Shelly Martin. Shelly Martin, along with another church member identified as Rudy Moreno, are accused of murdering Emilio Ghanem. Ghanem was reported missing in May 2023 after meeting with a church member at a coffee shop in Redlands. It was the last time he was seen alive. Redlands police said they discovered his burned-out truck in the Mojave Desert, with evidence indicating he'd been murdered. But Ghanem's body has yet to be found. Advertisement Advertisement Andre Thomas Jr. doesn't believe his father should be charged with murdering his brother. He places the blame solely at the hands of church leaders Shelly and Daryl Martin. "I do believe they're responsible because it could have been preventable," Thomas, Jr. said. "They could have taken him to the hospital and they didn't. "They coerced (my father), and they lied to him and tricked him. And they did this to multiple members in the cult." Thomas Jr. has set up a fundraiser to assist him in his fight for justice. "I don't believe my dad is responsible. He's a victim of what happened." Houston police said they've recently arrested a man for water pollution. Investigators said he was allowing used oil from his business to spill into Buffalo Bayou. Court documents reveal that 30-year-old Juan Louis Reyes had used oil tankers at his company, "Elite Oil Services." Detectives said back in August 2024, they learned through a search warrant that he allowed the oil to spill on his property on Munn Street, contaminating soil in a ditch outside the property, which led to City of Houston stormwater, feeding directly into Buffalo Bayou. Advertisement Advertisement Court records show Reyes is now charged with water pollution. As ABC13 reported back in September, investigators said the Houston-based Immacule Lab Corporation is also facing a felony water pollution charge for allegedly dumping lotion into White Oak Bayou. Harris County Constable Pct. 1 said the company dumped 100 gallons of coconut oil. Chemicals in the product killed nearby plants and were harmful to animals, according to investigators. Law enforcement told ABC13 that people can face years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines for this type of crime. For news updates, follow Brianna Willis on Facebook, x and Instagram. (This story has been updated to clarify an inaccuracy.) If voters are unsatisfied with the Democratic and Republican parties for the 139th District State Rep. special election, they have another option. Mark Adams is running a write-in candidate for the seat, left vacant by the passing of Kevin Ryan (D) in November. Adams opponents are Democrat Larry Pemberton and Republican Brandon Sabbag. The special election will be held Jan. 13. Advertisement Advertisement Adams, who ran against Ryan as a Republican in 2022 and 2024, said he wants to run as an independent candidate because the party went in a different direction. Adams was also able to resonate with voters in 139th District on the issues, but many of the voters in the area, long held by Democrats, couldnt see themselves voting for a Republican, he said. Mark Adams, who ran for State Representative for the 139th District in 2022 and 2024 as a Republican, is now running for the same office as a write-in candidate. I didnt have the Independent line or the Working Families line. My opponent did, and that was the difference in the number of votes, Adams said. Adams also believes he has a good chance at winning because many of the issues that affect his family affect the majority of families in District 139, he said. Advertisement Advertisement I dont have to look outside of my own home to know what the issues are in the area, Adams said. What are Adams' priorities? All of Adams priorities relate to keeping families in eastern Connecticut, he said. Affordability is a priority for Adams, as housing prices remain high and Norwich and other communities are deal with high property taxes, he said. Public safety is also important, since he wants to make sure our streets are safe and our first responders are taken care of, he said. Education is also an important issue for Adams, as he wants student performance to improve and to give parents a say in whats taught to their children, he said. Advertisement Advertisement People move to areas for the safety of their families. They move to areas where schools are better, Adams said. Will Adams be on the ballot? Adams intended to be listed on the ballot as an Independent Party candidate. He had filed his paperwork for the Dec. 8. deadline, he said. However, CT Secretary of State Office Director of Communications Cindy Boynton said there was a problem with how Adams signed his documents. CGS Sec. 9-452 requires the signature of the candidate, which has long been interpreted as requiring a wet, or hand signed, original signature. By that standard, Adams did not provide a signature, she told The Bulletin by email. "In addition, it was clear to our Office that the document was a poor photocopy," Boynton said. "The image was not clean and included a background other than the paper. The 'ink' on the signature had no texture, nor did it run when wetted." Advertisement Advertisement Even if Adams' name doesn't end up on the ballot, he is still taking his bid for office seriously, and he will still be campaigning, he said. This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Mark Adams makes his third bid for State Rep. in the 139th district The General Assembly convened Tuesday in Annapolis for a special session to elect a new speaker of the House of Delegates and override bills that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore vetoed during the last legislative session. By the end of the one-day special session, Maryland lawmakers had elected Prince Georges County Democrat Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk as the new House speaker and overridden dozens of Moores vetoes, including bills seeking to: issue reparations to descendants of people once enslaved in Maryland, build data centers in the state and fund climate change studies. Pena-Melnyk described her first day presiding over the chamber as blessed. Advertisement Advertisement The body was wonderful. They were prepared with their bills. Everybody was respectful, Pena-Melnyk told The Baltimore Sun. [House delegates] gave me the grace, and I felt the love in this room. This was packed. Im enjoying it. Here is a breakdown of Tuesdays proceedings. House veto overrides The House overrode dozens of Moores vetoes from the 2025 legislative session, the most high-profile being the veto of a bill to create a commission that would make recommendations on how to compensate descendants of people formerly enslaved in Maryland and also victims of racially discriminatory government policies. The override of the veto passed 93-35. Before voting, delegates took to the floor to express their support or opposition to vetoing the reparations bill. Notably, Republican Del. Mark Fisher ruffled Democrats feathers when he claimed that Democrats have controlled the state legislature for 100 years and have done nothing to address the issue of slavery. The solution, Fisher offered, was to improve public school education as opposed to funding the redressing of past atrocities. Advertisement Advertisement After so many decades of being in charge, the Democratic Party still has this issue where children arent learning in public schools, he said during his remarks, as Democrats gasped and quietly scoffed. Pena-Melnyk cut Fisher off mid-speech, requesting that he stick to arguing about policy instead of throwing political jabs at Democrats. Fisher demurred and then continued arguing against overriding the veto of the reparations bill. The Sun asked Pena-Melnyk how she felt about having to address an incendiary delegate on her first day as speaker. She reemphasized the ethos with which she led the House Healthcare and Government Operations Committee. I think that what I stated was that I am going to preside over the House with respect in a graceful way, the same way I actually presided over the Health and Government Operations Committee, she said. Those are my values." Senate veto overrides The Senate overrode 19 bills and indefinitely postponed five others that Moore vetoed in the 2025 legislative session. Advertisement Advertisement Like in the House, the most high-profile of these was a veto override of the Maryland Reparations Commission Bill. The veto passed 31-14 with a strong divide along party lines. Before voting, Baltimore County state Sen. Charles Sydnor III, a Democrat, took to the floor to express his support for vetoing the reparations bill, emphasizing that reparations are not a national abstraction. They are a government remedy, and government remedies must be grounded in specific evidence of state action, state responsibility and state impact. The Senate voted unanimously on 10 of its overrides, including a bill requiring state agencies to study the impact of data centers, which are increasingly locating in Maryland. Lawmakers, including Sydnor and Frederick County Sen. William Folden, a Republican, noted that cross-party unanimity is rare in the chamber, but said it underscores the importance of addressing the economic and environmental effects of data centers on the state. Moore comments on veto overrides Moore, in a statement Tuesday, said that while he disagrees with overriding some of his vetoes, he respects the General Assembly exercising its constitutional authority. Advertisement Advertisement Eight months ago, I outlined my concerns with certain bills the General Assembly passed that were either unfunded mandates or required multi-year analyses, Moore said. As the Trump Administration advances a full-scale assault on Maryland and Marylanders, I still believe we must prioritize policies that protect our people, here and now, while the lives of Marylanders unravel in real time as a result of White House decision-making. Other leadership changes The special session marked the last day for at least two members of the House of Delegates. Del. Vanessa Atterbeary, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced her resignation last week, which will take effect on Jan. 14, to run for Howard County Executive. Maryland House Majority Whip Jazz Lewis announced his resignation during the special session on Tuesday for a phenomenal opportunity that materialized in the past two, three months. ________ (Katharine Wilson contributed to this report.) ________ PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Over 200,000 people were without power on Wednesday morning after high winds hit the Pacific Northwest, leading multiple school districts to close schools today. Power companies have since worked to restore power for their customers. Portland General Electric is showing over 33,000 people without power from Portland down to Salem as of 10:30 p.m. In a statement on the PGE website, they said they are aware of the outages and are working to assess the damage. Advertisement Advertisement Lethal liability: Portlanders rally over fuel storage safety concerns High winds and weather are causing outages in the area, the statement said. Restoration time estimates wont show on our outage map until a crew has assessed the damage. Well dispatch crews as quickly as safety allows. Check our outage map for the latest updates. Around Oregon, Pacific Power is also showing just under 3,000 people without power from the coast all the way to Pendleton. Across the Columbia River, Clark Public Utilities has more than 6,000 people without power. Numerous school districts announced closures or delayed starts following the outages, including Astoria School District and Seaside School District on the coast, which are fully closed. Advertisement Advertisement In Washington, Vancouver Public Schools, Evergreen School District and La Center School District are all closed due to the outages. For a full list, visit our closures and delays page. Stay with KOIN 6 as we keep you updated on the ongoing outages. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Federal authorities in Massachusetts plan to announce charges in connection with the trafficking of nearly $7 million worth of SNAP benefits. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley is slated to announce the charges during a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston. USDA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Boston James Crowley, and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox are expected to join Foley at the news conference. Advertisement Advertisement No additional details were immediately available. Boston 25 News will stream the announcement live at 1 p.m. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW For a brief moment this holiday season, it looked like the Grinch had struck early in Phoenix, but instead of stealing Christmas, someone made off with Santa himself. For more than four decades, Kraemer Christmas Tree lot has quietly become part of the Valleys holiday fabric, complete with the scent of fresh pine, generations of loyal customers and a towering Santa Claus that locals know by heart. The massive inflatable Santa has stood watch over the lot at 39th Avenue and Bethany Home Road for more than 35 years, becoming a local fixture each December. But over the weekend, that tradition was briefly shaken. Advertisement Advertisement After closing the lot at about 10 p.m. Dec. 13, owner Ken Kraemers son Kyle, daughter-in-law Tiana and their two young sons returned early the next morning to find Santa gone. Just when it looked like Santa had gone missing for good, a little holiday magic helped bring him back. A Christmas tradition that stood tall for generations Keeston, Kraemer's two year old grandson spending time with Santa this past weekend. Kraemer has sold Christmas trees in Phoenix since 1982, though the roots of the operation stretch hundreds of miles north to Oregons Willamette Valley near Silverton and Mt. Angel. We grow Christmas trees in Oregon as one of our crops on a diverse agricultural operation, Kraemer said. The move to Arizona was inspired by family. We had a sister living in Phoenix at the time and thought it would be a great place to retail trees and be able to spend some time with her and her husband, Kraemer said. Advertisement Advertisement Over the years, the business expanded to as many as seven locations across the Valley. Today, it has returned to its roots with just the original lot still in operation. It's a place many Phoenix families consider a part of their holiday traditions. And for many customers, the trees arent the only reason they stop by. Visits to Santa at our tree lot are a tradition, Kraemer said. Hes 40 feet tall and glows bright at night. Weve had three generations of people come through wanting photos with him. A festive reunion just in time for Christmas The 40 foot tall Santa has been on the lot for three generations. After a tense weekend and plenty of worried hearts, the story took a turn. The thieves cut the fence, deflated him and dragged him across the gravel driveway into a vehicle parked on the street for a quick escape, Kraemer said. They took the blower, the light, the whole package. Advertisement Advertisement Thankfully, Santas journey didnt last long. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Kraemer received a call from a resident in Wittmann, Arizona, who said Santa had been passed along by a neighbor who didnt know what to do with it. Santa has been located, Kraemer said. The police are investigating, and Im working through the details of who actually took him. Once Santa is returned, repairs will begin immediately and Kraemer hopes visitors wont have to wait long to see him back in his usual spot. We plan on giving him the proper repairs and having him back up by Friday night or Saturday morning, Kraemer said. From dragging him across the gravel parking lot, he may be in rough shape, so Im concerned it wont be a quick fix. Advertisement Advertisement Still, Kraemer remains optimistic. For a lot thats survived decades of change and now a stolen Santa, the message is clear: holiday traditions here are hard to break. Kraemer Christmas Trees Address: 5981 N. 39th Ave., Phoenix. Hours: Open till the 23rd of December from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Details: kraemerstreelot.com. Got a story you want to share? Reach out at Tiffany.Acosta@gannett.com. Follow @tiffsario on Instagram. Looking for the best things to do in Arizona? Sign up for our newsletter. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Beloved Santa taken from Phoenix Christmas tree lot has been found A crowded and tense town hall meeting drew heated exchanges Tuesday night as Medford residents objected to the township's plan to build affordable housing at three locations, in order to comply with state requirements. The township's obligations stem from a 1975 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling requiring municipalities to provide their "fair share" of affordable housing. The state recalculates each town's required number of units every 10 years based on factors such as population, income and land capacity. Advertisement Advertisement The latest round began in 2025. Medford Township is required to add 171 affordable housing units by 2035. Officials say meeting that requirement will necessitate building nearly 800 additional market-rate homes to subsidize the affordable units. Resident Jason Kleinman argued that the scale of development runs counter to what residents value. "This approach is directly contrary to what residents have repeatedly said: that people want to move to Medford for its low density, its open space, its farmland and its quality of life," Kleinman said. "Largescale projects will increase traffic on the already strained roads, burden the emergency services, the infrastructure and the schools, which I've got two kids in schools right now, they're already at their limits. There's no room." Township officials described it as a "lose-lose situation," saying they share residents' concerns about overdevelopment, but are required to comply with the state courtmandated affordable housing obligations or risk lawsuits from developers. Advertisement Advertisement "We are trying to make the best of a bad situation," Township Manager Daniel Hornickel said. "We know there's a lot of towns up north that have tried to challenge whether it's the numbers or the obligation altogether. They're challenging it in the same court system that says you have to do it. So, it's not a high likelihood of success." But residents in Tuesday night's audience said they want their elected officials to fight for them. "I don't think there's one person behind me that wants this," resident Anthony Capoli said. "We're gonna allow the state to roll Medford, that's what we're basically saying here. We're laying down." His comments drew applause from the crowd. Advertisement Advertisement Many speakers said they're not against building more affordable housing; they're against the way the township is going about it. All New Jersey municipalities were required to submit affordable housing plans in June. They have until the end of the year to resolve any issues, and until March 31 to formally adopt their plans. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has again urged fellow EU leaders to agree to use Russian state assets frozen in the bloc to provide financial support to Ukraine, a proposal that is set to dominate a high-stakes summit in Brussels later this week. Merz stressed the need to send "a clear signal to Russia" that continuing its war on Ukraine was pointless, in an address to lawmakers on Wednesday before he was set to depart for Belgium. The German chancellor is one of the main backers of a proposal set forth by the European Commission to use around 210 billion ($247.4 billion) in Russian assets held under EU sanctions to provide Ukraine with much-needed loans to allow the country to continue to defend itself over the next two years. Advertisement Advertisement However, Merz earlier this week conceded himself that chances of EU leaders striking a deal are "fifty-fifty," as Belgium, where the lion's share of the assets is held, has opposed the plan due to legal concerns. On Wednesday, the German leader again tried to allay those fears, saying the commission's proposal, which stipulates that Ukraine will repay the funds from Russian reparation payments, was fully in line with international law and international obligations. Merz highlighted the importance of the upcoming talks, saying that the decision was "of considerable significance." "This issue is about nothing less than European security and sovereignty," he said. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) speaks at a press conference condemning funding cancellations by House Republicans. Dec. 16, 2025. | Photo by Katherine Dailey/Michigan Advance. The Michigan Senate on Tuesday passed House Bill 4576, which would appropriate $634 million to state departments for fiscal year 2026 offsetting nearly all of the funding that was cut by state House Republicans last week for $645 million in work projects. The decision by House leadership to employ a rarely-used provision in the law that allows the appropriations committee in either chamber of the legislature to unilaterally disapprove that funding has been heavily criticized, especially after the vote in the House Appropriations Committee was done with no testimony or debate. While that criticism has mostly come from Democrats, a number of Senate Republicans have broken ranks with their party to express concerns, including in Senate Appropriations Committee testimony on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement The vote on the Senates version of HB 4576 a bill first passed by the House in June as just over $133 million specifically for the states Department of Education showed these bipartisan concerns. Five Senate Republicans, Sens. Jon Bumstead (R-North Muskegon), John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs), Mark Huizenga (R-Walker), Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) and Michael Webber (R-Rochester Hills), voted in favor of the supplemental spending bill, while 13 Republicans voted against it. The bill will now go back to the House, though it is unlikely that House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.), who has celebrated the funding disapprovals and slammed Republicans who have been critical of the cuts, will bring the bill to a vote. Tonight, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate passed legislation to give House Republicans a second chance to do the right thing and let this funding already negotiated, passed, and promised to organizations throughout the state continue serving moms and babies, veterans, schools, children fighting cancer, and more, said Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) in a statement from her office. Among the nearly 80 organizations affected by the cuts were the Small Talk Childrens Advocacy Center, RxKids, Wayne State University College of Nursing, Michigan Community College Association and Maggies Wigs 4 Kids. Around the same time as the vote to restore funding, Senate Democrats sent a letter to Attorney General Dana Nessel asking for her to weigh in on the constitutionality of the decision, with Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), writing that scope of this action is unprecedented, and as such, it has raised serious questions about the legality of the legislation being used. Advertisement Advertisement As both a lawyer and a legislator, Matt Hall has taken oaths to uphold the constitution and serve and protect the people of Michigan but through a ruthless show of force and pure political gamesmanship, broke that oath last week, Anthony said in a press release from the Senate Democrats. The investments House Republicans so callously ripped away arent luxuries theyre essential lifelines for people to survive. Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) said in the press release, Not only have Lansing Republicans violated the trust of Michiganders we also are very concerned about the legality of their actions, and were holding them accountable. Michigan Senate Democrats are not going to sit idly by and watch as kids battling cancer, new moms struggling to make ends meet, and the communities we love and live in take the hit as House Republicans cruelly toy with their lives and the rule of law, Brinks added. However, many were unsure if Roomba would sell, arguing that vacuuming wasn't that difficult and pointing out that Roomba used a random bounce algorithm rather than being able to move based on mapping a room, suggesting it would prove ineffective at the task. When Roomba launched for the holiday shopping season in 2002, it was considered a leap forward in consumer technology. Many believed that its release would usher in a new era of robotic helpers, not only for households, but for governments eager to explore robotics in Defense and new applications, such as space. 2002: Roomba, partially funded in the early going by S.C. Johnson, with early versions named "DustPuppy." Source: iRobot 1996: Ariel, designed to detect underwater mines in the surf zone (it could even operate upside down) The founders' first major breakthrough was Ghengis, a six-legged walking robot designed for use by NASA. iRobot was founded in 1990 by MIT students Colin Angle and Helen Greiner, along with Rodney Brooks, the head of the MIT AI Lab, as the company IS Robotics. Here's what's likely next for iRobot, its investors, employees, and customers. The bankruptcy won't be the end of the popular Roomba brand, though. The company's biggest contract manufacturer, Picea , is acquiring iRobot through a court-supervised process via a restructuring support agreement . Problems accelerated earlier this year when President Trump's tariff policies were enacted, creating a tariff headwind of up to 46% on imports from Vietnam, where iRobot vacuums are manufactured. The company's bankruptcy filing wasn't surprising, given that iRobot's been struggling with losses since regulators blocked Amazon's planned $1.7 billion acquisition in 2024. Since the first Roomba launched in 2022, iRobot has sold over 50 million of its vacuum cleaning robots. Its robots perform nearly 25 million missions per year, and as of 2023, the company boasted 19 million app users , suggesting many vacuums remain in use. The 35-year-old company behind the robotic vacuum Roomba, iRobot ( IRBT ), has filed for a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy , prompting worry among millions of loyal customers that they're time-saving house cleaner will soon become "a brick." Story Continues Nevertheless, it became an instant hit, selling 150,000 units in its first year and inspiring a skit on Saturday Night Live featuring the "Woomba" in 2005, the same year iRobot became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange, opening at $24 per share, raising $70 million, and trading under the IRBT symbol. Over the years, iRobot sales grew steadily as it launched smarter versions of Roomba and other complementary products, including wet mops, rising from $142 million in 2005 to over $1.4 billion in 2020. iRobot revenue over time: 2005: $142 million 2010: $401 million 2015: $617 million 2020: $1.43 billion. 2024: $682 million. Source: iRobot SEC filings. More recently, however, the company's sales have struggled as cheaper Chinese versions, which use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) rather than cameras, have eroded its global market share, particularly vacuums made by SharkNinja and Roborock. As a result, iRobot's U.S. robotic vacuum market share has fallen to 42% from 75% in 2020, while the market share in Europe has decreased to 12% from 35%. Worldwide, Roborock displaced Roomba as the market share leader for premium robotic vacuums costing $500 and up, while SharkNinja has eroded demand in the market for lower cost models. Ecovacs is the leading entry-to-mid-tier player in Europe and Asia. iRobot, Amazon breakup sparks layoffs, cost cuts In 2002, iRobot made a move to potentially sidestep competitive risks, agreeing to be acquired by Amazon for $1.7 billion, or $61 per share. Amazon was interested in acquiring iRobot to combine it with its other 'smart home' products and accelerate its robotics team. At the time, iRobot CEO Colin Angle wrote: Amazon's goals for iRobot included: Leveraging insight about consumers' homes from iRobot to target product advertising to households more effectively. Developing more effective robotic products for homes following its ill-fated Astro. Integrating vacuums alongside other smart home products, including Alexa and Ring, to create a home that could more intelligently serve owners. That deal fell apart, however, after regulators at the FTC in the U.S. and in Europe raised concerns that Amazon would use its e-commerce weight to effectively monopolize the robotic vacuum market. Afterwards, iRobot was faced with a real dilemma. The distraction of the acquisition contributed to rivals gaining ground and contributed to financial woes. After the acquisition was scuttled, iRobot laid off 350 workers, roughly one-third of its employees, in a bid to cut expenses by $100 million. CEO and founder, Colin Angle, also stepped down. Instead, the company finished 2024 with only 541 employees, or 51% of the workers employed at the end of 2023. The strategy was part of a move toward making the company asset-light, shifting expensive roles overseas and to its contract supply manufacturer, Picea Robotics. What's next for iRobot customers, workers, and employees The decision to file for Chapter 11 follows management's decision in March 2025 to explore strategic options when iRobot released disappointing 2024 financials showing revenue of $682 million, down 23% year over year, and a net loss of $145 million. The company also included "substantial doubt of remaining a going concern" language in its quarterly 10-K filing with the SEC. The news shook investors, causing a 35% single-day drop in its shares, pushing the company's price below $10. Despite launching the high-end Roomba Max 705 in April to try to regain market share, sales continued to struggle, and losses worsened, partly due to an additional $23 million in costs resulting from the newly instituted tariffs. In the third quarter, iRobot reported sales of $146 million and a net loss of $21.5 million. The company's cash and equivalents had sunk to $24.8 million. Unable to secure a better deal and with cash dwindling, iRobot filed a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy on December 14. As part of that filing, it also disclosed that its business will remain a going concern under new ownership, with supplier Picea taking over the company in exchange for forgiving millions in owed payments. According to iRobot's bankruptcy filings, it owed Picea $161.5 million for manufacturing robots, with $90 million of the amount overdue. In November, Picea acquired a $200 million loan made by Carlyle Group to iRobot during the Amazon debacle, with $190 million remaining outstanding. Picea has agreed to cancel $74 million in manufacturing debt as part of iRobot's restructuring, as well as the $190 million owed under the former Carlyle loan. Overall, they secured 100% of iRobot in exchange for forgiving $264 million in debt. The moves enable Picea to gain control over iRobot; however, it does so at the expense of private investors. Stock speculators bid iRobot's shares up from $1.40 in late November to as high as $5.68 on November 12, before the bankruptcy announcement was made. As a result, the sale to Picea erased $137 million in iRobot's market cap. The pre-packaged deal ensures that consumers will experience no disruption in service or product availability, and the app should continue to function without interruption. All vendors and employees are expected to be paid as they would normally. The bankruptcy court approved a motion to pay workers $2,969,516 in expected wages and benefits through the transition. The court order does, however, give Picea the ability to make worker changes. "Debtors are authorized to modify, change, and discontinue any of their Compensation and Benefits Programs and to implement new programs, policies, and benefits in the ordinary course during these chapter 11 cases in the Debtors sole discretion and without the need for further Court approval, subject to applicable law," reads the bankruptcy court order. iRobot is expected to reemerge as a privately-owned company in February 2026. iRobot bankruptcy facts to know: iRobot has declared bankruptcy via a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed in Delaware. iRobot will transition to a private company owned by Picea. Shareholders of IRBT stock are expected to get no compensation. iRobot will continue to remain in business. Products will be available, and the app will continue to function. iRobot has secured a court order to pay worker wages and benefits. The company has not yet disclosed if there will be layoffs. Related: 112-year-old furniture chain closes long-time store location This story was originally published by TheStreet on Dec 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here. LANSING The Michigan Senate voted Dec. 16 to restore $634 million in work project funding that was axed Dec. 10 by the House GOP, with five Republican senators joining Democrats in trying to reverse an action by the House Appropriations Committee that sparked outrage. The legislation now moves to the House, where Speaker Matt Hall has broadly defended the cuts, while saying some of the money could be restored. The money was appropriated in the 2025 budget but remained unspent on Sept. 30, the end of the 2025 fiscal year. The State Budget Office in November had requested that a total of $2.7 billion of such unspent funds be designated as "work projects," giving state departments and grant recipients more time to spend the money. Advertisement Advertisement Work project requests typically receive routine approval, but Hall, R-Richland Township, had noted in September that the total value of work projects had grown by billions under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer since the COVID-19 pandemic and had targeted them for additional scrutiny and possible rejection as part of his campaign against "waste, fraud and abuse" in state budgets, alleging the accumulated money in many cases amounted to departmental "slush funds." Under a rarely used provision of Michigan's Management and Budget Act, the Appropriations Committee in either chamber can vote to reject a work project, with no further legislative approval required. On Dec. 10, the House Appropriations Committee voted to reject about $645 million of the $2.7 billion in work project requests. But grant recipients said they were blindsided by the action and in some cases had already used the state's budget commitment to make purchases they are now left without the funds to pay for. Funds for a wide swath of capital projects and programs were cut, ranging from money to buy wigs for children undergoing cancer treatment, to funds to purchase a new Hamtramck fire truck, to money that supports the popular Rx Kids, which provides cash support for new parents. It wasn't immediately clear why there was an $11 million difference between the projects the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut and those the Michigan Senate voted to restore but because each work project line item sometimes includes a host of individual projects, officials have had trouble detailing exactly what projects were impacted by the cuts to begin with. Advertisement Advertisement Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, also sent a letter Dec. 16 to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, asking her for an opinion on whether the section of state law the House Appropriations Committee used to claw back the funding is constitutional. The investments House Republicans so callously ripped away arent luxuries theyre essential lifelines for people to survive," Anthony said in a Dec. 16 news release. Hall said Dec. 10 many of the cuts were related to "green energy scams," and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that he opposes. He questioned whether the Legislature, rather than charity, should be funding some of the programs and said that if government wants to fund such programs they should be put out for competitive bids, not sole-sourced to certain groups through the awarding of grants. Republican senators Jon Bumstead, of North Muskegon, John Damoose, of Harbor Springs, Mark Huizenga, of Walker, Ed McBroom, of Vulcan, and Michael Webber, of Rochester Hills, joined Democrats in the 23-13 Senate vote. Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Senate votes to restore more than $600M in GOP funding cuts Millennials vented about the decline of stable, easy office jobs that once provided a middle-class life in a recent Reddit thread. The original poster summed up their frustration: Previous generations of middle age professionals could be basic admin level talents that sent the same daily reports, forwarded the same couple tickets and did the same vlookup for years on end to secure a stable middle class life. They asked others, Do you feel cheated out of corporate loserdom as a Millennial? Don't Miss: Fast Company Calls It a Groundbreaking Step for the Creator Economy' Investors Can Still Get In at $0.85/Share 7 Million Gamers Already Trust Gameflip With Their Digital Assets Now You Can Own a Stake in the Platform Middle-Class Life Used To Be A Default The OP compared older workers who spent decades in cushy roles doing routine tasks to today's pressured professionals. Now our generation has to be deep specialists in seven functional areas and have very good soft skills to barely [eke] out a middle class life, they wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Another person chimed in: Saying yes and pushing paper used to get you somewhere. One commenter said 90s slacker movies led them to believe a meaningless but secure career was once easily within reach. We didnt even get the luxury of that being an option, they wrote. Others noted how older employees still coast on tenure. You can tell [they] used to have it very easy and are just skating by now, one person said. Trending: Earn While You Scroll: The Deloitte-Ranked #1 Software Company Growing 32,481% Is Opening Its $0.50/Share Round to Accredited Investors. Now It's About Constant Hustle And KPIs Today's workers face a different reality. One millennial shared: Everything I do is timed or measured and compared. If I do better, I get a firm handshake and nothing else. If I do worse than [key performance indicators], I risk losing my job. Advertisement Advertisement Another commenter said, Work is actually challenging nowadays. They described feeling judged by younger coworkers despite constantly upskilling just to stay above water. Several millennials agreed that having just one job isnt enough. Were hustling in all aspects of work life, main job PLUS side hustles, one person noted. I feel like we should have an additional name for that double effort. One person who created detailed standard operating procedure manuals for a corporate role recalled being laid off after their position was outsourced. They took them and the role, offshored it to India and laid me off. That set the tone for me forever. See Also: GM-Backed EnergyX Is Solving the Lithium Supply Crisis Invest Before They Scale Global Production Some Still Find Loopholes, But Theyre Rare While many expressed burnout and resignation, a few found less stressful paths. One person said working in a small law office or local court can still be chill if you know basic computer skills. The lawyers think you are a wizard, they joked. Advertisement Advertisement Others in tech admitted they lucked out. I never played the corporate rat race and just delivered good tech solutions, one wrote. Work life is pretty easy, especially relative to the horror stories most people depict. But even tech workers worry about the future. I work in IT and have a close up view of watching AI get closer and closer to making my career unnecessary, one millennial said. A dentist added their perspective: I live a fraction of the life that my mentor did, this despite me working 3-4x as hard as him. Despite my insane work load and production I could never afford the home he had. Read Next: Wall Street's $12B Real Estate Manager Is Opening Its Doors to Individual Investors Without the Crowdfunding Middlemen Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Advertisement Advertisement Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga: This article A Millennial Says Previous Generations Built Middle-Class Lives With Basic Admin Jobs. Now, Millennials Need Extreme Skills Just To Get By originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Law enforcement officials announced Tuesday they had opened a homicide investigation after Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro was found dead in his home from apparent gunshot wounds the previous day. Loureiro was a theoretical physicist and fusion scientist who served as director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT, according to an article published by the news service of the Cambridge, Mass-based research university. The Norfolk District Attorney's Office said in a statement that police found Loureiro, 47, dead in his home in Brookline after receiving a report of a shooting. Loureiro was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead on Tuesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement The prosecutor's office stated in the post that the case is "an active and ongoing homicide investigation" and offered no further information. The shooting took place the same day a gunman opened fire on students at Brown University, killing two and leaving nine other people injured. MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement that Nuno's death is a "shocking loss" and "comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places." "Nuno was not only an extraordinary scientist and educator, but also a tremendous colleague, mentor, and friend who cared deeply about his students and his community," Benoit Forget, head of MIT's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, wrote in an email to the department, according to the news article. Advertisement Advertisement "His absence will be felt profoundly across NSE and far beyond," Forget said. Growing up in a small city in central Portugal, Loureiro knew early on he wanted to be a scientist even as his peers aspired to be policemen or firefighters, according to a 2018 profile by the university's news service. He joined MIT in 2016 and was later selected to lead the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one the university's largest labs. Portugal's foreign minister announced his death in the country's Parliament, CNN reported. U.S. Ambassador to Portugal John J. Arrigo also issued a statement mourning his death. LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) The Pennsylvania State Police is investigating after more than $1 million in gold was stolen from two elderly Pennsylvanians in Lancaster County earlier this month. State Police said on December 1, an unknown actor posting as a Social Security Administration employee contacted one of the 78-year-old victims from New Providence, Pennsylvania, and told them their Social Security number had been compromised. Close Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Morning Weather Forecast The victims were given detailed instructions to liquidate their retirement assets and purchase gold. Police said the gold was then collected by the unknown individuals as payment under the guise of purchasing a new Social Security number. A total of $1,328,652 was stolen from the victims, according to police. The investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Iran believes it can deceive the world again and realize another bad nuclear agreement, Barnea warned in a Mossad awards ceremony on Tuesday. Iran has not abandoned its aspiration to destroy the State of Israel, Mossad Director David Barnea said. He warned that Tehran would surge forward the moment circumstances allow and cautioned against attempts to advance another bad nuclear agreement. The ayatollahs regime woke up in a moment to discover that Iran is exposed and thoroughly penetrated, yet Iran has not given up its aspiration to destroy the State of Israel, Barnea said at a Mossad excellence awards ceremony at the Presidents Residence in Jerusalem on Tuesday night. He spoke during a ceremony honoring Mossad employees for their unique contributions and exceptional work for Israels security. Advertisement Advertisement Iran believes it can deceive the world again and realize another bad nuclear agreement, he said. Head of Mossad David Barnea attends a ceremony held at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, as Israel marks the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. April 23, 2025. (credit: Chaim Goldberg FLASH90) Barnea warns that Iran is pushing to destroy Israel We did not, and will not, allow a bad agreement to materialize. A state that has emblazoned Israels destruction on its flag, deceived the world while developing nuclear weapons, and enriched uranium to levels with no explanation other than its desire for a military nuclear capability, is a state that will break out the moment it is able. The idea of continuing to develop a nuclear bomb still beats in their hearts. We bear responsibility to ensure that the nuclear project, which has been severely damaged, in close cooperation with the Americans, will never be operated. Barnea offered condolences to the families of the victims of the massacre in Australia and addressed efforts by Iran and terrorist organizations to target Jewish and Israeli sites. The criminal terrorist idea of harming innocent civilians was and remains at the core of the current Iranian regimes security strategy, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Jihadist elements, ISIS, and others have also said they intend to harm every Jew in the world. Our hearts are with the families of the Australian victims. The goal of these terrorist attacks is to break our spirit. Our spirit will not be broken. We will continue to celebrate our holidays and live our lives in Israel and around the world. We will find the perpetrators and their Iranian dispatchers, and also the jihadists, wherever they flee, and we will hold them to account. Justice will be done and seen to be done. They know this well. Light will overcome darkness. The excellence ceremony was held at the Presidents Residence in the presence of the president, the prime minister, and the Mossad director, with former Mossad chiefs, employees, commanders, and the families of the honorees attending. Mt San Rafael Hospital and Clinics (MSRHC) in Colorado, US, has chosen Oracle Health to power its electronic health record (EHR) platform and boost clinical and financial performance. The facility will deploy Oracle Health Foundation EHR in combination with Oracle Health Clinical AI Agent, a voice-driven solution designed to automate clinical documentation. By embedding AI directly into daily clinical workflows, the hospital intends to reduce administrative burdens, support its caregivers, and create more time for direct patient care. Advertisement Advertisement The hospital will also leverage Oracle Health Seamless Exchange to provide clinicians with timely, comprehensive patient information and facilitate care coordination with nearby hospitals and partners. MSRHC's chief information officer Michael Archuleta said: Our move to Oracle Health is an intentional, strategic investment in the future of our organisation. "By integrating true clinical AI with a modern, unified electronic health record, were giving our caregivers technology that removes barriers, reduces administrative strain, and strengthens the connection between our physicians and their patients. This positions Mt San Rafael to deliver a higher-performing, more connected, and more sustainable model of care for our region. MSRHC's CEO Kim Lucero said: At Mt San Rafael, every decision we make centres on delivering exceptional care to our community. Oracle Health gives our teams modern tools that enhance efficiency, elevate the patient experience, and support long-term sustainability. Advertisement Advertisement This investment reflects our commitment to advancing rural healthcare and ensuring that our patients receive the highest standard of care close to home. MSRHC is a 25-bed critical access hospital catering to Trinidad, Colorado, and the surrounding region. The integration of Oracle Health Clinical AI Agent into the Oracle Health Foundation EHR will allow MSRHC physicians to use natural conversation during patient encounters while the system automatically drafts structured clinical notes in the background. Providers can then review and approve the documentation, significantly reducing time spent on manual data entry and supporting efforts to address physician burnout. Advertisement Advertisement Oracle Health Seamless Exchange will enable MSRHC to securely aggregate data from national and local exchanges, immunisation registries, and other third-party sources. Once cleansed and deduplicated, this information is presented within the clinicians workflow, creating a more complete, longitudinal patient record and supporting faster, more informed clinical decision-making. Oracle Health and Life Sciences executive vice-president and general manager Seema Verma said: Oracle Health has a longstanding commitment to helping solve the unique challenges small and critical access hospitals face. By improving interoperability and providing AI-powered technology solutions that augment workflows and reduce the load on caregivers, we are empowering rural providers like Mt San Rafael to optimise their clinical and financial outcomes and expand access to patient care. Advertisement Advertisement Last month, Baraga County Memorial Hospital (BCMH) in the US announced the deployment of Oracle Health CommunityWorks solutions and the expansion of its Clinical AI Agent to streamline clinician workflows. Recently, US-based CereCore joined Oracles enhanced partner programme to deliver IT infrastructure services, optimisation, application management, and specialised support to healthcare organisations that use Oracle Health platforms. "Mt San Rafael Hospital and Clinics to deploy Oracle Healths AI-powered EHR platform" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, speaks at a rally for presidential candidate Donald Trump on June 28, 2024 in Chesapeake. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia Beach is heading into the 2026 election cycle with one of the most precarious political balancing acts in the country, as her strong support for the Department of Government Efficiency collides with new doubts about the program and the realities of representing a district heavily reliant on federal jobs. The challenge sharpened last week when Elon Musk, the billionaire tech executive who helped architect DOGE, told GOP podcaster Katie Miller that the initiative had been only somewhat successful and said bluntly that he would not do it again. Advertisement Advertisement In the interview, Musk acknowledged the political and practical blowback from DOGE, which was launched early in President Donald Trumps second term with the stated goal of slashing government spending and reshaping the federal workforce. For Kiggans, who represents Virginias 2nd Congressional District, Musks comments land at a sensitive moment. The district centered in Virginia Beach and home to thousands of federal employees, military personnel and veterans is widely considered one of the most competitive House seats nationwide, and among the most vulnerable held by Republicans in Virginia. Inside Elections, a nonpartisan political race rater, has placed Kiggans seat among roughly a dozen toss-up races across the country for 2026, making it the only such district in Virginia. Advertisement Advertisement The designation underscores why Democrats view Kiggans as a prime target and why her record, particularly on DOGE, is likely to draw heightened scrutiny as the campaign approaches. The Virginia Mercury reached out to Kiggans to request an interview for this story, but a spokeswoman said the congresswoman was not available. The Mercury also sent Kiggans a list of detailed questions about her support for DOGE and the programs impact on her district, but she did not respond. From early praise to public defense, Kiggans backs DOGE cuts DOGE, which became a signature initiative of Trumps second-term agenda, aimed to dramatically reduce federal spending through layoffs, canceled contracts and terminated grants. Kiggans embraced the program from the outset. Advertisement Advertisement In December 2024, as DOGE was just getting off the ground, she publicly praised her participation in an early gathering with Musk and DOGE co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy, describing it as a productive first meeting with House Republicans to discuss the new Department of Government Efficiency. As DOGEs cuts began to ripple through the federal workforce, Kiggans continued to defend the effort. In February, amid mass firings that disproportionately affected Virginia home to one of the largest concentrations of federal employees in the nation Kiggans described the cuts as so necessary as displaced workers struggled to find new employment. Later in the year, during continued fallout from DOGE-related layoffs, Kiggans drew further criticism after telling laid-off federal workers on the John Fredericks Show that there were other jobs available and that they needed to go out and get them. Advertisement Advertisement The remarks echoed comments made by other Virginia Republicans during the same period including Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, then the presumptive GOP gubernatorial nominee, who was recorded downplaying the impact of federal layoffs on Virginias workforce. Comments like these fueled Democratic claims that GOP leaders were out of touch with the economic realities facing federal workers and veterans. DOGE funding losses land in veteran-heavy district Beyond rhetoric, DOGEs impact on Virginias 2nd District has been tangible. The effort resulted in the termination of more than $8.3 million in grants and leases tied to the district, including funding streams connected to veterans services and facilities, according to nonpartisan policy think tank Center for American Progress. Several of the canceled grants directly affected programs serving military families and veterans a core constituency in the Hampton Roads region. Advertisement Advertisement Those cuts stand in sharp contrast to the political direction Virginia voters took in 2025, when Democrats won decisive victories statewide. Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger centered her campaign on affordability and economic stability, repeatedly criticizing DOGE cuts and warning that they were undermining Virginias economy. Her message resonated with voters in a state where federal employment plays an outsized role, and Democrats now argue that Kiggans alignment with DOGE leaves her exposed. Veteran Virginia political analyst Bob Holsworth said Kiggans situation reflects both structural and political headwinds that are unlikely to ease before 2026. If these districts stay as they are and I cant imagine hers getting any better in redistricting then it will only get worse, Holsworth said. Even without changes to the district lines, he added, Kiggans certainly could be very vulnerable. Tight races underscore swing nature of 2nd District But Holsworth also noted that Kiggans has historically been a strong candidate, having won competitive races in both the General Assembly and Congress, and described her as a pretty good campaigner. Advertisement Advertisement Kiggans rise to Congress came through a series of close elections that underscored the swing nature of Virginias 2nd District well before DOGE entered the picture. A former Navy helicopter pilot and nurse practitioner, Kiggans first won the seat in 2022, narrowly defeating Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria in one of the most closely watched House races in the country. Kiggans captured about 51.6% of the vote to Lurias 48.2%, flipping the district after two terms of Democratic control amid a national midterm environment that favored Republicans. Two years later, the margin remained tight. In 2024, Kiggans won reelection with just over 51% of the vote, fending off Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal in a race that once again highlighted the districts evenly divided electorate and its sensitivity to national political currents. Advertisement Advertisement The back-to-back close contests reinforced the districts reputation as one of the most competitive House seats in the country. That competitiveness has already attracted a growing field of Democratic challengers for 2026, even before redistricting questions are resolved. Several Democrats have announced campaigns for the seat including Luria, who is seeking a rematch. And Holsworth said that this time around, broader forces are working against Republicans holding swing seats in Virginia. First and foremost is the fact that you have the president whos underwater by double digits in Virginia, he said, pointing to Trumps poor standing in the state. Advertisement Advertisement You saw how that played out in the November election with people losing seats that were unimaginable two years ago. The results in 2025 really pose a tremendous challenge for the person holding the most competitive Republican seat in Virginia right now. DOGE, Holsworth added, compounds the problem. The support for DOGE is a significant problem because of the way DOGE was handled by Musk and Trump, he said. The image of Musk taking a chainsaw to the federal workforce I think was just seared in peoples minds. Holsworth said there is a political difference between a measured effort to improve government efficiency and the abrupt mass layoffs associated with DOGE. Advertisement Advertisement Its one thing if you had a commission to look for efficiency in government, he said, but a different thing is when people are losing their jobs, because the person in charge of it was wielding a chainsaw to do so. Democratic attacks, redistricting fears tighten squeeze Democrats have seized on that imagery. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Eli Cousin said Kiggans record ties her directly to the fallout. Congresswoman Jen Kiggans was a day-one supporter of DOGE and fully enabled the chaos and destruction that it brought on Virginias economy, Cousin said. He pointed specifically to her comments telling laid-off workers to find new jobs and her praise for DOGE even as veterans services were affected. Kiggans has sought to soften some vulnerabilities by emphasizing her work on health care, including support for efforts aimed at extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. Holsworth said those moves suggest an awareness of the political risks she faces, particularly on kitchen-table issues that cut across party lines. She clearly is trying to work on the health care front, by at least supporting some measures to perhaps extend the Obamacare subsidies and to try to minimize her vulnerability there, Holsworth said. Still, the broader picture remains daunting. Virginia Democrats are openly pushing redistricting changes ahead of the 2026 elections, and if successful, those plans could make Kiggans path even steeper by reshaping the already competitive 2nd District to favor Democrats. This is a very vulnerable seat, Holsworth said. Kiggans has to be very seriously worried about it. This is the most vulnerable time, the most vulnerable moment that shes running in. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Corn futures are down 2 to 3 cents across most contracts on Monday. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price is down 2 1/4 cents at $3.94 1/2. A private export sale of 150,320 MT of corn was sold to unknown destinations this morning. More News from Barchart USDA tallied corn export shipments at 1.589 MMT (62.32 mbu) during the week ending on December 11. That was 9.07% below the week priors revised total and 37.25% larger than the same week in 2024. Mexico was the top destination of 488,231 MT, with 301,240 MT headed to Japan and 219,729 MT to Spain. Marketing year exports for 2025/26 are now 22.501 MMT (885.84 mbu) since September 1, which is now 68.74% larger than the same period last year. USDA also reported 71,917 MT of sorghum to China. Export Sales data got another catchup this morning, with a total of 1.84 MMT of corn booked in the week of 11/20. That was on the higher end of traders looking for 1.1-2.2 MMT. That was a drop from the week prior, but still 73.4% larger than the same week last year. Mar 26 Corn is at $4.38 1/2, down 2 1/4 cents, Nearby Cash is at $3.94 1/2, down 2 1/4 cents, May 26 Corn is at $4.46 3/4, down 2 1/4 cents, Jul 26 Corn is at $4.52 3/4, down 2 1/4 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 Long, long ago a cloud of stars circled a galaxy-size black hole, safely at a distance. Then about 200 million years ago one member of the cloud bumped another, a sun-size star, and sent it toward the black hole. The black hole was a million times more massive than the sun-size star, and its gravitational pull proportionately stronger, so the star was drawn closer and closeruntil it got too close. Some of the stars gas was pulled into an orbiting stream around the black hole that widened into a flat pancake called an accretion disk. The rest of the star came apart in a sudden and great flash of light. On September 19, 2019, just before noon, the flash reached the 1.2-meter mirror of the Zwicky Transient Facility in southern California. Astronomers named the flash AT2019qiz and noted that they hadnt seen it three days before. On September 25, 2019, the 10-meter Keck I telescope in Hawaii identified AT2019qiz as a so-called tidal disruption eventa flare-up that occurs when a black holes gravitational tides rip a small object apart. The star the size of the sun exploded with 10 billion times the suns luminosity. But AT2019qiz wasnt finished yet. An entirely unrelated star, maybe from the same cloud, was on an orbit that intersected AT2019qizs newly created disk. Each time this other star splashed into the disk, it flashed, though less brilliantly than the original, pulled-apart star. In December 2023 the brightness of AT2019qiz (now the name of the disrupted star, the accretion disk and the flaring star that ran into them) peaked, dimmed down and then shot up againa pattern that repeated nine times. Each flash marked a pass of the interloper through the disk, which occurred every 48 hours. Between 2019 and 2024, astronomers observed AT2019qiz with telescopes on the ground and in space, at wavelengths from x-ray through ultraviolet, optical and infrared. The multitelescope, multiwavelength data together confirmed that AT2019qiz was first a tidal disruption event and then a quasi-periodic eruption. Both are examples of phenomena astronomers call transients. Both involved unspeakable violence on unearthly scales. Neither could have been identified 20 years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter from Scientific American and join a community of science-loving readers. Transients, which are astronomical objects that appear suddenly from nowhere and usually disappear soon after, contradict the standard truth that the universe changes predictably and slowly over billions of years. They include what the typically staid National Academy of Sciences called the most catastrophic events in spacetime. They are astronomically sized objects that change on human timescalesin seconds, hours, dayswhich is a combination of size and speed that seems impossible. If we didnt observe them, says astronomer Vikram Ravi of the California Institute of Technology, youd never know that physics allows these things to exist. But physics says everything not forbidden will, sooner or later and with some probability, happen. And astronomers, noticing these improbable things and knowing that nothing is one of a kind, began to find many more, all at the far reaches of physics. Between 1976 and 2012, the number of transients listed on the International Astronomical Unions official Transient Name Server was around five each year. Between around 2013 to 2015, that number jumped to about 100. Since 2019, scientists have seen roughly 20,000 a year. At press time, the total was 175,953 transients. Chart this rise, and it looks like a long tail with an elephant attached. The growth has been the result of a large number of astronomical surveys, most still ongoing, vacuuming the whole sky, says experimental physicist Christopher Stubbs of Harvard University. For instance, the Zwicky Transit Facility, which started the jump in detections in 2019, scans the entire northern sky every two nights and compares each evenings images with the ones taken two nights before. And the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which came online in 2025, will soon survey the entire southern sky every three nights, identifying changes within 60 seconds of their detection to create near-real-time movies of the sky and finding 10 million changes every day. The elephant will go seriously nonlinear. Advertisement Advertisement With such a large amount of data, astronomers can begin to study credible demographics: that is, they can move from just finding these wild, unlikely creatures to figuring out what they are. Because things that happen once and disappear are hard to study, the transients identitiesthe physics that drives them, the processes that produce themare still speculative. Most of their names are just adjectives, and when the transients name is a description, says astrophysicist Raffaella Margutti of the University of California, Berkeley, that tells you we know nothing intrinsic about them. Thats about to change. Scientists sort transients into two main groups: events involving the deaths of stars and events around supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. The first known transients fell into the former category: they were supernovae, or massive stars that blow up. Before the 1600s, astronomers confidently knew of five of them; now they count tens of thousands. Supernovae fit into two general categories. One kind is the dead core of a star pulling gas from a nearby star, piling up mass until nuclear fusion restarts and goes critical and the whole thing pops off like a 20-billion-billion-billion-megaton thermonuclear bomb, which it is. It explodes in a day, stays bright for days to weeks, and fades out over months. The other type of supernova is called a core collapse: A star burns through enough of its fuel and is massive enough that the outward push of its radiation loses to the inward pull of its gravity. Its core collapses in on itself so thoroughly that its electrons meld with the nuclei of its atoms until the star is made mostly of neutronsa neutron starand it shrinks in the space of one second from a radius of about 6,000 kilometers to about 10 kilometers. The collapse causes a shock wave that breaks out of the stars remaining atmosphere with a flash called a shock breakout, and minutes later the star is as bright as 10 billion suns. It fades out over months; the remnant is called a neutron star. Beyond these two main categories, though, are many variantsthe Transient Name Server identifies 31 types so far. One new kind, called a gap transient, is dimmer and probably less massive than other supernovae, and nobody knows why it explodes. Another is a superluminous supernova, twice as luminous as a core collapse supernova; it has the light of 20 billion suns, and nobody knows why its so bright. Supernovae are by far the most numerous of the stellar-death transients, but, as astronomer James E. Gunn of Princeton University points out, stars have a vast number of interesting ways to die. Ron Miller (illustrations) and Jen Christiansen (graphic) In 1967, for instance, the U.S. Vela satellites detected surprising flashes of extremely energetic gamma rays that could have been (but werent) illegal nuclear tests in Earths atmosphere; the National Enquirer thought similar flashes seen later might be a space war between alien civilizations. Eventually astronomers pooled data from the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. to identify the flashes, which were the first known gamma-ray burstsa class of transients now understood to be the brightest of the brightest, says astrophysicist Peter Jonker of Radboud University in the Netherlands, who observes space in high-energy wavelengths. Their light rises in seconds to the brightness of a trillion suns, and they last for seconds to hours. The fastest ones might be massive stars going supernova, collapsing so thoroughly that they dont stop at neutron stars and instead condense into star-size black holes that aim high-intensity jets of plasma at Earth. Advertisement Advertisement Gamma-ray bursts may or may not be related to other high-energy stellar deaths called fast x-ray transients. Discovered in 2008, they number only around 70, although this tally will soon change. Chinas Einstein Probe, an x-ray satellite telescope that began collecting data in mid-2024, should find 50 to 100 fast x-ray bursts a year.* The next few years could be dramatic, says astronomer Mansi Kasliwal of Caltech. Meanwhile, because fast x-ray transients are still rare, no one is ready to say what they aremaybe massive stars exploding, maybe neutron stars colliding before disappearing into black holes. Another dramatic rarity is called a fast optical blue transient, or FBOTfast because although it explodes at the same outrageous brightness as a superluminous supernova, its light rises and falls not in months but in days. The first FBOT, found in 2018, is officially named AT2018cow and is called Cow for short. Since then, scientists have seen 12 more Cow-like FBOTs. Astronomers know theyre not supernovaethe energy source of the normal supernovae doesnt work for Cows, Margutti saysbut arent sure what they are. Maybe they flash when a nearby stars mass piles up onto a neutron star or a modest-size black hole, or maybe they represent shock breakouts from a star that puffed up in its later years. Whatever they are, says astronomer Anna Y. Q. Ho of Cornell University, who helped to find the original Cow, theyre interesting. In 2007 radio astronomer Duncan Lorimer and astrophysicist Maura McLaughlin, who are colleagues at West Virginia University and married, were looking in the archives of a radio telescope survey at a small galaxy 200,000 light-years away. They were interested in pulsars, which are rotating neutron stars that release jets of radio light from their magnetic poles. These lighthouselike jets sweep the sky so that whatever is in their path is exposed to a metronomically regular radio pulse every few seconds to milliseconds. In the course of their search, Lorimer and McLaughlin found a radio spike that lasted a few milliseconds, but it didnt pulse and was so bright it saturated the telescopes instrument. Lorimer calculated its distance as seven billion light-years away. Oh, he thought, its really far. Anything that distant and still that bright had to be sending out a billion times more energy than nearby pulsars. Advertisement Advertisement This odd find is now called the Lorimer Burst. Surveys have since identified several thousand of these so-called fast radio bursts scattered throughout other galaxies, emitting in one millisecond the radio energy sent out by the sun in 100 years. These things are weird, Lorimer says. Some of these possible stellar death transients could be related to a deeply strange object called a magnetar. Magnetars existed only in theory until they were observed in 1998. Their weirdness quotient is high even among transients. A magnetar is a neutron star that rotates ridiculously fast, making a full turn in milliseconds, says Daniel Kasen of the University of California, Berkeley, but with a ridiculously high magnetic field. The strength of the suns magnetic field is somewhere around 10 gauss; a magnetars is 1014 gauss or higher. That field is so high its unstable, Ravi says. It chaotically reconfigures itself. Transients are astronomically sized objects that change on human timescalesin seconds, hours, days. The objects magnetic field lines twist and snap and reconnect, and in the process they send out flares. The combination of absurdly strong magnetic fields and absurdly fast rotation leads to lots of explosive physics, Kasen says. In 2004 a flare from one magnetar halfway across the Milky Way ionized the upper layers of Earths atmosphere. Astronomers know of around 30 of them in our galaxy so far. Advertisement Advertisement Magnetars are invoked to explain a lot of things we dont understand, says Brian Metzger of Columbia University, a theoretical astrophysicist who specializes in stellar-death transients. For instance, different transients might be different phases of a magnetars life. Magnetars might be born in the core collapse of the same massive stars as superluminous supernovae. A supernova might then condense into a pulsar and send out jets that are seen as gamma-ray bursts. Later, when the magnetars spin period has slowed from milliseconds to seconds, its flares may be seen as a fast radio burst. Magnetars might even explain FBOTs, Ho says, but so far FBOTS are too distant for scientists to be sure. The stellar-death transients are dying in ways intrinsic to stars. But stars can also die because theyre just in the cosmically wrong place, in the nuclei of galaxies with supermassive black holes. These nuclear transients, the second overall category of transients, have turned up only in the past decade. Theyre rare and barely understood. One reason for that is that nuclear transients are a minefield of contamination, says Suvi Gezari of the University of Maryland, College Park. Astronomers must distinguish the flashes of nuclear transients from supermassive black holes whose behavior varies. One percent of supermassive black holes, the quasars, are furiously, actively accreting gas and shine so brightly they can be seen near the beginning of the universe. Most of the rest are inactive and just flickering; they have gravitationally cleared out much of the space around them, and their brightness varies by just 10 to 45 percent. And another, unknown fraction are not accreting at all; theyre completely black and invisible. Nuclear transients are not active quasars, and they dont flickertheyre cosmic flash-bangs. One kind is a tidal disruption event such as AT2019qiz, a star trapped in a supermassive black holes gravitational field and torn to smithereens. Astronomers have found around 100 tidal disruption events, each visible for a few months in the x-ray, optical and ultraviolet ranges, each with its own small accretion disk that lasts for a few tens of years. Maybe one in 10 tidal disruption events do what AT2019qiz did and become the site of another kind of nuclear transient, the quasi-periodic eruption. In these cases, an errant star passes through the tidally disrupted stars accretion disk and flares up in x-rays to the brightness of a billion suns. Such flares last minutes and repeat in hours to weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Other nuclear transients may not involve stars at all and may reflect odd behavior of the black holes. One kind of transient discovered in the past decade is called a changing-look quasar (CLQ). It has the brightness of a normal quasar but rapidly changes its appearance in unexplainable ways. It should take thousands of years for a quasar to switch off and go from brilliantly active to quietly inactive. Yet astronomers have found dozens to hundreds of CLQs that change their looks by 200 percent in monthsthey change so much and so quickly that theyre not theoretically explainable, says astrophysicist Paul Green of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Maybe theyre the aftermath of a long-gone tidal disruption event, or maybe, he says, we havent watched long enough to see a change of state thats lasting. As if CLQs werent improbable enough, astronomers also find ambiguous nuclear transients (ANTs), whose problem is in their name: Theyre ambiguous, says astrophysicist Philip Wiseman, who studies nuclear transients at the University of Southampton in England. They are a diagnosis of exclusion, a flash that isnt any other transient. ANTs are brighter than all transients except gamma-ray bursts. Their light rises slowly over months and lasts for two or more years. Theyve been found in data archives in numbers from a few to hundreds, depending on whos defining them. We can find them, but we dont know what they are, says astronomer Matthew Graham of Caltech, another nuclear-transients specialist. These events are flashes of inconceivable amounts of energy. One ANT discovered in 2020 became famous: At first astronomers thought it was an actively feeding supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy, but they couldnt find the galaxy. The lonely supermassive black hole, like a kind of negative island, is somewhere between 10 and 1,000 times the size of the one in the Milky Way. One of its names is ZTF20abrbeie; astronomers call it Scary Barbie. Advertisement Advertisement ANTs could be outsize tidal disruption eventsthat is, instead of sun-size stars being torn apart by black holes with the mass of a million suns, they might be 10-solar-mass stars torn apart by black holes with the mass of a billion suns. Or they could be supermassive black holes moving from inactive flickering to active fiery accretionblack holes turning on, Graham says. Researchers are still looking for Scary Barbies galaxy. Were guessing at half this stuff, Graham adds. The obvious question is, Are some of these transients somehow aspects of the same thing? For stellar-death transients, the answer is not exactly no. Several of them may be related to one another or to magnetars; in general, theyre a menu of the variables that determine how stars end their lives. For nuclear transients, the answer is unsatisfying: either a captured star or a black holes accretion disk is brightening. For a better answer, astronomers need to collect many more nuclear transients. Nor can stellar and nuclear transients be put together into a single grand unified theory. Such a picture should be based on their physicsspecifically, the source of energy for their outbursts. The holy grail is understanding what produced the transient, says Eliot Quataert of Princeton, a theoretical astrophysicist studying nuclear transients. Theorists want to be able to slot energy sources into a few categories, such as radioactive decay, shocks and gravity, although some transients dont seem to fit into any of these boxes. To figure out the energy sources and maybe unify transients, astronomers need to compare what they see in different wavelengths, which each reflect different physical processes. In supernovae, for instance, ultraviolet light comes from shock breakouts, and x-rays and radio waves come from collisions between matter ejected in the explosion and the surrounding gas. Collecting every possible photon from every physical process allows astronomers to assemble a complete picture of the event. Advertisement Advertisement Accordingly, telescopes now operating in optical, ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma-ray and radio-wave bands are about to be joined by a series of new telescopes in space. Among them are NASAs Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch by mid-2027 and observe in the infrared; the Einstein Probe in x-ray; and NASAs Ultraviolet Explorer, which will launch in 2030. You might wonder whether this is a lot of telescopes and effort just to learn about 100,000 one-offs in a universe full of 10,000 billion billion stars in 100 billion galaxies. Understanding transients is important partly for answering other astronomical questions. Supernovae are used as distance markers to enable calculations of the universes acceleration. Both tidal disruption events and quasi-periodic eruptions hold evidence about supermassive black holes that are quiescent and therefore invisible, as well as about the all but theoretical class of black holes whose masses are between those of stellar black holes and supermassive ones. And fast radio bursts, because they are visible in the distant universe, can be used as searchlights to map the distribution of regular matter, of which only 10 percent is known. But transients are also interesting for their own odd selves, for their ability to teach us what physics doesnt forbid. Kasen says they are laboratories for fundamental physics and extreme conditions; they are physics at the extreme, Margutti says, and I cant probe that on Earth. Transients show the range of phenomena possible in the universe, Ravi says. These events are flashes of inconceivable amounts of energy released in the time it takes to buy groceries, drink a glass of water or snap your fingers. A supernova shock breakout travels the distance from Baltimore to Western Australia in half an eyeblink. A magnetar passing 160,000 kilometers away could demagnetize every credit card on Earth. A neutron star compresses a massive star to the length of a leisurely two-hour walk. The study of transients is certifiable science, but if it werent, it would still be reason for near-holy astonishment. *Editors Note (12/18/25): This sentence was edited after posting to correct the date at which the Einstein Probe began collecting data. New Jersey nursing homes are required to conduct criminal background checks before hiring employees who provide care for their residents. Not all do, a new federal report found. The inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the state failed to ensure that nursing homes complied with federal requirements prohibiting the employment of individuals with disqualifying backgrounds. Advertisement Advertisement But New Jersey Department of Health officials said their hands were effectively tied because the Legislature has not given them the authority to conduct background checks, which are done instead through third-party companies. In an audit of the state, 11 of the 12 nursing homes examined by the federal inspectors did not comply or did not document compliance with background check requirements for 33 of 120 employees reviewed. According to the report: Nine of the nursing homes audited allowed staff members to provide care before completing a background check. Four nursing homes employed a total of six staff members without ever performing background checks. One did not provide documentation that it had performed background checks for 10 selected staff members. Advertisement Advertisement The audit did not indicate whether any of the individuals cited had issues that would have prohibited them from working in long-term care. According to the report, the states nursing homes which have chronically have had serious understaffing issues did not have sufficient procedures to ensure that background checks were properly conducted for all staff members. This put residents at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment, inspectors said. The audit added that New Jerseys own monitoring protocols also were not adequate to prevent nursing homes from employing individuals with disqualifying backgrounds. Advertisement Advertisement In comments from the state included in the report, New Jersey officials said that as of June 2023, recertification surveys now include reviewing files for all new hires from the date of the last recertification survey. They also noted plans to increase educational outreach to facilities. But acting state Health Commissioner Jeffrey Brown also pointed out that the New Jersey Legislature has not given the state Department of Health the authority to run its own criminal history background checks. Businesses are running third-party background checks, he explained in a letter to the inspector generals office. Brown added that if the Department of Health had authority to run background checks through the State Police and FBI, the state would be in full compliance. Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, New Jerseys Long-Term Care Ombudsman, said she found the report shocking and deeply concerning. Advertisement Advertisement Clearly, the state needs to tighten up its oversight in this area, she said. The vast majority of direct care workers are caring people with spotless records. But there is no margin for error here. People living in nursing homes are an easy target for neglect, maltreatment and financial exploitation. We must do better. Andrew Aronson, president and CEO of the Health Care Association of New Jersey, which represents the states long-term care industry, said New Jersey law specifically requires criminal background checks for all nurse aides as well as other health care professionals in nursing homes. We fully support these background check laws and efforts by the NJ Department of Health to ensure compliance, he said. Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The banner, which reads For the next war, Nahariya be prepared, features images of Hezbollah. The Iranian regime placed a new banner in Tehrans Palestine Square threatening Israels northern city of Nahariya, according to photos shared online. The banner, which reads For the next war, Nahariya be prepared, features images of Hezbollah. The banner has been named, Another defeat awaits you in Lebanon, according to Iranian media. Advertisement Advertisement Hezbollah, a mostly Lebanon-based terror group, began launching attacks on Israel on October 8, 2023, a day after Hamass invasion into southern Israel. Hezbollah claimed on the first anniversary of its assault to have carried out 3,194 attacks, including 1,040 attacks on military forces, 964 attacks on military positions, bases, equipment, and airfields, and 570 attacks on civilian settlements. Iran released the new banner amid heated conflict between Hezbollah and Israel over the past month, according to semi-official news site Mehr News Agency. The IDF and northern residents have repeatedly prepared for an October 7-style invasion from the terror group, which was meant to have withdrawn from Lebanon's south as part of the current ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Despite the agreement, the IDF has noted numerous violations by the terror group and has responded by striking terrorists crossing the Litani River. Palestine Square's role in Tehran's psychological warfare The regime has repeatedly used banners in Palestine Square for psychological warfare. In October last year, Tehran released a blood-splattered mural depicting photos of Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 with the text no hostage will be released in Hebrew. The banner included photos of hostages who had already been freed at the time. The North Carolina Board of Elections on Dec. 17, 2025. (Photo: Screenshot) Its unusual for the North Carolina Board of Elections to order a redo of an election. But Wednesday, they did it twice: once in a mayors race where one candidate now leads by a single vote, and again for a small Hertford County town where 7 of the 25 people who cast ballots werent eligible. The State Board of Elections ordered new elections in the races for Morehead City mayor and for Harrellsville mayor and town council in Hertford County. Advertisement Advertisement In the Morehead City mayors race, challenger Lee Stiles leads incumbent Jerry Jones by one vote. One of Jones lawyers, Christopher Stock, told the board that two men who planned to vote for the incumbent were improperly turned away when they should have been offered provisional ballots. The fail-safe process we have in the state was not used, he said. Another of Jones lawyers, Phil Thomas, requested the board permit those two voters to cast ballots now. It addresses only the immediate harm, Thomas said. It restores the election result to what it would have been. It avoids rerunning the entire election. Advertisement Advertisement A new election would be an alternative option, Thomas said. But board members said the law wont allow the two voters to cast ballots after the fact. Poll workers were not correctly trained, said Board member Siobhan Millen. We dont know how many people were turned away. Stiles asked the board to declare him the winner, but added I dont mind going out and beating Mr. Jones again. Stiles lawyer, Hart Miles, asked for a new election. Board member Stacy Four Eggers IV agreed that a new election is the proper solution. We cant simply offer two ballots to the people who presented themselves, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Ordering new elections is rare, Eggers said. And the Morehead City mayors race is proof that every vote matters. A single vote absolutely is important. In the Hertford County case, no one signed up to run for Harrellsville mayor, but voters could write in candidate names. Three people signed up to run for five seats on the Harrellsville town council. Voters could also write in names for those seats. The Hertford County Board of Elections didnt certify the Harrellsville results because of irregularities affecting the integrity and accuracy of the election. All 25 people who voted did so in person on Election Day. They were not asked to sign authorization to vote forms, a Hertford elections board document says. Poll workers did not follow procedures for verifying voter eligibility, the document says, and only eighteen of the 25 people who voted in the Harrellsville elections were actually eligible. Advertisement Advertisement The State Board voted to rerun the entire election in March. Hopefully, the precinct workers will know how to properly process voters and give them correct ballots, Eggers said. An analysis of last months municipal election results by Common Cause North Carolina found seven contests ended in a tie. Another 15 races were decided by one vote, the organization said in a press release. In 14 races, the winner finished with a two-vote edge. Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new state-run website Tuesday that tracks what his office calls the criminal cronies around President Trump just the latest trolling tactic by the California governor that directly mirrors Trumps own use of public resources for political score settling. Newsom pegged the website's rollout to recent crime statistics, which were released in early November showing falling rates of homicide and assault in California. The governor's website catalogs what it calls the top 10 criminal convictions that were followed by pardons offered thus far by Trump from Jan. 6 rioters to former politicians and business figures convicted of fraud, drug trafficking and financial crimes. The website calls Trump the "criminal in chief." The website features AI-generated portraits of such figues as Rod Blagojevich, the only Illinois governor to be impeached and removed from office; former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted of drug trafficking; and Ross Ulbricht, the founder of a dark-web drug marketplace who had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The images show the men standing in a lineup with the word "felon" stamped in red ink. Advertisement Advertisement With crime dropping again California is proving what real public safety leadership looks like, read a statement from Newsom. Meanwhile in D.C., Trump is a felon who surrounds himself with scammers and drug traffickers. Were providing the public with a resource putting the facts in one place so Californians, and all Americans, can see who he elevates and who he protects. The launch is the latest escalation in Newsoms increasingly aggressive digital campaign against Trump. In recent months, the governor and his press office have turned social media into a near-daily forum for mocking and trolling the president by firing off all-caps posts, meme-style graphics and sharply worded rebukes aimed at Trumps brash rhetoric, criminal record, policy proposals and political allies. Republican strategist Rob Stutzman, who is openly critical of Trump, said Newsom's latest tactic may be moving past parody and instead "perpetuating the Trump denigration" of societal norms and public confidence in institutions. Newsoms online campaign mocking Trump has clearly been part of his rise in popularity with base Democrat voters," Stuzman said. "But by doing so from a taxpayer financed website with state employees, he is agreeing to disregard previous norms for public institutions that Trump has dismantled. Be careful to not become that which you despise." Advertisement Advertisement Others, including Mike Madrid, a GOP strategist and co-founder of the anti-Trump political action committee known as the Lincoln Project, said Newsom's mirroring can't go too far when it's simply showing what the president is doing himself. Madrid called Newsom's approach "fantastic." "He's turning the tables completely on Trump. Completely," Madrid said. "The more Trump attacks him, the more Trump's enablers attack him, the stronger he's gonna get ... Do I like the fact that taxpayer dollars are being used this way? No, but that train left the station on January 2017 when Trump took office the first time." The crime data, which were released Nov. 3 by the Major Cities Chiefs Assn., found homicides across Californias major cities fell 18% year over year, robberies dropped 18% and aggravated assaults declined 9%. The association also found that violent crime decreased in every California city reporting data, with the steepest declines in Oakland, where violent crime fell 25%, and San Francisco, where it fell 21%. Newsoms new website highlights Trumps sweeping use of presidential pardons to grant clemency to roughly 1,500 people charged or convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The governors office said some of those individuals had prior criminal records and that others went on to be convicted of new crimes after receiving pardons. Advertisement Advertisement The move mirrors tactics Trump and his administration have embraced. Most recently, Trump unveiled a website of media offenders, naming journalists and outlets he accuses of bias. Newsoms office pushed back on the comparison, saying the journalists targeted by Trump were accused of bias rather than criminal conduct, unlike those listed on the California site. Separately, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem has maintained a website highlighting what it calls the worst of the worst criminal immigrants arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, framing the page as evidence that the administration is carrying out Trumps promise of mass deportations. The state's website launch comes as Newsom seeks to cast California as a national leader in responsible governance of artificial intelligence. Earlier Tuesday, the governor announced a slate of initiatives aimed at promoting ethical AI use in state government, including a new advisory council, partnerships with academic and nonprofit groups, and a generative AI assistant for state employees. Among the priorities outlined are strengthening safeguards for children online, countering image-based abuse and improving government operations. Advertisement Advertisement California is at the forefront of AI technology and is home to some of the most successful and innovative companies and academic leaders in the world," Newsom said in a statement. "Were not going to sit on the sidelines and let others define the future for us. But were going to do it responsibly making sure we capture the benefits, mitigate the harms, and continue to lead with the values that define this state. Get the L.A. Times California Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A Bobby Salazar's franchise has rebranded, cutting ties with its namesake as Fresno businessman Bobby Salazar continues his legal battle. The location on Champlain and Perrin in northeast Fresno is now "Mama Iguana's," operating under the same ownership as before: the Riofrio family. "We opened in November 2001. We've been here for over 24 years. We don't plan to go anywhere anytime soon. We just have a name change and we're here to serve the community," Mama Iguana's owner, Suzie Riofrio said. "Mama Iguana's just had a ring to it. Let's go to Mama's." Advertisement Advertisement Riofrio says the change has brought some trouble with name recognition, leading to lower sales, especially on food delivery apps, but they reassure customers that not much has changed. "We have the same great staff and kitchen staff with high-quality, home-cooked food," Riofrio stated. Mama Iguana's announced the rebrand in September and officially parted ways in November. "We changed the name due to a mutual agreement to terminate our franchise with Bobby Salazar's Mexican Restaurant," Riofrio explained. In the meantime, Bobby Salazar has been the center of a criminal lawsuit since August, accused of hiring a local motorcycle gang leader last year to torch one of his namesake restaurants on Blackstone in central Fresno. RELATED: Bobby Salazar and two others indicted on felony charges; one pleads not guilty He received over $900,000 in insurance money following that fire. Advertisement Advertisement We caught up with him ahead of his status hearing in September. "Bobby, do you have anything to say about the accusations?" I asked Salazar. "I'm innocent," Salazar answered. Salazar has pleaded not guilty to two arson-related felonies and firearms charges after investigators discovered several firearms at his home, including four with serial numbers removed and one ghost gun. Bobby Salazar remains out of jail on bond. He's scheduled back in court toward the end of next month. For news and weather updates, follow Tiffany Olin on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Dec 17 (Reuters) - The White House is set to announce drug pricing deals with pharma giants Novartis AG and Roche Holding AG as soon as Friday, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the situation. Other drugmakers could also be included in the announcement, and the details remain in flux, the report added. The companies did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Pfizer and AstraZeneca have struck deals with the Trump administration in recent months, agreeing to lower prescription drug prices in return for relief from tariffs. (Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) A crime spree started with a burglary on the Northwest Side of the city Wednesday, with the three suspects breaking into a vehicle and stealing some of the items inside. It ended after the suspects crashed their vehicle into a building and a fence on the South Side. Chopper 7 was over a chaotic scene as Chicago police took three people into custody in the West Lawn neighborhood. Chicago police said the incident began at about 10:37 a.m. in the 4100 block of North Greenwood Avenue. A 50-year-old man said three suspects broke into a vehicle, took some items, and then fled in a different car. Advertisement Advertisement About one hour later, police saw a vehicle matching the description crash into a building and a gate in the 7100 block of South Kedvale near Pulaski, in the West Lawn neighborhood. Chopper 7 was over a residential neighborhood as police were searching for the suspects. Chopper 7 was over police activity Chicago's West Lawn neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon. Police said three people were taken into custody. No injuries were reported. CPD said the vehicle was reported stolen on Tuesday night from the 4000 block of North Oakley Avenue in North Center. Mariana Mendez was home with her three young children when her ring camera captured images of one of the suspect running toward her back yard with police not far behind. Advertisement Advertisement Ashey Gonzalez lives next door and says she never had any interaction with the suspect, but the large police response was unsettling. Police say the entire incident lasted about an hour from start to finish. Most of the police activity was centered around the crash and foot pursuit of the suspects on the South Side. Some neighbors were concerned that they could break into their homes, but police were able to take all three into custody before that happened. Charges are pending against the three suspects who were arrested as police continue to question them. No other information was available. INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) slammed briefings Congress has received regarding the Trump administrations military strikes on alleged drug boats, calling them a joke. Were you satisfied with the answers that youve gotten so far today in these classified briefings journalist Pablo Manriquez asked Ocasio-Cortez in a clip posted to the social platform X on Tuesday. Oh, hell no, the New York Democrat responded. That was a joke. That was a joke. Advertisement Advertisement And, were any questions asked that were compelling like, were any questions answered? Manriquez said. There was not a single piece of intelligence that was shared that even rises to the level of any other briefing that weve seen on Ukraine, China, anything. There was no seri this was not a serious intelligence briefing. This was a communication of opinion, and if this administration wants to go to war, they need to go get it from Congress, Ocasio-Cortez said. Reuters reported Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave briefings to all members of Congress on Tuesday. The briefings were due to pressure from members of the legislative branch for information on the boat strikes, according to the outlet. Hegseth said Tuesday that the Pentagon was not going to release the full, unedited video of the early September strike on an alleged drug boat that killed 11 people, including two initial survivors in a follow-up strike. Advertisement Advertisement In keeping with long-standing Department of War policy Department of Defense policy, of course, were not going to release a top secret full unedited video of that to the general public, Hegseth told reporters in the wake of briefing senators on the alleged drug boat strikes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Led by State Senator Catherine Blakespear, local officials gathered along the I-5 freeway in Del Mar today. On behalf of the thousands of motorists who were severely impacted by the freeway closure in Del Mar earlier this month, theyre demanding answers from the law enforcement agencies involved. The only apparent positive from the more than eight-hour closure is the laudable goal of preventing a loss of lifean apparent suicidal man threatening to jump from the Del Mar overpass. Advertisement Advertisement What everyone is asking is this: What about the other lives at stake because of the more than eight-hour closure? Ambulances were stuck in the mess; they missed essential doctors appointments and missed plane flights. Blakespear says shes meeting with San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl this Friday. But noting the CHP is in charge of the freeways, she wants specifics from the Highway Patrol, too. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Corn price action is down 1 to 1 cents on Tuesday morning. Futures saw weakness for much of Monday, with contracts down 1 to 2 cents in the nearbys, pulling off early lows. Preliminary open interest was up 8,625 contracts on Monday. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price was down a penny to $3.95. USDA tallied corn export shipments at 1.589 MMT (62.32 mbu) during the week ending on December 11. That was 9.07% below the week priors revised total and 37.25% larger than the same week in 2024. Mexico was the top destination of 488,231 MT, with 301,240 MT headed to Japan and 219,729 MT to Spain. Marketing year exports for 2025/26 are now 22.501 MMT (885.84 mbu) since September 1, which is now 68.74% larger than the same period last year. USDA also reported 71,917 MT of sorghum to China. More News from Barchart Export Sales data got another catchup on Monday, with a total of 1.84 MMT of corn booked in the week of 11/20. That was a drop from the week prior, but still 73.4% larger than the same week last year. Another update to the backlogged CFTC data on Monday afternoon showed managed money flipping back to a net short of 10,872 contracts in the week ending on November 25 a move of 48,999 contracts to the short side. Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.39 3/4, down 1 cent, currently down 1 1/4 cents Nearby Cash was $3.95, down 1 cent, May 26 Corn closed at $4.47 3/4, down 1 1/4 cents, currently down 1 1/2 cents Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.53 3/4, down 1 1/4 cents, currently down 1 1/4 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 Ocean Network Express plans a return to the Red Sea with the launch of the new RCS (Red-Sea China Service). The announcement comes as part of a slot charter agreement with Regional Container Lines and several other carriers on its RCL China Red Sea Service inaugurated in November. This new service has been introduced to meet the demand between China and Red Sea ports, allowing us to better serve our customers with optimized network coverage and reliable shipping solutions, Singapore-based ONE said in a release. Advertisement Advertisement Interest in a return to the Red Sea has picked up following a ceasefire in the Gaza war. Yemen-based Houthi rebels said they would end attacks on shipping as long as the ceasefire holds. Vessel arrivals in November at the Gulf of Aden dropped by 65% compared to the same month in 2023, according to shipping consultant Clarkson, shortly before the Houthis began their attacks. Notably, the new service does not transit the Suez Canal. The fortnightly service commences with the sailing of the SSF Dream from Shanghai on Jan. 15. The eight-week rotation is Shanghai, Qingdao, Nansha and Shekou in China; Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Sokhna (Egypt), Aqaba (Jordan) and return via Jeddah, Shanghai and Qingdao. Advertisement Advertisement Published reports put the SSF Dream capacity at 3,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs), typical for a feeder-type vessel. Global Feeder Shipping of the United Arab Emirates and TS Lines are reportedly also participating in the service, which has attracted Evergreen Marine as another slot participant. Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here. Related coverage: Report: China demands control of Panama ports operator Carriers look to higher rates, fewer sailings on key Asia-US route Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd drop US East Coast city from trans-Atlantic services Maersk tabs new CFO, North American chief in global leadership shakeup The post ONE returns to Red Sea with new service appeared first on FreightWaves. It has been a very bad 2025 for China. And Beijing is especially frustrated and furious over the radical geopolitical changes in Latin America. The return of President Trump has reduced and reversed Chinas powerful influence in the region. Many of its partners have moved to the right, strengthening alliances with the U.S. and pursuing closer ties with Taiwan. This unexpected earthquake has led to complaints and confrontations in several countries, demonstrating worries and weaknesses in the communist superpower. Advertisement Advertisement In Panama, China has lost its preeminent influence over the Panama Canal. Beijing has opposed efforts to sell ports to a U.S. firm and denied audits that show its operating irregularities and complaints over the decision to break with the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinas most precious strategy. The communist dragon also breathed fire because, in recent days, members of Panamas Parliament dared to visit Taiwan and met with high level officials. In Peru, Beijing has also had a few diplomatic clashes. The Xi Jinping regime complained to the Ombudsmans Office about the rapprochement with Taiwan and the reception of its representatives in Lima. In addition, the red nation demanded a public apology. Yes, just like a 21st century empire. China received another blow in Peru. The Peruvian government has reported that the United States has expressed its interest in designating Peru as its main non-NATO ally. A transcendental positioning on security and defense issues. Advertisement Advertisement In Paraguay, the communist giant has been excessively disrespectful. At the end of last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to expel the Chinese diplomat Xu Wei for conducting a visit with a hidden agenda. Then, this year, Beijing dared to ask Paraguay to recognize the One China policy. The Asian superpower has also made big demands of Mexico. In September, after Mexico announced tariffs on several products from China and other nations, China told Mexico to think twice before making any tariff adjustment. The Mexican government has stated that the tariffs are not a political measure but rather a trade and economic effort that seeks to preserve 350,000 jobs. Its position marks a historic alignment with the U.S. and a severe blow to communist Chinas expansionist economic strategy. In Chile, Beijing continues to defend its interests, including illegal fishing in sovereign territory. China has also experienced some setbacks in investments in strategic sectors such as lithium and copper, in which Chile is a world leader. Advertisement Advertisement The recent victory of Jose Antonio Kast, a Trump ally, could further weaken Chinas ambitions and interests in this country rich in strategic minerals. Argentina has also reduced Chinas influence in a few key sectors. The South American giant opted for U.S. F-16s instead of Beijings JF-17s fighter jets and also canceled the installation of a Chinese surveillance radar. Argentina maintains good relations with China, but its alliance with the U.S. is stronger than ever. President Javier Milei did not attend the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States-China Summit or send his foreign minister, and he was the only one who did not sign the final declaration of the summit. In Central America, China has used a policy of commercial blackmail against Guatemala due to its close relationship with Taiwan. Meanwhile, in Honduras, Beijing has warned political forces that they must exercise caution and strictly adhere to the One China policy. Advertisement Advertisement Costa Rica has also experienced interference and demands from China. The Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter sent a delegation to Taiwan to explore business opportunities, and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security participated in a training session in Taiwan. Both events triggered diplomatic protests from Beijing. Most recently, China has also strongly rejected the comments made by political leaders that expressed interest in restoring relations with Taipei. China is on the ropes in a context of a Latin America that is voting to the right, particularly under the Trump effect. Just a few days ago, Beijing abruptly announced a new policy paper for Latin America which speaks of respect and equality, but in practice, it maintains an aggressive policy of interference, pressure and imperialistic commercial opportunism. In this geopolitical game of thrones presented by China, the U.S. seems to be one step ahead. The new U.S. National Security Strategy has made clear that Latin America is a priority. Advertisement Advertisement Where the Monroe Doctrine established boundaries over the European presence in the region, this new strategy delivers a strong message to the communist regime of China that could read as follows: Latin America is once again our main sphere of influence, and we are not giving in nor giving up. Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense Universitys Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned Belgium not to agree to plans to use frozen Russian state assets for Ukraine, also pointing to threats from Moscow. "The plan to confiscate Russian assets would put Belgium in serious danger," Orban said just before a potentially decisive EU summit in Brussels. He said the proposal by the European Commission violates international law, threatens an important Belgian company that manages the funds and carries the risk of massive retaliatory measures. Advertisement Advertisement "Any legal dispute would be lost, and ultimately someone would have to repay the confiscated assets," Orban said Orban also referred to a correspondence he initiated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the head of the Kremlin said there would be a determined response using all legal means. At the same time, he said he was assured that Russia would take into account which EU member state adopts which position. Orban stressed that Hungary would not support the use of Russian state assets. Showdown in Brussels The plan, supported by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other leading EU politicians, is to be discussed from Thursday at the last regular EU summit of the year in Brussels. Advertisement Advertisement It specifically envisages using the frozen assets of the Russian central bank in the EU for long-term loans to Ukraine. Russia is to get the funds back only if it makes reparation payments after ending its war against Ukraine. Belgium's approval is considered central to the implementation of the plan, even though the proposal could theoretically be decided by majority vote. The reason is that by far the largest portion of the Russian funds to be used for Ukraine is managed by the Belgian company Euroclear - about 185 billion ($217 billion) of the total 210 billion in the EU. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed the FBI to create a cash reward system for information leading to the arrest of leaders of so-called domestic terrorist organizations, a category the Justice Department now says includes people and groups associated with what it calls radical gender ideology, according to a December 4 memorandum. Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter. The guidance operationalizes National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, issued by President Donald Trump in September, by ordering federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to prioritize investigations and prosecutions tied to an expansive definition of domestic terrorism. Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein first reported on the memos existence on Tuesday, after it was leaked. Advertisement Advertisement Related: Pam Bondi promises to 'respect the law' on marriage equality in Senate confirmation hearing Among the ideologies flagged are adherence to radical gender ideology, along with positions favoring mass migration, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity, and hostility toward traditional views on family, religion, and morality, the memo states. While the directive does not explicitly name transgender people, advocates say the language effectively targets trans communities and those who support them, given the administrations repeated use of gender ideology as a catchall for transgender identity, health care, education, and civil rights advocacy. For some culpable actors, such as certain Antifa-aligned extremists, their animating principle is adherence to the types of extreme viewpoints on immigration, radical gender ideology, and anti-American sentiment listed below, with a willingness to use violence against law-abiding citizenry to serve those beliefs, the memo states. Advertisement Advertisement The memo instructs prosecutors to consider a broad range of criminal statutes, including obstruction during civil disorders, conspiracy against rights, and providing material support for terrorism, when pursuing cases connected to protests or advocacy linked to the newly defined threats. Related: Trump AG Pam Bondi falsely compares gender-affirming care for minors as the same as female genital mutilation Bondis guidance also orders federal agencies to comb their files for intelligence related to Antifa and Antifa-aligned groups and deliver that information to the FBI within two weeks. Within 30 days, the FBI is directed to compile a list of organizations whose actions may constitute domestic terrorism, issue intelligence bulletins on those groups structures and funding, and more prominently publicize its domestic-terrorism tip line. Most controversially, the memo directs the FBI to establish a cash reward system a bounty for tips that lead to the identification and arrest of leaders of targeted organizations. Paired with the memos ideological framing, the policy risks encouraging informants to report on peaceful activists, LGBTQ+ organizations, or health care providers based on politics rather than evidence of violence. Advertisement Advertisement The FBI shall establish a cash reward system for information that leads to the successful identification and arrest of individuals in the leadership of domestic terrorist organizations that conspire with others to commit violations of the provisions of law listed in section 2 of this guidance or other offenses against the United States, Bondi wrote. Related: Who is Pam Bondi? Trump's attorney general pick has a mixed history on LGBTQ+ issues Notably absent from the memo is any acknowledgment of the overwhelming body of research showing that the majority of domestic terrorist violence in the United States is linked to right-wing extremism. In October, weeks before Bondis memo surfaced, Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, warned The Advocate that LGBTQ+ organizations were already bracing for government investigations, and that such threats should be taken literally. Advertisement Advertisement Yes. Oh my goodness. If youre awake, you should be concerned, Robinson said when asked about the administrations signaling that it could investigate organizations on the left. Because what were seeing is not only threats, but were seeing them taking action. Robinson pointed to Project 2025 as evidence that stated intentions often become policy. Anytime you hear their intentions out loud, we have to take that seriously, she said. We dont need to wait until it all comes to hit us and then try to catch up on the backend. As a result, Robinson said, advocacy organizations were already planning for an environment resembling authoritarian regimes abroad. A lot of organizations are thinking about physical and cybersecurity and safety for staff and volunteers, she said. Were doing a lot of work around organizational resilience and learning from colleagues abroad about what it means to adapt in authoritarian environments. The administration increasingly frames transgender rights as a national security issue. Earlier this year, federal agencies were weighing whether to fold trans-related activism into emerging violent extremism categories, heightening fears of a modern-day Lavender Scare repackaged for the surveillance age. Advertisement Advertisement This article originally appeared on Advocate: Pam Bondi wants FBI to offer bounties for radical gender ideology groups, leaked memo shows RELATED The Defense Department said this week it is accelerating its investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a retired Navy pilot, for allegedly violating military law after he took part in a video with five other Democratic members of Congress urging service members to refuse illegal orders. The six released the video on social media on Nov. 18, amid ongoing U.S. military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. The Pentagon said the preliminary review of Kelly had been escalated to an official command investigation for serious allegations of misconduct, according to an emailed Defense Department statement. Advertisement Advertisement The Nov. 18 video showed the lawmakers, all of whom served in the military or intelligence community, calling on service members to protect and defend the Constitution, which they said was being threatened not just from abroad, but at home, too. President Donald Trump responded to the video on Truth Social, calling the elected officials seditious and demanding that they be arrested and put on trial. On Nov. 24, the Pentagon announced that it would be investigating Kelly and, in a post uploaded to social media, cited a federal law permitting the Defense Department to recall retired service members to active duty for a court-martial. If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it wont work, Kelly said in a statement at the time. Advertisement Advertisement The National Institute of Military Justice released a statement on Dec. 12 condemning the Pentagons investigation into Kelly, claiming his speech was not punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and that any adverse action against Senator Kelly would threaten core constitutional principles. Kellys lawyer, Paul J. Fishman, wrote to Navy Secretary John Phelan on Dec. 15 informing him that he and his client were prepared to take legal action if proceedings were to continue, according to a letter obtained by Punchbowl News. A list of US military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels If the executive branch were to move forward in any forum - criminal, disciplinary, or administrative - we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kellys behalf to halt the administrations unprecedented and dangerous overreach, the letter read. Advertisement Advertisement Four days after the Pentagon disclosed its investigation into Kelly for telling service members to disobey unlawful orders, The Washington Post published an article stating that the U.S. military had conducted a double-tap strike on Sept. 2 that killed survivors of an initial military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, potentially violating U.S. and international law. The report said that Adm. Frank M. Mitch Bradley, who led Joint Special Operations Command during the strike, ordered SEAL Team 6 to fire a second strike after an initial strike killed nine individuals aboard the vessel, leaving two others clinging to the wreckage. The Sept. 2 strike was the first in a series of strikes the U.S. has conducted in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean in support of what the Pentagon has labeled counternarcotics efforts. As of Dec. 16, the Trump administration has disclosed 25 strikes, killing at least 94 people. Advertisement Advertisement Former military JAGs and lawmakers immediately raised concerns over the murky legal territory of the second strike. A memo from the Former JAGs Working Group, comprised of former military JAGs, said anyone involved in such strikes would be liable legally for committing an unlawful act. Since orders to kill survivors of an attack at sea are patently illegal, anyone who issues or follows such orders can and should be prosecuted for war crimes, murder, or both, the memo read. If the U.S. was involved in a noninternational armed conflict as the Trump administration has said, former JAGs argued the second strike was a war crime, as the survivors were hors de combat, defenseless, and protected by Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which stipulates that such individuals cannot be targeted through acts of violence or murder. Advertisement Advertisement The survivors of the first strike should have been treated as prisoners of war, they said. If the U.S. was not involved in such a conflict, which many of the JAGs said was the case, the double-tap strike would qualify as an extrajudicial killing, they argued. In early December, top congressional leaders met with Bradley and were shown the video of the Sept. 2 strike, including the double-tap strike. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., who was among those who saw the video and is the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told NPR that the survivors were shipwrecked, soon to be dead and that the second strike met the definition of a war crime. Advertisement Advertisement Some Republican lawmakers saw the strike as completely lawful. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., after being briefed and watching a video of the second strike that killed the two survivors of the first strike, told reporters the two were trying to flip the boat over so they could stay in the fight. As a result, Cotton argued, the second strikes were entirely lawful and needful. NEED TO KNOW The man taken into police custody as a person of interest after the mass shooting at Brown University on Dec. 13 has been identified, according to multiple outlets Police identified the man as Benjamin Erickson, a 24-year-old Army veteran, NBC News, The Washington Post and CNN reported The deadly shooting at the Ivy League school left at least two people dead and nine others injured Update: The person of interest in the shooting has been released, authorities said on Sunday, Dec. 14. The "person of interest" who was taken into police custody following the deadly mass shooting at Brown University has been identified, according to multiple outlets. Advertisement Advertisement NBC News, The Washington Post and CNN, citing police sources, reported that the individual is 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson. PEOPLE has not independently confirmed his identity. Erickson was an Army infantryman from May 2021 to November 2024, an Army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, told NBC News. "He has no deployments and left the Army in the rank of specialist," Castro said. Police believe Erickson traveled from Wisconsin to Rhode Island to carry out the shooting, which left at least two people dead and nine others injured, according to CNN. The outlet reported that police traced the person of interest to a Hampton Inn in Coventry. After making entry into his hotel room, CNN said police asked Erickson where he was when the shooting took place, and he responded, per the outlet, that he had been at the hotel. Advertisement Advertisement Citing numerous law enforcement sources, CNN reported that police found two guns inside the hotel room, a revolver and a small Glock handgun with a laser sight attached. The publication was at the scene when at least 20 police officers, U.S. Marshals, and FBI agents went into the Hampton Inn room. getty Brown University. Brown University. Erickson has not officially been named a suspect or charged. Police told NBC News he could face charges in the coming hours. The Providence Police Department (PPD) told PEOPLE, "We are unable to confirm details about the investigation at this point as we have not charged anyone yet." Authorities added in a statement on Dec. 14, "The investigation remains active and ongoing. The Providence Police Department continues to work closely with the Rhode Island State Police, the FBI, local law enforcement partners, and federal, state, and local officials to review evidence and gather all relevant facts." Advertisement Advertisement "Additional information will be released as it becomes available and once we have a clearer and more complete picture of the circumstances involved," they continued. Col. Oscar Perez, the chief of police in Providence, said during a Dec. 14 press conference, per NBC News, that authorities are not searching for any other perpetrators. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The college shooting took place inside Browns Barus & Holley building which houses the School of Engineering and physics department during afternoon final exams. Advertisement Advertisement At 4:05 p.m. local time, authorities received a call about an active shooter on campus, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said during a Dec. 13 press conference. At 4:22 p.m., Brown sent its first emergency alert, reporting an active shooter." But the shooter described at the time only as a male dressed in black who was last seen exiting the building on the Hope Street side remained at large. AP Photo/Steven Senne A scene from the Brown University shooting on Dec. 13. A scene from the Brown University shooting on Dec. 13. Of the nine people injured in the incident, one was in critical condition, six were in critical but stable condition and two were stabilized, a Brown University Health spokesperson said, per NBC News. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley later said in a news conference on Dec. 14 that one person had been discharged, according to the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement The school's president, Christina H. Paxson, said in a statement that "multiple exams" were scheduled in the Barus & Holley building from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the day of the shooting. She added that support services were available for the school community, and described the tragedy as "a day that no university community is ever prepared for." Read the original article on People A person was seriously hurt after a shooting on Tuesday night in Boston. According to police, around 10:51 p.m., officers responded to a radio call for a reported cardiac arrest at 76 Green Street in Jamaica Plain. Upon arrival, officers determined the incident involved a person who had been shot. The victim was transported to a local hospital with a life-threatening gunshot wound. Homicide Detectives are investigating, and no arrests have been made. Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW This weekend, as news spread of gunfire at Brown University and at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, I immediately directed my thoughts and prayers to the victims, their families and society at large. But I also paused, recalling recent expressions of anger and sadness and calls for political action in the wake of tragedy especially in response to the use of the phrase thoughts and prayers. Mass shootings, and in particular, school shootings have been part of the backdrop of my lifetime. Major milestones graduating, starting teaching, sending my own children to school are shadowed by memories of another community mourning lives cut short. Advertisement Advertisement I was 9 years old at the time of the 1999 Columbine massacre. I dont remember understanding much of what happened. I just knew something terrible had happened at a school very far away, and that our school was running a Coins for Columbine fundraiser to help. The first school shooting I remember in more detail was the 2005 Red Lake tragedy. I was 15 the same age as most of the victims. Over a decade later in 2018, my first year as a high school English teacher in rural Arizona, a 19-year-old opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 18 more. In 2022, my oldest daughter entered kindergarten. Just months before she started, an 18-year-old gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 21 people. The following year, as I returned to teaching elementary school after a few years as a stay-at-home mother, I watched news of another attack this time at the Covenant School in Nashville, where three children and three teachers were killed by a former student. Over the years, Ive come to accept dystopian safety protocols like gun-wielding security guards, apps that track shooter locations in real time, and monthly lockdown drills as a normal part of my and my childrens life. But sometimes it gets to me. Advertisement Advertisement Each time a new school shooting occurs, the national response follows a script. Politicians offer condolences, saying their thoughts and prayers are with the victims. Almost immediately, someone goes viral insisting thoughts and prayers are not enough, followed by others declaring that we must DO SOMETHING! with something nearly always meaning gun law reform. I am not personally opposed to further gun law reform. But Im concerned that over the last two decades the cycle has become so predictable and so bitter that the phrase thoughts and prayers has itself unfortunately become shorthand for inaction. It even has its own Wikipedia page. Somewhere along the way, those two words once inoffensive, if sometimes insincere became the rhetorical opposite of gun control. When California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pointed out following the recent Minneapolis shooting that some victims were praying when they were shot, the implication was clear: if prayers worked, these children wouldnt have died. That response, however, betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what prayer is for. Advertisement Advertisement As people of faith, we know prayer does not insulate us from all tragedy. People who pray still lose jobs and marriages, get cancer, and yes are sometimes victims of violence. If the only point of prayer were to ward off suffering, humanity would have abandoned it millennia ago. Religious leaders and thinkers across traditions have always been clear: prayer is not meant to change Gods will, but to change us. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks described prayer as a partnership with God in shaping a more just world. Mother Teresa said prayer deepens our capacity to love. Sren Kierkegaard wrote, The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. Prayer does not guarantee safety. But it does give us the strength to face danger, to mourn with those who mourn, and to rise to action. Prayer humbles us; it reminds us that we are not in complete control, that we are a small part of something much bigger than ourselves. Prayer is also unifying it allows people of differing perspectives and backgrounds to start to find each other again. It is deeply unwise to dismiss prayer as mere partisan posturing, because doing so deprives many of the healing they need after tragedies like these. As the Psalmist wrote: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. Advertisement Advertisement Last year my daughters and I experienced our first real lockdown. There was no actual emergency the jewelry store next to our school had accidentally tripped its armed robbery alarm. But at the time we knew only that there was potentially a gunman next door. Huddled in the dark, I looked at the innocent faces of terrified children some sobbing quietly, others bravely comforting their friends and I realized there was absolutely nothing I could do except remain calm and pray. Prayer, in that moment, was not an excuse for doing nothing. It was the only thing I could do. And it was enough to steady me so I could be brave for those children. Prayer has always been difficult for me quieting my thoughts is not my strength. But in moments like that lockdown, I glimpse why humanity has always been drawn to prayer in one form or another. We are blessed to live in an age when so many afflictions that haunted our ancestors have been conquered. And yet we are cursed to live in an age where every affliction is broadcast instantly on all the screens we are surrounded by, overwhelming our hearts and minds with the weight of the world. Advertisement Advertisement In any of these moments, it is easy to be angry, to scream into the void. But it is harder to come together in the spirit of humility to solve problems facing our nation and world. We do need action. We should discuss reasonable policies on security, mental health, and yes, gun laws to minimize these sorts of tragedies. We need vigilance, compassion, and courage. But prayer is not the opposite of action. It is the beginning of it. Its been ten years since the Kingman family decided they wanted to open a seafood restaurant overlooking Henderson Bay. Their company website teased a summer 2025 opening, but after the city of Gig Harbor denied their request to extend city sewer service to the property, its not clear how much longer the family and customers will have to wait. Minterbrook Oyster Company co-owner Kent Kingman is undaunted. Advertisement Advertisement ... it kind of caught me by surprise yesterday when the city sent me a letter, but I agree with it, he said in a phone call Dec. 11. I think it was the right thing to do. The Kingman family brought their proposal for Lagunas on the Bay, an oyster bar and seafood restaurant at 13810 Purdy Dr. NW before the Gig Harbor Peninsula Advisory Commission in June 2015, The News Tribune reported. At the time, the project also included a fish shop and an espresso bar on the lower level, with leased office space above. Kingman bought the parcel in October 2013, according to Department of Revenue real estate records. Minterbrook Oyster Company farms shellfish from a plant off of the Key Peninsula and ships their product to buyers across the U.S. and the world. (Minterbrook Oyster Company/Courtesy) Minterbrook Oyster Company, which the Kingmans acquired in 2012, farms oysters and shellfish in a protected estuary off of the Key Peninsula and ships them across the country and the world, from LA to Hong Kong, the company website says. The company also runs a retail shop at 12002 114th St. Court. The company has been family-owned for its nearly 90-year history, from its founding by the Secor family in 1932. The Wiksten family operated the business for 54 years before selling to the Kingmans, a family of four: Kent, his wife Donna and their two sons Garrett and Austin, according to the company website. City denies request for sewer service to proposed restaurant At the Gig Harbor City Council meeting Dec. 8, council members reviewed a request to expand city sewer service to the future restaurant site. Minterbrook by the Sea, LLC requested nine additional ERUs, which stands for equivalent residential units and roughly translate to the amount of sewer service needed for a single residence, on average, Gig Harbor Public Works Director Jeff Langhelm explained to The News Tribune. Per the citys wastewater comprehensive plan, one ERU is quantified as 150 gallons of wastewater a day, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Currently, the site has access to one ERU of sewer service from the city, which was enough for the office building, Roland & Roland, Inc., that formerly occupied the property, he told The News Tribune. City public works staff recommended in an agenda bill that the council deny the request because the property is outside the citys Urban Growth Area, or UGA, which state law defines as areas where urban growth shall be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature. UGAs may include areas that a city may annex in the future to accommodate future population growth. A rendering from Helix Design Group shows the design for the Lagunas on the Bay building, including two floors with a seafood restaurant, retail and office space. (Minterbrook Oyster Company/Courtesy) Staff also asserted that Minterbrook by the Sea, LLCs request does not meet the criteria for exceptions to this rule. Following state law, the Gig Harbor Municipal Code limits the citys ability to provide water and sewer services outside of the urban growth area only in those limited circumstances shown to be necessary to protect basic public health and safety and the environment, and when such services are financially supportable at rural densities and do not permit urban development. The apparent benefit of the extension request is to facilitate development which would otherwise not be allowed per County code, which does not qualify as protection of basic public health and safety, the agenda bill said. Advertisement Advertisement An example of such a public health and safety or environmental risk is if an existing on-site septic system failed, which is the most common type, Langhelm said. The city would ultimately make that determination, though they might take input from other agencies like the local health department, he explained. The property as is cant accommodate an on-site septic system due to county restrictions near the shoreline and an existing drinking water well, according to the agenda bill. The city council unanimously voted to reject the businesss request, meeting records show. The situation isnt a question of sewer capacity. The city ensured that it would have enough sewer capacity to serve all of Purdy when that area was still part of the citys Urban Growth Area. If the area returned to the UGA, the city would be prepared, he said. A neighboring restaurant, Massimo Italian Bar & Grill, operates with city sewer service. Thats because the city approved those connections when the area was still part of the citys Urban Growth Area, said Langhelm. Like other buildings in the Purdy area hooked up to city sewer systems, including Peninsula High School and Purdy Elementary School, theres no issue as long as those properties arent requesting more than they have currently, he said. Company has spent years planning restaurant Over the last ten years, Minterbrook Oyster Company has worked to obtain the permits necessary to open the restaurant. Advertisement Advertisement Its so complicated, Kingman said. I mean, getting all the permits together, its taken ten years. Now that we have it all together, the only thing left is this sewer thing, which was all done until (the area) switched to RAC. RAC, or Rural Activity Center, is a county zone classification that describes parts of a rural area where businesses are concentrated and serve the needs of the local community with goods, services and employment, according to county code. The site of Lagunas on the Bay is zoned for Rural Activity Center, but was part of the citys urban growth area as recently as last year, when the Pierce County Council approved the removal of the Purdy area from the Gig Harbor UGA during their Comprehensive Plan drafting process. Pierce County issued a permit for commercial construction in September, allowing the Kingmans to build a two-story mixed-use building for use as a restaurant, retail and office space. The county has temporarily suspended that permit, spokesperson Michelle Kircher wrote in an email Dec. 12. Minterbrook Oyster Company farms oysters from a plant off of the Key Peninsula. (Minterbrook Oyster Company/Courtesy) The suspension will remain in place until the applicant provides the required documentation confirming a lawful means of sewage disposal for the structure, Kircher wrote. Once this information is received and verified, the permit will return to active issued status and inspections may be scheduled. Owners hold onto vision for oyster bar Kingman said the beauty of the property struck his family early on. Advertisement Advertisement ... my kids, they went to Peninsula High School, they both got married and theyre settling into the community here, he said. So we just thought, that would be an amazing piece of property to put a restaurant there and a little fish shop, just a little retail place. Kingman continued to express confidence in their ability to find a solution to the sewer issue. He told The News Tribune Dec. 11 that he was planning to meet with the city of Gig Harbor and Pierce County Council member Robyn Denson within the next week to figure out whats the best thing for the city, whats the best thing for the county, whats the best thing for the project. A rendering from Helix Design Group shows the design for the Lagunas on the Bay building, including two floors with a seafood restaurant, retail and office space. (Minterbrook Oyster Company/Courtesy) So far, theyve torn down the existing building on the lot and started site development work, he said. The current plan is to construct a building thats about 10,000 square feet. The business has also partnered with local utilities and agencies to upgrade infrastructure in the Purdy area, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. The company and Washington Water spent over $600,000 combined to upgrade the public well system on the property at the states request, and Peninsula Light Company is also investing a significant amount to put the power lines underground because of the danger of allowing power lines to run over buildings, Kingman said. Advertisement Advertisement Asked if he thinks this latest issue could put a stop to the project, Kingman said, No, absolutely not. I mean, it would be community suicide, he said. ... the community is so supportive of this project, its unbelievable. As for the company itself, the restaurant would allow them to vertically integrate, he said. Theyd be following the model of businesses like Taylor Shellfish Farms, which also farms shellfish in the waters off of the Key Peninsula and has opened several oyster bars mostly in Seattle to bring their product directly to consumers. If needed, the company could also fall back on making the building their executive company headquarters, since that wouldnt require more sewer service than the site already has, he said. A portion of Washington State Route 410 in King County between Enumclaw and Greenwater will remain closed after flood damage resulted in part of the road falling into Boise Creek, the Washington State Department of Transportation confirmed Tuesday. The closure is from Farman Street North at milepost 25 in Enumclaw to just west of Mud Mountain Dam Road at milepost 43 in Greenwater, said WSDOT communications manager RB McKeon in an email. The road first closed Dec. 11 following heavy rain. Given the widespread damage across multiple state highways and time needed to scope repairs, WSDOT could not provide a date when the road would fully reopen, she said. Rivers in Pierce and King counties might continue to flood this week as another strong weather system was expected to arrive Tuesday night, as previously reported by The News Tribune. Advertisement Advertisement Crews have put up a temporary emergency lane on SR 410 to reduce weight on the damaged roadway, McKeon said. The lane will allow limited, controlled access for emergency services and local traffic only, which is being convoyed via the Greenwater Fire Department at scheduled departures throughout the day, she said. Washington State Department of Transportation crews put up an emergency lane on SR 410 to reduce weight on the damaged roadway in Pierce County. (WSDOT) WSDOT has been working closely with partners in Greenwater, especially the Greenwater Fire Department, to help residents navigate the area while crews assess damage and restore immediate access while simultaneously planning for longer-term repairs, McKeon said. The Enumclaw Police Department shared a photo on its Facebook page Monday showing parts of the eastbound lane at milepost 26.6 near Boise Creek collapsing into the water. McKeon said WSDOT is working to re-establish limited, single-lane access on the westbound lane with temporary traffic signals that will alternate eastbound and westbound traffic using one lane. Crews moved quickly to construct the temporary lane, demonstrating the urgency of the response, McKeon said. However, returning the highway to its pre-storm condition will require additional time and a more comprehensive repair approach. Key Points A partnership with Nvidia has investors taking a closer look at Nokia. It is too early for the financials to materially reflect the effects of agreement, but signs of optimism have appeared. 10 stocks we like better than Nokia In the tech world, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has long been an afterthought. The company has struggled since 2007, when Apple's iPhone came out of nowhere to make its once market-leading cellphones obsolete. Even though it pivoted into telecom equipment in later years, its success has been limited. However, after announcing a partnership with Nvidia on Oct. 28, its stock price spiked. Even though it gave back some of those gains, investors may have good reason to be excited about Nokia for the first time in decades. Here's why the long-awaited breakout in this company could finally happen in 2026. Image source: Getty Images. Nokia's new partnership Nokia remade itself into a telecom equipment manufacturer some years ago. Hence, partnerships are not new for the company. It has entered into artificial intelligence (AI)-related alliances with various companies and formed a defense-related deal with Lockheed Martin and Verizon Communications in March. But it's the partnership with Nvidia that's attracted investor interest. The goal of the agreement is to leverage each other's capabilities, accelerating the development and deployment of AI-ready networking infrastructure, which will enable next-generation mobile networks that are AI native. Under the terms of the agreement, Nokia will integrate its 5G and upcoming 6G solutions with Nvidia's technology. These solutions will aid the development of new AI-related services, helping to support the massive growth in AI traffic. Through this agreement, both companies can advance edge computing and optimize each other's cloud-based solutions and virtualization networks. Furthermore, aside from its faster speeds and near-zero latency, 6G is expected to support smart cities and autonomous cities, making it a critical component in AI development. This new deal could create investor opportunities This agreement could also help Nokia investors. Admittedly, the stock is up by almost 42% so far this year, indicating that a bullish view on the stock has already begun. However, since the Oct. 28 announcement, the stock seems to have suffered from a "sell the news" phenomenon, as it has since given back some gains. Nokia just announced the deal in October. While the agreement could boost revenue with the improved 5G technology in the foreseeable future, 6G specs are not expected to be finalized until late 2028. Therefore, it will probably take time for the agreement to fully bear fruit in Nokia's financials. Pittsburgh Police are investigating after a restaurant in the citys Allentown neighborhood was burglarized. Officers responded to a burglary report just before 8:00 a.m. Wednesday at Breakfast at Shelleys, located on the 700 block of East Warrington Avenue. Upon arrival, officers spoke with an employee who reported that someone had broken into the restaurant overnight. The suspect stole two televisions and cash while also causing damage to the ATM and tablets. Advertisement Advertisement The Mobile Crime Unit was dispatched to process the scene and gather evidence. No arrests have been made. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW A state police pursuit through Center City Philadelphia late Tuesday night ended with a crash and the arrest of a man wanted on multiple warrants, authorities said. Troopers attempted to stop a black Chevrolet Impala near 33rd and Spring Garden streets around 11:30 p.m. after observing the vehicle driving erratically, according to state police spokesperson Trooper Paul Holdefer. "Troopers were attempting to stop a black Chevy Impala who fled from them," Holdefer said. Advertisement Advertisement Police said the driver, identified as Marcus Stewart, sped away down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and then JFK Boulevard before reaching 11th Street. "The pursuit was terminated... so the person still fleeing even though we weren't chasing him," Holdefer said. The chase ended at 11th and Market streets when Stewart's vehicle became disabled after hitting a SEPTA bus and a parked car. "In the act of trying to squeeze between a SEPTA bus and parked vehicle, the vehicle became disabled. And the driver was actually stuck in the vehicle," Holdefer said. Stewart was taken into custody and later found to be wanted on six warrants from various counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, Holdefer said. Advertisement Advertisement "They are from various counties throughout the Southeastern Pa. region," he said. The 44-year-old has a history of arrests for theft and drug possession and has previously served time in prison, according to police. Stewart remains in jail facing charges of DUI, drug possession and other offenses related to the pursuit. Authorities are turning to the public for help identifying a second individual who they say was spotted near the person of interest in the mass shooting at Brown University in Providence over the weekend. The Providence Police Department released photos of the individual in a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, writing, Investigators are asking for the publics help in identifying and speaking to the individual shown in these photos, who was in proximity of the person of interest. Investigators are asking for the publics help in identifying and speaking to the individual shown in these photos who was in proximity of the person of interest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the tip line at 401-272-3121. pic.twitter.com/DJ26rruuc9 Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 17, 2025 Police didnt share any additional details on the second person whom they are looking to speak with. Advertisement Advertisement Providence and surrounding Rhode Island communities remained on edge on Wednesday as the manhunt for the suspect in the mass shooting at Brown University entered its fifth day. Authorities on Tuesday released a video timeline and a slightly clearer image of a person of interest in Saturday afternoons attack in an engineering building classroom, where two students were killed and nine others were wounded as final exams were conducted. The video, from more than an hour before the attack, shows the suspect walking and running at times in a quiet residential area a few blocks from the engineering building, including near Hope, Benevolent, and Manning streets. Some clips show the person walking in front of some properties several times. In one, the person abruptly turns around and runs in the other direction when someone approaches. Advertisement Advertisement In photos and videos previously made public, the person of interests face was masked or turned away, and authorities were only able to describe him as having a stocky build and about 5 feet, 8 inches tall. While there has been no indication that investigators were any closer to zeroing in on his identity, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has called the man their primary person of interest. Authorities now say the individual may have been scouting the neighborhood as early as 10:30 a.m. on the day of the attack. Investigators are now asking the public to scour their security cameras for additional video from the area of Waterman Avenue, Power Street, Ives Street, and Hope Street, dating back as far as a week before the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez urged residents to pay attention to the suspects movement patterns. Focus on the body movementsthe way the person moves their arms, their posture, how they carry their weight," Perez said during a Tuesday news conference. This individual was in that neighborhood around 10:30 in the morning. We also know criminals will case the area weeks or days prior. Perez added, Were looking for a moment that is shorter than someone taking a breath. The shooting happened in an older section of the engineering building with fewer security cameras. Neronha acknowledged frustration over the limited video evidence. Advertisement Advertisement The only video of the presumed, anticipated, suspectedhowever you want to define itperson, you have it," Neronha said. In the footage, the person of interest is at times carrying a satchel, something investigators are examining closely. No weapon has been recovered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The gunman fired more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. Brown University President Christina Paxson remembered the two students killed in the shooting, Ella Cook and Mukhammadaziz Umurzokov, as brilliant and beloved members of the campus community. Two of the wounded students were released from the hospital on Tuesday. Of the seven others, one remained in critical condition, five were in critical but stable condition, and one was in stable condition, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said. The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for any information that results in the arrest of the shooter. Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Providence Police Department at 401-272-3121. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW According to the Wenatchee Police Department, police and fire crews are responding to an active situation Tuesday in the area of South Mission Street and South Wenatchee Avenue, prompting officials to urge people nearby to leave the area or shelter in place. According to the Wenatchee Police Department, the incident is a gas leak. The Wenatchee Police Department said officers are working alongside the Wenatchee Fire Department in the 200 block of South Mission Street and the 200 block of South Wenatchee Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Authorities did not immediately release details about what prompted the response. Officials are asking anyone in the immediate area to leave if it is safe to do so or to remain indoors and shelter in place until further notice. The Wenatchee Police Department said additional information will be shared as it becomes available. Pope Leo XIV has accepted Cardinal Timothy Dolan's resignation after 16 years of leading the Archdiocese of New York and announced Bishop Ron Hicks, 58, of Joliet, Illinois, to be his successor. Hicks, hailing from the same state as the first-ever elected U.S.-born Pope, will soon step into one of the largest and most public-facing roles in the American Catholic Church, as the second-largest Archdiocese in the country. From April: New York, world leaders react to passing of Pope Francis Advertisement Advertisement Hicks has been leader of the Church in Joliet, seat of Will County in Illinois, since 2020. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop, or deputy, under Chicago's Cardinal Blase Cupich. "Hicks represents not just a new chapter for New York but for the American church as a whole," said David Gibson, a U.S. Church expert. Why did Cardinal Dolan resign? Dolan confirmed he had submitted a letter of resignation to the late Pope Francis following his 75th birthday back in February. Francis had made the resignations of Cardinals mandatory at the age of 75 in 2014, but with a shortage of priests and ordained personnel in the Catholic Church, many Cardinals are allowed to serve months or years past their terms. However, according to USA Today, Cardinals must step down from their roles by the time they turn 80. Advertisement Advertisement You have to submit your letter of resignation, Dolan told The Catholic Channel on New Yorks Sirius XM in February. Usually, the Holy See would ask you to stay until your successor is appointed, and you dont know when that will be. Dolan became the Cardinal of the Archdiocese of New York in 2009, replacing the former Cardinal Edward Egan's seat at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. The leadership change comes as the archdiocese is seeking $300 million to settle over 1,300 claims of child sex abuse by priests and other Catholic Church staff. Several churches in the Lower Hudson Valley and across the state have filed for bankruptcy or sold their properties to make up for the money. As we have repeatedly acknowledged, the sexual abuse of minors long ago has brought shame upon our church, Dolan said Monday, according to the New York Post. I once again ask forgiveness for the failing of those who betrayed the trust placed in them by failing to provide for the safety of our young people. Advertisement Advertisement Contributing: lohud's Nancy Cutler (This story was updated with new information.) This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Pope Leo accepts NY Cardinal Dolan's resignation and names replacement Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he is considering how the state should enforce a new law that requires age verification to access porn online a law that Pornhub says doesn't apply to its business. Yost's team is reviewing the arguments made by Pornhub, which is blocked in more than 20 states and multiple countries because of age-verification laws and other restrictions. Stay informed: Sign up for our weekly Ohio politics newsletter Advertisement Advertisement "I will not stand by and do nothing. If I'm convinced that there are merits to their legal argument, I will seek a change in the General Assembly in the law. If I think their arguments do not have merit, we will file a lawsuit," Yost said. The Republican attorney general said he anticipates a decision in early 2026. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is weighing options on how to enforce the state's new age verification law for people to access online pornography. In October, Yost warned 19 pornography websites that they're violating the state's new age-verification law and could face lawsuits. Under Ohio's new law, organizations that sell or present materials or performances "obscene or harmful to juveniles" must check users' ages with a photo ID or other records, such as mortgage or employment data. Advertisement Advertisement Republican lawmakers and groups like the Center for Christian Virtue championed the change. Staff writer Jessie Balmert contributed to this report. State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff on X. Tell us what you think This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Pornhub says it doesn't have to follow Ohio's new age-verification law President Donald Trump made a bold claim about his health on Tuesday, December 16, during a White House event. Speaking at the Hanukkah reception at the White House, Trump, 79, declared himself to be the healthiest President of the United States in modern history. He made the offhanded remarks after acknowledging that Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson was in attendance at the event. Ronny Jackson, he was my White House doctor, Trump began. He was asked, Who is the healthiest of all? Was it Barack Hussein Obama? Was it Sleepy Joe Biden? Or was it Donald Trump? and he said Trump was by far the healthiest. According to People, Jackson, a retired naval officer, served as the presidents physician during part of Trumps first term as well as for the second term of Obama. Trump went on to mistakenly claim that Jackson was the doctor for all three of us, meaning Joe Biden as well however, Jackson was the physician when Biden was vice president to Obama. He had his own physician during his presidency. Advertisement Advertisement Trump concluded his remarks on his health by somewhat casting a suspicious light on what he claims Jackson said about his health and why. I love him. If he didnt say that I would have never talked to him again, Trump said. Ronnie Jackson, what a great legend. According to The Daily Beast, the White House released a statement from Jackson in August in which he stated: As President Trumps former personal physician, former Physician to the President, and White House physician for 14 years across three administrations, I can tell you unequivocally: President Donald J. Trump is the healthiest president this nation has ever seen. People reports that Jackson pivoted careers shortly after leaving the White House Medical Unit to get into politics himself. Hes served as the Republican congressman for Texas 13th Congressional District since 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Trumps health was recently a subject of concern among the public after he received an MRI. After some urging from opponents, Trump released the results of his MRI, alleging that he was in perfect health. This prompted his longtime critic, California Governor Gavin Newsom, to respond with a mocking statement of his own. Read More From National Enquirer This story President Trump Claims Hes Been Declared Healthier Than Barack Obama By Former White House Doctor first appeared on National Enquirer. Add National Enquirer as a Preferred Source by clicking here. On Wednesday, officials provided an update on several of the students injured in Saturdays deadly shooting at Brown University. Of the nine people injured, one person remains in critical condition, Providence city officials said during a press conference on Wednesday. Five people who had been listed in critical but stable condition are still in the hospital but are making progress in their recovery and are no longer considered to be critically wounded. Advertisement Advertisement Three people who were hospitalized in the shooting are at home with their families, officials said. Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore from Mountain Brook, Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman from Uzbekistan, were killed when a man walked inside the Barus and Holley engineering building around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and opened fire. Police on Wednesday released a map that charts the movements of a person of interest in the shooting, both immediately before and after the incident. Providence Police are releasing a map showing the streets where the person of interest in the Brown University shooting is confirmed to have been present on the day of the incident. Streets marked in green indicate locations where footage confirms the person of interest was pic.twitter.com/WQf1d72OD9 Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 17, 2025 Authorities on Wednesday afternoon released enhanced, clearer photos of a person they say was spotted near the person of interest. The new, clearer photo shows the individual wearing glasses walking down the street. Advertisement Advertisement Police didnt share any additional details on the second person whom they are looking to speak with. Authorities on Tuesday released a video timeline and a slightly clearer image of a person of interest in the deadly attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The video, from more than an hour before the attack, shows the suspect walking and running at times in a quiet residential area a few blocks from the engineering building, including near Hope, Benevolent, and Manning streets. Some clips show the person walking in front of some properties several times. In one, the person abruptly turns around and runs in the other direction when someone approaches. While there has been no indication that investigators were any closer to zeroing in on his identity, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has called the man their primary person of interest. Authorities now say the individual may have been scouting the neighborhood as early as 10:30 a.m. on the day of the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators are now asking the public to scour their security cameras for additional video from the area of Waterman Avenue, Power Street, Ives Street, and Hope Street, dating back as far as a week before the shooting. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez urged residents to pay attention to the suspects movement patterns. Focus on the body movementsthe way the person moves their arms, their posture, how they carry their weight," Perez said during a Tuesday news conference. This individual was in that neighborhood around 10:30 in the morning. We also know criminals will case the area weeks or days prior. The shooting happened in an older section of the engineering building with fewer security cameras. Neronha acknowledged frustration over the limited video evidence. Advertisement Advertisement The only video of the presumed, anticipated, suspectedhowever you want to define itperson, you have it," Neronha said. In the footage, the person of interest is at times carrying a satchel, something investigators are examining closely. No weapon has been recovered. Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team search for evidence near the campus of Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team search for evidence near the campus of Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team search for evidence near the campus of Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) FBI officials search an area of Providence, R.I., Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham) Advertisement Advertisement FBI officials search an area of Providence, R.I., Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham) A member of the FBI Evidence Response Team searches for evidence near an ivy-covered wall following the shooting at Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) A community member looks at flowers, notes and mementos in a makeshift memorial display sitting in front of Brown University's Van Wickle gates, in Providence, R.I., two days after a shooting took place on the university's campus, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (Lily Speredelozzi/The Sun Chronicle via AP) The gunman fired more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. Brown University President Christina Paxson remembered the two students killed in the shooting, Ella Cook and Mukhammadaziz Umurzokov, as brilliant and beloved members of the campus community. The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for any information that results in the arrest of the shooter. Anyone with information is urged to contact the tip line at 401-272-3121. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov added to fears that a larger war will break out in Europe when he took to the airwaves on Tuesday and listed multiple countries Russia should destroy and liberate. Once again, we will have to destroy Berlin, and enter this godforsaken city, Solovyov said. Once again, we will have to enter Paris. Once again, we will have to liberate Vienna. Well, perhaps the Austrians will reconsider. It doesnt mean that we want this. But one of the principles postulated by our supreme commander-in-chief is when we are forced to act, then we act. Solovyovs rant followed him as he traveled to the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk for a propaganda hit last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far been unable to capture the city in its years-long conflict with Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Solovyovs rant also dropped as concerns are growing about Russia possibly targeting another country on top of their invasion of Ukraine. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto cautioned this week that tensions are escalating with Russia and Europe would not survive a war. Freezing Russian assets was already a serious step, but using those assets goes even further. This is a war provocation of an unprecedented scale, he said about the EU using frozen Russian assets. Therefore, at todays Foreign Affairs Council, I will make it clear that for Hungary, the risk of further escalation is unacceptable. Simply because if a war were to break out between Europe and Russia, Europe would not survive it. Brussels wants to send another 210 billion to Ukraine, including around 115 billion for weapons. The EU is disregarding its own rules by planning to finance this package through frozen Russian assets. This move would raise the risk of escalation to a level not seen in the pic.twitter.com/DGrBBZ9a5F Peter Szijjarto (@FM_Szijjarto) December 15, 2025 British Chief of the Defense Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton also warned people to be ready for a potential war with Russia. Mark Rutte, secretary general of the NATO alliance, made a similar warning. Advertisement Advertisement The shadow of war is knocking on Europes door and that war could be bigger and bloodier than what we have experienced in recent times, Rutte said. Solovyov has gone on fiery, scorched-Earth rants in the past, openly fantasizing in July about a nuclear attack on the United States. It doesnt mean that we want this. But one of the principles postulated by our supreme commander-in-chief is when we are forced to act then we act. First, of course, the principle of do no harm but thenplease dont blame us, Solovyov said on Tuesday. While speaking in Moscow this week, Putin denied Russian plans to invade Europe, dismissing warnings to prepare for potential war as hysteria. The post Putin Ally Names European Countries Russia Will Destroy as World War III Fears Loom first appeared on Mediaite. Scientists in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada (aka the polar bear capital of the world) have confirmed that a wild female polar bear has adopted a cub that is not her own. This rare behavior was captured on cameras during the polar bears annual migration along Western Hudson Bay. Researchers from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Polar Bears International spotted the mother bear (designated as bear X33991) during spring 2025, when she came out of her maternity den. At the time, she only had one tagged cub. When she was spotted again in the fall, the bear had two cubs. One had a tag and one did not, indicating that the cub was not hers. The cubs are about 10- to 11-months-old and are known as Cubs of the Year (COYS). According to Polar Bears International, both cubs appear to be healthy. They will generally stay with their mother for another year and a half and will be weaned when they are around 2.5 years old. Advertisement Advertisement The survival rate for a polar bear cub into adulthood is about 50 percent. However, having a mother provides a better chance at survival for the adopted cub. Researchers also do not believe that cub adoption is related to climate change. Instead, it is more likely a strong maternal behavior that causes female polar bears to take care of other offspring. The cubs are about 10 to 11 months old and will stay with their mother for more than two years. Image: Dave Sandford / Discover Churchill (Wildlife Photographer, Guide, and Polar Bears International Photo Ambassador). Adoptions like these in a celebrationor group of polar bearsis considered rare. The Western Hudson Bay subpopulation has been studied for over 45 years and has tracked over 4,600 individual bears. This latest incidence is only the 13th known case of polar bear cub adoption. The team is now analyzing genetic samples taken from the cub to identify the cubs biological mother. They are looking to see if the mother is in their multi-generational pedigree. In some of the previous adoption cases, the biological mothers were still alive, suggesting that a switching of litters is at play rather than the cub being orphaned. Bear X33991 is wearing a GPS tracking collar as part of a research program by the University of Alberta and Environment and Climate Change Canada, to monitor the bears mileston moments, habitat use, denning areas, feeding. The data is being used to better protect this species in the face of climate change. Scientists expect that bear X33991 and her cubs will stay out on sea ice, where the mother will hunt seals, while teaching the cubs how to be polar bears. You can follow her journey with the polar bear tracker. Danske Bank (CPSE:DANSKE) has finally wrapped up its three year corporate probation with the US Department of Justice, closing a long chapter tied to misconduct at its former Estonia branch and easing a major regulatory overhang. See our latest analysis for Danske Bank. Investors have been rewarding that reduced legal overhang, with the share price now at DKK 307.9 and a strong year to date share price return adding to a three year total shareholder return approaching 190 percent. This suggests momentum is still very much on the front foot. If this clean up story has you rethinking where the next leg of returns might come from, it could be worth exploring fast growing stocks with high insider ownership. Yet with the share price close to analyst targets but a sizeable implied intrinsic discount, the key question now is whether Danske still trades below fair value or if the market is already factoring in its next phase of growth. Most Popular Narrative: Fairly Valued With Danske Bank closing at DKK 307.9 against a narrative fair value near DKK 305, the story leans toward equilibrium rather than deep discount or exuberance. Fair value nudged higher from about DKK 299 to roughly DKK 305, reflecting a modestly more optimistic outlook on the bank's earnings power. Read the complete narrative. Want to see what is quietly lifting that fair value line higher, even as earnings growth expectations cool and margins edge lower over time? Dig into the full narrative drivers behind that call. Result: Fair Value of $305 (ABOUT RIGHT) Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts. However, this balance could shift if credit quality weakens unexpectedly or if digital investments fail to offset growing competitive and regulatory pressures. Find out about the key risks to this Danske Bank narrative. Another View: Multiples Send A Different Signal While the narrative fair value sits around DKK 305, the SWS fair ratio for Danske Bank suggests the shares could be meaningfully cheaper than they look. At 11.1x earnings versus a 13.5x fair ratio, investors are paying less than the market could eventually assign if sentiment holds. Could that upside buffer be enough if growth stays modest? See what the numbers say about this price find out in our valuation breakdown. CPSE:DANSKE PE Ratio as at Dec 2025 Build Your Own Danske Bank Narrative If you would rather test your own assumptions and stress test the numbers yourself, you can build a complete narrative in just a few minutes: Do it your way. Its been two months since the Oct. 17 balcony collapse in Corryville. The last remaining hospitalized person has been released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, according to a spokesperson. This person had been in critical condition from the night of the collapse through at least Nov. 4. On Nov. 18, a UC Medical Center spokesperson said that the patient was in stable condition. The spokesperson would not say when this patient had been released, citing patient privacy rights and protections. Advertisement Advertisement Ten people were hospitalized after a balcony fell about 20 feet from a Stetson Street condominium. Eight of those people were taken to UC Health's Greater Cincinnati adult Level I trauma center. There may have been more injured people who drove themselves to the hospital. City's investigation still underway Cincinnatis Department of Buildings and Inspections is investigating to determine the cause of the balcony collapse. The Monday after the collapse, building inspectors told residents of the condominium complex to stay off their balconies until the investigation is complete. During their visit to the complex, Buildings and Inspections issued orders to the owner of the condominium to: Advertisement Advertisement Hire a structural engineer to examine all balconies on the condominium. Secure and barricade all balcony doors so they are not used prior to the structural engineers assessment. Bring the sprinkler system back to compliance after it was damaged in the collapse. The department said officials would reinspect the property to ensure compliance with these orders. On Oct. 27, an email from a city spokesperson said the homeowners association had retained a forensic engineer and that the cause of the collapse remained under investigation. The Enquirer requested all inspection records for the building at the end of October, but we have not yet received those records. The building and balcony were built in 2006. One injured in the collapse is suing Andrew McGovern, whose lawyers said he sustained several injuries and mental and emotional pain and suffering from the collapse, is suing those responsible for the balcony and its upkeep. Advertisement Advertisement The complaint, filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on Oct. 31, states that early reports indicate that one of the balconys main support beams failed, triggering the collapse. The complaint alleges that the balcony was negligently maintained, or not maintained at all, causing the balcony to be dangerous and pose a hazardous risk to residents and visitors. McGovern was a University of Cincinnati medical student at the time of the collapse. The full extent of his physical, psychological, psychiatric and neurological traumas and injuries have "yet to be determined," according to the lawsuit. The lawyers representing the homeowner's association and the condo's management company have denied McGovern's allegations of negligence, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Property owner Hezekiel Eskender declined to comment Dec. 16 due to the pending litigation. Calls and emails to the lawyers of the homeowner's association and the management company were not immediately returned. This story may be updated. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What we know 2 months after balcony collapse near UC injured 10 Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) went off on the Republicans healthcare bill, saying that the legislation is not merely inadequate, but milquetoast garbage. On Tuesday, the House Rules Committee convened to discuss the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act. It is the Republicans response after Congress failed to renew Covid-era healthcare premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire on Dec. 31. Republicans oppose a renewal, without which beneficiaries under the ACA will see their premiums more than double, on average. Under the GOP proposal, small businesses across industries would be permitted to unite to purchase coverage through association health plans in the hopes of lowering costs. The bill would also fund cost-sharing subsidies that some ACA recipients get to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, the legislation would require more transparency from pharmacy benefit managers, which have long been criticized for their role in the high cost of drugs. Advertisement Advertisement During the hearing, Roy went off on both parties for the current state of health insurance: And now were sitting here and were listening to nonsense about healthcare. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle [are] sitting here saying, Well, you guys arent doing anything about the massive, expensive cost of healthcare. Why do you think it is expensive?! Because you literally cut a deal with insurance companies to run healthcare. You think thats gonna run wild? Yeah, thats why they have 2,000% profit increases and the American people cant afford to go to the doctor of their choice while we enrich insurance companies. And yet Republicans complain about it and then theyll offer milquetoast garbage like were offering this week and then go home at Christmas and say, Look at what were doing. Were campaigning on reducing healthcare. Well, congratu-friggin-lations. At some point, people will look at this body and say, Maybe we should get rid of all 435 members of the House and 100 members of the Senate and start over because Congress is literally failing the American people. Watch above via C-SPAN. The post Republican Chip Roy Trashes Own Partys Healthcare Bill in Committee Hearing: Milquetoast Garbage first appeared on Mediaite. Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election next year. Newhouse, who has been in office since 2015, was one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. "I am announcing today that I will not seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives," Newhouse wrote in a statement on X. Advertisement Advertisement "Serving the Fourth District of Washington has been the honor of my life, and this decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress," he said. He beat out primary challengers backed by Trump in 2022 and 2024 and is one of only two Republicans who voted to impeach Trump still in the House. The other is Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif. Only three Senators who voted for impeachment remain -- Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Newhouse said he voted for impeachment because "This violent mob, intent on disturbing the constitutional duties of Congress, resulted in the tragic loss of American lives, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer. The mob was inflamed by the language and misinformation of the President of the United States." "He did not strongly condemn the attack nor did he call in reinforcements when our officers were overwhelmed. Our country needed a leader, and President Trump failed to fulfill his oath of office," Newhouse said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Newhouse's seat, in central Washington, is likely to remain in Republican hands. It voted for Trump by 21 points. He won re-election last year by 6 points against Trump-backed Jerrod Sessler, a former NASCAR driver and business owner. Sessler beat Newhouse in the primary. Washington's primaries advance the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party. Sessler is running in 2026. He has defended the Capitol rioters, calling them "innocent Americans." He has also spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election that have been proven untrue. Republicans have been instructed to attack the Democrats over the Epstein files as the White House prepares for potentially embarrassing details about Donald Trump to emerge this week. Ahead of the release of the files, Republicans on the House oversight committee were sent a memo, instructing them to discredit their Democrat counterparts recent leaks, which included photographs of Mr Trump that were in Jeffrey Epsteins possession before he died. Susie Wiles, his chief of staff, confirmed in an interview with Vanity Fair on Tuesday that Mr Trump is named in the files, which must be published by Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Ms Wiles said she had read the documents, and while Mr Trump was named, hes not documented doing anything awful. She said Mr Trump and Epstein were young, single, playboys together in New York. Mr Trump maintains he broke off his friendship with Epstein years before the latter pleaded guilty to child sex charges in 2008. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert. I guess I turned out to be right, he said. The US presidents relationship with Epstein has come under renewed scrutiny since his administration initially reneged on a promise to release all the governments documents on the convicted sex offender. Advertisement Advertisement Following pressure from within his own party, Mr Trump signed a bill forcing the release of the files by Friday, although it is not clear how many of the documents will be redacted or withheld. In a memo circulated on Tuesday, Republicans were given a list of talking points accusing their political opponents of selectively releasing documents to fabricate yet another politically motivated hoax targeting President Trump. The memo said: Throughout the Oversight Committees review of the federal governments handling of the Epstein and Maxwell criminal investigations, Democrats have demonstrated a sustained pattern of misconduct misrepresenting witness testimony, selectively leaking cherry-picked documents, and manipulating emails and images to fabricate yet another politically motivated hoax targeting President Trump. As a result, nothing Democrats post or leak on this matter can be taken at face value. Senate Democrats held a news conference to urge the Trump administration to release the full details of the Epstein Files - Alex Wong/Getty Images The memo accused the Democrats of having continued to beclown themselves by sensationalising and politicising the Committees review of the federal governments investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell an effort intended to ensure accountability, transparency, and justice for the American people and the survivors of their horrific crimes. Advertisement Advertisement The six-page memo lists what it claims are instances of Democrats redacting or omitting context in an effort to target Mr Trump. Among the examples used is an image the Democrats released of Mr Trump surrounded by women whose faces have been covered, which the Republicans claim was done to spread hoax about President Trump. The memo states that these were adult models for Hawaiian Tropic, the American suntan lotion brand. It notes that when The Telegraph tracked down one of the models, she said he was a gentleman. Donald Trump is pictured surrounded by women with their faces redacted in a newly released photo - House Oversight Committee Democrats/Reuters The memo also notes that an image of Trump-branded novelty condoms was released without context. Republicans say the condom was political satire and, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, was designed by Fishs Eddy, a novelty shop in New York City. Advertisement Advertisement Last month, the Democrats released emails from Epstein, including one in which he says Mr Trump spent hours at my house with a victim, later revealed to be Virginia Giuffre. The same email described Mr Trump as the dog that hasnt barked. In the memo, the Republicans say: Democrats selectively leaked three emails from more than 20,000 pages of documents produced by the Epstein Estate and applied their own redactions to manufacture an anti-Trump narrative and mislead the media and the public. GOP members were also urged to attack legacy media and accuse news outlets of having uncritically amplified these falsehoods, acting as a willing conduit rather than performing basic due diligence. This reckless combination of partisan distortion and media malpractice undermines the Committees work, misleads the public, and distracts from the serious responsibility of ensuring accountability, transparency, and justice for the American people, the memo said. Advertisement Advertisement Among the names featured in the Epstein emails later released by the Republicans was Larry Summers, who stepped down from his teaching-director position at Harvard University following the disclosure. The Ivy League university has now reportedly opened a secret disciplinary investigation into at least two students for their roles in drawing scrutiny to the relationship between Epstein and Mr Summers, a former US treasury secretary. Students posted videos online showing Mr Summers addressing students about his connections to Epstein and took credit for pressuring him to step back from teaching. Sources told the New York Times that the university is investigating whether the students violated rules such as attending a class they were not enrolled in. Advertisement Advertisement If they are found to have violated regulations, they could be reprimanded or required to withdraw from the university, according to the sources. Harvard said: The College prohibits unauthorized recording of classroom proceedings to protect classrooms as spaces for intellectual exploration and risk-taking, to respect student privacy, and to prevent chilling effects that undermine participation and inquiry. Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays. Land conservation is more important than ever, as changes in the climate and increased urbanization have brought about habitat loss. According to Hoodline, one ranch owner in Colorado did their part to support land conservation while also securing the future of their 675-acre property through a significant donation that placed the property under a conservation easement. A conservation easement is a legal agreement that permanently limits how landowners can use their land to protect its conservation value. Advertisement Advertisement Legend Trail Ranch in Northern Colorado is found in the Laramie Foothills region, an area targeted by the Larimer County Open Lands Master Plan as essential for land conservation. In particular, the ranch's proximity to U.S. Hwy 287 makes it a vital parcel of protected lands in Larimer County. Significant conservation work has already happened in the Laramie Foothills region. For example, Great Outdoors Colorado funded the Mountains to Plains Project in 2004, which was, at the time, the largest Great Outdoors Colorado grant of all time an $11.6 million request plus an estimated local match totaling $13.7 million. Overall, through the years and various projects and partnerships, 140,000 acres of land in the Laramie Foothills have been protected. This protected land connects the plains to the mountains, providing a key corridor for wildlife movement in the region, which is just one reason conservation of this area is so important. Additionally, current and future projects aim to collect seeds to restore prairie land and manage invasive plants and weeds, thereby protecting native species, conserving natural resources, and economically benefiting those living in the area. Legend Trail Ranch offers up working agricultural lands, rock outcroppings, and rolling grasslands for conservation. With the conservation easement, Legend Trail Ranch can not only continue using the land for growing hay, grazing cattle, and other agricultural uses, but also protect local ecosystems, biodiversity, wildlife habitats, and the land's incredibly scenic views. Advertisement Advertisement As Hoodline reported, the ranch's landowner, Cheryl Rennels, shared, "My goal has always been to preserve the agricultural way of life I grew up in and currently enjoy. Partnering with Larimer County permanently conserves what I value: agriculture lifestyle, livestock, wildlife and the beauty of the Livermore Valley." 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. 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. FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. (WHNT) Neighbors in Fayetteville are angry over the proposal to build a crematorium that they say is too close to their homes. Gallant-Riverview Funeral Home has submitted a request to rezone the lot next to the home with the intention of building a crematorium. Man killed in trench collapse at Martin Road construction site identified The funeral home sits in the predominantly black-Market Street community. Advertisement Advertisement I dont want this in front of my house. Its gross and dangerous, and I feel like it could be built elsewhere on the outskirts, said Stenson Knotts, whose family has lived on Market Street for more than five decades. Gary McArdle lives directly across the street from the funeral home and has many concerns, says he has shared with county leaders. Its not attractive, its hazardous to my health, and its going to lower the value of my home. Its dangerous, and I am not happy about this at all, and its upsetting, McArdle said. This right here is cremation, so that means that your body is being burnt, and so you know, and so thats a great concern here. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to News 19, according to the Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, which oversees that process and serves as the states regulatory body for crematoriums, there are no federal or state environmental regulations for crematories. Gallant-Riverview Funeral has yet to officially apply for a crematory license. Management with Gallant-Riverview funeral home said they have other properties where they could build the crematorium. However, their market street lot is more appealing to them. These are the people that we serve, and we love to serve and look forward to continuing to serve in new ways. Thats part of why we wanted to build the crematorium in the first place, Funeral Director Michael Hall said. Cremation is what folks are demanding now, and its a service we can provide to our community the same as weve been providing services to the community for as long as we have. Advertisement Advertisement The Fayetteville City Aldermen and officials are currently gathering information on the proposal. The cCty of Fayetteville leaders planned an open discussion about the proposed crematorium for January 8. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Geological stresses in the subsurface south of the Turkish city of Istanbul are continuing to rise, increasing the risk of a strong earthquake in the coming years, according to a study led by the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany. At Izmit, east of Istanbul, a magnitude 7.4 quake in 1999 killed more than 17,000 people. In 2023, Turkey's level of earthquake readiness was questioned again when more than 50,000 people were killed in a series of quakes in the centre and south of the country. The geoscientists are now warning that a comparable event could have devastating effects in the Istanbul metropolitan region with more than 15 million residents and millions of tourists passing through every year. Advertisement Advertisement The authors suspect the next stronger quake could occur south-west or south of Istanbul. "This could be a magnitude 6 event or a foreshock that then triggers an even larger earthquake," said Marco Bohnhoff of the GFZ, a co-author of the study The study, by a team led by Patricia Martinez-Garzon of the GFZ and published in the journal Science, examined the frequency of earthquakes - or seismicity - since 2007. Researchers are calling for improved monitoring of seismic activity beneath the Sea of Marmara and the provision of real-time data. "Enhancing seismic monitoring systems along this submarine fault is of paramount importance, and may require further borehole stations," the authors write. Advertisement Advertisement The analysis took as its starting point the magnitude 6.2 earthquake on April 23, 2025 in the Sea of Marmara, south and south-west of Istanbul. Beneath the Sea of Marmara, which lies between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the Marmara Fault forms the western section of the North Anatolian Fault zone between two tectonic plates. In this zone the small Anatolian Plate slides westwards past the larger Eurasian Plate. Depending on the rock type, the plates lock to varying degrees along different sections. In areas with lower seismic activity, weaker locks release through small, barely perceptible quakes. Where rupture surfaces are very rough, locking is stronger and larger stresses can accumulate, including beneath the Princes Islands south of Istanbul. The authors analysed fault-zone dynamics and aftershock patterns on multiple timescales between 2007 and 2025. Notable is the sequence of earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or higher: a 5.2 in 2011 and a 5.1 in 2012 in the western Sea of Marmara, a 5.8 in the central Marmara on September 26, 2019, and this years 6.2 nearby. Advertisement Advertisement "Our results show a long-term development of partial activation of the Marmara Fault moving eastwards towards the locked Princes Islands segment south of Istanbul," Martinez-Garzon said. In the western and central Sea of Marmara, instruments recorded numerous weaker quakes, a sign that seismic stress is released after relatively short periods. In the past five years there have been many smaller events slightly east of the 6.2 epicentre. Further east beneath the Princes Islands there have been hardly any quakes. For the scientists this indicates large tectonic stresses are building up in the subsurface south of Istanbul. "The Marmara Fault must be regarded as critically loaded," said Bohnhoff. "The April quake brought only negligible relief." The Marmara Fault is the only section of the North Anatolian Fault where there has been no earthquake of magnitude 7.0 or more since 1766. The GFZ has coordinated the GONAF observatory with borehole seismometer stations together with Turkeys disaster agency Afad for 10 years. In 2023, Turkey's level of earthquake readiness was questioned again when more than 50,000 people were killed in a series of quakes in the centre and south of the country. Boris Roessler/dpa Four months have passed since a Louisiana oil facility burst apart, spewing a dense black sludge that drifted across homes, farms, and waterways as far as 50 miles away. Since then, the U.S. Department of Justice and Louisiana environmental regulators have filed a sweeping lawsuit against Smittys Supply, the company that ran the facility storing oil and vehicle lubricants. But residents in the majority-Black town are skeptical that theyll benefit from the $1 billion federal lawsuit. Much of that belief stems from the fact that despite repeated calls for help, the black goo still clings to walls, roofs, and soil of more than half of the towns properties, according to Van Showers, the mayor of Roseland, Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement People want to know when theyre going to receive help, and there is nothing to make them think that this process would lead to that, said Showers, who works at a local chicken processing plant and has struggled financially through the clean-up process. That skepticism is rooted in hard experience and in a broader history of environmental racism that has left Black communities shouldering disproportionate burdens. The gap has left residents in a state of prolonged uncertainty about their water, their health, and whether the legal action unfolding in distant courtrooms will ever reach their homes. It is a familiar pattern, particularly in Louisiana, where environmental disasters have consistently hit Black and low-income communities hardest while leaving them last in line for recovery. Initially, residents in the town, where the average person earns just $17,000 per year, were told to clean up the mess themselves. The explosion had sprayed the community of 1,100 residents with dozens of chemicals, including cancer-causing ones known as PFAS, or forever chemicals. One resident living on a fixed income told Capital B that in the weeks after the event, she went over $1,000 in credit card debt to replace the stained panels on her trailer. Advertisement Advertisement However, in October, after sustained pressure from residents, the tide seemed to turn. Federal and state agencies ramped up their presence in the disaster zone, canvassed the community, brought the lawsuit, and began testing wildlife including fish and deer for contamination. But even with the increased governmental response, attorneys, residents, and local officials warn that it is not nearly enough. The lawsuit compensation, if ever paid out, will most likely not trickle down to residents, Showers and local lawyers said. Civil penalties collected from federal lawsuits are generally deposited into the U.S. Treasurys general fund and are often used exclusively to fund environmental cleanup costs, not to support residents. As far as the lawsuit, I dont think its going to benefit the community, Showers said. The governments suit alleges that for years, Smittys knowingly violated safety rules and pollution permits. The company failed to maintain basic spill-prevention and emergency response plans, regulators said. Advertisement Advertisement The complaint says millions of gallons of contaminated firefighting water, oil, and chemicals flowed off-site into ditches, and seeks more than $1 billion in fines and penalties tied to the explosion and spill. In response to the lawsuit, a representative of Smittys wrote, Smittys has been and remains committed to following all applicable laws and regulations, and to operating as a responsible member of the Tangipahoa Parish community. The disaster was the result of an unforeseen industrial fire, the representative added, and the company is implementing measures to help prevent future incidents and protect our waterways and neighbors. Yet even since the lawsuit was brought, according to state documents, Smittys was caught pumping unpermitted oily liquids into local waterways. Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, a recent Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality report shows a state contractor has recovered at least 74 live wild animals from the disaster zone and 59 of them had either digested the oily substance or were covered in it. At least eight animals were found dead, including four turtles and an alligator. Dozens more pets and livestock, including cattle and horses, have been coated in the residue. Many residents, including Showers, have seen their animals die. Those findings, combined with reports of stillborn calves, underscore how deeply the contamination has seeped into daily life, residents said. The explosion has not only unleashed lasting environmental and health threats the kind that, as Showers worries, can lay dormant for years and then all of a sudden you start getting a lot of folks with cancer it has also shuttered Roselands largest employer, Smittys Supply, indefinitely. Millie Simmons lives less than a mile from the explosion site. She has felt linger health effects from the disaster. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B) For weeks after the explosion, Millie Simmons, a 58-year-old child care worker, had difficulty being outside in Roseland for longer than 10 minutes without respiratory irritation. Even when inside her home, she felt drained and sluggish, for weeks. Advertisement Advertisement As the new year approaches, Showers said she is not alone. The biggest complaints he is still receiving are that people are still sick and want to know when theyre going to receive help as far as getting their property cleaned. Most definitely, we deserve something, Simmons said. A nations environmental divide In October, the federal government delegated the cleanup process entirely to the state and Smittys. Some residents say they have seen Smittys contractors cleaning a few properties, but others, including the mayor, say their claims have gone unanswered. Showers said the company reimbursed him for just one night in a hotel when he was forced to leave the town after the explosion, and never responded to his request for compensation after a litter of his dogs fell ill and died in the weeks after. A litter of dogs owned by Roseland, Louisiana, Mayor Van Showers in 2023. His most recent litter died after the explosion, he said. (Courtesy of Van Showers) Environmental advocates with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, who have notified Smittys and federal and states environmental regulators of their intent to sue, said residents continue to approach them about contaminated crops and water wells. Theyre unsure if their water is safe, even months later. Advertisement Advertisement Theres so many unanswered questions that bring such huge anxiety to the communities, said Marylee Orr, LEANs executive director. People dont feel safe in their homes. Orr said she is especially worried that the courtroom path now unfolding will repeat familiar patterns from other environmental disasters. In places like Grand Bois in south Louisiana and Flint, Michigan, she noted, residents waited years for historic settlements to turn into actual checks they could cash only to see large portions of the money eaten up by legal fees. In Flint, residents have waited over a decade for compensation for the countrys most notorious water crisis that caused clusters of neurological and developmental issues among children. When it is all said and done, only a portion of the impacted residents will receive checks for about $1,000. In October, Showers and residents of Roseland organized a town clean-up. (Courtesy of the City of Roseland) In Roseland, Showers has found himself operating in an information vacuum. He is relying more on outside news reports than official briefings to learn the full extent of contamination in his own town. In fact, he did not know about the state report showing the harms to local animals until Capital B shared it with him. Advertisement Advertisement No one from the government has ever told me anything, he said. Its aggravating. That lack of transparency makes it harder, he added, to answer the basic questions residents bring to him at the grocery store, at church, and outside Town Hall: Is my water safe? Whats happening to the animals? Am I going to be OK? This is a dynamic that reflects both the long-standing political dynamics of Louisiana and deepening uncertainty under the Trump administration. His position as a Black Democrat leading a majority-Black town in a state dominated by white, conservative leadership has only intensified that isolation, he told Capital B in September. Advertisement Advertisement Historically Black communities have received less recovery aid than white areas with comparable damage during environmental disasters. Now, experts warn that federal support for environmental disasters in Black and Democratic areas is poised to weaken even further under the Trump administration, which has slashed Environmental Protection Agency and DOJ enforcement to historic lows. During the first 11 months of Trumps second term, the EPA and DOJ have filed just 20 enforcement actions against polluters, imposing $15.1 million in penalties. During the final 19 days of the Biden administration this past January, the EPA and DOJ imposed $590 million in penalties. The administration has also instructed EPA officials not to consider whether affected communities are minority or low-income populations when prioritizing enforcement actions. Showers estimates that fewer than three-quarters of properties have been cleaned and that many residents who dutifully called the claims hotline are still living with stained roofs, sticky yards, and lingering health problems. Advertisement Advertisement Theres just not enough information being put out or work being done to make people feel at ease about whats going on. Read More on the explosion in Roseland, Louisiana: This story has been updated. The post Louisiana Town Fights for Relief After a Billion-Dollar Oil Disaster appeared first on Capital B News. The Kremlin has signalled a willingness to discuss the possible deployment of Western troops in Ukraine, despite its long-standing opposition to such a move. The TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia's position on the stationing of foreign forces was "well-known, consistent and clear" - but it could nevertheless be "a subject for discussion." The proposal resurfaced during talks in Berlin this week involving US, European and Ukrainian officials. Advertisement Advertisement The idea under discussion is to deploy a multi-national force in Ukraine after a ceasefire is reached, with a mandate to monitor compliance. Kiev has described such a force as part of the security guarantees it seeks to prevent a renewed Russian attack. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov raised alarm last week when he warned that peacekeeping troops stationed in Ukraine could become "legitimate targets." President Vladimir Putin has also justified the war as necessary to prevent Ukraine's NATO membership and the presence of alliance troops that Moscow considers hostile. The IPO window may have cracked open, but it seems some former startups have no intention of going public. Makes sense, in a way: IPOs were traditionally a way to raise money, and if you can manage to raise ungodly amounts without having to put your company through public scrutiny, why do it? Databricks is proving that point: The data intelligence company has just raised more than $4 billion in a Series L funding round at a $134 billion valuation up 34% from the $100 billion valuation that it achieved just three months ago. More from Yahoo Scout Why choose private funding over going public? What AI products contribute to Databricks revenue growth? How is Databricks investing its $4 billion funding? What drove Databricks' valuation increase to $134 billion? This is Databricks third major venture fundraise in less than a year, and it comes as the company focuses on building products that address the needs of the AI revolution: a database for AI agents, an AI agent platform, and apps that let companies build and deploy data and AI applications. The company is investing heavily in its database for AI agents, known as Lakebase, which is based on the open source database Postgres (enabled by the $1 billion acquisition of a startup called Neon), and is aimed at corporate developers vibe-coding projects. Meanwhile, its AI agent platform, Agent Bricks, is aimed at helping businesses build and deploy AI agents that can tap into their data. The company has also struck hefty deals worth hundreds of millions with AI labs Anthropic and OpenAI to offer their models within its enterprise products. Series L rounds arent really common, but the fact that Databricks has managed to raise venture funding at ever-increasing valuations (it was valued at $60 billion around this time last year) indicates how strongly investors believe in the power of helping companies use data to fuel their AI efforts. Indeed, Databricks on Tuesday said it now generates run-rate revenue of more than $4.8 billion, up 55% from a year earlier, of which more than $1 billion came from its AI products. The parallel rise of vibe coding and generative AI is accelerating the development of data-intelligent applications in the enterprise. Databricks will use this new capital to help customers build AI apps and agents on their proprietary data, leveraging Lakebase as the system of record, Databricks Apps as the user experience layer, and Agent Bricks to power multi-agent systems, the company said in a press release. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company will also use the new money to add thousands of new jobs in Asia, Europe, and Latin America, as well as bring on more AI researchers. Enterprises are rapidly reimagining how they build intelligent applications, and the convergence of generative AI with new coding paradigms is opening the door to entirely new workloads, Databricks co-founder and CEO Ali Ghodsi said in a statement. The round was led by Insight Partners, Fidelity, and J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Andreessen Horowitz, BlackRock, Blackstone, Coatue, GIC, MGX, NEA, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, Robinhood Ventures, T. Rowe Price Associates, Temasek, Thrive Capital, and Winslow Capital also participated. GOMA, Congo (AP) Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claimed to have begun a withdrawal from the city of Uvira in eastern Congo late Wednesday night, according the leader of the rebel group and local authorities. Bertrand Bisimwa, leader of the M23, spoke to The Associated Press via telephone and said the withdrawal would be complete by Thursday morning. We said were going to withdraw. Our statement is clear. And thats what were doing, said Bisimwa. Advertisement Advertisement M23 took control of the city last week following a rapid offensive launched at the start of the month. More than 400 people have been killed, and about 200,000 displaced, regional officials say. The rebels latest offensive comes despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement signed earlier this month by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington. Residents shared conflicting reports on the status of the withdrawal. Kelvin Bwija, coordinator of the Congolese civil society in Uvira, said M23 troops were heading north toward the town of Kamanyola. Bwija also claimed that pro-government militias know as Wazelendo have begun to approach the city but the AP was unable to confirm this. Advertisement Advertisement When asked who would take control of the city following his forces withdrawal, Bisimwa said the responsibility fell to the mediators and that M23 had requested a neutral force, and we believe that those who asked us to withdraw will be able to deploy them very quickly. A spokesperson for the governor of South Kivu said he was unable to confirm the withdrawal late Wednesday night. The U.S. last week accused Rwanda of violating the agreement by backing the new rebel advance in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, and warned that the Trump administration will take action against spoilers of the deal. The accord didnt include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating. However, the accord obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups like M23 and work to end hostilities. Advertisement Advertisement The rebel push into Uvira brought the conflict to the doorstep of neighboring Burundi, which has maintained troops in eastern Congo for years, heightening fears of a broader regional spillover. Around 64,000 refugees from Congo have arrived in Burundi since the start of the month, according to the U.N. refugee agency. There have also been reports of shells falling in the town of Rugombo, on the Burundian side of the border. Congo, the U.S. and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which has grown from hundreds of members in 2021 to around 6,500 fighters, according to the U.N. More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23. The conflict has created one of the worlds most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the U.N. agency for refugees. The UKs Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability and the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust have tapped Sanomes MEMORI platform to support the earlier detection of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) and clinical decision-making protocols. Using AI, Memori analyses real-time patient data to identify emerging infection risk. According to Sanome, early studies of the platform have demonstrated its ability to make life-threatening HAI predictions up to three days earlier than standard practice. Memori is designed to integrate into electronic patient records (EPR), thereby bringing the tools insights into clinicians existing workflows. Advertisement Advertisement The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disabilitys integration of Sanomes tool makes it the first specialist neuro facility to embed Memori into routine patient care. Research indicates that patients with complex neurological conditions are among the most vulnerable to infections and associated complications during hospital stays, especially within intensive care units (ICU). Common HAIs include urinary tract infection (UTI) and pneumonia. East Kent Hospitals is also integrating Memori into its EPRs. According to Sanome, the collaborations lay the groundwork for a scalable new model. In August, Memori became the UKs first multimodal Class IIb CE-marked AI Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) for infection prediction. Sanome expects Memori to be launched at the two sites in the coming months and plans to make additional NHS deployments of Memori throughout 2026. Sanome CEO Benedikt von Thungen commented: Partnering with leading healthcare organisations like the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust marks another major step towards bringing earlier, data-driven infection detection into everyday care for every patient. Advertisement Advertisement Our aim is to equip frontline teams with the actionable insights they need to intervene sooner and protect patients, at the same time relieving pressure on already-stretched resources. HAIs represent a significant threat to hospitals and healthcare systems, with research from BMJ Journals indicating that HAIs cost the NHS around 2.7bn ($3.59bn) annually. In addition, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that on any given day, approximately one in 31 hospital patients in the US has at least one HAI. In 2015, the CDC estimated that there were 687,000 HAIs in US acute care hospitals, with around 72,000 hospital patients with HAIs dying during their hospitalisations. "Sanome to roll out AI infection detection tool in two UK hospitals" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. SCRANTON A Scranton man was sentenced Tuesday to up to 20 years in state prison for shooting his ex-girlfriend following the citys St. Patricks Parade earlier this year. Lackawanna County Judge Michael J. Barrasse sentenced Claude K. Harris, 28, of Olyphant, to a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. In September, Harris pleaded guilty to felony counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and possession of a firearm prohibited. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators said Harris shot his ex-girlfriend from a vehicle as she stood in the midst of a group of people in the 1800 block of Lafayette Court. She was hit in the calf and later recovered. At the time of the arrest, Harris was on Pennsylvania State Parole after a 2021 arrest and conviction of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a firearm, police said. That conviction prohibited him from owning a firearm. District Attorney Brian J. Gallagher said the sentence reflects a firm stance against repeat violent offenders who continue to commit crimes while under court supervision. Advertisement Advertisement When individuals, like this defendant, who are already under court supervision, choose to arm themselves and commit violent crimes, we will seek the maximum sentences allowed by law, Gallagher said in a statement. The 10-to-20-year sentence imposed in this case reflects that commitment to accountability and public safety. The case was investigated by Detective Jason Hyler of the Scranton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Guari of the Lackawanna County District Attorneys Office . A second pastor has been indicted in Oklahoma over alleged child sex crimes in the 1980s. Joseph Lyle Campbell, 68, is a former youth pastor at the Eastland Assembly of God Church in Tulsa. Oklahoma's multicounty grand jury returned the indictment Dec. 11 charging him with one count of first-degree rape and one count of lewd or indecent acts to a child. The indictment was unsealed in Tulsa County District Court on Dec. 17 after his arrest in Missouri. Advertisement Advertisement Grand jurors alleged he raped a girl in the garage area of his parsonage in 1984 when she was 11 or 12. Grand jurors alleged he molested a 14-year-old girl at the church the same year. There can be no tolerance for child sex predators, particularly adults who exploit their positions of authority and the faith of their victims," Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a news release. "My office will vigorously work to ensure justice is served for the women who have carried this trauma for decades. A sign at the Oklahoma attorney general's office tells employees and visitors that the multicounty grand jury is meeting. Grand jurors hear testimony and deliberate in closed sessions one to three days a month. Campbell more recently has been a pastor at Morningside in Blue Eye, Missouri, according to the news release. Advertisement Advertisement The Oklahoman could not immediately identify an attorney for him to reach out to for comment. His bond is set at $150,000. Another pastor pleaded guilty to lewd acts in 1980s In March, the same grand jury indicted Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris for molesting a girl in Oklahoma in the 1980s. Morris pleaded guilty in October to lewd acts against the victim that started on Christmas 1982, when she was 12, and continued for years. Under a plea deal, Morris, now 64, was sentenced to serve six months in the Osage County jail. He will be on probation for nine years and six months after his release. He also must register as a sex offender. Morris agreed to pay $270,000 in restitution to the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Morris resigned as senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, in 2024, after the victim spoke out by name to The Wartburg Watch, a blog about sexual abuse within the church. Time restrictions on filing child sex crime cases did not apply to Morris because he did not live in Oklahoma at any time, prosecutors said. No explanation was given in the AG's news release for why time restrictions did not apply to the accusations against Campbell. However, he left Oklahoma in the 1980s to preach in other states, according to NBC News. Five women spoke to NBC News about Campbell for a lengthy report in May. They alleged he sexually assaulted them when they were children in the 1970s and 1980s. They said they were inspired to speak out by the indictment of Morris. Advertisement Advertisement NBC News described Campbell as a "magnetic Pentecostal preacher who built a national following with fiery sermons on sin, salvation and Americas moral decline." He did not respond to numerous inquiries about the accusations, according to the report. The Assemblies of God told NBC News he was banished from the denomination in 1989 because of allegations against him. . This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Former OK youth pastor Joseph Campbell indicted on child sex charges Senate Republicans are growing increasingly uneasy with the Pentagons investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced his office is escalating its probe into him. The Defense Department announced Monday the review of Kelly has risen to an official Command Investigation, intensifying the feud between the two sides over Kellys role in a video he and other congressional Democrats made to remind service members of their duty to disobey illegal orders. The news has also given a number of Republicans pause as they question whether this is a prudent decision by the Pentagon against one of their colleagues. Advertisement Advertisement I think its a terrible idea, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said. Paul was one of five Senate GOP members who expressed reservations about the Hegseth-led investigation into Kelly, a retired Navy captain. Kelly has been under fire by the administration for nearly a month after he, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Democratic Reps. Jason Crow (Colo.), Chris Deluzio (Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (N.H.) and Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.) appeared in the video that set off the series of comments. Trump also called for the execution of the half-dozen lawmakers a remark he walked back. Days after the Democrats released the joint video, the Defense Department said it received serious allegations of misconduct against Kelly and that it kicked off a thorough review of the allegations. Hegseth ordered the Navy to finish the review and submit it to the Defense Department by Dec. 10. Advertisement Advertisement The Navy submitted the report on potential punishments against Kelly to the departments Office of General Counsel last week. The content and the scope of the report are unclear. What isnt being walked back is the probe, which some Senate Republicans believe likely does not have merit. Im not, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said when asked whether she is comfortable with the expansion of the probe. He is protected by the speech and debate clause. Hegseth appeared Tuesday on Capitol Hill alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio to brief lawmakers on the administrations targeting of boats near Venezuela. Hegseth and Kelly got into a long back-and-forth during the briefing, according to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). Advertisement Advertisement According to one Senate Republican, the spat started with a reasonable question on Kellys end but eventually turned into a protracted discussion with GOP members complaining he was filibustering during a classified briefing when other attendees had questions. Kelly said Hegseth brought up talking points about the video when he was asking the Pentagon chief about the strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. I think, with regards to me, [Hegseth] kind of walked in there with a little speech that he wanted to give, Kelly said after the briefing, adding, Im not going to waste my colleagues time with something that is specific to me. Kelly told reporters following the briefing the Pentagon still has not reached out to him about the investigation and argued the department is targeting him for something I said that was lawful. Advertisement Advertisement This is all a bunch of bulls, and the reason why, I think, is because this is just about sending a message to retired service members, active duty service members, government employees: Do not speak out against this president, or there will be consequences, he said. Paul Fishman, Kellys lawyer, warned that action by the Pentagon against the Democrat would be unconstitutional and an extraordinary abuse of power. If the executive branch were to move forward in any forum criminal, disciplinary, or administrative we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kellys behalf to halt the Administrations unprecedented and dangerous overreach, Fishman wrote. When reached for comment, the Pentagon said it did not have further remarks and referred The Hill to Mondays statement. Advertisement Advertisement Senate GOP members are concerned Hegseths actions are setting a precedent that could boomerang on Republicans. These members are going to be here after this administrations gone. Were creating a precedent that everybody should expect could be used against them, one GOP senator told The Hill. Yeah he made a video, they continued. But I dont think it rises to the level that theyre trying to make it. It really seems to me like vindictive prosecutions, and thats a bad message to send to the American people. Kelly is the only one of the six lawmakers who falls under the Defense Departments purview. Four of the others are former military members but are not retired like Kelly is. Slotkin is an ex-CIA official. Advertisement Advertisement Even some Republicans who are more ardent supporters of the president indicated they have questions about whether the investigation is warranted. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters he didnt believe taking part in the video was very wise on Kellys part. But I dont know if it broke any laws, he added. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a retired Marine, similarly criticized Kellys participation. Nevertheless, he cautioned he believes the investigation is not a good use of the Pentagons time. While Senator Sullivan believes the message in the video was irresponsible and politically driven, he does not believe it is a good use of the Pentagons time to investigate Senator Kelly who served honorably in the Navy under the UCMJ [Uniform Code of Military Justice], particularly given that the Constitutions Speech or Debate Clause would likely take precedence over any UCMJ provision, a spokesperson for Sullivan said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Such an investigation has the potential to turn into a major distraction for our military, they continued. After four years of Bidens woke military, the Department of War needs to stay laser focused on lethality and war fighting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Senators and two current representatives seeking Senate seats in 2026 have been touring the state to highlight affordability and the effects of Republican policy choices, including tariffs and cuts to health care at the federal level. Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, second from left, listens as Christmas Tree farm operator Lance Jensen discusses his business with Hesselbein and Sens. Sarah Keyeski and Melissa Ratcliff, during a visit to Jensen's farm on Dec. 8. (Photo by Erik Gunn/Wisconsin Examiner) Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein told the Wisconsin Examiner in a year-end interview that while she may have had a seat at the budget negotiating table this year, the Legislature still hasnt engaged in as much bipartisan work as she had hoped. Democratic lawmakers entered this year with bolstered numbers under new voting maps, but still in the minority. The closely divided partisan breakdown in the Senate 15 Democrats and 18 Republicans led to Republicans scrapping their plans to cut the University of Wisconsin budget and providing additional funding for K-12 schools, in budget negotiations with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers where Hesselbein had a seat at the negotiating table. But the current session still hasnt matched up to Hesselbeins really high hopes at the beginning of the session that we were going to be able to do some really good bipartisan work. Advertisement Advertisement Hesselbein noted that at the start of the session, lawmakers introduced three bills she thought were really strong. Unfortunately, Republicans are refusing to work with us on those issues, Hesselbein said. I am hopeful that they will go spend time with their families back home over the holidays, and they will realize that we can still get a lot of great things done for the state of Wisconsin in the spring. One bill would provide school breakfast and lunch to students at no cost, another would make several policy changes aimed at helping bring down the costs of prescription drugs and the final one would expand the homestead tax credit to provide additional relief to low-income homeowners and renters. Hesselbein said the Healthy Schools Meals legislation would help every single kid, make sure they get a good nutritious lunch at school and help save the average family like $1800 a year on grocery costs. She said the prescription drug legislation would help prevent more people from choosing to cut their medicine in half due to costs and the tax credit would help people stay in their homes longer. Advertisement Advertisement These were three really common-sense bills. I still really think they are, and all we needed was two Senate Republicans to help us get these bills across the finish line and show that they care about the people of the state of Wisconsin and that they want to do some bipartisan work, Hesselbein said. Unfortunately, they werent interested in doing that work with us, and they dont have a plan to help people with the rising costs in the state of Wisconsin. Hesselbein said that passing helpful legislation, including the three bills she mentioned, could mitigate the upheaval of President Donald Trumps administration. Theres so much chaos and confusion happening with the Trump administration that sometimes its hard to keep track of it day to day, she said. What we can do as legislators in the state of Wisconsin is pass bills that actually help people. Hesselbein said Senate Democrats continue to have conversations with Republicans in the hopes that they can get more legislation passed. One pressing concern is the Knowles-Nelson stewardship program which, without legislative action, will sunset early in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Were very worried about that happening, so our doors are open to any ideas they have, Hesselbein said of her Republican colleagues, adding that she hopes a bill authored by Sen. Jodi Habush-Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay) can move forward. Hesselbein noted that the stewardship program, which was created in 1989 to fund land conservation in Wisconsin, has bipartisan roots. It is named after former Republican Gov. Warren Knowles and former Democratic Gov. Gaylord Nelson and was signed into law by Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson. This has never been a partisan issue, Hesselbein said, noting that the program is popular with people across Wisconsin who love the outdoors, whether theyre going hiking or theyre fishing, or theyre hunting. Hesselbein also said she is hopeful that the bill she coauthored, which would bolster education on menopause and perimenopause, will advance. It received a public hearing in the Senate earlier this year. Wisconsin Senate is the most flippable in 2026 Next year will be a definitive election year in Wisconsin with control of the Senate, Assembly and governors office up for grabs. Advertisement Advertisement Hesselbein said she believes that the Wisconsin State Senate is the most flippable chamber in the United States and Democrats are working hard towards that goal. Wisconsins 17 odd-numbered Senate districts are up for reelections in 2026. Its the first time new legislative maps adopted in 2024 that reflect the 50/50 partisan divide in the state will be in effect for those districts. Hesselbein said Democrats are focused on winning districts that previously went to former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, former President Joe Biden in 2020, Gov. Tony Evers in his two elections and to Mary Burke, who lost to former Gov. Scott Walker in 2014. Two seats targeted by Democrats to flip are Senate District 5, which is currently held by Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) and Senate District 17, which is currently held by Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green). Fair maps and great candidates matter, and we already have people on the field that are out there knocking on doors listening to voters today on a cold day in Wisconsin We have people that want to be elected to do the right thing for the people in the state of Wisconsin, Hesselbein said. Advertisement Advertisement Democratic candidates in Wisconsin and nationwide are hammering a message about affordability. Through the State Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, senators and two current representatives seeking Senate seats in 2026 have been touring the state to highlight the effects of Republican policy choices, including tariffs and cuts to health care at the federal level. They also recently launched an ad titled Aisle 5. The ad opens as a group of Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi), Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) and Hesselbein, declare: Same groceries from the same store. Same people in power, calling the shots and driving the prices up. The words Senate Republicans pop up on the screen. My colleagues and I are fighting every single day against tariffs that make beef, eggs, and even cheese more expensive, Hesselbein says. But guess what? They dont care. We cant keep hoping theyre going to make the right choice because theyve shown us they wont. Hesselbein vowed in the interview with the Examiner that under Democratic control the Senate will have more floor sessions, be more transparent and be actually doing the peoples work. When Senate Democrats are fortunate enough to be the majority, we will continue to work with our Republican colleagues and get the best policies to help the people in the state of Wisconsin, especially when it comes to rising costs, she told the Examiner. Advertisement Advertisement Senate Democrats ability to pursue their agenda will not only rely on winning the majority, but will also depend on who wins the consequential gubernatorial race, though Hesselbein said she is prepared to work with whoever wins. I was able to work with a Republican governor when Scott Walker was there. I was able to pass some bills, Hesselbein said. Im hoping we have a Democratic governor so we can finally start listening to the people of the state of Wisconsin and get things done because weve been waiting a long time. Hesselbein said she doesnt plan to endorse anyone in the Democratic primary for governor. Many of the candidates have legislative experience including state Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) and state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) as well as Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Exec. David Crowley, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and former state Rep. Brett Hulsey. Other Democratic candidates include former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Missy Hughes and former Department of Administration Sec. Joel Brennan. Advertisement Advertisement I have too many friends, Hesselbein said of her decision not to make an endorsement. I have been in caucus with some of them They are really good people, and when the going got tough, they never ran from an argument or anything, so Im really looking forward to seeing how that race shapes up. Hesselbein said she is looking forward to seeing each candidates platform and a robust discussion among them. What are the plans that they have for the state of Wisconsin? How do they see us addressing rising costs and affordability? What is their plan for K-12 education, higher education? For the environment and all the things that weve been hearing about for years that people in the state of Wisconsin want us to effectively address, Hesselbein said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Washington Senate Republicans are aiming to move forward on a new package of funding bills before leaving town for the holidays, with just weeks to go before the next deadline to avoid another government shutdown. Congress approved an initial tranche of funding legislation in November as the longest shutdown in history came to an end. But progress has been stalled on additional measures since then. When lawmakers return in the new year, they will have just four weeks to fund the government, or risk a partial shutdown in February. After approving three of the 12 annual appropriations bills in November, Senate GOP leaders and appropriators were eager to get moving on the next batch of bills. The new package, dubbed a "minibus," is made up of five bills. It would include funding through September for the Department of Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; Commerce, Justice and Science; and Interior and Environment. But issues remain. Advertisement Advertisement "We're still working it," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Tuesday morning. "Not there yet." Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks to reporters outside his office at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images The minibus package, a smaller version of massive "omnibus" government funding legislation, comes as Republicans have sought to return to passing individual spending bills through regular order, rather than through a large end-of-year package. This year, leaders in Congress also opted not to impose a pre-holiday deadline to fund the government, which often raises pressure on lawmakers to agree to a deal before leaving town for the winter recess. Still, Senate GOP leaders have sought to make progress on the funding package before the chamber breaks later this week. Asked whether action on the minibus this week is realistic, Thune told reporters "we'll see." Leaders have been working to resolve disagreements with a handful of Senate Republicans who have put "holds" on the package, including Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and John Kennedy of Louisiana. Holds allow individual senators to signal their objections to legislation in its current form. Advertisement Advertisement "My hope is at least that these, all of these holds that currently exist on the bill on our side at least, are starting to be dealt with in a way that hopefully will get them lifted," Thune said. "But we're not 100% there yet." Kennedy told reporters after Senate Republicans gathered for lunch Tuesday that his and Johnson's holds are the two that remain. Johnson has advocated for the inclusion of his measure to pay federal employees who work during government shutdowns. He told CBS News that he is "not interested in amendment votes I want a result, and we should be able to get a result." "One thing I've learned about here, when leadership wants to get something done, they get it done," Johnson added. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the top appropriator in the Senate, told CBS News that the current objections are "soft holds that I think we can work out." Advertisement Advertisement "I'm hopeful that we'll be on the package tomorrow," Collins said. Sen. Susan Collins is seen in the Senate subway on Dec. 9, 2025. / Credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Should progress stall on the minibus this week, the Senate will face a tight timeline to fund the remaining agencies and government programs upon their return next month. The deal to end the government shutdown earlier this year extended funding until Jan. 30. The initial batch of funding bills included funding for military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs; the Department of Agriculture and FDA; and operations for the legislative branch. The package funded the relevant agencies and programs through September 2026, meaning the agencies would still be funded even if lawmakers fail to fund other areas of the government by the end of January. Thune, asked whether he's concerned about a shutdown in the new year, told reporters that the threat is "always out there." Advertisement Advertisement "I think that's why it's really important that we do everything we can to consolidate support for getting on the bills and trying to, you know, transact the funding of the government in a way that would prevent that from happening," he added. Part of the calculus for Democrats will likely be the same as in the last shutdown, which became the longest in history at 43 days. The issue at the center of that fight was health care, particularly the expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits. But that issue remains unresolved, even after the two parties put forward dueling health care proposals for votes last week. On health care, Thune said he thinks there's a "potential pathway in January." Amid the effort to pass another package of funding measures, Thune said he and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke briefly Tuesday morning and there are "conversations going all the time." "We're working with the Dems, the hotlines have been running on both sides, and trying to figure out how do we, you know, fund the government in a way that I think reflects the views of this United States Senate and not a continuing resolution," Thune said. "And I think both sides see the value in doing that. So I'm still hopeful that there will be a convergence around getting on the bills and moving them in a way that would prevent us having to deal, at the end of January, with another shutdown." Advertisement Advertisement Nick Reiner, son of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, arrested, jail records show Indiana Hoosiers eye college football championship after years of struggle | 60 Minutes Details on Nick Reiner's arrest for murders of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate gave final passage Wednesday to an annual military policy bill that will authorize $901 billion in defense programs while pressuring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide lawmakers with video of strikes on alleged drug boats in international water near Venezuela. The annual National Defense Authorization Act, which raises troop pay by 3.8%, gained bipartisan backing as it moved through Congress. It passed the Senate on a 77-20 vote before lawmakers planned to leave Washington for a holiday break. Two Republicans Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee and 18 Democrats voted against the bill. The White House has indicated that it is in line with President Donald Trump's national security priorities. However, the legislation, which ran over 3,000 pages, revealed some points of friction between Congress and the Pentagon as the Trump administration reorients its focus away from security in Europe and toward Central and South America. Advertisement Advertisement The bill pushes back on recent moves by the Pentagon. It demands more information on boat strikes in the Caribbean, requires that the U.S. keep its troop levels in Europe at current levels and sends some military aid to Ukraine. But overall, the bill represents a compromise between the parties. It implements many of Trump's executive orders and proposals on eliminating diversity and inclusion efforts in the military and grants emergency military powers at the U.S. border with Mexico. It also enhances congressional oversight of the Department of Defense, repeals several years-old war authorizations and seeks to overhaul how the Pentagon purchases weapons as the U.S. tries to outpace China in developing the next generation of military technology. We're about to pass, and the president will enthusiastically sign, the most sweeping upgrades to DoD's business practices in 60 years, said Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Still, the sprawling bill did face objections from both Democratic and Republican leadership on the Senate Commerce Committee and the head of the National Transportation Safety Board. Thats because the legislation could allow military aircraft to obtain a waiver to operate without broadcasting their precise location, as an Army helicopter had done before a midair collision with an airliner over Washington, D.C., in January that killed 67 people. Advertisement Advertisement To address those concerns, the Senate advanced a bill to require all military and civilian aircraft to broadcast their locations. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said the tragedy might have been avoided had the Black Hawk been broadcasting its location before the crash. That bill will now go to the House, and Cruz said he's optimistic it could reach the president's desk as soon as next month. The White House supports the bill and is committed to helping get it passed, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the formal public statement on the bill. Boat strike videos Republicans and Democrats agreed to language in the defense bill that threatened to withhold a quarter of Hegseths travel budget until he provided unedited video of the strikes, as well as the orders authorizing them, to the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services. Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth was on Capitol Hill Tuesday ahead of the bill's passage to brief lawmakers on the U.S. military campaign in international water near Venezuela. The briefing elicited contrasting responses from many lawmakers, with Republicans largely backing the campaign and Democrats expressing concern about it and saying they had not received enough information. The committees are investigating a Sept. 2 strike the first of the campaign that killed two people who had survived an initial attack on their boat. The Navy admiral who ordered the double-tap strike, Adm. Frank Mitch Bradley, also appeared before the committees shortly before the vote Wednesday in a classified briefing that also included video of the strike in question. Several Republican senators emerged from the meeting backing Hegseth and his decision not to release the video publicly, but other GOP lawmakers stayed silent on their opinion of the strike. Democrats are calling for part of the video to be released publicly and for every member of Congress to have access to the full footage. Advertisement Advertisement The American people absolutely need to see this video, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat. "I think they would be shocked. Congressional oversight Lawmakers have been caught by surprise by the Trump administration several times in the last year, including by a move to pause intelligence sharing with Ukraine and a decision to reduce U.S. troop presence in NATO countries in eastern Europe. The defense legislation requires that Congress be kept in the loop on decisions like that going forward, as well as when top military brass are removed. The Pentagon is also required, under the legislation, to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests. Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. A similar requirement also keeps the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea at 28,500. Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers are also pushing back on some Pentagon decisions by authorizing $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine. Cuts to diversity and climate initiatives Trump and Hegseth have made it a priority to purge the military of material and programs that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues, and the defense bill would codify many of those changes. It will repeal diversity, equity and inclusion offices and trainings, including the position of chief diversity officer. Those cuts would save the Pentagon about $40 million, according to the Republican-controlled House Armed Services Committee. The U.S. military has long found that climate change is a threat to how it provides national security because weather-related disasters can destroy military bases and equipment. But the bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts by eliminating climate-change related programs at the Pentagon. Advertisement Advertisement Repeal of war authorizations and Syria sanctions Congress is writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq by repealing the authorization for the 2003 invasion. Now that Iraq is a strategic partner of the U.S., lawmakers in support of the provision say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses. The bill also repeals the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War. The rare, bipartisan moves to repeal the legal justifications for the conflicts signaled a potential appetite among lawmakers to reclaim some of Congress's war powers. ___ Associated Press Transportation Writer Josh Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska. CHARLOTTE, NC Its the day before Thanksgiving and Johnika Jamison, 38, doesn't have holiday plans. Shes wearing elephant-print pajamas, snuggled in a hotel bed with her oldest daughter, 15-year-old Eden, and her youngest, 1-year-old Everly. Her middle daughter, 9-year-old Eastin, is with her dad for the weekend. Its the quietest the hotel room has been in a while, Jamison says. Her family has been living here for a couple of weeks, five of them packed into the two-bed space with a mini fridge, microwave and hot plate for a kitchen. Each day she and her husband, Tristian Harris, scrounge together what cash they can get to pay for the next night's stay. More often than she'd like, Jamison ends up calling her father to ask for a loan. She has no idea when, or if, she'll be able to pay him back. Theyve been homeless for 14 months, ever since Harris's multiple sclerosis flare-up and Jamisons difficult pregnancy led into a jobless summer and eventual eviction in September 2024. The family bounced around to different extended family members' houses and hotels for a year, separating for weeks at a time. Jamison says she and Harris spent one night in the car with the baby. The hotel they're in now is further from their parents and closer to a job Jamison held for three weeks in the fall before she was let go for taking too much time off to care for her family. It costs $100 per night, but at least staying there means they can all be together. Johnika Jamison, 38, holding her daughter Everly, 1. Her family has been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. Jamison along with her husband and three daughters have been staying in a small hotel room for weeks as they embark on year two of homelessness. Jamison dreams of better days, but tending to her family's care needs takes up so much of her time she barely has a moment to look for work. Johnika Jamison, 38, packing and helping her daughter Eastin, 9, get ready for school, center, as she holds her sister Everly, 1, in the hotel room her family calls home at the moment on Dec. 12, 2025. Jamison and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. The hotel has a laundry room, Jamison says, but its $5 per load. She doesnt use it much. Johnika Jamison, 38, left, with her daughters Eden Jamison, 15, right, holding her sister Everly, 1, and Eastin Jamison, 9, as they wake and prepare for school in their hotel room. Were running behind, as usual, Jamison says. Its Friday, and Eden needs to be at her bus stop by 6:30 a.m. Eastin's bus driver starts the route outside of their hotel each morning, idling for about 15 minutes. Eastin likes getting there early to read from the empty bus, basking in a kind of quiet that doesn't exist in the hotel room. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. I care for everybody else. Im the one who manages all the medical appointments and the symptoms on the daily, and doing the research and advocating for each of my family members to their doctors," Jamison says. "And making sure that everybody takes their medicine on the daily. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her husband Tristian Harris, 25, right, and their family have been homeless for more than a year after they both experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. Its not that easy to get back on your feet when youre literally trying to survive," Jamison says. Johnika Jamison, left, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Every day, Jamison and Harris have to come up with $100 to stay in the hotel. She has paid for it in the past by returning items shes bought for her family, like Everlys high chair and toys. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her husband Tristian Harris, 25, getting a start to the day preparing the kids for school on Dec. 12, 2025. Jamison and her family were locked out of their apartment on Sept. 19, 2024. Jamison was seven months pregnant. After they were evicted, Jamison and her daughters went to Jamisons parents house in Gaffney, South Carolina. But after she had Everly in October, Jamison, Harris and the baby stayed with Harriss dad while Eden and Eastin stayed with Jamisons parents. It was a lot of hotel hopping and moving back and forth, and we werent all together, Jamison says. Eastin Jamison, 9, falls asleep in the evening in the familys hotel room. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. Johnika Jamison, 38, in the hotel room the family calls home while watching her daughter Everly, 1, sleep during the day while her other children are at school and her husband is at work. Jamison and her family stayed in an Airbnb in Charlotte in September and October 2025, when she was hired at a charter school in Charlotte. For the first time in a year, all five of us were together, Jamison says. But she was let go three weeks into the job, and soon they couldnt afford the Airbnb anymore. They've been in the hotel room since Nov. 8. Eden Jamison, 15, helps care and feed her sister, Everly, 1, in the hotel room where the family resides. We dont like to put her on the floors, their mom, Johnika Jamison, says of the baby. Everly wants to start walking, but they keep her on the beds or in her playpen. We dont trust em, Everly's dad Tristian Harris says. Johnika Jamison, left, with her three daughters Eden, 15 Eastin , 9 and Everly, 1, and her husband Tristian Harris, back right, in the small hotel room they call home. Jamison married Harris, Everly's father, in December 2024. The family has been homeless for more than a year after Jamison and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. I dont have time to be under the weather, Jamison says. Ive got to take care of everybody else and every thing. She gets meals from food pantries sometimes, but they often provide unusable items. One time Jamison was gifted a box of dry pasta and a jar of sauce. But her family lives in a hotel room. How the heck am I supposed to cook that? Johnika Jamison, left, with her three daughters Eden, 15 Eastin, 9 and Everly, 1, and her husband Tristian Harris, back right, in the small hotel room they call home. Jamison was a school guidance counselor for a decade before her familys medical needs and her high-risk pregnancy took her out of the workforce. I get so much happiness from helping kids and their families, she says. As a school counselor, Jamison worked with students experiencing homelessness before she was homeless. You dont understand until youre in it yourself, she says. Eden Jamison, 15, arrives back from school to the hotel room the family calls home on Dec. 12, 2025. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Eden tries to help out around the house and acts like "a little adult sometimes. But she cant, Johnika Jamison says. Shes 15. Tristian Harris, 25, after being sent home following a shortened work day and trouble with a paycheck on Dec. 12, 2025. He and his wife Johnika Jamison, 38, are currently living in a small hotel room. They have been homeless for more than a year after Jamison and Harris experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. The car Jamison and Harris share, a 2005 Nissan Ultima, has over 200,000 miles on it and needs an oil change, Jamison says. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been living in a small hotel room since Nov. 8, 2025. It costs $100 per night. "Some days it takes all your attention and energy just to find the money for the next night," Jamison says. Luckily, the hotel manager has been kind to them and doesn't demand the $100 by noon. "I think she's just a really good person." Eden Jamison, 15, right, packs to catch a school bus early in the morning on Dec. 12, 2025, while her sisters Eastin Jamison, 9, and Everly Jamison, 1, continue to sleep in the hotel room bed that the family now calls home. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. After medical setbacks, a family works to escape homelessness 1 of 16 Johnika Jamison, 38, holding her daughter Everly, 1. Her family has been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. Jamison along with her husband and three daughters have been staying in a small hotel room for weeks as they embark on year two of homelessness. Jamison dreams of better days, but tending to her family's care needs takes up so much of her time she barely has a moment to look for work. Jamison gets a text from Edens boyfriends dad inviting the family to a Thanksgiving dinner the next day. Just the mention of her boyfriend's name makes Eden smile wide. Theyve only been together for three months, but she says its been a good distraction from the chaos her family is going through. Advertisement Advertisement The next day, Jamison sends her family off to the Thanksgiving feast. She stays at the hotel, alone, enjoying a few hours of peace when "nobodys calling my name." "I dont want the only thing I do to be caregiving," Jamison says. She wants to work as a school counselor, like she did for a decade before her world came crashing down. She wants her family to be back in stable housing, back to indulging in the small luxuries that make life fun, like manicures and dance classes. She wants to build up her savings again. She wants a kitchen, to be able to cook for her family and meal prep for the week. She wants Eden to be able to be a kid, instead of trying to "be a little adult" all the time, changing Everly's diapers and feeding her bottles. More: These people know how to fix the caregiving crisis. Is it doable? But between scheduling her husband's neurology appointments, managing Eastin's epilepsy symptoms and following up with Everly's pediatrician about her cranial helmet to correct her severe plagiocephaly on top of the typical mental load of motherhood and less typical stress of homelessness Jamison is in survival mode without a clear path forward. Advertisement Advertisement "Things are really the worst that they've ever been," Jamison says. "And it's really linked to me having to care for everybody else." Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been living in a small hotel room since Nov. 8, 2025. It costs $100 per night. "Some days it takes all your attention and energy just to find the money for the next night," Jamison says. Luckily, the hotel manager has been kind to them and doesn't demand the $100 by noon. "I think she's just a really good person." Many Americans are closer to homelessness than they think Most Americans are like Jamison was two years ago, one crisis away from homelessness, according to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Before the eviction, Jamison was in her 10th year working as a school counselor, making about $60,000 a year. Jamison's salary was on par with the median income for an American worker, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But in today's economy, even workers who earn six-figure salaries find themselves living paycheck to paycheck, recent studies have found. Millions of people are at risk of homelessness, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, with two-thirds of extremely low-income households spending 50% or more of their income on housing, as opposed to the recommended 30%. Donald Whitehead, executive director for the National Coalition for the Homeless, says the homeless population could double in the next several years due to federal cutbacks in Medicaid and public housing. Advertisement Advertisement "This is a common thing. There's just so many people [who] are right on the edge, financially, at all times," says Steve Berg, chief policy officer for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Angela Williams, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide, agrees: "Each of us is just one diagnosis or disaster away from the breaking point." Caregiving is "a much bigger piece than people realize" when it comes to homelessness, especially since child care costs rival the cost of rent, says Ann Marie Staudenmaier, senior legal counsel for the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless in Washington, DC. When families pivot to helping their loved ones with disabilities or medical issues, that extra expense can be enough to push them into homelessness "very easily," Berg says. Johnika Jamison, 38, holding her daughter Everly, 1, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. Jamison along with her husband and three daughters have been staying in a small hotel room for weeks as they embark on year two of homelessness. Jamison dreams of better days, but tending to her family's care needs takes up so much of her time she barely has a moment to look for work. Family caregivers average 27 hours of care work per week, leaving them out of time to work professionally or to look for paid work, which becomes a problem when rent is due. 'I just need a little more time' Jamison loved her job as a school counselor. But being on unpaid medical leave for several months during her high-risk pregnancy in 2023 hurt her bank account, and she missed rent payments. Her blood sugar was dangerously high, and her liver was failing. It was a scary time, Harris and Eden say. Eden worried her mom "was on her deathbed." Advertisement Advertisement In a written response to court filings about her unpaid rent, dated Oct. 27, 2023, Jamison explained that her medical leave "was unexpected" and how she'd "been given the 'run around'" when trying to get workplace accommodations. "I informed my landlord that I'm still trying to pay all past due rent," Jamison wrote. "I just need a little more time." Jamison lost the baby and then got pregnant again with Everly. It was another high-risk pregnancy, and doctors tried to hospitalize her several times, Jamison says. "I would sign myself out because I was like, 'I gotta take care of my kids,'" she says. Advertisement Advertisement Jamison worked sporadically and cycled through paid and unpaid medical leave through 2024 and into 2025. Her contract with the school district wasn't renewed at the end of the 2024-25 school year. She'd like to file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but says "it's laughable" how long and arduous the process is. She drained her retirement contributions and then filed for unemployment, but she says her status still is "pending resolution." Johnika Jamison, 38, packing and helping her daughter Eastin, 9, get ready for school, center, as she holds her sister Everly, 1, in the hotel room her family calls home at the moment on Dec. 12, 2025. Jamison and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. The hotel has a laundry room, Jamison says, but its $5 per load. She doesnt use it much. The family was evicted in September 2024, and Everly was born five weeks prematurely the following month. While heartbreaking, Jamison's story isn't unique, Whitehead says. Family homelessness saw the greatest increase in history 39% from 2023 to 2024. And the journey out of homelessness can be nearly impossible for some families. Landlords are reluctant to rent to people with past evictions, Whitehead says. And to secure an apartment, families need a substantial amount of money upfront to pay for the security deposit and first month's rent. In the meantime, families like Jamison's with little means have to choose between basic needs like health care, housing and food. Advertisement Advertisement "Those are tough choices that we are asking people to make," Williams says. Disability checks, shelter solutions are out of reach The girls are doing better now, Jamison says. Eastin's anti-seizure medication has done wonders, and Eden's new school is good for her both thanks to Jamison's tireless advocating on behalf of her daughters. Jamison says she'll never forget the appointment when Eastin was diagnosed with epilepsy. "It was awful to watch," Jamison says, recalling through tears how medical professionals stimulated Eastin's seizures in order to diagnose her. At the same time, Jamison was relieved. "Finally," she remembers thinking, "I've got the proof I need to get my baby help." Harris started infusion therapy and can work some days, when his symptoms fatigue, muscle weakness, cognitive and emotional strain, and gastrointestinal issues don't get in the way. Jamison says they've tried to file for disability, but it's a long process. Advertisement Advertisement "It's not enough to just have MS," Berg says. "It's just a very complex process with a lot of ways to go wrong, and sort of set up to be hard to do." Johnika Jamison, 38, and her husband Tristian Harris, 25, right, and their family have been homeless for more than a year after they both experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. Its not that easy to get back on your feet when youre literally trying to survive," Jamison says. Jamison has researched housing assistance and shelters in her area, but she says there's never room for her family or she doesn't meet the criteria to get help. Some programs, like Charlotte Family Housing, require parents to have consistent work before setting them up with temporary housing. Governments and nonprofits need to rethink how to deliver services to people in need, Williams says. Jamison has a master's degree. She applies to counseling jobs all the time, but nothing has stuck. She doesn't want to be a stay-at-home mom, Jamison says, but she feels like one even without a place to call home. 'It falls on me to figure out what comes next' "The mad rush" to get Eden and Eastin off to school starts before 5:30 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement The two sisters share one of the hotel beds, and most nights baby Everly wakes up in her playpen and insists on joining them. On a morning in mid-December, Everly sleeps in the bed while her sisters take turns using the bathroom and rummaging through various backpacks, tote bags and suitcases to get dressed. There are only three dresser drawers and one small closet that the five of them share. Jamison supervises Eastin's teeth brushing efforts and deflates when Eden comes back inside and says she missed the bus. With just one car, and Harris off to secure a check for the few days of delivery work he performed last week money that should buy them tonight's hotel stay it could be a while before Eden gets a ride to school. When Harris returns emptyhanded, Jamison starts to panic. Harris says he can't cash the check until after 9 a.m., but he needs to be at his other job by 9:20. If he doesn't cash the check, they can't stay in the hotel tonight. If he doesn't work, they won't be able to pay for the hotel next week. "It falls on me to figure out what comes next," Jamison says. Today she was meant to get their food stamps and follow up on a job application. "I'm juggling everything, and sometimes we are literally, like, just trying to survive." Eden Jamison, 15, arrives back from school to the hotel room the family calls home on Dec. 12, 2025. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Eden tries to help out around the house and acts like "a little adult sometimes. But she cant, Johnika Jamison says. Shes 15. Everly whines to be held. She'd really like to walk around, but Jamison doesn't trust the hotel room floor, so the baby spends the day in her arms or napping on a bed. Advertisement Advertisement Harris eventually gets his check, but he only works a half day. Jamison negotiates with the hotel manager and tidies up the room, stuffing away the tote bags and suitcases so her family has places to sit and sleep when they are all home again. Pretty soon, Eastin is back from school, and then Eden. Jamison is exhausted. She doesn't know what they'll do for dinner. "I feel very mentally drained," Jamison says. "Even though I know there's still so much that needs to be done." Eastin heats up a package of ramen noodles in the microwave. Eden takes a frozen chicken sandwich from the mini fridge and heats it up, settling on the same meal for both breakfast and dinner. Then she feeds Everly some yogurt. Johnika Jamison, left, with her three daughters Eden, 15 Eastin, 9 and Everly, 1, and her husband Tristian Harris, back right, in the small hotel room they call home. Jamison was a school guidance counselor for a decade before her familys medical needs and her high-risk pregnancy took her out of the workforce. I get so much happiness from helping kids and their families, she says. As a school counselor, Jamison worked with students experiencing homelessness before she was homeless. You dont understand until youre in it yourself, she says. The family spends their evening cracking jokes and retelling old family stories. Jamison plays Beyonce's "Texas Hold 'Em" from her phone, bribing Eden to dance for them by promising she can see her boyfriend over the weekend. "Manipulation at its peak," Eden says, moving Everly's playpen. "I don't care," Jamison says, beaming at her first-born. "I love watching you dance." Tomorrow is Saturday. "It would be nice to go out and do something, but we don't have money," Jamison says. Maybe they'll go to the library. Maybe she'll donate plasma to pay for the next night's hotel stay. She thinks through her options, planning their days ahead, knowing her plans can be thwarted at any moment by a new emergency. "Every plan," she says, "plan A, B, C, D, E, F that I've tried to keep from getting to this point, has fallen through." Since this story published, several readers have asked how to help Jamison and her family. Jamison created a GoFundMe on Dec. 18. Madeline Mitchell's role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach Madeline at memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ on X. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: She was a school counselor for a decade. Now, she's homeless. Suspects from Daburiyya and Acre allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and prepared to travel to an enemy state for terrorist instruction. The Shin Bet and the Israel Police have arrested two suspects who pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned to travel abroad for terrorist training, the police stated on Wednesday. The suspects were identified as Kinan Azaizeh, a 20-year-old resident of Daburiyya, and another suspect fromAcre. They were arrested on suspicion of membership in the ISIS terrorist organization and of maintaining contact with a foreign agent acting on the groups behalf. Advertisement Advertisement According to information obtained during the investigation, the two planned to travel to an enemy state to undergo training or instruction for terrorist purposes. They had already taken preparatory steps to implement the plan. During Azaizehs interrogation by the Northern District Major Crimes Unit and the Shin Bet, investigators found that he had pledged allegiance to ISIS to advance the organizations goals, expressed willingness to carry out security-related activity on its behalf, and considered carrying out a terrorist attack against IDF soldiers. The investigation also revealed that Azaizeh had been in contact with ISIS-affiliated elements abroad, learned how to manufacture pipe bombs and explosives, and planned to travel overseas for training. ISIS propaganda materials found in the suspect's home. (credit: ISRAEL POLICE SPOKESPERSON''S UNIT) At the conclusion of the investigation by the Shin Bet and Northern District police, the Northern District Attorneys Office is expected to file an indictment against Azaizeh in the Nazareth District Court. Suspect arrested after pledging allegiance to ISIS, planning a deadly attack In a separate case, a serious indictment was filed about three months ago in the Hadera Magistrates Court against Najib Dik, a 25-year-old resident of Baka al-Gharbiya, who was arrested after pledging allegiance to ISIS and planning a deadly attack. Advertisement Advertisement According to prosecutors, Dik considered attaching an explosive device to a kiosk near the moshav of Maor, where soldiers were present, with the intention of killing them. He also drove around the area while listening to jihadist songs, but ultimately did not carry out the attack. An indictment filed by the Haifa District Attorneys Office states that the defendant recruited himself into ISIS, was systematically exposed to terror and execution videos, and downloaded manuals for making explosive devices to his phone. He later watched a video of an oath of allegiance to the organization and read the declaration aloud while mentioning the name of ISISs current leader, thereby considering himself a full member of the group. Among other actions, he examined the possibility of traveling to Somalia to join ISIS operatives. Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) is one of the best stocks to buy according to Seth Klarman. As of December 12, the average price target for UNP suggests an upside of 9%; however, the Street high indicates an upside of 22%. As of the third quarter of 2025, billionaire Seth Klarman held nearly 1.5 million units of Union Pacific, worth $353.6 million. On December 11, Richa Harnain, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, downgraded Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) to Hold from Buy and lowered the price target to $245 from $272, according to TheFly. The analyst appeared disappointed by the underperformance of the company's shares even after reporting two strong quarters. That makes her skeptical about performance if the company reports lower earnings beats and if UNP's acquisition of Norfolk Southern faces further opposition. These uncertainties underpinned Richa's downgrade of the stock. Wall Street Sees a 22% Upside to Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash Previously, on November 24, Union Pacific announced that it had signed a deal with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), which ensures the protection of unionized workers positions following the merger of UNP and Norfolk Southern. The IBB is the 4th national union to come to a major agreement with UNP, which protects workers of both companies when the merger takes place. The idea is to offer them stable employment for life, contingent on meeting standard employment conditions. The companies declared their intention to merge operations on November 14, and 99.5% of UNP shareholder votes supported the issuance of new common stock related to the Norfolk Southern merger. Separately, on November 18, Union Pacific announced a $1.38 per-share dividend, payable on December 30, 2025, to shareholders of record as of December 5. The company pays quarterly dividends and has a rich dividend history dating back 126 consecutive years. Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) is one of the largest railroad operators in the United States. It transports a wide range of goods, including grain, food items, fertilizers, coal, and renewable products. While we acknowledge the potential of UNP as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're 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: Dow 20 Stocks List: Ranked By Hedge Fund Bullishness Index and 10 Unstoppable Dividend Stocks to Buy Now. Disclosure. None. Two Massachusetts men have been arrested in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits through small retail stores they operated in Boston. Antonio Bonheur, 74, of Mattapan, and Saul Alisme, 21, of Hyde Park, are slated to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Boston on a charge of one count of food stamp fraud, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced during a news conference. These men abused one of the governments most critical safety net programs for their own financial gain, Foley said. This is taxpayer money meant to keep people from going hungry. These defendants decided to take it for themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to federal prosecutors, Bonheur owned the Jesula Variety Store, and Alisme owned the Saul Mache Mixe Store, both small storefronts in Bostons Mattapan section. Despite their limited sizeJesula Variety Store measured about 150 square feet and Saul Mache Mixe Store about 500 square feettheir SNAP redemptions ranged from $100,000 to $500,000 per month, far exceeding what legitimate food sales could support, federal prosecutors alleged. By comparison, a full-service supermarket in the same area redeems about $82,000 per month, Foley noted. They were not full-service groceries. It would be a huge stretch to even call them convenience stores. In fact, the only thing convenient about these stores was how easy it was to commit SNAP benefit fraud, Foley said. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators say transaction data revealed suspicious patterns: more than 70% of SNAP transactions at the stores exceeded $95, a level typically associated with larger supermarkets. Undercover operations are said to have confirmed SNAP benefits were exchanged for cash on multiple occasions, and both stores were observed selling liquor for SNAP benefits, a violation of federal law. Prosecutors say Bonheur and Alisme themselves worked the cash registers and personally exchanged SNAP benefits for cash. Simply put, there is no plausible way SNAP-eligible food could have been purchased from these stores for this long. Yet, these two stores are alleged to have illicitly trafficked nearly $7 million in SNAP benefits. The fraud was shocking and glaring, Foley said. Advertisement Advertisement Authorities also allege the defendants sold MannaPack meals, a donated food product intended for food-insecure children overseas, for about $8 per package. These meals are funded entirely by charitable donations and are not authorized for retail sale. These products are not for sale anywhere. Yet Bonheur and Alisme were selling them in their stores for nearly $10 a pack, profiting from food literally intended for starving children in disaster zones, Foley said. Courtesy US Attorney's Office Prosecutors claim the defendants relied almost entirely on USDA-funded SNAP redemptions as income because both stores carried little legitimate food inventory and generated minimal lawful revenue. Bonheur and Alisme allegedly used multiple bank accounts to conceal the source of funds. Advertisement Advertisement Let me be clear. SNAP is the largest food assistance program in this country. It exists to feed families, not to bankroll criminals, Foley added. The charge of food stamp fraud greater than $100 carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Read the full complaint against Bonheur and Alisme: Mass. men charged in $7M SNAP benefits trafficking scheme by Boston 25 Desk Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The South African government arrested seven Kenyans working illegally in a center that processes White South African applicants for American refugee status, accusing the United States of hiring workers who don't have work authorization. The processing center is run by RSC Africa, a Kenya-based refugee center operated by Church World Service. There were no U.S. officials arrested, and the operation was not at a diplomatic site, the South African government said. Advertisement Advertisement The United States has drastically cut its allowance of refugees into the country, from 125,000 to 7,500 per year, but said it will prioritize Afrikaners, who are mostly descendants of Dutch and French settlers. President Donald Trump has claimed that Afrikaners are facing genocide in South Africa, though he's produced no evidence. South Africa arrested the Kenyans after reports showed that the people "had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and had illegally taken up work." "The presence of foreign officials apparently coordinating with undocumented workers naturally raises serious questions about intent and diplomatic protocol," a statement from the South African government said. "The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has initiated formal diplomatic engagements with both the United States and Kenya to resolve this matter." Advertisement Advertisement State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the department was "seeking immediate clarification from the South African government" and expected "full cooperation and accountability." "Interfering in our refugee operations is unacceptable," he said in a statement. The relationship between South Africa and the United States has deteriorated in recent months because of Trump's allegations of genocide, cutting aid and creating high tariffs against the country. At issue is a law passed earlier this year allows the government to seize land without compensation. But the government has not seized any land yet, though Trump has claimed otherwise. Advertisement Advertisement Trump refused to attend the G20 Summit in South Africa in November and said the country's representatives will not be welcome at the next one in the United States. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House in May. The contentious meeting with Trump was focused on the "genocide" in South Africa, though Ramaphosa countered Trump on his claims. State Sen.-elect Dan McKeon of Amherst, center, talks with State Sen.-elect Dunixi Guereca at a legislative retreat in Kearney on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN After initially filing a plea of no contest that wasnt accepted when he didnt attend his hearing, State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst has changed course and now plans to fight the allegation against him. On Tuesday, the day before his rescheduled arraignment on a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace, McKeon filed a new plea of not guilty and waived his formal arraignment. The court accepted the plea and set his next court date for Jan. 26, ordering him to show up. State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst. (Courtesy of Nebraska Unicameral Information Office) A legislative staffer accused the state lawmaker of groping her at an end-of-session party in May. The Nebraska State Patrol received a report in September that McKeon had allegedly made inappropriate contact with her buttocks with his hand, over the top of her clothing, Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said. Advertisement Advertisement McKeons second arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday morning after his arraignment was delayed when he tried to file a no contest plea by written waiver. Lancaster County Court Judge Matthew Acton said a no contest plea must be submitted in person and postponed the arraignment one week. A no contest plea would have allowed McKeon to accept any criminal penalties without formally admitting guilt and would waive his right to a trial. McKeons attorney Perry Pirsch at one point called the disturbing the peace charge a victory, as the charge had been downgraded from public indecency, which the Patrol initially cited McKeon with. Pirsch said disturbing the peace was more consistent with McKeons perspective of the incident and that hed planned to plead no contest in hopes that he could put the matter behind him and focus on the upcoming legislative session. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement released at 5:25 p.m. Wednesday, Pirsch said the decision to change pleas was prompted by the Executive Board voting on Saturday to recommend McKeons expulsion from the state Legislature. Initially, Senator McKeon, having complied with the Executive Boards prior requests, including attending a sensitivity training and moving offices, considered the matter behind him and would have pled no contest to disturbing the peace to put the matter to rest, Pirsch said in the statement. This is no longer the case. He pled not guilty and is more than willing to fight. Expulsion is the strongest disciplinary measure the board can recommend, but it requires a full vote of the Legislature to pass. This means the matter will likely come before lawmakers during the 60-day legislative session that begins in January. Expelling him would require the votes of 33 senators. Executive Board Chair State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair has said the board concluded the expulsion recommendation was necessary in light of a demonstrated pattern of behavior by Senator McKeon and not in response to a single isolated incident. The board did not elaborate on this pattern, and Pirsch said McKeon categorically rejects that claim. Advertisement Advertisement In his statement, Pirsch announced that McKeon would be hosting a Dec. 30 press conference in Kearney to address the allegations against him and note his willingness to fight to defend his seat. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX McKeon has acknowledged that an exchange took place between him and a staffer after one of the Nebraska Legislatures sine die parties this year, but argued his actions were not sexually charged. Pirsch has said McKeon is guilty of nothing but a bad pun and pat on the back. The Examiner is aware of the alleged victims name but is not publishing it because it is the policy of States Newsroom and the Examiner not to identify people who say they have been abused unless they wish to talk publicly. Advertisement Advertisement Her attorney, Kathleen Neary, noted her client is preparing a civil lawsuit against the senator. Senator McKeon has changed his story more than the weather changes in Nebraska, Neary said in an email statement. McKeon, a married father of four, is a registered Republican who was elected to the officially nonpartisan Legislature in 2024, replacing former State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul. Gov. Jim Pillen and other state officials have called for McKeons resignation, but McKeon has said he will not resign. I will continue to serve my district, to show up, and to fight for the principle that representation is decided by the people not by closed meetings, incomplete records, political cowardice or pressure campaigns, McKeon said in the statement. I will try to watch my future comments, but I might still occasionally have a bad joke slip out, and those who are eggshells should avoid me, not engage me in conversation. Advertisement Advertisement SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Gov. Kevin Stitt, pictured Feb. 12 at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, has appointed a new director to lead the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Kevin Stitt has appointed a third leader of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services in as many months. Stitt on Wednesday appointed Oklahoma Tax Commissioner Mark Wood to be the director of OMES, an agency that serves as the backbone of state government resources. Longtime Internal Revenue Service official Dan LaFortune will replace Wood at the state Tax Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Oklahoma Chief Operating Officer David Ostrowe is no longer listed on the OMES website as one of the agencys administrators, but he still holds his COO role in the governors Cabinet. Ostrowe was appointed to lead OMES on Sept. 26 when former state COO and OMES director Rick Rose resigned. Ostrowe will continue as state COO, and Wood will report to him, OMES spokesperson Christa Helfrey said. David Ostrowe will continue in his role as state chief operating officer. (Provided by the Oklahoma Governors Office) All state agencies, including OMES roll into the state COO, Ostrowe wrote in a message to Oklahoma Voice. Mark is an extremely capable leader with years of tax, finance and government process experience, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement The governors appointment order issued Wednesday states Wood is stepping into Roses former director position, not replacing Ostrowe. Wood had served as a tax commissioner since 2021. He worked 37 years in public accounting at Arthur Andersen LLP and Ernst & Young LLP. Im thankful for the opportunity to have served with the dedicated team at the Oklahoma Tax Commission, Wood said in a statement. As I step into this role at OMES, Im honored to continue serving Oklahoma by helping strengthen government at its core. LaFortune spent nearly 31 years at the IRS where he served as a program manager, team manager and internal revenue agent. He led large corporate and flow-through entity audits in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Louisiana as the program manager within the IRS Large Business and International Division, according to the governors announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Recruiting top talent to the Oklahoma Tax Commission is essential to strengthening our states tax policy and driving meaningful reform, Stitt said in a statement. The appointment of Dan LaFortune brings proven public-sector expertise that will help guide the OTCs work and ensure Oklahoma remains competitive, transparent, and accountable to taxpayers. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE It was Oct. 3, a Friday, late in the afternoon, when Victoria Baez and her fiance were taking their kids and dogs to Rudy Park, heading out of town on North George Street. It was a day off for Baez and her fiance, both York City police officers, and they were looking forward for a relaxing and fun afternoon at the park. As they approached the North George Street interchange with Interstate 83, they saw something alarming. A man was standing on the edge of the bridge. It was not normal, and as a police officer, she is attuned to detecting situations that are not normal. Advertisement Advertisement I think hes going to jump, Baez told her fiance. From one perspective, it was not their problem. They were off duty, and it was in Northern York County Regionals jurisdiction. But from their perspective, it was a call to duty. They had to do something. It was why they took the oath and dedicated their lives to serving and protecting. York City Police Officer Victoria Baez talks with a reporter while making a right from S. George Street on to Philadelphia Street while on patrol on Dec. 10, 2025. They parked under the bridge and climbed the steep embankment by the bridge abutment. It was covered with brush and was a hard climb, but it would be a lot faster than the path of less resistance along the interchange ramp, Baez said. There was a crowd gathered, watching the man. None were related to the man, but they were hysterical, trying to prevent the man from ending his life before their eyes. The man looked at Baez, and she returned his gaze. From his expression, she thought, We dont have time. Advertisement Advertisement Her fiance who didnt want his name mentioned moved in and wrapped his arms around the man, pulling him back from the brink. The man, Baez said, was in an emotional state and put up a struggle, tussling with her and her fiance. She told him, Its OK. Itll be fine. The man sighed Baez said it seemed like it was relief and once he let it out, he relaxed. They waited a few moments for Northern Regional officers to arrive and handed the man over to them. Then, she said, we went to the dog park. She said, We were off duty, but we have a job that doesnt leave you. It never leaves you. 'I love the job' Baez comes from a law enforcement family. Her brother, a former correctional officer and York police officer, is an FBI agent stationed in Miami. Her uncle, Andy Baez, is the commander of the citys detective bureau. Advertisement Advertisement She was working as a 911 dispatcher and saw the opportunity to join the police force in her hometown. I always wanted to be a police officer, she said. I went for it. Working in her hometown is rewarding. She grew up here. Her family is here. She knows the community. Being from York City, she said, its nice to work where I grew up. At 33 the mother of two young sons she has been with the department for three years. She is highly thought of by her fellow officers. Shes a good officer, one said. She knows it sounds cliche, but she said she wanted to be a police officer to help people, to be part of the solution. Everybody says that, she said. But it doesnt make any less true. I love the work, she said. Im dealing with everybodys worst day. You cant make that better, but you can try to somehow make a difference. Advertisement Advertisement She approaches every day on the job the same. I come in thinking that todays going to be the worst day, she said. I always think of the worst-case scenarios. Im always preparing myself for a bad call. She has had a lot of those bad calls in her short tenure on the force mental health crises, domestic violence, suicides, homicides. She has to be prepared every day to see the worst things that human beings can do to one another and to themselves. Every day comes with danger. She can attend the morning lineup for her 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift and be briefed about a suspect in a shooting or some other violence who is still at large, and the officers have to look for the person. You have to be on your toes, she said. There isnt a moment in this job where you cant be prepared. You have to be hypervigilant. Emotionally, it takes a toll. But thats the job. Thats what she signed up for. York City Police Officer Victoria Baez in front of the police station in York on Dec. 10, 2025. 'Not easy to not self-doubt' She is thoughtful in her approach to the job, for good reason. Communication is my biggest asset, she said. Im 5-2 and 100 pounds, and if Im dealing with someone whos 6-7 and 250 pounds and hes agitated, Im not going to put myself in a tussle. I have to talk about it. Advertisement Advertisement Most times, she said, it works. She brings empathy to the job, along with a detachment that allows her to handle difficult situations without bringing emotion into the equation. Its hard, she said, especially when children are involved. It may seem that she doesnt care trying to keep her emotions at bay and appearing objective about the situation. But thats how she has to deal with emotional situations to do the job. Previously: Shot on the job, a York cop had to make sure he was fit for duty, physically and mentally Turning trauma into help: York County cop endured more trauma than most police & now works to help officers get help We always try to resolve the situation, but thats not always the case, she said. We try to get people into rehab or to get a PFA or whatever is needed, but sometimes, we end up back at square one. Advertisement Advertisement It causes a lot of doubt, she said. Did I do everything I could? Could I have done more? she said. Were human beings. We have a conscience. Its not easy to not self-doubt. 'Going down a rabbit hole' She had a case recently that caused that doubt. She responded to a call about a young man in his early 20s who was agitated and was hearing things, prompting his family to call the police. She spoke to the man and calmed him down, but he didnt want to go to the hospital. Unless a person is threatening to harm himself or someone else, police cannot just take them to the hospital for evaluation. He wasnt expressing those thoughts. She gave the man the phone numbers of her co-responder, a staffer trained in dealing with mental health crises, and the crisis hotline. I know you dont want to go, she told him, but here is someone you can call. Advertisement Advertisement Two days later, while she was off duty, she got a text from her co-responder. The man had killed himself. It hit her hard. She didnt want to have to deal with it until she was back on duty, to detach herself from work, but that didnt matter. She doubted herself. Did I do everything I could? Could I have missed something? Would he be here today if I did something? she said. I was going down a rabbit hole. She called her co-responder and she told her, You did everything you could have possibly done. Her doubts, though, stayed with her and the next time she had a similar call, those thoughts crossed her mind. 'You always have to be ready' The afternoon of Sept. 17, Baez was just leaving court when she heard the call officer down. Advertisement Advertisement She was 25 miles away from the site, in North Codorus Township, but she went. You just go, she said. An officer needs help, you go. Then you try to figure it out. She wasnt the only officer to respond. Her partner went, as did officers from just about every department in the county. A fellow officer comes under fire, everybody goes, she said. As she drove, her emotions got the best of her. The tears were flowing, she said. I was trying to keep it together. It was worse than she imagined. Three officers Northern York County Regional Detectives Mark Baker, Cody Becker and Isaiah Emenheiser were killed when they were ambushed by a man armed with an AR-style weapon, a suspect they were seeking to arrest for stalking a woman who lived at the address on Haar Road. Two other officers Lt. David Godfrey of the York County Sheriffs office, and an unidentified Northern Regional detective were wounded before the gunman was killed by return fire. Advertisement Advertisement Upon arrival, Haar Road was packed with police cruisers. At one point, the order came down to clear the road so ambulances carrying the wounded officers could pass. She got the OK from her sergeant to head back to the city and resume her patrol. I still had two hours left on my shift, she said. Nothing happened. Her thoughts were with her fallen comrades. She knew them. She thought, That could have been me. That could have been someone in my department. That could have been any of us. I was just trying to keep it together. She thought about her boys 12 and 7. When she got home, she was a mess, she said. Her fiance wasnt home; his shift had started. Her mother checked in on her. (They live in the same development.) Her mother asked, Do you want to talk about it? She said, No. I dont. She was able to talk about it with her fiance. They share the job and share the emotional baggage that comes with it. He understands. And she understands that she needs to talk about these things, to be mentally fit for a job that, day to day, you cant prepare for. You always have to be ready, she said, as she drove through the citys western patrol district. Its good and bad in a way. You take it with you when youre off duty. The vigilance is always there, she said. You see someone in Walmart, and something seems off. You wonder if hes going to start something or if hes going to steal. Can I go to the movies with my family and not worry about someone pulling out a gun and shooting? She paused, I love it, though. I wouldnt change it. Here's how you can help This years YDR Christmas Emergency Fund supports York County police officers mental health, raising money for counseling services after a tragic year of losses and trauma in law enforcement. All donations go directly to the Officer Wellness Fund created by the York County Safety Collab. Readers can mail checks to LogosWorks Partners at 255 W. King St., York PA 17401 please note the donation is through the Christmas Emergency Fund. To donate online, visit https://yorkcountysafetycollab.org/officerwellness/ Columnist/reporter Mike Argento has been a York Daily Record staffer since 1982. Reach him at mike@ydr.com. This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Stress and trauma shadow York PA police officer on and off duty If syphilis sounds to you like an illness people got in another century, youre not alone. For decades, the infection was widely considered a disease of the past. But after years of decline, syphilis is quietly making a comeback, with rates now higher than at any time since the 1950s. And heres the tricky part: Someone might not even realize they have it. That's because its symptoms can resemble many unrelated conditions, and the disease develops in stages, says Dr. Orchideh Alexander, an obstetrics and gynecology physician with Atlantic Health in New Jersey. Here's what syphilis is, how to recognize it, how it spreads and why timely treatment can cure it fully. What is syphilis? What does syphilis look like? Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacterium Treponema pallidum, says Dr. Krystal Green, a primary care physician with Inspira Health in New Jersey. Although it is less common than sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea, it remains alarmingly prevalent. Data from the World Health Organization estimate that 8 million people worldwide between ages 15 and 49 contracted syphilis in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Symptoms depend on the stage of the disease. Primary syphilis is the first stage, and usually begins with a single sore called a chancre. This can be either a painless or painful nodule which then becomes an open sore or ulcer, Green explains. While typically found on the genitals, chancres can also appear in the throat or anus. Because the sore heals within three to six weeks even without treatment many people overlook it. If untreated, the infection progresses to secondary syphilis about four to 10 weeks later. This stage may cause fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, malaise, headaches, muscle aches and sometimes hair loss, abdominal pain or joint swelling, says Dr. Michael Shen, an internal medicine physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/Brooklyn. But he says the hallmark symptom "is a distinctive rash" known for being faint, non-itchy reddish-brown spots, often on the palms of the hand and soles of the feet. After this, the infection may enter a latent stage, during which it causes no symptoms but remains active in the body for years. Without treatment, some people eventually develop tertiary syphilis, which Alexander says can damage the heart, brain and nervous system. Tertiary syphilis can develop anytime from one to 30 years after primary infection, adds Green. In case you missed: The 3 most common causes and triggers of headaches How do you get syphilis? Syphilis spreads primarily through vaginal, anal or oral sex, Shen explains. Condoms greatly reduce risk, but they do not fully eliminate it because the bacteria can still enter through tiny breaks in the skin or mucous membranes that lie outside the area a condom covers. Advertisement Advertisement In fact, Green explains that because these sores are so infectious even if theyre small, painless or hidden the disease can also spread through non-sexual contact, including by "touching a person with open, active lesions on their body." The disease can also be "maternally transmitted from mother to fetus in utero," she adds. Noted: Have you been told you're allergic to penicillin? Here's why you're probably not. How is syphilis treated? Is syphilis curable? The good news is that "syphilis is a completely treatable sexually transmitted infection no matter which stage it is diagnosed in, Green explains. However, damage to the nervous system, heart and other organs in late-stage syphilis may be irreversible. Advertisement Advertisement The standard treatment is a single injection of long-acting benzathine penicillin G, but "for later stages, you may have to receive multiple injections over several weeks, Shen notes. People with penicillin allergies also have the option of being treated with alternatives such as doxycycline. After treatment, follow-up blood tests confirm that the infection has cleared. Your doctor can also screen for other STIs and recommend prevention strategies such as consistent condom use, open communication about sexual health and regular STI testing. They may also mention "doxy PEP" taking doxycycline within 72 hours of having sex to try and prevent syphilis and other STIs something the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends medical providers mention to gay and bisexual men and transgender women who, within the last year, had chlamydia, syphilis or gonorrhea. Doctors also help their patients understand the importance of timing. The earlier syphilis is treated, Alexander says, the easier it is to cure and the less long-term harm it causes. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is syphilis? What does syphilis look like? If you were an AT&T customer affected by one of the data breaches in 2024, an important deadline is coming up fast. As in Thursday, Dec. 18. That's the deadline for eligible claimants to file for a portion of a $177 million class action settlement. AT&T denies the allegations in the lawsuits. Here's what to know and how to file a claim. When is deadline to file claim in AT&T settlement? The deadline to submit a claim is Thursday, Dec. 18. This means that online forms must be submitted or mailed claims must be postmarked by that date. How to file a claim in AT&T settlement AT&T customers who are eligible for the settlement can file a claim online at telecomdatasettlement.com. Claims can also be sent by mail and must be postmarked by Dec. 18 to: Advertisement Advertisement AT&T Data Incident Settlement, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration, LLCP.O. Box 5324, New York, NY 10150-5324 How to know if you're eligible to file claim in AT&T settlement There are two groups of eligible AT&T customers who can file a claim to receive money from the settlement. The first class is AT&T customers affected in the March 30, 2024, data breach. The second class is AT&T customers affected in the July 12, 2024, data breach. Some customers may be included in both classes. Customers who are not sure if they are included in the settlement can call 1-833-890-4930. See more details about who is eligible How much could I get in AT&T settlement payments? Customers will receive different payment amounts depending on which settlement class they are part of. Advertisement Advertisement Those who were part of both data breaches could get up to $7,500, according to the settlement website. Here's a breakdown of the payment types: Customers affected by March 30, 2024, data breach can get up to $5,000. You'll need to document your losses. Customers affected by July 12, 2024, data breach can get up to $2,500. Again, you'll need to have documentation to prove your losses. Customers impacted by both could receive up to $7,500. See more details about the settlement and payouts What if you do nothing to participate in AT&T class action settlement? "If you do nothing, you will not receive any benefits from this settlement," according to the AT&T Data Incident Settlement FAQ. Advertisement Advertisement "If the settlement is granted final approval which is scheduled for Jan. 15 and becomes final, you will not be able to start a lawsuit, continue with a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against defendants or the other released parties based on any claim that could have been or that was brought relating to the data incidents." What happened in AT&T data breaches? In the first incident on March 30, 2024, AT&T announced that customer information including names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers and passcodes was released on the dark web. Four months later, on July 12, 2024, AT&T announced customers' call and text records had been illegally downloaded in a second incident, according to the settlement website. According to the lawsuit, the information was put on the dark web or illegally downloaded off a third-party cloud platform. How do I know if my data was compromised? AT&T would have notified those impacted by the two data breaches. Advertisement Advertisement Log into your account or contact AT&T to check. AT&T data breaches may have affected more than 7 million customers The incidents are believed to have affected more than 7 million people who had AT&T accounts in 2024 and more than 65 million people who had AT&T accounts between 2019 and 2024, according to the lawsuit and a 2024 statement from AT&T. What did AT&T say about data incidents? AT&T has denied the allegations in the lawsuits. The company agreed to a settlement to "avoid the cost and risk of a trial and related appeals, while providing benefits to settlement class members." The company previously said in a statement to USA TODAY it is "committed to protecting our customers' data and ensuring their continued trust in us," adding that it agreed to the settlement to avoid continued litigation. How many AT&T customers are there in Florida, US? "AT&T provides more than 100 million U.S. consumers with communications experiences across mobile and broadband," according to its website. Advertisement Advertisement AT&T's "100% fiber network now has the ability to serve 22 million+ consumer locations, and our 5G network covers 290 million people across the United States." The company does not provide a breakdown by state. Revenue in 2023 was $118 billion. Data company scrapehero.com lists 5,862 AT&T locations as of Oct. 7, 2025, with 541 in Florida: Texas: 614 California: 600 Florida: 541 New York: 323 Pennsylvania: 230 This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: AT&T settlement payment eligibility and how to file claim Myanmars military government has announced a new zero tolerance policy against the industrial-scale cyberscam centers that have taken root in the country. As a sign of commitment, they raided and bombed KK Park a notorious compound that has become a symbol of impunity in the battle against one of the most lucrative criminal industries in the world. New visual analysis raises questions about whether KK Park will ultimately be abandoned, repurposed or rebuilt. Faced with growing international pressure in the run-up to national elections later this month, Myanmars leaders have been trumpeting their scam-busting credentials. But interviews with current and former scammers indicate that the crackdown may not turn out to be as deep or long-lasting as the government would like it to appear. Here are takeaways from reporting by The Associated Press: Advertisement Advertisement Was KK Park really demolished? Government officials said that by Dec. 13, 413 buildings in KK Park had been demolished and the remaining 222 would be cleared as well. Detailed analysis of the first wave of demolition, which the government says is complete, shows that 31 structures were flattened. At least 78 more were partially damaged, according to the Center for Information Resilience (CIR), a London-based nonprofit focused on exposing human rights violations. More than half the buildings were damaged by heavy machinery, which often left roofs, ceilings and layers between floors intact, said Guy Fusfus, an investigator at Myanmar Witness, a CIR project. There may be an intention to reconstruct and reuse these buildings, he said. New satellite imagery shows that most buildings in KK Park appeared wholly or partially intact on Dec. 4, even as demolition had spread to other sections of the compound. Advertisement Advertisement Will the raids make a difference in the long run? Myanmars track record of lasting enforcement is poor. Raids in response to Chinese pressure earlier this year failed to contain the growth of scam compounds, according to C4ADS, a U.S.-based nonprofit that takes a data-driven approach to conflict analysis. Over 7,000 scam center workers were released as part of that purge, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, but the scams kept on running. C4ADS examined satellite imagery of 21 known scam compounds in Myawaddy Township and found that 14 of them including KK Park had shown construction or expansion since January. This continued growth of scam compounds is emblematic of the juntas inability to rein in the industry within Myanmar, said Michael Di Girolamo, a C4ADS analyst. Advertisement Advertisement Where did all the scammers go? Since the raid on KK Park, the Thai military said around 1,500 people who worked there have made it out through official channels in Thailand a fraction of the total workforce, estimated to be in the tens of thousands. The whereabouts of the rest are unknown. Telegram is popping with job ads for newly displaced workers. Some followed company bosses to other locations, four workers who fled KK Park told AP. One person trapped at a nearby compound called Hengsheng Park 4 told AP that more than a hundred KK Park workers stayed for a week before moving on. I heard that most of them went to Cambodia, Mauritius and Africa, he said, on condition of anonymity, fearing for his safety. Advertisement Advertisement KK Park is just one of around 30 scam compounds along Myanmars border with Thailand. The government says it has also raided additional sites, including Shwe Kokko another notorious compound in the crosshairs of U.S. authorities. But scammers have continued to work uninterrupted, and people trafficked from around the world still wait to be rescued, people now trapped in scam centers and activists trying to free them told AP. Its not a real crackdown yet, said Jay Kritiya, the coordinator of the Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victim Assistance. Are scammers in Myanmar still using Starlink to get online? Myanmar state media broadcast images of dozens of seized Starlink units, and SpaceX announced it cut off access to more than 2,500 Starlink units in Myanmar. Advertisement Advertisement But the man at Hengsheng Park 4 told AP they are still using Starlink three units stopped working after SpaceXs crackdown, but a fourth still functions. Starlink is also still up and running at the Deko Park compound, 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of KK Park, according to a worker trapped there. AP asked SpaceX for comment and provided the locations of both compounds, but the company did not reply. --- This story is part of an ongoing collaboration between The Associated Press and FRONTLINE (PBS) that includes an upcoming documentary. - Associated Press reporter Huizhong Wu contributed from Bangkok, Thailand. - Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/. Regulators want to give Tesla one last chance to do right by renaming Autopilotor face an outright sales suspension in the state. A California judge has issued a proposed decision on whether or not Tesla misled consumers about the capabilities of Autopilot. The judge's decision is sealed until next week, but regulators are wasting no time. Now, California is giving Tesla 60 days to rename Autopilot or face a sales suspension in the state. Tesla's bell has tolled as a California judge rules that the all-electric automaker must rename its Autopilot driver assistance feature. If it refuses, Tesla could face a sales suspension in its biggest domestic market. The core issue is exactly what you might think: Autopilot, despite its name, can't enable a car to drive itself. Now regulators are giving Tesla 60 days to name it something that won't mislead consumers and better reflects that the feature is a driver-assistance system. Tesla Autopilot Danger Sandwich Tesla is no stranger to this fight. It has long tread a thin line between marketing and capabilities and faced backlash for it. It has successfully fought off the allegations in some countries. But as it recently learned with China, Tesla can't win every fight that it gets into. Advertisement Advertisement Business Insider and other outlets reported on Tuesday that California Administrative Judge Juliet E. Cox made a proposed decision on whether or not Tesla misled consumers about the autonomous driving capabilities of its cars back on Nov. 21. Cox sent the proposal to the California DMV and ordered that the proposal be held from the public until December 22next Monday. However, Steve Gordon, Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, has given the world a bit of a peek at what's to come. In a press release out Tuesday, the DMV revealed that the judge's decision ordered a suspension of Tesla's manufacturing and dealer license for 30 days. However, the DMV has stayed the manufacturing license suspension permanently and the dealer license suspension for 60 days, hoping that Tesla will come to its senses and adhere to the order: The administrative law judges proposed decision ordered suspensions of Teslas manufacturing license and its dealer license for 30 days. Upon review, the DMVs decision adopts the ALJs findings regarding violations, but reduces the penalties, immediately imposing a permanent stay of the suspension of Teslas manufacturers license and giving Tesla 60 days to take action regarding its use of the term autopilot. If Tesla fails to address the issue, after 60 days it will be subject to the 30-day suspension of its dealer license. Interestingly, this enforcement appears to only cover the use of Autopilot and not Full Self-Driving. Advertisement Advertisement Gordon held a media briefing on Tuesday where he revealed that Tesla would have to rebrand Autopilot or the DMV will "enforce the cessation of sales" for at least 30 days. "My guess is that they will pursue some remedy," said Gordon, according to Business Insider, hinting that he isn't sure how Tesla will approach the regulatory body's orders. "But the easiest one for them is just to come into compliance." Tesla Autopilot Graphic The California DMV has been fighting this battle against Tesla since 2022. It argued then that both the branding and marketing of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving misled consumers on the actual capabilities of the software. The DMV warned Tesla earlier this year that it would come for its sales license if it won in court, and now, it may make good on its promise. "[Tesla is] very important to the state. We want to be fair to them and give them a chance to see if they can find a resolution now that there is a ruling from the administrative law judge," Gordon said. He continued, flexing the state's importance to Tesla as the reason he believes that the automaker will comply: Advertisement Advertisement "If you look at the Q3 report of this year, Tesla has the top-selling car, the Model Y, in its segment. We felt that the leverage via the sales channel was sufficient to get compliance." Newsletter logo ev_us Stay informed with our newsletter every weekday back Subscribe For more info, read our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use. Tesla previously argued that it had "clearly and consistently" communicated the capabilities of Autopilot and that it was not an autonomous feature. It also argued that California gave implied approval of the branding because it didn't reprimand the automaker sooner. How Tesla responds to this is anybody's guess. (We reached out to the automaker, but it doesn't typically respond to press inquiries.) It's not above renaming featuresit proved that when it renamed Full Self-Driving to "Intelligent Assisted Driving" in China in March. But if Tesla loses this battle, it could also open up an onslaught of issues from consumers who have a bone to pick with the brand. Advertisement Advertisement A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. 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. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. 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 DFI Retail Group Holdings Limited ( SGX:D01 ) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. The US$4.24 analyst price target for D01 is 36% less than our estimate of fair value Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.5%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.4%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2035 (1 + g) (r g) = US$514m (1 + 2.5%) (7.4% 2.5%) = US$11b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$11b ( 1 + 7.4%)10= US$5.3b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$8.9b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$4.0, the company appears quite undervalued at a 40% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. SGX:D01 Discounted Cash Flow December 17th 2025 The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the 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 DFI Retail Group Holdings as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.960. 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. See our latest analysis for DFI Retail Group Holdings SWOT Analysis for DFI Retail Group Holdings Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Consumer Retailing market. Opportunity Expected to breakeven next year. Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows. Good value based on P/S ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Paying a dividend but company is unprofitable. Revenue is forecast to decrease over the next 2 years. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For DFI Retail Group Holdings, there are three further elements you should explore: Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for DFI Retail Group Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does D01's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Singaporean stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. A woman who allegedly pushed razor blades into loaves of bread at two Biloxi, Mississippi, Walmart stores was arrested on Tuesday. Camille Benson, 33, of Texas, has been charged with attempted mayhem. Her bond is set at $100,000. Harrison County Jail records on Wednesday morning do not list an attorney for Benson who could be reached for comment on her behalf. A message left at a phone number listed for a possible relative of Benson was not immediately returned. Advertisement Advertisement Customers reported finding the razor blades at a Walmart Supercenter and a Walmart Neighborhood Market, said Lt. Candace Young, a public information officer for the Biloxi Police Department. Walmart employees told police a customer first reported finding a razor blade in a loaf purchased from the Walmart Supercenter on Dec. 5. On Dec. 8, a customer who bought a loaf at the Walmart Neighborhood Market also reported finding a razor blade. After another customer complained to the Walmart Supercenter on Sunday, employees inspected the merchandise and found several more loaves had been tampered with, law enforcement officials said. The police department was notified on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement In a press release, the department asked anyone who bought bread from those Walmart locations to inspect the loaves and report any findings. The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority, Walmart said in a statement. We have removed and thoroughly inspected all potentially affected products at impacted stores in Biloxi. We appreciate law enforcement for their swift action and will continue cooperating with them as they investigate. The Biloxi Police Department said it does not believe any other stores have been targeted. If customers purchase a product that has been tampered with, they should immediately throw it out and visit their local Walmart for a full refund, the company said. Heres what youll learn when you read this story: Fragments of energy may be the fundamental building blocks of the universe. The theory combines the ideas of particles and waves into a concentration of energy that flows throughout space and time. The researchers used the theory to answer two problems solved by Einstein. Embrace the flow, says a duo of mechanical engineers at North Carolina State Universitythe flow of energy, that is. The mantra you might normally hear from your yoga instructor could be an entirely new way of looking at the universe. Advertisement Advertisement The two theorists, Larry Silverberg and Jeffrey Eischen, suggest that fragments of energy, rather than waves or particles, may be the fundamental building blocks of the universe. The bedrock of their theory is the foundational idea that energy is always flowing through space and time. The authors suggest thinking of energy as lines that enter and exit a region of space, never crossing each other, and with no beginning or end point. Working from the idea of a universe of flowing energy lines, we looked for a single building block for the flowing energy, Silverberg, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, writes in The Conversation . If we could find and define such a thing, we hoped we could use it to accurately make predictions about the universe at the largest and tiniest scales. Whats the Matter? In the 4th century B.C., the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, formulated the idea that the universe was composed of five building blocks of matter: earth, water, air, fire, and the heavenly aether . This idea persisted for more than 2,000 years, and plagued the countless alchemists who tried to strike it rich by transmuting earth into gold. Advertisement Advertisement Coincidentally, it was also an alchemist who unseated the ideas of Aristotle from their throne. Robert Boyle, the famed father of chemistry, abandoned the classic elements in favor of the idea that all matter was composed of particles. This revolutionary idea led to one of the most explosive periods in the history of science, including Sir Isaac Newtons formulation of classical mechanics. The particle was now the king of the scientific universe, and it would reign for another 150 years until Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell introduced electromagnetic waves to the equation. Together, particles and waves became the known building blocks of all matter. Particles served as the individual bricks, as matter existing at a single point in space. Electromagnetic waves made up the mortar holding it all together, as energy dissipating everywhere in space as waves. Separating matter into both particles and waves made predictions easier for physicists because they could easily describe the behavior of particles and waves. But nothing comes easy in physics, and the theory was quickly flipped on its head. Advertisement Advertisement Early in the 20th century, the famous double-slit experiment showed that particles and waves weren't nearly as distinct as we previously thought. The experiment revealed that particles, at times, could act like waves, and light could sometimes act like particles. Around the same time minds were exploding over the wave-particle duality of matter, Albert Einstein was formulating his theory of general relativity, which describes how warping the fabric of space and time causes gravity. Together, the discoveries shaped the course of modern physics, but the connections between the two phenomena remain unclear. The Fragment of Energy Using newer mathematical tools, my colleague and I have demonstrated a new theory that may accurately describe the universe. Instead of basing the theory on the warping of space and time, we considered that there could be a building block that is more fundamental than the particle and the wave, Silverberg writes. He and Eischen looked for a solution that had features of both particles and waves. They wanted to find a building block that was both concentrated like a particle and spread out like a wave. Their answer is what they call a fragment of energy. Advertisement Advertisement The fragment of energy is a lot like stars in a distant galaxy. From afar, a galaxy looks like a bright glow of light radiating outwards. But on closer inspection, astronomers can resolve individual stars making up the galaxy. In the same sense, the fragment of energy represents a concentration of energy that flows and dissipates outward, away from the center. With their new building block, the scientists formulated a new set of equations to solve physics problems. They tested their theory on two problems solved by Einstein more than a century ago. Rainer Zens/Wikimedia Commons Einsteins theory of general relativity was confirmed by two observations made by astronomers. The first was a tiny annual shift in the orbit of Mercury . Einstein accurately predicted that the curvature of spacetime caused by the mass of the sun would cause Mercury's orbit to wobble over time. The second was the bending of light as it passes across warped space and time near to the sun. If our new theory was to have a chance at replacing the particle and the wave with the presumably more fundamental fragment, we would have to be able to solve these problems with our theory, too, Silverberg writes. Advertisement Advertisement To solve the Mercury problem, Silverberg and Eischen modeled the sun as a massive fragment of energy, with Mercury as a smaller fragment of energy orbiting around it. In the bending of light problem, the sun was modeled identically, but the light was modeled as a massless point traveling at the speed of light (a photon). After calculating the paths of the moving fragments of energy, the researchers got the same answers as Einstein. The solutions show how effective their new building block can be at modeling the behavior of matter from the micro to macroscopic scale. Although their formulation may not exactly change physics like the discoveries of Maxwell and Einstein, the theory could make the wave-particle duality of matter more intuitive, and give a new way of thinking about the universe. You Might Also Like An Uber ride ended last month with the driver taking an ambulance ride. Ezekiel Gonzales said it happened Nov. 3 after he'd dropped off a woman at an apartment complex on Bennington near Homestead in northeast Houston. "There was nothing that really set me off to think, 'You're in danger, you're in the hood, you're in a place where you're gonna get robbed,'" Gonzales said. Advertisement Advertisement After completing the ride, Gonzales said he exited his car to relieve himself behind a garbage bin. As he was returning to his car, he said he was approached by two men. "He's like, 'Hey, what's up? Where you from?'" Gonzalez said. Gonzales said he barely had time to respond when the man pulled a gun and pointed it at his chest. He said a smaller man then began frisking him. "I kind of took a step and then shoved him," Gonzales said of the smaller man. It caused enough of a distraction for Gonzales to take off running. He estimates he made it about 50 feet when he turned around to see the smaller man pull a gun and begin firing. Advertisement Advertisement "Next thing I know, there's a hole in my chest. Immediately, I knew I'd been shot, you know, blood on my hand," Gonzales said. Gonzales said the man fired twice. One of the bullets tore through his back and hit one of his lungs. "If I had turned just one millimeter more, it would have hit my heart, and I would have died," he said. Gonzales said both suspects took off while bystanders swooped in to tend to his wound. Brandon Caldwell was arrested on Monday and charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. He's being held without bond. The other man, who Gonzales claims pulled the trigger, remains unaccounted for. Advertisement Advertisement "Honestly, I would have respected it more if he would have saw it through and robbed me," Gonzales said. "I would have been like, 'Okay, you're truly a villain, you're truly a bad guy.' But the fact that you gave me two shells and took nothing from me, that shows me that you were really a coward." For news updates, follow Luke Jones on Facebook, X and Instagram. Power is still out for customers across the region as damaging winds blew through Western Washington in the early hours of Dec. 17. As of 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, approximately 22,420 customers remained without power across the state, with the majority in Island and Snohomish Counties. A day earlier, at around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, there were over 380,000 power outages across the state. Advertisement Advertisement The National Weather Service in Seattle had issued a High Wind Warning for large portions of Western Washington, with forecasters warning of damaging winds, falling trees, and possible power outages from Tuesday afternoon through early Wednesday. Wind gusts of 50+ mph were reported at the Port of Tacoma, Coupeville, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Port Angeles, Shelton, and Renton. Alpental had a reported gust of 112 mph. Snoqualmie Pass saw 82 mph winds. Areas included in the High Wind Warning ranged from Everett, Marysville and Mount Vernon to Olympia, Tacoma, Federal Way and Kent, as well as Port Townsend, the Hood Canal region, the western Strait of Juan de Fuca and the North Olympic Coast. Advertisement Advertisement Coastal communities such as Westport, Ocean Shores, La Push and Neah Bay were also included. In addition to the High Wind Warning, a Wind Advisory was issued for parts of Seattle, the Eastside, San Juan County, Western Whatcom County and Eastern Kitsap County, including Bremerton and Silverdale. Conditions improved after daybreak on Wednesday as winds gradually eased across Western Washington. The best way to be prepared for a power outage is to make sure you have all you need before a weather system hits. Plan for batteries and other alternative power sources to meet your needs when the power goes out, such as a portable charger or power bank. Have at least one power bank pre-charged and ready to go so you have something on hand. Have flashlights for every household member. Have enough nonperishable food and water. Usually, during storms like these, power is restored within at least a day, but its good to be prepared. Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours, Ready.gov advises. Generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages. Always connect the generator to appliances with heavy-duty extension cords. Let the generator cool before refueling. Fuel spilled on hot engine parts can ignite. Report an outage/view an outage map: Lithuania celebrated the topping-out ceremony on Wednesday for the staff building at the future site that will house a German brigade exactly one year after the first groundbreaking. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas and the commander of the 45th Armoured Brigade of the Bundeswehr, General Christoph Huber, attended the ceremony at the construction site for the barracks in the Baltic EU and NATO country. The site is in Rudninkai near the border with Belarus. "This is a huge step forward for our country and for the deterrence of our region. We are very grateful to Germany for taking the lead and responsibility for regional security," Kaunas told dpa on the sidelines of the ceremony. Advertisement Advertisement Germany is responding to the growing threat to NATO from Russia by setting up the combat unit, he said. Huber also spoke of a "tremendous progress." "Wow. I am deeply impressed by what I have seen here today," Germany's highest-ranking soldier in Lithuania said and thanked the construction companies. "These works are of great importance because it will be our home, my home, the home of my soldiers," Huber said. Largest military infrastructure project in Lithuania The Bundeswehr is building the 45th Armoured Brigade in Lithuania, which is intended to serve the enhanced protection of NATO's eastern flank. It was formally commissioned in April. Advertisement Advertisement The brigade is expected to be fully operational by 2027 with a total strength of 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian employees. The construction of the military facility is the largest military infrastructure project in Lithuania's history and is being carried out in phases. By Douglas Gillison WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has called on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to clarify whether the central bank has stopped losing money, which President Donald Trump's administration has said prevents it from funding the sole federal watchdog for consumer financial protection, according to court records. The request comes as the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says it could exhaust its remaining funds in as little as two weeks and has warned staff of impending job cuts. The agency is facing legal demands in two federal lawsuits demanding that it resume requesting its funding. Advertisement Advertisement Trump and other senior officials have called for the agency's outright elimination, which workers and the agency's defenders say is illegal, but CFPB leadership also revealed preparations suggesting the agency could continue some functions. FED RETURNING TO PROFITABILITY? Unlike most federal agencies, the CFPB draws its funds from the Fed rather than appropriations from Congress. In a letter to Powell on Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said a recent Justice Department opinion had concluded the CFPB could not request funding so long as the Fed had "no profits." Advertisement Advertisement "There has since been reporting that the Federal Reserve System is returning to profitability and may have or may soon have combined earnings" under the administration's definition, the letter said, asking Powell to say whether the Fed in fact had such earnings and anticipated continuing to have profits in the coming weeks. The Federal Reserve did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lawyers for CFPB workers seeking to reverse Trump's potential dismantling of the CFPB, as well as pro-consumer non-profits, have rejected the Trump administration's arguments and called on courts to direct it to resume CFPB funding. Federal courts have also recently rejected the view that the Fed can only fund the CFPB when operating at a surplus. In a recent legal opinion, five former top Fed officials also refuted the administration's position, saying it failed to understand the way the central bank operates. Advertisement Advertisement "The very concept of 'profit' does not translate neatly to the context of a central bank, since the primary purpose of a central bank is not to make money in the way a private business does, nor does the failure to generate 'profit' adversely affect the Federal Reserve's ability to operate," they wrote. (Reporting by Douglas Gillison in WashingtonEditing by Rod Nickel) By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump attended a ceremony on Wednesday for three U.S. personnel killed in Syria by a suspected Islamic State attacker as they were returned to American soil in flag-draped caskets. Trump, accompanied by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the "dignified transfer" of the bodies in the presence of their families. Advertisement Advertisement Standing at the foot of an Air Force transport plane on a cold and blustery day, Trump, Hegseth and others saluted as one by one the caskets were carried off by white-gloved soldiers and loaded onto a waiting vehicle. The two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in the central Syrian town of Palmyra by an attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead, according to the U.S. military. The two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in Syria were Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, the Guard said in a statement on Monday. The interpreter was named as Ayad Mansoor Sakat, from Michigan. Trump on Saturday called the incident terrible, vowed retaliation and referred to the three that were slain as "great patriots." Advertisement Advertisement Three U.S. soldiers were also wounded in the attack. A U.S.-led coalition has carried out air strikes and ground operations in Syria targeting Islamic State suspects in recent months, often with the involvement of Syria's security forces. U.S. presidents, vice presidents and dignitaries regularly attend the solemn transfer ceremonies at Dover - home of the largest U.S. military mortuary - during times of war or conflict that result in the deaths of U.S. troops. (Reporting by Jeff Mason. Additional reporting by Tim Reid. Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Ross Colvin and Deepa Babington) The White Houses planned elimination of a major scientific research center is the latest step in the Trump administrations quest to obliterate federal climate change programs. The National Science Foundation will be breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought posted on social media Tuesday. He called the facility one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country. Trump's critics warned that the plans will devastate U.S. climate research. Advertisement Advertisement "NCAR is a crown jewel of our weather and climate research infrastructure," Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House Science Committee, said in a statement Wednesday. "At a time when natural disasters are on the rise, the last thing we should be doing is slashing our own ability to better understand the weather," she added. "NCAR's elimination would put every American at greater risk." Michael Mann, director of Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania, said defunding the research center very much undermines the United States' standing when it comes to the advancement of climate science. The center has played a key role in developing the science of climate modeling and the measurement of climate observations going back more than a half-century, added Mann. The Trump administrations move is symbolic of the actual destruction of knowledge, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Details of the administrations plans to restructure the research center werent immediately clear. But Voughts announcement is the latest move by the Trump administration to target federal work on climate change, which President Donald Trump has forcefully derided as a scam. Vought said any vital activities done by the research center such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location. The Trump administration is also working to wipe out the long-standing government finding that underpins federal climate regulations, and officials have axed federal funding for climate and renewable energy programs they have labeled as part of a Green New Scam. The National Science Foundation established the center in 1960. The federally funded research center is managed by a nonprofit consortium of more than 120 colleges and universities. Its headquartered in Boulder and has additional facilities in Wyoming and Hawaii. Advertisement Advertisement The center houses the largest federal research program on climate change serving as the premier research stronghold for left-wing climate lunacy, said a senior White House official granted anonymity to speak freely. The National Science Foundation will eliminate Green New Scam research activities, the White House official said. Any vital functions, such as weather modeling and supercomputing, will be moved under the purview of another entity or location. Parts of the lab may be moved to another entity. The foundation on Wednesday posted a brief announcement on its website that it is reviewing the structure of the research center. NSF remains committed to providing world-class infrastructure for weather modeling, space weather research and forecasting, and other critical functions, the agency said. USA Today first reported the news of the administration targeting the research center. Complete shock Vought on Tuesday reposted news stories on his social media account detailing how the Trump administration was targeting funding for other Colorado projects. Those detailed the cancellation of environmentally focused transportation grants and a move to halt Energy Department funding slated for the state. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement the same day, Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said his state had yet to receive information about the Trump administrations plans to dismantle the global leader in earth system science. Climate change is real, but the work of NCAR goes far beyond climate science, Polis said. NCAR delivers data around severe weather events like fires and floods that help our country save lives and property, and prevent devastation for families. In response to a question Wednesday about the breakup plan, the senior White House official said, Maybe if Colorado had a governor who actually wanted to work with President Trump, his constituents would be better served. A video on the research center's website on Wednesday says it's working to address "the most pressing environmental challenges facing our nation and the world, from more intense hurricanes and larger wildfires to deepening droughts and rising seas." The center says it's "building on decades of research breakthroughs that have significantly improved the ability to predict severe weather and detail the consequences of climate change." Advertisement Advertisement Carlos Martinez, senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists who served as an early career researcher at the center, was in complete shock over the announcement, he said Tuesday in a statement. Dismantling the center would impact every earth science and atmospheric science university department in the country, Martinez said. Its research "influences every piece of weather and climate prediction in the United States, enabling air quality monitoring, forecasting of droughts and extreme precipitation events, and improving hurricane intensity forecasts. Eliminating that work, Martinez said, would leave people across the nation less prepared for the dangers of a warming world. Dec. 16 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump is suing the BBC for $10 billion, alleging it intentionally misrepresented a speech he gave before the Jan. 6 storming of Capitol Hill in order to influence the result of the 2024 presidential election. The lawsuit was filed in a Florida court on Monday, more than a month after Trump threatened to bring litigation against Britain's public broadcaster over the editing of a speech he gave to supporters in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, in the documentary Trump: A Second Chance. Trump's lawyers described the documentary's depiction of him as "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory and malicious," alleging it was aired "in a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the election's outcome to President Trump's detriment." Advertisement Advertisement The suit is for $5 billion in damages for each count -- defamation and violation of Florida's deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act -- plus interest, costs, punitive damages, attorneys' fees and other relief the court finds appropriate. The BBC declined to comment Tuesday but vowed it would fight the case. "As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings," said a spokesman. The Panorama documentary aired in Britain on Oct. 28, 2024, just days ahead of the Nov. 5 election. The BBC stresses it was not broadcast in the United States and that it did not make it available to view there. Advertisement Advertisement In the documentary, video of Trump's speech was edited to piece together two comments the president made about 50 minutes apart, while omitting other parts of his speech. "[T]he BBC intentionally and maliciously sought to fully mislead its viewers around the world by splicing together two entirely separate parts of Trump's speech on January 6, 2021," his lawyers state in the lawsuit. "The Panorama Documentary deliberately omitted another critical part of the Speech in such a manner as to intentionally misrepresent the meaning of what President Trump said." The claim refers to the splicing together of excerpts lifted from the video that made it sound as if Trump was inciting his supporters to march on the Capitol and fight: Advertisement Advertisement "We're going to walk down to the Capitol and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell," was what viewers of the program saw, when Trump's actual words were, "We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women." It wasn't until 50 minutes later in the speech that Trump made the comments about fighting. The infraction went unnoticed until early November when The Telegraph published an exclusive on a leaked internal BBC memo in which a former external ethics adviser allegedly suggested that the documentary edited Trump's speech to make it appear he directed the Jan. 6 attack on Congress. Following the report, the BBC's director-general, Tim Davie, and head of news, Deborah Turness, resigned. Advertisement Advertisement BBC chairman Samir Shah immediately apologized for what he called an unintentional "error of judgment." After Trump wrote the BBC demanding a correction, compensation and threatening a $1 billion lawsuit, the corporation formally apologized and issued a retraction that was the lead story across all of its news platforms on television, radio and online -- but said it strongly disagreed "there is a basis for a defamation claim." To win the case, Trump's legal team would need to convince the court the program had caused Trump "overwhelming financial and reputational harm." The BBC has said that since the program was not broadcast in the United States or available to view there, Trump was not harmed by it and the choices voters made in the election were not affected as he was re-elected days after. Advertisement Advertisement However, Trump's legal team alleges the BBC had a deal with a third-party media company that had rights to air the documentary outside of the United Kingdom. The blunder has reignited a furious national debate about the BBC's editorial impartiality and the institution itself, which is funded by a $229 annual license that households with a TV must pay. It also comes as the future of the BBC is under review, with the renewal date of its royal charter approaching on the centenary of its founding in 2027. The lawsuit has attracted criticism from free speech advocates. In a statement to UPI, the Foundation for Individuals Rights and Expression, a Philadelphia-based non-profit civil liberties group, said Trump can criticize the BBC but the lawsuit goes too far. Advertisement Advertisement "His new lawsuit does not have any legal basis, either on defamation or jurisdictional grounds," FIRE Chief Counsel bon Corn-Revere said. "The case also alleges the BBC committed commercial fraud -- a patently frivolous claim. There is no such thing in American law as a claim for 'fake news.' This is nothing more than the president's latest effort to intimidate media companies that he sees as adversarial to his administration." Trump has won out-of-court settlements in a series of disputes with U.S. broadcasters, although largely at significantly reduced sums than those sought in the original lawsuit. In July, CBS settled a $20 billion claim out of court for $16 million over an interview with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris that aired four weeks before the election on Nov. 5. Advertisement Advertisement ABC News paid Trump $15 million and apologized to settle a defamation suit over comments by presenter George Stephanopoulos that incorrectly stated Trump was "liable for rape." In 2022, CNN fought and successfully defended a $475 million suit alleging it had defamed Trump by dubbing his claim the 2020 election was stolen from him as the "Big Lie." The judge ruled it did not meet the legal standard of defamation. He has live cases pending cases against The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The Venezuelan government has blasted Donald Trumps grotesque threat to stop all oil tankers from entering and leaving their country. In a late night Truth Social rant, Trump, 79, seriously ramped up the tension between the U.S. and Venezuela by ordering a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of South American country. In his lengthy post on Tuesday evening, Trump also claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is using oil to finance Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping and designated his regime a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. Trump says Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is using oil money to finance drug terrorism. / picture alliance / dpa/picture alliance via Getty I The presidents furious post comes as the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Caribbean as it puts more pressure on the leftist president. Advertisement Advertisement I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela, Trump posted. He claimed Maduro had sent illegal aliens and criminals into the U.S. under the weak and inept Biden administration. The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace, Trump wrote. America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States. Donald Trump's oil tanker threat on Truth Social. / Truth Social Trumps blockade will impact Venezuelas sale of oil to overseas countries, primarily China, usually through sanctioned tankers. Advertisement Advertisement China is the main buyer of Venezuelan oil, largely through indirect means to avoid sanctions. Venezuela produced an estimated 860,000 barrels of oil per day in November, according to the International Energy Agency. That is only about a third the amount they produced a decade ago, and accounts for less than 1 percent of total world consumption. In a statement after Trumps post, the Venezuelan government denounced the blockade as a grotesque threat and called it a violation of international law. Calling Trumps order a reckless and serious threat, the statement said Trump intends to impose, in an absolutely irrational manner, a supposed naval military blockade on Venezuela with the objective of stealing the wealth that belongs to our homeland Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement The country said their ambassador to the United Nations will denounce this serious violation of International Law. The Venezuelan Government respond to Donald Trump's threats. / screen grab The statement said the extravagant threat of a blockade once again reveals Donald Trumps true intentions to steal the riches of the country that gave birth to the United Liberation Army of South America. The government claimed his true intention was to appropriate the countrys oil, land, and minerals through gigantic campaigns of lies and manipulation. Venezuela will never again be a colony of any empire or foreign power and will continue, together with its people, on the path of building prosperity and the unrestricted defense of our independence and sovereignty, the statement read. Advertisement Advertisement The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. Trump continues to ramp up the pressure on Venezuela. / Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The blockade comments come a week after Trump confirmed the U.S. had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. A large tanker, very large, Trump said. Largest one ever seized, actually. He did not give any information on why the tanker was seized, saying there would be a discussion of that later. The Trump administration has conducted more than two dozen military strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, claiming they have prevented drugs from reaching the U.S. Royal Bank of Canada (RY) is Canadas largest bank, showing strong technical momentum. RY has gained 34% over the past year and made 17 new highs in the past month. Consensus analyst ratings are overwhelmingly positive, with multiple Strong Buy opinions and price targets up to $269. Revenue and earnings are projected to grow steadily in 2024 and 2025, but Morningstar cautions RY is 35% overvalued after its recent run. Todays Featured Stock Valued at $234 billion, Royal Bank of Canada (RY) operates under the master brand name of RBC. It is Canadas largest bank as measured by assets and market capitalization, and one of North Americas leading diversified financial services companies. It provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking, and transaction processing services on a global basis. More News from Barchart What Im Watching I found todays Chart of the Day by using Barcharts powerful screening functions to sort for stocks with the highest technical buy signals; superior current momentum in both strength and direction; and a Trend Seeker buy signal. I then used Barcharts Flipcharts feature to review the charts for consistent price appreciation. RY checks those boxes. Since the Trend Seeker signaled a new Buy on Oct. 23, the stock has gained 13.36%. www.barchart.com Barchart Technical Indicators for Royal Bank of Canada Editors Note: The technical indicators below are updated live during the session every 20 minutes and can therefore change each day as the market fluctuates. The indicator numbers shown below therefore may not match what you see live on the Barchart.com website when you read this report. These technical indicators form the Barchart Opinion on a particular stock. Royal Bank of Canada hit an all-time high of $167.91 on Dec. 12. RY has a Weighted Alpha of +46.13. Royal Bank of Canada has a 100% Buy opinion from Barchart. The stock gained 34.37% over the past year. RY has its Trend Seeker Buy signal intact. The stock recently traded at $166.73 with a 50-day moving average of $150.86. Royal Bank of Canada made 17 new highs and gained 14.06% in the last month. Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 78.78. Theres a technical support level around $165.88. Dont Forget the Fundamentals WASHINGTON The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs. Trump officials have circled the federally funded research institution, based in Boulder, Colorado, as a hub for "federal climate alarmism" after it was established decades earlier in 1960 for research in atmospheric chemistry and physical meteorology. The administration plans to identify and eliminate what it calls "green new scam research activities" during an upcoming review of the center, according to the White House, while "vital functions" such as weather modeling and supercomputing will be moved to another entity or location. The White House billed the restructuring as a return to the National Center for Atmospheric Research's original focus. Advertisement Advertisement The National Science Foundation will be breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado," Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said in a statement to USA TODAY. "This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country. A comprehensive review is underway and any vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location. More: Education Department braces for further dismantling Efforts to dissolve the National Center for Atmospheric Research will begin immediately, the official said, with the plan being to fully close the center's Mesa Laboratory in Boulder. It comes after President Donald Trump has also pushed massive cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, including eliminating the agencys Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and ending funding for its climate, weather and ocean laboratories and cooperative institutes. Advertisement Advertisement The National Center for Atmospheric Research's staff is made up of about 830 employees who are part of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a nonprofit consortium of more than 130 colleges and universities focused on research and training in Earth system sciences. It is unclear how many jobs and programs the dismantling could affect. The National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency, contracts the university consortium to manage the center. The NSF provided $123 million to the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the 2025 fiscal year, according to Science magazine, accounting for about half the center's budget. More: Earth passed a critical climate change threshold in 2024, scientists announce Mesa Laboratory at The National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. In addition to the Mesa Laboratory, the National Center for Atmospheric Research operates two aircraft for atmospheric research and manages a federally owned supercomputing center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Advertisement Advertisement The White House pointed to "UCARs woke direction," singling out several initiatives Trump officials said are wasteful and frivolous. The flagged programs include a Rising Voices Center for Indigenous and Earth Sciences that seeks to make the sciences more welcoming, inclusive, and justice-centered"; an art series aimed at building our relationship with water through mediums such as recycled materials, photography, oil paintings, and more"; and research into wind turbines that seek to better understand and predict the impact of weather conditions and changing climate on offshore wind production. Trump regularly refers to climate change as a "hoax" or a "con job" even though the vast majority of scientists say climate change is real and have raised alarm over rising temperatures. President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 15, 2025. Temperatures in 2024 were the hottest on record and the heat in the uppermost layer of the ocean was also a record high, according to NOAA and NASA. Advertisement Advertisement More: Dramatic budget cuts at NOAA could put weather forecasts in peril, lives in danger Colorado governor says 'science is being attacked' The move to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research comes after the Trump administration earlier in the day announced the cancellation of $109 million environmentally focused transportation grants in Colorado that sought to boost electric vehicles, rail improvements and research into hydrogen and natural gas-powered trains. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said his state has yet to receive information about Trump's plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research. If true, public safety is at risk and science is being attacked," Polis said in a statement. "Climate change is real, but the work of NCAR goes far beyond climate science. NCAR delivers data around severe weather events like fires and floods that help our country save lives and property, and prevent devastation for families." Advertisement Advertisement Polis added: "If these cuts move forward, we will lose our competitive advantage against foreign powers and adversaries in the pursuit of scientific discovery." Trump has sharply criticized Polis over his state's imprisonment of Tina Peters, a former county clerk in Colorado, convicted of multiple crimes for letting someone access data from a secure voting system in an effort to prove baseless 2020 election denial conspiracies. Trump last week called Polis an "incompetent" governor and a "weak and pathetic man." Colorado governor Jared Polis speaks before US President Joe Biden addressed the crowd about Bidenomics at CS Wind on November 29, 2023 in Pueblo, Colorado. Scientists react to administration's plan The National Center for Atmospheric Research is widely known internationally for advancements in the study of weather, including tropical cyclones, scientists told USA TODAY as they learned of the latest proposal. Advertisement Advertisement GPS dropsondes, the expendable tools dropped from aircraft into the eye of a hurricane to gather critical data, were developed at the center, said James Franklin, a retired chief of the branch of hurricane specialists at NOAAs National Hurricane Center. The dropsonde revolutionized the understanding of tropical cyclone structure and improved forecasts, Franklin said. Many of the big advances in weather prediction originated at the atmospheric research center, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California. Hes been a research partner with the National Center for Atmospheric Research since 2018 but is not an employee. The advances include severe weather warnings, the reduced harm from those earlier warnings and looking at the economic impacts of what tomorrows weather or weather a few days from now might bring, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Roger Pielke Jr., a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, spent a third of his career at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and continues to study climate science and extreme weather events from Boulder. Hes vocal in his concern over climate alarmism and the politicization of climate science and weather disasters. But even though he considers the National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research far from perfect, Pielke told USA TODAY on Dec. 15 that its a crown jewel of the U.S. scientific enterprise and deserves to be improved, not shuttered. If the U.S. is going to be a global leader in the atmospheric sciences, then it cannot afford to make petty and vindictive decisions based on the hot politics of climate change, he said. Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump moves to dismantle National Center for Atmospheric Research lab By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Shariq Khan and Marianna Parraga WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump ordered on Tuesday a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in Washington's latest move to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government, targeting its main source of income. It is unclear how Trump will impose the move against the sanctioned vessels, and whether he will turn to the Coast Guard to interdict vessels like he did last week. The administration has moved thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships - including an aircraft carrier - to the region. Advertisement Advertisement "For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela." In a statement, Venezuela's government said it rejected Trump's "grotesque threat." Oil prices rose more than 1% in Asian trade on Wednesday. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 70 cents, or 1.2%, at $59.62 a barrel at 0245 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 rose 73 cents, or 1.3%, to $56.00 a barrel. U.S. crude futures climbed over 1% to $55.96 a barrel in Asian trading after Trump's announcement. Oil prices settled at $55.27 a barrel on Tuesday, the lowest close since February 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Oil market participants said prices were rising in anticipation of a potential reduction in Venezuelan exports, although they were still waiting to see how Trumps blockade would be enforced and whether it would extend to include non-sanctioned vessels. LEGAL QUESTIONS. American presidents have broad discretion to deploy U.S. forces abroad, but Trumps asserted blockade marks a new test of presidential authority, said international law scholar Elena Chachko of UC Berkeley Law School. Blockades have traditionally been treated as permissible instruments of war, but only under strict conditions, Chachko said. There are serious questions on both the domestic law front and international law front, she added. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, called the blockade "unquestionably an act of war." "A war that the Congress never authorized and the American people do not want," Castro added on X. There has been an effective embargo in place after the U.S. seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week, with loaded vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil staying in Venezuelan waters rather than risk seizure. Since the seizure, Venezuelan crude exports have fallen sharply, a situation worsened by a cyberattack that knocked down state-run PDVSA's administrative systems this week. Advertisement Advertisement While many vessels picking up oil in Venezuela are under sanctions, others transporting the country's oil and crude from Iran and Russia have not been sanctioned, and some companies, particularly the U.S.' Chevron, transport Venezuelan oil in their own authorized ships. China is the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude, which accounts for roughly 4% of its imports, with shipments in December on track to average more than 600,000 barrels per day, analysts have said. For now, the oil market is well supplied and there are millions of barrels of oil on tankers off the coast of China waiting to offload. If the embargo stays in place for some time, then the loss of nearly a million barrels a day of crude supply is likely to push oil prices higher. Two U.S. officials said the new policy, if implemented fully, could have a major impact on Maduro. Advertisement Advertisement David Goldwyn, a former State Department energy diplomat, said if Venezuela's affected exports are not replaced by increased OPEC spare capacity, the impact on oil prices could be in the range of five to eight dollars a barrel. "I would expect inflation to skyrocket, and massive and immediate migration from Venezuela to neighboring countries," Goldwyn said. Since the U.S. imposed energy sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, traders and refiners buying Venezuelan oil have resorted to a "shadow fleet" of tankers that disguise their location and to vessels sanctioned for transporting Iranian or Russian oil. As of last week, more than 30 of the 80 ships in Venezuelan waters or approaching the country were under U.S. sanctions, according to data compiled by TankerTrackers.com. Advertisement Advertisement INCREASED TENSIONS Trump's pressure campaign on Maduro has included a ramped-up military presence in the region and more than two dozen military strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, which have killed at least 90 people. Trump has also said that U.S. land strikes on the South American country will soon start. Maduro has alleged that the U.S. military build-up is aimed at overthrowing him and gaining control of the OPEC nation's oil resources, which are the world's largest crude reserves. In wide-ranging interviews with Vanity Fair, Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, said Trump "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle." Advertisement Advertisement The Pentagon and Coast Guard referred questions to the White House. The Trump administration has formally designated Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, saying the group includes Maduro and other high-ranking officials. Maduro, speaking Tuesday before Trump's post, said, "Imperialism and the fascist right want to colonize Venezuela to take over its wealth of oil, gas, gold, among other minerals. We have sworn absolutely to defend our homeland and in Venezuela peace will triumph." (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Jasper Ward in Washington, Shariq Khan in New York, Marianna Parraga in Houston, Additional reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Mike Scarcella; Editing by Scott Malone and Stephen Coates) WASHINGTON President Donald Trump ordered the blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers from entering and leaving Venezuela, escalating U.S. tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Trump announced the move in a Dec. 16 post on Truth Social, also relaying he formally designated Maduro and his government allies a foreign terrorist organization. The actions come less than one week after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that the Trump administration said was transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Advertisement Advertisement "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump said in his social media post. "It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us." More: US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela coast, Trump says Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denounced Trumps threats of land strikes after the U.S. seized an oil tanker near Venezuela. The Trump administration has moved thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships including an aircraft carrier to the region in recent months. Trump has also warned the U.S. will soon begin land strikes in Venezuela. Trump accused Maduro and other Venezuelan of using oil from "stolen oil fields" to finance themselves and to facilitate drug smuggling, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping. Advertisement Advertisement "Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," Trump said in his post, later adding that he "will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY." More: Trump says land strikes in Venezuela will 'start very soon' The U.S. military has launched at least 25 strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration has said were carrying drugs into the United States, killing at least 95 people, including some Venezuelans. Democrats have called the strikes, which have not been approved by Congress, illegal and said they amount to extrajudicial assassinations. Trump and his officials have said Maduro is the leader of a criminal enterprise called Cartel de los Soles. Experts say Cartel de los Soles is a loose network of corruption and not a real drug trafficking organization. President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 15, 2025. Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials were indicted on drug trafficking and corruption charges in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela for two decades. Late last month, the Trump administration declared Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, paving the way for heavy sanctions against it and any entities with which it does business. In July, the Trump administration walked back a February move to cut off U.S. oil giant Chevron from doing business in Venezuela. Contributing: Reuters; Cybele Mayes-Osterman of USA TODAY Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump orders blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the countrys authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country's economy. Trump's escalation comes after U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuelas coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vowed to continue the military buildup until the country gave the U.S. oil, land and assets, though it was not clear why he felt the U.S. had a claim. Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America, Trump said in a post on his social media platform. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us. Advertisement Advertisement Pentagon officials referred all questions about the post to the White House. Venezuelas government released a statement Tuesday accusing Trump of violating international law, free trade, and the principle of free navigation with a reckless and grave threat against the South American country. On his social media, he assumes that Venezuelas oil, land, and mineral wealth are his property, the statement said of Trumps post. Consequently, he demands that Venezuela immediately hand over all its riches. The President of the United States intends to impose, in an utterly irrational manner, a supposed naval blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the wealth that belongs to our nation. Maduros government, according to the statement, plans to denounce the situation before the United Nations. Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. buildup has been accompanied by a series of military strikes on boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The campaign, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny among U.S. lawmakers, has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on vessels. Trump has for weeks said that the U.S. will move its campaign beyond the water and start strikes on land. The Trump administration has defended the strikes as a success, saying they have prevented drugs from reaching American shores, and pushed back on concerns that they are stretching the bounds of lawful warfare. The Trump administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the U.S., but Trumps chief of staff Susie Wiles appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro. Advertisement Advertisement Wiles said Trump wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. Tuesday night's announcement seemed to have a similar aim. Venezuela, which has the worlds largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day, has long relied on oil revenue as a lifeblood of its economy. Since the Trump administration began imposing oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2017, Maduros government has relied on a shadowy fleet of unflagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains. The state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA, has been locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions. It sells most of its exports at a steep discount in the black market in China. Advertisement Advertisement Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan oil expert at Rice University in Houston, said about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million daily production is exported. Of that, he said, 80% goes to China, 15% to 17% goes to the U.S. through Chevron Corp., and the remainder goes to Cuba. In October, Trump appeared to confirm reports that Maduro has offered a stake in Venezuelas oil and other mineral wealth in recent months to try to stave off mounting pressure from the United States. Hes offered everything, Trump said at the time. You know why? Because he doesnt want to f- around with the United States. It wasn't immediately clear how the U.S. planned to enact what Trump called a TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement But the U.S. Navy has 11 ships, including an aircraft carrier and several amphibious assault ships, in the region. Those ships carry a wide complement of aircraft, including helicopters and V-22 Ospreys. Additionally, the Navy has been operating a handful of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in the region. All told, those assets provide the military a significant ability to monitor marine traffic coming in and out of the country. Trump in his post said that the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, but it wasn't clear what he was referring to. The foreign terrorist organization designation has been historically reserved for non-state actors that do not have sovereign immunities conferred by either treaties or United Nations membership. Advertisement Advertisement In November, the Trump administration announced it was designating the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. The term Cartel de los Soles originally referred to Venezuelan military officers involved in drug-running, but it is not a cartel per se. Governments that U.S. administrations seek to sanction for financing, otherwise fomenting or tolerating extremist violence are usually designated state sponsors of terrorism. Venezuela is not on that list. In rare cases, the U.S. has designated an element of a foreign government as an FTO. The Trump administration in its first term did so with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, an arm of the Iranian government, which had already been designated a state sponsor of terrorism. ___ Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Matt Le in Washington and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report. DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware President Donald Trump solemnly saluted as the flag-draped cases of three Americans two Iowa National Guardsmen and one civilian were carried across the tarmac Wednesday at Dover Air Force Base, days after the president vowed revenge for their killing in Syria. A gray C-17 transport plane landed on U.S. soil with the remains of Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines. The body of Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter who was also killed in the attack, followed. An assailant on Saturday ambushed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian officials near the city of Palmyra. Three additional U.S. soldiers were wounded, according to CENTCOM. Advertisement Advertisement Trump blamed the attack on ISIS and vowed serious retaliation against the Islamic State group. He told reporters at the White House on Sunday that he pledged to hit them back hard. As of yet, there has been no U.S. response to the attacks. Trump attended the dignified transfer alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. No speeches were given, but the president privately met with the families of the victims for nearly an hour upon arriving at Dover Air Force Base. Trump, speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after returning from Dover, said it was a beautiful event for three great people. This is the first dignified transfer Trump has witnessed since returning to office in January. Trump, during his first term, acknowledged that watching fallen soldiers return home was his toughest duty as president. President Donald Trump at a Dec. 16 White House Hanukkah event praised the "enduring resilience" of the Jewish people in the face of rising antisemitic attacks, including most recently an attack in Australia that left 15 dead. "The miracle of Hanukkah has reminded us of Gods love for the Jewish people as well as their enduring resilience and faith in the face of centuries of persecution," Trump told a room of prominent Jewish American and Israeli supporters. "And it continues, who would believe this would continue." Tuesday evenings White House event comes days after the Dec. 14 attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach outside Sydney. Trump offered his condolences for the victims before listing his acts of support for Israel, from moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem during his first term as president to bombing Iranian nuclear facilities in June. Advertisement Advertisement "As president of the United States, I will always support Jewish Americans," Trump said, "and I will always be a friend and a champion of the Jewish people." U.S. President Donald Trump holds a kippah featuring an image of himself and text that reads "Fight" on it, during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. The president also cited his crackdown on Americas top universities the White House has accused of antisemitism and efforts to broker a peace in Israel. BBC and Al Jazeera reports say Israel continues to mount attacks in Gaza. Trump called a few supporters to the stage, including conservative talk show host Mark Levin and Trump donor Miriam Adelson. The Israel-born wife of deceased Jewish American businessman Sheldon Adelson offered to donate a quarter of a billion dollars to Trump if he were to run for a third term. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution bars Trump from serving a third term in office. Advertisement Advertisement Levin referred to Trump as the nation's "first Jewish president." "Now hes our first Jewish president to serve two not-consecutive presidencies," the talk show host said, holding an arm around Trump. "You are the greatest president." First lady Melania Trump waves during the annual Marine Toys for Tots Drive hosted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., Dec. 8, 2025. Mrs. Trump delivered remarks to military families and helped children make Christmas cards and sort toys. First lady Melania Trump delivers remarks during a Toys for Tots Charity Drive at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Dec. 8, 2025 in Quantico, Va. First lady Melania Trump attends the annual Marine Toys for Tots Drive hosted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., Dec. 8, 2025. First lady Melania Trump delivers remarks during a Toys for Tots Charity Drive at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Dec. 8, 2025 in Quantico, Va. First lady Melania Trump visits with children of service members during a Toys for Tots Charity Drive at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Dec. 8, 2025 in Quantico, Va. First lady Melania Trump attends the annual Marine Toys for Tots Drive hosted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va. First lady Melania Trump attends the annual Marine Toys for Tots Drive hosted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., Dec. 8, 2025. First lady Melania Trump attends the annual Marine Toys for Tots Drive hosted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., Dec. 8, 2025. First lady Melania Trump visits with children of service members during a Toys for Tots Charity Drive at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Dec. 8, 2025 in Quantico, Va. See Melania Trump visit with children at Toys for Tots charity event 1 of 9 First lady Melania Trump waves during the annual Marine Toys for Tots Drive hosted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., Dec. 8, 2025. Mrs. Trump delivered remarks to military families and helped children make Christmas cards and sort toys. The event also comes as the Republic Party faces a rift over its stance on antisemitism after prominent conservative media figure Tucker Carlson interviewed Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist who has become influential in the fringes of the Make America Great Again movement. Carlson's interview with Fuentes comes on the heels of at least four recent instances of Republican officials being associated with Nazi symbology or ideology, including reports of young GOP group members joking about gas chambers; the Trump administration pulling a nominee for saying he had a "Nazi streak," a swastika within a U.S. flag being spotted in a Republican congressman's office and the revelation that an online neo-Nazi influencer is married to a local Republican elected official in Michigan. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump praises 'resilience' of Jewish people at Hanukkah event President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony for the presentation of the Mexican Border Defense Medal in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on December 15, 2025. Credit - Anna MoneymakerGetty Images President Donald Trump is facing fierce blowback from figures across the political spectrum, including some members of his own party, after baselessly suggesting that the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were a result of the directors fervent criticism of the President. Less than 24 hours after the Reiners were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Sunday, Trump lambasted Rob Reiner for his political beliefs, posting on Truth Social that his death was reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME and that Reiner was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Trump doubled down on his attacks on Reiner later in the day, telling reporters that the director became like a deranged person, Trump Derangement Syndrome. So I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all in any way, shape or form. I thought he was very bad for our country. Reiner was an outspoken critic of Trump andalong with his wifea Democratic fundraiser and advocate for liberal causes. The couples son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested and booked on suspicion of murder in the case. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office has yet to file criminal charges, but the Los Angeles Police Department has called Nick Reiner responsible for their deaths. The authorities have not indicated any link between Rob Reiners politics and his death. Read more: Rob Reiner Did Nothing by Half Measures Trumps attacks on the director in the wake of his death have drawn outcry from some members of the GOP, ranging from those who have been closely allied with the President to others who have repeatedly and publicly spoken against him. Advertisement Advertisement Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told CNNs Manu Raju at the Capitol that President Trump should have said nothing. A wise man once said nothing, the Senator said. Why? Because hes a wise man. Republican Reps. Mike Lawler of New York and Don Bacon of Nebraska, who both represent districts that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, rejected Trumps attack on Reiner more forcefully. This statement is wrong, Lawler wrote in a post on X. Regardless of ones political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son. Its a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country, period. Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to CNN, Bacon said: Id expect to hear something like this from a drunk guy at a bar, not the President of the United States. Can the President be presidential? Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who has become increasingly critical of Trump in recent months, further rebuked the President over his comments while calling for empathy for the Reiner family. Rob Reiner and his wife were tragically killed at the hands of their own son, who reportedly had drug addiction and other issues, and their remaining children are left in serious mourning and heartbreak, Greene posted on X. This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies. Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. Its incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder. Greene, once one of the Presidents most vocal supporters, has clashed with Trump on issues related to affordability, foreign policy, H1-B visas for foreign workers in specialty occupations, and whether to release files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Tensions between the two broke open last month when Trump publicly withdrew support from Greene after she broke with him over the Epstein files, calling her a traitor and a disgrace to the Republican Party. Greene has since announced she will leave Congress in January, taking aim at Trumps Make America Great Again movement in a blistering resignation letter. Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The Breakdown of Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greenes Allianceand How It Goes Beyond the Epstein Files Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the most vocal Trump critics in the GOP conference, also slammed the Presidents remarks about Reiner. Massie, a hardline conservative, endorsed Trump in the 2024 general election despite clashing with him repeatedly during the Presidents first term. But he has since regularly broken with the President on key issues and in turn been targeted by Trump, who has called for his ouster from Congress in the coming midterms. Massie was outspoken this year in his opposition to Trumps Big Beautiful Bill, ultimately becoming one of just two House Republicans to vote against the signature piece of the Presidents second-term agenda, and was a leading voice in opposing military intervention in Iran. Massie called the Presidents remarks on Reiner inappropriate and disrespectful in a post on X, adding, I guess my elected GOP colleagues, the VP, and White House staff will just ignore it because theyre afraid? I challenge anyone to defend it. Advertisement Advertisement Jenna Ellis, a lawyer who represented Trump during and after the 2020 election, also said the Presidents words were NOT the appropriate response. Ellis pointed to Republicans condemnations of political and celebratory responses after the shooting of conservative commentator and close Trump ally Charlie Kirk in September, adding, This is a horrible example from Trump (and surprising considering the two attempts on his own life) and should be condemned by everyone with any decency. Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma also knocked Trumps comments, saying in response to his Truth Social post that we should be lifting the family up in prayer, not making this about politics. David Urban, a former senior adviser to Trumps 2016 campaign, told CNN that the Presidents Truth Social post is indefensible by anybody. I dont know how anyone can defend it. Advertisement Advertisement Urban suggested that the remarks could hurt the Republican Party as it seeks to hold onto its slim majority in the House in next years elections. I think the President forgot elections are about addition, one plus one plus one, and as we head into the midterms Im wondering, you know, how many Republicans were added to the voter rolls today, he said. I think none. Reiner called the President a criminal and a liar in a 2024 interview with the Guardian. And in September, the director warned that Trump posed a threat to voting rights in an interview with MS NOW. Make no mistake: We have a year before this country becomes a full on autocracy and democracy completely leaves us, Reiner said. Contact us at letters@time.com. Trump says federal deployments make cities safer. Local officials disagree. The Trump administrations deployments of federal agents and National Guard troops to cities across the country, in the name of reducing crime, are having the opposite effect, according to local leaders eroding the trust required for them to police effectively, making it harder for them to prosecute violent crimes, and leaving residents feeling less safe, The Marshall Project reports. These concerns are noted repeatedly in interviews with policing experts and community members, and in lawsuits challenging troop deployments in several American cities, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Memphis, Tennessee. In Chicago, ICE agents began using increasingly aggressive tactics in September during what President Donald Trump dubbed Operation Midway Blitz. It was a response, ICE said, to crimes committed by migrants in Illinois without documentation. The scenes have been dramatic by design: an overnight raid on an apartment building, with Blackhawk helicopters and U.S. citizens dragged into the street in zip-ties. The tactics have resulted in at least one death: In September, an immigration agent shot and killed 38-year-old Silverio Villegas Gonzalez while attempting to pull him over and arrest him. Advertisement Advertisement Locals in Chicago have turned out in force to protest, leading to daily demonstrations at an ICE processing center outside Chicago and elsewhere throughout the city. In response, Trump sent 500 National Guard soldiers to the area, but a judge blocked their deployment to the city. Nevertheless, the presence of immigration agents in the city with their military-style uniforms and tactics has made it harder, prosecutors argue in a federal lawsuit, to pursue cases against people accused of violent crimes in Chicago. In one case, the wife of a man who had been murdered did not want to come to court to testify for fear of being arrested by Homeland Security agents. Her fear of arrest makes it more likely that her husbands murderers will go free and justice will be denied, wrote Jose Villarreal, a prosecutor with the Cook County States Attorneys office, in court documents. Villarreal listed a wide array of crimes that his office can no longer prosecute because of ICEs presence in the city: children who are victims of sexual assault, whose mothers fear that bringing them to court might lead to their arrest by immigration agents; domestic violence cases where victims fear testifying because of immigration agents stationed at the courthouse, meaning the predators who victimized them may walk free. Advertisement Advertisement Amid the Trump administrations insistence that its immigration enforcement is meant to ensure law and order, Villarreal argued that Homeland Securitys actions in and around courthouses in Chicago have made it harder to protect the victims of violent crime and uphold the law through criminal prosecution. A spokesperson for the Cook County States Attorneys office declined a request to interview Villarreal, citing the pending litigation. Calls to 911 have dropped precipitously in the city since the start of Operation Midway Blitz, the Chicago Tribune reported, especially in the predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood of Little Village. They dont really want to call the police because they associate the police with ICE, Dolores Castaneda, a community activist, told the Tribune. As a result, residents are feeling more unsafe than ever before. After the Trump administration began to flood Memphis with both National Guardsmen and other federal law enforcement agents in October, residents said that traffic stops by officers armed with assault rifles dressed in military garb made them feel less safe. It makes everyone feel like a criminal. So you just literally criminalize the whole of Memphis, said Keedran Franklin, a community organizer there. In Memphis, where local police have struggled to build trust with communities of color under the Biden administration, the Memphis Police Department was under investigation for using excessive force and racially profiling Black and brown residents local police officers have been working side-by-side with the federal agents, doing traffic stops and executing warrants. In one case, a woman was dragged out of her house naked while federal agents searched for someone who didnt live there. Advertisement Advertisement That's only made the relationship even more strained, said Amber Sherman, a community activist and a member of a police reform task force in the city. And I didn't think there was a chance of repair anyways, but I definitely don't think there is one now. Just because of the level of trauma that's being inflicted every single day. The Memphis Police Department did not respond to a request to comment on Shermans concerns. The playbook in Memphis was different from the other cities, because unlike governors in California and Illinois, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, supported the move. Several hundred federal law enforcement officers from the National Guard and a wide range of other federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrived to participate in an action the government called Memphis Safe Task Force. But the countys Democratic mayor, Lee Harris, has since sued the governor and others. The enormous influx of troops led to over 1,000 arrests, and local jails do not have the capacity to hold that many people. Weeks after the task force began operating, Harris declared a state of emergency to deal with overcrowding in the jails. By the end of October, troops were still there and had made hundreds of additional arrests. In Los Angeles, where the Trump administration began deploying troops in June, Trump said that the aim was to protect federal employees and property from protesters who objected to ICEs aggressive tactics when they descended on the city in tactical gear, conducting large-scale workplace raids. In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials sued the Trump administration, arguing that military presence would only escalate tensions and erode public trust. Their warnings were prescient. When the National Guard arrived, protesters redoubled their efforts, briefly blocking access to U.S. Highway 101 and amassing at a downtown jail, where officers with the National Guard, ICE, and Homeland Security deployed tear gas to clear them. Advertisement Advertisement Soldiers patrolling the streets of Los Angeles have not made anyone safer; indeed, the opposite is true, according to court filings in Californias lawsuit to end the National Guard deployment. The Trump administrations confrontational decision to deploy the military in a civilian city serves only to spread fear and heighten tensions in Los Angeles. If anything, the presence of the military threatens to further destabilize the community and escalate a situation that calls for cool heads and steady hands. About 100 troops remain stationed there, according to military officials. In interviews with The Marshall Project and in court documents, police experts argue that National Guard troops and other militarized federal law enforcement make it harder for police to keep cities safe. For some chiefs, this is their worst nightmare, said Christy Lopez, a Georgetown Law professor who oversaw Constitutional policing enforcement at the Justice Department during the Obama administration. They've been working with communities for years decades building trust with immigrant communities, marginalized communities. All it takes is one raid to destroy years of goodwill, she said. Thats because modern-day policing depends on trust. To prevent and solve crimes, police need community members to call them in emergencies and to cooperate in investigations actions the public wont take if they dont trust that their concerns will be taken seriously. True public safety is only possible when the community believes that their police department exists to serve them with fairness, equity, and respect, wrote U. Renee Hall, former Dallas police chief, in a declaration filed in the Washington D.C., litigation, which began in early September, weeks after troops began patrolling the city with fatigues and armored vehicles. Many people dont differentiate between Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security agents, National Guard troops, and local officers, Lopez, the Georgetown professor, said. Its all just people with guns who can tell you what to do. Federal agents often wear tactical vests that say POLICE although technically they are not which further confuses people, said Peter Moskos, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former police officer. I dont want the line blurred, because I dont want ICE giving a bad name to police departments. Advertisement Advertisement Since the end of the Civil War, the idea that the military should not intervene in the countrys civil government except in emergencies has been enshrined in both law and our national values. A handful of such emergencies took place during the civil rights movement, when the federal government sent the National Guard to Southern states to assist with desegregating schools, at times over segregationist governors objections. The last time the National Guard was called into an American city was in 1992, when Californias governor requested assistance in Los Angeles amid riots after the acquittal of the White police officers caught on videotape beating Rodney King. But certainly the most infamous example of the National Guard being used to quell protests was at Kent State University in 1970. Amid escalating demonstrations against the Vietnam War, including a building on campus set ablaze, the mayor of Kent, Ohio, asked the states governor to send in troops. Shortly after arriving on campus, soldiers opened fire on a crowd, killing four college students. In October, federal circuit court Judge Ronald M. Gould warned in a written dissent that to have an armed military faced off against civilian protesters, whatever the motivation of the President, threatens to produce another tragedy, such as that occurring at Kent State University in 1970. A majority of his colleagues on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed Trump to continue with troop deployments in Los Angeles. And this trend may yet continue. A Pentagon memo drafted in October outlined plans to train tens of thousands of National Guard troops across all 50 states to respond to civil unrest and be ready to deploy to American cities. And last week, speaking on an aircraft carrier near Tokyo. Trump told U.S. troops that deploying the National Guard to U.S. cities was just the beginning of his plans for dealing with crime. If we need more than the National Guard, well send more than the National Guard, because we're going to have safe cities. This story was produced by The Marshall Project and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer of two Iowa Army National Guard troops and their interpreter, who were killed in Syria during a mission to combat the Islamic State. Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, Grimes, Iowa, were killed Dec. 13 with their interpreter, U.S. civilian Ayad Sakat of Michigan, by a lone gunman. The gunman was killed by partner forces, according to the Pentagon. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others on Dec. 17 in Delaware saluted the flag-draped containers holding the troops as members of the military carried them off the C-17 transport aircraft and past the president on the tarmac at Dover Air Force Base. Trump met before the transfer with the families of the three casualties. Trump has vowed 'serious retaliation' for the killings The troops were deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the military's mission to counter the Islamic State. Trump vowed "very serious retaliation" in a social media post Dec. 13. Advertisement Advertisement The attack came barely a month after Syria announced it had signed a political cooperation agreement with the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, which coincided with Syrias President Ahmed al-Sharaa visiting the White House. Ahmed al-Sharaa is extremely angry and disturbed by the attack, Trump said. President Donald Trump salutes as members of the military carry a transfer case, during a dignified transfer of the remains of two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria, Sgt. Edgar Torres Tovar and Sgt. William Howard, and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, who was working as an interpreter in Syria, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, on Dec. 17, 2025. The coalition has carried out airstrikes and ground operations in Syria targeting Islamic State suspects in recent months, often with the involvement of Syrias security forces. Syria last month also carried out a nationwide campaign arresting more than 70 people accused of links to the group. The United States has troops stationed in northeastern Syria as part of a decade-long effort to help a Kurdish-led force there. Members of the military salute during a dignified transfer of the remains of two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria, Sgt. Edgar Torres Tovar and Sgt. William Howard, and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, who was working as an interpreter in Syria, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, on Dec. 17, 2025. Trump expands travel ban to Syria, six other countries Trump expanded his travel ban Dec. 16 by seven countries including Syria, to prohibit citizens from those countries from entering the United States, effective Jan. 1. Advertisement Advertisement The White House said in a statement that Trump signed a proclamation "expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats." The other countries added to the list are Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and people holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. The action also imposes a full ban on Laos and Sierra Leone, which had previously only been subject to partial restrictions. The expansion of the list represented a further escalation of immigration measures the administration has taken since the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington in November. West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom,, 20, died and Andrew Wolfe, 24, is recovering. An Afghan national who entered the country in 2021 through a resettlement program has been charged with the shootings. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, of Bellingham, Washington, has been charged with murder and other charges. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump witnesses return of 2 National Guard troops killed in Syria US-based registered investment advisor (RIA) EP Wealth Advisors has acquired Clearview Wealth Advisors, a financial services firm operating in the Phoenix area and the Pacific Northwest. This acquisition brings approximately $218m in assets under management to EP Wealths Phoenix region. Also, it provides the Clearview team with access to EP Wealths extended planning, tax, and investment resources that enhance the client experience. EP Wealth CEO Ryan Parker said: Clearview has built strong, planning-led relationships we want every EP client to experience. Bringing their team into our Phoenix region allows us to surround their clients with deeper resources while keeping advice personal, local and aligned with the values that matter most to the families they serve. The Clearview team, led by Michael and Corbin Coursey, will join EP Wealths Phoenix operations under Regional Directors Adrian Larson and M.J. Nodilo. Michael and Corbin Coursey, a father-and-son team, recently relocated to Phoenix to better serve a growing client base. Michael said: As our clients financial needs grew more layered, we saw the value in having more specialists support the planning work we do. Partnering with EP lets us bring added expertise and capabilities to the table while preserving the level of attention and care that has always defined our approach. Its the best of both worlds. This transaction marks the ninth partnership of EP Wealth in 2025 as the firm continues to grow its presence across the US. EP Wealth said the integration will allow Clearview to maintain its client-focused approach while leveraging EPs broader capabilities. The RIA firm will provide the team with additional resources and enable them to maintain their personalised approach to client service. The companies have not disclosed the financial and legal aspects of the deal. In April this year, EP Wealth Advisors strengthened its regional footprint with the purchase of NBS Financial Services for an undisclosed sum. Established in 1981, NBS Financial Services offers financial, tax, estate, retirement, education planning, as well as investment management services. "EP Wealth acquires Clearview Wealth Advisors " was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. Washington President Trump participated in a solemn dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday honoring two members of the Iowa National Guard and an interpreter who were killed in Syria over the weekend. The two guardsmen killed in the Syrian desert Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. They were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a U.S. civilian from Macomb, Michgian, who was working as an interpreter, was also killed. The Pentagon said an ISIS gunman ambushed them. On the solemn, silent tarmac of the base, soldiers carried the transfer cases with remains from a plane to awaiting vehicles. The president, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top military brass saluted and looked ahead. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware also attended. President Trump salutes as carry teams move the transfer case with the remains of Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar. Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. / Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP The president met privately with the families of the deceased ahead of the transfer. First lady Melania Trump was scheduled to join the event, but a White House official said she could no longer attend. Photos released by the Iowa National Guard show Sgts. William Nathaniel Howard, left, and Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar. / Credit: Iowa National Guard via AP This was the first dignified transfer Mr. Trump participated in since taking office in January, although he attended dignified transfer events in his first term. Advertisement Advertisement The solemn dignified transfer of remains at Dover Air Force Base is meant to honor those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of their country. The remains are transferred to the mortuary facility at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at the Dover Air Force Base. "The dignified transfer is not a ceremony; rather, it is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team composed of military personnel from the fallen member's respective service," Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations says. "A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. military member who dies in the theater of operation while in the service of their country." Eye Opener: New video emerges of Nick Reiner moments before arrest What we know after Rob and Michele Reiner's son Nick arrested in their deaths What to expect from Trump's address to the nation The Turks are still pressing the US administration to be involved. They haven't given up, one regional diplomat told The Jerusalem Post. Turkey was not invited to a Tuesday conference organized by US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Qatar regarding the International Stabilization Force (ISF) that is set to be deployed in the Gaza Strip Mid-level officials from 32 countries attended the meeting, where they discussed key elements of the force's potential deployment, including command structure, rules of engagement, locations within Gaza, and the forces role in disarming Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement The absence of a Turkish delegation suggests that organizers accepted Israels objections to Ankaras participation. Still, the issue appears unresolved. The Turks are still pressing the US administration to be involved. They haven't given up, one regional diplomat told The Jerusalem Post. A second diplomat echoed that Ankara continues to lobby Washington behind the scenes. Israeli soldiers stand on rubble in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, December 8, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/NIR ELIAS) Last week, at the Jerusalem Post conference in Washington, US Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack expressed his backing for Turkish involvement. Turkey has no aggressive policy toward Israel; the last thing on their mind is the Ottoman Empire, he said. Our proposal is that Turkish forces could help reduce tensions. I understand why Israel doesnt trust them, but it could certainly be helpful. The US has so far reached out to 17 countries, asking them to contribute troops to the future peacekeeping force. These nations are receiving regular updates, and Washington expects clear commitments, either yes or no, within days. The goal is to have about 10,000 troops on the ground in Gaza by early next year. Relatives of Darian Nevayaktewa, who went missing from the Hopi reservation in 2008, hold posters for him outside the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on May 5, 2025. (Bella Davis/New Mexico In Depth) New Mexico created a new alert earlier this year to help find Native people who go missing. But since the Turquoise Alert went into effect in July, New Mexico State Police have only issued six, despite 27 requests from local law enforcement agencies, including those serving large Native populations. This story originally appeared on New Mexico In Depth. Advertisement Advertisement The denials are due to the way state police interpret the definition of missing person in state statute, a spokesperson says. At least one local law enforcement official hopes the Legislature will revise the statute so when Native people go missing, more of them will meet the state police interpretation for when an alert may be issued. Two state lawmakers who sponsored the legislation say theyre open to that because the alert isnt working how they intended it to. The small number of alerts has confused and frustrated some members of his community, said Farmington Police Deputy Chief Kyle Dowdy. I think people were sold an idea about what was going to happen in their mind, and that idea did not come to fruition, he said. In recent years, Native families and advocates have successfully pushed state lawmakers to respond to the long-ignored crisis of Native people disproportionately disappearing and being murdered. The goal of the alert was, in part, to reduce confusion among law enforcement agencies particularly in border towns and on reservations about who has jurisdiction, which can slow down investigations. Several other states, including Arizona, have created similar alerts. Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear how many Native people have been reported missing in the state since July, partly because a New Mexico Department of Justice portal and an FBI list are updated monthly, with names removed as people are located. The portal on Tuesday listed 197 Native people missing from the state and the Navajo Nation. Under the new alert system, local law enforcement can, after receiving a report of a missing Native person, request state police issue an alert, although the statute doesnt include any mandates for local agencies. Eight police departments and sheriffs offices have made 27 requests, according to state police. But the agency has rejected most of those, including 13 of 18 requests from police in Gallup and Farmington, towns that border the Navajo Nation, from where dozens of people are currently missing. According to the statute, a person is considered missing if, first, their family member, close friend or custodian a person who has legal, physical control or care of a child or adult with a developmental disability, or a person who helps an adult with daily living doesnt know where they are. And the circumstances must indicate that the person did not leave the care and control of the custodian or immediate family member voluntarily and the taking of the person was not authorized by law, or that the custodian didnt consent to the person leaving. Advertisement Advertisement Under that definition, a Turquoise Alert cant be issued based on a report from a non-custodial family member that their loved one is missing, according to Lt. Philip Vargas, a state police spokesperson. So, for instance, if a man reported that he and his family hadnt heard from his adult, legally independent sister, and they were concerned because it wasnt like her to not be in touch, she wouldnt be eligible for a Turquoise Alert, Vargas said. From his perspective, that could help protect people who are trying to escape abusive relationships or otherwise unsafe living situations. Plus, he said, if multiple alerts were going out every day, the public might start to tune them out. Even if a case doesnt meet the criteria for an alert, state police can still get the word out, Vargas said. Local law enforcement agencies can ask them to post on state police social media accounts or publish a press release. Vargas said he wasnt aware of any local agencies making such a request for a case that didnt qualify for a Turquoise Alert. Advertisement Advertisement The Indian Affairs Department developed the legislation creating the alert. Asked whether this is how department officials intended it to function, spokesperson Paris Wise wrote in an email the department defers to the Department of Public Safety which houses state police who we worked closely with on the legislation and who is the agency that oversees the alert systems in New Mexico. Two lawmakers who sponsored the legislation, Sen. Angel Charley, D-Acoma, and Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta, D-Tohajiilee, in a joint statement to New Mexico In Depth, wrote they didnt envision the alert functioning in the way state police are carrying it out. From right, Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta, D-Tohajiilee, and Sen. Angel Charley, D-Acoma, prepare on Feb. 7, 2025 to introduce legislation creating the Turquoise Alert. (Bella Davis/New Mexico In Depth) The Turquoise Alert was always intended to support families including non-custodial family members and community members who report a credible concern in the first critical hours after a loved one goes missing, because early reporting can literally save lives, they wrote. The alert was designed to remove barriers, not create new ones. Theyre open to taking another look at the language in the statute, Charley (Laguna Pueblo/Zuni Pueblo/Dine) and Abeyta (Dine) wrote. In the meantime, theyre working with DPS toward solutions that will strengthen implementation. And theyre requesting funding for a full-time state employee who could coordinate all missing persons alerts, track data related to the alerts, and offer guidance to families with missing relatives about making reports. Advertisement Advertisement Gallup Police Department has requested 11 alerts. Two were sent out. State police determined a third case met the criteria, but the person was found before an alert was issued. Farmington Police Department has requested seven. As with Gallup, two were sent out. State police have told the department theyre denying their requests because they dont meet the criteria in the statute, said Dowdy, the deputy chief, but the department has continued to ask. The hope is that theyll be issued anyway, and that the Legislature will change the statute, he said. Were continuously submitting these and showing we value these people, theyre very important to us, we want to help their families find them, and if we could get a little legislative help to fix some of the nuances in the law, we could better, I think, serve our community by issuing some of these that right now [state police] arent able to issue or choose not to issue, said Dowdy, a member of a state task force on missing and murdered Indigenous people. Advertisement Advertisement He noted hes not speaking on behalf of the group. In the five Farmington cases that state police denied, the people who were reported missing were eventually located, according to Dowdy. Of the two alerts sent out for people in the Farmington area, for a 12-year-old girl and a 24-year-old woman, they both returned to their respective homes within two days of the alerts being issued, Dowdy said. The other four people state police issued alerts for, in Gallup, Los Lunas and Ruidoso, were located. Two Tennessee cities rank among the nation's best vacation spots, according to a new U.S. News and World Report study. Both are located in East Tennessee. U.S. News' top vacation spots are updated annually. Each year, the publication combines user votes with factors such as value, culture, food and adventure to determine which vacation spots are truly top-tier. The 2025 rankings were released Dec. 15. Gatlinburg was named among the best overall vacation spots in the U.S, a category of 30 ranked destinations. This overarching vacation category included some of the nation's most renowned cities, including San Francisco and New York City, as well as a variety of national parks. Advertisement Advertisement Chattanooga was named a top affordable vacation spot in the U.S. News ranking. Gatlinburg was also ranked in this category of budget-friendly getaways. Here's where both Tennessee cities landed in their respective rankings. Why is Gatlinburg a top US vacation spot? Gatlinburg was ranked in two U.S. News categories. The not-so-secret mountain city ranked No. 18 in the "best places to visit in the USA" list and No. 20 in the affordable vacation category, according to U.S. News and World Report. With the beautiful nature of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Appalachian charm and close proximity to Dollywood, Gatlinburg has evolved into an incredibly popular tourist destination. Advertisement Advertisement The small town is a great destination for nature lovers and adventure chasers alike. Beyond a hike in the mountains, there are plenty of family activities, like Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, the Gatlinburg Space Needle and Anakeesta. Gatlinburg is no stranger to accolades. It's been named the best small town in Tennessee, a top place to visit for the fall by USA TODAY and more. How many tourists visit Gatlinburg each year? About 14 million people come to visit Gatlinburg each year, according to the Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. Chattanooga is named a best affordable getaway Chattanooga is listed in the top 10 affordable U.S. vacation spots, according to U.S. News. The East Tennessee town ranked. No. 7 overall. Advertisement Advertisement On a list filled with national parks and coastal cities, Chattanooga stands out. The East Tennessee town is renowned for its arts scene, history, natural beauty and more. Among the most loved spots in Chattanooga is Lookout Mountain, known for its spectacular views. At such a high vantage point, you can see seven states, according to Visit Chattanooga: Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama. "Though it often plays second fiddle to Nashville and Memphis, Chattanooga is an enchanting and affordable Tennessee destination," U.S. News said in its annual report. Top 10 vacation spots in the U.S. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona Maui, Hawaii Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii Glacier National Park, Montana Zion National Park, Utah Yosemite National Park, California Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Lake Tahoe, California Kaua'i, Hawaii Top 10 affordable U.S. vacation spots Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona Moab, Utah Sequoia National Park, California Gulf Shores, Alabama Glacier National Park, Montana Chattanooga, Tennessee Olympic National Park, Washington Hot Springs, Arkansas Cannon Beach, Oregon Advertisement Advertisement Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking news from Knoxville for the Tennessee Connect Team. Email: allison.kiehl@knoxnews.com Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Gatlinburg, Chattanooga are among best places to visit in 2026 Dec. 17 (UPI) -- U.K. students and others can learn and train abroad as part of the European Union's Erasmus+ program starting in 2027 amid a U.K.-E.U. relations reset. The Erasmus+ program accepts students from all backgrounds and enables them to study and train while on the continent, the U.K. government announced in a press release Wednesday. The program also enables students from member nations of the European Union to study and train in the United Kingdom. Advertisement Advertisement "Joining Erasmus+ is a huge win for our young people, breaking down barriers and widening horizons to ensure everyone, from every background, has the opportunity to study and train abroad," said Nick Thomas-Symonds, the United Kingdom's E.U. Relations minister. "This is about more than just travel: It's about future skills, academic success, and giving the next generation access to the best possible opportunities," he added. Baroness Jacqui Smith, U.K skills minister, said the agreement "is about breaking down barriers to opportunity [and] giving learners the chance to build skills, confidence and international experience that employers value." The United Kingdom will pay 570 million -- nearly $763 million -- to participate in the Erasmus+ program, which is 30% less than the full amount normally required, the BBC reported. Advertisement Advertisement More than 100,000 participants of all ages could begin participating in the Erasmus+ program in 2027, which offers educational and training opportunities for apprentices, those seeking to further their education, adult learners and students enrolled in degree programs. The move returns the United Kingdom to the educational program six years after withdrawing from it following the nation's exit from the European Union in 2020. U.K. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel criticized the agreement, which she said is part of the U.K. Labour Party's plan for "dragging Britain back under the control of Brussels" despite a 2016 vote to exit the European Union, popularly called "Brexit." The fleeing suspect, accused of critically injuring an Uber driver and killing his passenger, surrendered to Philadelphia police on Tuesday night. Action News has learned that 35-year-old Joseph Cini was taken into custody at 8 p.m. Joseph Cini Authorities say Cini was fleeing from the Philadelphia Sheriff's Department when he crashed into 51-year-old Stephen Thompson at 9th Street and Girard Avenue on Monday morning. READ MORE | Uber passenger killed in crash involving suspect fleeing arrest in North Philadelphia Investigators said Cini ran from the scene after the collision. Advertisement Advertisement Thompson suffered eight broken ribs and a collapsed lung, according to his family. "When I answered the phone and the officer identified himself, I just froze," said Thompson's wife, Jenelle Thompson. "Looking at his car, just seeing that and looking at him, it's no one but God." Thompson's passenger, Angela Cooper, 63, died in the crash. Neighbors described Cooper as a caring person and devoted family woman who often cleaned up the block on trash day. "Once my neighbor came and told me it was Angie, it broke my heart," said Nakia Young, who lives nearby. "It's sad. It's really sad. She was really nice to everybody around here." Advertisement Advertisement As the neighborhood mourns, the Thompson family says they are leaning on their faith. "We are so big on faith. God is our everything. He's the center, he's the core, he's the foundation of what we believe in," Jenelle Thompson said. "We know that he's covering us and he is watching over us." Both Stephen and Jenelle Thompson serve as pastors in Kensington. While Stephen recovers in the hospital, Jenelle said she plans to continue their ministry work. "We give out dinner to the community on Tuesdays, and so while he's here, I'm going to be doing that," she said. Police were initially attempting to serve Cini with a domestic assault warrant when authorities say he fled. Investigators have not announced any new charges in the case. Ukraine said that one of its interceptor drones just reached 400 kmph, making it faster than F1 cars. Mykhailo Fedorov said the speed was achieved with a motor, meaning it uses propellers to fly. Kyiv has been pushing its interceptors to go faster as Russia develops more advanced Shahed drones. A small Ukrainian drone built to chase down and intercept other aerial systems has recently achieved a speed of 400 kmph, or 248.5 mph, Kyiv's digital transformation minister said on Tuesday. "400 km/h that's the speed reached by an interceptor drone powered by a motor from Motor-G, a member of Brave1UA," Mykhailo Fedorov wrote in a social media post. Brave1 is Ukraine's defense innovation platform. Advertisement Advertisement Such a velocity means that the interceptor can beat the official speed record for Formula 1 racing, achieved by Valtteri Bottas in 2016 at 231.46 mph. A speed of 248.5 mph also allows the drone to nearly match the fastest high-speed trains in the world. The Shanghai Maglev, for example, reached speeds of 280 mph during tests in October, but is commercially operated at 186 mph. And a motor-powered interceptor would be doing so with propellers, rather than the jet engines or high-thrust combustion systems that propel other vehicles to extreme speeds. Because interceptor drones are designed to destroy other drones at a low cost, Ukraine's manufacturers typically price them below $6,000 each. It's another sign of how quickly the war is transforming the local weapons industry, which has turned hobbyist drones into some of the fastest yet cheapest aircraft on the battlefield. Four months ago, another Ukrainian interceptor drew widespread attention for reaching 195 mph in flight. Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine is now ramping up ambitions to export such war technology, saying that its locally built missiles, drones, and anti-air systems have been tried and tested against Russia. A video posted by Fedorov on Tuesday said that producing drone motors in Ukraine "seemed impossible" just two years ago, but that Motor-G is now making 100,000 motors a month. "Today, more and more drones are flying on motors made in Ukraine," the minister wrote. Kyiv has been particularly focused on increasing the speed of its interceptors because Russia has been developing its own versions of the Iranian Shahed, which are long-range attack drones. Advertisement Advertisement The most commonly used models of these loitering munitions fly at roughly 115 to 180 mph, and are often released in large numbers to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. The Russian tactic created the urgent need for Ukraine to develop cheap ways to destroy the Shaheds, which led to the rise of interceptor drones. However, Moscow has been repeatedly reported to be experimenting with smaller waves of new jet-powered Shaheds, which are believed to reach speeds of 230 mph. Their emergence at the start of the year initially sparked fears in Ukraine that they would be too fast for interceptors to catch, though recent reports and war footage indicate that Ukrainian manufacturers have managed to close the gap. One jet-powered Shahed, for example, was filmed being approached by a Ukrainian interceptor from behind in late November. Read the original article on Business Insider The looming expiration of Obamacare subsidies for tens of millions of Americans has more lawmakers particularly vulnerable Republicans sweating the political fallout and ready to compromise. But odds for a deal remain slim, and an unresolved fight over abortion could lower them to zero. Ahead of the expected standoff, abortion-rights and anti-abortion groups are barnstorming Capitol Hill, warning members that there will be political consequences for them in next years midterm elections if they cave. Advertisement Advertisement This is a bright red line, said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, one of the groups most active in lobbying on the issue. The pro-life movement has been unequivocal: No Hyde, no deal We will score against every such attempt, now and in the future." The House is up at bat after the Senates failure last week to pass either Democrats multi-year clean extension of the health insurance subsidies or Republicans alternative plan that would have funneled money into health savings accounts and imposed new national restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming care. House GOP leaders are trying to rally their fractious caucus around a bill that takes no action on the expiring subsidies, creates several new programs aimed to steer consumers away from Obamacares exchanges, and imposes new national abortion restrictions. But several swing district Republicans broke ranks Wednesday morning to back Democrats bill that would extend the subsidies with no additional abortion restrictions, raising the possibility that it could not only come to the House floor but pass out of the chamber. Republicans, however, are expected to put forward amendments to curb abortion access, which could doom its passage. Advertisement Advertisement And if even one of the Houses dueling proposals ekes out majority support, its chances of Senate approval remain dim. A bipartisan group of roughly 20 senators huddled Monday night in an attempt to negotiate a last-minute agreement on a two-year extension of the subsidies that includes income caps and fraud prevention measures. Senators confirmed to POLITICO that they discussed abortion in that meeting. But they have so far failed to come up with a solution agreeable to all sides on how the decades-old Hyde Amendment a budget rider that prohibits federal spending on abortion should apply to Obamacare. South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds, who participated in the gathering, called abortion the number one hurdle, even as a group of us really want to fix this issue. Advertisement Advertisement SBA Pro-Life America is one of dozens of anti-abortion groups who have declared any bill that doesnt impose additional abortion restrictions a non-starter, and said any Republican who votes for such a bill will be penalized in future elections. Groups on the other side have been equally adamant, threatening consequences for Democrats who may be considering accepting additional abortion restrictions in order to prevent the insurance subsidies from lapsing. Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Reproductive Freedom for All the group formerly known as NARAL jointly announced that they, like their anti-abortion counterparts, will score the vote and withhold support going forward from members who fold. Reproductive Freedom for All is working across the country to ensure our 4 million members know what's at stake and which lawmakers are playing politics with their lives, said Emily Steinert McDowell, the groups associate director of federal policy. Advertisement Advertisement The question of insurance coverage of abortion which nearly doomed passage of the Affordable Care Act 15 years ago reared its head again this year as enhanced subsidies that Democrats created in 2021 and renewed in 2022 neared their December 2025 expiration date. Until now, the law has upheld an uneasy compromise barring federal subsidies from paying for abortions, but leaving it up to states to decide whether the health insurance plans on their individual markets could cover the procedure using other funding. Half of states have opted to ban all coverage of abortion on their Obamacare markets, including some where abortion itself is legal, like Pennsylvania and Arizona. In the remaining 25 states, abortion coverage through Obamacare is either allowed or required, though any claims paid out involving the termination of a pregnancy come from a separate account that doesnt use federal subsidies. Anti-abortion groups and their GOP allies on the Hill have called this structure a gimmick. They have long argued that any federal subsidies to insurance plans that cover abortion free up resources for the procedure despite the funding coming from separate accounts and are pushing for national rules barring any plan that receives a subsidy from covering the procedure. Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who recently launched his own anti-abortion group, told reporters there are several policy options to achieve this. He pointed to a bill that he recently introduced that bans ACA plans from covering abortion or transgender procedures, and also suggested reviving a 2019 Trump administration rule that required insurers to send consumers two separate bills: one for abortion care and the other for everything else. A federal court overturned the rule in 2020 because of concerns that it created new hurdles for patients to get care. The bill House Republicans plan to take up Wednesday would accomplish the same goal in a different way denying cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers in the 13 states that require abortion coverage: California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, accused Republicans at Tuesdays Rule Committee meeting of pursuing a backdoor ban on abortion, and other Democrats made it clear that the party will oppose any attempts to expand the existing abortion restrictions in the ACA. Advertisement Advertisement Seizing on such comments, anti-abortion groups lobbying lawmakers in the final days of 2025 signaled that they will try to convince voters to blame Democrats for their health insurance premiums going up heading into next years midterms. Our sole ask is to include Hyde provisions, Gavin Oxley, a spokesperson for Americans United for Life, said in an interview. If the Democrats are not willing to come to the table on that issue, then they are the ones who are going to be at fault for Americans not having health coverage. Newtown, Pennsylvania-based EPAM Systems, Inc. (EPAM) is a global digital engineering and IT consulting company that helps enterprises design, build, and modernize complex software and digital platforms. Valued at a market cap of $11.6 billion, the company specializes in software development, cloud transformation, data and analytics, AI-driven solutions, and product engineering, serving clients across industries such as financial services, healthcare, consumer goods, and technology. Companies worth $10 billion or more are typically classified as large-cap stocks, and EPAM fits the label perfectly, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the information technology services industry. Known for its strong engineering talent base and delivery excellence, EPAM partners with large global enterprises to drive digital transformation and innovation at scale. More News from Barchart However, this tech company has slipped 21.1% from its 52-week high of $269, reached on Feb. 18. Shares of EPAM have increased 37.3% over the past three months, considerably underperforming the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) 3% surge over the same time frame. www.barchart.com In the longer term, EPAM has fallen 13.3% over the past 52 weeks, significantly lagging behind SPXs 12.7% uptick over the same time period. Moreover, on a YTD basis, shares of EPAM are down 9.3%, compared to SPXs 15.9% rise. Despite that, EPAM has been trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since late October and early November, reinforcing an uptrend. www.barchart.com On Dec. 9, shares of EPAM Systems rose about 3% in the afternoon session after the company announced the launch of seven new AI agents on the Google Cloud Marketplace, designed to tackle complex use cases across finance, healthcare, and retail. The ready-to-deploy solutions, covering areas such as KYC automation, drug discovery acceleration, and clinical trial documentation, boosted investor confidence by highlighting EPAMs expanding AI capabilities and strategic collaboration with Google Cloud. EPAM has outpaced its rival, Accenture plcs (ACN) 23.4% drop over the past 52 weeks and 21.9% loss on a YTD basis. By Mike Stone WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force said on Tuesday it was acquiring two Boeing 747-8 jumbo jets for $400 million to establish a training and sustainment program for its future presidential airlift fleet. The purchase is part of the service's efforts to accelerate the presidential airlift program as it prepares to transition to the newer and larger 747-8 model from the aging 747-200, the Air Force said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement The first aircraft is expected to arrive in early 2026, with the second delivery scheduled before year-end. The Air Force said the acquisition was necessary because the 747-8i was no longer in active production by Boeing and it differed significantly from the 747-200 aircraft currently used in the presidential fleet. The two planes will be used for crew training and as a source of spare parts, officials said. Several published reports suggested the Air Force was buying the planes from Lufthansa, one of the few passenger airlines to have bought the 747-8 model, which was more popular with cargo carriers before Boeing ended production in early 2023. A spokesperson for the German airline declined to comment. The purchase is separate from two 747-8i aircraft that Boeing is currently modifying under the VC-25B program, which will serve as the next generation of Air Force One. The first of those heavily modified aircraft is expected to be delivered in mid-2028, the Air Force said. Advertisement Advertisement An Air Force official, speaking on background, said the two training aircraft were also distinct from a 747-8i aircraft gifted to the United States by Qatar. The Air Force One program has faced delays and cost overruns since Boeing agreed to a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract in 2018 to deliver two modified 747-8s to replace the current fleet. The Air Force said on Friday the delivery of the first of the two new Air Force One jets from Boeing had been delayed by another year to mid-2028. (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Nia Williams and Jamie Freed) By Jack Queen NEW YORK, Dec 17 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday cleared President Donald Trumps deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to continue for now, saying his administration was likely to prevail in a legal challenge. The unanimous opinion by three judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is a win for Trump as he asserts sweeping authority to deploy troops in American cities over the objections of local leaders, who have sued to stop him. Advertisement Advertisement The deployments break with longstanding norms against presidents using the military to enforce domestic law, and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide whether he overstepped. Wednesday's order pauses a lower court ruling that would have halted the deployment, which began this summer and ramped up after the November shooting of two National Guard members near the White House. The judges said the administration was likely to prevail in its argument that presidents possess unique powers to mobilize troops and enforce the law in Washington, which is not part of any state. The office of Washington, D.C., District Attorney Brian Schwalb, which filed the lawsuit, said in a statement that it looks forward to continuing the case, noting that the order is preliminary and does not address the merits. Advertisement Advertisement White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement the ruling affirms Trump's lawful authority to order the deployment, which she said "has yielded tremendous results in making DC safer and more beautiful." Trump, a Republican, has sought to deploy troops in Democratic-controlled Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, Oregon, and Memphis, Tennessee, saying they are overrun with crime and unsafe for federal agents carrying out his mass deportations. Leaders of those cities and states have sharply disputed those characterizations and sued to block the deployments, accusing Trump of exceeding his narrow powers to mobilize troops during anti-government rebellions or when authorities are unable to enforce federal law. Trial court judges have ruled against the deployments, rejecting the Trump administrations arguments that protests against immigration authorities that began this summer amounted to rebellions. (Reporting by Jack Queen in New YorkEditing by Rod Nickel) By Daniel Wiessner Dec 17 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday said President Donald Trump's administration cannot bar members of Congress from making unannounced visits to immigrant detention facilities. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb in Washington, D.C., said U.S. Department of Homeland Security policies deeming Immigration and Customs Enforcement field offices "off-limits for congressional oversight" and requiring seven days' notice for visits violated federal law. Advertisement Advertisement Cobb blocked the policies DHS adopted in June pending the outcome of a lawsuit by twelve Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The representatives who sued come from California, Colorado, Maryland, Mississippi, New York and Texas. In a joint statement, they said the decision was a critical step toward restoring congressional oversight. "Real-time, on-the-ground visits to immigration detention facilities help prevent abuses and ensure transparency," the lawmakers said. Trump, a Republican, has made a crackdown on legal and illegal immigration a centerpiece of his second term. That has included a mass deportation campaign and the detention of thousands of people awaiting legal proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement The Democrats who filed the lawsuit say their unannounced visits, without interference from ICE, remain necessary because detention facilities have often failed to afford basic standards of care. They said denying such visits amid continued reports of maltreatment, overcrowding and poor sanitation, violates a federal law adopted in 2020 during Trump's first White House term. Cobb, an appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden, agreed on Wednesday, noting that the law explicitly bars ICE from requiring members of Congress "to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility ... for the purpose of conducting oversight. A number of Democratic elected officials have been arrested for protesting outside of ICE facilities or attempting to enter them. Advertisement Advertisement Representative LaMonica McIver, a Democrat from New Jersey, was charged with assault in May after a scuffle during an unannounced visit to a detention center in Newark. McIver has denied wrongdoing and said her prosecution was politically motivated. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Alistair Bell) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation Wednesday to toughen military helicopter safety rules and rescind a provision in the annual defense bill that critics said would have weakened aviation safety. Republican Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz on Wednesday won unanimous consent to approve a revised version of legislation that would require aircraft operators by the end of 2031 to equip their fleets with an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast system, also known as ADS-B. The bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, also boosts oversight of commercial jet and helicopter traffic and flight routes near commercial airports. Advertisement Advertisement Aviation safety in the Washington area has come under scrutiny after the January 29 collision near Reagan Washington National Airport of an American Airlines regional jet and Army Black Hawk helicopter killed 67 people. Cruz said the bill will save lives and "be a fitting way to honor the lives of those lost nearly one year ago over the Potomac River. Cantwell said the act "ends the exemption for planes to be in the airspace without a broadcast signal that includes the military, so no more flying in the dark." The bill will still need to be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Pentagon said it supported the legislation. Advertisement Advertisement The Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was flying above maximum altitude levels and not broadcasting ADS-B at the time. Other incidents have also sparked alarm. On Friday, a JetBlue passenger jet bound for New York from the Caribbean nation of Curacao took evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force tanker plane near Venezuela that was not using a transponder in a commercial air corridor. After a close call in May, the Federal Aviation Administration barred the Army from helicopter flights around the Pentagon. The defense bill would require U.S. military helicopters on training missions to broadcast alerts to nearby commercial aviation aircraft, but does not specify the type of alerts. The Defense Department could waive the requirement if a risk assessment had been completed and those risks to commercial planes could be addressed. Separately, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a Senate hearing on Wednesday that 400 to 500 air traffic control trainees quit during the government shutdown that ended last month. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels. Many are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy has called the defense bill helicopter proposal "an unacceptable risk to the flying public" and warned she could not vouch for the safety of the Washington airspace if the defense provision took effect. Advertisement Advertisement Families of those killed in the January 29 collision oppose the language in the defense bill. In a statement, they called for "real, enforceable visibility standards for all military aircraft operating near civilian traffic." FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Tuesday he would ensure the safety of the airspace and traffic if the defense provision took effect. But he said the FAA was not consulted on the provision. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio) US Vice President JD Vance urged voters to be patient as officials work to address cost of living concerns, pointing to the Trump administrations political vulnerability over its handling of the economy. Vances remarks at a rally in Pennsylvania are part of a push by the White House to combat criticism ahead of next years midterm elections, and US President Donald Trump made a similar trip last week. But the administration faces a steep challenge: The presidents approval rating has dipped recently, in large part because of frustration over the economy. Trump himself acknowledged to The Wall Street Journal that he was uncertain whether his economic program would ultimately benefit his Republican Party in the midterms. Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz docked at Naval Base Kitsap on Tuesday after completing a 270-day deployment that likely was its last before being retired. Thousands gathered at thel base in Bremerton, Wash., to welcome the carrier's arrival and be reunited with their loved ones serving aboard it. Kimberly Seavey was among them and relished the opportunity to greet husband, Tyler, with a traditional kiss upon completing his deployment. Advertisement Advertisement "This is a very special one for us -- an emotional one for us," Seavy told KING-TV. "I'm really excited," she added. "He'll be getting off the ship, and then he'll come and meet up with me and get a little smoocheroo." Seavey carried a sign that said, "My Christmas wish came true. Welcome home, babe," and said she endured several disheartening events during the deployment. A family member and a pet each died during the past nine months, which she said was hard to undergo while her husband was at sea. The vessel's recent nine-month deployment started March 31, when it sailed from Kitsap to support the U.S. Navy's 3rd, 5th and 7th fleets, according to Navy Times. Advertisement Advertisement "We have traveled more than two-thirds of this planet during this nine-month deployment," Rear Adm. Fred Goldhammer, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, said in a news release. "I cannot overstate the positive impact Nimitz Strike Group has made as part of our mission to maintain peace through strength by sustaining credible deterrence alongside our allies and partners," Goldhammer added. The strike group's deployment included three months in support of the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command and four months supporting Central Command. While with the 5th Fleet, it supported the cease-fire between Israel and Iran and assisted in striking Islamic State targets in Somalia. Advertisement Advertisement During the nine-month deployment, the aircraft carrier's crew flew more than 8,500 sorties totaling 17,000 flight hours. The carrier also participated in 50 replenishments while at sea and sailed more than 82,000 nautical miles. The Nimitz is the world's oldest active aircraft carrier, was launched in 1975 and is scheduled to sail to Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia in 2026 to be decommissioned. The Nimitz is named in honor of Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, who, along with Gen. Douglas MacArthur, jointly led the United States' military against Japan during World War II. The nuclear-powered carrier is the flagship vessel of 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers that were built from 1968 to 2006 by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. in Newport News, Va. The Nimitz's keel was laid in 1968, and the vessel was launched in 1972 and commissioned for service in 1975. Neighbors in Brookline are shaken as police search for clues after a prominent Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor was fatally shot inside the building where he lived on Monday night. Authorities say 47-year-old Nuno Loureiro, a professor of Nuclear Science, Engineering, and Physics at the Cambridge school, was shot around 8:30 p.m. in the foyer of his Gibbs Street building. Loureiro was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died, according to the Norfolk District Attorneys Office. Advertisement Advertisement On Gibbs Street, investigators were seen Tuesday going door-to-door, speaking with potential witnesses and collecting surveillance video. One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, described hearing the gunfire. I heard three loud bangs. I thought it was somebody in our apartment kicking in the door or something, the neighbor told Boston 25 News. Its really a surpriseand a shooting in a state where its hard to have a gun? Loureiro also served as Director of MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center, a key hub for research in nuclear fusion. In a statement, MIT said, Our deepest sympathies are with his family, students, colleagues, and all those who are grieving. Neighbors are wondering whether Loureiro was targetedand some expressed frustration over the lack of information. Advertisement Advertisement After what happened at Brown Universitya professor being shot there and heremaybe theres a connection," Lloyd Rosenthal said. Not sure, but its scary to be in Brookline. Its supposed to be a safe time, and no ones talking. Anne Greenwald added, Its terrible. I dont know what happened or why it happened. Its very scary. Were living in such terrible times right now. Violence seems to be happening everywhere. Authorities have not released any details about a suspect or motive. When asked if Loureiros death was linked to the mass shooting at Brown University, Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Boston, squashed any connection. Advertisement Advertisement At this time, there seems to be no connection, Docks said during a Tuesday update on the Brown investigation. Massachusetts State Police and Brookline police are investigating the killing of Loureiro. 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 HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam Vietnam has revved up its land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea this year, beginning construction on eight previously untouched features in the Spratly Islands. The hotly contested archipelago has been turned from a scattering of low-lying reefs and partially submerged rocks into weaponized artificial islands mainly by China and Vietnam. Analysts say Hanois island-building is a defensive response to Beijings militarization of its South China Sea outposts including those in the Spratly Islands, since 2013. Advertisement Advertisement The South China Sea is a resource-rich waterway and busy shipping lane that trillions of dollars of trade passes through yearly. Six countries have overlapping claims in the sea that stretches about 1.4 million square miles but Beijing has the biggest presence and claims the majority of the territory. Vietnam began its island building push in 2021. With just 11 islands that year, now all 21 Vietnamese-occupied rocks and low-tide elevations in the Spratlys have been expanded to include artificial land. Vietnam had created about 70% as much artificial land in the Spratlys as China had as of March, the Center for Strategic and International Studies Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said in an August report. This all but ensures that Vietnam will match and likely surpass the scale of Beijings island-building, the report said. Hanois foreign press office did not respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Alexander Vuving, professor at Honolulus Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, told Defense News the South China Sea is an existential issue for Vietnam crucial to the countrys economy, security, and national identity. Vietnam right now is one of the major exporting nations in the world and 90% of Vietnams foreign trade exports to the world go through the South China Sea, Vuving said. The South China Sea is also important to Vietnam securitywise, he added. The French came into Vietnam from the sea, and the Americans also came to Vietnam from the sea now you have the Chinese threat. Weaponized islands AMTI satellite imagery taken this year shows that Vietnam is turning five of its claimed features that previously housed only small concrete pillbox structures into military outposts. Advertisement Advertisement These newly fortified reefs Alison Reef, Collins Reef, East Reef, Landsdowne Reef, and Petleys Reef now have munitions storage depots in the form of six containers surrounded and separated by thick walls. Militarization of Vietnams outposts also includes ports, harbors, and an 8,000-foot runway on Barque Canada Reef. AMTI Director Gregory Poling said Hanoi nearing Beijings level of land reclamation matters symbolically but Vietnam will remain overpowered at sea. None of this means that Vietnam is actually capable of projecting power in the same way that China can. Nor does it mean that Vietnam is being as aggressive or as environmentally destructive as China is, Poling said. Vietnam has never, as far as anybody knows, used forces deployed on these islands for aggression toward the other claimants, whereas China does so on a daily basis, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Chinas South China Sea actions include using its maritime militia and coast guard to ram, swarm, and use powerful water cannons on foreign ships and to patrol inside other nations exclusive economic zones. Beijings three largest artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago Mischief Reef, Subi Reef, and Fiery Cross Reef have antiship and antiaircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, underground storage tunnels, and fighter jets. Poling said Hanoi will likely aim to match Beijings ability to forward deploy its coast guard and aircraft to the islands and to improve its intelligence collection. Construction is continuing on Vietnams artificial islands. A Straits Times report described nonstop cranking of towering cranes on South Reef. According to local media reports, soldiers stationed on South Reef are being encouraged to raise chickens and grow vegetables. Advertisement Advertisement Nguyen The Phuong, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of New South Wales focusing on Vietnams military, said Hanoi is taking a defensive stance. The ultimate goal is to be able to defend the islands under Vietnams jurisdiction better and to inflict some kind of maximum damage to China if the worst-case scenario happens, Phuong said from Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam doesnt want to be embroiled in that kind of conflict but we have to be prepared, he said. Geopolitical implications Hanoi has kept a tight lid on its island-building drive wary of provoking its powerful neighbor or being seen as enacting the same kind of bad behavior as Beijing, according to Ray Powell, director of the maritime transparency initiative SeaLight at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University. Advertisement Advertisement Powell, who was serving as U.S. air attache to Vietnam when China kicked off its island-building in 2013, said the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi tried to discourage Vietnam from following Chinas lead. We wanted to have this principled position that any changing of the [South China Sea] status quo was bad, Powell said. He said he believes the U.S. stance has likely shifted. We, the United States, werent able to stop the madness when China did it and so now were going to go and tell Vietnam not to do it? he asked. Washington may even support the effort and see Vietnams land reclamation as making it harder for China to take things by force at some point in the future, he said. Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi did not respond to requests for comment. Although Vietnams navy wanted to start its island-building push as early as 2013, it took until 2021 to gather funds, internal consensus, and dredging technology, Phuong said. Since then, Beijings response has been low profile, he added. The Vietnamese sometimes see Chinese vessels going around the construction site, or sometimes Chinese vessels blocked the movement of vessels transporting goods for construction, Phuong said. Van Pham, the Hanoi-based founder of the nonprofit South China Sea Chronicle Initiative, said Chinese vessels patrolling near Vietnamese outposts rarely appear in local media. Advertisement Advertisement Several years ago, Vietnams state media reported an incident in which a Vietnamese navy supply ship was obstructed by a Chinese vessel en route to a feature in the Spratly Islands. Such reports are rare given Vietnams quiet diplomacy; additional incidents may occur without public disclosure, she wrote. Philippine focus, Hanois timing Analysts see Beijings focus on the Philippines as an opportunity for Vietnam to expand its land. Hanoi also sort of had to wait for the right moment, Powell said, adding that the current Chinese focus on the Philippines and its alliance with the United States has given them that moment. Everything the Philippines does is treated like the Philippines is just a sock puppet and that the Americans are pulling the strings, Poling said. Advertisement Advertisement However, he said it is likely that Chinese authorities have realized that as Vietnamese island building nears completion they cant just pretend its not happening. Vuving said he expects Vietnams island building is seen by most countries as a welcome counterweight to Beijing. China now has four big runways complete with deep-sea harbors and big artificial islands that can serve as dual-use military bases in the middle of the South China Sea. They can literally turn the South China Sea a big sea into a choke point, he said. But Vietnam is now also building a lot of new ground in the middle of the sea and maybe also turning some of their artificial islands into runways and deep-sea harbors so it potentially can also correct the imbalance, he said. By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, Dec 17 - The European Union will expand its carbon border levy - a fee charged on imports of high-emission goods - to cover car parts and washing machines, according to draft European Commission proposals due to be published on Wednesday. The proposals also aim to tighten loopholes that the Commission worries could allow foreign firms to dodge the fee, which is currently in a pilot phase and will start imposing costs from January. More from Yahoo Scout What are trading partners' main objections to CBAM? How will EU prevent companies from dodging carbon fees? What new products will EU carbon border levy cover? How will CBAM revenue support European manufacturers? The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism - the world's first carbon border tariff - will impose fees on the CO2 emissions of imported goods including steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers. The policy, known as CBAM, is designed to shield European industries against cheaper imports from countries with weaker climate rules. But it has irritated trading partners including China, India and South Africa, which say it unfairly penalises their economies. EU SEEKS TO AVERT WORKAROUNDS Despite these objections, draft EU legal proposals seen by Reuters on Tuesday showed the bloc will double down on the carbon border fee: expanding it to cover downstream products that use a high share of steel and aluminium, including construction products, power grid components and machinery. Leon de Graaf, acting president of the "Business for CBAM Coalition" of companies and industry groups, welcomed the EU plans, which he said targeted "products that face the highest risk of carbon leakage" - the risk that manufacturers relocate abroad to avoid Europe's strict climate policies. The EU also plans to clamp down on foreign companies if there is evidence they are under-reporting their emissions to dodge the levy. In this scenario, the EU could impose "default" emissions values on that country's products, resulting in a higher CBAM bill, according to sources familiar with the plans, which could still change before they are published. That aims to address concerns among EU officials that foreign companies - in particular those in China - could strategically adjust by sending low-carbon products to Europe, while continuing to produce high-carbon goods for other markets. This would allow them to dodge the EU levy without making their overall production any greener. A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the draft plans. While CBAM will charge importers for the emissions associated with their imports from 2026, companies will have until September 2027 to buy and surrender CBAM certificates to the EU to comply. Since Brussels announced its carbon border levy in 2021, China, India and Brazil - while criticising the EU policy - have begun developing or expanding their own carbon pricing systems. Vocelli Pizza plans to add three US stores in early 2026 as its nationwide rollout continues. In Dalton in the state of Georgia, multiunit franchisees are due to open a dinein location in January within the Crown Cotton Mill redevelopment. Originally constructed in 1884, the building is a mixeduse site with shops, restaurants, event spaces and loft apartments. The outlet will be the brands second opening in Georgia, and its fourth dine-in location. It will feature live music, pool tables, bingo nights, beer and wine service, and a weekend brunch offer. Advertisement Advertisement In Texas, a franchised unit in Katy is scheduled for March 2026 at 2941 W Grand Parkway, North Katy. The store is Vocelli's first entry to the Houston market and will introduce regionalised offerings that include Halal options. Vocelli Pizza CEO Toni Bianco stated: "The team is excited to introduce Vocelli Pizza to Houston with a full Halal menu. "There is a clear demand for high-quality Halal pizza and delivery options, and we are proud to meet that need while bringing our brand to a new and dynamic market." In Rockville, Maryland, a location is expected to reopen under a franchisee with longstanding links to the company, supported by a former employee who has become a franchisee. Advertisement Advertisement The Maryland unit is targeted for a February 2026 launch and will be the brands 17th location in the state. Bianco stated: "We are thrilled to continue our growth into new communities that share our passion for quality, service and authentic Italian-inspired food. "Our expansion into Dalton and Houston reflects the strong demand for our brand, and we look forward to delivering an exceptional experience to guests in both markets." Vocelli Pizza plans to open 11 new US locations in 2026. In October 2025, the company signed a franchise agreement with an entrepreneur and his family to develop three outlets in Grand Junction, Colorado. Advertisement Advertisement "Vocelli Pizza plans three US openings for early 2026" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. I voted for Trump 3 times I think Trump is doing a great job as president. I voted for him three times. But the way he handled the killing of Rob and Michele Reiner was totally inappropriate. He needs to just shut up at times. You don't talk that way about a person right after they were murdered, no matter what you think. Show some respect and dignity. He needs to apologize to the family. Gayle Paytes, Cincinnati Totally depraved I just read about President Donald Trump's public response to the murder of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle. He has proven himself to be totally DEPRAVED. Advertisement Advertisement Totally unacceptable. Every politician and religious leader in our country should be expressing outrage. Trump should look in the mirror if he wants to see what is dividing this country and ruining our Democracy. Helene Cweren, Columbus The coward in chief There is no smaller man than a coward at a heros funeral. an Irish proverb That coward is our president, Donald J. Trump. Patricia Wynn Brown, Columbus Minnesota problem In recent days, I've read letters to the editor in the Dispatch stating we need Somalians in central Ohio. I'm not certain about the economic situation in Ohio but in Minnesota they have a big problem. The Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advocates for limited immigration, reports that nearly every (Minnesota) Somali household with children (89 percent) receives some form of welfare. Advertisement Advertisement Michael J. Loehrer, Dublin Indiana integrity The events in Indiana present a notable case study in the ongoing struggle for political integrity and fair representation in American democracy. When faced with significant pressure from President Donald Trump and other influential figures within the Republican Party, Indiana's GOP-led Senate's decision to reject a gerrymandering campaign reflects their commendable commitment to the principles of democracy. The Republican senators who voted against the redistricting received death threats, public shaming, and Trumps own vow to withhold his support. The issue of gerrymandering has become a national concern for Trump because he is worried about the results of the 2026 election. Advertisement Advertisement More: As threats to politicians mount, state police mum on investigation Trump needs to be more responsive to the current issues affecting all Americans, such as healthcare, affordability, social justice, and climate change. If he responded to real-world issues, he would not need gerrymandering to ensure that the Republicans win in 2026. I view the Indiana Senates vote as a beacon of hope for democracy. I hope other states, especially Ohio, will step away from considering gerrymandering. Ann Heffernan, Columbus This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: I am a Trump supporter. He should shut up about Rob Reiner | Letter The National Science Foundation will dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced Tuesday night, the latest salvo in the Trump administrations push to gut federally funded climate research. This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country, Vought wrote in a post on X. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, and in operation since 1960, NCAR has long provided universities and academics with state-of-the-art resources to perform advanced earth system research. Advertisement Advertisement Its loss, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said in a statement Tuesday, would mean science is being attacked. NCAR delivers data around severe weather events like fires and floods that help our country save lives and property, and prevent devastation for families, he said. If these cuts move forward we will lose our competitive advantage against foreign powers and adversaries in the pursuit of scientific discovery. USA Today was the first to report the administrations plans to break up the research center. The Trump administration previously made major cuts to the National Weather Service, a move critics blamed for a slow federal response to flooding in Texas and potentially hampering preparation for hurricane season claims the White House vehemently denied. Advertisement Advertisement Vought said elements of NCAR's work would remain in other channels. A comprehensive review is underway & any vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location, he wrote. Tucker Carlson claimed in a Wednesday interview that a member of Congress told him lawmakers were briefed that President Donald Trump is announcing war is coming tonight. Carlson joined Andrew Napolitano on his Judging Freedom podcast on Wednesday where they discussed growing tensions with Venezuela over strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, as well as Trumps address to the nation, scheduled for tonight. Is Trump going to start a war in Venezuela? Napolitano asked Carlson. Advertisement Advertisement According to Carlson, members of Congress were briefed on Trumps plans, though he added he does not know the actual contents of Trumps address. Heres what I know so far, which is that members of Congress were briefed yesterday that a war is coming and itll be announced in the address to the nation tonight at nine oclock by the president, Carlson said. Who knows, by the way, if thatll actually happen. The former Fox News host claimed he was told about the briefing by a member of Congress that morning. Notably, Axioss Marc Caputo, who is well-sourced inside the Trump White House, reacted to Carlsons comments, saying, My sources say this wasnt briefed & this announcement isnt happening at 9. Advertisement Advertisement Carlson is opposed to military action in Venezuela, arguing it would be repeating foreign policy mistakes of the past. Theres not been a regime change effort thats benefitted the United States or the world in 80 years that Im aware of, he said. Trump has repeatedly accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of being at the head of a narco terrorist smuggling operation. Maduros election victory has long been contested, with U.S. and global officials casting doubt on the results. The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping. For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, Trump announced this week. Advertisement Advertisement The president has also set his sights on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, responding to his criticism of recent boat strikes by warning him he could have big problems soon. Hes gonna have himself some big problems if he doesnt wise up, Trump told reporters. Did he say Colombias producing a lot of drugs? They have cocaine factories that they make cocaine, as you know, and they sell it right into the United States. So he better wise up or hell be next. The post War is Coming: Tucker Carlson Says a Member of Congress Told Him What Trump Is Announcing Tonight first appeared on Mediaite. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), seen during a July 2019 hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., was reelected in the 2024 election to a sixth term in the U.S. House. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of two Republicans representing Washington state in Congress, will not run for reelection next year. Serving the Fourth District of Washington has been the honor of my life, and this decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress, he said in a statement Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Newhouse, 70, of Sunnyside, was first elected to Congress in 2014. Before that, he served in the Washington House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009. Then, for four years, he was director of the state Department of Agriculture under then-Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat. Newhouses family operates an 850-acre farm. He was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. And he is one of two among that group who is still serving in Congress. The 4th Congressional District has been represented by Republicans since the early 1990s. In 2026, Newhouse was facing a potential rematch with Jerrod Sessler, a businessman whom Trump endorsed in his challenge against Newhouse in 2024. In that election cycle, Republican contender Tiffany Smiley also ran in the primary. Smiley, who lost a run against Patty Murray for her U.S. Senate seat in 2022, has not held elected office and is known for her work as a veterans advocate. Advertisement Advertisement At least one Democrat is mounting a bid for the 4th District seat next year: John Duresky, a retired Air Force officer who also worked at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site. The last Democrat to win a U.S. House seat in the 4th was former Gov. Jay Inslee. He won in 1992, but lost reelection after one term to Doc Hastings, a Republican, who held the seat until retiring in 2015. The 4th Congressional District in central Washington stretches from the Canadian border to the Oregon state line. It includes the agriculture-heavy Yakima Valley, the Yakama Indian Reservation, and the Tri-Cities. Newhouses announcement comes midway through his sixth term, one he said he was looking forward to because he would be in the House majority. With Republicans also in charge in the Senate and a GOP president, he foresaw his party accomplishing good things for the country. Advertisement Advertisement Sessler, of Prosser, is a Navy veteran and founded a company called HomeTask, a website that connects customers to local home service providers. Newhouses early notice that hes not running creates the potential for a Republican-packed primary next August, similar to 2022 when six Republicans, including Sessler, ran against Newhouse because of his impeachment vote. That year, Sessler lost in the primary. This is a developing story. Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A Colorado neighborhood came together to successfully protest the ordered removal of an inflatable Santa Claus that stands at 28 feet tall. Dora Flores and her family erected the inflatable Santa, which stands taller than their house, in their yard in Severance. "We saved up money throughout the year to be able to purchase Santa," Flores told KUSA-TV. "People were driving by taking pictures with their children." Advertisement Advertisement Flores said the merriment proved short-lived, as they soon received a letter from Fromm and Company saying the decoration was a violation of homeowner's association policy. "The Santa Claus located in your backyard is excessive in height and not permitted. Please remove immediately," the letter reads. Flores said the letter did not include any specific height regulations, but did threaten fines if the order was not obeyed promptly. Neighbors joined the Flores family in protesting the order, with multiple residents reaching out to HOA management, participating in social media campaigns and erecting inflatables of their own. Advertisement Advertisement Support extended beyond signs. Across the street, neighbor put up his own inflatable. "Definitely now, I won't take it down," neighbor Cody Bowden said of his own inflatable. "I don't see that this is anything offensive or anything wrong." The protests appear to have had an effect, with Flores receiving permission to return Santa to his place of honor. "This morning I did receive a call from the upper management of our HOA apologizing and letting us know that we can keep Santa, and letting us know that it was a mistake on their behalf," Flores told KDVR-TV. John Andrew Maddi, 39, of Clinton Township, has been charged after police say he admitted Dec. 15 to framing his former coworker Korin Carl of emailing antisemitic messages to the owner of a Honesdale business, who told state police he is of Jewish descent. Carl was first charged with the crime, and a press release from the Wayne County District Attorneys Office was sent to the media at 11:32 a.m. on Dec. 15. After Maddi came forward to state police at 2:15 p.m., a second press release went out Dec. 16, saying that all charges against Carl had been dropped, and instead charges were lodged against Maddi. The criminal complaint filed by Trooper Christine Lashinski states that on Dec. 7, the owner reported receiving an email with an address identifying Carl, a former employee of the business, as the sender. Advertisement Advertisement The email contained three caricatures, two of which were antisemitic and one depicting a swastika. The email also included explicit antisemitic language that placed the victims in fear for their safety, the complaint states. After Carl was initially charged, the complaint states that on the afternoon of Dec. 15, Maddi arrived at PSP Honesdale and reported that he had to confess to a crime he committed and wanted to clear the name of the individual who has been falsely accused. Trooper George Weitz advised Maddi of his Miranda Warning prior to speaking further. Maddi said he wanted to continue speaking, according to police. According to the complaint, Maddi said he was hired at the company in February 2025. He said that he worked with Carl from mid-February to mid-March. He related that he thought everything was going well but received a call from them sometime in March firing him out of nowhere, the complaint says. Maddi said that he was told that Carl was complaining about him behind his back. Advertisement Advertisement Maddi said that although they invited him to come back about two weeks later after Carl left the business, he felt that it was not a good fit for him and felt they did him dirty, the complaint says. He related that he decided to get back at her by playing a tasteless prank against her, the complaint says. Maddi said that he created a Yahoo email in Carls identity and emailed the business with a subject line with the ruse that the sender wanted to do business as a customer, according to the complaint. The defendant continued to relate that the email contained antisemitic in nature verbiage, and images, the complaint says. He also stated in the email, "I believe your people should be exterminated," and claimed to have recently become a neo-Nazi. Advertisement Advertisement After seeing his former coworker Carl on the news on Dec. 15, accused of the crime, he wanted to take responsibility, the complaint filed against Maddi says. The defendant turned his computer over to the state police and identified the email address that had been used. Maddi was charged with ethnic intimidation and criminal use of communication facility, third-degree felonies; terroristic threats, identity theft and forgery, first-degree misdemeanors; and additional misdemeanors. Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com. This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wayne Co. man put old coworker's name on antisemitic email, police say Three days after the deadly mass shooting at Brown University, the search continues for the person authorities believe is responsible. While a person of interest was previously detained on Sunday, Dec. 14, they were released after there was a lack of evidence connecting them to the shooting. However, law enforcement released better images and video on Dec. 15 of the subject, as well as some additional information about the tragedy, like the weapon that was used. What was the weapon used in the Brown University shooting? The Brown University shooter targeted the university and used a 9mm firearm, Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez said at a 5 p.m. press conference at the Providence Public Safety Complex on Dec. 15. Providence Chief of Police, Colonel Oscar Perez updates the press on Brown University shooting during a Monday evening press conference at the Providence Public Safety building on Dec 15, 2025. Perez said that the perpetrator fired several rounds from the small caliber weapon. Advertisement Advertisement The shots killed two and injured nine. What is a 9mm firearm? A 9mm firearm refers to the ammunition, and covers any weapon that uses ammunition that measures 9 millimeters in diameter. It covers mostly handguns. According to the Springfield Armory, a firearms manufacturer, 9mm handguns are the most popular self-defense round in the world. They describe the gun as the ultimate do-everything firearm. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Brown University shooting: What we know about the weapon A female employee claims she was attacked at a state-run facility for high-risk sex offenders in Pierce County after officials failed to prevent the assailants longstanding sexual harassment against women workers. Jennifer Braun, a milieu specialist at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island, was cornered by a facility resident, identified in court records only as P.M., and punched multiple times, including in the face and head, in October 2023, according to a lawsuit filed Dec. 10 in Pierce County Superior Court. The assault purportedly left Braun with a head injury, scalp contusion and other bodily harm. Immediately after the attack, P.M. stated that his intention for the attack was that he wanted sex from Braun, the lawsuit said. Advertisement Advertisement The complaint, filed against the facility and its operator, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, alleges that Braun was targeted because of her gender and that the agency knew about the mans lengthy criminal history of violent sexual assaults against women and his sexual harassment of female staff, who feared being in his presence. The Special Commitment Center is a mental health treatment facility for Level 3 sex offenders who have finished their prison sentences and are legally ordered to undergo rehabilitation until deemed eligible to transition back into society. The center was the subject this fall of work walk-outs by employees seeking better pay and conditions amid contract negotiations, The News Tribune reported in September. Despite the mans sexualized, violent language and conduct toward women and documented history of multiple assaults against female peers and staff of a sexual nature, the Special Commitment Center didnt step up, the suit said. SCC Management knew, through complaints or other circumstances, of (the residents) language and conduct, and failed to take reasonably prompt and adequate corrective action reasonably designed to end it, the suit said. Advertisement Advertisement A DSHS spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations, citing the agencys practice of not publicly speaking about pending litigation. In an interview Tuesday, attorney Janelle E. Chase Fazio, who represents Braun, said that DSHS has a legal responsibility like any other employer to take adequate remedial steps to address bad workplace behavior, whether its from an employee or a third party. Any employer just cant look the other way and wait for someone to be hurt, she said. Prior to the attack on Oct. 31, 2023, the resident had escaped his unit, after a security door was erroneously unlocked, ran toward the staff desk area where Braun was standing and jumped over a counter to get to her, according to the suit. In the aftermath of the assault, Braun continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, vision loss, headaches, nightmares and insomnia, the suit said. The complaint, which claims that the Special Commitment Center violated Brauns right to be free from a hostile work environment and gender discrimination under the Washington Law Against Discrimination, is seeking unspecified damages to be proven at trial and legal fees. At a glance Westbrook Christian School has purchased the STEM lab at the Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama through a naming opportunity. The partnership will support mission-based STEM programming for middle school students from Westbrook and other schools across northeast Alabama. The center said the labs programming will align with Alabamas middle school Course of Study. RAINBOW CITY Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama has entered a partnership with Westbrook Christian School that includes the school purchasing the centers STEM lab through a naming opportunity. Advertisement Advertisement The organizations said the agreement is intended to expand hands-on, inquiry-based science, technology, engineering and mathematics programming for middle school students. Westbrook Christian will collaborate with the Challenger Learning Center to offer immersive, mission-based learning experiences aimed at building problem-solving skills and encouraging interest in STEM careers. We are honored to partner with Westbrook Christian School and deeply grateful for their investment in Challenger Learning Center, Dr. Farrah Hayes, the executive director of Challenger Learning Center, said. Their support provides transformative opportunities for middle school students and strengthens the regional STEM pipeline. This collaboration helps ensure that students in public, private and homeschool groups have access to high-quality STEM experiences that prepare them for the careers of tomorrow. The newly named STEM lab will host hands-on activities, engineering challenges and technology-based programming that the center said are aligned with the Alabama State Department of Educations Course of Study for middle schools. Supporting Challenger Learning Center allows us to extend meaningful STEM experiences not only to our own students but to young learners across the region, Rachel Neal, headmaster of Westbrook, said. We believe in the power of STEM education to shape future leaders, and we are proud to partner with an organization that brings learning to life in such a powerful way. Advertisement Advertisement Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama said it continues to expand partnerships focused on workforce development and STEM readiness for students in a 12-county region. For more information about partnerships or programming, contact Hayes at fhayes@challengeral.org. The project falls under the country's semiconductor strategy, which state media has identified as being run by Xi Jinping confidant Ding Xuexiang, who heads the Communist Party's Central Science and Technology Commission. The breakthrough marks the culmination of a six-year government initiative to achieve semiconductor self-sufficiency, one of President Xi Jinping's highest priorities. While China's semiconductor goals have been public, the Shenzhen EUV project has been conducted in secret, according to the people. Chinese authorities did not respond to requests for comment. But those close to the project say a more realistic target is 2030, which is still years earlier than the decade that analysts believed it would take China to match the West on chips. The availability of parts from older ASML machines on secondary markets has allowed China to build a domestic prototype, with the government setting a goal of producing working chips on the prototype by 2028, according to the two people. Nevertheless, China still faces major technical challenges, particularly in replicating the precision optical systems that Western suppliers produce. In April, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet said that China would need "many, many years" to develop such technology. But the existence of this prototype, reported by Reuters for the first time, suggests China may be years closer to achieving semiconductor independence than analysts anticipated. China's machine is operational and successfully generating extreme ultraviolet light, but has not yet produced working chips, the people said. EUV machines sit at the heart of a technological Cold War. They use beams of extreme ultraviolet light to etch circuits thousands of times thinner than a human hair onto silicon wafers, currently a capability monopolized by the West. The smaller the circuits, the more powerful the chips. Completed in early 2025 and now undergoing testing, the prototype fills nearly an entire factory floor. It was built by a team of former engineers from Dutch semiconductor giant ASML who reverse-engineered the company's extreme ultraviolet lithography machines or EUVs, according to two people with knowledge of the project. SINGAPORE, Dec 17 (Reuters) - In a high-security Shenzhen laboratory, Chinese scientists have built what Washington has spent years trying to prevent: a prototype of a machine capable of producing the cutting-edge semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence , smartphones and weapons central to Western military dominance, Reuters has learned. Story continues Chinese electronics giant Huawei plays a key role coordinating a web of companies and state research institutes across the country involving thousands of engineers, according to the two people and a third source. The people described it as China's version of the Manhattan Project, the U.S. wartime effort to develop the atomic bomb. The aim is for China to eventually be able to make advanced chips on machines that are entirely China-made, one of the people said. "China wants the United States 100% kicked out of its supply chains." Huawei, the State Council of China, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, and China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology did not respond to requests for comment. Until now, only one company has mastered EUV technology: ASML, headquartered in Veldhoven, Netherlands. Its machines, which cost around $250 million, are indispensable for manufacturing the most advanced chips designed by companies like Nvidia and AMDand produced by chipmakers such as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung. ASML built its first working prototype of EUV technology in 2001, and told Reuters it took nearly two decades and billions of euros in R&D spending before it produced its first commercially-available chips in 2019. It makes sense that companies would want to replicate our technology, but doing so is no small feat, ASML told Reuters in a statement. ASML's EUV systems are currently available to U.S. allies including Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Starting in 2018, the United States began pressuring the Netherlands to block ASML from selling EUV systems to China. The restrictions expanded in 2022, when the Biden administration imposed sweeping export controls designed to cut off China's access to advanced semiconductor technology. No EUV system has ever been sold to a customer in China, ASML told Reuters. The controls targeted not just EUV systems but also older deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines that produce less-advanced chips like Huaweis, aiming to keep China at least a generation behind in chipmaking capabilities. The U.S. State Department said the Trump Administration has strengthened enforcement of export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and is working with partners "to close loopholes as technology advances. The Dutch Ministry of Defence said the Netherlands is developing policies requiring knowledge institutions to perform personnel screenings to prevent access to sensitive technology by individuals that have ill intentions or who are at risk of being pressured. Export restrictions have slowed China's progress toward semiconductor self-sufficiency for years, and constrained advanced chip production at Huawei, the two people and a third person said. The sources spoke on condition they not be identified due to the confidentiality of the project. CHINA'S MANHATTAN PROJECT One veteran Chinese engineer from ASML recruited to the project was surprised to find that his generous signing bonus came with an identification card issued under a false name, according to one of the people, who was familiar with his recruitment. Once inside, he recognized other former ASML colleagues who were also working under aliases and was instructed to use their fake names at work to maintain secrecy, the person said. Another person independently confirmed that recruits were given fake IDs to conceal their identities from other workers inside the secure facility. The guidance was clear, the two people said: Classified under national security, no one outside the compound could know what they were buildingor that they were there at all. The team includes recently retired, Chinese-born former ASML engineers and scientistsprime recruitment targets because they possess sensitive technical knowledge but face fewer professional constraints after leaving the company, the people said. Two current ASML employees of Chinese nationality in the Netherlands told Reuters they have been approached by recruiters from Huawei since at least 2020. Huawei did not respond to requests for comment. European privacy laws limit ASML's ability to track former employees. Though employees sign non-disclosure agreements, enforcing them across borders has proven difficult. ASML won an $845 million judgment in 2019 against a former Chinese engineer accused of stealing trade secrets, but the defendant filed for bankruptcy and continues to operate in Beijing with Chinese government support, according to court documents. ASML told Reuters that it vigilantly guards trade secrets and confidential information. "While ASML cannot control or restrict where former employees work, all employees are bound by the confidentiality clauses in their contracts," the company said, and it has "successfully pursued legal action in response to the theft of trade secrets. Reuters was unable to determine if any legal actions have been taken against former ASML employees involved in Chinas lithography program. The company said it safeguards EUV knowledge by ensuring only select employees can access the information even inside the company. Dutch intelligence warned in an April report that China "used extensive espionage programmes in its attempts to obtain advanced technology and knowledge from Western countries," including recruiting "Western scientists and employees of high-tech companies. The ASML veterans made the breakthrough in Shenzhen possible, the people said. Without their intimate knowledge of the technology, reverse-engineering the machines would have been nearly impossible. Their recruitment was part of an aggressive drive China launched in 2019 for semiconductor experts working abroad, offering signing bonuses that started at 3 million to 5 million yuan ($420,000 to $700,000) and home-purchase subsidies, according to a Reuters review of government policy documents. Recruits included Lin Nan, ASML's former head of light source technology, whose team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shanghai Institute of Optics has filed eight patents on EUV light sources in 18 months, according to patent filings. The Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics did not respond to requests for comment. Lin could not be reached for comment. Two additional people familiar with Chinas recruitment efforts said some naturalized citizens of other countries were given Chinese passports and allowed to maintain dual citizenship. China officially prohibits dual citizenship and did not answer questions on issuing passports. Chinese authorities did not respond to requests for comment. INSIDE CHINA'S EUV FAB ASML's most advanced EUV systems are roughly the size of a school bus, and weigh 180 tons. After failed attempts to replicate its size, the prototype inside the Shenzhen lab became many times larger to improve its power, according to the two people. The Chinese prototype is crude compared to ASML's machines but operational enough for testing, the people said. China's prototype lags behind ASML's machines largely because researchers have struggled to obtain optical systems like those from Germany's Carl Zeiss AG, one of ASML's key suppliers, the two people said. Zeiss declined to comment. The machines fire lasers at molten tin 50,000 times per second, generating plasma at 200,000 degrees Celsius. The light is focused using mirrors that take months to produce, according to Zeiss' website. China's top research institutes have played key roles in developing homegrown alternatives, according to the two people. The Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CIOMP) achieved a breakthrough in integrating extreme-ultraviolet light into the prototype's optical system, enabling it to become operational in early 2025, one of the people said, though the optics still require significant refinement. CIOMP did not respond to requests for comment. In a March online recruitment call on its website, the institute said it was offering "uncapped" salaries to PhD lithography researchers and research grants worth up to 4 million yuan ($560,000) plus 1 million yuan ($140,000) in personal subsidies. Jeff Koch, an analyst at research firm SemiAnalysis and a former ASML engineer, said China will have achieved "meaningful progress if the light source has enough power, is reliable, and doesnt generate too much contamination. "No doubt this is technically feasible, it's just a question of timeline," he said. "China has the advantage that commercial EUV now exists, so they aren't starting from zero." To get the required parts, China is salvaging components from older ASML machines and sourcing parts from ASML suppliers through secondhand markets, the two people said. Networks of intermediary companies are sometimes used to mask the ultimate buyer, the people said. Export-restricted components from Japans Nikon and Canon are being used for the prototype, one of the people and an additional source said. Nikon declined to comment. Canon said it was not aware of such reports. The Japanese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. International banks regularly auction older semiconductor fabrication equipment, the sources said. Auctions in China sold older ASML lithography equipment as recently as October 2025, according to a review of listings on Alibaba Auction, an Alibaba-owned platform. A team of around 100 recent university graduates is focused on reverse-engineering components from both EUV and DUV lithography machines, according to the people. Each worker's desk is filmed by an individual camera to document their efforts to disassemble and reassemble partswork the people described as key to China's lithography efforts. Staffers who successfully reassemble a component receive bonuses, the people said. HUAWEI SCIENTISTS SLEEP ON-SITE While the EUV project is run by the Chinese government, Huawei is involved in every step of the supply chain from chip design and fabrication equipment to manufacturing and final integration into products like smartphones, according to four people familiar with Huaweis operations. CEO Ren Zhengfei briefs senior Chinese leaders on progress, according to one of the people. The U.S. placed Huawei on an entity list in 2019, banning American companies from doing business with them without a license. Huawei has deployed employees to offices, fabrication plants, and research centers across the country for the effort. Employees assigned to semiconductor teams often sleep on-site and are barred from returning home during the work week, with phone access restricted for teams handling more sensitive tasks, according to the people. Inside Huawei, few employees know the scope of this work. "The teams are kept isolated from each other to protect the confidentiality of the project," one of the people said. They don't know what the other teams work on. (Reporting by Fanny Potkin in Singapore, additional reporting by Alexandra Alper in Washington, editing by Ken Li and Michael Learmonth) By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The White House has installed new plaques beneath photos of former leaders on President Donald Trump's "Presidential Walk of Fame" at the White House that sharply criticize his Democratic predecessors. The plaques are a striking addition because both Republicans and Democrats have traditionally viewed the historic building as a symbol of national unity. Trump, however, has not shied from using the White House as a stage for his more combative style of politics and for rewriting history. Advertisement Advertisement The plaque beneath President Joe Biden's photo reads: "Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President in American history." It falsely accuses him of winning the "most corrupt election ever" and claims he made "unprecedented use of the autopen." Biden, whom Trump succeeded this year, is the only president not to have a portrait and is instead represented by a photo of an autopen, a mechanical device that replicates a signature with a pen or other writing implement. Another plaque refers to "Barack Hussein Obama," the first Black U.S. president, and describes the two-term president as "one of the most divisive political figures in American history." Many U.S. presidential historians view Trump as the most polarizing in U.S. history. Advertisement Advertisement The plaque accompanying Bill Clinton's photo reads: "In 2016, President Clinton's wife, Hillary Clinton, lost the Presidency to President Donald J. Trump!" The "Presidential Walk of Fame" is a recent addition during Trump's second term, featuring portraits of past presidents displayed along corridors between the Oval Office and the South Lawn. Even former President George W. Bush, a fellow Republican but not a Trump supporter, does not escape criticism. His plaque says Bush started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, "both of which should not have happened." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the plaques were an "eloquent" description of each president's legacy. Advertisement Advertisement "As a student of history, many were written directly by the President himself," she said in a statement. The changes are part of broader changes to White House decor under Trump, including an expanded use of gold-colored accents and gilded fixtures reminiscent of Trump Tower in New York and the president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Ross Colvin and Daniel Wallis) The Pacific Northwest is in for more dangerous weather this week as heavy rains and snow dominate the region once again. Rainfall of 2 to 12 inches over the past several days, with locally higher amounts to 17 inches, has increased soil moisture to very high levels across western Washington. This amount of rain will put extra pressure on soil instability, leading to an increased threat of landslides and debris flows, especially from recent burned areas," a report from the Weather Channel said earlier this week. Heavy Snow Expected to Fall in the northern Cascades, Rockies On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Warning for a significant portion of Washington as the region braces for up to three feet of snow. Advertisement Advertisement "Heavy snow will occur over much of the northern Cascades this evening before expanding into the southern Cascades beginning Wednesday morning, after the passage of a potent cold front. Several feet of snow are expected to accumulate over the Cascades and Olympics by Thursday morning," the NWS said. "Rain and mountain snow spread into the Northern Rockies, where 1-2 feet (isolated higher amounts possible) may accumulate on Wednesday. Wind, winter, and flooding related watches and warnings are in effect for much of the Northwest for the next couple of days at least." Total snow accumulations 10 to 20 inches at Stevens Pass and 18 to 36 inches at Mount Baker. Winds gusting as high as 65 mph. NWS Warns Against Travel in the Region The National Weather Service issued a stark warning against traveling in the region saying, "travel could be very difficult to impossible." For those deciding to travel anyway, the NWS urged extra precaution and supplies. Advertisement Advertisement "If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Prepare for possible power outages. Persons should consider delaying all travel. Motorists should use extreme caution if travel is absolutely necessary," it said. The Winter Weather Warning is active from Tuesday morning through Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. PT. Related: Netflix Quietly Cancels New Show 3 Months After Debut This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Dec 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Over the last several days, America has been rocked by a series of intense winter storms that have forced millions to shelter in place to avoid severe dangers. When weather conditions are that harsh for an extended period, people often look forward to one thing, when things will improve. Unfortunately, many people won't be seeing relief anytime soon. Officials in America are yet again being forced to warn their constituents about the serious dangers that are coming due to incoming blizzards. The most important detail from those warnings for people to remember is that a serious influx of snowy weather is set to make travel seriously dangerous. American Officials Warn That 18 Inches of Snow Will Make Travel 'Very Difficult,' as They Tell People To Stay Home 'Unless It Is an Emergency' CALIFORNIA, USA - MARCH 1: A view snow of blanketed Highway 89 in Truckee, California, United States on March 1, 2024 as blizzard warning issued for California's Sierra Nevada. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) On December 16, 2025, Newsweek published an article warning readers of another wave of harsh winter weather set to arrive. That article stated that blizzard conditions are set to rock the populations of Washington and Alaska in the coming hours. Both areas are set to face a combination of heavy snowfall and dangerous wind conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately for the occupants of Washington, Newsweek reported that The Cascades of Snohomish, northern King counties, the Cascades of Whatcom, and Skagit counties will face 10 to 18 inches of snow and 35 mph winds. Other parts of Washington, like Stevens Pass, Stehekin, and Holden Village, are expected to be hit with less snow, only 4 to 8 inches. However, they are forecasted to be hit with 50 mph winds, which it is believed will seriously reduce visibility. Similarly, areas of Alaska are expected to receive 7 inches of snow, but be severely affected due to incoming 40 mph winds. Those areas include the City of Hyder, eastern Chichagof Island, and the City and Borough of Juneau. Newsweek also listed other parts of Alaska that are expected to face winter conditions like snow and wind. Those areas include Chichagof Island, Juneau, Cape Fairweather, Petersburg Borough, western Kupreanof Island, Kuiu Island, Prince of Wales Island, and the City and Borough of Sitka. As a result of those wintery conditions, officials covering both regions are warning the affected population to act accordingly. The National Weather Service for Alaska warned residents to stay home unless they absolutely have to travel. "Travel will be very difficult and is discouraged unless it is an emergency. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute." The National Weather Service for Washington warned the affected population to be prepared if they choose to travel. "Have a winter emergency driving kit readily available. Common items to include: flashlight, batteries, blankets, a shovel, water, non-perishable food items, tire chains, etc." Advertisement Advertisement Newsweek's coverage of the coming winter conditions ended with a further warning. The outlet stated that residents of Alaska and Washington could face additional winter storms even after these conditions pass. This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Dec 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Honolulu firefighters today rescued a couple, including an injured 29-year-old woman, from the Koolau Summit Trail after they spent a night in the mountains. The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call just before 5 :30 p.m. Monday for the two hikers after the woman reportedly fell about 30 feet from the trail located above the Kuliouou Ridge Trail. Her hiking companion, a 30-year-old man, was able to make his way down to her location, where they waited for assistance. Advertisement Advertisement Six units with 19 personnel responded to the call, but due to the steep terrain, weather, and darkness, HFD determined that rescue via its Air 1 helicopter would be too dangerous. Firefighters then initiated a ground rescue mission to reach the couple by foot, which continued until 1 :16 a.m. before it was suspended. The search resumed at first light this morning, but due to inclement weather and low cloud cover, HFD once again determined direct aerial access was impossible. Rescue personnel were inserted along Kuliouou Ridge Trail below the cloud layer at about 9 :09 a.m., where they then hiked up to the Koolau Summit Trail by foot to conduct a search. Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters arrived just before 11 a.m. at the couples location, where they conducted a medical assessment and offered basic life support treatment. Using multiple rope systems, firefighters lowered the injured woman to an area free of tree canopy and below the cloud cover, where the Air 1 helicopter hoisted her and took her to a nearby landing zone. Honolulu Emergency Medical Services took over care of the woman at about 1 :15 p.m. Waialae Iki Neighborhood Park. Paramedics administered life-saving treatment for the woman, who suffered head, neck, leg, arm and back injuries along with abrasions. Advertisement Advertisement EMS said she remained conscious as she was rushed to an emergency room in serious condition. Firefighters, meanwhile, are actively escorting her male companion back up the ridgeline in order to make their way back down the trail. Due to the dangerous terrain and inclement weather, the remainder of the rescue operation will be extensive, said HFD in a news release. The hikers are reportedly a couple in their 30s visiting Hawaii from out of state. HFD recommends that hikers check on weather conditions for the latest forecast before heading out, and that they monitor the weather while on the hike. Advertisement Advertisement Honolulu experienced heavy and intense downpours, along with some thunderstorms, over the past three days, which led to flooded roads on Sunday. The National Weather Service had issued a flood advisory for Oahu, which was effective on Sunday, then became a through late Monday night. 12 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? . This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com As communities reel from devastating flooding, Washington leaders are pushing to allocate local dollars and secure additional federal aid. King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced Tuesday that the county will direct $1.5 million toward debris removal and shelter assistance as hundreds of residents remain displaced. We are here, were working around the clock to support our communities. This is a very challenging time, but we will get through it, Zahilay said. Advertisement Advertisement He noted the funding will be used for residents who have been hit the hardest. Governor Bob Ferguson said the state is moving quickly to provide emergency assistance to those displaced and is working to release $3.5 million for short-term aid. He added that once officials have more detailed information about where the funding will be used, they will release it to the public. Ferguson noted the federal emergency declaration from President Donald Trump provided support for immediate action, but not for specific individuals. He is working with local governments to secure additional funding, but officials must first document that they meet federal requirements to qualify for aid. We are doing everything we possibly can to get you help right away, Ferguson said. Advertisement Advertisement Both Ferguson and Robert Ezelle, director at the Washington Emergency Management Division, praised the Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA) response to the flooding. Ferguson emphasized that the state is doing everything possible to get resources to those in need. We deeply appreciate Washingtonians pulling together during this time, he added. Ferguson urged people to follow evacuation orders and road closure signs to stay safe and protect first responders. More widespread flooding expected He said there is more widespread flooding anticipated for Tuesday and Wednesday, along with high winds up to 60 mph. There have already been more than 1,200 rescues across 10 counties, and officials are anticipating months-long recovery efforts. Advertisement Advertisement This is a major, major event in our states history. It is truly historic, Ferguson said. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has reopened more than 60 roads since the flooding began. However, there were still 13 closures on state highways as of Tuesday afternoon. Notably, a nearly 50-mile stretch of US 2 between Skykomish and Leavenworth could be closed for months. Ferguson stressed that people need to remain vigilant as flooding could intensify over the next 48 hours. Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here. ALFRED, Maine First County Food Pantry will host a three-day drive-thru holiday distribution for individuals and families in need from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 22-24 at the pantry, located at the intersection of Route 4 and Swetts Bridge Road in Alfred. Food insecurity rates in York County and in Maine are high, said Rachel Stansfield, York County governments chief advancement officer and liaison to its charitable arm, First County Foundation, Inc. By taking this step, we hope those who need it will stop by and receive a basket of food that will help them prepare a holiday dinner. First County Food Pantry will host a three-day drive-thru holiday distribution for individuals and families in need from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Dec. 22-24. The baskets are expected to contain a ham or turkey, along with some sides. Advertisement Advertisement According to the states 2024 Ending Hunger report, York Countys overall individual food insecurity rate was 12.3 percent, or about 26,400 people in 2023; while the child food insecurity rate was 18.2 percent about 7,070 children. Among children statewide, one in five, or 18.7 percent, live in food-insecure households the highest rate of child food insecurity in New England, according to the Ending Hunger report. First County Food Pantry is grateful to all the individuals, families, businesses and corporations who choose to donate food or the means to buy it and to the faithful volunteers who give generously of their time to help feed those who are in difficult financial circumstances. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York County food pantry sets holiday distribution dates ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York is set to become the latest state to legalize medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill under a deal reached between the governor and state legislative leaders announced Wednesday. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to sign the proposal next year after pushing to add a series of guardrails in the bill, she announced in an op-ed in the Albany Times Union. Hochul, a Catholic, said she came to the decision after hearing from New Yorkers in the throes of pain and suffering, as well as their children, while also considering opposition from individuals of many faiths who believe that deliberately shortening ones life violates the sanctity of life. Advertisement Advertisement I was taught that God is merciful and compassionate, and so must we be, she wrote. This includes permitting a merciful option to those facing the unimaginable and searching for comfort in their final months in this life. A dozen other states and the District of Columbia have laws to allow medically assisted suicide, according to advocates, including a law in Illinois signed last week that goes into effect next year. New Yorks Medical Aid in Dying Act requires that a terminally ill person who is expected to die within six month make a written request for life-ending drugs. Two witnesses would have to sign the request to ensure that the patient is not being coerced. The request would then have to be approved by the persons attending physician as well as a consulting physician. The governor said the bill's sponsors and legislative leaders have agreed to add provisions to require confirmation from a medical doctor that the person truly had less than six months to live, along with confirmation from a psychologist or psychiatrist that the patient is capable of making the decision and is not under duress. Advertisement Advertisement Hochul also said the bill will include a mandatory five-day waiting period as well as a written and recorded oral request to confirm free will is present. Outpatient facilities associated with religious hospitals may elect not to offer the option. She added that she wants the bill to apply only to New York residents. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court ruled that a similar law in New Jersey applies only to residents of that state and not those from beyond its borders. Hochul said she will sign the bill into law next year, with her changes weaved into the proposal. It will go into effect six months after it is signed. Later on Wednesday, Hochul said supporting the bill was one of the toughest decisions she has made as governor. Advertisement Advertisement Who am I to deny you or your loved one what theyre begging for at the end of their life?" she said. "I couldnt do that any longer." The legislation was first introduced in 2016 but stalled for years amid opposition from New York State Catholic Conference and other groups. The Catholic organization argued the measure would devalue human life and undermine the physicians role as a healer. In a statement after the governor's announcement, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the New York's bishops said Hochul's position signals our governments abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable, but is encouraged by our elected leaders. New York lawmakers approved the legislation during their regulation session earlier this year. Supporters said it would reduce suffering for terminally ill people and let them die on their own terms. RICHMOND Gov. Glenn Youngkin presented his final budget plan to the General Assemblys money committees Wednesday. Its a less ambitious proposal than in years past, which historically included the elimination of the car tax. But the magnitude of meeting the commonwealths spending obligations next year was such that it crowded out other budget priorities. Mandatory spending measures include an increase of $2.6 billion in critical Medicaid investments over three years and $543.8 million for recalibrating the states education funding formula. The Republican governors budget forecasts a 3% annual revenue growth. Thats conservative compared to the actual revenue growth over the course of his term, Youngkin said. But he said even if the economy experiences slower growth, the budget is sufficient to pay for the states mandatory expenses and provide $730 million in tax relief as well as 2% pay increases for educators and state employees. The total general fund budget over the biennium comes out to $72 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Virginias stronger than shes ever been, with revenue growth that has come out at 8% over the last four years, which is 60% higher than it was for the decade, said Youngkin, who leaves office next month. I think (the forecasted revenue growth) leaves considerable upside for the next administration. During the presentation to legislators, Youngkin also took aim at Democrats who campaigned on the harm they said federal cuts inflicted to Virginias economy. This high rate of revenue growth should continue as long as Virginia stays with the demonstrated winning formula, he said. Despite the predictions for financial calamity that was predicted by many this year, and I have to say, many in this room, financial calamity has not happened, and Virginia again is running a significant surplus. But Democrats say thats an overly optimistic outlook. Advertisement Advertisement I think the governors expectations for the economy and the budget are out of touch with reality, Sen. Majority Leader Scott Surovell told reporters. Were going to have to figure out how to pay for about $2 billion in Medicaid losses, about $1 billion to do K-12 requirements, another billion or two dollars of expenses and revenue cuts that have been inflicted on us by the federal government that arent really accounted for there. Other topline items in Youngkins proposal include $730 million in tax relief, including making permanent the increased standard deduction and the refundability of the earned income tax credit, as well as mimicking some of the measures in the federal spending budget bill, HR1, that made permanent President Donald Trumps 2017-era tax cuts. Those conformity measures include a phased-in elimination of tax on tips and car loan interest. Normally, we conform to what the federal government does to us, Surovell said. However, this year, conforming would cost us about $1 billion a year, which is a lot of money. We have to figure out if we could afford it. The two-year budget lawmakers adopt next year is unlikely to closely resemble Youngkins proposed spending plan. Thats because Youngkin leaves office next month and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, will be sworn in. Youngkin, like all Virginia governors, is prohibited from serving a second consecutive term. Democrats swept Virginia elections in November, taking control of the top state elected offices and picking up additional seats in the House of Delegates. They will hold control of the General Assembly and have the votes to make drastic changes that fit their priorities. Related Articles Advertisement Advertisement I think youre going to see some major surgery done to this budget once we get our hands on it, Surovell said. Youngkins budget bill also calls for tax reform that would change its tax collection methodology from cost of performance to market-based sourcing, meaning that companies would be taxed where based on where customers are located as opposed to where the business provides service. The budget also includes $1 billion for pay increases for teachers, support staff and state employees, including a 2% bonus in fiscal 2026 and a 2% salary increase in fiscal years 2027 and 2028. An additional $328 million would go to pollution reduction efforts. And, $2 billion, which includes $890 million from the states general fund and $1.1 billion in authorized debt, would go towards new construction projects. That includes resuming projects at Virginia universities that Youngkin paused back in May to prepare for economic uncertainty caused by federal policy. Senate Democrats did note some key policies, including the teacher pay increases and funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Advertisement Advertisement The Governors introduced budget makes some essential investments that Senate Democrats support, the caucus said in a statement. Protecting Medicaid, strengthening SNAP, and raising pay for our teachers and school staff are meaningful steps that reflect priorities weve long championed. These are the kinds of investments that help Virginia grow stronger and build an economy that works for everyone. Earlier this week, Youngkin also proposed the inclusion of $50 million in the budget to fund a three-year child welfare strategy that overhauls Child Protective Services intake process and increases pay for social workers. In Virginia, the budget operates on a biennial basis in odd years, the governor proposes a bill at the end of the year that dictates the commonwealths budget for the next two fiscal years, which start July 1. In even years, they propose a slate of amendments to that bill. That means Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger inherits Youngkins budget proposal. The legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, will vote to amend the budget, and Spanberger will sign off on it. As the next Governor of Virginia, I look forward to working with the General Assembly to lower costs for Virginia families, invest in Virginias public schools, and protect access to critical healthcare services, Spanberger said in a statement. My team and I are already digging through the details of this proposal, and I look forward to working with Chair Lucas, Chair Torian, and their committees to make sure that Virginias best days are ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Youngkin enjoined Democrats not to adopt policies he said would harm Virginias economy, like rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or repealing the states right to work law. Pro business policies attract jobs Right now Virginia is roaring and she needs to stay that way, he said. Kate Seltzer, (757)713-7881, kate.seltzer@virginiamedia.com Four Republican members of the House of Representatives defied their partys leadership to join Democrats in forcing a vote on a bill to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts to renew them. The surprising breaking of ranks within the GOP comes after weeks of heated debate within the party over what to do about health care, as more than 20 million Americans will face skyrocketing premiums if the subsidies are allowed to lapse. House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week that those negotiations ended without enough progress to hold a vote on extending the subsidies. That announcement ultimately led the four Republicans to sign a discharge petition created by Democrats, giving that petition the 218 votes needed to force a vote on a Democratic proposal to extend the subsidies for three years. Advertisement Advertisement Doing nothing is not an answer, GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York told reporters Wednesday after signing the petition. I didnt come here to be a potted plant. I came here to actually do stuff to help my constituents. Despite the success of the petition, the fate of the subsidies is still very uncertain. The House will eventually hold a vote on extending them, but its possible that the vote could fail if even a single signee can be convinced to oppose it. If the bill does pass the House, it would still need to be approved by the Senate, where an identical Democratic proposal was rejected in a party-line vote last week. What happens next Under official House procedures, a successful discharge petition is subject to a layover period, meaning Johnson wouldnt be required to allow the vote until Congress reconvenes early next year after the subsidies will have already expired. Johnson could choose to hold the vote at any time, however. Democrats pressed him on Wednesday to allow the vote to happen immediately, arguing that there was no reason to allow the subsidies to lapse over arcane legislative rules. Under no circumstances should we leave this capital this week before voting on an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits bill that we know will pass, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who launched the discharge petition in November, said on the House floor Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Johnson hasnt given any indication that hell concede to the pressure and allow a vote before hes formally obligated to. If he holds firm, the earliest a vote could be held is in early January after the House reconvenes following the holiday break. A majority of House members signed the petition, which suggests the subsidy extension has a strong chance of passing once it eventually makes it to the floor. The proposals prospects in the Senate are murky at best. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune was noncommittal on Wednesday when asked whether he would allow a vote on the subsidies if the House bill eventually passes. Well cross that bridge when we come to it, he told reporters. Advertisement Advertisement The Senate has already considered and rejected Democrats proposal. Thune allowed a vote on a three-year extension for the subsidies last week, fulfilling a promise he made last month as part of the agreement to end the government shutdown. A majority of senators voted in favor of the bill, but it came up well short of the 60-vote threshold needed to clear the filibuster. Any future votes on the subsidies would also need 60 votes to pass. Regardless of what happens with that specific plan, the success of the discharge petition could prove to be a key turning point for negotiations around alternative proposals to save the subsidies. A group of moderate members of Congress reportedly met behind closed doors on Wednesday to discuss how they might use the petition as a vehicle for bringing up a compromise bill that would extend the subsidies, but make them less generous by adding new income limits or minimum out-of-pocket costs. I think its important that the House and the Senate figure out a way that we can avoid this cliff, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said Wednesday. And an extension is what were gonna be doing. Barring an unexpected vote in the House before the legislative year ends on Thursday, those conversations will continue over the holiday break and the future of the Affordable Care Act will remain in limbo until Congress returns to Capitol Hill early next month. EY is already the subject of six active investigations by the Financial Reporting Council - Deborah MacDonald/Alamy EY is facing fresh regulatory scrutiny after the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) launched an investigation into its audit of Shells accounts. The Big Four firm is now the subject of six active investigations by the FRC, including scrutiny of its work for the Post Office, collapsed online furniture retailer Made.com and NMC Health, the former FTSE 100 hospital operator. EY has already paid more than 5m in fines this year, including a 4.9m fine in April for serious breaches of standards in its audits of failed travel company Thomas Cook. The latest investigation follows Shells disclosure earlier in the year that senior partners at EY had been leading the audit process for longer than allowed. Under rules in both the US and UK, regulators limit how long senior partners can serve as the lead audit partner on a particular account to prevent them from becoming too close to management. In July, EY told Shell that Gary Donald, its partner who heads up the team signing off the energy giants accounts, had exceeded the period allowed under partner rotation rules. Despite this, Mr Donald continued to sign off on Shells accounts for 2023 and 2024. Upon discovery of this, Shell was forced to republish its annual report in the US, signed off by a different EY partner. The FRC said on Monday that it had launched an investigation into EYs 2024 audit to consider whether requirements relating to partner rotation have been breached. The investigation is the third time this year that EY has come under scrutiny for potentially unauthorised audits. The FCR announced a separate investigation into two EY auditors last week for issuing unauthorised auditors reports to unnamed companies. EY was also fined 325,000 in April for signing off the accounts of Stirling Water Seafield Finance, a listed Scottish water company, for longer than the required 10-year period. Banks and publicly listed companies are considered to be public interest entities by the regulator, meaning they require stricter audit oversight. A spokesman for EY said that it had determined that time limitations regarding rotation had been exceeded and reported the matter to the FRC. We take compliance with these standards extremely seriously and will continue to fully co-operate with the FRC throughout the investigation, they added. A spokesman for Shell said: Shell disclosed this EY non-compliance matter in July 2025 and immediately re-filed its Form 20-Fs for 2023 and 2024. Shells financial statements remain unchanged and the EY audit opinions remain unqualified. Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays. Reach Donald W. Meyers at dmeyers@yakimaherald.com or 509-577-7748. He can also be reached securely at donaldwmeyers.93 on Signal or at donaldwmeyers@protonmail.com. Get the day's news. Sign up for our Daily Headlines newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning at 7 a.m. River levels rise again on Wednesday in the Yakima Valley, but not as high as last week Amid Fords shift away from making large electric vehicles, the automaker is adding a new product line to find a home for its batteries. Ford said Monday that instead of scuttling plans to build the batteries for those vehicles, it will pivot that capacity into a new battery storage business. Those storage systems, which will use cheaper lithium iron phosphate batteries, will be used to power data centers and help buffer demand on the electric grid. Ford says the battery storage systems will start shipping in 2027 and that the company plans to build 20GWh of annual capacity. Ford will invest about $2 billion into the new business over the next two years. Under the plan, Ford will repurpose the existing manufacturing capacity at its Kentucky factory. Ford plans to produce LFP batteries using technology licensed from Chinas CATL, as well as battery energy storage system modules and 20-foot DC container systems at this facility. Ford will join a number of automakers that are operating in or planning to enter the battery storage space. Tesla has spent the last decade selling battery storage products and deploys around 10GWh every quarter. General Motors also has a set of home and commercial battery storage products. Lisa Drake, vice president of technology platform programs and EV systems at Ford, said the predominant opportunity for the new business will be commercial grid customers. But data centers will be secondary, and then Ford expects to offer some home storage products, Drake said. It was clear when we went out to the market that the technology of choice for most of these customers was an LFP prismatic type of container system, Drake said during a call with reporters. And given the fact that we already had a license to build that technology in the U.S., you couple that with our manufacturing experience over a century of high-scale manufacturing, it just made a lot of sense as a natural adjacency for us. Fords BlueOval Battery Park Michigan in Marshall, which is slated to begin production of LFP batteries in 2026, is still on track, the company said. Those LFP batteries, which also use CATL tech, will be used in Fords upcoming mid-sized electric truck. There will be one adjustment at the Michigan factory, however. Ford said it will also be used to make smaller Amp-hour cells for use in residential energy storage solutions, suggesting that Fords plan will go beyond commercial customers. The BlueOval Battery Park Michigan has gone through several iterations in its abbreviated life. In February 2023, Ford said it would invest $3.5 billion to build the factory to make LFP batteries for its growing portfolio of electric vehicles. Ford abruptly halted construction on the factory in September 2023. Two months later, it announced a dialed-back plan with a production capacity of 20 gigawatt-hours, about 43% smaller than planned. Stone also claimed that these teams have doubled their fraud and scam reduction goal and over the last 15 months, user reports of scam ads have declined by well over 50%. Meta communications chief Andy Stone, however, pushed back on the investigation, posting on Threads, Once again, Reuters is misconstruing and misrepresenting the facts. He argued that CEO Mark Zuckerbergs integrity strategy pivotwhich included instructing the China ads-enforcement team to reportedly pause its workwas to improve teams goals and instruct them to redouble efforts to fight frauds and scams globally, not just from specific markets. A Meta spokesperson told Fortune in a statement: Scams are spiking across the internet, driven by persistent criminals and sophisticated, organized crime syndicates constantly evolving their schemes to evade detection. We are focused on rooting them out by using advanced technical measures and new tools, disrupting criminal scam networks, working with industry partners and law enforcement, and raising awareness on our platforms about scam activity. And when we determine that bad actors have violated our rules prohibiting fraud and scams, we take action. The investigation, Leathern told Fortune, illuminates several issues with both Meta and the broader Chinese ad market. It appears that a variety of business partners that Meta has are not conducting themselves in an ethical way and/or there are employees of those companies that are not doing what theyre supposed to be doing, he said. Its quite telling that Meta took down its entire partner directory, which obviously means that they must be reviewing their partners, and theres a lot of them. The report , published Monday, found that Meta generated roughly $18 billion in advertising revenue from China in 2024, around 10% of its global revenue, even as internal documents showed that nearly one-fifth of that (about $3 billion) came from ads tied to scams, illegal gambling, pornography, and other prohibited activity. Meta internally labeled China its top scam exporting nation, accounting for 25% of all scam and banned-product ads globally, according to the report. A sweeping Reuters investigation has put a price tag on Metas tolerance for ad fraud: billions of dollars a year. For Rob Leathern, a former Meta executive who led the companys business integrity operations until 2019, the findings expose a stark tension between revenue growth and consumer harm. Story Continues The revelations published by Reuters echobut far exceedthe AI-driven deepfake scheme earlier this year involving Goldman Sachs during which scammers used AI-generated videos of investment strategist Abby Joseph Cohen to lure retail investors into fraudulent WhatsApp groups via Instagram ads. Reuters reporting suggests Metas China-linked scam problem is not an edge case or a blind spot, but an allegedly known and lucrative segment of its advertising business. According to internal estimates cited by Reuters, Meta served as many as 15 billion high-risk fraudulent ads per day, generating roughly $7 billion annually. The company required a 95% confidence threshold before banning fraudulent advertisers; those falling below it were often allowed to continue operating, sometimes at higher fees. Meta also established a 0.15% revenue guardrail (about $135 million) as the maximum revenue it was willing to forgo to crack down on suspicious ads, even as it earned $3.5 billion every six months from ads deemed to carry higher legal risk. Internal decision-making was explicit. When enforcement staff proposed shutting down fraudulent accounts, internal documents reviewed by Reuters showed that Meta sought assurance that growth teams would not object given the revenue impact. Asked whether Meta would penalize high-spending Chinese partners running scams, the answer was reportedly No, citing high revenue impact. Internal assessments reportedly noted that revenue from risky ads would almost certainly exceed the cost of any regulatory settlement, effectively treating fines as a cost of doing business. In late 2024, Meta reinstated 4,000 second-tier Chinese ad agencies that had previously been suspended, unlocking $240 million in annualized revenueroughly half of it tied to ads violating Metas own safety policies, according to the investigation. More than 75% of harmful ad spending, Reuters found, came from accounts benefiting from Metas partner protections. The company also disbanded its China-focused anti-scam team. An external audit commissioned by Meta from the Propellerfish Group reached a blunt conclusion when investigating fraud and scams on the platform: Metas own behavior and policies were promoting systemic corruption in Chinas advertising ecosystem. Reuters reported that the company largely ignored the findings and expanded operations anyway. Leathern, who reviewed the reporting and internal figures referenced in the report, told Fortune the scale of the problem was difficult to defend. I was disappointed that the violation rates for the China-specific advertisers were as high as they were in the last year, he said. Its disappointing, because there are ways to make it lower. His critique goes to the heart of the failure. Platforms, he said, should hold intermediary agencies accountable for the quality of advertisers they bring in. If youre measuring violation rates coming from certain partners, and those rates are above a threshold every quarter or every year, you can just fire your worst-performing customers, he said. I think its important for us to have some sense of transparency into how policies are being enforced and what companies are doing in terms of reducing scams on their platforms, Leathern added. Over the past 18 months, Meta has removed or rejected more than 46 million advertisements placed via so-called resellers, or large Chinese ad firms. And more than 99% of ad accounts associated with resellers found to be violating the companys fraud policies were proactively detected and disabled. Aside from a need for transparency, Leathern warned that prioritizing short-term revenue over trust ultimately threatens the business itself. If people dont trust advertisers, advertising, it reduces the effectiveness of that channel for all advertisers, he said. Theres a lot of risk to their business, directly and indirectly, from not doing a good enough job on stopping scams. The human cost is already visible. Reuters documented victims across North America and Asia, including U.S. and Canadian investors who lost life savings to fake stock and crypto ads, Taiwanese consumers misled into buying counterfeit health products, and a Canadian Air Force recruiter whose Facebook account was hijacked to run crypto scams. Metas own internal safety staff estimated the companys platforms were involved in roughly one-third of all successful U.S. scams, linked to more than $50 billion in consumer losses. The problem is intensifying as generative AI lowers the barrier for scammers. You can create something that looks plausible far more easily than ever before, Leathern said. The speed and adaptability of criminals and their use of AI tools just makes the environment far more tricky. Yet Leathern said platforms like Meta have not been sufficiently transparent about how aggressively they are using those same tools to fight abuse. We just dont have a ton of insight into what theyre doing to reduce scams and fraud coming in through ads, he said. For Leathern, the investigation should be a turning point. I hope they see this as an opportunity to improve things for people, he said. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Two former senior executives at blockchain firm Theta Labs have filed whistleblower lawsuits in California, alleging the company and its chief executive, Mitch Liu, engaged in a years-long pattern of deception, market manipulation, and retaliation. The complaints, filed separately in Los Angeles Superior Court by former executives Jerry Kowal and Andrea Berry, allege that Liu used Theta Labs and its parent, Sliver VR Technologies, to inflate token prices through misleading partnerships and undisclosed insider token sales, while retaliating against employees who raised concerns. Liu and representatives for Theta Labs did not immediately respond to Decrypts request for comment. Theta Labs is a Delaware-incorporated blockchain company developing the Theta Network, a decentralized platform focused on media delivery, computing, and storage, including a newer hybrid cloud layer called Theta EdgeCloud, according to the companys whitepapers and documentation. The network uses two primary tokens: THETA for governance and staking, and TFUEL for transaction fees and network services. Plaintiffs in the cases characterize a years-long pattern of self-dealing tied to Theta Labs crypto tokens and NFT marketplace. Coinbase C-Suite, Marc Andreessen Sued for Billions Over Alleged Insider Trading Scheme "Pump and dump" Mitch Liu used Theta Labs as his personal trading vehicle, perpetrating fraud, self-dealing, and market manipulation, Mark Mermelstein, one of the attorneys representing Kowal through Holmes, Athey, Cowan & Mermelstein, told Decrypt. Lius calculated pump-and-dump schemes repeatedly wiped out investor and employee value, Mermelstein alleged. This suit is about demanding accountability and proving no one is above the law. Those actions were perpetrated by a corporate tech titan and his companies against his own employees and the public at large, Kowals complaint reads. Lius alleged schemes also included generating false bids for non-fungible tokens, with some linked to high-profile partnerships with celebrities such as Katy Perry, per the complaint. Over the course of her employment at Theta, Berry, the other complainant, learned of, witnessed, and reported numerous instances of fraudulent conduct and self-dealing by Theta employees and executives, a copy of her complaint reads. Those instances included schemes aimed at inflating the price of the THETA Token and personally enriching Mr. Liu, it adds. Lius primary goal was pumping up the value of the THETA Token, Berrys complaint alleges, including through fake or otherwise highly misleading partnerships with high-profile companies. Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly decisive role in online shopping, with nearly half of Hungarian consumers already using AI tools when making purchases, according to a new survey by Arukereso.hu. The role of the technology is expected to grow even further during the holiday season. The survey found that 49% of Arukereso.hu respondents sometimes or frequently use artificial intelligence, for example when they need help choosing a product or want to compare specific items. Usage is particularly high among respondents under 18, 95% of whom rely on the technology. The share declines steadily with age: about 80% among those aged 1824, roughly 6070% among those aged 2554, and around 50% among respondents over 55. Among those who turn to AI for assistance, product comparison is the most common use case, cited by 44% of respondents. Some 42% use AI to identify what they should pay attention to, such as key product parameters, while 28% rely on it for price comparisons and saving money. Many consumers also use AI for product recommendations (26%), finding retailers (23%), and summarizing product reviews (21%). Inspiration was the least frequently selected option at 14%, suggesting that AI is used less for idea generation and more for supporting subsequent decision-making steps. Artificial intelligences that use so-called large language models, such as ChatGPT, are able to analyze large amounts of text and provide answers to users questions, all while imitating natural, spoken language, said Andras Sztak, managing director of Arukereso. However, AI can often be wrong or misleading, which can significantly misinform users. This is why it is important for anyone using the technology to verify the information from other sources as well, especially now, during the holiday season. The detailed product pages on Arukereso.hu, for example, can be very useful, whether someone is looking for user reviews, thorough product descriptions, or price chartsnot to mention price comparisons, he added. ********************************************************************************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Showcase Your Business to Expats in the Loop: As an independent portal were grateful to all commercial supporters who help keep you in the loop with fresh insights and inspiration. Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? If so please contact us here. AI programs can help developers automate certain tasks, reducing the time needed to piece together software. But those same benefits also apply to hackers looking for cheap and quick ways to break into enterprise, governmental, and private computer networks to steal data, spy on rival nations, or extract ransom payments from everyday people "I think we are entering into a new era of security," Tom Goldstein, a professor of computer science and director of the Center for Machine Learning at the University of Maryland, told Yahoo Finance. "We're in a really turbulent time where things are changing really rapidly," he added. "And in the short term, it certainly seems to be the case that these new AI-based tools are a bigger advantage to the attackers than they are to the defenders." In November, Anthropic (ANTH.PVT) reported that a Chinese state-sponsored group used its Claude coding tool to orchestrate a large-scale cyber espionage campaign. According to the company, the attackers "manipulated our Claude Code tool into attempting infiltration into roughly thirty global targets and succeeded in a small number of cases." Those targets included "large tech companies, financial institutions, chemical manufacturing companies, and government agencies," the company said. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei at the Code with Claude developer conference on May 22, 2025, in San Francisco. (Don Feria/AP Content Services for Anthropic) ASSOCIATED PRESS Earlier this month, OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) released its own report indicating that it believes its coding platform poses a "high" level of cybersecurity risk. Cybersecurity professionals are using the same technology to find potential vulnerabilities in software and patch them to protect organizations against attacks. Still, just as hackers were ahead of defenders before the introduction of generative AI, for now at least, the bad guys continue to hold a lead over the good guys. Read more: How AI, unemployment, and interest rates could shape the stock market and your investments next year How AI is helping hackers Cybersecurity is part cat-and-mouse game, part numbers game. More sophisticated attackers are constantly probing software for vulnerabilities a bad line of code here, a small error there to crack into a company or government's network. Others launch massive phishing attacks emails or text messages sent to thousands of people, in the hope that one person will click a link or download a file so the hacker can take over a victim's computer and demand payment to unlock it or steal their banking information. The problem for cybersecurity workers and everyday people, though, is that generative AI is supercharging hackers' abilities. The Public Administration and Regional Development Ministry on Tuesday said it initiated a probe after thousands of Hungarians complained that packages ordered for Christmas had not arrived or came late. The ministry said consumers had reported lost packages and package lockers that failed to function, while many consumer complaints were not handled properly. The consumer protection probe is being launched by the Metropolitan Government Office. Meanwhile, DPD Hungary acknowledges late deliveries in Budapest Express delivery company DPD Hungary acknowledged that some of its deliveries in the capital and environs were late because of high package volume ahead of the holidays in a statement. DPD Hungary said it took full responsibility for resolving under par service in those areas. It added that around 10pc of packages were affected. MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes only Source: MTI Hungarys national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent. Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media. XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com ********************************************************************************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Showcase Your Business to Expats in the Loop: As an independent portal were grateful to all commercial supporters who help keep you in the loop with fresh insights and inspiration. Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? If so please contact us here. The Prodigy is returning to Hungary after an eight-year hiatus, performing at a location steeped in local festival history. On July 4, 2026, the band will take the stage at the Loverek in Sopronthe long-time home of the former VOLT Festival, where the group performed several legendary sold-out shows over the decades. Since their formation in 1990, The Prodigy has remained at the forefront of electronic music innovation. Driven by Liam Howletts production and an unmatched stage energy, they became a defining force of festival culture at the turn of the millennium. Tracks like Firestarter, Voodoo People, No Good, Out of Space, and Smack My Bitch Up have become cross-generational anthems. Following the tragic passing of frontman Keith Flint in 2019, the band took an extended break, leaving fans wondering if they would ever tour again. Their eventual return proved that the demand for their high-octane performances is stronger than ever. In 2025, they headlined major international stages including Glastonbury and Coachella, while their upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour for April 2026 became the fastest-selling in the band's history. For years, The Prodigy were frequent visitors to Hungary, regularly packing out main stages at Sziget, Balaton Sound, and VOLT. Their performance at SopronFest on July 4 will mark a long-awaited homecoming to the Hungarian festival circuit. Now in its fourth year, SopronFest has established itself as an "urban-themed" festival that activates the entire city. During the first week of July, dozens of venues across Sopron host culinary events, live podcasts, art exhibitions, and literary evenings. The main musical programming at the Loverek runs from July 2 to July 4, featuring The Prodigy alongside a lineup of Hungarys biggest current artists, including Azahriah, Dzsudlo, Beton.Hofi, Pogany Indulo, Manuel, and Parno Graszt. Early bird tickets are available from December 16 through Christmas. More: sopronfest.hu A nine-year-old Class 4 student was found dead at his home in Hyderabads Chandanagar area in a suspected suicide case. Police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances that led to the tragic incident. Sharma added that such recognitions mean far more than just naming a section of a stadium. Officials from the PCA confirmed that both Harmanpreet Kaur and Yuvraj Singh, who have each lifted the ODI World Cup for India. During his visit to Jordan, PM Modi met King Abdullah II, whose family defies traditional stereotypes. Queen Rania is a global fashion icon, and their daughter serves as a fighter pilot, presenting a unique blend of Islamic heritage and modernity. The Pakistan Army is not in a mood to forgive Imran Khan for the May 9 violence. Imran Khan is accused of hiding 40 terrorists in his house. After Shahbaz Sarkar, now Imran Khan has come in the eyes of Pakistan Army. Shahbaz Sharif has addressed Imran Khan by his surname 'Niyazi'. Watch today's debate on this big issue in Kasam Samvidhan Ki. The video shows the man approaching the shop, handing over the 20-euro note, which he claimed was fake, and getting Rs. 1,960 in exchange. To the surprise of many online viewers, the shopkeeper accepts the note without hesitation and returns the amount in Indian rupees. General Motors announced that it plans to invest US$ 300 million to upgrade the manufacturing operations of its South Korean subsidiary, GM Korea Company, reaffirming the US automakers commitment to producing vehicles in the East Asian country. The announcement was made at the GM Korea 2026 Business Strategy Conference in the city of Incheon earlier this week. The imposition of a 25% tariff on South Korean imports by the US earlier this year had cast doubt on the future role of GM Korea as a production hub for the Chevrolet brand. The company produced almost 500,000 vehicles in 2024, including the Chevrolet Trax and Trailblazer SUVs, with over 80% of output understood to have been shipped to the US. The recent decision by the US government to reduce tariffs on South Korean imports to 15%, bringing them in line with other major exporters such as Japan and the European Union, will have had a significant influence on GMs decision to continue to invest in South Korea. GM Koreas domestic sales plunged by 39% to 13,952 units in the first eleven months of 2025, amid rising competition from Hyundai-Kia and import brands, while exports fell by 6.5% to 395,858 units. GM Korea confirmed that the US$ 300 million investment will be used to produce the next-generation Chevrolet Trax and Trailblazer, without providing a timeline for the investment. The company said that its existing five-year investment roadmap in GM Technical Center Korea, including the recent opening of the Cheongna Proving Ground Virtual Engineering Lab, has further strengthened GM Koreas role as a global engineering hub. The company pointed out that GM Technical Center Korea is the second-largest research and development facility within GM's global operations, after its US headquarters. It is equipped with facilities capable of complete vehicle development, from design and engineering to final vehicle verification and production technology, and plays a key role in the advancement of global electrification and future mobility technologies. To help strengthen its domestic sales, GM Korea said it will introduce its GMC and Buick brands in South Korea in 2026, to be sold alongside the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands. The company also plans to expand and strengthen its sales and service networks in South Korea, while offering a broader vehicle portfolio featuring cutting-edge technologies like Super Cruise. GM Koreas CEO, Hector Villarreal, stated in his presentation at the event: Recording a profit in 2024 was a significant milestone for GM Korea. By faithfully executing the normalization plan established in 2018, we are building a sustainable foundation. Over the past 20 years, GM has produced 13.3 million vehicles in Korea and sold 2.5 million domestically, establishing GM Korea as a key pillar of the South Korean automotive industry. Going forward, we will further strengthen our full-cycle capabilities in Korea, from vehicle design and engineering to production and sales. We will also expand our portfolio of next-generation internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles, introduce cutting-edge driving technologies for Korean customers, and grow alongside the South Korean market as a strong partner in the South Korean automotive ecosystem and local economy." Google is expanding its push into consumer finance in India with the launch of a UPI-linked credit card, betting on a country of more than 1.4 billion people where fewer than 50 million currently hold a credit card. On Wednesday, Google entered Indias growing co-branded credit card market with the launch of Flex by Google Pay, partnering with private lender Axis Bank to expand access to credit in the countrys UPI-driven payments ecosystem. Indias rapid adoption of digital payments through the government-backed Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has transformed how consumers pay but has not translated into broad access to credit. That gap has created an opportunity for technology companies and banks to embed lending into widely used payments apps, helping explain Googles move into the space. Flex by Google Pay is issued digitally through the Google Pay app and can be used both online and at physical merchants, the company said. Built on the Indian government-backed RuPay network, the card includes a rewards program that credits virtual Stars on transactions, with each Star worth 1. Users can monitor spending and bills within the app, choose to repay balances in full or convert them into installments, and manage security settings such as blocking the card or resetting a PIN. The launch builds on Google Pays broader effort to expand access to credit in India, where it has already partnered with banks and non-bank lenders to offer personal and gold-backed loans through the app. As one of the countrys most widely used UPI platforms, Google Pay offers Axis Bank access to a large, digitally active user base at a time when lenders are increasingly looking to scale credit distribution through technology platforms rather than physical branches. While Google has started with Axis Bank, it aims to add more issuer partners soon to expand its co-branded credit card offering in India. Image Credits:Google Pricing on the card, including interest and applicable charges, will vary by user and credit profile, with no application fee, Google said, adding that charges linked to repayment choices are shown upfront in the app. Processing fees apply to EMI conversions, and late-payment charges will be levied in line with the issuing banks policy. Indias credit card market has been expanding rapidly in recent years. The number of outstanding cards has grown at an annual rate of about 14% over the past three years to around 110 million, while transaction volumes and values have risen at close to 30%, per a recent PwC report (PDF). Average annual spending per card has increased from about 132,000 (around $1,450) to roughly 192,000 (about $2,100), suggesting cards are being used more frequently for routine payments rather than occasional big-ticket purchases. January soybeans are presently in a three-week-old price downtrend on the daily bar chart. Thats keeping the speculator bears confident that prices will continue to trade sideways to lower in the near term. Recent U.S. soybean sales to China, as reported by the USDA, have not been that supportive for soy complex futures prices because that news has already been factored into prices following the U.S.-China trade truce several weeks ago that outlined more China purchases of U.S. soybeans. In fact, soy traders are a bit concerned China has not bought more U.S. soybeans. The one positive element for soybeans is the fact that soybean meal (ZMF26) futures on Friday held near steady, while beans suffered a solid selloff. The U.S. government took a break from reporting row-crop production in December but will be back in January. The U.S. corn production estimate may be the most closely scrutinized figure when the January USDA data comes out. March corn futures remain in the middle of a choppy and sideways trading range, but Fridays price action gave the bears momentum. Bulls got no help from the USDA reporting daily U.S. corn sales of 250,000 MT of corn to unknown destinations during 2025-26 on Friday. Export demand for U.S. corn has been good. USDA in last weeks supply and demand report (WASDE) gave a 125-million-bushel boost to U.S. corn exports for the 2025-26 marketing year. While corn futures prices have languished the past few weeks, the hefty U.S. corn sales abroad should keep a floor under futures prices. March corn (ZCH26) futures hit a two-week low on Friday and fell 5 3/4 cents to $4.40 3/4, and on the week dropped 4 cents. January soybeans (ZSF26) on Friday fell 16 3/4 cents to $10.76 3/4, hit a six-week low, and for the week were down 29 1/4 cents. March soft red winter wheat (ZWH26) fell 4 1/4 cents to $5.29 1/4 and closed at a six-week-low close. For the week, March SRW was down 7 1/4 cents. March hard red winter wheat (KEH26) on Friday fell 4 1/4 cents to $5.18, hit a six-week low, and lost 13 1/4 cents on the week. Importantly, all the above markets on Friday closed at technically bearish weekly low closes, suggesting the speculative, chart-based bears have a head of steam early this week to continue to more aggressively play the short sides of the grain markets. Story Continues www.barchart.com www.barchart.com Soy complex traders will closely examine the monthly NOPA crush report that is due out today at 11:00 a.m. CST. Soybean and corn traders are more closely watching weather conditions in South American soybean-growing regions. There are some dry pockets in Argentina corn and bean regions, which the bulls are watching closely. Wheat Market Bears in Firm Control The winter wheat futures markets remain trapped in price downtrends on the daily bar charts. Ample global supplies continue to hang over the wheat markets. Argentinas Rosario exchange late last week raised its 2025-26 wheat production estimate by 2.2 million metric tons (MMT), to a record 27.7 MMT. The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange estimates Argentine wheat production at 25.5 MMT, while USDAs latest estimate is 24 MMT. Russias seaborne grain exports rose in November for the first time this season to 6.0 MMT, up 26.6% from the same month a year-ago, according to shipping data from industry sources. www.barchart.com www.barchart.com The ongoing Russia-Ukraine peace talks have not yet yielded a ceasefire between the two warring nations. President Donald Trump said late last week that he is still pressing both countries to agree to a ceasefire. While there have been reports of some progress being made, most agree that a lasting ceasefire remains very elusive. Wheat traders will continue to monitor this situation. A ceasefire would imply more wheat supplies being shipped out of the Black Sea region in the coming months. Cotton Futures Languish Near Recent Contract Low March cotton (CTH26) futures on Friday fell 14 points to 63.83 cents and for the week lost 10 points. Cottons solidly bearish near-term technical posture continues to limit buying interest from the speculators. Cotton traders will look to the grain futures markets for price direction this week. And the grain futures markets are looking very heavy at present. www.barchart.com Last week, the USDA bumped up the average U.S. cotton yield by 10 lbs., which led to a slightly higher-than-expected U.S. production estimate despite harvest area remaining unchanged. Combined with a 100,000-bale cut to domestic use, and that will likely continue to pressure cotton futures prices well into the new year. Depreciating Greenback Is a Positive for Grains, Cotton Prices One price-positive element for the grain and cotton futures markets recently has been the depreciation of the U.S. dollar ($DXY) on the foreign exchange market making U.S. ag products less expensive to purchase in non-U.S. currency. Trends in the currency markets tend to last longer than trends in other markets. That suggests the weaker greenback could remain a positive fundamental for the grains and cotton in the next few months. www.barchart.com Tell me what you think. I really enjoy getting emails from my valued Barchart readers all over the world. Email me at jim@jimwyckoff.com. On the date of publication, Jim Wyckoff 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 Greencores takeover of Bakkavor is set to be completed in January after the UKs competition body cleared the transaction conditional on the sale of the Bristol soups and sauces business. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said today (17 December) it has accepted undertakings in lieu of reference to a Phase-two investigation, referring to Greencores commitment in November to dispose of that business in order to get the deal over the finishing line. Dublin-headquartered Greencore agreed in November to sell the Bristol factory and business to The Compleat Food Group in the UK to allay competition concerns at the CMA. That agreement and pledge prevented proceedings moving beyond the initial Phase-one probe into the takeover. Greencore confirmed last month that 300 workers at Bristol are part of the deal with The Compleat Food Group. Today, the private-label and convenience food group provided a date of 16 January to complete the Bakkavor transaction having previously said it would be finalised early in the new year. In a brief statement on behalf of both Greencore and Bakkavor, the two companies said the CMA has accepted Greencore's undertakings in lieu of reference to sell its Bristol chilled soups and sauces manufacturing site to Compleat Food Group. Completion of the transaction, which has been in the pipeline since March, now becomes just a formality. The Bristol business disposal will be concluded by 17 January, a Greencore spokesperson confirmed today. The takeover transaction been valued at around 1.2-1.5bn ($1.6-2bn) and will create a combined private-label business with revenue of circa 4bn. The Bristol operation generated around 47m in revenue in the year to 26 September, equating to about 1% of Greencore and Bakkavor combined. Post the takeover, Greencore shareholders will own around 59.8% of the new company, with Bakkavor investors holding the remainder. Like UK-based Bakkavor, Greencore operates in food-to-go and convenience products supplied to major supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. Convenience categories feature chilled ready meals, chilled soups and sauces, pickles and frozen Yorkshire Puddings. Food-to-go includes sandwiches, salads, sushi and chilled snacks. In November, Greencore reported its annual revenue for the year ended in September rose 7.7% to 1.95bn. Profit before tax climbed 29.3% to 79.5m. Elsewhere, adjusted EBITDA increased 17.9% to 181.2m, and adjusted operating profit was up 28.9% at 125.7m. Adjusted EPS surged 46.5% to 18.6 pence. Hain Celestial has named Alison Lewis as the US food groups permanent president and CEO, seven months after she stepped in on an interim basis. Lewis, a former Kimberly-Clark and Coca-Cola executive who has been on Hains board since September last year, took up the roles in May as a temporary assignment to replace Wendy Davidson. She had already sought to make her mark on the better-for-you food and drink business when she announced in November plans to cut around 30% of the companys SKUs in North America, Hains largest market. We remain committed to building a winning, simpler portfolio by exiting unprofitable or low-margin tail SKUs, refocusing resources on brands and categories with the highest growth and margin potential, Lewis said at the time. Commenting on her appointment today (15 December), Lewis said: I am honoured to lead Hain Celestial and look forward to delivering our strategy to reposition the company for a stronger future. Over the last several months, the company has been intensely focused on our initiatives to stabilise sales, improve profitability, optimise cash, and deleverage our balance sheet. Lewis will continue to serve on the board. Her career history also includes an executive at Johnson & Johnson and Kraft Foods. Hain had employed the services of Goldman Sachs to assist with the portfolio review for a company that operates across snacks, meal preparation, baby foods, beverages and personal-care products. Specific brands or categories that might be up for disposal were not named or identified in November when the portfolio trimming was quantified. Looking ahead, we are targeting the elimination of approximately 30% of our SKUs in North America through fiscal 2027, representing low value in our portfolio and enabling us to improve supply chain efficiency and shelf productivity, Lewis said last month. We have implemented a disciplined portfolio management review process designed to continuously assess, add, or retire SKUs, maintaining an optimised winning portfolio, and eliminating reliance on large episodic rationalisation efforts. Board chair Dawn Zier said today: The board has had the opportunity over the past few months to observe Alison in action. We are pleased with the bold moves she has already taken to reduce costs, the turnaround agenda she has put in place designed to drive margins and growth, and her focus on progressing the strategic review with Goldman Sachs." Davidson departed the company in May after only joining the group in 2023. During her tenure, she disposed of the snacks brands ParmCrisps and Thinsters but had ruled out the divestment of personal care. Shares of HashKey Holdings, operator of Hong Kong's largest licensed cryptocurrency exchange, fluctuated on their trading debut, as investors shunned risk amid a downturn in both equity and digital asset markets. Trading under the stock code 3887, HashKey shares first changed hands on Wednesday at HK$6.70, or 0.3 per cent above the offer price of HK$6.68 a share. The stock rose as much as 6.6 per cent before trading 1.1 per cent lower at HK$6.61 at 10.30am. The firm, one of 11 licensed virtual asset trading platforms in Hong Kong, raised HK$1.6 billion (US$206 million) in the city's first crypto-native initial public offering (IPO). OSL Group, another licensed crypto exchange operator formerly known as BC Technology, was listed in Hong Kong in 2012, long before it pivoted into digital assets. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. "Today's successful trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange proves that taking a compliant route can also lead to success," said HashKey chairman and CEO Xiao Feng, before striking a ceremonial gong to mark the start of trading. "I believe that, in the long run, following a compliant path actually gives a company greater longevity and more sustainable vitality." HashKey, founded in 2018, offers crypto transaction facilitation, as well as on-chain, asset management and tokenisation services. Photo: Images/LightRocket via Getty Images alt=HashKey, founded in 2018, offers crypto transaction facilitation, as well as on-chain, asset management and tokenisation services. Photo: Images/LightRocket via Getty Images> The debut comes as bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, sinks deeper into bear-market territory amid a broader risk-off shift driven by an uncertain interest-rate trajectory, profit-taking after record market highs and cascading liquidations of leveraged positions. The broader stock market in Hong Kong fell to its lowest level in three weeks on Tuesday as investors were concerned at China's deteriorating growth prospects and the US Federal Reserve's interest-rate path. While acknowledging the short-term volatility in cryptocurrencies, Xiao said he was pretty confident in the prospects of the digital-asset industry. "I'm even more optimistic now than I was a decade ago, as we're seeing new legislation and clearer compliance standards being introduced, which will help the industry move forward sustainably." As global markets respond to the Federal Reserve's interest rate adjustments, small-cap indices like the Russell 2000 have shown resilience, reflecting a broader sentiment of cautious optimism despite challenges such as technology stock valuation concerns and AI infrastructure spending. In this context, identifying high-growth tech stocks in Asia requires a focus on companies that demonstrate strong fundamentals and adaptability to shifting economic landscapes, with Beisen Holding being one such example. Top 10 High Growth Tech Companies In Asia Name Revenue Growth Earnings Growth Growth Rating Giant Network Group 34.73% 40.54% Suzhou TFC Optical Communication 35.80% 36.87% Zhongji Innolight 35.08% 35.94% Shengyi TechnologyLtd 21.48% 32.83% Fositek 37.83% 51.54% Gold Circuit Electronics 29.41% 37.22% Shengyi Electronics 24.67% 33.32% Knowmerce 42.51% 33.23% eWeLLLtd 21.55% 22.80% Co-Tech Development 35.68% 75.80% Click here to see the full list of 189 stocks from our Asian High Growth Tech and AI Stocks screener. We're going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool. Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Beisen Holding Limited is an investment holding company that offers cloud-based human capital management solutions for enterprises in China, with a market capitalization of HK$5.16 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through providing cloud-based human capital management solutions and related professional services, amounting to CN1.02 billion. Beisen Holding, navigating the competitive tech landscape in Asia, has shown significant resilience and strategic acumen. Recently reporting a substantial reduction in net loss from CNY 99.04 million to CNY 18.41 million year-over-year and an increase in sales to CNY 515.97 million, the company is demonstrating robust revenue growth of 14.4% annually. This performance is complemented by an aggressive share repurchase initiative, enhancing shareholder value by targeting up to 10% of its issued capital for buyback. The firm's commitment to innovation is evident from its R&D investments aimed at refining its software solutions, positioning it well for anticipated profitability within three years amidst a challenging yet growing market environment where annual earnings are expected to surge by 112%. SEHK:9669 Revenue and Expenses Breakdown as at Dec 2025 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: China's enduring tradition of innovation: a key driver of modern progress 09:03, December 17, 2025 By He Yin ( People's Daily Photo shows the Chinese science classic "The Exploitation of Nature's Works" ("Tian Gong Kai Wu"). (Photo from the media center of Xinyu, east China's Jiangxi province) At a recent roundtable discussion on the Chinese science classic "The Exploitation of Nature's Works" ("Tian Gong Kai Wu"), a scholar made a striking comparison between this comprehensive treatise on crafts and technologies and the modern-day DeepSeek AI large model, describing the book as "a DeepSeek from 400 years ago." This cross-temporal connection offers new insights into the cultural foundations and historical influences that continue to drive China's innovation today. In recent years, the global emergence of groundbreaking Chinese innovations has captured widespread attention, positioning Chinese creativity at the forefront of global technological progress. This shift, however, has not been achieved without significant effort. China's modern history was marked by periods of poverty, weakness, and humiliation, overshadowing its ancient civilization. As a result, international perceptions of China were often distorted, including the prevalent but misguided belief that China lacked the capacity for innovation. However, history paints a different picture. The long continuum of Chinese civilization has been consistently illuminated by remarkable contributions to science and technology, which have profoundly shaped human progress. In his work "Science and Civilisation in China," British scholar Joseph Needham cataloged 26 major Chinese inventions that were transmitted to Europe and beyond, remarking that the list was far from exhaustive, underscoring the creative spirit inherent in Chinese culture. Today, the resurgence of Chinese innovation provides an opportunity to reconsider the "innovation gene" embedded in Chinese civilization. From the Chang'e lunar probes and the Tianhe space station to the Tianwen Mars mission and quantum computers like Jiuzhang 3.0 and Zuchongzhi 3.0, the link between China's historical and contemporary achievements extends beyond symbolic names derived from Chinese classics. It is fundamentally rooted in a cultural ethos of relentless inquiry and craftsmanship -- an ethos that has long shaped Chinese society through traditions such as "investigating things to acquire knowledge" and "bringing forth new capabilities through craftsmanship." People visit an exhibition marking 20 years of China's lunar exploration program held at the World Expo Museum in Shanghai, July 16, 2025. (Photo/Zhou Dongchao) As observed by a Dutch scholar, expressing surprise at China's innovation today reflects "a misreading of history," as what the world sees today should be viewed as the revival of China's longstanding tradition of innovation. To understand contemporary China, it is essential to trace the country's cultural roots. As the international community increasingly acknowledges China's growing influence on the world's future, adopting a civilizational perspective is essential for forming a more objective and accurate understanding of China. Historically, Chinese innovations spread across the globe through trade routes such as the Silk Road. "The Exploitation of Nature's Works" serves as one prominent example, having been widely disseminated in Europe, where many of the technologies it described were studied and adopted. Some scholars have even suggested that had Song Yingxing, the author of the book, lived during the Industrial Revolution in Britain, he might have secured numerous patents. Today, China's commitment to openness, inclusiveness, and mutual benefit remains central to its approach to innovation. Yet some Western media continue to frame discussions of Chinese technological advances with anxiety, asking questions such as "What field will China dominate next?" or "Will China win the innovation race?" These narratives reflect a deeply ingrained tendency to interpret China's progress through a competitive lens. In contrast, China's innovation journey is driven by a broader commitment to "achieving success by enabling others to succeed" and "bringing benefits to all." An inspection robot equipped with DeepSeek large model works at a transformer substation in Chuzhou, east China's Anhui province. (Photo/Song Weixing) For example, DeepSeek's large AI model operates on an open-source basis; the Chang'e-6 mission carried scientific payloads from multiple countries for its lunar far-side sample collection; the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) accepts observational requests from scientists worldwide; and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System has evolved into a global service that benefits users around the world. Through its sustained efforts to advance international scientific cooperation and open sharing, China is ensuring that the fruits of innovation are accessible, available, and beneficial to people and nations worldwide. By carrying forward the innovative spirit embedded in its fine traditional culture and upholding principles of openness and inclusiveness, China remains committed to working collaboratively with countries around the world to promote scientific and technological progress, contribute more breakthroughs to global development, and support the modernization efforts of all nations. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The S&P 500 Indexs ($SPX) dividend yield has plummeted to levels last seen during the late 1990s, prompting comparisons between the dot-com bubble and the feared artificial intelligence (AI) bubble. Meanwhile, the dividend yield of the world's most popular index has fallen because dividends havent kept pace with the rapid rise in stock prices. However, we see the opposite in many stocks, whose dividend yields have actually spiked this year. For instance, sneaker giant Nike (NKE) currently boasts a dividend yield of 2.4%, which is comfortably twice what its average S&P 500 Index peer pays. Nikes Dividend Yield Is Twice the S&P 500 Index To be sure, Nike was never known for its dividends for good reasons. The company characterizes itself as a growth company, and investors dont really expect such companies even to match the S&P 500 Index constituents dividend yield, let alone beat it. More News from Barchart However, while Nike has gradually raised its dividendsit is actually quite close to becoming a Dividend Aristocratits stock has sagged. Nike stock peaked in late 2021 and currently trades at just over a third of those levels after having closed in the red for three consecutive years. This year looks no different, and NKE is on track to close in the red for yet another year unless it comes up with a really impressive set of numbers later this week or we see a Santa Claus rally in broader markets. www.barchart.com Will Nike Stock Go Up in 2026? While Nike currently pays a healthy dividend, its price action has been frustrating. I was bullish on the stock heading into 2025, as I found it cheap based on its long-term earnings potential. The multiples based on near-term earnings have been elevated for the last few quarters as Nikes earnings have fallen. Along with the slowdown, Nikes turnaround actions under CEO Elliot Hills Win Now plan have taken a toll on Nikes earnings. As part of the turnaround, Nike has doubled down on innovation, tweaked its market strategy by cozying up with third-party sellers, and cut costs structurally. The company rejigged its C-suite earlier this month to eliminate management layers. While many of the turnaround actions have meant near-term pressure on profitability, they should help drive long-term growth while helping improve the margins. Dec 17 (Reuters) - Hut 8 (HUT) has signed a deal valued at about $7 billion to lease a data center in Louisiana, it said on Wednesday, as former cryptocurrency miners pivot to meet surging demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. Its shares rose 21% in premarket trading, adding to the roughly 80% jump this year. The company will sign a 15-year lease agreement to develop a 245-megawatt data center in the River Bend campus. Construction of the first phase is expected to be completed by early 2027. The transition from crypto mining to AI hosting has become a key trend for firms like Hut 8, CoreWeave, and Applied Digital that are repurposing their access to high-voltage power, cooling systems and specialized real estate. These assets are increasingly scarce as AI developers race to deploy Nvidia graphics processing units and other essential hardware. Hut 8, once a pure-play bitcoin miner, has spent the last year repositioning itself as an energy infrastructure platform. The new deal involves partnerships with AI model developer Anthropic and infrastructure provider Fluidstack. Alphabet-owned Google is providing a financial backstop for the 15-year term, a move that highlights major cloud providers' urgency to secure capacity for power-intensive AI technologies. The agreement is also part of a broader collaboration between Hut 8 and Anthropic that could eventually scale to 2.3 gigawatts of capacity. Last month, Anthropic announced a $50 billion investment to build data centers alongside Fluidstack. Hut 8 said last month that it had a total power pipeline of 8.65 gigawatts, ranging from early-stage site diligence to 1.53 gigawatts of late-stage projects under active development. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed) In part, Novembers figures include Indian sales of goods that are not subject to US trade tariffs, Sambit Bhattacharyya, professor of economics at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, said. The Commerce Ministry added that exports to Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Tanzania were also driving growth. Meanwhile, shipments to China surged by 90 percent year-on-year to $2.2bn. China recorded notably higher Indian imports, with electronics and engineering goods seeing sizeable increases. India has held fort on the US exports despite tariffs, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said at a press briefing. Despite the new tariffs, Indias exports to the US its largest single destination grew by 22 percent in November, reaching approximately $7bn. According to the Commerce Ministry, key drivers for strong exports included engineering goods, electronics and pharmaceuticals. Imports, especially of gold, oil, and coal, also decreased by 1.88 percent, helping to shrink Indias goods trade deficit to about $24.5bn, its lowest level since June. In October, the trade deficit had ballooned to $41.68bn. Indias goods exports were valued at $38.13bn in November 2025, up about 19.4 percent year-on-year. This was a reversal of the 11.8 percent year-on-year decline in exports to $34.38bn that India recorded in October. The export figures , reported this week by Indias Ministry of Commerce and Industry, reflected resilient demand for Indian goods and a strategy of diversifying to new export markets, the ministry said, an approach other countries are also adopting as they look to reduce reliance on the US. The November rise in Indian exports also comes as China recorded a trade surplus of more than $1 trillion, in part reflecting how global trade flows are being reshaped as a result of the Trump trade wars. The rise comes at a time when many countries are struggling to protect exports from the impact of steep US tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump. Earlier this year, the US slapped an additional 25 percent tariff on India in retaliation for its continued purchases of Russian oil, Trump said, bringing total tariffs to 50 percent. Indias exports increased by nearly 20 percent in November year-on-year, the countrys fastest growth in three years, driven primarily by exports to the United States and China. Story Continues Indias exports of electronics and pharmaceuticals to the US increased, and these product categories are exempt from tariffs. Furthermore, tea, coffee, spices and other food items were also added to the exemption list, and all of them are experiencing steady growth. However, analysts also say continued healthy exports to the US signal that traders expect it to eventually relax tariffs on other goods, as the two countries are still working towards a trade deal. In November, for example, New Delhi and Washington signed a long-term contract under which state-owned Indian companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL will buy 2.2 million metric tonnes of US liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) each year. That represents 10 percent of Indias total LPG imports. Bhattacharyya said, India is working with the US in securing a trade deal, and it is expected that average tariffs would come down and there will be more exemptions. Therefore, it is likely that there will be more concessions from the US side. It seems that US buyers remain optimistic about their Indian suppliers, and Indian exports remain competitive in the US market. Is India diversifying exports away from the US as well? Yes. Despite some positive signs regarding exports, uncertainty over US-India relations lingers. While the Trump administration claimed earlier this year that India had agreed to stop buying discounted Russian oil, it has shown little sign of doing so. India has also resisted US pressure to open up sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy to US imports, insisting it will protect farmers and not bow down to tariff demands, while Trump is demanding greater market access. In July this year, India and the UK signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement under which tariffs have been reduced. Last year, India also signed the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Free Trade Association countries Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein under which they have linked markets in return for investment. India is currently in talks with Mexico to counter tariff policies there and create new export corridors. Mexicos Senate on Wednesday approved tariff hikes of up to 50 percent from January on imports from India and other countries, a move analysts say is aimed at appeasing Washington. It is also holding trade talks with Oman. India would also be looking to diversify into Eurasian and Central Asian markets, Sussex Universitys Bhattacharyya said. Why else are Indias exports high? Bhattacharyya said exports were buoyed in November because the rupee was weaker. The rupee devalued against the dollar, which partially counterbalanced the negative effects of tariff on price competitiveness of Indian exports, he said. What is reported is year-on-year growth, which is export figures for November 2025 compared to November 2024. November 2024 was the month of Red Sea crisis, which had a negative impact on exports to the US, he added. Therefore, the November 2025 export growth figures may appear to be overly optimistic due to a low base. INTERACTIVE - India trade-1765949244 Which other countries are showing healthy exports despite US trade tariffs? Chinas exports maintained growth in 2025, enabling the country to record a trade surplus of more than $1 trillion. Earlier in the year, the US imposed tariffs of 145 percent on Chinese goods before reducing them to facilitate trade negotiations. Beijing has weathered the standoff by increasing exports to non-US markets, however. Strong demand from Europe, Southeast Asia and other Asian markets for electronics, electric cars and rare-earth metals, among others, have offset a decline in US-bound shipments caused by the tariffs war. Chinas exports to the European Union also saw strong growth, up an annual 14.8 percent in November year-on-year, and an 8.2 percent rise in exports to countries in Southeast Asia. For the first 11 months of 2025, Chinas goods surplus rose 21.7 percent year-on-year, with high-tech products driving much of the expansion. Shipments in this category grew 5.4 percent faster than overall exports. INTERACTIVE- What are China biggest exports trade 2024 world-1765285569 Vietnam has also registered export increases in 2025, with its trade surplus with the US reaching $121.6bn over the same period, despite the 20 percent tariffs imposed on its goods by the Trump administration. In November, Vietnamese exports to the US jumped 22.5 percent year-on-year, outpacing the 15.1 percent growth in shipments to other markets, according to official statistics. Are other countries diversifying away from the US? There has been increased momentum in multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations as countries seek alternatives to the US market. Bhattacharyya said, Countries are looking to diversify away from the US into Asian markets such as China, Japan and ASEAN. Trade deals is one way of ensuring trade and reducing trade uncertainty. Incentivising investments and opening up markets is also another way of securing trade. The EU has signed a trade deals with Latin American bloc Mercosur, Mexico and Indonesia. The deals include cutting or phasing out most tariffs on goods, widening access to markets for industrial and agricultural exports, as well as environmental and labour commitments. The USs northern neighbour, Canada, has also signalled its desire to strike new trade deals after coming under pressure from Trumps tariff blitz. In November, Canada and the UAE signed a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, designed to promote and protect investments between the two countries, while also agreeing to begin talks to secure a trade deal between themselves. Canadas Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously said Canada aims to double its non-US exports over the next decade. Retail and other industry groups are urging members of the Scottish parliament (MSPs) to introduce a permanent cut in business rates for retail and other properties. The call comes in the run-up to the Scottish governments Budget on 13 January 2026 and follows confirmation that retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England will benefit from a permanent reduction in business rates from April 2026. The measure represents a 5p in the pound cut, equivalent to 10%. Retail organisations, joined by hospitality, tourism and leisure groups, argue that the UK governments decision has altered the competitive landscape for businesses across the country. Together, the sectors employ around 457,000 people in Scotland and are seen as central to the health of high streets and town and city centres. In a joint open letter to MSPs, the signatories state that failing to introduce a similar arrangement in Scotland could undermine the viability of retail locations. They say this could influence investment decisions, place pressure on jobs and contribute to rising vacancy levels on high streets. The letter also points to the need for Scotland to remain an attractive destination for commercial investment as retailers continue to respond to economic change. Scotland must not become a materially more expensive place to operate as it would likely shift investment to other parts of the UK, the letter reads. The signatories note that there are differing positions among the organisations on wider business rates reform. However, they are united in seeking a permanent business rates discount for retail premises that is at least as competitive as the approach planned for England. The letter is signed by David Lonsdale of the Scottish Retail Consortium and representatives from UKHospitality Scotland, the Scottish Tourism Alliance, the UK Cinema Association and ukactive. "Industry groups press MSPs for permanent Scottish rates discount " was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Ray Dalio will help fund the Trump administration's investment accounts for certain children in Connecticut Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday as another firm vowed to match employee contributions. Dalio's commitment is part of an effort to secure additional outside donors in every U.S. state. Twenty other U.S. states are considering adding state funds to the federally-seeded accounts, Bessent said at an event on the program for children born between 2025 and 2028. The initiative was created this year under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act and has sparked a scramble by financial firms looking to participate. The U.S. Treasury will deposit $1,000 into investment accounts for all children born between 2025 and 2028. Separately, investment firm BlackRock on Wednesday became the latest company to say they would match the U.S. government's $1,000 contribution for its employees. Charter Communications, BNY, Block, Uber, Visa and Mastercard are also supporting the accounts, according to the administration. Entrepreneur Michael Dell and his wife, Susan, have also said they would donate another $250 in the accounts of 25 million American children in a $6.25 billion philanthropic pledge backing the initiative. Dalio, in a post on X, said he would donate about $75 million to match the Dells' $250 contribution for about 300,000 children in Connecticut, adding: "We are hopeful other philanthropists and leaders will join this effort by contributing to similar initiatives in their home states." The Invest America accounts are expected to open on July 4, 2026, but details about how they will work are still unknown. It's also unclear how they could help boost savings for lower-income Americans. The fundsrequired to be invested in an index fund that mirrors the performance of the broader stock marketbecome available at the age of 18 for education, job training, a first home or starting a business. Internal Revenue Service Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano said more details about the accounts are expected soon. (Reporting by Dan Burns and Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Nick Zieminski) With a market cap of $13.6 billion, Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (JKHY) is a financial technology company that connects people and financial institutions through technology solutions and payment processing services. It operates through four segments: Core, Payments, Complementary, and Corporate and Other, offering platforms and services ranging from core banking systems and digital/mobile banking to payment processing, risk management, and hardware solutions. Companies valued at $10 billion or more are generally classified as large-cap stocks, and Jack Henry & Associates fits this criterion perfectly. The company provides a range of products including SilverLake, Symitar, CIF 20/20, Core Director, and the Banno Digital Platform. More News from Barchart Shares of the Monett, Missouri-based company have dipped 4.3% from its 52-week high of $196. Over the past three months, JKHY stock has increased 18.4%, outpacing the iShares U.S. Tech Breakthrough Multisector ETF's (TECB) 1.1% rise during the same period. www.barchart.com In the longer term, shares of the payment processing company have risen 7.1% on a YTD basis, underperforming TECBs 13.8% return. Moreover, JKHY stock has gained 4.4% over the past 52 weeks, compared to TECBs 9.4% rise over the same time frame. Yet, the stock has been trading above its 50-day moving average since November. www.barchart.com Shares of JKHY jumped 4.9% following its Q1 2026 results on Nov. 4, reporting EPS of $1.97, which beat analyst estimates. Investors reacted positively to revenue of $644.7 million, up 7.3% year-over-year, alongside a 21% increase in net income to $144 million. Sentiment was further boosted by the company raising its fiscal 2026 guidance, projecting revenue of $2.49 billion - $2.51 billion and EPS of $6.38 - $6.49, above its prior outlook. In comparison, rival Accenture plc (ACN) has lagged behind JKHY stock. ACN stock has declined 21.9% on a YTD basis and 23.4% over the past 52 weeks. Despite the stocks outperformance relative to its peers, analysts are cautiously optimistic about its prospects. JKHY stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the 17 analysts covering the stock, and as of writing, it is trading above the mean price target of $181.62. On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal 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 BANGKOK (AP) Japan's exports climbed 6% in November from a year earlier, with shipments to the United States rising for the first time since March as uncertainties over tariffs abated following a trade deal with the Trump administration. The preliminary data released Wednesday showed Japan's total imports rose 1.3% last month over a year earlier, leaving a surplus of 322.2 billion yen (about $2.1 billion). Exports to the U.S. rose nearly 9% from the year before as shipments of cars, chemicals and cameras helped make up for declines in machinery and iron and steel. Imports of U.S. oil nearly tripled, along with sharp increases in imports of grain and other food products. Japans deal on tariffs with President Donald Trumps administration, setting the baseline import duty for most products at 15% instead of the earlier plan for a 25% tariff, helped boost passenger car shipments by 8% when measured by the number of vehicles. But the value of those cars, trucks and buses inched up only 1.5%, reflecting the reluctance of automakers to pass costs from higher tariffs onto consumers. Imports from the U.S. climbed more than 7%, though Japan still logged a trade surplus of 739.8 billion yen ($4.7 billion), up 11% from a year earlier. Japan's exports to the European Union surged about 20% last month from a year earlier, supported by growth in demand for machinery, vehicles and other manufactured goods. But tensions with Beijing after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi commented on defense of Taiwan took a toll, with exports to China falling 2.4% on weaker shipments of chemicals, machinery and vehicles. Despite a nascent recovery in trade with the U.S., its largest trading partner, higher tariffs are likely to continue to weigh on exports, Norihiro Yamaguchi of Oxford Economics said in a report. Still, he forecast that Japans exports will likely improve in the coming year. Spillovers from robust U.S. AI-related spending will likely support exports as well, Yamaguchi said. A private equity firm owned by President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is no longer backing Paramounts hostile acquisition bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, the firm confirmed Tuesday. Days after Warner agreed to be bought by Netflix in early December, Paramount launched a rival bid that seeks to bypass Warner's management and appeal directly to its shareholders with more money. Paramount is offering $30 per Warner share to Netflixs $27.75. Warner, one of the big five Hollywood studios, owns Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO, the DC Comics universe and the Harry Potter franchise. Experts say its acquisition could supercharge the winning company and reshape the streaming wars, either by catapulting Netflix further ahead of top competitors or by cementing a new power player in Paramount. Paramount, which is significantly smaller than Netflix, said its decision to circumvent Warner's top managers came after they never engaged meaningfully with several earlier offers by the company. Paramount made the details of its new offer public and gave Warner shareholders an option to tender their shares selling them directly at a set price in support of its bid. The company is offering to buy Warners entire portfolio, including cable networks like CNN that Netflix excluded from its bid. In its appeal to shareholders, Paramount argued its offer may be more likely to pass regulatory scrutiny from the Trump administration. The president has said the Warner and Netflix deal could be a problem due to the size of the combined market share. Kushner's decision to pull his firm's financial backing takes away a possible Paramount advantage to win over Trump. The amount Kushner's Affinity Partners was contributing to the offer was not disclosed in Paramounts latest SEC filings. With two strong competitors vying to secure the future of this unique American asset, Affinity has decided no longer to pursue the opportunity, the firm said in a statement. The dynamics of the investment have changed significantly since we initially became involved in October. We continue to believe there is a strong strategic rationale for Paramounts offer. Paramounts bid is still backed by wealth funds run by three governments in the Persian Gulf, widely reported as Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Paramount, which owns which owns CBS, MTV and the streaming service Paramount+, is newly headed by David Ellison, the son of a major Trump donor. But Trump has recently criticized the Ellisons for his treatment by CBS News 60 Minutes." Popular investment banking giant JPMorgan Chase has moved further into the crypto ecosystem with a tokenized market fund. This is in a bid to bring blockchain technology to an investing staple, which is the money-market fund. JPMorgan Plans to Open Fund to the Public With up to $4 trillion in Assets Under Management (AuM), JPMorgan is utilizing the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain to roll out its first tokenized money-market fund. According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, it plans to start with a $100 million seed from its capital, after which it would open it to outside investors. JPMorgan has called the fund My OnChain Net Yield Fund, or MONY. This new private fund will be supported by JPMorgans tokenization platform, Kinexys Digital Assets. The firm plans to give access to qualified investors or individuals with at least $5 million in investments and institutions with a minimum of $25 million. Meanwhile, the minimum investment expected from any investors, whether institution or individual, is $1 million. John Donohue, Head of Global Liquidity at JPMorgan Asset Management, claimed that the fund launch is a response to the growing interest from clients for tokenized products. And we expect to be a leader in this space and work with clients to make sure that we have a product lineup that allows them to have the choices that we have in traditional money-market funds on blockchain, he said. Wall Street Get Serious with Tokenization Meanwhile, it is worth noting that Wall Street investors have found a new interest in tokenization. Stakeholders became more interested after the introduction of stablecoin regulations like the Genius Act. In September, Republic hinted at plans to tokenize Animoca Brands equity. The goal here is to provide global investors with access to a compliant framework. Meanwhile, the Genius Act, a comprehensive framework for USD-pegged stablecoins, was signed into law earlier this year. It is designed to bring stability and security frameworks for digital assets. Some of its other key provisions are the implementation of strict Anti-money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols. This regulation also ensures issuers maintain 1:1 reserves backed by US dollars and prevents potential monopolistic practices by major technology firms. Read original story JPMorgan Launches MONY Fund on Ethereum Blockchain by Godfrey Benjamin at Coinspeaker.com This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: A federal judge Friday granted a motion filed by Starbucks shareholders in an ongoing case to reconsider ex-CFO Rachel Ruggeri as a defendant regarding certain claims a little less than a month after the judge in a Nov. 19 ruling dismissed all claims against the finance chief, according to court documents filed with the U.S. District Court Western District of Washington in Seattle. In a narrow decision, U.S. District Judge John Chun granted the motion to reconsider Ruggeri as a controlling person in the suit and simultaneously, shot down a motion by Starbucks to deny the bid for reconsideration. Because the Court found that Plaintiffs did plead a 10(b) claim, and Defendants never raised the issue of control in its prior briefingsit would be procedurally improper for the Court to now dismiss Plaintiffs 20(a) claims against Defendant Ruggeri for failing to plead control, Chun wrote. Dive Insight: First filed last August by Charles Garbaccio on behalf of himself and other shareholders, the suit alleges the Seattle-based coffee chain, Ruggeri and former CEO Laxman Narasimhan violated federal securities law by making materially false or misleading statements related to its Triple Shot reinvention strategy first debuted in late 2023, CFO Dive sister publication Restaurant Dive reported at the time. A long-time employee of the coffee chain, Ruggeri who first joined the chain in 2001 as its director of finance and took the CFO seat in 2021 left Starbucks under conditions that met the without cause provision of its severance and control plan this March, with Nordstrom alum Cathy Smith succeeding her in the top financial seat, CFO Dive previously reported. Ruggeri and Narasimham the CFO and CEO, respectively, during the period under scrutiny by the shareholder suit made materially false statements about the companys revenue outlook for full-year 2024 and its growth plan for China related to the Triple Shot plan, according to the original complaint. On Nov. 19, Judge Chun partially dismissed the case, including all claims against Ruggeri. The partial ruling held that shareholders had demonstrated some, but not all of their securities fraud claims under section 10(b) of the Exchange Act. The court thus declines Defendants request to dismiss any of Plaintiffs section 20(a) claims that hinge on Plaintiffs validly pleaded section 10(b) claims as discussed above, the ruling said. As for all other 20(a) claims, the Court dismisses them without prejudice for failure to state a claim. Kraft Heinz has appointed former Kellanova chief Steve Cahillane as group CEO ahead of next years targeted business split. Cahillane will take up the position, and a seat on the board, on 1 January but will then become CEO of Kraft Heinzs Global Taste Elevation Co. when the separation unfolds, scheduled for the first half of 2026. A search for a CEO to head up the other half of the new business - North American Grocery Co. - is due to start, the Kraft mac & cheese and Maxwell House coffee brand owner said in a statement. Meanwhile, current group CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera, who took the hot seat on 1 January 2023, will relinquish his position at the start of the new year but will remain as an adviser until 6 March. He had been due to take the CEO position at Kraft Heinzs new grocery unit. As part of the shake-up, Miguel Patricio, who was CEO from mid-2019 until being succeeded by Abrams-Rivera, will be replaced as board chair by John Cahill. Cahillane has been freed up since Mars takeover of Kellanova was cleared by European competition authorities last week, the final hurdle following previous clearance in the US. He held the president and CEO roles at Kellanova, which itself was the subject of a business split in 2022-23 from what was the breakfast cereal and snacks giant Kellogg Co. I am honoured to be joining Kraft Heinz as CEO at such a pivotal and exciting time, Cahillane said. Im confident the planned separation will accelerate the companys ability to compete and win in todays environment and unlock the immense opportunity in front of us. Kraft Heinz said it reached a severance separation agreement with Abrams-Rivera today (16 December), whereby he will no longer serve as CEO or a member of the board. From 1 January, Patricio will resign from the company and step down as executive board chair but will remain as a non-employee director. Current vice chairman Cahill will assume the board leadership role from the same date. Cahill said: I want to express the boards deep gratitude to Miguel for stepping in to help prepare the company and leadership team for the proposed separation. I look forward to taking on the role of chair as we usher in an exciting new era for the company, with Steve Cahillane at the helm. Before Kellanova, Cahillane was CEO of Kellogg prior to the business separation. He also previously headed up The Natures Bounty Co. and has also served as an executive at The Coca-Cola Co. and AB lnBev during his career. Steve is uniquely qualified to lead this organisation into the future and we are delighted he will be taking on the role of CEO, Patricio said. Lagfin, the Luxembourg-based holding company that controls the majority of Camparis voting rights, has agreed to pay 405m ($474.5m) to settle a tax dispute in Italy. The company said yesterday (16 December) it had opted for a settlement to protect the interests of all Campari shareholders. Lagfin, which controls 80% of Camparis voting rights, had had 1.3bn ($1.49bn) worth of shares seized by the Italian authorities, which had accusing the investor of tax evasion. On 1 November, Italys financial police, the Guardia di Finanza, said it had enforced a precautionary seizure order issued by the Monza court over 1.29bn of shares against a Luxembourg-based holding company. According to the authorities, capital gains exceeding 5.3bn were allegedly left undeclared after Lagfin absorbed its Italian subsidiary. Those gains, they argued, should have been taxed when the assets were transferred out of Italy. Campari, which makes Aperol and Courvoisier, maintained the tax litigation between Lagfin and the Italian tax authorities does not concern either Davide Campari-Milano or any of its subsidiaries. In Lagfin's statement yesterday, the investor said it has always operated in full compliance with all applicable regulations, including Italian tax laws, and maintains that the exit tax was not applicable. While Lagfin is confident that it would have prevailed in litigation, such proceedings would have inevitably extended over several years and through multiple levels of judgment. Although this would never have affected Lagfins control over Campari even in the unlikely event of an adverse ruling it could have negatively impacted Camparis share price. Under the agreement with the Italian Revenue Agency, Lagfin will make an initial payment of 152m by the end of the year. The outstanding amount will then be paid in equal quarterly instalments between June 2027 and 20 September 2029. Preserving control of Campari is at the core of Lagfins corporate purpose, and the company considers it its duty to do everything necessary to safeguard the inter ests of those who have invested, and will invest, in Campari, shielding them from matters unrelated to the company, Lagfin added. "Lead Campari shareholder settles tax dispute " was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. South Korean cable and electrical equipment manufacturer LS Cable & System Ltd (LS) announced that it is looking to build a rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing facility in the US, with the aim of helping to meet growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) drive motors and automotive electronics. LS also expects strong demand growth for rare-earth magnets to come from the electronics, aerospace, defence, robotics, and wind power generator industries, as well as from a growing number of urban air mobility and drone manufacturers. The companys decision to produce magnets in the US came as trade tensions continued to be ramped up this year between the US and China, the latter being by far the worlds largest producer of rare earth magnets. LS estimates that China currently controls approximately 85% of global production (of rare earth magnets) and there are very few manufacturers in the US, so diversifying the supply chain has emerged as a top priority. LS pointed out that rare earth permanent magnets are a core resource for advanced industries and that producing them domestically will help to stabilize US supply chains. The investment in the US would also help diversify its own industrial supply chain. LS confirmed that it has shortlisted a site for the plant in Chesapeake, Virginia, and that it is currently conducting a feasibility study for the project. It is also holding full-scale discussions with the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding support for the investment. The company said the most likely location of the new plant would be a site near its submarine cable factory currently under construction in the Chesapeake area. An LS spokesperson said in a statement: If realised, this project will serve as a new growth axis, allowing us to expand our business from cables to strategic materials. It will provide a significant opportunity for us to strengthen our leadership in the global mobility supply chain." LS added that it is working to establish a complete value chain, from securing rare earth oxides to metallisation and magnet manufacturing. To this end, it is working through its subsidiary, LS Eco Energy, to secure and metallise refined rare earth oxides from sources in Vietnam and Australia. "LS C&S to produce rare-earth magnets in the US" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Mark Cuban, a Billionaire investor and a vocal Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) advocate, voiced his skepticism about other memecoins about a year ago, likening them to a game of musical chairs. Cuban Not A Fan Of Meme Coins During a podcast aired Dec. 17, 2024, Cuban revealed his lack of enthusiasm for meme coins. It's just hustle. There's no there there, and so it's like a game of musical chairs with money and some people will make money and some people won't, the Shark Tank personality said. Dont Miss: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Cuban added that for a meme coin project to succeed, it needs to build a community similar to that of Dogecoin. If theres a meme that develops a community so that its almost like a lottery ticket that everybody gets to talk about, then its not great, but its okay, he argued. Its worth mentioning that Cuban, also a minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has been an avid supporter of Dogecoin and frequently uses his public image and social media reach to endorse the cryptocurrency. The Mavericks previously accepted Dogecoin as payment for tickets and merchandise. See Also: Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse Invest Now at Just $0.85 a Share A Prescient Warning? Fast-forward a year, and most top-tier, popular memecoins are struggling, including DOGE. The apex memecoin, Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) and Pepe (CRYPTO: PEPE) have tumbled 55%, 60% and 76%, respectively, since the year began, far worse than Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP). In fact, the total memecoin market capitalization has more than halved this year and collapsed by more than 60% since Cuban made those remarks. Cryptocurrency YTD Gains +/- Price (Recorded at 12:15 a.m. ET) Dogecoin -55.56% $0.1403 Shiba Inu -60.23% $0.000008409 Pepe -76.27% $0.000004570 Photo: Kathy Hutchins On Shutterstock.com Trending Now: Wall Street's $12B Real Estate Manager Is Opening Its Doors to Individual Investors Without the Crowdfunding Middlemen Deloitte's #1 Fastest-Growing Software Company Lets Users Earn Money Just by Scrolling Accredited Investors Can Still Get In at $0.50/Share. Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That's why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, professional financial guidance, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn't tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry. McFarlane Lake Mining has secured an exploration permit for its Juby gold project in Ontario, Canada. The permit authorises diamond drilling, line cutting, geophysical surveys and related support activities, advancing the companys work in the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The approval follows McFarlanes announcement on 11 December 2025, which detailed the continued progress towards restarting exploration at Juby. The company said that it will now move ahead with an expanded drilling programme targeting priority areas identified via updated geological modelling, structural analysis and resource assessment. Ahead of the 202526 programme, McFarlane has awarded drilling contracts to two operators. The first is Bagonean, a partnership majority-owned by Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation alongside Jacob & Samuel Drilling as partners. The second is Wiijiiwaagan Drilling Limited Partnership, owned by Matachewan First Nation Limited Partnership (MFNLP) and Longyear Canada. These partnerships are set to enhance local participation and strengthen operational capacity. Three First Nation communities Matachewan, Temagami and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek hold territorial rights within the Juby gold project. The programme aims to strengthen relationships with local and indigenous communities through ongoing participation in project activities. McFarlane CEO Mark Trevisiol said: Receiving the exploration permit is a key milestone for McFarlane as we advance toward the largest drilling campaign seen on the property. With established drilling partners and clear technical objectives, we are well-positioned to move into the next phase of exploration and unlock additional potential of the project. We welcome the participation of First Nations and their partners in the exploration programme at the Juby gold project. In July, Aris Mining signed a definitive asset purchase agreement to sell the Juby gold project to McFarlane for a total consideration of $22m (C$30.29m). "McFarlane secures exploration permit for Juby gold project in Canada" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. Lars Klingbeil, Germany's Minister of Finance, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz sit during the 49th plenary session of the 21st legislative period in the German Bundestag. Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has again urged fellow EU leaders to agree to use Russian state assets frozen in the bloc to provide financial support to Ukraine, a proposal that is set to dominate a high-stakes summit in Brussels later this week. Merz stressed the need to send "a clear signal to Russia" that continuing its war on Ukraine was pointless, in an address to lawmakers on Wednesday before he was set to depart for Belgium. The German chancellor is one of the main backers of a proposal set forth by the European Commission to use around 210 billion ($247.4 billion) in Russian assets held under EU sanctions to provide Ukraine with much-needed loans to allow the country to continue to defend itself over the next two years. However, Merz earlier this week conceded himself that chances of EU leaders striking a deal during Thursday's summit are "fifty-fifty," as Belgium, where the lion's share of the assets is held, has opposed the plan due to legal concerns. On Wednesday, the German leader again tried to allay those fears, saying the commission's proposal, which stipulates that Ukraine will repay the funds from Russian reparation payments, was fully in line with international law and international obligations. Merz highlighted the importance of the upcoming talks, saying that the decision was "of considerable significance." "This issue is about nothing less than European security and sovereignty," he said. Italy also sceptical Other EU members which might still need to be brought on board include Italy, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday also warning of potential legal hurdles to the plans. Finding a way to use the Russian state assets that is legally sound is "anything but easy," she told Italian lawmakers. Meloni stressed that she supports efforts to make Russia bear the costs of its war on Ukraine, launched in February 2022. She also said she was generally open to plans to use Russian state assets frozen in the European Union, but only if the legal situation is sound. "If the legal basis for this initiative is not sound, we would be giving Russia its first real victory since the beginning of this conflict," the Italian premier said. A so-called qualified majority - of at least 15 of the EU's 27 states, representing 65% of the bloc's population - is needed to approve the plans, but it is considered unlikely that other EU countries would be willing to outvote Belgium. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz takes part in the 49th plenary session of the 21st legislative period in the German Bundestag. Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa Meta Platforms' (META) stock dipped slightly this week following a report that the company is making a significant pivot in its artificial intelligence strategy. The report from Bloomberg says that Meta is developing a closed, monetizable AI model with the codename Avocado that could incorporate tech from Chinese companies, including Alibaba Group (BABA). More News from Barchart Such a plan would be a shift in Metas AI strategy, which has long favored open-source models such as Llama. Such decentralized control encourages innovation across the community but provides Meta with limited opportunities to commercialize it. The closed approach is also used by competitors OpenAI and Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL). With Metas AI strategy seemingly at a crossroads, should investors be encouraged or concerned about investing in the company right now? About Meta Platforms Stock The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and others, Meta Platforms is the biggest social media company in the world. Now sporting a market capitalization of $1.6 trillion, the Menlo Park, California, company has 3.54 billion daily active users among its family of apps. Shares in the company are up 10% in 2025, which trails the 16% year-to-date (YTD) performance of the S&P 500 ($SPX). Among the Magnificent Seven cohort of stocks thats been dominating the stock market this year, Meta Platforms has been one of the weaker performers, trailing the year-to-date performance of all but Amazon (AMZN). www.barchart.com META stock currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.5, making it more expensive than its historical average. The companys five-year P/E mean is 24.9. META is also a relatively new dividend stock, having initiated a quarterly payout in early 2024. The stocks dividend yield is 0.3%, or $0.525 per share each quarter. The next payout will be Dec. 23 for shareholders of record on Dec. 15. Meta Beats on Earnings Meta Platforms has a strong earnings history, consistently beating analysts expectations, and the third-quarter report was no exception. Revenue of $51.24 billion was up 26% from a year ago. Earnings per share of $7.25 beat expectations of $6.61 per share. The revenue was helped by the companys improvements in advertising, in which impressions increased by 14% from a year ago, and the average price per ad increased 10% from last year. This story was originally published on C-Store Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily C-Store Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Minuteman Food Mart has hired Thomas Becker as vice president of retail operations, merchandising and marketing, a company spokesperson confirmed to C-Store Dive. Becker most recently spent five years as director of U.S. proprietary brands for Circle K, a role he held until this past April, according to his LinkedIn bio, where he noted that he joined Minuteman in November. Becker is likely to play an essential role at Minuteman as the roughly 60-store convenience retailer continues its expansion across North and South Carolina. Dive Insight: Its not clear how Becker will work alongside Ed Bitondo, who became Minutemans VP of convenience store operations earlier this year after a 10-year career with Thorntons. However, as VP of operations, merchandising and marketing, Becker will likely have a 360-degree view of Minutemans business. Many Minuteman locations feature the companys prepared foodservice program, which offers made-to-order and grab-and-go meals such as fried chicken, ribs, burgers, biscuit sandwiches, hot dogs, pizza and mac and cheese bowls. The retailer has used self-checkout kiosks in some of its stores since 2023, and also refreshed its mobile app and brand identity earlier this year. Minutemans spokesperson did not respond by press time when asked to share further details of Beckers new role. Minuteman Food Mart While at Circle K, Becker was responsible for profit and loss, marketing, product development and procurement for the retailers private label portfolio in the U.S., according to his LinkedIn bio. Becker said this side of the business launched over 350 new SKUs while he was leading it. He also brings several years of product, brand and marketing experience outside the convenience industry to Minuteman. Earlier in his career, Becker spent about three years as director of private label brand management and marketing for supermarket giant Ahold Delhaize. He also spent two years as director of private label, brand marketing and product development for supplies retailer OfficeMax. Becker was inducted into the Private Label Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame earlier this year. Recommended Reading This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter. Nestle is undertaking an extensive review of its U.S. portfolio as the DiGiorno pizza maker works with a "sense of urgency" to strengthen its brands and win more eating occasions amid a pullback in spending and changing consumer preferences, according to the division's top executive. In this first interview since taking over as CEO of Nestle USA in January, Marty Thompson said the company is rethinking some packaging sizes, focusing innovation on fewer, bigger bets and considering reformulating brands following blind taste tests as part of an aggressive effort to better connect with consumers. Right now our attention is really growing the core to its maximum potential, and we believe that we have a lot of runway, the 64-year-old Thompson said, acknowledging the company previously failed to put enough energy and emphasis around its biggest brands. Were going to be a lot more focused in terms of how we direct our resources." Thompsons ascent to the top U.S. post at Nestle, after close to a half-decade running its coffee business, comes as the Switzerland-based CPG giant and its peers downsize operations to contend with slowing sales and a shift toward better-for-you offerings. Nestle plans to cut 16,000 jobs, or about 6% of the companys global workforce, during the next two years. Global CEO Philipp Navratil, who took over in September, said Nestle will be ruthless in assessing its 277,000 employees as part of a broader effort to drive $3.8 billion in savings by the end of 2027. Thompson acknowledged that job losses will affect every market and every function in some way, and were right on the front end of that in the U.S. Nonetheless, hes confident that Nestle, which is already in 97% of U.S. households, can record growth that outpaces the broader U.S. food and beverage space during the next few years, adding hundreds of millions of dollars in sales to the companys bottom line. Were optimistic, and were focused, Thompson said. When the category is tight, were looking for things that will help us grow. We got some work to do A big part of its growth push has started with its products. To make sure Nestle USAs offerings were as superior as it thought, the company started conducting blind taste tests, asking consumers to try their products versus a competitor's to see which they preferred. A slice of its DiGiorno pizza, for example, went head-to-head with frozen pies such as top-selling brand Red Baron and delivery options including Domino's. For profitable companies like Nokia, the Price to Earnings ratio is a useful yardstick because it directly links what investors pay for the stock to the profits the business is currently generating. In general, higher expected growth and lower perceived risk justify a higher PE ratio, while slower growth or greater uncertainty usually warrant a lower one. Our Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis suggests Nokia Oyj may be overvalued by 165.4%. Discover 909 undervalued stocks or create your own screener to find better value opportunities. When all projected cash flows from 2026 to 2035 are discounted back, the model arrives at an intrinsic value of roughly 1.99 per share. Compared with the current share price, this implies the stock is about 165.4% overvalued. This suggests that a lot of optimistic growth is already embedded in todays market price. For Nokia Oyj, the latest twelve month Free Cash Flow is about 1.33 billion, which forms the starting point for a 2 stage Free Cash Flow to Equity model. Analyst forecasts see Free Cash Flow peaking around 2.13 billion by 2027 before easing back toward roughly 0.44 billion by 2035, with the later years extrapolated rather than explicitly forecast by analysts. A Discounted Cash Flow model projects the cash a business is expected to generate in the future and then discounts those cash flows back into todays euros to estimate what the company is worth now. Right now, Nokia scores just 1/6 on our valuation checks, hinting that traditional models see only limited undervaluation. In the next sections we will unpack those methods and finish with a more nuanced way to think about what the market is really pricing in. Recent headlines have focused on Nokia's ongoing push in 5G and network infrastructure, including fresh contract wins and strategic partnerships that underline its role in global telecom build outs. At the same time, investors are weighing geopolitical and competitive pressures in key markets, which helps explain some of the volatility in the share price. Despite slipping around 1.4% over the last week and 9.5% over the past month, the stock is still up 22.2% year to date and 87.1% over five years, which naturally raises questions about what comes next. Wondering whether Nokia Oyj is still a bargain after its long ride back from obscurity, or if most of the upside has already been priced in, you are not alone. Story Continues Nokia currently trades on a PE of about 34.8x. That is roughly in line with the broader Communications industry average of around 34.8x, and modestly above the peer average of about 28.1x. To go a step further, Simply Wall St also calculates a proprietary Fair Ratio of 32.3x, which represents the PE you might expect once Nokias specific earnings growth profile, profit margins, market cap, risk factors and industry positioning are all taken into account. This Fair Ratio is more tailored than a simple comparison with peers or the industry, because it adjusts for how Nokia differs from those groups on growth, quality and risk. With the current PE of 34.8x sitting a little above the Fair Ratio of 32.3x, the multiple suggests the shares are slightly expensive on todays fundamentals. Result: OVERVALUED HLSE:NOKIA PE Ratio as at Dec 2025 PE ratios tell one story, but what if the real opportunity lies elsewhere? Discover 1457 companies where insiders are betting big on explosive growth. Upgrade Your Decision Making: Choose your Nokia Oyj Narrative Earlier we mentioned that there is an even better way to understand valuation. Let us introduce you to Narratives, a simple framework on Simply Wall Sts Community page that lets you spell out the story you believe about Nokia Oyj, translate that story into explicit assumptions for future revenue, earnings and margins, and then see the fair value those assumptions imply. You can compare that fair value against todays share price to decide whether to buy, hold or sell. The platform keeps your Narrative up to date as new news or earnings arrive. For example, one investor might build a bullish Nokia Narrative that leans into accelerating AI and optical demand, stronger margins, and a fair value near the upper end of recent targets around 5.75. A more cautious investor could emphasize capex headwinds, execution risk and margin pressure to arrive at a much lower fair value closer to 3.00. This illustrates how the same company can support very different, yet clearly quantified, viewpoints. Do you think there's more to the story for Nokia Oyj? Head over to our Community to see what others are saying! HLSE:NOKIA 1-Year Stock Price Chart 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 NOKIA.HE. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com US President Donald Trump speaks during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Oil prices rose in early trade on Wednesday following heightened tensions between the United States and Venezuela. Brent crude for February delivery climbed to $59.84 a barrel, up 92 cents, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for January delivery gained 90 cents to $56.17 a barrel. On Tuesday, prices had fallen to their lowest levels since 2021. The price movements came after US President Donald Trump linked the significant US military presence off Venezuela's coast to the South American country's oil reserves and ordered a "TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS" entering or leaving Venezuela. The US seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast last week, marking a sharp escalation in Trump's campaign against President Nicolas Maduro's government. Despite the geopolitical tension, ING commodities analyst Warren Patterson said investors were likely to remain calm. Potential supply risks are already priced in, and the recent price reaction shows the oil market is not overly worried, he said. By contrast, the "five golden rings" in the song soared in price by 32.5% year-over-year. It's sort of a bargain when you consider the 45% jump in gold prices, as of Oct. 31. Jewelers, obviously, didn't raise prices as much to try to hold onto some sales. "Five gold rings saw the single-biggest price jump by far" in that grouping of 12 categories, including a partridge in a pear tree. The price of the partridge remained unchanged at $20.18 for one bird, but the pear tree shot up in price by 14.3% to $400 in the past year, according to the index now in its 42nd year. Gold is commanding a higher price for many shoppers this holiday season, too, according to the annual PNC Christmas Price Index that reviews the cost of the gifts from the classic holiday carol The Twelve Days of Christmas." Gold is volatile in price but viewed as a hedge against uncertain times and we've had our share in 2025. Persistent inflation; three rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in 2025 after three rate cuts in 2024, which make some savings vehicles less attractive; a decline in the value of the U.S. dollar; global tensions relating to tariffs and wars. What different jewelers and pawn shops offer to pay a seller for old gold jewelry can vary substantially even as much as 50% in one example I found recently. Sometimes, the price difference is even higher. Yet if you're thinking about taking advantage of high gold prices to get rid of some gold, maybe a broken chain for a locket or even a gold ring from a loved one, you shouldn't expect to receive the same amount of money everywhere you go. On Dec. 11, gold shot up to the highest point in more than a month, following the Federal Reserve's decision Dec. 10 to cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point. Traders expect lower interest rates ahead, which can be bullish for gold prices. On Thursday morning, Dec. 11, the day I trekked out in the cold to get a few price quotes, the spot gold price was trading around $4,250 an ounce up nearly 63% so far in 2025. "We buy gold" signs grab your eye after gold prices broke one record after another in 2025. The record price for spot gold was trading at an intraday high of $4,380.99 an ounce Oct. 17, according to Kitco.com. Sure, we've been married 30 years. But after 30 years of marriage, well, he's learned to roll with oddball requests and even ribbing when the ring initially didn't want to come off. I asked my husband to take off his gold wedding band again. I wanted to see one more time what I'd get if we wanted to sell it. Story continues The five gold rings would cost $1,649.90 in 2025 based on the PNC analysis. The cost of the 12 gift basket rose 4.5% compared with last year, outpacing the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index year-over-year reading of 3% for September, which was released Oct. 24. Data is compiled using sources from across the country, including dance and theater companies, hatcheries, pet stores and others. Overall, the total cost to buy the 12 gifts that comprise the PNC CPI for the holidays hit $51,476.12 in 2025. Buying all the gifts rattled off in the popular, but incredibly annoying Christmas song would have cost you $46,729.86 just two years ago in 2023. And, oddly enough, in 2023, the price for five gold rings was $1,245 and had stayed flat for the first time in more than five years. What I discovered trying to cash in gold With the exception of metro Detroit's frosty temperatures and icy walkways, early December was a perfect time to see what one might fetch for some gold jewelry. If you're pricing your gold, hit a few spots on the same day around the same time. If you spread it out over a few days, the price of gold can fluctuate quickly and it's tougher to compare offers. My advice: Shop around to get a better idea of the going rate for what you're selling. And, don't plan to pay for a second honeymoon trip in Hawaii by selling your wedding ring. Typically, I have not seen pawnshops and jewelry stores here post prices. You bring your items for a quote, or you call to find out what's being paid that day. Longtime readers of my column might remember that I've used my husband's ring as a benchmark in shopping trips, a simple band with no diamonds or gemstones that would complicate things or need to be removed. We've seen our spikes in gold prices before admittedly, nothing quite like 2025. A little history of pricing a gold ring to sell I first wrote about pricing gold back in August 2008 when we saw "We Buy Gold" billboards on the highway from some tony jewelry stores. Gold was trading around $925 at that time. In 2008, one jeweler quoted me a price of about $74 to sell off my husband's 14-karat gold wedding band, substantially less than I paid for his classic gold wedding band in 1995. Just three short years later, the wedding band jumped in value, according to one quote, to around $207 in August 2011. My husband maintained that was slightly more than I paid for it in 1995. Gold was above $1,700 an ounce in trading then. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was quoted around $230 for my husband's gold ring at one store. But another local store quoted me $105 and another $155 in August 2020. Gold was trading at around $1,950 an ounce when I did my shopping more than five years ago. My experience has been that offers to buy gold can run the gamut. On Thursday morning, Dec. 11, the spot gold price was trading around $4,250 an ounce, up nearly 63% so far in 2025. What you'd get for selling a gold wedding band will vary by the ring and where you price it. What was the gold story in 2025? On Dec. 11, I visited four stores on one day. It was doable. I did not run into long lines of people selling their gold. In fact, many times I was the only customer in the store in the late morning and early afternoon. At a pawn shop in Berkley, I had to wait a few minutes while one customer asked how much money he could get for unloading a guitar. But that was it. And I'll admit upfront, I was stunned to hear the first quote out of the gate. The man behind the counter at the 14K Pawn & Exchange store on Woodward Avenue in Berkley took my husband's gold ring and put it on a digital scale. The simple band weighed around 7.6 grams, he said. Gold is often weighed in troy ounces, which contain 31.1 grams each. He initially offered $420 for the ring if I wanted to sell it. After we talked a bit, he changed his mind and said he'd be willing to buy it at $450. Wait, wasn't I offered $105 to $230 for the same ring just five years ago? I supposed I shouldn't have been shocked. Deana McFadden, Little Egg Harbor, holds a Standing Liberty gold coin she brought into TMT Cash for Gold in Toms River Monday, November 18, 2025, by As gold prices reach record highs, business is brisk at TMT Cash for Gold as shore residents come in to sell their valuables. The price of gold had more than doubled since I wrote a column back in the summer of 2020 after gold then hit a record of around $2,070 an ounce on Aug. 6, 2020. The clerk at the Berkley store which is near a Great Clips and Crispelli's Bakery and Pizzeria suggested that I'd likely find only a few dollars difference in the price being offered to me if I shopped elsewhere. I hopped in the car and drove roughly 4 miles to Clawson where a giant inflatable Grinch stands near a sidewalk sign proclaiming "We Buy Gold." Inside the store, I was immediately greeted by Guinness, a beautiful black retail dog at Clawson Jewelers on Main Street. When I said I was pricing my ring, owner Joe Ghadaf asked me whether I had priced it elsewhere already. What price was I offered? I told him I would not disclose the price until he gave me his quote. A manager weighed the ring and gave me a quote of $300. When I told them I was just quoted $450, he said he was shocked and that was a very good price. But Ghadaf said he'd go to $470 but only if I agreed to sell the ring on the spot, right then and there and not price it any further. He was a little agitated when I said I'd have to think about it and he said he would not guarantee that price. I didn't sell it because, as with past tests, I've had no intention of selling my husband's wedding ring. He wears it all the time. It represents a commitment, not a commodity. An giant inflatable Grinch stands near a sidewalk sign proclaiming "We Buy Gold" in front of Clawson Jewelers on Main Street on Thursday Dec. 11, 2025. I walked out of the store and navigated the icy municipal parking lot in Clawson behind the store and climbed into my husband's 11-year-old Ford Explorer to head to Oakland Mall in Troy. The minute I pulled into the mall parking lot, I was hit by memories of times gone by. Macy's closed its landmark anchor store in Oakland Mall early in 2025 as it shut several locations nationwide. Signs in the mall that say "Please excuse our appearance" as ongoing construction in some spots continues. As I walked in the mall, I headed to the Kay Jewelers because I thought that store bought gold, but the clerk told me that wasn't the case. I walked across the center court, passing Santa and his setup, and went to MJ Diamonds, two doors down from the Orange Julius. The woman took the ring, weighed it and simply said $350 and then walked away. I made one more stop and headed north on Interstate 75 to Big Beaver Road and the Diamond Vault of Troy, which sits in an office complex across the street from Fidelity Investments and Shake Shack. After I was buzzed into the store from the lobby, I was directed to a small office. The man named Randy was wearing a similar gold band. When I commented on it, he told me that my gold ring was as traditional as you could get with its milgrain edge. And what would I get for the ring? Would the price be closer to $300 or $450? Randy offered me $428.41 for the ring on the spot around 1:10 p.m. on Dec. 11. He told me prices can change every few minutes. What to know about pricing gold What have we learned here? Well, it is wise to price your gold jewelry at more than one location, given that I could have accepted an offer for as low as $300 or as high as $450 or $470 on the same Thursday afternoon. Each time I've tried this experiment, I've reached the same conclusion. You don't always get a similar price quote within a few hours of pricing your gold at a few stores. Another wake-up call: Selling one piece of simple gold jewelry typically will not bring you anything close to the $4,200 or more that has been quoted for gold on TV or radio lately. I spoke with Randall Cole, CEO of Diamond Vault of Troy, by phone a few days after my pricing experiment. (I price the gold as a consumer, not identifying myself as a columnist. I did not give anyone my name when I sought a price for the gold wedding band.) Cole said he has seen an uptick in business as many consumers are selling inherited pieces, broken chains, one earring that's missing its mate. "Just about everybody knows that gold is epic," Cole said. He has been in one aspect or other of the gold business for 50 years and hasn't seen anything like 2025's price climb. Gold is bought by gram, but he noted that prices can change all the time. He doesn't generally give price quotes over the phone. The Troy outlet uses X-ray machines to reveal the purity of the piece's gold content. Others may use an acid test. He noted that pricing can vary for a variety of reasons in a marketplace, including the lack of knowledge by sellers. In some cases, a seller expects an unrealistically high price. Buyers say they've got to pay for refining fees, including the cost of shipping the gold to a refinery and insurance. And a jeweler or pawn shop must hold onto the item for at least nine days in Michigan before being able to sell it or melt it down. "What's gold going to be in 10 days? We don't know. It can go down as fast as it went up," Cole said. Many consumers also might think they'll be offered the same price, anywhere they go. But that's not true. And some unscrupulous buyers will take advantage of consumers. They know they're dealing with a customer who doesn't know what they're doing when it comes to selling precious metal, Cole said. "In some places, it's almost like a shell game. They're moving the metal around from pile to pile." Some sellers put some items in a scrap pile, saying they won't buy those pieces of jewelry. Then, they offer $10 or $15 for the pile of items that could be worth more. Or someone might say a piece is 10K when it is really 14K so they can offer the consumer less money. In some cases, Cole said, a pawn shop might offer a high price if they're considering restoring an item and selling it as new or as-is, possibly making a profit selling it to someone else instead of melting it down for the gold. "If they really like it, and it's not damaged, they might pay a little bit more," Cole said. "What do you care? You might not care at all. You might have inherited it from an uncle you really didn't know." A person who is emotionally invested in a ring or necklace, though, might be dealing with clouded judgment. For that reason, he recommends getting items valued before something happens and you need the cash. Frank Ljuljgjurovic, the owner of 14K Pawn, said December is typically busy with people trying to sell jewelry to raise cash for holiday bills. Now, of course, the high price of gold makes people more willing to part with gold jewelry and bullion coins. Coins bring the most money, he said, because they are pure gold. During a phone interview, he said the shop was paying around $72 a gram on Dec. 15. "Last year, it was probably 40 bucks so it's a big difference," he said. (I was offered about $60 a gram a few days before the phone interview.) "They come here, they're going to get top dollar right now compared to everybody else," he said. Coins, he said, will get resold. Jewelry often gets melted down. If a piece of jewelry is in good condition, he said, it might be resold at the store. "It all depends on what the item is." Many people, he said, aren't buying jewelry right now because it's too expensive for them to buy, given the high price of gold. Ljuljgjurovic, who opened 14K Pawn in 2013, said some people are very shocked with they walk out with thousands of dollars when they're selling a few pieces of gold jewelry. "They're not expecting to get a lot of money for them," he said. One cautionary note: Diamond rings might not sell for as much as you'd imagine, he said, as the popularity of lab-grown diamonds has driven down the value of natural diamonds. "Nobody is buying natural anymore; everybody is just buying lab," he said. Those who are selling items will need to give a name, signature, a thumb print, and have ID. The sale is reported to police to make sure that stolen goods aren't being sold to a dealer. Ghadaf, the jeweler in Clawson, explained his initial $300 offer on my husband's ring, saying that sometimes he'll first test out how serious a customer is about selling an item. He doesn't know whether someone actually intends to sell the piece of jewelry that day or, maybe, is just gauging the market. "We have people who shop us from other jewelers," he said. Ghadaf, who has been in the jewelry business 37 years, told me by phone that he will to take a second look at a piece, he said, and make another offer if someone intends to sell a piece of jewelry. He wants to know, he told me by phone, if someone really wants to get rid of an item. Sometimes, he said, jewelers will buy a gold ring or other piece of gold jewelry to melt it down later for their own use. Jewelers take some risk, he said, given that they don't know whether the price of gold will drop soon after they buy an item, indicating that a lot of variables go into what a jeweler is willing to offer for gold. Some key tips: See www.goldprice.org or www.kitco.com as a guide to the gold market. If you're selling more than one item, make sure you understand that the higher the karat, the more gold content. Different karats say 14 karat and 10 karat should be weighed separately and priced accordingly. You should get more money for 14K than 10K. A piece of jewelry marked 18K gold is 18 parts gold mixed with six parts of another metal. 18K is 75% pure gold. A piece marked 14K gold is 14 parts gold mixed with 10 parts of another metal. 14-karat is 58.5% pure gold. Ask whether there is a charge for removing the diamonds or stones. Be cautious when someone promotes the "best price" on gold. You still might need to negotiate. The Michigan Precious Metal and Gem Dealer Act requires precious metal dealers to register with the local government or local police agency where they intend to do business. Precious metal dealers must keep a permanent record of each transaction and keep all precious items received for at least nine calendar days to make sure the item isn't stolen. Who knows where the price of gold is heading. It's never a straight shot up. If you're in a financial bind, though, selling off unwanted jewelry can pay a few bills. If you lost one earring, you might not feel bad if you sold off another. I did that once, wishing, of course, that I waited until 2025 to sell that single, broken 14K gold earring. Boy, do I wish I waited. Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on X @tompor. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How much is one ring worth after gold prices soared in 2025? Orvana Minerals has begun the phased restart of its Don Mario processing plant in Bolivia. Empresa Minera Paititi (EMIPA), the Bolivian subsidiary of Orvana, has initiated the first phase by bringing the comminution and thickening circuits back online to supply feed to the gold-silver circuit. Performance testing of these circuits is set to continue until mid-January 2026. The copper circuit, part of the plant's expansion, is set to be commissioned in the latter half of the same month. A controlled ramp-up of all circuits will then take place from February to April 2026. The expansion project encompasses the installation of new facilities for copper oxide processing, including acid leaching, filtration, solvent extraction, and electrowinning to produce copper cathodes. Additionally, the gold-silver and detox circuits are being upgraded to enhance throughput and technological performance. The project also involves a comprehensive overhaul of existing comminution and thickening circuits, along with business-readiness initiatives. These initiatives include improvements to power generation, laboratories, warehouses and workshops, along with recruitment and training of personnel. EMIPA is currently conducting final on-site pilot testing alongside commissioning activities. Once completed, the results from this pilot testing, combined with existing metallurgical data, are expected to enable the company to revise its metal production estimates from processing the oxide stockpiles at Don Mario. The company plans to release updated information upon validating the testing results. Orvana CEO Juan Gavidia said: The restart of the Don Mario plant represents an important milestone for Orvana as we advance the commissioning of our expanded processing facilities. Our focus remains on executing a disciplined and phased start-up designed to manage commissioning risk, validate plant performance and position the operation for a controlled ramp-up in 2026. Orvana is a multi-mine company focused on gold, copper and silver, with a portfolio that includes the operating Orovalle mine in northern Spain, the Don Mario site in Bolivia and the Taguas property in Argentina. "Orvana commences phased restart of Don Mario processing plant in Bolivia" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. You can find original article here WealthManagement. Subscribe to our free daily WealthManagement newsletters. Osaic Inc. has hired Shannon Reid from competitor Raymond James as its next president and head of advisor growth and engagement. She will assume the role on Jan. 12 as part of what Osaic billed as an organizational realignment that began in July. Reid joins Osaic from a role as president of Raymond James Financial Services in a move first reported by WealthManagement.com on Monday. She had been with the firm for nearly two decades, having been appointed president in November 2023 after serving as senior vice president and director of the Northeast division. Before Raymond James, she had spent six years as a vice president at Goldman Sachs. In the new role at Osaic, Reid will lead advisor recruiting, retention and engagement while also supporting platform asset growth and Osaics W-2 employee model, which CEO Jamie Price has said is a core growth area for the firm. Reid will report to Price, who had previously held the advisor engagement and growth position, in addition to his other CEO responsibilities. With Shannon in this role, we are well-positioned to build on our momentum and continue delivering long-term value for our affiliated advisors, their businesses and their clients, Price said in a statement. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based independent broker/dealer has been centralizing operations after a years-long effort to integrate eight brokerages into one platform and brand beginning in 2023. In June, it also acquired $13.5 billion fee-only RIA CW Advisors as a beachhead to grow its RIA employee business channel. I was drawn to Osaic by the strength of its leadership team and a culture defined by clarity, accountability and executioncombined with the agility and flexibility of a nimble organization built to drive results, Reid said in a statement. The wealth management industry is evolving, and Osaic is well positioned to lead through its next phase of growth. Osaic, which is owned by private equity firm Reverence Capital Partners, began implementing leadership changes in July as part of its Journey to One initiative to consolidate its legacy brands and businesses acquired over several years. Those shifts included the former head of advice and wealth management, Greg Cornick, moving to oversee Osaics wealth solutions efforts. It also resulted in departures that included Ed Swenson, head of the firms RIA Solutions division, who eventually took a job as president of hybrid RIA RFG Advisory. This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: PayPal Holdings said Monday that it has applied with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions to establish a Utah-chartered industrial loan company, according to a press release issued by the company. The digital payments pioneer said in the release that its seeking the charter so that it can expand financial services it offers to U.S. small businesses that proposed PayPal Bank brand. The company has already extended $30 billion in loans and working capital to small businesses, but this move would let it knock third parties out of some arrangements. Establishing PayPal Bank will strengthen our business and improve our efficiency, enabling us to better support small business growth and economic opportunities across the U.S., PayPal CEO Alex Chriss said in the release. Dive Insight: San Jose, California-based PayPals plan to establish a bank comes as fintech companies increasingly look to secure capabilities that allow them to act like banks. As the payments and fintech industries mushroom, theyre eager to expand services in ways that are less constrained by traditional banking frameworks. PayPal has already been offering bank services to some 420,000 small businesses worldwide since 2013, according to the release, but its had to rely on banks and other partners for assistance. The new charter would let it pursue additional opportunities and bolster its business with new revenue streams. The company said it has tapped Mara McNeill to be the banks president. She was formerly the CEO of Toyota Financial Savings Bank, which provides financial services for its dealers and their employees. She has been a vice president at PayPal since September, according to her LinkedIn profile, which shows her as the president of SkyeLynx before then. Aside from lending to small businesses, PayPal said it could offer interest-bearing savings accounts. The company would also seek direct connections in the U.S. to card networks for processing and settlement activities. PayPal was clear in saying that those new ties to networks would complement its existing banking ties. If PayPal were approved for the bank charter, its bank would be able to access FDIC insurance for its customer deposits, the release said. Its not the only payments company considering applying for a bank charter, and some payments players already act as banks. Buy now, pay later company Klarna Group operates as a digital bank in Europe, offering financial services. This story was originally published on Utility Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Utility Dive newsletter. A group of independent power producers on Monday urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reverse the Midcontinent Independent System Operators roughly $280 million ongoing settlement adjustment of its most recent capacity auction. The market-wide uncertainty created by MISOs decision to conduct what amounts to a rerun of the 2025/2026 [Planning Resource Auction] will harm MISOs ability to retain and attract investment in the baseload resources needed to maintain resource adequacy, the Coalition of Midwest Power Producers, JERA Nex Americas and Rainbow Energy Center said in the complaint at FERC. Pelican Power, the market participant for about 3,415 MW in Louisiana and Texas, filed a similar complaint on Nov. 14. Like the other IPPs, Pelican Power contends that MISO is effectively resettling its last capacity auction in violation of the filed rate doctrine and the rule against retroactive ratemaking. The MISO dispute is driven by a software coding error that affected the grid operators loss of load expectation calculations used to set its planning reserve margins in its capacity auction, held in March, for the planning year that started on June 1. MISO disclosed the continuing error a continuing software, system or other execution that is inconsistent with MISOs tariff in August, when it told its stakeholders it planned to adjust payments to market participants that were either long or short capacity during the auction. In MISOs adjustment process, market participants that had excess capacity at the time of the auction will be charged by the grid operator and those that were short will receive a credit. MISO is not rerunning or resettling the [auction], nor will it take new bids or establish a new auction clearing price, MISO said in a fact sheet explaining its response to the LOLE error. Consistent with the tariff, MISO will instead apply an appropriate adjustment using corrected LOLE values for the 2025/26 planning year, it said. In a Monday response to Pelican Powers complaint, MISO said it is required to make appropriate adjustments to address the financial effects from continuing errors. MISO appreciates that Pelican argues that the appropriate adjustments are unfair or inequitable, the grid operator said. But this result, however harsh, is required by the filed rate doctrine. Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB) is among the consumer defensive stocks to buy according to analysts. As of December 12, Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB) is rated a Buy by 80% of the analysts covering the stock. While the target price ranges from $18 to $42, the median price target of $27 implies an upside potential of around 68%. On December 5, Nik Modi, an analyst at RBC Capital, reaffirmed the Buy rating on Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB). The price target of $30 suggests an upside potential of about 82% from the current price level. Ardagh Metal (AMBP) Rebounds as Firm Slashes $4.3-Billion Debt Pixabay/Public Domain On the other hand, analysts at Mizuho lowered the stocks price target from $35 to $28 while reiterating their Outperform rating on November 26. The analysts highlighted recent Nielsen scanner data indicating soft retail volumes and higher discounts as the drivers of the change. At a fundamental level, the company appears confident in its strategy with several growth initiatives in place. As per the managements latest guidance, reducing debt to the medium-term net leverage target of 2.0 to 2.5 times remains a priority, down from 3.37 times at the end of the third quarter. In addition, they expect operating conditions entering 2026 to be better than in 2025, driven by a favorable tariff environment. Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB) is a Connecticut-based branded beverage company that operates under various names including Primo Water, Mountain Valley, and Deer Park. While we acknowledge the potential of PRMB as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're 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: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. The proposed acquisition of the Ecru Property is consistent with Quebec Nickel's strategy of selectively acquiring high-quality mineral assets in established mining jurisdictions with strong geological fundamentals and clear pathways for value creation. Subject to closing, the Company intends to advance the Ecru Property through systematic technical review and disciplined exploration planning, including the preparation of a NI 43-101 compliant technical report to support future evaluation and strategic decision-making. Completion of the proposed acquisition of the Ecru Property transaction is subject to, among other things, the negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement, completion of satisfactory due diligence, and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. There can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be entered into or that the transaction will be completed. As part of the LOI, Quebec Nickel has paid Orogen a non-refundable commitment fee of $25,000 in consideration for a 60-day exclusivity period , which amount would be credited against the cash portion of the purchase price upon completion of the transaction. $125,000 in common shares of Quebec Nickel to be issued within six months of execution of a definitive agreement, priced at the 10-day VWAP of the Company's shares at the time of issuance. $130,000 in common shares of Quebec Nickel issued on closing at the issue price of $0.125 per share; and Under the terms of the LOI, Quebec Nickel proposes to acquire the Ecru Property for aggregate consideration of $505,000 , payable as follows: The Ecru Property consists of 112 mining lode claims held directly by a US subsidiary of Orogen and situated north of the Pipeline-Cortez Hills-Goldrush-Robertson deposit cluster, one of Nevada's most prolific gold districts, as well as rights in certain additional real property held pursuant to Orogen's mining sublease with Nevada Gold Mines LLC . Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Quebec Nickel Corp. (CSE: QNI) (FSE: 7IB) (OTCQB: QNICF) (" QNI " or the " Company ") is pleased to announce that on December 12, 2025 the Company entered into a non-binding letter of intent (the "LOI") with Orogen Royalties Inc. ("Orogen") pursuant to which Quebec Nickel proposes to acquire a 100% interest in the Ecru Property, located on the Cortez/Battle Mountain Trend in Lander County, Nevada. Story Continues Ecru Property Overview The Ecru Property is located within the Cortez Gold Camp, one of Nevada's most prolific gold-producing regions, and lies directly north and adjacent to Nevada Gold Mines' Robertson Deposit. The property is positioned along major regional structural corridors, including the Cortez Fault system and the Battle Mountain-Eureka trend, both of which are associated with significant gold endowment in the district. Previous exploration activities include historical drilling, extensive geophysical surveys, and geochemical datasets, which together identify multiple untested targets. These targets include a potential intrusive-related system at shallow levels and the possibility of lower plate carbonate host rocks at depth. Both styles of mineralization are recognized within the Cortez district. The Ecru Property is considered to have high potential to host Robertson-style intrusive-related gold mineralization and/or Carlin-type mineralization, subject to further evaluation. Board Appointment In conjunction with its growth strategy, Quebec Nickel is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Johan Lambrechts to its Board of Directors. Mr. Lambrechts is currently Chief Executive Officer of Antares Metals and is an experienced geologist with over 20 years of exploration and resource development experience across Australia and Africa. His background spans multiple commodities, including copper, gold, and lead-zinc-silver, and he has successfully established and advanced junior exploration companies and projects. "We are very pleased to welcome Johan to the Board," said David Patterson, Chief Executive Officer of Quebec Nickel Corp. "His technical expertise, leadership experience in the junior exploration sector, and first-hand knowledge of advancing projects in well-established mining jurisdictions will be highly valuable as we evaluate opportunities such as the Ecru Property and continue to build a disciplined, technically driven portfolio." Financing Quebec Nickel also announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Financing"). The Financing is being arranged independently of the Company's proposed acquisition of the Ecru Property, and the gross proceeds will be used for general working capital purposes. The Financing is expected to consist of the issuance of units (the "Units"), at a price of $0.125 per Unit, with each Unit comprising one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will be exercisable to acquire one additional common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.225 per share for a period of two years from the date of issuance. In addition, the Units will be offered to existing shareholders under British Columbia Instrument 45-534- Exemption from Prospectus Requirement for Certain Trades to Existing Security Holders, and equivalent provisions of applicable securities laws in other jurisdictions of Canada (the "Existing Shareholder Exemption"). In order to be eligible to participate as an Existing Shareholder, shareholders must hold shares of the Company as at December 17, 2025 (the "Record Date"), Existing shareholders who are interested in participating in the Offering should contact the Company before January 16, 2026, at the contact information set out in this press release. The Offering is on a first-come, first-served basis. There are conditions and restrictions when relying upon the Existing Shareholder Exemption; namely, the subscriber must: a) be a shareholder of the Company on the Record Date (and still is a shareholder); b) be purchasing the units as a principal, that is, for their own account and not for any other party; and c) may not purchase more than $15,000 value of securities from the Company in any 12-month period, unless they have first received suitability advice from a registered investment dealer, and, in this case, subscribers will be asked to confirm the registered investment dealer's identity and employer. The Company may pay finder's fees in connection with the Financing in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. All securities issued pursuant to the Financing and the proposed acquisition of the Ecru Property will be subject to a statutory hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. Completion of the Financing remains subject to receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The proposed net proceeds received from the Offering are intended to be used by the Company for general working capital purposes. Subscribers in all Canadian jurisdictions may utilize the Existing Shareholder Exemption. Existing shareholders resident in countries other than Canada will need to meet local jurisdiction requirements to participate. The Offering is subject to approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. Securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a hold period which will expire four months and one day from the date of closing of the Offering. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Orogen Royalties Inc. Orogen Royalties Inc. is a royalty and mineral exploration company focused on the generation of new exploration assets and royalties through project generation, partnerships and disciplined capital deployment. About Quebec Nickel Corp. Quebec Nickel Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing critical metals (Ni-Cu-Co-PGE) projects in North America. Additional information about Quebec Nickel Corp. is available at www.quebecnickel.com. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Qualified Person Johan Lambrechts, QP, is the Company's qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release. He has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Lambrechts is not independent of the Company, as he is a director of the Company. On behalf of the Board of Directors, David Patterson Chief Executive Officer and Director 1 (855) 764-2535 (QNICKEL) info@quebecnickel.com CAUTIONARY AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and include statements regarding: the potential transaction with Moneghetti; the Company's due diligence review; the negotiation of a possible definitive agreement; the timing, outcome, and ability to satisfy any conditions precedent; the completion of any required financing; and the receipt of any required approvals. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions, including that due diligence will be satisfactory, that negotiations will proceed as expected, that required approvals will be obtained, and that financing will be available on acceptable terms. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including: general market conditions; commodity price volatility; risks related to exploration and development activities; risks related to Moneghetti's underlying property rights and obligations; the availability of financing; the ability to negotiate acceptable terms for a definitive agreement; the ability to obtain required approvals; and the risk that no transaction is ultimately completed. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results may differ materially. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278422 This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter. Add City National Bank to the list of lenders setting up camp in Charlotte. The $98 billion-asset Royal Bank of Canada subsidiary opened a 23,000-square-foot office in the North Carolina financial hub Monday and a 5,700-square-foot location in Greenville, South Carolina to solidify its presence across the Southeast, the lender said. The locations are meant to serve as a base for roughly 120 employees in risk management, commercial banking, credit products and auditing, according to The Charlotte Observer. The employees had previously worked remotely in the region. The offices are meant to demonstrate the banks commitment to investing more resources in the Southeast and the Carolinas specifically, Charlie Arndt, City Nationals executive vice president for Southeast middle-market banking, told the publication. Los Angeles-based City National already has Southeast offices in Atlanta; Miami; and Nashville, Tennessee. City National did not disclose how much its investing in its Charlotte and Greenville efforts. But its hardly the only lender to push to expand in the coveted Sun Belt this year. U.S. Bank in August said it wanted to double its branch presence in Charlotte, where it already counts about 60,000 retail customers, including 5,000 business clients. Citi, a month earlier, said it would spend $16.1 million to open an office in the city, creating 510 jobs. Huntington announced a plan in September 2024 to open 55 branches in six Carolina markets, including Charlotte and Greenville, by 2029. PNC also targeted Charlotte in its expansion plan last fall and turned its attention to Nashville in an update last month. Fifth Third touted the opening of its 100th branch in the Carolinas this month. The influx of banks from outside of the Southeast may be prompting Sun Belt-native lenders like Memphis-based First Horizon to boost its workforce base across the region and specifically in Charlotte. For its part, City National is hiring additional local talent across its middle-market banking division and other units. Charlotte and Greenville are vibrant, innovative markets, and we look forward to delivering the high-touch service our clients value, backed by local expertise, Howard Hammond, City Nationals CEO, said in a release Monday. Arndt said the Charlotte and Greenville expansion reflects our positive momentum and the strength of our middle-market banking division. Real estate investor Mike Newton and his family. Courtesy of Mike Newton Mike Newton is on his way to early retirement, thanks to his 26-unit real estate portfolio. Newton has financed properties with traditional 30-year mortgages and seller financing. He's recently been using a 'slow BRRRR' strategy, which offers flexible financing and steady cash flow. Over the past decade, Mike Newton has gone from $1,000 in his savings account to knocking on the door of early retirement. His ticket to financial independence? Real estate. The Washington State Trooper bought his first property, a duplex in the Seattle area, in 2018. As of December 2025, he owns 26 rental units, comprising both single-family homes and multi-family properties. The majority of his portfolio is concentrated in Gary, Indiana. Newton has financed his properties with traditional 30-year mortgages, seller financing, and, recently, he has been using a strategy that he coined the "slow BRRRR." Short for buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat, the BRRRR approach involves buying a property with potential, renovating it, and then finding a tenant. Once rented, the next step is to refinance, allowing investors to pull out their original investment, plus any equity they've built in the property. Investors using this strategy typically start with short-term loans, like hard money, for the purchase and renovation. It allows them to move quickly on distressed properties, but they're expensive and come with penalties if a project runs longer than expected. Therefore, it's essential to complete the rehabilitation in a timely manner, rent the property, and then secure long-term financing. "One of the main concerns with the BRRRR strategy is, what if I don't get the appraisal I want? What if I don't get it remodeled as quickly as I thought I would?" Newton told Business Insider. "All of a sudden, as I take longer, it now costs me way more money." Newton (second from the left) meets with other real estate investors. Courtesy of Mike Newton Stretching the timeline using a 'slow BRRRR' strategy Newton recognized the benefits of the BRRRR approach it allows investors to recycle their initial capital, rather than having to come up with a lot of new money for each deal but he didn't want to feel the pressure of having to turn around a project in a short amount of time. This is where his "slow BRRRR" strategy comes into play. First, he secures private money from individual investors in his local real estate community. There's nothing unique about that step; the key is how he structures the loans. He sets up a five-year interest-only loan term. For example, on a recent triplex purchase, he borrowed $60,000 at 10% interest, which meant he owed the lender $6,000 per year, or about $500 a month, with no principal payments. By Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers accused Intel this week of threatening U.S. national security after Reuters revealed the chipmaker was evaluating chipmaking equipment made by a company with deep ties to China and overseas units sanctioned by the U.S. government. Intel, whose CEO came under pressure from President Donald Trump to resign in August over his alleged ties to China, got the tools from ACM Research, a Fremont, California-based producer of chipmaking equipment. The tools were tested for possible use in Intel's most advanced chipmaking process, known as 14A. Two of ACM's units were among a number of firms barred last year from receiving U.S. technology over claims they supported Chinese government efforts to harness commercial technology for military use and making advanced chips or chipmaking tools. ACM denies the allegations. Shares of its Shanghai unit rose 8% the day the story was published. "Testing Chinese-linked tools for U.S. chip manufacturing opens the door for the (Chinese Government) to manipulate or compromise our most advanced semiconductor capabilities," Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn said in a statement to Reuters. "It is egregious that Intel would put American national and economic security at risk." Blackburn called for the passage of legislation she co-sponsored to bar chipmakers that have received billions in U.S. government subsidies from using Chinese equipment as part of their government-backed expansion plans. Reuters could not determine if Intel had made a decision to add the tools to the chipmaking process and has no evidence that the company violated any U.S. regulations. ACM did not respond to a request for comment. Intel reiterated that it was not using ACM tools to produce chips currently and that it complies with U.S. laws and regulations. Intel said it takes "U.S. national security responsibilities extremely seriously and operates under rigorous IT and cyber security protocols" to protect sensitive information. The company limits the data any individual tool can receive during manufacturing, ensures tools cannot connect with each other, and monitors communications from all equipment, it added. Intel also said it engages regularly with lawmakers, regulators and U.S. government customers about manufacturing and security and welcomes continued dialogue with policymakers to address any concerns. China hawks said the fact that Intel, which is now part-owned by the U.S. government, would consider adding tools made by a firm with sanctioned units into its most advanced manufacturing line, raised important national security concerns. Sberbank, Russias biggest bank, says its testing a range of DeFi products as its clients show a greater keenness to trade and hold crypto. Speaking to the Russian media outlet RBC, Anatoly Popov, the deputy chair of Sberbanks management board, said the firm will develop digital asset offerings in collaboration with regulators. Sberbank is already testing various DeFi products, Popov said. We are confident that traditional banking and DeFi will soon converge. Popov did not specify any DeFi protocol. While still cagey, Russian banks are becoming increasingly bullish on crypto adoption plans, spurred on by Moscows willingness to regulate the sector in 2026. Sberbanks market cap is around $83 billion, and the bank says it has around 109 million retail clients and over 3 million corporate customers. Banks growing cautiously crypto-keen Earlier this month, VTB, one of Sberbanks biggest rivals, also said its own clients were keen to buy real crypto, rather than trade in derivatives. This year has seen several major Russian firms, launch a vast range of crypto-themed funds, bonds, and indices that track the price of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. They have also launched funds that track the movement of famous US-based crypto exchange-traded funds. But banks are still waiting for the green light to let their customers buy and sell coins on their own banking apps. Cryptocurrencies are popular among Russians, said Popov. The central bank estimates that by March 2025, the volume of cryptocurrency in Russian wallets will reach $10.5 billion. He said that Sberbank plans to actively engage in this market, but only after clear regulations are in place and it becomes economically feasible. Popov added that Sberbank clients are significantly interested in convenient solutions for accessing cryptocurrencies, and were consciously seeking ways to invest in cryptocurrency. Central bank pushback The reluctance of the central bank to endorse crypto has been a major sticking point for Russian banks and blockchain firms. While the Bank of Russia is keen on blockchain technology, its governor Elvira Nabiullina has spoken out against private cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Nabiullina has previously called for a sweeping ban on crypto and the promotion of private blockchain-based solutions like the digital ruble, a blockchain-based version of the Russian fiat currency. However, 2025 has seen much change for the Bank of Russia. As the Russian Bitcoin mining industry continues to grow and more traders use crypto as a sanctions-proof cross-border settlement tool, the central banks stance has softened. The Scoop Saudi Arabias National Development Fund is planning to start raising debt from capital markets in the next two years, its top executive told Semafor, widening an issuance spree that has already made the kingdom one of the biggest borrowers in emerging markets. While many are focused on the future of Saudi Arabias giga-projects, the National Development Fund aims to support the kingdoms economy of today, Governor Stephen Groff said in an interview. To that end, the fund which oversees 430 billion Saudi riyals across 12 sector-specific funds and banks is looking to tap capital markets, Groff said, as the kingdom looks to expand private investment in tourism, housing, logistics, and small to medium-sized businesses. NDF has designated a capital markets team, is preparing to obtain a formal credit rating, and could begin issuing bonds within 18 to 24 months, he added. Know More NDF was set up in 2017 to centralize and scale the kingdoms development financing, bringing together legacy financing programs spanning industry, agriculture, and social development. Its launch created new entities for financing infrastructure, cultural projects, and SMEs. Its board, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, includes 14 ministers. The fund now plays a dual role of providing strategic coordination across sectors, and as an investor in local projects. Though the NDFs mandate overlaps with the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund and the two regularly co-invest, including in the NEOM Green Hydrogen project Groff said he sees NDF as complementary to the PIFs heft. Theres a whole new ecosystem of small businesses that didnt exist before, he said. You walk into a coffee shop now and see something you didnt have here eight years ago. Last week, NDF and affiliate funds signed $1.6 billion worth of financing agreements in sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, and local talent development. Other deals aim to expand AI and data use in development finance, and promote local manufacturing in the railway industry. Groff said the fund is moving quickly to reduce its reliance on direct spending and expand its toolkit. Our capital markets strategy is a major evolution, he said. Step Back For a second year, debt sales by Saudi entities including the government, PIF, Aramco, and many of the banks have made the country one of the biggest debt issuers among emerging markets. But authorities argue that the central governments debt-to-GDP ratio is still low, at about 30%, giving it ample room to continue borrowing. MIAMI , Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sawgrass LNG & Power celebrated eight years of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas this month, marking a significant milestone in U.S.Bahamian energy cooperation. Since the inaugural export of LNG to The Bahamas on December 13, 2017, Sawgrass has completed thousands of safe and reliable deliveries to customers ranging from industrial users to power generators across multiple islands. Sawgrass LNG & Power (PRNewsfoto/Sawgrass LNG & Power) LNG has been provided to The Bahamas through Sawgrass' wholly owned subsidiary, American LNG Marketing LLC, the only company to have ever delivered LNG from the United States to The Bahamas. American LNG Marketing made history in 2016 as the first exporter of LNG from the continental United States to a nonFree Trade Agreement country, beginning with deliveries to Barbados. This historic achievement marked a new chapter in American energy engagement in the region and was followed one year later by the first LNG shipment to The Bahamas. "We are proud to celebrate eight years of partnership with the Bahamian Government and our customers throughout The Bahamas," said Daniel McLaughlin, President & Chief Commercial Officer of Sawgrass LNG & Power. "This long-standing collaboration reflects our shared commitment to energy reliability, cleaner fuels, and regional resilience. It also showcases the critical role that U.S. natural gas can play in supporting our Caribbean neighbors." Sawgrass has helped industrial users and commercial operators transition away from liquid fuels, reducing emissions, improving efficiency, and strengthening energy security in one of the world's most logistically complex island environments. The partnership continues to serve as a model of cooperation focused on clean, reliable, and modern energy. "As countries across the region prioritize cleaner power generation and more secure supply chains, we are proud to support those goals with American-produced LNG," McLaughlin added. "We are excited to expand our relationship with The Bahamas as the Government advances additional LNG-fueled power generation and continues building a more resilient, lower-emission energy future." Sawgrass LNG & Power remains committed to advancing modern energy infrastructure throughout the Caribbean and continuing to supply clean, dependable U.S. natural gas to meet the region's evolving needs. About Sawgrass LNG & Power Sawgrass LNG & Power is a leading provider of LNG supply and gas-to-power solutions, serving a diverse range of customers in the Southeastern U.S. and the Caribbean. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, the company operates a state-of-the-art LNG facility and provides turnkey LNG supply, logistics, and gas-to-power solutions for utilities, industrial users and commercial operators. This story was originally published on Manufacturing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Manufacturing Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Leaders in the semiconductor manufacturing industry have a new chief concern: Tariffs and trade policy now rank as their top issue, surpassing talent and labor, according to the 21st annual Global Semiconductor Outlook by advisory firm KPMG. About 54% of leaders are focused on geographically diversifying their supply chains, per initial results from the survey, which was conducted with 151 executives during Q4 2025. In addition, 45% of leaders said making supply chains more flexible and adaptable to geopolitical risks is their No. 1 strategic priority. Despite supply chain concerns, 93% of leaders anticipate their companys revenue will grow in 2026, largely thanks to booming demand for AI and data centers. Dive Insight: Through both a carrot and stick approach, the U.S. government is aiming to shore up domestic manufacturing in the semiconductor industry. On the carrot side, incentives, such as tax credits and Chips for America funding, via the CHIPS and Science Act, have spurred new semiconductor manufacturing investments in the United States. The act became law in 2022 under the Biden administration and has continued to dole out investments during the current Trump administration. Texas Instruments said in June it planned to spend more than $60 billion across seven fabrication facilities. The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded the company up to $1.6 billion in funding through the CHIPS and Science Act for its new fabs. Amkor Technology broke ground on a new semiconductor packaging and testing campus in Peoria, Arizona, in October. The move expanded Amkors total investment to $7 billion across two phases, and the company said its Arizona project would receive $407 million in funding from the CHIPS and Science Act. A little more than half of respondents in KPMGs survey said its necessary to build advanced fabrication facilities domestically, although the same percentage said accepting government funding would limit market agility and hinder their companys ability to innovate. Meanwhile, the stick side of the approach has largely focused on tariffs. The Trump administration proposed 100% tariffs on semiconductor imports in August, with an exemption for companies doing business or building capacity in the U.S. The Semiconductor Industry Association, a D.C.-based trade and lobbying group, expressed support for the 100% duty. In November, however, U.S. officials reportedly said the tariffs would be delayed. Soybeans are up fractionally to 1 ents on Monday morning. Futures fell lower into the weekend, with contracts 15 to 17 cents lower on Friday. Weekly losses were 28 cents in the January contract. Open interest on Friday was down 3,284 contracts. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price was 17 cents lower at $10.06 1/2. Soymeal futures were 40 cents to $1.80 higher in the front months and lower in the deferreds, with January closing the week down $4.90. Soy Oil futures were 55 to 83 points lower, as Jan was down 162 points this week. We will get another backlogged update to the Export Sales report shortly. Traders are looking for 0.8-3 MMT in soybean sales for the week of November 20. Meal sales are estimated at 100,000-450,000 MT, with 5,000-25,000 MT for bean oil. More News from Barchart Commitment of Traders data was updated on Monday afternoon for the week ending on November 18, with spec funds adding 35,182 contracts to their net long position. That position was 229,625 contracts net long by that date, the largest since October 2020. Data for the week of 11/25 will be released this morning. AgRural estimated the Brazilian soybean crop at 97% planted as of Thursday. Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $10.76 3/4, down 16 3/4 cents, currently up 1 3/4 cents Nearby Cash was $10.06 1/2, down 17 cents, Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $10.86 3/4, down 16 cents, currently up 1/2 cent May 26 Soybeans closed at $10.97, down 15 1/4 cents, currently up 3/4 cent 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 Chevron has quietly cut the price of Venezuelan crude sold to U.S. refiners after American forces seized a tanker off the countrys coast, tightening an already-fragile export channel and adding fresh volatility to Gulf Coast markets. Traders familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Chevron sold a batch of Venezuelan crude on December 11 at weaker levels than a similar offer just two days earlier. The timing was impossible to miss: the discount came immediately after U.S. forces boarded and seized the Skipper, a sanctioned crude carrier intercepted in the Caribbean and believed to be en route to the United States. The Skipper is now anchored near the Dominican Republic, awaiting instructions and adding unwelcome barrels to an already soft Gulf Coast market. Its uncertain fate has depressed regional pricing further, traders say, at a moment when Brent and other benchmarks have also drifted lower. For Washington, the tanker seizure is part of something much bigger. The Trump administration has moved sharply back into maximum-pressure mode on Caracas, rolling out a wave of sanctions that hit three members of Nicolas Maduros extended family, six shipping firms, and multiple tankers linked to Venezuelas opaque export network. The message is unmistakable: the leniency of the Biden years is over, and the U.S. is back in the business of enforcing sanctionson the water and in the financial system. Related: Russia Weighs Extending Gasoline Export Ban Chevron, the last major U.S. operator still active in Venezuela, stressed that all its activities remain in full compliance with U.S. law and Treasurys sanctions framework. Despite the tense backdrop, the company has pressed ahead with sales, marketing roughly 10 cargoes for January loading across two tendersa signal that operations in its joint ventures with PDVSA continue, even as Washington targets the broader export machine. That machine, however, is holding together with duct tape. Years of underinvestment, corruption, and sanctions have left PDVSA reliant on aging infrastructure, ad-hoc blending schemes, and shadow-fleet tankers that drift offshore with their transponders off. Treasurys new blacklist hits exactly those remaining loopholes, narrowing the routes available for sanctioned crude to find buyers. The tanker seizure marks another escalation. Trump called it the largest one ever seized, framing the operation as part of a broader crackdown on narcotics trafficking and sanctions evasion. Venezuela condemned the move as international piracy, while Moscow rushed to publicly assure Maduro of its support. Thread Bancorp, the parent company of Thread Bank, has secured $30.5m in its latest funding round, comprising $27.6m in initial raise and $2.9m in extension. This funding round was led by Portage Ventures, with additional participation from Rockmont Partners and other strategic investors. Thread Bank is an FDIC-insured institution providing embedded and digital banking services in the US, as well as community banking in Eastern Tennessee. The bank intends to use the funding to support the ongoing development of its embedded banking strategy. With this latest funding, its Tier 1 capital raised to date reaches $100m. Thread president and board of directors member CEO Chris Black said: From the outset, our mission at Thread has been to use technology to meet customers where they live their financial lives and conduct their financial business, challenging traditional methods and paradigms for delivering banking products and services. This funding round, backed by seasoned financial technology and banking investors, serves as a resounding vote of confidence in our team, embedded approach, and customer-first vision for the future of banking. Thread Bank offers digital banking services through partnerships with small business and consumer brands, as well as vertical SaaS companies. Through the embedded banking strategy, Thread aims to provide digital branches embedded within partner platforms. According to the company, the strategy has resulted in significant growth since its founding in 2021, shifting from a traditional community bank to a provider of embedded banking solutions for its customer base. This funding follows a period of rapid growth for Thread Bank, which now manages over $2bn in partner deposits. The bank has increased embedded deposits by threefold between January 2024 and October 2025, with an annualised growth rate of approximately 75%. Over the past year, Thread entered several new partnerships, including with Finxact as its core banking platform and with LoanPro for boosting its lending operations. Also, the company opened a new corporate headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. "Thread Bank secures $30.5m funding to support embedded banking strategy " was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The fashion world grappled with tariffs, trade policy and cyberattacks in 2025, which caused upheaval across supply chains. In other news, the world waited as Europe debated the future of corporate sustainability law, ultimately settling on a somewhat diluted version of the original. Meanwhile, Shein continued to assert its dominance in the fashion world as the US and Europe outlined steps to crack down on its growing popularity. US renewal of AGOA, HELP acts will restore diversified sourcing The US fashion sector and a fashion supply chain expert share their support for the extension of key trade bills with Haiti and Africa to boost US competitiveness and fashion supply chain diversification. Mauritius looks beyond US to keep apparel sector relevant Mauritius apparel sector is looking to diversify its apparel market from the US after the removal of AGOA and the negative impact of reciprocal tariffs. No evidence of forced labour in Leicester garment sector A report presented to the UK Parliament has concluded there is no evidence of widespread modern slavery in Leicesters garment industry, challenging earlier claims about the extent of worker exploitation in the sector. Value to remain king of apparel trends through 2029 Fashion brands like Shein and Uniqlo will remain popular beyond 2025 as consumers continue to prioritise quality and value for money. EU backs plan for watered down corporate sustainability reporting rules Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have approved a revision to the EUs corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements. Global disruption impacts supply planning and forecasting The latest Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index revealed a three-point decline in the planning and forecasting category due to tariff uncertainty and global tensions. Expert says Shein reputation hangs in balance as France weighs suspension As the French government takes steps to suspend Shein's operations in the country following a dispute over the sale of sex dolls alleged to have childlike appearances, one industry expert warns of serious risks to the fast-fashion giant's business model and reputation. Tariffs push US import volumes to two-year low Monthly US import volumes are set to dip below 2m TEU for the rest of 2025, as rising tariffs and early seasonal stockpiling reshape trade flows across key container ports, according to the latest Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. US textile sector praises end of de minimis exemption for all countries The US Government has eliminated the duty-free 'de minimis' exemption for all countries, a move applauded by the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO). US-based insurance brokerage Trucordia has acquired Global Financial & Insurance Services, an insurance and financial services provider based in Texas, US. Financial specifics of the deal remain undisclosed. Global Financial & Insurance has a presence in Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and Los Angeles, and serves clients across all 50 US states. It assists individuals, families and businesses with a variety of insurance and financial offerings. The business was founded by Amin Chagani, and provides coverage including auto, commercial vehicle policies, home, liability, life, property cover, surety bonds, umbrella policies and workers compensation. There are also options crafted for industries such as gas stations, hotels, aviation, education and other sectors. Retirement planning, tax considerations, debt management guidance, asset protection and legacy planning are included among the financial services provided by Global Financial & Insurance Services. Bilingual support is also offered by the business to address diverse client requirements. Trucordia CEO Felix Morgan said: We are proud to welcome the Global Financial & Insurance Services team to Trucordia. Their commitment to client-focused solutions solutions, risk management and access to top carriers strengthens our ability to support clients evolving financial security needs from coast to coast. This acquisition is part of Trucordias strategy of building a platform of insurance businesses and financial service providers that ensures local experience can be backed by national resources. In July this year, Trucordia acquired Vegas Valley Benefit Plans, an employee benefits and insurance solutions provider based in Las Vegas, Nevada. This acquisition extends Trucordias operations into the south-west region of the US and is expected to broaden its offering of specialist benefits solutions. Vegas Valley Benefit Plans serves clients across southern Nevada with a range of employee benefits products. Its service portfolio includes medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, as well as retirement planning services. "Trucordia buys Global Financial & Insurance Services in Texas " was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. Students on the University of Utah Campus in Salt Lake City on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News College-bound students applying for federal aid: Your possible school choices may come with a warning. The Department of Education has launched a new earnings indicator that works in conjunction with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. The earnings indicator, according to the DOE, is designed to provide students and their families with clear, easy-to-understand information about a schools post-graduation earnings. The DOE-sponsored earnings indicator comes at a moment of growing debate about the value of pursuing higher education. Recent polls suggest most Americans dont think a four-year college degree is worth the cost even as research in Utah and beyond points to the lifelong financial and personal benefits of finishing college. As part of the FAFSA application, prospective students send their personal information to colleges and universities that they are interested in possibly attending. Once the form is complete, FAFSA will now provide the applicant with key financial data for each selected institution, according to DOE. FAFSA website is seen on the laptop as Adjovi Golo holds a laptop at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. | Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press If the average earnings of graduates from a specific institution are below that of average high school graduates, the form will generate a lower earnings disclosure. Such disclosures, according to DOE, will help prospective students and families better navigate their postsecondary application journey. More than half of all Americans now say a college degree is not worth the price, and total outstanding student loan debt is approaching $1.7 trillion. Families deserve a clearer picture of how postsecondary education connects to real-world earnings, and this new indicator will provide that transparency, said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a DOE release. Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Washington. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press Not only will this new FAFSA feature make public earnings data more accessible, but it will empower prospective students to make data-driven decisions before they are saddled with debt. A lower earnings disclosure would appear after a students FAFSA form is processed. DOE is assuring applicants that any lower earnings flag will have no impact on FAFSA completion, submission or eligibility for aid. The average total student debt in the U.S. hovers near $30,000, with 2024 college graduates owing $494 more in loans on average compared with the prior year, according to U.S. News & World Report. Data reported to U.S. News & World Report by 992 colleges in an annual survey showed that graduates from the class of 2024 who took out student loans en route to a bachelors degree borrowed $29,890 on average. By Joey Roulette and Mike Stone WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is planning an executive order that would limit dividends, buybacks and executive pay for defense contractors whose projects are over-budget and delayed, according to three sources briefed on the order. President Donald Trump and the Pentagon have been complaining about the expensive, slow-moving and entrenched nature of the defense industry, promising dramatic changes that would make the production of war equipment more nimble. Industry groups have been on high alert about the closely-held proposal, which is tied to a Treasury Department initiative, two of the sources said. Reuters could not determine exactly how the order would compel defense firms to enact any restrictions. The sources, who declined to be named because the information is confidential, said the language of the order could still change. A White House official said: "Until officially announced by the White House, discussion about potential executive orders is purely speculation." Shares of Lockheed fell 1.6% and Northrop Grumman sank 2% in after-hours trading after some aspects of the news were first reported by online political news service Punchbowl. DEFENSE FIRMS OFTEN BUY BACK SHARES Share buybacks are common among defense firms, and several pay a dividend. Lockheed in October, for example, raised its dividend for the 23rd year in a row, to $3.45 per share. At the same time, it authorized the purchase of up to $2 billion of its shares, raising the total amount promised for repurchases to $9.1 billion. Lockheed's F-35 fighter jet, one of the most expensive U.S. defense programs, has been plagued by rising costs and delays. Many big defense programs take much longer to deliver a product than initially promised and at a far higher price. The $140 billion Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program that will replace aging Minuteman III missiles, designed and managed by Northrop Grumman, will be years behind schedule and 81% over budget, the U.S. military said last year. The biggest defense firms, including Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the executive order. PENTAGON PROCUREMENT OVERHAUL U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unveiled sweeping changes in November to how the Pentagon purchases weapons, allowing the military to more rapidly acquire technology amid growing global threats, in accordance with an executive order signed by Trump in April. That restructuring will have direct authority over major weapons programs to eliminate bureaucracy. Key Points Pfizer has a substantial 6.6% dividend yield but a payout ratio exceeding 100%. Eli Lilly has a payout ratio of roughly 30%, but its dividend yield is a tiny 0.6%. Long-term income investors can find the middle ground with a 3.4% yield and a 45% payout ratio from Merck. 10 stocks we like better than Merck Dividend investors need to be cautious about reaching too far for yield since this can open them up to added risks. At the same time, they must ensure that they are generating an attractive enough income stream to make the investment worthwhile. One pharmaceutical stock stands out to income seekers today with its balance between risk and reward. The boring middle could be the best option Investors looking for the best-performing pharmaceutical company today will probably be drawn to Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY). The company's GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are smashing it, with Mounjaro sales up 109% year over year in the third quarter of 2025 and Zepbound sales higher by an even larger 185%. There's just one problem: Investors are well aware of the company's success. Image source: Getty Images. Eli Lilly's dividend payout ratio is a very reasonable 30% or so. The company is likely to be a reliable dividend payer, except that its yield is a miserly 0.6%. Most income seekers won't be interested in that small a yield. How about Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) 6.6% yield? There are several issues with Pfizer. First, its payout ratio is over 100% right now. Second, the company is facing some important patent cliffs over the next few years as key drugs Ibrance, Eliquis, and Vyndaqel lose their patent protections between 2027 and 2028. Third, the company's GLP-1 drug candidate didn't work out, so the company is now scrambling to reenter the weight-loss market through acquisitions and partnerships. Pfizer is highly likely to survive, but the next few years could be difficult. Given the lofty payout ratio, meanwhile, the safety risks with the dividend can't be ignored for anyone who is relying on its income to live. Merck (NYSE: MRK) offers dividend investors an attractive middle ground in the pharmaceutical sector. Merck: A better risk-reward option Merck's dividend yield is roughly 3.4%. That's not as high as what you would get from Pfizer, but it is significantly higher than Eli Lilly's yield. That 3.4% is also roughly three times the tiny 1.1% or so offered by the S&P 500 index right now. When you add in the roughly 45% payout ratio, Merck's dividend also looks like it will be safe and dependable. If you are a dividend investor looking for drug exposure, Merck looks like a happy middle ground between risk and reward. WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Trade Representative on Wednesday announced the implementation of tariff-related elements in a trade agreement framework reached with Switzerland and Liechtenstein in November. The tariff rates announced on November 14 will be retroactive to that date, according to a post in the Federal Register. The notice amends the U.S. tariff schedule to apply either the most-favored-nation tariff rate or a 15% rate, whichever is higher, to goods from the two countries. It also adjusts tariffs on certain products including some agricultural goods, unavailable natural resources, aircraft and aircraft parts, and generic pharmaceuticals and their ingredients and chemical precursors, the notice said. The United States agreed to these modifications with the expectation that the trade agreement will be finalized by March 31. If that does not occur, the U.S. will review and consider the tariff rate modifications, the notice said. The framework trade agreement announced by the United States and Switzerland last month included Washington slashing its tariffs on imported Swiss products to 15% from 39% and a pledge by Swiss companies to invest $200 billion in the U.S. by the end of 2028. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Aidan Lewis) By Praveen Paramasivam and Sai Ishwarbharath B CHENNAI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - U.S. software company Freshworks is exploring acquisitions, including AI firms, backed by more than $800 million in cash, as it aims to boost revenue in the coming years, CEO Dennis Woodside told Reuters on Tuesday. The acquisition push comes as artificial intelligence adoption fuels dealmaking across the technology sector. Global M&A volumes rose 39% to $4.3 trillion in 2025, according to J.P. Morgan, despite uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs. Woodside said the company has been evaluating targets in AI and employee experience software, and has held discussions with potential partners in Israel, Europe, the United States and India. "I probably spoke with 50 companies in the last six months," he said. Freshworks, founded in the coastal Indian city of Chennai, offers cloud-based software, including Freshdesk for customer service and Freshservice for IT support, which incorporate AI capabilities. It competes with companies such as Salesforce and ServiceNow. Stating all of Freshworks' engineering teams are already in India, home to 80% of its 4,500 workforce, the executive said Freshworks would "love" to find its next acquisition target in India for easier integration. The company, which forecasts double-digit percentage revenue growth for the next three years, on Monday disclosed a deal to acquire incident management platform FireHydrant, after buying IT management software Device42 for $230 million last year. San Mateo, California-based Freshworks said it has cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $813.2 million, giving it capital for "meaningfully larger deals". However, it did not specify target deal sizes. Freshworks' plans come as AI-native startups disrupt existing software as a service (SaaS) players with more personalised tools. According to data from Venture Intelligence, funding for Indian SaaS startups slightly improved to $1.8 billion in 2024, up from $1.3 billion the prior year. However, this pales in comparison to $4.4 billion raised in 2022. Woodside said it will continue to hire in India, especially in engineering, product development, and design roles and add engineers to its future acquisitions. He did not disclose a figure. (Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Chennai; Editing by Eileen Soreng) Visa Inc has taken its recent stablecoin push a step further by launching a USDC settlement in the United States. This means that US issuer and acquirer partners are now authorized to settle with Visa in Circles USDC, a US dollar-pegged stablecoin. It announced this development on Dec. 16. Visa to Utilize Layer-1 Blockchain Arc Visa has hit a major milestone in the companys stablecoin settlement pilot program and strategy to modernize its settlement layer underpinning global commerce. By leveraging the fully reserved, dollar-denominated USDC for settlement, issuers get to enjoy faster fund movement over blockchains. In addition, this offer is available 24/7, with enhanced operational resilience across weekends and holidays, per the press release. Users do not have to worry whether there will be any change to the consumer card experience during these times. Cross River Bank and Lead Bank are two initial banking participants that have started using Visa and USDC over the Solana blockchain. As the new year comes, the financial giant plans to extend its availability in the United States. Also, Visa intends to utilize Circles Layer 1 blockchain Arc for USDC settlement within its network. Part of the plan is to operate a validator node once Arc goes live, as it is currently in public testnet. It is worth noting that Visa is a design partner for Arc. The goal of this integration is to explore Arcs purpose-built design that offers stellar performance and scalability. With this, the protocol can help support Visas global commercial activity onchain. The Visa Stablecoin Pursuit Is Growing Fast It is barely 24 hours after Visa launched a Stablecoins Advisory Practice for banks and fintechs. The new system is designed to guide stablecoin technology, operations, and use cases such as cross-border payments. Navy Federal Credit Union, VyStar Credit Union, and Pathward will benefit from this offering. In November, Visa announced a partnership with crypto fintech company Aquanow to extend stablecoin settlement options across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMA). Noteworthy, Visa has been working tirelessly to push out its stablecoin services in the last few months. The passing of the GENIUS Act earlier this year by the Donald Trump administration is named a major factor that contributed to this move. Read original story Visa Launches Stablecoin Settlement in US by Godfrey Benjamin at Coinspeaker.com Visa has launched a new Stablecoins Advisory Practice as the stablecoin market climbs above $300 billion just as banks and financial institutions accelerate their engagement with digital dollars. The move comes as traditional financial institutions accelerate their engagement with stablecoins following clearer regulatory signals in the United States. Visa Works With Early Clients on Stablecoin Strategies Carl Rutstein, global head of Visa Consulting and Analytics, said the practice is designed to meet growing client demand rather than push adoption indiscriminately. He said Visa is working with dozens of early clients, including Navy Federal Credit Union, VyStar Credit Union, and Pathward, and expects the number to expand into the hundreds. The advisory work spans strategy development, technical architecture, operational readiness, and implementation support, with some clients ultimately deciding whether stablecoins align with actual customer needs. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a fixed value, typically pegged to the U.S. dollar through reserves. Once largely confined to crypto trading, they are increasingly being used for payments, cross-border transfers, and business-to-business settlement, particularly in regions with currency volatility or limited access to traditional banking rails. According to DefiLlama data, the global stablecoin market capitalization now stands at $309.85 billion. Tethers USDT remains dominant with a 60.10% market share and a market cap of $186.23 billion, followed by Circles USDC at $78.31 billion. Source: DefiLlama Other stablecoins, including Ethenas USDe, Sky Dollar, Dai, and PayPal USD, make up smaller but growing portions of the market, collectively reflecting broader issuer diversity. Visa Pushes Stablecoins Deeper Into Global Payments Visas latest move follows a series of stablecoin initiatives by the company over the past several years. In 2023, Visa piloted USDC settlement on blockchain networks and now supports more than 130 stablecoin-linked card programs across 40 countries. Visa recently began testing a system that allows businesses to fund cross-border payments using stablecoins instead of pre-depositing cash into local accounts. Visa has said the program will expand in 2026 and targets banks, remittance firms, and financial institutions that currently rely on costly correspondent banking networks. The push has been reinforced by regulatory clarity in the United States following President Donald Trumps signing of the GENIUS Act in July, which established formal rules for stablecoin issuance. SALZGITTER, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's PowerCo is looking more closely at external financing options as its stricken German parent reins in investment, the CEO of the battery business said. Volkswagen reported a 1.3 billion euro ($1.5 billion) loss in the third quarter and its CEO Oliver Blume recently announced a tighter investment budget as it faces intense competition in China, U.S. tariffs and a costly shift to electric vehicles. CEO Frank Blome said PowerCo is adequately funded but is examining external financing "more intensively than before". "We know that if the corporation (Volkswagen) generates less money, we have to operate with less money," Blome told reporters ahead of launch on Wednesday of early-stage European battery production at PowerCo's flagship factory in Salzgitter, Germany. "That's how it is, or we have to tap into other sources." MILESTONE FOR IN-HOUSE BATTERY PRODUCTION Founded in 2022, PowerCo is an attempt by Europe's top carmaker to produce its own batteries for Volkswagen electric vehicles and catch up with BYD and Tesla. The European Commission unveiled a plan on Tuesday to drop the EU's effective ban on new combustion engine cars from 2035 after intense pressure from the auto sector, marking the bloc's biggest retreat from its green policies in recent years. Volkswagen has repeatedly cut PowerCo's budget, from an initial 15 billion euros over five years to less than 10 billion currently, the group's finance chief recently told investors. Blome said PowerCo has already sounded out investors for potential interest, without giving further details. Volkswagen has previously indicated the possibility of floating PowerCo, alongside the option of bringing in an outside investor or entering strategic partnerships, although a listing is not expected before its factories are up and running. An IPO would work in principle, but is ultimately a decision for Volkswagen, Blome said. Two further PowerCo sites, in Spain's Valencia and St Thomas in Canada, are under construction, with a total capacity of up to 200 gigawatts planned in the coming years. PowerCo had originally planned to build six battery factories in Europe alone by 2030, with 240 gigawatt hours of capacity, but its ambitions were dialled back in response to the slower-than-expected uptake of electric cars in the region. ($1 = 0.8499 euros) (Reporting by Rachel More; Editing by Alexander Smith) This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Walmart is asking a federal judge to split a huge class of plaintiffs involved in card fee litigation against Visa and Mastercard to allow large merchants to pursue their own needs with regard to the card networks. Walmart, the largest U.S. retailer by revenue, wants U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan to decertify the class of plaintiffs pursuing swipe fee changes, the company wrote Friday in its objection to a settlement proposed last month. Alternatively, the retailer said Cogan should give class members a chance to opt out of the mandatory class or redefine the class so as to carve out large national merchants. The plaintiffs and their lawyers are antagonistic to large national merchants interests because they are determined to sell out these interests to secure their preferred relief, the Bentoville, Arkansas-based company wrote Friday, calling the proposed pact nakedly inequitable to large national merchants. This fundamental conflict of interest disqualifies them to represent a class that includes large merchants, the retailer went on to say in explaining its opposition to the settlement in a filing with the court. Walmart has been among the most active merchants in seeking ways to reduce interchange fees, incurred when a consumer pays with a credit or debit card. The retailer has explored pay-by-bank options and is seeking ways to enable instant payments, a company executive said earlier this year. The proposed settlements change to the networks honor all cards rule allowing merchants to decline some Visa and Mastercard-branded cards is useless to a large merchant that must accept customers preferred payment type, Walmart said. Allowing large national merchants to reject certain card types, but not issuers, still precludes any competition between issuers for merchant acceptance, the company said. To achieve a market compliant with the antitrust laws, Walmart must be able to negotiate interchange rates directly with issuing banks, bargaining for lower rates in exchange for Walmarts business. Additionally, the class lawyers treatment of Walmart in the negotiations with the card networks and the settlement terms show the class plaintiffs persistent disregard for the interests of large national merchants and their eagerness to sell out these interests for their own benefit, the company wrote in its objection. Dec 17 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery's board rejected Paramount Skydance's $108.4 billion hostile bid on Wednesday, saying it failed to provide adequate financing assurances. In a letter to shareholders, disclosed in a regulatory filing, the board wrote that Paramount had "consistently misled" Warner Bros shareholders that its $30-per-share cash offer was fully guaranteed, or "backstopped," by the Ellison family, led by billionaire and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. "It does not, and never has," the board wrote of the guarantee of Paramount's offer, noting that the offer posed "numerous, significant risks. Here's what analysts and market experts are saying about the latest development: JEFFREY WLODARCZAK, CEO, PIVOTAL RESEARCH GROUP, NASHVILLE "I think the WBD concerns over the PSKY offer are legitimate given NFLX offer is firm and backed by NFLX, a massive company with significant ability to add leverage. It appears the PSKY offer is not backed by Ellison family directly and can be withdrawn. On the other hand, the PSKY offer is likely to sail past regulators while NFLX offer is going to be heavily scrutinized. But NFLX can clear hurdles by modifying the deal such as agreeing to sell HBO with some short/medium-term content deals in place to someone like Comcast." "To get the deal done, PSKY is likely going to have to get rid of the revocable trust (Ellison family backstop), stop the hostile offer, adjust for NFLX break-up fee (higher offer) and a higher break-up fee. The problem for Ellison is that there is skepticism in the market from investors in Oracle's data center strategy and that entity is already very highly leveraged." PAOLO PESCATORE, ANALYST, PP FORESIGHT, LONDON "This is a strong endorsement of Netflix's offer and its future ability to execute as a combined entity." "Furthermore, and more significantly, a better deal all round in terms of value and regulatory approval. It does feel like the path of least resistance." "This now leaves Paramount in a precarious position, in the shadows and a weaker player compared to its stronger rivals." "The ball is now firmly in Paramount Skydance's court to significantly raise its offer. While this might still happen, it's unclear whether the outcome will change given the concerns." JONATHAN KEES, SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST, DAIWA CAPITAL MARKETS, NEW YORK "It likely will become a media and proxy spectacle with each side presenting their case to shareholders, as well as to the press. I anticipate a lot of arguments and even accusations by each side to sway the public and shareholders. The fight should culminate at the next WBD shareholder meeting, which should be held early summer of 2026." Key Points Warren Buffett believes in buying quality stocks and holding on for the long term. This strategy has helped him deliver exceptional returns over nearly 60 years. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index Warren Buffett is known for his love of investing in stocks. Yet, over the past few years, he's been doing more selling than buying. The billionaire chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway has been a net seller of stocks over the past 12 consecutive quarters, a move that could be seen as a warning to Wall Street as the S&P 500 marches higher. The major benchmark, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, climbed over the past two years for a 53% increase, and this year it's heading for yet another double-digit gain. Buffett, in keeping with his usual investing behavior, didn't jump onto the bandwagon. Instead, the billionaire, through his actions, has suggested that investors should proceed with caution. In addition to selling stocks, Buffett built up a significant pile of cash, reaching record levels. Still, investors have continued piling into stocks, driving the S&P 500 to multiple records. Now, though, as 2026 approaches, is it finally time to listen to Buffett's warning? Let's find out. Image source: The Motley Fool. Decades of market-beating returns First, it's important to understand why investors generally sit up and take notice when Buffett makes an investing decision. Buffett never follows market trends and doesn't mind picking stocks that may be out of favor with other investors. This, along with a focus on choosing quality companies for reasonable prices, has helped Buffett guide Berkshire Hathaway to market-beating returns for nearly six decades. And the billionaire has invested throughout both bull and bear markets, showing that his techniques work during any market environment. Considering all of this, investors pay attention to Buffett's moves -- and sometimes follow them -- with the hope of generating big returns. Before getting back to our question, it's worth talking about the reason for Buffett's caution in recent years. Buffett hasn't spelled out exactly why he's more often been a seller than a buyer of stocks or why he's built the Berkshire Hathaway cash level to more than $381 billion, a record level. But one particular element likely is involved, and this is valuation. The S&P 500 Shiller CAPE ratio has reached its second-highest level ever -- its highest level was during the dot-com boom -- and this suggests that, overall, stocks are expensive right now. Dec 16 (Reuters) - The White House is preparing an executive order that could limit stock buybacks, dividends and executive compensation for military contractors, Punchbowl News reported on Tuesday. The directive targets some of the biggest companies that supply the Pentagon with war-fighting equipment, Punchbowl said, citing multiple sources. Leading Pentagon contractors include Lockheed, RTX, Boeing and L3Harris Technologies. (Writing by Christian Martinez, editing by David Ljunggren and Scott Malone) After rolling out its first standalone Cloudsteppers stores internationally last month, the first U.S. location of Clarks latest concept shop has landed in Texas. Located inside the La Palmera Mall in Corpus Christi, Texas, the 1,255-square-foot store follows other openings of Clarks newest retail concept in the cities of Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in November. More from WWD For Peter Quirke, Clarks vice president of retail in the Americas who just returned to the States after visiting the new stores in Malaysia, Cloudsteppers U.S. debut is all about giving the people what they want, adding that the company sells millions of Cloudsteppers flip-flops every year. Obviously, we have a ton of heritage in our brown and black shoe business and all of the things that Clarks is well-known for, Quirke told FN in an interview. But this retail concept gives us the ability to create a unique way for us to express ourselves, rather than trying to shoehorn the product line into Clarks stores. And while Cloudsteppers are obviously part of the bigger Clarks family, pulling the line out and highlighting it offers us a bigger opportunity to focus on its growth. The executive noted that along with Cloudsteppers comfort shoe range, 50 percent of the new stores merchandise mix is non-footwear, and includes an offering of soft-touch T-shirts, hoodies, caps, bags and water bottles. Clarks, Cloudsteppers, store, Corpus Christi, Texas, retail, footwear, shoes, flip flops, sandals, comfort shoes I dont think of this concept as a footwear store, he noted. This store is really all about the comfort lifestyle of Cloudsteppers. And it seems to be working. According to Quirke, the company is seeing a good mix of non-footwear sales at the two Malaysian locations that have already opened, with one more set to open in the country later this month. This leads us to believe that were on the right path, the executive said. And so far, the response has been good to the to the overall assortment. As for the unexpected location of Cloudsteppers U.S. debut, Quirke noted that the climate of Corpus Christi is ideal for the product range. Given that flip-flops are the bread-and-butter product of Cloudsteppers, and that La Palmera offers a premium shopping experience in close proximity to the beach, makes for a great location for this store, he said. Clarks, Cloudsteppers, store, Corpus Christi, Texas, retail, footwear, shoes, flip flops, sandals, comfort shoes As for whats next, Quirke isnt letting his foot off the gas. The executive told FN that Clarks has already signed three leases for new Cloudsteppers stores to open in the first quarter of 2026 in the U.S. Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. The financial industry will inevitably evolve with blockchain technology, according to Fidelity CEO Abigail Johnson. I think theres zero chance that its not happening because it is happening, Johnson said during 16zs Founders Summit in October when asked whether Wall Street would integrate blockchain technology. She added that bigger players would prefer to move faster toward upgrading infrastructure but are handicapped by the industrys interconnectedness in a video of the remarks released in Dec. 4. Don't Miss: Fast Company Calls It a Groundbreaking Step for the Creator Economy' Investors Can Still Get In at $0.85/Share Earn While You Scroll: The Deloitte-Ranked #1 Software Company Growing 32,481% Is Opening Its $0.50/Share Round to Accredited Investors. Theres a lot of small players who just dont have the wherewithal to participate in that kind of an upgrade, she said. Still, Johnson said competition and regulation would push [Wall Street] kicking and screaming along. And these forces may already be in play. Earlier this month, Vanguard announced that it would allow trading of cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds on its platform, in a marked shift from its long-held stance that cryptocurrencies are an immature asset class that has little history, no inherent economic value, no cash flow, and can create havoc within a portfolio. The shift reportedly came in response to strong client demand and improving regulatory conditions. Trending: 7 Million Gamers Already Trust Gameflip With Their Digital Assets Now You Can Own a Stake in the Platform Trump administration regulators have taken a more favorable outlook on blockchain technology and digital assets. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission this month approved the trading of spot cryptocurrency products on U.S.-regulated exchanges. The agency has also launched a pilot program to allow digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum to be used as collateral in derivatives markets. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission in August announced Project Crypto, an initiative to bring U.S. markets on-chain. SEC Chair Paul Atkins has also teased an innovation exemption to support cryptocurrency startups. On the legislative front, President Donald Trump in July signed the GENIUS Act, providing guidelines for U.S. stablecoin issuers. Lawmakers are also working on highly anticipated market structure legislation that would clarify which digital assets are commodities and which are securities. Major changes are coming to the federal student loan system in 2026. This overhaul, which primarily stems from the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), will reshape how students borrow and pay back student loans. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, for new loans, but existing borrowers will have a more gradual transition period or retain access to some current options. Here's a closer look at how and when student loans will change and what you can do now to prepare. 1. New repayment plan options begin in 2026 Starting on July 1, 2026, the federal student loan system will have a much narrower set of repayment options for new loans. If you borrow after that date, you'll have two repayment plans to choose from: Standard Repayment Plan: This plan features fixed monthly payments and spans 10 to 25 years, depending on your loan amount. Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP): This plan offers an income-driven approach, setting your payments at 1% to 10% of your adjusted gross income (or a flat $10 per month if your income is less than $10,000 per year). It can end in forgiveness if you're still carrying a balance after 30 years of repayment. What this means for current borrowers If you borrow before July 1, 2026, your repayment plan options aren't disappearing at least not yet. You can continue to access three existing repayment plans: the 10-year Standard Plan, 10-year Graduated Repayment Plan, and 25-year Extended Plan. You can also use the current income-driven repayment plans Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), and Income-Based Repayment (IBR) until they expire in 2028. At that point, youll need to switch to a different plan (more on this below). 2. Current income-driven repayment plans are being phased out Currently, federal student loans are eligible for various income-driven repayment plans, including PAYE, Income-Contingent Repayment, and Income-Based Repayment. For loans disbursed after July 1, 2026, however, the new RAP option will be the only income-driven repayment plan. What's more, PAYE and ICR will sunset by July 1, 2028. IBR will remain available, but only for loans disbursed before July 2026. What this means for current borrowers This change may or may not affect you, depending on what plan you're on: If you're on PAYE, ICR, or the now-defunct SAVE plan: You'll need to switch to IBR or RAP by July 1, 2028. If you don't switch, your loan servicer will auto-enroll you in one of those plans. If you're on IBR: You can stay on IBR or change to RAP after July 1, 2026. Parent borrowers Parent PLUS loans will not be eligible for the new Repayment Assistance Plan. Currently, the only income-driven plan available to Parent PLUS borrowers is Income-Contingent Repayment and only if you consolidate your loans first. If you want to access an income-driven plan moving forward, you'll need to consolidate your Parent PLUS loans before July 1, 2026, and enroll in a qualifying IDR plan. 3. The SAVE plan has been shut down The SAVE plan has been blocked in the courts for a while now, but it was dealt its final blow in late 2025 when the Trump administration announced a proposed settlement with the state of Missouri. If approved, this settlement will end the plan sooner than its initial expiration date in 2028. The Department of Education will no longer enroll new borrowers in SAVE and will begin transitioning SAVE borrowers into alternative plans. If your loans have been on pause due to the SAVE plan litigation, it's time to explore your other repayment options. The Federal Student Aid Loan Simulator tool can help you compare costs on alternative plans. 4. Federal borrowing limits are tightening Starting on July 1, 2026, the borrowing limits for certain federal student loan types will change. The new rules will be: Graduate students: Up to $20,500 per year with a lifetime limit of $100,000 in Direct Unsubsidized Loans Professional students: Up to $50,000 per year with a lifetime limit of $200,000 in Direct Unsubsidized Loans Parent borrowers: Up to $20,000 per year per student, with a lifetime limit of $65,000 in Parent PLUS loans The borrowing limits for Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans for undergraduate students will mostly remain unchanged. However, part-time students will see their borrowing limits reduced based on their enrollment status. What this means for current borrowers If you already have student loans, you'll have access to the previous borrowing limits for three years or until you've finished your program. That means graduate and professional students can still borrow up to $20,500 per year with an aggregate limit of $138,500. Parent borrowers can also keep borrowing under the old rules (up to their child's cost of attendance, minus any other financial aid received) for three years or until the student finishes their program. Related: After Trump's budget bill, are federal student loans still the gold standard? 5. Grad PLUS loans are being eliminated The OBBBA has also eliminated the Grad PLUS loan program after July 1, 2026. These loans allowed graduate and professional students to borrow up to their school's cost of attendance with a minimal credit check. It will no longer be a financing option for graduate and professional students looking to borrow for the first time after that date. If your federal financial aid package doesn't cover your full cost of attendance, you may consider other financing options, such as scholarships, grants, savings, work-study, income from a part-time job, or private student loans. What this means for current borrowers If you already have a Grad PLUS loan, you can continue to borrow Grad PLUS loans for three years or until you've finished your program. 6. Parent loans will no longer qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program forgives federal student loans for eligible public servants after 10 years of service. It also requires that you make 120 payments on an income-driven repayment plan while working for a qualifying nonprofit or government employer. However, Parent PLUS loans issued on or after July 1, 2026 won't be eligible for the RAP, the sole income-driven option for loans disbursed after that date. As of now, parents who borrow Parent PLUS loans in the future won't have a pathway to Public Service Loan Forgiveness. What this means for current borrowers If you already have Parent PLUS loans and are working toward PSLF, don't despair you should be able to get on the Income-Based Repayment plan as long as you switch before July 1, 2028. And if you're not on IDR yet, you'll need to consolidate your Parent PLUS loans before July 1, 2026, and apply for a plan. 7. Deferment and forbearance options will be more limited New federal student loans will no longer be eligible for economic hardship or unemployment deferments, which let you pause payments when you couldn't afford them. This applies to loans issued on or after July 1, 2027, a year later than most of the other changes. Forbearance will also be limited to a maximum period of nine months during a two-year period. Currently, forbearance lets you pause payments for up to 12 months at a time. 8. Student loan forgiveness could become taxable again The American Rescue Act of 2021 exempted student loan forgiveness from federal taxation through the end of 2025. This exemption is unlikely to be extended, so borrowers who receive forgiveness in 2026 or after may have to pay taxes on the forgiven amount. This largely applies to forgiveness from an income-driven repayment plan. You don't have to pay federal taxes on loan cancellation from Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Read more: Tax-free student loan forgiveness ends in 2025. Will you owe more? How to prepare for the upcoming student loan changes There are a lot of changes coming for federal student loans in 2026, but they affect new borrowers and existing borrowers differently. Either way, here are some steps you can take to prepare: Review your current repayment plan: If you're already in repayment, find out what plan you're on. That way, you'll know if you have to change repayment plans ahead of the 2028 deadline. Compare future repayment options: Your choices will depend on whether your loans were issued before or after July 1, 2026. It's worth choosing a plan yourself; letting your servicer pick one for you may not be cost-effective or align with your financial goals. Write down key deadlines: There are a lot of dates to keep track of, so write down any deadlines that may apply to your loans. Plan for tighter borrowing limits: If you're planning on graduate or professional school next year, consider how you'll cover costs if your federal financial aid falls short. Assess your strategy as a parent borrower: Parent borrowers may have to act quickly if they want to access income-driven plans or become eligible for PSLF. Consider tax implications: If you'll be receiving loan discharge from an income-driven plan in 2026 or after, prepare yourself for a potential tax bill on the amount. Update your contact information: Make sure your loan servicer has your most up-to-date details so you don't miss any important communications about transitioning plans and deadlines. 2026 will bring a major restructuring to the federal student loan system. The best ways you can prepare are staying informed about the changes and making proactive choices before any deadlines arrive. Tired of the uncertainty in the federal loan system? See if student loan refinancing could help you better manage your debt. COMPANY NEWS: Atturra, a leading technology services business in designing, implementing, and maintaining IT solutions, is ending 2025 on stellar note after being recognised by the IT industry and both global and local vendors with several prestigious awards. Atturras 2025 vendor awards include: Access 4s Best Diamond+ Partner 2025 and Best Performing UX Partner 2025; Boomis APJ Partner of the Year, ANZ Partner of the Year, AI Agent Hackathon Winner and Emerging Technology Partner of the Year; Denodos APJ Sales Excellence Award; Elastics Value-Added Reseller Partner of the Year Award; Nuixs Neo Champion 2025; QADs Gold Partner 2025 and 2025 LEAP Awards; and the Red Hat Excellence in Innovation Award Australia & New Zealand. In addition, Atturra was awarded Cloud Service Provider of the Year and Data/Server Security Business of the Year at the Australian Cyber Awards, as well as Best Digital Transformation & IT Solutions Provider 2025 in the Australian Made Awards. Stephen Kowal, Atturras CEO was also awarded the Australian Reseller News Innovation Awards for Management Excellence. Under his leadership, Atturra has become an export success story, one of just a handful of Australian IT solutions providers with a presence in the Asian and US markets. In the past year, he has overseen a significant expansion of the companys New Zealand presence and led a targeted push into the US with the purchase of Kitepipe, an established Boomi Platinum Partner. These industry recognitions are proof that our strategy is working, solving real problems that put client needs first and reflecting the importance of forging strong regional vendor relationships, said Stephen Kowal, CEO, Atturra. The momentum we are seeing mirrors our purpose to imagine the possibilities, develop strategies to bring them into being and pursue opportunities with persistence and patience. At the same time, our ongoing success is heavily contingent on the strength of Atturras relationships with its key technology partners. Our commitment to forging trusted long-term partnerships with Atturras vendors, suppliers and clients has enabled our company to achieve extraordinary expansion, despite challenging global uncertainty. I am honoured to work with a dedicated group of employees whose passion ensures we are uniquely positioned to penetrate new markets and reinforces our leadership in existing ones. About Atturra Atturra is an ASX-listed technology business providing a range of enterprise advisory, consulting, IT managed services and solutions with a focus on local government, utilities, education, defence, state and federal government, financial services, and manufacturing. Atturra has partnerships with leading global providers including Infor, Microsoft, Denodo, Boomi, OpenText, Smartsheet, QAD, and HP and its clients are some of the largest public and private-sector organisations in Australia. For more information visit: https://atturra.com/au-en/ Digital transformation is something every business owner runs into, whether theyre overhauling old systems, experimenting with new tools, or just looking to streamline communications between team members. What often gets glossed over, though, is how much these changes can actually empower employees. Done properly, digital transformation gives people more control over their work, better access to information and the confidence to make smarter decisions. Instead of technology replacing people, the real goal is to help employees do their jobs more effectively. Thats where empowerment comes in. When workers feel supported, trusted and capable, a workplace becomes more productive and less stressful. So, whats the link between digital transformation and employee empowerment, and why does it matter now more than ever? 1. Better Decision-Making Through Access to Information One of the most significant changes in the modern wdrkplace is how fast information travels. Today, teams have dashboards, analytics tools and shared platforms that help clarify whats happening in real time. This is a big reason why so many in HR and other business-related fields choose to study human resource analytics, because they want to use data in ways that help their teams rather than overwhelm them. When information is clear and available, people dont have to wait for approval or wonder what to do next. They can make decisions based on facts, not assumptions. This fosters confidence and drives performance, since employees dont have to be dependent on someone else to interpret things for them. It creates a workplace where knowledge is shared openly, not locked behind senior roles. 2. Technology That Removes Friction, Not Adds to It Digital transformation is a matter of picking systems that make work easier and eliminate everyday challenges. When employees dont have to fight clunky software or spend valuable hours tracking down forms, they save their energy and motivation for tasks that matter. Even small improvements, like better omnichannel communication platforms or user-friendly scheduling tools, can help teams feel more supported. People feel a lot more in control when tech makes life easier rather than harder. Instead of being stuck in admin loops, theyre able to focus on the work they were actually hired to do. 3. Stronger Collaboration Across Teams Digital tools have completely transformed cross-team collaboration over the last decade. Shared platforms mean employees can see what others are working on in real-time, contribute ideas, and stay aligned without endless meetings or back-and-forth emails. It gives people more of a sense of ownership, because they can jump in, solve problems, and work alongside colleagues who might be in different departments or locations. This transparency also helps to flatten workplace hierarchies a little. Instead of feeling like information flows only from the top, employees feel like active contributors. This helps them feel like theyre actually part of the team, rather than just someone who follows instructions. Empowerment grows when people feel their voice matters and their input shapes outcomes. 4. Remote and Hybrid Work Opening Up More Control The move to remote and hybrid work has shifted how people are thinking about their jobs. Having some choice over when and where you work makes you feel trusted rather than micromanaged. For a lot of people, that bit of flexibility can boost morale and focus, and make the week feel much more manageable. Its also helped people balance personal responsibilities without feeling guilty for stepping away from their desk for a moment. This is all made possible thanks to digital transformation. With video conference meetings, shared documents, cloud systems and digital project tools that offer flexibility, employees are able to get their work done in a way that suits them, rather than the traditional nine-to-five. It shows that the business cares about outcomes instead of clock-watching. Employees who feel trusted to manage their own workload and time generally produce better work, and theyre more likely to speak up, contribute or even take on new responsibilities. 5. HR Tools That Support Well-being and Engagement Todays HR teams have access to tools that werent even heard of a few years ago. For example, many employers today are using well-being apps that offer resources like meditation programs, mood check-ins, fitness challenges or mental health support. These tools arent a substitute for real human interaction, but they do provide employees with easy ways to take care of themselves during busy weeks. This is where driving digital transformation really adds value to workplace culture. Instead of HR only focusing on performance reviews or compliance tasks, they can use technology to support wellbeing and connection. And when people feel valued and seen, they are more likely to speak up, express concerns, and engage with their work. Empowerment grows from feeling cared for, not just monitored. 6. Training That Helps Employees Grow Digital learning platforms and interactive training systems make professional development far more accessible. Gone are the days when staff had to wait around for annual workshops or physical seminars. Theyre now able to upskill at their own convenience and pace. This type of flexibility is empowering because it gives people autonomy over their learning and development. It also helps companies fill skill gaps. Employees who feel supported through ongoing learning are more likely to stay engaged and less likely to feel trapped or stagnant. For entrepreneurs, managers and HR teams, this shift has been a game-changer because skill-building is no longer regarded as a chore. Its integrated into the workday, which makes development feel achievable instead of overwhelming. 7. Using Automation Without Taking Away Human Value One common assumption is that automation is something that will replace people, but in most workplaces, it actually does the opposite. Automation often handles the mundane tasks that no one wants to do, whether thats boring admin work, data entry, stock listings, or pulling the same report over and over again. When these tasks are covered, employees have more time and headspace to focus on meaningful work. Thats where empowerment comes in. When youre not weighed down with busywork, you can think more clearly, solve problems, support customers the right way and do exactly what you were hired to do. Automation isnt about removing the human element. Its really about getting rid of the clutter so that employees can bring a lot more of their judgment, creativity and experience to the table. 8. Building a Culture of Trust Through Transparency Finally, digital tools make it much easier for people to stay informed. When documents, updates and expectations are easy to access, employees dont feel like theyre guessing whats going on behind the scenes. Transparency gets rid of a lot of the pressure and enables people to do their work with more confidence. This openness also builds trust. When employees feel included and actually are kept in the loop, theyre more likely to speak up, offer ideas and show initiative. Empowerment isnt just about having the right tools. Its about working in a place where people feel respected enough to use those tools and contribute fully. Key Takeaways Digital transformation and employee empowerment arent opposites. They strengthen each other when businesses use technology with intention. At the end of the day, tools, data and platforms should never replace human connection, but they can help employees feel informed, trusted and cared for. The reward: a workplace thats happier, more resilient, and much more effective. Businesses that invest in both digital progress and their people end up with teams that feel capable, confident and primed for growth. And in an ever-changing world, that combination is what will really make a workplace stand out. GUEST OPINION: Rapid advancements in technology are changing the way enterprises and organisations protect their people and property. Grudge purchase it may sometimes be, physical security is nonetheless an essential investment for Australian organisations of all stripes and sizes. Those that dont have stringent measures in place to safeguard employees, equipment, and operations from danger, damage and disruption are putting their brands and businesses at continual risk, and never more so than in todays times. Break-ins and motor vehicle theft are on the rise, according to the ABS, with 2.1 per cent of households experiencing an incident in FY2024, up from 1.8 per cent in FY2023. An estimated 72,000 motor vehicles were reported stolen over the same period, an increase of 17,000 on the previous year. So, how can you ensure your organisation is appropriately protected from current and emerging physical security risks? Here are some of the trends it will pay to be across when investing in tools and technologies to safeguard your critical assets in 2026. Cloud adoption your way Physical and cybersecurity solutions have been on the fast track to convergence in recent years. Thats upping the appeal of cloud-based security management platforms, particularly those with open architecture. Businesses can deploy them in which ever model they prefer ; bringing new monitoring equipment online as its acquired while utilising legacy programs to manage aging camera and device arrays that have not yet reached end of life. Expect to see more local businesses taking advantage of the flexibility this model offers by modernising their security infrastructure progressively, rather than in one fell swoop. Intelligent automation: not AI hype, its happening right here, right now While security monitoring is an essential activity, it can be labour-intensive and expensive. Intelligent automation makes it less so, by enabling security teams to minimise repetitive tasks, enhance monitoring precision and extract meaningful insights from the vast volumes of data generated by digital security arrays. This year will see local organisations looking to do all these things; harnessing the power of AI to achieve genuine benefits think fewer false alarms, faster investigations and increased situational awareness without a corresponding increase in headcount. Its a step change that will give their security teams more capacity to focus on strategic planning and decision making, to strengthen defences and boost resilience. Unified access control: time to get with the program Unified access control platforms have an important role to play in that automation journey. This technology has come into its own in recent times, and its now possible to bring communications, access control, video surveillance, licence plate recognition and other evolving technologies together under the one management umbrella. For businesses that elect to partner with a vendor that offers an open scalable platform which can connect diverse devices seamlessly and securely, it's enabling technology that can amplify capability and responsiveness. Thats courtesy of the fact their security teams no longer need to toggle between systems and screens to get the insights they need to respond quickly and appropriately to unfolding incidents. For businesses looking to strengthen their defences while containing their expenditure and in todays uncertain times, few are not that makes it an attractive proposition. Drawing actionable data insights from connected security systems Historically, security systems did one thing and one thing only. But in the AI and automation era, theyre an information gathering asset that can be tapped for commercial gain. Whether its utilising foot traffic data to determine the rents theyll charge, the tenants theyll seek to attract or the number of staff theyll roster across the week, ahead of the curve operators will be focused on extracting fresh value from the deep wells of data at their disposal in the upcoming year. Embracing AI accountability While AI-driven security ecosystems can deliver a host of benefits, its incumbent on organisations to use them ethically. As the technology becomes ubiquitous, Australians will increasingly want to know how the data being captured will be used and stored. Smart businesses will get on the front foot by sharing details of their AI policies and practices openly and transparently and electing to work with vendors that make cybersecurity a priority. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. The symbolism will be hard to miss: In the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, the statue of a Black teenager who fought against segregation will replace a Confederate general who fought to preserve slavery. Barbara Rose Johns was only 16 when she led a walkout in 1951 to protest horrendous conditions at her segregated high school for Black students in rural Farmville, Virginia. Students complained to the NAACP, and their case went all the way to the Supreme Court, part of the set of cases known as Brown v. Board of Education that struck down segregation. Tuesday afternoon, Virginia officials will unveil a statue of Johns at the Capitol to replace one of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that had stood for more than a century. Every state is represented by two statues in the halls of the Capitol building, and Johns will join George Washington to stand for Virginia. "The notion of one of the founders of our country being paired with one of the saviors of the soul of our country - I think it's a really, really powerful juxtaposition," said Cainan Townsend, who runs the museum in the former Farmville high school where Johns took her stand. His own father was locked out of school there after the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Brown, when White leaders shut down the system rather than desegregate. The statue of Johns, who died in 1991, will greet visitors in Emancipation Hall, which is named for the enslaved workers who helped build the Capitol. Johns - frozen in time, her right arm lifting a book to the sky as she stands beside a podium to rally her peers - is still a defiant presence. The politics of race have changed dramatically since Virginia decided in 2020 to replace Lee with Johns's likeness amid a national reckoning on race that unfolded in the wake of George Floyd's murder that May. Lee was carted out of the Capitol in the middle of the night in December of that year and shipped to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond, where he stands in a gallery that explores how symbols created a "Lost Cause" mythology of the South. Today, the Trump administration has told schools that efforts to address racial inequalities are illegal. Any effort to consider race in constructing policy, the Justice Department says, amounts to racial discrimination. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) was a leading figure in the backlash to that 2020 reckoning. He campaigned against teaching critical race theory, a term used to describe a range of topics related to systemic racism. Once in office, he ended diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in state agencies and public colleges and universities. Nonetheless, he is expected to speak at Tuesday's ceremony. Joan Johns Cobbs, 87, remembers the fear she felt in 1951 when her older sister Barbara led that walkout. "It was dangerous for Black people to stand up," Cobbs said in an interview Sunday, as she and her husband prepared to drive to D.C. from their home in New Jersey to attend the ceremony. But she said Barbara never showed any fear. They were a farm family - poor, mostly working tobacco - and because their mother regularly traveled to D.C. for jobs, Barbara was left supervising her younger sister and three younger brothers. "We always perceived her as being bossy," Cobbs said. "She was thrust into a role at an early age that caused her to sort of be aloof from us, because she had to reprimand us." The situation made Barbara Johns reserved, stubborn and filled with determination, she said. "She always acted as if she wasn't afraid of anything." When she saw White school kids speed by in their comfortable school buses, carrying new books and studying in heated and clean classrooms, Barbara Johns realized that the drafty, tar-paper-covered facilities where Black students huddled were unacceptable. She arranged for friends to get the principal summoned downtown one day, then rallied more than 400 fellow students to walk out in protest. Later that year, a friendly White farmer warned the girls' father that Barbara was in danger, Cobbs said, so she was sent to stay with a relative in Alabama - her uncle, civil rights activist Vernon Johns - for her senior year of high school. Johns's complaints contributed to what became one of the Supreme Court's most revered decisions, but the legacy of Brown is mixed. "It's very clear that many of our leaders today are more comfortable celebrating Brown as a symbol than actually worrying about whether we've achieved the promise of the case," said Ary Amerikaner, executive director of Brown's Promise, a nonprofit that is working to challenge school segregation. Last year, the Civil Rights Project calculated that 20 percent of all U.S. schools were "intensely segregated" as of 2021, meaning White students make up 10 percent or less of the student body. These schools were far more likely to educate students with the fewest advantages and most needs - in 2021, 78 percent of them were poor. So although today's school segregation is not remotely comparable to what it was in 1951, experts say the problem has not been solved. "The story that we tell ourselves about Brown is one of struggle, victory, success," said Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, an expert on school segregation at Virginia Commonwealth University. "We sort of leave it there and don't explore the contours of modern-day segregation." In Farmville, which is a part of Prince Edward County, the public schools are racially diverse, with White students making up about 30 percent of the total. Census data show the county is 60 percent White. There is one private school in the county, Fuqua School, and it was founded in the wake of Brown as a segregation academy - a school that served White students when Prince Edward closed its public schools rather than comply with a desegregation court order. Officials with Fuqua did not respond to a request for comment. Yet if Johns, now standing in bronze, simply represents an idea or an aspiration, that has value, said Wil Del Pilar, senior vice president at EdTrust, an advocacy group that promotes racial equity programs. "Even if it's just a symbol, it becomes important, especially for those people who don't see themselves reflected in those spaces," he said. "Symbolism can give us hope for a new day." That was true for state Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), who, as a Black girl growing up in Virginia during Massive Resistance - the period of organized refusal to comply with Brown - heard about Johns from relatives. "You have no idea the pride I feel" to see that statue going up in the U.S. Capitol, Lucas said. For decades, Johns was virtually unknown. Her old Robert R. Moton school was nearly demolished 25 years ago, then preserved as a museum in conjunction with nearby Longwood University. But in recent years, the honors have multiplied. Today an image of the Moton School has been incorporated into the Prince Edward County seal and flag. The school is among a list of about a dozen civil rights landmarks across the country that are in the process of being considered as a collective UNESCO World Heritage site. Former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe (D) said he didn't know about her until after he was elected, but he became an admirer and cited her in speeches. He presided over the renaming of the state building that houses the Virginia attorney general's offices in her honor. In 2020, then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D) requested that the U.S. Capitol remove the Lee statue and worked with a legislative commission to select Johns as the replacement, part of a sweeping effort by his administration to take down Confederate monuments across the state. "It's time to move on," Northam said in an interview. He will be among a phalanx of Virginia politicians who plan to attend Tuesday's unveiling. Also among them will be Sen. Tim Kaine (D), who five years ago went to the Capitol in the middle of the night to witness the statue of Lee being removed from its pedestal. Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth), the first Black person to hold that office, will be there, too. "Even during this moment when people are trying to go backwards, these green shoots of history and truth still come through," Scott said in an interview. "That's what's so powerful about this moment." (COMMENT, BELOW) Some of the details were distinctive an idyllic spot on the Pacific Ocean instantly turned into a killing field; a father-son terror squad but the basic picture of radicalized Muslim immigrants targeting a gathering of Jews was drearily familiar. These events follow the same pattern because the fundamentalist version of Islam is, at its root, hostile to Jews. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that there was a refugee flow of Unitarians, and some proportion of those Unitarians were antagonistic to traditional Christians such that they vandalized their businesses, harassed them in the streets, and launched massive protests in favor of overseas Unitarian terror groups. In that case, we'd obviously cast a skeptical eye on Unitarian immigration. Yet this hasn't been true of Muslim immigration. Mainstream political parties across the West that have presided over this open-handed policy are, understandably, losing ground to restrictionist parties that are more clear-eyed about the realities of immigration. Antisemitism comes in all sorts of varieties, whether Christian, Muslim or secular. Still, it'd startle us to learn that someone who had been attending a fundamentalist Christian church went and shot up a Jewish event whereas it's not the least bit unusual in someone who's an adherent of fundamentalist Islam. Now, there are different interpretations of Islam, and it's not the role of an outsider to say which is more correct: The key point is that important Muslim authorities and countless millions of the faithful embrace the fundamentalist version that's influential in war-torn areas of the broader Middle East that have sent so many refugees to the West. The fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood Hamas is the Palestinian branch was markedly antisemitic well before the establishment of the state of Israel. As one analyst has noted, its anti-Jewish agitation included "boycotts, graffiti and physical violence." Sound familiar? A rancid paranoia about the Jews runs through this worldview. The 20th century Muslim Brotherhood ideologue Sayyid Qutb referred to "the tricks played by world Jewry so that the Jews may penetrate into body politic of the whole world and then may be free to perpetuate their evil designs." The original 1988 Hamas charter reads like a transcript of a Candace Owens podcast, except with an armed wing attached. It avers that the Jews "strived to amass great and substantive material wealth," and used it to take "control of the world media." They are responsible for the French and Bolshevik revolutions, indeed "most of the revolutions we heard and hear about." They founded "secret societies, such as Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, the Lions and others in different parts of the world for the purpose of sabotaging societies." They started World War I and World War II indeed, "there is no war going on anywhere, without having their finger in it." The document pronounced its support for Muhammad's prediction: "The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him." On top of all of this, it is believed that any territory once ruled by Muslims (i.e., all of Israel) must be re-taken for Islam and there's a feeling of bitter resentment at the power and success the Jewish state has been able to amass, while Muslim countries in the region have been torn apart by civil strife and stifled by catastrophically poor governance. All this is a toxic brew, and yet a large swath of the Muslim world is beholden to these beliefs. It is foolish to think that some element of Muslim immigrants to the West won't share this worldview and act on it to our great regret. Australia welcomed a large influx of Muslim immigrants over the last several decades, and accommodated a surge of antisemitism after Oct. 7. So the resulting atrocity at Bondi Beach was heart-rending and all too predictable. (COMMENT, BELOW) In November, Stack's Bowers Galleries in Boston will offered an extremely rare three-pence coin from 1652 for auction, CBS News reports. The coin, which was minted in Boston at the Hull Mint, was purchased from a shop in the Netherlands. It is one of only three known coins like it, one of which was stolen and hasn't been seen since. Store manager Stanley Chu expects it to fetch well over $1 million. [CBS News, 9/20/2024] Student volunteers were helping out with an archaeological dig in Eu, France, when one of them found a small glass bottle inside an earthenware pot, United Press International reported. Inside the bottle was a message, written in January 1825, from one "P.J. Feret, a native of Dieppe, member of various intellectual societies." Feret was carrying out excavations at the same site and left the message for future explorers. "It was an absolutely magic moment," said Guillaume Blondel, head of the town's Regional Archaeology Service. Local records revealed that Feret was a well-known archaeologist of his time. Blondel said such finds are rare: "Most archaeologists prefer to think that there won't be anyone coming after them because they've done all the work." [UPI, 9/24/2024] Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Urologist William Lynes discusses his article, Teaching medical students what it is really like to be a physician. He confronts the tragic reality of physician burnout and suicide, arguing the culture of overwork is bred into medical training from day one. William proposes a critical shift in medical education: a continuous course led by practicing physicians to teach students that maintaining their own mental health is essential to providing excellent clinical care. He shares his powerful personal story of learning this lesson too late, urging for systemic change to address physician mental health before it becomes a crisis. Learn why prioritizing clinician well-being is the most important lesson medical schools are failing to teach. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, its backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and its built on a foundation of trust. Its time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended Transcript Kevin Pho: Hi. Welcome to the show. Subscribe at KevinMD.com/podcast. Today, we welcome back William Lynes. He is a urologist. Todays KevinMD article is Teaching medical students what it is really like to be a physician. William, welcome back to the show. William Lynes: Yeah. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you for having me back. Kevin Pho: All right. Tell us what your latest article is about for those who didnt get a chance to read it yet. ADVERTISEMENT William Lynes: Basically, it addresses the prevention of burnout by an educational program in medical school. Burnout is a major problem in America. It contributes to the decline in the quality of health care. Of course, we have an attrition rate of physicians which is really of epidemic proportions. I believe that we need to address this by education in medical school. The term burnout was coined first by Herbert Berger in 1977. It is interesting because he was a psychologist who, while he had a private practice, was also active in free clinics in the New York area. He described what he called a syndrome, and he called it burnout. It is probably likely that he was talking about himself actually. He talked a lot about emotional exhaustion. Since that time, the definition of burnout has expanded a little bit to three pillars of diagnosis, which would be emotional exhaustion, depersonalization/cynicism, and the third being a lack of personal accomplishment. There have been a lot of studies that have looked at that across America. Really, like I said, it is an epidemic problem. Over 50 percent of physicians have some element of physician burnout. Tragically, it begins in training; there is a very high incidence of it in training. It is a mental illness, basically. It results in suicide and suicidal ideation very, very commonly. Most people are familiar with the 300 to 400 suicides per year in the physician community. People have said that is like a Boeing 747 going down every year, or it is basically one physician suicide per day. But we do not really know about the number of suicide attempts in terms of reputable statistics because suicide attempts in general are traditionally underreported. But you could do a quick calculation of what you would expect in terms of suicide attempts by taking the number of suicides (400) and multiplying it by the number of suicide attempts per suicide in studies just in general. I put that number at about 50. So if you multiply 50 times 400, you get 20,000 suicide attempts predicted per year across the United States. That means 2.5 percent of all physicians will be predicted to attempt suicide annually. I think that just gives you an idea of the magnitude of physician burnout. Now, what do you do about it? Well, right now, we are doing things like having mental health access and so forth for physicians. But if you take my case, those things were really too late for me. Beginning in 1998, I had two catastrophic medical illnesses (I am bipolar). I was forced back into the middle of burnout. By the time I really knew I had a problem, accessing mental health and other things that were available to me was really too late. As I look at it, I think that really medical students need to be educated about the risks of the profession that they are going into. This is from the standpoint of: If you want to take excellent care of patients, you need to take excellent care of your own mental health. I believe that because of the magnitude of the problem, we are looking at needing an institutional commitment to education, and I believe it should begin in medical school. Kevin Pho: One of the interesting things that you wrote about in your article was that this continuous course of mental well-being needs to be taught by practicing physicians rather than mental health experts alone. Why do you make that distinction? William Lynes: I always look back at my own experience. For example, I went to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and they did a really good job in educating me in the mechanical things of medicine. But if they had occasionally said: Well, you need to think about your own mental health, and maybe even had a class, and it was taught by intellectuals, I am not sure I would have appreciated exactly what they were talking about. No, I think that the practicing physician who is down in the trenches, who really knows about what we are talking about, needs to lead the discussion. Maybe they dont give all the lectures or all the information. Maybe they invite guests from the therapeutic world, from the psychiatric world, from professorships, and so forth. But that is why I really believe, from my standpoint, that is who I would have listened to. Kevin Pho: So what would that look like in terms of the curriculum? So rather than having it be an elective or a once-in-a-while thing, you recommended being part of the core continuous curriculum. Right? William Lynes: I do. I think that it is such a major problem that we need to commit our resources to it. I think it needs to be a significant chunk of the medical school curriculum. Basically, you need to take care of your mental health or you are not going to be able to practice medicine correctly. I believe it needs to be running throughout the entire clinical years of medical school. I think that the basic sciences years maybe have a little introduction, but during the clinical years, I think that it should be a course. I am not sure it should be required. I do not think there should be grades associated with it, but it should be available really on a frequent basis. In Galveston, we had a course that ran for several years on medical ethics. That was good. I needed an introduction to it, but I am not sure I needed a continuing course on that. I think we do need a continuing course that really introduces people to what the risks are of the profession that they want to go into. Kevin Pho: In your article, you mentioned that a common thread for burnout is overwork. Why do you think medical culture is so resistant to changing that one core factor? William Lynes: Well, I think that by the time you get into medicine, you are sort of bred almost culturally. When you think about it (again, I go to my own experiences), by the time I was in college, I was dedicated to spending every single minute that I could trying to prepare and trying to get into medical school. So I was an overworker even before I went to undergraduate, but I certainly was as an undergraduate. Then, of course, you want to get into medical school, so you overwork. You want to get a residency, so you overwork. Once in residency, it is sort of built into the system, and then that spills over into your practice. I think we are all open to having people who arent overworkers, but the problem is it is sort of the people who come to the profession. I do not know what you do to turn off that. Even though I am retired now, I cannot turn it off very well. So yeah, it is a problem, but I think it is the common thread. I think burnout is a big umbrella. I think every person who has physician burnout is different. But I think a common threadperhaps I have never seen a study, but I bet you find outis that the great majority of people with physician burnout are overworkers. So it is sort of the common thread, and it would be nice to be able to treat that common thread. I think education is really the only way to do that. Kevin Pho: If there was a core curriculum in medical school to address burnout, tell us some of the components or content that it would have to have. William Lynes: Again, I think it should be led by practitioners in my area. They certainly were very, very open to instructing medical students, so I think that they would be available to do it. I think they need to introduce the concept of burnout: first of all, what it is, what the risk factors are, and why you are at risk for this. Then talk about some of the underlying causes such as substance abuse, family issues, and the fact of overwork, which certainly would be a big part of it. Talk about what the preventative strategies are in terms of access to mental health therapy, in terms of being a well-rounded person, exercise, nutrition, and things like that. Then the bottom line is to just throughout the course be talking about the fact that if you want to be an excellent clinician, you need to take excellent care of your own mental health. So I think that there is a lot that could load this course throughout the clinical years of medical school. Kevin Pho: We are talking to William Lynes. He is a urologist. Todays KevinMD article is Teaching medical students what it is really like to be a physician. William, lets end as we always do with some take-home messages you want to share with the KevinMD audience. William Lynes: I think that we have a problem with health care in America just in general. We are spending more than any other developed country and we are getting less results. I think a big component of it is that we have a mentally ill workforce, and that mental illness is termed physician burnout. I think that we should be willing to commit a large chunk of financial resources and time to preventing that. I think that the way to do that is by education that begins in medical school, and it is an institutional commitment. It would basically teach medical students that in order to be excellent clinicians, you need to take excellent care of your mental health. Kevin Pho: William, thank you again for sharing your perspective and insight. Thanks again for coming back. William Lynes: OK, Kevin. Thank you. (Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea) South Korean cuisine continues to gain global recognition, ranking 19th in the world in the 2025/26 Best Cuisines list released by TasteAtlas. The result confirms Koreas growing reputation as a cuisine defined by depth, bold flavors, and an exceptionally strong stew and soup culture. One of the standout categories for Korean food this year is stews (jjigae). Kimchi jjigae ranks an impressive 13th among the worlds best stews, making it the highest-ranked Korean dish overall. It is followed by: Sundubu jjigae 77th Doenjang jjigae 85th Budae jjigae 86th These rankings highlight how fermented ingredients and spicy broths have become internationally appreciated comfort foods. Korean soups also make the global list, though further down the rankings. Yukgaejang places 95th, while Busans iconic pork soup, dwaeji gukbap, comes in at 100th, marking Koreas presence at the edge of the Top 100 in the soup category. In the Best Dishes rankings, Korean barbecue classics appear as well. Galbi ranks 73rd, while samgyeopsal places 96th, reflecting the worldwide popularity of grilled Korean meats, even in highly competitive global lists. No Korean desserts make TasteAtlass Top 100 dessert rankings for 2025/26. This absence reinforces the idea that Korean cuisines international strength lies primarily in savory dishes, especially stews, soups, and grilled meats, rather than sweets. Italy topped the best cuisine list followed by Greece and Peru. Japan was the highest Asian cuisine at 6th, followed by Chinese at 8th and Indonesian at 10th. (Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea) In this video, we count down 10 of Busans most talked-about attractions and decide whether each one is underrated, properly rated, or overrated. From quiet coastal walks and historic sites to iconic beaches and viral Instagram spots, we take a realistic look at whats truly worth your time. Youll discover why Dongbaekseom Island & APEC House remain one of Busans most underrated spots, whether Oryukdo Skywalk and Haeundae Blue Line Park deserve their popularity, and why places like Gamcheon Culture Village and Haeundae Beach may not always meet expectations. We also highlight essential Busan experiences including Songdo Beach & Cable Car, Yonggungsa Temple, UN Memorial Cemetery, Jagalchi Fish Market, and Gwangalli Beach, helping travelers plan smarter and avoid disappointment. Whether youre planning your first trip to Busan, living in Korea, or looking for honest travel advice, this video breaks down Busan beyond the glossy travel brochures. Please consider liking and subscribing to check out more videos from around Busan and Korea. YouTube: 10 Famous Busan Attractions Ranked: Underrated, Overrated, or Worth the Hype? | Busan Travel Guide Check out more YouTube: Take a Walk Around the Haeundae Light Show YouTube: Take a Look Inside Busan Christmas Village 1. My life has not been dull, and it doesnt look like this is going to change any time soon. Some people have pointed out that my life has been in three chapters so far: fighter pilot, multi-millionaire, and author. Im in the third chapter now and each has informed and inspired the next 2. I learned to fly at 17 and fell in love with everything connected to aviation. I joined the RAF at 19. After university, I trained to become a fighter pilot and a flying instructor. It was during the Cold War, when we were deterring a strong nuclear threat from Russia. Flying and taming these amazing machines was exhilarating every time I got airborne. We could fly up to 1500 mph, supersonic speeds, and we could close with a target at around a mile every 2 seconds. You soon learned to suppress your emotions and think with cold, razor sharp focus and purpose. Although it was a dangerous job, you did it anyway. Its not lost on me that the Cold War with Russia is re-surfacing. 3. When I left the RAF at the end of the Cold War, I wanted to be my own boss, so I moved into the business world and became self-employed as an entrepreneur. I navigated good times and bad times with lots of hard work, but eventually the business was successful, and I retired when it was sold. I discovered that working against strong competition in business has much in common with achieving military objectives, and I learned new skills about managing people within a much safer environment. 4. When I left the business world I decided to write a series of books, but not about me at all, they were about the spiritual world. This is when my life got really interesting. You see, unlike most authors, I have never wanted to be a writer and at school I wasnt any good at English. So, what happened? When I was in the RAF, I was a staunch non-believer and had no interest in God or anything spiritual. However, one night, God came to me within a blinding white light and spoke to me spiritually, then everything changed. I have been in regular two-way communication ever since. God guided me through my business chapter from vision to completion, and it was this guidance that made me successful. Then, she said she wanted me to reveal the mysteries about the spiritual world, which she had buried in ancient scripture, and publish widely the hidden story that they told. She would continue to guide me. After 10 long and difficult years, the book, Mysteries of The Other Side Book one: The Hidden Story has just been published (Brown Dog Books). 5. Yes, I did refer to God as She. Thats not meant to be controversial. Rather, I quickly discovered that God has both a male and a female side, and it was the female side that I was communicating with. At a deeper level I discovered that the hidden story revolved around the changeover of authority from the male side to the female side. If you think about it, that makes sense, because the male side is about obeying rules, judgement, and punishment, like you see in the Old Testament. But the female side is all about kindness, love, mercy and forgiveness, without judgement or punishment, like you see in the New Testament. Which would you prefer? 6. When I considered women living in the physical world, I saw that truthfully, they are better than men in almost every regard except the physical strength of men; but women make up for that in so many ways. Women are kind, loving, forgiving, wise, smart, sociable, full of intuition, resilient, communicative and most of all they are the ones who can create babies and nurture them with love. When a man listens to what his wife, or mother, or female influence in his life, tells him, he becomes a better person, in my opinion. It begs the question, where did these great qualities come from? If spiritual, why does the Bible seem to give women such a hard time? I have discovered, or been given the answers, to these and many more questions, and I explain them carefully in the book. You quickly realise that the spiritual and physical world were always meant to exist in harmony, but we tend to dismiss the spiritual side to our detriment. As a taster, I invite you to consider this. What is the hidden meaning of the story when Adam, the first spiritual man, made with the spirits of both sides of God, had his rib removed to make woman with? Well, the rib was the female spirit of God, so woman had all the great female qualities of God and they still do. For example, thats where female intuition comes from. Meanwhile, Adam lost them and only feels complete when he is joined to a woman. If he listens to her! The book also explains what went wrong and what we can do about it now. 7. Well, the book has been published for a few weeks so I want my readers to know the reaction it has received so far. It has been mostly female readers who are curious, and they soon get the meanings I describe, while most men appear to have to work at it a bit more. Why? Because women, in my opinion, are naturally much more spiritually aware, because of the special spirit they were given. I want to say that for 10 years I had no idea how this book would be received, and whether it would be slated like my English homework at school. I braced myself and held my breath. However, the mainly female reviews that have arrived are stunning in their praise and their compliments are truly humbling. I dont mind revealing that I shed a tear as I read them. What would my fellow, steely-eyed fighter pilot colleagues have made of that, I wonder? Find out more Georges book The Hidden Story is available now: The Hidden Story. Follow George on Instagram by Natalie key for www.femalefirst.co.uk China-Singapore joint army training carries out field drills on urban counter-terrorism Xinhua) 09:20, December 17, 2025 SINGAPORE, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Participants from both sides of the China-Singapore joint army training recently conducted field drills focused on urban counter-terrorism operations. The exercise moved from Jurong Camp to SAFTI City, Singapore's first high-rise urban training facility, launched in March and equipped with smart instruments for real-time feedback. Commanders from China and Singapore set up a joint command structure and carried out command post drills using physical models and digital imagery to plan and coordinate missions. In the live exercises, mixed China-Singapore units conducted coordinated operations, fully leveraging the synergy between manned and unmanned forces. Reconnaissance robots and drones were used to support simulated encirclement, sniper control, rapid entry, firepower strikes and hostage rescue. "Urban counter-terrorism is like dancing on the edge of a blade, as every movement has to be precise," said Liu Shoutao, a Chinese commander. Operating in dense, high-rise settings, the exercises improved the ability of the mixed units to respond to rapidly changing situations, strengthen coordination and conduct precision strikes, helping build experience for future urban counter-terrorism missions, Liu said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Billy Crystal will miss Rob Reiner and his wife Michele "forever". Billy Crystal has paid tribute to his When Harry Met Sally ... director Rob Reiner The 77-year-old film star paid tribute to his When Harry Met Sally ... director - who was killed at home in Los Angeles over the weekend alongside his partner Michele - in a joint statement released with his wife Janice and a group of the tragic couple's close friends including actors Martin Short, Larry David and Albert Brooks and filmmaker Barry Levinson The statement - first released to the Associated Press - praised Reiner's work as an actor and director and remembered him as a great friend. It read: "Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller. "There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to mockumentary to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films." It went on to add: "Rob was also a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele, he had the perfect partne. "Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens They were a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring." The statement then added: "We were their friends, and we will miss them forever." Also among those behind the statement were Albert Brooks' wife Kimberly, former Saturday Night Live writer Alan Zweibel and his wife Robin, Larry David's film producer wife Ashley Underwood, lyricist Marc Shaiman and his partner Lou Mirabal and former United States Ambassador to Spain James Costos and his partner Michael Smith. The bodies of Reiner and his wife were found at their Los Angeles home on Sunday (14.12.25) and the couple's 32-year-old son Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special allegation of using a knife. Nick was arrested in connection with the murders several hours after his parents were killed. He is currently being held without bail at Los Angeles' Men's Central Jail and was had been to appear in court on Tuesday (16.12.25). However, the hearing was delayed because Nick hadn't been medically cleared to appear in court, according to his attorney, Alan Jackson. Six Red Cross workers have been shot dead as they slept in a hospital in Chechnya. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said they were murdered in their beds in the village of Novy Attagi, 11 miles South West of the capital Grozny. The murders took place at about 0400 local time when masked men broke into the hospital which is a clearly marked Red Cross centre. The murdered aid workers were a Dutch architect and nurses from New Zealand, Canada, Spain and Norway. They had been working at the hospital since September, when it was set up inside a school using funds from the Norwegian Red Cross, especially to care for victims of Chechnyas 21-month war. It is the bloodiest attack on aid workers in the 130-year history of the humanitarian agency. The ICRC has now taken the decision to withdraw its international staff from the area although some remain in Grozny. Thierry Meyrat, ICRC, said the incident revealed a rising trend in attacks against aid workers despite the Red Cross political impartiality. The Red Cross has said it cannot draw any conclusions as to who was responsible for these attacks. The hospital employs 15 foreigners and 180 locals but none of the latter were hurt. It has led to suggestions the motive behind the attack was political and aimed at disrupting the republics elections on 27 January. The medical unit was set up just as a peace settlement was being negotiated between rebel leaders and the Kremlin. Russian troops have been pulling out but many rebels had pledged there would be no peace until there was total independence from Moscow. Courtesy BBC News In context Chechen officials blamed rogue members of the Russian security forces for the murders. Within days they arrested several suspects but their identities and nationalities were not publicised. In January 1998 Chechen officials accused Russia of harbouring Adam Deniyev, a deputy head of the pro-Russian administration who they said masterminded the killings. He was killed in a rebel bomb attack in April 2001. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement awarded its highest honour, The Henry Dunant medal, posthumously to the six workers killed in Chechnya. It recognised the outstanding services and acts of great devotion to the cause of the Movement. Like this: Like Loading... China will impose tariffs of up to 19.8% on pork imports from the European Union, a drastic drop from preliminary tariffs of up to 62.4%, its Commerce Ministry said yesterday. The ministrys announcement followed an investigation the Chinese side launched into imports of pork from the trading bloc after the EU imposed provisional tariffs on China-made electric vehicles. Beijing also levied anti-dumping duties on European brandy, most notably cognac produced in France, though major brandy producers received exemptions. Imports of dairy products from the EU likewise were subject to anti-dumping probes. The EU runs a massive trade deficit with China: over 300 billion euros ($348 billion) last year. However, the trading bloc is a major exporter of pork and key supplier of byproducts such as ears, snouts, feet and other items considered to be delicacies in China. In September, China ordered preliminary anti-dumping duties, in the form of security deposits, of 15.6% to 32.7% for pork imports from EU companies that collaborated with the anti-dumping investigation, and up to 62.4% for all others. Chinas Commerce Ministry concluded that the EU was dumping pork and pig by-products in China, selling them at prices below production costs or domestic market prices, and harming Chinas pork industry. The final tariff rates of 4.9%-19.8% are due to take effect beginning Wednesday and last for five years. Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark will be the most affected. The Commerce Ministry said the new tariff will apply to all kind of pork products, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, pickled, smoked or salted. It said it had reached its conclusions in an objective, fair and impartial manner. EU exports of pork products to China peaked at 7.4 billion euros ($7.9 billion) in 2020 when Beijing turned to imports to meet domestic demand after its pig farms were devastated by a swine disease. But it has reduced imports as it has rebuilt its herds. MDT/AP Like this: Like Loading... Authorities have disclosed plans to explore making the temporary pedestrian zone in old Taipa Village permanent during next years festive holidays, with the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) also planning to test additional temporary pedestrian zones in various local neighborhoods. The DSEDT mentioned its initiative in a statement responding to an inquiry coordinated by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), aimed at delving into the historical and cultural heritage of diverse neighborhoods and creating distinctive pedestrian zones that boost community foot traffic. Legislative Assembly (AL) vice president Ho Ion Sang previously submitted a written inquiry regarding the Cultural Affairs Bureaus efforts to enhance the dissemination and promotion of intangible cultural heritage. He emphasized the need for the government to intensify promotional efforts, integrate modern information technology for innovation, and more closely connect intangible cultural heritage intellectual property with residents daily lives and the needs of both domestic and international tourists. By introducing products and services that meet contemporary demands, this approach aims to promote the innovative transmission and value transformation of intangible cultural heritage projects, he noted in the inquiry. Ho also asked about the potential for introducing intangible cultural heritage stalls and activities during future temporary pedestrian zones established on public holidays. His written inquiry prompted responses from Leong Wai Man, president of the IC, as well as representatives from the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Economic and Technological Development Bureau. The IC statement noted that authorities have previously established temporary pedestrian zones in various neighborhoods, introducing a range of themed activities including specialty markets, performances, and family games. It also noted collaboration with business associations to launch initiatives aimed at boosting consumer spending, successfully attracting visitors to explore and engage with local communities. The statement also outlined the ICs future plans to research and formulate policies that integrate intangible cultural heritage elements with commercial development, encouraging cultural and creative industries to develop original Macau IP characters or heritage-themed content for major events and festive celebrations. The bureau aims to create products that blend cultural depth with market potential and establish exhibition and sales platforms for intangible cultural heritageinspired products through events such as the Tap Seac Craft Market series, seeking to drive cultural consumption, raise visibility, generate economic benefits, and stimulate growth by leveraging cultural resources. Meanwhile, in response to lawmakers concerns about strengthening the integrated development model of intangible cultural heritage and cultural tourism, the IC president emphasized the effectiveness of collaboration between government agencies and civil society organizations. She highlighted the use of specialized exhibition spaces, including the Na Tcha Exhibition Room at the Ruins of St. Pauls and the Master Lu Ban Exhibition Room. Like this: Like Loading... Over the course of 2025, a new reality has sunk in for Europe. The United States, long its strongest ally, has chipped away at the European Unions unity, economies, security and even its democracies, setting the backdrop for an EU summit this week at the end of an exceptionally trying year. After putting an indefinite freeze last week on Russian assets in Europe, EU leaders face a new test of strength at Thursdays summit. Ukraine is in dire financial straits, and they have promised to meet Kyivs economic and military needs for the next two years, most probably through a new reparations loan. Its crunch time for Europe and Ukraine, warned Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen, whose country holds the EUs rotating presidency. We need to take this decision in order to secure the Ukrainian economy, but also in order to send a signal to the rest of the world, which will include the White House in (Washington) D.C., that Europe is a strong geopolitical player. As the continents biggest land war in decades rages on, the Europeans have been tested by President Donald Trumps threats, his support for Europes far right, and his camaraderie with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At first they responded with flattery. Less so in recent months. Since January, as the leaders have tried to keep Ukraine in the fight against its bigger neighbor, Trump has switched back and forth, appearing to support Kyiv one month, Russia the next. He has mostly remained critical of Europe, and that criticism now has a sharper edge. European leaders have worked to fill the gap and shore up military support for Ukraine, but they concede that the United States is an irreplaceable partner, and Trump is the only person Putin might talk peace with. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned last week that we are really witnessing a watershed moment now and nothing is the way it was before. Were living in a different time, and this time requires different responses than weve given in the past. Europe starts to respond Weeks after Trump returned to office in January, his administration signaled that U.S. security interests lie elsewhere: Europe must now look after itself and Ukraine, whose president was humiliated at a White House meeting in February. Days later, Vice President JD Vance met with a far-right leader in Germany, claiming that free speech is in retreat in Europe, sparking allegations of election interference. Vances themes were developed this month in a U.S. National Security Strategy. The text also attacked EU migration policy, suggesting that Europe faces the prospect of civilizational erasure and might not be reliable as an American partner. Judy Dempsey, from the Carnegie Europe think tank, said that Europe has no choice but to respond. Europe and the rest of the world now know how poorly this U.S. administration regards them and they cannot keep pretending otherwise, she said. Merz is already speaking more forcefully. We in Europe, and so also in Germany, must become much more independent from the U.S. in terms of security policy. This is not a surprise, but it has now been confirmed again, he said. Poor plans and new trade deals Another troubling document for the EU was circulated last month: the Trump administrations 28-point plan to end the war, drafted with Russia. It contained old Kremlin demands, promises of Russian business opportunities and a call to rehabilitate Putin on the world stage. It was mostly unacceptable to Ukraine and its European backers. Not so to Russia as it tries to drive a wedge between the U.S. and the allies. Trump, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, is the only Western leader who shows an understanding of the reasons that made war in Ukraine inevitable. Back in April, on so-called Liberation Day, Trump announced sweeping tariffs across the globe to protect national security. He said that our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by other nations, including U.S. allies in the worlds biggest security organization, NATO. Trump declared an economic emergency. By July, he and the EU had agreed a trade framework setting a 15% tariff on most goods, staving off far higher import duties. The response of the EU has been to seek deals with other jilted partners, notably throughout Asia. The worlds biggest trading bloc has also accepted that higher tariffs were probably the best price to pay for continued U.S. support in Ukraine. LORNE COOK, BRUSSELS, MDT/AP Like this: Like Loading... The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) is monitoring H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in Frances Loir-et-Cher and Somme departments. Poultry meat and products from these regions are banned from import into Macau. IAM has notified local importers and will continue strict monitoring to control the sale and distribution of poultry products in the city. Like this: Like Loading... Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is returning to the Atlanta Braves, agreeing yesterday [Macau time] to a $20 million, one-year contract that addressed a major offseason priority for the team. Kim gets a $4 million raise. He had declined a $16 million player option from the $29 million, two-year contract he agreed to in February with Tampa Bay, a deal that paid him $13 million. The Braves announced the new deal with Kim Monday night. General manager Alex Anthopoulos said a long-term contract with Kim was discussed before the agreement on a one-year deal. Anthpoulos said he still hoped Kims return means hopefully a longer marriage here. The 30-year-old from South Korea batted .234 with five homers and 17 RBIs for the Rays and Braves, who claimed him off waivers on Sept. 1. Kim didnt make his season debut until July 4 because of right shoulder surgery in late 2024. This contract reflects our belief in him and hes a much better player, Anthopoulos said of Kims 2025 statistics. Kim has a .242 average with 52 homers and 217 RBIs for San Diego (2021-24), Tampa Bay (2025) and Atlanta. Anthopoulos said hes looking for Kim to return to his production levels he enjoyed with the Padres. We think weve got a very good chance to get the guy he was with San Diego, Anthopoulos said, adding it will benefit both the Braves and Kim if he has a big 2026 season and improves his status for a bigger contract with more years after next season. Come here, be the player you can be, have a great year and get the contract you deserve, Anthopoulos said. Atlanta designated right-hander Osvaldo Bido for assignment to open a roster spot. The return of Kim means Mauricio Dubon, acquired from the Houston Astros for Nick Allen in an exchange of infielders on Nov. 19, likely will be available in a utility role instead of being relied on to be the starter at shortstop. Dubon, 31, appeared in 133 games with Houston last season and batted .241 while earning his second Gold Glove, each time as a utility infielder. He also won a Gold Glove in 2023. The return of Kim comes after outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and the Braves agreed to a $23 million, two-year contract on Wednesday that includes a 2028 club option with the potential to make the deal worth $26 million over three seasons. It has been a busy week for the Braves, who also added two-time All-Star reliever Robert Suarez on Thursday to a $45 million, three-year contract. MDT/AP Like this: Like Loading... Finn Wolfhard credits Joe Keery as a "huge influence" on his passion for music. Finn Wolfhard reveals the impact Stranger Things castmate Joe Peery has had on him The Stranger Things actor - who spent two years in indie rock band Calpurnia before forming The Aubreys in 2020 - has revealed the influence his Netflix co-star had on him discovering new bands and sounds. He told The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: "Joe is a huge influence for me, and still is. His bands amazing. He was one of the first people I ever knew that was actually in a band. "Before Stranger Things came out, he was kind of a cool, older brother. I was 12 and he was 22? "He was like fresh out of being in a really cool psych rock band in Chicago, and introduced me to a ton of music that I think really informed everything. "I wouldn't be here without Joe." Joe was a founding member of Post Animal, before leaving in 2018 due to his acting commitments, although he has since released three solo albums as Djo, including his Grammy nominated third LP The Crux earlier this year. Finn previously admitted he once suffered a panic attack on the set of Stranger Things as he struggled to cope with the pressures of fame during his younger years, and he got overwhelmed during filming for the fourth season. He told Time magazine: "It was incredible and subconsciously terrifying to be 13 and all of the sudden everyone knows who you are. "I was having normal first-relationship struggles and juggling COVID and the show. Halfway through a scene I started hyperventilating. It was kind of like a fishbowl because a lot of the extras are fans. It culminated in sort of a panic attack." Finn has also noted that he's grown up alongside some of his co-stars, and the actor hopes fans love the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. The TV star wrote on Instagram: "I feel like were still those people and Im lucky to still stand beside them today. I hope youll love this season as much as I do." Companies thrive and fail, and this is the natural evolution of business cycles. Whats unnatural, however, is a zombie firm that erodes investors interests over time. Shenzhen-based China Vanke Co. failed to obtain enough support for a plan to delay paying a 2 billion yuan ($283 million) bond due Monday, therefore setting the stage for a potential default. The real estate developer must repay the note within five business days, or come to some separate agreement to push back the deadline. Vanke has since sweetened the deal by offering to pay 60 million yuan interest by Dec. 22. While shocking, a default is not the worst outcome for creditors. If Vanke was allowed to continue business as usual, there might not be any assets left for bondholders when the inevitable reckoning comes. State-owned Shenzhen Metro Group Co., Vankes largest shareholder with a 27% stake, has made it very clear that land-grabbing is in the cards. In early November, it demanded Vanke retroactively pledge collateral for existing unsecured shareholder loans worth 20 billion yuan. By late November, Vanke had pledged its entire stake in property management firm Onewo Inc., arguably its most valuable and liquid asset, to its largest stakeholder. We only got a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes because, as a publicly-listed company, Onewo disclosed this material information to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Meanwhile, the remaining asset pool is getting smaller. As of June, the company held only 51 billion yuan of unpledged investment properties. On the other side of the equation, it had about 99 billion of unsecured loans and 44 billion yuan corporate bonds outstanding, in addition to Shenzhen Metros shareholder loans, which the state-owned enterprise now demands collateral for. In other words, even in the event of an immediate liquidation, Vankes creditors will be fighting in an ugly hunger game. Any delays, and their recovery rate will be even more dismal. This perhaps explains why Vankes onshore bondholders overwhelmingly rejected the companys proposal to extend repayments. About 85% of the 2-billion-yuan notes were held by banks, which have been increasingly wary of uncollateralized lending. As of June, secured lending accounted for over 60% of bank loans, versus only around 10% two years ago. Plus, those hoping for a last-minute state-sponsored bailout must have realized it wouldnt happen. The fact that Vanke has failed to garner support from its onshore creditors is a sign that the Chinese government doesnt even remotely consider the developer as too-big-to-fail. Theres been no window guidance from regulators asking the bond-holding banks to extend and pretend that all is well, thereby kicking the can down the road. Earlier in the year, bond investors developed a blind faith in Vanke, believing somehow that a series of unsecured shareholder loans from Shenzhen Metro constituted an unofficial bailout, even though the SOE never consolidated the builder into its books. Its time to confront the cruel realty: Shenzhen Metro is not your friend. Its time to wind up Vanke now, before everything gets taken away. Courtesy Bloomberg/Shuli Ren Like this: Like Loading... The importance of innovation-driven development for the cultivation of new growth drivers was stressed at the Central Economic Work Conference. For that, it is essential to develop international technological innovation centers in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is a source of original innovation, where the focus is on breakthrough advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum information and blockchain technologies. The regions key research centers serve as demonstration clusters for innovation-driven industries, with an emphasis on basic research and tackling critical choke point technologies. The Yangtze River Delta functions mainly as a hub for application-oriented innovation. The region prioritizes the industrialization of technologies in integrated circuits, biomedicine and high-end equipment manufacturing. Close integration between technological innovation, financial services and coordinated industrial chains further strengthens its role. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area acts as a cross-border collaboration hub and a cradle for emerging industries. Leveraging the institutional strengths of one country, two systems, it focuses on the digital economy, intelligent manufacturing and new materials, promoting the deep integration of innovation resources across the region and setting benchmarks for cross-border cooperation. It is essential to enhance the coordination among these three regions and develop innovation enclaves. Research institutions from Beijing and Shanghai should be encouraged to set up branches in the Greater Bay Area and two-way flows of innovation resources should be facilitated. In strategic sectors such as integrated circuits and AI, regional alliances can be formed to carry out joint research and development. There should be clearer division of labor in the innovation and industry chains. Beijing can continue to lead in basic research, Shanghai in technology transfer and intermediate development, and the Greater Bay Area in terminal industrialization and application. Based on their respective strengths, cross-regional industrial alliances can also be built. A talent flow system, shared access to research facilities and interoperable data platforms would help break down regional barriers and make resource allocation more efficient. It was also stressed at the Central Economic Work Conference that efforts should be made to advance the AI Plus initiative, improve AI governance and foster innovation in science and technology financing. Therefore, policymakers should place primary emphasis on preventing and managing security risks by building a full-process safety framework that integrates technology monitoring, early warning and emergency response alongside the establishment of AI safety assessment and market access mechanisms. In terms of content security and labeling, traceable identification should be applied to generative AI outputs to curb the spread of false or misleading information. Clear boundaries must be set for AI research and application, supported by ethical review mechanisms for major projects to ensure that AI development remains aligned with the principle of technology serving the public good. Data and algorithm governance should address how training data are collected and used, how data are classified and protected at different levels and how a balance can be struck between data circulation and privacy protection. Stronger oversight of cross-border data flows and deeper international cooperation are also essential. At the same time, systems for algorithmic transparency and fairness audits should be advanced to prevent algorithmic discrimination and bias. With regard to regulation, tiered and differentiated regulatory approaches should be applied to key areas such as autonomous driving, financial services and healthcare, with clearly defined regulatory boundaries to foster a coordinated governance framework. MDT/China Daily Like this: Like Loading... A judge sentenced a Sydney taekwondo instructor yesterday to life in prison without possibility of release for murdering a 7-year-old student and the boys parents. Kwang Kyung Yoo, 51, sat with his head bowed as Justice Ian Harrison said he would never be eligible for parole. Harrison said Yoo has been motivated by the jealousy he felt for the familys financial success. Im satisfied that the level of culpability in the commission of these offenses is so extreme that the community interest in retribution, punishment, community protection and deterrence can only be met through the imposition of a life sentence, Harrison told the New South Wales Supreme Court. Harrison said Yoo had no reason to murder the boy or his parents in February last year. State law prevents child victims of crime from being identified, so the boys parents also cant be named. Yoo and his victims were all born in South Korea. Yoo had pleaded guilty to the three murders at an earlier court appearance. He had no prior criminal record. Yoo had strangled the boy and his 41-year-old mom in his Lions Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy in western Sydney. He owed tens of thousands of dollars at the time and was behind in rent on the academy. He took the mothers Apple watch and drove her luxury BMW car to the family home where he stabbed the boys 39-year-old father to death. Yoo was injured in the struggle in the home and drove himself to hospital where he told medical staff he had been attacked in a supermarket car park. Police arrested him at the hospital. After his arrest, Yoo could not explain how he intended to get the familys money and later detailed his remorse. The former instructor, whose students called him Master Lion, did not look at the victims family and other supporters as they sobbed in the courts public gallery after the sentence was handed down. These killings were horrific and violent acts, senselessly cruel and cynical, perpetrated without a trace of human compassion, the judge said. While the crimes were planned with Yoo surveilling the familys home beforehand he made no attempt to conceal his crimes from the CCTV cameras in his academy or try to conceal the bodies. At a sentence hearing in November, the judge heard Yoo had lied about meeting the wealthiest Australian, Gina Rinehart, qualifying for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, owning a Lamborghini luxury car and living in Sydneys wealthy eastern suburbs. Harrison noted that Yoo had told a psychologist his lies became bigger and bigger as his wife and students asked more questions. The judge noted Yoo had been burdened since childhood with unrealistic expectations from his parents and South Korean culture about the level of success he needed to achieve. Yoo was handed a box of tissues as the judge described his deep remorse for the hurt and pain that he had caused. In a letter to the judge, Yoo said he was held captive by sin and that he wanted to give himself to Jesus Christ. I wish I could turn back time so this didnt happen, Yoo wrote. I pray every day for the people I have hurt. MDT/AP Like this: Like Loading... The Judiciary Police have dismantled part of a theft syndicate believed to be behind a series of burglaries targeting warehouses and shopping premises in the northern districts, arresting three suspects while four others remain at large. According to authorities, the group allegedly stole goods from both an industrial building warehouse and storage facilities inside a shopping mall. Two victims reported combined losses of about MOP320,000. The stolen items included 31 packages of dried fish maw valued at roughly MOP310,000, which had been stored in a warehouse, and two boxes of cigars taken from a mall storage locker. Investigators identified a 28-year-old mainland Chinese resident as the suspected mastermind behind the two cases. Police said the individual coordinated the thefts and arranged for the stolen goods to be transported and hidden. A 31-year-old local man allegedly assisted by driving a private vehicle used to move the items to a rented residential unit in the northern area. Another local man, aged 43, is suspected of receiving HKD20,000 for his role, which included breaking into storage sites, disabling surveillance equipment and helping carry the stolen goods. Police intercepted the three suspects near the residential unit and at the Border Gate checkpoint. Like this: Like Loading... The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) kicked off in Harbin on Monday, holding its annual summit outside Macau for the first time since its founding in 2012. The forum, known as the Global Tourism Economy Forum Heilongjiang 2025, wraps up today and includes a program of exclusive activities in Harbin. The 11th edition of the forum took place yesterday, featuring keynote speeches, roundtable forums, cultural and tourism exhibitions, and an investment promotion event for Heilongjiang Province. More than 1,000 guests from over 30 countries and regions across five continents attended the opening ceremony. Participants included the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, heads of international bodies, government cultural and tourism officials, Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, and scholars, according to Harbin TV News Channel. Edmund Ho Hau-wah, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference and forum chairman, delivered opening remarks and described GTEF as a strategic opportunity to develop new quality productive forces and promote world tourism. Anton Tai, Macaus Secretary for Economy and Finance and representative for Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai who was absent from the forum while attending events in Beijing highlighted Heilongjiangs abundant natural resources, rich history and culture, and popular winter tourism in his opening remarks. Tai said, This year, Heilongjiang and Macau have maintained close personnel exchanges as well as economic and trade relations, showing a positive trend. In March of this year, the two sides also signed a number of cooperation agreements, memorandums of understanding, and other agreements to further strengthen collaboration in various fields, including economy and trade, science and technology, education, culture and tourism, and sports. Pansy Ho, vice chairman and secretary-general of the forum, addressed the shift in tourism in her opening remarks, emphasizing the transition from resource-driven to innovation-driven models. She urged participants to focus on four strategic pillars: industrial innovation, cultural empowerment, investment leadership, and cross-border cooperation. These pillars aim to build a smart, green, connected, and sustainable global tourism economy, Ho said. We are transitioning from a resource-driven model to an innovation-driven model, she said. Just as China is upgrading its industrial base, tourism must evolve from simple volume to high-quality development. New Quality Productive Forces implies that we will be pivoting toward a value-driven economy powered by technology, sustainability, and immersive experiences. Today, invited guests will attend National Treasures Gathering in the Ice City, an exhibition of overseas cultural relics. A sightseeing project and investment tour will also take place by invitation, offering four routes that showcase Heilongjiangs winter tourism resources, according to the events program. Like this: Like Loading... * Walking distance Permanent pedestrian zone set for Old Taipa Village; other traditional neighborhoods to follow * Urban planning | Coloane Market proposed as pilot site for youth entrepreneurship * Tourism | MGTO reaffirms target of 39 million visitors * Education: Macau students show strongest interest in international politics, associations survey finds * Governance: Chief Executive reports to President Xi on regional progress * Panda diplomacy: Thousands flock to Tokyo zoo to see Japans last two pandas before return to China DOWNLOAD PDF Wednesday, December 17, 2025 edition no. 4859 Like this: Like Loading... A Paris criminal Court, on Monday, 15 December, sentenced former Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala to 30 years in prison for complicity in crimes against humanity committed during the Second Congo War in 2002 and 2003. A decision widely hailed by rights groups as a decisive strike against decades of impunity. The 67-year-old, who led the Uganda-backed Congolese Rally for National Democracy, was found responsible for atrocities including torture, executions, rape, forced labour and sexual slavery, particularly against the Nande and Bambuti communities in eastern Congo. His lawyer described the sentence as excessive and said an appeal could be lodged within ten days. Victims testified to brutal abuses, recounting killings, mutilation and forced labour that continue to cast long shadows over their lives more than two decades on. Several survivors of sexual violence also gave evidence. The case, enabled by French laws on universal jurisdiction, marks the first time a Congolese political or military leader has been convicted by a national court abroad for mass atrocities. Analysts say the ruling challenges a long-standing pattern in which former warlords later assumed senior roles in government or the military. After the war, Lumbala served as Congos minister of foreign trade from 2003 to 2005 and later as a member of parliament. He fled to France after an arrest warrant was issued in 2011 over alleged support for the M23 rebel group. The verdict comes against the backdrop of renewed instability in eastern Congo, where fighting escalated last week after the Rwanda-backed M23 seized a key city, despite a U.S.-mediated peace deal signed last week in Washington. Rights advocates said the ruling sends a clear message that time and political power will not shield perpetrators of mass violence, reinforcing accountability as a cornerstone for lasting peace. Jennifer Lopez has felt like a "lightning rod for nice things and a lot of negativity". Jennifer Lopez feels like a 'lightning rod for nice things and negativity' The 56-year-old star has revealed the struggle of ignoring negative comments about her personal life and instead making sure people focus on her work. She told the Los Angles Times newspaper's The Envelope 2025 Oscar Actresses Roundtable: "From the very beginning, for whatever reason, Ive been a lightning rod for nice things and a lot of negativity. "And its hard because you say to yourself, 'These people dont get me. They dont see me. They dont understand me.' "Then all of a sudden they do. And then they dont again." J-Lo - who has 17-year-old twins Max and Emme with her ex Marc Anthony - finalised her divorce from Ben Affleck almost a year ago, having rekindled her relationship with the actor in 2021, 17 years after calling off their first engagement. The Kiss of the Spider Woman star admitted she "was always affirming" herself from a young age. She added: "Even from when I was very young, I would always say, 'I know who I am. Im a good person. I know what Im doing. People wouldnt hire me if I wasnt good at what I do.' "I was always affirming myself and keeping my feet on the ground." She pointed to her "great" parents for the way they "instilled in [her] a sense of self". Jennifer joined Gwyneth Paltrow, Emily Blunt, Elle Fanning, Tessa Thompson and Sydney Sweeney for the wide ranging interview, with Sydney insisting the negativity is "just outside noise" that "kind of disappears" when she steps on set. J-Lo added: "And what Sydney was saying, Id have to block out the noise so I can put my head on the pillow at night and go, 'I did good today. I was a good person. I was kind to people. I worked really hard. Im a good mom.' "That has always helped me through." Nigerias richest businessman, Aliko Dangote, has accused petroleum regulators of facilitating cheap fuel imports that, he says, threaten local refineries, jobs and the countrys long-term energy security, and has called for a formal inquiry into their conduct. Speaking at his 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lagos, Dangote said continued fuel imports were being used to checkmate domestic potential, exporting jobs and value while Nigeria struggles to industrialise. He urged an investigation into the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which he accused of policies that weaken local production. The regulator has pushed back, arguing that Dangotes refinery is seeking a monopoly and that its output cannot meet Nigerias daily fuel demand of about 55 million litres. Last month, the NMDPRA advised the president against banning refined fuel imports on the grounds of insufficient local supply. Dangote disputes this, accusing the authority of misrepresenting his refinerys capacity by focusing on offtake figures rather than actual production. He also said the refinery has struggled to secure sufficient domestic crude, alleging that regulators have failed to enforce rules requiring crude supply to local refiners before exports. As a result, the facility imports about 100 million barrels of crude annually, a figure expected to double with planned expansion amid limited local supply. Despite regulatory headwinds, Dangote said the refinery would press ahead with expansion plans, describing the investment as too big to fail. He also reiterated intentions to list the company on the Nigerian stock exchange and to pay dividends in US dollars, positioning the refinery as a national asset in which ordinary Nigerians can share. Nigeria, Africas largest oil producer, has long relied on imported fuel due to decades of underperforming state refineries, a structural gap Dangotes project was designed to close. The African Development Bank (AfDB), on Monday, December 15, opened a donor-pledging conference in London for the replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF), as it works to secure a $25 billion target against the backdrop of reduced United States support. Earlier this year, the Trump administration withheld a $197 million tranche pledged during the previous replenishment cycle, creating uncertainty around Washingtons future contribution and leaving a potential $560 million grant funding gap if no US commitment materialises. While the AfDB confirmed that a US representative would attend the two-day talks, it remains unclear whether funding will follow. The ADF, replenished every three years, provides grants and concessional loans to Africas lowest-income countries, financing critical infrastructure such as irrigation schemes, roads and electricity projects. Since its establishment in 1972, it has disbursed about $45 billion to 37 countries. Unlike the AfDBs main lending arm, ADF support carries longer repayment periods exceeding 20 years and softer terms, making it increasingly vital as debt burdens rise, aid shrinks and global capital markets tighten. US officials have previously said they are seeking to refocus the fund on economic growth and poverty reduction, but the Trump administration has already cut support to other multilateral lenders, including an $800 million reduction to the World Banks International Development Association in May. The US contributed nearly 7% of the ADFs last replenishment of $8.9 billion at the end of 2022. In response, the AfDB is broadening its funding strategy. African member states are set to contribute seed capital, with Kenyas President William Ruto committing $20 million last year and potential contributions expected from countries such as Benin, Ghana and Sierra Leone. The fund is also finalising plans to raise $5 billion per cycle from capital markets and to attract philanthropic finance, signalling a strategic pivot to safeguard its development mandate amid shifting global aid priorities. Botswanas Government said on Monday, 15 December, it is investigating reports that two young citizens were misled into travelling to Russia under the guise of a short-term military training programme, only to end up fighting on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. In a statement, the Ministry of International Relations said the 19- and 21-year-olds were allegedly deceived during a recruitment process that presented the trip as a brief military school engagement. Authorities said they are working through diplomatic channels, in coordination with law enforcement agencies, to verify the reports and determine the whereabouts and condition of the two men, with the aim of facilitating their safe repatriation. The ministry also issued a caution to young Batswana, warning against dubious and potentially life-threatening international recruitment schemes, particularly those offering financial incentives in exchange for participation in combat. It urged the youth to remain vigilant and to consult relevant authorities, including Botswanas diplomatic missions, to confirm the legitimacy of any suspicious recruitment offers, underscoring the governments commitment to safeguarding its citizens amid rising global security risks. Namibia has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the Karas Region, with authorities announcing on Monday, 15 December, that the H5N1 virus was detected near the coastal town of Luderitz. In a statement, the Directorate of Veterinary Services under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform said laboratory tests conducted by the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek on December 10 confirmed a zoonotic strain of H5N1 in common terns, raising concerns over potential transmission to humans. The outbreak was identified after a sick wild bird was found in a residential area of Luderitz, triggering veterinary sampling. Officials reported that around 30 wild birds showing signs of infection have since been observed on Mercury Island, close to the town, with migratory birds suspected as the source. Authorities cautioned that domestic poultry faces heightened risk through direct contact with infected wild birds or indirect exposure via contaminated equipment, feed, water or surfaces. Surveillance and containment measures are underway as officials move to assess the scale of the outbreak and stem further spread, signalling a precautionary posture to protect both animal and public health. The death toll from the collapse of a building under construction at a Hindu temple site in Verulam, eastern South Africa, rose to five as of Monday, December 15, 2025, prompting a formal investigation into the cause of the incident. The multistorey structure, being built atop an existing temple complex about 25 kilometres north of Durban, collapsed on Friday just before noon. One fatality was confirmed initially, with four additional bodies recovered from the rubble over the weekend, according to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the victims or confirmed whether others remain trapped. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with officials stressing that debris removal will be slow and methodical to ensure safety and full accountability for all those on site at the time of the collapse. Preliminary findings by regional authorities suggest the construction may have been illegal, as it reportedly lacked approved building plans. Police in Verulam have opened an inquest as part of a broader effort to establish responsibility and systemic failures. The collapse has sent shockwaves through the local community. South Africas Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities said the tragedy has deeply traumatised worshippers and residents, underscoring that places of worship are sanctuaries whose violation resonates far beyond physical damage. Hinduism, while practiced by less than two per cent of South Africas population, has a strong presence in KwaZulu-Natal. The incident comes in a period of renewed visibility for the faith, following the opening of the largest Hindu temple and cultural complex in the Southern Hemisphere in Johannesburg in February. Authorities say accountability and community healing will remain central as investigations continue and recovery efforts progress. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A vial of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is on display at the Lubbock Health Department, Feb. 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File When a measles outbreak hit West Texas this year, school absences surged to levels far beyond the number of children who likely became sick, according to a study, as students were excluded or kept home by their families to minimize the spread of the disease. Absences in Seminole Independent School District, a school system that served students at the heart of the outbreak, climbed 41% across all grade levels compared with the same period the two previous years, according to the Stanford University study. The preliminary study, which has not been published or finished a formal peer review, offers a glimpse at the toll on student learning from the spread of measles, a highly contagious disease that has crept up in communities around the U.S. with low vaccination rates. In Texas and nationally, about two-thirds of measles cases have been among unvaccinated children. When measles is spreading, public health officials respond by excluding unvaccinated students from schools. "The costs of that absenteeism are just not among the sick kids, but all the kids who are kept out of school as a precaution," said Thomas Dee, a Stanford economist and education professor who co-authored the study. Measles is airborne and poses severe risk for young children. In 2000, the illness was declared eradicated in the U.S., thanks to the widespread usage of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. In recent years, more parents have sought exemptions to school requirements for the shots, and most states are below the 95% kindergarten vaccination rate that experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks. In Seminole Independent School District, only 77% of kindergartners were vaccinated against measles in the 2024-2025 school year, according to state health department data. The measles upsurge there launched the United States' worst measles year in more than three decades, sickening 762 people across Texas in seven months. That number could have been even higher. The Texas Department of State Health Services says there were an additional 182 potential measles cases reported in March 2025 among children in surrounding Gaines County that the state excluded from its count due to lack of information. Absenteeism extended far beyond confirmed measles cases Using state data, the study estimated 141 Seminole district students had confirmed measles cases. It found the increase in school absences was approximately 10 times what would be expected from just those students missing class. State health officials recommend that people sick with measles or suspected measles isolate at home until four days after they get the telltale rash. State guidance calls for unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable students to be excluded from school for up to 21 days after exposure to measles. Children from preschool to first grade had the most pronounced spike in absencesa 71% increase from the past two school years, according to the study. Most student absences amid the outbreak were due to local health requirements for children to stay out of school if they may have been exposed to somebody diagnosed with measles, Seminole Superintendent Glen Teal said in a statement. Beyond the students who were directed to stay home, it's unclear how many families may have kept children out of school on their own as a precaution. But there's a good argument that parental concern played a role, said Jacob Kirksey, a Texas Tech University education policy professor who was not involved in the study but reviewed it. "If you're hearing on the news or you're seeing that there is just an illness outbreak more broadly, the parents are going to be predispositioned to just be more hesitant to send their kids to school," he said. Other states with outbreaks see many kids miss school Outbreaks in other states, such as South Carolina, also have produced spikes in school absenteeism. More than 165 people, including 127 students from three schools, were in a 21-day quarantine as of Tuesday because they were unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable to getting sick. Some children have been quarantined twice due to new cases, said Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist for the South Carolina Department of Public Health. "Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people's education, to employment and other factors of people's lives in our communities," Bell said. Missing out on learning time can have long-term implications for a child's success. Schools have been dealing with learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed also to elevated rates of chronic absenteeism. More frequent absenteeism also puts a strain on teachers' ability to educate their students. Most educators aren't trained on how to handle instructional pacing when a large chunk of their students are absent, Kirksey said. More information The West Texas Measles Outbreak and Student Absences, edworkingpapers.com (2025). DOI: 10.26300/050d-c145 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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: cottonbro studio from Pexels The World Health Organization opens a major conference on traditional medicine on Wednesday, arguing that new technologies, including artificial intelligence, can bring scientific scrutiny to centuries-old healing practices. The meeting in New Delhi will examine how governments can regulate traditional medicine while using emerging scientific tools to validate safe and effective treatments. The UN body hopes this push will help make ancestral practices more compatible with modern health care systems. "Traditional medicine is not a thing of the past," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a video released ahead of the three-day conference. "There is a growing demand for traditional medicine across countries, communities, and cultures." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his own message, said the summit would "intensify efforts to harness" the potential of traditional medicine. Modi is a longtime advocate of yoga and traditional health practices and has backed the WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine, launched in 2022 in his home state of Gujarat. Shyama Kuruvilla, the head of the center, said reliance on traditional remedies was "a global reality," noting that 40-90% of populations in 90% of WHO member states used them. "With half the world's population lacking access to essential health services, traditional medicine is often the closestor only careavailable for many people," she told AFP in New Delhi. 'Evidence-informed' The UN agency defines traditional medicines as the accumulated knowledge, skills and practices used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness. But many lack proven scientific value, while conservationists warn that demand for certain products drives trafficking in endangered wildlife, including tigers, rhinos and pangolins. "WHO's role, therefore, is to help countries ensure that, as with any other medicine, traditional medicine is safe, evidence-informed, and equitably integrated in systems," Kuruvilla added. Kuruvilla, who studied at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and taught global health policy at Boston University, said that "40% or more of biomedical Western medicine, pharmaceuticals, derive from natural products". She cited aspirin drawing on formulations using willow tree bark, contraceptive pills developed from yam plant roots and child cancer treatments based on Madagascar's rosy periwinkle flower. The WHO also lists the development of the anti-malaria treatment artemisinin as drawing on ancient Chinese medicine texts. 'Frontier science' "It's a huge, huge opportunityand industry has realized this," Kuruvilla said. Rapid technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, had pushed research to a "transformative moment", to apply scientific rigor to traditional remedies. The WHO will also launch what it calls the world's largest digital repository of research on the subjecta library of 1.6 million scientific records intended to strengthen evidence and improve knowledge-sharing. Dr. Sylvie Briand, WHO's chief scientist, said AI can assist in analyzing drug interactions. "Artificial intelligence, for instance, can screen millions of compounds, helping us understand the complex structure of herbal products and extract relevant constituents to maximize benefit and minimize adverse effects," she told reporters ahead of the conference. Briand said advanced imaging technologies, including brain scans, were shedding light on how practices such as meditation and acupuncture affect the body. Kuruvilla said she was excited by the possibilities. "It is the frontier science that's allowing us to make this bridge... connecting the past and the future," she said. 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: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Indiana University School of Medicine researchers are taking a closer look at how young patients respond to biologic treatments for asthma. By analyzing clinical parameters and identifying which children are still likely to have severe asthma attacks despite the use of specialized asthma medications, the team hopes to help health care providers intervene sooner and tailor treatment to each child's needs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.6 million children younger than 18 have asthma in the United States, making it one of the most common childhood chronic diseases. Asthma affects the lungs and can cause wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. With proper monitoring and treatment, symptoms can be controlled, but ineffective management can lead to severe flare-ups and dangerous asthma attacks. Doctors often prescribe specialized medications that target certain pathways in the immune system to help patients with severe asthma. However, these biologic therapies are not always as effective as expected. In a study recently published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, IU scientists analyzed data from 122 children with moderate to severe asthma who were treated with a biologic prescribed by pediatric pulmonologists and allergists at Indiana University Health to understand why reactions to biologics varied. "Our results demonstrate that, beyond a patient meeting existing guidelines for biologic treatment, routinely collected clinical parameters can help identify patients at an increased risk of severe asthma attacks," said Arthur Owora, Ph.D., MPH, associate professor of pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine, research scientist at Regenstrief Institute and first author of the study. Cumulative Incidence and Recurrence of SAEs 12-months post-biologic treatment initiation. Overall Cumulative Incidence and recurrence of SAEs (A); biologic-specific cumulative Incidence and recurrence of SAEs (B). Credit: Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/pai.70247 "This makes it possible for clinicians to take early, more aggressive measures to prevent exacerbations and reduce excess health care costs for their patients." The researchers found that several common clinical measures, including a child's sex, age at treatment start, lung function and white blood cell levels, affected how well different biologic medications worked. Owora said their predictive model is a low-cost and easily scalable approach that can identify more children likely to experience severe asthma attacks compared to existing strategies, especially for patients who do not respond well to the treatments they were initially prescribed. "Taking steps toward more personalized treatments that target the underlying causes of asthma specific to the patient leads to better outcomes," he said. "It's important to ensure the right patient is matched with the right biologic, as not all patients respond to the same targeted drugs, and current generic prediction tools are not perfect." The next phase of the work will focus on putting these prediction tools in the hands of front-line clinicians and evaluating their effectiveness in improving patient outcomes. More information Arthur H. Owora et al, Prognostic utility of prebiologic treatment correlates of childhood severe asthma exacerbation risk: Real world evidence, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/pai.70247 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: Scanning electron micrograph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB. Credit: NIAID A higher dose of the antibiotic rifampicin does not improve survival rates for patients with tuberculous meningitis. This severe form of tuberculosis causes inflammation of the brain membranes, and half of the patients die. These findings come from a large international study conducted by Radboud University Medical Center and its international partners. The research has now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Each year, 11 million people worldwide develop tuberculosis, and about 1.4 million die from it. Meningitis occurs in 1%2% of patients and is the most severe complication of tuberculosis, arising when the bacteria reach the brain. Despite antibiotic treatment, about half of patients with TB meningitis die or suffer permanent damage such as deafness or paralysis. Hospital pharmacist, clinical pharmacologist, and professor Rob Aarnoutse explains, "In previous studies, we saw that very little rifampinthe most important antibiotic against tuberculosisreaches the brain. That means the bacteria are not effectively cleared there. But those studies also showed a link between higher dosing and reduced mortality. Based on that, we and many international researchers started investigating a higher dose of rifampin." Higher dose antibiotic Worldwide, several studies began examining the effects of higher rifampin doses, and the first trial has now been completed. This study, co-designed by Radboudumc and conducted in Indonesia, Uganda, and South Africa, investigated whether a high dose of rifampin could improve survival. A total of 499 adults with tuberculous meningitis received the standard treatment of four antibiotics (isoniazid, rifampin 10 mg/kg, pyrazinamide and ethambutol). Half also received an extra dose of rifampin (up to 35 mg/kg), while the other half received a placebo for eight weeks. The average patient age was 37, and 60% were HIV-positive. Researchers assessed survival after six months. No effect The study found no evidence of a beneficial effect from high-dose rifampin. In fact, some subgroups there appeared to be at an increased risk of death. After six months, 44.6% of the high-dose group had died, compared to 40.7% in the standard group. "The higher mortality seems to occur mainly in the first weeks after diagnosis," says researcher Reinout van Crevel, internist-infectiologist and professor at Radboudumc. Van Crevel has studied tuberculosis for 25 years, especially in Indonesia. He adds, "It was, of course, disappointing that this is not the solution. But these are important resultswe now know we need to take a different path. That's how science works." Follow-up research Follow-up studies at Radboudumc using stored blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples, led by biomedical scientist and toxicologist Lindsey te Brake, aim to uncover why high-dose rifampin had no beneficial effect. Meanwhile, Van Crevel and colleagues are shifting focus from the tuberculosis bacteria to the inflammation in the brain membranes. "Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid and blood showed more inflammation in patients who died than in others. We suspect the protein TNF plays a key role. TNF helps clear bacteria but can also cause severe damage to the brain," Van Crevel explains. Current treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs offers insufficient protection. There is an urgent need for therapies that better control this inflammatory response, possibly using TNF inhibitors. Van Crevel states, "These drugs are sometimes used later in the treatment of tuberculous meningitis when corticosteroids fail. We have had good experiences with them both here in our own TB center and in Jakarta. But no one has used TNF inhibitors at the start of treatmentwhen most patients die. That's what we will investigate in the next clinical trial." Publication details Trial of High-Dose Oral Rifampin in Adults with Tuberculous Meningitis, New England Journal of Medicine (2025). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine 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 Antibody-based therapies are used to treat numerous diseases, from cancer to rheumatic disorders and multiple sclerosis. Antibodies recognize and bind to very specific structures. This allows them to direct active substances to exactly the right target structure in the body, for example. Researchers from the University of Basel's Departments of Biomedicine and Biozentrum now report in Science Translational Medicine that individual genetic differences can prevent antibody-based therapies from being effective in some people. Variations are more common than previously thought The research team led by Dr. Rosalba Lepore and Professor Lukas Jeker used computer-assisted methods to analyze the genetic sequences of thousands of people from previously published studies. The DNA sequence contained in the genome determines the sequence of amino acid building blocks in proteins. This means that genetic variations can also lead to an altered amino acid sequence. The researchers focused on amino acids at the docking sites of established antibody therapies. Experts call the docking sites of antibodies epitopes. A single changed amino acid in the epitope may mean that the antibody can no longer dock on it. The team investigated the binding sites of a total of 87 therapeutic antibodies whose uses include cancer therapies and the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The team came across an astonishingly large number of naturally occurring variations in the amino acid sequence in epitopes. "These variants do not contribute to the disease themselves," explains Lepore. "The majority of them do not even impair the function of the protein in question, but they can render the treatment ineffective." Switching to other antibodies Using computer modeling, the researchers predicted which variants might interfere with antibody binding. Then they tested these predictions on four medically important target proteins and their corresponding therapeutic antibodies. For each of the analyzed proteins, several therapeutic antibodies were assessed. Laboratory experiments showed that often while one antibody could no longer bind, another antibody against the same protein but binding to a different region could still bind successfully. In fact, the proportion of patients in whom such a variant occurs and hinders the effectiveness of the treatment is relatively small. For the majority of variants, less than one person in a hundred is affected. Nevertheless, Jeker is convinced that "it is important for doctors to consider this aspect if a treatment is not working." In addition, many antibody-based therapies, including, for example, CAR T-cells, which are used against certain cancers, are very expensive. "A genetic test to determine whether the treatment can actually work would be a small cost in comparison," says co-first author Dr. Romina Marone. This would also be relevant for new therapies. "For clinical studies, testing the binding site of the antibody therapy in the study participants first could be worthwhile," adds Lepore. The frequency of a variant depends on the region Another finding from the analyses is that certain variants in target proteins are in fact very rare in Europe, for example. However, in another region of the world, they may occur more frequently and thus become clinically relevant. "There is still much less genetic sequence data available for some regions of the world than there is for Europe or North America," explains bioinformatician Lepore. "As a result, we may be missing clusters of such treatment-relevant variants in certain population groups." There is a lot of catching up to do in this regard, she notes. Publication details Romina Marone et al, Single amino acid variants in target epitopes can confer resistance to antibody-based therapies, Science Translational Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.ady4877. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.ady4877 Journal information: Science Translational Medicine Michelle and Barack Obama were due to meet Rob Reiner and his wife Michele on the day they died. Michelle and Barack Obama were due to meet the filmmaker The filmmaker and his wife were both found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday (14.12.25), when they were scheduled to meet the former US President and the former First Lady. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Michelle shared: "Weve known them for many, many years, and we were supposed to be seeing them that night." Barack previously took to social media to pay a glowing tribute to the acclaimed filmmaker. The former President wrote on X: "Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Robs achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of peopleand a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action. Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired. We send our deepest condolences to all who loved them." US President Donald Trump also took to social media to react to the tragedy. The billionaire businessman wrote on the Truth Social platform: "Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. "He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace (sic)" Nick Reiner, the couple's 32-year-old son, is set to be formally charged with the murders of his parents. 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: Alcohol consumption in past year (%), 1519 years old, 2016. Credit: Journal of Health Economics (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2025.103078 A study by the University of Zurich, based on policy changes in Spain, shows that teenagers drink significantly less alcohol when the minimum legal drinking age is raised. In addition, a reduction in drinking also leads to improved academic performance and mental health. These findings could be relevant for Switzerland as well. Despite a downward trend in alcohol consumption, drinking rates among European teenagers remain notably high by international standards. According to the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, almost half of 15- to 16-year-olds report having consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, and roughly 30% of them have engaged in binge drinking. A new study conducted by Carmen Villa, an assistant professor at the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich, provides novel evidence that raising the minimum legal drinking age from 16 to 18 years can significantly improve teenagers' academic performance and mental health. The paper is published in the Journal of Health Economics. Extensive analysis of policy changes in Spain Carmen Villa and co-author Manuel Bagues from the University of Warwick studied four Spanish regions where stricter alcohol laws had been introduced over the past 20 years. These policy changes typically included measures such as restricting the sale of alcohol to minors, limiting venue access and regulating advertising. Since the changes were introduced in the regions at different times, the researchers were able to compare teenagers' behavior before and after the new laws took effect. The analysis draws on data from around 250,000 Spanish students surveyed about their drinking habits, 180,000 PISA exam takers, and 600,000 individuals from the 2021 census. Less alcohol, more academic success After the introduction of stricter alcohol laws, the probability of Spanish teenagers aged 14 to 17 getting drunk in the preceding month dropped by between 7% and 17%, while binge drinking decreased by 14%. "These effects were observed in both self-reported and peer-reported drinking behaviors, which suggests a genuine change in behavior," says Villa. In addition, the reduction in binge drinking and intoxication translated into significant educational gains. Students in regions with a higher legal drinking age scored 4% better on PISA exams, which equates to approximately two months of additional schooling. These improvements are consistent with evidence from medical literature, which shows that alcohol directly impairs cognitive development during adolescence, a period of life during which the brain remains highly vulnerable to its effects. Improved mental health The study also revealed substantial mental health gains. In regions where the minimum legal drinking age had been raised, teenagers were 10% less likely to use medications prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. "Our findings establish a causal link between alcohol consumption and mental health outcomes, and they align with existing medical observations," says Villa. Remarkably, these benefits emerged without any measurable shifts in other behaviors. Students didn't change the amount of time spent studying, socializing, using the internet, or participating in sports, nor did they substitute alcohol with other substances such as cannabis or cigarettes. "This pattern suggests that the observed academic improvements are directly linked to the neurocognitive effects of alcohol rather than to indirect lifestyle changes," adds the researcher. Insights for Switzerland The study's findings are also relevant for countries like Switzerland, where it is legal for 16-year-olds to consume beer and wine and which has higher youth drinking rates than the European average. The evidence from Spain suggests that stronger restrictions could yield educational benefits. "Raising the minimum legal drinking age is a cost-effective tool for enhancing cognitive development among teenagers," says Villa. Publication details Manuel Bagues et al, Minimum legal drinking age and educational outcomes, Journal of Health Economics (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2025.103078 Journal information: Journal of Health Economics 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: Tyrosinase (Tyr) catalyzes hydroquinone (HQ) oxidation via two main pathways. The HBQ pathway directly oxidizes HQ to 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (HBQ), which dimerizes and forms hydroquinone-eumelanin (HQ-EM). The BQ pathway involves dopaquinone (DQ)-mediated redox exchange producing p-benzoquinone (BQ), which reacts with cysteine (Cys) to form 2-S-cysteinylhydroquinone (Cys-HQ) and further oxidizes to hydroquinone-pheomelanin (HQ-PM). These pathways illustrate the enzymatic formation of reactive metabolites linked to exogenous ochronosis. Credit: Emeritus Professor Shosuke Ito from Fujita Health University, Japan Hydroquinone has long been used as the gold standard treatment for hyperpigmentation, yet despite its effectiveness, it has been associated with a severe adverse reaction known as exogenous ochronosis, where blue-black discoloration develops after long-term topical use. For decades, this condition was believed to occur through the same mechanism as endogenous ochronosis seen in alkaptonuria, a genetic disorder caused by mutations in homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (HGD) that lead to the accumulation of homogentisic acid. New research challenges old assumptions However, a new international collaborative study in the British Journal of Dermatology, demonstrates that this long-standing hypothesis is incorrect. This study was led by Emeritus Professor Shosuke Ito from the Institute for Melanin Chemistry, Fujita Health University, Japan, in collaboration with Ludger Kolbe from Beiersdorf AG, Germany; Tomoko Nishimaki-Mogami, National Institute for Health Sciences, Japan; and Thierry Passeron from the University Cote d'Azur, France. They showed that HGD is not expressed in human skin and thus cannot be inhibited by hydroquinone in any biologically meaningful way. Topically applied hydroquinone also cannot reach the liver, where HGD is normally active, in concentrations high enough to interfere with its function. Computational docking simulations further confirmed that hydroquinone binds poorly to HGD compared to natural substrates and known inhibitors, contradicting earlier assumptions that hydroquinone-induced ochronosis results from HGD inhibition. Tyrosinase identified as the key enzyme Dr. Ito said, "To investigate the underlying mechanisms of exogenous ochronosis, we examined both the potential inhibition of HGD and the metabolism of hydroquinone catalyzed by tyrosinase." The research team reveals a completely different and previously underappreciated mechanism that human tyrosinase plays a central role in metabolizing hydroquinone into reactive intermediates that can cause dermal pigmentation. Using biochemical assays, high-performance liquid chromatography, melanocyte cultures, and tyrosinase-expressing human cells, the researchers showed that tyrosinase rapidly oxidizes hydroquinone in the presence of L-DOPA. This reaction proceeds through a redox exchange, forming p-benzoquinone and downstream metabolites such as 2-S-cysteinylhydroquinone and hydroquinone-pheomelanin. These compounds are produced far more efficiently than the minor hydroxylation reaction previously assumed to be responsible for toxicity. The study also demonstrated that these hydroquinone-derived metabolites accumulate differently depending on molecular size. High-molecular-weight pigments remain within melanosomes, but low-molecular-weight intermediates are capable of diffusing out of the melanosome and into the dermis. There, especially in chronically sun-damaged skin where collagen fibers are already compromised, these metabolites can bind to dermal proteins and undergo polymerization, forming ochronotic pigments that closely resemble those observed in endogenous ochronosis. Clinical implications and future directions The findings explain several clinical observations: exogenous ochronosis occurs predominantly in sun-exposed areas, develops only after long-term use, and appears exclusively in skin regions where tyrosinase is active. Areas lacking active melanocytes, such as vitiligo patches, remain unaffected even when hydroquinone is applied, reinforcing that tyrosinase activity is essential to initiating the pigment-forming cascade. This understanding significantly changes the landscape of hyperpigmentation treatment. Because hydroquinone acts as a pseudo-substrate for tyrosinase, its long-term metabolism in melanocytes produces harmful oxidative byproducts capable of generating dermal pigmentation. The study recommends prioritizing true tyrosinase inhibitors like Thiamidol, butylresorcinol, hexylresorcinol, and kojic acid for hyperpigmentation treatment. In contrast, apparent pigmentation reducers that serve as tyrosinase substratessuch as rhododendrol and raspberry ketonecarry similar risks and warrant avoidance in topicals. "Compounds that act as substrates for tyrosinase should be avoided in topical products, while highly effective and selective tyrosinase inhibitors are considered safe for use," concluded Dr. Ito. According to the authors, a clearer understanding of the metabolic steps leading to ochronosis will guide the development of safer and more effective depigmenting agents. By identifying tyrosinase and not HGD, as the key initiator of hydroquinone-induced ochronosis, this research provides a crucial scientific foundation for designing next-generation skincare ingredients that reduce pigmentation without risking long-term dermal damage. Publication details Shosuke Ito et al, Exogenous ochronosis by hydroquinone is not caused by inhibition of homogentisate dioxygenase but potentially by tyrosinase-catalysed metabolism of hydroquinone, British Journal of Dermatology (2025). DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljaf273 Journal information: British Journal of Dermatology Key medical concepts hydroquinone This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain An unusually high number of people developed a heart attack, lung complication or general illness within 90 days after the start of the January 2025 fires in Los Angeles, a new study from Cedars-Sinai reports. "Wildfires that spread into urban areas have proven to be extremely dangerous because of how quickly they move and what they burn and release into the environment," said Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, director of Public Health Research at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the study, published in JACC. "Our research suggests the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires had an immediate effect on people's health." The Cedars-Sinai Emergency Department is located on the academic medical center's main campus, about 10 miles from Pacific Palisades and about 20 miles from Altadena, the locations where the largest LA fires ignited in January 2025. Investigators collected data on emergency department visits during the 90 days after the fires started, from Jan. 7 to April 7, 2025. They compared this data with emergency visit data collected during the same calendar period in the years 2018 through 2024. Although there wasn't a significant difference in total emergency department visits during the first 90 days following the start of the wildfires in 2025 compared with other years, there was a drastic increase in emergency department visits for certain conditions. Investigators found a 218% increase in visits for general illness, a 46% increase in the number of visits for heart attack, and a 24% increase in visits for pulmonary illness when compared to the average rate of these conditions diagnosed during the same time window in the past seven years. "Fine particles released by wildfires can enter the body and cause injury, particularly to the heart and lungs," said Cheng, who is also the Erika J. Glazer Chair in Cardiovascular Health and Population Science at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. "Stress related to the fires may also contribute to a broad range of health issues." The investigators found that abnormal blood test results related to general illness more than doubled in the 90-day period in 2025 as compared with that period in previous years. This is a finding not previously reported after major wildfires, according to the investigators. "Abnormal blood test results could indicate that the body is responding to an external stressor such as toxins in the air," said Joseph Ebinger, MD, MS, associate professor in the Department of Cardiology and first author of the study. "This study is an important step toward understanding how the Eaton and Palisades fires may have affected Angelenos' health. We need more research to determine what we can do to mitigate any remaining risks and protect people from fire harm in the future." This study is part of the larger LA Fire HEALTH Study, a research collaboration that seeks to determine the health effects of the fires that ignited in January 2025 in L.A. County. Investigators with Cedars-Sinai; the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC); Stanford University; UCLA; the University of California, Davis (UCD); the University of California, Irvine (UCI); the University of Texas at Austin; and Yale University plan to study the impacts of the fires for the next 10 years. Publication details Emergency Encounters for Illness During and After the Los Angeles Wildfires, Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2025.10.079 Journal information: Journal of the American College of Cardiology This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The iCTG device used in the study, developed by Melody International Ltd. Credit: Melody International Some 99% of global newborn deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where pregnant women often struggle to access adequate fetal monitoring. In Tanzania, with 24 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births, a new wireless fetal heart rate monitoring technology is showing promise in preventing newborn complications and deaths. A recent study led by researchers from Hiroshima University, Japan, and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania, evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile cardiotocography device for monitoring fetal heart rate (iCTG) in pregnant women at four primary health facilities in Tanzania's Pwani region. The findings are published in BMC Public Health. The device increased the detection of abnormal fetal heart rates by 8-10 times and more than halved the risk of stillbirths and neonatal deaths. "Introducing an iCTG device dramatically improves the detection of fetal heart rate abnormalities and strengthens perinatal outcomeseven in resource-constrained environments," said study corresponding author Yoko Shimpuku, professor at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences. "iCTG is not a luxury technology; it is a practical, lifesaving tool that can reduce preventable newborn complications." A wireless lifeline The main causes of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Tanzania are prematurity and hypoxia. Current fetal monitoring technology in many LMICs is either immobile and expensive to maintain or limited to basic tools like fetoscopes that rely on intermittent listening and can miss critical signs of fetal distress. The smart, wireless and user-friendly iCTG notifies health care providers of fetal heart rate abnormalities, helping them make timely decisions that improve outcomes. If abnormalities are detected, immediate treatment can be given, such as intrauterine resuscitation, including maternal repositioning, provision of fluids and oxygen administration. In emergencies, women are transferred to the hospital via ambulance while the iCTG continues to monitor their condition. Between October 2023 and September 2024, the researchers enrolled 763 women at 32 weeks gestation or later across four facilities in the Kisarawe and Bagamoyo districts. While 492 women were monitored using iCTG, the other 271 received standard care. Survival rates rise The iCTG group achieved significantly better outcomes compared to those not using the device: perinatal mortality dropped to 2.6% from 6.6%. The device also proved far more sensitive, with fetal heart rate abnormalities detected eight to 10 times more frequently than with standard techniques. The proportion of newborns with low Apgar scoresindicating potential breathing or health problemsalso decreased significantly. Rates of cesarean sections were higher when iCTG was used (27.6% versus 10.3%). While surgical delivery can reduce maternal and infant mortality when medically necessary, the researchers highlight the need for clear clinical guidelines to prevent unnecessary procedures. Expanding access Attendance at antenatal clinics (ANCs) can be low in LMICs due to barriers, including financial constraints, lack of understanding and distance to facilities. While previous research has shown that women with iCTG access are more likely to attend ANCs, this study found that they attended fewer. The team believe this is because the intervention was introduced late in pregnancy and could not influence earlier attendance patterns. They suggest that in the future, iCTG should be used earlier in pregnancy to engage women by allowing them to hear their baby's heartbeat, and combined with ongoing health education efforts to increase the frequency of ANC visits. The researchers also emphasized the need to combine heart rate monitoring technology with other aspects of high-quality care to achieve the best outcomes for mother and baby. They plan to expand the use of iCTG to larger, more diverse settings while evaluating cost-effectiveness and long-term outcomes. Shimpuku said, "We aim to integrate mobile CTG into routine antenatal and intrapartum care in low-resource countries, ensuring that every pregnant womanregardless of where she liveshas access to accurate fetal monitoring and safer childbirth." Publication details Dorkasi L. Mwakawanga et al, Effectiveness of a mobile cardiotocography device (iCTG) in improving antenatal care and detecting abnormal fetal heart rate during late pregnancy: an implementation study in Tanzania, BMC Public Health (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-25383-4 Journal information: BMC Public Health This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The small ring-like structures visible in the magnified area represent the RAD51 protein, which has adopted a non-functional shape as a result of its interaction with Apt1. The research study has been conducted at Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy. Credit: IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia A research group at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) has identified a candidate molecule that could improve current therapies against pancreatic cancer. The team designed the new molecule, called Apt1, using artificial intelligence tools and tested it in in vitro experiments, demonstrating its effectiveness in making tumor cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs. When combined with drugs already in use, the molecule increases the effectiveness of anticancer therapies even at lower dosages than those normally given. The research has been published in the journal Nature Communications. Gian Gaetano Tartaglia, head of the RNA Systems Biology laboratory, and Andrea Cavalli, head of the Computational and Chemical Biology laboratory, led the work alongside the Structural Biophysics Facility directed by Stefania Girotto. In Italy, pancreatic cancer affects approximately 14,000 people every year and ranks among the most aggressive and difficult to treat, with a five-year survival rate of approximately 10%. Therapeutic strategies remain limited to a few chemotherapy drugs and prompt surgical interventions. The scientific community actively searches for new solutions, studying drug responses across different pancreatic cancer subtypes. Focus on olaparib and DNA repair The IIT research team focused on one specific drug, olaparib, to extend its effectiveness across different subtypes. Olaparib is an anticancer agent used in cases of breast or ovarian cancer in patients with BRCA mutations, and it is also prescribed for the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. It induces tumor cell death through a strategy known as synthetic lethality: a mechanism that exploits the genetic difference between healthy and diseased cells, targeting only the latter. Olaparib slows down DNA repair in tumor cells, forcing them to accumulate extensive DNA damage and thus inducing their destruction. The IIT study focused on two proteins involved in DNA repair: RAD51, which corrects certain genetic errors, and BRCA2, which guides RAD51 to the damaged DNA site inside the cell nucleus. The research group devised a solution that hinders the interaction between the two proteins, thereby impairing the tumor cell's ability to replicate. Development and testing of Apt1 The identified solution is an aptamer, a small nucleic acid sequence (RNA or DNA) designed to interact in a highly specific way with a target protein. The team designed it using an algorithm called catRAPID, developed by Tartaglia's group in previous works, which rapidly identifies aptamer sequences based on the proteins they must interact with. Once they completed the computational work, the researchers obtained a list of aptamers and conducted initial laboratory experiments to identify the most promising one. A molecule called Apt1 emerged as the most relevant candidate, demonstrating strong binding to RAD51 and making it unreachable for BRCA2. Laboratory results and future prospects In subsequent phases, the research group tested Apt1 in pancreatic tumor cells. The experiments, designed and supervised by Giulia Milordini, IIT researcher and first author of the article, showed that Apt1 slows DNA repair, makes cancerous cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs, and has limited effects on healthy cells. Finally, tests on preclinical models verified the strength of the combined action of olaparib and Apt1, demonstrating their greater capacity to attack cancerous tissues compared to when used individually. The results show promise for moving toward clinical trials, with the goal of introducing a new therapeutic strategy where few treatment options currently exist. Publication details Giulia Milordini et al, Computationally-designed aptamers targeting RAD51-BRCA2 interaction impair homologous recombination and induce synthetic lethality, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66694-9 Journal information: Nature Communications Clinical categories Oncology 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 A new study presents robust evidence on the role of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) in the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers discovered that LPCscompounds that transport a variety of healthy fatty acids to the braineither promote Alzheimer's or protect against it, depending on a person's genetics. Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons led the study with collaborators in the Dominican Republic. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Aging. Fat transport molecules interact with Alzheimer's gene In people with the APOE 4 gene, a known risk factor for Alzheimer's, certain LPCs appear to be harmful and increase the risk of disease. In people without the gene, these same LPCs seem to be protective. As many as a quarter of all Americans carry at least one copy of the APOE-e4 gene, but more than half of reported Alzheimer's disease patients are carriers of the gene. The new findings could help tailor future treatments, potentially including supplements formulated with LPCs and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are critical to the health function of the brain and help reduce inflammation in the brain, promote neuron survival, and support cognitive functions like memory and learning. "How the brain transports and uses healthy fats is a key early event in Alzheimer's, but whether these fats are good or bad for you depends on your genes. This finding, which is consistent across three diverse cohorts, opens up exciting new possibilities for early detection and personalized treatments," says first author Vrinda Kalia, Ph.D., MPH, associate research scientist in environmental health sciences at Columbia Mailman School. The researchers performed untargeted metabolomics, a technique that casts a wide net to uncover patterns of molecular metabolitesto analyze biosamples collected from three data sources and a total of 1,068 participants, including 250 Alzheimer's patients and 818 healthy controls: the EFIGA cohort of Caribbean Hispanic participants recruited in the Dominican Republic the WHICAP cohort of multi-ethnic participants recruited in Washington Heights and Inwood the ROSMAP post-mortem brain tissue collection Evidence identifies early changes in Alzheimer's disease pathology using pTau blood tests In their analysis of thousands of molecules, researchers discovered strong evidence for LPCs in early-stage Alzheimer's across the two cohortsbut notably only in patients whose Alzheimer's diagnosis was confirmed using blood tests for the pTau217 and pTau181 biomarkers. The relationship was not seen in patients with a symptoms-based diagnosis that was unconfirmed with the blood tests. (The FDA approved a pTau217 blood test for clinical use in May.) "Our findings support the value of the pTau biomarker test since we only saw the LPC connection in Alzheimer's patients whose diagnosis was confirmed with the test. Patients whose diagnosis was unconfirmed likely have another non-Alzheimer's variety of dementia," says study co-author Gary Miller, Ph.D., professor of environmental health sciences and director of the Center for Innovative Exposomics at Columbia Mailman School. "One possible reason so many Alzheimer's drug trials have so far been unsuccessful is that they target the onset of clinical symptoms, which might be too late to alter neurodegeneration pathology that starts decades earlier." "Over a century ago, Alois Alzheimer observed unusual fat deposits in the brains of dementia patients," says the study's senior author, Badri N. Vardarajan, Ph.D., associate professor of neurological science (in Neurology and the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and the Taub Institute) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). "We've now found the early warning system: blood metabolites that reveal this fat transport breakdown decades before symptoms appear. By targeting the lysophosphatidylcholine transport system that ferries protective fats into the brain and tailoring interventions to APOE 4 genetic status, we could prevent or treat the disease, translating this discovery into preventive therapy." The new paper identifies several other compounds linked to Alzheimer's, including metabolites of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that helps produce serotonin and melatonin, and tyrosine, a building block for proteins used to produce several important chemicals, including neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine (the paper cites research in healthy people which found that administering tyrosine orally can enhance memory and cognitive function). The researchers also cite previous research on the protective and neurotoxic effects of LPCs and their potential to be a biomarker for Alzheimer's. Future research directions Ongoing research by the team aims to shed light on when exactly, during the progression of the disease, LPCs begin to play a role in disease onset. Separately, they are looking to uncover molecular differences in study participants with a clinical Alzheimer's diagnosis who tested negative for pTau217 from those who tested positive. To do this, they are examining a greater number of samples, including those taken at different time points from the same patients. They are also expanding their metabolomics analysis to include more environmental chemicals and measuring levels of molecules that determine how various genes function (epigenetics). Publication details Lysophosphatidylcholines are associated with amyloidosis in early stages of Alzheimer's disease, Nature Aging (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-025-01025-7. Journal information: Nature Aging This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Survivors of sexual assault in rural communities often struggle to access specialized care. New research from The University of Texas at Arlington helps explain why. Nurses in these areas face significant hurdles in becoming certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), professionals trained to provide trauma-informed care and collect critical forensic evidence. "We have seen increased efforts over the last decade to provide accessible SANE trainings to nurses living in rural and underserved areas, but that is only the first step of the process," said Morgan PettyJohn, an assistant professor in UT Arlington's School of Social Work who coauthored a recent study on the topic for the Journal of Forensic Nursing. "Building a more sustainable SANE workforce in the U.S. requires supportive infrastructures for practice and mentorship opportunities once those nurses return to their communities." To earn SANE certification, nurses must complete at least 40 hours of classroom training, a clinical preceptorship and 300 practice hours before sitting for a certification exam. More than a quarter of women (26.8%) and 3.8% of men will experience attempted or completed rape in their lifetimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. PettyJohn's study underscores critical gaps in forensic nursing and the growing public health challenges in rural communities. Recently, she shared her insights on the study, the barriers rural nurses face in becoming certified SANEs and the solutions that could help expand access to care in underserved communities. What led you and your colleagues to focus on rural nurses and barriers to SANE certification? Accessing any type of health care in rural areas can be difficult, but it becomes even more so when you're talking about a subspecialty like SANEs. The stigma of sexual assault can make it difficult for any victim to seek medical support, but survivors in rural areas often face additional barriers from living in insular communities where they or the person who harmed them may have personal relationships with local medical professionals or law enforcement. Having a certified SANE who is an expert in navigating these challenges, both from emotional and medico-legal perspectives, can be critical for survivors seeking out and continuing to access support. What are the biggest challenges rural nurses face in becoming SANEs? Becoming a certified SANE takes a lot of work. They have to carve time out of their existing schedules to complete educational and clinical skills trainings, which for rural nurses may require traveling long distances and taking time away from work and family. Once their training is complete, rural SANEs return to their home communities, where there typically are limited resources. Additionally, case volume is low in rural areas, which creates challenges for completing practice hours for certification and maintaining competencies over time. Your study points to tele-mentoring as a possible solution. Why is that approach promising? Tele-mentoring would allow for newly trained SANEs who are practicing in more remote areas to have logistical support and oversight during medical forensic exams while they are still building their skills and confidence. Texas is fortunate to have a tele-forensic remote assistance center called Tex-TRAC. Through this program, nurses at partnering hospitals in rural and underserved areas can call Tex-TRAC's 24/7 hotline for support from an expert SANE. My hope is that other states will replicate this model. What's next for future research? While health care access is becoming increasingly disparate in many parts of the country, rates of sexual assault are not declining. Our research highlights the importance of developing ways to support nurses pursuing SANE certification. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of the solutions proposed by our team and others in the field in building a more sustainable SANE workforce for the U.S. More information Morgan E. PettyJohn et al, "I'm Just Trying to Squeeze in Hours Here and There": New SANEs' Perspectives on Challenges Gaining Practice Experience, Journal of Forensic Nursing (2025). DOI: 10.1097/jfn.0000000000000582 Key medical concepts Rape Strictly Come Dancing is set to remain at Elstree Studios. Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are set to leave the show The hit BBC show has been tipped to move to the broadcaster's Salford studios in recent weeks, but a spokesperson has now confirmed that Strictly will remain at Elstree Studios for the foreseeable future. The BBC spokesperson told Digital Spy: "There are no plans to move Strictly Come Dancing. Any suggestion otherwise is pure speculation." Strictly is set to undergo major changes in 2026, when a new presenting duo will host the show. Current hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their plans to quit the show earlier this year, and the BBC are currently on the hunt for new hosts in 2026. Tess, 56, and Claudia, 53, announced their decision to quit Strictly via a joint statement. The co-hosts said at the time: "We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. "We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. Theyre the most brilliant team and well miss them every day. "We will cry when we say the last keep dancing but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza." Sarah James, the executive producer of Strictly Come Dancing, also paid a glowing tribute to the co-hosts. She said: "Tess and Claudia are quite simply the best duo of presenters in the business and we are so lucky to have had them as our Strictly anchors for so many years. "They have championed countless celebrities on the dancefloor, led us all through two series during the pandemic but more importantly they have a deep and genuine bond with the show and every single member of the team. The Strictly Family is often referred to and these women are the matriarchs of that family." The Maharashtra Co-operation Department has started surcharge recovery proceedings against eight former office-bearers of a housing society in Juhu, including actor and Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan, after a government inquiry found that the society spent Rs70 lakh in violation of co-operative laws. Kapole Co-operative Housing Society Ltd is one of the most high-profile societies in Mumbai, home to several celebrities. The process has been initiated under Section 88 of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act. The charge-sheet, or surcharge order, follows an investigation into the functioning of the society, which revealed systematic violations of bye-laws, absence of tenders, missing approvals, and financial decisions taken without general body sanction over multiple years. According to the charge-sheet issued by inquiry officer Avinash Mohite, the society, which has more than 25 members, repeatedly violated Model Bye-law 157. This bye-law caps discretionary spending at Rs 50,000 unless prior approval is taken from the general body and due tendering procedures are followed. The inquiry found that the managing committee cleared high-value expenses running into lakhs on multiple heads without following statutory procedure. These included security services, pest control contracts, ambulance charges, CCTV installation, and professional and legal fees. In several instances, the inquiry noted, no tenders were floated, no comparative quotations were on record, and no general body approval was taken despite costs exceeding permissible limits. Based on audited records and year-wise expenditure statements (201415 to 201718), the inquiry quantified the financial loss to the society at Rs 69.82 lakh, spread across two major heads. The charge-sheet states that the loss was not theoretical or notional but derived from actual payments made from society funds in violation of rules. Who is being held liable? The department has fixed personal, joint, and several liabilities on eight former managing committee members, proposing recovery of Rs 9.66 lakh from each, totalling Rs 79.29 lakh. They are: Atul Barot, former chairman; Gautam Patel, former secretary; Bandish Ajmera, Arunkumar Saraf, Siddharth Sanghvi, Geeta Valia, Jayant Sanghvi and Jaya Bachchan. The inquiry held that as managing committee members, they failed in their fiduciary duty to protect society funds and were therefore liable for recovery. After complaints were made against the society, the cooperative department failed to complete the inquiry within time, forcing a member, Jayant Sanghvi, to move the Bombay High Court. In December 2019, the court directed the department to complete the statutory inquiry within a fixed timeframe. Subsequent orders by the minister of co-operation led to the inquiry being conducted under Sections 83 and 88 of the Act, culminating in the present surcharge proceedings. Committee member challenge probe Even as the recovery process moves forward, one of the affected members has approached the high court again, challenging the inquiry and surcharge order. Atul Barot said: The document we received recently is not an order; it is a charge-sheet, and we will reply to it accordingly. In his writ petition, Barot alleged a lack of jurisdiction, bias and conflict of interest on the part of the inquiry officer, that AGM resolutions approving certain expenses were ignored, and violation of principles of natural justice. The high court is yet to rule on these claims. Until then, the Section 88 charge-sheet and recovery findings remain on record. Section 88 of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act proceedings is among the harshest accountability tools under cooperative law, allowing the state to recover losses directly from office-bearers personal assets. Officials said: Managing committees cannot treat society funds as discretionary money. Every rupee spent beyond limits requires transparency, approvals, and records. The society, home to Bollywood A-listers including Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan, and Kajol and Ajay Devgn, has been embroiled in controversy since 2022. Author Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi and three other residents alleged irregularities in the conduct of the society office, misappropriation, and some members were accused of refusing to allow owners to access their own property papers. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror about the issue, Siddharth Sanghvi said: I am shocked by this charge-sheet. I resigned from the society committee on August 29, 2019, after flagging serious fund-handling concerns; I later shared this with the then deputy registrar. Thereafter, I was unsettled to see my signature forged in court filings. I gave the Juhu Police a written complaint, with supporting documents, asking them to investigate the forgery of my signature in the society minutes, followed up with the same multiple times thereafter. My complaint was neither properly investigated nor was a closure report offered. Now I, the original whistle-blower in the matter, am being penalised. I will challenge this charge-sheet legally. Another member named in the charge-sheet, Jayant Sanghvi, said: I am myself a complainant in this matter, yet liability has been fixed on me. I approached the court against the bungling, graft, and other irregularities. The notice has asked us to appear before the office on December 23 to explain our position and submit our reply. I will be attending with my lawyer. Neither Avinash Mohite, the investigator, nor the Deputy Registrar of co-operative housing societies (K West) responded to calls or messages. The Bombay High Court has acquitted two men convicted for the 2011 abduction and murder of Mumbai diamond courier Hardik Mordiya, setting aside a 2019 sessions court verdict that sentenced them to life imprisonment. On December 15 a division bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Manjusha Deshpande held that the prosecution failed to establish a complete and unbroken chain of circumstances, a mandatory requirement in cases resting purely on circumstantial evidence. Granting the benefit of doubt, the court ordered the release of Naresh Prabhubhai Golani and Dharmesh Vallabhbhai Patel, unless required in any other case. The case arose from the disappearance of 23-year-old Hardik Mordiya, a delivery man working for a diamond firm at Opera House. On November 17, 2011, Mordiya was sent to deliver diamond packets to traders but never returned. His body was found the next day in Panchgani, Satara district, with severe injuries, including deep cuts on the neck and ligature marks. The prosecution alleged that the accused abducted Mordiya to steal diamonds worth over Rs 1 crore, assaulted him during travel across multiple locations, and later dumped his body. The trial court had relied on circumstantial links such as the last seen together theory, CCTV footage, recoveries of diamonds and weapons, call detail records and forensic evidence. However, the High Court found legal and evidentiary flaws in each link. A major setback to the prosecution was the courts finding that identification of the accused by key last seen witnesses was vitiated. Witnesses admitted that photographs of the accused were shown to them during police enquiries before the test identification parade. Citing settled Supreme Court law, the bench held that such prior exposure rendered both the parade and in-court identification unreliable, collapsing the last seen together theory. The court also noted a gap of over 24 hours between the alleged last sighting and recovery of the body, with no medical evidence conclusively fixing the time of death. The CCTV evidence was also rejected. The bench pointed to inconsistencies in witness testimonies on timings, uncertainty over seizure of original devices, and the fact that footage stored on a pen drive was corrupted and unplayable in court. A key panch witness admitted the footage was unidentifiable. The prosecution failed to produce the allegedly recovered diamonds during trial. Though police claimed diamonds worth Rs 72 lakh were seized from Golanis house, they were never exhibited in court, having allegedly been returned to the owner. The bench held that recoveries cannot be relied upon when seized property is not produced, demolishing the prosecutions motive theory. Recoveries of weapons from open places, doubts over forensic sealing procedures, and inconclusive call detail records further weakened the case. Holding that the brutal murder was not legally linked to the accused through cogent evidence, the court quashed the conviction and acquitted both men, directing their release subject to bonds for appearance in case of further appeal. The Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against seven doctors accused of obtaining medical registration using forged or missing Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) documents. On August 26, Mumbai Mirror exposed these irregularities, alleging that doctors who were never qualified to practise medicine in India continue to remain on MMC rolls. A Bombay High Court lawyer formally wrote to the MMC on August 16, highlighting that several doctors who studied abroad but failed to clear the mandatory FMGE a licensing test required for permanent registration in India are still listed as registered practitioners in the state. The MMC has served notices to all seven doctors, directing them to submit written explanations within seven days. The doctors are named in a 2022 CBI FIR alleging cheating, forgery, and use of fake FMGE certificates to secure registration and practise illegally. MMCs administrator Dr Vinki Rughwani confirmed that at least one hearing already took place. However, he declined to disclose any details, including which doctor was heard, what submissions were made, whether any interim recommendations were issued, or why the doctors registrations remain active. Despite these criminal charges and an ongoing inquiry, all seven doctors remain listed as Registered Medical Practitioners on MMCs official website and are reportedly practising across the state. Legal experts note that medical councils are empowered to suspend registrations pending inquiry, particularly in cases involving criminal allegations that directly affect patient safety. The MMCs reluctance to invoke these powers has raised concerns among the medical fraternity and common public alike. The FMGE is a mandatory screening test for Indian students who graduate from foreign medical colleges. Without clearing it, doctors cannot legally practise in India. The core allegation in this case is that the doctors either failed the exam or never appeared for it, yet allegedly obtained MMC registration and these discrepancies surfaced only after a CBI probe. Fresh scrutiny followed a complaint filed on August 16 by Bombay High Court advocate Tushar Bhosale, who flagged that unqualified doctors continue to remain on the MMC register. All these doctors were booked under multiple sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Allowing unqualified doctors onto the state register is not just an administrative lapse its a betrayal of public trust. Patients rely on MMC registration as a guarantee of competence. The council must suspend these doctors immediately and also examine whether its own officials were complicit, Bhosale said. An MMC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged receipt of the complaint and said no doctor who failed FMGE is eligible for registration. If discrepancies are found, licences will be suspended, the official said, declining to comment on how such registrations were initially approved. Dr Rughwani maintained that the MMC is very conscious of fraudulent registrations. If any doctor is found to have submitted forged certificates, their registration is liable to be suspended or cancelled. We are cooperating with the CBI and examining fresh complaints, he said. Health activists and senior doctors, however, warn that patchy enforcement undermines public confidence. If registration no longer guarantees competence, the credibility of the entire regulatory framework collapses, said a senior Mumbai-based doctor. The case has once again highlighted long-standing regulatory loopholes. Similar irregularities were flagged in Delhi in 2021, while the MMC itself was reconstituted in 2022 following allegations of mismanagementraising the question of whether deeper systemic reforms are still overdue. Canada is the latest country to roll out the welcome mat to highly skilled workers and scientists as the United States restricts immigration and cuts research funding under President Donald Trump. Canada last week announced a $1.2 billion, decade-long invest-ment in salaries, infrastructure and grants aimed at recruiting more than 1,000 doctors, scientists and researchers in critical fields. Although the release doesnt explicitly mention the US, the recruitment drive appears to target the kind of highly skilled foreign workers facing increased scrutiny under the Trump administration, including H-1B holders, and those affected or disenchanted by the administrations sweeping actions targeting universities. As other countries constrain academic freedoms and undermine cutting-edge research, Canada is investing in and doubling down on - science, Melanie Joly, Canadas industry minister, said in a statement. In its budget released in Novem-ber, the Canadian government signalled plans for an accelerated pathway for H-1B visa holders. The Canadian initiative comes as the Trump administration ramps up its efforts to restrict immigration, including legal pathways such as the H-1B visa, which allows US employers to temporarily hire skilled workers in the absence of American workers to fill those jobs. In September, the administration announced a steep $100,000 fee for applicants who are chosen for the high-skilled work visa. Some outspoken members of Trumps nationalist base have argued for years that the visas take jobs away from American workers. But the new restrictions and fees have created turmoil for rural health providers and tech companies reliant on a steady stream of foreign workers. Canadas plan offers overseas doctors with at least one year of Canadian work experience an expedited path to permanent residency. Canada is not the only country attempting to lure top global talent as Trumps policies put pressure on American universities and highly competitive industries. Some European universities have offered funding for American scientists considering a relocation and promised a haven free from academic censorship. China is also attracting American talent, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Several prominent US academics have already made the move north, some of them in protest of Trumps policies. Canada for years has suffered from a brain drain of top talent to its larger neighbour a trend it hopes to reverse with what it described in the statement as one of the largest recruitment programs of its kind globally. Todays investment is about securing Canadas place at the forefront of discovery and innovation and leveraging our strength in science to support our future well-being and prosperity for generations to come, Joly said. The Washington Post Sonora, CA In December of 2024, the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors implemented increases to several fees that the Environmental Health Department charges to businesses, in an effort to fully fund the cost to implement the related programs. It came at the recommendation of an outside consulting firm, MGT, which had been hired by the county. The spike in fees was a surprise to many businesses, and it was one of the focuses of a town hall hosted by District One Supervisor Mike Holland this past July, which featured several business owners (Holland was not on the board when the changes were approved). Today, the board formally adopted an ordinance to implement a 12.45% adjustment that rolls back the most significant 2025 fee increases to 2023 levels, then applies a 5 % increase for 2024 and 2025, along with a 2.45% inflator for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Explaining at todays meeting about how the changes came about, Holland said, Not that we dont need adjustments to cover costs as they go up, but I think some of the items went up so exorbitantly that it was a shock to our business owners. It is very important that we look at protecting our business owners and help them be successful. As they are successful, we become more successful, because of the tax revenue and everything else that goes with it, and the jobs that are created in our town. The revamp of the ordinance was formally approved today, 5-0. It is anticipated to result in a loss of about $72,000 in earlier anticipated fee revenue. The revenue is anticipated to be offset this budget year by open positions that are not currently filled in the Community Development Department. Because of this, the Supervisors did not make any related budgetary changes today (move money from reserves) to cover the shortfall. To view the meeting document, citing the changes, click here. Sonora, CA Adventist Health Sonora (AHS) is warning patients about a scam that uses medical care to get their personal information. The picture in the image box shows the signage alerting patients to the scam. It has been posted on exam room walls, telling patients to beware of phone scams. It states that the medical center has received calls reporting individuals falsely claiming to represent AHS in an attempt to collect personal information from patients. Central Sierra Broadcasting reached out to AHS spokesperson Jaquelyn Lugg to find out exactly how this scam works. So, for example, the caller would say something like the patients doctor had ordered them a piece of equipment like an arm brace, and then they needed to verify patient information in order to move that along. The posting also states that the hospital will never ask a patient to provide protected health information over the phone, which includes appointments, prescriptions, or insurance information. The best way to protect yourself is to be aware, advised Lugg, adding, Scammers are coming up with new ways to prey on people all the time. So, the very best thing our community can do is just to be vigilant and to trust your gut. If you receive any unsolicited call that makes you feel suspicious or just gives you a weird feeling, hang up and call your doctors office to confirm the authenticity of the request. Medical scams are widespread across the country, especially during open enrollment season, which is going on now, noted Lugg. For tips on protecting yourself from medical scams click here. Nepals water resources are often termed White Gold, a label that implies prosperity for a nation geographically blessed with over 6,000 rivers and rivulets, according to the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS). While the seminal 1966 doctoral thesis by Dr Hari Man Shrestha established a theoretical capacity exceeding 83,000 MW, subsequent assessments by the NEA and WECS place the economically viable potential at roughly 40,000 MW. Hydropower is thus considered a vital engine, theoretically capable of driving Nepal from least-developed country (LDC) status to a middle-income economy. Yet, despite this potential, the sector remains shackled. While investors from India and Bangladesh scour the region for clean energy to fuel their growing economies, they frequently bypass Nepal for more predictable destinations such as Bhutan or even parts of Africa. The culprit is neither a lack of water nor a lack of capital, but a regulatory stranglehold maintained by a single state-owned entity. Although Nepal sits on a potential fortune of renewable energy, the state-maintained monopoly of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has transformed from a necessary guardian into a restrictive barrier, driving foreign capital to more liberal environments and leaving Nepals economic transformation mired in a legislative quagmire. Established under the Nepal Electricity Authority Act 1984 and largely untouched by subsequent discussions, including proposals such as the Electricity Act 2023, the state power monopoly functions as the generator, sole transmitter and exclusive distributor of electricity in the Nepali market. It is also the single buyer for all Independent Power Producers (IPPs). In any functioning market, competition drives efficiency; however, in Nepal, the NEAs monopoly stifles it. The consequences of this centralisation are severe. According to the Independent Power Producers Association Nepal (IPPAN), as of late 2025, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for projects totalling approximately 13,000 MW have been put on hold or remain uncertain. The NEA, citing the risk of surplus power during the wet season, has frequently halted PPA signings or attempted to shift from the standard Take or Pay modelwhere payment for produced energy is guaranteedto the Take and Pay model, which transfers all market risk to private developers. Although the issue of the Take and Pay model has reportedly been resolved, the NEA remains hesitant to sign PPAs, citing the risk of oversupply. Related story Home Ministry warns of releasing excess water from Kulekhani Da... This creates an investment climate defined by unpredictability. When the sole buyer can unilaterally decide to stop purchasing a product, foreign direct investment (FDI) tends to flee. According to the World Banks Nepal Development Update (November 2025), capital expenditure execution remains weak at 63.2 per cent, largely due to challenges across the project cycle, including regulatory roadblocks. The NEAs conflict of interest is evident: it is tasked with facilitating private investment while simultaneously competing with private producers through its own projects, often enjoying preferential regulatory treatment. As a state power monopoly and single buyer, the NEA creates persistent uncertainty for investors about what happens if their proposals are rejected. In practice, the authority has often refused to buy power indirectly by delaying PPAs on various pretexts. Nepals regression becomes clearer when viewed through the lens of its neighbours. India and Bangladesh are energy-hungry nations committed to green transitions, yet their capital often finds a more welcoming home elsewhere. Tapping into this market and allowing investment inflows into Nepal is imperative. Consider Tata Power, one of Indias largest integrated power companies. While it has a presence in Nepal, its aggressive expansion is more visible in Bhutan. According to The Times of India, in late 2025 Tata Power acquired a 40 per cent stake in the 1,125 MW Dorjilung Hydropower Project in Bhutan, investing approximately INR 1,572 crore. The contrast highlights Bhutans streamlined government-to-government (G2G) framework, clear regulatory pathways, synchronised transmission infrastructure with Indias grid, and minimal regulatory friction. Similarly, Bangladeshs Summit Group, the countrys largest private infrastructure conglomerate, has announced plans to invest $3 billion in clean energy across South Asia. Although it has expressed interest in Nepal, investment has been stalled by the lack of a trilateral power trade agreement and adequate transmission infrastructure. It took years of diplomatic negotiations merely to begin exporting 40 MW of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh in June 2025still a negligible amount compared to Bangladeshs demand. Investors act on certainty. In Nepal, they face the outdated Electricity Act 1992, which is inadequate for modern cross-border energy trading. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Boards 2025 report, Nepal requires ambitious structural reforms to improve the investment climate, specifically by reducing the high cost of doing business and strengthening governance. International firms often perceive Nepal as a country where projects take 12 years to completeprocesses that might take only five years elsewhere. The cost of this monopoly is borne not only by businesses but by ordinary Nepalis. Nepal imports electricity from India during the dry season while wasting surplus energy during the wet season due to insufficient cross-border transmission capacity. This seasonal mismatch drains national resources. According to the World Bank, Nepals energy sector struggles with a chronic imbalance between energy consumption and resource endowment. Every megawatt of spilled energy represents lost revenue that could have reduced the trade deficit with India, and every delayed PPA means lost employment opportunities in a country where youth unemployment is fuelling mass migration. By maintaining the NEAs monopoly as producer, buyer and distributor, the government effectively limits development to the pace of bureaucracy. The private sector has demonstrated its ability to build hydropower projects faster and more efficiently, currently contributing more than two-thirds of the nations power output. Despite this, it continues to face unfair treatment in its own market. The government must therefore urgently amend the Electricity Bill and create adequate space for private sector participation in construction, trade and distribution to accelerate power sector development. Until the NEA and private players operate on a level playing field, the goal of exporting 10,000 MW of electricity to India within a decadeand further exporting power to Bangladeshwill remain little more than an aspiration. The author is a research assistant at the Asian Institution of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA). She recently graduated from the University of Tampa with a degree in Political Science, International Relations and Sociology. The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU-K) has defended President William Ruto, sharply criticizing political leaders opposing the proposed National Infrastructure Fund and Sovereign Wealth Fund. He warned that resistance to the initiatives risks derailing Kenyas long-term economic transformation. In a strongly worded statement, COTU (K) Secretary General Francis Atwoli launched an attack on those he claimed are blocking reforms aimed at ensuring the economy is strong, inclusive, and ready for the future through the two new funds. He said opposition to the two funds reflects fear of change, limited exposure, and a lack of long-term vision. Those opposed to the establishment of the National Infrastructure Fund and the Sovereign Wealth Fund are actively standing in the way of Kenyas future, Atwoli said. They profess fear of change, lack of exposure and a complete absence of vision. Workers Reject Short-Term Politics Atwoli said Kenyan workers will not allow themselves to be held hostage by short-term thinking and reactionary politics that undermine workers welfare and the countrys broader economic development. He stressed that the trade union movement is strongly behind any reform that provides for sustainable development and employment and enhanced living standards. As Kenyan workers, we refuse to be held hostage by short-term thinking and reactionary politics meant to undermine the welfare of the Kenyan workers and the economic development of our beloved country, he added. COTU Backs Rutos Economic Agenda The veteran trade unionist threw his weight behind President Ruto, praising him for what he described as bold and decisive leadership in advancing transformative economic reforms. According to Atwoli, the President has demonstrated clarity of thought and ambition unmatched by any Kenyan leader since independence. Kenyan workers stand firmly behind President Ruto for demonstrating boldness, clarity of thought, and vision in charting a new development path for our country, he said. Indeed, since independence, no Kenyan leader has pursued transformation with this level of decisiveness and ambition. Atwoli argued that had similar bold decisions been made in earlier decades, Kenya would today be far more advanced socially and economically. Lessons From Singapore, Malaysia and Local Cities He appealed to those criticizing the proposed funds to look at other countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, which have used master plans and sovereign wealth funds for a long time and are today industrially established and have a higher standard of living. Closer home, Atwoli invited skeptics to visit Kisumu, Eldoret, and Kakamega to witness the impact of affordable housing and modern infrastructure projects already taking shape. He said these initiatives are improving workers quality of life, restoring dignity, and transforming urban landscapes. Call for Accountability and Professional Support While strongly backing the funds, Atwoli called on President Ruto to exercise strict control in the governance and management of the proposed financial platforms. He stressed that accountability will play a vital role in ensuring that each and every amount collected has served the intended purpose for Kenyans. Relying on historical experiences, Atwoli said that people who started out as unreasonable leaders are those who later become the driving forces behind progress. He cited figures such as Winston Churchill and Singapores founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, both of whom faced ridicule while pushing transformative agendas. He concluded by calling upon all professionals in every field, such as economists, engineers, planners, accountants, and lawyers, to overcome their cynicism and come behind the national development cause since the future of Kenya lies in their bold vision and initiative. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an in-depth investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of former Cabinet minister and ex-Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo. In a statement issued on Monday, the DCI confirmed that the fatal crash occurred in the early hours of December 13, 2025, at the Karai area in Naivasha along the busy NakuruNairobi Highway. Jirongos vehicle collided head-on with a public service vehicle (PSV) bus operated by Climax Company Ltd. According to preliminary findings, the accident happened at approximately 2:19am and involved motor vehicle registration number KCZ 305U, which Jirongo was driving, and a PSV bus bearing registration number KCU 576A. Investigators described the impact as severe, noting that the collision hurled Jirongos vehicle about 25 metres from the point of impact, while the bus came to a stop nearly 50 metres away. Multi-Agency Team Deployed to the Scene Following the crash, the DCI mobilized a multi-agency investigative team comprising homicide detectives and forensic experts from the National Forensic Laboratory to secure the scene and collect crucial evidence. In line with its mandate, the DCI deployed a combined team of homicide detectives and forensic experts from the National Forensic Laboratory, who visited the scene, conducted preliminary examinations, and secured key exhibits, reads the statement signed by J. K. Marete on behalf of the DCI boss. CCTV Footage Sheds Light on Jirongos Final Moments Investigators made a significant breakthrough after retrieving and analyzing CCTV footage from Eagol Petrol Station, located near the accident scene. The footage provides a detailed, minute-by-minute account of Jirongos final movements moments before the fatal collision. The CCTV footage shows that at 2:18:40am, Jirongo drove into the petrol station from the Nairobi direction but did not refuel. At 2:19:10am, his vehicle briefly stopped at the stations exit before, at 2:19:19am, making a right turn back toward the Nairobi direction. Just six seconds later, at 2:19:25am, the footage captured the PSV bus ramming into his vehicle. PSV Driver Questioned, Released on Bail Detectives have since questioned the PSV bus driver, identified as Tyrus Kamau Githinji, who had earlier recorded a statement at the Naivasha Traffic Base. Authorities released him on cash bail as investigations into the offence of causing death by dangerous driving continue. He is required to report to the Naivasha Traffic Base on 22nd December 2025 for further police action, Marete said. Investigators have also recorded statements from the petrol stations night guard and fuel attendant, both of whom were on duty at the time of the crash and provided firsthand accounts of events leading up to the collision. The DCI said forensic experts plan to revisit the scene for further analysis as part of ongoing investigations. Detectives are also retracing Jirongos movements earlier that night, including recording statements from individuals he interacted with before the accident. Authorities are questioning people who attended a meeting at Karen Oasis Bar and Restaurant in Nairobi, where Jirongo is believed to have been earlier that evening. Meanwhile, investigative teams continue to conduct a deeper analysis of the CCTV footage and plan to record additional statements from passengers who were aboard the Climax Company Ltd bus, as well as other potential witnesses along the NakuruNairobi Highway. File to Be Forwarded to DPP Once investigations are complete, the DCI said it will compile a comprehensive police file and submit it to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for review and legal guidance. The Directorate also conveyed its condolences to Jirongos family, friends, and relatives, assuring the public that the probe will be carried out thoroughly, impartially, and in strict adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law. High Court Judge Martin Muya has issued a stern warning to all parties against further delays in the long-running case surrounding the disappearance of security analyst Mwenda Mbijiwe, now more than four years since he went missing. The warning came after Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin failed to personally appear in court on Tuesday, despite earlier summons requiring their attendance. Lets all endeavour kindly to resolve this issue. I wont call it murder disappearance of one of us. Lets not play games, kindly! Justice Muya said. Top Police Chiefs Skip Court Appearance The High Court had summoned the two senior security officials to explain Mbijiwes whereabouts and update the court on the status of investigations. However, neither Kanja nor Amin attended the proceedings in person. Instead, lawyer Paul Nyamodi appeared on their behalf alongside an investigating officer. Their absence triggered a sharp response from Mbijiwes mother, the applicant in the case, who urged the court to issue warrants of arrest against the two officials for alleged contempt of court. Defence Pushes Back on Contempt Claims Nyamodi opposed the application, arguing that his clients had not been served with the summons. He further asked the court to allow the investigating officer present to address the court, saying the officer was best placed to explain the progress of the probe. I took time at the beginning to explain that the investigating officer is present and that the court made directions for the two senior officers without having had an opportunity to hear the status of the investigations, Nyamodi told the court. Conflicting Accounts on Missing Persons Reports Under questioning by Justice Muya, the investigating officer clarified that Mbijiwes mother had not declined to record a statement, contrary to earlier claims presented to the court. He said police had received two missing persons reports one filed by Mbijiwes wife at Langata Police Station and another recorded in 2021. Lawyers representing Mbijiwes family rejected attempts to shift focus, insisting that the critical issue was not who filed the report but the fact that a missing persons report had been lodged and remained unresolved. Judge Calls for Candour and Cooperation The exchanges prompted further caution from the court, with Justice Muya urging all parties to act with honesty, cooperation, and urgency as the search for answers continues. The judge directed all sides to file and serve the necessary documents and ordered them to return to court on January 23, 2026, as the High Court intensifies efforts to establish the truth behind Mwenda Mbijiwes disappearance. The government is set to kick off the modernization of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and the construction of a new airport from January 2026, as part of a broader Ksh5 trillion national transformation plan aimed at industrialization and economic growth. The ambitious projects are expected to enhance air transport capacity, support industrial expansion, and attract complementary investments in rail, energy, and other critical infrastructure. Speaking during the contract signing ceremony for the Matuga Clinker Line on Tuesday, President William Ruto described the airport upgrades as a cornerstone of Kenyas drive to reduce reliance on debt and accelerate national development. That particular construction of the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway is going to begin in January. That will also include the modernization of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Ruto said. New Airport to Ease Congestion and Boost Logistics President Ruto confirmed that plans for a new airport have been finalized to ensure timely implementation. I want everybody to know that the expansion and the development of a new airport is also going to happen next year. We already have consolidated the framework that is going to allow us to do that, he said. The aviation projects form part of a Ksh5 trillion plan targeting logistics, transport, energy, and irrigation investments. According to the President, these developments are crucial for improving passenger experience, enhancing cargo handling, supporting growing demand in air travel, trade, and tourism, and strengthening Kenyas position as a regional and international logistics hub. Aviation Projects Linked to Industrial Growth Ruto explained that the airport developments are not standalone investments. They will work in tandem with expanded rail and energy infrastructure to unlock industrial growth and economic transformation. We have to expand our generation of energy because, at the moment, we are living on the edge. It cannot be possible for us to industrialize if we dont have sufficient, reliable, affordable energy, he said, noting that Kenyas current electricity generation capacity of about 3,300 megawatts must be scaled up to at least 10,000 megawatts by 2032 to meet industrial demands. Ambitious Vision for a First-World Economy The President framed the infrastructure push within a broader vision to reposition Kenya as a first-world economy driven by value addition, innovation, and industrial depth. These investments have a clear objective to position Kenya firmly on the trajectory to a first-world economic status driven by productivity, innovation, and industrial depth, Ruto said, urging Kenyans to unite behind the governments development agenda. Jobs, Investment, and Improved Livelihoods According to Ruto, the planned investments in airports, rail, energy, and other critical infrastructure aim to create jobs, attract investment, and improve livelihoods across the country. He stressed that national unity and collective effort are essential to achieving these long-term development goals. We have to expand the generation of energy. Thats where I want the country to move together and to achieve, he said, reinforcing the central role of energy, transport, and industrial infrastructure in Kenyas path to sustainable growth. Former President William Rutos economic advisor, Moses Kuria, has declared that Nairobi County requires his leadership more than he requires the city, as he sets the stage for his 2027 gubernatorial bid. Speaking to local media on Monday, December 15, 2025, Kuria described Nairobi as being in a state of disarray that only his intervention can fix. He stated that while he can survive without holding office, the city cannot function effectively without him. Kuria drew parallels to Kiambu County, where he unsuccessfully contested the governorship in 2022, noting that the county remains mired in challenges he had anticipated and sought to address. He argued that Nairobi is now in a similar situation, requiring decisive leadership to navigate its complexities. I dont need Nairobi; Nairobi needs me. I can survive without being governor. I tried to be the governor of Kiambu. I am not worse Kiambu is worse. I am just trying to save Nairobi, and if Nairobi thinks it has a better person, so be it, Kuria stated. While positioning himself as the citys potential savior, Kuria said he plans to scale back his political activities in 2026. He intends to focus on ensuring peaceful elections in 2027, both for himself and his party. 2026 will be the year in which I will do as little politics as possible. We have this discussion as we head to Christmas next year. I am a political animal, and in 2027 we have an election and I am a party leader with many elected leaders. My commitment and that of my party is to make sure we have a peaceful election, Kuria explained. The Nairobi County Government has approved the introduction of two-monthly menstrual health days for women employees, a move aimed at improving service delivery across county departments. The decision was endorsed by Governor Johnson Sakaja and his Cabinet on Tuesday, December 16, 2025. According to the county, the new policy will be integrated into Nairobis human resource framework to address menstrual health challenges that have often affected women employees well-being and work performance. Women constitute more than half of the county workforce, and the lack of menstrual health provisions has previously impacted efficiency and service delivery. Studies cited indicate that between 65 and 80 per cent of women experience menstrual pain, with a considerable number suffering symptoms severe enough to impair productivity, the governors office stated. Women make up more than half of Nairobi Countys workforce, meaning the impact is reflected in reduced efficiency, increased presenteeism, and compromised service delivery. Evidence-Based Policy to Support Women The county government said the policy is evidence-based and aligns with Nairobis commitment to gender equality, decent work, and inclusive governance. Measures will be put in place to safeguard the privacy and dignity of female staff across all departments. Clear guidelines and sensitisation measures will be rolled out across all departments, while monitoring will be integrated into existing HR performance and employee wellbeing systems, the statement read. Nairobi joins a growing number of countries recognizing menstrual health in the workplace. The policy follows examples from nations such as Japan and South Korea, where labour laws grant women menstrual leave to support health and productivity. Other countries with established menstrual leave entitlements include Zambia, Japan, and South Korea, where the Labour Standards Act requires employers to grant one day of menstrual leave per month, the statement added. President William Ruto has accused Wiper Democratic Movement party leader Kalonzo Musyoka of lying about the construction of the Kibwezi-Maua road, which has seen the two leaders trade jabs in recent days. President Ruto had on Sunday accused Kalonzo of being a naysayer and leading the campaign against his agenda to transform the country. Ruto hit out at Kalonzo, claiming that the opposition leader had no authority to lecture him on matters of development, saying the road leading to his home remains untarmacked despite his long tenure in politics. There are those saying we cant achieve all that I have announced. I want to tell them that they are the ones who cant achieve anything. They have no plan. It would be unreasonable to wait for someone who has never developed his rural road, the President said. The road leading to his home is dusty and muddy, and he has been in power for decades. If he cant develop his rural road, where will he get the smartness to plan development for Kenya? That is why they argue it is impossible, because they have never planned anything. Kalonzo hit back on Monday, calling out Ruto for focusing on him rather than his agenda during his tour of Kiambu. Ruto was in Kiambu where he made me the subject instead of worshipping. He was talking about me and my home area, saying there are no roads, he said. He said I have been in governance and leadership for 50 years. I will correct him, its 40 years. The former vice president asserted that his decades in public service included major infrastructure initiatives in Kitui and the broader region. The 40 years were of serious experience. When I was vice president, I launched the construction and got a Chinese contractor, Sinohydro, to build the road, Kalonzo explained. The road runs from Kibwezi to Mutomo, to Kitui, to Mwingi, to Tseikuru to Maua. That road links Ethiopia with Mombasa. Then on Tuesday, President Ruto responded, calling out Kalonzo for taking credit for the road project. Speaking in Lodwar, Ruto said the Jubilee administration implemented the Kibwezi-Maua road project, when he deputized then President Uhuru Kenyatta. He (Kalonzo) says he is the one who launched the construction of the Kibwezi-Maua road. I want to tell him to go look for fools. There are no fools in Kenya, Ruto said. That road was constructed by Uhuru Kenyatta and I when we took the reins of government, and we have the evidence. President William Ruto has challenged Kenyas cement industry to end reliance on imports, stating that the country has ample limestone and other raw materials to sustain local production. Speaking during the signing of the Matuga Clinker Line contract in Nairobi County on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Ruto questioned why Kenya continues to spend billions importing what he described as just stones, despite having abundant domestic reserves. It is not possible for Kenya to keep importing cement. I encourage all the players that we have limestone and all the raw materials necessary for the production of cement here in Kenya, the President said. Why Import Stones When We Have Plenty? Ruto insisted that importing materials readily available within Kenya is illogical and undermines the countrys industrial potential. Somebody needs to explain to me why we need to import stones. What is limestone? Its just stones. How can we spend our money to import stones from another country when we have our own stones? he asked. He argued that exploiting local resources efficiently is critical for Kenyas industrial future and economic independence. Boosting Local Manufacturing and Job Creation The President said the government is committed to strengthening domestic manufacturing and reducing dependence on imports in strategic sectors such as cement, steel, and energy. He highlighted that this approach will save billions in foreign exchange, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth, particularly in regions rich in raw materials. All we need to do is to burn them and create cement. I am not persuaded by anything to accept that, Ruto added. Strategic Push for Industrial Self-Sufficiency Ruto stressed that Kenya must focus on self-sufficiency through innovation, efficient resource utilization, and strategic partnerships. He noted that the Matuga Clinker Line project is a key step in the governments broader strategy to position Kenya as a regional leader in cement production and infrastructure development. This project is part of our wider vision to ensure that Kenya not only meets its domestic cement demand but also competes regionally, creating jobs and boosting economic growth across the country, he said. Women named Andena are often perceived as possessing a unique blend of strength and grace, combining the courageous qualities associated with their name's origins with feminine sensitivity and intuition. They typically demonstrate resilience in facing challenges while maintaining compassion for others, creating a balanced personality that can both lead and nurture. This combination makes them effective in roles requiring both determination and emotional intelligence. Andenas are frequently described as natural caregivers with strong moral compasses, often drawn to professions where they can make a positive impact on others' lives. Their inherent strength allows them to advocate for those in need, while their compassionate nature ensures they do so with empathy and understanding. This balance often makes them respected members of their communities who can navigate complex social situations with both conviction and kindness, embodying the Christian values of service and strength that their name represents. Cultural & Historical Significance Angilia emerged as a distinctive French feminine name during the Romantic period of the 19th century, when names with celestial and spiritual connotations gained popularity among the French bourgeoisie. The name reflects France's deep Catholic heritage while also embodying the Enlightenment ideals of grace and moral purity. Unlike the more common Angela or Angele, Angilia carries a unique melodic quality that appealed to French families seeking names that were both traditional and distinctive. Throughout French cultural history, names derived from 'angel' have been associated with protection, guidance, and divine intervention. Angilia specifically evokes the imagery of guardian angels in French Catholic tradition, where each person is believed to have a celestial protector. The name gained particular resonance in French literature and art, often given to characters representing innocence, spiritual wisdom, or transformative figures in narratives. Its usage reflects the French appreciation for names that balance religious significance with aesthetic elegance. Individuals named Ariane are often perceived as intelligent, resourceful problem-solvers who possess strong leadership qualities and natural grace. They tend to be analytical thinkers with a strategic mindset, capable of navigating complex situations with poise and determinationqualities reminiscent of their mythological namesake who guided Theseus through the labyrinth. Arianes typically exhibit emotional depth and sensitivity, combined with practical wisdom that enables them to offer valuable guidance to others. They often display artistic inclinations and creative problem-solving abilities, along with a quiet confidence that draws people to them for advice and support. Their combination of intellectual sharpness and emotional intelligence makes them effective in both personal relationships and professional settings. While they can be reserved initially, Arianes typically form deep, meaningful connections and are known for their loyalty and reliability once trust is established. Their name's mythological heritage seems to manifest in their natural ability to help others find their way through difficult circumstances. Cultural & Historical Significance Atmore has deep roots in English Christian tradition, originating as a locational surname that described individuals who lived near or came from moorland areas. The name carries strong connections to rural Christian communities in England, where moorlands were often seen as places of spiritual reflection and natural beauty. Throughout Christian history, the imagery of open lands and moors has been associated with spiritual journeys and divine creation, making Atmore a name that evokes both geographical heritage and religious symbolism. In the 19th century, the name gained prominence in America through Christian settlers who carried it as both surname and given name, particularly in the Southern states where it became associated with community building and religious leadership. The establishment of Atmore, Alabama, by namesake Atmore James further cemented the name's connection to American Christian settlement patterns. This historical migration pattern reflects how Christian families carried their naming traditions across the Atlantic, preserving both their faith and cultural heritage through generations. Individuals named Barday are typically perceived as grounded and practical, with a strong connection to tradition and heritage. They often exhibit a calm, steady demeanor combined with natural leadership qualities that inspire confidence in others. Their practical approach to problem-solving and ability to remain composed under pressure make them reliable in both personal and professional contexts. There's often a creative undercurrent to their personality, manifesting in artistic pursuits or innovative thinking within traditional frameworks. Bardays tend to value loyalty and consistency in relationships, building deep connections with family and close friends. They possess a quiet determination and resilience that helps them overcome challenges without drawing excessive attention to themselves. While they may appear reserved initially, they reveal warmth and dry wit to those they trust. Their connection to nature and appreciation for beauty often translates into environmental awareness or artistic expression, balancing their practical nature with aesthetic sensitivity. Cultural & Historical Significance The name Bay has deep roots in French culture, originating as a diminutive of Bayard, which itself derives from the Old French 'baiart' meaning 'auburn-haired' or 'reddish-brown'. This connection to hair color reflects medieval French naming traditions where physical characteristics often influenced personal names. The name gained particular prominence through the legendary figure Bayard, the magical horse in French medieval literature known for its incredible speed, strength, and loyalty to the Four Sons of Aymon in the chansons de geste. This association imbued the name with qualities of nobility, courage, and mythical prowess that resonated throughout French cultural history. During the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, the name maintained its aristocratic connections while also becoming associated with intellectual and artistic pursuits, particularly among French Huguenot families who carried the name to England and America following religious persecution. The name's evolution from a descriptive term to a proper name illustrates the dynamic nature of French naming conventions and their adaptation across centuries. In modern times, Bay continues to represent a connection to French heritage while adapting to contemporary naming trends, serving as a bridge between traditional European culture and modern global sensibilities. Those named Berakhiah typically exhibit characteristics aligned with the name's spiritual meaning. They often demonstrate deep introspection, strong moral compass, and a natural inclination toward wisdom and guidance. Their personality tends to blend traditional values with intellectual curiosity, making them both respectful of heritage and open to new understanding. They frequently show patience in decision-making and consideration for others' perspectives, qualities that make them effective mediators and trusted advisors. Berakhiahs often possess a quiet strength and resilience that serves them well in challenging circumstances. They tend to be lifelong learners who value knowledge and spiritual growth, often pursuing paths that allow them to contribute meaningfully to their communities. While they may not seek the spotlight, their consistent reliability and depth of character often position them as natural leaders. Their combination of spiritual sensitivity and practical wisdom enables them to navigate complex situations with grace and insight, earning them respect across different spheres of life. Cultural & Historical Significance Bhu holds profound significance in Hindu culture as the primordial earth goddess, representing the very foundation of existence. In Vedic texts, she is celebrated as the sustainer of life, the mother who nourishes all beings. The name appears in ancient scriptures like the Rigveda, where she is invoked alongside Dyaus (sky) as the cosmic parents. As Bhudevi, she is revered as one of Vishnu's consorts, symbolizing the earth's stability and fertility. Throughout Hindu tradition, Bhu embodies the sacred relationship between humanity and the natural world, reminding devotees of their duty to protect and honor the earth that sustains them. The name carries centuries of spiritual weight, connecting modern bearers to India's rich mythological heritage and environmental consciousness that has always been integral to Hindu philosophy. Cultural & Historical Significance The name Bikr holds profound significance in Muslim cultures as it directly translates to 'the first born' or 'firstborn son.' In traditional Islamic societies, the birth of a first son is often celebrated as a continuation of the family lineage and a blessing from Allah. The name carries historical weight, reflecting the importance placed on primogeniture and family heritage in many Muslim communities. It symbolizes the beginning of a new generation and the hopes parents place on their first child to carry forward family traditions and values. Throughout Islamic history, the concept of 'the first' has religious connotations, referencing the first revelations to Prophet Muhammad and the first Muslims who embraced Islam. While not as common as some other Arabic names, Bikr maintains a special place for families who wish to emphasize the unique position of their firstborn son. The name also connects to the broader Arabic linguistic tradition where words derived from the same root convey meanings of new beginnings, freshness, and priority. Individuals named Bodil are typically perceived as strong-willed, resilient, and deeply principled. They often exhibit a calm exterior that masks intense inner determination and loyalty to their values and loved ones. This combination of apparent serenity with underlying strength makes them natural leaders in challenging situations. Bodils are known for their practical wisdom and ability to endure hardship without complaint, reflecting the name's connection to glacial endurance. They tend to be methodical in their approach to life, valuing tradition while also possessing the courage to break new ground when necessary. Their personality often blends Scandinavian stoicism with creative insight, making them both reliable and innovative in their pursuits. While they may appear reserved initially, those who know them well appreciate their depth of character, sharp intelligence, and unexpected warmth that emerges in trusted relationships. The name suggests someone who moves through life with purpose and integrity, much like a glacier carving its path through mountains. Individuals named Camelot typically embody qualities of idealism, leadership, and a strong moral compass. They often possess a natural grace and dignity that draws others to them, much like the legendary court that inspired their name. These individuals tend to be visionaries who believe in creating better communities and upholding noble principles in their personal and professional lives. Their presence often inspires confidence and loyalty in others, and they frequently find themselves in leadership roles where they can implement their ideals of fairness and justice. Camelot-named individuals usually exhibit strong organizational skills and a talent for bringing diverse people together, reminiscent of Arthur's ability to unite his knights around the Round Table. They are often romantic idealists who maintain hope even in challenging circumstances, believing in the possibility of creating something beautiful and meaningful in the world. However, they may sometimes struggle with the gap between their high ideals and practical realities, needing to balance their visionary nature with pragmatic considerations. Their strength lies in their ability to inspire others toward shared goals while maintaining personal integrity and compassion. Individuals bearing the name Cat are typically characterized by a unique blend of independence and observational intelligence. They tend to be self-reliant and comfortable with solitude, much like their feline namesakes, yet capable of forming deep, meaningful connections with those they trust. Their approach to life often combines careful observation with sudden, decisive actionthey watch and learn before making their move. Cats are generally perceived as graceful under pressure, handling challenges with quiet determination rather than dramatic displays. They often possess sharp intuition and creative problem-solving skills, preferring innovative solutions to conventional approaches. While they can appear reserved or mysterious to outsiders, those who know them well appreciate their loyalty, protective nature, and occasional playful spontaneity. This combination of thoughtful observation and sudden action makes them both unpredictable and reliable in equal measure, capable of adapting to changing circumstances with remarkable flexibility. Cultural & Historical Significance Chankoowashtay holds profound significance in Lakota and broader Sioux culture as a name representing the concept of walking a good path in life. In traditional Lakota philosophy, the 'road' or 'path' metaphor extends beyond physical travel to encompass one's life journey, spiritual development, and moral conduct. The name embodies the core Lakota values of living in harmony with natural laws, maintaining good relationships with community and family, and following the sacred principles of respect, generosity, and wisdom. Historically, names like Chankoowashtay were carefully chosen to guide a person's destiny and reflect the parents' hopes for their child's character and life direction. The name serves as a constant reminder of the Lakota belief that each individual walks their own unique road, and that choosing the 'good road' leads to personal fulfillment and community wellbeing. This cultural concept is deeply embedded in Lakota ceremonies, storytelling, and daily practices, making the name more than just an identifier but a living embodiment of cultural values. Cultural & Historical Significance Chatwyn emerges from the rich tradition of Anglo-Saxon Christian names that combine martial and spiritual elements. During the Christianization of England, many names reflected the tension between warrior culture and Christian pacifism, with Chatwyn representing the ideal of fighting for righteous causes while maintaining Christian fellowship. The name gained particular prominence during the Crusades era, when Christian knights sought names that embodied both their military vocation and religious devotion. In medieval Christian communities, Chatwyn came to symbolize the concept of 'miles Christi' or 'soldier of Christ,' representing believers who engaged in spiritual warfare against sin and evil. The name was often given to children in families with military traditions who wanted to emphasize that their strength should serve godly purposes. Throughout Christian history, the name has maintained this dual identity, appealing to those who value both courage in adversity and the importance of Christian community. Cultural & Historical Significance Chitsa carries significant cultural weight as a name that bridges Native American heritage with contemporary American usage. Originating from Cherokee linguistic roots, the name embodies the concept of fairness and purity that was highly valued in many indigenous cultures. The name represents a connection to natural elements and spiritual clarity, reflecting the deep relationship between Native peoples and their environment. In modern American context, Chitsa has evolved to symbolize cultural preservation and identity. Families choosing this name often do so to honor indigenous ancestry or to embrace values of environmental stewardship and spiritual purity. The name serves as a living testament to the endurance of Native American cultural elements within the broader American tapestry, maintaining its original meaning while adapting to contemporary society. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The conclusions of extensive consultations on structured dialogue conducted by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) with Libyans affirm that the Libyan crisis is fundamentally political and stems from deep institutional and regional divisions as well as the existence of competing authorities in the country Individuals named Earc are typically perceived as strong-willed, passionate, and deeply connected to their heritage. They often exhibit natural leadership qualities combined with a fiery determination that reflects the name's meaning of 'red.' These individuals tend to be protective of their loved ones and principles, showing loyalty that runs as deep as their cultural roots. Their personality often blends traditional values with modern adaptability, making them both grounded and progressive. Earcs are frequently described as having intense emotional depth and creative energy, channeling their passion into artistic pursuits, intellectual endeavors, or community leadership. They possess a natural charisma that draws others to them, yet maintain a certain mystery that keeps people intrigued. This combination of fiery passion and steadfast reliability makes them memorable figures in any social or professional circle, often serving as catalysts for change while maintaining respect for tradition and history. Symbolically, Emmarae represents the human soul's eternal longing for divine connection and spiritual fulfillment. It embodies the Christian concept of the 'heart restless until it rests in God,' serving as a constant reminder that earthly existence is a journey toward heavenly home. The name carries connotations of spiritual pilgrimage, representing both the ache of separation from the divine and the hopeful anticipation of ultimate union. In Christian symbolism, it evokes the image of the bride in Song of Solomon yearning for her beloved, interpreted as the soul's desire for Christ. It also symbolizes the tension between the already and not yet of Christian eschatology - living in the present while longing for the fulfillment of God's promises. The name suggests that this holy longing is not emptiness but rather the space where God's grace can work most powerfully, transforming desire into devotion and yearning into worship. Cultural & Historical Significance Gillean holds deep cultural significance in Scottish and Irish heritage, particularly within Gaelic-speaking communities. The name originated during the early Christian period in Scotland and Ireland when devotion to saints was commonly expressed through names beginning with 'Gille' (servant). As 'servant of Saint John,' it reflects the importance of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist in Celtic Christianity. The name became particularly prominent through Clan Maclean (Clann 'ic Ill'Eathain in Gaelic), where Gillean of Knapdale is considered the clan's traditional 4th-century founder. This connection to one of Scotland's most historic clans gives the name strong associations with Highland heritage, warrior traditions, and the preservation of Gaelic culture through centuries of political and social change. The name's evolution through various forms (Gillan, Gillen, Gilleain) demonstrates the linguistic journey of Gaelic names across different regions and time periods. In Ireland, the name maintained strong connections to religious devotion and family lineage, while in Scotland it became intertwined with clan identity and territorial claims. The survival of Gillean and its variants through periods of English linguistic dominance speaks to the resilience of Gaelic naming traditions. Today, the name serves as a living link to Celtic Christian traditions and the complex interplay between religious devotion, clan loyalty, and cultural identity in Gaelic societies. Cultural & Historical Significance The name Godalupe holds profound cultural significance as a variant of Guadalupe, directly referencing the Virgin Mary under her title 'Our Lady of Guadalupe'. This connection traces back to the 16th century apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego in Mexico, which became a cornerstone of Latin American Catholicism and cultural identity. The name represents the fusion of indigenous and Spanish cultures that occurred during the colonial period, serving as a powerful symbol of mestizaje (racial and cultural mixing). In Spanish-speaking communities worldwide, bearing this name signifies deep religious devotion and cultural pride, often passed through generations as a testament to family faith traditions. The name carries the weight of centuries of Marian devotion and serves as a living connection to one of the most important religious figures in the Hispanic world. It embodies the complex history of cultural exchange and religious syncretism that characterizes much of Latin American society, making it more than just a personal identifier but a marker of collective memory and spiritual heritage. Cultural & Historical Significance Hudson originated as an English patronymic surname meaning 'son of Hudd' or 'son of Hugh,' with Hudd being a medieval diminutive of Hugh. The name gained significant cultural prominence through Henry Hudson, the 17th-century English explorer whose voyages led to the naming of the Hudson River and Hudson Bay, establishing it as a name associated with exploration and discovery. In Christian contexts, the name connects to the virtue of protection and guidance, as the 'hooded man' symbolism suggests someone who provides shelter and wisdom. The name's transition from surname to given name reflects broader naming trends in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States where geographical names and surnames became popular first names during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Christian significance of the name relates to its patronymic nature, emphasizing family lineage and the biblical importance of fatherhood and legacy. Throughout American history, the name Hudson has maintained connections to exploration, entrepreneurship, and the pioneering spirit that characterized the nation's expansion. Cultural & Historical Significance The name Iluminada holds deep cultural significance in Spanish-speaking communities, particularly those with strong Catholic traditions. It originates from the Latin word 'illuminare,' meaning 'to light up' or 'enlighten,' and has strong religious connotations tied to spiritual illumination and divine grace. In Spanish culture, the name often reflects the Catholic concept of being illuminated by God's light and is frequently associated with purity, wisdom, and spiritual awakening. Historically, the name gained popularity during the Counter-Reformation period in Spain when mystical experiences and spiritual enlightenment were highly valued. Many women named Iluminada were associated with religious orders or mystical traditions, and the name became symbolic of someone who brings light and understanding to others. In Latin American cultures, the name maintains these spiritual associations while also representing hope, guidance, and intellectual clarity in family and community contexts. The name continues to carry cultural weight as a testament to the enduring value placed on wisdom, spiritual insight, and the transmission of light and knowledge across generations in Hispanic societies. Women named Jacee are typically characterized by their vibrant energy and creative spirit. They often possess a natural social intelligence that allows them to connect easily with diverse groups of people. Their approachable nature combines with a strong sense of self, making them both popular and respected in their social circles. Jacees tend to be adaptable and open to new experiences while maintaining core values that guide their decisions. They often excel in creative fields or roles that require interpersonal skills and innovation. Their energy is balanced by a thoughtful nature, and they frequently serve as peacemakers or bridges between different perspectives. The combination of traditional roots and modern expression in their name often reflects in their personalitythey honor tradition while embracing progress, value community while maintaining individuality, and approach life with both practical wisdom and imaginative vision. Women named Jacenta are often perceived as graceful, compassionate individuals with a strong connection to beauty and nature. They typically exhibit artistic sensibilities and an appreciation for aesthetic harmony in their surroundings. Jacentas are known for their gentle yet resilient nature, much like the hyacinth flower that bends but doesn't break in the wind. They tend to be intuitive and emotionally intelligent, often serving as peacemakers in their social circles. Their personality combines traditional values with creative expression, making them both grounded and imaginative. Many Jacentas display a quiet strength and determination that emerges when facing challenges, reflecting the flower's ability to bloom even in difficult conditions. They are often described as having a calming presence and natural elegance that draws others to them. Their nurturing qualities make them excellent caregivers and friends, while their artistic inclinations often lead them to creative pursuits where they can express their unique perspective on beauty and harmony. Individuals named Jenella are commonly associated with a blend of gentle strength and deep compassion. They often display remarkable emotional intelligence, allowing them to connect with others on profound levels while maintaining their own centeredness. This combination makes them natural caregivers and community builders who lead with empathy rather than authority. Their quiet determination often surprises those who mistake their gentle nature for weakness, as Jenellas typically possess strong convictions and the resilience to stand by them. The spiritual roots of their name often manifest in a thoughtful, reflective approach to life, where they seek meaning in both everyday experiences and larger philosophical questions. This creates individuals who are both practical in their actions and profound in their understanding of human nature. Kamlyn has seen steady but modest usage since the 1990s, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It remains an uncommon choice, typically ranking outside the top 1000 names, which appeals to parents seeking distinctive yet familiar-sounding names. The name has found particular resonance in evangelical and non-denominational Christian communities where unique biblical and nature-inspired names are valued. Usage trends show it's most popular in the Southern and Midwestern United States, often chosen by parents who want a name that sounds contemporary while maintaining Christian values and connections. Social media and Christian parenting blogs have contributed to its gradual increase in visibility, though it remains a relatively rare and special choice. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The third German-Libyan government meeting concluded in Berlin, the German capital, demonstrating the commitment of the two friendly countries to deepening their bilateral cooperation and partnership, building on previous achievements to serve their common interests and support efforts towards stability and development in Libya Cultural & Historical Significance Kitchi holds profound significance in Algonquian cultures, particularly among the Ojibwe, Cree, and other related tribes. The name embodies the core value of bravery and courage that was essential for survival and leadership in traditional Native American societies. In many Algonquian communities, names were not merely labels but carried spiritual weight and were often given after visions, dreams, or significant life events. The concept of 'kitchi' extends beyond physical courage to include moral courage, spiritual strength, and the bravery needed to face life's challenges with dignity and honor. This name reflects the interconnected worldview of many Native American cultures, where personal qualities were seen as gifts from the Creator meant to benefit the entire community. The preservation and continued use of such names represents cultural resilience and the ongoing connection to ancestral traditions and values that have survived centuries of change and challenge. Individuals named Liezel are often perceived as warm, nurturing, and deeply connected to their roots and traditions. They typically exhibit a strong sense of loyalty to family and community, combined with practical wisdom and emotional intelligence. The name suggests someone who is both dependable and compassionate, often serving as the emotional anchor in their social circles. Liezels are frequently described as having a quiet strength and resilience, able to weather challenges with grace and determination. Their traditional name often correlates with values of honesty, hard work, and maintaining meaningful relationships over time. While they may appear reserved initially, they possess deep emotional depth and genuine care for others' wellbeing. The name's association with abundance and divine provision often translates into personalities that are generous, supportive, and inclined toward caretaking roles. Liezels tend to be excellent listeners and problem-solvers, offering practical help and emotional support in equal measure. Their combination of traditional values and emotional intelligence makes them particularly effective in roles that require both compassion and practical action. The name suggests a person who finds fulfillment in creating stability and abundance for those around them, whether through emotional support, practical assistance, or maintaining family and community traditions. Women named Lssse are often perceived as gentle yet resilient individuals who combine inner strength with compassionate natures. They typically exhibit strong intuitive abilities and emotional intelligence, making them excellent listeners and trusted confidantes. Their spiritual orientation often manifests as a deep sense of purpose and commitment to helping others, whether through religious service, community work, or personal relationships. Lssses tend to be creative problem-solvers who approach challenges with both practicality and faith. In social settings, Lssses are known for their warm, approachable demeanor and ability to make others feel comfortable and valued. They often possess a quiet confidence that doesn't need to dominate conversations but instead empowers those around them. Their Christian upbringing or values typically shine through in their ethical decision-making and their tendency to see the good in people. While they can be private about their deepest beliefs, their actions consistently reflect their commitment to living according to spiritual principles of kindness, forgiveness, and service. This combination of strength and sensitivity makes them particularly effective in roles requiring both compassion and determination. Those carrying the Macarthur name are typically associated with strong leadership qualities, strategic thinking, and a deep sense of responsibility to legacy. The name evokes expectations of confidence, determination, and the ability to command respect naturally. Individuals with this name often demonstrate resilience in challenging circumstances and possess a visionary quality that allows them to see beyond immediate obstacles to long-term goals. There's also a strong connection to tradition and heritage, with Macarthurs often displaying pride in their ancestry while simultaneously forging new paths. They tend to be ambitious yet principled, combining practical intelligence with moral conviction. The name suggests someone who values honor, maintains strong loyalties, and possesses the courage to make difficult decisions when necessary. These personality associations stem from both the name's meaning connecting to Arthurian ideals of leadership and the documented characteristics of prominent historical figures who bore the name. Cultural & Historical Significance The name Purisima holds deep religious and cultural significance in Spanish-speaking communities, particularly in Spain and Latin America. It directly references the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepcion), which holds that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. This theological concept became a central element of Spanish Catholicism, especially during the Counter-Reformation when devotion to the Immaculate Conception was strongly promoted. Many churches, towns, and institutions throughout the Spanish-speaking world bear variations of this name, reflecting its importance in Catholic tradition. The name gained particular prominence during the Spanish colonial period, when missionaries often gave indigenous converts Christian names that reflected virtues and religious concepts. Purisima became a popular choice for girls born around December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and in regions with strong Marian devotion. In some Latin American countries, the name is associated with specific local manifestations of the Virgin Mary, such as La Purisima in Nicaragua, where elaborate celebrations honor this aspect of the Virgin. The name continues to serve as a living connection to centuries of Spanish Catholic heritage and the artistic, literary, and theological traditions surrounding the Immaculate Conception. Cultural & Historical Significance The name Read has deep roots in Christian and Celtic traditions, where red hair was often associated with distinctive spiritual qualities and leadership. In medieval Christian communities, individuals with red hair were sometimes believed to possess special spiritual insight, and the name became associated with those who stood out in their communities. Throughout British and Irish Christian history, the name was particularly common in families with Celtic ancestry, where red hair was more prevalent and often celebrated as a mark of heritage. The name carried connotations of individuality and spiritual distinction within Christian communities, where physical characteristics were sometimes interpreted as signs of divine favor or special calling. During the Protestant Reformation, the name gained additional significance as families sought names that reflected both their faith and their cultural identity. In American Christian communities, the name Read was brought by early settlers and maintained as a connection to both religious heritage and family lineage, often passed down through generations as a marker of continuity and faith tradition. Individuals named Roshan are typically perceived as intelligent, charismatic, and naturally inclined toward leadership roles. They possess an innate ability to illuminate situations with their insight and often serve as beacons of guidance for others. Their analytical minds combined with creative thinking make them excellent problem-solvers who can see solutions where others see only obstacles. Roshans tend to be optimistic and positive, radiating confidence that inspires those around them. They are often drawn to intellectual pursuits and have a natural curiosity about the world, constantly seeking to expand their knowledge and understanding. While they can be ambitious and driven, they typically balance this with compassion and a genuine desire to help others succeed. Their presence often brings clarity to complex situations, and they have a talent for explaining difficult concepts in accessible ways. However, they may sometimes struggle with impatience when others cannot keep up with their rapid thought processes or visionary ideas. In relationships, Roshans are typically loyal and supportive partners who value deep connections and intellectual compatibility. They thrive in environments that challenge their minds and allow them to make meaningful contributions to society. Individuals named Shayde are often perceived as introspective, creative, and possessing a natural mystique that draws others to them. They tend to be observers rather than center-stage personalities, with a keen ability to notice subtleties and nuances that others might miss. This observational quality often makes them excellent listeners and trusted confidants. Their thoughtful nature is balanced by a strong creative streak, whether expressed through artistic pursuits, writing, or innovative problem-solving. Shaydes typically exhibit emotional depth and sensitivity, often developing rich inner lives that they may selectively share with others. They value authenticity and tend to form deep, meaningful connections rather than numerous superficial relationships. While sometimes reserved in new situations, they reveal warmth, wit, and loyalty to those they trust, making them cherished friends and partners who bring thoughtful perspective to any situation. Their combination of intuition and creativity often leads them to careers in arts, counseling, or fields requiring nuanced understanding of human nature. Cultural & Historical Significance Simeon holds profound significance in Abrahamic traditions, particularly in Christianity and Judaism. In the Old Testament, Simeon was the second son of Jacob and Leah, founder of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The name gained particular prominence in Christian tradition through Simeon the God-Receiver, the righteous man who recognized the infant Jesus as the Messiah during the Presentation at the Temple, uttering the famous 'Nunc Dimittis' prayer. This biblical connection established Simeon as a name representing wisdom, patience, and spiritual insight. Throughout Eastern Orthodox tradition, numerous saints and bishops bore the name, including Simeon Stylites whose extreme asceticism inspired generations of Christians. In Slavic cultures, the name became popular through saints and rulers, particularly in Bulgaria and Russia where it carried connotations of wisdom and leadership. The name's endurance across centuries reflects its deep roots in religious tradition and its association with figures who embodied spiritual dedication and insight. Individuals named Tiahna are often perceived as creative, intuitive, and spiritually inclined, carrying the legacy of their name's royal and fairy-like connotations. They typically exhibit strong leadership qualities combined with emotional sensitivity, making them both decisive and compassionate. Tiahnas are frequently described as having a natural elegance and grace, with an ability to inspire others through their vision and determination. Their creative expression often manifests in artistic pursuits, communication skills, or community leadership. The name's Christian origins may also suggest a strong moral compass and values-driven approach to life decisions, with many Tiahnas demonstrating resilience in facing challenges while maintaining their core principles. These personality characteristics reflect the name's dual nature - combining the strength and authority suggested by its 'princess' meaning with the gentleness and magic implied by its 'fairy' associations, creating individuals who can lead with both conviction and compassion. Chinese ambassador condemns Britain's irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong, lodges solemn representations Xinhua) 09:27, December 17, 2025 LONDON, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang on Monday lodged solemn representations over the British foreign secretary's remarks on the conviction of Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong. When meeting with a senior official of Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Zheng said that British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Monday made irresponsible remarks regarding Lai's conviction and smeared the National Security Law for Hong Kong. Such remarks constitute a gross interference in China's internal affairs, trample on the spirit of the rule of law, and seriously violate the basic norms governing international relations, he said. Lai was found guilty on Monday on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The verdict was handed down by the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on the national security case of Lai and three companies linked to the now-defunct Apple Daily. Lai was the primary planner and participant in a series of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, and what he did was by no means "peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression" as claimed by the British side, said a read-out by the Chinese embassy in Britain. Britain's colonial rule over Hong Kong has long ended, Zheng said, adding that Britain is in no position and has no right to point fingers at or interfere in Hong Kong affairs. Any attempt by Britain to interfere in Hong Kong's judicial affairs will only further expose its malicious intent to destabilize Hong Kong, will only provoke society-wide indignation in Hong Kong, and will get nowhere, he added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The Department of Education released a troubling update this week, revealing significant delays in processing student loan forgiveness applications, with massive backlogs continuing to grow despite court-ordered progress requirements. The Monday filing, submitted to a federal district court overseeing a settlement with the American Federation of Teachers, shows that over 802,000 income-driven repayment applications remain pending, while the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Buyback backlog has now reached 80,210 requests. Student Loan Processing The update marks the first time in months the department has provided detailed statistics on forgiveness processing. In November alone, the department processed 245,441 IDR applications, yet the backlog remains substantial after peaking at nearly two million earlier this year. More concerning to borrowers and advocates, the department approved loan discharges for only 170 borrowers throughout November, all enrolled in the Income-Based Repayment plan, according to Forbes. No discharges were granted for loans under the Income-Contingent Repayment or Pay As You Earn plans, despite the department's October commitment to resume processing forgiveness for these programs as part of its settlement agreement with the AFT. The court filing revealed that department systems are currently configured to verify eligibility exclusively for IBR discharges, with programming for other IDR plans still in development. The National Student Loan Data System will not regularly assess eligibility for these additional plans until February 2026. The department emphasized that the volume of applications processed monthly may not correspond to the number of discharges issued, as borrowers can opt out of an IDR discharge during a two-month notification period. Critical information remains missing from the filing. Under the October agreement with the AFT, the department was supposed to provide data on the number of IDR applications received, discharges processed, and specific approval or denial figures for applications. The absence of this data has raised concerns among advocates who argue that approval and denial information is vital for evaluating the department's progress. Without transparency, the department could deny every incoming application and label them as processed, though there is no evidence that this is happening. Read more: Democratic Senator Calls on Trump Administration To Scrap Plans To Sell the Student Loan Portfolio To Private Companies The PSLF Buyback situation presents an even more alarming picture. Despite consistently processing between one and three thousand applications monthly, the backlog surged from approximately 49,000 in April to over 74,000 by September. The department's latest filing shows the backlog has now climbed to 80,210, even after processing 2,960 applications in November. The rate of incoming applications continues to exceed the processing rate, with nearly 7,000 new PSLF Buyback applications submitted last month alone, CNBC reported. At the current pace, it would take the department 27 months to clear the existing backlog, not accounting for new applications that borrowers submit each month. Millions of Borrowers at Risk The processing delays come as approximately seven million borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan face an uncertain future. The Education Department announced a proposed settlement agreement with Missouri on December 9 that would end the program pending court approval. Under the settlement, the department will not enroll new borrowers in SAVE, will deny pending applications, and will transition all SAVE borrowers into other available repayment plans. The department has not specified a timeline for this transition, but the situation, combined with the anticipated introduction of a new Repayment Assistance Plan later next year, could significantly exacerbate the application backlog for IDR plans and PSLF Buyback, further complicating circumstances for borrowers seeking lower payments and eventual loan forgiveness, as per the Department of Education. Individuals named Tlaco are typically characterized by their strong sense of balance, diplomacy, and mediation skills. They often possess a natural ability to see multiple sides of any situation and excel in roles that require bringing people together or resolving conflicts. Their middle-born symbolism translates into personality traits of fairness, patience, and exceptional listening skills. Tlaco-named individuals tend to be adaptable and flexible, able to navigate between different social groups or perspectives with ease. They often demonstrate emotional intelligence and intuition about group dynamics, making them valuable team members and community leaders. While they may not seek the spotlight, their quiet influence and ability to create harmony make them respected figures in their social circles. Their strength lies in their capacity to maintain equilibrium even in challenging circumstances, and they often serve as the stabilizing force in families or organizations. These traits typically manifest as thoughtful decision-making, inclusive leadership styles, and the ability to build consensus among diverse groups. Cultural & Historical Significance The name Travers has deep roots in Norman French culture, originally derived from the Old French word 'traverser' meaning 'to cross' or 'to traverse.' It began as a topographic surname for someone who lived near a crossroads, bridge, or ford - places of significant movement and transition in medieval society. These locations were not just physical crossing points but also social and economic hubs where people from different backgrounds would meet and exchange goods, ideas, and news. As the Normans spread throughout Europe and eventually to England after the 1066 conquest, the name traveled with them, evolving from a descriptive term into a hereditary surname. In medieval times, the concept of 'crossing' carried both practical and symbolic weight - representing journeys, transitions, and the meeting of different paths. The name's association with crossroads made it particularly meaningful in cultures that valued travel, trade, and exploration, reflecting the importance of connectivity in human civilization. The name gained literary prominence through P.L. Travers, the creator of Mary Poppins, which brought the surname into global recognition. This connection added a layer of creative and imaginative significance to the name, linking it to one of the most beloved children's characters in English literature. Cultural & Historical Significance Vicenta holds significant cultural importance in Spanish-speaking communities as the feminine form of Vicente, derived from the Latin Vincentius meaning 'conquering' or 'victorious.' The name gained prominence through Saint Vincent of Saragossa, a 4th-century martyr who became one of the most venerated saints in Spain. Throughout Spanish history, Vicenta has been associated with strength, resilience, and faith, often given to girls in families with strong religious traditions or to honor Saint Vincent's legacy. The name reflects the cultural values of perseverance and spiritual devotion that are deeply rooted in Hispanic heritage. During the colonial period, Vicenta spread throughout Latin America, becoming established in countries like Mexico, Argentina, and the Philippines, where it maintained its religious and cultural connotations while adapting to local naming customs. The name represents a bridge between ancient Roman influences and modern Spanish identity, embodying both historical continuity and cultural pride. In many communities, Vicenta became associated with matriarchal strength and the preservation of family traditions, often given to daughters expected to carry forward cultural values and religious practices. Individuals named Vinsone are often perceived as determined and resilient, reflecting the name's meaning of 'conquering.' They typically exhibit strong leadership qualities combined with a deep sense of loyalty to family and community. Research in nominative determinism suggests that people with names containing 'victory' or 'conquest' elements often develop ambitious yet principled personalities. Vinsones are frequently described as natural problem-solvers who approach challenges with strategic thinking and perseverance. Their patronymic origin often instills a strong sense of responsibility and connection to their heritage, making them reliable and tradition-conscious individuals. Many Vinsones demonstrate excellent mediation skills, able to bridge different perspectives while maintaining their core values. They tend to be protective of those they care about and often take on mentoring roles in both professional and personal contexts. The combination of the conquering root with the familial '-son' suffix creates a personality profile that balances ambition with compassion, making them effective leaders who value relationships and legacy. Psychological studies of name effects suggest that people with less common but meaningful names like Vinsone often develop strong individual identities and are less influenced by peer pressure, contributing to their characteristic independence and conviction in their beliefs and decisions. Cultural & Historical Significance Watkins holds significant cultural importance as a patronymic surname that emerged during the medieval period in Britain, particularly in Wales where it became one of the most common surnames. The name reflects the historical practice of creating surnames from father's names, specifically from Walter (through its diminutive Watt) with the addition of the '-kin' suffix meaning 'little' or 'son of'. This naming convention was widespread across Christian Europe as societies transitioned from single names to hereditary surnames for administrative purposes. Throughout British history, Watkins families have been documented in various social strata, from landed gentry to merchants and craftsmen, contributing to the name's diverse historical presence. The name carries particular weight in Welsh culture, where it became Anglicized from the original Welsh forms. During the Industrial Revolution, many Watkins families migrated from Wales to industrial centers in England and later to colonies abroad, spreading the name globally. In Christian tradition, the name maintains its connection to baptismal names and family continuity, representing the importance of lineage and heritage within Christian communities. The persistence of Watkins as a surname across centuries demonstrates its deep roots in British and specifically Welsh cultural identity, while its occasional use as a first name in modern times reflects ongoing interest in preserving family heritage. Cultural & Historical Significance Wigmaere holds significant cultural importance as a name that bridges Anglo-Saxon warrior traditions with Christian values. Originating from Old English elements 'wig' meaning 'war' and 'maere' meaning 'famous,' the name emerged during the Christianization of England when martial virtues were being reinterpreted through a Christian lens. Warriors who bore this name were often seen as defenders of the faith, fighting both physical and spiritual battles. The name gained prominence during the Viking Age when Christian kingdoms needed military leaders who could also uphold religious principles. Wigmaere became symbolic of the ideal Christian warriorbrave in battle but pious in faith. This dual identity made the name popular among noble families who wanted to emphasize both their military heritage and their commitment to Christianity. The name appears in several medieval chronicles, often associated with leaders who founded monasteries or churches after military victories, representing the synthesis of warrior culture and Christian devotion that characterized much of medieval European society. Individuals named Winfield typically project an image of steadfast reliability and principled leadership. The name suggests someone who combines traditional values with practical wisdom, often serving as a pillar in their community or family. They tend to be methodical in their approach to challenges, preferring well-considered strategies over impulsive decisions, which aligns with the agricultural metaphor of carefully tending a field. Their strength lies in their consistency and ability to build trust through demonstrated reliability over time. Socially, Winfields are often perceived as warm yet reserved, forming deep connections rather than numerous superficial ones. The 'friend's field' aspect of the name's meaning manifests in their strong sense of loyalty and commitment to those in their circle. They typically excel in roles that require both leadership and nurturingwhether in family life, community organizations, or professional settings. Their personality often balances masculine strength with compassionate understanding, making them effective mediators and trusted advisors who can navigate complex social dynamics while maintaining their core principles. Individuals named Yerodin typically exhibit a strong intellectual curiosity and a natural inclination toward learning and knowledge acquisition. Their studious nature often manifests as careful, analytical thinking and a methodical approach to problem-solving. These individuals tend to be deeply reflective, preferring to gather information and consider multiple perspectives before making decisions. Their love for learning frequently extends beyond formal education to include self-directed study and exploration of diverse subjects. Yerodins often demonstrate remarkable concentration and the ability to immerse themselves completely in complex tasks or studies. In social contexts, Yerodins may appear somewhat reserved initially, but they form meaningful connections based on intellectual compatibility and shared interests. They are typically excellent listeners who value deep conversations over superficial small talk. Their studious disposition often makes them natural teachers and mentors within their communities, as they derive satisfaction from sharing knowledge and helping others learn. While they may not be the most outgoing personalities, their thoughtful insights and reliable judgment earn them respect among peers. The name's meaning often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as those called Yerodin tend to embrace their identity as lifelong learners and knowledge-seekers. America should uphold the integrity of impartial and independent courts and keep them free from intimidation as they apply the Rule of Law DALLAS, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an organization dedicated to the preservation of a fair and independent judiciary and the right to trial by jury, has issued a powerful Resolution in response to an unprecedented convergence of challenges including political intimidation, threats, and rhetoric seeking to delegitimize the courts that threaten the core of American democracy. The Resolution, which was passed unanimously by the ABOTA National Board of Representatives, underscores the legal profession's unified commitment to protecting the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence. It reads: Resolution to Uphold Judicial Independence and the Rule of Law WHEREAS the American Board of Trial Advocates is an organization of more than 7,000 trial lawyers from the plaintiff and defense bar throughout the United States, as well as judges, and is dedicated to safeguarding the right to trial by jury in civil cases, the Rule of Law, the independence of the judiciary, and civility and professionalism in the practice of law; and WE AGREE that the Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to trial by jury in civil cases as an integral and essential component of our democracy; and WE AGREE that an efficient and effective independent judicial branch of government is fundamental to ensure the continued existence of our democracy; and WE AGREE that an independent judiciary is fundamental to the Rule of Law, as the Courts safeguard our Constitutional rights by impartially applying the law, free from external influence; and WE AGREE that the judiciary, as an equal and independent branch of government, must be respected as such; and WE AGREE that we condemn all threats and violence toward judges, as well as all intimidation and harassment of judges; and WE AGREE that the Rule of Law consists of laws created through a democratic process, by the people and for the people, to be fairly and equally applied to all; and WE AGREE that the Rule of Law ensures that our legal system operates with fairness and stability, while affording equal access to justice, under established legal principles; and WE AGREE that the ability of lawyers to advocate for clients is fundamental to the Rule of Law, even when their causes may be controversial. Our American form of government depends on ensuring that legal rights can be properly asserted and heard by our courts, without regard to the litigants' political or economic status; and WE AGREE that the legal profession exists to serve justice not political interests. As such, we reject rhetoric that seeks to delegitimize the courts, the legal profession, and the Rule of Law; now, therefore, and we further RESOLVE that we unite to speak up for our justice system and the Rule of Law, continuing together to elevate the noble profession we serve, and we further RESOLVE that we will safeguard the right to trial by jury in civil cases, judicial independence and the Rule of Law, and take any and all necessary action to lawfully effectuate the purpose of this Resolution. Approved by the ABOTA National Board of Representatives Austin, Texas, October 4, 2025 The drafting of the Resolution was a thorough, collaborative process. Originally drafted by the ABOTA National Judicial Independence and Rule of Law Committees, the Resolution was subsequently reviewed and approved by the National Civil Justice Standing Committee, the Legislative Committee and Executive Committee before its final passage by the National Board of Representatives. "ABOTA, as the largest, invitation-only, association of trial lawyers as professionals dedicated to the preservation of the 7th Amendment, issued this Resolution as a defining statement of our liberties and strong support for the Rule of Law, the judicial process and jury trials as the most civilized process ever created for dispute resolution," said Jennifer H. Doan, National President. She added that, "The Rule of Law consists of laws created through a democratic process, by us and for us, and fairly and equally applied to all. The Rule of Law ensures that our legal system operates with fairness and stability, while affording equal access to justice, under established legal principles." ABOTA has long defended an independent judiciary as a fundamental safeguard to our constitutional rights. Resolving disputes impartially is critical to America's democracy. We, as citizens, rely on the courts to apply the law free from external influence and intimidation. "Equally fundamental to the Rule of Law is the ability of lawyers to advocate for clients, even when their causes may be controversial," Ms. Doan said. "Our democracy depends on ensuring that legal rights can be properly asserted and heard by our courts, without regard to the litigants' political or economic status." Ms. Doan encouraged respect and support for the judicial process, and the independent role of the judges and lawyers in our legal system. "Interestingly, as a silver lining to the rhetoric in these times, we find ourselves uniting across the trial bar and all political views in defense of the Rule of Law," she said. "The legal profession exists to serve justice not political interests. We reject the rhetoric that seeks to marginalize or delegitimize the courts, the legal profession, and the Rule of Law itself." On December 31, 2024 almost one year ago Chief Justice John Roberts dedicated his Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary to a discussion of the growing dangers from attacks on the independence of the Judicial Branch, posed by the alarming increase in hostile communications, intimidating threats, and acts of violence directed at federal judges in recent years. Noting that "violence, intimidation, and defiance directed at judges because of their work undermine our Republic," he encouraged the three branches to work cooperatively and respectfully to preserve the independence of the judiciary and the Rule of Law. As Chief Justice Roberts reminded us: "At the end of the day, judges perform a critical function in our democracy. Since the beginning of the Republic, the rulings of judges have shaped the Nation's development and checked the excesses of the other branches." Letty Litchfield, who serves as co-chair on the ABOTA National Judicial Independence Committee, noted that "Based upon recent events, the Chief Justice's message needs to be at the forefront of America's collective discourse." Emphasizing the historical importance of the Resolution, Litchfield continued by stating "This Resolution matters now for a number of reasons. Lawyers and law firms are being subjected to harassment that undermines Americans' access to legal representation. Our federal and state courts face unprecedented threats as judges are being intimidated, threatened, and targeted for violence simply for doing their constitutional duty. The widespread use of social media has increased disinformation about judges and our courts, resulting in reduced public confidence. Some actions may border on defiance of court rulings and judgments." According to Judith A. Susskind, co-chair of the ABOTA National Rule of Law Committee, the role of an independent judiciary in protecting the Rule of Law is paramount to the effort. "ABOTA stands for the Rule of Law and access to justice for all," Susskind said. "Unfortunately, we face an unprecedented challenge attacks on the legal profession are distinctively damaging to the fabric of democracy because of the critical role that lawyers fulfill in the constitutional system of our country. Without skilled advocates to try cases, the judiciary cannot function as a meaningful check within the framework of the Constitution." ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges. ABOTA and its members are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ABOTA membership consists of more than 7,000 lawyers and judges spread among 94 Chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. ABOTA publishes Voir Dire magazine, which features in-depth articles on current and historical issues related to constitutional rights, in particular the Seventh Amendment right to trial by jury and hosts ABOTA Speaks! a podcast on law, life, and our liberties. CONTACT: Brian Tyson, [email protected], 214-287-8351 SOURCE American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ACRE, a leading vertically integrated, residential real estate investment firm with capabilities across the capital structure, announced the launch of ACRE Wealth Solutions, a new platform to support RIAs, family offices, financial advisors and their clients. ACRE has appointed Emily Conte to the newly created role of Managing Director and Head of Global Wealth Solutions. In this role, Ms. Conte will build and lead ACRE's business serving the wealth channel. Clients in these markets will benefit from her deep experience developing innovative, investor-centric solutions and client partnerships. At the same time, Ms. Conte's colleagues will benefit from her history of leading collaborative, high-performing teams that take a problem-solving approach to engaging the wealth market on the benefits of private real estate. "The launch of ACRE Wealth Solutions and Emily's appointment mark an important milestone for our firm," said Les Menkes, Co-Founding Partner of ACRE. "Building on more than a decade serving many of the world's most sophisticated institutional investors, we're excited to bring our capabilities to a broader range of investors and help them achieve their financial objectives." Michael Van Der Poel, Co-Founding Partner of ACRE, said, "Our differentiated, tax-efficient strategies are well-suited for investors seeking consistent, attractive risk-adjusted returns. With housing shortages across key markets, our scale, expertise and integrated model enable us to capitalize on these supply-demand imbalances for our investors while delivering needed housing to communities." Ms. Conte added, "I'm thrilled to join ACRE, a firm well-positioned to help investors across the wealth management market build stronger, more robust and diversified portfolios. ACRE's expertise across residential equity, credit and Opportunity Zones enables the firm to offer investors attractive potential returns with compelling income, capital appreciation, and tax optimization benefits, factors that are highly valued by investors and intermediaries in today's evolving wealth market. I look forward to building and leading a talented team focused on education through the wealth intermediary, RIA and financial advisor channels." Ms. Conte joins ACRE from Cohen & Steers, Inc., one of the world's largest dedicated real estate investors, where she worked for 14 years and most recently served as Executive Vice President, Head of Private Wealth Solutions and Strategic Partnerships. Ms. Conte has more than 20 years of industry experience, reports to Les Menkes and is based in Boston. About ACRE Founded in 2011, ACRE is a vertically integrated real estate fund manager focused on U.S. residential housing strategies with both credit and equity capabilities. The firm has executed more than $7.0 billion in transactions across 195+ investments, establishing a proven track record across multiple market cycles, geographies and asset classes. ACRE manages approximately $4.4 billion across dedicated equity and credit vehicles that target multifamily and single-family rental housing, deploying capital through discretionary funds and specialized teams across direct lending, acquisitions, and development. The firm is headquartered in New York with additional offices in Miami, Atlanta, and Singapore. Website: www.acremgt.com Media Contact Prosek Partners Josh Clarkson [email protected] SOURCE ACRE India PR Distribution New Delhi [India], December 17: Grade 12 student Amairah Anand from Sanskriti School, New Delhi has won First Prize in the School Category at the Nationwide Sustainability Hackathon 2025 organised by TERI School of Advanced Studies, Vasant Kunj, for her innovative circular-economy venture "Purani Pottery Puzzles." TERI SAS HACKATHON The hackathon brought together 100+ teams from schools and universities across India to propose practical business ideas addressing climate and sustainability challenges. In the school track, students were invited to design "sustainable and inclusive toys for children", with top entries evaluated by an expert jury, across several difficult rounds of selection, including a rigorous panel interview round by eminent experts, entrepreneurs, and sustainability leaders. at TERI SAS's New Delhi campus. TERI SAS HACKATHON Amairah's project emerged a national winner, earning a cash prize of 15,000 and recognition from TERI SAS's Alumni Association and faculty leadership. From broken shards to "Purani Pottery Puzzles" Purani Pottery Puzzles tackles an often-overlooked waste stream: broken or unsold blue pottery from artisan clusters such as Kot Jewar near Jaipur. Once fired, ceramic does not biodegrade; India generates an estimated 15-30 million tonnes of pottery waste annually, much of which ends up in landfills. Amairah's model collects these otherwise loss-making shards from local artisans and transforms them into child-safe puzzle and art kits. The fragments are processed, edges sealed with non-toxic coating, and then packaged as hands-on "Purani Pottery Puzzle Kits" for children, schools, and craft enthusiasts. Each kit includes: Purani Pottery Puzzles * Carefully prepared blue pottery pieces that can be arranged into puzzles or mosaics * A story card introducing the artisan who made the original pot * A trivia card on sustainability and the history of Indian pottery The tagline of the venture, "Where cracks make comebacks," captures its core idea: embracing imperfections and giving broken pieces a second life. This not only recycles millions of tonnes of pottery waste but gives more income to these potters who lose essential materials to broken pottery. It also creates awareness about our culture of blue pottery and value of sustainability from an early age in children aligning with government's New education policy and UN Sustainability Goals. Pottery entrepreneurship & self-sustaining ecosystems From an early age, Amairah was drawn to clay and colour, spending weekends not in malls but travelling nearly 500 kilometres from Delhi to traditional blue-pottery clusters to learn directly from master artisans. Over the years, these visits have grown into a commitment to revive a dying art form: she regularly helps organise stalls and exhibitions in Delhi, including Diwali melas, so that artisans can sell their work at fair prices and build stable livelihoods. In workshops, she also guides potters on basic safety practices--from better kiln ventilation to wearing masks while handling glaze powders--to reduce long-term risks such as lung cancer. For Amairah, pottery is not just craft; it is heritage, health, and economic resilience moulded together. Beyond a one-off project, Purani Pottery Puzzles is being built as a self-sustaining micro-enterprise that benefits both artisans and children: * Artisan livelihoods: Partner artisans earn extra income from pottery that was previously discarded or sold as scrap, buffering them against market volatility and breakage losses. Purani Pottery Puzzles * Circular design: Every kit is built on the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle, and reimagine--using repurposed pottery, biodegradable paints, and zero plastic or resin. Purani Pottery Puzzles * Education & heritage revival: Children learn about craftsmanship, cultural heritage, and sustainability each time they assemble a puzzle, turning playtime into eco-education. Purani Pottery Puzzles A portion of the earnings is reinvested into sourcing more waste pottery, training additional artisans, and designing new puzzle formats, allowing the model to grow without depending solely on grants. "I wanted to prove that sustainability can be playful and profitable," Amairah says. "Every kit we ship means less pottery in a landfill and more dignity and income for an artisan." From Jaipur kilns to homes and classrooms worldwideWhat began as a local craft-and-sustainability idea is already gaining international traction. Purani Pottery Puzzles and toys are now being shipped to schools, NGOs, and families in countries such as Ethiopia, the Philippines, the United States, and across parts of Europe, reflecting global interest in upcycled, culturally rooted learning tools. Teachers and parents report that children are fascinated not just by solving the puzzles, but by the story of how each shard once belonged to a handcrafted pot in a Jaipur workshop--and was saved from becoming waste. A faculty member at TERI SAS noted that the project, "connects multiple SDGs at once--responsible consumption and production, decent work for artisans, quality education, and cultural preservation--through something as simple and joyful as a toy." TERI SAS HACKATHON For media inquiries, please contact:Name - Tarun AnandEmail: tarun.anand@gmail.com | Phone: +919811202137 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 17: As the year draws to a close, Dharana at Shillim, India's award-winning precision wellbeing retreat presents Sankalp, a thoughtfully curated year-end passage designed for those seeking a quieter, more meaningful way to transition into the New Year. Positioned as an alternative to conventional festive celebrations, Sankalp reframes the final days of the year as a moment of intentional closure and conscious arrival. Rooted in the philosophy of Sankalp, an inner vow rather than a fleeting resolution, the experience invites guests to pause, realign, and step forward with clarity, balance, and emotional steadiness. "Dharana is not merely a destination retreat; it is a purpose-driven ecosystem where the environment itself is an architecture of feeling," said Dr. Shaji, Chief Wellness Officer, Dharana at Shillim. "Dharana's integrative approach blending ancient wisdom, modern science, and mindful living is an intentional ritual designed for restoration. This December, we invite guests to turn inward and use mindfulness to build a strong foundation for the year ahead and nourish a Sankalpa to live a more conscious, balanced life." Unfolding during Uttarayana, a period traditionally associated with renewal and Ritucharya, aligning daily practices with seasonal intelligence and nature's rhythm, guides forward movement, Sankalp. The experience is anchored in Dharana's daily Dinacharyas, including yoga, Vedanta sessions, forest bathing, sound meditation, and evening rituals, forming a steady cadence that supports emotional balance and mental clarity. Complementing this rhythm is a curated cultural and contemplative calendar where art, music, and ritual become pathways inward. Guests encounter classical and meditative soundscapes through a Santoor and Tabla Jugalbandi, reflective chanting and mantra sessions guided by the Chinmaya Mission, and a Sufi evening with Indian classical dance that welcomes the New Year through grace rather than spectacle. Moments of contemporary expression, including a jazz evening and a multi-sensory art experience led by multimedia artist Sanju Jain, offer space for creative introspection, while a Full Moon meditation and havan provide a gentle ritual of cleansing and renewal as the year unfolds. Seasonal nourishment plays an equally important role, with refined culinary experiences that emphasise clean flavours, balance, and simplicity, including a thoughtfully designed Christmas lunch that reflects Dharana's approach to mindful celebration. At the core of Sankalp lies Dharana's Precision Wellbeing philosophy, delivered through its proprietary Five Pathways: Preventive Medicine, Physical Restoration, Healing Nutrition, Emotional Balance, and Spiritual Harmony. Each guest journey is informed by advanced health assessments and personalised daily rhythms, ensuring that the benefits extend well beyond the retreat. Key moments within the Sankalp week (25th Dec 25 to 3rd Jan 26) at Dharana include: * Daily yoga, meditation, and Vedanta sessions anchored in Dharana's Dinacharya, supporting mental clarity and physical balance* Guided forest bathing and sound meditation experiences aligned with nature's rhythm* A refined Christmas lunch centred on seasonal, mindful nourishment* Classical and contemplative soundscapes through Santoor, Tabla, chanting, and jazz* A Sufi evening with Indian classical dance to welcome the New Year with grace* A multi-sensory art and sound experience exploring creative introspection* A Full Moon meditation and havan marking renewal and reflection Sankalp at Dharana is a curated year-end experience that invites guests to immerse themselves in rhythm, reflection, and renewal as they step into the New Year. At Dharana, the New Year is not announced loudly. It is entered consciously. Website: https://dharanaretreat.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dharanaatshillim/ Address: Village Shilimb, Pawana Nagar, Taluka Maval, Pune, 410406, INDIA. Contact: +91-124-4344344 Email: reservations@dharanaretreat.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847488/Dharana_at_Shillim.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Indian business leaders and industry chamber representatives have underscored the growing depth of India-Oman economic relations and highlighted significant future opportunities across sectors as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Oman. Naveen Jindal, Chairman of Jindal Steel, said the Prime Minister's visit has generated widespread enthusiasm in Oman. "This is very big thing that India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Oman. And here in Oman, people are very happy. Not only the Indians are happy about this but Omani people are very inspired by Omani people also to want to listen to him," Jindal told ANI. Referring to bilateral trade, Jindal noted, "The trade between our countries is USD 10 billion dollars today. So I think that in the coming time, it can be doubled, benefiting both countries." He highlighted India's strengths across multiple sectors, saying, "Today India is a very big manufacturing base and India is very close. So in every area, we talk about Indian manufacturing sector, Indian auto sector, Indian IT sector, then whatever is Indian agriculture sector, because Indian rice, Basmati rice is very popular." Jindal also spoke about cultural ties, saying, "People here are very influenced by Indian cinema. If you talk with the people here, all the popular actors, our old actors, they know all, them all." On Jindal Steel's presence in Oman, he said, "Fifteen years ago we entered India. We have invested here more than USD 3 billion dollars in Oman, which will going ahead increase to USD 7-8 billion dollars." He added, "We produce about 3.25 million tons steel in Oman, which has helped Oman become steel independent, and also exporting." Looking ahead, Jindal said, "We want to double our steel capacity here, including green steel. So, all in all, there are many possibilities in Oman." Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, talking to ANI, highlighted the role of trade agreements in boosting market access. "So continuous trade agreements will enhance the market access for Indian manufacturers, and Indian business people," she said. She also noted the presence of a large Indian business delegation accompanying Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and said, "Tomorrow, everybody is very excited that the honorable prime minister will also be here in continuation of his trip from Jordan to Muscat." Reddy described India-Oman ties as long-standing and positive. "The primary relationship with India is a long, very successful and positive one," she said, adding that "approximately 70 per cent of the trade is in oil." Referring to Oman's diversification plans, she said, "Oman's 2040 vision is to expand its base, create manufacturing base in India, also create manufacturing base in Oman, and look at Indian business people and manufacturers to have their shops in this country." She also highlighted healthcare cooperation. "From Apollo hospitals, we have received patients from Oman for many years," Reddy said. "So the Heal in India mission has been going on for more than 20 years with Oman." She added that Oman is now seeking deeper collaboration, including invitations "to set up diagnostic capabilities in advanced diagnostics including uh mRNA, biomarkers, genetic testing, all of which India has capability and we are exploring these possibilities." R Mukundan, MD and CEO of Tata Chemicals Limited, said, "I think India and Oman have shared a very, very friendly relationship, very positive business relationship." He said bilateral trade of approximately USD 10 billion is growing at "19%, 20 % year on year." Mukundan noted Oman's strategic importance, calling it "a staging post for what I would call Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Africa corridor, especially with ports like Duqm, Salalah, Sohar." He added, "Tata's are very much part of the ecosystem here," citing services through TCS, trading relationships and project implementation. "We would continue to expand," Mukundan said. From an industry chamber perspective, Pankaj Chadha, Chairman, Engineering Export Promotion Council of India, said, "The benefit from CEPA is that our export to is around 4 billion dollars, which about 900 million, 1 billion is for engineering." He added, "We think that if India FTA then our share of exports will increase." Kirit Bhansali, Chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), said, "Overall, GCC is a big market. To explore it, we are collaborating with each other's industries." Sanjay Nayar, past President, Assocham, said, "I think it's a great initiative that started in 2023. So finally it's good to see it being concluded tomorrow." He added that trade between India and Oman "is about $10 billion" and said, "I think it can easily triple, if not quadruple." He emphasized the need to attract Omani investment into India, citing India's "very predictable government policies now" and "a thriving capital market." Nirmal K. Minda, President, Assocham and MD Minda Industries identified priority sectors, saying, "The biggest sector is energy. They also have nuclear power. We have to work together. The second is the logistics sector. And third is tourism, and it has huge potential." Ahead of the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said Prime Minister Modi will visit Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The MEA said bilateral trade for 2024-2025 stood at USD 10.61 billion and highlighted cooperation across trade, defence, maritime security, energy, health and technology. The Prime Minister is expected to hold comprehensive talks, address business leaders and the Indian community, and oversee the signing of several agreements during the visit. (ANI) In a latest update, Nick Reiner, the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, has been charged with the murder of his parents, reported Variety. As per the report, the 32-year-old has been charged with two counts of murder for killing the Reiner couple at their Brentwood residence. The charges carry a maximum life sentence without parole or even a death penalty, stated Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles district attorney. It also claimed that a knife was used to commit the murders. "Prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and most heart-wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved," Hochman said during the press conference, as quoted by Variety. Hochman explained that the charges include the "special circumstances" of multiple murders, making the crime potentially eligible for the death penalty. A decision is yet to be taken regarding the pursuit of the death penalty for Nick Reiner. Nick Reiner was arrested Sunday at 9:15 p.m. and booked on Monday at 5:04 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff''s Department online records, as per the outlet. Bail for Nick Reiner was initially set at USD 4 million but was later revoked. Jail records show that he is currently being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles, as per the outlet. Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead inside their Brentwood home on Sunday afternoon at around 3:40 p.m. The Los Angeles Police Department said at the time that their deaths were being investigated as a homicide, but had not identified a suspect, and no one had been detained. The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday night that a member of the Reiner family was being questioned by police. Shortly after, People magazine reported that multiple family members had alleged that Nick Reiner was responsible for the killings. Rob and Michele Reiner are also survived by two other children, son Jake Reiner, who was formerly a local news reporter for KCAL Los Angeles, and daughter Romy. Rob Reiner also adopted a daughter, Tracy Reiner, during his marriage to actress and director Penny Marshall, according to Variety. (ANI) India Post unveiled Karnataka's first Gen Z-themed post office at Acharya Institute of Technology in Bengaluru, marking a significant step towards engaging the younger generation and reimagining the role of post offices in the digital age. The Gen Z Post Office aims to serve as a social and functional space where young people can access postal services while spending time with friends. The initiative reflects India Post's broader transformation from traditional services to modern, digital-driven platforms. The post office features colourful interiors, full Wi-Fi connectivity, a selfie point, and student-designed decor, allowing the space to reflect the tastes and preferences of Generation Z. Students were given the opportunity to plan and design the interiors, ensuring the facility resonates with their generation's mood and lifestyle. Speaking at the inauguration, Chief Postmaster General of Karnataka, K Prakash, told ANI that the postal department is undergoing a nationwide transformation to align with changing business models and consumer behaviour. "So you can just imagine the kind of journey we have undertaken. There's a lot of transformation that is happening all over the country in terms of new businesses coming, the way businesses are done, social media, etc. So India Post also has to change. And with the leadership of Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia. He has spearheaded this kind of transformation," Prakash said. He added that India Post has transitioned from conventional services such as letters and money orders to digital banking, logistics, and e-commerce. "We have changed from post offices to digital platforms, from money order things to digital banking, and also from letters to logistics and e-commerce," he said. Explaining the rationale behind the Gen Z Post Office concept, Prakash said students are the future drivers of economic growth and innovation. "So we want to showcase our transformation, which will synergise with their kind of activities, which they will undertake. And that is why we have designed this kind of concept, Gen Z Post Office, where the interiors, etc., are designed by the students themselves in whichever way they want. For example, you can see these beautifully designed interiors, and then there's a bookshelf," he noted. The facility also includes a reading area, cafe-style seating, and additional wellness and physical activity spaces, including a physiotherapy lab, making it more than a conventional post office. "There is also a gym, along with other services, physical activities, treatment, and more. It's not a post office you come and there's an old type of post office. It's a kind of a meeting point, connecting the new generation to the postal services," Prakash said, adding that the initiative is expected to be rolled out across campuses nationwide. (ANI) All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday expressed confidence that the Trinamool Congress's vote percentage and seat count will increase in the upcoming elections, surpassing the 2021 figures. Speaking to mediapersons, he warned the BJP that if this happens, they will have to apologise to the people of Bengal and release the withheld Rs 2 crore within 7 days. "No matter what you do, the Trinamool Congress's vote percentage and seat count will increase as compared to 2021... If it increases, the BJP will have to apologise to 10 crore Bengalis and release the Rs 2 crore they have withheld from Bengal within 7 days...," said AITC MP Abhishek Banerjee on SIR in West Bengal. Recalling his earlier challenge to the SIR exercise, Banerjee said he had questioned the move within 24 hours of its announcement in November. "I challenged you from a press conference in Kolkata that even if you do SIR or FIR, TMC's seats and vote percentage will increase. Even after one and a half months, the challenge has not been accepted," he said. "Who is scared now? The person who is challenging or who has been challenged? I am challenging them, and they are scared." The next West Bengal Legislative Assembly election is expected to be held in March-April 2026. In preparation for this, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has recently concluded a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The draft list, published on Tuesday, shows that more than 58 lakh (5.8 million) names have been provisionally deleted to remove duplicates, shift voters, or mark them as deceased. Banerjee also commented on the deletion of 58 lakh names from the electoral roll after the Special Summary Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, stating that the draft list is not the final list and the claim and objection period is ongoing until January 31. He expressed dissatisfaction with the SIR process, attributing the deletion of names to the Election Commission's appointed Booth Level Officers (BLOs). "The draft list has been released; it is not the final list. The claim and objection period will continue until 31 January... I will say anything about it only after the final list is released... I am not satisfied with how SIR is being implemented in the state... The BLOs were not appointed by the TMC or the West Bengal government; the Election Commission appointed them. They have held the EC responsible for their death... Did the BJP provide a list of people who were granted citizenship under the CAA? Where is the accountability of the BJP?...," said Banerjee. The Election Commission, in its draft rolls released on Tuesday, said that 58,20,899 electors, about 7.59 per cent of the total electorate, were deleted for reasons including death, untraceability, or permanent migration. Out of 7,66,37,529 registered voters, 7,08,16,630 had submitted enumeration forms as of December 11. The poll body clarified that eligible voters who may have been excluded can still be included during the claims and objections window, which runs from December 16 to January 15, 2026. The TMC, however, has continued to allege that the SIR exercise is politically motivated, while expressing confidence that its support base in Bengal remains intact. (ANI) A complaint has been lodged at the Kaiserbagh Police Station in Lucknow against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Sanjay Nishad in connection with the viral hijab video that triggered outrage with political leaders across party lines, condemning Nitish Kumar's actions. The complaint was submitted by Samajwadi Party leader Sumaiya Rana, accompanied by her lawyers, seeking the registration of an FIR and strict legal action against the two leaders. The complaint pertains to a viral video in which Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is allegedly seen pulling a Muslim woman's hijab during an official programme where appointment letters were being distributed to newly appointed AYUSH doctors. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from several political leaders, who have called it inappropriate and humiliating. Speaking to ANI, Sumaiya Rana said the act set a dangerous precedent. "A video of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is going viral on social media in which he is seen pulling down a woman's hijab... For a person holding a constitutional position to behave in this manner means he is encouraging his other workers to engage in similar acts," she said. Rana also objected to the controversial remarks made by UP minister Sanjay Nishad. Quoting him, she said, "He said, 'Why is there so much controversy over removing a burqa? His hands only touched her face. If his hands had touched somewhere else, what would have happened then?' Based on this, I have filed a complaint." Advocate Misham Zaidi, who accompanied Rana, said the incident and the subsequent remarks attract serious penal provisions. "He has hurt the modesty of a woman. What Sanjay Nishad has done incites religious sentiments. This is a clear-cut case under Section 153A, as you are knowingly engaging in such acts that could instigate riots, create unrest, and disturb the law and order of the state," he said. He further added, "Section 354 will be applied to him (Nitish Kumar) directly for grabbing and pulling it (the hijab)." (ANI) Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy appealed to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to exempt education-related borrowings from the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limits, as the state rolls out an ambitious 30,000-crore plan to strengthen the education sector during his meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. During a meeting at the Finance Minister's chamber in Parliament, Reddy sought the Centre's support for large-scale investments aimed at providing quality education to students from Backwards Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minority communities, who together form a majority of the state's population. The Chief Minister briefed Sitharaman on the flagship Young India Integrated Residential Schools (YIIRS) project, under which 105 fully integrated schools are being established across Telangana, one in each Assembly constituency. Each YIIRS will have a student strength of about 2,560, offering education from Class 5 to Class 12. Once operational, the schools are expected to benefit approximately 2.70 lakh students directly. Revanth Reddy said the YIIRS campuses, equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, hostels and stadiums, would also function as academic hubs for nearby government schools, indirectly benefiting lakhs of additional students. The construction of the 105 residential schools alone would require an estimated Rs 21,000 crore, he said. In addition, the state plans to invest another Rs 9,000 crore to upgrade infrastructure across junior colleges, degree colleges, technical institutions, and other higher-education facilities, including modern laboratories and learning resources. Together, the initiatives amount to a comprehensive Rs 30,000-crore investment in Telangana's education ecosystem. Given the scale of funding required, the Chief Minister requested that loans raised through a proposed Special Purpose Centre (SPC) for the integrated schools be kept outside the FRBM borrowing limits. He urged the Union Finance Minister to view education expenditure as a long-term investment in human resource development rather than routine revenue spending. After the presentation, Sitharaman appreciated the Telangana government's special focus on strengthening the education sector, particularly the YIIRS initiative. She advised the Chief Minister to submit detailed information on the proposed SPC for further consideration. Members of Parliament Mallu Ravi, Suresh Shetkar, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Mandadi Anil Kumar were also present during the meeting. (ANI) MACAO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the organizer of the 2025 Global Intelligent Machinery and Electronics Expo (AIE), the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce is committed to building a high-end platform for global intelligent industry exchanges and win-win cooperation. "China is our most important market. This AIE conference is an excellent platform to connect global innovation forces," said Vladimir Vashetsky, director of international development affairs at Russian company SINOZON. "Whether it's artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, or the new energy sector, there are the most professional exhibitors and the most cutting-edge solutions here." Vladimir Vashetsky learned about the exhibition during an overseas roadshow. On June 23rd, the AIE Expo held its first press conference in Guangzhou. Subsequently, the AIE Expo Committee (hosted by China Electronics Chamber of Commerce) launched a series of intensive domestic and international promotion events, covering four major international hub cities including Seoul, Tokyo, Berlin, and Dubai, as well as key domestic cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, which has attracted extensive attention in the international market. This AIE Expo has successfully gathered representatives from business associations and international buyers from over 30 countries and regions. The participants include global top retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Rakuten, and JD Group, global manufacturing leaders like Epson, Toshiba, and Huawei, as well as multinational business association organizations including the British Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce in China. "I am very much looking forward to learning about the latest technological products at this AIE Expo and exploring cooperation opportunities with the world's top exhibitors. I have already recommended the AIE Expo to many of my international partners - including robot companies from Europe, smart home brands from the United States, and new energy technology companies from Asia. This is a rare exchange event for us," said Aiman Saad, founder and managing director of Egypt's E-TIME Trading Co., Ltd. As an accelerator for the intelligent industry, this AIE Expo has built a "display + release + connection" three-in-one industrial promotion platform through a diverse event system of "1+1+6+N" (one opening ceremony and keynote forum, one industry white paper release, six thematic exhibition halls, and multiple special supporting activities). It effectively accelerates the rapid transformation of technological achievements into market value, and promotes in-depth cooperation among global industrial chains. Preliminary statistics from the AIE Organizing Committee show that several buyers have expressed intentions to negotiate multi-million-yuan orders and long-term strategic cooperation, with the overall procurement scale expected to exceed hundreds of millions of yuan. SOURCE China Electronics Chamber of Commerce Kerala's Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have finally reached a consensus on appointing Vice Chancellors to two key universities, ahead of Christmas. Dr Ciza Thomas has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, while Dr Saji Gopinathan will head the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology. The appointments, announced on December 16, 2025, are for a four-year term and will be reported to the Supreme Court on December 18, 2025. According to Kerala Lok Bhavan sources, in the matter of appointment of Vice Chancellors to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, a meeting was held between the Chief Minister and Governor, who is the Chancellor of the said universities, on 14/12/2024 at Lok Bhavan. It was decided that Dr. Ciza Thomas and Dr. Saji Gopinathan be appointed as the Vice Chancellors of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology respectively. This development comes after a prolonged deadlock between the Governor and the Chief Minister, which led to the Supreme Court intervening and asking a committee headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia to recommend names for the posts. The office of the Chancellor has issued the notification today effecting the appointments as stated above and the same would be reported to the Supreme Court on 18.12.2025, Lok Bhavan sources added. A consensus has been reached between the Governor and the Kerala government on vice-chancellor appointments. Sisa Thomas has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), with the order issued from Lok Bhavan. Saji Gopinath has also been appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Digital University. Sisa Thomas is a Governor nominee. The decision was taken following a meeting between the Governor and the Chief Minister. Both appointments are for a four-year term. The agreement marks a significant thaw in relations between Lok Bhavan and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, which have been at loggerheads over vice-chancellor appointments and the broader issue of the Governor's role in university governance. The backdrop to the consensus includes intense protests earlier this year at the Kerala University campus in Thiruvananthapuram. In July, members of the Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Youth Federation (AIYF) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged demonstrations accusing the Governor of attempting to "saffronise" state-funded universities. The protests turned violent, with demonstrators breaking open university gates and clashing with police. Kerala Police resorted to water cannons to disperse protesters and detained several students. A case was later registered against 27 SFI activists, including its state secretary, following the unrest. The agitation was sparked by the suspension of then Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal. (ANI) Lok Sabha will take up a packed legislative and oversight agenda on Wednesday, with two major Bills slated for consideration and passage, alongside the laying of papers, presentation of committee reports, and statements by ministers, as per the revised List of Business. The House will meet at 11 am and begin with the Question Hour. The session will start with Question Hour, followed by the laying of papers by various ministers, including Dr. Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Jitin Prasada, among others. Several ministers will lay papers on the table, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh for the Ministries of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space. Papers will also be laid by Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal (Parliamentary Affairs), Jitin Prasada (Electronics and IT), Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (Communications), B L Verma and Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya (Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution), Dr L Murugan (Information and Broadcasting), Satish Chandra Dubey (Mines), Ravneet Singh (Railways) and Harsh Malhotra (Corporate Affairs). The House will hear several committee reports, including the Sixth Report of the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which focuses on the role of autonomous bodies and educational institutions in promoting the socio-economic development of SC/ST communities. A series of parliamentary committee reports will be presented and laid during the day. Dr Faggan Singh Kulaste and Anil Firojiya will present the Sixth Report (2025-26) of the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on the role of autonomous bodies and educational institutions, including Central Universities, IITs, IIMs and medical institutes, in the socio-economic development of SCs and STs, with specific reference to the implementation of reservation policy in the Central University of Allahabad. The duo will also submit study visit reports for the committee to Bhubaneswar, Pachmarhi, Bhopal, and Panaji. Ganesh Singh and Rodmal Nagar will present the Committee on the Welfare of Other Backwards Classes' final action taken statements on the implementation of welfare schemes for OBCs and on reservation policy in posts and services under the Government of India and the Union Territories. The Committee on Empowerment of Women, through Dr D Purandeswari and Mahima Kumari Mewar, will present its Third Report (2025-26) on the safety and protection of women in the unorganised sector. From sectoral standing committees, Sunil Dattatrey Tatkare and Janardan Singh Sigriwal will present the Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas on action taken on the Demands for Grants (2025-26), and also lay three related action taken statements on crude oil imports, litigations involving oil PSUs, and earlier grants. Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy and Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah will present the Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs on the Regional Rapid Transit System and the NCRTC's role. Anurag Singh Thakur and Ananta Nayak will present two reports of the Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel: one on self-reliance in minerals and metals, and another on the utilisation of District Mineral Foundation funds and the PMKKKY scheme. Biplab Kumar Deb and Supriya Sule will present the report of the Select Committee on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Several ministers will make statements on the status of implementation of parliamentary committee recommendations. Rao Inderjit Singh will respond to recommendations related to the Ministry of Planning; Dr L Murugan to those concerning the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, including cable television regulation; Satish Chandra Dubey to recommendations on the Ministry of Mines; and Ravneet Singh to recommendations on the construction and maintenance of rail tunnels and bridges. The Lower House will also take up matters under Rule 377. The legislative business includes the introduction of two key bills: The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025, and The Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025. The latter bill aims to provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment to rural households and promote rural development. Under Legislative Business, the Lok Sabha is scheduled to consider and pass two Bills. Dr Jitendra Singh will move the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025, which seeks to promote nuclear energy and ionising radiation for power generation and applications in healthcare, agriculture, industry, research and the environment, while providing for a robust regulatory framework for safe and secure utilisation. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will move the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB - G-RAM-G Bill, 2025, proposing a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year to every rural household, aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. Both Bills are listed for consideration and passage, with amendments to be moved as circulated separately. (ANI) Vijay Diwas 2025 was commemorated with customary military solemnity and dignity at the Southern Command War Memorial, Pune, on December 16, marking 54 years of India's decisive victory in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, led the observance in the presence of serving personnel and veterans of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy. According to an official statement, the central event of the commemoration was a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial, during which Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth laid a commemorative wreath on behalf of all ranks of Southern Command, paying homage to the brave soldiers, airmen, and sailors who made the supreme sacrifice in defence of the nation's sovereignty and freedom. A solemn silence was observed as a mark of collective remembrance and gratitude to those who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1971 war. As part of the Vijay Diwas observances, veterans, including those who participated in the 1971 War, were felicitated in recognition of their distinguished service and contribution to one of India's greatest military victories. Veer Naris were also honoured during the ceremony, acknowledging their courage, resilience and enduring sacrifice, which remain integral to the Armed Forces' ethos, the statement added. The felicitation underscored the Indian Army's enduring commitment to honouring its veterans and war widows and to preserving the legacy of courage, duty and sacrifice across generations. The commemoration concluded with an interaction between the Army Commander, serving personnel, Veer Naris and veterans at the Southern Command Museum lawns, adjacent to the War Memorial, reinforcing the enduring bond between generations of soldiers and families united by a shared legacy of service, sacrifice and victory. (ANI) The Congress MPs are all set to meet in the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) office today in the Parliament to chalk out the strategy for the floor of the House for the day. The meeting will be held at 10:30 am. Meanwhile, both the Houses will meet at 11 am and begin with the Question Hour. The session will start with Question Hour, followed by the laying of papers by various ministers, including Dr. Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Jitin Prasada, among others. Several ministers will lay papers on the table, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh for the Ministries of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space. Papers will also be laid by Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal (Parliamentary Affairs), Jitin Prasada (Electronics and IT), Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (Communications), B L Verma and Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya (Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution), Dr L Murugan (Information and Broadcasting), Satish Chandra Dubey (Mines), Ravneet Singh (Railways) and Harsh Malhotra (Corporate Affairs). The House will hear several committee reports, including the Sixth Report of the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which focuses on the role of autonomous bodies and educational institutions in promoting the socio-economic development of SC/ST communities. Several ministers will make statements on the status of implementation of parliamentary committee recommendations. The Lower House will also take up matters under Rule 377. The legislative business includes the introduction of two key bills: The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025, and The Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025. The latter bill aims to provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment to rural households and promote rural development. Under Legislative Business, the Lok Sabha is scheduled to consider and pass two Bills. Both Bills are listed for consideration and passage, with amendments to be moved as circulated separately. (ANI) Union Minister and BJP MP JP Nadda on Wednesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on being conferred with Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, calling it a "moment of pride for the country" and a reflection of India's growing global standing. In a post on X, Nadda wrote, "A moment of great honour for 1.4 billion people of India! My heartfelt congratulations to Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi ji on being conferred with Ethiopia's highest honour, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia'. This 28th international honour reflects the world's trust in PM Modi ji's leadership and highlights India's rising stature on the world stage. It also stands as a strong symbol of the enduring friendship and deepening ties between India and Ethiopia." https://x.com/JPNadda/status/2001122206101938568 Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's conferment of Ethiopia's highest award, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia', by his Ethiopian counterpart, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, is a milestone in India-Ethiopia ties. Shah said that it was a moment of pride for every Indian, signifying Bharat's rising stature in global diplomacy under his leadership. Ethiopia's top honour marks the 28th top foreign state award bestowed on PM Modi. In a post on X, he said, "A moment of pride for every Indian. Congratulations to PM Shri Narendra ModiJi on being bestowed with Ethiopia's highest award, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia.' It is the 28th accolade to Modi Ji's statesmanship by a foreign nation, signifying Bharat's rising stature in global diplomacy under his leadership. This honour will remain a milestone in the friendship between India and Ethiopia." https://x.com/AmitShah/status/2000997800897855928 Earlier, PM Modi said the recognition belongs to the countless Indians whose trust, contributions, and efforts have shaped and strengthened the bilateral partnership. PM Modi is the first global Head of State or Head of Government to receive this award. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali bestowed the award. In his remarks, PM Modi said that the prize is a matter of great pride for him. "Just now, I have been conferred with the highest award of the country - The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. To be honoured by a very ancient and prosperous civilisation of the world is a matter of great pride for me. On behalf of all Indians, I humbly accept this honour. This award is for all those numerous Indians who shaped our partnership," the Prime Minister said. "On this occasion, I also express heartfelt gratitude to my friend PM Abiy Ahmed Ali. Last month, when we met during the G20 Summit in South Africa, with great love and right, you had urged me to visit Ethiopia. How could I have turned down this invitation from my friend, my brother? So, at the first chance, I decided to come to Ethiopia," he added. On Tuesday, PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia for a two-day visit. He was accorded a warm welcome at the airport. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the people and government of Ethiopia after being conferred with the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia', calling it a matter of immense pride and a recognition of the enduring ties between the two nations. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi thanked Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and said it was an honour to be recognised by one of the world's most ancient and rich civilisations. He said the award belonged to the countless Indians who have contributed over the years to strengthening the partnership between India and Ethiopia. "Grateful to the people and Government of Ethiopia as well as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for conferring upon me the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia' last evening. To be honoured by one of the world's most ancient and rich civilisations is a matter of immense pride. This honour belongs to the countless Indians who have shaped and strengthened our partnership over the years," the prime minister wrote. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2001125360541556919 Prime Minister Modi also added that India remains committed to further strengthening bilateral ties with Ethiopia to address evolving global challenges and create new opportunities for future cooperation. "India remains committed to further cementing cooperation with Ethiopia to address evolving global challenges and also to create new opportunities," PM Modi later wrote. Earlier on Tuesday, Ethiopia conferred its highest award, the Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the recognition belongs to the countless Indians whose trust, contributions, and efforts have shaped and strengthened the bilateral partnership. PM Modi is the first global Head of State or Head of Government to receive this award. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali bestowed the award. Ethiopia's top honour marks the 28th top foreign State award bestowed on PM Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ethiopia has elevated bilateral ties to a 'Strategic Partnership,' marking a significant milestone in India-Ethiopia relations. The visit yielded several key outcomes, including agreements on customised cooperation, the establishment of a data centre, and UN peacekeeping training. India and Ethiopia also signed an MoU on debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework, showcasing cooperation on economic issues. Educational exchanges received a boost with doubled ICCR scholarships for Ethiopian students and specialised AI courses under ITEC. (ANI) The controversy over the lighting of Karthigai Deepam at the stone Deepathoon at Thiruparankundram continues to snowball. Sikkandar Dargah Secretary Arif Khan, has now claimed that there is no evidence which suggests that lamps have traditionally been lit at the hill. He further asserted that lamps have been lit only at the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple, and added that in earlier court orders, the structure was not described as a deepathoon (lamp pillar). , "... They are asking why the lamp should not be lit in the areas belonging to the temple on Thiruparankundram Hill, and why it should be lit specifically at the dargah site... There is no evidence to show that lamps have traditionally been lit at that place. Traditionally, the lamp has been lit only at the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple... In the earlier court orders, it was not described as a deepathoon (lamp pillar)..." Khan told ANI. Earlier, the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board informed the Madras High Court that the stone pillar located at the summit of a hill in Madurai district belongs to the Sikandar Badusha Dargah. This submission was made during the hearing of a batch of appeals challenging a single judge's order, which had directed the Subramaniya Swamy Temple administration to light the Karthigai Deepam at the stone Deepathoon (lamp post) located on one of the peaks of the Thiruparankundram hills, in addition to the customary locations. Referring to a judicial order passed in a civil suit in 1920, counsel for the Waqf Board submitted before a Division Bench comprising Justices G. Jayachandran and K. K. Ramakrishnan that there were categorical findings that the flight of steps leading from Nellithope to the hilltop belonged to the dargah. It was also stated that there is a finding that the hilltop and the surrounding areas, including the location where the stone pillar and a mandapam are situated, belong to Muslims. The counsel further submitted that the stone pillar can be accessed through the dargah. He added that the issue relating to the right of pathway can be decided only by a civil court. Appearing on behalf of the Madurai District Collector and the Commissioner of Police, the counsel submitted that in the earlier orders passed by the High Court in 1996 and 2014, there was no reference to the Deepathoon (stone pillar for lighting lamps), and that there is no evidence to show that the pillar is a Deepathoon. He also noted that the petition submitted by the petitioner to the temple authorities made no mention of a Deepathoon. (ANI) Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Wednesday will move The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, seeking the House's consideration and passage of the proposed legislation aimed at promoting the development and safe use of nuclear energy across key sectors. The union minister will also move that the Bill be taken into consideration and passed by the House. The Bill seeks to promote the use of nuclear energy and ionising radiation for power generation and applications in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, industry, research and environmental protection, while ensuring a strong regulatory framework for their safe and secure utilisation. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will also introduce the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The proposed legislation seeks to establish a rural development framework aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 by providing a statutory guarantee of one hundred and twenty-five days of wage employment in every financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work; to promote empowerment, growth, convergence and saturation for a prosperous and resilient rural Bharat; and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, be taken into consideration. The minister will also move that the bill be passed. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha will take up a packed legislative and oversight agenda on Wednesday, with two major bills slated for consideration and passage, along with the laying of papers, presentation of committee reports, and ministerial statements, as per the revised List of Business. The House will meet at 11 am and begin with the Question Hour. The session will start with Question Hour, followed by the laying of papers by various ministers, including Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Jitin Prasada, among others. Several ministers will lay papers on the table, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh for the Ministries of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space. Papers will also be laid by Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal (Parliamentary Affairs), Jitin Prasada (Electronics and IT), Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (Communications), B L Verma and Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya (Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution), Dr L Murugan (Information and Broadcasting), Satish Chandra Dubey (Mines), Ravneet Singh (Railways) and Harsh Malhotra (Corporate Affairs). The Lok Sabha will also take up matters under Rule 377 during the day. The legislative agenda includes the introduction and consideration of two major bills. (ANI) Three people died, and one was injured after a car reportedly lost control and crashed into a tree in Amreli, Gujarat, early Tuesday morning, police officials said. The incident was reported to the fire department around 3 am, and the bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem. According to Amreli Fire Incharge Officer SP Sartheja, a 112 emergency call reported the accident near Bagasara, about 8 km away. Several people were trapped inside the vehicle. "The emergency call on 112 came at 3 am and said that several people were stuck in a vehicle near Bagasara. Our team took immediate notice of the information and reached the place. We used our equipment to douse the fire and rescued four people quickly," he said. He added that the fire and emergency department responded immediately. Upon arrival, they skilfully extinguished the fire caused by the collision and rescued four people. Only one survived and was sent for emergency care, while the other three were sent for post-mortem. "The emergency team rescued four people. One survivor has been sent to the civil hospital, while the bodies of the other three have been handed over to the police for post-mortem," SP Sartheja added. Visuals of the accident show the car sustained major damage, indicating the impact may have trapped the victims inside. This comes days after a deadly collision on the Yamuna Expressway, where multiple buses and cars crashed, leaving 13 dead. The bereaved families were granted ex-gratia of 2 lakh by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also expressed their condolences. (ANI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday slammed the central government and Enforcement Directorate over the National Herald case, asserting that Jawaharlal Nehru established National Herald during the freedom movement and it is the pride of the country. Speaking to reporters in Belagavi during the protest, Shivakumar said, "The National Herald is the pride of the country, established by Jawaharlal Nehru during the freedom movement. I ask only one question: why have they still not provided me with the FIR copy? The image of the Enforcement Directorate has been tarnished today." Karnataka Congress leaders staged protests near the Gandhi statue at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi against the Central government over the National Herald case and the decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as VB-G Ram G. The protest also focused on the Centre's move to rename MGNREGA, with Congress leaders accusing the BJP-led government of undermining the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and diluting a landmark welfare scheme. Karnataka Minister M B Patil said Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation and described MGNREGA as a successful programme that generated local employment across rural India. "Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation. It was a successful programme that provided local employment, initiated under the leadership of Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. The BJP could not digest this and changed its name," Patil said. Meanwhile, reacting to the Congress's nationwide protest, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy criticised the party, claiming it was the Congress that had historically opposed Mahatma Gandhi. He alleged that Gandhi had once advised the Congress to dissolve itself after independence, arguing that it should no longer function as a political party. "We are not against Gandhi. Congress is against Gandhi because Gandhi had told the people of Congress that they had achieved independence, so dissolve the Congress organisation immediately, as it is not a political party. They are the ones against Gandhi," he said. The Bill introduced by the Agriculture Minister in the Lok Sabha guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work. (ANI) First Study to Use a pTau217 Blood Test to Detect Alzheimer's Disease Early and at Scale CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ALZpath, Inc., a leading developer of innovative diagnostic tools for Alzheimer's and related diseases, today announced that the Simoa ALZpath pTau217 Assay was used in a landmark population-based study published in Nature. The assay was run on the Quanterix Simoa platform and is powered by ALZpath's proprietary pTau217 antibody. Using blood-based biomarker analysis, the study found that more than one in ten adults over age 70 may be eligible for treatments to slow cognitive decline. The use of pTau217 blood tests in this large-scale population study demonstrates the feasibility of deploying blood tests at scale in population-level research, supporting earlier detection and treatment eligibility assessment. The Nature study, co-authored by Dr. Nicholas Ashton of Banner Sun Health Research Institute and conducted by University of Gothenburg (Sweden), King's College London (UK), and Stavanger University Hospital (Norway), used a simple, non-invasive blood test to detect Alzheimer's disease neuropathological changes (ADNC)a key casual factor in the development of cognitive decline. "We are proud to support this important research conducted by teams at Banner Sun Heath Research Institute, University of Gothenburg, Kings College London, and Stavanger University," said Mike Banville, CEO of ALZpath. "As more diagnostics companies integrate the ALZpath pTau217 antibody into their blood-testing platforms, the opportunity for earlier, more globally accessible detection continues to grow. Broad adoption of blood tests will help clinicians intervene at the earliest possible stages of disease." The study analyzed more than 11,000 blood samples from over 9,000 participants in Norway and showed that the prevalence of ADNC increases with agefrom just under 8% among individuals aged 6569 to approximately 65% in those over 90. Among participants over age 70, ADNC was detected in 60% of individuals with dementia, in nearly one-third of those with mild cognitive impairment, and in over 20% of the cognitively unimpaired. About ALZpath ALZpath is a leading developer of innovative diagnostic tools and solutions for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Its proprietary pTau217 antibody, integral to the most advanced and widely available blood-based tests, is transforming Alzheimer's disease research, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. Through licensing agreements with industry leaders including Beckman Coulter, Roche, Siemens Healthineers, Bio-techne, Alamar Biosciences, and Quanterix, as well as collaborations with world-class laboratories such as Neurocode, ALZpath is expanding access to early detection worldwide. The company's innovations have earned multiple honors, including Time Best Invention (2024), Fast Company Most Innovative Company (2025), BioTech Breakthrough's "Diagnostic Innovation of the Year" (2025), and recognition as an Edison Award finalist (2025). To learn more about the company, please visit https://alzpath.bio/ and follow us on LinkedIn, X, BlueSky, and facebook. Read the study press release here. ALZpath Media Contact: Jessica Hoffman FINN Partners [email protected] SOURCE ALZpath, Inc. Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan remains defiant on his statement questioning the Indian forces on Operation Sindoor. Chavan had claimed that India was defeated on day one of Operation Sindoor When questioned about the opposition to his statement, Prithviraj Chavan remained defiant saying, "Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions." Meanwhile, BJP MP Brij Lal on Wednesday condemned Chavan's statement on Operation Sindoor and alleged that the Congress has always been on the side of Pakistan. He further asserted that the party has consistently humiliated the country. The BJP MP further alleged that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, consistently insults India during his visits to abroad. "I strongly condemn this statement. The Congress party has always been pro-Pakistani. This Congress party has always humiliated the country. Their leader, Rahul Gandhi, whenever he goes abroad, insults India...The whole country is watching, and the public will teach Congress a lesson," Lal told ANI. Additionally, BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan also slammed Chavan's statement. Reacting to these statements, Kesavan alleged that Chavan's remarks sounded like those of a third-grade Pakistani spokesperson. The BJP National Spokesperson also demanded action against the Congress leader and called for an apology for Chavan's remarks. "Prithviraj Chavan has ranted like a third-grade Pakistani spokesperson, deliberately maligning our armed forces, calling them to be disbanded on Vijay Diwas... Why has Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi not condemned and initiated action against Prithviraj Chavan? Do they agree with his preposterous statement?... Congress has an anti-army mindset... The Supreme Court rebuked Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against the army... Chavan's statement will neither be forgotten nor forgiven by the people... Action must be initiated against him for this shameful remark and he should tender an apology...," Kesavan told ANI. Earlier, Chavan claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict. The Congress leader said, "On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not. Indian aircraft were shot down. The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the Air Force was fully grounded." Furthermore, he questioned the need to maintain large military forces, stating that wars will be fought in the air. "Recently, we saw during Operation Sindoor, there was not even a one-kilometre movement of the military. Whatever happened over two or three days was only an aerial war and missile warfare. In the future, too, wars will be fought in the same way. In such a situation, do we really need to maintain an army of 12 lakh soldiers, or can we make they do some other work?" he said. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people lost their lives. Pakistan retaliated, leading to a conflict from May 7 to 10. During the Operation, Indian said that it had killed over 100 terrorists in just 23 minutes using Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs. (ANI) Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday called for the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 and the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB - G RAM G Bill, 2025 to be referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees or a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed review. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju responded in the Lok Sabha, stating that the government is willing to discuss both bills, provided the Chair permits the proceedings. Following the exchange, the House took up discussions on the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025. The Bill seeks to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the promotion, regulation, and expansion of nuclear energy and radiation applications in the country, and to produce 100 gigawatts of nuclear energy by 2047. Union Minister of Science and Technology and Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh today introduced 'The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025' in the Lok Sabha, which he termed as a historic bill which will transform the future of India and the next generation of Indians. Further, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will introduce the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The proposed legislation seeks to establish a rural development framework aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 by providing a statutory guarantee of one hundred and twenty-five days of wage employment in every financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work; to promote empowerment, growth, convergence and saturation for a prosperous and resilient rural Bharat; and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, be taken into consideration. Meanwhile, outside the Madhya Pradesh legislative Assembly, Congress leaders are holding a protest against the renaming of MGNREGA to VB-G Ram G. Speaking to reporters, LoP Umang Singhar said the central government insulted Mahatma Gandhi and stopped funding the scheme, which is now being changed. "The central government is insulting Mahatma Gandhi. They stopped funding the scheme and now they want to change the name? Are they afraid of Mahatma Gandhi? Why is the PM insulting him? Congress will not tolerate this they changed the name of a lot of schemes and we demand that they be changed back as well. They don't want to talk about giving employment to the common man," Singhar said. (ANI) The Supreme Court has ordered the transfer of the suo moto case it had initiated to monitor the investigation and other issues, including the formation of a National Task Force (NTF) in connection with the rape of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, to the Calcutta High Court. A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma has also directed that a copy of the status report of the investigation carried out by the CBI in the matter be handed over to the parents of the deceased victim, after the counsel representing them, Senior Advocate Karuna Nundy, sought the same. The bench verbally noted that it's better for the Calcutta High Court to take up these issues, as it is already monitoring the matter. "It's better for the High Court to monitor and do things", the bench said. Earlier, on Sunday, the victim's father expressed concerns over delays in the investigation and alleged administrative lapses. Discussing the status of the CBI investigation, he said the probe into the case remains incomplete despite repeated assurances. He stated, "The lower Court had asked for details, after which CBI submitted a status report. In the report, they say the same thing as before: it is a larger conspiracy in which they have arrested Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal. It has been three months since the Director kept saying they would file the chargesheet, but they haven't done so yet. We have collected many clues." Furthermore, he alleged that the local police mishandled the case from the beginning. "The CBI is not putting it forward. We have asked it to be presented before the Court. Tala PS Police had received information about this case much before and moved the body from the incident site to the seminar room," he stated. Meanwhile, the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder incident occurred on August 9, 2024, when a 31-year-old female postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in a seminar room on campus. The case led to widespread protests and outrage across the country, with many demanding justice for the victim. (ANI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday took a sharp dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over a viral video purportedly showing him attempting to remove a woman's hijab, asserting that the Bihar Chief Minister was considered a secular leader but the true face of him is being revealed. The chief minister called the incident "unfortunate" and said such actions were unacceptable, recalling a similar incident during elections in Jammu and Kashmir in the past. "Here too, during the elections, Mehbooba Mufti had a woman voter's burqa removed at the polling station. That was also unfortunate, and this is also unfortunate. Earlier, Nitish Kumar was considered a secular leader. Now, the true face of Nitish Kumar is being revealed," Abdullah told reporters. The remarks come amid mounting criticism from opposition parties over a widely circulated video from a government event in Patna, where Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was seen pulling down the hijab of a woman while handing her a certificate. The video, which has sparked nationwide outrage, shows the incident taking place during a ceremony at the Chief Minister's office where appointment letters were being distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors. Before she could respond, Kumar reached out and lowered the head covering, revealing the woman's mouth and chin. Meanwhile on Tuesday, PDP leader Iltija Mufti strongly reacted to a viral video, calling the incident "very shameful" and questioning his state of mind. Iltija Mufti called Nitish Kumar "senile" and said his actions reflected profound insensitivity towards Muslim women. "It is very shameful. Don't you (Nitish Kumar) know what it means to disrobe a Muslim woman like this?" she said while speaking to the media. She further added, "Just because you are the Chief Minister of the state doesn't mean you have the right to pull down their veil. The incident has drawn condemnation across party lines. Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan expressed concern over the Chief Minister's health, calling the act regrettable. She said, "Regrettably, such an act was done by the person holding the highest position in the state. So the trickle-down effect of this incident could be dangerous. We are concerned about the CM's health, but I think being in such a position of dignity doesn't justify his actions, irrespective of whatever the reasons may be." While party Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said such behaviour does not befit someone holding the office of a Chief Minister. Telangana Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammad Azharuddin also termed the act "very bad" and called for strict action, stating that a Chief Minister should act responsibly. "It is very bad. I have no words to explain this. As a CM, he should have thought. There should be strict action on this," he said. (ANI) Four pilgrims were killed, and one person was injured after a car hit them from behind in the Morbi district of Gujarat on Wednesday. The injured person has been admitted to the hospital. The pilgrims were likely walking as part of a yatra to Dwarka when an unknown vehicle collided with them from behind at high speed, leading to the fatalities. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Durlabhjibhai Dethariya reached the spot after the incident and described the situation as sorrowful. "Our pilgrims travelling to Dwarka on a Yatra were hit from behind by a vehicle. The impact was so severe that it claimed the lives of all four, while one more person was injured," he said. The MLA said the injured person was shifted to hospital and is stable. He added that what was meant to be a religious journey turned into an "Antim Yatra" for the four deceased pilgrims. Dethariya also stressed the need for accountability, saying reckless drivers and responsible officers must ensure that such accidents are prevented in the future. In another road accident reported from Gujarat on Wednesday, three people were killed and one was injured after a car lost control and crashed into a tree in Amreli district. Speaking to ANI, Amreli Fire Incharge Officer S P Sartheja said emergency teams were rushed to the spot immediately after receiving information about the accident. "The emergency team rescued four people. One survivor has been sent to the civil hospital, while the bodies of the other three have been handed over to the police for post-mortem," he said. Police have registered cases in both incidents, and further investigation is underway. (ANI) Brothers Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa's Arpora, were taken away from Anjuna District Hospital on Wednesday after undergoing a medical examination, officials said. The Luthra brothers were brought to the hospital as part of standard procedure following their arrival in the state. The Goa Police arrested the accused brothers after they were deported from Thailand. The fire at the Arpora nightclub on December 6 claimed 25 lives and led to criminal proceedings against the club owners over alleged negligence and violation of mandatory safety norms. After the medical checkup, they are scheduled to be produced before the court, where authorities are expected to seek an extension of their custody in an ongoing case. The two were earlier brought to Goa from New Delhi after a court granted a 48-hour transit remand in connection with the case. After the deportation from Thailand, the Goa police then sought transit remand of the nightclub owners, telling the Delhi court that a deadly fire broke out after a firework event was organised at the club without proper fire safety equipment and other essential safety gadgets. The police said the custodial presence of the accused in Goa was required at a critical stage of the investigation. Placing its submissions before the Patiala House Court, the Goa Police said the accused are the main owners and partners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' in North Goa's Arpora area and had ultimate control over the operation of the club, including safety arrangements, permissions and events held at the premises. The police alleged that on December 6, a firework event was organised at the nightclub without proper care, caution or adequate firefighting equipment. This led to a massive fire, resulting in the death of 25 people, including staff and tourists, and causing serious injuries to several others. The police further told the court that the investigation is at a crucial stage, with the recovery of key documents such as licences, event permissions and internal communications still pending. They also said that the conspiracy behind the incident is yet to be unearthed. It was also pointed out that the accused had allegedly absconded abroad after the incident and was arrested only after returning to India. After hearing the submissions and examining the FIR, arrest memos and case diary, Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Twinkle Chawla allowed the transit remand plea but limited it to 48 hours from the time of remand. The court observed that, at this stage, there is sufficient material to indicate the involvement of the accused and said that further investigation would fall within the jurisdiction of the competent court in Goa. While granting the remand, the court directed the investigating officer to keep the accused in safe and secure custody during transit and to produce them before the concerned court in Goa immediately after their arrival. The magistrate also took note of the medical condition of the accused, observed that they were fit to travel, and directed that all prescribed medicines and necessary medical care be provided to them during the transit period. Following the order, Advocate Surjendu Shankar Das, appearing for the State of Goa, said that the transit remand had been granted and that both accused would be taken to Goa. (ANI) The Moradabad Municipal Corporation is developing the Trishul War Museum, which will display veteran military equipment, including tanks, a MiG-27 aircraft, the INS Vikrant, and other armaments supplied by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the defence ministry. Additionally, the museum will highlight the valour of the Indian armed forces through automated models and projections. A map of India, provided by the Defence Ministry and depicting the nation's borders, will also be on display. To recreate the battlefield experience, trenches and projected models simulating wartime conditions will also be incorporated in the museum. Speaking about the museum's progress, Municipal Commissioner Divyanshu Patel said the museum's construction is now 90% complete. The remaining work, primarily the audio-visual segment, is expected to be finished within the next 10-12 days. "Moradabad Municipal Corporation has been getting the Trishul museum constructed for the last 7-8 months, and it is 90% complete. The audio-visual segment is remaining, and it is likely to be completed in the next 10-12 days... We will try to get it inaugurated as soon as possible, according to the deadline given by the CMO and the PMO... The museum will showcase the valour of our armed forces in all operations so far, including Operation Sindoor..." Patel told ANI. Meanwhile, the Indian Army received the remaining three Boeing Apache attack helicopters and will soon join the Army's 451 Army Aviation Squadron based in Jodhpur. According to the Army, the helicopters will be deployed in Jodhpur after assembly, joint inspections and completion of other formalities in the coming days. The helicopters were brought to India aboard an Antonov An-124 aircraft. In a post on X, the Indian Army termed the induction a "milestone moment" and said that the arrival of the platforms would "bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Army significantly." The Apache helicopter can carry a range of weapons, including air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets and air-to-air Stinger missiles. It is also equipped with a 30 mm chain gun with 1,200 rounds as part of its area weapon subsystem.The helicopter is equipped with the Longbow fire-control radar. According to Boeing, the Apache is the only attack helicopter in the world with a fire-control radar that provides 360-degree coverage, along with a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night-vision operations. The Boeing AH-64E is the most advanced Apache configuration and is designed for multi-domain Operations. The AH-64E Version 6 includes upgrades to sensors, software and weapons performance. The Indian Air Force already operates a fleet of 22 Apache helicopters, which are deployed in Ladakh and western sectors. (ANI) The Food Carnival being organised alongside the SARAS (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society) Fair at Shimla's historic Ridge Ground has emerged as a major attraction for tourists, while also providing sustainable livelihood opportunities to rural women from across Himachal Pradesh. Held under the Government of India's Rural Livelihood Programme, the ten-day event is drawing large footfall for its authentic Himachali cuisine. More than 100 rural women are participating through various self-help groups and societies, managing multiple stalls that showcase handmade products and traditional foods. The main highlight of the carnival is the 17 food stalls, run by over 50 women, serving traditional hill dishes that are receiving an enthusiastic response from visitors. Tourists from different parts of the country are appreciating both the taste and the purpose behind the initiative. Arun Gupta, a tourist from Uttar Pradesh, told ANI that the carnival offered a memorable experience. "This is really very good. It is a wonderful effort to provide employment to rural women. The food tastes excellent, and the experience is extremely pleasant and unforgettable. It gives a deep sense of happiness," he said. Another visitor, Rakesh Bahadur Singh from Banaras, said the carnival filled a major gap for tourists seeking local cuisine. "We have been in Shimla for three days and were searching for a local food restaurant, but could not find one. Coming here felt really good. The effort should be expanded to more places. We tried a couple of items, and they were good. We would like to explore more," he said. Women from all 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh have arrived at the Ridge to participate in the fair, representing different blocks and communities. Along with handicrafts, the traditional food stalls have become the focal point of the event, bringing both income and confidence to the participants. Rita Thakur, a participant from Nirmand Block in Kullu district, said the carnival has given rural women a valuable platform. "We are getting employment opportunities and a chance to step out and interact with people. We are promoting Himachal's traditional food like Siddu. Such festivals should be organised at larger venues so more women can benefit. This income helps manage household expenses and makes women self-reliant," she said. The event is being facilitated through the Himachal Pradesh Rural Livelihood Mission. Sakshi Sharma, the organiser, said the fair is being held from December 11 to December 20 with the objective of promoting rural livelihoods. "Traditional Himachali cuisine is turning the food carnival into a platform of livelihood and self-reliance for rural women," said Sakshi Sharma. "We have set up 17 exclusive food stalls featuring traditional cuisines such as Kangri Dham, Hamirpuri Dham, Bilaspuri Dham, and dishes from districts ranging from Kinnaur to Lahaul-Spiti. More than 50 women are serving food here, and the response from tourists and locals has been overwhelming," she said. She added that the platform has been provided free of cost to the women, focusing not only on income generation but also on skill development. "Village women are learning to interact confidently, present their cuisine, and promote Himachal's culture. In just three to four days, food stalls alone have recorded sales of over 10 lakh," Sharma said. Apart from food, stalls featuring Chamba chappals, HIMIRA products, and other rural handicrafts are also attracting visitors, showcasing Himachal Pradesh's cultural diversity. The Food Carnival continues to strengthen the link between tourism, traditional cuisine, and women's empowerment, making it one of the key attractions in Shimla this season. (ANI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday offered prayers at Bodhgaya's Mahabodhi temple. Arvind Kumar Singh, a member of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee, said, "Today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, popularly known as Vikas Purush, arrived at the Mahabodhi temple. This is his first visit after forming the new government in Bihar. He prayed for peace and development in Bihar." "He also took part in the prayers at the Bodhi tree. He said that Lord Buddha's message cannot be forgotten as there is a need for peace and Lord Buddha's message across the world," the Temple Management Committee member said. Earlier on Tuesday, Nitish Kumar announced the 7 Nischay-3 program, set to be implemented in Bihar. This is the third instalment in the program. The first instalment of 7 Nischay was completed between 2015 and 2020, and 7 Nischay-2 was completed between 2020 and 2025. Taking it to X, the Bihar CM wrote, "Since our government was formed on November 24, 2005, the state has been governed by the rule of law, and for 20 consecutive years, work has been done for the development of all sectors and all sections. I am happy to inform that after achieving the goals related to development with justice in the 7 Nischay (2015-2020) and 7 Nischay-2 (2020-2025) programs under the good governance in the state, it has now been decided to implement the 7 Nischay-3 program to include Bihar in the category of the most developed states." He highlighted the seven key resolutions of the scheme. The first resolution, 'Double Employment,' aims to double the state's average per capita income. "To achieve this, several programs and schemes have been implemented. Under the Chief Minister's Women's Employment Scheme, we are providing 10,000 rupees to women in the state for self-employment. Beneficiaries of this scheme will receive assistance of up to 2 lakh rupees to expand their employment," CM Nitish Kumar wrote. He mentioned a caste-based and a socio-economic survey conducted in 2023, which identified 9.4 million families that will be prioritised for the employment schemes and provided additional financial assistance as required. (ANI) During the meetings, wide-ranging discussions were held on key issues concerning Punjab and Chandigarh, including infrastructure development, urban planning, road connectivity, public welfare initiatives and coordinated efforts between the Centre, the state and the Chandigarh administration. Governor Kataria emphasised the need for sustainable development, improved civic amenities, and faster implementation of ongoing and proposed projects to benefit the region's people. The Punjab Governor was warmly welcomed at Parliament by Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu and Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu. (ANI) GREENSBORO, N.C., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Cheryl David is proud to announce that attorney Blaire McClanahan has been named to the Triad Business Journal's 2026 "40 Under 40" list, an annual honor recognizing young professionals who are making significant contributions to the Triad region across a wide range of industries. Each year, the Triad Business Journal selects 40 honorees from a highly competitive pool of nominees representing industries such as real estate, banking, law, health care, technology, manufacturing, philanthropy and higher education. The award recognizes leaders under the age of 40 who demonstrate professional excellence, significant career achievement, leadership within their organizations and meaningful community involvement. Blaire's selection reflects her dedication to estate planning and elder law, as well as her commitment to serving clients and the broader Triad community with integrity, compassion and professionalism. "I am truly honored to be recognized by the Triad Business Journal among such an accomplished group of professionals. This recognition belongs to the incredible team at The Law Offices of Cheryl David, whose dedication and support make this work possible, and to the clients who place their trust in us. Serving families across the Triad through estate planning, estate administration, and elder law is deeply meaningful to me," said Blaire McClanahan. The Triad Business Journal will formally celebrate the 2026 "40 Under 40" honorees on February 19, 2026, at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. In addition, each honoree will be featured in a special print section publishing on February 27, 2026. Additional details will be announced by the publication. The Law Offices of Cheryl David congratulates Blaire on this achievement and is proud to recognize her continued leadership, professional accomplishments and dedication to the Triad community. About The Law Offices of Cheryl David The Law Offices of Cheryl David, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, provides trusted legal guidance in estate planning and elder law, helping individuals and families plan for the future with confidence. The firm is committed to personalized service, thoughtful advocacy and community engagement throughout the Triad region. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE The Law Offices of Cheryl David Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary Records Footfall of 52,400 Visitors in 2024-25. This Sanctuary Showcases Gujarat's Ecological Excellence as the State Prepares for the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Connect (VGRC) in Rajkot. Khijadiya Ramsar Site Stands Out as Gujarat's Nature Landmark Ahead of VGRC 2026. Offering a unique blend of natural landscapes, wildlife, coastal beauty, spiritual destinations, and rich cultural heritage. From the White Rann and artisan traditions of Kutch to the pilgrimage sites, beaches, and wildlife sanctuaries of Saurashtra, the region provides diverse and immersive travel experiences. Tourism continGujarat: Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary welcomes over 52,000 visitors ues to grow alongside development, showcasing a resilient and vibrant Gujarat where heritage and progress thrive together. Situated near Jamnagar, the Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary is one of India's most distinctive and ecologically significant wetlands, reflecting Gujarat's steadfast commitment to wildlife conservation and sustainable eco-tourism. According to the Forest and Environment Department, Government of Gujarat, 317 bird species were recorded in this Bird Sanctuary in 2023-24, rising to 332 in 2024-25. The sanctuary also recorded a total footfall of 52,400 visitors in 2024-25. Spread across more than 600 hectares, the sanctuary is distinguished by its rare confluence of freshwater lakes and saltwater marshes, creating a diverse habitat that supports an extraordinary range of avian species. This ecological richness has earned Khijadiya global recognition, and in 2022, it was designated a Ramsar Site, underscoring its importance as a wetland of international significance. The State's sustained efforts to enhance visitor facilities, including watch towers, Van-kutir, bird-watching platform, interpretation centre, selfie point, signboard, and more. The sanctuary's ecological strength lies in its remarkable habitat diversity, where freshwater inflows meet coastal tides, enriched further by a network of embankments and dikes that create microhabitats ideal for wildlife. These features not only make Khijadiya one of India's most vibrant birding sites but also reinforce Gujarat's scientific approach to wetland conservation. As Rajkot prepares to host the VGRC on 10th, 11th, and 12th January, 2026, Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary stands as a natural showcase of Gujarat's integrated development model, combining ecological preservation with economic growth. The region's thriving biodiversity complements the State's broader initiatives in agriculture, tourism, climate resilience, and sustainable infrastructure--key focus areas to be highlighted during the VGRC. The sanctuary's success story aligns closely with Gujarat's vision of "Prosperity with Sustainability," a key pillar of the upcoming regional engagement platform. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday met newly elected Uttar Pradesh state BJP President and Union Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in the national capital. Pankaj Chaudhary, a seven-time MP from Maharajganj since 1991, has succeeded Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, who was appointed state BJP president in August 2022. In a post on X, Shah shared pictures and wrote, "Met with the newly elected Uttar Pradesh BJP President Shri @mppchaudhary ji and extended best wishes for his upcoming successful term." https://x.com/AmitShah/status/2001176490134634800 On Sunday, MoS Chaudhary was elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh state president. Union Minister Piyush Goyal handed over the charge of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit to Pankaj Chaudhary in the presence of party leaders and workers. He has succeeded Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, who was appointed state BJP president in August 2022. Senior party leaders, including Union Minister Goyal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders, congratulated him at a felicitation programme in Lucknow on Sunday. Chaudhary expressed gratitude to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for electing him as the party's UP president and exuded his commitment to fulfil this responsibility. "This new responsibility is more serious and challenging than all my previous responsibilities. But I am confident that the love and dedication of the wonderful BJP workers of Uttar Pradesh will help me fulfil this great responsibility," Pankaj Chaudhary said at the felicitation programme in Lucknow. "In 1991, when I was 26 years old, the BJP gave me the opportunity to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Maharajganj for the first time. And from 1991 to the 2024 elections, I have neither left Maharajganj nor the BJP. I have had the good fortune of being elected as a Member of Parliament seven times from the same party and the same parliamentary constituency. All of this has been possible only because of the hard work of the BJP and the people of Maharajganj," Chaudhary stated. (ANI) The properties involved one flat in Maharashtra's Thane and a piece of land in Bihar's Siwan district. Both had been purchased by wanted accused Anand Kumar Singh in his wife's name using money earned illegally from human trafficking activities. NIA's action followed the orders of its special Court at Patna in a transnational human trafficking and cyber fraud case. "The accused, a Cambodia-based Indian national, was involved in trafficking Indian youth to Cambodia for forced criminal cyber frauds," said the NIA, citing its investigations. The special Court of NIA at Patna had established the two properties to be proceeds of crime and had, on December 10, ordered their attachment under section 107 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). It had further directed that the money obtained after their auction-sale to be forfeited. As per NIA's investigation, the accused was part of a syndicate engaged in luring vulnerable youth from India with false promise of well-paying legitimate jobs in foreign countries. "Once the victims reached the foreign land, their passports were seized by the syndicate and they were sold to scam companies. Refusal to work for these companies led to mental and physical torture," said the NIA. (ANI) These arms and ammunition, originating from Bihar, were spread across various parts of Northern India. The agency arrested Kamalkant Verma alias Uncle Ji, hailing from Bihar's Patna, as the 11th accused in the case (RC-01/2025/NIA/PAT) for playing a vital role in the syndicate, involved in procuring ammunition illegally from various gun houses of Haryana and other places. NIA investigations have revealed that the ammunition was then smuggled to Uttar Pradesh and further delivered to Bihar and other parts of the country. Kamalkant's arrest comes days after the searches conducted by the NIA at 23 locations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana, which had led to the arrest of four other accused - Ravi Ranjan, Shashi Prakash, Vijay Kalra and Kush Kalra. The searches, conducted on December 4, had also resulted in multiple arms and ammunition seizures. The latest arrest marks an important step in NIA's ongoing investigation in the case, and in its efforts to dismantle the supply chain linked with illegal arms and ammunition smuggling in North India. (ANI) The Solapur Division of Central Railway successfully operated a 13 hours 30 minutes special traffic block on December 14, demonstrating meticulous planning, inter-agency coordination and a strong commitment to passenger safety and service continuity, said an official release. Decommissioning of old structures tends to throw up surprises-as this ROB did, still the Division was able to conclude the work in 12 hrs 45 min and open the complete Solapur yard for normal operations. All key stakeholders, including the people's representatives, Municipal Commissioner, Police Commissioner and other state authorities were briefed about this exercise through briefings and necessary arrangements. State Government officials appreciating the need for early dismantling of the ROB extended their full cooperation to Solapur Division, the release stated. The traffic block was undertaken for the dismantling of the 19.7 metre long, 103-year-old Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Solapur Yard, a structure constructed in 1922, which had become vulnerable to heavy vehicular traffic over time. The dismantling work was carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in close coordination with Indian Railways, ensuring the protection of critical railway infrastructure throughout the operation. During the block, extensive safety measures were implemented to safeguard railway assets, including OHE installations, electric wires, tracks and points. A total of 4 tower wagons / OHE Inspection Cars were deployed for dropping and restoration of OHE wires. These alongwith tracks and points were carefully guarded using steel channels, sandbags and plywood planks to prevent any damage by falling debris and movement of earth-moving machinery. Following the completion of dismantling activities, rail traffic was restored smoothly, strictly adhering to all prescribed safety protocols. Machinery deployed for the dismantling of ROB included 3 Hydraulic Cranes (Capacity 225 T, 200 T, 200 T), 3 Excavator Breakers, 4 JCBs, 2 Bobcats (mini excavators), 2 Long Boom Excavators, 3 Hard Breakers, 3 Tractor Breakers, 4 Tractor with Trolleys. The ROB structure had reached the end of its life. It had put 19.7 m noose on railway lines, severely impacting Solapur which forced Solapur yard to not be able to handle speeds more than 15 kmph and necessitating stoppage of all trains. Solapur serves Mumbai-Chennai leg of Indian Railways' golden quadrilateral ROB had adversely impacted full utilisation of capacity augmentation of IR's GQ. The track could not be maintained to the required standards as height between rails and ROB was limited. Due to restricted clearance of overhead traction power lines, specialised insulation which is not readily available in the country was provided under the ROB. Further, separation between 25 kV lines and rolling stock was also less than minimum safe separation. With petroleum loading set to double through IOCL siding at Pakni, near Solapur, this clearance started to affect confidence in moving inflammable cargo under this ROB. This ROB put limitations on economically carrying out Ro-Ro services from Bale towards South Western Railway. The traffic block was strategically planned to minimise disruption to train operations and passenger inconvenience. As a result, most major trains running from, to or via Solapur station operated with no or minimal hindrance, facilitating seamless travel for passengers bound for Mumbai, Pune, and northern & southern parts of the country. Trains such as Vande Bharat Express, Hutatma Express, Siddheshwar Express, Karnataka Express, CSMT Mumbai-Chennai Egmore Superfast Mail, CSMT Mumbai-Chennai Central Express, and Kalaburagi-Kolhapur-Kalaburagi Superfast Express continued to serve passengers efficiently. To ensure transparency and passenger preparedness, the general public was well informed in advance about traffic disruptions, diversions, short terminations and originations, rescheduling and regulations through detailed press releases, social media platforms, official railway apps, route maps and SMS alerts. To ensure minimum inconvenience to passengers and for their assistance, Help Desks were set up at key stations, including Solapur, Kalaburagi, Pandharpur and Kurduvadi. Special arrangements were made during train diversions and short terminations. Pune-Solapur Intercity Express was short terminated at Kurduvadi, and Solapur-bound passengers were assisted and transported to Solapur via State Transport buses. Pune-Hyderabad Shatabdi Express, which ran via a diverted route, was provided lunch catering at Dharashiv station. In addition to the ROB dismantling, the Division optimally utilised the opportunity by executing 21 shadow blocks across the Solapur-Wadi section to carry out essential maintenance works, thereby reducing the need for future traffic disruptions. These shadow blocks covered locations such as Solapur Yard, Solapur SSP (Sub-Sectioning and Paralleling Post), Solapur-Bale section, Bale Bridge, Mohol-Wakav-Angar section, Madha, Wadsinge, Tikekarwadi, Hotgi, Tilati, Akkalkot Road-Nagansur section and Shahabad-Wadi section. These included six major safety-related works. The complete block operation across the Solapur Division saw the deployment of a highly skilled workforce of 691 personnel, comprising 354 railway employees and 337 contractual workers, ensuring round-the-clock execution of planned activities. The entire operation was closely monitored on-site by divisional branch officers, ensuring effective coordination and swift decision-making. The successful completion of this major block operation stands as a testament to the excellent inter-departmental coordination, meticulous planning and unwavering commitment of the Solapur Division of Central Railway towards safety, infrastructure modernisation and passenger-centric operations. (ANI) Amid criticism over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's visit to Germany, party leader Imran Masood came out in his defence, arguing that no one raises questions over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign engagements. Masood said the Prime Minister is praised and "glorified" when seen with international leaders such as the Prince of Jordan, while Rahul Gandhi faces scrutiny and criticism for his overseas visits. "No one asks the Prime Minister where he is roaming? Prime Minister Modi is with the Prince of Jordan and he is glorified, and questions are raised on the Leader of Opposition," Masood told ANI. Rahul Gandhi's The 5-day visit was announced during the Winter Session of Parliament, prompting widespread criticism from BJP leaders. They allege that his frequent trips call into question his dedication to the Indian Congress. Gandhi received a warm welcome by the IOC (Indian Overseas Congress) upon arrival at Berlin Airport . He was greeted with garlands by the IOC teams, who were all smiles upon his arrival. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi discussed India's "declining" manufacturing sector and pointed out that India needs to increase production in order to grow its economy. In a video shared by Congress leader Alok Sharma, Gandhi, speaking about his visit to the BMW factory, said, "We went to the BMW factory -- fantastic experience -- and I was particularly excited to see that they have a 450 CC bike, the TVS, and I think that's going to do well. Good to see that the Indian flag is flying here." "India needs to start producing. Production is the key to the success of any country. Our manufacturing is declining; it should actually be growing up," Gandhi further said in the video. (ANI) The newly appointed Bihar BJP President, Sanjay Saraogi, will arrive at the party's state office in Patna on Thursday and formally assume charge, an official press release said. Outgoing State President Dilip Jaiswal will hand over the responsibilities to Saraogi in the presence of Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. Bihar BJP Media In-charge Danish Eqbal informed on Wednesday that the newly appointed State President Shri Sanjay Saraogi will reach Patna from Darbhanga on Thurday. Special preparations are being made in Patna to welcome him. Party flags, banners, and posters are being installed along all routes he will travel to the State Office, and ceremonial welcome gates are being erected at various locations. He further stated that upon reaching Patna, Sanjay Saraogi will pay floral tributes to the life-size statue of the architect of the Constitution, Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, near the High Court. Thereafter, he will proceed towards the State Office in an open jeep amid thousands of party workers. During the procession, he will also pay floral tributes to the Jayaprakash Narayan statue near the Income Tax Roundabout, after which he will proceed directly to the State Office. He is scheduled to formally assume charge as State President at 12:30 PM at the BJP State Office. Media in charge Danish Eqbal added that a large number of party workers from all districts of the state are arriving in Patna on Thursday. They will witness the charge-taking ceremony of their State President and extend him a warm welcome. (ANI) On the first day of the campaign, multi-purpose camps were organised at the Nyaya Panchayat, Tehsil, and Development Block levels across various districts of the state, with 23 departments providing services. The objective of these camps is to ensure that residents of rural, remote, and border areas receive information on government schemes, on-the-spot benefits for eligible beneficiaries, application approvals, grievance registration, and speedy redressal--eliminating the need for repeated visits to government offices. On the inaugural day, camps were organised at Government Inter College Maletha, Nyaya Panchayat Kheda, Thatiyud Development Block Office, and Government Inter College Hindolakhal in Devprayag Development Block of Tehri Garhwal district. Similar camps were held at Nanai in Mori Development Block (Uttarkashi district), Bahadrabad Block (Haridwar district), Garud Block Hall (Bageshwar district), Government Inter College Taila in Jakholi Tehsil (Rudraprayag district), and Simlata Anganwadi Centre in Champawat district. Through stalls set up by departments such as Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Health, Social Welfare, Rural Development, Revenue, Tourism, and Livelihood Mission, information about various schemes was provided, and benefits were delivered to the public. This campaign is a significant initiative of the state government under which multi-purpose camps are being organised across the state at the Nyaya Panchayat and Gram Panchayat levels for 45 days starting from December 17. By bringing services from departments including Health, Social Welfare, Rural Development, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Disaster Management under one roof, the initiative is fostering direct communication between the government and the people. This initiative represents a strong step toward transparent, people-friendly, and accountable governance, effectively realising the concept of delivering government services directly to citizens' doorsteps. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party MP Yogendra Chandolia on Wednesday said that the government is making every possible effort to curb air pollution. Slamming the previous AAP government over the issue, Chandolia said, "I keep saying the same thing repeatedly, the problems of 26 years cannot be resolved in minutes. Those who are raising questions should think about what you (AAP) did during your 11 years in office." Meanwhile, Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced a 50% work-from-home policy for Delhi, noting that the next few days are not expected to be much better than last year's figures. To curb vehicular pollution, he also urged people to obtain Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. "We are making every effort to improve the situation. Starting tomorrow, I urge people in Delhi to obtain their PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificates. They will not get fuel without a PUC certificate. Trucks carrying construction materials into Delhi have also been banned. I appeal to people coming from outside Delhi to bring vehicles that comply with Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission standards," Manjinder Singh Sirsa told ANI. On Tuesday, Sirsa, in his address to Delhi residents, said that the pollution cannot be eliminated in 9-10 months, but the direction and intent are clear, with daily efforts to reduce the AQI. This comes as the Delhi Government faces mounting pressure from the Opposition, which has called for a discussion on the matter in Parliament. Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said, "The parliamentary winter session is coming to an end, and there has been no discussion on pollution. Unfortunately, Delhi's minister had to apologise, while no leader from the Central Government came forward to accept responsibility." According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital saw a slight improvement in air quality on Wednesday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 328 at around 8 am, compared to Tuesday's AQI of 354 at 4 pm, keeping it in the 'very poor' category. For instance, Burari Crossing recorded an AQI of 298 (Poor), which is better than that of other locations in the city. Other areas, such as IGI Airport Terminal 3 (263), IIT Delhi (300), and CRRI Mathura Road (297), also recorded improved air quality but remained in the 'poor' category. According to CPCB categorisation, 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'. However, a thick layer of smog also engulfed areas around IGI Airport, ITO, Dhaula Kuan, AIIMS and the Ghazipur National Highway 24. According to CPCB data, several areas in the capital, including Bawana (376), ITO (360), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (324), and Narela (342), continued to experience poor air quality. Wazirpur also recorded poor air quality, with an AQI of 359. According to CPCB categorisation, 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 is 'satisfactory', 101-200 is 'moderate', 201-300 is 'poor', 301-400 is 'very poor' and 401 to 500 is 'severe'. (ANI) Saket Court has ordered registration of an FIR for alleged extortion against the woman who had levelled rape allegations against businessman Samir Modi. The Delhi Police had arrested him; subsequently, he was granted bail by the court on September 25. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Vinod Joshi on Tuesday directed the SHO of New Friends Colony Police Station and file a compliance report on December 17. While giving direction for registration of FIR, the court said that the charge sheet filed against Samir Modi is silent on the allegations levelled by him and the investigation, if any. "The machinery of the investigation agency cannot be employed to defeat the right of a complainant for a fair investigation upon his complaint," the court said in the order passed on December 16. The court also pulled up the Delhi police over the delay in the disposal of the Complaint filed by Samir Modi. The court has directed the police to register an FIR under extortion charges against the prosecutrix, citing evidence of WhatsApp chats and voice recordings presented by Samir Modi's counsel. Samir Modi was arrested in September 2025 after the prosecutrix filed a rape case against him. Senior advocate Vikram Sharma and Advocate Siddharth Yadav, and Advocate Saurabh Ahuja appeared for Samir Modi. During arguments, his counsel presented evidence that the relationship was consensual and that the prosecutrix had demanded money and threatened to implicate him in false cases if he didn't comply. It is alleged that the prosecutrix demanded Rs 15 crores from Samir Modi. It was submitted that the complaint of extortion was filed much prior to the registration of the FIR. The allegations of extortion were not investigated. After completion of the investigation, the Delhi police filed a charge sheet against Samir Modi, which is under consideration before the concerned court. The court had also ordered to investigate the allegations of extortion levelled by Samir Modi. His petition for quashing of the rape FIR is under consideration before the Delhi High Court. Besides it, a petition was moved by the prosecutrix seeking cancellation of his bail granted by the Saket court in September. (ANI) BRANFORD, Conn., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Azitra, Inc. (NYSE American: AZTR), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies for precision dermatology, today announced it received a notice from the staff of NYSE American LLC (the "Exchange") approving Azitra's plan (the "Plan") to come into compliance with the Exchange's continued listing standards under Section 1003(a)(ii) of the NYSE American Company Guide. As previously reported, on October 1, 2025, Azitra received a letter from the NYSE American stating that Azitra is not in compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement of Section 1003(a)(ii) of the Company Guide requiring stockholders' equity of $4.0 million or more if Azitra has reported losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in three of the four most recent fiscal years. Azitra must regain compliance with the continued listing standards by April 1, 2027. If Azitra is not in compliance with the continued listing standards by April 1, 2027, or if Azitra does not make progress consistent with the Plan during the plan period, NYSE Regulation staff will initiate delisting proceedings as appropriate. Azitra will continue its listing on NYSE American during the plan period and will be subject to periodic reviews, including quarterly monitoring for compliance with the Plan until it has regained compliance. Azitra is assessing and exploring multiple funding avenues and is committed to achieving compliance with the Exchange's requirements. Receipt of the notice from the Exchange has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of Azitra's common stock on the Exchange, and does not affect Azitra's business, operations or reporting requirements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. About Azitra Azitra, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies for precision dermatology. The Company's lead program, ATR-12, uses an engineered strain of S. epidermidis designed to treat Netherton syndrome, a rare, chronic skin disease with no approved treatment options. Netherton syndrome may be fatal in infancy with those living beyond a year having profound lifelong challenges. The ATR-12 program includes a Phase 1b clinical trial in adult Netherton syndrome patients. ATR-04, Azitra's additional advanced program, utilizes another engineered strain of S. epidermidis for the treatment of EGFR inhibitor ("EGFRi") associated rash. Azitra has received Fast Track designation from the FDA for EGFRi associated rash, which impacts approximately 150,000 people in the U.S. Azitra has an open IND for its ATR-04 program in patients with EGFRi associated rash. The ATR-12 and ATR-04 programs were developed from Azitra's proprietary platform of engineered proteins and topical live biotherapeutic products that includes a microbial library comprised of approximately 1,500 bacterial strains. The platform is augmented by artificial intelligence and machine learning technology that analyzes, predicts, and helps screen the library of strains for drug like molecules. For more information, please visit https://azitrainc.com . Forward-looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements may be identified by words such as "aims," "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "goal," "intends," "may," "plans," "possible," "potential," "seeks," "will," and variations of these words or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any such statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding Azitra's expectations for compliance with the Plan and applicable Exchange requirements, Azitra locating or acquiring funding in the future, and actions of Azitra and/or the Exchange to be taken with respect to matters discussed in the notice. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current expectations, estimates and projections only as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to that we may experience delays in the dosing the first patient in this Phase 1/2 trial; our product candidates may not be effective; there may be delays in regulatory approval or changes in regulatory framework that are out of our control; our estimation of addressable markets of our product candidates may be inaccurate; we may fail to timely raise additional required funding; our actions and/or the Exchange's actions to be taken with respect to matters discussed in the notice from the Exchange; more efficient competitors or more effective competing treatment may emerge; we may be involved in disputes surrounding the use of our intellectual property crucial to our success; we may not be able to attract and retain key employees and qualified personnel; earlier study results may not be predictive of later stage study outcomes; and we are dependent on third-parties for some or all aspects of our product manufacturing, research and preclinical and clinical testing. Additional risks concerning Azitra's programs and operations are described or incorporated by reference in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2025, and in subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Azitra explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except to the extent required by law. Contact Norman Staskey Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Investor Relations Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc. Jon Nugent 205-566-3026 [email protected] Media Relations Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc. Casey McDonald 646-577-8520 [email protected] SOURCE Azitra, Inc. A Goa court on Wednesday granted 5-day police custody of Luthra brothers - Saurabh and Gaurav, co-owners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub - where 25 people died and several others were injured in a fire on December 6. Goa Police presented the acccused before the Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court after they were arrested from Delhi airport on Tuesday on being deported from Thailand where they fled after the blaze. Luthra brothers underwent medical examinations before being produced to the court. A Delhi court on Tuesday granted Goa Police a 48-hour transit remand of the accused after they landed at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. Speaking to reporters, advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing a victim's family, said the further court proceedings will take place after the end of the remand period. He said, "Yesterday, they were brought from Thailand to Delhi, and after arriving in Delhi, they were formally arrested by the Goa Police at the airport. After the arrest, they were brought to Goa this morning on Delhi transit remand. Following that, they were presented in the concerned court, and further 5 days of remand were granted. Any further proceedings will take place after the end of their remand period, when they will be produced in the court on December 22." "They have some issues for which they were demanding mattresses, which the state has opposed. We strongly opposed it, stating that no relaxation should be given to them in any form. When they pressed this issue repeatedly, the court ordered a re-examination. It was cleared that there are no issues. Considering this, the court did not give any kind of relaxation and remanded them for 5-day police custody," he added. The fire at the Arpora nightclub on December 6 that claimed 25 lives, led to criminal proceedings against the club owners over alleged negligence and violation of mandatory safety norms. After the deportation from Thailand, the Goa police, on Tuesday, had sought transit remand of the nightclub owners, telling the Delhi court that a deadly fire broke out after a firework event was organised at the club without proper fire safety equipment and other essential safety gadgets. The police said the custodial presence of the accused in Goa was required at a critical stage of the investigation. Placing its submissions before the Patiala House Court, the Goa Police said the accused are the main owners and partners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' in North Goa's Arpora area and had ultimate control over the operation of the club, including safety arrangements, permissions and events held at the premises. The police alleged that on December 6, a firework event was organised at the nightclub without proper care, caution or adequate firefighting equipment. This led to a massive fire, resulting in the death of 25 people, including staff and tourists, and causing serious injuries to several others. The Luthra brothers, despite knowing that the restaurant lacks emergency exit doors on the ground or deck floors for evacuation in an emergency, organised the fire show, police said. The police further told the court that the investigation is at a crucial stage, with the recovery of key documents such as licences, event permissions and internal communications still pending. They also said that the conspiracy behind the incident is yet to be unearthed. It was also pointed out that the accused had allegedly absconded abroad after the incident and was arrested only after returning to India. The court observed that, at this stage, there is sufficient material to indicate the involvement of the accused and said that further investigation would fall within the jurisdiction of the competent court in Goa. While granting the remand, the court directed the investigating officer to keep the accused in safe and secure custody during transit and to produce them before the concerned court in Goa immediately after their arrival. The magistrate also took note of the medical condition of the accused, observed that they were fit to travel, and directed that all prescribed medicines and necessary medical care be provided to them during the transit period. Following the order, Advocate Surjendu Shankar Das, appearing for the State of Goa, said that the transit remand had been granted and that both accused would be taken to Goa. The Goa Police had filed a criminal case dated December 7 at the Police Station Arpora Anjuna, North Goa, under sections 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b), and 287, read with 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. (ANI) Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Wednesday emphasised on the Indian Navy's focus to enhance integral ship-borne aviation capabilities, mentioning the deal with France to procure 26 Rafale M carrier-borne aircraft in this effort. In an address at the commissioning of the second squadron of MH-60R helicopters, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said, "The Navy has maintained an unwavering focus on enhancing the integral ship-borne aviation capabilities, both fixed-wing and rotary-wing. It is in this context that the signing of the contract for 26 Rafale M carrier-borne aircraft assumes particular significance, strengthening our long-range maritime strike and land attack capabilities." India and France had signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the procurement of 26 Dassault Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Navy back in April this year. The contract comprises 22 single-seat Rafale M aircraft and four twin-seat Rafale D aircraft. The comprehensive agreement also includes training, simulators, associated equipment, weapons, and a five-year Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) support package, according to the Embassy of France in India. It further provides for additional equipment for the Indian Air Force's existing fleet of Rafale aircraft. In addition to this, the Indian Navy Chief spoke with ANI on the Indian Armed Forces push for 'self-reliance', underlining the design and development of multi-role helicopters with Defence PSUs "We are actively pursuing that vision of Aatmanirbharta in the Navy by 2047... To meet our immediate requirement, we have these 24 helicopters. But parallel processes are also underway, especially in the design and development of multi-role helicopters; there is a case for utility helicopter maritime, and both are being pursued with our industry, especially with HAL and other DPSUs... Some timelines have been indicated to us, which we are studying to determine whether those timelines are acceptable or whether we require additional off-the-shelf helicopters to meet the operational requirements of our Navy," he said. The Indian Navy commissioned its second MH-60R helicopter squadron, INAS 335 (Ospreys) today, at NS Hansa, Goa, in the presence of Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, the Chief of the Naval Staff. The MH-60R is an all-weather, day and night capable helicopter designed for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), Search and rescue (SAR), Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) and Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP). These helicopters will significantly augment the Indian Navy's integral aviation capabilities on the Western Seaboard. (ANI) Congress MP KC Venugopal on Wednesday alleged that the Central government was avoiding a comprehensive discussion on two major issues linked to the SHANTI Bill, arguing that they carry far-reaching consequences for the country. He emphasised that decisions made under the Bill could directly affect ordinary citizens, particularly in the context of nuclear power. Speaking to reporters, Venugopal said, "The demand for this important legislation has to be thoroughly examined. That is why we are asking that it be sent to the standing committees. What is wrong with it? The government did not want to have an in-depth discussion on these two major issues, which have a far-reaching impact. Nuclear power will affect all common people in India, especially those living near the plants." Lok Sabha has passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, aimed at modernising India's nuclear energy laws and opening up the sector. The Bill was tabled in the Parliament on December 15 by the Government. The Bill provides for the promotion and development of nuclear energy and ionising radiation for nuclear power generation, application in healthcare, food, water, agriculture, industry, research, environment, innovation in nuclear science and technology, for the welfare of the people of India, and for robust regulatory framework for its safe and secure utilisation and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Union Minister of Science and Technology and Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh, earlier today, introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha, which he termed a historic bill which will transform the future of India and the next generation of Indians. Replying to the discussion on the Bill, the Minister said the Bill will provide a new direction for the country's development. Section 9 of the Bill, he said, allows individuals to undertake innovation and research. "Another section empowers the Government to restrict the involvement of certain companies for security reasons. This is not a new Bill; we have simply modified certain aspects of it," the Union minister said. Responding to Opposition members who opposed the Bill, the Minister said many Opposition parties are opposing it without having read it thoroughly. "They are opposing it for the sake of it," he said. "Our government has defined the Bill properly, and we have given more of authorisation and independence to private parties involved. The Bill strengthens mechanisms related to safety, security, safeguards, quality assurance and emergency preparedness." The Bill seeks to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the promotion, regulation, and expansion of nuclear energy and radiation applications in the country, and to produce 100 gigawatts of nuclear energy by 2047. The Bill aims to strengthen India's nuclear power programme while enabling wider application of nuclear science and technology across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, water, food processing, industry, research and environmental protection. It also seeks to modernise the regulatory architecture in view of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence-enabled nuclear and radiation applications. The proposed legislation establishes a robust licensing and safety authorisation regime for the production, use, and management of nuclear energy and radioactive substances. It sets out detailed provisions governing the establishment, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power plants, research reactors, fuel fabrication facilities, and radiation facilities. The Bill also opens avenues for participation by public sector entities, government companies, joint ventures and other companies, subject to strict national security and safety safeguards. A key feature of the Bill is the statutory backing for the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which is deemed to be constituted under the new law. The AERB will serve as the central regulator for nuclear safety, radiation protection, security, and safeguards, with enhanced powers for inspection, investigation, and enforcement. The Board is also mandated to ensure transparency through structured public outreach while protecting restricted information. The Bill introduces an elaborate framework of duties and liabilities, including civil liability for nuclear damage. It caps the maximum liability for each nuclear incident at the rupee equivalent of 300 million Special Drawing Rights, with the Central Government assuming liability beyond the operator's limit in specified cases. Provision has also been made for operators to obtain mandatory insurance or financial security to cover potential liabilities. In line with India's three-stage nuclear power programme and closed fuel cycle policy, the Bill reserves certain strategic activities, such as enrichment, reprocessing of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste management, exclusively for the Central Government or its wholly owned entities. At the same time, it exempts specified research, development and innovation activities from licensing requirements to promote scientific advancement and private-sector participation. The legislation also provides for the establishment of specialised bodies, such as the Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council and the Nuclear Damage Claims Commission, to adjudicate disputes and compensation claims arising from nuclear incidents. Stringent penalties and punishments have been prescribed for violations, along with powers to conduct searches, seizures, and investigations. The bill is intended to support India's clean energy transition, ensure round-the-clock power supply for advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and facilitate the long-term utilisation of the country's abundant thorium resources. Once enacted, the proposed law will repeal and subsume specific existing provisions and establish a safe, secure and sustainable expansion of nuclear energy in India. (ANI) BJD Mahila Morcha President Snehangini Chhuria on Wednesday strongly criticised the BJP-led Odisha government over the alleged gang-rape of a minor girl near Dhauli in Bhubaneswar, claiming a rise in crimes against women in the state. Speaking to ANI, Chhuria said the incident was not an isolated case and claimed that several such crimes had occurred in recent months. "The gang rape near Dhauli is not an isolated case. In Bhubaneswar, there have been 28 cases of gang rape and rape in the last two months. Nowhere are women safe under the BJP-led Odisha government. Odisha has become a hub of sexual assault against women," she alleged. A minor was allegedly gangraped in Dhauli on December 10. Slamming the BJP government over the incident, BJD chief and former Odisha Chief Minister said Barbarism and anarchy have crossed their limits and that the state capital is becoming unsafe. "Criminals are fearless, and the government is losing credibility. How much more distorted does law and order have to become before the government wakes up? The government's incompetence in preventing crime is instilling fear in the general public. The BJP government's failure to ensure a safe environment for women in the capital exposes its gross negligence and insensitive conduct. The government must take strict measures to ensure women's safety from criminal tendencies. Not after the incident occurs, but the government must be proactive in preventing it beforehand," Patnaik wrote on X. (ANI) Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday received a warm welcome in Berlin from Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) leaders, including Sonia Heldestad, President of the IOC Women's Wing, Sweden, and Gurminder Kaur Randhawa, Convener of the UK-Europe Wing. They hailed Gandhi's voice for democracy, constitutional values, and unity, stating it continues to inspire across borders. In a post on X, the official handle of Indian Oversees Congress (IOC) wrote, "Dr. Sonia Heldestad, President of the IOC Women's Wing, Sweden and Gurminder Kaur Randhawa, Convener of the UK-Europe Wing, warmly welcome Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji in Berlin, and hail his voice for democracy, constitutional values, and unity that continues to inspire across borders." https://x.com/INCOverseas/status/2001289435556548645 Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi visited the BMW World museum in Munich, Germany, where he marveled at the feats of Indian engineering being displayed with the TVS 450 cc motorcycle, developed in partnership with the German automobile manufacturer. "LoP Rahul Gandhi visited BMW World in Munich, Germany, and took a guided tour of BMW Welt and the BMW Plant. He was pleased to see TVS's 450cc motorcycle, developed in partnership with BMW--a proud moment to witness Indian engineering on display," Congress party posted on X. Highlighting that there is a lot of talent in the country, but that the Centre is squandering it, Congress party on X slammed the Central government for declining manufacturing, which is the "backbone of strong economies." "Manufacturing is the backbone of strong economies. Sadly, in India, manufacturing is declining. For us to accelerate growth, we need to produce more - build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems, and create high-quality jobs at scale," the post added. During the visit, he interacted with visitors while checking the display of various cars made by BMW. "India needs to start producing, production is the key to success in any country. Our manufacturing is declining, it should actually be going up," Rahul Gandhi said during his visit. In the video shared by the party, Gandhi said, "We went to the BMW factory -- fantastic experience -- and I was particularly excited to see that they have a 450 CC bike, the TVS, and I think that's going to do well. Good to see that the Indian flag is flying here." The event is being held to strengthen Congress's global outreach and activities. The IOC states that Rahul Gandhi is there to address the Indian Diaspora and connect with various presidents of the party in Europe. They will be having discussions on NRI issues and how they can spread the party's ideology further. The 5-day visit was announced during the Winter Session of Parliament, prompting widespread criticism from BJP leaders. They allege that his frequent trips call into question his dedication to the Indian Congress into question. The visit to Germany is scheduled to continue until December 20 this month. (ANI) The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 (SHANTI Bill), with the opposition staging a walkout over their demand to refer it to the Standing Committee. Opposition parties also alleged that the government had failed to address key concerns regarding liability in the proposed legislation. Congress leader Manish Tewari said the Opposition decided to walk out because the government did not provide satisfactory answers to two core issues raised during the discussion. "The combined Opposition has walked out of the Lok Sabha, primarily because the government has failed to address the two core issues in the Bill. It's a very strange position for the government to take that a supplier will not be liable for a faulty product which he may supply, which leads to a nuclear incident or accident. Where is the pressure coming from to absolve the nuclear suppliers completely?" he asked. "In a matter as serious as nuclear energy, to completely give a pass to the suppliers is something which is completely unheard of. This government seems to have a strange philosophy that while you will privatise profit, you will socialise liability. You will not hold private companies liable for their actions; the government will take responsibility. This is unprecedented and turns the whole concept of a democratic welfare state on its head," he said. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal had earlier said that the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 and the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB - G RAM G Bill, 2025 be referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees or a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed review. (ANI) A key meeting was held on Wednesday at the Parliament House between Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to discuss the overall development of education in the Kota-Bundi region. The discussions focused on several issues related to higher and school education. The meeting primarily focused on strengthening IIIT Kota as a world-class institution and improving educational quality in the Kota-Bundi region. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that Kota is a major educational hub in the country with strong road and rail connectivity, and air connectivity will be facilitated in the coming years. He noted that nearly 1.5 lakh students come to Kota every year to prepare for IIT and medical entrance examinations, underscoring the need to strengthen IIIT Kota further. Om Birla suggested that IIIT Kota be developed in line with the country's IITs. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that over the next 10 years, the student intake at IIIT Kota is planned to increase to 25,000. The institute's enhancement will include establishing Centres of Excellence and launching new, contemporary courses. The Education Minister further said that IIIT Kota will introduce futuristic courses in Artificial Intelligence, Green Energy, AI Centers, Pump Storage, and Atomic Studies to meet global job market demands. Given the Chambal River region's natural resources and the presence of the Rawatbhata nuclear power plant, the area is highly suitable for technical and energy-focused education. A special committee, directed by the Union Education Minister, has been tasked with submitting its report within one month to advance these initiatives. During the meeting, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also emphasised improving the quality of school education in his parliamentary constituency of Kota-Bundi. He suggested the wider implementation of the 'Know Your Constitution' programme in schools so that students can understand the core values of the Indian Constitution. He also proposed encouraging students nationwide to participate in competitions and visit the Parliament, fostering understanding and awareness of democratic institutions. Other key discussions included increasing the number of PM Shri schools in Kota-Bundi, enhancing central grants for education in Rajasthan, and expanding quality education in the state. (ANI) The session, titled 'Ashwagandha: From Traditional Wisdom to Global Impact - Perspectives from Leading Global Experts,' was organised by the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (WHO-GTMC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush at Bharat Mandapam here. It brought together eminent global experts, regulators, researchers and policymakers to deliberate on the evolving scientific, regulatory and safety landscape surrounding Ashwagandha. With Ashwagandha gaining growing international recognition for its adaptogenic, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory properties, the discussions focused on strengthening the bridge between traditional knowledge systems and contemporary scientific validation. Experts underscored the importance of rigorous preclinical and clinical research, safety assessment, pharmacovigilance and standardisation to support its responsible global use, a release said. Moderated by Dr JB Gupta, Secretary, World Ashwagandha Council, the session featured keynote presentations by leading international authorities. Dr Roy Upton of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia highlighted global benchmarks for identity, quality testing and therapeutic applications. Mari Lyyra, Head of Food and Feed at Medfiles Ltd, Finland, shared perspectives on Europe's regulatory environment and the growing acceptance of Ashwagandha. Dr Ikhlas Khan, Director of the National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, emphasised the need for methodological rigour and robust evidence to inform regulatory decision-making. Dr Geetha Krishnan of WHO-GTMC addressed the balance between promise and precaution in the global adoption of Ashwagandha. An interactive panel discussion enabled candid exchanges among experts on harmonising standards, ensuring reproducible efficacy and fostering collaborative research to advance evidence-based Ashwagandha formulations. The session concluded with a shared consensus on the need for sustained international cooperation to position Ashwagandha within conventional healthcare frameworks while preserving the integrity of traditional wisdom. The deliberations reflected a growing global commitment to integrating traditional medicine into contemporary health systems in a safe, scientific and sustainable manner, in line with the broader objectives of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit. The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit provides a global platform for dialogue, cooperation and policy alignment on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, with a strong emphasis on evidence, safety and quality, the release said. (ANI) The Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine kicked off on Wednesday, with a focus on "Restoring Balance: The Science and Practice of Health and Well-Being," at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, according to AYUSH press release. Union Health Minister JP Nadda and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised the importance of traditional medicine in global healthcare. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda, in the presence of Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav inaugurated the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, also shared a special video message that was played during the inaugural session. The session marks the start of the three-day global scientific gathering, held from December 17th to 19th, 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to grace the closing ceremony of the Summit on December 19th, 2025. Centered on the theme "Restoring Balance: The Science and Practice of Health and Well-Being," the summit is being jointly organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. The event brings together policymakers, scientists, practitioners, Indigenous knowledge holders, and civil society leaders from around the world to advance a shared vision of balanced, inclusive, and sustainable health systems, the release added. The summit brought together policymakers, scientists, and practitioners to advance a shared vision of balanced, inclusive, and sustainable health systems. Key discussions centered on integrating traditional medicine into national health systems, ensuring safety and quality, and promoting biodiversity conservation. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, in a video message, appreciated India's partnership and leadership in traditional medicine. Emphasising that health is not only about technology and treatment but also about balance, dignity and the shared wisdom of humanity, he noted that the World Health Assembly earlier this year adopted the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034. The strategy focuses on strengthening the evidence base to guide decisions through science and data, ensuring safety and quality through effective regulation, integrating traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) into national health systems beginning with primary health care, and unlocking its broader value for biodiversity, sustainability and community well-being. He further highlighted that to translate this strategy into action, WHO has established the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India. India's efforts to promote traditional medicine were highlighted, including the launch of the ICD-11 Module 2 and the establishment of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar. The summit also featured a session on Ashwagandha, showcasing its therapeutic benefits and the need for rigorous research and standardization. In his inaugural address, Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav said, "India's collaboration with the World Health Organization reflects a shared commitment to bring traditional medicine into the mainstream of global healthcare through science, standards, and evidence. Since the partnership began in 2016, significant milestones have been achieved, including the launch of ICD-11 Module 2 in 2024, integrating Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani morbidity codes into international health classification. Ongoing work on the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) and the upcoming WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, scheduled for completion in October 2025, underscore a decisive shift towards global acceptance, harmonization, and institutional strengthening of traditional medicine." Jadhav also said "India continues to expand international cooperation in the field of traditional medicine through education, research, and capacity building. The country offers 104 scholarships annually to foreign nationals, has signed 26 country-level MoUs, collaborates with over 50 institutions worldwide, and has established Ayush Chairs in 15 universities and Ayush Information Cells in 43 countries. Collaborative research initiatives, including Ashwagandha trials in the United Kingdom, Guduchi studies in Germany, and Ayurveda-based diabetes research in Latvia, are generating a growing body of evidence. Leveraging digital platforms such as the Ayush Grid and advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, India is systematically documenting and validating traditional knowledge to address contemporary global health challenges." Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Ayush Ministry's Secretary, highlighted that the Summit builds on the momentum of the first WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine and the Gujarat Declaration, reaffirming a shared global commitment to science-based, sustainable, and equitable Traditional Medicine. He emphasized India's role as a committed partner to WHO and Member States, underscored the significance of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar as a global hub for policy, research, and innovation, and noted that the Summit--guided by the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034--aims to strengthen regulation and integration of Traditional Medicine into health systems, safeguard biodiversity and traditional knowledge, and harness frontier technologies, all anchored in the theme of "Restoring Balance" for people and the planet. The ceremony was attended by esteemed dignitaries, including Dr. Goh Cheng Soon (Malaysia) and Prof. Motlalepula Matsabisa (South Africa), Co-chairs of the Steering Committee of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine.The sessions collectively reinforced the understanding that health is deeply rooted in balance--between individuals, their communities and the environment. Amid environmental pressures, structural inequities, and governance gaps increasingly disrupting this equilibrium, speakers called for holistic approaches that uphold Indigenous rights, safeguard knowledge systems, strengthen evidence structures, and ensure fair benefit-sharing. The insights emerging from these deliberations position Traditional Medicine as a vital catalyst for restoring harmony between people and ecosystems, setting the conceptual foundation for the Summit's forthcoming technical discussions and policy dialogues. (ANI) Parliament on Wednesday passed the 'Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025', with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assuring members that opening up the sector will attract new insurers, intermediaries and allied service providers, expanding the overall insurance ecosystem and creating net employment. The Rajya Sabha passed the bill after a reply from the Finance Minister. The Lok Sabha passed it on Tuesday. In her reply, Sitharaman said that IRDAI has prescribed that all insurance companies have to maintain a minimum solvency ratio of 1.5 which means the assets should by 1.5 times of the liabilities. "Also, the companies have to make provisions for all 'Incurred but not reported' and 'Incurred but not enough reported' liabilities. The profits are calculated only after providing for these liabilities. These norms provide enough safeguards for protecting the interests of policyholders." She said the government is empowering LIC. "LIC continues to enjoy the trust of our citizens and perform well to the expectations. LIC's Total Asset Under Management (AUM) increased by 6.45% to Rs. 54.52 lakh crores in FY 2024-25. The Solvency margin of LIC improved to 2.11 from 1.98. LIC has also registered growth in Net Value of New Business (VNB), which stands at Rs. 10,011 crores, compared to Rs. 9,583 crores the previous year," she said. "A concern was raised that Insurance Amendments will adversely affect employment. Opening up the sector will attract new insurers, intermediaries, and allied service providers, expanding the overall insurance ecosystem and creating net employment," she added. The Minister said as the market deepens, agents, brokers, and intermediaries will benefit from a larger market, more products, and wider customer outreach. She sought to allay the apprehension of opposition members that the government is rushing through the Bill. "We are not rushing through this Bill. As early as November 26, 2024, the Government wrote to all States and Union Territories with a clear invitation to provide comments and suggestions. This was a structured and documented inter-governmental consultation, not an afterthought. Further, inputs were sought from insurers, regulators, industry bodies, and the general public through the Department's official website, and over 13,000 responses were received," she said. The Minister said that the amendments are expected to further strengthen job creation, skill development and formal employment. The minister said that the Government has established a National Health Exchange to facilitate exchange of health claim information between the hospitals and the insurance companies. This will help in a faster and seamless settlement of health insurance claims and will benefit the hospitals as well as the policyholders. "Our Government is deeply committed to expansion of affordable Insurance in rural areas for common man. In this regard, several flagship insurance schemes have been launched since 2014, including PM Jeevan Jyoti Yojana, PM Suraksha Bima Yojana, PM Jan Arogya Yojana, and PM Krishi Bima Yojana. Together, the Jan Suraksha schemes have provided a safety net with total enrolments being over 81 crore and settled claims to the beneficiaries to the tune of Rs 23,440 crore," she said. Sitharaman said that since assuming office in 2014, the Modi government has introduced significant reforms in the insurance sector, recognizing that "true national development requires broader coverage for our people, businesses, and agriculture". She said the PM Fasal Bima Yojana is being implemented by 13 private insurers and five public sector companies. The minister said more than 15 private insurers are participating in PMJJBY and PMSBY. Private sector insurers have cumulatively enrolled more than 20 crore persons under these two schemes. The bill increases the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in Insurance companies to 100 per cent, up from the earlier 74 per cent cap. The bill also reduced the net-owned fund requirements for companies outside India that are in re-insurance business, from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1,000 crore. The bill has also expanded the definition of intermediaries to include managing general agents and insurance repositories. It amends key legislations, including the Insurance Act, 1938, the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) Act, 1999. Replying to the debate on the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman had said the government wants the regulators to be more robust. She said the proposed amendments are aligned with the government's long-term vision of achieving 'Insurance for All by 2047' and improving ease of doing business in the sector. The Finance Minister said that under the new arrangement, all the insurance companies and the intermediaries need to put the word "insurance" in their name for a better clarity of the customers. "We are introducing suspension of intermediary license instead of direct cancellation because that will provide time for compliance and allow the intermediary an opportunity to strategise, streamline operations, bring in greater transparency." Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha opposed the Bill. CPI MP Sandosh Kumar P alleged that the government was finishing Public Sector Undertakings. Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale alleged that the bill focuses not on policyholders' interests but on company shareholders. He said the bill "weakens accountability and leaves policyholders exposed." "How is insurance different from other investment schemes? It is not just an investment scheme for getting returns. Insurance must primarily be seen as a social security scheme where the companies carry a fiduciary responsibility towards the policyholders and not the shareholders. Sadly, this bill does not see it this way; this bill only strengthens capital while it weakens accountability leaving policy holders exposed," he said. (ANI) NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer365 has announced that Westgate Resorts has been recognized as the standout selection in its latest evaluation of leading Hawaii accommodations for families and group travelers. The recognition reflects ongoing shifts in traveler expectations, including the growing demand for larger suites, practical amenities, and convenient access to outdoor attractions across the Hawaiian Islands. The 2025 rankings highlight a data-driven shift toward value-oriented resort experiences that support both relaxation and day-to-day convenience. Best Hawaii Resort: Westgate Resorts - now includes the Royal Kuhio in Oahu, as well as Sea Mountain and Sea Village on the Big Island, which provide spacious suites, family-focused amenities, and convenient access to major beaches, cultural sites, and outdoor attractions. The Consumer365 review team noted a measurable increase in traveler interest in resort properties that offer residential-style features, with accommodations providing kitchens, multiple rooms, and functional living areas. This trend continues to gain traction as families plan longer vacations and seek stays that allow smoother routines. Westgate Resorts aligns closely with this shift as its Hawaii property offers spacious layouts and amenities designed to support active and extended stays. Why Westgate Resorts Earned Top Placement in the 2025 Consumer365 Report The Consumer365 analysis focused on several core factors that directly influence traveler satisfaction, including room layout, location, on-site amenities, and overall consistency. Westgate Resorts rated highly across these categories. The assessment found that families and multi-generational groups identified space, comfort, and predictable service as major contributors to a successful Hawaii vacation. The report highlighted that Westgate Resorts offers accommodations larger than standard hotel rooms in Hawaii, addressing a noted pain point among travelers who often struggle with limited space during multi-day stays. Suites with living rooms, private lanais, and full or partial kitchens were identified as features that support smoother daily routines while allowing families to manage meals and downtime more efficiently. In a market where many travelers now plan food budgets and daily itineraries with precision, these practical features provide measurable value. The review found that groups traveling for longer periods often prefer layouts that separate sleeping and living areas. Westgate Resorts met this need by offering room designs that support both privacy and shared activities. How Westgate Resorts Meets Family Travel Needs in Hawaii The report emphasized that families planning Hawaii trips frequently search for solutions that reduce stress and simplify vacation logistics. According to Consumer365's traveler insight data, the top questions asked by family travelers include "Where can families find Hawaii resorts with spacious rooms?" and "Which Hawaii accommodations offer amenities that support long itineraries?" Westgate Resorts addresses these needs through several notable elements: Spacious accommodations that help reduce crowding, especially for families with children. that help reduce crowding, especially for families with children. Multi-room configurations that support quiet time for both adults and kids. that support quiet time for both adults and kids. Kitchens or kitchenettes that allow travelers to manage meals and snacks without relying exclusively on dining establishments. that allow travelers to manage meals and snacks without relying exclusively on dining establishments. On-site recreation areas that provide downtime options between excursions. that provide downtime options between excursions. Laundry access that helps families extend their packing efficiency and reduce mid-trip costs. These features align with emerging family travel patterns across Hawaii, where visitors increasingly look for lodging that feels familiar, functional, and adaptable to individual schedules. The Consumer365 ranking notes that these amenities play a significant role in why Westgate Resorts consistently appears in traveler search queries related to family-friendly Hawaii accommodations. Location and Accessibility Insights From the Consumer365 Evaluation Another data point influencing the 2025 ranking involves proximity to beaches, retail areas, and cultural attractions. Travel behavior analysis from Consumer365 showed that families value convenient locations that reduce commute time to and from popular destinations. This trend is linked to maximizing daily itineraries without creating additional stress. Westgate Resorts offers access to beaches, shops, dining areas, and scenic outdoor activities, balancing leisure and convenience. The Consumer365 review found that this location meets several recurring user intents, including: "Where to stay in Hawaii near family-friendly attractions." "Hawaii resorts close to beaches for kids" "Accommodations with easy access to grocery stores and essentials" The report also noted that shorter travel times help families stay flexible with their schedules and reduce unexpected delays during peak tourism seasons. Westgate Resorts earned high marks for enabling guests to explore the island while maintaining a calm and organized home base. Reliability and Guest Experience as Key Decision Factors The Consumer365 report draws attention to an ongoing priority among travelers: choosing resorts that provide consistency. Guest satisfaction data indicates a shift toward properties that emphasize predictable service and well-maintained facilities. Westgate Resorts performed strongly in this category. The evaluation found that resort reliability impacts several user queries, such as: "What Hawaii resorts offer dependable service for families?" "Which resorts maintain clean and organized accommodations?" Westgate Resorts received strong feedback for offering an environment where families can expect straightforward check-in processes, responsive staff interactions, and well-kept facilities. These elements contribute to a smoother vacation experience, an attribute travelers now value as much as amenities and location. Broader Travel Trends Reflected in the 2025 Ranking Consumer365 analysts observed several notable shifts shaping the Hawaii travel landscape: Demand for larger rooms and suites continues to rise across all traveler groups. Families increasingly seek resorts that allow flexibility in meals, scheduling, and downtime. Visitors place higher importance on proximity to natural and cultural attractions. Multi-generational trips have increased, prompting greater interest in accessible resort layouts. These insights influenced the ranking methodology and reinforced the final placement of Westgate Resorts as a standout option for island family stays. Conclusion: Why Westgate Resorts Was Named the Standout Pick Westgate Resorts earned its place at the top of the Consumer365 list due to its combination of spacious accommodations, family-centered amenities, reliable guest experience, and convenient access to island attractions. The recognition reflects current Hawaii travel trends and the growing expectation for resort environments that support both comfort and functionality. As families continue to shape the direction of Hawaii vacations, the resort's ability to meet these evolving needs was a major factor in its 2025 selection. The full review can be read at the Consumer365 website . About Westgate Resorts Westgate Resorts is a diversified hospitality company headquartered in Orlando, Fla., featuring the largest privately held timeshare resort club in the world and a portfolio of more than 60 resort properties. The company offers spacious villa accommodations, world-class amenities, and family-friendly destinations in sought-after locations such as Orlando, Las Vegas, Gatlinburg, Park City, and Myrtle Beach. In 2025, the company expanded its footprint with the addition of VI Resorts by Westgate, enhancing its presence in the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico. Since its founding in 1982, Westgate has focused on creating memorable vacations and delivering exceptional service, while maintaining a commitment to innovation, hospitality, and community engagement. Whether guests are seeking relaxation, adventure, or a combination of both, the company's 9,000 Team Members provide personalized and value-driven getaways tailored to every traveler's needs. Connect with Westgate Resorts on social media through LinkedIn , Instagram , or Facebook and learn more at WestgateResorts.com . About Consumer365.org: Consumer365 provides consumer news and industry insights. As an affiliate, Consumer365 may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided. SOURCE Consumer365.org A fire broke out in an LIC Office in the Periyar area of Madurai on Tuesday night. The fire tender and ambulance have been reported to be at the scene. One woman died during the incident, according to the Madurai City Police. An eyewitness, Manikandan, said, "I came to withdraw cash from the ATM at exactly 8.45 pm. At that time, I learned that a fire had broken out on the upper floor, so I immediately went upstairs. I broke the glass door, and then a person came out with burn injuries. I informed the police and called an ambulance regarding the fire. After the injured person came downstairs, he told me there was a woman upstairs, but it was too late. If he had told me a little earlier, she could have been saved." Further details awaited. Earlier, a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Makhinga village of Palsana in Surat, Gujarat, on Wednesday. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and efforts to control the fire are underway, a fire officer said. Fire Officer Rishi Soni told reporters, "A call was received this morning about a fire in a chemical factory. The fire tenders were immediately deployed on the spot. The efforts to douse the fire are underway. The cause of the fire is unknown." Earlier on December 12, a massive fire broke out at a plastics raw material company in Gujarat's Valsad, with local fire authorities deploying multiple fire tenders to douse the blaze. Visuals from Tumb village in Umbergaon taluka, Valsad, showed multiple firefighting officials carrying water containers to douse the flames engulfing the godown. While no casualties have been reported so far, firefighting operations were carried out with at atleast six fire tenders on site.On Thursday evening, December 11, a fire broke out at a godown in Gujarat's Surat. Surat Chief Fire Officer Basantkumar Pareek told ANI, "Wooden items, used in weddings, are stored here. Flammable materials such as mattresses, cushions, and PVC chairs are also present. We are making efforts to ensure that the fire doesn't spread." About 50 fire personnel carried out the operation, and no casualties were reported, the fire officer said. (ANI) The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) is an encouragement for artists across the world, said Tarun Kapoor, an advisor in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), after viewing the artworks featured in the main venue, Aspinwall House, featuring the historic Director's Bungalow and Coir Godown. Tarun Kapoor was on an official visit to Fort Kochi. He was accompanied by Cochin Port Trust Chairman B Kasiviswanathan and Kochi Biennale Foundation CEO Thomas Varghese, who welcomed him to the venue, according to a release. The PMO official appreciated the works of the artists for their concepts, forms, depth, scale and aesthetics that aligned with KMB's sixth edition theme, for the time being, mixing memories, histories, presence, and absence. "It's too short a visit to speak more on the works,'' he said as he listened intently to art mediator, Arundhati Karthik's introduction to the artists and explanation of their art. She walked him through the three-part work of the Panjeri Artists' Union Collective, comprising 14 artists from West Bengal, who, through visuals, have created objects brought from their home state, to make political statements on the plight of migrants. It has been installed at the entrance of the Coir Godown. Arundhati Karthik also led him through surrealistic works by Dhiraj Rabha portraying insurgency in Assam, to the life and labour in brick kilns depicted by Delhi-based Birendar Yadav, and to R B Shajith's paintings of fast-fading lush landscapes and Kerala architecture. He also closely examined Kirtika Kain's depiction of the Dalit diaspora, Pallavi Paul's installation on the body and its journey, and Biraaj Dodiya's installation on dualities. She explained the works of Zarina Muhammed and the archives of Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI) at the Aspinwall Bungalow, the release stated. Tarun Kapoor experienced the healing power of Amsterdam-based artist Abul Hisham; felt the cooling effect of Faiza Hassan's depiction of receding waves on the floor; listened to the music of Honolulu-based Bhasha Chakrabarti's quilt-making installation on diaspora; and Smitha Babu's exploration of vanishing landscapes and performance on coir workers. The official silently conversed with Anja Ibsch, working with the human body as a site; besides viewing Huma Mulji's installation and Ratna Gupta's art during his short visit (ANI) The Lok Sabha on Wednesday was adjourned at midnight, with the next date for meeting set to 11 am on Thursday. The Lok Sabha took up discussion on Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM-G Bill), with MPs sitting till midnight to express their views. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had earlier introduced the bill, moved it for consideration and passing.Opposition members pressed for the bill to be referred to the standing committee for scrutiny. Congress leader KC Venugopal told reporters that the SHANTI Bill and the bill to replace MGNREGA should have been sent to the Standing Committee. "This important legislation has to be thoroughly examined. That is why we are asking that it be sent to the standing committees. What is wrong with it?... The government did not want to have an in-depth discussion of these two major issues, which have far-reaching implications. Nuclear power will affect all common people in India, especially those living near the plants.... Number two, with MGNREGA, basically, crores of employers and workers are going to be affected very poorly," he said. The Lok Sabha passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 (SHANTI Bill) earlier today. Party leader Shashi Tharoor also slammed the government for not sending "important bills" to the Standing Committee."I'm afraid it seems to be inevitable that the government never takes a bill back to rethink it in light of what the parliamentary debate indicates. If you listen to a large number of the opposition speeches, there were grave concerns expressed about liability, about the rights of our Indian citizens who might one day be facing problems as a result of this. The government remains impervious... The net result is that bills pass with the brute majority of the ruling party... On some issues like this, it would have been in the national interest to have a more detailed discussion in the committees... But this seems to be the government's style," he said. "I'm afraid ultimately none of us wants anything to go wrong in our country's nuclear system. But if it ever does, I'm afraid some of the words we spoke will come back to haunt the government... Nuclear energy is one legitimate arrow in our quiver. It cannot be something we're over-dependent on... But passing a bill that removes all the protections thoughtfully embedded in the legislation over the years raises some real questions... I am not objecting to private participation per se. Still, the private participation should respect the conditions of security, safety and public interest that I pointed out in my speech," he added. (ANI) Ethiopia and India have taken a significant step forward in strengthening their bilateral ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ethiopia was marked by a warm welcome at the National Palace, followed by productive talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The two leaders explored new avenues of cooperation, focusing on shared priorities and growing partnership. Key agreements were signed, including customs cooperation, data centre establishment, and UN peacekeeping collaboration, reinforcing their commitment to international peace and security. In a post on X, the Ethiopian Prime Minister said, "I had the pleasure of welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at the National Palace during an official ceremony. We held a productive tete-a-tete meeting, followed by a bilateral session with our respective delegations, exploring renewed avenues of cooperation that reflect the growing partnership and shared priorities between Ethiopia and India." https://x.com/AbiyAhmedAli/status/2000973174763393503?s=20 "We also presided over the exchange of key agreements, including the Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, the MoU on the Establishment of a Data Centre within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the MoU on UN Peacekeeping Cooperation, reinforcing our joint commitment to international peace and security," he added. "India has been a longstanding partner of Ethiopia, and today's meetings underscore our shared commitment to expanding collaboration across multiple sectors for the mutual benefit of our nations," his post stated further. Earlier in the day, upon PM Modi's arrival, Ali welcomed him at the airport. In a post on X, he said, "It is my great pleasure to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India for his official visit. His presence underscores the growing ties between our two countries, and I look forward to meaningful engagements that will further deepen our cooperation across shared priorities." https://x.com/AbiyAhmedAli/status/2000936798453948469?s=20 PM Modi on Tuesday outlined three key areas to enhance bilateral ties with Ethiopia: food and health security, capacity building, and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2000993334870073627?s=20 PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday for a two-day visit. He was accorded a warm welcome at the airport. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's conferment of Ethiopia's highest award, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia', by his Ethiopian counterpart, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, is a milestone in India-Ethiopia ties. Shah said that it was a moment of pride for every Indian, signifying Bharat's rising stature in global diplomacy under his leadership. Ethiopia's top honour marks the 28th top foreign State award bestowed on PM Modi. In a post on X, he said, "A moment of pride for every Indian. Congratulations to PM Shri Narendra ModiJi on being bestowed with Ethiopia's highest award, the 'Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia.' It is the 28th accolade to Modi Ji's statesmanship by a foreign nation, signifying Bharat's rising stature in global diplomacy under his leadership. This honour will remain a milestone in the friendship between India and Ethiopia." https://x.com/AmitShah/status/2000997800897855928?s=20 PM Modi said the recognition belongs to the countless Indians whose trust, contributions, and efforts have shaped and strengthened the bilateral partnership. PM Modi is the first global Head of State or Head of Government to receive this award. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali bestowed the award. In his remarks, PM Modi said that the prize is a matter of great pride for him. "Just now, I have been conferred with the highest award of the country - The Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia. To be honoured by a very ancient and prosperous civilisation of the world is a matter of great pride for me. On behalf of all Indians, I humbly accept this honour. This award is for all those numerous Indians who shaped our partnership," the Prime Minister said. "On this occasion, I also express heartfelt gratitude to my friend PM Abiy Ahmed Ali. Last month, when we met during the G20 Summit in South Africa, with great love and right, you had urged me to visit Ethiopia. How could I have turned down this invitation from my friend, my brother? So, at the first chance, I decided to come to Ethiopia," he added. PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday for a two-day visit. He was accorded a warm welcome at the airport. (ANI) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in coordination with the United States's Federal Bureau of Investigation, has dismantled a major transnational cybercrime network operating from Noida that defrauded US nationals of USD 8.5 million through tech-support scams. The operation, carried out under Operation Chakra, led to the arrest of six key operatives and the recovery of Rs 1.88 crore in cash along with 34 electronic devices, including mobile phones, laptops, hard disks, pen drives and incriminating documents pertaining to crime. An illegal call centre being run by the accused in Noida was also shut down. Reacting to the crackdown, the US Embassy in India said the action was "a great example of #USIndia partnership in action". In a post on X, the Embassy said that, in coordination with the FBI, India's CBI disrupted a transnational cybercrime network that defrauded US citizens of USD 8.5 million and arrested the perpetrators, recovering significant illicit proceeds. According to a CBI press release issued on December 12, the agency acted on inputs received from the FBI to dismantle a sophisticated cyber-enabled financial crime network that had been targeting US nationals since 2022. Between 2022 and 2025, the accused allegedly posed as officials of U.S. government agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Using fake identities, they threatened victims by claiming their Social Security Numbers had been used for money laundering and drug trafficking. The scammers allegedly told victims that their assets would be frozen, and pressured them into transferring money to cryptocurrency wallets and foreign bank accounts controlled by the gang. In this manner, the network is believed to have siphoned off around USD 8.5 million. The CBI registered the case on December 9 and carried out coordinated searches on December 10 and 11 across multiple locations in Delhi, Noida and Kolkata. During the raids, six individuals were caught red-handed while running the illegal call centre and were arrested. As per the statement, CBI registered the case on 09.12.2025 and launched an investigation. CBI conducted extensive searches at multiple locations in Delhi, Noida and Kolkata, linked to the accused persons, yielding substantial incriminating evidence. CBI said the crime proceeds were being routed through virtual assets and bank transfers. Further operations are underway to trace additional proceeds of crime and identify other members of the network, including international links. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali to participate in the next AI Impact Summit, scheduled to be held in India in February next year, as well as the BRICS Summit that India proposes to host in 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday. Briefing the media on the Prime Minister's visit to Ethiopia, MEA Secretary (ER) Sudhakar Dalela said that India will assume the chairship of the BRICS grouping for one year starting January 1, 2026. Dalela said that Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament later on Wednesday. During the day, the Prime Minister will also interact with the Speaker of Parliament and other senior Ethiopian leaders. As part of his engagements, PM Modi will visit the Adwa Museum and pay his respects at the Adwa Victory Memorial. The MEA said Prime Minister Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday and was accorded a warm welcome. In a special gesture, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali personally drove Prime Minister Modi to the National Science Museum and Friendship Park in Addis Ababa. Later, Prime Minister Modi was given a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace, where he inspected the Guard of Honour. The two leaders subsequently held detailed bilateral talks covering political, economic and strategic cooperation. According to the MEA, Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Abiy for Ethiopia's strong support to India in the fight against terrorism "in all its manifestations." The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding across key sectors. "These include agreements on customs cooperation, training for United Nations peacekeeping missions, and the establishment of a data centre at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Dalela said. Earlier on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs released the official list of outcomes from the Prime Minister's visit, highlighting the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership as a key milestone. Among the major agreements announced were an accord on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters, a Memorandum of Understanding for establishing a data centre at Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an implementing arrangement for cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping operations training. India and Ethiopia also signed an MoU on debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework, reflecting closer coordination on economic and financial issues. Educational cooperation was strengthened with a decision to double scholarships for Ethiopian students under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations programme and to offer specialised short-term courses in Artificial Intelligence under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation initiative. In the healthcare sector, India is committed to supporting capacity augmentation at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa, particularly in maternal healthcare and neonatal care. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude after being conferred with Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, the Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia, calling it a matter of immense pride and a recognition of the deep-rooted ties between the two nations. Thanking the people and government of Ethiopia and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, PM Modi said the award belonged to the countless Indians who have contributed over the years to strengthening India-Ethiopia relations. He noted that being honoured by one of the world's most ancient civilisations was deeply meaningful. Ethiopia conferred the award on Tuesday, making Modi the first global Head of State or Government to receive the honour. The recognition marks the 28th top foreign state award bestowed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI) Voting at the 11th General Convention of the CPN-UML, led by former Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli, began in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning. The election process, which had been postponed multiple times since Monday, started about an hour later than scheduled due to a technical glitch in the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Electronic voting machines are being used for the polls. The convention has a total of 2,263 delegates, and technicians estimate that it will take around 30 minutes for each delegate to cast a vote. Polling was initially scheduled to begin at 9 pm on Tuesday, but had to be deferred, UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel said. The delay was caused by technical issues with the EVMs, forcing delegates to disperse from the queues at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu on Tuesday evening. The faction led by Ishwar Pokhrel, who has challenged Oli's leadership, had opposed voting during nighttime hours. Ahead of the postponement, party chair Oli and senior vice-chair Pokhrel held discussions on the issue. A total of 2,263 delegates are participating in the election. As many as 11 candidates have been elected unopposed, while the candidacies of two others were scrapped for violating party norms. Delegates will elect 301 central committee members representing various groups, geographies and clusters. Oli, who is seeking a third consecutive term as party chair, is being challenged by Ishwar Pokhrel. Oli loyalist Shankar Pokhrel is contesting for a second term as general secretary and faces a challenge from Surendra Pandey. Both Oli and Ishwar Pokhrel have fielded separate panels of candidates for all posts. Ishwar Pokhrel is backed by former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who is considered influential within the party, with strong support bases in Koshi, Bagmati and Sudurpaschim provinces, according to UML leaders. Pandey is also seen as a strong contender for the general secretary's post. Several senior leaders close to Oli have revolted and joined the Pokhrel camp. As a result, party insiders expect a mixed outcome in both office-bearer positions and the central committee. Oli's popularity took a hit after he led the UML-Congress coalition government for more than a year since July last year. He was ousted from power three months ago following the September Gen Z-led movement. Party insiders say Oli's efforts to sideline rivals within the UML, including Bhandari, Ishwar Pokhrel and their supporters, during the selection of convention delegates further weakened his position ahead of the 11th General Convention. Even leaders from Oli's own faction have defied the candidate list prepared by him. Some have contested as independents, while others have shifted allegiance to Ishwar Pokhrel's group. Although many UML leaders believe Oli remains in a relatively strong position, the contest for the general secretary's post between Shankar Pokhrel and Pandey is expected to be close. Critics within the party have described Shankar Pokhrel's performance as general secretary as "average". Some Oli supporters have indicated that he may not receive full backing from the Oli camp. Vice-chair Bishnu Paudel and Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali had reportedly wanted a change, but Oli did not agree. On Monday and Tuesday, thousands of UML leaders and cadres gathered around the Bhrikutimandap area for campaign activities. Streets leading to the venue were littered with pamphlets, posters, banners and other campaign materials. Candidates have also been seeking support through social media and mobile text messages. (ANI) India's Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday summoned the Bangladesh High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah over concerns regarding the security of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka after a threat was received. The summons come on the heels of anti-India rhetoric by National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah who had made a public speech threatening to isolate the Seven Sisters and providing refuge to Northeast separatists if Bangladesh is destabilised. Abdullah is known for his strong anti-India stand. Earlier, Bangladesh's Victory Day was celebrated with a cultural program at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Delhi, India. High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah emphasised Bangladesh's commitment to fulfilling its people's aspirations, particularly those of the younger generation, and highlighted the country's young population. Hamidullah stressed that Bangladesh and India share a mutually beneficial relationship, with a focus on prosperity, peace, and regional security. He noted the two countries' mutual interdependence, underscoring the importance of their partnership. He said, "The whole of Bangladesh, and all of us, are committed to fulfilling the aspirations of our people, especially the younger generation. We have a very young demography... We believe our relationship with India is in our shared interest. We have mutual interdependence... We are fully focused on prosperity, peace, and security in the region." The event showcased Bangladesh's rich culture and heritage, celebrating its liberation and independence. The High Commissioner's remarks reflected Bangladesh's dedication to advancing its people's interests and strengthening ties with India. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended his greetings to Bangladesh. In a post on X, he said, "Greetings to Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain, the Interim Government and the people of Bangladesh on Bijoy Dibosh." The High Commission of India in Bangladesh said that on the 54th anniversary of the Liberation War, eight valiant Muktijoddhas and two serving officers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces arrived in India on 14 December 2025 to participate in Vijay Diwas celebrations at Kolkata. Similarly, eight Indian War Veterans and two serving officers of the Indian Armed Forces reached Dhaka on 15 December 2025 to participate in Bangladesh's Victory Day celebrations. (ANI) The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has alleged that the deputy commissioner of Quetta has behaved "like a dictator" following the enforced disappearance of four family members who reportedly attended a Human Rights Day seminar in the city, as stated in The Balochistan Post (TBP). In their statement, the BYC mentioned that an awareness event took place on December 10 coinciding with International Human Rights Day, within a secure venue in Quetta. They asserted that the event did not obstruct any roads or interfere with government functions. Despite this, four family members were reportedly taken to the Sariab police station later that night due to suspicions of participating in the seminar and subsequently disappeared, according to the BYC report. The statement highlighted that when a petition was filed in court the next morning seeking their recovery, the judge was told that the four individuals were being held at the deputy commissioner's office under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO). The BYC claimed that no legal documentation was presented to justify this assertion. The organisation stated that this occurrence exemplified the existence of "an undeclared military-style martial law" in Balochistan, asserting that judges and deputy commissioners were collaborating "with the military and intelligence agencies, serving as soldiers in civilian disguise." The BYC contended that organising an event on International Human Rights Day was a constitutional entitlement. They added that the abduction of four family members for this reason, combined with their detention under 3-MPO without any legal basis, indicated that the Pakistani state was treating Balochistan "like a colony," as referenced in the BYC report. The group indicated that the level of oppression was becoming increasingly blatant, claiming that "the true offenders in today's society are the state and its apparatus," while individuals confined in prisons and torture facilities belonged to "oppressed and marginalised communities." They urged every aware individual to oppose this "colonial system," warning that during "an extreme phase of fascism, individuals would continue to endure suffering in various forms." The BYC called on international human rights organisations to take "meaningful and practical measures" against what they identified as state repression. Remaining silent during this time, the group cautioned, would equate to "bolstering oppression itself." In the meantime, Dr Sabiha Baloch, a leader of the BYC, expressed that the arrest and disappearance of the four men, including an elderly person and his two sons, demonstrated "the escalating authoritarian nature of the state." She remarked that their only "offence" was being suspected of attending a human rights conference. Dr Sabiha challenged the legal grounds for the detentions, questioning: "Which law in Pakistan makes attending a human rights conference a criminal act?" If no such law is in existence, she claimed, then the treatment of the family signified "collective punishment, abuse of power, and systematic cruelty," as reported by TBP. She pointed out that this case illustrated a broader trend in which the law was "weaponised against citizens," where administrative authority replaced due process, and detention acted as punishment without trial. Such practices, she noted, violated constitutional safeguards as well as Pakistan's commitments under international law, which include protections against arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, as stated in the TBP report. Dr Sabiha called on international bodies and donor nations to reassess their relationships with Pakistan, cautioning that unconditional funding for security and governance sectors has been contributing to enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and extrajudicial executions. She emphasised that all international support should be contingent upon measurable compliance with human rights standards, as reported by TBP. (ANI) After brokering Brentwood's $53M Melhill Estate, Shauna Walters and Nicole Plaxen align with premier global luxury real estate brand as wealth migration reshapes the geography of high-end real estate LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Shauna Walters and Nicole Plaxen, the power broker duo behind Walters | Plaxen Group have made their most strategic move yet, joining Sotheby's International Realty in an affiliation designed to mirror the borderless movement of global capital itself. The announcement arrives on the heels of a staggering year. In 2025, the Walters Plaxen Group commanded the $53 million sale of The Melhill Estate (Brentwood's highest transaction in five years), secured $32 million for 1414 Donhill in a single day for Fashion Nova's Richard Saghian, and helped Sir Anthony Hopkins sell his neighboring Palisades lots, alongside team member Brooke Enwere. This year, their eight-person team closed over $220 million across Los Angeles alone while assisting their clients manage a $745 million international portfolio spanning Phuket villas, Miami waterfront, and Las Vegas trophy properties. "Sotheby's International Realty has built a global ecosystem unlike any other, one that mirrors exactly how our clients live, invest, and move," said Shauna Walters. "As wealth expands across continents, we're expanding with it." "Our clients expect scale, discretion, and global fluency," added Nicole Plaxen. "This next chapter is about unlocking new markets, connecting high-net-worth buyers and sellers across cities, and raising the bar for what modern luxury real estate service looks like." THE SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY ADVANTAGE The team's decision to join Sotheby's International Realty reflects a deep alignment with the brand's unparalleled global reach and ability to elevate listings across the world's most influential luxury audience. As global wealth flows across cities and continents, Walters | Plaxen Group is expanding with it, positioning themselves as cross-market leaders who can move seamlessly between Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas and Asia, by tapping into the brand's global network. "Shauna Walters and Nicole Plaxen represent the future of luxury real estate, where borders disappear and opportunity is truly global. Their ability to deliver record-breaking results while curating an international portfolio speaks to a new era of connectivity and sophistication. At Sotheby's International Realty, we share their vision of a world where high-net-worth clients move seamlessly between markets, and we are proud to affiliate with Walters | Plaxen Group as they redefine what global luxury leadership looks like." Cristian David, Executive Vice President, Southern California Region, Sotheby's International Realty Walters | Plaxen Group will establish its bi-coastal operations at the distinguished Sotheby's International Realty offices in Beverly Hills and Miami, becoming part of the brand's omnipresent influence. The partnership will provide Walters | Plaxen Group with access to Sotheby's International Realty's sophisticated marketing platforms, expansive global network spanning 86 countries and territories, and the esteemed Sotheby's brand legacy established in 1744. 2025 NOTABLE SALES 1414 Donhill $32 million in one day to Fashion Nova CEO Richard Saghian $32 million in one day to Fashion Nova CEO Richard Saghian The Melhill Estate $53 million, Brentwood's highest sale in five years $53 million, Brentwood's highest sale in five years Sir Anthony & Stella Hopkins Malibu fire lots $6.115 million ABOUT THE WALTERS | PLAXEN GROUP Shauna Walters and Nicole Plaxen of Walters | Plaxen Group are one of the most formidable female power duos in luxury real estate, leading a team representing elite clientele and developers across Los Angeles, South Florida, and global resort markets. With over 20 years of combined experience and participating in more than $1 billion in career sales, their eight-person team closed $220 million in Los Angeles in the past year and oversees an international portfolio exceeding $745 million, including marquee villas in Phuket and Miami. Known for record-shattering results, including the $53 million sale of The Melhill Estate, Brentwood's highest sale in five years, the $32 million one-day sale of 1414 Donhill to Richard Saghian, and the $48 million off-market Brentwood equestrian estate, Walters | Plaxen have become synonymous with strategic excellence, white-glove advisory service, and multi-market dominance. The team has appeared on Selling Sunset, and Million Dollar Listing, and their work has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Fox 11, Dwell, Robb Report, and Architectural Digest. About Sotheby's International Realty Sotheby's International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby's auction house. Today, the company's global footprint spans more than 1,100 offices located in 86 countries and territories worldwide, including 47 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Anywhere Real Estate Inc. entered a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby's, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby's International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby's International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby's auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com. The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (NYSE: HOUS) a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. Both Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Media Contact: Helb Kristina, [email protected] SOURCE Sotheby's International Realty In light of the prevailing security situation, the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Dhaka will close earlier than its usual closing time on Wednesday. "In view of the ongoing security situation, we wish to bring to your kind notice that IVAC JFP Dhaka will be closed at 2 pm today", IVAC said in a notification on its website. All applicants who were scheduled to submit their applications today will have their appointments rescheduled to a later date. The IVAC located at Jamuna Future Park (JFP) in Dhaka serves as the principal integrated centre for all Indian visa services in the capital. July Oikyo, a hardline group, will hold a program on Wednesday titled "March to Indian High Commission" to demand the return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal who were sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the July uprising in 2024. The event is scheduled to take place at 3 pm on Wednesday. Meanwhile, India's Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday summoned the Bangladesh High Commissioner, M Riaz Hamidullah, over concerns regarding the security of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka after a threat was received. The summons came on the heels of anti-India rhetoric by National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah, who had made a public speech threatening to isolate the Seven Sisters and providing refuge to Northeast separatists if Bangladesh is destabilised. Abdullah is known for his strong anti-India stand. (ANI) The US Embassy in India on Wednesday hailed the arrival of the final batch of Boeing India AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for the Indian Army, terming it a fulfilment of commitments made under the India-US defence partnership The deliveries had faced repeated delays. In a post on X, the US Embassy said the delivery marked progress on the joint statement issued by the US President and the Prime Minister's Office of India. https://x.com/USAndIndia/status/2001164083949867393?s=20 "Delivering on the POTUS and PMO India joint statement, the arrival of the latest Boeing India AH-64E Apache helicopters for the Indian Army marks another step forward in the US-India Major Defense Partnership. This milestone reflects the reliable and growing US-India Defense partnership and fulfills commitments made by US Secretary of War and Defence Ministry of India. With its cutting-edge capabilities, the Apache strengthens our shared vision for regional security and deepens cooperation in co-production, training, and technology exchange," the US embassy said. The Indian Army recently received the remaining three Apache attack helicopters, completing the delivery of all six helicopters contracted for the Army Aviation Corps. According to the Army, the helicopters will be deployed after assembly, joint inspections and completion of other formalities, and will be based in Jodhpur. As per earlier timelines, the first batch of Apache helicopters was expected to arrive around February or March this year. However, the first helicopters reached India only in July. Earlier projections had suggested that deliveries of all six helicopters would begin in 2023. This was later pushed to 2024, followed by further delays. The Indian Army is steadily expanding its firepower in the attack helicopter domain and is also set to induct 90 homegrown Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) Prachand. The Army Aviation Corps also operates the weapon systems-integrated version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), known as Rudra. The Indian Air Force already operates a fleet of 22 Apache helicopters, which are deployed in Ladakh and western sectors. The Apache helicopter can carry a range of weapons, including air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets and air-to-air Stinger missiles. It is also equipped with a 30 mm chain gun with 1,200 rounds as part of its area weapon subsystem. The helicopter is fitted with the Longbow fire control radar. Boeing has said that the Apache is the only attack helicopter in the world with a fire control radar that provides 360-degree coverage, along with a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision operations. The Boeing AH-64E is the most advanced configuration of the Apache and is designed for the Multi-Domain Operations battlefield. The AH-64E Version 6 includes upgrades to sensors, software and weapons performance. Designed for interoperability within the Multi-Domain Operations ecosystem, the AH-64E v6 is built to operate in highly contested and complex battle spaces. It integrates onboard and offboard sensors, long-range stand-off weapons and network connectivity to support joint operations. The AH-64E v6 is described as a fully integrated attack helicopter optimised for modern battlefield requirements. (ANI) The protest camp set up by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) to address enforced disappearances has reached 6,031 days as of Tuesday. This camp has been persistently held outside the Quetta Press Club to advocate for the return of missing persons, as reported by the Baloch media outlet Zrumbesh. On this occasion, individuals from diverse backgrounds visited the protest camp to show their support for the families of the missing persons. Attendees called for an absolute cessation of enforced disappearances and the prompt recovery of all missing individuals, declaring that this matter signifies a severe human rights crisis impacting not just the families involved but society at large. They urged state institutions to adhere to the constitution and the law, ensuring justice for the families affected, according to Zrumbesh. During the event, VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch stated that the extensive duration of the protest camp clearly indicates that the issue of enforced disappearances remains unsolved. He stressed that the protest will persist until all missing persons are found and their families receive justice, as cited in the Zrumbesh report. Enforced disappearances have been a highly controversial issue in Balochistan, with families frequently accusing state security agencies of detaining individuals without any charges. Over the last twenty years, families in the province have organised many protests and sit-ins in search of information about their missing loved ones. Human rights organisations, including the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), have recorded thousands of such cases, though the official statistics provided by the Pakistani government significantly disagree. Human rights bodies such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have continuously voiced their concerns regarding this matter, urging Pakistani authorities to investigate reports of enforced disappearances, ensure accountability, and put an end to the practice of secret detentions, as noted in the TBP article. Pakistani authorities have consistently denied these claims, maintaining that many of the missing individuals have either affiliated with insurgent groups or are residing abroad. Despite these denials, protests by the families of the disappeared remain a regular feature in Balochistan's civic environment, with activists highlighting the necessity for justice, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Global South is shaping its own future, as he addressed a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament during his visit to the country. "The Global South is writing its own destiny, and India and Ethiopia share a vision for the future," PM Modi said, adding that developing nations are moving forward with confidence and clarity about their priorities. Referring to India's approach, he said, "Our vision is of a world where the Global South rises not against anyone, but for everyone." He stressed the need for a global system that reflects present realities. "A world where development is fair, where technology is accessible, and where sovereignty is respected... the world cannot move forward if its system remains locked in the past," he said, in a reference to global institutions shaped in 1945. Highlighting civilisational links, PM Modi said scientific research has traced some of the earliest human footprints to Ethiopia. "We share a common origin, whether we live in Addis Ababa or Ayodhya. If our beginning was shared, then our destiny must also be shared," he said. Speaking on historical ties, PM Modi said India and Ethiopia have shared connections for nearly 2,000 years. "Across the Indian Ocean, merchants sailed with spices and gold, but they traded more than goods; they exchanged ideas and way of life," he said. He also recalled that Indian soldiers fought alongside Ethiopians during the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941. Furthermore, the Prime Minister said Indian companies are among the largest investors in Ethiopia. "They have invested more than five billion dollars across diverse sectors and generated more than 75,000 jobs," he said, adding that India and Ethiopia have decided to elevate their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. Drawing a cultural comparison, PM Modi said, "In an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, people sit together, time slows down and friendship deepens. In India too, a cup of tea is an invitation to talk, to share, to connect." He added that "just like Ethiopian coffee and Indian tea, our friendship is brewing strongest." PM Modi also referred to his visit to the Adwa Victory Monument, saying, "It was an honour to lay a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument. This monument is a timeless reminder of how Ethiopia's victory inspired the entire colonised world in its quest for dignity and freedom." On India's role during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, "India sent medicines and vaccines to more than 150 countries during COVID-19. It was India's proud privilege to supply Ethiopia with over four million vaccine doses." After concluding his address, Prime Minister Modi met members of the Ethiopian Parliament. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi said the outcomes of his visit to Ethiopia mark "significant steps forward" in a trusted, people-centric partnership between the two countries, with a strong focus on youth, skills, innovation, and healthcare. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said cooperation between India and Ethiopia spans governance, peacekeeping, digital capacity, education and healthcare, with the shared aim of empowering people and promoting inclusive growth. He said the emphasis on knowledge and innovation reflects a common belief in youth as drivers of the future, while healthcare cooperation underlines a commitment to human dignity and care for the most vulnerable. "These are significant steps forward in our longstanding and trusted partnership. From governance and peacekeeping to digital capacity and education, the focus remains on empowering our people. The emphasis on knowledge, skills and innovation underscores our shared faith in youth as the drivers of tomorrow. Cooperation in healthcare reflects a deeper commitment to human dignity and care for the most vulnerable." After Ethiopia, the Prime Minister is set to visit Oman for the final leg of his three-nation tour. He is expected to arrive in Oman later today. (ANI) Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited the BMW World museum in Munich, Germany, where he marveled at the feats of Indian engineering being displayed with the TVS 450 cc motorcycle, developed in partnership with the German automobile manufacturer. "LoP Rahul Gandhi visited BMW World in Munich, Germany, and took a guided tour of BMW Welt and the BMW Plant. He was pleased to see TVS's 450cc motorcycle, developed in partnership with BMW--a proud moment to witness Indian engineering on display," Congress party posted on X. Highlighting that there is a lot of talent in the country, but that the Centre is squandering it, Congress party on X slammed the Central government for declining manufacturing, which is the "backbone of strong economies." "Manufacturing is the backbone of strong economies. Sadly, in India, manufacturing is declining. For us to accelerate growth, we need to produce more - build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems, and create high-quality jobs at scale," the party added. During the visit, he interacted with visitors while checking the display of various cars made by BMW. "India needs to start producing, production is the key to success in any country. Our manufacturing is declining, it should actually be going up," Rahul Gandhi said during his visit. In the video shared by the party, Gandhi said, "We went to the BMW factory -- fantastic experience -- and I was particularly excited to see that they have a 450 CC bike, the TVS, and I think that's going to do well. Good to see that the Indian flag is flying here." Rahul Gandhi received a warm welcome by the IOC (Indian Overseas Congress) upon arrival at Berlin Airport during his 5-day visit to Germany. He is scheduled to attend a major IOC event happening today, where he will meet IOC leaders across Europe. He was greeted with garlands by the IOC teams, who were all smiles upon his arrival. The event is being held to strengthen Congress's global outreach and activities. The IOC states that Rahul Gandhi is there to address the Indian Diaspora and connect with various presidents of the party in Europe. They will be having discussions on NRI issues and how they can spread the party's ideology further. The 5-day visit was announced during the Winter Session of Parliament, prompting widespread criticism from BJP leaders. They allege that his frequent trips call into question his dedication to the Indian Congress into question. The visit to Germany is scheduled to continue until December 20 this month. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Oman on Wednesday on the final leg of his three-nation four-day tour after concluding his visits to Jordan and Ethiopia. Earlier in the day, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali accorded a rare honour to PM Modi by personally driving him to the airport for his departure to Oman. Abiy shared a message on social media after the departure, saying, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, I hope we will get an opportunity to meet again. Our nations will always be connected by historical, cultural and diplomatic ties." PM Modi is visiting Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. During the visit, the two leaders are expected to hold discussions on strengthening the Strategic Partnership and expanding cooperation in commercial and economic sectors. The Oman visit coincides with India and Oman marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and follows the state visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to India in December 2023. PM Modi is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora in Oman. This will be his second visit to the Gulf nation. In an earlier statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "This visit will be an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest." PM Modi's Ethiopia visit, his first to the East African nation, marked a key moment in bilateral relations as India and Ethiopia elevated their long-standing ties to the level of a 'Strategic Partnership'. The visit featured wide-ranging discussions between PM Modi and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, followed by the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding across multiple sectors. These agreements spanned cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Operations Training, Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, and the establishment of a Data Centre at Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, both sides announced measures including debt restructuring under the G20 framework, an increase in Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships, AI short courses for Ethiopians, and collaboration in maternal and neonatal healthcare. Beyond bilateral agreements, PM Modi's engagements in Ethiopia also included addressing a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament, where he described India and Ethiopia as "natural partners" in promoting regional peace, security and connectivity. It marked the 18th parliament worldwide addressed by PM Modi. Following the parliamentary address, PM Modi shared a post on X, stating, "Delighted to have interacted with Ministers and MPs of Ethiopia after my address to the Ethiopian Parliament." PM Modi was also conferred with Ethiopia's highest civilian honour, The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia, becoming the first global head of state to receive the award. He also planted a sapling at the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives under India's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative and Ethiopia's Green Legacy initiative. Sharing details of the plantation drive, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X, "Two nations, two traditions, one shared promise to honour our Mother Earth and build a greener future." Earlier, PM Modi highlighted the outcomes of his Ethiopia visit, describing the signing of multiple agreements as a "significant" step towards deepening a bilateral partnership focused on "growth and people-centric development". (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a meeting with Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said in Muscat, marking the start of his engagements in the Sultanate. The visit to Oman marks the final leg of Prime Minister Modi's four-day, three-nation tour, coming immediately after the completion of his engagements in Ethiopia. Scheduled from December 17 to 18, the visit is being undertaken at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and marks the Prime Minister's second visit to the country. The visit comes at a significant moment in India-Oman relations, with the two countries sharing a comprehensive strategic partnership shaped by centuries-old historical ties, longstanding trade relations and strong people-to-people contacts. It also coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Oman and follows the State visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to India in December 2023. Building on this context, Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold discussions with the Omani leadership aimed at further strengthening the Strategic Partnership. The talks are set to focus on expanding cooperation in areas including trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture, as well as exchanging views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. "This visit will be an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. As part of his engagements in Oman, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora, continuing his outreach to the Indian community abroad. Prior to the visit, Oman's Ambassador to India, Sheikh Humaid Bin Ali Bin Sultan Al-Mani, described Prime Minister Modi's trip to Muscat as a "very important" milestone in bilateral ties, particularly as both countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations this year. Calling the timing "very interesting," the envoy noted that the visit comes two years after Sultan Haitham bin Tarik's visit to India in December 2023 and carries significance "from different aspects." Prime Minister Modi's arrival in Oman follows his maiden visit to Ethiopia, during which India and Ethiopia elevated their long-standing relationship to a 'Strategic Partnership'. While in Ethiopia, the Prime Minister held extensive talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, witnessed the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding across sectors and addressed a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament. During the Ethiopia visit, Prime Minister Modi was also conferred with the country's highest civilian honour, The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia, becoming the first global head of state to receive the award. (ANI) Members of the Indian diaspora in Muscat on Wednesday turned out in large numbers to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrived in the Omani capital for the final leg of his three-nation visit, chanting his name and celebrating his presence. The scenes in Muscat highlighted the strong emotional bond and sense of pride within the Indian community, many of whom gathered specifically to greet the Prime Minister during his visit to the Sultanate. Reflecting this enthusiasm, Neeru, a member of the Indian diaspora from Kutch, said she was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see the Prime Minister in person. "I am very excited. This will be the first time I will see him from so close. We feel lucky to be able to meet him," she said. Similar sentiments were echoed by Rashmi, another member of the Indian community, who described the visit as especially meaningful given her earlier interaction with the Prime Minister in India. "I am very excited and feel very lucky. Our year started with attending the Indian Diaspora event in Odisha. We got to meet PM Modi there too," she said. The warm reception by the diaspora coincided with Prime Minister Modi's arrival in Oman on Wednesday for a two-day visit, during which he is scheduled to engage with the country's top leadership. The visit has drawn attention for its focus on deepening bilateral engagement, including discussions on an ambitious trade agreement. On arrival, Prime Minister Modi was received by Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, and was accorded a guard of honour. The visit is being undertaken at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. The timing of the visit is significant, as it marks Prime Minister Modi's second trip to the Gulf nation and coincides with India and Oman commemorating 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Against this backdrop, India has conveyed that it is "very optimistic" about finalising a major trade deal with Oman during the visit. The proposed free trade agreement between the two countries received approval from the Union Cabinet last Friday. Negotiations for the agreement, officially titled the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), formally began in November 2023 and concluded earlier this year. "We are all very optimistic about it. The teams from both sides have been working very hard for its early finalisation," Arun Chatterjee, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, had said at a media briefing when asked whether the proposed India-Oman CEPA would be signed during the Prime Minister's visit. "We have immense faith that this agreement, if signed during this visit, will significantly deepen the economic ties between India and Oman. And it will open up a new chapter in the history of India-Oman trade and commercial relationship," he added. Beyond trade, Prime Minister Modi is also expected to hold discussions with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik on further strengthening the Strategic Partnership, including cooperation in commercial and economic sectors. As part of his engagements, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora in Oman, continuing his outreach to the overseas Indian community. "This visit will be an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture, as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs said in an earlier statement. (ANI) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday outlined Russia's approach to global conflicts, underscoring that Moscow has consistently pursued diplomatic solutions wherever possible while warning that attempts to engage the country through coercion have resulted in missed opportunities. Putin also warned Western leaders against moves to escalate tensions, describing such approaches as "irresponsible." "Russia has been seeking diplomatic resolutions to contradictions and conflicts as long as there is the slimmest hope of success. Those who convinced themselves that Russia can be spoken to in the language of force are fully responsible for those missed opportunities," Putin said. Placing this position within the context of Russia's broader security policy, President Putin used a key meeting of the Defence Ministry to highlight advances in the country's military capabilities. During the meeting, he announced that Russia's newly developed medium-range Oreshnik missile system is expected to enter combat service before the end of the year, describing it as part of efforts to strengthen long-term national security. Reviewing military developments over the past year, Putin highlighted progress in advanced weapons programmes designed to "ensure the strategic parity, security and global positions of Russia for decades to come." Alongside the Oreshnik missile, he referred to other strategic systems, including the Burevestnik unlimited-range cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone, both powered by compact nuclear reactors, noting that they reached key development milestones this year. "We will keep working on those systems. Tune them and improve them, but we already have them," Putin said. Providing background to the Oreshnik programme, Russia first publicly disclosed the system following a strike on a weapons manufacturing facility in Ukraine in November 2024, which Moscow described as a successful "combat test." The missile is understood to be capable of carrying multiple independently targetable warheads with nuclear capability. Putin has previously drawn attention to the missile's destructive potential, stating that the conventional variant used in the Ukraine strike is comparable to a low-yield nuclear weapon. Russia has also announced plans to deploy some Oreshnik systems in Belarus, a close military ally. Beyond weapons development, the Defence Ministry meeting also addressed broader military priorities. Putin outlined ongoing efforts to modernise the Russian armed forces and directed the military to study lessons from the Ukraine conflict in the development of new weapons. He also spoke about issues related to medical rehabilitation and the provision of social services to soldiers. (ANI) Chinese officials have allegedly sent a significant number of police and paramilitary personnel to Lhasa on Sunday for the annual Ganden Ngamchoe festival, an important religious event that honours the parinirvana of Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Phayul reported. Ganden Ngamchoe, celebrated on the 25th day of the 10th month according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, is typically observed by lighting butter lamps, walking around monasteries and praying at significant religious locations, particularly at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Phayul noted. However, images and videos shared by a Tibetan user on X depicted an atmosphere of heightened tension around the Jokhang Temple during this year's event. "This should be a sacred and peaceful day for faith. Instead, the Chinese Communist Party has transformed it into a day filled with tension and anxiety," the post stated. According to the account, the Jokhang Temple was encircled by military and police forces positioned in "three tiers," underscoring what the netizen described as the authorities' increasing dependence on coercive tactics to stifle religious expression under the guise of ensuring stability. Access points to these places were reportedly heavily monitored, with multiple layers of checkpoints established along main roads and narrow alleyways. At these checkpoints, police frequently inspected identification cards, questioned individuals about their purposes and limited entry once a certain crowd size was reached. In certain areas, temporary inspection booths were set up, while patrols consistently moved through the surrounding neighbourhoods, the Phayul report said. According to analysts and human rights observers, one of the main objectives of the extensive security presence was to prevent large religious gatherings. Historically, Tibetan festivals have provided opportunities for collective religious expression and cultural recognition, which Chinese authorities have long viewed with suspicion. During Ganden Ngamchoe, police reportedly actively discouraged Tibetans from gathering in large groups. Devotees wishing to light butter lamps or pray collectively were often instructed to move along quickly or disperse. In some instances, access to monasteries was temporarily restricted, allowing entry only in small numbers or within rigidly controlled time frames, Phayul reported. While officials have asserted that such measures are necessary for crowd management and public safety, observers contend that the restrictions extend far beyond standard security concerns and are aimed at reducing the public visibility of Tibetan religious practices. Observers also note that the heightened security presence during Ganden Ngamchoe is not an isolated incident but part of a broader Chinese strategy to impose strict control over Tibet's religious institutions and cultural identity. Similar measures are frequently reported during other significant religious occasions, anniversaries linked to Tibetan history and politically sensitive periods, Phayul reported. (ANI) The startup was formed to address rising regulatory complexity in healthcare. ATLANTA, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalyst by Wellstar today announced the creation of Polysight, a venture-backed AI-native compliance intelligence company that will help health systems address rising regulatory complexity in healthcare. With U.S health systems spending over $39 billion annually on compliance, Polysight turns what is often a fragmented, manual process, into a unified, intelligent system using real-time regulatory data to improve safety, efficiency, and operational performance. Catalyst by Wellstar "Safe AI begins with trustworthy data. Polysight uses only validated, official regulatory sources to ensure that every insight is accurate, defensible, and ready for operational use. This allows health systems to modernize compliance without sacrificing the rigor or integrity that patient safety demands," said Rinku A. Patel, PharmD, RPh, CEO and Co-Founder of Polysight. "Regulatory complexity is one of the most significant operational challenges facing healthcare today," said Hank Capps, MD, President of Catalyst by Wellstar, and Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer for Wellstar Health System. "Polysight combines trusted data with intelligent automation to redefine how health systems manage compliance and strengthen care delivery." The platform is designed to anticipate, analyze, and adapt. Continuous monitoring of regulatory updates enables customers to anticipate evolving requirements, while the AI-assisted tools help teams analyze and understand the relevance and impact of regulatory changes. Automated recommendations and workflow support streamlined updates and allow healthcare organizations to adapt and more efficiently comply with changing policies. Polysight is launching its platform in tandem with an active pilot at Wellstar Health System, one of the largest health systems in the Southeast, with 11 hospitals and 5 Health Parks serving people across Georgia and parts of South Carolina and Alabama. This provides a unique real-world test environment to demonstrate how the platform can streamline compliance operations across a large, multi-site health system. "Polysight offers a promising new approach to managing the complexity of healthcare compliance by giving teams real-time intelligence and actionable insight," said Beth Kost, SVP & Chief Compliance Officer, Wellstar Health System. "We look forward to evaluating how this technology can streamline our processes and strengthen patient safety and regulatory rigor." As the second company launched from Catalyst by Wellstar's venture studio, Polysight continues the organization's commitment to advancing healthcare innovation by turning complex operational challenges into actionable, AI-driven solutions that enhance patient safety, operational efficiency, and regulatory rigor. About Polysight Founded in 2025, Polysight is a venture-backed AI-native compliance intelligence platform that helps healthcare organizations simplify and modernize regulatory compliance. By turning complex, manual processes into an intelligent, data-driven system, Polysight delivers actionable insights and workflow support that improve operational efficiency, patient safety, and regulatory rigor. Developed through Catalyst by Wellstar's Venture Studio, the platform reflects a commitment to healthcare innovation, empowering health systems to proactively manage compliance challenges, and transform operational complexity into measurable results. To learn more, visit polysight.ai. About Catalyst by Wellstar Catalyst by Wellstar is the first-of-its-kind innovation company and venture firm created by one of the largest health systems in Georgia. We build better healthcare by harnessing problems, creating solutions, and partnering across industries to deploy a true ecosystem of care. For more information, visit catalyst.wellstar.org. About Wellstar Health System Wellstar personalizes the patient experience. We call it PeopleCare and it's only possible thanks to our 34,000 team members who provide expert compassionate care for every stage of life. PeopleCare also means we serve our communities as a non-profit health system, providing more than $1 billion annually in charity care and community programs, and operating the largest integrated trauma network in the State of Georgia. We embrace innovation and technology, nurture early-stage companies through our venture firm Catalyst by Wellstar, and train future generations of caregivers with academic institutions including the Medical College of Georgia. Wellstar honors every voice and is one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. To learn more, visit Wellstar.org. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Catalyst by Wellstar Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a prolonged standing ovation lasting nearly 90 seconds after addressing a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament on Wednesday, marking a high point of his maiden visit to the East African nation and reflecting the warmth and goodwill underpinning bilateral ties. The applause began soon after the Prime Minister concluded his address by thanking the people of Ethiopia, and continued as he stepped down from the podium and greeted members of Parliament, visibly underscoring the strong and growing connection between the two countries. "Thank you for your friendship, thank you for your trust... Thank you," Prime Minister Modi said while concluding his speech, using Ethiopian phrases to express gratitude. His remarks were met with sustained applause across the Parliament. In his address, the Prime Minister placed the contemporary partnership in a historical and cultural context, highlighting the deep-rooted links between India and Ethiopia. He noted that nearly 2,000 years ago, exchanges between the two regions extended beyond commerce to ideas and ways of life. "Ports like Addis and Dholera were not just trade centres, but bridges between civilisations," he said, adding that the relationship entered a new phase in modern times when Indian soldiers fought alongside Ethiopians during the country's liberation in 1941. Building on these historical ties, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the expanding economic partnership between the two nations. "Indian companies are among the largest investors in Ethiopia. They have invested more than 5 billion dollars across diverse sectors and generated more than 75000 jobs. We have decided to elevate India-Ethiopia bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership," he said. He also drew attention to India's governance experience, particularly in service delivery. "India's Digital Public Infrastructure has transformed the way we deliver services and how people access them," he said. Referring to cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister said India was honoured to stand with Ethiopia during a global crisis. "India sent medicines and vaccines to more than 150 countries during COVID-19. It was India's proud privilege to supply Ethiopia with over four million vaccine doses," he said. Earlier Prime Minister Modi began his address by conveying greetings from the people of India and paying tribute to Ethiopia's democratic institutions. "In this great building, the will of the people becomes the will of the state. When the wheel of the state moves in harmony with the wheel of the people, the wheel of progress moves forward with hope and purpose," he said. He also expressed gratitude to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for conferring on him the country's highest civilian honour, The Grand Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. "I accept this honour with folded hands and humility on behalf of the people of India," he said. Describing Ethiopia as one of the world's oldest civilisations, the Prime Minister said its history lives on in its landscapes and its people. Drawing a cultural parallel, he noted that both India and Ethiopia "refer to the land as mother." "We too are an ancient civilisation, walking confidently into the future, guided by the call of 'Sabka saath, Sabka vikas, Sabka prayas'. Our emotions for our motherland also reflect our shared perspective. India's song Vande Mataram and the Ethiopian national anthem both refer to the land as mother," he said. Following the conclusion of his Ethiopia visit, the Prime Minister is in Oman on the final leg of his tour from December 17 to 18. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Muscat, Oman on Wednesday, on a two-day visit in the last leg of his three-nation tour. He arrived in Oman after completing his successful visits to Jordan and Ethiopia. Marking the importance of the visit, the Prime Minister was welcomed at Muscat airport by Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, and was accorded a guard of honour, reflecting the significance attached to the visit by the Omani side. Soon after his arrival, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the enduring ties between the two countries in a message on X. "Landed in Muscat, Oman. This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership," he said. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2001287934163681593?s=20 The two-day visit is taking place at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and is expected to focus on strengthening the Strategic Partnership. During the visit, the Prime Minister is slated to engage with the Omani leadership, with particular emphasis on enhancing cooperation in commercial and economic domains. Within this framework, the talks are also expected to push forward discussions on an ambitious trade pact. The visit assumes added significance as Prime Minister Modi's second trip to the Gulf nation, coinciding with India and Oman marking 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations, lending a commemorative dimension to the engagements. Against this backdrop, India has conveyed that it is "very optimistic" about concluding a major trade agreement with Oman during the visit. The proposed free trade agreement received approval from the Union Cabinet last Friday and is expected to unlock fresh opportunities across sectors such as textiles, food processing, automobiles, auto components, and gems and jewellery. Formal negotiations for the agreement, officially termed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), commenced in November 2023 and were wrapped up earlier this year, setting the stage for its possible finalisation. Free trade agreements generally involve a significant reduction or removal of customs duties on a broad range of goods, along with simplified norms for services trade and measures to encourage investment flows. India already has a similar pact with another Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member, the United Arab Emirates, which came into effect in May 2022. Other GCC members include Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Within the GCC framework, Oman ranks as India's third-largest export destination, underscoring the scale and importance of the bilateral economic relationship. Reflecting this optimism, "We are all very optimistic about it. The teams from both sides have been working very hard for its early finalisation," Arun Chatterjee, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, had said at a media briefing when asked whether the proposed India-Oman CEPA would be signed during the Prime Minister's visit. Beyond trade-related matters, the visit is also expected to provide an opportunity for both sides to take stock of the broader bilateral partnership. Deliberations are set to cover trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture, alongside an exchange of views on regional and global issues of shared interest. "This visit will be an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Emphasising the significance of the visit, Oman's Ambassador to India, Sheikh Humaid Bin Ali Bin Sultan Al-Mani, told ANI that Prime Minister Modi's trip to Muscat would be a "very important" milestone in bilateral relations, particularly as both countries mark 70 years of diplomatic ties this year. Describing the timing as "very interesting," the envoy noted that the visit comes two years after Sultan Haitham bin Tariq's visit to India in December 2023 and carries significance "from different aspects." (ANI) Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday held a productive meeting with Afghanistan's Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, focusing on humanitarian and healthcare assistance to the landlocked nation. During the meeting, India reaffirmed its commitment to continued humanitarian support for Afghanistan, with emphasis on the long-term supply of medicines and health assistance as a key pillar of bilateral engagement. As part of this engagement, a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines was carried out, reflecting India's commitment to supporting the medical needs of the Afghan people. Extending this support beyond the symbolic gesture, a larger consignment of medicines and vaccines, along with a 128-slice CT scanner, is also being dispatched to Afghanistan to strengthen healthcare services in the country. This engagement followed the Ministry of External Affairs of India welcoming the Afghan Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, on his first official visit to the country a day earlier, providing the diplomatic backdrop for the health-focused discussions. The visit reflects India's enduring support for Afghanistan's healthcare system, underscoring continuity in humanitarian outreach despite evolving regional dynamics. Highlighting this approach, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X, "A warm welcome to the Afghan Minister of Public Health, H.E. Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, on his first official visit to India. The visit reflects India's enduring support for Afghanistan's healthcare system, and we look forward to productive discussions." Jalali's visit is part of a broader pattern of official exchanges between the two countries. In October, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India for the first time since the Taliban took over in Afghanistan. Speaking to ANI during that visit, Muttaqi expressed gratitude for the reception he received, saying, "The journey has been very good so far. Not just the people of Darul Uloom, but all the people of the area have come here. I am grateful for the warm welcome they extended to me." He added, "The future of India-Afghanistan relations seems very bright." Continuing this sequence of engagements, Afghanistan's Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, visited New Delhi in November for a five-day official trip, during which discussions focused on economic ties. During the visit, Union Minister Piyush Goyal met with Azizi to discuss enhancing economic cooperation and expanding bilateral trade. "Our discussions reflected a shared commitment to advancing economic cooperation and expanding bilateral trade by facilitating the smoother movement of goods and investment. We reaffirmed our resolve to deepen our mutually beneficial partnership and further strengthen people-to-people ties," Goyal said. Azizi also met officials from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and emphasised that his visit aimed to "enhance the bilateral economic cooperation and the historical relations with India," while calling for further improvement in ties between the two nations. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated the warmth he received on arrival in Oman on Wednesday. PM Modi lauded the enthusiasm of Indians in Oman, saying it reflected the people-to-people ties between both nations. In a post on X, he said, "Grateful for the warm welcome in Oman. The affection and enthusiasm of the Indian community here truly reflect the enduring people-to-people bonds between India and Oman." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2001354327647240192?s=20 PM Modi said he was grateful for the welcome given to him by Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs at the Muscat airport. In a post on X, he said, "Extremely grateful to HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs for the warm welcome at Muscat airport. We also had a great interaction, exchanging perspectives on India-Oman friendship." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2001304624649965782?s=20 Earlier in the day, upon arrival at the airport, PM Modi said the visit gave the opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration. In a post on X, he said, "Landed in Muscat, Oman. This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2001287934163681593?s=20 https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2001276767127163351?s=20 Oman's Foreign Ministry said in its statement, "This evening, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the friendly Republic of India, arrived in the country on an official two-day visit to the Sultanate of Oman, during which he will meet with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the Most Exalted--may God protect him and preserve him. His Highness Sheikh Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, was at the forefront of those welcoming the guest state and its accompanying delegation at the aircraft steps upon their arrival at Muscat International Airport, greeting them on Omani soil and wishing them a successful visit. An official reception ceremony was held for the guest country in the VIP Hall at Muscat International Airport, where His Highness the Sayyid escorted the guest country to the podium of honor, and the Indian Republican Anthem was played." https://x.com/FMofOman/status/2001287877456699711?s=20 https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2001285820649722228?s=20 The visit is of special significance as it marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Oman. (ANI) The Tibetans in-exile have strongly condemned the recent Chinese repression in Eastern Tibet. Mass arrests of Tibetans have been reported following the protest against gold mining in Kashi, Kham Zachukha, in Tibet on November 5, 2025. There is a communications blackout as well. Tensions have escalated sharply in Kashi village, Sershul County (Dzachukha), after local Tibetans reportedly discovered a gold-mining operation at a site known as Serkhok (Gold Valley) in the afternoon (2:11pm) November 5. The Tibetans in-exile have expressed thier concern and solidarity with the Tibetan people living inside Tibet. Tibetan activists demand China to release all Tibetans who were arrested after the protest. A researcher in Tibet Watch, an organisation which monitor and report the human Rights abuse in Tibet, Sonam Topgyal told ANI, "this is not happening for the first time, there is lot of mining, the media is barred, people are forced not to leak out the information. But some Tibetan people sent this news by putting their lives in risk. China wants to suppress people who ask for legitimacy. Tibetan people consider it a holy soil. And we want to ask the international community to pressurise China, not to suppress Tibetan people and save the environment. Things are restricted and we don't have much information. It's not a free country. Things are barred, people are being monitored. There are so many surveillance cameras even in the tents. They don't want any information to be leaked out and get the international attention. Now since some information has already leaked so they will be stricter now, and there will be more repression in Tibet." Tenzin Lobsang, general secretary of Tibetan Youth Congress, told ANI, "this is very concerning because they are doing it in the name of green energy, in the name of environment or many other good terms but they are destroying the whole environment of Tibet. There are so many injured people many are in hospital and seven people are still missing. We demand China to release those seven persons and then we demand China to give medical aid to the injured person and we urge international community and human rights advocates to raise and support the issue. We urge every individual to raise voice against China as they are destroying the Himalayan belt." The deputy director of Tibet Policy Institute, Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha told ANI, "There has been mining protest in Tibet in the place called Zachukha. On fifth of November 2025, there has been a protest against gold mine in eastern Tibet. And on the next day, on sixth of November, the Chinese authorities arrested more than 80 people and as on first of December many were released but 18 Tibetans were missing and their whereabouts were unknown. Until today 7 Tibetans are still went missing. Their whereabouts are not known." Zamlha said that those who were released faced torture. "Many of them who were released were tortured. Some of them have serious problems like kidney damage and broken ribs. And some of them were released after signing a false confession letter... the repression has increased," he said. Zamlha appealed the international community to question China against the atrocities. "Chinese police is reportedly visiting each house of that region and searching and interrogating, how the news went outside? So the situation has got worse and there is a possibility that more Tibetans will be arrested and tortured and there could be further repression in the region. We appeal to the international community to pressure China to respect international law and human rights. All the arrested persons should be released immediately, and they should stop the mining work and the mining company and Chinese government officials should be held accountable," he said. (ANI) HOKKAIDO, Dec 18 (News On Japan) - With just over two weeks remaining in 2025, preparations are in full swing for osechi, the elaborately prepared New Years dishes that line Japanese dining tables each year, but few may realize that one of osechis most essential ingredients is now facing an unprecedented crisis. Experts are issuing stark warnings that, at a realistic level, kelp could disappear from Hokkaido by the end of this century, raising concerns that extend far beyond holiday cuisine and into the very foundations of Japanese food culture. The problem is not limited to osechi alone. Kelp is a cornerstone of washoku, forming the basis of dashi that underpins countless dishes, particularly in the Kansai region, where kombu-based broth defines local taste. If kelp supplies continue to dwindle, specialists warn that Japanese cuisine itself could be fundamentally shaken. In Kyoto, where factories are racing to meet peak-season demand, rows of osechi dishes are being prepared one after another. Among the staples is kombu-maki, kelp rolls simmered until sweet and tender, long considered auspicious because of the wordplay linking yorokobu, or joy, to kobu. Producers say kelp also plays a visual role, tightening the overall presentation of the festive boxes and giving them a sense of balance and finish. Beyond osechi, kelp is indispensable during winter, appearing in hot pots and a wide range of seasonal dishes. December marks the highest consumption of kelp by a wide margin, making this the most important month for producers and distributors. Yet it is precisely now that the risk of disappearance has become impossible to ignore. According to researchers who have long studied kelp production, total catches combining wild and farmed kelp have fallen sharply, with wild kelp production dropping to about 17 percent of levels seen in the first year of the Heisei era. The main driver is rising sea temperatures, which have triggered isoyake, or sea desertification, a phenomenon in which underwater forests of seaweed vanish as waters warm and nutrients decline. At the same time, herbivorous marine life becomes more active and consumes what kelp remains, accelerating the collapse. At processing plants in Osaka, the impact is already being felt. One long-established company produces a popular kelp-based snack that has been a household staple for decades, turning out more than 10,000 units a day. In recent years, however, poor harvests have pushed kelp prices higher, forcing the company to raise prices for the first time in decades two years ago, followed by another increase in March, when the product rose from 110 yen to 120 yen. Managers say uncertainty over future supply and pricing has become a constant concern. The implications go far beyond snack foods. Kansais culinary identity is built on kombu dashi, in contrast to the bonito-based broths more common in eastern Japan. In Osaka, a specialist shop serving nikusui, a local comfort dish of beef broth and tofu, relies on rich kelp stock made with Rishiri kelp to achieve its signature flavor. While suppliers currently prioritize established clients, new contracts are being turned away, and even slight reductions in kelp quality or quantity can weaken the taste, threatening the survival of traditional flavors. At a kelp shop with more than 120 years of history, shelves tell a sobering story. Its flagship product, natural kelp from Hakodate, has become increasingly scarce, with stocks dating back to 2016, nine years ago, as recent harvests have dwindled to almost nothing. In some years, production levels have fallen so low that shipments could not be made at all. As wholesalers disappear and supply chains thin, the future of Kansais dashi culture grows ever more uncertain. Veteran shop owners say the situation feels unprecedented. While broths made from bonito flakes or dried sardines can be likened to variations of fish soup, kelp-based dashi is unique on a global scale, with no true equivalent elsewhere. Losing it would mean undermining the very core of Japanese cuisine. Still, efforts are underway to avert the worst-case scenario. Researchers say teams formed by fisheries cooperatives and kelp manufacturers are developing farmed kelp varieties capable of growing in higher water temperatures, around four to five degrees warmer than traditional conditions. Early results suggest these kelp strains can survive and mature despite warming seas, offering a potential lifeline for the industry. Experts stress that without kelp, washoku cannot exist as it does today, and say they are determined to meet expectations by applying science and technology to protect this essential resource. Whether these efforts can reverse the trend remains uncertain, but many agree that preserving kelp is not merely an economic issue, but a cultural one, tied directly to the everyday meals and traditions that define Japanese life. Source: KTV NEWS TOKYO, Dec 18 (News On Japan) - The grand prize has been announced in the annual Creative Four-Character Idiom Awards, which capture the social mood of the year through newly coined expressions, with the winning works unveiled this year through a dynamic calligraphy performance by high school students. Now in its 36th year, the contest attracted about 24,000 entries from across Japan, with selected works written live on stage by members of the calligraphy performance club at Ueno Gakuin High School. The event drew additional attention when Myakumyaku, the official mascot of the Osaka World Expo, appeared at the venue, joining the students in a performance set to the Expos theme song and energizing the audience. The top prize went to Kome Funto, a playful twist on the phrase Kogun Funto, meaning a lone struggle, rewritten with the character for old rice. The winning idiom reflects social conditions in 2025, including headlines surrounding rice shortages and the release of government stockpiled rice. Organizers explained that rice became a major topic of public concern during the year, and the idiom was chosen to capture how staple foods once again played a central role in daily life and national discussion. Among the other award-winning entries was Myaku Ten Manten, a pun combining Myakumyaku with the phrase meaning a perfect score, highlighting the influence of the Expo on the years atmosphere. In total, nine works received awards. One participant said they were surprised at first that the winning idiom was not directly tied to the Expo, but added that the rice issue had become such a major news story that the selection felt fitting and memorable. Source: Television OSAKA NEWS SHIZUOKA, Dec 18 (News On Japan) - Shizuoka Prefecture announced that it held a public auction on December 16 for the governors official residence in Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City, with housing manufacturer Sekisui Heim Tokai winning the bid at 710.35 million yen. Governor Yasutomo Suzuki decided to sell the official residence, located in Ando 2-chome in Aoi Ward, as part of administrative and fiscal reforms amid severe financial constraints, and the property was put up for auction in November with an estimated price of around 314.15 million yen. According to the prefecture, 16 companies took part in the bidding, and Sekisui Heim Tokai, a housing manufacturer based in Hamamatsu, secured the property at a price more than double the estimated value. The prefecture and Sekisui Heim Tokai are expected to sign the sales contract in late December, with registration scheduled to be completed by mid-February 2026. The governors residence is situated in a quiet residential neighborhood and was built in 1988. The site covers approximately 1,430 square meters, and the single-story wooden building has a total floor area of about 330 square meters. Source: SBSnews6 Case studies of financial fugitives who used offshore relocation, forged identities, and legal immunity to escape prosecution WASHINGTON, DC, December 1, 2025 Corporate fraud rarely ends with a courtroom confession. In some of the largest financial scandals of the past decade, the most senior alleged architects did not sit through trial at all. Instead, they stepped onto private jets, crossed borders with multiple passports, disappeared into opaque jurisdictions, and reappeared only as names on Interpol notices and asset seizure filings. The phenomenon of the vanishing executive now sits at the intersection of financial crime, offshore relocation, identity engineering, and geopolitics. Regulators and prosecutors continue to pursue complex cases years after the scandals break. Yet, the central figures often remain out of reach, moving through countries that lack extradition arrangements or provide political protection. This investigation examines how corporate fraudsters exploit residency programs, forged identities, citizenship and legal immunity, and jurisdictional gaps to evade accountability. It also closely examines several emblematic cases, highlighting how enforcement agencies are adapting and how professional advisers, including firms such as Amicus International Consulting, are increasingly focused on compliance, transparency, and cross-border risk management for lawful clients operating in the same environment. Global financial crime, uneven enforcement Modern financial scandals typically span multiple jurisdictions. Money moves through correspondent banks in New York and London, shell companies in the Caribbean, private banks in Switzerland or Singapore, and real estate markets from Vancouver to Dubai. When misconduct is exposed, it becomes immediately apparent that no single country can resolve the case alone. Governments have responded by strengthening mutual legal assistance treaties, expanding networks of extradition agreements, and coordinating investigations through organizations such as Interpol and Europol. Yet these mechanisms remain uneven. Not all treaties cover fraud or corruption offenses. Some states restrict the extradition of their own nationals. Others treat specific suspects as politically sensitive, which can complicate cooperation regardless of what the law says on paper. Within this fractured landscape, senior executives accused of fraud have powerful incentives to move early, restructure their legal identities, and position themselves in jurisdictions that provide leverage. In practice, that often means combining three elements: offshore relocation, identity tools such as second citizenships or forged documents, and legal or political shields that make extradition difficult. Offshore relocation and the search for safe jurisdictions Offshore relocation is not inherently unlawful. Individuals and companies routinely move for tax, commercial, or personal reasons. However, prosecutors and asset recovery specialists describe a recurring pattern among white-collar fugitives: relocation that coincides with investigative pressure, followed by the use of complex legal structures to shelter assets and stall cooperation. In many cases, relocation builds on years of groundwork rather than a last-minute flight. Wealthy executives may acquire multiple residencies or citizenships through investment schemes, family links, or naturalization processes long before allegations emerge. When trouble appears, they are already positioned to move quickly. The concept of banking passports and secondary citizenships, used to access financial systems and travel channels, is now a familiar feature of elite mobility. For legitimate clients, these tools can support diversification and resilience. For bad actors, they can be repurposed as escape routes, particularly when combined with professional intermediaries willing to look the other way. Case study: Jho Low and the 1MDB scandal One of the most visible examples of a vanishing financial executive is Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, widely known as Jho Low, a central figure in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal. Authorities in multiple countries allege that billions of dollars were misappropriated from the state investment fund and laundered through a network of bank accounts, shell companies, and high-end purchases. Over time, court filings and investigative reporting have documented how Low used a web of discretionary trusts, offshore entities, and international advisers to move and hold assets, including luxury real estate and art. He obtained additional citizenships in small Caribbean and European states, bolstering his ability to travel and access financial services beyond Malaysia. Despite an Interpol red notice and extensive diplomatic pressure, Low remains at large. Malaysian and foreign officials have, at different points, suggested that he has been living in parts of China or nearby jurisdictions, allegations that have been publicly denied. Various reports have indicated that he may now be traveling on forged passports and under assumed identities, with speculation placing him at different times in major Asian cities or neighboring countries. While Lows whereabouts are uncertain, legal actions continue. Civil forfeiture cases in the United States and elsewhere have resulted in the seizure or voluntary surrender of assets worth well over a billion dollars, including a superyacht, high-value artwork, and prime real estate. Malaysian courts have ordered his relatives and business associates to pay large sums linked to tainted proceeds, underscoring how enforcement can continue against a fugitives network even when the central figure remains out of reach. The Jho Low case highlights how layered citizenships, offshore trusts, and opaque corporate vehicles can make it harder for law enforcement to locate suspects and recover assets. It also illustrates that even when fugitives successfully avoid arrest for extended periods, their financial footprint can remain deeply vulnerable to coordinated legal action. Forged identities and intelligence entanglements Some vanishing executives do not rely solely on existing passports or legal residency. Instead, they appear to take on entirely new identities, blending corporate misconduct with espionage and state-level relationships. Case study: Jan Marsalek and Wirecard Jan Marsalek, the former chief operating officer of German payments group Wirecard, has become emblematic of this trend. Wirecard collapsed after admitting that nearly two billion euros in cash supposedly held in trustee accounts likely never existed. Marsalek, responsible for much of the companys international business, was dismissed and quickly vanished. Subsequent investigations by journalists and law enforcement agencies suggest that Marsalek left for Austria, then traveled through Belarus before reaching Russia, where he is widely believed to have remained under the protection of security services. At Germanys request, Interpol issued a red notice, but he has not been arrested. Leaked Russian records and investigative reporting indicate that Marsalek has operated under multiple false identities, including Russian documentation issued under an assumed name. Accounts from European media describe him traveling within Russia, visiting sensitive sites, and maintaining close connections with military and intelligence actors. The alleged espionage dimension has spilled over into Western courts. In the United Kingdom, a recent trial concluded with the conviction of several Bulgarian nationals accused of spying for Russia in a network reportedly overseen by Marsalek. Prosecutors described extensive surveillance against dissidents and military facilities, further entangling the Wirecard scandal with state intelligence operations. In Marsaleks case, the fusion of financial fraud and geopolitical interests has created a powerful shield. If local authorities view him as a strategic asset, formal extradition requests may collide with considerations that have little to do with accounting deception or investor losses. For regulators and compliance professionals, the story is a stark reminder that some corporate fraud cases cannot be understood without reference to state power. Cooperation, plea deals, and fugitives who run anyway Not all vanishing executives flee before trial. Some cooperate extensively with prosecutors, assist in dismantling broader conspiracies, and then disappear when accountability finally comes due. Case study: Herb Kimble and a billion-dollar Medicare scheme Herbert Herb Kimble, a California businessman, was a key architect of what United States authorities describe as one of the largest Medicare telemedicine fraud schemes on record. The operation relied on call centers and telehealth consults to generate medically unnecessary prescriptions for orthopedic braces, resulting in more than a billion dollars in alleged false claims to the federal government. Kimble pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and related offenses, agreed to significant restitution, and cooperated with investigators, contributing to charges against many other defendants. The case was presented as a model for dismantling industrial-scale fraud networks. Yet when the time came for sentencing in 2024, Kimble failed to appear in court. Federal authorities soon labeled him a fugitive, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General added him to its public list of most wanted health care fraud fugitives, warning that he may have fled abroad. Public notices describe him as potentially operating through aliases and offshore entities and reference his long history of prior fraud cases and telemarketing operations. Kimbles flight underscores a recurring tension in white-collar enforcement. Cooperation agreements can generate crucial evidence and restitution for victims, but they also require courts to balance leniency with deterrence. When a high-profile cooperator disappears just before sentencing, it not only undermines the specific case but also raises questions about how far prosecutorial leverage can truly extend beyond national borders. Legal immunity and home state protection Some executives accused of financial crimes do not rely on forged identities or covert escapes. Instead, they return to home jurisdictions that either lack extradition arrangements with the investigating country or are unwilling to surrender prominent nationals. Case study: Carlos Ghosn and cross-border bail Former Nissan and Renault executive Carlos Ghosn provides one of the clearest illustrations of how corporate power, nationality, and legal frameworks can collide. Arrested in Japan in 2018 on allegations of underreported compensation and breach of trust, Ghosn denied wrongdoing and claimed he was the victim of a corporate conspiracy. While on bail, he orchestrated a dramatic escape in December 2019, traveling by private jet from Osaka to Istanbul and onward to Beirut, reportedly concealed in a large equipment case to avoid detection. Lebanon, which does not have an extradition treaty with Japan, refused to surrender Ghosn, citing constitutional prohibitions on the extradition of its citizens. Japanese courts proceeded with trials against co-defendants and intermediaries. United States courts prosecuted the American former soldier and his son, who assisted with the escape, ultimately resulting in their extradition to Japan and subsequent convictions. Ghosns case demonstrates that an executives legal home can sometimes function as a form of practical immunity, even without formal amnesty. Where national identity, political considerations, and constitutional rules converge, extradition treaties can become effectively unenforceable. For corporate boards and investors, the case also raises governance concerns, highlighting the reputational and financial damage that can follow when top leadership becomes entwined in multi-jurisdictional legal battles. Life as a financial fugitive The public image of vanishing executives often emphasizes luxury villas and discreet travel, yet life on the run is typically constrained. Fugitives must minimize exposure to international travel systems, avoid jurisdictions that might enforce arrest warrants, and manage assets that remain under constant legal assault. Reporting on Jho Low, for example, suggests that his ability to travel is limited to countries willing to ignore or contest international notices, and that any movement that touches major aviation hubs poses a significant risk. Marsaleks alleged residence in Russia appears to offer protection from German warrants, but at the cost of living under the close supervision of security services. In parallel, civil and criminal cases proceed in absentia, targeting bank accounts, real estate, and investment vehicles. In the 1MDB affair, authorities in multiple countries have seized artworks, buildings, and yachts linked to Low, repurposing his once-discreet asset network as evidence for asset recovery campaigns. The long-term deterrent effect of such actions is still debated. Some experts argue that asset freezes and forfeitures can neutralize much of the economic benefit of flight. Others note that as long as a fugitive retains enough resources to live comfortably in a cooperative jurisdiction, the message sent to other executives may be mixed. Regulators respond: beneficial ownership, travel data, and digital trails Facing repeated high-profile flight episodes, regulators and enforcement bodies are recalibrating their tools. Beneficial ownership registries are now a central focus. Many jurisdictions are moving toward public or law enforcement accessible databases that identify the natural persons behind companies and trusts, making it harder to hide assets behind nominee directors and opaque holding chains. Where such registries are comprehensive and accurate, they can significantly accelerate asset tracing efforts once charges are filed. Travel data and biometric systems also play a growing role, although their effectiveness depends on cooperation among states. Advanced border systems can track movements linked to specific passports, identities, or watchlist flags. Still, they can be undermined when fugitives travel on forged documents or rely on states that ignore international arrest notices. Financial institutions, particularly those operating across multiple markets, are under mounting pressure to implement more aggressive due diligence for politically exposed persons and high-risk clients. Banks face significant penalties and reputational damage when found to have ignored red flags relating to executives later charged with fraud or corruption. Within corporations, internal controls and whistleblower protections remain critical. Several of the scandals involving vanishing executives involved internal warnings, audit concerns, or resignations that preceded public disclosure. Strengthening the independence of audit committees, encouraging internal reporting, and embedding a culture of compliance can make it harder for senior figures to rearrange assets and identities before investigations begin quietly. Where advisory firms fit in Against this backdrop, professional advisory firms operate in an increasingly complex terrain. Law firms, compliance specialists, and cross-border consultants are often the ones explaining to boards, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals how extradition agreements work, which kinds of relocation structures are compatible with emerging transparency rules, and where the red lines lie between legitimate asset protection and obstruction of justice. Amicus International Consulting, for example, focuses on lawful strategies for international relocation, alternative residency, and banking arrangements, with an explicit emphasis on compliance, transparency, and emerging markets. Its work for clients involves analyzing jurisdictional risk, understanding how new information-sharing mechanisms affect cross-border movement, and ensuring that second citizenships or offshore entities are used within the bounds of international law rather than as vehicles for evading enforcement. In practical terms, that means explaining to clients that tools once used by fugitives, such as layered corporate structures or opportunistic passport acquisitions, are now far more likely to trigger scrutiny. It also means designing relocation plans that anticipate future regulatory changes, so that individuals who legitimately restructure their lives and holdings do not find themselves inadvertently swept into enforcement campaigns targeting entirely different behavior. Changing incentives in a more transparent world The cases of Jho Low, Jan Marsalek, Herb Kimble, and Carlos Ghosn reveal how much advantage determined executives can still extract from jurisdictional fragmentation. Yet they also show the rising costs and shrinking horizons associated with financial flight. Asset recovery efforts associated with 1MDB have already forced the surrender of high-value property and art, even without Low in custody. Wirecard investigations continue to generate espionage trials and diplomatic pressure, complicating the future of anyone who chooses to align themselves with Marsaleks network. Kimbles addition to a public most-wanted list means his financial and social footprint is scrutinized in ways that would have been almost impossible before the current era of digital surveillance. For corporate leaders weighing their options in the face of potential charges, the calculus is shifting. Flight may still seem attractive in the short term, especially for those with access to private jets and multiple residences. Over time, however, the combination of travel restrictions, asset seizures, reputational damage, and reliance on potentially unstable political protection can transform perceived freedom into a different kind of confinement. For policymakers and enforcement agencies, the challenge is to continue tightening the net without undermining legitimate cross-border commerce and mobility. That means improving the quality of information sharing, strengthening beneficial ownership regimes, and monitoring the nexus between corporate fraud, state actors, and identity infrastructure. For companies, investors, and the professional advisers who support them, it means building governance and compliance cultures strong enough to catch misconduct before it reaches the point where executives start looking at flight schedules and foreign passports. In an era when digital trails are challenging to erase, and global cooperation is slowly expanding, the age of the untouchable financial fugitive may be drawing to a close, even if the headlines suggest otherwise. Contact Information Phone: +1 (604) 200-5402 Signal: 604-353-4942 Telegram: 604-353-4942 Email: info@amicusint.ca Website: www.amicusint.ca Armenian editions of Chinese literary classics unveiled in Yerevan Xinhua) 09:56, December 17, 2025 YEREVAN, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A launch event for the Armenian editions of several Chinese literary works was held in the capital Yerevan recently. Armenia's education and culture ministry announced that the Arevik Publishing House has translated and published works by several Chinese authors into Armenian this year, with the ministry's support. The published titles include The King of Trees by Ah Cheng, Thunderstorm by Cao Yu, To Live by Yu Hua, Tales of Hulan River by Xiao Hong, and The Temple of Earth and I by Shi Tiesheng. Daniel Danielyan, deputy minister at the ministry, said at the event that translating and publishing the works of these Chinese authors will help Armenian readers gain insight into Chinese history, literature and philosophy. More outstanding literary works are expected to undergo translations on both sides, introducing readers to a wider array of writers from the two countries, Danielyan said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) 20 Patents Support the Organization's Approach to Responsible AI, Designed to Accelerate Product Innovation that Help to Create New Financial Opportunities for Consumers ATLANTA, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax (NYSE: EFX) secured 27 patents in the second half of 2025, bringing the total number of new patents secured for the year to 62. Twenty of these new patents support the company's approach to artificial intelligence (AI), further complementing its EFX.AI strategy and helping to accelerate the development of cloud-based, AI-enabled solutions that help to create new financial opportunities for consumers. As of November 2025, Equifax has nearly 700 issued or pending patents spanning 15 countries, encompassing distinctive techniques to accelerate the use of AI, including machine learning for data & analytics and risk modeling. More than 320 of the organization's pending and approved patents support its approach to responsible AI, with many of these patented AI techniques used in customer-facing solutions. "Equifax patents protect the unique innovations created for the benefit of the customers and consumers we serve in 24 countries around the world," said Harald Schneider, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Equifax. "We are focused on continuous innovation. Our growing suite of EFX.AI -powered solutions, made possible by the Equifax Cloud , our unique differentiated data, and our patented capabilities are driving higher-performing solutions and processes to help our customers get to the insights they need faster, ultimately enabling new consumer opportunities." The custom-built Equifax Cloud is a top-tier global technology and security infrastructure that continues to set the company apart in the industry. Backed by a multi-year, approximately $3 billion investment in security and technology, The Equifax Cloud and custom data fabric enable the organization to drive AI innovation and maximize EFX.AI capabilities for faster solution implementation, new product innovation, cloud-native model deployment and expedited consumer decisioning. The latest technology and innovation covered by the most recent Equifax patents include: Production-Ready Attributes Creation and Management for Software Development (Australia) - This patent describes features of the Equifax Ignite and InterConnect platforms that allow for more effective attribute management, allowing customers to quickly move from analytics to production. It describes a computing system that uses attribute templates in a production-reading programming language to determine and generate attribute definitions. These attribute definitions are more easily deployed to the production environment and can also be monitored more effectively to ensure performance. (Australia) - This patent describes features of the and platforms that allow for more effective attribute management, allowing customers to quickly move from analytics to production. It describes a computing system that uses attribute templates in a production-reading programming language to determine and generate attribute definitions. These attribute definitions are more easily deployed to the production environment and can also be monitored more effectively to ensure performance. Consolidation of Data Sources for Expedited Validation of Risk Assessment Data (U.S.) - This patent consolidates and validates user-provided data and data from financial institutions through a single interface. This instant, combined validation aims to overcome slow, traditional data checks, accelerating decision-making. This technology can support next generation OnlyEquifax solutions like Income Qualify , which delivers income and employment insights from The Work Number alongside the Equifax credit report to mortgage lenders during the prequalification and pre-approval phase, offering earlier visibility into an applicant's financial health. (U.S.) - This patent consolidates and validates user-provided data and data from financial institutions through a single interface. This instant, combined validation aims to overcome slow, traditional data checks, accelerating decision-making. This technology can support next generation OnlyEquifax solutions like , which delivers income and employment insights from alongside the Equifax credit report to mortgage lenders during the prequalification and pre-approval phase, offering earlier visibility into an applicant's financial health. Updating Attribute Data Structures to Indicate Trends in Attribute Data Provided to Automated Modeling Systems (European Patent Office) - This patent describes a system that enhances automated prediction models, such as those for risk or credit assessment, by addressing the limitations of using only static data. It achieves this by creating "trended attributes" from Equifax historical data, capturing behavioral patterns over time. (European Patent Office) - This patent describes a system that enhances automated prediction models, such as those for risk or credit assessment, by addressing the limitations of using only static data. It achieves this by creating "trended attributes" from Equifax historical data, capturing behavioral patterns over time. Machine-Learning Techniques for Risk Assessment Based on Multiple Data Sources (U.S.) - This patent describes a machine-learning system that creates a more accurate and complete "integrated risk score" by combining traditional and alternative data , data not historically contained in traditional credit reportsincluding rental, utility, and telecom payments. This system enables Equifax to provide a more comprehensive and equitable risk evaluation and improve decision-making. Solutions like Financial Durability Measures provide more insight into a household's likely financial resilience. (U.S.) - This patent describes a machine-learning system that creates a more accurate and complete "integrated risk score" by combining traditional and , data not historically contained in traditional credit reportsincluding rental, utility, and telecom payments. This system enables Equifax to provide a more comprehensive and equitable risk evaluation and improve decision-making. Solutions like provide more insight into a household's likely financial resilience. Secure Online Access Control to Prevent Identification Information Misuse (Australia) - This patent describes a central security system for managing and protecting digital resources, aiming to prevent online fraud . It creates a "secure resource management system" that acts as a trusted record keeper, storing permanent records of each resource and its transaction history. This technology can support solutions like Australia's Fraud Detection and Prevention platform, giving Equifax customers the ability to verify ownership before granting access, ensuring secure resource transfers and preventing fraudulent activity. (Australia) - This patent describes a central security system for managing and protecting digital resources, aiming to prevent online . It creates a "secure resource management system" that acts as a trusted record keeper, storing permanent records of each resource and its transaction history. This technology can support solutions like Australia's platform, giving Equifax customers the ability to verify ownership before granting access, ensuring secure resource transfers and preventing fraudulent activity. Device-Agnostic Access Control Techniques (European Patent Office) - This patent describes a smart, "device-agnostic" security system that improves user experience by creating a unique "behavioral fingerprint," called a "historical entity vector," for each legitimate user. This patented technology, which can be used in Equifax UK Identity Verification & Fraud Prevention solutions, is able to compare current authentication data to the historical fingerprint, enabling the system to recognize the real user on a new device, ensuring secure, seamless access to interactive websites and apps. Learn more about the Equifax commitment to responsible AI innovation at EFX.AI . The most recent Equifax Intellectual Property list is available here . ABOUT EQUIFAX INC. At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by nearly 15,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.com . FOR MORE INFORMATION: Alexandra Packey for Equifax [email protected] SOURCE Equifax Inc. On Tuesday, December 16, Mauritanias Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Dr. Abdallahi Ould Souleymane Ould Cheikh Sidiya, received a delegation from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) in Nouakchott to sign a US$30 million budget support agreement. The delegation was led by Dr Mahmoud Khan, Director of Operations for Africa, and included Mr. Tarek Ladjzouzi, head of the Mauritania portfolio within OFID. The agreement, the first of its kind between Mauritania and OFID, had been approved by OFIDs Board of Directors on 28 November and signed by its Managing Director. During the meeting, both sides discussed measures to accelerate the implementation of recommendations from the high-level development roundtable in Vienna on 16 June, as well as mechanisms to align OFIDs interventions with national development priorities outlined in the General Policy Declaration of Prime Minister Moctar Ould Djay. Discussions also focused on strengthening financing effectiveness through flexible instruments addressing macroeconomic needs, supporting medium- and long-term financial stability, and promoting strategic areas such as public investment projects and private sector development to enhance job creation and national economic competitiveness. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry, including the Director General of Financing and Economic Cooperation, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Nani, his deputy Mr. Mahfoudh Ould Mahmoud Brahim, and the Director of Financing Agreements, Ms. Fatimetou Mint Ivekou. Nearly 2,000 civilians were displaced from Sudans western city of Heglig in West Kordofan after a nine-day journey following the citys seizure by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), local media reported on Tuesday, December 16. Qamar El-Din Mohamed, governor of White Nile State, said that 1,850 displaced individuals arrived in the city of Kosti, according to the state news agency SUNA. Humanitarian assistanceincluding food, shelter, and medical serviceshas been mobilised by national organisations, civil society groups, and local benefactors, White Nile Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Lamyaa Ahmed Abdullah added. The displacement follows the RSFs capture of Heglig and its oilfield last week. Fighting has intensified across Sudans three Kordofan statesNorth, West, and Southforcing tens of thousands to flee. Since the conflict between Sudans army and the RSF erupted in April 2023, the RSF has taken control of most of Darfurs five states, while the army maintains authority over the majority of the countrys remaining states, including the capital Khartoum. The conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. Morocco has secured 450 million funding from German Development Bank (KfW) under three agreements inked Tuesday in Rabat by Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget Fouzi Lekjaa and Director of the German Bank for North Africa Daniela Beckmann. KfW is providing Morocco 100 million to enhance the Kingdoms resilience to climate change and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Banks financial package also includes 150 million to back Moroccos social protection initiatives and 200 million destined for mobility and logistics platform in the Casablanca-Settat region to improve sustainable transport and regional development. Lekjaa stressed the importance of these financial agreements in supporting Moroccos ambitions in energy transition and the fight against climate change. With these new deals, Moroccan-German funding reach 7 billion, in addition to 500 million in technical assistance. For her part, Beckmann expressed the German Development Banks pride in continuing to support Morocco in its sustainable and inclusive development projects. KfW has pledged, within the framework of cooperation between the two countries, to double its funding to Morocco, she said noting that over 600 million have been allocated for this year. "Michael dedicated nearly 40 years to serving FMFCU members and empowering employees," said Leon Spencer, Chair of the Board of Directors. "We thank him for his tremendous leadership and contributions to the Credit Union's remarkable growth." FMFCU's Board of Directors has selected Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Drew Stanley to succeed Magnavita as President/CEO. They will work closely over the next few months to maintain momentum and ensure a smooth transition. Stanley, who joined FMFCU in 2004, served as Chief Strategy Officer starting in 2014 and moved into his current role as Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Stanley brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, operational excellence, and member-focused innovation. He serves on the boards of Delaware County Community College Educational Foundation and CCRES. Stanley earned his Certified Chief Executive (CCE) designation through Credit Union Executives Society's CEO Institute program. "Drew is a proven leader with a deep understanding of our mission and values," said Leon Spencer, Chair of the Board of Directors. "His commitment to our members and employees, along with his strategic vision, make him the ideal choice to lead FMFCU into the future." Stanley expressed his appreciation for the opportunity, stating, "I am excited to build upon FMFCU's strong foundation and lead efforts to empower members in the Delaware Valley and beyond. It is a humbling honor to be chosen by the Board to follow in the footsteps of prior CEO, John D. Unangst and current CEO, Michael B. Magnavita." Magnavita added, "It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to lead FMFCU, serving our members, communities, dedicated volunteers and employees. I step away with great confidence that under Drew's leadership, the Credit Union and its members will continue to prosper." ABOUT FRANKLIN MINT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union has provided financial products and services to its members in the greater Philadelphia region and beyond since 1970. FMFCU ranks eighth in asset size in Pennsylvania among credit unions and is the largest financial institution headquartered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. FMFCU has 148,000 members, 6,000 partner organizations, and branches located throughout the Delaware Valley. Contact Information: Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union Michael Bunner, VP, Director of Marketing 610-608-6167 [email protected] fmfcu.org SOURCE Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union Weeks of rainfall have slightly eased Moroccos water crisis, adding more than 105 million cubic meters to dam reserves since mid-November, but overall storage remains at 31.5% only after years of drought. Official figures show national reservoir levels rose from 5.176 billion cubic meters on November 10 to 5.281 billion cubic meters by December 15, lifting the average fill rate to 31.5% from 30.8%. Despite the improvement, most dams remain far below capacity, underscoring the severity of a prolonged dry spell that has gripped the country for seven years. Rainfall was most intense in northern and central regions, with up to 150 millimetres recorded in the region of Tangier and Gharb and about 70 millimetres in Souss and Anti-Atlas. These downpours replenished soils and revived streams feeding major reservoirs, but gains were uneven across basins. Bouregreg saw the largest increase, climbing from 63.5% to 66.4%, while Guir-Ziz-Rheris jumped from 47.5% to 54.9%. Loukkos edged up to 45.9%, and Oum Er-Rbia barely moved, rising to just 8.8%. Some basins, including Sebou and Moulouya, showed little change or slight declines. Officials warn that while recent rainfall offers temporary relief, Moroccos water security remains fragile. Sustained precipitation will be needed to meet agricultural and drinking water demands in the months ahead. Morocco is planning to generate 60% of its drinking water needs from desalination by 2030. Morocco is entering an advanced stage of demographic transition, with its population aging at a pace that experts warn could strain health and social protection systems, according to a report recently released by the High Commission for Planning (HCP). The number of Moroccans aged 60 and over reached 5 million in 2024, up from 3.1 million a decade earlier, the HCP said. Seniors now represent 14% of the population, a sharp increase driven by a steep decline in fertility and longer life spans. Fertility has fallen from 7.2 children per woman ten years ago to just 1.97 in 2024, while life expectancy has climbed to 77.2 years, five years higher than in 2014. The HCP warns that this demographic shift will have major repercussions for health care and pension systems. One in five older Moroccans suffers from serious chronic illnesses, and more than 30% lack health insurance. Women make up 35% of the population over 60. Public hospitals remain the primary source of care for 61.2% of seniors, while fewer than 30% use private clinics. In rural areas, 3.8% of elderly people receive no medical care, compared with 2.9% in cities. The HCP projects that by 2030, Morocco could have nearly 3.9 million elderly patients with chronic or contagious diseases, underscoring the need to expand health services and strengthen social safety nets. A team of U.S. technicians and experts in explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), assigned to the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron, are training Moroccan soldiers on tactical skills of mine detection and clearance in desert zones. The training is part of the Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) program with U.S. partner nations. The HMA missions in Morocco strengthens our partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco by fostering trust, cooperation and interoperability, said Staff Sgt. Julian Venegas in a press release issued by the 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs. This relationship not only provides the United States with a reliable ally in a strategically important region but also contributes to deterring near-peer adversaries by demonstrating unity and shared commitment to regional stability, he added. MacDill EOD technicians are not working alone. They joined U.S. Army EOD specialists in a collaborative effort to build partner expertise. The HMA mission is a joint-force effort, said Venegas. Our instructional teams are made up of four-man elements, typically composed of two Army and two Air Force instructors. Working side by side across branches, the teams demonstrate how shared purpose drives every EOD mission. Our team at MacDill Airforce Base has completed three Department of State and Africa partnership program missions in Morocco, all at the Phase Three Plus level, said Venegas, noting that the goal is to transition into a more advisory and evaluative role with Morocco while also exploring the possibility of expanding HMA missions to additional partner nations. Morocco now has several certified soldiers for the safe demining of the previously war-scarred nation. For U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Emilio Solis and his team, the goal is to stand up a self-sufficient Moroccan EOD program. European Union sanctions are slowly but surely choking Russias oil exports -- and are also stepping up in speed and scope, according to the 27-nation blocs chief sanctions official. EU Sanctions Envoy David OSullivan told RFE/RL in an interview on December 16 that while enforcement was a game of cat and mouse, the measures were working and Russias revenues were suffering. OSullivan spoke in a video call from Brussels two days before an EU summit thats due to consider further punitive measures in response to Russias nearly four-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Using 140 billion euros ($165 billion) of frozen Russian assets to provide financial support to Ukraine is top of that agenda. But this week the EU will also add some 40 ships to its list of sanctioned vessels, used for evading restrictions on Russias oil exports. This would bring the total to some 600 vessels, or about 75 percent of Russias so-called shadow fleet, by OSullivans estimate. 'Quicker' Sanctions The addition marks a change in existing EU practice, which has been to add new ships only during 19 successive packages of sanctions -- each of which has required lengthy negotiation among member states. We are now agreed that we can proceed more regularly and with slightly less fanfare to listing individual vessels and ships. So it'll be quicker. We won't have to wait every few months for the bigger package, OSullivan said. We'll be able to do it on a monthly or a weekly basis as soon as we identify a critical mass of vessels. OSullivan said the EU also wanted to pursue negotiations with countries under which vessels are officially registered, to make it faster and easier to board ships flying their flags, to further disrupt shadow fleet operations. He said getting permission to board from the flag state on a case-by-case basis was problematic. In that case, you know, the vessel is passing across your coastline and then you have to send an email to some registry somewhere and say, Hey, this vessel is carrying your flag, we have reason to believe it's behaving badly. Can we board it? And then, by the time you get the reply, the vessel has already moved on. Instead, OSullivan said, the EU was seeking either a faster mechanism or open-ended permission. Russia's Falling Oil Revenues Draft conclusions for the December 18-19 EU summit, seen by RFE/RL, call for further coordinated action by Member States and cooperation with G7 partners, also in relation to port and coastal states and vis-a-vis third-country flag states and the whole shadow fleet ecosystem, to further decrease Russian energy revenues. Russia is the worlds third largest oil producer, but the EU has dramatically reduced its own consumption of Russian crude oil supplied by pipeline and has banned seaborne imports. Sanctioned vessels cannot enter EU ports. Further sanctions have imposed a cap on the price that third states can pay for Russian crude, which currently stands at $47.60 per barrel -- well below market rates. Russian export revenues hit their lowest in November since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on December 11. The IEA attributed this to both sanctions and Ukrainian drone attacks on Russias oil industry infrastructure, noting also falling oil prices on global markets. OSullivan said new EU measures due to take effect in January were already having an impact. The new sanctions will ban the import to the EU of products derived from Russian oil. "It was a big part of the business model particularly of Indian refineries but also some others, Turkey, even some Chinese, basically to bring in Russian crude to refine it and then sell it on to Europe as Indian or Turkish or Chinese product. This is no longer possible," he said. If there is even a drop of Russian crude in the refined product, it may not be exported to the European Union. So, this is causing a big disruption, he added. Impacts On India And China In an early sign of this, Indias Reliance Industries announced in November that it would cease importing Russian crude at Jamnagar, the worlds largest oil refining complex, to comply with the new rules. The move was welcomed by Washington, which has announced secondary tariffs on India due to its Russian oil imports. In October, the United States also recently announced sanctions on two of Russias largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, adding further pressure to the industry. The EU followed suit with a "tightened transaction ban" on Rosneft and Gazpromneft, a subsidiary of the state-controlled Russian gas giant Gazprom. But moves to restrict Russias oil exports appear so far to have had less impact on China. Nobody's really been willing to take on China. I know that the EU has sanctioned a few oil terminals, but really it's kind of like a game of whack-a-mole, Michelle Bockmann, an analyst at Windward, a maritime intelligence company, told RFE/RL on December 15. OSullivan acknowledged the complaint, likening sanctions enforcement to "a game of cat and mouse" that could never achieve complete success. You can even do a master's degree in Moscow on sanctions circumvention. By the way, we've just sanctioned the person in charge of the program so that he can speak from personal experience. So, it is a very sophisticated system, sanctions circumvention, he said. What I maintain is that we constantly make it more difficult, more complicatedwe are slowly but surely making it harder and harder for Russia to sell oil at any kind of reasonable price. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Four states in the Northeastern U.S.Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New Yorkare experiencing an energy emergency following an outage at a major propane hub. The issue highlights how essential energy security is, especially during peak demand season. In late November, the Marcus Hook terminal in Pennsylvania had an incident with an electric transformer that disrupted the loading of propane for three days. That incident, however, caused extended problems, with the operator of the facility, Energy Partners, unable to pump propane from the storage caverns at the site since November 19. These problems prompted Energy Partners to declare a force majeure at Marcus Hook, which is one of the largest underground fuel storage sites on the East Coast. Customers due propane deliveries were given allocations of 70% instead of the full volume contracted, and loading times have been rising, the National Propane Gas Association said back in November. With such a situation on the hands of propane suppliers to a very densely populated part of the United States, an emergency declaration was only a matter of time, and that time happened to be the beginning of winter proper, with the accompanying temperature drops that pushed heating demand to its normal seasonal peaks. The declaration was issued on December 12 by the Department of Transportation, waiving restrictions on how long propane truck drivers can remain behind the wheel while they make deliveries to clients across the four states. Related: PDVSA Faces Pricing Pressure as Tanker Seizure Disrupts Crude Flows The governors of two of the affected states, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, individually lifted trucking restrictions, meanwhile, to ensure deliveries. Normally, truck drivers can spend up to 11 hours behind the wheel per day. With the executive order that the governor of New Jersey, for instance, signed, truck drivers could keep driving for up to 14 hours with a mandatory 10-hour pause between shifts. In his order, Jew Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote that the Marcus Hook gas refinery remains open only on an intermittent basis, resulting in significantly increased wait times at propane truck terminals at that facility, as well as significantly increased traffic and wait times at major propane distribution facilities in nearby states, including New Jersey. Murphy added that the situation may make it difficult or impossible for thousands of residents to secure heating for their homes unless trucking regulations were temporarily changed. The emergency will remain in place until December 26, Bloomberg reported, noting that the continued disruption of propane supply could affect prices, pushing them lower. The publication reached out to Energy Partners for a comment on the state of affairs at Marcus Hook, but said the company had not responded. Meanwhile, loadings at the site are only taking place for 12 hours a day, down from a round-the-clock schedule, with 2,000 trucks on average loading fuel. Meanwhile, the Energy Information Administration earlier this week revised its fuel consumption outlook for this winter, updating the expected weather trends and energy costs. In the report, the EIA forecast a colder winter weather overall than it had predicted in its Winter Fuels Outlook from October. As a result, the agencys forecast for winter energy costs has also been revised, with costs now expected to be higher, especially for natural gas and propane, the EIA said. This December, the EIA said, is likely to be 8% colder than the past ten years, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Overall, the weather will be similar to the weather last winter, the EIA also said. Meanwhile, natural gas and propane prices have moved higher, the former because of higher wholesale prices, and the latter despite lower wholesale prices. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com A Utah company has unearthed a massive deposit of critical minerals, describing it as potentially one of North Americas most significant finds to date. According to Ionic Minerals Technology, assays from its Silicon Ridge project in Utah have confirmed the presence of 16 critical minerals, including germanium and gallium, in the halloysite-hosted ion-adsorption clay (IAC) system, a geological system thats easier to extract minerals from compared to the conventional hard-rock. Located in Provo, less than 20 miles south of Utahs Silicon Slopes, the IAC geological formation supplies more than 70% of the worlds heavy rare earth elements and 35-40% of Chinas total rare earth production. The deposit also harbors lithium, rubidium, scandium, cesium, tungsten, vanadium and niobium. Ionic MT CEO and founder Andre Zeitoun says the project already has mining permits in place, which will be supplemented by the companys 74,000-square-foot processing facility at its headquarters in Provo, enabling rapid development. For the first time, we have a domestic, shovel-ready source for a full spectrum of critical minerals, all extractable with a faster, cleaner process than traditional hard rock mining and extraction, Zeitoun stated in a press release. According to initial exploratory results by ISO-certified ALS Chemex laboratories, the deposit is a combination of rare earths and critical metals at a concentration of ~ 2,700 parts per million (ppm) or 0.27%. According to Ionic MT, this grade compares favorably to Chinese IAC deposits, which typically range from 500 to 2,000 ppm. However, the critical minerals grade has been confirmed across just 11% of the total resource area at a depth of not more than 100 feet, indicating significant potential for expansion. Related: Saudi Firm Midad Emerges as Leading Bidder for Lukoils Global Assets Lately, the United States appears to be hitting the critical minerals jackpot rather frequently. Last year, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environments Office of the State Geologist, discovered a huge lithium reserve containing more than nine times the International Energy Agencys projection of global lithium demand for electric vehicles in 2030. A relic of an ancient sea that left an extensive, porous, and permeable limestone geologic formation, the Smackover Formation extends under parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida, and could contain between 5 and 19 million tons of lithium reserves. The USGS estimates there is enough lithium brought to the surface in the oil and brine waste streams in southern Arkansas to cover the current estimated U.S. lithium consumption. The U.S. relies on imports for more than 25% of its lithium. Government Support Ionic MT aims to fast-track the development and commercialization of its latest REE discovery. And, its timing might be just right, coming at a time when the Trump administration is actively pursuing a strategy of direct government investment, loans, and international agreements to secure a domestic rare earth supply chain and reduce U.S. reliance on China. The U.S. government, under the Trump administration, has made significant investments and taken equity positions in several domestic companies specializing in different parts of the rare earth supply chain. Back in March, the US Export-Import Bank (EXIM) expressed strong interest in providing a significant loan, up to $553 million, for Rare Element Resources' Bear Lodge Project in Wyoming, issuing a non-binding Letter of Interest (LOI) in March 2025. However, its most concrete deal on that front Materials came in July 2025 after the Department of Defense announced a major partnership with Nevada-based MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:MP), including a $400 million preferred stock purchase, good for a 15% stake, as well as support for heavy rare earth magnet production. The deal included a major 10-year, $110/kg price floor/offtake agreement for rare earth elements (NdPr), funding the expansion of MP's magnet production (the 10x Facility) to secure domestic supply chains for defense and commercial needs, marking a new model for U.S. industrial policy. In October, the U.S. government purchased a 10% equity stake in Canadas Trilogy Metals (NYSE:TMQ) for $35.6 million and secured warrants to acquire an additional 7.5% stake. Trilogy holds a 50% interest in the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in Alaska, which contain deposits of copper and other critical minerals. The government also finalized a deal with Canadas Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE:LAC), involving the DOE taking a 5% equity stake in the Thacker Pass mine in exchange for releasing the first $435 million of a $2.23 billion loan (originally from the Biden admin). In early December, Vulcan Elements, a rare-earth magnet startup, received a $620 million loan from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), part of a major deal to boost domestic magnet production. This loan, the largest from the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital, aims to build a 10,000-tonne magnet facility, with the DOD also getting warrants in the company. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com MIT researchers have developed a new chip integration platform that builds transistors and memory devices in a single, compact stack to eliminate wasted energy from data travel, offering a viable path to mitigate the negative energy impact of the AI boom. The immediate and indiscriminate integration of large language models has caused a significant spike in global energy usage and emissions despite the long-term potential of AI to improve efficiency. Global electricity demand is on track to more than double by 2050. Maintaining energy security and keeping energy affordable without throwing climate goals out the window will require a whole lot more renewable energy capacity, but just as importantly it will also require a huge leap in energy efficiency. But despite the critical importance of improving energy efficiency, it remains a massively underutilised route to reducing emissions and improving returns. The fossil fuel industry which still accounts for about 80% of global energy is remarkably inefficient. Nearly two-thirds of all primary energy is wasted before it gets to its end user, lost in processes of production and transportation. We waste almost 400 exajoule (EJ) of all energy going into our energy system, two-thirds of total, worth over $4.5 trillion, or almost 5% of global GDP all before any value is created with energy, reports the energy non-profit RMI. Increasing energy efficiency is not just important for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, it also just makes good financial sense. The World Economic Forum (WEF) reports that taking global action for increasing energy efficiency could create a roughly 30% reduction in energy intensity and up to $2 trillion in annual savings. And this wouldnt even require technological innovation. Existing technologies and solutions deployed and sectors like industrial manufacturing, transport and the built environment could have the most impact, the WEF went on to say. That being said, technological innovation could also have an enormous impact on energy efficiency pathways both for better and for worse. Artificial Intelligence, for example, could yield incredible efficiency gains in the long run by streamlining all kinds of processes across economic sectors. In the short term, however, the indiscriminate integration of large language models into nearly every computing process is causing an enormous spike in energy usage that is leading to higher prices as well as higher emissions on a global scale. But a new technological innovation in computer chip technology could help increase the efficiency of computing processes. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new fabrication method that incorporates new materials on the back end of a computer chip that allow for more functional components on a single circuit. The design behind the new methods and materials behind this breakthrough are described in detail in two scientific papers associated with the project. In traditional circuits, logic devices that perform computation, like transistors, and memory devices that store data are built as separate components, forcing data to travel back and forth between them, which wastes energy, reads a recent MIT News report. This new electronics integration platform allows scientists to fabricate transistors and memory devices in one compact stack on a semiconductor chip. This eliminates much of that wasted energy while boosting the speed of computation. This advanced fabrication method and material could offer a critical entry point for reducing the negative impacts of the AI boom. Walking back the spread of artificial intelligence is not realistic at this point, so increasing the energy efficiency of the complex computation behind large language models is the most viable option for mitigating trade-offs and enhancing the benefits of the nearly ubiquitous technology. We have to minimize the amount of energy we use for AI and other data-centric computation in the future because it is simply not sustainable, says Yanjie Shao, MIT postdoc and lead author of both papers on this new transistor design. We will need new technology like this integration platform to continue that progress, Shao went on to say. Increasing efficiency may not be the sexiest approach to innovating and disrupting the energy industry and Big Tech, but it is crucially important. According to Nick Eyre, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy at University of Oxford, Historically, energy efficiency has delivered the largest share of greenhouse gas mitigation and reinventing it for the era of renewables will enable us to continue this trend and achieve net zero by 2050. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute for Financial Integrity (IFI) today announced that FV Bank has launched an enterprise-wide training initiative through IFI's DOLFIN platform. A global digital bank and digital asset custodian, FV Bank is working with IFI to further augment its compliance culture and risk management practices globally. "As a regulated digital bank bridging traditional finance and digital assets, FV Bank places compliance and transparency at the center of everything we do," said Luis Gonzalez, Chief Compliance Officer at FV Bank. "Partnering with IFI reinforces our ongoing efforts to foster a culture of compliance throughout our organization and to ensure our team remains at the forefront of evolving global standards." This training initiative underscores FV Bank's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance and integrity as it continues to expand its digital banking and custody services. Through IFI's DOLFIN platform, FV Bank has launched a tailored compliance training program for its employees worldwide, including: Mandatory annual training including e-learning courses covering core topics such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), Global Sanctions, Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Fraud , and Digital Assets & Blockchain Technology including e-learning courses covering core topics such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), Global Sanctions, Anti-Bribery and Corruption, , and Digital Assets & Blockchain Technology Expertly curated, central repository offering interactive risk management tools, analytical insights, webinars, an AI compliance assistant, and more offering interactive risk management tools, analytical insights, webinars, an AI compliance assistant, and more Ongoing continuing education through a library of role-based learning plans, courses, and videos "At IFI, our mission is to advance compliance and risk management practices across the global financial ecosystem," said Danny McGlynn, President at the Institute for Financial Integrity. "We are proud to support FV Bank in strengthening their enterprise-wide compliance framework through education and training that empower employees to respond effectively to emerging financial crime risks." About the Institute for Financial Integrity The Institute for Financial Integrity is dedicated to empowering the world's financial integrity professionals to protect the global financial system from illicit use. It provides training services, online education, and certifications through DOLFINthe Dedicated Online Financial Integrity Networkits proprietary learning platform. For more information, please visit finintegrity.org. Follow IFI on LinkedIn. Contact Institute for Financial Integrity Media Relations [email protected] About FV Bank FV Bank is a global digital bank and digital asset custodian regulated by the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF), Puerto Rico. It offers integrated traditional and digital asset banking services and provides secure, regulated solutions for both fiat and digital assets, supporting clients across the global financial ecosystem. Learn more at: https://fvbank.us/ SOURCE Institute for Financial Integrity By signing up to our newsletter, you agree for your email address to be shared with our third party mail providers. The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi just over a week ago seems to have been overlooked by many geopolitical observers, which is surprising. It represents one of the most consequential recalibrations of IndiaRussia ties in years -- combining defence access, energy guarantees, and diplomatic symbolism -- at a moment when global alignments are shifting faster than ever. At the heart of the visit was the ratification of the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) pact, a deal that quietly extends Indias and Russias military cooperation into Russias Arctic ports and the Northern Sea Route (NSR). This remote regions Kola Peninsula hosts roughly half of Russias fleet of nuclear?powered, nuclear?armed ballistic missile submarines, including 12 strategic nuclear submarines carrying up to 192 nuclear?capable ballistic missiles, plus dozens of cruise?missile and special?purpose nuclear submarines. This means the Arctic operates effectively as Moscows second?strike capability if its main domestic nuclear forces were destroyed. The region also remains a key site for testing advanced systems, including hypersonic missiles, nuclear?powered torpedoes, and cruise missiles, and Russias state nuclear company Rosatom also maintains nuclear power plants in the Arctic, further entrenching its nuclear presence. Beyond its nuclear arsenal, the Russian Arctic is also home to some of the worlds largest untapped reserves of oil, gas, and critical minerals. Estimates suggest the region holds over 35,700 billion cubic metres of natural gas and over 2,300 million metric tons of oil and condensate, the majority of which are located in the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas, lying on the south side of the Kara Sea. The region also holds vast deposits of nickel, cobalt, and rare earths essential for modern industry. For the Kremlin, exploiting this wealth is not only an economic imperative but a strategic one: revenues from Arctic energy projects provide the financial backbone for sustaining military modernisation and weathering Western sanctions. Related: Norway Plans Stronger Sabotage Response Readiness for Grid Operators Against this backdrop, the RELOS agreement allows the armed forces of both countries to use each others bases, ports, and airfields for refuelling, repairs, resupply, and maintenance. The pact also covers joint exercises, training missions, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. However, its specific strategic implications are far-reaching on both sides. For India, by allowing its warships to refuel and resupply at Russian ports such as Murmansk and Vladivostok, the agreement gives New Delhi a tangible foothold in the NSR, a corridor that can shorten EuropeAsia shipping distances by nearly 40% and significantly enhance both trade and naval mobility. Operationally, access to Russian facilities enables Indian forces to sustain deployments far from home without relying exclusively on Western partners. Indeed, even before this latest pact, Indian troops took part in the 12-16 September Russian-led Zapad military manoeuvres, along with Belarus, according to Russian state news agency TASS. These drills also included rehearsals for the use of tactical nuclear weapons for the first time. And finally, on a symbolic level, RELOS embeds India within Russias Arctic project, signalling its arrival as a player in polar geopolitics, projecting influence into a region that has long been central to Moscows ambitions. On the other side of the equation, reciprocal access to Indian bases and facilities gives Moscow a reliable presence in the Indian Ocean, in which it has long sought to expand its naval footprint but has lacked reliable partners. The ability to refuel, resupply, and repair in Indian ports also strengthens Russias capacity to project power into the Indo?Pacific and to participate more actively in joint military exercises. Politically, Indias involvement with Russia in the Arctic helps to legitimise Moscows ambitions in the region, and more broadly signals that the Kremlin is not isolated, despite rising Western sanctions. Closer cooperation with India additionally opens pathways for marketing Arctic hydrocarbons and mineral resources to Asian buyers, reinforcing the NSR as a future trade corridor for Moscow. And militarily, the pact deepens offensive and defensive interoperability between the two forces, embedding Russia within Indias wider logistics network and ensuring that its vessels can operate with greater flexibility. In strategic terms as well, anchoring ties with India helps Russia offset Western attempts to contain its influence, while securing a major Asian partner willing to institutionalise defence cooperation at a time when Moscows options elsewhere are narrowing. In the shorter term, perhaps the most immediate benefit to Putin is the implicit endorsement from his Indian counterpart that the cornerstone energy relationship between the two countries is far from over, despite increased pressure from the West. Since the start of the Ukraine war, New Delhi has emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian crude, second only to China. In 2024, Russia supplied nearly 36% of Indias total crude imports -- around 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) -- at steeply discounted prices compared to global benchmarks. Even after the U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods to pressure New Delhi into reducing purchases, India has maintained its reliance on Russian energy, arguing that affordable supplies are essential for its fast?growing economy. Moreover, during his very recent December visit, Putin pledged uninterrupted shipments of fuel and described Russia as a reliable supplier of oil, gas, and coal. Having earlier rolled out more sanctions to deter India from continuing to use Russian oil and gas, Washington recently augmented these with its oil and gas supply offer for India. These seek to push several key elements of the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership plan that was sketched out in February during meetings between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. These plans like Russias involving India also include military elements, formalised in a new initiative -- the U.S.-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century. This sees Washington expanding its defence sales and co-production with India to strengthen interoperability and defence industrial cooperation. On broader commerce as well, the two sides set a new goal for bilateral trade -- to more than double the current figure, to US$500 billion by 2030. Delivering on these broad agreements, with their many moving parts, is the U.S.s next challenge in keeping India on side, but its longstanding military, political, economic and energy relationship with Russia may prove very difficult to break. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The grim economic outlook is attributed to a combination of chronic mismanagement, systemic corruption, international sanctions, and the financial damage from a brief war with Israel and the United States in June 2025. Iran is experiencing a major economic crisis, with the IMF projecting only 0.6 percent real GDP growth and inflation forecast to surge to 43.3 percent in 2025. A wave of protests, including human rights campaigns and labor strikes, has swept across Iran since early December 2025, driven by both social and economic factors. Since early December 2025, a wave of protests has swept across Iran, ranging from human rights campaigns in major urban areas to labor strikes in industrial hubs. As Statista's Tristan Gaudiat reports, part of the growing popular unrest concerns the accelerating use of the death penalty by the Iranian regime (more than 1,000 executions documented so far in 2025), while the country's economic situation has significantly deteriorated. Iran is currently facing one of its most severe economic and social crises of the decade, as the country grapples with near-zero GDP growth, soaring inflation and escalating social and geopolitical tensions. According to the IMF's latest projection (October 2025), Irans real GDP is expected to grow by just 0.6 percent in 2025, a sharp decline from previous years (+3.7 percent in 2024, +5.3 percent in 2023). Inflation, meanwhile, is forecast to surge to 43.3 percent, one of the highest rates in the world, as the national currency (rial) continues its dramatic depreciation. You will find more infographics at Statista This grim outlook underscores the depth of Irans economic issues, driven by a combination of chronic mismanagement, systemic corruption and the impact of international sanctions. The escalation of the conflict with Israel and the United States this year has further deteriorated the situation. After a brief but intense war in June 2025, causing billions of dollars in damage in Iran, the United States imposed additional sanctions, targeting Irans oil, banking and shipping sectors. The reimposition of the United Nations' snapback sanctions in late 2025 has also added to the pressure. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com India continued to import Russian crude at a rate of over 1 million barrels daily this month, despite U.S. sanctions on the two biggest exporters that came into effect in late November. Reuters reported today that the average daily so far this month has stood at 1.2 million barrels. Thats down from 1.77 million barrels in November, ahead of the sanctions, but nowhere near the sharp drop that many analysts forecast. Reuters used LSEG data for its report, as well as unnamed sources. One of these told the publication the rate of imports could rise to 1.5 million barrels daily by the end of the year. Whats more, flows could remain strong in January as well, as non-sanctioned oil companies step in to put their name on the shipments instead of Rosneft and Lukoil. The targets of the latest U.S. sanctions handled around half of Russias total oil exports, or some 2 million barrels daily, until November 21, when the sanctions came into effect. Since then, importers and exporters alike have been looking forand findingways around the sanctions. As many expected, while exports by Rosneft and Lukoil are down, exports of crude by non-sanctioned companies have spiked since November 21. Meanwhile, Bloomberg, earlier this week, said Indian crude oil imports from Russia could drop to 800,000 barrels daily this month because of the sanctions. The report cited tighter checks by the Indian authorities on sanction compliance, including strict inspections of tankers carrying foreign crude and insured in places other than the West, the so-called shadow fleet. Bloomberg also reported that all but one Indian refinerNayara Energyhad reduced their intake of Russian crude. The Reuters report, however, suggests these checks are not at odds with continued robust oil flows from Russia. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The newly proposed Western Gateway Pipeline, planned to ship fuels from Midwest refineries all the way to California, is gathering growing support from federal, state, and industry circles, according to one of the projects proponents, refining giant Phillips 66. Phillips 66 and pipeline giant Kinder Morgan unveiled in October plans for the Western Gateway Pipeline, which could become the worlds largest pipeline for transporting refined petroleum products. The project would combine new-build pipeline from Borger, Texas, to Phoenix, Arizona, with a reversal of Kinder Morgans existing Santa Fe Pacific Products (SFPP) West Line (which currently flows from Colton, California to Phoenix) to enable east-to-west flows into California. The plans also include the Phillips 66 Gold Pipeline, which currently flows from Borger to St. Louis, to also be reversed to move gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from the Midcontinent toward Borger and into the Western Gateway system. The binding open season for Western Gateway Pipeline ends on December 19 and has gone quite well, Phillips 66 chief executive Mark Lashier told Bloomberg News. We will be a substantial shipper on it ourselves, the executive said. Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan will evaluate the results of the open season to determine how big the pipeline would be, but they feel pretty confident at this point, including about approvals the project needs to obtain, Lashier told Bloomberg. A newly-built section of Western Gateway that would cross near Mescalero Apache land in New Mexico has received buy-in from local communities, the executive added. The pipeline has the strong support of the Trump Administration, but also state support in the states around California. Currently, the Western Gateway Pipeline is targeting completion by 2029. A massive pipeline similar to the Colonial pipeline that moves fuels from Gulf Coast refineries to the Eastern Seaboard would be welcome news for the western states, especially California, where gasoline prices are the highest in America and where refineries are closing due to Californias assault on the oil and gas sector in recent years. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Oil prices should improve next year, driven by healthy demand, TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanne told Bloomberg, noting that a supply response from OPEC will also likely contribute to the rebalancing of oil markets. Demand continues to grow, Pouyanne said. I trust also OPEC countries to manage the situation in case oil prices fall too low. U.S. producers will also adjust their production to boost prices, the executive suggested. Pouyannes remarks follow Brent crude falling below $60 for the first time in months, with both the international benchmark and West Texas Intermediate set for an annual decline, Bloomberg noted in its report. Prices rebounded slightly earlier today after President Trump declared a blockade on tankers carrying Venezuelan crude but the prevailing perception of a mounting glut and lukewarm demand continued to pressure prices, with Middle Eastern crude swinging into contango. The contango structure, however, suggests that in the future supply would tighten, with prices for contracts dated further out higher than nearer-term ones. On natural gas, however, Pouyanne took a bearish stance, noting the new liquefaction capacity set to come on stream in two years, pushing prices lower. Bloomberg energy analysts agree, foreseeing a glut in liquefied natural gas production capacity that would push prices lower once it starts operating in the United States and Qatar, just in time for the European Union's total ban on Russian gas imports, the report said. Bloomebrg also noted that gas prices in Europe have fallen to the lowest in more than a year on ample supply and not too strong demand. However, the EU is still finding it hard to fill its gas storage in line with targets for peak demand season. The EU total is at 69.3% and Germanys total is 62.65% - both levels are much lower than they should be this time of the year to ensure supply security during the coldest months. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Venezuelas supply of Russian naphtha is at risk of crumbling, threatening the South American countrys crude exports, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned tankers heading to or departing from Venezuela. Russian exports of naphtha to Venezuela have soared in recent months and Venezuela relies on naphtha and other fuels to serve as diluents for its extra heavy crude. Shipments from other sources stopped and Venezuela turned to Russia for naphtha supply in the middle of this year. But Russian cargoes are transported on blacklisted tankers with sanctioned owners and operatorsbecoming targets of the U.S. blockade. Russian naphtha cargoes en route Venezuela may have to divert to other destinations, putting Venezuelas ability to dilute and export its heavy crude at risk, traders told Reuters on Wednesday. At least one tanker with 32,000 metric tons of Russian naphtha was traveling to Venezuela last week, but it has made a U-turn at the end of the week and is now en route to Europe with the cargo still on board, according to data from LSEG cited by Reuters. President Trumps announcement of a blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan tankers pushed oil prices up by more than 2% early on Wednesday. In the worst-case scenario for Venezuelas crude supply, with additional restrictions and a shortage of diluents to help the heavy crude flow for exports, Venezuela could lose up to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of its oil production, according to Reuters estimates. Venezuelas supply risk supported oil prices early on Wednesday, although hopes of peace in Ukraine capped gains. Venezuela is estimated to have exported about 600,000 bpd of oil last month, INGs commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey said in a note on Wednesday. Its likely that these volumes will fall given the latest developments. The bulk of this oil is shipped to China, the strategists added. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The United States is considering a fresh barrage of sanctions against Russias oil exports if Russian President Vladimir Putin rejects a peace agreement for Ukraine, anonymous sources with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg on Wednesday. Earlier this week, the U.S. and Ukraine both signaled progress in negotiations about a peace agreement during talks in German capital city of Berlin. Washington is now reportedly offering Ukraine security guarantees modeled on NATOs Article 5 mutual defense pledge. However, key issues about territory remain unresolved, and Putin has signaled he wants all occupied territory. U.S. President Donald Trump is said to be pushing for a U.S.-brokered deal by Christmas. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a U.S.-brokered draft deal to end the war could be presented to Russia within days. It is not certain how Russia would reactit has rejected all drafts so far insisting on its own territorial claims and conditions. Now the U.S. is already considering how to escalate the sanctions. The Treasury could target additional vessels of the Russian shadow fleet transporting oil, as well as traders found to have facilitated such transactions, according to Bloombergs sources. The sanctions could be announced later this week, some of these sources told Bloomberg. The previous round of U.S. sanctions the Trump Administrations first against Russia are still reverberating through the global oil markets as they upended trade flows. The sanctions designated Russias top two producers and exporters, Rosneft and Lukoil, and sent Indian buyers scrambling for non-sanctioned crude and Lukoils international assets fighting for U.S. waivers to continue normal operations and negotiate asset sales. Asked to comment on Bloombergs report that the U.S. readies additional sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that Any sanctions harm the fostering of relations, that is obvious, as carried by Russian news agency Interfax. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Commodity trading major Vitol will provide $2 billion in loans for the Ugandan government, to be used for energy infrastructure projects, including a refinery, Reuters has reported, citing a Ugandan government official. The 60,000-barrel-daily facility is one of the key infrastructure projects related to the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline that will carry Ugandan crude to the East African coast in Tanzania. Initially, the Ugandan government tried to secure funding for the $4-billion project on international financial markets, but failing that, it turned to individual investors, including Emirati Alpha MBM Investments, which became its partner in the refinery project. The refinery projects funding will consist of debt and equity at a ratio of 60:40, implying that 60% of the funding will be debt, while 40% will be equity, Uganda has previously estimated. The Emirati firm will hold a 60% stake in the facility, with the other 40% held by the countrys state oil company, Uganda National Oil Company. The loan to be provided by Vitol will have a term of seven years and carry an interest of 4.92%, said junior finance minister Henry Musasizi, as quoted by Reuters. It presents an opportunity to access non-traditional financing to implement projects and support the government in developing national infrastructure, Musasizi also said. The money from Vitol will not only be used for the refinery. Per the official, some of the funding would go towards building roads and a fuel storage terminal, plus an extension to an oil pipeline to carry crude from western Kenya to the capital of Uganda, Kampala. The EACOP project is for a 1,443-kilometer-long (897 miles) pipeline to be built from landlocked Uganda to the Tanga port in Tanzania. The oil pipeline is expected to bring crude from the Lake Albert project in Uganda to the international oil market. It is designed to transport 216,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with a ramp-up of up to 246,000 bpd, Uganda says. EACOP shareholders are Frances supermajor TotalEnergies with a 62% stake, Uganda National Oil Company with 15%, Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation holding another 15%, and CNOOC, the state oil giant of China, with an 8% interest. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The combined airlines will take the first deliveries of Hawaii-made SAF in early 2026 Investment enables SAF production for more sustainable future flying, diversifies Hawaii's fuels industry, strengthens energy independence, and supports agriculture HONOLULU, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines today announced it has joined Par Hawaii to invest in pioneering the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Hawaii using locally grown agriculture feedstock to reduce aviation carbon emissions. This initiative will enable SAF production for more sustainable future flying and deliver economic benefits through the creation of a new energy sector and fuel supply chain in Hawai'i, while bringing new opportunities for local agriculture. Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines, which together provide the most flights to, from and within Hawai'i, and Par Hawaii, the largest producer of energy products in the islands, are partnering with Pono Pacific, through its Pono Energy, Inc. subsidiary, to study Camelina sativa (camelina) as a multi-purpose crop that can be used as SAF feedstock and to support agriculture. The combined airlines also will become Par Hawaii's launch SAF customer, with plans to take delivery of Hawaii's first locally produced SAF in the first quarter of 2026. SAF, a safe drop-in fuel made from sustainable feedstock such as plant-based oils or used cooking oil, can cut lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional jet fuel. Pono Pacific's crop trials drew the attention of Alaska Star Ventures, the venture capital arm of Alaska Air Group that invests in technologies to drive aviation efficiency, performance and innovation. "As Hawaii's airline, we have a responsibility to reduce our environmental impact while continuing to provide essential air service that connects our communities and strengthens our economy," said Alanna James, sustainability innovation director at Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines. "Our company has a long-term strategy to reach net zero carbon emissions, and sustainable aviation fuel is essential for us to get there. We are grateful to have partners like Par Hawaii and Pono Pacific who share our commitment to making our operations more sustainable while creating a new fuel industry and strengthening Hawaii's energy independence." "We value the efforts of our airline partners as we work together to find long-term solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase our energy security, while meeting Hawai'i's transportation needs," said Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawai'i State Department of Transportation. "We applaud Hawaiian and Alaska airlines, Par Hawaii, and Pono Pacific for taking this important step to establish a locally based, lower-emissions supply chain for aviation fuel that supports our state's clean energy goals." Pono Pacific, the state's largest private resource company, will launch Pono Energy, Inc. in early 2026 to accelerate its work on camelina, a high-yield, pest-resistant cover crop that can be grown in rotation with food crops, reaching maturity in just eight to nine weeks. Its oil seeds can be crushed to produce renewable fuels, including SAF, while the remaining seedcake can be turned into government-approved, nutrient-rich feed for cattle and chickens. This revenue-generating cover crop will deliver more economic opportunity for Hawai'i by creating jobs, supporting farmers and decreasing the aviation industry's carbon footprint. "Camelina represents a rare opportunity for Hawai'i to build a true circular-economy model around renewable fuels," said Chris Bennett, Pono Pacific's vice president of sustainable energy solutions. "By growing this crop locally, we strengthen our agricultural sector, keep more dollars circulating within the state, and reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Camelina can be refined into sustainable aviation fuel while the remaining seedcake becomes a valuable, locally produced animal feed that supports Hawai'i's ranchers and livestock industry. We will explore food crops that can be grown alongside camelina to increase food security as well. It's a win for our economy, a win for local agriculture, and a win for the environment an example of how Hawai'i can lead the way in innovative, homegrown climate solutions." Alaska Star Ventures has made a new investment that builds on Par Hawaii's earlier support of Pono Pacific, which collaborated with the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center to begin cultivating 50 non-GMO camelina varieties in 2023 to identify those best suited to Hawaii's year-round temperate climate. The initial investment allowed Pono Pacific to conduct crop trials on four islands, in partnership with Aloun Farms, Mahi Pono and Meadow Gold Dairy. Pono Pacific identified suitable agricultural lands across the state and engaged Hawai'i's cattle and livestock industry to explore the use of camelina seedcake as animal feed. As Pono Pacific advances the agricultural foundation for camelina, Par Hawaii, the state largest fuels manufacturer, is preparing to deliver SAF in the first quarter of 2026. Earlier this year, Par Pacific, parent company of Par Hawaii, formed Hawai'i Renewables, and partnered with Alohi Renewable Energy, LLC, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and ENEOS Corporation, following a $100 million investment to convert and upgrade one of the refinery's processing units into a renewable hydrotreater capable of processing plant-based and waste oils. "In 2022, when we formed an agreement with Hawaiian Airlines to jointly study the commercial viability of locally produced sustainable aviation fuels, we didn't think we would be able to progress so quickly," said Par Hawaii President Eric Wright. "With renewable fuel production coming online in early 2026, it's exciting to see the results of our team's hard work. These fuels will have up to 80 percent lower carbon emissions compared to conventional fuels. This would not have been possible without a shared vision for our islands and our great teamwork." "We are thrilled to be the first customer to receive SAF from Par Hawaii next year," added James. "This is an important milestone for our company and Hawai'i, but there is still more work to do. While SAF is the best option to reduce aviation emissions, it is two to three times more expensive than regular jet fuel and supply is limited. We will need strong collaboration across airlines, fuel and feedstock producers, investors, including business partners seeking to offset their scope 3 emissions, and government, along with supportive policies, to grow the SAF industry and reach our decarbonization goals." About Alaska Air Group Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a global airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. We'll serve Europe beginning in spring 2026. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Alaska is a member of the oneworld alliance, with Hawaiian scheduled to join oneworld in spring 2026. With oneworld and our additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem points for travel to over 1,000 worldwide destinations with Atmos Rewards. Learn more about what's happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as "ALK." About Par Hawaii Par Hawaii is the state's leading provider of transportation fuels. It is headquartered in Honolulu and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Houston, Texas-based Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: PARR]. Par Hawaii owns the state's only petroleum refinery in Kapolei, Oahu, and has invested $100 million to reconfigure one of the refinery's processing units to produce renewable fuels from plant-based and waste oils. Par Hawaii's statewide fuel distribution system includes pipelines on Oahu and storage facilities on all major neighbor islands. It markets gasoline, diesel, and biodiesel through its network of 76 and Hele retail stations throughout Hawaii, and operates the Hele convenience stores. Visit www.ParHawaii.com. About Pono Pacific Pono Pacific Land Management, LLC (Pono Pacific), is Hawai'i's largest private natural resource conservation company and works with state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and education institutions to protect and restore sensitive ecosystems and indigenous species. Pono Pacific has supported the management of land and watersheds on O'ahu, Kaua'i, Moloka'i, Lana'i and Maui, and has restored and managed a variety of ecosystems statewide. Pono has developed agricultural projects and supported energy feedstock projects throughout Hawai'i. The company's mission is rooted in the Hawaiian word "pono"doing what is right and living with integrity. Its sister companies, Pono Island Capital and Poukihi, are the building blocks to sustain life and uplift Hawai'i's economy and community while restoring natural resources. SOURCE Hawaiian Airlines By Jason Williams Williams is a writer, researcher and founder of the Taxpayers Association of Oregon This week saw two awful examples of conservatives politicizing peoples deaths. First, it has been Erika Kirk, who has had to defend herself from accusations and conspiracies over her husbands death. People have faulted her for not mourning enough by stepping into the role of Turning Point USA chair and doing the book tour for Charlies latest book. Erika assumed leadership of Turning Point because it was the most unanimous and unifying choice. When a crisis hits an organization and their founder exits suddenly it often results in the fracturing of the organization. Erika secured TPUSAs future by stepping up when she did not have to. As for Charlies book, Stop in the name of God, his book release was already scheduled. Erika made a critical choice to support her husbands final mission on earth. Sometimes, completing a project of the one you love who died unexpectedly can be an extremely healing experience. Erika Kirk also had to fight off attacks from conservative commentator Candace Owens. Immediately upon Kirks death, Candace Owens speculated that Kirks April 2025 letter to Israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was a scandalous attack on Israel and may have played a role in his death or at least reveal a possible secret hatred of Israel. To quell fears, Netanyahu read portions of his letter, which showed devoted support for the nation of Israel. Candace implied that Netanyahu was hiding the rest of the scandalous details by what wasnt released. The letter was eventually released in full, and it showed Candace to be wrong. This is not the type of fighting that should be done, as people were still grieving and Kirks body had not yet buried. Weeks later, Candace increased her attacks by speculating that Israel may have played an unexplained role in Kirks death. Candace speculated that the United States military may have played a role in his death. Candace speculated that the FBI may be involved in a cover-up of his death. Candace speculated that Turning Point USA may have had a role in plotting Charlie Kirks death. Charlie Kirks Christian mentor, Frank Turek, was there at Kirks side during the assassination and held him during the ambulance ride. Turek was also targeted by Candace. She speculates that Turek gave suspicious hand-signals on the day of the murder. Turek was criticized for not responding correctly when Charlie was shot. These accusations have been extremely painful for Turek, who is still recovering from watching his dear friend die in his arms. All of these speculations have led this week to a near-five-hour personal mediation meeting between Candace and Erika Kirk to make the accusations stop. This is not how conservatives should treat the tragic death of anyone. Also, this week saw the tragic death of Rob Reiner. I watched Fox News as the reporter on the scene described the crime and then remarked on Rob Reiners politics, which are among the most insignificant part of his contributions to society. After that segment, Fox News then had guest commentators on to talk about the death, and yet again they mentioned Rob Reiners political views. They didnt talk about what Rob Reiner was for but rather what he was against. Please put peoples politics aside when speaking about their death. Then Trump posted this message: Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. These are egregious and dehumanizing statements coming from different conservative voices on different deaths all happening at once in the same week. This needs to stop. By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Nearly half of Oregon is under a flood watch (green) and high wind warning (yellow). Follow the ABC flood-watch story here, and then consider helping below: The Seattle Times noted these ways to help: The American Red Cross is operating shelters in flooded areas, providing a place for evacuees to stay. Donate to the organizations relief efforts here is operating shelters in flooded areas, providing a place for evacuees to stay. Donate to the organizations relief efforts here Local affiliates of United Way have mobilized disaster responses for flooded communities. Donate to the Skagit County fund here and the Lewis County fund here have mobilized disaster responses for flooded communities. Team Rubicon is a humanitarian aid organization providing disaster assistance to homeowners across Western Washington. Donate to the organization here or sign up to volunteer here. is a humanitarian aid organization providing disaster assistance to homeowners across Western Washington. Donate to the organization here or sign up to volunteer here. The Skagit Community Foundation , which supports local nonprofits, has set up a disaster relief fund. Donate here , which supports local nonprofits, has set up a disaster relief fund. The Whatcom Community Foundation has set up a dedicated fund for emergency assistance, including money, food and shelter to flood victims. Donate here has set up a dedicated fund for emergency assistance, including money, food and shelter to flood victims. The Community Foundation of Snohomish County has an emergency response fund supporting local nonprofits in flooded areas. Donate here has an emergency response fund supporting local nonprofits in flooded areas. The Evergreen State Fair Park is providing emergency stabling in Monroe. Theyre accepting donations of animal bedding and shavings, as well as monetary donations. Details here is providing emergency stabling in Monroe. Theyre accepting donations of animal bedding and shavings, as well as monetary donations. Skagit County Animal Control has opened a feed distribution site at 13421 Farm to Market Road in Mount Vernon, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Its accepting donations of all kinds, with a particular need for dog food, cat food, pig food and chicken food. has opened a feed distribution site at 13421 Farm to Market Road in Mount Vernon, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Its accepting donations of all kinds, with a particular need for dog food, cat food, pig food and chicken food. Family Promise of Skagit , a nonprofit operating emergency shelters in Sedro-Woolley, is requesting donations of paper products and cleaning supplies, as well as volunteers. Details here , a nonprofit operating emergency shelters in Sedro-Woolley, is requesting donations of paper products and cleaning supplies, as well as volunteers. Welcome Home Skagit operates shelters for unhoused individuals and is facing high demand right now due to short staffing and increased need for shelter. The nonprofit is requesting toiletries and used clothing, which can be dropped off at 2529 N. Laventure Road, Mount Vernon. operates shelters for unhoused individuals and is facing high demand right now due to short staffing and increased need for shelter. The nonprofit is requesting toiletries and used clothing, which can be dropped off at 2529 N. Laventure Road, Mount Vernon. State employees can make donations to disaster relief and recovery efforts through Washingtons workplace giving program. The general public can also contribute to flood response here By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com More from KOMO news here. floating home video: watch Conner Croft video here. View the water fall here. follow more on CNN story Here is how you can according to Seattle Times: The American Red Cross is operating shelters in flooded areas, providing a place for evacuees to stay. Donate to the organizations relief efforts here is operating shelters in flooded areas, providing a place for evacuees to stay. Donate to the organizations relief efforts here Local affiliates of United Way have mobilized disaster responses for flooded communities. Donate to the Skagit County fund here and the Lewis County fund here have mobilized disaster responses for flooded communities. Team Rubicon is a humanitarian aid organization providing disaster assistance to homeowners across Western Washington. Donate to the organization here or sign up to volunteer here. is a humanitarian aid organization providing disaster assistance to homeowners across Western Washington. Donate to the organization here or sign up to volunteer here. The Skagit Community Foundation , which supports local nonprofits, has set up a disaster relief fund. Donate here , which supports local nonprofits, has set up a disaster relief fund. The Whatcom Community Foundation has set up a dedicated fund for emergency assistance, including money, food and shelter to flood victims. Donate here has set up a dedicated fund for emergency assistance, including money, food and shelter to flood victims. The Community Foundation of Snohomish County has an emergency response fund supporting local nonprofits in flooded areas. Donate here has an emergency response fund supporting local nonprofits in flooded areas. The Evergreen State Fair Park is providing emergency stabling in Monroe. Theyre accepting donations of animal bedding and shavings, as well as monetary donations. Details here is providing emergency stabling in Monroe. Theyre accepting donations of animal bedding and shavings, as well as monetary donations. Skagit County Animal Control has opened a feed distribution site at 13421 Farm to Market Road in Mount Vernon, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Its accepting donations of all kinds, with a particular need for dog food, cat food, pig food and chicken food. has opened a feed distribution site at 13421 Farm to Market Road in Mount Vernon, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Its accepting donations of all kinds, with a particular need for dog food, cat food, pig food and chicken food. Family Promise of Skagit , a nonprofit operating emergency shelters in Sedro-Woolley, is requesting donations of paper products and cleaning supplies, as well as volunteers. Details here , a nonprofit operating emergency shelters in Sedro-Woolley, is requesting donations of paper products and cleaning supplies, as well as volunteers. Welcome Home Skagit operates shelters for unhoused individuals and is facing high demand right now due to short staffing and increased need for shelter. The nonprofit is requesting toiletries and used clothing, which can be dropped off at 2529 N. Laventure Road, Mount Vernon. operates shelters for unhoused individuals and is facing high demand right now due to short staffing and increased need for shelter. The nonprofit is requesting toiletries and used clothing, which can be dropped off at 2529 N. Laventure Road, Mount Vernon. State employees can make donations to disaster relief and recovery efforts through Washingtons workplace giving program. The general public can also contribute to flood response here This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain For decades, school districts have struggled to adopt later high school start times, despite overwhelming medical evidence that early bells harm teen health. A new study in the journal Management Science demonstrates that advanced analytics can finally break the logjam, showing that healthier schedules are not only achievable but can also improve district operations and reduce costs. Working with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), researchers Arthur Delarue of the University of Virginia, Zhen Lian of Yale University and Sebastien Martin of Northwestern University designed an interactive optimization system that helped the district shift start times across all 133 schools. The redesign, implemented in 2021, aligned schedules more closely with adolescent biology and reduced transportation spending by more than $5 million each year. "Too many high schools still start before teens' brains are ready to learn, and the barriers to change are often political, not technical," said Delarue. "Our approach gave policymakers real control over the process and revealed that healthier start times could be achieved without sacrificing operational feasibility." Major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, recommend high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Early start times are linked to restricted sleep, poorer academic performance and worsening mental and physical health among teens. Yet districts often stall because of limited bus fleets, staffing constraints and competing family schedules. The study's interactive model reframed the challenge. Instead of relying on a single recommended solution, the system enabled district leaders to explore thousands of near-optimal schedules, weigh trade-offs and test real-world constraints in real time. Decision makers could visualize how different choices affected transportation costs, community preferences and the disruption to existing routines. "Instead of telling the district what the 'optimal' schedule was, we gave them the tools to explore what was possible," said Lian. The resulting schedule was broadly supported across the community. Of course, the complexity of the problem means that not every family can get their favorite start time. Still, in addition to the benefits of later high school start times, a survey of nearly 28,000 elementary school families and staff found that a majority approved of the changes. The shift also simplified bus operations, improved alignment among school schedules and allowed staff to better coordinate across sites. The researchers emphasize that districts of any sizepublic or privatecan adopt this framework. By engaging administrators, transportation planners, teachers and families early in the process, schools can build schedules that enhance student well-being while strengthening operational performance. Publication details Arthur Delarue et al, Algorithmic Precision and Human Decision: A Study of Interactive Optimization for School Schedules, Management Science (2025). DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2024.05834 Journal information: Management Science 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: AI-generated image Our hunter-gatherer ancestors have given us many things. They passed down mastery of fire for cooking and early survival technologies, such as stone tools. They may also have given us the secret to a long life. A new study published in the journal GeroScience found that Italian centenarians carry a higher proportion of genetic material from Western Hunter-Gatherers (WHG) compared to the general population. It has been known for some time that longevity can be explained by "good" genes, as well as by other factors such as our environment and daily habits. Some studies have found individual genes linked to longer life, while others suggest that ancestral DNA may play a role. Analyzing centenarian DNA Italy has one of the highest concentrations in the world of people living to 100 or more. To help understand why, researchers analyzed the genomes of 333 centenarians and 690 healthy adult controls aged around 50. They compared the DNA of these individuals with 103 ancient genomes of the four groups that make up the modern Italian gene pool. Graphical Abstract. Credit: GeroScience (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s11357-025-02043-4 These are Western Hunter-Gatherers, who were among the original inhabitants of Europe after the Ice Age, Anatolian Neolithic farmers, Bronze Age nomadic groups and ancient groups from the Iranian and Caucasus regions. The results revealed that those who reached the age of 100 tended to have more Western Hunter-Gatherer DNA than the average person. "The present study shows for the first time that the Villabruna cluster/WHG lineage... contributes to longevity in the Italian population," wrote the research team. While everyone in the study carried a mix of DNA from all four ancient groups, only the WHG genetic material was linked to longevity. In fact, for every small increase in hunter-gatherer DNA, a person's odds of becoming a centenarian rose by 38%. This was even more powerful in women, who were more than twice as likely to reach 100 if they had a higher proportion of this ancient DNA. "We propose that the variants involved in this trait [longevity] may have been introduced into the Italian gene pool at a very ancient time," said the researchers. Ancient DNA may protect the body The team also has a theory as to how WHG genes may help people live to a ripe old age. They suggest that these variants were selected during the last Ice Age, when our ancestors had to survive extremely harsh conditions with limited food resources. The scientists believe these genes helped improve metabolism to process food more efficiently and strengthen the immune system to protect the body from age-related stresses. Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Eganthis article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you. More information Stefania Sarno et al, Western Hunter-Gatherer genetic ancestry contributes to human longevity in the Italian population, GeroScience (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s11357-025-02043-4 2025 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: French farmers have been protesting against the government's mandatory culling protocol for cattle herds affected by lumpy skin disease. An outbreak of a highly contagious cattle disease has left France, the world's top exporter of live animals, struggling since June to prevent devastating impacts on its industry, amid growing protests by farmers. But in 2016 several Balkan nations curtailed major epidemics of the same disease through swift action, mass vaccination and culls in about three months. With no cases reported since 2018, Tamas Petrovic, head of virology at the Scientific Veterinary Institute in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, said the Balkans' response could offer lessons for this new outbreak. Early alert When lumpy skin disease (LSD), or nodular dermatitis, was detected in nearby Greece and Bulgaria, Serbia was placed on alert and formed a task force to monitor its spread, said Petrovic, who was involved in the response. Although the viral disease poses no risk to humans, it severely affects milk production and fertility and can be fatal in cattle. As the prolonged incubation of the disease made it difficult to track and contain, officials quickly turned to vaccination, the researcher said. But with no registered vaccine in Europe at the time, imports were ordered from South Africa. Within a week of its arrival in Serbia, the vaccine was tested, and the first cattle vaccinations began. Mass vaccination Mass vaccination was carried out in phases, with one million doses eventually administered across the country. By first targeting large swaths of livestock in infected districts and then broadening out in three phases, the outbreak was quickly controlled, he said. "We stopped the disease within two to three months after it entered the country," Petrovic said. By 2018 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said that more than 70% of the Balkan region's cattle were vaccinated. Culls But vaccination alone did not stop the diseaseseveral culls were needed across the region. "If the disease appears, the euthanasia of the entire herd is mandatory," Petrovic said. But rapid action meant fewer than 1,000 cattle were slaughtered in Serbia, out of a total herd of close to 900,000, Petrovic said. Insect controls across the entire region also helped prevent the spread of diseases through mosquitoes, ticks and flies. 'A good example' Petrovic said the Balkans proved to be "more than a good example" in controlling the disease. Croatia's preventive vaccination, after EU approval, meant LSD was never reported in the country, despite outbreaks nearby in Serbia and Montenegro. Its vaccination program effectively stopped the disease from entering the bloc at the time, he said. Bosnia and Herzegovina also carried out vaccination and booster campaigns between 2016 and 2018. As of 2019, the EFSA said that the disease had not been detected in the region, and preventive vaccination programs continued in high-risk areas. The main lesson from that crisis was that experts must take the lead, Petrovic said. "The state and politicians acted in line with the experts and followed what needed to be doneand they did it," he insisted. 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: Billionaire Jared Isaacman, the the next NASA administrator, will be under pressure to deliver on a a US manned mission to the Moon. The US Senate on Wednesday approved President Donald Trump's re-nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman to head NASA, following months of backtracking and uncertainty over the space agency's future. The 42-year-old businessman made his fortune in online payment processing and has a personal passion for space. He will take over as administrator of the US agency at a sensitive timewhen it faces major budget cuts and pressure to travel to the moon again and eventually reach Mars. The Trump administration wants to send a manned US mission to the moon as soon as possible to outpace similar plans by China. During his second confirmation hearing in December, Isaacman pledged he would ensure the success of the Artemis lunar exploration program that began in 2017, during the first Trump administration. "America will return to the moon before our great rival, and we will establish an enduring presence to understand and realize the scientific, economic and national security value on the lunar surface," Isaacman said. NASA's Artemis program, however, has faced numerous delays, and experts warned in September that the lunar lander developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX might not be ready in time. Trump first nominated Isaacman after the president's 2024 election victory, but withdrew the nomination in April 2025, before re-issuing it again in November. Musk had lobbied for Isaacman to get the job. The back-and-forth reflected the president's on-again, off-again relationship with the SpaceX founder, who has been skeptical of the goal of returning to the moon. While the Trump administration was open several months ago to revising the Artemis program in favor of Mars, this prospect now seems to be fading. Isaacman has emphasized that returning to the moon is now the priority. The entrepreneur has flown twice with SpaceX, and in 2024 became the first private astronaut to perform a spacewalk. 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: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Wildlife managers have significantly pared back their efforts to find three juvenile gray wolves who are the last remaining members of a pack that had established itself in the Sierra Valley ranch lands north of Truckee, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday. Three adult wolves and one juvenile from the same group, the Beyem Seyo pack, were euthanized by state game wardens in October after nonlethal efforts to stop them from preying on local cattle failed, the first time in a century that California sanctioned killing the protected animals. Officials had vowed to find the remaining juveniles and transport them to a sanctuary but efforts to locate them have not been successful, said CDFW spokesperson Katie Talbot. "This is not the update we had hoped to provide," Talbot said. "After weeks of trying ... we're not seeing them." Earlier this fall, biologists said they were optimistic that the young wolves would survive the winter, but on Tuesday the department did not address the question of whether they were believed to still be alive. Wolves are returning to California after being hunted to local extinction in the 1920s. The arrival of a wolf known as OR-7 from Oregon in 2011 was cause for celebration among conservationists, and the animals became near-celebrities, with trail cameras capturing their wanderings and media reports that detailed the formation of new packs and the birth of pups. But along with the environmental success came trepidation among farmers and ranchers who had established lives and businesses in areas that the wolves were now repopulating. The Beyem Seyo pack settled in Sierra Valley, terrifying residents and becoming unusually habituated to preying on livestock. The pack's three adults are believed by scientists to have been responsible for killing about 90 calves in the area in about six months. It is a situation that has played out across the West, as protections under federal and some state endangered species laws allowed the apex predators have returned to places where they had once been eradicated. States have struggled to find solutions, some opting to allow significant hunting of wolves, while others continue to outlaw it. The Trump administration said this fall it did not believe protections for the animals were still warranted. Because California wolves are protected by both state and federal laws, it is illegal for ranchers to kill or aggressively harass them. State and federal wildlife managers stepped in last summer, citing an increase in the wolf population to allow for some additional hazing meant to keep the animals away from homes and ranches. But despite shooting rubber bullets at them and intense harassment from drones, the pack continued to prey on the thousands of cattle sent to graze each year in Sierra Valley from across the state. Finally, in September, officials decided to euthanize the three adults in the pack, and transport the juveniles to a sanctuary. The first wolf to be killed was euthanized by mistake, officials admitted, after a game warden shot it from a helicopter without realizing that the animal was still a juvenile. After that, three more were first shot with tranquilizer darts, identified as adults, and then euthanized. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Biologists remained in the area searching for the three remaining juveniles, now about a year old, but have not found them, Talbot said. "We haven't had a confirmed sighting of one of these juveniles since Oct. 30," she said. State biologists still planned to monitor trail cameras to see if they can find them, Talbot said. But more active searches have already wound down. Paul Roen, a rancher who serves on the Sierra County Board of Supervisors, said the state had placed traps on the property he manages, but removed them several weeks ago. Wolves are still in the area, he said, but the cattle that spend the summer in the high rangeland grazing have been sent home to the Central Valley, limiting the opportunities for predation. "About a week ago I got a recording of them along the highway, howling early in the morning," he said. It was not immediately clear whether the animals he heard were the Beyem Seyo juveniles or wolves from another pack. Key concepts wildlife 2025 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Coho salmon, Tillamook State Forest, Oregon. Credit: Oregon Department of Forestry On Dec. 12, Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the "comeback" of coho salmon after state officials spotted juvenile fish in the Russian River's upper basinthe first such sighting in more than 30 years. As the state celebrated the news, however, federal fisheries officials announced that they would not designate Chinook salmon as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, prompting disappointment from conservation groups. The two salmon species face different challenges and are at different stages of recovery, one salmon expert said. But climate change is increasingly shaping the fate of both. Different vulnerabilities in a warming world Carson Jeffres, a senior researcher at UC Davis' Center for Watershed Sciences, emphasized that Chinook and coho are not on the same trajectory, citing their biological differences. "Threats are very different for different life histories, for the different species ... in how the degradation of the environment affects them," Jeffres said. Juvenile coho salmon must survive increasingly hot summer river temperatures as they spend an entire year rearing in freshwater after their eggs are laid in late fall or winter. Meanwhile, Chinook salmon typically migrate to the ocean during their first spring, allowing most juveniles to avoid the hottest summer conditions in rivers, though spring-run Chinook face greater exposure because adults enter rivers in the spring and remain there through the summer before spawning. While they face different challenges, both species are shaped by the same broader "macro picture" of climate-driven pressures, Jeffres said, warning that a single encouraging season for coho does not signal long-term stability and turnaround. "We've been fortunate. We have had three wet years," Jeffres said, referring to recent years of above-average precipitation that have temporarily improved river conditions. "They do a lot better on the wet side of things, but we're seeing that pendulum swinging back and forth and more extreme than we have in the past," he continued, pointing to drought conditions from 2012 through 2016, followed by wet years, another extreme drought in 2021 and 2022 and the three wet years California is experiencing now. Extreme swings between wet and dry conditions are widely recognized as a sign of climate change by scientists at agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, which notes that a warming atmosphere intensifies both drought and heavy rainfall. "Climate change, among various other threats, makes salmon and steelhead recovery a complex and challenging task," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries states on its website. NOAA also found that five Chinook salmon groups face very high climate risk and five face high risk, while one coho group is at very high risk and four are at high risk, largely due to warming waters and altered flows. The federal agency estimated high river temperatures wiped out three-quarters or more of winter-run Chinook salmon eggs in 2021, and produced a mortality rate as high as 86% during the severe drought season in 2014 and 2015. The agency also projects that Snake River spring and summer Chinook salmon populations will face dramatic declines in the coming decades as sea surface temperatures continue to rise. "We are seeing 10,000 plus Chinook above Iron Gate dam ... this year. But there were hundreds of thousands historically, and that's not something that we're going to see happen in a matter of a couple years," Jeffres said. "This is a century-long problem ... Thinking it's going to be fixed in a year is not one of those realistic solutions." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Policy and protection The Trump administration has taken multiple actions this year affecting salmon conservation, including withdrawing from a salmon restoration agreement with Pacific Northwest tribes and moving to roll back Endangered Species Act protections. In November, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the government is revising the ESA to focus on protecting species in ways that "also respect the livelihoods of Americans who depend on our land and resources." The proposed changes would alter how federal agencies decide whether a species qualifies for protection and how critical habitat is designated, focusing more on current population conditions and less on future climate threats. In press releases, Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity, said, "If these Trump proposals had been in place in the 1970s, the only place you'd find a bald eagle today is on the back of a dollar bill," while Joanna Zhang, endangered species advocate with WildEarth Guardians, said the move would "spell disaster" for species like salmon in the Pacific Northwest. For now, federal law still protects several West Coast salmon populations under the Endangered Species Act. Central California Coast coho salmon and Sacramento River winter-run Chinook are listed as endangered, with Southern OregonNorthern California Coast coho, Central Valley spring-run Chinook and California Coastal Chinook listed as threatened. As for the recent denial of protected status for Southern OregonNorthern California Coast Chinook salmon, conservation groups argued that regulators should have evaluated spring-run and fall-run Chinook separately, saying spring-run Chinook face greater risk and that combining the two runs could mask population declines for spring-run. Federal fisheries officials, however, concluded that the spring-run fish were not distinct enough to warrant separate protections. "We're looking at the Fisheries Service determination and seeing if we can challenge it," said Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, which petitioned for the Southern OregonNorthern California Chinook salmon's listing, following the denial last week. Miller said the determination was inconsistent with how the agency has treated Chinook populations elsewhere, like in the Central Valley and upper Columbia River. Jeffres agreed, noting lumping them in one population is "an error" as they have evolved differently over time and have distinct life history strategies. At the same time, he added the coho sighting likely reflects years of local restoration and watershed work, noting that an ESA listing alone does not ensure recovery. "Having a listing can be a useful tool, but just having a listing doesn't mean the species is going to return," Jeffres said. "It wasn't ESA that ultimately brought the Klamath dams down," he said. "It was decades of protest and highlighting the importance of that resource to all the communities in the Klamath River. It's the action for the communities that live in those watersheds that really changed the needle." Key concepts inland fishery resources 2025 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Lake Mead may be facing historic shortages, but officials from the Colorado River state that uses the most water are celebrating unprecedented water savings. At a briefing for reporters at Tuesday's Colorado River Water Users Association conference at Caesars Palace, leaders from California's biggest water districts said the state is on track to use 3.76 million acre-feet this year. That's about 1.2 trillion gallonsthe smallest amount of water from the river since 1949, despite explosive population growth. "California is here to save the Colorado River, but we can't do it ourselves," declared JB Hamby, the state's lead negotiator on interstate water talks. Hamby said he believes that conservation is particularly impressive because among the seven states in the Colorado River Basin, California can use the largest share of water and has some of the most protected water rights anywhere in the American West. The Imperial Irrigation District, for instance, is the single biggest water user in the basin, with its desert farms providing most of the country's winter vegetables. Gina Dockstader, a fourth-generation Imperial Valley farmer who serves as chair of the district board, pointed to 9.1 million acre-feet of water saved since a key set of agreements that took effect in 2003. On her farm, Dockstader said, she uses drip irrigation to grow organic lemons and medjool dates. "Despite having the highest priority rights in the basin, in the Imperial Valley, the Colorado River is our only water supply," she said. "We also love Mother Nature. We are extremely proud of the role that we have played, and we will continue to sustain the shared resource." While it wasn't discussed at the press conference, in a news release after the gathering, the state's officials laid out a framework for managing the river after 2026. That complicated negotiation process is looming over the conference. What happens in the negotiating rooms has big implications for Lake Mead, Southern Nevada's primary water source, which the federal government has projected will plunge to its lowest level ever in 2027. In the news release, state officials said they are "willing to set aside many of their legal positions to reach a deal," mentioning, in broad strokes, flexibility on a release schedule from Lake Powell; the distribution of shortages among the Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada; and a long-term, 20-year deal with phases. Beyond the immediate deficit the basin faces of 1.5 million acre-feet, which the Lower Basin has agreed to take on with some potential savings from Mexico, California officials say the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming must step up. California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said the seven states are working hard to meet Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's Feb. 14 deadline for a final environmental impact statement, which will initiate a public comment period. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. "We know we are on borrowed time that we need to deliver a Valentine's Day present to 40 million Americans that rely on the Colorado River," Crowfoot said. In her opening remarks at Tuesday's Upper Colorado River Commission meeting, the state of Colorado's commissioner, Becky Mitchell, said the deadline is "pushing the envelope" in terms of how much time is left to strike a deal. Mitchell said that because of declining water availability, and the fact that the system is built around demand rather than supply, a vast majority of water users in the Upper Basin are already subject to mandatory, uncompensated cuts in their water use. She called attention to an imbalance in how recent pools of federal funding for conservation are split between the Lower and Upper Basins, with the Upper Basin only receiving about 5 percent, she said. "We know we are not going to get everything on our wish list," Mitchell said. "At this point, we have given everything we have towards finding a solution. But we will all need to come together for this to be enough." More details are likely to come later in the conference about the timing of the public document release. On Wednesday morning, leaders from the Bureau of Reclamationthe federal agency tasked with overseeing the negotiationsis set to deliver an update. The principal negotiators from the seven states will speak on a panel on Thursday, the last day of the conference, as well. Key concepts water resource management 2025 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Dino Robusto, Former CEO and Executive Chairman of CNA, joins as Chairman of the Board; and Wayne Peacock, Former USAA President & CEO, joins as a Director; Strengthening HUB's offerings by bringing unique perspectives CHICAGO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hub International Limited (HUB), a leading global insurance brokerage and financial services firm, announced today the addition of two new board members. Dino Robusto, Former CEO and Executive Chairman of CNA, who joins as Chairman of the Board, and Wayne Peacock, Former USAA President & CEO, who joins as a Director. They bring a new independent perspective, deep insurance and financial services expertise, and proven track records for elevating, transforming and growing their previous organizations. "I am pleased to welcome Dino and Wayne to HUB's board. The addition of both of these insurance leaders reflects HUB's success in attracting this level of strong industry talent. Their insurance and financial services expertise will further strengthen HUB as we scale and prepare for the next chapter in our growth journey," stated Marc Cohen, Chairman and CEO. "I'm confident that passing the Chairman seat to Dino is the right next step in building a world-class organization aligned with best practices in corporate governance and oversight practices. This will ensure transparency, while preserving collaboration, between the Board and my leadership as CEO." Robusto's deep global carrier experience will help contribute to HUB's ability to scale in an industry that continues to transform itself. Robusto's distinguished career at global insurance carriers will provide insights as HUB continues to build client solutions that reflect the shifting landscape of risk from climate change, cyber and AI to geographic expansion and geopolitical conflict, to regulation or operational and labor changes. His unique perspective provides the Board with a differentiating level of insight into HUB's risk management and claims servicing strategies that enable customers to be proactive and risk aware. "I've had a long-standing relationship with HUB and admire the growth it has experienced under Marc's leadership," stated Robusto. "HUB has built a business dedicated to organic growth supported by a fantastic portfolio of solutions, an integrated brand, a strong leadership team, deep carrier relationships, and a runway of acquisitions to continue scaling for growth. I'm looking forward to adding to that success and their momentum from a Board seat." The technology transformation Peacock drove at USAA was instrumental in building a world-class customer service experience. Leveraging technology so employees can deliver more value to customers supported by a connected digital ecosystem will help HUB drive loyalty through a unified customer experience. Technology innovation will drive new and existing customer growth while also bringing resources to help train the exceptional talent HUB continues to attract. "HUB has successfully built a boundaryless infrastructure to deliver resources to its clients from across the organization. They are poised to continue to innovate and offer best-in-class customer experiences as they scale," said Peacock. "I'm honored to join the Board and look forward to supporting Marc and the leadership team to continue delivering the differentiated customer experience that drives long-term growth." About Dino Robusto Robusto formerly served as the Executive Chairman of the Board for CNA Financial Corporation and previously served as Chief Executive Officer where he redefined its underwriting culture, strengthened its executive ranks with industry-leading talent, and invested in industry segment expertise, to improve underwriting performance. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Robusto previously held various positions at Chubb, serving as President of Commercial and Specialty Lines and President of Personal Lines and Claims, and oversaw operational functions including Human Resources, Information Technology, Communications, Corporate Development, External Affairs and Innovation. Currently, he serves as Chair of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. He also served on numerous boards, including Junior Achievement, The Institutes, and St. John's University School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science. About Wayne Peacock Peacock brings decades of insurance and financial services expertise, most recently as CEO of Fortune 100, USAA, where he led one of the industry's most respected consumer brands through a period of accelerated digital transformation and innovation. Under his leadership, USAA integrated technology and human insight to deliver exceptional Omni-channel experiences & service at scalecapabilities HUB can leverage as it continues to unify its digital ecosystem, enhance value delivery, and attract world-class talent across the enterprise. Along with Board governance, previous roles, include President of the P&C division, Strategy, Marketing & Distribution, Technology, and investment management. He currently serves on the board of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and Cole Advisory Board at Duke Fuqua. He previously served on the board of USAA, USAA Federal Savings Bank, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, The Institutes, and was Chair of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. About Hub International Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Hub International Limited is a leading full-service global insurance broker and financial services firm providing risk management, insurance, employee benefits, retirement and wealth management products and services. With more than 20,000 employees in offices located throughout North America, Hub's vast network of specialists brings clarity to a changing world with tailored solutions and unrelenting advocacy, so clients are ready for tomorrow. For more information, visit Hub Media Center. MEDIA CONTACTS: Marni Gordon Phone: 312-279-4601 [email protected] Jessica Wiltse Phone:312-596-7573 [email protected] SOURCE Hub International Limited 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: Typhoon Haiyan shortly before maximum intensity while approaching the Philippines on November 7, 2013. Credit: NASA The oceanic conditions that churn up the very strongest of hurricanes and typhoons are heating up in the North Atlantic and Western Pacific, fueled by warm water that extends well below the surface. Human-caused climate change may be responsible for up to 70% of the growth of storm-brewing hotspots there, according to new research. These hot spots are making it more likely that stronger Category 6 tropical cyclones may hit landfall in highly populated areas. "The hot spot regions have expanded," said I-I Lin, a chair professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at the National Taiwan University. Lin will present the findings during an oral session on tropical cyclones at AGU's 2025 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Wednesday, 17 December. From 1519 December, AGU25 brings together more than 20,000 scientists to discuss the latest in Earth and space science research. Lin has been interested in the strongest hurricanes and typhoons for more than a decade. Typhoon Haiyanalso known as Super Typhoon Yolandastruck the Philippines at maximum intensity in November 2013, killing thousands of people. The next year, Lin and her colleagues published a paper calling for the need for creating a new category of tropical cyclones6for the very strongest storms like Haiyan, in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Category 6 tropical cyclones would include those that exceed a wind intensity of 160 knots, Lin and her colleagues argue. Previously, any storm with winds above 137 knots were considered Category 5most official weather agencies still recognize Category 5 tropical cyclones as the strongest. But since most other categories include a window of about 20 knots, Lin said it makes sense to create a Category 6. Category 4, for example, includes storms with wind intensity of 114137 knots. Some of the best-known of these storms include Hurricane Wilma in 2005, the most intense hurricane recorded in the Atlantic basin, Typhoon Haiyan and Typhoon Hagibis, which struck Tokyo in 2019. The latter was among the costliest in terms of destruction from rain and wind, Lin said, even though it had downgraded in intensity by the time it hit the Japanese capital. Finally, Hurricane Patricia, which formed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, was the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded, with wind intensity of up to 185 knotsenough to make it considered a Category 7 storm, if such a thing existed, Lin said. "Patricia was the king of the world," she added. Burgeoning ocean hotspots feed big storms Lin and her colleagues looked back at all large storms recorded in the past four decades or so, and found that these Category 6 storms are increasingly common. In three decades from 1982 to 2011, there were eight tropical cyclones that had wind intensity of more than 160 knots. In the more recent decade she examined, from 2013 to 2023, there were 10 Category 6 tropical cyclones. So, of 18 Category 6 cyclones that have occurred in the past 40 years or so, 10 of them happened in the last decade. Lin's ongoing recent work, the topic of her discussion at the upcoming session in the American Geophysical Union's 2025 Annual Meeting, reveals that most of these Category 6 tropical cyclones occur in hot spots. The largest hot spot for these massive storms is in the Western Pacific east of the Philippines and Borneo, while another hot spot lies in the North Atlantic around and to the east of Cuba, Hispaniola and Florida. Their work also reveals that these hot spots are growing in sizethe North Atlantic hot spot has expanded eastwards past the northern coast of South America and westwards into much of the Gulf, while the Western Pacific has grown as well. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. The conditions that drive Category 6 storms are driven by warmer subsurface water as well as warm surface water. In other regions, big storms often churn up the ocean. As cool water is drawn into the surface, it can cool the storm itself, reducing its intensity. But since warm water is so deep in these hot spot regions, the cyclones don't have a chance to cool as much. Just the same, Lin cautions that not every storm that arises in these hot spots will become a Category 6 tropical cyclonethe atmospheric conditions have to be right as well. "The hot spots are a necessary but not sufficient condition," she said. Analysis of the factors driving this expansion of deeper warm water in these hot spots has revealed that global warming and natural variability in temperature both play a role. But overall, the team estimates that human-caused climate change is responsible for about 6070% of the increased size in these hot spotsand consequently, of Category 6 tropical cyclones. Lin said that recognition of Category 6 tropical cyclones by weather agencies could help cities plan more appropriately for the impact of coming stormsespecially in hot spot areas where they are becoming more common. "We really think there is a need just to provide the public with more important information," Lin said. Key concepts hurricanesClimate Change This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Dust storms regularly affect northern China, including its capital, Beijing. In recent years, Chinese scientists and officials have traced the source of the dust storms to its neighbor Mongolia. Much of the dust over Beijing in the spring of 2023, for example, originated from parts of Mongolia, seemingly driven by the warming and drying of the climate in the region. Mongolia's environment has come to be seen as China's problem. Chinese netizens have blamed Mongolia's herders and miners for the exploitation of natural resources and environmental destruction. In pointing the finger at Mongolians, they ignore the role that Chinese demand for Mongolian resources plays in Mongolia's environmental problems. In the south of Mongolia, it is dust churned up by mining trucks carrying coal to China on unpaved roads that locals are concerned about. In August 2026, a major UN conference will be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital, on the subject of tackling desertification. According to the Mongolian organizers of the conference, the country is one of the most severely affected by this process, whereby fertile land becomes like a desert and vegetation disappears, with almost 77% of its land now classified as degraded. In recent years, China has sought to export its own expertise in preventing and tackling desertification to Mongolia, and this conference will provide a platform for China to showcase its global leadership on tackling this phenomenon. Questions remain, however, about how Chinese anti-desertification measures might work within Mongolia. In China, for instance, these measures have often targeted herders, while in Mongolia, nomadic herding is central to ideas of national identity. In the spring of 2023, China was hit by a series of unexpectedly severe dust storms. Vulnerable residents of Beijing were told to remain inside their homes as the sky turned an apocalyptic orange. Dust storms like these originate from dry bare soil exposed to seasonal winds in semi-arid regions, often hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Increasing dust emissions are linked to climate change, reducing rainfall and increasing temperature, and to desertification. Land degradation due to poor management practices exposes bare soil, as well as leading to the expansion of huge areas of "sand seas," which kick up dust. In recent decades, China has adopted a series of measures within its own borders in an attempt to prevent desertification. Notable among these has been the "great green wall," initiated in 1978, which seeks to constrain the many deserts and sand seas in the north, north-east and north-west of the country by stabilizing the shifting sand with extensive tree-planting. These also act as windbreaks. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Building a relationship? In 2023, the China-Mongolia desertification prevention and control center was established in Ulaanbaatar. At a meeting between China's president Xi Jinping and his Mongolian counterpart Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, Xi pledged support for Mongolia's "billion tree movement." This initiative aims to plant that number of trees across the country by 2030. Cooperation with Mongolia has also offered China an opportunity to demonstrate its expertise in desertification control techniques outside its borders. Besides using traditional tree-planting and straw checkerboard sand barriers, Chinese engineers have developed techniques for immobilizing sand dunes, as well as significant expertise in steel and concrete sand fence designsand increasingly, in the installation of extensive solar panel farms, including novel vertical panels that also act as wind breaks. However, stopping sand dunes at the desert's edge doesn't necessarily prevent dust blowing off the soil in sparsely vegetated semi-arid land. More broadly, China's efforts to control desertification within its borders have targeted the livelihoods of herders, who are often from one of China's ethnic minorities. Official narratives have blamed herders for desertification, claiming they mismanage rangelands by accumulating excessive numbers of livestock. China's top-down, state-led environmental plan has seen herders resettled away from the grasslands in a policy known as "ecological migration." Those who remain have often been subjected to grazing bans or strict limits on the number of animals they can keep. These policies are based on the privatization of grassland use, often accompanied by the erection of fencing. This has severely reduced the mobility of herders. Some researchers suggest it is, in fact, this privatization of land that is primarily responsible for the degradation of China's grasslands. It increases localized grazing pressure by preventing the herders and their livestock moving around. Enclosing large tracts of grassland to be turned into forests or solar farms further reduces the land available to herders. So will China's model of desertification prevention and control be exported to its neighbors? A recent headline in the South China Morning Post describes the possible expansion of China's great green wall into Mongolia. Further afield, China has been a model for a similar project in Africa. The idea of a Chinese great wall, however "green," expanding into Mongolia would be unpalatable to many Mongolians, because of their deep anxieties over China's territorial ambitions. Official announcements from China talk instead of the joint construction of an "ecological security barrier" on the Mongolian plateau, which straddles the border between the two countries. Unlike China, Mongolia's grasslands remain largely unfenced. The country is proud of its nomadic heritage, and the kind of large-scale fencing of rangelands and livestock reduction programs that have been seen in China would be highly contentious in democratic Mongolia. For now, cooperation remains confined to small, isolated "demonstration zones", scientific exchange, and support for Mongolia's own billion-tree movementwhich, not surprisingly perhaps, makes no reference to walls. The upcoming UN conference in Mongolia will take place during the UN's International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. It remains to be seen how China's environmental diplomacy there engages with the growing international recognition of the positive role that herders can play in fostering biodiversity, and in helping prevent grasslands becoming deserts. Key concepts dust storms This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Kasun Bodawatta sampling moss in Lille Vildmose, Denmark. Credit: University of Copenhagen Right now, many of us have a bit of moss sitting in our Christmas decorations at home. Some of us picked it ourselves in the forest, others bought it in a shop. But few have probably thought about the fact that moss can be full of small remains from foxes, hares, badgers or other animals that live in the area where the moss grew. However, that is precisely the case, as a research team led by the University of Copenhagen has now shown. In a new study, they demonstrate that moss works as a natural collector of environmental DNAthe small fragments of genetic material that animals, plants and microorganisms constantly shed into their surroundings. And moss could become an important tool for monitoring global biodiversity at a time when species are disappearing rapidly and climate change is reshaping ecosystems. A stumble that sparked an idea It was purely by chanceindeed, by an accidentthat biologist Kasun Bodawatta from the University of Copenhagen came up with the idea that moss can store animal DNA. "I was doing fieldwork on the Danish island of Christians when I tripped and fell on a patch of soft moss. And then I thought, Hey, it's just like a sponge. Maybe moss works like sponges that absorb environmental DNA, just as sea sponges can be used to collect DNA in marine ecosystems," says Bodawatta, former postdoc and now guest researcher at the Globe Institute at the University of Copenhagen and the senior author of the study published in Molecular Ecology Resources. Sampling of moss for environmental DNA analyses. Credit: Molecular Ecology Resources (2025). DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.70088 He and a team of fellow researchers from the University of Copenhagen then set about analyzing moss from the Lille Vildmose nature reserve in Denmark. In small moss samples measuring 6x6 centimeters, the researchers identified 13 bird species (including graylag goose and common redstart), 11 mammal species (including bison, badger and pipistrelle bat) and two amphibian species. In addition, they found 54 different invertebrates, 21 plants, 553 bacterial genera and 210 fungal genera. "By simply swabbing the surface of tiny pieces of moss with a cotton bud, we were able to detect wild, local animals like bison and badgersand not just pig DNA, which is spread across much of the Danish landscape. This shows the great potential moss has for monitoring natural biodiversity," says Bodawatta. A global and easily accessible method The collection of environmental DNA (eDNA) is already a widely used tool for monitoring nature, but on land there is a lack of easily accessible, robust and inexpensive ways to collect eDNA. Here, moss can be a crucial supplement. The study shows that the sponge-like structure of moss allows it to trap material it comes into contact with. And this applies not only in temperate Danish landscapes. The researchers also sampled moss in savannah and forest habitats in Ivory Coast. Their findings suggest that moss-based DNA sampling could work globally. "The special thing about moss is that it is found on almost every continent and, unlike most other methods, the cotton swab approach requires no electricity, expensive equipment or specialized fieldwork. In principle, you can go for a walk in the forest, swab a handful of moss and get a biological fingerprint of the area," says Associate Professor and co-author Kathrin Rousk from the Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen. The cotton swab method is both effective and gentle. In most cases, it was not necessary to remove or destroy moss, making the technique suitable in fragile or protected habitats. In addition, due to its simplicity, the method is ideal for use in citizen science, the researchers point out. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. The researchers also discovered that moss picks up DNA not only from animals that touch it directly, but also from species that have merely passed through the air above it. In Ivory Coast, they were even able to detect DNA from a rare bird species in places where the birds were no longer present, suggesting that moss can store DNA for relatively long periods. In the 29 moss samples collected in Ivory Coastanalyzed only for vertebrate DNAthey found 18 genera of birds, 13 genera of mammals and two species of amphibians. "The fascinating thing is that something as simple as mosssomething we hardly noticecan tell us so much about the nature around us. We still need to refine the technique, but moss is extremely promising as a way to monitor animal and plant life around the world," says Bodawatta. Publication details Henry F. N. Lankes et al, MossAccumulatedeDNAIs a Promising Source for Terrestrial Biodiversity Surveys Across the Tree of Life and Biomes, Molecular Ecology Resources (2025). DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.70088 Journal information: Molecular Ecology Resources Key concepts mosses 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: Impacts from flooding that occurred in Falmouth, Massachusetts on December 23, 2022. Credit: Chris Piecuch A July 2025 report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) claims that U.S. tide gauge measurements "in aggregate show no obvious acceleration in sea level rise beyond the historical average rate." However, a new study by Chris Piecuch, a physical oceanographer with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), reaches a dramatically different conclusion. New study finds accelerating sea level rise The study finds that the rate of U.S. coastal sea-level rise has more than doubled in the past 125 years, from a rate of less than 2 millimeters per year in 1900 to more than 4 millimeters per year in 2024, and that present rates are well above the historical average. This translates to a rise in U.S. coastal sea level of about 40 centimeters, or nearly 16 inches, over that time. "This represents conclusive evidence that coastal sea level in the U.S. is accelerating, likely due to climate change," according to the study, "The Rate of U.S. Coastal Sea-Level Rise Doubled in the Past Century," published in the journal AGU Advances. Piecuch said the acceleration of U.S. coastal sea level is consistent with what is happening on a global scale related to ongoing ocean warming and expansion and to continuing loss of ice from glaciers and ice sheets. DOE report criticized for limited data The authors of the DOE report base their conclusion on analysis of data from five tide gauge records "that may be heavily impacted by local effects and not representative of true large scale aggregate RSL [relative sea level] behavior," according to Piecuch's study, which adds that the DOE report's conclusions "should be treated with caution," due to the small number of locations considered. In contrast to the DOE report, the Piecuch study uses data from 70 tide gauges distributed along the contiguous U.S. coast. The data set comprises all active U.S. tide-gauge stations with more than 30 years of data. Piecuch's results "directly contradict" the claims made in the DOE report that are based on a cursory discussion of tide gauge time series from just a handful of locations, the study states. "U.S. tide-gauge records taken collectively do show an obvious RSL acceleration above the long-term historical average trend." Local land changes complicate measurements "The DOE report paints an incomplete picture of the rates of sea level change by picking just a handful of locations that are subject to local effects and that are not representative of the large-scale aggregate relative sea level behavior," said Piecuch. The locations in the DOE reportincluding Grand Isle, Louisiana, and Galveston, Texasare known to feature vertical land motion from human activity and geological processes unrelated to anthropogenic climate change, the Piecuch study indicates. For example, Grand Isle exemplifies several local and regional processes that can cause sea level change along the Gulf coast, such as long-term compaction and sediment transport related to the dynamics of the Mississippi River as well as oil and gas extraction, Piecuch said. "These local and regional processes are thought to have caused significant land loss and subsidence, or sinking of coastal land, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s," said Piecuch. Study concludes sea level rise is accelerating Piecuch's study acknowledges that spatially variable vertical land motion is an important control on relative sea level changes. However, the study adds that it is unlikely that land motion explains the acceleration in sea level rise. The DOE study's conclusion "rests largely on cursory analysis of a small number of tide-gauge records that are known to be unrepresentative of large-scale RSL behavior," the Piecuch study states. "You can't argue that U.S. sea level rates are not increasing by looking at just five cherry-picked sites," Piecuch said. "When you consider all the available observations, the data point in the opposite directionthat U.S. coastal sea level is clearly on an accelerating course." Publication details Christopher G. Piecuch, The Rate of U.S. Coastal SeaLevel Rise Doubled in the Past Century, AGU Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1029/2025av002018 Journal information: AGU Advances Key concepts sea-level change 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 It's down to the wire for officials to deliver a seven-state agreement to stabilize Lake Mead over the next 20 years. That's why water managers are eager to attend this year's annual policy gathering in Las Vegas. Federal and state officials, professors, nonprofit leaders and environmentalists will gather on the Strip this week for the Colorado River Water Users Association conference at Caesars Palace. It's the largest meeting in the Colorado River world, happening as time runs out for seven states to agree on how to manage a shrinking river. The 2007 guidelines for how the river is shared will expire at the end of next year. "We're really at a hydrologic precipice," said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. "And we're at this impasse with very little idea about what the future holds. The volume needs to be turned up." For Southern Nevada, where about 90% of the region's water supply comes from Lake Mead, what happens inside the negotiating room is directly tied to its future. With Lake Mead only 28% full and snowpack at the river's headwaters repeatedly failing to deliver in a way that could lift the basin out of drought, more reductions in use for all states are likely. The meeting in Las Vegas is the one time each year when the basin comes togetherwith representation from Native American tribes, Mexico, the Bureau of Reclamation and the seven statesto regroup and plan for the year ahead. Conference organizers recently added a panel with all seven states' principal negotiators to the final day's agenda. That comes as a welcome change from last year, said Elizabeth Koebele, a professor who studies water governance at University of Nevada, Reno. At that conference, the seven states declined to meet as a group and instead spoke on separate panels, highlighting both a geographic and ideological divide. Most recently, the seven states failed to meet a deadline last month from the Bureau of Reclamation to deliver a framework for an agreement. "I was really disappointed in November," Koebele said. "Now, I'm slightly more hopeful, but there are all these other challenges with the fact that it is getting so tight on time. We're going to have to move quickly." Nevada, California and Arizona, which make up the Lower Basin, have made their case that shortages should be shared throughout the basin. In the other camp, the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming argue that their restraints are already too great in the face of declining snowpack, and that they're already having to make tough choices about cutting off certain water users. In the absence of a seven-state consensus, Trump administration officials have indicated they would intervene, though that route is not Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's preference. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. "When it comes to the Colorado River, the future really hinges on how well we plan together," Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Peter Soeth said in a statement. "It's not just about one country, state or agencyit's about everyone being on the same page." John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the state's governor-appointed representative in the interstate talks, said in an interview Wednesday that he doesn't expect any major negotiation updates to come out of the conference. If the states meet it, the public will have a chance to weigh in after the next deadlineFeb. 14, when the Bureau of Reclamation is expected to release a final environmental impact statement. Aside from the steps required by the National Environmental Policy Act, the public is largely left out of the closed-door negotiations. "I think you could take it as a sign of progress that all seven states are still at the table, still talking," Entsminger said. "Nobody's stormed out of the room, and sometimes that's as big of a sign as you have, that people are still plugging away, even though there are not tangible public announcements being made." Of the four Upper Basin principals, only Utah's negotiator, Colorado River Authority of Utah Chair Gene Shawcroft, responded to a request for comment. Shawcroft is also president of the Colorado River Water Users Association. "Utah remains fully committed to working toward a seven-state agreement that protects the Colorado River for everyone who depends on it," Shawcroft said in a statement. "CRWUA provides an important opportunity for frank, collaborative conversations as we navigate the challenges ahead." Shawcroft alluded to a need for "additional clarity" from the Interior Department on the next steps for the public input process. Some of that could be forthcoming, especially during Wednesday's keynote address from Assistant Secretary of Water and Science Andrea Travnicek or the scheduled negotiation talk from Acting Reclamation Commissioner Scott Cameron. Clarity could come later, too: In a letter Tuesday, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo revealed that Burgum had invited all seven state governors and appointed negotiators to Washington, D.C.a meeting Lombardo would like to see scheduled for January. Regardless, environmentalists say this conference will be one to watch. Celene Hawkins, The Nature Conservancy's Colorado River program director, said that aside from the important negotiations, the conference is a chance to reevaluate approaches toward all of the system's living creatures. "Sometimes it's easier for water managers to think of the system as a series of pipes and dams that deliver water to human users, but this is, in fact, a river system," Hawkins said. "The task ahead of us is how we figure out how to take care of people and nature into a drier future, and really think hard about how we use every drop of water." And when it comes to news about the negotiations, the conference could still yield some interesting updates, added Jennifer Pitt, Colorado River program director at the National Audubon Society. "Nobody has walked away, so I take that as a sign that there is still a chance," Pitt said. "Sometimes it is these final, pressured moments of negotiations that make decisions possible." Key concepts water resource management 2025 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Gun violence protest. Credit: Chip Vincent on Unsplash; free to use under the Unsplash License Democratic congressmembers are significantly more likely to post on social media following a mass shooting event in the US compared to Republican congressmembers, according to a study published in PLOS Global Public Health by Dmytro Bukhanevych from New York University, United States, and colleagues. How politicians use social media after shootings Social media is now a key tool for politicians to communicate directly with the public, especially in the wake of important events. Previous studies have shown that voters perceive social media posts from politicians as more honest compared to news interviews. Here, the authors assessed how members of the US Congress responded to mass shooting events (as defined by the Gun Violence Archive, where four or more people, excluding the shooter, were shot) on social media. Guns are a divisive topic in the United States, with Democrats tending to call for stricter gun control laws, and Republicans citing the Second Amendment as rationale for keeping guns relatively unrestricted. Study methods and key findings The authors focused specifically on X (formerly known as Twitter), in part because of X's owner Elon Musk's political work for the current Trump administration. They analyzed 785,881 posts from 513 congressmembers (262 Democrats and 251 Republicans) of the 117th Congress using X from January 2, 2021 to January 3, 2023. (Independents and congressmembers without X accounts were excluded from the analysis.) In total, 1,338 mass shooting incidents took place during the 117th Congress, and congressmembers made 12,274 posts containing gun-related keywords: gun, second amendment, 2nd Amendment, and firearm. The authors found mass shootings with more fatalities had a higher probability of congressmembers making gun-related posts, especially if the shooting happened in the members' state. Democrats were more likely to tweet about guns following mass shootings than Republicans (OR=3.60, 95% CI=[3.03, 4.28], p < 0.001), and the authors also found clear differences in post content between parties. Democrats tended to frame posts in terms of community, families, victims, and legislature, while Republicans more often addressed Second Amendment rights, law enforcement, and crime in their posts. Limitations and broader implications The authors note they were only able to examine a small subset of the variables that might impact an individual's response to a tragedy like a mass shooting. They also note that another session of Congress might respond differently. Regardless, this research provides valuable insight into how political communication around mass shootings in the United States is carried out in one of the highest levels of US government. Senior author Dr. Maurizio Porfiri summarizes, "In this research, we tested a long-running concern: when it comes to gun violence, Americans too often talk past each other instead of with each other. In posts from members of the 117th Congress on X (formerly Twitter) after mass shootings, the pattern was clear. Party identity shaped what they prioritized. "Democrats more often centered on victims and policy action, while Republicans more often emphasized rights and crime. When leaders frame the same tragedies so differently, it's harder to find shared ground for meaningful solutions. That's why good-faith engagement matters, especially as consensus grows harder to reach." Publication details Bukhanevych D, et al. How do mass shootings shape the social media discourse on guns in the US Congress? Causal discovery and topic modeling, PLOS Global Public Health (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0005493 Journal information: PLOS Global Public Health This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Examples of quantum topologies, shown as vectorial textures on a sphere. Credit: Wits University Researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, in collaboration with Huzhou University, discovered that the entanglement workhorse of most quantum optics laboratories can have hidden topologies, reporting the highest ever observed in any system: 48 dimensions with over 17,000 topological signatures, an enormous alphabet for encoding robust quantum information. Most quantum optics laboratories produce entangled photons by a process of spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC), which naturally produces entanglement in "space," the spatial degrees of freedom of light. Now the team have found that hidden in this space is a world of high-dimensional topologies, offering new paradigms for encoding information and making quantum information immune to noise. The topology was shown using the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light, from two dimensional to very high dimensions. Reporting in Nature Communications, the team showed that if one measures the OAM of two entangled photons it can be shown to have a topology: an underlying feature of the entanglement itself. Since OAM can take on an infinite number of possibilities, so too can the topology. Examples of quantum topologies, shown as vectorial textures on a sphere. Credit: Wits University Breakthroughs in quantum topology research "We report a major advance in this work: we only need one property of light (OAM) to make a topology, whereas previously it was assumed that at least two properties would be neededusually OAM and polarization," says Professor Andrew Forbes, from the Wits School of Physics. "The consequence is that, since OAM is high-dimensional, so too is the topology, and this lets us report the highest topologies ever observed." The team showed that once the topology exceeds two dimensions, a spectrum of topological numbers are needed rather than just one, as is seen in usual optical topologies. A major benefit of this discovery is that the resources needed to make it work are common to most quantum optics laboratories and don't need any special "quantum engineer." Pedro Ornelas explains, "You get the topology for free, from the entanglement in space. It was always there, it just had to be found." Prof. Robert de Mello Koch, lead author from Huzhou University explains further, "In high dimensions it is not so obvious where to look for the topology. We used abstract notions from quantum field theory to predict where to look and what to look forand found it in the experiment." Implications for future quantum systems Orbital angular momentum entanglement has been studied and used in many quantum systems, but thus far has suffered from fragility. Now the team believe that OAM entanglement can be revisited from the perspective of its underlying topology, opening new avenues for its use in real-world quantum systems. Publication details Robert de Mello Koch et al, Revealing the topological nature of entangled orbital angular momentum states of light, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66066-3 Journal information: Nature Communications This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) studies the hot, energetic universe by capturing X-rays to reveal details about galaxy clusters, black holes, supernova remnants and the formation of cosmic structures. Credit: NASA Scientists search for "decaying" dark matter (DDM) because it offers unique signatures like specific X-ray or gamma-ray lines or neutrino signals not seen in normal matter, potentially revealing dark matter's particle nature, mass and interactions, information that could illuminate the universe's structure. DDM is a theoretical model where dark matter particles aren't perfectly stable, but slowly decay over vast cosmic timescales into lighter dark matter particles and/or massless particles, leaving behind gravitational or electromagnetic signals. New study investigates X-ray emission lines Now a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters demonstrates this form of dark matter can potentially be detected in unidentified X-ray emission lines in the spectra of galaxy clusters. "Eighty-five percent of mass in galaxy clusters come from dark matter, and we can model the dark matter radial distribution well," notes Dr. Ming Sun, a professor in the College of Science at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, and the corresponding author on the project. "Thus, galaxy clusters are great targets for such a search as they are dark matter rich and we know the dark matter mass in clusters well." Dr. Sun's postdoctoral student, Prathamesh Tamhane, was also involved in the work, which follows up on a 2014 study led by UAH alumna Dr. Esra Bulbul, who now serves as the lead scientist for cluster science and cosmology at the Max Planck Institute. Understanding X-ray spectra and detection methods X-ray emission lines are unique fingerprints of elements that appear as peaks in an X-ray spectrum when electrons drop from higher to lower energy shells in an atom, releasing energy as X-ray photons. These distinct spectral lines reveal the presence of heavy elements like iron, silicon and oxygen ejected from galaxies, allowing astronomers to map elemental abundances and measure gas temperatures and densities, all helping to understand the complex physics of these massive structures. An unidentified X-ray emission line found at approximately 3.5 kiloelectron volts (keV) in the spectra of galaxy clusters has been subject to intense scientific debate as a persistent astronomical anomaly. Scientists have traditionally used Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs)light-sensitive semiconductor chipsto detect the faint tracks of ionizing particles like heavy ions or neutrinos in these spectra, allowing them to observe particle paths in attempting to resolve this "unidentified" emission line. Researchers for the new study relied instead on data collected from the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), a collaborative space telescope developed by JAXA (Japan) and NASA, with European Space Agency (ESA) support. "Nearly all the past studies used the CCD data, which lacks the required energy resolution to resolve the unidentified line," Sun explains. "Now XRISM provides high-energy-resolution spectra that can resolve the line. As the line signals are very weak, we combined nearly three months of the XRISM data for such a search. There are many X-ray lines detected. They originate from known atoms, such as iron, silicon, sulfur and nickel. X-ray emission lines that appear that are not at the known position of atomic lines are then the candidates for DM decay lines, which is the focus of this work." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Sterile neutrinos and future research directions The leading candidate for the mysterious emission line is a particle called a "sterile" neutrino. Neutrinos are tiny, nearly massless, subatomic particles that travel near the speed of light and barely interact with normal matter, crucial to understanding the universe, despite being incredibly hard to detect. "A sterile neutrino is a hypothetical type of neutrino that only interacts with other particles via gravity, unlike the three known 'active' neutrinos that also interact via the weak force," Sun notes. "The existence of the sterile neutrino is well-motivated theoretically and can explain the very small but non-zero mass of regular neutrinos. Sterile neutrinos can decay into two photons with the same energy. Models can predict the decay rate of sterile neutrinos, which is then constrained from the data." In considering the future of this type of research, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPShypothetical particles that are massive but only interact via gravity and the weak nuclear forceare still considered one of the most likely places where dark matter could be hiding. But Sun is quick to note that investigating alternate possibilities remains crucial to solving the mystery. "WIMPs are still the leading candidate for dark matter, but billions of dollars of experiments have been done, only getting stronger and stronger upper limits, so alternative scenarios have to be considered. This study provides the strongest limits from high-energy-resolution data on the sterile neutrino at the 530 keV band, subsequently limiting the models for dark matter," the UAH researcher concludes. "With more XRISM data in the next 510 years or so, we will be able to either detect the line or improve the limit substantially." Publication details XRISM Constraints on Unidentified X-Ray Emission Lines, Including the 3.5 keV Line, in the Stacked Spectrum of 10 Galaxy Clusters, The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae17ad Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Letters 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: Graduate students in the summer marine disease workshop inspect cultures of Labyrinthula zosterae. Credit: Maya Groner, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences The expansive, dense eelgrass beds that line much of the U.S. coastline provide invaluable habitat and other services to support rich coastal ecosystems. However, globally, eelgrass is struggling, thanks in part to seagrass wasting disease, an illness caused by the fungus-like protist Labyrinthula zosterae, which creates telltale black lesions on leaves that inhibit photosynthesis, hinder growth, and can prove fatal in some cases. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences researcher Maya Groner is co-leading a multi-institutional project to understand the spread of this disease and how it's connected to changing environmental conditions. The project, which is helping train the next generation of disease ecologists, will help scientists understand and model the feedback loops between infectious diseases and the ecosystems in which they spread. "You take a step in an eelgrass meadow, and life explodes in all directions," Groner said. "You can see how critical this species is, but I rarely go into the field now without observing some evidence of wasting disease. We need to understand how that impacts biodiversity." Chloroplasts in eelgrass die as a wasting disease infection spreads. Credit: Lindsay Alma and John Burns Eelgrass is the most widespread species of seagrass in the Northern Hemisphere. Eelgrass meadows stabilize sediments, improve water quality, mitigate sea level rise, and provide protected habitat for a range of important fish and shellfish species. Yet, past wasting disease outbreaks have had devastating impacts. Most meadows today show signs of at least mild chronic infection, and scientists don't yet have tools to look at a mild outbreak and know for sure whether it will become lethal. Scientists haven't found a direct link between the disease and mortality. Instead, the problem seems to be that the disease is energetically taxing, eating into the sugar supplies the plant stores in its underground stem, which Groner likens to a battery. "That battery helps them through the winter, so how full that battery ishow much sugar the plant has storedis a measure of how well it's doing," Groner said. "Our early data suggests it can take a few years, or a few outbreaks, to fully deplete that battery, which is when you see meadows disappear." A black lesion on eelgrass is indicative of infection with Labyrinthula zosterae. . Credit: Olivia Graham The risk is particularly high when plants are already trying to cope with other environmental stressors, such as warming seawater. In this way, wasting disease is like many infectious marine diseases that may not be immediately fatal but are associated with significant population declines of foundational species in a changing ocean. Yet, also like those other diseases, it's not routinely monitored. That's where Groner and her collaborators have stepped in. The team, which includes researchers from University of California Bodega Marine Lab, Old Dominion University, Cornell University, and University of Washington, have been studying Washington's eelgrass meadows since 2012. With that near-decade of baseline data and experience. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. They're genetically sequencing different strains of the pathogen to understand why some are more infectious than others. They're also running experiments to monitor the disease in the wild, including "mark recapture" studies where they monitor the same individual shoots of eelgrass every two weeks to quantify mortality rates and how fast infections progress. Led by Groner, and featuring Bigelow Laboratory Research Scientist Reyn Yoshioka, the team just published a paper this fall in Biology Letters that provides the first comprehensive review of what scientists know so far about seagrass wasting. An intertidal eelgrass meadow at low tide. In both Maine and Washington state, intertidal eelgrass meadows are rapidly disappearing. Credit: Olivia Graham Between the review and their results to date, the team has uncovered just how important the broader ecological community appears to be. Oysters, for example, seem to filter out the pathogen from the water; certain bacteria associated with the eelgrass leaf, meanwhile, may facilitate infection. Better understanding these community interactions is essential for quantifying the impacts of the disease and developing management strategies to combat it. "There is just so much feedback between the environment and the disease," Groner said. "We can see all these different levers mediating the spread of this disease from other organisms, in both good and bad ways. It shows just how important it is to look at the whole community." The ultimate goal is to create models of disease spread and associated mortality for a range of environmental conditions and pathogen strains. So far, they've modeled how lesions grow and spread along individual leaves, which they hope to expand into models of multiple leaves and, eventually, an entire meadow. Those tools will help reveal how the disease is influenced by warming water, which has accelerated the spread of many pathogens and may leave meadows more vulnerable to other disturbances, like storms and heat waves. Fluorescently stained Labyrinthula zosterae (green) moves across an eelgrass leaf (red) using a secreted mucus network. Credit: Lindsay Alma and John Burns The team has invested heavily in education as well, including high school outreach programs in Washington. Groner and collaborators, including Yoshioka, have also taught intensive graduate-level summer workshops at Friday Harbor Laboratories on infectious diseases that use seagrass wasting as a model system. "The disease is relatively easy to study in terms of getting out into the intertidal ecosystem and growing the pathogen in the lab, which makes it perfect for teaching," Groner said. "It's a great learning experience for students to see a pattern clearly in nature and then be able to directly test hypotheses about it in the lab." Intern Shayla Ferreiro (left) and Maya Groner tag and inspect eelgrass shoots in Padilla Bay, Wash. during low tide. Credit: Lindsay Alma Between a slew of research papers and these outreach efforts, the project is helping elevate marine disease ecology, a field Groner admits has lagged behind the study of land-based diseases. Insight from this project will inform the study of diseases in other foundational species like corals and kelps. Between rising temperatures and growing investment in restoration, understanding how these systems respond to disease is more important than ever. "If you can see all the levers that are influencing the spread of the disease, and how those levers are changing based on other drivers like temperature, we can start to think about what parts of the system we can tweak to maximize restoration or conservation efforts," Groner said. Publication details Lillian R. Aoki et al, Wasting disease of a marine foundation species links community interactions to disease dynamics, Biology Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0579 Journal information: Biology Letters Key concepts coastal ecosystems 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: Hoover Dam. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Dams in the United States may be in worse condition than previously understood. More than 16,700 dams across the country are classified as high hazard potential as of 2024, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. Over 2,500 of these dams are in poor condition. But with newly utilized radar technology, scientists at Virginia Tech are revealing dams across the United States that may have crumbling infrastructure hidden from view of safety inspectors. While research into the use of radar technology to reveal damaged dams is preliminary, geoscientist Mohammad Khorrami at Virginia Tech and his team hope to combine the findings with other publicly available data to build a country-wide database of dams, their flood risks, and the communities who could be impacted by them. Khorrami presented the findings during an oral session on analytics and data for advancing sustainability at AGU's 2025 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, held 1519 December. Most current dams in the United States were built in a boom of construction during the 1950s and 1960s, making the average dam 61 years old, according to the National Inventory of Dams. As dams across the country began crumbling, Khorrami knew he could help policymakers focus their limited funding. "It's difficult to address all of these dams," Khorrami said. "If you cannot financially take care of all of them at the same time, we can provide the priority dams." While dams are generally monitored for damages and overall condition, tools to understand the stability of the structure underneath the dam are limited. So, the team at Virginia Tech conceived of a new way to monitor the structural integrity of large dams across the United States without going into the field. Utilizing Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar from the Sentinel-1 satellite, Khorrami looked at how sections of high-risk dams slowly sunk into the ground over a 10-year period. The team focused on hydroelectric dams that are 50 feet or taller, as these dams have the most potential impact if they were to failnot only to the communities directly downstream but to the vast amounts of infrastructure they can power. What they found was shocking to them: Many dams that should have been stabilized were still sinking, potentially impacting the dam's structure. "I want to emphasize that this is a preliminary result," said Manoochehr Shirzaei, geoscientist at Virginia Tech and co-author of the research. "We need to do further analysis to have a concrete answer. But some of the observations may suggest that some of these infrastructures are undergoing internal degradation." At one dam in North Carolina, the team corroborated what other inspections already suggestedthe dam was slowly sinking on its northern face, cracking the concrete of the structure and threatening the safety of the town of Roanoke Rapids below it. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. With their newfound ability to inspect dams remotely, Khorrami and his team combined the radar scans with structural data of the dams to understand the risk each dam posed. Overlaying these dams with U.S. Census data, FEMA's National Risk Index, and FEMA's flood inundation zones, they further discovered that many of the most damaged dams are poised to destroy many socially vulnerable communities in the country. These communities may have limited emergency preparedness, with a lack of Emergency Action Plans or resources in the event of a flood. While the United States has yet to see a massive dam breakage in the modern era, Khorrami's team is hoping to prevent such a tragedy. If any one of these large hydropower dams were to fail, "It's a disaster," said Khorrami. And not just for the communities inundated with flooding, Shirzaei adds, "Some of the dams actually serve as a sub-buffer for water that's used for agriculture and for electricity production. Those dams can create a ripple effect if they fail that can impact the national economy." The aging infrastructure in the United States is compounding with a threat the engineers of the 1960s could not have anticipated: climate change. Intensive rain events have begun pushing dams to the brink, forcing them to hold more and more water in much shorter periods of time. But communities still have a lot of power, Khorrami argues. Referencing a 2025 paper, he noted that a substantial amount of dam failure is due to a lack of maintenance or poor management. Therefore, "almost 4050% [of dam risk] is something that is in our hands." "The next step is to create these dynamic risk models that can be updated on a regular basis using the data that we produce," said Shirzaei. The team intends to build an interactive map with current and future data on US dams at risk, available to the public and policymakers alike. More information IN42C-06 Exposing the Nation's Most Vulnerable Dams: A Remote Sensing and Socio-Spatial Risk Framework. BRINGING IT BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY THAT RAISED THEM DETROIT, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- House of Dank (H.O.D.) has announced the opening of a new Detroit store on Friday, December 19th which will be open from 9am-10pm (daily) located at 11999 Gratiot Avenue. H.O.D. Gratiot will be the first location in the company's over 10 year's history that it will have individuals as franchise partners in a new store. Peezy, Prince Yousif and Icewear Vezzo Outside of 11999 Gratiot Avenue. House of Danks First Franchise Partners, Bringing it Back to the Neighborhood and Community That Raised Them Detroit artists and entrepreneurs Icewear Vezzo and Peezy are the first to do so, becoming House of Dank's inaugural franchise partners. The new store sits in the neighborhood where both artists grew up, making the opening a full-circle moment rooted in community reinvestment. For Icewear Vezzo, the opening represents far more than a business venture it marks a deeply personal return to the neighborhood that shaped him. "This isn't a promotion this is real ownership," said Icewear Vezzo. "I'm proud to be an official partner and owner of House of Dank on the East Side, right in the neighborhood I grew up in. I used to walk past this same location every day after school, and I never imagined I'd one day have the opportunity to own a business here. Being able to invest back into the area and bring opportunity to the community means everything to me." Peezy echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the broader impact the new location will have on the neighborhood. "Shout out to my brothers P and Ice," said Peezy. "We're excited to bring real jobs and new opportunities back to our neighborhood and be part of something that's going to have a lasting impact on the community." House of Dank has built a strong presence across Michigan through its 15 retail locations that focus on quality, consistency, and customer experience. H.O.D. Gratiot will continue that legacy while highlighting a new approach to ownership and local partnership. A grand opening celebration is planned for late January, with additional details to be announced on the House of Dank website shophod.com. Media Contact: Angela Cataldo, [email protected]; 248-885-8642 ext. 104 Since 2015, House of Dank has been driven by a singular vision: to redefine excellence in the world of cannabis. Our journey is rooted in passion, guided by expertise, and fueled by a profound belief in the power of cannabis to elevate lives and strengthen communities. SOURCE House Of Dank LLC This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A researcher at Japan's Hokkaido University Institute of Low Temperature Science cuts a slice from an ice core sample taken from a glacier in the Pamir mountain range in Tajikistan. Dressed in an orange puffer jacket, Japanese scientist Yoshinori Iizuka stepped into a storage freezer to retrieve an ice core he hopes will help experts protect the world's disappearing glaciers. The fist-sized sample drilled from a mountaintop is part of an ambitious international effort to understand why glaciers in Tajikistan have resisted the rapid melting seen almost everywhere else. "If we could learn the mechanism behind the increased volume of ice there, then we may be able to apply that to all the other glaciers around the world," potentially even helping revive them, said Iizuka, a professor at Hokkaido University. "That may be too ambitious a statement. But I hope our study will ultimately help people," he said. Thousands of glaciers will vanish each year in the coming decades, leaving only a fraction standing by the end of the century unless global warming is curbed, a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change showed Monday. The Kon Chukurbashi ice cap in the Pamir Mountains of eastern Tajikistan is the only mountainous region in the world where glaciers have not only resisted melting, but slightly grown. Earlier this year, AFP exclusively accompanied Iizuka and other scientists through harsh conditions to a site at an altitude of 5,810 meters (about 19,000 feet) on the Kon-Chukurbashi ice cap in the Pamir Mountains. The area is the only mountainous region on the planet where glaciers have not only resisted melting, but even slightly grown, a phenomenon called the "Pamir-Karakoram anomaly". The team drilled two ice columns approximately 105 meters (345 feet) long out of the glacier. One will be stored in an underground sanctuary in Antarctica belonging to the Ice Memory Foundation, which supported the Tajikistan expedition along with the Swiss Polar Institute. The other was shipped to Iizuka's facility, the Institute of Low Temperature Science at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, where the team is hunting clues on why precipitation in the region increased over the last century, and how the glacier has resisted melting. Some link the anomaly to the area's cold climate or even increased use of agricultural water in Pakistan that creates more vapor. But the ice cores are the first opportunity to examine the anomaly scientifically. Members of the expedition climb Pamir Glacier in eastern Tajikistan on September 25 to extract the region's first-ever deep ice cores. 'Ancient ice' "Information from the past is crucial," said Iizuka. "By understanding the causes behind the continuous build-up of snow from the past to the present, we can clarify what will happen going forward and why the ice has grown." Since the samples arrived in November, his team has worked in freezing storage facilities to log the density, alignment of snow grains, and the structure of ice layers. In December, when AFP visited, the scientists were kitted out like polar explorers to cut and shave ice samples in the comparatively balmy minus 20C of their lab. The samples can tell stories about weather conditions going back decades, or even centuries. A layer of clear ice indicates a warm period when the glacier melted and then refroze, while a low-density layer suggests packed snow, rather than ice, which can help estimate precipitation. Professor Yoshinori Iizuka believes the past can unlock what will happen with glaciers going forward. Brittle samples with cracks, meanwhile, indicate snowfall on half-melted layers that then refroze. And other clues can reveal more informationvolcanic materials like sulfate ions can serve as time markers, while water isotopes can reveal temperatures. The scientists hope that the samples contain material dating back 10,000 years or more, though much of the glacier melted during a warm spell around 6,000 years ago. Ancient ice would help scientists answer questions such as "what kind of snow was falling in this region 10,000 years ago? What was in it?" Iizuka said. "We can study how many and what kinds of fine particles were suspended in the atmosphere during that ice age," he added. "I really hope there is ancient ice." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Secrets in the ice For now, the work proceeds slowly and carefully, with team members like graduate student Sora Yaginuma carefully slicing samples apart. Ice core samples taken from a glacier in the Pamir mountain range in Tajikistan are stored in a -50 degree C storage room in Hokkaido, Japan. "An ice core is an extremely valuable sample and unique," said Yaginuma. "From that single ice core, we perform a variety of analyses, both chemical and physical." The team hopes to publish its first findings next year and will be doing "lots of trial-and-error" work to reconstruct past climate conditions, Iizuka said. The analysis in Hokkaido will uncover only some of what the ice has to share, and with the other samples preserved in Antarctica, there will be opportunities for more research. For example, he said, scientists could look for clues about how mining in the region historically affected the area's air quality, temperature and precipitation. "We can learn how Earth's environment has changed in response to human activities," Iizuka said. With so many secrets yet to learn, the work is "extremely exciting," he added. Key concepts glaciology 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: An artists illustration of artificial intelligence. Credit: Google DeepMind via Pexels Over the past decade, communities across the United States have faced a steady rise in severe weather events. Climate Central reports more than 193 major disasters during this period, resulting in over $1.5 trillion in economic losses and 6,403 deaths. Beyond the staggering figures, these events disrupt something even more fundamental: access to basic human rights, including safety, shelter, education and stability. When disasters strike, the duration and depth of these disruptions are influenced not only by the severity of the event itself but also by how well a community is prepared, how effectively it responds, and how strongly institutions support long-term recovery. As generative AI (GenAI) becomes increasingly embedded in daily life, many are asking an important question: What role can GenAI play in strengthening disaster preparedness and resilienceespecially among youth? Specifically, how might young people ages 12 to 24 be empowered to take an active role in disaster risk reduction using GenAI chatbots? And what educational frameworks would be needed to support such engagement? A recent study published in Human Rights Education Review by Shuyang Huang, Joshua DeVincenzo and Thomas Chandler, from the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Columbia Climate School, addresses these questions. Their work proposes a structured GenAI chatbot framework designed to strengthen youth engagement in disaster risk reduction and identifies the practical features needed to make these tools genuinely empowering. "GenAI chatbots can help youth engagement in disaster risk reduction education across the phases of preparedness and mitigation, response and recovery. If done effectively, it can provide culturally tailored, proactive education that bridges gaps between school-based learning and community action," said Huang. Clara and ChatClimate chatbots. Credit: Huang S et al. The potential for GenAI chatbots in disaster risk reduction Real-world examples illustrate how GenAI chatbots are already being used in crisis-related contexts. For instance, Clara (American Red Cross) provides disaster guidance and preparedness information, while ChatClimate offers accessible, interactive explanations of climate risks based on IPCC reports. These emerging tools demonstrate the growing role of chatbots in translating complex information into actionable guidance for the public. Potential benefits of GenAI chatbots in disaster risk reduction include: Strengthening youth engagement through bidirectional communication: GenAI chatbots can facilitate two-way information sharing, helping young people not only receive critical updates but also contribute meaningful local data. For instance, UNESCO's STEDPA project in East Africa enables residents to receive alerts while simultaneously contributing community-generated reports. Delivering timely, accessible education: GenAI chatbots can quickly synthesize the latest reports and present information in an interactive, age-appropriate manner. Because these chatbots can operate through familiar platforms like SMS and WhatsApp, they can significantly increase the reach and accessibility of essential guidance. However, clear disclaimers and guardrails for AI-generated information are necessary to ensure users understand the limits of automated outputs. Enhancing community reporting: When young people are encouraged to participate as data contributors, it can improve emergency coordination efforts. Platforms such as Indonesia's Peta Bencana demonstrate how real-time, youth-generated flood reports can support faster, more accurate responses. Supporting culturally responsive, inclusive learning: GenAI chatbots can adapt to educational content based on cultural and linguistic needs. With inclusive design, tools can offer multilingual support, age-appropriate messaging and accessibility features, creating equitable learning experiences across diverse ages, genders, languages and abilities. The study emphasizes that such adaptability is especially important for engaging youth with differing communication styles, backgrounds and needs. While these examples highlight the promise of GenAI chatbots, the study also identifies important limitations in current designs that must be addressed for chatbots to reach their full potential. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Existing gaps and challenges in GenAI chatbots for disaster contexts As part of the study, the authors conducted a broad review of how current GenAI chatbots perform in disaster-related tasks. This analysis revealed several recurring limitations. Gaps that do not reflect the full potential of GenAI, but rather areas where thoughtful design and youth-centered planning are still needed. These challenges shape how effectively young people can benefit from GenAI during disasters: Static or limited datasets: Many existing GenAI chatbots rely on training data that may be outdated, incomplete or not locally relevant. When information does not reflect on-the-ground realities, especially in underserved regions, the guidance young people receive may lack precision or context. User-driven interactions: Most GenAI chatbots still depend on users knowing what to ask and how to phrase it. Young people may struggle to pose clear or specific questions, which can limit the usefulness of chatbot responses without structured prompts or guided interaction. Risk of misinformation: GenAI chatbots can occasionally generate incorrect or misleading content, particularly in fast-moving disaster situations. For youth who may lack the expertise to critically evaluate responses, this risk is heightened. Persistent accessibility barriers: Reliable internet access, stable electricity, and linguistic inclusivity remain major obstacles. Many GenAI chatbots do not yet support minority languages or dialects, which can reinforce existing inequities. Collectively, these challenges point to the need for a more structured, youth-centered approach to GenAI design in disaster settings. What a youth-centric GenAI chatbot framework should prioritize Building on the gaps identified in current GenAI chatbots, the study proposes a set of priorities that would guide the design of a more reliable, accessible, and youth-centered chatbot. Rather than treating these challenges as limitations of GenAI itself, the framework outlines practical design elements that can make chatbots more supportive of young people across preparedness, response and recovery. To ensure GenAI strengthens, rather than compromises, disaster resilience and youth empowerment, the authors propose several enhancements. The items below represent a selected set of priorities drawn from the study's larger, more detailed framework: Real-time localization and personalized guidance Multi-modal information delivery (e.g., maps, videos, graphics, audio) Two-way reporting mechanisms Integration with official emergency systems and verified databases Psychological first aid and emotional support, including crisis-detection capabilities and referrals to emergency hotlines Notifications that support long-term civic participation Tools that promote ongoing engagement and recovery monitoring Youth-friendly features such as simple prompts, age-sensitive messaging, and opportunities for young people to contribute information back to the chatbot. Together, these features illustrate what a youth-centric GenAI chatbot should prioritize to effectively support decision-making, emotional well-being and community engagement during disasters. However, the authors emphasize that strong ethical safeguards must accompany these advancements. GenAI should not replace human-support systems, nor should it inadvertently cause harm through surveillance, bias or misinformation. Emotional well-being and user privacy are critical considerations, especially when supporting young people during and after crises. "GenAI chatbots, if thoughtfully designed and equitably implemented, can serve as a transformative tool for strengthening youth participation in disaster risk reduction," said DeVincenzo. If developed intentionally, a GenAI chatbot's ability to scale thousands of users, operate continuously and provide culturally responsive guidance can strengthen both immediate disaster response and long-term community resilience. "By embedding GenAI chatbots into education, emergency communication and long-term recovery systems, we can build more inclusive, resilient applications that will increasingly add value to communities in need," Chandler said. More information Shuyang Huang et al, Positioning generative AI within human rights education: a scalable framework for inclusive disaster risk reduction and youth empowerment, Human Rights Education Review (2025). DOI: 10.1080/25355406.2025.2593918 Key concepts effects of climate change This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Woodrats weigh less than half a pound but can survive venomous rattlesnake bites that would hospitalize, or even kill, a full-grown human. New research from the University of Michigan has uncovered a clue explaining how these tiny rodents, also known as packrats, have evolved such potent immunity: by stockpiling extra copies of genes. The research, described in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, focused on a group of genes called SERPINs, which encode a protein that blocks a common ingredient in snake venom. Previous research demonstrated that SERPINA1 inhibits European rattlesnake venom, but much less is known about a related gene called SERPINA3. "We wanted to see if we could determine a genetic basis underlying this venom resistance," said Matthew Holding, an evolutionary biologist in the lab of David Ginsburg at the U-M Life Sciences Institute. "We noticed that, whereas humans have only one SERPINA3 gene, these rats have 12 copies. They each encode a slightly different protein, and we have no idea what any of them do." The dozen SERPINA3 genes in woodrats arose through a process called tandem duplication, whereby an extra copy of one gene is inserted into the genome during development. Because the original gene remains intact, performing its original functions, the new copy may evolve to encode a different protein with another function. Evolution of SERPIN subfamily A genes at the tandemly-arrayed locus. Credit: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2025). DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaf290 Tandem duplications are frequently found in snake venom. As snakes' prey become resistant to the venom, new proteins evolve to make the venom toxic in other ways. The research team wondered if genetic changes in snake venom could be driving SERPINA3 to duplicate and diversify in response. Meilyn Ward, a former undergraduate student in the Ginsburg lab who co-led the study with Holding, tested the proteins made by each of the 12 woodrat SERPINA3 genes against venom samples gathered from the rattlesnakes that hunt these rodents. They found that many of the SERPINA3 proteins bound directly to components of the venom that make it toxic, blocking their ability to cause damage. The research team also observed substantial variation in the different proteins' activities. Some of the proteins did not show any interaction with the venom, indicating that they have an entirely different role in the mammals' survival, whereas another protein simultaneously inhibited two different components that form the basis of the venom's toxicity. "Our findings brought SERPINA3 proteins into the conversation about venom resistance," said Ward, who is now a medical student at Duke University. "Previous work in this area had focused mainly on SERPINA1, and we now know that these duplicate SERPINA3 genes are an important factor in the coevolution between woodrats and their predators. Holding says this gives us an idea of how gene duplication can play a role in the evolution of venom resistance, as one of potentially many factors. "And it uncovers one more tool in the rodents' toolbox and that can be studied across other animals as part of this larger question of how to survive venomous snakebites," he said. Publication details Meilyn S Ward et al, Tandem Duplication of Serpin Genes Yields Functional Variation and Snake Venom Inhibitors, Molecular Biology and Evolution (2025). DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaf290 Journal information: Molecular Biology and Evolution This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The task of keeping children safe and in school was a formidable challenge for educators, parents and community leaders. Credit: Michelle Hassel In a new book, a team of experts in educational policy, epidemiology and public health chronicles the challenges faced by educators, public health authorities and school officials during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers a guide to some of the lessons learned as K-12 schools weathered that crisis. One key message: Collaboration between schools, public health authorities and community leaders is essential to success. The book, "K-12 Schools and Public Health Partnerships: Strategies for Navigating a Crisis with Trust, Equity, and Communication," describes the enormous challenges schools faced when the World Health Organization declared in March 2020 that COVID-19 was a global pandemic. School district leaders across the U.S. "had to make rapid decisions about school closures, remote learning plans, staff safety, student meal distribution and communication with anxious familiesall while working with limited information and unclear guidance," the authors wrote. The four co-authors were themselves drawn into the crisis. Each provided their own leadership and expertise to decision-makers in public health and schools and observed the successes and failures of efforts in their communities. During the peak of the crisis, Leah Perkinson, a pandemics manager at The Rockefeller Foundation and a former researcher at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention led national pandemic response efforts, coordinated communities of practice and compiled public health guidance documents. Lisa C. Barrios, currently the director of the Division of Readiness and Response Science at the CDC, led activities to help schools prevent, mitigate and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign pathobiology professor Rebecca Lee Smith, an epidemiologist, advised those working to track and reduce the spread of infection in schools and businesses across Illinois. Rachel Roegman, a professor of education policy, organization and leadership at the U. of I. whose work focuses on how to make schools more affirming spaces for potentially marginalized students, saw how inequities in school communities could exacerbate the tragic toll of the disease. The book includes dozens of interviews with school, public health and community leaders who played key roles in responding to the crisis in K-12 schools, harvesting a trove of useful insights and practical guidance. The book focuses on the importance of building trust, prioritizing the needs of those most at risk and building accurate and reliable communication channels. These factors were intertwined and foundational to success, the authors wrote. In a new book, U. of I. professors Rebecca Smith, left, Rachel Roegman, right, and their colleagues in public health describe how communities can work together to keep their K-12 students safe and learning during a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: Michelle Hassel The best way to build trust was to make an effort to reach out to families and students to ask them what they neededand finding resources to meet those needs, the authors wrote. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this meant offering students the laptops essential for online learning and showing them how to connect, creating Wi-Fi hubs for neighborhoods that lacked them, developing new systems for distributing school lunches and offering in-person learning hubs for students whose parents were essential workers. Building trust and enhancing communication also meant creating accessible online dashboards that offered up-to-date testing and infection-rate data for the community along with information about how to access testing sites or services. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Communication was also enhanced when community organizations, schools and political leaders coordinated their efforts and collaborated on messaging to speak with one voice. Serving those most at risk of harm from the pandemic meant planning centered on those with disabilities, those speaking languages other than English and low-income or undocumented families. "Planning from the margins" meant that no one was treated as an afterthought or left out of the public health equation, the authors wrote. The book also describes how leaders dealt with public criticism of their efforts and the spread of misinformation. It helped when community institutions joined forces to put out unified messages, admitted to uncertainty and acknowledged that guidance sometimes changes in the face of new information. It also helped when they showed up and truly listened to community concerns. And, in some circumstances, the best approach was to avoid amplifying misleading claims by debating them. Instead, the most effective teams remained committed to their essential messages. To keep kids in school, safe and learning during the next public health crisis, the authors urge communities to continue the partnerships that developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building and maintaining those relationships and their outreach to the community is foundational to surviving and navigating the next crisis in K-12 schools, they wrote. More information Leah Perkinson et al, K-12 Schools and Public Health Partnerships, (2025). DOI: 10.4324/9781003608844 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: Indigenous people have coexisted with Australia's vast and ancient groundwater systems for thousands of generations. Their knowledge extends back through deep time, before our current climate and waterways. It offers insights that Western science is only beginning to quantify. When rain falls, some can seep into the ground, becoming groundwater. This water can remain underground for as little as a few months, or for millions of years. Eventually it is taken up by plants, or flows into springs, rivers and the ocean. Australia's groundwater resources underpin the economic growth and prosperity of the country. But they are under greater pressure than ever before. Legal battles over water in the NT, including extraction licenses, highlights the rapid pace at which decisions over the future of water are being made. Our new paper shows the "business as usual" approach to groundwater science and management risks perpetuating colonial injustices. And it compromises our ability to manage water sustainably as the climate grows warmer and population increases. Most Australians are aware of terra nullius, the legal fiction that Australia belonged to no-one before European settlement. But very few know about aqua nullius,"water belonging to no-one." This is a similar fiction suggesting Traditional Owners had no rights to the water they had used for millennia. We show how the legacy of aqua nullius remains embedded within contemporary groundwater science. And urge Australia to take a different approach. Bitter Springs in Mataranka, in the Northern Territory. The Traditional Owners are the Mangarayi and Yangman people. Credit: Felix Dance/Wikimedia, CC BY Indigenous care of groundwater Indigenous knowledge systems embody many thousands of years of groundwater monitoring. This includes tracking spring behavior and soil moisture, animal movement and vegetation cues. Australia's colonial expansion used the water knowledge of Indigenous peoples to support economic and agricultural development. This came at the expense of Indigenous peoples' water, food, and culture. Indigenous voices ignored For too long, and too often, Indigenous perspectives on groundwater have not been heard or acted upon. In many instances, Indigenous people bear the impacts of groundwater decline or contamination. And yet, they have limited power to influence the development approvals that create these pressures. For Indigenous communities who have cared for these waters for tens of thousands of years, rapid decision-making over the future of groundwater represents a profound risk to cultural obligations and the living systems that hold songlines, identity, and law. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Western scientific approaches are prioritized, while Indigenous groundwater expertise is dismissed and neglected in decision-making. When Indigenous perspectives are considered, there can be backlash from industry. There is often an expectation the government will prioritize economic development. Accelerating pressures from industry and agriculture are superimposed onto the existing inequalities in water access. Many Aboriginal homeland communities are still facing water insecurity. Australia's recent critical minerals agreement with the United States will lead to more water-intensive production and processing and substantial long-term environmental impacts. Mine closure is rare in Australia. Mine rehabilitation often falls short of societal expectations. The legacy of decisions made now is likely to last for thousands of years. And they will disproportionately affect Indigenous communities. Rights vs. legal obligations In 2009, Australia endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But these rights are not reinforced by current approaches to groundwater science and management. Article 25 states Indigenous Peoples have the right to maintain their relationships with traditional lands and waters. Yet over-extraction is leading springs in Australia to dry out. Springs are places of ceremony, law, healing and identity. A dry spring not only has an environmental impact but causes cultural harm, with intergenerational consequences. The UN declaration also says states should obtain consent before any project, including the exploitation of water. Yet in most states and territories there is only a legal obligation to "consult" with Indigenous peoples. Country as a living relative Better outcomes require the colonial settler community to make genuine efforts to understand and incorporate Indigenous perspectives and knowledge in groundwater science and management. The deconstruction of colonial legacies must be facilitated by people working within government agencies and regulatory authorities, and water scientists, in partnership with Aboriginal communities. Genuine relationship building is not just an "engagement activity." It should be grounded in respect, reciprocity and an understanding of the obligation to care for Country as a living relative. This process takes time and will not necessarily progress according to a particular schedule. This creates a tension between existing approvals mechanisms and best-practice engagement with Indigenous communities. Some governments and companies are working towards improving relationships with Indigenous communities. But this is not a requirement of existing systems for groundwater management. Our cultural heritage continues to be lost. We must work together for a better future so our precious water is protected, not just for the next 50 years but for the next 5,000. This requires a holistic understanding that weaves together Western and Indigenous perspectives to ensure that both people and Country can thrive. A future where Indigenous laws, sciences and decision-making authority are embedded in, not appended to, water science and governance. Key concepts hydrogeology This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Lava Cave Exploration1. Credit: KAIST A joint research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Unmanned Exploration Laboratory (UEL) has developed a transformative wheel capable of navigating the moon's most extreme terrains, including steep lunar pits and lava tubes. Their latest study presents a novel "origami-inspired" deployable airless wheel that can significantly expand its diameter to traverse obstacles that would trap traditional rovers. The research is published in Science Robotics. The challenge: Small rovers vs. big obstacles Lunar lava tubes and pits are prime candidates for future human habitats due to their natural shielding from cosmic radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations, but accessing them is perilous. Deploying a swarm of small, independent rovers can be an effective strategy to mitigate the risks associated with a single large rover. This strategy ensures mission continuity through redundancy; even if some units fail, the remaining rovers can complete the exploration. SciRo shorts. Credit: KAIST However, small rovers face an inherent physical limitation: their compact wheel size severely restricts their ability to traverse steep, rugged terrains like lunar pit entrances. While variable-diameter wheels could theoretically solve this by offering high traversability on demand, creating such a system for the moon has been a formidable challenge. Designing a lightweight transformable wheel that can withstand the harsh lunar environmentspecifically the abrasive dust and the vacuum that causes metal parts to fuse ("cold welding")has remained a significant engineering hurdle. A transformable wheel for extreme environments To conquer these obstacles, a research team, led by Professor Dae-Young Lee from KAIST's Department of Aerospace Engineering, developed a new type of compliant wheel that eliminates complex mechanical joints. By applying the structural principles of the "Da Vinci bridge" combined with origami design, the team created a wheel that uses the flexibility of its materials to transform. Capable of expanding from a compact 230 mm to 500 mm in diameter, the wheel allows compact rovers to maintain a low profile during transport, yet scale significant obstacles once deployed. Crucially, by utilizing a specialized elastic metal frame and fabric tensioners instead of traditional hinges, the design ensures reliable operation in the harsh lunar environment, effectively resisting the risks of cold welding and mechanical failure caused by fine dust. The team rigorously tested the wheel's capabilities using artificial lunar soil (simulants). The wheel demonstrated superior traction on loose slopes and proved its structural integrity by withstanding a drop impact equivalent to a 100-meter fall in lunar gravity. Wheel Structure. Credit: KAIST Fire Field. Credit: KAIST Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Scientific and engineering significance The project brought together experts from major Korean space institutes to validate the technology's potential. Prof. Lee highlighted the wheel as a practical and reliable solution for navigating the moon's most difficult terrains, expressing optimism that this unique technology would position the team as leaders in future lunar missions despite remaining challenges involving communication and power. Dr. Chae Kyung Sim, Head of the Planetary Science Group at KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), emphasized the value of lunar pits as "natural geological heritages," noting that this research significantly lowers the technical barriers to accessing these sites and brings actual exploration missions closer to reality. Furthermore, Dr. Jongtae Jang, Principal Researcher at KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute), underscored the engineering rigor behind the design, explaining that the wheel was meticulously optimized and validated using mathematical thermal models to endure the moon's extreme 300-degree temperature fluctuations. Publication details Seong-Bin Lee et al, Soft deployable airless wheel for lunar lava tube intact exploration, Science Robotics (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adx2549 Journal information: Science Robotics Key concepts The Moon This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A part of a fossilized mammal skull, with sediment in a tooth socket that turned out to be a nest built by a prehistoric bee. Credit: Lazaro Vinola Lopez. About 20,000 years ago, a family of owls lived in a cave. Sometimes, they would cough up owl pellets containing the bones of their prey, which landed on the cave floor. And, researchers have just discovered, ancient bees would use the bones' empty tooth sockets as nests. A study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science documents this discovery, which represents the first time bees have ever been known to use bones as places to lay their eggs. The Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is full of limestone caves. "In some areas, you'll find a different sinkhole every 100 meters," says Lazaro Vinola Lopez, a postdoctoral researcher at the Field Museum in Chicago and the paper's lead author. Juan Almonte Milan, the curator of paleobiology at the Dominican Republic's Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, had identified a cave in the southern Dominican Republic as a deposit of lots of fossils, so Vinola Lopez and several of his colleagues explored the cave looking for specimens to study as part of his Ph.D. program at the University of Florida and the Florida Museum of Natural History. "The initial descent into the cave isn't too deep we would tie a rope to the side and then rappel down," says Vinola Lopez. "If you go in at night, you see the eyes of the tarantulas that live inside. But once you walk down a ten-meter-long tunnel underground, you start finding the fossils." Juan Almonte Milan, the scientist who first discovered the cave and for whom the preserved bees' nests are named. Credit: Lazaro Vinola Lopez Layers of fossils and owl activity There were layers and layers of fossils, separated by carbonate layers resulting from rainy periods in the distant past. Many of the fossils belonged to rodents, but there were also bones from sloths, birds, and reptiles, amounting to more than 50 different species. Taken together, these fossils told a story. "We think that this was a cave where owls lived for many generations, maybe for hundreds or thousands of years," says Vinola Lopez. "The owls would go out and hunt, and then come back to the cave and throw up pellets. We find fossils of the animals that they ate, fossils from the owls themselves, and even some turtles and crocodiles who might have fallen into the cave." Vinola Lopez, a paleontologist, was primarily interested in the bones from the mammals that the owls ate. He was going through the bags and bags of fossil bones that his team retrieved from the cave and cleaning out the dirt and debris when he noticed something odd. An illustration showing the bones and bee nests in the cave. Credit: Jorge Mario Macho, Machuky Paleoart. In the empty tooth sockets of the mammal's jaws, Vinola Lopez noticed that the sediment in these cavities didn't look like it had just randomly accrued. "It was a smooth surface, and almost concave. That's not how sediment normally fills in, and I kept seeing it in multiple specimens. I was like, 'Okay, there's something weird here,'" he says. "It reminded me of the wasp nest." Several years earlier, when Vinola Lopez was an undergraduate student, he went on a fossil dig in Montana. A paleontologist there showed him the ancient remains of wasp cocoons: small, thin chambers of dried mud where wasp larvae would metamorphose into adults. These wasp cocoons looked a lot like smooth dirt lining the tooth sockets from the cave fossils Vinola Lopez had found in the Dominican Republic. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Solitary bees and their unusual nests Some of the more well-known nests built by bees and wasps belong to social species that live together and raise their young en masse in large colonies think of paper wasp nests and the wax honeycombs in a honey bee nest. "But actually, most bees are solitary. They lay their eggs in small cavities, and they leave pollen for the larvae to eat," says Vinola Lopez. "Some bee species burrow holes in wood or in the ground, or use empty structures for nests. Some species in Europe and Africa even build their nests in empty snail shells," To better examine the potential insect nests present in the cave fossils, Vinola Lopez and his colleagues CT scanned the bones, essentially X-raying the specimens from enough angles that they could produce 3D pictures of the compacted dirt inside the tooth sockets without destroying the fossils or disturbing the sediment. The shapes and structures of the sediment looked just like the mud nests created by some bee species today; some of these nests even contained grains of ancient pollen that the bee mothers had sealed in the nests for their babies to eat. The researchers hypothesize that the bees mixed their saliva with dirt to make these little individual nests for their eggs; each nest was smaller than the eraser at the tip of a pencil. Building their nests inside the bones of larger animals may have protected the bees' eggs from hungry predators like wasps. The nests that the scientists found didn't contain any actual fossilized bees; that doesn't surprise Vinola Lopez, as the hot, muggy conditions in this cave would not have been conducive to preserving small, delicate insect bodies. Since no bees were preserved, Vinola Lopez and his colleagues were not able to assign a species to the bees that made them. However, the nests themselves were different enough from known bees' nests that the researchers were able to give a taxonomic classification to the fossil nests. They classified the nests as Osnidum almontei after Juan Almonte Milan, the scientist who first discovered the cave. Almonte Milan has worked in the area for decades and is the leading paleontologist on the island. "Since we didn't find any of the bees' bodies, it's possible that they belonged to a species that's still alive today there's very little known about the ecology of many of the bees on these islands," says Vinola Lopez. "But we know that a lot of the animals whose bones are preserved in the cave are now extinct, so the bees that created these nests might be from a species that has died out." Implications for paleontology and ecosystems This study represents the first known case of bees using the hollows in animal bones to build their nests in. Vinola Lopez suspects that this behavior was the result of several combined circumstances: there isn't much soil covering the limestone ground in this region, so the bees may have turned to caves as a place to nest rather than simply burrowing in the ground like many other species. And since this cave happened to be a multi-generational home for owls who coughed up a lot of owl pellets over the years, the bees took advantage of the bones delivered by the owls. "This discovery shows how weird bees can be they can surprise you. But it also shows that when you're looking at fossils, you have to be very careful," says Vinola Lopez. If he hadn't previously seen a fossil wasp nest, he might have just scrubbed away the sediment when he was cleaning the fossil bones for this project. "Even if you're looking primarily for fossils of larger, vertebrate animals, you should keep an eye out for trace fossils that can tell you about invertebrates like insects. Knowing about insects can tell you a lot about a whole ecosystem, so you have to pay attention to that part of the story." Publication details Trace fossils within mammal remains reveal novel bee nesting behaviour, Royal Society Open Science (2025). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.251748 Journal information: Royal Society Open Science This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Criminal networks are known for their ability to reorganize and continue operating even after major law enforcement crackdowns. New research from the University of Amsterdam's Informatics Institute and Institute for Advanced Study shows why: The networks adapt in ways that reduce their visibility while maintaining, and in some cases increasing, their levels of criminal activity. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchersin collaboration with the Dutch National Policeanalyzed unique intelligence data on criminal organizations operating in the Netherlands and combined it with computational modeling to understand how such networks respond to disruption. The researchers examined how individuals in these networks take on different roles (e.g., transporter, broker, financier or coordinator) and how their relationships shift when authorities intervene. Smaller, more organized groups The results showed how targeted actions, such as arresting key individuals or encouraging them to leave criminal activity, can fragment the network. However, instead of collapsing, the network often reorganizes into smaller, more specialized groups. To understand this, the researchers developed a game theoretical model in which individuals weigh the benefits of collaboration against the risks of being detected. The model was able to reproduce the same patterns seen in real intelligence data: when the network is pressured, its structure shifts in a way that reduces visibility while preserving criminal coordination. This outcome is known as "criminal opacity amplification," because the network becomes harder to monitor at precisely the moment when enforcement pressure is highest. Changes to the strategic environment "Interventions don't simply remove criminals from the system. They change the strategic environment," says study author Dr. Casper van Elteren. "When criminal networks adapt, they may become less visible, more decentralized, and in some cases temporarily more active. This means well-intended strategies can unintentionally strengthen the resilience of organized crime." The study also shows that there is no single ideal intervention strategy. Actions aimed at individuals with central positions in the network can be effective, but only under specific conditions. Random or poorly timed interventions, by contrast, run the risk of making the problem worse. Not just who, but how and why "These networks behave like complex adaptive systems found in nature. Their members adapt their connections to keep the organization functioning," says co-author Dr. Vitor V. Vasconcelos. "To disrupt them effectively, we must understand not just who is involved, but how and why they coordinate." The researchers suggest that future intervention strategies should move away from single, large-scale actions toward adaptive, ongoing approaches that monitor how networks evolve after disruption. "This research demonstrates that complex social problems cannot be solved with simple one-step interventions. Effective disruption must account for how systems reorganize in response to pressure," says co-author Dr. Mike Lees. "This applies not only to criminal networks, but also to challenges such as misinformation networks, financial fraud structures and even ecological management." Publication details Casper van Elteren et al, The paradox of intervention: Resilience in adaptive multirole coordination networks, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2509856122 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The filled points are the actual prices, the solid line is the predicted price, and the gray area is the 95% credible interval of Bayesian estimation. Credit: Associate Professor Keisuke Ishibashi from Shinshu University, Japan An analysis by Shinshu University and the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan shows that wholesale prices for floundera key Fukushima catchremained stable after the August 2023 ALPS-treated water discharge. Using a predictive market model based on pre-discharge data, the study found no significant price decline, providing reassurance for fisheries stakeholders and informing future policy debates on nuclear-water disposal. Fukushima's fisheries have faced years of economic and emotional uncertainty ever since the 2011 nuclear accident disrupted marine ecosystems, damaged consumer trust, and placed a heavy burden on local livelihoods. When the Japanese government began releasing the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS)-treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean in August 2023 as part of its long-term decommissioning strategy, a new surge of public concern emerged. Although the water underwent multi-stage processing to remove radioactive contaminants and met the international safety standards, many feared that seafood originating from nearby waters would be rejected, triggering a steep price decline, especially for flounder, one of Fukushima's most commercially important fish. To provide a clear, scientific assessment of the economic impact, researchers led by Associate Professor Keisuke Ishibashi of Shinshu University, Japan, in collaboration with Dr. Maika Sasaki from the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan, turned to quantitative analysis. They focused not on speculation but on market behavior, tracking how wholesale prices actually changed after the treated-water discharge began. Using government transaction statistics from the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market, the team developed an econometric model capable of predicting what flounder prices should have been under normal conditions. They then compared this baseline to real-world price movements after the discharge. This paper was made available online in the journal Fisheries Science on November 11, 2025, providing the first rigorous evaluation of seafood market responses to treated-water discharge. The analysis incorporated seasonal supply patterns, variations in landed volume, and broader market influences to isolate any specific economic impacts attributable to the discharge event. Contrary to widespread fears, the results revealed no signs of a market downturn. Wholesale prices of flounder sourced from Fukushima remained stable and performed consistently withand at times abovemodel projections. "Our study shows that there is no statistical evidence linking the treated-water discharge to a price in floundera hopeful sign for fisheries," said Dr. Ishibashi. The implications are significant: despite strong public emotions surrounding nuclear safety, consumers did not appear to withdraw their support for Fukushima flounder in the marketplace. Dr. Ishibashi emphasized the importance of evidence-based assessment, stating, "Using reliable government data and robust statistical modeling, we aimed to cut through speculation to show what actually happened." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. However, the researchers remain cautious about generalizing too broadly. The team recommends expanding similar analyses to other fish and shellfish caught in Fukushima waters to better understand consumer attitudes across the seafood supply chain. Still, the findings deliver timely reassurance for an industry operating under intense scrutiny. Fishermen have repeatedly expressed fear that their livelihoods could be jeopardized by consumer distrust. This study provides a counterweight to those anxieties, demonstrating that market reactions may be more resilient than expected when scientific monitoring confirms safety. Globally, the work offers a model for how governments and industries can evaluate the socioeconomic impacts of environmental risk-management policies. As many nations face decisions about wastewater treatment from nuclear facilities or other sensitive industrial sources, data-driven analysis like this can help guide communication strategies, strengthen public trust, and safeguard local economies. For Fukushima's fishing communities, still working to restore pride and prosperity nearly 15 years after the disaster, the stability of flounder prices is more than an economic metric. It is a sign of gradual recovery and renewed confidence, suggesting that careful monitoring, transparent policy, and scientific evidence can help navigate even the most controversial environmental challenges. More information Keisuke Ishibashi et al, Impact of ALPS-treated water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on flounder price, Fisheries Science (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s12562-025-01936-9 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: Professor Alexander Zelikin in the lab where his group has had a the breakthrough. Credit: Jeppe Kyhne Knudsen Imagine a container of tomatoes arriving at the container terminal in Aarhus. The papers state that the tomatoes are from Spain, but in reality, we have no way of knowing if that is true. That is, unless we take a sample and have it analyzed in a laboratory, where scientists use DNA markers to determine whether the tomato is Spanish, South American or Chinese. This is both time-consuming and expensive. But thanks to a scientific breakthrough in the research group of Professor Alexander Zelikin at Aarhus University, we will be able to examine tomatoes a lot quicker and cheaper, using special light producing proteins and our phone's camera. Not right now, but in the near future. The results were recently published in the journal Nature Communications. "We have figured out how to instruct the proteins to generate light when specific DNA sequences appear. This could be used, as in the example with the tomatoes, but could also be useful in the health care sector, agriculture, or the pharmaceutical industry to analyze samples easily and cheaply," Professor Zelikin explains. "We believe that there are huge possibilities in this." Schematic illustration of the proposed DNA-encoding of enzymatic activity, achieved through reactivation of the enzyme from the protein-oligonucleotide mixed disulfide using a thiolated complementary strand. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64636-z Experimenting with the building blocks of life In Zelikin's laboratory, they engineered molecules and cells. In some instances, his team designs new molecules and installs these into mammalian cells to bring new functions into the cell. But they also strive to build synthetic cells from scratch, one chemical building block at a time. "We will hardly create new life this way any time soon. This is not why we are doing it. We are doing it to better understand and control natural cells." "Our primary goal is to control the activity of molecules in space and time, inside and outside of the cell. Specifically, we focus on enzymes that can create ATP, which is the cell's fuel, and polymerases, which the cell uses to build RNA and DNA." By doing this kind of research, his team gets a deeper understanding of how cellular mechanisms work. And it is through this research that they learned how to engineer proteins that generate light when certain DNA sequences are presentas in the example with the tomatoes. Like building LEGO without the instruction manual Designing cells from scratch is exciting, because our imagination is the only limit, Zelikin explains. He compares it to building with LEGO, but without an instruction manual and even without a defined set of building blocks. "The first step is to assemble the membrane that defines the interior of an artificial cell. In our work, like in natural cells, the membrane is built of lipids that assemble in a bilayer," he explains. "Next, we design ways to transfer information across the membrane. Last but not least, we assemble the tools to interpret this information, which is done by putting together the parts inside the cell, including DNA and proteins." Zelikin's research group strives to build intelligent synthetic cells, which are programmed to react in specific ways to the environment. "For us, the most fundamental challenge is to design the mechanisms of communication, so that the artificial cells can communicate with the environment, understand the information they receive and react to it. "And I think we are making good progress," Zelikin adds. Broad international efforts are underway, and when a research group succeeds, the synthetic cells could possibly solve problems in biotechnology and agriculture, possibly biomedicine, as well as the atmospheric and climate sciences. Publication details Mireia Casanovas Montasell et al, Activation of enzymatic catalysis via nucleic acid hybridization affords synergistic coupling of specificity, potency, and signal amplification, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64636-z Journal information: Nature Communications Key concepts DNA sequencing MIAMI, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lafayette Square announced today that it has provided a senior secured loan through its SSBIC investment vehicle to support the continued expansion of Prime IV Hydration and Wellness, Inc. ("Prime IV"), a Colorado Springs-based franchisor of IV therapy and related wellness services. Founded in 2017 by Amy Neary, Prime IV has grown into a national leader in IV hydration therapy, with 189 active locations across 40 states. The company offers customizable and safety-compliant IV drips designed to support recovery, stress reduction, anti-aging and general wellness, delivered in a spa-like environment called the "Prime 1-Hour Vacation." Prime IV also offers additional services including bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), peptides and NAD+. Prime IV was ranked #1 brand in the IV Therapy Category and recognized as a "Best of the Best" Franchise by the Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500 ranking in 2024 and 2025. "Prime IV is the type of business our non-sponsored investment approach is designed to support. This is a direct loan to a company headquartered outside a major financial center, where businesses typically struggle with access to flexible, long-term capital. For our investors, these characteristics are advantages: they allow us to originate loans to established, overlooked operators with resilient fundamentals," said Aquil Stinson, Director at Lafayette Square. "Amy has built a high-performing franchise system that is expanding nationally, and we are eager to be a capital partner who contributes to its growth and success." Beyond capital, Lafayette Square provides support and incentives to portfolio companies through its affiliated managerial assistance program, Worker Solutions, a tailored benefits offering seeking to reduce turnover and operational risk while improving job quality, retention, and productivity. "This investment represents more than growth capital for Prime IV; it reflects confidence in a woman-owned business that has scaled from outside traditional financial hubs," said Ms. Neary. "It can be hard for some independent companies to find financing partners who understand our model. Lafayette Square recognizes the strength of our franchise model and the demand for accessible wellness solutions nationwide. We're excited to work together to bring Prime IV to even more communities." Boxwood Partners served as the exclusive sell-side financial advisor to Prime IV. About Lafayette Square Lafayette Square is a private credit firm lending capital to growing middle market companies in working-class places. The firm is driven by four key differentiators: a focus on non-sponsored deals, managerial assistance through its affiliated Worker Solutions platform, a technology-first data-driven investment strategy through Potomac X Lafayette Square, and institutional partnerships. Lafayette Square's thesis holds that working-class people and places are ignored by private credit creating an attractive investment opportunity subject to conservative underwriting, managerial assistance, and technology. Lafayette Square aims to support 100,000 working-class jobs, invest 50% of capital in working-class places, and curate benefits for 50% of its portfolio by 2030. For more information, please visit www.lafayettesquare.com . About Prime IV Hydration & Wellness Founded in 2017 by industry visionary Amy Neary, Prime IV Hydration & Wellness is a premier, award-winning franchise that has garnered national recognition for its excellence in the health & wellness industry. Prime IV was ranked #1 in the IV Therapy Category and recognized as a Best of the Best Franchises by the Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 ranking in 2024 and 2025. Additionally, Prime IV earned a spot on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list, ranking #875 among the fastest-growing private companies in America in 2024. Prime IV offers a wide array of premium wellness services, including intravenous (IV) therapy treatments, micronutrient injections, NAD+ treatments, and rapid weight loss solutions. Known for its commitment to personalized wellness, Prime IV specializes in crafting customized wellness plans that align with each client's unique health goals, making it a trusted national leader in boosting immunity, enhancing cellular healing, promoting anti-aging, and improving overall health and vitality. With over 155 locations nationwide, Prime IV provides a serene and comfortable setting for clients to experience the latest advancements in wellness therapy, ensuring a transformative and effective wellness journey for all. Media Contacts: Doug Allen/Jansel Murad Dukas Linden Public Relations 646-722-6530 [email protected] SOURCE Lafayette Square Holding Company 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 Have you ever wondered what keeps you warm in your winter jacket? Most jacket insulation is made from human-made synthetic fibers (polyester) or natural down from ducks or geese. Some winter jackets are insulated with something a little more surprisingbulrushes. A biomaterials company called Ponda is using the seed heads of bulrush cultivated in peatlands to create BioPuff as insulation for puffer jackets, an alternative to synthetic fibers and goose down. These jackets help to encourage wetter farming on peatlands, a practice known as paludiculture that helps keep carbon locked into the ground. While paludiculture is a relatively new way of farming in the UK, my research investigates how this emerging farming practice is being implemented in north-west England. It is crucial that peatlands remain wet or are rewetted to prevent the release of stored carbon. Once drained, peatlands emit a significant amount of carbondegraded peatlands account for 4% of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions. Most (88%) of these emissions come from degraded lowland peatlands, which account for only 16% of the UK's total peatland land area. While the complete restoration of lowland peatland habitats is necessary, in many cases landowners and managers may not be willing to fully stop cultivating or grazing on parts of their agricultural peatland. Paludiculture has been proposed by UK policymakers and researchers as an innovative farming practice. In this scenario, peat soils remain wet to reduce peatlands' carbon emissions. Simultaneously, landowners and managers can theoretically make an income from cultivating paludiculture crops. The UK Paludiculture Live list consists of 88 native species that could be used for farming via paludiculture. This list is divided into categories including food crops (such as cranberry and celery), growing media (Sphagnum moss), fabrics (bulrush) and construction materials (such as common reed and freshwater bulrush). Crop trials Over the past five years there has been a growing network of researchers, landowners, land managers, conservationists, businesses and government advisors innovating and implementing paludiculture trials in north-west England. Celery, lettuce, blueberries, bulrush, and Sphagnum moss are some of the first paludiculture crops that have been grown in this region. One of the trials, delivered in partnership with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, a tenant farmer, the landowner and Ponda, shows how paludiculture offers an opportunity for both the farming community and the sustainable fashion industry. This trial was established with the aim to grow bulrush on five hectares (12 acres) of previously drained lowland peat soils. After raising the water table level to between 30cm below ground level and the peat surface, the bulrush seeds were sown in June 2024 using a drone. More than a year later, the bulrush was successfully harvested in August 2025 using a specialized digger equipped with a reed-cutting bucket. This trial was successful due to collaboration between the organizations and people in the partnership who shared paludiculture knowledge that specifically related to this region and farming practices on lowland peatlands elsewhere in the UK. Additionally, it is crucial that paludiculture crops are supported by a concrete business case and market route so that landowners and land managers do not have to rely on variable government funding. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Uncharted waters While paludiculture has progressed in the UK over the past five years, there are still challenges in upscaling this farming practice. In terms of food crops, supermarkets may not accept paludiculture grown celery or lettuce if they do not match retailer requirements. The entire paludiculture market chain faces barriers from cultivation to commercialism. These include challenges such as managing water table levels, having robust storage, handling, and processing infrastructure, market regulations and the market visibility of paludiculture products. These hurdles can make it difficult to expand trials up to larger farm and landscape scales. Because much of the UK's peatlands are owned by private landowners and often managed by tenant farmers, paludiculture must develop as a financially stable farming practice to ensure there is buy in from everyone involved. However, transitioning from conventional drainage practices to wetter farming is not just a financial matter. Landowners, farmers and peatland practitioners must acquire new peatland rewetting knowledge and be willing to grow crops on wet soils. The paludiculture trial in the north-west demonstrates how these partnerships can form and help pave the way for wetter peatland systems. The next time you pass a wetland area, see if you can spot a bulrush. These boggy plants can help tackle climate change by storing carbon and could even be transformed into your next puffer jacket. Key concepts peat This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain What some school boards now call the "winter break," over the days leading up to and after Christmas, is approaching. But in Canada's diverse public schools, centering one religious holiday sends a subtle message to many children: your family's traditions don't quite belong here. Our publicly funded schools are designed to be welcoming to everyone. Ministries of education and school curricula acknowledge the importance of equity and inclusion in supporting student learning, yet how this is applied in different contexts and classrooms can vary widely. The focus around Christmasexperienced as holidays that privilege this festival, and sometimes also experienced as winter-themed events that pick up Christmas aspectscan make students from different cultural and religious backgrounds feel marginalized or left out. As educators look to best practices for implementing guidance around supporting inclusion and affirming diversity in their classrooms, there are opportunities to build in-classroom activities that genuinely reflect and embrace every learner in our vibrant pluralistic communities. The real impact of feeling left out When a child's family life, traditions or identity are missing from the school environment, this can have adverse consequences. Research shows that school social exclusion is consistently linked to poorer well-being, higher emotional distress and even changes in adolescent brain development. Large-scale studies have also shown that exclusion undermines belonging, while belonging acts as a protective factor for mental health and engagement. In other words, inclusion isn't optional, it is essential for students' emotional safety and academic success. On the flip side, when students feel they belong, they thrive. Feeling personally accepted and socially valued at school is associated with better mental health and stronger academic trajectories, including lower depression, anxiety and stress into young adulthood. Creating a truly inclusive school environment is therefore not just an extra step, it's fundamental to student well-being. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Four simple, powerful strategies for inclusion While overhauling the entire school calendar may be out of reach, educators can start with four classroom changes that research shows are meaningful. 1. Start a storytelling circle with a trauma-informed lens: Where generic holiday parties exist near the end of term, instead consider a storytelling circle: invite students to share "something special I enjoy in winter," "a tradition from my community" or "a tradition I'd like to create." This keeps open invitations for students who may not have stable family contexts, such as children in foster care or those who've experienced loss. Why storytelling? Oral storytelling, especially when culturally referenced and developmentally scaffolded, builds identity, empathy and early literacy and has shown measurable gains for Indigenous learners. Storybased routines are also a powerful vehicle for culturally responsive teaching across subjects. Guidance from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a non-profit organization in the U.S., emphasizes that holiday activities should be approached through an anti-bias lens, ensuring they affirm all children's identities rather than privileging one tradition. Evidence shows that storytelling circles can support both cultural identity and emotional safety when implemented thoughtfully, through predictable routines and student choice. Trauma-informed classroom frameworks emphasize safety, trust and empowerment as core principlesall of which align with open-ended storytelling prompts. So, instead of focusing on family-centric tasks, try the following: Make participation voluntary and provide alternative options; Use broad prompts that don't require family disclosures; Embed predictable routines and emotional safety as recommended by trauma-informed frameworks. 2. A 'celebrations wall': Mindful of open-ended prompts and children's emotional safety, create a "celebrations wall" or "seasonal traditions corner" that invites students and families to share images, artifacts or descriptions of winter or yearend traditions. These could include religious and cultural festivals such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Lunar New Year. It could also include personal family traditions such as a special recipe or a trip. Culturally responsive environments and tasks increase engagement and participation among diverse learners. Feeling recognized in affirmative ways also strengthens belonging, which relates to motivation and persistence. Practical exemplars from classrooms show how inclusive displays foster voice and connection. 3. Use language that includes everyone: Language signals who belongs. Replace event names and communications that tie activities to one tradition with neutral, inclusive terms (for example, "winter celebration," "yearend gathering") alongside culturally affirming practices. Canadian federal guidance provides explicit strategies for inclusive wording that avoids bias across gender, culture, religion and ability. Equity, diversity and inclusion resources align with these practices and emphasize mirroring how people selfidentify. Resources such as Celebrate! An Anti-Bias Guide to Including Holidays in Early Childhood Programs provide practical steps for creating inclusive celebrations. 4. Partner with communities: Reach beyond school walls. Schoolcommunity partnerships bring cultural expertise, resources and authentic experiences into classrooms, and are associated with better attendance, engagement, socialemotional outcomes and academics. This reduces the burden on educators while widening access to experiences that enrich curriculum and affirm diversity. Examples could include nurturing community partnerships that support Indigenous storytelling, Lunar New Year presentations or settlement supports for refugee children. A call for active inclusion Fostering an inclusive environment is an active choice. It means examining inherited structures and building classroom cultures that affirm every student's sense of self. By celebrating the many narratives students bring, educators counteract the emotional toll of exclusion, strengthen resilience and equip young people to navigate a pluralistic society with confidence and respect. The most important message schools can offer during holidays, and year round, is the certainty that every child belongs. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Proposed model for the regulation of plant stem cell dynamics by precise pectin modification. Credit: Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.ady4102 Imagine if our bodies could grow new organs throughout our entire lives. Plants do this constantly, thanks to tiny, powerful reservoirs of stem cells. But how do these cells know when to divide, and how do they ensure each division is perfectly oriented to build a leaf, a stem, or a flower? The answer lies not just within the cells, but in the very walls that surround them. A new study published in Science and led by Dr. Yang Weibing from Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered a hidden "molecular gatekeeper" that controls the stiffness of these walls, directly guiding the fate of plant stem cells. How plant cell walls control growth All plant cells are encapsuled in a wall, a rigid yet dynamic structure long thought to be a simple scaffold. In this new study, the scientists showed that this wall is anything but static. They found a surprising "bimodal" pattern inside the stem cell hub, the shoot apical meristem. Think of it like this: The old, mature walls are "stiff," acting like the load-bearing beams of a building. Meanwhile, every time a cell divides to create two new cells, the new wall that forms between them is initially "soft" and flexible. This difference in stiffness is controlled by a simple chemical tweak to a gel-like component in the wall called pectin. Stiff walls have highly "methylesterified" pectin, while soft, new walls have "de-methylesterified" pectin. This precise pattern begged the question: How does the plant ensure that the "softening" enzyme only works on new walls and doesn't accidentally weaken the old, crucial ones? The role of PME5 and nuclear sequestration The scientists pinpointed a key enzyme gene called PME5, the master switch that softened pectin. But they found a clever trick: The cell kept the instruction manual for this enzymethe PME5 messenger RNA (mRNA)under lock and key inside the nucleus. It was like having a powerful tool stored safely in a toolbox. Only when a cell was actively dividing did the "toolbox" open. As the nucleus temporarily disassembled, the PME5 mRNA was released. It was immediately translated into the PME5 enzyme, which was delivered right to the site of the new, forming wall, softening it precisely where and when it was needed. This ensured that the mature walls remained stiff and structural, while new division walls were flexible enough to be positioned correctly. To prove its importance, the scientists disrupted the mechanism. They genetically engineered plants to let the PME5 mRNA escape the nucleus prematurely, and the softening enzyme was produced at the wrong time and place. This caused chaos: Cell division patterns became disorganized, stem cell activity plummeted, and the plants grew stunted and produced strange, clustered fruits. This confirmed that the precise control of wall stiffness is essential for healthy plant development. Implications for crop science and yields This "nuclear sequestration" mechanism is a sophisticated form of gene regulation. The scientists found that it is a common strategy which is not unique to PME5 but is used by several related enzymes. Furthermore, this "bimodal" wall pattern was found in diverse crops like corn, soybean, and tomato, indicating that it is a conserved, fundamental principle of plant growth. Key crop traits like the number of tillers, the length of the panicles, and the number of seeds are all determined by stem cell activity. By learning this cell wall code, scientists could one day engineer crops with improved architecture and higher yields, all by tweaking the very walls that hold them up. Publication details Xianmiao Zhu et al, Cell wall patterning regulates plant stem cell dynamics, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.ady4102 Journal information: Science 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: This graphical abstract illustrates the life cycle of Algophthora mediterranea, a newly discovered parasitic marine fungus, infecting the harmful dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata and other microalgae. The diagram shows key developmental stagesincluding zoospore release, host attachment, intracellular growth, and sporangium formationalongside microscopic images of infected host cells. Credit: Yokohama National University A team of researchers from Yokohama National University, Japan, have discovered a previously unknown species of marine fungus that can kill harmful, bloom-forming algae. The new species, Algophthora mediterranea, is a form of microscopic chytrid fungus that can occupy a broad range of hosts, suggesting that chytrid fungia diverse group of aquatic fungimay play a greater role in marine ecosystems than previously thought. Critically, the fungus was identified as a destructive parasite in a species of algae, Ostreopsis cf. ovata, known to cause toxic blooms that have adverse health effects on humans. The findings were published online in Mycologia. Toxic algae Algal blooms are a growing problem in oceans, rivers, and lakes. The rapid, excessive growth of algae is generally caused by an overload of nutrients and warm temperatures, and can affect water quality and wreak havoc on ecosystems. Blooms can also produce toxins that affect humans and animals alike. Huge blooms of Ostreopsis cf. ovata have been increasingly reported in the Mediterranean in the past few decades. The alga produces a toxin called ovatoxin (OVTX), which can cause major issues in humans, including a runny nose, cough, breathlessness, conjunctivitis, itching, and dermatitis. Algae-killer Algophthora mediterranea was discovered in Spanish seawater in 2021 by the team from the Institut de Ciencies del Mar (ICM) in Spain, led by Dr. E. Garces and Dr. A. Rene, and it has now been described by Professor Maiko Kagami and Ph.D. student Nuria Pou-Sola, both from YOKOHAMA National University. DNA analysis confirmed the fungus represents not only a new species but also a new genus. The team have named the new genus Algophthora, combining "alga" and the Greek word "phthora," meaning "destruction." The fungus was found as a parasite in cells of O. cf. ovata, which it kills within days. Further analysis showed it can also infect several other species of algae and can even feed off pollen grains. "Although previous DNA-based surveys have revealed a wide diversity of marine fungi, only a handful of parasitic species have ever been isolated, and their ecology has remained largely unknown," said Pou-Sola. "Our newly described species stands out for its unusually broad host range and distinctive feeding strategy, demonstrating that some chytrid fungi possess remarkable ecological resilience." The researchers isolated the fungus and took time-lapse photos every ten minutes for four days. Samples of the fungus were also analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), where a focused beam of electrons scans the surface of a sample, creating a high-resolution image. The fungus was then sampled for DNA. "The next step is to investigate how such versatile parasites operate within complex marine communities," said Kagami. "Ultimately, our goal is to understand how parasitic fungi contribute toand potentially shapethe ocean's biogeochemical cycles, an ecosystem role that has been largely overlooked until now." "In the future we aim to build the necessary knowledge to improve our predictive capacity and support the management of harmful algal blooms," adds Pou-Sola. Publication details Nuria Pou-Sola et al, Algophthora mediterranea, gen. et sp. nov.: Novel dinoflagellate- and diatom-infecting generalist marine chytrid from the Mediterranean Sea, Mycologia (2025). DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2025.2577604 Journal information: Mycologia 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: Researchers find that companies with strong sustainability practices benefit more from audit transparency. Markets appear to reward authentic commitment backed by rigorous disclosure. Credit: Kano Okada, Nagoya University Companies with strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) track records performed better than their peers after being required to adopt more rigorous auditing standards. This is according to a new study from researchers at Nagoya University in Japan, which is the first to examine the connection between the implementation of "key audit matters" (KAMs) and firms' sustainability practices. The study was published in Managerial Auditing Journal. ESG stands for environmental, social, and governancea framework for evaluating how companies manage environmental impacts, treat stakeholders, and maintain ethical oversight. Companies with strong ESG practices demonstrate long-term commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. Investors increasingly view these commitments as an important signal of corporate quality. In 2015, the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) recommended that auditors communicate KAMs, the most significant issues identified during an audit, to better inform investors about company risks. Although Japanese firms with high ESG scores tended to pay higher fees for auditing and related consulting services after the implementation of KAMs, they also performed better in both accounting and market indicators. "You can't simply buy credibility by paying for expensive audits," clarified co-author Hu Dan Semba, Associate Professor at Nagoya University's Graduate School of Economics. "But if you've demonstrated commitment to sustainability practices, then investing in more transparent auditing amplifies that credibility, and markets reward it." As more countries adopt similar standards, the research offers insights into which companies are likely to benefit the most from transparency requirements. A transparency experiment in Japan The case of Japan provides a unique scenario for studying the implementation of stricter auditing standards. Publicly traded companies were given the option to voluntarily adopt KAMs early in fiscal year 2019, before the practice was made mandatory in fiscal year 2020. This created a natural experiment for exploring the motivations behind corporate behavior. The research team, led by Semba and co-author Maretno Agus Horjoto of Pepperdine University, analyzed 1,065 Japanese firms from 2009 through 2023, tracking which companies adopted transparency requirements early, what it cost them, and how they performed afterward. Twenty-four non-financial firms volunteered for early adoption, and the analysis showed that the decision to volunteer was positively related to a firm's ESG score. "These companies stepped forward when they didn't have to," Semba noted. "Demonstrating their interest in signaling their underlying quality." However, sustainability-focused companies also tended to pay more for auditing and non-auditing services compared to their peers. These costs reflect more rigorous examinations and additional advisory work to address issues identified during audits. The researchers, citing scholarship on Japanese business culture, suggest that this willingness to voluntarily embrace transparency may reflect the influence of "sanpo-yoshi." This principle, developed by the Omi merchants between the 16th and 19th centuries, holds that transactions should benefit the seller, the buyer, and society. Interestingly, the results also showed that early adopters paid lower audit and non-audit fees after reporting KAMs became mandatory. This implies that these companies were able to use the pilot period as a chance to disclose and mitigate audit risks. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Market response to audit transparency Despite the additional costs, companies with higher ESG scores had better accounting and market performance on average in the years following mandatory KAMs implementation (20202023). While there is some evidence that the stricter standards increased firm performance overall, this effect was amplified for firms committed to sustainability and social responsibility. A high-ESG company tended to have higher stock returns and a better return on assets (ROA)how profitable a firm is in relation to its total assets. As the use of KAMs spreads globally, these findings suggest that companies with established ESG practices are likely to receive the most benefits from more transparent auditing standards. "The market appears to view ESG practices and KAMs reporting as a sort of two-factor authentication," explained Semba. "When companies with authentic sustainability practices invest heavily in transparent auditing, investors interpret it as a credible signal of organizational strength." More information Maretno Agus Harjoto et al, Sustainability and financial disclosure: role of ESG in key audit matters adoption, Managerial Auditing Journal (2025). DOI: 10.1108/maj-01-2025-4663 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 Companies that engage in aggressive tax avoidance may be saving money in the short term, but they are paying a hidden price in the eyes of investors. According to a new study by the University of Portsmouth, tax transparency is rewarded in capital markets while secrecy raises the cost of finance. The research shows that multinational corporations (MNCs) that avoid tax and obscure their global activities face higher costs when raising funds from investors. By contrast, firms that are more transparent about where they operate and pay tax generally find it cheaper to attract investment, suggesting that markets are increasingly wary of opaque tax practices. The study was motivated by a series of high-profile tax avoidance scandals involving some of the world's largest multinationals. Companies such as Amazon were criticized for paying virtually no corporation tax in the UK between 2011 and 2013 despite reporting a UK turnover of 7.6bn (The Guardian 2019), prompting widespread public outrage and political scrutiny. "Tax avoidance doesn't happen in a vacuum," said Professor Jia Liu, Professor of Finance, Director of the Center for Innovative and Sustainable Finance, University of Portsmouth. "It creates uncertainty for investors about regulatory risk, future cash flows and reputational damage. Our evidence shows that investors respond to that uncertainty by demanding a higher return." Using data from the 500 largest non-financial multinational corporations operating in Europe between 2007 and 2018, the researchers examined the relationship between tax avoidance, voluntary country-by-country (CbC) reporting and the cost of equity capital. CbC reporting involves disclosing where profits are earned and taxes are paid across different jurisdictions, information that is usually submitted privately to tax authorities but rarely made public. The findings, published in the journal Meditari Accountancy Research, suggest that companies engaging in lower levels of tax avoidance are significantly more likely to disclose CbC information voluntarily in their annual reports. Those disclosures, are associated with a lower cost of equity capital, indicating that investors view transparency as a signal of lower risk and better corporate governance. "Voluntary disclosure sends a powerful message," explained Professor Jia Liu. "When companies are open about their global tax position, investors interpret that as a sign that managers have less to hide and that the firm is less exposed to regulatory shocks or public backlash." Firms that engage in tax avoidance tend to limit what they disclose, particularly when operating in countries with high levels of financial secrecy. The study finds that this lack of transparency comes at a cost. Investors appear to penalize companies that combine high levels of tax avoidance with low levels of disclosure by demanding higher expected returns on their investment. The research also shows that investors are not easily fooled by what the study describes as "hypocritical transparency." Firms that publish extensive CbC information but continue to engage in high levels of tax avoidance do not enjoy the same reduction in capital costs as genuinely transparent firms. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. "Investors can distinguish between meaningful disclosure and box-ticking," said Professor Jia Liu. "Transparency only pays when it is backed up by responsible tax behavior." The findings come at a time of growing international concern over corporate tax avoidance. According to the State of Tax Justice report, multinational corporations are estimated to be sheltering around 1tn in profits in tax havens each year, depriving governments of roughly 179bn in annual tax revenues. The study adds to the debate over whether country-by-country reporting should remain a private exercise between companies and tax authorities or be made public. "Our evidence suggests that transparency has real economic consequences," explained Professor Jia Liu. "If policymakers want to curb tax avoidance, public country-by-country reporting would not only support tax authorities but also allow investors to price risk more accurately." The study concludes that tax avoidance is no longer just a moral or political issue but a financial one. In a world of heightened scrutiny, companies that continue to shift profits into secrecy jurisdictions may find that the cost of capital, quietly but steadily, rises against them. More information Ahmed Aboud et al, Public country-by-country reporting, tax avoidance and the cost of equity capital: pan-European evidence, Meditari Accountancy Research (2025). DOI: 10.1108/medar-09-2024-2636 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 Whether a species has just freshly emerged, or it has been around for millions of years does not dictate its vulnerability. This has been the assumption of an old debate on whether species' age plays a role in extinction risk. Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) led an international study that challenges this idea, at least when it comes to sharks and rays. According to their study, young species are by far the most likely to go extinct. The paper is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The team examined data from over 20,000 fossil records worldwide dating back to the Cretaceous period, using innovative methods to reconstruct the age of origin and extinction for each of the about 1,500 species. "We were particularly interested in identifying when, over the past 145 million years, large numbers of new species emerged or disappeared, and how this can be explained," says first author Kristina Kocakova of UZH's Department of Paleontology. Previously unknown extinction events Shark and ray species (Neoselachii) experienced high rates of loss during the mass extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period around 66 million years ago, but this didn't come as a surprise to the researchers. "We discovered other, previously unknown extinction events. However, many of these events, including the one at the end of the Cretaceous, were followed by the origination of new species," explains Catalina Pimiento, UZH professor of paleobiology. "What's remarkable is that the more recent extinctions were not followed by the emergence of new species, including one around 30 million years ago. This one was by far the most impactful, because many species went extinct but hardly any new species emerged afterward," says Pimiento, the last author of the study. High extinction risk for young species A remarkably consistent pattern emerged across the entire 145-million-year period. Evolutionarily young species went extinct far more often than older ones, regardless of whether their extinction was caused by an asteroid impact or any other driver. "If a species had existed for only about four million years, it was more vulnerable than one that had been around for 20 million years. The older species remained remarkably stable," says Kocakova. Importance of conservation The study shows that modern-day sharks and rays are the survivors of a long history of ups and downs, including several extinction events that were previously unknown. The data also demonstrate that over the past 40 to 50 million years, not enough new species have emerged to make up for previous losses. Importantly, the study reveals that species' age is a persistent predictor of extinction risk over evolutionary time. "Modern sharks and rays have already lost much of their evolutionary potential and have now also come under pressure from humans. Understanding their past helps us recognize how important it is to protect the species that still exist today," says Dr. Daniele Silvestro, a co-author of this study and one of the developers of the methods used. KATHMANDU, NEPAL, Dec 17, 2025: Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal has emphasized the urgent need to strengthen economic ties between Nepal and China, calling for a significant increase in bilateral investment to drive mutual growth. Speaking on Tuesday at a high-level forum dedicated to Nepal-China cooperation and investment, Minister Khanal assured the international community that the Nepalese government has implemented robust economic reform schemes. These measures are specifically designed to create an environment where Chinese investors can mobilize their capital with stability and confidence. "Nepal and China have a unique opportunity to enhance cooperation by identifying key investment sectors," the Minister stated. He added that pinpointing these strategic areas will not only benefit bilateral ties but also serve as a catalyst for attracting wider foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, also addressed the gathering, reflecting on the multidimensional and long-standing relations between the two neighbors. He reaffirmed that China remains deeply interested in expanding its investment footprint in Nepal, specifically targeting three core pillars: industry, energy, and large-scale infrastructure development. The forum concluded with a shared commitment to streamlining administrative processes and fostering a more integrated economic partnership as Nepal continues on its path toward sustainable development. KATHMANDU, NEPAL: The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) and the Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA) have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate tourism cooperation and increase traveler exchange between the two nations. The agreement was formalized on Monday by TAAN President Sagar Pandey and KATA Vice President Kim Beom-jae, in a ceremony attended by the South Korean Ambassador to Nepal, Park Tae-young. Under this new framework, KATA will spearhead promotional campaigns in South Korea to position Nepal as a premier destination for Korean adventurers. Beyond marketing, the South Korean association will provide TAAN with essential technical and informational support to modernize Nepal's trekking infrastructure and services. In a reciprocal move, TAAN has committed to promoting South Korea among Nepali travelers, thereby fostering a balanced, two-way tourism flow that benefits both economies. To ensure the partnerships success, President Sagar Pandey emphasized the necessity of improved logistics, specifically calling for an increase in direct flights between Kathmandu and Seoul. He further addressed the safety of international visitors by assuring the Korean delegation that the Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS) will be strictly utilized to provide real-time tracking and security for Korean trekkers in Nepal's mountain regions. Ambassador Park Tae-young noted that this MoU transcends simple tourism, serving as a vital tool to deepen the 50-year diplomatic friendship between the two countries. He highlighted that alongside the Employment Permit System (EPS), tourism remains a cornerstone of the Nepal-Korea relationship. Ultimately, the agreement is expected to lead to a significant surge in arrivals from South Korea, which remains one of Nepal's most important source markets for high-value trekking and cultural tourism. Guwahati: One of the best known practicing physicians of eastern India, Dr Nomal Chandra Borah has been honoured with two distinguished national awards recognising his transformative contributions to neurology, nursing leadership, and community healthcare development over five decades. Founder of GNRC Universal Health Mission and GNRC Group of Hospitals, Dr Borah was recently conferred on the Lifetime Achievement awards by both Indian Academy of Neurology (IAN, apex national body of neurologists which pursues relentless advancement of neurological research, education, and clinical standards) and Association of Nurse Executive-India (ANEI, premier professional body representing senior nursing practitioners, educators, and administrators that continues strengthening nursing governance, promoting professional excellence, and shaping policies for uplifting India's nursing workforce). Commending Dr Borah's extensive research, prolific publications, and stature as a mentor and social entrepreneur, the IAN termed his breathtaking life story of grit, determination, and service as 'monumental for Assam and the nation' which has emerged as an inspiration for the young generation to emulate. Dr Borah rose from a humble beginning to become one of the most respected neurologists across the country contributing exceptionally to the growth and excellence of neurology and IAN's citation highlights his integrity, self-belief, and perseverance in establishing the region's first comprehensive neuroscience centre and later expanding neurological services to previously unreached populations. On the other hand, the ANEI award is among the highest honours in Indian nursing leadership, presented to the individuals whose vision and lifelong service deeply influence nursing practice and healthcare delivery nationwide. The ANEI citation lauded Dr Borah as a visionary neurologist and dedicated social reformer, highlighting his pioneering initiatives including GNRC Medireach, Swasthya Mitra, and the universal health mission serving affordable healthcare to the underserved and rural populations. It also acknowledged his role in establishing the Asian Institute of Nursing Education (in 2004), which has developed as an acclaimed centre for nursing education and leadership in the billion-plus nation. Dedicating the recognition to the patients along with their families, his colleagues, mentors, students, and the entire GNRC family, Dr Borah stated, "I remain committed to make healthcare more ethical, equitable, and accessible for all." Mentionable is that the GNRC (earlier Guwahati Neurological Research Centre) was founded by Dr Borah in 1985 and currently GNRC Hospitals have emerged as a leading chain of tertiary care super-specialty hospitals in Assam and West Bengal. The soft-spoken physician earlier received a lifetime achievement award from Mitali Bhuyan Foundation (2023), Lakshminarayan award (2022), Double Helical national health award (2017) as a recognition of his enormous contributions towards affordable healthcare in the far eastern part of Bharat. Introducing linens that unify the modern tablescape with effortless cohesion and storytelling BROOKLYN, N.Y., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MAURE announced the debut of its first cotton twill table linens, expanding the brand's tabletop category and giving customers the ability to create fully cohesive, elevated tablescapes for holiday entertaining and year-round gatherings. The brand invites customers and collectors to explore the full collection at wantmaure.com , where the linens and curated tablescape sets are now available. MAURE Introduces Complete Tablescape Offering "I've always created tablescapes from pieces that inspire me, objects collected during years of travel, cooking for prominent figures, and curating their events," celebrity chef Maureen Cavalieri and founder of MAURE, notes. "Over time, clients ranging from heads of state to artists and entertainers began asking how they could recreate those curated settings in their homes. That demand shaped the company's expansion into full tablescape offerings. With the introduction of table linens, I'm excited to make that creative process even more accessible, allowing people to mix MAURE designs with meaningful pieces of their own to create effortless, personal stories at the table." Key Features of MAURE's New Cotton Twill Table Linens Handcrafted from 100% cotton twill for durability and refined texture Designed as part of a luxury homeware collection from New York, curated for cohesive styling Coordinates seamlessly with artisan-made tableware from the Czech Republic and Sweden, reinforcing shared motifs across the table Available as standalone linens or as part of curated tablescapes online. Ideal as a unique host/hostess gift The collection reflects MAURE's commitment to responsible craftsmanship. All linens are woven with long-lasting fibers that maintain structure and color integrity over years of use. The designs draw from organic materials and nature-inspired artwork, aligning with the brand's broader ethos of thoughtful sourcing. The linens pair seamlessly with MAURE's existing handcrafted tableware offerings, including Swedish birchwood trays, Bohemian crystal hobnail glassware, sculptural brass candleholders, and serveware. The combination enables customers to build layered, design-forward tablescapes where every material, color, and motif contributes to a cohesive narrative. According to the company, this expansion reflects broader shifts in the home decor market, where elevated, intentionally curated table settings and artisan-crafted pieces continue to gain momentum. With these new linens, MAURE positions itself at the forefront of these trends, offering a premier single destination for thoughtfully designed tabletop collections. About MAURE MAURE is a New York-based luxury homeware and gifting brand known for its globally sourced, artisan-made collections. Founded by celebrity chef Maureen Cavalieri, the brand celebrates craftsmanship and meaningful storytelling through pieces such as Swedish birchwood trays, Czech hobnail crystalware, ethical leather goods, hand-poured candles, and small-batch linens. MAURE partners directly with international artisans to introduce rarely seen craftsmanship to the U.S. market, offering thoughtfully designed pieces that elevate everyday living. Learn more at wantmaure.com, contact [email protected] or (646) 466-8791, and follow @wantmaure on Instagram. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Maure ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey shot down an out of control aerial drone that approached its airspace from the Black Sea, the Defense Ministry said Monday. The incident came after Ukrainian attacks on Russian shadow fleet tankers off the Turkish coast and warnings from Turkish politicians about the dangers of the war in Ukraine spreading. F-16 fighter planes were scrambled after an object was detected, the ministry said in a statement. To avoid any potential harm, it was shot down in a safe area outside of populated area, it added. The statement gave no further details of the location or time of the incident. Ukraine said its naval drones struck two tankers on Nov. 28. A third vessel was struck Dec. 2 as it headed toward the Turkish port of Sinop. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the earlier attacks as a threat to navigational safety, life and the environment, especially in our own exclusive zone. DOHA, QATAR Speaking on behalf of a nation in transition, Nepal has reaffirmed its promise to build a future rooted in honesty and accountability. Representing the Government of Nepal at the 11th UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in Doha, Secretary Gobinda Bahadur Karki delivered a clear message: the country is ready to turn the page on corruption. Addressing a global audience under the theme Shaping Tomorrows Integrity, Karki bridged the gap between international policy and the lived experience of the Nepali people. He emphasized that for Nepal, "zero tolerance" isn't just a sloganit is a necessary response to the historic public movement that recently reshaped the nations leadership. This connection to the peoples voice provided a powerful backdrop to the governments current agenda. Karki explained that the interim government is moving beyond promises, actively overhauling legal and institutional systems to ensure that power can no longer be abused. To bring Nepal in line with global standards, the Secretary detailed specific steps being taken to criminalize acts that hurt everyday citizens, such as bribery, illicit enrichment, and money laundering. These aren't just technical adjustments; they are the building blocks of a system where merit and law prevail over influence. Closing his address, Karki reassured the international community that Nepal remains a dedicated partner in this global fight. By finalizing the National Strategy against Corruption and meeting international financial standards (FATF), the delegation signaled that Nepals journey toward integrity is well underwaydriven by the courage of its people and the commitment of its leaders. Kathmandu, December 17, 2025 A stationery and notebook distribution program was organized at Rudramati Primary School, Anamnagar, on the 2nd day of Poush 2082 (December 17, 2025). The program was jointly conducted by the Lions Club of Kathmandu Center Mid Town, the Leo Club of Kathmandu Center Mid Town, and Swaminarayan Seva Ashram Nepal. The program was chaired by Chiranjivi Sharma, President of the Lions Club of Kathmandu Center Mid Town. The Chief Guest was Hira Prasad Gupta, Governor of Lions District 325 E. The event was attended by several distinguished guests, including District Secretary Bhuvan Pokhrel, Area Coordinator Navin Bajra Lama, Region Chairperson Madhusudan Pradhan, Immediate Past President Pawan Manali, First Vice President Sushil Kumar Agarwal, Club Secretary Nishant Oli, Manju Jangam, and volunteer service supporter Pushkar Mani Jangam. Nishal Poudel, President of Swaminarayan Seva Ashram Nepal, along with member Biswakarma, also participated in the program. The proceedings were conducted by Zone Chairperson Birendra Prakash Shrestha, who served as the Master of Ceremonies. Speaking at the event, Governor Hira Prasad Gupta appreciated the initiative taken by President Chiranjivi Sharma, describing it as an outstanding contribution to social service. He remarked that the Lions Club of Kathmandu Center Mid Town has been actively engaged in meaningful community work and recognized it as one of the leading Lions clubs in Kathmandu. During the program, around 1,000 notebooks and stationery items were distributed to approximately 50 students of the school. Addressing the gathering, President Chiranjivi Sharma stated that the club has set a target to distribute more than 10,000 notebooks during its 20252026 tenure, reaffirming its commitment to supporting education and student welfare. The students were delighted to receive the stationery support, and the school community expressed its gratitude for the initiative, noting that such assistance plays an important role in encouraging learning and meeting the educational needs of students. With the rise of Christian nationalism, old-fashioned Burkean conservatives have been put on the defensive when it comes to safeguarding religious liberty. A new book may provide some needed ammunition in the fight. Publishers often promote books as being timely, even when the book in question just seems like the latest on a picked-over topic. Eerdmans, the publisher of John D. Wilseys excellent Religious Freedom: A Conservative Primer, uses the word timely to market Wilseys book, too. But in this case, its not just a slogan. Wilseys book is a thoughtful conservative response to Christian nationalism, one of the most surprising and viral religious movements of the past decade. Christian nationalism, in popular parlance, is an ill-defined label, one applied to any Christian who thinks Christianity has public relevance. For example, pro-abortionists might call a Christian pro-lifer a Christian nationalist. When applied thus, the term is so vague as to be useless. But there are also Christian nationalists, such as the Reformed pastor Douglas Wilson, who not only embrace the term but also apply a specific and coherent meaning to it. To honest-to-goodness Christian nationalists, contemporary America has come under the sway of a pagan and anti-Christian nationalism. It is time, Christian nationalists argue, to fight fire with fire. Christians, they say, should assert a counter-nationalist program in every way possible, variously including electing Christian rulers, instituting tests of Christian faith for officeholders, placing limitations on non-Christians immigrating to the U.S., and granting full religious liberty only to Christians. A fully functioning Christian state should not allow Muslims, Buddhists, or Hindus to conduct public worship because those religions are false. Jews may or may not be afforded religious liberty in such a system; Christian nationalists opinions of Jews vary. The secular media casually labels Christian nationalism as conservative. And in an ethical sense, Christian nationalists are conservative, in that they would make such moral novelties as abortion, gay marriage, and gender transition surgeries illegal. But Wilsey argues that the Christian nationalists political program, and their view of the states authority over religion, is radical and reactionary, not conservative. Wilsey is in a strong position to make a conservative argument for religious liberty. He teaches at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, one of Americas foremost Christian educational institutions. Wilsey is a conservative himself, both politically and theologically, and he is also an expert on the history of Anglo-American conservative thought. Religious Liberty draws on an exceptionally wide range of conservative thinkers, from titans such as Edmund Burke, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Russell Kirk to lesser-known figures such as Peter Viereck. Some Christian nationalists might protest that Wilsey isnt really a conservative because he wont advocate the hard measures necessary to take America back to its Christian roots. But its implausible to view someone like Wilsey as a mealy mouthed squish when he knows and models conservatism so well. Conservative means something to Wilsey; its not a vague political label. He contends that the conservative tradition in Anglo-American history affords a generous scope for religious liberty. Liberty and religion, in Wilseys analysis, have been Americas two animating spirits. The two spirits are not separate; they complement and foster each other. Religion gives liberty its moral grounding, while true religion flourishes under liberty, when peoples devotion is not mandated by the state. Secular liberals today have lost any sense of libertys moral purposefulness, seeming to believe that true freedom mainly entails amoral self-expression. Thus, the epitome of liberty in todays secular West is a man acting upon the deranged notion that he is, in fact, a woman. Christian nationalists and other post-liberals, conversely, have given up hope in liberty and put confidence (like their counterparts on the radical left) in coercive state power to accomplish their aims. But for Wilsey, classical conservatives are in the best position to articulate and defend the best of the American character by receiving, venerating, applying, and handing down the tradition of harmony between the spirits of liberty and religion. Following Russell Kirk, Wilsey notes that conservatives have always been suspicious of radical claims about remaking society according to a preset ideological or theological program. Prudent people are always open to incremental reforms, but top-down, government-driven schemes for framing an ideal society are always doomed to autocratic corruption. The dismal outcomes of Communist revolutions in Russia and China, and of theocratic revolutions in Iran and elsewhere in the Muslim world, have proved this point repeatedly. Conservatives are rightly suspicious of programs that tout the idyllic transformations that will result if only the right people commandeer authority and dictate a peoples beliefs and practices. Prudential conservatives revere both the eternal moral law (revealed in Scripture) and the traditions of ones nation. They protect practices and habits that have stood the test of time among real people living in real places under real circumstances. The more idealistic and unprecedented a political program is, the more suspicious a true conservative becomes, whether the agenda emerges from the right or the left. Following the historian and poet Peter Viereck (a strangely neglected figure in the history of American conservatism), Wilsey explains that not all those who venerate tradition are true conservatives. Viereck contrasted the thought of Edmund Burke with that of the French thinker Joseph de Maistre, both of whom recoiled at the revolutionary madness of the French Revolution in the 1790s. Burke is well known for his defense of ordered liberty in the face of the bloodthirsty French Jacobins. The less well-known Maistre, however, argued for a counterrevolutionary Catholic state. Viereck described Maistres program as Ottantott, a term derived from the Italian term for eighty-eight. If Catholic strongmen could simply return European states to the ostensible paradise that existed in 1788, the year before the French Revolution started, Maistre posited that all would be well. Both Ottantotts and Burkeans are traditionalists, but Ottantotts are reactionary and autocratically inclined, while Burkeans are conservatives and protectors of liberty. Burkeans accept the reality of change and adaptation; they do not operate under epistemic nostalgia that generates utopian dreams of a coerced return to an imagined earlier time. What does all this have to do with religious liberty and Christian nationalism? Some readers may find that Religious Liberty: A Conservative Primer is more of a primer on Anglo-American conservatism than a defense of religious liberty or a direct response to Christian nationalists. (Douglas Wilsons name does not appear in the index, for example.) But Wilsey does respond fully and generously to Stephen Wolfe, whose The Case for Christian Nationalism (2022) has framed much of the debate about Christian nationalism among conservative Protestants. Wilsey commends Wolfes coherent argument and concurs substantially with Wolfes theological and moral assumptions. Where Wilsey departs from Wolfe is on the solution to Americas tyranny of secular woke ideology in academia, business, law, and politics. Wilseys disagreement with Wolfe illustrates the difference between Burkean and Ottantott traditionalism. Both the secular left and the Christian nationalist right tout government-centered solutions to the problems they discern in American culture. Burkean conservatives are much more worried than are Ottantotts that idealistic schemes and authoritarian governments will spawn corruption and deprive people of liberty. Wolfe asserts that Christian nationalism is a totality of national action and that Christian civil law commands public action for the common good of civil communities. Wilsey commends Wolfe for such specificity about the aims of Christian nationalism. But he disagrees with Wolfes agenda because it is contra-American and closer to Hegelian state theory than the American constitutional tradition of federalism and ordered liberty. Hegels thought is notoriously complex, but in effect Hegel thought of the state as the actualization of the good, which is the final end of human existence. An agenda that wants the state or a prince to actualize the ultimate good might still be traditionalist, but its not conservative. Although Wolfe and other Christian nationalists hold a traditionally Christian view of original sin, they place great confidence in the right sort of Christian leaders to manifest Gods will via the state apparatus of a Christian nation. Wilsey simply does not share Wolfes faith in such a state. He is much more concerned with protecting peoples liberty from any coercive state, no matter how noble the ideals it espouses. The Fall of man is a lot more profound than we know, Wilsey says. Merely waving off the terrible potentialities for abuse of power does not suffice when laying out such a novel and reactionary program as Wolfes, Wilsey concludes. Religions vitality in the conservative American tradition depends on its detachment from the state. The nation desperately needs Christianity to condition its mores, as Tocqueville put it. But true religion cannot be coerced by the state. In other words, the state cannot produce sincere religion, even though it desperately needs such religion (specifically Christianity) for the flourishing of families, communities, and culture. To be fair, Edmund Burke admired the dissenting Congregationalists leading the charge for liberty in Massachusetts in 1775 and 76, but as an Anglo-Irish politician, Burke remained an establishmentarian Anglican at heart. Burke and American conservatives such as John Adams did believe that liberty was compatible with a state-backed Christian denomination. But drawing on Tocqueville, Wilsey insists that vital Christian commitment requires the functional separation of church and state. Such separation hardly means state hostility toward religion. Instead, it means that the state values and protects the free exercise of religion for all. Given Wilseys institutional location, it is surprising that he says little about Baptist contributions to the American tradition of religious liberty. Perhaps he didnt do so because he wanted the book to reach as many different types of Christians and conservatives as possible. Principled advocates of Christian nationalism tend not to be Baptists, so perhaps appeals to that tradition would fall flat. Still, since 1776 Baptists have been the paradigmatic evangelicals who support religious freedom. This is because Baptists suffered terrible persecution from state-backed churches in places such as Massachusetts and Virginia. The experience taught them to be suspicious of any intertwining of church and state as naturally abusive and corrupt. Baptists rejoiced when the Constitution banned religious test oaths for officeholders and when the First Amendment declined to institute a national church (an establishment of religion). Thus, while the Anglo-American conservative tradition has some pockets of support for a state church, the Baptist tradition does not. Given that the Southern Baptist Convention remains by far the largest Protestant denomination in America, there should be plenty of Bible-believing Christian resistance left in America against state-regulated Christianity. Historically Baptists have argued that the state should not restrict the lawful religious practices of non-Christians either. Wilsey doesnt say much about how the state should relate to adherents of non-Christian religions, a problem that has become especially acute in Britain, France, and other European nations that seem unable to assimilate their teeming masses of Muslim immigrants. But most Baptists have simply wanted the state to stay out of the business of religion and not discriminate against any denomination or religion, Christian or not. Any kind of state involvement with churches, Baptists have contended, inevitably corrupted them. (Witness the utter fecklessness of the Church of England in its home country, for example.) This Baptist conviction complements the conservative belief that government should be as limited as reasonably possible. When government meddles in areas outside its essential purview, such as in education, business, or religion, it typically introduces corruption and bureaucracy, and it deprives citizens of liberty. Wilseys timely book may represent only a proverbial voice crying in the wilderness. Traditional conservatism, at least in terms of limited government, seems an all-but-forgotten option on todays partisan landscape. Politicians win by promising more government intrusion in the economy, healthcare, education, and more. On this score, the differences between the major parties seem limited to which spheres they want to intrude upon. Conservatives always support common-sense, limited reforms because change is inevitable and government regularly needs to correct its course. But conservatives balk when ideologues of any stripe tell us how wonderful America will be if only the right sort of rulers assume more power over citizens lives, including over their devotion to God. BALTIMORE, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, along with University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) President Bert O'Malley, MD, today announced the appointment of C. David Mintz, MD, PhD, to be the next Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, and Chief of the Anesthesiology Clinical Service ("Chief of Anesthesiology") at UMMC. Dr. Mintz, a neuroanesthesiologist and nationally recognized leader in research, education, and perioperative operations, will be installed as the Martin Helrich Endowed Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology. He will begin his new position in July, 2026. Dr. Mintz brings an extraordinary record of achievement in clinical care, research, and education. He is currently Vice Chair for Clinical Operations in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine. In this capacity, he oversees anesthesiology services across three hospitals and two ambulatory surgery centers, managing approximately 125 anesthetizing locations. He also serves as Executive Director for Perioperative Strategy for the Johns Hopkins Health System. In these roles, he has led transformative initiatives to improve financial performance, employee satisfaction, efficiency, quality, safety, and patient experience. Dr. Mintz is a leading expert in neurosurgical anesthesiology with a clinical focus on anesthetic management for intracranial neurosurgery, neurovascular surgery, and complex spine procedures. He served for seven years as Division Chief for Neuroanesthesiology at Johns Hopkins and founded its fellowship program in the subspecialty. He has mentored several dozen neuroanesthesiology junior faculty and fellows, several of whom are now in leadership positions in academic anesthesiology around the country, shaping the next generation of neuroanesthesia specialists. Dr. Mintz is also a highly accomplished physician-scientist. He has authored more than 75 scholarly works and his laboratory has been supported by 15 years of continuous NIH funding as well as funding from foundation and industry sources. Dr. Mintz's primary focus is on understanding how early developmental exposure to anesthetics and sedatives disrupts brain circuity formation--a critical area of research with implications for pediatric perioperative and intensive care. Dr. Mintz has made numerous contributions to academic anesthesiology. Highlights include his current role as an Associate Editor for Anesthesiology, the official journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and his long history of contributions to the Association of University Anesthesiologists, where he served on and chaired the Scientific Advisory Board and is now a member of the governing Council. As an educator, Dr. Mintz has been recognized with multiple teaching awards for both clinical and didactic education of residents and fellows. He has a strong commitment to training developing scientists in anesthesiology. He is the PI and Director of the Hopkins T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, fostering research training for future physician-scientists. "Dr. Mintz is the ultimate 'triple threat' in academic medicine. He is an exceptional clinician, NIH RO1 funded neuroscientist, and educator who directs a successful T32 physician-scientist training grant. His vision will propel our Department of Anesthesiology into a new era of innovation and excellence," said Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, who is also Vice President, Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko Distinguished Professor and Dean. "His expertise in neuroanesthesiology, groundbreaking research in brain development and perioperative medicine, and proven ability to lead complex clinical operations make him uniquely suited to advance our department's mission and expand its national prominence." Dean Gladwin added: "I would like to extend my appreciation to Matthew Tulis, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, for his leadership as Interim Chair until Dr. Mintz's arrival. Also, my sincere thanks to Frank Henn, MD, Chair of Orthopaedics, and the Search Committee for their tremendous work with a highly competitive pool of candidates. We are all extremely pleased with the selection of Dr. Mintz." In addition to his role as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. Mintz will play an important role in the University of Maryland Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery (UM-MIND), the School of Medicine's multi-disciplinary, multi-departmental neuroscience research institute. He will also be involved in the Shock Trauma and Anesthesiology Organized Research Center (STAR), collaborating with Tom Scalea, the Honorable Francis X. Kelly, Distinguished Professor in Trauma and Physician in Chief, at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and System Chief for Critical Care Services at the University of Maryland Medical System. The Center facilitates translational research in areas related to trauma, tissue injury, critical care, and anesthesiology. "Dr. Mintz's exceptional leadership, operational acumen and clinical expertise made him a clear choice for this vital role which touches many aspects of care delivery," said Dr. O'Malley, UMMC President, who is also Executive Vice President of Academic Health for the University of Maryland Medical System. "We welcome the valuable insight and innovation mindset he will bring to elevating our quality initiatives and fostering a culture of excellence." Dr. Mintz earned his combined MD/PhD degree at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, followed by residency training in anesthesiology at Columbia University, where he served as Chief Resident and was inducted into the prestigious Virginia Apgar Research Society. After completing fellowship training in neuroanesthesiology and a T32 research fellowship, he was appointed to the faculty at Columbia prior to his move to Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Mintz currently resides in the Cromwell Valley neighborhood of Towson. His wife, Liz Proctor, is the Director of Library Services and Upper School Librarian at the Park School of Baltimore, and he has two sons, aged 10 and 14. "I am honored and very excited to join the Department of Anesthesiology and the broader University of Maryland School of Medicine, Medical Center, and Medical System community," said Dr. Mintz. "The Department has a fantastic culture and an illustrious history. I cannot imagine a better opportunity to help shape the future of clinical care, education, and discovery in anesthesiology. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, and learners to build on past successes and to reach for new heights in our shared goals." The School of Medicine's Department of Anesthesiology is currently ranked #14 in the nation among all medical schools in the most recent Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research with more than $6 million in NIH-funded research. This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise. For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com. SOURCE University of Maryland Medical Center What are the causes of recent record-high global temperatures? Posted on 17 December 2025 by Zeke Hausfather This is a re-post from Carbon Brief The past three years have been exceptionally warm globally. In 2023, global temperatures reached a new high, after they significantly exceeded expectations. This record was surpassed in 2024 the first year where average global temperatures were 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Now, 2025 is on track to be the second- or third-warmest year on record. What has caused this apparent acceleration in warming has been subject to a lot of attention in both the media and the scientific community. Dozens of papers have been published investigating the different factors that could have contributed to these record temperatures. In 2024, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) discussed potential drivers for the warmth in a special section of its state of the global climate report, while the American Geophysical Union ran a session on the topic at its annual meeting. In this article, Carbon Brief explores four different factors that have been proposed for the exceptional warmth seen in recent years. These are: Carbon Briefs analysis finds that a combination of these factors explains most of the unusual warmth observed in 2024 and half of the difference between observed and expected warming in 2023. However, natural fluctuations in the Earths climate may have also played a role in the exceptional temperatures, alongside signs of declining cloud cover that may have implications for the sensitivity of the climate to human-caused emissions. An unusually warm three years Between 1970 and 2014, average surface temperatures rose at a fairly steady rate of around 0.18C per decade. Set against this long-term trend, temperature increases during the period from 2015 to 2022 were on the upper end of what would be expected. The increases seen in 2023, 2024 and 2025 were well outside of that range. The high temperatures of the past three years reflect a broader acceleration in the rate of warming over the past decade. However, the past three years were unusually warm, even when compared to other years in the 2010s and 2020s. Record-breaking warmth in 2023 meant that it beat the prior warmest year of 2016 by 0.17C the largest magnitude of a new record in the past 140 years. The year 2024 then swiftly broke 2023s record, becoming the first year where average global temperatures exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The 10 months of data available for 2025 indicates that the year is likely to be slightly cooler than 2023 though it is possible it may tie or be slightly warmer. The figure below shows global surface temperatures between 1970 and 2025. (The figures for 2025 include uncertainty based on the remaining three months of the year.) It includes a smoothed average based on temperature data for 1970-2022 that takes into account some acceleration of warming and then extrapolates that smoothed average forward to 2023-25 to determine what the expected temperature for those years would have been. (This follows the approach used in the WMOs state of the global climate 2024 report.) Global average surface temperature changes between 1970 and 2024 using the WMO average of six groups that report global surface temperature records (dark blue), estimated 2025 temperatures and uncertainties (red) based on the first nine months of the year and a long-term average locally linear smooth (light blue). This approach calculates how much warmer the past three years were than would be expected given the long-term trend in temperatures. It shows that 2023 was around 0.18C warmer than expected, 2024 was a massive 0.25C warmer and 2025 is likely to be 0.11C warmer. Researchers have identified a number of potential drivers of unexpected warmth over 2023-25. Here, Carbon Brief looks at the evidence for each one. A weirdly behaving El Nino event El Nino is a climate pattern of unusually warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the tropical Pacific that naturally occurs every two to seven years. Strong El Nino years generally have warmer global temperatures, with the largest effect generally occurring in the months after El Nino conditions peak (when SSTs reach their highest levels in the tropical Pacific). A relatively strong El Nino event developed in the latter half of 2023, peaking around November before fading in the spring of 2024. This event was the fourth-strongest El Nino ever recorded, as measured according to SSTs in the Nino 3.4 region in the central tropical Pacific. However, it was notably weaker than the El Nino events in both 1998 and 2016. This can be seen in the chart below, which shows the strength of El Nino events (red shading) since the 1980s. (The blue shading indicates La Nina events the opposite part of the cycle to El Nino, which results in cooler SSTs in the tropical Pacific.) NOAAs Nino 3.4 region Oceanic Nino Index using detrended data from ERSSTv5. (It is worth noting that measuring the strength of El Nino events is not entirely straightforward. Other tools used by scientists to monitor changes to El Nino such as the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAAs) multivariate ENSO index show the 2023-24 event was much weaker than indicated in the Nino 3.4 dataset.) Global surface air temperatures tend to be elevated by around 0.1-0.2C in the six months after the peak of a strong El Nino event defined here as when SSTs in the Nino 3.4 region reach 1.5C above normal. The figure below shows the range of global temperature change for the 12 months before and 22 months after the peak of all 10 strong El Nino events since 1950. The light line represents the average of past strong El Nino events, the dark blue line the temperature change observed during the 2023-24 event and the shaded blue area the 5-95th percentile range. Global mean surface temperatures for the 12 months prior to peak El Nino conditions and the 22 months following for strong El Nino events. Calculations by Carbon Brief using data from Copernicus/ECMWFs ERA5 and NOAAs Oceanic Nino Index. The figure shows the 2023-24 El Nino was quite unusual compared to other strong El Nino events since 1970. Global temperatures rose to around 0.4C above expected levels which is on the high side of previous El Ninos. The heat also came early, with high temperatures showing up around four months before the El Nino event peaked. This early heat is unlike any other El Nino event in modern history and is one of the reasons why 2023s global temperatures were so unexpectedly warm. Global temperatures remained elevated for a full 18 months after the El Nino peaked, well after conditions in the tropical Pacific shifted into neutral conditions and even after mild La Nina conditions developed at the end of 2024 and into early 2025. This figure does not explain how much of this unusual heat was actually caused by El Nino, compared to other factors, but it does suggest that El Nino behaviour alone does not fully explain unusually high temperatures in recent years. Based on the historical relationship between El Nino and global temperatures, Carbon Brief estimates that El Nino contributed a modest 0.013C to 2023 temperatures and a more substantial 0.128C to 2024 temperatures, albeit with large uncertainties. (See methodology section at the end for details.) However, it is possible that this 2023 estimate is too low. There are some suggestions in the literature that 2023-24 El Ninos early warmth may have been caused by the rapid transition out of a particularly extended La Nina event. There are indications that temperatures have spiked in similar situations further back in the historical temperature record. Falling sulphur dioxide emissions Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is an aerosol that is emitted into the lower atmosphere by the burning of coal and oil. It has a powerful climate cooling effect Carbon Brief analysis shows that global emissions of SO2 have masked about one-third of historical warming. Global SO2 emissions have declined around 40% over the past 18 years, as countries have increasingly prioritised reducing air pollution, including through the installation of scrubbers at coal plants. These declines have been particularly concentrated in China, which has seen a 70% decline in SO2 emissions since 2007. In addition, a rule introduced for international shipping in 2020 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has resulted in an 80% decline in the sulphur content of shipping fuel used around the world. The decline of SO2 emissions is shown in the figure below. Annual SO2 emissions from China, international shipping and the rest of the world. Data from the Community Earth atmospheric Data System (CEDS). Shipping in particular has been suggested as a potential culprit for recent temperatures, given that ships emit SO2 over oceans where the air tends to be cleaner and so emissions have a bigger effect. Seven of the eight studies that have explored the temperature impact of the IMO regulations have suggested a relatively modest effect, in the range of 0.03-0.08C. However, one study led by former NASA scientist Dr James Hansen calculated a much stronger effect of 0.2C that would explain virtually all the unusual warmth of recent years. The figure below shows Carbon Briefs estimate of the global average surface temperature changes caused by the low-sulphur shipping fuel rules, using the estimates produced by all eight studies. The central estimate (dark blue line) is relatively low, at around 0.05C, but the uncertainty range (light blue shading) across the studies remains large. Range (5th to 95th percentile) and central estimate (50th percentile) of simulated global average surface temperature responses to the IMO 2020 regulations across the radiative forcing estimates in the literature. Analysis by Carbon Brief using the FaIR model. Overall, Carbon Briefs analysis finds that around 0.04C of warming over 2020-23 and 0.05C of warming over 2020-24 can be attributed to SO2 declines from shipping and other sources. However, this approach might slightly overstate the effects of SO2 on the exceptional temperatures of the past three years, as shipping and other SO2 declines would have had some effect on 2021 and 2022 as well. It is also worth noting that the total effects of SO2 declines on global temperatures have been considerably larger and are estimated to be responsible for around one-quarter of all warming since 2007. However, these SO2 decreases occurred over a long period of time and do not clearly explain the recent spike in temperatures. An unusual volcanic eruption in Tonga In early 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai underwater volcano erupted spectacularly, sending a plume 55km into the atmosphere. This was by far the most explosive volcanic eruption since Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991. This was a highly unusual volcanic eruption, which vaporised vast amounts of sea water and lofted it high into the atmosphere. Overall, around 146m metric tonnes of water vapour ended up in the stratosphere, which is the layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere. Water vapour is a powerful greenhouse gas. While it is short-lived in the lower atmosphere, it can stick around for years in the stratosphere, where it has a significant warming effect on the climate. The figure below shows the concentration of water vapour in the stratosphere between 2005 and mid-2025. It shows how the 2022 eruption increased atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gas by around 15%. More than half the added water vapour has subsequently fallen out of the upper atmosphere. Upper atmosphere water vapor content from NASAs Aura MLS satellite. Figure from Dr Robert Rohde. Most early studies of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano focused specifically on the effects of stratospheric water vapour. These tended to show strong warming in the lower stratosphere and cooling in the middle-to-upper stratosphere, but only a slight warming effect on global surface temperatures of around 0.05C. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai had much lower sulphur emissions than prior explosive eruptions, such as Pinatubo and El Chichon. However it put 0.51.5m tonnes of sulphur into the stratosphere the biggest increase in aerosol optical depth (a measure of how much sunlight is blocked by aerosols) from an eruption since Pinatubo. Studies that included both sulphur and water vapour effects tend to find that the net effect of the eruption on surface temperatures was slight global cooling, concentrated in the southern hemisphere. By using the estimates published in a 2024 study published in Geophysical Research Letters, which used the FaIR climate emulator model, Carbon Brief estimates that the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai eruption cooled global surface temperatures by -0.01C in 2023 and -0.02C in 2024. This suggests that the eruption was likely only a minor contributor to recent global surface temperatures. A stronger-than-expected solar cycle The source of almost all energy on Earth is the sun. Over hundreds of millions of years, variations in solar output have a big impact on the global climate. Thankfully, over shorter periods of time the sun is remarkably stable, helping keep the Earths climate habitable for life. (Big changes such as ice ages have more to do with variations in the Earths orbit than changes in solar output.) However, slight changes in solar output do occur and when they do, they can influence climate change over shorter periods of time. The most important of these is the roughly 11-year solar cycle, which is linked with the suns magnetic field and results in changes in the number of sunspots and amount of solar energy reaching Earth. The figure below shows a best-estimate of changes in total solar irradiance since 1980, based on satellite observations. Total solar irradiance is a measure of the overall amount of solar energy that reaches the top of the Earths atmosphere and is measured in watts per metre squared. Total solar irradiance from the PMOD composite (blue) along with a smoothed average (red) from 1980 to 2025. The 11-year solar cycle is relatively modest compared to the suns total output, varying only a few watts per metre squared between peak and trough amounting to around 0.01% of solar output. However, these changes can result in variations of up to 0.1C in global temperatures within a decade. The most recent solar cycle solar cycle 25 began around 2020 and has been the strongest solar cycle measured since 1980. It was stronger than most models had anticipated and likely contributed to around 0.04C global warming in 2023 and 0.07C in 2024. Putting together the drivers By combining earlier estimates of different factors contributing to 2023 and 2024 global surface temperatures, about half of 2023s unusual warmth and almost all of 2024s unusual warmth can be effectively explained. This is illustrated in the figure below, which shows the five different factors discussed earlier El Nino, shipping SO2, Chinese SO2, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano and solar cycle changes along with their respective uncertainties. The sum of all the factors is shown in the combined bar, while the actual warming compared to expectations is shown in red. The upper chart shows 2023, while the lower one shows 2024. Attribution of 2023 and 2024 anomalous warmth. Light blue bars show individual factors and their uncertainties, the dark blue bar shows the combined effects and combination of uncertainties and the red bar shows the actual warming compared with expectations. Adapted from Figure 12 in WMOs state of the global climate 2024 report. It is important to note that the first bar includes both El Nino and natural year-to-year variability; the height of the bar reflects the best estimate of El Ninos effects, while the uncertainty range encompasses year-to-year variability in global temperatures that may be at least in part unrelated to El Nino. The role of natural climate variability Large natural variability to the Earths climate is one of the main reasons why the combined value of the different drivers of expected warmth in 2023 has an uncertainty range that exceeds the observed warming even though the best-estimate of combined factors only explains half of temperatures. Or, to put it another way, there is up 0.15C difference in global temperatures year-on-year that cannot be explained solely by El Nino, human-driven global warming, or natural forcings such as volcanoes or variations in solar output. The figure below shows the difference between actual and expected warming in the global temperature record for every year in the form of a histogram. The vertical zero line represents the expectation given long-term global warming and the other vertical lines indicate the warming seen in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The height of each blue bar represents the number of years over 1850-2024 when the average global temperature was that far (above or below) the expected level of warming. Histogram of residuals between actual and expected warming for all years since 1850, with the values for the past three years highlighted. Expected warming based on a 20-year locally linear smooth of the data. Based on the range of year-to-year variability, temperatures would be expected to spike as far above the long-term trend as they did in 2023 once every 25 years, on average. The year 2024 would be a one-in-88 year event, whereas 2025 would be a less-unusual, one-in-seven year event. These likelihoods for the past three years are sensitive to the approach used to determine what the longer-term warming level should be. In this analysis, Carbon Brief used a local smoothing approach (known as locally estimated scatterplot smoothing) to determine the expected temperatures, following the approach used in the WMO state of the climate 2024 report. This approach results in a warming of 1.28C in 2023 and 1.30C in 2024, against which observed temperatures are compared. Other published estimates put the longer-term warming in 2024 notably higher. Earlier this year, the scientists behind the Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC) report estimated that human activity caused 1.36C of recent warming in 2024. They also found a slightly lower overall warming level for 2024 1.52C, as opposed to the WMOs 1.55C because they looked exclusively at datasets used by IPCC AR6. (This meant estimates from the Copernicus/ECMWFs ERA5 dataset were not included.) Based on climate simulations, the IGCC report finds the likelihood of 2024s warmth to be a one-in-six year event and 2023s a one-in-four event. Using the same assumptions as the IGCC, Carbon Briefs approach calculates that 2024 would be a less-common, one-in-18 year event. However, the IGCC estimate of current human-induced warming is based on the latest estimates of human and natural factors warming the climate. That means that it already accounts for additional warming from low-sulphur shipping fuel, East Asian aerosols and other factors discussed above. Therefore, the results from these two analyses are not necessarily inconsistent: natural climate variability (including El Nino) played a key role but this came in addition to other factors. Natural fluctuations in the Earths climate alone would have been unlikely to result in the extreme global temperatures seen in 2023, 2024 and 2025. A cloudy picture Even if unusual recent global warmth can be mostly attributed to a combination of El Nino, falling SO2 emissions, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano, solar cycle changes and natural climate variability, there are a number of questions that remain unanswered. Most important is what the record warmth means for the climate going forward. Is it likely to revert to the long-term average warming level, or does it reflect an acceleration in the underlying rate of warming and, if so, what might its causes be? As explained by Carbon Brief in a 2023 article, climate models have suggested that warming will speed up. Some of this acceleration is built into the analysis presented here, which includes a slightly faster rate of warming in recent years than has characterised the period since 1970. But there are broader questions about what beyond declining SO2 and other aerosols is driving this acceleration. Research recently published in the journal Science offered some potential clues. It found a significant decline in planetary reflectivity known as albedo over the past decade, associated with a reduced low-level cloud cover that is unprecedented in the satellite record. The authors suggest it could be due to a combination of three different factors: natural climate variability, changing SO2 and other aerosol emissions and the effects of global warming on cloud reflectivity. Natural climate variability seems unlikely to have played a major role in reduced cloud cover, given that it was relatively stable until 2015. However, it is hard to fully rule it out given the relatively short satellite record. Reductions in SO2 emissions are expected to reduce cloud reflectivity, but the magnitude of the observed cloud reflectivity changes are much larger than models simulate. Models might be underestimating the impact of aerosols on the climate. But, if this were the case, it would indicate that climate sensitivity might be on the higher end of the range of model estimates, because models that simulate stronger aerosol cooling effects tend to have higher climate sensitivity. Finally, cloud cover might be changing and becoming less reflective as a result of warming. Cloud responses to climate change are one of the largest drivers of uncertainty in future warming. One of the main reasons that some climate models find a higher climate sensitivity is due to their simulation of less-reflective clouds in a warming world. The Science study concludes that the 2023 heat may be here to stay if the cloud-related albedo decline was not solely caused by natural variability. This would also suggest the Earths climate sensitivity may be closer to the upper range of current estimates, it notes. Methodology Carbon Brief built on work previously published in the IGCC 2024 and WMO state of the global climate 2024 reports that explores the role of different factors in the extreme temperatures in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The impact of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the temperatures was estimated using a linear regression of the annual mean global temperature anomaly on the Feb/Mar Nino 3.4 index. This resulted in an impact of 0.07C, 0.01C and 0.13C for 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively (with a 95% confidence interval of 0.13 C). It is important to note that the uncertainties in the ENSO response estimated here also incorporate other sources of unforced internal (modes of variability in other basins such as AMV), and potentially some forced variability. The bar in the combined figure is labelled El Nino and variability to reflect this. For details on calculations of the temperature impact of shipping and Chinese SO2 declines, see Carbon Briefs explainer on the climate impact of changing aerosol emissions. Solar cycle 25 was both slightly earlier and slightly stronger than prior expectations with a total solar irradiance anomaly of 0.97 watts per metre squared in 2023 relative to the mean of the prior 20 years. This resulted in an estimated radiative forcing of approximately 0.17 watts per metre squared and an estimated global surface temperature increase of 0.07C (0.05C to 0.10C) with a one- to two-year lag based on a 2015 study. Thus, the impact on 2023 and 2024 is around 0.04C and 0.07C, respectively (+/- 0.025C). This is a bit higher warming than is given by the FaIR model, as the 2015 study is based on global models that have ozone responses to the UV changes, which amplifies the temperature effects a bit. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha?apai volcanic eruption added both SO2 and water vapour to the stratosphere (up to 55km in altitude). The rapid oxidation of SO2 to sulphate aerosol dominated the radiative forcing for the first two years after the eruption. As a result, the net radiative forcing at the tropopause was likely negative; 0.04 watts per metre squared and 0.15 watts per metre squared in 2022 and 2023, respectively, implying a temperature impact of -0.02C (-0.01C to -0.03C) calculated using the FaIR model. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. The mermen began to appear in the summer of 2017, in St. Johns, Newfoundland, roughly midway between Montreal and Greenland. Sunning themselves on rocks by the harbor, or on the graffiti-strewn pylons of an abandoned waterfront fort, they caused quite a stir. One merman even ventured into a local tavern, where he splayed himself out atop the bar, puffing a long cigarette. It turns out that the mermen did not suddenly emerge from the sea, but from the head of Hasan Hai, a Pakistani-Newfoundlander who works at a St. Johns tech start-up and as a bartender on the side. Several years ago, Hai, a gentle giant with tattoos, a shaved head, and a foot-long beard, started the Newfoundland and Labrador Beard and Mustache Club, a social organization, he told me, that has evolved into something akin to an enlightened Elks Lodge. The intent is to promote healthy and non-traditional expressions of masculinity, he said recently. The mermen spotted around town of late are volunteers for the clubs annual fundraising effort, the Merby calendar (in Newfoundland-speak, by, roughly translated, means dude), now in its third year. As skin-baring calendars go, the Merby version revealed significant demand for a chest-hair-and-pot-belly alternative to the busty-women-in-bikinis genre. The hope was to raise $1,000 for a local charity. The calendars ended up netting $300,000 in their first year, from buyers in 37 countries, funds that were donated to a sexual assault and domestic violence initiative that seeks to enlist and engage men in preventing such violence. Since the first calendar debuted two years ago, the Beard and Mustache Clubs mission has rapidly expanded. It now runs fundraisers throughout the year and has partnered with Come From Awaythe hit Broadway musical about a tiny Newfoundland town where 38 planes were forced to land on 9/11to expand its reach. Hai and his Merbys have become media darlings in Canada. The CBC recently completed filming a documentary about the club. A St. Johns brewery now offers a Merbys IPA. An all-ages Merbys cartoon (depicting an underwater world where a Merby feels free to be himself) and a line of Merby merch (stuffed Merbys, Merby action figures) are also in the works. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Merbys impact has even extended into academia. The calendar was recently cited in a series of papers investigating the evolution of the mermaid archetypeoften portrayed as an unattainable seductressin an era of changing gender norms and merculture cosplay events, such as the annual MerMagic Con. The authors explore how the merman is currently being reconsidered in ways that reflect and/or negotiate his phallic lack by a group of hirsute and predominantly large bodied males in Newfoundland. They posit that the demise of the fisheries from which Newfoundland men have historically derived their livelihoods underlies this shift in the regions maritime culture. The Merbys, the authors conclude, have served to re-masculinise the merman. But for Hai, the calendars are a lighthearted way to start a conversation about a loaded topic. When the first calendar came out, the group pushed it as a tongue-in-cheek critique of toxic masculinity, but the term was like bait for mens rights activists, who began clogging up the members social media feeds with spiteful chatter. Advertisement The term toxic masculinity is very polarizing. A lot of people cant look past those words, even though they are the people who need to hear the message, Hai said. They conflate it as an attack on men, as saying masculinity is inherently wrong, which is not the caseits just certain expressions of masculinity that are harmful. So weve changed our language. Advertisement The group has few rules, though the website lays out guidelines for prospective Merbys, including Dont be a dick, by and Inclusion is our jam. It is one boys club in which women are definitely allowed: Its the beard inside that matters, the website says. Nikki Baldwin, the executive director of the St. Johns Planned Parenthoodthe organization selected to receive the proceeds from the 2020 calendarexplained how some of those expressions of masculinity can be dangerous. When men are taught to hold down their feelings, it can make their emotions come out in volatile ways. And in traditional gender roles, the subtext is that women are less valuable, subservient, she said. So when a mans anger does bubble up, if they were not taught better ways to deal with their emotions, it can lead to gender-based violence, especially intimate partner violence. Advertisement Advertisement Certain modes of masculinity have also been tied to loneliness, depression, and high rates of male suicide. The Beard and Mustache Club is intended as a place for its members to bond and to express manhood in ways that might earn them ridicule in other settings. Members gather for barbecues, pub nights, and bonfires at the beach. And the yearly calendar production means getting together to sew merman tails and road-tripping around the island for photo shootswhich have been cathartic for many of the men involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of the models open up during the shoots, talking about their issues with mental illness or body image issues, Hai said. One fellow in the calendar hadnt taken his shirt off in public since he was a child; he was embarrassed of his own body. It became a transformative experience for him. Jeff Hillyard was working as a forklift salesman when he saw a call on Facebook for guys willing to pose as mermen. He is now the vice president of the club. The calendar project allows us to be whimsical and have fun and laugh. At the forklift dealership, the guys were like, Hey man, dont you know you look silly? Hillyard said. Thats the whole idea. I still have the same masculine traits that I always had. They didnt go anywhere. I just think its fun to put on a tail and throw some glitter in my beard and show a side of myself that I may not otherwise show. Advertisement Advertisement The Merbys are widely known in the province, and the photos shoots can become a bit of a spectacle, with passerby attempting to take their own photos of the mermen. Sometimes Hasan has to do crowd control, said Courtney Wells, a graphic designer and the creative force behind the calendars. Newfoundlands majestic fjords, rocky beaches, and historic ports and lighthouses serve as the backdrop for many of the photo shoots. If Planet Merby can feel like one big PSA , Hai insisted its not about moral posturing so much as a product of trials by fire. Wells recalled a young boy that showed up at one of the clubs eventshe liked mermaid tails and was getting bullied in school and told he was too girlywho was made an honorary Merby on the spot, she said. That little boy went away that day on top of the world. Its incredibly refreshing to see very male-presenting, masculine men come out and say, I want to put on makeup, I want the frilliest tail you can find because I want to show my son or my daughter that there is more than one way to be a man. The 2020 calendar includes gay and transgender men as well. Advertisement If Planet Merby can feel like one big PSA, Hai insisted its not about moral posturing so much as a product of real trials by fireincluding his own. A father of three, Hai hit a low point in 2013 after the dissolution of his marriage. Hed become an angry person who sometimes used harmful language and was extraordinarily defensive when my behavior was challenged by others, traits he says helped lead to his divorce. Underneath those traits, he believes, was depressiona man unable to understand the reasons for his unhappiness and unwilling to step out of his emotional silo. Advertisement Advertisement I dont feel like I was a pig or some terrible person, but there were all these small things that a lot of men dont even realize were doing, Hai said. He continues to discover blind spots: hogging the Merby spotlight, for example. The calendar was his idea, but its execution and success is largely a product of Wellss graphic design talent and her dogged efforts to orchestrate photo shoots, costumes, printing, and shipping. In the deluge of media attention, Hai said it didnt occur to him to share the stage. Advertisement Advertisement I feel like sometimes I get left out of interviews because Im not the face of the Merbys, Wells told me. Hai has recently made an effort to direct media requests and speaking invitations her way. It shouldnt be up to women or anyone who doesnt have the stage to ask for it, he said. Its incumbent on those of us in positions of power and privilege to give them those opportunitiesor to just get out of the way. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. The holidays mean its engagement season, even and especially at the White House, where Donald Trump Jr. announced Monday that he popped the question to his socialite girlfriend, Bettina Anderson. You may recall that around this time last year, rumors of his romance with Anderson were swirling, mostly because at the time he was still engaged to his previous fiancee, Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former Fox News personality and current U.S. ambassador to Greece. Did he ever end up breaking things off with Guilfoyle? Or is he in some sort of engagement double jeopardy situation right now that means that neither of them counts? Anderson said yes, much to Trump Jr.s relief. When you propose, Youre not sure what the answers gonna be, its always a little bit rough, he said before a podium at a White House Christmas event, perhaps inadvertently emphasizing that he is a veteran proposer, having now done this at least three times. (He was previously married to Vanessa Trump, and the two share five children.) Anderson, in a red strapless dress, said a few words too, starting by thanking her future father-in-law for the privilege of being there and complimenting her future mother-in-law on the Christmas decorations. (She literally said, These decorations, am I right?) It felt a little obsequious, but since there have been some rumors that the president doesnt approve of Anderson, maybe she felt it was necessary. Related From Slate The Greatest Fantasy About Barron Trump Was Just Thoroughly Shattered Read More He ought to approve, especially since, if Don Jr. is using his fathers romantic life as any kind of model, he is right on schedule for Wife No. 2. The elder Trump married Marla Maples in 1993, at age 47, and wouldnt you know it, Junior is currently 47 (with a birthday coming up at the end of the month, tick tock). Donald Trump also established a blueprint for wife hair-color successionthat blueprint being, naturally, blond-blond-brunette. If his father married two blonds before defecting to the only other hair color conservative women are sometimes allowed to have, then Don Jr.s second marriage simply had to be to a blond like Anderson. Taking a look at her Instagram (bio: Im just your typical stay at home momonly I dont do household choresor have a husbandor have kids..), sometimes Anderson dabbles in darker hair, so hopefully shes prepared for the amount of commitment and root upkeep that are about to be required of her. Was Guilfoyle, famously brunette, ever presented with the blond-blond-brunette sequence and given the option to dye her hair? In addition to her ambassadorship, maybe she can find some solace in knowing that she never had a chance this timeand that shes still in the running for Wife No. 3. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. ISIS attacks over the past week in Australia and Syria have led some to wonder whether the Islamist terrorist organization, once also known as the Islamic State, is making a comeback. Actually, says Bruce Hoffman, it never went away. Hoffman is a professor at Georgetown University and senior fellow in counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations. We defeated the caliphate, he told me on Tuesday, referring to the stretch of landone-third of Syria and two-fifths of Iraqthat ISIS ruled from 201419, until a coalition of 90 nations crushed it militarily. But ISIS itself reverted to its roots and has emerged as a highly capable international terrorist organization that still poses a threat to the security of Western countries. About 1,000 U.S. troops are still based in Syria, mainly to fight the groups surviving remnants. So it shouldnt be too surprising that ISIS militiamen killed two of them, as well as an American translator, in an ambush over the weekend. Australia is a different case; ISIS has never mounted a political or military challenge to the existing order. But antisemitic incidents have soared in the two years since Hamas assault on Israel; the pace of incidents since then is five times as high as in the decade before the war in Gaza got underway. Some of these incidents have been theatrical (anti-Israel graffiti), but some have been deadlyfor instance last years burning of a synagogue in Melbourne, an event that, like this weeks mass shooting on Bondi Beach, took place around the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. This latest attack killed at least 15 people. News outlets have reported that the two gunmen, a father and a son, were inspired by ISIS. But Hoffman suspects that the connection is more direct. The pair had recently spent timeand might have been trainedin the southern Philippines, a region he describes as a hotbed of ISIS activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Australian people stepped up in response to the latest attack. A Syrian immigrant, the owner of a nearby fruit stand, tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen at great personal risk. More than 20,000 citizens lined up to donate blood for the dozens who were injured in the attackmost of them Jews gathered to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. The Australian government also moved swiftly to tighten laws on firearms; the two shooters had bought their weapons legally. It is hard to say how many ISIS adherents are still around and active. A counterterrorism guide published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence estimates between 8,800 and 13,100 (though the document doesnt explain how it came to such precise figures). Hoffman thinks this number is too low, placing the figure somewhere between 13,000 and 20,000. Related From Slate I Know What Trumps New National Security Document Really Is Read More At the height of the caliphate, Hoffman says, ISIS had recruited 53,000 foreign fighters from more than 80 countries. Some were subsequently killed; many more likely deserted. But others simply moved. The ODNI fact sheet describes the organization as a global enterprise, overseeing at least 15 branches and networks in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as supporters worldwide. Advertisement The burning of the Melbourne synagogue wasnt even the most damaging assault by ISIS last year. In January 2024, two ISIS suicide bombers killed 84 Shiite Muslims who were attending a memorial service for Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Irans terrorist operations throughout the Middle East, on the fourth anniversary of his assassination. (ISIS is a radical Sunni Muslim group.) Two months later, agents of ISIS-K (the K denotes the Khorasan region, which overlaps parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran) planned and carried out a mass shooting at a concert hall in Moscow, killing 137 and injuring at least 100. (U.S. intelligence officials had warned the Kremlin of the impending attack, but Moscow ignored them.) Advertisement Iran and Moscow are police states, Hoffman said. If ISIS can operate in police states, they can operate in Western countriesas the attack on the open beach in Australia tragically demonstrated. According to the ODNI document, ISIS elements use ambushes, IED [improvised-explosive-device] attacks, kidnappings, military-style assaults, suicide operations, and targeted killings, and the organization encourages supporters worldwide to conduct operations in their own countries using readily available weapons. The intelligence agency, however, adds that the groups ability to train and deploy agents against civilian targets in Europe has been significantly degraded during the past decade. Certainly, its ability to mount centralized or coordinated attacks has sharply diminished. Still, the global war on terrorism, like global terrorism itself, is far from over. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Discussions of race are everywhere and nowhere in 2025. On one hand, President Donald Trump is openly insulting Somali immigrants, describing entire nations as shithole countries, and insisting that the most persecuted class of humans are white South Africans. On the other, none of this is actually registering as anything other than Trump being Trump, and so when the Supreme Court agrees to revisit a foundational doctrine like birthright citizenship, too many of us shrug it off. On this weeks Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lithwick spoke to civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill about her recent Substack, Is It Too Late, in which she argued that it is not too late to save American ideals of democracy and equality, but it is assuredly too late to remain indifferent. Part of that conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity below. Dahlia Lithwick: There is a very human propensity, especially in times of crisis, to normalize and rationalize and temporize. We comfort the comfortable, and we look for hope in norms and in institutions and in rationality. So many people have this perpetual hope that somethings going to come along and life is going to go back to 2010 or 2012. This hope says that with enough time, and even if its uncomfortable right now, someone else is going to come along, or some institution is going to come along, and put us in the DeLorean and were all going to go back. Can you talk about the ways in which American exceptionalism and the American normalization bias and the profoundjust to talk about the Supreme Court as an exampleAmerican trust in institutions can get us to the point where its not that we dont see the fire, we cant even smell the smoke. You write, everyone should be on full alert, but you and I both know that not only are people not on full alert, Im not even sure what could put them on full alert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sherrilyn Ifill: I think things are unraveling pretty fast and people will get on full alert. The only question is, when they get on full alert, will it be too late? Thats why Im saying: You might want to do that now. Ive been guilty of this as well: not ringing the alarm bell with sufficient urgency. This is something lawyers do all the time, because were used to finding the little interstices and figuring out how to move within these small spaces so that we can get where we want to go and so that we can make change. I was trained in that traditionyou find a way, you find a pathway, and all of that presumes the legitimacy of the framework. Im not a nihilist. I actually always do have hope. And I think one of the reasons I feel so clear, in this moment, is that I have no desire to return to 2010. I have no desire to return to the 80s. Ive been a civil rights lawyer for 35 years. The 80s were a nightmare. Advertisement What are we returning to? I dont have a dream time calling out to me. People will say, When Obama was president. I mean, really? Because most of the videos youve seen of police killing unarmed black men, most of that was in the second Obama administration. That was Eric Garner. That was Ferguson. That was Walter Scott running in that park. So if youve been doing the work that Ive been doing, youre always invested in the future. Advertisement I have excitement and hope in this time because as this whole thing begins to unravel, we have the opportunity to create something new. This is where the 14th Amendment is so helpful for me, because its one of the biggest moments of creating something absolutely new in this country, so I use it as inspiration, not only its very words and provisions and guarantees, but also to remind me that we have the right and the obligation to refound our country when it goes astray. Thats what those young kids in college during the Civil Rights Movement did. They did a version of refounding. So I dont want to suggest that I dont feel hope for the future. I do feel quite hopeful. But I also feel that pretending that all we need to do is just make some incremental changes to get us back to 2010 interferes with our ability to do that reset. What has been laid bare is that 2010 aint it. Advertisement Advertisement We have some serious structural problems. As a litigator, I dont know how anyone can purport to pretend that they know what the rules are at the Supreme Court anymore. We have a Supreme Court that not only has the power to say what the law is, pursuant to Chief Justice John Marshall and Marbury v. Madison, but theyve now decided that they have the power to say what the facts are. That has never been part of our system of adjudication and litigation. Assigning factual findings to the Supreme Court? No, that is for the trial courts, for district courts. But we are now seeing a majority on the Supreme Court that regularly swats away the findings of the district court. That is the power of the district court. They are closest to the conflict. They can evaluate the credibility of the witnesses. Theyre seeing the exhibits, the documents, all of it. Its playing out in real time. Its not theoretical for them. And now we have a Supreme Court that months later will swat away a two-week trial and the findings of fact over 160 pages by a district court. Thats real. That is real and structural. And it should not be dependent on the personnel of the court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week was a startling and arresting moment for me in terms of the Trump v. Slaughter arguments about Humphreys Executor. Put aside originalism, thats gone, theres not even a pretense of text and history. But the idea that, Well, you know, since agencies dont look like they did 100 years ago, I guess we dont have to think about them the same way. It is so strange to see serious people pretending to be doing serious work in this serious place, when all pretense of intellectual seriousness has fallen away. Instead you have feelingsball and How does executive power make me feel today? There is no commitment to the principles that were laid out and in which people like you and I as institutionalists took a lot of solace. Part of what is so challenging about this moment is that by the time most Americans get around to the point that they can say the sentence Amy Coney Barretts not going to save us, or Brett Kavanaugh is not going to save us, its all going to be too late. It seems we are so committed to the principle that they are originalists, that they are textualists, that they care about a precedent, and so committed to the proposition that the U.S. Supreme Court is going to save us in the end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The irony of it is that the U.S. Supreme Court got this reputation and the confidence of the American public after Brown. And thats why, as much as this court is hollowing out Brown, theyll never overturn it because that is how they becamehow they got the reputation, certainly among Black people, for many decades, of being the people who come to your rescue. The shift started to happen with the Burger court in the 1980s. So many of those who have the greatest platforms are still speaking and behaving in a way that suggests that this is something easily solved, or this is just how it goes, or we can just do this for a couple of years. But if you are watching the videos of people being chased by masked figures who claim to be federal agents, but we dont know, and who are kidnapping people and throwing them in vans and doing this to American citizens and holding them? The danger is just there. It is apparent. The more we treat it as though this is just Trumpism, this is Trump 2.0all the little things that we say to tamp down the alarm are really profoundly problematic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of those who have the greatest microphones frankly dont know very much about race or racism or the history of it in this country. They want to be experts, so they play to their expertise. These are also the people who have said, We talk about race too much. We talk about identity too much. Were scaring people off with that. Everythings not race. Weve made it seem illegitimate to talk about racism. Its almost like youre being soft, youre being anti-intellectual, youre not doing the rigorous work of politics if youre talking about race. Advertisement In fact, race is threaded through every institutional structure of this country. And we have someone who is exploiting it every day. Its not that Im talking about race, its that he just stood up the other day and said, We want the Danes, the Swedes, and the Norwegians. We dont want people from shithole countries. Were being told that its illegitimate to keep talking about race when were confronting a tsunami of a movement that uses racism as its stalking horse. It is the lure that brought so many people into this movement. Its important to help people understand that thats the bait theyre using. The bait that says, Yeah, Im not sure that those people are qualified, right? Yeah, all of that stuff that just lives in this country, thats being used as the bait for this smash-and-grab, for this power grab. And I dont think were doing this country any favors by steering people away from that realization. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/primrose_school/9320853-en-primrose-schools-annual-caring-and-giving-food-drive This year's effort comes at a critical time: nearly 14% of U.S. households struggled to afford enough food in 2025 up from 12.5% in 2024 reflecting a growing need for community support as food banks experience heightened demand heading into the holiday season. Each November, children at Primrose schools engage in age-appropriate lessons that bring giving without expectation to life earning money through chores, planning and budgeting for what to purchase, and contributing food items from home. These shared experiences nurture empathy, build confidence and strengthen their understanding of community care. These activities reflect what parents say matters most: 75% want their young children to learn the importance of community service, and they prioritize early education programs that embed character development into daily learning. "The Caring and Giving Food Drive is a powerful example of how our Balanced Learning curriculum goes beyond academics to nurture character and compassion," said Dr. Amy Jackson, chief early learning strategy officer at Primrose Schools. "Through meaningful acts of service, children experience the joy of giving and see the difference they can make in their communities, especially at a time when so many families are facing heightened need." Families can also reinforce these lessons at home through The Primrose Friends YouTube series, which brings character development to life in fun, age-appropriate content. In the episode "Benjamin the Bear on Generosity One to Grow On!" children learn that giving without expecting anything in return can make everyone's hearts feel happy a message that mirrors the spirit of the Caring and Giving Food Drive. Since 2023, Primrose schools have donated more than 1.1 million food items nationwide to local nonprofits, shelters and community partners, underscoring the meaningful impact of learning through action. Media Note: Local Primrose schools are available for interviews and photo opportunities featuring their Caring and Giving Food Drive initiatives. To connect with a school in your area, contact us at [email protected]. About Primrose Schools Primrose Schools is the leader in providing premier early education and care to children and families in the United States. Founded in 1982, there are more than 550 Primrose schools in 36 states and Washington, D.C. today. Each school is independently owned and operated by Franchise Owners who partner with parents to help children build the right foundation for future learning and life. Primrose believes who children become is as important as what they know. The exclusive Primrose Balanced Learning approach is created from the best early education wisdom and balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. For more information, visit www.PrimroseSchools.com, connect with us on Facebook and X, explore our blog, sign up for our emails and find a Primrose school near you. SOURCE Primrose Schools Reliable power supply supports operation of 'world's supermarket' 09:58, December 17, 2025 By Liu Junguo ( People's Daily Foreign merchants purchase toys at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo/Yang Meiqing) At 9 a.m., when the Yiwu International Trade Market, the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities located in the city of Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang province, opens, a dynamic crowd quickly fills the space. Digital interactive screens display real-time global order data, while merchants showcase an impressive range of products through livestreaming under bright lighting. At the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, a flagship project of the sixth-generation market, livestreaming setups, smart warehousing systems, and other essential technologies function continuously, supported by seamless 5G connectivity for every transaction. These activities rely on a reliable and uninterrupted power supply. "We utilize a dual power supply system that covers the entire voltage range. Should one line fail, the system immediately switches to the other," said He Junwei, head of the operations and maintenance department at State Grid Yiwu Power Supply Company. "With millisecond-level fully automated fault handling and an emergency power backup plan based on intelligent, coordinated dispatch, we ensure a consistent and reliable power supply." "Ensuring a safe, stable, and reliable power supply for the market is a top priority," said Xu Xin, head of the integrated energy division of State Grid Yiwu Power Supply Company. The company has built an integrated "source-grid-load-storage" project specifically tailored to the market's needs. During the day, solar generation and energy storage discharge provide electricity, while at night, the energy storage system is recharged, and cooling is stored through air-conditioning systems, supporting greener power consumption for merchants. A foreign merchant interacts with a multi-language AI system with a transparent screen at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, a flagship project of the sixth-generation market of Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo/Wang Yijie) The services offered by the company are continually expanding, ranging from supporting large commercial complexes to accommodating the flexible needs of small and micro businesses. Approximately two kilometers from Yiwu International Trade Market, in Jiangbei Xiazhu village, merchant Jin Qingfei operates a hat and scarf business, frequently running livestream late into the night. During large e-commerce sales events, he often runs four livestreams simultaneously, with twenty smartphones and six fill lights in constant use, driving electricity consumption far above typical levels. To address concerns about the increased power demand for livestreaming, the company conducted an inspection of the village's electricity infrastructure in early 2025, overhauled local distribution lines, and upgraded 25 transformers in the area to increase capacity. This commitment to a reliable power supply is not unique to Jiangbei Xiazhu village. The company annually expands and upgrades capacity in more than 80 villages and communities with high concentrations of e-commerce livestreaming businesses. In 2025 alone, 83 such projects have been completed. Yiwu is home to more than 10,000 foreign-invested enterprises. In 2024, Ahmed, a Syrian businessman, planned to open a foreign trade company in Yiwu but faced challenges due to language barriers and concerns about compatibility between his equipment and local power systems. He was assisted by a staff member at a power service center's foreign-language counter, who provided detailed guidance on the necessary documents and facilitated his application. His electricity connection was completed the same day. Photo shows a crowded night market in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo/Jin Sicheng) Additionally, the staff member visited his premises to inspect his equipment, identify discrepancies in plug standards, and provide suitable adapters. "The service was warm and efficient. It made me feel truly welcome," Ahmed said. "We always align our efforts with the needs of urban transformation, striving to be a reliable 'power steward' for Yiwu's trade-driven development," said Lu Xuhang, head of the marketing department at State Grid Yiwu Power Supply Company. "From customized power solutions for digital trade hubs to personalized services for small e-commerce businesses and reliable electricity plans for international merchants, we are committed to refining our services, ensuring a steady flow of energy to support the ongoing upgrade of the world's supermarket," Lu added. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) SEWICKLEY, Pa., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratos Wealth Partners is pleased to announce that Bill Coates has joined the firm as a Financial Advisor, serving clients across Western Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia through its Sewickley and Grove City office locations. Coates brings experience working with individuals, families and business owners to help them navigate financial planning decisions with clarity and purpose. As he strives to simplify complex financial concepts and focus on a client-first approach, Coates aims to ensure that each client's financial strategy aligns with their goals and values. Before joining Stratos Wealth Partners, Coates served as a Financial Advisor with Clear Mountain Bank in Morgantown, West Virginia. He holds his Series 7 and 66 licenses through LPL Financial, earned his MBA from Waynesburg University, and has a bachelor's degree in political science from West Virginia University. Coates also serves on the Waynesburg University Alumni Council and remains active in his community. He and his family reside in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. "Bill's commitment to building strong relationships and prioritizing what matters most to clients aligns perfectly with our team's approach," said Grant Butson, Wealth Advisor at Stratos Wealth Partners. "We are excited to welcome him and look forward to the value he brings to the families and individuals we serve across Pennsylvania and West Virginia." Stratos Wealth Partners and its advisory team serve clients across every stage of life, whether planning for retirement, preparing for education expenses or establishing long-term estate and legacy strategies. The team emphasizes personalized guidance and ongoing support as clients' needs evolve. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd., a registered investment advisor. Stratos Wealth Partners and LPL Financial are separate entities. Media Contacts Donald C. Cutler and Lorene Yue Haven Tower Group 424.317.4856 or 414.317.4854 [email protected] or [email protected] SOURCE Stratos Wealth Partners 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: Andy Wu. Credit: Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Tech giants Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Oracle have been taking on enormous new debt in a race to build out their artificial intelligence ventures in the last year, fueling Wall Street fears of a bubble capable of disrupting the entire economy. In this edited conversation, Andy Wu, Arjun and Minoo Melwani Family Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, explains why AI hyperscalersfirms that operate, or will need to operate, massive, global data centersare taking on enormous liabilities and whether investors are right to worry about a possible AI bubble. Why are generative AI firms fundraising so aggressively? Generative AI is perhaps the most exciting technology since the rise of the internet. That excitement has attracted a significant amount of attention from private equity, venture capital, and public equity investors. I agree with the consensus about the long-term value creation potential of generative AI. But achieving that long-term vision requires a capital-intensive infrastructure buildout. We need more data centers, more chips, and more electricity to handle the escalating computing needed to both create frontier AI models (training) and use them (inference). While generative AI can do amazing things, it is also perhaps the most wasteful use of a computer ever devised. If you do 1+1 on a calculator, that's one calculation. If you do 1+1 in generative AI, that is potentially a trillion calculations to get an answer. That consumes a huge amount of chip capacity and electricity. And so, many companies are attempting to build out that capacity by buying chips, building data centers, and, in some cases, even buying and building nuclear power plants to power those facilities. The issue is that someone has to incur the fixed cost of the buildout today for the potential of long-term profit in the future. That long-term profit is hypothetical and has not been realized yet. The companies leading this buildout have taken on significant debt alongside unprecedented levels of equity financing. As the market for cloud computing grows, it becomes more competitive and, in some ways, less attractive. If you asked me five years ago, I would have said the market for public cloud infrastructure was only big enough for three hyperscalers. But now that there's so much more demand for computing, more companies can reach the economies of scale to be viable. Just a few years ago, Oracle was not a part of the conversation. But the growing market has dramatically lifted Oracle and allowed it to become economically viable and competitive with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Several companies, and especially the neoclouds that specialize in renting out GPUs [graphics processing units], have borrowed significant amounts premised on hypothetical cash flows in the future. So they're borrowing money now to build a data center that they expect to get paid for by somebody else in the future. For instance, OpenAI has promised $100 billion contracts to several of its vendors. OpenAI today does not generate anywhere near the amount of revenue to pay for any of that. Those vendors have raised money to build data centers on the assumption OpenAI is going to pay them $100 billion later. If OpenAI cannot grow revenue fast enough to meet those commitments, several of those vendors will be underwater financially. Is that buildout truly needed right now? The industry faces two contradictory timing problems. On one hand, from a long-term perspective, my view is that the scale of buildout is absolutely necessary to facilitate AI. If anything, we're probably too slow: not just on the data center side, but especially on the electrical grid. But on the other hand, the risk right now is the gap between the long-term vision of AI and whether or not the growth will materialize fast enough to pay for the buildout. The subtlety here is that these companies can end up underwater if AI grows fast but less rapidly than they hope for. Why such apprehension over AI borrowing and spending? First, it's become apparent how much money has been borrowed. Financing losses with equity investment is one thing. But defaulting on debt has much more disruptive consequences for the companies involved and our economy as a whole. Second, there are unusual "circular financing" arrangements between customers and suppliers that have drawn attention. To some, it appears that Nvidia is paying its customers to buy its products. Certainly, there's some scenario where vendor financing is justifiable, but it certainly raises eyebrows here. More generally, the bigger issue is downstream. For the potential customers of the data centersthe companies' training models or running inferencethere's no short-term scenario in which they are economically viable, given how costly it is today. The customers of the data centers are not themselves profitable, and they have no immediate way of generating enough revenue to cover the cost of compute. What's critical to understand, but overlooked by most users, is that generative AI has a significant variable cost. It costs OpenAI real money every time we ask ChatGPT something and ChatGPT responds. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman once joked saying, "Please" and "Thank you" to ChatGPT costs them millions of dollars. For now, as AI applications grow their customer base and usage, they lose more money. Growth itself does not fix the economics. Do you see signs of an AI bubble? In my research on technology strategy, I often look back at the history of the technology industry for hints on how to think about the future. Technology regularly goes through these ups and downs. The dotcom bubble is the most famous, but in recent years, we've had a work-from-home bubble with Peloton and Zoom. We've had a bunch of crypto bubbles. There was a virtual reality bubble. In the mid-2010s, we had a gig economy bubble. It's easy to get overexuberant about technology. I would define a bubble in technology as when there's a significant mismatch between the vision for potential value creation and the current reality of value capture. In other words: Everyone can imagine how useful the technology will be, but no one has figured out yet how to make money. This mismatch puts companies currently operating in a very difficult position. Regardless of the long-term legitimacy of their offering, they have real financial obligations they have to meet today that they may not be able to meet. What separates a hype cycle that goes away without much fanfare versus a truly destructive bubble is the amount of leverage and risk being taken by the investors and vendors. Given AI's importance, what effect could an AI bust have on the US economy? Big tech is largely insulated from the risks of this. They've taken a shrewd and conservative strategy for AI. They positioned themselves well to benefit from the rise of AI, but they don't stand to lose that much if AI grows slower than anticipated. Why won't Big Tech lose much if AI falters? First, Microsoft has mostly outsourced AI to a third party, OpenAI. Second, Amazon will support anybody's AI model, seemingly indifferent to the specifics. Third, Meta spent billions of dollars building an open-source AI model that they hand out for free to the world. If you take those three facts in conjunction, what that's saying is that these companies don't really think that core AI technology is a meaningful business in and of itself. Instead, they're focused on profiting from all the adjacencies to AI. I often use a gold rush analogy: OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI are out there digging for gold. Nvidia is the consummate shovel seller, designing the chips needed by the gold diggers. And Meta is the consummate jewelry maker: Meta's social media, advertising, wearables, and metaverse businesses stand to benefit from advancements in generative AI, wherever it comes from and whenever it comes. Microsoft does a bit of shovel selling and jewelry making, but the key thing is they're not stuck digging for gold. Certainly, it's plausible that Amazon and Microsoft and Google might make less money on their cloud computing than they ideally would like if AI growth slows or declines, but they would not end up in financial distress. They still have plenty of customers absent AI. Who is most exposed if AI fizzles out? The model builders and the neoclouds, because they're entirely dependent on a very particular growth trajectory of AI. What should AI investors keep in mind? As John Maynard Keynes allegedly once said, the markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent. But there is an important nuance that Keynes missed. Any ambitious vision for a new technology rests on faith in the unproven, so backing it inherently demands a degree of irrationality. If the market can keep the faith to persist, it buys the necessary time for the technology to mature, for the costs to come down, and for companies to figure out the business model. In other words, if the market can remain irrational long enough, the vision eventually becomes the reality. This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu. 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: Dr. Miles Thorogood presents SPIRAL, his Canada Foundation for Innovation-funded space, at the 2024 launch event. Research in the lab explores simulating the creative process in sound design to develop advanced models and algorithms for new computational tools. Credit: UBC Okanagan We've all been there, protecting our earsthe school play in the gym or community hall, where sound is distorted due to glitches in equipment. "And listening to live performances on the internet introduces even more glitches. Yikes," says UBC Okanagan's Dr. Miles Thorogood. But now, Dr. Thorogood and his team at UBCO's Sonic Production, Intelligence, Research, and Applications Lab (SPIRAL) are exploring how advanced machine learning can make glitch-free network music performances possible, supporting creative collaboration and public art experiences. The SPIRAL researchers are exploring how audio data travel through a network. They're using neural networks for Packet Loss Concealment, which generates synthetic audio that cannot be lost in transmission, so listeners never notice the gaps. Quite often, during a remote music performance, audio packet loss can cause glitches when data travel across a computer network and fail to reach their destination, especially with high-quality audio over Wi-Fi in noisy urban environments, explains Dr. Thorogood, who teaches in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. While designing the sound infrastructure for Light up Kelownausing a wireless multi-node audio visual formatDr. Thorogood observed audio packet loss, and along with undergraduate media studies student Yashvardhan Joshi, furthered their research for a recent publication in IEEE Access. Dr. Thorogood explains how this research blends art and science to solve a recurring problem: how to hide glitches in complicated soundscapes made from overlapping natural and electronic sounds, so public installations and music feel immersive and uninterrupted. Can you explain what audio packet loss concealment means, and what this research paper is about? An Audio Packet is how audio data travel through a network. The User Datagram Protocol (UDP) transmits data streams for real-time communication, such as voice or network music performance. However, UDPnicknamed the "ultra-dodgy protocol"lacks error control, so lost or corrupt packets cannot be retransmitted, causing glitches that disrupt remote music performance. Our approach uses a machine learning algorithm to generate synthetic audio that closely resembles what should have been heard, based on the history of the audio signal. This contribution represents a substantial increase in modeling difficulty compared to the stationary signals commonly studied in PLC literature. Tell us about the Sonic Production, Intelligence, Research, and Applications Lab (SPIRAL)? At SPIRAL, we research digital media art and design practices and develop technology solutions for creative workflows. The work in this paper proposes deep learning methods to streamline and conduct glitch free network music performances. This directly relates to the research conducted at SPIRAL in machine learning models to assist and streamline the creative process of music performance and sound analysis. How did you apply this research to Light Up Kelowna? We designed the Light up Kelowna infrastructure around a wireless multi-node audio visual architecture using open-source hardware and software developed in the lab. With the deployment of the Light Up Kelowna system, we observed audio packet loss some of the time. An analysis of the situation revealed that the large distances between nodes and noisy radio frequency urban environment was the cause of the problem. To mitigate the audio packet loss, we explored packet loss concealment for network music. This work provided an opportunity for Yashvardhan to investigate how current deep learning algorithms cater towards Packet Loss Concealment solutions can be used to create experimental audio effects for novel sonic explorations for the music industry. He is also working on public art infrastructure both in creating sound art and developing light and sound technology as part of Light Up Kelowna. More information: Yashvardhan Joshi et al, Closed Form Continuous Time Neural Networks for Audio Packet Loss Concealment, IEEE Access (2025). DOI: 10.1109/access.2025.3637674 Journal information: IEEE Access This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: (a) Raw coffee waste collected from Edward Herbert Building, Loughborough University; (b) coffee waste washed and cleaned; (c) coffee waste dried at 105C; (d) sieved coffee waste particles (420800 m) to be used for water treatment. Credit: Loughborough University Two new research publications from experts at Loughborough University have demonstrated how coffee waste can be used to clean water. Published in Biomass and Bioenergy and Clean Technologies, the studies showcase how coffee waste could be used effectively to filter heavy metals, such as lead, copper and zinc, from water. Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide. In 202122, global coffee consumption exceeded 176 million bags (around 60kg per bag), marking a notable rise from approximately 167 million bags in the previous year. The growing global consumption generates substantial waste, particularly spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a byproduct rich in organic matter. SCGs are porous, plant-derived materials that have excellent potential as adsorbents that could prevent coffee from going to waste. Various other adsorption materials have also been tested for filtering water and metal ion removal, including resins, clay, rice husks, banana peels, and tea leaves. By heating used coffee grounds, taken from Loughborough University's Edward Herbert Building cafeteria, the research team, in collaboration with Banaras Hindu University (India), produced highly porous biochar, a carbon-rich material, often used to improve soil quality. After optimizing the temperature and duration of the heating, they could remove up to 98% of lead from water, with the biochar holding 4.9 mg of lead per gram. The study by researchers at Loughborough University demonstrated that the raw coffee waste, also collected from the Edward Herbert Building cafeteria, can be used directly without any further processing to remove heavy metals (e.g., copper and zinc) from water at low metal concentrations. The new research also demonstrates that coffee waste can be used in combination with other materials (e.g., rice husk) to achieve heavy metal treatment. Academics examined how contact time, type of adsorbent, and metal concentration affected heavy metal removal efficiency and found that more than 96% of metals could be removed. They found that the raw coffee waste performed better at low metal concentrations (2.5 ppm copper, 10 ppm zinc), whereas a coffee and rice husk mix performed slightly better at higher metal concentrations (>5 ppm copper, >25 ppm zinc). Dr. Monika Mahajan, lead author on the first study, said, "This work demonstrates how an everyday waste such as spent coffee grounds can be transformed into a high-value, sustainable adsorbent for removing toxic metals from water. By optimizing the decomposition conditions, we were able to significantly enhance the material's performance while keeping the process low-cost and environmentally friendly. It is exciting to see a circular-economy approach translate into a practical solution for real-world water treatment challenges." Dr. Basmah Bushra, lead author on the second study, added, "Our studies show that what we often dismiss as waste, like spent coffee grounds, can actually become powerful materials in tackling environmental pollution. By turning waste into adsorption material, we can not only reduce landfill burdens but also create affordable materials for cleaning up contaminants. This is a simple but effective illustration of circular-economy thinking in action." Dr. Diganta B. Das, Reader in Porous Media at Loughborough University, explained the value of the findings. He said, "It is fantastic to see the excellent work that Monika Mahajan and Basmah Bushra have carried out, together with all other colleagues. They have worked incredibly hard to deliver these results and show that coffee waste is not a waste at allit can be transformed into high-value materials, enhance material circularity in our day-to-day activities and clean the environment." By using biochar to filter water, the findings have created a low-cost and eco-friendly way to clean water and reuse coffee waste. This practice supports the circular economy and can be scaled up for real-world water treatment. These findings further showed that using coffee waste is a cheap and widely available material for cleaning heavy metals from contaminated water. More information: Monika Mahajan et al, Optimized valorization of spent coffee grounds into biochar for lead removal using BoxBehnken design, Biomass and Bioenergy (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108568 Basmah Bushra et al, The Potential of Barista Coffee Waste to Adsorb Copper and Zinc from Aqueous Solutions, Clean Technologies (2025). DOI: 10.3390/cleantechnol7040113 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: Internet users are increasingly turning to AI chatbots to verify images in real time, but the tools often fail. Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok churned out misinformation about Australia's Bondi Beach mass shooting, misidentifying a key figure who saved lives and falsely claiming that a victim staged his injuries, researchers said Tuesday. The episode highlights how chatbots often deliver confident yet false responses during fast-developing news events, fueling information chaos as online platforms scale back human fact-checking and content moderation. The attack during a Jewish festival on Sunday in the beach suburb of Sydney was one of Australia's worst mass shootings, leaving 15 people dead and dozens wounded. Among the falsehoods Grok circulated was its repeated misidentification of Ahmed al Ahmed, who was widely hailed as a Bondi Beach hero after he risked his life to wrest a gun from one of the attackers. In one post reviewed by AFP, Grok claimed the verified clip of the confrontation was "an old viral video of a man climbing a palm tree in a parking lot, possibly to trim it," suggesting it "may be staged." Citing credible media sources such as CNN, Grok separately misidentified an image of Ahmed as that of an Israeli hostage held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas for more than 700 days. When asked about another scene from the attack, Grok incorrectly claimed it was footage from tropical "cyclone Alfred," which generated heavy weather across the Australian coast earlier this year. Only after another user pressed the chatbot to reevaluate its answer did Grok backpedal and acknowledge the footage was from the Bondi Beach shooting. When reached for comment by AFP, Grok-developer xAI responded only with an auto generated reply: "Legacy Media Lies." 'Crisis actor' The misinformation underscores what researchers say is the unreliability of AI chatbots as a fact-checking tool. Internet users are increasingly turning to chatbots to verify images in real time, but the tools often fail, raising questions about their visual debunking capabilities. In the aftermath of the Sydney attack, online users circulated an authentic image of one of the survivors, falsely claiming he was a "crisis actor," disinformation watchdog NewsGuard reported. Crisis actor is a derogatory label used by conspiracy theorists to allege that someone is deceiving the publicfeigning injuries or deathwhile posing as a victim of a tragic event. Online users questioned the authenticity of a photo of the survivor with blood on his face, sharing a response from Grok that falsely labeled the image as "staged" or "fake." NewsGuard also reported that some users circulated an AI imagecreated with Google's Nano Banana Pro modeldepicting red paint being applied on the survivor's face to pass off as blood, seemingly to bolster the false claim that he was a crisis actor. Researchers say AI models can be useful to professional fact-checkers, helping to quickly geolocate images and spot visual clues to establish authenticity. But they caution that they cannot replace the work of trained human fact-checkers. In polarized societies, however, professional fact-checkers often face criticism from conservatives of liberal bias, a charge they reject. AFP currently works in 26 languages with Meta's fact-checking program, including in Asia, Latin America, and the European Union. 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: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Between 2016 and 2024 there were 193 internet shutdowns imposed in 41 African countries. This form of social control is a growing trend in the continent, according to a new open-access source book. It has provided the first-ever comparative analysis of how and why African states use blackoutswritten by African researchers. The book, co-edited by digital rights activist and internet shutdown specialist Felicia Anthonio and digital researcher Tony Roberts, offers 11 in-depth case studies of state-sponsored shutdowns. We asked five questions about it. How do you define an internet shutdown and why do they happen? Put simply, an internet shutdown is an intentional disruption of online or mobile communications. They're usually ordered by the state and implemented by private companies, internet service providers or mobile phone companies, or a combination of those. The book argues that internet shutdowns are not legal, necessary or proportional in accordance with international human rights law. Shutdowns intentionally prevent the free flow of information and communication. They disrupt online social, economic and political life. So, each internet shutdown typically violates the fundamental human rights of millions of citizens. This includes their rights to freedom of expression, trade and commerce, democratic debate and civic participation online. Our research looked at case studies from 11 countries between 2016 and 2024. It reveals these shutdowns are timed to coincide with elections or peaceful protests in order to repress political opposition and prevent online reporting. In Senegal five politically motivated shutdowns in just three years transformed the country's digital landscape. It cut off citizens' access to online work, education and health care information. The Uganda chapter shows how the government imposed social media shutdowns during the election. They were fearful of dissenting voices online including that of musician and politician Bobi Wine. In Ethiopia internet shutdowns are timed to coincide with opposition protests and to prevent live coverage of state violent repression. In Zimbabwe the government cut off the internet in 2019 to quell anti-government demonstrations. It should be a concern that regimes are imposing these digital authoritarian practices with increasing frequency and with impunity. What are the big trends? The report warns that internet shutdowns are being used to retain power through authoritarian controls. Across Africa, governments are normalizing their use to suppress dissent, quell protests and manipulate electoral outcomes. These blackouts are growing in scale and frequency from a total of 14 shutdowns in 2016 to 28 shutdowns in 2024. There have been devastating consequences in an ever-more digitally connected world. Internet shutdowns have also increased in sophistication. Partial shutdowns can target specific provinces or websites, so that opposition areas can be cut off. In recent years foreign states, military regimes and warring parties have also resorted to the use of internet shutdown as a weapon of war. This was done by targeting and destroying telecommunications infrastructure. Ethiopia has experienced the most internet shutdowns in Africa30 in the last 10 years. They've become a go-to tactic of the state in their attempt to silence dissent in the Oromo and Amhara regions. Shutdowns are timed to coincide with state crackdowns on protests or with military actionspreventing live reporting of human rights violations. Ethiopia is a clear example of how internet shutdowns both reflect and amplify existing political and ethnic power interests. Zimbabwe is one of many examples in the book of the colonial roots of shutdowns. The first media shutdowns in Zimbabwe were imposed by the British, who closed newspapers to silence calls for political independence. After liberation, the new government used its own authoritarian control over the media to disseminate disinformation and curtail opposition calls for justice and full democracy. Towards the end of former president Robert Mugabe's rule, the government imposed a variety of nationwide internet shutdowns. It also throttled the speed of the mobile internet, degrading the service enough to significantly disrupt opposition expression and organization. Sudan has experienced 21 internet shutdowns in the last decade. These have increased in recent years as the political and military action has intensified. Intentional online disruption has been consistently deployed by the state during protests and periods of political unrest, particularly in response to resistance movements and civil uprisings during the ongoing conflict. Has there been effective resistance to shutdowns? Activists resist by using virtual private network software (VPNs) to disguise their location. Or by using satellite connections not controlled by the government and foreign SIM-cards. They also mobilize offline protests despite violent repression. Nigeria has not suffered the same volume of internet shutdowns as Sudan or Ethiopia. This is partly because civil society is stronger and is able to mount a more robust response in the face of state disruption of the right to free expression. When an internet shutdown has been imposed in Nigeria, the state has not enjoyed the same impunity as the government in Zimbabwe or elsewhere. When Nigerians were unable to work online or participate in the online social and political life of the community, they took decisive action by acting collectively. They selectively litigated against the government. This led to the courts ruling that the internet shutdown was not lawful, necessary or proportionate. The government was forced to lift the ban. How has 2025 fared when it comes to shutdowns? We have seen both positive and negative trends in 2025. The total number of internet shutdowns across the continent continues to grow. The increasing ability of regimes to narrowly target shutdowns on specific areas is of great concern as it allows the state to punish opposition areas while privileging others. On the positive side, we have seen resistance rise: both in terms of the use of circumvention technologies but also in the emerging ability of civil society organizations to stand up to repressive governments. What must happen to prevent shutdowns? The right to work, freedom of expression and association, and the right to access education are fundamental human rights both offline and online. African governments are signatories to both the Universal Convention on Human Rights and to the Africa Union Charter on Human and People's Rights. Yet, politicians in power too often ignore these commitments to preserve their personal hold on power. In some African countries citizens are now exercising their own power to hold governments to account but this is easier in countries that have strong civil society, independent courts and relatively free media. Even where this is not the case the constitutional court is an option for raising objections when the state curtails fundamental freedoms. And while it is states that order internet shutdowns, it is private mobile and internet companies that implement them. Private companies have obligations to promote and protect human rights. If companies agreed collectively not to contribute to rights violations and refused to impose internet shutdowns, it would be a great leap forward in ending this authoritarian practice. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Demonstration of MT3 performing a long-horizon coffee preparation and serving task through sequential composition of five single-interaction tasks. Credit: Kamil Dreczkowski and Pietro Vitiello Over the past decades, roboticists have introduced a wide range of systems that can effectively tackle some real-world problems. Most of these robots, however, often perform poorly on tasks that they were not trained on, particularly those that entail manipulating previously unseen objects or handling objects that were encountered before in new ways. Researchers at the Robot Learning Lab at Imperial College London recently developed a new imitation learning approach that could allow robots to successfully learn new tasks faster and without requiring substantial training data. Using this method, which was introduced in a paper published in Science Robotics, they were able to train a robotic arm to complete 1,000 different tasks in a single day. "The research was initially inspired by our prior work on trajectory transfer, where we introduced a method that proved robust and efficient for teaching robots single tasks," Kamil Dreczkowski and Pietro Vitiello, co-authors of the paper, told Tech Xplore. "Our supervisor, Edward Johns, then presented us with an ambitious, but exciting, goal: to teach a robot a very large number of tasks in minimal time, specifically 'a thousand in a day.' Given that our existing method required less than a minute per task and enabled immediate deployment without post-demonstration network training, we believed this goal was highly feasible by extending our method to a multi-task learning setting." Demonstration of MT3 performing a long-horizon kitchen hob cleaning task through sequential composition of four single-interaction tasks. Credit: Kamil Dreczkowski and Pietro Vitiello. To tackle the challenge posed to them by their supervisor, Johns, Dreczkowski and Vitiello first performed a systematic investigation of fundamental priors that impact the effectiveness of imitation learning. The goal of their study eventually became to assess the effectiveness of various design choices in allowing robots to reliably learn multiple tasks in a short period of time. A new method to enhance imitation learning Imitation learning entails teaching robots new skills by presenting them with human demonstrations, videos or other examples of humans tackling the tasks that the robot should complete. Despite their promise, most imitation learning techniques require extensive human demonstration data to achieve good results. "Ultimately, the paper aimed to challenge the prevailing assumption that highly capable robotic systems require massive datasets, complex neural policies, and large models for learning at scale," said Dreczkowski and Vitiello. "As part of our study, we investigated two priors for robot learning: trajectory decomposition and retrieval-based generalization." Demonstration of MT3 performing a long-horizon coffee preparation and serving task through sequential composition of five single-interaction tasks. Credit: Kamil Dreczkowski and Pietro Vitiello The first prior that the researchers incorporated in their approach, known as trajectory decomposition, entails the separation of each object manipulation trajectory into two phases. These phases are dubbed the alignment and interaction phase. "During the alignment phase, the robot positions its end effector or a grasped object relative to a target objectthink of a robot aligning a plug with a socket," explained Dreczkowski and Vitiello. "Then, during the interaction phase, the robot carries out the actual manipulation, for instance inserting the plug into the socket. These two phases have different requirements, so using two different policies sequentially achieves an order of magnitude of improvement in data efficiency in the low-demonstration-per-task regime." The second prior that the team's approach is based on is retrieval-based generalization. In contrast with various other deep learning methods, which encode all behaviors into so-called network weights, their method stores all demonstrations in a memory component. "At test time, this method uses the language description of a task and an observation of the environment to find the single most relevant demonstration from memory," said Dreczkowski and Vitiello. "This demonstration is then used to inform the policy about how to align with the test object and how to interact with it." Demonstration of MT3 playing chess. Credit: Kamil Dreczkowski and Pietro Vitiello The team's newly introduced approach, dubbed MT3 (multi-task trajectory transfer), is designed to retrieve and decompose demonstration data. Using a strategy known as retrieval, it finds demonstrations relevant to the task that the robot is asked to complete, and then adapts them to the target object and plans the robot's motions, utilizing pose estimation and a planner component. "For interaction, the method simply replays the demonstrated end effector motion," said Dreczkowski and Vitiello. "The unique advantages of this method are that it is very efficient and interpretable. We found that it is very effective when demonstrations per task are limited, and because it relies on pose estimation, users can visualize what the robot will do before it executes the motion. Crucially, the robot is guaranteed to never do anything that was not explicitly demonstrated." Training robots on different tasks with little data To test the potential of their imitation learning approach, the team used it to train the Sawyer robot, a robotic system comprised of a single arm, with an integrated gripper and camera. Notably, they were able to teach the robot to complete 1000 distinct manipulation tasks in under 24 hours, relying on a single demonstration per task. Notably, they were also able to deploy the policy immediately after each single demonstration, without the need for further training. "We demonstrated that complex, large-scale robot learning is possible without massive datasets and large neural models," said Dreczkowski and Vitiello. "To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first systematic, large-scale evaluation of multi-task learning in the few-demonstration-per-task regime, addressing a critical gap in the literature. Our approach provides a compelling, data-efficient alternative to the traditional monolithic behavioral cloning paradigm." The new imitation learning approach developed by the researchers could soon be improved further and implemented on other robotic platforms. Eventually, it could contribute to the introduction of robots that can reliably tackle a wider range of skills, without requiring extensive training data. "MT3's reliance on analytical steps makes its actions highly interpretable and trustworthy, providing a major advantage over the 'black box' nature of many deep learning methods," said Dreczkowski and Vitiello. "Moreover, what led to this very efficient method was a large-scale study of many different design choices. By comparing the performance of all these designs, when varying the dataset size and the diversity of tasks learned, we were able to gather several insights that could be useful to anyone looking to improve the efficiency of their robots in manipulating objects." As part of their next studies, Dreczkowski and Vitiello plan to continue developing data-efficient and effective robot learning strategies that can be instantly deployed on robots. Their goal is to reduce the human efforts and financial resources currently required to train robots. "A key area for improvement will be moving away from the direct trajectory replay in our interaction phase," added Dreczkowski and Vitiello. "We aim to explore methods for adapting trajectories to object geometries and changing test scenarios, allowing the robot to generalize more robustly to unseen variations that require more than a simple execution of the demonstrated motion." Written for you by our author Ingrid Fadelli, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Eganthis article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you. More information: Kamil Dreczkowski et al, Learning a thousand tasks in a day, Science Robotics (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adv7594. Journal information: Science Robotics 2025 Science X Network Vietnam tech unicorn VNG merges two core units into AI-focused GreenNode brand By Hai Yen Wed, December 17, 2025 | 3:51 pm GMT+7 Vietnamese tech unicorn VNG (UPCoM: VNZ) has merged its cloud computing arm VNG Cloud with AI infrastructure unit GreenNode into the AI-focused GreenNode brand, marking a key step in the companys AI-first strategy. Following the merger announced on Tuesday, GreenNode will position itself as one of the few platforms in Vietnam offering both conventional cloud services and high-performance AI cloud on a unified ecosystem. The combined platform allows customers to train, fine-tune, and deploy AI models on the same infrastructure, reducing reliance on multiple vendors. VNG Data Center in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of GreenNode. VNG CEO Kelly Wong said the move reflects a strategic shift within the group, as artificial intelligence and traditional cloud computing are no longer viewed as separate businesses but as parts of a single infrastructure stack. The goal is to strengthen our competitiveness and readiness to meet rising demand across Southeast Asia, Wong said in a statement. The company said the unified platform is designed to support low-latency AI applications while complying with local data residency requirements, enabling Vietnamese firms to expand regionally and offering multinational and foreign-invested companies an international-standard AI cloud option when operating in Vietnam. Before the merger, VNG Cloud was among Vietnams leading domestic cloud providers, serving more than 1,000 enterprise customers across sectors including digital banking, insurance, securities, retail, and technology. GreenNode, meanwhile, has been spearheading VNGs AI infrastructure push, including a partnership with Nvidia to launch Southeast Asias first large-scale AI cloud infrastructure in Thailand in mid-2024. VNG, Vietnams first technology unicorn, said the consolidation would provide a stronger base for regional expansion on growing demand for AI-driven cloud services. According to its Q3 earnings statement, VNG posted a 30% year-on-year increase in operating profit to VND263 billion ($10 million) in the period, supported by cost controls and strong performance in its gaming and payment businesses. It earned VND2.89 trillion ($109.98 million) in net revenue, up 12% year-on-year, with international markets contributing 19%. Potential Merger Would Hurt Union Workers, Raise Prices, Create Monopoly WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien; Mark Wallace, President of the Teamsters Rail Conference and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET); and Tony Cardwell, President of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) on the potential merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern: "The Teamsters Union strongly opposes the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern as currently written. "Between the BLET and the BMWED, the Teamsters Rail Conference represents nearly 20,000 Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern workers over half of their unionized employees. These hardworking men and women make these railroads run. We cannot and will not support any agreement or merger that fails to safeguard their lives and livelihoods. "The Teamsters investigated the terms of the acquisition for five months, held meetings with members nationwide, and directly negotiated with Union Pacific's and Norfolk Southern's leadership. Executives from both carriers particularly Union Pacific refused to make real commitments to protect the jobs and address the concerns of our members. "Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have worrying histories when it comes to protecting workers and communities. This includes causing a shocking number of accidents on the tracks, like the catastrophe in East Palestine, as well as trying to give away American jobs to Mexican rail crews. They have given us every reason to believe these problems would only grow worse if the merger is approved under its proposed terms. "It's time for Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to get serious and do right by our members. Until they do, the Teamsters will do everything in our power to block this harmful merger." To learn more about the Teamsters Rail Conference's concerns with the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, click here. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Jamie Horwitz, (202) 549-2021 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters The World Bank Group has officially opened its new, energy-efficient offices here, which will serve as the hub for its Caribbean operations. The building brings the Banks Caribbean team together in one physical space, which will strengthen the institutions presence and support in Jamaica and the wider region. LONDON, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Record-Breaking Diamonds, the latest in the Natural Diamond Council's (NDC) Diamond Reports series, explains how advances in technology are fuelling an unprecedented run of spectacular diamond discoveries. To date, only four diamonds (two gem-quality, one near-gem and one carbonado diamond) exceeding 2,000 carats have ever been discovered and two of those have emerged in the last two years. Image credit: Lucara Diamond. Photo: Lesedi La Rona rough diamond The colossal Cullinan Diamond crowns the gem-quality diamonds a 3,106.75-carat gem unearthed in 1905 near Pretoria in South Africa. More than a century later, in August 2024, Karowe mine in Botswana yielded an exceptional 2,492-carat gem-quality stone. Named Motswedi, meaning 'water spring' in the local Setswana language, its sheer size and purity crystallised Karowe's reputation as a wellspring of supersized diamonds. Less than a year later in July 2025, the same mine announced it had uncovered a 2,036-carat near gem-quality diamond. "We might have entered an era of supersized sparklers," said Natural Diamond Council Head of External Affairs, Raluca Anghel. "With each advance in mining and recovery, we edge closer to a thrilling possibility: that somewhere beneath the surface, an even more magnificent giant diamond awaits discovery." The exceptional findings of recent years are also thanks in large part to X-ray transmission (XRT), an advanced technology that allows miners to 'see' diamonds hidden inside ordinary rock by measuring how the rock absorbs X-rays. These machines work on very large pieces of rock, so mines can identify and safeguard enormous diamonds before they are crushed. NDC, a non-profit organisation committed to inspiring and educating consumers on the real, rare and responsible values of natural diamonds, digs deeper into the stories behind the world's most exceptional diamonds including the legendary Regent Diamond and Hope Diamond in the latest of its Diamond Reports, Readers will discover how: The world's largest diamonds ever found are formed as deep as 750km beneath the Earth's surface. The Hope Diamond, on display in Washington DC, has captivated more than 100 million visitors, making it one of the most viewed diamonds in history. The CTF Pink Star sold at auction for $71.2 million, making it the most expensive polished diamond to go under the hammer. "Natural diamonds are unmatched as true wonders of our planet. As well as highlighting newsworthy diamonds and their beauty, we also want to educate people about their role in the world and the incredible work that has brought them into being," says Anghel. "These jaw-dropping diamonds are the stuff of legends, Mother Nature's work of fine art, and it takes the work of a technically rigorous and responsible industry to keep uncovering them in a way that supports the development of diamond producing countries and respects our natural world". These unique finite natural resources turn into societal welfare above the ground. Up to 80% of rough diamond value can remain within local communities in the form of local purchasing, employment benefits, social programs and investment in infrastructure as well as the taxes, royalties and dividends paid from the industry to respective governments." Notes to editors A curated selection of high-resolution visuals, auctions, infographics, quotes and pricing trend charts is available to support media coverage. The full Diamond Report: Record-Breaking Diamonds can be accessed here: https://www.naturaldiamonds.com/diamond-reports-record-breaking-diamonds/ About the Natural Diamond Council The Natural Diamond Council is a not-for-profit organisation committed to inspiring and educating consumers on the real, rare and responsible values of natural diamonds and the positive global impact of the industry. Our Only Natural Diamonds platform is the authoritative publisher on all things natural diamonds including myth-busting facts, celebrities and pop culture, epic diamonds and jewellery trends, engagements and weddings, and diamond buying guides. In addition, we provide marketing, promotional, and educational services to brands, designers and retailers, encouraging them to amplify the values and integrity of natural diamonds. NDC is a global organisation whose members' operations span four continents and 10 countries including Canada, South Africa and Botswana. Their operations support the livelihood of 10 million people worldwide. NDC operates out of offices in New York, Shanghai, Mumbai and Antwerp, with satellite teams in the UK and France. www.naturaldiamonds.com For interviews, commentary or to request further information, please contact: Lisa Levinson Head of UK, Natural Diamond Council [email protected] Image - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2847094/Lucara_Diamond.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2703289/5685330/Natural_Diamond_Council_logo.jpg SOURCE Natural Diamond Council Ltd If I asked you (the reader): do you think most people can be trusted? Would you answer yes o The cover of Canticle depicts a woman in a vibrant red, hooded cloak swirling away from the reader. It hints at whats inside: a mystical story that immerses us in an earlier century, in the vein of Lauren Groffs "Matrix" or Sue Monk Kidds "The Book of Longings. If you loved either of them, as I did, you might have a hard time putting down Canticle. The author, Janet Rich Edwards, is a professor of epidemiology at Harvard Medical School not the typical background for a novelist writing about medieval women mystics. But she says on her website that after writing more than 300 papers for scientific journals, she wondered if she could convey more truth, or at least different truths, through story. And Canticle is quite a story. Aleys, the protagonist on the cover, lives in a village near Bruges (Brugge in Dutch) in what is now Belgium. The novel begins in 1295, when at age 16, Aleys loses her beloved mother, who dies in childbirth (side note: Rich Edwards researches womens health). The deeply religious wool-makers daughter yearns to read her mothers treasured psalter (the Book of Psalms) in Latin. She can read in Dutch and befriends Finn, a dyers son, who teaches her Latin, in exchange for her teaching him to read. After hearing a visiting friar read a Latin verse about love, she persuades Finn to locate a copy of the Canticle (finally, we get to the book title!), the most beautiful, the most poetic psalm. But when Finn joins a monastery and her father wants her to marry an older merchant, Aleys flees, ending up at a community of religious women, the beguines. They refuse to answer to the Pope Boniface VIII at the time much to the ire of the local bishop, who calls them self-righteous burrs beneath his saddle. The bishop suspects one of these women has been translating scripture into Dutch, a scandalous idea that would allow people to read their Bibles without a priest: Heresy breeds where butchers read the Bible. Aleys isnt the translator but she does believe shes been chosen by God for a higher purpose and is impatient to be shown her gift. Soon she is. While praying over a dying boy at the hospital, she feels a buzzing in her hands. Rich Edwards descriptive writing is lyrical and lovely, as evidenced here: She bleeds into the boy and he bleeds into the prayer, and the prayer beats with his heart and she breathes the prayer. Aleys emerges from a trance to find the boy healed. Townspeople begin calling her Sint (saint) and its not long before the bishop decides he can use Aleys gift to his advantage. Its not giving too much away to note that the bishop and other men in the church hierarchy do not come off well in Canticle. The books women, on the other hand, are full of surprises. You dont need to be religious to appreciate this novel, but you might get more out of it if you have a basic Biblical knowledge. I also found myself looking up more about the beguines and anchoresses, fascinated by the thought of someone choosing to live a solitary life, locked in a cell connected to the church. Finally: You should be open to the idea of miracles. Canticle is an auspicious debut and hopefully not the last novel well read from Rich Edwards. ____ Canticle By: Janet Rich Edwards. Publisher:Spiegel & Grau, 357 pages. Issued on behalf of GoldHaven Resources Corp. USANewsGroup.com News Commentary VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second time this year, gold trading above $4,300 per ounce has created record profit margins[1] that are fueling an aggressive drilling boom across the mining sector, with companies rapidly expanding exploration programs to extend mine life and unlock high-grade discoveries at depth. From inaugural diamond drilling campaigns in prolific gold provinces to the largest exploration programs since 2012, gold companies are executing on multiple fronts to capitalize on sustained pricing strength. Positioned to benefit from this operational momentum are GoldHaven Resources Corp. (CSE: GOH) (OTCQB: GHVNF), Omai Gold Mines Corp. (TSXV: OMG) (OTCQB: OMGGF), Fortuna Mining Corp. (NYSE: FSM) (TSXL FVI), Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE: CDE), and Hecla Mining Company (NYSE: HL). Morgan Stanley revised its 2026 gold forecast upward to $4,400 per ounce, citing strong demand from central banks, ETFs, and retail investors, while regulatory hurdles continue to limit global supply expansion[2]. With gold above $4,200 and all-in costs around $1,600, the record margin environment is creating advantageous conditions for systematic exploration ahead of an anticipated supply deficit, positioning companies with active drilling programs and advancing projects to capture expanding profit margins as institutional forecasts point toward $4,500 to $5,000 gold in 2026[3]. GoldHaven Resources Corp. (CSE: GOH) (OTCQB: GHVNF) has completed its inaugural diamond drilling program at the Copecal Gold Project in Brazil, marking a significant milestone as the first diamond drilling campaign ever conducted on the 3,681-hectare property. The company reported that nine holes totaling 1,085.7 meters successfully tested two priority gold targets, with potential gold-bearing minerals intersected at the East Target and all drill core now being logged and sampled for laboratory assay before year-end. The program delivered GoldHaven's first subsurface confirmation that surface gold readings connect to mineralization at depth. Hole COPE-PDH-004 intersected potential gold-bearing minerals across approximately 30 meters, prompting GoldHaven to drill follow-up hole COPE-PDH-009, which discovered bornite, a copper-rich mineral never before identified at Copecal. The presence of bornite is significant because it commonly appears in large-scale gold-copper systems and suggests GoldHaven may have intersected a substantial mineralized system with potential for both gold and copper mineralization. This discovery could materially expand the project's economic scope beyond a single-metal gold deposit. "Intersecting sulphide mineralisation in Hole COPE-PDH-004 and subsequently in follow-up Hole COPE-PDH-009 at our East Target during a first-pass drilling program has provided valuable new geological insights," said Rob Birmingham, CEO of GoldHaven Resources. "These results continue to enhance our understanding of the system as we integrate geological, structural, and geochemical data to refine targeting across both the East and West anomalies, as well as other prospective targets identified from our newly developed 3D diamond drilling dataset at Copecal." At the West Target, drilling penetrated approximately 60 meters of weathered rock containing fractured zones with gold-bearing quartz, suggesting potential gold mineralization that could have been concentrated during the weathering process. Laboratory results from these zones will determine whether significant gold grades exist across the western target area, potentially opening a second mineralized corridor on the property. The Copecal Project sits within the prolific Juruena Gold Province, the same region hosting G-Mining's Tocantinzinho deposit and multiple recent gold discoveries, underscoring the district-scale exploration potential. The province has produced major gold deposits over the past decade. Beyond Brazil, GoldHaven continues advancing its British Columbia portfolio, including recent expansion to its Magno Project in the Cassiar region and the Three Guardsmen Project, where recent surface sampling returned copper grades up to 15.85%. GoldHaven now commands 123,900 hectares across two premier mining jurisdictions, with its first-ever diamond drilling campaign at Copecal complete and laboratory results pending that could confirm gold grades, thickness, and continuity, potentially defining the scale and economic viability of the company's Brazilian flagship project, all underpinned by a comprehensive 43-101 Technical Report. CONTINUED Read this and more news for GoldHaven Resources at: https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/09/23/the-goldhaven-story-two-continents-one-strategy-systematic-exploration-in-historically-productive-districts/ In other industry developments and happenings in the market include: Omai Gold Mines Corp. (TSXV: OMG) (OTCQB: OMGGF) has announced high-grade drilling results from its Omai Gold Project in Guyana, with significant mineralization intersected in central Wenot returning 13.54 g/t gold over 13.3 meters and a new high-grade zone at East Wenot delivering 11.07 g/t gold over 14.7 meters including 34.31 g/t gold over 4.3 meters. A total of 79 holes totaling 35,300 meters have been completed in 2025, with 30 holes not included in the August 2025 Mineral Resource Estimate. "We are excited to see a very significant new zone at the east end of Wenot, where there has been limited drilling in the past," said Elaine Ellingham, President & CEO of Omai Gold Mines Corp. "The intersection of 11.07 g/t Au over 14.7m in Hole 142 represents a spectacular new zone and follow-up drilling is underway." The 30 additional Wenot holes will contribute to a planned updated Mineral Resource Estimate in early 2026, which will be integrated into the updated Preliminary Economic Assessment expected in the first half of 2026. Five rigs are currently drilling on Wenot, with Southern Arc remaining open to the south, east, and at depth. Fortuna Mining Corp. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) has delivered expansion drilling results from Southern Arc at its Diamba Sud Gold Project in Senegal, with drill hole DSDD574 intersecting 1.7 g/t gold over 29.6 meters and a further 2.0 g/t gold over 20.0 meters. Infill drilling returned 6.8 g/t gold over 35.5 meters in hole DSDD555 and 13.54 g/t gold over 13.3 meters in hole 145W. "Southern Arc continues to deliver strong results with high grade intersections from both infill and extension drilling," said Paul Weedon, Senior Vice President of Exploration of Fortuna Mining Corp. "Drilling to the southwest of the current optimized pit shell is expanding mineralization, returning broad and consistent gold intervals." Southern Arc remains open to the south, east, and at depth, with drilling to date testing to only approximately 150 meters below surface. An updated Mineral Resource Estimate is expected in early 2026 ahead of the updated Preliminary Economic Assessment planned for the first half of 2026. Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE: CDE) has completed its largest exploration campaign since 2012 at its Palmarejo gold-silver complex in Mexico, with 68,000 meters of diamond drilling across eleven drill rigs delivering exceptional results. Inaugural drilling at San Miguel returned some of the best assays ever recorded at Palmarejo, including 58.8 feet at 0.12 oz/t gold and 54.55 oz/t silver, while near-mine expansion drilling extended the Hidalgo, Libertad, and San Juan veins by a combined 950 meters. "Following a 75% increase in Palmarejo's inferred mineral resources last year, our 2025 program has generated additional discoveries and leaves the operation well positioned for further mine life extensions," said Mitchell J. Krebs, CEO of Coeur Mining. "With a 300 km total land package that is just 3% drilled, we are only scratching the surface of the next phase of Palmarejo's potential growth and development." The program successfully discovered the new Camuchin trend, confirming gold and silver mineralization over 900 meters of strike within the previously untested 4-kilometer-wide Camuchin-Escondida Zone. Additional validation drilling at Independencia Sur and La Union demonstrated strong potential for meaningful near-term resource additions to support Palmarejo's long-term production profile. Hecla Mining Company (NYSE: HL) has received federal permits for the 2026 Polaris Exploration Project in Nevada's historic Aurora Mining District, clearing the way for exploration activities in one of Nevada's highest-grade gold districts that produced 1.9 million ounces of gold with underground production averaging 2.24 ounces per ton. The U.S. Forest Service issued the Finding of No Significant Impact on November 20, 2025, following a comprehensive environmental review. "This approval marks a significant milestone in advancing our exploration strategy in one of Nevada's most prospective high-grade gold districts," said Kurt Allen, Vice President of Exploration. "We are excited to begin our 2026 exploration program at Aurora, which produced some of the highest-grade gold and silver ore in Walker Lane during its historic operations." The planned 2026 program will test multiple high-grade epithermal vein systems including partially eroded targets at Martinez, Juniata, and Ann, as well as deep preserved targets at Brawley Peak, Sawtooth Ridge, and Polaris. The project benefits from existing infrastructure including a 600-ton-per-day mill on site and significant private land holdings that reduce permitting requirements for future discoveries. Article Source: https://usanewsgroup.com/goh-profile/ CONTACT: USA NEWS GROUP [email protected] (604) 265-2873 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. USA News Group is wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. ("MIQ"). This article is being distributed for Baystreet.ca Media Corp. ("BAY"), who has been paid a fee 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: 1. https://fortune.com/article/current-price-of-gold-12-16-2025/ 2. https://www.morganstanley.com/insights/articles/gold-price-forecast-rally-into-2026 3. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/12/11/3204032/0/en/Record-Margins-Drive-Drilling-Boom-as-Gold-Miners-Expand-Resources.html Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2838876/5686789/USA_News_Group_Logo.jpg PHOENIX More than a dozen years ago, Sen. John Kavanagh voted along with every Republican in the Arizona Legislature to require any firearm used in a crime to be sold off to raise money for local governments. Now the Fountain Hills Republican is having second thoughts. The reason: A weapon that could now be sold and put back into public circulation was used to kill a Phoenix police officer. Kavanagh says what changed his mind was Julie Erfle filing a lawsuit in October to prevent the city of Phoenix from selling off the gun that was used in 2007 to kill her husband, Nick, during an attempted arrest. The gunman fled the scene but was later killed by police. Erfle said she believed that the weapon had since been destroyed. It was only after she inquired earlier this year whether police had ever done a trace on the weapon to find out who supplied the gun they had not that she learned it was still being held as evidence even though there was no active case for which it was needed. And that, she said in her lawsuit, leads her to believe that the gun will be sold, "allowing the city of Phoenix to profit from the sale of a weapon used to murder her husband.'' Erfle contends that, at the very least, the city should be required to consult with her under the Victim's Bill of Rights before taking any further action about the gun. That 1990 voter-approved measure requires police and prosecutors to keep victims and their families informed of every development in a case, including consultation in some cases. In this case, Erfle said, the city broke the law by not keeping her informed of the fact that the gun was not destroyed and could now be sold. But she also wants Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney to issue an injunction preventing the gun's destruction while her lawsuit is pending. And, ultimately, Erfle wants the judge to direct the city to destroy it. The original requirement to sell off seized weapons was approved in 2013. The idea was that there was no reason to destroy a perfectly good gun just because it was used in a crime or turned in by an owner. A lobbyist for the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association, the local chapter of the National Rifle Association, said government resources were being wasted by collecting and destroying weapons. "This is a valuable asset that the city has come in possession of,'' said Gary Christensn, no different from cars, boats and houses that are seized as part of criminal investigations and must be used for law-enforcement purposes or sold off. "That money goes back to help fund programs that we depend on, including the police departments, that are trying to make the streets safe,'' he told lawmakers at the time. "When we were having the hearing, when we were having the debate, nobody, not any of the opponents, not any of the commentators ever foresaw that you would have a situation where a weapon used to murder a police officer was going to be auctioned,'' Kavanagh said, calling that "macabre and certainly insensitive to the survivors of the officer or any homicide victim.'' And now? "No bill can possibly foresee every future contingency,'' Kavanagh said of his 2013 vote in support. His new SB 1028 would create an exception to the sell-all-firearms law. It says that if it was used in a homicide, "the court shall order the firearm forfeited and destroyed or otherwise properly disposed of'' after the case is over. Erfle, who became active in political causes following her husband's death, said the measure is a step in the right direction. But she's not sure that it actually would help her situation. "It says very specifically 'on the conviction of any person for a homicide in which a firearm was used,' '' she said. "Well, there was no conviction here because the individual who killed my husband was killed later that same morning in a shootout with police.'' Kavanagh conceded the point, saying the measure may need to be tweaked. Even if the measure is altered during debate, Erfle said she still doesn't think it goes far enough. "I know we were hoping for something a little more expansive than just 'homicide,' '' she said. "Definitely, you can have situations where there is an attempted murder, they are very seriously injured, there's an attempted assassination,'' Erfle said, where she believes it would be wrong to sell off the weapon. She specifically cited the 2001 shooting in Tucson of then-Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived. That means it would not be covered under Kavanagh's bill. "We were approaching it from a victim's standpoint and what that gun then means to somebody who has been victimized by it,'' Erfle said. "So I think this is quite narrow.'' Kavanagh, for his part, said he's not interested in broadening his bill. "Murder is the ultimate crime,'' he said. "And to have the weapon resold, especially in a noteworthy murder and perhaps having somebody display it in a museum or resell it with that theme is disrespectful and insensitive.'' But that, he said, is where the requirement to destroy a weapon should end. "If you seize a weapon that a felon illegally possessed and it's a perfectly good weapon, why wouldn't you sell it to a licensed gun dealer to get some money for the municipality?'' Kavanagh asked. Anyway, he said, it's not like destroying a weapon means there are fewer weapons on the street, as someone who doesn't get the seized gun through a dealer would simply purchase another one. "So, what was the purpose, other than making a virtue-signaling, anti-gun statement?'' he asked. But Erfle is not alone. An aide to Attorney General Kris Mayes said she is supportive of not just requiring the destruction of guns used in homicides but also any deadly weapon that is used to victimize people. Any change to the law could also reopen the door to Tucson, once again destroying seized weapons. That is what is required under a 2005 city ordinance. But the Arizona Supreme Court, in a 2017 ruling, overruled that ordinance, saying the city has no authority to ignore the 2013 law. Amadeus A new adaptation of Peter Shaffer's stage play expands in story whilst following in the shadow of giants. TV has a habit of making series adaptations of big screen movies, which is supposed to diminish the risk of production because there is already brand familiarity. Sure. But if you ask me, its the exact opposite. Expecting to improve on the original is often a road laden with potholes. In the case of 1984s Amadeus, now a new series starring Will Sharpe (Giri/Haji, The White Lotus), and Paul Bettany (WandaVision, A Very British Scandal), it is expanding on an Oscar Best Picture. Good luck with that. Writer Joe Barton (Black Doves, Giri/Haji, The Lazarus Project) has returned to the excellent stage play of the same name by Peter Shaffer. Now a five part series filmed in Hungary, it again pits Viennese court composer Antonio Salieri (Bettany) with the misbehaving music genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Sharpe). While Salieri represents tradition with his respectable operas commissioned by Emperor Joseph (Rory Kinnear) and lauded by society. But when the gifted, crude young Mozart (Sharpe) seeks his counsel -and royal access- Salieri is deeply troubled. His confidence is shaken, writers block ensues, and the hot young thing in town is winning fans at the hghest level. For the young Mozart, who is prolific in his output and audacious in his sexual drive, success is an obsession. This is fuelled by letters from his father (Jonathan Aris) dripping in disappointment that his talent is being frivolously wasted and the family reputation mocked. He is supported by soprano Constanze (Gabrielle Creevy) who becomes his wife when there is sufficient pause in the frenzy of work / play / work. Salieri is convinced his path is the righteous one, frequently praying to God for guidance whilst driven tortured that a repulsive creature (plays) so exquisitely. As with Shaffers original play, we see an older Salieri looking back on his life and murder on his mind. The locations in Hungary are dripping in Classical style with gilt-edge gold trimmings matched by wigs and costumes. But for all its efforts, I find myself asking if you can improve on Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham and the work of director Milos Forman? Should Peter Shaffers original 2.5hr play be doubled into a 5 part miniseries? This Amadeus borrows from Bridgerton with its blind casting. How else to explain the casting of Will Sharpe in the lead role? That said, he brings zest to the character from the bedroom to the royal palace and orchestra pit. Paul Bettany may not carry the same gravitas as F. Murray Abraham but by the end of the second episode, when the plot kicked up a gear, his mania with Mozart really delivered. Overall, this piece serves to remind me what a fine work Peter Shaffer crafted, after decades of by-the-numbers biographies of a classical titan. There are a number of elements which sing in harmony here, but only if you have no recollection of the 1984 film, and you truly have the time for 5 hours of extra, extra story. Amadeus screens Sunday December 21 on Binge / 8:30pm Showcase. Australian Idol: promo Meet Kalani, a 23-year-old landscaper from the Central Coast. When Australian Idol returns for a fourth Seven season in 2026 the judges will meet Kalani, a 23-year-old landscaper from the Central Coast, NSW. Judge Amy Shark exclaimed: You are exactly what we hope to see walk through these doors. With the bar set higher than ever, Australian Idol 2026 is shaping up to be the toughest season yet, as judges Marcia Hines, Amy Shark and Kyle Sandilands search for an Idol with the full package of talent, presence, and star quality. Expect powerful performances, emotional journeys and the discovery of extraordinary new talent as the judges leave no stone unturned to find the next Australian Idol. Vale: Gil Gerard US actor Gil Gerard, best known for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, has died. US actor Gil Gerard, best known for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, has died, aged 82. His wife Janet Gerard wrote on Facebook, Early this morning Gil my soulmate lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer. From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days. No matter how many years I got to spend with him it would have ever been enough. Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely. Gerard also left a message from hospice care. My life has been an amazing journey. The opportunities Ive had, the people Ive met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying, he wrote. My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. Its been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has. Dont waste your time on anything that doesnt thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos. Gerard took his first turn as Buck Rogers in a 1979 film, which became the pilot for the TV series later that year. He initially baulked at taking the role. I turned it down three times I saw what it did to Adam Wests career with Batman, and this was another cartoon character. Bop, bip bam and all this bullshit. I didnt want to do this campy stuff, he said in a 2018 interview. But he relented once he read the script at his agents behest. Buck Rogers was based on Philip Francis Nowlans comic strip, which first hit US newspapers in 1929. It follows the adventures of debonair NASA Capt. William Buck Rogers, who is frozen in May 1987 aboard his spacecraft and isnt discovered until 500 years later, in 2491. Hes revived, only to find out that the world he once knew was destroyed in a nuclear war months after he was frozen. The show also starred Erin Gray as Col. Wilma Deering; Felix Silla as Twiki, a silver robot primarily voiced by legendary Mel Blanc, and Wilfrid Hyde-White as Dr. Goodfellow. It ran for 32 episodes over two seasons before it was cancelled in 1981. Gerard was born in Little Rock, Ark., and moved to New York in 1969 to study under Philip Burton the mentor and adoptive father of Shakespearean icon Richard Burton at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. His movie credits inclded Some of My Best Friends Are, Airport 77, The Nice Guys and TV credits The Doctors, in more than 160 episodes, Sidekicks, Hawaii Five-0, Little House on the Prairie, CHiPS, Baretta, Pacific Blue, Days of Our Lives. Source: NY Post Aung San Suu Kyis son challenged Myanmars junta to provide proof of his mothers wellbeing after the military claimed the imprisoned former leader was in good health despite not being seen or heard from in over two years. Myanmars military on Tuesday issued a rare response after Suu Kyis son, Kim Aris, raised an alarm over her condition and said he did not know whether she was still alive. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health, the military said in a statement carried by the junta-run Myanmar Digital News, using an honorific equivalent to Mrs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the military provided no evidence or details to substantiate its claims about Ms Suu Kyis health. "The military claims she is in good health, yet they refuse to provide any independent proof, no recent photograph, no medical verification, and no access by family, doctors, or international observers. If she is truly well, they can prove it," Mr Aris told Reuters. The military-run government issued the update after Mr Aris, speaking in Japan, called for his mothers release and held a protest rally criticising the planned polls, which critics say are being staged to legitimise the juntas rule following its seizure of power from Ms Suu Kyis elected government. In this file photo taken on March 14, 2016 Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (R) is accompanied by Lower House speaker Win Myint (L) after meeting of National League for Democracy (NLD) members of parliament in Naypyidaw (AFP via Getty Images) For all I know, she could be dead already, Mr Aris said, citing a prolonged communication blackout under Ms Suu Kyis military detention. He said no one had seen her in more than two years and that she had not been allowed contact with her legal team. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The junta is preparing to hold its first election since 2020, when the military overthrew Ms Suu Kyis government in a coup that triggered a nationwide civil war. Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate, is serving a 27-year sentence, reduced from a previous 33-year prison term, on charges including corruption, election fraud, sedition, breaching Covid-19 restrictions, illegal possession of communication equipment and official secrets offences. The charges have been widely denounced as politically motivated and dismissed by critics as a sham designed to keep her in detention. Mr Aris has been sharply critical of the juntas plans to stage elections later this month polls widely dismissed by foreign governments as a facade intended to entrench military rule though he has acknowledged that the process could still offer a narrow opportunity to push for some relief in his mothers treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The junta accused her son of fabrication, claiming his remarks were intended to disrupt the upcoming elections due to begin in the conflict-torn country from 28 December. This is merely a fabrication, timed and distributed to disrupt the free and fair multi-party democratic general election that will be held in Myanmar in the near future, the statement said. Mr Aris, on Wednesday, clarified that he has no intention of interfering in Burmas politics but years of total isolation, secrecy, and silence, any son would begin to fear the worst. My concern is growing because my mother has been hidden for so long that I now have to ask the most painful question: is she still alive?" Vande Mataram: BJP, Muslim League on Same Page When Jinnah had raised the issue in the 1930s, Nehru had stated in a forthright manner that the issue is being raised by communal elements. Same thing is happening now BJP thrives on identity issues. It uses these issues to polarize the society and to reap electoral benefits from that. So far starting from Babri Mosque-Ram Temple, Cow-beef, Love Jihad and many other types of jihads have been major tools in its hand. To add on to that one more issue is being brought to the fore, the issue of National Song Vande mataram. On the occasion of 150 Anniversary of this song (7th November 2025) by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (BCC), a Deputy Collector in the British Government, the issue was manufactured by the ruling dispensation. Modi stated that Congress, Nehru truncated it under pressure from Muslim League (ML). This buckling to the pressure from ML also led to the partition of the country, as per him. Others from Hindutva right wing joined the chorus. Here in this formulation of his; he not only is raising a non-issue to the Centerstage of politics but is also trying to defame Nehru yet again. Defaming Nehru on every pretext is the consistent goal of this right-wing government. Nehru has also been put to blame for every failure of the Modi Government. Vande Mataram: A Brief Overview Vande mataram was written in the 1870s and remained unpublished. It was expanded to few more stanzas and made the part of BCC novel Anand math. This novel of his was written based around the Sanyasi (Hindu ascetic) and Fakir (Muslim ascetic) rebellion. The fakir part of it was hidden in the novel and it was primarily shown as a Sanyasi rebellion against the Muslim ruler. The novel does dream of mosques being replaced by temples and ends with the uprooting of the Muslim king and restoration of British rule. Ironically Vande mataram did become a political slogan against the British and became a war cry for the various rebellions and actions against British rule. In 1905, when the British divided Bengal on the basis of religion, the massive protests were led with this song and the song Aamar Sonar Bangla Desh. The song Vande mataram went on to be very popular all over India and after the formation of State Assemblies it started being sung in these assemblies and some schools. Most of the Assemblies had Congress rule, while Muslim League was ruling only in three states. When Vande Mataram was truncated Jinnah in his avatar of the communal leader of ML objected to this song as being Hindu centric, with idolatry in it. Incidentally, opposition to idolatry is not only in Islam but also Arya Samaj sect of Hinduism. This objection of Jinnah came for discussion between Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhashchandra Bose through their letters. Nehru undertook the advice of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, who was a tall literary figure. Gurudev opined that its first two paragraphs are acceptable to all as they are in praise of the mother land. The remaining four paras are in the imagery of Hinduism so they can be dropped. Since the song had become very popular, there was a serious discussion in the Congress Working Committee on the issue. The CWC resolved: These two stanzas (first, added) are in no sense objectionable even from the standpoint of those who have raised objections, and they contain the essence of the song. The Committee recommended that wherever the Vande Mataram song is sung at national gatherings, only these two stanzas should be sung, and the version and music prepared by Rabindranath Tagore should be followed. The Committee trusted that this decision will remove all causes of complaint and will have the willing acceptance of all communities in the country. Anthem Committee's Decision The Constituent Assemblys Anthem Committee with Vallabh Bhai Patel, K.M.Munshi and others considered three songs for this. Sare Jahan se Achchha (Best in the Word) by Mohammad Iqbal, Vande Matram (BBC) and Jan Gan Man (Rabindranath Tagore). Sare Jahan was ruled out as Iqbal himself had become a strong supporter of Pakistan. First two paras of Vande matram were selected as National song. Jan Gan Man was chosen as the National Anthem. Vande matram and Jan Gan Man both have equal status. The issue was settled with a great amount of consensus. Why decades after the issue was settled the issue is being raised and such a large amount of time was allotted for discussion of this issue? Also Read: Debate on Vande Mataram is Reminiscent of Political Immaturity We know that the country is writhing with pain of deprivations at various levels, poverty, unemployment, pollution, declining standards of public health and education. At this time to bring forth this issue may be having a deeper communal agenda. When Jinnah had raised the issue in the 1930s, Nehru had stated in a forthright manner that the issue is being raised by communal elements. Same thing is happening now. The other stream of communal politics rampaging Indian ethos, values of Constitution and pluralism of the country is doing it now. Incidentally, the communal stream which is now asking for the full version to be brought in, had never sung this song. This was sung primarily in Indian national Congress meetings. The slogan of Vande matram was raised by those fighting against the British. Since RSS had kept aloof from the freedom movement and helped the British in their efforts of continuing their divide and rule policy, they had not sung this song or raised this slogan. Indian struggle against British rule was multi-religious, multilingual and multi-ethnic. In this women and men both took part to ensure that a united India emerges. Muslim League was asking for Pakistan in Muslim majority areas and Hindu Mahasabha and RSS were working for Hindu nation. The Constituent Assembly in a way represented the aspirations of emerging India. Vande Matram, Jan Gan Man issue was settled by representatives of India, the founding fathers of Indian nationalism. Those who remained aloof from the freedom movement do not follow the norms of the Indian Constitution. While today they are arguing for this song in full, in their shakhas they did not sing this one. They had their own, Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrabhume (Salute you affectionate motherland). They stuck to their saffron flag; rejecting the tricolour, their faith in the Indian Constitution is for namesake only. The implications of this song in full will have a lot of negative impact. Non-Hindus singing it in schools and public institutions will lead to dislike from many who already are full of fear of their identity being attacked and are being subjected to humiliation at various levels, due to the domination of identity issues. [The writer, Ram Puniyani, is Former Professor of IIT Mumbai.] Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic MACAO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Concurrent with the 16th Asian Electronics Forum & Global Intelligent Technology Summit, the inaugural 2025 Global Intelligent Machinery and Electronics Expo (AIE) was hosted by the China Electronics Chamber of Commercean important practice to implement the Overall Plan for the Construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The expo was held from December 4 to 6 in a dual-city format at The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel's Cotai Expo and the Zhuhai International Convention and Exhibition Center, aiming to build a high-end platform for global intelligent industry exchange and win-win cooperation. As the core organizer, the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce leveraged its industrial resources and international influence to gather more than 1,000 leading intelligent manufacturing enterprises from around the world, including Huawei, ZTE, Tesla, BYD, Samsung, Tencent, and Siemens. Exhibits spanned six themed pavilions, covering key areas such as intelligent communications, the metaverse, the industrial internet, intelligent mobility, and health technology, fully demonstrating the latest technological achievements and development trends of the global intelligent industry. The "Future Audio-Visual Exhibition Area" at the Macao venue emerged as a key highlight of the expo. Leading manufacturers and innovative brands in the smart glasses sector showcased their latest products and technological solutions here, attracting a large number of buyers and visitors for hands-on experiences and in-depth interactive exchanges. By tapping into the strategic advantages of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the AIE Expounder the guidance and organization of the China Electronics Chamber of Commercenot only highlights China's innovation capabilities in the intelligent audio-visual and broader intelligent manufacturing sectors, but also builds a bridge for international cooperation across the global industrial chain, promoting in-depth integration and collaborative development of industrial resources worldwide. SOURCE China Electronics Chamber of Commerce Rarely has Vietnam seen such a dense, purpose-driven rhythm of groundbreakings, inaugurations, and technical openings, all aligned with significant political and historical milestones. In less than a year, Vietnam has witnessed three major waves of project launches and completions - from April to December - with a combined investment value amounting to several million billion VND (hundreds of billions USD). But behind those figures lies more than a rush to disburse funds or meet end-of-term deadlines. 2025 was deliberately shaped as a year to lay the foundation for a new cycle of development. Three key timelines and a consistent growth logic Long Thanh International Airport. Photo: Hoang Anh The first wave began on April 19, 2025 - marking the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam. On that day, 80 major projects were launched or inaugurated, with a total investment of around $18.3 billion. This kickstarted a strategically scripted year of infrastructure expansion. By August 19, the scale had grown even larger, with about 250 projects launched, worth roughly $52.6 billion. The key takeaway is not just the size of the numbers, but the continuity - these were not isolated events, but a carefully orchestrated sequence, proving this was a sustained national campaign rather than a short-term push. The final and most ambitious phase is set for December 19, when the government will hold a nationwide ceremony for 234 projects across 34 provinces, totaling approximately $139.9 billion. Of this, only 18% - around $25.8 billion - comes from the state budget. The remaining $114 billion (82%) is sourced from the private sector and non-state capital. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that these sequential events (April 19, August 19, and now December 19) are not only to mark major political milestones such as the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress and the 14th National Party Congress, but also to create momentum, inspire new energy, and build a foundation for double-digit economic growth in the coming years. Taken in context, its clear: 2025s construction surge is not a series of disconnected events, but a deliberate policy roadmap sending a strong signal for the next stage of national development. Reading the numbers reveals a new development philosophy At first glance, the numbers are staggering. But what matters more is the role the state has chosen to play in these projects. In the December wave, the government has stepped back from being the main financier. Instead, it plays the role of leader and enabler - setting direction, creating incentives, and letting the market do the heavy lifting. The fact that over 82% of total capital comes from non-state sources signals a structural shift in development thinking. This is no longer about traditional public investment - its a coordinated effort between state and market, where the private sector is no longer a guest but a co-architect. The decision to prioritize infrastructure in 2025 is also a strategic hedge against global economic uncertainty. With consumer demand recovering slowly and exports facing geopolitical and trade tensions, boosting the supply side - through infrastructure, logistics, and connectivity - is a safer, more resilient path. When invested wisely and operated efficiently, infrastructure offers more than short-term growth. It reduces long-term costs, expands development potential, and enhances the nation's competitive edge. Thats why targets like completing 3,000 km of expressways by the end of 2025 (and 5,000 km by 2030), and synchronizing major airport operations, are not stand-alone goals. They fit squarely within the broader plan to reach at least 8% GDP growth in 2025 and build momentum for even higher growth in the years ahead. "A change in state" What sets 2025s projects apart is not just their number, but their ambition - to fundamentally shift the state of national infrastructure. These projects arent about patching holes or fixing gaps. Theyre about forming a clearly structured network that connects regions and unites the country. When infrastructure is viewed as a system, each site doesnt just serve a single province - it reshapes the flow of goods, capital, and people across the country. In this light, 2025 is the year Vietnam began redesigning the spatial structure of its economy. With non-state capital taking the lead, private enterprises are no longer bystanders - they are long-term partners and investors. But this also raises the bar for governance. It demands a transparent, stable, and disciplined institutional environment. Launching projects is just the beginning. If delays, cost overruns, or low efficiency arise, today's trillion-VND projects could become tomorrows burdens. The real challenge lies not in raising capital, but in project management and policy discipline. Despite what remains to be done, one thing is clear: choosing 2025 as the year of widespread construction is a bold political commitment. Its a promise to grow, to improve infrastructure, and to show that the state is ready to act for the countrys future. If completed on schedule and operated effectively, these projects will make 2025 the year that laid the groundwork for Vietnams next growth cycle. Tu Giang After just over a year of commercialization, 5G networks have now covered approximately 59% of Vietnams population. This progress comes as Internet access continues to evolve into what many describe as a second living space for Vietnamese citizens. Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Duc Long speaks at Internet Day 2025 in Hanoi on December 17. Photo: Minh Son Speaking at Internet Day 2025 in Hanoi on December 17, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Duc Long cited data showing that Vietnams Internet infrastructure has significantly improved and is gradually catching up with more developed countries, following three decades of advancement. According to recent reports, Vietnam ranks 10th globally in fixed broadband speed and 15th in mobile broadband speed. 5G services were officially commercialized in Vietnam in October 2024. Since then, the network has reached nearly 60% of the population, laying a vital foundation for the development of a digital economy, e-government, and digital society, the Deputy Minister noted. We have achieved widespread infrastructure coverage, with increasingly modern systems. Public participation in the digital environment is deepening, and Internet quality has markedly improved, said Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long. Adding to the overview of the domestic Internet landscape, Vu Hoang Lien, Chairman of the Vietnam Internet Association (VIA), stated that since Vietnam officially connected to the Internet on November 19, 1997, the country has gained nearly 80 million users. On average, Vietnamese people now spend around seven hours online each day for learning, work, and social interaction. The Internet has evolved beyond a mere tool - it has become a second living space for many. In Southeast Asia, Filip Graovac, Deputy Representative of The Asia Foundation (TAF) in Vietnam, noted that the region is home to 460 million Internet users. Among them, three out of every five shop online, and digital payments now account for over 60% of all transactions. Meanwhile, 80% of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) see digital platforms as essential to their operations, with one in five relying on them entirely to reach customers. Vietnam pushes for a safer, more trustworthy Internet Vu Hoang Lien, Chairman of the Vietnam Internet Association (VIA), shares insights on how the Internet has become a second living space for many Vietnamese. Photo: Minh Son Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long emphasized that Vietnams Internet is evolving in line with real-world development trends. This includes shifting from a model based mainly on self-regulation among digital players to one governed by clearer institutional and legal frameworks. It also involves transitioning from a passive information-sharing space to one that shapes behavior and societal decisions, and from decentralized data exploitation to treating data as a crucial development resource that must be responsibly governed and utilized. Framing the Internet as an inseparable part of modern economic and social life, the Deputy Minister stressed that sustainable development requires an Internet built on trust. This is the trust between individuals in the digital space, and the trust across the entire digital ecosystem - where platforms, data, and communities operate together to generate value, he said. Internet must be safer was the official theme of this years Internet Day. Vu Hoang Lien of VIA emphasized that ensuring safety in the digital world requires collective efforts from society to build a trustworthy digital environment. He warned that many people have fallen victim to online scams, often because malicious actors exploit the very foundation of trust - leading to skepticism and diminished confidence in the Internet itself. The line between whats real and fake has grown increasingly blurry with the rise of technologies like artificial intelligence and deepfake. When trust in digital systems erodes, users hesitate to click, and businesses become reluctant to pursue digital transformation - threatening the country's goal of achieving double-digit growth by 2030. Filip Graovac echoed this concern, stating that digital trust is no longer optional - it is a prerequisite for businesses to access markets and build resilience. Creating a safer Internet is not the responsibility of any one individual or organization, he noted. He recommended that the government bolster the legal and policy frameworks to support MSMEs in building digital trust. This includes strengthening public-private partnerships to develop innovative solutions, training programs tailored for SMEs, and fostering continuous learning to counter emerging digital threats. Digital trust, he concluded, should become a core value in business culture. From the cybersecurity sector, Nguyen Huu Cuong, a product manager in personal data security at VNPT Cyber Immunity, shared insights into raising internal awareness to better protect customers. Key measures include onboarding cybersecurity training for new staff, quarterly refresher courses, and internal phishing simulations. Citing two cases where scam victims were saved by timely community intervention, he urged banks, social media platforms, and tech companies to develop automated systems that can flag suspicious behavior more effectively than manual detection. Du Lam Within the framework of Vietnams National Innovation Startup Day (TECHFEST 2025), CMC Technology Group introduced a comprehensive digital transformation ecosystem targeting wards and communes across the country. The solution suite is designed to restructure grassroots administrative operations into a leaner, more transparent, and more effective model - enabling governance powered by data and digital technology, in line with Vietnams vision of building a Digital Government. Panorama of the opening ceremony of Vietnams National Innovation Startup Day - TECHFEST 2025 TECHFEST 2025 continues to serve as a national-scale convergence for the innovation startup ecosystem, gathering ministries and agencies, local governments, universities, research institutes, businesses, investment funds, and startup communities from both Vietnam and abroad. In his remarks at the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the importance of whole-of-society innovation as a new driver of growth. He reaffirmed the national goal of positioning Vietnam as an attractive destination for global innovation communities, technology talent, and knowledge resources. Ward- and commune-level digital transformation: the backbone of data-driven public administration According to CMC, comprehensive digital transformation means more than simply digitizing procedures. It is a strategic restructuring of public administration to enable unified, grassroots-level governance. This shift aims to reduce information latency, enhance service delivery, and elevate operational transparency and effectiveness. The ecosystem is structured around three strategic pillars, aligning with government direction: Pillar I - Digital Government: modernizing internal operations toward a paperless office This pillar modernizes the management and execution capabilities of grassroots administrations. It introduces workflow automation and intelligent monitoring tools that enable faster, more accurate decision-making. Key systems include digital document management, an e-one-stop administrative portal, operations IOC (Integrated Operations Center), reporting and KPI dashboards, and various specialized applications. The goal is to establish a truly digital office - minimizing paperwork and standardizing administrative procedures. Pillar II - Digital Society: citizen-centric, strengthening two-way interaction This pillar focuses on simplifying administrative processes for citizens and improving access to public services. It introduces multiple user touchpoints including mobile applications, kiosks, portals, and AI-powered digital assistants. These tools not only save time and reduce travel for citizens but also enhance feedback mechanisms and improve service quality oversight. Pillar III - Digital Economy: boosting local production and expanding market access This pillar helps localities manage supply and demand, labor, business households, and essential service provision. It also facilitates the promotion of local products - such as OCOP-certified items, agricultural goods, and regional specialties - into broader markets. The goal is to promote sustainable development driven by digital data, enhancing local economic resilience. CMC emphasized that the ecosystems core value lies in increasing the efficiency of state management, saving costs, optimizing resource allocation, and building an interoperable digital infrastructure - laying the groundwork for a "service-oriented government that enables development." In his opening remarks at TECHFEST 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed confidence that Vietnam will become an attractive destination for the innovation startup community Dare to think - dare to do: from strategy to solutions deployed at the grassroots At TECHFEST 2025, CMC Chairman Nguyen Trung Chinh emphasized the pioneering spirit of private technology enterprises in driving innovation: CMC chooses to dare to think - shaping strategy and developing an AI transformation framework (AI-X) early on - and to dare to do - by investing in mastering core technologies and turning them into tangible products and solutions. This ward- and commune-level digital ecosystem marks a step toward making technology truly 'run' in practice, serving citizens on the frontlines. He also noted that, as a leading private technology enterprise, CMC recognizes its responsibility to spearhead R&D, foster Make in Vietnam capabilities, and develop scalable digital systems that safeguard national data and digital sovereignty. An eight-solution suite: a digital transformation platform and seven Make in Vietnam solution modules In addition to the transformation platform, CMC introduced an eight-part solution suite built with a modular and platform-based approach. This includes one central digital platform and seven digital solution modules to support various aspects of grassroots public service delivery. The comprehensive ward- and commune-level digital transformation ecosystem, under CMCs initiative Representative solutions in the ecosystem include: C-Vision: An AI-powered vision system for security, traffic, and urban monitoring. C-Agent and CLS: AI assistants that support government officials in processing tasks and performing rapid lookups. The CLS module is particularly geared toward legal documents and regulatory compliance. C-AI Office: A digital office platform that streamlines workflows, reduces paperwork, and increases productivity. C-Health, C-ID, and C-Notary: Modules covering essential areas such as digital healthcare, digital identity verification, and e-notarization. CMC highlighted that the ecosystem is designed for phased deployment - addressing core needs first and scaling up gradually. All solutions are intended to be deployed on domestic infrastructure to ensure data sovereignty and national security. Dr. Le Minh, Chief Technology Officer at CMC, shared insights into the development philosophy behind the solution suite. The ecosystem, he said, is grounded in platformization and modularization, enabling rapid deployment and operational simplicity while supporting scalability. We build the ecosystem on a digital transformation platform to create standardized data and processes. That becomes the runway for AI to deliver real impact, paving the way for structured AI-X implementation, he said. CMC stated that the next implementation roadmap will focus on identifying priority challenges, launching pilot deployments, and evaluating effectiveness through service metrics and operational indicators. At the same time, CMC will complete data governance and information security frameworks to ensure secure and scalable expansion. With the debut of this ecosystem at TECHFEST 2025, CMC aims to help modernize local governments, bridge regional digital divides, and lay a strong data foundation to support Vietnams entry into the AI-X era. Thuy Nga A massive cryptocurrency scam involving the fake project DRK has been brought to light, with estimated losses amounting to over 2,000 billion VND (approximately 82 million USD). The operation, led by Huynh Duc Van, was dismantled by police in Da Nang, who arrested eight suspects connected to the fraudulent scheme. Huynh Duc Van (third from right) is believed to be the leader of the crypto fraud ring. Photo: CACC On December 16, Da Nang Police announced they had successfully cracked the case, targeting a multi-level marketing operation disguised as a digital currency investment opportunity. The arrest operation, conducted on December 15, involved coordinated actions across multiple locations. The ringleader was identified as Huynh Duc Van, 33, a resident of Hoa Cuong Ward in Da Nang City. According to investigators, the scam was launched in early 2020. Van, together with three associates in Ho Chi Minh City and several others, created a fraudulent digital currency platform under the name DRK. The group heavily promoted the project on social media, spreading false information and promising high returns to entice investors. By late 2021, after attracting a significant number of victims, the group abruptly shut down the DRK platform, deleting its website, fan page, and related online communities. They then converted the stolen funds into Vietnamese dong for personal use. Evidence seized in the DRK cryptocurrency fraud case. Photo: CACC Digital evidence revealed that the suspects had misappropriated over 1,880 BTC, 37,000 ETH, and nearly 2.7 million USDT - equivalent to roughly 2,000 billion VND at 2021 values. In the course of the investigation, authorities froze related bank accounts and real estate holdings valued at over 600 billion VND (approx. 24.6 million USD). Prosecutors have officially charged and detained Huynh Duc Van and seven others on suspicion of fraud. The case is currently under expanded investigation. Ho Giap Local authorities, they say, need to quickly develop charging stations and battery-swap stations outside residential areas. In recent days, the announcement by several major apartment complexes in Hanoi such as HH Linh Dam or CT1 Thach Ban to stop accepting electric motorbikes and electric bicycles in their basements has sparked intense debate. While management boards cite fire and explosion risks due to inadequate infrastructure, many residents worry that their rights are being affected. Electric vehicle manufacturers, battery producers, technical experts, and local authorities all affirm that the claim that electric vehicles have a high risk of fire and explosion and are unsafe is unfounded. The core solution is not to ban electric vehicles, but to properly manage and standardize technical requirements in apartment buildings. Concerns about fires, explosions The communications representative of a major electric motorbike manufacturer in Vietnam said that it is understandable that apartment buildings issue notices banning electric vehicles due to fire and explosion concerns, but this measure is not viewed correctly from a technical standpoint. According to the manufacturer, certified electric vehicles have batteries designed with multiple layers of protection, thermal control, and automatic shutdown when issues arise. If placed and charged correctly, fire or explosion is nearly impossible. Lithium-ion batteries today are completely different from 57 years ago. If the vehicle is produced by an official manufacturer, equipped with a proper Battery Management System (BMS) and maintained correctly, the fire risk is extremely low. The issue lies in whether parking basements meet fire safety standards and electrical safety requirements, the representative said. A representative of one of Hanois major electric motorbike and battery manufacturers said that certified batteries are encased in multiple fireproof and shockproof layers with strict production standards. Some battery models even have automatic shutdown and discharge features when the temperature rises abnormally. Instead of banning EVs, apartment buildings should set technical criteria, for example, only accepting vehicles with certified batteries, batteries with intact inspection seals, and refusing modified vehicles or those using uncertified batteries. This is also how modern parking facilities in many other countries operate, the representative said. The product expert at a Yadea Vietnam sale agent shared the same view, stating that most of the recent concerns about battery fires in apartment buildings stem from incomplete information about battery technology and charging methods. In reality, most electric motorbikes and electric bicycles on the market today charge directly from 220V household outlets, just like air conditioners, washing machines, or water heaters. The charger of each vehicle is integrated with overcurrent and overheat protection, and it automatically cuts off when fully charged. This means that, in principle, proper charging under normal conditions does not naturally create fire risks, the expert explained. Regarding these concerns, the Peoples Committee of Hoang Liet Ward issued a document to the investor and management unit of HH Linh Dam, emphasizing that current fire prevention and rescue laws do not prohibit or restrict parking or charging electric vehicles in apartment buildings. To date, there has been no official conclusion or scientific research confirming that electric vehicles have a higher risk of fire and explosion or are inherently unsafe. Electric vehicles are a global trend with many advantages over gasoline vehicles. According to the Hoang Liet Ward authority, to ensure safety, building management boards must propose solutions such as setting up separate charging areas with safety measures, fire-fighting equipment, and proper monitoring, rather than imposing a sweeping, unconditional ban. Charging stations outside residential areas Nguyen Xuan Thuy, an urban traffic expert, said that suspending or banning electric vehicles from underground parking is an extreme reaction and does not align with the law or the national policy on green mobility. According to Thuy, apartment buildings with basements must ensure residents right to park vehicles, including electric vehicles. They cannot ban electric vehicles simply due to risk concerns, as the core issue lies in infrastructure, not the vehicles themselves. Gasoline vehicles also pose fire risks but are controlled through standards and technical measures. Electric vehicles should be viewed similarly. In my opinion, the key is to clearly separate two activities: parking and charging. Local authorities must study the model of charging stations and battery-swap stations located outside residential areas, he said. Electric vehicles can be parked in basements if the area meets minimum safety requirements: good ventilation, fire-resistant partitions, fire alarms, smoke detectors, heat detectors, emergency exits, 24/7 monitoring, and separate zones for electric vehicles to avoid mixing them with gasoline vehicles. The proposed route begins at Bien Dong 2 Road in the Can Gio reclaimed urban area and ends at the planned Sao MaiBen Dinh road, intersecting with 30/4 Street in Tam Thang Ward. The highway would cross the Ganh Rai Bay, an area known for its complex geological and hydrological conditions. The total investment of over $4.3 billion includes interest accrued during the construction phase. The capital will be sourced entirely from Vingroups equity and commercial loans. In return, the state will repay the investor with allocated land use rights. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, with completion and operational launch planned for the second quarter of 2029. Due to the scale of the project and its potential impact on multiple sectors - such as maritime navigation, water resource management, construction, and urban planning - the city has sought written opinions from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction, and Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. To ensure proper legal procedures and a comprehensive evaluation of the investment proposal, HCMC has requested that feedback be submitted before December 25, 2025. A new coastal corridor According to the investor's research, the Can GioVung Tau route will span approximately 14.67 kilometers, of which nearly 11 kilometers will be a sea-crossing bridge. The bridge is designed with four lanes for motor vehicles and two mixed-use lanes. It will feature a cable-stayed structure, with a main span of 600 meters and a vertical clearance of up to 55 meters - currently the highest standard in Vietnam - to accommodate large vessels accessing the Cai MepThi Vai port complex. Currently, traveling between Can Gio and Vung Tau requires a detour via National Highway 51 or a ferry ride, taking between 90 and 120 minutes. Once completed, the new highway will reduce travel time to just about 10 minutes, offering a direct and exclusive coastal connection. The project is expected to act as a powerful catalyst for tourism development in Can Gio, enhance operations in the Long Son Industrial Zone, increase capacity at the Cai MepThi Vai port cluster, and ease pressure on National Highway 51 and Road 965. Tuan Kiet Uniform Advantage, in partnership with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, has announced the 2025 recipients of the Uniform AdvantageGNSA Scholarship, an annual program supporting graduate nursing students pursuing master's or doctoral degrees and committed to advancing the future of healthcare. The 2025 honorees are Mr. Hao Lu, a DNP student specializing in nurse anesthesia at Westminster University, named the Fall recipient, and Ms. Kelsey Kelley, a DNP student at the University of MichiganFlint, selected as the Spring recipient. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Uniform Advantage (UA), a leading retailer of medical uniforms for healthcare professionals, is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Uniform AdvantageGNSA Scholarship, presented in partnership with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). This scholarship program supports graduate nursing students who are members of the Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA) and are committed to advancing the future of healthcare through master's or doctoral-level education. 2025 Scholarship Winners UA is deeply committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Through this scholarship, the company aims to empower emerging nurse leaders and support their pursuit of advanced practice, research, and academic excellence. Each year, two scholarships of $2,500 are awardedone in the fall semester and one in the spring semesterto outstanding graduate nursing students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and a passion for impacting the future of patient care. 2025 Scholarship Recipients Fall Scholarship Recipient: Mr. Hao Lu, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student specializing in nurse anesthesia at Westminster University, has been selected as the Fall 2025 scholarship awardee. His dedication to advancing practice in high-acuity care settings and commitment to patient-centered outcomes distinguished him among this year's applicants. Spring Scholarship Recipient: Ms. Kelsey Kelley, a DNP student at the University of Michigan Flint, has been named the Spring 2025 scholarship recipient. Kelley's work reflects her strong drive to lead meaningful improvements in healthcare delivery through advanced clinical practice and evidence-based research. "We are honored to support these exceptional graduate nursing students as they continue their educational journeys," said Susan Masimore, CEO of Uniform Advantage. "Their commitment to excellence and their passion for shaping the future of healthcare aligns perfectly with UA's mission to uplift and give back to the medical community." About the Uniform AdvantageGNSA Scholarship Applicants must be active members of the Graduate Nursing Student Academy and enrolled in a master's or doctoral nursing program. Finalists may be asked to provide letters of recommendation, academic achievements, publications, awards, or additional materials to the selection committee. Essays written by the scholarship winners will be published on both the AACN and Uniform Advantage websites, accompanied by a photo. For more information on how to apply for the scholarship, please click here. About Uniform Advantage Uniforms That Don't Conform. Uniform Advantage curates and designs medical apparel that inspires confident performance and personal expression, embodying our philosophy of Brilliant Design for All. From a single South Florida store in 1985 to 25 retail locations and an e-commerce platform today, UA has become a trusted partner of medical professionals and organizations worldwide. The company's corporate office is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with a distribution center near Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at http://www.UniformAdvantage.com or by calling 800-283-8708. About the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is the national voice for academic nursing, representing more than 750 schools nationwide. AACN works to set high standards for nursing education, advance innovation in the field, influence policy, and support academic leaders in their mission to improve healthcare. AACN is recognized as an authoritative source for data, insights, and advocacy related to nursing education, diversity initiatives, quality improvement, and career development. For more information, visit www.aacn.nche.edu SOURCE Uniform Advantage Rather than introducing breakthrough features across the lineup, the South Korean tech giant appears to be taking a controversial route: intentionally holding back the standard Galaxy S26 and S26+ to let the Galaxy S26 Ultra stand out. Galaxy S25 Ultra in a wallet case. Photo: CNET The S26 Ultra shines - but at what cost? The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to be Samsungs most compelling flagship in 2026. But not because it leapfrogs the competition. Rather, it seems Samsung is weakening its other models just enough so that the Ultra remains unchallenged - even within its own lineup. Rumored upgrades to the Galaxy S26 are few: a slightly larger 6.3-inch screen, a new processor, a base storage increase to 256GB, and a bigger 4,300mAh battery. It may also be thinner - yet heavier - than its predecessor. While these tweaks sound decent, they fall short of expectations for a next-generation release. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26+ is even less impressive. Leaks suggest it will only get a new chip and possibly a slight weight gain - with virtually no other meaningful upgrades. S26 Ultra is better, but not revolutionary Compared to its two siblings, the S26 Ultra is the clear winner of the S26 family. According to PhoneArena, the Ultra is expected to feature superior display materials, new privacy screen tech, a more powerful chip, faster wired and wireless charging, a sleeker design, AI-driven features, and enhanced camera hardware. However, heres the catch: even against the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the new S26 Ultra doesnt offer a dramatic leap. Since the S25 Ultra itself was only a modest upgrade, the incremental improvements in the S26 Ultra risk rendering it unremarkable - especially in a global flagship race heating up with innovations from Apple and Chinese rivals. In this context, Samsungs decision to offer minimal changes could backfire, pushing high-end users toward more ambitious competitors. The S26 Ultra may only appeal to loyalists who are deeply embedded in the Samsung or Android ecosystems. Ironically, the very mediocrity of the S26 and S26+ makes the Ultra look better - while also exposing the imbalance in Samsungs strategy. Is the Galaxy S26 worth skipping? Sources claim Samsung had initially planned to upgrade the cameras on the standard S26 models, but cost pressures forced a last-minute shift. The real concern? Despite being only minor upgrades, the Galaxy S26 series is still expected to launch at a higher price than the S25. Popular tech insider Ice Universe argues that Samsung is losing its way by prioritizing profit over specs and user experience. To be fair, the Galaxy S25 remains one of the best smartphones on the market. And even modest updates could still outperform many rivals. But if Samsung continues to drip-feed improvements, the brand risks losing relevance in the premium segment - where users expect significant value for every dollar. In the high-stakes flagship arena of 2026, deliberately weakening two models to make one shine could be a double-edged sword. Samsung now faces a critical challenge: maintaining consumer trust while justifying its pricing - and its vision. Hai Phong On December 17, Trinh Van Quyet, Head of the Central Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization, led a delegation to visit and offer Christmas wishes to Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese Joseph Nguyen Nang and Pastor Thai Phuoc Truong, President of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (Southern Region). Trinh Van Quyet, Head of the Central Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization, presents Christmas flowers and gifts to Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang of the Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese. Photo: Vu Hung At the Archdiocese's headquarters, Quyet conveyed warm wishes for peace, happiness, and the abundant blessings of God in the upcoming new year 2026 to Archbishop Nguyen Nang, priests, religious brothers and sisters, parishioners of the Archdiocese, and Catholic followers nationwide. Along with Christmas greetings, both sides shared their reflections and hopes for the nations future, highlighting the intersection of faith and civic responsibility as 2026 approaches. Reflecting on the turbulent year of 2025, Quyet emphasized that although Vietnam faced numerous global and domestic challenges, including natural disasters, the year was also marked by extraordinary efforts from the entire political system. Economic growth reached 8%, surpassing early concerns and creating a strong foundation for the country to enter a new era in 2026, striving for double-digit growth. This ambition, he said, reflects the collective dream of the Vietnamese people and the enduring vision of President Ho Chi Minh for a "more civilized, beautiful Vietnam that stands shoulder to shoulder with global powers." Quyet underscored the strength of national unity behind this progress. In moments of hardship, such as natural disasters, the spirit of mutual support among Vietnamese people - regardless of religious affiliation - shone brightly. Mr. Trinh Van Quyet presents Christmas flowers and gifts to Pastor Thai Phuoc Truong, President of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (Southern Region). Photo: Vu Hung Whether religious or not, we all live for the common good, for peace and the happiness of the people. We are one family. Religious believers honor God, love their country, and serve the nation, working together to bring happiness to the people, Quyet said. In response, Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang expressed heartfelt gratitude for the Party and State's attention. He shared that Catholic communities are encouraged by the country's development and government initiatives - especially robust investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Priests and religious workers, he added, are fulfilling their duties according to Church principles, contributing to moral and cultural development through concrete actions - such as teaching parishioners to act with professional integrity, seek truth, avoid deceit, and practice compassion and kindness for the betterment of society. Catholics, he affirmed, are not only companions on the nation's journey, but an inseparable part of the Vietnamese identity. At the headquarters of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (Southern Region), Quyet extended his warmest Christmas wishes to Pastor Thai Phuoc Truong, leaders of the General Assembly, clergy members, and all believers. He stated that Christmas is no longer solely a religious holiday, but a celebration of love and peace shared by all. He praised the Evangelical communitys contributions to national development. I sincerely hope that Pastor Truong and the clergy will continue encouraging believers to spread love and unity. Every Vietnamese person contributes to our shared strength, helping us fulfill our development goals and bring happiness to our people, he said. In his response, Pastor Thai Phuoc Truong expressed joy and gratitude for the Party and States ongoing support of the Churchs activities, which have existed alongside the nation's history for over 100 years. Echoing the inclusive spirit of Christmas, Pastor Truong said the holiday has grown into a cultural tradition beyond religious boundaries. The spirit of Christmas is love and peace. Despite the challenges of 2025, including natural disasters, we see it through faith as divine grace - a blessing from God that enables Vietnamese people to grow stronger and embrace peace and progress, Pastor Thai Phuoc Truong said. Quoc Ngoc Just moments after its official release, the Galaxy Z TriFold sold out across major Samsung stores, marking an explosive debut. However, while the phone's innovative design has drawn praise, its the staggering repair costs - especially for the foldable screens - that have taken center stage. A breakthrough foldable design, but with high risks Galaxy Z TriFold, Samsungs first triple-fold phone. Photo: Androidcentral Unveiled last month, the Galaxy Z TriFold is Samsungs boldest foldable project yet. Unlike the familiar bi-fold Z Fold series, the TriFold opens out in three segments, expanding into a display size nearly equivalent to a tablet. Its a daring experiment that points to a new direction for future smartphones. Yet, this very complexity has sparked concern. Foldable smartphones are already more fragile than traditional models. Add more hinges, and the risk of mechanical failure triples. So the pressing question after launch was simple: If it breaks, how much will it cost to fix? According to a recent report from South Korea, replacing the outer screen (cover display) of the Galaxy Z TriFold will cost between 137,000 and 226,000 won, or roughly $90 to $150 USD. This price point is relatively in line with the outer screen replacement costs of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, suggesting Samsung is keeping smaller, more exposed parts reasonably priced - given how prone they are to daily wear and scratches. However, the real shock lies in the cost of the main, inner screen - the heart of the Galaxy Z TriFolds cutting-edge design. The report states that replacing the triple-fold inner display could range from 1,657,500 to 1,834,500 won, or approximately $1,120 to $1,240 USD, depending on the extent of damage. Replacing the Galaxy Z TriFolds screen is more expensive than buying a Galaxy S25 Ultra. Photo: Gizmochina The move came as National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man signed Resolution No. 247/2025, which seeks to improve the effectiveness of environmental policy enforcement nationwide. Thick smog blankets Hanoi in early December. Photo: Thach Thao No economic growth at the expense of the environment The resolution highlights persistent environmental pollution in several areas, with periods of severe air quality decline - especially due to fine dust (PM2.5) in large cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It also notes that the quality of water in urban rivers remains poor, particularly in areas near dense populations, industrial facilities, and traditional craft villages. Current infrastructure for environmental protection, including waste collection and treatment, is outdated and insufficient. Only about 18% of urban wastewater is currently treated. While landfill use has dropped, direct burial still accounts for nearly 59% of domestic waste disposal. As of now, 38 out of 435 facilities causing serious pollution - mainly landfills - have yet to be fully remediated. Urgent overhaul required The National Assembly has directed the government to reform environmental policy thinking, and implement institutional changes with urgency and effectiveness. By 2026, all environmental and climate-related strategies and plans must be reviewed and adjusted if needed to create new, sustainable development spaces. Special attention is to be paid to regions highly sensitive to climate change and natural disasters - such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, the Mekong Delta, and coastal areas. The resolution calls for economic growth driven by natural harmony and sustainability - stressing that development must not come at the cost of the environment. From dirty rivers to clean air: the 2045 vision A polluted section of the To Lich River in Hanoi. Photo: Thach Thao Authorities are now tasked with enforcing the National Action Plan for Air Quality Management and Pollution Control (20252030), with a long-term vision extending to 2045. Immediate actions must focus on improving air quality in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The resolution also mandates full assessments of the environmental carrying capacity of interprovincial rivers, and management plans for their protection. Priority rivers for cleanup include the Ngu Huyen Khe, To Lich, and the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system. Out with polluting vehicles Looking ahead to 2030, the National Assembly emphasized early detection and prevention of pollution risks. Polluting industrial clusters and traditional craft villages - especially those within residential areas - must be relocated to properly zoned sites. The government and local authorities are instructed to assess and rehabilitate areas with severe soil contamination, particularly those affected by pesticides, chemical residues, and war-time toxic waste. Water treatment in cities must be ramped up, with a goal of collecting and treating 70% of wastewater in top-tier urban areas by 2030. For urban transportation, the resolution is clear: All motor vehicle emissions must be strictly controlled. Polluting vehicles must be restricted based on environmental zoning. A green transition roadmap must be implemented, backed by infrastructure investment and supportive policies for public acceptance. Vehicles that fail emission standards must be phased out. Bold PM2.5 targets for 2030 By 2030, Hanoi must reduce its annual average PM2.5 levels by 20% compared to 2024. Surrounding provinces - Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, and Ninh Binh - must cut PM2.5 by at least 10%. In Ho Chi Minh City and other major cities, air quality must be actively monitored to prevent further deterioration. Tran Thuong Accompanied by the uplifting melody of the iconic song As if Uncle Ho were with us on Victory Day, Vietnamese peacekeepers and Abyei residents came together in joyful dances that transcended language and culture. This humanitarian activity was part of the celebration leading up to the 81st anniversary of the Vietnam Peoples Army. It took place on December 15 at the Catholic Church compound and surrounding residential areas in Abyei, under the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). Hundreds of gift packages - including daily essentials, school supplies, and clothing - were personally delivered to local residents and children. Many of the clothing items were heartfelt donations sent from Vietnamese citizens back home. Lieutenant Colonel Tran Thanh Son, Deputy Commander of Engineering Unit Rotation 4, presents school supplies to children in Abyei. Photo: Engineering Unit Lieutenant Colonel Tran Thanh Son shared that the unit organized the program with deep gratitude and sincerity. We always carry in our hearts President Ho Chi Minhs teaching: Helping the people of a friendly nation is helping ourselves, he said. Catholic priest Archangelo Michael, representing the Abyei Catholic Church, expressed his gratitude and admiration for the Vietnamese soldiers: We see in the Vietnamese soldiers not only strength and protection, but also unconditional love through their actions. They bring children not only books and school supplies, but also faith in a brighter future. The people of Abyei consider these soldiers not just friends, but family. Local children wave Vietnamese flags on gift-giving day. Photo: Engineering Unit A scene from the film Red Rain. Each category features 15 films shortlisted for consideration, from which the final five official nominees will be selected - except for Best Picture, which allows 10 nominations. These will ultimately compete for the coveted Oscar statuette. One of the most anticipated announcements was the shortlist for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Oscars. A total of 86 countries and territories submitted eligible entries, yet Vietnam once again failed to secure a place. This years shortlist for Best International Feature includes: Belen (Argentina), The Secret Agent (Brazil), It Was Just an Accident (France), Sound of Falling (Germany), Homebound (India), The Presidents Cake (Iraq), Kokuho (Japan), All Thats Left of You (Jordan), Sentimental Value (Norway), Palestine 36 (Palestine), No Other Choice (South Korea), Sirat (Spain), Late Shift (Switzerland), Left-Handed Girl (Taiwan - China), and The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia). The official Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22, 2026, with the award ceremony scheduled for March 15, 2026, in the U.S., hosted by comedian Conan OBrien. "Red Rain," which premiered at the end of August 2025, made cinematic history in Vietnam. The film drew more than 8 million viewers to theaters and grossed 714 billion VND - equivalent to approximately 29.3 million USD. It also won the top prize at the most recent Vietnam Film Festival. Furthermore, Red Rain ranked first among Vietnamese films and entered the top group of overall cinema-related search terms in Vietnams 2025 Google Year in Search. Despite all this, the film could not carve out a historic milestone for Vietnamese cinema at the Oscars. My Anh CHICAGO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- V&V Supremo Foods, the nation's oldest family-owned producers of authentic Mexican cheese, chorizo, and cremas, today announced the acquisition of 39 acres in Jefferson, Wisconsin. This exciting milestone paves the way for a brand-new, world-class production facility that will support the company's capacity to meet the growing demand for V&V Supremo Foods' products and bring more of its award-winning flavors to families across America. V&V Supremo Foods produces a wide range of authentic, high-quality Mexican food products, including its award-winning Chihuahua Brand Cheese, signature chorizo, and traditional cremas. A Strategic Location for Growth Nestled between Madison and Milwaukee, Jefferson, Wisconsin provides the perfect backdrop for expansion. Its thriving community, central location, and access to major transportation corridors will enable V&V Supremo Foods to better serve retail and foodservice partners nationwide. A Vision for the Future Designed with state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and sustainable practices, the plant will serve as a cornerstone for the company's future while honoring its tradition of quality and authenticity. This new home represents exciting growth and symbolizes the company's unwavering commitment to excellence, authenticity, and tradition. A Boost for the Community This dynamic expansion is expected to create new jobs and spark an economic impact in the region. V&V Supremo Foods looks forward to building strong partnerships with local and state partners to support training, workforce development, and supplier relationships in the region. Leadership Comments "Jefferson is the perfect place for our next chapter," said Philip Villasenor, Chief Integrator, V&V Supremo Foods. "This expansion reflects our confidence in the future and commitment to serving our consumers, retail, foodservice and industrial partners, and strengthening our ties with the communities where we operate," said Gilberto Villasenor II, Chief Visionary Officer. About V&V Supremo Foods Founded in 1964, V&V Supremo Foods is proudly family-owned and driven by tradition. From its award-winning Chihuahua Brand Cheese to its signature chorizo and cremas, the company has become a beloved leader in authentic Mexican foods, the fastest growing sector in the restaurant and cheese categories. Headquartered in Chicago, V&V Supremo Foods continues to expand its reach while staying true to its heritage: helping craft meals that "Create Great Memories Through Great Food." Media Contact Monica Garaitonandia Director of Marketing V&V Supremo Foods (305) 753-7232 [email protected] SOURCE V & V Supremo Foods, Inc. 12 early-career researchers will receive three years of support to carry out projects at the Institute for Systems Biology, University of Washington and Washington State University addressing areas of public need SEATTLE, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Research Foundation (WRF) has awarded three-year postdoctoral fellowships to a new cohort of 12 early-career researchers who will pursue innovative, high-impact projects in the natural sciences and engineering. The 2026 WRF Postdoctoral Fellows will carry out research of their own design at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), the University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU), addressing scientific challenges with the goal of enabling innovative discoveries that eventually lead to the creation of new products, services or practices. WRF has awarded 102 fellowships across 90 labs in nine Washington state institutions since launching the program in 2018 to support exceptional scientists during a formative period in their careers. Fellows receive three years of salary, benefits and expenses support, enabling them to pursue ambitious, independent investigations in established research labs. In addition to financial support, WRF provides professional development and networking opportunities to foster a statewide community of scientific leaders. Program alumni have since progressed to a variety of roles in academia and industry, with several joining or founding startup companies. Caleb Stoltzfus and Norma Morella, members of the 2019 and 2020 cohorts respectively, now serve on the program's selection committee. The incoming Fellows will begin their projects in 2026. Their research spans fields including quantitative ecology, immunology, microbiome science, protein engineering, therapeutic development and clean energy. Stefany Cruz earned her Ph.D. in computer engineering from Northwestern University. As a WRF Postdoctoral Fellow in UW's Department of Computer Science & Engineering, she will develop on-device agentic Al technologies for safety and sustainability in urban environments, enabling real-time privacy-preserving sensing and decision-making. earned her Ph.D. in computer engineering from Northwestern University. As a WRF Postdoctoral Fellow in UW's Department of Computer Science & Engineering, she will develop on-device agentic Al technologies for safety and sustainability in urban environments, enabling real-time privacy-preserving sensing and decision-making. Winston Dredge earned his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences in the genetics and genomics training area from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. During his fellowship in UW's Department of Genome Sciences, he will use multimodal single-cell data to investigate how genetic variation impacts early human development. earned his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences in the genetics and genomics training area from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. During his fellowship in UW's Department of Genome Sciences, he will use multimodal single-cell data to investigate how genetic variation impacts early human development. Nastacia Goodwin earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience at UW. In the Department of Psychology at UW, she will study the impacts of climate change on collective social behavior in bumblebees, identifying associated genes for modification to boost climate resilience. earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience at UW. In the Department of Psychology at UW, she will study the impacts of climate change on collective social behavior in bumblebees, identifying associated genes for modification to boost climate resilience. Kunal Lodaya earned his PhD in chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In UW's Department of Chemistry, he will investigate an emerging class of high-capacity redox flow batteries, using a combination of spectroscopy and electrochemistry to uncover kinetic limitations and design improved materials. earned his PhD in chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In UW's Department of Chemistry, he will investigate an emerging class of high-capacity redox flow batteries, using a combination of spectroscopy and electrochemistry to uncover kinetic limitations and design improved materials. Allyson Martin earned her Ph.D. in entomology from Louisiana State University. In WSU's Department of Entomology, she will employ molecular and multiomic techniques to reveal mechanistic insights into how non-crop floral resources in orchard settings influence the health and productivity of managed pollinators. earned her Ph.D. in entomology from Louisiana State University. In WSU's Department of Entomology, she will employ molecular and multiomic techniques to reveal mechanistic insights into how non-crop floral resources in orchard settings influence the health and productivity of managed pollinators. Jongbeom Park completed his Ph.D. in molecular biology at Princeton University. In the Department of Genome Sciences at UW, he will employ ultra-high-throughput single-cell technologies and functional genomic approaches to examine how developmental and environmental variations affect mammalian newborns. completed his Ph.D. in molecular biology at Princeton University. In the Department of Genome Sciences at UW, he will employ ultra-high-throughput single-cell technologies and functional genomic approaches to examine how developmental and environmental variations affect mammalian newborns. Zoe Rand earned her Ph.D. in quantitative ecology and resource management from UW. In UW's School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, she will develop quantitative methods to estimate the abundance of phytoplankton from environmental DNA to improve detection and monitoring of harmful algal blooms. earned her Ph.D. in quantitative ecology and resource management from UW. In UW's School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, she will develop quantitative methods to estimate the abundance of phytoplankton from environmental DNA to improve detection and monitoring of harmful algal blooms. Nathaniel Ritz earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from University College Cork and APC Microbiome Ireland. At ISB, he will develop a high-throughput screening platform to identify how gut chemosensors respond to microbial metabolites, advancing our understanding of host-microbe communication. earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from University College Cork and APC Microbiome Ireland. At ISB, he will develop a high-throughput screening platform to identify how gut chemosensors respond to microbial metabolites, advancing our understanding of host-microbe communication. Jonas Wilhelm earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. At UW's Institute for Protein Design (IPD), he will apply machine-learningdriven protein design to create new biocatalysts for large-scale greenhouse-gas removal technologies. earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. At UW's Institute for Protein Design (IPD), he will apply machine-learningdriven protein design to create new biocatalysts for large-scale greenhouse-gas removal technologies. Marcus Wong earned his Ph.D. in infectious diseases and immunity at the University of California, Berkeley. In the UW Department of Immunology, he will explore new strategies to expand protective immune memory responses to malaria and other infectious diseases of global health importance. earned his Ph.D. in infectious diseases and immunity at the University of California, Berkeley. In the UW Department of Immunology, he will explore new strategies to expand protective immune memory responses to malaria and other infectious diseases of global health importance. Chuanyun Xu earned his Ph.D. in biology from Stanford University. At IPD, he will integrate state-of-the-art protein design technologies to develop new transmembrane proteins for cellular sensing and control. His work aims to advance fundamental neurobiology research and enable new therapeutic strategies. earned his Ph.D. in biology from Stanford University. At IPD, he will integrate state-of-the-art protein design technologies to develop new transmembrane proteins for cellular sensing and control. His work aims to advance fundamental neurobiology research and enable new therapeutic strategies. Lu Yu earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Arizona State University. In the UW Department of Bioengineering, she will develop programmable antibodydrug conjugates enabled by DNA nanotechnology to advance targeted cancer therapy. Nathaniel Ritz, Ph.D., will carry out his fellowship in the Venkatesh Lab at ISB, focusing on developing high-throughput screening technologies to decode chemical communication between the gut microbiota and human cells. This work should enable researchers to better understand potential causes and treatments for related diseases. "We're trying to understand a fundamental question in biologyhow gut bacteria 'talk' to our bodies through chemical signals," Ritz said. "The WRF fellowship allows us to develop new technologies that could reveal these conversations at an unprecedented scale, potentially opening doors for new therapeutic approaches to diseases with gut-brain connections and transforming how we study host-microbe interactions more broadly." "WRF is excited to support this extraordinary group of postdoctoral fellows as they pursue research with the potential for real-world impact in a variety of fields," said Clarisse Benson, manager of student and postdoctoral programs at WRF. "As WRF's already-significant impact on Washington state's postdoc community continues to grow, more early-career researchers are gaining the support, resources and networks needed to thrive and lead." WRF will open its application for the 2027 cohort of WRF Postdoctoral Fellows in May 2026. About Washington Research Foundation: Washington Research Foundation (WRF) supports research, scholarship and entrepreneurship in Washington state, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies. WRF was founded in 1981 to assist universities and other nonprofit research institutions in Washington with the commercialization and licensing of their technologies. WRF became one of the foremost technology transfer organizations in the nation, earning more than $445 million in licensing revenue for the University of Washington. To date, WRF has provided over $186 million in grants to the state's research institutions. WRF Capital, the investment vehicle for Washington Research Foundation, has backed 132 local startups since 1996. Returns support the Foundation's grantmaking and investment programs. For additional information, please visit wrfseattle.org. Media contact: Dale Wadman Email: [email protected] Phone: (206) 336-5600 SOURCE WASHINGTON RESEARCH FOUNDATION PPL's specialised tractor-trailer is transporting wind turbine blades Building on domestic experience, Precious Prestige Logistics (PPL) is expanding into the international market. Since 2024, the company has successfully conducted a site-move and load-out of 33 offshore substation topsides for the Greater Changhua 2b&4 venture, carried out by Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) for Danish partner rsted. In total, nearly 800 shipments were transported over 18 months, contributing to 9.7 million safe working hours of the entire project. The success has established PPL as an indispensable link in the offshore wind supply chain. In 2025, PPL also marked an important milestone in its development history with the successful site-move and load-out of a 4,000-tonne offshore substation topside. The topside, fabricated by PV Shipyard from August 2023 to June this year, is a key component of the offshore substation system, exported to Taiwan. With dimensions of 58x39x37m high, including launch beams, the topside is not only the heaviest structure transported by self-propelled modular transporters in Vietnam, but also one of the heaviest substation topsides ever manufactured domestically for export. In the wind sector, each shipment is extremely large and categorised as oversized and overweight cargo. To manage such loads, PPL has pioneered the adoption of transport route simulation systems, field surveys, specialised trailer designs, and implementation processes in line with international safety standards. A notable example is the Tan Tan Nhat wind farm in the former province of Kon Tum, where PPL handled shipments weighing up to 114 tonnes and 76.5 metres long along the longest transport route of 722km. These achievements underscored the companys technical capabilities and utmost safety standards, reaffirming its pioneering role in super-long and superheavy transportation for wind power ventures nationwide. Do Hoang Phuong, chairman and CEO of PPL, said Vietnams wind power industry entered a golden period between 2020 and 2022. In 2020 alone, the country had 106 wind power ventures nationwide, yet only around 40 prime movers were capable of pulling wind power equipment up to 100 tonnes per shipment. A lack of internal capacity remains a major challenge for Vietnams logistics industry, Phuong said. By addressing this issue, PPL has quickly emerged as Vietnams leading wind power transportation company. During this period, the company participated in seven major wind ventures across the central and Central Highlands regions, delivering nearly 200 complete sets of wind power equipment in a safe and timely manner. Key ventures included 18 turbines for the aforementioned Tan Tan Nhat wind farm; 19 turbines for Huong Linh 3,4 in Quang Tri province; and 73 turbines for Cu Ne 1,2 and Krong Buk 1,2 in Dak Lak province. To complete these ventures, PPL passed through challenging terrain, steep mountain passes, and long distances. These challenges were compounded by global supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, which caused shortages of specialised transport equipment, Phuong said. Despite such obstacles, PPL met all project timelines, ensuring the wind power ventures were connected to the grid as scheduled. As a result, PPL has earned the reputation as Vietnams leading wind power transportation company thanks to its safe, innovative, and efficient solutions. From a homegrown transportation company, PPL has engaged in the global supply chain, especially in the production and logistics of offshore substation topsides for export. ASEAN has endorsed an action plan to increase the share of renewable electricity to 45 per cent of total capacity by 2030. Meanwhile, the ASEAN Power Grid initiative aims to support cross-border power grid ventures. With its proven track record, PPL is well-positioned to become a strategic partner in ASEANs energy network, supporting green transition and sustainable development in the region. To realise this vision, PPL is aligning its operations and safety standards with international benchmarks while investing in fleets, lifting equipment, and digital logistics systems. The company is also deepening partnerships with regional investors, contractors, and original equipment manufacturers, while developing manufacturing capabilities for wind power components serving the ASEAN market. As ASEAN heralds a new era of sustainable energy collaboration, PPLs vision of From Vietnam to ASEAN is more than a slogan it represents an action plan to bring Vietnamese logistics capabilities to the region and contribute to ASEANs greener energy future. PPLs journey to become leading player in Vietnams heavy transport segment Precious Prestige Trading and Logistics One Member Co., Ltd. (PPL) has set a record for Vietnams logistics industry by successfully performing a site-move and load-out of a 4,000-tonne offshore substation topside. On December 16, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) convened the closing conference of the Swiss Trade Policy and Export Promotion Programme (SwissTrade), reviewing its contributions to Vietnams trade policy reform and export performance during 20212025. Funded by the Swiss government, the initiative has supported Vietnam in strengthening institutional foundations for trade amid a rapidly changing global environment, with participation from MoIT, SECO, the International Trade Centre, business support organisations (BSOs), and private-sector representatives. The central achievement of SwissTrade is its support for the formulation of Vietnams Export and Import Strategy to 2030, a document expected to guide the countrys long-term trade orientation. The project provided analytical assessments, sector studies, and technical recommendations that enriched the strategic planning process. According to MoIT, this strategy will play an essential role in helping Vietnam diversify export markets, enhance resilience against global disruptions, and align domestic policy with international commitments. In addition to policy development, SwissTrade has strengthened Vietnams capacity for evidence-based and participatory policymaking. The scheme introduced pilot publicprivate dialogue (PPD) mechanisms that fostered structured engagement between regulators and industry players. These pilots supported the governments broader efforts to improve policy transparency under Resolution No.68/NQ-CP and MoITs GoGlobal initiative. Lessons drawn from these dialogues provide a foundation for institutionalising PPD as a regular feature of Vietnams trade policy cycle. SwissTrade also made notable contributions at the operational level by enhancing the role of BSOs in supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Through its Innovation and Competitiveness Grants Facility, the project enabled several BSOs to test new service models and digital tools aimed at improving the readiness of SMEs to export. Examples showcased at the conference included digital labelling solutions aligned with EU regulations and blockchain-based traceability platforms, as well as integrated digital ecosystems that facilitate compliance, branding, and market access for producers. These initiatives illustrate a broader shift towards more sophisticated SME support services, an area long identified as a bottleneck for Vietnams sustainable export growth. By upgrading BSO capacities, SwissTrade has helped build a more responsive and market-driven support system capable of addressing increasingly stringent global requirements around sustainability, transparency, and digital transformation. SECO representatives praised Vietnams progress in strengthening its trade governance capacity and expressed strong interest in continuing bilateral cooperation. Both sides confirmed that discussions on SwissTrade Phase II are underway, with priority areas expected to include green transition, digital trade readiness, and capacity building for compliance with international standards. The closing conference reaffirmed that SwissTrade has generated multidimensional impact supporting strategic policy formulation, improving regulatory processes, and enhancing the institutional fabric that underpins export promotion. As Vietnam aims to deepen its participation in global value chains, the partnership with Switzerland is poised to contribute to a more competitive, resilient, and sustainable trade environment. Vietnam and Switzerland continue to tighten development cooperation Switzerland will continue to tighten cooperation with Vietnam in terms of economic transformation, institutional strengthening, and sustainable development following the success of the last 35 years. Thai Binh's economy attracts Swiss investors Swiss companies are exploring investment and cooperation opportunities in Thai Binh to tap into the northern province's rising economy. What are the most disruptive trends in the telecom industry, and how are they shaping markets like Vietnam? I think there are several fast-growing trends. I mentioned the five key trends earlier, and those really give an extensive view of where the industry is heading. Jayanth Nagarajan, Asia-Pacific business leader at AWS When it comes to Vietnam specifically, I see it as a real hotbed of innovation. I was there recently for AWS Cloud Day in Vietnam, and every time I visit, I'm struck by the energy and ambition in the market. What we see, and what we love to support, is the hunger to build. The population is extremely tech-savvy, and we want to help amplify that. If you look at the training services we provide in Vietnam, the cloud adoption by the telcos, and customers like Viettel High Tech using AWS to run complex workloads, including their in-housedeveloped 5G core, it shows the potential. We see a major opportunity to bring these innovations to the domestic market and eventually to the world. So that is absolutely a trend we're paying close attention to. Looking ahead two to five years, what technologies and business models do you think will define the telco industry? A major theme is the shift from telco to techco. Traditionally, telcos have focused heavily on cost efficiency, and the cloud is essential for enabling that, through cloud-native operations, automation, and energy-efficient architectures like the ones I mentioned earlier. Second, as telcos increasingly serve enterprise, government, and other business-to-business (B2B) customers, they need a partner who can help them deliver. That's where solutions like AWS AI Factories, AWS Outposts, and our managed services come in, they accelerate the telcos' ability to build and scale services for their business customers. Third, for B2C, many telcos are launching sub-brands and digital brands. AWS and our partners provide a fully vertical, cloud-native stack to support that. A good example is Mobifone in Vietnam. When they launched their youth brand, Saymee, AWS and Amdocs helped them bring it to market in record time. And finally, telcos want a partner who truly understands their complexity. AWS is well positioned here, we have deep industry expertise, experienced leaders, and above all, we're customer-obsessed. We listen, and we deliver what the telcos need to take their services to market. What patterns have you observed among firms that successfully transform from telco to techco? The reality is that it has to start with a vision from the top. The telco board and leadership need a very strong conviction that they want to transform into a techco. There are generally two approaches telcos can take. They can remain excellent providers of connectivity, which is already a fantastic business model, or they can aspire to do more. SK Telecom in South Korea is a great example. They publicly announced years ago that they wanted to become an AI-first company, and if you look at how they've done it, it has been very consistent. They have a pyramid model outlining their strategy, they invested real capital into LLM providers like Anthropic Claude on Amazon Bedrock, they created a joint venture with multiple global operators to develop a telco-specific LLM, and they partnered with AWS to build an AI data centre in South Korea, like the one in Ulsan. We're privileged to work with operators like that. It requires leadership commitment, strong conviction, and, most importantly, agility in the business model. That adaptability is the key recipe for success going forward. Telcos need to encourage innovation, and part of that is taking the cost out of innovation. We help make it easy for innovators to innovate by reducing those costs. If an experiment fails, no problem, the financial risk is small, and telcos love that. But if it succeeds, as we've seen with Viettel and with Reliance Jio in India, we help them scale globally. What we see in common: a top-down vision, adaptability, the ability to experiment, partnering with AWS to keep costs low, and then being ready to scale fast, or fail fast. Are there other factors influencing a telco's journey to becoming a techco, such as legal frameworks, investment, infrastructure, or networking? Absolutely, these factors are essential. Telcos are highly regulated critical infrastructure in most countries, so having the right policy and regulatory framework is a game changer. Ownership structure also matters. Even though transformation starts with leadership inside the telco, you have to consider the shareholders and what motivates them. Traditionally, telcos are viewed as safe dividend plays. The challenge for many operators is: can they shift into the growth part of an investor's portfolio? The regulatory environment, policy framework, and stakeholder landscape are all critical to supporting the transformation from telco to techco. Beyond the broader challenges facing the global telco industry, what do you see as the key challenges specifically for telcos in Vietnam right now? I actually see this more as an opportunity rather than a challenge. If you look at it that way, and even just look around at the innovation shown at this conference, there is so much available today that can accelerate growth. When I look at the telcos in Vietnam, I see massive opportunity. Take Amazon LEO, our satellite-based service. It can expand connectivity to underserved communities in Vietnam in partnership with local telcos. Or consider the ability to transform networks, improve operational efficiency through BSS and OSS modernisation, and completely refresh the front-of-house experience, including the work we're doing with Mobifone on digital brands. Across the entire telco value chain, with strong leadership support and the right regulatory policies and frameworks, which Vietnam does a great job with, I believe there is a real opportunity for Vietnam's telecom industry to reach its next stage of growth. And we're very happy to be a partner in supporting that. Five key telecom trends that Jayanth observed in 2025: 1. Cloud partnerships at scale Telcos are working closely with cloud providers like AWS and its partner network to modernise, innovate faster, and meet sovereign infrastructure needs. 2. Data + AI convergence Advanced algorithms, massive datasets, and cloud compute are unlocking new AI use cases, from self-healing networks to AI centres of excellence. 3. Network modernisation Heavy investments in 5G (and preparation for 6G) are tightly aligned with cloud architectures, enabling resilient, efficient, and future-ready networks. 4. Telcos to techcos Operators are reinventing themselves as digital-native businesses, leveraging AI to accelerate innovation and expand globally. 5. Cultural transformation Beyond technology, telcos are investing in people, training millions to adapt to AI-driven change and fostering across innovation organisations. AWS unveils major AI innovations at re:Invent 2025 Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a wave of new AI innovations on December 2 at its annual re:Invent conference in Las Vegas, focusing on helping organizations adapt to the rapidly evolving AI landscape through advances in autonomous AI agents, cloud infrastructure, and foundation models. How AI and cloud are reshaping the factory floor Steve Blackwell, Product Engineering & Services CoE lead at AWS, spoke with VIR's Bich Thuy on how AI and advanced cloud technologies are set to transform the future of manufacturing. Wales set to cement title for highest imprisonment rate in western Europe Wales unwanted title as the nation with the highest in-country imprisonment rate in western Europe is set to be solidified due to the expansion of HMP Parc. The warning came as the expansion, which was approved despite the prison reaching a record 17 deaths in 2024, is projected to push the rate to 178 per 100,000 population. Analysis by Wales Governance Centre warned the projected rate will surpass the average for the whole of Europe (177 per 100,000) and that of anywhere else in western Europe. The in-country rate refers to people held in Welsh prisons, including those from England, with 167 per 100,000 currently compared with 139 per 100,000 across the border. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) decision to add 345 places at HMP Parc will increase the prison place surplus in Wales from 393 to an estimated 738 places, fuelling concerns about the country being used to absorb prisoner overflows from England. Enormously high Appearing before the Senedds equality committee today (December 15), Rob Jones, a lecturer at Cardiff University, questioned the logic of expanding the Bridgend prison. He said: I dont quite understand why that decision was taken to expand that prison at that particular time one, given the safety problems that have been widely reported on and, secondly, Wales already has the highest in-country imprisonment rate in western Europe. Pressed about the reasons for the enormously high rate, Dr Jones pointed to the impact of poverty in Wales. He raised the example of Finland which has a rate of 51 per 100,000. The ill-judged plans to extend HMP Parc were approved by Bridgend council in November and Dr Jones urged Welsh ministers to ask the UK Government to think again. He said: I dont see any reason why Parc should be expanded when there are still no answers about Wales imprisonment rate I think there needs to be a very serious conversation about tackling over-imprisonment in Wales, not just overcrowding. Elephant in the room Since HMP Berwyn in Wrexham opened in 2017, the average number of prisoners held in Wales has increased by 34%, according to a Wales Governance Centre briefing. The report found the number of prisoners held in England would need to increase by more than 21,000 to equal the rate in Wales following the proposed expansion. Dr Jones told the committee: If the Welsh Government is serious about its commitment to reduce the number of people in prison in Wales now is the time to show it. His latest fact file on imprisonment showed a record number of deaths (21) across the Welsh prison estate in 2024. Of the 17 at HMP Parc, eight were attributed to natural causes. He said: I think the natural cause deaths are the elephant in the room actually when we think about deaths in prison. [Thats] not to say those others that we saw, particularly at Parc last year with regards to substances, are not, of course, to be taken seriously. Jagged edge Dr Jones expressed concerns about the standards of health care in prisons, which is devolved to Wales, with the average life expectancy of prisoners significantly lower. Asked about housing, Dr Jones said the jagged edge of Wales justice system is alive and well when it comes to homelessness and prisoner release. He warned councils, housing services and probation cannot deal with the churn created by short-term sentences. Labours Mick Antoniw asked about people from black or minority ethnic backgrounds being disadvantaged in just about every respect of the criminal justice system. Dr Jones replied: I dont think Ive seen any real improvement nor change, warning of zero investment in research on criminal justice in Wales. He pointed to evidence of two-tier sentencing and cautioned Wales is completely lost in the context of an England-and-Wales justice system. He raised the danger of recommendations such as those from the Lammy review and Thomas commission sitting on a shelf. No determined effort Jane Dodds, the Liberal Democrats leader in Wales, asked about a high and growing proportion of Welsh prisoners held on remand before their trial or sentencing. Dr Jones warned of a lack of understanding to explain a 10% increase in prisoners on remand in 2024 (804) after reaching record levels in 2023 (730). He raised the example of Welsh ministers womens justice blueprint, with half of magistrates saying they had never heard of the plan which promotes alternatives to remand. On a lack of vital information about parental imprisonment, the lecturer said he was led on a merry dance before his FoI for Welsh data was rejected on cost grounds. Asked about short-term sentences for women, Dr Jones said: There never really seems to be any determined effort to get to the bottom of problems. By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter Lyon County deputies say a man fired shots in self-defense during an alleged road rage incident in Fernley. Lyon County deputies say on Monday Austin Baker was driving west on Main Street with his wife and two-year-old child in his car when he saw what he thought was the same car that had allegedly cut off his wife's car two days earlier. They say he followed the car to the Wendy's parking lot, when he allegedly pulled in front of it, preventing the car from moving. And that's when they say Baker got out and yelled at the other driver, with the other driver allegedly placing a handgun on his lap. Deputies say Baker started hitting the other man in the face, when that man grabbed the gun and fired two rounds through the car door toward Baker. One round got stuck in the door, while the other one missed Baker, hitting a dirt mound behind him. Deputies say that man then drove off to the sheriff's office substation where he called 911 to report what happened. Authorities say Baker followed him eastbound on Main Street before turning off toward the In-Town Park. He did not contact the Sheriffs Office, but was later located by Deputies and taken into custody. Baker was arrested on the following charges: * Aggravated Stalking * Motor Vehicle Burglary * Child Endangerment * Battery The investigation remains ongoing. If you have information, contact the Lyon County Sheriffs Office at (775) 463-6600 to speak with Deputy Colosi in reference to Case Number 25LY04925. West Virginia's Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Received Low Marks from ASCE CHARLESTON, W.Va., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --Today, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2025 Report Card for West Virginia's Infrastructure. Drinking water infrastructure in the state received a D+, with wastewater infrastructure receiving a D. Scott Wyman, President of West Virginia American Water, issued the following statement in response: "West Virginia's lagging infrastructure grades are a clear warning sign that the state's water systems need more investment," said Wyman. "West Virginia American Water has made considerable investments to strengthen service and upgrade water systems across the state, but lasting progress will require all of us." The EPA's 2023 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment previously indicated that West Virginia must invest approximately $4.5 billion in drinking water infrastructure over the next two decades, with significantly greater resources required for wastewater systems. These findings highlight the severity of the state's ongoing water infrastructure challenges. "Meeting these needs will take sustained investment and coordinated action by utilities, regulators, legislators and local leaders," Wyman added. "No community should have to shoulder this challenge alone. By planning smartly, supporting struggling systems and investing in the right projects, we can see better grades and build a stronger, more resilient water future for West Virginia." West Virginia American Water is committed to providing safe, clean and reliable water service to its customers. Throughout the past decade, the company has invested more than $736 million in water infrastructure improvements. Its parent company, American Water, plans to invest more than $46 billion across its footprint, including West Virginia, throughout the next ten years. About West Virginia American Water West Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing safe, clean and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 583,000 people. SOURCE American Water BEIJING, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Once hailed by Marco Polo as a "great eastern port" teeming with merchants and goods, Quanzhou, a world heritage city in southeast China's Fujian Province, today continues to captivate visitors with its living heritage, vibrant street life and enduring openness. In 2024, Quanzhou received more than 100 million tourist visits, up 16.8 percent year on year. Travelers come not only to trace history, but also to experience a city where daily life and cultural legacy remain closely intertwined. Photo shows a foreign tourist photographing a tourism brochure at the tourist service center in Quanzhou. From tusun jelly made of coastal marine worms to festive spring rolls known as runbing, Quanzhou's cuisine reflects both maritime traditions and folk customs. On Oct. 31, the city was designated a "Creative City of Gastronomy" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Covering just over six square kilometers, Quanzhou's ancient city remains home to generations of residents. Local authorities have adopted a "micro-renovation" approach, preserving original neighborhoods while improving living conditions and visitor access. Intangible cultural heritage is another highlight. Quanzhou is regarded as a cradle of traditional Chinese operas such as Liyuan Opera, Gaojia Opera, and string-puppet theater. Performances at the Marionette Theatre of Quanzhou are often sold out within minutes, drawing audiences from across the country. Many young performers have joined the troupes, ensuring the vitality of these art forms. In Xunpu Village, the once-local custom of wearing elaborate floral headdresses has gone viral nationwide, while oyster-shell houses testify to centuries-old overseas trade. Today, Quanzhou is home to thousands of foreign merchants engaged in textiles, trade and e-commerce. With improved multilingual services and visa facilitation, the city is welcoming a growing number of international visitors, once again reviving its role as a global port of cultural exchange. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/348816.html SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road SUCCESSFUL FIELD RESULTS AT UTAH ANTIMONY PROJECT LEADS TO EXPANSION Successful Program at Utah Antimony Project and Expansion Perth, Dec 18, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Red Mountain Mining Limited ( ASX:RMX ) ( RMXFF:OTCMKTS ), an Australian and United States based Critical Minerals exploration and development company with an established and growing portfolio of projects in Tier-1 Mining Districts, announced highly encouraging results from its exploration program at the Utah Antimony Project in the Antimony Mining district, Utah, USA. Red Mountain has also identified and acquired a further 19 prospective claims, bringing the total for the project to 106 claims. HIGHLIGHTS - Highly encouraging results from field program at the Utah Antimony Project supports Red Mountain's Antimony exploration model and leads to additional expansion of claims - Red Mountain's Utah Antimony Project directly adjoins American Tungsten and Antimony Ltd's ( ASX:AT4 ) (Market Cap $152 million) Antimony Canyon Project (ACP), one of the largest and highest-grade antimony projects in the USA, with a defined conceptual Exploration Target of 12.8 to 15.6 Mt @ 0.75% to 1.5% Sb, containing between 96,000 to 234,000 tonnes of Antimony metal - Mapping analysis undertaken by Red Mountain strongly suggests that both the same type of host rocks and extensions of the large epithermal Antimony mineralising system targeted by AT4 at Antimony Canyon are present within Red Mountain's project area - Red Mountain has acquired 19 additional claims which cover the further southern extension of the major N-S trending structural corridor believed to control mineralisation at Antimony Canyon - Satellite imagery commissioned by Red Mountain has also identified multiple similar spectral signatures to the ACP mineralisation within Red Mountain's project area, which will be followed up by ground exploration team - Red Mountain plans to use geophysics to map out the location of prospective structures and conductive targets beneath cover for on ground follow up work, including drill testing Field Program Confirms Highly Prospective Geology and Alterations Red Mountain's US field team recently completed mapping of both existing claim blocks of the Company's Utah Antimony Project. Mapping in the northern claim block confirmed the presence of similar host rocks as the principal host units for mineralisation at Antimony Canyon (Figure 1A*). RMX's field team also observed alteration consistent with the presence of significant epithermal system within the claims, including widespread pervasive argillic alteration (Figure 1C*) and silicification, and more localised development of oxidised breccias (Figure 1B*) and quartz vein stockworks. Alteration zones are structurally controlled by northwest trending faults, which are interpreted to represent similar Fault splays to the structures that fundamentally control hydrothermal fluid flow and high-grade antimony mineralisation at Antimony Canyon. Red Mountain's southern claims area sits higher within the Tertiary volcanic sequence than the northern claims area, with exposures of pre-Quarternary geology comprising the late Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary units that overly the basal volcaniclastic and fluvial sediments of the Flagstaff Formation (Figure 2*). However, it is considered likely that The Flagstaff Formation, including the tuffaceous volcaniclastic units that host antimony mineralisation at Antimony Canyon, extend into the Company's southern claims at relatively shallow depths. Where Tertiary volcanic basement is exposed in the southern claims area, it typically occurs as steep, fault-controlled exposures of volcanic breccias and welded tuffs showing pervasive silicification and patchy iron-oxide alteration (Figure 4A*), and local zones of strong fault-controlled quartz veining (Figure 4B), which is consistent with the upper portion of an epithermal system, suggesting excellent potential for concealed antimony mineralisation at depth. The Antimony Mining District was discovered in 1879 and produced high-grade Sb ores from multiple small-scale mines from 1880 to about 1908 and intermittently into the 1960s. RMX's claims lie immediately along strike to the north and south of American Tungsten and Antimony Ltd's ( ASX:AT4 ) Antimony Canyon Project (Figure 1*), which includes more than 30 historical mine workings surrounding both Antimony Canyon and Drywash Canyon, approximately 6km north of the main prospect. Antimony mineralisation within the Antimony Mining District is related to approximately north-south trending fault system, which are interpreted to be fault splays related to the Paunsaugunt Fault. These faults are thought to have provided pathways for hydrothermal fluids from nearby volcanic centres to migrate upward towards favourable stratigraphic horizons, where antimony typically occurs as stibnite veins and stockwork zones parallel to flat-lying stratigraphy. The dominant host for mineralisation at Antimony Canyon and Drywash Canyon is the Early Palaeocene Flagstaff Formation, which comprises carbonate-rich fluvial sandstone and conglomerate, with AT4's recent exploration concluding that a brittle tuffaceous felsic volcaniclastic horizon within the Formation is the most prospective host unit, but that mineralisation is present at multiple stratigraphic levels, implying potential for both laterally and vertically extensive mineralisation, providing an encouraging model for Red Mountain's Utah Antimony Project prospectivity. Subsequent to Red Mountain's announcement of acquiring the Utah Antimony Project in mid September, AT4 has released modelling results from its 43-kilometre-controlled-source audio magnetotellurics (CSAMT) survey at Antimony Canyon, which detected a geophysical structure consistent with a large-scale epithermal mineral system, including extensive, stacked low-resistivity (conductive) zones, interpreted as argillic (clay) alteration that is a prospective host for antimony mineralisation, overlain by a high-resistivity zone, thought to represent the silica cap of the hydrothermal system. The CSAMT survey has also imaged multiple discrete, steeply dipping structural breaks that disrupt the conductive horizons. AT4 interpret these features, which correlate well to ~NS trending Paunsaugunt Fault splays mapped by the Utah Geological Survey, to be the main "feeder structures" responsible for transporting mineralising fluids from depth and therefore a fundamental control on the extent and location of antimony mineralisation. On 25 November, AT4 announced results of a second phase of systematic rock chip and channel sampling at Antimony Canyon, with multiple samples returning >1% Sb, including best results of 29.4% Sb from Little Emma, 25.24% Sb from the Pluto Workings and 17.94% Sb from the Gem Mine zone. Significantly for Red Mountain, AT4 also announced the discovery of a substantial new zone of highgrade antimony mineralisation, returning results of up to 3.59% Sb to date, and termed the "Northern Extension", which lies approximately 1km north of the Antimony Canyon Project area (Figure 3*). The Northern Extension coincides with a coherent NNW-trending CSAMT conductive anomaly and is interpreted to be controlled by splays of the Paunsaugunt Fault, highlighting the importance of these structures in controlling mineralisation and confirming the potential for significant antimony mineralisation both north and south along strike from Antimony Canyon, including into Red Mountain's project area. The 19 new claims added to Red Mountain's Utah Antimony Project are targeted at the further southern extension of major ~N-S trending faults that are thought to be the main control on the mineralising system at Antimony Canyon and the Northern Extension (Figure 3*). Most recently, on December 10, AT4 announced "tentative" regulatory approval of a 24 hole diamond drilling program, planned to total around 1650m, targeting the Little Emma and Gem prospects within Antimony Canyon, which drilling planned to commence before the end of December. Multispectral satellite data defines multiple targets within the Utah Antimony Project During October, Red Mountain also engaged Dirt Exploration ("Dirt") to process and analyse satellite imagery across AT4's project area and Red Mountain's Utah Antimony Project to firstly understand the spectral signal of the exposed mineralisation in Antimony Canyon and then identify the distribution of comparable spectral patterns within Red Mountain's project area. The study used the locations and antimony content of 200 published AT4 rock chip samples to generate a multispectral fingerprint of the mineralisation in Antimony Canyon. This classifier was then mapped over Red Mountain's claims to identify potential similar targets. As the classifier was based on surface spectral responses, it effectively acts as a detection tool for potential outcropping mineralisation. The 100 strongest matches to the classifier within the Red Mountain claims, including the newly pegged areas, are shown as "Surface Targets" on Figures 5* and 6*. These targets are mostly concentrated in the eastern portion of the southern claims area, where the underlying prospective Tertiary geology is not masked by Quaternary sediments (Refer to Figure 4*). Satellite imagery can be utilised to look under cover and through vegetation by mapping spectral features associated with gases that may diffuse to the surface from shallowly to deeply buried sources. By using the AT4 rock chip sampling as a training dataset, Dirt was able to demonstrate a correlation between antimony mineralisation and elevated signals for mercury (Hg) vapour, and hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and radon (Rn) gas. Using this relationship, Dirt was able to map the 100 strongest "Gas Targets" across Red Mountain's claims, which are also shown on Figures 5* and 6*. These targets show a much more uniform distribution across the Utah Antimony Project, reflecting the potential for this targeting technique to "see" through cover. The final targeting product provided by Dirt is mercury vapour. Mercury is typically present in high concentrations in high sulfidation epithermal mineralisation and, as noted above, the mineralisation at Antimony Canyon correlates with spectral signals indicating high concentrations of mercury vapour. The element is highly volatile and mobile, and is known to migrate upward in vapour form from buried mineralisation. Mercury vapour anomalies in soil gas have successfully detected buried deposits at depths of up to 600m. Using multiple spectral features for mercury vapour that are detectable in Sentinel-2 data, Dirt mapped the 100 strongest "Hg Vapour Targets" across Red Mountain's claims, which are also shown in Figures 5* and 6*. Like the Gas Targets, the Hg Vapour Targets are present in both outcropping and covered areas across the Company's claims, although in areas of Quarternary cover, for example in the western portion of the southern claim area and within the new claim area, they appear to be preferentially developed along and close to mapped faults (Figure 6*). This relationship is consistent with the interpreted fundamental structural control on antimony mineralisation in the district. Forward exploration program for the Utah Antimony Project Red Mountain's priority for exploration will be to undertake additional surface mapping to follow up the highest priority surface exploration targets identified from the satellite data and identify, characterise and sample any relevant outcropping structures and lithologies. RMX is currently planning high resolution drone magnetics to locate the undercover extensions of north-south structures known to be associated with mineralisation at Antimony Canyon, Northern Extension and Drywash Canyon into RMX's claims. The exploration will be used to define prospective areas for more intensive follow up work. The magnetic survey is being planned to model the extent of subsurface hydrothermal systems and to directly detect sulfide mineralisation beneath cover and at depth. This will be followed by RAB drilling to test shallow targets and RC and/or diamond drilling for deeper target testing. Red Mountain set to continue aggressive US growth strategy Red Mountain is set to continue to seek further opportunities to expand its portfolio of high-quality Critical and Strategic Metals projects in Tier 1 US mining jurisdictions. In addition to the Utah Antimony Project, the Company also holds two high-quality antimony projects in central Idaho at Yellow Pine and Silver Dollar, and is actively pursuing other opportunities with a goal of building a portfolio of assets to leverage what is an unprecedented critical shortage of Western supply and US Government interest in key strategic commodities. The Company expects to announce further growth initiatives in the coming weeks. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/SJT8FFHU About Red Mountain Mining Limited Red Mountain Mining Limited (ASX:RMX) is a mineral exploration and development company. Red Mountain has a portfolio of US, Canada and Australia projects in Critical Minerals and Gold. Red Mountain is advancing its Armidale Antimony-Gold Project in NSW, Utah Antimony Project in the Antimony Mining District of Utah, US, Fry Lake Gold Project and US Lithium projects. Related Companies Insured losses from natural catastrophes again surpass the USD 100 billion mark in 2025 for the sixth consecutive year. This is mainly driven by the unprecedented LA wildfire loss record in the first quarter of 2025 and severe convective storms (SCS), which remain a major and persistent global loss driver. Overall, Swiss Re Institute estimates total insured losses in 2025 at USD 107 billion, 24% lower than the USD 141 billion recorded in 2024. Jerome Jean Haegeli, Swiss Re's Group Chief Economist, says: "Amid annual volatility, insured losses keep rising. That's why strengthening prevention, protection and preparedness is essential to protect lives and property. Reinsurers and the broader insurance sector have a dual role: acting as financial shock absorbers and supporting the development of resilient, risk-informed public policy and private investment that reduce future losses." US events are the main driver of global insured natural catastrophe losses With 83% of estimated global insured losses of USD 107 billion, the US is again the most affected market in 2025 (USD 89 billion). This was driven primarily by wildfires and SCS. 2025 produced the highest insured wildfire losses on record (USD 40 billion). The scale of destruction reflects a convergence of meteorological drivers, such as extended hot, dry conditions and strong winds, with greater exposure especially housing and high-value residential assets expanding into hazardous wildland-urban interface (WUI) zones. Persistent losses from severe convective storms Global insured losses from severe convective storms reached USD 50 billion this year, making 2025 the third costliest year after 2023 and 2024 and continuing a multi-year upward trajectory. There was much SCS activity in the first half of 2025 in the US, with several severe tornado outbreaks in March and May driving above-average tornado and wind reports, while hail activity remained close to average. SCS activity in the second half of the year so far has been muted, with both hail and broader thunderstorm impacts running below seasonal norms. In Europe, notable hailstorms occurred in May and June, though insured losses were limited as the most intense activity affected regions with lower concentrations of high-value exposure. Overall, SCS remains a major contributor to global natural catastrophe losses. Balz Grollimund, Swiss Re's Head Catastrophe Perils, says: "We are observing a steady rise in losses from severe convective storms. Urbanisation in hazard-prone areas, rising asset values, higher construction costs and factors such as ageing roofs have made these storms a key peril for insurers. As single events rarely result in a large insured loss, it is key for insurers to consider the cumulative effect of frequent, low-loss events, along with increasing property values and repair costs. A more holistic view of this peril is critical to assure proper underwriting and risk management." Low hurricane losses, despite an active season Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica in October as a Category-5 hurricane, with estimated winds near 298 km/h the strongest storm ever to strike Jamaica and one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record when making landfall. It caused catastrophic wind damage, severe flooding and landslides across Jamaica and also affected Haiti and Cuba. Hurricane Melissa is currently the costliest hurricane event of 2025, with estimated insured losses of up to USD 2.5 billion, finds Swiss Re Institute. The North Atlantic (TCNA) tropical cyclone season has seen 13 named storms, 5 hurricanes, 4 major hurricanes and three Category-5 hurricanes (Erin, Humberto and Melissa). For the first time in ten years, none of these hurricanes made landfall on the US coast, which explains why insured losses from this peril are set to be low in 2025. Severe flooding in Southeast Asia in late November Southeast Asia has experienced severe river and flash-flooding events in November, specifically Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. A complex set of weather systems involving the interaction of multiple cyclonic systems and an intensified monsoon under La Nina conditions created a destructive combination of rain, landslides and flash floods resulting in widespread devastation. Adaptation and early warning systems can save lives In July this year, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia near the Kamchatka Peninsula, becoming the sixth-largest recorded earthquake since 1900. The earthquake generated tsunami waves that reached Hawaii and coastal areas of the US mainland. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami-response have been considered a success of early warning systems (EWS), protecting at-risk populations through evacuation and alerts. The effective and coordinated early warning provided by the Pacific Tsunami Warning System (PTWS) saved countless lives. The minimal destruction to Russian coastal communities can be attributed to significant reforms in city planning based on experiences from previous events. * Note: 10-yr average refers to the average losses between 2015 and 2024. Due to rounding, some totals may not correspond with the sum of the separate figures. Loss estimates in this press release are preliminary and are subject to change as not all loss-generating events have been fully assessed yet. Source: Swiss Re Institute Sena (UBT)-MNS Alliance Nears as Mahayuti Sets 150-Seat Target in High-Stakes BMC Polls 2 As Maharashtra gears up for the January 15 civic body elections, political activity intensified on Tuesday with rival camps holding parallel meetings to firm up alliances and seat-sharing strategies, especially for the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. The focus remained firmly on Mumbai, where Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray, signalling that a tie-up between the two parties is all but final. Raut later told reporters that Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS would contest the civic polls together not just in Mumbai but also in Mira-Bhayander, Kalyan-Dombivli, Thane, Pune and Nashik, with a formal announcement expected next week. There is no problem in announcing the alliance in the coming week. Both brothers, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, will be seen together on stage for the announcement, Raut said. On a possible understanding with the Congress, Raut said he had spoken to the partys top leadership, urging it to contest the civic polls as part of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which he believes should also include the MNS. However, he added that the Congress leadership has left the decision to local units. Both the Opposition and the ruling Mahayuti have asserted that Mumbai will have a Marathi mayor after the elections. Addressing reporters after a meeting between the BJP and Shiv Sena, Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam said the ruling alliance was working with a clear aim of crossing the 150-seat mark in the 227-member BMC. Our discussions are focused on ensuring Mahayuti candidates win across all 227 wards, with a clear objective of securing 150-plus seats in the BMC, Satam said. Meanwhile, BJP leader and minister Ashish Shelar ruled out any alliance with the NCP for the Mumbai civic polls, even as the Ajit Pawar-led party remains a key constituent of the Mahayuti at the state level. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that the ruling alliance was deliberately keeping the NCP out of civic tie-ups to split secular votes. An NCP leader countered the claim, saying the party has been preparing for the civic polls for months and holding weekly meetings to strengthen its organisation in Mumbai. After consultations with Ajit Pawar, we will decide the exact number of seats to contest. In multi-cornered local elections, individual candidates matter, the leader said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier stated that the BJP and Shiv Sena would contest the civic polls together in most places, while Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad could see friendly contests between the BJP and NCP. On the Opposition front, Congress Mumbai president Varsha Gaikwad said her party would fight the BMC polls on local civic issues and accused the BJP of pushing a religious agenda to divert attention from governance failures. AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel said his party would contest seats in 27 of the 29 municipal corporations going to polls in January, including Mumbai, and was open to alliances with like-minded parties and the Opposition MVA. He said candidate lists would be announced by December 22 or 23. Adding to the political sparring, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray targeted the BJP for taking credit for civic work done by his party, urging workers to highlight the achievements of the undivided Shiv Sena during its BMC rule from 1997 to 2022. With more than 1.03 crore voters across 227 wards eligible to cast their ballots, the BMC elections are seen as a prestige battle for Maharashtras major political formations. The final electoral rolls have been published, and votes will be counted on January 16 as 29 municipal corporations, including cash-rich Mumbai, head into a fierce contest for urban political supremacy. The National Herald Case: When Narrative Collapsed in Court 2 What the BJP perfected over the last decade was not governance first, but narrative first. Power followed later. Long before Narendra Modi walked into the Prime Ministers Office, the BJP had already occupied Indias digital bloodstream. The partys IT Cell did not merely participate in social mediait colonized it. It built an ecosystem of outrage, half-truths, recycled myths, selective history, and relentless repetition, aimed squarely at one political family and one political legacy: the Congress and the Gandhis. This was not organic dissent. This was industrial-scale propaganda. The first phase of this operation was emotional preparation. Public anger had to be manufactured before power could be captured. The so-called anti-corruption movement was the Trojan horse. Draped in the language of ethics and idealism, it mobilized genuine public frustration against corruption under UPA-II. But what followed exposed the fraud. The movement that claimed to cleanse politics entered politicsand promptly drowned in corruption charges of its own. The saints turned politicians, and the halo fell off almost immediately. The anger, however, had served its purpose. Congress was delegitimized. The BJP walked in through the smoke. Once in power, the second phase began: delegitimization through demonetization. Narendra Modi did not merely want electoral dominance; he wanted ideological erasure. Congress-mukt Bharat was not a sloganit was an obsession. And obsessions require enemies. The Gandhi family became that enemy, not because of proven crimes, but because they represented continuity, legacy, and an alternative moral claim to the idea of India. For twelve years, the attacks never stopped. Jawaharlal Nehru was recast as the original sinner of modern India. Indira Gandhi was reduced to Emergency caricatures. Rajiv Gandhis assassination did not earn dignity, only suspicion. Sonia Gandhi was turned into a foreign conspirator. Rahul Gandhi into a national joke. Priyanka Gandhi into a political irrelevance. It was a daily ritualprime-time mockery, social media abuse, doctored clips, selective quotes, and algorithm-friendly hatred. Truth was optional. Volume was mandatory. The BJP IT Cell did not argueit accused. It did not investigateit insinuated. It did not wait for courtsit declared verdicts. And a large section of India, exhausted by complexity and addicted to outrage, swallowed it whole. Gullibility was mistaken for patriotism. Skepticism was branded as betrayal. Central agencies became the next weapon. The Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and Income Tax Departmentinstitutions meant to be neutral custodians of lawslowly began to resemble political hit squads. Opposition leaders across parties discovered a pattern: fall out with the BJP, and a notice follows. Speak too loudly, and a raid arrives. Resist politically, and your past is excavated with surgical enthusiasm. The message was crude but effectivesubmit or suffer. The Gandhis were the ultimate target. Harassment was not incidental; it was the strategy. Dragging them to court, parading them through investigations, hinting at arreststhis was about optics, not outcomes. The goal was not conviction; it was exhaustion. Not justice; but intimidation. Make resistance so costly that dissent itself appears foolish. The National Herald case was the slow-cooked dish in this political kitchen. For years, it was bakedkept alive in TV debates, recycled in WhatsApp forwards, and weaponized in speecheslong before any legal closure. The BJP sold it as the smoking gun, the final nail in the Congress coffin. And yet, when the moment of judicial scrutiny arrived, the script collapsed. A Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the EDs chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others. No legal basis. No prosecutable substance. Years of noise, reduced to judicial silence. That refusal was not a technicalityit was an indictment. It exposed what critics had been saying all along: central agencies were being misused to pursue political vendettas. Cases were being stretched, twisted, and pushed without legal spine, only political muscle. Courts were expected to rubber-stamp what power had already declared. This time, they didnt. And that rattled the system. The reaction was telling. Congress workers in Haryana protested not in celebration alone, but in angeranger at years of harassment masquerading as investigation. State Congress president Rao Narendra Singh and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda called it what it was: political malafide intent. Not governance. Not accountability. Vendetta. This was not about the National Herald alone. It was about a pattern. Opposition leaders are arrested before elections and released quietly after. Chargesheets are filed with fanfare and forgotten without conviction. Raids dominate headlines; acquittals barely get a footnote. The process itself becomes the punishment. Democracy bleeds not through coups, but through procedures abused repeatedly. The BJPs defenders argue this is law taking its course. But law does not leak selectively. Law does not act with election calendars. Law does not spare defectors who conveniently join the ruling party. The moment you see that switchopposition leader today, BJP ally tomorrow, charges gone by eveningthe moral argument collapses. This is not zero tolerance for corruption. This is selective tolerance. The tragedy is not just institutional; it is social. A section of Indians has been trained to cheer arrests without trials, accusations without evidence, and punishment without verdictsas long as the target fits the approved enemy list. The same people who once feared state power now applaud its excesses, convinced it will never turn on them. History laughs at such confidence. The BJPs greatest success has not been electoralit has been psychological. It has convinced citizens that questioning power is disloyalty, that opposition is obstruction, and that courts are trustworthy only when they agree with the government. The moment a court resists, it is accused of being compromised. This is how institutions are not overthrown but hollowed out. The refusal to accept the ED chargesheet in the National Herald case is therefore larger than the Gandhis. It is a warning bell for Indian democracy. It reminds us that courts still exist to examine evidence, not hashtags. That legality is not decided in war rooms. That propaganda cannot permanently substitute proof. The BJP may continue its narrative warfare. It may double down on social media, sharpen its troll machinery, and invent newer villains. That is politics. But the myth that all opposition is criminal and one party alone is virtuous is finally fraying. Power thrives on fear. Democracies survive without doubt. And slowly, very slowly, doubt is returning. Not because the Gandhis are saints. Not because Congress is flawless. But because citizens are beginning to see the machinery behind the noisethe factory that produces outrage, the agencies bent into weapons, and the dangerous comfort of cheering power unchecked. History has seen this play before. It never ends well for those who confuse dominance with destiny. The court has spokennot loudly, not theatricallybut firmly enough to expose the rot. The rest is up to the people: whether they want a republic governed by law or a theater ruled by narratives. Because today it is the Gandhis. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.